Hong Kong: Winnie Ho to visit Singapore Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho will lead a delegation to Singapore tomorrow to learn more about the latest developments there in public housing, community facilities and construction technologies. During her visit, Ms Ho will meet officials from Singapores Ministry of National Development, its Housing & Development Board and its Building & Construction Authority, as well as representatives from the local construction sector. She will also pay a visit to the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in the Republic of Singapore. The delegation will comprise members of the Housing Authority Strategic Planning Committee, as well as representatives of the Housing Bureau, the Housing Department and the Housing Society. They will visit local public housing projects, new development areas and projects that have adopted the Modular Integrated Construction method and new building technologies. Ms Ho will return to Hong Kong on August 25. During her absence, Under Secretary for Housing Victor Tai will be Acting Secretary for Housing. This story has been published on: 2023-08-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Experts call for renewal of sci-tech pact with China 08:20, August 21, 2023 By LIA ZHU in San Francisco ( Chinadaily.com.cn Some experts in the United States are calling for the renewal of a landmark agreement between the US and China on cooperation in science and technology, amid a growing push in the US to cut research ties between the two nations. The US-China Science and Technology Agreement, which was signed in 1979 and has been renewed every five years or so ever since, has become the subject of controversy as some Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns over whether it benefits US interests. The current agreement was renewed in 2018 and will expire on Sunday. US Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin who is chairman of a congressional select committee on China, and nine other Republicans in the US Congress have written an open letter opposing the agreement's renewal over "national security" concerns. Many scientists have warned that cutting ties with China would risk slowing US research progress, especially in areas such as biotechnology, clean energy and telecommunications. "The letter's arguments are flimsy, in my view, asserting security threats from cooperation on agriculture and atmospheric monitoring and voicing concerns about dual-use technologies and the interaction of civil and military R&D," said John Holdren, who was director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House during the administration of former president Barack Obama. "Risks from cooperation are reason to manage them to ensure they are much smaller than the benefits, not reason to abandon the benefits," said Holdren, a research professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. At a recent webinar hosted by the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, Holdren shared his more than 40 years of experience collaborating with China on science and technology. A number of former government officials and scientists discussed renewal of the agreement at the webinar. Holdren said he believes that bilateral science and technology agreements, including the one between the US and China, provide "immense value". One of the benefits is providing access to internationally dispersed science and technology expertise and facilities, thus leading to reduced costs and faster progress on mutually beneficial research, he said. He listed several achievements of the US-China Science and Technology Agreement over the past decades, such as the collaboration of the US Forest Service with its Chinese counterparts, which advanced control of forest pests in both countries, and the collaboration of the US Geological Survey and the China Earthquake Administration's State Seismological Bureau, which advanced earthquake science in both countries. "Many members of the Congress and other national security 'hawks' are so preoccupied with the risks, and so dismissive of the benefits, that they are sometimes willing to 'throw the baby out with the bathwater'," said Holdren. "That's conspicuously the case today with respect to the US-China Science and Technology Agreement," he added. The Biden administration has been unresponsive to inquiries about accomplishments and challenges under the current agreement, which Holdren said was because President Joe Biden's "freedom of action is constrained by the bad state of US-China relations overall and by politics around the 2024 election". Scientific relations between the US and China have worsened since 2018, when the administration of former president Donald Trump launched the "China Initiative" to target researchers with Chinese ties. The now-defunct program, which resulted in some high-profile false arrests and prosecutions, cast a shadow over scientific collaborations and prompted many scientists of Chinese origin to leave the US for other countries. The deteriorating scientific relations were shown in a study by Caroline Wagner, a professor at Ohio State University, by analyzing the changes in co-publication patterns between China, the European Union and the US from 2016 to 2021. China's collaboration with the US has been decreasing in the past few years, but China-EU collaboration has continued strongly, according to the study. It also found that China had surpassed the EU around 2015 and the US in 2019 in production of the top 1 percent of the most highly cited articles. "As China becomes a hub of scientific collaboration, it is important that the United States remains a part of that collaborative community," said Mark Cohen, a senior fellow and director of the Asia IP Project at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. "The proper question is not whether we should renew the Science and Technology Agreement, but whether we can effectively manage and cooperate with China in science and technology," he said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) 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. New Delhi [India], August 21 (ANI) European Union looks forward to deepening ties with key partner New Delhi by advancing talks for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the blocs top trade official said ahead of India visit. EU Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, will embark on a 5-day visit to India on Tuesday, said European Union's diplomatic service in a statement on Monday. He will attend the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting in Jaipur, and co-chair the EU-India High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment together with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi. India is a key partner for the EU and we look forward to engaging with our Indian counterparts on how we can further deepen our ties, notably by advancing our talks for a Free Trade Agreement. The G20 comes just six months before the 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, so we must seize this opportunity to drive forward the multilateral trade agenda at a time of global turbulence, Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, was quoted in the statement. During his stay, he is also due to meet Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian Minister of Finance, for discussions on the EUs relations with India, European External Action Service (EEAS) said. The EU said it is aiming to deepen ties with India and working to that end with negotiations on three ambitious agreements: a Free Trade Agreement, an Investment Protection Agreement and a Geographical Indications Agreement. Closer EU-India cooperation is symbolised through the parallel engagement in the Trade and Technology Council, the statement read. Last year, the European Union and India relaunched negotiations to forge a free trade agreement, with the aim of completing talks by the end of 2023. The two sides previously launched talks in 2007, however, they were frozen in 2013. EU and Indian leaders agreed in May 2021 to resume negotiations. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is a pact between two or more countries to remove trade barriers between imports and exports and ensure hassle-free trade relations. During his mission to India, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will also participate in a meeting with European Business, organised jointly by EU Delegation and Task Force to establish a Federation of European Business in India (FEBI). The key themes of the G20 meeting in Jaipur, starting Wednesday, are multilateral trade for global growth and prosperity, inclusive and resilient trade, supply chains as well as leveraging technology for paperless trade. In the margins of the event, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will also have the opportunity for bilateral meetings, including with Mary Ng, Canadian Trade Minister, US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai; Turkish Trade Minister mer Bolat; Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan; and Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japanese Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry. (ANI) As a result of collaboration between India and the South African government, the Gandhi-Mandela Centre of Specialisation for Artisan Skills has been providing vocational education and training to meet the training requirements of young people as well as the artisan skills requirements of South Africa. In the presence of President Cyril Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Gandhi-Mandela Centre of Specialisation for Artisan Skills (GMCOS) was signed on July 26, 2018, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Thus, the Centre is the practical manifestation of what the leaders of the two nations had in mind when they envisioned the promotion of high-quality vocational education and training to address the training needs of young people as well as the artisan skill needs of South Africa. "As of now, there is a great demand for trainers to come to this institution to learn the very skill sets at this institution, to take it forward into the industry. There is a big big demand for the skill sets that are here. and we at the High Commission are hoping that we can further fund this institution with more machinery," Sudhir Mannie, Commercial Assistant, High Commission of India (Pretoria) told ANI. "It has been very very successful till date and we really really hope that it can be further replicated throughout the whole of South Africa," he said. Moreover, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has appointed HMT (International) Limited (HMT(I)), a Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, to implement the project. "A total of USD 3 million worth of machines, equipment and high technology equipment was provided by the government of India which includes drilling machines, welding equipment and more," J. Naresh Kumar, Manager (Projects), HMT (International) Ltd, (A government of India Undertaking) told ANI. "So, this is a skill development project where the South African youth from different communities ..they are getting trained, they are provided with required technical skills and knowledge and transform their lives," he said. People who are getting trained here are getting a lot of jobs in various industries as employees. Even this institute has become an institute of choice for many employers to hire quality, highly skilled apprentices and technicians, he added. This year's BRICS is under the presidency ofSouth Africaand is organising the first face-to-face summit since 2019 inJohannesburgfrom August 22-24. South Africabecame Chair of BRICS on January 1 under the theme: "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism." Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the BRICS 15th Summit at the invitation ofSouth African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. (ANI) Our Indian community throughout the country is very excited that PM Modi is coming here, Chairperson of Africa for Sri Sathya Sai Global Council, Soobrie Naidoo said on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit South Africa at the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa to participate in the 15th BRICS Summit, which is set to take place in Johannesburg from August 22-24. While speaking to ANI, Soobrie Naidoo said, "Our Indian community throughout the country are very excited that PM Modi is coming here. "I'm positive that with all the achievements that PM Modi did in India, he will definitely bring that down to the Summit and help all the countries to grow from strength to strength and take all the countries to another level. We really appreciate all that he has done for us," he said. Meanwhile, on PM Modi's visit to South Africa, Nagaraju Gurrala, Indian Business forum-SA Executive Body Member, Telangana Community Head said that the diaspora wants to give the Prime Minister a grand welcome. "In the BRICS Summit, we would like to have a new development bank and technology-wise, we would like to have a bilateral link between all the countries in the BRICS. We want to give PM Modi a grand welcome..." he said. On PM Modi's visit to South Africa for the 15th BRICS Summit, Yashika Singh, media personnel of South African Broadcasting Corporation said, "We believe that the meeting of the BRICS Summit is going to be extremely important for South Africa and India. We are proud of the fact that PM Modi will be coming here, bringing with him the value systems of India to Africa. "PM Modi believes in unity and bringing everyone together. We, in South Africa, want to learn Digitisation from India...," she told ANI. This year'sBRICSis under the presidency ofSouth Africaand is organising the first face-to-face summit since 2019 inJohannesburg. South Africabecame Chair ofBRICSon January 1 under the theme: "BRICSand Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism." Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend theBRICS15th Summit at the invitation ofSouth African President MatamelaCyrilRamaphosa. During his visit toSouth Africa,PM Modiwill also participate in a special event "BRICS Africa Outreach andBRICSPlus Dialogue" being organized after theBRICSSummit, which will include other nations invited bySouth Africa, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced in a press release. He will also hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present inJohannesburg. Russian President Vladimir Putin will join the 15thBRICS Summit virtually while the Russian delegation will be led by foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. After wrapping up the BRICS meeting, PM Modi will travel to Greece on August 25. During his visit, he will hold a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and discuss ways to further deepen the ties between the two nations. He will also interact with business leaders from both countries. He will also have an interaction with the Indian community in Greece. (ANI) Dubai [UAE], August 21 (ANI/WAM): RTAs Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) is set for the new academic year 2023-2024 by rolling out advanced buses to serve about 25,000 students across Dubai. DTC's school transport fleet meets the highest quality and safety local and international standards, ensuring students' secure travel to and from school. Using DTC's extensive experience and resources, combined with investments in advanced technologies in school buses, highlights our strategic drive to boost the confidence of parents and the entire community while providing a safe and secure transportation environment for students during the school year." Such a drive, is aligned with the highest safety and monitoring standards observed in Dubai, will also promote the confidence of the Emirates Schools Establishment towards building a long-term partnership in delivering school transport services, said Ammar Rashid Al Braiki, Director of Fleet Operation, DTC. "DTC's school buses are equipped with a variety of smart features, including surveillance cameras, a system to ensure that no student is left behind at the end of each journey, a system to detect student movement in transit, and an emergency alert system for making immediate contact with the emergency management centre. Buses are also outfitted with advanced electronic tracking system using GPS technology and a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system to streamline the boarding and disembarkation of students as well as an automatic fire-suppression system for engines, he added. "DTC is eager to promote safe and responsible driving skills among school bus drivers and attendants by engaging them in specialized high-level training courses. DTC also conducts drills on the handling of emergency cases and First Aid to ensure that the team is ready and able to deal with any emergencies that may arise during the school transport process," said Al Braiki. It should be noted that DTC provides a wide range of services to clients and is committed to providing quality transportation services in order to meet consumer needs. It also focuses on upgrading the level of service by providing innovative and trendy offerings. (ANI/WAM) A 14-year-old boy was shot on St. Paul Street in Rochester Sunday. Rochester police said officers responded to the shooting about 6:30 p.m. The Rochester teen was shot in his lower body, police said. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. No suspect have been identified, police said. The investigation is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Teen shot on St. Paul St. in Rochester NY; investigation ongoing 187 educational institutions in Kyiv Oblast that were damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks have been restored, the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration said on Telegram on Aug. 19. In total, as a result of active military operations, 232 educational institutions were damaged and destroyed in Kyiv Oblast. The restoration of the remaining ones is still ongoing. According to the Kyiv Military Oblast Administration, there were 136 schools and 175 kindergartens under occupation during the invasion. Before the full-scale invasion, more than 52,000 students and almost 15,000 kindergarten students attended these schools. "No decisions were made to close or liquidate educational institutions operating in the de-occupied territories. The network of educational institutions was preserved. We will restore them, as they are all needed for our children," said Zhanna Osipenko, deputy head of Kyiv Oblast Military Administration. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As of July 26, UNESCO has verified the damage of 281 cultural heritage sites, including museums, monuments, and libraries. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Roughly two-thirds of likely Republican Iowa caucusgoers said in a new poll that former President Trump has not committed serious crimes, despite multiple indictments. The NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll released Monday found that 65 percent of likely GOP Iowa caucusgoers said that the former president has not committed serious crimes. Another 26 percent said that he has, while 9 percent said they are not sure. The poll results come on the heels of Trumps fourth indictment last week, when he was charged with crimes related to his and his allies efforts to overturn the election in Georgia. The former president is also facing two sets of federal charges and a separate indictment in New York. The indictments appear to be boosting the former president in the polls. The new survey found that Trumps lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis grew among likely Republican Iowa caucusgoers after the former presidents latest indictment in Georgia on Aug. 14. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to polling between Aug. 13-14, Trumps lead over DeSantis was 18 points. His lead increased to 25 points in the interviews conducted after the indictment between Aug. 15-17. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage The poll ultimately found that 42 percent of likely Republican caucus attendees listed Trump as their first choice, giving the former president a 23-point lead over DeSantis, who was picked by 19 percent. The new poll was conducted Aug. 13-17 among 406 Iowa voters likely to attend the 2024 Republican caucus and has a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The FTC accused two companies of scamming student-loan borrowers out of $8.8 million. The FTC said they pocketed "illegal" fees for debt relief services that are normally free. The companies' operations are temporarily halted pending a final court decision. A federal watchdog just cracked down on companies it accused of scamming student-loan borrowers out of millions of dollars. On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission announced a federal court temporarily stopped operations of two companies Express Enrollment LLC and Intercontinental Solutions LLC over FTC accusations they pretended to be affiliated with President Joe Biden's Education Department and deceived borrowers into paying them for "debt relief services that did not exist," according to the complaint. Specifically, the agency accused the companies of collecting about $8.8 million in "illegal advance fees" by offering services to borrowers that included the promise to lower or eliminate their student loan payments. The FTC also said the companies convinced borrowers to pay for services the Education Department always offers for free, like assistance on repayment and debt relief programs, and used those deceptive claims to obtain borrowers' bank account and debit and credit card information, in possible violation of the Telemarketing Sales Rule. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "During a period of uncertainty for borrowers saddled with student loan debt, these defendants bilked consumers out of millions of dollars with junk fees and phony promises of loan forgiveness and lower monthly payments," Samuel Levine, Director of FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. "We are pleased that the court shut down this operation and froze its assets, and we will continue the agency's ongoing efforts to pursue scammers that target the tens of millions of Americans with student loan debt." According to the complaint, one borrower said that "because I received a Pell Grant, my student loans would be forgiven up to $20,000, if I paid a processing fee of $375." A federal court halted the operations of the companies last week, and it will determine whether they violated the law. The companies could not immediately be reached for comment. Biden's administration has previously warned borrowers to keep an eye out for scams, especially with confusion surrounding the debt relief conversation. Nearly a year ago, the Education Department announced up to $20,000 in debt relief for federal borrowers. While the Supreme Court struck down the plan at the end of June, student-loan payments are still resuming in October after an over three-year pause, and scammers have been trying to take advantage of the changing landscape. In June, for example, the FTC accused a separate group of scamming borrowers out of $3.3 million over charging fees for debt relief services that are normally free, and it send payments to 37,800 impacted borrowers. Read the original article on Business Insider MAINZ, Germany Two U.S. service members have been arrested in western Germany in connection with the death of a man at a carnival, local police and the U.S. Air Force said Sunday. A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death in an incident that followed an argument at the Saubrenner fair in the small town of Wittlich on Saturday night, police in the nearby city of Trier said in a statement. Two male suspects have been arrested and identified as U.S. military personnel who visited the park with friends, the statement said. One dead at Saubrenner fair in Wittlich (Harald Tittel / DPA via Getty Images) Police said they initially identified a group of four people witnesses saw at the scene but zeroed in on two suspects identified only as U.S. servicemen ages 25 and 26. Their names and ranks have not been released by German police or the U.S. Air Force in Europe. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The victim has also not been publicly identified. A police spokesman in Trier confirmed Monday that the victim is a German national. The two U.S. service members are stationed at the Air Forces Spangdahlem Air Base, which is close to the town, the spokesperson said. The suspects have been handed over to the U.S. authorities, who will take over the investigation in accordance with the NATO troop statute, police said. The Air Force confirmed that the men were questioned and then transferred to U.S. custody. This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community, Col. Kevin Crofton, commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing stationed at the base, said in the statement. We thank the local Polizei and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course," he added. Both service members will remain in U.S. custody during the investigation, the statement said. The mayor of the western German town, Joachim Rodenkirch, was quoted in a release from the city of Wittlich on Saturday as saying: I am shocked and terribly sad that a young man died in such a brutal way at the Saubrenner fair, where many people come together to celebrate peacefully." He said the incident at the annual fair, which he called "an important part of the city's identity," had "changed the city overnight." On Sunday, in a second news release, the mayor thanked police for the quick identification and arrest of the suspects. The U.S. has long stationed military personnel in Germany, a close economic and military ally. On its website, the Spangdahlem air base says it "provides Airpower options to deter and combat aggression" in NATO territory. Andy Eckardt reported from Mainz and Yuliya Talmazan from London. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com WASHINGTON Asian Americans have emerged as a coveted voting bloc in the 2024 election, with both parties recognizing their power to decide the presidency and other competitive races. Asian American voter turnout spiked in 2020, surprising many political observers, and proved crucial to President Joe Biden s Electoral College victory. In battleground Georgia, Asian American turnout jumped by a startling 84% from the previous presidential election. Two years later, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., sought to capitalize with an unusual move in his ultra-competitive contest: He produced ads in Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese to mobilize Asian American voters. He carried 78% of that vote in the runoff and won. Now, with the next campaign underway, the political power of this voting bloc has sunk in. The national committees for Democrats and Republicans say theyre launching unprecedented investments to court Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. The once-overlooked demographic has eclipsed Latinos as the fastest growing in the United States. Between 2016 and 2020, Asian American voter turnout jumped from 49% to 59%, the largest increase of any racial or ethnic group, according to Census Bureau figures. Biden won them by a blowout margin of 72% to 28%, according to the Pew Research Center. The turnout boost proved crucial in such swing states as Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, with Asian American and Pacific Islander voters propelling Biden and making Donald Trump a one-term president. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In a country where the past two elections were decided by fewer than 100,000 votes, the estimated 24 million Asian Americans could be a force for years to come whether its in states like Nevada, where Democrats are losing less-educated white voters, or in red-to-purple trending states like Georgia and Arizona, where Republicans are losing the suburbs. The increase in turnout of the AAPI community between 2016 and 2020 accounted for the margin of Bidens victory, said Tom Bonier, the CEO of the Democratic political data analysis firm TargetSmart. People were surprised last time around. Theres no excuse for being surprised this time around. Youre going to be hearing about Asian American voters as an important voting bloc and campaigns more openly vying for their support, Bonier said. They are a mobilization bloc and a persuadable target. In Nevada, which featured a hotly contested Senate race in 2022, Asian Americans made up 10% of the electorate, with 215,000 eligible voters, according to one estimate. Two-thirds of them voted Democrat while 26% voted Republican, according to a multilingual exit poll of more than 5,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., won the race by 0.8 points fewer than 8,000 votes. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., at a 'Get Out The Vote' event hosted by The AAPI Victory Fund and Warnock for Georgia in Atlanta, in 2022. (Dustin Chambers / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) Trump 'awoke a sleeping giant' Democrats have courted Asian American and Pacific Islander voters for years with pro-immigration and inclusive rhetoric as well as working-class appeals for economic opportunity. Varun Nikore, the founding executive director of the Democratic-aligned AAPI Victory Alliance, said Trump awoke a sleeping giant with his racially inflammatory language, particularly in response to Covid-19, prompting more Asian American participation. This long tail of hate and violence that our community experienced since the racist Trump rhetoric started in 2020 is still unfolding, Nikore said in an interview. A recent Pew Research Center study found that 62% of Asian Americans identify with the Democratic Party, while 34% identify with the GOP. Democrats hold large advantages with nearly all subgroups of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters including those of Chinese, Indian, Filipino and Korean heritage. A notable exception is voters of Vietnamese ancestry, who prefer Republicans by a 9-point margin. Republicans are seeking to cut into that Democratic advantage. In recent years, they've sought to highlight cultural liberal attitudes or woke per slang in GOP circles as a wedge to peel off conservative-leaning Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, who some Republicans argue are a more natural fit for their party. A Republican volunteer recruitment event with Donald Trump at Fervent, a Calvary Chapel, in Las Vegas, in 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images file) Thats a community that ought to be voting Republican," said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the chair of the House GOPs 2024 campaign arm. "And we got to do a better job of communicating with them. I think we have done a good job in some places, like Orange County. I think youll see us focus on that. Republicans have courted voters of Vietnamese origin in swing districts in Californias Orange County, partly with attacks on socialism. GOP Reps. Michelle Steel and Young Kim, both Korean Americans, represent competitive districts there. Nationally, in 2022, former Trump adviser Stephen Miller's group, America First Legal Foundation, sent mailers targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, which portrayed Asian and white Americans as victims in liberals' support for considering race in college and hiring decisions. Asked why Asian American voters still lean heavily toward the Democratic Party, Hudson said: I just think our party has not done a good job of communicating with them. Decisive in battleground states Notably, Democrats advantage is smaller with older and less-educated Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, the Pew Research Center found. Those under 30 lean Democratic by 77 points, while those 65 and older prefer Democrats by 5 points. College-educated and post-grad Asian American and Pacific Islander voters favor Democrats more than 2-to-1, while Asian Americans who never went to college lean Democrat by 4 points. The Asian American community is younger than the overall electorate, with a median age in the mid-30s, Bonier said, adding that Asian Americans lack a long history of aligning with one party, making their affiliations more fluid than those of other minority groups, such as African Americans. Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in politics has jumped, from Vice President Kamala Harris to long-shot Republican presidential hopefuls Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy all three have Indian heritage to lawmakers in Congress and state governments. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a progressive surrogate for the Biden campaign, called on Asian American Democrats to keep the focus on Asian American and Pacific Islander economic concerns, and do so in big and visible ways. The Asian American vote will likely be decisive in battleground states like Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia, which are decided by such a small margin, Khanna said. Democrats need to speak to the aspirations of the community, which is to have the opportunity for the American dream for themselves and their kids. Its about education and pathways to good paying jobs. Ro Khanna (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag) The Republican National Committee has tried to make inroads with a seven-figure investment. The RNC has made a multimillion-dollar commitment to bolster our ground game in Asian Pacific American communities in key states across the country, said Republican committee spokesperson Emma Vaughn. As Asian Americans continue to shift toward the GOP, the RNC is investing and building on our past successes to ensure Republicans continue to make inroads with minority voters to help us achieve our goal of taking back the White House and Senate in 2024. The RNC has opened an Asian Pacific American community center in Orange Countys Little Saigon, home to a substantial Vietnamese American population, and said it aimed to set up 40 of them in competitive states and districts. The committee also noted that the GOP made some gains with Asian American and Pacific Islander voters last year. An analysis by the firm Catalist found that the Democratic advantage with such voters fell by 7 points from 66% in 2020 to 59% in 2022. Both parties invest in Asian American outreach The Democratic National Committee says it is taking its Asian American and Pacific Islander voter program to a new level as it seeks to help Biden win re-election in 2024. The DNC said it has already spent six figures on print and digital media ads. One of them, commemorating AANHPI Heritage Month in May, was translated into seven languages, including Japanese and Hindi. The DNC is taking nothing and no community for granted and will continue to work to engage and mobilize AAPI voters. Ahead of the 2022 midterms, our outreach and investment in AAPI communities began in the spring of 2021, earlier than ever before and has not stopped as we head into the next cycle, said committee spokesperson Tracy King. As we move into the presidential election cycle, we plan to double down on our commitment and continue to share how Democrats have delivered unprecedented results for the AAPI community. Cortez Masto offered some advice to candidates vying for Asian American votes: Engage, get out and talk with them about the importance of the issues that matter to them, and who you are. And dont take for granted any of those voters. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who faces re-election next year, has taken note of Asian American strength in her state. Theyre going to be very important, Rosen said in an interview. My message to them is this: Im listening. Im listening to your concerns when it comes to child care. Theyre talking to me about small businesses seniors taking care of their parents, health care, affordable housing. A Rosen staffer accompanying her chimed in: Lowering costs. Lowering costs, Rosen echoed. Nikore said some politicians may believe they can ignore the Asian American and Pacific Islander community because were not as loud and vocal as others. But if you just look at the electoral math here, theyre going to need our vote, he said. They could embrace it and be proactive, or they could ignore it to their peril. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com 21 Savage recently collaborated with British rapper Giggs for his new song By Chance and revealed his plans after receiving his green card. Some may think the rapper was born and raised in Atlanta. However, as Complex reported, in a saga a few years back, it was revealed that he was born in London and moved to Atlanta when he was 7. On the track, 21 spoke about living in the U.K. during his formative years. When I get my green card, Im goin straight to Brixton (On God), the 30-year-old raps toward the end of the verse, referencing the famous south London district. The Creepin' artist was born Sheyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph in Newham, London. Some insinuated he kept the information a secret to prevent deportation. But legal documents revealed his initial birthplace after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him in 2019. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As Blavity reported, the federal law enforcement agency took the rapper into custody after he reportedly stayed in the country after his visa had expired in 2006. At the time, he faced deportation and awaited the cases outcome. Mr. Abraham-Joseph is presently in ICE custody in Georgia and has been placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts, the government agency said. ICE will now await the outcome of his case before a federal immigration judge to determine future actions. His arrest made headlines in the hip-hop community. Rappers Meek Mill and JAY-Z stepped in to help after his detainment in Atlanta. Nearly two weeks later, aggravated felony charges against the rapper were dropped a day after he was released on bond. Last year, 21 thanked Hov and the Philadelphia native for using their resources to release him from custody. He opened up about the ordeal on Math Hoffas My Expert Opinion podcast. I called Meek while I was in jail and told Meek, Bro, I just got locked up. He called JAY-Z, and JAY-Z put a lawyer on my case. He played a role in getting me out, he recalled. The rappers immigration case is still pending while he tours with Drake. LANSING The Lansing Housing Commission and Ingham County Land Bank celebrated this past week pivotal points in a pair of affordable housing projects. The housing commission announced a $1.5 million tax credit for Riverview 220, a $22.5 million, 63-unit project planned for the south side of East Kalamazoo Street, between South Grand Avenue and Cherry Street, that both commission and city officials said would be the first mixed-use, affordable family development in the capital city's downtown. There are several residential developments downtown with market rate housing and retail space, but they don't fall in the affordable category, Doug Fleming, the commission's executive director, told the State Journal. "Everyone deserves safe, clean and affordable housing, he said in a statement announcing the tax credit. We have invested to expand and improve affordable housing options throughout the region. These tax credits will continue our mission as the leader in affordable housing throughout the capital region. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Construction for Riverview 220 is slated to start in 2024 with leasing starting in 2026. The bottom floor of the five-story building is expected to be retail and commercial space. The southeast corner of South Grand Avenue and East Kalamzoo Street in downtown Lansing, pictured Friday, Aug. 18 2023, where plans for a mixed-use housing development is slated according to city housing officials. Fleming said two- and three-bedroom apartments would be tagged with rents of between 40% and 80% of the area's median income. That breaks down to between $844 and $1,688 for a two-bedroom unit, according to state figures for Ingham County. He said the project used as much of the grant money as possible for affordable housing, 56 units, but a funding formula involving square footage, grant money and the number of units meant there weren't enough grant dollars to designate the whole building as affordable housing. "We maxed out on the number of affordable units and the other seven are extra on top of that. That's why they're not all affordable, because tax credits would not allow us to do that," Fleming said. Fleming made his announcement the day after a groundbreaking ceremony happened for the Pointe West Condos, another project billed as affordable housing in the 1200 block of West Saginaw Street, across from Sparrow Hospital's St. Lawrence campus. Backed by a $500,000 grant, the development will involve five 1,150-square-foot units fitted with solar panels. The grant is a partnership with the city of Lansing and Michigan Economic Development Corporations Revitalization and Placemaking Program. The Ingham County Housing Trust Fund is providing matching funds. The development will provide access to affordable, high-density housing along one of Lansings busiest corridors connecting to the downtown district, while removing blighted and vacant properties, according to a statement from the Ingham County Land Bank. The Riverview 220 project was one of 10 in the state that received a combined $13 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits recently announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. The projects are expected to help build or rehabilitate 500 future homes in the state. Fleming said the housing commission is working on three or four new projects to seek the next round of competitive grants in December, which could lead to more affordable housing in the region. The developments are the latest proposed for downtown Lansing. Earlier this month, the Gentilozzi family and partners announced plans for 450 new housing units downtown in the next two years under a $200 million proposal funded in part by the record amount of one-time grants in this year's state budget and millions in proposed tax credits. MORE: 8 housing developments that are already changing downtown Lansing Three projects by the longtime Lansing developers, in partnership with southeast Michigan investors, would create the tallest building in downtown Lansing directly north of the Riverview 220 project, on the north side of the Grand Tower at 235 S. Grand Ave. owned by the state of Michigan on the banks of the Grand River. A second project would build a 1-acre parking deck that would extend across Grand Avenue and connect to the iconic Atrium Building at 215 S. Washington Square. A third project would develop the Capitol Tower at Ottawa and Walnut streets just northwest of the Capitol that is now several lots currently containing vacant homes. About 600 residential units have been added downtown in the last two years as developers and Lansing officials believe new housing downtown will help revitalize a business district battered by the pandemic. Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415 This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: $22.5M Riverview 220 to be first mixed-use, 'affordable' family building in downtown A 25-year-old man arrested more than a dozen times is dead following a violent crash. Channel 2s Michael Seiden was in west Midtown where investigators suspect he was committing multiple crimes before his death. A weekend of celebration was ruined by a pair of smash-and-grab thieves who broke into several vehicles parked inside a garage in west Midtown late Friday evening. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] One of the victims who did not want to be identified said, (I) was inside the hotel for an hour and a half. I was getting ready to go home and get back to my car and when I got to my car noticed the back passenger window was busted out. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police say the suspects stole a gun, electronics, wallets and purses before speeding off in a BMW. As officers searched the area, the suspects drove to the citys West End neighborhood. Just after 4 a.m., police say the driver of the BMW crashed into an unoccupied vehicle before slamming into a tree. The impact was so violent it sent neighbors rushing out of their homes and into the streets. The driver was pulled from the wreckage before he was pronounced dead at the scene. TRENDING STORIES: On Monday the medical examiners office identified him as 25-year-old Charles McDaniel. He was a repeat offender who is also a documented gang member notorious for committing crimes all over the city. Seiden reported on him in 2019 after he was accused of crashing a stolen SUV in southwest Atlanta. At the time, the victim, a Georgia State University student described what happened. The gentleman came and just stole multiple sets of keys from the valet box, the car theft victim said. The Atlanta Police Department said he spent the next week driving the stolen Audi around the city where he committed multiple violent crimes, including an aggravated assault with a firearm. He plead guilty to the crime but did not spend any time in prison. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Georgia deputies have arrested three people after they said investigators found a child on the verge of dying from a fentanyl overdose, another who appeared to be burned and a third who was drinking from a bottle that had maggots inside. According to an incident report obtained by Channel 2 Action News, deputies from the Richmond County Sheriffs Office said they were called out to a home along Howard Road in Augusta for a 3-year-old who was unresponsive after possibly ingesting narcotics. When the deputy got the home, he learned firefighters and EMS who were already there had given the child NARCAN after observing the child to be semi-lucid and semi-conscious. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement TRENDING STORIES: The 3-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital where the child received another dose of NARCAN after testing positive for fentanyl in the childs blood and urine. Medical staff told deputies that the child was in critical condition and almost died. The child is said to be stable now. While at the house, the responding deputy said he found another 1-year-old who had visible injuries, according to the incident report. Deputies and EMS observed had visible burns on his arms and hands, as well as his back that were in a distinct pattern (Such as an iron or grill pan/grate), the report said. The 1-year-old was taken to the hospital as well for treatment. When they got to the hospital, the medical staff noticed that the bottle the child had been drinking from had live maggots inside it. Following the incident, deputies ordered two remaining children in the home be taken to the hospital to be checked out. Those kids are 5 months old, and 8 years old. Deputies arrested Matthew Moss, Talethea Browman, and Aisha Bartley. The three face various charges including: cruelty to children, deprivation of a minor, possession of firearm by convicted felon, possession and use of drug related objects, possession of cocaine, possession of synthetic narcotics, possession of heroin and possession of oxycodone. The incident report did not make clear how or if any of the people arrested are related to any of the children. IN OTHER NEWS: Three people were killed early Sunday in a shooting at a Seattle hookah lounge. Photo courtesy of Seattle Police Department Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Three people were killed and six others were wounded in a shooting that erupted over the weekend at a Seattle hookah lounge, authorities said. The Seattle Police Department identified the victims in a statement as two males and a female, ages undisclosed. Authorities initially said the two males died at the scene, adding later that the female victim, who was among those transported to the Harborview Medical Center, had died at the hospital. "No place in this country is free from the awful epidemic of gun violence, which once again reverberates here in Seattle," Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement. "My heart is with the victims and every person impacted." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The shooting began shortly before 4:30 a.m. at the hookah lounge located at South Walker Street and Rainier Avenue South, authorities said, with officers arriving to find three people suffering from gunshot wounds. While on scene, authorities received multiple reports of gunshot victims arriving at local hospitals. Of the nine patients, Seattle Fire Department said it provided assistance to four at the scene, which has since been secured by police. Seattle's Homicide Unit is leading the investigation. Early this morning around 4:30 a.m., Seattle FFs and paramedics, along with SPD, responded to a tragic shooting at a hookah lounge in Seattle. This incident at S. Walker St. and Rainier Ave. S. left two adult males and one adult female deceased and six others injured. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/SgEPAP3Z8v Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) August 20, 2023 Through July, Seattle police have recovered a record 869 guns, Harrell said, adding that there are still more illegal firearms "in the wrong hands that could be used to incited another tragedy like this one." No arrests have been made, and police have asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact the SDP Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000. According to The Gun Violence Archive, a non-advocacy organization that keeps a running tally of gun violence in the nation, there have been more than 27,400 gun violence deaths so far this year. Editors note: This report has been updated to note that Rep. Andy Ogles represents Tennessee. The fight over government funding will be top of mind for Congress when lawmakers return to Washington next month, as the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline looms over Capitol Hill. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told members last week that the House will likely have to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government running past that deadline, but the path to clearing such a measure is full of stumbling blocks. Some Republicans are pushing for stronger border security, others want to see funding for the Justice Department slashed in response to former President Trumps indictments, and conservatives are continuing their crusade for steeper spending cuts. There is also the question of funding for Ukraine, after the White House unveiled a supplemental request that includes $24 billion for Kyiv as its war against Russia drags on. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Lawmakers in the lower chamber will have just 12 legislative days to hash out their differences and come to a consensus when the chamber reconvenes next month, setting the scene for a mad-dash effort to fund the government and prevent a shutdown. Here are the five House members to watch in the battle over government funding. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) Members of the House Freedom Caucus, led by Perry, have been at the center of the appropriations fight as they push for steeper spending cuts and threaten trouble for McCarthy if they dont get them. The group notched a win when the House marked up its spending bills at fiscal 2022 levels, but many have expressed concerns that leadership is using a budgetary gimmick known as rescissions to increase the funding measures. In a letter to McCarthy last month, Perry and 20 other conservatives many members of the Freedom Caucus warned that they will vote against appropriations bills in line with levels set in the debt limit deal. Freedom Caucus member Ben Cline (R-Va.) told Punchbowl News earlier this month that the group has had conversations over recess about strategy for the appropriations process. Those discussions, Cline said, have been convened by Perry and include talks about what measures they should concentrate on, how to secure the cuts they are seeking and how to rally support among other Republicans. There is also the question of whether members of the Freedom Caucus would support a continuing resolution. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) told Fox News Digital last week that Republicans should use support for a continuing resolution as leverage to advance GOP priorities. If that does not come to fruition, however, he said Im not certain that I would at this point when asked if he would support a stopgap bill. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) Roy is spearheading an effort to beef up border security through the appropriations process, threatening to vote against any spending bills that fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unless efforts are made to secure the border. In a dear colleague letter penned earlier this month, Roy and 14 other Texas Republicans said DHS should not be funded until the necessary steps are taken to ensure the border. No border security, no funding, the letter reads. Roy is also expressing skepticism about a potential continuing resolution as the length of such a measure remains an open question. McCarthy told members on a conference call last week that he does not want a stopgap bill to stretch so long that it pushes Congress against the winter holidays, according to sources on the call. Roy wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Under no circumstances will I support a continuing resolution to fund the government at the bloated, corrupt 2023 levels, but he floated the idea of passing a series of 24-hour stopgap bills to keep the lights on as lawmakers hash out spending. He said that strategy would create maximum pain for Congress to do its damned job. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) Gonzales, whose district includes one-third of the U.S.-Mexico border and who has clashed with conservatives on immigration issues, is also speaking out about government funding as it relates to border security. The moderate lawmaker who did not sign Roys letter wrote on X, America demands a secure border, before threatening to oppose any continuing resolution to the floor that only kicks the can down the road. Lock Congress in a room until we pass a conservative budget void of excess financial waste, he added. Two days before that and shortly after the GOP member call where McCarthy floated a continuing resolution Gonzales expressed pessimism about avoiding a shutdown. I just got off a member call its clear President Biden and Speaker McCarthy want a government shutdown, so thats what Congress will do after we return in September. Everyone should plan accordingly, the Texas Republican said. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) Jackson is vowing to vote against any continuing resolution brought to the floor that does not slash funding for the Department of Justice (DOJ). The Texas Republican levied the threat the day after a Georgia grand jury indicted Trump on charges tied to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. It was the fourth indictment brought against the former president this year two of which have come from the federal level. I WILL NOT vote for any continuing resolution that doesnt smash Bidens DOJ into a million pieces. The DOJ has very rapidly become the enemy of the American people, and if nothing is done soon, our rights will be GONE. We MUST defund it!! Jackson wrote on X. Jackson is not the only one taking aim at the DOJ through the appropriations process. Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) have introduced separate pieces of legislation to prohibit federal funding for special counsel Jack Smith, who is behind both federal indictments, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) vowed this month to utilize the Holman rule to defund Jack Smiths special counsel. The Holman rule allows lawmakers to propose amendments to appropriations bills that slash salaries for specific federal workers to $1, which effectively defunds them. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) is seen during the seventh ballot for Speaker on the third day of the 118th session of Congress on Thursday, January 5, 2023. A handful of Republicans including Davidson are speaking out against the White Houses request for additional aid to Ukraine, setting the stage for another House GOP debate over Washingtons support for Kyiv as its war against Russia continues. The White House unveiled a $40 billion supplemental request earlier this month, which includes $24 billion for Ukraine. But Davidson and 11 other GOP House members are asking that Biden rescind his request, arguing that the funding violates the spending caps set in the debt limit deal the president struck with McCarthy. We ask that you withdraw your request for additional assistance until you provide Congress with a comprehensive strategy and mission for U.S. involvement in Ukraine, the group wrote. Without a defined mission, there is no way to develop clear objectives, allocate the proper resources, conduct rigorous oversight, or hold officials accountable for success or failure. The supplemental could also cause complications for the appropriations process. Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the White House was requesting the supplemental as part of a potential short-term continuing resolution for the first quarter of [fiscal 2024], which Congress did last year. Top lawmakers have not yet said how they plan to handle the supplemental Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declined to discuss the course of action when asked on a call last week. But if it is attached to a continuing resolution, that could chip away at support among Republicans. Bonus: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) With such a small GOP majority in the House, McCarthy can afford to lose only a handful of members on a continuing resolution if all Democrats vote against it. That raises the question: Would Democrats help Republicans pass a stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown, similar to what they did to help advance the debt limit bill to avoid an economic default? Jeffries has not commented on the possibility of passing a continuing resolution since McCarthy floated the prospect. But if enough Republicans oppose the measure for various reasons, Jeffries may have to rally some Democratic troops to keep the governments lights on past Sept. 30. Updated at 10:13 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Georgia deputies are investigating the circumstances surrounding a mass drive-by shooting Sunday. Jefferson County sheriff officials said at 8:20 p.m. Sunday, deputies received reports of a drive-by shooting on Handy Street in Louisville. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] When deputies arrived, they found five people who had been shot. All of the victims were taken to the hospital. Two victims were transferred to Augusta University Medical Center, and the other three were treated and released. The victims identities have not been released. TRENDING STORIES: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Authorities are working to determine the motive. No suspects have been arrested at this time. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Deputies requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to assist in the case. Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office at 478-625-4014. IN OTHER NEWS: Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports temporarily stopped take-offs and landings on the morning of 21 August. Around 50 planes were not able to land in the Russian capital. Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet TASS, referring to the airport press service Details: TASS noted that some flights were diverted to other airports for security reasons. Ria Novosti reports that Moscow Domodedovo airport has introduced temporary restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft starting at 06:26. This was reportedly done to provide additional security measures. Rosaviatsiya (the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency) has reported that almost 50 planes were unable to land in Moscow and were diverted to other airports, while Vnukovo and Domodedovo were not operating. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Later, Russian media outlets reported that Vnukovo and Domodedovo resumed normal operations at 08:30. Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that an electronic warfare system had downed a Ukrainian drone on the morning of 21 August in Moscow Oblast. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A viral Russian social media post appears to mock a little girl killed in Ukraine on Saturday. A picture of a memorial to 6-year-old Sophia attracted thousands of 'laughing' emojis in a Russian post. The UN has condemned the missile strike on Chernihiv, which saw 144 casualties. A memorial for six-year-old Sophia, who was killed in Ukraine in a Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Saturday. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense/Twitter/X Tens of thousands of "laughing" reactions appeared on Russian social-media posts about the memorial of a Ukrainian child who was killed in a Russian air strike over the weekend. Six-year-old Sophia was among seven people killed and 144 injured in the strike on Chernihiv, northern Ukraine, per officials. The attack, on a city with little obvious military significance, prompted condemnation from the UN, whose spokesperson Saviano Abreu called it "heinous." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Sunday, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense posted an image of a memorial to a little girl, lit only by a candle and surrounded by flowers. Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 20, 2023 Another image of the same memorial, however, has circulated on Russian social media, with a different reaction. A post on a pro-Russian Telegram account, first highlighted on X by security analyst Jimmy Rushton, features the image along with the caption: "Chernihiv. For sale: Children's shoes, never worn." The post references a short story attributed to Ernest Hemingway, designed to convey tragedy in just six words. But the post has been taken as a macabre joke, with more than 45,000 "laughing" emojis in Rushton's screenshot, shared on Sunday. As of Monday, the post had 64,400 such emojis, as well as a much smaller number of negative reactions. The post had been viewed some 127,000 times, suggesting that around half of viewers responded with the laughing react. Though neither the Ukrainian MOD post nor the pro-Russian account named the girl, they appear to both refer to Sophia, the young victim. Chernihiv's mayor, Oleksandr Lomako, told the BBC the site that was struck a theater was hosting a conference of drone manufacturers. According to Yuriy Belousov, Ukraine's prosecutor general, the theater was struck by an Iskander-M ballistic missile, which was air-detonated to exact maximum damage, Ukrainian state news outlet Suspilne reported. At the time of the blast, people were leaving a church service on the day of a major feast in the Ukrainian Orthodox calendar, interior minister Ihor Klymenko said on Saturday. Read the original article on Business Insider A total of 850 people remain missing following the devastating wildfires in Maui, the Hawaiian countys mayor said Monday, with this latest count coming ahead of President Joe Bidens visit to the island. In addition to those missing, 114 people have been confirmed dead. Of those individuals, just 27 have been identified and 11 families have been notified, said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen in a video address. The number of identified will rise and the number of missing may decrease, but there will be daily fluctuations in the numbers as family members are added and removed from the lists, he said. A man walks among burned-out cars in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday. A man walks among burned-out cars in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Bissen said hes both saddened and relieved about these numbers as the missing persons list initially contained more than 2,000 names. Local authorities have been using DNA testing to help identify the human remains. Families of the missing are encouraged to submit DNA swabs through a family assistance center set up in the town of Kaanapali, north of Lahaina. The more family members that we can get, the better comparisons we can do and the faster we can do them, Julie French with the Rapid DNA company ANDE, whose technology is being used to help identify victims, said in a video shared by Mauis government on social media. The president and first lady Jill Biden on Monday will visit the town of Lahaina and meet with its survivors and first responders after the town of roughly 13,000 people was largely razed by the flames. A member of a search-and-rescue team walks with her cadaver dog near Front Street in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 12. A member of a search-and-rescue team walks with her cadaver dog near Front Street in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 12. Joe Biden, in a statement Sunday, vowed to do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy while dually respecting the sacred lands, cultures and traditions of the area. We will be here as long as it takes for Maui, he said ahead of his visit. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who will join Biden on Monday, has stressed the importance of the president seeing the destruction firsthand to fully understand its devastation. As bad as this looks, its actually worse, Schatz told The Associated Press on Sunday. What you cant see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you cant see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you cant see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down. An aerial view of Lahaina taken on Friday shows burned cars and homes in a former neighborhood. An aerial view of Lahaina taken on Friday shows burned cars and homes in a former neighborhood. Schatz, in a separate interview with Hawaii News Now, said he believes the experience will affect Biden in ways that have affected a lot of us across the state. In that, its just the most heartbreaking thing youve ever seen, he said. Weve had floods and hurricanes and even some wildfires, and certainly some volcanic eruptions, and all of those is its own kind of tragedy, but this is in its own category in terms of the death toll and also in terms of the property damage. More than 1,000 federal responders have arrived on the island to assist the state with its recovery. More than $7 million in federal aid has also been approved by FEMA for more than 2,200 households, the agency said Saturday. This figure includes more than $2.3 million in initial rental assistance. The Red Cross has said that it intends to move everyone taking refuge in shelters to hotel rooms by this week. Related... Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said Monday 850 people are still missing as search and rescue efforts continue after devastating wildfires tore through the island earlier this month. Bissen said there are 850 names on the list of missing persons, a decrease from the more than 2,000 names that were initially reported missing. In a video update Monday morning, Bissen said about 1,285 people have been safely located. It is my sad duty to report that 114 individuals have been confirmed deceased, Bissen said in a video update Monday morning. Twenty-seven individuals have been identified and 11 families have been notified. Bissen said the Federal Bureau of Investigations of Honolulu and the Mali County Coroners Office are working to identify the deceased. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As we continue the recovery process, the number identified will rise and the number of missing may decrease, Bissen said. But there will daily fluctuations in the numbers as family members are added and removed from the list. The mayor urged family members of those unaccounted for to provide a DNA sample to help with the identification process. The wildfire is already now the deadliest in modern United States history, and the death toll is expected to grow. The wildfires devastated parts of the island earlier this month, with the historic Lahaina town taking the brunt of the flames. Maui County officials said Sunday an estimated 2,170 acres of land in Lahaina was burnt, with thousands of structures either damaged or destroyed. The fire in Lahaina is 90 percent contained and there is no public threat, according to officials. The fires in Olinda and Kula are both 85 percent contained. The Red Cross is providing shelter in multiple locations across the island because many survivors are still unable to return to their damaged or destroyed homes. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Maui on Monday to meet with first responders and tour the damage on the island. He is also expected to announce the appointment of a federal coordinator to oversee long-term recovery efforts on the island. The U.S. Coast Guard, Navys 3rd Fleet and nearly 700 Pentagon personnel are assisting Hawaii in the recovery efforts. Biden signed a major disaster declaration to provide additional assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said last week it has provided more than $5.6 million so far in assistance for nearly 2,000 households in Maui. The White House and FEMA approved a one-time payment of $700 per household for needs like clothing, food or transportation. FEMA also said it is paying for survivors in hotels, and motels, and has paid out $1.6 million in rental assistance as of Friday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A man has been sentenced to prison for helping two federal inmates in Cass County escape custody last year. Trevor Sparks, 33, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Sergio Martinez, 43, Panorama City, California, were charged last December in a two-count indictment for escaping from confinement and aiding or assisting each other in escaping. Royals to release renderings of proposed $2 billion baseball stadium Sparks was re-arrested a few weeks later, but Martinez remains at large. Another man 64-year-old Steven Williams Sr., of Kansas City, was also charged in the indictment with aiding or assisting in the escape. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Williams has been in custody pending the outcome of his charges after the escape. He was sentenced to 40 months in custody; that will be in addition to any sentence he may receive in two other pending cases that resulted when Missouri moved to revoke his parole on prior felony convictions. Federal, state and local law enforcement began investigating Sparks and Martinezs escape from the Cass County Jail around Dec. 5. What to expect from Evergy with extreme heat in Kansas City area On Dec. 6., Cass County officials notified the U.S. Marshals Service that Sparks escaped confinement and was seen leaving the facility at 10:22 p.m. Dec. 5. It was later determined that Sparks and Martinez escaped by using deception and facility damage at the Cass County Jail and fled out of the jail. From there, Williams picked them up in his vehicle and transported them to his apartment in Kansas City, Missouri. He then transported them into the Northeast area of the Kansas City area where Williams dropped them off. According to court documents, Sparks and Williams knew each other through Sparks drug trafficking organization. Phone records showed Sparks called Williams four times in the two hours leading up to the time he escaped. FOX4 newsletters: Get the latest news delivered to your inbox Sparks and his mother, Dawn Branstietter, were arrested in the same area on Dec. 30. Branstietters husband, John Baxter, was also arrested and charged. Those three are scheduled for sentencing later this month and in early September. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Acura's first EV is the ZDX. It comes out next year with a starting price of $60,000. Acuras first EV, the ZDX, debuted as a concept car almost exactly a year ago. As of last week, the ZDX is a reality, with deliveries expected for early next year. Acura plans to boost adoption as quickly as possible to support the ZDX and the rest of its EV dreams, and it has some ambitious plans to make it happen, with billions of dollars invested in the future. Starting at $60,000, the 2024 Acura ZDX includes an estimated 325 miles of range for the single-motor rear-wheel-drive version. ZDXs with all-wheel drive are expected to have a range of 315 miles, and the Type S should have 288 miles of all-electric range and 500 horsepower to boot. Acura says the new SUV can tow up to 3,500 pounds with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. As Hondas luxury arm, Acura will likely produce a vehicle with high-quality materials and an elegant layout inside the cabin, including a space below the console for storage since the ZDX doesnt require a transmission tunnel. Beyond just the ZDX, take a look at the automakers multi-faceted plan for the battery development, charging infrastructure, and more. Betting on batteriesand more Acuras new ZDX is built on GMs Ultium battery platform, a flexible and modular system used for GMCs Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq SUV (in fact, the exterior dimensions of the ZDX mirror the Lyriqs). As such, Acuras near future is tied closely to GMs for charging protocols. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When GM switches to Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS), the ZDX will as well, between 2025 and 2026, executive vice president of Honda Motor Company Shinji Aoyama said during an interview along with Jay Joseph, American Hondas vice president of sustainability and business development, and American Honda Motor Company president and CEO, Noriya Kaihara. Honda is investing heavily in battery infrastructure, development, and manufacturing with its new EV battery facility, a joint venture with LG Energy Solutions. This $3.5 million collaboration in Jeffersonville, Ohio is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. In the meantime, Aoyama says Acura will start a pilot production of solid-state batteries. Touted as safer, denser, and less susceptible to temperature changes, these types of batteries can pack more power into a smaller footprint. In turn, that will affect the size and shape of future vehicles as well as overall range. However, battery size alone doesnt help the overall adoption rate, Joseph asserted during the sit-down with PopSci. The antidote to range anxiety isnt bigger batteries. Its improving the charging infrastructure, Joseph says. Acura recognizes that the typically-heavy nature of EVs is a crucial area to research. Currently, EVs weigh a minimum of 4,000 pounds, Aoyama says, but he sees change going forward. That could be addressed through the use of different materials, disparate structures, denser batteries, or all of the above. Improving the charging infrastructure In July, Acura announced it would join Honda, BMW Group, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis (the automaker behind Dodge, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, and others) to create a new charging network joint venture. Together, the consortium plans to build 30,000 EV fast-charging stations across the United States and Canada, using both Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS) and Combined Charging System (CCS). A whole bunch of [battery-electric vehicles] have come to the market in a very short time, says Joseph. The trend is quite clear: people are moving to BEVs in the same way that people have moved to SUVs over passenger cars. This is on the heels of Fords surprise proclamation in May that it had entered an agreement with Tesla to allow current Ford EV owners to use Tesla Superchargers across the US and Canada starting in 2024. Also, Ford CEO Jim Farley promised the automakers next generation of EVs will include Teslas charging plug. GM, Rivian, and Volvo quickly followed suit. Acura says its going much further. Its not enough to just build charging stations; they must be the high-speed type to allay range anxiety, brand representatives say. Plus, EV drivers need to know that if their map (or app) points them toward a charge point, it will be secure, reliable, and accessible. One of the current challenges for EV drivers is that CCS charging stations are often located behind buildings in poorly-lit areas, and broken chargers stay down for extended periods of time. As a result, drivers dont feel comfortable, which contributes to poor adoption rates. Joseph says he recognizes that Tesla does a good job monitoring its equipment and the company fixes issues fast. It makes a big difference. The US needs to have about 200,000 DC fast charging charge points to meet EV customer demands, and Acura plans to be part of the solution to pain points in todays market. We think we can make an impact, Joseph says. If you drive around Europe, charging is ample. Certain corridors are very well supported; its effortless. People need for charging to be easy, and that paves the path to adoption. No more hybrids Meanwhile, Acura is finished with hybrids. The NSX, the last of Acuras hybrid supercars, rolled off the line in November. Acuras NSX is equipped with a potent combination of three electric motors with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, good for 600 horsepower and 492 pound-feet of torque. Its an absolute thrill ride. For all the Acura NSX fans lamenting the end of this vehicle, theres hope on the horizon. The brand offered a surprise sneak peek of what its calling the Performance Electric Vision Design Study last week at Monterey Car Week, and the sketches point to the emergence of a new supercar. You could bet good money theres an all-electric version of the NSX just around the corner. Hydrogen If hybrids are out of the equation, hydrogen isnt. Theres a delicate balance between supply and demand, and right now affordability of hydrogen is a challenge, Aoyama says. Retail [hydrogen] in California costs $30 per kilogram, and it needs to be about half that, he says. Overall, Acura recognizes much room for innovation, and Joseph sees this as a once-in-100-years transformation. We are so used to putting liquid molecules [in our cars] and electrons work totally differently, he says. The nature of our relationship with energy is changing. There is an adoption curve, but [driving EVs] is truly better and easier over time. Ada Deer (Photo/File Photo) Opinion. When Ada Deer (Menominee) walked on this past Tuesday, Indian Country lost not only a fierce warrior, but also a pathfinder who moved the country from the Termination Era to new heights of tribal sovereignty. Deer passed away after a lengthy illness under hospice care. A mutual friend told me that Deer was determined to make her 88th birthday on August 8th. She lived another nine days past that. While Deer spent decades being a strong warrior for Native Americans, she should be remembered for paving the way for Native women to serve at high-ranking positions within the federal government. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She ran for Congress in 1992 in a congressional district that included Madison, Wisconsin. Deer was the first Native American woman to ever run for Congress. Her campaign slogan was No one runs like Ada Deer. She was narrowly defeated by the Republican incumbent Scott Klug. Her strong run for Congress caught the eyes of those in the Clinton administration. President Bill Clinton chose her to become the assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). She was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. When she was sworn into office, she became the first woman to ever hold the position. Nedra Darling (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation), who served as public affairs director at Indian Affairs for many years, reminisced with me on Wednesday about the influence Deer had once she arrived in Washington. I loved her fierceness and her devoted loyalty, Darling told me. She was a great Native leader that brought so many Native women along with herwell, those who could stay up with her that is. During her first year as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, Deer was instrumental in ensuring the Alaska villages became recognized as sovereign tribes by the federal government. Prior to 1993, Alaska political leaders, including the governor and the states Congressional delegation Sen. Frank Murkowski, Sen. Ted Stevens, and Rep. Don Young were adamantly opposed to the Alaska tribal entities becoming federally recognized. During her first year as the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, Deer was determined to make federal recognition for Alaska tribes a reality. Each year, the Indian Affairs office publishes a list of federally recognized tribes. When the time came to release the 1993 list, she included all 226 Alaska tribes. Since then, Congress and courts have upheld Deers decision. Akiak Native Community Chief Mike Williams told Native News Online on Wednesday he appreciated how Deer fought for federal recognition of the Alaska tribes. Through the years, Deer and Williams remained friends and had monthly telephone conversations that often included the topic of tribal sovereignty and the restoration of federal recognition status for deserving tribes. In her autobiography, Making a Difference: My Fight for Native Rights and Social Justice, Deer writes about the stark reality of being Native American in the 1990s. I was surprised by the lack of interest in, ignorance of, and even hostility toward Native people at the highest levels of government. When budget cuts came, Indian programs suffered disproportionately under the acquiescence and perhaps the secretary of the InteriorWhenever an opportunity arose, people like Senator Glade Gordon and other like-minded members of Congress tried to impoverish Native people and deny tribal sovereignty, Deer writes. Even when then Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt asked Deer to reduce the BIAs budget, she resisted and asked for an increase. Needless to say, she and Babbitt had a contentious relationship because she held firm to her belief Indian Country deserved more funding, not less. Born in poverty on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin, Deers pathfinding did not begin when she got to Washington. It was started when she led the fight against the termination of the Menominee tribe. Her work on behalf of the Menominee led to the Menominee Restoration Act of 1973, signed by President Richard Nixon, that officially returned the Menominee Reservation to federally recognized status. Because of this accomplishment, Deer became the first woman to chair the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. Upon learning of Deers passing, people throughout Indian Country reflected on her pathfinding accomplishments. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) posted on social media: "Im so sad to hear of Ada Deer's passing, a public servant who spent her life uplifting Indigenous communities. She blazed a trail for women at @Interior and I am proud to stand on her shoulders. I send my deep condolences to her Menominee relatives and all who called her friend." Today we mourn the loss of Ada Deer, stated Marvin Weatherwax, chairman of the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) and a member of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council. All of Native America lost a warrior who fought for all of us for so many decades. We must fight just as hard as she did. Our sovereignty depends on it. Weatherwax is correct. The fight continues to preserve tribal sovereignty, and we must continue the struggle against injustices as did Ada Deer. She provided this generation of Indian Country leaders a pathway to strengthen tribal sovereignty. Thayek gde nwendemen - We are all related. About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" 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 U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff received a standing ovation from Sacramento voters at a campaign stop earlier this month but the aspiring senator spoke to his Northern California audience as if they may not know enough about him. Let me just introduce myself, Schiff said. Because a lot of you know me as the guy that stood up to Donald Trump . Schiff has much going for him in the race to replace retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Hes a strong fundraiser, a D.C. Democratic star endorsed by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and, of course, an outspoken foe of the former president. However, many Californians probably know relatively little about the Los Angeles-area congressman. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Schiff may have won over avid MSNBC viewers with his attempts to impeach Trump in 2019 and 2020. But even those aware of him are probably not familiar with his stances on important California issues, such as housing, homelessness and child care. Now he faces an uphill battle to win over Golden State voters in a competitive race against two House colleagues: Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County and Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland. The top two vote-getters in the March 5 primary advance to the general election. In deep blue California, that means the primary winner will likely also be the victor in November. I think each of them likely have stronger constituencies in the region that theyre from, said Sara Sadhwani, assistant professor of politics at Pomona College. So theyre going to have to do a whole lot of work to make sure voters know them throughout the state. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, right, walks towards the audience accompanied by former California Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, who later introduces him, at a town hall event hosted by the Women Democrats of Sacramento County on Aug. 4 at the Oak Park Community Center. A proud Trump punching bag Schiff, 63, is considered more moderate than Lee, a steadfast progressive, and Porter, best known for her consumer protection advocacy and use of a white board to explain complicated policy issues. But Schiff, who wants to show voters his policy chops and effectiveness as a legislator, likes to push back by saying, You cant be progressive unless you can make progress. For most of his congressional career, Schiff was known for his national security and foreign policy work. At a Women Democrats of Sacramento town hall on Aug. 4, he preferred to tout domestic and California accomplishments. Im very proud of the progress Ive been able to make over the years, he said. Building mass transit, building an early earthquake warning system, getting legislation passed to improve education, bringing millions back to the state to help find shelter for homeless people. However, he is also banking on his national reputation as a Trump rival and protector of democratic institutions. Schiff is a hero to many Democrats for his work as House Intelligence Committee chairman, where he not only led the 2019-2020 effort to impeach Trump, but also became a favorite target. At rallies, Trump dubbed him Shifty Schiff and little pencil-neck Adam Schiff and called on him to resign. The then-Democratic-run House impeached Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in connection with his efforts to get Ukraines president to find damaging information on then-former Vice-President Joe Biden, his principal political rival. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump of the charges. Schiff has continued to be a punching bag for angry Republicans. In June, the GOP-led House voted narrowly to censure him for his role in investigating Trump. The congressman leaned on these experiences during the town hall, which drew about 100 voters to Oak Park Community Center. At times, it seemed as though Schiff was running against Trump, rather than Porter or Lee. Were going to need someone in the Senate whos going to fight to defend our Democracy, Schiff said. While that is not a job that I relish and it has been a difficult one and subjected our family to all kind of stress I feel like our nation is at sea. And we are in a storm. And I have been fortunate in that I could do something in this storm to see us through. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, right, is presented with handmade figurines of himself and Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin by Oak Park Army veteran Tony Carpenter after a town hall event hosted by the Women Democrats of Sacramento County on Aug. 4. I made them during the impeachment (of former President Donald Trump), Carpenter said. Campaigning in Sacramento The crowd was an ideal one for Schiff: most voters in attendance were older and very politically engaged. A few were huge fans of the congressman. Several people thanked him for his impeachment work and said they slept a little bit better knowing he was in Congress. Oak Park resident Tony Carpenter even gifted the congressman handmade figurines of Schiff and Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was House manager of the second impeachment and a member of the House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 attack. Carpenter said he began watching the news 24-7 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is how he got to know Schiff. He seems like hes very honest, Carpenter said. And thats what I look for integrity. I was an Army vet, I can see strength. I can see diligence and just a caring for the job. And I could see it during the impeachment process, where he was being riddled by lies by the other side. He was being attacked up and down. Judy Covington of Elk Grove said she liked all three Senate contenders. She had mostly made up her mind about her candidate of choice, but she was not quite ready to share her decision publicly. Covington already appreciated Schiff prior to the town hall, but she was impressed by his desire to see a code of ethics for U.S. Supreme Court justices. Theyre all very smart, capable people, Covington said. I just have to see just a tad more before I decide. Jo Souvignier, of Carmichael, left, voices her appreciation for U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff after a town hall event hosted by the Women Democrats of Sacramento County on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at the Oak Park Community Center in Sacramento. Former California Assemblyman and Sacramento City Council candidate Roger Dickinson introduced Schiff, who is campaigning to fill Sen. Dianne Feinsteins current position. Schiff positives and negatives Schiff starts the race with a lot of traditional advantages. He raised $8.1 million in the second quarter of this year, an unusually big number for a Senate candidate in the spring before an election year. He had $29.5 million on hand. Porter raised $3.2 million in the quarter and had $10.2 million available. Lee raised about $1 million and had $1.4 million on hand. Former tech executive Lexi Reese has raised about $1.1 million and had $625,450 available. The Trump turmoil has given Schiff considerable stature with Democrats, but polls dont show much benefit so far. The Public Policy Institute of California found in June that Porter was slightly ahead of Schiff and Lee. An Emerson College poll the same month had Schiff with 15%, Porter at 14% and Lee at 6%. Here are some reasons experts offer for why Schiff has not surged ahead. Name recognition. Schiff has been a Los Angeles-area congressman for 23 years. To win statewide, hes got to raise his name recognition, said Spencer Kimball, Emerson College polling executive director. Porter, Lee and Reese face the same challenge. If youre a member of Congress, youve got a strong outlook on whats going on nationally and locally but youre not necessarily strong on your statewide perspective and what it takes to move California voters, said Mark Baldassare, PPIC statewide survey director. Age. His energy is not with younger voters. Theyre with Katie Porter now, Kimball said. That means theyll be online, talking about her. Schiffs base, according to his poll, is voters over 50, particularly those over 65. Porter is 49 and Lee is 77. He got 6.7% of voters 18 to 34 years old in the Emerson Poll. Porter had 16.8%. Schiff was the choice of 27.3% of voters over 65. Porter had 11.9%. Younger voters generally want to see more progressive policies. Thats where Porter may fit in, Kimball said, while older voters may be watching the news more often and thus are more familiar with Schiffs Washington work. Gender/race. California has not had a white male senator for about 30 years, since Sen. Alan Cranston left office in January 1993. Schiff is opposed by two prominent congressional women, as well as Reese. His gender could become a difficulty for him, said Jessia Taylor, Senator and governor analyst for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Porter led Schiff and Lee among women in the Emerson poll. Washington, D.C. stardom. This could work both ways. Schiff has become one of the nations best-known House members. Schiffs notoriety helps explain his strong fundraising, said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan political analysis firm. That will help the congressman pay for advertising to get his message out in California, one of the biggest and most expensive media markets in the country, Kondik said. California has witnessed a parade of establishment-versus-progressive fights within the Democratic Party. This occurred most recently when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Biden vied for the 2020 Democratic nomination. Sanders easily won the California Democratic primary. It comes down to this, said Baldassare: On the one hand Schiff can remind people of all the great things hes done, he said. But at the same time, People want to know what hell do for their part of the state. Hes got to go out and prove himself again. Adobe co-founder and Utah native alumni John Warnock died on Saturday aged 82, Adobe said in a statement Sunday. The cause of his death was not disclosed. "It is a sad day for the Adobe community and the industry for which he has been an inspiration for decades," Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said in an email sent to employees. "John's brilliance and technology innovations changed the world," Narayen said in the statement. Warnock graduated from the University of Utah with two bachelor's degrees in 1961. One undergraduate degree was mathematics and the second in philosophy. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He would continue his studies at the University of Utah over the next few years, receiving a master's degree in mathematics in 1964 and a doctorate in electrical engineering/computer science 1969, according to a previous statement by the university. "While working on his doctorate, Warnock, collaborating with a colleague, wrote the first computer-based registration program used at the U.," according to a statement made by the university in 2020. Richard B. Brown, the dean of the College of Engineering, said the University of Utah was among the first in the nation to offer registration by computer, an effort that Warnock worked on "for days almost around the clock," Brown is quoted in the 2020 university statement. After his graduation from the U., Warnock went forward in the computer fields while working for Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation and IBM. While working for Xerox, he was involved with the development of a system for interactive graphics. He was also involved in a program to advance printer technology. Xerox was not interested in developing the concept further, so Warnock and colleague Charles Geschke struck out on their own to continue their work on it. This effort lead to Warnock and Geschke co-founding Adobe in 1982. According to the 2020 statement by the U., "the duo's innovations included scalable type, computer graphics and printing processes." This revolutionized desktop publishing. Adobe's Acrobat and Photoshop are among the software programs that were pioneers in the industry. Adobe is a major presence in Utah with its campus on Silicon Slopes in Lehi. Adobe's foothold in Utah was first established in 2009 and further grew with its Lehi campus that opened in 2012. Speaking in a virtual commencement ceremony to University graduates in 2020, Warnock counseled the graduates to move up and move forward. "The rest of your life is not a spectator sport. Your job in life is to be an active player, to make the world a better place," he said. Warnock retired as CEO of Adobe in 2000 and was chairman of the board, a position he shared with Geschke, until 2017, according to Reuters. A Utah native, Warnock was raised in Holladay and attended Olympus High School. Warnock described how his high school math teacher George Barton played a pivotal role in his life. This teacher taught his students how to learn, focus, work and solve problems, Warnock said. "His approach was really quite simple. He instructed us to pick up a college-level textbook for algebra, solve every problem in the book, then move on to the next subject, trigonometry, and do the same. And after that, go on to analytic geometry. By following his advice and solving a lot of problems, my grades in math and all other classes improved, and I went from C's to A's and B's," Warnock said. Warnock has received numerous awards and accolades, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, bestowed upon him by President Barack Obama in 2008. He was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. Warnock turned much of his philanthropy back to the University of Utah. He and his wife Marva Warnock provided the "foundational gift of nearly $6 million for the John and Marva Warnock Engineering Building at the U and also created three presidential endowed chairs in computer science, mathematics and fine arts," according to the 2020 statement by the university. Warnock is survived by his wife and three children. Artificial intelligence cannot hold a copyright for works it creates, a federal judge ruled Friday. Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia found that the U.S. Copyright Office was correct in denying copyright protections to a work that was created entirely without human involvement. Friday's ruling will be a critical component in future legal fights as lawyers and inventors test the limits of intellectual property laws when applied to AI. Computer scientist Stephen Thaler attempted to get a copyright for a piece of visual art titled A Recent Entrance to Paradise. The piece was created using a computer system Thaler owns called the Creativity Machine. Thaler wanted to transfer the copyright from the AI to himself. Thalers copyright claim drew national attention due to the exploding popularity of AI systems like DALL-E2 or Midjourney, which allow users to generate images and works of art with a few keystrokes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since Thaler told the Copyright Office the artwork was autonomously created by his computer system, Howell wrote the only issue before her was whether it was eligible for a copyright. Her ruling echoed guidance issued by the Copyright Office that human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright. And since the machine-created artwork couldnt be copyrighted, Howell said the issue of whether the copyright could be transferred is moot. The U.S. Copyright Office is reviewing the decision in the Thaler case and believes the court reached the correct result today, the office said. Thalers lawyers did not respond to a request for comment. The ruling changes absolutely nothing because the status quo has been that AI-generated works aren't copyrightable, said James Grimmelmann, professor of digital and information law at Cornell Law School. Grimmelmann said Thaler boxed himself out of the ability to argue that his own contributions were enough for a copyright because [Thaler] wanted to go for the broader idea that AI could be an author. Thaler has tried to push the boundaries of intellectual property rules to recognize computer-made innovations before. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Thaler's challenge to a refusal by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's to issue patents for inventions that his AI system DABUS had created. In January, Reuters reported that Thaler had separately fought to obtain patents on behalf of his AI-invention system in 18 jurisdictions around the world. Fridays ruling does not settle some of the broader questions around copyright protections afforded to AI-generated artworks. One key unresolved point that Howell flagged in her opinion is how much human input is needed to qualify the user of an AI system as the author of the generated work. We are approaching new frontiers in copyright as artists put AI in their toolbox to be used in the generation of new visual and other artistic works, Howell wrote. Grimmelmann pointed to another case that could help determine the extent of human authorship needed to register a copyright. Artist Kris Kashtanova is reportedly working with a legal team at Morrison Foerster as they create a book whose illustrations are based on drawings that Kashtanova makes, but that are rendered by AI. Kashtanova started the project after the Copyright Office rescinded a copyright for a graphic novel they made with the assistance of the AI tool Midjourney. F-16 fighter jets can change the course of events in Russia's war against Ukraine, providing Ukrainian troops with much-needed air superiority in occupied territories, according to Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat. "Air superiority is the key to success on the ground, we should all understand that," Ihnat said on national television on Aug. 21. According to the military official, "8-9 Russian fighter jets are (flying) in the occupied territories at the moment, dropping guided air bombs, launching air missiles." "They won't be able to do it with (Ukraine having) the F-16." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Aug. 20 that Ukraine would receive 42 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and 19 from Denmark. Read also: Kuleba: F-16 jets will enable Ukraine to protect grain corridor However, in order to fully replace the old aircraft fleet, Ukraine needs 128 fighter jets, Ihnat told the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. "It is clear that war can make its adjustments, but more than 100 aircraft are really needed to disperse them to different airfields so that they can respond to different challenges and strike various targets (Russian) planes, ground targets, and rear camps in particular," said Ihnat. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed that the Netherlands and Denmark would supply Ukraine with F-16 jets when conditions for the transfer are met but didn't specify the number of aircraft to be delivered. The conditions include successfully selecting, testing, and training Ukrainian F-16 personnel and the necessary authorizations, infrastructure, and logistics. Read also: Editorial: Arming Ukraine wont escalate war. Reluctance to do so will Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Air Force officials are considering allowing families and dependents to join airmen on tours to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. If finalized, that move would reverse a seven-year policy that established the location as an unaccompanied tour. A project task force team with U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa met at Incirlik Air Base last week to "assess the feasibility" of returning to standard tours, according to a Monday press release. If any such change is approved, officials said it would likely happen gradually. "We are not considering a full-scale, unconditional return of dependents immediately," Lt. Col. Charles Setzer, the 39 Mission Support Group deputy commander, said in the press release. "It will take a phased approach based on the [courses of action] we are presented." Read Next: Marine Corps Identifies Lance Corporal Killed During Night Training in California ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Almost seven years ago, on Sept. 29, 2016, the Air Force announced that deployments to Turkey were going to be unaccompanied 12-month tours "taking into account the region's current security environment and in consultation with the State Department and Turkish government," according to a 2016 press release. Prior to that announcement, it was a 24-month accompanied tour option or a 15-month unaccompanied tour for airmen. Turkey has been a NATO ally since the 1950s and has played a key military role for the U.S. in fighting the Islamic State in the neighboring countries of Syria and Iraq. Frequent terrorist attacks in 2016 and an attempted coup that same year prompted the Air Force's policy change. Earlier in 2016, prior to the policy change, military families were ordered to evacuate bases in the country to keep them safe from possible attacks, Military.com reported at the time. But Monday's press release from the Air Force acknowledged that the threat levels have changed since that time. "According to local and international security experts, the threats which inspired standing short tour policy no longer exist," Monday's press release said. "While the task force from USAFE considers feasibility of unconditional return of dependents, security conditions at Incirlik AB, Izmir, and Ankara support a return of standard OCONUS tours today." The task force at Incirlik is gathering data with an "assessment that will be made later this fall" and a final report "expected this winter." "We want to make sure we are working together to reach this milestone in returning to standard OCONUS tours for our airmen," Col. Kevin Lord, 39th Air Base Wing commander, said in the press release. "Once policy allows, our team at the 39th ABW plans to support standard-length tours for key personnel, accompanied or not, as soon as possible." -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: US Military Families Ordered to Evacuate Turkey Alexander Alex Campbell Jr., a philanthropist who helped develop Triangle, Thoroughbred and other downtown parks, died Aug. 15 in Florida. The Lexington native was 95. Campbell founded the Triangle Foundation which paid for and developed Triangle Park in downtown Lexington, Thoroughbred Park at the corner of Midland and Main streets, and the skate park at Woodland Park. More recently, the foundation and Campbell helped erect a statue to Secretariat on Old Frankfort Pike. Campbell was also active on other boards and supported nonprofits and organizations including Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill and Transylvania University. Former Mayor Jim Gray said Campbell was like his longtime friend, W.T. Young. Campbell and Young were titans of philanthropy, giving generously of their time and money to public causes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Like his good friend, W.T. Young, he leaves a legacy of giving, Gray said. W.T. used to say, The more you give, the more you get, and Alex exemplified that spirit. A native of Lexington, Campbell first started in the tobacco business. He and Young were also astute investors. Campbell had stock in First Security Bank of Lexington, which became Bank One and then later JP Morgan Chase. He was also an investor in the company that would later become Humana. He founded Industrial Manpower Supply in the 1960s to provide job training to educationally and financially disadvantaged residents of Lexington. Using his connections with local corporations like IBM, employees were identified, trained in assembly line work, given interview coaching and placed with local employers. Beginning in October 1981 The Lexington Leader published a five-part series on Lexingtons 10 most influential citizens. Included in the second part of the series was Lexington businessman Alex Campbell, along with Lexington Mayor Jim Amato. Campbell was photographed on the site of what would become Triangle Park, across from the new Lexington Center and Rupp Arena. Campbell thought the triangular lot was a perfect site for a park and fountain; the city agreed but didnt have the $1 million to fund it. With the help of several friends in the business community, Campbell raised the money and established the Triangle Foundation, which they grew into an endowment fund used to fund capital-improvement-type civic projects. Campbell became an avid runner in the 1960s. He founded the Todds Road Stumblers, a running club that met every Saturday morning for runs of six to fifteen miles, typically followed by coffee and donuts. He owned and bred horses for six decades. He split his time between Lexington and Florida in his later years, family and friends said. Alex Campbell was someone who was successful in business, with his thoroughbreds, and in his community, said Stuart S. Janney III, chairman of The Jockey Club. He enjoyed a long life and enriched the lives of so many along the way. We were proud to have him as a member of The Jockey Club for 34 years. He will be missed. Ellen Chapman, who has known Campbell all of her life, said her parents were close friends with the Campbells. Alex got things done, Chapman said. When he decided on a project or an idea, he made it happen, Chapman said. You were either serving on his committee, or you were writing a check. Campbell took over as board chairman of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill after Young died. He had a huge impact on Shaker Village. He had a huge impact on Transylvania (University), Chapman said. He served on the Shaker Village Board for more than a decade. Mr. Campbell was instrumental in recruiting wonderful and engaged board members from many areas of the country who still serve on the board today and share his passion for one of Kentuckys finest treasures, said Barry Stumbo, chief development officer for Shaker Village. Alex Campbell, the president of the triangle foundation, poses for a portrait in Lexington, Ky., Sept. 19, 2000. Campbell started the Triangle Foundation after the city did not have the money to pay for a new park across from Rupp Arena in 1980. The Triangle Foundation and its donors became the go-to funding source for many downtown spaces and parks. Mr. Campbells vision of creating vibrant public spaces for people in central Kentucky to enjoy is a wonderful legacy. Mr. Campbell would say giving is a selfish act as it is the giver that receives most of the joy, said Steve Grossman, a board member of the Triangle Foundation. Mr. C also provided funds to many entities anonymously and was adamant about not wanting recognition for his giving. When Campbell decided the Triangle Foundation was going to pay for and build a new skate park in Woodland Park in the late 1990s, Campbell did his research. He was no snob. The dapper horseman and philanthropist flew several skateboarders, an architect and others on a private plane to Florida to scope out skate parks there. According to a 1999 Herald-Leader article, at each Florida stop the skateboarders would get off the private plane, get in a stretch limousine and feast on Gatorades and sandwiches before heading to a skate park. People have the wrong idea about skateboarders, Campbell said in 1999. These kids rise to the occasion. Theres nothing to say these kids cant be civic leaders tomorrow. The skate park at Woodland Park is still a destination for skateboarders across Central Kentucky. Triangle and Thoroughbred Park are also some of the citys most frequented and photographed destinations. Chapman said Campbell was frequently generous to people he hardly knew. But he rarely took credit or let people know the extent of his philanthropy and generosity. Ted Bassett, former president of Keeneland, told the BloodHorse in a 2020 article Campbell never liked or sought the limelight. He has been one of Lexingtons most benevolent supporters, Bassett told the outlet. And he has supported a wide range of civic and educational projects almost unknown. He has shunned publicity most of his life. Campbell graduated from Baylor Military Academy. He was preceded in death by Anne Estill Campbell, his wife of 65 years. He is survived by his children, Katharine Rodes Campbell, Elizabeth Alexander Campbell and Alexander Goold Campbell, III; and grandchildren, AnnAustin Campbell, Alexander Goold Campbell, IV, Augusta Price Campbell, Katharine Ferrier Campbell, William Christian Campbell-Roberson, and Jacob Everett Campbell-Roberson. Visitation will be 4-6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25 at Milward Funeral Home, 159 N. Broadway. Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at the Lexington Cemetery, 833 W. Main St. Memorial contributions can be made to the Triangle Foundation, Shakertown and Old Friends Farm in Georgetown. An AMBER Alert has been issued in Livonia for twins Matthew Jace and Montana Alexander Bridges, both 14 days old, on Monday morning, Aug. 21, 2023. Two-week-old twin boys, who were taken early Monday from a Livonia hotel by two women who drove off in a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, have been located and are safe as investigators investigate what happened, police said. "The children have been recovered safely and Livonia Police will be issuing more information shortly," the Michigan State Police posted on social media, thanking the public and adding, "we are grateful these boys are OK!" The Amber Alert, which was issued just before 6 a.m., was canceled about five hours later. The twins Matthew Jace and Montana Alexander Bridges were taken by two women, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Images posted by the site show two people identified as "associated companions" in hoodies that are concealing their faces. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In a brief news conference Detroit Police Chief James White, Livonia Police Capt. Gregory Yon and Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Devin Kowalski agreed that it was the best outcome possible. The children, White said, were handed over to an officer at a Detroit precinct at about 9:30 a.m. The authorities, who stood outside in front of Detroit's 9th Precinct, 11187 Gratiot Ave, sidestepped whether they were still investigating the incident as a kidnapping. White added that the twins were taken to a local hospital where they were examined and are in good condition. White said he knew there were a lot of questions, but, he added, investigators didn't have a lot of answers. Breaking: Please cancel the Amber Alert for Livonia Police. The children have been recovered safely and Livonia Police will be issuing more information shortly. That you for helping us in looking for these suspects and we are grateful these boys are ok! pic.twitter.com/JuM8BWhjgx MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) August 21, 2023 Authorities and family frantically looked for the infants through the night and into the morning. The Amber Alert was especially jarring for some because, in addition to waking them up, it was a reminder of the Amber Alert in early July in Lansing for 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith that ended tragically. The infants' grandmother, Lolita Vann, of Romulus, told the Free Press she was worried sick about her grandbabies. She was upset to learn they were taken, but relieved they were found. She said she received a call from someone who said she had been asked to call her on behalf of her daughter, Jazlyn Morgan. Vann added she had questions: Who had them? Where were they at? And when could she see them? Livonia police have offered few details, saying only that the incident occurred Sunday night and investigators were interviewing the parents. The Jeep that authorities were looking for, police said, was last seen near the Quality Inn on Plymouth Road. Two-week-old twin boys were taken by two women who drove off in a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with chrome trim and Michigan license plate EHD1130, according to police, who issued an Amber Alert on Monday. The hotel, when contacted by the Free Press, declined to comment. "I'm trying to piece the puzzle together," Vann had said earlier Monday morning. "All I know is that my grandchildren went missing yesterday evening around 10 o'clock. And we don't know the situation. I haven't talked to her mom. She isn't being held, but is at the police department." Vann said it was her understanding that daughter was trying to get help for a place to stay with her infant sons after her home was broken into and some people offered her diapers, but didn't know how the situation might have turned into an abduction. More: Wayne County woman wins $1 million on Michigan Lottery ticket bought in Detroit More: Detroit Zoo opens pub, names Griffin Claw official brewer with exclusive beers Mike Lee Roy, of Detroit, had posted to Facebook, that his twin grandsons were kidnapped, and asked anyone with information to report it. Dozens of people commented they were praying for their safe return, and many more shared his plea. Amber Alert Information Continued: These are the suspects and the suspects vehicle wanted in this mornings Amber Alert. The vehicle is a black Jeep Unknown license plate. It was last seen near the Quality Inn located on Plymouth Road in Livonia. pic.twitter.com/Td5fGvbbk6 MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) August 21, 2023 AMBER, an acronym for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, was was created in memory of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and then killed. The thinking behind the alerts is that swift action can save lives. Last month, however, 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith was not as fortunate. An Amber Alert was issued for her, after she was taken from her home in Lansing. Her body was later found in metro Detroit, and Rashad Maleek Trice, 26, has been charged with Wynter's kidnapping and slaying. Free Press staff writer Jasmin Barmore contributed to this report. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Newborn Livonia twins found safe after Amber Alert, MSP reports A passenger said American Airlines claimed the plane's overhead compartments were full. But the passenger claimed "half of the plane's overheads flew empty" during the flight. The passenger then said the airline lost all their luggage after the plane landed. An American Airlines passenger accused the airline of asking people to check their bags to clear out the overhead compartments, only for the luggage to go missing on the way. The passenger recounted the incident in an August 17 post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The passenger, who did not provide their name or contact information in the post, added that the incident occurred on flight AA1733 from Milwaukee to Dallas on August 17. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In the post, the passenger said American Airlines made people check in their carry-on bags, with staff claiming that the plane's overhead compartments were full. However, the passenger later discovered that "half the plane's overheads flew empty." The passenger included a photo of a row of empty overhead compartments in their post on X. The passenger added that none of their checked bags made it to their destination. A representative for American Airlines replied to the passenger's post, and asked for the passenger's flight record locator so the airline could investigate the matter. American Airlines was ranked in August 2022 as having the worst record with mishandled baggage out of all the US carriers. And in July 2022, a North Carolina woman who flew American Airlines to the Dominican Republic said she was forced to pay for necessities out-of-pocket after the airline lost her luggage for a month. Representatives for American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Insider An American Airlines plane sits at a gate at Logan Airport ahead of the July 4th holiday in Boston CHICAGO (Reuters) -American Airlines pilots have approved a new contract that includes more than $9.6 billion in total pay and benefits increases over four years, reflecting the bargaining power held by pilots in an era of airline staff shortages. The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents 15,000 pilots at the Texas-based carrier, said on Monday that 72.7% of the pilots voted for the deal which will result in an immediate pay raise of more than 21%. Overall, compensation for pilots at the airline will rise by more than 46% during the contract's duration. "It's unprecedented and historic," the Allied Pilots Association's president, Captain Ed Sicher, told Reuters on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "For pilots the biggest victory is not just the wages but the work-life stuff." Analysts at Jefferies estimate that the U.S. airline industry has a shortage of about 10,000 pilots. This supply-demand gap is projected to last until 2027. With no letup in travel demand, airlines are in a rush to staff up, bolstering the bargaining power of pilots. Rival United Airlines last month announced a preliminary deal for a new four-year contract that would give its pilots a cumulative increase of 34.5%-40.2% in pay. American's contract includes about $1.1 billion in immediate, one-time payments and ratification bonuses. Quality-of-life improvements represent nearly 20% of the increased value of the new contract, the union said. For example, pilots would get premium pay if the company reassigns them from a trip they bid on, or have asked to fly, Sicher said. (Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Matthew Lewis) A TikToker has created a series sharing things she "had to learn the hard way" about moving to London. She said she was 29 when she moved to London to pursue a Master's degree during the pandemic. From renting to ordering drinks at a bar, here are seven things that shocked her. After living in London, England, for three years, TikToker Olamide Modupe has created a video series sharing things she "had to learn the hard way" about moving there from the US. Modupe told Insider that she is originally from Los Angeles, California, but that she moved to London from New York when she was 29 to pursue a Master's degree during the pandemic. She has been documenting her journey on her TikTok account, where she posts travel, beauty, and fashion content. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Modupe has built up an audience of over 19,000 followers with her videos, which aim to showcase the information you "can't find online" about moving to the UK, she said. Here are some of her discoveries. The water is not fluoridated. This embedded content is not available in your region. In one video posted on July 16, Modupe described the water as having a "crucial difference" that she "didn't learn until it was too late." She said, "I have never in my life had cavities until I moved to London." She added that this was because she was no longer drinking fluoridated water, but she was still using American toothpaste which may have had a lower fluoride content. In 2020, 72.7% of the US population on community water systems had access to fluoridated water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But in England, only around 6 million people just over 10% of the country's population, according to data from the 2021 Census live in areas with water fluoridation schemes as of March 2022, according to a policy paper published by the UK government. Modupe added that since she switched to UK toothpaste, she no longer has issues with her teeth. In the UK, the National Health Service states that "1,350 to 1,500 parts per million (ppm) fluoride are the most effective," and many mainstream toothpaste brands contain somewhere within that range. Most toothpaste sold in the US contains between 1,000 and 1,100 parts per million, according to the National Institutes of Health. The process to find an apartment to rent is very different. This embedded content is not available in your region. In a video posted on July 24, Modupe pointed out how renting in London was different from New York and Los Angeles. Modupe said that even though she'd had some "nightmare landlords" when she lived in Brooklyn, New York, the landlords she has had to work with since moving to London have been "intense." But the process for finding an apartment differs too. She said that in the US, the norm is to apply to multiple places and wait for the landlord to get back to you to let you know if you have been successful. But in the UK, it is typical to pay a "holding deposit" to secure your rental unit before signing an agreement. "So you can only apply to one at a time. And if you withdraw, you lose that deposit," said Modupe. "The only way to get that deposit back is if they deny you." She also added that when she first moved to London, she and her friend also had to pay six months' rent upfront because she was a student and her friend was unemployed. While paying that much rent upfront is not typical in the UK, some landlords may request it to reduce the risk of missed payments if a tenant has no guaranteed source of income or has a poor credit history. Budgeting can be a struggle because many UK employers don't pay weekly. This embedded content is not available in your region. Modupe also highlighted a difference when it comes to budgeting. "You actually get paid monthly out here, not bi-weekly," Modupe said in a video posted on August 1. "If that sounds scary, trust me, it was scary for me too." Most employers in the US pay workers every week or every two weeks. In the UK, it is more common for companies to pay employees at the end of each month. Modupe told viewers that this means budgeting is very important, and that she had tried a few different tactics to help her improve her budgeting skills. "I was even splitting the check that I got into two different pots on my bank app, and then paying myself twice a month just so I could have a little bit of a transition," she said. The concept of getting paid monthly was a shock for many US viewers, but some thought it made sense because it would coincide with when their bills were due. You can start taking vacation time right away after starting a new job. In the UK, you typically get access to your vacation time as soon as you sign your contract. Jerome Maurice / Getty Images Modupe told viewers that in the US, you have to accrue your vacation time before you can use it and that you don't get access to any of it right away. "In the UK, the second you sign your contract, all of your holiday days are there. They're available to you," she said. "You get it immediately. So you're booking the trips immediately." Several viewers pointed out that while it is technically possible to take all of your vacation days at the beginning of your work contract, you would typically have to pay these days back or work extra days if you decided to leave the company before you had worked enough to accrue the days that you had used. Modupe also pointed out that the statutory annual leave entitlement differs in the UK and the US. In the UK, people who work a standard five-day week receive at least 28 days of paid annual leave per year. In the US, there is no minimum paid annual leave it is at the discretion of employers. The US ranks among the top 10 countries with the least paid time off, according to a report published by the career resource website Resume.io in 2022. One viewer wrote that having so little vacation time in the US was "very sad." Modupe replied, "They work us to the bone." Bar culture is very different. This embedded content is not available in your region. In one video posted on August 5, Modupe told viewers that bartenders measure drinks very carefully. "There is no such thing as a free pour here, honey," she said. "They are going to measure it. They are going to scrape the top off. And that's going to be as much as you get." She said that in places like New York and Los Angeles, bartenders often free-pour alcohol into your glass. "Here, they are going to measure that. And it's probably for your own good that they are going to measure it," she said. She also added that bars in London don't typically stay open as late. She said, "Once it hits like 1 o'clock, you're probably not getting in anywhere." Return policies are stricter. This embedded content is not available in your region. In a video posted on August 13, Modupe stressed the importance of reading return policies when ordering something. "You're gonna wanna read the return policy every time you order something," said Modupe. She said that in the US, she has been able to open something, use it, and then return it. "Here, they don't play that. They don't play that at all," she said. It's never too late to make the move. Modupe has no regrets about her move. kokouu / Getty Images Videos of people sharing tips for moving states or revealing things that they wish they knew before moving abroad often go viral on TikTok. People have also used TikTok to share reasons why they want to leave the US. In July, American TikTokers who moved abroad used the platform to reflect on things about the US that made them feel fearful even after they had left the country. Despite the potential culture shock, Modupe encouraged anyone keen to move to take the plunge. "I literally moved during the pandemic," Modupe said in one video. "The time is right now. No matter where you are in life, just do it." Read the original article on Insider Another family has come forward to tell Channel 2 Action News a paraprofessional at their school also locked their disabled child in a bathroom. Channel 2s Tyisha Fernandes was in Rockdale County where some parents have already gone to the school district to see the video for themselves. They say their disabled son was locked in a bathroom for 30 minutes and is a child who has seizures, often. They said the last place he needs to be unattended is a bathroom. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] I was speechless. I was speechless because I couldnt understand how a professional who is fully trained to handle Erics needs would take such action, Erics father, Earl Lawes, said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Eric and Sherryann Lawes have been fostering and adopting children with challenges for the last 30 years. Theyve had Eric since he was just one. Hes 14 now, and they say that although hes nonverbal and has autism, hes not a child who has meltdowns. TRENDING STORIES: On the first week of school, the principal of General Ray Davis Middle School called them. She told my wife that Eric was found in the bathroom unattended by himself and then reassured us that nothing is wrong with him. Hes fine and everything, no need to worry and there would be further investigation, Earl Lawes said. About two weeks later, they say the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services called and told them something different. She then said, No, thats not what the school told me. The school told me that Eric was locked in the bathroom by a paraprofessional, Earl Lawes said. They requested to see the video. They say it showed a paraprofessional put their son in the bathroom. The parapro then put a chair in front of the door and had another student sit there, so their son couldnt get out. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The parents say Eric has been traumatized ever since. When Fernandes asked if it scared him, Sherryann Lawes answered, Yes it did. It really did. From eating, going to the toilet, from listening to us. A spokesperson for the school district told Fernandes, the two paraprofessionals involved in this incident are no longer working for Rockdale County schools. She also said the district is still investigating and DFCS is doing their own investigation. IN OTHER NEWS: Anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arevalo, from the progressive Movimiento Semilla party, won Guatemalas presidential election on Sunday, beating former first lady Sandra Torres in a race marred by fears of democratic backsliding. Speaking to reporters shortly after preliminary election results showed him winning a majority, Arevalo said the people have spoken loudly. What the people are shouting at us is: Enough of so much corruption This is a demonstration of the change of mind that we are witnessing in Guatemala, he said. Guatemalans today have hope and we are celebrating in the streets the recovery of the sense of hope in our country. Arevalo won 58.01% of the vote compared to Torres 37.24%, according to official data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It marks a stunning win for the former diplomat who reinvigorated a race that has been plagued by controversy after the state disqualified opposition candidates who spoke out against corruption drawing concerns from rights groups and Western allies. Corruption is a phenomenon that has penetrated the different institutions of society and has infiltrated the different spaces. Our task will be to recover those spaces, Arevalo said Sunday. The president of the electoral tribunal, Irma Palencia, said during a press conference on Sunday night that today, the people voices spoke, as it became apparent that Arevalo had won by a large margin. Guatemalas President Alejandro Giammattei congratulated Arevalo for his win in a post on X, saying he would extend the invitation to start the ordered transition the day after the results are official. The center-left politician Arevalo tapped into widespread public discontent with his promises to curb crime and corruption, tackle malnutrition, and bring growth to a country that has one of the highest levels of inequality in the region. Achieving those goals wont be easy for Arevalo, whose father was the countrys first democratically elected president, as Congress is set to be largely controlled by establishment parties, including Torres Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE). A voter casts their ballot at a polling station during the presidential run-off election in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on August 20, 2023. - Cristina Chiquin/Reuters UNE questioned the results in a statement Monday. The UNE Party is respectful of the Rule of Law, and we will establish a final position when the results are clarified with total transparency, as we have been demanding regarding the use of the Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission System (TREP), the statement read. Let us remember that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal never clarified why it endorsed the irregular use of a parallel system for the Departmental Electoral Board of the Central District and Department of Guatemala, used during the first electoral round and which failed in other countries. The party added that it regretted that international observers have never spoken out to review the alleged irregularities. The Electoral Observation Mission of Guatemala observed the elections over the weekend and reported no irregularities. Several losing parties denounced irregularities after the first round of elections on June 25. Attempts at disqualification Analysts cautioned there could also be attempts to undermine the victory by Arevalo. There were previous efforts by state actors to disqualify him after his surprise second place finish during the first round of voting in June. A Guatemalan court suspended his Movimiento Semilla party on the request of Rafael Curruchiche, who heads the Special Prosecutors Office Against Impunity and is on the US State Departments Engel List of corrupt and undemocratic actors. Curruchiche said they were investigating Movimiento Semilla for allegedly falsifying citizens signatures a claim Arevalo has denied. His win comes as regional observers say rising kleptocracy, graft and weakening rule of law have exacerbated inequality in the Central American country, driving thousands of Guatemalans to move to the United States in recent years. The situation worsened after a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission, known as CICIG, credited for assisting in hundreds of convictions, was dissolved in 2019, rights groups say. Prosecutors and judges associated with the commission were arrested and investigated and many have since fled the country. The ensuing years have seen high rates of poverty and malnutrition. Members of the media who have opposed corruption in their reporting have also faced legal consequences. This year, prominent Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora was sentenced to six years in prison for money laundering, in a ruling press groups described as an attack on free speech. Florencia Trucco contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Aoki Lee Simmons just celebrated a major life milestone as she turned 21 recently! Baby Phat founder and owner Kimora Lee Simmons honored her daughter with a sweet Instagram post, as People reported. The birthday post featured many pics of the model and Harvard graduate strutting her stuff on the runway, childhood memories, and a recent photo of the mother and daughter posing in front of Aokis birthday cake. The cake design included a Vogue cover with Aoki posing in front of a staircase and highlighted her latest accolades. My baby girl is 21!!! Mama loves you so much and Im so super proud of you! I know youve been through A LOT and God has kept you and us all covered. From graduating from HARVARD at 21(!!!) to paving your path in New York City modeling! Youre doing it all! Its all paying off for you and that is evidenced by the exciting news coming that we will soon share! were all right here beside you baby riding for you through it all! I got you forever! Cheers to 21! #beautyandbrains, the proud mother wrote. In June, Aoki graduated from Harvard with a double major while still balancing a modeling career. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 20 years old, and we out!*inhale* Congratulations to my Mom, my Grandma, my Great Grandma, my sister (a fellow baddie with a BRAIN nobody how low-key she is about it!) to the international network of aunties, sisters, and friends, the Evelyns, Kyokos and Kimoras, the women who could not always get their degrees right away but who made damn sure we got ours, This ones for you, I must dedicate this degree to all the leading ladies in my life, because who am I If not their daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend? Who am I without who came before and beside? We go TOGETHER. Women, period. Thank you for being here with me, crying tears of exhaustion, anxiety and joy with me, congratulations, thank you so much, & in the immortal words of JAY-Z, we on to the next one, she wrote in that post. Simmons previously defended her decision to pursue modeling while attending Harvard University, which she graduated from earlier this year. I love it, and I think we should normalize liking something. You dont have to do what youre immediately good at, she said at the time. You can be good at something and not want to do it forever, and you can be bad at something and still pursue it. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Arab local councils in Israel held a strike on Monday in protest at the finance minister's freeze earlier this month on hundreds of millions of shekels to their municipalities, a decision that has prompted accusations of racism. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich , a key member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's nationalist-religious government, suspended at least 200 million shekels ($52.75 million) of Arab municipal funds, saying that these could end up in the hands of what he called "criminal and terrorist elements". That the finance minister was casting Arabs as thieves and criminals was "ridiculous" and "false", the mayor of the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm, Samir Mahameed, told Israeli Army Radio. "This is survival money, not a luxury," said Mahameed, explaining that the funds were meant to assist in fighting soaring crime. "This is a struggle for our lives." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Despite a pledge by Netanyahu on Aug. 9 to release the funds, Smotrich doubled down on his decision, vowing not to "keep turning a blind eye when hundreds of millions of everyone's tax funds were going to criminal groups", in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday. The ultra-nationalist Smotrich's move drew accusations of racism from Arab and Jewish lawmakers, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, as well as Arab mayors. Arab citizens, most of whom are descendants of Palestinians who stayed in Israel after the 1948 war surrounding its creation, make up about a fifth of Israel's population. They have for decades faced disparities compared with Jewish citizens, including high poverty rates, overcrowded towns lacking in infrastructure and poorly funded schools, which they say are a result of deliberate government policies. Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel urged Smotrich to release the funds and voiced support for the municipal strike. Arab leaders protested outside government offices on Monday. Videos circulating on social media showed police pushing some of the demonstrators, including Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh. Protesters chanted "Violent police!" after officers restrained the hands of a woman who lay prone on the ground, her forehead bloodied. Police said officers were warding off protesters who tried to break into the finance ministry. ($1 = 3.7912 shekels) (Reporting by Henriette Chacar; additional reporting by Maayan Lubell; editing by Mark Heinrich) In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman consider libertarian responses to natural disasters in the wake of the recent wildfires in Hawaii and examine the outsider candidacy of Javier Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist, in his bid for the Argentinian presidency. 0:26: Maui wildfires 23:13: Javier Milei wins Argentina's presidential primary 37:03: Weekly Listener Question 50:34: This week's cultural recommendations Mentioned in this podcast: "California Regulations Prevent Insurers From Accurately Pricing Wildfire Risk, so Now They're Fleeing the State," by Ronald Bailey ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "When the Government Makes Wildfires Worse," by Tate Watkins "Dozens Died in California Wildfires. Why Is the State Forcing Insurance Companies To Ignore Risks?" by Scott Shackford "Can Fire Insurance Manage Wildfire Risks in California?" by Ronald Bailey "Why Are People 'Outraged' That Private Firefighters Saved Kim and Kanye's Home?" by Joe Setyon "Rant: Burn the Rich," by Matt Welch "UnFAIR," by Matt Welch Annual number of deaths from disasters, 1900-2020, by Our World in Data "HECO Kept The Power Flowing In Lahaina Even As Poles Toppled," by Marcel Honore "Confessions of a Welfare Queen," by John Stossel "Eric Boehm: How Protectionist Trade Policies Screw Us All," a Q&A by Nick Gillespie "The Jones Act Is Driving Up Prices and Making Crises Worse," by John Stossel "A Self-Described Anarcho-Capitalist Won a Plurality in Argentina's Presidential Primary," by Marcos Falcone "Don't Confuse Javier Milei With Jair Bolsonaro," by Daniel Raisbeck "This Politician Just Won Argentina's Primary. His Hair Is Baffling the World," by Jacob Gallagher "'Private Tyranny' Is Less Private Than You Think," by Stephanie Slade "Domination Fantasies," by Ben Compaine "Mergers and Disquisitions," by Nick Gillespie Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name. Today's sponsor: Sometimes we're faced with a crossroads in life, and we don't know which path to take. Maybe you're thinking about a career change or feeling like your relationship needs some TLC. Whatever it is, therapy can help you map out your future, and trust yourself to find the way forward. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online and designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, and switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/roundtable today to get 10 percent off your first month. Audio production by Ian Keyser; assistant production by Hunt Beaty. Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve The post The Argentine Libertarian Dog-Friendly Darling? appeared first on Reason.com. Following the states last-minute ruling, Arkansas high school students will no longer be offered college credit for the course, nor will it be required to graduate. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders doubled down on her recent order to stop offering students a new Advanced Placement African-American studies course for college credit pending review, dismissing the curricula as a lie and propaganda. During a Thursday appearance on Fox News, Sanders was asked to respond to an excerpt from a statement released by the Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP criticizing the state education department for the removal issued this month, just two days prior to the start of school. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee doubled down on her recent order to stop offering students college credit for a new Advanced Placement course in African American history. Here, Sanders prepares to deliver the Republican response to President Joe Bidens State of the Union Address in February. (Photo: Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images) The Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP is appalled at the recent decision of Arkansas Department of Education to make a hasteful decision at the final hour to do away with AP African American Studies, the conference stated. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Sanders on Thursday responded: Weve got to get back to the basics of teaching math, of teaching reading, writing and American history. And we cannot perpetuate a lie to our students and push this propaganda leftist agenda teaching our kids to hate America and hate one another. As previously reported by theGrio, Arkansas has joined Florida as the latest Republican-controlled state to ban or restrict aspects of Black history in the classroom. Sanders, who was inaugurated as Arkansas governor in January after serving as the White House press secretary during the presidency of Donald Trump, quickly signed into law the LEARNS education bill, which prohibits indoctrination and critical race theory in Arkansas public schools. The College Boards new AP African-American studies course had been offered to high schools nationwide for the 2023-24 school year as part of a two-year pilot program. AP courses additionally offer students the opportunity to earn college credits upon passing the final exam. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the first to reject African-American studies, claiming the AP course violates state law and isnt historically accurate. He went on to eliminate AP psychology because the course covers sexual orientation and gender identity. Following the states last-minute ruling, Arkansas high school students will only be offered the course as an elective, which does not count toward the states graduation requirements. The state also refused to pay the $90 cost of the final exam. The decision has drawn ire from civil rights advocacy groups such as the NAACP, which called the move reprehensible and called upon the states education department to withdraw the decision. Dismissal of an AP African American Studies course is not only a dereliction of duty to ensure equitable education for all Arkansans, but shows clear disdain for the lives and experiences that form part of our history, the associations statement reads. The NAACP additionally highlighted that one of the two schools in Arkansas offering the pilot program is Little Rock Central High School, where the nation witnessed the integration of nine Black students in 1957. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson last week issued a statement calling the removal abhorrent and regressive. Another day in America, and another extremist state government has waged war on Black America while attempting to rewrite history, Johnson wrote, pledging that the NAACP remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that truth, justice, and equity prevail. Our children deserve nothing less. TheGrios April Ryan contributed to this report. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Arkansas governor defends limits on AP Black history course appeared first on TheGrio. A man was shot and wounded by state troopers Sunday night after reportedly barricading himself in a residence in the Town of Bath following a domestic incident and shooting at law enforcement personnel. Troopers and representatives from other law enforcement agencies responded around 8 p.m. to a call of a domestic dispute between a man and a woman at 6664 Roosevelt Ave., according to New York State Police. The female was able to flee from the residence unharmed, but the 51-year-old man, whose name has not been released, barricaded himself inside for several hours, state police said. During that time, crisis negotiators responded to the scene and tried to talk the man into surrendering. The man fired several shots from inside the residence that did not strike anyone, police said. Around 1 a.m., he went into the back yard brandishing a shotgun, according to state police Troop E commander Maj. Brian J. Ratajczak. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The suspect refused commands to drop the weapon, but instead opened fire again, Ratajczak said. At that point, troopers returned fire and struck the man in the lower leg, he said. The man was airlifted to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where he is in stable condition and remains in state police custody, Ratajcak said. No other information will be released at this time, he said, because the investigation is continuing and charges are pending. Public safety State Police ID victims of I-390 crash in Wayland that killed 3, injured 11 Ratajcak asked anyone who might have information related to the incident to contact state police at 585-398-4100. New York State Police were assisted at the scene by the Steuben County Sheriff's Office, Bath Police Department, and multiple other emergency response agencies. Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Police shoot, wound armed man after domestic dispute, standoff in Bath The Taqueria Number 1 Mexican restaurant on East Independence Boulevard near Eastway Drive was robbed at gunpoint shortly before 10 p.m. Friday, according to police. ALSO READ: 1 killed, 3 injured in overnight shooting at southeast Charlotte lounge The victim, who did not want to be identified, said the man pointed a gun at her chest and demanded cash. She said No. Then the man turned off the safety on the pistol. He put the gun on me, she told Channel 9. I have a family. I said, My God, and I thought the worst. That is when the store owner, Ruben Granados, intervened and told her to give the man all of the cash. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I told her to give it, he recalled. Give it all and dont expose your life. Police dont have a very good description of the man, but said he put the cash in his backpack and took off. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said there has been an increase in robberies targeting the Hispanic population. Community leaders say the assumption that Hispanic people only deal with cash is driving the trend. Granados agrees. For me, it is not the first time it has happened to me, Granados said. It has happened to me several times. You are used to it and you are exposed. Police are relying on tips from the public because they only have a vague description of the perpetrator. Call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or submit your tip online if you have information. VIDEO: MEDIC: 2 hurt, power lines down after crash on Independence Boulevard ASHEVILLE - On a hot August afternoon, Stephen Smith steps out of his Chevy Silverado and onto gray asphalt. In his bright yellow T-shirt, heavy slacks and dirtied boots, you couldnt mistake him for a waiter or a banker hes a landscaper. To his count, his company, MS Lean Landscaping, is one of the few Black-owned, Asheville-based landscaping and construction companies. There arent many other companies like his, he says. Its some mom and pops. Smith said, referring to some very small local businesses. Im not really sure about the size, because its people sometimes just doing it to do it. MS Lean Landscaping primarily focuses on landscape maintenance and smaller construction projects. Running for 10 years, MS Lean focuses on giving ex-offenders a chance at learning a skill set and making a living. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As the City of Asheville has currently budgeted $251.7 million in capital projects, the Asheville Business Inclusion Office is aiming to find more minority and women-owned businesses to bid on contracts, offering up a series of outreach events to business owners, primarily focusing on local construction businesses. City contracts vary from general landscaping or sidewalk improvements to a $35.5 million improvement project to McCormick Field. During the first event, an Aug. 16 meeting at Maple Crest Apartments, Stephen Smith was one of two Asheville-based business owners to attend. Stephen Smith August 16, 2023. One of the main reasons for organizing the event was to connect local businesses to prime contractors and find local minority and women-owned construction businesses, said Frank McGowan, Interim Assistant Director for Community and Economic Development for the city. The city definitely wants to connect with minority and women-owned businesses in the construction trades, McGowan said. Were always looking for minority businesses to be on a level playing field with other businesses, but theres still a process by which one has to bid on a project and meet the requirements of the project. For the city to reach minority and women-owned businesses, they are encouraging businesses to register with North Carolinas Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses, which will allow businesses to be more easily found when contract project managers reach out to businesses. Prime contractors, which work on larger projects like the planned $35.5 improvement to McCormick Field, are having similar difficulty finding minority and women-owned businesses, McGowan said. Stephen Smith August 16, 2023. While the city hosted that event for our own needs, what I was hearing is that the prime general contractors are having similar struggles and are looking for subcontractors, especially minority and women-owned businesses, McGowan said. Stephen Smith said a problem with current Asheville small businesses might be that the businesses the city wants to reach out to dont exist. Asheville's Black population dropped 10.7% between 2010 and 2020, a prior Citizen Times report found. If you dont have construction businesses, where are you going to come up with them? Smith said. Thats putting the cart before the horse. 'A lot of minority companies don't have the infrastructure' Stephen Smith estimates that there are maybe three minority construction companies working in the area, though primarily specializing in asphalt. On the North Carolina Department of Transportation directory of minority owned enterprises in Buncombe, MS Lean Landscaping is the only Asheville-based minority owned business that specializes in landscaping. There are 17 other minority owned businesses that specialize in a variety of subcontracting, asphalt construction and landscaping in Buncombe, but few in general contracting, according to the NCDOT directory. More: 1st new Asheville public pool since 1970: $8.3M Grant Center expansion opens in Southside One of the major problems, Smith says, is access to capital, where many companies cannot currently maintain payroll on large projects, as training and business infrastructure arent ready. Running a business is not like you're going into a job and everything is laid out for you, Stephen Smith said. You have to build. You have employees you have to pay. You got workers comp, which is really expensive. So now all these things have to be hashed out before even starting scaling and growing a business. Kenneth Smith runs the Charlotte-based nonprofit Grace-Mar, which aims to provide capital to starting Black businesses, alongside offering social capital to grow and scale operations. One of the primary reasons for starting the company was realizing that minority owned companies are "four times" more likely to hire a person of color, Kenneth Smith said. "If there are not enough minority owned, operated companies that have the ability to hire people, then all the other work that we're doing goes for not, because there's no place for us to place these individuals workwise," Kenneth Smith said. Kenny Smith, president and founder of Grace-Mar. The issue Kenneth Smith, having a strong base is key to building a business which is competitive in the construction environment. One of the things that we find in our work, and we hear often from banks and municipalities, is that a lot of minority companies don't have the infrastructure, said Kenneth Smith. More: 1st new Asheville public pool since 1970: $8.3M Grant Center expansion opens in Southside More: 'As a Black man, I'm appalled': Report shows gap between Black, white student achievement Kenneth Smith acknowledges that this brings a certain level of inequity to the system of accessing contracts. Thats where a lot of minority organizations miss out, Kenneth Smith said. Because they just dont have the level of sophistication not because they cant do it. The city plans to host another outreach event for minority and women-owned businesses within the next quarter. The next outreach event will likely be focused on expanding the discussion on access to capital, McGowan said. The city established the Mountain Community Capital fund in 2019 for small businesses without collateral who are looking to receive starting loans between $5,000 and $70,000. Stephen Smith ultimately encourages the city to invest more into Black businesses, even if they aren't necessarily in Asheville. "Now the question becomes: are there any Black companies inside our vicinity," Stephen Smith said. "Is there any way that you can bring in businesses from outside the city of Asheville or the county to help them grow?" Learn more The Asheville Business Inclusion office will have a public hearing from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 19, tat the Grant Center, 285 Livingston St., on a 2023 disparity study analyzing businesses from 2017 to 2022. Interested businesses in the process of HUB certification can find more information at https://evp.nc.gov/. Will Hofmann is the Citizen Times Growth and Development Reporter. Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville seeks minority businesses for city projects, finds few An Atlanta college announced this week that it is reinstating its mask mandate for everyone on campus. Morris Brown College began classes just last week, but will require all students and employees to wear face masks. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Officials say there have been no confirmed COVID-19 cases among its students, but they have received reports from other schools in the Atlanta University Center. The mask mandate is a precautionary move for the next 14 days. Morris Brown College will also not allow any parties or large student gatherings on campus during this time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Other precautionary measures include: temperature checks upon campus arrival, social distancing and contact tracing. Morris Brown College does have a vaccine requirement for students with religious and medical exemptions allowed. TRENDING STORIES: IN OTHER NEWS At least one aircraft has been damaged at the Shaikovka airfield in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, as a result of a drone attack; this mission was carried out in coordination with the Ukraines Main Directorate of Intelligence. Source: Andrii Yusov, representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, in a comment to Liga.News Quote: "At least one aircraft is damaged. As in most cases, the Russian regime is trying to hide the true volume of losses and damage. There are people who, in coordination with the Main Directorate of Intelligence, have completed the tasks. They came from central Russia, carried out their mission and successfully returned. As in many other cases, the Defence Intelligence continues to carry out missions, including on the territory of the aggressor state." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Background: Earlier, Russian Telegram channels reported a Ukrainian drone allegedly attempted to attack an airfield in Russian Kaluga Oblast on the morning of 21 August. According to Russian Telegram channels, a plane that is not in use was damaged. The governor of the oblast claims that a UAV attack was repelled on the territory of Kirov Oblast and that there were allegedly no casualties and no damage to the infrastructure. For reference: According to open sources, the Shaikovka airfield is used as storage for long-range aircraft of the Tu model, among others. Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Air Force of Ukraines Armed Forces, reported that on 15 August the Russians launched four Kh-22 cruise missiles on Ukraine from the Shaikovka airfield. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A New Haven man remains incarcerated after 31 years despite a federal court ruling that he was wrongfully convicted. Maleek Jones is one of several New Haven men whose convictions in the 1980s and 1990s have been overturned, according to his attorney, Alex Taubes. New Haven police from that era have been criticized for withholding evidence, among other forms of misconduct. U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall issued her ruling Aug. 11 that the state courts decisions in Maleek Jones case violated the federal Constitution and said that his conviction cannot stand, Taubes said Monday, when a small rally was held outside state Superior Court in New Haven. This is only the second time in Connecticut history to my knowledge that a federal district judge has overruled a state case, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Taubes said States Attorney John P. Doyle Jr. should release Jones immediately. Doyle has 60 days to do so, to decide to retry Jones or to appeal Halls ruling. Taubes said Jones was one of three men, including Adam Carmon and Scott Lewis, who were convicted within two months of each other. All three cases were tried in March, April of 1995, three murder trials in the same two months in the same courthouse all overturned because they were wrongfully obtained, Taubes said. But, of course, we know that there are many more, and thats why were protesting, he said. But were also protesting because of Maleeks situation. The judge has made her ruling. Her ruling was not just that the state judges were wrong, but they were objectively unreasonable, that their conduct essentially was outrageous in allowing this to happen. Taubes called Halls ruling unassailable and that Jones should be released immediately. The man has been in prison since he was 19 years old, Taubes said. Hes 50 years old today. He lost his teens. He lost his 20s. He lost his 30s. He lost his 40s for something that Judge Hall said was not only wrong but objectively unreasonable, a standard only one other case has met in the history of Connecticut. He said the state should release Jones rather than consider whether to retry him. Doyle also can decide to appeal Halls ruling to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court. But in recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has sharply curtailed the power and authority of federal courts to overturn state court convictions, Taubes said. They have basically said that even when theres proof of innocence that hasnt been brought to the state court judges first, the federal judge is not even allowed to hear it. Taubes called on Doyle to announce he will not retry the case and order Jones to be released. Every day that Maleek Jones remains incarcerated, from today on, thats on John Doyle, Taubes said. Thats on him, because the decision is now in his hands to free an innocent man from prison whos been in prison for 31 years. Its an atrocity. Its disgusting. To say the system failed I think is an understatement, said James Jeter, who served time with Jones and was wearing a T-shirt depicting Jones with his baby son, who is now 31 years old. Theres so much that the state didnt do, Jeter said. There was a mission to convict. When you withhold evidence, when you have subpar lawyers and white jurors who dont understand New Haven who had a very bad idea or ideology of what was happening in urban cities, its not hard to convict. Jeter also said the states main witness, who lied in the original trial, had been far more consistent and telling the truth in 2009 and 2015, when he stated that he testified under duress. Another witness, who had seen the killer and said Jones did not fit his description, did not testify at trial, Jeter said. Adriana Milner of Bloomfield also was wearing a Free Maleek T-shirt. I think its important that we spread awareness that Maleek is one of many wrongfully convicted, she said. Its important that we free him and free the other Black and brown people who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes that they have not committed. I think its important to spread awareness. Referring to her T-shirt, Milner said, the child who hes holding in this photo is 31. And he hasnt had a real chance to build that physical, emotional connection with his dad. And thats unfair to think about a child growing up with a parent in the system, knowing that theyre not supposed to be there. Doyle issued a comment Monday, saying, The matter is under review by the Division of Criminal Justice. Were considering all of our options including whether the State will appeal the federal courts decision. Ed Stannard can be reached at estannard@courant.com. By Renju Jose SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will spend A$1.3 billion ($833 million) to boost its long-range strike capabilities as it finalised on Monday a deal to buy more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, part of a wide-ranging defence shake-up. Australia will be only one of three nations to have Tomahawks along with the U.S. and Britain, Defence Minister Richard Marles said. "We are investing in the capabilities our Defence Force needs to hold our adversaries at risk further from our shores and keep Australians safe in the complex and uncertain world in which we live today," Marles said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The U.S. State Department in March approved the sale of the Tomahawks, which have a range of 1,500 kms (932 miles), but did not indicate at the time that a contract had been signed or talks had concluded. The ship-launched version of the missiles, manufactured by RTX Corp, will be deployed on the Royal Australian Navy's Hobart-class destroyers, he said. Australia says it needs to upgrade its defence forces as China is undertaking the biggest military build-up since the end of World War Two. Earlier this year it agreed to work with the United States and Britain to develop a nuclear-powered submarine fleet. In addition to the Tomahawks, Australia would spend about A$431 million to purchase more than 60 advanced anti-radiation guided missiles from the United States, the defence minister said. Long-range anti-tank guided missiles would also be bought for Australian Army's Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles in a contract worth more than A$50 million. The Tomahawk announcement came days after the U.S. approved a possible sale to Australia of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) for $975 million. ($1 = 1.5618 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates) Russian attacks against Ukraine killed three civilians and wounded 24 over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on Aug. 21. A total of nine Ukrainian oblasts were targeted during this period Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Casualties were reported in the last four regions. Russia hit 129 Ukrainian settlements and 37 infrastructure facilities, according to the Defense Ministry's Military Media Center. Russian troops reportedly used mortars, grenade launchers, tanks, artillery, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), drones, and tactical aviation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Russia launched 78 attacks against Kherson Oblast on Aug. 20, firing 377 projectiles from various weapons, the regional governor wrote. Two people were killed, and three were injured, according to Oleksandr Prokudin. The attacks reportedly hit residential areas, a critical infrastructure facility, and a factory in Kherson Oblast. Twenty-three settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast were targeted 92 times, the regional administration reported. A 61-year-old man was killed, and two other people were injured in Shyroke and Mala Tokmachka, the authorities added. Read also: Thats it, its death, guys. What we know about Russias killing of 2 Ukrainian teenagers in occupied Berdiansk The Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration said it had received six reports about the destruction of houses due to Russian attacks. The Russian military struck three districts in Kharkiv Oblast, with Kupiansk shelled non-stop" on Aug. 20, according to the oblast governor. Eleven civilians were wounded in the city, including a paramedic, Oleh Synehuibov reported. Local authorities recently began a mandatory evacuation of civilians from the Kupiansk district due to increased Russian attacks. A 71-year-old man was also injured in Kharkiv Oblasts Vovchansk, Synehuibov said on Telegram. The attacks reportedly damaged houses, enterprises, an apartment building, a post branch, an educational institution, a medical facility, and other civilian objects. In Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks injured seven civilians, said Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. Two more people were injured in Katerynivka, some 15 kilometers southwest of Marinka, according to the official. Russia targeted eight settlements and two communities in the region, damaging nine houses, an apartment building, and an administration building, added Kyrylenko. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Kyiv to receive 42 F-16 fighter jets, with first aircraft set to arrive in 2023 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Georgetown County Coroner released the name of the person killed in a Saturday boating accident on the Black River in Georgetown County, near Browns Ferry Landing. Coroner Chase Ridgeway identified the missing boater as Ron Spivey, 35, of Andrews. The body was recovered Monday morning, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Spivey had been missing since just before 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, when he went overboard near Browns Ferry boat landing. The boats driver, Kevon Jharique Dorsey, 21, of Andrews, was charged with boating under the influence. Five people were on the craft when Dorsey swerved to avoid a dock, according to Greg Lucas, SCDNR public information officer. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Georgetown County Fire and EMS, the Georgetown County Sheriffs Office, a dive team with Horry County Fire Rescue and Midway Fire Rescue responded Saturday night. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources dive teams and officers were involved as well. This embedded content is not available in your region. (photo/Canva) As students are preparing to head back to school, teachers have been preparing their classrooms for the upcoming year by decorating, supplying, and writing lesson plans. For Native teachers, the upcoming school year is nerve-wracking as they struggle to collect resources for their students. Resources are scarce-and in Oklahoma, already stretched-thin school resources are being funneled into a new Catholic charter school. Many K-12 teachers across Indian Country struggle to stock their classrooms with the necessary supplies needed for the school year. Things like glue, pencils, markers, paper, etc. are hard to buy due to the lack of funding. Often, these supplies come from the teachers own pockets. Many teachers create public Amazon wish lists so that others can donate items. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A survey done by Adopt A Classroom, a nonprofit that provides free funding to teachers across the nation, found that teachers across the U.S. spent an average of $860 in the 2022-2023 school year out of pocket on school supplies for their classrooms. At high-needs schools, teachers spent a slightly higher average of $880. The most commonly bought items are basic supplies like paper, pencils, and notebooks. Eighty-four percent of teachers said they need basic supplies. Fifty-five percent of teachers need books and inclusive/adaptive materials. Forty-four percent of teachers said they need technology. Forty-three percent of teachers need furniture, which can include fundamental items like desks or wobble stools to help their students stay focused. Teachers are not only struggling to keep their classrooms stocked with essentials; they are also fighting to keep education equitable and unbiased. Yet, in Oklahoma, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School was approved as the nations first publicly-funded religious charter school in June. The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the school in a 3-to-2 vote despite concerns raised by its legal counsel. The board is made up of appointees by Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican who supports religious charter schools, and leaders of the Republican-controlled State Legislature. Now that the school is approved, taxpayer dollars would go to fund a school that uses sectarian values and religious-centered education, diverting funds away from Oklahoma public schools, already ranking near the bottom of the country in education spending. In its charter school application, St. Isidore plans to provide Christ-centered Catholic formation and will function as a genuine instrument of the church as a place of evangelization. A second-grade teacher starting her first year of teaching, a citizen of the Citizen Band Potawatomi Nation, says she relies on the Johnson-OMalley Program, an organization that provides funding for supplemental programs through contracts with public schools within the Choctaw Nation service area, to stock her classroom. She emphasizes that teachers are not trying to indoctrinate children. We are trying to teach children. We want them to grow up and think for themselves and be who they are. The teacher asked to remain anonymous due to the fear of retaliation and that her teaching license would be withheld. Education is for the public good. It's a social necessity. Yes, parents should have some choice in their children's education, but if it's being provided by the public, then it needs to be for the public good, she explains. She ties the need for education to be created equitably and fairly to the Seven Generations teaching in many Native communities, the belief that the things we do now should be to nurture the seven generations in the future. The Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters has endorsed recommendations to hang the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom and requires that students be given a full minute before school for prayer or silent reflection, to teach the Bible, and to train all history teachers in Oklahoma public schools using curriculum from Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian private school in Michigan. A group of 10 plaintiffs, including clergy, public school parents, and public education advocates, have filed a lawsuit against state officials and organizations in response. The lawsuit emphasizes the importance of keeping education equitable and inclusive and seeks to make sure that already underfunded schools keep their funding. The teacher we interviewed explained that even though many people have donated items for her classroom, she still had to use money out of her pocket to buy other essentials. This year I have spent easily $400 to $500 on my own already. Ive also received a ton of donations from the Indigenous Twitter community because we really support our own and that's been an amazing resource that most teachers haven't had, she explains. Shes even picked furniture from the side of the road to use in her I've even taken furniture off the side of the road because it was good and I needed storage for school supplies in her classroom. About the Author: "Neely Bardwell (descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian) is a staff reporter for Native News Online. Bardwell is also a student at Michigan State University where she is majoring in policy and minoring in Native American studies. " Contact: neely@nativenewsonline.net Automated speed enforcement cameras are set to be installed outside more Bibb County schools. The devices are slated for roads on which Hartley, Herd, Heritage, Springdale and Sonny Carter elementary schools and Vineville Academy are located, Bibb County Board of Education lawyer Canon Hill said Thursday at the Bibb County Board of Educations regular monthly meeting at its Mulberry Street board room. The school board voted unanimously to approve an agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation and Macon-Bibb County for operation of the cameras. Speed enforcement cameras are currently active at nine Bibb Schools and more are planned at the Academy for Classical Education, a state charter school, and two private schools: Stratford Academy and Windsor Academy. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The school board also voted Thursday to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the county which calls for the two governing bodies to meet on an annual basis and work in a collaborative manner to identify ways to meet the districts safety needs. The agreement calls for Information about safety studies and funding sources to be shared with the school board on a monthly basis, or when its prepared or received by Macon-Bibb, Hill said. In other business Thursday, the board unanimously voted to finalize the adoption of a rollback millage rate of 14.674 mills. The decision to adopt a full rollback millage rate means the district will forgo millions in property tax revenue and plan to close at least two schools over the next five years. President Biden landed in Hawaii on Monday with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell to inspect wildfire damage in Maui while also keeping tabs on havoc unleashed by Tropical Storm Hilary in Southern California and another set of fires that destroyed 200 homes in Washington state. The events underscored the compounding threat of the nation's climate disasters in the West. "The country grieves with you, stands with you and will do everything possible to help you recover," Biden said, adding that the government would "respect culture and traditions when the rebuilding takes place." Standing next to a burned banyan tree that he said was a symbol of the Hawaiian people's resilience, Biden promised to rebuild as the people of Maui want, and "not the way others want to build." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The president named Bob Fenton, a veteran FEMA official, to serve as a long-term recovery leader for Maui, where more than 110 people died and hundreds more are unaccounted for. Biden surveyed damage and planned to meet with children and other victims who lost family members during the fires. "We're going to be there for the long term to make sure that not just today and tomorrow but into the future there is a coordinated strategic federal response," Olivia Dalton, deputy White House press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One before landing, "because this is going to be a long, hard process." The federal government has more than 1,000 people in Maui, including 450 working on search and rescue. The administration has also committed to spend at least $8.6 million to help individual families with rent and other needs. Criswell told reporters that she had also been in touch with disaster officials in California after a call Biden had on Sunday with Gov. Gavin Newsom. Biden, who had been vacationing in Lake Tahoe, directed the Coast Guard to station aircraft in the region before the storm in case they were needed for search and rescue. Teams of federal disaster workers were also dispatched to the state as well as to Nevada and Arizona. "Fortunately, Californians listened to their local officials and took the necessary preparedness actions to help protect themselves and their families," Criswell said as she discussed early damage assessments that included mudslides and flooding. FEMA announced earlier Monday that the agency had sent two teams to California to manage the federal response and would keep more officials on standby if needed. The agency sent additional teams to help state and tribal leaders, and to provide communications and technical support. The agency said it had supplies in place before the storm at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside. Criswell told reporters on Air Force One that FEMA was using a "layered approach" to make sure resources are available in all the disaster areas tapping regionally based employees and getting help from other federal agencies as needed. But she also said the agency was running out of money, putting some recovery projects on hold as the federal fiscal year ends and the Biden administration asks Congress for $12 billion more for the agency as part of a larger spending package. "As we continue to see the impacts of what these disasters are bringing, we're going to have to closely analyze how much is going to be needed to continue to support the increase in the number of these severe weather events with these truly complex recoveries," Criswell said. Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will interrupt their vacation in Lake Tahoe to fly to Maui today to meet with local officials, first responders, and survivors and get a firsthand look at the damage. Biden will name FEMAs Robert Fenton, who previously served as the White Houses monkeypox response coordinator, as the long-term federal response coordinator for Maui. Biden has faced criticism from Republicans for being slow to comment extensively on the tragedy, and this trip will give him the opportunity to show the public that Hawaii is front of mind for him. I do think that the president has a little bit of catching up to do here, but he can do it, Bill Galston, chair of the Brookings Institutions governance studies program and a former Clinton domestic policy aide, told Semafor. Biden will also try to assure Lahaina residents that theyll have a voice in rebuilding the historic community, amid rising concerns that big developers could swoop in to take advantage of the destruction. Hes going to be able to reassure the people of Maui that the federal government is there to support them, but were doing it in a way thats going to allow them to rebuild the way they want to rebuild, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Sunday on CNN. The federal government has sent FEMA crews as well as FBI, Defense Department, and Health and Human Services officials to Hawaii to help with the recovery efforts and identify the deceased. Over 1,000 people are still unaccounted for, according to Hawaiis Democratic Gov. Josh Green, who said on CBS that it could take weeks to comb over the remaining 15% of land impacted by the fire that hasnt yet been searched. President Biden will travel to Maui on Monday to survey the destruction caused by deadly wildfires, where he will meet with first responders and announce the appointment of a federal coordinator to oversee long-term recovery efforts on the island. The president and first lady Jill Biden will travel from Lake Tahoe in Nevada, where they are vacationing for the week, to the island as local officials continue to work to identify victims and sort through the damage caused by wildfires this month, which killed more than 100 people. Biden will take an aerial tour of the impacted areas, a White House official said, followed by a briefing from state and local officials on the ground. The president will also deliver remarks paying respects to those killed by the fires, the White House official said. In his remarks, Biden will announce the appointment of Bob Fenton as the chief federal response coordinator to oversee the long-term recovery effort. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As the recovery moves into a next phase, the President has directed Mr. Fenton, who has been a leader in the response from the earliest hours, to make sure every member of this devastated community has access to everything the federal government can offer to heal and rebuild as fast as possible, a White House official said. Fenton served as the White Houses coordinator for the mpox response as the virus spread in the United States last year. Fenton earlier worked on setting up mass vaccination sites in the COVID-19 response. Officials have noted that almost 500 federal personnel have been deployed to Maui as of last week, and Biden signed a major disaster declaration to provide additional assistance. The president faced some criticism from Republicans over his initial lack of public comments on the fires as the death toll rapidly climbed. But in the past week Biden has addressed the topic in public speeches, spoken by phone multiple times with state officials and issued statements on the situation, while FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has attended multiple press briefings. Biden had said he wanted to wait to visit the island until it was clear he would not get in the way of recovery and rescue efforts. Updated at 10:39 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Biden administration announced nearly $700 million in funding for rural, high-speed internet projects. The funding comes from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which pours billions into internet access. The new round of funding will bolster 37 projects in rural areas across 22 states. The Biden administration is following through on its aim to get rural areas connected to the Internet and this time, they're putting nearly $700 million towards getting 37 projects across 22 states hooked up. It's part of the latest tranche of funding from Biden's $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law, which allocated $65 billion towards high-speed broadband. That money funds, in part, the USDA's ReConnect program, which disburses loans and grants to programs intended to get rural communities online. "For too long, rural communities haven't had access to basic resources like affordable, reliable, high-speed internet," Mitch Landrieu, senior advisor to the president and White House infrastructure coordinator, said in a press call. "And considering that we all know how essential internet is in the 21st century, it's beyond unacceptable that it's been that way." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to 2018 Census data on internet use, Americans living in cities were more likely to have internet access than their rural counterparts: 86% of urban households had an internet subscription, compared to 81% for rural households. White households were more likely to own a computer and have an internet subscription than Black households, and the more money a household makes, the more likely they were to own a computer or have an internet subscription. BroadBandNow has estimated, based on FCC data, that around 42 million Americans do not have access to broadband. And Pew Research Center found that, amidst work and school moving online during the pandemic, lower income internet users were more concerned about paying for their internet bills and more likely to experience internet connection problems. The Biden administration's connectivity push requires that programs receiving funding not only build out facilities that can provide high internet speeds, but also mandates that those projects apply to participate in an internet affordability program to help subsidize the cost for users. "We're getting funding to communities in every corner of the country, because we believe that no kid should have to sit in the back of a mama's car in a McDonald's parking lot in order to do homework," Landrieu said. The latest round of funding will help get thousands of residents, businesses, schools, and farms hooked up. You can check if your county or region is getting a new connection on the USDA's list of grant awards. Communities across Alaska, for instance, will receive nearly $100 million to have high-speed networks installed; those investments will impact nine educational facilities and nearly 2,200 residents, per the USDA. "The Internet's no longer a luxury, it's a necessity to fully participate in today's society," Landrieu said. "When you're dealing with rural America, particularly high speed internet can connect people to economic and educational opportunities miles and even states away, close the rural health gap by increasing access to telemedicine, help farmers engage in precision agriculture, and so, so much more." Read the original article on Business Insider FILE - D'Monterrio Gibson speaks at a news conference in Ridgeland, Miss., Feb. 10, 2022, saying that a white father and son shot at and chased him while he was making deliveries for FedEx in Brookhaven, Miss., the previous month. On Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, Gibson said he received an email from FedEx telling him he had been terminated from his job. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A Black FedEx delivery driver who says two white men shot at and chased him in Mississippi in 2022 has now been fired from his job, he and his attorney said Monday. I honestly feel disrespected, the former driver, DMonterrio Gibson, told The Associated Press shortly after he received an email from FedEx about his termination. Meredith Miller, manager of global network communications for FedEx, confirmed Monday that Mr. Gibson is no longer employed at FedEx, but did not respond to other questions from AP. Last Thursday, a Mississippi judge cited police errors in declaring a mistrial for the father and son charged in the attack. A detective testified about failing to give prosecutors and defense attorneys a copy of a videotaped police interview with Gibson. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Carlos Moore, an attorney who has represented Gibson in a civil lawsuit, provided AP with a copy of an email Gibson received from FedEx on Monday. It said Gibsons employment was terminated July 26, and the company attempted to deliver a letter and documents to him about the termination July 31. FedEx fired Gibson because he did not accept a part-time, non-courier job that the company offered in mid-July, Moore said, adding that he did not know whether the company gave Gibson a deadline to accept. They can't tell me when I should be ready to come back, Gibson said. Gibson, 25, said he has been on worker's compensation leave, at about one-third of his pay, since shortly after he reported the attack to police in Brookhaven, Mississippi, on the night it happened, Jan. 24, 2022. Gibson was not injured in the shooting or chase, but he said Monday that he has been in therapy to deal with anxiety because of it. He said he still has trouble sleeping. Brandon Case and his father, Gregory Case, are charged with attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy and shooting into the vehicle driven by Gibson. Prosecutors said they intend to schedule a new trial for the two men, who remain out on bond. A court official said the judges docket is full through December. The chase and gunfire led to complaints on social media of racism in Brookhaven, about an hours drive south of the state capital, Jackson. The encounter happened as Gibson made FedEx deliveries in a van with the Hertz logo on three sides. After he dropped off a package at a home on a dead-end public road, Gregory Case used a pickup truck to try to block the van from leaving, and Brandon Case came outside with a gun, District Attorney Dee Bates told jurors last week. As Gibson drove the van around the pickup truck, shots were fired, with three rounds hitting the delivery van and some of the packages inside, Bates said. Gregory Case saw a rental van with a Florida license plate outside his mother-in-laws unoccupied home after dark, defense attorney Terrell Stubbs told jurors. The elder Case was just going to ask the van driver what was going on, but the driver did not stop, Stubbs said. On Aug. 10, a federal judge dismissed Gibsons federal lawsuit seeking $5 million from FedEx, writing that the lawsuit failed to prove the company discriminated against him because of his race. That litigation also named the city of Brookhaven, the police chief and the Cases. Moore said he plans to file a new civil suit in state court, seeking $10 million. A grand jury issued a report last month saying that Brookhaven Police Department officers poorly investigate their cases." The grand jury, made up of local residents, considered more than 60 criminal cases., and wrote that the department is complacent, does not complete investigations in a timely manner, shows a lack of professionalism and has a habit of witness blaming." How Black-Owned Digital Spaces Have Opened The Doors For Alternative Black Spirituality | Pexels/cottonbro studios Black cultures spirituality is often rooted in white-washed rhetoric, organized practices and the confinement of four walls. However, just like everything else in the modern world, the internet and social media are changing that. These platforms have provided a space for people to learn or unlearn, all while finding community. The increased access has made the conversations around non-conventional spiritual practices less taboo. Digital spaces have lifted the veils from the previously misunderstood doctrines of Hoodoo, Voodoo, Santeria and other religions from the African diaspora. LaLa Inuti Ahari and Mama Redd both represent how the emergence of these spaces has become essential in helping people navigate their way through life. The two have turned their willingness to share their abilities and knowledge into lucrative businesses. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ahari is the owner of The Conjure. Known worldwide as the Master Manifestor, she has built an eight-figure business utilizing ancestral magic to help others along their journies. Mama Redds lineage as a third-generation Conjure woman and Hoodoo priestess has made her one of the most sought-after spiritual advisors and psychic mediums. Both women have offered their expertise online for over five years. They share the same viewpoint on honesty being the best policy when explaining what they do. I believe transparency is best in anything regarding spirituality, especially one that sways from social norms, Mama Redd told Blavity. She continued, I let people know that everything isnt love and light. This world can get dark. Ahari knows shes not for everyone, so being upfront and walking in her truth has allowed her to create a solid following. I just put it all out there. I dont hide it, Ahari said. Accessibility through an app has allowed digital practitioners to work with people globally. Ahari has customers from every pocket of the world with various backgrounds, including different religions. She notes her limitless reach and creative algorithm mastery as a reason for her success. Coupled with her digital presence, Mama Redd chose to go old school to reach people. She opened her brick-and-mortar storefront, Vibes With Mama Redd, as a nod to what traditional witchcraft meant to her. Growing up, the real root lady always had a place to see her clients, Mama Redd mentioned. Black women lead several social and economic demographics. For Ahari and Mama Redd, Black women also top the list of individuals open to learning more about what may have been their ancestors works. Hoodoo and Voodoo have origins in Africa and Haiti that predate slavery by centuries. Santeria is a derivative of the two with connections to Cuba and other areas of the Caribbean and South America with ties to the African slave trade. These religions origins exist in the survival and livelihood of their practitioners. Protecting these rites and rituals was vital for those who practiced and believed in their power. Although they provide a peek into the religions inner workings using their platforms, the women know there are boundaries between whats sacred and whats open for speculation. Ahari admits she doesnt turn away non-Black customers but understands the apprehension of others. Some black spiritualists do not like sharing their practice with other races due to appropriation, she said. It is hard seeing everything we create get stolen and used against us, with entitlement. She mentioned the growing trend of white TikTok witches becoming famous for copying Black rootworkers. Mama Redd understands nothing is private on the internet, but some things should be preserved for those that truly understand. I tread the line. I teach and educate, but I never overstep what my ancestors and guides allow me to do, she said. Surprisingly, both women havent experienced backlash from others within the Black spiritual community for their openness to share things online. Fellow spiritual workers purchase their products and support their messages. Aharis acclaimed Conjure Candles have been praised as some of the most potent manifestation tools anyone with an open mind can use. Mama Redds ability to communicate with the spiritual realm through psychic readings and channeling has landed her as the counsel for politicians and several celebrities. Due to their widespread appeal, spiritual entrepreneurs are often targets of people on a mission to debunk and discredit anything outside of conventional religion. Mama Redd attributes the attacks and misinformation to people refusing to open up to other perspectives. Some people dont want to be enlightened. They chose to stay sleeping spiritually, she said. Anything out of the norm is up for question. Aharis response boiled down to cultural differences. Unfortunately, mostly anything that relates to African religions or traditions. Our spirituality has always been deemed evil or fraudulent. Despite the critics, social media has become the go-to space for spreading knowledge about non-conventional traditional practices. Mama Redd celebrates the representation that it has provided and awareness of community and support. However, Ahari encourages people to do their research and be careful about who they follow and trust. I dont subscribe to the trendy aspect of it, she stated. Unorthodox concepts of spirituality are not new. While utilizing digital spaces allows us to immerse ourselves visually, these practices are not a fad. Spirituality is not linear, nor is the way people engage with it. Traditional African practices are more than tarot cards and pillar candles. Like many others, its rooted in beliefs and faith, and its evolution into digitalization does not make it any less valid. The consequences of the explosion on the territory of the Ministry of Internal Affairs forensic center in Kyiv on August 19 A blast at Kyivs State Scientific Research Forensic Center on Aug. 19 was caused by an explosive object that was undergoing examination, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) reported on Aug. 21. The incident killed four employees and damaged the facade of the main building, cars and adjacent facilities, the agency said. SBI officers examined the scene, ordered expert examinations, and questioned employees and witnesses. The investigation continues. Read also: 12-year-old girl fighting for her arm after going to central Chernihiv to sell bracelets Criminal proceedings have been initiated for violating the rules of handling explosive, flammable and corrosive substances or radioactive materials that caused the death of people or other serious consequences. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Laura Nelson was living in her car for several months after the Camp Fire. Nelson said she stored her belongings in her car for several months but stayed in hotels or with family or friends. This version has been corrected. - - - Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Many people escaped the deadly Maui wildfires - some in harrowing fashion - but their ordeal may not be over. The harmful effects of wildfire exposure don't disappear once the flames are extinguished, experts said. There is growing research that suggests breathing in the tiny particles from wildfire smoke can produce cognitive deficits, which may appear in as little as six to 12 months or even years later. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Surviving a near-death experience also raises the risk of post-traumatic stress, with such symptoms as depression, sleep disorders, anxiety and survivor's guilt, researchers said. "Of course, the immediate most important thing is to survive," said Marc Weisskopf, professor of environmental epidemiology and physiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who studies the relationship between air pollution and brain health. "But unfortunately, those who do survive also may be vulnerable to both long- and short-term effects on the brain caused by this exposure." Some survivors of wildfires describe their cognitive struggles after escaping the blaze as "fire brain." - - - Living with 'fire brain' Randy Gerhardt, 66, and wife Sandi Knapp Gerhardt, 55, fled the 2018 Camp Fire in California, the deadliest and most destructive in that state's history, and noticed changes in themselves almost immediately. They would have clear mental pictures of an item they would be looking for - a tool, a lawn game - but couldn't recognize the new item they replaced it with. Other times, they would walk into a room and not know why they were there. Gerhardt, a retired salesman for Frito-Lay, had been used to a busy work schedule and just as robust slate of projects and hobbies. After the fire, he couldn't finish tasks, let alone get enough motivation to start them. "I didn't know what the heck was wrong with me," Gerhardt said. "I built seven houses, helped build two churches. Used to work 65-70 hours a week." The couple chalked up their new behavior to stress. "But this was different than just stress," Gerhardt said. "You wonder why you're being so worthless and lazy. I'd have a list and not feel like doing any of it. Even my bills, I'd just let them sit there for a month." Even rebuilding a home in Paradise took Gerhardt an uncharacteristically long two years. "All my friends would ask, 'how is the house coming?' and I just wouldn't work on it," he said. For a period of two years after the fire, Gerhardt and his wife met weekly with five other couples who were living in trailers set up on the property of a tile factory owned by a friend. The group, who dubbed themselves "the forever friends," would talk and exchange information and what they were going through. He thinks it was in that group that someone first mentioned to him the idea of "fire brain." In chats with emergency room doctors since then, he was given further confirmation that what he was experiencing was not only real but also common among some fire survivors. Having his feelings and behaviors named made him feel less broken, he said. "I felt vindicated," he said. "I wasn't crazy. What I was going through was normal, I wasn't weaker." - - - Trauma related to climate change Trauma from surviving natural disasters related to climate change is also different from other one-time events such as a car accident or sexual assault, said Dhakshin Ramanathan, associate professor in residence in psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego. "People see the environment as a refuge, a positive healing thing," he said. "When something you see as positive turns against you, that's a difficult thing for many people to deal with." There is added stress from not being able to predict whether survivors will be exposed again. "Climate will be a sustained stress that will be harder to treat," Ramanathan said. One study conducted after the Camp Fire found that more than 30 percent of those directly exposed had symptoms of post-traumatic stress, "and these symptoms were three times more prevalent than in non-exposed communities on the West Coast," said Jyoti Mishra, lead author and associate professor of psychiatry at the UC-San Diego. "Indirectly exposed individuals, that is, those who lived in the community where the wildfire happened, were also affected by PTSD but to a lesser extent than directly exposed individuals," she said. Laura Nelson, 39, fled the Camp Fire with her cat, dog and bearded lizard hoping to find a quick exit by car. Instead, she was stuck in a massive traffic jam along Paradise's Skyway as the fire raced uphill. "I thought I was going to die in a line of cars for four hours," Nelson recalled. With no close family nearby, she stored her possessions in her car and stayed with friends, family or in hotels for several months before settling in Oregon, where she began experiencing tinnitus, vertigo, intrusive thoughts and nightmares. "In Oregon, part of the mental health effects I was experiencing was isolation, it was being misconceived," said Nelson, whose new community could not understand why she found traffic jams or the smell of smoke triggering. She struggled to reconcile with the reality that her possessions had been destroyed in the fire, often bypassing items at the mall because she believed she still had a particular fork or sweater or belt. Beyond what she described as a kind of brain fog, symptoms of her worsening mental health emerged later, including thoughts of suicide. "I was totally alone," Nelson said. "It became very overwhelming and isolating, and you think of things that you've never thought of before." Doctors prescribed medication, but there was no pill for what she needed. "I didn't have a disease," Nelson said. "I had trauma." There also is guilt, along with increased anxiety and depression, experts said. "Survivors often feel they should have done more to help others, which can be psychologically damaging and guilt-producing - and totally irrational," said Andrea Roberts, senior research scientist in environmental health at the Chan school, who was not involved in the Camp Fire study. "In most cases, there is nothing they could have done." - - - Cognitive deficits after escaping wildfire The Camp Fire study also looked at cognitive functioning within six months to a year after the fire, using the Flanker task, which measures the ability to suppress distractions while focusing on a task. They found a 20 percent deficit among those who had been exposed to wildfires compared with those who had not. "Breathing in particulate matter can lead to inflammatory responses in the body," Mishra said. 'That affects brain processes. How it influences brain processes is still a question." When the researchers looked at brain function underlying specific cognitive functions, they found heightened activity in the left frontal part of the brain that was more pronounced in those exposed to wildfires, she said. "It's overprocessing all the stimuli coming at you," Mishra said. "That's what happens in traumatized brains." These results are consistent with the "common trajectory'' of mental health that follows a traumatic event, said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, professor of public health sciences and director of the environmental health sciences center at the University of California at Davis, who was not part of the Camp Fire study. "Often people go into high gear in the immediate aftermath, where the need to get into survival mode is intense, and all systems are on high alert, and that can last for months," she said. "But at some point, it is too much to sustain, and people crash, often around six months where they may sink into a deep depression." - - - Smoke particles that cause brain inflammation Until recently, scientists focused more on how inhaling tiny smoke particles affected the cardiovascular and respiratory systems than the brain, said Kent Pinkerton, professor of pediatrics at the UC-Davis school of medicine, who studies how vapors, gases, particles and fibers affect respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological functions. Breathing through the nose in stressful conditions is good, he said, because it serves as a filter, and "the particles will deposit in your nose, rather than deep in the lungs." At the same time, though, cells responsible for the sense of smell can carry the particles to the brain and produce inflammation, Pinkerton said. Inflammation - when it becomes chronic - can be dangerous. "Wildfire exposure is so intense that it causes neuroinflammation on a rapidly occurring scale," Weisskopf said. "The initial inflammation is actually a protective response - like when you have a fever or injury - but in some people, it can become chronic. The longer it lasts, the more likely you are to have more long-lasting effects." Also, toxic metals often are "hitchhiking" on these tiny particles, said Ray Dorsey, the professor of neurology at the University of Rochester. "If you look at the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's, you find higher concentrations of these toxic metals: lead, iron from brake pads, platinum from catalytic converters," he said. "They are probably bypassing the blood-brain barrier. The nose may be the front door in exploiting the normal protective mechanisms of the brain." The effects of trauma probably influence future brain disease, experts say. "PTSD is a major risk factor for later dementia, though it is years later, not next year," said Paul E. Schulz, professor of neurology and director of the Neurocognitive Disorders Center at UTHealth Houston. The effects of inhaling wildfire smoke, compounded by trauma, sets up a complicated mystery scientists need to explore further, Mishra said. "There are all these jigsaw puzzle pieces," she said. "The particulates enter the brain system and can cause inflammation. We know this can interact with emotions and cognitive systems in the brain. But in the context of wildfires, we don't know yet how all this comes together." Nelson, the survivor who fled the Camp Fire with her pets, has advice for the people on Maui facing a challenging road ahead. "Take it easy. This is a grief and loss process," she said. "Sometimes you can go through all the phases of grief in one day. Sometimes it takes years." Related Content A terrifying fire struck Maui in 2018. Officials were warned of a repeat. China hoped Fiji would be a template for the Pacific. Its plan backfired. Ahead of Maui visit, Biden's governmental and personal response scrutinized A Bolingbrook police officer who was shot Sunday night during a standoff is expected to recover, Bolingbrook police said Monday. The 24-year-old suspect is in police custody, Bolingbrook police Chief Mike Rompa said. Earlier in the night, at 6:14 p.m., police responded to a complaint of a theft at a business in the 100 block of South Bolingbrook Drive. The alleged offender fled the scene prior to the officers arrival, police said. At approximately 7:48 p.m., police responded again to the same business after a report of shots fired. Police identified and located the suspect at his residence in the 100 block of West Briarcliff Road. When the police officer made contact with him, the suspect fired multiple shots at the officer, striking him twice, then barricaded himself inside the home. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Bolingbrook police said they requested help from the Illinois State Police, who searched the residence where the shooting took place around 1 a.m. As of Monday morning, the officer was receiving treatment at a hospital. State police are investigating and the Will County states attorneys office was processing charges. Bolingbrook police and Illinois State Police representatives did not immediately respond to requests for updated information. A Fulton County superior judge has begun signing off on consent bond orders for those indicted for allegedly interfering with the 2020 election in Georgia. A consent bond order is an agreement on the bond amount between a defendant and the District Attorneys office. Five of the 19 people named in a sweeping indictment targeting alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia entered bond agreements Monday, including former President Donald Trump . Trumps bond was set at $200,000. John Eastman was an attorney for President Donald Trump and was a key architect of the attempt to pressure Vice President Mike Pence into rejecting the official Democratic electors in Georgia in favor of alternate Trump electors. His bond was set at $100,000. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Scott Hall is an Atlanta-area bail bondsman who was allegedly involved in commandeering voting information that was the property of Dominion Voting Systems from Coffee County. Halls bond was set at $10,000. Trump lawyer Kenneth Cheseboro is the alleged architect of the fake electors plot, which aimed to subvert the 2020 Electoral College process. His bond has been set at $100,000. Ray Smith III, an Atlanta-based attorney who represented Trump in litigation aimed at reversing the states 2020 election results, has agreed to a $50,000 bond. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] All five men are accused of violating the Georgia RICO Act. Trump is also facing three charges of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy, one count of filing false documents and two counts of making false statements. Eastman also faces the following charges: solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree (two counts); conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (two counts); conspiracy to commit filing false documents; and filing false documents. Hall also faces the following charges: conspiracy to commit election fraud (two counts); conspiracy to commit computer theft; conspiracy to commit computer trespass; conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; and conspiracy to defraud the state. Chesboro is also charged with six counts of criminal conspiracy. Ray Smith III is also accused of three counts of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy and two counts of false statements. Fulton County District Attorney set this Friday as the deadline for all 19 co-defendants to surrender. According to jail records, neither Eastman nor Hall have surrendered yet. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: A 16-year-old Southeast High School student was arrested Monday after a handgun was found inside his fanny pack, the Manatee County Sheriffs Office. The sheriffs office said in a press release that school administrators told a school resource deputy that a gun had been discovered on campus. School leaders found the gun while searching the student for a vape device around 2 p.m., according to deputies. The deputy secured the gun and the student was detained, according to the press release, which was issued Monday afternoon. The sheriffs office said no threats about shooting or violence were made to anyone at the school. Because the handgun was discovered with the student already in custody, school officials did not implement a shelter-in-place. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The student was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on school property. The Bradenton Herald does not generally name crime suspects who are under the age of 18. Deputies say they are still investigating where the gun came from and why the student brought it to school. Bradley Coopers use of a prosthetic nose for his portrayal of renowned Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein in the forthcoming biopic Maestro has been deemed acceptable by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Following the films first trailer release on 15 August, the 48-year-old actor, who is not of Jewish descent, caused a stir online as he was accused of fuelling antisemitic stereotypes. However, the ADL, the notable Jewish organisation fighting against all forms of antisemitism and bias, has come out in defence of Cooper. Throughout history, Jews were often portrayed in antisemitic films and propaganda as evil caricatures with large, hooked noses, the ADL said in a statement to Variety. This film, which is a biopic on the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein, is not that. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The organisations message of support comes shortly after Bernsteins three children, Jamie, Alexander and Nina, also released a joint statement defending the Silver Linings Playbook actor last week. Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father, they began. We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our fathers music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration. Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein (Jason McDonald/Netflix) It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts, they continued. It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose. Bradley chose to use make-up to amplify his resemblance, and were perfectly fine with that. Were also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well. Any strident complaints around this issue strike us above all as disingenuous attempts to bring a successful person down a notch a practice we observed all too often perpetrated on our own father. They added: At all times during the making of this film, we could feel the profound respect and yes, the love that Bradley brought to his portrait of Leonard Bernstein and his wife, our mother Felicia. We feel so fortunate to have had this experience with Bradley, and we cant wait for the world to see his creation. Co-produced by Hollywood heavyweights Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Maestro is described as a love letter to life and art and depicts the decades-long relationship between Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). In the teaser, Cooper looks aged as he portrays the composer at different moments of his life. Bernstein died aged 72 in 1990. Former EastEnders actor Tracy-Ann Oberman, who is from a Jewish background, compared Cooper appearing to have a prosthetic nose as similar to the use of blackface makeup. She told her Instagram followers: Cillian (Murphy) could play Oppenheimer because he looks like Oppenheimer and could get the power of the mans story and Jewishness through the power of his acting, ditto Tom Conti as Einstein didnt have to wear a nose. If Bradley Cooper cant do it through the power or acting alone then dont cast him get a Jewish actor. Coopers representatives did not respond to The Independents request for comment. Actor and producer Jake Gyllenhaal, who is of Jewish heritage, previously spoke of his disappointment upon losing a bid for the rights to a Bernstein film to Cooper, admitting he had been yearning to play one of the most preeminent Jewish artists in America for almost two decades. Maestro will be in select UK cinemas on 24 November and on Netflix from 20 December. An attendant is stands next to South African, Indian, Russian, Brazilian and Chinese flags during a plenary session of BRICS Summit, in Xiamen By Joe Bavier JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - An expansion of the BRICS bloc under consideration at a summit this week has attracted a motley crew of potential candidates - from Iran to Argentina - with one thing in common: a desire to level a global playing field many consider rigged against them. The list of grievances is long. Abusive trade practices. Punishing sanctions regimes. Perceived neglect of the development needs of poorer nations. The wealthy West's domination of international bodies, such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. Amid widespread dissatisfaction with the prevailing world order, the pledge of BRICS nations - currently Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - to make the grouping a leading champion of the "Global South" has, despite a dearth of concrete results, found resonance. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Over 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, say officials from South Africa, which is hosting the Aug. 22-24 summit. Of them, nearly two dozen have formally asked to be admitted. "The objective necessity for a grouping like BRICS has never been larger," said Rob Davies, South Africa's former trade minister, who helped usher his country into the bloc in 2010. "The multilateral bodies are not places where we can go and have an equitable, inclusive outcome." Observers, however, point to an underwhelming track record they say does not bode well for BRICS's prospects of delivering on the lofty hopes of prospective members. Though home to some 40% of the world's population and a quarter of global GDP, the bloc's ambitions of becoming a global political and economic player have long been thwarted by internal divisions and a lack of coherent vision. Its once booming economies, notably heavyweight China, are slowing. Founding member, Russia, is facing isolation over the Ukraine war. President Vladimir Putin, wanted under an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, will not travel to Johannesburg and only join virtually. "They may have over-inflated expectations of what BRICS membership will actually deliver in practice," said Steven Gruzd from the South African Institute of International Affairs. DEVELOPING WORLD DISCONTENT While BRICS has not divulged a full list of expansion candidates, a number of governments have publicly stated their interest. Iran and Venezuela, punished and ostracised by sanctions, are seeking to reduce their isolation and hope the bloc can offer relief to their crippled economies. "Other integration frameworks existing on a global level are blinded by the hegemonic vision pushed by the U.S. government," Ramon Lobo, the former finance minister and central bank governor of Venezuela, told Reuters. Gulf states Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates see BRICS as a vehicle for a more prominent role within global bodies, analysts say. African candidates Ethiopia and Nigeria are drawn by the bloc's commitment to reforms at the United Nations that would give the continent a more powerful voice. Others want changes at the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund and World Bank. "Argentina has insistently called for a reconfiguration of the international financial architecture," an Argentine government official involved in the negotiations to join BRICS told Reuters. 'MUCH TALK, LESS ACTION' BRICS public positions already reflect many of these concerns. And as it seeks to become a counterweight to the West, amid China's tensions with the United States and the fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, growing its membership could lend the bloc and its global reform message more clout. In the run-up to the summit, however, the grouping's shortcomings are in the spotlight. While BRICS leaders at the summit are expected to discuss a framework for admitting new members with China and Russia keen to forge ahead with expansion, others, notably Brazil, are worried about rushing the process. The tangible benefits to joining, meanwhile, are waning. The bloc's most concrete achievement, the New Development Bank, or "BRICS bank", has seen its already sluggish pace of lending further hobbled by sanctions against founding member Russia. Small countries hoping for an economic boost from BRICS membership might look to South Africa's experience. Its BRICS trade has indeed increased steadily since it joined, according to an analysis by the country's Industrial Development Corporation. But that growth is largely down to imports from China, and the bloc still accounts for just a fifth of South Africa's total two-way trade. Brazil and Russia together absorb a mere 0.6% of its exports and by last year, South Africa's trade deficit with its BRICS partners had ballooned four-fold to $14.9 billion compared to 2010. Such outcomes should give candidate nations pause, Gruzd said. "Concrete achievements for BRICS are difficult to find. Lots of talk. Much less action." (Additional reporting by Lucinda Elliott in Montevideo, Deisy Buitrago in Caracas, Yousef Saba in Dubai, Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa, Lamine Chikhi in Algiers and Ahmed Eljechtimi in Rabat; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) Broward County Public Schools on Monday kicked off the 2023-2024 academic year with the day going smoothly and facing no major hiccups. I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the people, Broward Schools Superintendent Peter Licata said at a news conference Monday afternoon. Im still beaming. Just excited and happy. Licata who spent the past 29 years with Palm Beach County Schools and this summer was chosen to be Browards new superintendent kicked off the school year by visiting many schools through the day and meeting with teachers and students, as well as having Mexican pizza lunch with students. The school district on Monday also detailed some of the adjustments heading into this school year, including recapping the latest enrollment figures. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The district is down 2,827 students from last year, and enrollment now is at 202,916. With a broadened voucher program in Florida, some educators had been concerned that students would leave public schools, choosing private schools instead. (This year, the number of Florida students awarded school vouchers reportedly jumped by more than 117,500.) Whether enrollment will rise significantly more in charter schools remains to be seen: The enrollment at Browards charter schools is 48,984, which is an increase of 44 from last years first day of school count. The teacher shortage at district schools is less than 1%, at about 145 teachers. There is a shortage of 792 teacher assistants. The district still needs to hire 37 campus monitors. Schools stayed busy Monday. At one of Licatas middle school stops in Davie, he said got some of his hardest questions from the kids themselves. The topic: School safety. School Board member Lori Alhadeff ensured the public that classroom doors remained locked for safety, and campuses had a single point of entry with a camera and buzzing in system. Just after 7 a.m., Licata made his first stop of the day at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, rolling up in an electric bus. He started his walk-through shaking hands with students and staff, and wishing them a good year and good luck. He also met with food service workers dishing out free breakfast. Bus drivers also were in short supply, but Licata said it didnt affect the routes Monday. There is a shortage of 80 drivers. The district used pinch-hitter drivers to make up the immediate shortfall, but said there were no lost routes. There are about 800 drivers and 800 routes. With Broward students now back to school, all the public school districts in the tri-county area have kicked off the academic year: Palm Beach County schools started Aug. 10, and Miami-Dade began Aug. 17. Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash A provision in a new state law barring most North Carolina governments from requiring inspections of the plywood and nails that hold a homes frame together could leave many vulnerable to high winds, building safety experts are warning. House Bill 488, which was approved mostly by Republican lawmakers last week over Gov. Roy Coopers veto, received attention previously for pausing an effort to overhaul North Carolinas energy efficiency building code. It also updates North Carolinas code to require that homes built in largely coastal areas where engineers estimate wind speeds could reach 140 mph undergo a sheathing inspection while preventing local governments in all other areas of the state from requiring it. North Carolinas existing building code did not require sheathing inspections anywhere in the state, but does say builders are responsible for all elements of a structure being up to code even if they are not visible when mandatory inspections occur. A sheathing inspection typically involves looking at the 4x8 pieces of plywood that are nailed to the frame and studs, tying the frame together so the structure can withstand storms or earthquakes. Inspectors pay particularly close attention to the patterns of nails, which play a major role in determining how much wind speed the structure can withstand. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Several building safety experts told The News & Observer that adequate sheathing installation is a vital part of a homes structure. Inspecting what materials are used and how the wood is nailed to the frame, they said, is an important step in building safety. Failing to inspect sheathing in most of the state makes North Carolina homes away from the coast less resilient and less safe, Roy Wright, the president and CEO of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, told The News & Observer. Wright compared sheathing to the brakes on a car, with both serving vital safety roles. But brakes are inspected when they come off the assembly line, Wright said, while North Carolina home builders are trying to avoid sheathing inspections. I dont want to be cynical. But if its actually going on, why cant it be inspected and assured? Wright said. The N.C. Home Builders Association opposed requiring inspections beyond coastal counties. Cliff Isaac, the associations director of codes and construction, told The News & Observer that builders across the state are almost all going above what the code requires. Most builders use 7/16-inch oriented strand board as sheathing, he wrote in an email thicker than the codes 6/16-inch requirement. And theyre nailing all of that sheathing into place using a pattern thats typically required for bracing walls that are built to withstand high winds, Isaac wrote. Builders have also argued that waiting for the sheathing inspection slows progress by preventing them from putting housewrap around the frame, leaving it exposed to the elements until an inspection can be conducted. Due to those concerns, the N.C. Building Code Council pared back efforts at increasing inspections as it worked on a residential building code rewrite in recent months. House Bill 488 was introduced even as the council moved toward completion of that rewrite. It passed the General Assembly with bipartisan support before being vetoed by Cooper, who said it would cost homeowners money in the long run. The General Assembly overrode Coopers veto on Wednesday, making the bill law. Whats happened in North Carolina now sets a very bad example and its not doing the citizens of the state any justice at all, Steve Jones, an International Code Council government relations official, told The News & Observer. Codes should not be politicized, they should not be regulated through the legislative process. Those that are in the know are the ones that should be helping to develop codes. Why sheathing is important Sheathing is a key structural component, David Prevatt, a University of Florida structural engineer, told The News & Observer. When winds are blowing against a structure, sheathing and the nails holding it in place are what prevents a wall from buckling. The sheathing and the nails nailed to the wall studs are the only structure that prevents changing that wall shape from a big old rectangle into a parallelogram. If you dont have sheathing or if the sheathing is inadequate, thats the force thats actually going to catastrophically fail your building, Prevatt said. Limiting areas to the places with the most potential for high wind speeds is also alarming, Prevatt said. Why should we as humans set an arbitrary line that says, At this point, I declare the hurricane will stop blowing at 140 mph. We can do that. We have done that. But it makes no difference to the hurricane. And therefore it will make no difference to your familys home when it experiences 140 mph winds, Prevatt said. The sheathing provision in the new law means that most home buyers wont know for sure what wind speed or seismic activity their homes can withstand, warned Rob Zapple, a Building Code Council member and home builder who is also a New Hanover County commissioner. Well look at the year 2023 and everything going forward, you wont know unless youre on the coast or unless youve got a builder who you talk to if you know enough as a homeowner to ask specifically these questions, Zapple said. Homes built today are likely to stand for at least 50 years, Prevatt added, and need to be able to withstand hurricanes fueled by a warmer Atlantic Ocean that could last longer, gain power as they near the coast and bring higher winds. Those houses that we design to this standard today in 2023 may experience higher wind speeds in 2053 or 2063 and they will fail catastrophically because the sheathing may not be of sufficient capacity, he said. The Home and Building Safety Institutes Wright questioned whether House Bill 488 means North Carolinas codes will disregard updated building science in future efforts. Is this just indicative of further erosion that North Carolinians should expect? For a state that is clearly succeeding at attracting business and all kinds of economic drivers back into this state, it seems ironic that were inviting them into a state thats not going to be able to withstand what Mother Nature brings our way, Wright said. Attempts at new sheathing inspections At least two other states in the Southeast require sheathing inspections, while a third recommends it. South Carolina and Virginia mandate the inspection, and Georgia recommends that builders have one done. It is an example, Jones said, of inspectors serving as consumers last line of defense. You can have the best sheathing in the world but it loses its effectiveness if you dont attach it properly, and the only way to know its attached properly is to do a sheathing inspection, Jones said. Isaac of the Home Builders Association said that even if framing inspectors arent conducting a sheathing-specific inspection, they can raise concerns about the materials or nailing patterns that they might see. Inspectors when they visually see any elements that are noncompliant, that do not meet code, can require the permit holder to make those necessary corrections and reinspect, Isaac wrote. But sheathing is frequently covered with housewrap and thus not visible by the time the framing inspection takes place. Zapple, the building code member, said he intentionally leaves the housewrap off when calling for a framing inspection so the inspector can look at the sheathing installation. Its a good practice that does not take much and acts as an insurance policy for the homeowner who wouldnt know if their sheathing was attached properly or not, Zapple said. I dont think its burdensome and just think its a really good building practice thats being thrown out because its considered a pain in the neck. The N.C. Department of Insurance supports sheathing inspections in wind zones of 140 mph or higher, spokesman Jason Tyson told The News & Observer, but would prefer to also see them also mandated in 130 mph areas. As anyone truly interested in safety and building longevity and resiliency would state, not mandating the elimination of any inspection that ties directly to the structural integrity of a home would be a better result, Tyson said in an email. This story was produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and the 1Earth Fund, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Tim Hetherington never thought he'd be the intended target of a shooting. Yet that's where the 43-year-old found himself last week in Wilmington, as he was on his way from work on the southeast side of the city. Hetherington, who gave Delaware Online/The News Journal permission to use his name, said his Tuesday afternoon began like most others. He was headed to a physical therapy office near Little Italy a little after 2:30 p.m. when he encountered several four-wheeled, ATV-type vehicles and a dirt bike. Working in the city, hes seen them before. They can be bothersome, he said, but he didnt initially think much. Wilmington police investigate a shooting that occurred Tuesday afternoon in the 2900 block of Lancaster Avenue. The victim drove to Cab Calloway School of the Arts, where she received first aid and was taken to the hospital. As he made his way through Wilmington, however, he ended up between the dirt bike and an ATV, and a second four-wheeler that was behind him. This, he said, angered the man on the dirt bike. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He kicked my truck, gave the finger and told me to frickin back off or whatever, Hetherington said. I gave him the finger back, like leave me the hell alone. But if Hetherington thought that would be the end of the incident, he was wrong. As he continued on, trying to ignore the group, he came to a red light near Lancaster Avenue. The man on the dirt bike, he said, began banging on the passenger door. Hetherington thought about running the red light to avoid the group but decided things were still under control. As Hetherington made a left turn, however, he said the men tried to get him to veer off the road. He sped up, trying to get away. The four-wheelers caught up, he said, and he slowed down in hopes theyd zoom by. INITIAL STORY: Lancaster Avenue shooting in Wilmington ends with victim at city arts school When they didnt pass him, Hetherington said he floored it. Kind of all scared at that point, he said he knew he had to get away. Then he heard the gunshots. I instantly slammed on my brakes and went into panic mode, Hetherington said. I called the police and turned around to try to see where they were going. Tim Hetherington's truck was shot in Wilmington by men on dirt bikes and ATVs, he said. As he gave a dispatcher directions to where the group sped off to, Hetherington said he didnt see a stop sign and drove through an intersection, colliding with a state transportation vehicle. While he waited for police to arrive, Hetherington noticed that though he was uninjured, his truck had been struck with a single bullet. He would later learn, however, that an innocent woman driving on Lancaster Avenue hadnt been so lucky. I might not be here The 47-year-old woman, who was in a blue, four-door sedan with her dog, was also driving in the 2900 block of Lancaster Ave. outside Paradise Nails Bar when the shots rang out. At least one bullet entered her vehicle, hitting her in the arm, witnesses told Delaware Online/The News Journal last week. She quickly turned a corner about a block away and pulled up outside Cab Calloway School of the Arts, which shares a building with Charter School of Wilmington. Though school isnt yet back in session, students and staff were there that day. Several people, who huddled in a small group outside the school Tuesday afternoon discussing the incident, said the woman jumped out of the car and they sprang into action. As they waited for paramedics to arrive, several women began first aid on the driver, who was bleeding in the street. One witness said a tourniquet was applied. When EMS arrived, medics boarded her into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital. Wilmington police investigate a shooting that occurred Tuesday afternoon in the 2900 block of Lancaster Avenue. The victim drove to Cab Calloway School of the Arts, where she received first aid and was taken to the hospital. Hours after the shooting, police said the woman was listed as stable. The department has not provided an update as to her condition. Just before 3:10 p.m. about 25 minutes after the incident a lone Wilmington officer arrived outside the school and parked behind the womans car. He later took custody of her dog. Meanwhile, back outside Paradise Nails, police worked to photograph and collect shell casings that had landed on the sidewalk and in the street. Hetherington, who was being evaluated at the scene of the crash, said he also found a shell casing in his truck. It went into his tailgate, through the cab and exited near the passenger-side seatbelt. Seeing where it was, and thinking if my kids were in that car, or if he aimed a little bit to the left, I might not be here, he said. Its sinking in kind of hard. ATVs, dirt bikes out of control Across New Castle County, dirt bikes and ATVs are notorious for causing problems both for residents and police. On any given day, a search of the Nextdoor app will yield complaints from residents about the off-road vehicles clogging traffic or wreaking havoc by swerving between cars or doing wheelies. For police, the vehicles are a headache because of their speed and design, as drivers can escape quickly if an officer tries to stop them. A number of local departments, including Wilmington, also have policies prohibiting chases except under very specific circumstances, thus hindering their ability to pursue them. This is largely for traffic and pedestrian safety reasons. But Hetherington said Tuesdays shooting proves dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles are out of control in the city. If they wanted to attack me, I get it, he said. But now some innocent person, who apparently was picking up her dog from a dog groomer or a doggy daycare and minding her own business, is hurt. Wilmington police investigate a shooting that occurred Tuesday afternoon in the 2900 block of Lancaster Avenue. The victim drove to Cab Calloway School of the Arts, where she received first aid and was taken to the hospital. Hetherington added that he was glad the woman wasnt injured more than she was, and it was fortunate there were no kids in his car or hers. But still, this poor person was probably enjoying her day, he said. While hes not holding his breath that there will be immediate change when it comes to how police deal with nuisance and sometimes dangerous off-road vehicles, Hetherington does hope the city and county can come up with some action plan moving forward. Officials, he said, need to do something beyond Wilmington Police Department's periodic Twitter reminders about the city laws "addressing illegal dirt bike, ATV riding." Maybe they can put officers on ATVs in the city, then its ATV against ATV, Hetherington said. Because its only getting worse. Got a story tip or idea? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington ATV run-in leads to 'innocent' woman shot while driving A Bakersfield dentist pleaded guilty Monday to stealing half a million dollars in COVID-19 relief money meant to help struggling small businesses, federal prosecutors said. The dentist, Ranjan Rajbanshi, had dental practices in Bakersfield and Santa Barbara and received more than $850,000 in relief money between April 2020 and February 2022, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced in a news release. The 46-year-old used $500,000 from the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for personal expenditures, like investments, prosecutors said. He told authorities he would use the money strictly for business purposes such as facility costs, payroll and protective equipment for him and his staff, prosecutors said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He agreed to pay back the money before he will be sentenced, the news release said. Rajbanshi was scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on Dec. 4. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and fine of $250,000. SACRAMENTO Under a 100-degree California sun, a crowd of around 120 people, including lawmakers and community members, gathered on August 16 for the 4th Annual California Indian Cultural Awareness Event, which celebrates the states Native American people with performers, leaders and tribal members. The colorful evening event, hosted and sponsored by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), was held Monday in Capitol Park, which surrounds the California State Capitol. Northern, Central, and Southern California Native Americans shared their history through stories and traditional songs. The Shingle Springs Traditional Dancers, announced by Chairwoman Regina Cuellar, also performed. A full stream of the event is here. Ramos, who represents Californias 45th Assembly district which includes Fontana, Highland, Mentone, Redlands, Rialto and San Bernardino is the first and only California Native American serving in the states legislature. He chairs the Assembly Committees on Rules. Ramos said the event was created to boost awareness of their communities. Its built to bring the knowledge of Californias first people through song, music and history to the legislature, but also the community as a whole, Ramos said during his opening remarks. Upon coming into the state legislature, through the assembly, it was evident that education still needs to take place from within the halls of the legislature about who we truly are as California Indian peopleabout our songs and our history. Throughout the evening, Yurok Tribe Chairman Joe James and Council Member of the Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation Dr. Stanley Rodriguez (who delivered a Kumeyaay cultural presentation), offered up both history and captivating personal stories of their people, including the still-fresh wounds brought on by Indian Boarding Schools. Raven Casas, a San Manuel Youth Committee member, returned for the second year as a presenter. She discussed her efforts to bring more awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. Over the past four years, she said shes testified at hearings, stood with tribal leaders from across our state, worked with our local coroners office and organized a 5K walk a run. During his closing remarks at 7 p.m., Ramos, a lifelong resident of the San Manuel Indian Reservation and member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, offered up some of his ongoing concerns and hopes for the near future. What youve heard from each speaker, and the songs being sung, isnt just something thats here because of today. This is stuff thats ingrained in us, Ramos said. When we talk about Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and Indigenous persons, its not something new to our people. Its been happening, happening during the colonization period, and it still goes on today. California now sits as the fifth of unsolved and uninvestigated murders against Native American people. Another area Ramos said needs immediate attention is the states education system. He noted past Native events, ones with devastating consequences, are being glossed over or flat-out disregarded. Much of the history youve heard today doesnt reach the history books in our local regions, he said. Youve heard from the speakers about relocationrelocation from their ancestral territory to another place. We need to get to a point where California is open to hearing about the true history and, many times, the dark history that needs to be told in our classrooms (and to) our local people. In San Bernardino, weve been running a program at Cal State San Bernardino for over 20 years and still, to this day, there are people that dont even acknowledge or believe that a 32-day battle took place in the San Bernardino Mountains in 1866to rid the mountains of Indian People, he added. Thats when our clan, the Yuhaaviatam clan, dwindled down to less than 30 membersalmost wiped off the earth. Yet, thats not being taught. As a matter of fact, it gets challenged whether its true and valid. These are issues we need to work on together as a caucus and as people in the state of California, to bring the true history forward and break down misconceptions. Today, there are some positive things in motion happening in California. A statue of colonizer John Sutter was removed in June 2020. Squaw Road is being renamed since Sqauw is a slur against Native women, created by colonizers. Beyond that, three local schools are also ditching the names of colonizers as their namesakes. But the work is far from over, according to Ramos. He said happenings like the California Indian Cultural Awareness Event serve as a reminder that progress is still needed. Youve seen the different dancers and cultures being shared here today, he said at the event. Yet a lot of people within the education system try to paint all Indian people into one idea of what we should look like, what we should sing, and what we should say. But what youve seen here today (proves the diversity). The message is clear: its not about history. Were still here sharing our culture, sharing who we are, and teaching our young people to be that voice moving forward. Its time for the state of California, and the Native American Legislative Caucus, to continue to move pieces of legislation forward. Marine installations in Southern California canceled some training operations over the weekend in anticipation of a tropical storm, with one base in the desert pausing a large training exercise. The Marine Corps halted Service Level Training Exercise 5-23 at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms on Friday because of the potential for extensive impacts from what was then called Hurricane Hilary, according to a Marine Corps news release. Later downgraded to a tropical storm and then a post-tropical cyclone, Hilary dropped more than half an average years worth of rain on some areas, including Palm Springs, California, which saw more than 3 inches of rain by Sunday evening. It was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California since 1939, when a storm killed nearly 100 people. Sunday was the wettest day on record in San Diego, with 1.82 inches of rain, the National Weather Service said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Heres how the Marine Corps plans to overhaul its 25 installations We are still assessing the extent of the damage on our base infrastructure, Twentynine Palms, California, base spokesman 1st Lt. Johnathon Huizar told Marine Corps Times on Monday. So far, we are seeing leaking roofs and isolated power outages to only small parts of the base. The bases public works division will first focus on restoring power and clearing roads, and then will turn to fixing building damage and addressing weaknesses in systems that the storm exposed, Huizar said. The division also will inspect all buildings for leaks and other damage and address any mold. The base at Twentynine Palms, California, which is located in the desert near Joshua Tree National Park, also closed gyms, the Marine Corps Exchange and the commissary early afternoon Sunday, according to the bases website. Marines will move into the next phase of the exercise once base officials assess the training areas, Huizar said. At Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, one of the two Marine boot camps, Outdoor training activities were temporarily suspended, and no injuries were reported during the storm, Capt. Bridget Glynn, a spokeswoman for the base, told Marine Corps Times via email. Training resumed as scheduled Monday, Glynn said. But training has not stopped at Camp Pendleton, California, located approximately 38 miles from downtown San Diego, 2nd Lt. Jorin Hollenbeak, a spokesman for the base, told Marine Corps Times via email Monday. At Marine installations in the region, nonessential personnel were told to show up to work no earlier than 9 a.m. Monday, according to the Camp Pendleton, California, website. The point of the delay was to mitigate traffic and assess the safety of our roads and facilities, Hollenbeak said. Our regional teams of first responders and range/facilities maintenance worked quickly over the last 24-hours to ensure there were minimal impacts to our installations, Hollenbeak added. At Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, located in San Diego, Marines secured aircraft and equipment within hangars or through anchorage before the storms onset, Capt. Michael Scaccia, a spokesman for the installation, told Marine Corps Times via email on Monday. On Friday, the air station implemented precautionary measures, such as securing facilities and minimizing on-base traffic, Scaccia said. Flight operations and other regular installation operations were scheduled to resume as usual Monday, Scaccia said. The Navy took its own precautions in anticipation of the storm. Several ships sailed to sea from Southern California on Saturday to avoid the storm that was bearing down toward the area, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The Defense Health Agency on Monday announced it would allow TRICARE beneficiaries in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties to get emergency refills of their prescriptions through Friday. While fierce storms are a rarity in Southern California, Marine bases on the East Coast are no stranger to them. In September 2018, Hurricane Florence struck Marine installations in North Carolina, including the large base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville. At Lejeune and nearby Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, 388 buildings sustained roof damage and 319 experienced interior damage, Marine Corps Times previously reported. The Marine Corps said in February it would prioritize making its bases more resilient in the face of destructive weather events, which scientists say have become more frequent because of climate change. The Corps is exploring 3D-printing construction materials so that bases can bounce back quickly if infrastructure gets damaged, according to the Installations and Logistics 2030 planning document. The Associated Press contributed reporting. To the outrage of national Republicans, the California GOP is trying to broaden its appeal by removing language opposing abortion and critical of same-sex marriage from its platform. In the blue state, Republicans have indicated they intend to broaden their tent ahead of the partys convention, where the 2024 candidates are expected to speak. By bringing the states conservatives into alignment on key social issues with the majority of Americans, including the majority of people in the state with the largest population, they intend to make their party more appealing. In late July, the California GOP committee adopted a proposal emphasizing traditional family values and a strong and healthy family unit. However, the committee removed a phrase that said, It is important to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, the Los Angeles Times reports. At 71 percent, Americans hold a record-high favorable opinion of marriage equality, according to recent Gallup data. That record was set in 2022 and remained as high in 2023. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In July, with a unanimous bipartisan vote of 31-0, the California Senate passed a measure allowing for a public vote on a constitutional amendment to protect marriage equality within the state. It would enshrine same-sex and interracial marriages as protected rights. Further, the proposal eliminates opposition to a federally shielded right to abortion but preserves the partys backing of adoption as an alternative to abortion. As was seen in the aftermath of the Dobbs opinion in which the U.S. Supreme Courts conservative justices overturned Roe vs. Wade, a significant majority of Californians (as was the case in other states, including red states that attempted to ban abortion) opposed stripping a pregnant persons right to bodily autonomy and they voted to protect access to abortion in the state constitution. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, more than three in four Californians oppose overturning federal abortion protections, including 59 percent of Republicans. Former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and other presidential candidates are expected to attend the partys fall convention, where the draft platform will be voted on. Last year, the Texas Republican Party explicitly banished LGBTQ+ people from its ranks. It adopted language calling homosexuality an abnormal lifestyle choice and rejecting all efforts to validate transgender identity. The Log Cabin Republicans, a group of conservative gay people, decried the move after the group was excluded from the state convention. Despite the marked progress in the U.S. generally, when it comes to the normalization of LGBTQ+ existences in American society, in recent years, and particularly as the country shifts into the next election cycle, far-right extremists have demonized the LGBTQ+ community, singling out transgender Americans as targets by spreading misinformation about gender-affirming care and conspiracy theories claiming that liberals were trying to make children trans in schools. The California Republican convention will be held in September in Anaheim. Laura Carleton was a founding member of the Mountain Provisions Cooperative. Mountain Provisions Cooperative on Facebook. A woman was shot and killed outside her store on Friday, the San Bernardino county sheriff said. Police said the suspect made "disparaging remarks" about the Pride flag hanging outside the store. The "Today" show reported that authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime. A California clothing store owner was shot and killed after a man made "disparaging remarks" about a Pride flag hanging outside her store, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. Mag Pi clothing store owner Laura Carleton, 66, was pronounced dead at the scene after being shot, officials said. The Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station responded to reports of someone shot at the store in Cedar Glen, California, on Friday at 5 p.m. local time, the statement said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The unidentified suspect then ran away from the scene with a handgun, officials said. He died after a "lethal force encounter" with deputies, the sheriff's office said. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said that upon further investigation, they learned that the suspect "made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton." The incident is now being investigated as a hate crime, the "Today" show reported. San Bernardino officials didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment and confirmation. Carleton has been hanging a Pride flag in front of her store since 2021, the Washington Post reported, citing friends. They added that whenever someone would take the flag down in protest, she'd hang another in its place. She didn't identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, "but spent her time helping & advocating for everyone in the community," the advocacy group Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ wrote on Instagram. The group has been re-posting Instagram stories of people flying Pride flags in Carleton's honor. Mountain Provisions Cooperative wrote on Facebook that Carleton was "a pillar in our community, an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice" and added that she "nurtured and protected those she cared about." The co-op wrote that Carleton helped them to open a Free Store that provided free food and supplies for four months for people in the community following a massive blizzard in the San Bernardino Mountains in February. "She was a force, she loved to crack jokes and wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible," Mountain Provisions Cooperative wrote. "We will continue to stand for the values she so selflessly stood for. Her death will not be in vain." Read the original article on Insider Musician Camela Leierth-Segura hadnt been seen for almost six weeks before a missing persons report was filed, according to police. The 48-year-old Swedish native, who co-wrote the hit Katy Perry song Walking on Air, was last seen in the Beverly Hills area back on 29 June, according to the California Department of Justices missing persons page. Her friends last heard from her on 30 June. Now, seven weeks on from when she was last seen, the talented musician, her car and her 19-year-old pet cat Morris are still missing with friends and her family back in Sweden growing increasingly concerned for her safety. Beverly Hills Police have reassured the public that a thorough investigation is underway into her disappearance but revealed that a missing persons report was not filed until 8 August almost six weeks after she was last seen. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The timing is especially crucial considering, the date she is stated to have gone missing compared to when it was reported to the police, police said in a statement. Cecilia Foss, a longtime friend of Ms Leierth-Segura, told The Independent earlier this week that she fears someone has abducted the missing woman and is holding her somewhere. Key points PICTURED: Camela Leierth-Segura Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills Do I think something bad happened? Yeah Sister pleads for help in GoFundMe fundraiser Sister living in Sweden raises alarm Sunday 20 August 2023 16:00 , Rachel Sharp The alarm was raised for the missing woman when her sister, who lives in Sweden, had been unable to get in touch with her for several weeks. Concerned, she contacted some of her siblings friends in the US to ask for their help in finding her. Friend Liz Montgomery told ABC7 that she filed a missing persons report to try to find her as fears continue to grow that something may have happened to her. In an Instagram post, Ms Montgomery also urged for help in tracking down the missing woman. This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend. People are asking so, YES! PLEASE SHARE - HELP NEEDED! My dear friend of over 25 years is missing. LAST SEEN IN BEVERLY HILLS ON JUNE 29,2023, she wrote. Missing following eviction Sunday 20 August 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp Ms Leierth-Seguras friends told ABC7 that they last heard from her the following day on 30 June and that her car a 2010 silver Ford Fusion was seen in the middle of the night that night. Six weeks later, there are still no signs of the talented musician or the Ford Fusion she was driving. Ms Leierth-Seguras 19-year-old pet cat Morris is also missing. The 48-year-old model and musician had been evicted from her apartment sometime before her sudden disappearance because she had been unable to pay the rent, according to friends. It is not clear when exactly she was evicted or where she was staying afterwards. Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills Sunday 20 August 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp A musician who co-wrote the hit Katy Perry song Walking on Air has mysteriously vanished from Beverly Hills, sparking growing fears for her safety. Swedish-born Camela Leierth-Segura, 48, was last seen in the Beverly Hills area back on 29 June, according to the California Department of Justices missing persons page. Read more: Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills I think its hard for them to even comprehend that she is missing' Sunday 20 August 2023 11:00 , Andrea Cavallier Ms Montgomery filed a missing persons report with the Beverly Hills Police and has been in close contact with her family in Sweden. They are devastated and overwhelmed, said Ms Foss, who is in contact with Montgomery every day. With Camela here and her family in Sweden, its hard. I think its hard for them to even comprehend that she is missing. Ms Foss said her friend has had issues in the past with her landlord about rent. But added that she knew many people she could have asked to stay with before ever thinking of going off the grid or living in her car. Friends working closely with police Sunday 20 August 2023 10:00 , Andrea Cavallier The friends are working closely with police and Ms Leierth-Seguras family in their effort to find her. In an Instagram post, Ms Montgomery urged for help from the public. We are extremely worried about her safety, and despite our best efforts, the local authorities have not been able to locate her, Montgomery wrote. She means the world to us and time is of the essence. Her family in Sweden is pleading for your assistance. A GoFundMe has been created by her sister Lisa and loved ones are hoping money will help bring in information to find her. Met while working in the modelling industry in New York City Sunday 20 August 2023 08:00 , Andrea Cavallier Ms Foss and Ms Leierth-Segura met while working in the modelling industry in New York City. They found common ground being from Scandinavian countries, Ms Foss from Norway and Ms Leierth-Segura from Sweden. Both have kept busy lives, but always manage to catch up every few weeks or months over tea. Ms Leierth-Segura has a passion for writing music and treats her cat Morris as her child, her friend said. I think its hard for them to even comprehend that she is missing' Sunday 20 August 2023 06:00 , Andrea Cavallier Ms Montgomery filed a missing persons report with the Beverly Hills Police and has been in close contact with her family in Sweden. They are devastated and overwhelmed, said Ms Foss, who is in contact with Montgomery every day. With Camela here and her family in Sweden, its hard. I think its hard for them to even comprehend that she is missing. Ms Foss said her friend has had issues in the past with her landlord about rent. But added that she knew many people she could have asked to stay with before ever thinking of going off the grid or living in her car. Last text message sent on 29 June Sunday 20 August 2023 04:00 , Andrea Cavallier Neighbours told local news they hadnt seen her in weeks. The usually well-tended plants on her balcony had died. There was no sign of her cat or her 2010 Ford Fusion with California plate 6KZJ725. It is not clear when exactly she was evicted or where she was staying afterwards. Ms Leierth-Seguras last text message was sent on 29 June, and her Ford Fusion car was last seen on police cameras leaving Beverly Hills the following afternoon, 30 June. But its not clear who was driving the vehicle, which has not been seen since. She had mentioned it to all of us that she was having trouble' Sunday 20 August 2023 02:00 , Andrea Cavallier Another longtime friend Liz Montgomery was alerted by Ms Leierth-Seguras sister in Sweden, which prompted her to call for a welfare check. Police responded to her last known address in Beverly Hills where the landlord informed them she had been evicted. She had mentioned it to all of us that she was having trouble; Covid definitely was not helpful for her because shes a musician, model, actress, all that stuff, Ms Montgomery previously told The Los Angeles Times. And there was no money coming in. She was always busy, always working toward her next goal' Sunday 20 August 2023 00:00 , Andrea Cavallier In the nearly two months since Ms Leierth-Segura has been gone, friends and loved ones have sent hundreds of text messages and emails, and made phone calls, all that were met with silence. She was always busy, always working toward her next goal, Ms Foss said. But if I asked her to catch up and she was busy, shed always respond, dont worry well get tea soon. But when several of the friends realized that nobody had heard from her, they became worried, Ms Foss said. Friends of missing Katy Perry songwriter Camela Leierth-Segura fear someone is holding her captive Saturday 19 August 2023 22:00 , Andrea Cavallier A songwriter and model who co-wrote one of Katy Perrys hit songs has mysteriously vanished and her loved ones fear someone is holding her captive. The last time Swedish-born Camela Leierth-Segura, 48, was last seen or heard from was on 29 June in the Beverly Hills area, according to the California Department of Justices missing persons page. Her longtime friend Cecilia Foss told The Independent that its not like her to just vanish without a trace and the fact that her beloved 19-year-old cat Morris is also missing has made it even more of a mystery. My worst fear is that someone has her, and is hurting her, Ms Foss said about her friend who she added is not someone who would just disappear for seven weeks without responding to anyone. If she was going for a drive to clear her head, I get it, Ms Foss said. But its been seven weeks. And no one has heard from her. Nobody goes for a seven-week drive. Read more: Friends of missing Katy Perry songwriter fear someone is holding her captive My dear friend of over 25 years is missing' Saturday 19 August 2023 20:00 , Rachel Sharp Friend Cecilia Foss told ABC7 that she fears something bad has happened to the 48-year-old. Id like to think that nothing bad happened, but do I think something bad happened? Yeah, she said. Neighbours told the outlet they hadnt seen her in weeks, pointing out that the usually well-tended plants on her balcony are now dead. Ms Leierth-Segura is originally from Sweden but moved to California where she works as a model and musician. As well as co-writing the hit Katy Perry song, she also released songs on YouTube and Spotify. Ms Leierth-Segura is described as a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who is around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact Beverly Hills Police Department at 310-285-2184. Camela Leierth-Segura was reported missing six weeks after she vanished Saturday 19 August 2023 19:25 , Andrea Blanco Camela Leierth-Segura was last seen in the Beverly Hills area back on 29 June, according to the California Department of Justice. Seven weeks on from when she was last seen, the talented musician, her car and her 19-year-old pet cat Morris are still missing. Beverly Hills police told Fox News Digital in a statement that a missing persons report was not filed until 8 August. After speaking with a Detective Bureau supervisor, I learned the (missing person) report was taken on 8/8/23, and this is an ongoing Missing Persons investigation, the law enforcement said in an email. The timing is especially crucial considering, the date she is stated to have gone missing compared to when it was reported to the police, the law enforcement said in an email. VIDEO: Walking On Air co-writer missing for weeks Saturday 19 August 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander Beverly Hills musician Camela Leierth-Segura, who co-wrote the Katy Perry song "Walking on Air," has been missing for several weeks. https://t.co/7XisVfGMZ8 pic.twitter.com/Ql1h7zgObE ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) August 16, 2023 VIDEO: Neighbours speak out on disappearance of Katy Perrys songwriter Saturday 19 August 2023 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander Sister pleads for help in GoFundMe fundraiser Saturday 19 August 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander In a GoFundMe fundraiser, the sister of missing woman Camela Leierth asked for help in finding the 48-year-old. My beloved sister and our dear friend Camela Leierth Segura is missing from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles since the 29th of June 2023. She was last seen in Beverly Hills where she lives, Lisa Leierth wrote. We are desperately seeking information about Camelas whereabouts. Camela is a sing[er]/songwriter and model from Sweden living in Beverly Hills. She has been writing music for well-known Swedish and American artists and was one of the co-writers of Katy Perrys Song Walking on Air, she added. We are extremely worried about her safety and despite our efforts, the local police have not been able to locate her. If you have any information, even the smallest detail can help, please reach out immediately. She means the world to us and time is of the essence! Her family and loved ones in Sweden plead for your help! the sister added. Do I think something bad happened? Yeah Saturday 19 August 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp Friend Cecilia Foss told ABC7 that she fears something bad has happened to the 48-year-old. Id like to think that nothing bad happened, but do I think something bad happened? Yeah, she said. Neighbours told the outlet they hadnt seen her in weeks, pointing out that the usually well-tended plants on her balcony are now dead. Ms Leierth-Segura is originally from Sweden but moved to California where she works as a model and musician. As well as co-writing the hit Katy Perry song, she also released songs on YouTube and Spotify. Ms Leierth-Segura is described as a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who is around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact Beverly Hills Police Department at 310-285-2184. This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend' Saturday 19 August 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp Friend Liz Montgomery told ABC7 that she filed a missing persons report to try to find her as fears continue to grow that something may have happened to her. In an Instagram post, Ms Montgomery also urged for help in tracking down the missing woman. This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend. People are asking so, YES! PLEASE SHARE - HELP NEEDED! My dear friend of over 25 years is missing. LAST SEEN IN BEVERLY HILLS ON JUNE 29,2023, she wrote. We are extremely worried about her safety, and despite our best efforts, the local authorities have not been able to locate her. If you have any information, even the smallest detail can help, please reach out immediately. She added: She means the world to us and time is of the essence. Her family in Sweden is pleading for your assistance. PLEASE spread the word, SHARE this post, and help us bring Camela home safely. Thank you for your support and assistance in this critical matter. Sister living in Sweden raises alarm Saturday 19 August 2023 10:00 , Rachel Sharp The alarm was raised for the missing woman when her sister, who lives in Sweden, had been unable to get in touch with her for several weeks. Concerned, she contacted some of her siblings friends in the US to ask for their help in finding her. Friend Liz Montgomery told ABC7 that she filed a missing persons report to try to find her as fears continue to grow that something may have happened to her. In an Instagram post, Ms Montgomery also urged for help in tracking down the missing woman. This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend. People are asking so, YES! PLEASE SHARE - HELP NEEDED! My dear friend of over 25 years is missing. LAST SEEN IN BEVERLY HILLS ON JUNE 29,2023, she wrote. Missing following eviction Saturday 19 August 2023 08:00 , Rachel Sharp Ms Leierth-Seguras friends told ABC7 that they last heard from her the following day on 30 June and that her car a 2010 silver Ford Fusion was seen in the middle of the night that night. Six weeks later, there are still no signs of the talented musician or the Ford Fusion she was driving. Ms Leierth-Seguras 19-year-old pet cat Morris is also missing. The 48-year-old model and musician had been evicted from her apartment sometime before her sudden disappearance because she had been unable to pay the rent, according to friends. It is not clear when exactly she was evicted or where she was staying afterwards. Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills Saturday 19 August 2023 06:00 , Rachel Sharp A musician who co-wrote the hit Katy Perry song Walking on Air has mysteriously vanished from Beverly Hills, sparking growing fears for her safety. Swedish-born Camela Leierth-Segura, 48, was last seen in the Beverly Hills area back on 29 June, according to the California Department of Justices missing persons page. Read more: Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills Friends working closely with police Saturday 19 August 2023 04:00 , Andrea Cavallier The friends are working closely with police and Ms Leierth-Seguras family in their effort to find her. In an Instagram post, Ms Montgomery urged for help from the public. We are extremely worried about her safety, and despite our best efforts, the local authorities have not been able to locate her, Montgomery wrote. She means the world to us and time is of the essence. Her family in Sweden is pleading for your assistance. A GoFundMe has been created by her sister Lisa and loved ones are hoping money will help bring in information to find her. Met while working in the modelling industry in New York City Saturday 19 August 2023 02:00 , Andrea Cavallier Ms Foss and Ms Leierth-Segura met while working in the modelling industry in New York City. They found common ground being from Scandinavian countries, Ms Foss from Norway and Ms Leierth-Segura from Sweden. Both have kept busy lives, but always manage to catch up every few weeks or months over tea. Ms Leierth-Segura has a passion for writing music and treats her cat Morris as her child, her friend said. I think its hard for them to even comprehend that she is missing' Saturday 19 August 2023 00:00 , Andrea Cavallier Ms Montgomery filed a missing persons report with the Beverly Hills Police and has been in close contact with her family in Sweden. They are devastated and overwhelmed, said Ms Foss, who is in contact with Montgomery every day. With Camela here and her family in Sweden, its hard. I think its hard for them to even comprehend that she is missing. Ms Foss said her friend has had issues in the past with her landlord about rent. But added that she knew many people she could have asked to stay with before ever thinking of going off the grid or living in her car. Last text message sent on 29 June Friday 18 August 2023 22:00 , Andrea Cavallier Neighbours told local news they hadnt seen her in weeks. The usually well-tended plants on her balcony had died. There was no sign of her cat or her 2010 Ford Fusion with California plate 6KZJ725. It is not clear when exactly she was evicted or where she was staying afterwards. Ms Leierth-Seguras last text message was sent on 29 June, and her Ford Fusion car was last seen on police cameras leaving Beverly Hills the following afternoon, 30 June. But its not clear who was driving the vehicle, which has not been seen since. She had mentioned it to all of us that she was having trouble' Friday 18 August 2023 20:00 , Andrea Cavallier Another longtime friend Liz Montgomery was alerted by Ms Leierth-Seguras sister in Sweden, which prompted her to call for a welfare check. Police responded to her last known address in Beverly Hills where the landlord informed them she had been evicted. She had mentioned it to all of us that she was having trouble; Covid definitely was not helpful for her because shes a musician, model, actress, all that stuff, Ms Montgomery previously told The Los Angeles Times. And there was no money coming in. Camela Leierth-Segura: Who is the Katy Perry songwriter missing in Beverly Hills? Friday 18 August 2023 19:30 , Isobel Lewis Musician Camela Leierth-Segura has sparked concern after it was announced she has been missing for two months. The Sweden-born songwriter, who is best known for co-writing Katy Perrys 2013 song Walking On Air, was last seen in Beverly Hills, California, on 29 June. The alarm was raised when her sister, who lives in Sweden, had been unable to get in touch with her for several weeks and contacted friends in the US. Leierth-Seguras friends told local news that they last heard from her on 30 June and that her car a 2010 silver Ford Fusion was seen that evening in the middle of the night. Read more: Everything we know about missing songwriter Camela Leierth-Seguara She was always busy, always working toward her next goal' Friday 18 August 2023 18:00 , Andrea Cavallier In the nearly two months since Ms Leierth-Segura has been gone, friends and loved ones have sent hundreds of text messages and emails, and made phone calls, all that were met with silence. She was always busy, always working toward her next goal, Ms Foss said. But if I asked her to catch up and she was busy, shed always respond, dont worry well get tea soon. But when several of the friends realized that nobody had heard from her, they became worried, Ms Foss said. Friends of missing Katy Perry songwriter Camela Leierth-Segura fear someone is holding her captive Friday 18 August 2023 16:00 , Andrea Cavallier A songwriter and model who co-wrote one of Katy Perrys hit songs has mysteriously vanished and her loved ones fear someone is holding her captive. The last time Swedish-born Camela Leierth-Segura, 48, was last seen or heard from was on 29 June in the Beverly Hills area, according to the California Department of Justices missing persons page. Her longtime friend Cecilia Foss told The Independent that its not like her to just vanish without a trace and the fact that her beloved 19-year-old cat Morris is also missing has made it even more of a mystery. My worst fear is that someone has her, and is hurting her, Ms Foss said about her friend who she added is not someone who would just disappear for seven weeks without responding to anyone. If she was going for a drive to clear her head, I get it, Ms Foss said. But its been seven weeks. And no one has heard from her. Nobody goes for a seven-week drive. Read more: Friends of missing Katy Perry songwriter fear someone is holding her captive Missing following eviction Friday 18 August 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp Ms Leierth-Seguras friends told ABC7 that they last heard from her the following day on 30 June and that her car a 2010 silver Ford Fusion was seen in the middle of the night that night. Six weeks later, there are still no signs of the talented musician or the Ford Fusion she was driving. Ms Leierth-Seguras 19-year-old pet cat Morris is also missing. The 48-year-old model and musician had been evicted from her apartment sometime before her sudden disappearance because she had been unable to pay the rent, according to friends. It is not clear when exactly she was evicted or where she was staying afterwards. Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills Friday 18 August 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp A musician who co-wrote the hit Katy Perry song Walking on Air has mysteriously vanished from Beverly Hills, sparking growing fears for her safety. Swedish-born Camela Leierth-Segura, 48, was last seen in the Beverly Hills area back on 29 June, according to the California Department of Justices missing persons page. Read more: Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills My dear friend of over 25 years is missing' Friday 18 August 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp Friend Cecilia Foss told ABC7 that she fears something bad has happened to the 48-year-old. Id like to think that nothing bad happened, but do I think something bad happened? Yeah, she said. Neighbours told the outlet they hadnt seen her in weeks, pointing out that the usually well-tended plants on her balcony are now dead. Ms Leierth-Segura is originally from Sweden but moved to California where she works as a model and musician. As well as co-writing the hit Katy Perry song, she also released songs on YouTube and Spotify. Ms Leierth-Segura is described as a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who is around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact Beverly Hills Police Department at 310-285-2184. VIDEO: Walking On Air co-writer missing for weeks Friday 18 August 2023 11:00 , Gustaf Kilander Beverly Hills musician Camela Leierth-Segura, who co-wrote the Katy Perry song "Walking on Air," has been missing for several weeks. https://t.co/7XisVfGMZ8 pic.twitter.com/Ql1h7zgObE ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) August 16, 2023 VIDEO: Neighbours speak out on disappearance of Katy Perrys songwriter Friday 18 August 2023 10:00 , Gustaf Kilander Sister pleads for help in GoFundMe fundraiser Friday 18 August 2023 09:00 , Gustaf Kilander In a GoFundMe fundraiser, the sister of missing woman Camela Leierth asked for help in finding the 48-year-old. My beloved sister and our dear friend Camela Leierth Segura is missing from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles since the 29th of June 2023. She was last seen in Beverly Hills where she lives, Lisa Leierth wrote. We are desperately seeking information about Camelas whereabouts. Camela is a sing[er]/songwriter and model from Sweden living in Beverly Hills. She has been writing music for well-known Swedish and American artists and was one of the co-writers of Katy Perrys Song Walking on Air, she added. We are extremely worried about her safety and despite our efforts, the local police have not been able to locate her. If you have any information, even the smallest detail can help, please reach out immediately. She means the world to us and time is of the essence! Her family and loved ones in Sweden plead for your help! the sister added. Do I think something bad happened? Yeah Friday 18 August 2023 08:00 , Rachel Sharp Friend Cecilia Foss told ABC7 that she fears something bad has happened to the 48-year-old. Id like to think that nothing bad happened, but do I think something bad happened? Yeah, she said. Neighbours told the outlet they hadnt seen her in weeks, pointing out that the usually well-tended plants on her balcony are now dead. Ms Leierth-Segura is originally from Sweden but moved to California where she works as a model and musician. As well as co-writing the hit Katy Perry song, she also released songs on YouTube and Spotify. Ms Leierth-Segura is described as a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who is around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact Beverly Hills Police Department at 310-285-2184. This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend' Friday 18 August 2023 07:00 , Rachel Sharp Friend Liz Montgomery told ABC7 that she filed a missing persons report to try to find her as fears continue to grow that something may have happened to her. In an Instagram post, Ms Montgomery also urged for help in tracking down the missing woman. This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend. People are asking so, YES! PLEASE SHARE - HELP NEEDED! My dear friend of over 25 years is missing. LAST SEEN IN BEVERLY HILLS ON JUNE 29,2023, she wrote. We are extremely worried about her safety, and despite our best efforts, the local authorities have not been able to locate her. If you have any information, even the smallest detail can help, please reach out immediately. She added: She means the world to us and time is of the essence. Her family in Sweden is pleading for your assistance. PLEASE spread the word, SHARE this post, and help us bring Camela home safely. Thank you for your support and assistance in this critical matter. Sister living in Sweden raises alarm Friday 18 August 2023 06:00 , Rachel Sharp The alarm was raised for the missing woman when her sister, who lives in Sweden, had been unable to get in touch with her for several weeks. Concerned, she contacted some of her siblings friends in the US to ask for their help in finding her. Friend Liz Montgomery told ABC7 that she filed a missing persons report to try to find her as fears continue to grow that something may have happened to her. In an Instagram post, Ms Montgomery also urged for help in tracking down the missing woman. This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend. People are asking so, YES! PLEASE SHARE - HELP NEEDED! My dear friend of over 25 years is missing. LAST SEEN IN BEVERLY HILLS ON JUNE 29,2023, she wrote. Missing following eviction Friday 18 August 2023 05:00 , Rachel Sharp Ms Leierth-Seguras friends told ABC7 that they last heard from her the following day on 30 June and that her car a 2010 silver Ford Fusion was seen in the middle of the night that night. Six weeks later, there are still no signs of the talented musician or the Ford Fusion she was driving. Ms Leierth-Seguras 19-year-old pet cat Morris is also missing. The 48-year-old model and musician had been evicted from her apartment sometime before her sudden disappearance because she had been unable to pay the rent, according to friends. It is not clear when exactly she was evicted or where she was staying afterwards. Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills Friday 18 August 2023 04:00 , Rachel Sharp A musician who co-wrote the hit Katy Perry song Walking on Air has mysteriously vanished from Beverly Hills, sparking growing fears for her safety. Swedish-born Camela Leierth-Segura, 48, was last seen in the Beverly Hills area back on 29 June, according to the California Department of Justices missing persons page. Read more: Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills FILE PHOTO: Houses are seen for sale and under construction in a neighbourhood of Ottawa OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government, under pressure over the rising cost of housing, could consider capping foreign student visas, which have rocketed in recent years, new Housing Minister Sean Fraser said on Monday. Official data show there were more than 800,000 foreign students with active visas in 2022, up from 275,000 in 2012. Canada is a popular destination for international students since it is relatively easy to obtain a work permit. Fraser, who was immigration minister before taking up his job last month, said the sharp rise in the number of students was putting pronounced pressure on some housing markets. Asked whether a cap could be imposed on the number of foreign students, he said, "I think that is one of the options that we ought to consider." The government has not yet made a decision, he added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We've got temporary immigration programs that were never designed to see such explosive growth in such a short period of time," Fraser told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet retreat in the Atlantic province of Prince Edward Island. The official opposition Conservative Party, ahead in the polls of a federal election which must be held by October 2025, say the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not doing enough to tackle the housing issue. Canada, which has a population of around 39.5 million people, plans to take in a record 500,000 new permanent residents in 2025. Fraser said limiting the number of newcomers was not the answer. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Josie Kao) Republican candidates attending the first GOP presidential debate Wednesday will face the challenge of having to separate themselves from former President Trump while also not alienating his devoted supporters. Trump said Sunday he wont attend the debate, giving his rivals a chance to make the case for their respective candidacies without having to compete for attention with the former president. But the situation poses a conundrum for candidates such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R), who must be careful not to cross Trumps supporters while also winning over at least a portion of them. If I were thinking of it as a strategic matter, Id like to be able to emerge from this debate as the principal non-Trump alternative, said Scott Jennings , a Republican strategist who worked on former President George W. Bushs campaigns. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Throughout much of the 2024 race so far, the Republican candidates have largely avoided direct criticisms of Trump and been among his defenders for each of the four indictments that have been filed against him in multiple jurisdictions. Most have echoed his arguments of a two-tiered justice system that is politically motivated in targeting him with so many in the Republican primary electorate solidly behind him, demonstrated by his consistently significant leads in the polls. That has forced a difficult juggling act for the other candidates to try to present themselves as the future of the party without invoking Trumps criticism or his bases anger. Experts said that dynamic will likely continue and cause the other candidates to turn their attention toward each other in competition for taking the second spot in the polls to Trump. I dont think youre going to meaningfully degrade Trump in this debate, but you might score points on someone else or perhaps separate yourself from the rest of the rabble, Jennings said. DeSantis has consistently placed second to Trump in primary polling so far, but his campaign has struggled significantly in recent months with not being able to close the gap on the former president, cutting staff and losing ground in a few national and and state polls. With the Florida governors hiccups, Jennings said DeSantis should wear six suits of armor and be prepared to take on attacks from his fellow competitors on the stage. He said DeSantis is still the main alternative to Trump, but other candidates such as conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy , who has been closing in on DeSantis in some polls, will seek to take advantage of the struggles. The latest controversy for DeSantiss campaign came Thursday when a debate memo from the super PAC supporting him, Never Back Down, was briefly leaked on the website of a firm owned by the PACs chief strategist. The memo called for DeSantis to defend Trump and attack other candidates gaining momentum behind him, especially Ramaswamy. Strategists were mixed on whether DeSantis will follow the guidelines from the memo and if the leak was intentional or accidental, but said DeSantis could have more of a spotlight on him without Trump in the room, offering both opportunities and risks. Aaron Kall, the director of debate at the University of Michigan and an expert on presidential debates, said DeSantis might be the most likely punching bag for the other candidates with Trumps absence. He pointed to a Republican debate held in Des Moines in January 2016 just before the Iowa caucuses that Trump skipped. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who was polling in second at the time, received the brunt of attacks from several other notable candidates including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The headlines surrounding the debate were A rough night for Cruz, because he was being attacked by all sides, Kall said, noting that the layout of the candidates positions has the highest-performing candidates in the middle of the stage. So youre going to have Gov. DeSantis front and center and just kind of get incoming fire from both sides and the other six candidates. Kall said he thinks DeSantis is prepared for the attacks and understands the stakes of his debate performance for his candidacy. He added that moderators love setting up conflicts between candidates to get a back-and-forth and will have total control over the questions being asked. We have a two- or three-person fight for finding out who is going to be the clear No. 2 to Trump and the debate could help sorting that out, he said. A Republican strategist who requested anonymity because he is associated with a campaign said not every candidate will have the same goals, which could cause them to take different approaches in how they decide to concentrate on a major policy proposal they have or on attacking Trump or another candidate. They said DeSantis will have a different mission from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has been among the most vocal critics of Trump in the race. Polling has recently shown Christie gaining traction in the first primary state of New Hampshire, with an Emerson College Polling survey on Tuesday placing him in second at 9 percent. The strategist said Christies goal will be to get cameras on me going after Trump in the most creative and colorful way. They said others need to consider if they want getting a big idea across or incorporating a strong attack line as a way to differentiate themselves from the others. Thats really the choice youre looking at. Just really a few minutes that youll have to be able to get what you want to get in, they said. But some strategists said they expect Trumps absence will allow candidates to focus on policy and not get bogged down with Trumps ability to make the story about him. Republican strategist David Capen said candidates can convey to the audience that they are honest, authentic and caring by focusing on policy instead of personal attacks, and Trump skipping will put them in a better position to do so. We already know how President Trump carries himself, so this is a valuable opportunity for Gov. DeSantis to differentiate himself and elevate the conversation by focusing on kitchen table issues like jobs, education and national security, Capen said. GOP strategist Rina Shah said she expects three different approaches on the stage: candidates who tiptoe around Trump, those who go for the jugular and those who behave like theyre the only thing that exists. Shah said she does not expect to see a major change in candidates approach to Trump than they previously have had. She said she expects former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to focus on her ideas and ignore Trump, and DeSantis and Ramaswamy may do the same as candidates who have been polling in the higher tier. She added that more time is needed to know if candidates might change their tune and confront Trump more directly in future debates because of the rapid developments with Trumps legal challenges. This is unlike any other presidential campaign cycle weve ever been in. Theres no comparison. Not even 2016, because of how much is in motion, Shah said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In the summer of 2021, a man posing as a police officer roamed the Carthage neighborhood and robbed multiple people all were Hispanic. According to court documents, the man would shine a flashlight in a victims eyes and point what apparently was a BB gun at the person. Four robberies in August 2021 were connected to the man. In early September 2021, Cincinnati police arrested then-22-year-old David Heimpold. He was charged with robbery and impersonating a police officer. Police said in court documents that Heimpold confessed to the robberies. Heimpold, now 23, was held at the Hamilton County Justice Center for nearly two years while awaiting trial, records say. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But this week, prosecutors were forced to ask a judge to dismiss the charges. None of the five alleged victims subpoenaed as witnesses showed up for trial dates scheduled for mid-July, Aug. 14, then Aug. 15. A spokeswoman for the Hamilton County Prosecutors office said the charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning the charges could be refiled in the future. Its not clear why the witnesses didnt show up for the trial in Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheway's courtroom. Three of the four robberies happened in similar ways. While patting people down, the impersonator took wallets, purses and cellphones. Approximately $3,750 in cash was taken during four robberies, the documents say. In the last robbery police connected to Heimpold, which happened shortly after midnight on Aug. 30, 2021, two people posing as police officers stopped a Hispanic couple. They jumped out of a vehicle and demanded that the man and woman face their vehicle, according to court documents. The two police imposters patted the victims down and stole cash as well as items including cellphones. Then they drove away. The second suspect was not identified. Heimpolds attorney, Kerry Neff, did not return a message seeking comment. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How case involving robber who posed as a police officer got dismissed The King and his former aide and Michael Fawcett, former chief executive of the Princes Foundation - Andrew Milligan/PA Wire Scotland Yard has announced it will take no further action over an alleged cash-for-honours scandal involving one of the Kings charities. The furore cast a shadow over The Princes Foundation after a former chief executive Michael Fawcett was accused of promising to help a Saudi billionaire donor achieve British citizenship and a knighthood. Mr Fawcett, 60, one of the Kings longest serving and closest aides, resigned in the wake of the allegations. It has been claimed that the two men have remained in touch, amid speculation that Mr Fawcett could even return to work for the King in some capacity. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Metropolitan Police came under fire for its decision, with campaigners branding the move a disgrace and questioning the relationship between the royals and the police. Norman Baker, the former Liberal Democrat minister, who wrote to the Met asking them to investigate The Princes Foundation under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act, said: There has never been such an open and shut case. It was there in black and white. The police investigation was launched last February. At the time, a spokesman for the King said the then Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities. Police spoke to a man aged in his 50s and a man in his 40s under caution on Sept 6, two days before the death of Elizabeth II. A file of evidence was passed to prosecutors in November. In a statement released on Monday, the Met said it had concluded its investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. It said it had contacted those believed to hold relevant information and had liaised with The Princes Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices. The foundation provided several documents that were reviewed alongside existing information. Special enquiry The Mets Special Enquiry Team obtained court production orders, spoke with a number of witnesses and reviewed in excess of 200 documents. Officers were also handed specific documents referenced in published articles. The police statement added: With the benefit of the CPSs early investigative advice, and after careful consideration of the information received as a result of the investigation to date, the Met has concluded that no further action will be taken in this matter. Should any new information or evidence come to light that requires further assessment, this will be carried out by the Mets SET. The force confirmed that nobody had been arrested or charged during the course of the investigation. Mr Fawcett, a former valet, was accused of helping to fix a CBE for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, 53, in 2016. The Saudi businessman was honoured by the then Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace after pledging 1.5m to help restore royal residences in Scotland. Mr Fawcett is alleged to have written a letter stating that he was willing and happy to make an application to change Mr Mahfouzs honorary CBE to a knighthood and to support his application for citizenship in light of his generosity. Michael Fawcett, left, with the now King and Queen at a fundraising day at Ascot in 2018 - Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images The letter, written on headed notepaper in Mr Fawcetts then capacity as chief executive of the Dumfries House Trust, was published by a Sunday newspaper in September 2021. It said the applications would be made in response to the most recent and anticipated support of the trust. An independent investigation commissioned by The Princes Foundation in December 2021 found that Mr Fawcett had co-ordinated with so-called fixers over honours nominations for Mr Mahfouz between 2014 and 2018. He was also allegedly involved in directing money from the Mahfouz Foundation to the now-defunct Children and the Arts Foundation, of which Charles was previously patron. Mr Baker added: Was this decision taken on its merits or the nature of the individuals involved? Its clear that a number of payments that were made were irregular at the very least. This decision has been put out in the dog days of August when everyone is on holiday a classic time to bury bad news. Anti-monarchy Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, which also wrote to the Met demanding an investigation, said the complaint was not about The Princes Foundation but about the King and Mr Fawcett. Today, the police have spun this as an investigation into The Princes Foundation, yet the accusations were directed personally at Charles and Fawcett, Republics chief executive, Graham Smith, said. He went on: Republic will begin a fresh campaign to insist the royals are equal in law, to ensure the police treat them as equals. We will be demanding Parliament investigates the questionable relationship between the royals and the police. A spokesman for The Princes Foundation said: The Princes Foundation has noted the decision of the Metropolitan Police. Following the conclusion of its own independent investigation and governance review last year, the charity is moving forward with a continued focus on delivering the education and training programmes for which it has been established. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: We have noted the decision of the Metropolitan Police Service. All other enquiries are a matter for The Princes Foundation. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group. Dear Care and Feeding, My daughter was born with a condition that caused the bones in one of her legs to not form properly. It was amputated above the knee when she was 2, but with her prosthetic, she can do most of the things her peers can do. Shes now 9 years old and very active and outdoorsy. Her disability has always been part of our daily lives, and we sometimes forget she has a disability. Its not really a limitation for her. She knows this as well and will often indignantly correct people like her grandmother when they assume she cant do something due to her disability. This summer she went to several summer camps; one of them was a camp specifically for kids with limb differences, and the others were more general day camps. Shes very outgoing and she doesnt usually have a difficult time in social situations. It came as a shock when we got calls from the most recent camp asking if certain activities were OK, including kayaking and hiking, which shes done a million times. After talking to our daughter, we learned that shed been using her disability as a way to get out of doing things all summer, and this was the only camp that bothered to follow up. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As her father, I want to understand why she felt the need to fib rather than be truthful. I believe that it is important for our daughter to learn that she doesnt need to hide behind her disability and that its OK to just say no if she doesnt want to do something. The summer camp wasnt going to force her to do those activities if shed just said she didnt want toher older brothers been before and is terrified of heights and theyve never made him go on the hike. I feel like using her disability as a crutch will hinder her growth and independence. Since it worked at all the other camps, Im worried she now has a tool to get whatever she wantstangentially tie something to her prosthetic leg and then get everyone flustered trying to accommodate her for an issue that doesnt warrant it. My wife says Im taking this too seriouslyam I? My wife thinks our daughter is perfectly within reason to use her disability to get out of doing things she doesnt want to, even if it isnt true, which I totally disagree with. How can I help my daughter feel comfortable treating her disability the same way at camp as she does with her grandparents? No Excuses Dear Excuses, Theres a lot to unpack here. I think the first thing to remember is that your daughter is entering the age where she is becoming a lot more self-conscious and focused on her image and what other people are thinking of her. Disability or not, your previously self-assured little kid is turning into a pre-teen, with all the social pressures that come with it, and so youre bound to see some new behaviors crop up seemingly out of the blue. Thats developmentally appropriate and to be expected. Second, that self-consciousness has a particular bend to it for kids with disabilities. I spoke to a friend who works in disability advocacy and programming and has a disability himself. He explained that kids with disabilities are much more likely to doubt their abilities than test their limits in social situations, the way their peers might. One of these reasons is the self-consciousness factor I mentioned aboveall kids worry they are different, but kids with disabilities know for a fact that they are. Another reason, though, is that as they venture more out of the home and toward independence, certain accommodations are no longer available. Things that happen naturally within the family to help them are now things they must explicitly ask for. For example, parents might instinctively read museum signs to a kid with a vision disability or choose specific seats in a theater if they have a kid with a mobility disability. When these accommodations arent naturally made available, it can make a kid more conscious of their disability, and they may choose to opt out rather than ask for help. So, it might be worth some introspection to think about whether you do things for your daughter that she might not be comfortable asking someone else to do in a novel setting like a camp. While I agree with you that using the disability as a scapegoat for activities she just doesnt want to do can be problematic, you also want to avoid her feeling like she has to opt into everything in spite of her disability. You dont want her to internalize the idea that she has to be amazing to prove that kids with disabilities are just as good as anyone elsewhich is a lot of pressure. Talk to your daughter and find out why she declined these activities. Its possible that she didnt feel like doing them, and using her disability was an easy excuse. But its also possible something else was going on that made her feel unable to participate or speak up for herself. As she grows up, help her find her voice in these situations. The unfortunate reality is that people with disabilities are often marginalized, their needs overlooked and dismissed. They have to be self-advocates for a lot of things the rest of us take for granted. On that note, one final thought: I understand what you mean when you say you forget she has a disability. Its not a characteristic you always think of when you think about/interact with your daughter, and you dont treat her differently because of it. I appreciate that. But be careful with phrases like this. Having a disability can be an important part of ones identity, much like race. And thus, saying things like I forget you have a disability or Its like youre not even disabled may feel similarly problematic to I dont see color. I suspect youll see your daughter grappling with this part of her identity as she matures, and you dont want to accidentally seem like youre erasing or ignoring that part of her lived experience in an effort to make her feel normal or comfortable. Your job is to make sure she loves herself and is confident enough to fight for what she needs as she interacts with the wider world. Good luck! Submit your questions about parenting and family life here. Its anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.) Dear Care and Feeding, My husband and I have three kids: a 13-year-old daughter, a 12-year-old stepson, and an 11-year-old daughter. Weve been married for nine years, so our kids cannot remember a time when they werent siblings. Theyre also all very close. My son decided that he wanted to start learning guitar. He never really learned much music before, except for what he did in school, so hes essentially starting from scratch. Hes very dedicated and practices the amount that his teacher tells him every day, and in his free time, hell sometimes pick up the guitar and try out some other stuff on his own. Hes not very good yet. His sisters constantly mock him but also are always complaining about his playing. He rolled with the joke when it started, when it was just the younger one, whos partially deaf, taking out her hearing aids whenever he started practicing. But its gotten blown out of proportionto the point where if hes going to do his practice, now during the summer, both of them will go outside with headphones and sit on the porch reading or scrolling on a phone until hes done. Its not like hes impossible to listen to, he just isnt good. Both girls are now demanding that when school starts again, he only practices on the weekends during a certain time when both of them expect to be out of the house for various activities. I think its ridiculous. We live in a small house, so theres not anywhere where you can completely escape the sound of the guitar, but in the girls bedroom with the door completely shut, if the girls were wearing headphones they wouldnt be able to hear it at all. My son has started to let the negative comments get to his head too, despite our reassurance that hes only been practicing for two months. My husband thinks that some of what the girls have been saying has merit, but I think its just a joke thats been blown out of proportion and the kids need to know when to stop. Guitar Practice Dear Practice, Your daughters are both right and wrong. Theyre right in the sense that listening to a beginner musician can be pretty dreadful, regardless of the musicians talent. My sister was a very good violinist as a child (still is) and I disliked listening to her practicing. It might not be as annoying a sound to you, because its your kid and you have a musical version of blinders on (as you should!), but I can understand their discomfort. However, theyre wrong in how theyre behaving. If being in their room with the door closed is a viable option, thats case closed as far as Im concerned. Sit down with the girls and tell them in no uncertain terms that they are not allowed to undermine their brother and his hard work again. Nor will you be setting specific times when he is allowed to playthat isnt how you cultivate joy in music. (Homework time could be off-limits, but thats about as far as I would go.) If they want to go to their rooms or the porch when he picks up the instrument, theyre welcome to, but with no huffing, door slamming, or big show made of their departure. Seeking your own space and comfort is fine, but using that to hurt loved ones is not. They are old enough to understand the difference. Catch Up on Care and Feeding If you missed Sundays column, read it here. Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group! Dear Care and Feeding, We are really close to my brother-in-law and his family. He is my husbands brother and best friend, and I dearly love his wife and their three girls (ages 6, 4, and 2). I have a 4-month-old daughter and I am so excited for our kids to grow up together. The problem I have seems so selfish and silly that I almost feel bad writing but I need advice. My nieces are fairly messy. I dont imagine it is abnormally messy for young children, but it presents a problem when they come over. They are very comfortable in our home (which I treasure) but they typically end up running right to my daughters nursery and taking out all her toys, shoes, and clothessometimes literally dumping things onto the floor. I dont mind sharing toys, but theyve damaged toys that are either passed down from my side of the family or new and something I want to stay nice for my daughter when she is old enough to enjoy. Again, I dont fault them for this; I just dont want my daughters things ruined before she can enjoy them. I thought about discretely putting away the relatively few things I dont want ruined, but unfortunately, they are their favorite toys at my house (a linen doll, a jewelry box, an old family heirloom teddy bear, etc.) and it would be obvious when they asked for them that they had been moved. For this same reason, I dont want to be upfront with my in-laws because it feels silly to be petty about material possessions that bring my nieces joy. I am so torn though, because the things belong to my daughter. Plus, I also am a little tired honestly of cleaning her room every time they leave. My SIL tries to help and leave it picked up, but it isnt usually done very intentionally (which I get because getting three kids to pick up and leave is impossible) and leaves extra work for me. It seems like a silly problem, but it is causing stress surrounding their visit. Selfish in Sioux Falls Dear Selfish, It is not at all selfish to want your daughters belongings to stay intact for her. Kids are whirlwinds of chaos, and unless youre going to micromanage their playtime (which I do not recommend), you need to assume things will get broken and messy. Therefore, you need to make the precious items off-limits, either by restricting access to her room, or by removing these specific objects from reach (if not sight, at least for now). Maybe the kids will be disappointed, but thats OK. Your nieces are not entitled to your daughters possessions. You can keep the explanation breezy if they ask (The jewelry box is fragile, so its not something we are going to play with right now), or you can be more upfront with them (There are some toys that are really important to me, and I want them to stay nice and neat and ready for baby when shes old enough to enjoy them. So, they are going to stay on the top shelf for now, which is off-limits.) Meanwhile, invest in less important toys that the nieces can play with. Secondhand stores and neighborhood buy-sell pages are great ways to amass an impressive cache for little cash. My guess is that if you have a bunch of new playable toys, their desire for the off-limits items will fade. I wouldnt worry about your brother- and sister-in-law, either. Do they let their kids play with all of their heirlooms? I highly doubt it, so why would they expect it from you? I think most parents enter another persons house praying their kids dont destroy something; they dont assume the hosts house is their kids personal mecca. Its your choice whether you talk to them proactively or not, but I have to hope theyll understand either way. Finally, regarding needing to clean up after your nieces visit, that is just a part of life, unfortunately. Yes, the kids can help clean up before they leave, but at their age, its more about practicing that habit than doing an effective job. Youll be straightening up after their visit just as you would after an adult party. Its the price of opening your home to others. Dear Care and Feeding, Is there a good way to describe being touched out to help someone that apparently doesnt experience the concept understand it? Im currently a stay-at-home-mom to our two kids under 3, and while Im incredibly thankful for and glad to see my husband at the end of each day, some days I just cant be in contact with him after a full day of the kids climbing all over me, etc. This is a problem for him because he is incredibly into physical contact. After the kids are both in bed and were sitting in the living room he will always sit on the couch Im sitting on and put his feet/legs/head in or across my lapor at the very least sit close enough for me to have a hand on his back, leg or arm. Then he wants me to rub or scratch whatever body part Im in contact with. Most days I dont mind, I know hes had a long day, missed being with us, and connects with me that way. But maybe once every two weeks I just cant. The thought of being in contact with another living thing in any way makes my skin crawl. Ive tried explaining that I just need my own space without anyone in it, repositioning myself so Im not in contact with him and completely moving to a different piece of furniture. All of these get pouty responses from him and sometimes a joking accusation of not actually loving him. Is there a better way I can describe this phenomenon that I know I am not alone in? Or is he just choosing not to believe me? Stay in your Bubble Dear Bubble, Since I dont know what youve already tried, I have to sort of take a shot in the dark here, but hopefully, something will stick. Idea one: too much of a good thing. Since physical touch is his love language, and thus something he has very positive associations with, one approach is to pick something else he loves and describe being over-exposed to it. Some ideas: Its like hearing one song by the Rolling Stones on repeat all day long, and then someone wanting to sing it to me. Its like Ive been in a pool all day long, and I just got home and I want to sit, dry on the couch, but now you want to go back to the pool with me. Idea two: Its not you, its me. Hes not the only thing youve rejected, Im sure, so draw that parallel. You know how, at the end of a date night or after attending a wedding, the first thing I do is take off my heels? Because my feet hurt and have been constrained all night. Thats how my body feels after a day with the kids, so when you want physical contact, its like youre telling me to keep the heels on for another two hours. It doesnt mean I dont like the shoes, I just dont want them on my feet at that moment. Idea three: palate cleanser. When you go to a wine tasting, the sommelier has a jar of coffee beans or something else nearby. You sniff the coffee between tastings to sort of reset your sense of smell and taste. A period of no-touching is kind of like a sensory cleansersomething that interrupts and resets the touched-out feeling. Im sure this is a frustrating situation for your husband, but remind him that it is temporary. As your children grow, the less physical contact theyll need, and the fewer no-contact nights youll have. And gently point out to him that its unkind to make himself into a martyr simply because you stated a need of your own. Final thought: Although being touched out isnt the same kind of sensory overload that someone with a sensory processing disorder might experience, I think the experiences live in the same ecosystem, so to speak. Check out these accounts of what sensory overload feels like; you might find an analogous description of how you feel, or you could share the link with your husband to illustrate that this really isnt about him, any more than sensory overload is about a single trigger. Good luck! Allison My wife and I adopted a wonderful, healthy, newborn girl 7 years ago from a local adoption agency. When and how do you feel is the ideal time to inform her of her adoption? I have a pal who was not told about his adoption until the entire family was gathered around his dying fathers bedside. He was in his mid-20s, and this took several years for him to come to peace with it. Just days after warning that pharmacies would not provide free Covid vaccines to the uninsured until October, the Biden administration and retail pharmacies are trying to accelerate the timeline. Biden health officials are now attempting to finalize contracts that would allow pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens to offer the shot to uninsured Americans as early as mid-September, when the government plans to make an updated version of the vaccine available to the broader public. Thats roughly a month earlier than originally planned, said two people familiar with the contract negotiations granted anonymity to discuss ongoing talks, in an abrupt shift that came amid reports from POLITICO and others that Americans without health coverage would need to wait to get their no-cost shot at a pharmacy until mid-October. The timing gap prompted concerns from public health experts, who fear that it would further complicate the fall vaccination campaign and discourage uninsured people from getting the shot, even as Covid hospitalizations rise again. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They are talking about ways to do it earlier, but nothing is set in stone, one of the people granted anonymity said. In response to questions Monday about the agency's timeline, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson Kathleen Conley said only that contract negotiations are still underway and that the CDC can't say precisely when pharmacies will be able to distribute vaccines to the uninsured until those agreements are finalized. Americans without health coverage will still be able to get the new vaccines for free from community health centers and individual providers as soon as they are rolled out, ensuring immediate access at those locations. But the CDC is working to speed up its negotiations with pharmacies in hopes of more quickly making the vaccines available at those retail locations as well, no matter whether the recipient is insured, the two people familiar with the negotiations said. Pharmacies have served as a main vaccine distribution point throughout the pandemic, especially for those who prefer to walk in rather than make an appointment. The push is not guaranteed to be successful, those people cautioned, especially coming so late in the process. Biden officials expect the FDA and CDC to greenlight the updated vaccine in time to make them widely available as early as the third week of September, potentially leaving less than a month to finalize the contracts for the uninsured. Over the weekend, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who sits on the board of vaccine maker Pfizer, said on CBS News Face the Nation that the Biden administrations program for the under and uninsured should be up and running by the time these vaccines become available. However, even if the administration does manage to reach agreements with the pharmacies in time, one of the people familiar with the negotiations said it could still take some time to work out the logistics necessary for individual sites to begin giving out the free shots. The CDC estimates that as many as 30 million uninsured or underinsured people will need to pay out of pocket for the Covid vaccine for the first time this fall, after the government's Covid public health emergency expired in May. The Department of Health and Human Services has pledged to ensure that population still has free access to the shot through a new, $1.1 billion "bridge" program, which involves distributing the vaccine through pharmacies as well as community health centers and local providers. Yet the department has provided state and local health officials with only limited details about the program and its broader vaccine outreach plans for the fall campaign, creating some uncertainty on the ground as to how and when exactly to expect the shots to roll out. The Charlotte Pride Festival wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with the annual Charlotte Pride Parade, which has become the largest LBGTQ+ celebration in the Carolinas and the citys largest annual parade. More than 200 groups took part in the parade, including Channel 9 team members. Charlotte Prides first official event happened back in 2001, with 2,000 attendees. Charlotte Prides first official event happened back in 2001, with 2,000 attendees. The festival took place on Sunday. Charlotte Prides first official event happened back in 2001, with 2,000 attendees. Charlotte Prides first official event happened back in 2001, with 2,000 attendees. Charlotte Prides first official event happened back in 2001, with 2,000 attendees. The event takes places in Uptown every year. Charlotte Prides first official event happened back in 2001, with 2,000 attendees. Charlotte Prides first official event happened back in 2001, with 2,000 attendees. RELATED: Faces of Pride: The Evolution Attendee Tracey Hummell told us what she likes the about the growth of the parade. I think Charlotte has done a really great job of supporting everybodys differences, Hummell said. Everyone showing up today, everyone was out yesterday for the street festival. Its nice to see, weve done a good job as a city supporting our neighbors and friends. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Charlotte Prides first official event happened back in 2001, with 2,000 attendees. A record-breaking 275,000 people went last year. (WATCH BELOW: Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade colors Uptown this weekend) Charlotte, like many cities in the South, has experienced recent population growth during a period where there is a mass exodus of individuals and families leaving Americas largest industrial hubs. That has been detailed in research by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, which found that 113 people per day are moving to the area, the highest level in more than a decade. The bulk of transplants to Charlotte have been millennials, according to city data and a new report by Bank of America that listed the Queen City as one of the top cities young people are moving to. They (transplants) tend to skew a little bit younger than the people who live here already, Antony Burton, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance principal researcher, told WCNC. Theyre slightly more educated, in general. Slightly wealthier than the people who are already here. Why Charlotte is drawing millennials Charlotte, which was included along with Austin, Cleveland, Dallas and Tampa, Florida, was considered an attractive destination for millennials because of a thriving job market and a surge in finance and healthcare jobs, the report stated. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Charlotte is home to many Fortune 500 companies, such as Bank of America, Duke Energy, and Wells Fargo. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the most accessible air travel hubs in the region. The area is less congested than many other large coastal cities. Dennis Shirshikov, head of growth at real estate investing platform Awning.com, explained that Charlottes proximity to both mountains and the coast offers lifestyle benefits that resonate with millennials desire for a strong work-life balance. Its almost like these cities are forming their own unique identities that resonate with specific segments of the millennial population, he said. Millennials are all about experiences from the local coffee shop that offers just the right ambiance for a weekend chill to outdoor activities and music festivals. Cities that offer a unique cultural experience or have a vibe become instant hits. When more than 320,000 Chicago youths resumed classes Monday, the sense of renewal brought by a fresh school year was underscored by the presence of Chicagos new mayor, a former teacher who welcomed students and offered encouraging words at several stops around the district. Yet the change at City Hall is also the beginning of a period of transition in Chicago Public Schools as it moves to an elected school board, and divorces itself from city oversight and funding, starting in 2024. The district will also be negotiating a new contract with the teachers union and will soon see the end of both COVID-19 relief funding and a moratorium on school closures all while dealing with ongoing struggles such as chronic enrollment loss, a shortage of bus drivers and underpopulated, aging buildings. And following an increase of about 2,300 English learner enrollments last year, the states largest school system faces language barriers in attempting to meet the needs of hundreds of new students who are children of newly arrived migrants, many of whom have been staying in city-run shelters or police station lobbies for months. Right before 8 a.m. Monday, a group of parents and their children gathered outside the Inn of Chicago Hotel downtown, one of the largest migrant shelters, ready to head to their first day of school. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Estoy contento, said Ronald Larez, 9. He is happy that he will finally start school again, joining dozens of other children of asylum-seekers living in the shelter who began classes at The Ogden International School of Chicago. Chicago Public Schools had been preparing to accommodate new English learner students, most of them children of migrants. About 1,000 enrolled through the summer, and officials said they anticipate about 1,000 more through the beginning of the school year. Ronalds mother was excited to walk her son to school, but many other mothers from the shelter still needed to file paperwork to enroll their children in school, she said, including her sister. The two woke up early to rush to the school, she said. When Ronald walked into the school, she felt relief. Gracias a dios ya esta en clase, she said. Thank God he is now in class. Among schools that continue to receive newcomer students after the start of the year, CPS said it will allocate resources as necessary to support their enrollment, often as English learners. We will always be here to support you and your family; the things that you will need. It is our responsibility to make sure we do that for you, Mayor Brandon Johnson said while visiting a bilingual homeroom Monday morning at Brighton Park Elementary School, where students were writing in their journals about activities they do well. Im looking forward to all of the incredible work that youre going to do this year, all the new friends and new ideas and concepts that youre going to develop. The school was one of several that the mayor a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer and the parent of three CPS students toured Monday. In stark contrast to his predecessor Lori Lightfoots years of rancor with the Chicago Teachers Union, amid a strike and then clashes over COVID-19 closures, Johnson was accompanied by not only CPS CEO Pedro Martinez but also CTU President Stacy Davis Gates in his tour of schools, along with Service Employees International Union President Dian Palmer, state Rep. Theresa Mah and Ald. Julia Ramirez. Were going to have your backs, but youve got to do us a favor: to never stop learning, Johnson said. Raise your hand as many times as you possibly can and not just to go to the bathroom. Raise your hand and ask as many questions as possible, because its through those questions that youre going to help change the community thats raising you. CPS said in a statement Monday that in addition to meeting its rapidly growing bilingual education needs, the district will continue efforts this school year to provide reasonable class sizes; expand pre-K, arts and college prep programs; and provide stronger social-emotional and mental health services to students and support for teachers. Treat these two women well, Johnson told the students regarding their homeroom teacher and teacher assistant. Can you do that for us? With a $9.4 billion budget for this school year, CPS said its hired nearly 500 more teachers and more than 700 more education support staff, such as teachers assistants, special education classroom assistants, counselors and nurses, than last school year. The district continues to build on gains in literacy, graduation rates, capital investments, and college and career success, Martinez said in a CPS news release. With temperatures in the 90s forecast later this week, some parents with children attending elementary schools where classrooms have broken ACs raised the need Monday for new, green schools or capital improvements to aging and inadequate HVAC systems as climate change increases the number of school days requiring cooling. Lets keep an eye on the AC systems today, Martinez said on his phone outside Brighton Park Elementary before the tour of classrooms began. CPS strives to ensure students in every neighborhood have access to safe, accessible, high-quality facilities where they can play and learn, the district said in its statement, noting its facilities team is in the process of completing 60 site improvement projects, including 55 new or renovated playgrounds. After passing a scaled-down $155 million capital budget this year, CPS said a supplemental capital budget will come later this year, shaped by robust community engagement. At Brighton Park, Johnson thanked facility staff and struck up a conversation on green technology with pre-K students creating structures from magnetic tiles he said resembled solar panels. There are a lot of people that want to see more green technology utilized, he said. Youre gonna save my administration because people want me to hurry up. You know, Ive been here for a 100 days? Other CPS challenges the Johnson administration faces include bus driver shortages that have seen the district prioritize transportation services for diverse learners and students in temporary living situations, while providing general education students in selective enrollment or magnet programs free CTA passes. As of Monday, the district provided transportation for more than 7,100 students, according to a CPS news release. Diverse learners and students with the greatest needs will also receive targeted investments this year, CPS said. Ace Romo, a parent of two Carl Von Linne School students, said hes glad to see the Avondale dual language school welcome nearly 100 migrant children from a nearby shelter this year. I think its great the way the school has come together to help those children, Romo said while dropping off his kids for their first day of school. Right before his fifth grader walked into the building, he gave him a fist pump. I love you, Im proud of you, have a great day, he told his son. Romo said that back-to-school days are always special because they are a reminder for children that they can start fresh and set new goals. If you start today on a good path, its going to be easier to stay on that path, he said. smacaraeg@chicagotribune.com larodriguez@chicagotribune.com China's water, soil erosion area declines in 2022 Xinhua) 08:21, August 21, 2023 Aerial photo taken on Aug. 22, 2021 shows the scenery of Saihanba forest farm in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan) BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's water and soil erosion area decreased last year amid the country's efforts to restore the ecological environment, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. The country's water and soil erosion area stood at 2.65 million square km in 2022, down 20,800 square km, or 0.78 percent, compared with 2021, according to the results of national monitoring of soil and water loss. Of the total, the area of hydraulic erosion is 1.09 million square km, down 1.38 percent year on year. There is also a wind erosion area of 1.56 million square km, down 0.36 percent from a year earlier. The ministry said that it will continue to tackle water and soil erosion in the future. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Chicago woman arrested for threatening to kill Trump and his son Washington The Secret Service arrested a Chicago woman Monday after prosecutors alleged she sent multiple menacing emails to a Florida school in which she threatened to kill former President Donald Trump and his teenage son, Barron, a law enforcement official confirmed to CBS News. "I will shoot Donald Trump Sr. AND Barron Trump straight in the face at any opportunity that I get," Tracy Fiorenza allegedly emailed the headmaster of a Palm Beach school on May 21, 2023, according to a criminal complaint filed earlier this month in Florida. Days later, court documents allege Fiorenza, 41, again emailed the unnamed school official, "I am going to slam a bullet in Baron Trump's head with his father IN SELF DEFENSE!" Secret Service agents in Chicago interviewed her on June 14, 2023, court records reveal, during which time she admitted that she had written the threatening messages from her Illinois home. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A senior law enforcement official said that Fiorenza has been "on the U.S. Secret Service's radar for several years." And recently, the "nature of her threats escalated to become more specific." "Her family has expressed concern to law enforcement about her potential for violence," a senior law enforcement official said. "She has struggled chronically with her mental health and recently reported stopping taking her prescribed medication." Fiorenza appeared in Chicago federal court Monday and will likely be transferred to Florida, where the charges against her were filed. A detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. The Secret Service referred requests for comment to the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The arrest comes days after a Texas woman was taken into custody after leaving a threatening voicemail on the office phone of federal Judge Tayna Chutkan, who is overseeing special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of Trump in Washington, D.C. Sources told CBS News the U.S. Marshals Service had in recent weeks increased the judge's security. A defense attorney for Fiorenza could not be immediately identified for comment. Hunter Biden case testimony sought by GOP-led House committee BRICS Summit underway in Johannesburg without Putin Biden says Maui rebuild must respect Hawaiian traditions, locals still worried about future (Bloomberg) -- China called President Joe Bidens trilateral summit with the leaders of South Korea and Japan a deliberate attempt to sow discord between the worlds second-largest economy and two of its Asian neighbors. Most Read from Bloomberg Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the leaders who met Friday at the Camp David presidential retreat had smeared and attacked China on a range of issues, including Taiwan the self-ruled island Beijing calls its own. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Currently we see two trajectories in the Asia Pacific, Wang said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. One features efforts for greater solidarity, cooperation and economic integration, he added. The other features attempts to start division and confrontation and revive the Cold War mentality. During last weeks landmark meeting, Biden discussed with South Koreas Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida measures to de-risk global supply chains from their exposure to China. The three men agreed the trilateral summit would become an annual event. They also pledged to share real-time data on North Koreas missile launches and set up a new hotline to swiftly share intelligence and launch multi-domain military exercises. China, by contrast, has currently frozen high-level, in-person military dialogue with the US. Read more: {Five Takeaways From the US, Japan and South Korea Summit} The missile agreement was always likely to upset Beijing. China enforced painful economic measures against South Korea to try to stop it from deploying a US missile defense system known as Thaad, aimed at protecting the country from a North Korean attack. Beijings subsequent conditions for mending those ties included having Seoul agree not to join any US-led regional missile defense system or a trilateral alliance with the US and Japan. Wang said on Monday that a regional missile agreement would only increase the risk of confrontation and harm the strategic security interests of other countries, and urged South Korea to address this issue properly. The leaders of Japan, Korea and the US also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and raised concerns about what they called the dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims that we have recently witnessed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea. Chinas stated position is that the question of Taiwan is a domestic issue, Wang said. The country earlier this year criticized Yoon when he said that the dispute between Beijing and Taiwan was now a global issue. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Amid a summer surge in youth unemployment, China's government made headlines last week by announcing that it would simply no longer publish official data on how many young workers can't find jobs. But not all of the country's economic woes can be so easily hidden. China's economic modelwhich has leaned strongly into industrial policy and top-down investments directed from Beijing"is broken" and has left the country "drowning in debt and running out of things to build," Lingling Wei and Stella Yifan Xie explain in a must-read feature published in Sunday's Wall Street Journal. The red flags include well-known factors such as China's demographic issues (a direct consequence of another government-led attempt at engineering society: the one-child policy) and less obvious failings caused by malinvestments. One example of the latter is "a high-speed rail station in Danzhou, a city in China's southern province of Hainan, [which] cost $5.5 million to build but was never put into use because passenger demand was so low." Another: "Guizhou, one of the poorest provinces in the country with GDP per capita of less than $7,200 last year," has 11 airports, more than China's four biggest cities. As in the U.S., bridges to nowhere and useless high-speed rail projects are a sign of infrastructure policies driven by politics rather than economics. In China, the national and local governments have borrowed heavily to fund construction projects to goose economic growth. It's an approach that some in Beijing now privately admit "has reached its limits," the Journal reports. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement With the old model reaching its end, it would make sense for China to pursue another phase of liberalization, evolving toward a freer economy with a focus on consumer spending and service industries. But that clashes with President Xi Jinping's vision. Instead, the government is scaling up another round of industrial policy focused on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and direct government spending on cultural items such as sporting events. "The leadership also worries that empowering individuals to make more decisions over how they spend their money could undermine state authority, without generating the kind of growth Beijing desires," the Journal reports. That line does a pretty great job of summing up what's at stake in China. There's no doubt that governmental stimulus spending can drive economic growth higher over the short term, but the bill eventually comes due in the form of higher debt and wasted resources. Sustainable, long-term economic growth doesn't come from officials issuing edicts. It comes from the individuals' power to pursue their own needs and desires in the marketplaceeven if some of those desires aren't aligned with what the government wants. This is a difficult lesson for politicians everywhere to accept. Whether China's leaders can learn it quickly might determine the future course of the world's second biggest economy. There's a lesson for America in China's economic wobbles. Panic over China's rapid economic growth has fueled all manner of big-government proposals in recent years. That includes calls for amping up industrial policy and infrastructure spending, most obviously, but that's not all. The specter of China shows up in debates over whether the federal government should regulate online speech, should subsidize American drug manufacturing, should control how Americans invest. This is a bipartisan phenomenon. Former President Donald Trump was obsessed with using tariffs to curb China's growth, an approach that did far more to impose economic costs on Americans. President Joe Biden keeps on talking about China "eating our lunch" when pitching plans to expand government spending. It's a line that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has recently parrotted too. More attention should be paid to the weaknesses in China's economic model, which are becoming more difficult to ignore on both sides of the Pacific. China's leaders have bet heavily on the misguided notion that government-directed investment is the key to greater economic growth. American officials should be in no rush to follow Xi down a path that requires curtailing liberty to chase a little temporary stimulus. The post China's Industrial Policy Is Failing. Will American Politicians Take Notice? appeared first on Reason.com. Commercial space tracking data shows Chinese satellites have been surveilling major exercises in and around Australia, but this should come as no surprise. An Australian defense contractor that provides commercial satellite tracking services says it has monitored hundreds of Chinese space-based surveillance assets making thousands of passes over the country and surrounding areas in recent months. The company's data indicates that the Chinese satellites have been gathering intelligence about major multi-national military exercises hosted by Australia. Really, this should not come as a surprise and underscores the fact that the United States, and by extension very close allies like Australia, no longer enjoys an extreme degree of dominance when it comes to space-based surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities it once did. Australia's ABC News was the first to report on the space-tracking data that Canberra-based EOS' Space Systems division says it has collected about Chinese satellites appearing to monitor the 2023 iterations of the Talisman Sabre exercise last month, which had air, land, and sea components, as well as the recently concluded maritime-centric Malabar exercise. Both of these are major international training events that the United States and other countries participate in. This year's Talisman Sabre was the largest to date. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGbG3ymqlxk ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We've been collecting optical surveillance data on Earth observing Chinese satellites during the Talisman Sabre and Malabar exercises and what that's showing is quite a lot of activity surveying the ground during those events," EOS Space Systems' James Bennett told ABC News. "We've seen over 300 satellites surveying ground-based activities and the number of overflights is over 3,000 since the start of the Malabar exercise centered around the Sydney Harbor bay area," he added. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2a-_tPp-S8 In addition, "in July... EOS Space Systems tracked three Chinese geostationary orbit satellites maneuvering into position below the equator to monitor the Talisman Sabre war games across northern Australia," according to ABC News. This data definitely points to major Chinese interest in what has been happening at these exercises. That, of course, makes good sense as both training events typically showcase higher-end capabilities that Australia, the United States, and their allies and partners possess. More importantly, the Chinese government has the means to conduct satellite surveillance on this scale now. This is a direct result of years-long efforts on the part of authorities in that country to try to attain a level of space-based capabilities previously only enjoyed by the United States. "At the end of 2021, China's ISR satellite fleet contained more than 260 systems a quantity second only to the United States, and nearly doubling China's in-orbit systems since 2018," according to the 2022 edition of the Pentagon's annual unclassified report on China's military and security capabilities, which was released last November. "The PLA owns and operates about half of the world's [space-based] ISR systems." There are some questions about the exact counting of Chinese-spaced ISR assets from that report. Another unclassified report that the U.S. Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) published in 2018 said that China had 122 ISR satellites, while the United States had 353, Russia had 23, and the rest of the world combined had 168. Even if all of those other figures had stayed the same, 260 Chinese systems in 2021 would not equate to half of the global total. Global satellite totals as of 2018, according to an unclassified report from the US Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center. The color-coded breakdowns on the right-hand side are subtotals for the United States (blue), China (yellow), Russia (red), and the rest of the world (purple). USAF The 2018 NASIC report also explicitly says that its totals do "not include countries or multinational organizations without indigenous satellites that use space services secured via commercial agreements, governmental partnerships, or non-traditional means." The U.S. government makes heavy use of satellite imagery from commercial providers to supplement its own organic capabilities. The Chinese government is increasingly doing the same. "There are a number of civil and commercial applications for remote sensing data, such as environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster response. High demand for this data and falling costs for capable technology have spurred the rapid growth and proliferation of these satellites," NASIC's 2018 report notes. "A decade ago, foreign remote sensing satellites numbered nearly 100 by mid-2018, that number reached over 300." "U.S. commercial satellite imagery companies are bound by a variety of regulatory mechanisms. Foreign commercial imagery companies, some of which are wholly or partially state-owned, are under different regulations," that same report added. "Some foreign satellite imagery companies may sell images or information about U.S. or allied national security interests to hostile non-state actors or foreign powers." Any discrepancies in accounting notwithstanding, it is clear that the Chinese government has amassed a huge number of ISR satellites and is now the second-largest national operator of such systems behind the United States. On top of that, by all indications, China's total ISR satellite fleet absolutely dwarfs those belonging to all other countries on Earth, with the exception of the United States. That Russia only had a paltry 23 space-based ISR assets in 2018 underscores the massive advantages the U.S. government had enjoyed in this regard for decades even over near-peer competitors. "Recent improvements to China's space-based ISR capabilities emphasize the development, procurement, and use of increasingly capable satellites with digital camera technology as well as space-based radar for all-weather, 24-hour coverage. These improvements increase China's monitoring capabilities including observation of U.S. aircraft carriers, expeditionary strike groups, and deployed air wings," the Pentagon's 2022 China report added. "Space capabilities will enhance potential PLA military operations farther from the Chinese coast. These capabilities are being augmented with electronic reconnaissance satellites that monitor radar and radio transmissions." An annotated commercial satellite photo showing the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and possible escorts in the Philippine Sea last year. Purpose-built spy satellites, including those that China operates now in large numbers, are generally assumed to provide much higher-resolution imagery. PHOTO 2022 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION / @detresfa_ Furthermore, Chinese ISR satellites "could support monitoring, tracking, and targeting of U.S. and allied forces worldwide, especially throughout the Indo-Pacific region," the Pentagon's annual review had noted. "These satellites also allow the PLA [People's Liberation Army] to monitor potential regional flashpoints, including the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, [the] Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea." It's important to point out here that a host of threats, especially China's growing arsenal of cruise, ballistic, and now hypersonic missiles, has already prompted the U.S. military to focus on new concepts of operations centered heavily on distributed basing and rapid deployment and redeployment of forces to reduce vulnerability to these systems. The more remote sensing capabilities a force like the PLA has at its disposal will lessen the effectiveness of those operating concepts, especially if they cannot be effectively denied or mitigated during a conflict. With more surveillance coverage available, including fast revisits to key areas, targeting cycles can be condensed and the windows of vulnerability to assets on the surface tighten. This is all entirely in line with what EOS Space Systems has now told ABC News that it has been observing with regard to China's space-based monitoring of Talisman Sabre and Malabar. The potential impacts of the Chinese government's now-expansive satellite ISR capacity go well beyond just surveilling exercises. As the Pentagon's 2022 China report highlighted, these satellites enable the PLA to conduct extremely valuable space-based intelligence gathering and more general surveillance of various potential hotspots in the Pacific, including military activities in and around Taiwan and in the heavily disputed South China Sea, on a more persistent basis. A US Department of Defense map showing island outposts belonging to China and other countries, as well as the boundaries are various competing territorial claims, just in the Spratly Islands chain at the southern end of the South China Sea. DOD The intelligence and general situational awareness that Chinese ISR satellites provide could contribute to the targeting of enemy forces, including high-value assets like American aircraft carrier strike groups, during an actual major conflict. This could be an important addition to the PLA's already expansive anti-access and area denial capabilities in places like the South China Sea. The PLA's expansive array of space-based ISR could of course be used to support current and future operations that have to do with much more than China's territorial claims, something last year's Pentagon China report also highlighted. The Chinese government's clear focus on expanding these capabilities is well in line with other efforts, including an expanding number of overseas bases, that are clearly intended to help the PLA move beyond being a regional military powerhouse to a global one. https://twitter.com/VVSNair/status/971039452633227264 It is of course worth noting that many countries, including the United States and Australia, have significant numbers of ground and space-based assets dedicated to tracking enemy satellites and other potential threats in space, in part to help mitigate the impacts of any snooping. "The ADF [Australian Defense Forces] takes prudent measures to safeguard the information security of Australian and participating forces," a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Defense told ABC News in response to questions about EOS' data. "Defense tracks satellite movements as part of broader space domain awareness efforts." A spokesperson for the Australian DoD declined, not surprisingly, to elaborate on what those "prudent measures" entail. That being said, China's space-based ISR capabilities, which only look set to continue to grow in scope and scale for the foreseeable future, are clearly worrisome on an entirely new level given their sheer magnitude. This can only prompt questions about whether existing "space domain awareness" capabilities that countries like the United States and Australia possess are truly sufficient to meet the challenges that Chinese satellites already present. A ground-based Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) in Australia that the US military operates in cooperation with that country's armed forces. US Space Force If China were to pursue large distributed constellations, like SpaceX's Starlink and the ones the U.S. military is working on now including to support missile defense, it could make countering its growing capabilities in orbit even more difficult. Publicly available PLA-tied research has already highlighted the potential threats that distributed networks of space-based assets could present to Chinese forces. With that in mind, even as China's own satellite capabilities have expanded, the PLA has continued with the development of a number of anti-satellite weapons. Other countries around the world, most notably Russia, are still investing significantly in various counter-space capabilities, in no small part to make up for their shortfalls in space-based assets. As the Chinese government's satellite fleets grow, so will its need to protect them. All told, as has been made clear by ABC News' recent report, the era of the United States and its major allies enjoying unmatched abilities to monitor their opponents from space is coming to an end. Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com A chapel in Lahaina that was not burned in the fire on Friday, Aug. 17, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Just two weeks after deadly and destructive wildfires fueled by high winds ripped through the island of Maui, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is providing relief. Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, announced that the church will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help relief efforts after the deadly and devastating wildfires. The donation will support the Red Cross efforts to provide: Shelter to survivors. Meals, bedding, hygiene kits and other items. Medical, mental health and family reunification services. Brad Kieserman, vice president of disaster operations and logistics with the Red Cross, said the donation will help 400 households meaning 1,200 people. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Church of Jesus Christ is a trusted entity. People trust the church, meaning they will come to the church for help. We want to be a partner with trusted entities like the church so we can reach more people and help more people, Kieserman said. Bishop Waddell met with representatives of the Red Cross on Sunday, Aug. 20. Bishop Waddell and local church leaders spent the weekend meeting with many community organizations providing aid on Maui. They also showed Hawaii Gov. Josh Green the evacuation site and shelter on the grounds of a church meetinghouse in Kahului. What you are doing is extraordinary for the people of Maui, Green said. We need everyone together. I think this kind of crisis brings people together. The sense of loss is there. There are people feeling desperation. They feel their lives if they werent lost in the fire may be lost in other ways. You will lift them up. Read the full story on the Church News. A volunteer committee has spent more than 20 years chipping away at a list of goals for the Gustave Koerner House, one of the most historically significant buildings in the city of Belleville. They got it placed on the National Register of Historic Places. They raised more than $300,000 to stabilize the foundation, tuck-point the brick, replace the roof, install windows and shutters, rebuild chimneys and paint the exterior. They paid for a site study that laid the groundwork for architects and contractors. But progress on the massive restoration project has been slow and challenging. Committee co-chairs Jack LeChien and Molly McKenzie say theyve come to accept that raffles, concerts, silent auctions and trivia nights cant yield the kind of money needed to finish the job. As a result, theyve asked the city, which owns the 1854 landmark, to take more responsibility for funding and fundraising. It will be a partnership, according to LeChein. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Molly McKenzie and I have been there since the beginning, and we fancy ourselves as consultants at this point, he said. We know the history of the building, and we know where it needs to go, and if the city is able to get us some grants, then full steam ahead. Koerner was a German immigrant, attorney, judge, politician and journalist. He became close friends with Abraham Lincoln and worked for his presidential administration in the 1860s. This 1867 lithograph shows the home of Gustave and Sophie Koerner, center, at the intersection of what is now Mascoutah Avenue (formerly Shawneetown Road) and Abend Street in Belleville. Would-be museum The city bought Koerners former two-story brick home at 200 Abend St. in 2000. Local historians dreamed of restoring it to its 1870s appearance and operating it as a museum and education center. The purpose was to interpret Koerners life and career and his significant role in the period leading up to the Civil War, LeChien said. He was one of the few people who devoted his time to doing away with slavery. He found it to be oppressive and wrong. Due to the rising cost of labor and materials, LeChien and McKenzie think the restoration will require another $500,000, which was the original estimate for the entire project two decades ago. And that doesnt count a porch replacement already in the works. The additional funds would be spent on the interior, including installation of flooring and wall coverings, a kitchen and bathroom, electricity, plumbing, heating and air conditioning. I think people will find (the $500,000 figure) shocking because they havent priced rehab projects lately, McKenzie said. And they think its equatable to their own home renovations, which its not. McKenzie noted that historic restorations of public buildings are held to higher standards on everything from archaeological surveys to abatement of asbestos and lead paint. Not to mention the cost of period-accurate reproduction materials and fixtures. Molly McKenzie and Jack LeChien are co-chairs of the Gustave Koerner House Restoration Committee. Theyre shown in the parlor of his 1854 home on Abend Street in Belleville. $150,000 grant The citys increased involvement in the Koerner home actually began two years ago, when Eric Schauster, assistant director of economic development, planning and zoning, applied for a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Illinois Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea), Illinois Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) and Illinois Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) took a tour of the home in March 2021. Six months later, Belt announced that $150,000 was being allocated to remove and rebuild the side porch, which is considered structurally unsound. We just got the grant agreement a couple of weeks ago, fully signed by the city and the state, Schauster said earlier this month. We we have a contract with an architect (Rob Anderson) who has started the design work. The design must be approved by the Illinois Historic Preservation Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources before the project goes out for bids on construction. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity recently awarded the city of Belleville a $150,000 grant to remove and rebuild a side porch on the Gustave Koerner House. Changing donor base The Gustave Koerner House Restoration Committees need for more help from the city had become apparent in recent years, McKenzie said, pointing to declines in the projects private donor base. We need somebody who can write grants for us, and it is a city owned property, she said. Committee members met this spring with Mayor Patty Gregory, who agreed to allow Schauster to step up efforts to obtain and manage grants for the Koerner home, according to LeChien. Schauster had looked into grant availability in the early 2000s, but he didnt find much, partly because the home wasnt on the National Register of Historic Places yet. Also, the site study, officially known as a Historic Structures Report, hadnt been completed. Schauster now is working with LeChien and McKenzie to create a master plan for the restoration. Theres funding out there for a project like this, he said. But having those ideas on paper and having that plan in one place ... Thats going to help tremendously in acquiring more funding to finish the project. This 1870s lithograph shows the Belleville home of Sophie Koerner, right, and her husband, Gustave. Both emigrated from Germany in 1833. They raised five children, including two sons who died of illnesses as teenagers. German outlaw Gustave Koerner was a law-school graduate in 1833, when he fled to the United States from Germany after being part of a failed attempt to overthrow his oppressive hometown government, according to a historical booklet published by the committee. Koerner married fellow immigrant Sophie Englemann in 1836. He later bought 2 acres of land off Shawneetown Road, now known as Mascoutah Avenue, which connects with Abend and Lincoln streets in downtown Belleville. Their first Greek Revival-style home on the property, built in 1849, was largely destroyed by fire. Koerner said there were presses, meaning newspapers, that he had saved as part of his collection, LeChien said. Thats what caught on fire (probably lit by chimney embers). The couple rebuilt the home in 1854 and added Italianate details in the 1870s. The neighborhood became known as Koerners Addition after they subdivided the land into residential and commercial lots. The couple had five children, including two sons who died of illnesses as teenagers. Koerner practiced law and served as an Illinois state representative, supreme court justice and lieutenant governor. If you lived in Belleville in the 1800s, you knew who Gustave Koerner was, McKenzie said. This stairway leads to the second floor of the Gustave Koerner House, which is being restored for use as a museum and education center at 200 Abend St., near downtown Belleville. Political switch Koerner switched from the Democratic Party to the newly formed Republican Party in the 1850s. Lincoln, then a Springfield attorney, left the Whig Party to join the Republicans. Koerner helped develop the partys anti-slavery platform and built support for Lincolns presidential campaign, particularly among German-speaking residents of Southern Illinois. President Lincoln made Koerner a colonel to assist Civil War General John C. Fremonts staff in Missouri and later named him U.S. minister to Spain, where he was instrumental in that countrys decision not to ally with the Confederates, according to McKenzie. Koerner served as a pallbearer at Lincolns funeral after his 1865 assassination. In his memoirs, he called Lincoln the justest man I ever knew and praised his leadership during the war. It required just such a complex and anomalous character, Koerner wrote. His success in saving the Union without overstepping the constitution to a fatal extent has made him the idol of the people. The Koerner home in Belleville is shown with an unidentified man out front in this 1890s photo. It originally faced Shawneetown Road, now Mascoutah Avenue. The current address is 200 Abend St. Apartment building Koerner owned the home on Abend Street until his death in 1896. It was later converted into two apartments then four apartments. The city bought the property in 2000 for $125,000, thanks to a $300,000 state appropriation for Belleville historical preservation obtained through former Illinois Rep. Tom Holbrook, who now serves as St. Clair County clerk. Money also went to the Labor & Industry Museum. (Koerner is) the man who put Belleville on the map, Holbrook said. Over the years, the city paid for the homes utilities and insurance, mowed the grass and installed a brick sidewalk, but officials largely left management and fundraising to the committee. LeChien is a history buff who spent 17 years as a news reporter and talk-show host for WIBV-AM radio and 22 years as a Section 8 housing inspector for St. Clair County. He also served as Belleville Ward 7 alderman for five years. McKenzie worked 34 years for the former Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. That included managing the Old Cahokia Courthouse and Nicholas Jarrot Mansion in Cahokia Heights. Shes a member of the city of Bellevilles Historic Preservation Commission. Other residents have rounded out the committee by volunteering regularly or periodically, depending on needs. That committee has done a fabulous job, Holbrook said. They are so dedicated and professional. Its not just a couple of neighbors getting together and saying, We ought to do this. Everythings being done correctly. The problem is, with any great ideas and great programs, theres always a lack of funding, and there were some tight times for a lot of these preservation grants, but theyre coming back now. Plans call for this room at the Gustave Koerner House near downtown Belleville to be converted into a kitchen as part of a massive restoration project. Its now being used for storage. Visitor center St. Clair County Historical Society members Barbara Kern and the late Fred Kern II, parents of former Mayor Mark Kern, were major donors to the Gustave Koerner House Restoration, according to LeChien. He called them the projects backbone in its early days. The Kern family also donated more than $25,000 in the late 2000s for the citys purchase of an 1887 brick storefront and lot at 123-127 Mascoutah Ave. that St. Clair County had obtained through foreclosure. The storefront, which stands across the Mascoutah-Abend-Lincoln intersection from the Koerner home, was essentially turned over to the committee. We had hoped that it could be a visitor center for the Koerner House but also for other area attractions, where people could pick up information and see a video on Koerner, LeChien said. However, that building needed major renovation as well. Two years ago, the committee relinquished control, determining it couldnt handle both projects. The city asked for bids from developers in April 2022. Kathy Mordini, owner of Avenue Realty Associates, is now in the process of buying the storefront. She plans to move her office upstairs and convert the lower level into an event space. Like the Koerner home, the storefront is in Old Belleville Historic District, which has rules on exterior changes. We just got approval for our facade from the Historical Preservation Commission, Mordini said earlier this month. The design is going to be a good fit for that historic neighborhood. Developer Kathy Mordini is in the process of buying the 1887 storefront at 127 Mascoutah Ave. in Belleville. An artist rendering at right shows what its expected to look like after renovations. This judges bench is stored at the Gustave Koerner House in Belleville. It came from the old St. Clair County Courthouse, which was built during the Civil War and demolished in the 1970s. This photo is believed to be the last one taken of Gustave Koerner. Hes pictured with his grandson, Kent Koerner, whos shipping out for the Spanish American War, and granddaughter, Mary Louise Koerner. The front parlor leads to a dining room at the Gustave Koerner House, which is being restored for use as a museum and education center at 200 Abend St., near downtown Belleville. This portrait is displayed at the Gustave Koerner House in Belleville. It shows Koerner in the 1860s, when he was helping Abraham Lincoln with his presidential campaign and later serving in his administration. Its not hard to find recent examples of places where broaching the need to close schools has blown up in district leaders faces. More than two decades of plummeting birth rates have hollowed out classrooms from coast to coast, yet board members and superintendents who propose a consolidation or shutdowns can easily find themselves out of a job. As it became clear the pandemic was accelerating widespread enrollment declines, demographers, economists and school funding analysts started counseling that communication is key to winning buy-in from angry parents. Few education leaders heeded their advice, instead ducking the topic. Now, school finance experts are watching to see whether things will go more smoothly in the San Antonio Independent School District, which last spring announced it will shutter a yet-unspecified number of schools at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. The districts decision-making process, they say, appears to be unusually transparent. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Describing the contraction as long overdue, San Antonio officials kicked off a presentation at the June school board meeting by showing a PowerPoint slide from 2008, making the case for confronting what was then 40 years of enrollment declines. At the top of the image, under the headline Critical Junction, two yellow school buses start down divergent paths: Stay on Course and Change to a New SAISD. The same illustration could be used today. Over the last 15 years, enrollment has dropped from more than 55,000 students to less than 45,000. Twenty years ago, the district operated 106 schools. Now, it has 98, 35 of which have undergone some form of transformation in recent years. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Many reorganized around popular curricular themes, such as dual-language immersion, Montessori or gifted-and-talented academics. As a result, more than 2,200 students from other communities now attend SAISD schools, making it the most popular interdistrict-enrollment option in its Texas region. But even with a boost from outside students, enrollment is expected to continue to decline over the next decade. The number of district residents under age 18 has fallen 14% since 2010, and births have declined 36% since 2007. Enrollment losses are likely to accelerate as older students graduate and there are too few kindergartners to make up for them. Such seismic demographic shifts are taking place virtually everywhere. Between 2019 and 2023, public school enrollment nationwide fell by about 1 million, or 2%. Schools are projected to lose another 3 million students by 2029. Related Analysis: State Laws Leave Schools Unprepared for a Post-COVID Fiscal Cliff In most states, education funding is meted out according to enrollment, so even a small change to a student body has budgetary ripples. Adding to the pressure, many districts used their share of $188 billion in temporary federal pandemic relief to stave off what, amid fights over everything from face masks to teaching about race, was just one more explosive conversation. Most district leaders, in anticipation of angry backlash, just dont raise the topic, says Marguerite Roza, head of Georgetown Universitys Edunomics Lab. Were seeing a lot of districts right now say, Dont worry, were not talking about school closure. And [leaders] thinking, If I can just make it a few more months, then Ill say it, because I dont want to deal with it right now. Postponing the painful conversation has financial consequences, she says, but also costs school systems time that leaders could have spent engaging the community about their priorities for a streamlined district. The public needs its opportunity to weigh in and marinate, says Roza. Not everybodys going to be happy, but our experience is that when people have seen the trade-offs and the numbers, and theyve had an opportunity to go back and forth, if it doesnt have to be a situation where youve eroded trust in the leaders. In February 2022, Oakland, California, school board members voted to close 11 schools over two years. Protests and a hunger strike ensued, several sitting board members lost re-election and last January the board changed the plan to consolidate fewer buildings. In St. Paul, where public outrage had stalled past consolidations, lame-duck officials scheduled a vote on long-postponed closures to occur during the short window between elections and the seating of new board members. The timing enabled the district to invest more of its federal COVID-19 recovery funds in academics than many districts. Related Downsize Schools, or Keep Them Open & Hope Students Come Back? Contentious discussions about closures have also played out in Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and other shrinking districts. New Orleans, which has had a formal process for shutting underperforming schools for years, is struggling to determine how to shrink its all-charter school system. Last fall, following a discussion about birth rates and how schools budget, the board of Colorados Jeffco Public Schools voted to shutter 16 elementary schools. In June, it followed with the consolidation of one middle and one high school into a single 6-12 facility. The process was emotional, but no one was ousted. Newly installed as San Antonios superintendent, Jaime Aquino was watching. Last spring, he took a delegation from his district to Jeffco, and also arranged conversations with officials in Cleveland, which has scrambled to address population declines. Taking what they learned, and heeding the experts advice about communicating clearly and early, San Antonio officials drew up a plan focused not on a budget crisis, but on the need for equity within the district. We are not right-sizing because were approaching a fiscal cliff, says Aquino. Were doing this because we need to deliver on the promise that we make to our students and our families that no matter where they attend [school], theyre going to get an excellent education. Right now, the districts larger schools subsidize their underenrolled neighbors which still cant afford a full array of basic academics and extracurricular activities. Operating an elementary school with 644 students costs $6,888 per child, according to a district analysis, compared with $16,261 where there are 109 students. Despite the higher per-pupil funding, some of the undersubscribed schools cant pay for math and reading teachers with expertise in each grade, mental health workers and extracurriculars. Particularly in early grades, its harder for teachers who have students from more than one grade to deliver instruction. And even where educators can focus on one age group, not having colleagues with whom to share strategies can pose problems. Meeting the needs of students still learning English or with disabilities is harder with a small staff. Aquino started talking about the need for a district contraction in spring 2022, when he was appointed superintendent, describing the excess capacity as a barrier to equity. More recently, district leaders shared information on how many students schools are drawing from their assigned neighborhoods and other parts of the district, as well as how many children from those communities are enrolled elsewhere, either in a San Antonio ISD school or one outside the district. The presentation is dramatic. Page 31 of 2023 Choice In Choice Out All Campuses Page 31 of 2023 Choice In Choice Out - All Campuses Contributed to DocumentCloud by Meghan Gallagher (The 74 Media Inc) View document or read text S.H. Gates Elementary, for example, is at 25% of capacity, built for 615 students but serving 156. Meanwhile, 202 students who live in its attendance zone attend schools elsewhere in the district. Approximately one-fourth of its third- through sixth-graders were reading and performing math at grade level at the end of the 2021-22 school year. Meanwhile, Bonham Academy has 599 pupils 13 more than its official capacity. Four hundred of those students live outside its assigned residential area, while 114 neighborhood kids either attend non-district schools or programs in other zones. Bonham does not outperform Gates in math, but its pupils read at grade level at twice the rate. It is a dual-language immersion school, an especially popular model in a majority-Latino city. Advanced Learning Academy, one of several magnet schools created as a part of a districts 2018 academic reorganization, has space for 927 students but enrolls 1,047. At Douglass Elementary, half of the 385 kids come from the surrounding neighborhood, which sends an equal number to outside schools. To Roza, these numbers underscore an important and frequently misunderstood element of closure discussions: People typically protest shuttering any school, even if its poor performance means they wont send their own children there. Communities will just react so negatively, like its a punishment that youre closing us because we were doing poorly, she says. But the truth is that parents already do that when they have a choice. What we tend to see is that the underenrolled schools arent the higher-performing ones. Related 78207: Americas Most Radical School Integration Experiment In addition to enrollment, capacity and cost per pupil, the right-sizing criteria detailed on the districts website include academic performance, investments in buildings and partnerships with local industry, colleges and other organizations. No school will close until it can be determined using the same criteria where its displaced students can be accommodated. Partly because he anticipates better distributing the districts existing staff and allowing its educator corp to shrink through attrition, the superintendent doesnt anticipate large-scale layoffs. On Sept. 18, SAISD leaders will present the school board with a proposed list of schools for closure or consolidation. In the six weeks that follow, the district will hold a series of community meetings about the initial recommendations, with a particular focus on where, if the changes are implemented, students would end up and how they would progress from elementary to secondary school. On Nov. 13, the board will vote on final recommendations as a package which means it will not make exceptions for individual schools. Because this will be complicated by the need to accommodate English learners, students in dual-language programs and other children receiving unique services, each school to be closed will be assigned an enrollment specialist to help families with placement. Will the process go more smoothly than in other places, or touch off the kind of political churn that has led some districts to back off of closures in the face of community anger? The executive director of the San Antonio parent advocacy group MindshiftED, Maribel Gardea, says the process so far seems very different from poorly led closure conversations in neighboring districts. Related Educational Redlining, Rezoning and the Bitter Politics of School Closures It looks like they are trying to be as transparent as possible at the forefront, she says. But parents are just kind of waiting for a list of possible schools that will close. Announcing up front that the board will vote on the entire list, and not bow to pressure about any given schools, is smart, says Gardea. She is less convinced that the contraction will boost academic achievement at the low-performing schools that remain open but have not received the same district investment as the ones reorganized in recent years. Board Chair Cristina Martinez is more optimistic. This is a real opportunity to really help families find a school thats going to meet the needs of all of their children, because none of our schools are the same, she says. Its also an opportunity to make sure those students who might not have been receiving some offerings really do have those options now. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on Friday rescued a man stranded on an uninhabited Bahamas island and transferred him to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in good health, the USCG said in a statement. The man had been stranded for three days after his sailboat became disabled near the island of Cay Sal, according to the statement. The sailboat fired flares, which were picked up by a Coast Guard Air Station Miami auxiliary aircrew, which subsequently alerted the Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders of the situation. An aircrew located the man on the island and dropped a radio to establish communication with him, along with supplies, including food and water. The man told the crew he had been stranded for three days. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Key West watchstanders then directed Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clarks crew to divert from their plans to rescue the man on the island. In a statement, a watchstander of the Coast Guard Key West Sector, Petty Officer 3rd Class Dev Craig attributed the success of the mission to the fact the sailboat was equipped with the necessary tools to fire the flares alerting the initial aircrew. Were proud to have saved this mans life. This case serves as a perfect example of why you must have the proper safety equipment on your vessel, Craid said in the statement. Without seeing the flare, the case may not have had a successful outcome. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Shelby County district attorney Steven J. Mulroy announced that his office has dropped more than 30 cases involving the five police officers charged with killing Tyre Nichols. Mulroy made the announcement on Aug. 17, saying that at least 100 cases worked by former Memphis Police Department officers Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Emmitt Martin and Justin Smith had been reviewed following the death of Tyre Nichols on Jan. 10. Shelby County District Attorney Steven J. Mulroy announced more than 30 dropped cases involving the five police officers charged with killing Tyre Nichols. (Photos: FOX13 Memphis/ YouTube screenshot, Photo: Saltnpeppa95)) Nichols died from blunt force trauma after being detained and beaten by the officers at a traffic stop in Memphis on Jan. 7, as shown in video released publicly. The five men were charged with second-degree murder. The ex-MPD officers were also charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping and official misconduct. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mulroy said that at least 30 cases worked by the former officers were being dropped following the review. At least 10 more cases resulted in reduced charges. As in any such case, the primary consideration is concern about the credibility as witnesses of discharged officers, read a statement from the DA, CNN reports. According to ABC24 News Memphis, the cases dropped were arrests made by the officers while they were working for MPDs SCORPION unit. The outlet claimed that Mulroys decision would result in dozens of bad guys going free. Thats what happens when you start looking into other cases being handled by a disgraced group of Memphis cops, said ABC24 news anchor Richard Ransom. Those cases are now tainted because they were handled by these five former officers. The former MPD officers were five of the 40-member, now-disbanded SCORPION unit. SCORPION stood for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods before being disbanded on Jan. 28. The unit was widely criticized for failing in its mission to reduce the citys assault, homicide and robbery rates and instead used aggressive tactics that resulted in escalated violence. The unit made 566 arrests before being deactivated and was accused of working without adequate oversight while harassing minority communities. Attorney Claiborne Ferguson represents several clients whose cases were dropped and noted that the majority of them were victims of excessive force by the SCORPION unit. Ive never seen the DAs office have to dismiss so many cases because of one incident, he said. We knew that the SCORPION unit was using excessive force on most of our cases. We were aware of that. We just never had it where it was so obvious and so well documented on film. Ferguson went on to say that many victims would not get justice as a result of the dropped cases while blaming the five officers for dismissals. Nichols was struck with a Taser, pepper sprayed and violently beaten by the five ex-cops during the traffic stop. The officers claimed that he was driving recklessly. Ex-officer Preston Hemphil, who arrived after the beating, was terminated from MPD for his involvement in Tyres death. A lawsuit filed after Nichols death called the beating a modern-day lynch mob. Mulroy first announced the charges against the former police officers on Jan. 26. We are here today because of a tragedy that wounds one family deeply but also hurts us all, said Mulroy. The death of Tyre Nichols. A judge will hear motions from the defendants to have their cases tried separately on Sept. 15. Click here to read the full story. A group of Virginia-based environmental and conservation groups sued the state Monday over Virginias withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a carbon-capping agreement encompassing several other East Coast states. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, Appalachian Voices and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. The organizations argued that the state Air Quality Control Board withdrew from RGGI unlawfully, as the state joined the agreement through legislation by the state General Assembly. The Air Quality Control Board comprises a majority of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) appointees, and Youngkin announced his intention to leave the agreement shortly after his election in 2021. Multiple RGGI withdrawal bills died in the Democratic-majority state Senate in the 2023 legislative session. Virginia is set to remain in RGGI through the end of 2023 even if the Youngkin administration successfully defends the withdrawal. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is critical that we continue our participation in RGGI, a proven climate solution, said SELC senior attorney Nate Benforado. Virginians know that we need this program and that we have no time to waste. We will be doing everything we can as quickly as we can to enforce the law and maintain this successful program. RGGI proponents say that the initiative, in which participating states set a cap on carbon emissions through tradable allowances, has saved money without hurting state economies, pointing to economic growth along with declining emissions in those states. Youngkin has blasted the program as a de facto regressive tax on utility customers. The Youngkin administration has frequently clashed with the divided Legislature on environmental issues. Last year, Youngkin attempted to appoint Trump-era Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler as state secretary of natural resources, naming him to a senior advisory position after the state Senate tabled the nomination. The Office of the Attorney General confirmed the State Air Pollution Control Board has the legal authority to take action on the regulatory proposal using the full regulatory processand the Board voted to do just thatfurthering Virginians access to a reliable, affordable, clean, and growing supply of power, a Youngkin spokesperson told The Hill in a statement. Virginians will see a lower energy bill in due time because we are withdrawing from RGGI through a regulatory process. Updated: 5:17 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A version of this story appears in CNNs What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. If you took the summer off from the threads of the American political conversation swiping away the news alerts about the one, two, three, four criminal indictments against former President Donald Trump , tuning out Trumps undisputed dominance of the GOP presidential primary, and ignoring all the Democratic bellyaching about President Joe Biden s fitness against Trump this is the week to tune back in. Trumps political fortunes will collide, not for the last time, with his legal problems when he briefly surrenders to authorities in Atlanta this week but skips the first GOP primary debate in Milwaukee. Could Trump be disqualified? Unlikely Theres a push by legal scholars, including the influential conservative and former federal judge J. Michael Luttig, to encourage states to bar Trump from their ballots. The 14th Amendment technically bars those who support insurrection from holding public office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But that idea to end-run his candidacy, however appropriate on the merits, would have to be taken up by election officials in key states and survive a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives. For now, it is a mere hypothetical. Would Americans vote for a convict? The question alarming many Trump-skeptical Republicans this week is whether Americans would ever send a convict to the White House. Trump is the subject of four criminal trials in state and federal courts. Two trials in state court in New York related to a hush-money payment scheme and in federal court in Florida related to his treatment of classified data wont get underway until after the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary next year. Trial dates have not yet been set for charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in federal court in Washington, DC, and state court in Georgia. Any conviction could change the equation for Trump I think that Joe Biden needs to be replaced, but I dont think that Americans will vote for someone who has been convicted, said Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican, during an appearance on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday. Cassidy is among the minority of Republicans who voted to remove Trump from office after the January 6, 2021, insurrection and thinks Trump should end his candidacy now (something there is zero evidence will happen). But Cassidy is not alone in his concern about how a conviction will alter the current landscape. It would make it almost a metaphysical certainty that he couldnt get elected president if he were convicted of a felony, said Scott Jennings, a Republican campaign adviser and CNN political commentator who opposes Trumps candidacy, on Monday. Most Americans dont think a convict should be eligible for the White House Jennings pointed to a recent Quinnipiac University poll in which 68% of all Americans and 58% of Republicans said a person convicted of a felony should not still be eligible to run for president. That wording sounds similar to the 14th Amendment question raised by Luttig and others, but it does not account for the possibility that, eligibility preferences aside, a major party nominee next November may be convicted of a crime. Jennings predicted Trumps GOP rivals there are eight who have qualified for the debate stage Wednesday will mention that poll when they square off without Trump on Fox News. Trump, rather than stand up to any of the criticism from his fellow Republicans, has taped an interview with the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has fanned so many of Trumps false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Its expected to be used as counterprogramming for the debate. This is the impossible riddle of American democracy right now. Large majorities of Americans say they dont want a convict on the ballot. But Trumps command of the Republican primary continues to gain strength. Predicting a blowout if Trump wins the primary One top Republican who decided not to run for president, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, is engaged in a PR campaign to get long-shot candidates to drop out and allow Republicans to coalesce around someone not named Trump. winnowing down the field of candidates is the single best chance to stop Mr. Trump, Sununu wrote in The New York Times on Monday. He predicted an anti-Republican blowout if Trump is on the ballot for the party next November. Heres one excerpt: Every candidate with an (R) next to their name, from school board to the statehouse, will be left to answer for the electoral albatross at the top of the ticket. Instead of going on offense and offering an alternative to Joe Bidens failing leadership, Republicans will continue to be consumed with responding to Mr. Trumps constant grievances and lies, turning off every independent suburban voter in America. And Mr. Trump, ever the narcissist, will spend the entire campaign whining about his legal troubles and bilking his supporters of their retirement savings to pay for his lawyers. It was a similar prediction from The Wall Street Journals editorial board, which on Sunday condemned Trump for skipping the debate and suggested Democrats are salivating at the idea of running against Trump yet again because the former president is the greatest voter turnout machine for the Democratic Party since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Is Trump even vulnerable? Sununu dismissed national polls that show Trumps support among Republicans well over 50% and said to look at polling in early contest states. Both Iowa and New Hampshire, where the conversation is really happening, where that retail politics where other candidates are having a little more media and accessibility, thats where Trump is down in the 42, 44% range, right? Thats still well above any of his rivals in those states. A new poll in Iowa by the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom suggests Trump has the support of 42% of likely Republican caucusgoers. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has the support of 19%, and no other candidate breaks into double digits, although South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott has 9%. Opposing views of Trumps support CNNs Harry Enten looked at that Iowa poll and argues that much of Trumps support is committed. Two-thirds of the likely caucusgoers who say they will support Trump also say their mind is made up. But Sununu pointed to the same poll to argue that leaves more than half of all likely Republican caucusgoers. Whats not clear is if that committed kernel of the Republican base in Iowa can sway the contest when it occurs in about five months. Trump placed second in the Iowa caucuses on his way to the Republican nomination in 2016 with support from less than a quarter of caucusgoers. Trump won the New Hampshire primary in 2016 with just about 35% of the vote. Four other candidates all got more than 10%. Trump can win the general election This idea that Donald Trump cant win the general election I want you to lose that idea, Enten said on CNN This Morning, pointing at multiple recent polls that show no clear leader between Trump and Biden. Donald Trump is polling better right now than basically at any point during the 2020 election, Enten said. The four indictments just have not affected the polling. But a conviction is a very different thing than an indictment. And Trumps legal future is now completely tied to the coming election. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The high cost of housing in the Boston area continues to be a budget-busting problem for many residents. One idea thats picking up momentum is to bring back rent control. One woman in West Roxbury told Boston 25 News We look at the options and rent prices keep going up. We wonder how long well be able to stay. Another woman who teaches echoed that sentiment. I know in the long-term I probably wont be able to stay in Boston because its too expensive. A survey this summer by Zumper found the median price of a two-bedroom apartment in Boston is $3,400. That is a 13% year-to-year increase. It also makes Boston the 5th most expensive rental market in the country. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We have been in a state of housing emergency for several years and an emergency that isnt addressed becomes a disaster, said State Representative Mike Connolly. Connolly thinks one way to address the regions high cost of housing is the restoration of rent control. This proposal that could reach the ballot next year would undo the 1994 prohibition on rent control and it would empower municipalities to consider basic tenant protections. As a private citizen, Connolly submitted a ballot petition to the Attorney Generals office. Connolly says this version of rent control shouldnt scare off developers. Any construction that was new or within the last 15 years would have this 15-year window and the intent there is so that the investors could go ahead and recoup their investments before facing what again would be moderate and reasonable rent controls. Rent control has all these unintended consequences, said Doug Quattrochi, Executive Director of Mass Landlords, an organization that opposes rent control. He says rising rents are the result of market factors, not landlord greed. Rising costs like insurance, utilities, and repair people are all adding up. Its very expensive. Quattrochi told Boston 25 News many landlords are Mom and Pop operators who live in multi-family homes. He says artificially suppressing rents is a band-aid that doesnt the real problem which he says is a lack of supply. We really need to address land use and zoning reform, Quattrochi said. Basically, eliminating the requirement for single-family zoning. That would be a huge step, a big long-term improvement. It would allow us to create a lot more housing. Only three communities Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge had rent control when voters tossed it out in 1994. The next benchmark involves Attorney General Andrea Campbell. She will rule on the legality of the ballot petitions wording to make sure it would be legal if enacted. If she does that, supporters will need to gather 75,000 signatures by the end of November. 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 panel of D.C. federal judges has ruled in favor of pro-life protesters who were arrested after chalking "Black Pre-born Lives Matter" on a D.C. sidewalk in 2020. The ruling reverses a previous decision that dismissed a lawsuit from two anti-abortion groups, which argued that police violated their First Amendment rights. "The government may not enforce the laws in a manner that picks winners and losers in public debates," wrote Judge Neomi Rao in her opinion. "It would undermine the First Amendment's protections for free speech if the government could enact a content-neutral law and then discriminate against disfavored viewpoints." The protesters, 22-year-old Erica Caporaletti and 29-year-old Warner DePriest, were arrested while participating in an anti-abortion protest held by Students for Life of America and the Frederick Douglass Foundation on August 1, 2020. According to The Washington Post, the protest was convened in the wake of that summer's Black Lives Matter protests and sought to highlight "the impact of abortion on Black communities." While writing chalk messages on public streets and sidewalks is considered vandalism in D.C., protest leaders had an earlier conversation with a police officer in which he "explained that he believed Mayor Bowser had effectively opened up the District's streets for political markings." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement However, once the protest actually started, police told demonstrators that they would be arrested if they painted or chalked any messages. According to the ruling, Caporaletti and DePriest "began to chalk 'Black Pre-Born Lives Matter' on the sidewalk anyway. Despite the message being written in small, faint letters with washable chalk, the two students were arrested." Students for Life and the Frederick Douglass Foundation filed a lawsuit in November 2020, accusing D.C. police of violating the group's First Amendment rights and Fifth Amendment right to equal protection. But their case was dismissed in 2021. Last week, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reversed that decision. While the judges agreed that Caporaletti and DePriest didn't have an equal protection claim, they were allowed to move forward with their First Amendment claims. While no one disputes that Caporaletti and DePriest violated D.C. law by chalking the sidewalk, the Court agreed that police may have engaged in illegal viewpoint discrimination by arresting the pair while ignoring individuals who openly painted and chalked anti-police and proBlack Lives Matter messages around the city in the weeks prior. "The District all but abandoned enforcement of the defacement ordinance during the Black Lives Matter protests, creating a de facto categorical exemption for individuals who marked 'Black Lives Matter' messages on public and private property," wrote Rao. "The government may not play favorites in a public forumpermitting some messages and prohibiting others." The post Court Rules in Favor of Pro-Life Protesters Arrested for Chalk Messages appeared first on Reason.com. Researchers believe cows hold a key to reducing air pollution and it starts in their stomachs. Thats why the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research will spend $750,000 to support one mans quest to lower enteric emissions, also known as the amount of methane cows expel when they burp. Grant recipient and Penn State Distinguished Professor of Dairy Nutrition Alexander Hristov believes developing methane inhibitors for cattle feed could solve the problem. Mitigating enteric methane emissions is a major focus of farmer-led voluntary efforts by the dairy sector to meet environmental stewardship goals, Juan Tricarico, senior vice president for environmental research at the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, said in a press release. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Methane reductions could be significant: from U.S. dairy systems, about 50% of the methane produced comes from the cattles digestive system (called enteric methane), with the other 50% from manure management, Hristov said. Among cattle raised for beef, about 80% of the methane is from their digestive system. The commonwealth ranks eighth for milk production nationally, with 10 billion pounds of milk produced annually by 468,000 cows. Hristovs research focuses on inhibitors that reduce the amount of methane 30% in lab tests. Other approaches have included genetic selection, vaccination to reduce microbes responsible for methane, and reducing emissions from manure. However, using feed additives has been limited by a regulatory process that has been more strict in the United States. One compound, called Bovaer (3-Nitrooxypropanol), is approved for use in Europe and some Latin American countries, Hristov said, but is still under consideration by the FDA. The lengthy approval process has been a regular issue in the agricultural sector. Thats a concern for the dairy industry, a concern for scientists, and should be a concern also for the public, Hristov said. Though additives appear beneficial for agriculture production and the environment, Hristov said dairy farmers alone shouldnt bear the extra cost. Once these compounds are approved and available for use, that will be an additional extra expense for the dairy producers ... so theres got to be some benefit for them in terms of production or society somehow has to also participate in this cost-share, he said. If we are all so concerned about the environment and we want to go and buy milk and dairy products, we need to share the cost of these environmental interventions. Canadian authorities continue to battle wildfires throughout the country, as tens of thousands of residents were placed on evacuation orders Sunday. Authorities said 35,000 residents were placed under an evacuation order in British Columbia as fire crews still continue to put out fires across the province. The provincial government also issued a state of emergency, urging residents not to travel to the central interior and southeast portions of the province for non-essential reasons. It is still very much dynamic, British Columbia Wildfire Service chief Jerrad Schroeder said in a statement. Theres still portions of this fire that we just have not prioritized. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fire crews are also trying to keep blazes under control in the countrys Northwest Territories, an area where forecasters warned that drier and windier weather conditions were approaching. Officials in the Northwest Territories capital, Yellowknife, said in a Facebook post they were working with 20 contractors and 75 volunteers to establish wildfire defense lines around the city, as crews are managing to keep off flames from advancing toward the city. Nearly 20,000 of the citys residents have evacuated due to the ongoing situation; there are 237 wildfires burning in the Territory. We are not out of the woods yet as many factors can change the status of a fire quickly, the social media post said. Canada has dealt with a record number of wildfires this year. The wildfires also greatly affected the countrys neighbors in the south, as the wildfires caused choking smoke in parts of the U.S. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said authorities have approved British Columbias request for federal assistance and added that the government is deploying assets from the Canadian Armed Forces to assist in evacuations. Well continue to be here with whatever support is needed, Trudeau wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. People considering cruising might wonder what would happen if they are running late to the ship. In a Q&A onboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, Captain Rob Hempstead shared what to do. Call the ship agent if you're running late so the captain can decide if they have time to wait. "Is the captain there, please?" a man shouted in Italian in a TikTok video showing two cruisers who appeared to be left behind by their ship at a port, Insider reported on Saturday. According to MailOnline, the passengers were late to embark on an MSC Mediterranean cruise starting in Bari, Italy, on August 15. The cruise ship departed as the pair waved and shouted to crew members to let them onboard, the video shows. On a cruise, travelers have the freedom to experience multiple destinations on one trip with port stops where they can exit the ship and explore a new place. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But cruise ships run on a tight schedule, often only allotting passengers around seven or eight hours for a one-day stop, sometimes even less. This leaves many to wonder, what happens if you're running late getting back to the ship? Will the captain wait for you? The answer is maybe. On an April 2022 cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, Insider attended a Q&A with Captain Rob Hempstead, where he answered this very question. Hampstead, who's been a Royal Caribbean captain for 18 years, started his career in Alaska's fishing industry. After 14 years of fishing, he became a captain. Before Wonder of the Seas, Hampstead served as captain of seven other Royal Caribbean ships, including Oasis of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas. The most stressful part of a cruise for the crew is getting out of the ports on time, he said, "Because the faster we go, the more fuel we have to burn." Some people come late, and as a result, are left behind, he added. However, this doesn't mean he won't wait for you, you just need to know what to do. Two cruise ships docked at Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas Coco Cay. Joey Hadden/Insider When will a cruise ship wait for passengers? There are two instances in which the ship will wait. The first is if you're late returning from a cruise-line organized excursion. Since the excursion is supposed to only take place within the allotted port time, the ship will wait for passengers coming from a cruise line excursion that's running late. However, if you've spent the day independently on your own, there are certain steps you must take to make sure you're not left stranded. If you're behind schedule, call the ship agent to alert the cruise that you're running late, he said. On Royal Caribbean cruises, this number can be found at the bottom of Cruise Compass, a daily flyer all passengers receive in their stateroom each day detailing the day's activities. The agent may also be referred to as a port agent, according to a copy of Cruise Compass obtained by Insider. A Cruise Compass with port agent information. Joey Hadden/Insider Whether or not the ship can wait for you, however, will depend on how late you'll be, he added. "If I know you're 10 minutes away, I can make an educated decision about whether or not we can wait," Hampstead said. "We will wait if we can." Of course, if that's you, you'll have to run up the dock to the ship with many passengers watching, wondering what is holding up the departure, as they quickly realize it was you. Instead, always plan your day with ample time to return to port, or better yet, book your excursions through the cruise line. Read the original article on Insider Cubas handpicked president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, plans to travel to New York next month to attend the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly in September, the Miami Herald has learned. Cuba currently chairs the G-77 plus China, a group stemming from the U.N. non-alignment movement now including 123 developing nations, which will provide a rallying point for Diaz-Canel at the U.N. General Assembly, according to sources with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to disclose the travel plans. It is unclear if the Cuban leader has already been granted a visa to travel to New York. Visa records are confidential under U.S. law; therefore, we cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. Cuban state media has not yet reported on his travel plans. The Cuban embassy in Washington D.C. did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Diaz-Canel will host a G-77 summit in Havana on Sept. 15 and 16. Shortly after, he will likely travel to New York to participate in the Sustainable Development Goals summit on Sept. 18 and give a speech at the general debate that begins the next day. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to Francisco Pichon, the U.N. resident coordinator in Cuba, the summit offers a rallying point for Cuba and the rest of the world to accelerate joint action to reach the targets of the 2030 agenda. This would be Diaz-Canels second trip to attend the General Assembly, the largest yearly gathering of world leaders. Shortly after being picked as General Raul Castros successor in the presidential office, he participated in the event in 2018, where he told foreign leaders that he would rule to continue Fidel Castros legacy, a common theme in his speeches. But in other private events with business leaders and Cuban Americans in New York, he has also tried to come across as a much more approachable, younger politician and family man. His press team even released a video of him dancing with his wife and playing music in one gathering. But five years into his rule, speculation about Diaz-Canels potential role as a reformer has been shut down by his role in the crackdown of the largest anti-government protests in decades, his poor management of the economy, and his open support for Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. The relationship with the Biden administration has gone cold after the U.S kept Cuba on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism, left many of the restrictions imposed by the previous administration in place and imposed new rounds of sanctions on entities and individuals responsible for human rights violations though not on Diaz-Canel himself. The White House has shown little interest in the kind of opening promoted by former President Barack Obama, though the two countries maintain contacts to address migration, narcotrafficking and other security concerns. Administration officials have made it clear that there will be little progress in seeking better relations if the Cuban government does not release the hundreds of people imprisoned for protesting and asking for political freedoms in the country. Ahead of Diaz-Canels planned trip, Cuban diplomats have been trying to send a softer message than the typical tirades against the United States and the embargo. Though he suggested the insistence on the prisoners release was an excuse not to pursue better relations, Cubas deputy minister of foreign affairs, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, told MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell that if there were political willingness from the U.S., we could cooperate on many other issues beyond drug interdictions. But few Cuba watchers believe Diaz-Canels visit would generate much interest among U.S. politicians or companies, and protests against his presence in the United States by Cuban Americans are likely. The U.S. government is expected to provide foreign leaders and diplomats visas to attend United Nations meetings. Still, on a few occasions, the United States has invoked national security to deny entrance to the country. On that basis, Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott sent a letter to President Joe Biden last year asking him to deny visas to the authoritarian leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to attend the U.N. general assembly. However, none had expressed intentions to participate in person that year. Cubas private entrepreneurs have been busy importing food and other products from the United States, according to the latest trade data that shows a dramatic 60% jump in exports to Cuba in June compared to the same period last year. U.S. companies exported food products and agricultural commodities amounting to $37 million to Cuba in June, compared to $23 million in June last year, according to data from U.S. government sources, U.S. ports and companies compiled by the U.S. Cuba-Trade and Economic Council. So far, exports this year till June have increased by 11% compared to last year, the data shows. But what has caught the attention of experts tracking the numbers is that, unlike in previous years when Alimport, a Cuban government company, did most of the importing of chicken, soybean or corn, the list of exports now includes unexpected products: organic coffee, cheese, coffee creamers, ice cream, chocolate, cookies, pastries, potato and corn chips, spices, popcorn, peanut butter, maple syrup and many others that are going to the private sector. There is absolutely an increase in products that the government Alimport is not buying; these are private sector to private sector transactions, said John Kavulich, the councils president. This isnt about someones opinion. This is data. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Capitalism makes strong comeback in Cuba after six decades of socialism. Will it last? According to the councils figures, Cuba bought $134 million of poultry between January and June. The Cuban government is still making the most significant purchases, Kavulich said, but the private sector is also making purchases in lower amounts. You still have the concentration among poultry and agricultural commodities, but youve got a higher percentage of other stuff, like crushed and ground ginger, popcorn, $15,981 thus far this year, almost $1.9 million in coffee products, $41,356 in essential oils, Kavulich said. Were seeing a lot of the smaller numbers, $4,952 in olive oil, $7,064 in ice cream. For the first time since Kavulich has been tracking these statistics, the yearly data running to June shows that U.S. companies also sold $30,241 worth of sugar to Cuba, whose sugar harvest has all but collapsed. Cubas private businesses are also importing beauty and hygiene products like toilet paper, shampoo, soap, deodorant and toothpaste that state enterprises are not producing or importing, as well as construction materials, air conditioner parts, trucks and industrial machinery. The Cuban private sector is not alone in getting products from the U.S. market: The councils data shows Cubas Catholic Church has bought $220,640 worth of communion wafers so far this year. Though Havana usually complains about the U.S. embargo against the island, Cuba frequently buys agricultural products, food and other commodities in the United States congressional exceptions to the embargo allow exports of food and medicines to the island. Since December 2001, Cuba has imported more than $7 billion in food products and agricultural commodities from the U.S. The Obama administration also eased some restrictions to authorize exports of items to meet the needs of the Cuban people and support independent economic activity, the Department of Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security says on its website. The bureau issues licenses to U.S. companies wanting to export authorized products to Cuba. and earlier this year, it sought public comments on the effectiveness of its licensing procedures. In 2021, U.S. exports to Cuba totaled $323,5 million, an 83% increase from 2020, according to a report by the Bureau of Industry and Security. Exports authorized under a support for the Cuban people exception totaled $20,5 million, almost three times the $7,9 million in 2020. Those numbers, however, might include things that are not part of trade activity, Kavulich said, because sometimes government agencies count exports needed by the U.S. embassy in Havana, U.S. airlines going to Cuba or include donated items in their figures. Exports of food, medicines and donations are generally authorized and do not require a specific license by the Department of Treasury or the Department of Commerce. But some Cuban private entrepreneurs and lawyers working with them have told the Miami Herald that shipping companies and airlines are demanding specific licenses to transport cargo to the island to ensure they do not run afoul of the embargo. The Biden administration, they said, has been promptly responding to the license applications, sometimes as quickly as two weeks, when the request involves food products. Since the Cuban government allowed small and medium enterprises to import products from abroad in 2021, more private businesses are sourcing their supplies in the United States and buying products to sell to other private enterprises or private grocery stores. Because the Cuban government is essentially broke and shortages are widespread, those imports have become even more critical to cover the gap and fulfill public needs at least for those who can afford them, since prices are high for most Cubans living on state wages and pensions. How Miami companies are secretly fueling the dramatic growth of Cubas private businesses Companies in Miami like Katapulk, owned by Cuban American businessman Hugo Cancio, are also becoming major exporters to Cuba, the councils data shows. Katapulk is an online market where Cuban Americans can pay for food and other products that get delivered to their relatives on the island. Other top exporters to Cuba are AJC International, Intervision Foods, Boston Agrex, Gerber Agri International, Mountaire Farms, Grove Services, Koch Foods and Vima USA, mostly selling chicken. But the future of the imports by small and medium businesses in Cuba was put on a halt by the government recently. Cubas Central Bank limited the cash these companies can withdraw from their accounts, making it difficult for them to buy dollars in the informal market to pay for imports. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel is due to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September, according to a Monday report by the Miami Herald. Diaz-Canels high-profile New York trip will underscore the cold relationship between the island and the Biden administration, which has avoided major policy shifts on Cuba. While the two countries have advanced modest collaboration agreements on areas such as migration, any return to Obama-era rapprochement has all but been abandoned on both sides of the Straits of Florida. Two issues are driving the impasse: The Biden White House has maintained Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation slapped on it by former President Trump, and Cuba has not satisfied U.S. demands regarding political prisoners on the island. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken marked the second anniversary of the July 11 protests in Cuba with a call for the release of political prisoners. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio earlier this month dismissed U.S. concerns on the issue, saying Cuba would be open to a reciprocal conversation on prisoners in either country. I dont believe that theres truly a willingness to improve the relationship, Fernandez de Cossio told MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell. We could speak of human rights between the two countries. We have serious concerns about the respect of human rights in the United States. Its an issue which we are ready to discuss, but it has to be a comprehensive conversation, said Fernandez de Cossio. Diaz-Canels visit to the General Assembly, his second, is unlikely to disentangle those knots. Yet his presence comes amid a Cuban diplomatic push to raise the countrys profile. Immediately before heading to New York, Diaz-Canel is due to host a Group of 77 summit in Havana, where the groups 123 member nations and China will rally ahead of the General Assembly. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The gastronomic realm mesmerizes with chefs crafting dishes that surpass mere taste, becoming cultural phenomena. Among its brightest stars is Michelin-awarded chef Juan Manuel Barrientos Valencia. His inventive techniques, artful creativity, and commitment to redefining gastronomy have solidified his stature among the worlds culinary elite. Born on June 16, 1983, in Medellin, Colombia, Juan Manuel Barrientos Valencias ardor for food took root early on. The rich flavors of Colombia and his grandmothers cherished recipes fueled his budding passion. His culinary pursuits led him to studies at Colegiatura Colombiana in Medellin and Mariano Moreno in Buenos Aires, introducing him to a kaleidoscope of culinary traditions. These experiences sculpted his inimitable style. Armed with newfound expertise, Barrientos returned to Colombia, inaugurating his premiere establishment, El Cielo, in 2006. Located in Medellin, El Cielo translating to The Sky encapsulates his ambition to elevate dining to ethereal realms. El Cielo transcends the conventional dining model. Guests are treated to an immersive gastronomic odyssey. Barrientos signature style marries Colombian staples with cutting-edge methods, crafting dishes that narrate tales and stir emotions. His masterful use of molecular gastronomy and evocative presentations have garnered global acclaim and a fervent clientele. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 2015, the El Cielo experience expanded stateside with a Miami restaurant first, followed by a Washington, DC, location in 2021. The following year marked a monumental achievement. Not only did his Washington, DC, establishment clinch a Michelin star, but his Miami venue also became the first in Florida to earn the esteemed accolade. This year in 2023, his original Miami location retained its star, underscoring his consistent excellence. The latest chapter in Barrientos saga unfolds with El Cielos debut at SLS South Beach, which is already being lauded as a culinary hot spot. The Michelin recognition spotlighted not only Barrientos and his eateries but also Colombias emergence as a gastronomic dynamo, proving that culinary brilliance can sprout from the worlds uncharted corners. In a candid conversation, Barrientos delves into his culinary voyage, inspirations, and the ethos propelling his empire. What is your earliest memory of food? Chef Barrientos: My earliest food memory is sweet plantains, coffee and fruits like zapote, nispero, madrono, from Fredonia the town of my grandparents in Colombia, I passed all weekends and vacations harvesting coffee in the mountains, processing it, roasting and eating fruits. Was there a moment or a dish that made you think Yes I have to be a Chef? Chef Barrientos: I was 18, I was studying engineering and working at my fathers company in commercial trading, I read a magazine that talked about angered cuisine and how the barriers of tradition where pushed by creativity in two restaurants called Arzak and El Bulli, that was my eureka moment, I realized I wanted to do that with Colombian cuisine. Whats the inspiration and meaning behind the name El Cielo? Chef Barrientos: El Cielo is sky or paradise in Spanish, our goal is to make people happy every pushing the limits of excellence and deliciousness in every experience we serve every day with every client make them feel at El Cielo. What is something that a lot of people dont know about you? Chef Barrientos: I work around 13 to 16 hours a day, when I have a day off, Im with my daughter or my girlfriend. I love doing nothing, staying in bed all day, having wine with my father, or meditating with my mother the Italian concept of dolce far niente. I am also working in my foundation, helping wounded soldiers and teaching them. I also love art and learning about quantum mechanics and astronomy! What adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Chef Barrientos: Disciplined, passionate, loving, pragmatic. What do you love about food? Chef Barrientos: Everything. Cooking at home is a therapy; cooking at the restaurant a passion; cooking at my testing kitchen is the expression of my creativity and eating when Im traveling a hobby. If you were not a Chef what would you be? Chef Barrientos: I would be a designer and a businessman, but I think right now besides being a chef Im also involved in leading all the design and business at our company, so I think Ive achieved merging this, too, with cooking. Whats your advice to young people who dream of becoming a chef and having your success? Chef Barrientos: Real success is not about having a dream or passion, everyone: Successful or not, have them. I think the ultimate key for success is discipline during years. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working? Chef Barrientos: Cooking with my daughter or traveling with my girlfriend. Who are your personal heroes? Chef Barrientos: My parents. From a young culinary enthusiast to a Michelin-starred maestro, Juan Manuel Barrientos Valencias journey epitomizes dedication. By reimagining Colombian gastronomy, he has enamored global audiences. His harmonious blend of age-old traditions and contemporary innovation, coupled with his societal contributions, heralds him as a beacon in the culinary arena. As gastronomys landscape shifts, Chef Barrientos remains a lodestar for budding chefs and culinary aficionados. https://elcielogroup.com/ McClatchy newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content. Hilary Tetenbaum is a professional writer located in Santa Monica, CA. Her experience includes ghost writing, marketing writing, business plan writing and conducting research. In her spare time she volunteers at a city run animal shelter doing what she can to enrich the lives of dogs in need. She can be reached at htetenbaum@roadrunner.com. Under the leadership of current President Vladimir Putin , Russia is trying to impose a positive image of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin on society by amending history textbooks to show that he led Russia to victory and defended the country's interests. Source: Medusa Details: At a press conference dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk, Mikhail Myagkov, scientific director of the Russian Military Historical Community, said that the new unified textbook on Russian history presents the role of Joseph Stalin "objectively". He contrasted the book with previous textbooks, including those allegedly "funded in the 1990s by the Soros Foundation". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to Myagkov, in the textbooks of the 1990s, Stalin "was a tyrant, a beast, an inept commander who overwhelmed the enemy with corpses [of USSR soldiers]", and the "criminal Stalins regime" was a thread connecting many textbooks. Modern "experts" have presented Stalin's role in the new unified textbook "properly, objectively", a representative of the Russian Military Historical Community claims. According to Myagkov, the new textbook presents Stalin as a man who held the position of commander-in-chief, and no major operation took place without his participation; as a man who "nominated the commanders of victory". Myagkov emphasised that Stalin "clearly defended the interests of Soviet foreign policy". New textbooks on general history and Russian history for grades 10 and 11 were presented in early August. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian Institute of Education and Research and an advisor to the Russian president, took part in the creation of the textbooks. Earlier it was reported that the sections on the 1970-2000 period were completely rewritten in these textbooks, and a section on the war against Ukraine, called a "special military operation" by Putin, was added. Why it is important: In the past, Soviet and post-Soviet authorities have tried to dispel the cult of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, but in recent years, Putin has been trying to clear Stalins name by ignoring his agreements with Adolf Hitler and the torture of his own countrymen. Stalin is seen as an example for Putin, and against the backdrop of the war against Ukraine, the Russian dictator is increasingly invoking the image of his predecessor. The cult of Stalin's personality began in the Soviet Union in the mid-1930s and lasted until 1956, when it was officially dispelled at the XX Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In the following years, the USSR got rid of the legacy of Stalin's personality cult, and his body was taken out of the Mausoleum and buried near the Kremlin wall on the night of 31 October 1961. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! After pleading guilty to a sexual battery charge regarding an incident with former TV judge Glenda Hatchett , a Georgia sheriff has resigned. Bleckley County Sheriff Kristopher Coody plead guilty to a misdemeanor sexual battery charge against Hatchett on Monday, Aug. 21, before stepping down. Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody, left, is facing misdemeanor sexual battery charges for groping Judge Glenda Hatchett, on right. (Photos: Facebook/Judge Glenda Hatchett/ YouTube/ 13WMAZ) Coody confessed to groping Hatchetts breast at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel and Convention Center Bar in January 2022. The incident took place during the Georgia Sheriffs Association meeting while Hatchett was being introduced to a group of sheriffs at a bar at the hotel. Related: What Are You Doing?: Georgia Sheriff Facing Sexual Crime Charge for Allegedly Groping Judge Hatchett at a Conference, Forcing Another Guest to Remove His Hands For this man to come up and violate me the way he did is unspeakable, Hatchett said in court, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As part of his sentencing, Coody will serve 12 months on probation. He also has to complete 40 hours of community service and an alcohol and drug course, plus pay a $500 fine. He is ordered not to have any contact with the judge in the future as well. Coody submitted his resignation letter to the Georgia Sheriffs Association and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after the hearing, reports show. Former sheriff of DeKalb County Thomas Brown said he personally witnessed the violation on Coodys part and intervened. He said he was introducing Hatchett at the conference as a featured guest and turned his head for a second to return to Coody inappropriately touching her. As I turned to my left to focus back on the two of them, I saw his hand go down on her left breast, Brown said. I grabbed his arm, threw it off of her chest and basically said, What are you (adjective) think youre doing? and thats basically where it ended. According to Brown, the sheriff seemed intoxicated as he placed his hands on the judges breast and did so to demonstrate his connection to The heart of Georgia. Multiple community leaders and activists pressed Kemp to suspend the former sheriff, even hosting rallies in front of the Capitol building. Hatchett spoke out in court about how this ordeal has impacted her. My entire professional career, I have been involved in supporting victims. I have seen in my courtroom so many victims over the years, she said. To be on this side of this is very difficult. It is important for the defendant, and everyone present to understand the horrific effect this has had on me. This has cut me to the core. Cobb County State Court judge Carl Bowers took time out during the hearing to thank Hatchett for coming to his courtroom. He then apologized for the lengthiness of the case and for what she had to go through. Bowers also said if Coody violates orders not to contact Hatchett, he will be locked up. I will lock you up. Not a threat, simply a promise, he said. Click here to read the full story. A solar eclipse moves across the sky near the crown and torch of the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island on August 21, 2017. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Aug. 21 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1831, Nat Turner launched a bloody slave insurrection in Southampton County, Va., leading to the deaths of 60 people. Turner, an educated minister who considered himself chosen by God to lead his people out of slavery, was hanged. In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The painting by Leonardo di Vinci was recovered in 1913. In 1935, Benny Goodman's nationally broadcast concert at Los Angeles' Palomar Theater was such a hit that it often has been referred to as the kickoff of the swing era. In 1940, exiled Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico City on orders from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Spectators watch massive waves crash on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, on December 13, 2004. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. File Photo by Pierre Tostee/UPI In 1951, the United States ordered construction of the world's first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus. The vessel was retired in 1985. File Photo by U.S. Navy On Aug. 21, 2013, a U.S. military judge sentenced Army Pfc. Bradley Manning -- now known as Chelsea Manning -- to 35 years for leaking government secrets. File Photo courtesy of the Department of Defense In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 1983, Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated as he stepped from a plane at the Manila airport. On August 21, 1986, gas released from a volcanic lake in the remote mountains of Cameroon killed more than 1,700 people and injured 500. File Photo by United States Geological Survey In 1986, gas released from a volcanic lake in the remote mountains of Cameroon killed more than 1,700 people and injured 500. It became known as the Lake Nyos disaster. In 1991, Boris Yeltsin led a three-day resistance to crush an attempted coup d'etat against President Mikhail Gorbachev. Women celebrate the revolution against Moammar Gadhafi's regime and ask for more women's rights in Tripoli, Libya, on September, 2, 2011. On August 21, 2011, Libyan rebels, with NATO support, stormed into Tripoli and seized control of Moammar Gadhafi's besieged country, setting up their own government at the end of a three-day battle. File Photo by Tarek Elframawy/UPI In 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, assessing the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, in a mostly flu-free time of year, said there had been 522 reported deaths from confirmed cases of the illness and 7,963 people hospitalized. File Photo by Israel Rosas/UPI People use touch-screen computers to study details of the "Mona Lisa" painting at the "Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop: Inventor, Artist, Dreamer" exhibit shown at the Discovery Times Square Exposition on November 20, 2009 in New York. On August 21, 1911, the "Mona Lisa" was stolen from the Louvre. The painting by Leonardo di Vinci was recovered in 1913. File Photo by Monika Graff/UPI In 2011, Libyan rebels, with NATO support, stormed into Tripoli and seized control of Moammar Gadhafi's besieged country, setting up their own government at the end of a three-day battle. In 2013, a U.S. military judge sentenced Army Pfc. Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison for giving classified documents to the WikiLeaks whistle-blower site. Manning, with credit for time already served, would be eligible for parole in seven years. In 2016, President Barack Obama pardoned Manning, who was by then going by Chelsea Manning. On August 21, 1951, the United States ordered construction of the world's first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus. The vessel was retired in 1985. File Photo by U.S. Navy/UPI In 2017, millions watched the United States' first total solar eclipse in 38 years. Experts said the event was one of the largest mass migrations in human history with more than 200 million Americans within a day's drive of the path of totality. In 2020, actor Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months in federal prison and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, received five months for taking part in a college admissions scam. In 2021, heavy rains caused flooding in Middle Tennessee, killing 20 people and creating more than $100 million in damage. A Dayton man accused of shooting and killing another man earlier this month has been indicted, according to Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. Michael Krieger, Sr., 62, was indicted Monday on two counts of murder, one count of felonious assault with a deadly weapon, one count of felonious assault with serious physical hard, and three counts of having weapons while under disability. >> Previous Coverage: Coroner IDs victim of weekend shooting; Dayton man accused of pulling trigger facing charges On August 12, Dayton police were dispatched to the 2000 block of Leo Street on a report of a shooting. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Upon arrival, police located 43-year-old Donovan Sampson. Sampson was rushed to Miami Valley Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Krieger is currently in custody in the Montgomery County Jail being held on a $1,000,000 bond. What makes Lucy Letby different from other killers is that her motive remains unclear and she doesnt look the part. When I heard about the verdict and saw her photograph for the first time, I couldnt believe she was guilty. She seemed so ordinary; so caring. It was only when I read into the strange pattern of deaths on her ward, how it had to be Nurse Lucy, and how this sweet girl did it, that I thought: Hang her, shoot her or fry her. Just get her off my planet. For the record, I used to be for the death penalty but now Im against. Ive grown opposed to violence in all forms and cynical about the justice system. Only last month, Andrew Malkinson had a false accusation for rape overturned after 17 years in prison. He discovered that the state, in its benevolence, offered compensation but might request some of the money back to cover food and lodging in jail. (Malkinson challenged this asinine rule and won.) Nevertheless, I remain sympathetic towards the instincts surrounding calls for the death penalty, and wary of attempts to dismiss or suppress them. The murder of a child, so innocent and vulnerable, sparks rage in normal people and so it should. Letby injected air into her patients bloodstream. She force fed them milk and poisoned them with insulin. Were I a bereaved parent at the trial, Id have leapt into the dock and throttled her in front of the judge. To discourage vigilantes, our system is kept deliberately banal; the evidence is calmly assessed, the verdict delivered without fuss. We are reminded often that this is about justice, not revenge. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Such dispassion would be acceptable if, after a fair trial, the convict felt the sharp shock of appropriate punishment. But too many sentences are too short; some of the most ghastly offenders have been let out to offend again. One can imagine Letby being sent to an institution with cheerful murals on the walls, where her constant pleas of innocence disregarding an actual confession she wrote on a Post-it note might be indulged in group therapy. The system is so pathetically weak that she has threatened not to attend her own sentencing. When the UK first suspended the death penalty in 1965, many hoped that removing violence from the top end of justice would trickle down through society, making us more civilised. Instead, crime went up and today, as predators exploit our liberality, a state without the death penalty resembles a lion tamer without a whip. Attitudes towards the noose have become a textbook example of the divide between the general public, which would like to restore it, and the governing class that has turned opposition to it into a litmus test of humanity and intelligence. The consensus is that hanging is barbaric; supporters must be savages. Conservative politicians have learnt to bite their tongue. Priti Patel used to argue for the death penalty; as she rose through the Cabinet, she felt obliged to assure us she had changed her mind, perhaps thanks to a famous encounter on Question Time in which Ian Hislop schooled her on various miscarriages of justice. Last week, she was asked by GB News if Letbys case, of all cases, warranted an execution. All she could say was that justice had to be done and her sympathy was with the families. Come on Priti. We can guess what you were really thinking. Most of us, when we see harm being done to someone, want to know that harm has come to the perpetrator. If thats not true, why do people celebrate when they hear Russian soldiers have been killed in action? Or cheer when a shop-owner punches a thief? These episodes exist, of course, in different moral categories to the death penalty: the Ukrainian soldier is defending his country; the shopkeeper is doing what the police have failed to do and protecting his property. But the communitys instinct to punch back when it is punched is undeniably there, sometimes festering away beneath the radar of correct opinion. Ive heard so many people say, with relish: Can you imagine what Letby will go through in jail? Shed be better off dead. Thats truly disturbing. The Christian in me insists that I transcend any temptation to cruelty, trust in Gods judgment and turn the other cheek. But even if religions seek to regulate behaviour towards love and forgiveness, they do start by acknowledging the reality and power of feelings such as anger and hate. They deal with human beings as they actually are. By contrast, the modern world, rejecting the doctrine of original sin, often operates in ignorance of peoples capacity for wickedness. This might help explain why NHS managers fail to act when death rates mysteriously rise, or social workers keep missing the warning signs of child abuse. Ironically, liberal rigidity refusing to see evil, call it out or even recognise the concept might someday trigger an irresistible demand for capital punishment. There will be a case where the killing is so heinous, and the policing so inept, that the public will demand that vengeance be theirs. Letby must be particularly disturbing to those who have stuck to the 1960s view that society is chiefly to blame for crime. She wasnt poor. Theres no evidence of childhood trauma. She was probably a narcissist who wanted to put herself at the centre of all things, for if a baby lived on her watch, she was thanked for saving it; if the infant died, she got thoughts and prayers. The most satisfying way to describe her actions is indeed evil, another idea weve spent decades trying to forget. It implies there are crimes beyond understanding and people we cannot fix. With many questioning whether Letbys prison sentence is sufficient punishment for her actions, read what Telegraph readers have to say on the issue, here. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Workers unearthed an eerie discovery at a construction site on a New Mexico college campus. While excavating Thursday, Aug. 10, workers dug up human remains that appeared to be decades old, New Mexico Highlands University officials said in an email to McClatchy News. The university stopped excavation work upon the discovery, secured the area and covered the remains to protect them, officials said. Originally, the university planned to move work on the renovation project to areas of the building that dont require excavation. Classes and day-to-day university business continued uninterrupted on and after Friday, Aug. 11. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Then the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator got to work at the site Aug. 18 and asked the university to stop work at the site during its investigation. University officials said the renovation work would not continue until the agency gives them the all clear. Officials did not release information about the nature of the remains, including whether it appeared to be a grave site. But they said the university would take all necessary precautions to preserve the dignity of the site as well as the remains within. New Mexico Highlands University is a public university in Las Vegas, New Mexico. About 1,600 undergraduate students attend the university, according to U.S. News and World Report. Mysterious society once inhabited Mexico. Now construction has uncovered its remains Landlords remains were found in backyard, Texas cops say. Woman arrested years later Construction workers accidentally unearth centuries-old skeletons in the Philippines The Ministry of Defence is developing a draft law on creating a military police, whose tasks will include combating war crimes and ensuring discipline among the military. Source: press service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Quote: "The organisation will be formed based on the military law enforcement service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It will have separate powers for operational search activities and pre-trial investigation of war crimes (in war zones)." "Among the main tasks are: law enforcement activities for the prevention, detection, and suppression of war crimes following the norms of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and military regulations; operational and search activities; special prevention in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, State Transport Special Service; ensuring law and order, military discipline in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, State Transport Special Service; protection of the rights of military personnel; protection of state property and execution of punishments." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Details: Defence Ministrys data says the military police should become a military formation with law enforcement functions and will be part of the Defence Ministry's system. The purpose of the formation is to maintain military discipline among the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence, and the State Transport Special Service. It provides for the compatibility of the military police with the relevant structures of NATO member states. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! As the 2024 presidential campaign unofficially kicks off with Wednesdays GOP debate, a familiar claim is popping up about North Carolinas role in deciding who will be the nations next president. Its being said that 2024 is the year that North Carolina will put its Electoral College votes in the Democratic column. Thats what Hillary Clinton thought when she closed her 2016 campaign with a rally in Raleigh. In 2020, President Joe Biden thought he had a shot at making North Carolina go the way of Virginia and Georgia. They were wrong. Even former President Barack Obama, who in 2008 became the only Democrat to carry the state since Jimmy Carter in 1976, couldnt repeat the feat in 2012. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The reasons for Democrats hopefulness are also familiar. Theyre based on the states growth, its changing demographics and recent voting patterns. North Carolinas population has increased faster than the national average since 2020, with the growth concentrated in heavily blue urban areas. And former President Donald Trump s hold on the state slipped. He won it by 3.6 percent in 2016 and only 1.4 percent in 2020, the closest result of all states. In her recent newsletter, Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin put North Carolina among the states likeliest to flip from Trump to Biden. Meanwhile, the Biden campaign announced on Sunday that it has included North Carolina among the battleground states where it will focus a 16-week, $25 million ad campaign. But those who see the bluing of North Carolina from the outside may not be accounting for two developments on the inside. On Aug. 13, the State Board of Elections certified the so-called centrist party known as No Labels to appear on the North Carolina ballot. The new entry has the support of former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, a No Labels national co-chairman. Theres no way a No Labels candidate can win, but in a state as closely split as North Carolina, a party billing itself as a common sense, centrist alternative could certainly be a spoiler for Bidens hopes here. Rick Wilson, a co-founder of The Lincoln Project, a political action committee created by anti-Trump Republicans, is concerned about No Labels. Wilson told me last week, The way we modeled it, the way we looked at it repeatedly, its going to end as something that draws off conservative Democrats in key Electoral College states and hands the election to Donald Trump. Wilson said that while No Labels does not disclose its donors, it is known to have the support of hedge fund and oil and gas industry leaders who want to elect Trump without having their fingerprints all over it. The second obstacle for Democrats is an all-out push for voter suppression by Republican state lawmakers. Last week the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed legislation that eliminated the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots postmarked before or on Election Day, but received afterward. That change comes on top of a new photo ID requirement for in-person and mail-in voters. There will also be a new signature verification set for mail-in ballots. These changes would cause enough contention and confusion by themselves, but Republican lawmakers may compound those effects by leaving many voters in the dark about the changes. The State Board of Elections has asked the legislature for more funding to educate poll workers and voters about the new requirements. But its not known how much, if any, of that money will be provided in the next state budget. The proposed House budget only funded half of the request. The proposed Senate budget included none of the funding. Trends within North Carolinas electorate do point to the state going into the Democratic column in the next presidential election. But No Labels could siphon thousands of would-be Democratic votes and new voting requirements and the confusion about them could disproportionately disqualify Democratic voters. Its going to take more than a demographic trend for Biden to win North Carolina. Hes going to need a blue wave. Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-404-7583, or nbarnett@ newsobserver.com The Burke County Sheriff's Office is searching for second 17-year-old they say is connected to an Aug. 1 fight at Burke County High School. Jaden Dixon, 17, is wanted for unlawful street gang activity and affray, according to the sheriff's office. Dixon has brown eyes, black hair, weighs 154 pounds and is 6 feet tall, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. On Thursday, the sheriff's office announced Zavion Washington, 17, is wanted for unlawful street gang activity, disrupting a public school and affray. Teen wanted after fight: Teen wanted in connection to Burke County High School fight ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Schools reopen: Josey High, Murphey Middle reopen following school shooting in Augusta Just before 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 1, a fight broke out in the mall area of Burke County High School. The fight involved more than half a dozen students, according to an incident report from the sheriff's office. A number of students were injured during the fight and Assistant Principal Garry Fulcher was scratched on the neck while trying to help break up the fight along with other staff, according to the report. Washington and Dixon were involved in the altercation, according to officials with the Burke County Sheriff's Office. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Second Burke County teen accused of being involved in school fight Wilmington is suing a nonprofit previously contracted to run the New Castle County Hope Center, claiming the organization diverted over $300,000 in federal emergency pandemic relief meant to pay for employees of the homeless shelter. A lawsuit filed in Delaware Superior Court by the city in July claims the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans and its Executive Director David E. Mosley diverted at least $338,762 meant for monitor and mentor salaries at the Hope Center, instead using the money to pay for Mosley's salary as well as other executive staff at the veterans center. Wilmington attorneys said in the suit that the veterans center and Mosley's illegal diversionleft the Hope Center without sufficient monitor/mentors for months, depriving homeless individuals at the Hope Center of critical supportive services. The bedroom of a suite used to house residents at the Hope Center. Delawares largest city was first alerted to the funding discrepancies in December 2022 after New Castle County conducted a review of the Hope Centers operations and finances. Wilmington later hired outside auditors to perform a review, which confirmed the improper spending. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The money was part of $689,997 Wilmington contributed to the Hope Center for meals and supportive services for the homeless, thanks to Emergency Solutions Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HOPE CENTER FUNDING: Former-hotel-turned-shelter gets $750K in federal money to fix roof, transport residents The Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans did not respond to requests for comment for this story. How the Hope Center came to be Near the end of 2020, New Castle County spent $20 million to convert the former Sheraton hotel ,on Airport Road near New Castle, into an emergency homeless shelter and resource for area residents. The project was made possible primarily through coronavirus relief funds from the federal government. The New Castle County Hope Center, a former hotel on Airport Road near New Castle, Tuesday Dec. 22, 2020. The county government used CARES Act money to purchase the hotel to convert into emergency housing. The Hope Center offers short-term housing for houseless individuals, as well as provides some medical care, workforce development, school programming for children and transportation. For the first two years, Wilmington, the county and the city of Newark forged a multijurisdictional partnership to fund the center, said Carrie Casey, manager of the Division of Community Development and Housing for New Castle County. COVID-19 VACCINES: Hope Center focuses on vaccinating those most vulnerable Casey said the county initially partnered with Friendship House to run the Hope Center as the service anchor for 2021. The following year, the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans secured the bid to serve as the Hope Centers service anchor for 2022. When Wilmington received the federal funding, it contracted with the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans to provide meals for 60 days and pay mentors and monitors salaries for a year at the Hope Center. The $689,997 grant agreement was signed in February 2022. The agreement was updated the following month, but the citys obligation remained the same, according to court papers. How the pandemic relief funds were misused After New Castle County alerted the city to the funding discrepancies, Wilmington launched its own investigation. UHY LLP, a certified public accounting firm with locations across the country including Maryland and Virginia, conducted an audit of the grant funds, a review that the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans agreed to in February this year. David Mosley, founder of the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans, stands at the former Layton nursing home in Wilmington several years ago. Mosley, a veteran, turned the building into a housing center for homeless veterans. Mosley and the veterans center was sued in July 2023 by the city of Wilmington over alleged mishandling of pandemic relief funds meant to pay for employees and services at the New Castle County Hope Center. The veterans center initially agreed to repay the city for the overcharges, and on Feb. 6 provided $5,000 to begin the repayments. Wilmington attorneys say no other payments were received. The accounting firm found that over six months in 2022, the veterans center charged Wilmington for its executive staff rather than the Hope Center employees the grant money was meant to pay for. For example, the firm found that in April the veterans center charged Wilmington for 15 employees that were not Hope Center monitors or mentors. This practice continued through September 2022, according to court papers, with the center submitting invoices to the city for nearly a half dozen veterans center employees each month. DISPLACED FAMILIES: Adams Street residents' motel rooms soon will come at a cost to families The April and May invoices were false and contained misrepresentations, because the city was in fact charged for salaries other than those for monitor/mentors, including Mosley's own salary and the salaries of the clinical director, operations manager, and two individuals who did not work at the Hope Center, the lawsuit reads. The accounting firm also found the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans: Lacked internal controls, including switching to a manual payroll system that removed the HR director from payroll monitoring. Failed to turn over key documents on costs incurred during the audit; documents that are required within the agreement with Wilmington and when receiving federal grant money. Charged Wilmington $229,160 for services budgeted and reimbursed by New Castle County. The contract with the veterans center expired in February and the nonprofit no longer serves the Hope Center. Now three years into operating the resource and shelter, New Castle County knows what it wants, Casey said. We took over case management in March, and use Goodwill staffing for the 24-hour staffing that we need, she said. Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-598-5507. Follow her on Twitter/X at @mandy_fries. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington sues Delaware nonprofit, claiming misuse of COVID funds Archaeologists recently uncovered a cache of ancient Roman artifacts in England. Among them, one remarkable object stood out that predates not only the Romans, but all of human civilization: a dinosaur fossil. The discovery of the prehistoric bone indicates Romans in the region may have taken a fancy to paleontology, according to an Aug. 15 news release from Cambridge Investment Partnership, a public-private housing organization. As archaeologists we are often asked by members of the public if we have found any dinosaur bones and on this occasion, we actually found one! Andrew Greef, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology, an organization which took part in the excavation, said in the release. The fossil was discovered alongside Roman era burial sites. The artifacts were found not far underneath parking lots and garages in Cambridge, located about 60 miles north of London. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Pits, pottery and multiple well-preserved gravesites were found all of which were attributed to the ancient Romans who occupied Britain. The site likely dates to between 100 and 400 AD, making it at least 1,600 years old (the Roman occupation of Britain lasted from around 55 BC to 410 AD, according to Historic UK). The fossil may have been collected by the regions first-ever fossil hunters, archaeologists said. The dinosaur bone, a palm-sized plesiosaur vertebrae, was embedded along with the Roman material. Dinosaur fossils are occasionally found in Cambridgeshire and as the Romans were known to be some of the first fossil hunters it is possible that this was a curated object, according to the release. Ancient Romans and Greeks regularly encountered the fossilized bones of extinct creatures, according to the book The First Fossil Hunters by Stanford University historian Adrienne Mayor. The early Mediterranean people formulated sophisticated hypotheses about where the bones came from, often couching them in myths, according to the book. In fact, tales of cyclops, giants and other monsters likely sprung out of the discovery of ancient fossils. After they are cleaned off and recorded, the discoveries in Cambridge will be handed over to the local government. Cramped, rodent-infested room found in Pompeii sheds light on slavery in ancient times 2,300-year-old statue depicting 3-headed goddess of witchcraft found in Turkey. See it See-through creature with bladelike teeth found lurking in sea. Its a new species Tributes and outrage are pouring in for a Southern California shop owner who was shot and killed over a Pride flag on display outside her store, with Gov. Gavin Newsom calling the shooting "absolutely horrific." Deputies responding to a call about a shooting at the Mag.Pi shop in Cedar Glen on Friday evening found that 66-year-old Lauri Carleton had been shot, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Carleton was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies soon after found the suspect, who had fled on foot and was still armed, police say. When deputies tried to make contact with him, they fatally shot him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The sheriff's office did not say whether the man pointed his gun at them or what else led up to the shooting. Investigators later determined that the suspect, whose name was not released, had made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag on display outside the store. More: Gay Pride flag attacks mount amid online challenges by extremist groups Trans women in chess: World chess organization FIDE issues ban on transgender women competing in womens events Community mourns Mountain Provisions, a local food cooperative, honored Carleton in a Facebook post, calling her a dear friend, mom to many, ally, organizer, entrepreneur, founding member and soul of our co-op. "If you knew Lauri you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those she cared about," the post said. "She was a force, she loved to crack jokes and wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible." The group said that Carleton and her husband organized the co-op, which offered free food and supplies for four months after a blizzard swept through the area. Lauri put her whole heart into keeping it going as long as we could, the group said. The group urged people to "pay an act of kindness forward in her honor" and encouraged people to fly Pride flags in her honor. "Love will prevail," the post said. "We will continue to stand for the values she so selflessly stood for. Her death will not be in vain. No place for hate California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his outrage over the shooting on X, formerly Twitter. "This is absolutely horrific," he wrote. "This disgusting hate has no place in CA." This is absolutely horrific. A shop owner has been shot and killed by a man after he criticized the pride flag hanging outside her business. Lauri leaves behind her husband and 9 children. This disgusting hate has no place in CA. https://t.co/1Fk4IKnIRB Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 20, 2023 Hollywood Director Paul Feig ("Bridesmaids," "The Heat," "Spy") posted on X that Carleton was a friend. She was a wonderful person who did so much for the LGBTQ+ community as well as the community at large," he wrote. "What happened to her is an absolute tragedy. If people dont think anti-gay & trans rhetoric isnt dangerous, think again." Lauri Carleton was my friend. She was a wonderful person who did so much for the LGBTQ+ community as well as the community at large. What happened to her is an absolute tragedy. If people dont think anti-gay & trans rhetoric isnt dangerous, think again. https://t.co/BsrckyUN9t Paul Feig (@paulfeig) August 19, 2023 Social media users also commented about Carleton's death, with one Facebook user posting that the killing is "unfathomable." "I've shopped at this beautiful store and have eaten in the diner next door a few times when visiting Lake Arrowhead, always friendly and welcoming .. such a sad senseless act." Another person who lives in "a conservative part of Texas" said Carleton's willingness to fly a Pride flag inspired them to do the same despite initial fears. "Ive always been afraid to fly a Pride flag as I am in a conservative part of Texas, but Im going to for Lauri," the Facebook user wrote. "The fact that this happened to such a beautiful human being for NOTHING, my brain cannot process it," the user posted. "As the B in LGBT, thank you Lauri. I know you were a million other things in life besides an ally and you didnt know this was how it was going to go, but I hope you can see all the lives youve touched." Growing memorial Carleton began her career in the fashion industry in her early teenage years, according to her website. She worked at her familys business, Fred Segal Feet, in Los Angeles and went to the Art Center School of Design. She eventually worked for Kenneth Cole and stayed for over 15 years as an executive, working with designers in Italy and Spain and traveling more than 200 days a year. "With a penchant for longevity, she has been married to the same man for 28 years and is the mother of a blended family of nine children, the youngest being identical twin girls," the website says, adding that the couple's many travels have taught them "to drink in and appreciate the beauty, style and brilliance of life." "Mag.Pi for Lauri is all about tackling everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream," the site says. Outside Carleton's store, community members have been leaving dozens of bouquets of flowers and Pride flags. A shop sign outside the memorial reads: "Peace begins with a smile." White House ban: White House says activist who took top off at Pride celebration won't be invited back This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Disgusting hate:' California shop owner killed over Pride flag A view of the entrance at Disneyland Paris, in Paris, France. Salvatore Romano/NurPhoto via Getty Images A Disneyland Paris worker was fired after guests complained about their waffle toppings, French media reported. The guests said he wouldn't put both whipped cream and Nutella on their waffles, per the reports. But the employee believes he was only fired because of his involvement in industrial action strikes. A Disneyland Paris employee was fired after guests complained he refused to put both whipped cream and Nutella on their waffles, according to French reports. The employee, identified as 20-year-old Loris Taboureau, was working at Les Chariots Gourmands, a food stand that sells waffles with various toppings, on June 26 when guests asked for both whipped cream and Nutella, according to his dismissal letter seen by Le Parisien newspaper. The 20-year-old told them that they had to choose one of the two toppings Nutella or whipped cream which is a standard policy, the letter said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He told Le Parisien that had he given them both toppings, other guests in line would have expected the same special treatment, and he would have been in trouble for going against the theme park policy, The Sunday Times reported. The guests later complained about Taboureau's tone to Disneyland Paris customer service, saying he was "nonchalant," according to Le Parisien. Several weeks later on August 14 he was fired. Taboureau believes that he was dismissed as part of a "witch hunt" because he took part in industrial action strikes earlier this year. His name and photograph were previously published by Le Monde in an article about the strikes. "I'm upset. It's a company in which I liked to work and to which I dedicated my days for a year," Taboureau told Le Parisien, according to a translation by WDW News Today. "The only time I failed to bring the magic to life, I was immediately fired," he added. Disney employees took part in the strikes in May and in June in pursuit of a 2,400 (roughly $2,600) rise in annual pay. Photos published by EuroNews on June 19 showed workers marching through the park, which French strike laws allow them to do. While the strikes have paused for now, they are set to resume in September, according to WDW News Today. According to a petition in support of the strikers, activists say five Disneyland Paris employees have been issued with dismissal notices on false premises. A Disneyland Paris spokesperson told The Sunday Times: "We do not comment on internal procedures related to individual situations." The company did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider During World War II, Navy Aviation Radioman 3rd Class Peter L. Smith doggedly helped battle the Japanese from the Solomon Islands to Okinawa. Thanks in part to the unflagging efforts of his son, the sailors efforts to help win the war in the Pacific have finally been recognized. During an Aug. 16 ceremony aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro posthumously awarded Smith the Distinguished Flying Cross, for outstanding achievement in aerial flight, and the Air Medal. His son, James, accepted the medals on his fathers behalf. My father, like many thousands of his generation during the war, did his job day in and day out, Smith said, according to a Navy release. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His dad, a native of Troy, New York, enlisted in the Navy in February 1942, just two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He initially served as a storekeeper, but soon volunteered for flying duty and completed training as an aviation radioman and an air gunner, according to the release. In June 1943, Smith was assigned to VC-28, a composite squadron operating out of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. During that time, he was part of a three-man crew manning a TBF Avenger torpedo bomber and participated in 15 combat missions supporting ground troops at New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. He was then reassigned to Torpedo Squadron 28, a carrier-based squadron embarked with the light aircraft carrier Monterey in 1944. During his time with VT-28, Smith flew in operations to retake the Marianas, Saipan, Tinian and Southern Palau from Japanese forces, according to the release. He also supported the assaults on the Philippines and strikes against Okinawa. In all, Smith helped carry out more than 150 combat and support missions with Torpedo Squadron 28. After the war, Smith hung up his Navy uniform returned home to work for the New York State Department of Labor. He died in 2009, according to his obituary on Legacy.com. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro posthumously presents the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal to Navy Aviation Radioman 3rd Class Peter L. Smith. His son, James Smith, accepted the award on his father's behalf. (MCC Shannon Renfroe/Navy) During the ceremony aboard the Intrepid, Del Toro thanked James Smith for his tireless work to ensure his father received the recognition he deserved and for preserving his fathers story of service during World War II. I am humbled by the opportunity to honor Peter L. Smith one of our Navys hundreds of thousands of World War II veterans for his service to our nation during a defining period in world history, Del Toro said, according to the release. After the war, Smith, like so many members of this greatest generation, returned to their civilian careers, but forever remained proud of their service. To Petty Officer Smiths family, I am confident there is no doubt in your minds that his actions met the criteria above for these two awards, Del Toro said. His devotion to duty in support of his fellow sailors, Marines, airmen and soldiers was indeed unwavering throughout his time in service, and I have no doubt you take pride in his accomplishments to keep our nation free. U.S. Army Corps reservist Capt. Charles Lindbergh received the very first Distinguished Flying Cross in June 1927 for his nonstop, solo flight across the Atlantic. Other notable recipients of the award include former President George H.W. Bush and former Sen. John S. McCain of Arizona. Those eligible for the award are Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel who distinguish themselves for heroism or outstanding achievement while participating in aerial flight for the U.S. Armed Forces, according to the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Dodger Stadium is not flooded, a team official told Insider on Monday. Viral photos of the ballpark appear to show it surrounded by massive amounts of rainwater. Tropical Storm Hilary dumped buckets of rain on Southern California over the weekend. As Tropical Storm Hilary dumped buckets of rain on Southern California, a photo of what appeared to be Dodger Stadium surrounded by a lake of rainwater went viral on the internet. But the stadium is far from flooded, Joe Jareck, the senior director of public relations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, told Insider on Monday. When asked if the ballpark was underwater, Jareck said, "The stadium is not flooded and open for business, per usual." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Aerial video of the stadium has also been circulating social media since Sunday, appearing to show a wider view of the same scene. People online are referring to it as "Lake Dodger Stadium," with another poster calling it an "island." Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) August 21, 2023 Jareck told Insider he has "no idea" whether the photos and videos are faked or if they are real. "I think people may see what they want to," he said, referring to online reports of a flooded ballpark. "I just see a very wet parking lot." Read the original article on Insider Dominos Pizza announced it is closing all of its outlets in Russia, becoming the latest Western company to pull out of the country since it invaded Ukraine last year. DP Eurasia, the master franchisee of the Dominos Pizza brand in Russia, said Monday it is filing for bankruptcy for its Russian entity, DPRussia. DP Eurasia said this follows an evaluation of the companys Russian unit, including its presence in the country, the impact of sanctions and its continuing ability to serve its customers in Russia. The company said the decision to file for bankruptcy comes after it attempted to sell DPRussia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement With the increasingly challenging environment, DPRussias immediate holding company is now compelled to take this step, which will bring about the termination of the attempted sale process of DPRussia as a going concern and, inevitably, the Groups presence in Russia, it said. A bankruptcy petition of DPRussia will be filed in accordance with the relevant statutory requirements in due course. In March 2022, soon after Russias invasion of Ukraine in late February, DPRussia suspended royalty payments from Russia, though the outlets in the country remained open. The company has 142 stores in Russia, along with locations in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. A series of Western companies have chosen to suspend or completely withdraw operations in Russia amid the war in Ukraine. According to a database from Yale University, more than 1,000 companies have publicly announced they are voluntarily curtailing operations in Russia beyond the legally required international sanctions. Other large U.S. franchises that have taken such action include McDonalds and Starbucks, which have completely withdrawn from Russia. Other companies, such as Apple and FedEx, have suspended operations in the country. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. They are going to attack. Donald Trump is under siege. He faces 91 criminal charges and potentially hundreds of years in prison for his many alleged crimes in connection with Jan. 6 and his coup attempt. Trump and his forces will respond to this challenge to his power and authority. Just when their targets are tired and exhausted, they will attack again and again and again. The attacks will consist of racism, antisemitism, misogyny, disinformation, misinformation, violence, stochastic terrorism, fearmongering, white victimology and conspiracy theories. They will involve brute force. The plans are open and public, lacking subtlety and guile. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The use of conspiracy theories and paranoia is one of the right wing's most powerful weapons in the campaign to keep Trump out of prison and take back the White House in 2025 with the goal of ending the country's multiracial pluralistic democracy. These conspiracy theories, and what Richard Hofstadter described in his seminal 1964 essay as "the paranoid style," have become much more complex and dangerous in the Age of Trump and this time of democracy crisis and ascendant neofascism. In a 2019 interview with the Economist, Nancy Rosenblum and Russell Muirhead, authors of the book "A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy," explained that: What we're seeing today is something different: conspiracy without the theory. Its proponents dispense with evidence and explanation. Their charges take the form of bare assertion: "The election is rigged!" Yet the accusation does not point to any evidence of fraud. Or take Pizzagate, the claim that Hillary Clinton is running a child sex-trafficking ring in a pizzeria in Washington, DC. It doesn't connect to a single observable thing in the world it's sheer fabulation. And in America, this new conspiracism now comes directly from the president, who employs his office to impose his compromised sense of reality on the nation. The new conspiracism obliterates nuance and judgment and replaces it with a distorted unreality in which some things are wholly good and others (say, Hillary Clinton) wholly evil. This is its appeal. And something with such political force will be taken up everywhere by those who seek to abandon regular processes and disrupt established institutions, and especially by those who reject the idea of a "loyal opposition." As I detailed in a recent series of essays here at Salon, because Trumpism, like today's Republican Party more broadly, is fueled by racism and white supremacy, antisemitism is quite predictably playing an increasing role in the right-wing's conspiracism and related fantasies of white victimhood and persecution. We see this in the right's obsession with nebulous forces such as "globalists" and "the deep state." Terms like "cultural Marxism" and concepts like "Critical Race Theory", "Black Lives Matter" and "Wokeism" are frequently demonized. Democratic Party fundraiser George Soros (who is a Holocaust survivor), is at the center of the QAnon conspiracy, which is a 21st-century version of Blood Libel against Jewish people. To that point, Donald Trump's campaign sent out a series of emails in rapid succession last week that are rife with such dangerous lies and messaging: The pattern is undeniably clear. The Deep State has done everything in their power to try and paint me as a villain all while the REAL villains, nestled deep within the Washington, D.C. swamp, quietly get away with bleeding our country dry. And now, it's being reported that I could potentially face 1,000 YEARS in prison. The Deep State wants to make an example out of me They want to show the nation that these are the consequences of choosing to put a political outsider in the White House. This is ultimately about instilling FEAR in the public. The fear that if you stand in the way of their Marxist agenda, then YOU could be INDICTED, ARRESTED, or IMPRISONED for your beliefs. The fear that if you give the forgotten, hardworking men and women of this country a voice, then YOU could be made their Public Enemy #1. Together, we will PEACEFULLY show the Deep State that their intimidation tactics cannot work on the American people. No matter how much they attack our movement, we will NEVER SURRENDER our mission to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Here is another example from later in the day on Thursday: You may even be asking yourself, after FOUR unjust indictments, why do Crooked Joe and his Deep State accomplices continue to concoct these phony witch hunts when it only BACKFIRES? Well, the sad truth is that these crooks, thugs, and Marxists truly believe America is not YOUR country, but theirs. Ever since I rode down the Golden Escalator and promised to restore America's greatness and cast off the political ruling class that hates our country, the rabid Left has justified anything truly, ANYTHING in the name of "getting Trump." And that's why they sincerely believe that they will get away with attempting to JAIL their leading opponent for LIFE despite committing NO CRIME. To them, transforming America into a Third World tin-pot dictatorship is just part of the plan. Because they are TERRIFIED to lose their grip on power like they did in 2016 Friend, the America that you and I know and love is gone, and in its place now stands a country more like Stalinist Russia or Maoist China than our once free Republic. But while Crooked Joe and the radical Left believe this is their country for the taking, I'm willing to bet there are more than 74 MILLION freedom-loving patriots ready to stand right by my side and tell them that WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER our country to tyranny! Last Friday, this Trump fundraising email emphasized the old right-wing McCarthyite (and antisemitic) trope of "the enemy within": The United States government has recently condemned other countries for imprisoning their political opponents. They've called those regimes threats to the core values of democracy. But now, the United States is becoming one of those Third World dictatorships that criminalizes opposition to the ruling regime. That's why I will continue to say that the greatest threat to America comes from within. No one else in the world is doing as much damage to the bedrock principles of our Republic than the left-wing tyrants entrenched within the Deep State who are trying to interfere in our elections. The following recent Trump fundraising email encapsulates his and the larger neofascist movement and white right's antisemitic attacks ("George Soros" and the "globalists") and how they leverage paranoia, projection, victimology, and the Big Lie. So far, disloyal Republicans (RINOs) have only PLEDGED to spend $370 MILLION on their plot to sabotage us in the primary. But that all changed at the July end-of-month fundraising deadline. Right before the deadline, a nefarious group of RINO globalists officially raised $78 million to begin turning that plot into a reality. They've shown that their $370 million plot is not just a threat. They are truly willing to spend more money than even George Soros to defeat us. This news came just as Biden's weaponized Department of "Justice" issued yet another unlawful INDICTMENT of me as a completely innocent man. Friend, we're being attacked from every side. RINOs. Democrats. Globalists. They're all just one big UNIPARTY that's united behind a common goal of stopping YOU from having power in your own country. That's why RINOs are willing to spend MORE THAN GEORGE SOROS to try and take me down. Every dollar Republicans spend attacking me is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign. The truth is: they know that and simply do not care. . . . . . Because, at the end of the day, they'd rather see Crooked Joe in the White House than a political outsider who puts the people of our country FIRST. These special interest globalists have made a fortune off of putting YOU dead last and selling out our nation to foreign countries like China. These RINOs love to call themselves defenders of liberty and yet, they choose to side with a corrupt president who has once again weaponized the legal system in an attempt to JAIL his single biggest opponent for a lifetime. But fortunately for us, our movement is packed with over 74 MILLION patriots who will peacefully defend our God-given liberty and justice. I asked Jennifer Mercieca, who is an expert on political rhetoric and speech, for her thoughts about Trump's emails and how they fit into his political project. She explained that Trump "relies on "us versus them" polarization appeals to separate Trump's followers from the rest of the country": He uses the rhetoric of conspiracy to accuse his opposition of corruption. He frames his opposition as enemies and hate-objects, who can and should be destroyed through violence. It is a very dangerous and very anti-democratic rhetorical strategy that has historically led to war and genocide. He uses these strategies because it binds him to his base and makes them think that he is fighting their shared enemies. He also uses these fascist strategies because they enable him to dominate the political conversation. That we're seeing an increased use of these kinds of fascist appeals shows how weak he is as a candidate and how scared he is of prosecution. On the one hand, a strong candidate would use the democratic language of persuasion, not the fascist language of coercion. On the other hand, if he were really the Ubermensch he pretends to be and he really was able to rid the country of corruption and destroy his enemies, then why hasn't he done soeight years later? When Trump talks like a strongman, it just shows how weak he actually is. Federico Finkelstein, who is the author of "A Brief History of Fascist Lies," made this intervention in response to Trump's fundraising attempts and their antisemitic and fascist messaging: In fascism, extreme, almost pathological, paranoia was justified as a defense of the nation and the leader against an imagined conspiracy of existential enemies. From paranoid extreme ideas of the enemy within to the projection onto others of what Trumpism is truly about: an attack against democratic institutions and ideas. Trumpism represents an alliance between conservative, populist and even fascist sectors and ideologues. We should expect this dangerous propaganda to continue if it is constantly normalized as a functioning part of American democracy. It is not. I also asked John Roth, who is co-author (with Leonard Grob) of the book "Warnings: The Holocaust, Ukraine, and Endangered American Democracy" to share his thoughts about Trump's fundraising emails and their repeated use of antisemitic themes and tropes: Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2019, then-US president Donald Trump pronounced that "the future does not belong to globalists. It belongs to patriots." Four years on, Trump's dichotomy between globalists and patriots has become darker and more divisive because it increasingly ramps up Trump's transactional antisemitism. Play the antisemitic card when its helpful to him personally. Hold back when it's not. Trump rails against "the globalist warmonger donors backing our opponents." Hitler was blunter. He alleged that "international Jewish financers" would provoke world war. Trading off the Nazi trope that Jews seek world control and domination, the term globalist is conveniently general, vague, and ambiguous. It does its work without mentioning Jews explicitly. That's what makes globalist work well in Trump's dog-whistling vocabulary. Using it permits him both to deny and to advance the antisemitism that the canard conveys. Jews such as George Soros are Trump's emblematic globalists. What's more, Trump contends that Joe Biden is their servant. The "quiet part" is all but said out loud: A Jewish conspiracy aids and abets Biden, who, in turn, betrays the heritage that properly puts America first by making the United States a White Christian nation. It's nonsense, but dangerous, nonetheless. Trump repeatedly says that he's the least racist or antisemitic person "you've ever encountered." That's a lie, but from Trump's lips to God's ear, what else is new? As "the walls close in" on Donald Trump, he and his agents and followers will only become more violent, racist, and antisemitic. Such an outcome is very predictable and in no way surprising or climactic; that makes it no less dangerous to the future of the country and its democracy and the lives and safety of the American people. To save American democracy, Donald Trump and the larger neofascist movement must be defeated at the polls, in the courts, and through direct corporeal politics across the country. Read more about Trump's growing threat ATLANTA Here, at the Fulton County Courthouse, smack dab in downtown Atlanta, the vibe is decidedly hushed. In the coming months, this 112-year-old courthouse will be aswarm with activity ground zero in the battle over democracy when 19 defendants, including a former president, will stand trial for allegedly trying to overturn an election. But that legal reckoning is many months away. Right now, the only evidence of whats to come are the barricades stretching up and down the block and a battalion of TV trucks camped out across the street, waiting. There is the sense of life put on pause, an anxious sort of calm before the judicial storm. Im here, having hopped on a plane from DC, traveling to my hometown to see how the ATL is handling being the site of what is likely to be the political trial of the century. I spent my adolescence here, and Ive got deep, Old School, Old Guard, Black Atlanta roots. But having absconded from the city many years ago, Im always amazed at how my once sleepy Southern burg has morphed into the Hollywood of the South, a sprawling metropolis accounting for nearly half the population of the entire state of Georgia complete with movie studios, record labels, tech startups and traffic. Lots and lots and lots of traffic. Back in the day, Atlanta was the cradle of the civil rights movement, home to activist icons like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Sr., Julian Bond, Rep. John Lewis and C.T. Vivian, a hub of Black exceptionalism. Thats a history the city wears consciously, as evidenced here by the plethora of murals, museums and streets some named after the parents and grandparents of kids I grew up with. And now Atlanta, the so-called Black Mecca, is the epicenter of a fight over the peaceful transfer of power. As I tool around Atlanta, I encounter Atlantans who are very conscious of the significance of this trial and of how, once again, their city will play an important role in making American history. Theyre very aware of all of this. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement And theyre positively gleeful. Were getting a kick out of Trump getting booked at the Rice Street Jail, says Eddie Jewell, a 54-year-old Uber driver and lifelong Atlantan, referring to the nickname for the Fulton County Jail. Were loving it, Jewell says, with a hearty laugh. For a long time, hes been recklessly saying things and now hes being called out. How are you going to call the Secretary of State and ask him to overturn an election? John Lewis is smiling, he says. Dr. King is smiling. I know [former Mayor] Andy Young in his wheelchair has a big smile on his face. I think its great the birthplace of the civil rights movement is having a big part of this. All eyes are on us right now and not for the wrong reason. For a great reason. Dr. King said, We shall overcome. And we are definitely overcoming. Atlanta prides itself on being the city too busy to hate, but tensions burble beneath the surface. There are Black-white tensions, city-state tensions, haves-and-have-nots tensions, and Black-Black tensions, from homegrown rap moguls vs. City Hall, to the the Old School bourgie Black folks who look askance at the New School bourgie Black folks as carpet bagging arrivistes. (Think The Real Housewives of Atlanta, most of whom are neither housewives nor from Atlanta.) Folks up North were surprised that Georgia flipped blue in 2020. I wasnt. This isnt Newt Gingrichs Georgia or even Jimmy Carters Georgia. Georgias transformation is rooted in its swiftly changing demographics. This is the Georgia of rapid immigration shifts: According to the Migration Policy Institute, between 1990 and 2000, the states foreign-born population jumped 233.4 percent; between 2000 and 2020, the immigrant population jumped another 87.6 percent, accounting for 10 percent of the total population in a Jim Crow state that used to define itself along strict, Black-white lines. Immigrants here hail, in order of their population, from Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Next to English and Spanish, Vietnamese is the most commonly spoken language in the Peach State. Another factor driving Georgia and Atlantas massive demographic shifts: In a reversal of the Great Migration of the 20th Century, Black folks are abandoning once-majority Black cities like Chicago and Washington, moving down South in droves. Between 2000 and 2020, the city of Atlantas Black population declined somewhat, from 253,564 to 233,018. But during that same period, the Black population in the metro area as a whole skyrocketed 67 percent, as working-, middle- and upper-class Black families spread out to the suburbs. Education plays a role as well: In 2016, 32.3 percent of Black Atlantans had a college degree, slightly higher than the national average of 30.8 percent for Black Americans. That amount reflects a nearly 10 percent increase from 2000, according to the Education Trust. Georgia has always been a barometer of progression in the South, says political strategist Tharon Johnson, founder and CEO of Paramount Consulting Group in Atlanta. We have been trending toward a purple, navy blue state for some while, Johnson says, thanks to Democratic mobilization efforts, which built a coalition of Black and brown voters as well as disaffected suburban white women who previously voted Republican. If youd told Republicans back in 2016, Johnson says, that Donald Trump, who pulled an upset by defeating Hillary Clinton, would lose Georgia in 2020, they wouldnt have believed it. So, as Johnson sees it, Trumps alleged interference with the outcome of the presidential election in Georgia is an unwillingness to accept that Georgia is no longer this solidly red conservative state. At lunchtime, inside the Fulton County Courthouse, the halls are eerily quiet. The hush is deeper than any other courtroom Ive encountered, both in my reporting duties and for jury duty. On one wall, a television screen projects a slow scrawl of mug shots, men and women facing hard time for aggravated child molestation, kidnapping, false imprisonment, rape, murder. I stroll by the courtroom of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, the young conservative judge wholl be presiding over the trial. If, that is, the dozen-plus defendants that Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis has charged with racketeering fail to get the case moved to federal court. But court isnt in session. Its always quiet here, says a middle-aged security guard. Sometimes people show out, she says, but usually its quiet. Has it been any different since Trump was indicted? Nope, she says. Quiet. As she talks, a Black man, still dressed in his judicial robes and walking a large Labrador retriever, makes for the exit. Sixty-plus years ago, you wouldnt have seen a Black judge in these halls. For that matter, you wouldnt have seen a Black woman (that would be Willis) indicting a president. But times bring about a change. Done for the day? the security guard asks. The judge just smiles and waves, keeping it moving. Just a few minutes away from the courthouse is Sweet Auburn Avenue, home of a once-prosperous Black business district Fortune magazine called the richest Negro street in the world. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on this street, in a large, Queen Anne house with a wraparound porch. Today, his birthplace is a museum, part of the National Park Services Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Atlantas top tourist attraction. Against the backdrop of Atlantas storied skyline, a multiracial contingent of tourists queue up for a tour of the King family home. Around the corner, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, where King and his bride, Coretta Scott King are entombed, his legendary I Have a Dream speech which turns 60 this month blasts through the speakers. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negros basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: for whites only. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. A block or so away, at the Slutty Vegan, a Black-owned fast-food joint that serves bangin, plant-based fare, rap music rattles the room. Customers line up, ordering veggie meals with snappy names like Super Slut, Side Heaux and Fussy Hussy. Its been a busy, busy week, says Freddie Ellis, a wiry 44-year-old who looks younger than his years. As he stands behind the merchandising counter, where you can buy bottled hot sauce, T-shirts and Slut Dust, a seasoning blend, he recounts the weeks events: Monday was the Beyonce concert and her fans flocked en masse to Slutty Vegan. (Thanks to the Beehive, Slutty Vegan made tens of thousands on that day alone, he says.) Tuesday was Trumps indictment. And Wednesday, the Atlanta Braves spanked the New York Yankees, 2 to 0. What did he think of Trumps indictment? They say no ones above the law, Ellis says. But thisll make him an icon to his supporters. I think what he did was wrong, but thisll make him look like a superhero. Hes going to use this to his advantage. Ellis tells me he didnt like what happened on Jan. 6, not one bit, especially the way insurrectionists were waving the Confederate flag. It dont get no more racist than that, Ellis says. Im from Alabama. But he doesnt not like Trump. Though hes a lifelong Democrat, hes not ruling out voting for the man in 2024. His wallet was a little fatter during the Trump presidency, particularly during lockdown, thanks to PPE loans and stimulus checks. That counts for a lot in his book. I dont have a reason not to like him, Ellis says. I could relate to him in some ways in that he doesnt mind speaking his mind. Sometimes his mouth gets him into trouble. I can relate to that. Roughly 15 minutes away from the county courthouse, on Rice Street in Northwest Atlanta, is the Fulton County Jail, affectionately or perhaps contemptuously called the Rice Street Jail. Police have blocked off the entrance to the jail, which, from a distance, looks like a college campus with its sprawling grounds and lush green lawns. This is where Trump and his 18 co-defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and and Kan ahem Yes former publicist, Trevian Kutti, will turn themselves in to be booked and processed. But will they arrive through the front entrance? Or sneak through the back? Theres no way to know, and so, to be on the safe side, TV crews erect tents outside both entrances, where they wait in the heat, practicing the time-honored art of the stakeout. Next to the back entrance is the Jefferson Place Transitional House, a treatment center for men whore down on their luck. A cluster of men gather outside, some in wheelchairs, sunning themselves in the Georgia heat. They talk about Trumps indictment with a sense of marvel: That the former president could be booked and fingerprinted in the same place where so many Black men have been locked up including Gunna, the rapper who in December pled guilty to racketeering charges is nothing short of amazing to them. He claimed to be untouchable, says Michael Addah, a sweet-faced 30-year-old with baby dreadlocks. But God you know what Im saying? is the God of the Impossible. And Trump was able to be touched. Hes no different from anyone else. He needs to humble himself." I figure hes getting his karma about all the things he was belligerent about. Its a big smack in the face. Perez, sitting next to Addah in a Tupac T-shirt, says he cant vote, thanks to his criminal record. But if he could vote, he says, he wouldve voted for Trump. Hes a big man, Perez, 42, says. Still, he wasnt happy with the January 6 shenanigans. It was too much drama, he says. People were jumping over the walls to get into the U.S. Capitol. Meanwhile, by the front entrance, two young white women walk by slowly, holding up their phones, shooting video. They live right up the street, and they cant believe the drama thats unfolding in their front yards. Do you think hes going to come? says Annelise Rempe, 21, who attends college in Denver. Im curious. She means Trump, of course. We think he deserves it, says her friend, Gillian Schuh, 21, who attends college at Parsons in New York City. He needs to be treated like everyone else. I was really surprised he was being treated like a regular civilian, Rempe says. Famous rappers have been here to get booked, like Gunna, Schuh adds. Its crazy, Rempe says. He hasnt been kind to minorities, Schuh says. Rempe nods in agreement. I dont think hes going to be very popular she says, cutting herself off. She stops, putting up her hands and peering through them at the jails entrance, looking like a film director framing a shot. Whoa, Rempe says, shaking her head in amazement. Im just taking it all in. Early Monday morning a 911 call came into dispatch regarding a possible domestic disturbance at 100 East Oak Hill in Palatka. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The Palatka Police Department said in a statement that the disturbance quickly spiraled out of control as gunfire could be heard over the 911 call. Read: JSO reminds online sellers they can use substations as meeting places following shooting over iPad Palatka Police officers and Putnam County Sheriffs deputies arrived on scene where they found Tyron Colay, 34, Palatka, in the backyard of a home. Police said that Colay was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died from a possible gunshot wound. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Regena Daniels, 53, Palatka, told officers that she had shot Colay. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] While no official arrest has been made, Palatka Police detectives, the state attorneys homicide investigation unit and Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime scene unit were said to be investigating. Police also said that Daniels was cooperating with detectives during the investigation. This embedded content is not available in your region. 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. A fallen tree lies on a parked car, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Los Angeles. Tropical Storm Hilary swirled northward Sunday just off the coast of Mexicos Baja California peninsula, no longer a hurricane but still carrying so much rain that forecasters said catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is likely across a broad region of the southwestern U.S. | Ryan Sun, AP A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck near Ojai, California Sunday afternoon, just as Southern California residents were dealing with tropical storm force winds and rain from Tropical Storm Hilary the storm was downgraded from Hurricane Hilary earlier on Sunday. According to the U.S. Geological Survey. the earthquake was centered about four miles southeast of Ojai, about 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The quake struck shortly after 2:40 p.m. PT at a depth of approximately 9 miles and was followed by at least six aftershocks measuring above 3.0. Per ABC, the earthquake was felt across the greater Los Angeles area, including the Inland Empire. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Los Angeles Times reported that there were no reports of damage in Ventura County and that an aerial inspection by a Ventura County helicopter of Lake Casitas Dam, Matilija Dam and the City of Ojai revealed no issues. On a live broadcast, seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said it was the first time that a magnitude 5.0 quake or higher had registered in the Ojai area since 1941, reported USA Today. Every earthquake has something to teach us. The smaller ones we see so often, you start running out of new things to learn, Jones said. This is the first time weve had a magnitude 5 since 1932 in exactly this location. Within the Ventura basin, its just not common. Daniel L. Swain, a climate scientist at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles, told USA Today that the earthquake is coincidental, and not related to heavy rainfall in the Los Angeles area brought on by Tropical Storm Hilary. Per the USGS website, there is no pattern in California of large, damaging earthquakes occurring more frequently during periods of heavy precipitation or periods of drought. Its unlikely that seismic hazard is affected by precipitation. This makes sense as rainwater cannot easily percolate several kilometers below the earths surface to the depths where most earthquakes occur. John Eastman became the first of former President Trumps 18 co-defendants in the recent Georgia indictment to reach a bond agreement, court filings show. A judge on Monday signed off on the pretrial release conditions for Eastman, a Trump-allied lawyer involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election, before doing the same for Trump and at least three other co-defendants later in the day. Eastman agreed to a $100,000 bond, an amount tied to the charges he faces, according to court filings. Other defendants agreed to bonds of $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000. The agreements, known as consent bond orders, also require them not to communicate with any person they know to be a co-defendant or witness in the case, except through their attorneys. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Trumps bond was set at $200,000 and included stricter rules. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) charged Trump and 18 others last week in a 41-count racketeering indictment stemming from alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state. It marked the fourth indictment facing the former president, who has denied wrongdoing. Willis has set a deadline of noon Friday for all of the defendants, which include many Trump attorneys and allies, to surrender. Eastman, who helped engineer the legal strategy that led Trump to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to toss out valid electors on Jan. 6, faces nine counts. Eastmans attorney previously called the indictment unconstitutional and said lawyers everywhere should be sleepless. Kenneth Chesebro, another attorney involved in the strategy, also agreed to a $100,000 bond. Ray Smith, a Georgia-based Trump attorney after the 2020 election, agreed to a $50,000 bond. Scott Hall, whose bond was set at $10,000, faces seven counts over alleged involvement with a breach at an elections office in Coffee County, Ga. Updated 5:06 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Alexandra Valencia and Julia Symmes Cobb QUITO (Reuters) -Leftist Luisa Gonzalez and banana industry heir Daniel Noboa will battle for Ecuador's presidency in an October runoff after finishing in the top two in Sunday's first round, as voters' pocketbook concerns loomed at least as large as worries about violence in a campaign darkened by the assassination of a candidate. Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa who has promised to revive his social programs, won 33% support. Noboa, son of prominent businessman and perennial presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa, was a surprise second-place with 24%, providing some reassurance to nervous investors. The contest was overshadowed by the assassination of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a killing that is still under investigation. Villavicencio, who was replaced as a candidate by his friend and fellow investigative journalist Christian Zurita, came third with 16%. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Villavicencio's name appeared on the ballot papers because they were printed before his murder. Referendums to ban oil drilling in a part of the Amazon and mining in a forest outside Quito easily passed, drawing cheers from Indigenous leaders and environmentalists despite warnings, including from Gonzalez, about billions of dollars of potential lost income and indemnities. Sharp increases in crime, which the outgoing government of President Guillermo Lasso blames on drug gangs, and the struggling economy, whose woes have caused a rise in unemployment and migration, were top concerns among voters. Center and center-right candidates, including Noboa, took over 45% of the vote. Noboa approaches the Oct. 15 runoff as the relative favorite despite Gonzalez's lead, though the vote is expected to be tight, said analysts. Should she win, Gonzalez has promised to free up $2.5 billion from international reserves to bolster the economy and bring back social initiatives like scholarships and small business grants. She has also pledged a firm hand against crime, using improved intelligence to destroy gangs and equipping police with weapons and bulletproof gear. "Ecuador is on its knees, we'll put it on its feet," she told local radio on Monday. Noboa, less strident in his security rhetoric than other centrist and center-right candidates in the first round, has said he will improve police training and create community watch programs, as well as speed up processes within the justice system. His campaign also focused on job creation, tax incentives for new businesses, and jail sentences for serious tax evasion. Noboa was, like Gonzalez, a lawmaker until Lasso called early elections. He appeared to gain traction after performing well in the only televised debate of the campaign. "I think this was what was expected after the debate," said local resident Tatiana Pazmino in Quito. "I think that Rafael Correa has left his mark on the country: for many it is positive, others see it as more negative. I think that after the debate, the candidate Noboa showed he was prepared, or at least well-advised." POLITICAL MACHINE Though Noboa is likely to look for alliances with candidates who have been eliminated, scoring an ultimate victory will depend on how well he articulates policy proposals, said political analyst Alfredo Espinosa. "Noboa has tried to sell himself as a businessman and a young technocrat," said Espinosa. "Politics is not comparable to managing a private business, it means generating consensus, generating spaces for dialogue." Gonzalez, backed by Correa's political machine and its loyalists, especially in working class sectors, is in a strong position, with ideology expected to be at the forefront of campaigning now, the political analyst said. Correa's Citizens' Revolution party was leading a nearly complete count for seats in the national assembly, with about 39% support, while Villavicencio's Construye party tallied 21% and Noboa's National Democratic Action 14%. Markets would likely welcome the first-round result, economic analysts said. Noboa's platform seemed aligned with "fiscal prudence," JPMorgan analysts wrote in a note. The result allowed the anti-Correa, business-friendly vote to coalesce around a single candidate, said Stuart Culverhouse, head of fixed income research at Tellimer Research. Last week, Fitch cut Ecuador's foreign currency debt rating further into junk territory on financing risks from deteriorating fiscal accounts, saying default was "a real possibility." The South American country has nearly $16 billion in debt, with the next payment above $1 billion not due until 2030. Bond prices were up marginally, about half a point in the 2030 note to 49.25 cents on the dollar. Ecuadorean spreads to U.S. Treasuries, the premium demanded by investors to hold those bonds over risk-free debt, was 1,734 basis points, from just over 2,000 bps earlier this month. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia and Julia Symmes Cobb in Quito; additional reporting by Rodrigo Campos in New York; Editing by Josie Kao and Rosalba O'Brien) Luisa Gonzalez, of the Movimiento Revolucion Ciudadana party, on Sunday took a lead in the first round of Ecuadors presidential and legislative elections, which have been marred by political assassinations as the Andean nation struggles with a wave of violence that has brought homicide rates to record levels. Gonzalez is set to face the surprise second-place finisher Daniel Noboa in a run-off election in October, according to the National Electoral Council of Ecuador (CNE), as neither candidate won more than 50% of the ballot. These preliminary results already show a trend that guarantees that Ecuadorians will go to a run-off on October 15, CNE president Diana Atamaint said Sunday. Gonzalez is seen as a protege of former leftist President Rafael Correa who still wields great influence in the country and has supported her run from exile in Belgium. The former president was sentenced in absentia in 2020 to eight years in prison for aggravated bribery, a charge he has repeatedly denied. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Gonzalez has promised to enhance public spending and social programs and wants to address the security crisis by fixing the root causes of violence, such as poverty and inequality. A former tourism and labor minister in Correas government, Gonzalez has also called for the judiciary to be reinforced to help with prosecutions, analysts say. Daniel Noboa is the son of banana businessman Alvaro Noboa who himself has run for the presidency at least five times. The 35-year-old was a lawmaker before outgoing President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the legislature and called for early elections. Ecuador presidential candidate Daniel Noboa makes remarks as he arrives to participate in a presidential debate on August 13. - Karen Toro/Reuters The centrist, from the Accion Democratica Nacional party, has pledged to create more work opportunities for the young, bring in more foreign investment, and has suggested several anti-corruption measures including sentences for tax evasion. Crime has topped the agenda of this years presidential race, which was punctuated by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, an outspoken anti-corruption journalist. His killing has put a spotlight on a recent escalation of violence, fueled by a cocaine boom, which has seen transnational criminal organizations and local gangs engage in high-level graft and extortion, overrun prisons, and murder anyone who gets in their way. Days after Villavicencios murder, a left-wing local party official, Pedro Briones, was shot dead in Esmeraldas province. Gunfire interrupted Noboas caravan on Thursday as he was traveling in Guayas province, but authorities say the presidential candidate was not the target of the incident. Candidates wore bulletproof vests on election day while security forces were stationed outside polling stations amid threats of violence. Villavicencios replacement, Christian Zurita, cast his vote in the capital Quito surrounded by heavy security protection from Ecuadors police and armed forces. A different threat, however, emerged on Sunday when authorities reported cyberattacks from several countries, including Russia, Ukraine, China and Bangladesh, on the countrys telematic voting platform. The attack affected access to the vote, the countrys National Electoral Council said, but it added that votes recorded were not violated. The mounting violence and lack of economic prospects have compelled many Ecuadorians to leave the country. But the winner of Octobers run-off vote will have relatively little time to work on a solution. They will hold office only until 2025, which would have been the end of Lassos six-year term a short time frame for even the most seasoned politician to turn things around in the country, experts say. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com On Wednesday, candidates for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination will assemble in Milwaukee for the campaigns first televised debate. Conspicuous by his absence will be Donald Trump, the front-runner despite two impeachments, four indictments and a loss in the last election that he refused to recognize. On Truth Social, Trump wrote: The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had . . .. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES! Trumps refusal to join the debate is a sign of his narcissism, but his absence is welcome. No one who has attempted to overturn the will of the voters deserves to be on a debate stage again. But while Trump the candidate may be missing, Trump the issue very much belongs in the debate. Read more: Who's in tonight's Republican debate and how to watch ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its appropriate for the Republican candidates who do participate to answer questions about their positions on abortion, Ukraine and the federal deficit, but they need to be pressed on the urgent, overarching issue of whether a president should be able to scheme to undermine the integrity of American elections with impunity. Inextricably entwined in that question is a judgment on Trumps past conduct and present unfitness. Lawyers can argue about whether Trump should be convicted of particular crimes and whether he is ineligible to appear on the ballot under the 14th Amendment because he participated in an insurrection or rebellion, as two conservative legal scholars have argued in a much-discussed article. There can be no doubt, however, that Trumps attempt to overturn a democratic election and cling to power a campaign that inspired a riot at the U.S. Capitol on the day electoral votes were to be counted should disqualify him. Read more: Editorial: Trump should never return to the White House All current and potential Republican candidates for president must be asked if they agree with that proposition. They also should say whether they would accept the result in 2024 if they were the nominee and lost. Vacuous sentiments about the need to look forward, not backward are unacceptable. So are exercises in whataboutism, false equivalence and loose talk about the prosecution of Trump or Jan. 6 defendants amounting to a weaponization of the administration of justice. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently admitted that Trump lost the 2020 election, but a now-infamous memo prepared by a firm associated with a pro-DeSantis super PAC recommended that DeSantis defend Trump when Chris Christie attacks him, a reference to the former New Jersey governor who has been vocal in condemning Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 election. (Fox News reported that DeSantis said he hadnt read the memo.) North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum bobbed and weaved in a "Meet the Press" interview when he was asked whether he thinks Trump tried to overturn the election results in 2020. Read more: Column: Newsom-DeSantis debate would be good for voters and two ambitious politicians It's no mystery why some of Trumps opponents would be skittish about condemning his assault on democracy and declaring him unacceptable. Candidates are understandably loath to alienate Trump supporters who hold the former president in a cultish veneration. A sobering CBS News/YouGov poll found that 71% of Trump voters feel that what Trump tells them is true, while 63% said they trusted what they were told by friends and family. Yet its possible that Trumps support among Republicans would ebb if more GOP candidates and other figures in the party followed the example of Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson in forthrightly condemning Trump. Trumps Republican opponents and party leaders need to look beyond the nomination process to reflect about how Trump would fare in the general election. Not everyone who will be watching Wednesdays debate will be a Republican or a Trump supporter. Many viewing the event will think better of candidates who acknowledge the brutal fact that Trump is unworthy of either nomination or election. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Although the death of Jismary Alejandra Barboza Gonzalez on a bus headed to Chicago from Texas remains under investigation, it sounds like the sort of avoidable tragedy that many feared could result from the toxic politics that put her family on that bus. Little Jismary, who would have turned 4 this week, died Aug. 10 on a bus chartered as part of the political protest stunt that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched last year to send migrants crossing into Texas on to Democratic-led cities like Chicago. An Illinois Department of Human Services spokesperson confirmed the girls name and said the Illinois Welcoming Center, a partially state-funded program to help asylum-seekers, will pay her burial costs. Unfortunately, the issue is so poisonously politicized that the departments spokesperson declined to tell reporters which of the programs 36 welcoming centers would be helping the family. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Abbotts Operation Lone Star has sent 30,000 migrants in Texas on to such so-called sanctuary cities as Chicago, Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles. He will end his protest, he says, when President Joe Biden secures the border. Yet border security as a policy issue is like the old saying about Chicago weather: If you dont like it, just wait a few minutes. In early June, for example, the Biden administration boasted that its immigration plan is working as intended a month after the Department of Homeland Security replaced its public health order known as Title 42 with a combination of tough penalties for border violations and expanded legal pathways and processes for migrants to enter this country legally. Fortunately, a feared border surge did not occur, and in early June the White House boasted that unlawful border crossings had plummeted by more than 70% in the weeks after the new border policy went into effect. But the administrations joy dimmed the next month when illegal crossings jumped more than 30%, particularly in the deserts of southern Arizona despite brutal daytime temperatures of more than 110 degrees. When it comes to asylum-seekers and border security, the contrast could hardly be greater between the alarm of southern Republicans like Abbott and the pragmatic approach of Illinois Democratic governor, J.B. Pritzker. While Republicans like Abbott or Floridas Ron DeSantis, a GOP presidential candidate, sound endless alarms over a border crisis, Illinois business owners beckon attention to the many job openings they say they havent been able to fill. And though anti-immigrant forces call for moratoriums, border walls or bus rides to another state, one might never guess that a yearslong shortfall of immigrants has led to more than 10 million jobs remaining unfilled and the shortfall has gotten worse. Thats partly because immigration was brought virtually to a halt by the Trump administration, even before the pandemic. Business leaders, along with Pritzker, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and other political leaders, have urged the federal government to expedite matters by allowing states to sponsor work permits for new migrants and longtime workers in the country without legal permission. It helps to remember how, back before then-presidential candidate Donald Trump made promises of a border wall his campaign rallying cry, leaders in both parties were more forthright in recognizing the value of immigrants to Americas social and economic growth, as well as the importance of a humanitarian political asylum policy in our land of the free. In that spirit, this countrys asylum process allows individuals with a well-founded fear of persecution including victims of serious human rights violation in their home countries to seek legal protection at the U.S. border. Those who obtain asylum are offered certain protections in the U.S., such as work authorizations and other federal benefits, along with a path to lawful permanent residence and eventually, citizenship. A lengthy waiting period is in place because of concerns that providing access to work too quickly only encourages misuse of the asylum system by those who dont have credible claims. Thats why we have background checks, forensic examination of identity documents, and established government departments and personnel whose role it is to investigate and identify fraudulent or frivolous applications. Unfortunately, the asylum system is too backlogged. It takes an average of four years for a case to be adjudicated. During this time, asylum-seekers are protected from deportation but otherwise lack status or access to most federal benefits or permission to legally work for a living. According to Title 8 of the United States Code, which governs immigration law, asylum-seekers may receive authorization to work as soon as 180 days following the filing of an asylum application. Doing away with this lengthy waiting period could encourage misuse of the system, but it needs to be improved. Immigration policy is an issue as old as the United States and always changing, largely in response to changing social and economic times. When Americans are feeling prosperous, we tell potential immigrants, Come on over! When our own pockets and stomachs begin to feel empty, we say, Stay away! Instead of staging stunts like Abbotts Operation Lone Star, we should welcome law-abiding asylum-seekers and other newcomers who are ready, willing and able to demonstrate that the proverbial American dream still lives. We should welcome newcomers who will help us to keep it alive. We dont need to put them on a bus ride to nowhere. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. An El Paso man was arrested on suspicion of intoxicated manslaughter more than a year after an alleged drunk driving crash resulted in the death of one of his passengers. Valentin Soriano, 59, was arrested Monday, Aug. 14, on an intoxicated manslaughter charge in connection with a July 4, 2022, fatal single-vehicle crash in 14500 block of Tangerine Avenue in far East El Paso near the Montana Vista area, El Paso County Sheriff's Office officials said. Valentin Soriano Soriano's arrest comes after it took nearly a year for blood taken from him to be tested by the Texas Department of Public Safety's crime laboratory. The blood alcohol test results allegedly show Soriano was impaired at the time of the crash. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "I am very disappointed it has taken so long to get this case processed," Jesus Olivas, Soriano's attorney, said. "They haven't told us anything about why it took so long. "I am very concerned about the integrity of the results after a year later. It is important to remember that these cases are hanging over people's head and impacting their lives as they wait to see what happens with their cases. Justice delayed is justice denied." Texas Department of Public Safety officials did not responded Thursday to a request for comment on why it took nearly a year to get the blood test results. Soriano was driving a Ford-150 about 6:40 p.m. July 4, 2022, with two men as passengers, when he lost control of the truck. The truck went off the roadway and rolled over in a desert area, a complaint affidavit states. Rico lnez Wilson, 38, was thrown from the truck. He suffered blunt force trauma to his chest and abdomen, the affidavit states. He died at the scene of the crash, officials said. Soriano allegedly showed signs of intoxication when he was questioned by deputies about the crash. More: El Paso Walmart mass shooting capital murder case set to move forward after 4-year delay He admitted to deputies he was drinking beer before the crash, the affidavit states. A witness at the crash told investigators, Soriano "looked at me in a daze and was trying to remove his seatbelt," the affidavit states. Soriano also was injured in the crash and taken to a hospital for treatment. Investigators obtained blood evidence to determine if Soriano was intoxicated. The blood evidence was sent to a Texas Department of Public Safety laboratory for testing. The results were returned May 19. More: El Paso Border Patrol clips ninja-turtle style smuggling try in manhole tunnel The results allegedly showed Soriano had a blood alcohol concentration level of .102 at the time of the crash, the affidavit states. The legal limit in Texas is .08. Investigators then obtained an arrest warrant for Soriano. Soriano was arrested Monday by deputies with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Warrants and Fugitive Apprehension Unit on the warrant. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail on $75,000 bond. He remains jailed as of Thursday, jail logs show. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man arrested more than year later in fatal drunk driving crash SpaceX's Starlink satellite terminals have quickly become an essential tool in the arsenal of soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine. The small dishes allow them unfettered lines of communication, despite Russia's attempts to dismantle their networks. The development has thrown SpaceX CEO Elon Musk right into the middle of a political crisis worrying, considering the mercurial CEO's unpredictable and often brash nature. And that has Pentagon officials quaking in their boots, as journalist Ronan Farrow writes in a sprawling new feature for the New Yorker. "Even though Musk is not technically a diplomat or statesman, I felt it was important to treat him as such, given the influence he had on this issue," former Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon Colin Kahl told Farrow. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Musk's stance on the war in Ukraine has changed considerably since SpaceX initially started handing out terminals to soldiers in early 2022. At first, his commitment to supporting the Ukrainian cause was palpable, seemingly celebrating the delivery of hundreds of terminals. But over the coming months, and around 20,000 terminals later, Musk became weary of the costs SpaceX was accruing, tweeting that it was "unreasonable" for the company to keep supporting the growing data usage. His purported meetings with Russian president Vladimir Putin also raised eyebrows, crystalizing Pentagon officials' concerns over Musk's involvement in the war. At the time, Starlink communications broke down, throwing Ukrainian lines into chaos. According to the New Yorker's sources, the outages were likely the result of SpaceX intentionally cutting the cord via geofencing. Meanwhile, in a particularly brazen Twitter thread on October 3, Musk suggested that Ukraine should surrender and give up Crimea as a peaceful outcome of the war. "My inference was that he was getting nervous that Starlinks involvement was increasingly seen in Russia as enabling the Ukrainian war effort, and was looking for a way to placate Russian concerns," Kahl told Farrow. Roughly a week after his controversial outpouring on Twitter, Musk denied having ever spoken to Putin about Ukraine, saying he'd only spoken to Putin roughly "18 months ago," and that the "subject matter was space." Kahl, however, has a strikingly different recollection of events, with Musk reportedly looking at a Starlink activity map on his laptop during a meeting. "This was, like, three minutes before he said, 'Well, I had this great conversation with Putin,'" Kahl told Farrow. "And we were, like, 'Oh, dear, this is not good.'" Fortunately, for the front lines in Ukraine, Starlink connectivity has largely been stable with no major interruptions. On October 15, a clearly annoyed Musk announced that SpaceX would "just keep funding Ukraine govt for free" despite SpaceX "still losing money," a promise he has seemingly upheld ever since. And it's not just Musk's tenuous relationship with Russia. SpaceX's decision to provide Ukrainian soldiers with Starlink has also come to alienate China which is complicated, considering Musk's close business ties with the country. Tesla has made considerable investments in China and runs a massive Shanghai-based plant. The very existence of Musk's Starlink constellation has even raised concerns among Chinese officials, particularly when it comes to the possibility of unrestricted connectivity within the country's borders. Seemingly in response, China has since announced it's working on its own competing satellite network, which could allow it to rival Starlink's. "The Starlink constellation has finally shown its military colors in the Russia-Ukraine conflict," one Beijing academic familiar with the project, told The Washington Post back in April. "The focus now is to accelerate the development of Chinas own constellation... and explore defensive measures against Starlink-type foreign satellites." In short, Musk's tremendous influence on the international geopolitical stage has clearly rattled world powers, forcing them to contend with a billionaire business magnate the likes of which the world has never seen before. Yet despite becoming a "hyper-exposed pop-culture figure," the scope and nature of his "power are less widely understood," Farrow wrote. "Living in the world we live in, in which Elon runs this company and it is a private business under his control, we are living off his good graces," another Pentagon official told Farrow. "That sucks." More on Musk and Russia: White House Freaked Out Over Elon Musk's Selfie With Top Russian Propagandist Elon Musk has blocked actor James Woods following a weekend spat over the CEOs plans to remove that exact feature from Twitter. On Friday (18 August), Musk, 52, announced that the social media site which he has attempted to rebrand as X will dramatically limit the ability of users to block other accounts. Many believe that the decision will allow harassment to flourish on the platform. Block is going to be deleted as a feature, except for DMs [direct messages], Musk tweeted. It makes no sense. The next day, Woods, who is known to be one of Hollywoods most vocal conservatives, criticised the billionaires decision. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The 76-year-old argued that, if Musk removes the ability to block concerted harassment by trolls or organised political entities, how will X be any different from Jack Dorseys horrid Twitter? Dorsey was the co-founder and CEO of Twitter before he sold it to Musk for $44bn in October 2022. Hercules voice actor Woods continued: Musk, whom I once championed, is only doing this to protect his advertisers anyway. Users of X are mere pawns to turn the site into an electronic shopping mall. The man I thought was a defender of free speech is just another greedy capitalist. Disappointing, but not surprising. You prerogative, sir, which is exactly my point. Have a nice day. pic.twitter.com/qt8ZD3wbM9 James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 20, 2023 Then delete your account, Musk responded, before he later tweeted: Im having a good time blocking people who complain that blocking is going away. How does the medicine taste? Shortly after, Woods shared a screenshot confirming that he had been blocked by the Tesla CEO. Your prerogative, sir, which is exactly my point. Have a nice day, he wrote. Ive received such astonishing support from all of you, Im truly humbled. The recurring theme in your many heartfelt DMs was a fear that I would leave X, Woods said in a follow-up post. Ive have now decided I will never leave, and will only ever be silent when they find an excuse to remove my account. Since Musks Twitter takeover, the social media site has undergone several controversial changes, including the removal of the verified blue checkmark, which was initially granted to celebrities, politicians, journalists and other users of significance. Now, any user is able to receive the checkmark if they pay an $8 monthly subscription fee. In May, Dorsey reacted to Musks recently rebranded site, saying that it all went south after the Tesla chiefs purchase of the platform. He said Musk should have walked away from the acquisition. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman skewered fellow Paypal Mafia member Elon Musk. He said Musk "bought what Putin was selling, hook, line, and sinker" regarding the war in Ukraine. After providing internet to Ukraine in February 2022, Musk reportedly grew anxious about his involvement. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman slammed his fellow "Paypal Mafia" member Elon Musk in a new expose on Musk's relationship with the US government. Hoffman told The New Yorker Musk "bought what Putin was selling, hook, line, and sinker," regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's account of the war in Ukraine. Hoffman and Musk worked together to build PayPal at the turn of the millennium. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "He was onstage, and he said, 'We should be negotiating. Putin wants peacewe should be negotiating peace with Putin,'" Hoffman told The New Yorker, referencing Musk's comments at a September 2022 conference in Aspen. In October, Musk tweeted his idea for restoring peace in Ukraine, which parroted Kremlin talking points and suggested Ukraine cede territory to Russia. Nearly 60% of respondents voted "no" to Musk's plan. After he was taken to task for the idea, Musk clarified he supported Ukraine. "SpaceX's out of pocket cost to enable & support Starlink in Ukraine is ~$80M so far. Our support for Russia is $0. Obviously, we are pro Ukraine," Musk tweeted hours after his poll. "Trying to retake Crimea will cause massive death, probably fail & risk nuclear war. This would be terrible for Ukraine & Earth." Musk also came under fire last fall over reports that he'd recently been in contact with Putin at the time, which the Kremlin and Musk both denied. "I have spoken to Putin only once and that was about 18 months ago," Musk tweeted. "The subject matter was space." In February 2022, days after the Russian invasion, Musk's SpaceX supplied Starlink satellites to Ukraine to help the country's soldiers and some civilians retain internet access amid Russia's attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. SpaceX's Starlink services have been indispensable to Ukraine during the invasion, a US official and Ukrainian military members said. "The strategic impact is, it totally destroyed [Vladimir] Putin's information campaign," US Brigadier General Steven Butow told Politico last June. In September, SpaceX reportedly asked the Pentagon to start covering the cost of Starlink in order to keep it going. Musk estimated in October that sending Starlink satellites to Ukraine could cost more than $100 million by the end of 2022. "We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time," SpaceX's director of government sales wrote in a letter to the Pentagon, CNN reported at the time. Musk later conceded: "The hell with it," he tweeted. "Even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we'll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free." "My inference was that he was getting nervous that Starlink's involvement was increasingly seen in Russia as enabling the Ukrainian war effort, and was looking for a way to placate Russian concerns," Colin Kahl, then the Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy, told The New Yorker. Musk did not respond to a request to comment from Insider and decline to comment to The New Yorker. Hoffman has called out Musk before, including for his stance on AI. In May, he said Musk was quietly trying to build his own AI venture while publicly calling for a pause on AI development in an open letter on the subject. "And Elon while signing that letter is trying to hire a whole team and stand up an AI effort," Hoffman said at the Milken Institute's annual conference in May. Separately, Hoffman called it a "mistaken effort" to try to slow down AI development. "Elon tends to have a 'I must build it with my own hands'" approach, Hoffman told CNBC in April. "You look at what amazing stuff he's done with SpaceX and Tesla, and it has the kind of 'It's only great if I do it.'" Read the original article on Business Insider We were not the first to take up arms, but we will be the last to lay them down. The Kremlin is not considering any options for a future in which Ukraine exists as a sovereign independent state. For Putin, the only acceptable outcome is the final, once and for all, elimination of the "Ukrainian question." All decisions have been made, and they are final. Anything else is an illusion of self-deception. The Russian quasi-empire is investing all its forces and resources in this last historical outburst of hatred. For this purpose, during the year and a half of the war, Russia has been going through all the stages of attempts to destroy Ukraine, which it has been implementing for centuries, in express mode. Read also: What can stop Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure 1. The killing of Ukrainians, both military and civilians, sparing neither women nor children. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 2. Measures of de-Ukrainization and Russification of the population of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine with a special emphasis on the youth. 3. Deportation of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation and their "indoctrination" re-education in the anti-Ukrainian spirit. They distribute children to military field camps, boarding schools, military academies, and cadet corps under the "supervision" of the Russian Investigative Committee. They have kidnapped thousands of children. Appeasement are water in the sand and a game in favor of Russia. 4. Complete Russification of education and upbringing in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the transition of educational institutions to Russian educational programs, and maximization of propaganda "pumping." 5. Comprehensive work on attempts to break the occupied population's political, legal, cultural, and socio-economic ties with Ukraine, which is backed by large amounts of financial investment. 6. Ukrainian textbooks have been destroyed, and education in schools and universities is based on Russian programs. 7. The systemic "political investments" that Russia is making in attempts to "re-educate" and Russify the population of the temporarily occupied territories show that the Kremlin has made a serious bet on trying to "dismember" Ukraine and absorb it in parts. The work is planned for a long time, for at least several generations. Read also: Ukrainians have long realized who they are dealing with and see Muscovy's true plans and intentions. Unfortunately, the West and the world, more broadly, are taking too long to wake up to this. Still, we have passed the most severe tests in our long history and are ready to fight as long as it takes to remove the issue of so-called Russia from the security agenda. Therefore, all these talks about negotiations, avoiding escalation, and appeasement are water in the sand and a game in favor of Russia. The only possibility for sustainable peace is Russia's defeat and fragmentation. Read also: Ukraines east is seeing escalation - Ukraines Defense Ministry We did not decide to be the first to take up arms, but we will be the last to lay them down until justice is done: those responsible for the crime of war are punished, and no power in the world will prevent us from doing so. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A heap of twisted metal sits among overgrown vegetation at the former Drewrys Brewery site at 1408 Elwood Ave. on Aug. 18, 2023. A concrete smokestack that rises more than 150 feet on the site's north side is likely to be all that's left standing. SOUTH BEND Bulldozers amid the ruins of the former Drewrys Brewery complex are evidence that long-awaited efforts have begun to remove asbestos remnants on the grounds. The Environmental Protection Agency this month began a $1.7 million effort to clean up the site before its eventual demolition and redevelopment, EPA project manager Kevin Turner said. The EPA has agreed to remove 14,000 tons of demolition debris that may be contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogenic mineral found in old building materials. If the previous property owner had not irresponsibly demolished the existing structures without remediating the asbestos inside, this cleanup would be relatively straightforward, Caleb Bauer, South Bends executive director of community investment, said in a statement. Instead, were forced to treat at least 14,000 tons of demolition debris as asbestos-containing. Editorial: A cleanup plan at Drewrys site finally ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Turner said his goal is to complete the remediation by Thanksgiving. Along with cleaning up asbestos, a crew is collecting metal drums full of uncertain liquids and dozens of paint cans, Turner said. The EPA will also assess whether underground storage tanks at the site must be removed. What became the Drewrys Brewery building at 1408 Elwood Ave. was built in 1868, years after German immigrant Christoph Muessel founded Muessel Brewery in South Bend. Distribution of Drewrys lagers' peaked in the 1960s, when hundreds of South Benders worked at the facility. A worker wearing personal protective equipment cleans out an old brick building at the Drewrys Brewery complex at 1408 Elwood Ave. Work to remove asbestos from the site began this month. But operations abruptly ceased in 1972 as a few large brewers came to dominate the beer market. The site was later redeveloped for industrial use by OmniPlex. But by 2014, many of the old buildings were decrepit. In May 2022, following years of inertia, the city received the 14.7-acre parcel on the citys northwest side, after Phoenix-based Steve Durkee failed to pay off back taxes. The city filed a lawsuit in August that year asking the court to void any claims past owners might have to the property. A judge granted the request in December, court records show. Conducting tests at the site, Heartland Environmental Associates has found limited contaminants in shallow soils, according to reports filed to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. But once demolition and cleanup finishes, the site will be clear for future redevelopment, according to the city. The only structure likely to remain standing is a concrete smokestack that rises more than 150 feet above Elwood Avenue. A building at the previous Drewrys Brewery complex that remains standing on Aug. 18, 2023. The EPA will remove more than 14,000 tons of demolition debris. The city set aside $4.17 million from the American Rescue Plan to pay for the demolition of large commercial buildings, according to South Bend Mayor James Mueller. Last summer, the city paid to demolish the South Bend Brewing Association, much to the dismay of historic preservationists. Turner says he led EPA work last year to remove asbestos from the fire-ravaged Wilson Brothers Shirt Co. factory on Sample Street. City data lists 75 properties with active demolition orders across South Bend. Many are small properties scattered in neighborhoods on the west and southeast sides. Email South Bend Tribune city reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jordantsmith09 This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: EPA removing asbestos at blighted South Bend Drewrys Brewery site Following the unexpected loss of thermal generation and due to extreme temperatures, ERCOT is asking Texans to reduce electricity use when it is safe to do so, according to a news release. The agency, which manages Texas electric grid, is asking people to voluntarily conserve energy from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the news release. ERCOT forecasts high demand and low reserves. ERCOT is also asking for all government agencies, including city and county buildings, to begin programs to reduce energy use at their facilities. According to the news release, requesting voluntary energy use reduction is an industry practice widely used to reduce demand on the electric grid during peak use hours. While it is asking Texans to voluntarily conserve electricity Sunday night, ERCOT said in the news release that it is not yet experiencing emergency conditions. Instead, the request to reduce energy use is a measure to prevent an emergency. Other measures are being taken, such as bringing additional generators online sooner than scheduled and using reserve power. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement If anybody is currently experiencing an outage, ERCOT says it is local and not related to overall grid reliability. Sundays high temperature reached a record 109 degrees, with 107 degrees forecast for Monday. ERCOT said residents can find energy-saving tips at ercot.com/txans. A Christian writer in the Charlotte Observer has called out his fellow believers who still remain loyal to former President Donald Trump despite his history of alleged criminal activity and general un-Christ-like behaviour. Isaac Bailey said his brothers and sisters in faith were being duped into believing that Mr Trump shared any of their alleged values by the former president and the GOP, admonishing them to "wake up." His piece was inspired by the words of Russel Moore, a Christian leader and editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, who said Mr Trump's influence has resulted in some members of his faith community claiming that Jesus 's teaching showed weakness. "Maybe in their minds, Trump is the Jesus of Revelation," Mr Bailey wrote, citing the final book of the Bible that describes a revelation to the Apostle John that many adherents take as a description of the end times. "Hes the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords with a sword in his mouth who has come back to judge the righteous and unrighteous, to wage war." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He reasoned that perhaps their belief that Mr Trump represents that figure is why they refuse to think critically about the former president. "Its why they view every Trump indictment not as democracy working as intended, upholding the principle that no man is above the law, but as akin to a lash from a Roman soldiers whip on Jesus back. I wish it werent true. But it is," he wrote. He cited a Christian man, Edgar Maddison Welch, who took the "Pizzagate" conspiracy to heart and showed up at Comet Ping Pong Pizza in Washington DC armed and on a mission to save non-existent children from non-existent child abuse at the restaurant as an example of believers falling for the right-wing "hoax." Mr Bailey said Welch should serve as a lesson to Christians buying into conservative conspiracies. "I hope those whove come to believe Trump is here to save us wake up before its too late for us all," he said. Conservative Christians have been tying themselves in knots since 2015 attempting to justify their support of Mr Trump despite the fact that his behaviour and actions often appear inconsistent with the teachings of Christ. Donald Trump holds a Bible outside a church in Washington DC in 2020 (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) A 2018 movie, The Trump Prophecy, is loosely based on the "true" story of a firefighter who received a revelation from God that the former Celebrity Apprentice host would return America to a righteous path. Australian Cardinal George Pell said Mr Trump was "a barbarian, but in some important ways, he is 'our' barbarian," while promoting a new book. Mr Moore, whose writings prompted the Charlotte Observer editorial, said he believes that Christianity is in crisis, and that Mr Trump is a major reason why. He recalled pastor friends telling him that following preaching that paraphrased Jesus' Sermon on the Mount which includes exhortations like "turn the other cheek" some parishioners would ask them where they got their "liberal talking points." And what was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, 'I'm literally quoting Jesus Christ,' the response would not be, 'I apologize.' The response would be, 'Yes, but that doesn't work anymore. That's weak,'" he said during an interview on All Things Considered. "And when we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus himself are seen as subversive to us, then we're in a crisis." The first time the wider Star Wars audience was introduced to Ahsoka Tano was in 2020. Rosario Dawson played the newly introduced character in The Mandalorians second season. The episode was titled The Jedi, but Ahsoka is no Jediwhich might be confusing for those just meeting her since she, you know, has two lightsabers. To viewers that had only seen her in her live-action form, she was a mysterious, powerful, and stoic Force-user who refused to train Baby Yoda/Grogu, because of his attachment to Mando (Pedro Pascal). But Ahsoka Tano is so much more than that; she has a very long history within the Star Wars canon and long-time fans of the franchises hearts. As Dawson said in a featurette for the new Ahsoka series, which premieres Aug. 22 on Disney+, Ahsoka is one of the most well-developed characters in Star Wars, period. And shes not exaggerating. Ahsoka has already appeared in a handful of series (The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels , and The Mandalorian); her death hasnt been shown in any of them yet, which adds to her compelling story; and her voice (performed by Ashley Ecksteins, who originated the character in her animated form) even appeared among the slew of prominent Jedi voices speaking to Rey in The Rise of Skywalker. The Mandalorian Season 3 Finale: Our Biggest Lingering Questions But for those that only just met Ahsoka, why should you care about her enough to watch a whole show about her? Whats her backstory, and how does it tie into whats being told in the Ahsoka series? This spin-off for one of the most beloved Star Wars characters (who was actually widely disliked when first introduced) is years in the making, and you ought to catch upbecause Ahsokas the moment for a reason. Who is Ahsoka Tano? Ahsoka was introduced all the way back in 2008 in the (admittedly not great) Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie. She was the 14-year-old padawan Master Yoda dumped on Anakin Skywalkers figurative doorstep when he wanted nothing to do with training a snippy child. Anakin had only just become a full-fledged Jedi Knight himself after spending more than a decade as the whiny, rebellious padawan to Obi-Wan Kenobi. But by the end of the movie, Anakin saw something in Ahsoka and decided to keep her on as his padawan (even though this was basically like throwing two attitude-prone children together to fight villains across the galaxy with laser swords), and the rest is history. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Rosario Dawson in Ahsoka. Lucasfilm/Disney+ For five seasons of follow-up The Clone Wars TV series, Ahsoka trained as Anakins padawan; his Snips to her SkyGuy. Their brother-sister bond was tough, considering you had a Jedi (Anakin) who finds it hard to release tight bonds with people (just look at how well his secret marriage to Padme turned out). And Ahsoka was more invested in following the ways of the Jedi than serving herself, but even she was pushed to her limits once she realized how tainted the Jedi Council actually was by the end of Season 5. While Anakin never left the Jedi Orderhe opted for turning to the Dark Side, becoming Darth Vader, and destroying the Jedi insteadAhsoka stepped away from Anakin and the Order altogether. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Clone Wars Season 6 is a bit of a smorgasbord, since it was released fairly unfinished after the show was canceled; it debuted without the conclusion that series creator Dave Filoni had intended. But the show was brought back for a seventh and final season in early 2020, with the advent of Disney+. It gave fans Ahsokas final arc before the Jedi Purge (Order 66), which showed what was going on simultaneously with Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith on her end of things. (Spoiler: It involved the clones, Mandalore, and Maul). It also showed how she escaped death during the Purge with the help of Captain Rex, a clone trooper who was able to overcome his behavioral chip and not commit to Order 66, and Maul (weirdly enough, considering he was the longtime villain). The Complicated Obi-Wan and Anakin Love Story Is the Best Part of Star Wars After the end of The Clone Wars series and the actual war, Ahsoka went on to become a key member of the Rebel Alliance as a leader of their intelligence network under the codename Fulcrum. This is where we meet her again, years later, in Star Wars Rebels. She and the Spectres team, led by Hera Syndulla (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Ahsoka but voiced by Vanessa Marshall in the animated series), work together on various missions. This eventually leads Ahsoka to face off against Darth Vader in one of the best lightsaber duels in all of Star Wars, partially due to the emotional stakes of him being her former master (and her only just allowing herself to realize it at that moment). Following the battle, Ahsoka was thought to have died, but she was actually saved by future Ezra Bridger (voiced by Taylor Gray) and sucked into the World Between Worlds (which we might see more of in Ahsoka). And thats where we leave Ahsoka in her animated form in Star Wars Rebels epilogue: in a long white robe that gives off Gandalf vibes, waiting for Sabine Wren in their potential search for Ezra after he goes missing (more on that in a bit). What does the Ahsoka series have in store? Ahsoka is already fun becauseeven with its great trailertheres a lot to still discover about its plot. The most basic synopsis of the series is that Ahsoka Tano has heard rumors that Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen, who also voiced the character in Rebels) has returned as heir to the Empire. Thrawn was a Chiss Imperial leader and one of the main antagonists in Star Wars Rebels. Based on Ahsokas story in The Mandalorian, after her fight with Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) in The Jedi, we know that she was already looking for clues to find Thrawn then. The ending to Thrawns story in Rebels was very much an unfinished one, entangled with that of Ezra Bridger. They both went missing thanks to space whales known as Purrgils, who Ezra can communicate with. Purrgils can travel through hyperspace at will, so Ezra urged them to send Thrawn and his fleet through hyperspace without a known destination. Ezra was unfortunately lost in the scuffle as well. Ahsoka was trying to find Thrawn in The Mandalorian, and shes now teaming up with live-action versions of Star Wars Rebels characters Hera (Winstead) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) in her own show. Sabine in particular seems to be training under Ahsoka with her own lightsaber. All of this suggests that the Ahsoka series is as much a sequel to Rebels as it is a continuation of Ahsoka Tanos epic story arc. When does Ahsoka take place in Star Wars canon? The series Ahsoka takes place in 9 ABY, Star Wars time. For reference, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi takes place five years prior in 4 ABY. All three seasons of The Mandalorian took place in 9 ABY as well, along with The Book of Boba Fett. Theyre all within the same timeline, so not much time has passed at all since Ahsoka grilled Morgan Elsbeth about Thrawn, making her mission still pretty timely. There are theories, however, that there will be time jumps, so Ahsoka could end up being all over the place. In 9 ABY, Ahsoka Tano is about 46 years old (she was born in 36 BBY). Star Wars years are similar to BC and AC in our real world, but theyre marked as BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and ABY (After the Battle of Yavin), in reference to the battle in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope where Luke Skywalker blows up the Death Star. The more you know! Rosario Dawson and Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian. Lucasfilm/Disney+ Which other familiar characters will we see in the new series? Weve already mentioned several familiar names and faces, including Ahsoka herself. We know were getting the first live-action iterations of Hera and Sabine, along with Thrawn. While were not sure if Ezra will materialize in this series, Eman Esfandi does play a hologram version of him in the trailer. And while the droid Huyang is familiar to fans of The Clone Warshes an ancient droid that assisted Jedi in crafting lightsabershis voice, performed by David Tennant, might be much more familiar to the general audience. Hayden Christensen can be heard in the trailer for Ahsoka, and flashbacks to Anakin and Ahsokas time together seem imminent. This makes sense, considering how close Ahsoka was with her former master and how much his teachings influenced her life and still continue to guide her as an adult. Its unclear if there will be more substantial flashbacks with Christensen coming back in new scenes, or even as a Force ghost, but fingers are all the way crossed for SkyGuy lovers everywhere. The Story Behind the Final Line in Obi-Wan Kenobi Who are the villains in Ahsoka? When it comes to newer faces popping up in Ahsoka, the series antagonists definitely come to mind. Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) are two lightsaber-wielding antagonists who arent really Sith but arent good news either. Baylan used to be a Jedi and survived Order 66, and its notable that he and Shin possess orange lightsabers, not red ones. Thats on purpose, according to Filoni; theyre obviously not Sith or of the Dark Side, but again theyre also not heroes. Theyre seen killing people in the trailers and theres some big tension going on between Baylan and Ahsoka in the trailerstheyre definitely opposing forces to Ahsoka and Sabine. Of course, Thrawn isnt a good guy and poses a threat to the peace the rebels won in Return of the Jedi. The New Republic is still very young (and we know it doesnt last that long before the First Order rises by the sequel trilogy), so another war can break out at any moment. That possibility is what Hera and Ahsoka are fighting against in this series. Lucasfilm/Disney+ Ahsoka Tano truly represents the heart of what it means to be a Jedi, something that we really only saw with Qui-Gon Jinn before her, as Filoni has said. She doesnt blindly follow orders or rules just because shes trained as a Jedi; this is, in fact, why she steps away from it all at just 17. Shes selfless and fearless, wanting to serve others and help bring people hope. The Book of Boba Fett Ends in Embarrassing Fashion by Teasing The Mandalorian While Ahsoka definitely struggles like anyone elseeither with loss, pain, or angerher story has always been about how shes a powerful being who continues to come out alive because of her skill, determination, and her goodness. Even though this iteration of Ahsoka isnt the one die-hard fans grew up with and became attached to, Dawsons Ahsoka is carrying on the legacy of one of the greatest Star Wars characters of all time. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Explosions have been heard in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, with local authorities reporting that it was the sound of an aircraft breaking the sound barrier. Source: Vasiliy Golubev, governor of Rostov Oblast; Russian news outlets Details: In the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, local residents complain that they heard loud explosions. Meanwhile, the moment of the explosion with a loud sound was posted on social media. Russian Telegram channels report that glass windows in buildings were cracked as a result of the explosions. Quote from Golubev: "In connection with numerous reports of loud sounds heard in different parts of Rostov and the surrounding area. The military has informed us that the aircraft has gone supersonic. Please remain calm." Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Western F-16 fighters can change the course of events at the contact line because air cover is the key to the success of ground operations, as the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are convinced. Source: Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast on 21 August Quote: "We already have a decision (on training pilots and providing Western aircraft to Ukraine ed.), and we are waiting for its implementation. I said that we would win the war (with the F-16s). We won't win right away, of course, but the F-16s can change the course of events; they can provide us with what we need most today: air superiority in the occupied territories." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Details: Ihnat noted that, for example, "there are about eight to nine Russian fighters in the occupied territories, launching guided aerial bombs and aviation missiles in these seconds". Ihnat says, "with the F-16s, they will be unable to do this". Quote: "Air superiority is the key to success on the ground; we all need to understand that." Details: The Air Force spokesman said, "I want Ukraine to use Western fighters faster", but the process is not easy. Ihnat says Ukrainian airfields have artificial runways made of concrete slabs with seams between them. "If we properly prepare those runways, there are no problems there," he said. Ihnat said that the F-16s visited Ukraine in 2012 during Euro 2012: they landed on the runways of the Myrhorod airfield (Poltava Oblast), and then Ukrainian pilots tried to control them in pairs with experienced pilots. Per the same principle, pilots flew an F-15 in Starokostiantyniv (Khmelnytskyi Oblast) in 2018. Ihnat says that in wartime, in addition to adapted and well-groomed runways, "we need to do other logistics and infrastructure that will protect our aircraft in combat conditions so that Russia cannot destroy them at our airfields". He noted that dozens of Ukrainian aircraft are now flying missions in the sky daily, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine have learned to protect people and equipment. Ihnat added that Ukraine plans to receive not only American F-16s but also other Western fighters, including the Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen. They will gradually replace old Soviet equipment. Therefore, Western partners will train not only pilots but also aircraft maintenance technicians who provide flight support. "Increasing (the number of) different types of aircraft is a serious workload: they need to be maintained, they need to be repaired, but we have no other choice. This is the path we are taking. And we will gradually withdraw old Soviet equipment from the Air Force, replacing it with aircraft such as the F-16, Gripen, and possibly others that will become available to us," Ihnat said. Background: On 9 August, US President Joe Biden authorised the training of Ukrainian military personnel on American F-16 fighter jets. On 18 August, the White House confirmed Washington's approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver the F-16s to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots complete their training. The Netherlands and Denmark gave the green light to supply the F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots complete their training. The Netherlands will supply 42 F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine, and Denmark agreed to send another 19. In Sweden, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brought up the topic of possible supply of Swedish-made JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine; the pilots are already training with these. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! By Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's digital minister plans to ask a court to shut down Meta Platforms' Facebook in Southeast Asia's second largest economy unless it takes action over scams that have affected more than 200,000 people, he said on Monday. "We are asking the court to close Facebook, not allowing it to provide services in Thailand if they let these fake pages scam people," Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn told Reuters. In a statement, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society said it had made repeated requests for advertisements it had identified as scams to be taken down by Facebook but the problem persisted and it would seek court intervention. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Meta did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Ministry spokesperson Wetang Phuangsup told Reuters officials were currently gathering evidence of wrongdoing by Facebook that would be presented before court. "If there is a lot of wrongdoing, the court could close down pages and accounts. Or the court could close the entire platform," he said. The ministry said scams perpetrated on Facebook included luring users to invest in fake companies, faking government bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and trading in digital currencies. "They can't do business like this," Chaiwut said. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-umWriting by Martin Petty and Devjyot GhoshalEditing by David Goodman and Mark Potter) Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, foreground, greets as he heads back to Royal Palace, in front of the National Assembly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Cambodian king on Monday presided over the opening of the first session of National Assembly in Phnom Penh. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) Cambodia's king congratulated the country's new lawmakers on Monday, urging them in his traditional speech to the National Assembly on its first day following elections to promote economic growth and equality. The Cambodian People's Party under longtime authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen won a landslide victory in elections last month, taking 120 of 125 seats in the lower house of Parliament after successfully stifling all credible opposition. The new government is undergoing a generational change, however, as Hun Sen hands off the premiership to his eldest son, Hun Manet , and many key Cabinet ministers are being replaced most also by the children or relatives of incumbents. In Hun Sen's nearly four decades in power, Cambodia saw a dramatic increase in its standard of living, though the gap between the wealthy and poor has increased. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement King Norodom Sihamoni , Cambodias largely symbolic figurehead, told lawmakers he hoped the next five years would see continued economic growth, as well as increased social protections for the country's people. National Assembly members, as representatives of all Cambodians, must make every effort to ensure people live equally regardless of religious belief or education, and obtain employment equal to their abilities and education, he said. Later Monday, the king and two Buddhist monks are to preside over the official swearing-in of the new lawmakers. Hun Manet and his Cabinet are to be sworn in on Tuesday. Despite handing the prime minister's job to his son, 71-year-old Hun Sen is expected to retain a large amount of control as president of the Cambodian Peoples Party and as the Senate president. He has said that relinquishing the premiership is not the end yet for him, and that he would serve in other positions at least until 2033, which would bring him to a half-century in office. After barely overcoming a significant election challenge from the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party in 2013, Hun Sen went after its leaders and the countrys sympathetic courts eventually dissolved the party. Ahead of Julys election, the unofficial successor to the CNRP, known as the Candlelight Party, was barred on a technicality from running in the election by the National Election Committee. European Union criticized the vote as having been conducted in a restricted environment that hindered the functions of the opposition, civil society and media. The United States assessed the elections as neither free nor fair. China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao gestures as South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel shows him the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition's campus in Pretoria JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -The BRICS group of major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - will hold its 15th heads of state and government summit in Johannesburg between Aug. 22 and Aug. 24. Here are some key facts about the bloc and its members. WHAT IS BRICS? The acronym BRIC, which did not initially include South Africa, was coined in 2001 by then Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in a research paper that underlined the growth potential of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The bloc was founded as an informal club in 2009 to provide a platform for its members to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its creation was initiated by Russia. The group is not a formal multilateral organisation like the United Nations, World Bank or the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The heads of state and government of the member nations convene annually with each nation taking up a one-year rotating chairmanship of the group. WHO ARE THE MEMBERS? Brazil, Russia, India and China are the founding members. South Africa, the smallest member in terms of economic clout and population, was the first beneficiary of an expansion of the bloc in 2010 when the grouping became known as BRICS. Together the countries account for more than 40% of the world population and a quarter of the global economy. Apart from geopolitics, the group's focus includes economic cooperation and increasing multilateral trade and development. The bloc operates by consensus. All the BRICS countries are part of the Group of 20 (G20) of major economies. WHICH NATIONS WANT TO JOIN BRICS AND WHY? Over 40 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Algeria, Bolivia, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in joining the forum, according to 2023 summit chair South Africa. They view BRICS as an alternative to global bodies viewed as dominated by the traditional Western powers and hope membership will unlock benefits including development finance, and increased trade and investment. Dissatisfaction with the global order among developing nations was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic when life-saving vaccines were hoarded by the rich countries. Iran, home to around a quarter of the Middle East's oil reserves, has said it hopes the mechanism for new membership would be decided "at the earliest." Oil heavyweight Saudi Arabia was among more than a dozen countries that participated in "Friends of BRICS" talks in Cape Town in June. It has received backing from Russia and Brazil to join the BRICS. Argentina said in July 2022 it had received China's formal support in its bid to join the group. Ethiopia, one of Africa's fastest-growing economies, said in June it had asked to join the bloc, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying the country will continue to work with international institutions that can protect its interests. Bolivia's President Luis Arce has expressed interest in BRICS membership and is expected to attend the summit. Its government said in July it was determined to curb dependence on the U.S. dollar for foreign trade, instead turning to the Chinese yuan, in line with BRICS leaders' stated aim to reduce dependence on the U.S. currency. Algeria said in July it has applied for BRICS membership and to become a shareholder in the New Development Bank, the so-called BRICS Bank. The North African nation is rich in oil and gas resources and is seeking to diversify its economy and strengthen partnership with China and other countries. (Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Tomasz Janowski) QUITO (Reuters) - Leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez and her surprise challenger Daniel Noboa beat out six other rivals in a first round of voting in Ecuador's presidential race on Sunday, in a contest clouded by the murder of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Gonzalez had about 33% of the vote and Noboa was tallying 24% with more than 70% of ballot boxes counted. The two candidates will face each other in a second round on Oct. 15. Here's a look at both candidates: LUISA GONZALEZ Lawyer Gonzalez, 45, has pledged to bring back million-dollar welfare and social programs previously enacted by her mentor, former President Rafael Correa . ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Gonzalez, who refers to herself a single mom, animal rights defender and sportswoman, has repeatedly evoked Correa's popular health, education and security policies and pledged to "recover the homeland." The former lawmaker told Reuters she would use $2.5 billion from international reserves to shore up the struggling economy and invest in public infrastructure if elected. Gonzalez has denied she would pardon Correa, who was convicted of corruption and sentenced to eight years in prison. The former president, who Gonzalez has said would be one of her advisors if she is elected, lives in Belgium. DANIEL NOBOA A surprise second round candidate, Noboa seemingly gained support after performing well in the only televised debate of the campaign. A lawmaker until current President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the national assembly and called early elections, Noboa is the son of prominent banana businessman and erstwhile presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa. Noboa, the youngest of the candidates at just 35, has focused his campaign on job creation, tax incentives for new businesses and jail sentences for serious tax evaders. The Guayaquil native has also has pledged to improve the justice system, making it more equitable and efficient. Noboa, who is married and has two children, studied at universities in the United States and began working at his family company, Corporacion Noboa, as a young man. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) By Gram Slattery WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Eight top Republican presidential contenders will take part on Wednesday in the first debate of the 2024 primary election cycle. Here are some facts about the showdown: WHEN AND WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE? The debate will take place at the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (0100 GMT on Thursday) and will be broadcast on Fox News. Wisconsin, where Milwaukee is located, is one of the most politically competitive states in the nation, and both Democrats and Republicans will be fighting hard to win there in the 2024 presidential election. Republicans are set to hold their national convention there in roughly 11 months, where they will formally nominate a challenger to take on Democratic President Joe Biden. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement WHO WILL BE THERE? All major Republican candidates will be present with one major exception: former President Donald Trump . Trump, who is leading the field by 34 points according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, has opted to sit for an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson instead, a decision that has been attacked by his competitors. The eight participants are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former biotechnology investor and executive Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, U.S. Senator Tim Scott, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. To qualify, candidates needed to have reached minimum thresholds in national or state-level polls and received donations from at least 40,000 unique donors. They are also required to sign a pledge certifying that they will support the eventual Republican nominee. WHAT QUESTIONS WILL THE CANDIDATES FACE? While the questions the candidates will be asked has not been publicly disclosed, Martha MacCallum, a Fox News host who will moderate the debate alongside colleague Bret Baier, indicated in an interview with Vanity Fair last week that abortion and Trump's criminal indictments will be on the table. Both topics are tricky. While most Republicans favor strict abortion restrictions, many more moderate Republicans disagree, as do most independent voters, whose votes will be crucial in the general election. On the issue of Trump's indictments, most Republicans view the charges he faces as politically motivated, making the topic a fraught one for his rivals. HOW IMPORTANT ARE DEBATES? In some cases, during previous primary campaigns, poor performances have sunk candidacies, while strong performances have launched minor candidates into the top tier. Moreover, the debate will draw millions of viewers, many of whom will be tuning into the election for the first time, campaign strategists say. The first debate generally marks the start of a more intense stage of the campaign in the months before the first nominating contest, in Iowa. The debate could be particularly crucial for DeSantis, who is second in the polls behind Trump, but whose standing has slid throughout the summer. Allies say the debate could be a crucial inflection point if he performs well. If he performs poorly, he could sink back into the pack. HOW MANY DEBATES ARE THERE? So far, there are two scheduled, with the next taking place in southern California in September. Several more are likely, with an October debate likely to occur in Alabama, according to a person familiar with the operations of the Republican National Committee. (Reporting by Gram Slattery; additional reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by Ross Colvin, Alistair Bell and Bernadette Baum) FILE PHOTO: Who are the Pakistani Islamists vowing 'death to blasphemers'? ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - An outlawed Islamist political party with the main objective of protecting Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws and punishing blasphemers has been linked to violence against Christians last week in which several churches were burnt. Members of the public and government sources accused the group, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), of whipping up a Muslim mob that attacked a Christian community in Punjab province after accusation two Christians had desecrated the Koran. The TLP denies instigating the violence and says it helped calm it down. Police say people who made announcements from mosques calling on Muslims to attack Christians later joined a so-called peace process. Following are some facts about the group: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement - The main focus of the TLP, or the movement of the Prophet's followers, is to protect Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws. It has been involved supporting and carrying out vigilante violence action against those accused of blasphemy. - The group, whose rallying cry is "death to blasphemers", belongs to the Barelvi Sunni sect of Islam, which is followed by a majority of Pakistan's 241 million people. - It came to the fore in 2015 in a protest campaign to demand the release of Mumtaz Qadri, a police guard who assassinated Punjab province's governor, Salman Taseer, in 2011 over his calls to reform blasphemy legislation. - Qadri was sentenced to death and executed in 2016. The TLP announced its entry into electoral politics at his funeral, attended by tens of thousands of people. - The TLP won more than two million votes to emerge as the fifth largest party in a 2018 election. - Its founder, fiery cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, died of a heart attack in 2020. Tens of thousands of devotees from across Pakistan attended his funeral. His son, Saad Rizvi, now leads the party. - In 2017, the TLP demonstrated for the first time its ability to mobilise on the streets with a march on Islamabad by thousands of supporters who blocked a main highway to protest against any attempt to give voting rights to members of the Ahmadi minority community, who they term heretics. - The standoff, in which several people were killed, ended after the government met all TLP demands in a military-brokered deal, including the resignation of the then law minister. - In 2021, the group led violent protests over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. It demanded the expulsion of the French ambassador, a boycott of French products and cutting trade ties with Europe. - The TLP was outlawed later in 2021 under the government of then prime minister Imran Khan after deadly clashes with police during the protests. - The clashes ended only after the government met most of the group's demands as par of a deal, including removing its leader from a terrorism list. - Despite the ban, the group operates openly and often backs election candidates contesting as independents who support its ideology. (Compiled by Asif Shahzad; editing by Robert Birsel) FALL RIVER The Herald News, its parent company, Gannett Inc., and the city of Fall River were in Bristol County Superior Court in New Bedford on Thursday to argue whether a 2022 investigation that led to the resignation of former Department of Community Maintenance director John Perry is a public record and should be released. Candidly, we are at a loss as to why the city is aggressively trying to keep these documents a secret. No public exemption applies to these records, and the public interest here is strong, said Gannett attorney Zachary Kleinsasser. He noted the citys former mayor is currently serving a prison term for corruption and fraud, and the release of the Perry documents is of public interest. Fall River Corporation Counselor Alan Rumsey speaks to Bristol County Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis in Bristol County Superior Court Thursday. An employee at DCM for more than 20 years, Perry resigned June 17, 2022, after he and his attorney reached a separation agreement with the city a document the administration has also refused to release. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Bristol County Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis ruled to take the case under advisement after listening to approximately 45 minutes of arguments from Kleinsasser and Fall River Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey. The court has 30 days to decide whether to release a 35-page report and related documents on the investigation to The Herald News or allow the city to keep it confidential. If she orders the records to be released, Dupuis will also decide whether Gannett is allowed to recoup costs for the litigation, which is allowed by statute. The city has refused to release any records regarding the investigation, citing public records exemption rules including that future investigations may be hampered by possible publicity. Perry out of a job: Fall River's Dept. of Community Maintenance director resigns after two-month investigation Gannett attorney Zachary Kleinsasser speaks to Bristol County Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis Bristol County Superior Court Thursday. Fall River denies two public records requests After the administration announced Perrys suspension with the pending investigation, The Herald News filed two public records requests in May 2022 and another in June 2022. Both were denied by a former city assistant corporation counsel. In its first denial, the city failed to identify that any records existed. Filed last November, the Gannett lawsuit accuses the administration of procedural violations of the states public records law; substantive violations of the public records law; and a request for a declaratory judgment ordering the city to release the documents associated with the Perry investigation. After a two-month investigation in 2022 conducted by the city of Fall River, DCM director John Perry resigned from his job. The city countered its own legal action after Gannett filed its lawsuit with its request for a court to uphold its two refusals to open records requests submitted in May 2022 and again in June 2022. In subsequent court filings by the city, The Herald News learned that the Perry investigation involved private investigator Daniel Lowney tailing Perry for three days and interviewing 48 city employees regarding possible "illegal and/or unethical activities that may have occurred within DCM. That was the first indication, Kleinsasser told the judge, that the scope of the investigation had expanded beyond Perry, according to an affidavit provided to the court and written by City Administrator Seth Aiken. That was what the investigation was about. We didnt know that until we received a response in the summary judgment. Again, a violation of the public records law, said Kleinsasser. The administration has never said publicly what prompted what appears to be an intensive investigation that began around May 2022. However, sources close to the investigation have told The Herald News it began due to an unreported accident at the DCM barn on Lewiston Street that left a worker with minor injuries and a piece of heavy equipment damaged. Gannett attorney Zachary Kleinsasser in Bristol County Superior Court Thursday. Fall River says it cant violate confidentiality clause As one of the reasons for refusing to release any documents from the investigation, the city cited privacy laws and personnel exemptions in the public records law, which includes termination or disciplinary records, said Rumsey. Now the problem we have aside from this exemption is that we have the potential of unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Mr. Perry does have privacy rights, said Rumsey. While the city could have an issue balancing Perrys privacy right and its obligation to release public records, there was a confidentiality agreement and a non-disclosure clause between Perry, his attorney Philip Beauregard and the city. So, the city cant voluntarily produce this document, said Rumsey, offering to show the court the agreement. Rumsey said the city had reached out to Beauregard to release the documents, and he said no. Corporation Counselor Alan Rumsey speaks to Bristol County Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis in the Bristol County Superior Court in New Bedford. The city cant voluntarily give it up. The city cant knowingly violate confidentiality laws especially when you at least have an argument to be made with a personality aspect and a privacy aspect. Dupuis questioned why the Perry investigation report would be exempt and different from police internal investigation reports, which are public. There are rules that apply to officials, and law enforcement is no longer subject to certain privileges, but it would still apply to private investigators and non-criminal matters, said Rumsey. The witnesses who spoke with the private investigator also had privacy privilege and were interviewed with the understanding that their identities would not be made public, Rumsey said, and the public didnt have a right to the witness statements. I would suggest there is no public interest with what these witnesses said. The public interest was with Mr. Perry. Thats what the investigation is about, said Rumsey. Dupuis questioned Rumsey on the public's right to know why Perry left his employment. If they dont have a right to the witness statements, how does the public get the information? said Dupuis. They ask questions of city officials, they ask questions of Mr. Perry and they can ask questions of Mr. Perrys attorney, said Rumsey. Swansea man in trouble: FBI arrests man who was at the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Here's what he's charged with Is Fall River liable for litigation costs? Rumsey argued that while there is a presumption of an award, according to case law it applies with an unreasonable withholding of public records. The city, he said, cited numerous case laws to support its position and relied on it in good faith, and it would be unreasonable to award Gannett the cost of the litigation. Kleinsasser, however, in his argument said an award was appropriate for deterrence. Fees here will deter other cities and communities from conducting themselves the way the city of Fall River has done, said Kleinsasser. It will incentivize them to comply with the public records law and apply exemptions specific to the facts of the issue. And that, your honor, that is critical here. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Judge to decide Gannett's public records lawsuit vs. Fall River Federal prosecutors sought emails and text messages relating to two top staffers on New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy s first gubernatorial campaign and a prominent lobbying and communications firm, according to a 2020 grand jury subpoena obtained by POLITICO. One of those former staffers is Murphys 2017 campaign manager, Brendan Gill, an Essex County commissioner who is reportedly planning a run for state Assembly. The subpoena, received from a person granted anonymity to divulge an aspect of a federal inquiry, covers a period from Jan. 1, 2017 until the February 2020 date of the subpoena which encompasses much of Murphys first gubernatorial campaign and the first half of his first term. Its unlikely anything came or will come of the inquiry, as the statute of limitations for most federal crimes is five years. The U.S. Attorneys office declined to confirm or deny anything about the subpoena, and none of the people named in the subpoena have been charged. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The subpoena requested any and all records and documents, including, but not limited to emails and text messages, to, or from, or pertaining to to six people and entities: Gill and his public affairs and political consulting firm, The BGill Group. Adam Alonso, a former Murphy campaign aide and later deputy chief of staff in his administration who was forced out of a job helping organize the 2020 Democratic National Convention following concerns about the work environment and certain members of staff leadership. The subpoena also sought records related to Alonsos political consulting company, The Cratos Group. Vision Media Marketing, a communications firm based in Hudson County that does extensive work with many Democrats, including the Democratic State Committee. Public Strategies Impact, a lobbying firm that formed a strategic partnership with Gills firm a little over a month after Murphy was first elected. Its not clear from the subpoena what authorities were looking into. But, according to a different person familiar with the inquiry who was granted anonymity to discuss one aspect of the proceeding, federal authorities interviewed one person from Gill and Alonsos circle in early 2023 about the two mens private consulting businesses. In a statement in response to a request for comment about the subpoena, Gill said: I am proud of the work The BGiLL group has produced. Until contacted by POLITICO, we were unaware of the inquiry. To be clear, our firm was never subpoenaed or even questioned regarding this four year old matter. Whatever may have been looked at in 2017, if anything, was looked at by the campaign and dismissed. Lee Vartan, an attorney for Alonso, said he was asking the U.S. Attorneys Office to provide a letter stating the office is not investigating his client, but he did not provide one by Sunday night. Such letters are extremely rare. Alonso said in a statement late Sunday evening that he was never questioned in the matter. The first I heard about this three-year-old subpoena was from the reporter last week, Alonso said. I was never contacted by any investigator and that is not surprising. The allegations were thoroughly investigated and dismissed by the campaign years ago. Gills relationship with Public Strategies Impact as an affiliate with the firm instead of as a lobbyist is unusual in New Jersey. Unlike registered lobbyists, he doesnt have to disclose clients or interactions hes had with the administration or decision-makers. Although critics have called it a form of shadow lobbying, the practice is in accordance with state law. Allegations about Alonsos and Gills consulting businesses simmered just beneath a more public dispute between Gill and Julie Roginsky, an early strategist for Murphys 2017 campaign. Roginsky publicly accused Gill and others of creating a misogynistic working environment a charge Gill denied and campaign officials characterized as the byproduct of a power struggle. In a series of campaign emails the Murphy campaign provided to the press in order to counter those allegations in 2020 a few weeks before the subpoena was sent Roginsky also claimed that Alonso and Gill were leveraging their relationship with Murphy to make money in their private businesses. In a July 4, 2017 email to two campaign attorneys, Roginsky accused Gill of lashing out because I raised the issue several months ago of how Adam Alonso is making money off his relationship with Phil [Murphy] that would lead to massive problems for Phil down the road. A week later, Roginsky wrote to one of the attorneys, saying Ive had to deal with complaints from multiple people about the profiteering by staff going on. She listed several lobbyists, and alleged that Phil's money appears to be spent in ways that apparently benefit Freeholder Gill and not Phil Murphy. (County commissioners in New Jersey were previously known as freeholders.) Murphy campaign attorney Jonathan Berkon in 2020 denied Roginskys allegations, saying the campaign talked to one of the people Roginsky claimed had complained and had not heard from the others. Berkon said many on the campaign felt Roginsky did this to publicly tarnish Brendan and Adam, and to bolster the political standing of other clients. Bill Maer, senior partner for Public Strategies Impact, said in a statement: Until the reporter inquiry, we were unaware of the issue. No one has spoken to us and to be clear our firm was never subpoenaed, or for that matter even questioned regarding this three and half year old issue. Vision Medias chief operating officer, Phil Swibinski, said his firm has never received any subpoena. We take a lot of pride in our positive reputation and its unfortunate that someone is spreading misinformation like this to score cheap political points, he said in a statement. While Alonso has kept a low profile following the Democratic National Convention debacle, Gill remains a prominent force in New Jersey politics who is still considered close to Murphy. Gills wife, Alixon Collazos-Gill, in June won the Democratic nomination for Assembly in the heavily-Democratic 27th District, following the retirement announcement of longtime Assemblymember Tom Giblin. But state Sen. Richard Codeys surprise retirement announcement led to behind-the-scenes wrangling to replace him, with Gill and Assemblymember John McKeon (D-Essex) both considering seeking the Senate seat in a special Democratic convention. According to numerous media reports, Democrats in the district recently reached an accord in which McKeon will run for the Senate seat and Gill will run for Assembly in the general election instead of his wife, even though she won the nomination. A federal court judge has issued an injunction to halt Georgias new transgender health law Sunday. According to the court document obtained by Channel 2 Action News, the motion was granted to halt part of the law until a trial can determine whether or not it is constitutional. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The law bans doctors from treating children with hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery in Georgia. Under the law, transgender children receiving these medical procedures could continue, but no new children can begin those procedures. What the judge issued is not a total injunction. The ban on surgery is still in place. The injunction only stops the law from preventing hormone therapy for transgender kids. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Channel 2s Richard Elliot has been following developments in the transgender care law, passed during this legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in March. A lawsuit, which was filed against members of the Georgia Department of Community Health and the Georgia Composite Medical Board, asked a federal judge to put the law on hold before it could take effect. TRENDING STORIES: Plaintiffs who filed the suit say the law violates parents rights to make medical decisions in the best interest of their children, and it singles out transgender minors for the denial of essential medical care. Cordele Republican state Sen. Carden Summers wrote the law and defended it in March, insisting it was about protecting children, not about politics. Were not trying to do anything. Were just trying to protect the children. That was the bills intent, and thats where were at, Summers said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Attorney Ed Buckley represents one of the families suing the state. He said the court needs to strike down this law. It interferes with a parents right to govern their childrens medical care, for one, which is a pretty substantial right, Buckley said. IN OTHER NEWS: A federal judge has temporarily blocked part of a Georgia law that bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors. In a ruling late Sunday, Judge Sarah E. Geraghty in the Northern District of Georgia said the states law banning hormone therapy is substantially likely to violate the Equal Protection Clause. Geraghty said the plaintiffs, four anonymous transgender children and their parents, showed a likelihood of succeeding on the merits at trial. Minors will be allowed to receive the treatment while the case progresses. Plaintiffs have established that they will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of a preliminary injunction, Geraghty wrote, including risks of depression, anxiety, disordered eating, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Without an injunction, the middle-school age plaintiffs will be unable to obtain in Georgia a course of treatment that has been recommended by their health care providers in light of their individual diagnoses and mental health needs, the ruling said. The two major provisions of the law prohibit minors from receiving hormone replacement therapies and sex reassignment surgeries from licensed health care facilities to treat gender dysphoria. Medical providers could lose their licenses if they violate the law. However, the initial complaint was only about hormone therapy and did not address surgery. The lawsuit argues that the ban violates parents rights to make medical decisions for their childrens health and well-being and stops them from obtaining appropriate medical treatment for their children who have gender dysphoria. The state argued any preliminary injunction, if it were issued, should be narrowed only to the children who are currently part of the lawsuit. Geraghty said a narrowly focused injunction would be unworkable, both because of the practical difficulty in obtaining care under the law, and also because it might not even be possible to fashion an injunction that would allow them to secure relief without compromising their anonymity. The Republican-controlled Georgia state Legislature passed the bill in March, and Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed it into law shortly after. Kemp said the law protects the health and well-being of Georgias children. The measure is part of a wave of bills targeting transgender care for minors being passed in GOP-led states, many of which have subsequently been challenged in court. In June, a judge in Indiana issued a temporary injunction largely blocking a state ban. A federal court also struck down Arkansass ban on the grounds it violated the Equal Protection Clause. But a federal appeals court last month allowed bans in Tennessee and Kentucky to go into effect. In a statement, attorneys for the plaintiffs praised the ruling, calling it a victory for parents. This law unapologetically targets transgender minors and denies them essential health care. The ruling restores parents rights to make medical decisions that are in their childs best interest, including hormone therapy for their transgender children when needed for them to thrive and be healthy, the attorneys said. We are hopeful that the strong rejection of this harmful, prejudicial law will stop the relentless attacks on the rights of transgender youth and their families. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The ferry Chelan ran aground Sunday night during a trip between islands in the San Juans. Washington State Ferries said the incident happened at 9:35 p.m., shortly after the boat left Orcas Island for Friday Harbor. Ferry officials called it a soft grounding and said the boat likely struck the shoreline, according to a preliminary investigation. There were only four passengers on board. They were given life preservers as a precaution while crew members checked the boat for possible damage. None was found and the boat returned to Orcas. The Coast Guard later allowed the ferry to return to Friday Harbor to be inspected. Divers discovered a small hole which is now sealed along with some damage to the propeller due to the incident, according to WSFs Ian Sterling. It is not known how long the ferry will be out of service. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Chelan was primarily used for sailings between the San Juan Islands, which means the absence of the vessel will restrict inter-island services. A replacement vessel is expected to take over the sailings later this week, possibly as early as Tuesday. The Coast Guard will work with WSF to figure out what happened. All crew members were drug tested, as is standard protocol following any ferry accidents/incidents. Test results are still pending. In April, the ferry Walla Walla lost power and ran aground in Rich Passage near Bainbridge Island. Gig Harbor firefighter Reece Chambers was the keynote speaker at an event held by LifeCenter On Sunday that honored Washingtons eye, organ, and tissue donors. Chambers lives in Gig Harbor is the first firefighter in Washington to go back to work after getting a life-saving heart transplant. In 2007, Chambers suffered heart failure, 10 years before being hospitalized and put on a heart-transplant waiting list. In 2017, he got a call after a donor had passed away from respiratory failure. After the transplant, Chambers not only returned to the line of duty and continued saving lives, but he was also allowed to be a dad. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I remember laying in the hospital bed and wanting to get better not because I wanted to go on a huge adventure or make up for lost time, but because I wanted to be a dad and watch my kids grow, Reece shared. I wanted to see them go to homecoming dances, meet their friends, take them camping, watch them get taller than me. Cook them dinner and pack their lunches. The everyday stuff. Chambers heart donor was 42-year-old Kevin Irby who was also a father. Kevins sister said that he would be pleased to know that his heart saved the life of another father who can continue to save other lives. ATHENS (Reuters) -Wildfires fanned by gale force winds in Greece killed one person in the northeastern region of Evros on Monday as authorities warned most regions faced a high risk of new blazes. A total of 64 wildfires erupted across Greece in the last 24 hours with authorities ordering the evacuation of several communities in the Evros region, near the border with Turkey. The body of a man was found in a rural area on Monday evening near the port city of Alexandroupolis in Evros, a local police official told Reuters. "The body was burned from the fire, probably was a migrant," the official added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Many migrants from Syria and Asian countries are using the river border separating Greece from Turkey in Evros to enter the European Union. More than 200 firefighters backed by 18 aircraft were battling a wildfire burning for the third day in the region. "he next 48 hours are extremely critical due to the extreme weather conditions," fire brigade spokesperson Ioannis Artopios said in a briefing. Cyprus said it was sending two firefighting aircraft to help Greek fire fighters. Summer wildfires in Greece are common but have been made worse in recent years by unusually hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change. More than 20,000 foreign tourists had to be evacuated from the holiday island of Rhodes in July as wildfires burned for a week, destroying hotels and resorts. Firefighters in Spain also battled on Monday to stabilise a huge wildfire that has devastated forests on the island of Tenerife for six days. In Greece's northern seaside city of Kavala, two firefighters were injured on Monday while trying to contain a blaze threatening homes in the village of Dialekto, the fire brigade said. A wildfire also broke out in the village of Psacha near Evia, where more evacuations were ordered. More than 90 firefighters and eight aircrafts were battling the flames, assisted by French firefighting forces. (Reporting by lefteris Papadimas and Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Sandra Maler) (The Hill) The Maryland Department of Health has reported its first locally acquired malaria case in more than four decades. State officials said late last week that a Maryland resident tested positive for malaria despite not having traveled outside of the United States or to another U.S. state with recent malaria cases. Malaria was once common in the United States, including in Maryland, but we have not seen a case in Maryland that was not related to travel in over 40 years, Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott said in a statement. We are taking this very seriously and will work with local and federal health officials to investigate this case. The Maryland resident was hospitalized and is now recovering, the health department said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement David Blythe, director of the departments Infectious Disease and Epidemiology and Outbreak Response Bureau, said the patient went to a hospital due to a fever and sweating, NBC Washington reported. Blythe reportedly said the patient may have been bitten by a mosquito that previously bit someone who had traveled. What to know about new COVID-19 shots, RSV treatments Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory over the spread of a few locally acquired malaria cases in Florida and Texas, which marked the first locally acquired infections in the U.S. in 20 years. Blythe told reporters the strain in the Maryland patient is different than the one found in Florida and Texas, NBC News reported. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite that usually leads to fever, chills and flu-like illness, according to the CDC. The agency considers malaria a medical emergency that can be fatal, specifically among children under 5 and pregnant women. Symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening and can also include an enlarged spleen, enlarged liver or mild jaundice. The CDC said around 2,000 causes of malaria are diagnosed each year, with the vast majority, being reported in travelers and immigrants coming from countries with regular malaria transmission. Once very common in the U.S., malarias endemic disease status ended after the National Malaria Eradication Program in the 1940s and 50s. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. My first solo trip helped me overcome my fear of being alone. I was scared of making decisions and feeling lonely but I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. The kindness of strangers helped make my trip better and I'm glad I went. The first time I hitchhiked I was at a bus stop on Elba Island, located just off of Italy's northwestern coast. My patience and water were long gone, I had no cell service, and I'd spent two hours for any sign of the bus that could take me back to the island's main town Portoferraio. There were no people around. When I heard the familiar crunch of tires on gravel I did something I never thought I'd ever do I stuck my thumb out into the road. It was risky, but by the grace of the Italian gods, I was picked up by a sympathetic woman who taught me two things: The kindness of strangers exists and buses in Italy won't always follow their schedules. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I was a few weeks into my first solo trip ever, fresh off the heels of a terrible breakup. I was sad, angry, broken, exhilarated, and a complete cliche. But I was doing something that scared the living daylight out of me, and admittedly had, for most of my life I was being alone. I'd never really thought about how much I feared being alone I spent a lot of the trip pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Lauren Breedlove The fear of being alone is not something I had ever considered "a thing." Snakes, spiders, tornadoes, sure. But solitude, not so much. Solo travel was especially daunting I was afraid I'd be faced with important or scary decisions that I couldn't make, or I'd get so bored and lonely that my thoughts would get the best of me. Perhaps my fears stemmed from being overprotected as a child or being in back-to-back long-term relationships over the span of 14 years that meant I didn't have to do most things alone. I could hack it on a trip to the grocery store or a run in the park, but the thought of dining on my own in a restaurant, hiking by myself, spending a weekend alone, or traveling abroad solo gave me anxiety. Yet, now I was doing all of these on a five-week summer solo trip. I was getting lost on trains in Italy, asking for directions using the few Italian words I knew, hiking on my own in Switzerland, and scarfing a burger and beer as a solo diner straight afterward. I was making friends along the way and learning that, in being alone, I had opened myself up to a whole new world of making connections. My solo travels weren't perfect and I did get lonely but I felt victorious by the time I returned home I appreciate the support I got from strangers. Lauren Breedlove Traveling solo was pretty far from glamorous and my trip had plenty of loneliness, fear, sadness, and boredom. But it was also brightened by the kindness of everyone I met along the way. In Italy, a passerby helped me clean all of my groceries off of the street when my bike broke. In Switzerland, I was losing motivation on a lengthy hike when I befriended a nice couple who ventured the remainder of the trail with me, patient with my pace. I found I really liked having my own agenda, too. I felt triumphant when I figured things out in tough situations and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Over the course of my adventure, I realized I could trust myself I had a gut instinct that would kick in. I could read a book while eating at a table for one and that was plenty of company. On the last day of my trip, I joined a guided canyoning tour in the Swiss Alps filled with rappelling and jumping that would test my fear of heights. I'd already challenged one fear by tackling the trip alone, why not put another to the test? Hooked into a harness, and shaking with nerves, I stood unsure about rappeling into the canyon where a bunch of people I'd only just met were waiting for me 165 feet below. I stood frozen in fear until I heard enthusiastic cheering. I began to make moves, concentrating on one step at a time and the encouragement of strangers. When I planted my feet on the canyon floor, it felt a lot like victory. Read the original article on Insider Photo from Ministry of Infrastructure The first stretch of the water mains between Inhulets and Kriazheve was launched on Monday, 21 August, and will supply water to a quarter of Kryvyi Rih residents. The construction of this section of the water mains began on the third day after the Russian attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in June. Source: Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine on Facebook Details: The construction on this stretch of the water mains began three days after the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. The Ihulets-Kriazheve section comprises four sub-sections; the remaining three will be launched in early autumn. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Besides the Inhulets-Kriazheve section, the water mains includes another two: Marhanets-Nikopol-Pokrov (40.9km) and Zaporizhzhia-Tomakivka-Marhanets (76.7km); the total length of the water mains is 150km. To operate the Inhulets-Kriazheve section, water from the Inhulets River is being pumped to an underground pipeline. The water then flows through an open channel to the Pivdenne (South) Reservoir and is supplied to Kryvyi Rih residents. This process takes up to 10 days. Photo from Ministry of Infrastructure The Ministry of Infrastructure said that consulting engineers and independent technical supervisors will oversee the construction of each section to ensure transparency. Construction work continues around the clock. The project is being implemented by the State Agency for Reconstruction, with the assistance of local and regional authorities. The Infrastructure Ministry said that nearly a million of Ukrainians are experiencing issues with water supply as a result of the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. Tankers are used to deliver technical water to some areas, and people are forced to buy bottled drinking water. Eventually, a comprehensive technical audit of the project documentation for the construction of all three sections of the water mains will be conducted with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Jefferson County law enforcement is looking for leads in a Louisville shooting Sunday, Aug. 20, that left five people injured. Five people, ages 23 to 37, suffered bullet wounds during a drive-by shooting in Louisville Sunday evening. A spokesman for Jefferson County Sherriffs Office said that at approximately 8:20 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20, the county 911 center received several calls for assistance from the 1000 block of Handy Street near Louisville. Sheriffs deputies, EMS personnel and Louisville firefighters responded and discovered the five victims, three males and two females, suffering from gunshot wounds the spokesman described as non-life-threatening. The injured were all transported to Jefferson Hospitals Emergency Room where three were treated and released. Two of the victims were transferred to Augusta University Medical Center. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The spokesman for the sheriffs office said that the motive for the shooting is currently unknown and no suspects have yet been arrested. Investigator's with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are conducting a complete and thorough investigation to determine who is responsible for this act of violence, the spokesman said. Anyone with relevant information concerning this incident is asked to call the JCSO at 478-625-4014 or the GBI at 706-595-2575. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Five injured in Louisville drive-by shooting SINGAPORE - Five long-tailed macaques were caught on video scaling down a HDB block in Jalan Besar on Saturday (19 August) afternoon. The viral TikTok video, which has garnered two million views to date, showed the monkeys perching and walking along ledges of the block, before skilfully making their way down a pillar and leaping onto the roof on the first floor. User Victoria Loh, who posted the video, told Yahoo Southeast Asia that the block was located in front of Exit B of Jalan Besar MRT Station. She had joined a group of people that had gathered to take videos and photos of the monkeys. Passers-by were concerned if the monkeys could slide down safely, or would jump onto the crowd that ensued. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She later saw the monkeys jump onto the corridor. A crew member from an event happening under the block that day messaged her later on TikTok, to inform her that the monkeys were still around after she had left. Loh was there to attend the birthday party of her friend's child. It was her first time seeing monkeys in a neighbourhood outside of parks. Monkeys do not typically jump on or bite people In response to Loh's concerns, primatologist Andie Ang shared that monkeys do not typically jump onto people. Such incidents usually occur in tourist sites in Malaysia and Indonesia, where monkeys are fed for photo opportunities. Ang's only reference was when a jogger had run too closely to a mother monkey and its baby, resulting in an adult male monkey jumping aggressively out of protection. She elaborated that it was also due to the site having accumulated many incidents of human and wildlife conflicts, which could have caused stress on the monkeys. "When humans antagonise or taunt the monkeys, monkeys may react defensively by 'fake lunging' or baring their teeth, but they dont actually lunge at people or jump at people," she said. Past reports of monkeys biting people only typically occurred when people tried to take back food that was snatched away by monkeys. Keep windows shut and food out of sight Ang cautions that residents in the area may see other monkeys passing through in the near future. She recommends residents to keep their windows shut, and to keep food out of sight or away from the kitchen if windows are left open, for the time being. Residents are also advised to store food in cabinets, and ensure window grills are locked. Food stalls in the area are recommended to cover up food on display in the open, and ensure food is attended to by staff. Monkey-proof bins and signages In response to the incident, Ang recommends Jalan Besar Town Council to consider replacing open lid or open top trash bins to monkey-proof ones, especially at bus stops and public areas. Signages discouraging wildlife feeding should also be put up. This is not the first time monkeys have been spotted in urban areas this year. A monkey was previously caught on camera stealing bread from a Kovan bakery, with another washing its hand at an outdoor basin in a residential area in Hougang. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Yahoo Singapore Telegram Five restaurants or delis in South Mississippi failed their health department inspection over the last two weeks, with one failing for the third time with persistent sewage issues. They include: El Rincon Restaurant, 15701 Lemoyne Blvd., Biloxi, was inspected Aug. 9 for a permit renewal. It had six violations, four of which were corrected during the inspection. It was cited for: Food not separated and protected (repeat) Food contact surface not cleaned and sanitized (repeat) Corrected during the inspection were: Proper hot holding temperatures Proper cold holding temperatures Adequate hand washing facilities supplied and accessible ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Toxic substance properly identified, stored, used This is the first C dating back to 2019. Chick-N-Wang, 538 Division St., Biloxi, was inspected Aug. 10 for a permit. It was cited for: Insects, rodents or animals present Corrected during the inspection were: Toxic substance properly identified, stored, used Adequate hand washing facilities supplied and accessible It was reinspected Aug. 15 and got a B when all the violations were corrected. This is the first C dating back to 2021. El Sabor Costeno, 220 Eisenhower Drive, Biloxi, got its third C in just over a month. The restaurant had seven violations, six of which were corrected during the inspection on July 13. It was cited for sewage waste water not properly disposed. At a follow-up inspection on Aug. 3, the restaurant again scored a C when the sewage waste water issue was not corrected. The wastewater violation was still not corrected at another follow-up inspection Aug. 7. Wayne Lees Deli, 12109 Mississippi 63 South, Lucedale, had a scheduled inspection Aug. 17. It was cited for: Insects, rodents or animals present Last inspection results not posted Corrected during the inspection was proper hot holding temperatures. This was the first C since 2019. Big P Food Mart, 19191 Commission Road, Long Beach, was inspected Aug. 7 for a permit. It was cited for: No certified manager Last inspection results not posted. This was the first C dating back to 2021. Restaurants and other food service establishments in Mississippi are rated A if they pass the health department inspection, B if violations are corrected during the inspection, and C if the violations are critical. Since Aug. 5, there have been 110 restaurants in South Mississippi that scored an A for no violations and 20 that got a B when violations were corrected during the inspection. In the small town of Johnson, Vermont, a few dozen miles south of the Canadian border, a family still lives in a tent outside their damaged mobile home. The only food market within miles is gutted. The flooded U.S. Post Office shifted its service to a small van with an awning in a parking lot. A town official told CBS News the town wastewater treatment plant and its pump station will need to be moved to prevent another failure and to continue serving the community's 3,000 residents. It's estimated to cost $25 million. Nearly 20 miles away, the wastewater treatment plant was also submerged in the community of Hardwick. The city manager told CBS News that most of Hardwick's roads 80 miles must be repaired, or they will be rendered impassable in the winter. City leaders are also worried about how many home owners lost their furnaces, just a couple of months before the unforgiving Vermont chill returns. The U.S. Post Office in Johnson, Vermont, is now operating out of a van. / Credit: CBS News In the capital, Montpelier, a children's clothing store was inundated and needs assistance to reopen. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Six weeks ago, a torrent of rain and a catastrophic flood ravaged Vermont, with an estimated two months worth of rain falling in two days. More than 100 people were rescued. The emergency and rescues have ended. But the damage, rebuilding and recovery efforts persist. In some cases, it's been sluggish in a state with smaller towns, smaller roads, fewer contractors and supply chain disruptions. What has been the federal response? Perhaps no surprise, it's the Congressional delegation from Vermont raising warning flags that the federal government is running short on emergency disaster funds and risks a temporary, but potentially lengthy, interruption in the federal response to the flood. In a letter to the White House this month, the two U.S. senators from Vermont urged President Biden to request emergency funding from Congress to help the expensive and painstaking rebuilding. The letter said, "To help New England farmers, small businesses, and communities recover from the July 2023 floods, we ask that you include assistance for New England in your supplemental appropriations request." The White House has since requested $12 billion in emergency disaster relief funding from Congress to help fund the federal recovery programs and assist the growing number of states and communities that have suffered natural disasters this year. But the outlook for the funding is precarious, in a Congress that is polarized, gridlocked and unpredictable in its ability to formally approve new spending. "The fear all of us have is that we will get caught in the buzzsaw of shutdown politics," said Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont. "That's very, very dangerous for all of us who have constituents hammered by a weather event." Congress is already approaching a Sept. 30 deadline to approve new spending to fund the entirety of the federal government and avert a government shutdown. And Congress might face an even tighter deadline to approve the emergency disaster relief funds requested by the president. With Republicans' narrow majority in the House and Democrats' narrow majority in the Senate and in the wake of an ugly debate to avert a debt ceiling crisis earlier this year the prospect of an impasse is growing. Can FEMA cover the cost? Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanna Criswell told CBS News the agency's disaster relief fund is projected to run short on funding in September, as the fiscal year ends. A failure by Congress to approve new spending to replenish the funds raises the risk that FEMA will have to halt some of its longer-term rebuilding and recovery programs nationwide, including in Vermont. Former FEMA official Elizabeth Zimmerman said that if money runs low, FEMA will spend its remaining funds on the most urgent and time-sensitive needs. Zimmerman told CBS News that "recovery projects from recently-declared disasters, such as Vermont's severe storms, could be put on hold until supplemental funds are made available." What are Congress' next steps? Congress remains on its summer recess until after Labor Day. A spokesperson for Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin said the timetable for consideration of an emergency disaster funding bill would become clearer after Senators return to Washington in September. The House majority leader's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CBS News about the timing of a debate on the proposal. The members of Congress from Vermont have begun lobbying their colleagues to support the emergency funding. "Our job is to appeal to our colleagues," Democratic Rep. Becca Balint told CBS News. "This time it's my district. Next time it's going to be your district. Climate change is coming for you. And your constituents are not going to escape from it." Welch said he is having conversations with Senators from both parties about the need to approve funding. Members of the powerful New York Congressional delegation are helping champion the legislation too. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York told reporters last week, "I am fully supportive of that and will do everything I can to get it passed in the Senate. Whether it's a hurricane in the south or east, the flood in the Midwest, the wildfire in the West, Americans can't fail to answer the call when our fellow Americans are suffering from disaster. That's always been the case in this country year after year, decade after decade. And I believe it should continue and hope it will continue." "Some people have just lost everything" As Congress resumes the debate over spending, the slog of repair work continues in upstate Vermont. Local officials acknowledge it will be a grind. "We have people who are living in homes that are gutted," Town of Johnson board member Beth Foy told CBS News. "But they're still living in those homes. We have people without electricity. We have people who are living with friends, not necessarily in town. We have people who are using money provided by the Red Cross and FEMA and other entities to live in hotels." A few Good Samaritans managed to rescue the books from the Johnson town library as the flood waters rose during the catastrophe and the building was gutted. Local Vermont officials acknowledge the rebuilding will be lengthy and will likely require ongoing federal support. "Some people have just lost everything," said Hardwick city manager David Upson. Illinois woman arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot Trump Air traffic controller shortage raises concern amid increased plane near-collisions Texas coast braces for storm as California recovers from tropical storm Hilary At the Hammocks in West Kendall, 6,500 homeowners are anxious for a return to self-rule after seven years under the thumb of a tyrannical, secretive board of directors that is accused of stealing millions in monthly fees from their neighbors. Although the former president is in jail on theft and fraud charges, and a new board is running the largest homeowners association in Florida, the process of restoring community peace and fiscal health has been a struggle. Some residents complain that the receiver appointed by a judge to clean up the legal and financial mess left by the old board is spending too much of the associations money on too many lawyers, putting the HOA in danger of going broke again. Receiver David M. Gersten has billed $2.03 million in expenses in seven months on the job. Gersten, the retired chief judge in Floridas Third District Court of Appeal, was chosen by Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Beatrice Butchko to oversee the Hammocks and the new board that was elected March 30. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Gersten is investigating some 55 bank accounts the old board is accused of using in a scheme to shuttle money into their own pockets. He is examining hundreds of documents previous board members had hidden. He is trying to recover missing funds paid for no-show maintenance work and legal fees paid to lawyers defending the previous board members all from the HOAs coffers. Booking photos provided by Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation show, top from left, Marglli Gallego, Monica Isabel Ghilardi and Yoleidis Lopez Garcia. Bottom from left: Jose Antonio Gonzalez and Myriam Arango Rodgers. The current and former board members of Hammocks Community Association and associates have been charged with stealing more than $2 million of residents money. Its expensive, warned Butchko and Gersten, but probably the only way to fix the city-sized subdivision of 20,000 people. Homeowners paying for lots of lawyers The Hammocks is a case study in what can go wrong when HOA leaders go rogue, and what little recourse homeowners in Florida have to banish them and regain control. Its like we exchanged one dictator for another, said Carlos Villalobos, a longtime Hammocks resident who is serving on the new board. The Hammocks is a big cow to milk. Our concern is that the receiver is eating up the money he hopes to win back. Hes been given a blank check with no deadline. Wed like to see a reduction in some exorbitant expenditures and a release of more power to the board. READ MORE: Is fraud occurring in your HOA? Red flags to watch for and how to file a complaint Marcoantonio Real, elected to the new board as treasurer, said if Gerstens bills continue to average $288,000 per month they could add up to $3.4 million over a year. The Hammocks budget for 2023 is $6 million. Gersten originally budgeted $750,000 for his teams 2023 expenses. If the receivership continues at this pace, were worried about the sustainability of the HOA and the future of our property values in this working-class community, Real said. According to the invoices, were paying for 14-15 lawyers, plus paralegals, and lots of lawsuits. We paid $300 for one lawyer to take a Google photograph of the clubhouse. Mr. Gersten told me hes magnanimously reduced his hourly fee from $800 to $671, and we appreciate him taking on this complicated situation. But if he is the Rolls-Royce of legal fees, maybe it would make more sense for us to get to our destination in a Ford Explorer. Real and Villalobos also questioned if forensic work by Gerstens team is being duplicated by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys office, which expects to file more charges against former board members. Patience, please, say receivers supporters Other residents support Gersten as the costly medicine necessary to cure the Hammocks of its corruption scandal. Former Hammocks HOA President Marglli Gallego faces a slew of charges. Don Kearns is a 28-year resident, current and former board president, and a leader of the Justice for the Hammocks group that fought the old board, which stopped holding public meetings, refused to release financial information, conducted elections homeowners believe were rigged, invalidated a recall election in which they were defeated, neglected maintenance of facilities and landscaping, raised fees 300-400 percent last year, and harassed residents with foreclosure warnings, liens and code violation fines. Kearns advocates patience. READ MORE: Fee increases of 300 to 400% stun residents of Floridas largest homeowners association Youre not going to erase seven years of a criminal enterprise in seven months, Kearns said. Judge Butchko pulled the Hammocks out of despair, removed a board that was terrorizing residents and installed a receiver, without whom this would be really ugly. Nobody is happy with big legal fees but David Gersten deserves a chance to recover our money. Im the most experienced member of the board and theres not a chance I could have figured out this fiasco by myself. A dime-store lawyer couldnt do it, either. Theres another rabbit hole every time you turn around. A flyer announcing a Justice for the Hammocks rally at the Kendall Ice Arena to recall the HOAs board of directors. Gersten told homeowners the highest expenses would be incurred in the first few months, including costs for running a clean and monitored election. At court hearings and HOA meetings, he has expressed empathy for homeowners and stressed the transparency of his receivership. To project through third-grade math that hes going to spend $3.4 million in the first year is inflaming, misinforming and gaslighting the people who have been wronged, Kearns said. Its a slap to Judge Butchko, who has to approve each invoice from the receiver. You have two respected jurists who are not going to risk their reputations over this case or allow the Hammocks to go bankrupt. Kearns estimates the Hammocks has nearly $800,000 in operating funds, not ideal but on much better footing than we were, he said. Criminal investigation of former board Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle is continuing her investigation of former president Marglli Gallego, Gallegos husband Juan Antonio Gonzalez, former president Monica Ghilardi, who succeeded Gallego, and two former board members, Myriam Rogers and Yoleidis Lopez. The group, known as Gallegos Mafia around the Hammocks, was accused in November of siphoning $2 million from the Hammocks Community Association by writing checks to shell companies, which included Gonzalezs purported business, Excellent Work & Services. READ MORE: Leaders of Floridas largest homeowners association charged in $2 million fraud scheme Prosecutors described that sum as the tip of the iceberg. Gersten has since uncovered upwards of $3.4 million in misappropriated money, some charged on association credit cards. Gallego, charged with racketeering, money laundering and grand theft, was first arrested in 2021 on allegations she stole $60,000, spending part of it to hire a private investigator to spy on her neighborhood rivals. Her case is pending. Most galling to homeowners was how Gallego used association funds to pay for her defense attorneys, who, among numerous filings, sued Fernandez Rundles office to block enforcement of subpoenas. Prosecutors, who deem her a flight risk, also accused her of using HOA money to build a house in Colombia. Butchko appointed Gersten soon after the arrests. Receivership was considered the last-resort, nuclear option for liberating the Hammocks and returning it to the people, Kearns said. But the Justice for the Hammocks coalition found it impossible to oust board members, and the crisis deepened as those board members demanded payment of hiked fees from homeowners who couldnt afford to pay. The coalition tried filing complaints with Floridas Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which oversees HOAs, but the process was slow and unproductive, as the boards lawyers appealed or ignored every decision handed down by the state agency. The coalition hired its own lawyer, which required collecting donations from residents. The coalition managed to schedule a recall election in June 2022, only to have the results thrown out by an election supervisor hired by the board. We knew a receivership would be Plan D, but in our other attacks we kept running into lawyers being paid a lot of our money to stall us and defeat us and keep that board in power, Kearns said. The average homeowner doesnt have the time or wealth to keep fighting. Nor can they risk retaliation. Our state regulations lack teeth. So in places like the Hammocks, homeowners are stuck with boards spitting on them and stealing from them. More than 50 percent of Floridas 22.5 million residents live in HOA communities or condo units. Kearns and coalition members hoped what befell the Hammocks would serve as an incentive for reforming Florida Statute 720 and reining in what he called the Wild West free-for-all of unscrupulous HOA board governance. Hammocks residents at a Justice for the Hammocks meeting in 2022, signing petitions to recall the HOA board of directors. A court-appointed receiver is now trying to unravel the legal and financial mess left by the former board, some of whose leaders have been arrested and accused of siphoning $2 million from the homeowners. New law watered down by HOA interests, Hammocks residents say State Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, the Republican who represents West Kendall, said tightening oversight of HOA boards was his top priority during the spring Legislative Session. Hammocks residents Villalobos and Real worked with Porras to draft House Bill 919, which Porras touted as the HOA Bill of Rights. But the amended law, as passed, remains weak, say homeowners and Fernandez Rundle. Nothing substantive was accomplished to prevent what happened at the Hammocks from happening again, Kearns said. The DBPR needs the authority to give citizens an avenue to fight for themselves against big-money associations and big-money lawyers theyve hired to bleed you dry. Real said the new law is a huge disappointment that leaves homeowners all over Florida on their own. It was watered down, Villalobos said. The lobbyists for the big management companies and real estate law firms argued that criminal penalties would have a chilling effect on volunteers who want to serve on boards. Four times since 2016, Fernandez Rundle has attempted to strengthen laws protecting HOA members and condo owners by making boards more accountable and subjecting dishonest ones to criminal charges. Four times, her proposals died in the Florida Legislature. She tried again during the spring session to add criminal bite to the law and open access to HOA financial records to allow owners to expose wrongdoing long before money can disappear or be stolen. But said the law fell short of expectations, she said. While the amended law does not include all the protections I proposed, it does criminalize kickbacks and various forms of election fraud, making it a positive step forward, she said. At the Hammocks, spread over 4,000 acres bordered by Southwest 88th and 120th streets, between 147th and 162nd avenues, homeowners feel both relief at the progress Gersten is making and trepidation over what hell find next and what it could cost them. We are in a conundrum, Real said. A receiver can free you from a bad board, and Mr. Gersten says, This is my community now, and I love these people. But in the end, he is spending our money and we have many questions. Kearns is optimistic the Hammocks has exited its suburban nightmare and will be fully returned to those who call it home. But he urges other HOAs to view the Hammocks scandal as a cautionary tale: Wake up, pay close attention to your board and dont be victimized by scam artists. Landmines remain, he said. But we are finally on the right path. A battle about a new Florida law that restricts people from China from owning property in the state is headed to a federal appeals court. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Attorneys for four Chinese people and a real-estate brokerage that serves Chinese clients filed a notice Monday that is a first step in appealing a ruling last week by U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor that rejected a preliminary injunction against the law. The notice, as is common, did not detail arguments the plaintiffs will make at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But after last weeks ruling, attorneys issued statements indicating they would continue fighting the law, which they contend violates equal-protection rights and the federal Fair Housing Act. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Floridas law legitimizes and expands housing discrimination, in violation of both the Constitution and the Fair Housing Act, Ashley Gorski, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberty Unions National Security Project and a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature approved the law this spring, pointing to a need to curb the influence of the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party in Florida. The overall law affects people from what Florida calls foreign countries of concern China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria. But the lawsuit focuses on part of the measure that specifically puts restrictions on people from China who are not U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents. That part prevents people domiciled in China from purchasing property in Florida, with some exceptions. Such people each would be allowed to purchase one residential property up to two acres if the property is not within five miles of a military base and they have non-tourist visas. Three of the plaintiffs are in the United States on visas, while one is seeking asylum. After filing the lawsuit, the plaintiffs in June requested a preliminary injunction. But in his 51-page ruling Thursday, Winsor wrote that the plaintiffs had not shown a substantial likelihood of success on the issues in the case. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Winsor, who was appointed to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump, wrote that U.S. Supreme Court precedents have held that states could deny aliens ownership interests in land within their respective borders absent an arbitrary or unreasonable basis. He also indicated a key is that the law classifies based on where an alien is domiciled. It does not facially discriminate against noncitizens based on race or ancestry. It does not discriminate against noncitizens based on the particular country in which one was born, Winsor wrote, partially quoting a Supreme Court precedent. So contrary to plaintiffs arguments, the challenged law is facially neutral as to race and national origin. It would apply to a person of Chinese descent domiciled in China the same way it would apply to a person not of Chinese descent domiciled in China. And its application would never turn on a persons race. Winsor also wrote that the plaintiffs had not shown a substantial likelihood that unlawful animus motivated the Legislature in passing the measure (SB 264). But during a July hearing, Gorski told Winsor the state has relied on pernicious stereotypes to conflate people from China with the Chinese government. The overall law prevents people from the seven foreign countries of concern from buying agricultural land and property near military bases. Those parts of the law apply to people who are not U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. A former clerk with the Internal Revenue Service in Fresno was sentenced to just over a year for selling prescription pills that led to the death of a co-worker. Margarita Aispuro-Camacho pleaded guilty in February to charges that she sold morphine to a co-worker who was found dead of an overdose in an apartment in Clovis in May 2020. The 46-year-old was sentenced to 14 months in prison, according to a release from the Department of Justice on Monday. Following the death of the coworker, law enforcement found text messages between the two, which showed Aispuro-Camacho had sold various prescription drugs, including morphine, on several occasions, including on the day before the overdose. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A toxicology report confirmed morphine as one of several drugs that caused the death, according to the Justice Department. Aispuro-Camacho ultimately confessed when confronted law enforcement, saying that she was prescribed the morphine and sold it to make a few thousand dollars in extra spending money, the DOJ said. She was fired from the IRS shortly after the co-workers death, for reasons not related to the case. Bishop Michael Olson has warned the leader of the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity that she and other nuns could possibly face excommunication for rejecting his authority as bishop and pontifical commissary. In a statement posted to the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worths website, Olson said the Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlachs action hurt him as a friend and cut a deep wound in the unity of the diocese. The announcement was the latest twist in a dispute that has played out publicly since May, when Gerlach and Sister Francis Therese sued Olson over his investigation into a report that Gerlach broke her vow of chastity with a priest. Olson, in his statement to the faithful, said ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mother Teresa Agnes, thereby, may have incurred upon herself latae sententiae, ( i.e., by her own schismatic actions), excommunication. The other nuns, depending on their complicity in Mother Teresa Agnes publicly, scandalous and schismatic actions could possibly have incurred the same latae sententiae excommunication, The Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity posted a statement to its website Friday saying it had been subjected to unprecedented interference, intimidation, aggression, private and public humiliation and spiritual manipulation as the direct result of the attitudes and ambitions of the current Bishop of Fort Worth. The nuns said they no longer recognize Olsons authority and that they forbid him or his officials from setting foot on the monastery grounds and of having any relations with the nuns or novices. But they remain faithful to the doctrine of the Catholic Church. Olson dismissed Gerlach from the order on June 1, a day after the Vatican gave him the authority to investigate reports that she had sex with a priest. She has denied the allegation and appealed her dismissal to the Vatican. Gerlach oversees the monastery on 72 wooded acres in Arlington. Gerlach and Sister Francis Therese sued Olson in May, alleging that Olson defamed her, invaded their privacy and stole personal electronic devices during his investigation into reports of Gerlachs transgressions. A Tarrant County judge dismissed the lawsuit in June, ruling the dispute was a church matter. The diocese did not respond to questions from the Star-Telegram on whether Olson would go forward with excommunicating the nuns or to explain the process. In their statement, the Carmelite nuns said Olson has abused their trust. For our own spiritual and psychological safety, and in justice, we must remain independent of this Bishop until such time as he repents of the abuse to which he has subjected us, apologizes in person to our community for it and accepts to make due public reparation, the statement read. The monastery said Friday that there would be no further comments. Sheila Johnson, a long-time friend of the sisters whose mother Ruth Carter Stevenson donated the 72 acres for the monastery, called Olsons statement on the possible excommunication unacceptable. He has absolutely no grounds to do this, she said. Hes just desperate; hes not winning. Criticism of Olson also came from from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican envoy to the United States. I invite everyone to support the courageous resistance of the Carmelite Nuns of Arlington with prayer and material help, not only for the sake of supporting them but also in order to send a clear signal to those in the Church who believe that they hold absolute power, even to the point of contradicting with impunity the Authority of Christ, the Head of the Mystical Body. Resisting is a duty that Catholics of all times have never shirke, Vigano wrote in a statement posted to the monasterys website. Olsson said the monastery remains closed to the public. I stand ready to assist Mother Teresa Agnes on her path of reconciliation and healing, he said in the statement. Please join me inpraying for the nuns, and the restoration of order and stability to our beloved Arlington Carmel. Tropical Storm Franklin made landfall in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday morning and will emerge along the northern coast of Hispaniola in the afternoon. AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned about the risk of life-threatening conditions in the Dominican Republic and Haiti associated with excessive rainfall. As of Wednesday midday, the center of Franklin was located 65 miles to the south-southwest of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and was moving northward at 13 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 40 mph with higher gusts. Tropical storm warnings were in effect along the entire coast of the Dominican Republic, the southern coast of Haiti and the Turks and Caicos located north of Hispaniola on Wednesday. "While Franklin was holding onto tropical storm status on Tuesday, [the storm] struggled to form a single consolidated center," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. Maximum sustained winds had dipped to 40 mph for a time on Tuesday, which was just above the minimum threshold for a tropical storm. A tropical storm has sustained winds of 39-73 mph. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Conditions began to change quickly Tuesday night as the storm began to consolidate and pick up some forward speed. Brushlike high-level cirrus clouds were evident over top of the storm -- which was a sign of strengthening. With a somewhat more compact center, steering breezes have begun to push Franklin along. Tropical Storm Franklin appears in the middle of this image of the Caribbean and southwestern Atlantic captured on Wednesday morning, Aug. 23, 2023. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue satellite) When heavy rain falls on the steep slopes, the likelihood of flash flooding, mudslides and washouts also increases, and that is the primary reason for a moderate to high risk to lives, property and infrastructure in the region. On Hispaniola, Franklin is a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes. A general 2-4 inches of rain will fall on the island of Hispaniola. However, a zone where 8-12 inches of rain will fall will be centered on the Dominican Republic, and an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 30 inches over the mountains is expected. Rainfall of this magnitude will lead to major flooding. Much of the rain may fall in 24 hours or less. As the system churns in the northern Caribbean, waves and rip currents will build along with the risk of storm surge flooding. A storm surge of 3-6 feet is most likely to occur along part of the southern coast of the Dominican Republic on Wednesday. While the main threats from Franklin in the Dominican Republic and Haiti will be from flash flooding and mudslides, enough strong winds are likely to occur and knock down trees, damage poorly constructed buildings and lead to power outages. Damage from winds is expected to be relatively minor, but falling trees and flying debris can be serious hazards for pedestrians. Because of a more compact storm, when compared to the start of the week, most of the impacts in the Caribbean will be felt on Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos, rather than in Puerto Rico. However, there may still be locally drenching, gusty thunderstorms on Puerto Rico and perhaps Jamaica and eastern Cuba due to the proximity of the storm. The Turks and Caicos will experience the worst effects from Franklin later Wednesday and Wednesday night as the storm pulls to the north of Hispaniola. During this time, surf will build, winds will pick up and areas of heavy rain and gusty thunderstorms are likely. The mountains which extend thousands of feet above the landscape on Hispaniola may halt any strengthening process or could lead to some loss of wind intensity while this system moves across the island. However, the system is likely to strengthen while turning toward the northeast, north of the Caribbean later this week. Franklin is likely to become a hurricane north of the Caribbean, forecasters say, following the only other such system to do so in the Atlantic so far this season. That system was Don in the middle of July. Don spent its entire life at sea and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph. There is some data suggesting that Franklin may travel northeastward to only a certain point. The system may turn toward the northwest and could wander within a few hundred miles of Bermuda this weekend. If so, clouds and squalls from the system could begin to affect the islands of Bermuda at that time. Should the system travel this far to the northwest, it could later be drawn northward into Atlantic Canada toward the end of the month. There are other systems that AccuWeather meteorologists are closely watching for tropical development. A tropical disturbance, or tropical wave, that AccuWeather meteorologists had their eye on since early in August ramped up to a tropical depression and then became Tropical Storm Harold prior to making landfall in Texas on Tuesday. Harold will push westward through the Rio Grande Valley through midweek with areas of heavy rain and localized flash flooding. Farther to the east over the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Emily formed over the weekend, roughly halfway between Africa and the eastern islands of the Caribbean. By late Monday evening, Emily had lost organization and wind energy and had dissipated. There is a chance that Emily could regenerate late this week over the central Atlantic. Tropical Storm Gert formed on Sunday night, a few hundred miles to the east of the northeastern islands of the Caribbean. Like Emily, Gert has met its demise after a brief lifespan. For a time on Sunday night and early Monday, three named systems were spinning in the Atlantic at the same time. After a brief pause, Franklin, Gert and Harold were active on Tuesday morning. Farther to the east, there are additional tropical waves that AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring for development this week. One such system was near the Cabo Verde Islands, located just off the coast of Africa. Yet another tropical wave was crossing Africa and may evolve into a tropical system later this week as it moves over the warm waters of the Atlantic. During the middle to the latter part of next week, AccuWeather's tropical weather team will be watching the zone from the western Caribbean to the eastern and central Gulf of Mexico for tropical development. 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. The tropical system that was once Hurricane Hilary dumped a years worth of rain in some areas of Southern California on Sunday, delivering shocking footage of flooding, mudslides, and damage to whats usually one of the countrys driest regions. Hilary, once a Category 4 hurricane before weakening, became the first tropical storm to strike Southern California in 84 years when it made landfall on Sunday in a region with infrastructure that isnt designed to handle heavy rainfall. Among the eeriest scenes was outside Los Angeles iconic Dodger Stadium, with aerial footage showing the ballparknicknamed Chavez Ravine for its low elevation compared to surrounding areascompletely surrounded by floodwaters. Aerial view of Dodger stadium yesterday pic.twitter.com/emte2Gcn07 Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 21, 2023 Roadways essential for evacuations and first responders had become rivers by Monday morning. Interstate-10, which runs across from Los Angeles west across the country, was closed in both directions in Palm Springs on Monday due to mudslides. This is I-10 through Palm Springs, CA covered in mud. The highway remains CLOSED in both directions due to mudslides and debris flow. pic.twitter.com/vFM1owwT6o WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) August 21, 2023 Parts of the Los Angeles metro area received over seven inches of rain overnighta sharp contrast to the next-to-zero rainfall the region typically experiences in August, which is Southern Californias driest month of the year. - #DeathValley, the hottest and driest place in the #US just saw the 4th 1-in-1,000 year rain event in less than 2 weeks in the US. 3/4 of Death Valleys annual rainfall fell in 3 hours. St Louis on July 25-26, Eastern Kentucky on July 28, Southern Illinois on August 2 pic.twitter.com/0L6wVNZrw5 The Informant (@theinformantofc) August 21, 2023 Death Valley, infamously known as the hottest and driest area in the U.S., was inundated with three inches of rain overnighteclipsing its average annual rainfall total of 2.2 inches in just three hours. Videos from the national park, which was closed Monday, showed floodwaters racing through areas that are typically barren desert. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Despite warnings last week to evacuate or shelter in place, scores of Californians were left stranded by Hilarys floodwaters, with firefighters dispatched to pull people from flooded cars, according to the Desert Sun. Videos throughout Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and San Diego showed drivers stuck in their vehicles as water overtook roadways and crumbled portions of others. Others showed empty flowerpots racing down streets in floodwaters, likely swept away from the yards and front porches of homes. Hurricane Hilary is hitting Palm Desert and Palm Springs hard right now my mom just sent me this video. I grew up there, family still lives there. #HurricaneHilary pic.twitter.com/v9GBg9RC9d Matt Roy (@MattRoy_TV) August 21, 2023 Despite widespread damage, there were no reported deaths in Southern California by Monday morning. One man died in floodwaters caused by Hilary in Baja California, Mexico, on Sunday. The full scope of injuries arent likely to be known until later Monday, however, as many areaslike Palm Springs, a city of 45,000shut down 911 operations entirely on Sunday night. Footage on Monday showed the sign for Palm Springs airport had been washed out of place, and downed trees littered roadways and ritzy resorts near Joshua Tree National Park. Palm Springs is completely flooded by Hurricane Hillary. pic.twitter.com/PoWRNNhqoW Project TABS (@ProjectTabs) August 21, 2023 Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner said Monday morning that 911 service had been restored, but she begged residents to stay at home while rescue and cleanup operations begin. Yes, theres going to be sun today, and thats fantastic, she said. However, we have a lot of clean-up to do, we need to assess the damage, and if the roads are clear that makes our job that much easier and were able to get those roads open much faster if people just stay in place. Flood watches and warnings are still in effect in some parts of the Southwest as heavy rain continues. We're LIVE with the latest on #Hilary and the other tropical storms that are brewing. pic.twitter.com/qq83cbMgXV The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 21, 2023 Many wont have a choice but to stay in place. Nancy Ross, a councilwoman for Cathedral City in California, told the Desert Sun that three feet of water rushed into homes in her neighborhooda community for people 55 and older. The fire department arrived Monday to evacuate residents trapped by the water. There was in several locations at least three feet of rushing water that was like a river and had a current of its own, its frightening, Ross said. And that rushing water by nature just wanted to follow a straight path up into peoples driveways and into their garages, and so many people flooded. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. How well do the candidates competing in the special election to replace former U.S. Rep David Cicilline know Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District which stretches all the way from Social Street in Woonsocket to Sakonnet Point in Little Compton? For instance, can they tell you where Touisset is located? Or where to find a chimi? How many are familiar with the bloody history of the Saylesville Massacre or know that a "coffee cabinet" isn't a piece of furniture? To find out, Political Scene put the candidates to the test, inviting each to take a short trivia quiz on the district's history, culture and lore. Interestingly, it wasn't a born-and-raised Rhode Islander who scored the most points. That distinction went to Aaron Regunberg , who grew up in Chicago. Gabe Amo , a Pawtucket native, came in a close second place. (The full scorecard can be found at the end of this story.) How it worked The dozen Democrats and two Republicans who will appear on primary ballots were invited to The Providence Journal's newsroom to film a short video introducing themselves to voters, and to have a headshot taken. While in the office, they were also offered the option to take the trivia quiz. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement None of the candidates were notified about the quiz ahead of time. Several candidates Democrats John Goncalves and Allen Waters, and Republican Terri Flynn declined to participate. Republican Gerry Leonard passed up the opportunity to come to the newsroom for a video and headshot. The Journal offered to conduct the quiz over the phone but was told that Leonard was busy, and we did not receive a call back. Democrat Spencer Dickinson missed his appointment time, so The Journal contacted him by phone and gave him the quiz on the spot. All the other candidates took the quiz in person, ensuring that they wouldn't have the opportunity to Google the answers or get hints from staffers. They were given the option to answer the questions orally or to take a supervised written test. Below, you'll find the complete list of questions and answers, along with a breakdown of how the candidates fared. We asked, they answered: Where do Democrats in the CD1 Special Election stand on key issues? A complete guide Where in the district can you buy a coffee cabinet? And what is it? (10 points) Answer: A "coffee cabinet" is a beverage made with coffee syrup, ice cream and milk. Candidates got credit if they described it as a type of milkshake. The term supposedly originated with Delekta Pharmacy in Warren, which still proudly serves coffee cabinets. Newport Creamery was also an acceptable answer: Although the words "coffee cabinet" don't appear on the chain's menu, the staff there can and will make one for you. (Don Carlson, who worked at Newport Creamery as a teenager, noted that a cabinet is different from an Awful Awful, because it uses real coffee syrup and real coffee ice cream.) Who got it right: Amo, Carlson, Regunberg and Dickinson. Who got partial credit: Stephen Casey correctly identified the drink as a "coffee shake," but said they could be purchased at New York Lunch in Woonsocket which has coffee milk on the menu but confirmed over the phone that they do not serve milkshakes or cabinets. Who didn't: Stephanie Beaute, Walter Berbrick, Sandra Cano, Sabina Matos , Ana Quezada . You can enjoy a coffee cabinet at Delekta Pharmacy in Warren. What does 'La Broa' refer to? (10 points) Answer: "La Broa" is the nickname for Broad Street, the heart of Providence's Latino community in South Providence. Who got it right: Amo, Cano, Matos, Quezada, Regunberg. (Note: Quezada answered by naming La Broa Pizza, which is located on Broad Street. While it's not the exact answer the quiz was looking for, it also wasn't technically incorrect and it demonstrated familiarity with the neighborhood, so she got credit.) Who didn't: Beaute, Berbrick, Carlson, Casey, Dickinson. Name two lighthouses in the district. (10 points) Answer: Rose Island, Goat Island, Castle Hill, Beavertail, Sakonnet, Prudence Island and Pomham Rocks are among the possible answers to this question. Who got it right: Carlson, Regunberg. Who got partial credit: Casey and Dickinson, who each named one lighthouse in the district. Who didn't: Amo, Beaute, Berbrick, Cano, Matos, Quezada. More: There are 21 lighthouses in Rhode Island. What to know and which ones to visit Beavertail Lighthouse, at Beavertail State Park in Jamestown. What immigrant group has a tradition of constructing grape arbors? (10 points) Answer: If you spot an impressive grape arbor in a driveway or backyard, it's most likely that it was planted by a Portuguese immigrant, especially if you're in the East Bay. However, some were planted by Italian immigrants, which was also an acceptable answer. Who got it right: Everyone. What is a chimi, and where can you get one? (10 points) Answer: A Dominican street food that is somewhere between a sandwich and a hamburger, commonly purchased from food trucks on Broad Street (aka "La Broa"). Who got it right: Amo, Cano, Matos, Quezada. Who got partial credit: Regunberg correctly stated that chimis were a "delicious food" that can be purchased on La Broa, but when asked to be more specific, he said that they were made with tortillas, meat and cheese. In fact, chimis are typically served on buns, not in tortillas. Who didn't: Beaute, Berbrick, Carlson, Casey, Dickinson. Two communities in the district were major ports in the slave trade. Name one. (10 points) Answer: Newport and Bristol. Candidates only needed to name one or the other, but most named both. Who got it right: Amo, Beaute, Berbrick, Cano, Carlson, Casey, Dickinson, Matos, Regunberg. Who got partial credit: Quezada received half credit for naming Providence, which was a port in the slave trade, but a relatively minor one compared with Newport and Bristol. More: Shedding light on the little-known history of New Goree, Bristol's free Black neighborhood Where is the Cape Verdean Museum located? (10 points) Answer: Pawtucket, although candidates also got credit if they said East Providence, since the museum was located there until last year. Who got it right: Amo, Beaute, Cano, Casey, Matos, Regunberg. Who didn't: Berbrick, Carlson, Dickinson, Quezada. A young girl holds a Cape Verdean flag in her hair at the 2022 Cape Verdean Independence Day Festival in Providence. There are two places in the district where you can find a historic Looff carousel. Name one. (10 points) Answer: Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket or Crescent Park in East Providence's Riverside neighborhood. (Candidates received credit for naming either the city or the park where the carousel is located.) Who got it right: Amo, Beaute, Cano, Carlson, Casey, Dickinson, Matos, Regunberg. Who didn't: Berbrick, Quezada. More: Inside the effort to keep the largest Looff Carousel spinning at Crescent Park in Riverside Blossom is one of the jumping horses on the Looff Carousel at Crescent Park in East Providence. In a few words, what was the Saylesville Massacre? (10 points) Answer: A notorious episode in Rhode Island labor history, in which police and the National Guard clashed with striking workers in the mill village of Saylesville. Two workers were killed and dozens were wounded. (The incident took place in 1934, but candidates weren't required to know the date. They received credit as long as they correctly identified the event as a labor dispute or labor uprising.) Who got it right: Amo, Carlson, Casey, Regunberg. Who didn't: Beaute, Berbrick, Cano, Dickinson, Matos, Quezada. Name the town where each of the following villages or neighborhoods is located: Touisset, Valley Falls, Kent Heights, Forestdale, Adamsville, Centerdale, Island Park, Manville, Alfred Drowne, Social District. (10 points total) Answers, in order: Warren, Cumberland, East Providence, North Smithfield, Little Compton, North Providence, Portsmouth, Lincoln, Barrington, Woonsocket. Who got it right: No candidate received a perfect score on this portion of the test. But the strongest performance came from Amo and Casey, who got half of the answers right, scoring five points each. Here's how many points the rest of the candidates scored:Carlson: 4Cano, Regunberg: 3Berbrick, Matos: 2Beaute, Dickinson: 1Quezada: 0 More: Rhode Island has a lot of villages, and they can be confusing. We try to answer why How the candidates scored overall Here's the final score that each of the candidates received, out of 100 possible points:Regunberg: 88Amo: 85Casey: 70Carlson: 64Cano: 63Matos: 62Dickinson: 46Beaute: 41Quezada: 35Berbrick: 22Did not participate: Flynn, Goncalves, Leonard, Waters. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: We tested the RI knowledge of the CD1 special election candidates Two generic drug giants agreed Monday to settle long-running criminal price-fixing charges with the Justice Department, including the unusual move to sell off the drugs involved. The U.S. arms of Israel-based Teva and India-based Glenmark are paying $225 million and $30 million, respectively, according to court filings. The companies agreed to enter into deferred prosecution agreements, a resolution in which charges are suspended but a company must admit wrongdoing. It can later face charges if it does not follow the terms of the deal. Teva will also make a $50 million drug donation to humanitarian organizations. The two companies both agreed to sell off their operations making the cholesterol drug pravastatin. Companies typically pay criminal fines to settle antitrust charges rather than selling off lines of business. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Today, the Antitrust Division and our law enforcement partners hold two more pharmaceutical companies accountable for raising prices of essential medicines and depriving Americans of affordable access to prescription drugs, said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Departments Antitrust Division. The resolutions include extraordinary remedial measures that require the breakup of assets and restore competition to the industry, Teva acknowledged fixing prices on pravastatin as well as clotrimazole, used for skin infections, and tobramycin, used to treat cystic fibrosis. Glenmark admitted to fixing prices of pravastatin. In a statement, Teva said the conduct involved a single employee between 2013 and 2015 and the company is pleased to resolve the case. "Glenmark is committed to being a socially and ethically responsible company and has devoted considerable resources to strengthen our compliance practices, ensuring the highest ethical operating standards," said Sanjeev Krishan, president of Glenmark's U.S. business. "We will continue to conduct our business with the utmost transparency and integrity." The settlements resolve a long-running criminal probe of the generic pharmaceutical industry dating to 2014. Five other companies, including Novartis-owned Sandoz, have entered into deferred prosecution agreements and paid $426 million in criminal fines. A senior sales executive from Taro Pharmaceuticals is fighting price-fixing charges stemming from the same investigation. Glenmark was indicted in July 2020 in Philadelphia federal court, with Teva added to the indictment the following month. Teva, Glenmark and Apotex, which agreed to a criminal fine of $24 million, were charged with conspiring to fix prices of pravastatin. Other charges against Teva included conspiring with Taro (which previously paid a $205.6 million fine) to fix prices of drugs including treatments for seizures and bipolar disorder, arthritis, eczema and blood clots; and conspiring with Sandoz (which paid $195 million) to fix prices on treatments for arthritis, high blood pressure, brain cancer and cystic fibrosis. While Teva was the last and largest of the generic drugmakers to face charges, myriad companies face civil claims in a variety of class-action lawsuits and cases brought by nearly every state attorney general in the country. The new restaurant and commercial development coming to Phenix City will create jobs and fill a retail void in the community, the projects developer told the Ledger-Enquirer. Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks, Chipotle, Valvoline and Peachtree Immediate Care are tenants of the upcoming 11.6 acre development launched by the real estate development firm Lindstrom & Company. Located off Highway 280, near the Waffle House and ALDI, the development will include a mix of well-known brands and essential services to Phenix City, according to a July 25 news release. Hopefully it attracts more quality retailers for the city, whether we try to do something else or other developers step in to see the great opportunities that Phenix City has available, Lindstrom & Company founder Scott Linstrom told the Ledger-Enquirer. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Ledger-Enquirer spoke with Lindstrom about the importance of this project and what Phenix City residents can expect. Lindstroms responses have been edited for length and clarity. Why is real estate development important to you? Started in real estate development in 1993 with a small boutique company specializing in hotel development. I have been in the retail sector of the industry since 2000. Im not stuck doing the same thing every single day. In real estate development, you have to wear so many different hats through the whole process real estate, finance, attorney, development, design, engineering and construction. Am I an expert in all these fields? No. I always say Im a jack of all trades and master of none. But I have to know enough to keep me from getting in trouble. Its different every day. How did you decide to launch this development in Phenix City? We researched the entire Columbus, GA, metropolitan statistical area and noted that there was a void in the Phenix City market for a lot of regional and national retailers. If you drew a square around Columbus and Phenix City, that northwest portion of the square had Home Depot, a super Walmart and Chick-fil-A. It was lacking other retailers for the overall market. Also, we reached out to Phenix City Economic Development to discuss the project and they and the city were very welcoming to what we were proposing. Not every municipality wants to develop. Some are against development. So meeting with Shaun Culligan (economic development manager), I knew that Phenix City was going to be a partner. Why is this development important for Phenix City? The development will bring quality retailers and restaurants to Phenix City. Being part of projects like this is a good feeling, knowing that weve done something good for the community in the way of creating jobs, giving good tenants and places for people to eat and shop. And to know that the city has a benefit too because theyre reaping the reward of the additional sales tax revenue off those businesses. So, its rewarding to help contribute to the community. What should people expect for future tenant announcements? We have a good tenant line for the project. Outside of the retailers already announced, we really dont have a whole lot left. We still have 3,600 square feet available for lease. We expect activity to pick up on that remaining space now that people see its under construction. When will businesses start opening? We expect the announced retailers and restaurants to begin opening for business late 2nd quarter 2024. The News ATLANTA, Ga It was Erick Ericksons party, and Donald Trump was not invited. Most of the Republicans wholl head to Wednesdays debate in Milwaukee made it to The Gathering, an annual conservative conference organized by the Georgia radio host and former Red State editor. Erickson, who barred Trump from the stage I paid for eight years ago after he made misogynist comments about Megyn Kelly, didnt bother negotiating with Trumps team. Instead, he sat down with Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy , Tim Scott , Mike Pence, Nikki Haley , and Chris Christie for friendly 45-minute interviews spread across Friday and Saturday that focused on policy and general election strategy. This, he said, was what conservatives were starved for, as the mainstream media obsessed over the GOP front-runner and his trials literally and figuratively. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We needed to hear from all the candidates, and we didnt need to hear about President Trump, Erickson said after his last interview wrapped. We know what theyre going to say. We know what hes going to say. The Trump-free field promised to win economic independence from China (Ramaswamy), fire Fed chair Jerome Powell (Pence), and kill drug traffickers stone cold dead (DeSantis). There wasnt much disagreement on policy, though Christie said any Republican who wouldnt confront entitlement spending was being dishonest with voters. Each candidate got time to deliver the hits from their stump speeches, some personal stories, and the basics of how theyd clean up after President Biden. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, a conference speaker, told Semafor during an interview at the conference that every candidate hed spoken to had committed to shrink federal agencies and hire more conservative staffers; each wanted a reboot of a Trump-era order that weakened many civil service protections. We need to clean out all the political appointees so we can restore confidence and integrity for the American people, Scott said on Friday. It took some work to keep Trump away in spirit as well as in person. When Chris Christie walked onstage, Erickson steered their conversation away from the former presidents indictment in Fulton County, and his upcoming arraignment in a courthouse ten miles from where they were sitting. I dont want to talk about RICO case, he told Chris Christie; he wanted to ask about Atlanta-area protesters who were being charged with domestic terrorism after damaging the construction of a police training center. (This is what the federal prosecuting system was made to deal with, said Christie.) Shelby and David's View Candidates were grateful for the opportunity to inhabit a Trumpless world, even if it was just one day. The former presidents opponents have become increasingly frustrated with answering questions about the front-runner and the fact that those questions sometimes steamroll entire interviews that were scheduled to discuss their own campaigns. Erickson gave them a breath of fresh air. But is it realistic for any of Trumps rivals to avoid discussing him and convince viewers at home that theyre superior, especially while they keep praising his presidency? Haley told Erickson that not one voter had brought up Trump at any of her campaign town halls: Not one of them are asking me about Trump, not one of them are asking why youre running against him. But its Republican voters, not the easily-bashed media, putting Trump in the middle of this primary. A Cygnal poll, commissioned by Gov. Brian Kemps PAC and shared at The Gathering, showed Trump held an overwhelming lead among Georgia Republicans, with 53% support. DeSantis trailed at 15%, and the rest of the field followed in single digits. After he left the stage, Christie spent 10 minutes talking to reporters about Trump, insisting that he would lose Georgia and the presidency because of his indictments and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Hes afraid of defending his record, Christie said. And if I had his record, Id be nervous about showing up, too. Lets face it, guys by Wednesday he is gonna be out on bail in four different jurisdictions. Even as Ericksons goal was to present Trumps opponents in a non-Trump-focused setting, the reality is that each still has to distinguish themselves from Trump to beat him. To do so means addressing the former president directly not pretending he doesnt exist. With Trump likely offstage at next weeks Republican debate, theyll get another chance to try and step out of his shadow. Its just as possible they end up taking on each other, which they started to do in Atlanta: Christie told the crowd that he was not giving away Taiwan to China, a reference to a recent interview where Ramaswamy said Americas interest in Taiwan ended when we have achieved semiconductor independence. Ramaswamy patronized DeSantis as just one of many excellent governors across the country, adding that hes part of the deep bench that he could work with when he won the presidency. The View From Republican Voters Voters at The Gathering talked a lot like Erickson: They wanted to meet the Trump alternatives, the ones that might appeal to voters exhausted by the former president. As Ramaswamy talked with reporters, Ed Metzger, 66, applauded his answers and said that the upcoming debate could introduce more people to him. Trump doesnt need to be there, because hed be the center of everything, said Metzger. Lets take him out of there, and lets find out who the best candidates are who are not Trump. We might have found him. This might be the guy. Room for Disagreement Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald Reagan, suggested in The New York Times that the news and political actors look away from Trump. Its not easy ignoring someone who keeps barreling onto the world stage, determined to create chaos and eviscerate the democracy we depend on, but it is often the only remedy that will work, Davis wrote. A Georgia sheriff has resigned effective immediately after he pleaded guilty to groping Judge Glenda Hatchett . Channel 2s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell was the only reporter inside the courtroom Monday when Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody entered the plea to sexual battery charge. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] With the guilty plea, Coody agreed to 12-month probation, 40 hours of community service, a $500 fine and he agreed to complete an alcohol and drug course. He also sent a resignation letter to Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Sheriffs Association. For this man to come up and violate me the way he did is unspeakable, Hatchett said in court, fighting tears. It is important for the defendant and everyone present to understand the horrific effect this has had on me. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Newell spoke to Hatchett on Monday. She said she prides herself on being a strong woman, but admitted that the whole situation has cut her to the core. TRENDING STORIES An arrest warrant alleged that Coody grabbed Hatchetts chest at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Bar while attending the Georgia Sheriffs Associations winter meeting in January 2022. Earlier this year, Newell spoke to Thomas Brown, the former sheriff of DeKalb County, who witnessed the incident and had to physically intervene. Brown said that Hatchett was his guest at the conference and that Coody groped Hatchett as he was introducing her to sheriffs. Brown said three sheriffs came to the standup table, including Coody and the president of the Georgia Sheriffs Association. Brown said he turned his head away from Coody and Hatchett as they were talking. As I turned to my left to focus back on the two of them, I saw his hand go down on her left breast, Brown said. I grabbed his arm threw it off of her chest and basically said, What are you (adjective) think youre doing? and thats basically where it ended. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Hatchett gave her first public interview about the case back in April. She told Channel 2 Action News that she was grateful for the communitys support. I really am going to tear up, Hatchett said holding back tears. The love and support that I have gotten from this community I dont have words to describe it. I am enormously grateful. IN RELATED NEWS: A Georgia sheriff has resigned effective immediately after he pleaded guilty to groping Judge Glenda Hatchett . Channel 2s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell was inside the courtroom Monday when Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody entered the plea to sexual battery charge. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< With the guilty plea, Coody agreed to 12-month probation, 40 hours of community service, a $500 fine and he agreed to complete an alcohol and drug course. He also sent a resignation letter to Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia sheriffs association. For this man to come up and violate me the way he did is unspeakable, Hatchett said in court. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] An arrest warrant alleged that Coody grabbed Hatchetts chest at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Bar while attending the Georgia Sheriffs Associations winter meeting in January 2022. Newell spoke to Thomas Brown, the former sheriff of DeKalb County, who witnessed the incident and had to physically intervene. Read: Etienne Brothers brew partnership with Ellianos Coffee, launch exclusive drinks with brand Brown said that Hatchett was his guest at the conference and that Coody groped Hatchett as he was introducing her to sheriffs. Brown said three sheriffs came to the standup table, including Coody and the president of the Georgia Sheriffs Association. Brown said he turned his head away from Coody and Hatchett as they were talking. Read: British nurse Lucy Letby imprisoned for life for the murders of 7 babies and attempted murders of 6 As I turned to my left to focus back on the two of them, I saw his hand go down on her left breast, Brown said. I grabbed his arm threw it off of her chest and basically said, What are you (adjective) think youre doing? and thats basically where it ended. Hatchett gave her first public interview about the case back in April. She told Channel 2 Action News that she was grateful for the communitys support. I really am going to tear up, Hatchett said holding back tears. The love and support that I have gotten from this community I dont have words to describe it. I am enormously grateful. CLICK HERE to read the original article by WSB-TV. Read: Biden administration announces more new funding for rural broadband infrastructure [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Annalena Baerbock , Foreign Minister of Germany, believes that the decision to provide Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles should be made faster, as every day matters. Source: Baerbock at a press conference in Berlin on Monday, reports European Pravda with reference to DPA Details: Answering the question of whether she will support the early provision of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, the head of the German Foreign Ministry noted: "The fact that every day matters is what I think we should have understood already in the last year and half." Baerbock also mentioned the decision of Denmark and the Netherlands to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after the end of the training, calling it "a wonderful day for Ukraine and, accordingly, a wonderful day for Europe". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She stressed that every day we are being reminded of the cruelty of the Russian war against Ukraine. Quote: "And over the past year and a half, we have witnessed how important our military support is for Ukraine's self-defence... And from this point of view, we are studying all further requests of Ukraine to enable it to protect its own population." Details: Taurus missiles belong to the most modern weapons of the German air force. The Taurus is similar in characteristics to the Storm Shadow cruise missiles already provided to Ukraine by the United Kingdom and France (where they are known as SCALP). At the same time, the missile is capable of hitting targets even further, at a distance of up to 500 kilometres, due to a more modern jet engine, without the aircraft even entering the enemys airspace. Taurus flies at a speed of almost 1000 km/h on a very low altitude, less than 50 metres above the ground, so it can be invisible to enemy radars. Background: According to Spiegel, secret negotiations with representatives of the defence industry are ongoing on the issue providing Ukraine with Taurus missiles, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to make technical modifications to the missiles in order to prevent Kyiv from attacking Russian territory, which does not apply to Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The hard-won right to an abortion in Chile is at risk of being overturned, activists have warned, as the countrys far right moves to enshrine protection for the life of the unborn child and maternity in a new constitution. Concerns have grown over the ultraconservative Republican partys plans to pare back reproductive rights in Chile as it now holds significant sway in the fate of the countrys constitutional saga. Related: The women calling for reform of Venezuelas severe anti-abortion laws in pictures Clearly, there is great concern over the risks to women and children implied by the suggested amendments, which threaten the most basic rights of human beings, said Lieta Vivaldi, the director of Alberto Hurtado Universitys gender and social justice programme. In a nation which seeks equality and justice, it is intolerable. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After a progressive constitutional proposal which would have paved the way for the expansion of womens rights was decisively shot down by a plebiscite in September 2022, the Republican party swept elections for a new constitutional council in May, winning enough seats to veto legislation. More than 200 Chilean organisations have been joined by international groups in signing an open letter denouncing the Republican partys proposal, which comes as part of a second attempt to draft a new constitution for the country. The sexual and reproductive rights organisation Miles Chile drafted the letter, which has almost 750 signatures, declaring that the Republican party wishes to impose practices which threaten the rights of women, relegating their lives to second-class [status]. It would be a gigantic step backwards for womens rights in Chile, said Stephanie Otth Varnava, Miles Chiles investigations coordinator. It would mean joining us to a very small group of countries which have penalised abortion in any context. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Suriname all have absolute bans on abortion. In Chile, the termination of a pregnancy was permitted between 1930 and 1989, but was then penalised towards the end of Gen Augusto Pinochets dictatorship. In 2017, under Chiles first female president, Michelle Bachelet, abortion was decriminalised in three specific cases: when the mothers life was at risk, if the foetus was unable to survive or if the pregnancy was the result of rape. After the constitution was rejected [in September], and with a large number of constitutional councillors now coming from the Republican party, were in a very different place to where we were a year ago, said Otth Varnava. However, while the political tides have changed since the leftist president Gabriel Boric was elected in late 2021, attitudes toward abortion have liberalised over the last two decades. According to the Centro de Estudios Publicos (CEP), a Santiago-based thinktank and pollster, support for abortion in specific cases increased from 35% in 1999 to 49% in 2023. The proportion of Chileans who said that they were against abortion under any circumstances has dropped from 55% to just 19% over the same period, putting distance between the Republican partys hardline ideological project and the mandate it has to veto aspects of a new constitution. Luis Silva, the Republican party councillor who won the most votes of any candidate nationwide in the elections in May, said shortly after his election that the party will not allow abortion to be guaranteed as a right in the new constitution. And although the party currently holds just 12 of the 155 seats in the lower house and two of 50 in the senate, last month its president, Arturo Squella, said that he aims to make his party the majority force in Chiles national congress, and from there repeal access to abortions. The 52-person constitutional council is currently working on a pre-project drafted by an expert commission, to which it can propose amendments and changes which it must then pass by a three-fifths majority. The pre-proposal guarantees a right to life without elaborating further, and the Republicans have targeted that bill as a means of crowbarring in their conservative view of abortion. The Republican party was founded in 2019 by Jose Antonio Kast, 57, an ultraconservative father of nine and staunch Catholic, as a vehicle to run for the presidency. In 2017 he failed to make the runoff, but in 2021 when his platform included abolishing the womens and gender equality ministry altogether he won the first round before losing to Boric in the second. A glitch temporarily wiped out images and links between 2011 and 2014 on Elon Musk's X. The most famous casualty of the glitch was Ellen's Oscar selfie, which was the most reshared post on the platform in 2014. Some images or links still seem to be inaccessible to some users, per Insider's review. Since Friday, users of X, formerly Twitter, started noticing that many images posted on the platform between 2011 and 2014 were no longer accessible, according to various media reports. The glitch resulted in some of the most viral moments in internet history becoming inaccessible. It also seemed to affect links posted in the same three-year period some of which have become shortened links. The most famous casualty was Ellen's star-studded selfie at the Oscars, posted in 2014. The post racked up over 2.8 million reshares and 2 million likes since being posted in March 2014. Screenshot of Ellen's Oscar selfie post, with an image inaccessible to some users Ellen DeGeneres On Saturday, users posted about losing access to other pieces of internet history, from pictures about the Arab Spring to posts by the K-Pop group BTS. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One of the first users to notice the outage was Tom Coates, who posted about being unable to see images from 2014 and before on Saturday afternoon. His post has been viewed over 15.2 million times on the platform. A community note a fact-checking feature used by X users has since been added to Coates' post stating that images from this period are still on X's servers, even if they are inaccessible in users' posts. Before Coates, Brazilian user @DaniloTakagi posted on Friday about being unable to access images from 2014 and before. At the time of writing, access to images and links from 2011 to 2014 including Ellen's selfie continued to be inconsistently available, per Insider's review. And it wasn't just Ellen. Even images and links posted by X chairman Elon Musk before December 2014 continue to be inaccessible to some of Insider's reporters. Screenshot of Elon Musk's X posts from before 2014, with inaccessible links or images Elon Musk/X X first introduced image-sharing to its platform in June 2011. It remains unclear why the glitch occurred, and neither Musk nor X acknowledged the glitch since the outages began. However, these outages come amid increasing instability on the platform. Widespread outages have been on the rise since Musk made massive job cuts to the company in October last year, Insider reported in March. One of the most high-profile outages occurred in February when the platform became inaccessible because an employee accidentally deleted data on a key function. The team responsible for it had already left the company, Insider reported. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider PLA conducts drills near island of Taiwan 08:24, August 21, 2023 By JIANG CHENGLONG and ZHANG YI ( Chinadaily.com.cn The People's Liberation Army has launched joint air and sea patrols and military exercises around the island of Taiwan that aim to send a "severe warning" to "Taiwan independence" separatists. The exercises were conducted after Taiwan's deputy head, Lai Ching-te, concluded a trip to Paraguay during which he made so-called "stopovers" in the United States and made remarks pursuing "Taiwan Independence". The PLA's Eastern Theater Command announced on Saturday morning that it was holding the military exercises around the island, and that they would mainly focus on coordinating naval and air forces and seizing control of targets. "It's a test for the theater's joint operation capacity in actual combat," said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, the command spokesman. He said the move is a severe warning for "Taiwan independence" separatists who have stepped up their collusion with foreign forces to make provocations. The actions came after Lai made "stopovers" in New York and San Francisco, both on his way from Taiwan and back during the trip to Paraguay. While in Paraguay, Lai, who is also a 2024 leadership candidate for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, spoke with US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who led the US delegation attending the inauguration of Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. In a separate statement released later on Saturday, the spokesman said the command carried out joint training in waters and airspace north and southwest of the island to cover the seizure of maritime and air control, as well as anti-submarine exercises to test the abilities of coordinated combat. In addition, the command posted several videos on Saturday of the joint patrols and military exercises near Taiwan on its WeChat account. As shown in the videos, the command's naval forces dispatched several destroyers, frigates and missile boats. Meanwhile, fighter planes, early warning aircraft and jamming aircraft took off, and the command's Rocket Force troops were quickly mobilized. According to the command, the forces have approached targets from multiple angles for a long period of time, "shaping a deterrent posture" toward the island. The command also released a video showing one of its warships approaching a warship of Taiwan. In another video, there is a poster that elaborates China's position on the Taiwan question, with the statement that "the one-China principle is the bottom line that cannot be crossed" highlighted. In a description of a video, the command said that "ready to fight at any time, the troops of the Eastern Theater Command will resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity". The command also stressed in a video on Sunday that "when national dignity and the reunification of the motherland are challenged, the PLA is the patron saint of eternal peace". Zhong Houtao, an associate professor at the University of International Relations in Beijing, said Beijing is sending a strong signal that it has zero tolerance toward "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their collusion with external forces. He referred to both the military action and an announcement by the Ministry of Commerce that it would study the suspension or partial suspension of tariff preferences for Taiwan products under the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement. In a statement on Saturday, the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee strongly condemned Lai for relying on the US to seek "independence" of the island without scruple. Lai has made frequent remarks seeking "independence" to create cross-Strait confrontations, and has advocated preparing for war, and his so-called transit in the US this time was for his own votes, the statement said. The office said that Lai's acts proved that he is a complete worker for "Taiwan independence" and a troublemaker through and through who will only bring Taiwan to the danger of war. "We are willing to create conditions for peaceful reunification but will never allow any separatist actions for 'Taiwan independence'," it said. The office urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques, and deal with the Taiwan question in a prudent way. "No one and no force should underestimate the strong resolve, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese government and people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said. Cui Jia contributed to this story. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) The issue of abortion rights in the United States is staring the 2024 GOP presidential candidates in their faces as they prepare to kick their campaigns into high gear. Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark case Roe v Wade (1973) last summer, abortion has become a top concern for many voters. Though the anti-abortion stance has long been associated with the Republican Party, approximately 61 per cent of adults in the US believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to Pew Research Center that statistic includes Republican and Democratic voters. As Americans look toward their next Republican presidential nominee, no doubt many will be considering where the candidate stands on abortion when determining who they support. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Here is what each GOP presidential candidate has said on the issue. Donald Trump Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a visit to the Iowa State Fair on 12 August 2023 (AP) Donald Trump has never taken a clear-cut stance on the issue of abortion. The ex-president has repeatedly taken credit for assisting the Supreme Court in overturning Roe v Wade by nominating three conservative justices to the court. Shortly after the decision was made in June 2022, Mr Trump declared it a win and claimed it was only possible, because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. He reiterated this claim in May on Truth Social: I was able to kill Roe v Wade Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. In the same month, Mr Trump boasted about helping reverse federal abortion protections and also criticised governor Ron DeSantis for implementing a six-week ban in Florida. He told The Messenger in May, Many people within the pro-life movement feel that that was too harsh. Ron DeSantis Florida Governor and 2024 Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis participates in a Fair Side Chat with Governor Kim Reynolds, at the Iowa State Fair (AFP via Getty Images) The Florida governor opposes abortion. Earlier this year, he told Megyn Kelly he is proud to be pro-life though he believes in exceptions in the cases of rape, incest or to save a womans life. Mr DeSantis has reflected these views through legislation in Florida. Last year, he signed a 15-week abortion ban in his state and then earlier this year, he quietly signed a more-restrictive six-week abortion ban. It is unclear if Mr DeSantis would support a federal abortion ban. He told Ms Kelly, Ill always come down on the side of life and Ill be a pro-life president. But at the same time, he has criticised the federal government for protecting abortion calling it an abuse of power. Nikki Haley Live: Republican candidate Nikki Haley delivers speech on China in bid to win support (Getty Images) Nikki Haley has taken a mostly middle-of-the-road stance on abortion. The former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador said she is unapologetically pro-life but that abortion is a very personal issue, in an interview with CBS in June. Ms Haley said Congress should enact policies that everyone can agree on. "So, where can we agree? We can agree: Lets stop late-term abortions. Lets make sure that if doctors and nurses dont believe in abortion, they shouldnt have to perform them. Lets encourage more adoptions and make sure our children in foster care feel love. Lets make sure contraception is accessible. And lets say that if a woman has an abortion, she shouldnt go to jail or get the death penalty. Lets start there. And instead of demonizing the issue, lets humanize the issue, Ms Haley said. Mike Pence Republican presidential candidate former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a campaign rally on the Des Moines Register SoapBox (Getty Images) The former vice president is an adamant anti-abortion advocate, going as far as to say he would support a federal ban even for unviable pregnancies. In an interview with the Associated Press in July, Mike Pence claimed: I just have heard so many stories over the years of courageous women and families who were told that their unborn child would not go to term or would not survive. And then they had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy delivery. Mr Pence has also expressed support for removing the abortion pill, mifepristone, from the market. Asa Hutchinson Republican presidential candidate former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson speaks to guests at the Republican Party of Iowa 2023 Lincoln Dinner (Getty Images) Asa Hutchinson, the ex-governor of Arkansas, is anti-abortion but believes in exceptions to save a mothers life and in cases of rape or incest. He told CNN in April that he would certainly sign a federal pro-life bill with those exceptions. Though he says this, in 2021, Mr Hutchinson signed a trigger bill in Arkansas that made abortion illegal except to save a womans life. It did not include provisions in cases of rape or incest. Tim Scott Republican presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) speaks to guests at the Family Leadership Summit (Getty Images) South Carolina Senator Tim Scott is self-proclaimed strongly pro-life and has made it clear he would sign a federal ban beginning, at the very least, 15 weeks. When I am president of the United States, I will sign the most pro-life legislation the House and Senate can put on my desk. We should begin with a 15-week national limit, Mr Scott wrote in an op-ed for The Des Moines Register in June. But Mr Scott has hinted that hed be open to a more restrictive federal ban. The senator told NBC News in April that he would literally sign the most conservative pro-life legislation that Congress could pass. But when asked what the cutoff should be, Mr Scott said, Im not going to talk about six or five or seven or 10. Francis Suarez Republican presidential candidate Miami Mayor Francis Suarez speaks during a Fair-Side Chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Fair, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa (AP) Francis Suarez is anti-abortion with some exceptions. The mayor of Miami told The Associated Press in June that he would support a 15-week federal abortion ban with exceptions to save the mothers life, rape and incest. He hinted that he could support a six-week ban down the line, however, he believes the US is not there yet. Chris Christie Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at a town-hall-style event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College (Getty Images) Chris Christie has called himself pro-life but his opinion on a federal ban has changed in the last eight years. In 2015, Mr Christie vocalised support for a 20-week federal ban. But in June, the ex-New Jersey governor told CNN that the issue of abortion should be left to the states only. "This should be determined by the 50 states. The issue of abortions not in the Constitution. And the Constitution says if its not explicitly said here, this power reverts to the states," Mr Christie said. "I would not be for the federal government being involved in the issue of abortion in any way. I believe the states should make the decisions." Vivek Ramaswamy Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy speaks to guests at the Republican Party of Iowa 2023 Lincoln Dinner (Getty) Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur-turned-politician, said he is anti-abortion but does not believe in a federal ban. I am personally pro-life, Mr Ramaswamy said on the All-In Podcast in July. I would not support a federal abortion ban. Mr Ramaswamy has repeatedly stated that he believes abortion is a state issue, not a federal one. Instead, he has said he would support the pro-life agenda by implementing legislation that supports contraceptives, adoption, child care and sexual responsibility for men. Doug Burgum Republican presidential candidate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum speaks during a Fair-Side Chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Fair, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa (AP) The North Dakota governor is anti-abortion but stated he would not sign a federal ban. I support the Dobbs decision, and this is the decision that should be left to the states, Doug Burgumtold NBC in July Whats going to pass in North Dakota is not ever going to pass in California and New York, and wouldnt even pass in the state of Minnesota. Thats why Im on the record saying that I would not sign a federal abortion ban. In April, Mr Burgum signed a bill banning abortions in North Dakota with slim exceptions in cases of rape or incest only up to six weeks of gestation. Larry Elder Republican presidential candidate conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder speaks to guests at Ashley's BBQ Bash (Getty Images) Larry Elder is personally anti-abortion but believes abortion is a state issue so he would not support a federal abortion ban. In my opinion, abortion is a crime and in my opinion abortion is homicide, Mr Elder told Forbes Newsroom in July. He added: If its a state issue, by definition I wouldnt support a federal abortion ban, so no. Will Hurd Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Day Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., July 28, 2023 (REUTERS) Former US Representative Will Hurd is anti-abortion and indicated he would sign a 15-week federal ban if it were passed by Congress. While speaking withThe Hillin June, Mr Hurd said his personal position has always been 15 weeks sounds right but that he doesnt see 60 votes happening to avoid a filibuster. Ryan Binkley Ryan Binkley (The Way to Freedom) Ryan Binkley, a pastor and entrepreneur from Texas, is anti-abortion. It is unclear if Mr Binkley would support a federal abortion ban though one of the goals that he lists on his website is to protect the unborn. He wrote: My heart breaks for hundreds of thousands of unborn children who lost their lives to abortion last year. Perry Johnson Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson speaks during a fundraising event for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (AP) Perry Johnson is anti-abortion and hinted that he does not believe in exceptions in the cases of rape or incest. Two wrongs dont make a right, he told reporters in February 2022. I am pro-life. On August 23, Fox News will sponsor the first debate between Republican presidential contenders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eight candidates, including former President Donald Trump , former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have met the Republican National Committee's standards for making the debate stage. But a major question mark hangs over the proceedings, because Trump, who holds a commanding lead in public opinion polling, has not decided whether he will attend. The origins The first primary debate between presidential aspirants was held in 1948, when two Republicans seeking to depose Democratic President Harry Truman squared off in an audio-only radio debate hosted in Portland, Oregon. The GOP would not hold another primary debate until 1980, when front-runner Ronald Reagan skipped the first debate in Iowa at the behest of his campaign team. By then, the party had fully embraced the idea that primary voters, rather than party insiders, should select the nominee. Since 1980, the number of Republican primary debates has increased steadily, from seven in 1988 to 20 in 2012 and 19 in 2016 a growth that has coincided with a dramatic rise in the number of people seeking the party's nomination in each cycle. Those candidates, most of whom have little to no shot at the nod, have turned their brief national exposures into cabinet positions, cable news analyst gigs and more prominent positions in party leadership. No incumbent president has ever participated in a primary debate. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That could be a mistake. The consensus among political science researchers is that the general election debates between the major party candidates have little impact on the result other than generating temporary changes in polling. But the primary debates are a different story. Without the ingrained partisanship that reduces the number of persuadable voters in the general election, polls and outcomes in primaries are much more volatile. Particularly early in the campaign, primary debates allow relatively unknown challengers to introduce themselves to the public, kick-start fundraising and build momentum heading into the primary elections. That said, the GOP's presidential primaries have been more predictable than their Democratic counterparts. The early front-runner in every contested nomination battle of the primary era ended up winning, until 2016, when former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the leader of the so-called invisible primary (the period before the debates when candidates raise money and position themselves to capture the nod) crashed and burned. Dramatic moments Republican debates have produced many memorable moments over the years. In February 1980, former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, then an insurgent candidate from the party's ultraconservative wing, decided to pay for a debate in Nashua, New Hampshire. Reagan invited multiple other candidates at the last minute, causing a rift with George H.W. Bush's campaign, which had agreed only to a one-on-one debate. After skipping the Iowa debate and then losing the state's caucus to Bush, Reagan had tumbled in the polls and trailed Bush in New Hampshire throughout the month. The most explosive part of the debate thus unfolded on camera before it officially began, as debate moderator Jon Breen informed the crowd that the other candidates wouldn't be allowed to speak. As an incensed Reagan protested, the hosts cut off his mic, with Reagan famously retorting, "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!" (Yes, he got Breen's name wrong). This time it was Bush who took the media beating for being a poor sport, and his campaign never recovered. Republicans wouldn't debate again until 1988, when Bush, who had served eight years as vice president, sought his party's nomination as an overwhelming favorite. His chief rival was Kansas Sen. Bob Dole , and despite little difference in policy preferences, their long-standing rivalry was contentious onstage and off. But Bush's status as the sitting vice president was too much for Dole to overcome. In 1996, as they sought to defeat incumbent Democratic President Bill Clinton , Republicans once again had an almost preordained candidate: Dole, who parlayed his runner-up status in 1988 into a clear path to the nomination. After surprise losses in New Hampshire, Arizona and Delaware, Dole looked to right the ship before the South Carolina primary. But during a February 29,1988, debate in Columbia, Dole was asked by a reporter if he would oppose a first-trimester abortion for her if she was raped. In his initial response, Dole said he would indeed oppose it, then after other candidates outflanked him to the left, Dole revised his answer, saying, "I thought we had 10 seconds on the last thing," he said. "Let me suggest that I support the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother." Despite the bizarre flub and being on the wrong side of the party's electorate on abortion, Dole wouldn't lose another primary. In 2000, establishment favorite George W. Bush received a spirited challenge from Arizona Sen. John McCain. Campaign tactics became a divisive wedge between the two campaigns, with resentment spilling out into the open during their debate in South Carolina on February 15. At one point, Bush pulled out a flyer he claimed was left on a voter's windshield that compared him to Bill Clinton. "That's not my campaign," McCain claimed, before Bush retorted, "It says 'paid for by Sen. John McCain.'" The irony is that the Bush campaign is alleged to have quietly spread rumors in the state that McCain had fathered an illegitimate Black child in the state charges that the Bush team denied. Bush, who had lost to McCain in New Hampshire, won South Carolina by over 11 points and never looked back. Growing debate stage Republicans had three straight contested primaries beginning in 2008, when McCain cruised to the nomination he so badly wanted in 2000. In November 2011, popular Texas Gov. Rick Perry had a nightmarish debate moment in Auburn Hills, Michigan, when he forgot the name of the third executive agency he wanted to abolish. "I'm sorry, I can't remember the third," he intoned after nearly a minute of silence. "Oops." It doomed his bid, with his support dropping in half by January. He withdrew following disappointing showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. In 2016, so many Republicans ran that the RNC was forced to begin the cycle holding two debates one for lower-polling candidates (the "undercard" debate) and one for those performing better. As the contests got underway, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, considered the last hope of the party's establishment wing to stop Trump, was humiliatingly dismantled by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Rubio enjoyed going to the well of a short riff about how Barack Obama "knows exactly what he's doing," but in the New Hampshire debate on February 7, he returned to the line repeatedly and inexplicably, with Christie offering his best Jersey sarcasm in calling out the "memorized 30-second speech" and then noting, bemusedly, "there it is, there it is everybody," when Rubio did it again. We all know how that primary campaign turned out. And we can be sure that, Trump or no Trump, the former president will be the main subject of what is sure to be an acrimonious debate on August 23. You may also like Homepage Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Sunday that he thinks Donald Trump should drop out of the 2024 presidential election as the former president faces criminal charges from four indictments. I think so, Cassidy said when he was asked in an interview on CNNs State of the Union whether he thinks Trump should drop out. But, obviously, thats up to him. I mean, youre just asking me my opinion, he added. But he will lose to Joe Biden if you look at the current polls. Im a Republican. I think any Republican on that stage in Milwaukee will do a better job than Joe Biden. Asked whether he would vote for Biden if Trump ultimately wins the Republican nomination, Cassidy said: Im going to vote for a Republican. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But my threshold issue for any person who wants to be the leader of our country is will you take care of the issues before us? he said. Both Biden and Trump both have the same policy in Social Security, for example, which is to do nothing. Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Cassidy's remarks. Cassidy said that out of the numerous criminal charges Trump faces, he thinks the case alleging mishandling of classified documents is almost a slam dunk. They have a tape recording of him speaking of it. If that is proven, then we may have a candidate for president who has been convicted of a crime, he said, in reference to a recording obtained by special counsel Jack Smith's office of Trump discussing a classified planning document that he had taken from his time at the White House. I think Joe Biden needs to be replaced, but I dont think Americans will vote for someone whos been convicted, he said. So Im just very sorry about how all this is playing out. In separate cases, Smith brought charges against Trump in June over his handling of classified documents after leaving office, as well as this month over his efforts to hold on to power after the last presidential election. Trump and 18 co-defendants were also indicted this month on felony charges in connection with alleged efforts to overturn the results of 2020 election in Georgia. And Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg also charged Trump this year with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to his alleged role in hush money payments made toward the end of his 2016 campaign. Trump, the front-runner in the polls for the 2024 GOP presidential, has denied any wrongdoing in all four cases. Cassidy, an outspoken Trump critic, was one of seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial on a charge of incitement of insurrection after the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), who says he likes the policies of former President Trump but has held back from officially endorsing his campaign for president, touted entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday as an exciting candidate who could turn around the nations financial situation. I think clearly the guy that is different that espouses a lot of what Trump did would be Vivek Ramaswamy, because youre going to have to have somebody that has a business background, is entrepreneurial. Thats the only chance we turn the biggest business around in the world and get it to where were not borrowing from our kids and grandkids, Braun told CNBCs Squawk Box in an interview Monday. The Indiana senator touted Ramaswamy when asked a hypothetical question about whom he would like to see win the GOP nomination if Trump, who is dominating the rest of the field in national and state polls, fell short of clinching it. He praised Ramaswamy as a candidate who could help solve the nations fiscal problems. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I think thats why hes resonating, Braun said. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage Braun, who is running for governor in his home state, voiced concern over the federal governments $32.7 trillion debt, which he said has grown quickly in recent years because of President Bidens policies. I dont think what Biden is selling is working. That takes us deeper into the hole, he said. He said the country needs term limits on senators and House members in Washington and a balanced budget amendment. Asked by CNBC anchor Joe Kernen if Trump could win the general election, Braun acknowledged that Democrats are helping him in the GOP presidential primary because they think he would be a weak candidate in November 2024. I think whatever they try politically through the indictments and so forth, that strengthens him, not weakens him, he said of the Democrats and what many Republicans view as politically motivated prosecutions of the former president. Trump faces 91 felony counts and four criminal trials in Manhattan, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Georgia. When Kernen noted that Democrats think Biden can beat Trump, Braun acknowledged: They are tabulating it that way. Braun told The Hill in June that hes endorsing the policies of Trump but clarified Ive not endorsed anyone officially. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The search is on for a man who went missing while operating his personal aircraft, authorities in Minnesota say. Denny Pechacek was flying an ultralight aircraft when he went missing Friday, Aug. 18, in the Hovland area, according to the Cook County Sheriffs Office. An ultralight aircraft is also known as a powered parachute. The aircraft called Peachaceks flying machine features a blue parachute and was expected to land at 7:15 p.m. Friday, his daughter-in-law said in a Facebook post. He is an experienced flier but things go wrong, the daughter-in-law said. Its unclear if Pechacek had a pilots license. You do not need special certification to fly an ultralight, according to Northern Wilds Magazine, which profiled Pechacek in 2020. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement You strap it on your back, take a few steps, give it the gas and you are up, he told the publication. Multiple agencies are involved in the search for Pechacek, but rugged land is making the hunt difficult, Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen told Northern News Now. Sunday, the sheriffs office asked for the publics help in a ground search for Pechacek. He was known, his son, Sean Pechacek, told Northern News Now. A lot of people in the area know him and know him as that guy. Others know Pechacek simply as grandpa. No words to describe how Im feeling right now but please pray for him to return home safe or keep positive thoughts for him, Benjamin Nelson said in a Facebook post. We need you back home grandpa. Hovland is in northern Minnesota along Lake Superior. Dad among 4 dead in Gulf of Mexico helicopter crash, son says. Irreplaceable Grandpa dies on bucket list hike while visiting Bali to celebrate birthday, family says In a joint declaration with Kyiv, Greece has confirmed its support for Ukraine becoming a member of NATO, contingent on consent of other allies and the fulfillment of requisite conditions. The text of the declaration was published by the Office of the President of Ukraine on Aug. 21. Greece commits to maintaining political and material backing for Ukraine within the alliance, aimed at aiding Ukraine's defense of its territory, pledging continued military, technical, and humanitarian support. Read also: Zelenskyy to meet with Western Balkans leaders, Greek PM in Athens Additionally, both parties asserted that Ukraine's security is vitally important for the stability of the Euro-Atlantic region and fully endorsed the Ukraine-NATO Council. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: The F-16s are coming! Zelenskyy lands landmark agreement with the Netherlands for 42 F-16s Earlier on Aug. 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Greece to attend the Ukraine-Balkans Summit and meet with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Read also: Zelenskyy thanks Denmark for supporting Ukraine in speech at Danish parliament The Ukraine-NATO Council was established during the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12, marking a significant milestone in Ukraine-NATO relations. On July 12, Zelenskyy said he is convinced that Ukraine would receive an invitation to join NATO following the end of the war with Russia. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have signed a joint declaration on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration in Athens. Source: European Pravda, citing the text of the declaration published by the President's Office Details: As the document states, Ukraine and Greece "confirm their commitment to strengthen joint efforts in supporting the integration of Ukraine with the Alliance and implementation of NATO standards." Athens declares that it will continue its military, technical, defence, and humanitarian support to Ukraine, as well as contribute to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The parties also stated that Ukraine's security is "vital for the stability of the Euro-Atlantic area", and supported the role of the NATO-Ukraine Council as a platform for expanding cooperation between Kyiv and Brussels. Quote: "The Hellenic Republic supports Ukraine [becoming a] NATO Member when Allies agree and conditions are met, as stated in the NATO Vilnius Summit Declaration." More details: Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Presidents Office, clarified that Greece has become the 24th member state of the alliance with which Ukraine has formalised support for Ukraine's NATO membership. "Only a quarter of the total number of members remains, eight countries with which we have not yet concluded such declarations. At the same time, most of these countries have already expressed support for us, it remains only to put it on paper," Zhovkva said. Background: The issue of Ukraine's membership in the alliance became one of the topics of the Vilnius NATO summit in July this year. The summit agreed to remove the requirement for an action plan for membership on Ukraine's way to the Alliance. At the same time, the Allies made it clear that they would invite Ukraine to join NATO, "when the conditions are met". The annual national program (ANP) will become a tool for monitoring the reforms that Ukraine is implementing. This tool is already at the disposal of Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The father of an autistic teenage girl who took her own life at her boarding school after being given a detention has said he wandered aimlessly through the streets in grief after learning the news. Jonathan Scott-Lee learned of the death of his 16-year-old daughter Caitlyn after she was found in the grounds of 44,000-a-year Wycombe Abbey, Bucks, on April 21. She had been due to have a two-hour headmistresss detention, her first-ever punishment. Caitlyn, who was suffering from anxiety and depression and had autism, had become hyper-fixated on the punishment, imposed after vodka and a tattoo kit were found in her music locker just before the Easter holidays. She had contacted a GP but was deemed to be low risk of suicide and only offered an appointment only the following month. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mr Scott-Lee, 42, was told of her death in a call from Jo Duncan, the schools head teacher. He had not known before that she had been suicidal. The banking technology executive said: Just after Caitlyn died, I went straight to London and spent some time there. I had a day or so where I was just lost you dont know what to do after your daughter has died. So I just start walking the streets of London, I was literally walking the streets of London aimlessly not knowing where to go and I stumble into Piccadilly Arcade. Jonathan Scott-Lee at his Toronto home - Chloe Ellingson Mr Scott-Lees attention was caught by a selection of signet rings in the window of Deakin & Francis, and he revealed his loss to the shopkeeper. He added: They said: Gosh, we have heard about this, and a couple of days later they got in touch to see if there was anything they could do to honour Caitlyns memory. The gift of a signet ring bearing the logo of a robin, containing strands of Caitlins hair, and etched with her body tattoos of a camera and a note, along with her name is still treasured by Mr Scott-Lee, who is taking a bereavement sabbatical from HSBC. He wears the ring on the little finger of his right hand in memory of his daughter, whose memorial page has raised 13,000 for the RSPB, her favourite charity. Since Caitlyns death, her father has met peers and was invited to Lambeth Palace to meet Tosin Oladipo , the Archbishop of Canterburys chaplain. After her funeral, he arrived back at his Toronto home to find a letter from Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister. He has also had a subsequent meeting with Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, and Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, with further talks due to take place with Prof Simon Baron-Cohen of the University of Cambridge, who is one of the worlds leading autism experts. Im open to seeing what we can do to raise awareness of autism and suicide prevention, said Mr Scott-Lee. I also had a face-to-face meeting with Steve Barclay of the NHS and his leadership team. I was very grateful that he invited me to meet him in July and has committed to a follow-up meeting with industry specialists. Jonathan Scott-Lee holds the ring in memory of his daughter - Chloe Ellingson Caitlyns inquest had been due to be heard on September 14, but will now take place early next year. Mr Scott-Lee said there had been minimal communication with Wycombe Abbey, established in 1896, since Caitlyns service of remembrance. Within a week of her death, he was advised by the coroner that the school had appointed a lawyer. In the early days, the contact with the school was almost daily and consistent, he said. After the funeral, it has just gone quiet, possibly given the summer holidays. Ive always said to the school I do not blame the school, although it would be prudent to explore improvements. As a father, it is important that I honour Caitlyn the best I can. Wycombe Abbey said it was left deeply shocked by Caitlyns death and that she would be hugely missed. A spokeswoman for the school said: The school was left profoundly shocked by Caitlyns untimely death and we have remained in touch with her family, most recently to forward her posthumous GCSE results to her parents. Caitlyn was a highly valued member of our school community, a bright and talented young woman with enormous promise who will never be forgotten here. She is hugely missed by all of us. The school offers access to in-house counsellors and well-being centre along with learning support staff to aid pupils. Numbers to call Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, center, said the federal government was proud to invest $1.6 billion in the Brent Spence Bridge project with Ohio and Kentucky dedicated to delivering the project "on time, on task and on budget." Bhatt joined Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, left, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in July at Covington's Devou Park to announce the states' primary contractors. Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect new information from the Ohio Department of Transportation about the date of the planned groundbreaking. Likely items on the 2023 punch list for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor team: Get Joe Biden to town to crow about federal support. Hire primary contractors to launch the project. Get a shovel in the ground. With Nos. 1 and 2 complete the president visited in January and contractors came on in July officials are now moving toward an "early 2024" groundbreaking, a change from an earlier November target. Substantial construction will soon follow. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As they firm up the calendar for $3.6 billion worth of construction, heres whats next for what will be the largest project ever built by Ohio and Kentucky transportation departments, in the words of Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesman Matt Bruning. First on the list: Open houses for the public this Wednesday and Thursday. Phases of I-75 construction What will be built when? Bridge work will come first. Thats what will begin later in 2024 or early 2025" and continue to 2030, Bruning said. That phase of work will include reconfiguration of the existing Brent Spence Bridge, reducing both decks from four to three lanes for local traffic. It will also include construction of a new yet-to-be named companion bridge to the immediate west to carry Interstate 71 and Interstate 75 traffic. Phase two of construction will run from Linn Street to Findlay Street, starting in 2026 and ending in 2029. The final phase will include work from Findlay to just past the Western Hills Viaduct. That will happen between 2029 and 2032. Given the complexity of the work, timelines may shift slightly from time to time, Bruning said. However, we will continue to work with all parties to keep the project on target. Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project Whats the order of the bridge work? The companion bridge will be built before the upgrades on the existing bridge, according to Walsh Kokosing Design-Build Team, the firm selected in July to lead the project. That will allow the new bridge to absorb traffic from the existing bridge when that work is under way. Vehicles will be able to use one or the other bridge throughout the project, Bruning confirmed. But interruptions are possible. Traffic impacts, road closures and delays are expected to maintain a safe work zone, the project website says. Walsh Kokosing, by the way, is the primary contractor for just the first phase of work, with a $3.1 billion contract. Work on the final two miles will happen under separate contracts, worth a combined $500 million. Contractors can bid for the second phase of work beginning in February 2026 and the third leg beginning in October 2028. As part of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project, Ezzard Charles Drive in Cincinnati's West End will get a new, two-lane bridge over Interstate 75. It will replace the two separate bridges there now. What does the project include besides bridge work? In all, eight miles of I-71 and I-75 will see construction during the project. When complete, the interstates will be wider; on- and-off-ramps will be reconfigured; and streets over the interstates will be safer for pedestrians and bikes. Additionally, Ohio and Kentucky officials say they will fix flooding and sewer overflow issues in communities along the path. In Cincinnati, I-75 will get a northbound exit at Ezzard Charles Drive, providing more access to West End, Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati Museum Center and TQL Stadium. I-75 will also include a new interchange onto the Western Hills Viaduct. Additionally, officials must win approval of an updated environmental assessment. They expect a response from the federal government on that by February. Speaking to Cincinnati City Council in April, former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, left, joins Brian Boland of Bridge Forward and Greg Fischer of Fischer Homes to support design changes for the Brent Spence Bridge project. Whats happening with Bridge Forward? The Cincinnati grassroots group known as Bridge Forward continues to advocate for sinking I-75 and U.S. 50 as they pass by Downtown to allow for the city street grid to be extended into Queensgate. That design would add $65 million to $80 million to the project cost, state officials have told Bridge Forward. Its a chip shot to get to that, former Cincinnati mayor and Bridge Forward supporter John Cranley said. It really makes Queensgate a potential neighborhood. Bruning confirmed the $65-to-$80 million estimate as very preliminary, adding that Ohio and Kentucky are not looking to add costs to the project. We cannot answer where those additional funds would come from, he said. Bridge Forward leaders are investigating possible funding sources, founder Brian Boland said. We are confident that the local support is there if ODOT will allow the local leaders to have the final say, he said. The group is currently seeking support from members of the Ohio Statehouse Cincinnati delegation, having won endorsement from Cincinnati City Council and Hamilton County Commission this spring. Said Rep. Bill Seitz, a Republican from Green Township: I am for getting this project completed without one minutes further delay and otherwise am ambivalent about the suggested changes. President Joe Biden visits the Brent Spence Bridge in January, flanked by (left to right) Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, former Ohio U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. How can the public learn more or weigh in? Members of the public can see exhibits, offer comment and talk with transportation officials at this week's open houses. Wednesday, 4-7 p.m., at the Radisson Hotel, 668 W. Fifth St., Covington. Thursday, 4-7 p.m., at Longworth Hall, 700 W. Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati. A public hearing is expected in December, with details to come. Comments and questions can also be submitted online, where answers to earlier questions are posted. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What's next for Brent Spence Bridge project? Foundations Early Learning Center, a daycare center with locations across the Carolinas, has submitted plans for a Leland location. A Carolinas daycare chain is eyeing Leland for its newest location. Foundations Early Learnings Center has submitted plans to the town of Leland for a proposed daycare center nearby Mallory Creek Plantation. At six current locations across North and South Carolina, the daycare facility offers infant and toddler care, preschool and pre-Kindergarten services, as well as programs for school-age children and summer camps. The centers other North Carolina locations are in Sherrills Ford and Winston-Salem. Brunswick Today Newsletter: Overwhelming development for one town and a bone to pick Leland has seen tremendous growth in recent years, largely an aging population of retirees looking for a slower pace of life. However, the town has also prioritized planning for the needs of a wider variety of residents, from single professionals to young families to aging adults. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The towns 2045 plan highlights the towns effort to meet the needs of our aging population and support the growth of our younger generations. According to the preliminary site plan, the company is looking to add a location in Leland at the intersection of N.C. 133 and Mallory Creek Drive. The site plans outline a 11,670-square-foot building on a 2.7-acre parcel. Plans indicate the building will be a maximum of 40 feet tall. The submitted plans show five playground spaces surrounding the building, and a 36-space parking lot complete with a bike rack. Mallory Creek Plantation is has some 2,500 residences built, planned or under construction. Most recently, Del Webb submitted plans to add 762 single-family senior living homes to 304 acres of land off Mallory Creek Drive nearby Lillibridge and Merestone drives. The daycare is situated nearby the Grace Point Townhomes at Mallory Creek Plantation. Some wetland area will separate the daycare and the housing community. STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the areas latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram. The parcel is currently zoned for planned unit development. The project plan is currently under review by the towns technical review committee. Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Leland to get Foundations Early Learnings Center daycare Driving down I-40 or the Beltline, its hard to miss his smiling face, with gleaming white teeth, staring back at you from high above. Guaranteed cash offer on your home! his billboard declares, in big block letters, against a deep-red background. Mark Spain Real Estate. Slightly below in smaller print: Subject to terms and conditions. His face is so ubiquitous in the Triangle and across the state that it has people speculating about his advertising budget and prompted one Charlotte Reddit user to post: Mark Spain, please just go away! That, of course, got us wondering: Who is this Mark Spain? Where did he come from? And why is he so eager to buy your home? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Heres what weve learned. (Mark Spain, who could authoritatively answer those questions, declined to be interviewed for this story.) Who is Mark Spain? Mark Spain, 51, is an Atlanta native and a graduate of the University of Georgias Terry College of Business. Hes also a second-generation Realtor. His father, Terry Spain, founded The Spain Team of Re/Max Realty in Georgia. In 1997, he took over the family sales team and grew the volume from $40 million to $62 million, Realtor Magazines 30 Under 30 noted, and quadrupled the sales force to 13 people, including his brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Debbie. If salespeople dont embrace technology, theyll disappear, he said in the interview. I also think that in the future, fewer people will be doing more of the business. We want to be among them. In 2011, he joined Keller Williams Realty to form the Mark Spain team before launching his own brokerage, Mark Spain Real Estate, in 2016. It offers home selling services, as well as home buying and renting options. He lives in Alpharetta, just north of Atlanta, and is married to Lisa Spain, with three children. His net worth in 2023 is at $110 million, according to Wealthy Gorilla. He also volunteers with the Forsyth County Family YMCA, and leads the Mark Spain Foundation. This $4,101-a-month Cary apartment comes with concierge service and pet spa How big is Mark Spain Real Estate? In 2016, Spain launched his own brokerage, with headquarters in Alpharetta and an additional office in Athens. The following year, he opened offices in Marietta and Stockbridge and expanded into North Carolina, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. That year saw 2,318 homes sold and $550 million in sales. Today, his firm has over 400 agents with 16 offices scattered around the Southeast. In 2022 alone, the firm sold over $3.8 billion in residential real estate, according to his LinkedIn account. What is his business model? Mark Spain is known as an iBuyer, short for instant buyer, and is among several players in the market: Opendoor, Zillow Offer and Offerpad, to name a few. iBuyers use artificial intelligence to determine a homes value, then buy it directly from the owner in all cash for a quick-and-easy sale. Mark Spain is best known for its Guaranteed Offer program. To qualify, the homes must be single family, built after 1960, and valued between $50,000 and $650,000. They must also be owner-occupied or vacant, non-distressed, not bank-owned, and not in or near flood zones, according to the companys website. While Mark Spain doesnt disclose specifics, iBuyers typically pay less than market value for homes, sometimes a lot less. They also charge service fees between 5% and 8% of the sale price but that can be as high as 14% of the sale price, depending on the home and location. Once a home is acquired by an iBuyer, it can be turned around and sold like any other property. On average, Mark Spain sells over 57 homes per day, the companys website says. With a three-year revenue growth of 233%, the firm ranked No. 103 on Inc. Magazines list of the Southeast regions fastest-growing private companies. The pros and cons Instant home-selling solutions, like Mark Spain and Opendoor, have gained traction in recent years, said Derrick Thornton, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Advantage out of Northeast Raleigh. The business surged during the pandemic chaos and continues to be an option for those looking to streamline the process. It gives sellers fewer uncertainties. Its also convenient, he said. Sellers avoid the hassle of home showings. They also dodge the potential of a buyer getting cold feet or having issues with financing. It circumvents appraisal shortages, and a host of other possible problems. On the flipside, sellers can be leaving cash on the table. According to research from real estate data firm Collateral Analytics, iBuyers cost home sellers about 13% to 15% of a homes sale price, while agents cost 5% to 7%. Thats a difference of up to $20,000 on a $200,000 home. Theres often a price to pay, and it can vary depending on the situation, Thornton said. The seller must decide how much they value the convenience. Cory Sherman, a broker with Homegrown Real Estate in Durham, said cash offers from Mark Spain and others have their place in the market. People buy and sell real estate for a million different reasons. As a result, there are a million different ways to buy and sell real estate, he said. But in most cases, better alternatives exist. If the goal is to net the most money, I would suggest listing it on the open market, he said. On the Market Want to keep up with the latest Triangle real estate news? Subscribe to On the Market, The News & Observer's weekly real estate newsletter and look for it in your inbox every Thursday morning. Sign up here. It's free! The populations of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola, are being warned to brace for heavy rainfall and possible landslides as Tropical Storm Franklin continues to make its way toward the island. One of five storm systems currently in the Atlantic, Franklin is expected to begin taking aim at the island as early as Monday night. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Franklin could produce rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches and some areas could see as much as 15 inches across Hispaniola. READ MORE: Five Atlantic systems include tropical storms Emily, Franklin, Gert. What forecast says Late Sunday, authorities in the Dominican Republics Operations Emergency Center announced that the country would start feeling the effects of Franklin Monday evening. All 32 provinces have been placed under either yellow or red alert. There are currently 18 provinces under yellow alert which means they could see weak to moderate flooding of rivers, streams and ravines and 14 others have been placed under red alert. They include the capital of Santo Domingo and the border towns of Pedernales and Elias Pina, all of which can see more severe flashfoods as the system passes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Franklin had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph Mondayt evening. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the entire south coast of the Dominican Republic from the Haiti border eastward to Isla Saona and a tropical watch has been issued for the eastern and northern coasts. A tropical storm warning also is in effect for the entire southern coast of Haiti, Anse dHainault eastward to the Dominican Republic border. Franklin formed in the eastern Caribbean shortly after Tropical Storm Emily, which is not expected to stay around long. A tropical depression, Gert, formed around 5 p.m. Saturday and then became the eighth named tropical storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, forming east of the Leeward Islands on Monday. However, there are no watches or warnings. In the Dominican Republic and in Haiti, people are being warned to refrain from crossing rivers, streams or mountains, and to avoid bathing in rivers in the provinces under alert. Haitis Office of Civil Protection, which is responsible for preparing and responding to disasters, has also issued yellow alerts. It warned that heavy downpours, spontaneous gusts of wind and heavy seas are expected on the southern peninsula of the country starting Tuesday evening. The regions of the South, GrandAnse and Nippes, all still recovering from a deadly earthquake two years ago this month, will be among the first to experience torrential rains, wind gusts and choppy sea conditions. These threats are expected to extend nationwide on Wednesday. While the Dominican Republic and Haiti are at risk for landslides during heavy downpours, the latter is looking at an even more complicated reality. Jerry Chandler, the head of Haitis Office of Civil Protection said, the projection of 15 inches of rain in Haiti is a big concern, given the countrys vulnerability to natural disasters and the fact that the ground is already saturated due to rains in recent days. In addition to the environmental degradation throughout Haiti, emergency personnel with both the Haitian government and United Nations have the challenge of escalating gang violence, which has made it difficult to get aid from one region to another due to armed groups controlling major roads in and out of the capital. The increase in violence forced some aid groups last week to temporarily close their doors and added to the homeless rolls as Haitians, escaping the rampage, fled to school yards, public plazas and a gymnasium for refuge. Thousands are sleeping outdoors, exposed to the elements. The Port-au-Prince-based Research and Analysis Center for Human Rights said Monday that the attacks by the Grand Ravine gang and their allies against five of the 25 neighborhoods inside the capitals Carrefour-Feuilles district has resulted in at least 31 dead, including 13 people who were burned alive, and another eight are missing. The group launched an appeal for an emergency intervention for those who have been displaced. On Monday, government and humanitarian aid agencies were meeting to determine availability of supplies for the coming storm. Haitis Office of Civil Protection estimates there are about 7,000 people in the Port-au-Prince area who are currently living in open spaces like public plazas after recently being forced to abandoned their homes by extreme gang violence, and another 3,000 to 4,000 in the Artibonite Valley region just to the north. It is also estimated that there is at least twice the number also living with host families. Although no formal evacuation order has been given, the Civil Protection agency asked communities that are vulnerable to landslides and rockslides, flooding and heavy swells to prepare to evacuate. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Haitian government have asked the international community to help the Haiti National Police combat gangs. On Sunday, a security task force from the Kenyan government arrived in Port-au-Prince, accompanied by the U.S., to meet with the government, the police and the U.N.s political office. Members of the delegation spent Monday morning meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Henry and his cabinet, during which eight different government ministers, including the office of justice and planning, spoke about the challenges the ongoing gang violence and kidnappings present. The visiting delegation also met with members of the Haitian governments security apparatus, the Haiti National Police, the foreign diplomatic corps and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. Kenya said last month it is considering leading a multinational force into Haiti and deploying 1,000 of its police officers to help train and assist Haitis national police. Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley criticized fellow GOP hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday over comments that he made late last week expressing support for cutting financial aid to Israel in a few years. Ramaswamy said late last week in an interview on the Rumble show Stay Free with Russell Brand that he wanted to expand the Abraham Accords, in which Israel normalized relations with a few of its Arab neighbors, so that additional aid for Israel wont be necessary by 2028, when a current package is set to expire. Haley said in a release that Ramaswamy is completely wrong to call for ending the special bond between the United States and Israel. Support for Israel is both the morally right and strategically smart thing to do. Both countries are stronger and safer because of our ironclad friendship. As president, I will never abandon Israel, she said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, has repeatedly emphasized her support for Israel throughout her public career, including as governor of South Carolina. She regularly defended the relationship between the U.S. and Israel as ambassador to other member countries of the U.N. Ramaswamy said during the interview that he thinks the U.S.-Israel relationship has been in the countrys interests, and he believes in abiding by commitments that the U.S. has already made, but he wants Israel to be more incorporated into the rest of the Middle East region. He said he wants to negotiate an Abraham Accords 2.0 to include countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Indonesia to get Israel on its own two feet. The original accords included the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with Sudan and Morocco following soon after. I want to get Israel to the place where it is negotiated back into the infrastructure of the rest of the Middle East. We should not be worried about holding one nation or one region hostage over one particular question relating to Palestine, Ramaswamy said. He argued that expanding the accords is good for us such that come 2028 that additional aid wont be necessary in order to still have the kind of stability that wed actually have in the Middle East by having Israel more integrated in with its partners. Haley argued in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Ramaswamys proposal is part of a pattern with him of policies that make the U.S. less safe. Haleys criticism comes as she and Ramaswamy and several other GOP candidates will face each other for the first GOP presidential debate Wednesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A woman takes a selfie as a train passes by in Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 8, 2019. Credit - Manan VatsyayanaAFP/Getty Images For nearly a year now, authorities in Hanoi have been trying to shut down Train Street, one of the citys most famous unofficial attractions, where trains buzz by mere feet away from where people regularly sip coffee or beer in a row of open-air cafes. But tourists just wont stop coming, it seems, despite mounting safety concerns over the crowds gathering around the social-media-famous train tracks. The century-old railway, built by Vietnams former French colonial rulers in 1902, cuts through the heart of bustling neighborhoods in Hanois Old Quarter. What used to be a normal feature of everyday life for the districts residents has over the last five years grown into one of the citys most iconic tourist attractionsand the latest victim of overtourism. "Train Street" in the Old Quarter of Hanoi on July 30, 2022. Chris HumphreyAnadolu Agency/Getty Images Authorities said last Tuesday that they have issued a document requesting tighter penalties for businesses operating along the streetthe latest in a series of measures that have failed to curb the scores of tourists flocking to Train Street. In April, Hanois tourism department told travel agencies not to organize group tours to the location. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Kieu Cong Anh, a local tour guide and director of Hanoi Train Street Tour, tells TIME that he supports the move to curb tourist numbers on Train Street, having witnessed how oblivious tourists teeter on the edge of disaster, putting the burden on cautious shop owners to keep an eye out for visitors safety. More From TIME [Tourists] dont have anyone taking care [of them], he says. Sometimes they dont know the distance to stand for safety. Many coffee shop owners, they see tourists taking photos, they will have to shout at them to come inside. Visitors and tourists stand on the sides of a railway track to photograph a passing train in Hanoi, June 9, 2019. Manan VatsyayanaAFP via Getty Images Similar streets, situated at active railways, have also attracted tourists in other parts of Asia, including Thailand and Taiwanbut none may be as exhilarating as the one in Hanois Hoan Kiem District. Several times a day, hundreds of eager visitors line the shophousesold residences converted into quaint cafesthat sandwich the train tracks, clutching to their cameras in anticipation as they are greeted by the deafening roar of a passing train just steps away. Over the past few years, as foot-traffic to the area boomed, trains have had to apply their emergency brakes because of tourists who got dangerously close, including standing near the tracks and even sitting on the rail. Amid growing fears of accidents along the passageway, authorities ordered its closure in 2019, in an attempt to keep tourists away. A family takes a selfie on Hanoi's popular Train Street on June 9, 2019. Manan VatsyayanaAFP/Getty Images I wasn't entirely surprised when they shut it down, says Alex Sheal, founder of tour operator Vietnam in Focus. While Sheal used to organize photography tours to Train Street in the early 2010s, he changed the tour location to another part of the railway in 2019 after the closure announcement. Safety has to be of paramount importance in this case, and it hasn't always been taken seriously enough, he says of the crowd control on Train Street. While the pandemic saw tourism grind to a halt, as Vietnam opened its borders last year, visitors once again returned to Train Street in hordes, reigniting worries about their safety. In September last year, authorities revoked the business licenses of all the shops on Train Street and set up barricades to stop tourists from entering. Railroad staff ask tourists who have sneaked past the barrier to leave Train Street on September 19, 2022. Chris Humphreypicture alliance/Getty Images There are now more than 30 coffee shops along the street All of them are violating railway safety regulations, local official Nguyen Anh Quan told reporters last year. We won't exchange the safety of people for any financial benefit. Residents of Train Streetmany of whom depend on the tourism for their livelihoodspleaded with authorities to allow them to continue operating their businesses, while tourists bemoaned the crackdown on the attraction. At the time, Hoan Kiem District authorities said that they would develop safe and legal tourism in the area but that businesses had to follow safety regulations. The potentially deadly consequences of Train Streets popularity became clear just a few days after the announcement, when an unidentified South Korean tourist was hit by a train while trying to snap a photo in the area. The person, even as the impact flung them into a wall, miraculously survived and left the scene immediately with minor injuries, according to local reports. They did, however, leave behind a traffic jam as the train stopped and motorcyclists who also use the lane became stuck on either side. Since then, despite continual warnings and restrictions from increasingly exasperated authorities, its been business as usual on Train Street, which local media reports remains frequented by tourists. Some tourists and businesses have also started congregating at another unbarricaded part of the tracks nearby, while shopowners have reportedly been guiding tourists onto the tracks through small lanes despite barricades blocking the main entrances of Train Street. Despite a series of crackdowns, it appears business-as-usual on Train Street in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 8, 2023. Khoa NguyenGetty Images/iStock Its clear that the blanket ban isnt working, as the allure of Train Street to tourists continues to outweigh their concerns about safety or official restrictions. Both Anh and Sheal, the tourism facilitators who say they support greater safety regulations, hope that a middle ground can be found so that Vietnam doesnt have to lose one of its most charming attractions. Train Street is perhaps even the icon of Hanoi tourism nowadays, Sheal says. It's 'a thing to do' and a 'place to go' that feels much more like an actual, unique experience of Vietnamese or Hanoi life than any temple or museum. Contact us at letters@time.com. For the first time in 7 years, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are returning to Gillette Stadium on Thursday and Saturday. The two shows mark the legendary bands 6th and 7th time performing at the venue. Parking lots are scheduled to open at 3:30 p.m., gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. Here is everything you need to know : TRAFFIC The highway may be jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive, but it will also be jammed with traffic. Officials are urging concert-goers to allow plenty of time for travel to Gillette, especially for Thursdays concert. Weekday commuter traffic is expected to be a factor. Fans must also utilize I-95, I-495 or Route 140 to access Route 1 and Gillette Stadium (navigation apps may not capture certain road closures). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Please also note, there is no opening act, so fans are encouraged to arrive early. PARKING In the parking lot the visionaries will be dressed in the latest rage. But these visionaries wont be able to get in the stadium lots until 3:30 p.m. All ticket holders can park in general parking, which is located on the opposite side of Route 1 from the stadium and is included in the price of the concert ticket. These tickets do not require a parking pass. However, if you wish to park on the stadium side of Route 1, prepaid parking passes are available for $50. Please note, these passes are limited. Oversize vehicle parking is located in Lot 52, accessible from P10 North and P10 South from the north and south respectively. For more information about parking options, click here. TRAIN SERVICE All aboard! The MBTA Commuter Rail and Keolis will be sending trains to carry saints and sinners, losers and winners, and other lyrics not appropriate for print. The special event train services will be from Boston for the August 24 show and from both Boston and Providence for Saturdays show. Tickets for Thursdays train are sold out. Also worth noting, fans choosing to travel to Gillette for Thursdays show via the Foxboro Station weekday Commuter Rail service will not be able to return to Boston after the show via the special event train without a corresponding special event train ticket. The last Foxboro Station weekday Commuter Rail train departs for Boston at 10:20 p.m. A limited number of $20 round-trip tickets for the Aug. 26 Boston and Providence special event trains are on sale now via the mTicket app. For more information on Gillettes special event trains, click here. South Station train schedule to Gillette Stadium for Thursday, August 24 and Saturday, August 26 South Station: Departs for Gillette Stadium at 5:15 p.m. Back Bay: Departs for Gillette Stadium at 5:20 p.m. Dedham Corp: Departs for Gillette Stadium at 5:40 p.m. Arrive: Train arrives at Gillette Stadium at 6:15 p.m. Providence Train scheduled to Gillette Stadium for Saturday, August 26 Providence: Departs for Gillette Stadium at 5:20 p.m. Pawtucket/Central Falls: Departs for Gillette Stadium at 5:26 p.m. Attleboro: Departs for Gillette Stadium at 5:40 p.m. Mansfield: Departs for Gillette Stadium at 5:50 p.m. Arrive: Train arrives at Gillette Stadium at 6:30 p.m. All trains will depart from Gillette Stadium 30 minutes after the concert. RIDESHARES It doesnt have to be a long walk home if you miss out on a train ticket. Gillette Stadium has a designated rideshare drop-off and pick-up location in Lot 15 adjacent to Bass Pro Shops. Concertgoers can schedule an Uber or Lyft ride to and from the venue through the rideshare services mobile app. CLEAR BAG POLICY Bags larger than a small wristlet or handheld wallet will not be allowed inside Gillette Stadium, per the venues clear bag policy. PROHIBITED ITEMS Prohibited items at Gillette Stadium include but are not limited to GoPro/video cameras, tripods/monopods, professional cameras and cameras with detachable lenses, selfie sticks, strollers, backpacks, lasers, umbrellas, outside food and beverage, balloons, beach balls, noisemakers and any items deemed dangerous and/or inappropriate by stadium management. NO CASH The venue does not accept cash. All fan points of sale accept electronic payment only including debit and credit cards, wallet or watch. There are cash-to-card machines throughout Gillette should you need it. For more information about Gillette Stadium and its facilities, click here. 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 62-year-old Black man died after getting into an argument with an Atlanta police officer over a minor traffic accident this month, and now his family wants answers. Late on the evening of Aug. 10, Officer Kiran Kimbrough responded to the scene of the accident at the intersection of Cunningham Place and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard late that night. Kimbrough found Johnny Hollman at fault for the incident and started to issue a traffic ticket. Arnitra Hollman speaks to reporters about her father 62-year-old Johnny Hollmans death. (Photo: 11 Alive/YouTube screenshot) The situation escalated when Hollman, according to police, became agitated and uncooperative. Kimbrough struggled with Hollman for several minutes before finally using a Taser on him and handcuffing him with the aid of some of the witnesses. At that point, Hollman became unresponsive, and an ambulance was called to the scene. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. I heard my daddy asking them, begging them, said Hollmans daughter Arnitra Hollman in an interview with local station WSB TV. He said, This black car just hit me. I never hung up. Arnitra Hollman was on the phone with her father shortly after the traffic accident to listen in on the police during the exchange. Seventeen minutes, I was on the phone with him for 17 minutes from my house to where he was, Hollman said. The officer was like, What I say? What I say? He was really aggressive. Hollman believes that if the officer had just listened to her father, he might still be alive today. It is still not confirmed what exactly caused Hollmans death. The Fulton County Medical Examiners Office is conducting an autopsy. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the familys attorney, Mawuli Davis, says his firm has seen video of the encounter recorded by witnesses, although he did not describe what those recordings depicted. Davis is calling for APD to release bodycam footage from the scene. Davis, who spoke to reporters at a news conference on Friday, Aug. 18, also decried what he called the character assassination of Hollman after police said the church deacons impounded truck contained a gun, nine bags of marijuana, and a scale, among other items. The attorney, who said the truck was shared by family members and none of the contraband belonged to Hollman, said, Our hope is that he can, like other folks, be a victim and not have to be character assassinated. We need to reach a point in America where Black people can just be victims. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident. Click here to read the full story. STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (WJW) An Ohio teenager on Monday received two life sentences in the July 2022 murders of her boyfriend and another man. Mackenzie Shirilla, of Strongsville, was found guilty earlier this month on 12 total counts, including charges of murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and drug possession for a July 2022 crash that killed her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic Russo, and their friend, 19-year-old Davion Flanagan. She will be eligible for parole after 15 years. Additionally, her drivers license will be suspended for life. Airfare is finally cheaper, but you may want to book soon ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Im so deeply sorry, Shirilla said in a brief statement on Monday. I would never let this happen or do it on purpose. We are all friends and Dom was my soulmate. I wish I could take all your pain away. Im so sorry. Cuyahoga County prosecutors proved Shirilla intentionally caused the early July 31, 2022, crash, and that evidence showed the then-17-year-old slammed on the gas, speeding along a dead-end street in a Strongsville business park, purposely slamming into a brick wall, killing Russo and Flanagan. At her sentencing Monday, prosecutors said Shirilla soon after the high-speed crash asked if authorities could just suspend her license for 10 years perspective they said showed Shirillas shocking lack of remorse following their deaths. During Shirillas weeks-long hospitalization following the crash, investigators were told she and her mother were seeking employment with a Los Angeles-based modeling agency, prosecutors said. Then, months after the crash and before she was formally charged, Shirilla could be seen on social media posts celebrating Halloween, and attending a concert in Clevelands Flats district. Watch the full sentencing hearing below: Angelo Russo called his little brother Dom the most selfless person he knows while Shirilla is the most selfish. Dom was my best friend and the friends in this courtroom would also say Dom was their best friend, he said. Dominics mother Christine said it was like she lost three children in the crash but that her son is always on her mind. The pain is forevermore. Time does not heal this wound. Mackenzie, youre going to prison because you did this, she said. Be thankful youre still alive and have a future whatever that may be. Dominic and Davion were robbed of their futures their hopes and their dreams. SNAP changes coming Sept. 1 Flanagan was planning to go to barber school and open his own barbershop, his mother Jaime said Monday. She called her adopted son an amazing soul with a heart of gold who received as much love as he gave the kind of love that would rescue a friend in the middle of the night, no questions asked; the kind that would protect friends and honor them, she said. Flanagans little sister Davyne adopted with him in 2012 called her big brother a role model, and a source of safety and trust. She said it was unfair that Shirilla may one day be paroled while my brother will be gone forever. I would like you to give Mackenzie the longest possible sentence. I have known her for three years and shes always taken the easy way out, she told the court on Monday. Shirillas mother Natalie on Monday told the court she urged her daughter to go out for Halloween after the deadly crash, pushing her to afford herself some enjoyment in spite of the tragedy. Natalie begged the judge for leniency and concurrent sentencing, claiming the crash was a tragic accident one of which her daughter has no memory. I just want to say to the families that Im broken, sad and lost, she said. Shirillas defense attorney James McDonnell of Cleveland tried to spare the woman a life sentence on the double murder charge, arguing during trial that the crash was reckless homicide, and that no one knows what happened inside that car. Though prosecutors claimed Shirilla has shown no remorse, McDonnell said he disagreed. All I can tell you is from the moment I met this young lady here, she expressed sorrow, he said. As an officer of the court, I feel very confident saying she has expressed true remorse. Missouri updates timeline for implementing new 235 area code Most of Shirillas charges were merged into her murder counts at sentencing. Because of the charges statutory sentences of 15 years to life, Judge Nancy Margaret Russo was only left to decide Monday whether they would be served separately or at the same time. Judge Russo chose the latter. Its hard to fathom how someone could be concerned over their driving privileges having just caused the deaths of two people, Judge Russo said. Watch previous WJW News coverage in the player below: In giving her guilty verdicts on all 12 counts, Judge Russo earlier this month referenced video evidence of the vehicle being driven by Shirilla speeding down the street, reaching up to 100 mph just before the crash. This is the type of evidence you can never un-see. You cant forget the visuals or audio of this exhibit. It is chilling and tragic, she said earlier this month. The video clearly shows the purpose and intent of the defendant. She chose a course of death and destruction that day. She morphed from a responsible driver to literal hell on wheels. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. 'Hell on wheels' teen who killed boyfriend and his friend in crash is sentenced to 15 years to life The Ohio teenager dubbed "hell on wheels" who was convicted of intentionally crashing her car at 100 mph into a building, killing her boyfriend and his friend was sentenced to two concurrent 15 years-to-life sentences Monday. Mackenzie Shirilla, 19, was sentenced on murder charges in the deaths of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19. She will receive credit for time served and have her drivers license suspended for life. Shirilla was convicted last week in a bench trial on 12 counts, including murder, for the crash in July 2022. Mackenzie Shirilla cries as she's found guilty of murder in the death of her boyfriend in Cleveland on Aug. 14, 2023. (WKYC) Shirilla, then 17, drove without braking into a brick building in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville. The passengers, Russo and Flanagan, were pronounced dead at the scene. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo said Monday she grappled with whether to give Shirilla consecutive or concurrent sentences. I understand that the pain in this room wants me to impose the harshest sentence, but I dont believe that would be the appropriate sentence, because I do believe that Mackenzie wont be out in 15 years, she said. 'I'm so deeply sorry' Shirilla, who did not testify, spoke before the court before the sentence was read. The families of Dominic and Davion, Im so deeply sorry. I hope one day you can see I would never let this happen or do it on purpose. I wish I could remember what happened, she said, crying. We were all friends, and Dom was my soul mate, she said. I wish I could take all your pain away. And to my family, thank you for the support and all the love you guys give. I love you all so much. Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan (via WKYC) Victims' families asked for harshest sentence The victims' relatives spoke before the sentencing. Mackenzie, going to prison because you did this, be thankful youre still alive and have a future, whatever that may be," said Dominics mother, Christine Russo. "Dom and Davion were robbed of their futures, their hopes and their dreams. Mackenzie showed no mercy on Dominic, nor did she on Davion. Only God at this time can have mercy on her soul, she added. Davion Flanagans mother said his death has devastated their family. His sister, Davyne Flanagan, said: I feel stuck. I feel like I cant move forward. I feel lost. ... I would like you to give Mackenzie the longest possible sentence. Ive known her for about three years, and shes always taking the easy way out. Before the sentencing, the prosecution presented TikTok videos showing Shirilla at a concert and celebrating Halloween after the crash. Shirillas mother told the judge that the outings were the only times she did something for herself, saying her daughter had been holed up in her room crying next to a shrine she had made of Dominic Russo for months. Im asking for leniency because this is a tragic accident she doesnt remember. Davion hes a new friend, Natalie Shirilla said. The judge cut her off and said: What does that mean his life was worthless? Natalie Shirilla walked back her comment and apologized to the victims families. Dominic Russos father, Frank Russo, told NBC News last week that he didnt want Shirilla to spend her life in jail despite her actions. Its horrible for everybody. Yeah, I lost my son, its harder on our family, but I dont want the rest of her life ruined, too. It isnt going to make me feel any better, he said. The trial At last week's verdict, the judge shared blistering remarks and condemned Shirilla's actions, saying: She had a mission, and she executed it with precision. The mission was death. The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. on July 31, 2022, when Shirilla accelerated her Toyota Camry into the Plidco Building, a large brick building at the intersection of Progress and Alameda drives in Strongsville, police and prosecutors said. Police arrived at the scene around 45 minutes later. Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene; Shirilla was hospitalized. The judge said in her verdict remarks that Shirilla was literal hell on wheels, saying she intentionally drove at an hour when not many witnesses would be around, on a path she didn't routinely use but had visited days before. Prosecutors argued in the trial that Shirilla had become turbulent and threatening toward her boyfriend and that she crashed to end their relationship. Two weeks before the crash, she allegedly threatened to crash her vehicle when she was driving with Russo because she was upset over a disagreement they had had. Russo called his mother and asked to be picked up, and a friend ended up retrieving him. In a phone call with Russo, the friend allegedly overheard Shirilla say, I will crash this car right now, prosecutors said in court documents. The month of the crash, Shirilla allegedly made multiple threats toward Russo. Videos recovered from his phone reveal an altercation in which she was heard repeatedly degrading Dominic, threatening him, and damaging his property, prosecutors said in court documents. She allegedly threatened to key his car and to break the handle off a door after he refused to let her into his home, the filings said. The trial featured security video played in court showing the moment Shirilla accelerated toward the building without stopping, until a gut-wrenching crash is heard. The judge noted in her sentencing remarks that even after the crash, Shirilla appeared to be concerned about losing her license. During the investigation, she asked if they could just suspend her license for 10 years," she said. "Its hard to fathom how a person could be concerned about their driving privileges having just been responsible for the deaths of two people. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Sacramentos New Helvetia Brewing Company is facing challenging times. This time, the struggles are due to the repercussions of the pandemic, its owners say. Though the COVID-19 emergency declaration has concluded, the brewery said Friday it continues to bear the weight of its lingering impact. The pandemic led us to fall behind on our rent payments, and our landlord, a fellow small business owner and part of our community, is rightfully seeking the resolution of this matter, the company said in an Instagram post. New Helvetia is facing the very real prospect of eviction and closure. Back in 2019, The Sacramento Bee reported that owner Dave Gull said the brewerys shortcomings were caused by the relatively high homeless population under the Interstate 80 overpass, frightening customers at the Land Park location. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Now, the brewery said escalating costs and diminishing revenue caused by the pandemic have cast doubts on its future at 18th Street and Broadway. This embedded content is not available in your region. We remain firm in our belief that New Helvetia can overcome these adversities, the company said in the post. We can rally together to demonstrate that our brewery is not just a business but a cherished community asset worth preserving. To grow the business, the company said it now offers delectable food to complement its beer selection. The food options, according to the companys website, include: street tacos, bratwurst, a bacon jam burger, BLTs and a fried Asian chicken sandwich. Breaking up with a narcissist is likely to be a draining experience. Either they won't let you go without a fight, or they will discard you without looking back. However much it hurts right now, you're better off without the toxic person in your life. It is challenging and exhausting being romantically involved with a narcissist, and they can also cause havoc when they leave. Breakups are always hard, but when you've been in a relationship with someone who uses others and is obsessed with themselves, it can be even harder. On the surface, narcissists can seem charming, engaging and charismatic, which can make them difficult to leave in the first place. Dr Judith Orloff, a clinical psychiatrist at the University of California Los Angeles, told Insider that narcissists can make you fall in love with them quickly, because they're very adept at becoming the centre of your universe. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Narcissists present a false self, where they can seem charming and intelligent, and even giving," she said. "Until you don't do things their way. Then they get cold, withholding and punishing." Here's what to expect if a relationship with a narcissist ends. It can feel brutal and sudden Nick Dolding/Getty Images One minute you may feel like everything your partner has ever wanted, and the next you're left wondering what on Earth went wrong. This is because narcissists are great at playing a part while they're getting something from you, according to Orloff. But when they're done using you, they have no difficulty in casting you aside like a used tissue. There will be no apologies or remorse, and you may well never hear from them again, regardless of how long your relationship was. If they do return, it will be because they've realized they can get something from you. Be prepared for begging, pleading, or bargaining Alex Potemkin/Getty Images If you're the one who chose to leave, good for you, because that's hard to do, Orloff said. They are likely to give you the fight of your life because they're not done with you yet. Narcissists hate losing their supply, so they won't let you go easily. Prepare for them to promise "to change." They might suddenly start doing things for you that you'd been complaining about. They may say "you'll be lost without me," or "you'll never find someone like me." Don't listen, Orloff advised. It's just a trick to get you to come back to them out of fear. If that doesn't work, they may try different tactics Olga Rolenko/Getty Images If their begging isn't successful, narcissists can turn mean. Psychiatrist Dr. Edward Ratush told Insider that narcissists are master manipulators, and will have learned over time how to use your thoughts and behaviors to control you. "Strategically, separating from a narcissist can resemble defending oneself against a shark: you have to punch them right in the nose," he said. "Despite the fierceness of their appearance, they often crumble when confronted. Their bullying ways will quickly dissolve and reveal what's beneath." The best defense against the narcissist's tactics is a good, strong sense of self, Ratush said "a solid grasp of your needs and how they can be used against you." Prepare for insults, but avoid an argument nicoletaionescu/Getty Images Even though the narcissist will likely start hurling insults at you, you should at all costs avoid arguing, according to Derek Jacques, a divorce attorney at The Mitten Law Firm who has worked with clients seeking divorces from narcissistic spouses. "It is hard to bite your tongue when a narcissist is spewing insults your way, however, it is best to avoid engaging with them on their level," he told Insider. "Be aware that narcissists don't argue to prove a point. They argue to feel a rush of satisfaction of putting you down and belittling you. "An innocuous statement can provide the narcissist all the ammo they need to launch a verbal assault. Take those opportunities away from them and you remove their power." What next? Establish no contact EyeWolf/Getty Images No contact is exactly what it sounds like: no contact whatsoever. That means blocking their number, making sure any emails from their address go into your spam folder, and deleting them from social media. This is tough, but mental-health counselor Stephanie Sarkis explained in a blog post on Psychology Today that it's the best option because sooner or later the narcissist will find a way to return. The narcissist will try to contact you if you cut off their supply, and they know just what to say to make you come back. So you have to be brutal, and fast. It may be best to break up with them over text also, so they can't manipulate you any further. If you left something at the narcissist's house, Sarkis added, you should just leave it and let it go. Consider it a very small price to pay for your own sanity and well-being. Remove people you have in common from social media bymuratdeniz/Getty Images It might seem harsh, but sometimes it's just better to start completely fresh and remove any association of the narcissist from you life, psychologists advise. This includes their friends and family, from all social networks: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and anything else you can think of. Otherwise, the narcissist is likely to come looking for you. This is known as "hoovering," according to licensed marriage therapist Darlene Lancer. "The best way to deal with hoovering is to ignore it," she wrote in another Psychology Today post. "No contact both protects you and helps you recover from a breakup. That includes not looking at photos or social media accounts of your ex. A narcissist may escalate hoovering, then lose interest after a while, only to reappear a year or more later when they're in need." The more connections you still have to each other, the more opportunities the narcissist has to slide back into your life. They could also use their friends to try and make you jealous. So unless you're very good friends with those people, and you trust them completely, you should probably wipe the social-media slate clean. Remind yourself of why it ended Maskot/Getty Images When you break up with someone, a few selective good memories can come flooding back, prompting confusing feelings of regret. These feelings are usually false and unrepresentative of the relationship, psychiatrists say. You might remember a time when your partner was sending you loads of messages every day and continually complimenting you. Compliments are great when they're sincere, but when a narcissist uses them it may be part of a technique called "love-bombing" in which the person smothers you with affection but has an ulterior motive. As a reminder to yourself, jot down the reasons you split up. Did your partner frequently put you down? Call you names? Make you feel guilty or like you were crazy? Don't let them rewrite history in an attempt to get you back. They will 'move on' quickly and tell you about it. Shutterstock Most true narcissists don't need time to heal from a break up as their initial feelings about the relationship were insincere or absent. It's not unheard of for a narcissist to have someone already waiting in the wings as a new source of support, or have their exit strategy carefully planned out. This is one of the reasons removing them from social media can be helpful there's likely to be a lot of loved-up selfies. In reality, they may simply be love-bombing a new target. On the bright side, it isn't you anymore. Expect grief and embrace it Thanumporn Thongkongkaew/Getty Images Grieving will be an important part of your recovery, so embrace it when it comes, advises Sarkis. After all, you have a lot to grieve over: the end of a relationship, and the person you thought your partner was. They love-bombed you when they first met you, and these feelings are still there, strong and intense. However, you figured out enough reason to get out of there, so remind yourself that many of these feelings were likely built on something false. The narcissist may have appeared to sweep you off your feet, but did they really deliver on their promises? Probably not. Nevertheless, you probably had, and still have, a strong emotional bond to the narcissist, and only time can heal that wound. Sarkis says to be glad you ended things when you did, because otherwise you'd still be in that toxic environment, losing more of yourself every day. The pain is only temporary. Focus on yourself and do things that make you happy Tatsiana Volkava/Getty Images Most importantly, you're going to need to focus on yourself, Orloff says. Take this time to try a new hobby or gym class, or go out and meet new people. This may sound daunting being with a narcissist can use up a lot of energy and make you timid around new people. But you're out of that situation now. It's time to reconnect with people that make you happy. Sarkis and psychologist Dr Guy Winch recommend writing an "emotional first aid" list of things you can do as a distraction when you find yourself thinking about your former partner. You were pushed aside when you were with the narcissist, because your needs weren't important. Now it's time to look after you. You'll realise relationships aren't supposed to be that way Westend61/Getty Images When the time is right, you'll find someone new. Dating is an important part of recovery. Still, you shouldn't expect to find "the one" right away. Just go out and have fun. Maybe you'll meet someone amazing, or maybe you'll make some great friends. Either way, these people will be a breath of fresh air. Plus, you'll likely have a deeper understand of your own boundaries than you did previously, so give yourself more respect if someone isn't treating you the way you want. When you finally develop your first crush after a relationship with a narcissist, it feels really great. It might not work out, but you'll be reminded of all the reasons someone actually likes you and there are a lot. If you think you may be involved in an abusive relationship, or would just like to talk to someone, there are helplines you can call, such as The National Domestic Violence Hotline, RAINN, and Love is Respect. Emotional, psychological, and mental abuse can be extremely difficult to recognize and hard to report; these support networks exist to help. This article was first published in February 2017, but was updated in August 2023 to include more experts and information. Read the original article on Business Insider Missouri dispensaries are "scrambling" to keep up with incoming information from the Division of Cannabis Regulation involving a recall of more than 62,000 marijuana products. The Department of Health and Senior Services issued a recall of 62,800 marijuana products containing ingredients manufactured by Delta Extraction in Robertsville last week because the facility allegedly was not properly tracking its products through the state's track and trace system. This was after the DHSS suspended the license holder's operations on Aug. 2. Delta Extraction holds a comprehensive infused-products manufacturing license, meaning the facility creates THC distillate, a pure, potent from of THC used in vape pens and edibles. This investigation follows the state's suspension of three other marijuana facilities in early August; these facilities have not been named, according to the Missouri Independent. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When products are not properly tracked through the state's system, Metrc, the DHSS cannot verify that the marijuana was grown in Missouri or passed required testing prior to sale. Mark Hendren, president of Flora Farms, said he received word around Aug. 10 about the state's investigation of Delta Extraction, but he knows "very little" about it. Flora Farms President Mark Hendren talks about the drying stage of the cannabis cultivation process on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. Dispensaries were instructed by DHSS to "quarantine" any Delta Extraction products on their shelves or returned by customers. What "quarantining" products looks like may vary per dispensary, but Hendren said at Flora Farms' five dispensaries in the state, the recalled products are placed in a dedicated area inside a vault that is clearly marked "quarantine." These products are also removed from the dispensaries' point of sales systems. When it comes to the number of products Flora Farms had to pull from its shelves, Hendren said it was a "very small percentage," about 10% of all the dispensaries' products. The News-Leader contacted The Farmer's Wife for comment on the recall but the dispensary did not wish to comment. Concerns of product inversion The Division of Cannabis Regulation, part of DHSS, opened an investigation into operations at Delta Extraction following a compliant received from Missouri Cannabis Trade Association President Andrew Mullins in June. In his complaint, Mullins expressed concern about Missouri marijuana manufacturers potentially participating in "product inversion," which is when "unlawful biomass, distillate, Delta 8 and/or other THC commodities" are introduced to marijuana products, according to public documents. Mullins contacted the Division of Cannabis Regulation again in July, providing information that an Oklahoma operator had solicited product inversion in Missouri. The division also received a report from an individual who wished to remain anonymous, indicating that Delta Extraction was engaging in product inversion, according to public documents. Following these reports, the Division of Cannabis Regulation reviewed its tracking data for Delta Extraction and other license holders for any discrepancies that might point to the addition of out-of-state marijuana being added to its products. It was during this review that the division determined improperly tracked data from Delta Extraction that could indicate inversion. Throughout every step of the marijuana growing, manufacturing, packaging and selling processes, products are weighed and tracked through Metrc. If a license holder claims a specific yield of product during production and this number significantly increases or decreases later on, this discrepancy may be because of product inversion. While investigating Delta Extraction, the Division of Cannabis Regulation analyzed discrepancies dating as far back as December 2021, according to public documents. "Records of Delta Extractions activities in Metrc show pervasive irregularities to such an extent that DHSS cannot confirm any product originating from Delta Extraction has been compliantly tested," a public document from the DHSS on Aug. 12 states. Delta Extraction interferes with state's investigation The Division of Cannabis Regulation has expressed concerns that Delta Extraction is interfering with the state's investigation, specifically by extracting security camera footage from its facility. The Division of Cannabis Regulation was scheduled to conduct a site visit at Delta Extraction as part of its investigation on Aug. 7, but the visit was delayed at the request of the license holder due to a reported burglary at the facility. Delta Extraction reported that the only item stolen during the burglary was "security equipment which maintained the video recordings within the facility and stored the facilitys access control information," according to public documents. Franklin County law enforcement provided additional information, indicating that a Delta Extraction representative believed the individual who stole the security equipment was a Delta Extraction employee. Division of Cannabis Regulation investigators visited the facilities on Aug. 8 and observed "many" packages with shipping labels indicating transfer to and from other states and a broken exterior window. The investigators also determined a path from the broken window to where the security equipment was stolen. This path "required passing by a large volume of marijuana and marijuana products," none of which were stolen during the reported burglary, according to public documents. "The timing of security failures and facts of the burglary indicate intentional interference in the Departments investigation by removal of key evidence that could show regulatory violations and criminal activity," a public document from DHSS on Aug. 12 states. Delta Extraction appeals state's suspension with support from Missouri Cannabis Trade Association Following the Division of Cannabis Regulation suspension of Delta Extraction's operation on Aug. 2 because of a "credible and imminent threat to public health," the license holder filed an appeal to the suspension, requesting to continue operations as normal. In a letter to Division of Cannabis Regulation Director Amy Moore sent on Aug. 10, the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association asked the division to "immediately remove" the suspension due to its hardships on the state's marijuana industry. "What releasing these holds absolutely will do is head off financial ruin for dozens of Missouri small businesses who through no fault of their own have found themselves with no good paths forward," the letter states. "We absolutely believe that a failure to do so will greatly increase the likelihood hundreds of Missouri jobs will be lost and some businesses will be irreparably damaged or forced out of business." The Missouri Cannabis Trade Association claimed, in its letter, that over $10 million has already been lost since the first three facility suspensions in early August. What should customers do if they purchased a recalled product? The Division of Cannabis Regulation has not reported any adverse effects of products manufactured by Delta Extraction, but says patients and consumers who have purchased the recalled products should stop using them immediately. All unused products should be discarded or returned to the dispensaries where purchased. Returned products will not count against a patient's purchase limit. Hendren said Flora Farms' five dispensaries have received "very little returns" this week and no reports of adverse effects. When a customer comes to a Flora Farms' dispensary with a recalled product, an employee records the customer's information and provides a complaint form provided by the Division of Cannabis Regulation. The News-Leader contacted DHSS on Friday for clarity on return protocol but did not hear back by press deadline. Users who believe they are experiencing adverse effects should seek immediate medical attention and report their effects to the Division of Cannabis Regulation by email at CannabisCompliants@health.mo.gov. The complete list of 62,800 recalled products is available on the DHSS website at health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/. Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: DHSS recalls 60,000+ marijuana products, citing safety concerns Tropical Storm Hilary dumped inches of rain on Southern California on Sunday, with some areas seeing rainfall totals that almost met their average rainfall total for the year. Palm Springs usually sees just 4.85 inches of rain a year. Hilary, however, dropped a whopping 3.18 inches of rain on the city by Sunday evening, making it the wettest August day for the area. The previous record for wettest August day in Palm Springs was set on Aug. 17, 1930, when rain after Hurricane Doreen dumped 2.03 inches on the city. Hilary has also broken the record for wettest day in August for several other areas, according to the National Weather Service. Are you wondering how Sunday stacked up to the wettest day on record in August? pic.twitter.com/5GzKcrh4DE NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) August 21, 2023 In nearby San Jacinto, which usually gets 12.51 inches of rain annually, Hilary dropped a whopping 11.73 inches in two days, according to the service. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Even though Hilary was downgraded to a tropical storm before it made landfall in California, the storm caused flooding in parts of the state, and a flash flood warning was in effect for Los Angeles, Glendale and Santa Clarita until Monday morning. The average rainfall in Los Angeles depends on the area, but it ranges from about 12 inches at ocean level to about 24 inches in the foothills, according to the service. The Hollywood Reservoir usually gets 12 inches of rain annually and just 0.01 inch in August. But it saw 4.92 inches of rain from Hilary, the service said in its two-day rainfall report. Downtown Los Angeles recorded 2.48 inches of rainfall on Sunday, making it the wettest August day ever in that area, according to the service. What's more, Los Angeles County usually has a dry summer, with most of its rainfall occurring in winter. Death Valley is known for its extreme heat and drought conditions, with an average of 2.24 inches of rain annually. But even this desert area was affected by Hilary and the service issued a flood watch for Death Valley and surrounding areas, in effect until Tuesday. Hilary was forecast to hit Death Valley and nearby Las Vegas on Monday morning. Death Valley National Park was closed on Monday because flooding had already begun. On Instagram, the park shared a video of the rushing floodwaters at Zabriskie Point on Monday morning and said conditions are expected to worsen as Hilary continues to dump water on the area over the next few days. Illinois woman arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot Trump Air traffic controller shortage raises concern amid increased plane near-collisions Texas coast braces for storm as California recovers from tropical storm Hilary As many as 5,000 people stood in pouring rain the evening of April 8, 1927, watching as a historic grain mill and elevator went up in flames across from the Third Street railroad station. The blaze destroyed 45,000 bushels of corn, along with the 110-foot-tall grain elevator, which dated from 1865. Two adjoining buildings, the mill and an office structure, were damaged. Flames shot 200 feet into the air, the newspapers said. The blaze could be seen from points ten and twelve miles distant, the Illinois State Journal reported. Many telephone calls were received at The State Journal office from Chatham, Riverton and nearby towns, asking for details of the fire. The fire began about 5:30 p.m. Onlookers gathered despite the rain. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The crowd was as spectacular as the blaze itself, the Journal said. The Chicago & Alton station was completely buried beneath a blanket of umbrellas. When it became apparent that the walls might give way, police cleared that portion of the depot immediately in front, but all along the Washington and Jefferson street sides, hundreds stood and watched the conflict with the blaze. Many spectators used windows and rooftops of downtown buildings as vantage points. By far the choicest amphitheater was the St. Nicholas hotel, the Illinois State Register reported. More: Lincoln Land career expo aims to help students find high-demand, high-wage careers The four-story brick mill, situated to the north of the office building and elevator proper, was soon a seething mass of flames, the Journal story said. The roof of the mill fell in at 7 oclock with a crash that could be heard for blocks. The rainstorm kept the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. Spectators were waterlogged, but undaunted, the Journal added. When the engines had been working for three or four hours, streets in the vicinity were flooded and water stood to a depth of two feet in several basements in buildings in the vicinity of Third and Washington streets Police kept close watch to prevent accidents and in spite of the fact that the crowd at times was estimated at five thousand persons, none occurred. Restaurants in the vicinity did a thriving business due, in part, to hundreds of persons putting off their dinner hour. The grain elevator was the only such building in Springfield when constructed in 1865-66 by Asa Eastman and William Post. The mill is one of the oldest industries in the city, the Journal said. The constant grinding of grain has been heard by thousands of persons passing through Springfield aboard Chicago & Alton trains, and the wheels ceased only on Sunday afternoons and Sunday nights. Elevator Milling Co. shipped 250,000 bushels of wheat and 500,000 bushels of corn annually in the 1920s. Monetary damage from the fire came to an estimated $500,000 (more than $8 million in 2023 value). The company, however, was insured for only up to $300,000, and the ownership group announced two weeks after the fire that it was going out of business. The 1865 elevator was a total loss. Despite major damage, the mill itself and the office building survived the blaze. They sat vacant, however, until the late 1940s, when several labor union locals moved their offices into the buildings. The complex later served as a warehouse for a plumbing and heating company. Today, Isringhausen Imports of Illinois occupies the entire block between Second, Third, Jefferson and Washington streets. Originally published on SangamonLink.org, online encyclopedia of the Sangamon County Historical Society. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Fire leveled a historic Springfield grain mill in 1927; 5,000 watched House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) issued subpoenas to four investigators from the FBI and IRS involved in the tax crimes investigation of Hunter Biden , the presidents son. The four officials, Jordan and Smith say, were either present at or had direct knowledge of an Oct. 7, 2022, meeting highlighted by an IRS whistleblower who previously told Congress that prosecutors slow-walked the probe. According to IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss who has been heading the probe into Hunter Biden said in that meeting that he was not the deciding person on whether charges ares filed against Hunter Biden in other districts. But both Weiss, who was granted special counsel status earlier this month, and Attorney General Merrick Garland have contradicted the whistleblower, saying that Weiss had full authority to make referrals to charge in other districts. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Smith and Jordan subpoenaed IRS Director of Field Operations Michael T. Batdorf; Darrell J. Waldon, IRS special agent in charge; Thomas J. Sobocinski, FBI special agent in charge; and Ryeshia Holley, FBI assistant special agent in charge. Letters to the officials said Waldon, Sobocinski and Holley attended that Oct. 7 meeting and that Batdorf had direct knowledge of the meeting after receiving an email from Shapley detailing what happened. Smith and Jordan said the IRS and FBI had not agreed to voluntarily make the four officials available to the committee. Our Committees, along with the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, have sought these interviews since IRS whistleblowers came forward with concerning allegations of political interference in the investigation into Hunter Bidens foreign influence peddling and tax evasion, Jordan and Smith said in a statement alongside release of the subpoenas Monday. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has consistently stonewalled Congress. Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they may lead, and our subpoenas compelling testimony from Biden Administration officials are crucial to understanding how the Presidents son received special treatment from federal prosecutors and who was the ultimate decision maker in the case, Jordan and Smith said. Americans deserve to know the truth, especially now that Attorney General Garland has appointed as special counsel the same U.S. Attorney who oversaw Hunter Bidens sweetheart plea deal and botched the investigation into his alleged tax crimes. The IRS said in a statement to The Hill that it remains in contact with the committee on this issue. Although we cannot comment on matters pertaining to specific taxpayers or employees, the IRS continues to work cooperatively with the committee to support its oversight efforts, the IRS said. We are committed to proceeding in a manner consistent with our legal obligations to taxpayers and to our employees, and which also ensures the integrity of pending investigations and litigation. We will continue our dialogue with the committee and work to strike an appropriate balance of these important considerations. A press release announcing the subpoenas said that the decision to elevate Weiss to special counsel following the whistleblower testimony and collapse of a plea deal for Biden raised concerns that the Attorney Generals and Mr. Weisss statements to Congress were not truthful about his charging authority. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has floated an impeachment inquiry into Garland over those statements. The FBI declined to comment on the subpoenas. Updated at 4:45 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. House Republicans on Monday subpoenaed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas , seeking information about a program that allows citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S. on a temporary basis. The House Homeland Security Committee in April sought a suite of documents on the CHNV parole program including all communications about its establishment and a breakdown of data related to applicants. Modeled after the Uniting for Ukraine program that allowed those fleeing the war torn country to temporarily reside in the U.S., the Biden administration has been allowing up to 30,000 citizens from the four countries to enter each month. In seeking information about the program, the committee in April cast it as an effort that assists large swathes of illegal aliens into the interior of the United States. DHS has repeatedly reached far beyond its Congressionally authorized statutory authority to choose the groups it prefers to grant entry into the United States. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Biden administration announced in October of last year it would no longer allow Venezuelans to seek asylum at the border, subjecting them to the now-defunct Title 42 removal process. That decision was made alongside another to allow Venezuelans to apply for parole if they could secure a financial sponsor in the U.S. something out of reach for many. The program was later expanded in January to include the three other countries, targeting the nationalities most frequently apprehended at the border. On Monday, committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said the requests remain unsatisfied and are now 102 days delinquent. The request comes as Green and the committee have begun work on a report that could serve as the basis for a possible impeachment of Mayorkas, pledging to turn it over to the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over such matters. DHS said Monday they have turned over the bulk of what the committee asked for. DHS has provided substantial materials in response to the Homeland Security Committees request. The Department also communicated to the Committee that we will provide additional data as it becomes available. Instead of working with us, they have unnecessarily escalated to a subpoena, DHS said in a statement. DHS will continue cooperating with Congressional oversight requests, all while faithfully working to protect our nation from terrorism and targeted violence, secure our borders, respond to natural disasters, defend against cyberattacks, and more. The subpoena also spurred a response from the panels top Democrat, who backed the department and said the majority broke committee rules by failing to inform them. It is absurd that extreme MAGA Republicans running our Committee have subpoenaed the Department while the Department has been working with them to get them what they need and has been producing and transmitting requested data. Not only is the Republican request outside the Committees legislative jurisdiction, the majority broke the Committees rules which they, themselves, wrote by not informing us accordingly, ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said in a statement. This subpoena is just another misstep in their baseless and politicized effort to impeach Secretary Mayorkas. To DHS, the program has been a success, initially leading to a significant drop in those attempting to cross the border. The program is still underway following the lifting of Title 42, while those from any country who attempt to cross the border between ports of entry will face expedited removal and could face a years-long bar from reentering the U.S. Updated at 6:10 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. If you use apps from world-leading technology companies such as OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft or Google, there is a big chance you have already consumed services produced by online remote work also known as cloudwork. Big and small organizations across the economy increasingly rely on outsourced labor available to them via platforms like Scale AI, Freelancer.com, Amazon Mechanical Turk, Fiverr and Upwork. Recently, these platforms have become crucial for artificial intelligence (AI) companies to train their AI systems and ensure they operate correctly. OpenAI is a client of Scale AI and Remotasks, labeling data for their apps ChatGPT and DALL-E. Social networks hire platforms for content moderation. Beyond the tech world, universities, businesses and NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) regularly use these platforms to hire translators, graphic designers or IT experts. Cloudwork platforms have become an essential earning opportunity for a rising number of people. A breakout study by the University of Oxford scholars Otto Kassi, Vili Lehdonvirta and Fabian Stephany estimated that more than 163 million people have registered on those websites. Freelancer.com alone has more than 67 million workers registered, the equivalent of the population of the United Kingdom. These workers, many of whom are based in low- and middle-income countries, work for clients who can be in the other corner of the world. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement AI companies are using online labor to outsource the large amounts of hidden manual work needed to build their applications. From the client perspective, the offer is hard to resist. Online labor platforms present them with a cheap, often skilled, workforce available 24/7. And the fierce competition for jobs on the platforms ensures the hiring company will have the upper hand in negotiating the conditions and pay. It is not surprising that AI companies are jumping on this opportunity to outsource the large amounts of hidden manual work needed to build their applications. But for the workers on the other side, the situation can be dire. They can spend large parts of their day searching and applying for jobs, time that is unpaid. For most platforms, there is no guarantee that the tasks offered will not fall below their minimum wage. And if they have any problems with the client, there is not always a clear appeal process, putting them at risk of not getting paid at all. For the third year, the Fairwork project, also based at the University of Oxford, evaluated 15 of these cloudwork platforms, such as Freelancer.com, Amazon Mechanical Turk, Fiverr and Upwork. Companies were scored on a scale of 0 to 10, according to the five principles of fair work pay, conditions, contracts, management, and representation. The scoring criteria included, among other things, whether the platform paid workers on time, whether it mitigated health and safety risks, and whether there were clear communication channels and due process for decisions affecting workers. The results were based on a survey of 752 workers from 94 countries, as well as information gathered from platform managers. None of the platforms met more than half of these basic standards of decent work. Popular freelance platforms like Fiverr and Freelancer.com scored 2 and 1 points, respectively. Platforms focused on small tasks, like data labeling or content moderation, had among the worst scores: Appen (3), Clickworker (1), Scale/Remotasks (1), Microworkers (0), and Amazons Mechanical Turk (0). On average, workers surveyed were earning a dismal $2.15 USD for their working time on these platforms. The results point to how many of these platforms are falling short of meeting basic workers rights and protections. Because of the international nature of this industry, cloudwork platforms can often circumvent national labor regulations, creating a sort of virtual Wild West where workers stand to lose. Concerningly, this model is spreading fast supercharged by demand from AI companies and the larger trend toward remote and flexible work following the pandemic. Notably, some platforms in the study agreed to make some improvements, such as Terawork and Comeup, which implemented a minimum wage floor. However, the larger challenges in the industry can only be solved through regulations that ensure these companies are meeting the same labor standards as everyone else. At the international level, the International Labour Organization is discussing the development of standards to ensure workers rights in the digital economy. This is a golden opportunity to address the problems faced by workers in cloudwork platforms. However, this will not be effective if national governments around the world do not get involved too. Unfortunately, so far, discussions around regulating the platform economy have focused primarily on sectors like food delivery and ride-hailing. It is urgent that policymakers and regulators consider also the unique challenges faced by online remote workers, and put the same energy in finding solutions for this hidden, but very real, workforce. Wagner fighters are reportedly leaving Belarus in droves, just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin had them exiled in the aftermath of their failed march on Moscow. The Wagner mercenary unit has dropped from approximately 5,800-strong to 4,400, in part because their income has fallen in recent weeks since moving to Belarus, sources in the country told the National Resistance Center of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Some of the fighters are instead going to work in African countries, where Wagner has a more established and enduring presences, according to Kyiv. Others are reportedly going on vacation. The regime in Belarus does not yet satisfy Wagner instructors with its level of payment for services, as a result, most instructors do not plan to stay in the country for a long time, the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The apparent exodus is just the latest in a dramatic chain of events that began in June, when Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his mercenaries to march on Moscow. At the time, Prigozhin was fed up with the Russian Ministry of Defenses approach to its partnership with his fighters in the war on Ukraine. Wagner Men Exiled by Putin Threaten New Firestorm in Europe Ultimately, the mutiny effort failed, and thousands of Wagner fighters were relocated to neighboring Belarus after a deal was reached between Putin and Prigozhin. Speculation has been swirling for weeks about whether Wagner fighters will last in Belarus. According to a Russian insider, Wagner was already bussing hundreds of fighters from Belarus to Voronezh, Rostov, and Krasnodar earlier this month. Officially, this is called as sending fighters on vacation. However, no one talks about returning to Belarus, Telegram channel VchK-OGPU said. That bussing operation was the first phase, according to the source. The second was slated to begin last week. The exodus from Belarus is likely to continue, according to Franak Viacorka, the chief political adviser of Belarusian democratic opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Its important to understand they are mercenaries they are not ideological supporters of Putin or Prigozhin or Lukashenko they are there because they receive good salary. While in Belarus, they dont receive good salary. The salary is many times smaller than during missions, Viacorka told The Daily Beast. There is growing disappointment, growing discontent, among Wagner mercenaries. And more and more of them will be asking to leave. Wagner Bosses Vow New Beginning in Belarus: Welcome to Hell The influx of Wagner mercenaries from Belarus to Africa might offer clues about the balance of power between Putin and Prigozhin in the coming days. In Belarus, Putin may be better able to keep close watch over Wagners movements through his puppet, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who is host to the fighters. The reported departure of Wagner fighters might be welcomed news for Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, which have been ringing the alarm bells about threats from Belarus since Wagner mercenaries relocated there. Lithuania just announced it will be closing several of its border crossings with Belarus over possible threats from Belarus. Poland, which has already closed several border crossings, has raised concerns that Wagner fighters have been training with Belarusian troops and moving closer and closer to Polands border, threatening confrontation or provocations. After Belarusian aircraft violated Polish airspace, Poland announced it would be moving thousands more troops to the border, as well as combat helicopters. Poland has been working to wrap up Russian and Belarusian influence operations targeting Poland as well, a Polish official told The Daily Beast. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Carrie and Brad Kintz were among the thousands of Maui residents who lost their home or business in the devastating wildfire that struck the Hawaiian island on Aug. 8. But instead of fleeing, they chose to stay behind and to help others by boat. Brad works as a captain for Gemini Sailing Charters, a company that takes tourists on excursions to go snorkeling, whale watching or to see sunsets. After last weeks wildfire left their West Maui neighborhood decimated, Brad and Carrie decided to use one of the Gemini boats to help evacuate others stranded in West Maui and transport goods to and from the ravaged island. It'll be you and me together, Carrie told Brad, as she recalled during an interview with Yahoo News last week. In total, thousands of Hawaiian citizens have been displaced by the intense wildfires that devastated Maui and left at least 111 people dead. The remnants of the Maui, Hawaii, home belonging to Brad and Carrie Kintz. (Courtesy of Carrie Kintz) I don't want to just be in a ball crying Like many Maui residents, Brad and Carrie received little in the way of an official warning about the massive wildfire that would engulf the western coast of the island. In fact, before the blaze began to spread on Tuesday, Aug. 8, their primary focus had been securing a generator to power their home as Hurricane Dora barreled toward Hawaii. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But in a YouTube interview with storm chaser Jonathan Petramala, Brad said he was prompted to evacuate at the last minute when he learned that his neighbor, a local fire department captain, was planning to do the same. I'm like, well, if you're leaving, I'm leaving, he said. Brad Kintz standing on the roof of neighbor Chad Sambrano's home. Sambrano, captain of the Napili Fire Station, convinced Kintz to evacuate. (Courtesy of Carrie Kintz) Two days later, the couple returned home to discover that their entire neighborhood had been decimated by the fire. Where their house once was, Carrie told Yahoo News over the phone, little more than ashes and debris remained. Despite their own devastating loss, as soon as Brad and Carrie learned that the Gemini owners were willing to make one of their charter boats available to assist with rescue efforts, they jumped at the opportunity to help. For me, I do better when I've got a purpose, she said. I don't want to just be in a ball crying. Addressing the situation with tourists While Gemini was transporting supplies and people to safety, some other charter boat companies have continued taking tourists on recreational excursions in the aftermath of the fire. This choice has been a point of contention among some residents of the ravaged area, and some have expressed outrage at the sight of tourists taking in Mauis beauty while search-and-rescue teams still wade through water and collapsed buildings looking for victims. "Our community needs time to heal, grieve, and restore," Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa said on Instagram, encouraging tourists to leave the island or cancel upcoming trips. Buildings still smolder days after a wildfire gutted downtown Lahaina. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) But others, including Carrie, argue that tourism is more critical than ever for the local economy. According to Mauis Economic Development Board, tourism generates about 80% of the islands wealth. Carrie said she thinks the messaging from celebrities like Mamoa that discourage tourists from coming to Maui is going to be so detrimental to this already vulnerable community. We still need tourists' dollars, she said. Frustration with the government Had Carrie and Brad not followed the example of their neighbor, the fire department captain, they may not have had the foresight to leave their home before it was too late. Carrie could the nearing smoke from her lanai before they decided to evacuate. (Courtesy of Carrie Kintz) Though Hawaii claims to have the worlds largest system of outdoor alert sirens, the Maui Emergency Management Agency has faced criticism for failing to use the sirens to warn residents about the quickly spreading wildfires. The agencys head, Herman Andaya, resigned last week after initially defending the decision not to use the sirens. The latest for Carrie and Brad A Gemini Charter Boats vessel on the water. (Gemini Charter Boats via Facebook) Nearly two weeks after the wildfire destroyed their home, Carrie and Brad are taking shelter at an Airbnb house in Kaanapali (just north of Lahaina) with four other families. Ever eager to help, theyve taken on the daunting task of shopping at Costco for the 14 people in the house. But theyre grateful to be on the receiving end of the generosity of strangers as well a GoFundMe organized by Carries sister for the couples recovery has raised over $34,000 as of Monday. Fulton Countys sweeping indictment against former President Donald Trump and 18 additional co-defendants also includes details involving 30 unindicted co-conspirators people who Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis alleges took part in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. Some of the co-conspirators are key Trump advisers, like Boris Epshteyn, while several others are likely Georgia officials who were the states fake electors for Donald Trump. One of the unindicted co-conspirators who appears multiple times in the indictment is Georgias Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Willis was barred by a state judge from investigating Jones after she hosted a fundraiser last year for Jones Democratic opponent when he was a state senator running for lieutenant governor. The 98-page document alleges the 30 unindicted co-conspirators, who are not named, constituted a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in various related criminal activities across the 41 charges laid out in the indictment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prosecutors use the co-conspirator label for people who are not charged in the indictment but nonetheless were participants in the crime, said Elie Honig, a CNN senior legal analyst and former federal and state prosecutor. We do this to protect the identity and reputation of uncharged people though they often are readily identifiable and, at times, to turn up the pressure and try to flip them before a potential indictment drops. CNN was able to identify some of the co-conspirators by piecing together details included in the indictment. Documents reviewed from previous reporting also provide clues, especially the reams of emails and testimony from the House January 6 Committees report released late last year. CNN has been able to identify or narrow down nearly all of the unindicted co-conspirators: Co-conspirator 1 is Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch The indictment refers to Trumps speech on November 4, 2020, falsely declaring victory in the 2020 presidential election and that Individual 1 discussed a draft of that speech approximately four days earlier, on October 31, 2020. Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch, addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. - Joe Raedle/Getty Images The January 6 committee obtained an email from Fitton sent on October 31 to Trumps assistant Molly Michael and his communications adviser Dan Scavino, which says, Please see below a draft statement as you requested. The statement Fitton wrote also says in part, We had an election today and I won. Co-conspirator 3 is Boris Epshteyn, Trump political adviser The indictment states that co-conspirator 3 appeared at the infamous November 19, 2020, press conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, with Rudy Giuliani, one of the defendants in the case. Epshteyn was there. A November 19, 2020 photo shows Trump campaign advisor Boris Epshteyn at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC. - Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images/FILE The indictment also includes two emails between co-conspirator 3, John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro, two lawyers who pushed the strategy of then-Vice President Mike Pence trying to overturn the election on January 6, 2021, including one with a draft memo for options of how to proceed on January 6. According to emails released by the January 6 committee, Epshteyn was the third person on those emails. Co-conspirator 4 is Robert Sinners, Trumps Georgia election day operations lead Individual 4 received an email from co-defendant David Shafer, who was then Georgias Republican Party chair, on November 20, 2020, that said Scott Graham Hall, a Georgia bail bondsman, has been looking into the election on behalf of the President at the request of David Bossie, according to the indictment. CNN obtained court documents that show Shafer sent this email to Sinners in November 2020: Scott Hall has been looking into the election on behalf of the President at the request of David Bossie. I know him. Hall is one of the 19 defendants charged in the indictment. The indictment notes an additional email from December 12, 2020, from Shafer to Individual 4 advising them to touch base with each of the Trump presidential elector nominees in Georgia in advance of the December 14, 2020, meeting to confirm their attendance. CNN reporting from June 2022 reveals an email exchange between Sinners and David Shafer on December 13, 2020, 18 hours before the group of alternate electors gathered at the Georgia State Capitol. I must ask for your complete discretion in this process, Sinners wrote. Your duties are imperative to ensure the end result a win in Georgia for President Trump but will be hampered unless we have complete secrecy and discretion. Co-conspirator 5 is Bernie Kerik, former NYPD Commissioner Keriks attorney, Tim Parlatore, confirmed to CNN that his client is the unnamed individual listed in the indictment as co-conspirator 5. The indictment refers to co-conspirator 5 taking part in several meetings with lawmakers in Pennsylvania and Arizona, states Trump was contesting after the 2020 election. That included the meeting Kerik attended at the White House on November 25, 2020, with a group of Pennsylvania legislators, along with Trump, then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Giuliani, Jenna Ellis and individual 6. Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernie Kerik at Trump National Golf Club on June 13. - Mary Altaffer/AP Parlatore took issue with Willis definition of co-conspirator in the case of Kerik, saying that the indictment only refers to him in the context of receiving emails and attending meetings. Co-conspirator 6 is GOP operative Phil Waldron The indictment says on November 25, 2020, Trump, Meadows, Giuliani, Ellis, Individuals 5 and 6 met at the White House with a group of Pennsylvania legislators. According to the January 6 committee report, Waldron was among the visitors who were at the White House that day, along with Kerik and attorney Katherine Freiss. Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to Meadows, explained that their conversation with the president touched on holding a special session of the Pennsylvania state legislature to appoint Trump electors. The indictment also says on December 21, 2020, Sidney Powell , a defendant in the case, sent an email to Individuals 6, 21 and 22 that they were to immediately receive a copy of all data from Dominions voting systems in Michigan. The Washington Post reported last August that the email stated Waldron was among the three people to receive the data, along with Conan Hayes and Todd Sanders. Waldron at a hearing in front of Michigan lawmakers in December 2020. - Michigan House Oversight Committee Waldron is the only person who was involved in both the White House meeting and received the Powell email. Co-conspirator 8 is Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones The indictment says Giuliani re-tweeted a post from co-conspirator 8 on December 7, 2020, calling upon Georgia voters to contact their local representatives and ask them to sign a petition for a special session to ensure every legal vote is counted. The date and content of the tweet match a tweet posted by Jones, who was at the time a state senator. Burt Jones, Georgia's Republican Lieutenant Governor - Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images/FILE Jones, who was elected lieutenant governor in November, appears more than a dozen times throughout the indictment as co-conspirator 8, including as a fake elector. After the 2020 election, Jones was calling for a special session of the Georgia legislature, something Gov. Brian Kemp and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan refused to do. On Thursday, Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, told CNN that he will appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Jones role in the states 2020 election interference case, after a judge blocked Willis from investigating him last year. Co-conspirators 9 is former Georgia Republican Party Treasurer Joseph Brannan The indictment lists several emails sent to co-conspirator 9 related to preparations for the fake electors who met on December 14, 2020, including an email from Chesebro to help coordinate with the other 5 contested States, to help with logistics of the electors in other States hopefully joining in casting their votes on Monday. According to emails obtained by the January 6 committee, that email was sent to an account belong to the Georgia GOP treasurer, which at the time was Brannan. Co-conspirator 9 is also included in the indictment as one of the 13 unindicted co-conspirators who served as fake electors. Co-conspirators 10 and 11 are Georgia GOP officials Carolyn Fisher and Vikki Consiglio The indictment says on December 10, 2020, Ken Chesebro sent an email to Georgia state Republican Chair David Shafer and Individuals 9, 10 and 11, with documents that were to be used by Trump electors to create fake certificates. The January 6 committee obtained as part of its evidence an email from Chesebro sent on December 10 sent to Shafer and three other email addresses. One is for Carolyn Fisher, the former Georgia GOP first vice chair, one is for the Georgia Republican Party treasurer and one is for the Georgia GOP assistant treasurer, the role Consiglio was serving in 2020. The email contains attachments of memos and certificates that could be used to help swap out the Biden electors with a slate of electors for Trump. Both co-conspirators 10 and 11 also served as fake electors in Georgia. Co-conspirators 2 and 8-19 are the fake electors Of the 30 unindicted co-conspirators, 13 are listed as the fake electors for Donald Trump, who signed papers unlawfully falsely holding themselves out as the duly elected and qualified presidential electors from the State of Georgia, according to the indictment. Three of the 16 Georgia fake electors were charged in the indictment: David Shafer, Shawn Still and Cathleen Alston Latham. The other 13 fake electors, according to the fake electors certificate published by the National Archives, are Jones (co-conspirator 8), Joseph Brannan (co-conspirator 9), James Ken Carroll, Gloria Godwin, David Hanna, Mark Hennessy, Mark Amick, John Downey, Daryl Moody, Brad Carver, CB Yadav and two others who appear to be Individuals 10 and 11. Several of the fake electors who were not charged are only listed in the indictment for their role signing on as electors for Trump, while others, like Jones, appear in other parts of the indictment as being more actively involved with the alleged conspiracy. Co-conspirator 20 is unclear The indictment says Individual 20 was part of a meeting at the White House on December 18, 2020, with Trump, Giuliani and Powell, known to have discussed the possibility of seizing voting machines. The December 18 meeting featured prominently during some of the hearings from the January 6 committee. All but two of the outside advisers who attended have been named as co-defendants in the indictment already: former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. The meeting featured fiery exchanges between Trumps White House lawyers and his team of outside advisers, including on whether to appoint Sidney Powell as special counsel to investigate voter fraud, according to the indictment and previous details that have been disclosed about the meeting. The outside advisers famously got into a screaming match with Trumps White House lawyers Pat Cipollone and Eric Herschmann at the Oval Office meeting. Cipollone and Herschmann, along with Meadows, pushed back intensely on the proposals, Cipollone and Herschmann testified to the January 6 committee. Co-conspirators 21 and 22 are Conan Hayes and Todd Sanders Co-conspirators 21 and 22 are Conan Hayes and Todd Sanders who are both affiliated with Byrnes America Project, a conservative advocacy group that contributed funding to Arizonas Republican ballot audit. Hayes was a former surfer from Hawaii and Sanders has a cybersecurity background in the private sector. The indictment says on Dec. 21, 2020, Sidney Powell sent an email to the chief operations officer of SullivanStrickler, saying that individual 6, who CNN identified as Waldron, along with individuals 21 and 22, were to immediately receive a copy of all data from Dominions voting systems in Michigan. According to the Washington Post, Conan and Todd were the other two people listed on the email to receive the data. Co-conspirators 23-30 are related to Coffee County voting machines The final eight co-conspirators listed in the indictment are connected to the effort to access voting machines in Georgias Coffee County. Co-conspirator 25 and 29 are a Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan and analyst Jeffrey Lenberg The indictment says that Misty Hampton allowed co-conspirators 25 and 29 to access non-public areas of the Coffee County elections office on January 18, 2021. Logan and Lenberg were the two outsiders granted access to the elections office that day by Hampton, according to surveillance video previously obtained by CNN. No one else was given access to the office that day, according to a CNN review of the footage. The indictment also notes that co-conspirator 25 downloaded Coffee County election data that SullivanStrickler then had uploaded to a separate server. Documents previously obtained by CNN show five accounts that downloaded the data one account belongs to Logan and none of them belong to Lenberg. Still, CNN could not definitively determine who exactly downloaded the data. Logan and his company conducted the so-called Republican audit of the 2020 ballots cast in Arizonas Maricopa County. Co-conspirator 28 is Jim Penrose The indictment says that co-conspirator 28 sent an e-mail to the Chief Operations Officer of SullivanStrickler LLC directing him to transmit data copied from Coffee County to co-conspirator 30 and Powell. CNN has previously reported on emails Penrose and Powell arranged upfront payment to a cyber forensics firm that sent a team to Coffee County. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNNs Kaitlan Collins, Morgan Stoviak and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A pollster included Rep. Ilhan Omar in a hypothetical match-up against President Joe Biden. The poll showed Biden beating her by 53 points. Omar dismissed the poll, noting that she's not even eligible to serve as president. Ilhan Omar for President? That's the question that one pollster recently posed to a group of 2,500 registered voters, envisioning a hypothetical scenario in which the Minnesota Democrat launches a primary campaign against President Joe Biden. The poll, conducted by The Center Square and Noble Predictive Insights, found that Biden would trounce Omar by 53 points, drawing 63% support against Omar's 10%. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Omar would narrowly outperform Marianne Williamson, which the poll found currently garners 9% of Democratic voters' support, but would fall short of the 16% held by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But there's just one problem, aside from the fact that Omar is backing Biden's re-election: She's not eligible to serve as president anyway. Article 2, Section 1 of the United States Constitution requires that the president be a "natural born citizen" generally speaking, someone born in the United States. Omar, who came to the US as a refugee in the 1990s, was born in Somalia. "You all know I am not eligible to run for President," Omar wrote on Twitter on Monday, accusing the pollster of "wasting people's time." Read the original article on Business Insider By Krishn Kaushik NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has "positive intent and an open mind" regarding the expansion of the BRICS group of countries, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Monday. "We dont want to prejudge the outcome of discussions over BRICS expansion," he said, ahead of a summit of the group, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, in Johannesburg from Aug. 22-24, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to attend. He said BRICS is discussing boosting trade in national currencies. But while Brazil and Russia had mentioned the possibility of a common currency for the bloc, that is not part of the agenda. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the summit virtually, while his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, attends it in his stead. The physical meeting will be the first for leaders of the BRICS nations since 2019, and expansion is a major part of its agenda. Amid dissatisfaction with the prevailing world order, around 40 nations have expressed interest in joining the group, to make it a champion of the "Global South". Kwatra said that as the group relies on achieving a consensus, its members would need to agree on the criteria of how it should be expanded, and the guiding principles. Indeed, all members are not yet on board with the idea of expansion. A "substantive part" of discussions has focussed on boosting trade amongst themselves in local currencies, Kwatra said. (Reporting by Krishn Kaushik; Editing by Bernadette Baum) Indianas law banning almost all abortions will take effect immediately Monday after the state Supreme Court denied a request from the ACLU and Planned Parenthood to rehear an earlier ruling where it upheld the law and lifted an injunction blocking it. The 4-1 ruling, which was certified Monday, means Indiana now outlaws all abortions except in very narrow circumstances. However, abortion has been effectively banned since Aug. 1, when the law was initially set to take effect and abortion clinics across the state ceased performing the procedure. Today is a dark day in Indianas history, as a near-total abortion ban takes effect. We have seen the horrifying impact of bans like this across the country, and the narrow exceptions included in this extreme ban will undoubtedly put Hoosiers lives at risk, ACLU of Indiana executive director Jane Henegar said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement At the end of July, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood asked for a rehearing to clarify exemptions in the law related to an exemption to the life of the mother. In a concurring opinion on her ruling, Chief Justice Loretta Rush said she believes the states constitution protects a womans right to terminate a pregnancy to protect her life or to protect her from a serious health risk under circumstances that extend beyond the current law. Rush wrote she was deeply concerned about the laws impact on that right, as well as its impact on health care providers who must determine whether to provide that care and potentially expose themselves to criminal penalties and professional sanctions. But Rush wrote that the plaintiffs have not properly put these concerns before us because they asked for the original injunction blocking the entire law to remain in effect, which was previously ruled to be improper. Under the law, abortion will be allowed when a mothers life or health is at serious risk, or if theres a lethal fetal anomaly. In those cases, the abortion must be performed in a hospital before 20 weeks gestation. The law also has an exception for rape or incest, before 10 weeks post-fertilization. In the lone dissent, Judge Christoper Goff said he would have issued a revised injunction because state lawmakers havent clarified potential medical conditions that currently arent allowed under the narrow exceptions, like severe psychiatric illnesses or conditions that cause serious pain, suffering, or disability. No one yet knows the precise contours of the life and health protections guaranteed by the Indiana Constitution. But, for the sake of the lives and health of Hoosier women, our healthcare professionals and our justice system need to know as quickly as possible, Goff wrote. In a statement, state Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) applauded the decision, noting his office has defended the law every step of the way. This is great news for Hoosier life and liberty. We defeated the pro-death advocates who try to interject their views in a state that clearly voted for life, Rokita said. An injunction issued in a separate religious freedom challenge to the ban is continuing to play out in the Indiana Court of Appeals, though it applies only to the plaintiffs in that case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - Indivior has agreed to pay $30 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed in a U.S. court by health plans accusing the drugmaker of illegally suppressing generic competition for its opioid addiction treatment Suboxone. The settlement, disclosed on Saturday in a filing by lawyers for the health plans in federal court in Philadelphia, must still be approved by a judge. Indivior is still facing claims by drug wholesalers that bought Suboxone from the Virginia-based company directly, with a trial scheduled in October. "We remain focused on helping those suffering from substance use disorders and mental illness," Indivior CEO Mark Crossley said in a statement on Monday. "Resolving these legacy legal matters at the right value helps us further our mission for patients and creates greater certainty for our stakeholders." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Lawyers for the health plans did not immediately respond to requests for comment. They said in their filing that the deal was "fair, reasonable, adequate and in the best interests" of the class. Suboxone was approved for U.S. sale in 2002. Indivior had the exclusive right to sell the treatment in tablet form until 2009. The health plans and drug wholesalers claimed in their lawsuits that Indivior switched to an oral film version of Suboxone from a tablet version to extend its monopoly, just as generic manufacturers were poised to sell their own lower-cost tablets. Generic tablets obtained federal approval in 2013. Indivior agreed in June to pay $102.5 million to settle related claims by 41 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. The company in 2020 agreed to pay $600 million to resolve U.S. government allegations that it fraudulently promoted Suboxone, including by marketing the film version as safer and less abuse-prone than similar drugs. More than 80,000 people in the United States died in 2021 from overdoses involving opioids, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Will Dunham and Alexia Garamfalvi) (Bloomberg) -- Indonesia will temporarily relax rules that have slowed development of solar energy in the coal-dependent country, lifting one of the many regulatory and legal roadblocks to the archipelagos pledge to reach net zero emissions by mid-century. Most Read from Bloomberg The government will remove the requirement that solar projects use a majority of domestically produced materials until 2025, when Indonesias first solar panel factory is expected to begin production. By conservative estimates, the equatorial country could generate more than 4,000 times its current solar output. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Speeding up the energy transition has been a signature priority for President Joko Widodo , and lifting the local content requirement for solar was one of more than a dozen policy reforms laid out in the draft investment plan for the $20 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership that Jokowi negotiated with US President Joe Biden and other wealthy countries. Bloomberg reviewed a copy of the plan, which was written by the JETP Secretariat, the coordinating body for stakeholders hosted in Indonesias Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and supported by the Asian Development Bank. Dadan Kusdiana, the energy ministrys secretary general, confirmed that the government is in discussions to relax the rules for solar power projects. The plan points to several significant challenges for the JETP, including not enough in grants or low-cost loans from wealthy countries, and the reluctance of private financial institutions to fund anything related to coal, including early retirements. For Indonesias part, changing the solar requirements may be the easiest of the legal reforms that the plan calls for. The country currently generates less solar power than Norway, and much of what it does produce is shipped to neighboring Singapore. The government would like to increase its solar power capacity fivefold in the next five years, according to the investment plan, but will need nearly $2.4 billion to do so. It will also have to tackle other polices and laws that effectively block significant efforts to replace coal with renewable energy. Among them: Indonesia currently subsidizes coal-based electricity; the state-owned utility is limited in its ability to raise money for investments in renewable energy; the use of captive coal built-for-purpose plants that dont supply the electrical grid is widespread and growing. Existing restrictions on the sale of state assets also limit the options for winding down coal plants. Specifically, it bars selling a state asset for below book value, and while the law was designed to prevent corruption and cronyism, it frustrates the kinds of deals that facilitate early-retirement of coal power. The investment plan recommends the legislature make clear that it wouldnt be criminal under these specific circumstances. --With assistance from Harry Suhartono and Eko Listiyorini. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. MARION The initial online search of a state website that led a central Kansas police chief to raid a local weekly newspaper was legal, a spokesperson for the agency that maintains the site said Monday, as the newspaper remains under investigation. Earlier this month, after a local restaurant owner accused the Marion County Record of illegally accessing information about her, the Marion police chief obtained warrants to search the newspapers offices and the home of its publisher, as well as the home of a city council member who also accessed the drivers license database. The police chief led the Aug. 11 raids and said in the affidavits used to obtain the warrants that he had probable cause to believe that the newspaper and the city council member had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes. A stack of the latest weekly edition of the Marion County Record sits in the back of the newspaper's building, awaiting unbundling, sorting and distribution, on Aug. 16. The newspaper's front page was dedicated to two stories about a raid by local police on its offices. Both the city council member and the newspaper have said they received a copy of the document about the status of the restaurant owners license without soliciting it. The document disclosed the restaurants license number and her date of birth, information required to check the status of a persons license online and gain access to a more complete driving record. The police chief maintains they broke state laws to do that, while the newspaper and vice mayor Ruth Herbels attorneys say they didnt. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The raid on the Record put it and its hometown of about 1,900 residents in the center of a debate about press freedoms protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Kansas Bill of Rights. It also exposed divisions in the town over local politics and the newspapers coverage of the community and put an intense spotlight on police Chief Gideon Cody. Department of Revenue spokesperson Zack Denney said its legal to access the drivers license database online using information obtained independently. The departments Division of Vehicles issues licenses. Thats legal, he said. The website is public facing, and anyone can use it. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation continues to probe the newspapers actions. The KBI reports to state Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, while the Department of Revenue is under Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys authority. The City Council in Marion, about 150 miles southwest of Kansas City, Missouri, was scheduled Monday afternoon to have its first regular meeting since the raids. The agenda says, in red: COUNCIL WILL NOT COMMENT ON THE ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AT THIS MEETING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the agenda also includes a place for public comments, with speakers limited to three minutes. Police seized computers, personal cellphones and a router from the newspaper and the publishers home and a laptop and iPhone from Herbel. Record editor and publisher Eric Meyer lived with his 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, and blames the stress of the raid for her death the day after the raids. The seized equipment was turned over to a computer forensics auditing firm hired by the newspapers attorney last week after the county attorney concluded there wasnt enough evidence to justify its seizure. The auditor is checking the equipment to see whether materials were accessed or copied. The Department of Revenue website allows a person to buy a driving record for $16.70 a copy and that requires someone to again enter the persons drivers license number and date of birth while providing a name, address and phone number. Meyer said reporter Phyllis Zorn used her own information and did not impersonate the restaurant owner, Kari Newell. The affidavit to search the newspapers offices noted that when a person submits a request for someones driving record, it lists 13 circumstances in which it is legal to obtain it. They include a person is seeking their own record or a business seeking it to verify personal information to help collect a debt. The last item says: I will use the information requested in a manner that is specifically authorized by Kansas law and is related to the operation of a motor vehicle or public safety. Legal experts believe the police raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement. Meyer has noted that among the items seized were a computer tower and personal cellphone of a reporter who was uninvolved in the dispute with the local restaurant owner but who had been investigating why Cody left a Kansas City, Missouri, police captains job in April before becoming Marion police chief. This isnt going to go away. And it shouldnt, said Genelle Belmas, an associate journalism professor at the University of Kansas. There should be repercussions to this sort of wanton trampling of two very important laws, one state, one fed. Newell accused the newspaper at the councils last meeting Aug. 7 of violating her privacy and illegally disseminating personal information about her, and she also disclosed a drunken driving offense in her past. According to the affidavits, she told Cody that she did not authorize anyone to access her information. Newell also accused the newspaper of giving Herbel private information about her. Herbel, who has referred most questions to her attorney, said that was a blatant lie. Meyer also told the council that the newspaper did not give information to Herbel and noted it did not publish the information it obtained. Herbel passed along her information about Newell to city administrator Brogan Jones three days before the Councils Aug. 7 vote to approve Newells liquor license in an effort to prevent her from getting one, according to the affidavit for the search on Herbels home. Jones then told Mayor David Mayfield about the information in an email, adding, We as a city need to stay out of this hear say or whatever else you want to call it. Herbels attorney, Drew Goodwin, said Herbel was attending to her official duties. He called the raid on her home an egregious breach of the public trust. I realize a lot of the focus is on journalists privileges here, and thats, of course, appropriate because thats at the heart of the First Amendment, Goodwin said. But the fact that my client an elected official got swept up in this constitutional violation and had her own rights violated in the process, its beyond the pale. Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, and Jim Salter in OFallon, Missouri, contributed to this report. Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Initial online search spurring Kansas newspaper raid was legal: KDOR JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. As Missouri students head back to the classroom for the new year, roughly one-quarter of the states school districts are only in session four days a week. While shorter work weeks are helping districts recruit teachers, the states education department is leery of their long-term effects. Missouris top education leader, Margie Vandeven, is concerned about instructional time for students. Its challenging to go back to a five-day [week] after youve had the four day [week], Vandeven said. Missouris new texting and driving law even bans holding your phone In a state that is suffering a teacher shortage crisis, the effort to attract potential educators in Missouri is becoming more prevalent. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education estimated around a 5.4% shortage in qualified teachers and full-time employees statewide in a December 2022 report. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We are seeing an increase at the statewide level in the number of districts that are deciding to have a four-day school week, Vandeven said. Legislation passed in the late 2000s allowed schools to move to four-day weeks following the recession to help save money on things like fuel for buses. While it certainly could be a recruitment tool in the short term, its not a potentially sustainable recruitment tool if all the neighboring districts suddenly go to a four-day school week as well, Vandeven said. Four Kansas City-area districts exempt from state standardized testing Last year, more than 140 public school districts in Missouri, an all-time high, implemented four-day school weeks. The Independence School District in the Kansas City area, which serves roughly 14,000 students, made the switch for this upcoming year and is the largest to do so to date. This is the first time we are seeing larger districts that are pursuing it, Vandeven said. Weve seen a slight uptick in the percentage of students. I believe around 10% of our students are enrolled in a district that is offering a four-day week. This comes at a time when many districts are struggling to fill vacancies. Were at a time in education when were looking at a need to increase our instructional time, so how are those districts using the hours of instruction? Are they spreading it out? Are they adding it to the end of the day? What does that look like?, Vandeven said. Woman loses sleep after winning Mega Millions prize in Clinton, Missouri Any profession seeing almost half of its population leave within the first five years of entering the field would be very concerned about that, as we are, said Vandeven. She says Missouri DESE is looking to study the impact a four-day week has on students, now that there has been an influx of districts implementing shortened weeks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Washington Governor Jay Inslee traveled to Spokane County to meet with the command leaders in charge of the Gray and Oregon Road wildfires Sunday, according to a press release from his office. Both the Gray and Oregon Road fires have burned more than 10,000 acres since Friday. People in Medical Lake and Elk City have been evacuated and are waiting out the flames in shelters. Governor Inslee proclaimed a state of emergency in response to fires that are currently burning throughout Washington on Saturday. By Cassandra Garrison and Sofia Menchu GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - International leaders congratulated Bernardo Arevalo on his resounding victory in Sunday's Guatemalan presidential election, a win long believed impossible for the anti-graft candidate in a process dogged by accusations of government meddling. Arevalo, a 64-year-old former diplomat and son of Guatemala's first democratically elected president, captured 58% of votes versus former first lady Sandra Torres ' 37%, with all votes counted. A U.S. State Department official said Guatemala's people had spoken and that the vote's outcome was final. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Based on the results announced by the TSE and corroborated by observation missions, we congratulate Bernardo Arevalo on his election. "We look forward to working with Guatemala's president-elect to strengthen the long and productive partnership between our countries." European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the election result was "very clear" and hailed the Guatemalan government's pledge to ensure an orderly handover of power. His congratulations were echoed by neighboring leaders including Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President Xiomara Castro of Honduras, and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega. Luis Almagro, head of the Organization of American States (OAS), said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Guatemala had an "exemplary election day." Arevalo, who ran an anti-corruption campaign, had faced an uphill battle. Defying polls, he claimed a surprise second place in a first-round vote in June, triggering a runoff. A number of other opposition candidates had been barred from running. His competitor Torres alleged irregularities in the first round of voting and Arevalo's party, Semilla, was briefly suspended at the request of a top Guatemalan prosecutor. By Monday afternoon, Torres had yet to accept her loss publicly. In a press conference Sunday, she said she was "worried" about the integrity of the vote. Her UNE party said it would take a position once the elections results were put out "with total transparency." An OAS representative, with a team of 86 observers in Guatemala, said voting went smoothly and the election "fulfilled all the demanding obligations." An EU mission is expected to put out a preliminary statement about its findings on Tuesday. TRANSITION WORRIES The EU, as well as governments such as Brazil and Norway, said they expected a peaceful transition of power, which outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei vowed to guarantee. However, attempts to stymie Arevalo are likely, said Risa Grais-Targow, an analyst at consultancy Eurasia Group. "The ruling pact will likely continue to target electoral officials and Arevalo's Semilla party with investigations ahead of January's change in government," she said. Giammattei said on X he had congratulated Arevalo, and invited him to meet the day after results were finalized. Lacking a majority in Congress, Arevalo faces a tough transition and challenges in office. Guatemala has been roiled by violence and food insecurity and its citizens make up the largest number of Central Americans trying to enter the U.S. Still, his win was "an opportunity to rebuild the rule of law in a country where those in power have used their position to protect themselves and their cronies," said Tamara Taraciuk of U.S.-based think tank the Inter-American Dialogue. From a macroeconomic standpoint, Arevalo will take charge of a country with strong fundamentals, but will likely struggle to implement his social agenda, analysts at JPMorgan wrote. He will also need to get momentum going to reverse the damage done to Guatemala's democracy, said former U.S. ambassador to the country Donald Planty. "That's not something one reverses in a short period of time," Planty said, but added he hoped Arevalo can leave progress for his successor to build on. Arevalo said he had already spoken with Mexican leader Lopez Obrador and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele about Guatemala's agenda with its neighbors. TAIWAN Taiwan said it had congratulated Arevalo on the win, despite the candidate's promise to strengthen Guatemala's ties with China alongside its longstanding alliance with Taiwan. Guatemala is one of only 13 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with the Chinese-claimed island, and China holds that no country it has ties with can maintain separate diplomatic relations with Taipei. (Reporting Cassandra Garrison, Kylie Madry and Sofia Menchi; Additional reporting by Gabriel Araujo in Sao Paolo and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and David Gregorio) DOVER Details in an investigation spanning a year offer damning allegations Strafford County Sheriff Mark Brave used county funds to travel and carry on multiple extramarital affairs, traveling to multiple states, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants, then lying about it to a grand jury. Attorney General investigator Allison Vachon's affidavit has been filed in support of the eight felony charges against Brave. Strafford County Sheriff Mark Brave is seen upon arrival Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, at New Hampshire State Police Troop A in Epping, where he said he planned to turn himself in to face charges he is anticipating from the state attorney general's office. At one point during questioning, Brave denied being with a woman in Boston in May 2023, claiming he was at a New Hampshire Accreditation Commission dinner event. Then he was shown surveillance images from Long Wharf Marriott, entering the hotel with the woman at night and kissing her as she left in the morning. He then testified, "Her name is, her name is .... um .... Let me see, I forget which one this is. I've been dating a lot of people." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The investigation found the New Hampshire Accreditation Commission held no events in Boston at that time. The affidavit states Brave maxed out his two county credit cards, each with a $5,000 limit, one belonging to a member of his staff, maxing that out after expensing $2,221.55 for another trip to Florida, causing it to be canceled by county officials. More: Sheriff Mark Brave accepts paid leave after ultimatum from Strafford County leaders Vachon's investigation spans May 2022 through May 2023. It alleges misuse of about $19,000 in county funds, used for airfare, hotels, meals and a cruise. In many cases, Brave allegedly listed the expenses for conferences through agencies that do not exist, including a fictitious New England Sheriffs' Association. He also cited a trip to meet in Washington with Congressman Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, a meeting that was allegedly never scheduled. The investigation notes some of the trips to Boston coincided with nights the Boston Celtics were playing and that Brave owns Celtics season tickets, according to one of his deputies. Brave turned himself last Thursday to New Hampshire State Police. He was charged with eight felonies: theft by deception for using about $19,000 in county funds by seeking reimbursement for personal expenses with false justifications, two counts of falsifying physical evidence and five counts of perjury for lying to a Stafford County grand jury, according to state Attorney General John Formella. Brave could face 31 to 64 years in prison and fines of up to $32,000 if convicted on all counts, according to Formella. Meet-ups with women in multiple cities alleged Brave's expenses were first brought to the attention of the attorney general in April by Strafford County Commissioners after a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in August 2022, where his expenses were listed as $1,615.04 and included first class airfare and an oceanfront hotel. The investigation began tracing his expenses back to May 2022. Brave was accompanied on the Florida trip by Freezenia Veras, employed by the Strafford County sheriff's department. She was hired initially last year as an executive assistant to then Strafford County sheriff's office Lt. Paul Callaghan, who is also mayor of Rochester and an officer of the courts. Her salary was $27.60 per hour ($57,408). Brave allegedly created a new position for Veras, chief of support services/public information officer, at a salary of $38.38 per hour ($79,830). "I was not part of her hiring process," Callaghan said Monday. "She was hired to assist with prosecution matters." Callaghan said he has been advised further questions on Veras should be directed to the attorney general's staff. Veras initially told investigators she went on the trip and she stayed with family and friends, but refused to name them, according to the affidavit. She later admitted staying in a room with Brave but said he slept on the couch and she in the bed. Brave maintained she stayed with family. He offered various excuses for meetings during the trip which investigators said they were unable to confirm existed. There are many other dates and expenses detailed in the affidavit. This includes on Oct. 6-10, 2022, Brave allegedly charged $1,482.440 for expenses related to a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He claimed it was for a Big Brothers/Big Sisters event, but there was no event confirmed. At that time, he had rooms for two adults and five children. On Feb. 6, 2023, Brave allegedly spent two nights at the Element Arundel Mills Hotel in Hanover, Maryland, for what he claimed was a meeting with Pappas. He reported on his expenses that the meeting was cancelled but that Pappas gifted him a US flag that had flown over the White House as an apology. The congressman's staff indicated that no such meeting was scheduled and no flag was sent, according to investigators. On Aug. 7, of this year, prosecutors spoke with a Maryland woman. She reported to Dover police she had met with Brave, and they began a relationship after he told her he was coming to Maryland for a Maryland Sheriff's Conference. That relationship allegedly continued at least through March of this year, when Brave expensed what he claimed was a National Sheriffs Association conference. The woman confirmed she and her young son met with Brave. Another trip in March was taken by Brave and a male staff officer to Florida for a NOBLE Black Law Enforcement Executive Leadership conference, which did not exist, according to investigators. Video shows the two partying on a yacht for Brave's brother's birthday. In May, Brave charged $1,610.22 for a trip to Boston, staying at the Marriot Long Wharf and taking a sunset dinner cruise, which he said was for New Hampshire Special Olympics, or Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or the Boys and Girls Club of America. He allegedly told investigators he wasn't sure which organization was correct. That's the event where Brave was confronted with the video of him entering and exiting the hotel with a woman and kissing her. Brave, in multiple recent interviews, has continued to deny all allegations against him and state they are a political and racist attack on him. More: Strafford County commissioners give Sheriff Brave last chance: Take leave or face removal This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Documents detail Sheriff Mark Brave's alleged lies on affairs, trips Ukrainian strikes on the rear areas of Russian territory worsen the morale of Russian troops, which ultimately threatens the stability of Russian defense forces in many critical areas of the front, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its Aug. 20 assessment. Repeated Ukrainian attacks on rear areas in southern Ukraine against Russian front-line troops degrade morale which has the potential to cause panic that can"quickly intensify and spread among Russian frontline units." A previous ISW report highlighted the fragility of Russian front-line defenses, noting that Russia's inability to rotate frontline units is indicative of depleted reserves. Thus, if frontline units are potentially fractured by panic resulting from low morale, it could have a significant impact on Russian troops' ability to remain stable. The ISW also said that Ukrainian strikes against Russian deep rear areas are generating discontent in the Russian information space and sparking criticism of the Russian military command. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Some Russian milbloggers expressed anger at recent Ukrainian strikes on the Kerch Strait Bridge and called for Russian forces to target the families, homes, and other properties of Ukrainian decision makers to deter further Ukrainian strikes against Russian deep rear areas," the ISW wrote. Read also: National Resistance Center: Governor of Kursk Oblast built fake defense structures Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's former energy transition minister Roberto Cingolani is under investigation by Rome prosecutors for having renewed an environmental authorisation to the Rosignano Solvay plant on a Tuscan beach in 2022, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday. Cingolani, who has been CEO of Italy's state-controlled defence and aerospace group Leonardo since May, is being investigated for the alleged offence of abuse of office, the sources said. The former minister and Leonardo declined to comment. The investigation, which does not involve Solvay, arose after a lawsuit filed in 2022 by Giuseppe Bivona, activist co-founder of Bluebell Capital Partners, and Elio Lannutti, a former senator of the 5-star movement, who complained the minister had extended the authorisations for the chemical plant for five years before they expired. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The integrated environmental authorisation (AIA) is a measure that aims to verify the environmental compatibility of any given activity. However, a source close to the ex-minister clarified that this was not an extension of the authorisation but a new authorisation, which was required by law because a change had occurred at the Belgian chemical group's plant. Solvay's practices on the Tuscan beach - a plant that's been running for over a century - have drawn scrutiny from environmentalists, activist Bluebell and the UN special rapporteur on toxics and human rights. Mercury from the plant has contaminated the seabed, a 2020 report by Tuscany's environmental protection agency said, while a 2017 finding by the Institute for Coastal Marine Environment said the material discharged threatened seagrass. Solvay currently dumps 250,000 metric tons a year into the Mediterranean, a practice that has transformed the coastline, a stretch that has been dubbed the White Beaches, or Spiagge Bianche. In September 2022 Solvay said it was planning to cut industrial waste discharged into the sea from soda-ash production on the Tuscan coast in the wake of pressure from environmentalists. The chemical group, which had previously pushed back on concerns the waste may be harmful, said then in a statement it was planning to invest around 15 million euros ($16.3 million) to reduce the release of limestone residue into the sea at its facility in the Tuscan coastal village of Rosignano. That will help cut the maximum it discharges into the sea by 20% compared to what regulators currently allow the company by 2030, it had said. By 2040, that volume will drop to 40% below what the authorities have said can be released into the sea. In an annual report for 2021, the company said preliminary investigations were pending before the Criminal Court of Livorno regarding the contamination of certain areas around Rosignano. ($1 = 0.9187 euros) (Reporting by Emilio Parodi, editing by David Evans) In 1998, Momma already knew what outfit she would wear when she saw her parents again: an emerald skirt with flower prints, beige flats and the jade bracelet she received as a childhood gift from her father. Some afternoons, when she thinks no one else is watching, she removes the outfit from a box and puts it on before the mirror in our one-bedroom apartment. Momma is a planner, and Ive always admired that about her. But a part of me also knows that fashion is maybe the most certain thing in her life. This past April marked the 25th anniversary of her leaving a small village in China for a future in the U.S.; her 25th year as an undocumented immigrant breathing on American soil. One of the conditions of that existence, of course, is that she cannot hold a U.S. passport or take a plane without risking deportation. We celebrated Mommas birthday in Washington D.C. last month. She doesnt turn 50 until December, but by then, I will be back in college for my junior year a three-hour Amtrak ride from our home in New York. This summer felt like the perfect opportunity: I was ending an internship near Capitol Hill and I had scraped enough money together for a hotel for the both of us. But the real reason I was grateful for the timing? She could help me with my suitcases going back home. Opinion ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We saw the Library of Congress and bought an overpriced pineapple sundae from the ice cream truck near the Washington Monument. Momma snapped way too many photos as an Asian mother would and asked lots of questions about the architecture, which I pretended to have the answers to. By nights end, the two of us were sitting by the edge of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, watching a duckling struggle to stay awake next to its mother. It was humid and quiet. I thought about jumping into the cold water and wanted to suggest it out loud as a joke, but then I stopped. Its unsettling to think that just the thoughts the dumbest ones, too were a privilege I owned: As an American citizen; as a college student; as a man. Momma, sitting next to me and leaning on my shoulder, was wearing her signature black blazer. I wondered if she was thinking about her own parents, whom she has now spent more time calling on the phone than physically being with. Momma never looked more beautiful and more capable that night by the reflecting pool, but she is never safe. She is always hiding. She is always formally dressed for the occasion. There is something fundamentally wrong to me about gracing the historied locations of this nation, knowing that my parent remains seated in the periphery of that nations vision. There is something uncomfortable about climbing ivory towers of an Ivy league college campus, relishing a complicated view of the city below that she will never be allowed to see. Ive always told Momma that in another life, as teenagers, we would have made perfect best friends. These past few months, as I drank matcha lattes, posted sunkissed photos of myself on Instagram and built houses made out of poker cards with other Hill interns on the steps of the Supreme Court, I wished she could have been there, to see those houses crumble. I have all these dreams of changing the world and going to work in cities from Sacramento to Chicago. I lie to Momma, telling her that Ill always bring her along. When you love somebody, you want to be perfect for them. You make promises you dont have the power to keep. For Momma, that means practicing an outfit in front of a mirror. Today, as neighborhoods from mine in Brooklyn to yours in Sacramento continue to support an influx of asylum-seeking migrants, I ask you not to forget about the immigrants who came before the honest, longtime pillars of our American democracy and economy. This is not an attempt to pit two vulnerable groups against each other, nor is this an argument for whether unlawful entry to America should be deemed a mistake. This is simply a reminder that the undocumented immigrants of Mommas generation those who arrived in the great wave of the 90s will not be here forever, and neither will their parents, many of whom have either already passed away or remain in their home countries. Democrats have been too ambitious on immigration Democrats are too often so forward and ambitious with their immigration proposals that they forget about the opportunity to make a real human compromise. Conservatives have already shown that they are against the idea of material amnesty , even if offered the prospect of tightened border control and having the undocumented pay a fine. It is time to redirect our current priorities away from forgiveness and toward a recognition of our common humanity. For two decades, no matter what political makeup constituted the executive and legislative bodies, the federal government has stagnated on passing comprehensive immigration reform, with most changes being small provisions and funding bills . It is time to stop believing that showering relief money onto the impoverished without examination of policies at large will solve immigrants biggest problems. It is time to stop with the backseat excuses. There are multiple layers to American citizenship: the right to vote, Social Security benefits and the ability to travel to and from the U.S. Lets start with the third. The very least that aging immigrants like Momma deserve is the opportunity to reunite with their elderly parents without fear of being unable to come back or losing the family they have built here. I cannot think of a crueler punishment than to ask a person to choose between two homes, two cuts of their own flesh. Whether Momma deserves future employment and social privileges in America is not up to me to decide, but I can confidently say that those are not her most immediate needs. Lets remind President Joe Biden what is missing from the American Families Plan, and consider a few amendments if the latest immigration bills, such as the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act , are defeated. If we are against the idea of giving the undocumented wings for permanent flight, lets lend them ours so they can visit their family, particularly those who have been at the front line of the American fiscal climb for decades. FaceTime and phone calls are not enough to see what time, and a pandemic, has done to their loved ones, oceans away. Sometimes, I imagine my 49-year-old, Taylor Swift-loving, sometimes cranky, always caring, excellent planner of a mother as a 24-year-old. I am just four years younger than she was then, but she is braver, stronger and more committed to serving our country than I have ever been. I imagine her and Grandma standing beside each other for the last time on the edge of their family farm. Momma arrived in America with only the essentials in her bag, her braids conditioned with lard, the clothes on her back, a jade bracelet clasped around the wrist and a few stories to share with her future children. I imagine her memories flip before her like a sped-up picture book sitting on her fathers old motorcycle, arms spread like wings; taking the train with her sister to the Guangzhou night market to try barbecued fish balls. Momma looks at the dirt road ahead a blank space and a tunnel into a life outside of the impoverished village and then back at Grandma. , , she jokes. The same time, Mom, one hundred years from now. Editor's Note: The Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelligencer have been telling the stories of unclaimed dead and their impact on the community since 2019. The cremated remains of at least 119 have found final resting places since the project started in 2019. But hundreds more remain unclaimed in Bucks and Montgomery counties. Our original "Unclaimed" stories can be accessed on our website, and includes names, stories and statuses of the unclaimed cases. By the time Jack Leroy Scott died alone in his car at 71, hed been living in the parking lot of a Penndel bar for eight months. In his wallet was $86, a Bensalem veterans organization membership card, the business card of a chaplain at the Philadelphia Park Racetrack and two photos. None of the contents provided authorities with leads on next-of-kin after his 2011 death. Neither did a government database where Scotts name and birthdate were entered. Police had no luck finding relatives. This is a photo of Jack Leroy Scott when he was about 21 years-old. Scott left his wife and three children in 1962. His son and granddaughter spent 24 years searching before finding his unclaimed ashes in Bucks County. Longest unclaimed dead buried at last He died alone in 1999. Now Bucks County's longest held unclaimed remains are buried. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement With no family to claim him, Bucks County took responsibility for Scott. He was cremated at taxpayer expense. His ashes and personal belongings were placed in storage with other abandoned dead. But Scott had family. And they were looking for him. After decades of searching, and 12 years following his death, the people Jack Scott left behind now are unraveling the mystery of his life, and finding the unconditional love of a family they never knew existed. Father, daughter and a ghost Growing up in Elmira, New York, Megan Scott-Glover was told the Scotts had no living relatives. Her father, Tony Scott, didnt even know the names of his grandparents on his fathers side. The man who Megan and her sister Jessica called grandpa had married Tonys mother when he was a senior in high school. I knew he was my dads stepdad, but I didnt know much beyond that, Scott-Glover said. Megan was 15 when she found her father searching the Internet on their new computer for a man named Jack Leroy Scott, his biological father. Megan Scott Glover (Right holding baby) poses with her sister Jessica (left), their children and their father Tony Scott (center) in his Christmas 2018 photo. Tony Scott had not seen the man since 1963, when he was 4. His mom, Ruth, has rarely talked about him. She was 19 when he walked out on her and their three children who were all under five. Tony Scott was 18 in 1977, when he answered a phone call at the family home. It was a man asking for his mom. Dad? Jack Scott said he was calling from Pennsylvania, and wanted to talk to Tony's mother. He wanted to move back to Elmira, but he didnt want any problems. Stay away if you know what is good for you, Tony Scott replied. His father never reached out again. How you can help find next-of-kin Pennsylvania coroners, medical examiners turning to the public for clues about unclaimed dead Hits, misses and Mrs. Scott: The search for Jack Scott takes a major turn As a teenager in 1999, Scott-Glover just wanted to solve a family mystery; later, the quest was a chance to practice the investigation skills she learned as a criminal justice major. I wanted to know where I came from," said Scott-Glover, now 38. "There was always that question, who are my people? What are my roots? For her father, the project was more about satisfying his curiosity, Scott-Glover said. If we found him alive, he wasnt 100 percent certain what he wanted to do with that, she added. They had just three pieces of information: Jack Leroy Scott's name, birth date, and where he grew up. For more than a decade their search efforts were hit and miss. Mostly misses. But during a routine name search in 2011, Scott-Glover came across an old AOL message written by a woman looking for her father; a man from Elmira, New York, named Jack L. Scott. The woman was Tony Scotts half-sister. Kimanne Scott was born in Doylestown in 1977. She didnt remember much about her father other than he was kind to her. But Kimanne's grandmother gave Scott-Glover a name that would prove critical to cracking the Scott family mystery: Peggy Scott, Jack's mother. Margaret Peggy Scott married James in the 1930s. It was her second marriage, and she had two children, Leon John and Donald McCumber, from her first marriage, when she was 15. Jack Scott was born in 1940. He was the first son to carry the Scott surname. Peggy Scott was living in Bucks County when Kimanne was born and she died a couple years later, the grandmother said. Scott-Glover now had two branches for the Scott family tree. The next branch found her almost 10 years later. A second secret sibling and a family rumor about Jack In 2020 Jacqueline Chrisjohn was searching for her birth father when she saw a post in a genealogical forum about a man named Jack L. Scott with ties to Elmira. The post included information about Tony Scott, so Chrisjohn tracked down his Facebook page and sent him a message, "I think youre my brother." Chrisjohn was born in January 1962. Jack Scott was 21 and still with Tony's mother, Ruth, whom had given birth to their third child 10 months earlier. Chrisjohn's mother, a 19-year-old woman named Joyce, lived a couple miles from the Scott home. Joyces mom and Peggy Scott were friends. After Joyce died, Chrisjohn found love letters she saved from Jack. In one he begged Joyce not to accept a marriage proposal from a man in Rochester. But she ultimately left Jack and Elmira behind. In the end, her mother and stepfather were happily married until her death, she told Scott-Glover. Chrisjohn shared with her the only photo that Scott-Glover has of her grandfather Jack: A black-and-white snapshot taken at Christmas time in 1961. Chrisjohn also shared a rumor her grandmother told her about Peggy Scott. She was not Jacks mother. The original 2019 Unclaimed series With no next of kin, the dead tax county resources. How they end up in coroner offices. He cracked everything wide open Scott-Glover had been looking for Peggy Scott ever since she first got her name from Kimanne. But Peggy eluded her until 2021, when she found the wrong Margaret Scott in an online family tree. The amateur genealogist sent her family records about another Margaret Scott that proved invaluable. He cracked everything wide open to trace Jacks lineage and how he came to be, Scott-Glover said. The records confirmed that Peggy and James Scott were not Jacks birth parents, but it wasnt the only surprise. Jack Scott was not a Scott. He was a McCumber. His older half-brother, Leon John, was his biological father. Jack Scotts parents were unmarried teenagers when he was born and it appeared that Peggy and James decided they would raise Jack as their child. The secret explained puzzling records discrepancy for Scott-Glover. Government documents for Jack listed his birthday as Jan. 30, 1940, but the only birth record she found for him had him born on Jan. 20. Scott-Glover believes that Peggy probably changed the date to prevent Jack from learning the truth about his parents. Leon McCumber went on to father six more children with four women. Three carried the Scott surname, though Scott-Glover hasnt found any name change records for Leon McCumber. Five of those half siblings are alive, including the youngest who was born in 1961, the same year as Jack Scotts third child. But what happened to Jack? Jack Leroy Scott as seen in this employee identification card from 1980s. He worked in the stables at the Philadelphia Race Track in Bensalem. This Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission identification for Jack L. Scott was issued was among the items found in his wallet when he died in October 2011. Invisible in life, unclaimed in death Homeless unsheltered in life, often unclaimed in death How Jack Leroy Scott found his way home Scott-Glover was doing online research in July when something popped up about Jack L. Scott she had never seen before. The first search result showed someone with his name living on Elk Avenue in Feasterville since 2005. The address was the closest Scott-Glover had gotten to finding the mysterious grandfather she spent half her life looking for. She immediately added the new address to an earlier post about Jack she put in a Facebook group dedicated to missing and unidentified people. The next day, someone in the Facebook group sent her a message. The person also found the name Jack L. Scott in Bucks County. But it was on a list of unclaimed dead in the county morgue. Over the years, Scott-Glover heard rumors that her grandfather was dead. One claimed he died in prison. Another in a car accident. But she never found any proof. She placed the call to the Bucks County Coroners office, which confirmed the search for Jack Leroy Scott was over. A clerical error on his death records appears to be the reason they werent flagged on the main genealogical website she and her father used. The Social Security Death Index listed his birthday as Feb. 3, 1940, Scott-Glover said. But a pair of Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission identification cards, also found in his wallet, had his correct birth date. His death was ruled as natural causes. While the coroners report listed alcoholism under past medical conditions, toxicology showed he had no drugs or alcohol in his system when he died, Scott-Glover said. A bar employee was the last person to see her grandfather alive, according to the coroners report. The employee helped him back into his car after he fell in the parking lot. The same employee checked on him later, and found Scott unresponsive in his car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. On July 25, Tony Scott and his daughter made an eight-hour round trip to Bucks County to bring Jack Leroy Scott home to Elmira. It was not the family reunion that Scott-Glover had long planned. I really, really, really hoped wed find Jack alive. I didnt want him to die alone. That is what I was afraid of for him. I dont want him sitting alone unclaimed in a basement somewhere. This is the box containing the cremated remains and personal belongings of Jack Leroy Scott, who died in Bucks County in 2011. The Legacy of Jack Leroy Scott While Jack Leroy Scott is back with the family he left behind 60 years ago, the search is not over. Scott-Glover has lingering questions shed like answered before deciding what to do with his ashes. Among them, who are the people in the photos found in his wallet? One is a man wearing a Santa suit posing with a Yorkie. The other is a smiling, middle-aged woman with short brown hair with writing on the back that is faded and illegible. This photo of Santa Claus with a Yorkie was found in the wallet of Jack Leroy Scott who died in October 2011. Scott was unclaimed in the Bucks County coroner's office until July 25, 2023. A photo of this unidentified woman was found in the wallet of Jack Leroy Scott, who died in October 2011. Scott was unclaimed until July 25, 2023 when his son and granddaughter collected him from the Bucks County Morgue. Is she another child Jack fathered? Maybe the daughter named Debbie or Deborah that Kimannes grandmother told her was born before Kimanne? Jack Leroy Scott left behind three broken families in two states. But those families now are rebuilding their big, complicated Scott family tree out of the pieces. A tree that will only grow stronger, Scott-Glover said. He hurt people, and I cant excuse that, but I cant condemn a man for what he did 60 years ago. she added. I dont believe he was a bad person, at heart. Im here because of him. All longest unclaimed veterans interred 'We got them all.' The longest unclaimed veterans in Bucks County finally laid to rest This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Jack Scott died alone in Bucks County. How he found his way home The Duval County School Board is searching for the next superintendent and seeking input from the community regarding the desired qualities for the position. Community members can provide your input in two ways: Complete the Community Survey. Share your thoughts at one of six community meetings. Some have opportunities for online participation. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Schools Date/Time Location/Address Registration Link for Online Meeting Baldwin Middle- Senior High School Tuesday, August 22, 2023, 11:00 A.M. Baldwin Middle 291 Mill Street West Jacksonville, Florida 32234 Location: Room 102/Online Registration for online participants (https://bityl.co/Kbeo) Westside High School Tuesday, August 22, 2023, 6:00 P.M. Westside High School 5530 Firestone Road Jacksonville, Florida 32244 Location: Media Center N/A Atlantic Coast High School Thursday, August 24, 2023, 6:00 P.M. Atlantic Coast High School 9735 R.G. Skinner Parkway Jacksonville, Florida 32256 Location: Media Center/Online Registration for online participants (https://bityl.co/Kbep) William M. Raines High School Tuesday, August 29, 2023, 6:00 P.M. William M. Raines High School 3663 Raines Ave Jacksonville, Florida 32209 Location: Media Center/Online Registration for online participants (https://bityl.co/Kber) Fletcher High School Thursday, August 31, 2023, 11:00 A.M. Fletcher High School 700 Seagate Avenue Neptune Beach, Florida 32266 Location: Media Center/Online Registration for online participants (https://bityl.co/Kbeu) Sandalwood High School Thursday, August 31, 2023, 6:00 P.M. Sandalwood High School 2750 John Prom Blvd. Jacksonville, Florida 32246 Location: Media Center N/A To learn more information and to answer any questions, you can visit their Superintendent Search webpage. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, speaks during a meeting with Masanobu Sakamoto, unseen, the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations and others, unseen, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Japanese government officials sought understanding from fisheries groups Monday for the impending release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea and pledged to support their livelihoods throughout the process that will take decades. (Zhang Xiaoyu/Pool Photo via AP) TOKYO (AP) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday promised his government's full support for fishing communities during the decades-long process to release treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. Meeting with fisheries representatives, Kishida promised measures to protect the fishing industry's reputation until the release ends. Masanobu Sakamoto, head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, reiterated his organization's opposition to the release. He said members of the fishing community have gained some confidence about the safety of the move, but that they still fear damage to their industry, and welcomed the government pledge for support. Scientific safety and the sense of safety are different, Sakamoto said. Even if it's safe, reputational damage occurs." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Kishida later told reporters that Sakamoto's response signaled improved understanding and that key Cabinet ministers will meet Tuesday to set a date to start the release. Japan's national broadcaster NHK said the government hopes it could begin as early as Thursday. Sakamoto welcomed the government pledge for its long-term support for the fisheries and sought additional funding as needed. The government has offered funding totaling 80 billion yen ($550 million) for sales promotion and other steps, and for sustainable fishing operations. The easing of opposition from the fishing industry is key to the release because the government promised in 2015 not to start without understanding from fishing groups, after past accidental and unapproved discharges. A massive March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plants cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and contaminating their cooling water. The water is collected, filtered and stored in around 1,000 tanks, which will reach their capacity in early 2024. Scientists generally agree the environmental impact of treated wastewater would be negligible, but some call for more attention to dozens of low-dose radionuclides that remain in it. The government announced the release plan in April 2021 and has since faced strong opposition from Japanese fishing organizations, which worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it into a political and diplomatic issue. The government and the plant operator say the water must be removed to make room for the plant's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks. They say all the treated water will be reprocessed until it meets legally releasable levels and then diluted, making it far safer than international standards. The International Atomic Energy Agency, asked for cooperation from Japan to improve transparency and credibility, and in a final report in July concluded that the plan, if conducted as designed, will cause negligible impact on the environment and human health. The government has also stepped up outreach efforts to explain the plan to neighboring countries, especially South Korea, to keep the issue from interfering with their relationship. Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes a statement about the wildfires in Western Canada in Charlottetown, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. The "apocalyptic devastation" of wildfires in British Columbia and Northwest Territories is a chief concern for the federal government as a cabinet retreat gets underway in Charlottetown, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday morning. Affordability and the country's housing crisis are set to headline the three-day retreat but he said the fires are a "pressing concern." More than 30,000 people in British Columbia are under evacuation orders as multiple fires threaten communities including the Central Okanagan city of Kelowna. More than 20,000 people were forced to flee Yellowknife and several other communities near Slave Lake in Northwest Territories last week. "This is a scary and heartbreaking time for people," Trudeau said. He said cabinet's incident response group will meet again in Charlottetown on Monday afternoon to discuss ongoing co-ordination of the fire situation. Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan, who represents a Vancouver riding in the House of Commons, will attend that meeting and the retreat remotely. He is remaining in B.C. to help with the co-ordinated response to the fires. More than 1,000 fires are still burning across Canada, and 60 per cent of them are in B.C. and N.W.T. This has by far been Canada's worst fire season on record, with more than 5,800 fires burning 141,000 square kilometres, an area greater in size than all of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island put together. The cabinet retreat comes a few weeks before members of Parliament will return to the House of Commons following their summer break. It has also been less than a month since Trudeau announced a major shuffle of his cabinet. There are seven new faces among his 38-member governing team, and 19 more have new jobs. All of them have spent the summer getting an earful from friends, neighbours, and constituents about housing, which is the number 1 item on the government's agenda for the fall. The cost of housing, including to purchase and to rent, have increased far faster than wages in recent years. It is estimated that Canada needs to at least triple the rate it is building new homes to try to get the issue back under control. The authors of a recent national report on housing will be in Charlottetown to brief cabinet ministers on their findings and on what needs to be done. Ministers will also hear from the founder of the Generation Squeeze think tank from the University of British Columbia about ways to help young Canadians who are feeling economic despair as prices rise. FILE PHOTO: Evidence of Alzheimers disease on PET scans at the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment in Boston TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese health ministry panel on Monday recommended approval of the Alzheimer's disease treatment Leqembi, following standard approval for the drug granted by U.S. regulators last month. The expert panel's decision sets the stage for official approval of the drug, co-developed by Japan's Eisai and U.S.-based Biogen. An Eisai executive said this month the company expects to begin marketing Leqembi in Japan within about 60 days of receiving insurance reimbursement approval from the country's national health system. (Reporting by Rocky Swift, editing by Ed Osmond) TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government will decide on Tuesday when it will begin to discharge treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, in a plan criticized at home and abroad. Speaking to reporters at his office in Tokyo, Kishida reiterated the importance of moving forward with the decommissioning process for the damaged plant, but declined to give a window for when the release might happen. Broadcaster NHK said Kishida is finalising plans to start releasing the water as soon as possible after Thursday, without clarifying its sources. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month greenlighted the programme, saying that the impact from the water release on people and the environment would be "negligible". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Despite such assurances, the prospect of more than a million tons of water being pumped into the Pacific from the nuclear plant owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company has sparked alarm in South Korea and China, which banned seafood imports from some areas of Japan following the nuclear disaster in 2011. Local fishing groups have also protested the plan, saying they are gravely concerned over the reputational damage from the water release - expected to take decades to complete - and its impact on their livelihoods. Japan's Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said earlier on Monday the government had won "a degree of understanding" from the fishing industry for the release of the water. Kishida and Nishimura on Monday met Masanobu Sakamoto, the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, to offer safety assurances. Ahead of the talks, Sakamoto said that the group's opposition to the plan had "not changed one bit," adding that they understood the release could be scientifically safe but still feared reputational damage. The water, equivalent to the contents of 500 Olympic-size swimming pools, has mostly been used to cool nuclear reactors damaged in 2011 when tsunami waves crashed into the plant on the coast north of Tokyo after an earthquake. It has been treated to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter. Kishida acknowledged the concerns of the fishing association but said the water release had become a pressing matter, and asked them to understand that the disposal of the water was necessary. "I promise that we will take on the entire responsibility of ensuring the fishing industry can continue to make their living, even if that will take decades," he said. (Reporting by Tim Kelly, Satoshi Sugiyama, Elaine Lies, Chang-Ran Kim and Sakura Murakami; Writing by Elaine Lies and Sakura Murakami; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Clarence Fernandez and Sharon Singleton) Data from the James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed four galaxies dating to when the universe was around 300500 million years old (PA) (PA Archive) Scientists are hoping to receive a message from aliens imminently, after waiting for 30 years. But the chances are slim: the message was sent to a star that does not appear to have any planets, and there will only be an hour to hear the message. It is 40 years since Japanese astronomers Masaki Morimoto and Hisashi Hirabayashi composed a message intended to show what humans are like and how life works on Earth, and send it into the cosmos. They did so using a telescope at Stanford University and sent a message to Altair, a star 16.7 light years away that could potentially have life around it. Decades on, a team led by Shinya Narusawa at the University of Hyogo will use a large Japanese telescope to try and see if anything is sending back a reply to our message. Astronomers believe that it is conceivable a reply would come around now, given the distance to the star and the time that has elapsed. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They will listen for messages coming from the star on 22 August. That date was chosen because of its significance in Japans Tanabata star festival, which symbolically celebrates the meeting of two deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, the latter of which is represented by Altair. Narusawa is hopeful that aliens are out there somewhere and that the message could have really been sent towards alien life around the distant star. A large number of exoplanets have been detected since the 1990s, he told Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun. Altair may have a planet whose environment can sustain life. The original message was sent on 15 August, 1983, as part of a collaboration with a Japanese weekly comic anthology. But the attempt to contact aliens never seemed entirely serious, and so any scientists involved are unlikely to be disappointed. In 2008, when the email was unearthed, Hirabayashi admitted that the pair had been drunk when they came up with the idea of sending the message, according to Gizmodo at the time. I believe in aliens, but they are very difficult to find, he said then. He also noted that he had received an array of messages from schoolchildren about the message, which had made sending it worth it. [Source] A Japanese store has put up a sign scolding foreign tourists for having bad manners. Request for Foreign Customers: The shop located in Tokyo has listed the frequent bad manners of foreign tourists in a big signage posted by the stores entrance. Requests for Foreign Customers, the sign reads. We are very troubled by the many violations of manners by foreigners. These are bad manners. The disrespectful actions include picking up and placing store items in the wrong shelves, opening a product before purchasing it, bringing food and/or beverages inside the store, littering inside the store and asking to return unbroken items. The sign also noted that most of the staff do not speak English, suggesting foreign customers to prepare an image of what [they] are looking for or make an effort to speak Japanese. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More from NextShark: Asian Americans celebrate historic release of Anna May Wong quarters Discussion on foreign tourists: The sign was photographed by a Californian resident and shared to the Facebook page Japan Moments on Aug. 13. It has since gone viral, garnering over 40,000 reactions and prompting a discussion on how uncivilized some American tourists can be. Sadly, a lot of what they're asking is just common courtesy, which many Americans sorely lack, one Facebook user wrote, to which another user replied, I'm American. Can confirm. Not everyone is like this, but those kinds of people make up a LOT of the country. More from NextShark: P1Harmony drop Doom Du Doom music video and new EP Harmony: Zero In Many users also criticized foreign tourists for not respecting the culture and people of the Asian countries they visit. Sadly, many foreigners don't respect the Japanese culture or lifestyle, one person wrote. Yes, for God's sake, educate yourself on the culture of the country you are visiting! another said. More from NextShark: Newly-opened Japanese host club apologizes for Nazi-themed bar, costumes While the vast majority of people visiting Japan are probably polite and understand that they are guests in another country, there is definitely a portion of Wait, there aren't subtitles in real life? one person explained. More from NextShark: 40 percent of Japanese men in their 20s have never been on a date, says new government report TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold a meeting with related cabinet ministers on Tuesday to decide the start date for the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, he said on Monday. Kishida was speaking to reporters after meeting officials from the country's fisheries industry. (Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by David Goodman) Newly obtained court documents show the back and forth between a former Microsoft executive and his ex-wife. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The divorce filings and custody documents related for Jared Bridegan and Shanna Gardner are about 800 pages, dating back to 2015. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] In one document, Gardner accuses Bridegan of sending her aggressive, condescending and ineffective messages. She said the two need to work on their communication. A motion from July 2015 showed the parents couldnt agree on a school for their children. Less than a month before the first day of school, the kids werent enrolled in a class. That issue was eventually resolved. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related Story: Jared Bridegans ex-wife arrested, facing charges in his 2022 murder in Jacksonville Beach There was also back and forth over overnight visits including step-parents, alluding to Kirsten Bridegan and Gardners estranged husband, Mario Fernandez, who is also charged with Jareds murder. When you have the circumstances where both parties of a divorce re-marry and you have children in common, theres always a complexity, Action News Jax Law and Safety expert, Dale Carson, said. Related Story: Jared Bridegans ex-wife to appear in Washington court, 1 day after being charged in his murder In a 2021 complaint made by Gardner, she stated Bridegan would not let her use the newer and smaller breathing machine for their son in an upcoming trip. Their son has a special health condition. Gardner had a breathing machine but wanted to use Bridegans. She said Bridegan eventually allowed her to use his machine, along with a series of demands including an apology for perceived past transgressions. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Some of the documents may be used to demonstrate the pettiness of the dispute, Carson said, regarding how these documents may be used during the trial. The pettiness presents itself by way of legal argument which intensifies it. 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. A St. Louis judge this week will weigh whether to block Missouris new restrictions on gender-affirming care for transgender youth before they take effect next Monday. A multiple-day evidentiary hearing, which started in St. Louis on Friday, will be held at the Greene County Courthouse in Springfield Tuesday through Thursday. St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Steven Ohmer will oversee the proceedings and is expected to decide whether to halt the new law from taking effect. The law, SB 49, bans gender transition surgeries on minors and imposes a moratorium on hormone therapy and puberty blockers until 2027 unless the patients are already receiving the medications. The legislation is part of a nationwide push to regulate the lives of transgender people and has stoked fear in the states transgender community. The legal proceedings could set a major precedent for the LGBTQ community. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The ACLU of Missouri, the national LGBTQ civil rights law firm Lambda Legal and the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner law firm filed suit against the law last month on behalf of three families of trans kids, medical providers and national LGBTQ advocacy organizations. What will the law do if it takes effect? The law, which takes effect Aug. 28, would ban gender-affirming care, which includes hormone therapy and puberty blockers, for people under 18. However, it would allow minors to continue hormone therapy or puberty blockers if they were already prescribed them before the law takes effect. The restrictions on hormone therapy and puberty blockers expire in 2027. The ban on gender-affirming surgeries does not expire. Doctors who violate the ban could lose their medical licenses and health care providers could face civil lawsuits for prescribing hormones and puberty blockers to minors. The new law also affects adults, prohibiting Missouri Medicaid dollars from covering gender-affirming care and bans prisons and jails from providing gender-affirming surgeries. What are the arguments to block it? The lawsuit asks Ohmer to issue a preliminary injunction against SB 49, arguing it violates the Missouri Constitution by discriminating against transgender patients on the basis of sex and their transgender status, and deprives parents of a fundamental right to seek medical care for their children. The new law also forces medical providers to choose between abandoning their patients or keeping their medical licenses, according to the suit. Among the plaintiffs is the family of C.J., a 13-year-old trans boy who has expressed a male gender identity since kindergarten. C.J. is on puberty blockers and his family intends to initiate hormone therapy when he is 14. But the law, if it goes into effect, will prevent him from receiving hormones until he turns 18. This law will harm transgender Missourians, their families, and their medical providers while adding inequities to a healthcare system already ripe with discriminatory laws and practices, the ACLU of Missouri said in a statement prior to the start of the hearing. What are the arguments for why the law should take effect? Lawyers for Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican who signed the law during Pride Month in June, and Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey will be tasked with defending the law. Bailey, in a statement posted on social media Friday, painted SB 49 as a way to protect children, offering a window into his expected defense of the law. In a brief filed last week, Bailey framed gender-affirming care on youth as experimental. Im proud to be standing in the gap as we work to protect vulnerable children from these inhumane science experiments, Bailey posted. The Republican attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia filed a brief last week defending the law. Can I watch the hearing? Media access to the hearing will be limited. Ohmer, the judge, has barred reporters from bringing cameras into the courtroom and is not allowing the public to attend the hearing virtually. Once the hearing wraps up on Thursday, Ohmer is expected to issue a ruling on the proposed preliminary injunction before the law takes effect on Aug. 28, possibly on Friday. Whats happened in other states? Missouri is one of 21 states that have passed a ban on gender-affirming care for youth, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a Colorado-based think tank that advocates for LGBTQ rights. Over the past few months, judges have blocked similar laws in other states, including in Georgia. This week, a federal judge placed a preliminary injunction on Georgias law that prohibited doctors from providing hormone therapy to minors. But, she did not block a ban on gender-affirming surgeries. However, last month a federal appeals court upheld Tennessees ban on gender-affirming care, allowing the state to block access to puberty blockers and gender-affirming surgeries. A federal judge in Georgia issued a preliminary injunction late Sunday suspending a provision in the states Senate Bill 140 from taking effect while a case filed by four families and an organization moves forward. In her order, Judge Sarah E. Geraghty ruled that it is substantially likely that the plaintiffs will succeed in their effort to permanently strike down the law because it is unconstitutional. The state is prohibited from enforcing the ban on hormone therapy for adolescents with gender dysphoria until a decision on its merits is reached. Four families in Georgia joined TransParent, a group whose members are parents of transgender kids, and filed Emma Koe, et al. vs. Caylee Noggle et al. to halt the recently passed and signed law from taking effect in June. The Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and the law firm OMelveny & Myers LLP, an HRC press release stated, represent them. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In March, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, signed SB 140, revoking licenses for doctors who administer hormone replacement therapy to children. It also bans surgeries that are already not done. Young people who are cisgender are exempt from the law; they may receive care based on their gender identity as assigned at birth. Sundays injunction keeps the ban on surgeries in place but eliminates the hormone therapy restrictions. The decision comes after the same judge previously dealt the plaintiffs a blow when she declined to intervene in July because she said that, at the time, the plaintiffs request was too late to stop the law from starting. The plaintiffs' counsel praised the judges ruling. This decision is an incredible victory for Georgia families. We are gratified that the Court carefully considered the evidence and appropriately applied the law in halting SB 140, a statement from the plaintiffs' counsel said. This law unapologetically targets transgender minors and denies them essential health care. The ruling restores parents rights to make medical decisions that are in their childs best interest, including hormone therapy for their transgender children when needed for them to thrive and be healthy. Republicans claim that laws are needed to protect children from medical care for which they say kids cannot consent. Using hormone therapy to treat transgender youth when it is medically necessary is supported by every major medical organization in the country, the plaintiffs' counsels statement explained. Indeed, the Court found that the ban would be likely to put some individuals at risk of the serious harms associated with gender dysphoria that gender-affirming care seeks to prevent. The statement continued, We remain tireless in working for parents to be able to make critical decisions for their children and for transgender individuals to continue having access to the health care they deserve. We are hopeful that the strong rejection of this harmful, prejudicial law will stop the relentless attacks on the rights of transgender youth and their families. In blocking the ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, the court joins the courts in Arkansas, Indiana, Alabama,, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida. However, the actions in Kentucky and Tennessee have been reversed on appeal. In June, a federal court overturned Arkansass ban for violating the First Amendment and the Constitutions equal protection and due process clauses. CAMDEN - Exactly two years after an elderly bicyclist was slain here, a jury found a Philadelphia man guilty of the murder. Maurice Peaker Jr., 28, faces a life sentence for killing Thomas Smith, a 67-year-old city man who was shot from a passing car, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. A Superior Court jury returned its verdict on Aug. 15, the second anniversary of Smith's death. It also found Peaker guilty of two weapons offenses. Fatal attack in Morgan Village Police: Victim fell, but 18-year-old suspect kept shooting in Camden Smith was shot repeatedly around 3:30 a.m. as he bicycled across Kaighn Avenue near Rose Street, according to the prosecutor's office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It did not give a motive for the shooting. Surveillance technology led to Camden murder suspect He died in a hospital about 40 minutes later. Detectives built a case against Peaker with the extensive use of surveillance technology, according to the prosecutor's office. Surveillance video helped investigators place the gunman in a Nissan Maxima with damage to a taillight, and detectives tracked the vehicle's path through Camden both before and after the shooting. The car at one point passed an automated license plate reader, providing more information to detectives from the prosecutor's office and Camden County Police. Investigators then located the vehicle at an apartment building on the 200 block of Oakland Avenue in Audubon, where Peaker was living with a girlfriend. Surveillance video from the Audubon site showed Peaker, wearing a hat and mask, as he left the building around 3 a.m. and returned around 3:40 a..m., the prosecutor's office said. Detectives recovered the tote bag, which later tested positive for characteristics of gunshot residue, it said. A search of the Nissan found a shell casing with the same caliber and manufacturer as five others recovered at the crime scene. "Ballistic testing later confirmed all six shell casings were discharged in the same firearm," the prosecutor's office said. Peaker, who was arrested 11 days after the shooting in suburban Philadelphia, is to be sentenced Nov.10. Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com. . This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Maurice Peaker faces life sentence for murder of Thomas Smith A petty theft of snack treat resulted in the death of a father of two in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this month, his family says. The Aug. 16 incident occurred outside of a convenience store where 29-year-old Isaiah Allen was gunned down by a security guard. Witnesses say Allen was shoplifting a package of 25-cent cupcakes when he was shot twice as he made it outside. Police have charged 56-year-old William Pinkins, a felon who had served time for a 1989 slaying, with murder in Allens death. Clark Gas Station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Yelp). Isiah Allen (Fox 6/ YouTube screenshot) Local station CBS58 reports that video shows Pinkins had been sitting in the back of the store when he rushed out after Allen as he left the Clark gas station with a box of Little Debbie cakes without paying. The CBS affiliate describes Pinkins as raising his gun and shooting Allen in the head from just a few feet away, then calmly smoking a cigarette and waiting for police to arrive. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: How Did It Come to This: Texas Cop Who Fatally Shot Unarmed Black Man Accused of Shoplifting from Dollar Store In Cold Blood More Than a Year Ago Not Charged; Family Wants Answers WISN 12 reached out to the owner of the Clark gas station, who refused to comment on the issue. However, employees there that day claimed that the security guard didnt even work for them and was acting independently. Allens family members, who live in the area, claim that the shooter works at the station unofficially. The community has been up in arms about the incident since it happened. Some have even called for the gas station to be shut down. We want an emergency hearing that their license revoked. We dont want them in our community, said community activist Sedan Smith at the vigil on Wednesday. We dont need their services, especially if theyre going to hire people thats going to hurt us. Allens family, as well as other members of the community, have gone as far as blocking off pumps throughout the day as a form of protest against the gas station, feeling more outraged at the fact that the gas station resumed regular business hours shortly after the slaying. Its sad, said Allens father, Troy Allen. Its tragic, but the sad part about it is how they just washed his blood off and then re-opened up like nothing had happened. Like, thats what hurts me, like nothing happened. Milwaukee Police allowed Pinkins to leave the scene on the day of the shooting, but two days later on Friday, Aug. 18, they announced his arrest. Click here to read more. Photo: The Canadian Press A hearing is underway for John Carpay, one of two lawyers who are facing charges under the Law Society of Manitoba, after the regulatory body investigated complaints they hired a private investigator to surveil a judge who was hearing a case involving COVID-19 public health orders. Carpay is seen outside the law courts in Calgary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland The Law Society of Manitoba has barred two Alberta lawyers from practising in the province after receiving complaints they hired a private investigator to surveil a judge who was hearing a case involving COVID-19 public health orders. John Carpay, president of the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, and Randal Jay Cameron must also each pay a $5,000 fine. Ayli Klein, the law society's counsel, told a panel at a disciplinary hearing Monday that the conduct by Carpay and Cameron was "truly shocking." "(Their actions) brought the administration of justice into disrepute every member of the public who hears of this would be appalled," she said. "It's crucial the panel sends an unequivocal message what they did was unprofessional." Klein argued that banning Carpay and Cameron from practising law in the province was the most serious penalty available. Both Carpay and Cameron agreed to the law society's recommendations. Carpay pleaded guilty to breach of integrity, while Cameron admitted to professional misconduct. Both lawyers represented several churches that attempted in 2021 to overturn Manitoba public health orders that prevented in-person religious services during the height of the pandemic. The Justice Centre, a legal advocacy group, represented churches and individuals across Canada in multiple court challenges against COVID-19 public health orders. Carpay's lawyer told the disciplinary hearing that his client was not acting as counsel for the Manitoba churches but gave them instructions. Carpay temporarily stepped down as president of the centre after admitting during the churches' court challengethat he hired a private investigator to follow the judge presiding over the case, Chief Justice Glenn Joyal of the Manitoba Court of King's Bench. Carpay said his group organized private investigation surveillance on a number of public officials across the country to see whether they were following public health orders. Cameron, a Calgary-based lawyer who previously worked with the centre, told court at the time that he was not involved in the decision to hire the investigator but had known about it for a couple of weeks. Joyal eventually ruled against the churches, finding the public health orders did not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and that a provincial public health officer had the authority to issue the orders. Carpay and Cameron still face criminal charges that include attempting to obstruct justice. "Mr. Carpay denies any criminal wrongdoing and looks forward to resolving the charges against him," said a statement from the centre on Monday. Lawyers for Carpay and Cameron told the law society hearing that they never meant to interfere with a case before the courts. Cameron was not present at the hearing. Saul Simmonds, Carpay's lawyer, told the panel that his client's actions were "misguided" and "inappropriate." "Mr. Carpay is choosing the path of least resistance because he feels strongly that he made an error it's not such an easy thing to admit a substantive mistake as this." Carpay told the panel he regretted his actions. "My intention was not to influence or intimidate the court, but to serve the broader public interest goals of my employer. Unfortunately, in pursuing those legitimate goals, I lost sight of my current responsibilities as a lawyer to society and to the courts." Cameron's lawyer said his client never intended to cause the chief justice any fear. "(Cameron's) professional reputation is tarnished. He likely won't recover from this," said Alex Steigerwald. Neither Carpay nor Cameron has any prior disciplinary record. The law society's conviction now goes on their record. Simmonds said the Law Society of Alberta was waiting until after the Manitoba hearing to decide wither it would to pursue its own hearing. The Law Society of Alberta said complaints and investigations are confidential unless a citation is issued and a complaint is directed to a public hearing. Kamala Harris said that she receives more media scrutiny than any of her previous predecessors. The vice president told Politico that "it is what it is" and she would not complain about the treatment. Harris has struggled in public opinion polls, but her defenders said the election could change that. Vice President Kamala Harris said that she faces more media scrutiny than any of her previous predecessors but she isn't going to complain it's unfair. "I think that that is the case. It's what it is," Harris told Politico in an interview published Monday morning. "I'm not going to sit here and say, 'Oh, you know, it's not fair,' because, you know, I am not new to these things." Harris' reputation has undoubtedly taken a hit. She has at times ranked among her least favorable predecessors in recent memory. The current vice president's defenders often argue that she is being held to an impossible standard as the first woman and first woman of color to hold the office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A slew of top staffers also quit during Harris' first year or so in office, heightening the worsening narrative around the vice president. Harris spoke to Politico as she seeks to increase her profile ahead of the 2024 campaign. Some Republican challengers, including former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, have sought to argue that they are really trying to oust Harris in a way to further jab her and increase speculation about President Joe Biden's health. A former Democratic presidential candidate and US senator, Harris argued that the narratives that span from her rapidly rising star as California attorney general to now ignore the fact that she's always been the same person. "You would have seen the same thing four years ago. It's always who I've been," Haris said. "So I can't get into people's heads about why they characterize things as being one way or another. It's not as though I've just found myself. I've always been here and never went away." Former White House Ron Klain said that he always felt the reelection campaign would shift views of Harris. "I always believed that when we got into the election cycle, she would be more visible and get more praise because she's a very good campaigner," Klain told Politico. Klain, who has defended Harris, also said that he sees Harris' role as making sure Biden isn't fed bullshit. Read the original article on Business Insider A kamikaze drone crashed at the Shaikovka airfield in the Kirov district, Kaluga Oblast, Russia, on the morning of 21 August. Early reports suggest a plane was damaged. Source: Vladislav Shapsha , Governor of Kaluga Oblast, on Telegram; Baza, a Russian Telegram channel Details: The available information says the drone crashed at the military airfield in Kaluga Oblasts Kirov district. Though Russian officials have not disclosed the name of the airfield, there is only one airfield in the area, the Shaikovka airfield. Baza reported that a plane that was "not in use" was damaged as a result of the drone crash. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Governor Shapsha claimed that a drone strike was repelled in the Kirov district and that there were no casualties, and infrastructure facilities in the area were not affected. Background: In June 2022, Russian Tu-22M3 bombers launched missiles at the Amstor shopping center in Kremenchuk from the airspace of Kursk Oblast of the Russian Federation. Dozens of people were killed. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! KANSAS CITY, Mo. Hundreds of Kansas City students have been released from school early Monday. Due to extreme heat in the metro, Kansas City Public Schools said it has made the decision to release students early from all district schools for the rest of the week. FOX4 Weather: View the latest Kansas City forecasts, maps and radar Those schools include Central High School, East High School, Lincoln College Prep Academy, Lincoln Middle School. Northeast High School, Paseo Academy, Southeast High School and Success Academy at Anderson. The district said many of these secondary buildings dont have central air conditioning, and the Kansas City area is in the middle of an Excessive Heat Warning with a heat index over 110 degrees. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Students who said their classrooms werent impacted expressed frustrations. I was annoyed because theres no air conditioning in the bus, Paseo Academy sophomore Matthew Rey said. Parents expressed concerns about how it will impact families and whether they are picking up the children or they are riding the bus. I feel bad for those parents who have to come and pick up their kids if they are the ones that drop them off, parent Elizabeth Brambila said. If its hot enough, then of course, but schools are air-conditioned. So I dont get that either. If transportation is the problem, then make it be transportation and not the heat, parent Michael Sanders said. KCPS said families have been notified, and the district will continue to communicate any future adjustments. The following schools will release at 10:50 a.m. Central High School East High School Lincoln Prep Lincoln Middle School Northeast High Paseo Academy Southeast High School Success @Anderson The following schools will release at 11:50 a.m. Border Star Montessori Central Middle Garfield Elementary Gladstone Elementary Hartman Elementary Holliday Montessori King Elementary James Elementary Northeast Middle Pitcher Elementary Garcia Elementary Trailwoods Elementary Whittier Elementary The following schools will release at 12:45 p.m. AC Prep Banneker Elementary Carver Dual Language School Hale Cook Elementary Faxon Elementary Foreign Language Academy Rogers Elementary Melcher Elementary Phillis Wheatley Elementary Success @ Knotts Wendell Phillips Elementary For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. The police chief who oversaw the sharply criticized raid of a local news outlet in Kansas alleged a reporter was "either impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought" when she accessed the driving records of a local business owner, according to previously unreleased court documents. The allegation is the first public reporting and suggestion of evidence that may have led to the Aug. 11 raid. Led by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody, police officers raided the Marion County Record and seized computers, personal cellphones, a router and other equipment from the newspaper. Police also carried out raids at two private residences, including the home of the paper's co-owners. A signed search warrant, which was later withdrawn by the county attorney, said police were looking for information related to local restaurateur Kari Newell who had accused the paper of "illegally obtaining drunken-driving information about her and supplying it to a council member," according to Eric Meyer, who wrote about the incident in an article. But the newspaper's attorney Bernie Rhodes told USA TODAY on Sunday that the paper did not break any state or federal laws when reporter Phyllis Zorn obtained Newell's record through a public state website. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Zorn had every right, under both Kansas law and U.S. law, to access Newells drivers record to verify the information she had been provided by a source," Rhodes said in an email. "She was not engaged in 'identity theft' or 'unauthorized computer access' but was doing her job." All seized items were released Wednesday after Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey withdrew the police department's search warrant. The attorney had said, "insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized." The incident has since received widespread criticism and sparked debate over press freedoms after several news organizations condemned the police department. "These affidavits prove that the only so-called 'crime' Chief Cody was investigating was being a reporter," Rhodes said in an email. 'Gestapo tactics': Police conduct 'chilling' raid of Kansas newspaper, publisher's home Court documents suggest access to Newell's record as reason for raid According to court documents provided to USA TODAY by Rhodes, Cody wrote in an affidavit that the Kansas Department of Revenue told him Newell's information was "downloaded directly" from the department by Zorn and someone using the name "Kari Newell." "Kari's name was listed three minutes after Phyllis Zorn downloaded the information according to the Kansas Department of Revenue," the affidavit states. "Downloading the document involved either impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought." Cody added in the affidavit that he contacted Newell who told him "someone obviously stole her identity." The Marion County Record said it had looked into the status of Newell's driver's license related to a 2008 conviction for drunken driving on the Department of Revenue's public website after the newspaper received a tip. But the newspaper only reported Newell's license suspension when she revealed it during a City Council meeting. The Associated Press reported that Zorn was instructed on how to search records by the department and the newspaper had obtained Newell's driver's license number and date of birth from a source. "Not to my knowledge was anything illegal or wrong," Zorn told the news agency. Attorney: Affidavits not filed until three days after raid Rhodes said the affidavits were not filed with the district court until "three days after the illegal searches were executed." He added that while the affidavits "purport to be signed" before a magistrate judge on the day of the raids, authorities have not provided an explanation on why they were not filed beforehand. Authorities are continuing their investigation into whether the Marion County Record broke state laws. The investigation is now being led by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Cody had defended the department's actions in a Facebook post shortly after the raid, saying the federal law that protects journalists from newsroom searches makes an exception for when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing. Contributing: Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas police newspaper raid: Reporter had right to access records A Kansas City company assisting in the renovations of a downtown building where a worker fell to his death in an elevator shaft has been the subject of multiple federal safety investigations, records show. New Horizons LLC, also doing business as New Horizons Enterprises LLC, was contracted as part of an asbestos abatement at the former AT&T building at 500 E. Eighth St. Developers previously said the asbestos removal would cost millions as most of the buildings surfaces were covered in spray-foam asbestos. Now more than one year later, New Horizons is embroiled in controversy over allegations that workers on the site operated without lighting or equipment that would protect them from inhaling asbestos and other carcinogens, which can be found in the insulation of older buildings. Jose Garcia Sanchez, 34, of Nicaragua was one of the many Indianapolis workers sent to Kansas City for the asbestos treatment. In July, he fell to his death from the buildings 14th floor. Sanchez left behind a wife and two children, ages 13 and 17. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. But data from OSHA showed New Horizons has paid nearly $6,000 in fines and violated health and safety standards in seven investigations over the last decade. The OSHA serious citations largely related to safety concerns for employees working in asbestos treatment. OSHAs website says such a violation indicates that the hazard would most likely result in death or serious physical harm, unless the employer did not know or could not have known about the violation. Sanchezs death sparked OSHAs latest investigation into New Horizons on July 18. The company is under investigation alongside two others: the Bernstein Companies, which owns the building and is developing it into apartments, and Infinity Resources, the Indianapolis temp agency hiring workers for New Horizons. Theres an element of fear thats involved here that sadly construction companies and subcontractors can use to their advantage, said Manny Abarca, executive director of the Fair Contracting Alliance, an organization that advocates for construction workers. He said the potential for exposure to asbestos fibers makes OSHA safety practices very, very critical and very defined. Youve got several layers of protection that are (allegedly) not being followed. This is not new. This is what weve heard from other job sites at New Horizons, he said. The outcry from local labor activists led some Jackson County legislators to withdraw support for a year-long contract with New Horizons. The resolution, which appeared on the legislators agenda last Monday, would have allowed the company to provide environmental management services to various county departments. The intention was to assign it to committee, said Donna Peyton, 2nd District at-large legislator. But committee chair Megan Marshall withdrew the resolution and I was one of the people that concurred. After attending a rally that called for accountability in Sanchezs death, Peyton, said she could not support such a proposal until the county committed to monitoring the company more closely. Knowing they were involved in hiring the gentleman that passed were contributing factors, she said. The Bernstein Companies, based in Washington, D.C., received a 10-year property tax break and historic preservation incentives from the city to finance the $82 million renovation of the AT&T building. While it was only built in 1973, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its brutalist architecture. Stephanie Isaacson, president of New Horizons LLC, did not respond to requests for comment. Violations The seven OSHA investigations into New Horizons LLC concerned multiple building sites in Iowa, one of the seven states the company is licensed to do business in. A January 2015 OSHA investigation of a Council Bluffs building where New Horizons was tasked with providing environmental remediation services found the company had violated six serious asbestos-related health and safety standards. Each violation was resolved in an informal settlement, according to department records. OSHA required New Horizons to display warning signs near areas where employees may be exposed to harmful toxins and place critical barriers over openings to further protect workers. Vacuums with special filters, a disposable dust bag and a metal floor tool were required to clean the floors. A separate decontamination space was needed for workers to place their asbestos contaminated equipment, according to the records. It said the company violated the standard requiring a high degree of certainty that employee exposure will not exceed regulated limits and another standard that required daily monitoring that is representative of the exposure of each employee who is assigned to work within a regulated area. The company paid a fine of $3,375. That October, New Horizons was fined again for another Council Bluffs building, where the company did not equip workers with a certain wire circuit interrupter for personnel protection, OSHA said. It was fined $563. The next year, New Horizons violated an OSHA health standard related to water pressure at a Des Moines building site. No fine was issued. In Ottumwa, a New Horizons building site received three citations for violating standards meant to prevent asbestos fiber release. The company was fined $1,875 in September 2017. No fines were given for follow-up OSHA investigations in 2018, 2019 or 2020. But the building sites continued to violate standards for displaying warning signs at a safe distance. They also violated standards meant to limit access to potentially hazardous areas to authorized personnel only and to keep first aid kit resources individually sealed in a waterproof container. In the last decade, no other fatalities on a New Horizons building were reported to OSHA, according to the departments website. The New Horizons website said the company is an environmental solutions firm. It specializes in site assessments, asbestos, lead-based paint and mold assessments, green building consulting, construction and project management. The company also operates in Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska and Arkansas. SAN ANTONIO, Texas. The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department has identified a victim and arrested and charged a suspect in relation to Thursday homicide. Around 3 a.m. officers called to the area of N. 73rd Terrace and Troup Avenue in regard to a deceased individual. When they arrived, they found a man dead inside the apartment. Man dies in hospital after KCK overnight shooting The victim has been identified as 51-year-old KCK resident Walter Sawyer. Detectives tracked the suspect, 50-year-old John Noel, to San Antonio, Texas, where U.S. Marshals took him into custody later that day. The Wyandotte County District Attorneys Office charged him with second-degree murder and theft. His bond was set at $300,000. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Noel remains in custody in Texas while he awaits extradition back to Wyandotte County. The incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Leer en espanol Over the past month, students across the Valley have returned to school for the first time since the federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ended on May 11. COVID-19 has largely been absorbed into school districts' general guidance for respiratory illness for students and staff. Here's what to know. What is the current state of COVID-19 in Maricopa County? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is using weekly hospital admissions and deaths due to COVID-19 as the primary indicators of transmission. In Maricopa County, there has recently been a slight uptick in the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions, which is in line with the national trend, said Nick Staab, a medical epidemiologist at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to the most recent CDC tracking data, hospital admissions in Maricopa County for the week of July 30 through Aug. 5 were up 19.3 percent from the prior week. Nationally, the change in COVID-19 hospital admissions for that same time period was 14.3 percent. Despite the upward trend, the level of COVID-19 hospital admissions in the county is classified as low by the CDC, meaning there are fewer than 10 admissions per 100,000 people. There were 105 COVID-19 hospital admissions in Maricopa County total that week, according to CDC data. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health is also seeing a slight increase in the number of cases being reported, which is likely due to the new, fast-spreading strain of COVID-19, EG.5, nicknamed "Eris," Staab said. The department hasn't seen an increase in deaths reported, he said. New COVID-19 subvariant: 'Eris' is in Arizona. Here's what we know What do public health officials advise for schools? Rather than having specific COVID-19 policies, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health recommends schools return to a more general approach when addressing illness. "Our messaging really transitioned at the end of the public health emergency," Staab said. "What we're trying to message is a transition from COVID-19-specific guidance to what the CDC is calling a pan-respiratory response." Fewer people are going to treat their symptoms as "possibly COVID-19 and more just like anything else," he said. "We want people to have an appropriate response to any time they're sick." Schools, then, should have guidance that includes all respiratory viruses that are transmitted during the fall and winter seasons, like the flu and RSV, as well as COVID-19, Staab said. They should return to standard guidance for respiratory illness, which is that to return to school, a child's symptoms should be improving, and they should be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, Staab said. Students and staff should self-monitor for symptoms and stay home from school if they are sick, he said. Last year's influenza and RSV seasons occurred earlier than usual and were significantly higher than usual, he said, which should be a warning that "respiratory illness can be transmitted at very high rates and is something that we need to be aware of ... because individuals who are at high risk can become severely ill and can die from any of these infections." "So, we need to take it seriously," he said. The CDC recommends that additional COVID-19-specific strategies in schools be tied to hospital admission levels. "Currently, our level is low," Staab said. "But should that level rise into either a medium or high level, then we encourage schools to have what we call a layered approach," which could include recommendations for wearing masks and social distancing. At all COVID-19 hospital admission levels, the CDC recommends that schools optimize ventilation, reinforce proper handwashing, clean surfaces at least once a day and promote equitable access to vaccination. The CDC also recommends students stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and stay home when they have symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections like a cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea. For specific cases and immunocompromised children and adults, "I always recommend that they talk with their primary care doctor or their specialist who takes care of them," Staab said, as well as the school health staff so they can be aware of the risks and communicate if they're starting to see transmission of something that might be of concern to the family. The CDC recommends that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 isolate for five days from the onset of symptoms or a positive test and wear a mask until day 11. But when it comes to COVID-19-specific isolation, schools land in a gray area, Staab said. "Their policies may include the COVID-specific isolation, but they may have a student or staff member who just has respiratory symptoms that aren't clearly COVID-19 because they haven't tested positive for that," Staab said. And it's not CDC or Maricopa County guidance that students or staff must be tested if they are sick, he said. "So then, because a lot of schools don't require testing in order to return to school, a lot of those students may be treated as just respiratory illness" and fall under the standard guidance of returning to school after being fever-free for 24 hours and having improved symptoms. What policies do Maricopa County schools have in place? Arizona school districts have largely absorbed COVID-19 into their general sick policies. In Mesa Public Schools, the state's largest district, COVID-19 falls under the district's general sick policy, according to spokesperson Jennifer Snyder. Students are asked to stay home if they have a fever above 99.9 and must be fever-free without medication for 24 hours before they return, with other symptoms improved. The district continues to encourage hand washing and sneezing etiquette, Snyder said. Washington Elementary School District, the largest elementary school district in the Phoenix area, has the same policy regarding when children should return to school and follows CDC guidance regarding cleaning, handwashing, ventilation and encouraging vaccines, according to spokesperson Pam Horton. Kyrene Elementary School District in Tempe is not actively tracking COVID-19 cases, according to spokesperson Erin Helm, though the district continues to watch the CDC's COVID data tracker for nationwide trends. If staff or families self-report a case, the district refers them to the county and CDC's COVID-19 guidance, Helm said. According to Staab, most schools stopped doing COVID-19 testing on site. The CDC no longer recommends routine screening testing in K-12 schools. After the pandemic: After 33,000 COVID-19 deaths, many Arizonans struggle with mental health Have there been any COVID-19 outbreaks in Maricopa County so far this school year? Maricopa County defines an outbreak as three or more confirmed COVID-19 cases in a 14-day period that are linked in the school and are not linked in another setting. So far, two COVID-19 outbreaks have been reported to the county since July 24, both by elementary schools, according to Staab. But this is likely not reflective of the number of cases in schools because many schools are not asking for COVID-19 tests for sick kids to return to school. And while the department still encourages schools to report outbreaks of illness so its outbreak response team can provide guidance, the guidelines for reporting are "no different than what they were asked to do before COVID," he said. Generally, he finds that schools reach out when they need extra support. "A lot of these schools learned a lot during COVID-19," Staab said. "And if they feel like they don't need public health guidance, then I think those are the schools that may not be reaching out to us." Still, he said, "we are certainly seeing respiratory illness being transmitted in the community right now ... and I think a lot of this is being driven by kids going back to school." "We will see an increased number of cases across the community," he said. "But ... what we're seeing right now in our numbers doesn't require that schools be doing anything extraordinary." When should students get their flu and COVID-19 booster vaccines? In Maricopa County, approximately 5% of individuals between the ages of 5 and 19 are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination, meaning they've received the CDC-recommended bivalent COVID-19 booster that protects against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5. New COVID-19 boosters are expected in late September. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health is encouraging residents to plan to get the new COVID-19 booster, as well as the flu vaccine and, if eligible, the RSV vaccine, ideally in late September or early October, which is when there's typically an increase in transmission for those infections. Staab recommends that students get all their recommended vaccines at the same time. "It's safe," he said. "You're much more likely to get all the vaccines that you're recommended to get if you just get them at one time." Residents can find locations offering COVID-19 and flu vaccines near them at vaccines.gov. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health's calendar of free vaccine events can be found at maricopa.gov/5659/Vaccine-Locations#calendar. Residents can also call the department's CARES team to find an event located near them at 602-506-6767. The department is working with schools to plan school-based immunization clinics for CDC-recommended vaccines in the fall, according to Staab. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Here's how Phoenix-area schools are handling COVID-19 this year A local radio personality held an event in Pittsburgh that helped improve relationships between kids and the police. Man Camp was held at the August Wilson Center on Sunday. The camp was organized by Ki Ki Brown, a Pittsburgh radio personality, and is designed to improve relationships between police and the local youth and educate them on the resources they have available. Kids aged 10 to 17 were able to attend the event for free. Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto attended the camp and said the event allows kids to recognize that police officers are people. We provide some human aspect to what we do, Scirotto said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Scirotto believes the event will improve the youths view of the police and also help his officers better understand how to interact with them. I think were really good when were dealing with children, but we really miss the mark with young people from that impressionable age of 12 to 18, Scirotto said. Kids in attendance were able to leave the event with experience in other areas of their lives including fitness, dressing appropriately and proper etiquette. The keynote speech was given at 2 p.m. by Devantae Butler. Butler is a motivational speaker and author. Brown has hosted similar events in different cities and said the response has always been positive. I hosted these events when I lived and worked in Baltimore and the responses were amazing, says Brown. I wanted to bring this home to help these young men and women along with their parents who could use some new solutions and resources to help guide and support them along the way. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: BIG WINNER: $5 million-winning scratch-off lottery ticket sold locally 2 men facing charges after fatal shooting in Homestead, police chase that ended in West Mifflin Tiki boat captain, family aboard help save woman from river in Pittsburgh VIDEO: 3 houses damaged in Plum Borough explosion will be torn down, county officials say DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Photo: The Canadian Press B.C. Premier David Eby is calling on the social media company Meta to reverse its decision to block Canadian news from being shared online in British Columbia as wildfires rage across the province. Eby looks at the chassis of an electric vehicle while on a tour at VCC in Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, July 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns British Columbia's premier issued a direct plea to the head of Meta on Monday as he implored the social media giant to reinstate access to Canadian news on its platforms amid the province's ongoing wildfire crisis. David Eby said it feels as though the social media giant is holding the province "ransom" in its ongoing spat with the federal government while it continues to ban news sharing on its Facebook and Instagram platforms. During a wildfire briefing Monday, Eby implored the company and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, to open up access to critical information that could help keep residents safe as the province grapples with devastating wildfires that have forced thousands of people from their homes. "This is not a time for making that political point," he said. "This is a time for Facebook and Instagram to use the network that they built, frankly on the backs of local media, to communicate with British Columbians about what they need to hear, what information they need, about what's happening in their local communities." Eby said Meta's decision to permanently ban Canadian news on its platforms is "incredibly frustrating" and he hopes "common sense prevails." "It feels a bit like they're holding British Columbians for ransom to make a point with Ottawa, and I just can't express how unacceptable that is when we see local companies bending over backwards to support local residents," he said. Meta's decision to block news came in response to Canada's Online News Act, which will require tech giants to make deals with news publishers whose content they link to or repurpose on their platforms to compensate them for their work. Meta showed an unwillingness to co-operate on a potential deal and decided to remove news content from its platforms in Canada instead. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed Eby's frustrations earlier in the day at a news conference in Charlottetown. "It is so inconceivable that a company like Facebook is choosing to put corporate profits ahead of ensuring local news organizations can get up-to-date information to Canadians and reach them where Canadians spend a lot of their time online," he said. "... Instead of making sure that local journalists are fairly paid for keeping Canadians informed on things like wildfires, Facebook is blocking news from its sites," he said. Trudeau said the move had ramifications beyond the current urgent situation in B.C., where roughly 380 wildfires are burning and about 27,000 residents are under evacuation orders. "In a larger picture, it's bad for democracy because democracy depends on people being able to trust high quality journalism of all sorts of different perspectives and points of view," Trudeau said. "But right now, in an emergency situation, up-to-date, local information is more important than ever." Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. North Korean state media released images of leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a missile test on Monday, days after its regional rivals held a historic summit, and as US-South Korea joint military exercises kick off nearby. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim was on site to monitor the launch of strategic cruise missiles fired from a patrol ship, belonging to the North Korean Navys East Sea Fleet. While on board, Kim inspected the patrol ships weapons and combat preparedness, and highly praised the ship for maintaining high mobility and mighty striking power and constant preparedness for combat to cope with sudden situation, according to KCNA. It added that the missile test demonstrated the ships capabilities and prepared the sailors for carrying out the attack mission in actual war. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Photos released by KCNA show Kim, dressed in white and black, standing with his hands on his hips beside uniformed sailors on the ship deck. Other photos show the test itself, the missile launching from a vessel in a cloud of smoke. While the report did not specify the date of the test, KCNA published the photos on Monday shortly after the leaders of South Korea, Japan and the US vowed to establish a stronger partnership at the first-ever stand-alone trilateral summit on Friday. Kim Jong Un speaking to members of the North Korean Navy ahead of a missile test, in photos released by state media KCNA. - KCNA After their meeting, held at the US presidential retreat Camp David, the three leaders announced a new annual trilateral summit, a three-way hotline, and a commitment to conduct annual military exercises and share intelligence. While the summit fell short of producing a three-way collective defense agreement, it served as a show of force against North Koreas provocative behavior and Chinas military and economic aggressions. In their joint statement, the three leaders reiterated their call to denuclearize North Korea, urging the hermit nation to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and condemning its unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches. US President Joe Biden also took a veiled swipe at Beijings influence by pledging the three nations support for international law, freedom of navigation, and a peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, and our shared commitment to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and addressing economic coercion. A cruise missile being launched from a patrol ship belonging to the East Sea Fleet of the North Korean Navy. - KCNA China responded Monday with a scathing statement, accusing the three nations of having deliberately sowed discord in Chinas relations with its neighbors. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin urged the US to stop tarnishing the image of China, adding that authorities have lodged representations with the parties concerned. The Asia-Pacific region is a high ground for peaceful development and should not become a boxing ring for the big powers, let alone a battleground for cold and hot wars, Wang said. North Koreas missile test also coincides with the US and South Korea kicking off large-scale joint military drills on Monday, which will continue for ten days. The US and South Korea have increased military and economic cooperation in recent years, drawing closer together in the face of growing threats in the Indo-Pacific and as North Korea has rapidly ramped up its own weapons testing program. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff also called state media reports of the missile test exaggerated and in many cases different from the facts. It added that Seoul and Washington were both monitoring Pyongyangs activities, and that the South Korean military was ready to respond to any provocation by North Korea. South Korean police said on Sunday that suspected North Korean hackers had targeted a company involved with the military exercises earlier this year, but were unsuccessful and no military-related information was stolen. South Korean and US authorities are now investigating another incident involving suspicious emails in July, ahead of the joint drills that began Monday. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect when the suspected North Korean attempted hacks took place. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Peace talks between King Charles III and his son Prince Harry are not going to happen as hoped, according to royal sources. Contrary to what many have speculated, reconciliation is not on the agenda for September, according to sources who spoke to The Daily Beast. The sources allege that there will be no summit at Balmoral nor a reunion with Queen Camilla or the Prince and Princess of Wales. It was initially reported that the father-son duo would make time to meet on 17 September, which would coincide with the end of Harrys Invictus Games trip to Dusseldorf, Germany and the Kings return to London from Balmoral. King Charles is due to return to London from Balmoral in the middle of September, which ties in with the end of Harrys Invictus Games trip to Dusseldorf, a source told OK! Magazine. The King has a rescheduled official visit to France on 20 September, so [he] has a few days to spare in London to meet with his son. Staff are trying to fine-tune the details as we speak. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement However, the sources allegedly scoffed at reports that the King and his youngest son will reunite and clear the air on 17 September, but not for reasons that indicate a lack of wanting peace. Since King Charles is expected to make an important state visit to France on 20 September, Buckingham Palace insiders have dismissed the notion of any physical meeting occurring. Although the King is reportedly open to a dialogue with the Duke of Sussex, there are reports that there is no chance of his heir Prince William agreeing to any sort of discussion. A friend of Prince William explained to the outlet: He feels utterly betrayed by what Harry wrote about him in the book [Spare] and said about him on Netflix. They were very close growing up so it has been very painful for William, the source continued. But ultimately what can he do? Just look at Spare. Its literally Williams worst nightmare. It is a total violation of his privacy. On top of that, Harry has criticised Kate and the way he is bringing up his children. The source called the situation very sad and said that its completely understandable that William is still disgusted by the actions of his brother. The last time the three of them convened was after Prince Phillips funeral in Windsor, as described in the opening scene of Prince Harrys explosive memoir Spare. The secret meeting was nothing short of contentious. Harry had flown in to talk about the state of things with his brother and father, but the talk soon devolved into a fight between the two brothers, according to the duke. He alleged that his older brother, William, had shown up to the meeting ready for a fight. At the time, Charles was forced to play peacemaker between the rival siblings, saying: Please, boys, dont make my final years a misery. As the years have gone by and Harry has continued to take swipes at the monarchy, Charles has been less lenient with Harry, recently making the move to remove his HRH honorific from the royal website. However, Omid Scobie, a journalist, and royal biographer who has worked closely with the Sussexes, revealed in a pre-coronation interview in May with This Morning that, although Spare was a point of contention between Harry and his family, it did not mean that they were not in communication. I dont think people know there has been a somewhat regular pattern of conversation between him and his father since the release of that book. Scobie continued to elaborate: Now, have they discussed the details and the points that he wanted to go into? From what I hear, no. But he has had contact with his dad. The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace and a representative for the Sussexes for comment. The Republic of Kosovo has joined the declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine, adopted by the G7 on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius. Source: European Pravda, referring to a statement by Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Twitter Details: Kurti shared the document and noted that "ensuring victory for Ukraineand holding Russia's leaders accountable for their crimesis essential to the preservation of peace and democracy". He stressed that "Kosova stands ready to contribute to these efforts". The Republic of Kosova joins the G7 Declaration of Support for Ukraine. Ensuring victory for Ukraineand holding Russia's leaders accountable for their crimesis essential to the preservation of peace and democracy. Kosova stands ready to contribute to these efforts. pic.twitter.com/yyYLfOGXhL Albin Kurti (@albinkurti) August 20, 2023 In a statement, Kurti said that "Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine remains a threat to international peace and security" and "the toll exacted thus far in terms of human life, economic stagnation, and environmental devastation has been catastrophic for the Ukrainian people." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Quote from Kurti: "We salute them [the Ukrainian people ed.] for their brave resistance in defending our shared values, including democracy, human rights and global peace and stability. And we express our deepest sympathy and condolences for their loss and suffering." He also pointed out that "the effects of the conflict have also rippled far beyond Ukraines borders. In an effort to distract attention from its illegal war, Russia is attempting to destabilise the Western Balkans, with the help of its main autocratic allies in the region." Read more on this topic: "Security Guarantees" Pledged to Ukraine Would Leave Ukrainians Frustrated Background: On 12 July, at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, the G7 countries agreed on a framework document on security guarantees for Ukraine. The leaders did not agree on the specific parameters of the security guarantees but on their framework, and specific bilateral agreements will be signed later. As of now, 25 countries have joined the G7 declaration on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. In August, Ukraine began talks on security guarantees with the United States and the United Kingdom. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Lancaster County staff got the green light last week to move forward on work that could lead to a new one-cent sales tax for road improvements. A Lancaster County Council committee, which includes the full slate of council members, met Wednesday and heard options for a new program similar to York Countys one-cent sales tax called Pennies for Progress. Lancaster County voters would decide by referendum whether to charge up to the 1% sales tax to fund road projects. I think theres interest to move forward with this, said Council Chair Steve Harper. County officials discussed a possible referendum for fall 2024. Thats when York County voters are likely to see a fifth Pennies proposal on their ballots. York County voters have approved four, seven-year sales tax plans since 1997. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Reasons for the new tax in Lancaster County follows the same thinking as when York County started what was the first-of-its-kind sales tax in South Carolina: Road work takes money that just isnt there. Rapid growth means plenty of road needs Public works director Jeff Catoe said Lancaster County has about 1,400 miles of public roads. About 900 miles are state roads. The other 500 miles involves county or municipal roads. Weve got tremendous amounts of growth, Catoe said. We have an aging and outdated infrastructure, not just county roads but (state and municipal) roads. Indian Land in particular is a hotbed for growth and road needs. Population there routinely ranks among the fast-growing in South Carolina, the greater Charlotte region, and Southeast. Will Indian Land get new schools as population soars? Heres what has to happen first Since 2018 Lancaster County has had about 94 miles of road improvements. Another six miles are expected. Theres money for that from a capital sales tax proviso, and state money from the gas tax. A hand full of other sources have provided about $9 million in one-time funding in one case, and $1.4 million a year from another. A recent widening study for U.S. 521, or Charlotte Highway, in Indian Land put estimates from $103 million to $143 million to upgrade about nine miles. Add in county and state bridge maintenance and replacement, plus other future road needs like Harrisburg or Henry Harris roads, and those projected costs exceed $150 million. Currently theres not really a long-term plan on that, Catoe said of Harrisburg Road widening. And development is popping off the seams in that area. Then there are economic development road needs like extending Air Rail Park roads, collector roads, new roads and major widenings. While typical roads can cost $500,000 or more per mile, those large projects are likely to cost $850,000 per mile, Catoe said. Ive seen a lot, but thats about as high as Ive ever seen it, Catoe said. Also, there are smaller roads in municipalities. Weve got some aging roads that are not on any kind of future resurface, rehabilitation lists right now because were short of funding, Catoe said. Pedestrian lanes, bike lanes, intersection improvements, roundabouts, traffic calming and more are needed, but largely arent happening. All these things add up and will be very, very costly, Catoe said. New road sales tax County officials discussed the possible tax for road work in January. Based on those estimates, a one-cent sales tax in Lancaster County would generate about $15 million per year. The county could set the tax, if approved by voters, up to 1%. There were figures given for a quarter-, half- and three-quarters percent too. It doesnt have to be the full 1%, said County Administrator Dennis Marstall. A $15 million per year revenue stream would get the county closer to paying for road needs, officials say. The money also would help multiply funding. Putting U.S. 521 on a list of coming and at least partly funded projects would signal to other agencies the county is serious about upgrades. That would generate matching support from the federal government or state, Marstall said. Councilman Brian Carnes is part of the Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study policy committee. That group allocates federal money in urbanized areas of York and Lancaster counties. Carnes pointed to $185 million of state infrastructure bank money for York County interstate projects that he says wouldnt have happened without funding matches from Pennies for Progress. Its not uncommon in York County for Pennies to put down perhaps $30 million on a $70 million project and have the state or federal government pick up the rest, Carnes said. Having this money opens the door up for a lot of opportunities that we dont have right now, Carnes said. Councilman Billy Mosteller said not having the sales tax revenue can work against Lancaster County, the same way having one would help. Programs like Pennies for Progress in York County started because there are more state roads in need than there are state plans to fix them. The counties thats got the money to put forward, a big chunk of it, theyre going to move ahead of us, Mosteller said. We just keep getting slid down further and further. York County Pennies program Lancaster County has a similar sales tax, for capital projects not roads. Marstall said there have been lessons learned through several campaigns that could smooth the process for a roads tax. The county would look at a citizens committee, and work with engineering and public works departments for realistic pricing in advance of a potential referendum, Marstall said. Carnes said the county also can look northwest where York County already has succeeded with with four programs, and another on a similar timeline. If you look at York County, their (Pennies for Progress tax money) has always gone for roads..., Carnes said. Former York County Council chair Britt Blackwell now heads that countys citizens committee tasked with developing the roads projects list for a 2024 referendum. That group has met across York County this year. In all those public meetings, Blackwell and other spoke about the vast difference Pennies has made. Blackwell has called Pennies perhaps the most successful program the county has had. Despite its success, though, committee members say there still are more roads in need than there are ways to pay for them. Its the same in Lancaster County. For every one road we get fixed theres probably four or five that can take its place that are in just as bad need, if not worse, Catoe said. But officials say the new tax would make a meaningful difference. The only option, really, to complete future roadway needs is weve got to have some type of dedicated funding stream, Catoe said. Nearly two years after the remains of a Texas landlord were found in his backyard, a woman has been arrested in his death, records show. The landlord, 78-year-old Colin Kerdachi, was found dead on Dec. 6, 2021, according to the Houston Police Department. He had been reported missing in February of that year. In May 2023, police charged 43-year-old Pamela Ann Merritt with murder and asked the public for information on her whereabouts. She was believed to be homeless at the time. Now, Merritt has been arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail, records show. Shes being held on a $250,000 bond. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Merritt lived in a home with her boyfriend and Kerdachi, who was their landlord prior to his death, according to the criminal complaint filed in Harris County. Her boyfriend told police he last heard Kerdachi upstairs on Feb. 15, 2021, shortly before an unprecedented winter storm hit the area. Sometime in the summer of 2021, a woman moved into the home and agreed to pay the couple $600 a month in rent, police said. Merritt and her boyfriend offered the woman a lower rate if she helped clean the second and third floors of the home. While cleaning the home, she discovered a bloody mattress, along with blood on the floor and a wall, according to the complaint. She told police she asked about the blood and was given conflicting stories about the owner of the house ... and what happened to him. In December 2021, the man and woman showed her a dead dog under the homes back stairs, police said. She called police on Dec. 6, 2021, the day after she saw the remains. Those remains belonged to Kerdachi, police said. An investigation into his death found that he died of sharp force and blunt force trauma of the torso. Following an investigation into the fatal stabbing, authorities charged Merritt with murder. Woman found dead on roadside had died somewhere else, SC cops say. Now one arrested Bright 40-year-old is found shot dead in alley, Texas cops say. Officers seek killer Missing National Guard soldier found dead in Alaska, cops say. Her husband charged LANSING The shopping center in south Lansing where five people were shot last month has become a "public nuisance" and control should be transferred to a court-appointed party, the city is arguing in court. In an Aug. 11 filing, the city attorney's office asked an Ingham County Circuit Court judge to place the aging Logan Square shopping plaza, at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Holmes Road, under the control of a court-appointed receiver. That receiver, as the city is requesting, would then be in charge of evicting businesses engaged in any illegal activity and be required to make needed security or capital improvements, in addition to reviewing the current leases and ensuring future leases contain clauses regarding illegal activities. The receivership filing came the day after Mayor Andy Schor's office said the city would go after the cabaret license for the Energy Event Center space in the shopping center. In a news release announcing that step, Schor indicated that he'd ask the City Council to take steps to strengthen security requirements for large events with cabaret licenses following the July 30 mass shooting. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Logan Capital LLC is listed in the lawsuit as the shopping center's owner. No attorney of record for Logan Capital was listed in the court records. A message seeking comment was left with the law firm at the address listed for the registered agent for its Michigan business license. The dual legal steps the city has taken came about two weeks after the Sunday, July 30, that saw at least four separate shootings that killed one person and left at least six others wounded. Police said the victims in the Logan Square shooting ranged from 16 to 26 years old. Several "persons of interest" had been detained following the shooting, but police have not made any arrests in the investigation, which remains ongoing. Since Jan. 1, 2020, Lansing police have responded to at least 26 calls for service at the shopping center, according to the city's filing. Those calls included four for reported gunshots, five assaults and at least one illegal gambling investigation. Prior to that, in 2018, five women pleaded guilty to involvement with an illegal gambling operation out of a storefront in the shopping center. The city's filing this month alleges that numerous complaints have been made about parties, large gatherings and other events at the shopping center. The city "asserts such disturbances have continued and will continues being a violent nuisance unless abated," attorneys wrote, adding that the current owners have failed to take any reasonable measures to address the issue. Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at 517-377-1026 or mjmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing seeks court-appointed receiver for Logan Square shopping center Clark County, Nev., issued a state of emergency Sunday as Tropical Storm Hilary is expected to bring significant rainfall and flooding to the Las Vegas area, Southern California and the Southwest region. In anticipation of potential for significant rainfall and flooding from #HurricanHilary, especially in rural areas, County Manager Kevin Schiller has declared a State of Emergency for #ClarkCounty to ensure additional resources are available should they be needed, Clark County Nevada wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall Sunday along Mexicos Baja coast and carried torrential rain into Southern California. Flash flood warnings are in effect for several areas around Las Vegas, according to the National Weather Service of Las Vegas. The City of Las Vegas said it is expecting periods of heavy rain and strong winds through Monday, according to a post from the city on X. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Clark County officials said Sunday certain roads in the rural area of the county were closed due to flooding as residents picked up thousands of sandbags to combat flooding. Drivers are urged to turn around if they see flooding in the roadways, the National Weather Service of Las Vegas said. Forecasters said Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, with at least 9 million people under flash flood warnings, according to The Associated Press. Forecasters predict Hilary could become one of the wettest known tropical cyclones to hit some Western states, including Nevada, Oregon and Idaho. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) said over the weekend he activated 100 Nevada National Guardsmen to support southern Nevada. He said Sunday he is urging all Nevada residents to take this threat seriously and prepare for severe weather. Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada said it will remain closed through at least Monday as they evaluate the weather conditions. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An illustration highlights some panethnic terms like Latino and Hispanic as well as country-specific terms like Boricua and Mexican. | Sydnee Gonzalez, KSL.com Hispanic, Latino, Latinx or something else? Which term should you be using and which term do people prefer? For those who fall under the panethnic umbrella of one of these terms, cultural identity is much more nuanced and profound than a simple label, so the answers to these questions are as varied as the over 510,000 in Utah who identified as Hispanic in the most recent census. So what is the difference between the terms Hispanic and Latino? Latino/Latina: Refers to individuals with Latin American heritage, including non-Spanish speaking countries like Brazil. Hispanic: Refers to Spanish speakers or those with heritage from Spanish-speaking countries, although it has become popular to interchange it with Latino. Latinx: This is a gender-neutral version of Latino or Latina that comes from American academia. It has been criticized for breaking English and Spanish grammar rules and being awkward to pronounce in Spanish. "Latine" is another gender-neutral option that is easily pronounced in Spanish. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But for many, deciding which term to use is a matter of preference and those preferences can vary significantly. Jacob Flores, of Orem, and Gabriel Munoz, of Magna, both have Mexican heritage and prefer to use the term Latino. Flores said the term "feels the most broad," while Munoz said the term is simply "what best describes me." Yet Oliver Antuna-Valencia whose family is from Baja California Sur, Mexico, but lives in West Valley City prefers the term Hispanic. "It was what I grew up calling myself, so it's just a term that is familiar. It is also gender neutral unlike Latino/Latina," he said. Gonzalo Pena hosts the "InnoLatino" podcast, which interviews Latinos across the country about innovation, diversity and leadership. Although he uses Latino, he sees it as a misnomer since it can be construed to refer to individuals from countries with languages descended from Latin which would include French, Italians and Romanians as well. He also used the term Latinx for awhile, but stopped because he felt the term was coming mostly from outside his community. Pena believes the term that makes the most sense to label individuals with roots both in the Iberian Penisula (Spain and Portugal) and Latin America is "Ibero-Americans." But he's not pushing people to use that term. "I would say let's strive for unity. Because the more divisions we create ourselves, the harder it's going to be for people to relate to us and for us as a community to move forward," he said. "And that's why I'm not throwing it out there like, 'We should call ourselves Ibero-Americans because it's the most accurate' because, hey, it's adding one more variable and people are gonna get confused even more." So he's landed on Latino as his preferred term, not only because it's become so widely adopted after decades of use both in the U.S. and Latin America, but because it includes individuals with ties to non-Spanish speaking Latin American countries like Brazil. Alicia Betancourt, a 31-year-old Puerto Rican living in West Valley City, prefers Latina. But says she supports efforts to add inclusive words into Spanish. "I think 'Latine,' as a way to either address someone who is non-gender-(conforming) or as a way to address a group of people in an inclusive manner, is the latest addition that is used more in Latin American countries," she said. "To me, 'Latinx' is good but outdated now. We should go with the flow with how language evolves within our society because why not?" Angel Castillo, whose father is from Jalisco, Mexico, prefers using Latinx because of its inclusivity. "I am all about inclusivity, especially as it pertains to honoring a person's pronouns. Using 'Latinx' is a way of affirming, 'I see you, honor our heritage and I am a safe person to be your authentic self with,'" he said. "I've noticed many people my age (over 50) seem to prefer Hispanic, with higher usage of Latinx with people 30s and below." Jasmine Delgado, a 23-year-old Colombian living in Sandy, however, disagrees. "Latinx is just a way for white people to try to sound educated and inclusive when talking about a different race," she said. "It is actually offensive to most people I know." Others prefer not to use a panethnic term. For example, Matias Pedreira, a 33-year-old University of Utah student from Uruguay, instead opts for country-specific labels like Uruguayan. "While we are Latinos, each country has its own culture and traditions," Pedreira said in Spanish. "Unfortunately in the United States, there is a lot of ignorance of Latino culture and when they only use Latino/a, Americans immediately think of a Mexican and that everything is like Mexico. Using specific terms would help improve these preconceptions." Provo resident Andrea Zapata, 21, agrees. Her parents are from Spain and Peru, but she grew up in Spain. She says country-specific terms feel less tied to race. "I have struggled identifying with a race since in Spain I am considered white and not Latinx and here I am," she said. "I feel like Spaniard is the most accurate, factual name." Andrea Silva, a 28-year-old Salt Laker, said she also prefers country-specific labels. In fact, before moving to the U.S. from Mexico, she had never identified as Latina or Hispanic. As a professor at the University of Utah, Tanya Flores has seen an uptick in students' use of Latinx. However, she and other faculty have come up with "Latinidad" for themselves. "I don't know if that will catch on, but it works for us," she said. Why do individuals identify with a term like Latino, Latinx or Hispanic? "The short answer is identity, but it's an interesting question because identifying with any one of these labels implies that the person associates with their interpretation of the difference between the words," said Flores, who specializes in Spanish linguistics. "Of course, there are people who use two or three of these terms interchangeably, or choose one depending on who they're talking to i.e. other Latinos or not, their ages, etc. and the context where they are, why they are needing to employ a label, etc." "Identity and inclusivity are good reasons to rally around a label. Some terms were created to promote inclusivity and that's a noble attempt, but as I tell my students, language reflects society," she continued. "If there's a social problem, we'll find words/ways to talk about it. The labels (or any word/phrase) can be used for good or for bad depending on the context and users. Using language intentionally can be a powerful way to influence society but the problems can be circular and lead to exclusion." But so much can go into that identity. University of Arizona researchers found that national origin, generation, race, and college education play the most notable roles in whether individuals prefer Latino or Hispanic. For example, Mexicans, third-generation-plus immigrants, those who identify as white, those without a college degree are more likely to prefer the term Hispanic, according to the researchers' report. Young women are also more likely to use Latinx, according to a Pew Research Center study that found only 25% of U.S. Hispanics and Latinos had heard of Latinx and only 3% use it. Those who were ages 18-29 were overwhelmingly more likely to have heard of the term. Flores added that geography, population size and demographics are also important regarding how people identify with certain labels, including hyphenated terms like "Mexi-rican" (someone who is both Mexican and Puerto Rican). What makes a term stick? Although there was strong resistance to using Hispanic a few decades ago, it's become more accepted and used interchangeably with Latino, which has also grown in popularity. Meanwhile, terms like Latinx and Chicano have not yet gained such widespread usage. Flores said Chicano's usage, for example, has changed over the years, with many of her generation seeing the term as synonymous with Mexican Americans. "However, it was originally a politically specific term that meant someone was of Mexican descent but didn't speak Spanish. Enough was written about this that I think the attention to that change contributed to its fallout. People tend to avoid self-identifying labels if they have to be careful about using them 'correctly.'" Social media can also influence how people interact with these terms. "I think social media and usage in public spaces are more influential. If a celebrity Puerto Rican, for instance, publicly preferred one term over another, their Puerto Rican fans may be more inclined to use that term for themselves, too," she said. So what makes a certain term stick more than another? A big part of that staying power is institutional support, Flores said. Both Hispanic and Latino are used on government documents even if their definitions there aren't always clear. In fact, that lack of clarity may also be advantageous to the terms' continuity. "By the Hispanic/Latino community members, they have been generally accepted as somewhat vague and flexible," Flores said. "This is linguistically useful because the communities they signal are ever-changing populations that are difficult to label." Nestled in Nevada, the area that became the town of St. Thomas was once home to settlements of the Ancestral Puebloans and Basket-Makers. In 1865, settlers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began farming in the area, believing that they were in Utah or Arizona. Pioneers established farms and businesses in the area. But then, they learned they were in Nevada. In 1871, the state of Nevada levied taxes against the residents, including taxes for the previous five years that they had been settled there. The Latter-day Saint settlers refused to pay taxes and voted to abandon the city, except for the Bonelli family. The residents burned down their homes and moved to Salt Lake City. Related ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After the settlers abandoned the property, a new wave of Latter-day Saints moved into the area in the 1880s. The town soon featured a church, post office, a school and grocery stores, and reached a peak population of 500 people. While St. Thomas did not have indoor plumbing or electricity, memoirs indicate that residents were enchanted by their simple life. But this did not last long. President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill in 1928 to construct the Boulder, later Hoover, Dam. This dam led to the creation of Lake Mead. St. Thomas residents were forced to again abandon their town as water levels rose. Lake Mead began to be filled in 1935 and the area slowly became flooded. One of the last remaining residents, Hugh Lord, paddled away from home when the rising waters hit his front door in 1938. Eventually, the lake completely covered the now-abandoned town, submerging it 60 feet below the surface. This wasnt the first time the town had been flooded. The ancient peoples from the Basket-Maker and Pueblo cultures occupied the territory for more than a thousand years, growing maize, beans, and other crops. Their settlement in this same area, called Pueblo Grande de Nevada, or the Lost City, was also flooded previously. In the 1930s, archaeologists recovered hundreds of artifacts. The fluctuating water levels have meant that the ghost town has reemerged, not once, not twice, but three times in 1945, 1963 and 2012. The severe drought in Nevada has kept St. Thomas above water since 2012. Remember the Bonelli family who stayed in the area? For years, Daniel Bonelli operated a ferry service across the Colorado River. Some of his descendants still live in the area. The ghost town now consists of some building foundations and metal artifacts only a fragment of what it once was. Related Lake Mead Water levels St. Thomas was uncovered by the drought that is leading to many other discoveries in the lake. According to NPR, human remains continue to be found at the lake. This area, which is experiencing its driest period in 1,200 years, has seen the discovery of at least five sets of human remains in recent months. In 2022, ABC News reported that the fifth set of human remains was found in mid-August and that water levels are receding at an unprecedented rate. The latest information on Lake Mead water levels as of Aug. 2023, according to the Lake Mead government website, indicates that water levels are on the rise. After a number of high-profile congressional hearings and disclosures on UFOsor, in the more bureaucratic, less sci-fi parlance of our time, Unidentified Aerial Phenomenaa bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to take congressional investigations to the Capitol Hill equivalent of the final frontier: a special committee. Specifically, lawmakers want more hearings, more investigations, subpoena power, and some ability to declassify U.S. intelligence on mysterious UFO sightings. We cant over-classify this stuff, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) told The Daily Beast in an interview. The American people have a right to know. They have a right to some level of disclosure. Congress UFO Hearing Was Really a Desperate Call for Action. Who Will Answer It? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Moskowitz is the only Democrat among a group of four members who signed a letter last month calling for a select committee. He was joined by Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Tim Burchett (R-TN). Although his party is in the House minority, Moskowitz is hoping Republican leadership, which would have to approve a select committee being established, will join in. Look, Ill work across the aisle on this and other issues, obviously. But we gotta get the majority leadership to make this a priority, Moskowitz said. Backers of the select committee idea say its a tipping point for UFO transparency. The congressional movement for more information has been building slowly but surely for years. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was a big proponent of investigating UFO sightings, and had the ability to push government agencies for more disclosures. But the more Congress has learned about these sightingssometimes from pilots sharing their accounts, sometimes from footage caught by the militarythe more questions lawmakers and the public seem to have. While UFO theories still draw scoffs from some, Congress has looked at them through a familiar lens: national security. UAPs, as the more serious-minded lawmakers prefer to refer to them, are an obvious area of study for those who are concerned about what these sightings could be. And as more and more footage is released to the public, the public just has more and more questions. The cake is baked. Its just been taken out of the oven, said Steve Bassett, executive director of Paradigm Research Group and a registered UFO lobbyist. Not everybody is in the kitchen yet. Thats OK. That's all right. I mean, this is still a massive thing, and everybody was on top of it, but its irreversible, Bassett said. Former Navy Pilot Testifies to Congress About Chilling UFO Encounter Off Virginia Coast What Bassett means is that the more lawmakersand the publiclearn about UAPs, the harder it is to ignore them. At the July hearing, David Grusch, a former intelligence officer-turned-whistleblower, alleged critical information on UFOs is being kept from Congress, including evidence of non-human biologics that was recovered from a UFO. Grusch was joined by David Fravor, who spotted and documented an apparent UFO in 2004, and Ryan Graves, a former Navy pilot who claims to have encountered UFOs during his work. Members of a House Oversight subcommittee questioned the trioand several lawmakers, from both parties, expressed outright concern over what agencies could be keeping from Congress. The hearing also followed an uptick of public UFO interest in the federal government in recent years. In 2021, the Pentagon confirmed the validity of several newly released videos that showed UFOs. In 2022, Congress held a hearing with Pentagon officials and urged more transparency into what the government does and doesnt know about the phenomena. Now, a switch in party control later, lawmakers say its time to deliver. This is a cover-up. The American public understands it, Burchett said on Fox Business in July. Were trying to get to the bottom of it. And the only way were going to do that is with a Select Committee on this issue, so that we can expose it to the public. Coming to a Rooftop Near You: A UFO-Spotting Spycam We need subpoena power, Gaetz said on Newsmax. We need to access secure spaces. The White House doesnt have answers, but we have to get them. Lawmakers say they were also left with questions about the use of tax dollars for UFOs after Grusch alleged Pentagon UFO programs are fueled by a misappropriation of funds. The funding issues that were brought up about how some of these projects are funded Id like to hear more about that, Moskowitz said. Thats the American taxpayer. Thats their money. If these are programs that are being set up without congressional oversight and are responsible for, you know, billions of dollars being lost, that could be going towards other things, Luna told a local Fox station. I think that that's something that absolutely is pertinent. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) earlier this year authorized a couple of select committees in order to appease conservatives who were blocking his bid for speaker across 15 rounds of voting. Both the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government and the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party have since tackled a grab-bag of issues, like the so-called Twitter files and allegations of online censorship. Gaetz, Luna, and Burchett are among the conservatives in the House who havent been adverse to leveraging their votes on critical policy bills in order to gain something from McCarthy. They could leverage that same power again with high-stakes negotiations over government funding on the horizon. Nick Gold, another UFO lobbyist and founder of the group Declassify UAP, told The Daily Beast hes organizing to have UFO-believers contact their members of Congress urging them to support continued investigation, including a select committee. It needs to be something that has a life of its own, Gold said. Gold doesnt make any promises about what will or wont be unveiled by declassifying UFO records. But he says its a matter of government transparencyand argues it's a bipartisan issue for any lawmaker to adopt. We need to give them time and very loud support and public needs to stand up and say: We want them to have these authorities. We want them to give them a try, Gold said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The dining room at The Oakville Grill & Cellar, 163 N. Green Street in Chicago, is seen on Aug. 16, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) I have been preparing for Oakville Grill & Cellar. Ever since the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group announced the West Loop project would have the largest California-only wine list in the city, I decided to, shall we say, do some homework. Namely, Ive been drinking exclusively California wine at home since February. (Its a hard job, I know.) Having worked in a Brooklyn wine shop and as a wine distributor, I also busted out my wine guides to study up on West Coast wine regions, especially ones officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area, which the government considers regions with distinct geographic or climatic features that affect the grapes grown there. Advertisement The bar and dining room at Oakville Grill & Cellar, 163 N. Green Street in Chicago, is seen on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Location is everything in the wine world, and as Karen MacNeil writes in The Wine Bible, places in California such as Napa Valley experience that magical combination of days that are hot but not blistering and nights that are cool but not cold. Know what place doesnt experience such a moderate climate? Chicago. Instead, were subject to wild temperature swings bringing heat waves in July and polar-like conditions in February. No one has accused us of having a great location for winemaking, at least not for dry European-style wines. Advertisement That hasnt stopped the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group from latching on to the California theme. It started first with Summer House Santa Monica, which played up Southern Californias casual chic. Now we get Oakville Cellar & Grill, a name that sounds bafflingly generic, until you realize it refers to the prestigious Oakville viticultural area in Napa Valley. My biggest worry about Oakville was that it would showcase a wine list stuffed with absurdly expensive bottles, and then fill in the gaps with undistinguished slosh. Wine director Richard Hanauer certainly landed some big names: Youll find multiple vintages of Opus One, with the 2005 vintage going for $1,310. (The 2019 is only $850, and you can also get a half-bottle for $425.) If youre feeling especially flush, why not try the 2019 Harlan Estate ($2,415) or the 2019 Screaming Eagle ($4,600)? Have I tried any of these wines? Of course not. While fun for the ultrawealthy or those on a generous expense account, they have nothing to do with how I or most Chicagoans drink wine. Wine director Richard Hanauer is seen at The Oakville Grill & Cellar, 163 N. Green Street in Chicago, on Aug. 16, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Fortunately, Hanauer made sure to showcase the states incredible diversity. Thats the coolest part about California wine that no one discusses, Hanauer said. We have Napa wines. Its one of the great wine regions on the planet. But my mind is really blown by the quality in places like Santa Barbara County. Hes right. I was thrilled to see Beckmen Vineyards, a great producer from the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. The winerys syrah, currently available by the glass, is deeply rich, with nearly chocolate levels of complexity. I was also glad to see producers like Field Recordings, Cline and Andrew Murray on the bottle list. The white wines available by the glass are equally as good, especially the 2022 Tatomer riesling, from the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, which is bracing and dry, yet full-bodied. The restaurant does a great job of handling the particulars. Instead of an imposing and weighty tome, the wine menu is clear and helpful, with plenty of maps and information about each region. The glasses are thin and elegant. Wine-by-the-glass options come in 6- or 9-ounce pours, allowing you to sample multiple options, or simply hunker down with a favorite. Chef Max Robbins is seen at The Oakville Grill & Cellar, 163 N. Green Street in Chicago, on Aug. 16, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) To further your California wine education, you can also book a paid reservation at The Cellar Door, a tiny wine counter where you can try wines from a rotating selection of acclaimed California wineries. (Currently, you can sample wines from Paul Hobbs Winery.) If youre infatuated with California wine, or would simply like to learn more, its hard to think of a better place to do it in Chicago than Oakville. Advertisement So where does the food come into the equation? The menu is enormous, with multiple kinds of steak and seafood cooked over a wood-fired grill, along with pasta, pizza and salads galore. At first, the menu felt too nebulous, making it hard to know where to even begin. But according to chef Max Robbins, that is sort of the point. We are trying not to take ourselves too seriously, Robbins said. We really want the guests to feel comfortable. Its a little fun and a little playful. The Faroe Island salmon with grits, barbeque glaze and charred onion is seen Aug. 16 at The Oakville Grill & Cellar, 163 N. Green Street in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) With a menu this sprawling, its understandable some dishes dont quite connect. The Faroe Island salmon is impeccably cooked but arrives glazed with a too-sweet barbecue sauce. Sometimes the prices just feel needlessly high. The prime steak frites doesnt quite justify its $46 price tag, and I cant be the only one who wishes the kitchen served actual fries and not wispy fried potatoes. But the majority of the dishes offer up unfussy charms. Oddly, one of the most expensive burgers in Chicago might be worth it. Titled experience our dry-aged steak burger, the thick grilled patty features waves of funky, mineral flavor, which is accentuated by a layer of salty Maytag blue cheese. (Slightly off-topic, but it does feel like were seeing the return of the thick, imposing burger after years of smashed patty dominance.) Oakville offers two kinds of pizza each day, a Margherita plus a rotating selection that highlights local produce. I particularly like the spinach and kale pizza, which would make an excellent entree or even a satisfying starter for a group. The dry-aged steak burger at The Oakville Grill & Cellar, 163 N. Green Street in Chicago, is seen on Aug. 16. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Some of the simplest dishes are the best. A highlight is the wood-grilled artichoke, which picks up loads of smoke from the fire. The earthy, almost nutty flavor of the vegetable is paired with a punchy, garlic-packed aioli. Recognizing that not everyone knows the best way to deconstruct the spiky-leaved vegetable, each order comes with printed directions. (Dont be afraid to get your hands messy.) The farmhouse potato salad features delicately soft spuds enveloped in legitimately spicy mayonnaise. Make sure to add them to your order. As with every Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, theres a level of fine-tuning and rigorous workshopping that can also make projects feel a bit scrubbed of personality. (For its exact opposite, see the rough-and-tumble Warlord.) Advertisement But there are plus sides to such an approach. Service is effortless and generous. The chairs are comfortable, while the tables are spread decently apart. Substitutions are granted. Plates are cleared quickly. Kids get divided trays so none of the components touch, plus crayons and activity sheets. [ Review: A restaurant rebellion ignites in Avondale at Warlord ] The approach seems to be working, as Oakville has been packed each time Ive been by, as crowds congregate by the bar up front or lounge in the dining room in the back. Upstairs, youll find a gorgeous patio. While pleasant in the summer, I did ask Hanauer how the restaurant would adapt to Chicago in February. He didnt miss a beat. In the winter, the restaurant should be a bastion of warmth, Hanauer said. When the winter food starts coming out, California wines add freshness back into the dishes. Showing their most warmth and approachability. Thats when the hospitality and warmth of the space is going to glow the brightest. Chicago may never be Napa, but with Oakville, we can at least pretend in comfort. nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com Oakville Grill & Cellar 163 N. Green St. Advertisement 773-309-2300 Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > theoakville.com Tribune rating: Excellent for the wine, three stars; Very good for the food, two stars Open: Monday to Thursday, 3-10 p.m.; Friday, 3-11 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Prices: Starters, $9-$28; mains, $27-$68 Noise: Mostly conversation friendly, though louder around the bar Advertisement Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, elevator to the second floor Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. Meals are paid for by the Tribune. A customer browses Apple watches at the new Apple Store on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple on Monday won the dismissal of a lawsuit claiming that the blood oxygen sensor on its Apple Watch exhibits "racial bias" against people with darker skin tones. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan dismissed the proposed class action with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought again. He plans to explain his reasons by Aug. 31. The plaintiff Alex Morales, a resident of Manhattan's Upper East Side, said he paid an inflated price for his Apple Watch based on his mistaken belief that its blood oxygen app would measure blood oxygen levels "without regard to skin tone." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His amended complaint, filed in May, cited decades of reports that similar pulse oximetry devices were "significantly less accurate" when measuring blood oxygen levels of nonwhite people. Morales said the real-world impact of this bias was not addressed until the COVID-19 pandemic led to "greater awareness of structural racism" in society. Apple said Morales failed to make any allegations supporting his fraud claim, or show that it exposed him to anything misleading before his purchase. Morales' lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Doctors have long known that pulse oximeters, which help assess potential heart and respiratory problems, are less accurate in estimating blood oxygen of non-white patients. The pandemic exposed some of the devices' shortcomings, with some patients facing treatment delays or being discharged from emergency rooms too soon. The case is Morales v Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 22-10872. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Andy Sullivan) A wrongful death lawsuit could be filed in the death of Joan Meyer, the co-owner of the Marion County Record who died hours after police raided the Kansas newspaper. We are exploring all options, including a wrongful death claim, said Bernie Rhodes, the newspapers attorney. The lawsuit would be brought on behalf of Meyers estate. The Aug. 11 raid drew condemnation from free speech advocates across the globe. A search warrant was also executed at Meyers home and at the residence of a city councilwoman. Meyer, 98, died the following day from sudden cardiac arrest, according to the coroners report. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Video surveillance from Meyers house shows her become agitated as she watched officers rifle through her belongings. Using a walker, she approached the officers and said, I dont want you in my house. One officer asked how many computers were in the house. Im not gonna tell you, she replied. In the coroners report, Eric Meyer, the publisher and Joan Meyers son, recounted the raid, saying it was extremely upsetting to Joan and caused her to remain angry and upset through out the day and night. She stayed up until about 3 or 4 a.m. Aug. 12. Around 6 a.m., he noticed she had gone to bed. She woke up around 2 p.m. and said she did not feel well and was dizzy. She was talking in bed when she stopped mid-sentence and fell unresponsive. He called 911 and began CPR. There were no signs of life with medics arrived, the coroners report said. She died at 3 p.m. on Aug. 12, the day after the raid. Her funeral was held this past Saturday. Rev. Ron DeVore, who officiated the service, noted the miserable 24 hours that preceded Joan Meyers death. But the memorial focused on her long life and career, which included world travels and writing a popular column on the history of Marion County. Shes left us with a legacy, DeVore said. Rhodes said in addition to a possible wrongful death claim, the newspaper needs to be compensated for the First Amendment rights that were damaged. Hitler tactics The three search warrant applications were submitted by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody. The records indicated law enforcement was investigating identity theft and unlawful acts concerning computers. In the affidavits, police alleged that a Marion County Record reporter illegally obtained Kansas Department of Revenue information related to the driving history of Kari Newell, a local businesswoman who lost her drivers license over a DUI in 2008 and was applying for a liquor license for her restaurant. The warrants were approved by Magistrate Judge Laura Viar. Police seized several computers, cellphones, a router and other equipment. These are Hitler tactics and something has to be done, said Joan Meyer, whose name is pronounced Joanne. The three search warrants were withdrawn on Aug. 16, four days after she died. In a statement, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said he concluded that insufficient evidence existed to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized. Rhodes, who also represents The Star, said the reporter had been given a copy of Newells driving record and used a public website to verify that information. The only so-called crime Chief Cody was investigating was being a reporter, he said. Eric Meyer said last week that the police were either malicious or incompetent. Eight people are feared dead after heavy rains washed away a Moscow sewer tour group. AnnaArinova Multiple people are dead after floodwaters washed away a Moscow sewer tour group. Russian state media reported that torrential rains left an illegal tour group stuck underground. Officials are still searching the Moskva river for bodies. At least five people are dead after heavy rains flooded Moscow's sewer system, washing away a tour group of eight people who were exploring the historic underground system. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed the accident in a Monday Telegram post, saying law enforcement was investigating the details of the doomed "self-organized descent." Russian state media outlet Tass News Agency reported a teenage girl was pulled from the river on Sunday night following the flooding. Two more tour members, a man and a teenage boy, were found in the river early Monday morning, the outlet said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The fourth and fifth victims were also discovered in the river Monday afternoon, the outlet reported, citing an unnamed emergency official. Insider could not independently verify the number of confirmed dead. Authorities are still looking for the remaining missing as divers search the Moskva River for more bodies. Photos and videos posted to social media appeared to show officials looking down a manhole cover, as well as investigators searching the river by boat. Torrential downpours walloped Moscow on Sunday, causing a rapid rise in water levels inside the underground tunnels. The rains accounted for about a third of Moscow's monthly rainfall, Russian state media outlet Ria Novosti reported. The heavy rains resulted in abrupt floodwaters throughout the system that ultimately cut off tour participants from a feasible escape route, trapping them below, according to media outlets. Among those still missing is the tour's leader, identified by media outlets as Konstantin Filipov, 31. The Daily Beast and The Daily Mail reported that Filipov clocked the heavy rains during the tour and texted a colleague in hopes of finding a new exit minutes before disaster struck. Ria Novosti reported that more than 20 people were originally scheduled to take the sewer tour, which was focused on the Neglinnaya River, a tributary of the Moskva. But with heavy rains in the forecast, several participants dropped out, leaving just eight people on the expedition. Many of Moscow's sewers date as far back as the 19th century, and several companies offer historic walking tours of the system throughout the city. Russian media outlets cited emergency officials who said the tour company in charge of the missing group was an illegal organization that had been operating for three years. Read the original article on Insider Then-Sen. Kamala Harris, right, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein attend an event in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., in 2017. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) To the editor: Columnist George Skelton's "solution" have President Biden convince Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to resign so Gov. Gavin Newsom can appoint Vice President Kamala Harris to fill Feinstein's seat is interesting, but I have a better idea. Merrick Garland, weary of politics and relentless attacks from the right, agrees to step down as attorney general, and Biden picks Harris, a former California attorney general, to replace him. Then Biden asks Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to be his vice president. Harris is an excellent reader of tea leaves. She can see ahead to 2028, and she needs more time to improve her odds of being elected to the White House. Another benefit of this: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, now a resident of Michigan, could run for governor of that state, thus building his resume as a potential presidential contender in the future. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Barbara Jackson, Cerritos .. To the editor: Feinstein retiring early to be replaced by Harris would be a disaster for Democrats. Under the 25th Amendment, Harris' replacement for vice president would need to be confirmed by a majority vote of Congress, including the GOP-controlled House. The Republicans would never confirm a politically popular replacement. Worse, they could opt not to confirm anyone, leaving Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) first in line for the presidency (behind the octogenarian president) until the next administration is inaugurated in 2025. Scott Russell, Long Beach .. To the editor: Skelton says that both Biden and California have problems as if it's a fact. Right-wing Republicans like to portray Harris as a burden to the president and Feinstein as a problem for California. This is not the case. Feinstein is not running for reelection after more than 30 years of outstanding service. Also, not every Democrat sees Harris as a burden, and having a woman of color on the ballot draws voters from all parties. This was the case in 2020, and nothing suggests the result will be different in 2024. Skelton is completely off base in his assertions. Richard C. Armendariz, Huntington Beach This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Rozanna Latiff and A. Ananthalakshmi KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Artist Carmen Rose used to perform regularly in Malaysia, until a police raid last year put an end to the veteran drag queen's act and fuelled the fears of the LGBTQ community at a time when Islamists are rapidly gaining political clout. Since the raid, during which several party-goers were arrested, Rose has stopped doing shows, and rarely ventures out in public in costume. "It's always a risk going out in drag. If there was a raid, who do we call? Do we bring our boy clothes just in case?" said Rose, who declined to disclose her non-drag identity due to fears of reprisal. "They see us as sexual deviants or sinners." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Queer Malaysians and rights groups told Reuters that LGBTQ communities face increasing scrutiny and discrimination under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government, despite the longtime opposition leader's reputation as a progressive reformer. Analysts say Anwar, who took office after a November general election, is under pressure to bolster his Islamic credentials among the Muslim majority in the face of an increasingly popular ultra-conservative opposition that has steadily gained more political ground since the vote. Malaysia's opposition bloc includes Islamist party PAS, which promotes a strict interpretation of sharia law and opposes LGBTQ rights. The party holds the most number of seats in parliament for the first time ever, and its gains in state elections this month reinforced its political influence. A PAS lawmaker recently said LGBTQ people should be classified as "mentally ill". Another PAS leader urged the government to cancel a concert by Coldplay because the band supports queer rights. "Anwar doesn't feel politically stable, so he has to be more Islamic than the other side," said James Chin, a political analyst at the University of Tasmania in Australia. Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia, which also has Islamic sharia laws banning same-sex acts and cross-dressing. The multi-ethnic, multi-faith country has a dual-track legal system with Islamic laws for Muslims running alongside civil laws. While Anwar has never expressed support for the LGBTQ community, activists say they expected him to show more tolerance as he advocated for an inclusive society during his 25 years in the opposition. "There was some hope when Anwar came to power that the reform agenda would seep in to some extent," said Dhia Rezki Rohaizad, deputy president of JEJAKA, an organization that supports gay, bisexual and queer men. "It's disappointing that it has not happened. At the very least, we had hoped that they would just leave us alone, not be actively persecuting us." DISCRIMINATION, THREATS Anwar vowed this year that Malaysia would never recognise LGBTQ rights. His government has banned books for "promoting the LGBT lifestyle", detained demonstrators expressing support for queer rights and confiscated Pride-themed watches made by Swiss watchmaker Swatch. Last month, authorities halted a music festival, after the frontman of British pop band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and criticised Malaysia's anti-LGBTQ laws. Asked about the government's position on LGBTQ rights, government spokesperson and communications minister Fahmi Fadzil told Reuters: "Whatever the prime minister has said is the position." Some analysts say Anwar's uncompromising stance on LGBTQ rights stems from a desire to wipe out doubts about his own sexuality which surfaced after he was jailed for nearly a decade for sodomy. Anwar has repeatedly said the charges were fabricated and politically motivated, but some political opponents still question his Islamic values. Activists say online harassment and death threats against queer Malaysians are rampant on social media, while undercover police often attend LGBTQ-friendly events. Many groups now ensure there are lawyers at these events in case of a raid. Thilaga Sulathireh, founder of LGBTQ advocacy group Justice for Sisters, said the government's rejection of queer Malaysians was tantamount to a human rights violation. "This has emboldened the conservatives and the right wing, it allows discrimination and violence to take place against LGBT people with impunity," said Sulathireh, who uses they/them pronouns. Justice for Sisters is receiving more queries from LGBTQ Malaysians seeking asylum in other countries, they said, adding that the community is also increasingly adopting self-censorship to stay under the radar. Drag queen Carmen Rose said she cancelled a show this year, fearing another crackdown. She occasionally performs in neighbouring Singapore, and is now considering leaving Malaysia. "This is not me running away. I'm just tired and I have to also think about myself and my own happiness," she said. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and A. Ananthalakshmi; editing by Miral Fahmy) (Bloomberg) -- Libyas central bank said it reunited with its breakaway rival after nine years of division, a rare step toward consolidating state institutions in the North African OPEC member battered by long-running conflict. Most Read from Bloomberg The announcement followed a meeting between Tripoli-based Governor Sadiq Al-Kabir and officials from the rival regulator in the eastern city of Benghazi. Representatives are now working to address the impact of the split, according to a statement Sunday from the central bank in the capital. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read More: Reunifying Libyas Central Bank Will Take Six Months, Kabir Says The divergence dates back to a 2014 power struggle that saw Libya divided between a United Nations-recognized government in Tripoli and a challenger in the east. Over the following years, which saw a failed attempt by eastern fighters to seize the capital and an eventual 2020 cease-fire, Kabirs bank remained the one that was internationally accepted. The division impacted issues including the foreign-exchange rate and allocation of oil wealth in a country thats home to Africas largest proven reserves. Kabir has previously said that reunification would finally allow the bank to consolidate monetary policy and eliminate parallel spending. The announcement marks a rare success in bridging one of Libyas divides and contrasts with faltering UN-backed efforts to end a political impasse. Nationwide elections slated for December 2021 were canceled and the leadership of the country is once again split between a Tripoli-based prime minister and an eastern parliament intent on replacing him. Read More: Putin Gains in Oil-Rich Libya as US Struggles to Oust Wagner Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Women in Army special operations face "blatant sexism," particularly among senior noncommissioned officers who say they dread the idea of working with women and would never respect a female superior, according to a lengthy internal study released by the service on Monday. There are 2,300 women serving in Army special operations -- mostly in support roles -- making up 8% of a military community that includes Special Forces and Rangers. However, fewer than 10 women are Green Berets, with the first coming from the National Guard three years ago. Overall, women have made significant strides in the military in recent years, with then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter finally opening all positions and occupations -- including ground combat roles -- to them in 2015 after generations of service. But the Army study indicates female soldiers still face sexism and discrimination in the most elite echelons of the military, where their numbers still remain relatively low. Read Next: Pentagon Set to Allow Calculator Use on Military Entrance Exam as Recruiting Slumps ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "I dread the day a woman arrives on a Team and I hope I am retired by the time that happens," one noncommissioned officer, or NCO, wrote in a survey with anonymous comments that was included in the Army study. The Army conducted the study in 2021 to identify key challenges for women in special operations. Numerous other soldiers, mostly NCOs, made similar, blunt and sexist comments, all with a common theme: Women have no place in special operations. "Do you think they are pursuing career opportunities? Please, be honest," one NCO wrote in the survey anonymously. "They are looking for a husband, boyfriend or attention. And they get it. Because the men that choose to lay down their lives and do missions that only great men can do are warriors.' "Warriors do warrior s--t. Women like warriors. These are facts," the NCO continued. "Play pretend circus all you want, this is the truth. I know this won't get read because it will be screened beforehand, so whatever." Female soldiers in the survey describe double standards for women and men in Army special operations. In some cases, they were scorned for wearing yoga pants during physical training because the clothing was seen as too revealing. Meanwhile, men wore so-called "Ranger panties," silky shorts that are shorter than most boxer-style underwear. Male soldiers also routinely work out shirtless while on duty. In special ops careers, the women reported having to work much harder than men -- with virtually no room for error. They also reported being passed over for jobs that went to less qualified men. "I was not selected because they didn't like me," one woman anonymously reported in the survey. "I've seen men get selected that didn't have SERE [survival, evasion, resistance and escape training] or airborne." Another woman said, "There are no boards. Women have to interview but the men do not. There are senior women with deployed experience but other [NCOs] come in and they get placed in first sergeant positions. The men get 'dibs' on jobs." The Army admitted Monday the special operations community has a problem. "We still have a lot of work to do. Changing culture takes time," Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, head of Army Special Operations Command, told reporters Monday. "We have to be better. We must be better because our nation depends on it. ... It needs to be better. ... I'm not proud of some of those comments." The problem of rampant sexism in Army special operations is partly due to a generational divide. The Army service-wide is in many cases run by older men in influential roles who share antiquated views on women. Braga noted that the small pool of female Green Berets is slowly changing those views on women. Special operations has also long been an overwhelmingly masculine environment, often described as one of the last bastions of an old-school boys club. It isn't out of the ordinary that a man can join special operations straight out of high school and work a significant part of his career while having limited interactions with women in the workplace. Still, women have served with special operations for decades and were particularly helpful in Afghanistan, where they worked with Afghan women who faced shame or risked beatings if caught interacting with male troops. Female soldiers have also expanded their footprint in the conventional Army. In 2019, Maj. Gen. Laura Yeager became the first woman to lead an Army division, serving as commander of the California National Guard's 40th Infantry Division. Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann currently serves as the first female senior enlisted leader for Army special operations. She took the role in April after Michael Weimer left to become the sergeant major of the Army. "I have heard all of the things; some of it falls into misogyny," Naumann told reporters in a roundtable. "I don't think Army [special operations] has a monopoly on misogyny. "Some of the ignorant comments are people who simply aren't educated. Education is how we fix this," she said. "But the vast majority aren't that way; most of the mentors and advocates in my career were male. I am here today because there are some phenomenal men in our formation." -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: The Female Soldier Insurgency that Helped Rewrite the Army's Rules on Parenthood Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in jail after being sentenced to a rare whole life order for her cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder. The countrys worst child killer will die in prison after she refused to attend her sentencing in what families described as one final act of wickedness. Letby, 33, was convicted by a jury of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. At Manchester Crown Court on Monday, Mr Justice Goss said there was premeditation, calculation and cunning in your actions as he handed down a whole life order. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Addressing the nurse, he said: You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions. The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving, but in each case you deliberately harmed them, intending to kill them. Malevolence bordering on sadism Mr Justice Goss, who at times appeared emotional, added that Letby had abused the trust of parents who expected her to be caring for their children. He added: By their nature and number, such murders and attempted murder by a neonatal nurse entrusted to care for them is a case of very exceptional circumstances. This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder. There was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions. During the course of this trial, you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing. You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors. Sentencing her to a whole life order for each offence, he said: You will spend the rest of your life in prison. More than a dozen relatives of Letbys victims sat in the public gallery for the hearing and eight jurors returned to see the sentencing. Earlier, the court heard harrowing victim impact statements from the families of Letbys victims. The mother of Child E, a premature-born boy who died, and Child F, his twin brother who survived, told the court the nurses refusal to appear was just one final act of wickedness from a coward. The nurse was found guilty of murdering Child C by forcing air down a feeding tube and into the baby boys stomach. Referring to a handwritten note found at Letbys house, the babys mother held back tears as she told the nurse in her absence: At least now there is no debate that, in your own words, you killed them on purpose. You are evil. You did this. Letby has become only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison. The others are include Myra Hindley, the girlfriend of Moors murderer Ian Brady, who died in 2002, and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy. Following the sentencing, Det Ch Insp Nicola Evans said: The sentence reflects the true scale and gravity of her horrific crimes and ensures that a calculated and dangerous individual is behind bars for a very long time. Nothing will bring back the babies who died or take away the pain and suffering experienced by all of the families over the years but I hope that the significant sentence will bring some comfort at this dark time. The victim impact statements read out in court today on behalf of the parents are a chilling reminder of the pain and suffering that each family has had to endure over the years. Hearing their own experiences in their own words has been truly heartbreaking. Letbys parents did not turn up at court to see their daughter sentenced. Susan, 63, and John, 77, attended Manchester Crown Court every day during the 10-month trial. Early last week, when the jury reported the first guilty murder verdicts, Susan Letby broke down in court, crying out: You cant be serious. This cannot be right. She was still weeping as she left the courtroom and neither parent was in court last Friday, when the final guilty verdicts were handed down. 03:17 PM BST Our live coverage ends here The Telegraph is bringing to an end its live coverage of the Lucy Letby sentencing. Earlier this afternoon, Letby was sentenced to spend the rest of her life in jail for her cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder. The judge handed her a whole-life order at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison. It came hours after she refused to attend her sentence in what families described as just one final act of wickedness from a coward. Keep checking the Telegraph website for the latest news and reaction following todays proceedings. 02:56 PM BST Sketch: Letby victim reads statement in court sketch Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of the parent of one of Lucy Letbys victims reading a victim impact statement at Manchester Crown Court as the serial child murderer refused to appear in court for sentencing. 02:52 PM BST Lucy Letby inquiry must take place as quickly as possible, says Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak said he wanted the inquiry into the murder of seven babies by Lucy Letby to take place as quickly as possible as he refused to bow to calls to make it judge-led, reports Jack Maidment. There is growing pressure from victims families and MPs for the inquiry announced by the Government to be given full legal powers to summon witnesses. At present it is a non-statutory independent inquiry, which cannot compel witnesses to appear. The victims families want it upgraded to a statutory inquiry led by a judge. Read more here. 02:25 PM BST Seeing Lucy Letby sentenced felt like an intrusion into absolute grief and a vital public duty One final act of wickedness from a coward. Lucy Letbys refusal to attend court to hear relatives of her victims read impact statements was yet another bitter blow to the families whose newborns she had attacked in what was an utterly unspeakable murder spree, writes Judith Woods from Manchester Crown Court. The mother of Baby E, killed by Letby, whose brother Letby also attempted to murder, told the court of the harm and cruelty the NHS nurse inflicted on her boys. I still struggle to understand why it happened to us... The lies she has told fill me with anger. Letbys absence, she concluded, was yet another twisted demonstration of her power. Watching proceedings at Manchester Crown Court today, bearing witness, felt at once like a terrible intrusion into absolute grief and one of the most important public duties I have ever performed. Read more here. 02:17 PM BST Sir Keir Starmer - Lucy Letby inquiry should be statutory The inquiry into Lucy Letbys crimes should be put on a statutory footing, Sir Keir Starmer has said. Adding his voice to the growing number of figures calling for the independent probe the Government has announced to be strengthened, the Labour leader said: I think it should be a statutory inquiry and Ill tell you why. One because thats what the victims family want and after what theyve been through, I think that is a really important consideration. Secondly, what a statutory inquiry gives you is the power to order documents, to order witnesses to come forward. So we get the fullest, proper, comprehensive analysis of what went wrong here. So I think it has to be a statutory inquiry. I dont think that needs to hold things up. We could get on with that very quickly. 02:11 PM BST Watch: Moment Lucy Letby is sentenced to whole life order 01:43 PM BST Justice Secretary - 'We want to see offenders compelled to face sentencing' Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government wants to change the law to compel offenders to attend their sentencing hearings. Writing on Twitter after Lucy Letby was sentenced to a whole-life order, Mr Chalk said: Lucy Letby is not just a murderer but a coward, whose failure to face her victims families, refusing to hear their impact statements and societys condemnation, is the final insult. We are looking to change the law so offenders can be compelled to attend sentencing hearings. 01:34 PM BST Police thank families for supporting Letby investigation Following the hearing, Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans, said: Today, Lucy Letby has been handed a whole life order. The sentence reflects the true scale and gravity of her horrific crimes and ensures that a calculated and dangerous individual is behind bars for a very long time. Nothing will bring back the babies who died or take away the pain and suffering experienced by all of the families over the years but I hope that the significant sentence will bring some comfort at this dark time. The victim impact statements read out in court today on behalf of the parents are a chilling reminder of the pain and suffering that each family has had to endure over the years. Hearing their own experiences in their own words has been truly heartbreaking. I would once again like to say thank you to the families for putting your trust in us and for supporting an investigation that has been running for six years and a trial that has spanned almost 12 months. Our thoughts remain with you all at this incredibly difficult time you are truly remarkable and will always have a place in our hearts. 01:25 PM BST CPS - Letby's attacks were 'complete betrayal of trust' Pascale Jones of the CPS said: Lucy Letby sought to deceive her colleagues and pass off the harm she caused as nothing more than a worsening of each babys existing vulnerability. In her hands, innocuous substances like air, milk, fluids - or medication like insulin - would become lethal. She perverted her learning and weaponised her craft to inflict harm, grief and death. Time and again, she harmed babies, in an environment which should have been safe for them and their families. Her attacks were a complete betrayal of the trust placed in her. My thoughts are with families of the victims who may never have closure, but who now have answers to questions which had troubled them for years. 01:11 PM BST Judge - Letby 'has no remorse' Mr Justice Goss continued: There was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions. During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing. You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors. Sentencing her to a whole-life order for each offence, he said: You will spend the rest of your life in prison. 01:09 PM BST Judge - 'Cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder' During his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Goss said: By their nature and number such murders and attempted murder by a neo-natal nurse entrusted to care for them is a case of very exceptional circumstances. He said: This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder He added: You killed seven fragile babies and attempted to kill six others. Some of your victims were only a day or a few days old. All were extremely vulnerable. 01:05 PM BST Lucy Letby sentenced to whole life order Lucy Letby has been sentenced to a whole life order at Manchester Crown Court. The sentence means the 33-year-old will spend the rest of her life in prison for the murders of seven babies and attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital. 12:53 PM BST Judge - 'Parents robbed of their cherished children' Mr Justice Goss told Manchester Crown Court: The impact of your crimes has been immense. He said lifelong harm had been caused after Letby targeted babies whose lives were cut short almost as soon as they began. The judge said: All in horrific circumstances. He added: Loving parents have been robbed of their cherished children. You have caused deep psychological trauma. 12:51 PM BST Judge - Letby kept 'morbid records' after baby deaths Mr Justice Goss said Letby took opportunities to harm babies while staff were on breaks. He said: You knew the last thing anyone working in the unit would or did think was that someone caring for the babies was deliberately harming them. He said handover sheets relating to all but the first four babies were found when police searched Letbys home. He said: Im satisfied you started to keep these documents after the initial attacks in June 2015 as morbid records of the dreadful events surrounding the collapses of your victims and what you had done to them. 12:50 PM BST Court cameras to blackout to protect anonymity This court feed will cut to a slate multiple times after the judges initial introduction, as the judge is expected to name families whose identities are protected by reporting restrictions. 12:43 PM BST Judge - Letby showed 'premeditation, calculation and cunning' Mr Justice Goss told Manchester Crown Court: There was premeditation, calculation and cunning in your actions. He said Letby relished being in the intensive care unit where she took an interest in uncommon complications and targeted twins and triplets. The judge said the defendant prided herself on her professionalism which enabled her to start harming children without suspicion. 12:39 PM BST Judge - 'You acted in way completely contrary to the normal human instincts' Sentencing Lucy Letby, Mr Justice Goss said: You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions. The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving but in each case you deliberately harmed them, intending to kill them. 11:57 AM BST Lucy Letby to be sentenced at 12.30pm Lucy Letby will be sentenced at 12.30pm at Manchester Crown Court. Mr Justice Goss adjourned the case when he said he would proceed to sentencing remarks. Earlier in the hearing, Ben Myers KC, defending, said there was nothing he was able to add in mitigation that was capable of reducing the sentence. He said: Miss Letby has maintained her innocence throughout these proceedings. She has now been convicted by the jury and the court therefore must and will proceed in accordance with the verdicts of guilty returned by the jury. 11:42 AM BST Victim statement: 'Happy and relieved' to learn Letby was being investigated The court has now heard from the mother of Child N, whose baby did not die, but said she always knew her son had been deliberately harmed. She said that she felt happy and relieved when the police got in contact to say they were investigating Letby because we felt like we were being listened to. Finally we would receive some answers, she said. She said: We just questioned why a healthy baby boy was fine one minute and bleeding from the mouth and needing CPR the next. The woman outlined the impact on her family all because of the evil actions of someone else. Our trust in people in a position of trust has been completely broken, she added. 11:32 AM BST Victim statement: 'Harrowing murder trial gave me flashbacks' In a recorded statement the mother of two children Letby murdered said the trial was harrowing and listening to the evidence gave her flashbacks, Neil Johnston reports. The police investigation has made the last few years unbearable. While the father of two children Letby tried to kill said that during the trial seeing Letby had made him feel uncomfortable. There was a day when I was at the trial and the public gallery was full and I was sat in Lucy Letbys line of view and she kept looking over at me. That made me feel quite uncomfortable and uneasy and I had to move in the afternoon so I was out of her view. 11:10 AM BST Victim statement - 'I will no longer leave my kids in a hospital' In another statement, a mother of a baby, known as Child I, said he will no longer leave her children in a hospital following her daughters death. The statement said: I dont think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her and everything she went through over her short life was deliberately done by someone who was supposed to protect her and help her come home where she belonged. We struggle with trust. I wont leave my kids in a hospital, we will never give any one that type of trust with our kids again. We should be watching her grow playing with her friends and her brothers and sisters and we have to live with the fact that was all taken away from her in the most cruellest way. 11:03 AM BST Victim statement: 'I prayed to God to save premature daughter' The court has now heard from the father of Child G, who Letby was found guilty of attempting to murder twice. In a statement he said: Every day I would sit there and pray. I would pray for God to save her. He did. He saved her, but the devil found her. He said their prematurely born child had brain damage, was registered blind, and was fed through a tube. Speaking about receiving the call to say someone was arrested, he said: I just didnt expect that. I just want it to be over now. 10:48 AM BST Letby's refusal to enter court 'one final act of wickedness' The family of one of Lucy Letbys victims have described her refusal to appear at her sentencing as one final act of wickedness from a coward. The mother of Baby E whose brother Letby also attempted to murder told the court the NHS nurse caused harm and cruelty to our boys I still struggle to understand why it happened to us...The lies she has told fill me with anger. We are living a life sentence because of Lucys crimes. She said that while families had attended court day in day out Letbys refusal to attend sentencing was one final act of wickedness from a coward. 10:35 AM BST Victim statement: 'I used to cry every day - did I fail my daughter?' Returning to Manchester Crown Court where more harrowing victim impact statements are being read out. The mother of Child D said Letby was clearly disconnected with god and told of her heartbreak wondering if she had failed her daughter, Neil Johnston reports. Did I miss something, did I do something wrong, did I fail my daughter? I used to cry every day, I felt so empty. We wanted justice and that day has come. 10:32 AM BST Rishi Sunak: New laws coming in wake of Letby's sentencing refusal Rishi Sunak said serial child murderer Lucy Letby was cowardly for refusing to appear for her sentencing hearing. The Prime Minister was asked during a visit to a nursery in North Yorkshire whether the Government was too slow in changing the law to force her to be in the dock. He told broadcasters: The first thing is to extend my sympathies to everyone affected by this. I think, like everyone reading about this, its just shocking and harrowing. Now, I think its cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims and hear first hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones. We are looking and have been at changing the law to make sure that that happens and thats something that well bring forward in due course. 10:27 AM BST Victim statement: 'I'm horrified someone so evil exists' In another statement, the brave mother of Child C has told the court of her heartbreak and anger of Letbys murder of her son, Neil Johnston reports. Eight years have passed our grief was just as heavy it was. she said. I miss everything we should have had, first smile, first word. Describing Letby, she said: I am horrified that someone so evil exists..In your own words you killed them on purpose, you are evil, you did this 10:24 AM BST Rishi Sunak brands Letby 'cowardly' for avoiding victims Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it is cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims as serial child murderer Lucy Letby refused to appear for her sentencing hearing. 10:19 AM BST Victim statement: Letby thought it was her right to 'play God with children's lives' After the prosecutions opening statement, the court is now hearing victim impact statements from the families, Neil Johnston reports. The family of Child A told how his death had left a gaping hole in their lives. In a harrowing victim impact statement read out by the prosecutor, they told Letby: You thought it was your right to play god with our childrens lives. 10:16 AM BST Prosecutor: 'Very, very clear case' for whole-life tariff order Nicholas Johnson KC, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court Letbys offending was a very, very clear case for a whole-life tariff to be imposed. He said the murders qualified on a number of grounds, including that they were premeditated and they involved an elements of sadistic conduct. Mr Johnson said there was also more than one victim and those victims were children. The prosecutor opened his remarks by confirming that the defendant has refused to come into court. 10:07 AM BST Lucy Letby refuses to appear at sentencing Lucy Letby has refused to appear at her sentencing at Manchester Crown Court. Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said that Letby had refused to appear in court and has argued her offences were so serious she should face a whole life order 10:00 AM BST Letby inquiry defended by minister As we await sentencing proceedings to start, a minister has defended the non-statutory inquiry announcement by the Government into the crimes of Lucy Letby amid calls for it to be put on a statutory footing led by a judge. Childrens minister Claire Coutinho argued that the independent inquiry launched after Letbys convictions on Friday will be much quicker. But Dame Christine Beasley, a former chief nursing officer, warned that witnesses can opt out of it if they want to as she joined a growing list of figures pushing for the investigation to be strengthened. Letby, 33, was convicted last week of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more during her shifts on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. Ms Coutinho told Sky News on Monday: A non-statutory inquiry is often much quicker. 09:39 AM BST Recap: NHS manager who ignored serious concerns about Lucy Letby suspended A senior NHS manager who allegedly ignored warnings over serial baby killer Lucy Letby has been suspended, The Telegraph has learned, report Joe Pinkstone, Janet Eastham, Steve Bird and Harry Brennan. Alison Kelly was accused in court of failing to act when doctors raised serious concerns about the nurse during her tenure as director of nursing and quality at the Countess of Chester Hospital where Letby murdered seven babies. Ms Kelly is now a director of nursing at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust in the Manchester area and local politicians called for her position to be investigated by ministers. It emerged on Sunday that she has now been suspended due to several allegations that emerged during the court case. Read more here. 09:27 AM BST Recap: Lucy Letby was expecting us, says detective Lucy Letby did not bang on the table to protest her innocence but instead had anticipated her arrest, a leading detective in the case has revealed, reports Steve Bird. Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes said Letbys unusual but controlled manner during police interviews raised suspicions that she had been expecting a police visit. The Cheshire Constabulary officer, who led the investigation, said Letby appeared remarkably calm for someone arrested for the first time. Read more here. 09:21 AM BST Recap: Letby can be forced to face families in court Lucy Letby can be forced to appear in court and face the victims of her crimes when she is sentenced on Monday, the Government has said, Daniel Martin and Dominic Penna report. A source told The Telegraph prison officers may use lawful enforcement to ensure that the child killer cannot remain in her cell when the judge hands down his sentence. Letby has vowed to refuse to appear in court to hear the punishment she will face, along with statements from the families of the seven babies she killed. Since the guilty verdicts were announced on Friday, calls have been growing for action to ensure that the 33-year-old former nurse is forced to appear when her sentence is read out on Monday. Read more here. 09:14 AM BST Will Letby attend court? Letby may attend court although she previously indicated she did not intend to return to the dock, did not want to take any part in her sentencing hearing, and would not follow the hearing via video-link from prison. Mr Justice Goss said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but a Government source told the Telegraph lawful enforcement could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate. Lucy Letby should be in court to hear societys condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge, the source told the PA news agency. If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can. 09:12 AM BST Telegraph launches Lucy Letby live blog Good morning, The Telegraph will provide live updates of the sentencing of Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history. Letby is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced at Manchester Crown Court. On Friday, the 33-year-old was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Lucy Letbys parents did not attend court to see their daughter sentenced after she was convicted of being the most prolific baby killer in modern British history. The neonatal nurses parents, Susan, 63, and John, 77, attended Manchester Crown Court every day during her 10-month trial. However, they did not appear on Monday as relatives of Letbys victims read out moving personal statements during her sentencing hearing. Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. Her parents had been so determined to hear all the evidence against their daughter that they relocated to Manchester from their home in Hereford. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Early last week, when the jury reported the first guilty murder verdicts, Mrs Letby broke down in court, crying out: You cant be serious. This cannot be right. She was still weeping as she left the courtroom, and neither parent was in court last Friday, when the final guilty verdicts were handed down. In December 2011, Letby who had suffered from an overactive thyroid gland since she was 11 gained her BSc in child nursing. Her mother and father, described by neighbours as a modest, professional couple, posted a notice in the Hereford Times, reading: We are so proud of you after all your hard work. Love Mum and Dad. The bond between Mr and Mrs Letby and their daughter, who they had helped move into her new home in Chester, became evident during the trial when the jury was read a WhatsApp exchange with Dr Alison Ventress, a work colleague. Dr Ventress was considering relocating to New Zealand and was encouraging Letby to come with her, but she responded: Not brave enough to up and leave everything. I couldnt leave my parents, they would be completely devastated. Find it hard enough being away from me now, and it is only 100 miles. Inside Lucy Letby prison Nicholas Johnson KC, prosecuting, opened his remarks at the sentencing on Monday by confirming that Letby had refused to come into court. The mother of Child E, a premature-born boy who died, and Child F, his twin brother who survived, told the court the nurses refusal to appear was just one final act of wickedness from a coward. Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, was given a whole life order when Mr Justice Goss handed down the sentence. More than a dozen relatives of Letbys victims sat in the public gallery for the hearing on Monday, and eight jurors returned to see the sentencing. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Editors Note: Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. The loss of Luna 25, Russias first moon mission in decades, likely came down to engine failure, Yury Borisov, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, told state media on Monday. Before making adjustments, the spacecraft reoriented, and at 14:10 the engines were turned on, that were supposed to correct the course and lead the spacecraft to pre-landing orbit. Unfortunately, the engine shutdown did not occur normally in accordance with the cyclogram, but according to a temporary cutoff, Borisov said in an interview that aired on the state station Russia-24, which was shared by Roscosmos. Instead of the planned 84 seconds, the engine worked for 127 seconds, he added. This was the main cause of the spacecrafts crash. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He added that the engine burn had been previously tested on ground simulators, according to the interview. Roscosmos lost contact with the Luna 25 spacecraft on Saturday. The mission was declared dead by the following day. The entire experiment was carried out in the zone of stable radio communication, Borisov said, indicating that contact was likely severed solely because the spacecraft crash-landed. Roscosmos, through its Telegram channel, already revealed that Luna 25 was attempting to use its onboard thrusters to adjust its orbit before the loss of communication occurred. The spacecraft was headed for the moons south pole region, where it was expected to land as soon as Monday. But attempts to regain contact with Luna 25 over the weekend were unsuccessful, leading Roscosmos to conclude it crash-landed. A special commission will investigate the reasons for the loss of Luna 25, the Russian space agency said. Borisov said the interruption of the lunar program for almost 50 years also played a part in the crash. We have to essentially master all the technologies all over again of course, at a new technical level, he said. A report from Russias state-owned news agency, TASS, also revealed that the country now plans to expedite its plans for additional Luna missions, including Luna 26 and Luna 27. Putting the setback in perspective Luna 25 was expected to mark a massive milestone for Russias civil space program. The country has not landed a spacecraft on the moon since the Soviet era. The last Luna mission, Luna 24, landed on the moon on August 18, 1976. The moons south pole is an area of widespread interest in the global space community because it remains largely unexplored. The region is also believed to be home to stores of water ice, which could be a valuable resource for future deep-space missions, according to scientists. Water ice could provide rocket fuel and even drinking water for astronauts. Russias Luna 25 was expected to land closer to the moons south pole than any mission in history. Indias lunar lander Chandrayaan-3 remains in the running to achieve this milestone. The spacecraft is aiming to attempt its landing as soon as Wednesday. The area is difficult to reach because of the orbital mechanics involved. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com It turns out that stoners are late ticket buyers, quips Louie Mendicino. A veteran business owner and organizer of mayhemic rock throw-downs, Mendicino knows how to sell tickets at scale, but hes slightly bearish on turnout at the first Chicago Cultivate Festival, a three-day music and marijuana (and culinary) bash. Its just as well because Cultivate isnt about the margins. Its about edifying a misinformed populace mostly by way of music but partly by way of peer-to-peer learning. This event is stacked with highly learned vendors, non-profits and local creatives. (Rap hero Vic Mensa is scheduled to perform. Mensa is a founder of the cannabis brand 93 Boyz and is pro-cannabis, and there is plenty more where he came from.) You could walk up to one of our booths and ask, Whats CBD? Mendicino says. What are its medical properties? How is it medically beneficial? Advertisement Cultivate takes place Aug. 25-27 within the confines of The Nursery, a Near West Side lot spanning 60,000 square feet. Although centrally located, its a humble space and indicative of what Mendicino is up against. Our biggest challenge and by no means are we over the hill yet is existing in relation to the cannabis industry, Mendicino says. The reason we started this is to bridge the gap between the cannabis industry and the consumer. Were here to educate people on the industry. Advertisement Friday Terry Zwigoffs Crumb is perhaps the squirmiest portraiture in all of nonfiction cinema. But dont worry about Fridays headliner, a Brooklyn foursome that calls itself Crumb and in so doing is guilty of duplicitous advertising. Theres nothing Zwigoffian or otherwise unpalatable about the band. These guys hit it off as classmates at an exclusive liberal arts college and their recumbent, sunshiny aristo-rock is pure layabout fantasy that is, until you dig deeper. Crumbs lyrics reveal a quivering apprehension. Manor-bred dream pop fraught with hidden meaning? That in itself is an enticing prospect, but its worth sticking around on Friday for the perky two-stepping organ pop of Andy Frasco and The U.N. Alex Stiff, Marc Cazorla and Chris Vos of The Record Company perform at St. Andrews Hall on May 23, 2017, in Detroit, Michigan. (Scott Legato/Getty Images) Saturday Mendicino ascribes to the melting pot theory of coalition building and sure enough, Saturdays roster lives up to that grand ideal with beaucoup spices. If youre a stickler for variety, what more could you want? Promotional materials for Cultivate list the Record Companys name in oversized print and why not. The Record Company is as good, and as visible, as any newish band doing the neo-blues Muscle Shoals thing. Other performers scheduled for the 26th include the Black Lips, whose rough-hewed surf rock is a bummy delight, and The Pharcyde, whose bickersome ways have long been a nuisance. Still, the group changed hip hop forever with its deliriously free-form and hyperactive 1992 debut. From a geospatial perspective, possibly the biggest get of the entire weekend was Graveyard. Dont be fooled by the bands very Swedish efficiency. True, they embody the precept of working smart rather than hard (their fourth and most recent album came out in 2018). But these guys are unashamed filth mongers, reveling in chin-high guitar sludge. Frontman Joakim Nilsson is pretty much the wicked warlock of Scandinavia, emitting freakishly pitched sound waves, but hes very travel-shy; continental Europe is about as far as hell travel for face-melting purposes. In fact, Cultivate is Graveyards only U.S. gig of 2023. How did Mendicino lure these choosy devils to our fair city? It wasnt easy, he says with a wry chuckle. But, look, Im a music fan. There were some things I chased down because every band on this bill has universal appeal. And I think Graveyard epitomizes that, right? Weve got that dark rock n roll edge, but also beautiful melodic tones. Singer GZA performs in a concert at the Postbahnhof on Feb. 7, 2012, in Berlin, Germany. (Frank Hoensch/Getty Images/Getty Images) Sunday I came up in the 90s, Mendicino says. Im a music fan across the board and Im certainly a 90s hip hop fan. That much is obvious from his recruitment of founding Wu-Tang member GZA. A literal chess master, GZAs embrace of cold, hard didactical rigor set him apart; he wasnt a stream-of-conscious wild man like some of his groupmates, though his imagination was rich in its own right. On Sunday hell be joined by his four-piece backing band for an album-length rendition of Liquid Swords. Please be cautioned that Liquid Swords is devoid of summer cheer. Its a sci-fi epic so grim and methodical it might freeze your blood. Afterward, youll want to soak up the relatively easygoing desert rock vibrations of Earthless (to say nothing of multifarious reggae scion Julian Marley). What to know When and where: 2-10 p.m. Aug. 25-27 (rain-or-shine) at The Nursery, 1800 W. Lake St. Advertisement Getting there: Parking is available outside the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., just south of Cultivate. Or take the CTA to the Ashland & Lake Green Line stop. Tickets: Reentry is permitted only for VIP ticket holders. General admission includes access to the dispensary shuttle, but GA pass holders cant otherwise leave festival grounds. One-day general admission passes start at $49.98. One-day VIP passes are $89.98. Three-day passes range in price from $99.98 to $219.98 (all tickets ages 21+) at chicagocultivate.com Dayton Public Schools is investigating how an elementary school student wandered off campus during school hours on Friday. The boys mother, Donriel Norvell, told News Center 7 she found out her son was missing when she got a phone call from her other son saying his brother didnt get on the bus. I instantly knew something wasnt right when my son called me because the school never called me, she said. They never contacted me, they did not know my baby was gone until my son handed them the phone and notified them that his brother was missing. >> Back to School: Police say parents popular social media trend not that innocent ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Norvell said when she got in contact with the school, they gave her news that no parent wants to hear. They say Im so sorry Ms. Norvell, I have some disturbing news. We looked on a camera and I guess during school hours, we saw your son exit the building, she said. I hung up the phone, I dial 911, and I let police know that my school did not know where my son was. Norvell then took to social media to ask for help finding her son. My son was missing for approximately two hours. Everybody shared it, she said. Norvell said her son was eventually found in the Trotwood area. My baby walked all the way over there from Fairview by himself. So the police went and got my son and brought him back to the school, Norvell said. >> Cooling centers open in Dayton with hot temps expected this week She described the moment she found out she had her son back. It was a good feeling but it was scary because I didnt know what the outcome of it would be, she said. She now wants answers from the school. They neglected my child. Like, they left my baby. My baby was gone for a very long time, she said. Dayton Public Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence confirmed in a statement to News Center 7 Monday that the district launched an investigation into the incident on Friday. The district began a full-scale investigation into this incident on Friday, which includes reviewing video footage of the student exiting the building. This morning, a team was on the ground at Fairview when the building opened to collect additional information, Lawrence said. As a reminder, the safety of all students and staff is the districts utmost priority. The district would like to assure families that it will conduct a very thorough investigation and take steps to ensure similar incidents do not happen in the future, the statement continued. Norvell said she doesnt feel safe sending her kids to school anymore after what happened Friday. Im traumatized. I dont know what can happen next, she said. (KTLA) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 shook the Los Angeles area Sunday afternoon, just as Tropical Storm Hilary was drenching the region with torrential rain. The quake struck at 2:45 p.m. and was centered two miles east-southeast of Ojai in Ventura County at a depth of one kilometer, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake could be felt sharply across a wide swath of the L.A. area, including Hollywood and Long Beach, and was followed by several aftershocks, including several reaching or exceeding a magnitude of 3.0. Ojai Quake There were no immediate reports of serious damage, however, the Los Angeles Fire Department activated its earthquake mode in which all 106 neighborhood fire stations conducted rapid infrastructure surveys in their districts. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement No issues were found and no injuries were reported, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced around 4:15 p.m. This is an area with a large concentration of faults but has not seen a lot of earthquakes over the 90 years that Cal Tech has been recording [them], said seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones, adding that several foreshocks preceded the Ojai quake starting Saturday morning. Significant damage to a building would be extremely unlikely and it would only happen if you really had something wrong with your building, said Jones. I would imagine, just knowing what [magnitude] fives are in Southern California, that seeing some wine bottles tipped over at Trader Joes would be pretty likely. Hundreds of earthquakes are recorded in California each year. Many are extremely minor, however, dozens measure over 3.0 magnitude. According to the California Department of Conservation, the strongest quake ever recorded in the Golden State measured 7.9 magnitude and struck Fort Tejon on Jan. 9, 1857. There was no tsunami threat following the quake, the National Weather Service said. The quake struck just as rain from Tropical Storm Hilary, the first tropical storm to hit California since 1939, began to intensify. The NWS issued Flash Flood Warnings for much of Los Angeles County, including areas where the quake was felt acutely. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Kansas City, Kansas, police have identified the 52-year-old man found dead Thursday. The man suspected of killing him has since been arrested in Texas. Just after 3 a.m. Thursday, police were called to the 7300 block of Troup Avenue, said Nancy Chartrand, a spokeswoman with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. There, officers found a man dead inside an apartment. Police on Sunday identified the victim as Walter Sawyer, III, of Kansas City, Kansas. It was the 17th homicide this year in Kansas City, Kansas, including two fatal shootings by police, according to data kept by The Star. This embedded content is not available in your region. A suspect has been taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and theft. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police said Joel Noel, 50, was arrested in San Antonio by U.S. Marshals and is being held in Texas on a $300,000 bond until he can be extradited back to Wyandotte County. The homicide is still under investigation by police. Authorities ask that anyone with information on the killing contact the anonymous Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). A 39-year-old Pennsylvania man is accused of assaulting a teenage boy in Menallen Township, according to state police. An officer with the Pennsylvania State Police responded to an address in Menallen at about 4 p.m. on Aug. 19, a police news release said. The man, who identified himself as the Uniontown Ninja, is accused of punching a 15-year-old and hitting the boys head against a wall several times because he did not make him a sandwich, police said. Uniontown is a community a short distance away from Menallen. A warrant was issued for the mans arrest, the release said. He is facing charges of simple assault and harassment, WPXI reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Menallen is roughly 45 miles south of Pittsburgh. Man tries to kidnap teen then follows him home and poses as investigator, OK cops say Man trying to catch falling gun shoots girlfriend at state fair, Kentucky police say Referee stops game because of rough play. Then she was beaten, Indiana officials say Ambushed business owner opens fire on masked men, killing them both, Texas cops say A Lexington man was charged with multiple sex crimes involving children and animals, the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office said Monday. Charles Kevin Bourne, 58, was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, in addition to one count of buggery, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a news release. Bourne became the target of an investigation following a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the release. The investigation showed that Bourne distributed files of child sexual abuse material (also known as child pornography), and had sex with animals, the S.C. Attorney Generals Office said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Bourne was arrested Aug. 16, according to the release. Hes not listed on the Lexington County Detention Centers inmate roster, and there was no word on bond. If convicted on the charges of felony sexual exploitation of a minor, Bourne faces a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison for each count, according to South Carolina law. A conviction on the felony buggery charge, which South Carolina lawmakers defined as an abominable crime, carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, according to state law. The case was investigated by members of the S.C. Attorney Generals Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Lexington County Sheriffs Department assisted with the arrest, according to the release. The S.C. Attorney Generals Office will prosecute the case it said involved heinous and abusive crimes. A man charged with two terror offences over Northern Irelands biggest data breach was trying to identify the home addresses of police officers named in the leak and had images of explosive detonators on his phone, a court heard on Monday. Christopher Paul OKane, 50, was charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists and possession of two mobile phones for use in terrorism at Coleraine magistrates court in Co Antrim. Personal data on all almost 10,000 serving members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI ), was mistakenly published earlier this month in response to a Freedom of Information request. The court, which was sitting in Ballymena, was told OKane, from Main Street, in Feeny, was arrested at his home on Friday and two phones were discovered in his bedroom. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A PSNI officer told the court that OKane was in possession of a spreadsheet containing names from the data leak on a phone found at his Dungiven home. The court heard that parts were highlighted which included details of sections of officers. The officer said OKane, who refused to stand when the charges were read to him, had registered with a website that could be used to search for addresses using surnames. Police believe OKane was intending to use the data to attempt to identify the home addresses of those named, the officer said, A defence solicitor said there was no evidence the material had been used for any nefarious purposes or with any intent. Bail was refused and OKane, who sat handcuffed between two officers, was remanded in custody for four weeks. Last week, a 39-year-old man was detained following a search in Lurgan, County Armagh. He was questioned on suspicion of collection of information likely to be of use to terrorists, and later released on bail to allow for further police enquiries. The leak put details including the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit where they work in Northern Ireland, where the terror threat is classed as severe. The breach was originally blamed on a junior employee but the information request had in fact gone through five processes in four police departments. Data breaches A number of other data breaches have since come to light, including the loss of a police officers laptop and notebook which contained details of 42 officers and members of staff after the items fell from a moving vehicle last week. Chief Constable Simon Byrne, who has refused to resign, confirmed last week that dissident republicans had access to the information and he believed it would be used to intimidate and target police. In February, dissident republicans were blamed for the attempted murder of John Caldwell, a senior PSNI detective. A document with a threatening message posted close to the Sinn Fein office in the Falls Road, Belfast, included information about a substantial number of police officers and staff, although their names had been removed. Graffiti referring to the Royal Ulster Constabulary, which was replaced by the PSNI after the end of the Troubles, appeared on a west Belfast wall over the weekend, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The words RUC, beware. See you soon. IRA were accompanied by a crosshairs symbol. The same newspaper also reported police in Co Armagh are worried the leaked data is in the hands of The Firm; a gang with a history of execution-style murders and drug dealing. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kansas City police are investigating a homicide after a man was found shot outside a laundromat Monday morning. Just before 1:30 a.m. police were called to 7000 Eastwood Trafficway for a shooting. When officers arrived they found an adult man lying in the parking lot with gunshot wounds. EMS later pronounced the man dead at the scene. Missouris new texting and driving law even bans holding your phone Police identified the victim as 31-year-old Stephen Carter. KCPD has not released any additional information about potential suspects. Officers said it is unclear what led up to the shooting. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has more information is asked to call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or submit an anonymous tip through the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. A 71-year-old man who was found dead following an evacuation from the Head Fire in Northern California last week has been identified, the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office said. Ken Lee Oliver of Scott Bar was found dead in the driveway of his home on Roxbury Drive following an evacuation of the area on Aug. 15. Oliver was found at 2:23 a.m. the next morning, the Sheriffs Office said. This is an on-going investigation, the Sheriffs Office said in a news release. An autopsy will be conducted in the near future to determine the cause of death. The Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Oliver. Olivers hometown of Scott Barr and nearby Hamburg are still under evacuation orders as the Head Fire, and others in the Happy Camp Fire Complex continue to burn in the Klamath National Forest. U.S. Forest Service officials in a Monday morning update reported the Head Fire at 6,419 acres (10 square miles). The Happy Camp complex has surpassed 10,500 acres (16 square miles) with no containment. Hundreds of residents remain under mandatory evacuation orders, with approximately 1,600 structures threatened. Deputies in Floyd County arrested a man after they say he intentionally and maliciously killed a cat, then created a panic by tossing a fake pipe bomb into a business. On July 25, deputies say Zachary Ky Murphy, 31, bought a cat from a pet store, and less than two hours after purchasing it, the cat was found on another persons property, dead and badly burnt. According to the Rome Police Department, on the same day, Murphy threw a black round cylindrical metal container that simulated a pipe bomb into Alpha Smoke Shop and then quickly ran away from the business. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The smoke shop was evacuated and the Floyd County Bomb Squad responded. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Murphy was charged with a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor charge of hoax device and terroristic threats and acts. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Last week, Abigail Jo Shry, 43, of Alvin, Texas, was arrested by federal agents and charged with threatening to kill the federal judge overseeing the prosecution of former President Donald Trump. A week earlier, Craig Robertson, 75, of Provo, Utah, was shot and killed by FBI agents who were trying to arrest him on charges of making social media threats against President Joe Biden and the Manhattan district attorney who has brought charges against Trump. A month before that, Adam Bies, 47, of Mercer, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of making threats online against federal officers. Bies was arrested after an armed standoff with FBI agents at his home last August; he faces 10 years in prison. The flood of news stories about people being arrested, jailed or killed over threats does not come by chance. The number of people being federally prosecuted for threats has skyrocketed in recent years. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Last year, federal officials charged more people over public threats against elected officials, law enforcement and judicial officials, educators and health care workers than in any of the previous 10 years, according to research from the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. This year the trend has continued, said Seamus Hughes, a senior researcher on the team. We're on track to meet, if not surpass, the number of federal arrests when it comes to communicating threats against public officials this year, Hughes said. Trend lines are going up violent rhetoric is on the rise, and is unfortunately becoming normalized, and that's concerning. A year ago this month, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint warning about rising threats against law enforcement officials. The warning came days after FBI agents searched Trumps Florida club and residence, Mar-a-Lago, looking for the classified documents over which Trump has since been indicted. PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - JUNE 11: Supporters of former President Donald Trump gather near his Mar-A-Lago home after he was indicted on a new set of charges related to the mishandling of classified documents on June 11, 2023 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is expected to be arraigned in Miami on Tuesday. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775989086 ORIG FILE ID: 1497710886 Trump, who is seeking the GOP nomination to run again in 2024, also faces another federal indictment in Washington, D.C., and local indictments in New York and Georgia. After the Georgia indictment, material circulated on right-wing sites purporting to be photos or home addresses of the grand jurors in the case, along with discussions of threats against them. In this charged political environment where a presidential front-runner may also be on trial experts warn, threatening rhetoric is only likely to increase. The University of Nebraska data is a snapshot of a broader trend; it captures only prosecutions by the federal government. Many more threats are investigated each year by local law enforcement, and even more are never reported, said Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism. All sorts of agencies have reported increases in threats, Pitcavage said. There are a lot of people out there using language to get people angry. Once that anger kindles a threat, it can lead to encounters with law enforcement. By that time, no matter whether the original threat seemed realistic, danger often becomes a reality. From Georgia: Trump may be indicted. But 2020 still casts a shadow over this state's elections A range of threats Federal law contains provisions that outlaw threats in various forms: against federal officials or their families, federal employees, federal agencies, witnesses and voters. The law also broadly prohibits any communication containing a threat if it crosses state or country lines in any way a scenario that often applies to communication on a phone network or the internet. Threats, on their own, may not always seem equally likely to lead to violence. Shry, the Texas woman charged with threatening a federal judge and Sheila Jackson Lee, a U.S. representative from Houston, had been charged locally over earlier threats. In the federal criminal complaint against her, investigators note that they interviewed her at her home and found she had no plans to travel to Washington DC or Houston to carry out anything she stated. Yet, agents concluded, Shry without question transmitted an interstate threat. Other threats rapidly escalate to violence. When Ricky Shiffer, a man in southern Ohio, opened an account on Truth Social last year, he began posting a litany of far-right extremist conspiracy theories fueled by outrage over the federal search of Mar-a-Lago. Just nine days later, he drove to an FBI office in Cincinnati with a rifle and a nail gun and tried to blast his way in. After a car chase and a standoff, he was shot and killed. Sometimes, the mere investigation of the threat turns deadly, as it did in Provo, Utah. Residents told local media they saw Robertson as a harmless older neighbor. But five years earlier, Robertson had confronted utility workers with a gun. The complaint in United States District Court against Craig Deleeuw Robertson. Robertson, an armed Utah man accused of making violent threats against President Joe Biden ,was shot and killed by FBI agents hours before the president was expected to land in the state Wednesday, authorities say. The shooting happened as special agents tried to serve a warrant at Robertson's home in Provo, south of Salt Lake City. And court documents in the federal case against him show him making detailed threats about execution-style shootings, citing a specific location and weapon. As agents moved in Aug. 9, he was shot and killed; the FBI said an internal investigation is ongoing. Threats not protected by the First Amendment People often act under the assumption that their speech is always protected by the First Amendment, Hughes said. But not all speech is protected, and the more specific the threat that is made, the more likely it is for prosecutors to take action, he said. For a prosecutor, the ideal case is as direct as humanly possible, Hughes said. Someone announces: I will kill someone on this day at this time at this location using this type of weapon. That's the ideal situation for a prosecutor. The complaint in United States District Court against Craig Deleeuw Robertson. Robertson, a Utah man accused of making violent threats against President Joe Biden, was shot and killed by FBI agents hours before the president was expected to land in the state Wednesday, authorities say. The shooting happened as special agents tried to serve a warrant at Robertson's home in Provo, south of Salt Lake City. Michael German, a former FBI special agent and a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justices Liberty and National Security Program at New York University, agreed. At the FBI, German said, he often had to look closely at communications to see whether they constituted a legitimate threat or were protected political speech. But legitimate threats cant be ignored, German said. The recipients are victims. They often feel fear and harassment. And its incumbent on law enforcement to investigate, because threats can lead to real-life acts of violence, he said. There is a pretty stark line between somebody saying something very mean and nasty about what bad things that should happen to you and a true threat, German said. Threats increasing The team at the University of Nebraska tallied how many federal prosecutions have been filed over threats in each year from 2013 to 2022. Over that decade, the number of such cases almost doubled, from 38 in 2013 to 74 in 2022, the researchers found. In a new analysis provided exclusively to USA TODAY, the team found 44 such prosecutions this year. The cases include threats against elected officials and law enforcement but also a few instances of threats against election workers and health care workers, including two cases in which Planned Parenthood was the alleged target. Hughes noted that the number of prosecutions is increasing not just because more people are making threats but also because the federal government has prioritized cases such as these. In the past, he said, the FBI and the Department of Justice would often pass such cases to local prosecutors rather than bringing them themselves. A dangerous situation Pitcavage, Hughes and other experts are quick to point out that not all threats against public officials come from the far right or from Trump supporters. Just this month, Tracy Marie Fiorenza, of Plainfield, Illinois, was charged by federal prosecutors after allegedly sending emails to the headmaster of a school in Palm Beach, Florida, threatening to kill Trump and his younger son, Barron. But the majority of the threats being prosecuted by the federal government are coming from the far right, Hughes said. Rachel Carroll Rivas, deputy director of research, reporting and analysis at the Southern Poverty Law Centers Intelligence Project, which has monitored the extreme right and antigovernment groups for decades, said her team has recently observed a marked increase in the advocacy for violence against public officials, elected officials and candidates. Carroll Rivas noted that recent polling from the law center shows that 41% of Republicans and 34% of Democrats believe some violence might be necessary to protect the country from radical extremists. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a visit to the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 12, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. By continuing to post disinformation on his social media account about the 2020 election and continuing to label his prosecution as an unfair and dangerous witch hunt, Trump and his allies are only fanning the flames of the anger felt by his base, Carroll Rivas said. When you mix significant acceptance of violence with conspiracy propaganda about the fairness and trustworthiness of our elections, it makes for a dangerous situation, she told USA TODAY. Pitcavage said the increase seems likely to continue. All sorts of people and institutions are going to continue to be getting a lot of threats, including scenarios we havent yet predicted, Pitcavage said. It's sort of like there's a gas leak in the country, and any match might set it off but you don't necessarily know who's got that match. Investigation: The military ordered big steps to stop extremism. Two years later, it shows no results Bart Jansen of USA TODAY contributed. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Threats on rise in US: More legal cases in threats of all types Antelopes on road to safety China Daily) 08:28, August 21, 2023 Tibetan antelopes cross the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in a leisurely fashion and head toward the Sanjiangyuan area in Northwest China's Qinghai province, last month. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA Located in Sanjiangyuan National Park in Northwest China's Qinghai province, Hoh Xil is an important habitat for Tibetan antelopes, which are under first-class State protection. Around May each year, tens of thousands of pregnant Tibetan antelopes start their migration to Hoh Xil to give birth and then leave with their offspring in late July. The Drolkar Lake area in Hoh Xil is a crucial birth ground for the species. During migration, they have to confront extreme weather and the threat from wild animals. Two rangers examine a vehicle's engine during a recent patrol in Hoh Xil, which is located in Sanjiangyuan National Park in Northwest China's Qinghai province. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA Patrollers in Hoh Xil have been guarding Tibetan antelopes for decades, and send calves left behind or that get separated from the herd, to the wildlife rescue center at the Sonam Dargye protection station. Since the establishment of Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve in 1997, six such protection stations have been built. In addition to working in shifts, batches of rangers go deep into the hinterland. Extreme conditions can be difficult to cope with. The patrols work at an average elevation of more than 4,600 meters, where oxygen levels are likely to be 55 percent lower than at sea level. Up to now, three generations of patrols have guarded Hoh Xil, which has become a landmark area for wildlife protection and ecological protection in China. Several rescued Tibetan antelope calves enjoy a new and safe home at the Sonam Dargye protection station in Hoh Xil. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA They have witnessed the dramatic change over the past decades in the region, where poaching sprees had once driven the species to the edge of extinction, causing its population to drop from 200,000 to 20,000 during the 1980s. Tibetan antelopes were hunted for their wool, which can be made into expensive shawls. Each shawl, priced as high as $50,000, was made at the expense of up to five antelopes. Since the early 1990s, China has initiated a string of actions to push back against poaching on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In 1996, the provincial-level nature reserve of Hoh Xil was officially established, before its elevation to a national-level nature reserve the following year. In 2021, the status of Tibetan antelopes was recategorized down from "endangered" to "near threatened", according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. A patrol navigates through heavy snow. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA Thanks to the country's active anti-poaching and biodiversity protection efforts in recent years, Hoh Xil is now home to more than 70,000 Tibetan antelopes. "Despite the high altitude, frigid temperature and thin air, Hoh Xil is a paradise for wildlife. Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, Tibetan wild donkeys, Tibetan foxes, brown bears and various other species live here," says Wang Xiangguo, director of the management bureau of Sanjiangyuan National Park. "Nowadays, Hoh Xil is China's largest world natural heritage site, boasting the highest average elevation and maintaining a high-altitude ecosystem and the iconic species of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," says Wang. He adds that it has become a vital "sanctuary of life" for once endangered rare wildlife. A patrol from the Drolkar Lake protection station of Hoh Xil pose in the snow for a photo. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA Rescued baby Tibetan antelopes are fed. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA A bird's-eye view of the Drolkar Lake protection station. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA Guo Xuehu, deputy head of the station, has worked there for 18 years. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA A motorbike patrol is silhouetted against a dramatic sky. ZHANG HONGXIANG/XINHUA (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) ATLANTA Former President Donald Trump says he will surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday to face charges in the case accusing him of illegally scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. Can you believe it? Ill be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED, Trump wrote on his social media network Monday night, hours after his bond was set at $200,000. Advertisement It will be Trumps fourth arrest since April, when he became the first former president in U.S. history to face indictment. Since then, Trump, who remains the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has had what has seemed like an endless procession of bookings and arraignments in jurisdictions across the country. His appearances in New York, Florida and Washington, D.C., have drawn enormous media attention, with news helicopters tracking his every move. Trumps announcement came hours after his attorneys met with prosecutors in Atlanta to discuss the details of his release on bond. The former president is barred from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case including on social media according to the bond agreement signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Trumps defense attorneys and the judge. It explicitly includes posts on social media or reposts of posts made by others. Advertisement Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House in 2024. He has been railing against Willis since before he was indicted, and singled out Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp a Republican who rebuffed his efforts to overturn the election by name in a social media post Monday morning. The agreement also prohibits the former president from making any direct or indirect threat of any nature against witnesses or co-defendants, and from communicating in any way about the facts of the case with them, except through attorneys. The order sets Trumps bond for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations or RICO charge at $80,000, and adds $10,000 for each of the 12 other counts he is facing. Bond is the amount defendants must pay as a form of collateral to ensure they show up for required court appearances. Willis set a deadline of noon Friday for Trump and his 18 co-defendants to turn themselves in to be booked. The prosecutor has proposed that arraignments for the defendants follow during the week of Sept. 5. She has said she wants to try the defendants collectively and bring the case to trial in March of next year, which would put it in the heat of the presidential nominating season. A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing. A phone message seeking comment was also left for an attorney for the former president. Trumps appearance in Georgia will come a day after the first Republican primary debate, which he has decided to skip. He is expected to turn himself in at the Fulton County jail, which has long been plagued with problems. The Department of Justice last month opened a civil rights investigation into conditions, citing filthy cells, violence and the death last year of a man whose body was found covered in insects in the main jails psychiatric wing. Three people have died in Fulton County custody in the past month. The Fulton County Sheriffs Office said in a news release Monday afternoon that when Trump surrenders there will be a hard lockdown of the area surrounding the jail. Advertisement But Trump is not expected to spend much time there. When defendants arrive at the building, they typically pass through a security checkpoint before checking in for formal booking in the lobby. During the booking process, defendants are typically photographed and fingerprinted and asked to provide certain personal information. Since Trumps bond has already been set, he will be released from custody once the booking process is complete. Unlike in other jurisdictions, in Fulton County, arraignments where a defendant first appears in court are generally set after a defendant completes the booking process and do not happen on the same day. Booking a former president, who still has 24-hour Secret Service protection, has created myriad security and logistical issues in other jurisdictions. In his past appearances in a New York state court and federal courts in Miami and Washington, Trump was not handcuffed while in custody. He was also not required to pose for a mugshot, with officials instead using existing photographs of the former president. Georgia officials have said Trump will be treated like others charged with crimes in their state. Advertisement Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesnt matter your status, well have a mugshot ready for you, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said at a news conference earlier this month. Trump was charged last week in the case alongside a slew of allies, who prosecutors say conspired to subvert the will of voters in a desperate bid to keep the Republican in the White House after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and he characterizes the case and the three others he is facing as efforts to hurt his 2024 presidential campaign. He has regularly used his Truth Social platform to single out prosecutors and others involved in his cases, and to continue to spread falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In a post on Monday, Trump called the Fulton County district attorney crooked, incompetent, & highly partisan. He also attacked Kemp, whom he has long targeted for the governors refusal to intervene after the 2020 election. Kemp has been outspoken in pushing back against Trump, writing in social media last week: The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen. Bond was also set Monday for three lawyers who were indicted along with Trump. For each of them, the bond for the RICO charge was set at $20,000, with varying amounts for the other charges they face. John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro each had a bond set at $100,000, while Ray Smiths bond is $50,000. Bail bondsman Scott Hall, who was accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County, had his bond set at $10,000. Advertisement Other defendants include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; Trump attorney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who aided the then-presidents efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia. The Georgia indictment came just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged Trump in a separate case in a vast conspiracy to overturn the election. Besides the two election-related cases, Trump faces a federal indictment accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents as well as a New York state case charging him with falsifying business records. Associated Press reporters Kate Brumback, Jeff Amy and Russ Bynum contributed. Torrence A young man who shot and killed a teenager nearly four years ago recently pleaded guilty to the crime. Just 16 at the time, Malik Treshawn Jones will be in his 30s by the time hes eligible for parole. Jones, now 20, accepted a plea offer last week in the killing of 19-year-old Artist Torrence on June 13, 2019. Through the plea agreement, Jones pleaded guilty to second-degree murder rather than going to trial for first-degree murder. His trial was set to begin this week. A judge sentenced the now 20 year old to 13.8 to 17.6 years in prison. In a previous court hearing, prosecutors said Torrence was in the wrong place at the wrong time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Torrence was sitting in a silver SUV with another teen at a house on Melrose Drive in Shelby when he was shot in the head and killed. More than a dozen shell casings littered the road, driveway and grass, and several other cars parked near the home were damaged by the bullets. The outbreak of violence was one in a series that seemed to indicate rival gangs retaliating against each other though Torrence was not part of it, prosecutors said in a previous hearing. Artist always embodied a cheerful spirit, smiling and spreading words of wisdom throughout his community. He lived life to the fullest; enjoying the company of family and friends, according to his obituary. Torrence had a love of music and played in the marching and concert bands at Shelby High School before graduation. He was working in Tennessee when he returned to Shelby and was shot and killed. Welcoming everyone with a loving, kind spirit and a warm heart was his way of bringing smiles to his community. He was a motivator; encouraging others to reach their highest potential, his obituary said. This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Man pleads guilty to fatally shooting Shelby teen In the Ukrainian capital, law enforcement officers detained a man who set fire to 12 military vehicles in Kyiv's Desnianskyi district in 2022-2023. Source: press service of the National Police in Kyiv Quote: "The offender made improvised ignition devices and attached them to military vehicles. Operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Kyiv City Police exposed the man while he was trying to destroy the 13th vehicle. He faces up to ten years in prison." Details: The Desnianskyi Police Department began to receive reports of car arsons in different streets of the district. All the cars were damaged with improvised devices. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Dmytro Shumeiko, head of the Kyiv police department, said that a series of arsons occurred at the end of 2022. Shumeiko said that more than 1,000 people were interrogated as witnesses, dozens of people were quickly investigated, and hundreds of gigabytes of video footage were analysed. The arsons were committed during a period of power outages, when there was no street lighting during Russian attacks on the city. All of the car users were military personnel and people related to the defence forces of Ukraine. photos: the National Police of Ukraine The offender stopped putting cars on fire when he felt that law enforcement officers were on the trail. However, in July 2023, the offender set fire to several military vehicles again. The law enforcement came across a 35-year-old local resident who moved to Kyiv from another region in 2014. The suspect was caught red-handed while planting an ignition device in another military vehicle. During a search of the detainee's belongings, police officers found and seized another improvised device. Quote from Shumeiko: "The offender made the devices himself, triggering them independently at a certain time. The detainee explained his actions by his negative attitude towards the military. The investigation into his involvement in other crimes, including those against the national security of Ukraine, is ongoing." More details: During the search of the offender's rented apartment in Kyiv, law enforcement officers seized mobile phones, a laptop, a Molotov cocktail and various electronic components wires, microcircuits, electronic connectors, switches, etc. So far, 12 cars that he damaged in Desnianskyi district have been identified. The offender was served with a notice of suspicion for committing a criminal offence under Part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine intentional destruction or damage to property by arson. The sanction of the article provides for 3 to 10 years in prison. The court took him into custody. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The man accused of stealing a Honda Civic and leading police on a chase north of Beech Grove has been released from the hospital and booked into jail after an officer shot him in the shoulder, according to court records. Gerald Smith, 42, is facing a preliminary charge of resisting law enforcement. He was shot by Darrin McGuire, an officer with Beech Grove Police Department for 23 years. The shooting, which happened Friday afternoon on the southeast side of Indianapolis, is being investigated by the Indiana State Police. The chase began when a Beech Grove officer spotted a maroon Honda Civic, which matched the description of a recently stolen vehicle. Smith, who was driving the Honda, pulled into a gas station in the 3700 block of Raymond Street, according to the probable cause affidavit for his arrest. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Beech Grove officer followed the Honda into the gas station parking lot and parked so that the front bumpers of both vehicles were touching. Indiana State Police officers and other investigators work the scene where a stolen vehicle pursuit ended with a person shot Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, on Raymond Street, west of the intersection with Emerson Avenue, in Indianapolis. ISP confirmed that a Beech Grove officer fired their weapon and the person fleeing in the stolen vehicle had a gunshot wound, as of 2 p.m. The suspect was in stable condition at the time. Previous coverage: State Police: Beech Grove officer fires shot after vehicle pursuit, 1 person injured Smith began slowly backing away despite the officer telling him to stop. Smith then put the Honda in drive, struck the officers vehicle and exited the parking lot onto Raymond Street, the affidavit reads. An officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department joined the chase and the Beech Grove officer tried twice to use his squad car to stop the stolen Honda, according to the affidavit. About a mile from where the chase began, the officer used his vehicle to stop the Honda on the third try by striking its rear quarter panel. The Honda spun out and became lodged on top of a raised median on Emerson Avenue, just south of the intersection with Raymond Street, according to the affidavit. The officer who chased Smith used his patrol car to box in the Honda. Two other Beech Grove officers arrived, including McGuire, and they also used their police vehicles to box in the stolen Honda. The officers got out of their vehicles and Smith began driving back and forth, striking the police cars with the officers nearby. Smith ignored commands from police and was reaching around inside his vehicle, according to the affidavit. As Smith was ramming into the police vehicles, McGuire fired one shot and struck Smith in the shoulder. Smith continued to try and free the Honda from the curb and disregarded commands from the officers. He eventually stopped trying to free the vehicle then refused to exit the Honda for several minutes before surrendering, the affidavit reads. Officers were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting, which remains under investigation, according to the Indiana State Police. No officers or uninvolved people were hurt. An attorney for Smith was not yet listed in online court records before publication of this article. Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Beech Grove police shooting: Man wounded by officer booked into jail Columbia County deputies are looking for a man accused of throwing a weed eater at a Walmart employee. Just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to the Walmart on Steiner Way in Grovetown for an assault. Deputies spoke with a Walmart customer service representative who said earlier in the day a man came to the customer service desk trying to return a weed eater, according to an incident report. When the man was told he could not return the item without a box, the employee said he threw the weed eater and a shopping bag at her, according to the report. The man left the store prior to deputies' arrival, according to the report. The employee told deputies she would like to prosecute. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Assault against homeless man: Man wanted for repeatedly hitting homeless person with gun; considered dangerous Schools reopen after shooting: Josey High, Murphey Middle reopen following school shooting in Augusta This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Customers throws weed eater at Walmart employee in Grovetown Lawyers for Mark Meadows asked a judge to dismiss the criminal charges against him. He faces RICO charges in Georgia for his efforts in Trump's scheme to overturn election results. His lawyers say he was just doing his job as Trump's chief of staff. Donald Trump's former chief-of-staff, Mark Meadows, has asked a judge to dismiss the new indictment against him, arguing that he was just doing his job and should be immune from the criminal charges. A grand jury in Atlanta brought the indictment against Meadows last week, accusing him of participating in a racketeering enterprise that sought to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election. Meadows is one of 19 people, including Trump, named as a defendant in the case. Meadows pressured Georgia state officials to take steps that would help Trump win the state's presidential election in 2020, even though he lost, the indictment from the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He also personally went to Georgia to watch a non-public vote audit, planned to delay Congress's vote certification on January 6, 2021, attended calls where Trump pressured Georgia officials to change election results, and arranged meetings with fake electors some of whom are also co-defendants in the case who plotted to falsely declare Trump the true winner of the 2020 election in several states, the indictment says. A day after the criminal charges were filed against Meadows, his attorneys moved to bring the case to federal court, rather than have the charges considered in a state-level court. The case was assigned to US District Judge Steve C. Jones, an appointee of former President Barack Obama. Jones hasn't yet decided whether to grant the move, but Meadows's lawyers asked the judge to dismiss the case anyway in a Monday filing. The new motion from Meadows's lawyers argues he's protected by the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution, which historically shields federal employees against interference from state officials. "The State's prosecution of Mr. Meadows threatens the important federal interest in providing the President of the United States with close, confidential advice and assistance, firmly entrenched in federal law for nearly 100 years," Meadows' lawyers wrote, citing a law review paper written by Supreme Court Justice Elana Kagan. As the US president's chief of staff, Meadows served in an "advice-and-assist function" whose conduct was part of "his official duties and the federal policy underlying them," his lawyers wrote. Even if state officials like Willis deem his activities as breaking state law, they're consistent with federal law and therefore protected, according to his lawyers. Meadows's lawyers also point out that Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith recently brought an indictment against Trump over his efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, but did not charge Meadows. It's a sign, they argue, that Meadows is protected by the Constitution's supremacy clause. "Indeed, neither the State of Georgia in its indictment, nor the United States in its recently charged case involving overlapping conduct, United States v. Trump, has accused Mr. Meadows of violating federal law," they wrote. "Even if they had, moreover, a federal official does not lose Supremacy Clause immunity based on a violation of federal law where the violation was not clear and willful." Read the original article on Business Insider Former President Donald Trump's niece on Sunday predicted that her uncle would regret having cameras in the Fulton County courtroom. Trump is expected to appear in a Fulton County court for his formal arraignment on racketeering and other charges over his effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Unlike the Manhattan and federal courts where Trump has been arraigned, Georgia courts allow cameras with a judge's approval. "I think it's going to have an enormous impact, because even for people who are his supporters and who think that this is a miscarriage of justice, this will be must-see TV," Mary Trump told MSNBC. "And Donald has always told them not to believe their lying eyes only to believe him," she added. "However, when he's the one they're looking at, it's going to be very difficult for him to spin away from what's actually happening in front of our eyes." Trump attorney John Lauro has called for cameras to also be in the courtroom for Trump's D.C. trial," she pointed out. "I think it's going to be monumentally important that there be cameras, at the very least in the Fulton County courtroom," she added. "I also think that it's going to be something that Donald himself is going to regret. And I think pretty quickly they're going to find out that that's really not something that they wanted after all." A video of Matt Damon schooling a reporter on the topic of education reform has resurfaced on Twitter/X, drawing widespread praise for the actor. Damon, who most recently starred in Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer as the Manhattan Project director General Leslie Groves, attended the Save Our Schools march in Washington DC in August 2011. While there, the actor was interviewed by a reporter from Reason.TV who suggested that teachers did not have a reason to work hard due to their contracts, whereas actors were driven to improve due to the temporary nature of their employment. You think job insecurity is what makes me work hard? Damon, who had a shaved head for Neill Blomkamps 2013 sci-fi thriller Elysium at the time, hit back. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I want to be an actor, its not an incentive, thats the thing, he continued. This is the problem with ed[ucation] policy right now, this intrinsically paternalistic view of problems that are much more complex than that. Its like saying a teacher is going to get lazy when they have tenure. A teacher wants to teach. I mean, why else would you take a s***ty salary and really long hours and do that job unless you really love to do it? The reporters cameraman then asked: Arent 10 per cent of teachers bad, though? Damons mother, who is a teacher, was standing alongside her son and asked: Where did you get that number from? Well, ok then, maybe youre a s***ty cameraman, I dont know, Damon followed up. The video was recently shared on X by user @docnoir_ who captioned it: Matt Damon actually f***ing rules. The tweet has garnered nearly 150,000 likes with people expressing their love for the actor in the replies. The way Matt Damon murdered the cameraman, one person said. I knew it was over when I heard intrinsically paternalistic, wrote another. Bro went Will Hunting mode, wrote a third, referencing his genius character in the 1997 drama, which Damon co-wrote with Ben Affleck. Damon recently revealed in an interview that he had promised his wife he would take a career break unless Chris Nolan called. I had not to get too personal negotiated extensively with my wife that I was taking time off. I had been in Interstellar, and then Chris put me on ice for a couple of movies, so I wasnt in the rotation, Damon joked of the director who famously enjoys working with actors on a recurring basis. But I actually negotiated in couples therapy this is a true story the one caveat to my taking time off was if Chris Nolan called, he said. This is without knowing whether or not he was working on anything, because he never tells you. He just calls you out of the blue. And so, it was a moment in my household. Oppenheimer is out now in cinemas. Poet and songwriter Mary Anne Anderson spends half of her time in Cambria. The rest of the time, she lives on the Hawaiian island of Maui, a short drive from Lahaina. Recent wildfires have devastated the seaside community and claimed at least 114 lives. One of the people who died in the Maui wildfires was Andersons friend, Maui Live Poets Society member Carole Hartley. We lost a loved one, said Anderson, who was in Maui when the fires hit. SLO County resident leads fundraising efforts in Maui In the wake of the Maui wildfires, Anderson is using her music, poetry and property to help her community. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She wrote a poem titled Ghost Wind of Lahaina, in which she compares the flames of fury that devastated Maui to a wind that blows through the island, leaving destruction in its wake. Ghost wind whines, shrieks like the banshee, folds the living into its arms and disappears, Anderson wrote in her poem. She said the heaviness of the grief has prompted her into action. The Maui Live Poets Society has been an important part of Mary Anne Andersons life on the island. Her friend and Maui Live Poets Society member, Carole Harley, pictured on the far right, lost her life in the fire. In their condminiums near Lahaina, Anderson and her husband, Ames, are sheltering two families who lost their homes in the Maui wildfires. Anderson encourages anyone with unharmed property on the island to do the same. It is unconscionable to have an empty condo when there are families in need, Mary Anne Anderson said. In addition to sheltering Lahaina residents, the Andersons, who perform acoustic music as the band Simple Pleasures, are putting on benefit concerts and donating the proceeds to the Maui Food Bank. Mary Anne Anderson and her husband Ames Anderson perform in a band called Simple Pleasures. Now, they are using their music to raise money for residents impacted by the Maui wildfires. They held their first benefit concert at Unity Church of Maui, where Mary Anne Anderson worships. Anderson is hopeful that the Maui community will rebuild and rise like a phoenix from the ashes. We are Maui strong, Anderson said. We are all ohana. We are all Maui and we all belong together. SLO County restaurant chain has Maui location Anderson isnt the only person with San Luis Obispo County ties who lost something in the Maui wildfires. Sean Corpuel is the owner and manager of Cool Cat Cafe, a small restaurant chain that has 1950s-style diners in San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach and Lahaina. Cool Cafe Cafe in Lahaina was destroyed in the fires along with another Lahaina restaurant owned by Corpuel, Captain Jacks Island Grill. In response, Corpuel launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help more than 120 restaurant employees who lost their jobs due to the destruction. This photo provided by Maui County shows fire and smoke filling the sky from wildfires on the intersection at Hokiokio Place and Lahaina Bypass in Maui, Hawaii on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. More than half of them have lost their homes and vehicles as well, Corpuel wrote on the GoFundMe page. We are so thankful that they survived but the devastation is just beginning. In the short term, many are without food, water, clothes, toiletries, hygiene products, or a bed to sleep in. Our staff is our extended family, he added. It is heartbreaking to think of the crisis they are in. As of midday Monday, more than $114,000 had been raised toward a goal of $500,000. The Cool Cat Cafe restaurants in Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo remain open. How to help To donate to the Cool Cat Cafe GoFundMe campaign, go to gofundme.com/f/maui-fire-fund-for-cool-cat-captainjacks-staff. You can support Maui residents by donating to organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Maui Food Bank and the Pacific Whale Foundations Maui Community Relief Fund. Raging wildfires in Maui have left at least 106 people dead and thousands of others missing after they were forced to flee their homes. We are heartsick that weve had such loss," Hawaii governor Josh Green said during a news conference on Tuesday. Mr Green said he expects the death toll to rise every day as recovery teams and cadaver dogs search the burned area in Lahaina on Maui. Despite the number of deaths increasing, only a few of the 111 have been identified. Part of this reason is due to the state that many bodies were found in after the blazing wildfires moved quickly through Lahania. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A mobile morgue unit arrived to help Hawaii officials identify the remains as teams continued to search for more in neighbourhoods that were reduced to ash. Mr Green asked people who are missing loved ones to submit their DNA to help them identify the victims. The US Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of coroners, pathologists and technicians along with exam tables, X-ray units and other equipment to identify victims and process remains, said Jonathan Greene, the agencys deputy assistant secretary for response. Its going to be a very, very difficult mission, Greene said. And patience will be incredibly important because of the number of victims. Maui mayor Richard Bissen offered his deepest condolences to the families who have received news about their loved ones. As a community, we offer our prayers of comfort in this most difficult time, he added. Here are the victims of the Hawaii wildfires named so far: Robert Dyckman Robert Dyckman, aged 74, was named by Maui county officials on 15 August. Dyckman was a resident of Lahaina. In a statement after releasing his name, county officials said: We understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for the families, and we ask that the media and the public respect the privacy of the grieving families. We will continue to work closely with the families to ensure that they are updated and supported throughout this process. Buddy Jantoc Buddy Jantoc, aged 79, was among the other victims named by the County of Maui on 15 August. Jantoc, who lived in the Hale Mahaolu retirement home in Lahaina, was a well-known musician in the area and was known for playing at local bars, hotels and malls. "Besides his family, his other love was music," Keshia AlakaI, his granddaughter, told Sky News in an interview. "Music was his life. He played every instrument. His house was like a music store. He didn't really have a sofa, just guitars. Ms AlakaI said that she broke down when local police called her to confirm that her grandfathers remains were found. "He would call me every time there was a tropical storm or heavy rain. When I didnt hear from him, I knew something was wrong, she told Sky News. Ms AlakaI told the outlet that Jantoc was loved by many and added: "My papa was always the light of the party, kind, generous, never had a mean thing to say, he was always positive." Melva Benjamin Melva Benjamin, 71, was from Lahaina. On 17 August, the County of Maui announced that Benjamin had died in the fire. Virginia Dofa Virginia Vergie Dofa, who was from Lahaina, died aged 90 in the Maui fire, the County confirmed. Virginia Vergie Dofa died in Lahaina due to the wildfires (GoFundMe) In a GoFundMe description, one of Dofas grandchildren said she was living in Hale Mahaolu when the wildfires engulfed the town. There was no alarms. No sirens. No evacuation plan until it was too late. The system failed our loved ones and a lot of lives and homes has been taken away from us, the GoFundMe reads. Alfredo Galinato Alfredo Galinato, 79, from Lahaina was among the victims of the fire, the County of Maui confirmed. In a Facebook post, Galinatos son, Joshua, said he had been searching for his father after his mother and brothers fled from the wildfires. Galinatos last known location was their home in Lahaina. Alfredo Galinato was confirmed to be dead by the County of Maui police (GoFundMe) We are grateful to finally hear about our Fathers remains but saddened that he has not joined us in safety, Joshua wrote. Joshua included a link to a GoFundMe to raise money for his family who lost all of their possessions, including their home, in the fires. Donna Gomes Donna Gomes, 71, of Lahania was identified by the County of Maui on 17 August after her family was notified. Donna Gomes is among the victims of the Maui wildfires (GoFundMe) Gomes grandchild created a GoFundMe to collect donations in order to support their family after they lost everything in the Maui wildfires. Not only have we lost our homes but our family is also grieving the loss of our family backbone, Tehani Kuhaulua wrote. Conchita Sagudang Conchita Sagudang, 75, of Lahaina, died in the wildfires, officials in Maui County confirmed in a press release on 20 August. Sagudang died alongside her son, Danilo Sagudang, her sister wrote in a Facebook post. There are no words to express the pain of this type of tragedy, Nemi Bandayrel wrote. Im so heartbroken and so does my whole family the BANDAYREL. Rest in peace my greatest sister and the best nephew. Danilo I know that you will always take care your mom up there in heaven. Danilo Sagudang Danilo Sagudang, 55, died alongside his mother, Conchita Sagudang, on 8 August, officials confirmed in a press release. Sagudangs sibling wrote in a Facebook post that he and his mother were trying to escape the fires near the Paunau subdivision in Lahaina. They are forever in our hearts and we will miss them dearly. Mom and Danilo were our family, our support, our mentors, our friends, Edna Sagudang wrote. Rodolfo Rocutan Rodolfo Rudy Rocutan, 76, a resident of Lahaina died as a result of the Maui wildfires, officials confirmed. Rodolfo Rocutan, 76, died in the Lahaina wildfires (GoFundMe) In a GoFundMe, one of Rocutans family members said he was living in Lahaina with his sister who survived. According to the description, Rocutans wife died in 2021. He is wise, friendly, caring and loving Father and Grandfather, the creator of the fundraiser wrote. Jonathan Somaoang Jonathan Jon Somaoang, 76, was a veteran and retired wood crafter living in Lahaina when the wildfires hit, a missing poster of Somaoang reads. The County of Maui officially declared Somaoang among the deceased on 20 August. Born and raised in Lahaina, Jon knows his town well, the description for Somaoangs missing poster reads. Angelita Vasquez Angelita Vasquez, 88, was living at Hale Mahaolu in Lahaina before she perished in the wildfires, officials confirmed. Kenyero Fuentes Kenyero Fuentes, 14, was at his home in Lahaina when the wildfire erupted on 8 August. Fuentes was anticipating his first day of classes at Lahainaluna High School the next day, his mother, Luz Vargas, told NPR. Before the fires, Ms Vargas was planning Fuentes 15th birthday party for the coming Sunday. She said planned to include a vanilla cake and pork tacos. Kenyero Fuentes (Family) For two days, Ms Vargas and her husband searched for their 14-year-old son at shelters, calling friends to find any sign of him. But on 10 August, two friends delivered the tragic news that Fuentes was dead. The two had snuck into Ms Vargas and her husbands home and found the boy lying face-down with the family dog nearby in his bedroom. Ms Vargas went to see her sons remains and described a horrific scene furniture completely burnt down to ash and her sons charred body on top of a pile of debris. Officials have not confirmed Fuentes death but his family has told news outlets he died. Joseph Schilling Joseph Schilling was last seen evacuating his home in Lahaina on 8 August, but his family confirmed his death on social media and a GoFundMe page. Akiva Bluh, a close family friend of Schilling, who she referred to as Uncle Joe described him as caring, outgoing, funny, easygoing, joyous, and LOVING. Bluh said Schilling was informally adopted into their family where he acted out of love and kindness toward Bluh and their brothers, became best friends with Bluhs father and quickly became friends with their mother. Joseph Schilling, a member of the Lahaina community, died in the wildfires (GoFundMe) Joe passed while aiding in evacuating five elderly people in his housing complex. Joe passed as a HERO. His character showed until his very last moments. To everybody who had the pleasure of meeting my Uncle Joe, count your lucky stars; rarely do you get to meet such a genuine soul, Bluh wrote. The County of Maui has not confirmed Schillings death thus far. Salote Takafua, Tony Takafua, Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone Other victims include a family of four: Salote Takafua, her son Tony Takafua and parents Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, Hawaii News Now reported. The family appeared to have become trapped in their car while trying to flee the fires on 8 August. In a statement, the family of the victims said: The magnitude of our grief is indescribable, and their memories will forever remain etched in our hearts. Salote Takafua, right, died along with her son Tony Takafua and parents after trying to flee the Maui wildfires in their car (Facebook) Lylas Kanemoto, a family friend to the victims, told The Associated Press that the loss of four members of the family was unbearable. The County of Maui has yet to officially name the four family members among the deceased. Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, who died along with heir adult daughter Salote Takafua and grandson Tony Takafua while trying to escape Lahaina (Facebook) At least we have closure for them, but the loss and heartbreak is unbearable for many. We as a community has to just embrace each other and support our families, friends, and our community to our best of our abilities, she said. Franklin Trejos Franklin Trejos, 68, died trying to protect his three-year-old golden retriever, Sam, in the fires, according to NBC News. Trejos lived in Lahaina with Sam and longtime friends Shannon Weber-Bogar and Geoff Bogar. Ms Weber-Bogar described Trejos as the friendliest guy you would ever meet. The County of Maui has not officially named Trejos among the victims but Ms Weber-Bogar told NBC News that her husband found Trejos remains after returning to Lahaina. Ms Weber-Bogas said Trejos and Mr Bogar were trying to escape the fires by driving out of Lahaina. He must have seen what was happening, just crawled into the hatchback with him and laid down on top of him, Weber-Bogar said. Theres more of Sam left than there was of Frank. This graphic shows the location of fires on the island of Maui on Thursday 10 August (AP) Thousands of survivors are currently staying in shelters, in hotel rooms and Airbnb units, or with friends. Around 2,000 homes and businesses still dont have electricity, Maui County wrote Tuesday night, after the power company restored supply to over 10,000 customers. The fire also contaminated water supplies in many areas. Additional reporting from agencies Mark Meadows , who served as former President Trumps White House chief of staff, is urging a judge to dismiss criminal charges brought against him last week alongside his former boss. Meadows insisted he is immune from Fulton County (Ga.) District Attorney Fani Williss prosecution because the allegations are connected to his role as a federal official. Meadows was indicted alongside Trump and 17 others last week in a sprawling racketeering indictment over alleged efforts to overturn Georgias 2020 election results. Meadows faces two charges. After the indictment was filed, Meadows quickly began an attempt to move his case from state to federal court. Over the weekend, his attorneys went a step further and asked the judge weighing that attempted move to dismiss the charges against Meadows entirely. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As a federal official at the time of the charged conduct, he is immune from state prosecution under the Supremacy Clause of the Federal Constitution, Meadowss attorneys wrote. Meadows has insisted he has immunity because the allegations which include organizing calls between Georgia election officials and Trump as well as meeting with Michigan lawmakers about unfounded claims of fraud were part of his function as chief of staff and that he complied with federal law. The conduct charged here falls squarely within the scope of Mr. Meadowss duties as Chief of Staff and the federal policy underlying that role, Meadowss attorneys wrote. He need show only some nexus, but here, the connection is much closer than what that broad standard embraces. Meadows is so far the only of the 19 defendants to attempt to dismiss the charges ahead of trial or move his case to federal court, though more are expected. Jeffrey Clark, an indicted Justice Department official whom Trump wanted to make attorney general after the 2020 election, has signaled he may also raise an immunity defense to his charges under the Supremacy Clause. All defendants also face a deadline of Friday to surrender themselves to the Fulton County court. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Mud and water flow through a crack off the side of the road in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Yucaipa, Calif. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) PALM DESERT, Calif. Hilary, the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, swept people into swollen rivers, toppled trees onto homes and flooded roadways as the massive system marched northward Monday, prompting flood watches and warnings in more than a half dozen states. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hilary had lost much of its steam and only vestiges of the storm were heading over the Rocky Mountains, but warned that continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding was expected over portions of the southwestern U.S., following record-breaking rainfall. Advertisement Hilary first slammed into Mexicos arid Baja California Peninsula as a hurricane, causing one death and widespread flooding before becoming a tropical storm, one of several potentially catastrophic natural events affecting California on Sunday. Besides the tropical storm, which produced tornado warnings, there were wildfires and a moderate earthquake north of Los Angeles. So far, no deaths, serious injuries or extreme damages have been reported in the state, though officials warned that risks remain, especially in the mountainous regions where the wet hillsides could unleash mudslides. Winding roads in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles were blocked by mud and debris flows. A stretch of the I-10 freeway near Palm Springs was also shut to traffic Sunday due to pooling water, but reopened Monday. Advertisement In Palm Desert, Terry Flanigan called 911 when she heard a huge crash and got a text from a neighbor that a Eucalyptus tree, more than 100 feet (30 meters) tall, fell onto a condo across the street. She later learned it landed on the bed of her neighbors 11-year-old son, who luckily was in another room. It was very unnerving, Flanigan said, adding that the family had gone to stay with relatives while removal crews came Monday morning to remove the branches. Oh my gosh, what could have happened. Maura Taura felt a similar relief after a three-story-tall tree crashed down on her daughters two cars but missed the familys house in the Sun Valley area of Los Angeles. Thank God my family is OK, she said. Hilary is just the latest major weather event to wreak havoc across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Hawaiis island of Maui is still reeling from a blaze that killed more than 100 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Firefighters in Canada are battling that nations worst fire season on record. Hot water and hot air were both crucial factors that enabled the storms rapid growth steering it on an unusual but not quite unprecedented path that dumped 10 months of rain in just one day in some normally bone-dry places, like Palm Springs. Sunday was the wettest day on record in San Diego with 1.82 inches (4.6 centimeters), the NWS said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The previous record was on Aug. 17, 1977, when 1.8 inches (4.5 centimeters) of rain fell in the area post-Hurricane Doreen. We basically blew all of our previous rainfall records out of the water, National Weather Service meteorologist Elizabeth Adams in San Diego told The Associated Press. Advertisement If a storm is larger, its going to rain longer and over more places, said MIT hurricane scientist Kerry Emanuel. Scientists still dont know why some storms, like Hilary, get big and some stay small, he said. Its quite unusual for an Eastern Pacific storm to be so large since they are usually small and stay deep in the tropics, said University of Albany atmospheric scientist Kristen Corbosiero, an expert on Pacific hurricanes. She said that bigger storms are especially bad for areas like the Southwest U.S. and California that are not used to large amounts of rain in the summer. The wet weather might stave off wildfires for a few weeks in Southern California and in parts of the Sierra Nevada but widespread rain is not expected in the most fire-prone areas spanning from Northern California to British Columbia, University of California, Los Angeles, climate scientist Daniel Swain said in an online briefing Monday. The water rose knee-high in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River where fire officials rescued 13 people. Farther north, crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. In Cathedral City in the desert, Kimberly Garnica, 20, woke up to find that her car was stuck in mud outside her home. The yard is just filled with a lot of mud, she said. You can just tell the streets arent really built for this. Advertisement In the San Bernardino Mountains, crews were working Monday to clear mud that has been blocking the homes of about 800 residents, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Alison Hesterly. In the mountain community of Oak Glen, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, Brooke Horspool helped dig out a home surrounded by about 4 feet (1.2 meters) of mud to free a couple, including an older man with medical issues. The center of Hilary passed over downtown Los Angeles at 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the regional weather office, which called it a day for the ages in Southern California. Los Angeles was tested but we came through it, and we came through it with minimal impacts considering what we endured, City Council President Paul Krekorian said. A tropical storm last roared into California in September 1939, ripping apart train tracks, tearing houses from their foundations and capsizing many boats. Nearly 100 people were killed on land and at sea. As Hilary moved east into the neighboring state of Nevada, flooding was reported, power was out and a boil-water order was issued for about 400 households in the Mount Charleston area, where the only road in and out was washed out. The area is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Las Vegas. Advertisement Forecasters said the threat for flooding in states farther north on Monday was highest across much of southeastern Oregon into the west-central mountains of Idaho. The forecast calls for potential thunderstorms and localized torrential rains on Tuesday, said Jackson Macfarlane, a meteorologist with the weather service in Boise, Idaho. In the Caribbean, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Franklin churned on Monday near Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where authorities warned residents to prepare for floods and landslides. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are also watching a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that now has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical disturbance or tropical storm before reaching the western Gulf coastline on Tuesday. Antczak reported from Los Angeles and Watson from San Diego. Associated Press reporters Ken Ritter in Las Vegas; Will Weissert in Washington; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida; Eugene Garcia in San Diego; Ryan Sun and Walter Berry in Phoenix, contributed to this report. Russia used a 9M727 Iskander cruise missile to strike the city of Chernihiv on Aug. 19 in an attack that killed at least seven and injured 156, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing the press service of Ukraine's security service (SBU). President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Aug. 19 missile strike hit Chernihiv's central square, polytechnic institute, and theater. "Here's what it means to be neighbors with a terrorist state, here's what we are uniting the entire world against," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram following the Saturday attack. "A regular Saturday turned into a day of pain and loss caused by Russia." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brinks expressed solidarity with the victims, saying she was "horrified by news of todays daytime attack on the historic center of Chernihiv." "Innocent men, women, and children enjoying a beautiful Saturday - a holiday in Ukraine - should never end up killed or wounded," Brinks wrote on Twitter. "Russias missile and drone strikes on Ukraines cities, ports, and people reflect the depths to which Russia has sunk and must stop." Following the attack, there have been unconfirmed reports in Ukrainian media that the missile was targeting a site where Ukrainian drone producers were holding an exhibition. The Kyiv Independent confirmed that an exhibition of drone producers was planned for Aug. 19 in Chernihiv, but the location was kept secret. The registered visitors were going to receive the address hours before the event. Russian government-controlled RIA Novosti news site rclaimed, citing unnamed sources, that the attack on Chernihiv hit the gathering place of Ukraines Armed Forces military specialists on combat drones, which was disguised as a drone festival. Klymenko earlier said most of the attack's victims were people in cars, those crossing the road nearby, and people returning from church service. The attack occurred on one of the biggest Eastern Orthodox holidays the Feast of Transfiguration, known in Ukraine as the Apple Feast of the Savior. One of the photos from the scene shows a body with a traditional church basket next to it. Klymenko said that everyone who was in the drama theater went down to the shelter in time, as police officers tried to take everyone to the shelter after the air raid alert went off. There is also a large park behind the drama theater. Mothers were walking there with their children since morning, he said. Read also: Philosopher Jason Stanley: Russia is explicitly fascist Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. In a series of attacks over the past two days, agents cooperating with Ukrainian military intelligence have destroyed or damaged five Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers used to strike Ukraine, New Voice reported, citing unnamed sources in Ukrainian military intelligence. According to NV's sources, agents attacked the Soltsy military airfield in Russia's Novgorod Oblast on Aug. 19, destroying a Tu-22 M3 bomber and damaging two more aircraft. The source also said that on the morning of Aug. 21, two more Russian bombers were damaged in Russia's Kaluga Oblast at the Shaykovka airfield as a result of a drone attack carried out by saboteurs working with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Intelligence Directorate. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "These drone operations are coordinated by the (Intelligence Directorate) and have caused sensitive losses to the enemy in military aviation. And the most important thing is that such planes are no longer produced in the aggressor country," the source told NV. Intelligence Directorate representative Andriy Yusov separately told Ukrainian Liga news on Aug. 21 that "at least one plane" was damaged at the Shaykovka airfield following a drone attack. "At least one plane is damaged. As in most cases, the Russian regime is trying to hide the true extent of losses and damage," Yusov told Liga. Regarding Ukraine's military intelligence activities in Russia, Yusov said that the Intelligence Directorate "continues to perform tasks, including on the territory of the aggressor state." According to Ukraine's Air Force, the Shaykovka base hosts Russian Tu-22M bombers, used to attack Ukraine. Russia reportedly launched four Kh-22 cruise missiles over Ukraine with planes from this base on Aug. 15. Kaluga's Governor Vladislav Shapsha claimed on Telegram on Aug. 21 that a drone attack had been repelled in the Kirovsky District and that there were no casualties or damages to infrastructure. But according to the Russian Telegram channel Baza, a Ukrainian drone crashed into the airfield's territory on the morning of Aug. 21, damaging an "unused airplane." The Kyiv Independent could not independently confirm this information. This event follows a series of attacks unfolding on Russian soil and occupied territories for the past months. On Aug. 17, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed a Ukrainian naval drone had attempted to attack Russian ships in the Black Sea, adding that two Russian patrol ships had destroyed the naval drone before it reached its destination. Earlier on Aug. 13, Roman Starovoyt, governor of Russias Kursk region, claimed that "shells coming from Ukraine" had hit a house in the village of Volfino, injuring three people. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russias Belgorod region, also claimed that Russian air defense had intercepted two drones in the region on the same day. Read also: From Moscow to Novorossiysk: The list of attacks on Russian soil Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Parents of children with dyslexia say theyre struggling to get their kids the extra help they need in school. Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln spoke with one local mom who transferred her child to a private school to get him the tools he needs. Channel 2 Action News has heard from multiple families across the metro frustrated by this issue. A new statewide program aimed at helping improve the education process is underway, but an advocate Lincoln spoke with says it doesnt do enough. Theyre waiting for your child to fail before any services come in, parent Sarah Walker said. Walker says its been a years long battle advocating for her 9-year-old son, Henry who lives with dyslexia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement [HAVE A STORY FOR 2 INVESTIGATES?: Submit your tip here] We thought well surely were going to get help and support, Walker said about the Fulton County School District. She said for months she went back and forth with his teachers at High Point Elementary School in Sandy Springs regarding his individualized education program, or IEP. Ive emailed six different people with his diagnosis, and it went nowhere, Walker said. The Fulton County school system told Channel 2 Action News that it provides targeted intervention and support for students who have been diagnosed with, or who have characteristics of dyslexia. I dont have anything from the school saying that we observed Henry, and this is our thoughts about it, Walker said. She said eventually, his interest in school started to decline. MORE 2 INVESTIGATES STORIES: This really smart boy who loves chess and loves to interact with people was withdrawing from school, crying that he didnt want to go to school, Walker said. Denice Dixon, a dyslexia advocate, created Tread Educational Services in 2018 to prevent kids with dyslexia from falling behind. Education is the foundation of our society. Why are we fighting the school system for what we know a child needs, especially a child with dyslexia? Dixon said. Dixon uses the Orton Gillingham method -- a multisensory approach to help students connect with letters. She spent more than 10 years in the public school system and has seen firsthand dozens of kids with dyslexia getting passed. Do you feel like the public schools, are they failing children who have dyslexia? Are there enough resources? Lincoln asked Dixon. They are absolutely failing children, Dixon said. The State Department of Education doesnt specifically track kids with dyslexia but according to state data, over 29,000 students statewide have some sort of speech or language disability. Jennifer Hernandez is the executive director overseeing academic achievement at Marietta Public Schools and told Lincoln theyre implementing tools to better help dyslexic students. Weve been engaged in that work over the last three years, Hernandez said. In 2019, Senate Bill 48 passed allowing districts like Marietta City Schools to take part in a state-wide pilot program identifying students who show signs of dyslexia and intervening with tools to help them succeed. The program only addresses students K through 3rd grade, something Dixon said needs to change. We have students in 4th through 12th grade who have gone through the school system without getting screened or without anybody, Dixon said. Walker eventually enrolled Henry in private school. I feel fortunate that we can offer that to our son. But it breaks my heart for families that arent able to have the same thing, Walker said. Fulton County Schools told Channel 2 Action News that their interventions and supports have recently become more robust with the implementation of the Every Child Reads initiative. They sent a statement saying: The Fulton County School system (FCS) currently provides targeted intervention and support for students who have been diagnosed with, or who have characteristics of, dyslexia. We also provide intervention and comprehensive evaluation for all students who are suspected of having a reading and/or language disability. Our interventions and supports have recently become more robust with the implementation of our Every Child Reads initiative. This initiative has provided our teachers and support staff with specialized training based on the Science of Reading to identify reading, fluency, language, comprehension, and phonics needs in students and then to target those needs with intervention. FCS considers all outside student evaluation information provided by parents/guardians and then determines as a team what intervention and support is needed. If the information provided indicates a need for further evaluation or a suspected disability, the district moves forward with additional evaluation. We are also excited to share that we are in the planning and design phase of a district-wide screening process for dyslexia that will be implemented in the fall of 2024 for all students. The Georgia Department of Education said when Senate Bill 48 takes full effect in the fall of 2024, it will allow the state to begin collecting data and tracking the number of students who demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia. The Dyslexia Pilot Program completed its third year during the 2022-2023 school year. The State said currently, school districts have established literacy programs that include the use of universal screeners, collecting incremental progress frequently. The state said through this system, screeners are utilized to guide instruction as well as the need for remediation or interventions. RELATED NEWS: A family-owned Mexican restaurant is expanding in Lexington. El Charro Authentic Mexican Cuisine, which already has two locations, is opening a third streamlined edition near the University of Kentucky campus just off South Broadway. Flor Gonzalez said she and her parents, Martha and Armando Gonzalez, opened their first restaurant at 4371 Old Harrodsburg Rd. 11 years ago and the second one at 3090 Helmsdale Place nearly two years ago. Now they plan to open the new El Charro Tacos and Tequila Bar at 561 S. Broadway in September. It will be where Maiden City Brewing had a restaurant and bar that closed at the end of the year. Parking is available in the adjacent lot off of Broadway and Oliver Lewis Way. Whats on the menu at El Charro Tacos and Tequila Bar? While the first two El Charro restaurants are full service, the taco and tequila bar will be fast casual, Flor Gonzalez said. Customers will order at the counter and then food and drinks will be brought to their tables. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The menu will be slimmed down as well, she said. We will focus on tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas and house favorites such as arroz con pollo and chimichangas, she said. Why does Lexington have so many new coffee, chicken and Mexican restaurants? The ribeye tacos at El Charro will be on the new streamlined menu at El Charro Tacos and Tequila Bar at 561 S. Broadway. Its expected to open in September. El Charro Tacos and Tequila Bar will have favorites from the other two locations such as Arroz con Pollo. Were trying to take the top sellers at other establishments and have them at our new location, she said. What we already know works the best, that we can serve quickly, efficiently and with high quality. The bar side of the restaurant will be a tequila bar with a wide array of fresh margaritas including pineapple, watermelon, blackberry, blueberry and cucumber jalapeno. Watermelon margaritas are one of the many fresh fruit flavored options at El Charro. The new El Charro Tacos and Tequila Bar will feature lots of fresh fruit flavored margaritas as well as cucumber jalapeno. We also will have other tequila-based cocktails such as Palomas and Cantaritos, which are very popular in Mexico, she said. And we will definitely off a wide selection of Mexican bottled and draft beer. El Charro Tacos & Tequila Bar Where: 561 S. Broadway This embedded content is not available in your region. Hours: Sunday to Wednesday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight Online: elcharrolex.com New-to-Lexington Asian bowl restaurant coming to UK campus corridor on Limestone 19-year-old to open his second Kentucky restaurant, looking next in Lexington The Miami VA has a chronic problem: The air conditioning keeps breaking, endangering patients and employees amid South Floridas dangerous heat, and drawing the attention of U.S. Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio. The two Florida senators sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough last week, stating that they were alarmed at the lack of adequate air conditioning at the Miami VA, 1201 NW 16th St. in Miami. The issue developed earlier this month and forced the hospital to move some patients to other floors and temporarily suspend elective surgeries, as the Miami Herald has reported. Not only does this interrupt veterans care, but it presents an unsafe working environment for the medical staff at the facility, including nurses reporting mold. Miami VA has been using portable AC units, and veterans and hospital employees continue to complain about the uncomfortable heat inside the building, reads the letter. Unfortunately, this is not a one-off event as similar issues have previously occurred that led to the relocation of veteran patients due to dangerous heat. It is being reported that it will take three months to re-open the closed floors in the hospital, causing prolonged disruption to care for veterans. The hospital also had air conditioning issues in June, though problems tend to occur nearly every summer, Registered Nurse Bill Frogameni previously told the Herald. Hes the director of the Miami VAs National Nurses United, the union of registered nurses. The Miami Herald earlier this month filed a public record request with the VA for invoices of air-conditioning repairs for the Miami veterans hospital. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Were grateful for Senators Rubio and Scott probing our air conditioning disaster and demanding answers. NNU shares the concern for our veterans and those of us who care for them. Safety was compromised and care delayed when patients had to be moved all over the facility or veterans were stuck in the ER for 48 hours, Frogameni said in a Monday statement, noting that the union had repeatedly asked management for a timeline of when the A/C would be reliable. The senators, in their letter, said they expect a swift and lasting solution to the A/C issues at the Miami VA to ensure that this does not continue to impede the delivery of care to Floridas veterans, and asked myriad questions, including for information on how many veterans were affected and what steps the VA is taking to ensure that a future problem like this can be avoided. They also questioned the VA on why two of the seven VA medical centers in Florida Bay Pines in the Tampa Bay area and West Palm Beach VA in South Florida received a one-star rating in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services annual Overall Quality Star Ratings. This is the first time VA hospitals were included in the federal agencys yearly assessments, which looks at five categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. The Miami VA received a four-star rating. What the Miami VA is doing On Sunday, Miami VA Director Kalautie S. JangDhari told staff in an email obtained by the Miami Herald that two backup chillers were installed and that employees had begun to move relocated patients back to their original rooms. But a long-term fix could take years. JangDhari in the email told staff that the hospital had already invested in the long-term viability of its air conditioning system, with the Miami VA awarded more than $15 million for two significant HVAC infrastructure projects that should be complete by 2027. Although some may question why 2027, I assure you with the designing, coordination, construction and varied collaboration efforts associated with a 1.1 M square foot building, that is reasonable timeframe, JangDhari wrote. We have also implemented additional contingency measures, in which we believe will help us tackle the record heat we are currently facing here in Miami. What caused the most recent air-conditioning problem? While flushing the lines of one of our chillers, we found large amounts of debris that clogged and stopped the chilled water flow, JangDhari explained in the email. We wonder why this problem and many of our infrastructure problems take years to address despite clear red flags ... we are the federal government the same deep-pocketed federal government that was able to develop a COVID vaccine in less than a year, said Frogameni, the director of the Miami VAs nursing union. We accomplished that public health miracle, but we cant get the A/C right at the Miami VA. We cant say who is to blame, but this is a shameful failure of our veterans and those of us who care for them. This embedded content is not available in your region. EAST LANSING Teresa Woodruff , interim president of Michigan State University, announced late Sunday that she would not seek a permanent appointment to the position. As the third interim president of MSU in the last five years, I wish for a period of stability for the university, she said in a statement. Thus, and to enable that goal, I do not seek the full-time presidency but will support the individual selected for this role as they assume the helm. Woodruff took the role of interim president after president Samuel Stanley resigned late last year after divisions with the Board of Trustees and handling of a Title IX report involving then-business school dean Sanjay Gupta. She was approved unanimously by the Board and assumed the role in November. Woodruff had previously served as provost of the university. She also served as MSUs executive vice president for academic affairs and as an MSU Foundation Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since her appointment, Woodruff has been tasked with several hardships for the university, namely the Feb. 13 on-campus shooting that killed three students and wounded five. Together, we have stabilized the university, she said. Together, we experienced and continue to heal from the violence on our campus. Together we have set a course for a safer and more welcoming campus for all. And together, we have created the context for excellence in our shared future. Woodruff also was included in a late March report released by the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan law firm, which had been commissioned by the Board to review the circumstances surrounding Gupta's departure. According to the report, Woodruff forced Gupta to resign after determining he failed to report that an administrator in the Broad College was accused of getting drunk at an off-campus party for MBA students and inappropriately touching a student and dancing in a sexually suggestive manner. The alleged incident had already been reported to the Office of Institutional Equity by other MSU staff. Gupta didn't attend the party, according to the report. Woodruff dismissed Gupta for five reasons: his alleged violation of the policy requiring employees report relationship violence and sexual misconduct; his own failure to investigate an instance of alleged sexual misconduct of a business school leader; that his delay in reporting caused a two-month delay in an Office of Institutional Equity investigation; his failure to notify Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs of the misconduct and the accused leaders request to retire; and failure to prevent an Outside Work for Pay Policy violation for the accused leader. Quinn Emanuel investigators found Woodruff's reasoning flawed, and that only one allegation against Gupta his initial failure to report was valid. Woodruff told investigators she didn't need former president Stanley's approval before pushing Gupta out, but the law firm said university policy clearly required it. Before the report was released, Gupta filed a lawsuit that claimed he was terminated and falsely accused of mandatory reporting violations as part of a scheme to keep him from becoming MSU's next president and "enhance" Woodruff's personal ambitions to lead the university. Dan Olsen, deputy spokesperson for MSU, said at the time the university would decline comment on the pending litigation. But he added that the suit will be "vigorously defended." Olsen did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the timeline for the appointment of a permanent presidential candidate, and it was unclear when Woodruffs stint as interim president would end. The universitys presidential search committee, headed by trustees Dennis Denno and Brianna Scott, began its work in April. Woodruff said that for the rest of her term, she would work to prioritize accessibility and affordability of education, with focuses in engineering and agriculture, and expanding research done by the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. MSU has a storied history in American higher education, and the next chapter is ready to be written with a new president at the helm, she added. Until then, I give you my Spartan best. Lansing State Journal reporter Ken Palmer contributed to this report. Contact Sheldon Krause at skrause@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @sheldonjkrause. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State interim president Woodruff won't seek permanent role Middletown police are asking for help identifying a suspect in a string of car break-ins. The break-ins occurred in the area of Oxford State Road and Yankee Road, the police division said in a social media post. >> Back to School: Police say parents popular social media trend not that innocent Police say the suspect has a vehicle with notable damage and appears to either have a paper tag or out-of-state plates, possibly Kentucky. Anyone who recognizes him or has information that can help police is asked to contact Detective Agee at 513-425-7796. This person is wanted for questioning regarding a string of car break-ins in the area of Oxford State Rd and Yankee Rd.... Posted by Middletown Division of Police on Monday, August 21, 2023 Millions of people in Southern California are bracing for more flooding and mudslides Monday as Hilary, now a post-tropical cyclone, brings more rainfall to the region. The storm made landfall Sunday along Mexicos Baja California Peninsula, around 150 miles south of Ensenada. It moved through Tijuana on Sunday, where flooding threatened improvised homes on the hillsides south of the U.S. border. By Sunday night, the storm moved over San Diego and north toward inland desert areas. While the National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded the storm Monday morning, it said continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding is expected in portions of the southwestern U.S. The storm is forecasted to bring an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain to parts of Southern California and southern Nevada on Monday, which would bring its total rainfall amounts to 1 foot, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said winds up to 35 miles per hour are expected as well. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The flooding has already overwhelmed roadways, downed trees and caused mudslides in portions of the region. While some areas were not experiencing rain early Monday, the National Weather Service of Los Angeles warned several roadways remain hazardous due to runoff from earlier rainfall. The rainfall caused mud and boulders to fall onto highways while tree branches fell in Southern California neighborhoods. Parts of the region also saw power outages, with the city of Palm Springs reporting the 911 system was down. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake also struck Southern Californias Ventura County on Sunday, where residents received emergency phone alerts reading, Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself. Hillary marks the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing more than half of the states yearly rain average. The National Weather Service of Los Angeles said Monday virtually all of the citys daily rainfall records were broken. As of Monday morning, all coastal warnings were discontinued and the National Hurricane Center said the storm is expected to dissipate later in the day. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A 27-year-old Milwaukee man accused of fatally shooting 1-year-old Zy'Aire Nevels two months ago says he didn't commit the crime. Davon Chapman spoke very little during a brief arraignment on Monday at Milwaukee County Circuit Court. He pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Russell Jones of Milwaukee, to first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon and being a convicted felon possession of a firearm. Zy'Aire died June 3. According to a criminal complaint, Chapman followed ZyAire's parents in his SUV and fired shots at their car. Zy'Aire was in the vehicle, behind the driver's seat. The shooting took place near the 1900 block of West Atkinson Avenue, by the Milwaukee Public Library Atkinson Branch. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Chapman is the husband of the best friend of ZyAire's mother. The criminal complaint says ZyAire's mother and Chapman "had been talking," but the complaint doesn't elaborate. More: Milwaukee County judge finds 11-year-old charged in mother's homicide to be competent ZyAire's mother said she could see Chapman was driving the SUV that pursued them, the complaint said. Zy'Aire's father, who was driving the vehicle that was being chased, said in the complaint he saw muzzle flashes and heard gunfire as he crossed West Capitol Drive, according to the complaint. More: 'Not again': Family reeling after losing a second child to violence in Milwaukee ZyAire's father then drove to the nearby Milwaukee Fire Department station at 4060 N. 27th St. Fire personnel then had ZyAire transported to Children's Hospital. That's where she died. According to the complaint, Chapman spoke to his mother on the phone about 45 minutes after the shooting and admitted, "I killed a kid. I got kids. I wasn't trying to do that." More: Three dead, 20 injured in weekend shootings in Milwaukee, including 9 injured in one incident If convicted, Chapman could be sentenced up to 75 years in prison. Circuit Court Judge Ellen R. Brostrom ordered a scheduling conference for Sept. 11. In all, 17 children have died by homicide in Milwaukee this year. The most recent came Saturday, when a 17-year-old girl was killed in a double shooting on the 4400 block of W. Hampton Ave. The second victim in that shooting was expected to survive, according to police. There were 106 homicides reported in city of Milwaukee as of Aug. 17, the most updated data provided by the Milwaukee Police Department. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee man accused of killing 1-year-old pleads not guilty The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has reported a missile threat to five oblasts, and the Russian invaders fired S-300 missiles on Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Source: Air Force; Yurii Malashko, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration Quote: "The missile threat in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv oblasts." Details: Malashko announced that Russian forces launched S-300 missiles on settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. In addition, the Air Force said there was a threat of a Russian drone attack in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A Bolingbrook police officer who was shot Sunday night during a standoff is expected to recover, Bolingbrook police said Monday. The 24-year-old suspect is in police custody, Bolingbrook police Chief Mike Rompa said. Advertisement Earlier in the night, at 6:14 p.m., police responded to a complaint of a theft at a business in the 100 block of South Bolingbrook Drive. The alleged offender fled the scene prior to the officers arrival, police said. At approximately 7:48 p.m., police responded again to the same business after a report of shots fired. Advertisement Police identified and located the suspect at his residence in the 100 block of West Briarcliff Road. When the police officer made contact with him, the suspect fired multiple shots at the officer, striking him twice, then barricaded himself inside the home. Bolingbrook police said they requested help from the Illinois State Police, who searched the residence where the shooting took place around 1 a.m. As of Monday morning, the officer was receiving treatment at a hospital. State police are investigating and the Will County states attorneys office was processing charges. Bolingbrook police and Illinois State Police representatives did not immediately respond to requests for updated information. This is a photo of an empty desk in a classroom. This article was originally published in Missouri Independent. The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the convictions of two single mothers who were charged with violating the states compulsory attendance law after their children missed school without a documented illness. Oral arguments in May focused on what regular attendance means and whether the state law was too vague. Ellen Flottman, a public defender representing the mothers, argued the law is inconsistently applied. The childrens school district, Lebanon R-III School District, required students to attend school at least 90% of the time, but defendants didnt know if this percentage included excused absences. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter My clients were not acting knowingly. Theyre being misled by the school handbook and the school administrators, Flottman said in May. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Assistant Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang, who represented the state, told the Supreme Court that the definition of a regular basis means attending school every day school is in session. Related Report: In 24 States, Using False Address to Get Into a Better School is a Crime According to the filing, one student missed nine days of school without an excuse called into the schools office, and the other defendants child was absent seven days without an excuse. Missouri Supreme Court Judge Robin Ransom wrote, with five in concurrence, that these unexcused absences violated state law. She wrote that there are two reasons children can be absent from class: If a parent removes them from the schools rolls or if they are mentally or physically incapacitated to the satisfaction of school officials. Ransom wrote that, because state law doesnt mandate 90% attendance, the discussion of the districts policy is of little relevance. The districts actions did, though, inform the parents that they were breaking the law, the ruling says. Neither (defendant) was provided information by the school to suggest there would be no consequences for each childs failure to attend, Ransom wrote. Rather, school officials consistently communicated that regular attendance was required. The ruling affirms both state law and the decisions of the lower courts to convict the parents. Because of Laclede County Circuit Courts ruling, one mother spent seven days in jail, and the other received two years of probation. Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter. A mother and daughter hired to care for a 92-year-old with dementia are accused of stealing more than half a million dollars from her, according to federal prosecutors. The womans niece hired Diane Durbon, 58, of Cape Coral, Florida and her daughter, Brittany Lukasik, also of Cape Coral, in 2016 to visit the 92-year-old daily at her North Fort Myers home, where they were expected to ensure she ate and to socialize with her, court documents state. Over time, Durbon gained control over the womans finances including her investment accounts and annuity policy resulting in about $542,700 in stolen money deposited into Lukasiks bank accounts between January 2019 and March 2020, prosecutors said. With the womans money, Durbon and Lukasik bought a $26,000 car, paid off car and student loan debts, bought a lakefront duplex in Cape Coral and spent over $100,000 to buy electronics and furniture and to remodel their new home, according to prosecutors. Theyre also accused of making more than $100,000 in credit card purchases. This photo shows the Cape Coral duplex Diane Durbon and Brittany Lukasik purchased with stolen money, according to federal prosecutors and Lee County Property Appraiser records. Now, Durbon and Lukasik have been sentenced to federal prison in connection with the theft and must forfeit the Cape Coral duplex, two cars and $542,760, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida announced in an Aug. 18 news release. The duplex has an estimated market value of $408,090, Lee County Property Appraiser records show. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A judge sentenced Durbon to 10 years in prison on a charge of a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and sentenced Lukasik to two years in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return, the release said. This comes after the pair pleaded guilty to the charges in March, according to prosecutors. Criminal defense attorney Douglas Molloy, who represented Lukasik, declined a request for comment from McClatchy News on Aug. 21. McClatchy News contacted Jean-Paul Galasso, an attorney representing Durbon, for comment on Aug. 21 and didnt receive an immediate response. How the theft unfolded After Durbon and Lukasik were hired as the womans caretakers in 2016 following her onset of dementia, Durbon gained access to her investment accounts in October 2017, according to her plea agreement. To do so, investigators learned Durbon had the woman, identified only as T.H., read a script with answers to security questions while speaking to a Vanguard account representative over the phone, the plea agreement says. Surveillance cameras Durbon had installed inside the womans home captured Durbon placing a script in front of the woman during these calls, prosecutors said. Access to the womans investment accounts allowed Durbon to move money from the accounts to a Prime Money Market Account, according to prosecutors. Then, checks in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $9,600 were issued from this account to Lukasiks accounts, Durbons plea agreement says. By November 2018, Durbon went on to access the womans annuity policy similarly to how she had unlawfully gained access to T.H.s investment accounts, according to prosecutors. In January 2019, she lied on the womans behalf and said the woman wanted to cash out her annuity policy resulting in the annuity to issue a $244,521 check to one of the womans checking accounts, prosecutors said. Afterward, $372,092 from 92 checks was issued to Lukasik from the womans checking account between February 2019 and March 2020, prosecutors said. Lukasik never reported receiving the funds when she filed her 2019 tax return, according to the release. Durbon and Lukasiks sentences are the result of an investigation involving the U.S. Secret Service, the Lee County Sheriffs Office and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the release said. Support for financial fraud involving victims ages 60 or older can be found by calling the Justice Departments National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Cape Coral is about 160 miles northwest of Miami. Man bought 3 cars using peoples identities and helped others do the same, feds say Traffic stop leads to $200,000 in gold bars from an elder fraud scheme, NY cops say Postal carrier stole credit cards and gift cards from 1,500 pieces of mail in CA, feds say FILE - In this photo provided by the Montana Governor's Office, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signs a law banning TikTok in the state, May 17, 2023, in Helena, Mont. The state of Montana is asking a federal judge to allow its law banning TikTok downloads to take effect in January while a challenge filed by the company and five content creators is decided by the courts. (Garrett Turner/Montana Governor's Office via AP, File) HELENA, Mont. (AP) Montana is asking a federal judge to allow its law banning new downloads of the video-sharing app TikTok to take effect in January while a challenge filed by the company and five content creators is decided by the courts. The state filed its response Friday to the plaintiffs' motion in July that asked U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy to temporarily prevent the law from being implemented until the courts can rule on whether it amounts to an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen had the bill drafted over concerns shared by the FBI and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on U.S. citizens or push pro-Beijing misinformation that could influence the public. TikTok has said none of this has ever happened. The federal government and more than half the U.S. states, including Montana, have banned TikTok from being used on government-owned devices. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The federal government has already determined that China is a foreign adversary. And the concerns with TikTok are well documented at both the state and federal level," the brief said. The Montana law, "therefore, furthers the public interest because it protects the public from the harms inseparable from TikToks operation. Disallowing Montana's regulation of TikTok would be like preventing the state from banning a cancer-causing radio merely because that radio also transmitted protected speech," the brief argues. There are other applications people can use to express themselves and communicate with others, the state argues. The plaintiffs have said their greatest social media following is on TikTok. TikTok has safeguards to moderate content and protect minors, and would not share information with China, the company has argued. But critics have pointed to Chinas 2017 national intelligence law that compels companies to cooperate with the countrys governments for state intelligence work. Montanas law would prohibit downloads of TikTok in the state and would fine any entity an app store or TikTok $10,000 per day for each time someone is offered the ability to access the social media platform or download the app. The penalties would not apply to users. Montgomery police are investigating a fatal Saturday night shooting. At about 10:55 p.m., officers and medics went to the 2500 block of Locust Street on a report of a person shot, said Maj. Saba Coleman, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery Police Department. The victim's name was Dario Juarez, according to information released by MPD. Juarez, 45, of Montgomery, had been fatally injured by a gunshot and was later pronounced deceased at the scene, Coleman said. Coleman said the ongoing investigation and did not immediately release any other information. The fatal shooting is the 51st homicide of the year, she said. Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery police investigate fatal Saturday night shooting A view of the moon, observed by the Chandrayaan-3 lander during Lunar Orbit Insertion By Nivedita Bhattacharjee BENGALURU (Reuters) -India's space agency on Monday released images its spacecraft took of the far side of the moon as it headed for an attempted landing on the lunar south pole, just days after the failure of a Russian lander. The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft had been in a race with Russia to be the first to land on the lunar south pole, a region whose shadowed craters are thought to contain water ice that could support a future moon settlement. As news of the failure of Russia's Luna-25 mission broke on Sunday, ISRO said that Chandrayaan-3 was on course to land on Aug. 23. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement All systems on the spacecraft are working "perfectly" and no contingencies are anticipated on the landing day, the space agency said on Monday. The mission - Chandrayaan means "moon vehicle" in Hindi and Sanskrit - is India's second attempt to land on the south pole of the moon. In 2019, ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 mission successfully deployed an orbiter but its lander crashed. Rough terrain makes a south pole landing difficult, but making a first landing would be historic. The region's water ice could supply fuel, oxygen and drinking water for future missions. Images released on Monday showed craters on the moon's surface captured by the ISRO craft's Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera, which is designed to help find a safe landing location for the spacecraft. India's moon mission blasted off on July 14, and the lander module of Chandrayaan-3 separated from the propulsion module last week. For India, a successful moon landing would mark its emergence as a space power as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses. "If Chandrayaan-3 succeeds, it will boost India's space agency's reputation worldwide. It will show that India is becoming a key player in space exploration," said Manish Purohit, a former ISRO scientist. It would also boost India's reputation for cost-competitive space engineering. The Chandrayaan-3 was launched with a budget of about 6.15 billion rupees ($74 million), less than the cost to produce the 2013 Hollywood space thriller "Gravity". A successful mission would make India only the fourth country to successfully land on the moon, after the former USSR, the United States and China. "India is going to acquire a new technology with a successful landing, which is a big thing," K. Sivan, former chief of the country's space agency, said after the Chandrayaan-3 launched. Scientists at ISRO have said they learned from the earlier moon mission's failure and made changes to Chandrayaan-3 that would make a successful landing more likely, including making it possible to touch down safely anywhere within an expanded landing zone in adverse conditions. It has also been equipped with more fuel, more solar panels and sturdier legs. Executives in India's nascent space industry also expect a boost. The number of space startups in India has more than doubled since 2020, when India opened to private launches. "The next 3 days will be nothing less than 'terrific'! Eagerly looking forward to the landing!", Pawan Chandana, co-founder of Skyroot, which launched India's first privately built rocket last year, posted on X, formerly called Twitter. ($1 = 83.0900 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee in Bengaluru. Editing by Gerry Doyle and Mark Potter) More than 1,000 scheduled flights have been canceled in the U.S. over the weekend as Tropical Storm Hilary has hit the western part of the country. According to online flight tracker FlightAware, at least 1,048 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. have been canceled. Out of the 1,048 canceled flights, 170 flights were canceled at Las Vegass Harry Reid International Airport, 120 flights were cancelled at San Diego International Airport, and 66 flights were cancelled at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. At least 4,771 U.S. flights have been delayed due to the storm threat, the website noted. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This comes as Tropical Storm Hilary made its landfall along Mexicos Baja coast Sunday and carried torrential rain into Southern California. Forecasters said that Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, as 9 million residents are under flash flooding warnings. Authorities in California and Nevada have already issued state of emergency notices in their respective states, and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo also activated 100 state National Guard members to southern Nevada in preparation for the storm. As the state takes the necessary steps to prepare for flooding and severe weather, I strongly urge all Nevadans to do the same, Lombardo said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. By making a plan ahead of time, Nevadans can ensure that their families and loved ones remain safe. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Southern Californias Ventura County on Sunday afternoon as Hilary continues its wrath on the region. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FRAMINGHAM The number of homeless refugees that have been moved into Framingham has been increasing rapidly, as two new waves of migrant families were recently brought in by the state to local hotels. During Wednesday's School Committee meeting, Mayor Charlie Sisitsky said 10 new families were moved into the city the previous day, and that eight more were moved in on Wednesday. Over the weekend, city officials said in a press release that Framingham is now housing more than 52 families in three hotels, including "more than 30" that came in a third wave of arrivals. "I want to alert everybody that this is a serious problem," Sisitsky told School Committee members. "It has the potential to have a serious impact on the school system, and it is stretching our ability to provide volunteers and supplies for these families, while we wait for the state to ramp (up) our support." Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky told the School Committee Wednesday night that 18 more migrant families have been moved into the city. Trapped in limbo: Haitian refugees in Worcester await permission to work ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The first wave of families were moved into Framingham on July 28, with no notice given to the city prior to their arrival. That group of refugees included 14 families, many of whom are ethnically Haitian, and arrived in Massachusetts seeking asylum earlier this year. Massachusetts is a right-to-shelter state, meaning it must provide housing to homeless families who have at least one child under age 21. Without enough shelters to house all of the families, the state has been moving migrants into hotels as temporary housing. While social services to assist the first wave of families were provided by Jewish Family Services of Metrowest, Sisitsky said Wednesday that the organization reported that it's at max capacity and cannot assist any new families, and the state is providing little support at this time. 'Looking for work': Why employment for asylum-seeking refugees is a long road in MA "We have heard that they are maxed out and they cannot take on any more families," the mayor said of JFS. "We have tried to communicate with the state to try and see what they can do, and the state is basically overwhelmed with the number of families coming in. They are trying to locate them throughout the commonwealth and they are running out of space. We have no idea where this is going, and we seem to be seeing this multiply by the hour." Support for families stretching thin The three waves of refugees are living in three different Framingham hotels, according to Sisitsky. The first wave was originally brought to the Red Roof Inn on Cochituate Road, but was moved last week into a suite-style hotel that provided more living space and kitchenettes for the families. There is no timetable for how long the families are expected to remain in Framingham, although Lino Covarrubias, CEO of Jewish Family Services, said his organization was told by the state that the first wave of families will live in the city at least through the end of this month. The first wave of migrants brought to Framingham, which included 39 people from 14 families, were initially housed in the red Roof Inn on Cochituate Road. Gift cards sought: More donations needed for migrant families living in Framingham Jewish Family Services is seeking gift cards to places such as Target, Walmart, Walgreens and Stop & Shop, as well as cash donations or VISA gift cards. Gift cards can be used by families to purchase their own goods and supplies, and help teach them how to access public transportation and navigate shopping in Massachusetts. Gift cards and donations can be dropped off or mailed to Jewish Family Services, 475 Franklin St., Suite 101, Framingham 01702. "We are going to have to find better ways to deal with this situation, so these people don't end up sleeping on the street with no place to turn and no support services," Sisitsky said. With the first day of school coming up on Aug. 30, the city will likely find itself tasked with sorting out education for school-age children currently living in the hotels. Sisitsky said Framingham is in the process of trying to learn more about the students. "We dont have any information on the kids," he said. "We dont know anything about their medical backgrounds, what their vaccination status is, or any other issues dealing with their previous life, Sisitsky said. We are trying to get as much information as we can. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: MA moves 18 more migrant refugee families into Framingham hotels This article was originally published in Source New Mexico. On a brisk February morning with snow on the ground, children arrived at Tse Bit Ai Middle School in Shiprock, on the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico. Word in the hallway was something was afoot: Substitute teachers were waiting in each classroom. The childrens 35 regular teachers were spotted, sitting in a large circle in the library. Students paused at the doorway to watch. The teachers, along with school counselors, were training in a new disciplinary approach, often referred to as restorative justice, which seeks to rebuild relationships, not simply punish the student who caused the harm. Its a model New Mexicos state education department has begun testing with a pilot project in a few other school districts. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Rooted in the belief that everybody has a role to play in addressing harm, restorative justice largely relies on people talking and listening carefully to one another. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I was raised in circles like this; its a traditional practice, said Principal Pandora Mike, who, like much of the schools staff and nearly all of its 414 students, is Navajo. Restorative Justice is about self-regulation, responsible decision making. You really want to help students do a lot of reflection on their own behaviors, their own actions. In addition to circles of sharing, the program promotes communication through classroom respect agreements to build a greater sense of community among students. When rules are broken, it focuses on mediation. And it seeks to help students understand the root of their misbehavior and how they might do better. Proponents say its a more effective and less harmful disciplinary approach than removing kids from school through long-term suspensions or expulsions, which are tied to lower graduation rates and a higher risk of incarceration. Thats particularly important for Indigenous students. In New Mexico, Native American students are expelled far more often than any other group and at least four times as often as white students, according to an investigation by New Mexico In Depth and ProPublica. One school district 90 miles to the south of Tse Bit Ai, Gallup-McKinley County Schools, is responsible for most of that disparity. Gallup-McKinley has a quarter of New Mexicos Native students but accounted for at least three-quarters of Native student expulsions in the state during the four school years ending in 2020. The school districts expulsion rate was far higher than the rest of the state, according to New Mexico education department records. The district contested that finding, saying some long-term suspensions were mistakenly classified as expulsions. But Gallup-McKinleys rate of removals from school for 90 days or more, regardless of what they were called, remained far higher than other districts across the state, an analysis by the news outlets confirmed. While Gallup-McKinley has not embraced restorative justice as an alternative to exclusionary punishments, more than a dozen New Mexico schools have, including some serving Navajo children. Twelve statewide are participating in a new state pilot program, but Tse Bit Ai and Cuba Independent Schools, both of which serve large Indigenous student populations, initiated the change on their own. In 2020, leaders from all 23 of New Mexicos federally recognized tribes called for education reforms, including a shift from harsh discipline and criminalization of Native children to restorative justice and peacemaking approaches. The stakes are high. Expelling and suspending students frequently doesnt address the underlying problems and can even backfire, making misbehavior more likely, said Daniel Losen. Losen is the director of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and senior director of education at the Washington, D.C.-based National Center for Youth Law. He studies racial disparities in school discipline. Pushing children out of classrooms increases the risk of a child dropping out of school or winding up in the criminal justice system, he said. Students particularly students of color are often punished harshly and at higher rates for vaguely defined, catchall minor infractions like disorderly conduct, Losen noted. Thats where the largest racial disparities are usually found. At Gallup-McKinley, for example, disorderly conduct was one of the most frequent reasons for expulsions between the school years 2016-17 to 2019-20, but the term wasnt even defined in the districts discipline policy until the 2022-23 school year, after the news organizations asked district officials about this and other facets of student discipline policy. Statewide, Native students were expelled for disorderly conduct at least 76 times and law enforcement was involved in 193 such incidents. About 90% of these incidents occurred in Gallup-McKinley schools. Overuse of punitive discipline just pushes kids into an adversarial relationship and discourages them, said Tse Bit Ai Assistant Principal Dannell Yazzie, who is Navajo. Her school is using classroom circles focused on relationship building, Yazzie said, then disciplinary reconciliation circles in the coming school year. Shes put together a team of teachers. But there are critics. Restorative justice means no consequences, said state Rep. Rod Montoya, a Republican who represents the neighboring town of Farmington, adding that talking circles can disrupt teachers instruction time in the classroom. Teachers are not psychologists. Montoya said hes written to school superintendents asking that they not adopt restorative justice practices. A decade ago, the New Mexico Center for Law and Poverty spotlighted two school districts next to the Navajo Nation for harsh disciplinary practices in a scathing report: Gallup-McKinley County Schools and Cuba Independent Schools district, on the eastern edge of the Navajo Nation. In the years after, the Cuba school district adopted talking circles as the first response to most student misbehavior but Gallup-McKinley has not. Cubas expulsion and out-of-school suspensions have all but disappeared, according to the districts reports to the state. Victoria Dominguez, a counselor in Cuba schools, said just holding a talking circle between students or cliques after an altercation can reveal how the schools rumor mill can cause students to react to falsehoods or misunderstandings without checking to see if theyre true. The size of circles depends on who is involved and is willing to participate. It might gather a counselor and two students who fought, for example, or larger groups populated by students, family members and teachers. If students are at odds, Dominguez and their principal will bring them in to talk things out. Problems often stem from misunderstandings, and social media cell phone apps like Snapchat have made things worse, fueling the rumor mill, she said. If a problem persists, theyll sign non-contact agreements to avoid one another as a cool-down mechanism, or bring in the students family members for a talking circle. [T]he number of fights has declined significantly with talking circles, Dominguez said. Its been a huge turnaround for the district. She doesnt always wait for an infraction to get kids together to talk. Ive pulled kids together to say theres a rumor circulating that you are going to fight at lunch. Were doing a mediation circle. Cuba has a high population of students who lack secure housing, and who suffer from sleep deprivation and hunger, Dominguez noted. Fostering a culture of communication can help. Sometimes, by asking questions and listening closely, problems at home can be identified and addressed by the district, she said. If a teachers explaining a really cool math concept but a kid hasnt eaten in three days or is wearing the same clothes for four or five days, [they are] not going to be able to pick it up, she said. In high poverty communities, a lot of times, students are told their truths they are not given an opportunity to speak their truth, to tell their story from their point of view, uninterrupted. To be heard. Cuba district has seen attendance improve since adopting talking circles, she said, with fewer out-of-school suspensions and fewer missed days. But until recently, just a handful of New Mexico schools in the state used talking circles. So last year, the state Public Education Department announced a $237,500 federally funded pilot program to expand restorative justice in schools, with the goal of reducing suspension and expulsion rates and ultimately, improve graduation rates. A dozen schools across the state agreed to have some of their teachers trained and then train their colleagues through the PED pilot program. Monte del Sol, a public charter school in Santa Fe, sent two 10th-grade students, a counselor and administrators to the states training. The 10th-graders facilitated the schools first disciplinary remediation circle, with two groups of 8th grade girls. It didnt bring an immediate breakthrough, but Amy Garcia, one of the student facilitators, said it was a good start. Not everybody is super comfortable with talking about how they feel, Garcia said. We did come to an agreement where they would at least give each other their space. Restorative justice proponents like Emma Green, who runs the states pilot program, see student misbehavior as a red flag that somethings wrong in a childs life, and an opportunity for constructive intervention to discover the underlying problem, mediate and help the child take responsibility for how theyve affected others, and to connect the child to needed support. But student support services are in very short supply in much of the state, skeptics point out. They question whether restorative justice will work across the state. Making a student who has been victimized sit down with the student who bullied or victimized them can retraumatize that child, Montoya said. When he asked the state public education department whether talking circles would be used even in cases of bullying or physical violence, he was told that is up to individual school districts, which have wide latitude in setting discipline policies. Restorative justice facilitator Randy Compton, from Boulder, Colorado, said talking circles wont resolve every problem. With a case of mild bullying, a talking circle might be appropriate, he said, but at the extreme end, a child who bullies others will often just manipulate the process. In those cases, you would not necessarily want to put the child and the student who bullied them in a talking circle. In addition to trainings at Tse Bit Ai Middle and Shiprock High School, Compton also has trained staff at Albuquerque Public Schools and the Aztec, N.M. school district, and schools across the U.S.At Tse Bit Ai, assault, drug and tobacco offenses still will automatically involve out-of-school suspensions, Yazzie said. Upon their return to school, students will attend counseling interventions to discuss their behavior and how it impacted others.People think we just sit in a circle and sing Kumbaya, but its not like that, she said. Its not without consequences. And we will discuss why children behave in a certain way. It needs to be both. Were providing them with an opportunity to learn and think about their behavior.Tse Bit Ai is adopting restorative justice practices in stages, Yazzie said. From initial training sessions to successful implementation, programs typically require three to five years to become a smoothly operating part of a schools discipline culture, Compton said. But that can be a challenge in New Mexico, where schools struggle with staff turnover. Teachers and administrators come and go frequently. Just as a school begins to make progress, trained staff and organizers will move away, and their replacements must then be convinced to invest their time and energy into learning an unfamiliar approach to student discipline. Ultimately, university teacher training programs will have to make restorative justice part of their regular curriculum so that newly arriving teachers already understand the concepts and practices involved, Yazzie said. The [college] textbooks definitely do not teach this, Dominguez agreed. For now, its up to schools and districts. Green echoed Yazzies point that restorative justice is not about abandoning consequences for student misbehavior. Letting people off the hook is absolutely not restorative, she said. The foundation and the heartbeat of restorative justice is accountability. Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Shaun Griswold for questions: info@sourcenm.com. Follow Source New Mexico on Facebook and Twitter. More than half of likely Iowa Republican caucus attendees said they have not made up their minds on a 2024 candidate, a new poll found. Fifty-two percent of likely GOP caucusgoers in Iowa said they have yet to decide whom to support and that they could be convinced to support another candidate, according to the NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll released early Monday. The results come as many GOP presidential hopefuls have flocked to the state to make their case to Iowa voters, with many hoping to upend former President Trumps comfortable lead in the polls. They also come ahead of the first 2024 Republican primary debate on Wednesday, which Trump said he is not attending, mainly due to his large lead in the polls. The new poll found 42 percent of likely Republican caucus attendees in Iowa listed Trump as their first choice, giving the former president a 23-point lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was picked by 19 percent. No other candidate received more than 10 percent of the vote. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Republican Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) received 9 percent support in the new survey, followed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence, who each received 6 percent. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received 5 percent support, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy received 4 percent, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum received 2 percent and former Rep. Will Hurd (Texas) received 1 percent. The poll was conducted between Aug. 13-17 among 406 Iowa voters likely to attend the 2024 Republican caucus and has a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A new poll attempts to suss out the contours of the Republican Party in 2023. The results suggest it is an ideologically diverse coalition, if also a weird one. "After eight years of Republican fealty to Donald J. Trump, few would argue that the party is still defined by Ronald Reagan's famous three-legged stool of the religious right, fiscal conservatives and neoconservative hawks," comments The New York Times. "But if the Republican Party is no longer in Reagan's image, it's not necessarily a populist-conservative MAGA monolith, either." The poll, conducted by the Times and Siena College, found that "majorities of Republicans side with Mr. Trump on almost every issue" but "those majorities are often quite slim." To tease out more who makes up the modern conservative electorate, the Times divided Republican and Republican-leaning voters into six categories, defined by their feelings about the former and would-be-future president as well as their policy positions: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Moderate Establishment (14%). Highly educated, affluent, socially moderate or even liberal and often outright Never Trump. The Traditional Conservatives (26%). Old-fashioned economic and social conservatives who oppose abortion and prefer corporate tax cuts to new tariffs. They don't love Mr. Trump, but they do support him. The Right Wing (26%). They watch Fox News and Newsmax. They're "very conservative." They're disproportionately evangelical. They believe America is on the brink of catastrophe. And they love Mr. Trump more than any other group. The Blue Collar Populists (12%). They're mostly Northern, socially moderate, economic populists who hold deeply conservative views on race and immigration. Not only do they back Mr. Trump, but he himself probably counted as one a decade ago. The Libertarian Conservatives (14%). These disproportionately Western and Midwestern conservatives value small government. They're relatively socially moderate and isolationist, and they're on the lower end of Trump support compared with other groups. The Newcomers (8%). They don't look like Republicans. They're young, diverse and moderate. But these disaffected voters like Democrats and the "woke" left even less. The "right wing" and the "blue collar populists"which make up a combined 37 percentare loyal Trump supporters. The others in the coalition have more mixed or even negative views of Trump. Libertarian conservatives still exist, the Times reports. They were the least supportive of Mr. Trump, the paper says, but they're "not a great group for Mr. DeSantis eithera telling indication of the troubles facing a candidate who once built his national reputation on freedom from coronavirus restrictions." Libertarian conservatives can still find some common cause with other factions of Republican votersincluding the populists. "A majority of [the populist] group supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage," points out New York magazine: This aversion to bible-thumping moralism helped tie a segment of these voters to the Democratic Party before Trump's emergence. To the extent that the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade increases the salience of reproductive rights, and Trump's eventual exit from GOP politics weakens blue-collar populists' emotional identification with the party, Republicans could lose ground with them. Indeed, in last year's midterm elections, Democrats performed better in heavily blue-collar Midwest states like Michigan and Pennsylvania than they did nationally. The "newcomers" group is an interesting one, seeming to be comprised of people whose main reason for voting Republican is feeling alienated from progressives and Democrats. Some of these voters would perhaps be ripe for picking off by the Libertarian Party, if that party were actually functional and not a giant constellation of internal fighting and identity crisis. Then again, maybe notthey also express more interest in sticking it to the left than in a principled defense of freedom. Here's the Times again: This is the youngest and most diverse group of Republicans. Just 59 percent are white, and 18 percent are Hispanic. More than a quarter are 18 to 29. Nearly three-quarters identify as moderates or liberals. They overwhelmingly support immigration reform and say society should accept the identity of transgender people. With these characteristics, it can be hard to see why these voters are Republican-leaners at all. But unlike the similarly moderate establishment, this is an unequivocally Republican group. They back Mr. Trump against President Biden and they're deeply unhappy with the state of the country: Nearly 90 percent said the economy was poor, placing them just behind the Right Wing in their economic pessimism. A similar number said the country was heading in the wrong direction. So while they may not be conservatives in any traditional sense, they're certainly not happy with Democrats. They were the likeliest group to say they would rather back a candidate who focused on fighting the radical "woke" left than one focused on protecting law and order. By a two-to-one margin, they said they would rather vote for a candidate who promised to stop "woke" business, rather than a candidate who said businesses should have the freedom to decide what to support. This group should give "Democrats some cause for anxiety," suggests New York magazine: The survey suggests that nonwhite, working-class Americans are starting to vote more like their light-skinned peers. In 2020, nonwhite, non-college-educated voters backed Joe Biden over Trump by a 48-point margin. Today, this group backs by Biden by merely 16 points, according to the survey. This erosion in the Democrats' support among nonwhite voters leaves Biden and Trump tied at 43 percent nationally. Now, we're looking at one small subset of voters from a single poll. The margin of error here is so high that the existence of this voter group could be illusory. But it does seem possible that, among a sliver of America's youngest voters, the most overbearing forms of progressive discourse have acquired more political salience than concrete questions of public policy. But perhaps we shouldn't ascribe too much power to these categories, which are a bitfuzzy. For instance, only 34 percent of those categorized as libertarian conservatives said they favor cutting taxes on corporations over raising tariffs on imports.* FREE MINDS Kansans fight over driver's license gender markers. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas is getting involved in a lawsuit over gender markets on driver's licenses in Kansas. The suitfiled by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach"seeks to force the state to list the sex that people were assigned at birth on their driver's licenses," explains the Associated Press. The Kansas ACLU sought to intervene in the case (Kansas v. Harper) on behalf of five transgender Kansans. Kansas currently lets transgender people change the gender marker on their licenses. But Kobach claims that a law that took effect in July not only bans future changes but requires the state to reverse any previous changes. "That new law defines a person's sex as male or female, based on the 'biological reproductive system' identified at birth, applying that definition to any state law or regulation," reports the AP. "It also says that 'important governmental objectives' of protecting people's privacy, health and safety justify single-sex spaces such as bathrooms and locker rooms." "We are gratified that the court has seen that our clients have a vested interest in the outcome of this case, and should be entitled to make their arguments," said Sharon Brett, Legal Director of the ACLU of Kansas, in a statement. "For our clients and the entire community they represent, this case is about the privacy, dignity, and autonomy that comes from having accurate gender markers on their license, and about their right to be safe from the harassment they would face if forced to present inaccurate IDs that would essentially out them against their will in daily life." FREE MARKETS Chili's: the great equalizer? "the rich and poor rub shoulders at Olive Garden and Applebee's. Indeed, the most socio-economically diverse places in America are not public institutions, like schools and parks, but affordable, chain restaurants" pic.twitter.com/WDt6jJzuCQ Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) August 20, 2023 QUICK HITS An earthquake hit California yesterday as the state was also pummeled by a tropical storm. Former President Donald Trump saya he won't be at this week's GOP debateor any other Republican primary debates. It's still unclear who else will be on the Republican debate stage Wednesday. Trump confirms he won't be doing any debates. (Plural.) pic.twitter.com/buTDl3fCni Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 20, 2023 More people are realizing that the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is "a first amendment nightmare," reports Techdirt. The American Booksellers Association and the Authors Guild demanding the FTC investigate Amazon's dominance of the book market "is a perfect example for why abandoning the consumer welfare standard results in the FTC being used to protect select competitors rather than consumers," write the American Consumer Institute's Steve Pociask and Trey Price. Witnesses to last year's mass shooting at a Tops grocery store in Buffalo, New York, are suing Reddit and YouTube for allegedly radicalizing the shooter. At Unherd, Olympia Campbell pushes back against people using evolutionary theory to say women should stay chaste until marriage and stop using birth control. "A federal judge in Georgia on Sunday issued a ruling that blocks the state from enforcing its new ban on hormone therapy for transgender minors while the case proceeds," reports Chris Geidner in his LawDork newsletter. New York licenses for retail cannabis establishments are in limbo due to a lawsuit filed by four military veterans, who say the state hasn't upheld its promise to give veterans special licensing consideration. The town without zoning. * UPDATE: This post has been updated to add more information about the Times and Siena College poll. The post Most Republican Voters Aren't Loyal Trumpists, Suggests Survey appeared first on Reason.com. Former president and 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump arrives to speak at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines on July 28, 2023. (Sergio Flores/AFP Getty) A Chicago woman was arrested Monday on federal charges alleging she threatened to kill former President Donald Trump and his 17-year-old son Barron. Tracy Marie Fiorenza, 41, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed in Florida last week with transmitting threats to kill another person, which carries up to five years in prison. She was arrested here Monday morning and appeared at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse for a removal hearing in the afternoon. Advertisement Fiorenza, dressed in an Army-green tank top with a skull logo, shorts and sneakers, answered Yes when U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings asked if she understood the charge against her. She waived her right to an identity hearing. Prosecutors are seeking to have her detained pending a hearing in Florida because Barron Trump is a minor. Cummings scheduled a detention hearing for Wednesday. Advertisement The charges were first reported by the online newsletter CourtWatch. The five-page complaint alleged that on May 21, Fiorenza emailed the headmaster of a Palm Beach County school and wrote, I will state that I will shoot Donald Trump Sr. AND Baron Trump (sic) straight in the face at any opportunity that I get! She allegedly sent a similar email to the same headmaster threatening the younger Trumps life two weeks later, according to the complaint. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Barron Trump has attended a private school in Palm Beach since his family left the White House, though the charges do not identify the school where the messages were allegedly sent. In June, a U.S. Secret Service agent reached out to Fiorenza and arranged a meeting at the agencys Chicago headquarters, where Fiorenza was shown copies of the emails, according to the complaint. Fiorenza confirmed that she intentionally wrote them and sent them via email from her then-residence in southwest suburban Plainfield, the complaint stated. A Facebook page linked to Fiorenza and still publicly viewable stated she is a former social studies teacher and attended Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. The profile contains numerous violent and anti-Trump images and claims, as well as references to the elite organization of the Illuminati. Advertisement jmeisner@chicagotribune.com A business owner was fatally shot on Aug. 18 after someone allegedly took issue with a Pride flag she had displayed at her clothing store in Lake Arrowhead, California. Deputies responded to the Mag Pi clothing store at 5:00 p.m., where owner Laura Ann Carleton was pronounced dead at the scene, the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department said in a press release. The suspect, who was not identified, fled the scene on foot. Through further investigation, detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton, the press release said. The suspect was armed when confronted by deputies and was killed in a lethal force encounter, the sheriffs department said. An investigation is ongoing. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Mag Pi store website described Carleton as a mother of nine and has been married to the same man for 28 years. Carleton, who went by Lauri, studied at the Art Center School of Design and had a long career in fashion, including 15 years as an executive at Kenneth Cole, the site said. Mountain Provisions Cooperative, a local grocery store, said in a Facebook post Saturday that Carleton had been pivotal in helping organize a free store after a blizzard hit the area earlier this year. Lauri was a pillar in our community, an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice, the post said. If you knew Lauri you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those she cared about. The store encouraged people to fly your flags in honor of Lauri. In loving memory of our dear friend, mom to many, ally, organizer, entrepreneur, founding member and soul of our co-op... Posted by Mountain Provisions Cooperative on Saturday, August 19, 2023 Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ said on Instagram that Carleton did not identify as a member of the queer community but was an advocate for everyone in the community. Lauris unwavering support for the LBGTQ+ community and her dedication to creating a safe space within her shop touched the lives of many, the organization wrote in an Instagram story. Her untimely passing in a senseless act of violence has left us all deeply saddened. Comments on the organizations social media offered condolences to Carletons family and paid tribute to her contributions around the Lake Arrowhead community. Some said that the Pride flag at Mag Pi helped make them feel welcome and safe in the area. Bridesmaids film director Paul Feig was among those in the comment section, saying that Carleton would be sorely missed. Lauri was such a wonderful person, so full of life and love, Feig wrote. She always made us laugh and always laughed with us. Her commitment to the community in general and the LGBTQ community specifically was just one of her many wonderful qualities. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com I moved from London to my hometown in Scotland during the pandemic. I now live a 10-minute drive from my parents' house and I'm happier than ever. The pandemic forced me to prioritize what is important in life, and for me, it's family. I'd been living in London for just under a year when my parents came to visit in January 2020. We were on the London Underground when my dad spotted a poster advertising our home country, Scotland. The ad had a white, sandy beach and the tagline marketed Scotland as a relocation destination for "work-life balance." It was the second or third poster we had seen that day. Each one had an image of Scotland's natural landscape, from peaceful lochs to mountain ranges in the highlands. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "It's a sign," my dad said. "You should move home. Ask your boss if you can work remotely." They knew that I had a terrible experience with homesickness. I'd always been close with my parents and my twin sister, Aimee, so living 400 miles away from their home in Glasgow was definitely an adjustment. But despite this, I wasn't entirely on board with his suggestion. I'd only recently moved to a new apartment with two amazing roommates who I was lucky to call friends. I was also enjoying the fast-paced nature of life in the city. Little did I know, my dad's wish for me was about to become a reality in a way nobody could have imagined. The pandemic changed the trajectory of my life My employer sent everyone home around two weeks before the UK went into lockdown in March 2020. Because Insider is a media company, we were instructed to take our laptops and continue working from home. I didn't want to work from my tiny apartment, so I booked a train ticket to Glasgow. In my hurry to pack, I only brought a handful of clothes and no makeup, naively assuming that I'd return in a couple of weeks. By June of that year, it became clear that we weren't going back to work anytime soon. Even if it was a possibility, I didn't want to leave my family again. The pandemic is undoubtedly the scariest thing I've been through. I can recall spending hours refreshing the Scottish Government's social-media pages for the latest mortality rates, and in January 2021, my dad went to multiple funerals in one week. Mikhaila and her family during a visit to San Francisco in 2019. Mikhaila Friel But there were glimpses of happiness to be found, thanks to the quality time we prioritized during the multiple lockdowns. I started cooking with my parents, and my sister and I would often go on long walks or do home workouts together. By late 2021, my partner and I were splitting our time between London and Glasgow. The following year, I decided it was time to put down roots and buy a property. I put an offer on my dream apartment that was just a 10-minute drive from my parents' house in Glasgow, and in January, I moved in with my partner and our kitten. My life is so much better than I had imagined it would be a couple of years ago, when I thought my career was bound to lead me to a permanent state of homesickness and loneliness. Now my weekends are filled with family dinners and games nights, and we probably spend more time together now than we did before the pandemic. Even as an adult, it's comforting to know that my mom and dad are nearby. If there's ever an emergency, I can be at their house in a matter of minutes and vice versa. The pandemic forced me to reassess what is important in life, and for me personally, family will always be top of the list. Read the original article on Insider Inside a thick patch of woods, a hidden cemetery stands stubbornly under the pines, offering eternal tribute to a stable of four-legged companions: Maud, who was very gentle; Lulu, who was very swift; and Dan, best of all. These departed trotted across Durham County a century ago, some of them saddle horses, some of them driving mares, some of them brown mules all of them previous to Fabius H. Page, who loved them more than most people. One by one, Page buried them all under thick granite stones, each with its own inscription, where they remain today in a forgotten patch where cars whiz past on Interstate 540. Bessie, reads one of them. Driving mare. Brown. White face. Four white feet. 1903-1937. One of several equine graves established by Fabius Page on what was once his farm in Durham County. Pages horse and mule cemetery offers quiet tribute to a small herd of farm animals granted a greater memorial than most people receive. And it endures decades after the farmland they worked gave way to the mundane apartment buildings of Research Triangle Park. A map and bushwhacking It takes a map and some bushwhacking to locate Mr. Fabs equine graveyard in the pines off Langdon Drive, as intractable as the long-eared beasts it honors. But finding them, and learning their story, feels as rewarding as tying on a feedbag full of oats. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Surely there has been a place prepared for him among his friends in animal heaven, wrote The Durham Herald-Sun in 1978, the year Page died at 89. They had a kindred heartbeat. Fabius Page, of what was formerly known as Nelson, pictured with his wife Annie Lee on their 50th anniversary in this photo from the Durham Sun. I stumbled on this curious burial ground this month, parking at a dead end on the Wake-Durham line and following the highway sound through the woods. Being a fan of graveyards in general, I set out to learn what I could of Fab Page, so devoted to his four-legged friends that he built them a resting place. In the 1930s, when most of these animals trotted into their eternal meadows, digging a hole big enough for an Arabian must have taken all day. I would bury them on my premises So I poked around a bit inside our newspaper archives, and more from the long-extinct Durham Sun, and discovered this love song to beasts of burden: I decided that I was not going to trade any of my horses and mules ever, Page once told The Herald-Sun. When they became old and died, I would bury them on my premises. In 1926, the N&O wrote of Fab Page as one of the steadiest, quietest, hardest-working young men in the county, having had no trouble even in school. A prosperous farmer, he was said to prefer the company of animals, inspired by reading Black Beauty as a 9-year-old boy. He traveled to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby 26 years in a row and he never bet a nickel. He came from five generations of farmers, operating a dairy, where he sold milk for 8 cents a gallon, and barns full of cured tobacco, which he sold for 3 cents a pound. The grave for Dan rests inside thick woods off U.S. 540, formerly the farm owned by Fabius Page, who buried all his farm animals there with granite memorials that yet remain. During the Depression, he decided that horses were more economical than cars, so he parked his Studebaker in the garage and kept it there until 1965, traveling by saddle or carriage. Atop Dan, his favorite horse from 1910 to 1940, he courted his young wife, Annie Lee. But then I found a darker, stranger chapter. Attacked with a large root When he was 37, Page went on trial for murdering his father, Leroy, having clubbed him to death with a large root. The trouble started when the elder Page became infatuated with a much-younger and very married woman from Durham, to whom he gave both a car and his checkbook. Local lawmen and church parishioners tried to intervene and stop what was, by 1926 standards, a scandalous courtship. This tinderbox caught fire one day when the younger Page found his prize watermelon missing and saw that his fathers paramour had left tracks near the field. He and his father quarreled and retreated to their respective farms, then took up the quarrel the next day, when the father suddenly brandished a 6-foot root. Father and son struggled, and fearing for his life after a series of root blows, young Page snatched the big stick and swatted his father in what he described as self-defense. Few shed tears for Leroy Page, described in news accounts as being a tyrant with a volatile temper. His son was quickly acquitted. Friends and neighbors of the family say that there was a sense of relief in the community and undoubtedly in the homes of the Page family when it was learned that the elder Page was dead, The N&O reported. Fabius Page buried 10 of his beloved horses and mules in a cemetery on what was once farmland but is now covered over by woods off U.S. 540 Page went on to father a large family, enjoy his stable and faithfully attend the N.C. State Fair. At the end of his long life in 1978, the editorial writers of the Herald-Sun gave him a whole column right next to Art Buchwald, calling Page a friendly gentleman whose roots were deeply embedded in the rich soil. Page Road, which crosses Interstate 40 not far from his horses graves, still bears the family name. Think of him admiring his tobacco fields, patting his milk cows, smiling at Annie Lee as she waved from the window all atop Dan, the best of all. The issue of abortion is in a kind of limbo in Mississippi despite the state being viewed as perhaps the most staunchly anti-abortion state in the nation. Many state politicians like to make that claim. Because of bills passed by the Legislature and signed into law by multiple governors, abortion is prohibited in nearly every circumstance in Mississippi. Yet there is a 1990s state Supreme Court ruling that provides a right to an abortion under the Mississippi Constitution. That ruling, in theory, would trump those laws. But still, no provider is willing to provide abortions in Mississippi because of the fear that law enforcement and state courts would ignore that basic legal tenet that the constitution trumps laws. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The abortion conflict could be solved by one of two ways: by the state Supreme Court overturning its earlier ruling, or by lawmakers amending the Mississippi Constitution. But it appears staunchly anti-abortion Mississippi legislative leaders are afraid to try to amend the Constitution because to do so would require allowing the people to vote. Polls over the past several months surprisingly show Mississippians almost evenly divided on the emotional and contentious issue, with some polls even saying a plurality supports abortion rights. In every state where abortion has been on the ballot during the past year, including conservative controlled states, proposals to expand abortion rights have prevailed. The latest Republican, anti-abortion state where voters might approve abortion rights is Ohio. On the same day earlier this month that Mississippi held its party primary elections, Ohioans rejected a proposal to make it more difficult to pass initiatives placed on the ballot by voters. That vote was directly related to abortion. Ohios state Republican leaders, who like their counterparts in Mississippi are anti-abortion, were trying to make it more difficult for voters to approve a proposal to place in their constitution a right to an abortion by requiring approval by 60% instead of a simple majority of voters. An initiative that Ohio voters gathered the mandated number of signatures will be on the November ballot to guarantee that right to an abortion. Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal to make it more difficult to pass that initiative and any future ones. That vote in Ohio underscores the fact that while the initiative process is alive and well and being protected in some states, it was taken away from Mississippians and politicians have refused to restore it. That refusal could be directly related to abortion. Mississippis initiative process was ruled unconstitutional on a technicality by the state Supreme Court in 2021. In both the 2022 and 2023 sessions, lawmakers did not restore it even though legislative leaders had committed multiple times to doing so. Mississippians who support abortion rights should not expect any relief from the upcoming November election. Republicans, who generally are against abortion, are expected to win and maintain their legislative supermajorities. And both major gubernatorial candidates say they are anti-abortion. Republican incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves is a vocal abortion opponent. Challenger Brandon Presley, like many recent statewide Democratic candidates, says he is also anti-abortion. Perhaps the Legislature in the upcoming 2024 session will put a proposal before voters to restore the initiative process. If they do, and voters do the expected and vote to restore the initiative, they in theory could then bypass the Legislature and place an initiative on the ballot to let the public decide the abortion issue. Presley has even called on his opponent, the incumbent Reeves, to call a special session and try to get reluctant legislators to approve restoring the initiative immediately. But abortion supporters should not get too excited about a chance to vote on abortion even if the initiative is restored. Before the Senate under Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann killed the restoration of the initiative during the 2023 session, the House had passed an initiative proposal that would have prohibited voters from using the process to place abortion on the ballot. To highlight the changing dynamics of the abortion issue, it should be pointed out that the ban on a vote on abortion was the brainchild of House Speaker Philip Gunn. Before then, in 2012, Gunn had proposed placing before voters an amendment to the Constitution to ban abortion. Now he and other Mississippi politicians appear afraid to let the public vote on abortion. It would, no doubt, be embarrassing to those politicians if voters in the state that brought to the U.S. Supreme Court the case that overturned the national right to an abortion ended up approving abortion rights at the ballot box. This analysis was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is Mississippi Todays senior Capitol reporter. Making protein out of mushrooms is not a new concept; however, Enough believes its technology and the ability to scale production quickly will set it apart. The Scotland-based company grabbed 40 million ($43.5 million in todays dollars) in new growth funding to test out that theory. Enough is pumping that dough into doubling the output capacity of its first production site in the Netherlands, completed last September. Enough was founded as 3F BIO in 2015 by Jim Laird, who has a background in food operations. The companys proprietary technology feeds fungi with sugars from renewable feedstocks and then ferments it similar to the way beer is made. What results is the Abunda sustainable mycoprotein, which the company says has a neutral flavor and meaty texture and is high in protein and fiber. That protein can then be used to make plant-based meat, fish and dairy products. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The company also boasts that Abunda is up to 15 times more efficient than protein from beef, also using less feed and producing fewer carbon dioxide emissions, which is how its also more affordable to produce. What sets us apart is our focus on introducing high-scale capacity that will serve the market on a B2B basis and with the ability to grow in line with the growing market, Laird said in an email interview. As the protein transition continues there is a need for non animal sources that make food that tastes as good or better and costs the same or less than the animal, and our process achieves that aim. Prior to building the Netherlands factory, Enough was producing small batches. Now with that online, the company is ramping up, initially producing over a tonne of Abunda every hour and around 10,000 metric tonnes per year. The lead time from factory trials at its customers to the point where Enough supplies to retailers will often take six months, so the company does not expect retail launches until the end of the year, and more beginning in 2024, Laird said. We expect that demand could start to exceed our capacity by the second half of 2024, and for that reason, we are starting the installation of a second line, Laird said. Doubling our capacity is an important next step, but if we believe the estimates from the big banks and consultancies it is nowhere near enough to meet the growing global demand, which is forecasted to be about 10,000 tonnes per week, or the equivalent of one of our lines needed every week. Future plans include scaling up to over 60,000 tonnes per year starting in 2024, which Laird said would be the equivalent of growing one cows worth of protein every two minutes. The company expects to reach over a million tonnes, cumulatively, by 2032. Should the market continue in the forecasted trajectory, Laird said Enough has plans for a second location and is eyeing North America. Today, Enough joins mushroom-focused food tech companies like Meati Foods and Fable Foods in bringing in a round of new venture capital. The growth funding, which closed this month, brings Enoughs total capital raised to date to over 95 million ($103 million). World Fund and CPT Capital co-led the round, while existing investors, including AXA IM Alts through the Axa Impact Fund, HAL Investments through 280ppm, Onassis Group through Olympic Investments Inc., Tailored Solutions and Scottish Enterprise were also part of the investment. The new investment will enable the company to scale up capacity at the factory and grow its teams across its offices in Glasgow, London and at Sas van Gent. Enoughs employee base doubled in size to 50 in 2022, and has now grown to 60, including adding John Gray as managing director of its Europe operations. Meanwhile, the company is working with some of its partners, including Plukon Food Group, M&S and Unilever, on first-market launches. It is also gearing up to build its second production line to be completed at the end of 2024. We continue to strengthen the team in key areas and will continue to look at our growth finance needs, Laird said. The challenges in a growth industry is in aligning capacity with demand. Our balance over the coming years will be on installing capacity ahead of the growing demand curve. Moscow has prepared a "development plan" for occupied Mariupol, which includes an increase in population by around 300,000 via migration from Russia, reported the National Resistance Center, an organization operated by Ukraines Special Forces. Moscow reportedly intends on completing the transfer by 2035, the center wrote, citing sources in local underground resistance who obtained the occupation administration's documents. The Kremlin started a program of cheap mortgages on properties in occupied parts of Ukraine, such as Donetsk Oblasts Mariupol, to encourage Russians to move there, reads the report. In addition, Moscow purportedly sends work migrants and civil servants from Russias depressed" regions to the occupied territories. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement At the same time, residents of Mariupol and other occupied settlements are forcibly deported to Russia, the National Resistance Center added. On July 27, an exiled advisor to Mariupol mayor Petro Andriushchenko said that Moscow-installed occupation authorities in the city were illegally evicting residents from their homes if they couldnt provide property ownership documents. Mariupol, a once prosperous city on the Azov Sea coast, was home to more than 400,000 people. Russian troops heavily bombed Mariupol since the beginning of the full-scale invasion and occupied the city in May 2022. Read also: One onslaught, one family, one lucky chance: Surviving Mariupol theater bombing Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Israeli troops stand guard, at the scene of a shooting near Hebron Israeli troops stand guard, at the scene of a shooting near Hebron JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that a series of recent deadly attacks against Israelis has been funded and encouraged by Iran. "We are in the midst of a terror attack. This terror attack is encouraged, guided, funded by Iran and its satellite states," Netanyahu said in broadcast remarks. He spoke in the occupied West Bank at a site where hours earlier an Israeli woman was shot dead by suspected Palestinian gunmen. Israel, he said, would employ measures to settle the score with the attackers and those who sent them, from near or far. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Andrew Heavens) European countries Denmark and the Netherlands have both agreed to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as the sovereign countrys war with neighboring Russia continues to rage on. In a statement Sunday, the Danish Foreign Ministry said that both countries have agreed to donate their planes to Ukraine. It said that the planes have been in demand and that the fighter jets will be a crucial necessity for the country to defend its airspace against Russia. The Foreign Ministry noted that it will work with other countries to join the coalition and contribute to Ukraines war. It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F16 fighter jets to Ukraines fight for freedom against Russia and their senseless aggression. Denmarks support for Ukraine is unwavering, and with the donation of F16 aircraft, Denmark is now leading the way, Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In a separate statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on the matter, saying that Ukrainian pilots and engineers have already begun training in Denmark. Our pilots and engineers have already started training in Denmark. 19 F-16 jets will be provided to Ukraine by Denmark. We are working on the speed of training, Zelensky said in a Telegram post. Today we also discussed the possibility of expanding training missions, the algorithm is clear. Our F-16 coalition proves its effectiveness. The news comes days after the U.S. approved the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine from the Netherlands and Denmark. Ukrainian officials have long asked for the advanced warplane since the beginning of its war with Russia, which began in February 2022. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. This aerial photograph taken on July 27, 2023, shows divers searching for archaeological material in Lake Ohrid, southeastern Albania. A mixed team of Albanian and Swiss archaelogists from the Univesity of Bern have confirmed that the the Palafitte settlement of Lin dates back to 5800 - 6,000 years BC, making it the oldest lakeside village in Europe discovered to date. The village is believed to have consisted of houses built on stilts above the lake's surface or in areas regularly flooded by rising waters. Scientists have possibly found one of Europe's earliest sedentary communities sheltered behind a fortress of defensive spikes beneath one of the oldest lakes in the world. The discovery beneath Lake Ohrid in the village of Lin, Albania, confirms that lakeshore settlements of the region which straddles the mountainous border of North Macedonia are much older than archaeologists' expected, said Albert Hafner, a professor of archaeology from Switzerland's University of Bern, in an interview with the university. The findings made by Swiss and Albanian archaeologists with the help of professional divers indicate that Lin served as a hub for the development of agriculture, craftsmanship and fishing around 8,500 years ago, making it the oldest lakeside village discovered to date and even older than similar ones found in southern Italy and throughout Europe. Until the EXPLO projects finding, the oldest previously known settlements in the Mediterranean and Alpine regions were several hundred years younger. The new radiocarbon date points to between 6000 and 5800 BC as a time mark for one of Europes earliest settlement of stilt houses. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Archaeological sites in lakes of the southern Balkans (Greece, Albania and North Macedonia) provide an excellent opportunity to investigate rich archives of societal and environmental change in the cradle of European farming," EXPLO project's website states. "Natural lake sediments and submerged prehistoric settlements offer exceptional preservation conditions and uniquely holistic insights into past anthroposphere, biosphere and geosphere dynamics." Albanian archaeologist Adrian Anastasi told AFP that "building their village on stilts was a complex task, very complicated, very difficult, and it's important to understand why these people made this choice. 'A real treasure trove' This photograph taken on July 27, 2023, shows a diver searching for archaeological material in Lake Ohrid, southeastern Albania. A mixed team of Albanian and Swiss archaelogists from the Univesity of Bern have confirmed that the the Palafitte settlement of Lin dates back to 5800 - 6,000 years BC, making it the oldest lakeside village in Europe discovered to date. The village is believed to have consisted of houses built on stilts above the lake's surface or in areas regularly flooded by rising waters. Divers prepare to leave to continue their research in Lake Ohrid, near the shoreline of the Lin Village, southeastern Albania on July 27, 2023. A mixed team of Albanian and Swiss archaelogists from the Univesity of Bern have confirmed that the the Palafitte settlement of Lin dates back to 5800 - 6,000 years BC, making it the oldest lakeside village in Europe discovered to date. The village is believed to have consisted of houses built on stilts above the lake's surface or in areas regularly flooded by rising waters. Swiss archaeologist Albert Hafner identifies objects discovered near the shoreline of the Lin Village in the waters of Lake Ohrid, southeastern Albania on July 27, 2023. A mixed team of Albanian and Swiss archaelogists from the Univesity of Bern have confirmed that the the Palafitte settlement of Lin dates back to 5800 - 6,000 years BC, making it the oldest lakeside village in Europe discovered to date. The village is believed to have consisted of houses built on stilts above the lake's surface or in areas regularly flooded by rising waters. Archaeologists who have been working at the site for four years uncovering various seeds, plants and the bones of wild and domesticated animals recently stumbled upon a new mystery to try and solve. The discovery of palisades suggests the settlement was fortified with thousands of spiked planks used as defensive barricades, but archaeologists are unsure why it was needed by villagers. Researchers estimate that roughly 100,000 spikes were driven into the bottom of the lake off Lin, with Hafner calling the discovery "a real treasure trove for research, AFP reported. According to archaeologists who spoke with AFP, it will take another two decades for the settlement to be fully explored and studied and for final conclusions to be drawn. More: Maui bird conservationist fights off wildfire to save rare, near extinct Hawaiian species This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 8,500 year old Lake Ohrid village is oldest in Europe: archaeologists My successful friends all bad-mouth Illinois. Theyre going to leave, or so they threaten; some do. Yes, we have problems, yet these are more than offset by impressive, possibly unmatched, strengths overall. If I were asked to do a marketing campaign for Illinois (and I have done successful political marketing over the decades), I would slather our state and the world with billboards, as follows: Come to Illinois were getting warmer, we have oodles of water and were becoming less corrupt. Advertisement I mean it. Its true, and we need to smile at ourselves, which people appreciate. But I fear we lack the confidence to do so. Heres some fuel for the marketing campaign: According to former state commerce Director Jim Schultz, regarding the six Rs critical to economic development roads, runways, railroads, rivers, routers and research Illinois is arguably among the top three states in each. Think about it: Advertisement We have the densest network of interstates in the nation (look at a highway map of the U.S.); half of all intermodal rail container cars in the nation go through Illinois; and Chicagos OHare International Airport attained the status of the most connected airport in the world as of last year. OHare offers direct flights to 262 destinations, and 45 airlines fly out of the airport. The globally ranked Universities of Chicago and Illinois and Northwestern University, combined with Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory, likely have more research firepower than any other state except for California and Massachusetts. Need I mention all the water we have underground, in rivers and Lake Michigan, and that were located smack-dab in the middle of the largest economy in the world? Yes, we have our problems, but so do all states. Our property taxes are sky-high. Ditto for state debt. The swagger of labor unions, which basically run the Illinois Democratic Party, puts off businesses across the nation. The state is not well managed. For example, the states child care agency (our kids, yours and mine as taxpayers to care for) has been under a federal consent decree to do better for more than 30 years! Street crime is an embarrassment, though localized for the most part. [ Editorial: If Illinois redesigns its state flag, what best captures the state of Illinois? ] All these problems can be ameliorated. And every state has its problems. For example, Texas is a darling for economic development right now. Would you want to live there? How fast is the Lone Star state drying up and heating up? Texas struggles mightily with K-12 achievement, as do Illinois and most states. The biggest challenges for Illinois are lack of entrepreneurship and capital, as well as failure to look ahead. Our research universities are late to the commercialization game, and the residue of an old manufacturing culture that prized safe, careerlong jobs may affect young peoples willingness to fail in pursuit of success. Illinois has never never looked ahead, as Daniel Burnham did so magnificently with his eponymous 1909 Plan of Chicago (also known as the Burnham Plan). The Lone Star State has embarked on Texas 2036, strategic planning in support of 36 aspirational goals. Talk about big thinking. Illinois could sure use some of the same. Here are some proposals. Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Union leaders are not bad people. They are plumping for their members; thats their job. But their longtime bread and butter metal-bending jobs are melting away as I write this. I propose that leaders such as Jim Sweeney of the powerful International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 create a statewide task force with business leaders to see if there is a potential model for a broad labor-management accord. After all, most craft unions and their owner-bosses in Illinois have agreed on good pay and benefits for workers. Capital and labor need one another. Advertisement As for entrepreneurship, rather than the state investing $500 million (or whatever) in sweeteners to attract big employers, provide $50,000 to $500,000 each to 1,000 to 10,000 entrepreneurs to create in their labs. Then organize the investors they dont need much help; they need ideas and concepts to have capital ready for commercial development. Revamp our fiscal system, which relies too heavily on property taxes and debt and not enough on broad-based sales. This is a huge ask for politicians, who want to do things for people, not to people. That is why we have the underused Edgar Fellows Program. In what will probably be his greatest legacy to Illinois, former Gov. Jim Edgar annually gathers 40 young leaders (400 so far and counting) of all backgrounds for intensive seminars and bonding. If they really see themselves as leaders, these fellows should get together and step up to take on tough issues like this. Illinois has a lot going for it. I wish people knew. Jim Nowlan is a former state lawmaker who lives in Princeton, Illinois. His latest book is Politics The Starter Kit: How to Succeed in Politics and Government. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson , who's running for the GOP presidential nomination, appears to have met the Republican National Committee's qualifications to make this week's primary debate in Milwaukee. Hutchinsons campaign appeared to have fulfilled the RNC's polling threshold, according to an NBC News Political Unit analysis. But his campaign announced Sunday that it had also reached the minimum threshold of 40,000 unique donors to qualify for first debate Wednesday, sponsored by the RNC. Hes also expected to sign the partys pledge to support its eventual nominee, despite his repeated criticism of the pledge tied to his opposition to former President Donald Trump. In a statement his campaign shared Sunday, Hutchinson said: I am thankful to the tens of thousands of Americans who have contributed to my campaign and helped ensure my message of consistent, commonsense, conservative leadership is represented on the debate stage this Wednesday evening. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "I intend to continue speaking the truth when it comes to the responsibility that Donald Trump bears for the attacks on our democracy and justice system. I look forward to a substantive debate in Milwaukee." Nine other contenders appear to be cleared for the debate stage: , Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson. Trump has decided not to attend the debate this week and is seeking a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as counterprogramming, NBC News reported Friday, citing two sources familiar with his thinking. Hutchinson, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump on the campaign trail, said that although Trump is in the default position, he thinks that voters are open-minded and willing to weigh alternatives and that they will use the debate to explore other options. People are looking for that debate as an opportunity to contrast the candidates. The first time, here in Iowa, New Hampshire, all across the country, Hutchinson said. Thats their first way to measure the candidates side by side. So its important. Candidates have until Monday night to certify theyve hit the partys criteria, and its unclear whether any other candidates will do so before that deadline. The field wont be set until the RNC officially certifies which candidates have qualified the NBC News Political Unit has analyzed party criteria to see which candidates appear to have met the partys polling and fundraising thresholds. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com One person was killed and another was injured early Sunday morning in a head-on crash in Lexington County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Brian Francis Vyhnal a 55-year-old Hephzibah, Georgia resident died in the accident, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said. The two-vehicle collision happened at about 2 a.m. on Interstate 20, said Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway of the Highway Patrol. Vyhnal was driving a 2015 Nissan sedan east on the westbound lanes of I-20, according to Ridgeway. At the 53 mile marker, the car collided with an oncoming Chevrolet SUV that a Lexington resident was driving west, Ridgeway said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Vyhnal was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene, according to Fisher. Fisher said three adults and one minor in the Chevy were hurt and taken to Lexington Medical Center. Further information on their conditions was not available, but Fisher said their injuries were considered minor. There was no word if any of the occupants in the Chevy were wearing seat belts. Information about why the Nissan was driving in the wrong direction on the westbound lanes of I-20 was not available, but the crash remains under investigation by the Highway Patrol and coroners office. All of the westbound lanes on I-20 were temporarily blocked, and the scene wasnt cleared until about 4:30 a.m., according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation. There was a separate fatal collision in Lexington County on Saturday afternoon, when two vehicles collided in the Pelion area, according to Ridgeway. A passenger in one of the vehicles died, while both drivers were hospitalized, Ridgeway said. Through Wednesday, 624 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported. At least 27 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 43 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported. Hilary slams Southern California with record rainfall as storm wreaks havoc The remnants of Tropical Storm Hilary, a Category 4 hurricane when it was churning in the Pacific before crashing ashore in Mexico, brought record-breaking rainfall to Southern California, flooding roads and causing mudslides and rock slides as it barreled north. While Hilary was expected to dissipate Monday, forecasters warned rainfall from the storm could cause "life-threatening" flooding across the southwestern U.S. People as far north as Idaho were warned the storm could cause flooding in their areas. Hilary was downgraded to a tropical storm prior to making landfall over Baja California, Mexico, Sunday before becoming a post-tropical cyclone early Monday morning. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Latest storm coverage from CBS Los Angeles "We are not out of the woods yet," Brian Ferguson, deputy director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, told CBS News on Monday. "The back end of this storm is still impacting us. We could still see mudslides today as that ground gets saturated." No fatalities from Hilary were reported in the state, said Ferguson, who described the damage to residences and critical infrastructure as "very minimal." As Hilary was raking across Southern California on Sunday, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Ojai, northwest of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake didn't cause any significant injuries or damage, Ferguson said. "Having multiple, complex, overlapping disasters is something that we've had at multiple times in recent years, and unfortunately our state has had the opportunity to get pretty good at this work," he said. A car is partially submerged in floodwaters as Tropical Storm Hilary moves through Cathedral City, California on August 20, 2023. / Credit: Getty Images Flooding was impacting many areas and numerous rock and mudslides were reported. The National Weather Service's Los Angeles office said on social media that "virtually all rainfall daily records" for the area were broken as of 3 a.m. PDT Monday. Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years. It dumped more than half the average annual rain on some desert and mountain areas, including Palm Springs, which saw nearly 3 inches of rain by Sunday evening. Tens of thousands of people across Southern California had no power due to the storm and Palm Springs lost 911 service Sunday night, CBS News Los Angeles reported. The station said Hilary's outskirts were still lingering over greater Los Angeles and battering some regions with heavy rain early Monday morning. Where is flooding expected? The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said flood watches were in effect for Southern California, northwest Arizona, much of Nevada, southwest Utah, eastern Oregon, western and central Idaho and southeast Washington. A flood watch means flooding is possible in those areas. "Hilary is expected to produce additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches across portions of southeast California and southern Nevada through Monday, with isolated storm total amounts up to 12 inches," the center said. "Continued flash and urban flooding is expected." What's more, 1 to 5 inches of rain was expected across portions of Oregon and Idaho through Tuesday morning "resulting in localized, some significant, flash flooding," the center added. In Nevada, officials remain concerned about dangerous flooding across the western Mojave Desert, which is at high risk for flash flooding, "an exceedingly rare occurrence," the weather service's office in Las Vegas said Sunday on social media. Southern California was experiencing heavy rain in Los Angeles and surrounding counties, CBS News Los Angeles reported. Mount Wilson in Angeles National Forest recorded over 8.5 inches of rain as of 7 a.m. PDT, the top amount reported by the weather service's Los Angeles office. Beverly Hills recorded 4.8 inches, and downtown LA recorded nearly 3 inches. The National Weather Service said Ventura County was experiencing life-threatening flooding and San Bernardino, Riverside and nearby mountains were at high risk of flash floods. San Bernardino and Riverside Counties issued evacuation orders and Orange County issued evacuation warnings. Among many dramatic scenes playing out as Hilary hit: How is Southern California dealing with Hilary? As of 8 a.m. PDT Monday, Hilary was about 115 miles west-northwest of Elko, Nevada, and racing north-northeast at 24 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Although no longer a hurricane, the system was still bringing heavy rainfall to the area. It was the first time that the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for Southern California, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency ahead of its arrival. President Biden on Sunday said he has asked FEMA to deploy personnel and supplies to California. Mr. Biden also said the Coast Guard has pre-positioned aircraft to allow for rapid response and rescue efforts. "My Administration also deployed federal personnel to Nevada to ensure the state has additional support, and we will continue to coordinate with California, Nevada, and Arizona on any resources they might need," Mr. Biden said. Evacuees from Catalina Island arrive in Long Beach, California, after leaving due to Hurricane Hilary. Aug. 19, 2023. / Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images On Sunday evening, Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country, announced all schools, campuses and after-school programs would be closed Monday due to the storm. Los Angeles Unified Announces School Closures for Monday, Aug. 21 pic.twitter.com/nzzNDvTNbd Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) August 20, 2023 "This was not an easy decision," the district said on social media. "Los Angeles Unified acknowledges the unique, unprecedented nature of Tropical Storm Hilary, which has garnered city, county, and state declarations of emergency." Pasadena Unified School District followed suit later Sunday night. The California Department of Parks and Recreation on Saturday ordered a temporary closure of all San Diego and Orange County state beaches and several state parks. Disneyland announced Saturday that parks would be closing early Sunday, with Disney California Adventure Park closing at 9 p.m., Disneyland Park closing at 10 p.m. and the Downtown Disney District will close at 11 p.m. The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels all moved their scheduled Sunday home games to Saturday double-headers in anticipation of the storm. When will Hilary hit Las Vegas? Nevada will see heavy rain into Monday morning with likely flooding in Las Vegas and "significant flooding" in Death Valley National Park, the Weather Channel reported. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon due to the "imminent impact" of Tropical Storm Hilary across the state. "Significant damage to public and private property are likely, including multiple transportation routes," the declaration read. That came days after he announced that 100 National Guard troops had been activated ahead of the tropical storm. -Alex Sundby contributed reporting. Illinois woman arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot Trump Air traffic controller shortage raises concern amid increased plane near-collisions Texas coast braces for storm as California recovers from tropical storm Hilary At a recent concert, Ted Nugent suggested that Hillary Clinton should be "in front of a firing squad," and lauded the crowd for being composed of "only men and women." This begs two questions: First, why does anyone care what Ted Nugent thinks about anything? We all know that Nugent went off the deep end long ago. More importantly, why don't Republican leaders ever speak out against this kind of hateful, violent rhetoric? You would think that some Republican elected official who wanted to be perceived as somewhat reasonable and levelheaded might want to say something. Perhaps make the radical suggestion that talking about killing people you disagree with or hating people whose gender you don't understand is not appropriate political discourse? Just a thought. Larry Rosenstock Farmington Hills Ted Nugent performs at a campaign event for U.S. President Donald Trump on October 17, 2020 in Muskegon, Michigan. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters Michigan GOP doesn't build, it just tears down Historically, significant progress is always followed by some degree of pushback. Even if the ones pushing back are few and with ill intent. And that just about sums up the Michigan GOP's recent efforts to recall Democrats for supporting legislation to enact common sense gun safety laws or to protect vulnerable communities from targeted hate. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Imagine if the Michigan GOP channeled this energy into keeping our communities and law enforcement safe from gun violence or supporting our public-school teachers. Imagine if they were constructive as opposed to obstructive. Instead of focusing on how they can keep Michiganders safe and improve our lives, Michigan Republicans are choosing to recall those who are. As long as the Michigan GOP prioritizes attacking legislators vying to protect our communities over championing those efforts themselves, they may see another 40 years until they return to power in the Michigan Legislature. Russell M. Hartley Commerce Twp. Taking care of those who care for us I was Health Policy Chair in the Michigan House of Representatives during the pandemic, so I saw firsthand our entire state health care system grapple with a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. An unfortunate consequence has been a historic shortage of health care workers. Michigan nursing homes were hit hard, losing over 8,000 workers over the course of the pandemic. Today, while nursing homes are offering higher wages, flexible schedules, and many other benefits, they are still struggling to find qualified workers, forcing many to limit how many residents they accept as a result. As a former lawmaker, I know legislators are well intentioned when they propose a policy. However, the one-size-fits-all minimum staffing requirement that the Biden Administration is expected to impose on nursing homes will do more harm than good. We cant hire people who arent there a staffing mandate will not help produce the staff needed. Issuing a blanket federal regulation on an industry whose needs are constantly evolving is not sound policy. I hope Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters will help nursing homes rebuild their workforce with substantive policies, not mandated ratios that hurt access to care for our most vulnerable population. Hank Vaupel is the former chair of the Michigan House Health Policy Committee. Hank Vaupel The writer is a state lawmaker representing Michigan's 47th House District Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters Climate change deniers should look at Maui If you are still one of the people who doesn't believe that our planet is rapidly changing, then you need to look at the tropical and stunningly beautiful island of Maui, because it has been burning out of control for days now. The main city of Lahaina is heavily damaged, with many of the historic buildings on Front Street reduced to ashes. My wife and I spent our honeymoon on Maui, and it was a tropical, lush and green bit of paradise on earth. It was the type of place that you never could have imagined would be burning like it is now. Too green, too tropical and too perfect it is painful for us to see it as it is today. Our planet is rapidly changing. It is burning, it is flooding, it is drying out and it is warning us what the future is going to be like unless we do more to help it survive. Gary Brown Canton Ohio's Issue 1 is straight from GOP playbook The resounding defeat of Issue 1 in Ohio on Tuesday is widely reported as a clear referendum on the American people's support to the right to legal access to abortion and to make one's own choices on reproductive healthcare without government interference. But there is another, equally important, takeaway from this special election that Ohio legislators held. It was just in January of this year that the Republican-led Legislature canceled August special elections, citing their high cost and low voter turnout. The same Legislature then reversed this decision just four months later, in May, when Ohioans began to gather signatures to put an abortion amendment on the ballot. This attempt to change the rules on the threshold needed to pass ballot initiatives by holding a vote at a time that this legislative body had said didn't draw real representation exemplifies the playbook of today's Republican Party. The leadership of the Republican Party no longer recognizes the role of the elected to represent their constituents. The Party has become an insular clique, talking only among themselves, without listening to the people they were voted in to represent. Republican officeholders today have foregone their Constitutional responsibility, and now puts their working hours and the American dollar toward trying to impose their will on the people and to maintain power - even when that threatens democratic principles. So trying gerrymandering to limit the voice of voters, trying to change the threshold needed to pass citizen-led ballot initiatives, drafting ballot proposals in a way that is meant to confuse voters, signing abortion bans behind closed doors at a late-night session, failing to confirm leaders in military posts if the majority will not yield to the minority, leaving our country vulnerable at such a volatile time, attacking fellow Americans who identify as trans, LGBTQ+, Jewish, Black, Asian, and so on, distracts from a failure to address the real issues facing our country have become the real work of today's Republican Party. But we are not without recourse. As we have witnessed in Ohio this week, we, the people of the United States of America, still have a voice. 2024 is an election year. Use your voice. Start now. Linda Levy Farmington Hills Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ted Nugent, Michigan Republicans, wildfires in Maui | Letters Twelve different employees from Nissan of Shelby, North Carolina are in quite a bit of trouble, after the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) filed more than 400 charges against them. The charges include failing to disclose damage, improperly rebuilding salvage titles, failure to inspect vehicles, and much more. The DMV's initial investigation was for rebuilt salvage titles, which revealed more information that led to even more charges. One employee faces far more charges than any other. Nissan of Shelby's former general manager Sam Kazran faces a whopping 110 counts of failure to inspect vehicles before being offered for sale. However, eleven other employees each face several different charges of fraudulent activity. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNissanShelby%2Fvideos%2F842910686953353%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0 According to Queen City News, customer Lucinda Ross was told that she owed the dealership $2,500 six months after buying her car. Ross found that suspicious, so she called the company she financed the car through and they assured her that she owed no extra money. That's in addition to issues her car was having that the dealership refused to fix. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This isn't the first instance of a Kazran-run company facing legal issues. The Federal Election Commission filed a complaint against Kazran, for reimbursing employees at his Florida dealership $70,000, after donating to a political campaign. Shelby's new general manager, George Ewing, seems to want to fix the dealership's reputation. In a Facebook video, he calls on anyone who's bought a car from Nissan of Shelby within the past couple of years to come see him personally, so he can either fix their issues or offer them a "huge trade number." He also says that, at the "all new" Nissan of Shelby, they "do the right thing, the first time, every time." However, the damage may already be done, as customers such as Ross have no plans to return to Nissan of Shelby. (H/T to Jalopnik) Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com Did President Joe Biden miss an opportunity to end the war in Ukraine diplomatically nine months ago? Some commentators and at least one U.S. official are starting to think he might have. I disagree. The queasy feeling was first articulated last week in a Politico article that recalled a speech last November by Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. The war was getting brutal, both sides had suffered horrible casualties, civilians were under attack. On the very day of Milleys speech, Russian troops were withdrawing from the southern port of Kherson, one of four Ukrainian regions that Russian President Vladimir Putin had formally annexed just two months earlier. As a result, Milley said, there might be a window of opportunity for negotiations. Cut to the present day. The war slogs on, and the Ukrainian counteroffensive is going more slowly than many expected. U.S. intelligence analysts assess that Ukraines army may never accomplish its strategic objective of cutting off Russian troops from Crimea, much less retaking all of the occupied land in the eastern part of its country. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Milley had a point, Politico quoted an anonymous official as saying. We may have missed a window to push for earlier talks. The general may have had a point about the state of the battle at the time (and in the next several months). But there is no evidence at all that Putin was readyor open to any pressurefor a negotiated end to the war. In fact, there is plenty of evidence that he was not. First, Russias retreat from Kherson made it less likely that Putin would respond favorably to a call for a negotiated settlement. Accepting such an offer would be tantamount to admitting defeat, which he regarded as an unacceptable outcomeboth for his army and, very likely, his continued political rule in the Kremlin. Second, two days before Milleys speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did offer a negotiated peace, saying he would order a cease-fire if Putin accepted five preconditions: restore Ukraines territorial integrity, respect U.N. resolutions on the war, pay to repair all damage caused by his missile strikes, punish war criminals, and promise not to invade Ukraine again. Putin was unlikely to accept these conditions; Zelensky no doubt knew this and presented the offer to gain a moral high ground. But the proposal was intriguing for a demand it did not contain: Putins resignation. Just a month earlier, Zelensky had issued a decree barring any negotiations with Russia as long as Putin was in power. Now that bar was lifted. In any case, Putin did not even bother to issue a counteroffer; he simply ignored it. He was not interested in negotiations. Third, Milleys remarks have been somewhat misinterpreted. One of the lines from his speech has been widely quoted: There has to be a mutual recognition that military victory is probably, in the true sense of the word, is maybe not achievable through military means. And therefore, you have to turn to other meansi.e., a diplomatic solution. However, the phase there has to be, read in context, did not mean there must be. Rather, Milley was stating a premise for negotiationsthat both sides have to recognize that military victory is not achievable in order for talks to begin. If both sides do not recognize this, then the war will continue. Now, it may be that Milley foresaw that military victory was unlikely. He drew comparisons with World War I in 1915, after senior officers recognized the stalemate but combatants kept fighting anyway. Just last week, he told the Washington Post that if the goal of the war is to restore Ukraine as a free, independent, sovereign country with its territory intact, thats gonna take a long, long time, adding, You can also achieve those objectivesmaybe, possiblythrough some sort of diplomatic means. However, he went on to note, This counteroffensive hasnt run its course yet. So we have to see where this thing ends up and then move from there. Similarly, back in November, just after the widely (mis-)quoted line about whether victory was achievable, he said, Theres one guy that can stop [the war], and his name is Vladimir Putin. Until Putin decides to stop it and accepts Zelenskys five preconditions for peace, the United States is going to continue to support Ukraine in the fight for freedom. Even the official quoted by Politico stopped far short of declaring Milleys warningsto the extent they were warningsas prophetic. As the article summarized: The official also stressed, however, that few believe Moscow has been at all serious about negotiations since the wars start. And no senior leader felt then, or feels now, that the counteroffensive was a mistaken play, considering how Ukraine maintains full support from the West and has had remarkable success throughout the war. None of this is to suggest that the war is going swimmingly for Ukraine, or that victory is achievable, or that a negotiated settlement would be a bad idea if Putin were open to one. The problem, as Milley recognized at the time of his speech and continues to recognize now, is that Putin is not open. There was no missed opportunity. There still isnt an opportunity. The Politico article quotes another U.S. official saying the Biden Administration is increasingly asking itself this question: If we acknowledge were not going to do this forever, then what are we going to do? That is a legitimate question. From a standpoint of politics, policy, European security, and deterrence of aggression from all adversaries everywhere, it is the question on the tableand its a question that, at least in public discourse, almost everyone is evading. The German government has not yet made any new decisions regarding the possible transfer of long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, German news outlet Tagesschau quoted German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit as saying on Aug. 21. At the same time, the German government is seeing no pressure regarding the supply of Taurus missiles amid the decisions by the Netherlands and Denmark to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, the official said. Asked whether a decision on Taurus deliveries could be expected before or at next weeks cabinet meeting, Hebestreit added that he could not give any time frame so far. Read also: German Taurus missiles would significantly boost Ukraine's capabilities UAF ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The important thing is that there is no new status at this moment, the spokesperson said. At the same time, it is now important for Ukraine to be supported to the best of Germanys capabilities, Hebestreit noted. Two prominent members of Germanys Social Democratic Party, headed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, are advocating for Berlin to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine, German newspaper Der Spiegel reported on Aug. 6. Germany intends to announce the supply of Taurusmissiles to Ukraine in the near future, although it might happen in lockstep with the United States providing Kyiv with ATACMS missiles, German news outlet T-Online reported on Aug. 10, citing sources within the ruling SPD party. German newspaper Spiegel earlier reported, referring to its sources, that Scholz demanded the Taurus missiles be modified so that making strikes on Russian territory would be impossible. Industry experts said that the implementation of such a restriction is entirely possible but would take a few weeks. NV Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A growing number of prominent legal scholars have concluded that former President Donald Trump, who is facing two indictments related to his efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, is disqualified from the presidency under the U.S. Constitution J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge who was an adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence, and longtime Harvard constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe on Saturday published a piece in The Atlantic arguing that the 14th Amendment disqualifies the former president from returning to the Oval Office. Referring to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, they wrote that "any person who has taken an oath to support and defend our Constitution and thereafter rebels against that sacred charter, either through overt insurrection or by giving aid or comfort to the Constitution's enemies," is "automatically" excluded from "future office and position of power in the United States government." The reasoning of these "originalist" legal scholars is "deeply researched and solid," James Sample, a Hofstra University constitutional law professor, told Salon ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "But law on such questions is never strictly a matter of law apart from politics," Sample continued. "Judges don't decide legal questions in a vacuum. The answer to the question of whether, as a practical matter, Trump is barred from the presidency is itself another question: would five Supreme Court justices say that he is? And the answer to that question is a mixture of the political, legal, and the unknown." Two members of the conservative Federalist Society, professors William Baude of the University of Chicago and Michael Stokes Paulsen of the University of St. Thomas, recently came to the same conclusion as Luttig and Tribe. The pair studied the question for more than a year and is set to publish an article next year in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, according to The New York Times. After digging into the question, Baude said that they concluded Trump "cannot be president cannot run for president, cannot become president, cannot hold office unless two-thirds of Congress decides to grant him amnesty for his conduct on Jan. 6" Even though a law review article may not halt Trump's pursuit of the presidency, it has the potential to bolster lawsuits seeking to disqualify the former president from state ballots. Last year, Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in New Mexico, was removed from his elected position for his role in the US Capitol attack. This verdict was issued as a response to a lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which alleged that Griffin violated a clause in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution by participating in an "insurrection" against the US government. The nonprofit government watchdog plans to initiate a similar lawsuit targeting Trump. But some constitutional scholars are not sold on the argument. "I am not persuaded that the riot on January 6, or the events leading up to it, amount to the type of 'insurrection' or 'rebellion' sufficient to disqualify a candidate from holding office," Dale Carpenter, a constitutional law expert at Southern Methodist University, told Salon. "I think their understanding of those terms is too capacious." Even if the former president's conduct met the constitutional standard, Carpenter added, he would have "serious institutional concerns" about having courts bar a major-party candidate from the ballot. This would effectively deny tens of millions of Americans from voting for the candidate of their choice. "Short of an adjudicated determination that he was engaged in insurrection or rebellion, Trump should not be judicially barred from holding office for his conduct leading up to January 6," Carpenter continued. "There would be serious institutional dangers in allowing partisan state election officials to begin disqualifying their political opponents. Even if these disqualifications faced judicial review, the further damage and chaos they would inflict on faith [of] our political system would be intolerable. There is no magic legal wand to make Trump go away." Baude and Paulsen also contended that individuals who currently hold or previously held public office and were involved in orchestrating efforts to overturn the election results in favor of Trump should also be "stringently scrutinized" under the Constitution, especially if they intend to run for future public positions. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Those who supported the attempt to overturn the 2020 election should face specific criminal charges in state and federal court, get fair trials with the usual presumption of innocence, and if convicted, face fines and or jail time, Carpenter told Salon. "Ideally, at least one of the trials related [to] those efforts would get to trial before the election so that Americans can make a fully informed political choice," he said. But the way to hold Trump accountable for his "inexcusably dangerous conduct" is to defeat him in the November 2024 election and send him "into history as the only major party candidate to lose the popular vote three times," Carpenter said. Former federal prosecutor Adam Kamenstein pointed out that there are five ways to hold Trump accountable for his 2020 election crimes: politically, constitutionally, criminally, democratically, and historically. "We failed to hold him politically accountable when he was not convicted of impeachment shortly after the insurrection," Kamenstein said. "To hold him accountable Constitutionally would require the Supreme Court to rule he is ineligible under Section Three of the 14th Amendment, and it is highly unlikely that the Supreme Court will have the courage to wade into that argument and jeopardize its perceived legitimacy among nearly half the American people, should it even have the opportunity. To hold him accountable democratically, of course, will depend on how people vote. So, we are down to our two final chances for practical accountability: the election or a criminal conviction. After that, all that is left is whatever accountability history ascribes." Read more about Section 3 of the 14th Amendment The beginning of the school year is approaching, and many administrators are looking to fill teaching vacancies. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) The beginning of the school year is approaching, and many administrators, including me, are asking the same question: Where are the teachers? School districts around the country are grappling with an undersupply of educators. In fact, the teacher shortage could grow to 200,000 educators by 2025, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank. In some communities, the crisis is already apparent in larger class sizes, a heavy reliance on substitute teachers and the need to make curriculum changes often to the detriment of students. Advertisement The depths of the problem can be better explained by the efforts some states are making. Florida, for example, is recruiting military veterans to teach, even though they are not certified teachers. Georgia is attempting to recruit retired teachers. And in rural parts of Texas, schools are moving to four-day weeks to help alleviate the shortage. As a school administrator, I have had to make some major adjustments, such as anticipating personnel changes and collaborating with the district office in creative ways to add to the teacher pool. And Ive been listening more intently to the my teachers concerns. Advertisement While the teacher shortage has been well reported, the extent of the undersupply, the implications it has for communities across the country, the impact on the national economy and the reason the shortage exists are not discussed enough. Ultimately, how did we get here? What has happened in our society that made teaching an unattractive occupation? In politics, the term kitchen table issues refers to matters that are central and personal to peoples lives. These topics affect families directly. This kitchen table issue is serious: Does my childs school have enough teachers? The reasons educators give for the shortage are interesting. Regrettably, far too many feel neither respected nor supported by students, parents and even administrators. For instance, parents or guardians may defend students when theyre disrespectful to teachers or solely blame the teacher for a students failures. This kind of imbalance in accountability leaves far too many educators asking: Why should I stay? A study from the RAND Corp., a global policy think tank, revealed that stress is the leading reason why teaches are leaving. Stress is compounded when support and respect are not evident. How we arrived here has been a gradual decline in how we honor teachers. Historically, however, this nation has always been able to respond to a crisis. Arguably, one of our most significant challenges in contemporary times may be effectively educating all our youths while teachers are leaving the profession at an unimaginable rate. An administrative colleague noted that schools are a training ground for improving the supply of workers in the private sector. In other words, employers see the skills that teachers have and are recruiting them. The annual rate of teacher turnover is around 8% nationally, and it is double for schools that receive Title I funding. Often, the needs of those students are greater, yet the supply of educators for those schools is most at risk. Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > How will we compete globally if all our youths are not educated? What are the implications for our labor force? And how will that affect our gross domestic product? Advertisement If the private sector can see the skills that teachers have, why cant society? Part of the solution is considering how we talk about teachers in our households. Parents attitude and tone influence our youths attitude toward teachers. There was a time when adults sided with teachers over their children. Regrettably, those times are long gone in far too many households. Its also time for a broad analysis of how we fund education in America and the impact the status quo has on local communities and property owners. The private sector is doing its due diligence to staff its organizations, which includes paying competitive salaries. Certainly, our society can do better in paying teachers for their hard work and dedication. Finally, its imperative that parents and teachers build relationships with each other and communicate often. When students see that the people they spend the most time with are working together in harmony, it only improves their educational output and social and emotional learning. So as the beginning of the school draws near, lets begin to improve the situation by valuing our teachers, which will benefit our youths and our society. Jerald McNair, who has a doctorate in education and a graduate degree in public policy, is a school administrator in South Holland District 151. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. The nations earliest food trucks chuckwagons appeared on the scene in the 1800s providing meat, biscuits and coffee for cattlemen in the western wilderness. The next notable iterations surfaced as Oscar Meyers Wienermobile in the 1930s and the beloved ice cream truck in the 1950s. But it wasnt until the new millennium that food trucks really hit their stride, offering every type of food imaginable. While we certainly have more access to eats than the early cowboys, I dont know anyone who doesnt love a good food truck. And fortunately for Charlotteans, we have an incredible selection within the region. From loaded mac and cheese or steamed dumplings to nachos and empanadas, you can find something to hit the spot no matter your taste. Here are just a few of my favorites: One of the citys most popular food trucks, Ace of Spuds, has a line for a very good reason and you need to get in it. I never knew what I was missing until I tried the Buffalo ranch chicken potato. There is no skimping here: The potatoes are enormous, tender and fluffy, with overflowing toppings. Ace of Spuds also offers loaded home fries topped with chipotle shrimp and andouille sausage, as well as a selection of crispy potato skins. Simplicity mastered! ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement See its next stop on Instagram. Ace of Spuds Cheesesteak Potato. Another!? Food Truck is a playful concept of nostalgic Southern dishes with a decadent twist started by chef and owner Anthony Denning (of Food Networks Chopped Champion fame) and wife and business partner Kristen. Every single item offered is incredible can you really go wrong with Crack Mac, a classic ooey gooey macaroni and cheese? If youre feeling spicy, try the seafood version with a generous helping of shrimp, crab, spinach and tomatoes with a panko crust. Definitely go for the crispy shrimp tacos and the fried Brussels sprouts layered with black coffee bacon jam. In fact, just say yes to everything. Follow along on Instagram. The Hot Chicken Smash at Another!? Food Truck is a grilled cheese-style chicken sandwich with house pickles, Green Monster house-made herb ranch and crispy onions. In 2019, Mike Hargett launched Detour Coffeebar after deciding to leave the corporate life hed worked in for more than a decade thus the appropriate moniker. A former bookstore barista, Hargett travels the city serving up locally roasted coffees, sparkling sodas, smoothies, breakfast burritos and delectable pastries. The usual coffee drinks are bold yet smooth, but dont ignore the specialty drinks like the Seaside Macchiato with caramel and toasted coconut, or the Dirty Banana Chai. Find your caffeine fix through Instagram. Mike Hargett of Detour Coffeebar keeps Charlotte buzzing. Originally from China, food truck owner Rebecca Huang was inspired by her dads Sichuan cooking at a young age. The spring rolls are crispy, hot and delicious, and the cucumber salad is cool and refreshing. But, obviously, the real stars of the show are the dumplings and they do not disappoint. Try the Sichuan dumplings (steamed); my personal favorite are the chicken and pork. Theyre basically dumpling pillows of bursting flavor. The pan fried versions are perfectly crispy, and the shrimp and pork dumpling is the way to go. Also, do yourself a favor and get the sweet potato balls. Journey along on Instagram. This food truck is an Uptown staple and can frequently be found near Bank of America Plaza. Expect rich flavors, large portions and quick service. The chicken and lamb over rice is a favorite, served up with spicy red and flavorful white sauces and under $10. The gyros are amazing, and the falafel salad is so delicious that I even recommend it for non-vegetarians. Sometimes the line can get long, but service is pretty fast its cash only. The Halal Food Carts most popular menu item is the Chicken and Lamb Combo over rice. Holy City Waffles takes dessert waffles to the next level. These buttermilk waffles are served up with a popsicle stick, dripping in awesome mouthwatering toppings. Best sellers include the smores waffle with warm milk chocolate, marshmallows, graham cracker crumbles and chocolate drizzle; and the cinnamon roll waffle with melted butter, cinnamon sugar and vanilla glaze. But there is so much more, like the Fruity Pebbles and the Nutella strawberry waffle, as well as a chocolate chip cookie dough dip served cool with pretzels. Worth the wait in line any day. Stay in the loop on Instagram. [READ NEXT: 8 of the best cinnamon rolls to eat in Charlotte after a breakup ask me how I know.]#storylink=cpy] In 2020, Garren Kirkman affectionately known as Jon G and wife, Kelly, opened Jon Gs Barbecue in Peachland, about an hour drive from Charlotte. Fortunately for Charlotteans, these two North Carolina natives are sharing the love via a food truck, as well. Some of the best barbecue youve ever had, Jon Gs serves up smoked brisket, pulled pork and house-made sausage links (with Cheerwine and Queso Texicano) as platters, sandwiches and tacos. Compliment your meal with rich mac and cheese, brown sugar baked beans or jalapeno cheese grits. Be on your toes because, despite massive preparations, the food truck (and the restaurant with a line out the door) routinely sell out. Track its next visit to Charlotte on Instagram. The Jon Gs Barbecue food truck is well worth any line. It just doesnt get better than this Ashley Outlaw is serving up gourmet nachos, quesadillas and burritos with fresh, homemade toppings to fill happy bellies across the Charlotte region. Theres a set menu, with standard favorites like Buffalo Chicken and Beef Supreme Nachos, but also weekly specials like the cheesy crunch tacos (literally wrapped in flat top melted cheesy goodness) and the chicken tinga nachos. She also gets creative with the Crunchwrap, made with ground beef, shredded cheese, nachos, crema, queso, lettuce and pico wrapped, grilled and closed with a cheese crust. Keep up on Instagram. Nacho Average Trucks nachos. Alan Falcon and Pat Mazzeo, proud owners of No Forks Given, have been cranking out tasty cubanos, empanadas and croquettes since 2017. At some point, I recommend trying everything on the menu, but the crispy chicken empanadas and the OG Cubano are the place to start. The Cubano is so massive it can easily serve as two meals. Pro tip: its even better the next day. Be sure to save room for the dulce de leche churros you will not quickly forget these. Keep up on Instagram. No Forks Givens Cubano. Chefs Akil and Paris Courtney own this vegan food truck that will sneaky blow your socks off. Even as a carnivore, I can tell you this is some of the most delicious food Ive ever had. Ultimate loaded nachos: yes. Sweet potato fries: absolutely. And the Hennessy BBQ Ribz and Mac n Cheez: definitely. Be sure to check out the Cauliflower Wingz and the Bang Bang Shrymp. If youre hungry earlier in the day, Ve-Go also offers up incredible brunch options such as peach cobbler pancakes and a tofu scrambler. Find its next stop on Instagram. Ve-Go Food Trucks BBQ Ribz and Buttermilk Fried Chickn with saffron rice and cabbage. Tropical Storm Hilary hit Southern California on Sunday afternoon. Some are joking that an old clip of a LA theme park ride is real-time footage of the storm's impact. The ride took passengers through a simulated 8.3-magnitude earthquake in a subway station. Did a storm wipe out a Los Angeles Metro Rail station this afternoon? Nope. That's just a stop on the famous Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour. As Hurricane Hilary was downgraded to Tropical Storm Hilary on Sunday, people on social media shared an old clip of a portion of the tour that immerses passengers on the set of some of the studios' most iconic films."This is a ride at Universal Studios. Duh," Metro Los Angeles wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The LA Metro Station on Wilshire/Vermont is flooding from the storm pic.twitter.com/q1epV601xl Mexican Rug Dealer (@DealinRugs) August 20, 2023 One part of the ride features a simulation of an 8.3-magnitude earthquake in a city subway station. According to Insider Universal, the earthquake portion of the tour is currently closed for refurbishment until 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A Universal Hollywood Studios spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment sent during the weekend. The reference, however, is fitting: This afternoon, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Ojai area, a city northwest of Los Angeles. Online, people were quick to dub the event "Hurriquake." The Universal ride also features a simulated flash flood when the tram stops on the set that looks like a small town in Mexico. Wow, look at the flooding in Mexico, this is crazy pic.twitter.com/gakTYccLj6 Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) August 20, 2023 Pockets of Southern California and Mexico are experiencing flooding, however. We just pulled out from the Universal lot and weve already seen several streets and intersections flooded. Please be safe! Coverage all day live on @NBCLA #Hilary pic.twitter.com/q7Yg8uDt3q Alex Rozier (@AlexNBCLA) August 20, 2023 CNN reported on a video showing intense flooding completely engulfing the streets of Baja, California. Rainfall is expected to continue throughout Sunday and Monday in Southern California. Read the original article on Insider NORTH KINGSTOWN A waterfront property owner was arrested Sunday after he allegedly antagonized a family that was sitting on the beach near his house, breaking their Tommy Bahama beach umbrella when they refused to leave. The incident unfolded after 63-year-old Christopher Brady and his wife and young daughter set up their umbrella and chairs just south of North Kingstown Town Beach. According to the police report, the family was below the high tide line meaning they were on a portion of the beach that the public has the right to use under Rhode Island's new shoreline access law. But 61-year-old Andrew McClatchy, who owns the house next to North Kingstown Town Beach, objected to their presence. He said the family was above the high tide line and on his property, according to the report, and later told police that he thought Brady was a "Marxist antagonizer." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement McClatchy could not be reached by phone on Monday, and did not respond to an email seeking comment. He faces misdemeanor charges of vandalism and disorderly conduct. How the confrontation developed According to the police report, McClatchy's wife and adult daughter first came out and confronted the family. Then McClatchy "began to videotape Mr. Brady from his cellphone and yelled at him, 'Identify yourself; tell me your name!'" "Mr. McClatchy was acting out and verbally antagonizing Mr. Brady, asking him where he lives and asking him to move to a different location on the beach," the police report states. Eventually, McClatchy asked Brady if he planned to leave. "No, call the cops," Brady responded. According to the police report, McClatchy grabbed Brady's blue Tommy Bahama umbrella, pulled it out of the sand and threw it into the water. McClatchy's daughter attempted to intervene, telling him to walk away, while Brady's daughter retrieved the umbrella from the ocean. McClatchy continued to "heckle" Brady, asking his name and sticking his phone in Brady's face, according to the police report. Brady asked McClatchy if he wanted to fight, and asked how old he was. "Mr. McClatchy then put his cellphone away and said to Mr. Brady, 'Come at me!' and 'Bring it!'" the police report says. "Mr. McClatchy kept trying to walk towards Mr. Brady in an aggressive manner while Mrs. McClatchy got in front of him to prevent an altercation." Calling Brady a vulgar name, McClatchy once again grabbed the family's beach umbrella, the police report says. He threw it down on the sand, bent the plastic pole until it broke, and walked away yelling "Bring it!" "Mr. McClatchy challenged Mr. Brady to a physical fight and used profane language in front of Mr. Bradys' daughter," the report states. Homeowner 'admitted he got out of control' Multiple bystanders called the North Kingstown Police Department to report an "active disturbance," and one witness captured video of the incident. When officers showed up, the situation had cooled down, and McClatchy "admitted that he got out of control and damaged Mr. Brady's umbrella," according to the police report. Access to the shoreline south of North Kingstown Town Beach is a hot topic on the Facebook group Saving RI Coastal Access/Rights Of Way, where multiple people have described being harassed and accosted by McClatchy and others while trying to use the waterfront. Trespassing accusation: Newport man behind shoreline access dispute that turned into viral video arraigned Some activists have taken issue with a "Private Property No Trespassing" sign on the upper portion of the beach, suggesting that it should be removed or knocked down. McClatchy told police that he "believed there were Facebook groups against him" because of the new shoreline access law, according to the arrest report. "Mr. McClatchy was upset due to people going on the beachfront near the end of his property," the report states. McClatchy was briefly jailed before being released on $1,000 personal recognizance, and is due in court Sept. 1. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: North Kingstown dispute ends in vandalism, disorderly conduct charges By Elaine Lies and Hyonhee Shin TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea told Japan on Tuesday that it would launch a satellite between Aug. 24-31, its second such attempt this year, prompting criticism from Japan and South Korea that any such actions would be "extremely regrettable". North Korea told Japan's Coast Guard on Tuesday that the launch would fly over the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and the Pacific, areas that Japan said are outside its exclusive economic zone. The announcement came just days after the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea held their first standalone summit to project unity in the face of China's growing power and North Korea's nuclear threats. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement North Korea launched a satellite on May 31 that ended up plunging into the sea. The new Chollima-1 launcher failed because of instability in the engine and fuel system, state news agency KCNA reported. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called on North Korea to halt any planned launches and said Japan was preparing its PAC-3 missile defence system and gathering information. "A launch would be extremely regrettable," he told reporters. South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, urged the North to drop the planned launch, calling it a "clear illegal act" against U.N. sanctions banning its use of ballistic missile technology. "It cannot be justified no matter what excuse North Korea makes," the ministry said in a statement. TECHNICAL PROGRESS? The May satellite launch was the nuclear-armed state's sixth such attempt, and the first since 2016, aimed at putting its first spy satellite into orbit to monitor U.S. military activities. It prompted emergency alerts and brief evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan but no danger or damage was reported. South Korea's military said after retrieving the wreckage of the satellite that it had no meaningful military use. South Korean lawmakers briefed by Seoul's intelligence agency warned last week of another spy satellite launch by the North in the coming weeks, partly to mark its founding anniversary on Sept. 9. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set technical improvements to the satellite as a "top priority in the second half of the year", the lawmakers said, adding that the spy agency has reported signs of engine tests since July. "The upcoming launch has several purposes - while the anniversary internally, they would seek a show of force over the trilateral summit and the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. (Reporting by Elaine Lies in Tokyo and Hyonhee Shin in Seoul; Editing by Deepa Babington, Stephen Coates and Gerry Doyle) Air drill as part of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise between South Korea and U.S. By Soo-hyang Choi SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday denounced the annual military drills between the United States and South Korea, warning of a "thermonuclear war" over recent trilateral agreements to deepen ties between the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan at Camp David. South Korea and the United States began the Ulchi Freedom Shield summer exercises on Monday, designed to enhance their joint responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Pyongyang has long denounced the drills as a rehearsal for war. In a commentary carried by the KCNA news agency, North Korea said the summit between the United States, South Korea and Japan at the Camp David presidential retreat on Friday was aimed at formulating a "nuclear war provocation." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "If the agreements fabricated at the Camp David Resort are additionally put into practice in the war drill ... the possibility of outbreak of a thermonuclear war on the Korean peninsula will become more realistic," the commentary said. In the first standalone meeting between the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan, the three countries agreed to deepen military and economic cooperation as they seek to project unity in the face of China's growing power and the North's nuclear threats. The North's commentary said the prevailing situation requires its military to "take the initiative, offensive and overwhelming action for a war," though it did not elaborate. North Korea has said it will launch a satellite between Aug. 24 and Aug. 31 in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, the Japanese Coast Guard said on Tuesday, after a botched launch in May. South Korean lawmakers have said the North could test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile or take other military action to protest the allies' drills or last week's summit of South Korea, the United States and Japan. (Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi in Seoul; Editing by Matthew Lewis) A woman who pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated robbery after saying the man who pulled the trigger was sex trafficking her has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to a news release Monday from the Dallas County District Attorneys Office. Zephaniah Zephi Trevino was with Phillip Baldenegro at a Grand Prairie apartment complex in August 2019 when police said Baldenegro shot and killed Carlos Murillo, 24. In 2020, Trevinos parents told the Star-Telegram that Zephi, who was a 16-year-old high school student and softball player at the time of the shooting, was only at the apartment complex because she was being sold for sex by Baldenegro. Baldenegro and another man, Jesse Martinez, are charged with capital murder and awaiting trial. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The district attorneys office said in the news release that Baldenegro, Martinez and Trevino lured Murillo and another man, Christian Lobo, to the apartment. There, Baldenegro and Martinez beat the two men with handguns and robbed them, and Baldenegro ultimately shot and killed Murillo, authorities have said. Baldenegros attorney told the Star-Telegram in 2020 that Baldenegro shot and killed Murillo after he grabbed Trevino by the throat. The attorney, David Finn, also said that Trevino was not a trafficking victim and that he knew what to look for through his experience as a federal prosecutor who tried trafficking cases. Trevino was a bright girl who had a good future ahead of her, her parents told the Star-Telegram in 2020. She loved her three siblings and shared a room with her sister Tiffani. They were the closest of the bunch and played softball together. Tiffani said in 2020 their room hadnt changed since Zephis arrest. Trevinos mother said in 2020 that she changed when she started dating another teen. He introduced her to drugs and abused her, Trevinos mother said. The relationship led to Trevino growing anxious and depressed and losing self esteem. Her mother, Crystal Trevino, said that Zephi was working through the trauma of her relationship when Baldenegro reached out to her via social media and then lied about his age and how he met Zephi when he was introduced to her parents. They began lying to Zephis parents about what they were doing and at one point Baldenegro told Crystal Trevino he was taking her daughter to the movies and didnt bring her back for two days, Crystal Trevino told the Star-Telegram in 2020. This story contains information from the Star-Telegrams archives. Karen Rees was the former head of nursing for urgent care at the Countess of Chester hospital, where Lucy Letby worked - Freelance Photos North Wales/Chester Standard/SWNS.com The nursing boss accused of ignoring warnings about Lucy Letby has said claims by a doctor are not true. Karen Rees, the former head of nursing for urgent care at the Countess of Chester hospital, has disputed testimony given by a medic about how she responded to concerns about the former neonatal nurse. Mrs Rees, who is now retired and lives in North Wales, said she was taking legal advice about the allegations made against her. She issued a statement after facing questions about the way she responded to concerns over Letby, who was given a whole-life sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six more. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since the conviction, executives who worked at the hospital were criticised for failing to stop the nurse after doctors raised the alarm about an increase in deaths on the neonatal unit. In court, Dr Stephen Brearey said that he had called Mrs Rees after becoming concerned about the death of two infants in close succession in June 2016. The babies, two newborn triplets, were known as Babies O and P during the trial. Recounting the phone call, the doctor told the jury that he and his colleagues wouldnt be happy with Letby continuing to work on their unit. I phoned Karen Rees, the duty executive in urgent care, who was familiar with the concerns already, he told the court. I explained what had happened and said I didnt want nurse Letby to come back to work the following day or until this was investigated properly. Karen said no to that, and [that] there was no evidence. The crux of the conversation was that I then put to her, Was she happy to take responsibility for this decision in view of the fact that myself and consultant colleagues would not be happy with nurse Letby going to work the following day? She responded, Yes, she would be happy. I said, Would you be happy if something happened to any of the babies the following day? She said, Yes. However, Mrs Rees said in a statement the first time she has responded since Letbys conviction that Dr Breareys description is not accurate. She said she had no recollection of Dr Brearey asking if she was willing to take responsibility for anything that might happen to other infants if Letby was allowed to return for work the next day. She said it is simply not true. I have no recollection of him asking any question like that, she said, and that if he had, I would never have said yes and nor would anyone else in my position. The three other women to receive whole-life orders Mrs Rees also provided details in her statement about a conversation which occurred with Dr Brearey while they were at the hospital and how she escalated concerns afterwards. At no point did he [Dr Brearey] say that he suspected she had been purposely harming babies, she claimed. If he had said that there had been 16 deaths, and that she was present for all of them, then my actions may well have differed. The former executive said that she was currently taking legal advice about the untrue allegations, but as the allegations by Dr Brearey were made in court, it is unlikely that Mrs Rees would be successful. Speaking on Radio 4s Today programme on Tuesday, Dr Brearey said: Absolutely, everything that I said in court under oath was the truth, I have contemporaneous notes of discussions I had at the time that I based my evidence on and there is nothing I would change if I was in court again in any of the evidence that I gave. Mrs Rees also criticised Dr Ravi Jayaram, one of the other medics who gave evidence in the trial, for allegedly failing to provide further information regarding his concerns about Letby. She claimed that he did not even mention babies dying and Lucy Letby being present. He just asked for Lucy Letby to be removed from the NNU [neonatal unit]. Dr Jayaram did not respond to the claims made by Mrs Rees. Dr Brearey declined to comment when approached by the Telegraph. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. JoAnne Page, president and CEO of the Fortune Society, called the settlement a victory for the nonprofit, the city, and anyone with prior criminal justice involvement who is seeking housing. The Fortune Society, a New York City nonprofit, received a $500,000 payout last week in a discrimination lawsuit settlement against a company that places tenants in city-subsidized affordable apartments, according to the Bronx Times. The nonprofit organization, which provides reentry services for formerly incarcerated people, filed a lawsuit in October against iAfford, a marketing agency used by housing developers to manage hundreds of city-subsidized housing applications in 40 New York neighborhoods. The citys Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) approves iAfford for handling applications. A nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated people accepted a $500,000 settlement in a housing discrimination lawsuit against a company that handles rental applications. (Photo by Matt Rourke, AP, File) Last year, the Fortune Society launched the controversial Just Home initiative in the Bronx to house formerly homeless people released from Rikers Island. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the Fortune Society alleged that iAfford discriminated against Black and Latino renters based on their criminal histories, the Bronx Times reported. According to the organizations news release, the complaint referenced iAfford employees who stated in recorded phone calls in August, September, and December 2021 that the company rejects applicants with criminal records. Per the complaint, the Fortune Society alleged that iAfford rejects all applicants with a criminal record regardless of the nature of the conviction, age at the time of the offense, or evidence of rehabilitation. This month, iAfford agreed to pay the Fortune Society half a million dollars in damages and costs (including attorneys fees), a settlement the nonprofit accepted on Aug. 14, according to the Bronx Times. Despite admitting several violations of fair housing and human rights laws, iAfford did not admit liability in the settlement agreement or that the plaintiff suffered damages due to the violations. The housing company also agreed to take steps to prevent future violations, including training employees and adopting an anti-discrimination policy. It will provide an annual progress report to the Fortune Society for four years. JoAnne Page, president and CEO of the Fortune Society, said, This resolution is a win not only for Fortune, but also for the City and for anyone with prior criminal justice involvement who is seeking housing. In a statement to the Bronx Times, iAfford denied rejecting applications of people with convictions but admitted employees made mistakes. Over 2 years ago mistakes were made by lower level staff at our company that may have given an impression we would deny housing to people with criminal justice histories, the companys spokesperson said. These errors ran contrary not only to our company policies, but also to who we are as a business and as New Yorkers. We have always abided by HPDs marketing guidelines and will continue to do so. In the U.S., 65% of formerly incarcerated people are Black or Latino, according to the Fortune Society. Approximately 46% of New Yorks formerly incarcerated people are Black, while 23% are Latino, the Bronx Times reports. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrios Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! The post NYC nonprofit awarded $500K after housing firm admits discriminating against formerly incarcerated people appeared first on TheGrio. The woman who was attacked by a shark at a beach in New York City earlier this month has already endured five surgeries and will require more. Tatyana Koltunyuk, 65, was bitten on 7 August, an incident that will require years of intense physical therapy and close medical monitoring, during which time she will have significantly limited mobility, her daughter Darya Koltunyuk wrote on a GoFundMe page. She added that the injury has left her with a permanent disability. The page, Tatyana Koltunyuks Shark Attack Recovery, has since raised over $72,000 as of 21 August. Ms Koltunyuk was swimming alone in the ocean at Rockaway Beach when a shark bit her left leg, the city parks department said in a statement. The bite left a gaping wound several inches wide and deep. Two lifeguards fashioned together a tourniquet, using sweatpants and rope from an orange rescue float, to stop the bleeding. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where she was listed in stable condition, a hospital spokesperson previously told The Independent. The GoFundMe page said that the shark bite victim emigrated to the United States from Ukraine with her husband and then-three3-year-old daughter in the 1990s. Tragically, Ms Koltunyuks husband died of a heart attack only a few weeks after arriving, her daughter wrote. The language barrier prevented my mom from continuing her career as a marine engineer, but she worked tirelessly to support our family, her daughter wrote, adding that Ms Koltunyuk made sure that I could take ballet lessons and piano lessons and have the best possible education. Tatyana Koltunyuk will need more surgeries and physical therapy following a gruesome shark bite in Rockaway Beach (GoFundMe) When she was bitten by the shark, she was eagerly anticipating her retirement, when she could for the first time in her life take a break. The daughter continued, She talked about swimming in the ocean every day. My husband and I will do everything in our power to make her retirement as comfortable and enjoyable as we possibly can, but the road ahead will be extremely challenging for her and for our family, Darya Koltunyuk said. Ms Koltunyuks bite appeared to be the most serious shark attack in New York waters since at least the 1950s, Gavin Naylor, the program director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida, told the Associated Press. This is a very severe injury from something thats powerful and unambiguous, he added. Its very deliberate. Shark sightings and minor bites have become more frequent in the states waters. In a statement following the incident, NYC Parks Department wrote: We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer. Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare. We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spotted Prior to today, we have no reports of shark bites on Rockaway Beach in recent memory. An additional eight injured civilians were found in Chernihiv on after the rescue operation ended on Aug. 19. This was reported by the deputy head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, Oleksiy Kuleba on Aug. 20. In total, seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed when a missile hit the citys central square, polytechnic institute, and theater. Following the attack, there were unconfirmed reports in Ukrainian media that the missile was targeting a site where Ukrainian drone producers were planning on holding an exhibition. The Kyiv Independent confirmed that an exhibition of drone producers was planned for Aug. 19 in Chernihiv, but the location was kept secret. The registered visitors were set to receive the address just hours before the event. According to Kuleba, the Russian missile attack, which occurred on one of the biggest Eastern Orthodox holidays, damaged 66 residential buildings, 10 administrative buildings and 67 cars. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Currently, 41 people were hospitalized. Kuleba added that commissions are working to arrange compensation payments to victims of the attack. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A year after graduating, Kyren Bogolub works remotely from the two-bedroom, one-bath duplex that she shares with her partner and a third housemate, in Boulder, Colorado, May 23, 2022. (Rachel Woolf/The New York Times) Remote work has become a de facto benefit to recruit, retain and, in some cases, appease workforces. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work was a luxury. During the pandemic, employers sold it as a necessity to keep their businesses functioning. Once the public health risk abated, it became a privilege. Now, some employees take it as a right. Advertisement What began as a means to mitigate public health risk to individuals and keep the economy functioning has persisted beyond what anyone could have envisioned. During the peak risk period of the pandemic in 2020, more than 40% of the workforce was remote. This number dropped to a little more than 25% last year. Before the pandemic, around 6% of the workforce worked remotely. Advertisement With more people working remotely, office building use has been gutted. With these buildings in dense urban areas, businesses such as restaurants and cafes are finding it more difficult to remain afloat. Retail outlets that rely on walk-in traffic are also suffering. Though the overall amount of money being spent may remain the same across the economy, the shift in where it is being spent threatens downtown business life that may not be reestablished for many years. The biggest loss associated with remote work is not directly economic but rather the random interactions that foster new ideas and innovation. This is why a growing number of companies are scaling back remote work, with Google now on this list. Even Zoom, the facilitator of remote work, is asking its employees to spend more time in the office. Interacting via video calls and other technologies does not yield spontaneous dialogue. Much as diversity is touted as a vehicle for innovation, the reverse can be said about remote work, in which people are brought together virtually, creating sterile, task-centric rather than human-centered interactions. One of the challenges with remote work is that not all types of jobs can be performed remotely. This creates a potentially contentious and divisive environment for those who must be there in person and those who can work remotely. [ Andrew Wilford: Illinois could lead the Midwests remote-work boom with small policy changes ] However, some jobs that are viewed as remote-friendly may be focusing too heavily on the tasks, not the human interactions that facilitate better value for employers and create a healthy interactive work environment for all. Remote work is viewed as family-friendly, making it possible to work while maintaining homes or managing family responsibilities more efficiently, which is positive. However, there is no free lunch. Any gains are being paid for by employers. Those who support remote work laud the benefit of less time wasted with in-person work, including commuting time and the associated expenses. They argue that they can be more efficient with their time by remaining remote. However, this reasoning focuses too narrowly on jobs being solely about tasks completed. If jobs are only about tasks, then some such jobs may also be vulnerable to displacement by artificial intelligence systems in the future. Those arguing for remote work as the ideal may also be fighting for their own demise if their human contributions are minimized. There is also the direct costs of working from home. All child care costs must also be borne by remote workers. The costs of utilities and home goods being used are yet another expense. Recall the toilet paper shortage in 2020 early in the pandemic when shelter-in-place orders were sweeping the nation. Though such costs are incremental, they accumulate over time and are a price that is being paid, with few people accounting for them. Advertisement If the benefits being touted in support of remote work are indeed real, then how can such benefits be realized with people back in person? Must employers provide better child care services, commuting reimbursements and/or meals at work? Or perhaps those who argue vociferously for remote work can do all their tasks in just a fraction of the time allotted. Remote work keeps them insulated from discovery. Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > To draw people back to work, employers may wish to offer a new type of remote flextime so that the reasons employees need to periodically work remotely can be honored. Then there are those who rearranged their lives in response to remote work and find themselves without a personal vehicle or living hundreds of miles away from their place of employment. Some may decide to quit their jobs and seek other opportunities, which could create a nationwide relocation process for employees over the next few years, the consequences of which are impossible to predict. More likely, most workers will adjust to working in person, much as they did before the pandemic. If there are benefits for people to return to the office, these benefits will accrue for those companies that encourage and facilitate them. We may learn that in 10 years, the companies and organizations that successfully drew their workforce back to the office will also be the most successful ones. In essence, remote work may end up being a tax on corporate earnings and innovation. The takeaway from such a discussion is that dialogue is needed to explore the post-pandemic work environment. Simply continuing pandemic policies in the post-pandemic world is likely to yield suboptimal outcomes. Advertisement The time is ripe to explore what can make work work, so that coming back to the office is more attractive. Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a founder professor in computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A data scientist, he applies his expertise in data-driven risk-based decision-making to evaluate and inform public policy. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Ukrainian forces are advancing on Bakhmut's southern flank, having liberated three square kilometers of land in the past week, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Aug. 21. According to Maliar, Ukraine has regained 43 square kilometers around Donetsk Oblast's Bakhmut since the summer counteroffensive started. "The news is now appearing along both the southern and the northern flanks. If you look at the map, it looks a bit like a horseshoe around Bakhmut," Maliar said on national television, as cited by Hromadske. Russia is trying to push Ukrainian forces from the city's northern flanks as they have seized dominant heights in the area, according to the official. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "[Ukrainian troops] are harassing the enemy there. Actually, the occupiers are trapped because they cannot get out of Bakhmut and cannot carry out full-fledged advances," added Maliar. On the same day, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported that Russia conducted unsuccessful assaults near Kurdiumivka, some 20 kilometers south of Bakhmut, and Synkivka, around 15 kilometers from Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast. Ukraine's military added that it kept holding back Russian advances near Marinka and conducting counteroffensive actions toward occupied Melitopol and Berdiansk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. As a child, did your parents ever tell you they could get in trouble if you turned the dome light on while they were driving? Do you keep up with traffic while driving on the freeway, or do you follow the posted speed limit? Have you ever had to run a quick errand that didnt involve getting out of the car, and left without shoes? Like a game of telephone, we all hear things others believe to be accurate about driving on California roads. But which of them are true? We talked to the California Department of Motor Vehicles and followed along with Stockton-area California Highway Patrols Wacky Wednesday Facebook game to find answers to some of the most common driving misconceptions. Heres what we learned: Common driving misconceptions in California Can you drive with your dome light on? While you may have memories of your parents telling you its against the law to turn on the cabin lights while they were driving, its not, according to the California DMV. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There is no law in California that prohibits driving with the dome light on, DMV officials said. Can you change lanes in the middle of an intersection? It is not illegal to change lanes in the middle of an intersection, but it is discouraged, DMV said. The California Driver Handbook recommends staying in one lane as much as possible, they said. Do not weave in and out of traffic, as last-minute lane or direction changes may increase the risk of collisions. Once you start moving through an intersection, keep going. Is it legal to drive barefoot? There is no law in California that bans driving barefoot, DMV officials said. It is a common misconception that it is illegal to drive barefoot, but there are no laws in the state requiring drivers to wear anything on their feet, Stockton-area CHP wrote on its Facebook page. Is it illegal to drive with headphones on or earbuds in? Yes. Drivers and bicyclists alike may not wear headphones while operating their vehicles. California Vehicle Code 27400 states that no person operating a motor vehicle or bicycle may wear earphones, earplugs or a headset that covers, rests in or is inserted in both ears, DMV said. Can you drive over the speed limit to keep up with traffic? No. California Vehicle Code 22350 says no one may drive on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable, having due regard for weather, visibility, the amount of traffic, and the surface and width of the highway, and in no event at a speed that endangers the safety of people or property, DMV said. Adhering to the maximum posted speed limit is the law, the department said. Is it illegal for drivers to have their blinkers constantly on? The only regulation in the California Vehicle Code that talks about blinker usage says you must use them when executing a turn or changing lanes, according to Stockton CHP. (It says) nothing about forgetting to turn it off and driving for miles and miles with the blinker on, the CHP wrote. Can you pull over to take a nap if youre falling asleep on the freeway? No, according to Stockton CHP. It is illegal to stop on the freeway, the shoulder of the freeway or an exit ramp unless it is an emergency. A phone call/text message is not an emergency, CHP wrote. Taking a nap is also not an emergency. What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com. The circle of pain and suffering surrounding disgraced legacy attorney and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh is a broad one. His wife and youngest child are dead by his own hand. His clients and family have been robbed and betrayed, a once hallowed legacy forever tarnished. His family's former powerhouse law firm is a shadow of itself, forced into rebranding and millions in debt to repay legal fees he admittedly stole. His hometown community remains in a state of shock, disbelief and distrust in a broken system that loomed over them for a century. Now, all of the known accused accomplices to his criminal activities - his alleged henchmen, co-conspirators and associates - are falling like dominoes one by one to the state and federal criminal justice systems. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement From former bankers and lawyers to street-level drug dealers and con men, here is the latest legal status on all of Murdaugh's men. Former Hampton attorney Alex Murdaugh walks in the Colleton County Courthouse during the first day of jury selection in Walterboro, S.C. Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. Walterboro man pleads guilty to money laundering, drug charges According to the S.C. Attorney General's Office, Jerry K. Rivers, 40, of Walterboro, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Aug. 17, to fraud, money laundering, drug charges, and other crimes in Kershaw County before Judge Clifton Newman, who is handling all of the Murdaugh criminal cases for the state. On Aug. 16, 2022, the S.C. State Grand Jury indicted Rivers on only one charge, one count of obstruction of justice. Rivers and another suspect, Spencer Roberts, were indicted along with Murdaugh. In that original charge, Rivers was accused of illegally taking a cell phone belonging to another person that had been arrested on Aug. 10, 2020, and hiding it from law enforcement in connection with a multi-county narcotics distribution ring involving Murdaugh. During the course of the investigation into Murdaugh's decade-long financial crime spree, Rivers was also hit with other charges, including fraud charges related to COVID pandemic unemployment scams, and drug crimes - namely selling opioid pills to another Murdaugh associate, Curtis Edward Smith, who then provided them to Murdaugh. Altogether, Rivers pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of distribution of a controlled substance second offense Schedule II Narcotic (Roxicodone & Oxycodone), obstruction of justice, money laundering, computer crime and two counts of false statements or false representation. The maximum sentence on the drug charges alone is 30 years, but in exchange for his guilty plea, the state agreed to sentence him to no less than five and no more than twenty years and to dismiss 13 other criminal charges against Rivers. Judge Newman agreed to defer sentencing until a later date in Colleton County General Sessions and agreed to allow Rivers' bond conditions to be altered to include drug rehabilitation before his sentencing date, which has not been set. In court, Rivers claimed that he did not know Murdaugh and had never met him, according to multiple media outlets in the Kershaw area. Disgraced banker files appeal after federal prison sentence Like Murdaugh, former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte, an heir to a Lowcountry banking dynasty and the linchpin to many of Murdaugh's financial crimes, had been indicted in both state and federal courts and in November 2022 was convicted of conspiracy and bank/wire fraud charges in federal court. On Aug. 1, 2023, Laffitte was sentenced to 84 months (seven years) in federal prison, to be served concurrently with any state prison sentence he may later receive, and $3.55 million in restitution to victims, in addition to other punitive fines and fees. After sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel recommended that Laffitte be detained at Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) Jesup in Georgia to facilitate family visitation and that he be screened for participation in the federal Bureau of Prison's Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). Laffitte remains out on bond, pending notification by the BOP on his prison report date. Pending full payment of restitution and fines, Judge Gergel also ruled that banking scion Laffitte be prohibited from selling, liquidating, or transferring any assets, including: Bank of America stock; Palmetto State Bank stock; funds in a Nelson Mullins escrow account derived from the sale of his home at 300 Forest Drive, Varnville; His South State Bank 401K/IRAs; And his interest in the Laffitte Family Partnership. Prior to his indictment Laffitte owned nine percent of the family's stock in Palmetto State Bank. Despite what Judge Gergel reportedly considered a moderate sentence, and critics considered a light sentence, on Aug. 8, attorneys for Laffitte filed a notice of appeal of that sentence with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Eric Bland, attorney for several of Murdaugh and Laffitte's alleged victims, responded to the sentence appeal with a strongly worded statement to the media on Twitter. Laffitte now has a status conference for his S.C. State Grand Jury bank fraud and conspiracy charges scheduled for Aug. 23 at noon in Williamsburg County, said the S.C. Attorney General's Office. Laffitte has pleaded not guilty on those charges. No state trial date has been set. Cory Fleming, at left, with defense attorney Deborah Barbier, stands in the Hampton County Courthouse Friday for a status conference hearing on his criminal charges. Suspended lawyer, Murdaugh friend Fleming to appear in state court Alex Murdaughs college roommate, best friend and the godfather to his slain son, Paul, suspended Beaufort lawyer Cory Fleming, was also indicted in both federal and state courts. Unlike Laffitte, Fleming quickly pleaded guilty to federal charges, avoided a trial, was given a lesser sentence, and agreed to cooperate with the Murdaugh investigations. On Aug. 15, Fleming, 54, was sentenced to 46 months, nearly 4 years, in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal conspiracy. He was sentenced to 46 months in federal detainment, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision and probation, $102,221.90 restitution and a $20,000 fine. He chose to self-report immediately and was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals. Like Laffitte, Fleming is expected to be housed at FCI Jesup. Fleming's attorney, Deborah Barbier, confirmed Friday that Fleming will also have a status conference hearing at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 23, in Williamsburg County before Judge Newman. Fleming, despite his federal detainment, is required to be there, said his attorney. It is possible that Fleming will enter a guilty plea on state charges as well, but Barbier declined to comment on the upcoming hearing. Photo of Curtis Edward Smith taking a polygraph test in May of 2022. What is the latest on Alex Murdaugh's other alleged accomplices? Spencer Roberts, who was indicted in 2022 on money laundering, fraud and drug charges related to Murdaugh's enterprises, has a state court trial scheduled for Dec. 18 in Colleton County Court of Common Pleas. Curtis Edward Smith, indicted in state court on drug and money laundering charges, as well as charges related to Murdaugh's September 2021 roadside shooting scam, is suffering from serious health problems and remains on bond and house arrest. No trial date has been set for Smith. Follow Michael DeWitt's reporting as The Hampton County Guardian/Greenville News and the USA Today Network continue to follow cases related to the Murdaugh crime saga. Follow DeWitt on Facebook and on Twitter at @mmdewittjr for the latest updates. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Murdaugh's accomplices are falling like dominos. Here's what to know. Editors note: John Philp is a Brooklyn, New York-based journalist and filmmaker. With Matthew Carnahan, he co-wrote and directed the 2003 documentary Rudyland and is working on a sequel. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN. Rudy Giuliani s precipitous slide into political ruin no longer offers surprise so much as it inspires awe. Every time you think hes hit rock bottom, he descends into yet another legal and ethical crevice. John Philp - Courtesy of John Philp The same traits that once made Giuliani so successful his love of power and his yearning for the spotlight now fuel his breakneck spiral downward. Its an ironic turn straight out of a Greek drama. It was the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, after all, who observed that a mans character is his fate. Giuliani is that maxim in human form. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The former New York City mayor has said he will surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, this week to face charges, along with ex-client and co-defendant former President Donald Trump and 17 alleged co-conspirators, over trying to overturn the states 2020 presidential election. Like Trump, he faces 13 charges and denies any wrongdoing. This is an affront to American democracy and does permanent, irrevocable harm to our justice system, Giuliani, 79, said in reaction to the charges. The rich irony of the case against him is that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted Giuliani under Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. These are the same laws Giuliani dusted off to fight the mob when he was US attorney for the Southern District of New York, from 1983 to 1989. Giuliani used the federal RICO statutes to pierce the inner sanctum of organized crime, roping all the bit players into a single, unified case of conspiracy. When low-level mobsters began facing lengthy sentences, many of them flipped on their bosses, bringing down wise guy luminaries such as Fat Tony Salerno and Carmine the Snake Persico. Rudy as a prosecutor was considered the cream of the crop the best of the best, said Ken Frydman, who was campaign press secretary for Giulianis winning 1993 mayoral run. Giulianis crime-ending spree became the stuff of legend, with Rudy doing much of the legend-stuffing. When interviewed for flattering profiles, he plumped up his reputation as a mission-driven crime buster who had derailed mobsters he described as close to totally evil. (In 2000, Giuliani acknowledged, however, that his own father and members of his extended family had mob ties, following revelations of their involvement with organized crime detailed in a book by reporter Wayne Barrett. Giuliani claimed his fathers mistakes had motivated him to pursue a career in law enforcement.) After cracking down on Mulberry Street, reputed to be a favorite haunt for members of New Yorks Cosa Nostra, Giuliani pivoted to a campaign to clean up Wall Street. In 1988, he used the threat of RICO to pry a $650 million settlement out of the brokerage house Drexel Burnham Lambert over alleged insider trading. Willis has also used Georgias RICO laws to convict public school educators of racketeering in a test cheating scandal and to bring charges against Atlanta rapper Young Thug, who is accused of leading a criminal gang. (The rap artist maintains his innocence.) In times past, Giuliani might have appreciated such canny legal maneuvers, but he has called the charges against him a ridiculous application of the racketeering statute and labeled Willis a sloppy prosecutor. If she worked for me, I wouldve fired her, Giuliani said this month. Giuliani was temporarily barred from practicing law in New York state in 2021 for fighting the 2020 election results with demonstrably false and misleading statements, while a Washington, DC, bar association committee wants him disbarred entirely. One might wonder, given the gravity of the charges against him, how it came about that Giuliani ran the largest city in America. Its easier to understand if you know something about the times in which he governed. By the early 1990s, crime in New York City was rampant. Giuliani campaigned on taming the city. During his tenure as mayor, crime dropped, and the economy boomed. The era was also marked, however, by fractured politics, racially biased stop-and-frisk policies and violent police tactics that saw a disproportionate number of Black men assaulted and killed. And who could forget Giulianis scandalous courting of some of the worst elements in the citys police force? It included his move, during his campaign to unseat then-Mayor David Dinkins, to address a September 1992 rally by off-duty officers that spiraled into a full-on riot. The mostly White police some of them wielding scurrilous, racist signs and chanting the N-word were protesting plans by Dinkins, the citys first Black mayor, to institute reforms to a civilian review board responsible for examining allegations of police misconduct. The melee was a low point for a candidate whose eventual mayoralty had no shortage of them. Then, terrorists hit America. Giuliani proved to be a capable and surprisingly empathetic leader on September 11, 2001, as well as its dark aftermath. Were not only going to rebuild, were going to come out of this stronger than we were before, he said the night after the attack on the country. His leadership earned him a nickname that stuck Americas mayor. This was not a reformed Giuliani, however. The same character who prowled the city before 9/11 itching for a fight was the same guy striding toward the attack site. But his flaws had been transmuted by tragedy into strengths. The self-confidence, the arrogance all of those things were exactly what we needed in the days following the crisis, radio personality Ron Kuby told me at the time for Rudyland, the documentary I co-directed with Matthew Carnahan. Giuliani was never that good again. Days after the attacks, he floated the idea of overturning term limits to stay on as mayor. The public scoffed. Pushed from office, he began cashing in on his legacy. He published a bestselling book, Leadership, full of self-serving and roundly debunked assertions. He founded a security firm in addition to offering legal services, with a client list that included a shadowy Qatari sheikh and Purdue Pharma, the much criticized pharmaceutical company whose highly addictive drug OxyContin is to blame for much of the current opioid drug crisis. In 2008, Giuliani ran for the Republican presidential nomination. Joe Biden, at the time a Democratic White House hopeful, had his number. Theres only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, a verb and 9/11, Biden cracked. Giuliani dropped out of the race and returned to his first love, self-aggrandizement. He tottered around in the rubber room of right-wing media, apparently saying whatever came into his head. By 2016, Giuliani was supporting Trumps presidential campaign. Their alliance was ugly but straightforward: Trump needed Giuliani to shore up Republican support; Giuliani liked the attention. What I did for New York, Donald Trump will do for America! Giuliani thundered at that years Republican National Convention. But affixing himself to Trump only made each mans descent more sordid and swift. As Trumps personal lawyer and attache, Giuliani got wind of a sketchy story involving Hunter Biden. It was one of the events that led to Trump calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019 and encouraging him to find dirt on Hunters dad, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. Trump was later impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the indignities piled up for Giuliani. He made embarrassing butt dials. He was caught in a compromising movie cameo, then called it a hit job. To broadcast his incoherent idea that Trump had somehow won the 2020 election, Giuliani chose as a venue not the swanky Four Seasons Hotel, but Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a local business in Philadelphia, wedged grottily between an adult bookshop and a crematorium. At a press conference days later, Giuliani appeared to literally melt down, as dark liquid dribbled down his face. To Giulianis current predicament: Hes been indicted. Hes so broke hes had to ask the legendarily tightfisted Trump to help pay his legal bills. And for good measure, hes facing a sexual assault lawsuit from a former associate. (Giuliani has vehemently denied the claim.) But hell, as a one-time storied prosecutor now a defendant in arguably the nations most watched legal drama, at least hes back in the spotlight. You couldnt invent such irony, Frydman said. This is America. Giuliani can argue his case all the way to the Supreme Courtyard by Marriott. But wherever his story ends, we will have seen it coming all along. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Deputies in Orange County are continuing to search for whoever shot three people over the weekend. Investigators said two women and a man were found shot around 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the area of Michigan and Orange avenues. One of the women died from her injuries and the other two victims are still recovering. Read: 20 hurt as motorist trying to park crashes into South Florida restaurant Deputies said they were found inside of a silver car with several bullet holes and suffering from gunshot wounds. Deputies have not released the names of the victims or what led up to the shooting. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read: Sanford police search for suspect accused of shooting, killing cousin Channel 9 has a crew working to gather more information and will provide updates on Eyewitness News. 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. The excessive heat forecast for central Illinois has some organizers canceling events scheduled for this week, as temperatures are forecast to reach near-record highs on Wednesday and Thursday. The Edgar Lee Masters Museum in Petersburg said Monday that it would cancel the Music on the Backporch performance scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Also canceled, is the Jacksonville-based band Captain Geech and the Shrimp Stack Shooters 7 p.m., Thursday performance at the Sherman Village Amphitheatre. The National Weather Service in Lincoln issued the warning for much of southern, central, and western Illinois Sunday afternoon because of temperatures that are likely to reach into the mid-to-upper 90s at various points this week, with a peak of 99 degrees forecast in Springfield for Thursday and heat indexes that will be over 110 degrees in many areas for much of the week. According to the NWS, Thursday's forecasted high is within two degrees of the record 101 degrees set twice on Aug. 24 in 1936 and 1947. Heat indices in Springfield are expected to reach up to 114 degrees by 3 p.m. Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More: At 100, Evelyn Brandt Thomas reflects on working every day and her company's early days The heat warning is scheduled to expire at 10 p.m. Thursday night. The outlook Temperatures were predicted to hit 93 degrees Monday with a heat index of 109 degrees. As of 9:53 a.m., the humidity at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport had already reached a punishing 85%, with a dew point of 75 degrees. Areas to the west and south of Springfield were expected to have higher heat indices, with Litchfield and Pittsfield to have a heat index of 112. Tuesday will offer little relief from the heat with highs in Springfield reaching 95 degrees and heat indexes remaining around 109. Out to the west, however, Pittsfield will likely smolder with a heat index of 117 degrees to go along with a record high of 97 degrees. Why all the heat? Chris Geelhart, a senior meteorologist with NWS, said that a large high-pressure system across the central United States is contributing to the heat wave, with any sort of cold fronts or relief being pushed off to the north. "For example, some of the moisture from (Tropical Storm) Hilary is being diverted way up into Canada," Geelhart said. "It wouldn't make it this far." The system is also one that is going to move slowly, if at all, with four straight days of blistering heat as a result. Geelhart said that systems on either side of the one hitting central Illinois will prevent it from going very far in one direction or another, keeping the heat in the area for much of the week. "There's systems on either side of it that are going to prevent it from really moving, what we call a block pattern," Geelhart said. "If you imagine the Greek letter Omega, the way it's shaped, any kind of system would be going around the edges of that and bypassing us on either side. Until that finally breaks down, that big high-pressure (system) has no place to go." The worsening conditions on Wednesday and Thursday will also come with a lot of humidity, a condition that Geelhart said may dampen temperatures. "When it gets this humid, typically it doesn't get quite that hot," Geelhart said. "It has to do with the amount of moisture in the air. When the air is dryer, you tend to have temperatures rise more. In terms of the heat index, you can have temperatures over 100 degrees, but the dew point which is a measure of the moisture in the air down in the 50s. It can actually feel cooler than 100 degrees versus when you have dew points of 75-80 (degrees). When you have that much moisture, you can't sweat as well as you could normally. You tend to hear the phrase down south, 'It's a dry heat.' They tend to have not as much humidity, especially in the southwestern part of the United States." A cold front coming from the north will eventually begin to cool things down back to normalcy by the weekend, with highs only hitting around 80 degrees on Sunday. More: Thousands of jobs, pennies on the dollar: How Illinois uses prison labor A game plan for the heat As he prepares for the start of his second season as Springfield High School's head football coach, Jon Hebb must balance not only the preparation for the Senators' opener against Normal (U-High) at 7 p.m. Saturday, but the week's hot temperatures. For instance, Hebb said that practices have been moved to 5:45 a.m. at the practice field to avoid the hottest temperatures of the day which usually hit in the mid-to-late afternoon, when practice is usually scheduled. His players will meet with him in his classroom for the time being after school to watch game film. As the Senators practiced early in the morning during the summer, Hebb said that it won't be too much of an adjustment for his players. The early practices are one preventative measure that they use to avoid cases of heatstroke during the warmer parts of the season. "That's one of the reasons why we go early in the morning during the summer," Hebb said. "Getting those kids acclimated to the cooler morning air and getting up early in general is a big sticking point so we feel like, 'Hey, those kids are already used to it.' Hopefully, it takes a lot of the danger out of it, getting them there when the sun isn't even out yet or just coming up (and) the air's a bit cooler." If there are outdoor practices this week, Hebb said it would most likely be an unpadded walk-through with plenty of water breaks. The Senators' coach said that he and his staff have placed a big emphasis on keeping his athletes hydrated. "That's one of the things we're always talking to the kids about, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate," Hebb said. What to do if you're outside NWS recommends that people stay out of the sun as much as possible, while also drinking plenty of fluids, stay cool in an air-conditioned room, and do not leave children or pets unattended in cars. If people have to be outdoors, they should schedule their activities for early in the morning or in the evening when conditions will be cooler and wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also recommends that people take frequent breaks if they have to work outside and both OSHA and NWS also ask that people look out for signs of heat stroke, such as confusion, dizziness, or loss of consciousness. If any of those symptoms occur, people should call 911 immediately, move the person to a cooler area, loosen any clothing or extra layers and provide water or ice to cool them down. The American Red Cross also recommends that avoid extreme temperature changes and not do any strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day. They also ask that if people don't have an air-conditioned place to stay cool, then seek relief through schools, libraries, theatres, malls, and other large, cool places. Cooling centers Here is a list of the city's designated cooling centers: Municipal Center East (800 East Monroe Street) and West (300 South 7th Street): Open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Lincoln Library (326 South 7th Street): Open Monday-Wednesday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Office of Community Relations (1450 Groth Street): Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. St. John's Breadline (430 North 5th Street): Open Monday-Friday from 8-9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Salvation Army Main Campus (1600 Clear Lake Avenue): Open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; enter through the south side of the building off Martin Luther King Drive. Salvation Army Overflow Shelter (221 North 11th Street): Overnight shelter open seven days a week from 7 p.m.-7 a.m.; day shelter open Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. depending on if temperatures reach 88 degrees or higher; weekend service subject to staffing and heat index. Washington Street Mission (408 North 4th Street): Open Monday-Friday from 7:30-10:30 a.m. and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Helping Hands (1023 East Washington Street): Open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m and Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. This story will be updated. Roofer Lucas Stephens cools down under a tree from working on a roof on the three hundred block of Teal Dr. in Chatham Monday, August 21, 2023. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Excessive heat warning in effect for central Illinois; events cancel FILE PHOTO: A general view of a bridge between Pakistan and India, closed since 2018, with an Indian flag in the background, in Chilehana By Abu Arqam Naqash MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Police in Pakistan-administered Kashmir said on Monday a civilian was shot dead by Indian forces along the Himalayan region's disputed boundary, the second such incident since June despite a ceasefire accord. Scenic Kashmir is claimed in full, but controlled only in part, by India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars and engaged in numerous clashes over the region since both won independence from British rule in 1947. Riaz Mughal, Superintendent of Police in Kashmir's Kotli region, said a 62-year-old man was hit by "unprovoked" Indian shooting while he was cutting grass near the Line of Control (LoC) - the de facto border between the two countries. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Indian military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The LoC had seen intense cross-border firing for years before a ceasefire was reaffirmed by the two countries in 2021. Since then, such exchanges have become rare. Before Monday's incident, two people were killed in June by Indian firing, in what was the first major incident since 2021. India acknowledged the incident but said people were trying to slip across the border. India says Pakistan trains and supports Islamist militants fighting for Kashmiri independence. Islamabad denies this charge and says it only provides moral and diplomatic support for "freedom fighters". (Additional reporting by Krishn Kaushik in New Delhi; writing by Gibran Peshimam; editing by Mark Heinrich) Migrants live in tents along the Dan Ryan Expressway near 5100 S. Wentworth Avenue and outside a Chicago police station on Oct. 17, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Although the death of Jismary Alejandra Barboza Gonzalez on a bus headed to Chicago from Texas remains under investigation, it sounds like the sort of avoidable tragedy that many feared could result from the toxic politics that put her family on that bus. Little Jismary, who would have turned 4 this week, died Aug. 10 on a bus chartered as part of the political protest stunt that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched last year to send migrants crossing into Texas on to Democratic-led cities like Chicago. Advertisement An Illinois Department of Human Services spokesperson confirmed the girls name and said the Illinois Welcoming Center, a partially state-funded program to help asylum-seekers, will pay her burial costs. Unfortunately, the issue is so poisonously politicized that the departments spokesperson declined to tell reporters which of the programs 36 welcoming centers would be helping the family. Advertisement Abbotts Operation Lone Star has sent 30,000 migrants in Texas on to such so-called sanctuary cities as Chicago, Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles. He will end his protest, he says, when President Joe Biden secures the border. Yet border security as a policy issue is like the old saying about Chicago weather: If you dont like it, just wait a few minutes. In early June, for example, the Biden administration boasted that its immigration plan is working as intended a month after the Department of Homeland Security replaced its public health order known as Title 42 with a combination of tough penalties for border violations and expanded legal pathways and processes for migrants to enter this country legally. Fortunately, a feared border surge did not occur, and in early June the White House boasted that unlawful border crossings had plummeted by more than 70% in the weeks after the new border policy went into effect. But the administrations joy dimmed the next month when illegal crossings jumped more than 30%, particularly in the deserts of southern Arizona despite brutal daytime temperatures of more than 110 degrees. When it comes to asylum-seekers and border security, the contrast could hardly be greater between the alarm of southern Republicans like Abbott and the pragmatic approach of Illinois Democratic governor, J.B. Pritzker. While Republicans like Abbott or Floridas Ron DeSantis, a GOP presidential candidate, sound endless alarms over a border crisis, Illinois business owners beckon attention to the many job openings they say they havent been able to fill. And though anti-immigrant forces call for moratoriums, border walls or bus rides to another state, one might never guess that a yearslong shortfall of immigrants has led to more than 10 million jobs remaining unfilled and the shortfall has gotten worse. Thats partly because immigration was brought virtually to a halt by the Trump administration, even before the pandemic. Advertisement Business leaders, along with Pritzker, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and other political leaders, have urged the federal government to expedite matters by allowing states to sponsor work permits for new migrants and longtime workers in the country without legal permission. It helps to remember how, back before then-presidential candidate Donald Trump made promises of a border wall his campaign rallying cry, leaders in both parties were more forthright in recognizing the value of immigrants to Americas social and economic growth, as well as the importance of a humanitarian political asylum policy in our land of the free. In that spirit, this countrys asylum process allows individuals with a well-founded fear of persecution including victims of serious human rights violation in their home countries to seek legal protection at the U.S. border. Those who obtain asylum are offered certain protections in the U.S., such as work authorizations and other federal benefits, along with a path to lawful permanent residence and eventually, citizenship. Migrants are escorted by a U.S. Army soldier after entering into El Paso, Texas, from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to be processed by immigration authorities on May 10, 2023. (Andres Leighton/AP) A lengthy waiting period is in place because of concerns that providing access to work too quickly only encourages misuse of the asylum system by those who dont have credible claims. Thats why we have background checks, forensic examination of identity documents, and established government departments and personnel whose role it is to investigate and identify fraudulent or frivolous applications. Advertisement Unfortunately, the asylum system is too backlogged. It takes an average of four years for a case to be adjudicated. During this time, asylum-seekers are protected from deportation but otherwise lack status or access to most federal benefits or permission to legally work for a living. According to Title 8 of the United States Code, which governs immigration law, asylum-seekers may receive authorization to work as soon as 180 days following the filing of an asylum application. Doing away with this lengthy waiting period could encourage misuse of the system, but it needs to be improved. Immigration policy is an issue as old as the United States and always changing, largely in response to changing social and economic times. When Americans are feeling prosperous, we tell potential immigrants, Come on over! When our own pockets and stomachs begin to feel empty, we say, Stay away! Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Instead of staging stunts like Abbotts Operation Lone Star, we should welcome law-abiding asylum-seekers and other newcomers who are ready, willing and able to demonstrate that the proverbial American dream still lives. We should welcome newcomers who will help us to keep it alive. We dont need to put them on a bus ride to nowhere. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Advertisement Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Paul Feig has shared a message after a friend of his was shot dead ouside her clothing shop in Cedar Glen, California. Laura Ann Carleton, 66, who was married with nine children, was killed after the gunman reportedly took issue with a large LGBT+ Pride flag that was hanging outside her shop, according to police. The alleged shooter, a 27-year-old man, was subsequently shot dead by law enforcement. Feig, the director of 2016s Ghostbusters and the hit comedy Bridesmaids, shared a photo of himself and Carlton on Instagram, alongside a written tribute. Our wonderful friend Lauri Carleton (seen in this picture) was murdered yesterday in her store @magpi_shop in Lake Arrowhead by a 27 year old man who didnt like that she had a large pride flag hanging outside of her shop, he wrote. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He ripped it down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her. We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally. Her alleged murderer was later shot and killed by the San Bernardino police and so no longer poses a threat to the community. But this intolerance has to end. He continued: Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realise their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Lets all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Lets not let Lauris tragic death be in vain. Many of Feigs celebrity friends and followers also paid tribute in the comments under his post. Hollywood star Charlize Theron said Carletons death was heartbreaking, while The Office star Kate Flannery wrote: Paul! Im so sorry for your loss. And Im sorry for the state of the world. Truly heartbreaking, wrote One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush. US actor Timothy Omundson wrote: It is so horrific that an expression of love and support for a marginalised community, should lead to such radicalized hatred and violence every shop in Arrowhead village should hang a pride flag to honor this brave wife and mother. Comedian Bridget Everett noted that Carleton and her shop had been harassed over the Pride flag before, but had refused to be cowed and would always replace it whenever someone tried to tear it down. She recalled how the last time she saw Carleton was at Lake Arrowheads Pride parade. All that anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has a price she said. Now, Lauris husband Bort, her daughter, friends, and community are devastated. And for what? Comedian and writer Mae Martin, US journalist Katie Couric, Andy Cohen and comedian Abbi Jacobson were among those to express their heartbreak and distress in the comments under Everetts post. The investgation into the shooting is still ongoing. Police revealed in a statment that the suspect, a 27-year-old man, had fled the crime scene on foot, before being found by authorities in a nearby location. After refusing to lay down his handgun in a confrontation with sheriffs deputies, the suspect was fatally shot. When deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased, a sheriffs office statement reported. Through further investigation, detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton. The killing was condemneed by a local LGBT+ organisation for the Lake Arrowhead area, where the Ceder Glen community is situated. The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ group shared a message on Facebook page praising Carleton and her support for LGBT+ rights. Today was a very sad day for Lake Arrowhead and for the LGBTQ community, they wrote. Our friend and supporter Lauri Carleton... was murdered defending her lgbtq+ Pride flags in front of her store in Cedar Glen, California. Lauri did not identify as LGBTQ+ but spent her time helping & advocating for everyone in the community. She will be truly missed. The killing was also addressed in a statement from San Bernardino county supervisor Dawn Rowe, who said: This senseless act of hate and violence is unthinkable. I stand with my mountain communities as we mourn this incredible loss. Everyone deserves to live free of hate and discrimination and practice their constitutional right of freedom of speech. Lauri was a remarkable member of the community and I send my deepest condolences to her family in this time of grief. Former Vice President Mike Pence dodged when asked if he would apply the same standard to Donald Trump that he used when he voted to expel a Democrat from Congress two decades ago. (See the video below.) Pence, who is now running for the Republican presidential nomination against his former boss, was responding to a question from co-host Jonathan Karl on ABCs This Week on Sunday. Karl reminded Pence about his vote to expel then-Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio) from Congress in 2002 when he was a member of the House, after Traficant had been convicted on 10 felony counts of bribery, tax evasion and racketeering. If Trump were convicted on any of the 91 criminal charges he currently faces across four cases, Karl asked, Would you hold that same standard for the White House? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Pence first explained his Traficant vote. He said its Congress function to determine membership where theres ethical violations and called the Traficant case really quite outrageous. Then he answered the question: But if youre saying would I, would I apply that to my former running mate in this race, look, I think that needs to be left to the American people. Look, lets have the former president have his day in court, Pence continued. Lets maintain a presumption of innocence in this matter and in the other matter that unfolded this week here in Georgia. Pence previously argued Trump is entitled to his day in court in the wake of his second indictment in June. The former vice president has qualified forboth the first and second GOP debates, though his former running mate has indicated that he plans to NOT BE DOING them at all. See Pences remarks on This Week below: Decisions about former Pres. Trumps political future amid various criminal investigations needs to be left to the American people, former VP Mike Pence tells @JonKarl. Lets have the former president have his day in court." https://t.co/YJgkOG4qVApic.twitter.com/Q5SNN3ybuz This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 20, 2023 Related... There are a few pet cemeteries in North Carolina, allowing many the comfort of visiting their furry friends resting place as often as theyd like. Theres the Asheville areas Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, plus the Fayetteville areas Good Shepherd and the Charlotte areas Pet Heaven. In all, there are over 200 pet cemeteries across the United States, according to pet blog Happy Oodles. But for some, the ultimate comfort would be resting for eternity alongside their pet, which would mean being buried together. Is that legal? In 2016, the state of New York passed legislation allowing humans to be buried with their pets. Under this rule, the pets must be cremated before burial with humans. Pet owners need written consent from the cemetery and must pay additional burial fees. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Four-legged friends are family for many New Yorkers. Who are we to stand in the way if someones final wish includes spending eternity with them? then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, the New York Times reported. Few other states explicitly allow the practice. Virginia allows cemeteries to bury humans and companion animals in adjacent graves. Pennsylvania lets cemeteries set up three sections: one for humans, one for pets and one thats combined. What does North Carolina allow? The News & Observer spoke with Brett D. Lisenbee, compliance officer and inspector of the NC Board of Funeral Service, for answers. Can you get buried with your pet in NC? Yes. There are no board-regulated statutes or rules that either permit or prohibit a pet from being buried with an individual, whether in an urn or a casket, Lisenbee said. But there are statutes governing who has the authority to make these arrangements on behalf of a decedent (the person who has died). Upon death, who decides if you can get buried with your pet? You should make these plans yourself via written authorization. If that hasnt been done, theres an order in place for who may make those decisions on a decedents behalf. The law says adults (18+) may authorize the type, place and method of disposition of their own dead body by the following methods, in order: Pursuant to a preneed, executed funeral contract. Pursuant to a health care power of attorney. Pursuant to a written will. Pursuant to a written statement other than a will, signed by the individual and two adult witnesses. If there has been no written authorization for the disposal of someones body, the following people, in order, may authorize the type, place and method of disposition: The spouse Adult children Parents Adult siblings A person who has exhibited special care and concern for the decedent and is willing and able to make decisions about the disposition A public official, such as a medical examiner or coroner, if the final disposition is the responsibility of the State A representative of a private institution, such as a nursing home or hospital, if the decedent has donated their body to science Any person willing to take responsibility for the body, if none of the above Source: ncleg.net How can you get buried with your pet? Speak with a licensed funeral, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis provider to learn your options. This can help learn more about what, if any, accommodations the provider is able or willing to assist with, Lisenbee said. Can snakes (or rats) come up through your toilet? Its rare, but yes. Heres how Can NC passengers drink a beer (or any booze) while someone else drives? Heres the law When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store, Laura Ann Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up. Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City. And, throughout it all, the 66-year-old mother-of-nine remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBT+ community. This weekend, it happened once again. Except this time, the flag removal ended with her murder with the perpetrator shooting her in cold blood in the street. On Friday, police said that the gunman began complaining about the Pride flag hanging outside of the store on Hook Creek Road. He then pulled out a gun, fatally shooting Carleton. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The killer who is yet to be identified then fled the scene before being tracked down and killed in an encounter with law enforcement. Hollywood stars and LGBT+ community members are now speaking out about Carletons horrific murder, condemning the senseless killing and paying tribute to the 66-year-old while warning that her shocking murder is a sign of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment and hate spreading across the US. Murder over a rainbow flag On Friday, 18 August at 5pm officers from the Twin Peaks Sheriffs Station responded to a report of a person who had been been shot at the Mag Pi clothing store. When police arrived on the scene, they saw that Carleton was suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials from the San Bernardino County sheriffs office said that there was an initial altercation that took place at Carletons clothing store over an LGBT+ pride flag that the owner has displayed outside of her store. An unnamed male suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton, police said. Laura Carleton was killed by a gunman outside her store (Provided) The suspect then fled the scene and was later located near Torrey Road and Rause Rancho Road, armed with a handgun. Police said in a statement when officials attempted to contact the suspect a lethal force encounter occurred, and the suspect was pronounced deceased. The investigation into Carletons death is ongoing and police said no further details are being released. The identity of the gunman is yet to be released. Residents are urged to contact the homicide department with any information about the incident. A true ally and fashion leader Carleton, 66, also known as Lauri was the owner of Mag Pi clothing in California. She started her career in fashion during her teenage years and worked in the family business at Fred Segal Feet in Los Angeles, while attending the Art Centre School of Design, according to the Mag Pi store website. Carleton then began running the top fashion show floor in the US at Joseph Magnin Century City. She then joined Kenneth Cole and remained there for over 15 years, where she worked with factories and design teams in Italy and Spain. The designer travelled with her husband across the US, Europe and South America, which fuelled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture among other things. Her clothing store, Mag Pi, is all about tackling everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream, the website reads. Carletons daughter, Ari, posted a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram, remembering her mother as a fearless, cool and compassionate human being and describing her death as a hate crime. Mourners left flowers outside Laura Carletons Mag.Pi store in Lake Arrowhead, California, after she was shot dead on Friday (Mountain Provisions Cooperative) The caption said: As most of you know our beautiful mommy was taken from us in a senseless act of violence on Friday August 18th. She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime. Her flags had been torn down before and she always responded by putting up a bigger one. Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch. The post continued: We find peace in knowing she passed quickly in a place she cherished, doing what she loved while fiercely defending something she believed in. She was fearless, cool and compassionate always putting others first. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that our family has received from loved ones and strangers alike, it has provided hope and light in our darkest days. We will continue to advocate for love, equality and acceptance in everything that we do. Love will always triumph hate. This intolerance has to end Tributes are now pouring in for the beloved mother of nine and business owner who was known to be a supporter and advocate of the LGBT+ community. The death of Carleton has led to outrage across the country, with family, friends and famous figures sharing their grief on social media. Actor George Takei , posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that her death was a result of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment coming from the right. Lauri Carleton was my friend. She was a wonderful person who did so much for the LGBTQ+ community as well as the community at large. What happened to her is an absolute tragedy. If people dont think anti-gay & trans rhetoric isnt dangerous, think again. https://t.co/BsrckyUN9t Paul Feig (@paulfeig) August 19, 2023 This is the result of the hate they spew. An innocent woman, a gentle and loving soul, has lost her life he said. My heart aches for her family in the wake of this horrific murder. Those responsible go beyond the murderer. Every anti-LGBTQ politician, bigoted pundit, and right-wing hate monger has Laura Carletons blood on their hands. Close friend and Hollywood director Paul Feig, whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute on Sunday, calling Carleton his wonderful friend. The post, captioned with a photo of Carleton and him said: We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally. This intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Lets all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Lets not let Lauris tragic death be in vain, he added. Laura Ann Carleton was shot dead at her business Mag Pi clothing in California (Screengrab/ ABC 7) The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ community also described Carleton as a "friend and supporter and said that although she did not identify as LGBTQ+, she spent her time helping and advocating for everyone in the community. Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis also posted a tribute and said Carleton was a strong ally within the community. Daviss caption said: I had the pleasure of meeting Lauri and shopping in her charming store over the summer. I cannot comprehend what has happened and I can only imagine what her family and close friends are going through. We cannot rest in our work towards love and understanding and equality for every person. It is abundantly clear that divisive senseless hate is the only motive for this hate crime. Lauri was a strong ally, when her Pride flags were stolen she quickly replaced them. To think that she was murdered for her support of our LQBTQ+ family tears my heart into pieces. I want Lauri to be known as the HERO she was and is. I want her family to know we are thinking of them and for everyone to know that we must continue to stand up for what is right! #lovewins. Troy Griffith, who recently received the 2023 Tom Horn Memorial Award from the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association, poses for a photo during Back to School Night at the Perry Farmers Market on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. The Perry Community School District announced that the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association recognized Troy Griffith as the recipient of the 2023 Tom Horn Memorial Award at the most recent school board meeting. This award is given by IPTA to someone who serves in a school transportation director, supervisor, or administrator role, and who has displayed dedication, leadership, and innovation within the field of pupil transportation. Griffith has demonstrated a commitment to the safe and efficient transportation of students, exemplifying the qualities that the Tom Horn Memorial Award was established to honor. As the transportation director of PCSD, Griffith wears many hats, juggling responsibilities ranging from routing and dispatching to often taking the wheel as a driver when needed. Max Christensen, Executive Officer of the Transportation Office with the Department of Education, spoke highly of Griffith's accomplishments. "Over the years, I've had the opportunity to work with and get to know tons of school transportation directors, not just here in Iowa. I've watched him grow into being one of the best transportation directors in the State of Iowa," Christensen said. Superintendent Clark Wicks shakes hands with Troy Griffith, who recently received the 2023 Tom Horn Memorial Award from the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association, during Back to School Night at the Perry Farmers Market on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Griffith's dedication to his role has had an impact on his district and the community at large for 30 years. Under his leadership, PCSD has maintained a high level of safety and reliability in student transportation even during transportation shortages and the COVID pandemic. Beyond his dedication, Griffith's ability to foster relationships with his team, students, parents, and school personnel members has built his reputation as an effective transportation director. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Troy truly stays busy, typically putting in 11-12 hour days every day. Yet hes always got time to help others in need and to offer support and help to whomever may ask," Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks said. "Troys number one goal is student safety, he does a great job of keeping us all safe. Perry Community School is hiring bus drivers and offering up to $4,000 in incentives. Call Griffith at (515) 465-5513. This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Perry's Troy Griffith receives 2023 Tom Horn Memorial Award Social studies students learn how a bill becomes a law, but Jennifer Pahlka would argue that you cant stop the story at the presidents signature. The administrative infrastructure and vendor contracts that determine how a federal, state or local law is put into practice often act as an inadvertent, unconstitutional veto. Often, as the first people who tried to register for Obamacare discovered, the web developer has as much power as the congressional committee in determining what government does. Pahlka is the founder of Code for America and the author of Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better. Her nonprofit aimed to improve the user interface of government with volunteers. When Pahlka was hired by President Barack Obama to found the United States Digital Service, she got to do the same work from the inside. Her new book is a chronicle of the secret gridlock that can cripple even the most enthusiastically bipartisan policy. The government, culturally and legally, has a preference for contracting out the software that underpins our public policy. As Pahlka shows, this means our government often winds up serving its vendors, not its citizens. Contracts and program constraints are hyper-detailed, going far beyond the text or the intent of the laws that set up the program or administrative agency. The government writes contracts adversarially, trying to bind vendors to every detail of the needed implementation, but leaving no room to course-correct as the team learns more or the needs of citizens change. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In one particularly ridiculous example, Pahlka recounts assisting the Veterans Administration with the Veterans Benefit Management System, which was so laggy as to be borderline unusable. But one of the VA leaders maintained they had no latency problem latency is formally defined as taking two minutes to load a webpage and that technically, they were under that time frame. His obtuseness was a kind of learned helplessness. She pressed him about the way he applied the rules past the point of common sense, and he explained, Ive spent my entire career training my team not to have an opinion on business requirements. If they ask us to build a concrete boat, well build a concrete boat. It didnt matter to him if he was given constraints that lock veterans from the benefits they were promised. He was thinking about just one big-picture question, being able to prove that when it goes wrong, its not our fault. A big part of the problem is that agency employees are accountable to everyone except the citizens theyre intended to serve. The vendors hold them to the letter of the byzantine contract, and Congress and the Government Accountability Office, lacking the context to supervise them well, hold them to detailed, barely relevant administrative requirements. Long-serving members of the civil service slowly have both their curiosity and their zeal to genuinely solve problems beaten out of them. Its not worth gathering data on a problem if no one will let you try to fix it. As Pahlka summarizes, Data is not a tool in their hands. Its something other people use as a stick to beat them with. Related Pahlka discovered while working with the VA that the website wasnt just laggy key application processes were completely unusable for anyone not running a specific (and outdated) version of Internet Explorer and Adobe Acrobat. She and her team got the website functional, and applications increased tenfold. Thats when some VA employees started trying to force the team to shut down the fix. They werent prepared to handle the influx of applications. The inability to apply had been largely invisible, both in the press and inside the building, she writes, but the backlog of unprocessed applications starting to build up was very visible. Pahlka and her team prevailed, letting veterans access in practice the benefits they were promised in theory. But the fight goes on at every level of government. In one particularly stark case, outside Pahlkas stories, Derek Wu and Bruce D. Meyer, writing for the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago, described a serious benefits infrastructure breakdown at the state level. Indiana hired IBM to automate and manage enrollment for SNAP, TANF and Medicaid, and had to break off the contract because successful enrollments fell so sharply. SNAP food assistance, which meets an urgent, ongoing need, fell 15% in counties using IBMs system in the first year after rollout. The decline in all three services was so notable that Wu and Meyer noted that future researchers should look to this data as a gift for gauging the impact of these assistance programs. No one would authorize barring people from their benefits in randomly chosen counties in order to have a perfect control group to measure the impact of assistance, but thats the result the government got when IBMs program worked so poorly. Pahlkas book belongs on the desk of every lobbyist and citizen activist. Pressing for humane policy means also fighting for a humane implementation of the law. The most vulnerable are too often asked to get past burdensome, arbitrary hurdles, rather than being assisted in their applications and included in the design process. The people who get into civil service in order to help others suffer from moral injury and are painfully aware of how much they are shortchanging the people they want to serve. One of the key solutions is to give more agency to government agencies. Rather than contracting out the job of building the key interfaces that citizens use to communicate with the government, agencies need to be willing to do more work in-house. It means accepting a higher explicit upfront cost in order to be able to draw on the agencys ingrained expertise and be flexible enough to overhaul a project without lawyers having to renegotiate a contract. The cost of delegating out core government services is much higher than the sticker price on the vendor bid. And the cost is punishingly regressive, paid by the poor in forgone services and support. Leah Libresco Sargeant is the author of Arriving at Amen and Building the Benedict Option. She runs the substack Other Feminisms, focused on the dignity of interdependence. Pet wellness brand Honest Paws is recruiting ambassadors for its peanut butter product. The brand will pay the canine ambassadors $100 an hour. Americans spent $58.1 billion on pet food and treats in 2022, according to the American Pet Products Association. Peanut butter-loving pooches can soon be paid while enjoying their favorite treat. Pet wellness company Honest Paws is offering $100 an hour to dogs that can be ambassadors for its peanut butter, according to an August 1 announcement. Applications close on September 1. The job description includes strutting about local dog parks, canine events, and pet stores, as well as "showing off your love for our yummy Honest Paws Peanut Butter" and being "the star of live treat-tasting shows." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Required attributes for the job include "bark-tastic social skills" and a tail that "won't stop wagging." To qualify for the job, pets must also have a human who can accompany them to events and help with "tricky stuff" like opening peanut butter jars. All breeds can apply for the job, said Honest Paws, because it's an equal-opportunity employer. The company did not specify how many ambassadors they are seeking. Honest Paw's investment could go a long way to sell its peanut butter which comes with a nearly $30 price tag for each jar. Americans spent $58.1 billion on pet food and treats in 2022, according to the American Pet Products Association. The association expects spending to rise by another 8% to $62.7 billion in 2023. Honest Paws did not immediately respond to a request from Insider for comment sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- A coalition of Thai political parties seeking to form the next government pledged to stimulate the economy through a mix of cash handouts and fiscal measures, as it laid out its policy priorities ahead of a parliament vote to elect a new premier. Most Read from Bloomberg The 11-party alliance plans to roll out policies to stimulate economic growth as soon as possible, Cholnan Srikaew, leader of Pheu Thai party that heads the group, told reporters on Monday. A payment of 10,000 baht ($284) each to all Thais aged 16 and above through digital wallet, higher minimum wages and crop prices will be prioritized, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The measures, part of Pheu Thais pre-poll promises, are aimed at reviving growth in an economy expanding at one of the weakest pace in Southeast Asia. Data Monday showed gross domestic product grew 1.8% in the second quarter, missing analysts estimate for a 3% growth and prompting authorities to slash the 2023 forecast to a range of 2.5% to 3% from 2.7%-3.7% seen previously. The $500 billion trade- and tourism-reliant economy faces headwinds from a slowdown in China, which has hurt Thai exports, and also a slow return of Chinese tourists. The coalition on Monday inducted Palang Pracharath, a party headed by former army chief Prawit Wongsuwan, taking the blocs strength to 314 in the 500-member House of Representatives. Palang Pracharath, which has 40 lawmakers, had backed outgoing Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha in the 2019 election. Srettha Thavisin, the blocs prime minister candidate, will seek parliament endorsement on Tuesday, but his fate rests on the military-appointed Senate, whose 250 members vote in a joint assembly alongside the lower house. The addition of Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation, both military-backed groups, may help the coalition win over the backing of the Senate for Srettha. Read More: Property Tycoon Bids to Emerge From Turmoil as Thailands Leader Cholnan said the coalition expected Srettha to sail through the vote as it was confident of enough support from the Senate. The alliance partners have also agreed on a broad division of ministries with Pheu Thai getting eight slots and Bhumjaithai party, the second-largest member of the bloc, getting four cabinet positions, he said. Second-placed Pheu Thai cobbled together a coalition after election-winner, Move Forward Partys Pita Limjaroenrat, was previously blocked from becoming prime minister largely due to his pledge to amend the royal insult law and other reformist agendas. --With assistance from Anuchit Nguyen and Suttinee Yuvejwattana. (Recasts throughout.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Eighteen months into Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, which left tens of thousands of people dead, many more injured, and entire regions destroyed, observers still lack the vocabulary to adequately describe Moscow's actions. Jason Stanley , professor of philosophy at Yale University and author of "How Fascism Works," visited Kyiv in early August to talk about the history of fascism, colonialism, and the roots of Russia's ongoing war. "Ukraine has been the victim of Soviet genocide, and the Russian Empire has, for centuries, directed itself toward the domination of Ukraine," Stanley told the Kyiv Independent. "Right now, Russia is explicitly fascist and plans a violent colonial territorial expansion," he added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Kyiv Independent spoke with Stanley on the intersection between fascism and colonialism and how Russia employs both in its war against Ukraine. The following interview has been edited for clarity. The Kyiv Independent: You are in Ukraine to teach a class on fascism and colonialism. These themes are regularly discussed and debated in Kyiv today. But beyond contributing to a current debate, what motivated you to visit Ukraine at this particular moment in history? Jason Stanley: I am an anti-fascist and an anti-imperialist. Ukraine is being invaded by a violent fascist regime. Russia aims to extend its history of colonization of its neighboor in an openly genocidal fashion. I am the child of two Holocaust survivors. Given who I am as a philosopher, as well as my personal history, it was obvious that I should visit Ukraine at this pivotal moment in history. I needed to learn from Ukrainians about how they face these threats and use that knowledge and my platform to help Ukraine win. Read also: Editorial: Todays Russia is fascist. Its time to start calling it that In your book, "How Fascism Works," you say fascism is not a historical phenomenon that is uniquely bound up with Hitler and Mussolini. Instead, you suggest fascism is a political phenomenon that could appear in any country. With that said, can you describe the basic features of fascism? Fascism arises as a violent social and political movement that mobilizes its supporters against liberal democracy by myths of past military greatness, and subsequent loss and grievance about that loss, caused by liberalism. It is characteristically led by a charismatic leader, who promises revenge for various national humiliations. Its violent militias, sometimes penetrating some of the states official organizations, create chaos that the movement itself promises to solve, by authoritarian solutions, like law and order. It is committed to strict gender roles, and represents national minorities and sexual minorities as fundamental threats empowered by democracys freedoms. Such movements are backed by elite oligarchs, who hope to profit from it, and they are directed against cultural and intellectual elites. Fascist movements provide joy to their supporters by unifying them in a movement with a purpose, to take revenge for various putative humiliations to the dominant group. Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 19 Ukraines struggle to dump Soviet legacy Since fascism consists of a set of political traits that may be present in any political system, can you provide some examples of fascism at work in a liberal democracy? In the Weimar Republic, the National Socialist Party arose as an electoral force at the polls over several years, in part by moderating its originally extreme message. The Nazis were successful in masking Hitlers extreme aims, laid out in his 1925 work "Mein Kampf." German voters thought either that Hitler himself had moderated, or that his previous words were merely rhetoric. There have been many fascist movements in liberal democracies over the years, for example, the British Fascist Party. Following Toni Morrison, I tend to think in the first instance of fascist practices rather than fascist social and political movements or fascist regimes. Here, it is much more obvious that liberal democracies can co-exist alongside fascism, insofar as formal liberal democracies can engage in various fascist practices such as violent militias, military style policing, harsh treatment of national minorities, etc. Needless to say, some of these fascist practices are present in America today. Jason Stanley hosts a lecture on "Fascism and Colonialism," held from Aug. 1-8, 2023, at the Kyiv School of Economics in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Kyiv School of Economics) Like fascism, colonialism is often associated with a specific time-period, say, Athenian dominance of the Aegean in the 5th Century BCE or European conquest of Asia, Africa, and the Americas in the 18th and 19th Centuries. But do you also treat colonialism as primarily a political phenomenon? And if so, what are the defining features of colonialism? Colonialism, like fascism, should be thought of in terms of its practices, its institutions, and its culture. At its most basic level, it is the violent domination of a country or a people with less resources by a country or a people with more resources, so we can even speak of internal colonialism. Colonialism characteristically involves the seizure of territory, including moving the colonized population off desirable territory, and into camps or reserves, and essentially or literally enslaving them. Some of the paradigm colonialist institutions overlap with fascist ones the concentration camp, for instance. The culture of colonialism involves harsh treatment of the colonized. Colonized people are often seen as worthless, or at best as tools for exploitation as Cesaire writes, colonization is thingification. There are also cognitive practices of colonialist domination. Using the education system, colonial powers erase the colonial populations history, identity, and language, replacing it with their own. These are general characterizations, and no two colonial situations are exactly the same. Read also: Art under attack: How Russia destroys Ukraines cultural heritage (VIDEO) Colonial powers, whether in Ancient Greece or Modern Europe, were often democracies. This suggests that colonialism and fascism are distinct political formations. So, I wonder if you can explain the connection you see between colonialism and fascism? In Book III of Thucydides "History of the Peloponnesian War," Cleon argues that the entire population of Mytilene should be murdered for their anti-colonial rebellion against Athens. What prevents Athens from taking such steps, Cleon claims, is its democratic culture, which prevents Athens from being the kind of ruthless empire Cleon urges it should be. A true democracy, according to Cleon, is not capable of the brutality required to be an effective empire. Though I disagree with Cleon about which of these two options Athens should choose, Cleon is right about this point. Colonizing involves dominating a group by subjecting them to fascist practices concentration camps, mass rape, forced labor, elimination of history. According to Aime Cesaires boomerang thesis, colonialism abroad invariably leads to fascism at home. I think this is problematic as a general thesis Belgiums brutal colonization of the Congo, involving the murder of 10 million Congolese, led to great wealth and a successful democracy for those who profited from it. But I think a lot of the brutality you see in, for example, American culture, is due to our history of violent domination, both inside and outside our current borders. Put otherwise, fascism abroad or towards a national minority at home is colonialism. Colonialism does not always lead to fascism, but it can easily corrupt the political culture of the colonizing nation in the direction of fascism. Conversely, all fascist regimes are explicitly violently colonialist, and they often draw inspiration from violent colonialism of the past. All you need to do is read the second to last chapter of Hitlers "Mein Kampf," where he lays out his plan for territorial expansion in the east. Here Hitlers colonial ambitions are informed by his understanding of manifest destiny in the United States the view that white settlers were destined to expand the nation westward towards the Pacific Ocean. Jason Stanley hosts a lecture on "Fascism and Colonialism," held from Aug. 1-8, 2023, at the Kyiv School of Economics in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Kyiv School of Economics) As I mentioned at the outset, fascism and colonialism are often discussed in Kyiv today, but can you use your particular analysis of these phenomena to explain Russias invasion of Ukraine? My accounts of fascism and colonialism apply directly to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Russia has long had a colonial relationship with Ukraine. My time in Ukraine has only solidified my belief that Oleksiy Radynskis particular analysis of the relationship between Russia and Ukraine is correct. Russia is the metropole and Ukraine the colony. Ukraines intellectual class has gone to Moscow for university and Ukraines writers and intellectuals have written in Russian and largely directed themselves to a Russian audience. Ukraine has been the victim of Soviet genocide, and the Russian Empire has, for centuries, directed itself towards the domination of Ukraine. Right now, Russia is explicitly fascist, and plans a violent colonial territorial expansion. Since no two colonial situations are exactly the same, the particularities of this explicitly fascist colonial war differ somewhat from, say, British colonialism or Soviet colonialism. First, in these latter cases, colonial violence took place under the guise of civilizing the colonial territories, or in the case of the Soviet Union, bringing them under the umbrella of communism. Putins Russia is a fascist regime, and has no such pretenses. Secondly, Russian colonialism does not view Ukrainians as savages who need to be made Russian to civilize them. According to the ideology of this Russian fascist regime, Ukrainians are already Russian, and Ukrainian identity is a fake construct that is in essence simply hatred of Russians. So, Ukrainian identity must be eliminated for Russia to be great again. This is an explicitly genocidal agenda, akin to but not quite identical with Hitlers attitude towards the Jewish people. Read also: Thats it, its death, guys. What we know about Russias killing of 2 Ukrainian teenagers in occupied Berdiansk What have you learned during your visit to Ukraine? I have learned that Ukrainians are deeply democratic they do not wish to live under politicians whom they cannot vote out. There is a deep commitment to a throw the bums out mentality. The democratic spirit is also present in the Ukrainian leaderships attitude towards human life. Ukrainian leaders see every Ukrainian life as valuable. This strongly influences Ukrainian military policy, and the respect Ukrainians have for their soldiers. Russias fascist rulers, in contrast, have little respect for human life, and they treat their own soldiers as utterly expendable. I have learned that there are prominent non-white Ukrainian patriots, who are refugees from other lands. All of this is good for Ukraine. I have also learned that Ukrainians can fail to be self-critical of their own past in ways that threaten their democratic future. A healthy democracy confronts its past. I have heard from Ukrainians that Ukrainians who worked for the Soviet Union were always forced to do so. Most disturbingly, I have heard defenses of Ukrainian nationalists of the sort who allied with the Nazis, and even participated in the slaughter of Ukrainian Jews and Poles. None of this is acceptable. All of this is bad for Ukraine. In my final analysis, Ukraine is capturing the worlds attention by standing up to a violent fascist and colonial regime that has more resources and no limits to its brutality. The road ahead is hard. There are two wars, first on the battlefield and then the peaceful transition to a democratic future. Ukraine must win both wars, for itself and the world. Submit an Opinion Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Montgomery Fest parade on Sunday featured a variety of units with former village trustee Denny Lee serving as grand marshal. (Judy Pochel/The Beacon-News) Plenty of people turned out for the three-day Montgomery Fest in Montgomery over the weekend, which began on Friday and ended Sunday with a parade, fireworks and more. The annual Montgomery Fest parade included two high school bands, politicians, service groups and other marchers. Advertisement Former village trustee Denny Lee was the grand marshal of the parade, which kicked off at 1 p.m. Sunday at Main and Madison streets. Lee was a longtime promoter of the festival and the parade. Now retired and living in Wisconsin, he said all the memories from his years in the village came back when he returned to town. Advertisement Montgomery Fest over the weekend featured carnival rides, a parade, fireworks and more at Montgomery Park. (Judy Pochel/The Beacon-News) I remember all the grand marshals that I had a hand in choosing, Lee said. We always gave it to a person or business that made Montgomery great. He said returning to Montgomery for the parade was special. I took pictures with so many people who saw me before the parade and waved at people I havent seen in 20 years, he said. I enjoyed it. Montgomery Village President Matt Brolley said the festival this year in Montgomery Park was a fantastic event. We hit a home run Friday night, he said, with an estimated crowd of between 5,000 and 6,000 at the fest that night. The Friday band left people dancing and having a good time, he said. We rolled that right into Saturday, which was amazing. Brolley noted that for next years festival, Montgomery Park will feature a permanent stage which is being installed along with memorials for veterans and first responders. He said the village is really trying to do what we can to make this a vibrant park that people can use year-round. Advertisement Judy Pochel is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. Dorian Padilla sits in his car as he waits for a tow after it got stuck in the mud on a street Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Cathedral City, Calif. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. | Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press After making landfall over Mexico, Hilary, now a post-topical cyclone, has drenched parts of California and is headed into Nevada. The damage over Southern California includes flooded out roads with lots of mud and debris, along with downed trees that have crushed homes and cars. Heres a look just some of the damage caused by the storm captured by The Associated Press photojournalists. Maura Taura talks on a cellphone outside her home next to a downed tree after Tropical Storm Hilary went through Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Sun Valley, Calif. | Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press A woman walks along the beach after the passing of Tropical Storm Hilary, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in San Diego. | Gregory Bull, Associated Press A television reporter stands in a flooded road after the passing of Tropical Storm Hilary, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in San Diego. | Gregory Bull, Associated Press Cars are seen stuck in the mud on a street Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Cathedral City, Calif. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. | Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press Terry and Jack Flanigan walk their dogs past a eucalyptus tree that fell on a house Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Palm Desert, Calif. Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to the desert resort city of Palm Springs, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers, before heading east and flooding a county about 40 miles outside of Las Vegas. | Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press Mud and water flow through a crack off the side of the road in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Yucaipa, Calif. | Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Resident Robbie Law uses a tractor to clear a neighbors driveway in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Yucaipa, Calif. | Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Members of Cal Fire Pilot Rock 6 crew, out of Crestline, Calif., clear mud off the side of the road in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Yucaipa, Calif. | Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Residents Brooke Horspool, left, and his son Andrew Horspool show mud up to their knees while helping a neighbor in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Yucaipa, Calif. | Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press SAN DIEGO (KSWB) Tropical Storm Hilary pummeled Southern California with heavy rainfall and gusty winds on Sunday, making history as the first storm of its kind to hit the region in decades. The storm, which was downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane about 24 hours before making landfall along Baja Californias coast, brought on a steady downpour that caused extensive flooding, power outages, downed trees and mudslides. The unusual storm marked Californias first tropical storm to hit in 84 years. Only a handful of storms have managed to bring tropical storm-force winds to the Golden State in the last century. Hilarys center hit San Diego County by 5 p.m. By 6 p.m., the heaviest precipitation had subsided, National Weather Service said, while the back edge of the system continued to drop steady rain on residents into the evening. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hilary moves through San Diego as Californias first tropical storm in decades Some parts of San Diegos mountains received as much as 6-8 inches with Hilarys downpour, according to preliminary numbers from the National Weather Service. Coastal areas west of the mountains received about 1-2 inches roughly 10% to 20% of the areas average annual precipitation. Several flash flood warnings were issued across the county Sunday, stretching as far east as Jacumba and as far north as Mount Laguna. Around 3:40 p.m., NWS also issued a brief tornado warning in Alpine and Descanso. The warning was lifted by 4 p.m. Thousands of San Diego Gas & Electric customers were also without power throughout the afternoon and evening due to Hilary. Trees and branches knocked over by strong winds were reported across the city. From the Tijuana River Valley to Oceanside, here are photos of the historic weather event: People walk along the coast at La Jolla Shores as Tropical Storm Hilary arrives on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in San Diego. (K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) A pedestrian walks under a light rain by the Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Tropical Storm Hilary swirled northward Sunday just off the coast of Mexicos Baja California peninsula, no longer a hurricane but still carrying so much rain that forecasters said catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is likely across a broad region of the southwestern U.S. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) San Diego August 20: Windsurfers take advantage of high winds from Tropical Storm Hilary in Mission Beach on Sunday, August 20, 2023 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) A downed tree in La Jolla on Aug. 20, 2023 due to heavy rain and gusty winds brought on by Tropical Storm Hilary. (KSWB/FOX 5) Homeless people use plastic tarps to shield themselves from a light rain brought by Tropical Storm Hilary in downtown San Diego, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Chad Hilton and his son, Silas, walk back to their place after trying to paddle board at La Jolla Shores as Tropical Storm Hilary arrived on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in San Diego. (K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) Two men try to get a car out of standing water in the Tijuana River Valley on Aug. 20, 2023. (KSWB/FOX 5) Two people stand near gates blocking off the Oceanside Pier on Aug. 20, 2023. (KSWB/FOX 5) Surfers Caspian Ryan, middle, skims on grass as Adrian Zimmernan pulls him with a rope attached to an electric bike pulling the board on fully soaked lawn under heavy rain at Cannon Park in Carlsbad, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Tropical Storm Hilary swirled northward Sunday just off the coast of Mexicos Baja California peninsula, no longer a hurricane but still carrying so much rain that forecasters said catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is likely across a broad region of the southwestern U.S. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) A homeless person walks under a light rain brought by Tropical Storm Hilary in downtown San Diego, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Heres a handful of photos from photojournalists capturing the storms impact on San Diego Countys neighbors to the north: A vehicle splashes through puddles along a street starting to flood in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles as a tropical storm moves into the area on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Tropical Storm Hilary is no longer a hurricane but its still packing what forecasters call life-threatening rain as it speeds up Mexicos Baja coast toward Southern California. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) A broken umbrella protrudes from a trash barrel as pedestrians walk down Hollywood Boulevard during Tropical Storm Hilary, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) A worker drags caution tape to block off Pico Boulevard after a tree fell, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Los Angeles. Tropical Storm Hilary swirled northward Sunday just off the coast of Mexicos Baja California peninsula, no longer a hurricane but still carrying so much rain that forecasters said catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is likely across a broad region of the southwestern U.S.(AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Joseph Wolensky stands in the street with a sign that says You call this a storm? Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Palm Desert, Calif. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) A mailbox stands on a flooded residential street in Palmdale, Calif. as a tropical storm moves into the area on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) A motorist removes belongings from his vehicle after becoming stuck in a flooded street, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Palm Desert, Calif. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Surfers ride waves at Doheny State Park Beach in Dana Point, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Tropical Storm Hilary swirled northward Sunday just off the coast of Mexicos Baja California peninsula, no longer a hurricane but still carrying so much rain that forecasters said catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is likely across a broad region of the southwestern U.S. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) A vehicle drives through a flooded freeway entrance in Palmdale, Calif. as a tropical storm moves into the area on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) An elderly woman crosses a street flooded by torrential rain brought by Tropical Storm Hilary, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Thousand Palms, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Counties north of San Diego were also hit hard by Hilary, with heavy rainfall particularly battering communities in the mountain and desert areas. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Pike Road High School went on lockdown Monday morning after administrators were notified of a "potential threat" on the school's Georgia Washington campus. By 3:30 p.m., the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office announced that officers had identified and arrested a suspect. However, since the person in custody is a juvenile, law enforcement said there will be no name or further details about the arrest provided to the public. The Sheriffs Office takes the security of our schools seriously, and we will relentlessly pursue individuals who threaten the safety of our students, Assistant Chief Deputy Wesley Richerson said in a statement. The situation began around 7:40 a.m., when a teacher reported that a student had received a threatening text message that expressed intent to cause harm to students on campus. At that point, students had already begun entering the building, and administrators told them to report to their first period classes for lockdown, according to Superintendent Keith Lankford. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We would be remiss if we did not thank all of our bus drivers, CNP, staff, teachers, students, parents, and administrators for their flexibility and willingness to ensure the safety of our students," Lankford said in a statement. "The safety and security of our students will always be our primary concern. Our staff was prepared for this scenario and executed the safety plan confidently and efficiently." Pike Road High School is in the old Georgia Washington Middle School building in Pike Road. About two hours after lockdown began, the school district and local law enforcement determined that the threat was "not immediate," though investigators continued to "determine its credibility." At the same time, school officials announced a plan for early dismissal of students to begin at 10:20 a.m., and Pike Road Schools released a statement on social media. "We continue to work with our law enforcement partners," the statement said. "All students are safe, and no one is in immediate danger. We will continue to update you." By 11:45 a.m., the situation remained ongoing as law enforcement worked with Pike Road teachers and administrators to release students in a safe and orderly fashion. An email sent to PRHS parents and guardians directed them to pick up their students at the front of the school building. Students were being released individually to vehicles as they arrived. "All bus riders and any other students on campus will remain in a secure location until they are picked up," an email from district spokesman Ryan Kendall said. "We know this early dismissal is inconvenient, and we appreciate your support." Hadley Hitson covers children's health, education and welfare for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to the Advertiser. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Pike Road High School students dismissed early following lockdown People from all across the area gathered in Pittsburgh to celebrate their love for pickleball. The Gamma Pickleball Classic is run by Gamma Sports, a Pittsburgh-based sporting goods manufacturer. Games began on Friday and lasted until Sunday. Proceeds from the event were given to the Parkinsons Foundation of Western PA. Organizers said more than 1,000 people traveled to the city to participate. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: BIG WINNER: $5 million-winning scratch-off lottery ticket sold locally 2 men facing charges after fatal shooting in Homestead, police chase that ended in West Mifflin Tiki boat captain, family aboard help save woman from river in Pittsburgh VIDEO: 3 houses damaged in Plum Borough explosion will be torn down, county officials say DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Preparing for an emergency on Pittsburghs Three Rivers: its not an easy task, but it was an all-hands-on-deck effort Tuesday morning with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Black Hawk helicopters from the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, known as PA-HART. PHOTOS: Black Hawk helicopters participate in exercise over Pittsburgh It was an action-packed morning at Point State Park as dozens of Pittsburghers stopped what they were doing to take in a sight like nothing else: Black Hawk helicopters, hovering above the water, all part of a mock water rescue. Theyve been working at this for weeks, if not months, said Jake Weiland, park manager for Point State Park. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Channel 11 was there as multiple PA-HART choppers flew between Brunot Island and Downtown Pittsburgh, with rescuers repelling down from the choppers and into the rivers to save their trained victims. Along the rivers, specifically the Allegheny and the Ohio rivers, its a safe place to practice and certainly one that may come into play at some point, Weiland said. Its great to see them doing the preparation in case there really is an emergency, said Joseph Duchene of the Strip District, who was there watching for hours. Its just amazing to see in person. Weiland described PA-HART as a disciplined team, committed to working with first responders from all over to state to help people in a time of desperate need, often evacuating people who are stranded. Natural disasters, floodingsituations that individuals wouldnt be able to get out of themselves, Weiland said. It makes me nervous just seeing them. I cant imagine participating. But it really gives you a feeling of security, I think, knowing theyd be able to handle it, Duchene said. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: BIG WINNER: $5 million-winning scratch-off lottery ticket sold locally 2 lucky lottery winners split $135,995 prize; 1 ticket sold at local gas station Chris Peluso, Broadway actor with roles in Mamma Mia!, Wicked, dead at 40 VIDEO: Bloomfields Little Italy Days sees record-breaking attendance during its 22nd celebration DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Flight crew smelled smoke coming from the bathroom on a flight from Turkey to Leeds, UK, in 2021. After landing, UK Border Force officers arrested the 51-year-old suspect and searched his bag. They found brass knuckles and a stun gun disguised as a lighter, a prosecutor said in court last week. A 51-year-old man smuggling weapons into the UK in 2021 was caught after lighting up a cigarette in an airplane lavatory, a prosecutor said in court last week, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post. On the flight from Turkey to Leeds, England, on October 12, 2021, the flight crew smelled smoke coming from the bathroom and suspected the passenger, Arshad Khan, of smoking a cigarette. When they confronted Khan, he denied it and became "more and more aggressive," prosecutor Harry Crowson told Leeds Crown Court. After the plane landed at Leeds Bradford Airport, UK Border Force officers arrested Khan and searched his luggage, finding brass knuckles and a stun gun that looked like it was just a lighter, the Post reported. The outlet said Khan initially told officials he had no comment and then later claimed someone had planted the weapons. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Khan, who had prior convictions, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and an offensive weapon. Judge Robin Mairs sentenced Khan to one month in prison but said he had already served some time and would likely be released sooner, the Post reported. The judge told Khan in court that while he may have gone to Turkey for a vacation, his actions meant "police were called to meet you on the runway." Khan could not immediately be reached for comment. The Leeds Bradford Airport did not respond to Insider's request for comment. In May of this year, another passenger was also hauled off a flight in the UK after being caught smoking in the bathroom. Flight attendants on a Ryanair flight from Spain to Manchester, England, smelled smoke coming from the toilet around 20 minutes after takeoff, a passenger told the Manchester Evening News. The passenger said the flight crew then "named and shamed" the passenger to everyone on board. Video showed police escorting the man off of the plane after it landed. Read the original article on Business Insider The minds of students returning to Plum Borough School District are heavy after a house explosion killed six people in their community. In response, school officials have announced a strategy to support them as they head back to classes. PHOTOS: House leveled in explosion in Plum Borough; several other homes damaged The district announced a postvention strategy plans to respect the unique needs of the school community and to identify those most at risk to connect students with the resources they need. We will continue to support those grieving the loss of their classmate, and the community members who died in this tragic event, the district said on their website. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The district said research says a return to school and normal routines will be beneficial to the students. They will also be referring students to social workers and school counselors if they need them. RELATED COVERAGE: Plum House Explosion: Victim who survived initial blast made phone call for help Students and families will have access to resources online. They can use the were here to help section that was added to the school website. The website includes information that helps identify and understand symptoms that are common after a critical incident. There is also information available that informs students on how to cope with traumatic events and how to build resilience. Students have access to information that tells them the best ways to take care of themselves during stressful times. Oftentimes post-traumatic stress will occur in the days, weeks, and months following the event. Please take good care of yourself and your family members, the school district said on its website. Plum students will return to classes on Wednesday. A GoFundMe account has been set up for victims: Victims of Plum Home Explosion. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: BIG WINNER: $5 million-winning scratch-off lottery ticket sold locally 2 men facing charges after fatal shooting in Homestead, police chase that ended in West Mifflin Tiki boat captain, family aboard help save woman from river in Pittsburgh VIDEO: 3 houses damaged in Plum Borough explosion will be torn down, county officials say DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts WASHINGTON The U.S. State Department has cleared a sale of 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters worth about $12 billion to Poland, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced Aug. 21. The decision comes after the Polish Defence Ministry sent a letter of request to the U.S. government nearly a year ago to buy the Boeing-made helicopters for its armed forces. The helicopters will first be deployed to the 18th Mechanized Division. Not all of them, but the first units. This is because the 18th Division will be equipped with the Abrams tanks. These helicopters work great with Abrams tank[s], Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Baszczak said in a statement released by the ministry at the time. Together, they constitute an enormous force, a force of resistance ... we want to use them to deter our opponent. Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to Polish leaders doubling down on plans to strengthen the countrys defenses against a potential attack. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Poland in April signed a deal worth about $4.75 billion to buy 250 M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 tanks from the U.S. and a subsequent deal for an unspecified amount of additional tanks in January worth $1.4 billion. Pending congressional approval, the sale of Apache helicopters would also include 210 T700-701D engines; 97 AN/ASQ-170 modernized target acquisition and designation sights and AN/AAR-11 modernized pilot night vision sensors (otherwise known as M-TADS/PNVS); as well as fire control radars and common missile warning systems. The sale would also cover 1,844 Hellfire missiles and 96 training missiles; 460 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles; 508 Stinger 92K Block I missiles; and 7,650 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II guidance sections. The Apaches would come with manned-unmanned teaming unmanned aerial system receivers and ground kits. Boeing will supply the Apache helicopters, which it will produce in Mesa, Arizona. Lockheed Martin in Orlando, Florida, will provide major systems such as the M-TADS/PNVS as well as Hellfire weapons and Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles. Poland has requested offsets, the DSCA announcement states, which will be defined in negotiations between the country and the contractors. Poland's Armed Forces Day is a national holiday that is observed annually on August 15. It celebrates the nation's 1920 victory over the Soviet Union in the Battle of Warsaw during the Polish-Soviet War. The holiday features military reviews, showcases and ceremonies across the country, but especially in Warsaw. Although Armed Forces Day was banned under Soviet rule from 1947 to 1992, the holiday was revived. In 2023, Poland celebrated with its largest Armed Forces Day Parade since the Cold War . AHS Krab self-propelled howitzers on parade (Poland MOD) Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has been one of Ukraine's most prominent and outspoken supporters. Constantly calling for increased military aid to Kyiv and a more aggressive response to Russia, Poland has made it clear that it is no friend of Russia. Additionally, the posturing of Wagner mercenary fighters in neighboring Belarus heightened military alertness in Warsaw. After all, Poland is the only NATO country that borders Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. In response to Russian aggression in Ukraine and Wagner activity in Belarus, Poland put on a display of military might for its 2023 Armed Forces Day Parade. Polish President Andrzej Duda delivers Armed Forces Day remarks (Poland MOD) Thousands of Polish and NATO troops participated in the Warsaw parade through the city center. Two hundred defense vehicles, including tanks and armored vehicles rolled through the streets while helicopters and fighter jets, including F-16 Fighting Falcons which Poland is eager to supply to Ukraine, soared overhead. On the ground, American military hardware already in use in Ukraine like M1 Abrams main battle tanks, HIMARS self-propelled rocket artillery and Patriot missile air defense systems were on full display. U.S. Air Force F-35s join a Polish Air Force F-16 for Armed Forces Day (Poland MOD) Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine , European countries increased their defense spending and military modernizations; arguably none as aggressively as Poland. The country's government, led by the Law and Justice party, spent over $16 billion on tanks, fighter jets and missile systems in the past two years. In 2023, the government vowed to double the size of the nation's military, with 4% of Poland's economic output spent on defense. The Armed Forces Day Parade was a demonstration of the country's capabilities and a promise of what is to come. Oswegos move to tap into Lake Michigan water with a connection through the DuPage Water Commission has cleared a key hurdle, village officials said. The village announced in a news release that it has recently received its Lake Michigan water allocation permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources which allows the project to move on to the next steps. Advertisement Were excited to receive the permit to access Lake Michigan water from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman said. The village received authorization Aug. 10 to begin receiving Lake Michigan water in 2027, Oswego Public Works Director Jennifer Hughes said in a report to trustees. Advertisement Oswego, Yorkville and Montgomery decided in mid-December 2021 to change from relying on well water to Lake Michigan water. The Illinois State Water Survey has used projections showing the region could run out of ground water from the aquifer it uses in the next 20 to 40 years. Oswego had to meet several criteria for permission to access Lake Michigan water including evidence that the aquifer it uses is no longer able to meet the communitys needs and that other water source alternatives are not as viable, according to the release. The village is partnering with Yorkville and Montgomery to share the cost of bringing in Lake Michigan water to the three towns. Oswegos share is currently estimated at approximately $73 million. The permit approval process for Yorkville and Montgomery is pending, officials said. Oswego trustees as a committee of the whole Tuesday will have a discussion about proposed water and sewer rates, which are part of the formula to cover the cost of the project. The village has also looked to federal grants to help fund a portion of the project. In addition, the village with voter approval via a referendum in 2022 established a real estate transfer tax to generate revenue to help offset some of the cost of the Lake Michigan water connection. Hughes said she will provide an overview to trustees on Tuesday of the rates necessary to support the connection to Lake Michigan water plus pay for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the existing water and sewer systems. The board Tuesday will be asked to provide input on several areas, including when to begin implementing water and sewer rate increases, how to scale increases and steps to minimize the impact on seniors and low-income residents. Advertisement Suffice it to say that connection to the DuPage Water Commission, along with increases associated with routine maintenance of our water and sewer systems, will require the village to raise rates, Hughes said in a report trustees. Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. A journalists seemingly routine public records search sparked unprecedented law enforcement raids on a Kansas newspaper office and the publisher's home, court papers revealed. The search of the Marion County Record's offices was based on a police chief's stated belief that one its reporters committed identify theft by accessing the driver records of a restaurant owner, according to court documents released by the paper's attorney, Bernie Rhodes. Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody wrote in affidavits supporting raids on the papers newsroom, its publisher Eric Meyers home and City Council member Ruth Herbels residence, "Downloading the document involved either impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought." A day after the Aug. 11 raid, Meyers 98-year-old mother, Record co-owner Joan Meyer, died, and he blamed her death on stress caused by the police incursion. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The paper has said that the raid was unjustified and that its reporter Phyllis Zorn simply found restaurant owner Kari Newell's driver's record by routinely using the state Revenue Department's online search engine. The search engine makes any motorist's history available to anyone by simply providing the search target's first and last names, date of birth and driver's license number. "The motor vehicle driver's checker is public-facing and free-use," Revenue Department spokesperson Zach Denney said Monday. "If you have my [identifying] information, you can pull it [motor records] out." The newspaper said it had received a tip that Newel was convicted of a DUI in 2008 and wanted to know whether that spot on her driving record could preclude her from having a liquor license. The paper even asked police about the unsolicited information a claim confirmed by Cody's affidavits. Herbel, who was also a target of a raid, received the same unsolicited information about Newells DUI. The raid infuriated press freedom watchdogs, who claimed that it was a blatant violation of constitutional rights. And last week, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said police had insufficient evidence to justify their raids and asked for seized property to be returned. There's no conceivable way the paper could be guilty of identity theft by accessing a public database, said Washburn University Law School Dean Jeffrey Jackson, an expert in constitutional law. And even if the paper committed wrongdoing to get Newell's date of birth and driver's license number, police were wrong to use their most aggressive and intrusive tool, Jackson said. "Just having that information is not an issue," Jackson said Monday. "And even if they [the newspaper], for some reason, had that information [by illegal means], the way to get at that information would be by subpoena." The newspaper, even after it confirmed Newell's DUI through driving records, did not initially reveal it. The DUI was reported by the newspaper only when Newell revealed it at a City Council meeting as she publicly accused the newspaper of having used illegal means to get the information. "My client did not break the law in using a public website and typing in information she had received," Rhodes said in statement Monday. "There is no theory that receiving information could be a criminal act. That is what the Supreme Court said when it ruled that the New York Times and the Washington Post could publish the Pentagon Papers." Ensey, the county attorney, and Cody could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Jeffrey Thomas was out on E. Franklin Street Sunday night getting ready to catch a bus to work when he heard the shots erupt up the block. Thomas saw a group of people frantically running toward him. He said he ran in the direction of the gunfire, worried a friend or family member may have been caught in the chaos, and he found three men on the sidewalk in front of a market bleeding from their legs. "It was bad," he said. "It was really bad." On Monday, Minneapolis police said they were still searching for suspects responsible for the barrage of gunfire just before 6 p.m. Sunday that wounded eight people six of them teenagers near the corner of E. Franklin Street and S. Chicago Avenue. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The violent episode marks the second mass shooting in a week and a half in Minneapolis, following two gunmen shooting up a DIY punk venue called Nudieland on Aug. 11. Transit police nearby reported hearing "the sound of automatic gunfire," Minneapolis police said in a statement Monday. At least 41 shell casings from three various calibers were recovered near S. Elliot and Franklin avenues, according to police, among them a .223 commonly used in high-powered guns such as the AR-15. The wounded included a 45-year-old woman and seven males: one 15, three 16, one 17, one 18 and one 48. Some of the gunfire hit a house at the corner of Elliot and Franklin, but no one inside was hurt, said Police Chief Brian O'Hara on the scene Sunday night. O'Hara said two male suspects ran north on Elliot Avenue after the shooting. Police did not have any indication that the shooting was random, and he described the block as a hot spot. "As in all investigations," said a statement from police Monday, "all possible motives will be considered by investigators." 'So many rounds' Kayseh Magan, who is running in the City Council's Sixth Ward, said he and his uncle heard the gunfire as they drove through the intersection, sending them ducking in their car and speeding away as the shots continued to ring out. "It was so many rounds in quick succession," Magan said. "You could look at the rearview and see all these people running toward you away from the gunfire." After the shooting stopped, several people nearby ran to help the wounded. Shane Gross said they loaded the three injured men into his car and his sister drove them to the hospital. Gross, who said he was born down the street from where the shooting took place and now lives in Duluth, said many in this area don't trust police. He said the city isn't investing in community resources for young people, and that's exacerbating violence like this in the neighborhood. Ventura Village, the part of the Phillips neighborhood where the shooting took place, is among Minneapolis communities that experienced significant increases in reported gunfire since 2020 compared to pre-pandemic years, with a Star Tribune analysis showing the bulk of those occurring in the half-mile radius of Chicago and Franklin. And as reported gunfire decreased by about 30% citywide this year, change in Ventura Village has been slower as gunshot volume stays roughly the same as in 2022. That half-mile radius of Chicago and Franklin has also seen at least 17 murders since 2019, including the shooting death of of 26-year-old Ali A. Reed in June. Cary Stegal, who lives a block away, said he wasn't home during the shooting, but he returned around 7 p.m. to find police squads swarming. When he first moved here 20 years ago, Stegal said, the neighborhood seemed to be getting better everyday. But he saw it begin to "deteriorate" shortly before the pandemic and then murder of George Floyd and unrest. "All the disruption has just made it worse," he said. Most of what he sees is low-level crime, like drug dealing. "But you just never know when something worse is going to erupt out of that." Anyone with information is encouraged to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips may be submitted electronically at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. All Tips are anonymous, and anyone providing information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward. Police are also continuing their search for two gunmen who shot up a crowd of people at the Nudieland punk music house party in south Minneapolis, killing one and injuring six others about three-fourths of a mile from Sunday's mass shooting. The gunfire in the backyard of the house on the 2200 block of S. 16th Ave. claimed the life of 35-year-old August Golden, a talented songwriter and musician who played in the punk band Scrounger. Star Tribune staff writers Jeff Hargarten and Josie Albertson-Grove contributed to this report. [Source] Police are searching for the suspects who carjacked a vehicle from a 60-year-old Asian man before murdering him in Philadelphias Northern Liberties neighborhood. What happened: The victim, identified as Peter Chan, was reportedly waiting for his wife in a parked 2023 Toyota Highlander SUV when two men on a motorcycle pulled up to his vehicle on 3rd and Cambridge Sts. just before 10 p.m. on Thursday. The suspects reportedly pulled Chan out of his new car and beat him up. One of the suspects was able to drive away in the SUV, while the other took off on the motorcycle. Chans death: According to investigators, Chan was semi-conscious and bleeding from the head when police found him on the ground at the scene, where witnesses tried to render aid. The 60-year-old was immediately rushed to Jefferson Hospital, where he died less than an hour later. 2/2 LISTEN: The 60 year old Asian man described by detectives as small,frail, thin, lightweight. Tried to fight off two males with masks on,who drove up on dirt bike where man was in his suv waiting for his wife. They left him beaten&bleeding from front&back of head in street. pic.twitter.com/CpocBXYgeY More from NextShark: 2 remaining shooters behind murder of toddler Jasper Wu get enhancement charges dropped Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) August 18, 2023 Investigation: Police were able to track the stolen vehicle to Camden, New Jersey, where they found it abandoned in the back of a property. However, they are still searching for the suspects. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More from NextShark: Protest erupts against Alameda DA over looming plea deal with suspects in toddlers shooting Camden police are going to hold that vehicle and guard that for prints and DNA, so hopefully, we can get some fingerprints or DNA to help us identify the perpetrator, said Chief Inspector Scott Small, according to 6ABC. Increasing carjackings: The Chinatown community is mourning the death of Chan, who was described as a hardworking and honest man who was loved by family and friends. According to community leaders, Chan moved to the U.S. around 30 years ago. He is the most recent victim in the increasing number of carjackings in the last four years in the 26th district, where the incident occurred. In the past 12 months, there have reportedly been 1,027 carjackings citywide. More from NextShark: Chinese vessel accused of looting WWII British warship wrecks detained in Malaysia Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Philadelphia police. More from NextShark: Three fugitives wanted for stealing $500,000 worth of valuables at New York coin show A Kikis Chicken Place food truck was robbed Sunday evening in south Sacramento, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said. The truck was robbed in the area of Stockton Boulevard and Lindale Drive at 6:15 p.m. by at least one man, said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office. The man, identified by the Sheriffs Office as a 24-year-old gang member, fled across Stockton Boulevard on foot with some cash. Deputies searched they found the suspect in a shopping center near 65th Street. Witnesses reported to deputies that the suspect had been robbed by a group of two or three males, the Sheriffs Office said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Deputies arrested the man suspected of robbing the food truck and booked him into the Sacramento County Main Jail. He is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail. Deputies could not identify the other individuals involved, nor could they locate the stolen money, the Sheriffs Office said. The suspect is expected to be arraigned Tuesday. Andrii Smyrnov, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, believes that ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should be considered after winning the war against Russia. Source: Smyrnov on the sidelines of the International Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine international conference, reports European Pravda with reference to Interfax-Ukraine Details: Smyrnov noted that he would not choose to raise the issue of ratification of the Rome Statute at this point. Quote: "Because someone has planted this fear that if the Rome Statute is ratified, our servicemen may be subjected to criminal prosecution by the International Criminal Court not in us, but amongst many in our military." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement At the same time, Smyrnov pointed out that in fact the ICC can prosecute citizens of Ukraine without ratifying the Rome Statute, since Ukraine gave the court the right to investigate crimes on its territory. Quote: "Now it is necessary to approach the ratification of the Rome Statute carefully, clearly answering several questions: why do it now, during the war, without appropriate explanatory work among the soldiers, that ratification wont bring anything new for them. The second question is why should Ukraine do it." Details: Smyrnov also referred to the fact that some countries, such as the United States, did not ratify the Rome Statute at all. "I believe that the issue of studying the feasibility of ratifying the Rome Statute should be postponed for a while, for after the victory of Ukraine," he concluded. A total of 123 states are parties to the Rome Statute. China, India, Belarus, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, among others, have not signed or ratified it. Russia, like the United States, signed the Rome Statute, but subsequently withdrew its signature. Background: Ukraine is also not a party to the Rome Statute, the international agreement on the basis of which the International Criminal Court was established and operates. However, Ukraine gave the International Criminal Court the right to investigate crimes on its territory. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is warning Spokane-area businesses that his office will be watching for price increases on essential goods and services as two large fires are burning in Spokane County. A state of emergency was declared by Spokane County and by Gov. Jay Inslee on Saturday amid the Grays and Oregon Road fires. Ferguson wants to ensure that people affected by wildfires are not being taken advantage of by businesses looking to make a profit from their misfortune. This includes shelter for Washingtonians who have lost their homes, and water, groceries, and medical supplies, said Ferguson. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He is also asking residents to be on the lookout for price gouging and to report it to his office, along with a screenshot or photo. While Washington has no law regarding price gouging, trying to exploit a natural disaster and harming consumers can be dealt with under the Consumer Protection Act. Violations of Washingtons Consumer Protection Act carry a maximum civil penalty of $7,500 per violation. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." If you dont already know everything about Priscilla Presley, get ready because Sofia Coppolas new movie, Priscilla, is scheduled to hit theaters on October 27. But increased interest in Presleys fascinating life has been going on for a minute nowespecially given her dramatic court dispute with granddaughter Riley Keough regarding her late ex-husband Elvis Presleys estate. Presley and Keough reached a settlement that made Keough the sole trustee of the estate and owner of Graceland earlier this month. Now that everythings finalized, lets look at Presleys total net worthwhich, much like Austin Butlers Elvis voice, is impressive and long-lasting. Divorce Settlement with Elvis Getty Images Priscilla and Elvis were married for five years. According to Celebrity Net Worth, when they divorced in 1973, she received a one-time payment of $725,000. On top of that, Priscilla was granted spousal support, child support, 5 percent of Elvis royalties, and half the money from the sale of their house. For what its worth, Priscilla and Elvis remained close friends following the split. Priscillas Own Ventures Shop Now Elvis and Me amazon.com $8.99 On top of producing a ton of movies, Presley started a fragrance line, as well as a line of clothing and skincare products, in the late 1990s. Her perfumes seem to be available on Amazonor at least available for resale. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She also sat on the Board of Directors of MGM and has several acting credits under her beltincluding a long running stint on Dallas as Jenna Wade Krebbs. After five seasons, she left the show and went on to star in three Naked Gun movies. In 1985, Presley published a best-selling book about her life with Elvis, aptly titled Elvis and Me, which serves as the basis for Coppolas new film. Elvis (Very Complicated) Estate Presleys net worth is slightly complicated following the untimely death of her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who inherited Elvis estate. The family went through some drama regarding an amendment to Lisa Maries will delegating ownership of Graceland and Elvis intellectual property rights, which The Hollywood Reporter noted may generate future revenue for her heirs in the form of postmortem book deals and movies. Getty Images Priscillas grandchildrenKeough and her half-sisters, Harper and Finley Lockwoodinherited Graceland from their mother following her death in January. But later that month, Presley filed a petition to challenge her daughters will. The situation was reportedly very messy, but the good news? In May 2023, Presley and Keough reached a settlement, and a source told Us Weekly that Riley and Priscilla are at peace in their relationship after the very stressful ordeal over Lisa Maries trust and estate. So what did said settlement consist of? According to The New York Times, Presley received a lump-sum payment of $1 million, plus an additional $400,000 to cover her legal fees. On top of that, she was retained as a special adviser to the trust and will be paid an undisclosed annual amount for 10 years, or until her death. Oh, and Presley secured herself a Graceland burial, nearby her ex, daughter, and late grandson Benjamin Keough. Presley recently shared a photo of her grandchildren on Instagram, making it clear theyre on good terms: Priscillas Personal Real Estate Presley reportedly sold her parents home for $3.6 million in 2019 and, just one year later, sold her Beverly Hills home for $13 million. She still calls Los Angeles home though. She bought and moved into a $4.8 million penthouse in Century City. What Is Priscilla Presleys Total Net Worth? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Priscilla Presley has a total net worth of $50 million. So yeah, shes doing just fine. Anddepending on what kind of deal she cut with Coppola over the rights to her life storythat number could definitely increase. You Might Also Like An artists sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Lucy Letby being questioned by her defence lawyer Ben Myers in the dock at Manchester Crown Court - Elizabeth Cook/PA Five years have passed since Lucy Letby was first arrested at her home in Chester. Police banged on the door at 6am on a July morning in 2018, leading the killer nurse away in handcuffs as her father looked on. Letby was remanded in custody after her third arrest in November 2020 and has been locked up ever since, spending a total of 1,012 days in four different prisons. Due to the heinous nature of her crimes Letby was found guilty of murdering seven newborns and attempting to murder six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016 she will spend the rest of her life behind bars. Unlike other prisoners serving life sentences, however, Letby is has been given a whole life order making her only the fourth female defendant in British history to have no hope of parole. She joins the ranks of Rose West, serial killer Joanna Dennehy and the late Moors murderer Myra Hindley, all notorious for their depraved, remorseless acts. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Whole life orders, explains Tom Nicholson, a leading criminal barrister at Two Harcourt Buildings, are extremely rare, especially among women. While an ordinary life sentence comes with a minimum term the prisoner must serve before they can be considered for release, a whole life order is different, he said. It means that they will never be released or considered for release, by order of the court. Gender is not part of sentencing policy, but its inevitable that there is an inherent bias in the system. There will be judgements made around risk and mitigating factors, which may benefit female criminals more than male. It means that very few women have received this sort of order. According to Ministry of Justice statistics, there are currently around 70 whole-life prisoners in this country, among them Milly Dowler killer Levi Bellfield, Michael Adebolajo, the man who murdered British soldier Lee Rigby, Mark Bridger, who abducted and murdered five-year-old April Jones, and Wayne Couzens, the ex-police officer who kidnapped, raped and killed Sarah Everard in 2021. Rose West is serving a whole life sentence - PA The sentence the most severe punishment under English criminal law was introduced in 1983 as a way of condemning exceptionally severe crimes by defendants over the age of 21. While prisoners sentenced to life serve an average of 16.5 years in prison, whole-lifers do not have any prospect of release as their case is not subject to periodic review by the Parole Board. Life, in this instance, really does mean life. So what makes the Letby case suitable for such a stringent order? There are, after all, plenty of female criminals including Beverley Allitt, a former nurse dubbed The Angel of Death whose case is strikingly similar to Letbys who are serving ordinary life sentences, and will, one day, most likely be set free. Mr Nicholson explained: Most whole-life prisoners are murderers or multiple murderers. Not only that, but their crimes have extreme aggravating circumstances, such as those involving children or sexual offences, murders of police officers or murders linked with terrorism. Its purely punitive. The offence is so bad that rehabilitation isnt deemed possible. The rest of your life is forfeit; its all about punishment for committing such a terrible crime. Inside Lucy Letby prison By ensuring Letby spends the rest of her life in prison, the court is also making a judgement based on risk: if she were to be released in 16 years, aged 49, there is a chance she might re-offend. But others arent so certain its the right punishment for such a young offender. The question of whether prison is even the best place for her, let alone for the rest of her natural life, has got to be asked, said Yvonne Jewkes, professor of criminology at the University of Bath. Weve become a more punitive nation since the likes of Beverley Allitt [who received 13 life sentences but not a whole life order for murdering infants under her care at a Lincolnshire hospital in 1991 and, having served 30 years, is now eligible for parole]. According to the Prison Reform Trust, the public believes that sentences are still too lenient, despite their lengths increasing over the last 25 years, meaning Letby will likely be treated more harshly than someone who committed those crimes a decade ago. Beverley Allitt, a former nurse dubbed 'The Angel of Death' whose case is strikingly similar to Letbys - David Giles/PA Wire Indeed, sentencing data shows that 36 whole-life orders over half those currently in force have been issued since 2013, indicating their use is on the rise. Letby is expected to start her sentence at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, where shes already served time, the largest womens prison in Europe and home to some of Britains most sadistic killers. Dennehy and West both spent time there before being transferred, and current inmates include Shauna Hoare, who killed teenager Becky Watts in 2015, and al-Qaeda fanatic Roshonara Choudhry, who stabbed Labour MP Stephen Timms in 2010. Bronzefield, which holds over 550 prisoners, made headlines three years ago amid reports inmates were being offered New Age-style activities including yoga, Pilates, tai chi and meditation at a new holistic wellness centre opened inside the maximum-security institution. But Mark Leech, a prisons expert, ex-offender and editor of The Prison Oracle website, said Letbys life will be far from comfortable. Shell be whats known as a restricted status prisoner: the female equivalent of Category A, he explained. Shell be on suicide watch and it will be some time before she gets to mingle with the main prison population at least six months. Lucy Letby Initially, he explained, Letby will be kept in the hospital wing of the prison to assess her mental and physical health, as well as her safety from other prisoners before being moved to a cell on her own. Her life for much of the next few years is going to be a lonely one. Shell associate mostly with prison officers, her key worker in the prison and one or two cleaners but much of that interaction will be through the hatch in her cell door. She wont be able to do much, other than read newspapers or books and watch TV. Shell get one hour of exercise by herself each day. She will be able to phone her family and receive visits from them, but the police will have to vet them first. Britains worst child murderers before Lucy Letby Though Letbys parents, Susan and John, attended every day of her nine-month trial at Manchester Crown Court, HMP Bronzefield is 212 miles almost a four-hour drive from the family home in Chester, making regular visits difficult. Prof Jewkes said the main focus for the next few years will be Letbys safety. She may well have a price on her head. At best, shell be subjected to extreme bullying and intimidation. At worst, she might be in quite considerable physical danger. Every time shes taken out of her cell she will have to be accompanied by several prison officers. As well as everything else, thats an extremely costly undertaking. Eventually, she said, like West, who has over time been allowed to participate in reading groups, baking competitions and given freedom of movement around the grounds of HMP New Hall, West Yorkshire, Letby will be permitted some leisure time. Moors murderer Myra Hindley - Corbis/Getty At first, shell get a lot of psychological help and psychiatric treatment. It will be a while before she participates in group activities. But they will need to find ways to keep her busy she might do an Open University degree, or an art therapy course, and she might be given certain small privileges, like access to a computer. Mr Leech says Letby is unlikely to make friends in prison. There will almost certainly be people who want to get close to her, but for all the wrong reasons, he added. Any relationship she does build is going nowhere, as every other prisoner in there will be released, at some point or another. This can be difficult mentally, as it compounds the sense of isolation. As for the future, he predicted it will be 20 years before shes moved to a low-security prison. Whole life orders may, like any other sentence, be overturned on appeal, but this has only happened in a handful of cases and is highly unlikely in Letbys. They may also be reversed on exceptional compassionate grounds, but, to date, these have never been found. Shes got to come to terms with the gravity of what shes done, why she did it, and the devastation shes caused to the lives of others, said Mr Leech. But shes got the rest of her life to do that. Shes going nowhere: she will die behind bars. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Rose West, left, was moved to Low Newton where Lucy Letby, right, served her remand Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life behind bars alongside some of Britains most notorious serial killers and violent offenders. HMP Bronzefield and HMP Low Newton are considered to be the most likely prisons in which Letby will serve her sentence. The 33-year-old former neonatal nurse who murdered seven children and tried to kill six more, was given a rare whole life order on Monday. HMP Bronzefield, built on the site of a residential school for orphans in Surrey, is a high security prison for 527 Category A female inmates, one of only two such prisons in the country. Among those held at the privately-run prison are Sharon Carr, also known as The Devils Daughter, who at the age of just 12 murdered 18-year-old Katie Rackliff after picking her out at random as she walked home from a nightclub in Camberley in June 1992; and Rizlaine Boular, who was sentenced in 2018 to a minimum of 16 years imprisonment for her part in an Isil-inspired suicide plot to mount a bomb and gun attack on the British Museum. HMP Bronzefield Since its opening in June 2004, Bronzefield has laboured under a reputation for an allegedly lax regime, high staff turnover and poor industrial relations. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There was criticism of the prisons facilities for pregnant mothers when a new-born baby died after the unnamed 18-year-old mother gave birth alone in her cell without medical supervision or help in October 2019. The prison, run by Sodexo Justice Services, has a 12-bed mother and baby unit, accommodating children up to 18 months old and in 2012 became the first prison in the UK to have its own branch of the Womens Institute. The branch is for members of staff and for inmates who are taking part in resettlement programmes ahead of their release. HMP Bronzefield offers full-time education courses including art, English as a foreign language and information technology. There are also workshops in cleaning science and arts and crafts. At Low Newton, in Brasside, Co Durham, Letby would be housed alongside Joanna Dennehy, also serving a whole life order for the killing of three men. The prison is located next door to the so-called Monster Mansion of HMP Frankland, which holds Soham murderer Ian Huntley as well as Wayne Couzens and Levi Bellfield. The third female prisoner currently serving a whole life order, Rose West, was moved to Low Newton from HMP Bronzefield where Letby had been serving her time on remand after prisoners were found to be plotting to attack her with pool balls. West is now at HM New Hall, Flockton, in Yorkshire, after being convicted in 1995 of ten murders. The jail, which was opened in 1965, has also housed Britains youngest female murderer Sharon Carr, as well as Baby Ps mother Tracey Connelly. Low Newton Low Newton a maximum security jail and young offender institution is considered a leader in changing the behaviour of dangerous female offenders. It is home to the Primrose Project, designed to treat women with dangerous and severe personality disorders the only womens prison in the UK with such a unit. The service has 12 places for female offenders who are at a high risk of harm in England and Wales but can only accommodate one restricted-status woman at a time. Entry criteria include a current offence of violence against the person, presenting a high risk of committing another serious offence, and likely to have a severe form of personality disorder. An Independent Monitoring Board report, published in 2021, found that lessons and workshops had been axed due to problems with a leaking roof, while an entire block was due for demolition after failing health and safety checks. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. China, Iran to support each other on core interests: Chinese FM Xinhua) 08:34, August 21, 2023 BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to continue to work with Iran to firmly support each other on issues concerning core interests, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Sunday at the latter's request. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi paid a successful state visit to China in February this year, and the two heads of state reached new important consensus on bilateral cooperation, which led China-Iran relations to a new level. The two sides are making every effort to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and pushing forward exchanges and cooperation in various fields, he added. China is also willing to continue to work with Iran to jointly oppose external interference, resist unilateral bullying, defend the sovereignty, security and development interests of the two countries, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international fairness and justice, Wang said. Wang said that after the Iran-Saudi dialogue in Beijing, the two sides have continued to take steps to improve relations, driving a reconciliation wave in the Middle East. China appreciates Iran's correct decision, and will continue to support countries in the Middle East in exploring a development path that suits their own national conditions, strengthening communication and dialogue, adhering to unity and self-improvement, and realizing good-neighborliness and friendship, Wang said. Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran attaches great importance to the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China, and looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges with China, deepening cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and strengthening coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs. The Iranian foreign minister also expressed sincere gratitude to China for the constructive role it played in promoting the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The two sides exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue. Amir-Abdollahian briefed Wang on the latest progress in contacts with all parties. Only by resuming the full and effective implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action can the Iranian nuclear issue be fundamentally resolved, Wang said, adding that China is ready to strengthen coordination with all parties including Iran to push the Iranian nuclear issue in a direction conducive to regional peace and stability. The two sides also exchanged views on BRICS cooperation and other issues of common concern. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) The Homer Elementary School District 33C board met in a special meeting Sunday. After a closed session, the board fired a teacher who had violent messages posted on social media. (Michelle Mullins/Daily Southtown) The Homer Elementary School District 33C board Sunday fired a recently hired elementary school teacher after parents reported seeing disturbing posts on social media that included references to violence. The District 33C meeting room quickly reached its capacity of 69 people and more than 100 people watched the special meeting in an overflow area in the gym. Advertisement After a brief closed session, the board approved the immediate firing of the teacher, who was hired to teach this year on a rotating basis at William J. Butler, William E. Young, Luther J. Schilling and Goodings Grove elementary schools in Homer Glen and Lockport. Parents said the safety of their children was their number one concern after seeing social media posts allegedly made by the teacher depicting Satanism and with messages such as Kill the Poor and Love the Devil Back. Advertisement Some of the posts were as far back as 2014, and parents began sharing screenshots of the images late last week. One message issued profanities directed at police. Another social media post attributed to the teacher talks about struggles with bipolar disorder, stating I have done things in conditions of psychosis and mania that have been violent and hurtful. More than 100 people sat in the gym to watch Sundays special meeting after the board room, which has a capacity of 69 people, filled up. (Michelle Mullins/Daily Southtown) In a statement, District 33C Board President Elizabeth Hitzeman said while the board cannot comment on the specific staff member, all new teachers undergo background and reference checks. Though extraordinarily rare, there are times that process may not be flawless, Hitzeman said. However, when additional information that is legally relevant to an individuals ability to work safely and successfully in the district does come to our attention, we take the time to consider that information and then take appropriate action. Parents attending the special board meeting said the district dropped the ball with the hiring and wanted accountability. Several parents suggested that anyone involved in the hiring should resign or be fired and also asked board members and the superintendent to step down. Parents also wanted to know what the school district plans to do to keep students safe and what policies would change to avoid questionable hiring decisions in the future. Hiring a teacher with unpredictable behavior for elementary school is neglectful, parent Lilly Miceli said. As elected officials for Homer Glen schools, it is your job to do what is right for our children. That includes doing your due diligence with hiring new teachers and staff members. The technology we have is at our fingertips. This should be caught. Social media is a public forum. If this person is saying and posting this publicly, what will he do behind closed doors with our children? Advertisement Steven Selucky, another parent, said the graphic social media posts are disturbing. This board of education and administration has failed the community in a most egregious way, Selucky said. The safety of our children who we hand off to you for your care has been neglected and overlooked. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, this is at least extreme incompetence and neglect of duty. Selucky said he was concerned for the safety of the students since the teacher has now gained national notoriety and has posted violent messages. You let this threat into our community, the threat is not gone and it will be a dark cloud looming over our hometown for years to come, he said. Nick Kolliniatis, a parent and unsuccessful board candidate in April, said the first day of school should be exciting time for students and families. You ruined that for these families, Kolliniatis said. Instead, you instilled fear and anger. Advertisement Renee Ghenciu said she woke up on the first day of school gob smacked when she saw the graphic images attributed to the teacher. How do I, in good faith, tell my child youre safe, Ghenciu said. How dare you put us in that position. Other parents said there was little communication between the district and families. Sorry does not cover it, Lejla Kappmeyer said. I want to know what safety procedures have you put in place for our children. Safety is the only concern. No politics should ever matter when it comes to safety of your children. Board President Elizabeth Hitzeman, from left, Superintendent Craig Schoppe and board member Debra Martin during Sundays special meeting. (Michelle Mullins/Daily Southtown) Parent Sarah Jones said the community is livid over lack of transparency and said that the district needs better security checks. If he slipped through the cracks, who else did? Jones said. Advertisement Two people Sunday spoke out in favor of the teacher, including a former District 33C student and a grandmother who previously worked in education and in the mental health field. Grandmother Juanita Gay said she was concerned the teacher was being eviscerated in the court of public opinion and spoke out to ensure the firing was fair. At a time when there is a shortage of qualified educators, can we really afford to discourage and cause one more teacher to choose a different career path because they use gender-neutral pronouns or have a different belief system than you or I, Gay said. Respectfully, teachers personal lives are none of anybodys business. District 33C Superintendent Craig Schoppe said he understands parents trust him to ensure a high-quality education and hire the best staff. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > I realize that I may have lost that trust from many of you, but I will work to regain it, Schoppe said. Although the hiring process is not flawless, I will work to review and improve our processes. Schoppe said there will be an increased security presence from the Will County Sheriffs Department and Lockport Police Department, and the schools resource officer will be monitoring district schools. Advertisement It is important that the public hear me say that, at this time, we have no reason to believe that students are in any danger, nor have we received any threat or information that would suggest anything to the contrary, Schoppe said in a statement Monday. Attempts to reach the teacher for comment Monday were not successful. Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said she supports the boards decision, and questioned how the town was put in this situation in the first place. I truly hope you consider a different path when hiring the next teacher and some sort of discipline, if not resignation, for those who made this recent hire, Neitzke-Troike said. I do not believe this hire was with ill intent; however I do believe a ball was dropped. I hope you pick that ball up and think of our children first from now on at all costs. Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Inmate and homicide suspect Michael C. Burham is set to appear at two preliminary hearings on Monday, six weeks after he was captured following his escape from the Warren County Prison. One hearing is for the escape charge and the other is on the kidnapping and related charges that led him to be held at the prison in the first place. Once the hearings are over, much more is scheduled to occur related to Burham as his criminal cases advance in Warren County. Here are the potential developments. Action from Department of Corrections Burham, 34, escaped from the Warren County Prison at about 11:26 p.m. on July 6. Surveillance video showed that he was in the exercise yard, on the top floor of the prison, and got out by climbing on to a pullup machine, climbing on to the roof and using a bedsheets tied together to slide off the roof and on to a portico and then jumping from the portico to the street, in downtown Warren. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He was arrested on July 15 at about 5:50 p.m. near Logan Road in Conewango Township, about 6 miles northwest of the city of Warren. He left Warren County on edge while he was on the run, and his escape generated daily media coverage well beyond northwestern Pennsylvania. Michael C. Burham, 34, was arrested on July 15 after he escaped from the Warren County Prison on July 6. The ordeal led to the involvement of outside agencies. In response to the escape, the Warren County commissioners on July 12 asked the state Department of Corrections to evaluate the 139-bed prison, located next to the county courthouse. The department is to review the prison's operations and policies and procedures. The department is evaluating the prison at no cost to Warren County, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections told the Erie Times-News late last week. She said the department's report is not yet complete. Action from the Attorney General's Office The Pennsylvania State Police led the search for Burham, which included a focus on the Allegheny National Forest near Warren. The state Attorney General's Office is prosecuting him on the escape charge. Warren County District Attorney Robert Greene asked the Attorney General's Office to take over that case because, among other reasons, he is on the Warren County Prison Board, which oversees the facility. Greene also asked the Attorney General's Office to take over the investigation and prosecution of anyone at the prison who might have violated the law related to Burham's escape. A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office told the Erie Times-News late last week that he had no comment, other than that Burham's preliminary hearings are scheduled for Monday. Police in the city of Warren circulated photos of Michael C. Burham after he escaped from the Warren County Prison on July 6. After Burham's capture, Greene said he has seen nothing to indicate staff members participated or were complicit in the escape. But Greene said staff could face criminal charges "if they were negligent in their duties to make sure Burham or other inmates did not escape," according to the Associated Press. Greene commented on July 18, during the Crime Stoppers presentation of a $2,000 reward check to "Tucker the dog" and his owners, Ron and Cindy Ecklund, for their role in the capture of Burham on July 15, according to the AP. The dog barked and alerted the Ecklunds to Burham, who was at the rear of their property. The Ecklunds called 911, leading to Burham's arrest. Action in Warren County in the criminal cases Greene said he will prosecute the non-escape charges against Burham, including kidnapping and burglary. Police said Burham committed those crimes as he was on the run from questioning in a homicide in Jamestown, New York, north of Warren. Police accused Burham of burglarizing the home of a Sheffield, Warren County, couple, 89 and 68 years old, on May 20 and stealing their SUV. The couple was found unhurt in a cemetery in North Charleston, South Carolina, on May 22. The two told police that Burham kidnapped them at gunpoint at their house in Sheffield and forced them to drive to South Carolina with him in their SUV. Michael C. Burham is accused of escaping from the Warren County Prison on July 6 by using bedsheets tied together to rappel from the roof on the west side of the Warren County Courthouse, next to the prison. He went down from the area to the right, with the large windows, authorities said. Two days later, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies arrested Burham without incident northeast of North Charleston in Huger, South Carolina, in the Francis Marion National Forest. Burham was eventually sent to Warren County Prison on June 19 and ordered held on $1 million bond. He escaped less than a month later. Burham faces a total of 26 charges in the kidnapping case. His preliminary hearings in that case and the escape case are on Monday morning before Warren District Judge Raymond Zydonik. The hearings will be at the Warren County Courthouse. Burham has been held at the Erie County Prison since his arrest in the escape from the Warren County Prison. Zydonik revoked Burham's $1 million bond on July 17 because he "escaped the jail for 9 days," according to court records. Police said Burham's last known address was in Ashville, New York, west of Jamestown. Burham also had owned property in Russell, Pennsylvania, north of Warren. Action in Chautauqua County over Jamestown homicide The homicide case connected to Burham originated on May 11 in Jamestown. At about 4:30 a.m., police responded to a report of an unresponsive woman on William Street. The woman, Kala Hodgkin, 34, was found fatally shot. Moments later, police responded to a vehicle set on fire across town, on Fulton Street. The vehicle belonged to Burham's ex-girlfriend. Police said Burham tried to break into her residence before setting the vehicle on fire. Police sought Burham for questioning in the death of Hodgkin and in the fire. Burham has yet to be charged in the homicide. That case will proceed following the prosecution of Burham on the kidnapping and burglary charges in Warren County, the district attorney for Chautauqua County, New York, Jason Schmidt said on June 15. Schmidt commented in light of Burham's capture in South Carolina. He said he had consulted with Greene, the Warren County district attorney, in "letting Pennsylvania go first." Having the prosecution in Warren County proceed before the Chautauqua County cases allows his office to further "develop the evidence" and "delay charging for Kala's murder until we are in the best possible position to proceed with the prosecution," Schmidt said on June 15. "Obviously we are headed in that direction, but we are not there just yet. We will be shortly. The day will come in fairly short order when Mr. Burham will be held to answer for his conduct here in New York." Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Ex-escapee Michael Burham heads to court with some probes still open In 1917, the Metropolitan Museum of Art received a stunning gift: a portrait by the French Neoclassical master Jacques-Louis David . The 1801 painting, titled Marie Josephine Charlotte du Val dOgnes after its subject, depicts a woman hunched over a drawing portfolio in a darkened room, looking out at the viewer with a studious gaze. The work came from a collector who paid $200,000 for it, a huge sum at the time. The Met trumpeted the acquisition in a press release, announcing that it would henceforth be known in the art world as the New York David, and indeed the painting was beloved by both audiences and critics. Thirty years later, however, a problem arose. The art historian Charles Sterling discovered that the Mets prized painting had been shown at the official Paris Salon of 1801an exhibition that David had boycotted. This meant he couldnt have made the work. In a museum bulletin, Sterling tentatively reattributed the portrait to a little-known female artist named Constance Charpentier. He justified the change by writing: Meanwhile the notion that our portrait of Mlle Charlotte may have been painted by a woman is, let us confess, an attractive idea. Its poetry, literary rather than plastic, its very evident charms, and its cleverly concealed weaknesses, its ensemble made up from a thousand subtle artifices, all seem to reveal the feminine spirit. Despite the paintings supposedly feminine spirit, the Met continued to display it with Davids name on the frame for another 30 yearsthat is, until the 1970s, when the second-wave feminist movement took up the cause of the works misattribution. Then, in 1995, a scholar named Margaret Oppenheimer made a new discovery: The portrait was by a different little-known female artist, Marie Denise Villers. The Met accepted the assignation, but it is difficult to imagine historians praising a work to the same degree (or museums paying a similar price tag) had they known the author was a woman from the start, writes Katy Hessel in her book The Story of Art Without Men. And to this day, we still dont know much about Villers or du Val dOgnes. This tale is one of many maddening and instructive anecdotes in The Story of Art Without Men. The book is a feminist credo and a response to E.H. Gombrichs The Story of Art, a more than 600-page bible of art history that discusses only a single woman artist. Hessel, who studied art history as an undergrad at University College London, set out to write a corrective to the male-dominated canon shed been taught, by flipping the script: Her book builds a sweeping narrative by focusing solely on female and a handful of gender-nonconforming artists. It feels important to remove the clamor of men in order to listen carefully to the significance of other artists to our cultural histories, she writes. Of course, men do come up as fathers, teachers, lovers, and competitors, but they remain on the periphery. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This is an important correction, although not, it should be noted, a new one. Hessels particular version is tinged with the boosterism of girlboss feminism, which is perhaps not surprising for a book born out of an Instagram account, @thegreatwomenartists, also created by Hessel. Neatly packaged products like these answer loud, ongoing calls for more cultural representation. Yet they also run the risk of oversimplifying their subjects, grouping wildly disparate practitioners from different times and places under the bare header of womenor in this case, not men. Its one thing to be seen; its another to have the freedom to make yourself understood. Theres no doubt that, on some level, a book like The Story of Art Without Men is needed. Despite the increased visibility of female artists in exhibitions and other institutional programming, data on auctions and museum acquisitions shows that we remain a long way from parity. Art by men, particularly white men, still dominates collections and commands the highest prices. And despite the vigorous corrective efforts of the second-wave feminist movement of the 1970s, theres still the problem of time. Men have been writing history for much longer than 50 years. This is one of the telling lessons that emerges from Hessels book. As she moves across periods in art history and breaks them down into movements and media, she repeatedly finds tales of women who were successful in their times, only to be written out of history and forgotten, then recovered much later. One of the clearest examples is that of the Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, who was an international celebrity in her day. The daughter of a successful artist, and the only female follower of Caravaggio, Gentileschi painted big, dramatic renderings of scenes from the Bible and mythology, which were popular at the time. She worked on the same scale as men and adopted Caravaggios hallmarks of realistic figures and chiaroscuro, an accentuated contrast of light and shadow, but took a different approach by focusing on the women at the center of many of these stories. In Gentileschis art, the women are not passive symbols, as men so often portrayed them, but active, psychologically charged subjects, like the Judith who furrows her brow as she grips the head of Holofernes and cuts it off. The first woman to be admitted to Florences Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, Gentileschi also became known for her keen self-portraits, depicting herself in various guises, including as the allegory of painting. Her incredible and unusual success as a womanthe Medici family were among her patronshelped fuel demand for images of her. But, Hessel notes, when the Baroque age fell out of fashion in the mid-eighteenth century, her work was quietly forgotten, mostly left out of scholarship written by men. It wasnt until the 1970s and 80s that her work was championed again, primarily by feminist scholars like Linda Nochlin and Ann Sutherland Harris, who included Gentileschi in their landmark exhibition Women Artists: 15501950, and Mary Garrard, who wrote the first monograph on her. In their catalog, Nochlin and Harris call Gentileschi the first woman in the history of western art to make a significant and undeniably important contribution to the art of her time, for her furthering of Caravaggios ideas and her protofeminist lens. The recuperation of Gentileschi also brought a renewed focus on her early life: As a young woman, she was raped by Agostino Tassi, a painter and colleague of her father. After Tassi refused to marry her, her father sued him over the dishonor he brought on their family. The trial lasted seven months, throughout which time Gentileschi was tortured with a device made of ropes that were tied and tightened around her fingers, to prove that she was telling the truth. Tassi was found guilty and sentenced to exile, but the sentence was never enforced. This story and the extant trial transcripts have captured the modern imagination: In recent decades, Gentileschi has become something of a symbol, her painted protagonists often viewed as self-expressions of fear and revenge (her rendering of Judith beheading Holofernes was widely shared on social media after the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh). But scholars today are starting to disentangle her art from her life and emphasize her technical abilities, as well as her remarkable independence and business savvy. In 2020, she was the subject of the National Gallery in Londons first (in 196 years!) major show dedicated to a woman artist, confirming her celebrity status once more. Like Gentileschi, many of the pre-1900 women artists we know about today had artist fathers, or they came from the upper classconditions that helped them overcome the strict patriarchal limitations of society. But their reputations suffered far more than those of their male peers in the long run. Rosa Bonheur, for example, was a hugely successful realist painter of animals: Her 16-foot-long The Horse Fair (185255) is a painting so vivid, so lifelike, that when witnessed in the flesh, you can almost hear the hooves galloping across the earthly floor, Hessel writes. After debuting at the Paris Salon, the work went on tour in England, where Queen Victoria requested a private viewing. Bonheur was trailblazing in multiple ways: She wore mens clothing; had relationships with women; and was the first woman to receive the French Legion of Honor. But after Impressionism firmly displaced realism, it wasnt until the late twentieth century and the publication of a landmark essay by Nochlin that Bonheur was partially recuperated. The situation wasnt much better for women who, rather than working in popular styles, helped pioneer new ones. Rococo artist Rosalba Carriera turned pastels into a beloved medium for the aristocratic and ruling classes in early-eighteenth-century France and Austria, but was later neglected. The Victorian botanist Anna Atkins made cyanotypes of algae that were groundbreaking both scientifically and aestheticallyshe self-published the first book ever illustrated with photographs; yet Atkins only recently received her due for the achievement, which was eclipsed by William Henry Fox Talbot, a photography pioneer who published his own book eight months later (and from whom she learned about photographic processes). No wonder Hilma af Klint only showed her conventional paintings during her lifetime, stipulating that her abstract, spiritualist art not be seen for at least 20 years after her death in 1944; in 201819, her solo show broke attendance records at the Guggenheim. Many of the careers and lives that Hessel traces ended early or abruptly. The French Impressionist Marie Bracquemond lived to be 75 but stopped making art by the time she was 50, because her domineering and demanding husband, in Hessels words, so detested her expressive style that he withdrew all emotional and financial support. The German Expressionist Paula Modersohn-Becker died at 31, from complications of childbirth, after leaving and then returning to her husband. The queer couple Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, both Surrealist writers and artists, were condemned to death for their resistance in Nazi-occupied Jersey, in the Channel Islands; though they were liberated before the sentence could be carried out, they never recovered mentally, Hessel writes. Its impossible to read these stories without feeling haunted by the accumulated what-ifs, all the art that wasnt but could have been. As Hessels narrative progresses through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, the injustices take a different shape. There are more cases, for instance, of men copying works by women and being given the credit. Consider the tale of Selma Burke, who in 1943 won a contest to sculpt a bronze relief of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After he died in 1945, John Sinnock, the chief engraver of the U.S. Mint, made a portrait of Roosevelt for the dime that recalls Burkes sculpture. Outraged at the similarity, she demanded the FBI investigate this case, Hessel writes. Unsurprisingly, they did not, and Sinnock never credited her. Yet modernity and postmodernity also brought a proliferation of voices, including womens. Certain societal restrictionslike European rules that kept women out of life-drawing classes until the end of the nineteenth centurywere lifted, and rigid gender and racial hierarchies began to loosen. The results were more artists, more possibilities, more work, more media, and more firsts. One of the books most prominent themes is the way women and queer practitioners have expanded the boundaries of art by placing themselves in it. The British painter Glucks Medallion (YouWe) (1936) is a double portrait of the artist and their lover that Hessel identifies as one of the first visibly Sapphic statements in Western art. The Gees Bend Quiltmakers of Boykin, Alabama, turned the fabric leftovers of their lives into practical quilts with dazzling geometric designs. Performance artists like Marina Abramovic and Ana Mendieta turned their bodies into raw material for their work. Self-Portrait by Judith Leyster (1630) National Gallery of Art These artists use of themselves goes beyond simple representation. They didnt just create self-reflections; they claimed space through formal innovations and transformed commonly held understandings of what art was and could be. At its best, Hessels book makes clear how the story of art would not be the rich, eclectic, challenging one we know today if it had been reserved solely for men. But who are we talking about when we say menor women, for that matter? The failure to consider this question in depth saddles The Story of Art Without Men with a specious premise: that there is a single category of woman, within which everyone has some common experience of gender and its attendant oppressions. As numerous scholars and thinkers have explicated, that notion is too simple. In a capitalist, racist, imperialist state there is no one social status women share as a collective group, bell hooks wrote in her 1981 book, Aint I a Woman. Whether youre Black, trans, disabled, queer, or straight, the way you move through and interact with the world is shaped by more than just your womanhood. Hessel does acknowledge this by including a range of artistsof different races and ethnicities, those who were self-taught, and those who worked in often disregarded media like pottery or quilting. But her constant focus on gender, which begins as a rallying cry, ends up having a kind of homogenizing effect. The bold women of Pop fought back against the male-dominated movement from a distinctly female perspective (whatever that might be). Eva Hesses playful reliefs with soft, curving forms not only subverted the angular nature of Minimalism but ... were no doubt made as a way to push through the perceived limitations of her gender. Shirin Neshats series of confrontational photographs of Muslim women wearing hijabs facilitates our understanding of the societal perceptions and expectations of women (in Neshats case, Muslim women in Western and non-Western countries). Bharti Khers surreal sculptures of warrior women and goddesses challenge the dominance of Eurocentric, male-led art. None of these assertions is necessarily untrue, but with so little space devoted to each artist, they all begin to sound the same. In fact, there are real and thorny differences among the artists included here and the conditions under which they labored. Take for example, the white artist Marie-Guillemine Benoist, whose 1800 painting of a Black woman Hessel features. The work originally bore the generic title Portrait dune negresse, until the sitter was identified in 2019 as Madeleine, a servant brought by Benoists brother-in-law to Paris from the Antilles. Made during an interlude when France abolished slavery, the painting reflects a painful irony: In the words of the scholar Denise Murrell, whom Hessel cites, Although the model is portrayed as emblematic of liberty, she can be assumed to have had little or no ability to influence the manner of her portrayal. Both painter and subject are women, but with vastly different means and access to self-expression. And notably, beyond the discussion of Madeleines portrait, Hessel gives almost no consideration to race in this period. It doesnt help that Hessels later efforts at inclusion often feel clumsy, like shes trying to shoehorn outsiders into a master Western narrative. For example, Hessel begins her chapter on the nineteenth century by discussing European Realist painters, before asking if women are only able to achieve greatness when they emulate successful men. She uses the inquiry to segue into artists working on smaller scales, and some in alternative media, from the traditional establishmentbut whose tradition and whose establishment? The next subsection jumps to quilting in the United States, followed by brief interludes on the Hopi-Tewa potter Nampeyo, the Native and African American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, and the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Oi. From there the story resumes in England. The overall effect for the reader is jumbled, as if weve taken a detour but are now back on track. For the most part, the artists from outside the United States or Europe who are included are those who have been sanctioned by the West. Hessel includes the Aboriginal Australian artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye in the 1990s chapter, for instance, because thats around when she began making acrylic paintings that became widely popular. Yet Kame Kngwarreye, who died in 1996, had created ceremonial paintings and batiks for years before then. Part of the problem lies in the structure of the book: Hessel is attempting to subvert the canon while also relying on it as a guide. It would be unfair to expect her to solve all the problems of feminist art history in one book, and I dont. But I daresay that attempting to re-create Gombrichs famously sexist text under the guise of inclusivity is not the best way to address arts gender problems. There are better ways to write feminist art history: Monographs and single-artist studies create their own issues of valorization, but they can provide much more context. Biographies of specific groups, like Mary Gabriels Ninth Street Women, can be both more holistic and more complex. Landmark essays, like Linda Nochlins Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? from 1971 and Lorraine OGradys Olympias Maid from 199294, rigorously grapple with specific art historical problems. The truth is that men, women, and nonbinary people have almost always worked alongside and in conversation with one another. And if we must have more reference texts, why not make them genuinely integrated? The truth is that men, women, and nonbinary people have almost always worked alongside and in conversation with one another, whether Judith Leyster and Frans Hals during the Dutch Golden Age or Lee Krasner and her husband, Jackson Pollock, during the postwar years of Abstract Expressionism. I want stories of art that grapple with the problems of patriarchy but see beyond them, too. At its best, a book like Hessels might serve as a primera starting point from which to find out more about some of the women she includes. But in that case, the least I ask is accuracy, and Im not entirely sure that it delivers. A big red flag came for me when, in the 1990s chapter, I read that Republican Senator Jesse Helms decried Robert Mapplethorpes explicit homosexual photographs and in response defunded the National Endowment for the Arts. This is wrong; Helms was a major player in the culture wars of the 80s and 90s in the United States, but he did not defund the NEA. That error sent me searching through the book, wondering about small things that had been nagging at me. Ultimately, I landed back at the beginning, at the opening anecdote thats become a bit of lore in media coverage of Hessel: In October 2015, I walked into an art fair and realized that, out of the thousands of artworks before me, not a single one was by a woman. That sentence had bothered me since I first read it. I didnt understand how one could walk into an art fair and just ... realize that none of the thousands of artworks on view was by a woman. It would take a lot of research and reporting to confirm such a hunch. So, I did my own research. A Harpers Bazaar piece identifies the fair as Frieze Masters, but several articlesincluding another one in Harpers Bazaarmention artwork by women on view there in 2015. Who is mistaken, me or Hessel? This uncertainty concerns me because Im a journalistI think that getting the facts right matters. But it also bothers me because this supposedly sexist fair is Hessels entire feminist art history origin story. She goes on to write in the books introduction: The night of the art fair I couldnt sleep. Frustrated and angry about what Id just witnessed, I typed the words women artists into Instagram. Nothing happened. And so, @thegreatwomenartists ... was born. To me, this reads like a parable about going on a well-intentioned but often self-congratulatory crusade. The thing is, just because youve discovered a problem doesnt mean its new. And just because no ones solved it yet doesnt mean you have the solution. This article originally was published by St. Louis Public Radio, a BND content partner. St. Clair County and its various taxing districts will be some of the biggest recipients of a new state reimbursement pilot program that aims to replace property tax revenue, according to an Illinois Department of Revenue report. In 2015, Illinois quit collecting property taxes from disabled veterans. To make up for lost revenue, taxing districts compensated by raising rates on other taxpayers, to the dismay of many. In some cases, local taxing districts like cities, schools, libraries and fire departments lose out on property tax dollars because they reach a state limit, according to the Department of Revenue. In 2021, for example, St. Clair County taxing districts lost more than a combined $272 million. The reimbursement, passed in this years state budget, includes $15 million for various taxing bodies across the state over the next 5 years. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Theres a disproportionate effect on local property tax values as a result of this exemption, said Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, a lead sponsor of the budget item. We dont, in any way, want to take away that property tax exemption. However, we need to have an obligation, as a state, to make sure that taxing districts that this affects are, in some way, made whole. In St. Clair County, the equalized assessment value, the dollar amount on which taxes are based, eroded more than 20% from 2010 to 2021, according to the Department of Revenue. Mascoutah School District 19 and OFallon District 90 had the worst erosion of their equalized assessment value because of their proximity to Scott Air Force Base and number of disabled veterans who live in the area. Its one of those tough things, said David Deets, the new superintendent at Mascoutah. We love our relationship with Scott Air Force Base and our military families. We thank them for all they do. But I do think this act had some unintended consequences. Deets joined the district earlier this summer. While he wasnt at the district when disabled veterans became exempt, he said the accounting books speak for themselves. Mascoutah has lost more than $12 million since 2015. Carrie Hruby, OFallon District 90s superintendent, said the elementary and middle school district missed out on $2.5 million in revenue last year because the district had nearly 1,500 exempt parcels of land. Thats direct dollars that come into our budget, and allow us to hire teachers, reduce class sizes, offer special programs, purchase curriculum and all of those things that were able to do for kids, Hruby said. To combat this, the reimbursement program, which is just a pilot program, will start next fiscal year by replacing 45% of what each district lost two years prior. Each year after, the districts will get 90% of the previous two years until the 2028 fiscal year. Illinois State Representative Jay Hoffman said a property tax exemption for Illinois disabled veterans had an unintended by disproportionate impact on communities with near proximity to Scott Air Force Base. Were very hopeful that its going to be very well received that its going to be something that legislators still continue to fund and place in the budget, Hruby said. Looking forward, Deets said he doesnt have any new projects planned for the state money. Rather, he hopes to offset the higher cost some of Mascoutah taxpayers have been paying on debts like the districts bonds. Deets and Hrubys districts are not alone. In St. Clair, a number of other school districts, fire departments, library systems and park districts felt the brunt of the exemption. In total, there were 4,708 exempt parcels of land in the county last year. Madison County taxpayers were also not spared. The Village of Alhambra, population 622 in the northeast corner of Madison, had the highest percentage of property tax erosion at 7.4% in the neighboring county. Four other counties in the northern part of the state Rock Island, Lake, Will and DuPage will also see portions of the state reimbursement money because of their proximity to military installations. Because this program is just a pilot, Hoffman said hes hopeful state lawmakers in Springfield will continue funding something similar in the future. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, also hopes a similar provision can make it into the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act, a series of bills passed each year that control the budget of the U.S. Department of Defense. Duckworths provision includes $80 million for what federal lawmakers call impact aid that would help offset impacts for school districts near Dept. of Defense facilities, according to her office. A number of school districts in the area, like Mascoutah and OFallon, currently utilize the federal program. For Illinois school districts with large populations of students living on military bases, this funding will be critical in ensuring our schools, teachers and students have the resources needed and budget shortfalls are addressed, Duckworths office said. The $80 million passed in the Senates version of this years NDAA. It did not pass in the Houses version, however. The two legislative bodies will need to pass the same version for the NDAA to become law. At 17, you can join the Army National Guard, enlisting to respond to emergencies and disasters, step in during times of unrest and answer the call to defend this country. You cannot, however, open your own bank account. This barrier is well-meaning, enabling parents to teach their children financial responsibility before gaining complete control over their money. But in instances where both parties are living with debt, as is sadly the case for many recruits, this dynamic instead enables what amounts to theft and prolongs a cycle of poor financial decisions among an already vulnerable population. Its not uncommon for new recruits to open a joint account, only to return from basic training to find their account has been drained. Many of them will end up with a negative credit score before they are even old enough to vote. The predatory lenders that flock to military bases only make matters worse, offering 0% down and sky-high interest rates. According to a 2020 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report, A sizeable fraction of young enlisted servicemembers go delinquent on debt payments or have severe derogatories (for example, defaults) appear on their credit record around the time they leave active duty. Hear more Tennessee voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Seven years ago, the Tennessee National Guard contacted me to help find a solution. Many recruits couldnt open accounts and were failing background checks when applying for military roles, like military police, that require them. Prior to joining the United States Coast Guard 24 years ago, I studied education, so combining these passions led to my role in helping create a solution to this problem. For young people of any background, managing finances can be an overwhelming prospect. When I joined the military, I was given the opportunity to learn the business of banking, and it is my mission to show recruits they too can be in control of and achieve their financial goals. Kelley Crecelius If a recruit does not have a bank account prior to enlisting, I will help them. I am essentially their personal banker. I help them set up sole-owner accounts when they are eligible to prevent family members or significant others from accessing their military direct deposit without permission. I show them how if they put their National Guard salary into an account and let it grow, they can retire at 40. They have my cellphone number and contact me at all hours with questions and concerns, and I welcome them. I travel to bases, lead classes and sit down one on one with these young men and women. I proudly serve as the financial counselor they need, today and throughout their career. I do this because, as servicemembers, they earn it. They enlist for an opportunity to serve others while bettering themselves. Im honored to have the opportunity to work alongside my peers and provide the financial guidance and support we all deserve. This extends to our veteran community as well. As a community partner committed to supporting our neighbors, Wilson Bank & Trust hosts financial literacy classes in partnership with Operation Stand Down, the Middle Tennessee Military Affairs Council, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and first responder groups, among others. Through these programs, Wilson Bank & Trust recognizes more is needed to support our militarys financial well-being. Free checking is not enough. They need personalized guidance, a brick-and-mortar resource and financial tools that help them overcome the challenges unique to them and set them up for success. And thats exactly what they have created. Its called the HERO program and I am proud to be a part of it. Kelley Crecelius is associate vice president, Business Development/Group Banking at Wilson Bank & Trust. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Opinion: Program serves those who serve through financial education In the 2003 book, Reinventing Dance in the 1960s, Solomons who began dancing at age 4 expressed that he constantly felt a burning itch to perform and make dances. The dancing world has lost a legendary figure in Gus Solomons Jr., who died of sudden heart failure on Aug. 11 at 84. After several months of deteriorating health, the pioneering dancer, choreographer, educator and critic passed away at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in Manhattan, Robert Gerber, Solomons friend and health proxy, confirmed, according to The New York Times. Solomons was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Aug. 27, 1938. While he began dancing when he was 4, his formal training began while a freshman at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received an architecture degree. Choreographer Gus Solomons Jr. died Aug. 11 at 84. He was the first Black dancer with the Merce Cunningham Company. Above is the pioneering performer in October 2013 at the Bessie Awards at New Yorks Apollo Theater. (Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images) In Sally Banes 2003 book, Reinventing Dance in the 1960s, Solomons expressed that he constantly felt a burning itch to perform and make dances. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His lifelong friend and former Solomons Company/Dance member Douglas Nielsen called Solomons a major trunk to our dance family tree, comparing his choreography steps to a crossword puzzle. He drew stick-figure drawings on graph paper for us to decipher, never knowing if there would be a sound score, Neilson shared in an interview, according to The Times. One time at Larry Richardsons Dance Gallery, he played Jimi Hendrix super loud as the audience entered, and then shut it off as we proceeded to dance in silence for an hour. Solomons lengthy career landed him roles with several companies and choreographers, including Merce Cunningham and Martha Graham. His entry into the Cunningham group as the first Black dancer set a precedent for three other Black dancers over the companys nearly 60-year history, all men. Solomons expressed his enjoyment about taking Cunninghams courses in an interview for the YouTube series Mondays With Merce, but said he never aspired to be in the company because I didnt look like anybody in that company. Standing at a towering 63, Solomons was referring to both his height and his race. Still, from 1965 to 1968, while a Merce Cunningham Dance Company member, Solomons originated roles in several significant Cunningham pieces, including Variations V, How to Pass, Kick, Fall and Run, Scramble, RainForest, and Walkaround Time. He departed after a back ailment that made it difficult for him to jump. Solomons recovered and returned to the dance scene, putting real effort into choreography. He launched the Solomons Company/Dance in 1972, creating more than 150 pieces. Choreographer Donald Byrd said performing with Solomons group was a wonderful experience. My dances experimented with game rules to create accidental juxtapositions and unpredictable images, Solomons wrote in Reinventing Dance, according to The Times. Solomons relocated to New York in 1961 to perform in the Donald McKayle-choreographed Broadway production Kicks & Co., which closed in Chicago after only four preview performances. He continued his studies and received a scholarship to study modern dance at the Martha Graham School and ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School. He was a founding member of the Judson Dance Theater collective. In 1996, Solomons collaborated with Carmen de Lavallade and Dudley Williams to create the performance ensemble Paradigm, which showcased seasoned dance artists. Gus presence in that white space of New York experimental dance was really important, Byrd said, The Times reported. And it made it all right for me to want to explore that way as a choreographer. And I think that was probably true for other people as well. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Prolific Black choreographer Gus Solomons Jr. dies after sudden heart failure appeared first on TheGrio. A proposed 27-unit apartment complex opposed by neighbors on Samuels Avenue is going back in front of the Fort Worth City Council. The council on Tuesday will consider whether to approve a zoning change for the project at 521 Samuels Ave., just north of downtown. The project has been delayed by a lawsuit filed by a nearby condominium association. Fort Worth based developer Brewer & Hale LLC proposed to build four stories of apartments with an amenity deck, fire pit, planters and dining areas, according to city documents. The lands original zoning allowed for only eight units on the 0.28-acre parcel, so the company applied for rezoning in November 2021. The council approved it, but District 9 council member Elizabeth Beck criticized the developer for not reaching out to her office before the meeting. Beck wasnt the only one left out of the loop, according to court documents. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Members of the Villa De Leon Condominium Association sued the city in June, arguing it had violated Texas law by not notifying individual condo owners of the proposed zoning change. The Villa De Leon building is just south of the site. The city initially denied the allegations but admitted in a follow up filing it had failed to notify all affected property owners about the zoning change. A Tarrant County court granted a temporary injunction, which reversed the plot to the previous zoning pending a hearing on Jan. 8, 2024. The sticking point is the amount of parking on the site. Members of the condo association have a problem with the building having only 21 parking spots for 27 apartments. Some of the residents may not have cars and should be able to live in the area without needing one, Brewer & Hale co-owner Taylor Hale argued at the Aug. 9 zoning commission meeting. Still, the developer offered to build a 17-space parking lot at 519 N. Nichols St., about a quarter mile from the proposed complex. The additional parking didnt seem to sway condo association member David Balunda. If you guys want to grab your groceries and walk 12-blocks to get to your apartment, lots of luck, Balunda said at the hearing. Adding more parking to the building itself would be cost prohibitive, Hale told the zoning commission. The council will vote on the rezoning at its 10 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 22. This embedded content is not available in your region. A longtime confidant of then-Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan was captured on a federal wiretap in 2018 saying he and one of the speakers top private attorneys worked to block the selection of former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey as the next U.S. attorney in Chicago. The politically charged comment came during a July 5, 2018, conversation between Michael McClain and Tim Mapes, who had recently been ousted as Madigans chief of staff in the midst of a sexual harassment scandal that was engulfing Springfield. On the call, which was played for the jury in Mapes perjury trial Monday, McClain told Mapes that hed strongly disagreed with Madigans appointment of Hickey to investigate and address the alleged mistreatment of women in the legislature. Hickey had previously served as executive inspector general under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. I did everything, Adam Vaught and I did everything we can to get (Hickey) nixed as the next U.S. attorney, McClain said on the call, which was secretly recorded by the FBI. Vaught was one of Madigans go-to attorneys and is married to Heather Wier Vaught, who also served as counsel to the speaker. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement McClain said he was all but certain that Hickeys findings would be bad for Madigan and could cost him the speakership. What is our game plan if Maggie Hickeys recommendation is Mike Madigan should be fired? McClain said on the call. This is the perfect opportunity for them to tube him .... I think its gonna be a real close call. Hes gonna have to use all of his, uh, instincts and all of his street smarts to save himself. McClain continued: That was a stupid, stupid appointment. Hickey was considered a finalist to replace U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon, who resigned in 2017 after President Donald Trump took over the White House. The job ultimately went to John Lausch. Hickey could not be reached for comment Monday. Vaught, reached by telephone Monday night, said: I dont know what Mr. McClain is talking about on that call. I wasnt trying to stop Maggie Hickey, Vaught said. Her name was on the list I was told went to the White House. Vaught said McClain reached out to him because he said the Trump White House had asked for recommendations for U.S. attorney. As far as I know, Maggie Hickeys name was on a list forwarded to the White House by Mr. McClain, Vaught said. I contacted nobody involved with the appointment process. I spoke with nobody other than Mr. McClain who had anything to do with the appointment. Shortly after the call was played for the jury, prosecutors rested their case against Mapes, who is accused of lying to a federal grand jury investigating Madigan in a sweeping bribery conspiracy case. Over eight days of testimony, prosecutors presented 15 witnesses and dozens of wiretapped phone conversations, emails and other documents in an effort to prove that Mapes was lying when he said he was unaware that McClain was doing sensitive assignments for the speaker even after McClains retirement from lobbying in 2016. The prosecutions case has also included the audio of Mapes entire grand jury testimony, offering a rare glimpse into a secretive process and illuminating how big-time political corruption investigations play out behind the scenes. Mapes, 68, of Springfield, is charged with perjury and attempted obstruction of justice, accused in an indictment of lying in answers to seven questions during his appearance before the grand jury investigating Madigan and his vaunted political operation. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction count, while the perjury charges carry up to five years behind bars. Mapes, who served for more than 25 years as Madigans chief of staff as well as stints as executive director of the state Democratic Party and the clerk of the House, has denied making any false statements. His attorneys have argued that he did his level best to provide truthful answers. They also accused prosecutors of asking open-ended questions and failing to provide Mapes with any corroborating materials that might refresh his recollection of years-old conversations. The defense has said its case will last only about a day or two and will include an expert witness who will testify on the faults of human memory. They have also said they want to call Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu, who conducted the questioning of Mapes at the grand jury, as well as possibly Mapes wife and a former employee. Mapes, meanwhile, has not said whether he will testify, though its considered a long shot given his previous track record and the general risks involved. Prosecutors have objected to the defense calling former FBI supervisor Ted McNamara, who participated in interviews of McClain as part of a separate investigation. While the interviews have been mentioned in previous court filings, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur revealed for the first time Monday that McClain was interviewed by the FBI in 2013, 2014 and 2016 about his connections with a real estate developer who had hired Madigans law firm, which specializes in property tax appeals. McClain was questioned about emails and other documents in which he made reference to our Friend when communicating with the real estate developer, MacArthur said. McClain first told the FBI our Friend was not the speaker, but in later interviews said it was indeed Madigan, but that hed hidden that from the developer. McClains use of our Friend to describe Madigan came up frequently in the recent ComEd Four bribery trial, which ended in the conviction of McClain and three others in a scheme by Commonwealth Edison to funnel payments to Madigan cronies in exchange for the speakers assistance with the utilitys legislative agenda. The defense wants to use McNamaras testimony to show that the FBI didnt trust what McClain was saying, and therefore Mapes and the jury shouldnt either. U.S. District Judge John Kness said hed rule on the issue later, but that he was inclined to bar McNamaras testimony. While the charges against Mapes are fairly straightforward, the trial has been anything but ordinary, especially given the backdrop of the political corruption scandal that roiled Illinois politics and helped end Madigans record, decadeslong run as speaker. A slew of Democratic Springfield insiders lined up to testify for the prosecution, including state Rep. Bob Rita, ex-legislators Lou Lang and Greg Harris, and former top aides to Madigan such as Tom Cullen, Will Cousineau and Craig Willert. In his grand jury testimony, Mapes claimed that he didnt see all that much of McClain after McClain retired from lobbying. I think he was (in Springfield) occasionally, but I dont really know his schedule because he wasnt there much, Mapes testified. From what he had told me when he was going to retire is that he was going to phase out some of his clients through the spring session. And I didnt I never did have another discussion with him about it after that. But the wiretapped conversations played by prosecutors showed Mapes and McClain were in frequent contact up until the time McClain was indicted on bribery conspiracy charges in late 2020. Not only that, the men appeared in the calls to have a great affection for each other. They talked about their families and the declining health of McClains mother. They ate meals together, joked about the perceived shortcomings of certain Madigan staffers, and worried about each others futures. At one point, McClain signed off by telling Mapes he loved him. In the July 2018 call played Monday, Mapes and McClain were critical of then-private attorney Heather Wier Vaught, whom they blamed for recommending Hickeys appointment to the sexual harassment inquiry. It was all Heather, Mapes told McClain. Wier Vaught said in an interview that she reached out to Hickey, at Madigans request, to see if she would be interested in doing the review. Ultimately, Wier Vaught said, the womens caucus recommended her, and Madigan hired her to conduct the full review of the office. McClain mused that we may be saved if Hickey was distracted enough by another appointment aimed at protecting students from sexual violence, though he suspected Rauner had something up his sleeve. But if Rauner slips her 50 or 100 grand ... thatll be her recommendation November 15th, McClain said. Well, it would be all, a huge thing, right? Itll be national news. Itll be all the womens groups. Itll (state Rep.) Kelly Cassidy. Itll be a huge tsunami goin after him. Under criticism for how he handled sexual harassment complaints, Madigan hired Hickey in 2018 to review his office and the Democratic caucus following a series of #MeToo scandals alleging misbehavior of political aides and allies, including the accusations against Mapes, who has denied improper conduct. It turns out McClain was only partially right about the end result. Hickey found in an extensive investigation, released in August 2019, that people across the Capitol repeatedly faced sexual harassment and bullying, and feared retaliation if they spoke out. Hickey also found sufficient evidence to determine that Mapes had made several inappropriate comments to or around a House Democratic staffer. But while the report made waves, the story had already been overtaken by news of the federal criminal probe, including reports in the Tribune that McClains home had been raided earlier that year. In the July 2018 phone call, McClain and Mapes also worried about Cousineaus elevated role in Madigans camp. Hes got an unduly amount of influence over Mike Madigans head right now, McClain said. Mapes quickly confided in McClain: I think Will is the one who told, told him (Madigan) I should go. I dont know that, McClain replied, but I, I- believe it. Im not anti-Will, dont get me wrong, Mapes said. Uh, hes protecting the boss. Now he views that as his mission. That is part of the mission, but you got the other piece. And the boss is not ... hes thinking differently than he wouldve 10 years ago. McClain said that the reaction he got from the Madigan team, including Cousineau, when he brought up concerns about Hickeys investigation was, Oh, I dont think thatll happen. (Madigans) got a good relationship with her. He, he met with her. I said, I think you guys are totally wrong. I mean, shes a Republican, McClain told Mapes. McClain said that when he told the group they should be prepared for Hickey to recommend Madigan be fired, Will Cousineaus face was like, his jaw dropped. In his testimony last week Cousineau teared up when he was asked about Mapes calling with best wishes for his birthday and anniversary. Cousineau also told the jury he believed Mapes generally was honest when they worked together. But he acknowledged during questioning from a prosecutor that he was not in the grand jury room where Mapes allegedly lied multiple times. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com rlong@chicagotribune.com When Alexander Vargas was a senior at Port Orange's Spruce Creek High School in 2021, he spoke at a school board meeting to fight for recognition of LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week. The school board voted against the idea, but the superintendent later decided the week should be acknowledged. Jean Siebenaler moved to Florida following her retirement to bask in the warmth of the Sunshine State. "I finally thought I'd be sitting on the water with an umbrella drink in my hand," she said. The Milton resident, a military veteran and retired physician, now says she wonders if Florida was where she needed to relocate after all. Having been politically active in her home state of Ohio, she finds beach time consumed by "steaming and stewing" over the state of the state and local politics. "It's very upsetting, the direction we see Florida heading," she said. "Every day I wonder why I am living here." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For many, Florida has changed. What was once a proudly purple state has turned an angry red, they say. Gov. Ron DeSantis , with the dedicated backing of a Republican supermajority in the state legislature, is waging war on what he calls "wokeism" a term he has loosely defined as "a form of cultural Marxism." But many people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, non-Christians, teachers, union members, students feel it is a war against themselves, as they face ridicule, discrimination, and, potentially, violence. The NAACP, Equity Florida and the League of United Latin American Citizens each issued travel advisories for Florida. The NAACP advisory states, in part, "Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ individuals." "Under the leadership of Gov. DeSantis, the state has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the Democratic ideals that our union was founded upon," the advisory states. Democrats feel vilified because of affiliation There exist widespread reports of people abandoning the state because they no longer feel welcome here. Following her family's exodus to Pennsylvania in May, former Brevard County resident and Democratic Party activist Stacey Patel told FLORIDA TODAY, "It's like breathing, you know? After holding your breath for a really long time." Nikki Fried, the state's former commissioner of agriculture and current Florida Democratic Party chair, predicted 800,000 immigrants had left the state after DeSantis signed SB 1718 into law. It imposes strict restrictions and penalties to deter the employment of undocumented workers in the state. Democrats also count themselves among the groups feeling persecuted. Patel's family was vilified, she said, for its party affiliation. Siebenaler, who has stepped into the position of legislative chair for the Democratic Women's Club of Florida, attended an early June meeting of the Santa Rosa County Commission to call out Commissioner James Calkins for labeling the Democratic Party as evil. "I took an oath to defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic," she told the governing board. "And I must speak out against the hate speech that is emanating from the Santa Rosa County Commission dais." Calkins has been admonished on several occasions by the public and his peers for his incendiary rhetoric and disruptive behavior. But Siebenaler is not one to typically show up at county board meetings. "It's very, very upsetting. We've lost all sense of sanity, logic and civil discourse. It's so difficult to sit in on meetings because it's such a clown show," Siebenaler said. "People are so dramatic, so theatrical. It makes me just so sad that we have gotten to the point where the average person doesn't want to go to these meetings, where all people do is yell and scream." Teachers are heading for the exit Similarly, according to Lisa Masserio, the president of the teacher's union in Hernando County, a minority segment of that county's school board attached to Moms For Liberty is creating chaos in that area. The school district typically provides at its May 30 meeting an accounting of how many teachers will be leaving the school district that year. This year it was announced that of the 49 people not returning to Hernando County schools next year, 33 had voluntarily tendered their resignations. Masserio estimated the number of resignations had approximately doubled those of the year before and would create "the highest number of vacancies we've had in a long time." "We've seen so many resignations of people who have made the decision 'I don't want to teach here,' " she said. Eighty-three percent of the Hernando County teachers with three years or less experience were among those who resigned, said Dan Scott, a former World History teacher at Springstead High School. Scott, who was in his third year of teaching, was one of "13 or 14" at Springstead alone who chose to pursue another occupation, in large part, "based on the overhead decisions in the government of Florida," he said. "There are a lot of limitations being placed on teachers in regards to how we can communicate with students and what kind of content we're allowed to discuss within the curriculum," he said. "Education has become a very hostile environment from top to bottom." Among the limitations, Scott said, were soon-to-be-imposed sanctions on what text he could use. Among the outrages, a school board member stalking school hallways searching for items that didn't correlate with the curriculum. In other words, Pride flags, Scott said. "Not everyone left for the same reasons I did. For me, I didn't want to teach if I couldn't teach the truth and if I couldn't represent students the way I thought I should," he said. "I let every student be exactly who they wanted to be, whatever religion, whatever they identify as. I tried to give everybody their space. Whenever I couldn't do that any more I realized I didn't need to be in this career." Scott has returned to school himself to embark on the study of technology and cybersecurity, and Siebenaler remains steadfast in her dedication to battle the state's continuing rightward trek. "I'm hoping it's a blip on the historical radar and that I live to see sanity come back," she said. Others around Florida are facing what they view as ostracization by their state government in different ways. These are their stories: 'Fighting with one hand tied behind your back' David Lucas, left, unwittingly became the poster child for urban renewal in the early 1960s when he was a small child. His father, Harold Lucas, at right, was shopping for fishing poles in Sears on Beach Street in Daytona Beach when a man asked if it was OK if he photographed his son. The elder Lucas said OK, not realizing the photographer was a government official involved in the urban renewal program that wound up leveling many homes and businesses in Midtown. David Lucas grew up listening to his 90-year-old father's stories of how cruel the world was to Black people in decades past. While the 60-year-old Lucas has been spared much of what his father's generation endured, he's been getting an unexpected reality check on how some things have yet to improve for minorities. The flurry of bills passed in Tallahassee over the past two years that impact voting, immigration, education, guns and LGBTQ+ people has left his head spinning. "I just don't understand how they can make so many changes so fast," Lucas said. "As a Black man it's alarming because we have so many different fronts we have to fight." The new laws have already impacted Lucas and his wife, who works alongside him at their Jamaican food restaurant in Daytona Beach's Midtown neighborhood. She's from Jamaica, and while she's not a U.S. citizen yet, she's in the United States legally and has a visa. Some of Lucas' friends from Jamaica, other Caribbean islands, Russia and Poland also have visas, but others are undocumented. Several of those friends cleared out of Florida and headed north more than a month ago after a new immigration law left them scared they could be sent back to the countries they chose to leave. "They were people who had lives here," Lucas said. David Lucas and his wife Claudette are shown in front of their restaurant, A Golden Taste of Jamaican Food and Treats, on Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard in Daytona Beach. Lucas is still trying to digest all the new laws passed in Florida the past two years that impact voting, education, immigration, guns and LGBTQ+ people. The new law requires employers with 25 or more workers to use the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify system to confirm employees' eligibility to work in the United States beginning July 1. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information entered by an employer from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm employment eligibility. The new Florida law imposes penalties for those employing undocumented immigrants, and enhances penalties for human smuggling. The statute also prohibits local governments from issuing identification cards to undocumented immigrants, invalidates ID cards issued to undocumented immigrants in other states, and requires hospitals to collect and submit data on the costs of providing health care to undocumented immigrants. Lucas is also bothered by a new law that will allow people to carry concealed weapons without securing a permit, taking a previously required class, or getting fingerprinted. "You'll have a lot of armed heroes," Lucas predicted. "A lot of people don't know how to use a handgun, but they'll have their chest poked out waiting for a reason." Lucas said permitless carry has him personally worried. "Now I don't want to go anywhere there'll be a lot of people," he said. A third of Black men in the United States have felony convictions, which prohibits them from purchasing or possessing a firearm. Lucas is afraid that's going to mean many of them will be left vulnerable as more people than ever will be carrying concealed firearms without a permit. Lucas is also bothered by recent changes in Florida laws that could make it more difficult for some people to vote. "Voting is most important because that's how things are changed," he said. "That's how jobs are created and taken away, laws are created and taken away. If you don't have the strength of voting, then you're basically fighting with one hand tied behind your back." New laws impacting what's taught in Florida classrooms are also not sitting well with Lucas. "I have children now that are in school not learning history the way it happened," he said. It appears to him to be an effort to erase pieces of history "like it doesn't exist." Lucas said some people around his age aren't pushing back on recent changes impacting minorities. "They close their eyes and hope it'll get better," he said. "They say we'll just have to live with it. Younger people aren't going to have it. They have groups trying to fight it." 'Pretty damn depressed' Erin Rothrock of Lakeland is a transgender man. He said the current political atmosphere in Florida makes him depressed and scared. Until recently, Erin Rothrock felt relatively stable and content living in Florida. Rothrock, a veterinarian and a married father of four (with another on the way), was considering buying into a clinic to become a business owner. His wife has a well-established law practice. Their children are enmeshed in their schools and have plenty of friends. But Rothrock, a transgender man, no longer feels secure in Florida, his home since 2009. Emotionally, if I think about it, I get pretty damn depressed, said Rothrock, 39, a Lakeland resident. And I get scared. Rothrock said the climate of acceptance in Florida for LGBTQ+ people, and especially for transgender residents, has dramatically altered. It really feels like it's really changed in the last six months, he said. Before that, it really felt like OK, yeah, there are some conservative people around, but things aren't bad. And now it's just like OK, now we have this environment where these conservative ideas and these conservative people are just making life miserable for people that are living here. He added: I mean, it's really uncomfortable. It's off-putting. It's unwelcoming, and it feels dangerous. Discussions with other transgender people have lately taken on a fraught quality, Rothrock said. So, conversations I've had with a lot of other trans people besides just the usual, Hey, how you doing? How's life? How's school? How's work? How are the kids? its How are you doing? How are you feeling? Have you had any problems? Have you had any trouble getting your meds? Are you going to move? Where are you going? I've heard this place is safe, he said. Rothrock and his family are considering a move out of Florida. He said he knows other transgender people who have already taken that step. I've got a friend in Canada that's begging me to move up, he said. They're offering to assist me. I've got a friend in New York begging me to move up. They're offering to help me. Rothrock said that whats happening in Florida seems to counter the prevailing overall trend in the country. I feel like nationally there's a big push and pull because we know that the general consensus is that most people are OK with gay marriage, support gay marriage, Rothrock said. They support transgender people being able to transition and use the restroom that they fit into. But I feel like there's this real pushback from that conservative base. At this point, I think they've outmaneuvered the progressive side. The push for new laws in Florida and elsewhere targeting medical care and other aspects of life for transgender residents seems a reaction against their increased visibility and acceptance, Rothrock said. I think it's that backlash to the small gains in equality that we've made, he said. You know, we see it time and time again, historically, that whenever minorities get progress and make some advancements, there's always a backlash. After the Civil War, there were these Jim Crow laws because Black people got too much power. Marriage equality (emerged), and now we have these new transgender restrictions and restrictions on what people can do. New guidelines on gender-affirming care are affecting adults and not only minors, Rothrock said. He recently had to scramble to find a new provider for his regular supply of hormone treatment and briefly ran out of medication. I don't do well mentally, my mental state declines, when I'm not on my medication, he said. So I've got a therapist; I talk to her on a regular basis. I do everything I can to mitigate those things. But that's extra mental baggage. 'Fear culture' in the classroom There is no way retired educator Lillian De La Concepcion Martinez would step back into the classroom to do the work she once loved: teach Spanish and Art History to students in Manatee County. Born to Cuban parents in Miami and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Martinez served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Coast Guard in the mid-1970s, and worked as an educator at Manatee County schools from 1989 until she retired in 2020. Im of a different generation, Martinez said. When I showed up to boot camp, my staff sergeant looked at me, because I was this pretty girl, tan, nice clothes and I had this designer luggage with me. Nobody told me I couldnt bring any clothes and I was carrying my suitcase. He gets all us girls together and says, well you girls are going to learn to cuff like a man or grow hair on your chest. Can you imagine that now? Its almost like people are too sensitive nowadays, they take everything personally, she said. Lillian De La Concepcion Martinez But he is glad she never had to experience the fear her former coworkers say they experience as educators today. There is a fear culture in the classroom now, Martinez said. Im glad that I retired when I did, because I dont know that I would want to teach under these circumstances. They did call me a few months back because they wanted to know if I wanted to come back and teach. I said, not no, but hell no. There is no way. Martinez began her career teaching English to migrant students as a tutor in Manatee County, then as a parent social educator. She attended the University of South Florida at night, and when she graduated in 1999 she became a teacher. Her last teaching job was at Lakewood Ranch High Schoo from 2003 until she retired. She loves to teach, and always enjoyed using music and poetry and other outside-the-box strategies to teach her students. I just have a love for the language, for the culture, so I like to get them enthused, Martinez said. I love teaching Spanish 1 because they are fresh, but I really love teaching (Spanish) 4 because I could do so much with them culturally, and with poetry. I think the last couple years (the song) "La Gozadera" was very popular, she said. I played that one for my level one kids like their second day. I gave them a sheet and said write down how many countries that they say in Spanish that you recognize, just to see what they could hear, and they would surprise themselves when they were able to pick out a lot of words. My kids had to memorize Jose Marti poems, she said. I said guys, it will help with your language because of the flow. You cant come up here and just say, Yo soy un hombre sincero, de donde crece la palma. You have to have emotion. Thats what they had to work on and it helped with their fluency. But today, under the watchful eye of parents and politicians, Martinez said she doesn't know how others would perceive many of the books she kept in her classrooms, or the historically accurate lessons she imparted to her students. I had a lot of books in my classroom by Spanish authors, she said. Books that I had read, and they were open and free for kids that wanted to take a book and read it. I did have a lot of multicultural-type books. Biographies on Hispanic people, artists. Frida. Dali. Celia Cruz. Roberto Clemente. And Im hearing that a lot of those books are being pulled now, because they reflect a culture thats different, she said. What is it, that it could stress them out for whatever reason. Like with Celia Cruz, you have to talk about communism. She fled Cuba, and she said as long as Castro was alive she would never set foot in Cuba again. Thats very political. I dont know if I could teach that now. You know? Because thats a political statement. And Celia Cruz is Afro-Cuban, she identified as that. Could we even say that? Martinez questions the future of art history classes, especially after an incident in March when Hope Carrasquilla, a former principal at the Tallahassee Classical School, was forced to resign after teaching sixth-grade students about Michelangelo's "David" and showing photos of the masterpiece sculpture. Somebody complained that it was pornographic, Martinez said. I just rolled my eyes and told a former colleague of mine that is also retired, I said, you wait and see. This is after they banned the AP African Studies program. I said pretty soon, they are going to drop AP art history, because there is nudity in AP art history. She wonders about her lessons about the casta paintings, and how lessons about their historic significance would be perceived today. The paintings were drawn in the 18th century as a way to establish hierarchical scale of races after Spanish colonization of the Americas led to anxiety over racial mixing between Spanish colonizers, indigenous people and African slaves. The casta paintings, its treated like a work of art but its really an anthropological piece, because of what they documented in that artwork, Martinez said. I talked about one, but there were others. Its really about the mixing of the races, and that white European is No. 1 on the hierarchy. I dont know if that would fly right now, she said. I like history, so I used art to teach something about the stuff that was going on, she said. It was never like oh my god, Spaniards were bad, or anything. No. Those are just facts, its just the way it was. We cant change history, all we can do is just not repeat it. "Gut punch after gut punch' Andy Crossfield was in an airport in Lyon, France, last year when a fellow tourist from North Carolina learned that he and his wife, Emily, hailed from Florida. Don't you just love your governor? the woman asked. Crossfield replied, Are you kidding? Crossfield, a Lakeland resident and a self-described liberal Democrat, said the episode in France offered a reminder of his status as an undisputed political minority in Florida. A Georgia native, Crossfield moved to Florida in 1978, during the tenure of Gov. Reubin Askew, the states third-to-last Democratic leader. Crossfield said that he didnt become politically engaged until after his retirement in 1997 from a career as a mutual fund wholesaler. He has since served as president of the Lakeland Democratic Club and an officer with the League of Women Voters of Polk County. Crossfield, 70, said Democrats and Republicans seem to perceive virtually all occurrences through different lenses. He compared the phenomenon to the 2015 internet fad involving a photo of a dress that some perceived as blue and black and others as white and gold. We see instances of an event, and right away we try to figure out, Is that good for my side, or is that bad for me? he said. And this is politics taken to the extreme. Crossfield said the political divide has become personal for him and fellow Democrats. He said his relationship with his brother, who is conservative, has become strained. Everybody's lost friends and neighbors over this, he said. You can't have anything in common when you wish a completely different future for the country. Has Crossfield maintained friendships with any conservative Republicans? I try, he said. They make it difficult. I mean, they're intelligent people, but they want to believe the most ridiculous things. I had a woman tell me that I had a pretty good relationship with, I guess that COVID was a fake. All these people that were dying, (it) was just a lie. And that (former President Donald) Trump had intercepted the virus and had his people manipulate it into something benign. Andy Crossfield, a self-described liberal Democrat living in Lakeland, holds a spark-spitting, windup u0022Trumpzillau0022 toy in his office. Crossfield said it is humbling to be a Democrat in Florida at this point. He is highly critical of the policies promoted by DeSantis and the Legislature. We seem to have Jim Crow 2.0 now, because the attack on voting rights is very frightening, he said, The restrictions that Florida has put on people who just want to register people to vote is outrageous. Crossfield said he now avoids watching the news because he finds Floridas politics so irksome. I think the electorate, the populace, is responsible for this, he said. Life is so hard that they'll take somebody who wants to stick it to somebody they don't like, rather than make my life better. I hate to say that, but that's what it looks like to me. Crossfield lives in Polk County, which has not elected a Democrat to any partisan office in well over a decade. In recent cycles, some Republican legislators and county commissioners have been reelected without opposition. We have a catch-22 that I don't know how to solve, he said. You can't get quality candidates unless you have support from the grassroots. And you can't get grassroots support after gut punch after gut punch results from elections without a quality candidate. I don't know what breaks first. Crossfield empathized with liberal friends who yearn to flee the state. Yeah, there's a lot of people who say, Well, I'm going to leave, he said. Somebody on Facebook posted this thing, saying, Don't leave Florida. Fix it. And I think I responded, Florida is not an old car that would shine with a little TLC. In fact, every time we take it in for repairs, the mechanic is stealing parts off of it. That's where we are. When asked if he has become depressed about Floridas politics, Crossfield found optimism in the performance of Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz, an evangelical Christian and a Republican who has defied some expectations by supporting the removal of a Confederate statue from a downtown park and by not blocking the citys issuance of LGBTQ Pride proclamations. Crossfield said he now concentrates on small, concrete measures to improve the lives of his fellow citizens. For example, he and others in the local chapter of the League of Women Voters are promoting the distribution of gun locks. All we're trying to do is just pick these areas that we can make some good, some change, he said. And yeah, that gives me hope. 'To hell and back because of who they are' Transgender Stetson University student Alexander Vargas wants the same things other people his age do: To finish college, find a career he enjoys, and share his life with friends and family. Some new state laws are making his day-to-day life harder, including one measure that's making it more difficult for him to find a bathroom he can legally use. Alexander Vargas is a 19-year-old college student. His biggest worries should revolve around getting good grades, figuring out what kind of a career he wants after college, and deciding what he wants to do for fun every weekend. Instead the Stetson University psychology major is always reminding himself to steer clear of public men's restrooms so he won't get fined for using bathrooms that align with his gender identity, but not the gender he was assigned at birth. Stetson officials have set him up with a one-person restroom he can use on campus, but once he leaves school property, bathroom access becomes a problem again. He's also adjusting to new state government rules that have made it more complicated for him to get the testosterone his doctor prescribes so he can more fully live as a male. The young transgender man is trying to figure out if he should move to another state where basic day-to-day living wouldn't be such a struggle, and he could escape the worsening anti-LGBTQ+ climate in Florida. "Moving out of Florida is a last resort if things get worse, like if I can't receive my gender-affirming care," Vargas said. "I could move to another state and switch schools. It would be the easiest way to do it." He has both a "Plan B" and a "Plan C," but he hopes he never feels compelled to use either one. Vargas would prefer to stay right where he is. Vargas has a very supportive family he still lives with in eastern Volusia County. His partner and job are in the area. He would love to finish his last two years of college at Stetson as he progresses toward his goal of working with autistic children and using art therapy as a form of communication for the kids when they become nonverbal. "My life is here, and the thought of uprooting it is terrifying," he said. Vargas has been called a freak and he's had slurs hurled his way. He's seen others in Florida subjected to the same things. "I have trans friends who've been to hell and back because of who they are," Vargas said. Two years ago, when he was a senior at Spruce Creek High School, he found the courage to speak out. Vargas attended a school board meeting to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in the wake of a board vote that shot down recognition of LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week. The school superintendent eventually decided the week should be acknowledged. Vargas knows his family and friends have his back, and that empowers him to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. But if things ever do get bad enough for him in Florida, he'll start a new chapter somewhere else. "I'm just waiting for that last straw," he said. Fighting against misinformation and fear Grace Resendez McCaffery, the publisher of the Pensacola-based La Costa Latina Newspaper, a Spanish-language newspaper that covers Northwest Florida and South Alabama, has lived in Florida for 30 years after moving from her hometown of El Paso, Texas. She founded La Costa Latina Newspaper a year after Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004. She saw the need in the region for a Spanish-language publication, and her newspaper has become a hub of information for the Hispanic community in the Panhandle. Since DeSantis signed SB 1718, which targets immigrants who lack a permanent legal status, Resendez McCaffery has worked to fight against misinformation about the new law as well as make the broader community aware of its impact on the Hispanic community. She said it's discouraging to see a law like SB 1718, but is more worried about the state's actions being adopted at the national level. "I don't have plans to leave," Resendez McCaffery said. "I have imagined what would happen if our governor became the president." "If these types of policies became national policies, I think that would be pretty unpleasant," she said. "And I have toyed with the idea that I might have to somewhere (out of country)." Grace Resendez McCaffery, right, and Jessica Rangel, 21, hug as they and other protestors in support of DACA gathered at the corner of Palafox and Garden Streets in Pensacola on Sept. 5, 2017. United States attorney general Jeff Sessions announced the end of the DACA program. In the meantime, Resendez McCaffery sees her mission as getting accurate information out to her community. "My concern is an individual's need right now," she said. "They're hungry, or they need housing, or they need just some support to know that not everybody hates them. Sometimes that's all they want to know. And so, I know that my purpose here is to kind of relay that." Heartbreak and anger In March, Jason DeShazo spoke to a Florida Senate committee while dressed as Momma Ashley Rose, his drag character, in a demure yet colorfully checkered dress with a fluffy blond wig. Do I look like a stripper? the Lakeland resident asked members of the House Judiciary Committee, as they considered a bill intended to curtail drag performances. With the legislative session over and the law taking effect July 1, DeShazo said it is a bleak time for Floridas drag performers and the LGBTQ+ population in general. Its kind of a mix between heartbreaking and anger, right? said DeShazo, 44. You just want to kind of shout it from the rooftops, like, we've got more important things to worry about. We worry about a drag queen reading stories to children when children are having to learn how to do active-shooter training and how to get away from active shooters in schools. And you're telling me that I'm the issue? DeShazo, a gay man, has been performing in drag for more than 20 years. He created Momma Rose Dynasty, a nonprofit that he says has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support LGBTQ-oriented charities. DeShazo specializes in family friendly shows and readings, at which his matronly character serves up affirmation and acceptance for youngsters who are LGBTQ or unsure about their sexuality or gender. Last December, about a dozen men wearing Nazi attire showed up to protest a Lakeland event DeShazo had organized. The demonstrators projected lights onto the venues exterior bearing such messages as Warning: Child grooming in process a claim DeShazo vehemently rejects. An Orlando high school canceled DeShazos appearance in March as Momma Ashley Rose at a long-planned Drag and Donuts after-school event, under pressure from the Florida Department of Education. And then the Legislature passed and DeSantis signed the bill officially titled Protection of Children. Its just something that we never thought we would have to go through again, DeShazo said. This is stuff that our community went through in the 50s, '60s and '70s. It's just kind of a shocker that drag has become such a target not only just drag, but the trans(gender) community, too, is a huge target with what's happening politically right now. Jason DeShazo of Lakeland performs as the drag queen Momma Ashley Rose. He said he is shocked that drag performers have become such a political target in Florida. Since the Nazi incident, DeShazo said he has been forced to spend hundreds of dollars at every event for extra security. He has also bolstered protections at his house in response to death threats. In May, the group Fathers for Freedom urged supporters to accost parents who took children to a tea party brunch in Lakeland staged by DeShazos organization. He said he was relieved that no protesters actually showed up. So, it is a daily fear, he said. I mean, I can honestly tell you that there are times I'm walking through a grocery store and I'm having to look over my shoulder because you never know, right? Especially now that my face as a boy and in drag is out there. DeShazo said he sought legal help to review the new law, and he is confident that his performances do not violate it. His costumes do not feature prosthetic breasts, one of the elements identified in the law as potentially lewd when used in adult live performances. DeShazo said he knows of two drag queens who have already fled Florida and another who is making plans to leave. But he is determined to stay. I have no judgment for anyone that wants to leave because I think everyone has their own reasons and valid reasons, he said. But for me, of course I want to pack up and leave. I don't want to have to sit here and worry about my life and worry about what laws are going to be passed next to dehumanize me. But who's going to stay and fight if we all leave? If everyone who is different, that they're trying to drive out of here, leaves, who's going to be here to stay and fight for the ones that can't leave? 'Who I always was': A 79-year-old transgender woman's journey to acceptance Does DeShazo feel that as a gay man and a drag queen he is no longer welcome in Florida? Politically, 100%, he said. Its been known that we're not welcome here. It's been known that we're not wanted here. But it definitely seems like the people don't necessarily agree; the majority don't agree. The publicity surrounding the taunts by neo-Nazis in December produced an outpouring of solidarity, DeShazo said. I think people are starting to see other people's true colors, like, other people's true discriminations and hate, he said. At the same time, we've had a huge influx of support, right? I would say 90% of the contacts we get are support, are love, are We thank you for what you're doing. Keep fighting; we stand with you. But that 5% to 10% is a lot to weigh you down because that could make a huge difference. More: With Gender affirming care bans peppering American map, Congress enters the conversation USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA journalists Jim Little, Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, Finch Walker, Gary White and Jesus Mendoza contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: DeSantis war on "wokeism" leaves many missing a Florida they once knew The non-appearance of Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit testifies to the isolation of the Russian Federation and the very limited opportunities for the Russian president to move around the world. Source: CNN Details: Putin will not go to the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, which will be held this week, the news platform writes. Putin's non-participation eloquently testifies to the isolation of Russia and the narrowing of the horizons of the Russian leader, CNN states. The news outlet says that Putin used to be a person to be watched. 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(Distributed by King Features) OTHER PUZZLES Boggle DID DAD PIP PUP POP PEP DUD MUM (Distributed by Tribune Content Agency) Lexigo AWARD, DWARF, FRIAR, RAISES, SPYWARE (Distributed by Andrews McMeel) KenKen - Scrabblegrams - 7 Little Words SECRET MARSHIER CLASP SIMILARLY LISTING REACHING INTERFERE (Distributed by Andrews McMeel) Find the Words Living off the land (Distributed by Creators Syndicate) Kubok - This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Online Crossword & Sudoku Puzzle Answers for 08/21/2023 - USA TODAY Rachel Morin was remembered over the weekend as hundreds of community members took part in a tribute walk along the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland, where the mother-of-five was murdered. The 5km walk, called Rachels last steps, was organised by Morins sister Rebekah and took place on Saturday. Community members came out to pay tribute to the 37-year-old on the walk before then heading to the Flavor Cupcakery Bakery and Cafe, where 20 percent of its sales were donated to support Morins five children. Morin was found dead on the trail on 6 August, after heading to the trail for a walk the evening before. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More than two weeks on, the killer remains at large. Last week, the Harford County Sheriffs Office announced a major break in the case, revealing that DNA found at the scene of Morins murder had been matched to the DNA left at a home where an unknown man broke into a home in Los Angeles and violently attacked a young girl back in March. The suspect, a Hispanic male aged 20-30, was caught on a home security camera leaving the LA home. Key points Hundreds take part in community walk for Rachel Morin 14:55 , Rachel Sharp Rachel Morin was remembered over the weekend as hundreds of community members took part in a tribute walk along the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland, where the mother-of-five was murdered. The 5km walk, called Rachels last steps, was organised by Morins sister Rebekah and took place on Saturday. Community members came out to pay tribute to the 37-year-old on the walk before then heading to the Flavor Cupcakery Bakery and Cafe, where 20 percent of its sales were donated to support Morins five children. 13:30 , Kelly Rissman Recap: Rachel Morins final moments Just days into a new relationship with Richard Tobin, according to Facebook, the 37-year-old headed to to a popular hiking trail just outside of town around 6pm on Saturday 5 August. The mother-of-five had been wearing a blue or black tank top, black sports bra, black spandex shorts, and gray sneakers when she was last sighted. Her new boyfriend reported her missing after she failed to return that night. Read more: Rachel Morin was last seen alive heading off on the Ma and Pa Trail (Harford County Sheriffs Office) Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular Maryland hiking trail. Police announce first big break in the case 11:00 , Kelly Rissman Recap: who is the suspect accused of murdering Rachel Morin? Police on Thursday described him as an unknown male who is approximately 5ft 9in tall, weighing 160 pounds. They believe him to be approximately Hispanic, 20-30 something with a muscular build. This individual is believed to have ties to the Los Angeles area and may have been involved in violent crimes in other states, investigators said after they released footage of the suspect. His DNA matched DNA left at a home in Los Angeles, where a break-in and assault of a child occurred in March. Here is the footage: 07:00 , Kelly Rissman Rachel Morins best friend Rachel was so unabashedly herself: witty and genuine, brilliant, daring, and headstrong. Her spirit would light up the room and her smile was contagious, her best friend Claudia Brown wrote in a Facebook post after her death. Her faith was so strong, she added. Ms Brown wrote that Ms Morin had been divorced, and was a fierce protector of her children and loved them with all of her heart. In other posts, Ms Brown called Rachel her soul sister. Best friends Rachel Morin and Claudia Brown (Claudia Brown / Facebook) 03:00 , Kelly Rissman About her five kids Rachel Morin had five kids, ranging from 8 to 18 who had three different fathers, according to the New York Post. They are each in the custody of their respective dads, the outlet added. She was very warm and above all she loved her children, one of Morins clients, Margaret Woltz, told The Post. She raised them very well. She had a flexible work schedule that allowed her to make sure her kids were always taken care of. We were like grandparents to the kids and we trusted her implicitly, she added. Sunday 20 August 2023 23:45 , Kelly Rissman About the LA link On Thursday, investigators announced a major break in the case, connecting DNA found at the crime scene to a genetic evidence found at a home in LA in March, where an unnamed man broke into a home and assaulted a child. We collected DNA from the crime scene. The Maryland State Police analyzed that DNA for usran it through the national CODIS systemand that came back as a match to the crime that occurred in Los Angeles where they had recovered DNA from this person, Col William Davis from the Harford County Sheriffs Office explained on Thursday. Hundreds join trail of flowers and light to honour Rachel Morin Sunday 20 August 2023 23:37 , Andrea Blanco On Saturday, hundreds of people in the local community joined a remembrance walk to honour the life of the 37-year-old slain mother. Morins sister Rebekah organised the vigil to walk Rachels last steps on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, where she was found dead on 6 August. Rebekah also posted a heartfelt poem celebrating her sisters life on Sunday. So sleep on my sister, sleep tight/For now with you the sky is night/But after night will come daybreak/Therefore I will wait hoping to see you awake, Morins grieving sister wrote on Facebook. Sunday 20 August 2023 23:31 , Kelly Rissman Rachels brother, John Morin Her brother, John, has been a lot quieter on social media than her sister Rebekah and her mother, but he has been linking to video footage and the walk in Rachels memory. He also posted a tear jerking post, a screenshotted conversation from two years ago between him and Rachel, with the caption: Cant wait to see you again someday soon. A conversation between John and Rachel Morin two years ago (John Morin / Facebook) Sunday 20 August 2023 20:00 , Kelly Rissman Community support continues as GoFundMePage flourishes Rebekah Morin, Rachels sister, organized a fundraiser for the mother-of-fives funeral expenses. She set a goal of raising $65,000, and individualssome who knew Morin and others who were affected by her tragic deathhave donated money and shared kind words. This tragedy affects our whole community. I cant get this off my mind. I only spoke with Rachel once at the Bel Air, ShopRite Grocery store about paper plates. We chatted about families, and she told me about her 5 children. My deepest sympathies to the Morin family for both of your losses. I have prayed for you every day, someone wrote on the page. Another contributor wrote, Dont know Rachel but Ive been following this tragedy since Sunday . Its heartbreaking knowing she was out for a safe hike then tragedy hits. I wanted to contribute to give her a nice memorial and for her kids to be able to have something too. Prayers. Sunday 20 August 2023 17:00 , Kelly Rissman Outpouring of support for Morin Locals have posted photos and loving words in memory of Rachel Morin along the Ma and Pa trail in Maryland. Locals posted photos of Morin along a nearby trail (Claudia Brown / Facebook) Sunday 20 August 2023 14:00 , Kelly Rissman Rachel Morin and Richard Tobin The pair officially got together on 1 August, according to his Facebook profile. He has denied any involvement in the case, as people were baselessly pointing fingers at him after she was reported missing. He snapped back to those accusations, saying, never do anything to her. He wrote on social media, Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please. Once police released video footage, he wrote on Facebook, urging people please help identify this scum bag. Richard Tobin and Rachel Morin (Facebook / Rachel Morin) Sunday 20 August 2023 09:00 , Kelly Rissman Recap: what we know about the Rachel Morin case The 37-year-old set out to go hiking on 5 August; her boyfriend Richard Tobin called police at about 11pm to report her missing after she failed to return home that night. The next morning, the 37-year-olds car was located at the Williams St entrance to the Ma and Pa Trail. At 1.07pm on 6 August, a member of the public called 911 to report finding a womans body near the trail. Days after unanswered questions hung in the air about what happened to Morin, finally on 17 August, investigators announced a major break in the case: they discovered DNA at the crime scene. Police said that DNA matched a sample taken from a 26 March home invasion and assault of a young girl across the country. The suspected murderer and Morin likely didnt know each other, as police have called the incident a potentially a random act of violence. Now, police are searching for leads on how to find the suspect and are asking the public to submit tips to help identify the suspect released in the video footage. Sunday 20 August 2023 05:00 , Kelly Rissman What people are saying about the case As the mystery surrounding what happened to the mother-of-five has gripped the nation, social media users have made comments about the nature of the case. Seeing as police have described the tragedy as being a random act of violence, the freaky thought that this could have happened to anyone seems to be resonating with among social media users. One Facebook user opined, So sad a woman cant go jog in a park. Another wrote, If this assailant could travel from the West Coast to the East Coast in a couple months, then he could be anywhere. I pray he gets caught before anybody else gets hurt. Sunday 20 August 2023 01:00 , Kelly Rissman A 10 August letter from Rachel Morins mother, as posted on Facebook by Rebekah Morin To all the mothers with daughters, to the fathers, brothers and sisters, husbands, to our local community, and to world onlookers: If you have experienced the loss of a dear loved one, then you know how hard it can be to express the pain that you feel in your heart. When its sudden and tragic, your mind looks for ways to cope. As a mom, I appreciate the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the worldwide community that grieves with me for my young daughter. Thank you for caring. Truly. Because of the tremendous outpouring of prayers, love and concern, our family is in the process of making arrangements for a Celebration of Life service to which friends and the community will be invited (more details to come). And because Rachel was an avid runner, we are in the early stages of planning a 5K walk/run in her honor with the hope of having a trail of flowers. We are grieving. We need the time and space to grieve as a family. We have not forgotten our community. We just need time. . . I need time. It has only been 4 days since we received the horrific news. I ask that as mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, that you would please have compassion on us and allow us this. Thank you, Rachels Mom Saturday 19 August 2023 22:00 , Kelly Rissman Rachel Morin Mysterious Death Recap The 37-year-old was last seen around 6pm getting ready to hike along the Ma and Pa trail in Maryland on 5 August. At 1.07pm on 6 August, a member of the public called 911 to report finding a womans body near the trail. After her family was left to mourn her mysterious death without any answers for days, finally on 17 August, investigators announced a major break in the case: they discovered DNA at the crime scene. Beyond this, that DNA matches a sample taken from a 26 March home invasion and assault of a young girl across the country. Now, police are searching for leads on how to find the suspect. The suspected murderer and Morin likely didnt know each other, as police have called the incident a potentially a random act of violence. Read more: Rachel Morin, who is survived by her five children (GoFundme) Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular Maryland hiking trail. Police announce first big break in the case Saturday 19 August 2023 18:30 , Kelly Rissman Local business hosts Rachel Morin fundraiser A Bel Air, Maryland bakery, Flavor Cupcakery, said it would donate 20 per cent of its sales on Saturday, during the familys memorial walk, to help fund the mother-of-fives funeral expenses. Flavor Cupcakery will donate a percentage of its sales on Saturday to Morins funeral expenses (Flavor Cupcakery / Facebook) Saturday 19 August 2023 16:00 , Kelly Rissman Trail of Light & Flowers set to begin Family of Rachel Morin are planning a walk in memory of the mother-of-five. Writing on Facebook, the family asked members of the public to bring flowers and battery powered candles to lay on either side of the trail somewhere as we walk Rachels last steps. The family asked the public to assemble 19 August at 11 am at the William Street entrance; the walk will begin at 11.30am. Saturday 19 August 2023 14:00 , Kelly Rissman What is the Ma and Pa trail, where Morin was heading? The 6.25 mile (10km) trail gets it name from the former Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad corridor that ran through the town of Bel Air in Harford County. Although the track was dismantled in the 1950s, it later transformed into a heritage trail along the railroads former route. It consists of a 3.3mile section through Bel Air and a 1.7mile segment in neighbouring Forest Hill. According to Alltrails.com, the trail is moderately challenging and takes around 2 hours and 25 minutes to complete. Rachel Morins family is hosting a walk in her honor on Saturday along the trail. Saturday 19 August 2023 09:31 , Kelly Rissman A little about Bel Air, Maryland Bel Air, the county seat of Harford County, is a town of about 10,000 residents located 30 miles (48kms) north of Baltimore, near the state border with Pennsylvania. The area has many popular hiking trails, and authorities warned hikers to be on high alert as they continued to investigate Ms Morins death. The sheriff previously said, Thankfully we dont have too much violent crime in Harford County, but he warned locals to be vigilant in the wake of Morins death. Saturday 19 August 2023 04:31 , Kelly Rissman Morins haunting social media post months before she was found Rachel Morin shared a post in February that suggested she sought thrilling experiences, read: Risk can be dangerous, but routine can be deadly. Comfort has killed more dreams than daring ever did. The post has since been taken down from Facebook. Read more: Rachel Morins chilling Facebook post before mother-of-five found dead on Maryland hiking trail Saturday 19 August 2023 02:31 , Kelly Rissman Rachels sister posts photos of the mother-of-five on Facebook in her memory Rebekah Morin keeps changing her social media platforms profile photos to images of her late sister. Rebekah Morin organized a GoFundMe page to fund Rachels funeral, writing she did not go willingly and she deserves a funeral worthy of her her beauty. Rachel Morin (Rebekah Morin / Facebook) Saturday 19 August 2023 00:30 , Kelly Rissman Harford Sheriffs Office has asked for help from the public in identifying the suspect Anyone who can identify this unknown male, or has additional information, is asked to contact the Harford County Sheriffs Office at our tip line (410) 836-7788 or via email at RMtips@HarfordSheriff.org. pic.twitter.com/U1niUnCmwB Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) August 18, 2023 Friday 18 August 2023 22:15 , Kelly Rissman Recap: who was Rachel Morin? Rachel Morin, 37 was one of five siblings. She was originally from Dover, New Hampshire, and was a long-term resident of Bel Air, Maryland. She was a mother to five children. On social media, Rachel Morin posted touching photos with her children, selfies at the gym and spending time with friends. Rachel was so unabashedly herself: witty and genuine, brilliant, daring, and headstrong. Her spirit would light up the room and her smile was contagious, Morins best friend Claudia Brown wrote in a Facebook post after her death. Her faith was so strong, she added. Ms Brown wrote that Ms Morin had been divorced, and was a fierce protector of her children and loved them with all of her heart. Ms Morin had worked as a model, and appeared on the cover of Owl Magazine, Harford Community Colleges student publication, where her brother John Morin worked as a technical director. Her new boyfriend, Richard Tobin, described her as the sweetest , kindest , and a very special women on Facebook. According to the social media platform, the couple became official on 1 August. Friday 18 August 2023 21:30 , Kelly Rissman The LA case that links the suspect to Rachel Morins death According to the a Baltimore Banner reporter, the Los Angeles Police Department said the suspect was involved in a 26 March 26 break-in and assault of a young child in South Los Angeles; the assault was not of a sexual nature, but investigators dont want to disclose any more details about what occurred in the house at this time. Friday 18 August 2023 21:00 , Kelly Rissman What locals are saying A Harford County resident told WBAL-TV11:Its mind blowing. Its so close to home. I lived in the city for a long time, so Im used to watching my surroundings and whatnot. But up here, youre walking the trail. Thats the last thing on your mind. Police previously told locals to stay vigilant in the wake of Morins death. In the light of this new evidence, I urge our citizens to use caution while walking on our trials and through our community, police said on Thursday. Be alert. Walk with a friend. Dont allow yourself to be distracted by your cell phone or headphones. Friday 18 August 2023 20:15 , Kelly Rissman Locals have been posting tributes to the late mother-of-five Rachel Morins best friend, Claudia Brown, has been documenting the tributes to the 37-year-old, which have been posted along the Ma and Pa trail. Tribute to Rachel Morin (Claudia Brown / Facebook) Friday 18 August 2023 19:45 , Kelly Rissman What police have said regarding the Rachel Morin case After relatively few updates in the case, on 16 August, Harford County investigators had a break in the case. Police said they found DNA at the crime scene, which corresponds with a sample taken from a March crime scene in Los Angeles where a man invaded a home and assaulted a young girl. However, police said they dont have a clue where the suspect is currently. The suspect remains unnamed, but has been described by police as a Hispanic male aged 20-30, 5ft 9in tall, weighing 160 pounds with a muscular build. They say its unlikely the suspect knew Morin, calling the killing a potentially a random act of violence. They added that they believe he has ties to the Los Angeles area and may have been involved in violent crimes in other states. Police have released footage of the suspect, and are asking people to send in tips if they know anything that can identify the suspect. Read more: 37-year-old Rachel Morin (Harford County Sheriffs Office) Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular Maryland hiking trail. Police announce first big break in the case Friday 18 August 2023 18:56 , Kelly Rissman Rebekah Morin reposted slowed footage of suspect on Facebook Watch the original footage provided by police, who said there was a DNA match between genetic material found at Morins crime scene and a suspect involved in a home break-in and assault of a child in LA in March. Friday 18 August 2023 18:12 , Kelly Rissman Rachel Morins family echoes police, saying they think her death was caused by a random act of violence A lawyer for her family spoke to a WJZ reporter about their thoughts following the break in the case on Thursday evening. WJZ @wjz Investigator Mike Hellgren @HellgrenWJZ asked Joe Murtha, an attorney recreating the Morin family, whether the family believes the attack was random. "They do," Murtha @RiceLawMD said. "Now that this information has come forward and the nature of the offense and the Rice, Murtha & Psoras Trial Lawyers (@RiceLawMD) August 18, 2023 Friday 18 August 2023 17:51 , Kelly Rissman GoFundMe surpasses $48,000 The GoFundMe for Rachel Morin, started by her sister Rebekah Morin, has surpassed $48,000, with a goal of $65,000. Donations are flowing in by the hourfrom people who say they want to give money to help support her surviving five children as well as from others who say they have been following the tragedy from afar. This was not an accidentally death, and she did not go willingly and she deserves a funeral worthy of her her beauty.If there are any remaining funds they will go towards things her 5 children may need. Please share, donate, comment and keep this going, her sister wrote in the pages description. Friday 18 August 2023 16:45 , Kelly Rissman Trail of Light & Flowers Family of Rachel Morin are planning a walk in memory of the mother-of-five. Writing on Facebook, the family wrote We are hoping to have a Trail of Flowers and Light to line both sides of the trail for our walk on the Ma & Pa Trail, asking people to bring flowers and battery powered candles to lay on either side of the trail somewhere as we walk Rachels last steps. The family asked the public to assemble 19 August at 11 am at the William Street entrance; the walk will begin at 11.30am. Friday 18 August 2023 16:15 , Kelly Rissman What we know about the suspect Investigators have described the suspect as someone who likely didnt know Rachel Morin, calling the incident potentially a random act of violence. Police described the suspect as a Hispanic male aged 20-30, 5ft 9in tall, weighing 160 pounds with a muscular build. They added that they believe he has ties to the Los Angeles area and may have been involved in violent crimes in other states. His DNA has been linked to a March home invasion and assault of a young girl in Los Angeles. Friday 18 August 2023 15:19 , Kelly Rissman The LAPD said it is working with police in Maryland after DNA discovered The Los Angeles Police Department said it is providing information to Harford County investigators after police in Maryland announced that they discovered DNA at the scene of the crime. The DNA matched that of a suspect identified in a home invasion and assault on a child in Los Angeles in March. The LAPD said it aims to bring the person responsible for such a brutal and senseless murder to justice. LAPD detectives have been in contact with Harford County Investigators to provide any and all information needed to bring the person responsible for such a brutal and senseless murder to justice. LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) August 18, 2023 Police warn community to stay vigilant as Rachel Morin suspects DNA found Friday 18 August 2023 13:00 , Josh Marcus In the light of this new evidence, I urge our citizens to use caution while walking on our trials and through our community, police said on Thursday. Be alert. Walk with a friend. Dont allow yourself to be distracted by your cell phone or headphones. Maryland police have DNA matching Rachel Morin murder suspect and video images GoFundMe now topped $47,000 Friday 18 August 2023 12:20 , Rachel Sharp A GoFundMe launched to help with funeral expenses for Rachel Morin has now topped $47,000. It reads: It is with devastating sadness and a broken heart that our family has been hit with yet another heartbreak. My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement. I have made a gofundme to help my mother, Patty Morin with funeral costs. There was no life insurance in place, the fundraising page reads. This was not an accidentally death, and she did not go willingly and she deserves a funeral worthy of her her beauty.If there are any remaining funds they will go towards things her 5 children may need. Please share, donate, comment and keep this going. Once we have made the arrangements I will update with service dates and times. If you wish to donate directly please message me on Facebook. PICTURED: Harford County Sheriffs Office releases poster in search for Rachel Morins suspected killer Friday 18 August 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp Harford County Sheriffs Office released this image of Rachel Morins suspected killer (Harford County Sheriffs Office) Police have no clue where suspect is, despite finding DNA match Friday 18 August 2023 11:40 , Josh Marcus Maryland police say they dont have a clue where the suspect in the Rachel Morin killing is, despite finding a sample of his DNA at the crime scene. Officials say the sample matches one taken from a March home invasion and assault of a young girl in Los Angeles. Maryland police have DNA matching Rachel Morin murder suspect and video images WATCH: Video of suspect wanted for Rachel Morins murder Friday 18 August 2023 11:20 , Rachel Sharp Rachel Morins family expresses hope that video of suspect will lead to arrest Friday 18 August 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp Rachel Morins family has released a statement expressing their hope that the release of the video of her suspected killer will finally lead to an arrest. The family is encouraged that there is evidence that may lead to the prosecution of the person who took Rachels life, Joe Murtha, an attorney representing Morins family, told The US Sun. They believe that the ability to provide this information to a national audience can help reach someone who knows the person who committed the crime. As they grieve the loss of Rachel they have hope that law enforcement will catch the perpetrator and bring justice for Rachel. WATCH: Maryland police announce major break in Rachel Morin case Friday 18 August 2023 10:40 , Rachel Sharp Rachel Morins boyfriend speaks out as police announce break in case Friday 18 August 2023 10:24 , Rachel Sharp Morins boyfriend Richard Tobin has spoken out after police announced the break in the case. Tobin, 27, took to social media to say: I hope they found this scum of the earth. He said in another post: Justice for Rachel. Rip, love you Rach. Tobin was previously forced to deny any involvement in her killing after he came under intense speculation early in the case. Maryland police working with FBI to find Rachel Morins killer Friday 18 August 2023 10:00 , Josh Marcus Maryland police are working with FBI DNA specialists to help find a suspect whose genetic material was found at the scene of Rachel Morins death. Police say the DNA corresponds with a sample taken from a March crime scene in Los Angeles where a man assaulted a young girl. Maryland police have DNA matching Rachel Morin murder suspect and video images ICYMI: Maryland police have DNA matching Rachel Morin murder suspect and video images but no identity Friday 18 August 2023 09:00 , Josh Marcus The Harford County Sheriffs Office announced on Thursday they have used DNA evidence to identify a potential suspect in the murder of Maryland woman Rachel Morin earlier this month. Colonel William Davis said DNA found at the scene of Morins death was analysed by state police, turning up a match with DNA found at the scene of a March home invasion in Los Angeles where a young girl was attacked. More details in our full story. Maryland police have DNA matching Rachel Morin murder suspect and video images Rachel Morins mother breaks silence on daughters killing Friday 18 August 2023 07:59 , Josh Marcus The mother of Rachel Morin has broken her silence with a plea for compassion as the family takes time to grieve the sudden and tragic loss of the 37-year-old whose body was found after she vanished while going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air. We are grieving. We need the time and space to grieve as a family. We have not forgotten our community, the post read. We just need time. . . I need time. It has only been 4 days since we received the horrific news. I ask that as mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, that you would please have compassion on us and allow us this. Morin was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail at around 6pm Saturday. Her boyfriend Richard Tobin reported her missing that night after she failed to return home. Morins body was found the following day, and her death is being investigated as a homicide. Andrea Cavallier reports. Rachel Morins mother breaks silence on daughters killing Friday 18 August 2023 21:33 , Kelly Rissman The timeline 5 August: The last time Rachel Morin was seen, leaving for a hike along the Ma and Pa trail in Maryland. 6 August: A member of the public called 911 to report finding a womans body near the trail. Law enforcement officials in the state then issued an urgent plea for information about Ms Morins whereabouts. Her sister, Rebekah Morin, organized a GoFundMe page. 7 August: Rebekah wrote that she raised the goal as we would like to do a large celebration of life for Rachel. We had no idea the amount of people she touched, even in just her everyday life. We want all those who loved her to grieve with us and celebrate her life. 10 August: Her mother wrote a letter, shared on Facebook, expressing her grief. 17 August: Investigators announce a break in the case: the DNA found at the scene of Morins murder corresponded to the DNA left at a home where a man broke into a home in Los Angeles and violently attacked a young girl back in March. They also released footage of the suspect. Man who described grisly state of Rachel Morins body never actually saw it, sheriff says Friday 18 August 2023 07:00 , Josh Marcus The Maryland man who claimed he saw the body of 37-year-old Rachel Morin was not even within eyesight of the crime scene when she was found, the Harford County Sheriffs Office told The Independent. Michael Gabriszeski, 49, claimed to multiple news outlets that he and his stepdaughter came across Morins body on Sunday when they joined the search for the missing mother-of-five, who had vanished on Saturday after going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland. Mr Gabriszeski said that his stepdaughter, who he said was a friend of Morins, was the first to discover the body in a tunnel near the trail before they alerted police. He gave his first public comments to WMAR. Ariana Baio and Andrea Cavallier report. Sheriff denies mans claim that he saw Rachel Morins body Maryland sheriff calls out heinous coward who killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin Friday 18 August 2023 06:00 , Josh Marcus A sheriff in Maryland has vowed that the heinous coward who authorities believe killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin will be brought to justice - though investigators still have yet to identify a suspect. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler did not share many details in the Wednesday update over concern of jeopardising the ongoing probe, but said there was one thing he was sure of, and that this was an intentional taking of a persons life. Morin, 37, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air at around 6pm on 5 August, according to the Harford County Sheriffs Office. After she failed to return home that night, her boyfriend Richard Tobin reported her missing. Andrea Cavallier reports. Sheriff calls out heinous coward who killed Rachel Morin Friday 18 August 2023 17:00 , Kelly Rissman Rachel Morins family echoed police, saying they believe her death was a random act of violence Lawyers for Morins family talked to a WJZ reporter about what they believe happened to the mother-of-five. WJZ @wjz Investigator Mike Hellgren @HellgrenWJZ asked Joe Murtha, an attorney recreating the Morin family, whether the family believes the attack was random. "They do," Murtha @RiceLawMD said. "Now that this information has come forward and the nature of the offense and the Rice, Murtha & Psoras Trial Lawyers (@RiceLawMD) August 18, 2023 Read one of Rachel Morins chilling final Facebook posts Friday 18 August 2023 05:00 , Josh Marcus Rachel Morin shared a post on Facebook that hinted at her possible affinity for thrill months before she was found dead along a forest trail in Maryland. The mother-of-five was last seen around 6pm on Saturday when she allegedly went out for a run on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air. The 37-year-old failed to return home that night and her boyfriend reported her missing, according to Harford County sheriff Jeffrey Gahler. Morins vehicle was found in the parking lot at the entrance to the popular walking route on Sunday morning and hours later, at around 1pm, a member of the public discovered a womans body close to the trail. Morin shared a post in February that read: Risk can be dangerous, but routine can be deadly. Comfort has killed more dreams than daring ever did. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports. Rachel Morins Facebook post before she was found dead on Maryland hiking trail Rachel Morins boyfriend denies role in death Friday 18 August 2023 04:00 , Josh Marcus The boyfriend of a Maryland mother-of-five has denied involvement in her death, after police launched a homicide probe into the death of a woman whose body was found on a popular hiking trail. Rachel Morin, 37, disappeared after reportedly heading out for a hike on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Hartford County, at around 6pm on Saturday. Her new boyfriend Richard Tobin, 27, reported her missing at around 11pm that night after she failed to return, Hartford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told a press conference on Sunday. Authorities launched a missing person investigation and Ms Morins car was found at the Williams St entrance to the trail on Sunday morning. Bevan Hurley reports. Rachel Morins boyfriend denies involvement as homicide probe launched Brooklyn Belk speaks Feb. 17 at the press conference announcing she had been hired as the Knoxville Police Departments newly created deputy chief in charge of professional standards. Just four months later, Belk told Police Chief Paul Noel she was quitting. Noel and Mayor Indya Kincannon have offered few details about Belks resignation. When a racist and threatening email prompted the abrupt resignation of former Knoxville police Deputy Chief Brooklyn Belk, the question remained whether the message fit the criteria for a crime. Belk, and many other recipients of messages that are threatening but don't lay out a specific act against a specific individual, contend they're clearly meant to intimidate and cause fear. The Knoxville Police Department, the FBI and many legal scholars say clearing the bar of a crime requires more than what was in the email Belk received June 11 in her workplace inbox. Legal experts weigh in Legal experts told Knox News theres a thin line between what constitutes a crime when it comes to racist emails and what is considered free speech under the U.S. Constitution. Striking a balance between protecting individual liberties and combating hate speech requires thoughtful consideration of legal frameworks, societal attitudes and cultural contexts. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The delicate balance between protecting freedom of expression and addressing the harmful impact of hate speech continues to challenge society and is especially controversial depending on who is on the receiving end of it. Black Americans, especially, point out the long history of intimidation campaigns in this country that culminated in violence against their targets. One of the most contentious aspects of the debate is the question of whether racist threats should be considered an exercise of free speech or criminal behavior. Teri Dobbins Baxter, an attorney and distinguished constitutional law professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law, told Knox News the general rule is that the government cant punish speech because of the content or because its offensive to someone. Citing Counterman vs. Colorado, a case that the Supreme Court decided this year, Baxter said the general rule is the government cant punish speech. In Counterman vs. Colorado, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Billy Raymond Counterman, a Colorado resident who was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison for stalking, primarily based on his Facebook messages. About a decade ago, Counterman sent a Facebook friend request to a local musician in Denver, then sent messages to her over several years she described as "creepy" and "weird." When she blocked him on Facebook, Counterman created new accounts to continue messaging her. He started referring to times he had seen her in person, and suggested she should die, prompting her to begin carrying a gun and ultimately leave Colorado. Counterman was charged with stalking by local prosecutors, tried and convicted. But the Supreme Court threw out his conviction, ruling that state courts had not proven Counterman's messages were "true threats" - messages meant to frighten a person into thinking they were in genuine danger of harm and he was protected by the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects that generally. So any restriction or punishment, because of the content of somebody's speech is presumptively unconstitutional," Baxter said. The case is an example of the delicate distinction between true threats of violence, which can be subject to criminal punishment, and free speech. The issue has led to divisions among the states and lower courts as they grapple with defining the critical boundary. Do racist emails similar to the one Belk received fit into the category of a crime? Baxter said there are exceptions to First Amendment protections, including incitement of violence meant to produce imminent lawless action; defamation, a falsehood that harms someone's reputation; and true threats. In Counterman vs. Colorado, they pointed this out. They haven't actually upheld the conviction under incitement for nearly 80 years. So that's not one that typically you can rely on because most speech is not likely to incite violence immediately. But that's still out there, Baxter said. Baxter told Knox News determining whether speech constitutes a true threat is frequently a matter of inquiry, requiring more than mere exaggeration or hyperbole. The courts have clarified that it must be a statement conveying a real potential for violence to occur. The email sent to Belk was designed to intimidate by any regular person's reading it included racist references to Black people and said, We must kill our real enemies who are anti American anti Christ Communist Jews like Walt Disney Communist Company." But it was not put in front of an audience and the threat is not specific. That creates a high hurdle to call it criminal. Dwight Aarons, a criminal law professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law, told Knox News it would be difficult but not impossible to prove civil rights intimidation under Tennessee law. It all depends on a thorough investigation. There are successful prosecutions of people who sent threatening emails to public officials. In April, a New Jersey man was sentenced to six months in jail for fourth-degree intimidation after sending a racist email to a Black city councilwoman. The email at the center of the New Jersey case featured repeated use of the N-word. The sender questioned how Brown was elected in a Republican district and said he wanted to do "everything in my power to get your n----- a-- out of here," NJ.com reported. Middlesex County prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone emphasized that employing racist language to harass or threaten an elected representative is a criminal offense in New Jersey. She underscored that her office is committed to prosecuting people who engage in such actions. She also commended the dedicated work of law enforcement in tracking down the sender. Many Black Americans innately feel that both emails the one sent to Belk and the one sent to the New Jersey councilwoman incite violence and hit a reasonable definition of intimidation, but the law is not so clear-cut. Aarons told Knox News that when criminality can't be proven, other measures can be taken to protect people. You know it is one thing to say that emails like this are not a crime but there are other things that an employer can do to support the person who's the object, he said. Angela Dennis is the Knox News race, justice and equity reporter. Email angela.dennis@knoxnews.com. Twitter @AngeladWrites. Instagram @angeladenniswrites. Facebook at Angela Dennis. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Are racist emails a crime or protected free speech? Abortion bans are unpopular. So unpopular that Republican extremists seem to have to invent conspiracy theories to trick Americans into voting for them. Thats the major takeaway from recent political battles in Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In all three states, abortion-related ballot initiatives and elections were framed by right-wing groups as the only thing standing between parents and trans ideology in the classroom. In Ohio, political ads intoned that malicious entities from out of state were arriving to encourage sex changes for kids. In Wisconsin, Republicans distributed a video that claimed a child was transitioned into a boy by school officials without parental consent. And in Michigan, millions of dollars went into ads that warned minors as young as 10 or 11 could be sterilized without their parents even knowing. All would be resolved, the ads assured, if voters just sided with conservatives at the ballot box. But in reality, parental rights were not on the ballot in any of these states. Instead, all three votes had enormous implications for access to abortion. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This is the new playbook. Using the specter of child corruption and social contagion, Republicans are attempting to manipulate parents, scapegoat trans and queer people, and erode multiple axes of bodily autonomy, all in one fell swoop. It does not appear to be a particularly effective tactic, as the recent right-wing efforts failed in each of the three states that tried it. But initiatives like Promise to Americas Children, a coalition of far-right groups that has advanced anti-trans legislation in states across the country, are putting money behind these fearmongering tactics. These groups believe that by agitating conservatives and uniting voters against a trans boogeyman, they can get people to ignore their own support for (or indifference to) abortion rights and eagerly line up to give those rights away. This month, Ohioans went to the polls to vote on a ballot measure, known as Issue 1, that was specifically designed by the Republican Party to bulldoze a proposed amendment to the state constitution that residents will vote on this fall. That proposed amendment, if passed in November, will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. Ohio Republicans knew they were at a disadvantage on this issue. Abortion rights are broadly popular in Ohio, as they are in most of the country. In a recent USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll of likely Ohio voters, 58 indicated support for the abortion rights amendment while only 32 percent opposed it, with 10 percent undecided. The ranks of the supportive included 85 percent of independent women and a full third of surveyed Republicans. So conservatives knew they wouldnt be able to thwart the proposed amendment on the merits of their anti-abortion arguments alone. Instead, they scheduled an emergency vote on a ballot initiativein the dead of Augustthat would have made it much easier to defeat the abortion rights amendment on procedural grounds. If Issue 1 had passed this month, it would have required 60 percent of voters to approve any amendment to the state constitution, rather than a simple majority. It didnt work. Ohioans streamed to the pollsturnout was 38 percent, higher even than any regular primary election since 2016and voters rejected Issue 1 by a resounding margin of 14 points. In the aftermath, state Republicans lamented that they hadnt enough time to get their message outdespite the fact that they were the ones who tried to rush the vote on Issue 1, and despite the millions of dollars that had gone into trying to make voters fear for their children. In an ad that circulated before the August vote, funded by a right-wing group called Protect Women Ohio, a parent tucks a young girl into bed. You promised youd keep the bad guys away. Protect her, the voice-over says. Nows your chance. Malicious entities from out of state are arriving in sheeps clothing to encourage sex changes for kids and sneak trans ideology into schoolrooms, it continues. Protect your rights as a parent by voting yes on August 8th. What do sex changes for kids have to do with a ballot measure about the amendment-making process? Nothing at all. In trying to cloak an unpopular agenda in anti-trans messaging, GOP operatives were hoping to mislead voters and incite them to panicregardless of the fact that Issue 1 would not have protected parental rights at all. The Ohio special election was not the GOPs first stab at this switcheroo tactic. In the lead-up to a Wisconsin Supreme Court election held in April, Republicans distributed a video that claimed to tell the story of an innocent 12-year-old child who was transitioned into a boy by school officials without parental consent. (In fact, the child had not medically transitioned but requested to use a boys name and he/him pronouns. After the school respected those wishes, the parents sued.) The outcome of the election will determine if parents still have rights, said the video, which was funded by the American Principles Project, which is part of the coalition of far-right groups pushing anti-trans legislation in multiple states. Dont leave your children in the hands of Janet Protasiewicz , it continued, referring to the liberal candidate on the ballot. During the campaign, Wisconsin voters got texts from anti-Protasiewicz campaigners, many with links to the American Principles Project ads. Some texts said that the candidate and her woke allies want to TRANS our children without notifying parents. Other texts referred to the trans madness that would overtake Wisconsins children if conservative judicial candidate Daniel Kelly didnt win the race. In actuality, the election was widely seen as a referendum on abortion rights: It was set to determine the ideological balance of the state court, which was previously right-leaning, in advance of a case that would either uphold or strike down an 1849 abortion ban that had become newly enforceable in Wisconsin after Roe v. Wade was overturned. With money pouring in from across the countryto support both Protasiewicz and Kellythis Wisconsin election became the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history. Protasiewicz had never weighed in on the case of the 12-year-old mentioned in the attack ad, and her opposition never presented proof of her supposed opinions on health care for trans kids. But Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principles Project, has said that campaigns to ban gender-affirming treatments for trans people are a political winner. Trans rights are enormous issues for swing voters and moderates and can pull centrists toward conservative candidates, Schilling told the New York Times. So even in a judicial election with little connection to trans issues, when youre an anti-trans hammer, the race looks like a nail. Republicans pulled the same trick last year in Michigan, where a right-wing PAC spent millions of dollars on anti-trans ads aimed at defeating an abortion rights amendment on the ballot in November. The amendment, which ended up passing, affirms that every person has the right to make their own decisions related to pregnancy, including prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. Conservatives spent the months before the election trying to convince voters that the inclusion of the term sterilization was a sneaky admission, by Democrats, that they would be legalizing secret gender-affirming surgeries for children. One ad that ran in the state focused on puberty blockers, depicting a syringe dripping with fluid. If the abortion rights amendment passed, the voice-over said, minors as young as 10 or 11 will be able to receive this prescription without the consent of their parents or their parents even knowing. The implication was that puberty blockers were somehow part of the amendment and that they would be used to sterilize children. (Puberty blockers do not cause sterilization.) A constitutional right to sterilization surely includes a right to be sterilized to align ones sex and gender identity, wrote a spokesperson for Citizens to Support MI Women & Children, the PAC that funded the ads, in an email to the Detroit Free Press. The majority of voters do not support a 12-year-old girls right to sterilization without her parents notice or consent. Legal analysts who responded in the Detroit Free Press said the abortion rights amendment in Michigan was not written to legalize clandestine procedures for children, nor could it be reasonably interpreted as such by a judge. But again, that wasnt the point. Abortion access, though despised by Republican extremists, is quite popular; the right had no chance of blocking the amendment without inventing a conspiracy theory to go with it. Conservatives are now promoting this same sort of misleading, disingenuous reading of an abortion-related text in Ohio, where just a simple majority of voters may pass the abortion rights amendment in November. Protect Women Ohio, the main coalition fighting the amendment, maintains that the language the amendment usesevery individual has a right to make and carry out ones own reproductive decisions without burdensome state interferencewill mark the end of the Ohio law requiring a guardians consent for a minors abortion. In its ads, the group also says the amendment would allow a child to undergo sex change surgery without her parents knowledge or involvement. The reproductive rights amendment, a woman says in one Protect Women Ohio ad, is not just about abortion like they say it is. Again, nonpartisan legal analysts have refuted this interpretation. But anti-abortion activists arent concerned about the truth of the matter; theyre invested in the long-term maintenance of transphobic anxiety in the electorate as a means to achieve their other political goals. In trans people, they have found the perfect punching bag: members of a tiny minority with little political power who can be made out to represent a fundamental threat to the traditional gender order. Pursuing an agenda that leans far further right than what constituents want is nothing new for conservative leaders. Due to a combination of aggressive gerrymandering and strong right-wing activism in Ohio, for example, the state has long been a vanguard of anti-abortion policy in spite of its relatively balanced political makeup and broad support for abortion rights. But lately, on abortion, Republicans have been watching their wins come undone by ballot measures and state constitutional amendmentsin other words, by mechanisms that put the power back in the hands of voters. Its democracy in action. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, every time abortion rights have been put to a popular voteanywhere in the countryvoters have rejected the anti-abortion ballot measures and approved the ones that codify or expand abortion rights. Its no surprise that GOP operatives are trying to divert the focus to literally any other issue where they perceive themselves to have the upper hand, though it is horrifying to see that they believe virulent transphobia is a winning enough position that it may convince voters to sign away their access to legal abortion. The only silver lining, in Ohio as in Wisconsin as in Michigan, is that the bait-and-switch doesnt seem to be working. Sen. Bill Cassidy said prosecutors have "almost a slam dunk" case against Trump in Florida. But he doesn't think Trump will win the general election and should drop out of the presidential race. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found a majority of Republicans wouldn't vote for Trump if he's in prison. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said there's a high probability that Donald Trump will be convicted of charges stemming from his classified documents case in Florida, and he thinks he should the former president should drop out of the race. Speaking to Kasie Hunt on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, Cassidy said that the Florida indictment is "almost a slam dunk" for prosecutors against Trump as there appears to be audio of the former president admitting to the crime at hand. "You're just asking me my opinion," Cassidy said, "but he will lose to Joe Biden." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement At the end of the day, however, Cassidy said he'd ultimately vote for the Republican on the presidential ticket. "I'm gonna vote for a Republican," he said, "but my threshold issue for any person who wants to be the leader of our country is: Will you take care of the issues before us? In June, a federal grand jury indicted Trump, alleging he broke federal law by taking classified documents with him to his Florida Mar-a-Lago residence after leaving office instead of handing them over to the National Archives. And in July, a federal grand jury filed a superseding indictment against Trump and co-conspirators, alleging they coordinated to delete security camera footage from Mar-a-Lago to prevent a grand jury from accessing it. And while Trump has repeatedly denied the the charges, insisting they were politically motivated, prosecutors have obtained audio that appears to show the embattled former president admitting to a publisher and writer that he possessed documents that he said were "highly confidential, secret." In addition to his indictment in Florida, in 2023 alone Trump's also been indicted by grand juries in Washington, DC, New York, and Georgia. According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, nearly half of Republicans said they wouldn't vote for Trump if convicted of a felony. And if he faces prison time, 52% of Republicans said they wouldn't vote for him, either. Read the original article on Business Insider [Source] Researchers have linked the Asian glow, a distinctive red flushing of the skin that appears after drinking alcohol, to a variety of diseases such as cancer. About the Asian glow: There are approximately 560 million people, or about 8% of the global population, who carry the mutation known as ALDH2*2. This genetic variant is most prevalent in individuals of East Asian descent, leading to the phenomenon to be commonly referred to as the Asian glow or Asian flush. ALDH2*2 mutation origin: The genetic mutation originated around 2,000 to 3,000 years ago in Southeast China before spreading to other East Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. There are reportedly around 45% of East Asians who experience this red flushing reaction when consuming alcohol, leading some to use antihistamines to mitigate the effects, while others completely avoid alcohol due to embarrassment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Increased risk of diseases: In a study led by Stanford Medicine and published on Jan. 25, researchers found that those with ALDH2*2 have much less defense against acetaldehyde, which can reportedly accumulate and cause harm such as liver damage, increased cancer risk and vascular dysfunction. More from NextShark: Human Rights Watch study finds prevalence of anti-Black racist content on Chinese social media The ALDH2*2 mutation significantly raises the risk of various conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and esophageal cancer. Even moderate alcohol consumption increases the risk of these diseases dramatically, which can be 40 to 80 times higher than those without the mutation who drink the same amount. Researchers note that while taking antihistamines can alleviate skin flushing, they do not lower acetaldehyde levels in the blood, which experts warn is risky as it masks the body's natural warning signals about alcohol toxicity. If youre drinking, drink less. If youre not drinking, dont start, said Joseph Wu, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and senior author of the study, in a press release. More from NextShark: Filipino American nurses join massive strike against NYC hospitals Raising awareness: Che-Hong Chen, a molecular biologist and geneticist at the Stanford School of Medicine, believes that lack of awareness contributes to misconceptions, such as thinking that the Asian glow is a sign of a strong liver. Chen founded the Taiwan Alcohol Intolerance Education Society, a nonprofit organization, in 2017 to promote education about ALDH2 deficiency and its implications. In collaboration with the Taiwanese government, Chens organization led to launching the first National Taiwan No Alcohol Day on May 9, 2019. More from NextShark: Dallas and Boston rated safest large US cities in new poll Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Study finds that Japanese children walk differently from those in other countries A few days after a 23-year-old woman died from a rope swing accident at Folsom Lake, Sacramento County Regional Parks reminded residents the swings are banned in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter. Rope swings are prohibited along the American River and throughout the American River Parkway, said Kenneth Casparis, Sacramento County spokesperson. Kathryn Hoedt died on Aug. 12 after she fell about 30 feet from the rope swing onto a shoreline just north of Rattlesnake Bar, a parks spokesperson said. Hoedt worked as a morning newscast producer for KCRA. As we reflect on the tragic accident that occurred LAST weekend at Folsom Lake, we want to take a moment to remind visitors that rope swings are dangerous and, like in State Parks, they are banned along the American River Parkway. If you see a rope swing, please Do. Not. Use. It. pic.twitter.com/36gm2lHmrA SacRegionalParks (@SacRegionalPark) August 16, 2023 Sacramento County rope swing rules Sacramento County rangers and maintenance staff will cut down rope swings they come across, and anyone who is seen putting up a rope swing will be cited, Casparis said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Swinging from rope swings is dangerous and can result in serious injuries or death. Why they are dangerous A rope swing injury case study conducted during 2002-06 from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System discovered that an estimated 700 injuries related to rope swings may occur each year. On TikTok a search under rope swing fails prompts hundreds of videos of people plunging into lakes and getting injured. But those videos may not always show how serious a persons injuries can be and the possible aftermath. According to the NEIS study, rope swing injuries included falls and entanglements. However, the most hazardous risk factors of rope tree injuries were by non-swimmers, or included shallow water and extreme falls. Most people are injured in remote places, which makes getting help difficult, stated the study. Regional Parks are urging residents to simply avoid using rope swings altogether. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. A billboard challenging an impending ban on drag performances in Texas will go up in Austin early next week after a crowdfunding campaign organized by the makers of RuPublicans a parody Instagram account that uses artificial intelligence to reimagine Republican political leaders as drag queens crushed its fundraising goal in a single weekend. The Texas drag ban drops Sept 1st and we want to do something about it, the husband-and-husband duo behind the account wrote in a Friday post on GoFundMe. Were throwing a 72-hour blitz to rally $10,000 for a billboard in Austin thatll make the state do a double-take. Texas in June became the latest in a growing number of Republican-led states to restrict certain drag performances that take place in public or where they could be viewed by minors when Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed Senate Bill 12 into law. The measure prohibits Texas businesses from hosting sexually oriented performances in which someone is nude or appeals to the prurient interest in sex in the presence of minors. Those who break the law are likely to face hefty fines up to $10,000 per violation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Performers are threatened with much harsher penalties, and those caught violating the states new restrictions on drag could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. While the law does not explicitly mention drag performances, an earlier version contained direct references to drag, and GOP state leaders have said repeatedly that the measure is intended to restrict drag shows. As of Monday afternoon, the RuPublicans billboard fundraiser had received more than $16,400 from 800 donors, far surpassing the campaigns original goal of $10,000. The couple behind the Instagram account and crowdfunding campaign wrote in a Monday update that the extra funds will be donated to four local LGBTQ organizations, including Equality Texas and the Transgender Education Network of Texas. A billboard with the message, Mind your wigs, not our gigs, Greg, will go up next Monday the same day that a trial in an ACLU lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 12 is set to begin on I-35 southbound in North Austin for a four-week placement, according to the RuPublicans GoFundMe. It will catch all of the people commuting into the city everyday from North Austin. If you are in the area, go find it next week! the duo wrote Monday on their GoFundMe page. Take photos, post on your social media, and encourage people to share to help send the message to the lawmakers in the Texas Capitol. The RuPublicans Instagram account, which boasts more than 285,000 followers, gained national attention this year after several of its AI-generated portraits of Republican lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Josh Hawley (Mo.), in drag went viral. The account, whose name is a nod to the drag competition show RuPauls Drag Race, has reimagined prominent GOP figures, also including former New York mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, as drag queens using an AI text-to-image program called Midjourney, the duo behind the account told NBC News in April. Were huge fans of drag, and we were bearing witness to the GOPs anti-drag rhetoric and action, and we wanted to do something about it, so we said, Lets put the GOP in drag, Craig, who asked that his last name not be published for safety reasons, told the outlet. During an Instagram Ask Me Anything in June, the couple said, We both have to be giggling before were satisfied and ready to post. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In a rural "ambulance desert," sometimes help isn't on the way CARROLLTON, Ala. Annie Jackson can't know whether her sister Grena Prude might have survived had an ambulance been more readily available when she went into cardiac arrest on May 10. But Jackson is convinced her sister would have at least had a chance. Prude, 55, died at the steps of Carrollton City Hall, less than a half-mile from her county's only ambulance station. When someone called 911 to get her help, two ambulances were on duty: One was transporting a patient to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 45 minutes away, and the other a patient to Columbus, Mississippi, a 30-minute drive. Annie Jackson's sister died of cardiac arrest at the steps of Carrollton City Hall in Alabama. She is convinced her sister would have had at least a chance of survival if an ambulance had been more readily available. / Credit: Taylor Sisk for KFF Health News "It was a horrible situation," said Vicky McCrory, supervisor of the nonprofit Pickens County Ambulance Service, but not an isolated one. There have been multiple similar tragedies. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That single ambulance station in Carrollton serves all of Pickens County, dispatching one and sometimes two ambulances to serve just under 20,000 residents spread across 900 square miles. The farthest reaches of the county line are 25 to 30 miles away on two-lane country roads. In rural areas where hospitals have shuttered, like Pickens County, the nearest surviving facilities are long drives away, ambulance coverage is sparse, and residents in the throes of medical emergencies often find their situations even more precarious. Neal Lollar works for the nonprofit Pickens County Ambulance Service, which can deploy only one or two ambulances to serve the entire 900-square-mile Alabama county. / Credit: Taylor Sisk for KFF Health News In May, the rural health research and policy centers released the results of an effort by the Maine Rural Health Research Center to document coverage gaps in the availability of ambulance services across the country what the researchers refer to as "ambulance deserts." They define those deserts as places where people live more than 25 minutes from the nearest station. The study found that in the 41 states for which data was available, 4.5 million people lived in an ambulance desert. Six in 10 lived in the South. Alabama had 315,000 people living at such a distance, ranking second highest behind North Carolina. But a closer look into emergency services in Pickens County reveals a grimmer situation. In March 2020, the 56-bed Pickens County Medical Center shut its doors, with administrators citing an unsustainable financial situation and a declining patient volume. Those living along the periphery of Pickens County must wait nearly a half-hour for an ambulance to arrive. Patients must then ride up to an hour to reach a hospital, in either Tuscaloosa or Columbus. State Route 86 runs through downtown Carrollton, past the courthouse and City Hall. To the north are the tapering hills of Appalachia; to the south, the Black Belt region. "Everybody here knows everybody," said Terrence Windham, mayor of Aliceville, a town roughly 10 miles south of Carrollton. And, seemingly, everyone has heard of the death of Grena Prude. Aliceville Mayor Terrence Windham says he and his neighbors are on a mission Julia Boothe is a longtime family physician in the town of Reform, situated about 10 miles north of Carrollton, and a recent president of the state medical association. Boothe said it's not uncommon for people to decide there's no point in calling 911. Some instead show up in her office in a condition well beyond what "a family medicine practice in a rural area of 1,500 people" is equipped to handle. "People don't understand the severity of what's going on" in these rural areas, she said. At one time, the county had the resources to deploy three ambulances. "Now," McCrory said, "we're lucky to have one unit." The closure of the hospital, she said, has meant a loss of some $250,000 a year in revenue for the ambulance service. Further, Boothe said, "the stress and strain" of working in the county make it difficult to recruit emergency medical crews not to mention health care providers of any specialty. Doctor shortages distress rural America, where few residency programs existMillions of women in U.S. lack access to maternity care This critical shortage of services reflects what's happened to so many rural communities across the U.S. after decades of dwindling resources. In 1979, when Bill Curry returned home to Pickens County to practice medicine, funeral homes provided the only ambulance service. "A hearse, literally, would come to the scene of an auto accident or to somebody's house or wherever there was a need for somebody to get transported to a hospital," recalled Curry, now a professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. "The training was pretty minimal, and the interventions were almost none. It was just pick up and go." "When we developed the hospital, we said, 'Well, we really need a modern ambulance service, and so that's how we came up with what they have today," Curry said. James Parker grew up in Pickens County; his dad ran a feed-and-seed store and raised cattle. Parker had mentors growing up, including Curry, who were prominent in the community and pillars of the hospital. They allowed him to shadow them and nudged him into medicine. He returned home after graduating from medical school in 2000 and has been practicing there since. He laments the loss of the hospital. "You know, folks love to call a little hospital a band-aid station, but that's a big band-aid that worked," Parker said. "So many success stories of our little hospital." Physician James Parker was raised in Pickens County, Alabama, and chose to return home after medical school. / Credit: Taylor Sisk for KFF Health News But with advances in medical technology allowing more procedures to be performed on an outpatient basis and an unfavorable payer mix, the old model was deemed no longer feasible. Community leaders believed they had a viable plan to revitalize the hospital. "I thought it was an excellent option," Boothe said. They requested $10 million from the state legislature which then became $8 million to reopen the emergency room and operate an adolescent mental health facility that would serve kids from across the state. Here, it seemed, was the answer to a need for Pickens County and beyond. Boothe has had young patients who "sat in emergency rooms for over seven days waiting on an admission to an adolescent bed." Some ultimately had to be transferred out of the state. The $8 million was still in the state budget when it passed the House in April, but, in the eleventh hour, the Senate scuttled the cash infusion. The issues related to the need for rural emergency care highlight another concern. The authors of the May report on ambulance deserts wrote that the "declining numbers of rural hospitals and ambulance services imply that remaining ambulance services are being tasked to play a greater role in delivering more sophisticated emergency services." "Ambulance services were never intended to take the place of emergency departments," McCrory said. "I just feel like health care all the way around is failing here, and in other rural areas, too." The researchers also noted the fragmented nature of ambulance services, particularly in rural areas. Boothe talks of a potential solution whereby three ambulance stations would be spaced across Pickens County and Lamar County, on its northern border. But that's not an easy maneuver. "Of all the poorly designed aspects of our health care system," said Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, "EMS is tops." On a sweltering day in late July, several dozen Pickens County residents and officials traveled 2 hours to the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery. They stood on the steps to protest lawmakers' decision not to fund their hospital. Aliceville Mayor Windham was among them. There's a sense in Pickens County that rural communities such as his don't show up on the radar in Montgomery, he said. He and his neighbors' ongoing mission "is to let the Alabama Legislature know that we are real, live human beings and we are really suffering." Morgan, of the rural health association, has witnessed the ripple effects of the loss of essential rural health care services the consequences for a community's health and the health of its economy. "Rural health care," he said, "is like a tundra. You trample on it, it's really tough to get it to come back." Annie Jackson joined her neighbors on the steps of the state Capitol that July morning. After traveling hours away from home, she stepped off a chartered bus in downtown Carrollton, less than a hundred yards from where her sister Grena died. She paused and pointed up the road toward the nearby West Alabama Animal Hospital. "We have our animal hospital up here," Jackson said. "The animals have a hospital. But we do not. What does that say for us?" KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism. Cost of child care services on the rise in the U.S. Judge to consider if Texas can keep border buoys as migrant crisis continues Saudi border guards killed, maimed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants, Human Rights Watch says The Russian invaders plan to change the demographics of Mariupol population in Donetsk Oblast by 2035, settling 300,000 Russian citizens in the city. Source: Ukraine's National Resistance Center Quote: "The enemy has developed a development plan for the temporarily occupied Mariupol, which provides for an increase in its population by approximately 300,000 due to migration from the Russian Federation. The National Resistance Center learned about this from sources in the Ukrainian underground, which had access to relevant documents of the occupation administration. Planned demographic changes should be implemented by 2035. In order to stimulate them, the Kremlin started implementing a program of preferential mortgages for citizens of the Russian Federation. In addition, the occupiers bring wage earners and civil servants from depressed regions of the Russian Federation to TOT (temporary occupied territories." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Details: Meanwhile, the National Resistance Center said local residents are forcibly deported to Russian territory. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Russian government plans to strip billionaire Andrey Melnichenko of his shares in Siberian Energy Company The Russian government plans to strip the countrys richest billionaire, Andrey Melnichenko, of his shares in Siberian Energy Company (Sibeco), according to a suit filed against him by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office on Aug. 17. A preliminary court hearing is scheduled to be held on Sept. 7, Russian media outlet RBK news reported. The Khakassia Service and Repair Company (KSRC) and the Kuzbass Energy and Electrification Joint Stock Company are also being sued alongside Melnichenko in the same case. The Prosecutor General's Office said that it is investigating the sale of energy assets purchased from entities linked to former Minister for Open Government Affairs, Mikhail Abyzov. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Threat of losing Crimea might force Putin to back down report As part of the case, the office said it is seeking the recovery of Melnichenkos shares in Sibeco, acquired in 2018 for RUB 32.51 billion ($350 million) through the billionaire's controlled Kuzbass Energy company and KSRC. Russian oligarchs have largely recovered from the impact of Western sanctions and increased their wealth in the past year by $152 billion, mostly thanks to high energy prices, according to reports in Forbes Russia. Read also: European companies in Russia lose 100 billion since the start of war FT According to Ukraines National Agency on Corruption Prevention, Melnichenko is sanctioned by the EU, the U.S., the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Switzerland. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A new military formation is likely to appear in Russia as the Kremlin tries to free up more experienced units for combat operations on key fronts, according to UK intelligence. Source: UK Defence Intelligence review dated 21 August on X, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "Russia is expanding its military structures in the face of wartime realities. One new formation is highly likely the 18th Combined Arms Army (18 CAA)." Details: Reportedly, this formation will likely be a merger and reinforcement of other units currently operating in Kherson Oblast, including the 22nd Army Corps, which is usually the Russian garrison in occupied Crimea. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement UK intelligence analysts believe that the 18th Combined Arms Army will consist mostly of mobilised servicemen and will focus on defensive operations in the south of Ukraine. "Russia likely aims to free up more experienced units to fight on key axes. There is a realistic possibility that this has led to the recent re-deployment of airborne forces from Kherson to the heavily contested Orikhiv sector," the UK Defence Intelligence review states. Background: Earlier, UK Defence Intelligence reported that Ukraine's offensive in the south was successful, but Russia's in Kharkiv Oblast was not. The Washington Post, referring to sources, reported that US Intelligence stated that Ukraine will not be able to achieve its key objective the city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in the course of counteroffensive operations. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Russian government is preparing to transfer all taxis to domestically-made cars; the transport commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation has already supported the relevant amendments to the legislation. Source: The Moscow Time; Vedomosti ("The Record"), citing a protocol dated 7 August Details: Russian officials believe that such a decision will contribute to "the formation of federal technological sovereignty and the resistance of the domestic transport network to sanctions pressure." Reportedly, AvtoVAZ, UAZ and the Tula enterprise of the Chinese brand Haval meet the levels of localisation required by the authorities. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is assumed that the changes will be forced on 1 January 2024. Taxi companies in Russia oppose the new rules. The National Council of Taxis association sent a letter to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin at the end of July, requesting not to force businesses to only buy domestic cars. The association warned the government that this would lead to an increase in transport prices and a decrease in transport availability in the country. The letter stated that "entrepreneurs cannot be forced to buy what is not on sale, and if it is, it comes at a price that leads to bankruptcy." It was also said that the prices of economy-class cars assembled in Russia have recently increased by 70-80%, up to RUB 1.8-2 million (US$19,270-21,230). At the same time, there is already a shortage of compact passenger cars worth up to 1 million roubles in Russia; these are mainly used in taxis and car sharing. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The drone was allegedly shot down on the approach to Moscow Russian air defense forces shot down two drones in Moscow Oblast early on Aug. 21, as claimed by Russian propaganda agency RIA Novosti. The first drone was allegedly destroyed over the Ruza district of Moscow Oblast, while another was supposedly intercepted in the Istra district, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Telegram. Read also: Kursk railway station explosion aftermath in photos No damage or casualties have been reported as a result of the incidents. Footage of the alleged attack has appeared on social networks, where loud explosions can be heard. Moscows Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were temporarily closed for departures and arrivals. Four flights were rerouted to the Kazan airport, over 800km away. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Thousands of office workers evacuated from Moscow complex after drone attack warning Earlier, explosions rocked Moscow and the surrounding area overnight on Aug. 18. A drone exploded near the Moskva-City complex, Russian media claimed, posting a video of a woman saying that the Moskva-City had been "blown up again." All Moscow airports were closed for departure and arrival on Aug. 18. Drone attacks have become frequent in Moscow in the past months. Unidentified drones attacked the Russian capital on July 30, with a drone colliding with the IQ tower within Moskva-City, resulting in damage to an office of the Russian Ministry of Digital Development. There have been several other attacks, one of which briefly set fire to one of the domes of the Kremlin. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A Russian drone dropped an explosive device on the village of Zolota Balka on Aug. 21, wounding a 43-year-old man, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported. He was hospitalized with multiple shrapnel injuries to the chest, abdomen, and leg, according to the administration. A day before, Russian forces launched 78 attacks against Kherson Oblast, firing 377 projectiles from various weapons, the regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote. Two people were killed, and three were injured. Zolota Balka lies on the Kyiv-controlled west bank of the Dnipro River, over 100 kilometers northeast of the regional capital. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Kherson and other settlements on the rivers west bank have been subjected to daily Russian attacks since they were liberated in November 2022. Russian forces were pushed to the river's east bank, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories, regularly resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia has tightened control over checkpoints around Melitopol, Mayor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram on Aug. 20. "The people of Melitopol should be informed about regular inspections at all checkpoints in the city and district," Fedorov wrote. "Residents report that the occupiers carefully check phones, cars and passports." Fedorov advised residents of Melitopol to be cautious and vigilant around inspection points. Melitopol had a pre-war population of about 150,000, and has been under Russian control since March 2022. Many of the city's roads and railways are used as critical sites for Russian troops to transport supplies to occupied areas. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The city is also on the forefront of Ukraine's counteroffensive, but recent U.S. intelligence assessed that Ukrainian forces are unlikely to reach the city by the end of the year. Read also: Washington Post: US intelligence thinks Ukraine will fail to reach counteroffensives key goal Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. One of the drones exploded in the Istryna district, where Simonyan lives Infamous Kremlin propagandist Margarita Simonyan has claimed that a Ukrainian drone exploded near her residence in Moscow Oblast, according to a post on her Telegram channel on Aug. 21. Simonyan said that the drone detonated in the Istrinsky District of Moscow Oblast due to anti-aircraft defense activity. Read also: Russian media claims SBU planned to kill propagandists Simonyan and Sobchak Ironically, Simonyan seemed to have forgotten her previous calls for criminal consequences for revealing information about anti-aircraft defense units. Simonyan is one of the most vocal of the Kremlins propagandists and has repeatedly called for the genocide of Ukrainians. Given that she has built her career on blatant and unapologetic lies, the credibility of her claim regarding the drone is uncertain. t.me/margaritasimonyan Screenshot/Twitter Read also: New charges against Russian propagandist Krasovsky - advocated drowning Ukrainian children ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement However, the Russian Ministry of Defense maintains that two drones were intercepted over Moscow Oblast on Aug. 21 and that one was shot down in the same area, while another drone suffered an accident near the settlement of Pokrovskoye. The drone-related incidents temporarily disrupted the operations of Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports. Read also: RTs Simonyan, Russian propagandist with Armenian roots, banned from entering Armenia During the night of Aug. 18, the Russian capital itself fell victim to drone attacks. Notably, a drone struck one of the skyscrapers within the Moskva City complex. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine There is no chance of Muratov shutting up as he continues his fight to maintain press freedom in Russia, says Patrick Forbes - Stephen Foote/ Channel 4 Last February, as Vladimir Putin declared a special military operation in Ukraine, many of his critics took it as a sign to leave the country. But not Dmitry Muratov . Founder and editor of Novaya Gazeta (Russias only independent newspaper), the Nobel Peace Prize winner and the bravest man I know was determined to stay and report the truth about the war. In fact, he called me from Moscow not long after the start of the invasion, and suggested I make a documentary with him about it. There was one condition: Dont put my or my staffs life in danger, he said down the phone. So started an extraordinary odyssey, as we chronicled his fight to maintain press freedom in Russia. As our documentary The Price of Truth shows all too clearly, it is a fight involving acid attacks, death threats and a blunt refusal to give in to the Kremlins brutal attempts to stifle dissent, as the war in Ukraine puts an increasing strain on Russian civil society. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is no exaggeration to say that Muratov is putting his life on the line in this fight; a fight that is about a very different philosophy to that of his increasingly bellicose and vengeful President. As he put it to me in a rare moment of reflection: Putin thinks that death is good if it means dying for the Motherland. I think that living for the Motherland is the most important thing for Russia. We have a conflict between life and death. And I am not an observer. I am a participant. Dmitry Muratov has lost six of his journalists since he founded his paper in 1993, murdered after their reports offended the Kremlin - Vladimir Semenov/Channel 4 Death is something all too real for Dmitry. He has lost six of his journalists since he founded his paper in 1993, murdered after their reports offended the Kremlin. A month ago he nearly lost another one. Elena Milashina, one of his star reporters, was kidnapped and brutally beaten as she got off her plane in Chechnya on July 4, on her way to report on the trial of a human rights activist. Within hours Muratov was on a plane to nearby Beslan, determined to get her back to the relative safety of Moscow, ignoring the Chechen governments repeated threats against him and his team. His bravery paid off. Fourteen hours later Milashina was safely in a top Moscow hospital, her body bruised and her hands fractured in 14 places, but her life no longer at risk. But that is the consistency and courage that have marked Dmitry Muratov Dima to his friends since I first met him while making a film about the oligarchs in the chaos of Russia in the early 2000s. I found myself in Muratovs office at 10am. Within moments I was enfolded in a bear hug, and sternly told We must drink as a whisky bottle was uncorked. I ended the meeting blind drunk, but not before I realised that he was indeed telling me the truth, as he has ever since. Since he founded Novaya Gazeta with a bunch of disillusioned colleagues from the state paper Komsomolskaya Pravda, Novaya has broken stories on the brutal reality of the Chechen War, the billions stolen by the ruling elite and the lies told by the Kremlin about the Ukrainian war. None of this makes him the Kremlins darling. So, keeping the paper alive is akin to walking a daily tightrope for Muratov, requiring him to step back when he judges it necessary. He had to pause reporting on the war in Chechnya when the life of one of his reporters was threatened there. That is because the death of his six journalists is still a source of enormous pain for Muratov, whether it is his best friend Yuri Scheckochihin, killed by a mysterious poison, or reporter Anna Politkovskaya, gunned down in the lift of her Moscow apartment block. Portraits of all six hang over the Novaya editorial table so we see them every day. When pressed, Muratov defines his main task as keeping his employees safe whatever the cost. An old picture in which Dmitry Muratov faces Mikhail Gorbachev - Channel 4/Maxim Marmur That is what I found him doing when we started our filming in a snowy Riga, in Latvia, just a fortnight after the Ukraine invasion. Ostensibly, Muratov was there to be a judge on the jury of a documentary festival. But, in private, he was using the visit to negotiate safe passage with the Latvian government for as many of his journalists as possible. Discussing it, in a rare moment of irritation he rounded on my long-term (and long-suffering) producer Yelena Durden Smith: These are secret negotiations, understand. I cant let anyone in on the detail. Turning abruptly to me, he said: Give me your word. We did and no word got out. Muratov may have been trying to get half his team out of Moscow, but he was determined to return to Russia and look after those of his staff who could not or would not leave. I was horrified, feeling that in returning he was taking a crazy risk, a risk made worse by the fact that President Zelensky had just singled him out as one of the few Russians telling the truth about the war. My concern was made even more acute when a minibus screeched up, just as Muratov was about to leave for home. In the car: a party of Russian journalists who had escaped overnight from Moscow. They had been picked up at the border by their boss, Pulitzer Prize-winner Roman Anin, a friend and former protege of Dimas. Anin confided: I wouldnt go [back to Russia], because they most likely will arrest me. Nobody survives Russian prison. He knows all of that and despite that he goes back. Anins remark enshrined the major theme of our film; every time Muratov returned to Russia over the next year, he was putting his life at risk. He, however, couldnt care less. Once back in an increasingly hostile Moscow, he decided to auction his Nobel medal and give most of the proceeds to Ukrainian refugees. The Russian government said nothing. The response was delivered more directly. A couple of days later Muratov was on a train to Samara to see his mother. He had missed her birthday. The door of his compartment swung open, Are you Muratov? asked a masked man. Yes answered Muratov. This is for our boys. Seconds later he was covered in foul smelling red paint. The assailant ran off, as did the guy outside the compartment who was filming it all. Muratov was covered in foul smelling red paint by an assailant - Dmitry Muratov The policemen at the end of the platform stopped the paint thrower for a few seconds. And then let him go. The next day, the cameraman was brought in for questioning. And then let go. Everyone allegedly involved in the attack denied having anything to do with it even the people running the website where footage of it was posted. Muratov called a few days later. It turned out the paint was laced with acetone, the raw material used in plastics, solvents, cosmetics and explosives. His eyesight is permanently damaged. He knew all too clearly what he was being told: Shut up. And keep your newspaper quiet. But there is and was no chance of Muratov shutting up. Despite the damage to his eyesight, he refused to abandon the auction. In July last year in a glittering New York setting, the gavel banged down on a record breaking bid of $103 million, to audible gasps in the room. In Riga, after Muratovs clandestine diplomacy, a slowly swelling tide of Novaya emigres has managed to establish Novaya Gazeta Europe; despite having to maintain a legal and political distance between the paper and the Moscow operation, for fear everyone there is jailed. And every day Novaya Europes contents are a constant challenge to Putins rhetoric about a Russia united behind the Special Military Operation. In Moscow, Muratovs paper and all of its subsidiaries inside Russia have been closed following a wave of Kremlin court cases against them. But its editor has refused to keep quiet whether it is acting as defence counsel in the trial of a veteran Russian rights campaigner, speaking out against the governments Stalinist policy of branding dissentient journalists foreign agents, or touring the world to ram home the theme of his Nobel speech that if we give up on democracy, we agree to war. There is no chance that my friend will ever agree to war. Stream or watch The Price of Truth live on Channel 4 on August 21 at 10pm Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Russian soldiers are routinely treated with disgust by their compatriots when they return to Moscow, according to a video interview with two mobilized soldiers posted on social media on August 21. One of the soldiers in the video stated that while Russian military personnel might still be tolerated in some regions, they are openly shunned in the capital city. Read also: Mobilized Russians, refusing to fight, abandoned at front line then locked in basement Meduza A fellow service member expressed a similar sentiment, lamenting that Muscovites view individuals like him as murderers. "Imagine this you're on the subway, and the moment you're in uniform, people immediately scatter. 'Ugh, murderer,' or saying something like that," he grumbles. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Russian troops accuse command of mistreating wounded soldiers in Rostov-on-Don video "Or, as all Muscovites like to say, 'Couldn't you have found another way? There are other provinces, other countries...' It's repugnant. You feel the stares of people... And mind you, I didn't go there voluntarily. A piece of paper came, and I went after it came. I didn't flee like some did. I didn't hide or dodge; I went, that's all. Like a law-abiding citizen. I come on vacation, and people point fingers at me. Tens of thousands of Russian men have been mobilized to fight in the country's invasion of Ukraine. The vast majority of those mobilized have participated in armed aggression against Ukraine, and a significant percentage has directly committed war crimes against Ukrainians. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine This photo released by the Roscosmos State Space Corporation on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, shows an image of the lunar south pole region on the far side of the moon captured by Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft before its failed attempt to land. Russia's Roscosmos state corporation said Sunday that the Luna-25 crashed into the moon after it spun into an uncontrolled orbit. The authorities have opened an inquiry into the possible cause. (Centre for Operation of Space Ground-Based Infrastructure-Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP) LONDON (AP) The head of Russia's space agency said Monday that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, and he blamed the country's decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap. The pilotless Luna-25 had been scheduled to land Monday while aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist. Roscosmos Director General Yury Borisov said the spacecraft's engines were turned on over the weekend to put Luna-25 into a pre-landing orbit" but did not shut down properly, plunging the lander onto the moon. Instead of the planned 84 seconds, it worked for 127 seconds. This was the main reason for the emergency, Borisov told Russian state news channel Russia 24. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Roscosmos had contact with the spacecraft until 2:57 p.m. local time Saturday, when communication was lost and the device passed into an open lunar orbit and crashed into the surface of the moon, he said. The lunar mission was Russias first since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. Only three countries have managed successful moon landings: the Soviet Union, the United States and China. The negative experience of interrupting the lunar program for almost 50 years is the main reason for the failures, Borisov said, adding it would be the worst decision ever for Russia to end the program now. The Luna-25 was in a race with an Indian spacecraft launched on July 14 to be the first to reach the south pole. Both were expected to reach the moon between Aug. 21 and Aug. 23. A previous Indian attempt to land at the moon's south pole in 2019 ended when the spacecraft crashed into the moons surface. Luna-25 launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russias Far East on Aug. 10. The spaceport is a pet project of Russian President Vladimir Putin and key to his efforts to make Russia a space superpower. Before the launch, Roscosmos said it wanted to show Russia is a state capable of delivering a payload to the moon, and ensure Russias guaranteed access to the moons surface. Following the crash, the Russian space agency said the moon mission was about ensuring long-term defense capability as well as technological sovereignty. The race to develop the moon's natural resources has begun, Borisov said Monday. In the future, the moon will become an ideal platform for the exploration of deep space. Sanctions imposed on Russia since it launched a war in Ukraine nearly 18 months ago have affected its space program, making it more difficult to access Western technology. The Luna-25 was initially meant to carry a small moon rover, but the idea was abandoned to reduce the weight of the craft for improved reliability, analysts said. The lunar south pole is of particular interest to scientists, who believe the permanently shadowed polar craters may contain frozen water in the rocks that future explorers could transform into air and rocket fuel. In this photo taken from video and released by Roscosmos State Space Corporation, the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the moon lander Luna-25 automatic station takes off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The Russian space agency says its Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the moon. | Roscosmos State Space Corporation via Associated Press An unmanned Russian spacecraft was set to become the first to ever land on the moons south pole Monday, but the mission unexpectedly failed when the spacecraft spun into an uncontrolled orbit and crashed into the moon. The Luna-25 lander was the countrys first lunar mission since the 1970s, The New York Times reported. What went wrong? Russias space agency, Roscosmos, stated that it lost contact with the robotic spacecraft on Saturday, 47 minutes after the engine started firing to enter the moons orbit. As Luna 25 attempted the pre-landing orbit, it reported an emergency situation. The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the moon, Roscosmos confirmed in a statement, per The Associated Press. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is unclear what caused the crash. However, Dr. Natan Eismont, a senior scientist of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told The New York Times he believed that most likely the braking thrust was either too strong or it was in a wrong direction. An interagency commission will investigate the reasons for the missions failure, CNN reported. The space race to the lunar south pole The Luna-25 mission was in a space race against India to become the first country to land a spacecraft on the moons south pole. Scientists believe the area may have frozen water that would be invaluable to future missions. The Russian spacecrafts unsuccessful landing means India may win the race to the lunar south pole. Indias Chandrayaan-3 mission is scheduled to land on the moon Wednesday, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO. How to watch the Chandrayaan-3 moon landing The Chandrayaan-3 moon landing is scheduled for 6:34 a.m. MDT on Aug. 23. A livestream of the event will begin on the ISROs official YouTube channel starting at 5:57 a.m. MDT. Watch the livestream below: An elderly man has been killed in the city of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, and 11 people have been injured in Kupiansk. On the morning of 21 August, the Russians attacked the village of Vovchanski Khutory in the Chuhuiv district. Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv blast Military Administration on Telegram; Kharkiv Oblast National Police Quote: "A 71-year-old man has been killed by a Russian attack on Vovchansk, Chuhuiv district. A private home, a flat in an apartment building and a healthcare facility building have been damaged in the city." photo: National Police of Ukraine Details: Oleh Syniehubov says Russia attacked the village of Vovchanski Khutory, Chuhuiv district, today, on 21 August, at about 8:00 (Kyiv time). An educational institution has been damaged. Information about the casualties is being established. photo: National Police of Ukraine ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In addition, 11 people have been wounded due to numerous artillery strikes on Kupiansk. Among the injured is a medical assistant. Civilian infrastructure, private homes, educational institutions and cars have been damaged. A private home and a gas pipeline have been damaged in the village of Kolisnykivka, Kupiansk district. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Russians conducted at least nine searches among representatives of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious organisation in temporarily occupied Crimea, and two house arrests were reported. Source: Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Human Rights Commissioner, on Telegram; a statement by the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Details: Lubinets said that a Russian secret service searched the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Armiansk, Simferopol, Saky and Dzhankoi. In total, the Russian Federation has opened more than 100 criminal cases against Crimeans on religious grounds, including 17 against Jehovah's Witnesses. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On 18 August, the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses said that at least nine searches of members' homes took place on 14 and 16 August. Quote: "In Simferopol, a search was conducted at the home of Kateryna Melnychuk. The woman felt sick, and her husband's blood pressure rose. Kateryna was informed that a criminal case had been opened against her and, after interrogation, was released on her own recognisance." "In Armiansk, security forces searched the man's two homes. After that, he was taken for interrogation. In the town of Saky, seven security officers in balaclavas, four of whom were armed, conducted a two-hour search of the house of a 62-year-old believer." Details: The Association is also aware of searches of Dmytro Zakharevych in Simferopol. The court placed him and another believer under house arrest. Details of the searches in Dzhankoi are not yet available. Background: In February 2023, the occupation court of Yalta sentenced four followers of the Church of Jehovah's Witnesses to various terms of imprisonment, accused of participating in the organisation and financing of an "extremist community". In October 2021, the so-called Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol illegally sentenced a follower of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious association, Ukrainian citizen Ihor Shmidt, to six years in a general regime prison. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Over the past day, Russias losses in killed, wounded, and taken prisoner on the Tavria front amounted to 232 military personnel (79 killed, 153 wounded). Source: Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the Tavriia Operational and Strategic Group of Forces on Telegram, General Staff of the Armed Forces on Facebook Quote: "In general, during the past day, the enemy attacked our positions 16 times and carried out 626 attacks, inflicted 15 air strikes. Artillery units of the Tavria Operational and Strategic Group of Forces performed 1248 combat missions during the day. Over the past day, the enemy's losses killed, wounded and captured amounted to 232 people (dead - 79, wounded - 153). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Destroyed 27 units of enemy military equipment. In particular, six tanks, six armored vehicles, eight artillery systems and mortars, one multiple-launch missile system, one anti-tank guided missile, one SPG gun, one unmanned aerial vehicle, two units of transport and one unit of special equipment. Six ammunition depots and one command and observation post were also destroyed." Details: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian forces continue the offensive on the Melitopol and Berdiansk fronts, are consolidating recently captured positions and carry out counterbattery measures. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted nine attacks on the clusters of Russian personnel. Units of the Rocket Forces and Artillery during the day targeted one command point and three artillery systems in firing positions. In total, during the day, the Russians launched 22 air strikes and carried out 30 attacks from multiple-launch missile systems on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and settlements. There were 22 combat clashes recorded. On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the Russians launched an air strike in the area south-west of Iskryskivshchyna in Sumy Oblast. They carried out mortar and artillery shelling of more than 20 settlements. On the Kupiansk front, the Russian forces launched an airstrike west of Mykolaivka. They led unsuccessful offensive operations in the area of Synkivka, Kharkiv Oblast. The settlements of Topoli, Masiutivka, Kyslivka, Berestove in Kharkiv Oblast were subjected to artillery and mortar attacks. On the Lyman front, the Russians launched air strikes in the areas of Shyikivka, Terny, Pyskunivka, Vesele in Donetsk Oblast. Around 15 settlements suffered from attacks. On the Bakhmut front, the Russians conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the vicinity of Kurdiumivka in Donetsk Oblast. They inflicted air strikes in the areas of Vesele, Klishchiivka, Kurdiumivka in Donetsk Oblast. Over 20 settlements suffered from artillery shelling. On the Avdiivka front, the settlements of Keramik, Stepove, Orlivka, Avdiivka, Sieverne, Pervomaiske in Donetsk Oblast were shelled. On the Marinka front, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to restrain the offensive of Russian troops in the vicinity of Marinka in Donetsk Oblast. The Russians launched an airstrike in the area of Krasnohorivka in Donetsk Oblast. The settlements of Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Pobieda, Kurakhove, Katerynivka, Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast were subjected to artillery shelling. On the Shakhtarsk front, the Russians launched an airstrike in the vicinity of Staromaiorsk in Donetsk Oblast. The settlements of Vodiane, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Blahodatne, Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast suffered from artillery shelling. On the Zaporizhzhia front, the Russians launched an airstrike in the area of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Over 30 settlements suffered from artillery shelling. On the Kherson front, the Russian forces launched air strikes in the areas of Olhivka and Sadove, Kherson Oblast. Over 20 settlements were subjected to artillery shelling. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! On 20 August, the Russian Armed Forces shelled Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka and Toretsk, injuring four civilians. Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office Details: "On 20 August 2023, the invaders once again shelled settlements in Donetsk Oblast. In particular, the cities of Avdiivka and Krasnohorivka, as well as the village of Petrivka and the city of Toretsk came under enemy fire. According to preliminary data, the Russian Armed Forces used artillery against the civilian population. As a result of hits on residential areas, four citizens received injuries of varying severity two women aged 51 and 57 and two men aged 54 and 81." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Details: It is reported that two victims of the shelling were on the territory of their own properties, and two more, a man and a woman, in vehicles when they were moving along one of the roads of the region. They were taken to hospital with shrapnel wounds, concussions and contusions. Explosions damaged residential buildings, fences, and outbuildings. The Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office is conducting pre-trial investigations in criminal proceedings on violations of the laws and customs of war (Article 438.1 of the Criminal Code). Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Russian invaders strengthened checks at the checkpoints in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Source: Ivan Fedorov, the legitimate mayor of temporarily occupied Melitopol, on Telegram Quote: "The occupiers are "closing the circle" even more and strengthening control in the Melitopol district. The Melitopol citizens report regular inspections at all checkpoints in the city and district. The occupiers thoroughly check phones, cars and passports." Details: Fedorov urged the city residents to be vigilant when crossing Russian checkpoints. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Russia filed a lawsuit against oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, who is worth $13 billion. The lawsuit alleges Melnichenko's purchase of power plant operator Sibeco five years ago was corrupt. The state is looking to seize Sibeco amid Putin's call for Russian tycoons to invest at home. Russia appears to be going ham on its billionaires lying low overseas as Moscow grapples with supporting its economy amid the war in Ukraine. Authorities have filed a lawsuit against Andrey Melnichenko, an oligarch now based in the United Arab Emirates, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The lawsuit filed earlier this month in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk alleges Melnichenko's purchase of power plant operator Sibeco five years ago was corrupt, the FT reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 2018, he bought the company for 36 billion rubles, or $571 million, from a former government minister who was later arrested in 2019 for embezzlement and fraud at another unnamed company. Russian state prosecutors are now planning to seize and nationalize Sibeco, per the FT. Melnichenko's representative confirmed to the FT that he received the lawsuit and that a legal team is working on the case. A hearing is scheduled for early September. The lawsuit against Melnichenko comes as the Kremlin pushes to get rich Russians to transfer their assets back home amid an exodus of high-net-worth individuals following the Ukraine war. At a gathering of business leaders in March, Putin called on those present to invest in Russia, Reuters reported. "A responsible entrepreneur is a real citizen of Russia, of his country, a citizen who understands and acts in its interests," Putin said, per Reuters' translation. "He does not hide assets offshore but registers companies here, in our country, and does not become dependent on foreign authorities." The ninth richest person in Russia, Melnichenko who has been sanctioned by the European Union and the US is worth $13 billion as of Monday, according to Bloomberg Billionaire's Index. His wealth is largely derived from majority stakes in fertilizer giant Eurochem and coal company Suek. In March 2022, Melnichenko whose mother is Ukrainian told Reuters in an interview that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was "truly tragic." Melnichenko did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent via his foundation outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider Russia's economic woes are creating opportunities for investors from the UAE to put money to work. Traders in the Gulf state have ramped up business in Russian oil and gold markets, the WSJ reported. Conversely, Russians are flocking to the UAE, bringing their wealth to its economy and sparking a real estate boom. Russia's difficult economic situation has resulted in deepening ties between the nation and the United Arab Emirates, which is seeing a cash from the warring country flood into its markets and economy. That's as sanctions and trade restrictions have weighed heavily on Russia's economy, cutting it off from billions of its foreign reserves and crimping its energy trade. But Russia is still selling plenty of oil, offering hefty to discounts to "friendly" nations who are gorging on cheap Russian crude. The markdowns have led UAE traders to snap up more discounted Russian oil and gold than ever before and ushering in a huge amount of wealth to the Middle Eastern nation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The UAE purchased a record 60 million barrels of Russian oil last year, according to Kpler data cited by the Wall Street Journal on Monday. Meanwhile, its purchases of Russian gold soared to $4 billion from February 2022 to March of this year, up from just $61 million in 2021, ImportGenius data shows. Meanwhile, Russians fleeing their country amid Putin's war in Ukraine has resulted in the UAE seeing an influx of immigrants, among them wealthy Russian oligarchs, who are flooding the local market with cash and investment capital. Foreign currency flowing into the country has grown about 20% per month since May of last year, Capital Economics data shows. Wealthy Russian immigrants are also fueling Dubai's hot housing market. Russians were the third-largest group of real estate buyers in Dubai over the last quarter, the real estate firm Betterhomes told the Journal, up from the ninth-largest group in 2021. Russia's economy meanwhile is in a state of turmoil. The nation's oil and gas revenue has crashed about 50%, Russia's finance ministry said in February. The Kremlin is also grappling with a $42 billion budget deficit as it tries to square the growing costs of its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Experts say the shift in capital from Russia to neighboring countries like Poland and further afield to places like the UAE will continue over the long run as trust in Putin to better the lives of Russian citizens deteriorates. Wealthy oligarchs and everyday Russian workers likely aren't coming back to the nation even after war in Ukraine ends, two Yale researchers told Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider After many months of delays caused by the country's costly and reprehensible invasion of Ukraine, Russia's Luna-25 mission finally set off this month to return the country to the surface of the Moon for the first time in 47 years. A lot was riding on the mission. The country's space program, Rocosmos, has already largely been cut off from the international space community due to Russia's belligerence, forcing it to blaze its own path. But it wasn't meant to be. Luna-25 slammed into the lunar surface over the weekend, according to a brief Roscosmos update posted to Telegram and that's a catastrophe for the credibility of the country's struggling space program, as modern-day Russia fails to follow up on the successes of the USSR. According to a "preliminary analysis" by Rocosmos, the craft "switched to an off-design orbit" right before it crashed. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "During the operation, an emergency situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the maneuver to be performed with the specified parameters," the state corporation wrote, as translated by Google. "The management team is currently analyzing the situation." The demise of Luna-25 couldn't have come at a worse time for the space agency. With the International Space Station's days already numbered, the country's presence in space could soon be undermined. Recent high-profile failures have even brought into question the dependability of Russia's number one space export, the Soyuz space capsule especially with SpaceX swooping in with its reusable Dragon capsule, giving the US and much of the Western world a vendor to greatly cut their dependability on Russia for access to orbit. And the situation has only gotten worse over the last couple of years. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put considerable pressure on the country's space program, with former Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin fanning the flames by making unhinged threats squarely aimed at the US (adding to the general aura of madness, Rogozin was subsequently sent to Ukraine, where he was reportedly injured by shelling). Roscosmos even went as far as to use its presence on the ISS to spread anti-Ukraine propaganda, a stunt that was met with outrage by NASA. It's the unfortunate culmination of decades of largely peaceful US-Russia cooperation on board the aging orbital outpost, a relationship that's bound to change once the station is decommissioned via de-orbiting through controlled thruster fires at the end of this decade. Even before its latest invasion, Russia's actions in space have raised many eyebrows among its collaborators. A 2020 anti-satellite missile launch, for instance, caused a defunct Russian communications satellite to break into thousands of pieces, which could "endanger commercial satellites and irrevocably pollute the space domain," according to a statement by US Space Command commander James Dickinson. "Russia has made space a warfighting domain by testing space-based and ground-based weapons intended to target and destroy satellites," Dickinson said. "This fact is inconsistent with Moscow's public claims that Russia seeks to prevent conflict in space." In 2023, the fate of Roscosmos doesn't look much better. With a strained budget, a greatly reduced demand for its Soyuz capsule, glaring technical issues the ISS was literally spun out of control due to Russian thrusters unexpectedly firing on more than one occasion and canceled international space exploration collaborations, the ailing agency is desperately looking for new sources of revenue. In the meantime, Russia's adversaries have made considerable steps towards returning astronauts to the Moon, with NASA successfully completing a flyby with its Orion spacecraft, setting the stage for the first crewed landing attempt since Apollo 17 in 1972. China has also successfully sent three landers, including two rovers, to the lunar surface, becoming only the third country to softly land on the Moon ten years ago, following the United States and the Soviet Union. While Russia and China have announced joint plans to establish a research station near the Moon's lunar south pole in the 2030s, it's anybody's guess whether those plans will end up panning out. Given the dramatic rise of its space program, China certainly has political and financial reasons to embark on the mission without Russia. There are plenty of signs the relationship between the two nations is already strained, from awkwardly overlapping plans to explore the south pole to China actively looking for new international collaborators. In short, the demise of the Luna-25 mission which was meant to follow up on the Soviet Union's Luna-24 mission in 1976, the USSR's third successful sample return mission is the last thing Russia's space program needs right now. Over three decades following the dissolution of the USSR, Russia joins a growing number of countries that have launched lunar landing missions that unceremoniously crash-landed, including Israel, India, and Japan. That's also in stark contrast to the country's lofty stated goals, from 3D-printed Moon bases to futuristic observatories designed to keep an eye out for dangerous asteroids. Of course, Russia isn't simply giving up, and Luna-26 and Luna-27 missions are already in the works. But as Ars Technica points out, nobody really knows when they'll actually launch, given Luna-25's considerable delays. In the longer term, whether the country still has a shot to revive its ailing space program and return it to its former Soviet Union-era glory is anybody's guess. But the space race is already well underway and Russia's already falling way behind. More on Luna-25: Russia Sends Back Photos From Trip to Moon Career Navy veteran Jimmie Billings, 84, sits in a reclining chair July 25 after waking up from a nap in his room at the Talihina Veterans Center. Billings is one of the 14 veterans still living at the center after the Oklahoma Veterans Commission voted to close it by Oct. 31. TALIHINA The veterans home sits on a 600-acre lot, nestled atop a hill overlooking the Kiamichi River Valley in southeast Oklahoma. A canopy of native oaks and pines shade the grounds trimmed laws from the blasting summer sun. Complete with the main hospital, an auditorium, a fishing pond and other amenities, the Talihina Veterans Center is a haven for aging service members who sought respite in a lush and serene place. But the states decision to close the center with the aim of mitigating monthly half a million dollar losses, and the siphoning of funds from other veterans services provided to help cover it, means the veterans living in Talihina need to leave a place many thought would be the last stop in their life journeys of service and sacrifice. The original plan was to time the closure with the opening of a veterans home in Sallisaw, just 90 minutes north, and move the veterans there. Costly construction mistakes have delayed the new facilitys completion to late next year or early 2025. The veterans must decide where theyd rather go instead. They could choose to move to any of the six other veterans homes across the state, to a private nursing home nearby or with a caretaker, if they have one. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Staying in the place they consider home is not among the options. We can choose where we want to go, but thats it. It feels like we are being forced to leave, said Danny Fitzwilliam, a 59-year-old Army veteran. More: An agency in turmoil, Oklahoma veterans left in limbo. Meet the man tasked with fixing it. Fitzwilliam served as a military police officer in the 1980s before transferring his experience to a 30-year career with the Oklahoma City Police Department. He lived at the Talihina Veterans Center for five months, and chose it because he became enamored with the Ouachita Mountains, which loom over the center and stretch far enough east to disappear into Arkansas. Had he known the center was going to close less than a year after he checked in, Fitzwilliam said he never would have gone there. Management called us into a meeting to let us know they are closing and that we have to leave. Nobody liked it, said Fitzwilliam. Some of the guys have been here for many years. I feel really sorry for them. Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state. Jimmie Billings, 84, served for 20 years as a Navy electronics technician and has lived at the center for two. After having served multiple tours during the Vietnam War, the native of nearby Le Flore County wanted to retire close to home. Billings said hes thinking about moving to the home in Sulphur, but that he plans on staying put until the last day he can. Fitzwilliam and Billings are among 36 veterans who were living in the center in June, when the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs announced its closure by Oct. 1. As of Aug. 10, only 14 veterans remained living in the center with a capacity for 175. The announcement prompted southeastern Oklahoma legislators Rep. Jim Grego and Sen. Warren Hamilton to issue news releases questioning the decision by the Oklahoma Veterans Commission. Grego toured the center and Hamilton had a behind-the-scenes conversation with Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, Secretary of State Brian Bingman and Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs John Nash, which caused the closing plans to pause, said Greg Slavonic, who has served as the Veteran Affairs Department interim director for five months. But a pause never truly occurred. The department continued working to move the veterans and reduce contractual nursing staff in an effort to close the home as soon as possible, said Slavonic, who himself is a career veteran and businessman, having served as the assistant secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and a senior leader at the Computer Sciences Corp. He said the half a million in monthly losses are attributed to overhead expenses to maintain the nearly 100-year-old building, labor costs and employee benefits and a lack of federal dollars received as per diems for each veteran who lives there. The cost of living at a state-run veterans center is split between the federal government, the state and the veterans themselves, depending on the percentage of their disability. This landed in my lap to resolve, Slavonic said. Looking at everything, this is a blend of taking care of our veterans and trying to make the right business decision thats best for the state of Oklahoma. So, I went to the Veterans Commission and asked them to do it. The alternative, he said, was to continue losing money in Talihina and being forced to ask the Legislature for more taxpayer dollars to cover those losses and the cost of construction delays in Sallisaw. The home in Sallisaw was originally priced at $77 million, but the Veterans Commission asked lawmakers for an additional $21.7 million this year to complete the building. So far, $10.8 million have been granted by legislators to the state Department of Veterans Affairs, while another equal amount is expected to be voted on during the 2024 legislative session. Its like going on deployment The veterans forced to leave Talihina have first dibs on private rooms at the new home in Sallisaw when it opens, Slavonic said, even if they move to another home in the interim. While veterans are being taken from Talihina to centers across the state, those who choose not to relocate now can stay until Oct. 31, the latest closing date determined by the department, he said. I know there are three veterans down there that want to stay until the last day, and thats fine, Slavonic said. They can stay, but at some point, they need to determine where theyre going to go. Billings is one of them. Sitting in a reclining chair in his room, surrounded by the essentials his phone, his wheelchair, a notebook, tissues and a TV remote he said leaving the place he calls home, just to be moved again when the Sallisaw location becomes an option, is like being in the military all over again. His wife, Mary, passed away 13 years ago and his three children are grown and working in Le Flore County, unable to take him in. As far as he is concerned, Billings is at the whim of the state. When they tell me Im gone, well, Im gone. I would say from what it looks like, it wont be much longer, Billings said. Its like going on deployment for a year or so, waiting to go home. Right now this is home, and I guess Sallisaw would be my new home, but I am kind of in limbo between the two. He said one of the primary reasons hes come to love living at the Talihina Veterans Center is the relationships hes built with nurses and other staff tasked with taking care of him. Half of the staff you know, or you know their families, Billings said. More: Sallisaw construction error causes difficult choice on Talihina veterans center In the days after the announcement of the closure, the veterans living at the home had their belongings packed into boxes and were made to share rooms on the first floor, as wings on the second and third floors were closed, said Sarah Breshears, the centers administrator. The set-up, for some, was reminiscent of living in barracks and common rooms when they first enlisted. As more veterans started choosing other centers to move to and their numbers dwindled, they were once again afforded privacy in their own rooms, Breshears said. During a tour of the main hospital and living quarters led by Breshears, veterans were spread out along the first floor keeping to themselves. While most were napping in their rooms, one was smoking in the courtyard, one was sitting in the physical therapy and fitness room in his wheelchair watching TV. Another gave Breshears a hug and kiss on the side of the head, having just finished spending more than an hour shining his leather boots. A Vietnam War Veteran hat sat high on his head. The staff, made up primarily of state employed and contracting nurses, were eating lunch, cleaning, running errands within the center or huddled in small groups talking. They appeared to be waiting. Waiting for something to do or happen, and waiting for the day when they, too, would be scattered to find new jobs. Concerns about quality of care at Talihina Veterans Center Administrator Sarah Breshears leads a tour of the Talihina Veterans Center on July 25. The center includes a complete hospital with a resident physician, pharmacist, physical therapists and nursing staff. Though Billings and Fitzwilliam said the care theyve received at the Talihina Veterans Center has been adequate and friendly, locals and former staff members expressed worry about how the closing operations, specifically the reduction of force, would affect veterans physical and mental health. Some worry they will be left waiting to be fed, for wheelchair assistance, changes of clothing and showers. A review of the Veterans Affairs Department and the Talihina home by the state auditors office in 2017, when plans to close the center began taking shape, found a toxic work environment throughout the state agency, wrought with vindictive terminations of staff and inadequate care for veterans in multiple homes, in some cases leading to the deaths of residents and the resignation of medical professionals. Slavonic said he became aware of the audit when he assumed his position and noticed the issues stated in the audit were ignored. The discrepancies listed in that report were not addressed and were not resolved, Slavonic said, There was no report given back to the state auditor on those discrepancies. One of the first things I wanted to do was conduct a climate survey of all the employees and request as honest feedback as I could get from them. I found there was not a healthy work environment here at ODVA. There was harassment and bullying and so many employees had not had pay raises for seven to 10 years. Individuals feared for their jobs, he said. There was no evidence of mistreatment or inadequate care of the veterans during an Oklahoma Watch tour of the center, and the two men who agreed to be interviewed made no indication that the quality of their care had fallen short. Veterans centers across Oklahoma, however, have a history of neglectful treatment of their residents, and it remains unclear the degree to which the situation at the center was sanitized before my arrival. Investigations conducted by The Journal Record and The Tulsa World dating back more than a decade show multiple cases of abuse and neglect in Oklahomas veterans homes. In 2011, an employee at the Norman center was charged with rape and oral sodomy against patients with advanced dementia. In 2012, a veteran was left to boil in a whirlpool bath at the home in Claremore, which caused his skin to flake off of his body he died 10 hours later. In 2017, a veteran in Talihina was left bedridden for two months and became infested with maggots and developed bed sores, eventually dying of sepsis. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, relatives of veterans at the Lawton home discovered family members were having their hygiene neglected and were being left in their wheelchairs for more than 24 hours at a time. Except for the one in Talihina, all the centers mentioned already have seen veterans move there in the past month. The investigations by local news outlets and the Veterans Affairs Department repeatedly have attributed lapses in care to poor staffing levels, lack of proper training for nurses and inadequate leadership. Breshears, the Talihina centers administrator, dismissed the idea that the veterans are not being cared for properly because the number of nurses has been reduced. She confirmed that nurses on contract with the state are being let go as they are no longer needed, but that the standard of care for the veterans remains. She said contractual nurses are being let go for two reasons: because the number of veterans at the center no longer justifies their need, and the Veterans Affairs Department is trying to save money by staffing fewer contract nurses, who get paid nearly double that of state employees. Its just not good business sense to have 23 contract staff, in addition to 80 state staff, when you only have 14 residents, Breshears said. Staff is usually reduced in direct proportion to the number of residents, so were actually overstaffed at this point. By Aug. 10, there were 66 state employees at the center, with more than 30 having accepted severance packages or transferred to another state veterans center, Slavonic said. Why leaders say closing the veterans center is in the best interest of veterans, residents Both Slavonic and Breshears said closing the Talihina Veterans Center is in the best interest of Oklahomas veterans and residents. Slavonic said he tried to think of the situation from all angles, considering what is best for Oklahomas veterans but focusing on doing right by the states taxpayers. From the standpoint of being good stewards of the taxpayers dollars, thats why I made the decision to move forward with the commissions recommendation to close the facility earlier than next November or December, when we hope the Sallisaw home will be complete he said. Operating at a loss of half a million a month, that number wouldve been somewhere around $9.5 million by then. When the Talihina center comes up short each month, in large part because of the low occupancy meaning fewer federal dollars, the department is forced to pull money from other centers and services provided to veterans across the state, Breshears said. It doesnt just affect our veterans, it affects every veteran. If were losing half a million a month, then were taking from veterans, she said. It is a sad situation for the veterans here, but we need to look at the greater good, too. We can provide equal or better care at other facilities. Billings, the career Navy veteran, said he feels like his and his fellow veterans best interests have been set aside for the sake of a dollar amount. The whole operation was not well planned out by the people who make the decisions in Oklahoma City. Theyre just looking at money, I guess, he said. Now theyre farming people out to other places, and theyre going to wind up having to move them back to this area again. If it were up to him, Billings said, the state Department of Veterans Affairs would find a way to keep the Talihina home open until everyone can move to Sallisaw together. All my family and friends are from this area, he said. I am perfectly happy right here. Lionel Ramos is a Report for America corps member who covers race and equity issues for Oklahoma Watch. Contact him at 405-905-9953 or lramos@oklahomawatch.org. Follow him on Twitter at @LionelRamos_. Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The Talihina Veterans Center is closing. What's next for veterans? FILE - Members of SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) hold up signs during a demonstration in front of the archdiocese headquarters in San Francisco, March 29, 2010. San Francisco's Roman Catholic archdiocese filed for bankruptcy Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, saying the filing is necessary to manage more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Franciscos Roman Catholic archdiocese filed for bankruptcy Monday, saying the filing is necessary to manage more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials. The Chapter 11 protection filing will stop all legal actions against the archdiocese and thus allow it to develop a settlement plan with abuse survivors, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said in a statement. The unfortunate reality is that the Archdiocese has neither the financial means nor the practical ability to litigate all of these abuse claims individually, and therefore, after much consideration, concluded that the bankruptcy process was the best solution for providing fair and equitable compensation to the innocent survivors who have been harmed, Cordileone said. The San Francisco Archdiocese is the third Bay Area diocese to file for bankruptcy after facing hundreds of lawsuits brought under a California law approved in 2019 that allowed decades-old claims to be filed by Dec. 31, 2022. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland filed for bankruptcy in May. The Diocese of Santa Rosa became the first one in California to file for Chapter 11 protection, in March. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The overwhelming majority of the more than 500 claims stem from allegations of sexual abuse that occurred 30 or more years ago involving priests who are no longer active in ministry or are deceased, said Cordileone. Survivors of clergy sex abuse victims criticized the bankruptcy filing, calling it a ploy to keep information hidden. Cordileone will use every tactic and tool at his disposal to continue to run from the truth. He refuses to identify offenders in his diocese, he attempts legal maneuvers to eliminate the California Child Victims Act, and now he is attempting a last-ditch effort to hide the truth behind bankruptcy, Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing over 125 survivors in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, said in a statement. The Archdiocese of San Francisco is the only diocese in California yet to release a list of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse, Anderson said. SNAP, a survivors network for clergy sex abuse victims, said it doubts the Archdiocese is as financially strapped as it claims. We seriously doubt that the Archdiocese of San Francisco does not have the assets to settle these lawsuits," SNAP said in a statement. We can only hope that the federal judge closely examines the Archdioceses real estate holdings, which are spread across three of the richest counties in the United States. Cordileone said in his statement that a list of priests and deacons who are in good standing can be found on the Archdiocese website. He said those under investigation for alleged child sexual abuse are prohibited from exercising public ministry and are removed from the list. Cordileone has established himself as one of the most prominent and outspoken of the hard-line conservatives within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He attracted national attention in May 2022 when he said that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco resident, would be barred from receiving Communion in his archdiocese because of her support for abortion rights. The San Francisco Archdiocese serves about 440,000 Catholics in the counties of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo. San Francisco is getting ready to tell robotaxi operators: not so fast. Officials say they will appeal a decision allowing robotaxis to operate across the whole city. A decision to greenlight citywide services has proven to be controversial amid accidents. San Francisco wants robotaxi operators to slow things down amid a series of unfortunate events. Not long after the rollout of citywide services was greenlit, reports emerged of driverless Cruise vehicles being involved in separate crashes. This led the company to confirm on Friday that it would slash its robotaxi operation by half. And last week, a Cruise vehicle without passengers reportedly got stuck in wet concrete. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Now, officials are preparing to appeal the decision that allowed robotaxi companies, including Cruise a division of General Motors and Alphabet-owned Waymo, to roam the city day and night. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed motions to the California Public Utilities Commission, the regulatory body that voted in favor of full-scale robotaxi services this month, asking for permits to be temporarily suspended, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The motions, seen by the paper, said "San Francisco will suffer serious harm" if companies like Cruise and Waymo are "allowed expansion in the city with no limitations on geographic area, service hours and fleet size." Aaron Peskin, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, also told Axios last week that he planned to appeal the decision by the CPUC. Preparations to appeal the decision came after the CPUC voted 3-for-1 in favor of allowing robotaxi services to introduce paid-for taxi services across the whole of San Francisco. Previously, Waymo could only offer rides without charge and Cruise was limited to operating in about a third of San Francisco. The companies accepted the restrictions issued by regulators to win their confidence by proving the safety of their robotaxis under strict rules. However, San Francisco residents have been increasingly vocal about their city becoming a dangerous test-bed for driverless car technology amid fears the robotaxis will cause havoc. Given the recent crashes and breakdowns, their fears may not be unfounded. In a statement, a Waymo spokesperson said: "We fully support the CPUC's carefully considered decision to authorize Waymo to charge fares for driverless rides. "We will follow this development closely, and in the meantime, we will continue to work with the city of San Francisco in constructive ways while providing safe and accessible mobility to San Franciscans." Cruise spokesperson Hannah Lindow told Insider in a statement: "The CPUC's decision was the result of a months-long process that saw public input and support from accessibility groups, labor unions, and community advocates--culminating in a six hour public comment period where the majority supported expanded AV access. "It's unfortunate to see the city use public resources to bypass that decision and restrict a technology with an excellent safety record used by tens of thousands of SF residents." Read the original article on Business Insider Jane Curtin , one of Saturday Night Lives original cast members, has reacted to the popular sketch show decades later. The now-75-year-old actor and comedian, who currently stars in director Marc Turtletaubs new film, Jules, first made a name for herself performing on Lorne Michaels NBC live comedy show from 1975 to 1980. A couple of years ago, Curtin said she had been sent a compilation video of Saturday Night Lives first five years. I gave one to my daughter, she told People in a new interview. We were out visiting her daughter one Christmas and her husband said, Have you ever watched any of these? And I said, God, I havent seen them in a long time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After picking one to watch, Curtin recalled: We sat around the TV, and I had that sort of anticipatory, open-mouth grin that people have when theyre waiting for something to happen, that they know is going to be really great. And... it never happened. It wasnt funny. Not one thing was funny. There was not one utterance of a laugh or a giggle. Curtin explained to People that she thinks it was just one of those, you had to be there in the moment things. Thats what happens with live TV, and with topical TV. It gets dated after a while. Remember, this was almost 50 years ago, she said. But after we rewatched, I was like, That really wasnt a very good show. It was terrible! Jane Curtin on Saturday Night Live (Saturday Night Live YouTube) Curtins most notable roles on SNL included serving as the Weekends News Update anchor alongside Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. One of her fan-favourite sketches, The Coneheads, in which she and Akroyd appeared as an alien family who had to blend in on Earth, was so successful that it went on to inspire the feature-length 1993 sci-fi comedy, Coneheads. Following her career-making turn on SNL, Curtin later starred in the six-season sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun, which aired from 1996 to 2001. She also appeared in the 2018 comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me and, more recently, in an episode of fellow SNL alum Pete Davidsons comedy-drama Bupkis. Curtin can currently be seen opposite Ben Kingsley and Harriet Sansom Harris in Jules, which follows a man whose quiet life in rural Pennsylvania becomes upended after a UFO crashes in his backyard. After he befriends the extraterrestrial, however, things quickly become complicated when two friends discover his secret and the government closes in. Jules does not yet have a UK release date. Saugus firefighter, Navy veteran honored on stage during Zac Brown Band show at Fenway Park A Saugus firefighter who is also a decorated Navy veteran was honored on stage during the Zac Brown Band show at Fenway Park on Saturday night. Greg Cinelli was thanked for his service in front of the sellout crowd at Americas most beloved ballpark. Saugus Firefighters Local 1003 shared a video of Cinelli saluting the cheering fans as Zac Brown Band played their hit song, Chicken Fried. God bless America. Thank you for all your service, Zac Brown could be heard saying at the conclusion of the song. Since being posted to Facebook on Sunday morning, the video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Protestors hung up signs outside of Teutonia Gas & Food, 4295 N. Teutonia Ave., where Isaiah Allen, 29, was shot and killed Wednesday. A gas stations security guard who was previously convicted of homicide decades ago and was barred from possessing guns was charged in the shooting death of Isaiah Allen on Sunday. Prosecutors charged William Pinkin, 56, with first-degree intentional homicide in a case that has drawn scrutiny to the gas station who employed him and the states laws on private security. The criminal complaint alleges Pinkin shot Allen in the back of the head after witnessing him take a box of snack cakes and walking out. He was a really good person. He didnt deserve to die like that, said Zavien Easter Bryant, a cousin of Allen. It doesnt make sense. It doesnt feel real to anybody. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Protests have been held outside the gas station, Teutonia Gas & Food, 4295 N. Teutonia Ave., since Allen, 29, was killed Wednesday. The business remained closed Tuesday. Heres what you need to know about the incident: Who is Isaiah Allen? Allen, of Milwaukee, was a father of two children ages 3 and 9, according to Bryant. He said on the day of the shooting, Allen was planning to leave for Tennessee and check into a drug rehabilitation center. Bryant said Allen suffered from mental health issues but didn't detail them. "My son was a loving father, a great son, a wonderful brother and the funniest uncle in the world," Allen's mother, Natalie Easter Allen, said in a statement. Who is William Pinkin? Pinkin, also of Milwaukee, was a security guard employed by Teutonia Gas & Food, according to the criminal complaint. Online court records show Pinkin was convicted of first-degree reckless homicide and robbery in Milwaukee County in 1989. He shot the clerk of a smoke shop in the head with a sawed-off shotgun during a robbery in May of that year, according to court records. One of his accomplices told police that Pinkin laughed about the shooting afterward. He was released on state supervision in March of this year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Pinkin began working at the gas station in late spring or early summer, according to Monashay Howard, who lives near the gas station and has been active in demonstrations after Allen's death. Howard, who ran a food stand outside the gas station, said Pinkin was "very erratic" but not known to carry a gun. Pinkin hadn't been assigned a lawyer as of Monday morning, according to the Wisconsin State Public Defenders Office. What happened at the gas station? Police recovered surveillance camera footage, which showed the entirety of the incident. According to the criminal complaint: Allen entered the store shortly before 6:20 a.m. Wednesday while a security guard was seated in the back of the business. Video shows Allen grabbed a box of Little Debbie snack cakes and left with it. The security guard rose from his chair and approached Allen while producing a handgun. Within about arms distance, the guard shot Allen in the back of the head. While waiting for police to respond, the guard calmly smoked a cigarette. He told officers he works at the store but didn't see the shooting. He then left the scene. Pinkin was later identified and arrested. What is Pinkins status as a security guard? Pinkin didn't have a permit to act as a security guard, according to online records from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. As a convicted felon, he was also barred from possessing a gun. However, Wisconsin doesn't require security guards who are directly employed by a business to obtain a permit, according to the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Anyone who wants to work as a security guard for a private security agency must obtain a permit. They are not eligible for those who have been arrested under suspicion of a misdemeanor or convicted of a felony. Armed security professionals are required to complete 36 hours of firearms training, according to the Department of Safety and Professional Services. What is the status of the gas station? The owner of Teutonia Gas & Food, Gurinder Nagra, said what happened "was just insane" and that Pinkin had been working for him for a little more than a month. "I didnt know he was carrying a gun. He was not supposed to do that," Nagra said. He asked the Journal Sentinel to contact his attorney for further comment. Calls to the attorney were not returned Monday afternoon. The business remained closed while protesters adorned the building with signs saying "Revoke their license now" and "Closed for justice." Allen's family and activists held a news conference on Tuesday outside the gas station. Many who spoke talked about businesses, that are not Black-owned, causing more problems for the Black community than they are providing benefits. Many who spoke insist that the gas station should be shut down. Natalie Easter Allen is the mother of Isaiah Allen, who prosectors say was shot and killed by a gas station security guard on Aug. 16. Ald. Andrea Pratt, who represents the area, said in a news release she has many questions about armed security that I am looking into" and called for the business to remain closed during the investigation. Howard called the business an "accessory to murder" and said residents were disappointed it failed the community after becoming something of a neighborhood hub. "I feel like within our community, we found a way to make it to work for us and use it as an access point," she said. Pratt said businesses shouldn't be able to include security in their operations if it's not credentialed by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. She said she would explore legislation that further regulates private security. When businesses operate in our neighborhoods, they choose to become part of our community, which means they have a responsibility to uphold as a community establishment, Pratt said. Drake Bentley contributed to this report. Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Guard charged in Milwaukee gas station shooting had prior homicide conviction JONESTOWN, Texas (KXAN) With a breathtaking view overlooking central Texas Lake Travis, a new home being built in Jonestown is drawing some attention from neighbors. The nearly 7,500-square-foot house has zero wood, brick, or insulation. It is completely made of foam. I think the neighbors might have thought I was crazy when they saw the truckloads of foam pull up, Aaron Rowsell, the homeowner of the three-story house in Jonestown, explained. Rowsell, a former contractor himself, first heard of homes being built with foam about 20 years ago. He said if he ever was going to build his dream home, foam was the material he wanted to use. Kansas City Public Schools releasing early all week amid excessive heat Strata International Group Inc. is the Phoenix-based company that developed this groundbreaking building technique. It is known as SABS, or Saebi Alternative Building System, named after its creator Dr. Nasser Saebi. How does it work? The company creates large blocks of foam, which are made up of 98% air, that can be shaped and glued together to create the skeleton of the home. Pieces of foam are glued together using a type of liquid foam that cures fast. The walls, the floor, the stairs, everything (except the homes foundation) is foam. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Once the shape of the house is built, the company coats the entire structure with a patent concrete mixture known as sabscrete. A quarter-inch of the mixture is placed on the entire home to give it a hard shell and more durable structure. Both the foam and concrete mixture are 100% recyclable, according to the company. A side view of Rowsells home as the final touches are put on the shell. (KXAN Photo/Dylan McKim) Homeowners can then customize how they want the interior and exterior of the home to look. Amir Saebi, the vice president of Strata International Group, provided 3D renderings, seen below, of Rowsells home to show what it will eventually look like. A 3D rendering of Rowsells home that shows how it will look when completed (Courtesy Strata International Group Inc.) How does it differ from traditional construction? The company said the SABS method provides major cost savings to the homeowner and the builder during construction. Because the foam is lightweight, the need for a large construction crew is not necessary. Saebi said Rowsells home can be built using four to five people. Plus, it is cheaper to build with just foam, rather than building with wood. Less material used, less labor used, Saebi explained. Nexstars KXAN got to watch the final piece of foam installed on a portion of the roof. It took four workers to slide the piece into place. Royals to release renderings of proposed $2 billion baseball stadium Sometimes you just shake your head at how theyre putting up a four-foot by four-foot beam that two or three guys are carrying, where as traditional building, you would have a crane out here putting that thing into place, Rowsell said. The work site is quieter than the construction site you are used to seeing. The crew does not use saws to cut the foam. Instead, they use a tool called a hot knife that can cut any shape you want out of the foam. Saebi said the foam home does not need insulation at all because the material is already a great insulator. The company claims its system is the most efficient insulator out of any other building system. That means less energy is used to heat and cool your home. There are also cost savings on maintenance that regular homes go through, such as termite control or treating mold. No wood in your house means no termites, and the foam will not mold, Saebi said. Is it safe? Saebi said the company has permits to build in all 50 states that it obtained through the International Code Council. The company says its homes can withstand earthquakes and are fire-resistant. Saebi even said the foam structures have been put through models to show it can withstand wind speeds up to 265 miles per hour for comparison, a hurricane with sustained winds of 157 miles per hour or more is considered a Category 5, according to the National Hurricane Center. An EF 5 tornado has three-second gusts of winds exceeding 200 miles per hour, the National Weather Service explains. The first-ever home built by the company was completed in the early 2000s in Scottsdale, Arizona. Strata has also constructed foam homes in California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia, will meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Athens on Tuesday, where an informal summit of the Western Balkans is taking place. Source: Vucic on Monday, reports European Pravda with reference to the PTS Details: The president of Serbia noted that he will meet with Zelenskyy at the request of the Ukrainian president. Quote: "I will have a bilateral meeting with him, so I will sit down and talk with Zelenskyy privately about everything that has happened recently regarding the Republic of Kosovo, the recognition and non-recognition of territorial integrity and all other issues," he added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Vucic expressed hope that the conversation with the Ukrainian president will be "nice and open". He also announced an appeal to the citizens of Serbia, during which he will "openly talk about what is happening". Background: Before that, the only time the presidents of Serbia and Ukraine met was on 1 June, when Zelenskyy and Vucic briefly spoke face to face on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Chisinau. On Monday, the president of Ukraine arrived in Greece to participate in the summit on the Balkans. It is reported that the Ukrainian leader will be among the guests of the informal dinner, invited by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The meetings agenda will include European integration of the region, energy security in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe, sanctions against Russia which Serbia has not introduced, and the latter's dialogue with the Republic of Kosovo. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A British nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder another six was sentenced on Monday to the most severe, rarely used punishment possible under local lawslife without parole. The verdicts against Lucy Letby, 33, were made public last Friday at the end of what is believed to have been the longest murder trial in U.K. history. The appalling scale of her crimes over a 12-month killing spree beginning in June 2015 at a hospital where she worked makes her the most prolific serial child killer in modern British history. British Nurse Guilty of Murdering 7 Babies and Attempting to Kill More In recognition of the exceptional nature of her case, a judge at a court in Manchester on Monday sentenced Letby to a whole life order, meaning she will never be released from prison. Letby is now only the third woman alive in Britain to be given the sentence, with the other two being Joanna Dennehywho stabbed three men to death 10 years ago in what became known as the Peterborough ditch murdersand Rose West, who infamously helped her husband torture and kill at least nine young women throughout the 1970s and 1980s. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During the sentencing, Mr. Justice Goss called Letbys crimes a cruel, calculated, and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children. There was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions, he added. At trial, prosecutors said Letby would often target her infant victims at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England at night when their parents were less likely to be visiting. The court heard that she fatally injected seven babies with air, attempted to kill another two using insulin, and tried to murder one by pushing a nasogastric tube down his throat. Judge Goss said Letby had acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and that while she was outwardly a very conscientious, hardworking, knowledgeable nurse, those traits allowed Letby to harm babies for some time. He said Letby had a detached enthusiasm for attempting to revive critically ill infants and that she had callously made inappropriate comments to co-workers and worried parents before and after her killings. Goss added that Letby had retained hundreds of medical documents as morbid records of the dreadful events surrounding your victims and what you had done to them but said it was not his place to reach conclusions about the underlying reasons for Letbys crimes. Loving parents have been robbed of their cherished children and others have to live with the physical and mental consequences of your actions, Goss said. Siblings have been deprived of brothers and sisters. You have caused deep psychological trauma, brought enduring grief and feelings of guilt, caused strains in relationships and disruption to the lives of all the families of all your victims. Although his comments were addressed to Letby, she refused to appear in court during the sentencing hearing. The judge instead ordered that she be given a copy of his sentencing remarks, as well as the harrowing victim impact statements made by her victims grieving relatives. Lucy Letby has destroyed our lives, said the father of triplets, two of whom were killed by Letby, according to the BBC. The anger and the hatred I have towards her will never go away. It has destroyed me as a man and as a father. The mother of another baby killed by Letby said she wore sunglasses for a year after her daughters death to hide the pain and tears from my kids as I didnt want to upset them as they were also struggling. The mom added that she remembers her whole body shaking when she was informed of Letbys arrest. I dont think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her, she said. Letby is now just the fourth woman in British history sentenced to a whole-life order. In addition to the three living women, child killer Myra Hindley was serving the sentence at the time of her death in 2002. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. People cross Montgomery Street as they walk towards the entrance of the J. Tom Coleman Courthouse on Tuesday. This column is part of a weekly round-up of notable grand jury indictments and court decisions, following through on cases reported by Savannah Morning News public safety reporter Drew Favakeh. If there are cases you're curious about, email Drew at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com. Judge orders rapper Quando Rondo to stop driving, submit to drug screenings In a hearing held on July 27, the state presented the court with allegations that Tyquian Bowman, a Savannah resident and rapper also known by the name Quando Rondo, violated his bail bond. According to the state's allegations, on July 19, Bowman was "speeding while traveling north on Truman Parkway and ultimately struck another vehicle, causing the vehicle Defendant operated to roll over multiple times." Additionally, the state alleged that emergency services administered Narcan to Bowman, who was "exhibiting signs of an overdose." Quando Rondo shared this picture of him and his close friend and distant cousin on Instagram after Robinson was shot and killed in Los Angeles. More: Saviay'a Robinson, rapper Quando Rondo's cousin, killed in L.A. one week before Savannah trial ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Previous Coverage: Quando Rondo named in gang indictment, accused of trafficking drugs "While the State's Motion was to revoke Defendant's bond, the State recommended at the hearing imposing an ankle monitor and drug screens," according to a copy of the motion. "The defense argued no grounds exist for revocation or ankle monitoring." Chatham County Superior Court Judge Tammy Stokes wrote in the order that "Defendant would be well served to keep in mind the possible consequences including, but not limited to, incarceration for the pendency of his case of violating the conditions of his bail bond," Stokes wrote. "Nevertheless, the evidence at this time falls short of warranting the revocation of Defendant's bail bond." Stokes ultimately amended the bond provisions, adding two conditions that Bowman shall not operate a motor vehicle and must submit to random drug screenings. Two men indicted for hiding woman's body On Aug. 2, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Reginald Antonio Anderson and Freddie Lee Jackson for concealing the death of a person. The prosecutors charge that on July 8, 2018, Anderson and Jackson concealed the death of 25-year-old Alexa "Lexi" Brodak. They allegedly left her body in an overgrown area off West Boundary Street near Cohen Street, the prosecutors allege. According to previous media reports, Brodak was found dead around 3:30 p.m. At the time of her death, she worked as a waitress at the Cotton Exchange Tavern on River Street and had a two-year-old son. In additional court filings, the state alleged that Anderson provided the victim drugs, which either caused or at least substantially contributed to her death. She was thus a piece of evidence he had to get rid of, according to the states motion to present evidence of other crimes. The state is requesting that Andersons federal drug charges and convictions should come into evidence. According to federal records, Anderson was sentenced to 125 months in prison and three years of supervised release on Feb. 9, 2022. Anderson was charged with distribution of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), which prosecutors charged that he knowingly and intentionally distributed twice on June 5, 2018, and once on June 12, 2018. The state also seeks to introduce evidence that Jackson was on a judicially ordered ankle monitor at the time of the crime. An ankle monitor was placed on Jackson for child sex offenses, according to the motion, but the state does not intend to present that conviction or charge, just the fact that he was on the ankle monitor. Woman indicted for murder in 2021 shooting death On Aug. 16, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Deandre Miller for felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Prosecutors are charging that, on July 2, 2021, Miller shot and killed Arthur Boston. According to previous media reports, the shooting occurred at Avery Street and Wilder Drive. Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County Ga court updates for August 21 Seven pedestrians have been injured after a car ploughed into a crowd of people in the heart of Manhattan. The shocking incident unfolded on Sunday night when a 29-year-old woman, who has not been named, went on a car crash rampage across New York City, according to the NYPD. Police said that the woman first drove through a crowd in Midtown Manhattan, injuring six men aged 24 to 61 and one 34-year-old woman. None of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries, reported ABC7. Following the crash, the driver allegedly took off in the car, driving through the Midtown Tunnel and into Queens. Sometime later, she was involved in a three-car crash on the Long Island Expressway, police said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement No one was injured in this crash and the drivers of the two other vehicles were able to drive off in the aftermath. Police said that the woman from Belle Mead, New Jersey was taken into police custody and is currently being evaluated by medical professionals. Her identity is currently unknown. It is also unclear what charges she may face and what events may have led up to the incident. A Central Florida woman was struck by lightning the day before a Beyonce concert. Rebecca Soto was walking her dog in the Orlando area Tuesday evening when the weather turned. Her husband, Lauro Soto, told local station News 6 that she was busy painting her nails and trying on outfits, prepping to attend the pop stars Renaissance World Tour stop at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa with friends the following night. At some point, she took their dog Drake out for a walk; all of a sudden, Lauro says he heard a loud boom. When he ran outside, he saw his wife lying face down, completely limp. Rebecca Soto was taken to a nearby hospital, where she is still recovering, according to a GoFundMe page. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Becca was in critical condition for several days, says says the online fundraiser asking for $45,000. There were burns head to toe from the lightning strike. She was on life support and even underwent therapeutic hypothermia to help preserve her brain function as she was without oxygen for so long. The page goes on to say there is a long road of recovery ahead physically, mentally and emotionally. As of Monday, the GoFundMe had raised more than $25,000. Gloucester, Virginia utility worker Patrick Millen describes himself as pro-Second Amendment all the way, every day. The 56-year-old lifelong resident considers himself a responsible gun owner, and doesnt think his constitutional right to bear arms should be infringed upon in any way. At the same time, Millen told The Daily Beast on Monday, Everybody knows you aint supposed to have guns on school property. On Saturday evening, a small group of men in camouflage showed up at the Thomas Calhoun Walker Education Center, toting military-style rifles. Their leader, Mike Dunn, has long been affiliated with the Boogaloo Bois, a loosely organized anti-government extremist group aiming to foment a second Civil War. He told local reporters that he and his armed crew were there to publicly decry the felony charges laid against four associates who showed up to a Gloucester School Board meeting at the same location on July 11, carrying concealed handguns. We will protest on August 19th and try to force them to perform arrests, Dunn announced on social media. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The crew of about five showed up to demonstrate with weapons on school premises, contravening established regulations, according to a Monday statement from the Gloucester School Board. The event occurred without proper authorization, and in addition to bringing deadly weapons along with them, the organizers did not follow the protocols for conducting events on school grounds. By his own account, Dunn was practically taunting law enforcement to put him and the others in handcuffs. Ill probably face a felony charge after this, he told a reporter at the scene. 6) "I'll probably face a felony charge after this, I don't know," Mike Dunn said as the rally wrapped up where his group carried firearms on the same property four men were charged with felonies last month for carrying firearms on at the school board meeting. I asked Mike what pic.twitter.com/cV2n0Tqmpp Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) August 20, 2023 But, while police immediately arrested those who carried pistols into the school board meeting last month, law enforcement wasnt on hand at all during Saturdays protest. Instead, sheriffs deputies monitored the event remotely to ensure the safety of all individuals present, according to the school boards statement. Millen, for one, thinks the demonstrators should have been held accountable, and wonders why nothing happened. Aside from a modest clutch of apparent counter-protesters who shouted slogans such as, Everybody likes our Second Amendment, but get off of our school property with it, Dunn and his armed associates were left entirely unchallenged. I do believe there should have been charges pressed on them, Millen told The Daily Beast. ... You cant go into post offices, or any federal reservation, or onto a government installation with them, so why would you go on school property with them?... I don't care a whole lot for the way they go about doing things. It makes people who are pro-Second Amendment look like kooks. The morning of the protest, the Gloucester County Sheriffs Office said it was aware that attendees will be open carrying firearms during this event as supported by the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and that they were taking the necessary measures to help ensure that these individuals are able to express their rights peacefully. After it concluded, the sheriffs office announced that there had been no incidents to report, and that it would have no further comment about the event. Sheriff Darrell Warren and his top brass, along with Gloucester Countys public affairs officer, did not respond to a request for comment on Monday about why no officers were assigned to the protest and why no arrests had been made. Dean Vines, a social worker in Gloucester County, said on Monday that he would like to believe charges are in the works. I hope arrests are coming, Vines told The Daily Beast. I hope the sheriff was just depriving them of attention and avoiding escalating the situation, with follow-up warrants to come. That would be prudent. Vines, 71, called the Boogaloo Bois clowns who have been co-opted as unwitting distractions for the real perpetrators, namely, right-wing dark money groups trying to undermine public education nationwide. I hope good people everywhere wake up and speak out against threats to local officials, Vines said. They are citizens serving for the good of fellow citizens The media and others including local officials treat it as if it occurs in a vacuum. It is systematic targeting. The poor folks buying into it will one day wake up to no public education for their children and grandchildren. Boogaloo Bois have adopted the Hawaiian shirt as a uniform of sorts, as they await a second Civil War. Bryan Dozier/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Reached by phone on Monday, Gloucester school board member Darren Post, whose policy goals have been described as transphobic, said he hadnt fully digested the matter, and declined to comment. After the concealed weapons arrests in July, Post issued a public statement saying he was deeply committed to the safety, well-being, and the education of our children. He went on to clarify the relationship between himself and one of the four men arrested at the board meeting, arguing that the two simply share membership in a regional grassroots conservative political organization, which he did not name. Our interactions have been limited to a handful of occasions, mostly at group meetings which are open to the public, Posts July 14 statement said. The earlier stunt involved a Post supporter and four others who attended the July 11 board meeting, one of whom got up to speak and claimed his tires had been slashed outside a previous confab. He told the board that he suspected one of three members was the culprit, warning, Make things right while you have the opportunity to do so, before things get worse, instead of engaging in further violence. However, when police checked security footage from the parking lot outside, they said they saw no evidence of any tampering. Four of the five were arrested on concealed weapons charges. Millen told The Daily Beast he is especially upset that the instigators came into the community from elsewhere, trying to stir up trouble where there aint none. As one witness told a local reporter at the time, You could see [the gun] poking through the top of his pants. A person in the audience noticed and immediately notified deputies. It was 100 percent an act of intimidation. The Gloucester School Board, in its Monday statement, said the incident over the weekend serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to laws and regulations that are in place to maintain the safety and security of the educational environment in Gloucester County Public Schools. School officials are working closely with law enforcement and the Commonwealth Attorneys office to investigate the incident and determine appropriate actions to prevent similar incidents, it said. Only one member of the Gloucester School Board, Randy Burak, responded to a request for comment, but declined to share his thoughts on Saturdays incident. Board Superintendent Anthony Vladu, did not reply to a message seeking comment. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The International Maritime Organization is hoping to reduce shipping's greenhouse gas emissions. Two cargo ships have launched in the last five weeks that could help achieve that. Maersk launched a methanol-powered vessel last month, and Cargill announced a wind-powered one on Monday. Shipping is an increasingly polluting industry, responsible for 3% of the world's greenhouse gases according to research from the European Union. The UN's International Maritime Organization announced plans in 2020 to reduce the sector's emissions by 50% by 2050. And two cargo ships that have launched in the last five weeks are set to help achieve that target. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Danish shipping giant Maersk originally planned to operate the world's first carbon-neutral liner vessel by 2030, but brought its target forward by seven years. Its first ship fueled by green methanol began its maiden voyage on July 17 from South Korea to Denmark, The Maritime Executive first reported. Maersk says it has 25 methanol-enabled vessels on order. Maric Design/Maersk That's one of 25 methanol-powered ships ordered by Maersk, per New Scientist, marking a big push to decarbonize the shipping industry. Maersk says that the vessels could help reach its target of a 50% reduction in its emissions per transported container by 2030 compared to 2020. And on Monday, Cargill announced that a Mitsubishi wind-powered ship it has chartered has set sail for the first time. The Pyxis Ocean was retrofitted with two WindWings, huge sails designed for cargo ships by BAR technologies, which Cargill says can reduce emissions by up to 30%. "If international shipping is to achieve its ambition of reducing CO2 emissions, then innovation must come to the fore," said John Cooper, CEO of BAR technologies. "Wind is a near marginal cost-free fuel and the opportunity for reducing emissions, alongside significant efficiency gains in vessel operating costs, is substantial." And Dr Simon Bullock, a shipping researcher at the University of Manchester, told the BBC: "Ultimately we do need zero-carbon fuels on all ships, but in the meantime, it is imperative to make every journey as efficient as possible." Read the original article on Business Insider In one recent example of changing weather patterns throughout the globe, the city of Reutlingen, Germany, experienced 12 inches of hail and snow in August. Officials in the city, which is located in the southwest of Germany, described the event as a localized storm with hail and heavy rain. It took 250 firefighters and multiple snowplows to clean up the damage from the unexpected storm, which included blocked drainage systems and the Echaz River rising 5 feet and bursting its banks. ES Euro featured images here. August is typically the warmest month in Reutlingen, with average temperatures ranging from 54.5 to 73.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The month of August typically brings no snowfall, according to Weather Atlas, as it is the height of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. As our planet continues to overheat, due in large part to the burning of fossil fuels, that can somewhat paradoxically result in increased snowstorms. According to an article in Scientific American, warmer air can hold more moisture than cold air. This increased atmospheric moisture is helping to intensify the water cycle. In addition to more total precipitation over a season and year, the additional moisture also fuels extreme events, like more intense hurricanes and flooding rains. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Climate change can affect the timing, location, and amount of snowfall as well as spring snowmelt patterns in complex ways, writes Climate Central. The residents of Reutlingen were likely quite surprised to see 12 inches of hail and snow during the warmest month of the year. When it comes to changing weather patterns and extreme weather events, we can increasingly expect the unexpected, as our dependence on fossil fuels continues to wreak havoc on every aspect of life on our planet. Luckily, some industries are beginning to move past fossil fuels and toward electrification in an effort to reduce pollution and help to save our planet. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating after a traffic pursuit that started in Anderson County and ended in City of Greenville led to an exchange of gunfire between deputies and the driver. The shooting involving deputies from Anderson County Sheriffs Office occurred Friday, Aug. 18, according to a press release sent Monday evening. According to warrants provided by SLED, an Anderson County deputy was attempting to initiate a traffic stop when the driver fired multiple shots and struck two deputy vehicles. The warrant alleges the defendant only stopped shooting when the firearm ran out of ammunition. Previous coverage: Man killed by Spartanburg deputies during hostage situation identified, SLED investigating ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The driver was charged on Saturday, Aug. 19, with two counts of attempted murder, according to the release from SLED. The case will be prosecuted by the 13th Judicial Circuit Solicitors Office. Because the driver is a minor, The Greenville News wont be publishing their name at this time. Although there are current charges against the driver, SLED is continuing an investigation at the request of Anderson County Sheriffs Office for an independent review. The investigation summary will be submitted to prosecutors once complete. According to the release, the incident was the 24th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina this year, and the first of the year involving the Anderson County Sheriffs Office. Kathryn Casteel is an investigative reporter with The Greenville News and can be reached at KCasteel@gannett.com or on Twitter @kathryncasteel. This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Anderson County traffic pursuit leads to chase, gunfire in Greenville Most people would grimace at the sight and smell of a concrete basin filled with hog matter urine, feces and blood dispersed within millions of gallons of dark chocolate-like water. Gazing down at one of the 60-by-30 foot tubs at the Smithfield hog plant in Sioux Falls, where the frothy brown liquid churned beneath his feet, Jason Lindquist cracked a smile. "I couldn't be more proud of this company," Lindquist remarked, the bodily sludge continuing to slosh below him. Four years into Lindquist's tenure as Smithfield's director of environmental affairs, playing cheerleader for the company's sustainability efforts comes with the title. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Even when it means wrapping a bow around a fecal matter. Because, to be clear, it's not the sewage within the lagoons that the Smithfield employee was keen on hyping up. It's what those lagoons bring to community the hog house calls home. Since May, the Virginia-based company has seen a noticeable decrease in their release of nitrates in South Dakota, and it's mostly thanks to a new wastewater treatment facility, a $45 million investment by the meatpacking giant to clean up the sewage the plant directly deposits into the Big Sioux River. A tour group comprised of Argus Leader and Smithfield Foods staff look at wastewater lagoons during a tour of the meatpacker's new wastewater treatment facility at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls , South Dakota on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Sewage is cycled between the five lagoons, each holding up to 1 million gallons of wastewater, which converts the unwanted nitrate compounds present in the wastewater into nitrogen gas, a cleaner emission which is not deposited into the Big Sioux River. The Argus Leader was offered a first look at the wastewater treatment facility as part of a rare on-site tour, where journalists were able to photograph the array of new, state-of-the-art technology, which promises to reduce the company's wastewater emissions in time with their new permit and the stricter nitrate discharge limits that took effect July 1. "We could've changed our processes to be in compliance with the new permit," Lindquist told the Argus Leader as part of the tour Wednesday. "We wanted to go beyond compliance." More: North Dakota court halts WOTUS rule in South Dakota, 23 other states 'We just want to do better for the river.' Stepping into the newly built facility, Lindquist led two Argus Leader journalists and three other Smithfield staff members into the influent room of the building, where the group was immediately met with the whirring drone of pumps pulling pretreated wastewater through large pipes. This is where the first stage of treatment begins for the sewage. Here, wastewater is sucked through screens to help separate fine organic matter from the actual liquid. A large flow meter monitors the amount of wastewater that pulses through Smithfield's mechanical digestion system on any given day. "Usually, we're pumping out around 2.2 million gallons of water a day," Lindquist said. It's a volume he attributes to "food safety." It takes a lot of water to properly sanitize pigs as they're being processed into a product, he explained. The large pipes, about a foot in diameter, carry the early-stage sewage up into the ceiling, which is where the real action happens. On the roof of Smithfield's clean-up building, five large, concrete lagoons run end-to-end, nearly filled to the brim with a fudge-textured sludge. A solid-looking layer of wastewater, textured like over-baked brownies, hovered above the gently churning ooze. On one end of the basin, a constant vacuum point sucks the dark liquid from one lagoon to another. These basins are part of Smithfield's new denitrification process, which is crucial to reducing the amount of toxic nitrates emitted from the facility. More: South Dakota has one record of acting on 44-year-old foreign ag land law Inside the basins, many "bugs," or bacteria, eat away at specific chemicals and compounds in the wastewater. One of the five million-gallon basins, as part of what's called the aerobic stage, first converts ammonia, a byproduct of the pig slaughtering process, into nitrate, a less harmful compound. "Ammonia is very toxic to aquatic life. Nitrate [is] way, way, way less so," John Meyer, senior director of environmental affairs at Smithfield Foods, told the Argus Leader. "The reason actually that there's a big push in the U.S. to get rid of nitrate is not because it's toxic to aquatic life and fish. It's because it promotes the growth of algae and when algae grows, it depletes the oxygen for the fish." From there, a suction pipe slurps the wastewater from one concrete tub to another. In an adjacent basin, a surface aerator oscillates back and forth as the mechanism blends the mixed liquor with force. A surface aerator churns wastewater within one of Smithfield Foods' million-gallon lagoons at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. The mixing action within the wastewater generates heat within the sewage, which contributes to the evaporative processes that turn the toxic nitrate compounds into nitrogen gas. It's in this lagoon where Smithfield will see the pay-off in terms of reducing nitrates. By churning the hog waste, oxygen is removed from the mix, Lindquist said. The denitrified contaminant is released directly from the lagoons as nitrogen gas, a much less problematic emission. "From there, we have another anoxic and aerobic basin, where the wastewater will be recycled through the system, reducing our nitrates even further," Lindquist explained. As he spoke, stray specks of deoxygenated waste would rarely splash out from the lagoons. "It's outstanding," he said. Smithfield Foods Director of Environmental Affairs Jason Lindquist unwinds one of the membrane used in their upgraded bioreacto at Smithsfield Foods in Sioux Falls , South Dakota on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Thousands of these membranes, which have a hole as thin as a human hair, are used to separate solids from outgoing wastewater as it filters the cords. This process, Lindquist promised, will reduce their water-destined nitrate output by two-thirds. As for that remaining one-third, the hog plant has some new purification processes to mitigate their pollution. The leftover liquids are then funneled through the facility's membrane bioreactor. Despite the techie name, this wing of the facility doesn't offer much to look at walking in the door. But as the tour group marched over the metal covers that tile this second-to-last stop, the hollow clang of boots on metal reveals there's more to this space. Underneath the sheets, the remaining wastewater pumps through a final series of pipes, which hold thousands of bundled filtration tubes packed within. Each membrane hole is only about as thick as a human hair, Lindquist demonstrated with one of the tubes. This adds another means to physically separate biologic matter from the wastewater. Ultraviolet light shines over treated wastewater at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. This state-of-the-art process disinfects the wastewater of any leftover bacteria used in earlier treatment processes before it is released into the Big Sioux River. But before the wastewater is sent out the door, it has to travel through one last corridor, where ultraviolet lights hang from above. This final measure destroys any lingering bacteria and pathogens before it can be discharged into the river. In years prior, Smithfield Foods would bleach its outflow. UV is about as effective, Lindquist said, and better for the environment. "It's one less chemical we're putting into the water," Lindquist added. "We just want to do better for the river. That's our goal." Smithfield Foods has to make up for years of pollution in the Big Sioux The impetus of the upgrade is not entirely based in altruism. Smithfield's Sioux Falls facility, formerly and colloquially known as the old John Morrell plant, has been releasing many millions of pounds of toxic chemicals into Sioux Falls' beloved river for decades. The company has come under governmental scrutiny along the way, though the penalties assessed have largely been slaps on the wrist to the billion-dollar corporation. In 2011, Smithfield was fined more than $200,000 for multiple discharge violations, which included the release of three times the limit of ammonia. Another $53,000 fine was levied at the company for a similar issue in 2018. One year later, the pork processor violated permit limits yet again for total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia, fecal coliform and toxicity tests, totaling more than $45,000 in penalties. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has accounted for other environmental missteps. Between November and December 2020, Smithfield violated its surface water discharge permit for high toxicity concentrations and total suspended solids. The Big Sioux River freezes over near downtown on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, in Sioux Falls. Nitrates, one of Smithfield's largest contaminants by volume, also present a danger for humans as well. Nitrate concentrations in groundwater used for drinking above the EPA's 10 milligrams per liter standard can cause blue-baby syndrome in infants, which starves the victim of oxygen, and lead to health complications in elderly adults. Sioux Falls sources its drinking water upstream of Smithfield, so the city's drinking water sources never meet with the company's effluent. Communities downstream of the pork plant, however, could be impacted by point-source pollution. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources' Water Quality Monitoring Access Portal tracks nitrate levels at certain numbered monitoring sites along the Big Sioux River. Sites 1 through 10 represent water sampling locations upstream of Sioux Falls, while Sites 11 and onward track water quality south of the city. Many of the data collection sites north of Sioux Falls are well below the 10 milligram per liter EPA benchmark for nitrate (which DANR measures as nitrogen), ranging from 1.8 to 2.2 milligrams per liter based on a five-year average. But just past the pipes that dump Smithfield's sewage, those numbers, albeit still within safe parameters, jump. Site 11 the sampling site immediately downstream of the plant currently averages around 4.5 milligrams per liter. At Site 12, just east and downstream of the City of Sioux Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant, the average increases again to about 7.7 milligrams per liter before dipping back down to about 4.4 milligrams per liter near the Big Sioux Recreation Area. Nitrate levels are known to fluctuate, according to DANR's website. But based on the department's data, measurements for the nitrogenic material have steadily risen at sites past Smithfield since 2020. And within that same timeframe, the pork plant's nitrate emissions reached new heights. An Argus Leader exclusive in April revealed Smithfield's Sioux Falls meatpacking facility was one of the worst water polluters in the U.S., based on the latest EPA data available at the time. Just as well, Smithfield's direct releases of nitrates, a toxic compound, reached all-time-highs in 2020 and 2021. In terms of volume, the story hasn't changed much in recent years. Smithfield has since reported its 2022 releases to the EPA, and the agency's Toxic Release Inventory data shows the company output 4.95 million pounds of nitrates last year only 2021 was higher at 5.1 million pounds, and 2020 was nearly par at 4.93 million pounds. There's a good reason for this, Meyer maintained. Improvements in Smithfield's ammonia-to-nitrate conversion system, Meyer said, led to their unprecedented nitrate effluent. In other words, their treatment systems have been so effective at scrubbing out the truly terrible ammonia that they've been emitting more of the less-than-deadly nitrate than usual. Mike Kroger carries an otter he caught as he checks his remaining traps on Thursday, November 5 at the Big Sioux River in Dell Rapids. "We improved the aeration system to get better nitrification and now we've got a really good denitrification system to fully get rid of the nitrate," Meyer said. "That's why the nitrate went up, and now the nitrate is getting gone." Starting on July 1, 2020, the day their new Surface Water Discharge permit took effect, Smithfield Foods had three years to comply with updated restrictions on their releases that would take effect on July 1 this year the company had zero restrictions on nitrate pollution until a little more than a month ago. Going forward, Smithfield's Sioux Falls plant is limited in how much nitrate it can release into the Big Sioux River on a monthly and daily basis. Their current permit allows the plant to shed an average of 50 milligrams per liter of nitrate each month. The facility also cannot exceed a daily maximum of 88 milligrams per liter of nitrate in a single day. Since 2020, years before the updated permit would enforce these new standards, Smithfield's nitrate emissions well exceeded the then-looming thresholds, according to EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online data. Between February and December 2021, Smithfield's 30-day average nitrate emissions ranged between upward of 240 milligrams per liter only in March 2021 did the company barely dip below 200 milligrams per liter in that same timeframe. Water from the Big Sioux River slowly floods an intersection in Dell Rapids on March 23, 2019. After an outlying dip in January 2022, Smithfield's nitrate emissions once again continued to double and almost triple its nitrate releases from February 2022 to March 2023, with monthly averages ranging from 157 to 229 milligrams per liter of nitrate. Though not nearly as high, the meatpacker's nitrate output was still at least double the deadline amounts in every month of 2020 all legal and otherwise ordained by DANR until July 1. After years of unabated nitrate discharges, Smithfield Foods looks to do right by Sioux Falls It wouldn't be until April that the meatpackers emissions would show any signs of slowing down. After starting construction on their promising facility in May 2021, Smithfield Foods' was finally able to flip the switch on their new wastewater treatment system in May of this year. Already, the meatpacker has seen success in this regard. The plant's monthly average nitrate emissions saw deep though still insufficient cuts, dropping from the 200-range to 60 milligrams per liter in May and about 76 in June. Their daily maximum nitrate offloads slimmed, as well, to 98 milligrams per liter in May, just over the benchmark of 88. They jumped their daily limit to 162 milligrams per liter one month later. For Smithfield's engineers, those two months served as a dress rehearsal for the real performance: the July measurements. "The new limit for nitrate became effective on July 1. So, that's the one that matters. That's when we we really dialed our system in, and it's been running fantastically since then," Meyer said. While the facility's nitrate discharge amounts have yet to be uploaded to EPA's ECHO dataset, Smithfield provided Argus Leader with their reported data. For the month of July, Smithfield Foods' monthly average nitrate emissions measured 36 milligrams per liter, below their new limit. They've also halved their daily maximum, with only 44 milligrams per liter reached on any given day. Smithfield's proof is in the pudding Downstairs from the bioreactor and on the last leg of the tour, Lindquist raced ahead of the group to where the outflow pipes reside. Next to a small concrete wall sat a beaker, which the excited environmental rep grabbed on his way to a nearby spigot. Filling the glass about three-fourths of the way full with wastewater, he'd let the pipes make Smithfield's case. Holding the beaker aloft, a clear, yellow-tinged liquid gently sloshed within. To the naked eye, no sooty particulate or bacon bits could be seen only bubbles. Smithfield Foods Director of Environmental Affairs Jason Lindquist lifts a beaker of water that's been filtered through the company's new wastewater treatment facility at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Lindquist said Sioux Falls plant's new system should reduce their outgoing nitrate emissions by two-thirds. Turbidity meters attached to the outflow pipes provide a more accurate assessment of the sewage. One reads 0.159 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), which is the measurement of sediments within a liquid. 1 NTU is the EPA standard for drinking water. This earns a humble brag from the Smithfield folks on the tour: That's cleaner than the city of Aberdeen's drinking water, one employee remarked. But after all is said and done, whether you can drink Smithfield's water straight remains an unknown. "Back in the day, we used to have CEOs come down and drink the [processed] water. It made for a good photo-op," Lindquist said. "But I'm not going to do that." Dominik Dausch is the agriculture and environment reporter for the Argus Leader and editor of Farm Forum. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook @DomDNP and send news tips to ddausch@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: See inside Smithfield's new wastewater facility in Sioux Falls Update: Late Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 22, according to new federal filings, SpaceX teams have rescheduled the liftoff of the company's next Falcon 9 Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to Wednesday, August 23. Late night rocket rumbles are in store for the Space Coast this week as SpaceX teams at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center prepare for not one but two Falcon 9 missions. SpaceX's increased cadence of Starlink missions lifting off in the dead of night has left some Space Coast residents wondering whether or not SpaceX has turned up the volume of its Falcon 9 rockets. "We tend to notice loud sounds at night a little bit differently," Kent Gee, a physical acoustician and professor of physics at Brigham Young University, told FLORIDA TODAY. "Daytime, we're used to things going on. There's a lot more traffic, lots of other sounds that kind of mask rocket launches, but at night, we're definitely more sensitive." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement If the noise of nine Merlin 1D engines roaring to life at liftoff doesn't disrupt the evening, sonic booms produced by a first stage booster landing back at the Cape early Friday might do the trick. What SpaceX missions are launching (and landing) this week? First up on Tuesday, Aug. 22, SpaceX is set to send another batch of Starlink internet-beaming satellites to orbit from the Cape's Launch Complex 40. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-11 mission is scheduled during a four-hour launch window from 8:47 p.m. until 12:46 a.m. EDT, Wednesday. NASA's SpaceX Crew-7, the next in the series of long-duration astronaut missions to the International Space Station, is set to fly from pad 39A at 3:49 a.m. EDT, Friday, Aug. 25. In a first-time occurrence for a NASA crewed mission, the Falcon 9 first stage booster will somersault and target a landing back at the Cape's Landing Zone 1 about eight minutes after liftoff generating middle-of-the-night sonic booms. Follow FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team live launch coverage of both missions beginning 90 minutes before liftoff. Are late night rocket launches (and landings) louder? Most likely, SpaceX hasn't done anything that ups the volume on Falcon 9 launches. But, depending on a host of reasons, these middle-of-the-night launches and landings may seem louder. SpaceX's latest string of Starlink missions from the Cape, including Tuesday's, follow a southeast trajectory that skirts Florida's Atlantic coast and skims the Bahamas. Until 2020, that specific polar orbit corridor hadn't been used since the 1960s due to a residual Cold War dispute with Cuba over the death of a cow caused by rocket debris. "I do think that trajectory will have something to do with it because the rocket noise is directional," Gee said. "As (the rocket) travels towards that southeast direction, the residents down there will be in that noise radiation pattern for longer." Anything from the trajectory to mission payload constraints that determine how much thrust a rocket must produce, and even weather conditions could impact how loud any given launch may seem, according to Gee. "Near-ground sound travel or sound propagation is very different, depending on the weather conditions," said Gee. "I suspect that the main reason is that nighttime meteorology, the local weather is just different. I think you're getting kind of different layers near the ground of different temperatures, and then also, wind can impact things." "Whether it's the launch noise or the landing sonic boom, the fog, the wind, any sort of temperature layers whether it's daytime or night those can all have a major impact on the sound that we hear," Gee said. Weather this week mostly favorable for liftoff As for what weather could impact Tuesday's Starlink mission from the Cape, forecasters with Space Launch Delta 45 don't expect much, listing an 85% chance of "go" conditions. "With easterly flow, only very isolated low-topped onshore moving showers are expected, so the primary concern during the launch window will be the Cumulus Cloud Rule," forecasters said in a report issued Monday. "Dry conditions will persist through Wednesday with lower-than-normal moisture values over much of the northern half of the peninsula." Should teams need it, a backup launch date around the same time, 24 hours later on Wednesday, Aug. 23, is projected to have similar weather conditions, with forecasters projecting a 75% chance of "go" conditions. An updated weather report for Friday's NASA SpaceX Crew-7 liftoff from KSC is expected to be released later in the week. For the latest updates, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule. Here's everything you need to know about this week's launches: Mission: SpaceX Starlink 6-11 Launch Date: Wednesday, August 23 Company / Agency: Internal SpaceX mission Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9 Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Window: 8:22 p.m. until 12:52 a.m. EDT, Thursday, Aug. 24 Trajectory: Southeast Weather: 75% "go" Landing: Drone ship About: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's latest batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Notes: Rescheduled from Tuesday, August 22 Space Perspective: Building balloons in Titusville to elevate tourists to the edge of space NASA's SpaceX Crew-7: Astronauts excited for upcoming long-duration mission to International Space Station Mission: SpaceX Crew-7 Launch Date: Friday, August 25 Company / Agency: SpaceX for NASA Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9 Location: Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center Launch Time: 3:49 a.m. EDT Trajectory: Northeast Weather: TBD Landing: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Landing Zone 1 About: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov on NASA's next long-duration crewed mission to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Endurance Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Contact Jamie Groh at JGroh@floridatoday.com and follow her on X.com at @AlteredJamie. Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Space Coast prepares for late night SpaceX Falcon 9 launches, landing Three Hilton Head firefighters have earned an international award for bravery in the line of duty, recognizing their rescue effort during a fatal house fire. The International Association of Fire Chiefs awarded Hilton Heads Battalion Chief David Bell, Lieutenant Sean Kavlick and fire apparatus operator Brendan Horlbeck the Ben Franklin Award for Valor the associations highest honor for the crews performance during a Sept. 9, 2022 fire in Palmetto Dunes that left one dead. On the night of the fire, the trio entered the three-story house in search of three unaccounted for occupants despite extremely high heat, zero visibility and quickly deteriorating conditions in the 4,900 square foot home, most of which was already engulfed in flames when their truck arrived. Visibility was so poor they could only confirm (the presence of a living occupant) through touch, an IAFC press release read. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement With thick smoke obscuring their vision, crew members were only able to identify the occupant, who theyd been told wore a walking boot at the time, after they felt the boot. Together, firefighters carried the woman out of harms way. She was treated on the scene, transported to Hilton Head Hospital and later to a Georgia burn unit, where she made a remarkable recovery. Those in the home were co-workers whod gathered to celebrate the retirement of the fires single victim, according to the release. The IAFC said the trios actions emboided the spirit of heroism tied to their profession. The crews actions have been deeply appreciated by the surviving family and friends of the fire victim and other occupants, the IAFC release read. The positive outcomes of their heroic endeavors have left an indelible mark on the community. Sabine who? Hera what? " Star Wars " fans who want to dive into the latest Disney+ series "Ahsoka" without being familiar with the franchise's animated shows are likely in for a world of confusion. From the looks of it, although "Ahsoka" is technically a spin-off of "The Mandalorian," it's also effectively a sequel to the Disney XD series " Star Wars Rebels ," and events from "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" are sure to come into play. So for those interested in following "Ahsoka" but who don't have time to binge over 200 animated episodes before the premiere, we've got you covered with the primer you need: Who is Ahsoka Tano? Introduced in the 2008 animated movie "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," Ahsoka Tano is the former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, whom he was assigned to train between the events of "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ahsoka fought by Anakin's side throughout the Clone Wars until she was falsely accused of murder and expelled from the Jedi Order. Although she was subsequently cleared of the charges, this experience soured Ahsoka on the organization. So she walked away from the Jedi Order, contributing to Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. From then on out, Ahsoka was technically no longer a Jedi ever again, though she continued to use the Force. After most of the Jedi were killed during the Order 66 massacre from "Revenge of the Sith," Ahsoka faked her death and went into hiding. She soon began secretly aiding the rebellion using the alias of Fulcrum, assisting a group of rebels that included Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Ezra Bridger. Eventually, Ahsoka faced Darth Vader, whom she discovered was really Anakin, in a lightsaber duel. Although she was initially believed to have died in this fight, Ezra Bridger, a Jedi Padawan, saved her after traveling through time and pulling her into the mystical dimension known as the World Between Worlds. This all occurred before the events of "A New Hope." We most recently saw Ahsoka years later in "The Mandalorian," where she was seeking information about Grand Admiral Thrawn and, in turn, Ezra more on that below. Ahsoka hasn't yet reunited with Anakin, her former master who is now a Force ghost, since he was redeemed in "Return of the Jedi," but that may take place in "Ahsoka." (And in case it comes up, Anakin's nickname for Ahsoka was "Snips" based on her snippy attitude.) We don't know much about Ahsoka's fate beyond the events "The Mandalorian" and "Ahsoka," although she was one of the voices guiding Rey in "The Rise of Skywalker," possibly suggesting she has died by then. During the Clone Wars, Ahsoka was also good friends with a clone named Captain Rex, who may appear in "Ahsoka." His inhibitor chip was removed during Order 66, allowing him to ignore orders to kill the Jedi, and he went on to join the Rebel Alliance. Who is Ezra Bridger? "Ahsoka" will also bring several animated characters into live-action for the first time, including Ezra Bridger, who will be played by Eman Esfandi. Introduced in "Star Wars Rebels," Ezra grew up on the planet Lothal as an orphaned con artist think of him as the Aladdin of the "Star Wars" universe after his parents were arrested by the Empire. When he was 14, Ezra was recruited to join a crew of rebels and was ultimately trained in the Force by Kanan Jarrus, one of the few Jedi who survived Order 66. Throughout "Rebels," Ezra, Kanan, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Zeb Orrelios fought against the Empire as part of one of many rebel cells, and these disconnected cells later combined into the Rebel Alliance from the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Ezra and his fellow rebels traveled aboard a ship called the Ghost. But by the end of the series, Kanan died after sacrificing himself to save his friends. Who is Sabine Wren? Also making her live-action debut in "Ahsoka" is Sabine Wren, another member of the Ghost crew from "Rebels." She'll be played in "Ahsoka" by Natasha Liu Bordizzo. Sabine is a Mandalorian, though not the kind that refuses to remove their helmets like Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). When she was younger, Sabine helped build weapons for the Empire that were ultimately used against her people. After feeling guilty about what she had done, she spoke out against the Empire and left the Imperial Academy, but her family didn't have her back. Before joining the Ghost crew, she worked as a bounty hunter. Sabine is also a graffiti artist, and she even helped inspire the famous Rebel Alliance symbol. "The Mandalorian" viewers will remember the Darksaber, and Sabine wielded that legendary blade before passing it to Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff). Who is Hera Syndulla? Hera Syndulla was yet another member of the Ghost crew from "Rebels," who will be portrayed in live-action by Mary Elizabeth Winstead in "Ahsoka." Hera is a Twi'lek, the same species as Bib Fortuna from "Return of the Jedi," and was the pilot of the Ghost. She grew up on the planet Ryloth, where her father fought with the Jedi against the Separatists during the Clone Wars. He continued fighting after the Republic became the Empire, but Hera's mother was killed during the resistance. Hera was also the love interest of Kanan Jarrus, Ezra's master. In the series finale of "Rebels," it was revealed that Kanan and Hera had a child together named Jacen Syndulla. Hera also has an astromech droid named Chopper, who will appear in "Ahsoka." After "Rebels," Hera continued fighting with the rebellion into the original trilogy. She fought in the Battle of Endor from "Return of the Jedi," and a ship that looks like the Ghost was present for the Battle of Exegol in "The Rise of Skywalker," presumably piloted by Hera or Jacen. A Lasat named Zeb Orrelios, whose homeworld was devastated by the Empire, was also part of the Ghost crew. He hasn't been announced as part of the "Ahsoka" cast, but it's possible he'll show up after having a cameo in "The Mandalorian" season 3. Why are Ahsoka and Sabine looking for Ezra and Thrawn? "Rebels" culminated in a battle against Thrawn, grand admiral of the Imperial Navy under Palpatine. In the series finale, Ezra confronted Thrawn on a Star Destroyer while fighting to liberate Lothal from the Empire, and Thrawn was defeated after Ezra summoned a fleet of Purrgil space whales, essentially to attack his ship and send it off into hyperspace. But Ezra was still on the ship, so he disappeared into space with Thrawn, sacrificing himself to save the planet. Before he vanished, Ezra left a message for the Ghost crew, telling Sabine, "Don't forget, I'm counting on you." So in the series' closing minutes set after "Return of the Jedi," Sabine vows to find Ezra, saying he's "out there somewhere, and it's time to bring him home." Ahsoka then enters, implying they'll search for him together. The next time we saw Ahsoka in "The Mandalorian," she was seeking information about Thrawn's whereabouts from Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto). This was presumably connected to the search for Ezra given he and Thrawn were last seen together. So "Ahsoka" is finally following up that "Rebels" cliffhanger, only in live-action instead of animation. The last we heard about Thrawn was in the third season of "The Mandalorian," where we learned that since the fall of the Empire, the remaining Imperial warlords have been waiting for his return so he can herald in the re-emergence of their military. Thrawn seemingly hasn't been heard from since disappearing with Ezra in "Rebels," though he'll be back in "Ahsoka" and played in live-action by Lars Mikkelsen. And those are the basics that should allow casual fans to understand "Ahsoka" on a fundamental level. For those interested in diving deeper, "Rebels" and "The Clone Wars" are both streaming on Disney+. You may also like Homepage A Hialeah police officer on trial for the beating and kidnapping of a troublesome vagrant never patted him down, handcuffed, or even touched him, his attorney said Monday during opening statements of a high-profile case that could send the young officer to prison for life. And the GPS that recorded the movement of former police officer Rafael Otanos patrol car was so riddled with errors, it showed the car stopped when it was moving and at different locations than where it actually was, said Attorney Michael Pizzi. We believe when you reach the end of the case you will ask yourself, why is this young man in the courtroom and what is he doing here? said the attorney. Assistant Miami-Dade State Attorney Shawn Abuhoff while admitting the alleged victim was a nuisance and a problem said evidence will show that Otano and another Hialeah police officer named Lorenzo Orfila drove Jose Ortega Gutierrez more than six miles to an illegal dump site outside of city limits, where they beat him and left him to fend for himself. Gutierrez had allegedly been told he was being arrested for being drunk and disorderly. The state hopes to convince jurors through GPS data, surveillance footage and witness testimony. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They betrayed the victim. They betrayed the badge. And they betrayed the community, Abuhoff told jurors. Otano, 27, is on trial for an incident on Dec. 17 in which Miami-Dade state prosecutors say he and Orfila hauled Gutierrez away from a Hialeah strip mall at West 19th Street and 60th Avenue after becoming unruly and bothersome at a a bakery as customers were having breakfast. During their interaction with Gutierrez, the officers never activated their body worn cameras. At one point during his opening statement Abuhoff told jurors though he couldnt prove Otano battered Gutierrez, he can prove he was there - which makes him guilty through acquiescence. He said both former officers didnt use their police radios as Gutierrez was being transported - on purpose, to keep their movements hidden. Miami-Dade Police Officer Carl Henry Narcisse, who lives near the wooded area where Gutierrez was allegedly beaten, found him wandering aimlessly after the incident and asked him what happened. On the witness stand Monday, Narcisse said when he found Gutierrez, he had a cut on his head, a swollen face and appeared drunk and that he said Hialeah Police officers did this to him. He said he was robbed, mugged and dropped off, Narcisse said. Under questioning from Otanos attorney, Narcisse said Gutierrez told him he was mugged by a tall blond cop and never identified Otano as any of the men who allegedly beat him up. Otano isnt particularly tall and has short, dark hair. Though only Otano is currently on trial, both he and Orfila, 23, have been accused of battery and armed kidnapping, charges that could send them to prison for life. Both were also fired from Hialeah Police. Orfilas trial date has not yet been set. Also charged in the case is investigator Ali Amin Saleh, who the state has accused of witness tampering for allegedly trying to pay Gutierrez off in exchange for signing an affidavit that would clear the two former cops. Notary Juan Prietocofino agreed to five years probation after being charged fraudulently notarizing that affidavit. Gutierrez is expected to testify in a trial that could take a week or more. Joe Jaxson, who graduated high school at what is now Staunton High School, is finishing his master's in music composition at the University of Texas at Austin. Jaxson wrote a piece for the Shelburne Middle School band to play in Richmond at the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference in November. Talking with Joe Jaxson, its not hard to see the excitement music brings him. Hell start answering a simple question that should take two seconds, for instance, When will you graduate from the University of Texas? and end up taking you on a journey of finding his voice, the entrepreneurial side of the industry, the music and artists that impacted his life and the importance of staying persistent. More than two minutes later he takes a pause before saying, I cant remember if I answered your question. He eventually does this spring with his masters in music composition, but there may be more school in his future. Jaxson hopes to stick around Austin to earn his doctorate. Born in New York, Jaxson moved to Augusta County when he was 2. He attended both Beverley Manor elementary and middle schools before his family moved into Staunton's city limits. Jaxson is a 2018 graduate of what is now known as Staunton High School. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Music filled his home, everything from smooth jazz to soul to classical to gospel. He played in the high school marching band, but beyond playing, Jaxson wanted to write music. He went to James Madison University for his bachelors in music theory and composition, although he admits the Marching Royal Dukes was a big draw. Once youre a band geek it never leaves you, Jaxson said. Now hes continuing his education at the University of Texas at Austin. He went there for one specific reason Omar Thomas, an assistant professor of composition in Texass Butler School of Music. Thomas has taught at the Berklee College of Music and the The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. His music was featured on a Grammy winning album, his 18-piece ensembles first album debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Jazz Charts and he was named Boston Music Awards Jazz Artist of the Year in 2012. Like Jaxson, Thomas is also a graduate of James Madison University and thats how Jaxson first heard about him. We were doing a new piece of his, Come Sunday, a famous piece of his now, it won pretty much the Pulitzer of band music, the Revelli Award, Jaxson said. I was one of the people who premiered it with the JMU wind symphony on French horn. Gosh, that was awesome. It was also the first time Jaxson had heard of a Black band composer, prompting him to further research Thomas. It never fazed Jaxson that he was one of just a few Black students in high school band. And it didnt concern him that hes pursuing a profession where African-Americans are underrepresented as musicians, conductors and composers. Still, seeing the success that Thomas was experiencing inspired Jaxson and, two years after playing that piece at JMU, he saw that Thomas had landed a teaching job at Texas. Jaxson connected with Thomas. Thankfully he saw my potential and let me in on a prestige fellowship that covered everything, Jaxson said. Jaxson has written a variety of pieces, even getting a commission for the Allentown Symphony Orchestra based in Pennsylvania. That will debut in April, 2024 and will involve him teaching master classes and a pre-concert lecture. He called it "fast and lively," saying the piece would be "electrifying." Theres another commission he said its his biggest yet that hes very excited about but cant discuss until probably early next year. He really wanted to talk about it but said, legally, he can't yet. And he wrote a piece that the JMU symphonic band debuted in 2022. Called "Safety, A Fluttered Heart", it was Jaxson's response to the afflictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This fall, he has a piece debuting thats near and dear to him. As Thomas did for him, Jaxson will have a chance to inspire younger musicians in Staunton. Shelburne was one of two middle school bands in the state to receive an invitation to play at the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference in Richmond this November. Its the first time a concert band, middle or high school, from this district has ever been selected to perform at the state conference. Even though Jaxson didnt attend Shelburne Middle School, he got to know the schools two band directors, Charlie Nesmith and Jon Wilson, in his time in Staunton. That led to the two directors commissioning a piece from the young composer for their bands performance this fall. In a lot of ways we want to celebrate not just our band but our town, Nesmith said about one of the reasons behind reaching out to Jaxson. A lot of the support we get comes from the whole city of Staunton and I think its very meaningful. So we thought it would be really cool to commission a work from somebody who went here. While Jaxson hasnt done many pieces for this age group, he did do a piece for a Connecticut middle school. He did another for Music Murphy Press in 2021, a piece called, Until Next Time, for beginning bands. Then Nesmith and Wilson reached out to him for a middle school piece. I was all for it, Jaxson said. Its actually a very marketable area (of music composition). There are a lot of requests. Bands are very hungry for new music. Because the musicians are just beginning their musical journey, writing for middle schoolers isnt easy. A former student in Augusta County and Staunton, Joe Jaxson is working on his master's in music composition at the University of Texas. He has already been commissioned to write several pieces ranging from professional symphonies to middle school bands. Its hard to write easy music, Jaxson said, understanding there is an irony in that statement. He played alto saxophone in middle school band, so for this piece Jaxson had to try to remember what it was like for him at that age. I knew what the limitations were, but I was like, How can I sound like me with all these limitations? Jaxson said. Thats the challenge. How can I still sound like myself but with a lot less? Jaxson was putting the finishing touches on the piece last week. He has been getting feedback from Wilson and Nesmith throughout the process, saying he wanted it to be an appropriate challenge so they could show off the band to everyone listening. The piece is called Wake Up and Focus, although he wasnt 100% certain that would be the final title. The title came long after he started writing. I want to see what the music wants to do first, he said. Sometimes you see pieces as a blank canvas and youre just letting the music tell you where to paint. He can't wait to hear what the piece sounds like with the band playing it. He's heard it through a computer, using software as he works on the piece. But there's nothing quite like an actual live performance of something you created. "It's a feeling I hope never leaves," Jaxson said. "It just takes you to a different world." More: New zoning district for Uniontown? Planning commission takes first steps More: Augusta Expo to host regional ACL cornhole tournaments starting in October Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton, JMU graduate composes music for Shelburne Middle School's band Stellantis has threatened to move Ram 1500 production to Mexico, union leader says Automaker Stellantis has threatened to move the production of Ram 1500 pickup trucks from suburban Detroit to Mexico, a union leader said Sunday. Then it said they want to take their Ram 1500 [internal combustion engine] and send it to Mexico, said United Auto Workers (UAW) vice president Rich Boyer at a Sunday Solidarity rally in Warren, Mich., on Sunday with hundreds of union members. Boyer, who leads the unions Stellantis unit, said the automaker had discussed the move during the ongoing contract negotiations between UAW and the Big Three: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Negotiations began in early July over pay increases, pensions, career security and concerns over the industrys shift to electric vehicles (EVs), which require fewer workers to make. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The possibility of moving production of the current Ram 1500 to Mexico fuels automakers concerns that the push for EVs will risk their jobs and compensation. Thats an American product, its going to stay here in America, Boyer said, calling for the support of union members. He said Stellantis discussed producing a new all-electric Ram pickup truck at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Sterling, Mich., which currently makes most of the Ram light-duty pickups, according to CNBC. Boyer called out Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, arguing he does not care about U.S. autoworkers. These companies have no respect for us, Boyer said. These companies think that youre overpaid and underworked. In a statement shared with The Hill on Monday, Stellantis said, Product allocation for our U.S. plants will depend on the outcome of these negotiations as well as a plants ability to meet specific performance metrics including improving quality, reducing absenteeism and addressing overall cost. As these decisions are fluid and part of the discussions at the bargaining table, we will not comment further, the statement added. The White House has pushed for accelerated electric vehicle production, fueling the concerns of automaker union members. Under a new proposal released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April, two-thirds of new cars could be electric by 2032. Last week, the Biden Administration released a statement in response to the contract negotiations, arguing a clean energy economy should provide win-win opportunities for auto companies and unionized workers. Companies should use their process to make sure they enlist their workers in the next chapter of the industry by offering them good paying jobs and a say in the future of their workplace, the statement said. The current contract between UAW and the Big Three expires at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14, giving the two parties less than a month to come to an agreement. Boyer told CNBC that the ongoing negotiations have been slow and confrontational. Updated at 5:19 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In response to ongoing challenges faced by Ukrainian citizens entering Israel, the Ukrainian government is contemplating prohibiting pilgrimages to the city of Uman, considered a holy city by some Hasidic Jews, and cancelling visa-free arrangement with Israel, Ukraines ambassador to Tel Aviv, Yevgen Korniychuk, said in a statement on Aug. 20. The government of Ukraine is sending an unequivocal message to Israel: If the deportation of the Ukrainians from Israel does not stop, the entry of Israelis to Uman will be banned, the ambassador said. Read also: Ukraine may cancel visa-free travel with Israel and exclude Tel-Aviv from Ramstein talks report The government of Ukraine will not tolerate the humiliation of its citizens when they enter Israel. We will halt our bilateral visa waiver agreements as stipulated by Article 7 of the intergovernmental agreement. This option is on the table for our government. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The move by the Ukrainian authorities comes following numerous reports of Ukrainians being deported from Israel, with Israel deporting as many Ukrainians for the first half of 2023 as for all of 2022, according to The Time of Israel newspaper. Read also: Israel to extend health and social benefits for Ukrainian refugees Currently, non-Jewish Ukrainians can stay in Israel for up to three months, with the possibility of visa extension for non-Jewish refugees. Jewish Ukrainians can apply for Israeli citizenship under Israeli law, though Ukraine does not recognize dual citizenship. Korniychuk called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene, as Ukraine may ban Israeli entry to Uman if the situation is not rectified. If Israel wants its citizens to be able to come to Ukraine as tourists, including Uman, I believe that the Prime Minister, Netanyahu, should intervene personally in finding a solution to the current state of affairs, said Korniychuk. Uman is the burial site of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov the founder of the Breslover Hasidic movement. His grave attracts tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Read also: Israel donates several tons of medical supplies to Ukraine ambassador Earlier, a confidential source connected to a member of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) told NV that there were plans to rescind visa-free arrangement for Israeli citizens. The NSDC also intends to pursue the removal of Israels representation from defense minister-level meetings in the Ramstein format used by Ukraines partner nations to discuss continuing aid to Ukraine. Multiple factors have contributed to this decision, including the unwelcoming treatment of Ukrainian visitors to Israel, the discontinuation of a medical insurance program for Ukrainian refugees, Israels hesitancy in providing military support to Ukraine, and suspicions that sensitive information from Ramstein meetings might be shared with third parties. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine DOVER Strafford County Sheriff Mark Brave, after receiving an ultimatum from county commissioners, announced Monday night he will go on paid administrative leave while facing eight felony charges. "I have made the difficult decision to take administrative leave while the investigation, due diligence and the legal process continues," Brave wrote in a prepared statement. "While I maintain that I am innocent, and none of my spending of out of state line items was ... to deceive the county or the people of Strafford County, I do want to make sure that the wonderful team at (the Strafford County sheriff's office) is able to function without added stressors to their already difficult positions. I do not want to add any distractions to their lines of duties. This is a personal fight, that should not impact the office." Strafford County commissioners had voted unanimously Monday to give Brave until noon Tuesday to accept their third offer to go on paid administrative leave amid in investigation that began in June. He is facing charges of theft, falsification of evidence and perjury. The commissioners said if Brave declined to take leave they would send a petition for Brave's removal from office to the county's delegation of state representatives, which would have to vote on it, in accordance with state law. Strafford County Commissioners, from left, Deanna Rollo, George Maglaras and Robert Watson are seen during a meeting on the status of Sheriff Mark Brave, who is facing eight felony charges. The meeting was held Monday, Aug. 21, 2023 at county headquarters in Dover. The commissioners on Monday gave a brief outline in the public meeting of the theft, falsifying evidence and perjury charges Brave is facing. Most are charges related to his alleged misuse of two county credit cards for alleged personal reasons that included trips, airfare, restaurants and hotels, involving extramarital affairs. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More: Investigation details Sheriff Mark Brave's alleged lies about affairs, hotels and trips "We made him this offer for paid administrative leave in June, when this started," said George Maglaras, chairman of the county commissioners. "We made it last Thursday when he was arrested, and we are making it today. We are doing this because he is an elected official. If he was a regular employee, he would already be on leave. It is standard procedure while there is an investigation. We have done it twice in his own department just this year. We are asking him to do the right thing and step down." Chief Deputy Joseph McGiven will lead the department in Brave's absence, according to Maglaras, because he is the next in command. Because Brave's bail conditions include no-contact orders with many of his own staff as well as other county employees, Maglaras said, commissioners feel he cannot effectively manage his department. He said they also have concerns for the employment of some of Brave's staff, and for the potential for retaliation and witness tampering. Strafford County Sheriff Mark Brave arrives at New Hampshire State Police Troop A in Epping Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, saying he was turning himself in as he anticipates charges from the state attorney general. Brave turned himself in last Thursday to New Hampshire State Police. He was charged with theft by deception for using about $19,000 in county funds by seeking reimbursement for personal expenses with false justifications, two counts of falsifying physical evidence and five counts of perjury for lying to a Stafford County grand jury, according to Attorney General John Formella. Brave is facing up to 31 to 64 years in prison and fines of up to $32,000 if convicted on all counts, according to Formella. On Monday night, Brave acknowledged the investigation is taking a toll on him. "While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the right one," Brave wrote, in a statement addressing county residents. "My physical and mental health has taken a major turn and I need to start thinking about taking care myself and my daughter. Again I thank you for your support through all of this, and look forward to moving on from this." Brave, now 38, was elected in 2020 as New Hampshire's first Black sheriff and reelected in 2022. He is a Democrat, as are all three county commissioners. Commissioners say more of Brave's expenditures are being investigated Maglaras said during Monday's meeting commissioners are looking now into another expense Brave charged to the county, at a nightclub in Lawrence, Massachusetts. County Administrator Ray Bower said it was for about $200 to the Attika Restaurant and Club and Brave "is refusing to provide receipts." Maglaras said commissioners are also looking into a bounced $600 check Brave wrote to the Strafford County's Riverside Rest Home's annual Make-a-Wish benefit. There is no allegation of taking county funds in that incident. "The $600 was a personal check written by him," Bower said. "Still, it's a rubber check for one of our charities." Strafford County Administrator Ray Bower answers a question from the public during a Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, meeting on the status of Sheriff Mark Brave. Maglaras has recused himself from some of the proceedings involving Brave because he is a potential witness to a county investigation in which Brave allegedly lied when asked about certain expenses, and about the DWI arrest of his wife. Because of that investigation, the commissioners have asked for Brave to be placed on the state's exculpatory evidence schedule, which is a list of law enforcement officers with credibility issues, formerly known as the Laurie List. "We didn't know what the extent, or the charges would be with the attorney general investigation,"Maglaras said. "We learned last week, the same time as the public did." Strafford County Attorney Tom Velardi listens during a Monday, Aug. 21, 2023 public meeting of the county commissioners relating to Sheriff Mark Brave. Bower told people gathered for the public meeting Monday that he is the person who first found discrepancies in Brave's receipts, and he informed County Attorney Tom Velardi. This prompted county leaders to speak with the state attorney general's public integrity unit, kicking off its investigation. "Then I went to the commission to tell them what we were doing," Bower said. Questions from the public Maglaras said there is a presumption of innocence for all people arrested. He said Brave taking leave will allow him time to get his defense ready. "If innocent until proven guilty, what message does it send to remove a person from office based on an allegation?" asked Crystal Paradis, a resident of Somersworth, where she formerly served as a city councilor. "If he is removed and found innocent, is there a process to reinstate. him? "Absolutely," Maglaras said. "As long as it is within this term. There is an election next year, and these things can drag on." In response to a question about the credit cards Brave allegedly used, Bower said that until the charges came down, the county had no reason to cancel the cards even though they had concerns. He said the cards have since been canceled. When people in the meeting began questioning Brave's credentials to be sheriff, Maglaras shut it down. "We are not here to vilify him," he said. This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Sheriff Mark Brave accepts paid leave after county leaders' ultimatum North Koreas state-run media has released new photos of the countrys most modern surface combatant, known in the West as the Amnok class corvette, which is also the largest operated by the Korean Peoples Navy. Of particular interest is that the warship is armed with cruise missiles, which can likely be fitted with nuclear warheads, adding yet another platform to North Koreas diverse and growing strategic arsenal. The clearest photos of what is known locally as Patrol Ship No. 661 were published today by North Koreas state media outlet KCNA. As seen in the photos above and below, the series shows cruise missile firing trials that were observed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, although its not clear exactly when these took place. KCNA KCNA According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un oversaw the missile tests somewhere on the east coast of North Korea. Colin Zwirko of NK News, a U.S.-based news website covering North Korea, has geolocated this as off the coast of Munchon, north of Wonsan. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement https://twitter.com/ColinZwirko/status/1693436508227928359?s=20 The missile launches were intended to verify the combat function of the ship and the feature of its missile system, while improving the sailors capability to carry out an attack mission in actual war, KCNA said. The ship rapidly hit the target without even an error, the agency claimed, although no details were given about the type of target involved. KCNA The agency also quoted Kim as praising the ship for maintaining high mobility and mighty striking power and constant preparedness for combat to cope with sudden situations. KCNA described these particular weapons as strategic cruise missiles, which in this context usually implies the carriage of a nuclear warhead, or at least the option to carry one. The missiles have been named by KCNA as the Hwasal-2, previously known in its ground-launched form, which is considered to be nuclear-capable. A submarine-launched version of the Hwasal-2 may also exist. A visual comparison between the ground-launched and ship-launched missiles shows that they are extremely similar. https://twitter.com/JosephHDempsey/status/1693382836697399647?s=20 https://twitter.com/JosephHDempsey/status/1639052926453706753?s=20 Meanwhile, photos of the vessel appear to show eight cruise missile launch tubes located aft of the superstructure, in an installation that was clearly part of the design, rather than a subsequent add-on. The missiles are fired from an angled container, rather than using a vertical launch system (VLS). The capabilities of the missile remain mysterious, although NK News reports that some details were provided by South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in an off-the-record briefing. The JCS apparently stated that one or more Hwasal-2s flew a distance of under 124 miles off the coast of Wonsan and did not hit its target at sea. While this suggests there may have been some kind of failure, this remains unclear, and the details themselves cannot be independently verified. The JCS added that South Korean and U.S. forces had monitored [the ship] in real time, that North Korean statements about the firing trials were exaggerated, and that there are many parts [of the North Korean account] that are different from the truth. KCNA KCNA The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a U.S.-based non-profit organization, attributes a maximum range of 1,240 miles to the Hwasal-2, at least in its ground-launched form. Although only one Amnok class corvette is known to be in active service, having a cruise missile capability from surface combatants is still a significant development for North Korea. KCNA KCNA The Amnok class would potentially be capable of attacking both other vessels including large-displacement warships as well as strike targets on land, at long ranges. Furthermore, while a conventionally armed cruise missile would be useful for these scenarios, the option of a nuclear payload would provide Pyongyang with yet another vector with which to launch a nuclear strike against South Korea, or elsewhere. A nuclear-armed cruise missile would also have the potential to be used against groups of enemy ships, too. Aside from this, the latest photos of the Amnok class reveal an apparently fairly well-armed vessel, with a number of different sensors, that would be applicable for a range of different missions. https://twitter.com/stoa1984/status/1693572408332927023?s=20 As well as cruise missiles, the warship is armed with a 100mm main gun, which could be used to engage other vessels, or for shore bombardment. Closer-range targets, including missiles and aircraft, can be defended against using a pair of six-barrel 30mm Gatling-type guns, plus two more six-barrel 14.5mm machine guns. https://twitter.com/stoa1984/status/1693416305414508739?s=20 For anti-submarine warfare (ASW), there are launchers for rocket-assisted depth charges on the forecastle. There are rumors that the warship may also be fitted with 533mm torpedo tubes and a hull-mounted sonar, for a more comprehensive ASW capability, but that cannot be confirmed. There is also no provision for operating a helicopter, which also reduces its potential both for ASW and anti-surface warfare missions. https://twitter.com/stoa1984/status/1693385804700176537?s=20 https://twitter.com/CollinSLKoh/status/1693493182422786355?s=20 One area in which the Amnok class currently also appears deficient is air defense, with the close-range guns only supplemented by a six-rail launcher at the stern for man-portable air defense (MANPAD) missiles. These would only offer defensive cover at close distances and at lower levels. They are also ill-suited for dealing with anti-ship cruise missiles and other higher-end threats. The lack of air defense weaponry is surprising in as much as it seems the North Korean military may well have previously hyped the vessels capabilities in this regard. In a statement, it said that it had plans to constantly deploy a ship loaded with new-type anti-aircraft missiles off the east coast. This was taken as a threat to potentially shoot down U.S. surveillance aircraft that might enter North Koreas exclusive economic zone (EEZ), even if they were in international airspace. On the other hand, this threat may well have been little more than bluster. At the same time, while the issue of North Korean anger at these kinds of flights by U.S. military aircraft is by no means new, there has been a notable uptick in tensions in recent days. As the Amnok class is currently equipped, that would appear to be a reasonably hollow threat. However, this is otherwise a far more modern vessel than others in the North Korean fleet and it would still offer a valuable degree of versatility. https://twitter.com/seominsoo730306/status/1693513565918085256?s=20 On the other hand, the fact that only one of the Amnok class is thought to be in service means its overall impact on North Koreas military posture is very limited, especially as it will have to be periodically in port for routine overhauls and repairs. According to Western estimates, one Amnok class corvette is understood to be operated by the East Sea Fleet, with which it has been active since around 2017. This is Patrol Ship No. 661, which was only seen crewed and at sea for the first time in June, suggesting that it may have only entered active service more recently. Another hull is on the west coast, although it may not yet be deployed, with no confirmation that it has actually been completed. KCNA KCNA Another two modern corvettes are operated by North Korea. These are known in the West as the Tuman class, or alternatively as the Nampo class, but they are not as advanced as the Amnok class and appear to lack a strategic cruise missile capability, the specific advantages of which we have discussed in detail in the past. Overall, North Koreas naval power falls far short of its much more modern and fast-expanding equivalent in the South, let alone in comparison with the U.S. Navy. But the decision to arm this vessel, at least, with strategic cruise missiles is part of a heavy push by Pyongyang to develop new and more advanced delivery systems as well as ways to distribute their nuclear capabilities to make them harder to defeat. These capabilities now include increasingly large and longer-ranged intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), shorter-range ballistic missiles, as well as submarine-launched ballistic (SLBMs) and cruise missiles. In recent years Pyongyang has also demonstrated a ground-launched cruise missile, SLBMs launched from submerged barges, a hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, and a railcar-based missile launcher. The latest suggestion that North Korea is continuing to look at novel means of delivering nuclear warheads was the recent appearance of a large underwater drone, widely presumed to function much like a long-range nuclear-armed torpedo. You can read our analysis of this system here. The new underwater drones are paraded through Pyongyangs Kim Il Sung Square last month. KCNA As to why we are getting a closer look at the Amnok class now, this is almost certainly a calculated response to large-scale joint military exercises being held by South Korea and the United States. The Ulchi Freedom Shield maneuvers began today and have already attracted the ire of North Korean officials, who say that such exercises are a rehearsal for war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO75LZo1wOM Joint exercises like these are typically met by missile tests and other saber-rattling from north of the border, although Ulchi Freedom Shield is a regular summer occurrence, albeit one that focuses closely on North Koreas nuclear and missile threats. Meanwhile, the latest drills are also being billed by the South Korean military as the largest-scale ever. One of the two turrets for the six-barrel 14.5mm machine guns is seen immediately forward of the bridge. KCNA Below the 14.5mm machine guns, ahead of the superstructure, can be seen two of the five-tube launchers for rocket-assisted depth charges. KCNA At the same time, North Korea is likely flexing its muscles partly in response to the meeting of leaders from Japan, South Korea, and the United States, at a trilateral summit in Maryland which took place over the weekend. During those talks. All three countries promised to step up their joint efforts to counter North Korea. With only one of these cruise-missile-armed corvettes known to be active, the Amnok class wont be among the major threats that Japan, South Korea, and the United States will have to contend with, at least until more hulls can be completed, which remains questionable in itself. On the other hand, the fact that this warship is armed with strategic cruise missiles provides yet more evidence of the diversification of the North Korean nuclear arsenal, making it more flexible and that much harder to target. Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com As Racquel Gillings waited for her two sons to enter Broadview Elementary in North Lauderdale, she smiled and held her youngest, 1-year-old Raiala Scott, on her left hip. Love you, Nasir, she yelled after her fourth-grader. Love you! she repeated a little louder to make sure he heard. Love you, Trawshan, she told the fifth-grader next. Eventually they both turned around and waved. Their little sister waved back. Like Trashawn Bray, 12, and Nasir St. Louis, 10, thousands of students across Broward County Public Schools started a new academic year on Monday. Miami-Dade Public Schools resumed classes last Thursday. Coconut Creek, August 21, 2023 - Students arrive at Monarch High School for the first day of school in Broward County. Coconut Creek, August 21, 2023 - Broward Schools Superintendent Peter Licata, center, talks to Monarch High Schools principal James Cecil, left, as students file into the building for the first day of school in Broward County. READ MORE: Cheerleaders, Black history issues, trans students fears on first day of Miami-Dade schools It also was new Broward Public Schools Superintendent Peter Licatas first day of school as superintendent. The Broward School Board hired Licata in mid-June, and he officially started his new role July 11. Previously he worked as a regional superintendent in Palm Beach County Public Schools. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Today was great, Licata said at a news conference Monday afternoon, after he visited seven schools. READ MORE: Is lunch free? Wheres the bus? Your guide to the new school year in Miami and Broward North Lauderdale, August 21, 2023 - Broward School Superintendent Peter Licata, center, reacts as students color their assignments at a first grade classroom in Broadview Elementary School on the first day of school in Broward County. Employee vacancies and student enrollment at schools As of noon Monday, the school district had 202,916 students registered, about 2,800 fewer than the first day of the 2022-23 school year. However Licata warned final numbers wont be available until at least after Labor Day weekend, when the last wave of students rolls in. This year, an expanded state voucher program, which allows any family regardless of income levels to apply for funds to attend private school or home-school, could affect public schools. Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, August 21, 2023 - Broward Schools Superintendent Peter Licata, center, and Lauderdale Lakes Middle Schools principal Linda Lopez, right, listen to teacher Adair Dominguez, left, as he talks to his students during a visit on the first day of school in Broward County. BROWARD COUNTY, August 21, 2023 - Superintendent Peter Licata around for the first day of school in Broward. We{ll go to three schools in the morning and then the press conference at 3:30 p.m. 7:10 7:35 a.m. Monarch High School 5050 Wiles Road Coconut Creek, 33073 8:15 8:45 a.m. Broadview Elementary School 1800 S.W. 62nd Avenue North Lauderdale, 33068 9 9:30 a.m. Lauderdale Lakes Middle School 3911 N.W. 30th Avenue Lauderdale Lakes, 33309 3:30 p.m. First Day of School News Conference Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center 600 S.E. Third Avenue Fort Lauderdale, 33301 Regarding staff, Licata said the district still has to fill 145 instructional positions and hire about 80 bus drivers. Licata said the 145 figure for teachers represents about 1% of the total 14,000 teachers in the district. Since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, educators across the country have been leaving the field because of exhaustion. In Florida, controversial laws passed under the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis have also increased tension. Licata said he advises all teachers to seek help from their local principals and other higher-ups in Fort Lauderdale if they encounter a difficult situation connected to the so-called culture wars. Catastrophic decisions are made in isolation so please give us a call, he said. We want to respect parents. We want to respect the statutes but most importantly we want to get it right ... so were going to protect teachers. Im going to block and tackle for them any day of the week. Broward focused on academic performance Licata began his tour Monday at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, where shortly after the bell rang at 7:30 a.m., he recited the Pledge of Allegiance over the intercom. He thanked teachers and advised students: Enjoy. Be safe. Be smart. Lori Alhadeff, the chair of the Broward School Board, stood by him. Im very excited, she said. We have an amazing superintendent, Dr. Licata, whos leading us to become an A-rated school district. Coconut Creek, August 21, 2023 - Broward Schools Superintendent Peter Licata, left, leads the Pledge of Allegiance along with Broward School Board member Lori Alhadeff at Monarch High School on the first day of classes in Broward County. BROWARD COUNTY, August 21, 2023 - Superintendent Peter Licata around for the first day of school in Broward. We{ll go to three schools in the morning and then the press conference at 3:30 p.m. 7:10 7:35 a.m. Monarch High School 5050 Wiles Road Coconut Creek, 33073 8:15 8:45 a.m. Broadview Elementary School 1800 S.W. 62nd Avenue North Lauderdale, 33068 9 9:30 a.m. Lauderdale Lakes Middle School 3911 N.W. 30th Avenue Lauderdale Lakes, 33309 3:30 p.m. First Day of School News Conference Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center 600 S.E. Third Avenue Fort Lauderdale, 33301 North Lauderdale, August 21, 2023 - Broward School Board member Lori Alhadeff, left, Superintendent Peter Licata, center, and Broward School Board member Debra Hixon talk to Broadview Elementary Schools Media Specialist Eyovne Wishart during a visit on the first day of school in Broward County. The state last rated the Broward school district with an A in 2011; last year it got a B. Lately the School Board has been pushing to recover that top status measuring student performance. So much so, that the board agreed to pay Licata a $10,000 bonus on top of his $350,000 base salary if he achieves that goal. READ MORE: Broward School Board approves contract for new superintendent with these 3 crucial details Like the School Board, Gillings cares most about her boys success. She said she enrolled them in tutoring three times a week during the summer so they didnt fall behind. They really flourished with that, so I hope they can build on those skills now, she said. Nasir woke up this morning and was like, Im ready for school, Mom! Trayshon is more laid back but hes also happy to be back. READ MORE: Five things to know about Peter Licata, Browards new superintendent Superintendent Licatas visit to the schools After Monarch, Licata drove to Broadview Elementary in North Lauderdale and went into teacher Edith Blondets class. Blondet has taught there since 1999, and teaches first-graders in both English and Spanish. Her students colored a page that read, My first day of first grade. You like orange? Licata asked Leila Tzoy, 6, kneeling in front of her desk. North Lauderdale, August 21, 2023 - Broward School Superintendent Peter Licata, center, walks around a first grade classroom at Broadview Elementary School on the first day of school in Broward County. North Lauderdale, August 21, 2023 -A student at Broadview Elementary School uses crayons to color his assignment on the first day of school in Broward County. BROWARD COUNTY, August 21, 2023 - Superintendent Peter Licata around for the first day of school in Broward. We{ll go to three schools in the morning and then the press conference at 3:30 p.m. 7:10 7:35 a.m. Monarch High School 5050 Wiles Road Coconut Creek, 33073 8:15 8:45 a.m. Broadview Elementary School 1800 S.W. 62nd Avenue North Lauderdale, 33068 9 9:30 a.m. Lauderdale Lakes Middle School 3911 N.W. 30th Avenue Lauderdale Lakes, 33309 3:30 p.m. First Day of School News Conference Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center 600 S.E. Third Avenue Fort Lauderdale, 33301 She nodded with a grin, hand gripping the crayon. Me, too, he said, raising his eyebrows. As Licata left, he pouted as he passed a student crying and stomping his feet. Its going to be OK, baby, the teacher told him. READ MORE: Classrooms have become political battlegrounds in Florida. Will it intensify this year? Licatas next stop was Lauderdale Lakes Middle School, where Rud-laurie Maurice mentally prepared to walk into her first class of sixth grade. It feels weird, she said. Im nervous because its my first day of middle school, and its probably harder than fifth grade. Math is really confusing to me, the 11-year-old added, adjusting her gray backpack on her left shoulder. Licata popped into the classroom of Adair Dominguez, whos been teaching high school algebra to eighth-graders for three years. Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, August 21, 2023 - Broward Schools Superintendent Peter Licata, right, is led around the halls of Lauderdale Lakes Middle School by Principal Linda Lopez, left, during a visit on the first day of school in Broward County. Coconut Creek, August 21, 2023 - Superintendent Peter Licata, left, talks to Senior Jessenia Almenguer, right, at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek. Mr. Licata visited schools in Broward County on the first day of school in Broward County. Thank you for your service, Licata told Dominguez, who spent eight years in the army before switching careers. Thank you for being here, Dominguez replied. Women chant slogans protesting violence against women and demanding the release of all detainees before the U.N. rights office in Khartoum, Sudan, on Feb. 2, 2022. Sudans powerful paramilitary has been singled out by a leading rights group and 30 United Nations experts with accusations of rape and sexual violence against women in separate statements, as the country enters its fourth month of conflict. | Marwan Ali, Associated Press Fighting erupted in Sudan between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15,. Since that outbreak of violence, the situation continues to spiral out of control, according to a report from the United Nations released last week. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk issued a strongly worded statement that the disastrous, senseless war in Sudan, born out of a wanton drive for power, has resulted in thousands of deaths, the destruction of family homes, schools, hospitals and other essential services, massive displacement, as well as sexual violence, in acts which may amount to war crimes. Displacement and migration UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, noted that more than 4.3 million people have fled their homes because of the fighting. The latest U.N. data indicates that more than 900,000 refugees and asylum-seekers have sought refuge in neighboring countries and 195,000 South Sudanese have been forced to leave Sudan. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More than 3.2 million people remain internally displaced, including more than 187,000 refugees already living in the country at the start of the crisis, now making them double refugees. More than two-thirds of hospitals in the affected areas were out of service, denying access to care for tens of thousands of people, said Dr. Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organization. People board a truck as they leave Khartoum, Sudan, on June 19, 2023. A leading human rights group called Friday Aug. 4, 2023 on the United States and the United Nations to impose further sanctions on the Sudanese individuals responsible for the atrocities in Darfur, as evidence of scorched-earth attacks mount. The northeast African country plunged into chaos in April when monthslong tensions between the military, led by Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, exploded into open fighting in the capital of Khartoum, and elsewhere. | Associated Press Grim prediction now harsh reality The World Food Programme reported on Aug. 11 that more than 20 million people have been plunged into severe acute hunger in Sudan. Of those 20.3 million, 6.3 million people are experiencing Phase 4 emergency levels of hunger just one step from famine. The operating environment in Sudan is without a doubt the most challenging that I have experienced in my career, said Eddie Rowe, WFP country director for Sudan, looking back over his more than three decades with the agency. Since mid-April, the conflict has continued to spread, and its dynamics have become increasingly more complex. Gaining access to people in need of lifesaving food assistance has also become more challenging and increasingly urgent, he said. 14 million children in dire need Harris, with the World Health Organization, said it is becoming increasingly difficult to control ongoing outbreaks of measles, malaria and dengue. Conditions are even more dangerous for children, she said, with about one-third of children under 5 years old now chronically malnourished. Measles and malnourishment equal a death sentence for children under five. The numbers are staggering. Almost 14 million children a number roughly equivalent to every single child in Colombia, France, Germany or Thailand are in dire need of humanitarian support, UNICEF deputy executive director Ted Chaiban said in a briefing at the beginning of August. One out of every two children in Sudan are now facing unimaginable challenges to their safety and well-being. Every single day. Before the war erupted on April 15, he said that Sudan was already grappling with a humanitarian crisis. Now, more than 110 days of brutal fighting have turned the crisis into a catastrophe, threatening the lives and futures of a generation of children and young people who make up over 70% of the population. Related Smoke rises over Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, June 8, 2023, as fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues. Nearly four months of violent street battles between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary known as the Rapid Support Forces have made funerals a near impossibility in Khartoum. Amid the chaos, residents and local medical groups say corpses lie rotting in the capitals streets. | Associated Press Mass executions Shot at while they drowned. Executed in the desert. Those who collected the bodies recount one of the worst days in Darfurs genocide-scarred history, reports the headline of a CNN article. Unfolding in the west Darfur capital of El Geneina on June 15, hundreds of families were plotting their escape. The state governor had just been executed and mutilated by Arab militia groups, leaving civilians with no choice but to flee. Hundreds of families gathered in the El Geneina on June 15, plotting their escape from what had become a hellscape of blown-out buildings ... and streets strewn with corpses. CNN investigated eyewitness reports of a gruesome massacre that is thought to be one of the most violent incidents in the genocide-scarred Sudanese regions history. The powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and its allied militias hunted down non-Arab people in various parts of the city and surrounding desert region, leaving hundreds dead as they ran for their lives. Survivors recounted victims being executed in the streets, or sprayed with machine gun bullets as they tried to cross a river, which was running unusually high that day. More than 120 bodies were counted, dead from bullets or drowning. More than 1,000 people were killed on June 15. I was collecting bodies on that day. I collected a huge number, one local humanitarian worker, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told CNN. He said the dead were buried in five different mass graves in and around the city. Of those who made it out alive, the vast majority headed to a border town in Chad, about 22 miles away, where a sole surgeon with Doctors Without Borders met the survivors. Dr. Papi Maloba told CNN: I remember the first death I recorded. It was a 2-year-old who had been shot several times in the abdomen. Humanitarian leaders are pleading with the two warring factions to end the fighting, and with the international community to step up funding, saying current efforts are only 27% funded. Please change that, they write. Holly Richardson is the editor of Utah Policy. This coming term, the Supreme Court will hear United States v. Moore, a case that could determine the constitutionality of a hypothetical wealth tax. Given his years of palling around with billionaire benefactors, one thing seems quite clear: Justice Clarence Thomas needs to recuse himself from the case. Commentators who downplay Thomas acceptance of massive gifts ask: Maybe it looks bad, but why does it matter? Moore tells us loud and clear. Moore involves a provision of the 2018 Trump tax bill enacting a mandatory repatriation tax for any U.S. taxpayer who owns shares in a foreign corporation, even if the taxpayer never cashed out the money, but automatically reinvested it. Behind this seemingly abstruse issue is a crucial constitutional question: Does the 16th Amendment, which enables the federal government to tax income, allow the government to put levies on taxpayers assets if they didnt actually get the money in cash? In other words, can the federal government place a tax on wealth? This has real implications for both the budget and inequality. Indeed, most ultra-high-wealth individuals possess their assets: They make investments, and hold them. When they die, their heirs tax is figured not on the amount of profit earned off of the original cost, but the amount of profit earned off of its value at the time of the original purchasers death. Thus, hundreds of billions of dollars go untaxedwhich is just the way multibillionaires like it. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has advocated for a federal wealth tax for years, and she is far from alone: Sen. Ron Wyden, chair of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, has advanced similar proposals, as has President Biden. Heres where Thomas comes in. As ProPublica has extensively documented, a small group of billionaires including Harlan Crow, David Sokol, the late Wayne Huizenga, and Paul Tony Novelly have provided extraordinary benefits to Thomas, including at least 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, six helicopter flights, yacht voyages (including to the Bahamas), a dozen VIP passes to sporting events, and much, much more. Our current tax system does a wonderful job of taxing your wages and mine, but it leaves vast pools of wealth completely untaxedoften for generations. Folks like Crow, Sokol, and Novelly (as well as Huizengas heirs) would very much like to keep it that way. Thomas may soon have the opportunity to help them. (Its worth noting that Justice Samuel Alito has his own very real conflict concerns, as well.) ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement None of this is speculative. As tax experts Reuven S. Avi-Yonah and Steven M. Rosenthal explain: The courts have permitted, for many decades, Congress to tax a corporations undistributed investment income to the controlling stock holders of personal foreign investment companies and CFCs (and Congress continues to tax these undistributed earnings). These rules prevent wealthy Americans and US multinationals from using foreign corporations like uncapped traditional Individual Retirement Accounts. But, as Avi-Yonah and Rosenthal further explain, Moore could force Congress to rewrite major parts of our international, pass-through, and financial tax regimes. Crow, Sokol, and Novelly have deep interests in these rules as well. Again, it comes back to Thomas; 28 USC 455 requires the recusal of any justice whose impartiality might reasonably be questioned or who has any interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding. It beggars belief that a man who has acceptedand continues to acceptliterally dozens of fabulously expensive gifts and vacations from billionairesand whose mother still lives in a house that a billionaire, Crow, purchased for herwould be impartial to a case that the entire billionaire class has such an overriding and specific interest in. Even Justice Antonin Scalia might agree. In his March 2004 memorandum explaining why he would not recuse himself in a case where the defendant was his good friend Vice President Dick Cheney, Scalia observed that friendship is a ground for recusal of a Justice where the personal fortune or the personal freedom of the friend is at issue. Moore is precisely such a case. Crow and Thomas other ultra-high-wealth friends potentially stand to lose billions of dollars if the court rules in favor of wealth taxes. Importantly, we have a very recent example to follow. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, before she was elevated to the court, announced that she would not hear the case regarding affirmative action at Harvard University. She had previously served on Harvard Universitys Board of Overseers, the larger and less powerful of the universitys two governing bodies. In that capacity, she received no compensation, and the board was not involved in admissions decisions. But much to the consternation of affirmative action advocates, Jackson said that it might create the appearance of a conflict of interest and did not participate in the case (although she did participate in the companion case regarding the University of North Carolina). Lets compare the two. One could argue that because Jackson had a formal connection to Harvard, and Thomas has no formal connection to his billionaire friends, Jackson had to recuse and Thomas doesnt. Such an argument, however, turns ethics into a laughingstock. When she recused, Jackson was no longer affiliated with Harvard. She received no compensation for being an overseer. Thomas, on the other hand, still gets lavish gifts from his billionaire friends. Harland Crow purchased his mothers home for her. As trial attorneys tell juries: Use your common sense. Who has more influence over the judge in question: Harvard University or Thomas billionaire friends? Is someone more likely to favor their alma mater or people who continue to give them millions of dollars in presents, rewards, and favors? Would someone be more inclined to prefer their closest friends, who have literally erected shrines to them, or an institution that they have no true personal connection to? To ask these questions is to answer them. One can imagine the obvious objection: Where does this stop? The Supreme Court handles issues that affect high-wealth individuals all the time. Must Thomas recuse himself from all of them? The narrow answer is: Of course not. Moore is not your run-of-the-mill Supreme Court case, or even your run-of-the-mill Supreme Court tax case. It implicates one of the most hot-button issues in federal tax policy that has a direct bearing on ultra-high-wealth individuals. It is relevant, and worthy of Supreme Court consideration in the first place, precisely because of its vast importance to billionaires. But the broader answer is: What if it does? Maybe the answer should be that if you want to be a Supreme Court justice, you cannot become the kept man of a small group of billionaires. Somehow every other Supreme Court justice has avoided it, at least as far as we know. The vision of an enormously powerful justice receiving millions of dollars in gifts from friends and then ruling on a case that could give enormous benefits to those friends is precisely the example of an interlocking elite feared by millions of Americans. Crow has said that it is kind of weird to think that if youre a justice on the Supreme Court, you cant have friends. Precisely so. What a justice cant do is rule on a case that could give those friends vast benefits. If those friends might be less interested in the friendship were the justice to recuse himself, well, that is the entire problem. Surface-to-air missiles have been critical defensive weapons in the war in Ukraine. But reports show both Russia and Ukraine are also using SAMs to hit land targets. Both sides have repurposed SAMs, like Russia's S-400s and Ukraine's S-200s, for these strikes. Surface-to-air missiles have seen widespread use throughout Russia's war in Ukraine, striking down aircraft and protecting cities from vicious drone and missile attacks. Ukraine's mix of Soviet and Western air defenses keep the enemy air force at bay while Russia's formidable defenses threaten Ukrainian aviation, leaving control of the sky contested. But as much as surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, have played a critical role in defense missions, both Russia and Ukraine have repurposed some of their supply for an unintended use: offensive surface-to-surface attacks. Since Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's Soviet-era SAMs, like the Buk and S-300 systems, have battled not just Russian aircraft but also regular drone and missile barrages, but this defense has come at a cost. Ukrainian forces have depleted much of their inventory of the Soviet-era SAMs and are relying more heavily now on the US and other NATO partners for air-defense capabilities, like NASAMS and Patriots, and interceptors. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Russia, on the other hand, has fielded not just older S-300 but also the newer, more expensive, and more impressive S-400 Triumf, a mobile, long-range SAM system. An upgrade over the earlier S-300, the S-400 is highly regarded as a defensive system and is adept at targeting and destroying various aircraft and drones, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. A S-200 surface-to-air missile system. Getty Images Same missiles, different targets Reports indicate that over the course of the war, both sides have been finding new uses for SAMs. On Sunday, a UK intelligence update said there were increasing reports of surface-to-air missiles striking land targets inside Russian-controlled territory. Ukraine has reportedly been using old S-200 SAMs "as a ground attack ballistic missile." Russian state media TASS said claimed it thwarted the attack by intercepting the missile, which was aimed at occupied Crimea. Weeks before this incident in July, video surfaced online of Ukraine allegedly using an S-200 to hit a sawmill in Russia. It is unclear if that target was intentionally struck or if the irregular use of the missile, which could impact accuracy, led to the mill being unintentionally hit. The use of air-defense missiles like the S-200 to hit land targets inside Russian-controlled territory might seem like a head scratcher, especially as Ukraine's biggest concern remains Russia's superior air force and other airborne threats. But Ukraine retired its S-200s over a decade ago, though it kept the batteries in its stockpiles and occasionally discussed potential reuse prior to Russia's full-scale invasion. The systems are relatively archaic, especially compared to newer defense systems, but that doesn't mean they don't have value. Developed in the 1960s, S-200s feature built-in passive radar seekers, which require guidance from a separate radar to accurately hit targets. It is also theoretically possible to adjust a missile's internal system tracking speed and direction with a GPS guidance system. S-300s, on the other hand, feature a more streamlined targeting system. And Russian S-400s are even more capable. But the S-200s may still be useful on offense. One potential reason for Ukraine's use of S-200s could be their range and their domestic availability. Long-range weapons like Storm Shadow missiles are provided by Western nations. The S-200s also don't come with conditions. Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Russian soil in recent months, arguing that Russian-controlled territory is fair game as Russia pummels Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on a daily basis, damaging infrastructure and inflicting casualties on civilians, but the US and other supporters have discouraged Ukraine from using Western weapons to strike targets inside Russia. With the S-200s, Ukraine can strike Russia without breaking any promises to its allies. An aerial view of the damaged building after Russian missile attacks in Odessa, Ukraine on July 25, 2023. Multiple missile strikes on the city of Odessa, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, caused damage to at least 20 historic buildings including Odessa cathedral. Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Russia, on the other hand, has been documented striking land targets and countering High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems with its SAM systems, the latter mission making little sense. The munitions launched by the HIMARS have a range of about 50 miles, so the S-400 which is designed to strike at longer ranges has trouble intercepting and successfully destroying the US-made rocket artillery. Russia has also hammered Ukrainian cities with its air-defense missiles. Ukraine said earlier this year that Russia has been increasingly using S-400s and S-300s to conduct ground strikes because their stockpiles of precision guided missiles are running low. The constant bombardment of Ukraine since the early days of the war has depleted the stockpiles to the point where Moscow has had to rely on other assets, such as missiles meant for other tasks, like SAMs, and loitering munitions. Russia has turned to weapons such as exploding one-way attack drones and Kh-22 anti-ship missiles for its land attacks. The latter is a Soviet-era, long-range missile designed to threaten aircraft carriers, but it has seen significant use against land targets in Ukraine, recently against the port city of Odessa in July of this year. When used for attacks against land targets, the supersonic weapons are notoriously inaccurate and cause massive collateral damage. Though there is some difference between the Russian and Ukrainian approaches, the unconventional use of weapons like SAMs for targets they were not designed to strike speaks to the efforts on both side to batter then enemy with whatever is available. Read the original article on Business Insider A survey of nearby cities shows that Louisville City Council plans to pay its former city manager one of the highest economic development director salaries in the region. The Canton Repository surveyed 21 cities, ranging in population from Canal Fulton with 5,300 residents to Akron with 188,509 residents, to see how much they paid their economic development director or consultant. Economic development directors are responsible for retaining existing businesses, helping businesses expand and attracting new business to the community. The survey was prompted by Louisville City Councils split vote on Aug. 7 to hire Tom Pukys as its economic development consultant at a salary of $131,200 a year. Some council members said the compensation was too high compared to other cities. Tom Pukys the new city manager for Louisville. Wednesday, January 5, 2021. Pukys was hired as Louisvilles city manager in December 2021 and handled both city manager and economic development duties. Council members said they sought to move Pukys to an economic development role because he wasnt suited to being a city manager. What does the survey show? Of the 19 survey responses received by Friday, Louisvilles salary of $131,200 is the second highest. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Only Cuyahoga Falls, a city with a population five times bigger than Louisvilles 9,518 residents, pays its full-time economic development director a higher salary at $133,392, the survey shows. The average salary for an economic development director or consultant is $90,195 a year, according to the survey. The salaries do not include the cost of employee benefits. The survey also shows that 14 of the cities have an employee dedicated to economic development, while three of them rely on either a consultant or a business that specializes in economic development. New Philadelphia and Macedonia rely on their mayors to handle economic development responsibilities. Warren and Dover did not respond. Ray Hexamer, president of the Stark Economic Development Board, encouraged Louisville Council on Aug. 7 to hire former City Manager Tom Pukys as the city's economic development consultant. Louisville councilman: 'A good chance for a good payback' Louisville Councilman Dick Slackford said Pukys salary as an economic development consultant is based on his salary as city manager. As city manager, Pukys annually earned $122,000 in salary, $3,000 for a car allowance and $6,000 for not taking the citys health insurance. Slackford said the salary also reflects councils confidence in Pukys to help bring in new businesses to the city. He pointed to Pukys previous roles as the president of the Alliance Area Development Foundation and president of the Wayne Economic Development Council in Wooster. He also noted how business owners and community leaders, such as Ray Hexamer from the Stark Economic Development Board, have praised Pukys abilities. Even though its a little high, I think theres a good chance for a good payback for the city, Slackford said. Councilman Corey Street, who met with the mayor, assistant city manager and the then-law director to determine the level of compensation the city was going to offer Pukys, said Pukys' consultant salary is in line with what he was being offered a few years ago by former City Manager Larry Collins, who died in September 2021. Street said Collins was looking to offer Pukys $100,000 per year to be an economic development consultant. Street said Pukys also boasts credentials that most other economic development directors do not. "To my knowledge, he is the only Certified Economic Development Professional in all of Stark County which makes comparing him and other officials tasked with economic development a bit like apples and oranges," said Street, noting that the city no longer must contribute toward Pukys' public retirement pension because he is an independent contractor. Slackford also emphasized that council can cancel Pukys consultant contract if he doesnt perform. Unlike his city manager contract that required council to pay four months of severance if it ended Pukys contract early, the consultant contract does not include a severance clause if council chooses to terminate the agreement before Jan. 2, 2025. Councilwoman Joanie Aljancic, who also voted to hire Pukys as an economic development consultant, did not return a message seeking comment. Mayor Pat Fallot and council member Jim Taylor had voted against hiring Pukys as a consultant. They both have previously cited the contract's high salary as reasons for opposing the contract. How did other cities come up with their salaries? At least two of the cities surveyed have hired an economic development director within the past 14 months. Canal Fulton tapped its council clerk Alyssa Bettis to be its economic development director in March. Mayor Joe Schultz said he considered hiring someone new for the position and looked at what other nearby cities were paying for their economic development directors or similar positions. He recalls Louisville had been seeking someone for a similar position and was offering $92,000 a year. Nobody, except our engineer, makes over $90,000 a year, Schultz said. But at the same token, we felt it was important to have somebody. Bettis, who has been with the city since 2019, still is the city council clerk, but she no longer also serves as the assistant to the city manager. For the additional economic development duties, council added $6,387 to Bettis existing $50,013 salary. City Manager Dan Bucher Jr. said Bettis also will serve as the secretary and city liaison for the Canton Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce, which is looking to rebound after its membership dwindled during the coronavirus pandemic. The city of Canton hired two economic development directors last year. The first director lasted only six weeks. Canton Mayor Thomas Bernabei said city leaders did not conduct a salary survey when they posted the job the second time because they already had a good idea of what the market would bear. Canton, which has a population of 69,671 residents, was offering a salary between $88,990 and $123,235 for the full-time, cabinet-level post. Chris Hardesty, who had been working as Greens community development administrator and had four years of previous experience with Canton, was hired in June 2022 at a salary of $95,000. He now earns $97,850 a year. Canton Repository staff writer Abreanna Blose contributed to this article. Reach Repository writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. City economic development director salaries The Canton Repository contacted 21 different communities to find out how much they pay their economic development directors or consultants. Here's what we found: Community Population (2022) City employee or Consultant? Annual salary/pay Akron 188,509 Employee - Director of Business Retention and Expansion $127,837 Alliance 21,414 Employee - Planning and Development Director $81,619 Barberton 24,826 Employee $72,986 Canal Fulton 5,300 Employee - also handles council clerk duties. $56,400 Canton 69,671 Employee $97,850 Cuyahoga Falls 50,655 Employee $133,392 Dover 12,997 Did not respond Did not respond Green 27,475 Employee $57,000-$79,500 Hudson 22,983 Employee $94,474 Kent 28,203 Employee $83,980 Louisville 9,518 Consultant $131,200 Macedonia 12,148 None - mayor oversees economic development -- Massillon 32,292 Employee $79,144 Medina 26,000 Employee $77,000 New Philadelphia 17,677 None - mayor oversees economic development -- North Canton 17,687 Consultant $48,000 Ravenna 11,323 Employee - serves city and township $90,000 Salem 11,915 Consultant Not provided. Twinsburg 19,416 Employee $94,348 Warren 38,906 Did not respond Did not respond Wooster 27,232 Employee $84,698 This article originally appeared on The Repository: Louisville pays economic development consultant more than most cities A Palestinian child is taken away after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes along the frontier with Israel, east of Gaza City, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Hundreds of Palestinians protested near the border fence with Israel. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) JERUSALEM (AP) A suspected Palestinian attacker killed an Israeli woman and seriously wounded a man in the south of the occupied West Bank on Monday, Israeli authorities said, as violence flared in the restive territory two days after a shooting that killed two Israelis. Elsewhere in the West Bank, an Israeli military raid triggered fighting with Palestinians south of Nablus, Palestinian health officials said, leaving eight Palestinians wounded including one in critical condition. Footage captured by witnesses from nearby buildings showed that an apparently unarmed Palestinian man was walking away from Israeli troops when he was shot in the back of the head. Israels paramilitary border police said they were investigating the incident. Monday's violence was part of a sharp escalation in recent months involving Palestinian militants, Israeli security forces and radical Jewish settlers. It took place as Israeli forces were already on high alert and searching for the gunman who had killed two Israelis in the northern West Bank on Saturday. The combustible mix of armed Palestinians carrying out shooting attacks as well as near-nightly and often deadly raids by the Israeli army to arrest militants has fueled the worst fighting in the West Bank in nearly two decades. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Reprisals by Jewish settlers against Palestinians have also heightened tensions. Late on Sunday, Israeli settlers threw stones and firebombs at a Palestinian home south of Nablus near the site of Saturday's deadly attack, local officials reported, causing damage but no injuries. On Monday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire at an Israeli car on Route 60, the main north-south road in the West Bank, near the Palestinian city of Hebron. The army said the apparent drive-by shooting killed an Israeli woman and seriously wounded a man. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene of the attacks shortly afterward. He warned Israel was in the grips of a new terror offensive." We are working around the clock all of the officers and soldiers in order to apprehend the killers," he said. The victims sedan was riddled with over a dozen bullet holes. The gunman fled, prompting Israeli forces to conduct their second large-scale search in as many days. The military shut down all entrances to Hebron along with other towns to the south and east. An offshoot of the secular nationalist Fatah party, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it a natural response to the crimes of the occupation. For killing there is killing, for bombing there is bombing, for terror there is terror, it said. The Israeli rescue service reported that the two victims were in their 40s and that a 6-year-old girl who was also in the car was unharmed. The man was taken to a hospital, the rescue service said. A regional council representing settlements identified the woman killed as Batsheva Nigri, a mother of three and a kindergarten teacher, who lived in the Jewish settlement of Beit Hagai, near Hebron. Meanwhile in the Gaza Strip hundreds of Palestinians protested near the Israeli border, throwing rocks and explosive devices at the fortified border fence. Israeli forces responded with tear gas and live fire, wounding 18 people, according to the enclave's health ministry. Monday's shooting came two days after another Palestinian attack killed an Israeli father and son who were getting their car washed in the northern Palestinian town of Hawara, putting the West Bank on edge. As Israeli forces stormed into nearby towns to conduct searches Monday, dozens of Palestinians flooded the streets to protest. In the town of Beita, south of Nablus, Palestinians hurled rocks and bricks at Israeli troops, said Israel's border police, a paramilitary arm of the Israeli police that operates on the West Bank, in parts of Jerusalem and in other volatile settings. As the protest escalated so did the level of response by the security forces," it said. The border police also said they were reviewing cases of Palestinians being hit by live fire, including the incident caught on camera showing a Palestinian shot and critically wounded while walking away and posing no apparent threat to troops. Palestinian media identified the man as Ameed Jaghuob, a local electrician. Nearly 180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the start of this year, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Israel says most of the Palestinians killed were militants. But stone throwing youths protesting the incursions and those not involved in the confrontations have also been killed. Some 30 people have been killed by Palestinian attacks against Israelis during that time. Israel says the raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks. Palestinians say the raids undermine their security forces, inspire more militancy and entrench Israeli control over lands they seek for a hoped-for future state. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. A judge has denied suspended Clay County Sheriff Jeffrey Lyde's motion to dismiss the petition for removal against him and ditch an order temporarily suspending him from his duties as sheriff, petitioner Frank Douthitt said Monday afternoon. Senior Justice Lee Gabriel recently made her ruling after hearing Aug. 11 at the Montague County Courthouse from Lyde's attorneys, Douthitt, who is an attorney participating as a Clay County resident, and his co-petitioner, 97th District Attorney Casey Hall, who represents the state of Texas. Gabriel will possibly issue an order in writing later Monday about her ruling to deny the request to dismiss the case and vacate the temporary suspension order, Douthitt said. The ruling means a trial will go forward on the petition to remove Lyde from elected office. A date has not been set yet. Lyde has denied the allegations in the petition to remove him from office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Check back with www.timesrecordnews.com for more information on this developing story. Also on Aug. 11, Gabriel granted Lyde's request to change the venue of some of his criminal cases. He is expected to go on trial for misdemeanor charges of official oppression and tampering with government documents Sept. 11 at the Montague County Courthouse. The prosecution and defense agreed to a change of venue for the charges connected to a July 12, 2021, incident involving a couple, Sarah Lynn Johnson and Landon Paul Goad. Lyde has maintained his innocence of allegations that he illegally held them in jail after a justice of the peace found no probable cause for their arrest for domestic violence charges and ordered them dismissed. Johnson and Goad have sued Lyde in federal court, claiming civil rights violations. Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, covers education, courts, breaking news, investigative projects and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia. This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Suspended Sheriff Lyde loses round in court Two people were killed in separate crashes that happened in a six-hour span over the weekend in the same county, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The first single-vehicle collision happened at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Laurens County, said Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway. A 2007 Chevrolet HHR SUV was driving west on Greenpond Road, according to Ridgeway. Near the intersection with Heartland Court, the SUV ran off the right side of the road, then the driver overcorrected and the Chevy swerved across the center line and ran off the left side of the road, Ridgeway said. The driver overcorrected again, causing the SUV to veer back across the road and off the right side where it crashed into a tree, according to Ridgeway. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The driver died at the scene, Ridgeway said. The Laurens County Coroners Office has not publicly identified the driver. No other injuries were reported. There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt. Hours later, another person died in a single-vehicle collision in Laurens County. At about 12:05 a.m. Sunday, the rider of a 2023 Harley-Davidson motorcycle was killed in a crash, according to Ridgeway. The motorcycle was driving north on S.C. 252 when it ran off the left side of the road, Ridgeway said. The motorcycle crashed into a ditch, then a culvert, and the rider died at the scene, according to Ridgeway. There was no word if the rider was wearing a helmet. No other injuries were reported. As in the earlier wreck, the coroners office has not publicly identified the victim. Information about what caused both vehicles in the unrelated crashes to veer off the roads was not available, but both collisions continue to be investigated by the Highway Patrol. Through last Wednesday, 624 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported. At least 15 people have died in Laurens County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 24 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported. Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets will not be provided to Ukraine in the near future, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in an interview with the Guardian on Aug. 21. We will do everything we can to support Ukraine, even with aircraft, Kristersson explained. But right now there are no new commitments to provide Swedish aircraft to Ukraine. During his visit to Sweden on Aug. 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested Saab JAS 39 Gripens in a direct appeal to Kristersson. Read also: Who is delaying transfer of F-16s and ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, and why expert interview Stockholm said that it will permit Ukrainian pilots to conduct tests on the aircraft, but no definitive arrangements have been made for their transfer. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On June 16, the Swedish government announced that, as part of the 12th aid package to Ukraine, it would undertake the training of pilots to operate Saab JAS 39 Gripens. On Aug. 19, reports emerged that Ukrainian military personnel are currently undergoing testing for the aircraft. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine There are no plans to provide Ukraine with Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets due to what Swedens Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said was a "balancing act" between what his country can spare and what it needs for itself given it is not yet in NATO. "We will do everything to support them with air, but right now there are no new commitments to provide Swedish aircraft to Ukraine," Kristersson told Swedish TV4 Channel, adding that "Sweden is a geographically large country, we have to defend ourselves and we are not yet in NATO." President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Sweden on Aug. 19. as part of a diplomatic trip that included Denmark and the Netherlands to discuss military aid, particularly fighter jets for Ukraine. Following the visits, Zelensky announced that in total, Ukraine would receive 61 U.S.-made fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands combined. During the Sweden visit, Zelensky said that Ukrainian pilots had begun test flights on the Gripen jets and that he and Kristersson had discussed their potential transfer to Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We also talked about another strong Swedish machine, the Gripen aircraft. This is the pride of Sweden. And I am sure that Gripens can make our freedom much more secure," Zelensky said on Aug. 19. "We do not have superiority in the sky. We do not have modern aircraft. And the Swedish Gripen is the pride of your state. And I believe the Prime Minister could share such pride with Ukraine," he said. Kristersson also noted that Sweden is part of the F-16 coalition in which 14 countries are cooperating to ensure that Ukraine boosts its air force. The Netherlands and Denmark have spearheaded the international training coalition on F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine. Announced at the NATO summit in Vilnius, along with nine other allies, the coalition is set to ensure training of the Ukrainian Air Force in using F-16 fighter jets. Ukraine has been lobbying to receive U.S.-made F-16s since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said F-16 fighter jets could help counter Russia's air superiority, which is necessary to achieve success on the battlefield. Ukrainian pilots, engineers, and technicians have already started a six-month training session on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on national television on Aug. 19. Ukraine's Air Force comprises Soviet-made aircraft and is outnumbered by Russia's larger Air Force, thwarting Ukraine's ability to conduct counteroffensives. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Kyiv to receive 42 F-16 fighter jets, with first aircraft set to arrive in 2023 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Switzerland has initiated an investigation into defense contractor RUAG following an unsuccessful attempt to sell Ukraine nearly 100 Leopard-1 tanks, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 21, citing the Swiss Defense Ministry. Read also: Rheinmetall confirms transfer of LUNA reconnaissance drones to Ukraine The Defense Ministry has asked independent auditors to look into the contentious deal with Germanys Rheinmetall AG, which was halted on the grounds of violating Switzerland's neutrality. The ministry also expressed the need for a reform in the relationship between the company and the government. RUAG had intended to sell Leopard-1 tanks to Rheinmetall, a company that planned to refurbish them and ship the vehicles to Ukraine. However, the Swiss authorities halted the deal in June. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The report mentions that with national elections in Switzerland being held in October, this investigation could further draw attention to the issue of the country's neutrality. Read also: Switzerland claims seizure of Russian private assets violates constitution According to the agency, former RUAG CEO Brigitte Beck stepped down after proposing to European countries to send Swiss weapons to Ukraine, arguing that Switzerland would not use them. Meanwhile, the next CEO, Nicolas Perrin, stated that the country may need to reassess its foreign policy "in an increasingly connected world." Read also: Russian Emergency Ministers wife involved in abducting Ukrainian children, investigation shows This prompted the right-wing Swiss People's Party to assert that neutrality is the reason behind the country's peace and stability, and that this doctrine shouldn't be subject to debate. Read also: Switzerland approves sale of 25 Leopard tanks to Germany On June 28, the Swiss Federal Council rejected RUAGs application to sell 96 Leopard-1A5 main battle tanks for use in Ukraine. On July 20, Voice of America reported that the United States and Switzerland top the list of countries manufacturing high-tech components for Russian weapons, which are then used against Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Tahquamenon Falls Train and Riverboat Tours, which have guided visitors through beautiful Upper Peninsula forests and along Michigans largest waterfall, have been around for nearly a century and might come to an end this fall, as the current owners listed it for sale. According to the Tahquamenon Falls Riverboat Tours website, the tours are celebrating their 96th season, originally beginning in 1927. The Stewart family has owned and operated the location for 42 years, but they plan to retire and step down from the business. Michigan fall colors: Check out these scenic drives across the state Typically, the tour lasts around six and a half hours, departing at 10:30 a.m. and returning at 5 p.m. at Soo Junction. It begins with a 35-minute train ride on the Toonerville Trolley followed by a two-hour, narrated boat cruise. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Once reaching the rapids of Tahquamenon Falls, the riverboat docks, inviting visitors to participate in a hike. The hike, over half a mile long each way, leads to a private view of the waterfall. Following, the tour retraces its steps, heading back via riverboat and train. Today, our tours are a step back in history. Back to the time when the white pine was king and roads were few and far between, said the website. The 21-mile stretch of river the boat travels is still scenic and pristine, offering our passengers a view of this breathtaking wilderness from the comfort of their seat. More: Michigan's hidden gems: 22 summer activities you must try The 2023 tour season began on June 14 and concludes on Oct. 7. Tour dates fluctuate depending on the month. Prices are $55 for adults, $32 for children ages four to 15, $51 for seniors ages 62 and up, and free for children under four. The Stewarts are looking for someone willing to own and operate the tours. The business, including the train, riverboat, and all other necessary equipment, is listed at $500,000, Dixie Stewart wrote in an email to the Free Press. There are also two leases to be taken care of. "We will be leasing the land. This will be a long-term and low-cost lease for the gift shop and parking area, the tracks, the dock, and work buildings," wrote Stewart. There is also a lease with the state of Michigan for the trail at the falls, which has to be renewed every ten years. Stewart, who handles a lot of responsibility for the business, said she's willing to continue working as the new owners get acclimated. "I am willing to stay on for several more years in whatever capacity that would be needed," she wrote. "I handle the reservations and bookwork, manage the gift shop and the kitchen on the boat and purchase all supplies." She also said the current captain would stay long enough to train a new one. Those interested are encouraged to reach out over email or phone. To learn more, click here. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Future of Tahquamenon riverboat tour hangs in balance, listed for sale The company selected to transform long-neglected city land overlooking the Hillsborough River is asking the city of Tampa for millions more in funding for a project that raised concerns over fairness when it was approved two years ago. Last month, Miami-based Related Group asked the West Tampa Community Redevelopment Area to provide $4.25 million extra for the project west of downtown known as Rome Yard, draft notes from the meeting show. Peter Van Warner, development manager for Related, said the extra funding was needed for infrastructure improvements and other features for the project, according to the notes from the July 25 meeting. Neither Van Warner nor Related responded to repeated phone calls from the Tampa Bay Times for elaboration on the reasons for the funding ask. The administration does not support that request for additional funding, city communications director Adam Smith told the Times in an email. The City and Related have an existing Community Benefits Agreement that outlines the citys contribution to the project, which is land. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 2021, the Related Urban Development Group LLC won the $300 million project in partnership with the Tampa Housing Authority to transform 18-acres of prime city property formerly used as a truck yard into a hub of mixed-income housing, retail and community amenities. Cries of foul play and concerns over the selection process stirred soon after. In response to Van Warners ask, Janette LaRussa Fenton, who sits on the redevelopment agencys community advisory committee, made a motion for the citys lawyers to provide an opinion on whether or not Relateds request would be a legal use of city funds. The advisory committee voted unanimously to approve Fentons motion. Sandra Sanchez, an at-large member of the advisory committee, told the Times she thought it was odd that Van Warner was asking the group for money. I was surprised that Related Group came before the CRA for money, as I believed they had a partnership with the city and the housing authority, Sanchez said. I didnt understand how the committee fit into that mix. And after all, Related is supposed to be the big international organization with all the money. At the July meeting, Van Warner pointed to rising costs of materials and resources as reasons for needing more funding, Sanchez said. Construction is not set to begin until spring or later, Smith said, adding that the project is on schedule and in design phase. The Times contacted other members of the committee, but had not heard back at the time of publication. In 2019, then-Mayor Bob Buckhorn decided to pull the plug on previous development bids for the West Tampa property, saying that the proposals received were not as robust as hed hoped. Mayor Jane Castor took over the process when she assumed office later that year. Within days of Castors news conference announcing Relateds proposal as the winner in 2021, a losing bidder, Tampa-based InVictus Development LLC, filed a formal protest. The company charged that a city selection committee member, Joe Robinson, had fouled the process by moving to throw out minority outreach scores. That action tilted the scales, InVictus said, toward Related. Robinson, an engineer and longtime resident of West Tampa, signed a consulting contract worth up to $75,000 with the Tampa Housing Authority a partner in the deal with Related a month before initiating the move, the Times previously reported. Robinson is chairperson of the West Tampa Community Redevelopment Areas citizen advisory committee the same body Van Warner, development manager for Related, has requested the extra funding from. An administrative hearing officer later ruled city officials and appointees did nothing illegal in awarding the contract to Related. The officer also dismissed InVictus other claim, that the city and Related violated the cone of silence, the requirement not to contact non-authorized city employees or attempt to influence the selection before it is announced. But optics concerns with the pivotal project persisted: Previous Times reporting revealed Mayor Castors nephew worked for Related Group when the company secured the contract. And Castors partner, Ana Cruz, held a high-level position at Ballard Partners, a powerful lobbying firm that works for Related. In previous statements, the city has said Castor wasnt involved in the selection process and that every contract Ballard has with Tampa states Cruz wont benefit from or participate in any city work. Related is already a major player in Tampas development boom, playing a leading role in the nearly $350 million remake of Tampas West River area, just south of the Rome Yard parcel. Related is also the developer of the Ritz-Carlton Residences on Bayshore. Located between Rome Avenue and the Hillsborough River, and south of Columbus Drive, the Rome Yard tract is positioned with easy access to downtown, Tampa International Airport, South Tampa and the nearby Riverside and Seminole Heights neighborhoods. Robinson, the advisory committee chairperson, told the Times Monday that the committee is awaiting guidance on Relateds funding request from the Tampa city attorneys office. First we have to know if it is even something we could do, if it is legal, he said. Then we can discuss it and then well vote it up or down. The head of Information Systems at the Tarrant Appraisal District was suspended Monday after a Star-Telegram inquiry into a recording of the official telling coworkers he supported creating a false narrative for the media about TADs tech issues. TAD is responsible for appraising property values in Tarrant County; these appraisals are used to determine property tax bills. The agency came under fire in April when TAD launched a website that lacked critical functionality the same week that property value notices were posted. In the recording, which was made in August, Cal Wood discusses a strategy for sharing news of the agencys technological situation. The individual who made the recording wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. Im OK with creating a false narrative that distances the truth from the media, Wood can be heard saying in the recording. Thats where Im gonna have to really shut up today. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Later in the recording, Wood says: The further you create the truth from whats being reported, the better you are. Because what do we need? Time, patience and money. He repeated the same refrain I need time, patience and money throughout the TAD boards May meeting when he was called upon to answer for the websites issues. When the Star-Telegram requested a comment from Wood, TAD did not make him available. Wood did not return phone calls, text messages or emails seeking comment. The Star-Telegram shared the contents of the recording with Chief Appraiser Jeff Law on Thursday. Law said he would look into it, and on Monday morning the agency issued a statement saying that Law notified the board of the recording and launched a full investigation of the circumstances. Wood has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. The statements made in a portion of an audio recording of a Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) Director do not reflect the values of TADs board of directors nor their management of TAD. TAD is committed to providing the public and the media accurate, factual information related to its duties, responsibilities and actions, the statement said. Issues with the website began in October when it was taken down for planned security updates, said Law. At the boards March meeting, Law and Wood assured the board and the public that the website would be ready for property tax season. It is our plan to have the online protest available and I believe the plan will work, Law said when the Star-Telegram asked in March if the automated market review tool would be available. But when it launched, the new TAD.org failed to load for many visitors. Those who were able to access the site couldnt use the automated market review tool until weeks into the 30-day period taxpayers are given to protest their appraisals. Access to this tool is required by law. After public outcry, including a letter from Keller Mayor Armin Mizani, Law extended the protest deadline from May 15 to May 30. During the boards May meeting, Wood and Law blamed the slow speed on foreign crawlers and automated bots specifically from India that were searching TADs public data. Board member Rich DeOtte was unsatisfied with the explanation. I think were sort of covering up the truth, DeOtte said at the time. Obviously this has been a disappointing roll out, and I think we need to be truthful about that happened. News of the recording comes amid disagreement between board members on confidence in Laws leadership. Law was issued a letter of repair in April which outlined 11 items to be completed in 90 days, like developing plan to repair the agencys reputation and ensuring that the agencys computer systems and website comply with statutory requirements. Failure to resolve the issues could result in dismissal, the letter concluded. Earlier this month, the board took a 3-2 vote of confidence in Law. Tony Pompa, JR Martinez and Jungus Jordan voted yes. Rich DeOtte and Vince Puente voted no. At the same meeting, the board heard from former TAD employee Patricia Nolan in a closed session. She shared what she said in the meeting with the Star-Telegram. The website launch was just a series of screwups, Nolan said, and it still does not function. In response, Law said Nolans concerns have been addressed. [Source] John Mac Lane Coronel, known for his drag queen persona Taylor Sheesh, is rising in popularity in the Philippines for impersonating Taylor Swift . About Taylor Sheesh: Coronel, a 28-year-old Filipino call center agent, first became fascinated with Swift in 2009 after he heard her song Fifteen. He then started impersonating the artist in 2017, adopting the drag name Taylor from Swift's name and the slang term sheesh. This year, Sheesh has notably been making several mall performances around the Philippines, such as in cities like Quezon, Cebu and Taguig, to mimic Swift's ongoing Eras Tour. In May, videos of Sheeshs performances, which have reportedly drawn crowds of up to 10,000 people, went viral, attracting attention from international news outlets. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More from NextShark: Margaret Cho joins cast of romantic dark comedy 'Evilou' Rise in fame: When Coronel attended a Taylor Swift fan drag event as Sheesh in October last year, an organizer reportedly asked the drag queen to perform. Sheesh sang Swifts 11-minute, 40-second medley from the 2019 American Music Awards. Since then, she has performed at multiple fan events, copying Swifts concert outfits and lip-syncing to her songs. I'm always learning how to act like Taylor, how to move like Taylor, how to smile like Taylor, and overall, how to approach performing like Taylor, like Taylor's Version. My favorite is when she hits the high note and leans back, Coronel told Mashable. More from NextShark: All DAY6 members renew their contracts with JYP Entertainment Taylor Swift in the Philippines: Swift, who has been one of the most-streamed artists for years in the Philippines, was the nations No. 1 artist overall on Spotify last year. Despite this, the Philippines was not able to bring Swift in this year due to the countrys lack of concert infrastructure and money to afford her shows, according to Peter Delantar, president of Insignia Presents, a concert promoter and events company. Not only can artists' fees be a huge expense, but the Philippines' only conveniently located stadiums can also only hold about 12,000 people, Delantar told NPR. I feel like there's a lot more artists now that are able to sell 10,000-plus tickets. Infrastructure-wise, we haven't been able to catch up. More from NextShark: Ke Huy Quan lost his health insurance while waiting on EEAO release: 'I could not get a single job' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Sheesh (@heymacyou) Uplifting the Filipino Swifties: This year, Coronel took it upon himself to uplift the spirits of Filipino Swifties, who are disappointed that Swift did not include their country to the Asian leg of The Eras Tour. Coronel's performances as Sheesh have become an alternative experience for Filipino Swifties. Praised for her accuracy and stage presence, the drag queen has already performed at notable venues, including the Brooklyn Warehouse in Manila and The Outlets in Lipa, Batangas. She hopes that by holding her concerts around the Philippines, the real Taylor will notice the Taylor Nation Country. FILE - An Israeli flag flies outside a Teva Pharmaceutical Industries building on Dec. 14, 2017, in Neot Hovav, Israel. The generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, to pay $225 million to settle price-fixing charges related to sales of a major cholesterol-lowering drug. The U.S. Department of Justice said the agreement also requires Teva to divest its business making and selling the drug, pravastatin, a generic version of the brand-name medicine Pravachol. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) WASHINGTON (AP) The generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed Monday to pay $225 million to settle price-fixing charges related to sales of a major cholesterol-lowering drug. The U.S. Department of Justice said the agreement also requires Teva to divest its business making and selling the drug, pravastatin, a generic version of the brand-name medicine Pravachol. Another generic drug maker, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, agreed to pay a $30 million criminal penalty and to divest its pravastatin business as well. In a statement, the U.S. arm of Israel-based Teva blamed a single former employee for striking agreements with Teva competitors that limited competition between 2013 and 2015. That employee left the company in 2016, Teva said. DOJ had charged seven generic drug makers, including Teva and Glenmark, with price fixing, bid rigging and market allocation schemes. The seven companies have settled their cases with deferred prosecution agreements. Had any of the cases gone to trial, guilty verdicts could have led to mandatory bans from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs. The companies collectively agreed to pay $681 million in fines in addition to other penalties. Members of the U.S. military returning to civilian life have encountered a range of challenges, from joblessness to post-traumatic stress disorder. Now for those who run afoul of the law there is a program operating in Fort Worth, Texas, meant to put them on a path toward rehabilitation. The Tarrant County Courthouse operates the Veterans Treatment Court every third Thursday of the month. Rather than imposing incarceration, Judge Chuck Vanover administers a rehabilitation program that offers veterans a bargain that puts their guilty pleas on hold if they they sign up with a mentor, show up every month and stay out of trouble. Vanover, who serves in the Texas State Guard, requires that the veterans' court takes a minimum of 10 months. Veterans who complete the mission walk away with their criminal charge expunged any trace of it wiped from their record. Prosecutor Deanna Franzen, a former Air Force member, said many offenses among veterans are alcohol- and drug-related "and that has a lot to do with them sometimes acting out on demons that they earned during their time in the military." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "The struggles that they have were because they did things for our country that we needed them to do at that time. And that can't be discounted," Franzen said. Judge Vanover said that after fighting in war, veterans sometimes have a hard time adjusting to civilian life, "where they don't have the camaraderie, the team, the structure, the discipline." The first Veterans Treatment Court was created in Buffalo, New York, 15 years ago. Since then, about 500 specialized courts around the U.S. have been created to meet specific needs of veterans. The program in Fort Worth has proven to be successful. Courtney Young, an administrator of the program, said the program has graduated 600 veterans and the recidivism rate is less than 10%, significantly lower compared to the general population. A recent report from a national commission chaired by former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel revealed that 1 in 3 veterans says they've been arrested at least once, and veterans now make up 8% of the population in state prisons. William Meek, who served in Iraq, said his experience as an infantryman led to head injuries and subsequent struggles during his transition to civilian life. Meek said that after the war he felt "angry," and he was later arrested for unlawful carry of a weapon. He decided to try Vanover's Veterans Treatment Court. At first, he thought it would be easier than a traditional punishment, but he found it to be more challenging. "Regular probation would've been so much easier," Meek said. The program had such an impact on Meek that the same judge who oversaw his punishment presided over his marriage. Meek now spends once a week working in the court where he's seen, first-hand, how hard the struggle can be. "The very first veteran who ever came and asked me to be his mentor, he took his life, back in the day. So, I always tell people, 'We all have demons, everybody in this room has demons.' But I also tell people, 'No one in this room is alone,'" he said. Preview: Yellowstone Bison Revival | CBS Reports President Biden and first lady visiting Maui Spain wins Women's World Cup with 1-0 win over England AUSTIN Ahead of Tuesday's hearing in federal court over whether the chain of buoys installed in the Rio Grande at Gov. Greg Abbott 's order must be removed, a work crew was documented relocating the barriers from the Mexican side of the river into U.S. waters. The action by the crew, using heavy equipment in the section of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass on Thursday, was the subject of a new filing by the U.S. Justice Department in the Western District of Texas. The filing is part of the federal government's effort to force the state to remove buoys that are intended to discourage unlawful border crossings. The filing said the work is another example of "Texas ongoing and flagrant violations" of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which states that adding structures to navigable waterways requires approval by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Abbott did not seek permission when he signed off on the buoys' installation in July. This photo taken Aug. 18, 2023, by an engineer with the International Boundary and Water Commission shows heavy equipment repositioning Texas' buoy chain from Mexican territory to the U.S. side of the Rio Grande. Abbott on Monday acknowledged that the state had shifted the location of the devices, suggesting that they had "drifted toward the Mexico side" of the river after first being installed more than a month ago. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Out of an abundance of caution, Texas went back and moved the buoys into a location where it is clear that they are on the United States side, not on the Mexico side," he said at a news conference. Tuesday's hearing at the federal courthouse in Austin will be the first public faceoff between lawyers from the Justice Department and the Texas Attorney General's Office, plus private counsel, in the ongoing dispute between Abbott and the Biden administration over how to best address unlawful immigration into Texas. Here is a look at the issues involved in the litigation and some of the key players in the controversy that dates to President Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021: Will Tuesday's hearing decide the case? No. At issue is whether the 1,000-foot chain of buoys about two-and-a-half miles from Eagle Pass' international bridge can remain in place while the litigation proceeds. Texas insists that the barriers are within the law because they help protect the state from an "invasion" of undocumented migrants and drug traffickers. The Justice Department has said no such invasion is taking place and defines the term as an armed conflict against outside forces. What is the Rivers and Harbors Act? It's a law passed in 1899 that says that the "creation of any obstruction not affirmatively authorized by Congress, to the navigable capacity of any of the waters of the United States is hereby prohibited." The law designates the Corp of Engineers as the enforcement agency. More: Abbott is wrong to define unlawful immigration as an 'invasion' of Texas, feds say The state of Texas contends that the relevant section of the law does not apply in this matter. The act specifically mentions several structures that may not be constructed, including a wharf, a pier, a bulkhead or a jetty. The state contends that buoys fall into none of those categories. However, the law also include the open-ended phrase "other structures." Senior U.S. Judge David Alan Ezra He will preside over the case. Originally appointed to the federal bench in Hawaii in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan, Ezra accepted senior status and a transfer to Texas in 2012. He earned his law degree from San Antonio's St. Mary's University and is "visiting jurist in residence" at the law school. Judge David Alan Ezra More: From Hawaii to Texas: Meet the judge who will preside over US v. Abbott federal lawsuit Ezra has handled high-profile immigration cases in the past. In 2016, he blocked Texas from enforcing portions of a new state law that added criminal penalties for harboring or concealing immigrants who are in the United States. An appeals court later allowed the law, then known as House Bill 11, to take effect. As is the custom with judges at all levels, Ezra has not commented publicly on the case presently before him. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza He is in charge of presenting the Justice Department's case. Esparza was appointed U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas by President Joe Biden in 2022. From 1993 to 2020, he served as the district attorney for the 34th Judicial District of Texas, which includes El Paso, Hudspeth and Culberson counties. Before declining to seek reelection to the district attorney's office in 2020, Esparza secured the capital murder indictment against the man accused of killing 22 people and wounding 26 others in the Aug. 3, 2019, shooting at a Walmart in El Paso. According to his official biography on the Justice Department's website, Esparza is "credited with creating the award-winning Domestic Violence 24-hour Project, bringing more focus and support to victims of domestic abuse." He also was named "Prosecutor of the Year" by the State Bar of Texas in 2005. Provisional Texas Attorney General Angela Colmenero Because Attorney General Ken Paxton is suspended from holding office pending the outcome of his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate next month, Colmenero will be in charge of the state's defense. Even though she's comparatively new in the role after being tapped by the governor on July 10, she and Abbott have worked together for several years, including during his own tenure as attorney general. Most recently, Colmenero was Abbott's deputy chief of staff in the governor's office and before that his deputy general counsel. When will a ruling be issued, and when might the trial start? Like all judges, Ezra has a lot of latitude. He could issue a ruling soon after the lawyers are done arguing, if he believes he has all of the relevant facts before him. Or he could wait an hour, a day, a week or longer. Deciding the actual case will likely take a while. There are still a lot of motions, legal briefs and other matters to be submitted before courtroom arguments on the larger questions of law are likely to begin. Abbott continues his attacks on Biden The governor, meanwhile, spent Monday in the border city of Eagle Pass near where the buoys are floating and was accompanied at a news conference by four of his fellow Republican state chief executives. The group was joined in the shadow of the international bridge by several uniformed National Guard soldiers and Abbott's top border advisers. Biden's immigration policies were top of mind. "Joe Biden is responsible for the largest amount of illegal immigration in the history of the United States and there are deadly consequences because of that," Abbott said, echoing the theme of several other events where the border was the topic. "The border between the United States and Mexico is turning into a deadly welcome mat for the migrants who are coming here." Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt called a return to the hardline immigration policies under former President Donald Trump. "I think the American people need to understand we just need a policy change," Still said. "We just need to go back to the Trump era policy of remain in Mexico. You don't have a brain if you don't think we need to secure our border." The other governors at the border were Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Jim Pillen of Nebraska and Kim Reynolds of Iowa. John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo. This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: What you need to know about first hearing in US v. Abbott buoy case The Texas Education Agency released standardized test results for third through eighth graders Wednesday, showing mixed results across the state and in Corpus Christi ISD. During spring 2023 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, testing, reading proficiency remained largely unchanged statewide compared to the previous year, though the percentage of students reading at grade-level is higher than before the pandemic. Math scores improved from last year but are still lower than pre-pandemic levels. STAAR tests are required each spring for third through eighth grade students in math and reading. Fifth graders also take a science test. Eighth graders also take a science and social studies test. The 2023 test was redesigned to more closely align with classroom work. Additionally, 2023 was the first year students were required to take the test online, though many schools including Corpus Christi ISD began making the transition to online earlier. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Less than half of students statewide in third through eighth grade and in Algebra I end of course exams met grade level or above in math in 2023. Slightly more than half, or 52% of students third through eighth grade and in English I and English II end of course exams, met grade level or above in reading. For economically disadvantaged students, only 33% across the state met grade level in math, a slight increase from the previous year, and only 41% met grade level in reading no change from last year. The state also released online STAAR results at the district level. In Corpus Christi ISD, more than 70% of students are economically disadvantaged. Comparing results by grade level for STAAR 3-8, the percentage of CCISD students who did not meet grade level in reading was close to the state percentage, coming in either right at or a few points higher. Results for math were more mixed. A larger percentage of CCISD students didnt meet grade level in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. For seventh grade 62% of CCISD students didnt meet level compared to 39% across the state. This means that only 3% of CCISD seventh graders mastered grade level expectations in math and only 13% met grade level or above. For fourth and fifth grade, a smaller percentage of CCISD students didnt meet grade level compared to the state. For third grade, 29% of CCISD students didnt meet grade level compared to 28% across the state. Comparing year to year in CCISD, reading results were mixed, with some grades improving performance and others seeing slight drops. The percentage of third graders in the district not meeting grade level in reading dropped from 26% to 25% between 2022 and 2023. But for fourth graders, the percentage increased from 22% to 24%. Fifth graders did show improvement in reading, with the percentage not meeting grade level dropping from 24% to 19%. Sixth graders also improved, with the percentage not meeting grade level dropping from 36% to 29%. The percentage of seventh graders not meeting grade level in reading increased from 24% to 29%, while the percentage of eighth graders dropped from 21% to 19%. In math, CCISD saw promising signs at the elementary level, with mixed progress in middle school. For grades three through five, the percentage of students not meeting grade level decreased. For third graders, the percentage that did not meet grade level dropped from 33% to 29%. For fourth graders, it dropped from 28% to 25%. For fifth graders, it dropped from 25% to 18%. But the percentage not meeting grade level increased in sixth grade from 34% to 40% and in seventh grade from 52% to 62%. For eighth grade, the percentage not meeting grade level decreased from 41% to 31%. Later this fall, the TEA is expected to release updated school and district accountability ratings, based in large part on STAAR performance, as well as some career and college readiness measures. Last year, Corpus Christi ISD earned an 85, or B, rating. This rating was similar to the district's pre-pandemic B rating in 2018-19, which was already an increase from a C rating in 2017-2018, and reflected improved performances at the campus level in some of CCISD's lowest rated schools. How to access and understand individual STAAR results Families can view their childs test results at texasassessment.gov. The state judges test results based on whether a student did not meet grade level expectations, approached grade level, met grade level or mastered grade level. At did not meet grade level, a student lacked basic understanding of course content and will need significant support in the next school year. At "approaches," a student shows some knowledge of course content but may need additional support in the next school year. At "meets," a student shows strong knowledge of course content and is prepared for the next grade. At "masters," a student is on track for college and career readiness. Students who achieve at the "approaches" level or above are considered passing. How Corpus Christi ISD aims to improve learning with summer school programs New schools opening, old buildings coming down: What to know about school moves New faces, new places: Corpus Christi ISD returns to school for 2023-24 This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas releases 2023 STAAR results. Here's how Corpus Christi did. Threads, X's main competitor, will introduce a web version soon, WSJ reported. The web-based Threads is being tested internally, according to Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Threads' usership has been dropping steadily since it launched this summer. Threads, Meta's text-based app that directly competes with X, formerly Twitter, is unveiling its newest feature early this week a web version. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced the update on Friday, saying it was already being tested internally, The Wall Street Journal reported. Previously, users could not use all the app's features on the web and had to rely on their smartphones for full capabilities. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We've been using an early version internally for a week or two," Mosseri said in a Threads comment. "Still needs some work before we can open it up to everyone though" Threads' launch has been generally successful, gaining over 100 million users in its first week, but has also had issues from the jump. SimilarWeb, which tracks traffic on different websites, found in late July, using data from Android users, that fewer and fewer people were active on Threads since its first weeks. According to their data, on its highest traffic day, July 7, there were 49 million daily active users worldwide on Androids; the next week, there were only 23.6 million active daily users. The 23.6 million figure is about a quarter of X's daily audience. As Threads attempts to catch up with X, more updates have been promised by Mosseri and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in recent weeks, including improved search capabilities. Other updates have already been delivered, like post notifications for specific accounts and the construction of a chronological feed. Users on Threads have been asking for more features, too. "GIVE US SCHEDULING!!! - Every social media/comms person," said one user. Another requested the ability to have "light" and "dark" modes like X has. Threads did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider sent outside of regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider An already deadly year on roadways in the Erie region has become even more deadly as Pennsylvania State Police troopers investigate three fatal traffic accidents in the region over the weekend. Two of the crashes involved motorcyclists who were killed in accidents that occurred less than 90 minutes apart on Saturday. The first crash was reported on Saturday at about 2:15 p.m. in the 7700 block of Liberty Street, which is Route 322, in Hartstown, Crawford County. According to state police in Meadville, a 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage driven by an 80-year-old Pittsburgh man was pulling out of a parking lot to travel west on Liberty Street when it collided with an eastbound Harley-Davidson motorcycle driven by a 62-year-old Mercer County man. The motorcyclist, identified by state police as Jed E. Davis, of Hermitage, was taken to UPMC Horizon in Greenville, where he died, troopers reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The driver of the Mitsubishi and a 77-year-old female passenger were taken to the Meadville Medical Center for treatment of suspected minor injuries, according to state police. The second fatal accident on Saturday was reported at 3:41 p.m. on Edinboro Road, north of Woodbriar Way, in Washington Township, Erie County. According to state police in Erie, a 30-year-old man was traveling north on Edinboro Road driving a Suzuki motorcycle and was attempting to legally pass a Dodge Ram pickup truck when the pickup truck driver attempted to make a left-hand turn and struck the motorcycle. The motorcyclist, identified by state police as Dustin Koszarek was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities reported. He lived in Erie, according to the Erie County Coroner's Office. Troopers said the driver of the Dodge left the accident scene and traveled south on Edinboro Road, east on Old State Road and south on Hamilton Road. State Police later located the truck and identified the driver as a 72-year-old man, whose name and address were not released. Troopers seized the truck and took a statement from the driver. There have been nine fatal motorcycle accidents in Erie County so far this year, surpassing the eight motorcycle fatalities that occurred in the county in 2022, according to the Erie County Coroner's Office and other information. More: Motorcyclist killed in Millcreek crash ID'd as motorcycle fatalities rise in Erie County Fuller Hose Co. member struck, killed The third accident happened on Sunday at about 12:45 p.m. on West Main Road, which is Route 20, at Brickyard Road in North East Township. According to state police in Erie, a member of the Fuller Hose Co. auxiliary police was assisting state police in directing traffic in the eastbound lanes following a two-vehicle crash at the intersection when a 2007 Lexus RX350 that was traveling at high speed approached the area. Troopers wrote in a news release that the driver of the Lexus "maneuvered his vehicle" toward the auxiliary police member, who was wearing a fluorescent green shirt and was holding a bright orange flag, and struck the victim. More: Erie man who struck, killed North East firefighter didn't have license, charged with homicide The auxiliary police member, Shawn Giles, 53, of North East, was killed in the accident, according to the Erie County Coroner's Office. The accused driver of the Lexus, 41-year-old Dawann M. Simmons, of Erie, was taken into custody and was arraigned Sunday night by North East District Judge Scott Hammer on third-degree felony counts of homicide by vehicle and accidents involving death or injury while not properly licensed, and on summary counts of driving under suspension, driving without a license and reckless driving. Hammer set bond at $200,000. Simmons is tentatively scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on Aug. 31, according to information in his online court docket sheet. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 3 killed, including 2 motorcyclists in weekend crashes in Erie area Less than a few hundred yards from the intersection of Beaufort Countys two most heavily traveled roads, in an unlicensed and empty building, a party led to an argument and ended with three people being shot and the beginning of a Sheriffs office investigation. In the moments just after 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, Sheriffs Office deputies responded to a report of gunfire at 10 Barrel Landing Road, the vacant building across Highway 170 and U.S. Route 278. The simple one-story building with a red steel roof is near the Ashley Furniture store visible from the highways. The building has recently become a location used as a private event space, known as the Da Spot, according to Master Sgt. Danny Allen. The building is owned by TAK2 holdings, a South Carolina based LLC and the registered agent for the corporation is Trevor Klenke. He was not immediately available by phone Monday morning to answer questions about the operations of the venue. However, TAK2 and Klenke do not operate Da Spot. Instead the LLC leases the location. The leaser, owner and operator of the business was not able to be confirmed by the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette Monday afternoon. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The size of this event where the shootings took place and the frequency of other previous or planned events is also unknown. There were three gunshot victims, two women and one man. Its currently unknown how many guns were involved, what makes and models were fired, but some 9mm shell casings were found at the scene, according to Allen. It is also unknown if this was a commercial event or one organized by a family or social group. Investigators found that no alcohol was being officially served at the event. Instead it was a bring your own style party, Allen said. All victims were treated at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah. As of Monday morning, investigators reported that no victim suffered life-threatening injuries and one of the female victims has been treated and released. The other two victims are in stable condition, the Sheriffs Office said. As the Sheriffs Office is still generating leads for this investigation, Allen stressed the importance of cooperation with the Sheriffs office. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Staff Sergeant Angstadt at 843-255-3435, the Sheriffs Office non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777 or Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111 if wishing to remain anonymous. 4:50p.m. Update: Several representatives of TAK2 said the LLC had no part of operating or running the business known as Da Club. Thurston Community Media, the countys sole public broadcast station, will lose its funding at the end of the year, after Olympia, Tumwater and Thurston County issued a letter stating their six-month contracts with the nonprofit corporation would be their last. It puts the future of the regions four public access channels in jeopardy and the nonprofits leaders are scratching their heads ask they seek solutions to keep the channels open. TCMedias beginnings Meagan Murphy Ross, TCMedia board president, said TCMedia began as a grassroots effort in the county in 1983. She said folks saw there was a void in Olympia and greater Thurston County when it came to having a local broadcast station. Cities like Seattle have affiliate stations such as FOX and ABC, but there wasnt a broadcast TV license available for Thurston County. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Then in 1983-84, Congress passed the Cable Franchise Policy and Communications Act, renewing franchises and allowing the leaders of what was once known as Thurston Community Television to get their foot in the door of the broadcast world. TCTV was then incorporated as a nonprofit corporation. It was a few years later that the nonprofit scored its first contract with the City of Olympia, after the city acquired a facility and cable access. The City of Lacey and Thurston County both followed suit. Then Tumwater joined in 10 years later. Murphy Ross said the contracts the nonprofit has had with the jurisdictions have included the operation of a public, educational and government access facility, which is their studio space at 440 Yauger Way SW. Theyve also included the management of channels 3, 22, 26 and 77. On top of that, TCMedia is tasked with teaching people how to use media production equipment, allow people to check equipment out for projects and more. It was in 1991 that TCMedia recorded and broadcast its first Olympia City Council meeting. About 65% of services weve provided over the years have been to support the community and public access, Murphy Ross said. Then the rest is for the local government to create programming and manage channels on their behalf. TCMedia now covers city council meetings, commission meetings, the League of Women Voters events, candidate forums, school official roundtables, faith-based programs and more. Funding a broadcast station Murphy Ross said TCMedias budget for 2023 was about $852,000. She said 38% of that comes from contracts with Thurston County, another 21% from Olympia, 15% from Lacey and 10% from Tumwater. The last 16% is TCMedia-generated money, through equipment and facility use fees, training, services for productions, consulting, tech support, fundraising, grants and donations. But the nonprofit has to pay Public, Educational and Government (PEG) fees and franchise fees. Each jurisdiction has an agreement with cable operator Comcast to conduct business through public rights of way, allowing the cities to broadcast to local channels. The PEG fees, which are collected from cable subscribers, are 30 cents per cable subscriber per month, or $3.60 per year, used solely to support capital expenses related to channel operations. The franchise fee is equal to 5% of gross revenue from cable subscriptions. Those funds are used by Comcast to string cable lines and conduct other business in public rights of way, and they could be used for other purposes. Until 2021, Murphy Ross said TCMedia had been lucky to not have to pay rent for its studios on Yauger Way. Over the last 30 years the rent has been deducted from the franchise fee the cable operators had to pay. But TCMedia had to take on its rent in January 2022 after Comcast said it wouldnt provide space anymore. Cable TV stations across the country have been losing their battle with streaming services for years. Murphy Ross said a rough estimate is TCMedia has seen a 25% to 35% decline in franchise fee revenue in the past 5 years. Murphy Ross said TCMedias contracts have been getting renewed about every six months. All four jurisdictions worked together in the summer of 2022 to issue a Request for Proposals for continuing to provide the broadcast channels into the fall, and TCMedia responded with a plan. It included continuing to provide what they have been for 36 years, and more, including moving to streaming services. The conversation was tabled until the end of the year, and there were whispers of changes to come. That conversation never came, and instead TCMedias contract was extended into 2023. Then the nonprofit was issued a letter Aug. 5 from all jurisdictions but Lacey, saying their business relationship with TCMedia would come to an end Dec. 31. Murphy Ross said she thinks the decision came for a number of reasons, including some of the cities wanting to pull their media fully in house, and because the cities havent been pleased with some of TCMedias decisions, including negotiating to stay in their current building. But the nonprofit still has questions about the future of public access in the state capital. We have some unanswered questions that we will continue to try to get answers to, Murphy Ross said. One of those is if they take government programming and production services in house, what happens to the public access channel? Will there be a public access channel? Moving into the future For a couple of weeks, CEO Deborah Vinsel said the conversation with the jurisdictions has been a one-way street. TCMedia reached out to local leaders with their questions about the future, and they didnt receive a reply until Aug. 16, when Olympia City Manager Jay Burney contacted them to discuss the transition, Murphy Ross said. Murphy Ross is hoping she can talk to Burney about the possibility for financial support to keep the channels running in some form. She said she wonders if there are any grants to support arts and culture that TCMedia might be eligible for. Either way, she said its clear there will be changes in the future. Operating hours may have to be adjusted, staffing might have to change, and subscription fees will likely increase. Long term, which is 2024 and beyond now, its evident that in some way, shape, or form TCMedia services and operations will have to restructure, she said. Murphy Ross said if TCMedia doesnt get to be part of the public access channel, it will transition to solely being on streaming services. But thats not free, nor are streaming services the most accessible. She said the nonprofit will continue seeking alternative funding sources and applying for grants to keep services affordable. And the public can get involved. Murphy Ross encouraged residents during an informational meeting Aug. 10 to go to tcmedia.org and the page, Keep TCMedia for the Community for more information about how to get involved, and to contact local leaders about continuing to support the public access channels. Theres information on the page for council and commission members, a template for drafting a letter to them, and a calendar of upcoming meetings. Wed like for you to ask the elected officials to continue support for TCMedia, for the community, for public access with a new contract, she said. We need you to tell them why TCMedia is important to you. We need you to tell them why TC Media is a valuable resource for the entire community. There will also be a TCMedia event to recognize volunteers and producers Aug. 30 at Yauger Park. Some producers will be recording testimonials from event goers about the importance of TCMedia and keeping public access channels open. A woman shared what it's like living in a home that's only accessible by tram in Austin, Texas, with a spiral staircase and shell-shaped balcony The Tram House, which overlooks Austin's Lake Travis, can only be reached using a tram. The unique property is on a steep hillside so it's difficult to access on foot. The owner, Courtney Johnson, told Insider "there are tales of crazy events and parties." TikToker Courtney Johnson recently went viral for documenting her unique Austin, Texas, home that's only accessible by tram. A TikTok Johnson posted in June, with over 7.2 million views as of Monday, is captioned: "POV: you randomly decided to buy a house that's only accessible by tram," and shows Johnson inside the tram going up to the entrance of the home. The property is exactly "210 feet up the 55-degree hillside," Johnson told Insider. Johnson has had her eye on this iconic Austin house, which was built between the late 90s and early 2000s, since she was 14 years old, she said. "I knew I had to live there one day," she told Insider. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In this case, when the opportunity to purchase the property finally came up, she couldn't say no. Johnson told Insider she purchased the property in March. This embedded content is not available in your region. The Tram House, which overlooks Austin's Lake Travis, can only be reached using the tram, though Johnson told Insider it is yet to break down. "It gets serviced twice a year. It stops working when the electricity goes out (or when I forget my tram key!) You CAN climb up the hill on foot, but it's extremely steep and quite dangerous. I've done it before. But it's not fun," she said. The home has a range of other unique aspects, from artistically arranged skylights over the round staircase to a shell-shaped balcony and swirled roof design adding character to the exterior of the house, as Johnson showed in a house tour TikTok in July that has over 17,000 views. This embedded content is not available in your region. "Doordash: I'm sorry I have to do what?" one person commented on her original viral video, to which the creator responded with a TikTok showing that deliveries are also usually sent up in the tram. Johnson told Insider that the property was designed by a famous Texas architect, Ray Brown. "His goal was to make visitors feel like they were inside of a fish bowl," Johnson said. "There are tales of crazy events and parties and funky folklore of Austin's craziest hippies, celebrities, tech billionaires, and politicians." An aerial view of The Tram House. Courtney Johnson "My partner already lived in the neighborhood so we would always walk past the house together," she told Insider. "The 'for sale' sign went up and down for about a year as the house went on and off the market," Johnson said, adding that the previous owners were having difficulty selling the unique property. "No one was crazy enough to buy a house with a tram. But I was," she said. Read the original article on Insider Districts across Wisconsin saw students struggle with regular attendance in the years after transitioning back from virtual learning during the pandemic. Theres a plethora of reasons why a student may miss school, but mental health has increasingly become a barrier to students showing up each day. Almost half of high schoolers in the Appleton Area School District were chronically absent meaning they missed at least 10% of school about 18 days in the 2021-22 school year. That number improved significantly last year, but the district said attendance is still a priority. For the 2021-22 school year, almost 23% roughly a quarter of all students statewide were chronically absent, according to the most current data from the state Department of Public Instruction. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Thats higher than the 13% of students who were chronically absent before the pandemic in the 2018-19 school year. USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin asked experts for tips to start the coming school year with strong attendance and maintain it throughout. They had variety of suggestions, including creating regular routines and coping with mental health. Heres what they told us. More: Appleton students are still struggling with attendance. Mental health is a main reason, but not the only one Start preparing before the first day of school: Map out a schedule for before and after school The Truancy Reduction and Assessment Center team at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley suggests planning what mornings and nights should look like during the school year. Pick a consistent time to wake up and go to bed each day. Budget time for breakfast, showering and brushing teeth. Start following the plan before school starts. That way, students will be used to waking up early before the hustle of school sets in. Consistency and routine are key to working through stressful transitions, such as starting school, said Shanna Sullivan, a licensed clinical social worker and registered play therapist with Childrens Wisconsin. Tee up transportation plans Transportation can be another barrier, so be sure to leave enough time for walking to school or a bus stop. Come up with back-up plans for getting to school, in case of car troubles or an adult getting sick. If needed, look up the closest bus route. For example, find Valley Transit stops here. Understand that anxiety over going to school is common Establish that its common for kids to have anxiety about going to school, Sullivan said. Its important for parents to check in with their children about what makes them anxious about school. Rather than assuming what triggers their anxiety, caregivers could ask children one thing they love and one thing they dont love about school to learn their stressors. It can also help to have conversations with the teacher, Sullivan said. Ask them what they notice about the childs behavior. While anxiety is common, Sullivan said there are early warning signs for larger mental health concerns. If students start to have problems with friends, behavior issues or their grades start slipping, there could be larger concerns at play. Build connections to soothe anxiety Relationships are important to help children feel comfortable, said Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works. An easy first step is making sure students feel connected to the teacher and other students in their building. Attending open houses or other opportunities to meet the teacher before school starts can help foster that connection. Meeting other students who will be in their classroom can also be helpful. Then the first day won't be so full of new faces. More: 5 steps parents can do to set their kindergartner up for success Make it not so new Similarly, Chang suggested taking a tour of the school and exploring the new classroom, if possible. Make it not so new the first day, she said. You can spread it over the days and weeks leading up to school, too, to help build that familiarity. That could help curb any first-day anxiety. Attendance Works also has multiple resource pages that families can print out to prepare elementary and secondary students for strong attendance. Once school starts: Pack up before bed each night to save time in the morning Dont wait until the morning to prepare backpacks, the TRAC team recommends. Pack up textbooks, notebooks and other supplies the night before to prevent a morning scramble to remember it all. Some students may want to take it even a step further and pick out their outfit the night before. Mornings can be busy, so preparing the night before creates space and time for students to connect with their caregivers something Sullivan said students need each day. That connection could be as simple as asking a student how they're doing or what theyre looking forward to that day. Rest your brain each night so it can be at its best School is a good kind of stress that helps kids grow and develop, Sullivan said. Getting plenty of rest helps students prepare to face that. Having that rest time for your brain and body is important so you can reset and come at the school day at your best, Sullivan said. People may use electronic devices to settle down before bed, but Sullivan said they could have the opposite effort. Expectations for limiting screen time at night can set students up for better sleep. Stay healthy to stay at school Its a myth that only unexcused absences are causes for concern, Chang said. Health-related absences may be marked as excused, but she said there are steps families can take to try to limit those. Colds and illnesses happen, and students should stay home if they are ill, but there are steps such as getting enough sleep and eating healthy that can keep sickness at bay. It's also important to keep up with dental care and other health screenings, as well as hygiene such as showering, brushing teeth and regularly washing hands. In severe cases, a dip in attendance can be a warning sign for suicide Significant mental health issues can get in the way of a students ability to learn, Sullivan said. And it's important to think about suicide in any conversation around mental health. A dip in attendance can be a warning sign that a student is thinking about suicide, she said. For students who are struggling, Sullivan said adults should ask them directly if thats something they are thinking about. She said its a myth that asking them about suicide will give them ideas. Kids do want to be asked, she said. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741. More: Back to school shopping in the Fox Valley. How much can it cost families? Reach AnnMarie Hilton at ahilton@gannett.com or 920-370-8045. Follow her on Twitter at @hilton_annmarie. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Ways to improve attendance for Wisconsin students this school year Former Petersburg city manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides, left, speaks during a public forum Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Ferrell-Benavides, who was Petersburg city manager from 2017-21, was a finalist for the top administrator's position in that eastern Tennessee city. With her at the table is Lane Bailey, senior vice president of GovHR USA, the search firm that vetted the finalists. Former Petersburg City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides was passed over Friday for the city managers job in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in a vote that at least one City Council member hinted was based on racism. The job for which Ferrell-Benavides was a finalist went to Randy Hemann, the town manager of Mooresville, North Carolina. He was chosen by a 5-2 vote, with the two votes against him going to Ferrell-Benavides. One of the votes for Ferrell-Benavides came from Rev. Derrick Hammond, the only Black member of council. Hammond was quoted by The Oak Ridger newspaper there as saying while he would not say for the record that the vote was biased, while some things change, some things dont. The newspaper also quoted a resident who spoke at a forum before the vote who said she thought Oak Ridge needed a change that only Ferrell-Benavides could provide. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Im tired of looking at white men leading this city, Teresa Green said, per the newspaper. [Ferrell-Benavides] is absolutely the very best person for the job." Ferrell-Benavides, who was city manager in Petersburg from 2017-21, left to take a city managers job in Duncanville, Texas, her home state. She was fired in March 2023 after calling attention to issues involving Duncanville bookkeeping. Her attorney claimed, however, that Ferrell-Benavides had been feeling racial tension ever since the narrow vote by that council to hire her. In a statement read by the attorney at the time she was fired, Ferrell-Benavides said she took the job even thought she had questioned whether the city was ready for an African American city manager. Oak Ridge, a city roughly the same size as Petersburg with a population of 32,000, is 81% White, according to the 2020 Census Bureau records. Slightly more than 6% of the residents there are Black. This embedded content is not available in your region. City Manager Candidate Public Forum from M&M Productions USA on Vimeo. In remarks at a public forum where she and Hemann had the chance to plead their cases, Ferrell-Benavides mentioned her work at stops in her career, including Petersburg. She said Oak Ridge needed a leader who would deliver results with compassion and professionalism. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, city councilors Ellen Smith, left, and Derrick Hammond voted for former Petersburg city manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides to be that city's top administrator. Former North Carolina town official Randy Hemenn was eventually chosen over Ferrell-Benavides. At the council meeting the day after the forum, Ferrell-Benavides also had the support of the only woman on council, Ellen Smith. According to The Oak Ridger, Smith said Ferrell-Benavides had the outward facing leadership we need at this phase of our history, touting her leadership especially in Los Alamos, New Mexico, from 2003-24. In the report from The Oak Ridger, city Mayor Warren Gooch appeared to dismiss Smiths comments about Ferrell-Benavides, saying that she was only there a year and Los Alamos was 20 years ago. He and the remaining four councilors, all White men, voted for Hemann, who also is White. Mooresville, a 52,000-resident suburb of Charlotte, is 78% White and 10% Black, according to the 2020 Census data. Ferrell-Benavides is also one of four finalists for the city manager post in Largo, Florida. Largo, a city of 82,000 in Pinellas County, is 23 miles west of Tampa on Floridas Gulf Coast. Read the story from The Oak Ridger here. Donna Smith, news editor of The Oak Ridger, contributed to this article. Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Former Petersburg city manager not chosen for Tennessee job Give to the emperor the things that are the emperors and to God the things that are Gods, so Jesus famously told people trying to trap him with a loaded political question. Christians and other believers have sought to follow this injunction in the centuries since His pronouncement, deferring to the state those things which are the legitimate province of government, while making it a first priority to render to God what is Gods, as the source and summit of all things. In our pluralistic and increasingly secular society, questions not unlike the dilemma proposed to Jesus are arising with ever more frequency. Sometimes these conflicts are obvious, such as a requirement that physicians provide medical services that are contrary to their conscience. But often they can be subtle, involving perennial religious teachings thrust into a context of seemingly secular disputes. Historically, American courts have sought to avoid involvement in religious controversies, especially in issues of religious doctrine or practice. This legal doctrine of ecclesiastical abstention (or church autonomy) requires courts to refuse to resolve such claims. The challenge often lies in determining when the doctrine applies and when it does not. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 1944, the United States Supreme Court decided the case of United States v. Ballard, in which a man claimed to be a divinely inspired healer, but was charged with fraud. That important case established the principle that a jury cannot determine the truth or falsity of sincerely held religious beliefs. Said the Supreme Court: The religious views espoused by respondents might seem incredible, if not preposterous, to most people. But if those doctrines are subject to trial before a jury charged with finding their truth or falsity, then the same can be done with the religious beliefs of any sect. When the triers of fact undertake that task, they enter a forbidden domain. What that earlier Supreme Court did allow, however, was inquiry into whether someones religious belief was sincerely held. A claim of religious motivation does not offer protection if itself is a sham. That same principle was applied in examinations of doctrine in order to decide property disputes, such as determining which competing group seeking control of church property was adhering more closely to a particular doctrine. These type of disputes are not uncommon as rival factions develop among different groups of believers, much like the people of Ephesus were chastised by Paul because each of them said, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas. In cases of such division, the associated property held by the faith group can become the subject of bitter dispute with state courts frequently bedeviled with the problem of how such cases can be resolved. In the 1990 case Employment Division v. Smith, the Supreme Court said that courts were not to attempt to distinguish which religious practices were trivial and which were important. The sincerity of the believer as to the importance of following a religious practice is sufficient. The refusal of a court to adjudicate a claim can involve painful issues, such as whether religious healers can be sued for medical malpractice in attempting to heal children unsuccessfully. While a state statute might require a parent to seek medical help, under Ballard a judge or jury cant be asked to decide if the healers religious methods are malpractice under secular standards. In the recent Federal Court of Appeals decision Huntsman v. Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, two members of a three judge panel agreed with the plaintiff thereby asserting that this was a solely secular dispute and not a matter of internal church disputes involving matters of faith, doctrine, church governance, and polity. Related In doing so, these justices explicitly rejected the applicability of Ballard and similar cases. Although the court found that this case is an example of a secular dispute where the abstention doctrine is inapplicable, a closer look suggests the opposite. For instance, the court acknowledged tithing is a commandment of the church, clearly making it a religious doctrine. Yet and as noted, courts are not to undertake an analysis of whether a particular doctrine, such as tithing, is central or ancillary to religious belief. However, the court took the position that it understood for purposes of a fraud claim the secular meaning of the term tithing funds, otherwise it would have had no basis to conclude that there was a potentially fraudulent statement. At the same time, the court said that other, related concepts at issue, such as the meaning of the term reserve funds, were so undefined as to be akin to a foreign language. Once it is acknowledged that the concept of tithing is doctrinal, it follows the exact definition of tithing funds and its relationship with linked concepts, such as reserve funds, are within that doctrinal realm, and can only be fairly understood within that framework. As the dissent pointed out, the plaintiff was familiar with the teachings, pronouncements and tenets of the faith. To follow the majoritys analogy, while both parties are fluent in the foreign language of the church, the court is not, which will leave it ill-equipped to adjudicate the claim. This, then, speaks to the wisdom of the abstention doctrine, both generally and in the context of this case. The court was trying to puzzle out a just result by seeking to supply a secular meaning to both a language and a set of rules and principles that may have looked familiar, but were not of a secular nature. They belonged to the world of a church, an institution with an orientation and belief system entirely its own, not the secular world of Caesar, with its separate values and vocabulary. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief, and made a similar argument. As a spokesman said in an article about the groups position in the case, Even though outsiders may think a particular churchs beliefs are weird or nonsensical, churches are entitled to hold those beliefs, to raise money from people based on those beliefs, and to try to fulfill their religious missions as they see fit. While not directly relevant to the decision of the court on the legal issue, another argument in favor of the abstention doctrine is that the parties involved are often in fundamental disagreement about issues of church teachings which not infrequently is the underlying cause of the dispute. The matter before the court is simply the hook that is used by one of the parties to draw in the secular authorities to administer what is perceived to be the appropriate punishment that only the government can dish out. One senses that this might be the case here. Harkening again back to the time of Caesar, there was a considerably more extreme case involving an otherwise obscure provincial official in a backwater province, where the religious elite brought before him charges against someone who they claimed had violated their sacred laws. Although the official correctly concluded that the defendant was innocent of any secular offense, he allowed himself to be intimidated into adjudicating the matter and punishing the defendant as requested. Pontius Pilate would not be known in infamy had he followed his better instincts and refused to be a secular authority who allowed himself to become involved in a religious dispute. Carl W. Herstein is a retired partner of a large midwestern law firm, a University of Michigan and Yale Law School graduate, and the recipient in 2019 of the St. Thomas More Award from the Catholic Lawyers Guild of the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan. Todrick Hall is in love. On Sunday, August 20, Hall took to Instagram to hard-launch his new relationship and introduce the world to his new boyfriend, Liam Roodhouse. The Real Friends of WeHo star titled the post Boyfriend Hard Launch. I started dating [Liam Roodhouse] about six months ago, Hall wrote. And it seems like every single day he gives me a new reason to fall deeper in love with him! Im a lucky guy to get to call this incredible human MINE, and even luckier that I get to dance beside him every night for the next two months on tour! Lets go baby boy! I have a boyfriend! Halls post included a carousel of pictures from the couple posing alongside Janet Jackson, dressed up in costumes, hanging out with Deborah Cox, and spending quality time at a Disney theme park as well. www.instagram.com ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Roodhouse is originally from Australia. Prior to this relationship announcement, Roodhouse had already been appearing in most of Halls recent music videos. Hall is currently preparing to kick off his new tour, The Velvet Rage, on September 8 in Vancouver. The tour then travels across Canada and the United States through October 21, with a final stop in Toronto. After a polarizing 2022 that included his run competing on Celebrity Big Brother season three, Hall has been bouncing back with new music and tours. He released his sixth studio album, Algorhythm, in June 2022. He followed that up with new albums like Jim, released in January 2023, and Roach Killaz, released in May 2023. For tickets and more information about Todrick Halls The Velvet Rage tour, visit the singers official website. Tony Buzbee , the attorney representing suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton , speaks during a press conference at the Travis County Republican Party suite in Austin on June 7, 2023. Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune Tony Buzbee, the high-profile lead lawyer defending impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed to run for Houston City Council on Monday. With hours until the filing deadline, Buzbee livestreamed himself filing to run for District G, currently held by Mary Nan Huffman. The office is nonpartisan, though the district is conservative and covers the affluent neighborhoods of West Houston. Im not sure who all the opponents are, but were gonna work very hard to do the very best we can, Buzbee said on the stream. Huffman has already filed to run for reelection. She responded to Buzbee's filing in a statement that called it "just another cheap publicity stunt by Tony Buzbee." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "He doesnt care about representing the taxpayers of District G for the next four years," Huffman said. "He doesnt even care about representing Ken Paxton in his impeachment trial in September. He only cares about himself and his press clippings." Buzbee was named Paxtons lead counsel in early June. That came days after the House voted to impeach Paxton, alleging a yearslong pattern of misconduct and lawbreaking centered on his relationship with Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and Paxton campaign donor. Paxton was immediately suspended from office. The Senate is scheduled to hold a Sept. 5 trial on whether to permanently remove Paxton from office. Buzbee told The Texas Tribune he spoke with Paxton before filing for the office and said he does not seeing his new campaign "having any impact on the trial." He suggested he is well-acquainted with juggling big responsibilities. "In my life, no matter whats happening, theres always another big case," Buzbee said. Buzbee is no stranger to Houston politics. He ran for mayor in 2019, challenging incumbent Sylvester Turner while self-funding his campaign with over $10 million. Buzbee forced Turner to a runoff, though Turner then defeated Buzbee by a comfortable margin. In an Instagram post Monday, Buzbee acknowledged he considered another mayoral run but did not want to do it if it would be a "fool's errand" or help another candidate win "who I feel would be severely damaging to our city." Huffman, who won the seat in a January 2022 special election, is an intriguing target for Buzbee. She has been a client of Allen Blakemore, the chief political consultant for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the presiding officer of the impeachment trial. Buzbee had previously teased running again for mayor, which is an open seat now because Turner is term-limited. But that race is already crowded, with two prominent Democrats leading the pack: state Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. The full program is now LIVE for the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 21-23 in Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations coming to TribFest. Panel topics include the biggest 2024 races and whats ahead, how big cities in Texas and around the country are changing, the integrity of upcoming elections and so much more. See the full program. Russia's limited use of its air force in Ukraine has surprised US Air Force leaders. Those leaders are surprised largely because Ukraine is using air defenses that Russians designed. Those defenses are vital to fending off Russian jets, and Western countries are focused on supplying them. One of the most surprising aspects of Russia's war in Ukraine has been Moscow's limited use of its larger and more advanced air force over Ukrainian territory. For senior US Air Force leaders, Russia's decision to hold its airpower back is all the more surprising because many of the air-defense systems that Ukraine is using were originally designed by the Russians. "As far as the Russian Air Force, I think that most everybody thought that they would be able to take out" Ukraine's air-defense systems early in the war, Gen. James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, said during a Defense Writers Group event on Friday. "They weren't able to do that. I know it's a hard task to do, because it's hard for us to do, but it seems like they kind of gave up on that pretty early on," Hecker told reporters at the event. A Russian Su-25 at its base after being hit by a shoulder-fired missile over Ukraine in March 2022. Russian Ministry of Defense Shortly after Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022, military experts noted that the hundreds of combat jets that it had massed around northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine mostly stayed on the ground during the first several days of the war, depriving Russian troops of air cover and allowing Ukrainian jets to continue flying. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Justin Bronk, an airpower expert at the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank, pointed to several factors to explain Russia's reluctance to use its airpower, including a lack of precision-guided munitions, a limited ability to coordinate large-scale combat operations, and a dearth of experienced pilots. Whatever the reasoning, Russia's decision not to make wider use of its air force caught US military leaders off guard, especially since Ukraine's antiaircraft weapons were largely of Soviet origin and overlapped with much of what Russia has in its own arsenal. "I would say that I was somewhat surprised" by Russia's inability to control the air and knock out Ukrainian air defenses, Hecker said. "I know how hard it is to take down some of these systems, but I thought since the Russians built these systems that they would have some insight and a better way to figure out how to get around these systems." An image of a crashed Russian Sukhoi jet released by Ukraine's Defense Ministry. Ukrainian Defense Ministry Hecker echoed Gen. Charles Brown Jr., the Air Force chief of staff, who said in June 2022 that he was surprised by the Russian air force's failings in Ukraine. "The systems they're going against are their own systems," he said. "They should know them fairly well and how to defeat them." "It kind of begs a real question for me: How come they don't understand their own systems and how they might defeat their own systems?" Brown added. (Brown has been selected to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but his nomination and hundreds of other military promotions are being held by Sen. Tommy Tuberville.) Prior to Russia's invasion last year, Ukraine had pursued a yearslong military modernization effort. Changes to how Ukraine trained and equipped its troops and structured its armed forces made it better prepared to fend off Russia's attack, but the Ukrainian military still entered the conflict using an array of Soviet-designed hardware, particularly in its aviation fleet and air-defense forces. Ukraine still uses Soviet-era surface-to-air missiles, including S-300Vs for long-range defense, Tor-Ms for short-range defense, and a number of missiles for the defense of fixed sites, such as Igla shoulder-fired missiles, according to The Military Balance 2023, published by the International Institute of Strategic Studies in February. Ukrainian troops fire a Soviet-era 9K35 Strela-10 surface-to-air missile at a Russian surveillance drone in July. Ed Ram for The Washington Post via Getty Images Intense air-defense operations and the rapid influx of Western-made arms mean that the arsenal is now a multinational one. Ukrainian forces are now using US-made Patriot missiles and the US-Norwegian-designed NASAMS to defend against long-range threats as well as several Western-designed systems for short-range air defense. US-made Stinger shoulder-fired missiles and German-built Gepard antiaircraft cannons have also been put to high-profile use against Russian helicopters and drones. A chief concern for the countries supporting Ukraine has been making sure those air-defense weapons have enough ammunition to fend off Russia's aerial attacks, which have shifted in form and intensity but have not stopped during the 18-month war. US intelligence assessments leaked online this spring suggested Ukraine could expend its supply of surface-to-air missiles for several systems by mid-year. A lack of Ukrainian surface-to-air missiles is one thing that could allow Russian aircraft to dominate the skies, Hecker said Friday, and ensuring Kyiv has enough of them is an ongoing focus of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which meets monthly to coordinate military aid to Ukraine. "Typically we have over 50 nations that participate" in those meetings, Hecker said. "The number-one thing that is brought up every time that Ukraine needs is surface-to-air missiles." Read the original article on Business Insider Six Mississippi former police officers pleaded guilty to state charges related to the detention, torture and framing of two Black men in January. The horrific crime was conducted by a group of officers nicknamed the Goon Squad for their regular use of excessive force. The horrific, racially motivated attack by these police officers have been stunning, even for a state like Mississippi with a long history of racial violence. Torture, sexual abuse and a cover-up The violent incident for which the officers pleaded guilty occurred in January after a white neighbor called police with a complaint about two Black men and a white woman staying together in a house in Braxton, Mississippi. Six Goon Squad officers were eventually dispatched to the home, where they broke in unannounced and then tortured the two men, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, for over an hour. The officers called the men racial slurs. They shocked Jenkins and Parker with stun guns and poured various liquids down their mouths, the Associated Press reported. They forced the men to shower together to wash away evidence of the assault carried out by the police officers. The cops also sexually abused the two men with a sex toy, according to court documents. The assault ended after the police officers subjected Jenkins to what was intended to be a mock execution, putting a gun in the mans mouth and pulling the trigger. The cop apparently did not realize the gun was loaded and shot Jenkins, injuring his tongue, jaw and neck. I thought I was dead, Jenkins told People during an interview about the shooting. Parker, meanwhile, also feared that he would be killed by the cops. At the end, I did say we were about to die, he told People. A long history of violence After the shooting, the cops attempted to remove evidence of their assault and frame the two men with planted weapons and drugs. Eventually, one of the six officers admitted to having lied about the incident, which led to the six cops being identified and charged with a wide variety of crimes. All six officers Brett McAlpin, Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke and Joshua Hartfield pleaded guilty to charges of obstruction of justice. Dedmon and Elward also pleaded guilty to home invasion for kicking in the door to the residence, and Elward also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for shooting Jenkins. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The six officers are expected to face between five and 30 years in jail for their various crimes, though the judge in the case could impose different sentences. The men have also pleaded guilty to several civil rights violations in a federal case and will be sentenced for those crimes as well. Jenkins and Parker have additionally filed a $400 million civil lawsuit against the officers. And investigations launched since the January attack show that several of the officers have been involved in a variety of other violent acts against Black men dating back to 2019. These include two prior incidents of cops putting guns in mens mouths, as well as two Black men who died from their encounters with members of the Goon Squad. With this growing list of alleged crimes, the Mississippi Goon Squad will likely be behind bars for some time. Their long campaign of racial terror has not only recalled the history of racial violence in Mississippi, but it also reawakens a nationwide discussion about police violence against Black people and the tendency of cops to face little to no consequences for their actions. This time, at least, the horrific nature of the Good Squads attacks eventually became too much to ignore, but the fact that they seem to have gotten away with so much for so long highlights the need for greater accountability measures. China supply chain expo to become platform for high-level opening-up Xinhua) 08:43, August 21, 2023 BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China is making steps to foster its first international supply chain expo as a new platform for high-level opening up, the event's organizer said on Sunday. The first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) will be held in Beijing from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. With 100 days remaining before the event, the preparatory work is in full swing, said Ren Hongbin, president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. More than 300 Chinese and foreign enterprises have already confirmed their participation in the expo, which "reflects the strong attractiveness of the expo and the Chinese market," said Ren. Zhou Kaiquan, deputy general manager of the China National Machinery Industry Corporation, said the company will showcase its latest technological advances and modern intelligent agricultural machinery equipment at the expo. With the CISCE debut, the company hopes to connect upstream, midstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain, to jointly seek cooperation on maintaining the safety and stability of the global agricultural-machinery industrial and supply chains, Zhou said. Zhang Yihao, president and CEO of GE Healthcare China, said the company now has five production bases and about 7,000 employees in China, and is considering bringing more advanced manufacturing technologies and production lines to China. The CISCE will feature five supply chains: smart vehicles; green agriculture; clean energy; digital technology; and healthy living. It will also have a supply chain service exhibition area. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) At an ongoing exhibition held at the Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, visitors can see some exquisite jade artifacts. The relics had been found during the fourth excavation of the ancient tomb of Marquis Mu of Jin, the ninth dominator of the Jin Kingdom of the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC) in the province's Quwo county. The excavation, which had been undertaken in September 1993 and took nearly four months, centered on three large tombs designated M64, M62 and M63 which were lined up from east to west. Funerary objects that had lain with Marquis Mu of Jin and his two wives for nearly 3,000 years were recovered. At Tomb M63, more than 4,280 objects were found, including more than 800 jade objects, far more than what was found in the other two tombs. In addition to bronze vessels, a rusted bronze box found in the northwest corner of the tomb was filled with three layers of jade objects of different kinds. These exquisite jade objects indicate that the humanistic thought of the late Western Zhou Dynasty had evolved, "and the secular pursuit of beauty had gradually emerged," archaeologist Li Boqian told the local Shanxi Evening News. Football season is hurtling towards us like an unstoppable asteroid. As a huge fan of all things pigskin, armchair quarterbacking is a favorite pastime of mine. I like watching the game unfold on my TV and telling anyone around who'll listen and many times, even friends who don't want to listen why the quarterback should have tossed it to the wide receiver running the post route instead of the running back in the left flat. I do the same thing with water management in South Florida. South Florida Water Management District executive director Drew Bartlett surveys the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes from the air Sept. 30, 2022. Why a governing board vacancy is a bad thing The South Florida Water Management District governing board has been understaffed since June 19, when it went from nine members to eight. That's when Martin County resident Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch served her final day. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The governor appoints board positions for all five Florida water management districts. A replacement has yet to be named to the state's largest district which includes parts of 16 counties and affects 8 million Floridians. Thurlow-Lippisch did not leave the board voluntarily. You see, she had been doing a fantastic job representing the interests of residents in Martin and St. Lucie counties. She was appointed in early 2019 barely a few months into Gov. Ron DeSantis ' first term as the state's executive branch leader. It was just a few weeks after DeSantis asked for the resignations of all board members appointed by Rick Scott. At the time, clean water advocates praised his decision. For four years, she voted on water-related issues, land purchases, contract negotiations and personnel moves with the point of view of a Martin County resident. It mattered. She made a difference. Thurlow-Lippisch made headway in the hallways where so often clean-water dreams of Stuart residents were sent to die. Her colleagues respected her and SFWMD personnel reacted to her requests. She made everyone around her aware of how for nearly 100 years, Stuart has been on the wrong end of a toilet's plumbing system. As a student and teacher of local history, she was able to convince other board members that they must strive for change from a destructive status quo. Florida Senate canned a good person That didn't matter to the Florida Senate. DeSantis reappointed her, but senators elected not to confirm the reappointment for her second term on the board. They claimed Thurlow-Lippisch disrespected them when she spoke out against Senate Bill 2508 in 2022. That water supply bill prioritizes Big Sugar getting the irrigation water it wants to siphon off Lake Okeechobee over the Everglades ecosystems' health. Shame on them. The cowards didn't even have the decency to discuss this issue with Thurlow-Lippisch face-to-face or in any other way. Not even by phone call. By the way, SB 2508 was straight-up garbage and would have been damaging to Florida's environment. If anyone tells you different, they don't understand the water. So here's the problem: No one has been appointed to take her seat. The governor may be a little too busy with his side gig right now, but that just proves he should have let the lieutenant governor run the state while he runs for president. U.S. Reps. Ron DeSantis (left) and Brian Mast (center) speak with environmental advocate Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, during a boat tour to see and discuss the algae crisis in the St. Lucie River. Why it's important to have a Martin Countian on the board Noticeably absent from the board is anyone from the Treasure Coast at a time when Lake Okeechobee discharges to the St. Lucie River in Stuart are looming and a toxic algae bloom already has fouled Indiantown. The seat Thurlow-Lippisch filled for four years is an at-large seat for someone who resides in Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade or Monroe counties, according to Florida Statute 373.073. I think they should amend the rule to require a resident of Martin or St. Lucie counties have a seat on the board. It's these two counties rather than the others that receive all the adversity from Lake Okeechobee discharges. The governor's office has not answered TCPalm's email asking if or when someone will be appointed. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo's office has not answered TCPalm's email and phone call asking exactly why Thurlow-Lippisch wasn't confirmed. I wanted to know what it takes for the governor to appoint someone to a water management board, so I applied. It was easy to submit an application on the website, but I was surprised I did not receive a confirmation email. Now my name is in the hopper. It goes without saying if by some rare chance I'm selected, I do not plan to serve. But several Martin Countians have served: Nat Reed, Kevin Powers, Timer Powers (Kevin's dad), Lennart Lindahl and Melissa Meeker, to name a few. I must admit, I wonder what it would be like to try to keep the district fiscally responsible and vote on land use changes. I'm sure my armchair management would be blown out of the water. Does DeSantis care about Republicans who want clean water? The time to appoint someone anyone is long overdue. On Aug. 4, the governor's office announced three other SFWMD board members had been reappointed to second terms. Chairman Chauncey Goss of Lee County, Vice Chair Scott Wagner of Miami and Jay Steinle of West Palm Beach will serve until 2027, pending Florida Senate confirmation, of course. Will their words in opposition to SB 2508 be held against them? We'll see. The governor is doing a disservice to a largely Republican territory. In Martin County, Republicans make up 52% of voters and they're 34% of St. Lucie County voters. DeSantis may be surprised how many of these voters place clean water as their top platform. Appointing a resident of Palm Beach, Monroe or Miami-Dade counties to this seat also would not serve this community that has endured the deluges from the lake far too many times. I know the SFWMD board member who replaces Thurlow-Lippisch won't stop the discharges, but if they fight against the status quo of lopsided water policy, that's the least we can ask. Ed Killer is a columnist for TCPalm. This is his opinion. Email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: DeSantis should appoint SFWMD board member from Martin County ASAP Transgender Kansans will have a chance to make their voices heard in a lawsuit over gender markers on drivers licenses. Shawnee County Judge Teresa Watson Friday granted a motion by five trans Kansans to intervene in the case, in which Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach is seeking to deny gender changes on the licenses. In July, Kobach sued the Kansas Department of Revenues Division of Vehicles. He asserts that it violates a new state law to let Kansans list anything other than the gender they were assigned at birth on their drivers licenses. That law, Senate Bill 180, defines gender as binary and fixed at birth. Legislators overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly s veto to pass it, and it took effect July 1; Kobach had lost the 2018 governors race to Kelly. Watson has granted a temporary restraining order blocking gender changes to licenses while the case proceeds. The intervenors are Adam Kellogg, Kathryn Redman, Juliana Ophelia Gonzales-Wahl, and two who remain anonymous. They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, the national ACLU, and the law firm of Stinson LLP. Watson heard arguments from both sides in the case Wednesday, and two days later she ruled that the trans Kansans can intervene. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We are gratified that the court has seen that our clients have a vested interest in the outcome of this case, and should be entitled to make their arguments, said a statement from Sharon Brett, legal director at the ACLU of Kansas. For our clients and the entire community they represent, this case is about the privacy, dignity, and autonomy that comes from having accurate gender markers on their license, and about their right to be safe from the harassment they would face if forced to present inaccurate IDs that would essentially out them against their will in daily life. This case is about trans Kansans well-being and their ability to live freely and without government-sanctioned persecution we look forward to further demonstrating that before the court. Were thankful the court has recognized that these arguments can and should be considered by the Court, and that it would be improper to move forward with this matter without hearing from the transgender Kansans at its center, added Rose Saxe, deputy director of the ACLUs LGBTQ & HIV Project. The policy change being pursued by the attorney general is a degrading and discriminatory affront to transgender Kansans liberty and their safety, and the voices of transgender Kansans in defense of their personhood shall not and will not be silenced. The notion that theyre being silenced is ridiculous thinking. We are happy to answer their constitutional claims, Kobach countered Wednesday, according to the Kansas Reflector. With the granting of intervention, the primary legal question remains the same: Does a state agency have to follow the plain meaning of a law passed by our duly elected legislators? he added Friday, the Reflector reports. With respect to the constitutional challenge raised by the ACLU, we look forward to rebutting their novel theories in court. The Minnesota Department of Transportation is considering filling in the deep trench that is Interstate 94 between much of downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis to create an at-grade highway with dedicated lanes for bus rapid transit and other travel. If that sounds like a bold idea, many are underwhelmed. A coalition of alternative transit advocates wants to see the interstate ripped out entirely and replaced with a multi-lane, multi-use boulevard an idea that MnDOT recently dismissed on the advice of its consultants. MnDOT last month released 10 different high level concepts, based largely on traffic analysis and other metrics reviewed by consultants WSB. The departments project leaders and technical experts Wednesday will host the first of eight public meetings to get feedback on redesigning those seven miles of I-94. Our Streets Minneapolis, St. Paul City Council Member Mitra Jalali, Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley and others have called on MnDOT to incorporate bolder plans to rip out the interstate in favor of a street-level, multi-use boulevard at slower traffic speeds. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Our Streets Minneapolis is funding independent research of the at-grade options, using a different method of traffic modeling. The group says some of MnDOTs concept plans would add or widen existing travel lanes, which could attract more drivers and actually increase traffic congestion a concept called induced demand. Theyd rather see MnDOT remove lanes on I-94, which might cause drivers to take alternate highway routes around the metro rather than zipping straight through the Twin Cities. Such traffic evaporation could reduce congestion, they say, and perhaps lead to greater economic development in the metro, improving the tax base for either city through new residences and storefronts along a future boulevard. This could be a big success, said Alex Burns, a spokesman for Our Streets Minneapolis. (A couple options) are both filling in the trench, restoring the community grid, running bus rapid transit along it, and returning land to the community. That was really exciting to see both of those options included, and that was the direct result of all of the community support. We do still have concerns, Burns added. Whats the speed limit? How walkable will it be? Those are the kinds of details that would make or break those options. He noted that two scenarios presented by MnDOT and its consultants would add lanes, such as a general purpose travel lane or an EZ-pass lane. Thats just unacceptable thats even on the table, Burns said. An at-grade version of I-94 with a much lower speed limit would be a huge improvement compared to the status quo right now, Burns said. If its more consistent with Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis, thats not what were calling for. The Rethinking I-94 area in question runs from Marion Street in St. Paul to Minnesota 55/Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis. A public survey is available through the fall at tinyurl.com/Survey94Options23. MnDOT plans to spend much of the next year completing a scoping process intended to pare the 10 concept plans, with a more detailed analysis likely from 2024 to 2027. Join a meeting One-hour virtual meetings are scheduled for noon and 6 p.m. Wednesday. Register on MnDOTs Rethinking I-94 website. In-person meetings will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Elliot Park Recreation Center, 1000 E. 14th St., Minneapolis. A second round of in-person meetings will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 at the Rondo Community Library, 461 Dale St. N., St. Paul. Related Articles Scotts new album matches the success of its predecessor, Astroworld, which also spent three weeks at No. 1. Travis Scott s new album, Utopia, is still going strong. The album is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the third consecutive week. Last week, Utopia earned 185,000 equivalent album units, a 26 percent increase from the previous week. After debuting at the top slot three weeks ago, Utopia has spent more weeks at the Billboard 200 peak than any rap album since Drakes Certified Lover Boy spent five total weeks at number one in 2021. Travis Scott attends The Idol premiere afterparty in May at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. His new album, Utopia, is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the third consecutive week. (Photo: Kristy Sparow/Getty Images) The unit increase is due to Scotts providing a promotional discount on physical copies of Utopia on his website. Vinyl versions of Utopia, usually sold for $50, were available for $5 for a limited time. As a result, the vinyl LP copies accounted for 93,000 of the 99,000 Utopia albums sold last week, a 169 percent increase from the week prior. On the other hand, streaming equivalent album (SEA) units decreased by 22 percent, with 86,000 equivalent units the week before. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Utopia has matched the chart success of Scotts previous album, Astroworld, which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2018. The success of Utopia comes despite the fact that a police report on the investigation into the tragedy at Scotts Astroworld festival performance in 2021 was released around the same time as the album, according to The New York Post. Scotts lawyer, Kent Schaffer, accused the Houston Police Department of delaying the report last month to harm sales of Utopia. The 1,266-page report details the results of an 18-month investigation of the 2021 Astroworld festival, at which 10 people died from a crowd surge during Scotts headlining set. While the rapper was sued by several parties after the tragedy, a grand jury decided last month not to indict Scott on any criminal charges in the deaths. Houston police called the timing of the report a coincidence. Utopia features several guest artists, including Beyonce, Drake, The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Kid Cudi, SZA, Future, Playboi Carti, Westside Gunn and Bad Bunny. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Travis Scotts Utopia tops Billboard 200 for third straight week appeared first on TheGrio. A series of fires forced eight people out of their homes, destroyed a nearly $800,000 home and damaged a Pasco business. Firefighters across the Tri-Cities were kept busy between Saturday and Monday with two house fires, a haystack fire and a small fire set in a parking lot. The fires started Saturday morning when a haystack started burning inside an open-air storage building at Zen-Noh Hay at the Port of Pasco, said Ben Shearer, Pasco Fire Departments public information officer. They continued on Sunday when a family of six fled their home at 10 Sharron Street in Kennewick about 1:50 p.m., Kennewick Deputy Chief Michael Heffner said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Also on Sunday, police ended up arresting a woman who started a fire in the Claybell Park parking lot, according to a Richland police Facebook post. Finally at 2:40 a.m. on Monday, two former Pasco School District employees escaped a blaze that destroyed their West Pasco home, Deputy Chief Ed Dunbar told the Herald. A woman suffered some minor burns and was taken to a local hospital. The couple had lived in the Court Street home for years, and recent spikes in home prices had raised the value to more than $780,000. Zen-Noh Fire Firefighters were called to Zen-Noh Hay about 6 a.m. on Saturday after a fire started inside 1,500 tons of hay that was being stored inside. The fire also spread to the pole building where it was stored, and destroyed a front loader. All of the 1,500 tons hay stored in the building was lost to the fire, Shearer said. No Port of Pasco facilities were involved, said port officials. Heavy equipment removes fire damaged hay Monday morning from under outdoor storage following a weekend fire at the Nen-Noh Hay Inc. cubing facility in the Port of Pascos Big Pasco Industrial area. Fires in hay bales are difficult to put out, Shearer said. While firefighters were able to put out the worst of it, Zen-Noh employees are continuing to monitor the remaining hay after spreading it out, Shearer said. Employees were still monitoring it on Monday. The company takes bales of hay and turns it into cubes to be shipped to beef and dairy cattle farmers in Japan. This is not the first time the company has been struck by fire. The business had to rebuild a warehouse in 1995 after it burned down. Sharron Street Two adults and four children were forced out of their home at 10 Sharron Street after one of the adults noticed signs of fire inside of the home Sunday afternoon. The Kennewick Fire Department was alerted to the blaze by people calling 911 saying they saw flames erupting from the back of the home. When they arrived on the scene, they discovered the fire had burned up the back wall of the house and into the attic, Deputy Chief Michael Heffner said. Firefighters began dousing the blaze on the back of the home. After it was safe, they went inside and pulled down the ceiling to find where the fire had spread to inside of the attic. Investigators believe the fire that started in the back patio was accidental, but are not certain about the cause. Heffner explained there were no signs of it being intentionally started. The family of six are being helped by the American Red Cross. Kennewick firefighters were helped by Benton County Fire District 1 as well as the Pasco and Richland fire departments. They also had assistance from Kennewick police, the Benton PUD and Cascade Natural Gas. Claybell Park Richland police responded to Claybell Park Saturday after callers reported a woman was starting a fire in the parking lot. When officers arrived, they found the woman holding a lighter and standing next to a pile of burning debris, Richland police said in a Facebook post. Police officials said the fire was worryingly close to the wood chips that surround the parking lot and several acres of nearby sagebrush. The Kennewick Fire Department put out the blaze, and the woman was arrested for reckless burning and violating Richland park rules. Police pointed out that unauthorized fires are not allowed in city parks at any time. It is the second time this month a person has been arrested for intentionally starting a fire at a Tri-Cities park. The first damaged the area near the duck pond at Columbia Park. Pasco fire officials survey the heavily damaged home on the corner of Road 103 and West Court Street. One person was taken to the hospital with minor burns from the early morning blaze. The cause is under investigation. $800,000 home The final fire struck a home at the corner of Court Street and Road 103 in West Pasco. A retired couple was woken up by smoke detectors about 2:40 a.m. on Monday, Shearer said. They were able to escape the home. Firefighters arrived shortly after and began to extinguish the fire, which destroyed the home. They were able to save one of the couples cars. The cause of the fire has not been determined. The woman did suffer some minor burns in her escape attempt and was treated at a local hospital. Shearer said it is a good example of how smoke detectors can save lives. It greatly increases the chance to escape a house fire unharmed, say officials. According to public records, the house was purchased in the mid-90s for $239,000, and the value is has risen to $780,000. The couple, who are in their late 80s, are staying with family. FILE - This aerial photo shows the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., on Oct. 23, 2021, used for the film "Rust." Prosecutors have received a second expert analysis of the revolver fired in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of a Western film in New Mexico, as they weigh whether to refile charges against the actor. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A New Mexico judge has set a 2024 starting date for the trial of movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal on the set of a Western film. State district court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer on Monday scheduled the trial to run from Feb. 21 through March 6 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The first day begins with jury selection. Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set of Rust on Oct. 21, 2021. An attorney for Gutierrez-Reed has described the fatal shooting as a tragic accident and says the film's armorer committed no crime. Gutierrez-Reed is currently the sole criminal defendant. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prosecutors are weighing whether to refile a charge against Baldwin after receiving a new analysis of the gun fired at Hutchins. Special prosecutors dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in April, saying they were informed the gun might have been modified before the shooting and malfunctioned. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer but not the trigger and the gun fired, fatally wounding Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. In March, Rust assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls pleaded no contest to a conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and received a suspended sentence of six months of probation. He agreed to cooperate in the investigation of the shooting. Defense attorneys said they plan to present evidence that Gutierrez-Reed asked Halls to call her back into rehearsal if Baldwin planned to use the gun. They say that didnt happen before Hutchins was shot. The filming of Rust resumed this year in Montana, under an agreement with the cinematographers widower, Matthew Hutchins, that made him an executive producer. Hilary has triggered flooding, heavy rains and powerful gusts across parts of the western US and Mexico, transforming streets into raging rivers and forcing some residents to flee, and leaving others in need of rescue, even after the storm weakened to a post-tropical cyclone. More rain was expected to fall throughout Monday and Tuesday as officials cleaned up the aftermath. After hitting Southern California on Sunday as a tropical storm the states first since 1997 Hilary headed into Nevada as its first-ever recorded tropical storm. As Hilary and its remnants moved up the western US, the storm brought power outages, flooding and calls for residents to evacuate or shelter in place. Live updates: Hilary brings major flood risk to California The storm broke rainfall records across Southern California: Palm Springs got nearly a years worth of rain with 4.3 inches in 24 hours, one of its rainiest days ever. Death Valley nearly set a record with 1.68 inches, and the Furnace Creek area, which usually gets about two-tenths of an inch in August, got 0.63 inches. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement And the storm is the rainiest tropical storm system in Nevadas history, nearly doubling the states 116-year-old all-time record, according to preliminary data from NOAAs Weather Prediction Center. Hilary has released 9.20 inches of rain on Lee Canyon, Nevada, smashing the previous record of 4.36 inches in 1906. Hilary also became the rainiest tropical system in Idaho, Oregon and Montana history. In Montana, Hilary dropped 2.3 inches of rain, breaking the record for the rainiest tropical system to hit the state set by Kathleen in 1976. In Oregon, 3.29 inches that fell on Morgan Mountain from Hilary broke the old record of 1.35 inches, also from Kathleen. And the 3 inches of rain that fell on Dollarhide Summit, Idaho, from Hilary broke the record of 2.20 inches set by Olivia in 1982. Localized flooding was possible into Tuesday morning across northern portions of the Intermountain West. In Palm Springs, a section of Interstate 10 was shut down for part of Monday while road crews cleared mud left by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Hilary, but other routes in and out of the desert oasis near Joshua Tree National Park were open. In addition, many freeway off-ramps were limited because of mud, and CalTrans crews are working to clear those in an effort to ease accessibility. Emergency telephone service, which had been down since midmorning, has been restored, the police department said, but an outage continues to affect other areas of the Coachella Valley. We are not used to this level of precipitation, generally certainly not in the middle of summer, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told CNN on Sunday. With what were expecting, it may overwhelm us. Tropical storm Hilary caused a section of the normally-dry Whitewater River to flood parts of a golf course in Cathedral City, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) - Mario Tama/Getty Images Heres the latest: Heavy rains and some flooding may continue Tuesday morning in parts of the Intermountain West, according to the National Hurricane Center. The rain will cause mostly localized areas of flash flooding, the National Weather Service Prediction Center said. Flood watches remained in place Monday night across seven Western states. Strong and gusty winds were expected in Nevada, western Utah, southern Idaho and southwest Montana, the hurricane center said. Coastal tropical storm warnings have been discontinued. Some portions of Southern California lost power during the storm but electricity was mostly restored by Monday evening. A total of about 41,000 customers in Los Angeles were without power at one point, Marty Adams, general manager and chief engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said Monday. People in parts of Southern California should not travel unless they are fleeing an area under flooding or under an evacuation order, the National Weather Service has warned. Flooding, mudslides and downed trees and wires were widely reported across Southern California on Sunday and Monday. At least nine people were rescued Sunday in a San Diego riverbed, San Diego Fire-Rescue said, with water rescues also reported in Ventura County and Palm Springs. In Mexico, where the storm first landed, power has been restored to 80% of customers in the three states affected by Hilary, according to the national power company. 379,850 users have been affected, and electricity supply has been restored to 302,134, equivalent to 80%, said the Federal Electricity Commission in a statement Monday. Maura Taura surveys the damaged cause by a downed tree outside her home. - Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP To the west, Los Angeles and Ventura counties saw considerable damage Sunday night amid reports of dangerous flash flooding, and rock and mudslides, the National Weather Service said, adding up to half an inch of rain could fall per hour. Cars were stuck in floodwaters in the Spanish Hills area, the National Weather Service reported. Crowley urged residents to take precautions on the roads. A relatively small amount of water can sweep a vehicle away, she said. In Los Angeles, the worst of the storm was over as of Monday morning, according to officials. All weather warnings in the city were canceled. We are past the brunt of the impact, said National Weather Service meteorologist Ariel Cohen. First day of school is a wash for some students Schools in San Diego and Los Angeles are set to reopen Tuesday after closing Monday in anticipation of the storm. Officials canceled classes for the more than 121,000 students in the San Diego Unified School District. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation, also shut down Monday. The district spans about 700 square miles, meaning the impact of the storm varied for its students. Schools in the Los Angeles district will reopen on Tuesday, according to superintendent Alberto Carvalho. Our teams have been scouring our schools, and so far, conditions are pretty good, Carvalho said. A couple dozen schools have lost phone and internet service, and one school has been impacted by a minor mudslide. It would have been reckless for us to make a different decision, Carvalho said of the decision to close schools Monday. Los Angeles was tested but we came through it and we came through it with minimal impacts, considering what we endured, said Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian. The Nye County School District in Nevada also canceled classes Monday, with plans to reopen Tuesday. Cars stranded in roads deluged with mud and water Once a hurricane, Hilary weakened as it made landfall Sunday in Mexico where at least one person died then crossed into the Golden State. The storms center was roughly 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles around 8 p.m. local time Sunday, moving north with weakened 45-mph winds, according to the hurricane center. The Los Angeles Fire Department fielded more than 4,000 emergency calls on Sunday and responded to about 1,800 incidents, Chief Kristin Crowley said in a news conference on Monday. The calls included a request for help for five cars stranded in a flooded intersection of Sun Valley. One person was safely rescued and no one was injured in the Sun Valley incident, Crowley said. Flood water affected an underground power vault, leading to an outage for about 6,000 customers in the Beverly Grove area, with other outages reported in Hollywood, Hyde Park and Brentwood. The vast majority of city power customers remain unaffected by the storm, according to Los Angeles officials. As the storm barreled through, covering roadways with debris and water, roads were blocked across Southern California by Sunday night. A section of Interstate 8 in Imperial County, east of San Diego, was closed Sunday after boulders came loose from an adjoining slope and fell into the road. In San Bernardino County, a stretch of State Route 127 covered in floodwaters was closed, while a section of Interstate 15 was shuttered in Barstow because of downed power lines after a lightning strike, authorities said. Traffic is slowed as water and mud from Tropical Storm Hilary covers part of Interstate 10, between Indio and Palm Springs, California, on Monday. - David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images Crews across the region Sunday evening rescued people caught in the storm, including at least nine in a riverbed area in San Diego. Crews are still looking for more people who may need help. #riverrescue, San Diego Fire-Rescue said. And Ventura County firefighters searched the Santa Clara River for people trapped in the waters on Sunday night, videos show. The storm led to other disruptions across Southern California, with many parks, beaches and other locations closed as officials called on residents to stay indoors. And Hilary continued to cause damage as it moved into Nevada. In Mt. Charleston, Nevada, the storm brought significant flooding on Monday morning, washing out the roadways. Residents are sheltering in place, the power is shut off, and the Nevada National Guard is on its way to assist, according to a Facebook post from Clark County. West of Las Vegas, rushing water is flowing like a river down Echo Road, leaving vehicles stranded from Mary Jane Trailheads and Trail Canyon, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Emergency crews are evaluating and ask for people to stay out of the area, the service said. Record rainfall in Southern California California had been preparing for difficult conditions, positioning first responders across Southern California to brace for water rescues in flood-prone areas like wildfire burn scars and deserts amid fears areas unaccustomed to rain could suddenly receive a years worth or more, triggering flash floods and landslides. Rainfall totals have been significant: In California, Mount San Jacinto received 11.74 inches from Hilary as of Monday night, while Raywood Flats got 11.73 inches, and Heart Bar got 9.67 inches. In Nevada, Mt. Charleston received 7.80 inches and Lower Angel Peak recorded 6.52 inches. Daily and monthly rainfall records were broken Sunday, with 1.53 inches falling in downtown Los Angeles, 1.56 inches in Long Beach and 2.95 inches in Palmdale, according to the weather service. At least three swift water rescues were conducted in Palm Springs, police department Lt. Gustavo Araiza told CNN. In Cathedral City, a desert community roughly a 110-mile drive east of Los Angeles, at least 14 people were rescued from a senior boarding care facility Monday afternoon after a blockade of mud trapped them inside, city spokesperson Ryan Hunt said. All of the people rescued are doing well, Hunt said. The fire department had to borrow a dozer truck from a recycling center so they could carry out the rescue, Hunt said. The department had firefighters sit in the dozer and then had those being rescued sit on top to be brought out of the structure, he added. Despite the unorthodox method, everyone stayed calm, he said. A motorist removes belongings from his vehicle after becoming stuck in a flooded street in Palm Desert, California, on Sunday. - Mark J. Terrill/AP Santa Clarita, about 30 miles north of Los Angeles, experienced steady rain for about 10 hours, with the storm dropping well over four inches of rain on the valley. Parts of Sand Canyon Road could be seen falling into rushing water. As the storm continues to affect the West, officials with Oregons emergency management are bracing for possible flooding across portions of the state. At this point, were concerned about the substantial rainfall and the potential for fast-moving water and flooding. Flood watches have been issued for areas of Central and Eastern Oregon, Oregon Department of Emergency Management spokesperson Chris Crabb told CNN Monday afternoon. We have reports of minor flooding currently and communities using sandbags to mitigate the impacts, but there have been no requests for state support at this point, Crabb went on. According to Crabb, the office is working with county and tribal partners. Portions of Oregon are under a flood watch through Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The remnants of Hurricane Hilary will bring periods of moderate to heavy rain to portions of northeastern Oregon through Tuesday, the weather service said in a forecast message. CNN Meteorologists Gene Norman and Monica Garrett and CNNs Lauren Mascarenhas, Cheri Mossburg, Jamiel Lynch, Eric Zerkel and Sarah Moon contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Tropical Storm Hilary drenched parts of Southern California from coastal areas to inland mountains and deserts on August 20. Hilary was the first first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, and dropped more than half of an average years worth of rain in some areas. Popular desert resort city Palm Springs saw nearly three inches of rain by Sunday evening and downtown Los Angeles broke a 117 year-old rainfall record with 2.48 inches of rain. [Related: A rare tropical storm will skirt by the Southwest, just days after historic heatwave.] The storm is now considered a post-tropical cyclone as it moves through the southwestern United States. Post-tropical cyclones no longer possess the sufficient tropical characteristics to be considered a tropical cyclone, but can continue to produce heavy rains and high winds, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of Monday morning, Hilary has winds of roughly 35 MPH with some stronger gusts as it is moving north in central Nevada, about 390 miles north of San Diego. While all coastal tropical storm warnings have ended, flood watches remain for more than 25 million people from Southern California to northern Idaho. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The storm first made landfall on Saturday August 19 in Mexicos Baja California Peninsula about 150 miles south of Ensenada. One person reportedly drowned Saturday in Santa Rosalia on the eastern coast of the peninsula when a vehicle was swept away in an overflowing stream.The storm then moved through Tijuana and up towards the United States. Flooding and mudslides could continue today in Mexico and California as the storm weakens and moves towards Nevada. Unprecedented rainfall of up to 10 inches is possible across parts of Southern California and Nevada through Monday morning. Rainfall up to 5 inches is possible across parts of Oregon and Idaho through Tuesday August 22. The power grid largely held up, as Southern California Edison reports about 13,000 customers without power as of Sunday. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported roughly 3,000 customers without power Sunday evening and San Diego Gas and Electric reported less than 1,000 outages. Sunday afternoon also brought Southern California another surprise, as an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 shook the region. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was centered near Ojai, about 80 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Smaller aftershocks were also felt, but the Ventura County Sheriffs Office said there were no immediate reports of injury or damage. [Related: The future of hurricanes is full of floodsa lot of them.] In September 2022, moisture from Tropical Storm Kay moved through the Southwest, but did not hit the region. California rarely has tropical cyclones or hurricanes that make landfall due to a combination of unfavorable atmospheric conditions off the coast, prevailing east-to-west winds that push storms out to sea, and cold water that sucks the strength out of tropical systems typically keeps them away. Experts say storms like this will remain rare even as the climate changes, but that warming ocean temperatures will make the tropical storms that do make landfall stronger and more damaging. The hurricanes that form every year in the Atlantic Ocean near the southeastern US feed off of warm waters and currents that move that water south to north. The West Coast sees the opposite, with ocean currents carrying colder water from Alaska to California. Very warm ocean water is essentially hurricane fuel, Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist told The Los Angeles Times. So you generally need water temperatures getting up toward around 80 degrees or warmer on a sustained basis. The all-time record, high temperature at Scripps Pier [in San Diego] is right at 80 degrees, so were almost always well below this temperature threshold the ocean would be required to generate or sustain a tropical cyclone. Article first published: Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, 11 a.m. ET Article last updated: Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, 5 p.m. ET On Monday at 5 pm, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that Nine has reached new heights of intensity and has upgraded from a potential tropical cyclone into a tropical depression, with winds blowing at 35 miles per hour. The tropical depression is 375 miles east-southeast of Port Mansfield Texas, with maximum sustained wind of 35 mph. Its moving 18 mph to the west. The tropical depression is forecast to strengthen. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement - Mouth of Rio Grande to Port O'Connor, Texas A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for: - Port O'Connor to Sargent, Texas A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within 12 to 24 hours. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within 12 to 24 hours. Interests elsewhere in eastern Texas and northern Mexico should monitor the progress of this system. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: RAINFALL: The depression is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches, with isolated higher amounts of 7 inches, across South Texas on Tuesday and Wednesday. Areas of flash flooding will be possible. Across Mexico, rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches, with local amounts of 10 inches, are expected across portions of northern Coahuila and northern Nuevo Leon on Tuesday and Wednesday. Areas of flash flooding are expected. WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area and are possible in the watch area early Tuesday. STORM SURGE: The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide... Mouth of Rio Grande to Sargent, including Baffin Bay, Corpus Christi Bay and Matagorda Bay...1 to 3 ft The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the north of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. TORNADOES: A couple of tornadoes are possible across south Texas on Tuesday. SURF: Large swells generated by the depression will affect portions of southern Texas tonight through Tuesday. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Source: National Hurricane Center This article was generated by the South Carolina Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com. Senate Republicans string of major recruiting wins could soon be coming to an end as the party prepares for less-than-welcome entries in two races that could help decide the fate of the Senate majority next year. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake are widely expected to launch bids for the upper chamber in Montana and Arizona, respectively, in the coming months. Thats creating headaches for GOP leaders in their quest to flip two seats and retake control of the Senate after four years in the minority. Republican leaders in the Senate havent been shy about calling out candidate quality as a major issue for the party in 2022 and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) vowed to more aggressively recruit and back candidates with a better shot of winning a general election. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Thus far, those efforts have borne fruit in a number of key contests. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) is the leading contender to take on Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) next year (if Manchin runs), Tim Sheehy entered the race in Montana to unseat Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sam Brown launched a campaign in Nevada. Manchin and Tester, who represent states former President Trump carried by a wide margin, are at the top of Republicans target list. The party also has a number of acceptable candidates in Ohio to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), though none are considered to be sterling by GOP operatives. But its the potential coming pair of Rosendale and Lake that has Republicans worried. There are few election cycles when everything breaks your way. You want more balls bouncing in your direction than the other. Its very rare you pitch a perfect game, one GOP operative involved in Senate races told The Hill, describing the coming group of candidates as a mixed bag. Led by Daines, top GOP figures heavily recruited Sheehy into the race in Montana in order to avoid a repeat of 2018, when Rosendale lost to Tester by 3.5 percentage points. However, all signs point to Rosendale taking the 2024 plunge. He recently appeared at events in Montanas 1st Congressional District, which is represented by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), indicating that his political aspirations are statewide. He and his team have also repeatedly pointed to his support in a poll released by a Democratic firm earlier this summer, which they argue gives him the upper hand. Republican operatives, however, believe that Daines and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are prepared to go to the mat in a primary battle between the two and spend whatever is necessary to get Sheehy, a businessman and a retired Navy SEAL, over the finish line to face Tester. If Daines and Mitch want Sheehy to be the nominee, he will be, a second GOP operative said. Theyre just going to have to exert themselves to make sure. Rosendale was dealt a major blow last month as the Club For Growth indicated that it is stepping away from its initial plan to back him. The sitting congressman is considered by most Republicans to be a poor fundraiser, and losing the Club would do him major harm in a potential war over the airwaves with Sheehy, who can self-fund. A Rosendale spokesperson told NBC News recently that Rosendale has not made a decision yet on a Senate bid and is focused on his priority which is representing the people of Montana. Meanwhile, the situation in Arizona could present a different type of difficulty. If Lake launches a campaign, she is expected to win the nomination. Lake, who lost the states gubernatorial contest last year to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), told reporters last month that she will likely make that decision in the fall. Republican leaders are already dreading the possibility. Lake, an outspoken backer of former President Trump, has gone to great lengths to deny her loss last year. Multiple GOP operatives described her as a disaster for the party if she runs, but they concede theres little anyone can do to stop her at the primary level. I dont think anyone jumps in if she gets in, one Arizona-based GOP strategist told The Hill. Its a sweet giveaway to the Democrats. While no recent poll shows how Lake fares in a three-way matchup against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who is expected to capture the Democratic nomination, one survey pitting Sinema, Gallego and Pima County Sheriff Mark Lamb against one another shows that Sinema pulls more votes from Republican candidates than Democrats, spelling trouble for any GOP candidate if the incumbent senator goes ahead with a reelection campaign. In addition, operatives believe that Blake Masters might launch a second bid in as many cycles for the Senate if Lake forgoes a run of her own. Masters, who had Trumps endorsement in the states GOP Senate primary in 2022, went on to lose the general election to Sen. Mark Kelly (D) by 5 points. People are just like fing desperate, especially the business community. Theyre desperate for a normal person, and theyre not going to get it, the Arizona-based operative added. All is by no means lost on the recruiting end for Republicans, however. They still are hopeful that David McCormick will launch a bid to take on Sen. Bob Casey (D) in Pennsylvania, with the former Bridgewater Associates CEO taking all the proper steps toward a run. One source close to McCormick told The Hill that he is still deciding and remains uncertain about a second consecutive campaign. If he decides to get in, hell be a formidable candidate, the source said. But he realizes that running for Senate in any election year is no mean feat. The GOP also expects businessman Eric Hovde to run in Wisconsin and are waiting on the field in Michigan to sort itself out. National Republicans also believe former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) is aiming to launch a bid after Labor Day. However, the lions share of the focus remains on the trio of West Virginia, Montana and Ohio. Anything beyond that is gravy, some Republicans say. Theres three states that matters, the second GOP operative said. And then theres everything else. Updated at 8:17 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. You are here: Business This photo taken on Nov. 4, 2022 shows an evening view of the Lujiazui area in east China's Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua] The value of China's privately offered funds stood at 20.82 trillion yuan (about 2.89 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of July, industrial data shows. The figure was up from 20.77 trillion yuan a month ago, according to the Asset Management Association of China. A breakdown of the total shows that equity investment funds, with a total size of 11.22 trillion yuan, was the largest category, followed by stock investment funds and venture investment funds. The number of registered privately offered funds stood at 152,878 by July, and 21,996 institutions managed these funds. Established in 2012, the association is a self-regulatory organization that represents China's mutual fund industry. Special counsel prosecutors sharply objected on Monday to Donald Trumps request for an April 2026 trial date in the case involving his efforts to subvert the 2020 election results, arguing his lawyers reasons were disingenuous and denied the American publics right to a speedy trial. The six-page court filing took particular issue with how the former US presidents legal team used flawed statistics to apparently settle on having a trial take place three years after he was charged with four felony counts in August for conspiring to return himself to office. Related: Prosecutors seek to prevent Trump from sharing January 6 case evidence Trump has made clear that his overarching legal strategy for each of his criminal cases is to seek delay preferably until after the 2024 presidential election, in which he is the frontrunner to clinch the Republican nomination in an effort to insulate himself from the charges. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The consequences of an extended delay could be far-reaching. If the case is not adjudicated until after the 2024 election and Trump is re-elected, he could try to pardon himself or direct the attorney general to have the justice department drop the case. When Trumps lawyers last week asked the presiding US district court judge, Tanya Chutkan, for a trial in 2026, they cited the median time of 29.2 months that it took to convict defendants in cases that involved the charge of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, which Trump also faces. But prosecutors in the office of special counsel Jack Smith argued that using the median time as a benchmark was misleading because it includes the time it takes for jury selection, trial, verdict and several months of sentencing deliberation, rather than just the duration of pre-trial proceedings. The question here is when it is appropriate to start trial in this case, and statistics regarding the length of time from indictment to sentencing in other Section 371 cases have no bearing on that decision, prosecutors wrote. The court filing added that the median time statistic from Trumps lawyers omitted the fact that the timeframe they used to generate the number, from October 2021 to September 2022, covered the period when the federal courts were dealing with a backlog stemming from Covid-19 closures. During that period, only 22 cases went to trial nationwide. This small and skewed sample provides no help to the Court in deciding an appropriate trial date, prosecutors wrote, adding that all of those cases also involved multiple co-defendants which is not the case for Trump. The prosecutors also argued that Trumps lawyers were being disingenuous about the volume of evidence that the government intended to turn over in discovery so that they could construct their defense arguments. The Trump legal team had argued that the more than 11m pages of discovery meant it would take an especially long time for them to comb through the material given they only had four lawyers, compared with the dozens of prosecutors detailed to the special counsels office. The prosecutors argued that Trumps lawyers were not obliged to look at each page and could use filters, all of which services, and more, are offered by the defendants e-discovery vendor, according to its own website, and are tools that courts appropriately expect legal professionals to use. The prosecutors added that the judge should not be swayed by the graphic that the Trump legal team included in their filing that showed printing and stacking the millions of pages of discovery would result in a tower taller than the Washington monument. In cases such as this one, the burden of reviewing discovery cannot be measured by page count alone, and comparisons to the height of the Washington Monument and the length of a Tolstoy novel are neither helpful nor insightful; in fact, comparisons such as those are a distraction, they wrote. Former President Donald Trump has agreed to bond being set at $200,000 in his Georgia election interference case, according to court documents filed Monday. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Former President Donald Trump has agreed to bond being set at $200,000 in his Georgia election interference case, according to court documents filed Monday. The bond amount as well as a list of strict conditions of Trump's release on bail are outlined in a three-page order issued by Fulton County, Ga., Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee and signed by District Attorney Fani Willis and three of Trump's attorneys. Trump and 18 others were charged by Willis last week of "joining a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome" of Georgia's 2020 U.S. presidential election results, in which President Joe Biden narrowly defeated the Republican incumbent. The former president was indicted on 13 counts ranging from violating the state's racketeering act to conspiring to file false documents, and has until noon on Friday voluntarily surrender or face arrest. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Trump's social-media platform Truth Social on Monday night, the former president said he would surrender on Thursday. A Fulton County, Ga., judge on Monday set bail at $200,000 for former President Donald Trump on his 13-count indictment for attempting to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. File Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE "Can you believe it? I'll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED by a Radical Left District Attorney, Fani Willis, who is overseeing one of the greatest Murder and Violent Crime DISASTERS in American History," Trump posted. "In my case, the trip to Atlanta is not for "Murder," but for making a PERFECT PHONE CALL! She campaigned, and is continuing to campaign, and raise money on, this WITCH HUNT." The former president continued by stating, "This is in strict coordination with Crooked Joe Biden's DOJ. It is all about ELECTION INTERFERENCE!" Two of his co-defendants in the case, attorneys John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro, on Monday each agreed to a $100,000 bond. Among the conditions outlined in Trump's bail agreement is a requirement that he "shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice." The condition is likely referring to the former president's demonstrated willingness to use social media posts to influence or intimidate potential witnesses involved in the legal cases now pending against him. Shortly before his indictment on the Georgia charges, for instance, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to warn former Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan against testifying against him, writing, "He shouldn't. I barely know him but he was, right from the beginning of this Witch Hunt, a nasty disaster for those looking into the Election Fraud that took place in Georgia." Chesebro's attorney Scott Grubman told ABC News his client will surrender for processing at the Fulton Country Jail before the Friday deadline. He and Eastman are charged with being key architects of the plan to use fake Trump electors in several battleground states. Both face several counts relating to forgery and making false statements in the efforts to overturn the election in Georgia. Eastman, the former dean of Chapman University Law School in California, also faces an additional charge for filing a federal court case in Georgia that falsely claimed thousands of people had voted illegally. Several of the defendants in the Georgia election investigation have negotiated their bonds with the Fulton County District Attorneys Office including former President Donald Trump . Channel 2 Action News was outside the courthouse Monday when Trumps attorneys, Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg and Jennifer Little, arrived. Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne was inside the building and saw them actually walk into DAs office and moments later we learned Trump will have to pay a $200,000 bond upon his arraignment. Consent orders were also set for defendants John Eastman , Ray Smith, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Winne spoke to attorneys for some of those defendants Monday afternoon. What just happened up in the DAs office? Winne asked Scott Grubman, attorney for Chesebro. We negotiated a bond for Mr. Chesebro? Grubman said. Of $100,000? Winne asked Grubman. $100,000. Now keep in mind that doesnt necessarily mean the person has to give $100,000. Itss cash property surety. How fast was the process? Winne asked Grubman. I would say, what, 30 minutes? cutting out some of the back and forth, Grubman said. RELATED STORIES: Whats his (Chesebros) response to the allegations against him in the indictment? Winne asked Grubman. We plan on entering a not guilty plea and proceeding as quickly as we can to trial so we can clear his name, Grubman said. How many attorneys did you meet with from the DAs office? Winne asked attorney Manny Arora. Several. Didnt need to be that many but its all fine, its all worked out. We should have this handled before Friday, Arora said. Having the pre-agreed upon bond means that your client and other similarly situated will not have to spend any time in jail other than the time it takes to process them? Winne asked Grubman. Right. Typically, the reason the folks are in jail for so long if theyre going to get bond, is just waiting to get that bond hearing with the magistrate judge at the jail and this kind of eliminates that necessity, Grubman said. The sheriff, who has actually been very gracious and has agreed to work with all defendants professionally, I have nothing but respect for him and his staff. Channel 2s Richard Elliot was inside the state subcommittee hearing weeks after the 2020 election when Ray Smith made false claims about the election. My name is Ray Smith. I am honored to be lead counsel in Georgia for Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States, Smith said upon his introduction, saying hed been hired by Trump to be his local attorney of record. Now it seems Smith has attorneys -- defense attorney Bruce H. Morris, and attorneys Don Samuel and Amanda Clark Palmer and were offered a $50,000 bond by prosecutors for Smith and they accepted. They said Smith will enter a not-guilty plea. Part of his bond conditions include: The defendant shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice. This shall include, but is not limited to, the following: a. The Defendant shall make no direct or indirect threat of any nature against any codefendant; b. The Defendant shall make no direct or indirect threat of any nature against any witness including, but not limited to, the individuals designated in the Indictment as an unindicated co-conspirators Individual 1 through Individual 30; c. The Defendant shall make no direct or indirect threat of any nature against any victim; d. The Defendant shall make no direct or indirect threat of any nature against the community or to any property in the community; e. The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media. Earlier in the day, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set bond for John Eastman at $100,000 and Scott Graham Hall at $10,000. RELATED NEWS: Donald Trump must turn himself in by noon on Friday. The deadline for his voluntary surrender in Fulton County, Georgia, the latest of four jurisdictions to pursue criminal prosecutions of Americas 45th president, is fast approaching as Mr Trump and his legal team calibrate their responses to the latest series of charges to come down on the ex-presidents shoulders. Hes charged with 13 counts, including a violation of the organised crime under the states RICO statute. And all indications are as of now that Mr Trump will cooperate with authorities. Attorneys for the ex-president were reported to have been in contact with Fulton County in the middle of last week, just a matter of hours after the indictment was formally handed down. His surrender will be a logistical struggle for the ex-president and his team, given the necessity of Secret Service protection and the unique situation of an individual with such protection going through criminal processing at a jail. Thats where Mr Trump is set to appear by noon on Friday: Fulton County jail, where he is (as of now) expected to be treated the exact same as all other defendants awaiting trial, including having a mug shot taken and fingerprints recorded. The specific process will likely be coordinated with the Secret Service. His attorneys have yet to set an exact date and time for his surrender. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One senior law enforcement official told CNN that current indications point to a surrender occurring on Thursday or Friday morning, just hours or even minutes before the deadline. Fulton County jail falls far below the resort-quality standards to which Mr Trump is accustomed. Its a notorious correctional facility in Atlanta, Georgia, that just came under investigation by the Department of Justice this past July over what the federal government alleges are unsafe, unsanitary living conditions at the jail, [including] excessive force and violence within the jail, among other issues. Booking procedures for typical criminal defendants in the US often take hours; in many cases, defendants are incarcerated for several days before they go before a judge. For Mr Trump, that is likely to be expedited, given the Secret Services need to ensure his security throughout the day. Mounting questions about how Mr Trumps Secret Service protection will handle the booking procedure conjures similar uncertainty about how the agency would be forced to act should the ex-president be convicted in any of his four criminal cases. Out of the four, his prosecution in Georgia for a RICO charge is the only one that carries a mandatory minimum sentence that guarantees a prison sentence. The ex-president has denied guilt in the Georgia case and the three others in which he faces criminal charges. A trial date is currently being discussed, with prosecutors asking for it to occur next March. Mr Trumps legal team is thought to be seeking to push all of his eventual trials back as far as possible. While many of the finer details remain unclear, officials with the jail system have stated that they want the processing of the former president to be handled the same as would any other persons. Unless someone tells me differently, we are following our normal practices. It doesnt matter your status, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat told reporters at a news conference. Weve got mug shots ready for you. Before Monday, the conventional wisdom of the Republican political class in Iowa held that any day now as the rest of the field campaigned across the first-in-the-nation caucus state an alternative to Donald Trump was bound to catch fire. But then came the highly anticipated Iowa Poll, the most credible assessment yet of the state of the field in Iowa. For everyone other than Trump, it was a heavy dose of cold water. There was no magic for Trumps rivals with the flip of a pork burger at last weeks Iowa State Fair. The states devout evangelical voters believed by many Republicans to be interested in finding a more palatable nominee are still standing behind Trump in droves. And despite marginal increases in support for some lower-polling candidates, everyone but Trump and Ron DeSantis his closest competitor, who remains a whopping 23 percentage points behind Trump are stuck in the single digits. Everything, in a way, is kind of falling flat, said Kelley Koch, chair of the Dallas County Republican Party. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For candidates busily traversing the state, she said, You would expect a bump. Instead, Its almost like Trumps got his grip on Iowa. Veteran political observers had for months awaited the release of the 2024 elections first survey by longtime Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, given its track record of credibility. Surveying likely caucusgoers, as opposed to merely registered voters, is inherently difficult, and earlier polls emerging from the state this cycle were taken by some strategists with a word of caution to wait for the gold standard. But Mondays Des Moines Register/NBC News Iowa Poll , conducted last week after most of the top Republican candidates had already appeared at the State Fair, belied any argument for Trumps opponents that they were doing substantially better in Iowa than earlier polls had suggested. Instead, two days before the first primary debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee, the poll served as a reminder of how nationalized the 2024 race has become. The former president, with the support of 42 percent of likely GOP caucusgoers in the new poll, has solidly maintained his position as frontrunner in Iowa, despite making few visits to the state and skipping major cattle calls there. And his lead has stayed strong even after insulting Iowas popular Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds comments that have been blasted onto airwaves by his opponents and putting distance between himself and the anti-abortion rights movement, typically a major issue of concern to Iowas evangelicals. Trump is leading DeSantis among evangelicals in Iowa by 27 points, the poll shows. Thats despite DeSantis and Bob Vander Plaats, president of the Family Leader conservative Christian group, forming a close alliance in recent months. And its despite Tim Scott and Mike Pence hinging their campaigns in Iowa on the evangelical vote, sprinkling their stump speeches with scripture and endorsing a national limit on abortions after 15 weeks. The data also show that Trumps support is more locked-in than any other candidate, even as Trump skeptics have suggested that his base is soft and would, with time, crumble. The poll found that 66 percent of Trump backers said their decision is firm, as opposed to just 31 percent of DeSantis supporters saying their mind is made up. DeSantis, meanwhile, has notched off 38 counties of his 99-county Iowa tour, returning to the state week after week in recent months, often for a series of small events. And Trumps four indictments appear to have only helped him in Iowa, never mind the arguments made that his legal woes continue to damage his general election prospects. The poll was conducted in the days before and after his latest charges being filed in Georgia, finding that Trumps 18-point lead in the days before the indictment grew to 25 points in the two days after. The poll is not without glimmers of hope for DeSantis, who has slogged through a summer of brutal attacks by Trump and a series of internal shakeups and campaign missteps. His favorability in Iowa is actually a point higher than the highly polarizing former presidents 66 percent to Trumps 65 something DeSantis raised when asked about the survey in an interview on Monday on Fox News. DeSantis said he and Trump are "basically neck and neck" in terms of favorability there, and that he is "going to own it in the state of Iowa." The fact that he has survived this really difficult period for any campaign, and hes still kind of making it look a little like a two-man race, I think theyve got to be somewhat encouraged by that, said David Kochel, a Republican strategist from Iowa, referring to DeSantis campaign. But obviously, they need things to break their way. Kochel acknowledged that if he were on the Trump campaign, he would feel good about the latest polling in Iowa. Not great, though, he said. In Iowa, its always a very fluid electorate, and (caucus polling) tends to have dramatic moves, Kochel said. Maybe Trump being in this race means there wont be as many dramatic moves, but theres still a lot of campaign left, and we havent had a first debate yet. Trump has declared he wont participate in Wednesdays debate, nor any others during the primary, citing his significant lead over the rest of the field. Its a decision that some Republican leaders have cautioned will ultimately harm him with the GOP electorate in Iowa and elsewhere. But at least so far, the theories of the case for Trumps opponents the arguments that operatives have pushed for months havent panned out. And its not as though voters in Iowa are still unfamiliar with the Trump alternatives. Iowans have already been subjected to a flurry of television ads, particularly from the DeSantis and Scott teams. Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis which is, effectively, running his campaign in Iowa has already run nearly $4.75 million on television there. Scotts campaign, meanwhile, has dropped $3.5 million on TV ads in Iowa, along with another $2.75 million from the super PAC boosting him. Scott placed third in the latest poll, coming in at 9 percent. Thats slightly higher than Nikki Haley and Mike Pence who are tied at 6 percent, though with little paid media presence in the state so far. Doug Burgum, the wealthy North Dakota governor, and a super PAC backing Trump have each also spent more than $2.5 million on television in Iowa. Kim Schmett, a leader of the Westside Conservatives Club a longtime breakfast club in Urbandale where several candidates, including Trump, have appeared in recent months said despite the continued stagnant poll numbers, he expects a winnowing to take place soon. Im sure that several of the people who are running right now are probably not going to be in the field even a month or two from now, Schmett said. Its a very, very fluid situation right now. Like other longtime politicos in the state, Koch cautioned that caucus season doesnt begin in earnest until after back-to-school and the summer vacations have concluded. Schmett said things dont get serious until after the corn harvest. But Trumps opponents dont have much time. The fall campaign season will go quickly, Koch said, and Iowans will become distracted again by the holidays come December. You blink, its Jan. 15, Koch said. Sally Goldenberg contributed to this report. Donald Trump s attorneys have signed an order setting his bond on racketeering charges in Georgia at $200,000 and binding Trump to a set of rules that explicitly limit his ability to use social media to attack witnesses or co-defendants in the case. The three-page order, signed by Georgia Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, sets the conditions of Trumps pretrial release in the case, which stems from his effort to subvert the 2020 election. Similar orders were issued earlier Monday to three of Trumps co-defendants, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall. But Trumps included a more explicit order on witness intimidation, explicitly referencing the former presidents ability to use his social media platform to level attacks related to the case. The Defendant shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice, according to the order, which is also signed by Trumps attorneys Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg and Jennifer Little. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That restriction also includes a prohibition on any direct or indirect threat of any nature against the community or to any property in the community. The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media, the order reads. Trump has spent months assailing prosecutors in the case, though the order does not explicitly reference his commentary on District Attorney Fani Willis or her team. But Trump has also commented on witnesses likely to be called or discussed in the matter, including Ruby Freeman, a Georgia election worker who became the subject of baseless conspiracy theories amplified by Trump and his allies about manipulation of votes in Georgia. While Trumps bond was set at $200,000 including $80,000 for the racketeering charges and $10,000 apiece for each of the other counts he faces Eastmans was set at $100,000 and Halls was set at $10,000. When Trump was arraigned on related federal charges in Washington, D.C., he was also ordered by the court to refrain from attacking or intimidating witnesses or others involved in the court case. He has nevertheless used his Truth Social platform to attack the judge in the case and slam Mike Pence, his former vice president, who is a likely star witness, as well as a rival for the 2024 GOP nomination. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan has warned him to avoid further inflammatory statements in the matter. A judge signed off on a $200,000 bond for former President Trump in the Georgia election case, enacting stricter rules than his co-defendants, on Monday, according to court filings. The order forbids Trump from intimidating any co-defendants or witnesses in the case as he awaits trial. The warning includes a level of detail beyond the bond orders the judge signed for several of Trumps co-defendants earlier in the day, making clear Trumps ban includes social media posts and an indirect threat of any nature. Trump is also banned from contacting any co-defendant or witnesses in the case entirely, except through attorneys. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) charged Trump and 18 others over their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. The defendants have a deadline of noon on Friday to voluntarily surrender. As the deadline approached, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Monday began signing off on the co-defendants pretrial release conditions. Each defendants bond amount is tied to the charges they face, and the agreements largely mirror each other, except for the warning about witnesses. Trumps co-defendants have so far all received the same condition. The Defendant shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice, the agreements state. But Trumps agreement goes on to specify he is explicitly banned from making an indirect threat of any nature levied against any co-defendant, victim or witness, including the 30 unindicted co-conspirators. The condition also extends to social media posts or reposts of other individuals that Trump may make. The former president has previously been warned about intimidating people in his criminal cases but has repeatedly attacked judges, witnesses and prosecutors. Also unlike his co-defendants, Trump is not required to report to pre-trial supervision every 30 days. Updated 5:15 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Trump campaign railed against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis s listless vessel remark over the weekend, suggesting it is a repeat of Hillary Clinton s controversial deplorables comment made in 2016. In an interview with The Florida Standard, an online publication that describes itself as center-right, DeSantis made a comment in reference to Republicans supporting former President Trump, calling them listless vessels. The movement has got to be about what are you trying to achieve on behalf of the American people? DeSantis told The Florida Standard. And thats got to be based in principle, if all we are is listless vessels that are just supposed to follow whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning, thats not going to be a durable movement. Trumps campaign pushed back against DeSantiss remark, comparing it to a comment made by Clinton in 2016 in which she divided Trump supporters into two categories, one of which she said fell into a basket of deplorables. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement DeSantis is now running the same, failed playbook as Hillary Clinton, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement shared with The Hill. He called all Trump supporters listless vessels just like Crooked did in 2016 when she called us Deplorables. How did that work out? He should stop listening to his establishment handlers and start listening to the American people telling him to go back home. Jason Miller, a longtime adviser to Trump, echoed this argument, writing in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Looks like Ron DeSanctimonious just had his Basket of Deplorables moment. Not good! To Hillary Clinton, Trump supporters are deplorables. To Ron DeSantis, they are listless vessels. The truth is, Trump supporters are patriots, Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the Trump-aligned PAC Make America Great Again Inc., wrote in a statement. While speaking with The Florida Standard, DeSantis pointed to the difference between his and Trumps supporters and said, So, there will be people who are huge Trump supporters, like in Congress, who have incredibly left-wing records that [are] just really atrocious, without specifying exactly whom he meant. Then you have other people, you know, like a Congressman Chip Roy, who has endorsed me, Congressman Thomas Masie. These guys have records of principle fighting the swamp that are second to none. And yet, they will be attacked by some of these people and called RINOs, DeSantis said. And ultimately a movement cant be about the personality of one individual, he continued. DeSantiss campaign attempted to clarify his comments Sunday, claiming the presidential candidate was referring to Trump and some congressional endorsers. Donald Trump and some congressional endorsers are listless vessels. Why? Because Trump and D.C. insiders feel he is entitled to your vote, DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement shared with The Hill. Ron DeSantis believes your trust should be earned and has the vision, plan and record to beat Joe Biden and reverse the decline of our country, adding the media refuses to report the facts surrounding DeSantiss comments. The back-and-forth barbs between the GOP rivals follow a CBS News poll released Sunday that showed Trump clocking in a whopping 46 point lead over DeSantis, who is considered to be his main rival in the 2024 GOP race. DeSantiss campaign has shown signs of struggle in recent weeks, including the replacement of its campaign manager and a series of layoffs earlier this month. DeSantis is set to take the stage at the first GOP primary debate Wednesday night, which Trump has reportedly decided not to attend. The former president will instead sit for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, The New York Times reported last week. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. John Eastman, the former Chapman University law professor who was indicted along with former president Donald Trump and 17 other co-conspirators by a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury last week, has been allowed to remain free pending trial on $100,000 bail. Judge Scott McAfee on Monday granted Mr Eastmans request for bond, and set an amount of $20,000 on the charge that he allegedly violated Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, with $10,000 bond for each of the remaining eight counts he faces on criminal solicitation, conspiracy, and filing false documents charges. Mr Eastman, who is currently fighting disbarment proceedings in his home state of California, is required to post ten per cent of that amount, or $10,000, and will be mandated to make monthly reports to Fulton Countys pre-trial supervision officials. He was also ordered not to violate the laws of this State, the laws of any other state, the laws of the United States of America, or any other local laws as a condition of his release. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Additionally, Judge McAfee ordered Mr Eastman to perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice, and forbade him from communicating in any way, directly or indirectly, about the facts of this case ... except through his or her counsel with any co-defendant or anyone known to be a witness in the case against him. Harvey Silvergate, an attorney for the disgraced former professor, said in a statement last week that the charges against his client set out activity that is political, but not criminal and opined that Mr Eastman should not have been charged for his role in formulating a plot which former president Donald Trump attempted to implement as a way to remain in office despite losing the 2020 election. John Lee, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Sunday attended the first 2023 Policy Address District Forum to communicate with the public on issues ranging from local transportation, ageing population, to cultural and arts policies. The District Forum was held at Aldrich Bay Government Primary School in Shau Kei Wan and attended by over 100 residents from all walks of life. Lee said the public generally agreed to the governance policy in the 2022 Policy Address, and he hopes to listen to more public views and consolidate the objectives and implementation of different policies, so as to deepen and broaden policies as well as identify priorities. Hong Kong, with favorable opportunities and development momentum, is a place where dreams can be realized, Lee said, adding that the HKSAR government has been constantly working to attract investment and talents, while introducing measures to nurture local talents. On the tourism market, Lee said Hong Kong has introduced many short-term policies because Hong Kong, as a "gourmet city," enjoys advantages such as convenience, freedom and inclusiveness. The 2023 Policy Address will be delivered on Oct. 25, and the HKSAR government will conduct more than 30 consultation sessions to listen to views and suggestions of the Legislative Council members, representatives of various sectors and members of the public. Former President Trump and his 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election case are expected to surrender by Friday of this week. Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis (D) gave the defendants a deadline of Friday at noon to voluntarily surrender after indicting them last week. The sheriffs office said all the defendants, including Trump, are expected to surrender at the Fulton County Jail. The jail has gained a reputation for its poor conditions. The Justice Department opened an investigation into the facility last month over concerns that an individual died there covered in insects and filth. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The sheriffs office has since announced that another inmate, who was being held on a shoplifting charge, died in the jail Thursday. As the deadline approaches, the state judge overseeing the case has approved two defendants bond agreements. John Eastman, an attorney involved in strategizing a scheme to submit false slates of pro-Trump electors, agreed to a $100,000 bond, and Scott Hall, who is charged in connection with an elections office breach, agreed to a $10,000 bond, court filings show. Willis charged the 19 co-defendants in a 41-count indictment last week focused on racketeering charges. It is the fourth set of criminal charges Trump faces. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Facing four criminal indictments as he seeks the Republican nomination for president, Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the prosecutors and judges handling his cases, while his supporters spin volatile rhetoric into threats of political violence. His inflammatory remarks, threats to political rivals and borderline incitement have galvanised his supporters, who echo and amplify his statements and hear his alleged dogwhistles loud and clear. Mr Trump has repeatedly said he is the least racist person, but his statements surrounding the criminal cases against him are seen as some of his most explicit and most desperate racist attacks yet, following decades of bigoted statements. He has labeled the three Black prosecutors handling civil and criminal cases against him animals, criminals and racists. After Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged him and 18 of his allies in a sweeping criminal conspiracy case, the most detailed yet surrounding his attempts to subvert the 2020 presidential election, one that he falsely insists was stolen from him, he lashed out at riggers widely heard as a racist bullhorn. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Riggers has long been used online and on social media platforms as a barely veiled racist slur against Black Democratic officials and voters. Shortly after Mr Trump use of the word, a flood of racist messages and targeted uses of the word filled far-right pro-Trump online forums and platforms. If anything illustrates the depths to which Donald Trump and his supporters have sunk in responding to his racketeering indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, its his reference to those he falsely accuses of voter fraud as riggers, wrote National Urban League president Marc Morial in response to the former presidents statement. Trump has put a dishonest, racist and misogynistic spin on the old legal adage: If the law is against you, pound the facts. If the facts are against you, pound the law. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell, he added. Prosecutors investigating the former president have been bombarded with harassing messages and violent threats, many of which are racist and antisemitic. Hay George Soros a****** puppet, one message to New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, referring to the Jewish philanthropist. If you want President Trump come and get me. Remember we are everywhere and we have guns. Another called him black trash and Aids Infested. Ms Willis received a message calling her the n-word and a Jim Crow Democrat whore, among many of the equally ignorant voice mails coming in both to the county customer service and my office, she said in a message to staff. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing a federal case surrounding Mr Trumps alleged attempts to overturn election results, received a voicemail promising to kill anyone who went after former President Trump and calling her a slave. Ms Chutkan is Black. You are in our sights, we want to kill you, Abigail Jo Shry said, according to federal prosecutors. Trump doesnt get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly, b**** You will be targeted personally, publicly, your family, all of it. Police are also investigating online threats to members of the grand jury in Georgia after the former presidents supporters launched an apparent harassment campaign and posted jurors social media profiles, addresses and phone numbers on a far-right message board known for violence. The former presidents rhetoric is often cited as an example of stochastic terrorism, in which an influential figure targets a person or group that sparks a captive audience to attack them while maintaining a degree of plausible deniability. Civil rights groups and current and former elected officials fear that unchecked calls for political violence from the man expected to receive a major political partys nomination for president are a tipping point for American democracy. The Independent has requested comment from Mr Trumps campaign. Its becoming all too commonplace to see everyday citizens performing necessary functions for our democracy being targeted with violent threats by Trump-supporting extremists, former FBI investigator Daniel J Jones, who founded nonpartisan research group Advance Democracy, said in a statement. The lack of political leadership on the right to denounce these threats which serve to inspire real-world political violence is shameful. Donald Trumps history of thinly veiled racism The former presidents reliance on bigotry to retain his support from white voters is a feature, not a bug, said former White House aide and political commentator Keith Boykin. In their failed efforts to overturn election results in states that Mr Trump lost in 2020, Mr Trump and his allies exclusively challenged counties with large Black and Latino populations while spreading bogus conspiracy theories about corruption and ballot irregularities and singling out two Black election workers. Rudy Giulianis statements about Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss triggered a right-wing media campaign against them, including segments on Fox News, One America News and The Gateway Pundit, which published a story identifying Ms Freeman alongside photos falsely labeling her a crook. Threats from Mr Trumps supporters soon followed. Mr Giuliani, who faces a defamation lawsuit from both women after they experienced life-changing waves of abuse, will not contest that he made false statements about them. On his infamous call with Georgias chief elections official, Mr Trump called Ms Freeman a professional vote scammer and a hustler. The account of Ms Freeman and Ms Moss is now central to the Georgia case implicating Mr Trump, Mr Giuliani and three others in an alleged scheme to pressure the women into going along with their bogus fraud narrative. But it follows a long history of alleged efforts from Mr Trump to bolster his own self interests while undermining Black Americans. In 1973, the US Department of Justice sued Mr Trump and his father for their alleged refusal to rent apartments to Black tenants, with testimony revealing that applications from Black renters were marked with a C for coloured. The Trumps settled the case, acknowledging that they failed and neglected to comply with the Fair Housing Act, but the agreement did not require them to admit to any instances of discrimination. Then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addressed the case during a debate in 2016. Mr Trump said he had settled with no admission of guilt. In 1989, Mr Trump took out a massive full-page newspaper ad demanding that five Black and Latino teenagers wrongly accused of raping a woman in Central Park should be killed. BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE! read the statement in The New York Daily News on 1 May, 1989. I want to hate these murderers and I always will, Mr Trump wrote at the time. I am not looking to psychoanalyze or understand them, I am looking to punish them. Black leaders took out their own ad denouncing Mr Trumps thinly veiled racist polemic The Central Park Five who were sentenced to prison sentences between five and 13 years had their convictions vacated in 2002. The city paid the exonerated men $41m in 2014 to settle a civil rights lawsuit. Mr Trump has since refused to recant his statements or apologise. In June 2019, with renewed attention on the case following the release of When They See Us on Netflix, a reporter asked Mr Trump outside the White House whether he ever would. You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt. If you look at Linda Fairstein and if you look at some of the prosecutors, they think that the city should never have settled that case, Mr Trump said, referring to one of the prosecutors in the case. So well leave it at that. Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump in 2016 (AP) Former Trump employee John ODonnell also alleged a string of racist and antisemitic statements form his former boss in the 1991 book Trumped!: The Inside Story of the Real Donald Trump-His Cunning Rise and Spectacular Fall, in which Mr Trump is accused of calling laziness a trait in Blacks. Ive got Black accountants at Trump Castle and at Trump Plaza. Black guys counting my money! I hate it, Mr ODonnell quoted Mr Trump as saying. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day. The stuff ODonnell wrote about me is probably true, Mr Trump told Playboy Magazine in 1999. The guys a f****** loser. In testimony before members of Congress in 1993, Mr Trump cast doubt on the legitimacy of Native Americans seeking to build casinos in the New York area, suggesting that their skin colour is evidence that they are faking their ancestry. They dont look like Indians to me, and they dont look like Indians to Indians, and a lot of people are laughing at it, said Mr Trump, referring to Mashantucket Pequots who operate Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. The states Hartford-Courant newspaper described Mr Trumps remarks during the hearing as one more grenade in an hourlong assault on Connecticut, Indians and their casinos that one committee chairman said was the most irresponsible testimony he had heard in nearly two decades in Congress. Much of Trumps testimony was unbelievable to the committee and other witnesses, according to the report. Mr Trump made similar inflammatory remarks during a radio interview with Don Imus that same year. I think I might have more Indian blood than a lot of the so-called Indians that are trying to open up the reservations, he said. A complaint from the National Indian Gaming Association with the Federal Communications Commission described his comments as obscene, indecent and profane racial slurs against Native Americans and African Americans. The FCC called his remarks deplorable and offensive. His niece Mary Trump, author of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Worlds Most Dangerous Man, also has accused her uncle of using the n-word and antisemitic slurs. And I dont think that should surprise anybody given how virulently racist he is today, she told MSNBC. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Mr Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen claimed that his longtime client once said that Black people are too stupid to vote for him and called a contestant on The Apprentice a Black f**. Before he was a candidate running to be Barack Obamas successor, Mr Trump elevated the bogus birther conspiracy theory movement accusing the nations first Black president of being born in Kenya. Mr Trump effectively became a spokesperson for the claims, propelling a soft pitch for a run for office while animating right-wing media and Republican politics leveraging racist hate to undermine then-President Obama. Mr Trump ultimately retreated from the lie but has never apologised for it. His remarks on the campaign trail and in the White House similarly pandered to far-right bigotry. He told supporters that Mexico was sending rapists into the US, suggested that a judge should recuse himself from a case solely because that judge was of Mexican heritage, and initiated a ban on entry into the US from majority-Muslim countries as one of his first acts as president. Eight years later, Mr Trump praised anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer. In a meeting with a group of lawmakers in 2018, he reportedly asked why are we having all these people from s***hole countries come here when speaking about immigration from Haiti and African countries, then reportedly suggested the US should welcome more people from Norway instead. He also told a group of Black and brown lawmakers most of whom were born in the US to go back to other countries. He also repeatedly invoked racist fears over racially integrated neighbourhoods, including celebrating his repeal of a fair housing rule to reduce housing disparities in suburbs. I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream, he wrote on Twitter in 2020, that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (REUTERS) At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, racist anti-Asian rhetoric surged after Mr Trump labeled the disease the Chinese virus, a label that quickly took hold among other GOP officials. He would later call it kung flu. When he left the White House, he repeatedly used a racist nickname or some variation of China-loving wife on his Truth Social account to describe Elaine Chao, the first Asian American woman to serve in a presidential cabinet Mr Trumps. His comments join a long list of statements that have fanned the flames of hate, fear and outrage among his supporters who have adopted Mr Trumps grievances, from his depiction of American carnage in his 2017 inaugural address to his ongoing, false narrative that elections are rigged against him and stolen from him. Within a 25-hour period in 2020, he wrote when the looting starts, the shooting starts to describe protests against police violence and promoted a video claiming that the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat. In a dark speech at the foot of Mount Rushmore on the Fourth of July that year, he declared that his political opponents want to end America. In campaign speeches on his path to the 2024 nomination, to applause from his supporters, he has warned his followers that the country will enter World War III if he is not elected, vowing retribution against their political opponents if he is. A growing tolerance for political violence Millions of Americans roughly 4.4 per cent of the nations adult population believe violence is justified to keep Mr Trump in the White House, according to a July report from the University of Chicagos Project on Security & Threats research centre, reaching an alarming conclusion as the US enters 2024 elections. Violent support for the former president surged following his first federal indictment, the report found. Similar studies have charted the widespread support for political violence and embrace of conspiracy theories in the wake of the January 6 attack. A 2022 study published in American Politics Research determined that the former presidents supporters are at least partially driven by racism and xenophobia in their support for political violence. Respondents of a survey who approved of Mr Trump were more likely to agree that racial, religious or other minority groups are too demanding in their push for equal rights and were also more likely to express negative attitudes towards immigrants. The findings strongly suggest that an important component of the relationship between Trump approval and the normalization of political violence is, indeed, hate, the researchers wrote. Mr Trumps supporters are also more likely to believe that racism against white people is a larger problem than racism against Black Americans, according to a July survey from Yahoo News and YouGov. Among voters who supported Mr Trump in 2020, 62 per cent believe that racism against Black Americans is a problem today, but only 19 per cent described racism against Black Americans as a big problem. Twice as many 37 per cent claim that racism against white Americans is a big problem. Trump voters and self-identified Republicans which the report notes are overlapping but not necessarily identical cohorts were the only demographic groups in the survey that are more likely to say racism against white Americans is a problem than to say the same about racism against Black Americans. Overall, 72 per cent of Americans believe racism against Black people is a larger problem than perceived anti-white prejudice. The criminal cases surrounding the 2020 election including a Michigan case targeting the fake elector scheme in that state have underscored the outsized influence that formerly fringe, far-right movements and conspiracy theories often driven by racist grievances have played in American politics. The conspiracy theories that animated an alleged plot to overturn the 2020 election are still driving restrictive voting laws and changes to election administration across the US, a movement that continues to destabilize our election system and increase its vulnerability to sabotage, according to Wendy Weiser, vice president for Democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. Future historians will rely on Fulton Countys case, not the federal governments, for the full story of one of the darkest chapters in American history, Mr Morial said. The meticulous work of Willis and her team is all the more remarkable given the constant abuse and threats of violence, incited by Trump, that his supporters have hurled at them. Former President Trumps decision to sit out this weeks first Republican primary debate is his sharpest rebuke yet of Fox News, the network broadcasting the widely anticipated prime-time television event. Trump, the front-runner for his partys nomination, has agreed instead to participate in an online interview with Tucker Carlson . By sitting down with the firebrand conservative commentator whom Fox pulled off its air earlier this year, he doubly spurns the network. Trumps high-profile snubbing underscores the increasingly frosty relationships among the former president, the leading cable news channel and a top right-wing commentator who is trying to maintain his status as a GOP thought leader ahead of the 2024 election without the Fox platform he used for years to grow his brand. In a social media post late Sunday, Trump confirmed he does not plan to participate in Wednesdays event or any GOP debates, citing his large lead in most primary polls. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, the former president wrote of his decision, which had been rumored for weeks prior. The former presidents confirmation of his intention to skip the debate came just days after a New York Times report revealed Trump agreed to instead sit with Carlson for an interview, a major nod to one of his favorite media figures that is also being widely regarded as an affront to the hosts former network. How to watch the first GOP primary debate As top executives and anchors at Fox in recent weeks lobbied Trump to attend the first debate, the former president has reportedly countered with complaints about the coverage he has been receiving on the network and expressed bewilderment that the conservative media juggernaut had taken Carlson off the air. Carlson was ousted from his prime-time perch at Fox days after it agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to settle defamation claims it made against the network in court. The claims were in connection with the outlets airing of false statements about voter fraud being pushed after the 2020 election by Trump and his allies. In the months before he was ousted by Fox, Carlson sparked bipartisan backlash for his commentary on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, which came as the former president refused to concede defeat, calling the event in one broadcast mostly peaceful chaos. Carlson, who is still under contract with the network, has not spoken publicly about what led to his ouster, but the pundits allies and supporters have argued his firing amounts to an attempt by Fox to suppress his anti-establishment viewpoints a political sentiment shared by many of Trumps supporters. Underscoring the complexity of the Trump-Carlson-Fox dynamic is a trove of internal communications from top Fox hosts, which were made public earlier this year as part of the Dominion litigation. It included communications from Carlson, showing him blasting Trump and throwing cold water on his assertions about voter fraud. I hate him passionately, Carlson wrote of Trump in one message, later expressing exasperation about the claims of voter fraud being put forth by the presidents lawyers and aides on Foxs airwaves. Other messages from Carlson showed the host disparaging female leadership at Fox and using racially divisive language while describing his feelings watching the violence that broke out during Jan. 6 attack. Since being ousted, Carlson has started an online version of his popular prime-time show on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. And while he has published a number of interviews with controversial internet influencers, pop culture figures and political candidates since, Carlson does not command the same type of audience he did nightly while at Fox. The booking of Trump for a segment to publish the day of the debate thus serves as Carlsons most significant get since his forced exit from the cable news business. To be certain, the first GOP debate will be a big news event with or without Trump for Fox, which remains the top-rated outlet on cable thanks to multiple pro-Trump commentators in prime time. And despite his repeated criticisms of the network, Trump has made semi-regular appearances on Fox since Carlson was ousted, the most recent being an extensive sit down with Larry Kudlow, his former Director of the National Economic Council, who is now a host on Fox Business. In a statement issued earlier this month, the network said it looks forward to hosting the first debate of the Republican presidential primary season offering viewers an unmatched opportunity to learn more about the candidates positions on a variety of issues which is essential to the electoral process. Despite Trumps public rebuke of the debate, there remain signs of an effort by the networks leading hosts to convince Trump to change his mind and attend. By skipping the debates, though, Donald Trump may actually be helping Joe Biden, because hes giving Joe Biden an excuse for not debating Donald Trump, said Steve Doocy, a host on Foxs popular morning program, on Monday. Thats one of the things that [Republican National Committee chairwoman] Ronna McDaniel told the former president when she was trying to get him to do the first debate. But he said, Nope, not going to do it. A source familiar with the interview said the sit-down between Trump and Carlson was pre-taped and to expect it to be published Wednesday, though the exact timing remained unclear as of Monday. The Trump/Carlson conversation could create a split-screen media moment of sorts, as the former president attempts to upstage the network he has ridiculed for months and his 2024 GOP competitors all in one fell swoop. Still, political observers and media insiders have for weeks cautioned that Trump has proven unpredictable, and any speculation about how and where he will respond to what is said about him on the debate stage is to be taken with a grain of salt. During an interview with The Hill last week, before reports surfaced of Trumps plans to sit with Carlson, debate moderator and Fox anchor Martha MacCallum, said the Fox debate team is planning for several scenarios. Its something that happens on a daily basis during all of our news coverage and were always keeping an eye on social media during these events, MacCallum said of Trumps frequent posts on Truth Social, some of which have criticized the network directly in recent days. Well have an eye to that certainly. Whether or not anything that is in that world will make it into the actual [debate] conversation, we cant really say at this point. But well see. Brett Samuels contributed. Updated: 8:47 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former President Trump holds a comfortable lead over GOP presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis among likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers, according to a poll released Monday. The NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found that 42 percent of likely Republican caucus attendees in Iowa listed Trump as their first choice, giving the former president a 23-point lead over DeSantis, who was picked by 19 percent. NBC News noted that Trumps lead is widest in a Republican caucus poll since former President George W. Bushs lead in 2000. Republican Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) came in third place with 9 percent support in the new survey, followed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence, who each received 6 percent. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received 5 percent support, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy received 4 percent, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum received 2 percent and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd received 1 percent. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement No other candidate received more than 1 percent support. Trump touted the results in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying he got the Farmers 28 Billion Dollars from China, the USMCA Trade Deal (& many others!), saved Ethanol, Social Security, and MediCare, & got Iowa First In the Nation status. Anyway, Im at 51%, a 31 Point lead over farmer hating DeSanctimonious, with the others gaining on him, but not on me! he added. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage However, the poll also found that Iowa Republicans are still actively considering other candidates besides Trump. Twenty percent of likely GOP caucusgoers listed DeSantis as their second choice, with an additional 22 percent saying they were still actively considering the Florida governor. Fifteen percent said Scott was their second choice, with 29 percent saying they are actively considering the South Carolina Republican. Additionally, 52 percent of likely Republican caucus attendees said they have yet to make up their mind on whom to support and that they could be convinced to support another candidate. The first Republican debate of the 2024 primaries is scheduled for Wednesday. Trump said Sunday he will not attend the debate, citing his sizable lead in national polls as the primary reason. The NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll was conducted Aug. 13-17 among 406 Iowa voters likely to attend the 2024 Republican caucus and has a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points. Updated at 11:47 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The relationship between Donald J. Trump and Hoosier Republicans is, well, complicated. Five days before a grand jury in Georgia increased the number of criminal charges for Trump to 91 felonies from 78, the Indiana GOP U.S. Senate frontrunner Jim Banks doubled down. President Trump endorsed me early in my campaign, and I endorse President Trump as well, and he has my full support, Rep. Banks told a press scrum after his speech, making no mention of former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, one of a dozen challengers to Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination. When Trump ran in the 2016 Indiana presidential primary, his institutional support was former GOP chairman Rex Early and Sullivan County Chairman Bill Springer. Pence was backing U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. RNC committeeman John Hammond III called Trump unfit for the presidency and acknowledged that some GOP flanks were open to a strongman. Allen County Chairman Steve Shine said Trump was a release valve, allowing people to vicariously vent their frustrations. Former congressman Mark Souder said in an October 2015 Howey Politics column, Hes no sheep in wolf clothing. Hes a wolf in wolf clothing. Longtime GOP operative Pete Seat observed in another Howey Politics column, Americans simply love villains and in Donald Trump they have found one. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More: Howey: Indiana is becoming an abortion restriction island Trump's most ardent supporters appeared to be legendary coaches Bobby Knight, Gene Keady and Lou Holtz. And then in the May 2016 Indiana presidential primary, he clinched the nomination, winning 53% of the vote against three other candidates. Pence joined his ticket, bringing with him crucial evangelical support, helping Trump secure the most improbable upset in American history while helping Eric Holcomb defeat John Gregg in the gubernatorial race and Todd Young's Senate race upset of dynastic Democrat Evan Bayh. President Donald J. Trump, left, and Vice President Mike Pence, right, are helped by Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Babot, center, as they cut a cake at The Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) The fledgling administration was formed with some two dozen Hoosiers at cabinet and sub-cabinet level positions and on the White House staff. U.S. Sen. Dan Coats would become director of National Intelligence; Alex Azar would head the sprawling Health & Human Services; Dr. Jerome Adams would be surgeon general; Seema Verma, director of Medicare/Medicaid; Ted McKinney would be under-secretary at the USDA; Kip Tom was named ambassador to the United Nations food program. It was a rollicking four years, with the Trump administration facing the COVID-19 pandemic and an array of controversies resulting in two impeachments. The president would fire Coats by tweet. After losing the 2024 election by more than 7 million votes and 306-223 in the Electoral College, Trump commenced a path that resulted in the Jan. 6 U.S Capitol insurrection and a banana republic-style coup detat that would ultimately be thwarted by Republicans, including Mike Pence. As the smoke cleared from the Capitol insurrection, Hoosiers serving in the Trump administration began to bail. Pence said in March at the Reagan Library, President Trump was wrong. I had no right to overturn the election. What happened that day was a disgrace. More: Op-Ed: 'Securitization' leads to bill credit for CenterPoint customers Verma said she was repulsed by the Jan. 6 mob. Azar resigned, citing in his letter to Trump, The attacks on the Capitol were an assault on our democracy and on the tradition of peaceful transitions of power. Dr. Adams cited the Trump hangover. Asked by The New York Times earlier this year if renominating Trump would be a mistake, John Hammond said, We cant be a cult of personality any longer. Coats, writing a New York Times op-ed in October 2020, said, "The most urgent task American leaders face is to ensure that the elections results are accepted as legitimate. Electoral legitimacy is the essential linchpin of our entire political culture." Recently, U.S. Sen. Todd Young told Republicans that Trump was poised to lose the 2024 election if nominated for a third time, suggesting to the IndyStar, Someone who can actually win come next November. But not all have bailed. In addition to Banks, the gubernatorial field rallied to Trump. U.S. Sen. Mike Braun called the Georgia indictments "another attempt by President Biden and his partys prosecutors to put their leading political rival behind bars and interfere with the 2024 presidential election." Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch told the NWI Times that DOJ was in a war on conservatives that continues unabated and without shame. Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden said the charges "degrade our entire election process." These candidates fear alienating the Trump base. In Georgia, two Republicans Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger both refused to go along with Trump's scheme to subvert the will of voters in 2020-21. They were appalled at Trumps 2020 actions that lost two GOP Senate seats and the majority. Both earned Trump's wrath. And both were reelected in 2022 by landslide margins. Kemp said last week, The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen. For nearly three years now, anyone with evidence of fraud has failed to come forward under oath and prove anything in a court of law. Our elections in Georgia are secure, accessible, and fair and will continue to be as long as I am governor. The future of our country is at stake in 2024 and that must be our focus. And Raffensperger tweeted, The most basic principles of a strong democracy are accountability and respect for the Constitution and rule of law. You either have it, or you dont. Brian Howey is senior writer and columnist for Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs. Find Howey on Facebook and Twitter @hwypol. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Howey: Trump and Hoosier Republicans? Well, its complicated Copyright 2023, Des Moines Register and Tribune Co. Donald Trump holds a commanding lead over the rest of the 2024 Republican presidential field in Iowa and a more than 2-to-1 lead over his closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with about five months to Caucus Day, a new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. The poll of Iowas likely Republican caucusgoers comes as the former president grapples with the fallout of a fourth criminal indictment and a pack of other top contenders prepares to gather for a high-stakes GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Among those likely caucusgoers, 42% say they plan to support Trump a lead of 23 percentage points over DeSantis, who is at 19%. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina follows in third place with 9%. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence tie at 6%, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is at 5% and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy follows with 4%. The poll finds many indicators of Trumps strength, but the race is not settled and may be closer than it may first seem, said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., the firm that conducted the poll. More: See where presidential candidates are campaigning in Iowa Sixty-three percent of likely GOP caucusgoers say they support Trump as their first or second choice in the caucuses or are actively considering him. That footprint is on par with the 61% who say the same for DeSantis. Plenty could shift by Caucus Day on Jan. 15. A majority, or 52%, of likely GOP caucusgoers have a first choice for president and say they could still be persuaded to support a different candidate, while 40% say their minds are made up. Seven percent do not have a first-choice candidate. In addition, just 7% of poll respondents say they are considering only one candidate for president. Seventeen percent say they are considering two candidates; 19% say three; and 55%, four or more. The poll of 406 likely Republican caucusgoers was conducted Aug. 13-17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. It is the Iowas Polls first test of the field of 14 Republican candidates vying for their partys chance to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in 2024. In addition to the top contenders, seven other candidates are polling at 2% or lower. They include North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is at 2%, and former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, who has 1%. Businessman Ryan Binkley, conservative radio host Larry Elder, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, businessman Perry Johnson and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez all register below 1%. As they think about which candidate to support, 65% of poll respondents say its most important to find a candidate who comes closest to their own views on issues, while 29% say its most important to pick a candidate who has the best chance of defeating Biden. Donald Trumps legal challenges may be helping him in Iowa Even as Trump faces mounting legal troubles, his support appears only to grow. A grand jury in Georgia indicted Trump Aug. 15 for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election there. The Iowa Poll, which was conducted Aug. 13-17, showed greater support for Trump in the days after the indictment was unveiled. In the days before the indictment, Trump led DeSantis 38% to 20%. In the days after, his lead grew to 43% over DeSantis 18%. Trumps Iowa footprint, combining his first-choice support, second choice and those actively considering him, also increased 12 percentage points after the Georgia indictment was announced from 55% to 67%. Donald Trump leads, but Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott have room to grow Although Trump leads overall, the poll measures candidates full footprint of support in Iowa, where caucusgoers are known for considering many candidates before slowly zeroing in on one person by Caucus Day. The footprint adds together those who say the candidate is their first choice for president, those who say the candidate is their second choice and those who are actively considering supporting the candidate.By that measure, about as many likely GOP caucusgoers are considering DeSantis as are considering Trump. Trumps Iowa footprint includes the 42% who say he is their first choice for president, 10% who say he is their second choice and 12% who say they are actively considering him. Thats 63%, or nearly two-thirds of likely Republican caucusgoers, who are considering caucusing for Trump. DeSantis support includes the 19% who name him as their first choice, 20% who say he is their second choice and 22% who say they are actively considering him totaling 61%. Scott is the only other candidate whose Iowa footprint tops 50%. In addition to the 9% who say Scott is their first choice for president, 15% say he is their second choice and 29% say they are actively considering him. That gives him an Iowa footprint of 53%. Haleys Iowa footprint totals 40%, Ramaswamys is 34% and Pences is 31%. Selzer said other candidates have the opportunity to gain on Trump and turn people who are actively considering them into firm supporters, but theres a lot of work to be done. GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox during day three of the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Des Moines. Trumps support is more firmly locked in than DeSantis; 66% of those who name Trump as their first choice say their minds are made up, while 34% say they could be persuaded to support someone else. For DeSantis, its nearly the inverse, with 31% who say their minds are made up and 69% who could be persuaded. More: Donald Trump, at Iowa fair, woos crowds, rebuffs 'wise guy' question on taking plea deal Trump also leads DeSantis among self-identified Republicans, the core of caucusgoers, 51% to 20%. Among those who say they will be attending their first caucus in January, Trump leads the Florida governor 47% to 18%. And among evangelicals, an influential group in Iowa thats often key to a caucus win, Trump leads with 47% who say he is their first choice for president. Hes followed by DeSantis, who gets 20% of evangelicals and Scott who gets 7%. Phil Marchand, a 42-year-old Sergeant Bluffs resident and poll respondent, said he caucused for Trump ahead of the 2016 election and has been on the Trump train ever since. Marchand is steadfast in his support for Trump in the current election cycle. He said he considered other Republican candidates, including DeSantis and Scott, but ultimately decided to caucus again for the former president come January. The more time I spend listening to DeSantis and the more I listen to the things Trump is saying, the more I think that it has to be (Trump). It cant be anyone else, he said. More: Trump is wrestling with 5 big legal cases. Here's how they may collide with the campaign calendar. Marchand said he appreciates Trumps America first approach to foreign policy and his efforts to grow the economy and jobs. If Trump does not receive the Republican nomination, Marchand said he would likely register as an independent and vote for a third-party candidate. Independent caucusgoers could be the way in for Trump challengers Among independents, Trump and DeSantis are nearly evenly split, with 21% supporting Trump as their first choice and 19% supporting DeSantis. Another 13% of independents support Scott, 12% support Christie, 10% support Haley and 6% each support Pence and Ramaswamy. No other candidate tops 5% with independents. Self-identified independents who say they will likely caucus with Republicans make up 25% of the polls respondents. To me, that's a little bit of something to be paying attention to, Selzer said. Because we've seen this happen in the past. A non-Trump candidate could say, 'I've got to get people to come to the caucus who are outside of the GOP base. So, if a candidate can grow the people who are coming to the caucuses, that is the way in, because Trump is strong with that base. Brian Alstrom, a 48-year-old independent voter and poll respondent, said he would consider caucusing in January if it looks like some of the candidates opposing Trump have a chance. I did vote for him both times because it was the lesser of two evils, Alstrom said of Trumps 2016 and 2020 campaigns. But it was hard to even listen to him speak. Im just done with him. Hopefully I dont have to vote for him again, because Im not going to vote for Joe Biden. Alstrom, who is a Dorchester resident, said hes soured on Trumps personal approach to managing conflicts and his combative attitude. He said DeSantis is his top choice for president, followed by Scott. In DeSantis, Alstrom sees an appealing candidate with a common sense approach to issues that are important to him, such as the economy and national security. Florida speaks for itself in how successful theyve been, he said. ... Id love to see that transfer to the rest of our country. Donald Trump has never been viewed favorably by more Iowa Republican caucusgoers Since his presidency ended and as he has mounted a third campaign for the White House, Trump has been criminally indicted four times, has attacked Kim Reynolds, Iowas popular Republican governor, and has held relatively few campaign events in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. And yet, Trump has never been viewed favorably by more of Iowas likely Republican caucusgoers than he is now, the Iowa Poll shows. In August 2015, Trump was viewed favorably by 61% and unfavorably by 35% his best showing among likely GOP caucusgoers during the 2016 caucus cycle. Trump went on to finish second in Iowas Republican caucuses behind U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. More: Candidates try to clear GOP debate fundraising hurdles. Is it changing their Iowa strategy? Now, Trump is viewed favorably by 65%. That includes 42% who view him very favorably the best showing of any of the 2024 candidates. Another 33% view him unfavorably, and 2% are not sure. Trumps best showing is among self-identified Republicans, with 77% viewing him favorably and 21% viewing him unfavorably. He also does well with those who make less than $70,000 a year (74% favorable, 25% unfavorable) and among evangelicals (74% favorable, 25% unfavorable). DeSantis overall favorability numbers are about on par with Trumps. The Florida governor is viewed favorably by 66% of likely GOP caucusgoers and unfavorably by 29%. Another 5% are not sure. Among self-identified Republicans, DeSantis is viewed favorably by 74% and unfavorably by 21% numbers that are about equal to Trumps. More: Republican presidential candidates woo Iowa's pivotal evangelicals to pry them away from Trump Poll respondent Rick Williams, a 72-year-old Holstein resident and self-identified Republican, said he considers himself a Trump supporter and believes the former president is being unfairly targeted in the series of criminal indictments that have been unveiled this year. Still, he plans to support someone else in the caucuses. Right now, he prefers DeSantis. Trump supporters are going to support him no matter what if he's the nominee, Williams said. But we need the independents. We can't win with just us. We've got to get the independents, and I don't know if he can swing them. The Florida governor has higher favorability ratings with independents than Trump: 52% view him favorably, and 43% view him unfavorably. More: Mike Pence is asking Iowans to choose him for president. Some say Jan. 6 is 'holding him back' For Trump, its the inverse: 44% of independents view him favorably, while a majority, 53%, view him unfavorably. Williams, a semi-retired paramedic, said Scott is currently his second-choice candidate. Scott is viewed favorably by 59% and unfavorably by 17%. But a higher percentage 24% are unsure, indicating they dont know enough about him to say one way or the other. Genevieve Hefel, a 63-year-old Dubuque resident and poll respondent, said she voted for Trump in the 2020 election but has felt her support for the former president wane. Because of the recent indictments, Hefel, a retired Army sergeant, said she believes theres too much noise around Trump for him to be able to defeat a Democratic opponent in the general election. Hefel said shes still considering other Republican contenders in the race, but shes drawn to Scotts positive message and Christian beliefs and plans to caucus for him. He's able to carry on a conversation to get his point across without having to be ignorant or raise his voice, Hefel said, reflecting on an interview she saw Scott give recently. He handled it very professionally and calmly, and I thought he made very good points. Scott does best with those age 55 and older, with 70% viewing him favorably and 16% viewing him unfavorably. Haley is viewed favorably by 53% and unfavorably by 26%. Another 21% are not sure. GOP presidential candidate Mike Pence speaks at the Des Moines Register political soapbox during the Iowa State Fair, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. Mike Pence, Chris Christie among those with highest unfavorable ratings Seven candidates are underwater, meaning more likely Republican caucusgoers view them unfavorably than favorably. They include Binkley (12% favorable, 21% unfavorable), Hurd (13%-22%), Hutchinson (20%-32%), Johnson (18%-22%) and Suarez (12%-23%). Pence is viewed favorably by 42% and unfavorably by 53%, with 5% who arent sure. Even though hes underwater, a plurality 33% say they have a mostly favorable view of the former vice president. But he holds no advantage with evangelicals, despite his efforts to highlight his own faith and connect with Iowas religious conservatives: 43% view him favorably and 51% view him unfavorably numbers that mirror his overall favorability numbers. Among all the candidates, Christie is viewed unfavorably by the greatest share of poll respondents, with 60% saying they view him unfavorably, including 31% who view him very unfavorably. Another 28% say they view him favorably and 12% say theyre not sure. Republican presidential candidate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie addresses a gathering during a campaign event at V.F.W. Post 1631, Monday, July 24, 2023, in Concord, N.H. No 2024 presidential candidate performs better than Iowas own Republican elected officials. Reynolds commands the highest numbers, with 81% viewing her favorably (including 50% who view her very favorably), 18% who view her unfavorably and 1% who are not sure. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is viewed favorably by 73%, unfavorably by 22%, and 5% are not sure. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is viewed favorably by 72%, unfavorably by 24%, and 4% are not sure. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR. Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm. About the Iowa Poll The Iowa Poll, conducted Aug. 13-17, 2023, for The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 406 registered voters in Iowa who say they will definitely or probably attend the 2024 Republican caucuses. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted 2,953 randomly selected voters from the Iowa secretary of states voter registration list by telephone. The sample was supplemented with additional phone number lookups. Interviews were administered in English. Responses for all contacts were adjusted by age, sex and congressional district to reflect their proportions among voters in the list. Questions based on the sample of 406 voters likely to attend the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondents such as by gender or age have a larger margin of error. Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom is prohibited. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Trump leads GOP field in Iowa at 42% with DeSantis at 19%: Iowa Poll Georgia election interference Key players: Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, lawyer John Eastman Trump bond set at $200,000 Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set the amount of former President Donald Trumps bail in the Georgia election interference case at $200,000 on Monday, USA Today reported. Trump and 18 others have been charged with multiple crimes stemming from their attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and McAfee affixed a dollar amount to each charge to determine Trumps bond amount. Violation of Georgias Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the most serious charge, carries a bond of $80,000. Bond for the 12 other charges in the case were set at $10,000 each, bringing the grand total to $200,000. Trump plans to turn himself in for booking Thursday at the Fulton County Jail, CNN reported. Trump needs to pay only $20,000 of that amount to remain free on bond, according to the agreement reached by McAfee and Trumps lawyers. Trump also agreed to refrain from intimidating witnesses in the case, USA Today reported. If he fails to abide by those terms, he could be jailed. Lawyer Eastman, who was also indicted in the case, has had his bail set at $100,000 in the case. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Why it matters: While Trumps financial assets all but guarantee his ability to pay a much higher bail amount, the failure to do so would result in Trump being jailed prior to the trial. Classified documents Key players: Former Vice President Mike Pence, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows Pence and Meadows undercut Trump documents defense Defending the discovery of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home and country club following an Aug. 8, 2020, search conducted by the FBI, Trump has insisted that he declassified everything when leaving the White House. But Pence said in a Sunday interview with ABC News that he had no recollection of Trump ever having done so. Its just not something that I ever heard about, Pence said. Meadows also told special counsel Jack Smiths team that he did not recall any such order, ABC News reported Sunday. Why it matters: If two of the leading figures in the Trump administration concur that they were unaware of a blanket declassification order from their former boss, it will be hard for Trumps lawyers to make that argument in court. E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit Key players: E. Jean Carroll, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan The appeal itself is frivolous In a stern rebuke to Trump and his lawyers on Friday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan denied an appeal of his decision to allow a second civil defamation lawsuit brought against Trump by writer E. Jean Carroll to go forward, Reuters reported. "Mr. Trump has not provided a single reason for the court to find that there is any likelihood that he will succeed on appeal," Kaplan wrote. "This court certifies that the appeal itself is frivolous." Why it matters: While Trumps lawyers will be busy defending him in court in the coming year in four criminal cases, civil cases against the former president will also be moving forward. In those, he faces no potential jail time, but as the $5 million awarded to Carroll which was upheld by a judge in July shows, they carry potential financial and public relations risks. Read more: The New Republic: Mike Pence and Mark Meadows just ruined Trumps defense in the documents case CNN: Trump proposes April 2026 trial in federal election subversion case USA Today: Trumps former lawyer was indicted in Georgia. She wants his defense fund to pay her legal fees. The Hill: Eastman agrees to $100K bond in Georgia election case Cover photo Illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images, Getty Images (3) Former president Donald Trump on Sunday said he doesnt need to participate in any debates as he seeks his partys nomination for next years presidential election, as nearly a dozen of his Republican primary rivals prepare to square off on Wednesday. Writing on his own social media platform, Mr Trump said the US electorate knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had. He added: I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES! However, at least one of Mr Trumps children will be present at the debate. Donald Trump Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle will be in attendance, according to The Daily Caller. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Were excited to see all of our friends in Milwaukee on Wednesday in support of President Trump. Were confident that in 2024, GOP voters will reject the RINO establishment and re-nominate President Trump in a landslide, they told the outlet. Mr Trump has often mused about skipping the debates, citing his overwhelming lead among the Republican primary voters who will decide whether he appears on the ballot against President Joe Biden in November 2024. In a June interview with Fox News, the ex-president asked why hed allow people at one per cent or two per cent and zero per cent to be hitting [him] with questions all night when pressed on whether hed attend the Milwaukee debate by Fox anchor Bret Baier, who is set to co-moderate the Fox-sponsored programme. At least eight candidates have met a Republican National Committee polling and fundraising threshold for participation in the debate: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, ex-Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, ex-South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The twice-impeached, quadruply indicted former chief executive, who easily met the GOP criteria to participate, has a history of skipping out on debate sessions when he does not feel he will be penalised by voters. In 2020, he backed out of his second general election debate with Mr Biden after the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates decided the event would be a virtual one because hed attended a prior debate after contracting Covid-19 and kept his diagnosis secret. Four years earlier, he refused to participate in another Fox-sponsored debate amid a feud with then-anchor Megyn Kelly, instead choosing to host a rally that he billed as a fundraiser for veterans. Mr Trump, who has frequently railed against the right-wing network since its analysts correctly predicted that he would lose Arizonas electoral votes during the 2020 election, and more recently amid the network hosting frequent appearances by many of his primary rivals, is reportedly set to counterprogramme the Fox debate with a pre-taped interview with Tucker Carlson, the right-wing former Fox host who was fired from the network earlier this year. Asked about the ex-presidents plans for Wednesday evening, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung replied: We cannot confirm or deny stay tuned. One of Mr Trumps primary opponents, ex-New Jersey governor and former ally to the ex-president Chris Christie, has called him a coward and has said he lacks the guts to show up at a debate. At the same time, DeSantis-backing Super PAC Never Back Down has released an advertisement that states Republicans cant afford a nominee who is too weak to debate, though the ad does not attack Mr Trump directly. The ex-president has also thus far refused to sign a Republican National Committee pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee. The pledge states: I affirm that if I do not win the 2024 Republican nomination of President of the United States, I will honor the will of the primary voters and support the nominee in order to save our country and beat Joe Biden. With additional reporting by agencies (Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will skip primary debates against other Republican presidential candidates, citing a new poll showing him with a wide lead over his rivals for the GOP nomination. Most Read from Bloomberg The post on Trumps Truth Social platform came days before the partys first presidential debate in Milwaukee and ended weeks of speculation over whether he would take part. His announcement signals that hes already turning his attention to a possible matchup against President Joe Biden in the general election. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Trump pointed to a CBS News survey published Sunday, saying it has me leading the field by legendary numbers. He went on to deride his opponents, notably Florida Governor Ron DeSantis , for trailing in the polls and touted his presidential achievements, before adding in all-caps that he will therefore not be doing the debates! In his Truth Social post, Trump didnt say what he would be doing at the time of the debate, scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 23. The former president is expected to feature in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that may overlap with the event, though a spokesperson said Friday that plans hadnt been finalized. An interview with Carlson, who exited Fox News earlier this year, would be a snub to the network, which is hosting Wednesdays debate. Trump has criticized the network in recent days for its coverage of his campaign. Trump has skipped several events in early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire that are considered important to wooing party activists and giving candidates equal billing. He wasnt invited to an event in Atlanta this weekend hosted by radio host Erick Erickson that drew six other candidates including DeSantis. While Trump wont be on the debate stage Wednesday, he intends to have allies present in the audience in Milwaukee. His team has pressed several high-profile supporters to attend on his behalf, Representative Byron Donalds said in an interview. Trumps decision to avoid the primary debates increases pressure on his GOP rivals to alter their campaign strategies. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, in particular, has made targeting Trump a centerpiece of his White House bid and had relished the prospect of debating him. Hes a coward, Christie told reporters in Atlanta on Saturday, as it appeared increasingly likely that Trump wouldnt appear. Do you not owe it to the voters to stand up there and allow them to compare you to the rest of the people running? While Trump has taken umbrage with the idea of sharing a stage with unfriendly candidates polling in the single digits, he has also said he wouldnt sign a pledge from the RNC that is a requirement to qualify for the debates. The Beat Biden pledge instructs candidates to respect the Republican nominee and not run as a third party candidate. --With assistance from Susanne Barton. (Adds detail and background throughout.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A performance is staged at the Grape Valley scenic area in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] A group of diplomats from nine countries, including Fiji, Mongolia and the Seychelles, visited northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Monday to Saturday to discover the beauty of this stunning part of China. In the six days, they visited several iconic sites in Xinjiang, including the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, the world heritage site of Tianchi Lake, the Grape Valley in Turpan, and the ancient city of Kashgar. Xinjiang is a wonderous place with majestic scenery, friendly residents, and fully protected traditional culture, and it is worth being recommended to the whole world, the diplomats said. Majestic scenery Crystal Gale P. Dampil, a diplomat of the Philippines in China, said this was her first trip to Xinjiang, and she grew excited about her tour as she looked out of the airplane window at the beautiful scenery below. Anne Lafortune, ambassador of Seychelles to China, said Tianchi Lake is one of the most beautiful places she has ever seen, and she will happily act as an 'ambassador' for Xinjiang, recommending it to her friends. Lafortune said she looks forward to more exchanges between the two countries in the future so that more tourists from Seychelles will visit Xinjiang. Lafortune was also deeply impressed by the fruit grown in Xinjiang. She said she has never had such sweet fruit, and it will surely be one of the enduring memories of her life. While visiting the ancient city of Kashgar, Tuvshin Badral, Mongolia's ambassador to China, joined in experiencing the making of nang, a kind flatbread typical of the region. He said that Xinjiang's food is varied and tastes great, adding that he hopes the two countries will have more food and cultural exchanges in the future. Friendly people While visiting Turpan, Ben Yacoub Adel, a counselor with the Tunisian Embassy in China, said he could feel the optimism and friendliness of the people of Xinjiang, both in their homes and in the streets. In the ancient city of Kashgar, Luis Lopez, an Ecuadorian diplomat in China, was invited to dance with a young boy by the roadside. Their dancing attracted many tourists, who gathered around and took photos. Lopez said that the people in Kashgar are full of energy and their dancing is very distinctive. He said he could see many fine qualities of Chinese culture in the peaceful and happy lives of the local people of all ethnic groups. Wherever the group went in Xinjiang, they were warmly welcomed by local residents, said Jong Hyon U, a minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Embassy in China. Fully protected culture The delegation also visited the Xinjiang Museum, which boasts a collection of precious artifacts unearthed in Xinjiang. The artifacts capture the precious moments of history and the museum has preserved them well, said Manasa R. Tagicakibau, Fiji's ambassador to China. While visiting a Buddhist grottoes site in Turpan, the group hailed China's efforts on protecting cultural heritage. Tuvshin Badral of Mongolia said the grottoes, built a thousand years ago, are milestones of history, incorporating religions and cultures, and China's experience in the preservation of cultural relics is worth learning from. The delegation also visited a village known for making ethnic musical instruments for over 150 years. Keri Abrams, a diplomat of Guyana in China, said she truly felt the charm of intangible cultural heritage as she watched the traditional cultural program performed with unique Chinese instruments. China's efforts on protecting and developing cultures deserve praise, she said. Thanks to the Chinese government's inheritance and protection of intangible cultural heritage, the traditional music and the exquisite instruments have been well preserved, said Manasa R. Tagicakibau of Fiji, adding that he hopes this valuable experience will be used as a point of reference around the world. Former U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would skip the upcoming Republican primary debates, citing his large lead in opinion polls as evidence that he was already well-known and liked by voters ahead of the 2024 election. Trump has for months suggested he would likely pass on Wednesday night's debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, arguing that it did not make sense to give his Republican rivals a chance to attack him given his sizeable lead in national polls. On Sunday, a CBS poll showed he was the preferred candidate for 62% of Republican voters, with his closest rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 16%. All other candidates in the primary race had less than 10% support. "The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had," Trump said on his social media app, Truth Social. "I will therefore not be doing the debates." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a question asking if the former president meant he won't be taking part in any of the Republican debates. The New York Times reported that Trump sat for a taped interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that was expected to be posted online on Wednesday. It was not yet clear where the interview with Carlson will be posted. Trump's absence from this week's debate could mean DeSantis will become the focus of attacks from other candidates looking to position themselves as the primary alternative to the former president. The winner of the Republican nominating fight will take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 2024 election. DeSantis campaign spokesperson Andrew Romeo said the Florida governor was looking forward to being in Milwaukee to share his vision for a possible presidency. "No one is entitled to this nomination, including Donald Trump. You have to show up and earn it," Romeo said on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll released this month, Trump held 47% of the Republican vote nationally, with DeSantis dropping six percentage points from July down to just 13%. None of the other candidates due to attend the debate have broken out of single digits. Trump has a Friday deadline to voluntarily surrender in Fulton County, Georgia, after being charged last week in a fourth criminal indictment, for an alleged scheme intended to reverse his 2020 election loss to Biden. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Additional reporting by Nathan Layne and James Oliphant; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Diane Craft) The first Republican presidential debate is scheduled for August 23, 2023, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. T rump, who currently holds a sizable lead over the rest of the GOP field, said he will not be in attendance. Without Trump at the debate, seven other candidates are set to make their cases for the White House. It wasn't a huge surprise when former President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would not participate in the first GOP presidential debate in the lead-up to the 2024 primaries and caucuses. Trump, in spite of myriad criminal indictments in multiple jurisdictions, has in recent weeks fortified his national lead among likely Republican voters and retains a major edge over Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who was long seen as the ex-president's biggest impediment to the nomination but has so far been unable to change the dynamics of the race. Even though Trump who said in a Sunday Truth Social post that the electorate already "knows who I am" won't be onstage to tussle with his fellow candidates, his enduring influence within the party will still be present. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Here's a look at how the debate is coming together, as the GOP candidates had to meet a set of criteria to even appear onstage. With Trump so far ahead, the candidates will be fighting to make their best impressions in front of voters who at the moment largely want the former president back in the White House. When is the debate, and how can I watch it? Wednesday, August 23 at 9 p.m. ET. It will be aired on all Fox News-affiliated channels and streaming on Fox Nation. How do the candidates qualify? In order to appear onstage at the first debate in Milwaukee, candidates have to secure at least 40,000 individual contributors, with an added stipulation of at least 200 donors each from 20 states. The contenders must also have been able to meet a 1% polling threshold in at least three qualifying national polls, or in two polls from two of the early-voting states which includes Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. And each of the contenders must all take a loyalty pledge and commit to backing the Republican presidential nominee even if they aren't the respective nominee. Trump previously said he'd refuse to sign such a loyalty pledge as he said there were several candidates he simply couldn't support. Who has qualified for the debate? So far, DeSantis and Ramaswamy have qualified for the event, along with former Vice President Mike Pence , Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, and former Govs. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Nikki Haley of South Carolina. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez late last week said that he had also qualified for the debate, but the Republican National Committee has yet to verify that he has met the benchmarks. And on Sunday, former Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas announced that he had too qualified for the debate. In the FiveThirtyEight average of national GOP presidential polls, Trump currently sits at 54.4%, well ahead of the second- and third-place contenders, DeSantis (averaging 14.9% support) and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (averaging 7.9% support). No other candidate averages more than 6% support among likely voters. Former President Donald Trump. Scott Eisen/Getty Images How are the candidates looking to dethrone Trump? DeSantis and his campaign have gone through several shakeups over the past few months, laying off dozens of staffers in an attempt to recover lost ground after a series of self-inflicted missteps including when its "war room" Twitter account shared a clearly anti-LGBT video or when a campaign staffer shared a video in support of the campaign that included a pro-Nazi symbol. According to a debate strategy memo released by a firm close to a pro-DeSantis super PAC, DeSantis has been advised to "take a sledgehammer" to Ramaswamy and defend Trump whenever attacked by Christie. Ramaswamy, who's slowly gained a following by trying to fight back against "woke" culture, plans to do little preparation for the debate, according to The Daily Beast, other than foreign policy briefings as he doesn't want to come off as "too overly prepared and polished." Pence, after staying relatively quiet about Trump in the few years after exiting the White House, has taken a more direct stand against him in recent months after he declared for the presidential election, going as far as saying that Trump "should never be president of the United States again." Bringing in an average of 4.9% support in national polls, Pence also has extensive debate training under his belt already stemming from the 2016 and 2020 vice presidential debates. Burgum, a longshot candidate who's spent millions of his own dollars on his own campaign, previously made headlines for his ploy to get enough donations from individual contributors by sending $20 gift cards to anybody who donated $1. And while other candidates mocked him for it, the plan worked. In an interview with Politico, Burgum said that he lacks the name recognition that most other candidates in the race possess. He said that on the debate stage Wednesday, he wants people to learn who he is: A "small town guy" who started a billion-dollar business that now employs 2,000 team members from across North Dakota. Haley has criticized both Democrats and Republicans over government spending. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Haley, who has sought to use her experience as an executive and as the UN ambassador to show voters her bona fides in taking bold positions both in the Palmetto State and on the world stage. As the only woman in the race, she has highlighted obstacles that she has faced in the past while also remarking that gender would not be a focal point of her candidacy. When she entered the primary, many expected her rise in the polls, as she had a lot of room to grow among GOP primary voters. But so far, she has not had a lot of traction, having seen Scott, a fellow South Carolinian, garner more attention in recent months. In recent weeks, Haley has also gone after Ramaswamy, having recently accused him of turning his back on Israel after he questioned the level of US financial support given to the country. Scott has become a frequent presence in Iowa and New Hampshire, and he has been warmly received by many Republicans who like his profile, even if they are inclined to once again back Trump. The senator has projected a sunny conservative message at his campaign stops, as he asks voters to consider his candidacy as one grounded in hope and opportunity. But Scott has so far largely remained above the political fray, except for his criticism of DeSantis over the Florida governor's support of new standards regarding the teaching of slavery in schools. Hutchinson has also sought to offer a positive message and has urged the party to move on from Trump. Christie, once a close ally of Trump, has consistently been the fiercest critic of the former president in the GOP race. The former New Jersey governor has promoted his candidacy of that of stability and integrity, having railed against Trump's conduct on everything from the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and his handling of classified documents to his foreign policy views and his indictments. Christie is sure to continue hammering Trump, even though the former president won't physically be in the room. Suarez, should he make it onstage, will likely just focus on boosting his profile to GOP voters beyond South Florida. Read the original article on Business Insider Trump is currently facing 91 felony charges in four different cases. Before 2019, he would've lost his right to vote if he was convicted on any of those charges. Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 to change that and DeSantis opposed it. Former President Donald Trump is facing 91 felony charges across several different criminal cases in multiple different jurisdictions. Trump's 91 felony charges include: 34 state charges in New York for falsifying business records in connection with the Stormy Daniels hush money payments. 40 federal charges in the Southern District of Florida for violating the Espionage Act, obstructing justice, and other charges related to his mishandling of classified documents. 4 federal charges in the District of Columbia for his attempts of overturn the 2020 election. 13 state charges in Georgia for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election in that state. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Until recently, he would have indefinitely lost his right to vote in Florida if he were convicted of even one of those charges. It would've then been up to the governor of Florida a position currently held by one of his chief rivals, Ron DeSantis to grant Trump clemency after he'd completed his sentence. But that's no longer the case thanks to the efforts of voting rights activists in the state. In 2018, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 4, which restored the right to vote for approximately 1.5 million convicted felons in the state. Before that, Florida was just one of a handful of states that permanently disenfranchised all felons. The new law took effect in early 2019. That effort was supported by Democrats in Florida, as well as a broad coalition that included the American Civil Liberties Union and even the conservative Koch Brothers. But DeSantis opposed the measure, which passed during the same election where he was narrowly elected governor. "I think it's wrong to automatically restore rights to felons who've committed very serious crimes," DeSantis said during a televised debate in 2018. "I want people to be redeemed. But you've got to prove that you're getting back with the law." But while Trump won't face permanent disenfranchisement, his right to vote would still likely be restricted albeit temporarily if he's convicted on any felony counts. That's because Florida, like the vast majority of other states, still prevents convicted felons from voting until after they've completed their sentences. That could include prison time, making voting rights the least of Trump's worries. Additionally, DeSantis and Republican state legislators later made it harder for felons to regain their voting rights, including by requiring felons to repay outstanding court debts before their rights can be restored and by aggressively enforcing the law through arrests. Florida also notably still does not automatically restore the voting rights of those convicting of murder or felony sexual assault. And despite facing temporary disenfranchisement, Trump could continue to mount a presidential campaign from prison, as there are no laws barring convicted felons from receiving votes. Read the original article on Business Insider Trump's $200,000 bond in his Georgia RICO case is the first time he's on the hook for cash in his criminal cases Donald Trump was given a $200,000 bond in his Georgia RICO case. It's the first time in four criminal cases that he's required to post cash to secure his return. The bond order explicitly forbids him from intimidating witnesses and co-defendants on social media. Former President Donald Trump was granted a $200,000 bond ahead of his arraignment on his Georgia indictment, according to a Monday court filing. It's the first time, out of four criminal cases, that he's being required to post bond to secure his court appearances. The terms of the bond were negotiated between his legal team, led by Atlanta-based attorney Drew Findling, and prosecutors in the Fulton County District Attorney's office. The date for his arraignment hasn't yet been publicly scheduled, but District Attorney Fani Willis has said she expects Trump and his 18 co-defendants to surrender to authorities by August 25. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Willis accused Trump, his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorney Rudy Giuliani, and other top aides of operating a racketeering enterprise that sought to illegally overturn the 2020 election results. The indictment, brought under Georgia's RICO statute, also includes a group of fake electors as defendants. Trump was personally charged with 13 different counts. The RICO charge against Trump carries the highest bond amount, at $80,000. Bond was set at $10,000 for each of the other counts. The bond order, issued by Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, requires Trump to personally appear in court at the judge's discretion and forbids him from intimidating and making threats against other defendants, potential witnesses, victims, and the local community. The order explicitly states that the order includes "posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media." McAfee also banned Trump from communicating with co-defendants or witnesses except through his lawyers. If Trump were to violate any part of the order, he'd have to forfeit the $200,000 and risk being jailed ahead of trial. In Fulton County, defendants typically deposit 10% of the total bond price or $20,000 in Trump's case at the time of the arraignment, according to Ronald Carlson, a professor at the University of Georgia School of Law. Trump has been charged in three other cases this year, none of which include a cash bond. He's pleaded not guilty to all of them. The first case, brought by the Manhattan district attorney's office, didn't involve any money, in part because of a New York law that eliminated cash bail for most non-violent offenses. Prosecutors in that case accused Trump of breaking business record laws as part of his hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Trump also didn't have to post any cash for his second indictment, brought by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith, over his handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and for allegedly obstructing government officials' efforts to retrieve them. One of his co-defendants, Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, was required to post a $100,000 bond, but didn't have to put any money down. Smith's other case against Trump, over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, also didn't require any cash. The former president is worth $2.5 billion, according to Forbes, although he has typically used funds from his political action committee, Save America, to pay his legal fees. It is unclear if he's allowed to use the PAC money for the bond. Read the Trump bond order below: This embedded content is not available in your region. Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump will surrender at Fulton County Jail in Georgia on Thursday over charges of illegally scheming to overturn the states 2020 election results. The former US president said on social media: Can you believe it? Ill be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED by a Radical Left District Attorney, Fani Willis , who is overseeing one of the greatest Murder and Violent Crime DISASTERS in American History. He added: In my case, the trip to Atlanta is not for Murder, but for making a PERFECT PHONE CALL! Earlier on Monday, authorities met Mr Trumps lawyers and agreed to set the former presidents bail at $200,000. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The 77-year-old former president has been indicted on 13 felony charges following a more than two year-investigation by Ms Willis, the countys district attorney, He was given a deadline of noon local time (5pm GMT) on Friday to voluntarily turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail to be booked. The charges Donald Trump faces in Georgia Appearing on Thursday offers Mr Trump the opportunity to snatch the media spotlight from his Republican rivals, hours after they hold a debate in Wisconsin on Wednesday night, which the former president has said he will not attend. Strict conditions have been attached to Mr Trumps bail, according to court documents filed on Monday. He is forbidden from discussing the case with his 18 fellow defendants and witnesses in the case. The bond agreement, outlined in a document signed by Ms Willis and Mr Trumps lawyers, also bars him from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case. The order says Mr Trump cannot make any direct or indirect threat of any nature against witnesses or co-defendants, including on his social media channels. It even includes reposts of posts made by another individual on social media. The former president has mounted a series of attacks on judges and even the former vice president, Mike Pence, on his Truth Social platform. Attacks on judges Under the bond agreement, he is also prohibited from communicating in any way about the facts of the case with any co-defendant or witness, except through attorneys. The order sets Mr Trumps bond for his racketeering charge at $80,000 and adds $10,000 for each of the 12 other counts he is facing. Mr Trump was charged last week in the case alongside allies who prosecutors say conspired to subvert the will of voters in a desperate bid to keep him in the White House after he lost to Joe Biden. Bond was also set on Monday for three lawyers who were indicted alongside Mr Trump. They include John Eastman, the alleged to be architect of much of the strategy aimed at overturning the election, who was released on $100,000 bail on Monday. Another lawyer Kenneth Chesebro also had a bond set at $100,000, while Ray Smiths bond is $50,000. Another co-defendant, Scott Hall, a bail bondsman who was accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County, has been released on $20,000 bail. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the physical intervention of United Nations peacekeepers during roadworks in the south of ethnically split Cyprus last week is unacceptable. "The physical intervention of U.N. Peacekeeping Force soldiers on the territory that falls under the sovereignty of the TRNC is never acceptable to us," Erdogan said following the weekly cabinet meeting. "It is neither legal nor humane to prevent Turkish Cypriots living in Pyla village from reaching their homeland." Scuffles broke out on Friday between U.N. peacekeepers and Turkish Cypriot security personnel when peacekeepers tried to prevent roadworks starting in an area the U.N. says is part of a buffer zone under its jurisdiction. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Erdogan also said Turkey will continue to side with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a breakaway state recognised only by Ankara. Turkish Cypriot authorities want to build a road that would give residents of Pyla/Pile, a village in the U.N.-administered buffer zone, direct access to territory under Turkish Cypriot control. Turkish Cypriot authorities say the peacekeeping force, known as UNFICYP, overstepped its boundaries. Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar characterised the road project as essential. (Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Phil Spencers TV colleagues have sent messages of condolences after his parents died in a car crash over the weekend. The presenters mother and father, Anne and David, were killed in a car accident near their home in Littlebourne, Kent on Friday (18 August). Spencer, 53, shared the news of their death on Instagram. He also detailed his parents last moments, describing how the car had toppled over a bridge and into a river. He went on to say his family are desperately sad and shocked beyond all belief but are clear that if there can ever be such a thing as having a good end this was it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It feels horrendous right now, but after almost 60 years of marriage, to die together on the farm they so loved will, I know, be a comfort in the future, wrote Spencer. You can read his full statement about the fatal crash here. The news was met with sympathies from fans and peers, including Spencers long-time Location, Location, Location co-star Kirstie Allsopp, who asked fans to join her in sending so much love to Spencer. Sharing a photograph of the late couple, Allsopp, 51, wrote on Instagram: This lovely photograph, recently taken at their home in Kent, is of Anne and David Spencer. I am desperately sad to have to say that they were both killed yesterday in a car accident near their home. They were farmers, animal lovers and devoted parents to Robert, Caryn, Helen and Philip and adored their eight grandchildren. The only blessing is that they died together, so will never have to mourn the loss of each other. She continued: I suspect many of you may want to join me in sending so much love to Phil and all his family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, thank you. Allsopp also commented on Spencers Instagram post: Such a brave and loving statement and so typical of you and your lovely family. Piers Morgan also paid tribute, writing: How incredibly sad. So sorry Phil. (Instagram) Fellow broadcaster Ben Fogle, best known for his outdoor adventure programmes, added: So sorry Phil, accompanied by a red heart emoji. Oh Phil Im so so sorry to hear this, wrote former A Place in the Sun host Amanda Lamb. Sending all of you my prayers and thoughts they look like they were great fun. What wonderful parents and such a glorious couple. Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins added: Im so very sorry Phil, what a shocking thing to have happened. Sending love. Phil Spencer shared this image of his late parents, after they died together in a car crash on their farm in Kent (Instagram) Spencers parents had been on their way to lunch on Friday (18 August) when their car very slowly, toppled over a bridge on the farm drive, upside down into the river. There were no physical injuries and I very much doubt they would have even fought it they would have held hands under the water and quietly slipped away, wrote Spencer in his original post. Their carer was in the car and managed to climb out of a back window so the alarm was raised quite quickly. Spencer said his brother was able to get to the car and cut his parents seat belts with a pen knife. He pulled them out of the river but they never regained consciousness, he said. Kent Fire and Rescue service was called and spent 90 minutes at the scene. Mum and Dad are together, which is precisely where they would have wanted to be, wrote Spencer, adding that his mothers Parkinsons and fathers dementia had been worsening and the long term future was set to be a challenge. Two newborn twin brothers have been found safe after being kidnapped from a hospital in Michigan by two hooded women. The Livonia Police Department issued an Amber Alert on Monday morning for the two missing children who were snatched from a hospital in Livonia. A few hours later Michigan State Police cancelled the Amber Alert saying the youngsters had been found. The children have been recovered safely and Livonia Police will be issuing more information shortly, the MSP said in the announcement. The African-American twins Montana Alexander Bridges and Matthew Jace Bridges are just 14 days old and are believed to be dressed only in diapers. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Chilling surveillance footage captured the two kidnapping suspects described as unidentified African-American females with their faces hidden by hoods. One woman was dressed in a grey hoody, dark pants and white or cream croc-style shoes. The second woman was wearing a dark hoody, shorts and shoes. Their identities are currently unknown. The suspects are believed to be travelling in a black Jeep Cherokee with chrome trim around the passenger windows. Suspects wanted for kidnapping newborn twins (MSP) The suspects vehicle (MSP) Twin brothers were snatched from hospital (MSP) They were last seen near the Quality Inn on Plymouth Road between Merriman and Middlebelt in Livonia, police said. Smoke from wildfires fills the air as motorists travel on a road on the side of a mountain, in Kelowna, British Columbia (AP) Two large wildfires raging in western Canada have combined to form one huge blaze that destroyed houses and vast swathes of land, and prompted the evacuations of thousands in the area. British Columbia declared a state of emergency and imposed a ban on non-essential travel to free up accommodations for evacuees and firefighters, as 35,000 people were ordered to evacuate over the weekend with hundreds of wildfires continuing to burn in the state. Government officials urged residents in evacuation order zones to leave immediately to save their lives and prevent firefighters from dying trying to rescue them. On Sunday, prime minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government has cleared the request of the provincial government to deploy the military to tackle fast-spreading infernos. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mr Trudeau said in a tweet that the federal government will offer support from the Canadian military to help with evacuations, staging and other logistical tasks, in response to a request from the British Columbia government. At least 400 fires continue to burn in the province as strong northern winds continued to fan the flames and hundreds of firefighters struggled to control them for weeks. Update: Weve received and approved British Columbias request for federal assistance. Were deploying @CanadianForces assets and providing resources to help with evacuations, staging, and other logistical tasks. Well continue to be here with whatever support is needed. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 20, 2023 In some cities in British Columbia, smoke from the wildfires plunged the air quality index (AQI) to hazardous levels, showed IQAir, a real-time air-quality information platform. At midnight (0400 GMT), Salmon Arm was recording the nations worst air quality index, with an AQI reading of 470. Among other cities, Kelowna College and Sicamous both had the AQI at 423. West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said he saw some hope after battling epic fires for the past four days as he said conditions have improved, helping firefighters to put boots on the ground and dump water on flames that threatened the town of 150,000. We are finally feeling like we are moving forward rather than moving backwards, and thats a great feeling, Mr Brolund told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. A map of the wildfires currently raging in British Columbia, Canada (The Independent/Datawrapper) The Pacific coast province could get some rains this week from the moisture of tropical Storm Hilary, which made its historic arrival in California on Sunday, bringing some relief to the province which is in the grip of a severe drought. Forest fires are not uncommon in Canada but this year, the country has seen its worst wildfire season on record, on the heels of record-shattering global temperatures driven by the climate crisis. About 140,000 square km (54,054 square miles) of land, roughly the size of New York state, has been scorched nationwide, with smoky haze extending as far as the US East Coast. Government officials project the fire season could stretch into autumn because of widespread drought-like conditions. Additional reporting by agencies North Carolina is home to two of the best places to live in the Southeast, rankings show. Cary ranks No. 2 and Concord No. 10 on a list of cities that boast top entertainment options, job opportunities and low crime, according to results published Aug. 7. To create a national list, the website Livability said it studied more than 2,000 places across the country. It focused on cities with 75,000 to 500,000 people, using data from the U.S. government and other sources to score them. The scores were divided into eight categories: environment, transportation, health, amenities, safety, education, economy, and housing and costs of living. What makes Cary and Concord special? Within the Southeast region, the city that earned the highest overall score was Johns Creek, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. But Cary wasnt far behind, making a name for itself when it comes to its food and drink options. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cary is a flourishing city that offers a fantastic arts scene (gorgeous public art, galleries and more), a variety of eateries, must-visit breweries and great sporting events, Livability wrote in its report. Cary home to the USA Baseball National Training Complex and WakeMed Soccer Park has about 180,000 residents. The town just west of Raleigh also received nods for its safety, public schools and proximity to businesses in Research Triangle Park. Nestled between the stunning Western Carolina mountains and the famous East Coast beaches of the Outer Banks, Cary, NC, uses its enviable location to its advantage, Livability wrote. The drivers take the track at the start of the race at the Coca-Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., on Monday, May 29, 2023. Also earning a top spot on the list was Concord, about 25 miles northeast of the bustle of uptown Charlotte. Concord is the perfect blend of a quaint, Southern town and an up-and-coming metropolis, making it one of the best places to live in the Southeast, Livability wrote. Concord, which has nearly 110,000 residents, also received praise for its amenities, including park space and the Charlotte Motor Speedway racing center. How did other NC cities rank? In addition to Cary and Concord, many North Carolina cities were found to have lower costs of living compared to other locations that were studied. Places in the state that ranked high but missed the top 10 were Durham at No. 15; Asheville at No. 17; Winston-Salem at No. 18; and Wilmington at No. 22. Across the Southeast, the cities that rounded out the top five places to call home: Roswell, Georgia, at No. 3 Columbia, Maryland, at No. 4 Virginia Beach, Virginia, at No. 5 The cities considered for the rankings were in the following states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Livability told McClatchy News in an email. This North Carolina city ranks among nations best places for families. Heres why These North Carolina ice cream shops serve some of nations best scoops, report finds Raise a glass! This North Carolina citys beer scene ranks among the best in the US China has allocated an additional 500 million yuan (about 69.4 million U.S. dollars) for disaster relief and reconstruction in flood-affected regions, the Ministry of Finance said Monday. This funding, on top of the 1-billion-yuan allocated on Aug. 9, will be used to support the restoration of production and life in areas of Tianjin and Hebei that were used for national flood detention and storage, the ministry said in a statement. The additional funding will go toward providing compensation for property losses incurred by residents living in these areas, including damage to crops, animal and poultry farms, commercial forests, houses and agricultural machinery, according to the statement. Two Oklahoma members of Congress have assets worth as much as $100 million, according to financial disclosure reports that show a majority of the states lawmakers in Washington are worth at least $1 million. Rep. Kevin Hern , R-Tulsa, reported dozens of assets with a total range of value between $36 million and $110 million, while Sen. Markwayne Mullin s assets carry a value between $26 million and $100 million. Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore, and Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, also reported assets worth at least $1 million. Sen. James Lankford and Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, have assets that may be worth as much as $1 million. How do financial disclosures work? Who has to report them? The financial reports are required to be filed by all members of Congress and candidates who have raised or spent $5,000 or more. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Assets and liabilities are reported in such broad ranges that the reports do not reflect net worth. Rather, they are intended to let the public review a members holdings and financial transactions for potential conflicts of interest. More: With help from Democrats, AG Gentner Drummond tops fundraising among state officials Income received from rental properties, interest, dividends and other sources also is reported in broad ranges. Members do not report their salaries of $174,000 as income or the exact amount of spousal salaries. The value of a primary residence does not have to be included, though a mortgage must be reported. Hern and Mullin attained wealth from building businesses Hern through fast food franchises and Mullin through plumbing companies. Hern sold the franchises two years ago; they had been estimated on his previous financial reports to be worth between $25 million and $50 million. Mullin, who won the U.S. Senate seat last year after 10 years in the House, told reporters last summer that he had sold his plumbing companies. They were not listed as assets on the report covering 2022, but their sale was not disclosed on either of the last two reports. The freshman senator's wealth has grown dramatically since the change in his relationship with the companies; just two years ago, he reported asset values between $7.2 million and $30 million, a third of what he reported for 2022. On the report covering calendar year 2021, Mullin reported the plumbing companies as assets but also listed a new holding $25 million to $50 million in a cash management fund. He also listed interest in the COP Hometown Service company worth $1 million to $5 million. More: Oklahoma law aimed at helping small pharmacies intrudes on Congress' power, court says The most recent report shows the purchase of shares in dozens of mutual funds, with several worth between $1 million and $5 million each, and holdings in the COP Hometown Services valued between $3.5 million and $7 million. The company's website lists Mullin as one of its brands. Herns and Mullins personal wealth allowed them to make sizable loans to their campaigns, and both have been paying themselves back with contributors money. Herns latest campaign report shows $75,000 in payments to the congressman in April. Mullins campaign in April repaid him $38,000 of the $1 million he put into his Senate race last year. The businesses owned by Hern and Mullin received Paycheck Protection Program loans in 2020, which led to pushback from the White House last year when the two criticized President Joe Bidens plan to forgive student loans. Mullins companies had $1.45 million in the pandemic loans forgiven, while Herns fast food franchises and his wifes custom seating businesses had nearly $2.6 million in loans forgiven. The Hern familys trusts and foundation received between $1 million and $5.6 million in 2022, mostly from dividends and capital gains. Selling a plane yielded between $100,000 and $1 million, while dividends from Devon Energy also were valued in that range. Herns office has said the congressman is not involved in the trading of his equities. Some lawmakers have called for barring members of Congress and some other government officials from owning shares of specific companies. Hern is consistently listed by Capitol Trades as one of the most active traders in Congress. Many of the stock purchases listed on his 2022 report are automatic reinvestments of dividends into the companies or funds that distributed them. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Tulsa Rep. Kevin Hern Assets: $36 million to $111 million Holdings: Herns wealth is concentrated in a foundation and family trusts, including ones in the names of his wife and children. The foundation and trusts hold individual stocks, mutual funds, money market funds, bank accounts, a real estate company, a 50% interest in a custom seating and interiors business, an aviation company that owns an airplane and hangar, a 4% interest in a bank and other investments. Liabilities: None listed Income: $1 million to $5.6 million in dividends, capital gains, interest, rent. Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate Rep. Josh Brecheen Assets: $130,000 to $350,000 Holdings: Brecheen listed livestock, ranch land and a commercial trucking services company. The lands value is between $100,000 and $250,000. Liabilities: None listed Income: Brecheen, who was not in Congress last year, reported income between $100,000 and $1 million from his trucking company and a salary of $20,000. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne Assets: $1.5 million to $3.3 million Holdings: Farm land, mineral rights, retirement funds, insurance policies Liabilities: $235,000 to $515,000: lines of credit, revolving credit and mortgage on farmland Income: $65,000 to $135,000 in oil and gas royalties and gross farm income Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore Rep. Tom Cole Assets: $4.4 million to $10 million Holdings: Cole and his wife have money in individual stocks, mutual funds, money market accounts, property and businesses. Cole holds an interest valued at $250,000 to $500,000 in a political consulting and polling firm and an interest valued at $100,000 to $250,000 in a phone bank company. Liabilities: None listed Income: $98,000 to $280,000 in capital gains, dividends and interest. Cole also reported a $20,000 management fee connected to the consulting and polling firm. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City Assets: $435,000 to $1.7 million Holdings: Bank accounts, college savings accounts, retirement funds, U.S. Treasury bill Liabilities: $101,000 to 250,000 for mortgage on personal residence Income: $8,900 to $19,000, capital gains and dividends from mutual funds and exchange-traded funds Sen. James Lankford Sen. James Lankford Assets: $345,000 to $1 million Holdings: Bank accounts, mutual funds Liabilities: $100,000 to $250,000 for mortgage on personal residence Income: $4,300 from religious services in Lawton, Yukon, Oklahoma City and Chickasha; annuity income of $21,000 Sen. Markwayne Mullin Sen. Markwayne Mullin Assets: $26 million to $100 million Holdings: Mullin reported assets being held in accounts individually and jointly with his wife and accounts in the names of his wife and children. The assets include property valued between $4 million and $20 million in Washington, D.C., Oklahoma and Florida. Investments worth between $3.5 million and $7 million were reported in the home services company COP Hometown Service. None of the Mullin plumbing and service companies listed for the last 10 years were reported as 2022 assets. Mullin also reported shares in individual stocks, mutual funds and exchange traded funds, along with life insurance. Liabilities: $1 million to $5 million for a mortgage Income: $509,000 to $1.4 million, from dividends, capital gains, interest, rent and royalties This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Two Oklahoma lawmakers are worth as much as $100 million each Two people, including one juvenile, in Knox County have been charged for allegedly stabbing a cat, according to the Knox County Sheriffs Department. Authorities learned about the stabbing Friday after receiving a call about a video that showed the incident. The sheriffs department said they identified one person in the video, 20-year-old Gabriel Messer of Barbourville, from his tattoos. Messer was previously charged with second-degree criminal abuse involving a juvenile and was already in jail at the Knox County Detention Center when investigators learned about his alleged role in the cat stabbing, according to the sheriffs department. Messer admitted to stabbing the cat but said the idea came from the juvenile. Authorities spoke to the juvenile and he blamed Messer, according to the sheriffs department. Investigators determined the juvenile filmed the stabbing and he was arrested and booked into the Breathitt County Juvenile Detention Center. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The juvenile was charged with torture of a dog/cat and first-degree criminal mischief, the sheriffs department said. Messer was charged with second-degree cruelty to animals and third-degree criminal mischief. The suspects could face additional charges, as the owner of the cat told investigators she had other animals stabbed in a similar manner, according to the sheriffs department. The sheriffs office didnt clarify the severity of the animals injuries. Messers bond is set at $5,500, according to the sheriffs department. From the collision of deadly, climate-driven disasters in the United States emerged a small sliver of good fortune on Monday. Tropical Story Hilary, which has deluged Mexico, California and Nevada, is now bringing much-needed rain over the wildfires raging in Washington state as the system moves north. The overlap of the events was seen in satellite imagery shared by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University on Monday. Researchers noted that heavy smoke from fires in the Northwest, and also in British Columbia, Canada, was visible outside of the cloud cover. Two people were killed by the Washington wildfires this weekend amid a state of emergency. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Two large fires broke out in the US Northwest region, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported on Monday, close to the city of Spokane. One person died due to the Oregon Road Fire in Spokane County, according to the local sheriffs office. A separate fatality was linked to the Grays Fire, which ignited close to the community of Cheney on Friday afternoon. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the blaze which has engulfed more than 10,000 acres and also threatened the towns of Medical Lake and Four Lakes. The Grays Fire was only 10 per cent contained, Spokane County Emergency Management reported on Sunday, but did not appear to be growing towards Medical Lake or Four Lakes. Still a lot of hazards within the burned areas. Natural gas lines venting off, trees coming down... officials said. Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency, noting that more than 34,000 acres have burned statewide. Nearly 200 structures, both houses and outbuildings, have also been destroyed. In Medical Lake, Lakeland Village Residential Habilitation Center was evacuated and many residents have lost everything, according to the governor. Post-Tropical Cyclone Hilary is bringing some much needed rain to regions of the Northwest where many wildfires are burning. Smoke is still heavily concentrated from fires in the Northwest and British Columbia outside of the cloud shield. pic.twitter.com/58pJTcyPx8 CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) August 21, 2023 We sincerely thank the emergency first responders for their tireless efforts in containing the fire and ensuring community safety. Your courage in putting your lives at risk to protect our families is deeply appreciated, he wrote in a Twitter thread. Wildfire smoke led to air quality alerts until noon local time on Monday in several parts of the state, reaching unhealthy levels for sensitive groups. Air quality remains poor across most of Washington, the National Weather Service reported on Monday, with a slight improvement along the coast. High winds have worsened the fires in eastern Washington, around 300 miles from Seattle, with blazes exacerbated by ongoing dry conditions and high temperatures in much of the Northwest this summer. There are currently 93 wildfires in 16 states, which have destroyed more than 600,000 acres, according to the NIFC, with more than 14,400 wildland firefighters and support personnel on the ground. A map shows the number of wildfires burning across the US and Canada on Monday (NASA/USDA Forest Service) Six new large fires were reported on Saturday two in Mississippi, and one each in California, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Just over the border from Washington state, Canadian officials have ordered evacuations for tens of thousands of people in British Columbia amid an unprecedented summer of wildfires in the country. There are more than 1,000 fires were burning across Canada on Monday with more than half raging out of control. In Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, nearly all of its 20,000 residents have been evacuated due to the extreme fires. The climate crisis, caused by the emissions from fossil fuels, is driving larger, more frequent and erratic wildfires around the world with many countries are becoming hotter and drier, priming more of the landscape to burn. Two U.S. service members were arrested in Germany after they were connected to the stabbing death of a 28-year-old man at a street fair over the weekend, according to local and Air Force officials. The man was stabbed to death at the Saubrenner fair in the western German town of Wittlich following an altercation Saturday night, police from the nearby city of Trier said in a statement. Witnesses told authorities that four people were observed near the scene of the crime, including a 25-year-old and 26-year-old found to be U.S. military personnel who visited the fair with friends, the statement notes. The two male suspects whose names and ranks have not been released were arrested and handed over to the U.S. authorities who will take over the investigation in accordance with the NATO troop statute, according to local officials. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The victim has also not been identified, but NBC News reported that the man was a German national. NBC also reported that the two service members are stationed at the Air Forces Spangdahlem Air Base, near Wittlich. The Air Force also confirmed that the two men were questioned and transferred into the custody of the 52nd Security Forces Squadron. This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community, Col. Kevin Crofton, commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem, said in the statement. We thank the local Polizei and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course. The service added that both men will remain in U.S. custody for the duration of the investigation. The town of Wittlich, meanwhile, released its own statement in which the mayor, Joachim Rodenkirch, said he was horrified and terribly sad that a young man died in such a brutal way at the Saubrenner fair, where many people come together to celebrate peacefully. The U.S. has more than 35,000 military personnel based in Germany, a long-time economic and military ally of Washington. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Two US servicemen were arrested after a man was fatally stabbed during an argument at a carnival in Germany, according to police and the US Air Force. Officials say that the 28-year-old victim was killed during the confrontation at the Saubrenner fair in the small town of Wittlich on Saturday night. The suspects have only been identified as aged 25 and 26 and stationed at the US Air Forces Spangdahlem Air Base, which is close to the town. German police and the US Air Force have not yet released the names of the suspect, and the name of the victim, who is a German national, has also not been made public. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police say that the two men were arrested after witnesses identified a group of four people who had been seen near the crime scene. Both suspects have been handed over to US authorities who will now take over the investigation in accordance with the NATO troop statute. This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community, Col. Kevin Crofton, commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing stationed at the base, said in a statement. We thank the local Polizei and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course. The mayor of Wittlich, Joachim Rodenkirch, said in a statement that he was shocked at the killing. I am horrified and terribly sad that a young man died in such a brutal way at the Saubrenner fair, where many people come together to celebrate peacefully. My deepest sympathy goes to the parents and family of the deceased, he said. Spangdahlem Air Base is home to the US Air Forces 52nd Fighter Wing, which states that it provides Airpower options to deter and combat aggression in NATO territory. (Bloomberg) -- UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is set to visit China in the last week of August for talks focused on Russia and Ukraine, people familiar with his plans said. Most Read from Bloomberg He is also likely to visit the Philippines as part of the trip, the people added, requesting anonymity discussing matters that have not been made public. Britains foreign ministry said it would announce any travel plans for Cleverly once they are finalized. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The plans crystallized after Cleverly was forced to postpone a visit previously scheduled for July, Bloomberg previously reported. That followed the disappearance of then Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who has since been replaced by Wang Yi. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is seeking to improve relations with the Asian nation following a period of heightened tensions that followed Chinas crackdown on dissidents in Hong Kong and Russias invasion of Ukraine. Both he and Cleverly have described China as an epoch-defining challenge, while stopping short of describing it as a threat to UK security as sought by more hawkish members of the ruling Conservative Party. Cleverly is due to arrive in Beijing on Aug. 29, Reuters reported earlier. Wang earlier this month invited the European Unions top diplomat, Josep Borrell, for a visit in the fall after an earlier plan for him to meet Qin had also been canceled. (Updayes wth Foreign Office comment in third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Russia is "highly likely" to create a new military formation the 18th Combined Arms Army (18 CAA) aiming to free up more experienced units to fight on key axes" in Ukraine, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Aug. 21. According to the ministry, the formation will likely be "an amalgamation and uplift" of other units currently operating in Kherson Oblast, including the 22nd Army Corps, which normally forms the Russian garrison in occupied Crimea. "18 CAA is likely to consist mostly of mobilized personnel and to focus on defensive security operations in the south of Ukraine," reads the latest British intelligence update. "There is a realistic possibility that this has led to the recent re-deployment of airborne forces from Kherson to the heavily contested Orikhiv sector." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukraines counteroffensive is ongoing in the south and east, with one of its key goals being to reach Melitopol and cut off the land bridge between Russia and occupied Crimea. Over the past week, Ukrainian forces have liberated three square kilometers of land near Donetsk Oblasts Bakhmut, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Aug. 21. Maliar also said that Ukraine made gains southeast of Robotyne and south of Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- The leadership upheaval at NatWest Group Plc sparked by the Nigel Farage account controversy now risks delaying the UK governments plan to sell the remainder of its stake in the lender it rescued during the global financial crisis. Most Read from Bloomberg After the shock exit of Alison Rose last month, NatWest named its former head of commercial lending Paul Thwaite as interim chief executive officer for an initial period of 12 months. Several candidates, including Thwaite, are being considered for the role of permanent CEO, and the Edinburgh-based bank aims to first name a replacement for Chairman Howard Davies by Christmas, about six months earlier than schedule, according to people familiar with the matter. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The uncertainty was partly created by ministers, with Davies saying alongside NatWests second-quarter results that Rose had to go after the government made it clear it wanted that outcome. But that leadership vacuum may now turn out to be a headache for ministers, who may find it difficult to further pare taxpayers holdings in NatWest currently at about 39% while the bank doesnt have a firm new leadership team installed. The UK still remains NatWests biggest shareholder about 15 years after bailing out what was then Royal Bank of Scotland in a 45.5 billion ($58 billion) rescue. Recent management changes at NatWest, with the search for a new CEO, cloud the investment case for the bank, said Philip Richards, senior banking analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. That could delay the sell-down of the governments stake. Taken together with other regulations, ranging from government actions on lending to savings rates, it all adds to the uncertainty for investors, Richards said. Shares of NatWest have declined about 26% since the end of January. The government intends to stick to its plan of fully disposing of its shares in NatWest by 2026 and wont comment on the timing of sales, a representative for the Treasury said in an email. Abrupt Exit Rose stepped down on July 26 after the government signaled her position became untenable following the furor kicked up by the way NatWests Coutts subsidiary said it would close the accounts of Farage, the former Brexit-campaigner-turned-political pundit. It was an abrupt departure for one of the City of Londons most prominent executives, who was the first and only woman to run one of Britains largest lenders. The public row has also complicated the banks search for the next leaders. Whoever fills Roses shoes will face the challenge of managing the relationship with the government as well as private investors. Their task includes winning new shareholders when the state eventually disposes of more of its holdings. Itd be prudent to wait until its clear who will be picked to replace Davies as chair and how the varying interests of stakeholders will be managed, one person told Bloomberg News. The person, named by several people in the City as a credible candidate, said they would delay showing interest until factors are clear, asking not to be identified discussing NatWests executive search plans. New leaders will have to deal with politics, according to Andre Spicer, executive dean of the Bayes Business School in London. Anyone running a big retail bank will face government interest, but the large ownership stake in the case of NatWest ups the ante, he said. Among the external figures who could be considered for CEO of NatWest are Francesca McDonagh, who joined Credit Suisse last year and was previously the boss of Bank of Ireland; Debbie Crosbie, the head of Nationwide Building Society; and Matt Hammerstein, UK chief of Barclays Plc, people said, asking not to be identified discussing NatWests executive search plans. Chair Candidates Head hunter Spencer Stuart is working with NatWest to find a replacement for Chairman Davies. Names circulating include William Vereker, chair of Banco Santander SAs UK operation and a former investment banker who had a stint in government as Theresa Mays business envoy; John Kingman, a former Treasury mandarin who is now chairman of Legal & General Group and the UK arm of Barclays; and L&Gs chief executive Nigel Wilson, who is leaving at the end of the year, the people said. Other prospects are Richard Meddings, chair of NHS England and former chair of TSB Banking Group, and George Culmer, chairman of Aviva and the former chief financial officer of Lloyds Banking Group, some of the people said. Christine Hodgson, chair of Severn Trent and a former director of Standard Chartered, and Alison Brittain, former CEO of Whitbread and previously retail banking boss of Lloyds, could also be approached, the people said. Spencer Stuart and NatWest, where senior independent director Mark Seligman is leading the process, did not comment. The potential candidates either did not respond to requests for comment or declined to say anything about the role. Process Review NatWest has also hired law firm Travers Smith for an independent review of its handling of Farages account. Its interviews and scrutiny of processes due to take place in the next few weeks could lead to more disruption, the people said. The law firm will then look more widely at Coutts account-closing processes. The lender has pledged to make the findings public, which may happen late this year. That risks triggering more departures from the bank, as well as raising questions about Roses exit package, after Davies said it would be partly determined by the outcome of the investigation. The reaction of many when the Farage affair blew up was a shudder: that it could have been their own institution caught in the cross-hairs of a political fight. But there was also a view that it was a particular bear-trap for NatWest, given the eye its management has to have on the view in Westminster. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Britain's King Charles III inspects Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, at the gates of Balmoral, Scotland, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, as he takes up summer residence at the castle. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) LONDON (AP) London police said Monday they would take no action on allegations that people associated with one of King Charles IIIs charities offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure a knighthood and British citizenship in return for donations. The Metropolitan Police Service began an investigation into the matter after the Times of London reported that a longtime aide to Charles had suggested the then-Prince of Wales would support a Saudi citizens request for the honors in return for up to 1.5 million pounds ($2 million) in donations to the charity, The Princes Foundation. The department said it reviewed documents provided by the foundation and the newspaper, and consulted with prosecutors before concluding its investigation. After careful consideration of the information received as a result of the investigation to date, the Met has concluded that no further action will be taken in this matter, police said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Charles representatives had previously said that he wasnt aware of any offers to bestow honors or expedite citizenship in return for donations to his charities. The palace said it had noted the police decision. The foundation said in a statement it, too, noted the police decision. Following the conclusion of its own independent investigation and governance review last year, the charity is moving forward with a continued focus on delivering the education and training programs for which it has been established, the foundation said. Ukraine will launch an international medical cooperation program, Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska announced on Aug. 20 during a visit to the Netherlands. Zelenska visited the Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology in Utrecht, the largest Center for Pediatric Oncology in Europe. "We appreciate that the Center immediately, back in March 2022, responded to the request of Ukrainian colleagues from the West Ukrainian specialized children's Medical Center to evacuate children," Zelenska said. "We are grateful that the center accepts the most severe patients for treatment. And it does this within a week of our request. Currently, 95 children from Ukraine have been accepted for treatment here," she added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She noted that the Princess Maxima Center regularly partners with doctors from Ukraine for educational exchanges and internships. "Today, cooperation between the Princess Maxima Center for Children's Oncology and the Western Ukrainian Specialized Children's Medical Center was sealed by an official memorandum," Zelenska wrote on Facebook. According to Zelenska, this cooperation will be the first practical example of cooperation within the framework of the International Medical partnership that Ukraine is starting. "In order to cope now and lay the foundation for the period after the victory, Ukraine proposes the creation of an international medical Partnership Program. Each interested country can establish direct interaction with a specific hospital in Ukraine by choosing the appropriate institution for its part. Governments will accompany and direct this cooperation," Zelenska said. Zelenska also met with the management of Royal Philips, a Dutch company that produces medical equipment. Ukraine's healthcare system has been especially burdened by Russia's full-scale invasion, suffering an average of two attacks per day since Feb. 24, 2022. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Kyiv to receive 42 F-16 fighter jets, with first aircraft set to arrive in 2023 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine has been able to completely destroy a long-range strategic bomber of the Russian Armed Forces for the first time due to a drone's attack on an airfield in Novgorod Oblast. Source: The Moscow Times on Telegram Quote: "At least one plane was damaged yesterday (19 August ed.), the Russian Defence Ministry reported. A photo of the Soltsy air base in Novgorod Oblast may have appeared online after a drone strike. The photo shows a completely burnt Tu-22M3". . Details: The media says that there is no engineering and technical capacity left in Russia for construction of new strategic bombers. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Moscow Times, citing its own sources, reports that earlier, the issue of sabotage was discussed at meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and security forces. "They "swore" that this would not happen again, but no one could give a 100% guarantee," the newspaper reports. Background: On the morning of 19 August, the Ukrainian Defence Forces attacked a military airfield in Novgorod Oblast, Russian Federation, with drones, damaging at least one aircraft. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! On August 19, a fire broke out at the Soltsy airport in the Novgorod Oblast Ukraine may have successfully destroyed a Tu-22M3 strategic bomber at an airbase in Soltsy, Novgorod Oblast, the Moscow Times reported on August 20. If true, the destruction of the aircraft would deal a significant blow to Russia, as the country can no longer manufacture spare parts for the Tu-22M3. Read also: Russia targets kindergartens, medical facilities, and sports centers in latest mass missile attack According to the Moscow Times, over a dozen Russian planes and helicopters have been destroyed or damaged at airbases in Belarus, occupied Crimea, as well as in the Ryazan, Engels, Novosibirsk, and Pskov oblasts of Russia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Significance of Ukraines breakthrough near Tokmak and damage to Russian strategic aircraft ISW Citing a confidential source, the Moscow Times claimed that discussions about "Ukrainian sabotage" were held during meetings between Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and security officials. On August 19, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that around 10 a.m., Soltsy Airbase was targeted by unidentified drones. The Defense Ministry subsequently admitted that one aircraft had sustained damage. Read also: Russias Tu-95MS strategic missile carrier what you need to know about its role in attacking Ukraine Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sit in an F-16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Air Base in Vojens Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sit in an F-16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Air Base in Vojens By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a crowd in Denmark on Monday that promised deliveries of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets had made him confident Ukraine could end Russia's invasion. Denmark and the Netherlands on Sunday announced they would supply the first F-16s to Ukraine, with the initial six due to be delivered around New Year. Washington had approved the delivery of the jets ahead of Zelenskiy's trip to Copenhagen. "Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war," Zelenskiy told thousands of people who gathered outside the Danish parliament to hear his speech. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Russia warned earlier that supplying the jets to Ukraine would only escalate the war, which has dragged on for almost 18 months. Russian forces are occupying almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory and Kyiv is battling hard to push them out. "The fact that Denmark has now decided to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict," Russian ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a statement cited by the Ritzau news agency. "By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its actions and words to leave Ukraine with no other choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia," he said. The Ukrainian military said the jet was vital to the success of its counteroffensive, which has proceeded slowly since its launch in early June, as it would prevent Russian fighter jets attacking advancing forces. "Superiority in the air is key to success on the ground," air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media. Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine may only use the donated F-16s within its own territory. "We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that," Ellemann-Jensen said on Monday. "Those are the conditions, whether it's tanks, fighter planes or something else," he said. Denmark will deliver 19 jets in total. The Netherlands has 42 F-16s available in all but has yet to decide whether all of them will be donated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called the decision a "breakthrough agreement". Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday that Ukrainian pilots had begun training, but it would take at least six months and possibly longer to also train engineers and mechanics. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Philippa Fletcher) Kyiv might suspend visa-free travel regime with Israel in the coming days, Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, said during a local radio broadcast on Aug. 21, as reported by news agency Interfax-Ukraine. Read also: Israel donates several tons of medical supplies to Ukraine ambassador Korniychuk noted that if the Ukrainian government decides to suspend visa-free travel for Israeli citizens, it would be a move directed against the Israeli government. "The final decision has not been made yet, but it will be made in the coming days," Korniychuk said. He pointed out a rising number of cases of Ukrainians being deported from Israel. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The first thing they [Ukrainian citizens] face is having their passports confiscated, being detained at the airport for extended questioning for 5-10 hours, the ambassador said. Afterwards, about 10% of Ukrainians are denied entry. This is unacceptable. Furthermore, since the onset of Russia's war against Ukraine, Israel is the only country that introduced e-visas for Ukrainians. Read also: Zelenskyy thanks Denmark for supporting Ukraine in speech at Danish parliament The diplomat emphasized he represents the position of the Ukrainian government. Listen to President Zelenskyy's statement regarding the migration problem and his demands to resolve it immediately; those are his words, not mine, Korniychuk adds. Read also: NSDC secretary Danilov aims to defuse tensions between Ukraine and Poland The Ukrainian government's duty is to take care of its people and not allow Ukrainians' rights to be curtailed. Earlier, a confidential source connected to a member of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) told NV that there were plans to rescind visa-free arrangement for Israeli citizens. The NSDC also intends to pursue the removal of Israels representation from defense minister-level meetings in the Ramstein format used by Ukraines partner nations to discuss continuing aid to Ukraine. Read also: Nearly 80% of Ukrainian refugees intend to return home UN Multiple factors have contributed to this decision, including the unwelcoming treatment of Ukrainian visitors to Israel, the discontinuation of a medical insurance program for Ukrainian refugees, Israels hesitancy in providing military support to Ukraine, and suspicions that sensitive information from Ramstein meetings might be shared with third parties. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russia has again been forced to shut down its air space over the three biggest airports in Moscow, where arrivals and departures were suspended in the early hours of this morning after a swarm of Ukrainian drones reportedly hit buildings in the capital region, officials said. Flights are not being received, departures are delayed, a person aware of the situation told the Russian news agency TASS. This comes right after the Russian military claimed to have brought down four Ukrainian drones near Moscow and over the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine. At least one drone was shot down in the Odintsovo district near Chastsy settlement to the west of Moscow and four blasts were heard shortly after 3am local time (00.00 GMT). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Videos published by Russian media outlet Baza showed broken windows in a high rise apartment building, debris on a pavement and a car with a hole in its glass roof hatch. Windows were shaking, a witness said. Ukraine has never taken responsibility for drone strikes on Russian and Russia-controlled territory that have surged recently. Key Points Moscow closes air space as Ukrainian drone hits capital region Ukrainian drone strikes apartments near Moscow, leaves windows shaking Zelensky says F-16s make him confident Russia will lose the war Putin visits top military brass in Rostov-on-Don Moscow closes air space after Ukrainian drone attacks 04:07 , Arpan Rai Russia has again been forced to shut down its air space over the three biggest airports in Moscow, where arrivals and departures were suspended in the early hours of this morning, Russias TASS news agency reported. The air space is closed over Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo, an unnamed official told the agency. Flights are not being received, departures are delayed, the person said. This comes after Russia reported a series of Ukrainian drone attacks including over Moscow, which had struck a building. Ukrainian drone strikes apartments near Moscow, leaves windows shaking 04:01 , Arpan Rai The Russian military has brought down four Ukrainian drones near Moscow and over the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, officials said today. At least one drone was shot down in the Odintsovo district near Chastsy settlement to the west of Moscow and four blasts were heard shortly after 3am local time (00.00 GMT). Broken windows in a high rise apartment building, debris on a pavement and a car with a hole in its glass roof hatch could be seen in videos and pictures from the scene published by Russian media outlet Baza. Windows were shaking, a witness said. Russias defence ministry said there were no injuries in the latest attack. One of the drones was shot down over Krasnogorsk, a town outside Moscow, that hosts the Moscow regional government. Ukraine has never taken responsibility for drone strikes on Russian and Russia-controlled territory that have increased recently but its leaders, including Volodymyr Zelensky, have expressed satisfaction on the attacks. Full report: Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander's crash on the moon 04:00 , AP The head of Russias space agency said on Monday that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, and he blamed the countrys decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap. The pilotless Luna-25 had been scheduled to land on Monday while aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist. Roscosmos director general Yury Borisov said the spacecrafts engines were turned on over the weekend to put Luna-25 into a pre-landing orbit but did not shut down properly, plunging the lander onto the moon. Instead of the planned 84 seconds, it worked for 127 seconds. This was the main reason for the emergency, Mr Borisov told Russian state news channel Russia 24. Emma Burrows has the full report here: Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander's crash on the moon Independent TV | What Ukraines First Lady Olena Zelenska wants the world to know 03:02 , Andy Gregory Russian artillery within five miles of Kupiansk 02:04 , Andy Gregory Russian artillery is within five miles of Kupiansk. Intense fighting is taking place in the outlying villages, with recently-acquired cluster ammunition used by the Ukrainians to repulse repeated enemy attacks. More than 11,000 residents have been moved out under a mandatory evacuation order, with families with children and the elderly categorised as a priority. Some have stubbornly refused to move, despite first-hand experience of the violence. Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta has more in this special report from Kupiansk: On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat Putins thugs | Kim Sengupta Pope Francis discusses Ukraine war and peace with US military chief 01:01 , Andy Gregory Pope Francis and Washingtons top general discussed the war in Ukraine and hopes for peace there during a private audience at the Vatican on Monday. General Mark Milley, who is Catholic and is visiting several European countries, said the Pope was deeply concerned about the loss of life in Ukraine, particularly of civilians, since Russia invaded in February 2022. A strong advocate for Ukraines defence against Russian forces, the general has championed sending billions of dollars in arms to Kyiv and has sharply criticised Moscow as mounting a campaign of terror against civilians in Ukraine The Pope has condemned the international arms trade in general but said last year that it is morally legitimate for nations to supply weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russian aggression. (Vatican media via REUTERS) US State Department approves possible sale of Apache helicopters to Poland Tuesday 22 August 2023 00:02 , Andy Gregory The US State Department has approved the potential sale of AH-64E Apache helicopters and related equipment to Poland in a deal valued at up to $12bn (9.4bn), the Pentagon has said Poland which has prioritised boosting its military since Russias invasion of neighbouringUkraine has requested 96 of the Apache attack helicopters and related equipment, including 1,844 Hellfire missiles and 508 Stinger missiles, the Pentagon said. While the Pentagon notified the US Congress of the possible sale on Monday, this does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are the prime contractors for the weapons, according to the Pentagon. Prigozhin claims he is in Africa in new clip Monday 21 August 2023 23:06 , Andy Gregory Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed to be in Africa as he posted the first video clip of himself in weeks on Telegram channels affiliated with the mercenary group. Prigozhin is seen standing in a desert area in camouflage and with a rifle in his hands, with more armed men in the distance. In the distance, there are more armed men and a pickup truck. The temperature is +50 - everything as we like. The Wagner PMC makes Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa more free. Justice and happiness for the African people, were making life a nightmare for Isis and Al-Qaeda and other bandits, he says in the clip. He then says Wagner is recruiting people and the group will fulfil the tasks that were set. The video is accompanied by a telephone number for those who want to join the group. Experts have suggested in the weeks since Wagners brief mutiny against Russias military leadership that the mercenary groups activities in Africa and the Middle East will return to the fore, given their diplomatic and potentially financial value to the Kremlin. Prigozhin appeared in a video, saying he is in Africa and announcing that Wagner is now in the process of recruiting. He talked about making Africa "more free". Given that Wagner's base is now in #Belarus, Lukashenka involves my country even in this conflict. pic.twitter.com/4gOSc7XXQK Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) August 21, 2023 Putin was meant to be at a summit in South Africa this week. Why was he asked to stay away? Monday 21 August 2023 22:18 , Andy Gregory Vladimir Putin will be the odd one out when leaders from the BRICS economic bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa meet in Johannesburg this week. While all the others are set to attend the meetings in person, Putin will dial in on a video call. The reason? An International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for the Russian president put summit host South Africa in a sticky situation and ultimately resulted in Putin staying at home. Gerald Imray has the full report: Putin was meant to be at a summit in South Africa this week. Why was he asked to stay away? Greece will help train Ukrainian F-16 pilots, Zelensky says Monday 21 August 2023 21:32 , Andy Gregory Greece will take part in the training of Ukrainian air force pilots for F-16 jets, Volodymyr Zelensky has said during a joint press conference with Greek premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens. Denmark and the Netherlands announced on Sunday that they would supply the first F-16s to Ukraine. The Ukrainian president told a crowd in Denmark on Monday that promised deliveries of F-16 had made him confident Ukraine could end Russias invasion, and at a later conference in Athens expressed his gratitude for Greeces involvement in the corresponding training. He did not provide details of the training programme. Officials from a coalition of 11 nations have said F-16 training will take place in Denmark and Romania. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky at Maximos Mansion in Athens (AP) Russian space chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 crash Monday 21 August 2023 20:43 , AP The head of Russia's space agency said that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, and he blamed the country's decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap. The pilotless Luna-25 had been scheduled to land on Monday while aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the Moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist. Sanctions imposed on Russia since it launched a war in Ukraine nearly 18 months ago have affected its space programme, making it more difficult to access Western technology. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage and the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 took off from a launchpad in the Russias far-eastern Amur region (via REUTERS) More than 100,000 Russian troops amassing in northeast, says Ukraine Monday 21 August 2023 20:01 , Andy Gregory Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta reports: The Russian force amassed near Kupiansk contains more than 100,000 troops, 900 tanks, 555 artillery systems and 375 self-propelled guns, according to Serhiy Cherevaty, the spokesperson for Ukraines eastern front. General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of the armed forces, has stressed the threat to the defence lines in the northeast is very real. The enemys goal is to break through and go directly to Kupiansk. The fighting is extremely intense, some positions have changed hands several times. We are making all the necessary preparations, he says. Hanna Maliar, the deputy defence minister, says that the hottest direction remains Kupiansk. It is plain the Russians want to retake the territories in the Kharkiv region that they lost. On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat Putins thugs | Kim Sengupta Wagner a victim of its own brand name, says analyst Monday 21 August 2023 19:23 , Andy Gregory The Wagner mercenary group is in some ways a victim of its own brand name, one analyst has suggested. Mark Galeotti, director of the Mayak Intelligence consultancy, told The Independent that he believed Kyivs military was not in the slightest bit worried about the threat of Wagner fighters in Belarus attempting to cross Ukraines northern border. Speaking of claims the mercenaries could try to cross into Poland or Ukraine, he said: In some ways, Wagner is a victim of its brand name, and people are suggesting its going to do all types of crazy things that are totally beyond their capabilities, but also which frankly no one would even try. Wagner has lost all of its heavy equipment, he added, with Russias defence ministry making damn sure to reclaim tanks and artillery handed to the mercenaries while in Ukraine, meaning were talking about a bunch of guys with Kalashnikovs, rather than a sort of fully coherent mechanised force. Citing reports that funding disputes have already seen some mercenaries bussed back to Russia, Mr Galeotti said Ukraine has ample forces to stop 2,000 guys with guns wandering over a border carefully watched due to its proximity to Kyiv, most likely including by Nato. How much of a threat does Wagner pose in Belarus? Monday 21 August 2023 18:51 , Andy Gregory The newfound presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, exiled from Russia after their mutinous march on Moscow, has fuelled fresh anxieties in Ukraine and on Natos eastern flank. But the true extent to which Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhins guns for hire are now operating in Belarus and their aims there remains hard to determine. We are dealing with layer upon layer of disinformation, Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, told The Independent. Not only the repeated information campaign trying to convince Ukraine that there is a renewed threat from the north, but also confusion over exactly what Wagner is doing, who they are reporting to, who they are following orders from, and where they might be. Wagner threat in Belarus explained as mercenary group a victim of its brand name Special report: On the ground in Ukraine, the desperate fight to protect a key city from 100,000 of Putins thugs Monday 21 August 2023 18:20 , Andy Gregory We were born here, lived here all our lives, and well die here, says Antonia Samuelska as she trudges along with the aid of a walking stick on a deserted street in Kupiansk. We have no other home anywhere else, well have to accept what comes. The stillness of a hot afternoon under a blazing sun is broken by the sudden roar of artillery fire, three rounds landing one after the other in quick succession, not far away, spraying dust and debris up into the air with plumes of flame and smoke. See that? Thats whats happening every day now. They get closer and closer, what are they trying to hit? Those are just empty houses, most people have left, says Samuelska. This place has been attacked since the start of the war. We had a little bit of peace after that, and then it started again. The attacks are continuing. On Sunday, 11 people were injured, seven severely, after Kupiansk, in northeastern Ukraine, was hit by artillery strikes. The shelling went on intermittently for several hours, setting cars and buildings on fire. The city, less than two hours tank drive from Kharkiv the second city of Ukraine changed hands after Vladimir Putins invasion. It was captured early on by the Russians and remained under occupation for six months. It was retaken last autumn in a Ukrainian assault that blitzed through the region making sweeping gains. Now, while international focus has been on the much-publicised Ukrainian summer counteroffensive, in which progress has been slow, Moscow has amassed a huge force mounting its own offensive towards Kharkiv. Kupiansk, a key logistics hub, is the first objective. Read more in this special report from our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta: On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat Putins thugs | Kim Sengupta Ukraine mulling new Black Sea corridor for grain exports, official claims Monday 21 August 2023 17:55 , Andy Gregory Ukraine is considering using its newly-tested wartime Black Sea export corridor for grain shipments after the first successful evacuation of a vessel along the route last week, a senior agricultural official has said. Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since invading last February, and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets last month as it pulled out of a UN-backed deal providing Black Sea grain export ships safe passage. In response, Ukraine announced a humanitarian corridor hugging the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria. A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in Odesa port since the invasion travelled the route last week without being fired upon. Only one commercial vessel has passed through so far, [and this] has shown readiness to move by alternative routes, Denys Marchuk, deputy head of the Agrarian Council, Ukraines largest agribusiness group, told national television. Further, there should be a movement of potentially 7-8 more ships ... then perhaps in the future these alternative routes will become a corridor for the movement of ships that are travelling with cargoes of grain and oilseeds, he said. The Financial Times reports that Kyiv is finalising a scheme with global insurers to cover grain ships travelling to and from its Black Sea ports, citing Ukrainian deputy economy minister Oleksandr Gryban. Zelensky vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 Monday 21 August 2023 17:00 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian oresident Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday vowed stern retaliation for a Russian missile strike in the center of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 others the day before. I am sure our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly, Zelensky said in a video address published in the early hours of Sunday at the end of a visit to Sweden, his first foreign trip since attending a NATO summit in Lithuania last month. He identified a 6-year-old girl named Sofia as among the dead in the attack and confirmed that the wounded included 15 children. Zelenskyy vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 Ukraines elite armoured brigade hit with five airstrikes a day' Monday 21 August 2023 16:44 , Martha Mchardy An elite Ukrainian unit equipped with British Challenger 2 tanks is being hit with five airstrikes a day, Ukraines deputy Ukrainian defence minister has said. The The 82nd air assault brigade is deployed on the southern front and is equipped with German Marder vehicles and American Stryker armoured personnel carriers. The price of the headlines about where the 82nd brigade was moved in the south is five airstrikes on the brigade per day, said Hanna Maliar, deputy Ukrainian defence minister. In pictures: Zelensky visits Copenhagen Monday 21 August 2023 16:30 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky reacts while standing next to his wife Olena Zelenska in front of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen (EPA) Ukrainian oresident Volodymyr Zelensky shaking hands with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark during meeting in the Hall of Knights at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE) Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky waves in front of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen, Denmark (EPA) President Volodymyr Zelensky (2nd L) and his wife Olena Zelenska (2nd R) received by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (C), Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (R) and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (L) in the Hall of Knights at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen. (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE) Zelensky meets Greek PM Monday 21 August 2023 16:00 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Greece on Monday for talks with the countrys leadership and to attend an informal meeting of Balkan leaders with top European Union officials. Zelensky met with Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and also was scheduled to meet the countrys figurehead president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. In the evening, Mitsotakis office said, Zelensky was to join in an informal dinner organized by Mitsotakis for top officials from nine Balkan nations as well as European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel. Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis shakes hands with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the Maximos Mansion in Athens (REUTERS) The dinner was scheduled to discuss the Western Balkans regions future in the EU, which many countries have already joined and the rest are jockeying to enter. Greece has joined its Nato and EU partners in strongly backing Ukraine against the Russian invasion, and has provided material military assistance in the form of armored personnel carriers and ammunition. But Athens has resisted pressure to provide Kyiv with a Russian-made air defence missile system stationed on the southern island of Crete. Zelensky thanks Danish royals for 'humanitarian efforts' Monday 21 August 2023 15:57 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska thanked the Danish royals for their humanitarian efforts as they visited Copenhagen today. The Ukrainian president and his wife met with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and other members of the Royal Family during their trip. In a tweet president Zelensky said: We are thankful for the Royal Familys support of all the important humanitarian efforts. We thank the Danish government, parliament, and all Danes for standing with Ukraine. Olena @ZelenskaUA and I met with HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and members of the Royal Family. We are thankful for the Royal Family's support of all the important humanitarian efforts. We thank the Danish government, parliament, and all Danes for standing with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/erGB9tV5e5 (@ZelenskyyUa) August 21, 2023 German prosecutors raid home of pro-Kremlin activists Monday 21 August 2023 15:33 , Martha Mchardy German prosecutors said on Monday they searched the home of two pro-Kremlin activists under suspicion that they violated a law that regulates the production and transfer of war weapons. The activists - Max Schlund and his romantic partner Elena Kolbasnikova - have organised multiple rallies protesting Germanys support of Ukraine since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion last year. Reuters reported in January that Schlund and Kolbasnikova donated funds collected from supporters in Germany to a Russian army division fighting in Ukraine, and the money was used to purchase walkie-talkie radios, headphones and telephones. German prosecutors searched the couples home in March as they looked for evidence to corroborate Reuters reporting. Ulf Willuhn, a representative of the Cologne public prosecutors, confirmed on Monday the raid was conducted over suspicions of a violation of the War Weapons Control Act, but denied it was connected to their aid for Donbas in eastern Ukraine. Willuhn declined to comment further on the investigation. Germanys war weapons law regulates the production, sale and transfer of weapons ranging from hand grenades and automatic rifles to combat aircraft. One of Kolbasnikova and Schlunds supporters wrote in a Telegram chat on Monday that the police smashed into the couples apartment and injured Schlund during their search. Willuhn said he was not aware of Schlunds injuries and could not comment. Schlund and Kolbasnikova could not be immediately reached for comment. Kolbasnikova has previously said that the German authorities were committing lawlessness to try to silence political opponents. Markus Beisicht, the couples lawyer who has been involved in the pairs past rallies, told Reuters the apartment was damaged during the search on Monday and said Schlund was left with small bruises and wounds after the raid. Watch: Ukrainian troops fight on the frontline in Kupiansk Monday 21 August 2023 15:15 , Martha Mchardy Hiding beneath normality, daily life in Kyiv conceals the burdens of war Monday 21 August 2023 14:45 , Martha Mchardy Life in the capital of a war-torn country seems normal on the surface. In the mornings, people rush to their work holding cups of coffee. Streets are filled with cars, and in the evenings restaurants are packed. But the details tell another story. Numerous buildings across Kyiv bear the scars of Russian bombardment. Sandbags are stacked around monuments, museums and office buildings to protect from possible attack. At nights, streets are empty after the midnight curfew comes into force. Read more: Hiding beneath normality, daily life in Kyiv conceals the burdens of war On the ground in Ukraine, the desperate fight to protect a key city from 100,000 of Putins thugs Monday 21 August 2023 14:15 , Martha Mchardy The northeastern city of Kupiansk is a key target for Russia as it attempts to fight back against Ukraines summer offensive. As relentless shelling bombards the city, Kim Sengupta meets residents and soldiers facing daily assault. On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat Putins thugs | Kim Sengupta Ukraines Zelensky says F-16s make him confident that Russia will lose the war Monday 21 August 2023 13:44 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told a crowd in Denmark on Monday that promised deliveries of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets had made him confident Ukraine could end Russias invasion. Denmark and the Netherlands on Sunday announced they would supply the first F-16s to Ukraine, with the initial six due to be delivered around New Year. Washington had approved the delivery of the jets ahead of Zelenskys trip to Copenhagen. Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war, Zelensky told thousands of people who gathered outside the Danish parliament to hear his speech. Russia warned earlier that supplying the jets to Ukraine would only escalate the war, which has dragged on for almost 18 months. Russian forces are occupying almost a fifth of Ukraines territory and Kyiv is battling hard to push them out. Iranian delegation arrives in Moscow to discuss ground forces cooperation -TASS Monday 21 August 2023 12:45 , Martha Mchardy An Iranian military delegation has arrived in Moscow to discuss cooperation between Iranian and Russian ground forces, state news agency TASS reported on Monday, citing Russias Defence Ministry. Russia and Iran, both under Western economic sanctions, have forged closer relations in military and other areas since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. The West has accused Iran of selling large numbers of drones for use against Ukraine, something Tehran denies. Zelensky warns that Russias neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not win war Monday 21 August 2023 11:48 , Martha Mchardy President Zelensky warned that Russias neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not win the war. The Ukrainian president thanked Danish lawmakers on Monday for helping his country resist Russias invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Kyiv with American-made F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year.Addressing the Danish parliament in Copenhagen, he said: All of Russias neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail. International law will not be resuscitated, democracies of the world, each of them can become a target either for missiles, or for mercenaries, or for destabilisation, and I am sure you can fill it. But Ukraine will prevail. Thankyou for all the help provided to Ukraine. Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky greets members of Danish Parliament in Copenhagen (via REUTERS) Four killed and 25 wounded in latest Russian attacks in Ukraine, says presidential office Monday 21 August 2023 11:13 , Martha Mchardy At least four civilians were killed and 25 others wounded by the latest Russian attacks in Ukraine, according to the countrys presidential office. The dead included a 71-year-old man killed by Russian shelling in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, near the border with Russia. Watch live: Zelensky speaks to Danish people after addressing parliament in Copenhagen Monday 21 August 2023 11:08 , Martha Mchardy Watch live as Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to Danish people outside the parliament in Copenhagen on Monday, 21 August, after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in what he called a historic pledge. Denmark will deliver 19 jets, with the first six due to be shipped around New Year, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. Live: Zelensky speaks to Danish people after addressing parliament in Copenhagen Watch: Ukrainian troops fight on the frontline in Kupiansk Monday 21 August 2023 10:47 , Martha Mchardy RECAP: Ukraines Zelensky in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine Monday 21 August 2023 10:15 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday, two days after the country said the United States had given its approval for Dutch and Danish authorities to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraines air force. Zelensky met Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte at a military air base in the southern city of Eindhoven. The Ukrainian leader was in Sweden a day earlier. The U.S. approval Friday for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver American-made F-16s to Ukraine was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even though the fighter jets wont have an impact any time soon on the almost 18-month war. Ukraine's Zelenskyy in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine Russia warns F-16 donations will escalate war with Ukraine Monday 21 August 2023 09:48 , Martha Mchardy Russia has condemned a decision by Denmark and the Netherlands to donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, saying the move would escalate the conflict. The fact that Denmark has now decided to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict, Russian ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a statement cited by the Ritzau news agency. By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its actions and words to leave Ukraine with no other choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia, he said. Danish defence minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine may only use the donated F-16s within its own territory. We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that, Ellemann-Jensen said on Monday. Those are the conditions, whether its tanks, fighter planes or something else, he said. Denmark will deliver 19 jets in total. The Netherlands has 42 F-16s available in all but has yet to decide whether all of them will be donated. Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky said on Sunday the planes would strengthen Ukraines air defences and help its counter-offensive against Russian forces. Dominos franchisee to declare Russian business bankrupt Monday 21 August 2023 09:35 , Martha Mchardy The Russian arm of fast food chain Dominos is likely to close after its London-listed parent company decided to put it into bankruptcy. Apparently failing to find a buyer for the Russian business, DP Eurasia said it has decided its subsidiary should instead file for bankruptcy The franchisee runs around 170 Dominos pizza sites in the country, and had previously said it was evaluating its presence there. Dominos franchisee to declare Russian business bankrupt Drone attack thwarted over Russias Kaluga region without casualties or damage, governor claims Monday 21 August 2023 09:11 , Martha Mchardy The governor of Russias Kaluga region, south of Moscow, said on Monday that a drone attack had been repelled without casualties or damage. Two injured in Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow region Monday 21 August 2023 08:58 , Martha Mchardy At least two people were injured on Monday when parts of a Ukrainian drone destroyed by Russian air defences fell on a house in the Moscow region, the regional governor said. Ukraine may use new Black Sea route for grain shipments Monday 21 August 2023 08:40 , Martha Mchardy Ukraine is considering using its newly-tested wartime Black Sea export corridor for grain shipments, a senior agricultural official said on Monday. It follows the first successful evacuation of a vessel on the route last week. Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since it invaded its neighbour in Feb. 2022 and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of a U.N.-backed safe passage deal last month. In response, Ukraine announced a humanitarian corridor hugging the seas western coastline near Romania and Bulgaria. A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in Odesa port since the invasion travelled the route last week without being fired upon. Only one commercial vessel has passed through so far, it has shown readiness to move by alternative routes, Denys Marchuk, deputy head of the Agrarian Council, Ukraines largest agribusiness organisation, told national television. Further, there should be a movement of potentially 7-8 more ships... then perhaps in the future these alternative routes will become a corridor for the movement of ships that are travelling with cargoes of grain and oilseeds, he said. The Financial Times said Kyiv was finalising a scheme with global insurers to cover grain ships travelling to and from its Black Sea ports, citing Ukraines deputy economy minister Oleksandr Gryban. Ukraine is a global major grain grower and exporter and normally ships millions of metric tons of food from its deep-water Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv, but has had to rely on its Danube river ports after Russia pulled out of the deal. To attract ship owners to Ukrainian ports which have come under fire from Russian forces, Marchuk said Ukraine had already allocated 20 billion hryvnias ($547 million) for ship insurance. Not all ship owners will dare to put their ships in an uncertain environment, he added. Watch live: Zelensky addresses Danish parliament after historic fighter jets pledge Monday 21 August 2023 08:27 , Martha Mchardy Watch live as Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the Danish parliament on Monday, 21 August, after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in what he called a historic pledge. Denmark will deliver 19 jets, with the first six due to be shipped around New Year, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said. A further eight will be sent in 2024 and five in 2025. Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands has 42 jets but some will be needed for training purposes. It is not confirmed when the Netherlands will send the aircraft. Watch live: Zelensky addresses Danish parliament after historic fighter jets pledge Ukraine says it repels Russian attacks in Kharkiv region, gains in east Monday 21 August 2023 08:07 , Maanya Sachdeva The situation in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv is difficult but Ukraines forces are repelling Russian attacks and have re-taken several square kilometres on the eastern front over the past week, a deputy defence minister said on Monday. The Ukrainian military said last week that Russia was attacking towards Kupiansk, a town in the Kharkiv region. The situation in the Kupiansk direction is difficult. The enemy is not leaving plans to move forward, the enemy is pulling up additional forces, Hanna Maliar told the national television broadcaster. We are confident in our defenders, but it is very difficult for them there and the enemy is not advancing there, she said. Maliar said that Ukrainian forces were advancing south of Bakhmut, the city occupied by Russian forces in May after a bloody months-long struggle, and had liberated another three square kilometres over the past week. These reports could not be independently verified at the time. Maliar said there were no significant changes in the situation in the south, where Ukrainian forces are trying to split Russian forces and reach the Sea of Azov. We should not underestimate the enemy, Maliar said. We should all be patient and support our armed forces. Russia says two Ukrainian drones jammed over Moscow region Monday 21 August 2023 07:37 , Maanya Sachdeva Two Ukrainian drones were reportedly downed on Monday in the Moscow region, briefly disrupting flights at two of the capitals airports, according to Russian officialds. Russias defence ministry said it jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Ruzsky district west of the capital and later destroyed another one in the Istrinsky district nearby. Arrivals and departures from Moscows Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were briefly halted but later restarted. Ukrainian drone strikes both on border regions and on the Russian capital have become increasingly common in recent months, with repeated strikes on Moscows financial district. Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them. Russia reshuffles army formations to target key hotspots, says UK MoD Monday 21 August 2023 07:07 , Arpan Rai Russia is expanding and reorganising its military structures to cope with its losses in key fighting hotspots, according to the UKs MoD. One new formation is highly likely the 18th Combined Arms Army (18 CAA). The formation is likely to be an amalgamation and uplift of other units currently operating in Kherson Oblast, including 22nd Army Corps, the force which usually constitutes Russias garrison in occupied Crimea, the ministry said in its latest intelligence update. It added that the 18 CAA is likely to consist mostly of mobilised personnel and to focus on defensive security operations in the south of Ukraine. Russia likely aims to free up more experienced units to fight on key axes, the MoD said. There is a realistic possibility that this has led to the recent re-deployment of airborne forces from Kherson to the heavily contested Orikhiv sector, it added. Moscows Domodedovo airport restricts flight reports Monday 21 August 2023 06:37 , Arpan Rai Moscows Domodedovo airport has restricted arrivals and departures shortly after a Ukrainian drone was jammed and crashed over the capital region, Russian news agencies said. The step was taken in order to ensure additional flight safety measures, TASS and RIA said, citing the airports press service. Arrivals and departures from Moscows Vnukovo airport were suspended in the morning. Russia claims Ukrainian drone jammed over Moscow region Monday 21 August 2023 06:17 , Arpan Rai A Ukrainian drone was jammed over the Moscow region causing it to crash, Russias defence ministry said today. There were no casualties, the ministry added. Officials suspended arrivals and departures from Moscows Vnukovo airport shortly after, local news agencies reported. In pics: Zelensky marks successful trip to Denmark Monday 21 August 2023 06:06 , Arpan Rai Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky disembarks the plane as he arrives on the airfield in the Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens, Denmark (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty) Volodymyr Zelensky (3rd L) and his wife Olena Zelenska are greeted by Denmarks Crown Princess Mary (7thR) and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen (6th R) after arriving on the airfield in the Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty) Zelensky (L) and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen (R) react as they sit in a F-16 fighter jet in the hangar of the Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty) Zelensky (L) and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen sit in an F-16 fighter jet in the hangar of the Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens, northern Denmark (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty) Zelensky addresses a press conference in front of an F-16 fighter jet in the hangar of the Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty) F-16 training underway for Ukrainian pilots as Kyivs allies rally to air defence Monday 21 August 2023 05:34 , Arpan Rai On Saturday, Ukraines defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced F-16 training had begun for Ukrainian pilots, but added that it would take at least six months and possibly longer to also train engineers and mechanics. After delivering a big boost for Kyiv with the announcement of the planned delivery of dozens of F-16s, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said more than 70 Ukrainian military officials had arrived in Denmark for training. Officials from a coalition of 11 nations have said training will take place in Denmark and Romania. The Netherlands and Denmark have led a months-long push to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s and to ultimately deliver the jets to help counter the air superiority of Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February last year. While Ukraine has said it expects several dozen pilots to be trained, it remains unclear how many pilots had arrived in Denmark.Both the Netherlands and Denmark have F-16s available to donate as their armed forces are transitioning to newer F-35 fighters. Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft suffers technical glitch in pre-landing maneuver Monday 21 August 2023 04:30 , Matt Drake Russia reported an abnormal situation Saturday on its moon-bound Luna-25 spacecraft, which launched earlier this month. The countrys space agency, Roscosmos, said the spacecraft ran into unspecified trouble while trying to enter a pre-landing orbit, and that its specialists were analyzing the situation. During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the maneuver to be performed with the specified parameters, Roscosmos said in a Telegram post. Roscosmos did not specify whether the incident will prevent Luna-25 from making a landing. Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft suffers technical glitch in pre-landing maneuver Dozens of F-16s ready for Kyiv once crew finishes training Monday 21 August 2023 04:10 , Arpan Rai Ukraine is set to receive dozens of F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark in a sign of unwavering support once the pilot training of Ukrainian troops has been satisfactorily completed, their respective leaders announced. Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will get 42 jets, but the Netherlands and Denmark, in a joint statement announcing the deliveries, did not specify numbers. Denmarks prime minister Mette Frederiksen said 19 jets will hopefully be sent to Kyiv, of which six will arrive around the new year, eight more next year and the remaining five will be sent in 2025 as he asked Ukraine to please take this donation as a token of Denmarks unwavering support for your countrys fight for freedom. Danish defence minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Denmarks support for Ukraine is unwavering and with the donation of F-16s, the country is now leading the way. It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraines fight for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression, he said in a statement. Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands has 42 of the jets, but said some will be needed for training purposes. The timeline of dispatching these to Kyiv will depend on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready for the powerful US-made jets. Mr Zelensky welcomed the historic announcement and praised Mr Rutte for making the Netherlands the first country to offer the planes. The announcement came minutes after the two leaders inspected two grey F-16 jets parked in a hangar at a Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven. Russia 'fired on its own side' during counteroffensive Monday 21 August 2023 03:30 , Matt Drake Ukrainian soldiers who served on the frontline have described some of the desperate measures used by Russia. A deputy battalion commander of 129th Territorial Defense Brigade told The New York Times: "The Russians attempted counterattacks, tried to squeeze us out, to encircle us but everything happened as we envisioned. "They buried quite a lot of their own guys." Russia is said to have resorted to firing rockets at the battlefield indiscriminately, killing many of their own soldiers. A Ukrainian soldier fires rockets at Russian positions (AP) What each of the Republican candidates have said about the war in Ukraine Monday 21 August 2023 02:30 , Matt Drake As President Joe Biden likes to remind anyone wholl listen, This is not your grandfathers Republican Party. One of the issues where thats becoming more evident by the day is Ukraine. John McCain, the late Arizona Senator and 2008 GOP presidential candidate, sounded the alarm about Russia for years, making him one of President Vladimir Putins greatest antagonists, the Arizona Republic noted in February 2022, days after the Russian invasion began. During the last year of his presidency in 2008, George W Bush said he strongly supported eventual Nato membership for Ukraine and Georgia. Last year, in a viral gaffe, he mistakenly said Iraq when he meant to call the war in Ukraine unjustified and brutal. His younger brother, Jeb Bush, a former Florida Governor, went to Europe in 2015 shortly before announcing his presidential campaign. Read the full report below. What each of the Republican candidates have said about the war in Ukraine Ukraine has only moved six miles behind Russian lines Monday 21 August 2023 01:30 , Matt Drake Ukraine's counteroffensive isn't progressing as well as many had hoped, US officials have warned. Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and principal research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses, told the Financial Times: "Its been about 10km of advance at most no matter where you look in this offensive." Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the Rand Corporation, said: "I dont think that youll hear an argument from anyone that this is going well right now or that this is heading to a place that people would view as good, but there is not much by way of plan B." Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th brigade prepare a mini-multiple launch rocket system at the frontline close to Bakhmut (AP) Holland and Denmark in coalition to train Ukrainian pilots Monday 21 August 2023 00:30 , Matt Drake The Netherlands and Denmark announced Sunday they will give F-16 warplanes to Ukraine, in a long-awaited announcement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an important motivation for his countrys forces that are embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia. The Dutch and Danish governments are also involved in a coalition that is working to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the advanced fighter jets.Zelenskyy declined to say how many Ukrainian pilots would undergo training in Denmark and later in Romania, citing security reasons. However, Denmark said Friday that the training is starting this month.Officials have previously said that Ukrainian pilots will need six to eight months of training. Pictured, F-16s which Ukraine will receive next year (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Ukrainians torn by evacuation calls as Russian shells fall in northeast Sunday 20 August 2023 23:40 , Matt Drake Ukrainians living in the northeastern Kupiansk district close to Russias border on Sunday found themselves torn between the will to stay and protect what they have built and the desire to flee from Russian artillery fire. If you said the evacuation is going well, Dmytro Lozhenko, who runs a volunteer group that helps civilians flee the fighting, said on television, It would sound like a bit of sarcasm. Regional authorities announced a mandatory evacuation of civilians from near the Kupiansk front earlier this month due to daily Russian shelling. The artillery toll on Sunday, Ukraines prosecutor general said, began in the morning with an attack on the city of Kupiansk that sent a 45-year-old man to hospital in serious condition. In an interview on Ukrainian television, Lozhenko said about 600 people had been evacuated from the area in the past 10 days, more than 120 of them children. But what is now a mandatory evacuation, he said, may yet become a forced one, at least for families with children and for people with reduced mobility, who cannot look after themselves. In one village in Kupiansk district, he said, it was only after Russia bombed out almost two entire streets that people started to leave. The worst thing about evacuation is that people have been living in this war for a long time, and many of them are very used to shelling. Residents are said to be getting used to the shelling (REUTERS) F-16s crucial to Ukraine long term, says Washington Sunday 20 August 2023 22:33 , Matt Drake On Friday, the Netherlands and Denmark said the US had authorised them to deliver American-made F-16s to Ukraine. Washingtons approval was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even though the fighter jets wont have an impact any time soon on the almost 18-month war.Washington says the F-16s, like the advanced US Abrams tanks, will be crucial in the long term as Kyiv faces down Russia.Ukraine has been relying on older aircraft, such as Russian-made MiG29 and Sukhoi jets. F-16s have newer technology and targeting capabilities. They are also more versatile, experts say.In a video message earlier Sunday, Zelenskyy vowed a stern retaliation for a Russian missile strike the previous day in the center of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded over 100 others. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (R) standing next to a F-16 fighter jet (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER) Wagner is victim of its own brand name: How much of a threat does mercenary group pose in Belarus? Sunday 20 August 2023 21:37 , Matt Drake The newfound presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, exiled from Russia after their mutinous march on Moscow, has fuelled fresh anxieties in Ukraine and on Natos eastern flank. Belaruss neighbours have moved to a heightened state of alert since dictator Alexander Lukashenko appeared to broker a last-minute deal with the Kremlin to defuse the short-lived mutiny on 23 June and host Wagner troops on Belarusian soil. During a recent meeting at the strategically important Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated land corridor near their countries borders with Belarus and Russias enclave of Kaliningrad, Lithuanias president Gitanas Nauseda warned that north of 4,000 mercenaries were believed to be in Belarus, while Polands premier Mateusz Morawiecki branded them extremely dangerous. Read full article below. Wagner threat in Belarus explained as mercenary group a victim of its brand name Russian-occupied Crimea facising petrol shortages Sunday 20 August 2023 21:17 , Matt Drake Crimea is facing a gasoline shortage following Ukraine's attack on the bridge last month. Now petrol stations in Crimea have run out of petrol over the past months, according to Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty. Residents said one of the leading petrol chains in Crimea sent a text message urging people to stockup on fuel amid concerns of a shortfall. The Kerch Bridge following a Ukrainian attack (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Ukrainian pilots 'already begun training on F-16s' Sunday 20 August 2023 20:38 , Matt Drake The Defence of Ukraine Twitter announced that pilots have already begun their training. It comes after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will donate F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. The tweet reads: Our pilots and engineers have already began their training in Denmark. Denmark will provide Ukraine with 19 F-16s. We are working on the speed of preparations. During the talks we also discussed the possibility of expanding training missions the algorithm is clear. Our F-16 coalition is proving its efficiency. Thank you, Denmark! .@ZelenskyyUa Our pilots and engineers have already began their training in Denmark. Denmark will provide Ukraine with 19 F-16s. We are working on the speed of preparations. During the talks we also discussed the possibility of expanding training missions the algorithm is pic.twitter.com/0WyBSSavX9 Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 20, 2023 Zelenskyy vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 Sunday 20 August 2023 20:00 , Matt Drake Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday vowed stern retaliation for a Russian missile strike in the center of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 others the day before. I am sure our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly, Zelenskyy said in a video address published in the early hours of Sunday at the end of a visit to Sweden, his first foreign trip since attending a NATO summit in Lithuania last month. He identified a 6-year-old girl named Sofia as among the dead in the attack and confirmed that the wounded included 15 children. The governor of the Chernihiv region, Vyacheslav Chaus, said Sunday that the total number of people confirmed to have been wounded had risen to 148. Zelenskyy vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 Ukraine's Zelenskyy in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine Sunday 20 August 2023 19:31 , Matt Drake Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday, two days after the country said the United States had given its approval for Dutch and Danish authorities to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraines air force. Zelenskyy is meeting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at a military air base in the southern city of Eindhoven. The Ukrainian leader was in Sweden a day earlier. The U.S. approval Friday for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver American-made F-16s to Ukraine was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even though the fighter jets wont have an impact any time soon on the almost 18-month war. Ukraine has long pleaded for the sophisticated fighter to give it a combat edge. It recently launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against the Kremlins forces without air cover, placing its troops at the mercy of Russian aviation and artillery. Ukraine's Zelenskyy in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was the apple of his eye Sunday 20 August 2023 19:00 , Matt Drake Donald Trump has doubled down on claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin would have never launched a war on Ukraine if the four-times indicted former American president was still in power. Mr Trumps remarks came during his appearance on Fox BusinnesClay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday. He went on to make bizarre comments about his relationship with Putin. Putin wouldve never gotten into Ukraine, but thats just on my relationship with him. My personality over his, Mr Trump said. I was the apple of his eye and I would say, Dont ever do it. It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it. Read the full report below. Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was the apple of his eye Pictured, Ukrainian troops on the frontline Sunday 20 August 2023 18:36 , Matt Drake Pictures have emerged of Ukrainian servicemen of the 28th brigade using small multiple rocket systems. They are shown targeting Russian troops at the frontline close to Bakhmut. Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th brigade prepare a mini-multiple launch rocket system at the frontline close to Bakhmut (AP) Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th brigade prepare a mini-multiple launch rocket system at the frontline close to Bakhmut (AP) Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th brigade fire a mini-multiple launch rocket system towards the Russian position (AP) Pictured, Zelensky sits in an F-16 fighter jet Sunday 20 August 2023 18:00 , Matt Drake The Netherlands and Denmark announced Sunday they will give F-16 warplanes to Ukraine, a long-awaited announcement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an important motivation for his countrys forces, embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was pictured with the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sitting inside the war machine at Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sits in an F-16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Air Base in Vojens (via REUTERS) Zelensky sits in a F-16 with Mette Frederiksen (EPA) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sit in a F-16 fighter jet (EPA) Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials Sunday 20 August 2023 17:25 , Matt Drake The number of troops killed or wounded in Ukraine since Russias invasion is approaching 500,000, according to US officials, in an estimate not accounting for civilian deaths. Russias military casualties are approaching 300,000, including up to 120,000 deaths, while Ukraine has lost 70,000 troops, with between 100,000 and 120,000 injured, according to Washington officials quoted by the New York Times. In addition, Ukraine has suffered at least 26,384 civilian casualties since the beginning of the invasion on 24 February, 2022. This is according to the latest estimates from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and includes 9,444 killed and 16,940 injured. Read the full article by Andy Gregory,Chris Stevenson and Laura Sharman below. Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials Denmark will donate 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine Sunday 20 August 2023 17:07 , Matt Drake Denmark is hoping to donate five F-16 jets in 2024. It comes after Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte also confirmed that the Netherlands will also donate the fighter jets. The Netherlands has 42 planes, but it is not clear whether all of them will be donated to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C-L) with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (C-R) (EPA) Zelensky will exame F-16s during Denmark visit Sunday 20 August 2023 16:43 , Matt Drake President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in Denmark having landed at Skrydstrup Air Base in Vojens at around 4.30pm (2.30GMT) today. He is expected to talk about the start of Ukrainian pilot training with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Mr Zelensky said on Telegram: "We are moving forward in the F-16 issue. "We are preparing additional good news for Ukrainian warriors." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife Olena Zelenska arrive in Denmark (via REUTERS) Space Russias Luna-25 spacecraft crashes into moon in failed mission Sunday 20 August 2023 16:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russias first lunar mission in decades has failed as its spacecraft crashed into the moon. The Luna-25 was due to land on the south pole of the moon on Monday, as a space race takes place between Russia and India. But the countrys state space corporation, Roscosmos, said an abnormal situation occurred as mission control tried to move the craft into a pre-landing orbit at 11.10am on Saturday. Russias Luna-25 spacecraft crashes into moon in failed mission Netherlands and Denmark will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine Sunday 20 August 2023 15:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The Netherlands and Denmark announced on Sunday that they will give F-16 warplanes to Ukraine, in a long-awaited announcement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called an important motivation for Ukraines force. The timeline depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready for the powerful US-made jets, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Mr Zelensky as the two visited a Dutch air base. Ukraine has long pleaded for the sophisticated fighter to give it a combat edge. Mr Zelensky welcomed the historic announcement and praised Mr Rutte for making the Netherlands the first country to offer the planes. The announcement came minutes after the two leaders inspected two F-16 jets parked in a hangar at the Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven. It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraines fight for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression. Denmarks support for Ukraine is unwavering, and with the donation of F-16 aircraft, Denmark is now leading the way, Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said in a statement. Russia says Ukrainian drones attack four regions Sunday 20 August 2023 13:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russia said Ukrainian drones had attacked four separate regions in a flurry of attempted strikes on Sunday, injuring five people and forcing two of Moscows airports to briefly divert flights. Russias Kursk, Rostov and Belgorod regions, all of which border Ukraine, reported attempted drone strikes, while Russias defence ministry said it had jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Moscow region, forcing it to crash in an unpopulated area. Russias aviation watchdog said it had briefly halted flights to the citys Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports in response. The Kursk regions governor said five people had been injured and a fire had broken out when a drone hit Kursk citys railway station. Rostovs governor said no injuries or damage had occurred. Later on Sunday, Russias Defence Ministry said it had prevented two separate drone strikes on Belgorod region, the border province most regularly attacked by Ukraine. The local governor said on Telegram that 12 airborne targets had been downed on the approaches to Belgorod city. Ukrainian servicemen fire small MLRS toward Russian troops near a front line in Zaporizhzhia region (REUTERS) Russia says Ukrainian drones attack three regions Sunday 20 August 2023 13:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russia said Ukrainian drones had struck three separate regions on Sunday, injuring five people and forcing two of Moscows airports to briefly divert flights. Russias Kursk and Rostov regions, both of which border Ukraine, reported drone strikes while Russias defence ministry said it had jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Moscow region, forcing it to crash in an unpopulated area. Russias aviation watchdog said it had briefly halted flights to the citys Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports in response. Kursk regions governor said that 5 people had been injured and a fire broke out when a drone hit a railway station. Rostovs governor said no injuries or damage had occurred. Ukrainian drone strikes both on border regions and on the Russian capital have become increasingly common in recent months, with repeated strikes on Moscows financial district. Russia said in May that two Ukrainian drones tried to attack the Kremlin. Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them. Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials Sunday 20 August 2023 12:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The number of troops killed or wounded in Ukraine since Russias invasion is approaching 500,000, according to US officials, in an estimate not accounting for civilian deaths. Russias military casualties are approaching 300,000, including up to 120,000 deaths, while Ukraine has lost 70,000 troops, with between 100,000 and 120,000 injured, according to Washington officials quoted by the New York Times. In addition, Ukraine has suffered at least 26,384 civilian casualties since the beginning of the invasion on 24 February, 2022. This is according to the latest estimates from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and includes 9,444 killed and 16,940 injured. Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials Ukraines Zelensky in Netherlands in push to boost air defences Sunday 20 August 2023 11:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday in an ongoing push to boost Ukraines air defences, days after the United States approved the possible delivery of F-16 fighter jets by the Netherlands and Denmark. The Netherlands, together with Denmark, has in recent months led international efforts to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16s and to ultimately deliver the jets to help counter the air superiority of Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The main issue is F-16 for Ukraine to protect our people from Russian terror. We are getting stronger, Zelensky said in a post on Telegram. The agenda also includes the Global Peace Summit and bringing Russia to justice, Zelenskiy said. Zelensky will meet outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at a military air base in Eindhoven, Ruttes office said without providing further details. Rutte said in May the Netherlands was seriously considering handing over F-16s, but its not clear how many they would have available and when. Ukraines Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on Saturday said training had begun for Ukrainians to operate F-16s, but added it would take at least six months and possibly longer to also train engineers and mechanics. Training will take place in Denmark and Romania, officials from a coalition of 11 nations have said. Ukraine, which expects several dozens of pilots to be trained, said last week it did not expect to be able to use F-16s this autumn or winter. The Netherlands could deliver F-16s as its armed forces are transitioning to newer F-35 fighters. Russias Luna-25 spacecraft crashes into moon in failed mission Sunday 20 August 2023 10:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russias first lunar mission in decades has failed after its spacecraft crashed into the moon. The Luna-25 was due to land on the south pole of the moon on Monday, in a space race between Russia and India. But the countrys state space corporation, Roskosmos, said an abnormal situation occurred as mission control tried to move the craft into a pre-landing orbit at 11.10am on Saturday. The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon, Roskosmos said in a statement. The moon mission was Russias first in 47 years. Russias Luna-25 spacecraft crashes into moon in failed mission Zelensky vows revenge over deadly Chernihiv 'terror attack' Sunday 20 August 2023 09:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed revenge for the attack which left seven dead and 144 injured in Chernihiv. I am sure our soldiers will give a response to Russia for this terrorist attack, Zelensky said in his nightly video address, delivered early on Sunday at the end of a visit to Sweden. A notable response. He said that of the 144 people injured, 15 were children, and named the girl killed as Sofia. Fifteen others were police officers, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram. Klymenko said most of the victims were in vehicles, crossing the road, or returning from church. Regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said 41 people were in hospital on Saturday. Zelensky said the strike on Chernihiv, a city of leafy boulevards and centuries-old churches about 145 km (90 miles) north of Kyiv, coincided with the Orthodox holiday of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Russia jams a Ukrainian drone in Moscow region - defence ministry Sunday 20 August 2023 08:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russian air defences jammed a Ukrainian drone flying towards Moscow early on Sunday and it crashed, the defence ministry said. There were no casualties, the defence ministry said. Drone crashes into railway station in Russias Kursk, five injured Sunday 20 August 2023 07:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain A Ukrainian drone crashed into the rooftop of a railway station in the Russian city of Kursk, injuring five people and setting off a fire, the TASS news agency said on Sunday, citing regional governor Roman Starovoit. (TELEGRAM / @gubernator_46/AFP vi) (TELEGRAM / @gubernator_46/AFP vi) (TELEGRAM / @gubernator_46/AFP vi) Ukraine already preparing for worst-case scenario winter siege, says UK Sunday 20 August 2023 07:00 , Shweta Sharma Ukraine is already stockpiling fuel ahead of another challenging winter under siege from Russia, the UKs Ministry of Defence said on Thursday. The ministry said in its intelligence report that despite the consistent pressures of war, Ukrainian efforts to build up fuel stockpiles will likely be successful in ensuring that it will have sufficient fuel reserves during the approaching winter period. It also noted that Ukraine has been effective in mobilising its mining sector to maintain output, ensuring a continuous supply of coal is available for thermal power and heating plants in the winter, with substantial gas stocks providing a further reserve. Ukraine already preparing for worst-case scenario winter siege, says UK UN condemns heinous Russias Chernihiv missile attack Sunday 20 August 2023 06:30 , Shweta Sharma The UN condemned Russia for carrying out the heinous missile strike in the historic northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. It is heinous to attack the main square of a large city, in the morning, while people are out walking, some going to the church to celebrate a religious day for many Ukrainians, said Denise Brown, the UNs humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine. I condemn this repeated pattern of Russian strikes on populated areas of Ukraine, causing deaths, massive destruction and soaring humanitarian needs. Attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law. It must stop. Training has begun for Ukrainians to operate US F16 Sunday 20 August 2023 06:00 , Shweta Sharma Training had begun for Ukrainians to operate US F16 fighter jets but it would take at least six months and possibly longer, defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov, two days after a US official said F16s would be transferred to Ukraine once its pilots were trained. Mr Reznikov said in a TV interview that six months of training was considered the minimum for pilots, but it was not yet known how long it would take to train engineers and mechanics. Ukraine wants sophisticated US-made warplanes so it can counter the air superiority of Russia, whose forces invaded the country in February 2022. Therefore, to build reasonable expectations, set a minimum of six months in your mind, but do not be disappointed if it is longer, he told Kanal 24 anchor Andriana Kucher, who shared the interview on her YouTube channel. A US official said on Thursday that Washington had approved sending F16s to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russia as soon as pilot training was completed. Mr Reznikov said he would not give details on where and when the training was taking place. Number of injured in the missile attack on Chernihiv rises to 144 Sunday 20 August 2023 05:30 , Shweta Sharma The number of people injured from Russias missile strike in the historic northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv has risen to 144. Seven people including a 6-year-old girl and 15 children were left dead in the missile strike that tore into the roof of theatres and buildings, sparked a fire and damaged infrastructure. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that of the 144 people injured, 15 were children, and named the girl killed as Sofia. Fifteen others were police officers, interior minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram. He said most of the victims were in vehicles, crossing the road, or returning from church. The deadly strike coincided with the Orthodox holiday of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Drone attack on railway station in central Russia, governor claims Sunday 20 August 2023 04:30 , Shweta Sharma A Ukrainian drone crashed into the rooftop of a railway station in Kursk, the central Russian city. Five people were injured and the attack set off a fire at the railway station, Kursk region governor Roman Starovoit said, according to Tass. Ukrainian drone attack in Kursk. According to preliminary information, it crashed into the roof of the railway station building, setting off a fire on the rooftop. Five people were slightly injured by shards of glass, he said on Telegram. The city is located 150kms from the border with Ukraine. Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials Sunday 20 August 2023 04:00 , Matt Drake The number of troops killed or wounded in Ukraine since Russias invasion is approaching 500,000, according to US officials, in an estimate not accounting for civilian deaths. Russias military casualties are approaching 300,000, including up to 120,000 deaths, while Ukraine has lost 70,000 troops, with between 100,000 and 120,000 injured, according to Washington officials quoted by the New York Times. In addition, Ukraine has suffered at least 26,384 civilian casualties since the beginning of the invasion on 24 February, 2022. This is according to the latest estimates from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and includes 9,444 killed and 16,940 injured. Read the full report below. Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials How much of a threat does Wagner mercenary group pose in Belarus? Sunday 20 August 2023 03:00 , Matt Drake The newfound presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, exiled from Russia after their mutinous march on Moscow, has fuelled fresh anxieties in Ukraine and on Natos eastern flank. Belaruss neighbours have moved to a heightened state of alert since dictator Alexander Lukashenko appeared to broker a last-minute deal with the Kremlin to defuse the short-lived mutiny on 23 June and host Wagner troops on Belarusian soil. During a recent meeting at the strategically important Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated land corridor near their countries borders with Belarus and Russias enclave of Kaliningrad, Lithuanias president Gitanas Nauseda warned that north of 4,000 mercenaries were believed to be in Belarus, while Polands premier Mateusz Morawiecki branded them extremely dangerous. Read the full report by Andy Gregory below. Wagner threat in Belarus explained as mercenary group a victim of its brand name Russian-backed general admits his troops 'cannot win' Sunday 20 August 2023 02:00 , Matt Drake Alexander Khodakovsky, chief of the pro-Russian Vostok Battalion of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, wrote a lengthy Telegram post. He said his troops "cannot win" against Ukraine and suggested freezing the current front line. According to a translation by the Kyiv Post, he said: "Can we bring down Ukraine militarily? Now and in the near future, no. "When I talk to myself about our destiny in this war, I mean that we will not crawl forward, like the Ukrainians, turning everything into destroyed Bakhmuts in our path. And, I do not foresee the easy occupation of cities." Ukrainian troops around Kupiansk (Ukrainian Armed Forces) More than 40 people in hospital after rocket attack Sunday 20 August 2023 01:00 , Matt Drake A Russian missile struck the central square of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, killing seven people including a six-year-old child. At least 129 were injured including 15 children and 15 police officers. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was on a visit to Sweden, posted on Telegram messaging app: "A Russian missile hit right in the centre of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theatre. "An ordinary Saturday, which Russia turned into a day of pain and loss." Debris in the street where a missile hit the Drama Theatre in central Chernihiv (EPA) Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft suffers technical glitch in pre-landing maneuver Sunday 20 August 2023 00:00 , Matt Drake Russia reported an abnormal situation Saturday on its moon-bound Luna-25 spacecraft, which launched earlier this month.The countrys space agency, Roscosmos, said the spacecraft ran into unspecified trouble while trying to enter a pre-landing orbit, and that its specialists were analyzing the situation.During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the maneuver to be performed with the specified parameters, Roscosmos said in a Telegram post.Roscosmos did not specify whether the incident will prevent Luna-25 from making a landing. Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the moon lander Luna-25 automatic station takes off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East (AP) Ukraine's long F16s training process has begun Saturday 19 August 2023 23:02 , Matt Drake Training has begun for Ukrainians to operate US F16 fighter jets but it would take at least six months and possibly longer, Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday. The Ukrainian Defence Ministers comments came two days after a US official said F-16s would be transferred to Ukraine once its pilots were trained. Mr Reznikov said in a TV interview that six months of training was considered the minimum for pilots, but it was not yet known how long it would take to train engineers and mechanics. Ukraine wants the sophisticated US-made warplanes so it can counter the air superiority of Russia, whose forces invaded the country in February 2022. Therefore, to build reasonable expectations, set a minimum of six months in your mind, but do not be disappointed if it is longer, he told Kanal 24 anchor Andriana Kucher, who shared the interview on her YouTube channel. US Air Force F-16 fighter jet is on display during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was the apple of his eye Saturday 19 August 2023 21:00 , Matt Drake Donald Trump has doubled down on claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin would have never launched a war on Ukraine if the four-times indicted former American president was still in power. Mr Trumps remarks came during his appearance on Fox BusinnesClay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday. He went on to make bizarre comments about his relationship with Putin. Putin wouldve never gotten into Ukraine, but thats just on my relationship with him. My personality over his, Mr Trump said. I was the apple of his eye and I would say, Dont ever do it. It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it. Mr Trumps comments have sparked scrutiny, with fellow GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie decrying the ex-presidennts self-admitted fondness for the Russian dictator. Mr Christie, who met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine earlier this month, also warned about the danger of American politicians supporting anti-Democratic figures. Read the full report by Andrea Blanco below. Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was the apple of his eye Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Swedish prime minister pictured together Saturday 19 August 2023 20:30 , Matt Drake Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Sweden on his first foreign trip since attending a NATO summit in Lithuania last month. At a joint news conference, Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced the two countries had agreed to cooperate on the production, training and servicing of Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicles. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would start manufacturing the vehicles as part of the deal.He also encouraged Kristersson to share Swedens Gripen fighter aircraft with Ukraine.We do not have superiority in the air, and we do not have modern aircraft. In reality, the Swedish Gripen is the pride of your country, and I believe that the prime minister could share this pride with Ukraine, Zelenskyy said.Sweden has said it will allow Ukrainian pilots to test the Gripen planes but has so far ruled out giving any to Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hold a joint press conference (AFP via Getty Images) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson take a walk in the garden of the minister's countryside retreat in Harpsund (AFP via Getty Images) Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (R) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a press conference (EPA) Chernihiv rocket attack is a 'terrorism' and 'war crime' Saturday 19 August 2023 20:00 , Matt Drake The mayor of Chernihiv, Oleksandr Lomako, described the Russian strike on the northern Ukrainian city as a "terrorist attack". Speaking to the BBC, he said: "You can see its the centre of the city. There were many people, it was midday. "Today is a religious holiday and people were at the service. There is no other way to interpret it than a war crime against civilians, yet another Russian war crime." The scene of a missile hit at the Drama Theatre in central Chernihiv (EPA) Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials Saturday 19 August 2023 19:30 , Matt Drake The number of troops killed or wounded in Ukraine since Russias invasion is approaching 500,000, according to US officials, in an estimate not accounting for civilian deaths. Russias military casualties are approaching 300,000, including up to 120,000 deaths, while Ukraine has lost 70,000 troops, with between 100,000 and 120,000 injured, according to Washington officials quoted by the New York Times. In addition, Ukraine has suffered at least 26,384 civilian casualties since the beginning of the invasion on 24 February, 2022. This is according to the latest estimates from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and includes 9,444 killed and 16,940 injured. Read the full story by Andy Gregory, Chris Stevenson and Laura Sharman below. Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials 15 children and 15 police officers killed in rocket attack Saturday 19 August 2023 19:16 , Matt Drake Seven people including a 6-year-old child were killed and 129 wounded when a Russian missile struck a central square in the historic northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, the interior ministry said on Saturday. People had been on their way to church to celebrate a religious holiday when the strike took place, the ministry said. Of the 129 counted as wounded in the search and rescue operation, 15 were children and 15 were police officers, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said in a Telegram post. Ukrainian media reported that a public event featuring drone manufacturers had been taking place inside the theatre at the time of the attack. Both sides in Russias 18-month-old invasion have widely used drones on the battlefield. Ukrainian rescuers walk in front of the Taras Shevchenko Chernihiv Regional Academic Music and Drama Theatre (AFP via Getty Images) Images show aftermath of Russian rocket attack Saturday 19 August 2023 18:49 , Matt Drake Seven people including a 6-year-old child were killed and 129 wounded when a Russian missile struck a central square in the historic northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, the interior ministry said on Saturday. People had been on their way to church to celebrate a religious holiday when the strike took place, the ministry said. Of the 129 counted as wounded in the search and rescue operation, 15 were children and 15 were police officers, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said in a Telegram post. Pictures show debris scattered across a square in front of the regional drama theatre, where parked cars were heavily damaged. Debris in the street where a missile hit the Drama Theatre in central Chernihiv (EPA) he scene of a missile hit at the Drama Theatre in central Chernihiv (EPA) The scene of a missile hit at the Drama Theatre in central Chernihiv (EPA) Workers from the Vertel cafe hug as they start to clean up after a missile attack (Getty Images) Site of a missile strike in the centre of Chernihiv (AFP via Getty Images) Event hosting drone manufacturers was taking place during Chernihiv attack Saturday 19 August 2023 17:24 , Matt Drake A six-year-old child was among seven dead and more than 100 others wounded after the attack in the northern Ukrainian city. Ukrainian media reported that a public event featuring drone manufacturers was taking place inside the Chernihiv Regional Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater at the time of the strike. Interior minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that an unspecified event had been taking place in the building at the time of the attack. A bloody scene after the attack (Getty Images) Russian attack on city main square 'heinous' says UN official Saturday 19 August 2023 16:35 , Matt Drake Denise Brown, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said she was "extremely disturbed" by Russias rocket attack in Chernihiv in which seven people were killed and more than 100 others were injured. Mrs Brown said: "It is heinous to attack the main square of a large city, in the morning, while people are out walking, some going to the church to celebrate a religious day for many Ukrainians. "I condemn this repeated pattern of Russian strikes on populated areas of Ukraine, causing deaths, massive destruction and soaring humanitarian needs." The scene of a missile hit at the Drama Theatre in central Chernihiv (EPA) Zelensky asks for Sweden for Gripen jets on first visit since Russian invasion Saturday 19 August 2023 15:38 , Matt Mathers Ukraine has begun discussing with Sweden the possibility of receiving Gripen jets to boost its air defences, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday after meeting Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Zelenskys visit is his first to Sweden since Russias invasion in February 2022 and the talks about obtaining Gripen jets, which he cast as preliminary, follow approval from the United States for Denmark and the Netherlands to send F-16 fighters to Ukraine. "Today we discussed in detail the future steps regarding the possibility of opening the subject of receiving Swedish Gripens," Zelensky said at a joint news briefing with Kristersson, adding that the topic would be central to his meetings with other Swedish officials. Zelenksy meets Ulf Kristersson (Getty) ICYMI: Footage appears to show moment drone attack hits building in central Moscow Saturday 19 August 2023 14:30 , Matt Mathers Footage purports to show the moment a drone attack struck Moscow, Hayden Vernon reports. Russian officials accused Ukraine of launching an attack on a building in Moscows business district. Unverified footage on social media appeared to show an explosion next to recognisable Moscow skyscrapers. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences had shot down the drone with its debris falling on the citys Expo Center. Ukraine did not confirm the attack, but officials in Kyiv have never formally acknowledged launching attacks on targets in Moscow. Watch the clip below: Footage appears to show moment drone attack hits building in central Moscow Editor's note: The original version of this article mistakenly wrote that Ukraine was set to receive 42 fighter jets, when the total is in fact 61 42 from the Netherlands and 19 from Denmark, wtih the first set to arrive this year from Danish stockpiles. Key developments on Aug. 20: Zelensky says Ukraine to receive 42 U.S.-built fighter jets from the Netherlands Denmark pledges delivery of 19 F-16s to Ukraine Zelensky rules out territorial concessions to Russia Official: 156 injured in Russian Aug. 19 missile strike on Chernihiv Russian governor claims 12 drones downed in border region Three months after U.S. President Joe Bidens decision to allow NATO allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Aug. 20 that Ukraine would receive 42 aircraft from the Netherlands and another 19 from Denmark, the first set to arrive by the end of 2023. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Zelensky over the weekend toured three European countries to discuss jet delivery pledges to Ukraine with their top officials. The trip started on Aug. 19 in Sweden, where Zelensky said Ukrainian pilots had begun test flights on Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Sweden has previously said it would allow Ukrainian pilots to train on its Gripen jets, but has so far stopped short of pledging the aircraft itself. Visiting the Netherlands on Aug. 20, Zelensky met with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Royal Netherlands Air Force Chief Andre Steur at an airbase in Eindhoven. Rutte announced at a joint press conference that the Netherlands and Denmark would provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets once conditions for the transfer have been met. "Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to transferring F-16 aircraft to Ukraine and the Ukrainian Air Force," he said in one of the airbase hangars. Rutte added that he wanted the training for F-16 jets and their delivery to Ukraine to take place as soon as possible. He didn't specify the number of aircraft, but earlier that day, Zelensky said in Telegram posts that Ukraine would receive 42 F-16s in a breakthrough agreement. The Netherlands Air Force has a total of 42 F-16s, but is transitioning to modern F-35 fighters. The Danish Defense Ministry also confirmed on Aug. 20 its commitment to delivering F-16s to Ukraine. Conditions for the transfer include but are not limited to successfully selecting, testing, and training of Ukrainian F-16 personnel and the necessary authorizations, infrastructure, and logistics, according to the ministry. During Zelenskys visit to Denmark on the same day, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pledged 19 F-16s, announcing that the first six aircraft would be delivered to Ukraine by the end of this year. She also said that Ukraine would receive eight other aircraft from Denmark to Ukraine in 2024, and five more in 2025. Denmark will also train Ukrainian pilots, and engineers of the fighter jets. Romania is also set to host training sessions for Ukrainian pilots. The Netherlands and Denmark have spearheaded the international training coalition on F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine. Announced at the NATO summit in Vilnius, along with nine other allies, the coalition is set to ensure training of the Ukrainian Air Force in using F-16 fighter jets. Both countries confirmed on Aug. 18 they had received approval from the U.S. to hand over F-16s from their arsenal to Ukraine after pilots and engineers were trained. Kyiv has been lobbying for the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine since the spring of 2022 to counter Russia's air superiority. The F-16's dominance over Soviet fighter jets used by both Ukrainian and Russian air forces lies in its advanced design and capabilities developed in the 1970s, allowing for enhanced performance, agility, and versatility in combat situations. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Aug. 19 that Ukrainian pilots, engineers, and technicians had already started a six-month training session for F-16s. The training was due to kick off in Denmark in late August, according to the Danish Defense Ministry. Read also: Just hold on: Front-line medics race against time to save wounded soldiers Zelensky rules out territorial concessions to Russia Ukraine will not consider giving away part of the country's territory to Russia in some kind of "exchange as a part of a potential peace deal, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Aug. 20 in Eindhoven. We've indicated how we see peace (with Russia) and are ready for an open discussion, said Zelensky, adding that a peace agreement is possible only if Ukraine fully restores its borders, including Donbas and Crimea. Zelensky, as well as other top Ukrainian officials, reacted with indignation after Stian Jenssen, chief of staff of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, floated the idea of Ukraine giving up some of its occupied territories in exchange for NATO membership. Jenssen, a high-ranking NATO official, walked back his public comments about Ukraines territorial concessions to Russia, the Norwegian newspaper VG reported on Aug. 16. It was a mistake, Jenssen told VG, the same newspaper that reported on his comments the day before. It was part of a larger discussion about possible future scenarios in Ukraine, he clarified, and I shouldnt have said it that way. Russia has occupied around 20 percent of Ukraine, with some territories being occupied since 2014, including Crimea. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that the main goal is to liberate all Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories. In addition, over 85 percent of Ukrainians are against territorial concessions, according to polls. Some Western officials have devised elaborate plans to end the war, yet these propositions have failed to align with the goals of Kyiv or Moscow, the Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 20. Behind closed doors, many Western officials doubt Ukraine's ability to solely determine the endgame, fearing that Ukraine's maximalist aspirations could perpetuate an endless war, according to the report. Ukraine is ready to exchange (Russias city of) Belgorod for our NATO membership, Zelensky quipped at the joint press conference with the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Aug. 20. Read also: Howard, Jensen: How Russias military bloggers shape the course of Putins war Russian Aug. 19 strike on Chernihiv kills 7, injures 156 Rescue operations have finished following Russias Aug. 19 ballistic missile strike on Chernihiv that left seven people killed and 156 injured, Deputy Head of Presidents Office Oleksiy Kuleba reported on Aug. 20. He also said that 41 people had been hospitalized. The attack damaged 66 residential buildings, 10 administrative buildings, and 67 cars, according to Kuleba. Russian forces targeted downtown Chernihiv in northern Ukraine on the morning of Aug. 19. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the missile strike impacted Chernihiv's central square, polytechnic institute, and theater. "Here's what it means to be neighbors with a terrorist state, here's what we are uniting the entire world against," Zelensky said in a Telegram post on Aug. 19, the day when Christians in Ukraine celebrate one of the biggest Eastern Orthodox holidays the Feast of the Transfiguration. One of the photos from the scene shows a body with a traditional church basket next to it. Following the attack, there were unconfirmed reports in Ukrainian media that the missile had targeted a site where Ukrainian drone producers were holding an exhibition. The Kyiv Independent confirmed that an exhibition of drone producers was planned for Aug. 19 in Chernihiv, but the location was kept secret. The registered visitors were going to receive the address hours before the event. In Russia Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russias Belgorod region, claimed on Aug. 20 that Russian air defense had downed 12 drones approaching the regional capital. Neither Gladkov nor Russian emergency services have reported on casualties or damage. Meanwhile, the reported number of drones contradicts the Russian Defense Ministry's claim that air defense shot down three Ukrainian loitering munitions over the Belgorod region in an alleged two-wave attack on Aug. 20. The Kyiv Independent couldnt verify the claims. The city of Belgorod is located less than 35 kilometers from Ukraines border. Earlier that day, Roman Starovoit, governor of Russia's Kursk region, claimed that a Ukrainian drone had struck a Kursk railway station overnight on Aug. 20, injuring five people and causing a fire on its rooftop. A video uploaded to a Russian Telegram channel shows a fire on the station's rooftop and emergency vehicles. The Kursk region also borders Ukraine. Meanwhile, across the border in Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian settlements endure daily attacks from Russian forces. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10 Ukraine is working to secure an invitation to the upcoming G20 summit in New Delhi, India, one way or another, according to Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Ihor Zhovkva, on Aug. 20. You know, there is such a principle in diplomacy: never say never, Zhovka said. Were working with the Indian side to involve Ukraine in the G20 summit in one or another format. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, scheduled for Sept. 9-10, Bloomberg reported on March 11. This is despite an outstanding warrant for the Russian dictators arrest, issued by the International Criminal Court. However, India is not a signatory to the ICC, and is not obligated to observe the warrant. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The upcoming Indian G20 summit may be a stage for peace talks for resolving the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. political news outlet Politico speculated on Aug. 2, suggesting that the UN General Assembly, also scheduled for September, may also play a role in the peace process. However, two weeks later, India confirmed that Kyiv had not received an official invitation since the G20 advocates growth and development but not conflict resolution. Ukraine is working on a format that will allow it to interact with G20 countries at the upcoming summit in India even if it is not invited to participate directly, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Aug. 17. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Danish lawmakers on Monday for helping his country resist Russias invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Kyiv with F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year. Zelenskyy told the lawmakers during a visit to Copenhagen that if Russias invasion is successful, other parts of Europe would be at risk from the Kremlins military aggression. All of Russias neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail, he said in a speech. Zelenskyy says Ukraine is defending Western values of freedom and democracy against tyranny. He has argued that Ukraine needs to be properly provisioned to fend off Russias much bigger force. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukraine has been pressing its Western allies for months to give it American-made F-16s. Its armed forces are still using aging Soviet-era combat planes from the 1970s and 80s, and its counteroffensive against Russian positions is advancing without air support, which analysts say is a major handicap. Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Ukraine would get 42 jets. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, which could be delivered around the end of the year when pilot training lasting four to six months is completed. However, getting Ukrainian squadrons battle-ready could take much longer. U.S. Air Force Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa, said last week that he did not expect the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. Getting F-16 squadrons ready for battle could take four or five years, he said. While some training has already begun for Ukrainian pilots, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Sunday its just language lessons so far. Training Ukrainian pilots is just one of the challenges in the anticipated deployment of F-16s. Questions also remain over who will carry out crucial aircraft maintenance, the supply of spare parts, runway maintenance and protective shelters for the planes on the ground, and what weapons the West will supply to arm the fighter jets. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the F-16s will help Ukraine change the course of events in the war. Air superiority is the key to success on the ground, he said in televised remarks. Denmark rolled out the red carpet for Zelenskyys trip to Copenhagen. The Ukrainian leader also met at the Christiansborg Palace, the building housing the Danish parliament, with Denmarks 83-year-old figurehead monarch, Queen Margrethe, who returned from vacation for the occasion. Afterward, he spoke from the parliament steps to thousands of cheering people who waved Danish and Ukrainian flags in the palaces courtyard. The United States last week announced its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver the F-16s. That is needed because the aircraft are made in the United States. On Sunday, Zelenskyy visited the Netherlands and inspected two gray F-16s parked in a hangar at a Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven together with Rutte. He also visited an air base in southern Denmark where Ukrainian pilots will receive training on F-16s. Rutte didnt provide a number or timeframe for deliveries, saying it depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. Zelenskyy started his trip Saturday in Sweden, where he asked Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Sweden has said it will allow Ukrainian pilots to test the planes but has not made any commitments to hand them over. Kristersson said Monday that Sweden needs the Gripen planes for its own defense, noting that the countrys bid to join NATO has not been finalized. We dont rule anything out in the future, he told the TV4 channel. We will do everything we can to support them also with aircraft. But right now there are no new commitments to provide Swedish aircraft to Ukraine. On Monday, Russian air defenses jammed a Ukrainian drone west of Moscow and shot down another one on the outskirts of the city, Russias Defense Ministry said. Two people were injured and one of them was hospitalized when drone fragments fell on a private house, Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said. Such drone attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in Russia in recent weeks. Also, Russian rail officials said that a relay cabinet used to run train traffic was set ablaze on the outskirts of Moscow, causing delays, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency. Russian authorities have reported multiple similar incidents across the country, some of which have been blamed on acts of sabotage encouraged by Ukrainian security agencies. In Ukraine, at least four civilians were killed and 25 others wounded by the latest Russian attacks, according to the Ukrainian presidential office. The dead included a 71-year-old man killed by Russian shelling in the northeastern Kharkiv region, near the border with Russia. ___ Karl Ritter in Stockholm and Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Spokesman for Ukraines Air Force Yurii Ihnat has said that Ukraine needs 128 new fighter jets to replace its old aircraft and gain crucial air superiority. Source: Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty) Quote from Ihnat: "This [i.e., 128] is the number we have in mind. Of course the war might make us revise this, but we really do need over 100 aircraft to deploy them at different airfields so that they can respond to different threats and strike at different targets, including both aircraft and ground targets, such as behind the enemy frontlines." Details: Ihnat explained that Ukraines Air Force has set out that it needs 128 fighter jets in its strategic vision and that the 42 F-16s Ukraine might receive will comprise four aircraft brigades. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Radio Liberty said that Ukrainian pilots were training to operate F-16 fighter jets in two countries: younger pilots who graduated from Ukraines National Aviation University in 2023 are currently in the UK, while the more experienced pilots, the 2016 graduates with significant combat experience, are training in Sweden. Ihnat said that the two sets of pilots have different curricula. This years graduates will receive mainly basic training and take an in-depth English course. Basic training includes learning to operate a Western-made light aircraft and then a jet; eventually, they will perform independent flights on the F-16. This program involves up to two years of training. But, Ihnat added, "our people can surprise [everyone] and complete training faster." Background: On 20 August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a visit to the Netherlands that Ukraine would receive 42 F-16 fighter jets after Ukrainian pilots and engineers complete their training. Later on 20 August, Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, said that Denmark would give Ukraine 19 F-16s. Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, Minister of Defence of Denmark, said that Ukraine would only be able to use the F-16s on its own territory, to drive Russian forces out of Ukraine. In January, Ukraines Air Force reported that Ukraine needed 200 multi-purpose aircraft to protect the sky. In May, Ukraines Defence Ministry said Ukraine needed 48 F-16 fighter jets to liberate the country from Russian occupation forces. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukraine's use of US cluster bombs is deterring Russian attacks, The Washington Post reported. The US decision to provide Ukraine with the weapon was controversial. The weapons disperse bombs and shrapnel over a wide area. Ukraine says that controversial cluster munitions supplied by the US are proving important for stopping Russian attacks on its positions, The Washington Post reported. President Joe Biden's decision to send the weapons to Ukraine in July attracted criticism, with allies including France, Germany, and Canada expressing concern over potential civilian casualties. The weapons differ from normal munitions, which land and create a single explosion. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cluster munitions break apart above their target, dispersing large numbers of small bombs over a wide area. The smaller bombs often don't detonate properly, and can lie unexploded for years, posing a lasting threat to local populations. Ukrainian officials told the Post that the weapons were having an important impact on the front line, helping to slow and deter Russian attacks. "The main benefit is that the enemy is now very scared to go on assault," said Stanislav, a Ukrainian military official whom The Post identified only by his call sign for security reasons. "They even recognize the cluster bombs by the whistle they make when headed their way," Stanislav said. When Biden agreed to Ukrainian requests for the weapons, analysts said their main use would be to help Ukraine break through Russia's formidable defenses as part of its counteroffensive. The Post reported that they have been useful defensively too. While Ukraine is attacking, Russian troops can shelter in their trenches and avoid much of the damage. But if the Russians are advancing over open ground, then the weapons can be devastating. Officials said the offensive use of the cluster munitions has been in pinning down Russian troops, meaning they stay sheltering as Ukraine advances. The Rand think tank said that the munitions were especially useful given that Ukraine's regular artillery stocks were badly depleted. More than 100 countries are signatories to the the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use and stockpiling of the weapon. US allies like the UK, Germany and France have agreed not the use them, but the US, Ukraine and Russia are not signatories of the convention. Both Ukraine and Russia have used the munitions during the Ukraine conflict, with Russia accused of using the weapons in attacks on civilian targets. Read the original article on Business Insider The Security Service of Ukraine has opened criminal proceedings on the fact of Saturday's missile strike on the drama theatre in Chernihiv; it has already been established that the Russian army used an Iskander missile system to target the civilian object. Source: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine Details: The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating criminal proceedings on the fact of a Russian missile strike on the centre of Chernihiv under Article 438 of the Criminal Code (violation of laws and customs of war). In order to investigate this tragedy fully and objectively, the investigators of the Security Service carry out a whole range of investigative and operational measures. They collect the appropriate evidence base, interview witnesses, etc. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Previously, the Security Service of Ukraine established the type of Russian missile the civilian building was hit with. It was a 9M727 missile (cruise missile of the Iskander ground-based missile system). Missile over Chernihiv during the attack Photo provided by THE Security Service of Ukraine to Ukrainska pravda A number of examinations have been scheduled. The investigation is ongoing. Background: At around 11:30 on 19 August, Russian troops hit the centre of Chernihiv with a ballistic missile. As it turned out, Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Chernihiv Music and Drama Theatre when a gathering of drone manufacturers and aerial reconnaissance training schools was held there as part of the Liuti Ptashky (Angry Birds) demo day, although only the events participants knew the exact location. Later, Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti stated that the Russian invaders targeted "the gathering of Ukraines Armed Forces military specialists in combat drones" in Chernihiv. According to the latest data on the aftermath of the attack, 7 people were killed, including a child, another 180 people were injured, including at least 12 children. There are 46 people in hospital with various injuries, including 6 children. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pose after their statements at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Zelenskyy flew to Greece Monday for talks with the country's leadership and to attend an informal meeting of Balkan leaders with top European Union officials. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged Monday to keep up military support for Ukraine for as long as it takes and to help with post-war reconstruction. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that might mean Greece could help train his country's fighter pilots on new Western aircraft, though Greek officials did not comment. Zelenskyy was in Athens for his fourth visit to a European Union capital in three days, and he also attended an informal meeting of Balkan leaders with top European Union officials. In statements following his talks with Zelenskyy, Mitsotakis voiced full support for Kyiv against Russias invasion and condemned Russian for war crimes. He pledged to stay on the side of the government and the heroic people of Ukraine, however much time may be required. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mitsotakis also said NATO-member Greece would participate in the titanic task of reconstruction in Ukraine when the fighting is over. Zelenskyy thanked Mitsotakis for Greece's support, and suggested that Athens has agreed to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the U.S.-made F-16 warplanes that Denmark and the Netherlands have pledged to provide to Kyiv. Today we have an important result for the aviation coalition Greece will take part in training our pilots on F-16s," he said. Thank you for this offer. Greek officials did not respond to requests for comment, and Mitsotakis made no reference to pilot training. Zelenskyy and Mitsotakis also signed a joint declaration on Greece supporting Ukraine joining NATO, when allies agree and conditions are met. In the evening, Zelenskyy joined an informal dinner organized by Mitsotakis for nine Balkan leaders, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel. The dinner was to discuss the western Balkans future in the EU, which many of the region's countries have already joined and the rest are jockeying to enter. A joint statement issued after the dinner meeting voiced support for a re-energized and re-focused EU enlargement process that would lead to the western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova becoming full-fledged members of the European family. Greece has joined its NATO and EU partners in strongly backing Ukraine against the Russian invasion and has provided military assistance in the form of armored personnel carriers and ammunition. But Athens has resisted pressure to provide Kyiv with a Russian-made air defense missile system stationed on the southern island of Crete. Greece is engaged in a substantial weapons procurement program of its own amid testy relations with neighboring Turkey its NATO ally and historic regional rival. Zelenskyy flew to Greece from Denmark, which together with the Netherlands on Sunday announced they would provide Kyiv with F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year. The presidents of Serbia, Montenegro and Moldova, the prime ministers of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, and the head of the council of ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina attended Monday's dinner. A notable absence was Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Relations between Greece and its northwestern neighbor have soured over the jailing of ethnic Greek minority leader Fredi Beleri, who was arrested before local elections in May on vote-buying allegations. Beleri was elected mayor of the southwestern Albanian town of Himara despite being in pre-trial detention. Athens insists his detention is politically motivated and has called for his release. I believe we all understand that it was not possible to invite Mr. Rama to such an important initiative, Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said. When we say that Albanias European path passes through the basic respect of European rules and the rules of justice, we mean it, he added, noting that Albania's president had declined an invitation to attend. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said Ukrainian strikes on the Russian rear areas are worsening Russian troops morale, creating a probable threat to the stability of the Russian occupiers' defence in many critical areas of the combat zone. Source: ISW Quote: "Russian frontline units, particularly in southern Ukraine, have frequently struggled with degraded morale following Ukrainian strikes on rear areas. Morale issues can quickly intensify and spread among Russian frontline units if one unit under pressure breaks, which could spread panic and significantly reduce the combat effectiveness of other Russian forces." Details: The ISW reported that Russian milbloggers have criticised the Russian Defence Ministry (Russian MoD) for not taking actions to prevent a drone attack on the Soltsy airfield in Novgorod Oblast conducted on 19 August and downplaying the severity of damage to the aircraft that were deployed there. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "The Russian MoD claimed on 19 August that Russian forces shot down a Ukrainian drone using small arms and that a fire damaged one aircraft but that firefighters promptly put out the fire. Images published on 20 August reportedly show a Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name Backfire-C) long-range supersonic bomber on fire at the Soltsy airbase. A Russian insider source claimed that witnesses said that fire damaged or completely destroyed two aircraft. Several Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces used a small and relatively inexpensive quadcopter drone to conduct the attack and criticised the Russian MoD for not storing the aircraft in hangars, noting that even elementary protective structures and nets are reliable against quadcopters." The ISW believes that the damage or even the destruction of two Tu-22M3 aircraft in itself will not lead to significant military ramifications, but the reaction of Russian milbloggers to the attack demonstrates how such strikes in the rear areas have a positive effect for Ukraine's larger efforts to lower the morale of the Russian military. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Ukrainian government will make a final decision regarding the suspension of visa-free travel with Israel in the coming days. Source: Interfax-Ukraine, citing Yevhen Korniichuk, Ukraines Ambassador to Israel, during a radio broadcast Quote from Korniichuk: "If the Ukrainian government decides to suspend visa-free travel with Israel, it will be a decision aimed at the [Israeli] government, not the people or the members of religious communities. The final decision has not been made yet, but will be made in the coming days." Details: Korniichuk said that the proposal to suspend visa-free travel with Israel was a response to the growing number of deportations of Ukrainian refugees from Israel. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukraines Ambassador to Israel added that Ukrainian refugees have faced difficulties in Israel since the beginning of the Russian aggression. Quote from Korniichuk: "When our refugees, the majority of whom are women and children, get to Israel, where they hope to find refuge with their friends and relatives, the first thing they face is their passports being confiscated and they are being held in airports for interrogations that last 5-10 hours. Following this, around 10% of Ukrainians are denied entry. This is unacceptable! Israel is also the only country that has introduced electronic visas for Ukrainians after Russia unleashed its war against Ukraine!" Details: Korniichuk added that he was speaking on behalf of the Ukrainian government, with President Zelenskyy having spoken up about the migration issues, and demanded to address it. "As for me, it is the presidents prerogative to recall ambassadors back to Kyiv. This decision has not yet been made. The duty of Ukraines government is to take care of its people and to prevent the rights of Ukrainians from being infringed upon," Korniichuk said. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukraines Armed Forces have liberated three square kilometers south of the war-torn town of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, over the past week, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on Aug. 21. As for the Bakhmut area, news is now coming in about the southern and the northern flanks, Malyar said. Read also: Ukrainian soldiers shoot down Russian Ka-52 helicopter near Bakhmut If you look at the map, it looks somewhat like a horseshoe around Bakhmut. The enemy is trying to oust the Ukrainian troops on the northern flank near Bakhmut, as Ukraine holds the high ground in that area, Malyar noted. Read also: Ukrainian military gains foothold near Urozhayne, advances south of Bakhmut, says General Staff ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Russians have been driven into a corner there since they cannot withdraw from Bakhmut and cannot fully advance there, so theyre trying to storm from the northern flank to oust the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the deputy minister added. The enemy is failing to do this, but the fighting is fierce there. According to Malyar, Ukraines military has liberated 43 square kilometers around Bakhmut since its counteroffensive began in June. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine KHERSON, UKRAINE - Unexploded munition collected by de-mining unit of National Guards of Ukraine before they will be destroyed seen in near Khersone. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) Ukraine-aligned accounts on social media are hyping an innovative way that Ukrainians are finding Russian mines. Attacking troops are using infrared imagers, especially mounted on drones, to detect Russian mines as they glow in the early evening. The tactic is effective, even if it isn't quite as new or innovative as some of the hype. The tactic and how the mine detection works Russian defensive belts are the biggest difference between Ukraine's slow progress in its counteroffensive vs. the lightning progress of the Kherson and Kharkiv counteroffensives . These belts rely on trenches, defenders, artillery, and a massive number of mines and boobytraps. Russians improvised some, like the reported "bouquets" of grenades bundled together. But Russia also deployed thousands upon thousands of mines using vehicles. Many of these mines are sitting on or near the surface, hidden by grass or a small amount of dirt. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But the materials used in mines, like the metal or plastic casings and the explosives inside, take longer to absorb and release heat than the surrounding air and surface soil do. And that's what creates an opening for infrared detection. In the evenings, as the air rapidly cools off, the mines will need hours to get as cool as the air and ground. During that time, the mines glow through infrared imagers, releasing much more heat than anything else. In the morning, the opposite is true, as the mines take longer to heat up and so appear more dark than surrounding territory. The morning images are not as effective as at night, but are still much better than attempting to detect mines without assistance. Once an operator finds a likely minefield, they can call in artillery, explosive charges, or other systems to try and detonate the mines. Or explosive ordnance disposal teams can clean a route up close and personal. DONETSK, UKRAINE - Ukrainian army's 35th Marine Brigade members conduct mine clearance work at a field in Donetsk, Ukraine on July 11, 2023. (Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) The history of infrared detection While this tactic is described in some videos as completely new, even CNN discusses it like it's a novel approach discovered by Ukraine, American and allied forces used similar tactics to find IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Homemade explosives often don't light up as dramatically as a military mine, especially if they're buried instead of on the surface, they're still quite visible. And in the relatively light foliage of Iraq and Afghanistan, it was easier to get a good look at the terrain and scan it for heat discrepancies. In act, some researchers worked on automated processes and claimed success rates as high as 92 percent . A similar tactic explored the possibility of using thermal imagery to find "energized" IED components . You know how your computer or phone gets hot if you use it nonstop for an hour or two? That is partially because batteries heat up as they charge or discharge electricity. This technique allowed an operator to see the heat of a battery or sensor as electricity moved through it. America has continued its research and published new methods, including the 2018 experiment by the Army Research Labs and University of Delaware that looked at mounting sensors high above a vehicle to allow for better energy detection. New Ukrainian innovations While the infrared tactic isn't as novel as it is sometimes described, it is much safer for soldiers. Better, Ukrainians work daily on how to improve mine detection. One promising tech coming from students and organizations is airborne metal detection . A drone flies above the ground for minutes to hours with a metal detector suspended underneath it. Similar to sub-hunting airplanes , the craft detects changes in an electromagnetic field caused by the metal mass underneath. When it detects a potential mine, it marks the spot and alerts an operator. New designs of these drones map all their potential finds with high accuracy, usually without the need for a human pilot. Mine clearing units can then start planning safe lanes for attack and clear only what is necessary for success. Or they can settle in for the long, hard work of clearing the landscape. Long-term, it will likely take many years and billions of dollars to render Ukraine safe. But new tech and old techniques will allow the current counteroffensive to continue despite the threat. Ukrainian refugees living at the Breaffy Woods Hotel near Castlebar in County Mayo, in the West of Ireland, have expressed concern over a government order to pay for their own meals. Source: European Pravda, citing Independent Details: Earlier this year, the Irish government announced that Ukrainian refugees staying in hotels and other serviced accommodations must pay EUR 10 per adult and EUR 5 per child per day for meals. However, this decision was met with opposition from residents of the Breaffy Woods Hotel near Castlebar, which houses 333 Ukrainian refugees and 132 applicants for international protection from other countries. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Ukrainian residents stated in a letter sent to the hotel's management that the food does not meet the standards set by the World Health Organization and "is not equivalent to the cost offered." They express their "concerns and collective dissent" and claim that migrants from other countries staying at the centre don't have to pay for their meals. Quote: "The hotel management does not oblige residents of other nationalities to pay for meals, which can be regarded as an instance of discrimination," the letter reads. Under the scheme, which was introduced to reduce government costs, migrants who refuse to pay will be seen as refusing their accommodation and asked to leave. "The direct threat of the eviction of Ukrainian families, in case of non-payment of food contributions, violates the terms of the directive on temporary protection in EU countries for persons displaced as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to which the provision of housing is mandatory," the letter reads. The letter, signed by "residents of Breaffy Woods reception centre", was addressed to Wilson Bird, the general manager of the hotel. There are about 85,000 Ukrainian refugees in Ireland who received temporary protection after fleeing the Russian invasion. Unlike asylum seekers, they can work or claim social benefits, including unemployment benefits. Ukrainians living in Breaffy received a letter from the Equality Department on 17 July, informing them that the new meal charges are mandatory. It also said that any laundry or pet expenses will "no longer be covered by this department." "If you do not pay this contribution towards meals, the accommodation provider has been instructed to inform this department and you will not be able to stay in the accommodation," the letter states. The hotel said it had been advised to refer media inquiries to the government and released a statement referring to the government's decision last October to introduce a meal charge for people using temporary protection in "state-funded accommodation". Background: Several accommodation centres for Ukrainian refugees were closed due to the reduction of costs for their maintenance in Moldova. As of 30 June 2023, almost 4.7 million non-citizens of the EU who left Ukraine due to the war have temporary protection status in EU countries. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukrainian soldiers hide during the shelling at the air defense positions held in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, on August 8, 2023. Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images NYT reported Russian forces are performing desperate maneuvers against Ukraine's counteroffensive. In a June battle, Russians fired rockets indiscriminately, killing their own troops. "They buried quite a lot of their own guys," a Ukrainian soldier told the Times. Soldiers on Ukraine's front lines say Russian forces have resorted to desperate maneuvers sometimes firing upon their own men to combat the summer counteroffensive strategies supported by Ukraine's Western allies. As the invasion continues into its 18th month, incidents of friendly fire among Russian troops aren't new. Still, according to a report from The New York Times, Russian forces are apparently showing progressively less concern for their own troops as they face off against Ukrainian soldiers. Just after Ukraine's counteroffensive was launched, that disregard was highlighted after three days of close-quarters fighting in a June battle for the village of Neskuchne, located in the Donetsk oblast province on the left bank of the Mokri Yaly river. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "The Russians attempted counterattacks, tried to squeeze us out, to encircle us but everything happened as we envisioned," a deputy battalion commander of 129th Territorial Defense Brigade, who goes by the call sign Kherson, told the outlet. "We also had strong support from artillery and the higher command." After it became clear that Russia would have to cede the territory they had taken, the commander said Russian forces resorted to indiscriminately firing rockets at the battlefield, killing many of their own soldiers. "They buried quite a lot of their own guys," Kherson told The Times. Representatives for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense and the Government of the Russian Federation did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. A Russian paratrooper, who last year wrote a detailed day-by-day memoir of the war in Ukraine, described the chaos when entire battalions were killed by friendly fire. Shortly before the Wagner uprising in June, where mercenary forces led by Yevgeny Prigozhin briefly marched across Russia, coming within hours of Moscow, members of the for-hire troops and Russia's official military opened fire on one another. Multiple other reports have documented Russian troops being plagued by friendly fire as they advanced in Ukraine, though the Kremlin rarely acknowledges these incidents. The Russian news agency Tass reported on one friendly fire incident involving Ukrainian troops in December, though there have been few additional reports of Ukrainian soldiers firing at each other. Insider previously reported that, despite ongoing support from the US and other Western allies, Ukrainian troops are still taking heavy damage from old-fashioned wartime tactics, including mines and booby traps, as well as high-tech drone attacks and advanced weapons systems. Read the original article on Business Insider Heavy artillery belonging to the invaders has been destroyed by soldiers of the 3rd Regiment of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Bakhmut front. Source: Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) Details: During reconnaissance of the area, SOF soldiers found a 2S4 Tyulpan 240-mm heavy self-propelled mortar and a 2S7 Pion 203-mm self-propelled gun. They were used to attack positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Operators from the Special Purpose group of the Ukrainian SOF passed the coordinates of the detected targets to the artillery of the Ukrainian Defence Forces who adjusted their fire. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to intelligence data, Russian equipment was destroyed as a result of the artillery fire, and Russian servicemen were killed and wounded, as evidenced by the occupiers intercepted conversations, which can be heard on the posted video. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukraines rail network has proven essential to supporting the countrys population during the war Ukraines national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, has shown off its brand new first class carriages that will operate on trains running between Kyiv and Chernivtsi, in a series of pictures shared by Ukrzaliznytsia on Aug. 21. The company said that modernized carriage have air conditioning, vacuum toilets, and lighting that allows for individual control per bed. Read also: Ukrzaliznytsia to Europe: Opportunities for Ukrainians to travel to European countries "Amidst the summer travel season, the Chernivtsi route has more to offer to customers in terms of price and services, because more luxury carriages for the sophisticated customer are running here alongside cheaper ones for social needs, for example, for transporting groups of children to recreation facilities," the message reads. facebook.com/Ukrzaliznytsia facebook.com/Ukrzaliznytsia facebook.com/Ukrzaliznytsia Earlier, taxi service Uber and Ukrzaliznytsia launched a new service called Uber Travel in Ukraine, integrating Uber rides with train journeys and offering passengers a 10% cashback on trips to or from railway stations in Kyiv. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Hungary again cancels three trains because of large flow of passengers Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine North Carolina GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson has said it himself: Hes a conspiracy theorist. He didnt specify in that March interview what that means in terms of what he believes. It turns out it means he has spread virtually every conspiracy theory you can think of. Robinson, who is the states lieutenant governor, has said he wouldnt be surprised if the 1969 moon landing was fake and the 9/11 terrorist attacks were an inside job. Hes SERIOUSLY skeptical of President John F. Kennedys assassination and of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. He falsely accused David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, of being a paid actor. Hes claimed that climate change is based on junk science. And those are just the dangerous theories hes echoed that have been previously reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In lesser-noticed social media posts, Robinson has said that news coverage of police shootings is part of a media conspiracy designed to push US towards their new world order. He and his wife both liked a since-deleted Facebook comment that stated, WWG1WGA are my Identity letters, a reference to the QAnon rallying cry Where we go one, we go all. In October 2018, on a day when authorities intercepted pipe bombs intended for President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and CNN, Robinson suggested on Facebook that they had done it to themselves. If you cant beat em, bomb yourself, he wrote. He followed that with another Facebook post claiming, This entire bombing story is faker than a $20 Rolex sold on a New York City sidewalk. Months later, another post on his Facebook page parroted the conspiracy theory that the pipe bomb incident was manufactured and fake. Robinson is also a regularproponent of conspiracies claiming the music industry is being run by Satan and the Illuminati. He has called Beyonces music satanic and described Jay-Z as demonic and sent by Satan to turn people away from Jesus. He suggested that the 2014 Boko Haram kidnapping of schoolgirls in Nigeria was orchestrated by billionaire Democratic philanthropist George Soros, a frequent target of antisemitic attacks by Republicans. This Republican state official has alsoroutinelypushed the New World Order conspiracy theory, which involves forced depopulation programs, a secretive ruling class of reptiles and elite globalists on a satanic mission to bring about the end times. In one instance, Robinson warned on Facebook that the reality-TV shows American Idol, Dancing With the Stars and Chopped are a sign of an impending New World Order. He said they remind him of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalins Show Trials. Where people were lined up and judged then executed. Yeah. A Robinson campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on whether he stands by all of these claims. North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who believes Beyonce is North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who believes Beyonce is "satanic" and that the 1969 moon landing may have been fake, is currently the leading Republican candidate for governor. Its still early in the campaign season. There are other comparatively normal but still conservative GOP candidates running, including former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker and Dale Folwell, the state treasurer. But Robinson is currently the front-runner to be the GOPs nominee for governor. How is this possible? He has two key things going for him that other Republican candidates dont have, said David McLennan, a political science professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hes got name recognition, and hes got the backing of former President Donald Trump . I think this does bother people on the Republican side, McLennan said of Robinson being a wild conspiracy theorist. They just havent figured out how to organize their efforts to help another candidate compete against Robinson. A Walker campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Folwell said Robinson should probably shut up. As previous north carolinian maya angelou always said when a person shows you who they are the first time, believe them, Folwell said in an emailed statement. Voters are exhausted with PINOs. (Politicians in name only) who attack people and not problems. If you dont show up, stand up or cant explain conservatism without offending then you should shut up. On the Democratic side, Attorney General Josh Stein is the only major candidate to formally announce a campaign. Current Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is term-limited out in 2024. A Stein campaign spokesperson declined comment. Robinson has also modeled himself after Trump and appears to be trying to deflect all criticisms in the same way, said Chris Cooper, the Robert Lee Madison distinguished professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Its for the same reason Trump is under four indictments and is the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for the presidency, Cooper said. Hes the favorite because hes the favorite. The inflammatory rhetoric is already baked into peoples opinions of him. We already knew he was engaged in these types of behaviors. So every news story about Robinson doesnt really provide the voter with new information. So he can continue to weather the storm. Robinson is also charismatic, Cooper said, which has helped him to build a national profile and raise a lot of money. His race is a factor, too, he said. Hes an African American Republican at a time when many Republicans feel they are being accused of being racist for being Republicans, he added. Steven Greene, a political science professor at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, said Robinson simply represents the culture war id of the Republican Party. He is the Republican Party writ large, Greene said. One of the major themes of Trumps campaign could be considered a conspiracy theory, which is that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Republican primary voters have shown they are very, very willing to, shall we say, be comfortable with their political leaders holding conspiracy views. He is the Republican Party writ large.Steven Greene, North Carolina State University political science professor All of the North Carolina political experts HuffPost spoke to for this story said Robinson is likely to be the GOP nominee for governor and possibly will go on to become governor, given that North Carolina is a swing state. Of the major election forecasters, the Cook Political Report rates the race as leans Democratic, while Inside Elections and the University of Virginias Crystal Ball both consider the race a tossup. But Greene predicted that Robinsons extremism will ultimately backfire on him, just as it did with the GOPs gubernatorial nominee in 2020, Dan Forest. Dan Forests problem, and the reason he lost, was because he was seen as too extreme of a social conservative. Mark Robinson is Forest on steroids, Greene said. We have seen ever since the elevation of Trump, Republican primary voters, again and again, time and time and time again, choosing the candidate who makes an awful general election candidate in a purple state, he said. My presumption is Mark Robinson will fall right into this pattern. Related... In 1998, Olivier Rubbers beaver bombed his local waterways. In laymans terms, that means he re-released beavers into the wild, letting them naturally dam up a river. It was technically illegal, but it raises the question is it wrong? Rubbers picked up beavers from Germany, then crossed the border into his native Belgium to release them. He repeated this several times over two years, bringing a total of 97 beavers into his country. He watched as the beavers did their magic, turning streams into beaver ponds, a perfect habitat for frogs, fish, and more. Rubbers had a bit of a rogue streak, believing that he had all the authorization [he] needed, when in reality, he had no legal right to do so. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement And Rubbers is not alone. There is an underground network of wildlife lovers who also do this type of conservation: illegally introducing, removing, or reintroducing species to bring balance back to nature. Some have proper scientific backgrounds, while others, like Rubbers, do not. We are in the middle of the worlds sixth mass extinction, meaning large numbers of species are going extinct in a short time. This sixth extinction event is caused largely by human activity, including agriculture, pollution, and overheating of our planet. Rubbers and his fellow rogue rewilders argue that it is more of a crime to let the species die off than to reintroduce them without a permit. The rewilders believe that reintroducing important species will help nature repair itself. In turn, these healthier habitats will help fight warming temperatures by sequestering carbon pollution from the air and preventing flooding and erosion. However, the lack of training many of these rewilders have has been a reason for controversy. Those who oppose the rewilders worry they may not know what theyre doing. They may increase the chances of spreading disease between humans and animals, hurting biodiversity as they try to help it. But there are also many who support the rogue rewilders. Scientists note that they can reintroduce a species within a matter of days instead of waiting for years behind lines of bureaucratic red tape. Its one of the reasons wildlife lovers often praise the rewilders for bringing back these often beloved species. They are the heroes of our time, Ben Goldsmith, a British environmentalist, told Noema Magazine. The argument often boils down to timing. Should we act now to save wild species and improve habitats, or should we be cautious and follow established rules and regulations? Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. According to Northwestern Universitys Body and Media Lab, womens clothing tends to be more painful, restrictive, and distracting, which can interrupt focus and make it more difficult to move around in the workplace. Buying a space themed t-shirt with planets, swirling galaxies, or a NASA logo made to fit a five-year-old girl shouldnt really be a tall order, but it was a daunting task for mom and entrepreneur Jaya Iyer. In 2015, she struggled to find clothing for her budding space cadet daughter in traditional retailers and noticed a huge hole in the market that is still reflective of society at large. The gender gap in STEM fields remains persistent, with women making up only 28 percent of the STEM workforce. That idea that science is for boys and not girls can begin as young as six, according to a 2021 study from Yale University. This outdated idea is still reflected with the very clothes available to them. [Related: If you want sustainable clothes, focus on the farms.] Equipped with a stereotype smashing goal, years of experience with online retailer ThinkGeek, and a PhD in fashion merchandising from Iowa State University, Iyer launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to create clothing for children whose hobbies dont fit in gender traditional boxesthink girls who love bugs and math or boys who like cats more than reptiles. Svaha USA was born and since then, the company has expanded into adult and more gender neutral clothing and has collaborated with NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg. Their latest team up has tech executive and STEAM ambassador Rhonda Vetere contributing to a line of clothing featuring circuits, binary code, and robots. Its all with the same goalsrepresenting science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) fields, clothing inclusivity and adaptability, and keeping the wearer feeling good without too much effort. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement If I have to dry clean anything that I own, it sits in my closet, because I don't want to deal with having to go to a dry cleaner, drop it off, pick it up, and it's expensive. I didn't want those fussy features of any clothing, Iyer tells PopSci. Iyer has long used her customer base as her primary source of ideas, inspiration, and market research, even holding multiple design competitions for new STEAM inspired patterns and clothing because she believes that, art has to be a part of every element of STEM. Customers are also the ones who have helped make the brand more adaptive and inclusive. For those with sensory issues, the clothes come in knitted fabrics for extra softness and do not have itchy fasteners. She began to make front button shirts for new moms who are nursing. Some options do not have zippers so wearers can easily get dressed in the morning without the help of a partner or roommate. All Svaha dresses also come with an element that is noteworthy for pretty much anyone who identifies as femalepockets. I do have customers who say that, even my two-year-old now realizes the importance of having pockets in her dresses, says Iyer. I also realized how important it is for people who want to carry an insulin pump to have these kinds of clothing. NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg wearing a Svaha Dinos in Space shirt while presenting a TED Talk. CREDIT: Svaha USA. While pockets in clothing may seem like a trivial bit of detail for some, wearing functional clothing can send an important message of inclusivity. Fashion psychologist, author, and instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York Dawnn Karen says the gender messaging on a lack of pockets can devalue the wearer and can contribute to decision fatigue, as needing to carry a bag for everyday items is just one more thing to worry about. [Related: Googles new AI will show how clothes look on different body types.] We make more than 100 decisions a day. Think of someone in intense STEM jobs. If you want to focus on something, but have to think about a bag, it can make you feel unworthy or just add more stress, Karen tells PopSci. It's more psychological than anything. A man with pockets built into his whole attire doesn't have to think about that one less thing. In addition to this lack of functionality, womens clothing also tends to be more painful, restrictive, and distracting to the wearer. This can interrupt focus and make it more difficult to move around in the workplace, according to research from Northwestern Universitys Body and Media Lab. Anecdotal experiments with switching over to clothes made for men can reveal the lack of pain and mark inducing bits of clothing and simplifying dressing decisions, which can lead to more comfort and some overall happiness. To combat all of this, Karen promotes a movement she founded called dopamine dressing. Referencing the neurotransmitter nicknamed the feel good hormone, dopamine dressing encourages people of all gender identities to embrace the power of wearing clothes and accessories that help them feel happy. The concept arose at a time where Karen was having difficulty expressing herself verbally while recovering from sexual assault. Her experience studying counseling psychology in graduate school and as a part-time model led her to use clothing to work through feelings. Mood illustration is dressing to perpetuate and optimize your current mood. It's to maintain some type of emotional equilibrium and is what has been nicknamed dopamine dressing, explains Karen. The first key ingredient for Karens philosophy is color. Karen believes that color can help with this mood enhancement, even if it is a color that clients of hers dont believe will look good with their skin tones. While brighter colors do tend to elicit more of those happy feelings, it is highly individualized and some of Karens clients feel their best in all black. On the other side of the fashion psych coin is serotonin dressing, where people are encouraged to use clothing to sit with their negative feelings and actually pass through them instead of pushing them down or away. Anything you suppress ends up coming back up. So you don't want to suppress it, says Karen. [Related: This STEM club for girls turned a real BMW into a sweet racing simulator.] The second crucial ingredient is one that she shares with Iyer and Svaha USAthe all important comfort factor. Both cited the COVID-19 pandemic as having a major effect on consumers realizing that texture, fabric, and comfort really do matter for clothing. This impact goes beyond the power of the pocketbook. If you are wearing something that you feel extremely comfortable in, you are going to feel happy and good wearing them all day long, says Iyer. I feel like that happiness can then very easily move on to everything that you do in the day. Over the weekend, Emmy-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones died at age 66 after dealing with health issues in recent years. Jones representative confirmed the news to Variety and expressed grief on behalf of the actors family. Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue, the representative told Variety. Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him. He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning performance for his role in Clydes on Broadway. Jones is best known for playing as William Hill on the NBC show This Is Us. Speaking to variety in May 2022, Jones raved about the energy he feels from the show. At the end, the caboose, which signifies the end, its when William is right there. And he has this beautiful little monologue where you see Williams face light up with this idea that the end is sort of the beginning, the actor told Variety. And thats kind of what the monologue is about, just that endings can be beautiful. If you accept them for what they are, theyre not always sad, they can be very beautiful. Its these little pieces of him throughout the episode, where you feel so much of William without him saying much. It was all very visual and beautiful, almost like a silent movie, in some ways. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The 66-year-old entertainer had many other notable roles in TV. In the Apple + series Truth Be Told, Jones played as Poppys father Lukather Shreve Scoville. He also appeared in Law & Order: Organized Crime, Looking for Alaska, The Get Down and Mr. Robot. Actor Sterling K. Brown, Jones co-star on This Is Us, posted a tribute to his colleague on Instagram after hearing the somber news. Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us, Brown wrote. [Jones] has passed away, and the world is a little less bright. Brother, you are loved. And you will be missed. Keep them laughing in the next phase of existence, and Ill see you when I get there. In 2021, Jones told the New York Times that he has been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and he has received a double lung transplant. The actor said he stayed at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for almost two months in 2020. After the surgery, Jones said he had to re-learn how to breathe, eat and walk. The beloved This Is Us star earned an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in 2018 and 2020. His daughter Jasmine also earned her first Emmy in 2020 for outstanding performance in a short form comedy or drama series. Jasmine and Jones became the first father-daughter duo to get an Emmys in the same year. On August 17, 2023, a U.S. official approved Denmark and the Netherlands to send Ukraine F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets as soon as Ukrainian pilot training on the aircraft is complete. Washington informed the two NATO nations that approval of transfer requests will be expedited at that time. Reuters reported that a letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinker to the Dutch and Danish governments read, "I am writing to express the United States' full support for both the transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and for the training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors." Ukraine has been very vocal about receiving F-16s to effectively counter Russian air forces, long-range missiles and ground forces. A Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 (U.S. Air Force) "We welcome Washington's decision to pave the way for sending #F16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine. Many thanks to @SecBlinken for the good and swift cooperation," tweeted Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra on August 17, 2023. "This marks a major milestone for #Ukraine to defend its people and its country. NATO nations provided Ukraine with modern air defense missiles like the MIM-104 Patriot. The addition of F-16s is an important component of a comprehensive air defense system. The F-16 is a capable and agile multi-role fighter (U.S. Air Force) "The government has said several times that a donation is a natural next step after training," Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen told Ritzau on August 18, 2023. "We are discussing it with close allies, and I expect we will soon be able to be more concrete about that." Eleven countries are supporting the effort to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s in Denmark later in August. Ukrainian forces are also being trained on support and maintenance for the F-16. The F-16 has been a staple for NATO air forces and other U.S. allies (U.S. Air Force) According to the Dutch Defence Ministry, the Netherlands has 24 operational F-16s that are scheduled to be phased out in 2024. An additional 18 F-16s are available for sale. Denmark has 30 operational F-16s. Both nations have purchased the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter to replace their F-16s and remain current with other NATO air forces. While not a NATO member, Israel maintains a high level of interoperability with the alliance, including flying F-16s (U.S. Air Force) The eventual provision of F-16s to Ukraine is a big step towards integrating Ukraine's armed forces with NATO. A crucial element of the alliance is that all of the member nation militaries are capable of operating with and supporting each other. This extends from communications to logistics and maintenance. Along with NATO main battle tanks and small arms, F-16s bring Ukraine closer to NATO. Even if Kyiv is not offered NATO membership during its war with Russia, the ability to integrate with NATO forces is significant. VILNIUS, Lithuania The Biden administration is urging U.S. citizens in Belarus to depart the country immediately and warned against travel there in a statement published Monday. The updated travel warning comes after bordering countries Lithuania, Latvia and Poland have stepped up security along the border over concerns about Russian Wagner mercenary forces exiled in the country. The State Department, in its warning, encouraged Americans still in Belarus to depart the country immediately and categorized the country as a Level 4 risk, the highest security warning. Belaruss longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko , known as Europes last dictator, has been a key facilitator of Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, and is under a catalog of U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses and political repression against Belarusian people who challenged his claim to election victory in 2020. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The U.S. mission in Belarus is scaled down and only handles emergency American Citizen Services. Lukashenkos welcoming of Wagner forces in a deal with Putin that ended the mercenary groups short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin has raised concern in NATO-member countries on its border. Do not travel to Belarus due to Belarusian authorities continued facilitation of Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the Embassys limited ability to assist U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus, the State Department wrote in its warning. Last week, Lithuania closed two of its six border crossings with Belarus. The State Department urged Americans to travel through the remaining, open border crossings, warning that the Polish, Lithuanian, and Latvian governments have stated that further closures of border crossings with Belarus are possible. Poland has one remaining border crossing with Belarus open, while Latvia has two crossings open. Both Poland and Latvia have increased troops at their borders with Belarus. They also accuse Lukashenko of weaponizing migrants from Middle Eastern countries by flying them to Belarus and sending them across the border. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Leah Douglas (Reuters) -A significant minority of members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday said they opposed a federal bill that would overturn a California animal welfare law, arguing it infringes on states' rights. The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act would curb states' ability to regulate agricultural products sold within their borders and is in part aimed at California's Proposition 12, which sets housing standards for animals used for pork, veal, and eggs sold in the state. But the bill could also threaten numerous state laws related to food safety and public health and represents an overreach of the federal government, 171 members of the House of Representatives said in a letter sent on Monday to House Agriculture Committee chair G.T. Thompson and ranking member David Scott. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We believe that Congress should not usurp the power of states to regulate food and agricultural products," wrote the bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Democrat Earl Blumenauer. "The federal government should play a complementary role to the states on agriculture policy, rather than rendering them powerless." The members urged Thompson and Scott not to include the EATS Act in the upcoming farm bill, a package passed every five years that funds nutrition and farm support programs. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees draft the bill. A spokesperson for Thompson, who has previously expressed support for the EATS Act, declined to comment. Scott's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The current farm bill expires Sept. 30, although Congress will likely need to pass a short-term extension due to delays drafting and negotiating the next bill. The National Pork Producers Council, which lost a Supreme Court challenge to Proposition 12 in May, supports the EATS Act but some large pork companies that have already spent money to comply with the California law are opposed to the bill. Proposition 12 takes effect on Jan. 1. (Reporting by Leah Douglas; Editing by Conor Humphries and Mark Porter) A person holds up a flag during rally to protest the Trump administration's reported transgender proposal to narrow the definition of gender to male or female at birth in New York A person holds up a flag during rally to protest the Trump administration's reported transgender proposal to narrow the definition of gender to male or female at birth in New York By Nate Raymond and Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Monday revived a Republican-backed Alabama law banning the use of puberty blocking drugs and hormones to treat gender dysphoria in transgender minors, a day after a judge blocked a similar Georgia law. A three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the families and physicians challenging the law "have not presented any authority that supports the existence of a constitutional right" for parents to treat their children with "transitioning medications subject to medically accepted standards." U.S. Circuit Judge Barbara Lagoa, writing for the panel, said Alabama has "a compelling interest in protecting children from drugs, particularly those for which there is uncertainty regarding benefits, recent surges in use, and irreversible effects." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement All three judges on the panel were appointed by former President Donald Trump, a Republican. The administration of current President Joe Biden , a Democrat, intervened in the case on the side of the families. "Our clients are devastated by this decision, which leaves them vulnerable to what the district court - after hearing several days of testimony from parents, doctors, and experts - found to be irreparable harm as a result of losing the medical care they have been receiving and that has enabled them to thrive," legal organizations representing the plaintiffs - including GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Human Rights Campaign and others - said in a statement. "The 11th Circuit reinforced that the State has the authority to safeguard the physical and psychological wellbeing of minors, even if the United States Attorney General and radical interest groups disapprove," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke, also a Trump appointee, had issued a preliminary order blocking the Alabama law last May. The 11th Circuit's ruling came a day after U.S. District Judge Sarah Geraghty in Atlanta issued an injunction blocking a similar Georgia law in response to a challenge by parents of transgender children. Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr, a Republican who is defending the law, said he planned to appeal. That appeal will also be heard by the 11th Circuit. Geraghty, a Biden appointee, said the ban was discriminatory because it "places a special burden on transgender minors because their gender identity does not match their birth sex." Republican lawmakers in several states have passed such laws restricting medical treatments for transgender minors. Many have been blocked in court challenges, with judges finding they discriminate by sex and interfere with parents' right to direct their children's treatment. Another federal appeals court, the St. Louis, Missouri-based 8th Circuit, previously refused to reinstate a similar Arkansas law. Such conflicts between appellate courts can make it more likely that an issue will eventually end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, though the cases over gender-affirming care are still in their early stages. Supporters of the laws say so-called gender-affirming treatments like puberty blockers and hormones are unproven and risky, while opponents say they have been shown to improve mental health in transgender children. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by David Gregorio and Stephen Coates) The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. [Photo/Xinhua] The United States is pressing on in its technology war against China. Recently, the Biden administration revealed new restrictions on American foreign investment in some of China's critical technology sectors, including semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. The restrictions should come as no surprise given they have been publicly discussed for months, and are part of a strategy to attempt to crush China's technological rise by all means possible, Washington having already imposed sweeping embargoes against the country's chip industry and coerced other nations to follow suit. The strategic logic of the United States is that it can maintain its hegemony through asserting technological, and by extension, military dominance over China by attempting to crush its high-tech industries. This strategy, described as a "small yard, high fence" is noticeably less aggressive than the discourse of so-called decoupling, and referred to these days as "de-risking" although it is nevertheless premised on a logic of containment and the idea that the U.S. can halt China's rise. However, the belief that the U.S. can do this, and subsequently benefit from it, is ill calculated in several areas, and there is no guarantee it will work. First of all, the U.S. fails to take into account that China is the largest semiconductor market in the world and therefore a critical source of revenue and prosperity for its own high-tech industry. The Biden administration appears determined to forcibly reassert the global semiconductor supply chain on its own territory, ripping up decades of conventional market wisdom tailored for convenience, efficiency and profit. In doing so, it seeks to isolate China and cut off its access to high-end technology, while assuming that Beijing will be unable to cultivate its own capabilities in the process. However, this attempt is an astonishing act of self-harm. First, China is exerting all resources toward a path of self-sufficiency, and there is no reason to assume they cannot figure out the know-how themselves in the long run. As such, the U.S. is forcibly cutting its own companies out of the world's most lucrative semiconductor market, with China accounting for over one-third of global semiconductor imports standing at $180 billion. One way or another, local companies will evolve and adapt to meet this demand, which therefore only supercharges China's semiconductor industry. The onus on self-innovation, adaptation and improvisation is high, and market forces allow it to be so. Through its actions, the U.S. is fundamentally damaging not only the global market, but its own competitiveness. It is simply not possible for U.S. government subsidies tailored at unnaturally forcing the semiconductor industry to produce at home, to account for the same level of revenue, not least considering the reality that production costs in the U.S. are significantly higher. Already, these geopolitical vanity projects are running into difficulty. For example, it was recently announced that the new TSMC plant in Arizona, a fabrication facility built purely out of political rather than business incentive, will delay production until 2025 because it cannot source the talent needed for it to operate. The U.S. is trying to relocate a supply chain, an interconnected web of businesses, available talent and resources, into somewhere nearby where these factors do not exist. In any case, these plants will also be unable to replicate the demand of the Chinese market. Whom will these much more expensively produced chips be sold to? The U.S. is surely banking on Asian countries such as India and Vietnam to purchase them in order to manufacture goods instead, but this makes little sense given that it will be cheaper and more affordable to source them locally and regionally, from countries of course such as China. Again, this shows a total lack of understanding as to how supply chains work, and the entire rebuilding of these chains in America is logistically, financially and economically absurd. This creates the scenario whereby the U.S. may fail in its pursuit to halt China's technological rise, while having additionally excluded itself from the lucrative Chinese technology market in both export and financial terms. Washington is taking a huge gamble with its current approach, one which premises significant risks on the assumption of uncertain outcomes. If your aim is to build a high fence around your home, it's best to make sure you don't accidentally box yourself in and become trapped. Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/TomFowdy.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. The United States is significantly increasing the production of 155-mm artillery ammunition to provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a sufficient number of weapons. Source: The Washington Post Details: The US presidential administration has now focused on expanding the production of 155-mm artillery shells, which proved critical for Ukraine during the counteroffensive. It is reported that in the winter, Ukrainian troops received American training in modern manoeuvres using combined-arms means, but Ukraine allegedly "largely jettisoned these tactics, instead embracing an attritional, artillery-heavy approach as it seeks to breach Russian minefields and fiercely defended lines of trenches". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement US officials say this will require Ukraine to provide a reliable supply of artillery shells. The media claim that "Ukrainian forces have created a munitions advantage on the battles southern front by using extended-range missiles from France and Britain to strike Russian ammunition depots behind the front lines". The WP, with reference to the Ukrainian Forces, writes that these strikes will be effective only when the Ukrainian Armed Forces break through the Russian Defence. Since February 2022, the Pentagon has signed contracts for the production of 155-mm shells worth US$2.26 billion, which helped increase American production from 14,000 units per month before the full-scale Russian invasion to about 20,000 per month. Production should soon reach 28,000 units per month, and by the autumn of 2025 the production is expected to ramp up to one million shells per year. Officials in the United States refused to specify how much of the shells will go to Ukraine. Various companies participate in the production of shells. The US Department of Defence is also investing in expanding production lines. So far, US officials hope that the cluster munitions that the United States previously allowed to provide to Ukraine will help maintain momentum until more conventional shells are produced. In the near future the range of artillery ammunition sent to Ukraine will include more cluster munitions, officials say. The US Department of Defence wants to help Ukraine and their allies "catch up" by winter. Some contracts meant to replenish US supplies or produce specific weapons for Ukraine were completed in 30 days or less, including deals to produce Switchblade and Phoenix Ghost UAVs and NASAM air defence systems. Multi-year contracts for the supply of ammunition were also signed for the first time. It is also noted that the replenishment of the American arsenal will require a search for basic materials for the production of weapons, and this problem is complicated by a global shortage of chemicals and explosives. The United States no longer produces TNT and has switched to a substitute called IMX, but a sharp increase in shell production has prompted the United States to look for new global suppliers of TNT. According to officials, the United States has significant stocks of explosives, but as factories produce more shells, "we know well need additional production of both those propellants and those explosives," a defence official said. The EU is also trying to solve this problem. In the summer, the EU approved a plan that provides for the production of 650,000 large-calibre ammunition per year, and pledged to supply one million artillery shells to Ukraine over the next 12 months. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon building is seen in Arlington, Virginia, U.S. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of AH-64E Apache helicopters and related equipment to Poland in a deal valued at up to $12 billion, the Pentagon said on Monday. NATO-member Poland has requested 96 of the Apache attack helicopters and related equipment, including 1,844 Hellfire missiles and 508 Stinger missiles, the Pentagon said. Poland has made boosting its military a priority following Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the U.S. Congress of the possible sale on Monday. Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded. The Pentagon said Boeing and Lockheed Martin are the prime contractors for the weapons. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh; editing by Rami Ayyub and Sandra Maler) FILE PHOTO: NEWSMAKER-Taiwan VP in eye of the storm as China drills to protest US visit By Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan Vice President William Lai managed to walk a fine line on his sensitive trip to the United States if China's drills in response are anything to go by, but Beijing's ire may not be allayed for long by a person it deeply dislikes. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly denounced Lai as a separatist, held exercises around Taiwan on Saturday, the day after he returned, but on a far lower scale than previous war games in April and last August in protest at Taiwan-U.S. engagement. China has a particular dislike of Lai, the frontrunner in polls ahead of January's presidential election, due to his previous comments about being a "worker for Taiwan independence". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But Lai did not meet any senior U.S. officials or lawmakers during the visit, aside from the head of the unofficial U.S. body that deals with the country's Taiwan ties. In his public events he talked about peace and dialogue, though he also said that Taiwan would not back down in the face of threats. "The People's Liberation Army could not find an excuse to make a big fuss," said Ma Chen-kun, a Chinese military expert at Taiwan's National Defence University. "These drills were a lot of thunder, but less rain." There was no live fire component, unlike last August when China fired missiles over Taiwan, the drill lasted only one day, and was not given a name, unlike the April one, though Chinese state media did launch a series of personal attacks on Lai on Saturday, including calling him a "liar". Taiwan's defence ministry, in its daily report on Chinese movements over the previous 24 hours, said on Monday morning that it had spotted no Chinese military aircraft entering the Taiwan Strait over that period. Both Taiwan and the United States had sought to keep Lai's U.S. visit low key, officially describing it as stopovers on his way to and from Paraguay and saying it was a decades-long routine for Taiwan presidents to transit in the United States during trips overseas therefore China shouldn't use the visit as a "pretext" for military drills. China, in the long run, is unlikely to be ameliorated, believing as it still does that Lai is a dangerous separatist who may go back to pushing for Taiwan independence when he wins election, said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based International Relations Scholar. "If Lai Ching-te becomes president and returns to his original stance or even strengthens it, he could force the mainland to deal with Taiwan using non-peaceful means," he said, using Lai's Chinese language name. 'NO SURPRISES' Lo Chih-cheng, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said Lai's trip was also about the broader process of showing him to the United States as a steady and trustworthy leader. "Maybe you think the transits were a bit boring or simple, but also there were no surprises," Lo said. An opinion poll published on Monday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation showed Lai extending his lead and pulling well ahead of his nearest competitor to be Taiwan's next president, the former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je. China's reaction could also have been muted since the visit came against the backdrop of both Beijing and Washington trying to improve relations, which could include a visit to the United States later in the year by President Xi Jinping for an Asia Pacific summit. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a ministry spokesman told reporters on Monday that it was hard for Lai to hide his "evil intent" to seek independence. China could take other, trade-related, steps to punish Taiwan, having previously stopped Taiwanese fruit and fish imports. On Monday, China suspended Taiwanese mango imports citing a pest problem. But China has its own domestic problems as well, not least economic ones like a property market crisis, and threat of war with Taiwan is not going to help that, said Fan Shih-ping, a professor at National Taiwan Normal University's Graduate Institute of Political Science. "Noise about achieving unification through force is a negative for Chinese consumers. Who wants to spend if there's going to be a war?" he said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) The number of University of Wisconsin System campuses considering furloughs and layoffs to close budget gaps this school year continues to grow. UW-Parkside may implement a campuswide furlough while UW-Platteville is weighing furloughs and layoffs to address a nearly $10 million deficit. Chancellors floated the ideas in letters to their campus communities Monday, a day before the UW Board of Regents meest at UW-Madison to approve the UW System's annual budget. "Our university continues to face trends affecting our finances that we cannot ignore," interim UW-Parkside Chancellor Scott Menke wrote in a letter. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The budget documents offered a stark picture of the financial pressures most campuses are facing amid declining enrollment, stagnant state funding and increasing costs. Eleven of the 13 campuses ran deficits last year and 10 of 13 are projected to run deficits this year. UW System President Jay Rothman called the chancellors' announcements "disappointing and unfortunate yet not unexpected." He said campuses should be focused on recruiting and educating students to meet Wisconsin's workforce needs. "Our universities are facing demographic, political and economic realities that require hard, though necessary decisions," he said in a statement. "These actions we are forced to take represent missed opportunities for our students and families but are necessary given our circumstances." Democratic Gov. Tony Evers had proposed a $305 million increase for the UW System over the next two school years. Republican lawmakers instead cut state funding for campuses by $32 million. UW-Parkside and UW- Platteville's potential employee cuts come on the heels of an announcement by UW-Oshkosh, which laid out plans earlier this month to lay off about 200 employees and furlough all other staff for periods from September through June to address an $18 million deficit. UW-Oshkosh also proposed a 2% campus-wide budget cut, reorganizing units across the university and offering a voluntary retirement incentive program. The university also plans to increase faculty teaching loads and reduce the amount of faculty overloads, which are when professors receive additional pay for teaching courses beyond their normal load. UW-Parkside faces a budget shortfall of at least $4 million this year and it will likely take more than a year to recover from it, Menke said. UW-Parkside employs about 525 employees. In addition to furloughs, the Kenosha County university will place a hold on all hires not identified as a "critical need," pause all new initiatives, and reduce budgets and spending across campus by 10%. Beyond this school year, the university may also consider consolidating and restructuring departments, reviewing programs with low enrollment, creating an early retirement incentive and cutting staff. Headcount enrollment at UW-Parkside is expected to be around 4,000 students, about the same as a year ago but about 500 fewer than before the pandemic. UW-Platteville is considering one-time budget cuts and a voluntary retirement program, in addition to furloughs and layoffs, Chancellor Tammy Evetovich said. UW-Parkside and UW-Platteville spokespeople did not respond to requests for more details. UW System spokesperson Mark Pitsch said Monday neither university had additional information. UW System recently contracted with Deloitte Consulting to assess the finances of UW campuses. Universities running structural deficits will develop a financial recovery plan by June 30. Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KellyMeyerhofer. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville weigh furloughs, layoffs The University of Miami Health Systems pediatric mobile clinics have seen an increase in demand for vaccinations as families some new to the area, others grappling with the loss of Medicaid get ready for the 2023-2024 school year. We have never seen such a need in our community ... and its just been overwhelming, said Dr. Lisa Gwynn, a UM pediatrician who serves as medical director for UMs pediatric mobile clinic. UHealths mobile pediatric vans have so far administered more than 4,200 vaccines this summer compared to last, when the units administered 3,566 shots. Theres been a lot of new families to the community, Gwynn said, and then also children who have lost their Medicaid who need their vaccinations. So we have been busier than ever. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Vaccines protecting against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and other diseases are required for all public and private schoolchildren attending childcare and K-12 school in the state, excluding those who have a medical or religious exemption. COVID-19 vaccines are optional. And with Monday marking the first full week of school for students in Miami-Dade County and the first day of school for students in Broward County, pediatricians are encouraging parents to make sure their childs immunization records are up-to-date. The reason: One is for the protection of their child and then the other is for the protection in the children around them, said Mary Jo Trepka, an infectious disease epidemiologist and professor at Florida International University. Measles, for example, is a highly contagious disease, even more contagious then the omicron variant, she said. It can really go through a community like wildfire, and you need to have herd immunity for measles you need to have more than 95% of the population vaccinated. And thats why its so critical that within schools, that kids are vaccinated against all childhood vaccines, but in particular measles. Its for the protection of everybody, she added. The country saw a nationwide dip in routine child vaccinations following the COVID pandemic, when families stayed home and kids learned remotely. Florida saw a more than 10-year low for kindergartners and seventh-graders completing their required immunizations for the 2021-2022 school year, with state officials noting in a report that the COVID-19 pandemic likely played a significant role in the decrease of vaccinations and the continued increase of students with temporary medical exemptions and religious exemptions. Pediatricians believe theyve mostly caught up with vaccination delays fueled by the pandemic, but there is still concern that some kids might not get the necessary shots, particularly those who lost their Medicaid coverage after the federal COVID-19 pandemic emergency ended in April. READ NEXT: Millions of Floridians expected to lose Medicaid soon. How will it affect you? Tell us Dr. Thresia Gambon, president of the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the organization has been working hard to promote school-required vaccinations while also continuing to fight against vaccine disinformation that seemed to escalate during the COVID pandemic. While statewide immunization data for last years kindergarten and seventh-grade students isnt available yet, about 92% of kindergartners in Miami-Dade and Broward had the school-required vaccines for the 2021-2022 school year, according to a report published by the Florida Department of Health. About 94% of seventh-graders in Miami-Dade and 95% of seventh-graders in Broward had the required school vaccines. Statewide, about 91.7% of kindergarten students in public and private schools and about 94.3% of seventh-grade students completed their shots. The goal is to generally have at least 95% of kids up-to-date with their vaccines in each county and statewide, said Trepka, the FIU epidemiologist. The Miami Herald has requested public records to the Miami-Dade and Broward public school districts for their most recent immunization data. The three health experts the Miami Herald spoke with are hopeful that Floridas children immunization rate will increase this school year. Theyre also urging parents to speak with their childs doctors to answer vaccine questions and to also schedule their childs yearly check-up. Can children be in school temporarily without the required vaccines? Generally speaking, the moment a child enrolls in a school, the registrars office would check to see if the child has all of the required vaccines. If he or she doesnt, the school would notify parents, and provide a list of resources, such as locations of the health department offices and the UHealth pediatric mobile clinic, for example, to help them get their child vaccinated within 48 hours, according to Elmo Lugo, spokesman for the Miami-Dade school district. Under Florida law, schools are not allowed to admit students who do not have the required school vaccines. The law does allow temporary exemptions of up to 30 school days for children who transfer into a new county to attend class while the school district waits to obtain his or her records, are homeless, or who entered a juvenile justice program. Some children may also be eligible for a religious exemption or a temporary or permanent medical exemption. Healthcare providers can grant temporary medical exemptions to students who have some of their shots and are in the process of completing their immunizations. These students will be given a deadline to get all of the required shots. Providers can also grant a permanent medical exemption to students who cannot be fully immunized due to medical reasons. Where to get free or low-cost vaccines Some families might be in search of free or low-cost vaccine options. Here are some: Floridas Vaccines for Children program: The federal program helps children receive routine vaccines for free and is administered and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory. Eligible providers include the Florida Department of Health offices in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Children through age 18 who have Medicaid, are uninsured or are American Indian or Alaska Native are eligible. Kids whose insurance does not cover some or all routinely recommended immunizations may also be eligible through a federally qualified health center or rural health clinic, according to the CDC. Speak with your childs pediatrician to learn more. READ MORE: Do you need medical care? A community health center could be an option. How to find one Miami-Dade County Public Schools has partnered with the University of Miami Health System Pediatric Mobile Clinic to offer school-required vaccines, the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots at select schools. For the school schedule, visit dadeschools.net. You can also visit pediatricmobileclinic.com to learn more about UHealths pediatric mobile clinic and Shotz-To-Go! mobile vaccination unit and see the schedule. Broward County Public Schools has an online flier advertising that the Florida Department of Health in Broward County will be offering free school-required vaccines through Aug. 25 at the Childrens Reading Center & Museum, 751 SW 121st Ave, in Davie from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Statewide: Visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/all-county-locations.html to contact your local health department about what vaccine options they have available for children and teenagers. You can also inquire about vaccine options at nearby community health centers. READ NEXT: Is lunch free? Wheres the bus? Your guide to the new school year in Miami and Broward Thousands of students heading into the new school year will arrive in classrooms from kindergarten to highschool alongside a new tutoring assistant: a large language model. As CNN noted today, the education nonprofit service Khan Academy, is expanding its Khanmigo AI access to over 8,000 educators and K-12 students as part of its ongoing pilot program for the new technology. According to Khan Academys project description, Khanmigo is underpinned by a version of OpenAIs GPT-4 large language model (LLM) trained on Khan Academys own educational content. Additional parameters are encoded into the product to tailor Khanmigos encouraging response tone, while also preventing it from too easily divulging answers for students. But despite past controversies regarding the use of AI chatbots as stand-ins for various historical figures, Khanmigo reportedly embraces the concept. In its current iteration, users can interact with chatbots inspired by real people like Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cleopatra, and George Washington, alongside fictional characters such as Hamlet, Winnie the Pooh, and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. And instead of glossing over difficult topics, AI invoking complex figures purportedly do not shy away from their onerous pasts. As Thomas Jefferson, my views on slavery were fraught with contradiction, Khanmigo reportedly told a user. On one hand, I publicly expressed my belief that slavery was morally wrong and a threat to the survival of the new American nation Yet I was a lifelong slaveholder, owning over 600 enslaved people throughout my lifetime. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But despite these creative features, Khanmigo is still very much a work in progresseven when it comes to straightforward math. Simple concepts such as multiplication and division of integers and decimals repeatedly offer incorrect answers, and will even sometimes treat students wrong inputs as the correct solutions. That said, users can flag Khanmigos wrong or problematic responses. Khan Academy representatives still refer to the software as a beta product, and reports continue to describe the pilot period as a test. Another 10,000 outside users in the US agreed to participate as subjects while paying a donation to Khan Academy for the service, CNN adds. [Related: School district uses ChatGPT to help remove library books] As access to generative AI like Khanmigo and ChatGPT continue to expand, very little legislation currently exists to regulate or oversee such advancements. Instead, the AI tools are already being used for extremely controversial ends, such as school districts employing ChatGPT to assist in screening library books to ban. Although they believe AI could become a pretty powerful learning tool, Kristen DiCerbo, Khan Academys Chief Learning Officer conceded to CNN on Monday that, The internet can be a pretty scary place, and it can be a pretty good place. I think that AI is the same. The Brooklyn rescue group Flatbush Cats, responding to overcrowded animal shelters and the number of street cats literally multiplying due to a lack of affordable spaying and neutering, has unveiled a plan to address the growing kitty crisis. On Monday, the group will open a new multimillion-dollar nonprofit spay/neuter clinic to provide the surgeries themselves. We had to acknowledge, candidly, that as important as rescue and fostering and adoption and [trap, neuter release, or TNR] work is we do all those things we had to acknowledge that its not going to solve the problem, so we had to move upstream, said Will Zweigart, founder and executive director of Flatbush Cats. The Flatbush Veterinary Clinic will open for business next month, allowing pet owners and rescuers to bring both cats and dogs in for spaying and neutering for a fraction of the typical cost. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Zweigart says the surgeries will cost around $225 for cats and slightly more for dogs; private vets the Daily News spoke with charged up to $1,150 for the bloodwork and surgery. Located in a brand-new building, the 3,700-square-foot multilevel space was purchased outright by the rescue. In addition to a reception area and exam rooms, it features recovery areas downstairs where TNR cats can heal after surgery before returning to their outdoor communities. The entire mission of the clinic itself is that we will be able to keep families and their pets together and create good qualities of life, said Kai Small, the clinics wellness veterinarian. The group aims to perform 7,500 surgeries per year and provide basic exams and vaccinations, which could mean the difference between animals ending up on the street or remaining in a home. There are an estimated 500,000 to 1 million stray and feral cats in the city, the Daily News reported Sunday. In the past week weve had a box of kittens in a towel ... dumped on the stoop, said Lindsay Branch, the rescue program manager for Flatbush Cats. The clinic also received a really ill cat that was dumped in an open carrier, and this is a cat that clearly has a lot of problems, said Branch, adding that it had an upper respiratory infection and was unable to walk. Again, a totally solvable problem if youre able to get it to a vet, said Branch. But someone left the kitten in a carrier next to a park out there for someone to find. Flatbush Cats will continue their rescue, foster and adoption work along with operating the clinic. One of the groups pilot patients was an 8-week-old kitten named Creature, recently found on a Flatbush street. The cat, his outsized meows mismatched to his tiny body, received his first vaccine and a deworming that same day. This is his first real step into getting into the rescue program, said Branch, who added the kitten will be available for adoption at Mondays opening. Finicky, an 8-year-old cat found living in a basement of a residential building, delighted in the attention of staff, marching across an exam table and leaning into pets. After years of rough living, he needed to be medically assessed before possibly being placed into foster care. Saving the citys felines visit by visit comes at hefty cost, however. Zweigart estimated that the first year of the clinic would cost well over $1 million. So far the vast majority of donations have come in from more than 10,000 individual givers from around the world. It mostly comes from people who want to break this cycle. They want to see this happen here. Someone from this morning donated and said, I dont live in New York, I dont even live in the U.S. and I want to see this happen, said Zweigart. Were not there yet, she added. We still have to raise additional funds to get these doors open and deliver these affordable services to New Yorkers. The idea is to start small and do as much preventative medicine and health care as we can for as many people as we can, and the more were able to being people into the doors and the more were able to get funding, the more were able to expand the things that were able to do, said Small as he petted Finicky. At Mondays opening, Councilman Justin Brannan will present the clinic with a check for $150,000 from the 2024 New York City budget. This is a long time coming. The city is really falling short when it comes to helping feral cats, said Brannan, who visited the clinic last Thursday. Its something that should matter to every politician. I think this is a huge first step and I think that we should open up Flatbush Vets all over the city. Zweigart said increased support from the city will allow the operation to expand services and lower costs. This is a solvable problem, she said. We built the solution to overcrowded shelters right here. Virginia Democrats are worried the national party isnt doing enough to stop Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin , raising alarm bells that he could try to use wins on the state level to pull Virginia to the right and, potentially, mount a presidential bid. Chief among their worries is this fall's legislative elections. Every single seat in the commonwealths General Assembly, which is currently split between the two parties, is up for re-election in November. Republicans now hold a five-seat edge in the House of Delegates with three vacancies, while Democrats control the Senate by the same margin. Youngkin's statewide operation is aiming at a GOP sweep, which would open the door to a conservative governing package Democrats have largely been able to stymie during his first two years in office. So much is at stake in terms of controlling the legislature and I just dont see that same national energy, candidly, from the White House, on how important Virginia could be not just this year, but next as well, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said. Democrats fear that if he's successful this fall, Youngkin will continue to enhance his national profile, make the state even more competitive on the presidential level and perhaps even jump into the race for the White House himself in 2024. Republicans counter that Youngkin is solely focused on winning the General Assembly in November and correcting the states policy trajectory after years of Democratic rule. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I dont think he ever stopped running for higher office, said Democratic state Sen. Mamie Locke, who is running for re-election in her Hampton-based district. He certainly does not have Virginia as his priority. He has a spotlight on something much higher. Youngkin and his team have strategically avoided the topic of his political future without ruling out the possibility that he could jump into the race for president at a late stage. His sole focus and sole priority is on these state House and state Senate races, said David Rexrode, the executive director of Youngkin's state PAC, Spirit of Virginia. Hes doing town halls in Fredericksburg and Prince William, Loudoun and Roanoke, not in Des Moines, Manchester and Charleston. Spirit of Virginia has become a financial engine the likes of which Republicans have not seen since 2011, when then-Gov. Bob McDonnell, then seen as a rising GOP star, became chair of the Republican Governors Association. Youngkin has raised $9.5 million since the beginning of the year from donors across the U.S., including recent fundraisers on Nantucket in Massachusetts and in the Hamptons in New York, a source familiar with the PAC's finances confirmed. That money is now aimed at arming Virginias GOP candidates with the resources they need to win in November. And Youngkin is building ties with prominent and connected leaders across the country along the way. It is an out-of-state money and political machine that Virginia Democrats say they haven't matched. The commonwealths two Democratic senators are now getting involved, with a specific focus on pushing the national party to pay attention to what is at stake this fall. I dont think theres the same national donor focus on Virginia as Gov. Youngkin is pushing on the Republican side, said Sen. Tim Kaine , D-Va., a former governor himself. Kaine argues that if Youngkins political machine is successful this fall, it puts Virginia in play on many levels in 2024. We may be battleground leaning blue, but were not a blue state, Kaine said. And that means electoral votes have to be fought for every year. Kaine will be on the ballot in 2024 after announcing his intention to seek re-election. Warner points to the effort by Democrats and progressive groups to raise tens of millions of dollars to elect a liberal judge to Wisconsins Supreme Court. He believes a similar effort should be duplicated in Virginia. Republicans, meanwhile, are taking full advantage of the Youngkin machine. GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans, a freshman member of Congress from the Virginia Beach area, is a former member of the Virginia Senate who was elected to the General Assembly in 2019 before Youngkin took office. She credits his win in 2021 with giving her a huge lift in her race for Congress, propelling her past then-Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., in one of the most competitive districts in the country. She believes he will play a similar role in the fall. For the governor to have such a big stake in this election, and to be prioritizing it and promoting just voting in general, but even promoting our conservative Republican messages and what that conservative Republican leadership looks like I mean, hes the perfect person to do it, she said. GOP strategist Karl Rove, who previously worked for the Virginia GOP, agrees. Rove believes Youngkin and his political team have made all the right moves to take full advantage of his popularity and channel it properly. Money isnt everything in politics, but its important and he began raising it early and spending it wisely, which happens far less often than you might think in politics, Rove said. It is Youngkins efficiency that has Democrats most worried. They believe he will use GOP majorities to usher in a conservative legislative package that could include rolling back abortion and voting rights. They hope to counter the GOPs fundraising and operational message, by drilling down on policy issues they believe are out of step with swing Virginia voters. Virginia is the last state in the South that still basically follows Roe v. Wade, allowing women to make their own reproductive decisions. That is in jeopardy, Kaine said. But Republicans counter that Democrats went too far to the left when they controlled the legislature in 2019, leading to Youngkins rise. Rove believes that while Youngkins national profile is on the rise, a race for president might still be a difficult proposition this late in the calendar. Its a long shot if he decides to pursue it, Rove said. The irony is its a better shot if he stays focused on November and makes a decision afterwards than if he decides today. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Tourism to Utahs national parks and monuments brought more than $1.7 billion to the local economy in 2022, according to a report issued Monday by the National Parks Service. A combined 13 million visitors spent an estimated $1.7 billion while visiting Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands national parks and smaller monuments like Cedar Breaks. They supported some 23,300 jobs across the state, according to the annual peer-reviewed economic analysis, titled 2022 National Park Spending Effects. Another 6 million visitors spent an estimated $759 million at nearby Grand Canyon National Park, with another 1.5 million spent at Pipe Springs National Monument just south of the Utah border. Parks nationwide saw an all-time high of 312 million visitors for the year, up 5% from the previous year, which the analysis suggests pumped $50.3 billion into the national economy. In gateway communities near park entrances, visitor spending supported about 378,000 jobs, largely in hotels, retail stores, and transportation and recreation industries. A line of visitors make their way into the southern entrance to Zion National Park. Officials reported more than 4.6 million visitors in 2022, continuing a years-long trend of increased visitation at Utah's busiest park. "We understand that nature is essential to the health, well-being and prosperity of every family and every community in America. But outdoor recreation is not just good for the soul, its a significant driver of our national and local economies and job sustainability," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a written statement issued along with the report. "When people visit one of our amazing parks, they are contributing to the community around them. Thats why our Administration is working so hard through President Bidens Investing in America agenda to provide resources to the National Park System for critical infrastructure and maintenance needs." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Utah ranked as seeing the third-highest spending among all the states at its parks, trailing only California and North Carolina. The analysis suggests 98.5% of the spending at Zion was done by non-local visitors. At Bryce, the figure was even higher, at 99.2%. Water runs beneath a bridge along the Mossy Cave Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park. Visitation has risen at parks across the country in recent years, but especially in southern Utah. Since 2010, Zion has gone from 2.67 million visitors to 4.7 million. Bryce Canyon has gone from 1.29 million to 2.4 million. This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Visitors spent $1.7 billion at Utah parks like Zion, Bryce in 2022 Flash Media executives and professionals from the BRICS countries called for efforts to further promote cooperation to address common global challenges at the Sixth BRICS Media Forum, which kicked off on Saturday. The forum, co-hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and the China Energy Investment Corporation (CHN Energy), is being held under the theme of "BRICS and Africa: Strengthening Media Dialogue for a Shared and Unbiassed Future." "The purpose of this forum is to facilitate the successful convocation of the BRICS Summit and to further promote communication and cooperation in greater depth among BRICS media and among BRICS countries," said Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, at the opening ceremony of the forum. Media outlets of BRICS countries shoulder significant responsibilities in this era and enjoy broad space for cooperation, said Fu, who is also executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum. The BRICS Media Forum was proposed by Xinhua News Agency and jointly initiated by mainstream media outlets from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, with the forum presidium as its top decision-making body. Advancing BRICS media cooperation "Since its inception in 2006, the BRICS mechanism has gone through 17 years and has stood the test of changes in the international landscape and become an important platform for emerging markets and developing countries to seek strength through unity," said Hu Heping, executive deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Culture and Tourism. Over the past eight years, the BRICS Media Forum has been operating on a regular basis and at a high level, becoming an important platform for efficient coordination and cooperation among mainstream media of BRICS countries, Hu said. To advance the high-quality development of cooperation among BRICS media, Fu called for promoting the shared values of humanity, jointly promoting the construction of a more just and equitable international order, better telling BRICS stories in the new era, and jointly promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. Media outlets of BRICS countries should work to build a community with a shared future for humanity, promote shared values of humanity, stay committed to peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and spread the vision of global governance featuring shared growth through discussion and collaboration, said Xinhua president. He urged media outlets of BRICS countries to actively raise voices for fairness and justice on the international stage, promote the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and strive to enhance the voices and influence of emerging markets and developing countries, so as to ensure a more just and equitable international order. The diverse cultures of the BRICS nations enrich global conversations, and the BRICS media advocate for an inclusive, cooperative and just new world order, said Iqbal Surve, executive chairman of Independent Media of South Africa. The forum sheds light on the challenges facing developing nations, providing them with a platform to express their perspectives and aspirations, Surve said. Enhancing voice of BRICS countries "Since its establishment in 2015, the BRICS Media Forum has become an important platform to enhance the voice of BRICS countries," Dakota Legoete, a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, spoke at the opening of the forum. While some countries attempt to monopolize the international discourse and weaponize the media to attack other sovereign states, the BRICS media have demonstrated that the media should be committed to promoting world development, rather than becoming a tool to provoke wars, Legoete said. Media of BRICS countries bear the responsibility of being the "chief storytellers" of BRICS cooperation, Fu said. "We should fully report on the innovative explorations of BRICS countries in their modernization endeavors, tell vivid stories of BRICS countries' deepening reforms, improving people's well-being, and developing green energy." Echoing Fu's proposals, Wang Min, director of CHN Energy, said media serve as an important force for social progress and media empowerment is indispensable to ensuring energy security and accelerating the green and low-carbon transition in BRICS countries. Supported and witnessed by the BRICS media, the energy cooperation among BRICS countries has been deepened and the momentum of development has been continuously enhanced, Wang said, noting that CHN Energy has been actively engaging in such cooperation with fruitful results. Jose Juan Sanchez, chief of Brazil's financial and agricultural information provider CMA Group, stressed the importance of credible and impartial news information. "Communication among BRICS media is crucial, and the member countries should seek sustainable development in economic, environmental and social areas," he said. News media produce cultural products and carry the cultural mission of promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, said Fu, who called for BRICS media outlets to promote equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among different civilizations. As a member of the forum's presidium and home to the forum's liaison office, Xinhua is willing to provide strong support for the effective operation of this mechanism and offer solid support for the steady and sustained progress of media cooperation among BRICS countries, Fu said. The forum, which runs into Sunday, gathers around 200 participants from around 100 media outlets, think tanks and international organizations from about 30 countries. At the forum, New China Research (NCR), the think tank of Xinhua News Agency, released two research reports entitled "Toward Modernity: The Value of Xi Jinping's Economic Thought" and "The 'Second Integration' that Transforms China -- Theoretical Innovation and Practice in Building the Modern Civilization of the Chinese Nation." Vivek Ramaswamy is again raising questions about what happened on September 11, 2001. The GOP contender says it's "legitimate" to ask "how many federal agents" were on the planes. He said the answer is "probably is zero for all I know" but insisted he wants the "truth about 9/11." Vivek Ramaswamy is once again Just Asking Questions about what happened on 9/11. In an interview with the Atlantic, the GOP presidential candidate spontaneously turned to the subject during an exchange about whether Americans know the "truth about what really happened" during the January 6 assault on the Capitol. "I don't know, but we can handle it," said Ramaswamy. "Whatever it is, we can handle it. Government agents. How many government agents were in the field? Right?" ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He then pivoted to September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked four jetliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania killing close to 3,000 people. "I think it is legitimate to say how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers," he said. "Maybe the answer is zero. It probably is zero for all I know, right?" "I have no reason to think it was anything other than zero. But if we're doing a comprehensive assessment of what happened on 9/11, we have a 9/11 commission, absolutely that should be an answer the public knows the answer to," he continued. "Well, if we're doing a January 6 commission, absolutely, those should be questions that we should get to the bottom of." He later insisted that he didn't think the two events "belong in the same conversation" and that it's "ridiculous" to compare them but continued to insist that he wants the "truth" about that day. "I am not questioning what we this is not something I'm staking anything out on," he said. "But I want the truth about 9/11." It's not the first time Ramaswamy has expressed outside-the-mainstream views on 9/11. The GOP candidate has previously made clear he does "not believe everything the government has told us about that day" and pointed to evidence of Saudi involvement in the attack. "And yes, a Republican candidate for President really just said that," While there is some evidence of potential Saudi involvement, there's no evidence to suggest that federal agents were involved. In the two decades since the attacks, self-proclaimed "truthers" have argued falsely that the government was involved or had detailed advance knowledge of impending terrorist attacks. Ramaswamy, a former tech entrepreneur, is drawing increased scrutiny as he rises in the polls; he's currently polling third in the Republican presidential primary behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and some recent polls have shown him running even with the Florida governor. Read the original article on Business Insider Wagner Group chief and war criminal Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that he was in Africa in a video shared on Aug. 21 by the "Razgruzka Vagnera" ("Unloading Wagner") Telegram channel linked to the mercenary group. In the video, Prigozhin, dressed in full army gear, stands in front of a deserted piece of land that he claims is in Africa, with a handful of soldiers behind him. "Wagner conducts reconnaissance and search operations. Makes Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa - even more free. Justice and happiness for African peoples. Nightmares for ISIS, Al-Qaida, and other gangs," he says in the video. In addition to fighting alongside the Russian regular army in Ukraine before a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin in June, the Wagner Group has been accused of committing human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial killings, in Mali alongside the Malian army fighting jihadists, as well as in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Mozambique. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The U.K. government announced on July 20 a new wave of sanctions against 13 individuals and businesses connected to the Wagner Group's activities in Mali, Central African Republic, and Sudan. One of the persons the U.K. has targeted is Ivan Maslov, head of the Wagner Group in Mali, for his role in the massacre of more than 500 people in Moura in March 2022. Prigozhin's recorded video message follows information that over a thousand Wagner Group mercenaries have departed Belarus because they are unhappy with their pay, the Ukrainian military's National Resistance Center reported on Aug. 19. Sources in Belarus told the Center that the number of Wagner fighters had fallen from 5,800 to 4,400. According to the center's report, "lack of funding from Russia" is the cause. Dissatisfied with their earnings, Wagner mercenaries stationed in Belarus have signed contracts to fight in African nations or left for vacation without the intention of returning. The Belarusian government established a partnership with the Wagner Group in July, when the private military company relocated to Belarus in the aftermath of Yevgeny Prigozhin's June rebellion. Wagner members have since been training Belarusian soldiers on combat techniques. Given the low payment for Wagner instructors, "most of them do not plan to stay in the country for a long time," the Center said. While Wagner troops appear to have withdrawn from Ukraine, their presence in Belarus has increased regional tensions. Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have threatened to close their borders to Belarus due to Wagner activity along the border. Read also: Russia comes to the brink of civil war: How we got here and what it means The notorious Wagner mercenary force, once often called Putin s private army, occupied two major regional capitals and began a march on Moscow on June 23 following a long-running conflict with the Defense Ministry, which had ordered the mercenaries to be integrated into the regular army by July 1. Prigozhin turned his sights not only on his arch-rivals, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and head of the Russian General Staff Valerii Gerasimov, but, de facto, on the entire Russian regime, including dictator Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin started the rebellion after claiming the Russian army had attacked the mercenaries. Several thousand Wagner mercenaries took over Rostov-on-Don, a major city in southern Russia. They marched all the way to the vicinity of Moscow, stopping just 200 kilometers south of the capital. According to Russian media reports, the Wagner troops shot down several helicopters and one plane and killed more than 10 Russian soldiers, including pilots. During most of the march, there was little resistance to the mercenaries, which prompted speculation that the police, the National Guard, and the army were reluctant to confront Wagner. Eventually, Prigozhin concluded a deal with Putin late on June 24 and halted the mutiny, with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko as an intermediary. The Russian authorities agreed not to prosecute Prigozhin and the mercenaries and let them move to Belarus. Read also: Washington Post: Putin paralyzed and unable to act decisively during Prigozhin rebellion Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Yevgeny Prigozhin , the founder of the Russian Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), has recorded a video message allegedly from Africa, where he is fighting "for justice and happiness" of African peoples. Source: video on the Telegram channel Razgruzka Wagnera, which is associated with the PMC Details: In a video message, Prigozhin noted that the air temperature where he is located is +50C. Quote: "We are making Russia even bigger, on all continents. And Africa is even freer. Justice and happiness for African peoples. A nightmare for ISIS, al-Qaeda and other bandits." Background: The Wagner group fought in Ukraine, especially actively on the Bakhmut front, but in late spring went to field camps. On 24 June, Wagner PMC started an armed rebellion in Russia due to the conflict with the military command of the Russian Federation, but in the evening of that day, after a conversation with the self-proclaimed president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin said that his mercenaries return to field camps. The criminal case against Prigozhin in the Russian Federation was closed; he had to "go to Belarus". In Belarus, Prigozhin allegedly spoke to the mercenaries of Wagner PMC and said that they would be engaged in the training of the Belarusian army. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Want to read more about climate change but not sure where to start? As an environmental writer and self-proclaimed book geek, I get this question quite often from friends and family (not to mention from my own colleagues in the newsroom). So we figured it was time for me to share a list of books I've found helpful, for newbies and experts alike. Some titles are older, others more recent and each one is strikingly prescient on how climate change touches every aspect of our lives. This list is by no means comprehensive, but consider it a snapshot of all the many ways you can connect more deeply with the issue. Perhaps it's a practical guidebook on carbon footprints, or a sharp essay collection, or a rigorous assessment of how we relate to the natural world. I've also included a few novels at the end, in case fiction is more your jam. Stripes of color representing the rising temperatures in California between 1850 to 2020 Lets start with nonfiction. Here are 16 books (listed in alphabetical order) that I find myself recommending, time and time again: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis" edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson (One World, 2020): Scientists, teachers, poets, journalists, activists and lawyers come together in this thought-provoking collection of essays, all written by women working at the forefront of climate action. Filled with compassion and nuance, this book offers audacious hope and much-needed inspiration. "At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth" by Madeline Ostrander (Henry Holt, 2022): Through on-the-ground stories and profound reflections, Ostrander weaves together vivid accounts of the fires and floods already reshaping four communities on the front lines of climate change (including in Richmond, Calif.). Lessons of resilience bring this book home, as we learn to adapt and reconsider how we want to live. Book covers: "At Home on An Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth" and "Beloved Beasts" "Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction" by Michelle Nijhuis (W.W. Norton, 2021): This book taught me so much about how the conservation movement came to be. It's a critical and elegantly written examination of the western-centric systems guiding environmentalism today. Unsparing with the racism and colonialism baked into modern species protection, Nijhuis helps us understand how to avoid repeating the mistakes of our past as we reckon with our future. "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants" by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed, 2013): People are a part of nature, not separate from nature, and this quiet but powerful book has shifted the way hundreds of thousands of people see the world. Kimmerer, who is a botanist, professor and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, braids Western science with Indigenous knowledge in a tender and mind-opening way. Originally published in 2013, the latest edition comes with a new introduction. "The Carbon Footprint of Everything" by Mike Berners-Lee (Greystone Books, 2022): What is the carbon footprint of flying from Los Angeles to Barcelona? How bad is your morning latte for the environment? This handy guidebook breaks down everyday life for the climate-conscious. You'll learn quite a few facts (eating a U.S.-reared steak has about the same carbon impact as 100 bananas) and come away with a deeper understanding of how each of us can make a difference on this planet. Read more: We knew about climate change in the 50s. Why an author tracked the history of denial "The Climate Book: The Facts and the Solutions" by Greta Thunberg (Penguin Press, 2023): Thunberg, the young Swedish activist famously known for telling it like it is, has brought together a comprehensive and remarkably practical one-stop shop for all things climate. Wisdom from more than 100 scientists, engineers, economists, philosophers, activists, writers and community leaders fills these pages. Theres something in this book for everyone. Book covers: "The Climate Book; Greta Thunberg" and "Climate Change from the Streets" "Climate Change from the Streets: How Conflict and Collaboration Strengthen the Environmental Justice Movement" by Michael Mendez (Yale University Press, 2020): Told through deeply researched stories from oft-overlooked communities in California, this book is a powerful primer on environmental justice. Mendez urges us to see how saving the planet and improving public health are inextricably linked and how our existing systems so often ignore the people most harmed by climate change. "The End of Nature" by Bill McKibben (Random House, originally published in 1989): This is a classic, and yes, people have been sounding the alarm on climate change for decades. When I reread the book this summer, I was struck by just how much McKibben's impassioned plea still holds. The survival of our planet calls for profoundly philosophical shifts in the way we relate to the natural world, and McKibben continues to offer a way forward. "The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable" by Amitav Ghosh (University of Chicago Press, 2016): Don't be deterred by this book's academic appearance. Ghosh, an award-winning novelist, takes a fascinating look at how literature and history (as well as politics) have sidestepped or grossly simplified the scale and urgency of climate change. By doing so, we have been conditioned to doubt stories that feel too apocalyptic. The climate crisis, as Ghosh explains, is also a crisis of culture, and thus of the imagination. Book covers: "The Great Displacement" and "The End of Nature" "The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration" by Jake Bittle (Simon & Schuster, 2023): Where do you go after your town disappears in a wildfire? What happens to a drowning community after one too many floods? Climate change has already forced numerous people to move from the places they have long called home, and Bittle thoughtfully examines what this less-told story of climate migration means for all of us. Read more: Writing about climate change inspires hope for panelists at the Festival of Books "The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet" by Jeff Goodell (Little, Brown, 2023): "Prescient" and "gripping" are two words that come to mind when describing Goodell's latest book. Yes, you will feel a sense of dread as you learn about all the insidious ways extreme heat can upend our lives. But this is the reality, and Goodell guides us incisively with clear science and great storytelling. "Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have" by Tatiana Schlossberg (Balance, 2019): Balancing the call for individual actions, as well as the need for systemic change, is a tricky message to communicate. But in short, we need both. Schlossberg empowers each of us to rethink all the tangible ways we can make a difference. Above all, this book is about collective action and the power we have as voters and consumers to drive meaningful change. "The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet" by Michael E. Mann (PublicAffairs, 2021): Mann hits hard on disinformation, exposing how corporations (led by the fossil fuel industry) have delayed climate action and deflected blame. He also holds no punches on the questionable narratives and arguments that have worked their way into the climate debate. This book is blunt, but you will come out of it more equipped to navigate your own feelings on various climate solutions. Book covers: "The New Climate War" and "What Can I Do: The Path from Climate Despair to Action" "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate" by Naomi Klein (Simon & Schuster, 2014): Klein makes a piercing case that capitalism and saving the planet are incompatible. Through meticulously reported examples, she explains why letting go of a "free market" economy is critical to our survival and how responding to climate change can be a catalyst to fixing long-broken systems. Start with "This Changes Everything" if you're new to Klein's work, and then check out her latest book, "On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal." "Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future" by Elizabeth Kolbert (Crown, 2021): For those of you wondering about geoengineering (such as turning carbon emissions into stone or shooting planet-cooling particles into the sky), this book, to put it in Kolbert's words, is about "people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems." The Pulitzer Prize-winning author takes a hard look at human intervention, with sharp observations on what we stand to lose. "What Can I Do? The Path From Climate Despair to Action" by Jane Fonda (Penguin Books, 2020): Jane Fonda needs no introduction, and her spirited, no-nonsense crash course on climate change offers a number of pragmatic ways to help save the planet. Each chapter is filled with specific resources and advice on how to take action, and, as the book declares: "What Can I Do?" is not a wish list its a to-do list. Stripes of color representing the rising temperatures in California between 1850 to 2020 Like fiction? Try these novels: "A Children's Bible" by Lydia Millet (W.W. Norton, 2020): Slim but evocative, with darkly funny turns, this novel is hard to describe without giving too much away. Using a clever allegory, Millet, a prolific author and lifelong environmental writer, prompts us to reflect on the generational consequences of climate change. Book covers: "Cloud Cuckoo Land" and "Migrations" "Cloud Cuckoo Land" by Anthony Doerr (Scribner, 2021): This one's a doozy, but trust that Doerr, author of the blockbuster novel "All the Light We Cannot See," will take you on an epic and deeply imaginative journey. Through intersecting stories that span the past, present and future, Doerr brilliantly addresses climate change and the state of the world we are passing down to our children. "Flight Behavior" by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial, 2012): Nuanced and closely observed, this novel peels back the layers of climate change through monarch butterflies and a spirited young woman in rural Tennessee. Kingsolver (who just won a Pulitzer Prize this year for "Demon Copperhead") writes with profound empathy from perspectives not usually seen in climate writing. Intricate themes of faith, denial and socioeconomic struggle intersect with the underlying story of environmental devastation. Read more: Why Lydia Millet writes about what frightens her most "Migrations" by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron Books, 2020): In a near-future fraught with human disregard to nature, an ornithologist embarks on a harrowing mission to find the last Arctic terns on the planet. McConaghy writes beautifully and with heart-wrenching clarity about the landscapes and wildlife that we're losing. But not all hope is lost in this gripping story about a world on the brink of collapse. Book covers: "The Ministry for the Future" and "Weather" "The Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit, 2020): Set in the very near-future (think, 2025), this page-turner urges us to think about the climate crisis through the Ministry for the Future, a newly created agency whose mission is to advocate for the worlds future citizens. Robinson deftly integrates wonky details and environmental policy debates, so youll learn a lot in the process of reading such an enthralling and mind-expanding work of science fiction. "Weather" by Jenny Offill (Knopf, 2020): Another slim but mighty book that is well worth your time. Lizzie, a college librarian with a side hustle of answering doomsday emails, embodies both the anxieties of daily life as well as the mounting dread we feel when thinking about climate change. Brisk and urgent, punctuated with laugh-out-loud moments, this novel hits you with an immense range of emotion. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. When Kansas cops arrived at newspaper co-owner Joan Meyers home to execute a search warrant in an identity theft investigation, the 98-year-old was not having it. Dont you touch any of that stuff, the career Marion County Record journalist warns from a far corner of her living room during the Aug. 11 raid. This is my house. You asshole! An in-home surveillance videoreleased by the Record on Mondayshows how Joan continued her defiant outrage over the raid at the home she shared with her son and newspaper co-owner Eric Meyer. At one point, Joan is even seen wheeling her walker right up to an officer and getting in his face before demanding that he wait outside while the search is being executed. Did your mother ever love you, Joan asks at one point in the video. Get out of my house. Youre trespassing. Two officers are then seen trying to talk her down, while at least four other law enforcers are in the background conducting a search of her living room. Noticing that the search is ongoing, an irate Joan makes her way around the couch, telling one officer to get out of my way to view another search for what she called her personal papers. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I want to see what theyre doing, Joan told the officers. Less than 24 hours after her standoff with authorities, Joan collapsed at her home mid-sentence and died. A coroners report obtained by The Daily Beast states that Joan died from sudden cardiac arrest after refusing to eat and sleep amid her shock over the raid. This was extremely upsetting to Joan and caused her to remain angry and upset throughout the day and night, the report states, adding that she fell back on the bed unresponsive after 1 p.m. on Aug. 12. The footage is the latest video to be released in connection with the controversial police raids on the Record that have sparked a national outcry and spurred questions about whether the local newspapers First Amendment rights were violated. Affidavits Reveal Why Kansas Cops Raided a Small Town Newspaper The raid at Meyer and his mothers home was one of three conducted that day, along with a raid at the Records officers and the home of Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel. As previously reported by The Daily Beast, footage of the raid at the newspapers offices showed law enforcers cracking jokes while they removed computer towers and took photos of private passwords. On Wednesday, amid national backlash, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey withdrew the search warrant that led to the raid after concluding that insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between the alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has since taken over the case, which will continue without any review of the once-seized evidence that has since been returned. Court documents show that at least five computer towers, two cell phones, and an external hard drive were taken in the raids. Affidavits obtained by The Daily Beast on Sunday confirmed that the raids were in connection with an investigation over alleged identity theft after a confidential source leaked sensitive documents to one of the Record reporters about local restaurateur Kari Newell. Meyer previously told The Daily Beast that while the newspaper did receive information about Newells DUI arrest, the outlet did not publish a story about the information. Instead, he said, he alerted local police about the information. Downloading the document involved either impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought, Police Chief Gideon Cody claimed in an affidavit to obtain the search warrant. Bernie Rhodes, a lawyer representing the Record, disputed the affidavits claims, noting that the reporter simply verified the tip using public information websites and that the court documents confirm that the only crime being investigated was the crime of reporting, The affidavits show that Chief Cody knew that a source provided Kari Newells drivers record to both the paper and the vice-mayorso neither the reporter nor the vice-mayor illegally obtained anything, yet they were the subject of the search. All the paper did was attempt to verify the authenticity of the record, using a public website operated by the Kansas Department of Revenue, Rhodes told The Daily Beast on Sunday. No laws were broken. The Marion County City Council is set to host their first town meeting since the raids, but they have stressed they will not be commenting on the ongoing investigation. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. At least seven Republican presidential hopefuls are expected to take the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday for the first GOP primary debate of the 2024 election cycle. The debate is the biggest opportunity yet for the field of candidates to pitch themselves to millions of voters nationwide after spending weeks and months courting Republicans in early primary and caucus states like New Hampshire and Iowa. Heres what to watch for: Does Ron DeSantis receive the brunt of the attacks? DeSantis and his campaign have predicted for weeks that the Florida governor will take most of the heat on the debate stage. Andrew Romeo, the communications director for DeSantis campaign, told the Miami Herald last week that the governors GOP rivals will have their knives out for Ron DeSantis. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Exactly how DeSantis handles that incoming fire remains a key question. A debate strategy memo from the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down that was quietly posted online and later removed last week advised the governor to hammer entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, but focus otherwise on attacking President Joe Biden and defending former President Donald Trump against expected criticism. DeSantis has dismissed that memo, telling Fox News over the weekend that he hasnt read it and noting that it didnt come from his campaign. He also said that he will be ready to do what we need to do to respond to any criticism he gets on the debate stage on Wednesday. Does DeSantis moderate his message at all? Since launching his 2024 bid in May, DeSantis has sought to carve out a lane for himself in the race by moving to the political right of Trump. Hes talked at length about a plan to rip the woke out of the military, called for the use of deadly force against suspected drug traffickers at the U.S. southern border and tried to one-up the former presidents pledge to drain the swamp by promising to break the swamp. But despite his best efforts to win over the GOPs most conservative voters, most of them are sticking with Trump, according to most early state and national polls. Some DeSantis allies and donors have suggested that the governor moderate his message in order to broaden his appeal. The debate could be a prime opportunity to test out a new strategy. There are a few signs that DeSantis may be looking to soften his image a bit. Speaking with conservative radio host Erick Erickson at a gathering in Atlanta on Friday, DeSantis said that the debate was an opportunity to introduce himself on a more personal level to voters who havent paid much attention to the race so far. How much attention does Trump get? After weeks of teasing that he could skip the Aug. 23 Republican debate, Trump confirmed on Sunday that he wont participate. The question now is whether he still manages to steal the show. Some candidates like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have already indicated that theyll go after Trump and his record during the debate. The former president also doesnt appear likely to cede the spotlight to his Republican rivals; a person familiar with Trumps plans said that he will appear in a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that will be released Wednesday night. Yet without Trump on the debate stage, his primary opponents could have a chance to pitch themselves to voters outside of Trumps shadow. The forum could offer them an opportunity to take shots at the former president without the immediate fear of reprisals. Will the debate change anything? Trumps Republican rivals have campaigned relentlessly for months in hopes of cutting into the former presidents staggering polling lead and media dominance. So far, at least, the results havent been what theyve hoped for. Whether the debate will actually be a turning point in the race an event truly capable of making or breaking campaigns remains to be seen. Republican voters have so far shown a willingness to stand by Trump despite the long list of candidates presenting themselves as alternatives. Even DeSantis allies have downplayed the notion that the debate will be a gamechanger. Theres at least some evidence that candidates can get a boost on the debate stage. Past presidential hopefuls like Ben Carson and Pete Buttigieg saw a bump in their polling numbers after strong debate performances. Of course, those upturns proved to be temporary and neither Carson nor Buttigieg went on to win their parties nominations. The debate could also matter in a different kind of way for other candidates. Its still unclear if Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has met the criteria to debate, but he has said that candidates who arent able to meet the criteria to appear on stage should end their presidential campaigns. A Southwest Florida woman attempting to give money to a roadside flower vendor ended up arrested last week. TikTok user Arely Castillo, with the handle @arelyyy38, posted footage of the chaotic scene that went down along Imperial Parkway in Bonita Springs around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. In the clip, a woman, later identified as Annika Olson, is screaming at the bystander shooting the cellphone video. I just tried to give her $20! Olson whimpers. I just tried to give this lady $20! Please send this [video] to me! and then gives Castillo her phone number. Relax, relax, says an officer as he places her in cuffs. This embedded content is not available in your region. The TikTok soon went viral and many social media users were shocked because the womans offense seemed so minor and commonplace. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I hope shes OK, wrote one. This is NOT right. Poor girl ... OMG. This is so messed up. In a lengthy Facebook post, the Lee County Sheriffs Office explains what led up to the arrest, saying that deputies were initially investigating flower vendor Norma Garcia. The agency said the woman was in violation of a county ordinance that prohibits the sale of merchandise from the median or in the road. The post explains that the investigation was taking a while because Garcia, who had been deported to Nicaragua last fall, speaks only Spanish. According to a police report, while Garcia was being placed under arrest, Olson pulled over her 2014 white Ford Edge on the inside northbound lane of Imperial, and stuck money out of her window, insisting that it be given to Garcia. The deputy advised Olson that she needed to keep moving, and that she was blocking traffic and creating a safety hazard, said the report, which notes that Olson refused all commands. A deputy then requested the womans drivers license, which she provided. As he went behind her SUV to get the tag, Olson exited and approached the other deputy who was placing Garcia into the rear of the patrol vehicle. Olson was still attempting to give the flower lady money, and wanted to place the bill in the deputys patrol car. She was ordered to get back in her car, which she refused, says the charging document. At this point, the deputies grabbed Olson to detain her, and she began bracing and tensing her arms to thwart their effort, the report says. After a brief struggle, Olson was handcuffed and taken into custody, charged with refusing to comply with polices lawful orders, resisting an officer without violence and interfering in the public right of way. The safety and security of our residents is our priority, and when education fails to ensure the safety of our residents, arrests follow, the Lee County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. After bonding out, Olson, who lives about 150 miles north in Valrico in the Tampa Bay area, told local station NBC2 News that she felt bad for the vendor. I never intended on anything to happen, she told the outlet. I just wanted to give someone 20 bucks because they were having a bad day. I had no idea panhandling was illegal; people do it all the time. Many parts of the West have been experiencing the effects of Hilary, and Boise is no exception. The city received just over 0.4 inches of rain through the night and into Monday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Jackson Macfarlane told the Idaho Statesman. Parts of the Treasure Valley to the west, including Caldwell, received up to 0.6 inches. Boiseans can expect another 0.1 inches through Monday and most of the rainy weather should wrap up Tuesday, according to the weather service. The weather service had expected 0.1 inches of rain between midnight and 6 a.m. on Monday, with another 0.1 inches between 6 a.m. and noon, meteorologist Joel Tannenholz told the Idaho Statesman. A vehicle splashes through a flooded area of downtown Boise during a flash thunderstorm earlier this year. Overall, however, the precipitation started later and came in smaller quantities than initial forecasts indicated last week, Macfarlane said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Macfarlane explained that very narrow, concentrated moisture flows like the one associated with this storm can be hard to predict. Boise was right on the edge of the flow on Sunday. Just one small push in either direction can significantly impact the precipitation in that direction, Jackson said. Farther to the west, Ontario, Oregon, saw 1.4 inches of rain through Monday afternoon. Hurricane Hilary was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone on Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Experts initially predicted that Boise would receive up to an inch of rain, in part to the National Hurricane Center forecasting that Southwest Idaho would be inside Hilarys cone of uncertainty. The cone of uncertainty is a forecasting tool to show the approximate path of a hurricane or tropical storm. Despite the worst of Hilary missing Boise, a flood watch remained in effect for several Idaho communities, including Caldwell, McCall and Stanley. A flood watch is issued when it seems likely that flooding could occur but is not a guarantee. The National Weather Service placed Boise under a wind advisory Monday, with winds between 20 mph to 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph. Winds were gusting at 49 mph from the Boise Foothills on Monday, the weather service said. Highs will stay around 80 degrees through Wednesday, staying moderated thanks to the moisture and overcast cloud cover, Macfarlane said. A road of prosperity -- China-Laos Railway promotes common development Xinhua) 08:48, August 21, 2023 The Lane Xang passenger train of the China-Laos Railway runs past a maintenance center in Luang Prabang, Laos, March 30, 2023. (Photo by Zhou Xing/Xinhua) BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Speeding through mountains and valleys, trains are carrying a rising volume of freight and passengers on the China-Laos Railway, a travel option that is cost and time effective. Since its launch in December 2021, the 1,035 km rail line, which links the Lao capital Vientiane with Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, has generated benefits more than just at local levels. With 19 million passengers and 24 million tonnes of freight delivered and its cross-border cargo transport covering over 10 countries and regions, the railway has become a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub in the Indo-China Peninsula, benefiting both countries and beyond. GAME-CHANGER With only a 3.5 km-long railroad to Thailand, the economic development of Laos, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, had long been restricted. The China-Laos Railway has become a game changer for the country, opening it up to greater economic opportunities, boosting its connectivity with other parts of the region, and facilitating economic and trade cooperation, analysts said. In northern Laos' Luang Prabang province, Yang Shixian's company has switched to the railway from road transport and seen its freight costs fall. Since the railway was put into service, the company has turned to the railway to handle all its shipments to China, about 3,000 tonnes of rubber products every month. "It helps us lower costs, and enables us to offer higher salary to our employees," Yang said. The railway has also put the tourism sector on a fast track. Thanks to the launch of the China-Laos Railway cross-border passenger train service in April this year, tourism got revived in Laos, a top priority amid the Lao government's efforts to revitalize the economy this year. In the first half of the year, the country welcomed more than 1.6 million foreign tourists, compared with only 42,197 a year ago, according to data from the Tourism Marketing Department of the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism. The Lao authorities estimated that around 368,000 Chinese travelers will visit Laos in 2023, up 21 percent from last year. FROM "HARD LINK" TO "HEART LINK" "The railway marks a milestone of the two countries' friendship in a new era," said Manila Sombandith, the consul general of Laos in Kunming. For many, like Silivong Phouthachack, a Lao teacher, the railway is more than just a physical infrastructure of connectivity. It's a project that is set to boost people-to-people bonds. Silivong and 39 others just finished their 18-month-long study at the Kunming Railway Vocational and Technical College, where they were taught how to teach railway-related technology. They will be the first teachers in Laos' first railway vocational and technical college, which China assisted in building. "After I return, I will teach what I've learned in China to others," said Silivong. The China-Laos Railway has turned the "hard link" between the two countries into a "heart link" between the two peoples, said Ma Yong, head of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies under the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences. FROM LANDLOCKED TO LAND-LINKED Pannaros Boonserm, a 33-year-old Thai, was impressed by how the China-Laos Railway has changed people's lives in Laos. Working as a translator at the China-Thailand railway construction project, she hoped the China-Thailand railway would be completed and start operation as soon as possible. Having studied at Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have improved local residents' living standards. "I'm expecting the connectivity of the China-Laos-Thailand railway. By then, I can take a train trip all the way northward from Bangkok to Kunming in China's Yunnan Province," she said. When the China-Thailand Railway is completed, it will take trains from the Thai capital of Bangkok to the country's northeastern border town of Nong Khai, where a bridge will connect it with the southern end of the China-Laos Railway. Analysts said the connection will not only inject vitality into the economy along the line but strengthen the trans-Asian railway network and promote regional connectivity. An artery running through the Indo-China Peninsula will be formed, which will further promote economy, trade, and investment and boost common prosperity when linked to the China-Europe freight train network and with closer cooperation under the BRI, said Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative, who has been to Laos several times to conduct research into the China-Laos Railway. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Flash This aerial photo taken on Aug. 6, 2023 shows wildfires near Downton Lake, in the south-central part of British Columbia, Canada. [Photo/British Columbia Wildfire Service handout via Xinhua] Wildfires that raged in the U.S. state of Hawaii, Canada and a Spanish island have caused heavy losses as firefighters continue to battle the blazes and rescuers search for the deceased and accommodate the displaced. The death toll from the Maui wildfires in Hawaii reached 114 on Friday, the deadliest fires in modern U.S. history, authorities said. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Friday that more than 2,200 buildings have been destroyed and another 500 have been damaged, at an estimated cost of nearly 6 billion U.S. dollars. "But far more devastating than any material loss is the loss of precious lives -- of mothers, fathers, grandparents, sons, and daughters -- lives that can never be replaced," he said. Green said there are now 470 search and rescue workers and 40 search dogs combing through hundreds of burned buildings, and they have already completed searching more than 60 percent of the disaster area. The governor said the death toll is expected to rise as the search continues. The Maui County Emergency Management Agency, which is responsible for sounding the sirens, faced intense criticism because it didn't activate the system before the disaster. The agency's head, Herman Andaya, resigned on Thursday. U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Maui on Monday to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state and local officials, said the White House in a statement earlier this week. Meanwhile, wildfires also wreaked havoc in other parts of the United States. Thousands of people fled the Medical Lake area in eastern Washington State, as a wildfire burned thousands of acres and left one person dead, officials said on Saturday. By noon Saturday, the Gray Fire that erupted Friday had grown to an estimated 9,500 acres (about 38 square kilometers), according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Earlier this week, a wildfire in Siskiyou County, northern California, prompted evacuations and road closures, officials said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Hurricane Hilary is barreling toward southern California, putting the storm on a collision course with several wildfires burning in the Golden State. For the past few months, Canada has been battling the worst-known wildfire season in the country's history. There have been more than 5,700 fires, which have burned more than 137,000 square kilometers across the country, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. British Columbia and the Northwest Territories have recently declared state of emergency. David Eby, premier of British Columbia, said Saturday that about 35,000 people have been ordered to evacuate wildfire zones across the province and an additional 30,000 were under an evacuation alert. He said he was restricting non-essential travel to fire-affected areas to free up accommodations for displaced residents and firefighters. Helped by milder weather on Saturday, firefighters were able to keep wildfires at bay near Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. The city faded into a ghost town as nearly all of its 20,000 residents had fled to safety. "We're by no means out of the woods yet," Mike Westwick, wildfire information officer for the city, told The Associated Press. "We still have a serious situation. It's not safe to return." In Europe, heat waves as a result of global warming also sparked wildfires in the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife. Over 4,500 people have been evacuated on Saturday in the northeast of Tenerife as the wildfire has taken on an unprecedented dimension in the Canary Islands. The fire, which began late on Tuesday night in hilly and forested terrain, has now expanded its perimeter to 50 km and blazed over 5,000 hectares of land. President of the Tenerife Cabildo (Municipal Council) Rosa Davila said on Saturday that the fire was "taking on a situation that has never been seen before in the Canary Islands." It has been so fierce that it was "out of our capacity to extinguish it," she said. Most of Spain remains on an "extreme" level for further wildfires as the fourth heatwave of this summer is expected to affect the country over the weekend and the start of next week. (This Aug. 21 story has been corrected to say that Guinea changed its transition timeline last year, not last week, in paragraph 12) ABUJA (Reuters) - West Africa's main regional bloc, ECOWAS, has rejected a proposal by Niger's military junta to hold elections within three years, extending a political impasse that could trigger a military intervention if no agreement is reached following a July coup. ECOWAS and other international powers have been seeking diplomatic solutions to the July 26 putsch in Niger, the seventh in West and Central Africa in three years. But after several attempts for dialogue were rejected, the bloc - which has taken a harder stance on Niger than its junta-led neighbours - activated a regional force that military heads have said is ready to deploy if talks fail. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It doubled down on its threat on Friday, one day before the junta eventually agreed to meet an ECOWAS delegation in the capital Niamey, suggesting new willingness to cooperate. In a televised address to the nation on Saturday evening, junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani said coup leaders remained open to dialogue. But he also said the junta would consult on a transition back to democracy within three years, echoing lengthy timelines proposed by other coup leaders in the region. ECOWAS Commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah told Reuters on Monday that the bloc's position remained clear. "Release Bazoum without preconditions, restore constitutional order without further delay," he said, referring to Niger's ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum. He spoke via WhatsApp in response to a query about the proposed elections delay. The outcome of "ongoing informal discussions" would determine whether ECOWAS would send another mediation mission to Niger, he added. The bloc's reputation has been at stake since the recent string of coups eroded democracy in the region, raising doubts over its sway as junta leaders have clung to power. It has butted heads with other military governments requesting several years of preparation to hold elections. ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Mali last year after interim authorities failed to organise promised polls, lifting them only after a new 2024 deadline was agreed. Burkina Faso has also agreed to restore civilian rule next year, while Guinea shortened its transition timeline to 24 months last year following pressure by ECOWAS. Niger has already been hit with a flurry of international sanctions since the coup, including from ECOWAS, piling economic pressure on one of the world's poorest countries. (Reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Matthew Lewis) West Virginia University officials recently proposed sweeping cuts at its flagship Morgantown campus, startling faculty members and students alike. The "financially beleaguered" state-funded public university proposed eliminating 169 faculty positions and dropping nearly three dozen undergraduate and graduate programs, per Inside Higher Ed. This includes "the entirety of the department of world languages, literatures and linguistics," as well as the mathematics graduate program. The proposal came after WVU reviewed about half of its academic programs as part of an attempt to correct an estimated $45 million budget deficit. "We are going through an existential crisis in higher education," E. Gordon Gee, WVU's president, told The Washington Post in an interview, "and we happen to be on the point of the spear." Gee said the cuts were necessary to free up resources for higher-demand programs, such as forensics, engineering and neuroscience. As public confidence in higher education wanes, universities must regain that trust, he claimed. "The people of the state are telling us what they want," he added. "And for once, we're listening to them." But while the university has cited budget concerns and declining enrollment as the push for the proposal, critics are not convinced these are the only reasons. Could the proposed cuts at WVU be a Trojan horse for something more alarming? Part of a larger scheme of 'educational gerrymandering' In proposing the elimination of mainly liberal arts programs, West Virginia, "is engaging in a kind of educational gerrymandering," Leif Weatherby, associate professor of German at New York University, opined in The New York Times. West Virginia has the fourth-highest poverty rate in the country. "The university is deciding, in effect, that certain citizens don't get access to a liberal arts education." Unfortunately, the decision is part of a more significant trend wherein politicians and state officials work with management consultants to make "liberal arts education scarce in some of the poorest states in the union," Weatherby added. The trend is "typically led by Republican-controlled legislatures." And while it's framed as a budgetary necessity, it actually "threatens to have dire long-term effects on our already polarized and divided nation." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Finances aren't the point. The humanities are under threat across the nation "because of the perceived left-wing ideology of the liberal arts," Weatherby continued. He noted that book bans and remodeled school curriculums about Black history are also part of this "coordinated assault," a campaign that is "politically motivated, through and through." The goal is "to divide the electorate, and higher education is the tool." Ultimately, the "outcome is likely to fortify many Republican voting strongholds." In a letter to Gee, Paula M. Krebs, executive director of the Modern Language Association, pointed out that "no other state flagship university has forsaken language education for its students or made the kinds of cuts to the humanities that WVU is undertaking." Access to these programs is crucial for those whose only chance at a degree is at a public university. "The humanities should not be reserved for students who can afford private higher education," she wrote. If you care about higher education, you 'should be alarmed' There is reason to believe that the WVU cuts recommended by consulting firm rpk GROUP are a "trial balloon for doing this elsewhere," Lisa Corrigan wrote in The Nation. "Anyone who cares about higher education should be alarmed about what this portends for public universities." The proposed changes "are the functional equivalent of an atomic bomb at WVU." As it goes up against "state austerity and a culture war on public goods," public funding for higher education is declining, forcing public universities to "rely more on private donors, who impart new controls on higher education professionals," Corrigan continued. The targeting of public universities, censorship, and the purging of certain academic programs "are all calculated to decrease the public's confidence in public education so that it can be dismantled and replaced with private corporations, which lack regulation and oversight." Ultimately, proposals to restructure universities will create policies that "funnel public funds to private entities," a plot "intentionally designed to produce two tiers of education," she wrote. One "for the elite at small, private, endowed universities," and another "for state students who are poor, first-generation, disabled or are interested in the liberal arts, fine arts or programs that question the current political arrangement." You may also like Homepage As she awaits the end of a Senate standoff that will likely see her eventually confirmed as the Navys 33rd chief of naval operations, acting CNO Adm. Lisa Franchetti sent a message to the fleet last week urging everyone to stay the course, even if there is technically a gapped billet at the very top. Along with the presumptive next leaders of the Army and Marine Corps, Franchetti has yet to formally become the Navys top officer due to a blanket hold on fast-tracked senior military nominations and promotions by Sen. Tommy Tuberville. The Alabama Republican began the blockade in March over his objections to the Defense Departments abortion policy. Under the policy announced last fall, service leaders can provide time off and travel stipends for troops to travel across state lines to seek out abortion services. The impasse has shown no signs of clearing up, but in her Aug. 14 message to the fleet, Franchetti urged sailors to carry on as usual. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She technically remains the vice chief of naval operations until formally confirmed by the Senate. The work of our Navy continues undisrupted and unabated, Franchetti wrote in the naval administrative message. During this leadership transition, our core identity as Sailors remains unchanged. We are forged by the sea and connected to each other through our core values of honor, courage, and commitment. Army, Navy and Marines all without top leaders due to Tuberville holds Franchetti also noted that all current orders and directives issued by the 32nd CNO, Adm. Mike Gilday, remain in effect. Gilday relinquished command in a ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy on Aug. 14. Franchetti wrote that the Navy is transiting a decisive decade, and that the sea service has commenced a once-in-a-generation transformation of our Navy in order to develop, design and deploy the weapons and tools we need to compete and win, both now and in the future. I am proud to serve beside you and will rely on your continued commitment to our Navy and our Constitution, she wrote. Thank you for what you do, and please pass my thanks to your families and support networks for what they do to keep us ready every day to fight and win against any adversary, any time. Employees cheer after store captain Douglas Overholtz tried to cut the ribbon with a pair of large scissors but ended up using a box cutter as Trader Joes in Draper opens for business on Friday, March 3, 2023. Trader Joes says it will not be adding self-checkout kiosks to stores. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Trader Joes lack of self-checkout makes it stand out from other popular retailers like Walmart and Target. And thats not changing anytime soon. In a recent Trader Joes podcast, the retailers chief executive officer Bryan Palbaum and president and vice CEO Jon Basalone debunked the rumors that self-checkout would be coming to stores. When asked by podcast co-host Tara Miller in a game of true or false if self-checkout was coming soon, Palbaum answered, Oh, thats a false. Thats a double false. Basalone added, Thats as false as false can be because we believe in people, and were not trying to get rid of our crew members for efficiency sake, or whatever the, I dont know what the reasons are people put self-checkout in. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Basalone recounted a time when he was using self-checkout at a store and had to receive assistance from an employee on something that wouldnt scan: Im like, I do this for a living, and I cant get this thing to work. Related Basalone isnt the only one who dislikes supermarket contraptions. In an interview with NBC last April, New York grocery store owner Stew Leonard Jr. said generations have differing opinions on self-checkout. The younger people embrace it and love to use it more than older people, he said. I dont see much gray hair in the self-checkout line. Leonard told NBC that 75% of his customers still prefer human cashiers over machines. Some grocery stores have taken the concept of self-checkout kiosks to the extreme. A Krogers grocery store in Nashville, Tennessee, became a self-checkout-only location in July, per Insider. For Trader Joes, Basalone said the company doesnt need the latest technology to bring in customers and create newness. The newness comes from the new customers were going to be able to reach, the new products that were going to see on our shelves, the new opportunities for the crew members who get promoted and get to run those stores into the future, he said. You know, thats where the excitement comes from, Basalone continued. You know, its not crazy new ideas like the robot in the aisle that answers questions and helps to clean up spills. Its simpler than that and actually more exciting than that because of that reason. A driver who killed his pregnant front-seat passenger in a northwest Wichita crash in 2019 has been sentenced to seven years, seven months in prison, said Kristin Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office. Jerry Lynn Batts, 31, of Wichita pleaded guilty in June to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the Nov. 11, 2019, deaths of 28-year-old Sierra Frost and her unborn daughter, court records show. Frost was about eight months pregnant when Batts ran a stop sign at west 53rd Street North and Charles Street in a Ford Escape, hit another vehicle, rolled and slammed into a utility pole shortly after 10 p.m. The crash happened as Batts and Frost fled from the Walmart store at 5475 N. Meridian after allegedly shoplifting nearly $500 worth of cookware, kitchen appliances, baby clothes and ground beef, according to Batts arrest affidavit. A witness told police he saw the Ford Escape go very fast and run two stop signs along 55th Street North before the driver flipped off its headlights and ran another stop sign at the intersection of Charles and 53rd Street North. The Ford crashed into a Honda Crosstour there. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Frost suffered fatal injuries, including multiple chest wall fractures, cuts on her head and a bruised lung, according to her autopsy report, which also determined her unborn child was healthy and died only because Frost did. Frost died at the scene. Batts, who fractured two vertebrae in the crash, had no formal relationship to Frost, Johnson said. He may have been driving under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash, court records say. Sedgwick County District Judge Jeffrey Syrios imposed the sentence. A boat passes under the Lions Gate bridge to enter Vancouver Harbour, shrouded in a haze a wildfire smoke A boat passes under the Lions Gate bridge to enter Vancouver Harbour, shrouded in a haze a wildfire smoke By Nia Williams REVELSTOKE, British Columbia (Reuters) - Millions of people in the western Canadian province of British Columbia were under air quality warnings on Monday as hundreds of wildfires filled the skies with smoke and turned the sun orange. In the cities of Kelowna and Kamloops, the air quality index (AQI) was above 350, a "hazardous" level, real-time air quality information platform IQAir showed. AQI measures major pollutants including particulate matter produced by fires. In comparison, Lahore in Pakistan was the world's most polluted major city in 2022 with an average AQI of 97, according to IQAir. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Wildfire smoke is a seasonal occurrence for much of heavily-forested British Columbia, but the number of wildfires and amount of land burned is trending higher as a result of climate change, increasing concerns about the impact on human health. Forecasting service BlueSky Canada said nearly the entire province was covered by smoke, with the highest concentrations in the southern interior region where fires have forced around 35,000 people to evacuate over the past four days. "This type of extreme smoke event covering all of our province does not happen every year," said Jalena Bennett, smoke information specialist with BlueSky Canada, adding 2018 was the last time wildfire smoke was so widespread. Huge fires near the interior's biggest city Kelowna and around Shuswap Lake have destroyed an unknown number of homes, forcing the federal government to call in the military to help tackle blazes. Environment Canada issued air quality advisories for much of the southern half of British Columbia, home to the majority of the province's 5.1 million inhabitants, including the densely populated Metro Vancouver region where smog hung in the sky. In communities throughout the interior, smoke blotted out the mountains and dimmed the sunlight. "Ash has been falling from the sky, my throat is itchy, my eyes are itchy," said Marie-Eve Hervieux, 31, a customer support manager living in Revelstoke, about 550 km (341 miles) northeast of Vancouver. "We don't know the long-term effects of breathing in this much smoke every summer." Older adults, pregnant women, children and people with respiratory conditions like asthma are most at risk from inhaling smoke, according to the provincial government, which urged people to reduce physical activity outdoors. Canada is enduring its worst-ever wildfire season and carbon emissions released by the fires are more then double the previous record. Cooler weather and some rain in coming days is expected to help firefighters battling the blazes and bring temporary relief from the smoke, but the reprieve will be short-lived, said Bobby Sekhon, an Environment Canada meteorologist in Vancouver. "We are going to be dealing with smoke into September because of the wildfires," he said. (Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Denny Thomas and Josie Kao) A thick cloud of wildfire smoke is choking millions of Washington state residents due to 23 active wildfires in the state, in addition to the dozens of wildfires to the north in British Columbia. Weather patterns influence the direction of where the smoke from wildfires goes, and right now, smoke is being pushed across all of Washington and into other parts of the Pacific Northwest by a southward wind from Canada. The remnants of Hurricane Hilary and its associated wind have also pushed wildfire smoke from Idaho and Oregon into the Evergreen state. Some parts of the state, including around the Tri-Cities and Puget Sound, are at unhealthy air quality levels and are even approaching hazardous levels. Washingtons Department of Ecology is responsible for running the states air monitoring network, which is a series of stations that monitor the air quality in a certain region. Heres what to know about the air quality index or AQI, where you can get alerts for poor air quality, and the current air quality in every Washington county. What is the Air Quality Index? The AQI chart is a scale from 1 to 500 used to classify air quality levels using a formula and information of common pollutants in the air. A number is calculated daily unless there is an extreme condition, such as a wildfire, which results in it being updated more frequently. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The scale is divided into six sections, with various health risk and responses for each level: Good - 0-50 Moderate - 51-100 Unhealthy for sensitive groups - 101-150 Unhealthy - 151-200 Very unhealthy - 201-300 Hazardous - 301-500 WA air quality by county Air quality is reported by the U.S. Air Quality Index, as well as the Washington State Department of Ecology. County numbers are an average based on several cities most recently reported AQI, listed at 9:45 p.m. Aug. 22. Unhealthy air quality for all Chelan - 173 Grant - 159 Okanogan - 154 Unhealthy for sensitive groups Ferry - 141 Stevens - 141 Yakima - 105 Counties with moderate air quality Adams - 100 Asotin - 70 Benton - 72 Columbia - 89 Franklin - 72 Garfield - 85 Lincoln - 68 Pend Oreille - 55 Spokane - 94 Walla Walla - 80 Whitman - 81 Counties with good air quality Clark - 22 Island - 19 Lewis - 19 Clallam - 23 Cowlitz - 20 Grays Harbor - 18 Jefferson - 18 King - 27 Kittitas - 47 Klickitat - 13 Mason - 15 Pacific - 15 Pierce - 22 San Juan - 19 Skagit - 19 Skamania - 15 Snohomish - 30 Thurston - 18 Wahkiakum - 20 Whatcom - 22 What makes air unhealthy? Air quality monitors record ground-level ozone pollution, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead and nitrogen dioxide, which are all required to be monitored under the Clean Air Act. Each criterion pollutant can uniquely contribute to harmful health effects and negative environmental consequences. Particle pollution is often a result of wildfires. A study published by the governmental agency AirNow discovered that wildfires contribute 15 to 30% of atmospheric primary fine particulate matter emissions in the United States. Aricka Sidbury, detective with the Wilmington Police Department, was investigated earlier this year following suspicions she was involved in alleged financial crimes. A Wilmington Police Department detective was investigated earlier this year following suspicions she was involved in alleged financial crimes, but an investigation by the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys concluded she was actually a victim of a money mule scheme. In a case review summary by Jordan Ford, chief financial crimes prosecutor with the conference, Ford recommended against pursuing prosecution of the detective, Aricka Sidbury, following an investigation by law enforcement and prosecutors. Sidbury was suspended from her role with the police department in April after the department was notified that she had been linked to a pending fraud investigation in Marin County, California. Investigators there had been investigating Sidbury since December 2022, but the Marin County Sheriffs Office ultimately concluded that Sidbury was the victim of a money mule operation. More: Investigators: Wilmington detective won't face charges in connection with alleged crime ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations also lodged an investigation into Sidburys involvement, concluding in July that criminal charges were not warranted. According to Fords case review summary, the California investigation began when a California business owners email account was hacked as he was attempting to send payment to a vendor. The man followed instructions that had been emailed to him and sent $20,000 to someone he thought was a legitimate vendor but was later determined to be an unknown scammer. The funds were sent to a bank account that, it has been determined, was opened by Sidbury in North Carolina at the instruction of the scammer or someone connected to the scammer. At the time, Sidbury was employed by the Wilmington Police Department as a detective. Fords summary concluded that Sidbury had been communicating with the unknown scammer over Skype messaging. Sidbury believed the person known to her as Thompson Octavia was a real person living in Fayetteville. Sidbury believed the two were in an online dating relationship, Ford said. From the summer of 2022 through January 2023, Sidbury received and sent money to various financial accounts as directed by Octavia. Octavia told Sidbury he was working out of the country in France, he had been robbed, and his friends and family were sending him money to help. After a review of the twos Skype messages, investigators concluded Sidbury had been groomed by Octavia over a months-long period. Investigators concluded that there is no evidence that Sidbury ever solicited anyone for any amount of money on behalf of Octavia or others connected to him and the underlying scam, and that Sidbury did not contact the California business owner or any other victims of the scam. The evidence in the Sidbury matter establishes that Sidbury was unknowingly working for Octavia as an unwitting money mule, Ford concluded, stating the evidence necessary to proceed with criminal prosecution is lacking in this matter. STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the areas latest news by signing up for the Daily Briefing email newsletter. Sidbury is a 12-year veteran of the police department, and daughter to Wilmington city clerk Penelope Spicer-Sidbury. Sidbury was born and raised in Wilmington. Three years ago, she was honored as one of Wilmington's 40 under 40, an award reserved for those in Wilmington who are helping the Cape Fear region prosper. Reach reporter Jamey Cross at jbcross@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Report: Wilmington police detective was victim of money mule scheme With just over a week before the new school year begins for students, the Winchendon School Committee and administration have been working feverishly to make sure that teachers and administrators are in place for when students arrive on Aug. 30. Karen Kast-McBride, chair of the School Committee, announced to the school community last Wednesday that Dr. Ruthann Petruno-Goguen has been named interim superintendent for the Winchendon School District for the 2023-24 school year. Petruno-Goguen is a retired school superintendent, working most recently in the Webster Public Schools from June 2017 until March 2023. Kast-McBride said that she thought Petruno-Goguen was an excellent choice. Murdock High School "She has hit the ground running," Kast-McBride said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For her work from Aug. 14 until June 30, 2024, Petruno-Goguen will be paid $185,000. Kast-McBride was clear that Petruno-Goguen was not interested in the permanent position. Kast-McBride said that a a search for a permanent superintendent would be conducted once school was underway and all hires for the year were in place. Two key hires Petruno-Goguen started on Aug. 14 and has already made two key hires: interim director of pupil services and Memorial School principal. Charlotte King, who was previously dean at Toy Town Elementary, has been selected to be the interim director of pupil services. Kast-McBride said that King had stepped up over the summer to help with certain issues, and she thinks King is an excellent choice for the position. Kast-McBride did not know if King was interested in the permanent position, and indicated that the permanent position had been posted. Bobbie French has been hired as the interim principal at Memorial Elementary School. French is coming to Winchendon from Holliston, where she has been for the last two years. She has also worked in Fitchburg and Gardner. Positions still to be filled As of Friday afternoon, there were four administrative positions to be filled: Middle School principal, Middle School dean, High School assistant principal and High School principal. Kast-McBride said that Jessica Vezina, the previous middle school principal, had accepted a job in New Hampshire. Vezina, who was popular with parents, was placed on leave in February with no reason given to the public and no notice to parents for several weeks. Vezina, a graduate of Murdock High School, served in the district since 2012. Vezina's LinkedIn page states that she is principal of Hancock Elementary School. Mary Jane Rickson, principal at the high school, tendered her resignation this week. In an email to families, Petruno-Goguen said that Rickson has agreed to stay on until her replacement has been found. School Committee update Following the resignations of Ryan Forsythe and Greg Vine, and the appointment of Anthony Findley to replace Alicia Jordan, Adam LeBlanc was appointed to the School Committee on Aug. 14 at a joint meeting of the School Committee and Board of Selectmen. That leaves one open seat remaining on the school committee. Kast-McBride said that interested parties should submit a letter of interest to the town manager or town clerk before Sept. 7. Moving forward Kast-McBride said that she wanted to thank everyone in the school district who has stayed on to help fix things. "This school district has been broken for a long time. We're going to fix it, and we're going to do it with transparency," she said. "We're going to shine a light to everything." This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Winchendon schools: Ruthann Petruno-Goguen is interim superintendent A bloc of hard-right Republicans released a memo threatening to shut down the government unless the Department of Justice stops its probe of former president Donald Trump. The House Freedom Caucus released a memo stating their official position as the House begins its negotiations for spending. The US government will run out of money on 30 September. Congressional leadership has said they would be willing to pass a stopgap spending bill called a continuing resolution so that Congress can pass spending by the end of the fiscal year. The House and Senate are both out of session for the August recess when members return to their home states and districts. The House Freedom Caucus made a list of specific demands in a paper saying it wanted to return spending to levels before the Covid-19 pandemic. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Therefore, in the eventuality that Congress must reconsider a short-term extension of government funding through a Continuing Resolution, we refuse to support any such measure that continues Democrats bloated COVID-era spending and simultaneously fails to to follow the law and fulfill its most basic responsibilities, the memo said. House conservatives listed three major demands, including passing a piece of legislation meant to clamp down on illegal immigration and ending the Lefts cancerous woke policies in the Pentagon undermining our militarys core warfighting mission. But in addition, the Freedom Caucus also wanted to rein in the Justice Department and demanded that Congress Address the unprecedented weaponisation of the Justice Department and the FBI to focus on them prosecuting real criminals instead of conducting political witch hunts and targeting law abiding citizens. Two federal grand juries have indicted the former president, once for his handling of classified documents related to national defence and another for his attempt to defraud the United States through his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In addition, he faces an indictment in New York County for charges related to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and last week, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia handed down an indictment to Mr Trump and his allies for their attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. The House of Representatives in turn set up a select subcommittee on the weaponisation of the federal government when Republicans took control of the House earlier this year. Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), one of the co-founders of the House Freedom Caucus, serves as chairman of the committee. The Freedom Caucus also said it would oppose attempts to pass short-term extensions until the December deadline to maintain the status quo of spending. Lastly, we oppose any blank check for Ukraine in any supplemental appropriations bill, the memo read. Many of the House Freedom Caucus, such as Reps Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) have endorsed Mr Trump for re-election, though Rep Chip Roy (R-TX) endorsed Florida Gov Ron DeSantis and Rep Ralph Norman (R-SC) endorsed the former governor of his state, Nikki Haley. The House Freedom Caucus has often attempted to include cuts and other conservative priorities into must-pass spending bills, though it has frequently done so to little avail during both Democratic and Republican administrations. Aldi is buying Winn-Dixie and that will mean some changes for customers. The discount grocery chain Aldi, with a growing presence in South Mississippi and the New Orleans metro, announced Wednesday that it plans to acquire the more traditional Winn-Dixie and its larger supermarkets from Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers. In the deal, Aldi also is acquiring Harveys, another Southeastern chain with stores in Florida. The deal is expected to close in early 2024. But how will this affect you, the shopper? You have questions. We have some answers. This is what Winn-Dixie parking lots will look like on Thanksgiving Day. What will happen to Winn-Dixie stores? Winn-Dixie has had a familiar red and white storefront design and logo for decades. The Germany-based Aldi said it would keep the Winn-Dixie name on about 400 Winn Dixie and Harveys supermarkets that its buying in Florida, with an unspecified number facing conversion. Most Winn-Dixie supermarkets, about 75%, are in Florida, with others in Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Mississippi Coast has stores in Long Beach, Gulfport, DIberville, Ocean Springs and Picayune. Will Winn-Dixie stores become Aldi stores? Some Winn-Dixie locations will be transformed into Aldi stores, according to the company. We are evaluating which locations will convert to the Aldi format to better support the neighborhoods well now have the privilege of serving, CEO Jason Hart said in a statement to the Miami Herald. For those stores we do not convert, our intention is that these continue to operate as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores. Hart told CNN a significant amount of Winn-Dixie stores will convert to the Aldi format. That could mean a different product mix or design for Aldi. The stores are sized differently. Aldi stores average around 22,000 square feet. Winn-Dixies stores are much larger, averaging around 48,000 square feet, according to industry newsletter Grocery Dive. Aldi has several options, including subleasing space inside converted Winn-Dixie stores. Will your groceries be bagged at the register? One way Aldi cuts costs is bagging. Or rather, not bagging. You do it yourself at Aldi and also pay a deposit to use a shopping cart. At converted Winn-Dixie stores in 2024, expect the Aldi experience. The company hasnt said what will happen at stores operating under the Winn-Dixie banner in 2024 and beyond. Will your Winn-Dixie loyalty card still work? Winn-Dixie rewards, like the loyalty cards that allow customers to swipe at registers for buy-one-get-one offers, or its points system on the app that can yield free grocery items, will still work. For now. But what about loyalty cards still working at Winn-Dixie in 2024? An Aldi spokesperson said in email responses to Miami Herald questions about the transition: Aldi and Southeastern Grocers will continue to operate independently until the transaction closes. We will share more information as it becomes available following the finalization of the transaction, which we expect to be in the first half of 2024. What happens to Winn-Dixie brands? Will Aldi add or swap in its private label products to surviving Winn-Dixie stores? Aldi and Southeastern Grocers will continue to operate independently until the transaction closes, Aldis spokesperson said. After the transition in 2024, expect Aldi products in the converted Winn-Dixie locations. When will Mississippi & Louisiana customers notice the difference? According to Aldis spokesperson, We will share more information as it becomes available following the finalization of the transaction, which we expect to be in the first half of 2024. Anthony Hucker, CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said in a statement that its transformational journey with Winn-Dixie has led to an opportunity for Aldi to add Winn-Dixie to its portfolio. He said Southeastern and Aldi share a customer value commitment and have similar operating visions. What does Southeastern Grocers have to say? Winn-Dixies predecessor established its headquarters in Jacksonville in 1944 and began operating under the Winn-Dixie name in 1955, Jacksonville Daily Record reported. In 2012, Winn-Dixie became a subsidiary of Southeastern Grocers and kept its Jacksonville base. On Wednesday, Meredith Hurley, Southeastern Grocers senior director of communications, told the Miami Herald in a statement: We understand this news surely raises questions, however we cannot comment or speculate on any forward-looking strategies or initiatives at this time. For customers, nothing changes today, Hurley said. Southeastern Grocers will continue to offer customers the same great savings, benefits and programs to deliver an excellent shopping experience and value for our customers as we remain committed to conducting business as usual until closing, she said. More information will be shared on future plans as its available. Sun Herald reporter Justin Mitchell contributed to this report. The first day of school came to an abrupt end for students at Kansas City Public Schools buildings that dont have air conditioning, the district announced Monday. Due to extreme heat, we have released students early in our Tier 1 schools, the district said shortly after 1 p.m. on X, formerly known as Twitter. The heat index is above 100 degrees, and many of our secondary buildings dont have central A/C. The district said families have been notified. The districts Tier 1 schools include Central High School, East High School, Lincoln Prep, Northeast High School, Paseo Academy, Southeast High School and Success Academy at Anderson. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Paseo Academy will still hold its Back-to-School night/Verizon Device Rollout at 5 p.m. Monday, the district said. The heat index skyrocketed to 117 degrees shortly before 2 p.m. at Kansas City International Airport. Dangerously hot conditions are expected to continue for most of the week. Risk of a government shutdown this fall is rising after a powerful bloc of House conservatives vowed to oppose any stopgap spending measure that does not roll back Pentagon policies they consider "woke." In a statement Monday, the House Freedom Caucus said it would not support a "clean" continuing resolution, or CR, that would keep the government open beyond when current government funding expires after Sept. 30 by extending existing funding levels with no change. Instead of a CR that essentially puts the government on autopilot, the Freedom Caucus is demanding several policy riders, including one to "end the left's cancerous woke policies in the Pentagon undermining our military's core warfighting mission." Read Next: Marine Corps Identifies Lance Corporal Killed During Night Training in California ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We refuse to support any such measure that continues Democrats' bloated COVID-era spending and simultaneously fails to force the Biden administration to follow the law and fulfill its most basic responsibilities," the statement said. Getting a deal to fund the government by Sept. 30 was already expected to be difficult given the quick deadline after lawmakers return to Washington, D.C., from their summer break and the partisan divide between the House and Senate. But the Freedom Caucus, which has already shown its ability to grind the House to a stop several times this year, taking an official, albeit not unexpected, stance against a clean CR raises the stakes. While defense officials often express annoyance at CRs since the stopgap measures do not allow the military to start new programs, the Pentagon has gotten used to operating under them as nearly every fiscal year for the last two decades has started with one. A CR is also much more preferable to the Pentagon than the alternative -- a government shutdown. In a shutdown, active-duty troops have to continue working without getting paid unless separate legislation is passed to keep paychecks flowing; most civilian Pentagon employees face being furloughed; and permanent change of station moves are limited, among a shutdown's disruptive effects. In recent weeks, congressional leaders have indicated they will pursue a short-term funding patch to keep the government open past Sept. 30, acknowledging the reality that the GOP-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate are still far from agreeing on a more comprehensive funding plan. The Senate is on recess until Sept. 5, and the House is gone until Sept. 12, leaving just three weeks when both chambers are in session before current funding runs out. "I spoke with [House] Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy [R-Calif.] at the end of July, and I thought it was a good thing that he recognized that we need a CR in September," Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters last week. "A CR until early December provides time for consideration of these bipartisan bills." While it would not be unusual for a CR to include policy riders, the specific demands of the Freedom Caucus are nonstarters for Senate Democrats and the White House. In addition to the elimination of "woke" Pentagon policies, the group is demanding that a CR include hard-line immigration policies and cuts to the Justice Department and FBI. "If the House decides to go in a partisan direction, it will lead to a Republican-caused shutdown," Schumer said in a statement to NBC News and The Washington Post on Monday. Monday's Freedom Caucus statement does not define what Pentagon policies they are targeting, but conservatives use the "woke" label to deride any policy aimed at making the military more welcoming to minorities, women and LGBTQ+ people. In posts Monday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, some Republicans singled out Pentagon abortion policies, diversity programs and preparations for climate change. Because of Republicans' slim majority in the House, a small number of motivated lawmakers can have an outsized influence, as members of the Freedom Caucus and other far-right lawmakers demonstrated with January's prolonged speakership fight and a standoff in June that paralyzed the House for days to rebuke McCarthy for reaching a debt-limit deal with the White House. Concern that conservatives could hold up the annual defense policy bill in a similar manner led to the House's version of the bill including GOP-backed provisions to reverse the Pentagon policy covering travel and leave for service members getting abortions, ban gender-affirming health care for transgender troops, and end diversity programs at the Pentagon. The Freedom Caucus on Monday also vowed to oppose "any blank check" for Ukraine. The White House has requested Congress approve $13 billion more for weapons and other military support for Ukraine with the expectation that the funding could be considered alongside a CR. While most lawmakers in both parties continue to support American aid to Ukraine, approving more funding was already expected to be an uphill climb after 70 House Republicans -- or about one-third of the conference -- voted last month to cut off U.S. funding to the country. -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: Showdown Looming: Senate Takes Moderate Route, House Pushes Culture Wars in Annual Defense Bill (KTLA) Authorities in Southern California are investigation a shooting that led to the alleged abduction of a woman. According to the Whittier Police Department, officers responded to the parking stalls of a park in the city late Saturday night after a man reported that an armed suspect approached his vehicle occupied by him and a female passenger and fired gunshots in their direction. FOX4 newsletters: Get the latest news delivered to your inbox The male witness ran from the location and upon his return, discovered blood near his vehicle and [that] his female companion was missing, the department said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The missing female was identified as 19-year-old Andrea Vasquez. According to police, she is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, weighs 103 pounds and has brownish-red hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black long-sleeve crop top, khaki pants and black low-top Converse shoes. Vasquez has a tattoo of the name Edlyn on the back of her neck, a tattoo of the Aries constellation on top of her right hand and a belly button piercing. Police urged anyone who was at Penn Park between 11 p.m. on Saturday to 1 a.m. on Sunday to contact the Whittier Police Department on-duty watch commander at 562-567-9255. 5 people transported to hospital during air-show in Gardner due to heat Anonymous tips can be submitted to the departments anonymous tip line by calling 562-567-9299. Whittier is a city of about 85,000 residents that lies east of Los Angeles. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. A Naples woman charged in a high-speed crash that killed a 19-year-old Cape Coral woman has sued the victim's insurer, asking for relief in damages. Justine Fagan, 48, on July 31 filed a motion for summary judgment, seeking compensation for her medical expenses from Progressive in the January 2022 wreck. An attachment of the expenses indicates NCH Baker Hospital charged her $49,488.44. Fagan, represented by attorney James Zonas in the criminal and civil cases, is asking that a jury trial focus on the relief, court records indicate. In her criminal case, she faces charges of vehicle homicide in the Jan. 27, 2022, crash that killed Maria Fernanda Valdiviezo Solis. Zonas said Fagan and Valdiviezo Solis were insured by Progressive when the crash happened. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "It's a very interesting case," he said. "It's a civil case at most." Fagan alleges that she completed her pass of another car before the wreck; that Valdiviezo Solis failed to yield; and that Fagan didn't have an opportunity to stop. In her recent motion, she argues that there can be no real dispute about material facts and that she's entitled to win the case. She lists two counts in her lawsuit uninsured motorist coverage of Progressive and bad faith claims practices against Progressive. "She was a mom late to pick up her daughter," Zonas said, adding that Valdiviezo Solis, who had her learner's permit at the time, ran the stop sign. Zonas said authorities also clashed over what lane the crash happened in. "They waited eight months from the date of the crash to make an arrest," he said. "It took eight months to interview witnesses." He said witnesses also disagreed as to whether Fagan was riving recklessly. Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol arrested Fagan on Aug. 19, 2022. The jury trial in the criminal case is set Oct. 2 before Collier Circuit Judge Elizabeth Krier. Fagan was traveling north on Everglades Boulevard North, actively passing other traffic, as she approached 43rd Avenue Northeast. The second car, driven by Valdiviezo Solis, stopped for a stop sign on 43rd Avenue Northeast, and attempted a left turn onto Everglades Boulevard North, in Rural Estates, the crash report states. The front of Fagan's car collided with the driver's side of Valdiviezo Solis' vehicle. The crash as nearby children exited at their bus stop, records indicate. Everglades Boulevard North was a two-way, undivided road, according to the report and is designated 45 mph, records show. Witnesses told investigators they saw Fagan driving recklessly and was passing traffic at high speed as she entered the intersection. Authorities didn't notice impairment due to alcohol when they spoke with Fagan, according to the report. When troopers received authorization from Collier Circuit Judge John McGowan, they began downloading the data from Fagan's car, the report says. They determined Fagan was driving at 87 mph in a 45 mph area. Fagan, who pleaded not guilty Sept. 12, 2022, was released on a $75,000 bond on June 13. The Daily News couldn't immediately reach Valdiviezo Solis' brother, Christopher Simo, nor Yudelkis Frenes Simo, who lives with them. Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Woman charged in fatal wreck seeks nearly $50K in relief HENDERSONVILLE - A woman accused of killing an elderly woman in her Clear Creek community home last month will now stand trial for first-degree murder, according to Henderson County Clerk of Superior Court documents. Amber Nelson, 35, was indicted Aug. 16 for first-degree murder in the death of 82-year-old Patricia Moniz, who was found dead in her home at 116 Regency Loop Drive on July 6 by Henderson County Sheriff's Office deputies. Nelson was also indicted for felony larceny of the motor vehicle owned by Moniz. The Henderson County Courthouse. Nelson is scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 7 in Superior Court at the Henderson County Courthouse. District Attorney Andrew Murray told the Times-News on Aug. 21 that his office cannot comment on a pending case. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to the July 5 incident report from the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, Nelson's alleged weapon was "a knife/cutting instrument." At her first court appearance on July 7, Nelson, who was accompanied by Dennis Maxwell of the public defender's office, said she will have a court-appointed attorney for the trial. The indictments listed Nelson as "homeless" for an address. Rebecca White, Moniz's daughter, previously told the Times-News that the family realized her mother was missing on July 5, the day after her mother's birthday. Calls to her mother's house were going unanswered and no one had seen or heard from her in more than 24 hours, said White, of Hendersonville. So she called 911. "They put a silver alert out, and family and friends went looking for her," White said. Later that evening, White said she and her husband went inside her mother's house and found her dead. Slain Henderson County woman: Slain Henderson County woman's daughter said mother had been trying to help suspect 35-year-old charged with murder: 35-year-old charged with murder of 82-year-old woman makes her first court appearance "We found out she was staying with my mom that night to get a shower and stay until the next day when friends from church were going to drive her to a rehab center near Charlotte," White said of Nelson. "My mom wouldve driven her there I know, but due to a restricted license couldnt drive on highways." At Nelson's July 7 court appearance, Judge James Marshall explained to Nelson her charges and told her the first-degree murder charge was a capital offense. He said she would either receive the death penalty or life in prison if convicted. Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News. This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Woman indicted for first-degree murder in Hendersonville NC stabbing A woman suspect threatened to kill a clerk Saturday during a robbery of a Rock Hill pharmacy across an intersection from Winthrop University, police said. The robbery happened around 1:30 p.m. at the Walgreens at the intersection of Cherry Road and Oakland Avenue, police said. The suspect has not been caught, police said. The store employee was not hurt, Rock Hill Police Department Lt. Michael Chavis told The Herald Monday. In a written statement, police said: The female suspect stated to the clerk, Give me all the money or I will kill you, while reaching behind her back as if she was armed with a weapon. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is unclear if there were customers in the store at the time of the robbery. The female suspect took an undisclosed amount of money and fled, police said. The suspect was described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, around 200 pounds, wearing a red shirt, black jeans, and a hat with the word BOSS on it, police said. The robbery remains under investigation, Chavis said. Winthrop University police called Winthrop Universitys campus is diagonally across the Cherry Road intersection from the Walgreens. Winthrop has an independent police department. Winthrop police were notified of the robbery, Chavis said. Winthrop police responded to the area of the robbery along with Rock Hill police, said Judy Longshaw, a Winthrop spokesperson. Residence hall dorms opened for freshman and transfer students Friday and returning students Saturday, according to a school calendar on the Winthrop Web site. Officials did not believe there was any danger to students after the suspect fled in a direction away from campus, and school officials did not send out a campus alert after the incident on Saturday, Longshaw said. Classes at Winthrop for the fall semester started Monday afternoon. A woman in China said she found a secret stash of valuables in a safe in her new apartment. Jiang Jingping found the windfall, worth 56,000, when cleaning out her new apartment, local reports said. She's gone viral for trying to return the loot to its rightful owner. A woman tidying her new apartment in China said she discovered a box with $56,000 worth of valuables hidden behind a shelf, and is going viral for wanting to return it all. Jiang Jingping, who is in her early 50s, said she was cleaning her newly rented apartment in Zhenhai, Ningbo, on July 20 when she found a green safe in the corner of a wall, Ningbo Evening News, a local media outlet, reported. Inside were five certificates of deposits, gold rings, necklaces, and other jewelry worth more than 400,000 yuan, or $56,000, she told the outlet. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "I was immediately taken aback, and didn't know what to do," she said, per Ningbo Evening News. Jiang, who works at a social agency for people with disabilities, said she alerted neighborhood officials, who tracked down the previous owners of the house, according to the outlet. The property was previously owned by an elderly couple who had died, and the apartment was sold by the deceased's family, who didn't know about the stash, per Ningbo Evening News. The previous owners' grandson, Zhou Jian, suffers from hemiplegia, or paralysis on one side of the body, and was elated to receive the money, officials told Chengdu-based Red Star News. The outlet posted footage of Jiang returning the items in person to Zhou. Zhang Jingbo, secretary of the local Communist Party committee, praised Jiang for her actions, telling the outlet that local officials "give her a thumbs up." The story has since gone viral on social media, with the hashtag associated with the story seen 100 million times and taking the first place for search rankings on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, in late July, per data seen by Insider. In videos of the event, which circulated on Weibo, Jiang could be seen pointing to a compartment in a section of a lower wall, as a closer look revealed it was a small safe, with what appeared to be two shelves visible when the thick door was open. The videos also showed close-ups of the valuable items which appear to have been retrieved from the hiding place. The video racked up thousands of comments as it was shared across the social media platform, and received a broadly positive response as viewers appeared surprised by the find, and praised Jiang for her honesty as she refused to keep the items for herself, according to South China Morning Post. Videos where people appear to find hidden safes in old buildings have the potential to go mega viral on social media, as viewers get hooked on the mystery of what's inside. The hashtag #HiddenSafe has over 136 million views on TikTok alone and features uploads from people sharing similar discoveries, although viewers are sometimes skeptical about the authenticity of the finds. In February 2022, a TikToker received a staggering 93.2 million views on a single video when they posted a lengthy clip with an on-screen caption that said they'd discovered a safe built into the fireplace on the first day in their new house, and made an entire account dedicated to cracking it open and revealing the contents, which racked up 608,000 followers. Read the original article on Insider Many people may be tempted to view the World Banks recent announcement that it will freeze new loans to Uganda because of the countrys vicious anti-LGBTIQ+ law as a harbinger of the Bank taking a more progressive approach to human rights issues. While the announcement is welcome, based on my many years studying the Bank and on my research for my forthcoming book, The Law of the International Financial Institutions, I think there are good reasons to be cautious about its significance. The World Bank, which has been operating for over 75 years, has 189 member states as shareholders. It funds development projects and programmes in member states that have annual per capita incomes below about US,535. The member states elect a Board of Executive Directors that oversees the Banks operations and approves all its loans. The Banks Articles of Agreement stipulate that it cannot base its decisions on political grounds. The articles state that the Bank shall not interfere in the political affairs of its member states. Nor should its decisions be influenced by the political character of these states. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Moreover, the Bank is instructed that it should only pay attention to considerations of economy and efficiency. And that it should not be affected by political or other non-economic influences or considerations. The articles dont define these key terms. They also dont identify the criteria the Bank should consider when deciding if a particular issue should be excluded from consideration because it is political rather than economic. This means that this decision is within the exclusive discretion of the Banks decision makers. Division of labour The Articles were drafted and agreed in 1944. At the time, the division of responsibilities between those who made the political decisions and those who made the economic ones seemed relatively clear. It was assumed that each Bank member state, as an exercise of its sovereignty, would decide for itself how to deal with the social, environmental, and cultural impacts and consequences of the particular transaction for which it was seeking the Banks support. The Bank, on the other hand, would take the states decisions on these issues as given. It would merely consider if the particular loan request was technically sound and economically and financially feasible. This division of responsibility, of course, was unrealistic. The Banks Board of Executive Directors must approve each loan. They represent its member states. It is inevitable that officials elected or appointed by and ultimately accountable to states will pay close attention to the political implications of their decisions. And that these considerations may trump the technical merits of the transaction. Thus, inevitably, political considerations, including human rights, have always been, at least implicitly, a factor in Bank operations. The futility of the Banks attempt to exclude political, including human rights, considerations from its operations can be seen at two levels. Firstly, at the level of the Banks relations with its member states. Secondly, at the level of individual transactions. A good example of the Banks failed efforts to exclude political factors at the country level was its decision in the 1960s to lend to Portugal and South Africa to fund the construction of the Cahora Basa dam in Mozambique. The Bank decided to make this loan despite a UN General Assembly effort to impose sanctions on these countries because of their colonial and apartheid policies. Many African states, supported by a majority of UN member countries, argued that the loan should have been denied. Their case was that the policies of the borrowers violated the human rights of their subjects. They were also a threat to regional peace and security. The Banks General Counsel defended the decision on the basis of the political prohibition in the Banks articles and on the technical merits of the project. Despite its ostensible non-political position, the Bank did not make any further loans to South Africa until it became a democratic state. At the individual transaction level, the Bank funds projects and programmes that have profound social and environmental impacts. Consequently, it is forced to pay attention to some of the political, including human rights, implications of these projects and programmes. For example, if it finances a road or a renewable energy project, the project will require land. The current occupants of the land may need to be moved to make way for the project. Alternatively, the project may have social and environmental effects that hurt people. It could, for example, affect the surrounding communitys ability to grow food, or place the community at higher risk of accidents or exposes more young girls and women to the risk of gender-based violence. If the affected community belong to minority groups in the country, with their own language, culture, and geographic attachments, they may qualify as indigenous people under international law and the Banks policies. In this case, the project may require their free, prior informed consent. However, there are disagreements among states and between the Bank and some of its member states about which communities qualify as indigenous and what is required to ensure that their rights are respected. For example, some states and Bank stakeholders contend that it is enough to seek the consent of the communitys leadership. But others maintain that the consent can only be established if particular vulnerable groups within the communities, such as women, youth, LGBTIQ+, or disabled people, are given specific opportunities to express their consent. Some states may argue that giving such attention to these vulnerable groups is inconsistent with local practices and customs and that the Bank, pursuant to its own Articles, should not be interfering with these internal political matters. In all these cases, the Bank has to exercise judgement. This means, for example, that in the Uganda case the Bank could decide that it should not extend any new credit to Uganda because of its new anti-LGBTQI+ legislation. However, it is also easy to see that in another context the Bank or its Board of Executive Directors may conclude that on balance it is better to continue lending to the particular country despite serious human rights issues. Or to a particular project because the perceived benefits outweigh the costs. The challenge, of course, is ensuring that the Bank is making these decisions on a principled and predictable basis. And not according to its own whims and political preferences. And that it can be held accountable for the way in which it makes the decisions. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters. It was written by: Danny Bradlow, University of Pretoria. Read more: Danny Bradlow receives funding from the Open Society Foundation for a project unconnected to this article. He is also a Compliance Officer in the Social and Environmental Compliance Unit (SECU) at the UN Development Programme. The Wall Street Journal editorial board questioned former President Trumps decision to skip the first GOP presidential debate this week, pointing to the former presidents four indictments and suggesting he has more baggage than the British royals. The editorial board wrote that Trumps decision to skip Wednesdays debate comes as Trump thinks Republicans will nominate him for a third time without a real contest, with the newspaper board questioning the message the former president is sending to GOP voters. Republican voters often say they like that Mr. Trump is a fighter, but for whom is he fighting? Them, or himself? He would carry into the general election more baggage than the British royals, the editorial states. Yet Mr. Trump expects GOP voters to nominate him without so much as a primary debate, much less a real nominating contest. There are still five months before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, and perhaps Mr. Trumps presumption is mistaken, the op-ed concluded. But political parties have made repeated nominations in the past in thrall to one man and suffered repeated losses for it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Trump announced Sunday that he will not attend the first Republican debate in Milwaukee, and signaled he planned to skip future debates as well. The Journal editorial board wrote that the GOP is on track to nominate, for the third time, a man who has been indicted four times on 91 felony counts. We dont mean despite being indicted. We mean because hes been indicted, it stated. Its been a week since Trump along with 18 of his allies were indicted by a Georgia grand jury on charges tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump, who announced his third presidential campaign last November, has been hit with three other indictments this year relating to to his business dealings, handling of classified documents and actions following the 2020 election. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. For nearly two centuries, New York Citys Chinatown has been home to a quintessentially American story: immigrant workers and their families living shoulder-to-shoulder in low-slung tenements. Workers like Dennis Chung, the owner of Pasteur Grill and Noodles, a Vietnamese pho joint hes run at the neighborhoods western edge for 27 years weathering disasters like 9/11, Hurricane Sandy and Covid. Now another symbol of the American condition is taking shape, directly across from Chungs shop: a vast new jail. At about 300ft, the new structure is expected to be the tallest correctional facility in the world. And Chung says it could be the thing that finally sinks his business. With the jail on top of the pandemic, it might be over, he tells me in Cantonese. City officials and justice reform advocates say the new jail is a necessary project if theyre going to close Rikers Island, the notoriously grim jail that New Yorks city council voted to shut down in 2019. That vote ordered the facility replaced by 2027 with four smaller jails throughout the city, including the one in Chinatown which planners say will be a more humane institution conveniently located steps from downtown courthouses. How did New York City end up moving forward with such a controversial carceral structure in the heart of its downtown? Photograph: Maremagnum/Getty Images The tower will replace a much shorter jail thats been on the site since the 1980s. But construction is well behind schedule, partially due to years of resistance from a diverse coalition that includes everyone from prison abolitionists to local landlords to, at one point, Eric Adams , who pledged to oppose the new jail when campaigning for mayor. They argue it will be an eyesore that could harm some of New Yorks most vulnerable immigrants, and that its multibillion-dollar price could be far better spent elsewhere. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Adams reversed course after taking office, and now the building crews have finally arrived. Today, lunchtime conversations at Pasteur Grill and Noodles are shattered by the crashing of demolition the overture to a process that might well last a decade. So Ill just need to put up with this, says Chung, or retire early. How did New York City end up moving forward with such a controversial carceral structure in the heart of its downtown? Is it, as opponents say, an ugly symbol of mass incarceration or, as planners believe, a sign of a city slowly but surely righting its criminal justice ills? And could there still be a better way? The saga begins at Rikers Island: 413 acres in the East River, a stones throw from the runways at LaGuardia airport, and the site of one of the most hellish penal facilities in the country. Though 85% of Rikers inmates have not been convicted and are simply waiting for a trial, the average detainee is held in the facility for nearly four months four times the national average and a disturbing number of people languish there for years, or have ended up dead. In 2023, seven inmates have died, bringing the total death count since Adams took office to 26 a toll that federal prosecutors have called a collective failure with deep roots. Investigators have found crumbling buildings, unsanitary conditions and Rikers guards systemically abusing inmates, and a federal judge has threatened to place the jail under federal control if the city cant end the chaos. Theres no serious debate, even in Chinatown, about whether Rikers needs to be shut down. The real controversy has always been over what to do afterward. One of the proponents of borough-based jails the plan for four new structures, in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan is Dana Kaplan, a prison reform advocate who in 2018 became deputy director of the then mayor Bill de Blasios office of criminal justice, where she helped conceptualize the proposal. Now shes a senior adviser on the citys independent commission for criminal justice reform. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to try and transform the citys criminal justice system into something that is more humane, she says. Kaplan says the goal isnt just to shuffle detainees around, but to redesign the system so that they can spend less time waiting behind bars: It serves no one for individuals to sit on Rikers Island for literally years pre-trial. A big part of that, she says, involves relocating jails closer to the courts like the criminal courthouse thats next to Chinatown rather than what is current practice on Rikers Island, which is waking individuals up at 3am, loading them on to buses, dealing with traffic and often missing court hearings. Related: As San Quentin prison vows to transform, its residents ask: is change possible? In Chinatown, the jail tower will replace a brutalist-style, 15-floor, 900-bed detention center called the Tombs, also known for its grim conditions. The revamped facility is expected to have roughly the same bed count, but with new quality-of-life features like recreation centers, health clinics and visitation areas with childrens playrooms all things that residents, family members and staff requested during hundreds of hours of focus groups, Kaplan says. It would be a fundamentally different experience for people who are incarcerated, but also for staff. That, Kaplan says, explains why the new jail must be taller. Just being frank, it was impossible to achieve those elements in the square footage provided by the existing department of corrections facilities, she says. The Manhattan Detention Complex in lower Manhattan, seen in 2010, is known as the Tombs. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images New York City had considered a concept from the non-profit design group Van Alen which suggested Rikers could be replaced with a network of justice hubs, which would place new amenities for detainees in street-level buildings, shared with neighborhood residents to reduce the fear and stigma surrounding jails. But the city ultimately rejected that idea. Its logistically challenging, and perhaps might not be something the neighborhood would want, says Kaplan. There is a real value to [the services] being on-site. But the residents of Chinatown arent sold. A big source of discomfort is that even today, no one not even city officials, Kaplan or Eric Adams actually knows what the new jail will look like. Thats because its being constructed through a design-build process, in which the city will commission a single firm to both design and build the jail. Though the demolition for the old jail is under way, the city hasnt selected a developer for the new one. Its kind of like building a bridge as youre crossing over it, says Jan Lee, a local landlord and founder of Neighbors United Below Canal Street, a group that opposes the new jail. Based on the new jails approved zoning permit, Lee anticipates a massive building, extending two to three blocks in every direction, that rises as tall as the Statue of Liberty which stands at 305ft. This is going to be the beacon of Chinatown, he says. No matter where you look downtown, you will see this jail. When its coupled with the citys criminal court, and another federal prison a few blocks down, Chinatown will be known as Jail Town, he says. Kerri Culhane, an architectural historian and expert on Chinatowns buildings, predicts that the new jail will be grossly out of scale with its shadow potentially reaching the Manhattan Bridge and will become the ominous defining architectural feature of the area. Chinatown residents arent only worried about optics. They say the jails prolonged construction could spell disaster for a neighborhood already in dire straits. Chinatown was hit earlier and harder than its wealthier Manhattan neighbors by the pandemic, which along with a rise in anti-Asian violence has accelerated an exodus of Asian residents that has been under way since 9/11. Thousands had to leave after the attacks on the nearby Twin Towers shut down Chinatown for months, obliterating the neighborhoods garment industry. More left after Hurricane Sandy shut off Chinatowns power for weeks. And in the wake of each disaster, residents say authorities have provided far too little aid. The Rikers Island jail complex in New York with the Manhattan skyline in the background, seen in 2014. Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP Now, the areas surviving businesses see far fewer visitors than before by 6 or 7pm, theres almost no one, says Pasteurs Chung and as the jail construction ramps up, the restaurateur fears his business might crumble. That isnt just a metaphor. Many of the buildings facing the jail, including Chungs storefront, are century-old tenements made of brick, mortar and wood. These are buildings that were built cheaply, not steel reinforced, and sitting on very shallow foundations, says Lee. And buried underneath the jail site is a former pond and toxic waste dump, which would need to be dewatered before the new tower could be built. Lee believes that could compromise the tenement buildings foundations. Were talking about hundreds of families that could possibly have to be evacuated overnight. Theres also intense worry for the residents of a senior center directly next to the jail site, many of them older than 90. Since the demolition began, theyre having respiratory issues, their eyes are tearing, and obviously the noise is debilitating, says Lee, adding that the building hasnt even started yet. Last April, Lee was among 10 Chinatown residents arrested after sitting in the street and linking arms, in a desperate attempt to block the first construction vehicles from entering. Also arrested was Victoria Lee (no relation), a local Democratic party district leader, who says it felt heartbreaking to see the cranes arrive. For Victoria Lee, the protest was a last resort against a city thats been literally bulldozing their way through the community. She says the Adams administration ignored pleas from her and other local representatives to consider adaptive reuse that is, to renovate the existing jail rather than build an entirely new one, which would be quicker, cheaper and just as effective, the district leader says. But the city says its determined to proceed with the new tower. The administration has engaged deeply and extensively with community members and elected officials over the last 17 months even pausing work for two months in early 2022 and again partially in 2023 to evaluate alternative proposals, a spokesperson for Adams told the Guardian in an email. Based on a thorough analysis, the administrations team of experts and engineers determined that our plan would be faster, save millions of taxpayer dollars and limit disruption to the community. Eric Adams with Governor Kathy Hochul in Manhattan. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters Christopher Marte, a local progressive city councilman who also joined the protest, says the delays are an opportunity. He thinks theres a good chance that by the time the city is ready to break ground on Chinatowns new jail currently estimated to cost more than $2bn it wont have enough money to pull it off. Theyre going to get to a point where they cant build the tallest jail. And they might have to take what weve been pitching, which is adaptive reuse of the space, he says. So this is not a done deal. For some activists, theres an even better alternative: take that money and put it into communities, so that fewer people end up in jail to begin with. Why is it that people need to go to jail to get access to services that should be resourced well in their community, to prevent them from going to jail the first place? asks Woods Ervin, an organizer with the prison abolitionist group Critical Resistance. What most Rikers inmates really need is mental health care, Ervin argues, and if more communities had those services in place then more prisoners could be released. By putting those services inside jails, New York City seems to have given up on its people, says Jan Lee. The message is: were going to put things in to help you, but were going to put them in the place where we know youre going to end up, which is jail, he says. The residents of Chinatown also appear to have given up. Last week, at a long-awaited town hall in the neighborhood with Adams, Jan Lee was the sole resident who questioned the mayor about the jail. Lee didnt demand the jail be stopped but only asked Adams for a seat at the design table to make sure that this is right size, right scale and right for our community with the least amount of impact. Adams agreed. He also reminded the audience that the jail wasnt his idea: I would have done it differently. But thats the reality, that I inherited a broken city that we have to now fix. Then he issued a dark warning of what could happen if the new jail didnt get built. Were going to have to take [Rikers residents] who may have done violent crimes, and because we dont have any room, were going to put them back on the streets? I have a problem with that. Nobody in the room challenged him. The opposition was tired. The worlds tallest jail inched closer to reality. What else could one do? We already tried opposing it, protesting it, and it didnt work, says Chung, the noodle shop owner. I just hope they build it faster, so things can hopefully get back to normal. NEW YORK Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the state will pour an additional $20 million into aiding asylum-seekers in New York City with the goal of helping them exit emergency shelters, secure work authorizations and manage their claims for asylum. The newly announced outlay is in addition to $1.5 billion the state has already directed toward the city to address the migrant crisis, which has strained the citys social services infrastructure since last April. The new state funds are intended to speed the flow of migrants social services casework and connect them with services related to leaving emergency shelters and filing claims for asylum. It will be directed toward 30,000 migrants now being sheltered in facilities operated by the citys Health + Hospitals network, the citys Office of Emergency Management and Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The new funds also come amid backlash toward Hochul, who has been criticized for not being at the forefront of the crisis. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The path out of this crisis is work authorization, Hochul said in a written statement. Getting asylum-seekers on track to work authorization will help them become self-sufficient and come out of the shadows. New York State has provided significant humanitarian aid for more than a year, and were committed to continuing to support the city in managing this ongoing crisis. Hochuls announcement comes the same day she announced the federal government authorized the rental of Floyd Bennett Field as a shelter for asylum-seekers and just days after her team and New York City Mayor Eric Adams administration butted heads in court over the citys push to suspend the right to shelter law, which dictates that the city provide shelter to anyone who requests it within a proscribed time frame. As part of the court case, the state submitted a legal filing that criticized the city as being sluggish in providing reimbursement documentation and sloppy in its handling of state funds. Adams is out of town Monday in Israel for the early part of the week, but suggested last week that hes open to Team Hochuls constructive criticism. Whatever feedback my partner in the governors mansion wants to give, we want to hear, he said. But we also want to explain some of the actions we took. Getting migrants out of emergency relief centers and other shelters and into jobs and permanent housing is widely viewed as a key to alleviating pressure on the citys homeless shelter system, which is housing nearly 83,000 people, as of last week. Over the last two years, the length of stays in those shelters has increased, further exacerbating the migrant crisis, according to a report put out Monday by city Comptroller Brad Lander. The length of stay for adult families averaged 885 days in the 2022 fiscal year, a more than 100-day spike when compared to the 773-day average stay in 2021. Length of stays for families with children also rose, although less sharply, with the average day count in 2021 climbing from 520 days to 534 in 2022. For months, Adams has criticized the federal government for not doing enough to expedite work permits for asylum-seekers. But Lander has criticized Adams along those lines as well. To obtain the permits, migrants must first formally apply for asylum in the U.S. After weathering criticism for not doing enough to help asylum-seekers navigate that process some of it from the comptroller Adams announced in June that the city opened an Asylum Application Center, which is funded by the state and will also receive a part of the new $20 million Hochul announced Monday. Along with that new pot of funding, Hochul also announced that asylum-seekers in city shelters will now be triaged using a new color-coded scale. A green status will indicate that there are no significant barriers blocking one from exiting shelter; yellow will signify existing barriers, but a clear path to resolution; while red will be used to denote more complex barriers. This triage method will speed exit from shelter, facilitate the connection to services or resources required to exit shelter, and put families on the path to independent living, the governors press office said in its statement Monday. Individuals and families will be engaged on arrival at the citys arrival center and on an ongoing basis throughout their time in shelter. In a joint statement, the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless praised Hochul for allocating new funding for migrants, but also suggested that theyre taking the announcement with a grain of salt. The devil is in the details, and we need more information from the state, including a concrete timeline for transitioning 30,000 new arrivals out of shelter and securing those individuals work authorization, they said. We hope that this is the beginning of the Governor galvanizing the full weight and authority of the State to address an emergency that warrants a whole-of-government response to ensure the safety and well-being of our newest neighbors. _____ If you ever demolished a play dates block tower as a child, be ashamed no longer. In a viral Facebook post from July 11, visitors to Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) were asked to dismantle and refrain from building rock cairns. The nine-second clip, which has garnered over 10 million views, showed a wilderness restoration ranger toppling a huge rock cairn. The stack, which included more than half a dozen large rocks, was knocked over because it didnt comply with Leave No Trace ethics, which dictate that humans leave no trace of their presence in the wilderness and respect the creatures that live there. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This dramatically oversized cairn is a mark of human impact and is distracting in a wilderness setting, the caption stated. Building rock cairns also disturbs small insects, reptiles, and microorganisms that call the underside home! Cairns are used for navigation and safety along trails, according to the post, and should be constructed by rangers and trail workers. Moving rocks disturbs the soil and makes the area more prone to erosion, the National Park Service noted. Disturbing rocks also disturbs fragile vegetation and micro ecosystems. A 2019 post on Ecology for the Masses noted that taking rocks from streams and rivers to build a cairn can be particularly devastating. Aquatic insects, fish, and amphibians depend on the crevices and hollows between and under rocks to make their homes, Adam Hasik wrote. Additionally, the algae that used to be on the rock can no longer filter the water and provide oxygen to the system, only adding to the problems that are plaguing the water body. The 1,169-square-mile Yosemite, first protected in 1864, features countless waterfalls, ancient giant sequoias, and vast wilderness in the High Sierras of California and was visited by 3.7 million people last year. Good idea. I wouldnt have thought of it that way, one user commented. Enjoy hiking and be safe. Another said, Have fun hiking. I didnt know that it has to be dismantled. Thanks for sharing. The post also pointed out that visitors to other places should check local recommendations. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Athens on Aug. 21 to participate in a Ukraine-Balkan summit in Greece, Zelensky said in a video message published on his Telegram channel. He is set to hold joint meetings with Balkan leaders to coordinate European and Euro-Atlantic integration, defense cooperation, security, as well as separate talks on bilateral issues. He will also meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to his post on Telegram. "We continue our visit to Greece (after visits to Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark). We have already arrived," Zelensky said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The president visited Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden during a diplomatic trip to the countries to discuss military aid, particularly fighter jets for Ukraine's war effort. Zelensky will also meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on the sidelines of the summit, Ukrinform reported. I want to inform the public that I will have a bilateral meeting with him at the request of the Ukrainian President. I will talk to Zelensky about everything that has happened recently in Kosovo. I believe we will have an open and good conversation, Vucic said. In May, dozens of NATO peacekeeping soldiers were injured when violence erupted in northern Kosovo following elections in which ethnic Albanian mayors took office in Serbian-majority areas of northern Kosovo. Serbs boycotted the elections, resulting in low turnout. Kosovo blamed Serbia for inciting the boycott and ensuing violence. Serbia has never recognized Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority, as an independent state after it broke away from Serbia following a war in 1998-99. The U.S. and most European Union member states have recognized Kosovo's independence, which was officially declared in 2008. Ukraine has yet to recognize the country. Serbia, whose military is armed through Russian donations and purchases, has been threatening force against Kosovo since it became independent. Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo also flared last summer amid claims that Kosovo was preparing an attack on ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo. The government in Kosovo has accused Vucic of deliberately stirring tensions between the two countries. Last August, the government in Pristina, Kosovo said Serbs living in the north would have to use license plates issues in Pristina. Roadblocks were set up in protest, but were eventually removed with the oversight of NATO peacekeepers. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Kyiv to receive 61 F-16 fighter jets, with first aircraft set to arrive in 2023 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Kyiv has requested additional anti-air systems from Greece to protect the Black Sea port city of Odesa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a joint press conference with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Aug. 21. During the briefing in Athens, the president emphasized Ukraine's efforts to restore safety of navigation along the Black Sea coast and establish a new grain corridor to resume unimpeded exports of Ukrainian produce. Read also: Greece announces support for Ukraine's NATO membership This [alternative corridor] can work, but for its stable operation, we need to bolster the anti-air shield of the Black Sea region, particularly for our city of Odesa, said Zelenskyy. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Zelenskyy arrives in Greece for UkraineBalkans summit This could be a historically significant contribution from Greece to pan-European security, if you help us secure the Black Sea waters. As for the air defense systems, I have proposed ways to do this. Read also: Serbias Vucic to meet with Zelenskyy in Greece The president also highlighted the importance of Greek companies' willingness to participate in the transportation of Ukrainian grain. Greece has the largest merchant navy in the world. Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived in Greece on Aug. 21. The president will participate in the Ukraine-Balkans Summit and hold a series of bilateral talks, including with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Danish lawmakers on Aug. 21 in Copenhagen, thanking them for their F-16 jet pledge to Ukraine and "leadership that multiplies our collective strength." "We are here to say: Thank you. To personally thank all of you for helping us in our fight, difficult fight for freedom," Zelensky said. He also warned Russia's neighbors would be "under threat" in case of a Ukrainian defeat. "All of Russias neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail. International law will not be resuscitated, democracies of the world, each of them can become a target either for missiles, or for mercenaries, or for destabilization, and I am sure you can feel it. But Ukraine will prevail," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Zelensky and his wife also had an audience with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and members of the Royal Family. "Meeting with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and members of the Royal Family. Statements and actions of the Royal Family of Denmark in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people mean a lot to us," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived in Denmark on Aug. 20 on a working visit as part of a diplomatic trip to that also includes Sweden and the Netherlands to discuss military aid, particularly fighter jets for Ukraine. Denmark plans to supply Ukraine with the first batch of six F-16 fighter jets out of 19 before the end of the year, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced during a joint press conference with Zelensky on Aug. 20 at the Skrydstrup airbase. Next year, Ukraine will receive eight F-16 fighters, and five more in 2025, Frederiksen confirmed. We know that your freedom is our freedom. We also know that you need more weapons, Frederiksen said, the Guardian reported. Zelensky arrived at the Skrydstrup air base on Aug. 20 in the town of Vojens, two days after the U.S. government approved the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands once Ukrainian pilots had completed training. According to Frederiksen, 70 Ukrainian pilots are currently preparing to start their training program in Denmark. Denmark fully supports Ukraine, Frederiksen said. We know that your freedom is our freedom. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also confirmed on Aug. 20 the delivery of the fighter aircraft to Ukraine by both the Netherlands and Denmark during a stop by Zelensky at a Dutch air force base in Eindhoven. While Rutte did not specify the number of aircraft Ukraine would receive, Zelensky said on Aug. 20 in Telegram posts that Ukraine would receive 42 F-16s in a breakthrough agreement. The Netherlands Air Force has a total of 42 F-16s, but is transitioning to modern F-35 fighters. Zelenskys visit to the Netherlands followed his trip to Sweden, where he said Ukrainian pilots had begun test flights on Swedish Gripen fighter jets. During the visit, Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson discussed the potential delivery of Gripens to Ukraine. "We also talked about another strong Swedish machine, the Gripen aircraft. This is the pride of Sweden. And I am sure that Gripens can make our freedom much more secure," Zelensky said on Aug. 19. While Sweden has previously agreed to train Ukrainian pilots on Gripen jets, it has stopped short of pledging the aircraft itself. Ukraine has been lobbying to receive U.S.-made F-16s since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said F-16 fighter jets could help counter Russia's air superiority, which is necessary to achieve success on the battlefield. Ukrainian pilots, engineers, and technicians have already started a six-month training session on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on national television on Aug. 19. Ukraine's Air Force comprises Soviet-made aircraft and is outnumbered by Russia's larger Air Force, thwarting Ukraine's ability to conduct counteroffensives. Read also: Andreas Umland: Why no-fly zones over Ukraine are necessary Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday thanked Denmark for its recent pledge to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to assist the embattled countrys fight against Russia. Thank you, Denmark, for your solidarity, Zelensky said in a speech in Copenhagen while addressing Danish lawmakers. Thank you for your help, all the help provided to Ukraine, thank you for harpoons. Russia is afraid, thank you. In a statement Sunday, the Danish Foreign Ministry said Denmark and the Netherlands agreed to transfer F-16 aircraft, stating the countries remain strongly committed to Ukraines fight for freedom and territorial integrity. The Foreign Ministry said it will work with other countries to join the coalition and contribute to Ukraines war. The Ukrainian president warned other European countries are threatened by Russias military aggression if Ukraine fails in the war. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement All of Russias neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail, Zelensky said. International law will not be resuscitated. Democracies of the world, each of them can be a target either for missiles, or for mercenaries or for destabilization. Last week, the U.S. approved the transfer of F-16s from the Netherlands and Denmark, after months of Ukraine pushing its Western allies for the fighter jets. Currently, the war-torn country uses Soviet-era combat plans from the 1970s and 80s. Analysts have warned Ukraines counteroffensive is being held back without air support. Ukraine is moving from Javelins and Stingers to Patriots and F-16s, Zelensky said in his speech Monday. There was a time when they said this would never happen, when they said we shouldnt fight, when they didnt believe in us, didnt believe in you, didnt believe in people, and said it was easier to freeze the desire to live, he added. Zelensky said Sunday in a Telegram post that he met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen while Ukrainian pilots and engineers have already begun training in Denmark. He said 19 F-16 jets will be provided to his country. Denmark pledged the jets could be delivered around the end of the year when pilot training is completed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Greece to attend the UkraineBalkans Summit, Zelenskyy said in his Aug. 21 evening address. The president also provided a brief summary of his trips to northern European countries, managing to secure commitments to provide Kyiv with critical military equipment. Read also: Zelenskyy thanks Denmark for supporting Ukraine in speech at Danish parliament In Sweden, he signed an agreement to produce CV90 infantry fighting vehicles in Ukraine. In the Netherlands, he secured 42 F-16 fighter jets, in addition to 19 aircraft pledged by Denmark. Read also: Greece joins G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine Presidents Office ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude to the United States for supporting the international coalition to provide Kyiv with modern military aircraft and train Ukrainian pilots and ground crew. In addition to the summit, the presidents Greece itinerary has also a series of bilateral meetings planned, including talks with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Greece on Monday evening; he has several meetings scheduled. Source: European Pravda with reference to the official Telegram channel of the president Quote: "We continue with a visit to Greece. Weve already arrived. A meeting with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, thorough negotiations with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Greek delegation [are planned ed.]." Details: According to Zelenskyy, they plan to discuss "everything that we can do together to protect people's lives and freedom in our common European home". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The president will take part in the Ukraine-Balkans Summit, where at a meeting with state leaders he will talk about European and Euro-Atlantic integration, defence cooperation and security. In addition, separate negotiations on bilateral issues are planned, as well as a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The Greek Protothema news agency reported that Zelensky's meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis would begin at 18:10 at the Maximos Mansion, the prime minister's official residence, and after the meeting a press conference would take place. The meeting with the president of Greece is scheduled for 19:50. Later, Zelenskyy will be among the guests at the informal dinner expected to be visited by the leaders of the Western Balkans and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Earlier: Before that, Zelenskyy visited the capitals of the Netherlands and Denmark, where the leaders of both countries announced their decision to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed the members of the Danish Folketing [parliament ed.], thanking them for their assistance and assuring them that Ukraine would withstand the fight against Russia thanks to their support. Source: European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy's speech was interrupted several times by applause from members of parliament and guests. Quote: "Now Russian evil strikes with pain and death at Ukrainian cities and villages but they openly say that Ukraine is not enough. Later, after our country, they want to carry this suffering further to Europe and to the world. And I am sure you hear it from Moscow. All of Russias neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Details: Zelenskyy said that in this case, international law would no longer be able to be resuscitated, and each of the world's democracies could become a target. However, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine will survive. Quote: "When Putin ordered this invasion, he only believed in the length of his armed vehicles columns, in power of explosions of Russian missiles. He believed that cruelty is capable of rewriting the history of an entire continent. He trusted violence and that is why he is weaker." Details: Zelenskyy listed the types of weapons that Denmark has provided to Ukraine, noting that Ukraine is going from Javelin to Patriot to F-16. Quote: "Full-scale Russian evil is retreating now under the blows of those whom Russia has always only despised and despising them was wrong. But people are not being wrong now that they despise it, such Russia which spreads evil, which wants to change the law with violence." More details: Zelenskyy also expressed his gratitude to Denmark for its assistance in the process of Ukraines recovery right now. As part of the visit to Denmark, the Zelenskyy family is also scheduled to meet with Queen Margrethe, as well as the Crown Prince and his wife. In the afternoon, Zelenskyy is also expected to address the public on the steps of the Folketing. Background: Earlier, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Denmark had decided to transfer 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. During a visit to the Netherlands, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would receive 42 F-16 fighter jets after Ukrainian pilots and engineers complete training. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Danish lawmakers for their support of Ukraine in a speech delivered at the Danish parliament, the Folketing, on Aug. 21. In particular, he thanked Denmark for helping Ukraine resist Russian aggression with military equipment, ranging from mine clearance tools to F-16 fighter jets that have now been pledged to Ukraine. Read also: Ukraine and Netherlands agree on schedule of F-16 pilot training Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS "Russian evil... openly states that Ukraine is not enough," he said. "Later, after our country, they want to carry the suffering further to Europe and to the world. I'm sure you hear it you hear it from Moscow. All of Russias neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail, international law will not be resuscitated. Democracies of the world each of them can become a target either for missiles, for mercenaries, or for destabilization. Im sure you can feel it. But! Ukraine will prevail!" ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Zelenskyy to meet with Western Balkans leaders, Greek PM in Athens When approving the decision to invade Ukraine, Putin "only believed in the length of his armored vehicles columns," Zelenskyy said. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS "He believed only in force without humanity, he trusted violence, and that is why he is weaker. We believe in something completely different. And that is why we become stronger. All of us! Together with you! I thank you, Denmark, for helping Ukraine to become invincible!" Read also: Ukrainian pilots to train in Denmark and Romania White House The president went on to express his further gratitude to the Danish people who are already engaged in initiatives to help rebuild Ukraine, in particular, the city of Mykolaiv on the southern coast. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS Read also: US approves Denmark and the Netherlands transferring F-16s to Ukraine report Zelenskyy emphasized that the Ukrainian and Danish peoples "will always protect their freedom and never lose our faith faith in people, in humanity, and in each other." "And let this be another of our Copenhagen criteria The criteria of those who win!" Zelenskyy visited Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark during the weekend of Aug. 19-20. Amsterdam and Copenhagen subsequently pledged to provide Ukraine with F-16s 42 and 19 units respectively. Ukrainian pilots have also started training on Sweden-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets, while Kyiv and Stockholm agreed to jointly produce CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles. Read also: The F-16s are coming! Zelenskyy lands landmark agreement with the Netherlands for 42 F-16s Zelenskyy has reportedly now traveled to Greece, according to reports in the countrys media on Aug. 21, where he will meet with leaders of various Balkan countries. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Broadway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is pleased to announce that the Rev. Vergarie Sanford has agreed to serve as their pastor (part-time). She will be formally installed as pastor during a special worship service at Broadway Christian on Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. This installation will be conducted by the Broadway Christian membership and Rev. Josh Patty, minister for the Disciples of Christ Upper Midwest Region. This special service will also include attendance and participation by members of Pastor Sanfords family and her home church, Mt. Zion. Rev. Vergarie Sanford was born in Council Bluffs into a ministry family with a foundation in the Church of God in Christ and Assemblies of God, the fifth child of Apostle and Deacon Sanford. Vergarie received Christ at the age of 21 years old. Vergarie is the mother of one son, Brian Keith Stephen Holland, 33 years old, and one granddaughter, Cherish Holland, age six. In 2001, Rev. Vergarie was formally ordained after completing all requirements of the ministry and serving the pastor faithfully for 10 years. In 2020 Rev. Vergarie completed her doctoral degree in educational leadership in higher education from Oral Roberts University. Vergarie began the Mount Zion Singles Ministry and Media Ministry. The Media Ministry consisted of three television broadcasts: Miracles Today, Kids Place and The Refuge. Vergarie performed duties that included hosting, producing and directing each show. Miracles Today allowed Rev. Vergarie to travel and film shows from many locations such as London, England; Paris, France; Heidelberg, Germany; Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Freeport, and Nassau, Bahamas, and several locations within the United States of America. She also served as youth pastor and mentored girls ages 12 to 17. Rev. Vergarie traveled with Apostle Geraldine Sanford ministering throughout the United States. Rev. Vergarie Sanford is the director of the Ministerial Apostolic Network Alliance (M.A.N.A.) Board and has coordinated the Worshipper's/M.A.N.A. Conference since its inception in 1993. Rev. Vergarie desires to reach people by teaching them the importance of loving God and loving and caring for themselves. We are just days away from the Midlands Humane Society Sixth Annual Wags & Wheels Car Show! MHS is thrilled to host this amazing event once again, and staff and volunteers look forward to spending a fun Sunday afternoon surrounded by awesome cars and animal lovers. Thank you to our continued supporters for coming back each year and encouraging family and friends to join in on the excitement, too. Wags & Wheels is this Sunday, Aug. 27 from noon to 4 p.m. at Iowa Western Community College, a brand-new location that offers plenty of show cars and guest parking. We are highly encouraging pre-registrations at this time which can be completed on our website at midlandshumanesociety.org/events or on our Facebook event page. You can also stop into the shelter at 1020 Railroad Ave. and complete a registration form in person during business hours. We do accept day of registrations from 9 a.m. to noon. Judging begins at noon and winners are announced at 3 p.m. We encourage you to come hungry as we will have three local food trucks in attendance: BBQ Brothers, Street Eats Sliders and a Kona Ice truck to keep you cool with frozen desserts. Live music from Radio Pilot will keep the atmosphere fun and upbeat while you browse silent auction items and raffle baskets or walk the lot to view the amazing 125-plus cars up close and personal. Play a game of bags with your friends or family thanks to the 712 Initiative's Block Party Trailer, get up close and check out a fire engine from CBFD or even a cruiser from CBPD. Of course, you will want to stop by our animal interaction area to meet some of the adorable, adoptable pets ready to go home with you! We have 13 judging classes and trophies will be given to the first, second and third place winners in each class. The classes are Sports, Original, Muscle, Truck, Ford, Mopar, GM, Ford 2000 or newer, Mopar 2000 or newer, GM 2000 or newer, Rat Rod, Street Rod and Foreign. We also offer five Best of trophies for Interior, Engine, Custom, Paint, and Best in Show. Thank you to our trophy sponsors: Midstates Bank, Availa Bank, Ryan Jenkins Racing, Arrow Towing, Brandeis Catering, John Jerkovich Heartland Properties, The Commers Family, Owners Pride Detailing & Ceramic Coatings, Barleys Bar & Grill, Southard & Sons Salvage, Centris Federal Credit Union, G&G Services and Acura of Omaha. Thank you to our Best of trophy sponsors: Posh Pets Dog & Cat Grooming, JLS Service LLC, Sideris Inc, Leach Camper Sales and Tracy Hough State Farm. Our Platinum sponsors are Top of the Line Steel Building, Sherry G. Bills-Taylor, Urgent Pet Care, Anne Hawk, and Iowa Western Community College. Gold sponsors are Ed and Linda Kemp, Leslie and John Southard, Southard & Sons Salvage, and Sirius Veterinary Orthopedic Center. Our Silver sponsors are SIRE, Arrow Towing, Edwards Kia, Cold Steel Transfer LLC, Glenwood Truck & Trailer, Pottawattamie County Animal Control, Petersen Law and Gallner & Patterman. MHS Pets of the Week brought to you by Pilates Center of Omaha: Benji is a 1-year-old neutered male German Shepherd that came to MHS as a stray. He is looking for an owner who will help him gain confidence as he experiences the world around him. He is a very friendly, sweet dog that will make a great companion. Dahlia is a 5-year-old spayed female Australian Cattle Dog who is a very friendly, laid back girl ready to work on basic obedience with her new family to learn the ropes. She would love a home with a big yard to play in! Zeus is a 7-year-old neutered male Catahoula mix who is very outgoing and friendly, which means becoming his BFF will be easy! He still has plenty of energy and will love going on walks around the neighborhood or playing fetch in the yard with his family. Emile is a 4-year-old spayed female Boxer mix that loves to make new friends both human and canine. She has a rough and rowdy playstyle so a tolerant, playful doggy friend will be best. With some basic obedience training she will be the very best girl! Visit MHS on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekdays from noon to 5 p.m. View our adoptable pets online at midlandshumanesociety.org/adopt. A western Iowa nurse currently facing child pornography and drug charges has a history that includes a conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor. According to court records, Douglas Kelley of Sioux City was convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor in Buena Vista County in August 1993, 10 years before the Iowa Board of Nursing granted him a license to practice in Iowa as a registered nurse. With Kelley now facing federal criminal charges, he and the board recently reached an agreement requiring Kelley to surrender his license. The Board of Nursing first took action against Kelley in August 2022, charging him with unethical conduct or practice harmful or detrimental to the public; failing to assess and accurately report the status of a patient; and misappropriating or attempting to misappropriate patient medications. The board alleged that at some unspecified time in the past, the contents of Kelleys phone were searched pursuant to a search warrant that uncovered some form of child pornography. Kelleys employer at that time who is not identified by the board conducted an audit of his patient-care files and found that he had claimed to be doling out controlled substances at a significantly higher rate than other nurses. The hospital also determined Kelley was claiming to have dispensed pain medications that would have been outside the range of physicians orders. In addition, he allegedly documented in medical files, on multiple occasions, patients self-reported pain levels despite those patients being intubated and sedated at the time prior to procuring narcotics that in theory would be administered to the patients. The board issued an emergency order immediately suspending Kelleys license in August 2022. Kelley recently agreed to surrender his Iowa nursing license, which was scheduled to expire next week, on Aug. 15. Court records indicate the board was aware of concerns with Kelley as far back as November 2021, when board officials informed the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of suspicions that Kelley was stealing patient narcotics while working in the intensive care unit at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center in Sioux City. The hospitals records showed concerns related to at least 30 patients over a 90-day period, according to police. Police reported speaking to a certified nursing assistant who alleged a friend was using pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl obtained from a dealer police identified as Kelley. Kelleys spouse at the time allegedly told police that Kelley admitted taking supplies from MercyOnes ICU. In addition, two MercyOne employees reported that they suspected Kelley was taking narcotics from the ICU and leaving them in his car in the hospital parking garage where they would be picked up by others. Another individual provided police with a thumb drive that allegedly belonged to Kelley. Police reported they examined the thumb drive and found hundreds of photos and videos that constituted child pornography. In March 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Kelley on charges of possession of child pornography; conspiracy to distribute amphetamine; conspiracy to acquire fentanyl by fraud; and distribution of a controlled substance. Kelley has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. The criminal case is still pending. Counties with the highest heart disease rates in Iowa Counties with the highest heart disease rates in Iowa #25. Ida #24. Fremont #23. Humboldt #22. Fayette #21. Montgomery #20. Osceola #19. Allamakee #18. Keokuk #17. Adams #16. Cherokee #15. Clarke #14. Cass #13. Sac #12. Audubon #11. Kossuth #10. Monona #9. Franklin #8. Lucas #7. Ringgold #6. Van Buren #5. Pocahontas #4. Wright #3. Wayne #2. Clayton #1. Appanoose Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, in accordance with a request from the White House, announced Thursday that all U.S. and Nebraska flags should be flown at half-staff immediately in remembrance of the victims of the deadly shooting in Lewiston, Maine. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. After quelling peaceful dissent at home, the Algerian military regime multiplied attempts to silence dissidents in exile using intimidation, kidnapping attempts, and harassment. Earlier this month, three prominent opinion makers Amir DZ, Anouar Malek, and Abdou Semmar all suffered intimidation by the government in a vain attempt to silence them. They have been active on social media platforms exposing the governments corruption, power-grab and degradation of living conditions of Algerians using their own sources. Their activism has disturbed a military regime intent on muzzling free media and manipulating laws to perpetuate the authoritarian status quo. Sektouhoum, Shut them up! It is with this magic word with very abrupt consonances that the Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune instructed the security services to take charge of the opponents or activists exiled or settled abroad, who have become a source of annoyance for the Algerian President, reported the news outlet Algerie Part. Actually, the President wishes to silence all protesting voices to prepare for his second presidential term as head of the Algerian state, the outlet commented. Sektouhoum, this instruction was communicated verbally during a meeting at the Presidential Palace by Tebboune, angry and exasperated by the incessant activism of cyber-activists or exiled journalists who continue to criticize his failing, authoritarian and fragile regime. In this connection, Journalist Abdou Semmar, founder of Algerie Part, was attacked by a gunman who blinded him at first with teargas before running away after passersby intervened and called the police. Abdou Semmar disturbs the military junta and its civilian puppets by using economic data to alert to the impending collapse of the Algerian economy in the absence of genuine reforms. He also exposed the rampant corruption within the Algerian state-run enterprises. Another influent journalist and writer, Anouar Malek, was not spared the regimes heinous and cowardly tactics to silence dissent. His three brothers were arrested and his 90-year-old father and 80-year-old mother have been intimidated by authorities in reprisal for his videos. Malek has criticized the repression in Algeria and laid bare the failure of Algerian policies and foreign policy choices in a troubled region. He recently visited Moroccos southern provinces, the Sahara, and drew contrasts between the development in that territory and the degradation of living conditions across Algeria where shortages have hit vital goods. Similarly, Amir DZ -another dissident abroad who disturbed by unveiling corruption and quarrels within the regime- said his family members were attacked and intimidated by authorities. International rights watchdogs and the US department have drawn a bleak picture of the freedom of speech in Algeria, a state that uses the terrorism charges to silence the peaceful opposition. Prominent human rights activists estimate the number of political prisoners in Algeria to be higher than 300 including journalists, lawyers, opposition figures, and hirak protesters. The Algerian regime has also silenced the press sending influential journalists such as Kadi Ihssane to jail for expressing views that criticized the regime. Besides cracking down on free speech at home, Algeria has imposed a blackout on the situation in the country preventing foreign journalists from freely reporting and rejecting visits by UN human rights delegations. The rise in cases of disappearances and arbitrary detentions was also highlighted by the US State Department which mentions the ordeal of activist Abdelhamid Bouziza who was kidnapped from his home in Tlemcen on October 19. Texas-based Apache Corporation will inject additional $1.4 billion into the Egyptian oil sector, the companys CEO John Christman told Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly on Sunday August 20. Apache Corporation is the USAs largest investor in the North African country oil sector. The company according to Egyptian authorities, is poised to pump more investments and to dig more wells. John Christman confirmed that Apache is committed to its investments in Egypt and looks forward to the Governments support to continue implementing its expansions in the Egyptian market, and to sustain its extended partnership with Egypt, Madboulys Office indicated in a statement. The US business man and the Egyptian Premier also discussed the potential and plans of increasing Egypts oil production as a whole, through continuing the work of updating the oil exploration and excavation sectors, especially with available opportunities for new discoveries, availability of technologies and modern drilling methods, the statement added. Apache is a subsidiary of APA Corporation. It carries out the exploration, development and production of natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids. It generated $10.9 in revenues last year. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has provided a $13 million grant to support humanitarian aid provided to more than seven thousand people internally displaced in the south of Central African Republic (CAR). Mohamed Ag Ayoya, resident coordinator for the Central African country, made the announcement of the financing on World Humanitarian Day, on Saturday August 19. The funds provided by a number of undisclosed donors will be used to support displaced populations at Zemio, Obo, Bambouti and Mboki, all of them in Mbomou (south and one of the CARs 16 prefectures). Neighboring prefecture Haut-Mbomou where displaced populations stem from, according to the UN agency, is among most affected prefectures of the country by a decade of conflict and structural problems. The region is also grappling with deteriorating security and humanitarian concerns. This month, the Agency said two armed groups have been clashing against the backdrop of community conflicts and control of resources, with devastating consequences for the population. As result of clashes, more than 7,500 people fled their houses after they were burnt down. Some 2,500 of these people are said to have crossed the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Peter Tsiani, Director General and journalist of Perfect Tv, a private television in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was released Saturday August 19 after a brief detention in police custody in connection to probe into the assassination of Cherubin Okende, a former transport minister and ally of presidential candidate Moise Katumbi. C. Okende was found dead in capital Kinshasa in July 2023. Security forces raided the television station Friday and arrested Tsiani, his lawyer Herve Diakiese told media. Tsiani was brought in the premises of the National police directorate in Kinshasa and was interrogated by an investigating Committee probing the assassination of Okende. The former Transport minister was found showered with bullets in his car in the capital. The 61-year man was spokesman for Ensemble pour la Republique, the party of Moise Katumbi, a leading opposition politician who is set to contest the presidential election in December 2023. Its a political assassination, Katumbi told French radio broadcaster RFI, without elaborating. They want to reduce us to silence, he said, calling for independent investigations into what he described as an odious crime. The office of President Felix Tshisekedi said Okende had died in tragic circumstances and it urged an investigation to shed full light on the matter and punish those responsible for this despicable act. Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya likewise tweeted that the government was shocked to learn of the assassination and that it had ordered a probe. Algerian officials are warning Tunisia would be the next state to normalize ties with Israel leaving pro-Iran Algeria encircled in the region. Algerian official and head of a pro-military party Abdelkader Ben Grina said Tunisia would normalize ties with Israel, ringing the alarm bell for a regime that has long used the anti-semitism card to distract its own people from the deteriorating living conditions. Autocratic president Kais Saied sent his foreign minister right after to Algeria in a visit that commentators see as a Tunisian attempt to explain normalization quest to Algerian partners. Edy Kohen had said, in an interview a few months ago with Anouar Malek, that Tunisia was among Arab states that are interested in having normal ties with Tel Aviv. Tunisia under President Saied has often been described to be an Algerian proxy as it has sided with Algerias foreign policy stands, going as far as offering a state reception to the head of separatist Polisario front. This triggered a diplomatic spat with Morocco. Former Tunisian ambassador Ilias Kesri was the latest voice to call for a recalibrating of Tunisian foreign policy in the region by mending ties with Morocco and maintaining a neutral stance. It is not clear, however, how would Tunisia explain its normalization move due to the rhetoric used by Kais Saied, who like his Algerian mentors, has used anti-semitism to stoke nationalist sentiment in his country. India made it clear that invitations to the BRICS summit due on August 24 in Johannesburg are unilaterally made by the South African government. In New Delhi, the Indian federation government has issued a statement saying that the invitations extended by South Africa for the BRICS/Africa meeting, due in Johannesburg, are based on a unilateral initiative. On Sunday, Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita spoke by phone with his Indian peer Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on bilateral relations and the strategic partnership set between the two countries. The two ministers also discussed several regional and international issues of common interest, including the Kingdoms relations with the BRICS, said a press release issued by the Moroccan foreign ministry. Few days ago, an authorized source at Moroccos foreign ministry said Rabat will not attend the event which South Africa seeks to derail from its goals to serve an undeclared agenda. Its a meeting organized on the basis of a unilateral initiative by the South African government, said the Foreign Ministrys source, adding that Morocco has therefore assessed this invitation in the light of its strained bilateral relationship with this country. South African diplomacy is known for its light, improvised and unpredictable management when it comes to organizing this kind of event, the source said. The source also pointed to the deliberate and provocative breaches of protocol that marked Moroccos invitation to this meeting. Worse still, many countries and entities appear to have been invited arbitrarily by the host country, without any real basis or prior consultation with the other member countries of the BRICS Group. Actually, in a hostile move against Moroccos territorial integrity, the South African government has invited some entities including separatist groups to the BRICS/Africa meeting without consulting the BRICS other member countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, which are among Moroccos strategic partners. The authorized source at the Moroccan foreign department denounced the South African move, which comes few weeks after the major diplomatic setback suffered by Algeria at the Russia-Africa Summit during which Moscow refused Polisarios participation in the summit despite Algiers-Johannesburg intensive lobbying. Morocco remains attached to a multilateralism that should not be used to encourage division or interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign States, nor should they create precedents that could, one day or another, turn against their initiators, underlined the diplomatic source. Morocco has not applied to join the BRICS and will not attend the BRICS-Africa meeting in South Africa, the authorized diplomatic source said, adding that Rabat advocates a multilateralism that does not divide. The source denied the news circulating in the media citing South Africas foreign minister who claimed that Morocco applied to join the grouping, formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Morocco does indeed maintain substantial and promising bilateral relations with the other four members of the Group, and is even linked to three of them by Strategic Partnership Agreements. However, the Kingdom has never formally applied for membership of the BRICS group, the diplomatic source said. Moroccos future ties with the group are to be governed by the strategic directives of King Mohammed VI, the source said. Ukraine is ready for a long-term fight to revive Kievs relations with Africa and reduce Moscows grip on this continent, which is based on coercion, corruption and fear, Ukraines top diplomat Dmytro Kouleba declared in an interview last week. After decades of oblivion, Ukrainian officials have now vowed to invest significant political capital to deepen ties with Africa as a diplomatic counteroffensive against Russias efforts to woo the continent. We are starting from scratch in Africa. This continent needs systematic and long-term work. Its not something that happens overnight, said Kuleba who has already made three tours in the continent since last fall. Kiev has launched this diplomatic operation in Africa aiming to obtain a support in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If most African countries still display their neutrality in the face of the conflict, a slow erosion of Russian positions in Africa is underway, the minister has assured, citing Liberia, Kenya, Ghana, Cote dIvoire, Mozambique, Rwanda and Equatorial Guinea among Kievs new partners on the continent. Our strategy is not to replace Russia but to free Africa from Russias grip, Kuleba said, adding that Ukraine wanted to approach those diplomatic interactions with respect and with the principle of mutual benefit. Moscows abandonment of Black Sea grain deal in July raised fears of a rise in cereal prices which particularly affects the poorest countries, not least in Africa. Nigers coup leader has proposed a three-year transition of power after meeting a delegation of West African envoys on Saturday (19 August) whose visit to Niger is seen as a last-ditch diplomatic effort to reach a peaceful resolution to the leadership crisis. The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, emphasizes diplomatic efforts but has drawn the line with the Niger putschists after the coup in late July, planning for a possible military intervention on a D-day to restore civilian rule, if diplomatic efforts fail. During the talks with the ECOWAS delegation, General Abdourahmane Tiani, the junta leader, pushed for the lifting of economic and travel sanctions imposed by the West African bloc after the coup, but despite at times striking a conciliatory tone, he was unwilling to give much in return, according to sources familiar with the meeting. Tiani also reportedly expressed concerns that its former colonial ruler France, which has some 1,500 troops stationed in the country was actively planning an attack. Nigers coup leader also said that the putschists ambition is not to confiscate power, proposing that a transition of power would not go beyond three years. Tiani also warned ECOWAS that any military intervention in the country would not be a walk in the park for those involved. Niger and neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso say a defensive strategy has been developed should there be a military intervention. Several thousand people gathered in the capital of Niger, chanting slogans in support of last months military coup, and against former colonial power France and the ECOWAS bloc. Nigers coup leaders have officially banned demonstrations, but in practice those in support of the coup are allowed to go ahead. Overall, the meeting seems to have yielded little, which is hardly surprising, experts say, given the starkly different positions of the two parties. Fat Dogs has canceled a planned Wednesday groundbreaking for its new Fat Dogs Travel Center Lincoln location because of excessive heat warning, the company said in a press release on Monday. Temperatures Tuesday in Lincoln are expected to rise over 100 Wednesday. We hoped those willing to attend could help us celebrate. It has taken significant coordination to accomplish getting to this stage of our development, said Clarine Eickhoff, COO for Wilkinson Development. We are sad we will not be able to host this event with everything as planned but think it is best. Lincoln is the final stop of for Wilkinson Developments Brag Tour, Eickhoff said. Twenty employees still plan to load on a bus with four stops throughout the state this week. The company has began earth work at exit 179 in North Platte where a private groundbreaking ceremony starts off the daylong celebration. In Lexington the Nebraska Fat Dogs Travel Center which opened early this summer will be hosting a ribbon cutting with the local chamber. The Grand Island Fat Dogs Travel Center is under construction and employees on the bus will tour the progress before heading to Lincoln to see the site of the Lincoln Travel Center which is to be awarded a building permit this week by the City of Lincoln. We are disappointed that we will be unable to hear the mayor, chamber and airport share their words of appreciation and encouragement, Eickhoff said. All are pleased with the investment the Wilkinsons have contributed to the airport area and they expect the investment to influence additional momentum partnered with improvements to the (Lincoln) Airport. A North Platte woman received three years in prison after a crime-spree of emptying cashboxes from different skill game arcades in the North Platte area. Latosha M. Ryan, 36, was sentenced to three years in the Nebraska Department of Corrections and one year in the Lincoln County Detention Center after serving her first term. She also received two one-year sentences, which will run at the same time as her three-year sentence. She received the sentence after pleading no contest to felony possession of methamphetamine, theft by deception between $500 and $1,500, and first degree forgery. She also pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence. According to court records, Ryan and her boyfriend at the time, Timothy Caudillo, would either forge vouchers or gain access to cashboxes in different arcades and make off with the cash. In July 2022, Ryan was accused of submitting a forged voucher for $1,184 at River Valley Skill Arcade. While out on bond, she then cashed another ticket in August that same year for $181. Upon searching Ryans and Caudillos residence, police seized duplicate tickets along with a laptop and printer. Caudillo explained to police they were getting blank and duplicate tickets from a friend, then used them to print out forged vouchers and cash them different businesses. Ryan was arrested in May, again out on bond, when she and Caudillo were seen on camera sitting at a cash game at Fat Dogs on Holiday Frontage road. When they left the store, the machine had issued an alert it was opened and missing the cash drawer. A total of $471 was missing. Officers reported they had a key to gain access. While traveling east on I-80, authorities saw Ryan open the window of her vehicle and throw the cash box outside the car. Officers then picked it up where the witness saw the incident occur. Two days after leaving Fat Dogs with the money, officers located Ryan during a traffic stop and arrested her. In court on Monday, Ryan asked for at least a week before reporting, but the prosecution recommended against it, citing her risk of reoffending. District Judge Cindy Volkmer concurred and said she had to start serving her sentence immediately. Photo: Saquan Stimpson/CNP for NY Post/Shutterstock The implosion of the proposed criminal plea agreement between the Justice Department and Hunter Biden left plenty of questions in its wake for legal observers, as well as plenty of room for some old-fashioned political opportunism. Last year, congressional Republicans had urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to provide David Weiss, the U.S. Attorney for Delaware who has overseen the wide-ranging criminal investigation since 2018, with special counsel authorities and protections in order to insulate his investigation from political pressure. They finally got what they wanted, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, among many other Republicans, nevertheless criticized the appointment and accused Weiss of an effort to whitewash the Biden family corruption. The supposed reason for this about-face is that the now-scuttled plea agreement Weiss and his team offered Biden was a sweetheart deal a claim that Republicans have been making for months even though Weiss was appointed as U.S. Attorney by then-President Donald Trump, is a registered Republican, and was confirmed by voice vote in the Senate while it was controlled by the GOP. New reporting in recent days, however, strongly suggests that Biden has been treated worse not better than typical people in his position thanks to the apparent incompetence of Weisss team and some successful ref-working by Republicans. As I noted last week, Bidens plea deal publicly fell apart after the presiding judge in Delaware questioned the scope of an immunity provision contained in one of the documents submitted to the court as part of the proposed agreement. That provision specified that Biden would get immunity for any federal crimes encompassed by the facts described in the proposed plea documents, which concerned Bidens alleged failure to pay taxes on income from his consulting business and his unlawful possession of a gun as a drug user. The proposed resolution would have required Biden to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a pretrial diversion program to resolve the gun charge. When pressed on the scope of immunity by the judge, a prosecutor on Weisss team told her that the deal would not preclude charging Biden with other crimes in the future, including violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act connected to work for his overseas clientele. Bidens lawyers balked, saying that they would not agree to a deal that did not definitively resolve the long-running inquiry. The judge did not accept the plea, instead sending everyone home to do some more work and answer some of her questions. The whole thing was odd. Plea hearings sometimes go awry, but it is rare to see them go off the rails as the result of legal questions that both sides could (or should) easily have anticipated. After the hearing, according to reporting late last week from the Washington Post, prosecutors and lawyers for Biden tried to refashion a deal, but the effort failed as a result of the federal governments insistence that any immunity offered be narrow while the FBI keeps investigating Hunter Bidens work for foreign entities and by the younger Bidens equally fervent demand that any agreement he signs should put his legal troubles behind him. The confusion on the part of Biden and his lawyers makes more sense in light of additional information provided over the weekend by the New York Times which reported, most notably, that earlier this year Weiss appeared willing to forgo any prosecution of Mr. Biden at all, and his office came close to agreeing to end the investigation without requiring a guilty plea on any charges. (This would have been what prosecutors call a declination a decision not to file any charges against someone at the conclusion of a criminal investigation and it happens regularly in the ordinary course of federal prosecutors work.) Republicans no doubt would have thrown a fit in this scenario, but judging by the publicly available facts, this would have been a very defensible resolution to the investigation, particularly given the way comparable cases have been handled by the department. People get off without criminal charges for failing to pay much larger sums of money than Biden owed to tax authorities. The gun charge is similarly dubious, and the notion that there is a chargeable case against Biden under FARA or a related statute an idea that is basically now taken for granted in conservative media is also open to serious doubt. In fact, government lawyers in recent years have seen a slew of high-profile, embarrassing court losses amid a supposed crackdown on foreign lobbying in FARA-related cases. According to the Times, Weiss at one point even told an associate that he preferred not to bring any charges, even misdemeanors, against Mr. Biden because the average American would not be prosecuted for similar offenses. (A law enforcement official forcefully denied this claim to the paper.) So what happened? The Times reports that the posture of Weisss office changed around the time that two IRS whistleblowers came forward earlier this year publicly claiming that Biden had received preferential treatment. The whistleblowers account is far from airtight, but it has drawn extraordinary attention and support from congressional Republicans and conservative media outlets. Amid the publicity, per the Times, Weiss suddenly demanded that Mr. Biden plead guilty to committing tax offenses. A senior law enforcement official disputed that political pressure played a role in the shift, but this is very hard to take at face value. As a prosecutor considering a plea agreement, you need to be cognizant of maintaining and maximizing your leverage like anyone negotiating a settlement within both legal and ethical bounds. It makes very little sense to suggest to a potential defendant that you are even considering a declination if you do not seriously mean it, because doing so makes clear that you see serious weaknesses in your case thereby undercutting your own negotiating leverage if (or when) you need it. A second deeply curious feature of this saga is Weisss teams recent insistence that their investigation was going to meaningfully continue even after the plea deal went through. Again, this makes very little sense as a straightforward matter of prosecutorial practice. A successful plea agreement requires the government to have some leverage ideally as much as possible under the circumstances and the main way to get it is by pursuing and compiling the most comprehensive list of chargeable offenses before approaching the defense to propose a deal limited to a smaller number of charges. Under the circumstances, most competent defense lawyers faced with a proposed deal along the lines of the aborted Biden agreement would have assumed that the investigation was ending. Why else would prosecutors have proposed it, and if you were Bidens lawyer, why would you agree if you thought the government could simply pocket the plea deal and then later charge him with more crimes related to the same facts? (Indeed, one of Bidens current lawyers made this point explicitly in an interview on Friday.) Despite all this, the Times and Posts reports do not entirely exonerate Bidens lawyers. There appear to have been warning signs along the way to the now-notorious plea hearing including revisions by Weisss team to a draft of the immunity provision and their insistence that Bidens lawyers not issue a public press release saying that the investigation had ended. In hindsight, these changes should have raised red flags that at least prompted Bidens lawyers to have a more explicit discussion with Weisss team about the exact status of their investigation at the time the deal was announced, but apparently that never happened. The upshot of all this is that congressional Republicans, despite all of their public hemming and hawing this year and their more recent claims that Biden was getting a sweetheart deal, appear to have gotten a good deal of what they wanted out of Weiss and Garland. Weisss team is now free to file the same and possibly more charges against Biden in another venue. They have said that they intend to go to trial, and if that happens, the proceedings are likely to extend through much of next year unless another deal comes together to resolve the case. At the same time, the specter of additional charges is likely to hang over Biden throughout the prosecution which, depending on where and when the next round of charges is eventually filed, could conceivably last through much of his fathers campaign for reelection next year. To top it all off, there will be a wrap-up report that probably will make Biden look even worse. None of this looks much like a sweetheart deal of any sort, either in the form of the proposed deal or the actual, much messier reality that has followed. We do not have to look that far in the past for another time when Republicans used their control of Congress and investigative powers to significantly damage a Democratic presidential contender. In 2015, McCarthy himself accidentally admitted that his party was conducting a congressional investigation over Benghazi to politically damage thenpresidential candidate Hillary Clinton. We appear to be in the midst of a replay of that effort, with Weisss team now evidently providing an assist. If he can make it there, hell make it everywhere. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images Among the Republicans who are scheming to prevent Donald Trumps third straight presidential nomination, there seems to be a notion that if the GOP presidential field him can be winnowed in Iowa and New Hampshire, some savior of the party will emerge and beat him in a one-on-one fight. The argument seems to go back to a highly debatable (Id actually call it wrong) proposition: The large field of rivals was the crucial factor in enabling Trump to win his first nomination in 2016. But even if it were true that a smaller field could have vanquished Trump in 2016, hes arguably a much stronger candidate right now than he was eight years ago. For example: Hes currently at 55.8 percent among Republican voters nationally in the RealClearPolitics polling averages. In 2016, he did not hit 50 percent in any national poll prior to nailing down the nomination in May. Still, some say we should ignore the national polls and just focus on the early state races that could produce a Trump-vanquishing champion. Thats exactly what New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu argued Monday in a New York Times op-ed: The best indicator of Mr. Trumps strength is looking to where the voters are paying attention: in states where candidates are campaigning, television ads are running, and there is a wide range of media attention on every candidate. In Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states that will vote in the 2024 Republican primaries, Mr. Trump is struggling. In both Iowa and New Hampshire, he is consistently polling in the low 40 percent range. The floor of his support may be high, but his ceiling is low. I wouldnt call a candidate who has a 26-point lead in Iowa (again, per the RCP averages) and a 30-point lead in New Hampshire one who is struggling in those two states. Sununu appears to assume anyone who is not for Trump now will never support him, which wasnt true in 2016 (when he gained strength every time a rival dropped out) and isnt much supported by the evidence of Trumps high favorability numbers among Republicans today. At some early point, if Trump keeps winning big, hes going to become unbeatable. No Republican candidate who has won both Iowa and New Hampshire has ever been denied the presidential nomination. Will Trump be the first? It sure sounds like another of those Establishment Republican fantasies whereby Trump is regularly underestimated. Indeed, the bigger question about the early states in 2024 is whether Trump will have nailed down the nomination before the field is small enough to give anyone a clean shot at the heavy front-runner. Several candidates (notably Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy) are focusing mostly on New Hampshire; they arent going to drop out after an underwhelming performance in Iowa. Tim Scott and Nikki Haley are likely to hang onto their candidacies fanatically until their home state of South Carolina the fourth state to vote holds its primary in late February. Even without the post-Iowa winnowing Sununu is counting on, its true there is a history of New Hampshire voters interrupting the premature victory celebrations of Iowa winners in both parties. Is it possible an Iowa win by Trump would be Pyrrhic, dooming his candidacy? That doesnt make a whole lot of sense once you examine the recent Republican candidates who have won Iowa and then quickly succumbed in New Hampshire and beyond. In 2008, 2012, and 2016, Iowa was won by Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Ted Cruz, respectively. Huckabee barely had two nickels to rub together; Santorum and Cruz upset national front-runners (Mitt Romney and Donald Trump) who came back to crush them in New Hampshire and later primaries. None of these doomed Iowa winners are in anything like the position Trump is in right now. Sure, anythings possible in politics, and Trumps legal troubles could in theory extend the contest for the nomination even if hes winning intially (though so far those legal troubles seem to be helping him among Republicans). Candidates should definitely plan beyond the earliest states even if they are unlikely to be around for, say, Florida (where Trump and DeSantis could wage a dual home-turf battle ) or Georgia (where Trumps rivals are angling for an endorsement by Trumps nemesis Brian Kemp). But the odds say Trumps rivals better beat him or at least give him a scare in Iowa, where its possible to punch above your weight with a superior ground game and where the 45th president has already lost once before. If he romps there, hes probably ne all but a lock for the nomination, barring crazy developments. And all those pleas to candidates to get out of the way of a fictional Trump-slayer will represent a waste of time and energy. Can DeSantis catch Trump, or will he be caught by Scott? Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images Normally its not a good idea to pay too much attention to any one political poll. But an exception can be made for the Iowa poll just released by the Des Moines Register in conjunction with Mediacom and NBC News. This gold-standard poll, conducted for many years by Ann Selzer, is something of an institution in Iowa. And given very limited Iowa polling this year along with the first-in-the-nation caucuss emergence as a potential Achilles heel for Donald Trump, Selzers latest findings will echo around national political circles for some time. As it turns out, the poll showed very little recent movement in Iowa among the Republican candidates who have been concentrating on the state (most recently with appearances at the Iowa State Fair). Selzer shows Trump leading as the preferred candidate of 42 percent of likely caucusgoers (almost exactly where other polls have placed him in the last several months). Ron DeSantis, who has devoted enormous resources to Iowa, is at 19 percent; the most credible recent Iowa poll from New York Times/Siena had him at 20 percent. And like every survey of the states Republicans since early summer, the Iowa poll shows Tim Scott as the candidate to watch among the also-rans, with 9 percent. His campaign has also made a sizable media buy in Iowa for the autumn. The numbers could have been worse for DeSantis, whose national campaign has been in a swoon for weeks now. Selzer shows him with a solid favorability ratio of 66 percent to 29 percent (basically the same as Trumps), and enough second-choice preferences to illustrate a path to victory if Trump stumbles. The Florida governor is also holding off Scott and other rivals more handily than he is in other early states (especially New Hampshire and South Carolina). But Trumps Iowa supporters are significantly more likely than DeSantiss to say theyve made up their minds to support the former president, and Selzer says her data shows him gaining strength after his fourth criminal indictment in Georgia on Augusst 14. Trump is also running especially well (at 47 percent) with self-identified Evangelical voters, a key Iowa GOP constituency that he lost in 2016 on the way to losing the caucuses to Ted Cruz. Five months before the 2024 caucuses, Ron DeSantis really needs to play error-free ball in Iowa. While the states caucus system places a premium on ground organizing, its highly politicized voters will be paying close attention to national-campaign developments like the August 23 and September 27 candidate debates, which Trump will apparently skip, making DeSantis potentially the big star or instead a pincushion. Tim Scott and the rest of the GOP field will be looking for debate breakout moments. If DeSantis can survive the next few weeks, he could get some help in Iowa from potential allies like popular governor Kim Reynolds (who made it clear this weekend she might yet abandon her position of neutrality) or Evangelical kingmaker Bob Vander Plaats. But the bottom line is that Trump currently holds a 40-point lead over DeSantis nationally (according to the RealClearPolitics polling averages) and, despite a perception of vulnerability in Iowa, hasnt really lost any ground there. As Steven Kornacki points out, theres no past example of a candidate with Trumps current lead in the Iowa poll ultimately losing the caucuses: Here's how Trump's 23-point lead compares to other leaders in the Des Moines Register poll at this same point: pic.twitter.com/g2BaZUC7gV Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) August 21, 2023 So DeSantis is down but not out, and its anyones guess as to whether he should worry more about Scott and other rivals nipping at his heels or about Trumps remarkably durable support among Republicans and his ability to deny opponents the attention they need to give him a real challenge. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images The speculation about whether Donald Trump will participate in the first Republican primary debate is finally over. Well, probably over. But our showman-in-chief has ensured that the chatter about his potential debate participation later in the 2024 cycle will continue. Trump has been publicly teasing for months that he may be a no-show on Wednesday, August 23, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He seemed to confirm this on Sunday, declaring on Truth Social that he has a legendary polling lead, and, I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES! While that would seem to settle the issue, Trump kept the guessing game going by writing debates plural. Was this a typo? An announcement that he isnt going to the second GOP debate on September 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in Simi Valley, California? A notice to President Biden that he doesnt have to bother with 2024 debate prep at all? A Trump source told NBC News that the truth was referring to Wednesdays debate and the second debate. But of course, that may change: A source familiar with Trumps thinking said the decision applies to only the first two debates, which are affiliated with Fox News and Fox Business. The source declined to rule out the possibility that Trump may change his mind. Its unclear when Trump made the call to skip the first debate. The New York Times reported that he was letting executives from Fox News, which is hosting the event, woo him as recently as this month: Earlier this month, Mr. Trump hosted for dinner the Fox News president Jay Wallace and the networks chief executive, Suzanne Scott, who had gone to Bedminster hoping to persuade Mr. Trump to come to the debate. They left the dinner believing there was a decent chance he would show up, according to two people familiar with the dinner. Now Trump is snubbing Fox with both his absence and his choice of counter-programming. Rather than scrapping with Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Mike Pence, and the rest of the GOP field, on Wednesday night Trump will release an online interview with Tucker Carlson, the recently fired primetime host who is still being paid by Fox. The Washington Post reported that the conversation has already been recorded, but details about when and where it will be posted have not been announced. Trump only has until Monday evening to shift his plans again, as he must inform the Republican National Committee of his intentions 48 hours before the start of the debate and sign a loyalty pledge to support the eventual GOP presidential nominee. But Pence remains braced for even more drama. I served alongside the president for a long time. And one thing I realized about him, its not over till its over, the former vice-president said Sunday on ABCs This Week. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images The Maui fires human toll is horrific: 97 people have been confirmed dead after a rapidly moving blaze swept across the west side of the Hawaiian island earlier this month, making it the deadliest wildfire in the United States in over a century. No one has ever seen this that is alive today, Maui police chief John Pelleiter said at a news conference in August. Not this size, not this number, not this volume and were not done. Officials still expect that the number of dead will rise as the FBI and local law enforcement officials try to whittle down the number of missing. But the number which remained stubbornly high a month after the blaze came down substantially on September 8, when Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced that 66 people remain missing down from 385 people earlier in the week. (That number has come down to 31 as of September 18.) As the slow work to find the unaccounted for drags on, below is everything we know about those still missing on Maui. DNA tests actually brought the death toll down in September While the death toll remained at 115 for over a month, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier announced on September 18 that DNA testing had removed 18 people off that list, bringing the total number of confirmed victims to 97. When the fire broke out, people ran together, they huddled together, the Maui County coroner told the Associated Press. Theyre holding each other in those moments. Pelletier also stated that the number of missing has come down to 31. Its going to take a long time to vet the missing list With the search process completed on land in the destroyed town of Lahaina and the search of the ocean in the surrounding harbor almost fully complete, it is now up to the FBI and Maui police to interview families of the missing to determine if they made it out safe, or if they have reason to believe they were lost to the fire. It will take months to slowly vet the names on the list of the missing to provide a more accurate number of victims. But the announcement from Governor Josh Green on September 8 that the list was cut down from 385 to 66 was a great hope to the island. On September 13, the Maui Police Department announced that the list of missing was cut to 41. The search for the dead enters the sea With the search of the scorched town of Lahaina 99 percent complete, FBI teams are now looking 200 yards into the harbor, where many residents fled to escape the flames and smoke when the fire tore through town. Governor Josh Green said that the teams are not expected to find substantial numbers of new victims in the water. We will find possibly the remains of some individuals on the boats that were out there, he said on August 29. There are a couple other sensitive spots that were underwater that had to be investigated. But were not anticipating a significant increase. Green added that he does not expect the death toll to rise much further, suggesting that the hundreds of those unaccounted for will be tracked down. Utility company denies fault in wildfires On August 24, Maui County filed a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric, alleging that the utility companys lack of action directly resulted in the deadly fires. Specifically, the county claims the company failed to power down their electrical equipment on August 7 despite a National Weather Service warning, adding that their energized and downed power lines ignited dry fuel such as grass and brush, causing the fires. Maui County also claims that Hawaiian Electric failed to maintain the power grid and electrical system, which resulted in several fires on August 8. Hawaiian Electric pushed back against the lawsuit on August 27, writing in a statement that the cause of the second wildfire has not been determined. The company maintains that the power lines in Lahaina were not energized for more than six hours by the time the second wildfire broke out on August 8. We were surprised and disappointed that the County of Maui rushed to court even before completing its own investigation, said Shelee Kimura, the president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric. We believe the complaint is factually and legally irresponsible. The number of missing comes way down The number of missing people has fluctuated since the fires destroyed the town of Lahaina in early August. As of August 21, the number of missing people was at 850 then shot up to 1,100 as the FBI vetted its database of missing people to contact and mark safe. That number fell again as efforts to contact those missing people expanded. On August 25, Maui County released a list of 388 people who were still missing. The vetted list helped bring the number of missing further down, with several people on there wondering why they were marked as unaccounted for when they had reported themselves safe to the FBI or to FEMA. The names of those still missing are made public The list of the 388 also including the names of the missing so that family can either mark their loved ones as safe or inform officials that they are still unaccounted for. We know that it will help with the investigation, Police Chief John Pelletier said in a statement. We also know that once those names come out, it can and will cause pain for folks whose loved ones are listed. This is not an easy thing to do, but we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible. Why has the number of missing fluctuated so much? The aftermath of the Maui fire left evacuees scattered across the island and rescuers searching through rubble for the remains of victims of a blaze hot enough to melt cars. (As of August 30, 44 of the 115 victims have been identified.) The large number of tourists on the island and the substantial number of homeless residents in Lahaina also pose major challenges, as tourists were likely to head to the mainland not necessarily aware that they were being searched for and homeless residents do not always have easily traceable contact information. There was also a substantial number of immigrants living alone on the island whose families are abroad. Cell service was also lost for many in the early days of the fire, making it difficult to call family members to mark oneself as safe. Any time youve got a situation where theres no communication, disrupted transportation, those lead to breakdowns in information sharing as well, a spokesperson for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency told the Washington Post. Steven Merril, the FBI special agent in charge of the bureaus Honolulu field office, told NBC News that the toll of missing person doesnt necessarily mean that these people, are in fact, missing. Looking at past fires helps put the trend in perspective. After the 2018 Camp Fire, which was the deadliest in modern U.S. history until Maui, over 1,000 people were reported missing. By the time the difficult work of identifying remains was completed, 85 deaths were confirmed a tragic number, but far short of the early missing figures. Still, officials fear that the death toll could still rise considerably on Maui. That the odds are in their favor is hardly a comfort to those searching for their missing friends and family. Its not a numbers game, Maui police chief John Pelletier said last week. Beth McLeod, a resident of Rochester, New York, has been calling databases searching for her mother-in-law who has not checked in. We love you, and were not going to stop at anything to find you, McLeod told the local NBC station. DNA is crucial to identifying victims and finding the missing The search effort has ended on Maui, but due to the intensity of the blaze, identifying remains is a tremendous challenge: Officials have encouraged those with missing loved ones to submit DNA to a database to help identify victims whose partial remains have been recovered. (A little over 40 of the victims have been identified so far.) Realistically, were going to have a number of confirmed, were going to have a number of presumed, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said at a press conference on August 25. Pelletier compared the challenge of finding human remains to the September 11 attacks. Two thousand people on 9/11 were not recovered, he said. We have an entire town that was destroyed. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center will be hosting a Master Class Chef event with renowned Chef Craig Richards. On Aug 28, Richards will be teaching a class of 16 how to make homemade pasta, complete with a community-style dinner to close out the evening. Tickets for the 5:30 p.m. class are $225 per person and the event includes Richards teaching guests how to roll out pasta dough, make their own pasta sauce, filling and cutting pastas. The community-style dinner will include two pans, one with cacio e pepe and another with Richards marinara and basil sauce, as well as serving the meal at a community dining table with paired wine. Richards is a James Beard semifinalist and owns nationally renowned restaurant Lyla Lila in Atlanta. He brings an expertise in Italian cuisine that started when he spent five years training under Lidia Bastianich, whom Charleston Wine and Food referred to as the first lady of Italian cuisine. In 2005, Richards arrived in Atlanta after accepting a position with La Tavola and helped establish it over the next six years as a restaurant known for regional Italian food. After a lengthy career at several restaurants in Atlanta, Richards started Lyla Lila in 2019 and the restaurant rose to prominence almost immediately. Lyla Lila was featured in The New York Time 2021 Restaurant List and named a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award of Outstanding Wine Program. Meanwhile, Richards was named a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef-Southeast. Protecting the public from hazards is in Susan McCallisters blood. My father was a pioneer in industrial waste remediation, so I got my start managing environmental, health and safety tasks at hazardous waste cleanup sites, said McCallister. McCallister, who today serves as Auburn Universitys director of Campus Safety and Compliance, vividly recalls being taught the key foundations of safety by her parents, Bill and Nancy Webster. Robust safety practices are built on science. From an early age, my dad taught us to approach everything scientifically, McCallister shared, adding that her father was named on multiple waste stabilization patents, consulted on hazardous waste cleanup across the globe and helped establish international standards. In his home lab, he showed us how to design experiments, test samples and analyze results, emphasizing how to do every step safely. On the nurturing side of safety, McCallisters mother has dedicated her life to helping others through her nursing career and volunteerism, and both parents have been recognized for their outstanding volunteer work with hospice. Responding to the call These days, McCallister follows in those footsteps on the frontlines of response when it comes to safety and emergency management on Auburns campus. Shes so good at what she does, she recently received a top honor for her profession the National Association of Clery Compliance Officers and Professionals 2023 Clery Compliance Officer of the Year award. The main purpose of the federal Clery Act is to provide critical information about safety and crime to current and prospective students and employees so they can make informed decisions and contribute to the safety of Auburns campus. McCallisters colleagues say thats exactly what she accomplishes day-in and day-out. This award demonstrates Susans peers across the country recognize her expertise on Clery compliance, which is one of the more complex regulatory requirements we face in higher education and impacts the safety of every member of the university community, said Kevin Robinson, vice president for Auburns Audit, Compliance and Privacy Services. This is a compliment to Susan, her staff and the multiple areas she interacts with such as Student Affairs, Title IX and others in navigating this requirement. Susans commitment to the safety of our faculty, staff and students is unsurpassed. McCallister is a nationally certified Clery compliance officer, holding a graduate certificate in emergency management from Auburn University and is a graduate of the Alabama Public Safety Leadership Academy and member of the Alabama Coalition Against Rape Board of Directors. On any given week, its common to see McCallister out in the campus community giving safety presentations to various groups or handing out helpful information, whether it be in the Ralph Brown Draughon Library or the Melton Student Center. McCallister also is looked to in times when quick action is needed in getting emergent information out to campus. Her career at Auburn began 20 years ago this past July, but her journey to the Plains started when she was just a teenager. The Auburn connection I was first introduced to Auburn at 19 years old, when my parents moved to Auburn while I was on a study abroad trip to Australia. Ive been in the Southeast ever since, said McCallister, a native of Norristown, Pennsylvania. McCallister is a two-time graduate of Auburn, having earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Through the years, she said, her passion for all things Auburn has only grown. What I love most about Auburn is the collaborative relationships and the fascinating range of people and projects that I am exposed to as part of my job, she said. I am constantly challenged, learning something new and amazed at all the people and areas that Auburn touches. Before starting work at Auburn, McCallister was employed at several waste management and environmental companies, handling various compliance and safety roles. She started her work at Auburn in 2003 in the Department of Risk Management and Safety, working as a radiation safety specialist, acting radiation safety officer, occupational health and safety manager and associate director for safety and health. She oversaw such areas as lab safety, fire safety, occupational safety and emergency management. Five years later, she moved over to Campus Safety and Security as the associate director for education and outreach. She moved into Clery compliance in 2014 and was promoted to her current role in 2017. My career has been organic, constantly evolving into something new, she said. I love a lot of things about my job, but my favorite is helping people solve problems of any kind. A diverse team of professionals The main thing McCallister would like people to know about Campus Safety is the diverse set of talent and expertise on the team. Many of our employees are in their second career and choose this work because of the impact they can make on the lives of others, she said. Campus Safety works hand-in-hand 24/7 with Auburn Public Safety (police and fire departments) and other partners to provide safety, security and emergency management services to the campus. Those partners sing the praises of Auburns Campus Safety office and, more specifically, McCallister. "Director Susan McCallister has been an outstanding beacon of integrity and tenacity, fully dedicated to strengthening the Clery compliance program here at Auburn University, said Clarence J.C. Stewart, assistant chief of Auburn Police Department. Her tireless efforts have not only brought increased transparency, but also encouraged a culture of responsibility and collaboration across our campus community. It's been an honor working with her, and it's gratifying to see her recognized by NACCOP with the Clery Compliance Officer of the Year Award. It's a well-deserved honor for a truly remarkable professional. When asked what her greatest accomplishment has been while at Auburn, McCallister points to establishing trusting and collaborative working relationships with internal and external partners who are critical to our compliance efforts. If referring to her time as an Auburn student, shes quick to note another greatest accomplishment: working with an awesome team of women engineers to build and race a vehicle as co-captain of the 2000 Lady Tigers Mini-Baja Team. War Eagle! Resources for a safe campus These days, her focus remains on the safety of students, faculty, staff and the Auburn Family as a whole with anything involving campus. Her aim is to make all aware of the safety resources available to them, including the free Auburn Safety app, Auburns AU Alert notification system, the university crime log which is updated daily a variety of training to include CPR, First Aid, Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), Stop the Bleed (new), emergency preparedness, active shooter response, preventing targeted violence (new), the Campus Community Emergency Response Team (Campus CERT), Campus Security Authority (CSA) and RAD Self-Defense for Women. McCallister also hopes all on campus are aware of the security shuttle that provides safe, door-to-door on-campus transportation from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven days a week while classes are in session. Rides can be requested through the free Auburn Safety app or by calling 334-844-7400. There also is the Threat Assessment Team, which is a multidisciplinary team that works to prevent targeted violence and advises on incidents involving individuals who may reasonably pose a threat to the safety or well-being of members of the university community. McCallister said such offerings are all centered on the overall goal of Campus Safety which is the safety of all students, employees and visitors. Our team works hard every day to support this mission, and we continue to seek out ways to make the Auburn University campus as safe as possible, she said. To learn more about Campus Safety and resources available to the Auburn Family, visit the website, follow @AuburnSafety on social media and explore the free Auburn Safety app. OSHA Cites Arkansas Sawmill for Safety Hazards After Workers Death The company now faces $218,759 in penalties. Beirne, Arkansas-based Anthony Timberlands Inc. employs roughly 800 workers across the state. But the company now finds itself the subject of OSHA violations. In a release dated August 16, OSHA announced that a recent investigation into Anthony Timberlands resulted in the discovery of four serious violations. These include a failure to provide lockout and tagout procedures during machine maintenance, failure to provide barriers to keep workers out of an unsafe area and a lack of guards or signage in a hazardous space. This conclusion follows the death of a worker whom OSHA concluded suffered fatal injuries after a hoist table fell on them at the companys Bearden location. According to the inspection, the lumber stacking system had no barrier devices to keep workers away from the stacker hoist. An unsafe environment resulted, and now Anthony Timberlands faces $218,759 in penalties. This is not the first time an employee of Anthony Timberlands Inc. has died due the companys failure to follow established safety requirements for working near automated machinery, OSHA Area Director Kia McCullough in Little Rock, Arkansas said in a statement. This companys continued disregard for the safety and well-being of its employees is inexcusable and must stop. Ensuring workers safety is not optional, its the law. OSHA previously issued citations at Anthony Timberlands locations in 2020 and 2022, both involving unguarded machinery. The company now has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest OSHAs findings. OSHA Fines Buzzi Unicem USA for Safety Violations that Led to Mississippi River Drowning The cement manufacturer now faces penalties totaling $62,500. The U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has identified safety violations at a Buzzi Unicem USA facility in Natchez, Mississippi. In a release dated August 17, OSHA announced its findings concerning the incident where a worker from Buzzi Unicem USAwhich sells brick, stone and related construction materials manufactured at cement plants across the U.S.fell from a barge into the Mississippi River in February 2023. Buzzi Unicem USA now faces $62,500 in proposed penalties. OSHA concluded that the company's negligence placed three of its workers at risk of drowning, particularly due to the absence of mandated personal flotation devices. In total, the agency cited Buzzi Unicem USAwhich operates as River Cement Sales Co.for five serious violations, also including the absence of essential guardrails and first aid training, as well as the lack of an eyewash station. Buzzi Unicem USA could have prevented this tragedy by making sure employees wore the personal protective equipment that was readily available, OSHA Area Office Director Courtney Bohannon in Jackson, Mississippi said in a statement. Employers have a legal responsibility to provide employees with a safe and healthy workplace. This employers failures cost a worker his life and leaves family, friends, and loved ones with an unfillable void in their own lives. Buzzi Unicem USA now has 15 days to appeal L&Is decision. The company currently has active appeals in three previous cases. The UKs oil and gas sector faces the growing prospect of a cash crunch, with the Treasurys latest attempts to lure lenders back to the North Sea this week likely to fall on deaf ears, City A.M. understands. The Treasury has invited some of the worlds major banks to a meeting this Friday including multiple lenders, including British lenders such as Barclays, Nat West and Lloyds, alongside European banks such as BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, DNB, ING and Societe Generale and US financial institution Wells Fargo. However, only a handful are expected to attend the meeting, with dozens of banks already pulling out of investing in domestic fossil fuels due to concerns over the UKs poor investment climate and growing pressure to fulfil ESG obligations. Most recently, this included BNP Paribas which followed in the footsteps of HSBC last year which committed to stopping new oil and gas financing for freshly approved projects. The Mail first reported the meeting. While Shell and BP are sufficiently resourced to fund projects with their own cash flows, the vast majority of producers which actually make up the lions share of North Sea output are smaller and depend on favourable lending terms from banks to finance projects. However, the governments decision to toughen the windfall tax last year so that it is a six-year policy has weakened investor confidence in the North Sea, with banks considering the levy to be a policy change making their terms of financing oil and gas exploration more stringent for producers. The introduction of a price floor for oil and gas from The Treasury has not been sufficient to boost confidence, with Whitehall not even expecting the mechanism to be triggered during the duration of the Energy Profits Levy. Meanwhile, recently unveiled plans to consult on the tax regime with the industry will not include the windfall tax. Worsening stability are the growing industry expectations Labour will win the next election, which will likely take place next winter. Opposition leader Keir Starmer wants to both maintain the de-facto 75 per cent tax on the North Sea oil and gas sector and also ban new licensing rounds for further projects. City A.M. understands this has contributed to only a few active lenders remaining in the North Sea alongside the push for funding to meet climate change criteria around carbon emissions. This follows projections earlier this year from the North Sea Transition Authority, exposing that capital expenditure in the industry will decline from 5.42bn to 2.5bn over a ten year period from 2019 to 2028. ADVERTISEMENT Ithaca Energy and Harbour Energy are both set to unveil their results later this week, which will give further indications of the countrys investment conditions. By CityAM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Despite higher oil prices and narrower discounts of Russian crudes to international benchmarks, Russia remained the single largest crude oil supplier to China in July, ahead of its OPEC+ partner Saudi Arabia, according to Chinese customs data. Chinese imports of crude from Russia averaged 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, a 13% increase compared to July 2022, although arrivals from Russia were lower than the record-high hit in June, per the data released by Chinas General Administration of Customs on Sunday and reported by Reuters. In June, China broke the record for importing Russian crude oil, according to data from the Chinese General Administration of Customs cited by Reuters. Chinese imports from Russia averaged 2.56 million bpd in June, a surge of 44% compared to the same month in 2022. During the first half of 2023, Chinese imports of Russian crude oil averaged 2.13 million bpd, which helped Russia oust its OPEC+ partner Saudi Arabia from the top spot as the single biggest supplier to the worlds top crude importer so far this year, per Financial Times estimates based on Chinese customs data. Imports from the worlds top crude oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, averaged 1.88 million bpd between January and June, according to FTs calculations. In July, Chinese crude imports from Russia again exceeded those from Saudi Arabia, which dropped by 14% from July last year and fell by 31% from June 2023, according to Reuters calculations based on Chinas official figures. Total Chinese crude oil imports slumped last month compared to June, although they were higher than in July 2022. Chinas crude oil imports averaged 10.29 million bpd in July, compared to a near-record 12.67 million bpd in June. The July imports were 17% higher compared to the same month last year when China was still under strict Covid-related lockdowns. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Temperatures across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have soared to such scorching temperatures that the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a warning to the public. While the region is historically known for its intense summer heat, current heat waves are extreme even for those used to the desert climate, with the heat index topping 150 degrees fahrenheit nearing the limit for human survival in many locations. These are not your normal weather systems of the past. You have to do climate repair to change it, WMOs senior extreme heat adviser John Nairn was quoted by Al Jazeera. Numerous countries including Algeria, Tunisia, and Jordan have broken previous records for high temperatures, and wildfires are raging across the region. As a result of the extreme heat wave, many of these countries even the most energy-rich ones are struggling to meet energy needs in the face of soaring demand, unprepared regulators, and vulnerable power grids. Egypt, Iran and Iraq have raced rolling blackouts and grid collapses as temperatures reach hazardous heights. Iran recently announced a two-day shutdown to encourage residents to stay home and shield themselves from the heatwave. Meanwhile in Baghdad, the energy insecurity has prompted civil unrest. Political instability in the face of energy shortages is a familiar phenomenon in the MENA region. Issues plaguing oil and gas supplies in Egypt were integral to the ousting of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. And now it seems that Egypt is once again in hot water when it comes to natural gas supplies. While the government denies that the country is running out of natural gas, experts say that supplies are in fact dwindling. Its very likely that Egypt has a shortage in gas, Timothy Kaldas, deputy director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, a Washington-based nonprofit, told the Wall Street Journal. Production is down and there are no exports at a time when theyre desperate to export. Indeed, credit-ratings firm BMI projects that Egyptian gas output will fall to a three-year low of 64.9 billion cubic meters this year. On the whole, the Middle East is unprepared for the waves of extreme heat that will continue to intensify as the climate changes. A recent study found that, by 2050, the majority of people living in the Middle East will be exposed to extreme heat. The cost in human lives will be considerable, and other impacts on human health will likely lay a heavy burden on the sweltering region. Another recent study published in the Lancet found that the number of deaths from heat-related causes in the MENA region is projected to rise from the current rate of about two such deaths per 100,000 people per year to about 123 per 100,000 people by the end of this century. This means that in Iraq alone, 138,000 people would likely die of heat-related causes every year by 2100. In addition to wreaking havoc on the human body, extreme heat has other devastating effects on countries overall wellbeing. Heat poses an extreme environmental threat as were currently seeing from the widespread wildfires in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world during this summers global heatwave as well as a severe economic threat. Weve known for a very long time that human beings are very sensitive to temperature, and that their performance declines dramatically when exposed to heat, but what we havent known until very recently is whether and how those lab responses meaningfully extrapolate to the real-world economy, R. Jisung Park, environmental and labor economist at the University of Pennsylvania, recently told the New York Times. And what we are learning is that hotter temperatures appear to muck up the gears of the economy in many more ways than we would have expected. Recent studies have found that temperatures above 90 degrees fahrenheit are associated with a sharp drop-off in productivity, which can cost nations billions of dollars per year. By 2050, the U.S. economy alone is projected to lose $500 billion annually due to heat exposure. Poorer countries, such as many of those in the Middle East and Northern Africa, will likely suffer even greater economic losses, and with less capacity for resilience. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A tanker suspected of carrying Iranian crude oil has offloaded near Texas, the AP reports, adding the cargo was offloaded on another tanker. The U.S. seized the Suez Rajan in April this year, prompting quick retaliation from Iran, which seized a Chinese-owned, Turkish-operated tanker that was loaded with crude for delivery to Chevron. Iran claimed that the tanker collided with an unidentified Iranian vessel just hours prior to its seizure, with several crew members reportedly falling overboard while others were left injured. The tanker then fled the scene and ignored radio calls for eight hours before a court ordered its seizure. The Suez Rajan, according to an FT report from June, had received a license from the U.S. Treasury Department to import Iranian crude into the United States. Its cargo is some 800,000 barrels of crude and, per an unnamed former member of the Biden administration, its arrival in Texas was likely the result of a deal that got struck between the administration and the owners and operators of the vessel. That deal appears to not have involved Iran, however. The AP reports that Irans Revolutionary Guard had warned that those involved in the offloading of the cargo from the Suez Rajan should expect to be struck back. The Suez Rajan was never officially seized by American forces, the AP recalls. The tanker sat for months off the coast of Singapore after an activist group sounded an alarm that it was carrying Iranian crude, and then it suddenly set off for the U.S. Gulf Coast. Two tanker seizures from Iranian forces followed in the Persian Gulf. At the time, a senior Iranian military official warned against offloading the cargo of the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel. We hereby declare that we would hold any oil company that sought to unload our crude from the vessel responsible and we also hold America responsible, Read Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Revolutionary Guards naval section said. This latest development comes at a particularly sensitive moment in U.S.-Iranian relations, with the two countries negotiating over five Iranian-Americans being held in Tehran, billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, the supply of Iranian drones to Russia, and a broader military buildup in the Gulf. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China is expanding its presence in the global LNG trading world, with Chinese traders setting up new or expanding their trading desks in Singapore and London, Reuters writes. This would put China in direct competition with LNG trade leaders including Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, and Equinor, the report pointed out. The trading presence expansion comes even as China secures more long-term supply of the superchilled fuel, the latest deals coming from Qatar and the United States. Even so, Chinese importers are not relying on long-term deals only, even if they have swelled to some 40 million tons annually since last year. The amount represents a 50% increase. Per the Reuters report, more than 10 Chinese energy trading companies are hiring more traders or expanding their trading desks while state-owned CNOOC plans to open an office in London. Speaking of CNOOC, the Chinese major said this month that Novateks Arctic LNG 2 project will start production as scheduled before the end of this year. CNOOC has a 10% stake in the Russian project. "We're going to see a paradigm shift in Chinese companies from being total net importers to (being) more international and domestic trading players," said Trident LNG head of global trading, Toby Copson, as quoted by Reuters. The core motive for the trading presence expansion appears to be energy securitythe focus of Chinas energy policies. "Supply security is still at the heart of our business activities. Trading capability is one of the enablers ... to help us better deal with market swings," according to PetroChina Internationals global head of LNG trading, Zhang Yaoyu. As a result of this expansion, Reuters notes, the total volume of LNG contracted by Chinese traders could reach 100 million tons annually by 2026. That would mean an excess supply of some 8 million tons for that year, per Poten & Partners. On the other hand, ICIS sees the amount as falling short of demand by 5-6 million tons. ADVERTISEMENT By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A prolonged stoppage is the least likely scenario of potential strikes at Australian LNG facilities accounting for 10% of global supply, according to Reuters Asia commodities and energy columnist, Clyde Russell. This weekend, members of the union Offshore Alliance unanimously endorsed giving Woodside seven working days notice of Protected Industrial Action if the workers bargaining claims for the Woodside Platforms are not resolved by Wednesday, August 23. On Sunday, the unions at Woodsides North West Shelf offshore gas platforms said they could go on strike as early as on September 2 if their demands are not met. Woodsides talks with its LNG workers have so far failed to produce an outcome that would avert a strike at the countrys largest LNG facility, the North West Shelf. There, 99% of workers voted in favor of industrial action. Australias labor regulator earlier this month gave the go-ahead to industrial action at Woodside and Chevron LNG facilities, in case the workers' votes are in favor of it. Natural gas prices in Europe and in Asia spiked when the news of the potential strikes broke. They have since retreated but if actual strikes begin, they would affect a tenth of the worlds supply of liquefied natural gas and another spike could follow. Woodsides North West Shelf is the largest LNG production project in Australia, with a capacity of 16.9 million tons annually, followed by Chevrons Gorgon, which has a capacity of 15.6 million tons. Wheatstone, also operated by Chevron, can produce 8.9 million tons of LNG annually. Together, the three produce about 40 million tons of LNG per year. Because of that substantial capacity, disruption at the three facilities would send ripples across the global gas market, sending prices higher and once again pricing poorer buyers out of the market. In addition, the pre-winter seasonal rally of LNG tanker charter prices has started earlier than in previous years amid expectations of high demand for the winter and uncertainties over the potential strike in Australia. ADVERTISEMENT By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Apache Corporation plans to invest next year $1.4 billion in Egypts energy industry, where the U.S. firm is one of the biggest investors and the largest oil producer in the North African country. The investment plans were unveiled during a meeting on Sunday of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly with Apache chief executive John Christmann, the government of Egypt said in a statement carried by local and Arab media. Egypt expressed hopes that Apache would expand its oil and gas exploration activities and investments in the country despite the global economic slowdown. Apache, for its part, committed to deepening its partnership with Egypt and discussed raising its oil production in the country, the cabinet said. Thanks to upgrades, Apache has recently managed to increase its oil production by 10% to more than 150,000 barrels per day (bpd), Christmann told Egyptian officials, according to the statement from the government. Apache has operated in Egypt for more than 27 years and says it is one of the largest American investors and the largest oil producer in the country. Apaches primary interests are in the Western Desert with high-impact exploration targets in both new and legacy acreage. As of the end of 2022, the company held 5.3 million gross acres in six separate concessions. Some 68% of the companys gross acreage in Egypt is undeveloped, providing considerable exploration and development opportunities for the future, Apache says. The operations in Egypt, including a one-third non-controlling interest, contributed 37% of 2022 production and 21% of year-end estimated proved reserves. The meeting between Apache and the top Egyptian officials this weekend was not the first such discussion of the U.S. companys plans this year. ADVERTISEMENT In May this year, Egypts Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla, met with Christmann and Apaches VP & Country Manager David Chi to review the activities and discuss plans for research, exploration, and production of oil and gas in its concession areas in the Western Desert. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Nebraskas path to statehood wasnt always smooth, at least in the early years of the Nebraska Territory. That was the subject of a lecture by Nebraska author Jeff Barnes last Wednesday that kicked off this years Arrows to Aerospace celebration in Bellevue. As he discussed his latest book, "The Mad' Queen of the Prairies: The Frenzied First Years of the Nebraska Territory." The term "queen" was a nickname to encourage settlers to move to this area. The name Nebraska came from Ni Brasge, a word used by the Otoe tribe of Native Americans to describe the Platte River. The first time the name Nebraska was spelled out like that was from the famous author, Washington Irving, Barnes said. At one time, the territory stretched all the way north to Canada, he added. Though Nebraska would not become a state until 1867, there was nonetheless a need for government, including a governor and a state capital city, in its early years. In 1854, U.S. President Franklin Pierce selected a man named William Butler to become the states first governor, but turned it down. Pierces second choice was a South Carolina politician named Francis Burt, who accepted the post. He was sworn in on Oct. 18, 1854. He died just two days after being sworn in, Barnes said. A few days later, a man named Tom Cuming became acting governor and one of his first duties in that role was a census of the territory and preparations for the territorys first legislative session. However, the census takers had no idea where the boundaries of the Nebraska Territory were, Barnes said. Many Iowa residents crossed the river to be counted, he added. Thats because the big issue was the selection of a state capital city. Chances were good that a well-populated town would be named the capital. This would then be good economic news for Iowans directly across the Missouri River, according to Barnes. Cuming organized eight counties, four north of the Platte River, the other four south of the river which favored Bellevue as the new capital city. Cuming, who was living with his family across the river in Council Bluffs, wanted Omaha to be the capital city. He allocated a majority of the legislative representation to those northern counties, even though the southern counties had a larger population. People from the south were angry, Barnes said. Though Omaha was unofficially chosen as the capital city, Nebraskas first capital building was in Council Bluffs at the Pacific House, owned by Sam Bayliss and where Cuming and his family lived, according to Barnes. Eventually, a legislative building was erected on the Omaha side. That still didnt satisfy many, who wanted the capital moved elsewhere. We had options all over the place, Barnes said. Some cities were just on paper. The Nebraska lawmakers could have made history concerning womens rights, Barnes said. A Council Bluffs woman, Amelia Bloomer, was a leading proponent for the right of women to vote, he said. In 1856, the lawmakers, inspired by her speeches, tried to create a law allowing women to vote. It died, however, on the last day of that years session. (Years later, Wyoming would become the first state to allow women to vote.) That could have happened in Nebraska, but didnt because there was no agreement on where the capital would be, Barnes said. In other historical tidbits, an economic panic in 1857 caused the collapse of many banks, he said. The Nebraska City bank was the only one to survive, Barnes said. In 1858, Omaha was designated as the new territorial capital. And, according to Barnes, Nebraska City was the first city to be incorporated. His lecture, at the Bellevue Public Library, was the first of many Arrows to Aerospace activities, all sponsored by the Bellevue-Offutt Kiwanis Club. A free lunch that included bingo attracted nearly 100 on Friday at the Bellevue Senior Center. Among those attending was Janice Bazar. Its wonderful. Its great that Kiwanis does this, she said. Jan Austin, sitting at the same table, agreed. We really appreciate the Kiwanis Club for putting this on for the community club. This annual celebration started more than 50 years ago by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and was known as Bellevue Days, according to Karen Mier, president of the local Kiwanis Club. Eventually, though, the chamber began looking for another organization to continue this tradition. Thats when the Bellevue-Offutt Kiwanis Club took over, Mier said. That was 35 years ago. The name was eventually changed to Arrows to Aerospace to represent the old and the new of the area, she said. Saturdays events included a morning parade down Mission Avenue, followed by games, music and other activities in Washington Park. Phil Durst recalled clawing at his face after a chemical from a commercial dishwashing machine squirted into his eyes, causing the most indescribable pain Ive ever felt ever, ever, ever. His left eye bore the brunt of the 2017 work accident, which stole his vision, left him unable to tolerate light and triggered four to five cluster headaches a day. Then he underwent an experimental procedure that aims to treat severe injuries in one eye with stem cells from the other. I went from completely blind with debilitating headaches and pondering if I could go another day like really thinking I cant do this anymore to seeing well enough to drive and emerging from dark places literally and figuratively, he said, choking up. The 51-year-old from Homewood, Alabama, was one of four patients to get stem cell transplants as part of the first U.S. study to test the technique, which could someday help thousands. Though additional treatment is sometimes needed, experts say the stem cell transplant offers hope to people with few if any other options. Results of the early-stage research were published Friday in the journal Science Advances, and a larger study is now underway. The procedure is designed to treat limbal stem cell deficiency, a corneal disorder that can occur after chemical burns and other eye injuries. Patients without limbal cells, which are essential for replenishing and maintaining the corneas outermost layer, cant undergo corneal transplants that are commonly used to improve vision. Dr. Ula Jurkunas, an ophthalmologist at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston who was the principal investigator for the study, said the experimental technique involves taking a small biopsy of stem cells from the healthy eye, then expanding and growing them on a graft in a lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. A couple of weeks later, theyre sent back to be transplanted into the injured eye. Durst was the first patient to undergo the procedure. The great part of it is that were using a patients own tissue, not donor tissue the body might reject, Jurkunas said. She said this method is better than a different procedure that takes a very large piece of stem cells from a healthy eye for use on an injured eye but risks damaging the good eye. Both of Dursts eyes were hurt in the accident, which happened while the former chemical company manager was visiting a client having problems with the dishwashing machine. For six to eight months, his overall vision was so bad his wife or son had to lead him around. But his right eye was less injured than his left and could provide stem cells for the transplant. Jurkunas, who is also affiliated with Harvard Medical School, said Durst's 2018 surgery was the culmination of almost two decades of research, so we felt immense happiness and excitement to finally do it. All patients in the study saw their cornea surfaces restored. Durst and another patient were then able to get transplants of artificial corneas, while two others reported much-improved vision with the stem cell transplant alone. A fifth patient didnt get the procedure because the stem cells werent able to adequately expand. At this point, Durst said the vision in his right eye is nearly perfect but the vision in his left eye is blurry; hes scheduled for a different procedure in September to address that. Jurkunas estimates about 1,000 people in the U.S. per year could potentially benefit from this sort of stem cell transplant, which has also been studied in Japan. Theres definitely an unmet clinical need for this effort theres no question, said Dr. Tueng Shen, an ophthalmology professor at the University of Washington who was not involved in the research. She added that doctors currently have no reliable source of cultivated limbal stem cells. Researchers are finalizing the next phase of the clinical trial, which includes 15 patients. One is Nick Kharufeh, whose left eye was injured in 2020. He was watching fireworks being set off in the street when a spark hit his eyeball. Kharufeh moved from California to Boston to take part in the study, and the 26-year-old real estate agent can see well enough to fly a small plane. Though hes given up on plans of becoming a commercial pilot, I still fly whenever I get back to California. I love it, he said. Im just really thankful that they gave me the opportunity to be part of the trial because its really helped me out. Roles in medicine projected to have the greatest shortages by 2035 Roles in medicine projected to have the greatest shortages by 2035 Supply and demand in the medical field workforce Effects of shortages heightened in rural America State-level trends and initiatives Authorities executed search warrants at dispensaries across Nebraska earlier this month, including in Sarpy County, over allegations that some products contain a percentage of THC well over the legal amount. The warrants are part of a multiagency investigation spearheaded by the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office that has led to at least eight search warrants at dispensaries in Bellevue, Gretna, Papillion and Lincoln. Sarpy County authorities executed search warrants on three dispensaries two Cannabis Factory locations in Gretna and Bellevue, and one 50 Shades of Green location in Papillion on Aug. 8, Sarpy County Sheriff Jeff Davis said. According to a news release from Davis, the Sarpy County investigation began several months ago when investigators received reports that products at the three stores contained an illegal amount of THC. Narcotics officers reportedly purchased various products from the stores to have them tested at a lab. Some products from the three dispensaries tested well above the legal limit of Delta-9 THC, Davis said, with many products testing above 5% and some reaching up to 15%. The legal limit of Delta-9 THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, is 0.3%. Multiple product lines and records from the businesses were seized during the execution of the search warrant, according to the press release. An attorney for 50 Shades of Green said one of its Omaha locations was also the subject of a search warrant. Similar searches took place last week at five Lincoln dispensaries, according to reporting from the Lincoln Journal Star. Marijuana remains illegal in Nebraska, though hemp, which comes from the same plant, is legal. The 2018 federal farm bill legalized and regulated production of hemp, placing a 0.3% limit on the content of Delta-9 THC. But no limits were placed on other derivatives of the hemp plant like Delta-8, Delta-10, CBD and THC-A, among many others. That loophole created a booming market for marijuana-adjacent products across the state. There are at least 20 dispensaries in Omaha and the surrounding suburbs, and many smoke shops and gas stations sell Delta-8 and other hemp-derived products. Search warrants in Douglas and Sarpy counties were sealed due to the ongoing investigation, according to officials from both counties. The Douglas County Sheriffs Office confirmed that it is involved in the multi-agency investigation. The Omaha Police Department referred questions about the search warrants served in Omaha to the Attorney Generals Office. Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson expressed concern about consumers buying products with a higher THC content than advertised. Hanson said he has already heard from one woman whose elderly mother went to a dispensary for a topical pain relief product but was sold an edible that left her confused. Davis said his main concern is consumer safety and protection, as customers need to know the products could give them a high or have an impact on their judgment. Lyle Wheeler and Tiffany Thompson, attorneys for 50 Shades of Green, said in a statement that their client is cooperating with the investigation and has been in contact with law enforcement. In an effort to maintain compliance with the recent search warrant and in an effort to promote good faith with law enforcement, 50 Shades voluntarily submitted a sample of each of its products for testing to an independent (International Organization for Standardization) and (Drug Enforcement Administration) certified lab, the statement reads. To date, there have been no indications of any violations under the re-testing. Creighton Universitys College of Nursing will receive a $5.2 million boost from the Harper Family Foundation to recruit and train nursing students. In a press release Monday, Creighton said the historic donation for the Harper Scholars Nursing Program will nearly fully cover the tuition costs for a total of 30 nursing students across four graduating classes. Applications for the first round of scholarships, which will cover recipients beginning in the fall 2024 semester, are being accepted. A Creighton spokesman said the donation will cover $40,000 each year of a student's tuition. He added the typical tuition cost for a Creighton nursing student is about $45,000 per year. The donation comes as Nebraska faces a shortage of nurses. By 2025, the state will face an estimated shortage of nearly 5,500 nurses, the release said. The scholarship was named in honor of the late Charles M. Mike Harper, who was CEO of ConAgra Foods in the 1970s, and Harpers wife, Joan F. Josie Bruggema Harper. The Mike and Josie Harper Center on Creightons campus is named after the couple. The couples daughter, Betsy Murphy, and her husband, Chris, said in the release that the idea for the Harper Scholars stemmed from a conversation they had with the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, Creightons president. Our hope is that for nursing students around the country, this scholarship will be the scholarship to go for, Chris Murphy said. Close Creighton is set to open Graves Hall soon. The roof has solar panels, seen at the bottom of the photo, and VirtuHOT solar hot water on the roof at the top of the photo. Creighton University President Rev. Daniel Hendrickson talks about the VirtuHOT solar hot water that will be on the roof of the soon to open Graves Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Creighton University President Rev. Daniel Hendrickson gives a tour of a dorm room at Graves Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. A dorm room at Graves Hall. Creighton University President Creighton Rev. Daniel Hendrickson talks about the VirtuHOT solar hot water that will be on the roof of the soon to open Graves Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Creighton is set to open Graves Hall soon. The roof has solar panels, seen at the bottom of the photo, and VirtuHOT solar hot water on the roof at the top of the photo. Photos: Creighton opens new freshmen residence hall Creighton is set to open Graves Hall soon. The roof has solar panels, seen at the bottom of the photo, and VirtuHOT solar hot water on the roof at the top of the photo. Creighton University President Rev. Daniel Hendrickson talks about the VirtuHOT solar hot water that will be on the roof of the soon to open Graves Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Creighton University President Rev. Daniel Hendrickson gives a tour of a dorm room at Graves Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. A dorm room at Graves Hall. Creighton University President Creighton Rev. Daniel Hendrickson talks about the VirtuHOT solar hot water that will be on the roof of the soon to open Graves Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Creighton is set to open Graves Hall soon. The roof has solar panels, seen at the bottom of the photo, and VirtuHOT solar hot water on the roof at the top of the photo. New research from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute shows Nebraska is moving in the wrong direction to achieve full funding for high-quality early childhood education, something that has been lacking in many communities for years. In a study published earlier this month, the institute warns that a looming federal funding cliff for child care providers could further strain Nebraskas already underfunded early childhood education system. In 2021, the total investment needed to fund high-quality child care in Nebraska was just over $1 billion, according to the latest data available in the study. Funding for that year barely topped $438 million, leaving a 57% funding gap. In 2017, the funding gap was 51%. Cathey Huddleston-Casas, the studys author, said the gap will continue to widen following the expiration of Nebraskas $312 million federal COVID-19 relief package. This federal aid has been used by providers since 2021 as a way to help keep child care afloat during the pandemic, but the majority of the funds must be spent by September. A small amount has an expiration date in the fall of 2024. When this money goes away, theyre going to have to look at the teachers theyve hired and say, I cant continue to pay you this much because I dont have this money coming in the door anymore, Huddleston-Casas said. And those teachers will leave. When centers lose teachers, they cannot serve as many children, and when centers cannot serve as many children, families lose access to child care. For Lisset Christian, owner of Dianas Learning Center in South Omaha, the end of the pandemic aid will make it harder to give her one staff member meaningful pay increases. I try my best to provide her with as big of a wage as I can, but it leaves me kind of breaking even at the end of the day, Christian said. Im not getting rich off of this. Christian said she and other metro providers have been holding their breath in hopes of the state issuing more grants. Early childhood education receives roughly half of its funding from state and federal sources, while the other half is from the private sector, such as parent payments. But Huddleston-Casas said state funding has been lacking for years. While Nebraskas gross domestic product grew $8 billion between 2017 and 2021, early childhood education funding has decreased. Huddleston-Casas said the state is moving away from the goal of the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission, which calls for fully funding the states early childhood system by 2030. Right now, Huddleston-Casas said the system is subsidized by paying its workforce low wages with no benefits. Even before COVID, child care was already not at its strongest, Christian said. You are struggling to find employees while also providing a living wage for yourself. We are struggling even if COVID had never happened. Nebraska has experienced a net loss of nearly 10% of its child care programs since before the pandemic, according to the institute. Nearly 91% of counties reported not having enough child care slots to meet local demand and families in 11 counties lack access to even a single licensed provider. Huddleston-Casas said the study was distributed to lawmakers and state education officials but its not known who will take action. I feel like if we all recognize that when we spend money on quality early care and education, its investing because it comes back to us. It comes back to us in academic achievement, employment, taxes paid, not paying for correctional facilities, and so on and so forth, Huddleston-Casas said. But typically, those kinds of returns on investment take years. And elected officials dont necessarily have years to demonstrate their own impact. And so that makes it very difficult to compete with all of the priorities that theyre asked to consider. Photos: Omaha's Franklin Elementary kindergarten teacher starts 41st year of teaching While technology experts sound the alarm on the pace of artificial-intelligence development, philanthropists including long-established foundations and tech billionaires have been responding with an uptick in grants. Much of the philanthropy is focused on what is known as technology for good or "ethical AI," which explores how to solve or mitigate the harmful effects of artificial-intelligence systems. Some scientists believe AI can be used to predict climate disasters and discover new drugs to save lives. Others are warning that the large language models could soon upend white-collar professions, fuel misinformation and threaten national security. What philanthropy can do to influence the trajectory of AI is starting to emerge. Billionaires who earned their fortunes in technology are more likely to support projects and institutions that emphasize the positive outcomes of AI, while foundations not endowed with tech money tended to focus more on AI's dangers. For example, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy, committed hundreds of millions of dollars to AI grantmaking programs housed at Schmidt Futures to "accelerate the next global scientific revolution." In addition to committing $125 million to advance research into AI, last year the philanthropic venture announced a $148 million program to help postdoctoral fellows apply AI to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Also in the AI enthusiast camp is the Patrick McGovern Foundation, named after the late billionaire who founded the International Data Group and one of a few philanthropies that made AI and data science an explicit grantmaking priority. In 2021, the foundation committed $40 million to help nonprofits use artificial intelligence and data to advance "their work to protect the planet, foster economic prosperity, ensure healthy communities," according to a news release. McGovern also has an internal team of AI experts who work to help nonprofits use the technology to improve their programs. "I am an incredible optimist about how these tools are going to improve our capacity to deliver on human welfare," said Vilas Dhar, president of Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. "What I think philanthropy needs to do, and civil society writ large, is to make sure we realize that promise and opportunity to make sure these technologies don't merely become one more profit-making sector of our economy but rather are invested in furthering human equity." Salesforce also is interested in helping nonprofits use AI. The software company announced last month that it will award $2 million to education, workforce and climate organizations "to advance the equitable and ethical use of trusted AI." Billionaire entrepreneur and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is another big donor who believes AI can improve humanity and has funded research centers at Stanford University and the University of Toronto to achieve that goal. He is betting AI can positively transform areas like health care and education, he told the New York Times in May. The enthusiasm for AI solutions among tech billionaires is not uniform, however. EBay founder Pierre Omidyar has taken a mixed approach through his Omidyar Network, which is making grants to nonprofits using the technology for scientific innovation as well as those trying to protect data privacy and advocate for regulation. Grantmakers that hold a more skeptical or negative perspective on AI are also not a uniform group; however, they tend to be foundations unaffiliated with the tech industry. The Ford, MacArthur and Rockefeller foundations number among several grantmakers funding nonprofits examining the harmful effects of AI. For example, computer scientists Timnit Gebru and Joy Buolamwini, who conducted pivotal research on racial and gender bias from facial-recognition tools which persuaded Amazon, IBM and other companies to pull back on the technology in 2020 received sizable grants from them and other big, established foundations. Gebru launched the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute in 2021 to research AI's harmful effects on marginalized groups "free from Big Tech's pervasive influence." The institute raised $3.7 million in initial funding from the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Kapor Center, Open Society Foundations and the Rockefeller Foundation. The Ford, MacArthur, and Open Society foundations are financial supporters of the Chronicle. Buolamwini is continuing research on and advocacy against artificial-intelligence and facial-recognition technology through her Algorithmic Justice League, which also received at least $1.9 million in support from the Ford, MacArthur and Rockefeller foundations as well as from the Alfred P. Sloan and Mozilla foundations. The Ford Foundation also launched a Disability x Tech Fund through Borealis Philanthropy, which is supporting efforts to fight bias against people with disabilities in algorithms and artificial intelligence. There are also AI skeptics among the tech elite awarding grants. Tesla CEO Elon Musk warned AI could result in "civilizational destruction." In 2015, he gave $10 million to the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit that aims to prevent "existential risk" from AI. MARION, Kan. The initial online search of a state website that led a central Kansas police chief to raid a local weekly newspaper was legal, a spokesperson for the agency that maintains the site said Monday, as the newspaper remains under investigation. Earlier this month, after a local restaurant owner accused the Marion County Record of illegally accessing information about her, the Marion police chief obtained warrants to search the newspaper's offices and the home of its publisher, as well as the home of a City Council member who also accessed the drivers license database. The police chief led the Aug. 11 raids and said in the affidavits used to obtain the warrants that he had probable cause to believe that the newspaper and the City Council member had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes. Both the City Council member and the newspaper have said they received a copy of the document about the status of the restaurant owner's license without soliciting it. The document disclosed the restaurant's license number and her date of birth, information required to check the status of a person's license online and gain access to a more complete driving record. The police chief maintains they broke state laws to do that, while the newspaper and Herbel's attorneys say they didn't. The raid on the Record put it and its hometown of about 1,900 residents in the center of a debate about press freedoms protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Kansas' Bill of Rights. It also exposed divisions in the town over local politics and the newspaper's coverage of the community and put an intense spotlight on Police Chief Gideon Cody. Department of Revenue spokesperson Zack Denney said it's legal to access the driver's license database online using information obtained independently. The department's Division of Vehicles issues licenses. That's legal, he said. The website is public facing, and anyone can use it. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation continues to probe the newspaper's actions. The KBI reports to state Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, while the Department of Revenue is under Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's authority. The City Council in Marion, about 150 miles southwest of Kansas City, Missouri, was scheduled Monday afternoon to have its first regular meeting since the raids. The member whose home was raided, Ruth Herbel, was elected in 2019 and is the city's vice mayor. The agenda says, in red: COUNCIL WILL NOT COMMENT ON THE ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AT THIS MEETING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the agenda also includes a place for public comments, with speakers limited to three minutes. Police seized computers, personal cellphones and a router from the newspaper and the publishers home and a laptop and iPhone from Herbel. Record Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer lived with his 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, and blames the stress of the raid for her death the day after the raids. The seized equipment was turned over to a computer forensics auditing firm hired by the newspapers attorney last week after the county attorney concluded there wasnt enough evidence to justify its seizure. The auditor is checking the equipment to see whether materials were accessed or copied. The Department of Revenue website allows a person to buy a driving record for $16.70 a copy and that requires someone to again enter the persons drivers license number and date of birth while providing a name, address and phone number. Meyer said Zorn used her own information and did not impersonate the restaurant owner, Kari Newell. The affidavit to search the newspapers offices noted that when a person submits a request for someones driving record, it lists 13 circumstances in which it is legal to obtain it. They include a person is seeking their own record or a business seeking it to verify personal information to help collect a debt. The last item says: I will use the information requested in a manner that is specifically authorized by Kansas law and is related to the operation of a motor vehicle or public safety. Legal experts believe the police raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement. Meyer has noted that among the items seized were a computer tower and personal cellphone of a reporter who was uninvolved in the dispute with the local restaurant owner but who had been investigating why Cody left a Kansas City, Missouri, police captain's job in April before becoming Marion police chief. This isnt going to go away. And it shouldnt, said Genelle Belmas, an associate journalism professor at the University of Kansas. "There should be repercussions to this sort of wanton trampling of two very important laws, one state, one fed. LINCOLN Gov. Jim Pillen has set up a working group of business, education and state leaders to examine ways to address the states workforce shortage. Our unemployment rate remains among the lowest in the nation, creating a unique challenge for attracting great people to our state, he said last week. No industry is exempt from current shortages. We need to solve this problem if we are to continue growing Nebraska. Pillen will lead the group. Participants from state government will be Department of Economic Development Director K.C. Belitz, Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area and Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, along with Policy Research Office and State Budget Office representatives. The group also will have representatives from Bryan Health, Buildertrend, Chief Industries, Concordia University, First National Bank of Omaha, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Public Schools, Metropolitan Community College, Mutual of Omaha, Nebraska Community College Association, Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce, Greater Omaha Chamber, Physicians Mutual, ruralMed Health Cooperative, Nebraska State College System, Union Pacific and University of Nebraska. The group will meet during the next four months to discuss possible legislative and regulatory remedies. If they recommend legislation, it will be introduced on behalf of the governor next year. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2023 Two women who died last week when their minivan rear-ended a tractor in northeast Nebraska have been identified. Jamie Norton, 37, of Craig, Nebraska, and Elizabeth Thomsen, 42, of Rosalie, Nebraska, died Wednesday as a result of their injuries, according to the Cuming County Sheriffs Office. Both women were pronounced deceased at a West Point hospital. A third occupant of the minivan, Rachel Robbins, 27, of Lyons, Nebraska, was taken to a hospital in Pender for treatment. The driver of the tractor, Gregory Haase, 37, of Bancroft, Nebraska, was also taken to the West Point hospital, where he was treated and released. Investigators determined that Norton was driving a 2019 Dodge Caravan westbound on Nebraska Highway 51 just west of Bancroft about 8:15 a.m. The minivan collided with the rear of a John Deere tractor that was pulling a feed wagon. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Norton family with funeral expenses. About $2,500 of the $10,000 goal has been raised. The Nebraska State Patrol assisted deputies at the scene. First responders from West Point, Bancroft and Beemer also responded to the crash. BLOOMINGTON A Sunday church service just southeast of Bloomington felt more like home for its congregation for the first time in many months. Sunday marked the first Lords Day in over a year and a half that the Victory Church congregation could together share their faith at their regular worship site at 18180 U.S. Highway 150. A fire spread throughout the church Jan. 10 last year, ripping away the meeting place they had converged on since 2006. The church continues efforts to raise funds to finish rebuilding. Its been meeting at 10 a.m. Sundays at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Bloomington. Ed Herald, lead pastor of Victory Church, told The Pantagraph just as outdoor services began Sunday morning that this was home. And, its still home, but its not like it used to be. Today, we feel like weve returned home. Herald said he could tell that by the excited looks on peoples faces. He then noted that the church is not a building its the people who come there to worship. What weve designated as the place where we worship is just something exciting, and it brings the family together at a different level, Herald said. The outdoor service kicked off at 10 a.m. with a nine-piece band including Executive Pastor Jarrod Herald on guitar and microphone singing worship songs See a Victory, Forever, Build My Life and Greater Than. In between hymns, Jarrod Herald sang praises to God and Jesus for restoration, upholding promises, and never losing the battles and tests of life. After the latter song, Herald called for Jesus to be glorified, lifted up in their lives, and thanked for forgiving their sins. He credited Him for His guidance on their journey. We declare your goodness over this property, Lord, he said. We declare your faithfulness over this property, Lord. We declare not only will this building be built, but other facilities will be built, God, to glorify your name. Not only are we building a building for our church, but more a Christian school, God a ministry school. Herald thanked God for their 18 acres of property and declared further dedication to glorifying Jesus. As media and other guests were thanked for attending, another visitor whose presence Herald acknowledged was Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe. In an interview after the services, Mwilambwe took note of the sense of resiliency apparent in Victorys congregation. He said that inspired him. He said the Heralds shared messages that everyone needs to hear and told a story that shows you can always overcome. Mwilambwe recalled from the service: God is a director and we need to yield to him because hes been to the end, he knows what the end looks like and he can pave the way. The mayor said the church could have shut down after the devastating loss, but instead its coming back bigger and better. Clear sight When Ed Herald first drove by the property in 2005, he said he felt called to it and knew it would be their home. Herald said it was overgrown, virgin land, but the Lord told him it would be the next home of Victory Church. That evening, he said the church took ownership of the property. Previously, they met at various locations in Bloomington-Normal, according to Victorys website. The lead pastor previously told The Pantagraph the new structure would have the same concrete foundation, but a totally different interior. By Sunday, the siding had been installed on the rear of the new structure, but not on the front. In a post-service interview, Jarrod Herald said it was extremely encouraging to have the Victory family out at the new church building. He said theyve been celebrating being victorious in Jesus all of the time, but it was even sweeter on Sunday as they got to return home for that. Not only are they building back stronger, Herald said theyre doing it with greater vision. He said the idea to start a Christian school formed out of a lot of prayer, as they were dealing with the challenges of rebuilding. Herald said they asked God if they were missing something, and through that discovered their new mission. He said they dont yet know what the full extent of the new Christian school entails. After the service, tours of the construction site were offered. The sanctuary area, part of Phase 1 of the project, is on the west side, and will be enclosed so that front windows dont shine toward the worship team when people enter from the front. Herald said rebuilding may take another six to 12 months. He said most of the interior wall frames have been built, and work remains on electrical, heating and cooling systems. The executive pastor said their capital fundraising campaign for the rebuild will be relaunched in the coming weeks, but people are welcome to donate anytime. The Pantagraph previously reported close to 60 churches in the country offered assistance to Victory Church after the fire. In that interview, Herald gave thanks to Vale Church, Journey Church and New Life Christian Faith Center, while adding many others partnered with them along the way. He said Bloomington-Normal is an incredible community with tight-knit churches.(tncms-asset)d91fdd2a-a68b-507c-b8fb-c352b45aabec[6](/tncms-asset) Photos: Fire spreads through Victory Church southeast of Bloomington SECONDARY 011022-blm-loc-3victoryfire 010123-blm-loc-proeberpics1 011022-blm-loc-4victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-7victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-6victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-9victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-5victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-8victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-10victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-12victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-11victoryfire SECONDARY 011022-blm-loc-18victoryfire 011022-blm-loc-17victoryfire 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. An Illinois woman was arrested Monday on federal charges alleging she threatened to kill former President Donald Trump and his 17-year-old son Barron. Tracy Marie Fiorenza, 41, of Chicago was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed in Florida last week. She was arrested here Monday morning and is scheduled to have an initial appearance at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse at 3 p.m. The charges were first reported by the online newsletter CourtWatch. The five-page complaint alleged that on May 21, Fiorenza emailed the headmaster of a Palm Beach County school and wrote, I will state that I will shoot Donald Trump Sr. AND Baron Trump (sic) straight in the face at any opportunity that I get! She allegedly sent a similar email to the same headmaster threatening the younger Trumps life two weeks later, according to the complaint. Barron Trump has attended a private school in Palm Beach since his family left the White House, though the charges do not identify the school where the messages were allegedly sent. In June, a U.S. Secret Service agent reached out to Fiorenza and arranged a meeting at the agencys Chicago headquarters, where Fiorenza was shown copies of the emails, according to the complaint. Fiorenza confirmed that she intentionally wrote them and sent them via email from her then-residence in southwest suburban Plainfield, the complaint stated. A Facebook page linked to Fiorenza and still publicly viewable stated she is a former social studies teacher and attended Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. The profile contains numerous violent and anti-Trump images and claims, as well as references to the elite organization of the Illuminati. ARMYS CREATIVE RECRUITING EFFORTS PAY OFF The Army has improved its recruiting candidate pool and paid more than $15 million in cash bonuses since it rolled out a preparatory course a year ago to help more young Americans qualify for military service. The Future Soldier Preparatory Course was launched Aug. 8, 2022, at Fort Jackson, North Carolina, because of increased difficulty recruiting qualified people in recent years. The goal of the course is to get young Americans in better physical and academic condition so they can meet the militarys entry requirements. Approximately 8,800 people have completed the course with a 95% graduation rate from the program. Fewer than 25% of young Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 can meet the academic and physical requirements to join the military, according to the Pentagon. The program has two tracks: academic and physical. While the tracks are separate, both can be taken simultaneously if appropriate. Based on the good results, the Army is expanding the course at a second location at Fort Moore, Georgia (the former Fort Benning, Georgia). VETERANS OUTREACH EVENT The VA Community Partnership Committee will hold an outreach event from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Sept. 12, in the Normal Public Librarys Community Room. This event will showcase services for veterans from the Danville Illiana VA and the Bloomington-Normal community. Vendors and providers of services to veterans are encouraged to take this opportunity to showcase their organizations services. More information about the event will be featured in this column as we near the event date. Vendors and/or Veterans Service Organizations like the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS and Marine Corps League who would like to participate in the event should contact Debi Terfructre at 309-827-4090, ext. 47867. Veterans and their family members are encouraged to attend this event and increase their knowledge and understanding of VA benefits and veteran services from the community. REMOVAL OF CONFEDERATE MONUMENT AT ARLINGTON The U.S. Naming Commission was created by Congress in 2021 under the National Defense Authorization Act to direct the Department of Defense, to remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America from all assets of the Department of Defense. Having completed its renaming efforts of several military installations in the South and the changes of names of streets and buildings at other military installations, the commission is now directing the Defense Department to remove the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington is not operated by the VA, but rather by the U.S. Army. Congress authorized in 1900 the internment of Confederate veterans in Arlington. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson unveiled the Confederate Memorial at Arlington. It was intended to be part of the effort to reunite America, which was still divided more than five decades after the end of the Civil War. The statue is 32 feet tall and features the Biblical reference of beating swords into plowshares. While some imagery on the monument depicts slavery in less of the brutal reality that it was, there was nothing glorifying slavery or the Confederacy. Arlington is providing a 30-day public comment window to solicit opinions from the public concerning where the monument should be placed outside Arlington Cemetery. To submit a Confederate Memorial Removal Environment Impact Statement, visit Arlingtons website and fill out the electronic form by 11:59 p.m. Sept. 2. The public comment window is not interested in input as to whether the monument should be removed, but only what to do with it after removal. QUOTE OF THE DAY Nary a day goes by that Americas citizens are not deluged with yet another revelation that our leaders have spun the truth or withheld information from its citizens. Transparency and accountability are the keys to freedom in our republic. The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them. Patrick Henry Photos: How a Florida nonprofit is helping veterans overcome PTSD Hollard Ghana, the country's favourite insurance group made-up of Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life, has been honoured with the prestigious Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Leadership Award at the Ghana Insurance Awards for its outstanding Al-Waleed Basic Comprehensive School transformation. The ceremony held last week recognised Hollard Ghana's exceptional commitment to CSR and its impactful efforts in renovating the school for the benefit of the community. The renovated school now boasts structural refurbishments of the roof, ceiling, floors, windows, and doors. Hollard Ghana also revamped the toilets and library, created a sick bay, and painted the block of four classrooms and the dining hall. The courtyard was beautified with AstroTurf, creating a conducive and safe environment for the children in preschool at a cost of over GHS250,000. The staff, fondly called Hollardites, played an active role in the Al-Waleed CSR project. They volunteered to paint the school and raised funds to stock the library and sick bay. The result was a remarkable transformation, restoring the almost-dead facility to rival any modern Montessori school. Commenting on the essence of the recognition, Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo, the Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Hollard Ghana, described the win as a testament to the insurance company's aim to treat everyone with care and dignity. "Our commitment to innovation extends beyond the insurance products we offer. We believe in fostering positive change by creating lasting impacts in the communities in which we operate. This win indicates the group's unwavering dedication to empowering future generations. Our purpose of enabling better futures drives our CSR efforts to create a sustainable future for the communities. "Receiving this honour is evidence of the dedication of our team in bringing about positive change in the lives of the children at Al-Waleed Basic Comprehensive School. The school is among several CSR projects Hollard Ghana has embarked on to achieve exceptional, sustainable, and inclusive growth in Ghana. Some of these projects are our flagship thought leadership initiative H.Insured, a Streetwise Finance Literacy series all about insurance, events and a column in the BFT written by Hollardites. The H.Insured platform seeks to demystify insurance by taking insurance to the people in a jargon-free conversation and supporting public institutions like the Police Service and Ambulance Service, to mention a few", she added. The Al-Waleed Basic Comprehensive School was constructed in 2005 with support from Prince Al-Waleed of Saudi and Former President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kuffour, had experienced a significant decline over the years due to a lack of maintenance funding. The school's kindergarten block was in disrepair and unsafe for preschool children between the ages of 2 to 5 years. About Hollard Ghana The countrys favourite insurance group is Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance. The group combines its deep local knowledge of the market with the world-class expertise of an international insurance brand. With feet firmly planted on Ghanaian soil but Headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers innovative insurance solutions customised to the unique risks Ghanaians face. Hollard was previously Metropolitan Insurance which operated in Ghana for over 25 years. Hollard Life was birthed in 2018 as a subsidiary. The company offers various life insurance products, including funeral, home, travel, motor, business, personal accident, savings and investments, group life insurance and employee plans, and more. Beyond various nationwide office branches and Hollard 2U franchise shops, Ghanaians can find Hollard Life at Shell Fuel Station Welcome Shops, Melcom stores and online at www.hollard.com.gh, www.melcom.com/hollard-insurance and www.jumia.com.gh for all their insurance needs. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Bank of Ghana (BoG) its debt to government which has been written off leading to huge losses included all the legacy debts of the Government of Ghana dating back to 1992. It included the accrued overdraft of 2022, overdraft to Cocobod, the Covid-19 Bond, and even BoG holdings of Telecom Malaysia (Ghana Telecom Bonds) Bonds and Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) bonds issued by Government. A statement issued by Dr Ernest Addison, Governor of BoG explained that as of 2015, the accumulated claims on Government and Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) were about GHC13 billion. He emphasized that the debt is not about recent debt alone saying almost all lending from the International monetary Fund (IMF), including the Extended Credit Facility and the Rapid Credit Facility during the COVID-19 pandemic, and all financial sector resolution bonds have all been added as BoG lending to government. He pointed out that the losses reported were technical losses arising from the haircut and the application of accounting standards in particular, IFRS 9 to estimate expected credit losses over the tenor of government debt held by BoG. He therefore stated that the loss is not money lost by BoG through its operations in 2022. Rather, he said it should be looked at as a reflection of the total cost of the economic and social crisis the country faced over the years and an attempt to resolve a major structural problem of the economy. Dr Addison pointed out that this is not the first time that the Bank has gone into negative equity recalling that during the early years of structural adjustment, very large exchange rate depreciations led to revaluation losses that drove the Bank into negative Equity. Indeed, anytime the economy faces major challenges, the Bank of Ghana balance sheet suffers, and the equity position moves into negative territories, he said. The Central Bank Governor stated that in 2017 and 2018, BoG incurred similar negative equity from the impairment of legacy liquidity support loans granted in 2015 and 2016 to insolvent banks, which external auditors impaired due to the doubtful prospects of recovering from those insolvent banks. However, BoG recovered and generated profits of GH1.6 billion in 2019, GH1.5 billion in 2020 and GH 1.4 billion in 2021. Dr Addison is optimistic that BoGs current financial condition will not impact negatively on the operations of the Bank. According to him, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Technical Assistance mission validated this conclusion, before the necessary decisions were taken. He said the opinion of the IMF team BoG was policy solvent and would remain so, as it had enough income to cover monetary policy operational costs. The Central bank Governor assured that BoG had sufficient capital amounting to about 15% of its total liabilities. He announced that the IMF recommendation that the Bank retains all profits and a reassessment should be made in the year 2027. He promised that the Bank will also manage to reduce its operational costs during this period. Central Banks can operate effectively even with negative equity, as the central banks of Chile, the Czech Republic, Israel and Mexico have done over several years. If losses persist, however, problems can emerge, as has been the case in some emerging and developing economies with weak governmental institutions. In particular, sizable net liabilities denominated in foreign currency can disable a financially weak central bank. Central bank losses are not an indication of a policy error and need not hamper the effectiveness of monetary and financial policies. A central banks credibility depends on its ability to achieve its mandates. Losses do not jeopardise that ability and are sometimes the price to pay for achieving those aims. Stakeholders and the public should appreciate that central banks policy mandates come before profits. Source: Peacefmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Ernest Addison says in the midst of global economic crisis which threatened global economies around the world and many central banks, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) was able to play its role well as a last resort to the Government of Ghana. Speaking at a press conference on Monday to throw more light on recent issues about the bank including its reported losses, the Governor rather defended their prudent management record which, to him, made it possible for the bank to cushion the economy when the international financial market shut its door to Ghana following the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. "At the end of 2019, through prudent economic management, macroeconomic fundamentals had been well anchored. The Bank of Ghana reported profits of GHC 1.6 billion in 2019, GHC 1.5 billion in 2020 and GHC 1.4 billion in 2021," Dr. Addison said while highlighting the positive record of the bank prior to the unexpected global crises. He said the policy objective then was to consolidate the gains made and to steer the economy towards achieving growth as well as establishing all the needed structures for transitioning from a frontier economy to a full-fledged emerging market economy. But covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, he said, drew everything back. "We all witnessed the devastating effects of the pandemic and the uncertainty this disequilibrium created globally. Ghana was not spared the effects of the pandemic," the Governor noted. The Central Bank Governor added that the precarious situation required a clear public policy initiatives by the government to protect lives and livelihood "at all costs" and "protecting lives and livelihood at all costs required exceptional financing". The Central Bank Governor added that, fortunately for Ghana, the intervention of global financial institutions through the IMF's Rapid Credit Facility and the World Bank ensured a portion of the financing was met. He further explained that with limited external funding available to the government, the Central Bank had to intervene in the emergency situation. "The Bank of Ghana, following prudent management, had built enough buffers and policy space, which enabled it to trigger the emergency financing exception under Section 30(6)) of the Bank of Ghana Act, Act 612 as amended, to provide the needed additional financing support through the purchase of GHC10 billion of the Governments Covid-19 bonds, which helped to close the exceptional financing gap." "These interventions from the Bank of Ghana, the IMF, and the World Bank, helped the government to navigate and effectively contain the devastating effects of the pandemic." "The Bank of Ghana was able to step in with the support to the economy until the IMF programme was concluded, because of the policy buffers built, following years of prudent management. "This is a reflection of the resilience of the Bank of Ghana for being able to rise up to the occasion to play its statutory role as the lender of last resort to support the economy during the crisis." Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A research conducted in 2022 has revealed that health professionals in the country hide huge breast lumps and refuse various treatment options, especially chemotherapy, and mastectomy. The research, titled: Knowledge, Attitude and Breast Cancer Screening Practices among Female Nurses in a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana, said 60 per cent of nurses admitted they would disagree to a mastectomy in the event of being diagnosed with breast cancer. It said despite the adequate knowledge of nurses on the disease, only 67 per cent of them regularly practiced Breast Self-Examination (BSE), 39 per cent had previously had a Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) and 85 per cent of those under 40 years had never done a mammogram. Dr Afua Commeh, the Programme Manager, Non-Communicable Diseases Control Programme, Ghana Health Service, described the situation as unfortunate because nurses were supposed to educate the public on breast screening practices. She was speaking at the fourth annual general and Scientific Meeting of the Breast Society of Ghana (BSoG) on the theme; Improving Breast Disease Outcomes. The Role of Breast Society of Ghana. Dr Commeh said it was about time nurses knew that they could also be sick and must take advantage of healthcare interventions. She said that was crucial because Ghana was losing too many women to breast cancer. Dr Commeh said 2022 data estimated that over 4,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the country, out of which over 2000 died of the disease due to late presentation. Over 50 per cent of women diagnosed dying of breast cancer is unacceptable and I believe there is more because some of the cases were not picked up, she stated. Dr Commeh called for strategic partnerships across all sectors to improve breast cancer outcomes. Dr Hannah Ayettey Anie, the President of BSoG, said breast cancer remained the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of mortality among Ghanaian women. She said the meeting sought to showcase activities of the Society throughout the year, present research conducted over the period, and discuss the outcomes. The aim is to help understand the disease dynamics in Ghana and know how to effectively reduce the incidence of mortality of breast cancer. Mr Charles Fordjour Agyemang, Council Chair of the Breast Society of Ghana, said Ghana remained behind the developed world in access to newer technologies and innovative therapies. He said it was the responsibility of generations and bodies like the BSOG to close the gaps. This means we have to evolve BSOG into an association that will be the only umbrella body that hosts all critical stakeholders needed in creating these solutions. It will extend radiotherapy and its free access beyond Accra and Kumasi, diagnostics, and innovative therapies under NHIS, and strong survivor groups to advocate and motivate patients, he added. Mr Agyeman urged the media to destigmatise breast cancer. The meeting saw scientific presentations on breast cancer, breast cancer management, and engagement with survivors, among others. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Defence lawyers in the case in which the founder of defunct Beige Bank is standing trial have demonstrated at the Financial High Court in Accra how they feel former Managing Director (MD) of the First Africa Savings and Laons (FASL), Mrs Gifty Afenyi Dadzie, concealed vital information from police investigators in order to have their client implicated. The defence lawyers led by Thaddeus Sory during the course of the trial held that Mrs. Affenyi Dadzie who was then MD of FASL did not make full disclosure of information on the status of the sale of FASL to The BEIGE Group when she met the investigators during investigation. Mr. Sory said Mrs Dadzie was definitely untruthful to the Commercial Crime Unit (CCU) and Special Investigation Team (SIT) during the investigation processes. The story below, however, gives a more comprehensive account of how Mrs Gifty Afenyi Dadzie of AGLOW Ghana (Awurade hu Ghana Mmobo prayer Crusader) the then MD of FASL a subsidiary of the First Africa Group approached The Beige Group, the mother organization of Beige Bank of whom Michael Nyinaku, founder is accused of siphoning and stealing customers funds. Mrs. Gifty Afenyi Dadzie (GAD) and Mike Nyinaku have known each other for quite a while, with the latter usually referring to the former as his godmother. Gifty Afenyi Dadzie had been the managing director of First Africa Savings and Loans Ltd (FASL) which is a subsidiary of First Africa Group (FAG) whose managing director is Kwesi Tetteh Dadzie, husband of Gifty Afenyi Dadzie. Mike Nyinaku is the founder and CEO of The BEIGE Group Ltd (TBG) whose subsidiary was the then BEIGE Bank, now under receivership. Sometime in July 2017 Gifty Afenyi Dadzie approached Mike Nyinaku to discuss the state of affairs of FASL. At the time, FASL was encountering severe liquidity challenges as it was unable to meet the demands of its depositors. Mrs. Gifty Afenyi Dadzie thus requested for financial support from Mr. Micheal Nyinaku. Thinking this was a temporary challenge and on the basis of the fact that Mike held her as a godmother, he gave her an amount of GHS200,000 ( Two Billion old Cedis ) as a gift to augment her needs. Within a week of having given her the initial sum of GHS200,000 as a gift, Mrs. Afenyi Dadzie, approached Mike Nyinaku again requesting for more financial support for FASL. She explained that FASL had been given notice by the BoG that they were at risk of having their license revoked as a result of a continuous decline in their capital adequacy position. In principle, the company was in dire need of new capital injection far in excess of the initial amount gifted by Mike Nyinaku to GAD. Sensing that this could be a recurrent issue and considering his experience in the industry, Mike decided to make things more formal this time. Mike thus caused TBG to advance to First Africa Group, a loan of GHS200,000. This transaction was executed via a check dated August 8th 2017. This second transaction paved the way for the parties to begin considering ways in which the problems of FASL could be solved more permanently. These discussions led to a decision for First Africa Group to off-load 90% of its interest in FASL to TBG at a value of USD2.5M. The Acquisition The acquisition of 90% of the shares of FASL by TBG was sealed by a share purchase agreement dated September 4th 2017. Signatories to this agreement were Mike Nyinaku and Yvone Philips for TBG and Gifty Affenyi Dadzie and her Husband, Kwesi Tetteh Dadzie for FAG. In the preamble to the agreement FAG represented to BEIGE that they had secured the approval, certain clearances and permits of the Bank of Ghana for the sale of the shares. Clause 4.1 of the share purchase agreement specifically stated that upon the payment of USD1,500,000 of the purchase consideration, TBG would assume full control of FASL. The agreement further stipulated that upon the assumption of full control of the business, TBG would commence the process of transferring all business mandates from the seller to the buyer and these would include and not be limited to mandates to all bank accounts as well as other official mandates. The agreement also provided that the acquisition process be executed in accordance with certain key milestones. Commencement date The commencement stage, transitional stage and cut-off stage. Activities marking the commencement stage was the execution of the share purchase agreement. Transitional date Activities marking the commencement of the transitional stage was the payment of a part of the purchase consideration the performance of which is deemed as the act that puts a definite seal on the contract. Other activities that were to happen during the transitional phase was that TBG were to appoint its own officials to understudy and also commence the process of taking over the management of FASL. The understanding between the parties was that officials of TBG and FASL were going to act as joint managers of FASL until TBG pays USD1,500,000 of the purchase consideration. Once TBG pays USD1,500,000 of the purchase consideration, TBG will then assume full control of FASL. Cut-off date The cut-off date was the day on which the remainder of the purchase consideration will be paid by TBG. This date was agreed and expected to occur no later than 90days from the date of execution of the contract. And as a pre-requisite for this, FAG was to ensure that it had secured all other outstanding approvals and paperwork required to close the transaction. Following the execution of the Share Purchase Agreement on September 4th 2017, TBG made two instalments payments to FAG all amounting to GHS7M (USD1,589,684 in USD Equivalent at the time). The first payment was made on September 5th 2017 and it involved an amount of GHS5M, the USD equivalent of which was USD1,136,519 at the time. The second payment was made on September 15th 2017 and it involved an amount of GHS2M, the USD equivalent of which was USD453,165 at the time. Thus as of September 15th 2017, TBG had satisfied the key condition stated in the agreement which will afford it the right to assume full control of FASL. Post Acquisition Management Having paid in excess of the portion of the purchase consideration which gives TBG the right to exercise full control over FASL, TBG started executing the activities outlined for the transition phase, as per the share purchase agreement. 1. In October 2017, TBG appointed officials from BEIGE into management positions at FASL. They were, Vanessa Atsu who served as the Responsibility Officer and who was stationed at the head office of FASL, Daniel Debrah, Viviana Amponsah, Jasmine Agyeman and Winfred Sefogah who served as branch managers for the Awoshie, Makola, Kasoa and Circle branches respectively of FASL. 2. Vanessa Atsus responsibility was to oversee the entire transition of FASL into a fully-fledged subsidiary of The BEIGE Group. These responsibilities included the training of existing staff of FASL, the induction of the BEIGE culture into the new subsidiary and the introduction of internal administrative procedures consistent with how all other subsidiaries of BEIGE were governed. 3. With Vanessa Atsu and co now stationed at FASL overseeing the transition of the company, TBG allowed Gifty Affenyi Dadzie to continue serving in her capacity as Managing Director of FASL although essentially all her managerial authority had devolved to Vanessa Atsu who was the representative of the new majority shareholders. 4. As was consistent with how TBG managed all its subsidiaries, FASL was made to open accounts with The BEIGE Bank, another subsidiary of TBG. The first bank account that was opened at The BEIGE Bank for FASL had officials of TBG and FASL as joint signatories. 5. Having assumed control over FASL, TBG made a further total capital injection of GHS9M into FASL. This new capital was introduced as follows; GHS2M on September 26th 2017, GHS5M on November 13th 2017 and GHS2M on December 12th 2017. The purpose of this was to boost the working capital of FASL thereby reviving the business. By the introduction of these additional funds, the shareholding stake of the now minority shareholders had been further diluted to far below the 10% they held and their new shareholding stake could now fall below 5%. 6. Under the leadership and direction of Vanessa Atsu acting on behalf of TBG, the business of FASL was actively revived. Vanessa remained in charge of FASL from October 2017 until August 2018. 7. During this period, FASL opened a second bank account with The BEIGE Bank. Mandates to this account did not include out-going officials of FASL because at that time TBG had full control of the business as per the terms of the share purchase agreement and did not require outgoing officials of FASL to serve as mandates to new bank accounts at time when these officials were already being removed as mandates to existing bank accounts. Event after takeover On August 1 2018 when the BEIGE Bank was taken over, the Receiver directed that all bank accounts of companies relating to TBG be frozen. Consequently all accounts of TBG and its subsidiaries including FASL were frozen as well as the personal accounts of Mike Nyinaku and his family. Some of the subsidiaries petitioned the Receiver to have their accounts un-frozen as there were no official reasons warranting such an action. They included TBG itself, BCAM, FASL, The BEIGE Pension Trust, BEIGE Assure, BEIGE Care amongst others. These requests were not heeded by the Receiver. It has emerged that during this period, Gifty Affenyi Dadzie and another individual named Kwabena Osei Bonsu, then a manager at FASL engaged the Receiver of the BEIGE Bank to discuss the affairs of FASL with The BEIGE Bank. Kwabena Osei Bonsu in his statement to the Police indicated that the purpose for which he and GAD engaged the Receiver was for them to enquire about the status of the bank accounts of FASL held with the Beige bank. That meeting was held on August 15th 2018. It turns out that no official of The BEIGE Group the then majority shareholders of FASL was informed about or invited to be in attendance at this meeting. It has further emerged that during that meeting, Mrs Gifty Affenyi Dadzie and Kwabena Osei Bonsu presented themselves as officials of FASL to the exclusion of the representatives of The BEIGE Group who were the majority shareholders of FASL at the time. What was striking was that, Vanessa Atsu who had served as the representative of The BEIGE Group at FASL and the substantive person managing all the affairs of FASL was not invited to this meeting or even mentioned at the meeting by GAD and Kwabena Osei Bonsu. It has further emerged that Mrs Gifty Affenyi Dadzie told the Receiver at that meeting that TBG had only expressed the intention to invest in FASL and consequently made a deposit for shares of GHS9M but the process was yet to be completed. Apparently, no mention was made by GAD or Kwabena Osei Bonsu about the fact that prior to the investment of GHS9M into the company by BEIGE and amount of GHS7M had already been paid by BEIGE to FAG, the outgoing shareholders to secure the shares that were being purchased. Thus the GHS7M and the GHS9M were two distinct transactions meant for different purposes which therefore were not to be construed by anyone as one and the same. The GHS7M was paid directly to FAG, the outgoing shareholders as part-payment of the purchase consideration for their shares which had now been acquired. However, the GHS9M was a new capital investment made by the new majority shareholder into FASL itself. Thus the GH9M technically goes to further increase the equity stake of the majority shareholders in FASL. Acting upon the information received from GAD, the Receiver rightfully lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police for them to properly investigate the matter. Now if the facts as relayed by the Receiver to the Police were correct then it means that Gifty Affenyi Dadzie and Kwabena Osei Bonsu appeared to have withheld vital information from the Receiver during that meeting. 1. This was because as of August 15th, 2018 when that meeting was held between them and the Receiver, GAD knew that a share purchase agreement had been executed between TBG and FAG based upon which 90% of the shareholdng of FASL had been sold to TBG for an agreed purchase consideration of USD2.5M. 2. As of August 15th 2018, GAD definitely knew of the existence of this share purchase agreement because she in person was a signatory to that agreement. 3. As of August 15th 2018, GAD knew that an amount of GHS7M (approximately USD1.6M) had been paid by TBG directly to First Africa Group whose managing director was her husband, Kwesi Tetteh Dadzie. 4. As of August 15th 2018, GAD definitely knew that the GHS7M (Approximately USD1.6M) paid by The BEIGE Group to FAG represented part-payment of the agreed purchase consideration for the shares being sold. 5. As of August 15th 218, GAD was definitely aware of this because without having made that payment, she nor her husband would not have allowed officials of The BEIGE Group to be made signatories to all FASL Bank accounts held with other banks other than BEIGE Bank (specifically GCB, UMB, ADB and First Atlantic Bank), let alone allow officials of BEIGE to occupy FASL offices and take-over day-to-day management of the company and all its key branches. 6. As of August 15th 2018, GAD knew that TBG had invested a further GHS9M as new capital into FASL by which action the equity stake of FAG in FASL which had already reduced to 10% was going to be further diluted downwards. 7. As of August 15th 2018, GAD was fully aware that from October 2017 till the day they were meeting the Receiver, the person responsible for managing the business of FASL was Vanessa Atsu and not her. If all of these incontrovertible facts which were obviously known to GAD were withheld from the Receiver during the meeting held on August 15th 2018 but rather the Receiver was made to believe that BEIGE only expressed the intention to acquire shares and consequently made a deposit for some share then its safe to infer that very significant facts and vital information were deliberately kept away from the Receiver, for purposes known only to GAD and co. Outcome of CIDs investigation The Commercial Crime Unit (CCU) of the CID, acting upon the complaint received from the Receiver commenced investigations into the matter. First they invited Mrs. Gifty Affenyi Dadzie. In a statement issued to the police and dated August 27th 2018, GAD re-iterated the same information she had earlier presented to the Receiver. As usual, she excluded the fact that the shares had actually been part-paid for directly to FAG and that full control of FASL had passed on to The BEIGE Group as per the terms of the share purchase agreement. What is not known is whether she provided a copy of the share purchase agreement to the police or not however, what is known without a shred of doubt is that she did not disclose that First Africa Group the company of which Kwesi Tetteh Dadzie, her husband was the Managing Director had received and acknowledged payment of an amount of GHS7M being part payment for the share purchase consideration agreed upon between the two parties. Secondly the CID invited Mike Nyinaku. In a statement issued to the Police dated September 12th 2018, , Mike Nyinaku narrated the entire story about how the acquisition happened, the purchase consideration of GHS7M paid, the additional capital injection of GHS9M made into the company, the appointment of BEIGE officials to manage the company, amongst others and supported all these with the relevant supporting documentation including a copy of the share purchase agreement. We believe strongly that upon realizing that the statements offered by Mike Nyinaku together with the supporting documentation provided by him appeared contrary to the statements earlier offered by GAD as of August 27th 2018, the police decided to confront her with Mike Nyinakus side of the story to afford her the opportunity to rebut any part of it thereof and this they did. Thus in a supplementary statement offered by Mrs. Gifty Afenyi Dadzie to the Police on September 25th 2018 , she admitted that after consulting her boss, he confirmed that the cedi equivalent of USD1.5M had been paid by BEIGE to First Africa Group as part payment of the purchase consideration of USD 2.5M agreed. Now question is, was GAD trying to get the police to believe that as of September 5th and 15th 2017 respectively when those payments were received by her husbands company, as of August 15th 2018 when she met with the Receiver and as of August 27th 2018 when she was making her first statement to the Police, she truly was not aware that consideration had changed hands between FAG & BEIGE and that BEIGE were indeed the ultimate majority shareholders and controllers of FASL? The representations made by GAD to the Receiver and the investigators seems to suggest that had she not conferred with her boss after having met the Police on August 27th 2018, she would never have known that BEIGE had paid a substantial part of the purchase consideration and indeed satisfied their part of the share purchase agreement. Meanwhile whilst under cross examination by Thaddeus Sory, counsel for Mike Nyinaku in the on-going trial, Mr Kwabena Bonsu (4th Prosecution Witness) who was a manager at FASL at the time has maintained that he was not aware of the existence of a share purchase agreement between First Africa Group and The BEIGE Group. Source: Michael Nyinaku, Founder of Beige Bank Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Senior Presidential Advisor to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Yaw Osafo-Maafo says the high rate of graduate unemployment in Ghana is scary and becoming a national security threat. He blamed the situation on the education system which has departed from hands on skills training to theory based. Anytime I look at tertiary education I become nervous. When I was Minister of Education, there were five or four universities belonging to government and one private but as I speak we have 95 universities almost a 100 training people but no hand on skills fundamentally very few will come out with hand on skills so what is going to happen its scary. We need to do some serious retrospection about the education system. The Senior Presidential Advisory said he is not comfortable how Universities almost all universities in Ghana continue to offer humanity courses rather than technical program. I am very uncomfortable about what I am seeing from tertiary education system and the outcome on the unemployment arising out of the educational system .You cant go from five to about 100 universities in about 15 years and none of the universities is technical Weve converted all our Polytechnics into universities the reasons I dont understand.We had Polytechnics which were doing far more humanity subjects than even technical subjects and as Minister for Education I invited all the Polytechnics and wanted to question why they were doing certain courses , when I went through the exercise with them I withdrew my complain because this was what was happening , all those who have done very well in maths and science want to do Engineering and other Science and Medicine so at the end of the A level of O level you hardly have any very good maths or science students left , theyve all gone to other places so if you want people with maths background you wont get . He therefore lauded initiative by Education Minister Dr.Yaw Osei Adutwum to introduce students with no science background to pre-enginering programs . Yaw Osafo Maafo suggested that stakeholders particularly churches and government need to meet over the situation to find solutions through a paradigm shift of the education system. the government and the churches need to sit down on the drawing board and think again we cant continue like this, because unemployment is a serious problem and it is becoming a security problem we need to resolve it. The former Finance, and Education Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo said this Saturday August 19,2023 during the 23 General Meeting of Presbyterian church of Ghana at Kwahu Abetifi. He said Presbyterian Church of Ghana having established about 2,500 basic schools, 36 senior high schools and two universities has the locus standi to sit with government address challenges making Ghana Education system counter productive. We need the church and the government because of your experience both in and out of Ghana to sit with government to look at education the Presbyterians are good at this because you have been the middle of good education systems in this country so when we are in difficulty in our education and we need to fall on one Christian unit it is going to be the Presbyterian Church, you have the know how you have the experience we need to sit and think again we cant continue like this otherwise we will create a security problem for ourselves. The unemployment rate in Ghana is expected to reach 5.00 percent by the end of 2023, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Ghana Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 4.70 percent in 2024 and 4.50 percent in 2025, according to our econometric models, Trading Economics said. According to Ghanas 2022 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES) Third Quarter Labour Statistics released on Wednesday 3rd May 2023 by Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicated that,about 1.76 million persons were unemployed in the third quarter of 2022. Within this population, two out of every three unemployed persons were females. Across the three quarters, about 157,000 persons experienced an unemployment spell i.e. they were unemployed in all the quarters. Close to 7.5 million persons remained employed throughout the three quarters out of the about 11 million persons employed in each quarter. This indicates that across the three quarters about 3.5 million persons were moving in and out of employment depicting vulnerabilities. Ghanas leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Akosua Manu, has paid courtesy calls on some of the Chiefs in the Ga Traditional Council ahead of the 2023 Homowo Festival in the Greater Accra Region. The move was to seek their support, and blessings and also to announce her ambition to the chiefs to become a Parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party for Adenta Constituency after filing the nomination forms to contest the upcoming parliamentary primary. Accompanied by some of the party delegates, she used the opportunity to donate some items to the chiefs at the various communities visited. In a brief remark, she started with the usual Homowo greetings of Afi oo afi before explaining the purpose of her visit; to pay homage to the chiefs. The Aspiring NPP Parliamentary candidate for Adenta noted that government would promote an agenda that would be beneficial to the whole of the country and ensure greater national inclusiveness. She further encouraged the traditional leaders to keep up with the good initiatives being undertaken in the area by the Akufo-Addo-led government, with a pledge to be a partner in that regard. The chiefs also used the occasion to seek blessings, good health, and prosperity from the ancestors for her on her political journey. The Ga people celebrate Homowo which is translated as hooting at hunger in remembrance of a devastating famine arising from a drought that occurred in their history in precolonial Ghana. The festival starts in August with the planting of crops (mainly maize and yam) before the rainy season starts. During this period, noise-making is prohibited or banned since it is believed that it will hinder the maturity of the crops. Even though it is a Ga traditional festival, many other ethnic groups also partake in the celebrations. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Honorary Consul of Jamaica to Ghana, Mr. Isaac Emmil Osei-Bonsu on the 13th of August, 2023 hosted a farewell cocktail for the outgoing High Commissioner of Jamaica to Ghana, H.E. Esmond St. Clair Reid at The Fitzgerald in Accra. The event was organised to celebrate the work of the High Commissioner over the period of his tenure and afford His Excellency the opportunity to interact with members of the Jamaican and Caribbean community in Ghana one last time before departing to Kingston, Jamaica later in the year. In his address, H.E. Esmond St. Clair Reid, thanked the gathering for taking time of their Sunday evening to attend event and expressed how privileged he is to have served as the High Commissioner of Jamaica to Ghana for the past four and half years. He further stated that even though he is proud of what he and his team have accomplished over the period, he wished they had done more before leaving the shores of Africa. He also commended the Honorary Consul, Mr. Isaac Emmil Osei-Bonsu and his team at the consulate for the work they are doing for the Jamaican and Caribbean community in Ghana and their work on various Jamaica Ghana initiatives. The High Commissioner especially praised Mr. Osei-Bonsu for the hard work he and his team are putting in towards the establishment of the Ghana Jamaica Chamber of Commerce which will see a lot of economic and cultural exchanges between the two nations. In his concluding remarks, H.E. Esmond St. Clair Reid, admonished Jamaicans and the larger Caribbean community in Ghana to continue to contribute positively and be productive wherever they find themselves. Earlier, the Honorary Consul of Jamaican to Ghana, Mr. Isaac Emmil Osei-Bonsu in an address paid glowing tribute to the High Commissioner for his work in deepening the bilateral relations between Jamaica and Ghana during his tenure as well overseeing the establishment of the Honorary Consulate in Accra. The Honorary Consul further cited the academic collaboration program between The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus and the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat and the initiation of the dialogue to establish the Ghana Jamaica Chamber of Commerce as two of the many initiatives the High Commissioner has facilitated in his tenure. Mr. Kevoy Burton, President of the Ghana Caribbean Association also addressed the gathering conveying the appreciation of the Caribbean community for the work the High Commissioner has done for the Jamaican and Caribbean community over the period of his tenure. The concluding remarks was given by Miss Fawziya Mumuni, Administrator at the Honorary Consulate of Jamaica after which the gathering was treated some reggae lovers rock songs and drinks while they interacted and laid down some dance moves. Also in attendance were members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, representatives from Ghanas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration amongst other dignitaries. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah (Mrs), has been sworn in as the Ekuo Na of Holy Family Akan Society for the Accra Catholic Archdiocese. The historic event which took place at the St Peters Catholic Church in Osu, coincided with the 54th Birthday of the Senior Police Officer who is a devout Catholic and member of good standing. National President of the Holy Family Akan Society, Mr Albert Joseph Kodua who gave a background of the association which is 45 years old after being formed in 1978, revealed that challenges in understanding sermons in English and Ga by the Akan community inspired its formation. Our forbearers in Catholic faith in Accra who were Akans, could readily understand sermons in English and Ga as was the practice at the time. A petition was therefore submitted to the then Archbishop of Accra Diocese, Dominic Kodwo Andoh. He set a committee to look into the concerns and it granted the permission for the birth of Holy Family Akan Society for the Accra Catholic Archdiocese, he revealed. According to the National President, only a Baptized Catholic, Communicant, contribute to the growth and development of the Church, adding that the person holds the position till death. It is in the light of this COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah (Mrs) was chosen in view of her enormous contributions to the church and the various societies she belongs to in the Church. She replaces Mrs. Esther Hamilton of St. Anthony Catholic Church at Taifa who passed on in 2022. In her acceptance remarks, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah (Mrs) thanked the National Executives of Holy Family Akan Society for nominating her for the role. My Parish Priest told me it is an honour for me to be nominated for this role. He and other Priests promised to rally behind me in my new role. I use this opportunity to urge the Akan community here in Accra not to forget our roots and support each other. Let us also help the growth of the Church from where we hail so that they will grow. We should not make it appear as though the work of God only exists in Accra churches. God is everywhere , she encouraged. Profile Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah(Mrs) was born on 19th August 1969 at Konongo in the Asante Akyem district of the Ashanti Region. She had her primary and secondary education at Roman Catholic Primary and Middle Schools, and Bompata Secondary School respectively She is the first female Commandant of the Ghana Police Command and Staff College (GPCSC) located in Winneba, the Central Region of Ghana Service COP Addo-Danquah was recruited into the Ghana Police Service on July 27, 1990 and has risen through the ranks by dint of hard work and her desire to achieve higher academic laurels. When she passed out, she was first posted to the Police Hospital Accounts Section as a constable. After the 18-month probation, she was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1992 because she had enlisted with a Diploma in Business Studies (Accounting option), which she had obtained at the Kumasi Polytechnic between 1988 and 1990. Having been promoted to Sergeant, she enrolled at the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) in 1995, passed the Level Two examination and was promoted to the rank of Chief Inspector. That granted her direct entry to the Police College in October 1998. Best Cadet At the passing out ceremony in May 1999, she was adjudged the All-Round Best Cadet and the Best Student in Humanities, out of a class of 48 (46 males and two females), making her the second female to take that award at that time. In recognition of her remarkable accomplishment, a special staff of honour was ordered from the United Kingdom (UK) by the then IGP, which was presented to her by the late Professor Evans Atta Mills, who was then the Vice-President. Secondment Along the line, she was made the administrator at the Police Hospital when the person in charge went on a peacekeeping mission. Later, she also had the opportunity to go on a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, where she acted as the Logistics and Finance Officer for the Missing Persons Unit. With her international peacekeeping experience in Kosovo under her staff belt, she was posted to the Finance Section of the Police Headquarters. A chartered accountant, COP Addo-Danquah also had stints at the Controller and Accountant Generals Department, where she learnt at first-hand information on public sector accounting. Following her successful understudy at that place, she was assigned to head the Commercial Crime Unit (CCU) of the CID for three years. Source: Mynewsgh.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Aggrieved Menzgold customers, Fred Forson, has cautioned fellow customers regarding what he perceives as deceptive tactics employed by Nana Appiah Mensah, famously known as NAM1, the founder of Menzgold. According to him, the motive behind NAM1's latest action is to deplete the remaining funds of the customers, leaving them in dire straits. Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV, the PRO urged Menzgold clients worldwide to remain vigilant and not to fall for what he labelled as NAM1's latest trick. I would like to urge all Menzgold customers across the globe not to fall latest trick from Menzgold and Mr Nana Appiah Mensah. All that he is seeking to do is to finish the customers kwatakwata to wit [finish the customers completely], he just wants to collect the last penny left with the customers, he said. Forson went on to elaborate on NAM1's past actions, highlighting a pattern of attempting to extract money from customers through various dubious means after the collapse of Menzgold, the parent gold trading company. You remember after the collapse of Menzgold, the modus operandi has been that he always comes with a scheme to extort monies fraudulently from customers. He did this in 2018 after the collapse of Menzgold when he asked customers to pay 5% of their existing locked-up investment. Those who failed to heed were advised when they made that payment. Those monies were not refunded to them nor were their locked-up investment. In 2020, he brought up another thing called payboy, the very company that is now mentioned in the current press statement. He made customers pay 9% of their existing investment and that payboy is a debt collector company, he explained. He continued to say that I want to find out, if you owe me, I am not the person who is supposed to look for a debt collector company. But you the person who is indebted to me have established a debt collecting company and you want me to go to that company, which is also another fraudulent company and now he is asking the customers to Ghc650 for an account validation exercise. Forson went on to dispute NAM1's recent claims of conducting validation activities to help pay the debts of customers. However, the PRO suggested that the evidence shows otherwise. From our checks, NAM1 hasnt done any validation. He only uploaded 5 referrals that he recently asked workers to refer to him and is currently uploading this on the payboy website and so those whose data were collected recently, you will find your name there. But please he is not going to make payment to anybody. From all we know, Menzgold is defunct, he added. Ghanas leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate hopeful, will on Tuesday August 22, 2023, end his nationwide campaign tour in Kumasi, Ashanti Region ahead of the Partys Super Delegates Congress. His nine-day tour took him through Accra, Dambai, Ho, Takoradi, Cape Coast, Techiman, Sunyani, Goaso and Goaso ahead of the Delegates Conference scheduled for Saturday, August 26, 2023. Mr Agyepong, addressing delegates of Oti Region at Dambai, said he would lead a lean government should he be elected as President of the country. He said he would cut waste in public procurement to ensure value for money, adding that, his vision of ushering in a New Dawn was resonating positively with the populace. If Im blessed to have the opportunity to be President, Ill be substantially different. I dont see why there should be a Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs or Ministry of Chieftaincy. It used to be a Secretariat at the Presidency. It is not the quantum of money you save by reducing the number of ministries per se but it is the strong moral message you send to the country that as government were tightening our belt, leading by example, and walking the talk, he said. Mr Agyepong, in the Volta Regional capital, Ho, urged the delegates to vote for values, virtues, principles and reward long dedicated service to the Party. Its time for a drastic departure from the status quo, business as usual and more of the same will not work for the NPP in 2024, he added. Mr Agyepong, meeting with delegates of the Central Region in Cape Coast, asserted that the Party needed to elect a leader who represented a New Dawn to enhance the Partys chances of winning the elusive third consecutive term in the 2024 General Election. The NPP Flagbearer hopeful, who was Press Secretary to former President John Agyekum Kufuor, and a former NPP General Secretary, maintained that he had the skills set and relevant experience to help retain power for the Party. We need an energetic and decisive leader to reconnect with our Party base and earn the trust of the Ghanaian people. I humbly submit that I offer that hope of a fresh start for Ghana. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In truth, there was no single church authority or council that convened to rubber stamp the biblical canon (official list of books in the Bible) not at Nicea or anywhere else in antiquity, explains Jason Combs, an assistant professor at Brigham Young University, specializing in ancient Christianity. "Dan Brown did us all a disservice," Combs says. "We don't have evidence that any group of Christians got together and said, 'Let's hash this out once and for all.'" (The Council of Nicea was convened to resolve a religious matter unrelated to the books of the Bible.) Advertisement What evidence scholars do have in the form of theological treatises, letters and church histories that have survived for millennia points to a much longer process of canonization. From the first through the fourth centuries and beyond, different church leaders and theologians made arguments about which books belonged in the canon, often casting their opponents as heretics. Various people wrote the books that make up the Bible over a period of more than 1,000 years, between 1200 B.C.E. and the first century C.E. The Bible contains a variety of literary genres, including poetry, history, songs, stories, letters and prophetic writings. These were originally written on scrolls of parchment, as opposed to being encapsulated in "books" as we think of them today. (Remember, the printing press wasn't invented until 1440.) " " Rare and ancient biblical manuscripts are displayed at the "Book of Books" exhibition in the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, Israel. Note they are all on scrolls. Uriel Sinai/Getty Images Over time, the books that were deemed authentic and authoritative by the communities who used them were included in the canon, and the rest were discarded. Although the bulk of that editing work ended in the late 300s, the debate over which books were theologically legit continued until at least the 16th century when church reformer Martin Luther published his German translation of the Bible. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Location of TLB in the Yangtze River Delta in China. Credit: Circular Agricultural Systems Ecosystem services (ESs) provide a variety of services and benefits for human well-being, but the supply-demand mechanism of ecosystem services under different spatio-temporal scales is unclear. The Taihu Lake Basin (TLB) is a microcosm of degraded and unsustainable ecosystem services. Rapid industrialization and urbanization poses a great threat to the environment and ecology. Therefore, it is urgent to assess the changes in supply and demand for TLB ecosystem services from a spatio-temporal and multi-stakeholder perspective, and this will be conducive to the scientific and sustainable development of ecological services. Circular Agricultural Systems published an online paper, entitled "Quantifying the difference between supply and demand of ecosystem services at different spatial-temporal scales: A case study of the Taihu Lake Basin," on 31 May 2023. In this study, the InVEST model was used to quantify the dynamics of ESs supply and demand in the TLB from 20102020, and compared the mismatch between supply and demand for five ESs (i.e., water yield, carbon sequestration, recreation, food production, and heat regulation services) at four spatial scales (pixel scale, township scale, county scale, and city scale). The study highlights the increasing quantitative and spatial differences in the supply and demand of environmental services in the TLB, in particular the conflict between carbon sequestration services and heat regulation services, which has become a major constraint to the development of environmental services. However, there is a demand gap for water yield services and food production services. Evaluations of ecosystem service deficit and redundancy (ESDR) indicate that significant deficits are mainly in densely populated towns of the eastern and central regions, while high surplus areas are mainly in the forested areas in the southwest. Comprehensive ecosystem service deficit and redundancy (CESDR) metrics showed a decline from -0.03 in 2010 to -0.05 in 2020, among which urban areas like Shanghai and Suzhou reflect pronounced imbalances. The data underscores the urgency for focused policy interventions in regions with high deficit. In conclusion, this study analyzes the quantitative characteristics and spatial-temporal pattern of the relationship between the supply and demand of ESs in TLB at different scales. It emphasizes that a multi-scale analytical approach should be adopted in policy formulation to achieve a balance between supply and demand through reasonable ecological protection and ecological restoration. More information: Wei Yang et al, Quantifying the difference between supply and demand of ecosystem services at different spatial-temporal scales: A case study of the Taihu Lake Basin, Circular Agricultural Systems (2023). DOI: 10.48130/CAS-2023-0005 Provided by Maximum Academic Press This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Some of Drew Carhart's earliest memories remind him of his love of nature. Not just trees, flowers or birdsbut the stars, planets and galaxies visible in the night sky. Fifty years ago, Carhart helped form the Naperville Astronomical Association, which now has two observatories, hosts regular "star parties" and teaches the community about astronomy and observing techniques. But, due in part to light pollution and smoke from Canadian wildfires exacerbated by climate change, stargazing in the Chicago area is in danger. Some researchers estimate that North America experiences a 10% increase in light pollutionor the excessive use of artificial lightevery year. "You can't overstate itit's like going deaf if you like music," Carhart said. "It's to the point where you can barely do it anymore." He and other enthusiasts are calling on the city and others to curb light pollution or risk missing out on starry night skies. Growing up, Carhart said he learned the intricacies of the Milky Way from his suburban backyard in Naperville. But slowly, the 64-year-old said, he watched the stars disappear. If someone were to visit his childhood home today, he said, they could count the number of stars they see on their fingers. According to light pollution maps, viewing many celestial objects with the naked eye is difficult to nearly impossible in Chicago. "The light pollution is tremendously worse. Out by Naperville we could see the glow in the nighttime sky of Chicago off in the distance, but it only went a little ways up in the sky," he said. "Over the years we watched it get brighter and then extend overhead and all the way to the other horizon and just take over the sky." Chicago's streetlights Anthony Harris, a Berwyn resident and the vice president of the Chicago Astronomical Society, said it's difficult to see anything other than the sun, moon and planets in Chicago, and it takes longer to drive to more rural places where stars are visible than when he began stargazing 50 years ago. Harris said he believes one of the main culprits is the city's streetlights. As part of its smart lighting streetlight modernization program, Chicago began switching sodium vapor lights for more energy-efficient LEDs in 2017. Compared with sodium vapor lights, which give off an orange or yellow hue, LEDs emit a bright white light. Many other cities have made this switch as well, although Washington, D.C., paused its transition following complaints of bright lights disrupting residents' sleep. Since the start of the program, more than 88% of the city's streetlight stock has become LED lights, according to Erica Schroeder, a spokesperson for the city's Department of Transportation. She said the program has replaced more than 289,000 sodium vapor lights. Schroeder said in 2021 the city cut its energy bill for streetlights in half, saving $8.7 million. She also said the lights are on track to save $100 million over 10 years. ComEd completed its own five-year LED Smart Streetlight program in northern Illinois earlier this year, converting more than 130,000 ComEd-owned streetlights to LEDs. The utility company says the switch prevents more than 67 million pounds of carbon emissions from going into the atmosphere every year. The U.S. Department of Energy discouraged the production and sale of most incandescent bulbs with new efficiency standards that went into effect earlier this month. Most incandescents will struggle to meet these standards so they won't get stocked in stores, essentially forcing people to switch over to LEDs. Some experts believe this shift will help people save money and cut carbon dioxide emissions. But LEDs have their flaws, according to Ken Walczak, senior manager for the Far Horizons program at the Adler Planetarium. Part of Walczak's research involves designing and building instruments to monitor light pollution, including sending a high-altitude balloon into the stratosphere. He said every shining light contributes to sky glow. In major cities like Chicago, when there's a lot of sky glow, it's difficult to see celestial objects. LEDs emit more blue light, which travels at shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies, than typical bulbs. Walczak said the problem is that blue light scatters more in the atmosphere compared with other colors, creating something akin to a haze or a light fog. "If you have lights which have a lot of blue in them, that blue light is contributing a lot to the glow in our night sky," he said. LEDs have been linked to a range of health issues, including sleep disruption as well as the prevalence of cancer, diabetes and obesity. They've also been found to alter the circadian rhythm and behaviors of animals in Chicago. But the new streetlights have one advantage over older lights, Walczak said. They are focused downward, which reduces glare. The National Park Service suggests considering whether outdoor lighting is necessary, or if reflective tape or reflective surfaces could be used instead. Other sustainable outdoor light specifications, according to the Park Service, are LEDs at 2700 Kelvin. These lights emit a warm color hue instead of blue or white. The Park Service also recommends purchasing LED bulbs that have the lowest lumens possiblethe unit of measurement used to specify brightnessand ones that can accommodate motion detectors or dimmers, which it says can enhance health and safety. Schroeder said Chicago's streetlights are managed using a cloud-based monitoring program and network of controller nodes that dictate when the lights turn on as well as their power output, voltage and wattage. She said these features allow the LED fixtures to turn on before sunset and turn off after sunrise. She added that Chicago uses "soft white" lights, or ones at 3000K and that they are designed to "limit light trespass into people's homes and the night sky." "The improved nighttime visibility that comes with the whiter, crisper, LED light improves traffic safety for drivers, pedestrians and bike riders," Schroeder said. "This superior visual performance is largely the result of people being able to better distinguish colors at night." To reduce light pollution in Chicago, Walczak said he thinks the city should only use as much light as it needs. He suggests dimming the streetlights, which he said would also save on energy costs. But tackling the larger problem goes beyond streetlights, he said. Referencing a study from 2020 that found only about 20% of a city's brightness can be linked to streetlights, Walczak said regulation or policies surrounding light pollution should be directed toward commercial businesses, such as parking lots or building facades. "Near me there's a couple gas stations that have blaring very white light that literally shines outward and that's uncontrolled," he said. "If you're a complaining neighbor, like 'Oh my god, this is shining in my bedroom window, I can't sleep at night,' you have no recourse other than the good nature of the business that you're approaching." Walczak helped found a Chicago chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association, a nonprofit that seeks to preserve the night sky and limit light pollution. He worked with Wheaton to pass a residential lighting ordinance, which requires properties to limit the spread of their light fixtures. The state Senate also adopted a resolution in May that encourages, but doesn't mandate, that local governments use light fixtures that reduce unnecessary light. State Sen. Laura Ellman, who co-sponsored the resolution, said she felt it was time that local governments take steps to protect the night sky. "I think we're learning more and more about the importance of the wavelengths of light and their impacts on our health and also the effects of light on flora and fauna," said Ellman, whose district includes Naperville and Wheaton. "With climate change, we want to try to minimize impacts wherever we can." Canadian wildfires This summer, light pollution hasn't been the only hurdle for amateur astronomers. Canada is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in history, with climate change expanding its intensity and frequency. The hazy skies from smoke have not only led to numerous air quality alerts in Chicago but significantly reduced visibility for stargazers. As of Tuesday, more than 32 million acres of land has burned this yearvastly surpassing the 10-year average of 2.9 million acres. There are currently more than a thousand fires burning in Canada. Harris, the Berwyn resident, said not seeing the stars at night because of smoke has become the new normal. Getting lucky and having a clear night is a "big deal," he said. For Moriah Contreras, the smoke has ruined what is typically the best time for astronomers in Chicago. Contreras, 32, of Hyde Park, created the Astronomy Club at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She's also a part of the Chicago Astronomical Society. "This is when we go out with a telescope and can somewhat reliably depend on the weather compared to the Chicago winter," she said. "It's disappointing when it's a nice day and you have smoke in the air." Contreras said looking up at the dark skies in southern Nevada where she grew up sparked her interest in astronomy. When she moved to Chicago six years ago, she said the lack of stars was "jarring," and she made it her mission to help fellow students see the night sky despite the challenges. The club purchased camera equipment and narrowband filters that capture specific wavelengths, sifting through light pollution and haze and making it possible to capture images of nebulae and galaxies in downtown Chicago. Contreras said this equipment can cost thousands of dollars, which is inaccessible to the average person, so she recommends joining astronomy clubs. For somewhat darker skies Chicagoans can travel to the Palos Preserves, located in southwest Cook County. The International Dark-Sky Association designated the preserve as an Urban Night Sky Place in 2021, or a location near a large urban area that promotes an "authentic nighttime experience" amid lots of artificial light. "You can see more stars. It's definitely darkerthere is light trespass from the city, but we see planets and stars and constellations. It's one of the darkest places within 25 miles of the city," said Mary Busch, a volunteer program specialist with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. Harris also recommends visiting the Green River State Wildlife Area, a wildlife restoration area about two hours west of the city. He said a comfortable lawn chair, planetarium app, binoculars and warm clothes are essential supplies for the trip. Harris' main concern is that future generations will never get to see the Milky Way or stars like he did growing up. He wants people to protect the night sky in the same way they protect Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" painting. "If you were to whitewash the glass or the painting, you'd obviously be arrested," he said. "But destroying the actual sky, covering up and blocking the view of the night sky for generations of children, that's no problem." 2023 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Helping a child who struggles with reading can be a rewarding experience. A nationally known expert offers some tips for parents who are trying to help their child work through these difficulties. Patricia Edwards, professor of language and literacy at Michigan State University's College of Education, said it's essential to approach this challenge with patience, support and understanding. Start by identifying the struggle, Edwards suggested. "Recognize the specific areas in which your child faces difficulty," she said in a university news release. "It could be decoding words, comprehension or fluency. Understanding the root cause of the struggle will help you tailor your approach to address their needs effectively." Make reading fun and engaging. Choose books that align with your child's interests and offer a mix of reading materials. This might include comics, graphic novels or magazines. "Reading aloud together also can be a fun bonding activity and an opportunity to discuss the story," Edwards said. Encourage progress by setting achievable goals and breaking down tasks into smaller steps. Celebrate every milestone to boost your child's confidence and motivation to continue improving. Stick to a consistent routine that includes reading each day, even if it's just for a few minutes. That provides habit and structure. Get professional support if your child's struggles persist or seem severe. This may mean reaching out to a reading or educational therapist, who can assess your child's abilities more thoroughly and provide personalized strategies. Encouragement and patience are a key part of this journey, Edwards said. More information: The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on helping your child learn to read. Copyright 2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The clamour for coups among citizens is rising. Credit: Wikimedia Commons On the night of 13 January 1963, Togo's President Sylvanus Olympio was shot dead by rebels in the first military coup staged in Africa. A long list, as shown below, was to come. From the 1960s to the end of the millennium, there were an average of four military coups a year on the continent. By the end of the 1990s this phenomenon seemed to have faded away. But since August 2020 six African nations have suffered seven coups or attempted coups. First came Mali, in August 2020. The military took advantage of social unrest and insecurity caused by the activities of violent extremists. Mali had two coups or attempts in a nine-month span. In April 2021, Chad followed the same path. In March 2021, there was a coup attempt in Niger, and in September 2021 it was Guinea's turn. A month later, it was Sudan. In Burkina Faso, an attack in November 2021 led to the coup in January 2022. More recently, a coup was launched in Niger, deposing President Mohamed Bazoum. Two days later, General Abdourahamane Tchiani declared himself the leader of Niger. All together, that's more than 100 million people being ruled by the military after power was seized violently. All are in the Sahel. This has alerted governments in the region. Researchers, analysts and journalists have pointed to mismanagement, incompetence, corruption, economic crisis and state weakness as the main factors propelling military coups all over the world and, of course, in Africa. State weakness is a factor in the recent instances in Africa. They have happened partly because of governments' failure to stem the spread of groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State all over the Sahel. But there are two intertwined characteristics that differentiate Africa from the rest of the world. One is the public support of many citizens on the streets when there is a coup. The other is the society's rising support for military rule as a form of government. Popular support for military rule has grown in the last 20 years. My research explored the reasons for this. I used survey data to examine whether support for nondemocratic rule was mainly due to poor institutional and economic performance or to an existing so-called authoritarian personality and culture in the region. This type of personality refers to values existing in certain societies that make them more prone to embrace authoritarian forms of government. This distinction is relevant because if the reason for military rule support is cultural, then societies will continue to endorse authoritarian regimes. If the reason is institutional performance, then as long as incumbent governments perform efficiently, both politically and economically, democratic support will overcome authoritarian support. Citizen discontent I carried out a quantitative analysis using Afrobarometer survey data gathered from 37 African countries, both from North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. The analysis looked for underlying factors propelling the rise in support for military rule. Respondents were asked about the extent of their support for military rule as a form of government plus a number of other potential explanatory questions such as perception of corruption, governing and opposition parties performance, economy evaluation and socio-demographic issues like their level of education. The data shows that from 2000 to the present, the level of support for military rule as a form of government has doubled, from 11.6% of people supporting "much" or "very much" military rule as a form of government to 22.3%. Of the 37 countries analyzed, there were 11 where support for military dictatorship was decreasing and 26 where this figure was on the rise. The latest Afrobarometer data shows that support for democracy has fallen in the last year. Out of 38 countries, only four show decreasing support for military rule since 2000, whereas 34 show higher support for higher military rule than in 2000. Support for military rule was higher in "partly free" and "not free" countries than in "free" countries. (They were categorized according to the Freedom House index.) But there were some exceptions. In South Africa, which is a constitutional democracy with regular elections, one in three South Africans supported military rule as a form of government. In democratic Namibia the level of support showed that one in four Namibians supported military rule. Reasons to support military rule The analysis points to three conclusions: In sub-Saharan Africa, the legitimacy of military rule is mainly based on institutional performance and economic management. These are weakened by jihadist organizations rapidly expanding throughout the region. State institutions are not able to tackle their expansion throughout the region. In North Africa, institutional performance plays a role but authoritarian personality plays a larger role in the support for military rule. Education seems to be an antidote against authoritarianism. Those with higher level of education, according to survey data, show higher level of democratic endorsement. The study's findings suggest that people in sub-Saharan Africa are fed up with their governments for many reasons, including security threats, humanitarian disasters and lack of prospects. Waiting for the next elections to take place to change government does not seem to them to be a good option. Opposition parties do not seem to enjoy a better image. For the survey respondents, the solution appears to be to welcome the military to intervene. If citizens perceive that politicians don't care about them, this will invite the military to continue overthrowing civil governments, with society publicly legitimizing their intervention in politics. If military, political and economic solutions are not found, military coups in the region will increase and people will continue gathering on the streets to welcome them. Niger's recent coup may not be the last one. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: AI-generated image This year, the Australian government rejected Clive Palmer's coal mine proposalbut approved three others. Over 100 more fossil fuel projects are in the decision pipeline. Why are we still approving coal projects when climate impacts are intensifying? There is, as the International Energy Agency has pointed out, no place for new fossil fuels if we have a chance of holding global heating to 1.5 above pre-industrial levels. Our existing fossil fuel infrastructure is enough to blow our remaining carbon budget. Unusually, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and her department were required to account for climate impacts in a recent decision. They decided the climate effects did not have "relevant impact." One of the key reasons they gave for this was that the emissions from burning the coal from a single mine will, they claim, have a "very small" impact on warmingjust 0.00024 over the lifetime of the mine. As a physicist, this argument does not stack up. What seems like a minuscule amount of warming to a politician is, to scientists, very concerning. It's no wonder environmental organizations are filing lawsuits to try to stop these mines. One new mine is the same as millions of nuclear bombs of heat Right now, Plibersek and her department are weighing up final approval for the expansion of the Mount Pleasant coal mine in New South Wales' Hunter Valley. If approved, it would let the mine's owners MACH Energy Australia double its extraction rate to 21 million tons of coal per year. So far, the project has breezed through environmental approvals. But how can Australia's environment minister reason that new coal mines won't do too much damage to the climate? Plibersek gives two main arguments. One is the assumption that if we don't dig up fossil fuels, someone else will. Known as "the drug dealer's defense," this rationale has been rejected in a growing number of fossil fuel court cases, for example in in NSW, Queensland and the United States. The secondthe "very small" impact on warmingis worth a closer look. By the mining company's calculation, the expanded project will add 535 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (COe) to our atmosphere over the lifetime of the mine. That's about a year's worth of Australia's entire domestic emissions. The department took this COe figure and estimated how much this would change Earth's global temperature. That's where they got the "very small" figure of 0.00024. To a politician, this small number may seem insignificant. But to a physicist it is truly remarkable. What it actually means is we are able to alter an entire planet's temperature with this single mine extension. Changing a planet's temperature takes an enormous amount of energy. This NASA visualisation shows carbon dioxide being added to Earths atmosphere over the course of the year 2021, split into four major contributors: fossil fuels in orange, burning biomass in red, land ecosystems in green, and the ocean in blue. The dots on the surface also show how atmospheric carbon dioxide is also being absorbed by land ecosystems in green and the ocean in blue. If it weren't for the greenhouse effect, Earth would be too cold for life. The problem is humans have been steadily increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing Earth to retain more and more of the sun's vast energy, heating the planet to dangerous levels. Burning fossil fuels is responsible for most of this. Our planet is now warming at a rate of 0.018 per year. If we compare that to the department's figure of 0.00024, we see the total warming effect from the Mount Pleasant mine would be about 1.3% of one year's global warming. Doesn't sound like much? Consider this. Human activity is causing about 7.8 zettajoules of extra heat to be added to the Earth's climate system every year. So, 1.3% of a year's global warming gives roughly 0.1 zettajoules worth of extra heat through burning the output of an expanded Mount Pleasant coal mine. Now, a zettajoule is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 joules of energy. This number is so large we can't relate to it. We can think of it instead as around 1.7 million Hiroshima bombs worth of extra heat. From one single mine extension. So, it is not a "very small" amount of energy. And that's just one mine. If the 25 proposed new coal mines and three recently approved projects go ahead, they would add 12,600 million tons of CO emissions to the atmosphere. That, in turn, would trap heat equivalent to roughly 43 million Hiroshima bombs. And this doesn't even count the planned gas and oil projects, or projects approved at the state level. We can't claim we don't know New fossil fuel project approvals at a time when global heating is accelerating seem like a remarkable disconnect. It's for this reason we're seeing a spike in climate lawsuits. The Environment Council of Central Queensland is taking Plibersek to court, aided by Environmental Justice Australia. Central to their case will be the claim the minister acted unlawfully when she "refused to accept the climate harm these projects are likely to cause, as outlined in thousands of scientific reports, including from the IPCC and her own department." The lawsuit has stopped the Mount Pleasant extension and Whitehaven's Narrabri mine from proceeding further until the case has been heard. We can't predict the outcome of the caseit could go either way. But we can predict the outcome of new fossil fuel projects. Dig up coal, burn it, heat the planet. We can't argue our way out of the laws of physics. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain They stand at least 30 feet tall and 10 feet across, eight giant baby blue tanks filled with what is this fast-growing town's best defense against a glut of industrial cancer-causing chemicals that have been accumulating and percolating for half a century. Called GACs, short for "granular activated carbon" filters, the tanks at Castle Rock's main water purification facility are effective at absorbing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substancestoxic and pervasive chemicals known by the shorthand PFASand removing them from drinking water. "It just so happens that one of the things the GAC filters are good at is filtering out PFAS," Mark Marlowe, Castle Rock's water director, said this week. "It's definitely a big challenge because these chemicals are fairly difficult to remove." And expensivewhich is why Castle Rock's town council on Tuesday chose to retain the services of a Seattle-based law firm that specializes in environmental litigation to go after the chemicals' manufacturers, including the 3M Company, BASF Corp., Carrier Global Corp., DuPont de Nemours Inc., and The Chemours Company. "It is important for customers to understand that PFAS contamination is an issue that was not created by the water providers," reads a memo at this week's Castle Rock council meeting. "Our customers should understand that the town is going after the parties responsible for creating this contamination to at least try and offset some of the costs associated with its remediation." Castle Rock, with a population of 80,000 and growing, joins several other Colorado communities that have recently taken individual legal action against PFAS makers, citing the increased costsboth present and anticipatedof getting rid of the stuff. The American Water Works Association estimates that lowering the amount of PFAS in drinking water to meet stricter forthcoming federal standards for the chemicals will run from $2.5 to $3.2 billion annually. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this spring proposed dramatically lowering the acceptable threshold in water for PFOA and PFOS, two common PFAS compounds, from 70 parts per trillion to 4 parts per trillion. The agency expects to finalize a Safe Drinking Water Act regulation for a total of six PFAS compounds by the end of the year, according to Region 8 EPA spokesman Rich Mylott. Denver in March filed suit against two dozen chemical companies that make PFAS. Thornton brought its own legal action in January. By the end of this month, Aurora is expected to file its own complaint with the help of outside counsel. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser sued many of the same companies on behalf of the state in February 2022. Martin Kimmes, water treatment and quality manager with Thornton, said the city may be on the hook for anywhere from $30 million to $80 million to buy and install GAC filters to serve its 160,000 customers. He anticipates having to spend another half a million dollars on equipment to detect the chemicals. "It's going to be very expensive because it's affecting so many water utilities," Kimmes said. A study published this month in Environment International estimates that at least one PFAS compound "could be detected in about 45% of U.S. drinking-water samples." PFAS covers a broad range of thousands of chemical compounds valued for their oil- and water-repellent characteristics. The chemicals are used in carpets, cosmetics, furniture, clothes, adhesives and sealants, cookware, firefighting foams and much more. They are known as "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment. Exposure to this class of chemicals can damage the liver, increase blood pressure in pregnant women, lead to developmental impacts or delays in babies and young children, increase the risk of kidney and testicular cancers, and reduce the ability of the body's immune system to fight infections, according to the EPA. For cities, counties and water districts in Colorado, the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds in water can largely be pinned on aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, an extinguishing agent used to put out fuel fires. Castle Rock even acknowledged in its staff memo this week that its own fire crews have used AFFF over the years. The impact of PFAS in Castle Rock is clearest inside the big activated carbon filter tanks the town installed in 2021. Marlowe said his crew already had to change out the charcoal-like substance inside the tanks earlier this year, at a cost of $650,000. "Carbon treats for those chemicals but it gets exhausted over time," he said. "You can only treat for so long before you get breakthrough. PFAS is going to be one of the primary drivers for changing out the (filters)." And that's not all. Marlowe said the cost to analyze each sample taken by the town is $444, and about 75 water samples are required a year. That's a total of about $33,000 a year to detect PFAS in Castle Rock's water. "This cost does not include our internal labor cost for taking samples and managing the data as well as other administrative costs," Marlowe said. Aurora is anticipating spending $2 million more in 2024 to cover the increased costs of dealing with the upkeep of its granular activated filters, according to Aurora Water spokesman Greg Baker. "Our testing shows (the filters) to be very effective in treating PFAS, however, it means we must change out our carbon more frequently than we anticipated due to PFAS saturation," he said. "Also, since GAC is one of three common PFAS removal methods in water treatment the demand for GAC has skyrocketed, and with it, the price." The increased cost means the need for a 2% increase in water rates in Colorado's third-largest city, Baker said. The situation is more worrisome in Thornton, which relies on Sand Creek and the South Platte River for part of its water portfolio. The city treats and delivers 8 billion gallons of water a year to its customers. In a story published last month in The Denver Post, it was reported that the giant Suncor oil refinery in Commerce City has pumped forever chemicals into Sand Creek at rates up to 38 times higher than limits proposed in its new water permit. The company's most recent monitoring data from June shows the company discharged one PFAS compoundPFOSat 2,500 parts per trillion. The EPA's most recent health advisory for that compound said it should be detected at levels no higher than 0.02 parts per trillion. Kimmes, Thornton's water treatment manager, said the city is able to reduce the level of the offending chemicals to a safe level by using a "powdered activated carbon." But he worries about what will become of the exhausted PFAS-laced carbon the city will have to dispose of in the future. If the EPA declares trapped PFAS a hazardous substance, what will the additional costs be to Thornton to process the byproduct properly and according to the law, Kimmes asks. "We're looking for an exemption to the disposal of PFAS-laden media," he said. Meanwhile, at the end of July, Weiser joined 22 other attorneys general in announcing his opposition to a proposed class action settlement involving 3M. If water providers agree to waive existing claims, the company would pay out $10.5 to $12.5 billion in settlement proceeds. That is unacceptable, Weiser said. "Coloradans now suffer degraded water quality and public health injuries on account of the actions of 3M and other companies who manufactured and marketed PFAS," he stated in a July 26 press release. "By taking action today, we are standing up for our citizens and fighting for an adequate and appropriate resolution of the ongoing litigation." Kimmes said he doesn't expect a resolution to the issue for a long time. And he has no idea how much money Thornton will ultimately receiveeither from the state lawsuit or the city's ownto deal with the contamination. "We don't know if we're going to get 10 dollars, or $10 million," he said. 2023 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Suppose you have an issue you are really passionate abouttaxes, gun control or some other important policy. You want to do more than vent on social media, so you decide to write an email, place a phone call or even draft a letter to your state legislator expressing your views. As a citizen, I would praise your sense of civic responsibility and willingness to express your opinion. As a scholar, I would encourage your effortsthey're more consequential than many people realize. I teach communication and public policy at Michigan State University and study how constituents' communication with lawmakers affects public policy decisions. In my previous research, I analyzedwith their permissionthe efforts of coalitions working to get citizens to contact their lawmakers in support of major legislation in New Hampshire and Michigan. I conducted a rigorous evaluation of the types of contact constituents made, the messages they conveyed and the behavior of lawmakers both before and after receiving those communications. The results showed that communications from constituents can have a large impact on how legislators vote. For example, emails from constituents encouraging policymakers to support smoke-free workplace bills in New Hampshire increased state legislators' support on critical votes by an estimated 20 percentage pointsa substantial effect. But a lot of people don't bother to contact their elected officials, thinking it's not worth communicating with them. In today's polarized political environment, is it possible to get through to policymakers from the other side? Discounting opposing views Some work, including my own mentioned above, suggests that policymakers are responsive to communications from the public. But research has also shown that policymakers engage in what's called biased reasoning, writing off communications from constituents who do not share their policy views. For instance, political scientists Daniel Butler and Adam Dynes asked state and local policymakers in two online surveys to evaluate a hypothetical communication from a constituent. Policymakers were randomly assigned to evaluate a letter that either supported or opposed a controversial policy and then rated the hypothetical writer letter on various characteristics. The authors found that policymakers rated hypothetical constituents who disagreed with them as less knowledgeable about the topic. This discounting of constituents who disagree on policy could explain why policymakers tend to have biased perceptions of public opinion, believing the public's attitudes to be more in line with their own positions than polling suggests. Is there a way to prevent lawmakers from writing off constituents' perspectives? Do your research In recent work with political communication scholars Hillary Shulman and Dustin Carnahan, I sought to develop strategies to limit policymakers' discounting of constituents' opinions. We asked a national sample of elected local policymakersamong them city council membersto evaluate a hypothetical email writer randomly assigned to express support or opposition to raising the minimum wage. The survey was fielded by Civic Pulse, which specializes in samples of elected officials. This study was similar to the Butler and Dynes study described above. But we added two randomly assigned conditionswhat we called a "read" condition in which the writer expressed having "read a lot about" the topic, without any specific detail, or a "cite" condition in which the writer summarized and cited a study supporting their position. We anticipated, based on research on biased reasoning, that providing clear evidence that the constituent is knowledgeable about the issue would prevent biased discounting of constituent opinion. Policymakers in our study were asked to evaluate to what extent they thought that the constituent understood the issue, was representative of the community, and was sincere and held their position strongly, and whether they thought the communication was a form letter rather than a constituent-initiated communicationand therefore presumably more likely to be written off. How to not be written off The results confirmed previous findings that policymakers indeed discount the opinions of constituents with whom they disagree. When policymakers read an email expressing an opinion that differed from their own on raising the minimum wage, the email writer was rated lower across all five dimensions. However, if the email writer provided evidence that they knew about the issueciting research supporting their positionpolicymakers were more likely to perceive that the email writer understood the issue. The effects of citing evidence are stronger than simply stating that one has read about the issue. My own work suggests that a constituent expressing an opinion to an elected official can influence the official's vote on the issue. But just writing to an official is no guarantee that the constituent will persuade the official or have the issue resolved in the way they prefer. Our study is important in identifying a way constituents can avoid being written off. We also found that there are no downsides to providing evidence supporting one's position. You might expect that when provided with unambiguous evidence that a disagreeing constituent understands the issue, policymakers might direct their efforts to discounting other constituent characteristics, rating the constituent as less sincere or less representative of the community. We did not find any evidence that this happened. When faced with evidence that their constituent knows the issue well, policymakers are less likely to discount their opinions. How to be heard The practical results are clear: When communicating with a policymaker, especially one with whom you disagree, you want to stop them from discounting your opinion. One way to do this is by citing quality evidence to support your position. While this advice seems straightforward, it did not appear in guides we surveyed created by citizen groups like the Sierra Club, ACLU or Christian Coalition. When contacting a policymaker about an issue, be aware that they may discount your opinion if they disagree. But note also that carefully crafted communications can convey your position without being written offand could improve how accurately the policymaker understands public attitudes about public policies. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: (a) The spatial scale represents how skin composition and characteristics vary across anatomical regions. (b) The temporal scale represents changes to skin across the human lifespan. (c) The gender scale represents gender-specific differences between skin sites and function. (d) The ancestral origin scale, which affects skin characteristics and proclivity to disease. (e) The wound response scale, where unwounded skin is distinct from the skin that is permanently altered after the innate, acute wound repair program. For each scale, we include notable examples that illustrate why these factors need to be considered when generating a high-quality single-cell skin atlas. Credit: Journal of Investigative Dermatology As a single organ, our skin is able to perform a broad repertoire of vital functions. Dermatology experts call for a reference guide to single-cell composition of normal human skin, which is still lacking. A grassroots movement to establish a "Human Skin Cell Atlas" is taking shape, as reported in a review in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. A global team of experts has outlined a roadmap as a first step towards creating a comprehensive and inclusive reference work on this important topic. Our skin performs vital functions, such as protecting us from external threats (pathogens, UV rays), regulating our body's temperature, giving us our sense of touch, and enabling us to express ourselves via cranial and facial hair. Skin is also anatomically diverse across the body, a feature biologists call "regional specificity." For instance, hairless skin on our palms with complex fingerprints is dramatically distinct from skin with hair on our scalp. To perform its numerous functions and to maintain prominent regional specificity, skin consists of several distinct cell types, which in turn, each contain numerous cell states. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology, researchers can study gene expression signatures of many individual cells in tissues and then bioinformatically evaluate how they work together to perform tissue functions. Co-lead author Maksim Plikus, Ph.D., from the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology at the University of California, Irvine, explains, "Many co-authors on this review were early adopters of single-cell technologies. This technology requires in-depth understanding of bioinformatic approaches and detailed knowledge of conserved gene expression features of distinct skin cell types. As such, the research field has now reached a critical inflection point when a reference guide to single-cell composition of normal human skin is acutely needed." Responding to this critical need, the Human Cell Atlas is an international grassroots effort to generate a comprehensive single-cell reference of every human organ. Co-lead author Maria Kasper, Ph.D., from the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at the Karolinska Institute, adds, "Because we are passionate about human skin biology and versed in single-cell methods, we put together this review as a guide for achieving the goal to generate the Human Skin Cell Atlas (HSCA). This review, a roadmap of a kind, will be the first step, followed by a joint effort to generate the actual atlas." The initial atlas will be based on sequenced cells collected from healthy human skin. The authors envision that this atlas would then be used as the basis to uncover both conserved and varying human skin cell populations as well as molecular differences that arise upon skin diseases. Once complete and up and running as an open-source online resource, it will be possible to utilize a consensus atlas for semi-automated mapping of patient-specific changes in any future scRNA-seq data. In addition, in the future, the HSCA reference could be used to support personalized medicine, such as single-cell-based personalized diagnostics of skin diseases. The review is a collection of knowledge from skin experts ranging from basic scientists to clinicians and from trainees to seasoned principal investigators. It outlines key considerations for the atlas in order to comprehensively represent skin cells across five scales: spatial, temporal, gender, ancestral origin, and wound response scales. As part of the roadmap to develop the HSCA, the authors also emphasize the importance of global representation, reflecting skin of the broader human population, rather than that of only selected human groups that are typically over-represented in biomedical research. They further highlight that for the HSCA to be balanced, scientists need to comprehensively consider unintentional biases that can be easily introduced during single-cell data collection and generation. Such biases include under-representation of skin from minority groups, difficult-to-sample body sites, and technical consistency in generating scRNA-seq data among different laboratories. Finally, a standardized metadata template is proposed to collect detailed information when generating new scRNA-seq datasets. More information: Maria Kasper et al, A Roadmap for a Consensus Human Skin Cell Atlas and Single-Cell Data Standardization, Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.03.1679 Journal information: Journal of Investigative Dermatology Provided by Elsevier This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain As someone who researches slavery in the ancient Mediterranean world, especially in the Bible, I often hear remarks like, "Slavery was totally different back then, right?" "Well, it couldn't have been that bad." "Couldn't slaves buy their freedom?" Most people in the United States or Europe in the 21st century are more knowledgeable about the transatlantic slave trade, and live in societies deeply shaped by it. People can see the effects of modern enslavement everywhere from mass incarceration and housing segregation to voting habits. The effects of ancient slavery, on the other hand, aren't as tangible todayand most Americans have only a vague idea of what it looked like. Some people might think of biblical stories, such as Joseph's jealous brothers selling him into slavery. Others might picture movies like "Spartacus," or the myth that enslaved people built the Egyptian pyramids. Because these kinds of slavery took place so long ago and weren't based on modern racism, some people have the impression that they weren't as harsh or violent. That impression makes room for public figures like Christian theologian and analytic philosopher William Lane Craig to argue that ancient slavery was actually beneficial for enslaved people. Modern factors like capitalism and racist pseudoscience did shape the transatlantic slave trade in uniquely harrowing and enduring ways. Enslaved labor, for example, shaped economists' theories about the "free market" and global trade. But to understand slavery from that eraor to combat slavery todaywe also need to understand the longer history of involuntary labor. As a scholar of ancient slavery and early Christian history, I often encounter three myths that stand in the way of understanding ancient slavery and how systems of enslavement have evolved over time. Myth No. 1: There is one kind of 'biblical slavery' The collection of texts that ended up in the Bible represent centuries of different writers from across the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, often in very different circumstances, making it hard to generalize about how slavery worked in "biblical" societies. Most importantly, the Hebrew Biblewhat Christians call "the Old Testament"emerged primarily in the ancient Near East, while the New Testament emerged in the early Roman Empire. Forms of enslavement and involuntary labor in the ancient Near East, for exampleareas such as Egypt, Syria and Iranwere not always chattel slavery, in which enslaved people were considered property. Rather, some people were temporarily enslaved to pay off their debts. However, this was not the case for all people enslaved in the ancient Near East, and certainly not under the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire, where millions were trafficked and forced to labor in domestic, urban and agricultural settings. Because of the range of periods and cultures involved in the production of biblical literature, there is no such thing as a single "biblical slavery." Nor is there a single "biblical perspective" on slavery. The most anyone can say is that no biblical texts or writers explicitly condemn the institution of enslavement or the practice of chattel slavery. More robust challenges to slavery by Christians started to emerge in the fourth century C.E., in the writings of figures like St. Gregory of Nyssa, a theologian who lived in Cappadocia, in present-day Turkey. Myth No. 2: Ancient slavery was not as cruel Like Myth No. 1, this myth often comes from conflating some Near Eastern and Egyptian practices of involuntary labor, such as debt slavery, with Greek and Roman chattel slavery. By focusing on other forms of involuntary labor in specific ancient cultures, it is easy to overlook the widespread practice of chattel slavery and its harshness. However, across the ancient Mediterranean, there is evidence of a variety of horrific practices: branding, whipping, bodily disfiguration, sexual assault, torture during legal trials, incarceration, crucifixion and more. In fact, a Latin inscription from Puteoli, an ancient city near Naples, Italy, recounts what enslavers could pay undertakers to whip or crucify enslaved people. Christians were not exempt from participating in this cruelty. Archaeologists have found collars from Italy and North Africa that enslavers placed upon their enslaved people, offering a price for their return if they fled. Some of these collars bear Christian symbols like the chi-rho (), which combines the first two letters of Jesus' name in Greek. One collar mentions that the enslaved person needs to be returned to their enslaver, "Felix the archdeacon." It's difficult to apply contemporary moral standards to earlier eras, not least societies thousands of years ago. But even in an ancient world in which slavery was ever present, it is clear not everyone bought into the ideology of the elite enslavers. There are records of multiple slave rebellions in Greece and Italymost famously, that of the escaped gladiator Spartacus. Myth No. 3: Ancient slavery wasn't discriminatory Slavery in the ancient Mediterranean wasn't based on race or skin color in the same way as the transatlantic slave trade, but this doesn't mean ancient systems of enslavement weren't discriminatory. Much of the history of Greek and Roman slavery involves enslaving people from other groups: Athenians enslaving non-Athenians, Spartans enslaving non-Spartans, Romans enslaving non-Romans. Often captured or defeated through warfare, such enslaved people were either forcibly migrated to a new area or were kept on their ancestral land and compelled to do farmwork or be domestic workers for their conquerors. Roman law required a slave's "natio," or place of origin, to be announced during auctions. Ancient Mediterranean enslavers prioritized the purchase of people from different parts of the world on account of stereotypes about their various characteristics. Varro, a scholar who wrote about the management of agriculture, argued that an enslaver shouldn't have too many enslaved people who were from the same nation or who could speak the same language, because they might organize and rebel. Ancient slavery still depended on categorizing some groups of people as "others," treating them as though they were wholly different from those who enslaved them. The picture of slavery that most Americans are familiar with was deeply shaped by its time, particularly modern racism and capitalism. But other forms of slavery throughout human history were no less "real." Understanding them and their causes may help challenge slavery today and in the futureespecially at a time when some politicians are again claiming transatlantic slavery actually benefited enslaved people. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Understanding neutrino (????) oscillations depends on understanding ????-nucleus (and ????-nucleon) interactions. Modern nuclear theory predictions of the ????-nucleon interaction (top band, data points) are larger than those based on old data (lower, red band). Credit: A. Walker-Loud from Status of Lattice QCD Determination of Nucleon Form Factors and Their Relevance for the Few-GeV Neutrino Program. Annual Reviews in Nuclear and Particle Science 72 (2022), published under a CC BY 4.0 license. The U.S. particle physics community is preparing for a major research program with the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). DUNE will study neutrino oscillations. These quantum mechanical oscillations are only possible because neutrinos have mass, albeit it very small masses. Research at DUNE will address key questions about neutrinos, such as whether they and their antineutrino counterparts behave differently. Answering these questions could help explain why the universe is composed of matter and not antimatter. These studies require a detailed understanding of how neutrinos interact with atomic nuclei and the nucleons (protons and neutrons) that make up nuclei. By providing new data, DUNE will help scientists advance beyond the current understanding of neutrino-nucleon interactions, which relies upon data from experiments in the 1970s and '80s. Scientists use the nuclear theory method called lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD) to predict neutrino-nucleon interactions. The LQCD results predict a stronger neutrino-nucleon interaction than predictions determined from older, less precise, experimental data. The work was published in the Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science. This research demonstrated important implications of how scientists interpret neutrino oscillation signals from LQCD. It also identified the next results to tackle with LQCD. These findings, combined with modern many-body nuclear theory methods, will reduce the potential biases due to incorrect modeling. The findings will also improve scientists' predictions of these interactions for DUNE and other neutrino experiments. A recent project by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory demonstrated the importance of incorporating state-of-the-art theoretical predictions of the "nucleon axial form factor" into simulations of neutrino-nucleus reactions (a form factor is a measure of the "squishiness" of a particlethe smaller the value, the squishier). Scientists need these form factors to determine oscillation properties of the elusive neutrinos that will be explored by DUNE and other leading neutrino oscillation experiments. The most advanced LQCD predictions conflict with the older phenomenological models of the axial form-factor, leading to a 30% larger neutrino-nucleon cross-section. This has important implications for the interpretation of the oscillation experiments. These LQCD calculations are made possible by the Department of Energy's Leadership Class Computing Facilities, which house the fastest supercomputers in the world. In the exascale computing era, scientists will further refine the LQCD results and tackle additional, more complicated processes. The results will be combined with modern many-body nuclear theory methods to provide more robust predictions of the neutrino-nucleus reactions. These predictions are essential ingredients for interpreting the next-generation neutrino oscillation experiments, such as DUNE, and inferring properties of neutrinos. More information: Aaron S. Meyer et al, Status of Lattice QCD Determination of Nucleon Form Factors and Their Relevance for the Few-GeV Neutrino Program, Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science (2022). DOI: 10.1146/annurev-nucl-010622-120608 Canada's British Columbia introduces travel restriction amid wildfire crisis Xinhua) 09:06, August 21, 2023 This aerial photo taken on Aug. 6, 2023 shows wildfires near Downton Lake, in the south-central part of British Columbia, Canada. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) OTTAWA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Canada's British Columbia government said Saturday it will implement a restriction on non-essential travel to areas affected by wildfires amid its state of emergency. David Eby, premier of the province, announced the order at a news conference Saturday afternoon to free up accommodations for evacuees. The government has declared a provincial state of emergency as thousands evacuated from their homes. Under the order, the government is restricting tourist-related, non-essential travel to communities including Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon for anyone planning to stay in temporary accommodation. The government will ensure that sufficient temporary accommodations are available to those evacuating or involved in fighting fires, Eby said, adding that there are some 35,000 people on evacuation orders across the province and another 30,000 on evacuation alert. "We have an urgent need for more accommodation," he said. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, there are 1,039 active forest fires in Canada as of Saturday, around 380 of which are in British Columbia with more than 160 out of control. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 18, 2023 shows wildfires at Upper Park Rill Creek, in the South Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 1, 2023 shows wildfires near Downton Lake, in the south-central part of British Columbia, Canada. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 18, 2023 shows wildfires at Upper Park Rill Creek, in the South Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 12, 2023 shows wildfires near Downton Lake, in the south-central part of British Columbia, Canada. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: AI-generated image Almost two out of every five species of wild bird are of conservation concern across Europe, according to an updated and comprehensive assessment of their population status. That means these species are declining and becoming more scarce across the continent. Among the birds of conservation concern are some familiar species, including dunnock, goldcrest and meadow pipit. Since the first assessment, which was carried out in 1994, the number of European bird species that are of global conservation concern has trebled. Snowy owl, northern lapwing, Eurasian curlew, steppe eagle and bearded vulture have all been unlucky enough to make this list. The assessment used data collected on 546 bird species to estimate population sizes and trends throughout Europe. Species were then assigned one of five categories depending on their extinction risk, considering whether a species is of global or European conservation concern and whether its distribution is concentrated within Europe. The number of species that are of conservation concern across the continent is worrying, but sadly not particularly surprising. Many of the species that are declining have been doing so for at least the past three decadesand this study highlights that not much has changed. Which species are at risk? Birds around the world are facing a multitude of threats. These include changes both to the climate and how land is used, but also over-exploitation, competition with invasive species and pollution. Habitat destruction and degradation, a key driver of bird population decline, affects 93% of globally threatened species. Certain bird groups are being hit particularly hard. In the assessment, migratory birds, raptors, waders and duck species were noted as being of high conservation concern. The recent assessment, along with many others, found that farmland birds are among those of highest concern. In fact, almost 60% of the species in the highest conservation concern category were associated with farmland habitats. These species include many that, in the not-too-distant past, were common. The gentle coo of the European turtle dove, for example, was once a familiar sound across Europe's countryside. But since 1980, the species has declined by almost 80% across Europe. This decline is even more dire in the UK, where turtle doves have suffered a staggering 98% reduction in their population since the 1970s. Research reveals that agricultural intensification, including the use of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers, is one of the key drivers of population decline in farmland birds across Europe. The outlook is equally worrying for Europe's seabirds. Petrels, shearwaters, kittiwakes andperhaps the most well-loved and recognizable seabirdpuffins, are among the species that are noted as being of global conservation concern in the assessment. Climate change is altering environmental conditions and industrial fishing practices are depleting stocks of the fish that these seabirds rely on. This means that food quality, quantity and availability are all changing, which carries serious consequences for the breeding performance and survival of these top predators. Credit: AI-generated image A lack of prey near puffin colonies in the north-east Atlantic, for example, means adults are being forced to travel further to find food for their chicks. This comes with energy costs for adult puffins and also means that the chicks are fed less often. The new strain of avian flu that is killing birds worldwide adds further and very urgent threats to this already vulnerable group. What can be done? The assessment suggests that current efforts to halt and reverse the loss of Europe's bird species are not sufficient. More and urgent action is needed if we want nature to have a fighting chance. But there are some promising measures that can be implemented both nationally and internationally. In recent decades, there has been a focus on protecting sites for important bird populations. Natura 2000, for example, are designated areas within the EU that contain rare habitats and important breeding and resting sites. Currently, 18% of the EU's land surface area is designated as a Natura 2000 site, and the aim is to create a network of connected protected sites right across the continent. Evidence on the effectiveness of protected areas is clear: when implemented appropriately, they work. Globally, the number of species is 10.6% higher within protected areas compared with unprotected areas. But protecting existing habitats is not enough to reverse declines alone. Habitats need to be restored. A compelling case emerges from Hungary's Hortobagy National Park, where areas of cropland have been converted into restored grassland. Over a three-year period after grassland restoration, the abundance and diversity of farmland bird species increased by 35% and 40% respectively. We also need to consider the way we produce our food and fuel. Enforcing legislation on what kinds of chemicals, and how much of them, we use to control agricultural pests and diseases is crucial. In 2018, EU member states banned the use of certain neonicotinoids (a class of insecticide) after mounting evidence of their widespread impact on insectsan important source of food for birds. This is a promising start, but it will only be effective if implemented widely and not reversed. Unfortunately, the UK government has authorized the emergency application of neonicotinoids in each of the past three years. There are ways to stop Europe's bird species from disappearing. We just need to make sure these ideas are put into action widely and in the right way. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The upcoming bushfire season in Australia may be bad, but future years pose a more significant threat, says a University of New South Wales bushfire expert. The recent devastation caused by wildfires across Europe and Hawaii has sparked concerns about the return of catastrophic bushfires in Australia. Coupled with the forecast that the southern hemisphere is likely entering a hot and dry El Nino event, conditions could be favorable for major fires after a few years of subdued activity. But Professor Jason Sharples, an expert in bushfires dynamics from UNSW Canberra, says while it's always hard to predict exactly what will unfold in Australia, it's unlikely to be a repeat of the 20192020 Black Summer bushfires. "El Nino conditions don't necessarily mean we will have a worse bushfire season, though it does mean we're more likely to have hotter temperatures, less rainfall, and dry conditions that can lead to destructive fires," Prof. Sharples says. "Instead of being hit hard this year, we may see the impacts of El Nino accumulate and combine with climate change in the next season and the ones following." However, Prof. Sharples says this season may still bring a chance of significant fires developing. Three years of increased rainfall from consecutive La Nina events has seen vegetation grow, especially grasses, and a relatively dry year so far may have begun to dry it out. "In many areas, there is still some moisture content in forest fuels like trees, leaves and branches, as well the litter on the ground, but it takes a while, probably more than one season, to dry out," Prof. Sharples says. "So, while the vegetation has grown a lot, and there may be a lot of fuel lying around, it's probably not ready to burn with that intensity this year. "However, there are still some forested areas that have already seen significant drying, and these areas could see intense bushfires." The Black Summer bushfires also burned a lot of forest areas along south-east Australia already. While reburn fires could occur this year, Prof. Sharples says they're unlikely to be as severe, though other untouched forest areas along the coast could still burn. Instead, grassland areas, which have also grown over the last few years of rainfall, may be more at risk this season. "There is a higher possibility of grass fires this year, in areas like western New South Wales, though they're not typically as damaging as large forest fires," Prof. Sharples says. "The biggest area burnt in Australia was due to a series of grassland fires that burnt 100 million hectares following a strong La Nina, so they can still be a significant hazard, particularly in rural areas." Future bushfire season threats While this upcoming season might not hit as hard as others in recent memory, Prof. Sharples says the risk of more severe and frequent bushfires continues to grow from human-driven climate change. "The fact that our worst bushfire season on record didn't coincide with an El Nino suggests climate change is acting, and we should prepare for worsening bushfire conditions in the years ahead," Prof. Sharples says. Overall, bushfire seasons are getting longer and starting earlier. Heat waves, in particular, are becoming hotter, longer, and more frequent, drying out fuels and intensifying bushfires. "The risk of extreme bushfires is rising because of climate change, and there is a clear link between hotter temperatures and worsening bushfires," Prof. Sharples says. "They're becoming more destructive and regular, and present a unique set of hazards as they interact with the atmosphere to create violent firestorms." Prof. Sharples says we must act now to improve fire preparedness and management strategies to mitigate the increasing threat of bushfires. "We're not going to be able to prevent bad seasons from occurring, but we can take steps to improve fire management techniques to prevent extreme fires as much as possible," Prof. Sharples says. "If not, we will be locked in a vicious cycle of climate change leading to larger fires and then those larger fires amplifying the effects of climate change." Prof. Sharples also says we need more research to understand the dynamics of fires and a lot of investment and interest in different technologies to help mitigate the risk of bushfires. "It's not the sort of problem that gets solved in a single season," Prof. Sharples says. "It will take years, possibly even decades, of research and planning to better prepare ourselves for the kinds of bushfires we had in the Black Summer season." A RADIO STATION, AN INTERVIEW, A BLACKOUT AND THE SPIN Instead of doing its normal job of reporting on people and events in Sierra Leone, Radio Democracy 98.1 has found itself at the center of some storm recently. The station is still dealing with questions arising from the sudden resignation of their manager and three presenters. The stations board has been explaining the circumstances and urging people to calm down because, according to them, things were perfectly under control. Just when the dust raised by that issue was beginning to settle, the station was hit by a hurricane Reimer. The departing US Ambassador David Reimer granted the station an interview in which he did something we are still trying to understand. After understanding him we will then examine what he wanted to achieve with that interview. He may be home in the US by that time but we live in a global village and may still have that little conversation we have asked for in this paper. We have obtained the full interview done with Ambassador Reimer and asked a few questions around what actually happened at 98.1 and some of the inevitable spin on social media. THE RADIO STATION 1. The interview that ended up on social media was SIX minutes short against the original interview that was THIRTEEN minutes and some seconds. We have not yet been able to establish who edited the interview further after it had been prepared for broadcast on the day in question ostensibly without the approval of the Acting Station Manager. 2. It is very clear though that the person who edited the original interview that was already in the system waiting to be broadcast had just one motive: to eliminate all other aspects of the material and focus on Ambassador Reimers comments on the elections and the MCC grant. The reason for that is also clear. We are Sierra Leoneans. 3. The production process was also in some kind of chaos that morning. There was a loss of overall editorial control because some of the producers had no idea who were the people invited to the popular morning show and that includes the minister of information who turned up by 7am. There are a few more issues about the station we will not touch on for now except that we wonder why the senior staff of the station went to the State House to apologize for that incident. We understand they were never summoned but they initiated contacts and went to the big house. Why haven't they issued a statement explaining what happened at the station for the benefit of all listeners? If there is an apology to be made, it should include all listeners. THE BLACKOUT AND THE SPIN Electricity failure is a part of normal life in Sierra Leone. It affects hospitals, the State House and the presidential lodge. In fact we are now used to radio stations apologizing to listeners many times during the broadcast period when power suddenly goes off. For some reason people we are familiar with are on social media arguing that the station went off because the minister instructed EDSA to switch the power off to prevent an interview that would embarrass the government from going on air. We find it impossible to believe this for the following reasons: 1. It is easier for the minister to stay at home and trigger the blackout than drive all the way to the station and spend one hour waiting in vain for electricity. In fact in this circumstance the station would call him to cancel or postpone the interview with apologies. 2. In the current media environment why would any minister go to such elaborate length to try to achieve something they know is unachievable? How does cutting off electricity that morning prevent the interview from being broadcast in the afternoon, in the evening or even the next day with several repeats and eventual upload on social media? 3. We believe the minister knows that confronting the issues instead of hoping their opponents would disregard it is always the best thing to do. In modern day politics, its always good to have your own narrative out there instead of trying to suppress the narrative being deliberately spun by your opponents. We will be back on this issue in subsequent editions. DAVID REIMER AND HIS GOOD GOVERNANCE LECTURE We understand that several individual journalists and media houses asked the media person at the US embassy for an interview with the departing David Reimer but ended up granting the interview to 98.1 alone. This is the kind of traditional interview that departing diplomats do and the media would normally ask softball questions on the emotional side of things the departing diplomat would talk about the local people, our food, and our beaches. There is really no rule preventing journalists from throwing in hot political questions but we know how other diplomats in the past have handled those situations there was John Hirsch, Joseph Melrose from the USA, both of whom operated during extremely difficult times in this country and the legendary Peter Penfold from the UK. Not once did they attempt to LECTURE the people of this country on how to run things at home. Our main takeaway points from David Reimers lecture is that there are no Sierra Leoneans who are independent or credible enough to conduct an investigation into the election PROCESSES leading to the re-election of Principal in June 2023. The other point is that the reports from all other observer missions from ECOWAS, EU, MRU and local bodies including the Sierra Leone Bar Association are not important except that done by the EU-funded NEW and the Carter Center. We cant really help but see the link between this lecture and the opposition's call for so-called independent foreigners to do everything here, including running our judiciary, taking over ECSL and negotiating political disagreements. Soon we will ask for independent traffic police officers on our streets to make sure traffic flows without bias to one side of the road. Anyway, we hope Ambassador Reimer will talk to us before leaving Sierra Leone or by means of technology we can still have a chat on ZOOM. We want to respectfully ask Mr. Ambassador to give us a copy of his memoir so we can read the chapter on his two years or so in this country. SALONE POLICE AND THE KILLING OF ARATA In Sierra Leone we wouldnt normally give a damn if an ARATA dies or is killed. Who cares about a dead rat? However the ARATA we are writing about here is not an ordinary ARATA. This was a human ARATA who, according to those in his circles, played a very important role in mobilizing the streets, especially in the west end of Freetown to bring Principal into office in 2018. In the period following that election, ARATA received benefits from the system and he was all over the place, showing off. The other side of this ARATA is that he became too hot to handle and frequently found himself on the wrong side of the law and had to be bailed out of police stations several times. To cut a long story short, he was increasingly being framed as a man involved in criminal activities on the streets and was eventually shunned by his political allies. Anyway, for now we are asking the Force for Good to thoroughly and speedily investigate his gruesome and pointless killing and bring those responsible to justice. We will not allow this case to go cold like a few others. We want to see those responsible in the dock. In fact, we are at a loss as to why a police force that enjoys issuing press statements for this and that has still not publicly addressed us on the killing of ARATA. Copyright 2023 Politico Paving project coming to SGF neighborhood SOUTH GLENS FALLS Each year, the South Glens Falls Department of Public Works (DPW) selects a group of streets to be stripped and repaved as part of the general street maintenance for the village. This years paving project will include Henry Street, Washburn Street, Leland Street, Reynolds Street, Edgewood Drive, and Prince William Court. The South Glens Falls Board of Trustees approved the $94,000 price tag on Aug. 2. This is just regular seasonal paving. We pave pretty much every year, explained South Glens Falls DPW Superintendent TJ Chagnon. Beginning Sept. 5, the streets will be stripped, or milled, of their old asphalt so that a new layers can be laid, with the exception of Prince William Court, which doesnt need milling. Well come in, and well mill the driveway heads so that the asphalt we add to it will blend with the driveway heads, Chagnon said. Residents on Prince William Court can expect to see DPW crews working in their area as early as Aug. 28. Repaving of all six roads will take place Sept. 11. Both the milling and paving projects are weather dependent, and scheduled to last two days. Local traffic, with some delays, will be allowed on village streets, Chagnon said. Informational flyers will be distributed to all affected houses. For more information, contact Chagnon at the DPW office by calling (518) 792-4033. Brief: Park Rangers do more than rescue people New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide, but they also complete other work as the two briefs from a recent press release show: On Aug. 2, Forest Ranger Lieutenant Pachan, and Rangers Clute, Gullen, Mitchell, and Morehouse joined staff from DEC and Albany Pine Bush Preserve to conduct a prescribed burn of 19 acres at the Albany Pine Bush. Prescribed fires help prevent the spread of invasive species and reduce the risk of uncontrolled wildfires. On Aug. 12, Forest Ranger Jackson threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Tri-City ValleyCats game in Troy. Ranger Jackson was joined by Smokey Bear to meet with fans, discuss Ranger job duties, and teach game attendees about fire safety. In 2022, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 359 search and rescue missions, extinguished 162 wildfires covering more than 1,300 acres, participated in 53 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate nearly 900 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in hundreds of tickets and arrests. With more people visiting State lands and enjoying New Yorks myriad, world-class outdoor recreational opportunities, DECs Forest Rangers are on the front lines to help visitors get outside responsibly and get home safely, said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. Chestertown Library Fundraiser A wine tasting and silent auction to benefit the Town of Chester Library will be held on Sunday, Sept. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Friends Lake Inn. Visit with friends while sampling a variety of wines and tasty hors doeuvres, a press release for the event said. A portion of the event will include a basket raffle, where six baskets and a money tree will be won by lucky donors. The drawing will be held during the wine tasting. Raffle prizes: Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Basket; Lucky Money Tree (Win $100 cash, plus lottery tickets); Adirondack Carved Bear (hand carved); All Things Coffee Basket; Adirondack Winter Adventure Basket; Joseph Carr Wine Basket; Ice Cream Sundae Basket. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the library or Wednesdays at the Town of Chester Farmers Market. A raffle participant does not need to be present to win. 3 raffle tickets will cost $5; 7 tickets or $10; and 15 tickets for $20. Reservations can be made at the Town of Chester Library, online with a credit card, or by mail with a reservation form. It is $30 per person to attend. Northway lane closures Tuesday, Wednesday RECAP: The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists that all lanes of northbound traffic Tuesday and Wednesday nights will be closed on Interstate-87, the Adirondack Northway, approaching Exit 24. Northbound traffic will be routed off and right back onto the highway at Exit 24 while the lanes are closed. The closures: 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, until 6 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23; and from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesday night Aug. 23 to Thursday morning Aug. 24. The southbound lanes may be stopped as needed for periods of about 15 minutes, the DOT said. Randy Travis is sold out Seven-time Grammy Award winning Country Music Hall of Fame member Randy Travis has sold out his two shows this weekend on Saturday, Aug. 26 at the Charles R. Wood Theater. Randy & Mary Travis: A Conversation with a Legend will feature stories and songs hosted by CMA winner Kevin Richards, an audience question and answer session, Travis biggest hits performed by New Englands Nashville bound duo Martin and Kelly, and a piano-bar style sing-along with Richie Phillips and Mark Pierre. Other upcoming Kevin Richards Country Concerts Close Up! series shows include Grammy Nominee Billy Dean, a stirring tribute to Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli featuring Country Dance and Cabaret recording artist Nancy Hays special guests, and Kenny Rogers Christmas and Hits Tribute. In December, the series expands to The Cohoes Music Hall with NBCs The Voice Runner-Up Billy Gilman on Monday, Dec. 4. Puppy rescue on Intl Dog Day Stuyvesant Plaza will celebrate International Dog Day on Saturday, Aug. 26 with Pups at the Plaza, a pet adoption event presented in partnership with Lucky Puppy Rescue. Pups at the Plaza is a free event where guests are invited to meet adoptable dogs and learn about the rehoming process from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in front of Jean Paul Salon & Spa, according to a Stuyvesant Plaza press release. Attendees can help support Lucky Puppys mission by purchasing special merchandise items and raffle tickets for a Stuyvesant Plaza gift basket filled with dog-themed items from Sur La Table, Bountiful Bread, Uncommon Grounds, RAD Soap Co. and more, according to the plazas press release. Perfectly timed for International Dog Day, Pups at the Plaza is a great opportunity to learn about the adoption process and the wonderful work of this rescue organization, Stuyvesant Plaza General Manager Rachel Ferluge said in the press release. Lucky Puppy Rescue specializes in veterinary care, behavioral training and socialization so that each dog is ready for a forever home. RISE celebrates new residential program RISE Housing and Support Services to hold a ceremonial ribbon cutting to usher in a new residential program in Saratoga Springs on Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. The residential program, known as SunRISE Retreat, will be the first residence of its kind in the Capital Region. The SunRISE Retreat is a new Intensive Crisis Residence that will be located on Kirby Rd., in Saratoga Springs, according to a Rise press release. The New York State Office of Mental Health defines these types of residences as short-term voluntary programs that serve individuals who are in mental health distress, or experiencing symptoms of a mental health crisis. The programs themselves provide stabilization services, treatment, and discharge planning so that the individuals may safely return to the community, according to the Rise press release. Tours and light refreshments will be available to guests and media at the conclusion of the speaking program. RISE Housing and Support Services is a human service agency that has been serving people in Saratoga and the surrounding counties since 1978. For more information about RISE Housing & Support Services, visit https://www.riseservices.org/. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. ATLANTIC CITY An ordinance to require construction of bulkheads on privately owned, vacant bayfront lots is up for introduction during Wednesdays City Council meeting. The flood control measure is sponsored by 6th Ward Councilman Jesse Kurtz and targets vacant properties with no bulkheads, Kurtz said. This ordinance requires people investing in land along the bay to (build) bulkheads up to (state) standards, Kurtz said Monday. From what I can tell, there seems to be universal consensus on this idea. Kurtz is the lone Republican on council and represents the Chelsea neighborhood and parts of Chelsea Heights. Chelsea residents have long complained that flood water flows regularly into their neighborhoods through private properties with no bulkheads or old structures that are damaged or too low. Im all for it. Its a start, said resident Donna Anderson, who has been organizing neighborhood efforts to get the city to help with problem properties. I wish it would go further. Anderson said she knows of only one property that would qualify under the ordinance. Thats one of the ones letting all kinds of water into the area between Richmond and Annapolis avenues, Anderson said. People of modest means live there, and those are the ones suffering because of that particular empty bulkhead. But more lots have existing homes on them and bulkheads that are too short, falling apart or nonexistent. Those would not be covered by the ordinance. The city used $6.5 million in grant funding to build new bulkheads up to modern standards on city-owned property along the bay in Lower Chelsea, but the grant did not allow money to be used to improve private property. So flood waters still enter through privately owned lots without bulkheads, or with crumbling or inadequate ones, residents have complained. Kurtz acknowledged this ordinance will not deal with inadequate or crumbling bulkheads. At this point theyre not included, Kurtz said. They are people Im still seeking to get some type of incentive program. ... Thats the way to go for people in that category. There is a precedent for the city helping financially when flood resiliency is the goal, he said. The house elevation program pays 75% of the cost of raising a home, and the homeowner pays 25%, he said. We should mimic that for bulkhead projects and not punish people who, based on my understanding, are working people not sitting on an abundance of money to do this. If they were of a higher economic stature, they would have done this already. Public shouldnt pay for bulkheads for waterfront property owners The laws in America provide strong rights to owners of private property. Owners, in turn, be Kurtz said he knows of two lots in his ward that would fall under the proposed ordinance. He circulated a memo introducing the ordinances concept to other council members, Kurtz said, and received input from them that helped shape the ordinance. At a meeting with residents along the bay in Chelsea in June, Mayor Marty Small Sr. said he would support requiring landowners to build bulkheads to protect neighborhoods from flooding. But he said council needed to create and pass an ordinance. If owners do not give the city a plan in 30 days and have the bulkheads constructed in 180 days, the city would then build them and put a lien on the property to recoup the cost, the ordinance says. The ordinance was created with Chelsea residents in mind, Kurtz said, but will also help bayfront residents in other parts of the city. There is precedent for the city doing the job and putting a lien on the property if a landowner does not comply, Kurtz said. The lien part resembles the demolition program, he said, in which those who neglect the state of their properties will have a lien put on them if the city needs to demolish or repair a structure. For someone to have vacant land, its by definition some form of investment, Kurtz said. The rights of people who are occupying their home in the neighborhood surpass that of an investor who has not done the right thing to prevent community flooding. Most actors work their whole lives and never receive the opportunity to act in a movie that includes Academy Award-winner Robert De Niro. Weist-Barron-Ryan Acting Studios in Galloway Township has offered a Rising Stars program since 2013. The program is geared toward neurodiverse individuals, those whose brains work differently than those of the average, or neurotypical, person. More than 30 Rising Stars students were cast in the movie Ezra, which will premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival. Emmy Award-winning actor Bobby Cannavale and Emmy-nominated actress Rose Byrne also star in the film. The ensemble dramedy from Tony Goldwyn, the director of Conviction, The Last Kiss, Someone Like You and A Walk on the Moon, is about parents struggling over how best to raise their 9-year-old neurodiverse son. Weist-Barron-Ryan had experience working with Ezra executive producer Jason Pinardo, said Stefanie Ryan-Manhim, president of the local acting studio and casting agency. He (Pinardo) requested that we get actual neurodivergent young actors for the film. He was aware that we had them trained because we brought them on the set of Bruised with Halle Berry, Ryan-Manhim said, referring to a movie that filmed in Atlantic City. He was also the producer for Bruised. Besides Bruised, Pinardo was also the executive producer of Maybe I Do, starring Diane Keaton and Richard Gere, which filmed in Montclair, Essex County, and received a limited theatrical release this year. Ryan-Manhim said she brags about her Rising Stars actors everywhere she goes. She was not there for the filming of Ezra, but she heard the filmmakers were impressed by her actors. Striking actors rally in Atlantic City Striking actors staged a rally Wednesday afternoon on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, demanding studio officials meet to end the holdout. They were quiet on the set when they needed to be, Ryan-Manhim said. They knew set etiquette, such as not looking directly at the camera. Parents attended with their children. Medical professionals were on set, and there was a quiet space for the young people in case of overstimulation, she said. It was beautiful to see it all come to fruition for them, Ryan-Manhim said. Talk about inclusion. The culmination of Natalie Prosts two years in the Rising Stars program was the scenes she filmed in October and November in Jersey City for Ezra. It was her first time in a movie. She portrayed a young person playing outside a school. De Niro and Cannavale were also in the scene, she said. Its always fun to play pretend. I felt awesome, Prost said, adding she knew who De Niro and Cannavale were before she filmed her scenes. Im really grateful for this program. Prost, 28, of Northfield, said she likes acting because it is fun and a person can learn different things. She doesnt find acting to be difficult. Emma Edelmann, 22, of Somers Point, has seen many Broadway shows and school plays, but during her first year with Rising Stars, she found memorizing lines to be hard. That said, she believes her acting and singing are better than her dancing. Edelmann said her scenes show her jumping rope outdoors during recess and walking up to the school. Ezra (portrayed by actor William Fitzgerald) was in my scene, Edelmann said. I wanted to do it again because I had so much fun. South Jersey actors deal with setbacks due to strike At the end of the last decade, things were looking up for actors who settled in southern New John Bienakowski Jr., 29, of Egg Harbor Township, is one of the veterans of the Rising Stars program. He has been a member for the past eight years and became involved after a couple of his friends tested the waters first. Bienakowski has been a member long enough to have met Ursula Ryan, the late owner of Weist-Barron-Ryan. Bienakowski said his scene was filmed outdoors on a playground, and Goldwyn, the director, and De Niro were there. I think it (acting) is a good hobby. ... I dont find it difficult, Bienakowski said. I felt great. Steve Gorelick, executive director of the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission, said he was on the phone with Goldwyn last June to talk about the states film tax credit program and movie locations. The scenes with the Weist-Barron-Ryan students took place at Dr. Lena Edwards Academic Charter School in Jersey City, but other scenes were shot at Palisade Stages in Kearny, Hudson County; Conrads Confectionery in Westwood, Bergen County; and the Avenel Performing Arts Center in Avenel, Middlesex County, Gorelick said. The Jersey connections are plentiful. Gorelick said actor Vera Farmiga, who is in Ezra, is a native of Clifton, Passaic County. Whoopi Goldberg, also in the film, lives in Essex County. The Toronto International Film Festival selecting Ezra for its world premiere speaks to the quality of movies shot in the state, Gorelick said. The Rising Stars program gives opportunities to these individuals. Some of them prove to be very talented. Its a blessing, he said. GALLERY: Neurodiverse actors at Weist-Barron-Ryan Acting Studios MULLICA TOWNSHIP Mold and unsanitary conditions are plaguing the townships police headquarters, and a local union leader is pressing officials to do more. Meanwhile, the townships police force has been moved to another portion of the building while officials weigh options to rectify the problem, Mainland PBA President Ray Theriault said Thursday. That union represents township police officers. Its not just mold, its sewage as well, Theriault said. Mayor Bruce Crowe, who serves as director of public safety, did not return a request for comment. The building on the White Horse Pike has outlived its useful life, Theriault said. The Police Department worked out of the basement until recently, when officials changed their workspace while they ponder how they can correct what Theriault said are mold and water issues. Some people have reportedly been hospitalized for related health issues, Theriault said. It gets really bad when it rains, Theriault said. Its a very, very unhealthy place to be. Atlantic County commissioner candidate involved in fatal crash in June A Democratic Atlantic County commissioner candidate was involved in a fatal crash in which a speeding motorcyclist struck his car in late June. Complaints about the basements condition go back about 10 years, Theriault said. Issues include mold, sewage smell and leaking water. Township officials contracted MDG Environmental LLC of Cinnaminson, Burlington County, to perform an analysis of the facility. The company found mold growth, bacteria and other related issues, according to test results provided to township Business Administrator Ralph J. Condo on July 31. Tests on the building by the company were done July 12, records state. MDG found mold in multiple offices, according to the report. Total coliform, E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria also were found in the facility, the report states. The company recommended the township take necessary measures to rectify the concerns raised by its inspection. The Township Committee recognized a need to act before the study was performed. In June, a resolution voted on by the governing body established a six-member subcommittee that includes Crowe and other officials. Its purpose is to examine options to remediate the issues. In doing so, the committee recognizes the need to provide a safe and efficient workplace for the operations of the Police Department while keeping in mind the financial impact on the residents, according to the resolution. Under the resolution, the subcommittee was given the right to consult with the townships employees and appointed professionals, as well as other public entities, to offer recommendations for any necessary actions. Actor Dulquer Salmaan says he has been a huge fan of Deepika Padukone and even had an Om Shanti Om moment where his heart skipped a beat seeing the actress for the first time in Dubai. During a chat session on Roposo, Dulquer had to either give a Gulaab (rose) or a Gun to a particular star in line with his upcoming release on Netflix Guns & Gulaabs. Asked what he would give to Deepika, he revealed, Gulaab, as she is like a Gulaab (rose) for me. I have been a huge fan of Deepika since Om Shanti Om and I remember, back when I was working in Dubai, she was coming there for the premiere of Karthik Calling Karthik (2010). I somehow managed to get tickets for the premiere and I was standing on the sides of the red carpet, where I saw her for the first time in-person. It was an (Om Shanti Om) moment for me! While he spoke about his love for Deepika, he also gave a Gulaab to stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Allu Arjun, while he gave a Gun to Rajnikanth. During the live show, he was also asked if he ever had a crazy fan moment, to which he revealed, I love all my fans, however I always get anxious when I get followed by young fans on their bikes. Its very scary and not safe for them. Guns & Gulaabs is a captivating narrative of firsts, set in the early 90s in the unpredictable and precarious town called Gulaabganj. The series is an ode to Bollywood in the nineties, bringing back the charms of the decade. A devastating accident unfolded on the Mumbai Pune Expressway near the 39.5 km mark, adjacent to the Afcon office and Dheku village. A container, in a harrowing turn of events, crashed through the crash barrier and divider on the Mumbai-bound lane before colliding with three cars on the Pune-bound lane. This heart-wrenching incident resulted in the loss of two lives and left four individuals injured. Prompt medical attention was rendered as the injured were swiftly transported to the hospital for immediate treatment. The calamity transpired at approximately 9:30 AM, casting a pall of tragedy over the usually bustling expressway. Tanaji Chikhale, the Superintendent of Police at HSP, Raigad, conveyed the somber news via Twitter. He informed, "Traffic en route from Mumbai to Pune has been rerouted through Khopoli to mitigate congestion. Endeavours are being made to expedite the clearance of the Pune lane." A spokesperson from the highway police department disclosed that three cars were involved in the collision, subsequently causing the tanker to overturn. Tragically, this catastrophic event claimed the lives of two passengers, while four others sustained injuries of varying degrees. The injured parties were swiftly transported to the MGM hospital, where they are undergoing medical care and treatment. Given the severity of the accident, the normal flow of vehicular movement has been rerouted to the Khopoli road, offering an alternative route for travellers. Law enforcement personnel are working diligently to expedite the restoration of normalcy to the affected area, facilitating a safe and unhindered passage for commuters. This grim incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of roadways and the importance of adhering to safety protocols while traversing major thoroughfares. As the investigation unfolds, the focus remains on providing the injured with adequate medical attention and support while taking measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The Youth Congress members were taken into custody by the police as they were preparing to stage a protest and block the roads at Balgandharva Chowk. In the context of the Talathi recruitment and paper leak issue, the Youth Congress protested at Balgandharva Chowk against the state government and also against the TCS company. During this time, while they were preparing to block the roads, the police detained the Youth Congress officials and activists. At this time, the National Secretary of Youth Congress, Uday Bhanu, Deputy Secretary Ehshan Khan, State President Kunal Raut, Vice President Shivraj More, Dr. Vaishnavi Kirad, National Secretary Akshay Jain, Pune City President Rahul Shirsat, Prathamesh Abnave, Raju Thombre, Saurabh Amarale, Swapnil Naik, Ajit Dhokale, Ashutosh Jadhavraw, Ashish Vyavahare, Prasad Vaghmare, Aniket Adasul, Bhavika Raka, and others were present. State President Kunal Raut said that there will be a reduction in fees for all the examinations conducted under simple service. Various main exams will also be conducted both online and offline under the guidance of the M.P.S.C. commission. Vice President Shivraj More said that strict action should be taken by the government in the context of the leakage of papers for the Talathi, Forest Guard, and MHADA exams. There should be a uniform cutoff for Group B and Group C exams conducted under the M.P.S.C. commission. National Secretary Akshay Jain mentioned that even a well-known company like TCS faces technical issues occasionally. If there are a significant number of candidates for an exam, does that delay their recruitment process? Are there any inappropriate reasons behind this? The government should take prompt decisions on these matters; otherwise, the entire state of Maharashtra could witness a strong protest organised by Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress. The Rock Island County Coroners Office has released the identity of a 19-year-old man fatally wounded Saturday during a shooting in Rock Island. The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. in the 2000 block of 33rd Street, according to the Rock Island Police Department. When police officers reached the scene, they found two people wounded. One of them died on the way to the hospital. The man who died has been identified as Zavion A. McNair, 19, Rock Island, county Coroner Brian Gustafson said. The other person, wounded in the leg, has been identified as Glen J. Evans Jr., also 19 and from Rock Island, according to the police department. His wound was not considered life threatening and he was released after treatment. Evans has been accused of second-degree murder in relation to the shooting, police said. At last report, Evans was in custody at the Rock Island County Jail pending a first appearance. Further details about his court case were not available Sunday. An autopsy for McNair is tentatively scheduled for Monday, Gustafson said. The shooting remained under investigation by Rock Island police, the coroners office and the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigation Division, Gustafson said. Hundreds of police officers and fire personnel from Quad-City agencies will be at the Vibrant Arena at the Mark in Moline throughout the week conducting training. According to the media release, the training will cover tactics for the integration of law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services resources during violent events to maximize victim survival. Personnel from the Vibrant Credit Union are assisting as civilian role players. Instructors will train officers on incident command principles, responding to an active shooter or similar event, rescue task force tactics, and emergency medical best practices. The instructors for the training are from Bettendorf, Moline, East Moline and the Rock Island Arsenal. One of the lead instructors, Sgt. Chad Brodersen, East Moline Police, said conducting the Rescue Task Force across disciplines and agencies will help strengthen core capabilities and response to critical incidents. "This training expands on our existing training to respond to active shooters or mass casualty events so that emergency services can help save lives," Brodersen said. Fire Department personnel from Moline, East Moline, Rock Island, Davenport, Bettendorf, and the Rock Island Arsenal are participating in the training. Police Department personnel from Silvis, East Moline, Moline, Rock Island County, Milan, Coal Valley, and the Illinois State Police also are participating in the training. Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said the training exercise demonstrates a strong level of cooperation between law enforcement and fire departments in the region. "By training together, we can better prepare for a major crisis and increase survival for potential victims of such a tragedy," Gault said. The goal of the training is to have a standardized Rescue Task Force guideline for the region. Troy Said, Bettendorf assistant fire chief, said mass casualty incidences require a multi-agency approach to effectively manage the scene and the training is crucial to provide the best outcome for the people they serve. The training is sponsored by Moline Team Training Unit IV and is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards boards. St. Ambrose University celebrated its annual "BEEcoming Ambrosian Day" Friday to welcome in the incoming class followed by a morning of community service for 21 local organizations. Following an on-campus prayer and sendoff, Ambrose's 425 first-year students dispersed to service sites across the Quad-Cities. Here, students connected with area non-profits and their new classmates. Service activities ranged from restocking the Vine Ministry food pantry at the J.B. Young Opportunity Center to weed-pulling at Abundant Life Ranchers (Juan Diez Rancheros). Our BeeComing Ambrosian Day invites our newest members of the Ambrose community to engage with our larger Quad Cities community, Ambrose President Amy Novak said in a news release. From the beginning, St. Ambrose University has embraced a commitment to collaborating with our community to make it stronger. This day represents the practice of a core value that aligns education with community impact ensuring that our learning is always bigger than our own individual pursuit. This year, participating organizations included: Those who have lived in the Quad-City region likely know that the making of pearl buttons was a big industry here at the turn of the 19th century. They also may know that Muscatine was the world capital of this enterprise that used shells from freshwater mussels once found in abundance in the Mississippi River. What is less generally known is that Davenport had button factories, too at least five of them. The longest-running of these was the Davenport Pearl Button Co., incorporated in 1896 and operating until the 1940s. The public can learn more about the Davenport button company and see buttons it made on Sunday, Aug. 27, during the annual Mississippi Valley Antique Bottle and Advertising Show and Sale, Davenport. The event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1111 W. 35th St. will draw about 45 vendors from Iowa and Illinois, showing and selling Quad-Cities collectibles, advertising and brewery items, stoneware, antique bottles and fruit jars. Admission is $2 with children under 14 admitted free. The buttons will be shown by Merle Vastine, of Davenport, who found them at an auction in DeWitt, Iowa. The regional button industry got its start in Muscatine in 1891 with John F. Boepple, a button maker from Germany, according to visitmuscatine.com. Boepple was put out of business in his own country because of a change in tariffs, so he emigrated to the United States in search of mussels. Finding them in Muscatine, he set up shop. Within six years, more than 300 clammers people who harvested mussels worked the Mississippi between Burlington and Clinton, and there were 53 button-cutting shops in Muscatine, according to visitmuscatine.com. Jobs included cutting buttons from the shells, grinding the black backs off the blanks, shaping the face side, drilling holes for the thread, polishing, sorting and, finally, carding, or sewing the buttons onto cards for sale. The Davenport Pearl Button Co. began in a building at Second and Gaines streets. Business was so good that within three years of the companys 1896 incorporation, it built a larger building at Second and Warren streets. The April 4, 1899, Daily Times reported that business is booming, according to archival research by Colleen Coky Powers, of Davenport. The factory has ... been unable to keep pace with the orders received and consequently the force (of about 130 workers) began to work 12 hours yesterday, the article said. In 1907, the company expanded again, purchasing a larger, former brewery at Fifth and Taylor streets, according to the Nov. 14, 1907, Davenport Democrat. It is not known exactly when the company ceased operations, but it was sometime between 1941 when it was one of 27 firms sued by the U.S. Department of Labor for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Acts and early 1946 when the factory building was purchased by, and for, another business, according to Powers research. Button factories in Davenport and elsewhere were the site of early union organizing. Workers protested being paid less than minimum wage, working overtime without commensurate pay and working in shops without adequate light, heat and sanitary facilities. Strikes as well as push-back by owners were reported in newspaper articles. Button factories also smelled. The stench from the shells pollutes the atmosphere in the neighborhood where they were stored, according to a petition from neighbors asking that storage be forbidden, according to the Jan. 20, 1900, Davenport Weekly Republican. Besides Davenport Pearl Button, the city was home to National, Tri-City, Hawkeye and Boepple button companies. Overall, the pearl button industry rose and fell over a 75-year period, peaking in 1916. It was done in by the depletion of mussel beds, foreign competition, changing fashions and the invention of zippers and plastic. Todays pearl buttons are made in Asia and of different shells. Photos: Egypt unveils recently discovered ancient workshops, tombs in Saqqara necropolis DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Two years after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the United States has begun easing rules that could allow commercial airlines to fly over the country in routes that cut time and fuel consumption for East-West travel. But those shortened flight routes for India and Southeast Asia raise questions never answered during the Taliban's previous rule from the 1990s to the months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. How, if at all, do you deal with the Taliban as they block women from schools and jobs, and engage in behavior described by United Nations experts as potentially akin to gender apartheid? Can airlines manage the risk of flying in uncontrolled airspace over a country where an estimated 4,500 shoulder-launched anti-aircraft weapons still lurk? And what happens if you have an emergency and need to land suddenly? Who wants to fly over such a country? The OPSGroup, an organization for the aviation industry, recently offered a simple answer: No one! Theres no ATC service across the entire country, theres a seemingly endless list of surface-to-air weaponry they might start shooting at you if you fly too low, and if you have to divert then good luck with the Taliban, the group wrote in an advisory, using an acronym for air traffic control. Still, the possibility of overflights resuming would have a major impact on carriers. Though landlocked, Afghanistan's position in central Asia means it sits along the most direct routes for those traveling from India to Europe and America. After the Taliban takeover of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, civil aviation simply stopped, as ground controllers no longer managed the airspace. Fears about anti-aircraft fire, particularly after the 2014 shootdown of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, saw authorities around the world order their commercial airliners out. In the time since, airlines largely curve around Afghanistan's borders. Some travel south over Iran and Pakistan. Other flights rush through Afghan airspace for only a few minutes while over the sparsely populated Wakhan Corridor, a narrow panhandle that juts out of the east of the country between Tajikistan and Pakistan, before continuing on their way. But those diversions add more time to flights which mean the aircraft burns more jet fuel, a major expense for any carrier. That's why a decision in late July by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration caught the industry's eye when it announced flights above 32,000 feet may resume due to diminished risks to U.S. civil aviation operations at those altitudes. The FAA, which oversees rules for America-based airlines, referred questions about what fueled the decision to the State Department. The State Department did not respond to requests for comment. However, a State Department envoy has met multiple times with Taliban officials since the U.S. and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan. Taliban officials likewise did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press over the lifting of the restrictions. For now, outside of Afghan and Iranian carriers, it does not appear that any airline is taking chances over the country. Part of that comes from the risk of militant fire, as Afghanistan has been awash in aircraft-targeting missiles since the CIA armed mujahedeen fighters to fight the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Afghanistan also may still have Soviet-era KS-19 anti-aircraft guns, said Dylan Lee Lehrke, an analyst at the open-source intelligence firm Janes. The FAA says it believes flights at or above 32,000 feet remain out of reach of those weapons, even if fired from a mountain top. United Airlines runs a direct flight to New Delhi from Newark, New Jersey, that uses the Wakhan Corridor and could be shortened by an overflight. In accordance with current FAA rules, United operates Newark to New Delhi flights over a small section of Afghanistan where air traffic control is provided by other countries, United spokesman Josh Freed told the AP. We do not plan to expand our use of Afghan airspace at this time. Virgin Atlantic flies over the corridor for its New Delhi flights as well. The United Kingdom has yet to change its guidance telling carriers to stay out of nearly all of Afghan airspace. Virgin Atlantic said it makes ongoing dynamic assessments of flight routings based on the latest situation reports and always following the strict advice set out by the U.K. American Airlines and Air India also use the Wakhan Corridor route. Those carriers did not respond to requests for comment. Despite the lack of interest now, airlines in the past used the route heavily. A November 2014 report from the International Civil Aviation Organization noted that from near-zero flights in 2002, overflights grew to over 100,000 annually some 12 years later. Before the Taliban takeover, the government charged each flight $700 in fees for flying over the country which could be a significant sum of cash as Afghanistan remains mired in an economic crisis. UN: Afghanistan is world's most repressive country for women Theres an old story about Madison Junction. The spot in Yellowstone National Park is where the Gibbon and the Firehole flow together to form the Madison River, one of the three branches that eventually becomes the Missouri. Today, its one of the parks major intersections, where you can enter or exit Grand Loop Road via West Yellowstone. Theres a campground there, a small store, and a ranger station. But it hasnt always been that way. Per legend, it was in Madison that the idea that became Yellowstone National Park was born. On September 19, 1870, the members of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition sat around a campfire as the short mountain fall turned into winter. They reflected on their journey, a month-long trek that took them from Helena to Mammoth, up to the summit of Mount Washburn, past the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake, through the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, and eventually to the banks of the infant Madison where they now sat. Theyd seen great wonders, canyons carved out of the forest, plains alive with animals, jets of superheated water shooting into the sky. The story goes that Cornelius Hedges, a writer, lawyer and school superintendent who later immortalized the trip in a series of articles for the Helena Herald, first broached the idea of keeping the place theyd just explored in public hands. He proposed, then and there, that Yellowstone be preserved as a national park. Hedges idea, echoed by the expedition, was so convincing that two years later, President Ulysses S. Grant made Yellowstone the worlds first national park. The idea rippled through history, and other countries similarly set aside land to be enjoyed by their people. Its a great story, one told on a plaque that sits right on the riverbank where the events it describes happened. Theres just one problem. Its probably not true. Ednor Therriault, a writer who lives in Missoula, outlined the problems with the creation tale in his book Myths and Legends of Yellowstone (turns out the Madison story is both). For starters, this wasnt the first time the concept of setting the Yellowstone area apart had been introduced. In fact, Montanas acting territorial governor Thomas Francis Meagher had once floated the idea, and he died in 1867. Furthermore, none of the original journals left by members of the expedition mention the supposedly historic conversation. It showed up in Hedges and Langfords published versions, which were released in 1904 and 1905, respectively. But the story isnt in Hedges original, and Langfords unedited version mysteriously vanished from the Minnesota Historical Society. Aubrey Haines, Yellowstones first official historian, more or less debunked the campfire myth in the 1960s. But it persists. Why? For one, its just a fun story, one that sounds (and is) too good to be true. But theres a nugget of colonialism buried in Yellowstones creation myth. Of course white people were the first people to find this place and realize how special it was. Hedges was from New England. He graduated from both Yale and Harvard. His blood ran pure blue, and it took a man like him to notice that Yellowstone was important and needed to be preserved. Right? Not really. The human history of Yellowstone doesnt start in 1870, but millennia before that. When the Gardiner Post Office was built in 1959, an obsidian Clovis point was found, dated to about 11,000 years ago. The history of Yellowstone National Park is older, and much more Indigenous, than we might think. The story of Yellowstone is just that, a story. The big difference is who gets to tell it. Thats what Yellowstone Revealed is challenging. The art show, now in its second year, has brought an Indigenous immersive sensory experience to Madison Junction, the place where the campfire myth started. Its put on by Mountain Time Arts (MTA), a nonprofit arts organization out of Bozeman that specializes in on-location installations that interact with the land theyre placed on. When you go to an MTA exhibition, the art doesnt stop when the painting ends. All of it the sky, the mountains, the air, its all part. Last year, Yellowstone Revealed was spread across the park. There were tours led by Indigenous guides, performance art at Old Faithful and Madison, and, most strikingly, a teepee village at Madison Junction. Many of the parks millions of visitors pour in through that West Yellowstone gateway, and for a weekend they were treated to a visual reminder of Yellowstones history, and prompted to consider their place in it. The location, of course, is no accident. Francesca Pine Rodriguez, MTAs executive director, said that the nonprofits board has narrowed down a few different spots around the park that have the infrastructure to support an installation. But the Madison, Rodriquez said, keeps calling us back. Its literally doing research, feeling the land, seeing what it can accommodate. Using teepees as a medium is another very deliberate choice. They fit Mountain Time Arts mission in terms of being big, bold immersive installations that people can interact with, Rodriguez said. Its a very recognizable reference and visual for Indigenous presence. Last years village was filled with representatives from the 27 tribal nations officially recognized as having ties to the Yellowstone region. They explained to awestruck visitors the long human history of the park. The 2022 Yellowstone Revealed was about reminding people of the Indigenous lives that have touched Yellowstone. The 2023 show was about celebrating those lives. And reckoning with why those perspectives had to be reintroduced in the first place. The show ran from Aug. 10-12, and it included two major artists. Sean Chandler, who is the president of Aaniiih Nakota College on the Fort Belknap Reservation, presented When We Used To Be, a series of original paintings that had been turned into teepee liners. In the same meadow, Ben Pease, who is from the Valley of the Chiefs district near Pryor, presented Ammachhiia: Journey Through Time and Culture, which combined teepee installations and live painting. Chandler is one of the most distinctive artists working on the Northern Plains today. He paints characters and images that defy even particularly active imaginations. His work almost looks like super elaborate cave paintings, just layer after layer of detail and color. Its hard to take in a Sean Chandler piece on first glance. Thats intentional. I dont want to be easily defined, because Indian people arent easily defined, were complex, he explained. He specializes in huge works, massive paintings that fill entire walls in the galleries theyre displayed in. I paint in my basement, Chandler said, and the biggest I can make my paintings is about 6 foot high by 14 feet long. Thats about the size of a good teepee liner. That idea hit him while he was finishing a recent work. Then MTA reached out about Yellowstone Revealed. My project here is always growing, and Ive been thinking about it for a while, he explained. I finally got the venue where I could do it. He had eight teepees as part of Yellowstone Revealed, each one consisting of 12 stripped lodgepoles he had intended to burn them, but opted to paint them instead, and a rainstorm during the installation added texture and depth to the poles themselves with vinyl prints of some of his paintings. He had five paintings in total as part of When We Used To Be, and two main ones, he put it, both of which were new, never before shown works. His works, he said, contain numerous stories, working together to form one singular piece. I have these different pieces of stories, because, as you know, our way of life has been fractured. Some of our life ways have been forgotten, he noted. I used this format to remember that we still have the framework of our life ways, but its still kind of in pieces. The works were spread throughout the installation, but the same new piece appeared on the outside of all of Chandlers teepees. He called it No Ones Creation, and it shows embryonic figures, fuzzy around the outside. He sees them as pure beings, unaffected by society. Its about creation. Theres a ghostly element to it. But whose ghosts? When I say no one, Im talking about the definition of Indian people, Chandler explained. Other people have redefined us, and put us in a place where we can reach too high where they can control us. We were taught we could only be no one, that we could only rise so high in mainstream America. Chandlers existence here at all and the art hes creating is a challenge to that. His father survived time in an Indian boarding school, enduring a drive from Montana to the Dakotas in a big Army truck. Chandlers dad also taught him art, and how to put images onto rawhide and teepee liners. Chandler later went to art school and combined the bedrock of art hed been taught with more contemporary forms. I want to paint in the same vein as my ancestors did while they painted their exploits on hides or rocks, he said. Pease, too, felt a connection to his ancestors while working on Yellowstone Revealed. This exhibit has been a chance for me to speak utilizing the medium of lodges, teepees, Pease explained, Crows, we say that the lodge is one of our mothers. The home is one of our mothers. What Im thinking about is our human interaction with the land, in the places we call home. Peases Ammachhiia an Apsaalooke word that means connection, or the mouth of a river contained three teepees. One was bright yellow, and was covered in the faces of Crow men, pulled from historic photos. On the back side, there was a large portrait of Chief Plenty Coups. There was also a deep blue teepee, with ribbons of color undulating throughout its fabric cover, and one teepee with a mesh cover, totally see-through, with bison stitched into it. On the yellow teepee, Pease stripped away all adornments from the photos, just showing suspended faces. We always forget that these are humans, he said. I wanted to focus on bringing the human aspect. For the blue teepee, Pease wanted to bring in a feminine perspective to balance out all the masculinity on the yellow. Theres a handprint on each side of the door opening, each placed there by a female water keeper. Water, too, is at the heart of this. The blue teepee was full of detail, swirls and whirls of paint throughout. Pease didnt design it that way. He just let the fabric get rained on. The elements are the collaborator, he said. How can we work together to create something beautiful? The light plays tricks in the painted teepees. After you exit the blue teepee, the world turns pink and red. Inside the yellow teepee, it looks like the faces are looking at you. Leave that space, and the world turns a little blue. Its the mesh teepee that ties it all together. From inside there, you can see the whole valley. The buffalo stitched to the outside look like theyre walking around on the prairies that surround you. I want us to see ourselves in our environs, Pease explained. If we dont see ourselves as part of that equation, we seek to upset the balance once again. When we build homes, Pease contended, we think of ourselves as above and outside of the environment. With his work, hes trying to rethink that. At the top of his teepee poles, where Indigenous people traditionally flew streamers or ribbons, Pease hung caution tape. It whipped around in the winds that blew across the Madison Valley. We should proceed with caution in building systems that are supposed to represent all people, Pease contended. All perspectives should be considered, and respected and deliberated. The installation closed on Aug. 12. Rodriquez said that theyd love for Yellowstone Revealed to become an annual event, but there are logistics to tackle. This year only happened, the director said, because of donations from the Henry Luce Foundation and the Ellen Poss Foundation. When the first government expeditions were led into Yellowstone, they brought artists with them. Photographer William Henry Jackson and painter Thomas Moran tagged along on the Hayden Expedition in 1871. The works they produced helped prove to the powerful people on the east coast that the wonders of Yellowstone were real, and worth investing in. Artists were basically the media of winning the West and westward expansion, Pease noted. What he and Chandler did in Yellowstone Revealed is the flip side of that tradition. Colonialism still runs through Yellowstone, just like it runs through the West, and America, and most of the world. One of the members of that inaugural expedition, Gustavus Cheyney Doane, was a commander in the Marias Massacre, where at least 173 Piegan Blackfeet were killed. Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, namesake for the Lamar Valley at the northeastern corner of the park, was a slave owner and member of the Confederacy. And the Madison River itself was named by Meriwether Lewis in honor of James Madison, the Secretary of State and future President who owned over 100 slaves. Yet its on the same banks of that same Madison River, where Doane once sat, that the story is being retold. When youre there, dodging the bison pies and seeing teepees begin to blend with the mountains and the sky, Indigenous presence in Yellowstone stops being told in past tense. National Parks are one of the most American institutions, and the practices of those parks is part of American tradition, both good and bad, Pease explained. Creating a place for life to exist in a natural way, that tradition is great. But we must think about the tradition of legally appropriating lands out from under the feet of people who lived here for eons. Our stories are powerful and valuable, Pease continued. And if we value stories, using art, we can bring beauty and value to people who need it. To the human story. GENERAL ASSEMBLY This is why it's not a good idea to end the state fiscal year without a budget. When General Assembly budget negotiators finally sit down at the same table again in Richmond on Monday or Tuesday, their first task will be to figure out how much money is available to spend in the fiscal year that began July 1 without a revised spending plan for only the second time in 50 years. It's not as easy as it sounds. The House of Delegates and Senate budget committees were still trying on Friday to reconcile different revenue numbers, in part because the last adopted budget is 14 months old and the revenue estimates continue to change. Their only other starting points are the revised budget that Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed in December, and the so-called "skinny budget" that the assembly adopted before adjourning on Feb. 25 without acting on changes to the full $165 billion, two-year spending plan that took effect on July 1, 2022. "Sometimes, two rational people will look at the same set of numbers and come up with different conclusions," said Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County, a member of the House Finance Committee and the only certified public accountant in the legislature. McNamara hopes for more clarity on available state revenues when Youngkin meets with his committee and the House Appropriations and Senate Finance & Appropriations committees on Wednesday. The meeting is an annual summer rite at which the governor reviews the revenues that Virginia collected in the year that ended June 30 and looks ahead to the economic forecast for the two-year budget he will propose in December. One of the missing pieces in the revenue discussion is a clear accounting of how much Virginia expects to refund to small-business owners who took advantage of a new "pass-through entity tax" at the state level to avoid a cap at the federal level that prevents them from deducting more than $10,000 in state and local taxes from their adjusted gross income. The state tax essentially gives them a business deduction on their individual income tax returns. As a result, the revenues that Virginia collected last spring, in Senate budget negotiators have challenged the governor's estimates of money available for the budget as "voodoo estimating." They say the governor's estimates do not reflect refunds due under the pass-through entity tax, the $1 billion already appropriated in the "skinny budget" and projected savings that did not materialize. McNamara, who was one of the sponsors of the pass-through tax law last year, said he hopes the governor will give more detail about how the new tax affected tax collections in the last fiscal year and will affect budget revenues in this one. "Accountants don't like to make guesses without seeing the numbers," he said. The Senate's last budget proposal on Aug. 10 reduces available revenues by $2 billion to reflect the estimated refunds due to those business owners and about $1 billion in tax cuts that are much different from those the governor proposed in December and the Republican-controlled House included in its proposed budget in February. It estimates that the state has about $2.5 billion available to spend, after all adjustments. Youngkin and House Republicans wanted $1 billion in permanent cuts to corporate and individual income taxes, but Senate Democrats have insisted instead on one-time tax rebates of $200 for individuals and $400 for couples, with limited ongoing tax cuts that would reduce revenues in future budgets. They have agreed to raise the standard deduction for taxpayers who do not itemize their returns by $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples, or half of what Youngkin and the House proposed. The Senate also has proposed to raise tax deductions on business interest expense and reduce available revenues by more than $51 million to reflect the higher-than-expected cost of cuts that the state made last year to income and sales taxes as part of a $4 billion package of tax reductions during Youngkin's first year as governor. "The proposal provides ongoing tax relief of almost $180 million annually in the next (two-year budget) in addition to the ongoing $1.2 billion that was adopted last year," Senate Finance Co-Chairs Janet Howell and George Barker, both Fairfax County Democrats, sent in a letter to House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, on Aug. 10. Knight responded recently with a new proposal that drops a proposed cut in the top individual tax rate along with a proposed cut g in the corporate income tax that B the House had already abandoned in the face of Senate opposition but insists on increases in the standard deduction of $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for couples. He also insisted on eliminating the age limit for a new exemption for military retirement income, which the Senate had rejected as an unwise precedent. The House is willing to agree to the Senate's proposed one-time rebates, "but not at the expense of more systemic tax policy changes," he said in a letter to the Senate on Wednesday. Macaulay Porter, spokesperson for the governor, accused the Senate of using "an outdated economic forecast from before Governor Youngkin was sworn in that does not accurately reflect the current financial strength of the Commonwealth under his leadership." "In this week's joint money committee speech, Governor Youngkin will again outline how the government can utilize its significant excess resources to reduce costs for Virginians and fund our shared priorities like behavioral health, public safety and education," Porter said in a statement on Friday. Barker said the Senate is trying to protect the state's long-term fiscal stability by limiting permanent cuts to tax revenues. "That's why we're trying to hold the line as much as we can," he said in an interview on Friday. Knight said House budget negotiators will return to the bargaining table at noon on Monday. Barker said he expects Senate negotiators to return on "Monday or Tuesday," depending on finding a convenient time, which Knight dismissed as "a stall tactic." Meanwhile, their staffs were meeting with administration budget officials to resolve discrepancies in estimated revenues available to pay for new spending. QUESTION: I have a friend who came in contact with Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. As a result, he now has diabetes. At 73, he is active working as a handyman. His doctor put him on Jardiance about four months ago. He is complaining about muscle and joint aches and thinks that Jardiance is causing his pain. Could it be? ANSWER: Jardiance (empagliflozin) helps control blood sugar and reduces the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks. According to the prescribing information, nearly as many people on placebo had joint pain as those on Jardiance. Muscle pain is not listed as an adverse reaction. On the other hand, doctors in Australia have described the case of a 69-year-old man who developed muscle pain, weakness and wasting while on empagliflozin (Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports, April 12, 2020). His symptoms disappeared within weeks of stopping the drug, and the doctors could find no other explanation. Although it appears to be rare, this type of reaction is possible. QUESTION: I have tested positive for alpha-gal syndrome. I recently developed elevated blood pressure, and I have had an allergic reaction to every blood pressure medication that my doctor has prescribed. One drug gave me a red rash over my entire body. The physician who diagnosed alpha-gal, Dr.Commins, suggested having a compounding pharmacy make my blood pressure meds. He thinks, that way, I can avoid the fillers that might be causing the hives and swelling. People should know that alpha-gal may trigger a reaction to chemicals in many medications. ANSWER: Thank you for the warning. You are in good hands for alpha-gal syndrome, since Dr. Scott Commins of the University of North Carolina is one of the world's experts on this condition. He helped with the discovery of this potentially life-threatening reaction to mammalian meat (beef, pork, lamb, rabbit, goat, etc.). The reaction begins with the bite of a lone star tick. After that, exposure to red meat can cause a delayed allergic reaction that could range from hives or digestive distress to trouble breathing. The diagnosis can be confirmed with a blood test. Prevention is the only available treatment: avoid eating meat. Some people must also avoid milk, cheese and yogurt. Highly sensitive individuals may be vulnerable to smoke from a barbecue. Your note on medications is important. Few people react to pills, but medicines or vaccines that contain gelatin, glycerin, magnesium stearate or bovine extract can cause trouble for highly sensitive individuals. Heparin, heart valves from pigs or cows, and monoclonal antibodies may also trigger an allergic response. You may want to listen to our recent interview with Commins and his colleague, gastroenterologist Sarah McGill. It is "Show 1344: Managing Meat Allergy and Other Tick-Borne Diseases" at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. QUESTION: How long does it take after stopping a sulfa antibiotic for sun sensitivity to wear off ? ANSWER: Several antibiotics, such as tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, as well as co-trimoxazole can cause increased sun sensitivity (phototoxicity). Exaggerated sunburn or skin darkening may occur with modest sun exposure. The case reports we found do not answer your question. Experiment cautiously! DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Two years after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the United States has begun easing rules that could allow commercial airlines to fly over the country in routes that cut time and fuel consumption for East-West travel. But those shortened flight routes for India and Southeast Asia raise questions never answered during the Taliban's previous rule from the 1990s to the months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. How, if at all, do you deal with the Taliban as they block women from schools and jobs, and engage in behavior described by United Nations experts as potentially akin to "gender apartheid?" Can airlines manage the risk of flying in uncontrolled airspace over a country where an estimated 4,500 shoulder-launched anti-aircraft weapons still lurk? And what happens if you have an emergency and need to land suddenly? Who wants to fly over such a country? The OPS Group, an organization for the aviation industry, recently offered a simple answer: "No one!" "There's no ATC service across the entire country, there's a seemingly endless list of surface-to air weaponry they might start shooting at you if you fly too low, and if you have to divert then good luck with the Taliban," the group wrote in an advisory, using an acronym for air traffic control. Still, the possibility of overflights resuming would have a major impact on carriers. Though landlocked, Afghanistan's position in central Asia means it sits along the most direct routes for those traveling from India to Europe and America. After the Taliban takeover of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, civil aviation simply stopped, as ground controllers no longer managed the airspace. Fears about anti-aircraft fire, particularly after the 2014 shootdown of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, saw authorities around the world order their commercial airliners out. In the time since, airlines largely curve around Afghanistan's borders. Some travel south over Iran and Pakistan. Other flights rush through Afghan airspace for only a few minutes while over the sparsely populated Wakhan Corridor, a narrow panhandle that juts out of the east of the country between Tajikistan and Pakistan, before continuing on their way. But those diversions add more time to flights which mean the aircraft burns more jet fuel, a major expense for any carrier. That's why a decision in late July by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration caught the industry's eye when it announced flights above 32,000 feet "may resume due to diminished risks to U.S. civil aviation operations at those altitudes." The FAA, which oversees rules for America-based airlines, referred questions about what fueled the decision to the State Department. The State Department did not respond to requests for comment. However, a State Department envoy has met multiple times with Taliban officials since the U.S. and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan. Taliban officials likewise did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press over the lifting of the restrictions. For now, outside of Afghan and Iranian carriers, it does not appear that any airline is taking chances over the country. Part of that comes from the risk of militant fire, as Afghanistan has been awash in aircraft-targeting missiles since the CIA armed mujahedeen fighters to fight the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Afghanistan also may still have Soviet-era KS-19 anti-aircraft guns, said Dylan Lee Lehrke, an analyst at the open-source intelligence firm Janes. The FAA says it believes flights at or above 32,000 feet remain out of reach of those weapons, even if fired from a mountain top. Its not rocket science, the folks at Pivot Parking like to say, but it is parking science. And the business of parking has changed and become a lot more complicated and high tech since the days when Pivot co-founder Brandon Lauterbach got his start two decades ago at the Omni Richmond Hotels valet parking service, first as a valet and then, still a college student, running the service. Take the garage Pivot manages at 13 N. Fifth St., behind the Second Presbyterian Church. Built in 1988, the buildings prime mission is to handle the churchs heavy Sunday traffic, as well as to make sure staff and parishioners have a place to park for any weekday business that takes them to the church next door. But they dont fill the seven-story structure especially not on weekdays. Street parking, though, is tight. The meters allow for only two hours on a spot. So for people working in nearby offices, or making a quick trip downtown for a longer-than-two-hour errand, the churchs garage has long looked like an attractive alternative to a $50 parking ticket or an every-two-hour sprint to move their cars. When the Moxy Richmond Downtown hotel opened on the other side of the garage last year, ticket- and sprint-free spaces for its clients was also a key concern; apartment dwellers in the old Hotel John Marshall nearby also eyed the church garage eagerly. And for the church, they all meant a way to spread out the cost of a building currently assessed at just under $2 million. Balancing out all those differing needs is Lauterbach and Pivots job. That means making sure theres a space for Sunday worshipers and hotel guests, who may also need weekend spots, as well as for the family that just wants a spot for a walk down to Brown's Island. Or for the office worker who needs a spot five days a week from 9 to 5 or for those post-pandemic who have a hybrid mix of office and home days. Or take the flip side of the office worker who might want the monthly parking passes that Pivot offers on North Fifth Street: the apartment dwellers who get spaces at the Edison Apartments garage Pivot manages on North Eighth Street. Before the pandemic, most of those spaces would be free during the day, and Pivots services helped the owner of the apartment building ease the financial burden of providing tenants parking spaces. Hybrid work makes that more complicated now. Its a moving target, managing parking, Lauterbach said. "You might think you want to be at 100%" of spaces filled, "but for most facilities, you want to be about 85 to 90% full most of the time," he said. Pricing is one tool, of course. But keeping count of all the types of drivers using a garage and knowing when they come and leave and are likely to in the future is critical, when making sure the people who own a facility get what they want from it just as the church wants to be sure there's space enough for worshipers, while holding down the cost to those parishioners of providing that benefit. Lauterbach is now bracing for the moving target that will come when people start moving into the apartments that are now under construction next to the Truist building, where Pivot manages that office tower's garage. The garage also has monthly pass holders and is used by drivers who need to be downtown for several hours or for the day, whose payments boost the return on its assets of the Truist building's owners, Parmenter Realty Partners. With the apartments coming on line, Lauterbach and his team at Pivot need to make sure there are enough spaces left for apartment dwellers as well as Truist building tenants. That means dealing with a big unknown: how many of those apartment dwellers will be working at home, or working traditional five day a week, 9-to-5 jobs, or working hybrid schedules. "We can start with some modeling," he said. "And we'll change as we see what they actually do." When Lauterbach got started in the business, managing that was the job of a cashier at the garage gates. These days, technology helps on Fifth Street, that takes the shape of roughly 15-year-old kiosks, of the type many drivers in cities have grown accustomed to, that issue tickets or read a monthly pass when you head in and that lift a gate when you exit after feeding in a ticket and credit card or flash a pass again. At the Edison garage, the latest generation kiosk, triggered by an electric eye, will spit out a flimsier ticket with a QR code or read a monthly or apartment dweller's pass to let you in, and will let you out after reading the QR code and calculating what you owe or reading your pass including from your mobile phone, if you like. The new kiosk allows for a popular big-city option that is starting to catch on in Richmond: prepaying for a space, he said. "Up in Washington, D.C., if you're heading into town, you're going to want to know you have a space before you go you know what parking there is like," Lauterbach said. "We don't see as much of that in Richmond, but there is some interest in it." The count that Edison's kiosk keeps means it can activate an electronic sign alerting drivers that the garage is full before they make the turn into the entrance; the older kiosks simply stop issuing tickets, while Pivot staff at the facilities they're called customer ambassadors will set up sidewalk signs as well. Those ambassadors handle a range of activities, from keeping the facilities clean to lending a hand if a driver needs a jump to start a car with a dying battery. If the ambassadors spot a car with lights left on or a flat tire, the company's records of monthly pass holders allows for a quick phone call to the driver. "The new technology being utilized to manage a parking operation has been the biggest change over the years," Lauterbach said. "Most parking facilities are now automated versus staffing with cashiers, which has reduced labor costs but has tasked us with making sure that the customer still has a good experience and can enter and exit a facility without hassle." License plate recognition technology is another innovation that's changed things in different parking venues, like the open lots Pivot manages on West Main Street, near Virginia Commonwealth University. On lots like those, for the basic business task of controlling inventory parking spaces, in Pivot's case the gates that garages use don't always work. It can be a matter of cost, as well as traffic in and out of the lot as well as on the streets nearby: You don't want a long line of cars waiting for entrance tickets at a gate, especially if that's going to block traffic on the street. Plate readers mean Pivot's ambassadors on those lots can easily track when drivers leave their cars or trucks for longer times than which they paid. Two years ago, officials in Surf City, North Carolina, thought they needed something different from their parking spaces long free, like in many tourist-dependent beach towns. The town needed funds for critical projects, like replenishing the beach, and wanted to be sure visitors and shoppers still felt it was easy and not too expensive to park. Lauterbach and his colleagues worked on some ideas about pricing and timing, and spent time making sure the town's businesses were comfortable with the idea nobody wanted to drive shoppers away. They also wanted to make it easy to pay to park, so they deployed a mobile-only system that, unlike many, did not require downloading an app. Instead, signage across town directed drivers to text a message that then popped up a way to quickly key in payment information and license plate numbers on their phones. Pivot ambassadors in town, in addition to patrols to make sure drivers don't overstay, are on hand to help visitors who might not immediately understand how the system works. "It's all case by case, depending on what the asset owner wants," Lauterbach said. Pivot's a fairly new entrant to the parking market, launching in 2020, with operations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. It parks more than 25,000 cars a day and handles more than 9 million transactions each year. From the Archives: The Central National Bank building Central National Bank Central National Bank Central National Bank Central National Bank Central National Bank Central National Bank Central National Bank Central National Bank A driver suspected in a fatal hit-and-run has surrendered to Richmond police detectives. Tierra Carter, 35, of Richmond surrendered at police headquarters on Thursday. She has been charged with felony hit and run in the incident. Detectives have identified the victim as Vanmeshia Proctor, 26, of Richmond. Additional charges are pending. At around 6:29 a.m. on Aug. 12, officers were called to the 1600 block of Littlepage Street for a report of a pedestrian struck. Officers arrived and found an adult female, Proctor, down and injured after being hit by a vehicle. She was transported to a hospital, where she died later that day. The Richmond Police Department Crash Team responded and determined the vehicle was traveling on Littlepage Street when it struck Proctor before the motorist fled the scene. Following additional investigation, RPD Major Crimes detectives developed Carter as a suspect. Anyone with further information about this incident is asked to contact Major Crimes Detective N. Reese at (804) 646-0712 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used. All Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous. 17 photos of Richmond Department Stores from our archives As thousands of students moved into residence halls at Virginia Commonwealth University over the weekend, about 80 students moved into the Graduate Richmond hotel downtown. This years freshman class will be among the largest in VCU history. Joshua Bender, 18, of Chesapeake said he would have preferred the dorms, but he isnt complaining about living in a hotel. This is kind of like a last-resort thing so we dont have to go out and buy an apartment, which is pretty sick. Im not complaining, Bender said. If it gets boring, I can go downstairs and play pool, or I can get something to eat from coming home late. The largest VCU class so far arrived in the fall of 2018 with about 4,600 students. Colleges do not officially record their enrollment size until several weeks into the semester, after some students have dropped out. The eight-minute walk to do laundry isnt that bad, Bender said. Andy Ho, 18, who moved into the Graduate over the weekend, said hes grateful that he got something instead of nothing. It was a really last-minute thing, Ho said. I felt really lucky that I was able to even be here. Otherwise, I might have just had to get an apartment. As far as laundry goes, he said he isnt sure whether hell do any at all. VCU students living at the Graduate have rooms with two queen-sized beds for two students and include a television. Students pay $9,260 for a nine-month lease. The Graduates Richmond establishment, featuring 205 rooms, marked the companys ninth site upon its launch in 2017. AJ Capital Partners, a Chicago-based firm specializing in hospitality and real estate investments, currently possesses 37 Graduate locations nationwide. VCU has a collection of 12 residential complexes with the capacity to accommodate approximately 5,700 students. Johnson Hall, a historic building over a century old, was closed by the university in 2021 because of heightened mold levels. For university administrators, a sizable class serves as a promising indicator, as they aspired for the institutions expansion prior to the onset of the pandemic. VCUs enrollment reached its peak around 33,000 in 2010, witnessing a decline to roughly 28,000 the previous year. Notably, VCU remained the sole large college within the state that did not experience growth. From the archives: 100 photos of Pony Pasture Five environmental groups are suing to block Gov. Glenn Youngkins effort to pull Virginia out of an interstate pact to cut the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. The lawsuit, filed in Fairfax County Circuit Court, says the Air Pollution Control Board and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality do not have the authority to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Dominion customers' bills to rise for RGGI costs Dominion Energy bills will rise to cover its costs for buying Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative allowances to offset its excess carbon emissions, the SCC rules. A state law enacted by the General Assembly in 2020 required Virginia join RGGI, a 12-state program under which power plants have to pay to buy offsetting allowances for every ton of carbon emissions. Environmentalists say RGGI is a powerful tool to cut emissions. Since joining RGGI, the five groups 138-page lawsuit says, carbon dioxide emissions from Virginia power plants in Virginia have decreased by nearly 17%, from about 32.8 million short tons in 2020 to about 27.3 million short tons in 2022. Because the amount of allowances declines every year, the price of emitting greenhouse gas keeps rising, and that is meant to encourage power plants operators to slash that pollution. Funds paid by Virginia power plants for their excess emissions, meanwhile, have paid for more than $328 million to help low- and moderate-income Virginians with ways to cut energy use and more than $295 million for flood control, a major issue in low-lying coastal and Chesapeake Bay communities. RGGI is a proven regional program that reduces carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, according to the lawsuit, filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, Appalachian Voices and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. A month after his election, Youngkin said he would pull Virginia out of RGGI, calling it a tax on ratepayers and a bad deal for customers and businesses. Environmentalists and several Democratic legislators have argued ever since that because it was the General Assembly that required Virginia to join RGGI, only the legislature can pull the state out. Youngkin is using a decision of the Air Pollution Control Board to repeal its regulation on RGGIs operation in Virginia to end the states participation in RGGI when its current contract with the body expires at the end of 2023. The fact is that the General Assembly made a specific legislative decision to require Virginia to participate in RGGI, and only the General Assembly may revisit that choice, the five groups lawsuit stated. The lawsuit said the 2020 law requiring Virginia to join RGGI does not allow the board to repeal its regulation. It also said the board and the state Department of Environmental Quality, along with DEQ Director Michael Rolband, exceeded their authority and violated the state constitution by basing the repeal on the grounds that it would reduce utility bills. The board was able to do so only after Youngkin appointed new members to make a majority, which he was able to do because of two unexpected vacancies, according to the lawsuit. The Virginia Clean Economy Act, also enacted in 2020, gives the State Corporation Commission authority to review how utilities pass on RGGI costs to customers. The Air Pollution Control Board is authorized only to take action to abate, control and prohibit air pollution. It is not authorized to regulate utility costs and certainly not these specific costs, which the General Assembly expressly determined could be recovered in this way, according to the lawsuit. The SCC said last month that Dominion Energy could pass on more than $355 million of RGGI costs to customers, through a surcharge of 0.4425 cents per kilowatt hour on electricity used after Sept. 1. It translates to a bit more than $4.42 on a benchmark 1,000 kilowatt-hour monthly bill, which currently costs $125. Youngkin has long said he wants to pull Virginia out because the way this state regulates utilities means they are free to pass on any costs they incur under RGGI to customers. That means the incentive to cut emissions from payments for RGGI allowances does not work here, so that those payments become a kind of tax on Virginians, Youngkin argued. RGGI remains a regressive tax which does not do anything to incentivize the reduction of emissions, Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles said, in response to the lawsuit. He said the Air Pollution Control Board does not believe Virginia is required to be in RGGI, adding that the citizens of Virginia should not be subjected to this unnecessary tax. Voyles said the Office of the Attorney General has determined that the board had the authority to act as it did. But the groups lawsuit said staying in RGGI at least through 2030, as the law now requires, would fund energy-efficiency improvements for as many as 130,000 Virginia homes, saving each an average of $676 a year. RGGI is a market-based effort among the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Dominion, the states biggest utility, has put the total cost of RGGI allowances since 2021 through the end of this year at $640 million. It collected $84 million through an RGGI-linked surcharge in effect from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2022, before it asked the SCC to suspend that surcharge after Youngkin announced he would pull Virginia out of the pact. Dominion told the SCC it recovered an additional $183 million of RGGI-linked costs through its base rates. The balance that it is spending and will spend through the end of this year is what it is recovering through the new surcharge. Without our participation in RGGI, Virginians will be exposed to increased greenhouse gas emissions and more severe climate impacts with little or no support for their mitigation from the state, said Faith Harris, executive director at Virginia Interfaith Power & Light. The weatherization and flood preparedness funds created due to our participation in RGGI were sound and practical solutions to stabilize Virginias economy in the face of rising energy costs, sea levels, temperatures and severe weather conditions. RGGI is working for Virginia, and Virginians know it, she said. Given the intense warning signs weve received this summer, from record-setting heat to the horrifying wildfires affecting more and more Americans, it makes no sense to pull out, said Andrea McGimsey, executive director of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. Gov. Glenn Youngkin Criminal group leader returned to Texas on charges of trafficking cocaine from Mexico Mexico City, Mexico A Mexican man wanted in a West Texas court has been extradited to the U.S. On Sunday, Adan S was handed over to U.S. Federal Agents at the Mexico City airport for his return to Texas to face drug trafficking charges. The Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) of Mexico said Adan S has been identified as the leader of a criminal group responsible for trafficking large amounts of cocaine from Mexico to the United States. Subsequently, as a result of the efforts of the FGR, the Government of Mexico granted extradition of the defendant to the Government of the United States. Adan S was transferred from the Federal Center for Social Readaptation No. 5 Oriente in Villa Aldama, Veracruz, to the Mexico City International Airport where he was met by the U.S. agents. Lopez Obrador tours presidential mega projects around Quintana Roo Riviera Maya, Q.R. During his weekend project progress tour in the southern part of the country, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also made stops in Quintana Roo. He arrived in the states capital city of Chetumal late Friday and began his usual aerial and foot tours Saturday. While in Quintana Roo, he flew over the five Maya Train states. He also stopped for a foot tour of the up-and-coming Tulum International Airport before heading to Merida Sunday. Lopez Obrador reported that the supervision day began in Chetumal with meetings in Tulum and Cancun before arriving in Merida. The up-and-coming Tulum International Airport is reported to be 60 percent complete. Photo: Governor Mara Lezama August 19, 2023. After visiting the Tulum airport with Governor Mara Lezama, she reported the airport as being 60 percent complete. During his weekend work tour in Chetumal, Tulum and Cancun, Lopez Obrador verified the progress of the Maya Train and also met with authorities and representatives of the companies participating in the project, he said. ICA Mexico, the company building the Nichupte Vehicular Bridge in Cancun, reported a 30 percent advancement on its progress. Today we share photographs of the construction of the Nichupte Vehicular Bridge, which reports an advancement of 30 percent. Pillars are being constructed in the Cancun lagoon as seen here. Photo: ICA August 18, 2023. At the junction of Avenida Bonampak with Bulevard Colosio, the foundation of the structure is being laid. In the terrestrial area of the viaduct, the assembly of heads and girders is carried out while in the lagoon area, the foundation works are advancing on two work fronts, they posted. Lopez Obrador did not provide official progress statistics on any of the Maya Train sections while in the state. National Guard locates cocaine on Cancun Hotel Zone beach after anonymous report Cancun, Q.R. A Cancun resident walking a Hotel Zone beach Saturday stumbled upon a brick of cocaine. National Guard personnel, in coordination with elements of the Mexican Army, responded to the report of the citizen find. The brick of cocaine was found washed up with sargassum on a beach of the Cancun Hotel Zone Saturday. Since the discovery was called in anonymously, National Guard began their search for the package near Playa Blanca. During their ground beach search, they eventually located the plastic wrapped brick of cocaine in washed up seaweed. The package was secured and made available to the Federal Public Ministry Agency in the entity, they reported. Approximately 200 bricks of cocaine have been found during the month of August washed up on various Quintana Roo beaches. The largest single find was in March on a Cozumel beach where 65 kilos of washed up cocaine was found. In July, two dozen bricks were found washed up on a beach in Puerto Morelos. Crews have removed three empty buildings from a downtown Radford intersection where the mayor anticipates new development will occur, but specific plans are still under wraps. Mark Williams, co-owner of Price-Williams Realty in Radford, confirmed he is involved with the cleared-off land at Tyler Avenue and East Main Street. As for whats going to happen next, he wasnt ready to share. The real estate belongs to East Radford Development 1001 LLC, which has the same address as Price-Williams Realty. Williams said East Radford Development bought it as a possible future site for the realty office but company officials later decided to keep the office where it is. The company next considered the sites suitability for a boutique hotel, but set that concept aside in light of construction of The Highlander hotel and conference center up in the street, Williams said. In the latest development, the company was contacted by a party interested in buying the real estate, according to Williams, who declined to identify the other party. He said no decision has been made but that talks continue. Radford Mayor David Horton said he believes the site may be open space and some parking for the time being. But long term there may be some additional development. He called the removal of the buildings a major step forward in an ongoing revitalization of East Main Street. Residents would like to see the property returned to productive use after so many years of sitting vacant. The properties that were there were not really functional for the community for at least a dozen or more years, Horton said. Horton said he thinks the half-acre property would be attractive to Radford University or to a private business. Asked if he knows who Williams firm is talking to, Horton said he couldnt say. He referred a reporter to the university administration, which did not respond to a request for comment by press time. Radford University a few months ago announced an off-campus investment in a former bank building on the same segment of East Main Street. It is the future home of a business incubator to be called The Hub and a workforce training site, officials have said. The East Radford Development lot is across the street. The attorney for an Elliston man charged in the riots at the U.S. Capitol says he is being treated more harshly than participants in other cases, such as protests of police brutality in the wake of George Floyds killing. Charges against Jeremey Daniel Groseclose should be dismissed because he is the victim of selective enforcement, his attorney argues. Groseclose faces felony charges of participating in a civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding even though he did not injure anyone or damage property in the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising of Donald Trump supporters, defense attorney Carmen Hernandez wrote in a motion filed late Friday in Washington, D.C.s federal court. By comparison, no such charges were placed against protesters who have espoused progressive political views, Hernandez wrote, citing the 2020 anti-police demonstrations at a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, and other incidents of rioting, vandalism and looting. Such disparate treatment amounts to selective prosecution and enforcement on the basis of the content of Mr. Grosecloses speech in violation of his First Amendment rights, the motion states in asking U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to dismiss the charges. Groseclose is scheduled for trial in November on the two felony charges and four misdemeanor offenses. Court records include photographs of Groseclose wearing a gas mask and joining a horde of rioters many of them wearing pro-Trump apparel and waving signs supporting his claims of a stolen election that forced their way into the Capitol. Lawmakers who were meeting to certify President Joe Bidens victory at the polls in November 2020 fled for their safety before order was eventually restored. At one point during the approximately two hours Groseclose spent in the building, authorities say he helped a group of insurgents in preventing police from closing a roll-up door in the Crypt, a circular room directly below the Rotunda, as the mob advanced. I saw GROSECLOSE help another subject place a trash can under the closing door, an FBI special agent wrote in court records. Groseclose, who was 38 at the time of his arrest in February 2021, was allowed to remain free on bond in his Montgomery County home. He is one of more than 1,000 defendants from across the country charged in what prosecutors have called a severe threat to democracy. Hernandez wrote in her motion that while prosecutors are free to exercise substantial discretion in deciding what charges to bring, they cannot base their decisions solely on a defendants political views, which are protected by free-speech rights. Cooper, who presided over the cases of two former Rocky Mount police officers charged with participating in the Jan. 6 uprising, discounted a similar argument made in that case. Thomas T.J. Robertson had argued that his words on social media expressing displeasure over the results of the presidential election and supporting Trumps claims of voter fraud were being improperly used to link him to the insurrection on Capitol Hill. But in a March 2022 opinion, Cooper wrote that if Robertson had expressed his view only through social media, he almost certainly would not be here. But he also allegedly took action entering the Capitol without lawful authority in an alleged attempt to impede the Electoral College vote certification. A jury later convicted Robertson, who is serving a prison sentence of seven years and three months. In her motion, Hernandez cited an opinion issued earlier this month by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that dealt more directly with the issue of selective enforcement. That case involved thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters who flooded the streets of the nations capital to protest the killing of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. Over several weeks, the crowds covered streets, sidewalks and storefronts with paint and chalk messages calling for racial justice. The markings were ubiquitous and in open violation of the Districts defacement ordinance, yet none of the protesters were arrested, the court wrote in its Aug. 15 opinion. During the same summer, Washington D.C. police arrested two anti-abortion advocates who chalked Black Pre-Born Lives Matter on a public sidewalk in a smaller protest. A three-judge panel of the appeals court revived part of a lawsuit in which the anti-abortion protesters claimed that police engaged in selective enforcement by charging them but not the racial justice demonstrators. The First Amendment prohibits discrimination on the basis of viewpoint, the court ruled. In the Portland case involving racial justice protests, the government did charge some demonstrators with assaulting police, Hernandez wrote in her motion. Many of the cases were dismissed, she said, and in others the government recommended probation. These dismissals and resolutions have occurred under the same Department of Justice that continues to prosecute Mr. Groseclose for his non-violent conduct, Hernandez wrote. At a minimum, the court should require the government to explain why it has targeted Mr. Groseclose with two felony charges while allowing thousands of other demonstrators to face non-felony charges. BLACKSBURG The Town Council on Tuesday is set to take a vote on a new operating agreement with the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation, the organization that runs the historic Alexander Black House and St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall properties. The new measure is a one-year renewal, which Blacksburg town officials said they wrote up as a way to formally continue their long-existing commitments to the foundation while at the same time giving the two parties the time to consult and have discussions about other changes that could be made to the agreement. The renewal of the agreement comes as the town has been on the receiving end of some criticism from some and not just Blacksburg residents over the upkeep and care of Odd Fellows. Odd Fellows, located on Gilbert Street, is the only remaining structure from New Town, northern Blacksburgs historic Black community. Speakers who have recently addressed council about the structure have voiced fears that a failure to preserve property would lead to further elimination of local African-American history. The criticism and expressed concerns came after the completion of a report earlier this year that listed off a number of issues with both Odd Fellows and the Alexander Black House and proposed recommendations for collections, maintenance and improvements. While Blacksburg officials acknowledged some of the recent comments on Odd Fellows, they said one of the reasons driving the renewal in front of the council is the fact the current agreement between the town and the foundation will expire this month. The current agreement, however, had a five-year duration, a period slated to end this coming Thursday. Town Attorney Larry Spencer said hes not sure if there will be any significant changes in the future with the towns commitment to the foundation, but the upcoming renewal provides the time for discussions. Theres definitely going to be a review, he said. This could give us time to have a dialogue. As far as the proposed renewal, Spencer said much of the conditions in it are similar to the existing agreement. For example, the current agreement called on the town to provide the foundation $112,285 in operations funding for the 2019 fiscal year and the following years covered by the document. Blacksburg restored and reopened Odd Fellows in 2009. The Alexander Black House is a Victorian-era building that bears the name of the great-great-nephew of Blacksburg founder William Black, whose descendant built the structure in the late 1890s and resided in it until his 1935 death. The town council meeting Tuesday will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Blacksburg Municipal Building. A free speech advocacy group is again appealing for further judicial consideration of its lawsuit against policies at Virginia Tech, now requesting the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case. In May, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond affirmed a lower court ruling that said Speech First, a national interest group, lacked standing to sue Virginia Tech over universities policies. The Speech First lawsuit says Virginia Techs bias intervention and response team policy, as well as its informational activities policy, violate students First Amendment rights, partly by creating a chilling effect. In a new filing last week, Speech First is petitioning the Supreme Court to take a closer look at its case. The group said that out of five materially indistinguishable cases it has brought to the nations courts, outcomes have differed. The circuits are split, three to two, on whether bias-response teams objectively chill speech, the Speech First filing said. The Fifth, Sixth, and Eleventh Circuits are on one side, while the Fourth and Seventh are on the other. The case is an ideal vehicle for reaching the question presented, Speech First said as another reason the high court should grant its petition. The Supreme Court is not obliged to hear the case, and usually only does so if the case could have national significance, or might harmonize conflicting circuit court decisions. This is a request that the Supreme Court order a lower court to send up the record of the case for review, the webpage said. The Court accepts 100-150 of the more than 7,000 cases that it is asked to review each year. FLORENCE, S.C. Artist Robert Garey watched Thursday morning as Dawn Fenimore and Emily Weaver worked to hang his art in the Steven F. Gately Gallery in downtown Florence. The aptly named Robert Garey Life and Times 1985-2023 is a gallery-filling exhibit of paintings that chronicle his interests, his environment, his friends and ultimately his life over that period when he lived in New York and later, in 2011, moved back to Florence, which he counts as his home town. He was born in Richmond, Va., in 1952 and his family moved to Florence in 1959. He studied art at Francis Marion University under the gallerys namesake, moved to Charleston in 1977 and moved in 1986 to New York, where he studied at the Art Students League, New York Academy of Art and obtained an MFA in painting. Its all about the human figure, he said of his work. Whats on display is witness to that a host of portraits, street scenes, stories with an implied moral and few fanciful street scenes complete with East Village residents as depicted by the artist as either a portrait or his impression of the scene. Not a painter of any one style I wouldnt say I belong to any art movements. Its really not about art movements. Its just stuff Im interested in, Garey said. There are lots of portraits. A lot of figures in these paintings, in fact, probably predominantly more than the cartoonish paintings Moonbeam McSwine from Lil Abner, most of the people are actual people, people I know, friends of mine or people who have posed for me. This is the newest piece, he said of a portrait of a girl standing before a screen. The model, his great-niece. All the work is pretty much a personal narrative or an illustration of something Im interested in, he said. That one was Pretty Polly, he said of one of the works and expressing a love of Appalachian music. The paintings, he said, are akin to songs he performs in that each is a story unto itself. There area number of paintings that reflect philosophical, theological or religious ideas Ive worked through and studied through the years, he said. One such painting is a nude about a young artist who must choose between fame, fortune and the world or his muse and art. This is a painters contract. A young painter. These nudes represented the human soul. This painters contract, the businessman has a contract and his foot on the world and the painter has a choice, do you uncontract with the world seeking fame and fortune and ambition or do you follow your inspiration going to be truth and wisdom, he said. No intentional plan or grouping As time went by there are groups, he said. Three paintings in the back of the exhibit are of friends from New York, as is a painting of him kicking a 1959 Sportster motorcycle with some friends at a warehouse where he lived and painted. Theres a picture of me kicking my 1959 Sportster. This is a group of friends out in front of the warehouse where I lived in Brooklyn. I had a studio in there. We all lived in that warehouse. We were artists. All this stuff is in a sense an illustration of my own life Ive cataloged through a love of painting. Interest changes or where I lived. Its not installed in that manner specifically, but at some point some of these works are shown next to each other, he said. The oldest painting on exhibit though not really is titled Walk and dates back to when he lived in the East Village of New York, near Tompkins Square. Others from that era include portraits of people he knew from the streets and an the impression of the street corner he could see from the window of his studio. This is Tompkins Square (Park), this is the corner of East Ninth Street and Avenue B, and I lived right around that corner. I spent a lot of time in this park, he said. These are the earlier painting in the show, painted in 1988. This is pretty much what New York looked like. I drew from my memory what that street looked like, he said. Thats Franklin Place and I had my studio on Franklin Street the widow looked out into this alley. That was the site. I put the people in it. That was the corner of that alley, Franklin Place, what I saw looking out the window of my studio. Stories of friends, family and history Many of his models are featured in multiple paintings and portraits. This is a close friend of mine, Garey said of two paintings, one in rail car and another of a man holding two tomatoes and looking to heaven. Here he is again (in a portrait). This is a lady friend of mine Ive painted. This is my sisters grandchild, my great-niece, a family painting. This is a friend of mine; shes an artist in North Myrtle Beach. This is a portrait of my father, a WWII fighter pilot who flew p51s, he said of a painting of several stages of his fathers life. This is my grandmother and one of his great-grandchildren. Three of the paintings, though painted in the time span of the exhibit, predate it by more than a few years. This painting here, this hobo, thats a study for that, he said of two paintings one large and one small placed against a wall soon to be hung. Ive been drawing and painting since I was in grammar school. In fact, I was not interested in school at all. All I did was draw pictures and drive the teachers crazy. Many of those drawings he still has. Other than the ones I gave away I have from ninth grade through high school, and I have stuff before that, but Ive got a stack of drawings I did in school rather than listen to the teacher. I have those on blue-lined notebook paper, hundreds of them, he said. I was looking through them this past year thinking the kid can draw pretty good. I chose a hand full of them to paint. These three right there are transcribed are very careful reproductions of some drawings I did in 1967-68. Those paintings include a hobo-like figure either solo or as part of a crowd. The exhibit opens Aug. 29 and runs through Oct. 20 and will include an artist talk Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. At that time a collection of Sidney Glass photos of Garey will be on display. The gallery is at 142 N. Dargan St. in the FMU University Place building. North Island, or Xuxuga, sits in one of Botswanas prime safari locations, right at the top of the panhandle. The waters of the Okavango Delta slosh through year-round, making the soil rich and damp; riverine forests edge the island, while plush grassland covers the interior of its 302,000 acres. These natural assets keep it teeming with game, especially predators such as leopards, cheetahs, and lions. Each year, 18,000 or so elephants trample through, following a corridor that stretches up to Angola, and the areas waters are consistent enough that mokoro tripssilent glides along the Delta in the local canoe-style boat, spying more than 450 different bird speciesare also a staple. No wonder that luxe-safari operator Natural Selection, a Botswana specialist, eyed this as the site for the latest of 13 camps it operates in the country. But this newest addition is radically different from the traditional expedition template: North Island Okavango, which recently opened with just three rooms (a fourth and final villa arrives early next year) is a microcamp. More from Robb Report A tent at North Island Okavango, from Natural Selection We could have built a 12-room camp, cofounder Dave van Smeerdijk tells Robb Report during an exclusive preview, but we chose to build a much smaller one, somewhere thats both more intimate and flexible. Its a footprint (and business model) thats newly emerging in the broader ultra-luxe adventure space. A sister site, Dukes East, opened elsewhere on the Delta this spring, with just four tents ranged around an ebony and leadwood tree grove. Sitatunga Private Island, also in Botswana and a new arrival this summer, has three suites, all built from recycled materials and with a basket-shaped design inspired by the local Bayei fishermen. The five-room Fuzzs Camp in north Kenya is a birders dream, also ideal for fishing and horseback riding. Outside the African-safari space, consider Bawah Reserves Elang Private Residence, in Indonesia, a standalone offshoot of the main hotel situated on its own island, with six cliffside lodges. Then theres the six-pod Echo Camp, operated by White Desert, which offers the chance to overnight in Antarctica, or the soon-to-open AndBeyond camp in Punakha, Bhutan, which will offer just eight glamping rooms close to the winter home of the Bhutanese royal family. Story continues The sumptuous design of Dukes East Van Smeerdijk says the shift is driven by consumer behavior. Safaris have long been prime for buyouts, where a multigenerational group might commandeer 15 or so rooms for exclusive use. The pandemic-induced preference for privacy, though, has brought that idea to a wider audience and to smaller groupsa new niche that microcamps can occupy. He adds that, in Covid-19s wake, buyout requests at their camps have increased around 100 percent, making it imperative to design properties that can be easily (and affordably) booked by a single client. Cannily, the footprint is modular enough that North Islands four rooms will seem equally private should they be reserved individually, too. Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell runs Cazenove + Loyd, a firm focused on buyouts, who says theres even greater demand nowperhaps 50 percent more than in pre-pandemic times. Camps such as North Island, he notes, act as entry-level options for safari-mad families trading up from a traditional resort for the first time. Its about controlling your own environmentmaybe you want to do things in a way that wouldnt suit other people, and you can choose to do the safari in your own fashion, he says. The manager of the lodge is absolutely at your disposal. Cape buffalo crossing a channel near Sitatunga Private Island Why not bring your own wine to stock the cellar, for example, or carouse late into the night and skip the mornings activities entirely, opting instead for a leisurely brunch? Many have long paid premiums for private game-drive vehicles to avoid a mismatch with the needs (or personality) of a fellow guest; a microcamp expands that safeguard to the entire experience. Part of it is protecting yourself from other people, part protecting other people from how you want to do things, says Wilmot-Sitwell. Natural Selection is certainly banking on the long-term viability of microcamps, with plans for similar sites in Botswana as well also next door in Namibia, on the Skeleton Coast. People will pay a premium for privacy like this, says van Smeerdijk, who doesnt levy a surcharge for buyouts at North Island (another departure from industry norm), as its designed for takeovers. And for the quality of the experience, its not such a radical extra cost. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Channel 5 Home and Away is known for its revolving door while Summer Bay stalwarts like Alf Stewart, Irene Roberts and Marilyn Chambers have stuck around for decades, most of the other characters tend to leave after just a few years. 2023 has been no exception to the rule, as some familiar faces reached the end of the line. Additionally, some guest characters left once their storylines reached a natural conclusion. Here, we look back at the most significant departures of the year so far and why each of the exits came about. 1. Kawakawa Fox-Reo (Nikau Parata) Endemol Shine - Channel 5 Kawakawa Fox-Reo's decision to leave the role of Nikau Parata was first revealed in the media in November 2022. His final scenes aired on Australian screens in March 2023. Kawakawa had played the role of Nikau for a three-year stint, which tends to be a standard contract period for most of the younger cast members. Although Kawakawa didn't give an exit interview about his departure, reports suggested that he was ready to pursue new projects. Kawakawa has also kept busy by travelling in recent months, including taking a trip to the UK. 2. Courtney Miller (Bella Nixon) Channel 5 Courtney Miller originally left the role of Bella Nixon in 2022, but she came back as a guest cast member this year to be part of Nikau's farewell storyline. There had always been unfinished business between Bella and Nikau after their sad split, so Courtney returned for a handful of episodes to tie up the loose ends and give the young couple their happy ending. This meant that it was always the plan for Bella's 2023 return to only be brief. Discussing her 2022 exit, Courtney told New Zealand website Stuff: "It was my decision to go. I had definitely served out my acting contract. In fact, I actually stayed on another three months. I happily left but with many, many tears." On her brief 2023 return, she added: "I truly thought that when I left, I was saying goodbye. My return was weird because my storyline was still going on without me. She was talked about. She did still exist in that world, even though I, Courtney, didn't." Story continues 3. Sophie Dillman (Ziggy Astoni) Endemol Shine - Channel 5 It was the end of an era for Summer Bay this year as the sole remaining member of the Astoni family bowed out. Sophie Dillman had played the role of Ziggy since 2017. Sophie left at the same time as her real-life partner Patrick O'Connor, who played Ziggy's boyfriend Dean in the show. She told Australia's TV Week magazine: "We have both done everything possible with our characters and it was time to start a new chapter. "It's bittersweet and emotional, but we realise how lucky we are to have had such an incredible run." 4. Patrick O'Connor (Dean Thompson) Channel 5 Patrick's character Dean chose to leave the Bay alongside Ziggy after hearing that his young son Jai would be moving to Far North Queensland. Dean didn't want to be so far away from his eldest child and was pleased when Ziggy suggested they should make the move themselves to be closer to him. In real life, Patrick shared his own thoughts about leaving the role of Dean after five years. He told TV Week: "It's a huge commitment and a massive chunk of my life. I felt I changed into six different people in the time we were there. "There's a lot of growth both as an actor and a person. It's a great place to work, but I was ready [to move on]." 5. Jordi Webber (Kahu Parata) Channel 5 Jordi Webber livened up the Parata house this year when his character Kahu paid a visit and caused trouble for his cousin Tane. Viewers later discovered that Kahu wouldn't be sticking around, as he had to go back to New Zealand to face the music after his secrets were exposed to Tane. Jordi was brought in as a guest cast member for this specific storyline, which aired for around a month. Reflecting on the role, he told Stuff: "[The producers] wanted Kahu to be super free, super surfy and Maori and, at the time, I was travelling the east coast of Australia, living in a van. "I fit the bill perfectly in terms of the energy and the person they wanted. That's how I ended up there." He added: "It was like the role was written for me; that they were just waiting for me to come and slot in. I just had to turn up the charm, turn up the cheek. "I've got plenty of cousins as do most people from back home like Kahu. It was quite easy to kind of channel that and I also definitely sprinkled some of my own my free, playful cheer in there." 6. Joshua Hewson (Andrew Lawrence) Channel 5 Joshua Hewson's character Andrew Lawrence is still currently on air in the UK, but his final scenes screened in Australia in July. Andrew had an eventful time in the Bay thanks to the terrifying actions of the Vita Nova cult, but it was always the plan for him to leave once the storyline was over. Discussing his future plans, Joshua told Perth Now: "It would be my dream to go to Hollywood. I am trying to hit that as soon as possible. "That's always been my No.1. Hit America straight away and the Hollywood movies." Check out more of our Home and Away coverage: - Home and Away reveals next stage of Felicity Newman's upsetting storyline - Home and Away's Felicity Newman makes decision after shocking call - Home and Away introduces a new enemy for Cash Newman - Home and Away star Ray Meagher shares alternate career before soap fame - Home and Away's Angelina Thomson shares romantic New York trip with boyfriend Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 and 6pm on 5STAR. First-look screenings air at 6.30pm on 5STAR and the show also streams on My5. In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 7 and streams on 7plus. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK. Read more Home and Away spoilers on our dedicated homepage. You Might Also Like SIOUX CITY The Sioux City Council will be asked Monday to reject the lone bid for construction of a splash pad at Headington Park because it was $355,000 higher than the city engineer's estimate. In addition to construction of a splash pad at 2951 Isabella St., the project also included general site work, earthwork, sodding, sidewalk construction, concrete slabs, precast building installation and foundation. When the project was originally bid on April 18, no bids were received. City staff worked with JEO Consulting Group, Inc. to modify the scope of the project to extend the completion date and remove the splash pad features to be bid separately. Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore said Friday he thinks the lack of bids and high construction costs for recreational projects are due to American Rescue Plan Act funds that have "flooded the market." "We're seeing this trend everywhere. I've talked to colleagues of mine throughout the state, and it sounds like it's a nationwide trend, as well," Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore said. "These specialized recreational projects, there's such a high demand for them right now. All the contractors that do this type of work are busy, and they're either not able to bid on it, or, if they're able to bid on it, it's taking more than what we're used to being able to see splash pads built for." Christiansen Construction Company, of Pender, Nebraska, submitted a bid of $755,000 for the splash pad project, which was well above the city engineer's estimate of $400,000. According to city documents, the project was going to funded with general obligation bonds and covered under the Capital Improvement Program's aquatic comprehensive plant, which has a total budget of $500,000 in fiscal year 2024. Salvatore said residents living in the neighborhood requested a splash pad at Headington Park. "We're going to set a public input meeting. We want to ask the neighborhood what they would like to see at the park, possibly in lieu of a splash pad," he said. "But we would still like to incorporate some type of water that's just not as complicated as a splash pad." The city currently has five splash pads, which can be operated longer than the swimming pools. The splash pads are open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend daily from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. In addition to those splash pads, the city also has a new water feature at Chris Larsen Park's Floyd Plaza. Misters and fountains rise up from the ground, with a push of a button. The fountain is operational during park hours, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Art Center introduced Teo Nguyens solo exhibition, the Viet Nam Peace Project, this weekend. The project "invites contemplation and reflection on the Vietnamese peoples struggles toward peace and what the artist calls 'the politics of worthiness,'" according to a news release. This is done through a variety of exhibits including unique perspectives on famous Vietnam War photos, a reimagined memorial and a variety of installations. "The importance of the Viet Nam Peace Project is that it represents a new kind of memorial making," according to a news release. "Rather than seeking closure through permanent monuments, Teos installations reframe memorials as active objects that strive towards reconciliation and an appreciation for the ongoing effects of the war." Curator Christopher Atkins said he has followed Nguyen's work for five or six years and feels this exhibit tells the tale of him as a person and artist. The art center's exhibit is a smaller version of the exhibit, which was on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The Minneapolis-based Nguyen is a native of Vietnam and emigrated at the age of 16. He said he grew up with the knowledge of the war and its impact on his family and country. "There was a bomb shelter in my backyard, I grew up with the knowledge that my grandparents were killed in the war, my uncle was buried alive in the war, both of my parents were internally displaced in Vietnam for 57 years straight," he said. "I also grew up with the knowledge that there were birth defects and landmines." When he came to the U.S. he observed the portrayal of Vietnamese in documentaries, films and mass media. For most Americans, the Vietnam War was experienced through wartime photos and documentaries. Atkins said even though the war was 50 years ago the land is still recovering and the project showcases Nguyens optimistic view of the process. The project is not intended to solve the past, but to understand the present, he said. He said the project is a way to invite everyone to build together and reconcile the past together. Micah Tran, Nguyen's partner, said the core reference point of the work centers the spiritual and cultural values and showcases reverence for the lives lost that are still imprinted in the landscape. The paintings on display are landscapes based on photographs, including some of the most recognizable images from the Vietnam War. Nguyen has removed the central scene of the images, showcasing the land behind the situation. The goal is not to erase what happened, but to reclaim the land beyond the war but still showcase how the spirit of the incident remains, impacting the land and culture, Tran said. "I paint memories of a place, of a time, and of the lives that are there, even if we no longer see them," Nguyen said. In the center of the exhibit are stacks of paper. The papers represent the number of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters, South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians that were killed during the war. One stack of paper represents the American soldiers that died. The piece is meant to reimagine memorials in a way that showcases the value of all human life, according to the plaque. The largest piece of the installation is called "Agent Orange." Hanging from the ceiling is a large piece of art representing the chemical Agent Orange, deployed heavily during the Vietnam War, and its ongoing impact on the Vietnamese people. In the United States, pregnant women will receive one or two ultrasounds during their pregnancy. In Vietnam, Tran said the average is 27 due to the high rate of birth defects caused by Agent Orange to this day. "The importance of the Viet Nam Peace Project is that it represents a new kind of memorial making," according to a news release. "Rather than seeking closure through permanent monuments, Teos installations reframe memorials as active objects that strive towards reconciliation and an appreciation for the ongoing effects of the war." The goal of the installation is to re-engage with history and share in Nguyen's belief that the future is optimistic, healing and understanding. The exhibition will remain on display through Jan. 15, before traveling to the National Museum of Asian Art in Paris. ASHTON, Iowa -- A Sioux City woman and a 9-year-old child were killed, and several others were injured, in a crash Sunday morning in Osceola County. At around 9:15 a.m. Sunday, a 2005 GMC Envoy driven by Dore Oswaldo Hernandes Canales, 27, of Sioux City, was heading eastbound on County Road A34, east of Ashton. The GMC failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection with U.S. Highway 59 and collided with a 2016 Ford Explorer driven southbound on Highway 59 by Benjamin Richard Gibson, 22, of Sibley, Iowa, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report. Both vehicles left the intersection; the GMC rolled and struck a water tower. Jessica Ricardo, 24, of Sioux City, was killed in the crash, as was a 9-year-old whose place of residence was not listed. Two other juveniles, aged 6 and 10, were also injured; Gibson, along with 54-year-old Edith Marina Canales Rivas of Sioux City and Hernandes Canales were all hospitalized for their injuries, according to the Iowa State Patrol report. Kim Cuevas-Reyes, a 38-year-old cellphone store owner, snuck into Lahaina earlier this month to see the remnants of her home with her own eyes. She took back roads and walked. What she saw stunned her. When you step into the house, its like an inch or two of ash. There is nothing," she said, adding that she hopes to stay and rebuild her home and destroyed business and is in touch with the insurance company. More than 3,000 buildings in Lahaina were damaged by fire, smoke or both. Insured property losses alone already total some $3.2 billion, according to Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling firm. With a housing crisis that has priced out many Native Hawaiians as well as families that have been there for decades, concerns are rising that the state could become the latest example of climate gentrification, when it becomes harder for local people to afford housing in safer areas after a climate-amped disaster. It's a term Jesse Keenan, an associate professor of sustainable real estate and urban planning at Tulane University School of Architecture, first started lecturing about in 2013 after he noticed changes in housing markets following extreme weather events. Jennifer Gray Thompson is CEO of After the Fire USA, a wildfire recovery and resiliency organization in the western U.S., and worked for Sonoma County during the destructive Tubbs Fire in October 2017. Thompson said Maui is one of the scariest opportunities for gentrification that shes seen because of the very high land values and the intense level of trauma and the people who are unscrupulous who will come in to try to take advantage of that. Thompson predicted potential developers and investors will research who has mortgages and said Maui residents should expect cold calls. You wont be able to go to a grocery store without a flyer attached to your car, she said. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said his state attorney general will draft a moratorium on the sale of damaged properties in Lahaina, to protect local landowners from being victimized by opportunistic buyers as Maui rebuilds. Thompson said she supports that wholeheartedly." But she acknowledged some people wont be able to afford to rebuild and will want to sell their land. While one extreme weather event cannot be entirely blamed on climate change, experts say storms, fires and floods, which are becoming more damaging in a warming world, help make Hawaii one of the riskiest states in the country. Earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, which are not related to climate change, also add to this risk. According to an analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency records, there were as many federally declared disaster wildfires this month as in the 50 years between 1953 and 2003. Additionally, burned area in Hawaii increased more than fivefold since the 1980s, according to figures from the University of Hawaii Manoa. Justin Tyndall, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, explained that Hawaii is the most expensive state to rent or own a home in the U.S. by a considerable margin with a median price single family home on Maui exceeding $1 million. Even in the condominium market on Maui, the median price is close to $900,000, so theres really no affordable options throughout all out of the state, he explained. Until now, when homeowners in Hawaii have considered climate change, Tyndall said, it's been coastal erosion, sea level rise and hurricanes, mainly. Wildfire was something that was on peoples radars. But obviously the extensive damage, most people didnt predict, he said. Fire needs to be taken more seriously now, he said. Maui has stringent affordable housing requirements for new multifamily construction, Tyndall said. But the practical effect has been that very little housing gets built. So new supply is low, both for affordable housing and rentals at market rate. Tyndall said the Native Hawaiian community has been hit the hardest by the housing crisis and there has been a huge exodus due to this lack of affordable housing. The Indigenous-led NDN Collective issued a statement supporting community-led rebuilding for Lahaina, in ways that center the values, ancestral connections to land and water, and Indigenous knowledge systems of the kanaka oiwi, Native Hawaiian people. With wildfires, areas that don't burn become more desirable, changing cost of living considerably. The 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, was an example of this as people moved down into the Central Valley to Chico where there is far less risk of wildfire, Keenan added. Other examples are New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and various cities in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, where many people could not afford to come back. Not everyone finds the gentrification concept useful, though. Katharine Mach, professor at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, cautioned against immediately labelling a situation climate gentrification, because that makes it difficult to tease out the other factors such as decades of discrimination, racism and land use changes. Climate change is overlaid on top of inequities in how we manage flooding or rebuild after fire, she said. You can call that climate gentrification, but you could also say its inequity in how we manage disasters in the United States. The unseen barriers hindering affordable housing in your town The unseen barriers hindering affordable housing in your town Traditional zoning practices prevent the development of 'missing middle housing' The cost of middle housing is similar to single-family building, but zoning prevents these types of multifamily dwellings Efficient cost models could be implemented for missing middle-style development Regulations create difficult requirements to meet Suburbs, townships, and sprawl take away from city tax revenue that can be used on low-income housing Seventeen Iowa dog breeders were cited for regulatory violations in the second quarter of 2023, with Iowa again ranking as one of the states with the highest number of violators. Between April 1, 2023, and June 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited 17 Iowa breeders for violations of the federal regulations, according to data compiled and analyzed by the Iowa animal-welfare organization Bailing Out Benji. The number of violators resulted in Iowa being tied for second place among states with the highest number of violators: Ohio 37 violators. Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri 17 violators each. Pennsylvania Six violators. Oklahoma Five violators. Kansas and New York Four violators each. Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Minnesota Three violators each. Nebraska, Virginia Two violators each. Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina and New Mexico One violator each. Bailing Out Benji reports that Iowa has the nations fourth-highest number of USDA-licensed pet breeders and brokers, with 263 such businesses now operating in the state. Missouri is home to 885 such businesses, Indiana has 397, and Ohio has 343. The 17 Iowa breeders cited for violations in the second quarter of 2023 include: Steve Kruse of Stonehenge Kennels in West Point: At the time of his April 19 inspection, Kruse had 435 adult dogs. He was cited for one direct violation pertaining to inadequate veterinary care, with 15 dogs affected by that violation, and for one noncritical violation pertaining to inadequate cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping and pest control. During the April 19 visit, the inspector made note of a female bulldog with severely reddened eyes and a large amount of yellow discharge covering both eyes and coating the surrounding hair. The dog was hesitant to hold its eyes open while being examined, the inspector reported, adding that the animal is not currently receiving any treatment for the condition. The inspector also observed a spaniel with poor dental health and an abnormal eye condition. The condition of the dogs teeth and eye have not been noticed and the animal is currently receiving no treatment, the inspector wrote in her report. In addition, there was a female bulldog with teeth that had been worn down almost to the gum line. Several of the dogs teeth appeared to have cavities that left nerves exposed. The condition of the teeth had not been noticed by Kruse and the dog wasnt being treated for the condition, the inspector reported. The inspector also observed that the enclosures for bulldogs were constructed with wood frames covered with metal. The metal pieces, the inspector reported, are coated in a thick buildup of dirt, rust, and a dark brown greasy material that could be peeled away by hand. The inspector returned on May 9 and again cited Kruse for inadequate veterinary care. The inspector observed four bulldogs with abnormal foot or eye conditions that were not being treated. Kruse was also cited for a noncritical violation pertaining to primary enclosures, with the inspector observing 13 dogs attempting to walk about in their enclosures with their feet falling through the openings in the mesh flooring. Kruse was notified March 30, 2023, that the USDA was suspending his license for 21 days. In its notice to Kruse, the USDA said it was taking the action because the agency had reason to believe he had willfully violated Animal Welfare Act regulations and was failing to meet the minimum standards for animals. Kruse operates one of the largest dog-breeding businesses in Iowa. In recent years, he has been cited for numerous violations and repeatedly appeared on the Humane Society of the United States annual list of the nations 100 worst dog breeders. In December 2015, he received a 21-day USDA license suspension after throwing a bag of dead puppies at a USDA inspector. Annette Moeller in West Point: At the time of her May 10 inspection, Moeller had 53 adult dogs and 155 puppies. She was cited for one noncritical violation pertaining to the condition of the primary enclosures for dogs. Inspectors watched as the feet of three nursing puppies fell into the openings of the raised floor of their enclosure. Openings in flooring that are large enough to allow a dogs foot to pass through can cause injury to dogs and affect their ability to move around in a normal manner, USDA officials told Moeller. Moeller has sold puppies to pet stores in at least three states, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji. Bethany, Linda and Stanley Korver in Orange City: At the time of their May 5 inspection, the Korvers had 27 adult dogs and six puppies. They were cited for 12 noncritical violations, an unusually high number. (Earlier in the year, the Korvers were cited for 10 such violations.) The May 5 violations pertained to the method of identifying animals, recordkeeping, the dog-housing facilities, the primary enclosures for animals and the lack of veterinary care for dogs. The business was also cited for a lack of cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping and pest control a repeat violation. The inspector examined a Quonset hut used to house 10 dogs and six puppies and noted an accumulation of bird fecal waste, soiled wood chips, empty dog food bags, animal feces, dust, cardboard boxes, dirty plastic buckets and dusty food storage containers. In addition, there were no dated records of physical examinations, and no dated records of heartworm testing or rabies vaccinations for any of 27 dogs. The Korvers have sold puppies to a pet store in Nebraska, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji. David, Glenda, Eric and Adam Grove of Iowa Fox Creek Kennels in Unionville: At the time of their May 16 inspection, the Groves had 32 adult dogs and 11 puppies. The business was cited for one noncritical violation pertaining to feeding, with the inspector making note of a feeder that contained dog food that was caked and moldy a potential health hazard. The Groves were also cited for violations in 2022 and 2021. Erwin Yoder of Yoder Kennel in Bloomfield: At the time of his May 31 inspection, Yoder had 33 adult dogs and 16 puppies. He was cited for one noncritical violation pertaining to a lack of veterinary care for the dogs. According to the inspectors report, Yoder was not adhering to standard protocols for heartworm prevention, the care of pregnant females, the deworming of puppies and flea treatments. Yoder sells puppies to pet stores in at least eight states, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji. A female pug's right eye was completely cloudy, with a a blueish color, while her left eye was sealed shut by dry, yellow-colored discharge. The dog was not receiving any form of treatment. USDA inspector's findings at Sunrise Kennels in Corydon Freeman Helmuth of Sunrise Kennels in Corydon: At the time of Helmuths April 24 inspection, he had 57 adult dogs and 33 puppies on hand. He was cited for four noncritical violations pertaining to inadequate veterinary care, recordkeeping and incompatible grouping of animals. An inspector made note of a female pug whose right eye was completely cloudy, with a blueish color and was discharging yellow fluid, while her left eye was sealed shut by dry, yellow-colored discharge. The inspector also observed the dog had a wet, grey discharge from its nose and pointed out that the dog had not been evaluated by a veterinarian and was not receiving any form of treatment. Heath Meyers of Century Farm Puppies in Grundy Center: At the time of his March inspection, Meyers had 225 adult dogs and 128 puppies on hand. The USDA issued Meyers an official warning stemming from violations found during an inspection earlier in the year. At that time, an inspector observed a Bichon hopping around with its right rear leg held up in the air due to a toe pad that was partially torn away. The dog was also in poor dental health, with some teeth that were loose and their roots exposed. Meyers and his staff were unaware of the dogs condition, the inspector reported. Henry Byler of Seymour: At the time of this April 17 inspection, Byler had 49 adult dogs and four puppies on hand. Byler was cited for four noncritical violations pertaining to inadequate veterinary care and the housing facilities for animals. The inspector made note a female Shih Tzu with a large, hairless lesion on one shoulder and clumps of hard, dark material attached to her head and neck. Byler had not consulted with a veterinarian about the dogs condition and had provided no treatment, the inspector alleged. In addition, the inspector reported, the last time any of the dogs received a fecal or heartworm test was on Nov. 29, 2021. Byler sells puppies to pet stores in at least seven states, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji. Kyle Holtkamp of Donnellson: At the time of his June 27 inspection, Holtkamp had 61 adult dogs and 29 puppies on hand. He was cited for three noncritical violations pertaining to inadequate veterinary care and recordkeeping. According to the inspector, Holtkamp was having the business veterinarian visit the facility once every six months rather than monthly. Holtkamp sells puppies to pet stores in at least three states, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji. David Horning of Ionia: During the second quarter of 2023, Horning was issued an official warning by the USDA. The warning was tied to violations cited in February 2023 when inspectors noted a lack of veterinary care that had affected five dogs and one deceased puppy. The inspector found one three-week-old Boston Terrier puppy that was much smaller than its littermate and had a thick, white discharge from one eye that she couldnt keep open. The puppy also had a very large head, as well as continuous tremors and open, red, raw sores on her hind paws. Horning has since canceled his USDA license. At one point this year, Horning had 111 adult dogs and 10 puppies on site. Horning has sold puppies to pet stores in at least two states, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji. Larry Albrecht of Coldwater Kennel in Greene: At the time of his June 28 inspection, Albrecht had 165 adult dogs and 81 puppies on hand. He was cited for three noncritical violations pertaining to inadequate veterinary care and recordkeeping. The inspector reported that several dogs did not have their veterinarian-prescribed dental cleanings. One Pomeranian had a buildup of dark brown material covering half of her teeth on the left side and the teeth on the right side were completely covered in a hardened, dark brown material. At least one tooth was loose when touched by the inspector. In addition, the inspector reported, the lack of medical records makes it difficult to determine if the animals are receiving the appropriate vaccinations and treatments and adequate preventatives for medical conditions. Albrecht sells puppies to pet stores in at least four states, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji Linda Mulder of Limi Je M Kennel in Boyden: At the time of her May 3 inspection, Mulder had 29 adult dogs and 13 puppies on hand. She was cited for three noncritical violations pertaining to inadequate veterinary care and inadequate cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping and pest control. The adult dogs were not vaccinated for distemper and there is no record of the vaccination, the inspector reported. This can increase the disease potential for the 29 dogs. The business had not been inspected since 2021. Mulder sells puppies to pet stores in at least two states, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji Nathan L. Millerof Kalona: At the time of his June 29 inspection, Miller had 12 adult dogs and one puppy on hand. He was cited for four noncritical violations pertaining to outdoor housing facilities and inadequate veterinary care for dogs. The inspector noted that an outdoor enclosure with a tin roof was housing one adult dog and did not have adequate wind and rain breaks. All shelters housing dogs in outdoor facilities must contain a roof, four sides, a floor, and a wind break and rain break to help keep the animals dry and comfortable, the inspector noted. Norman Hershberger and Steve Kaffman of Hazelton: At the time of their April 13 inspection, Hershberger and Kaffman had 23 adult dogs and 17 puppies. They were cited for two noncritical violations pertaining to inadequate veterinary care for the dogs. Hershberger and Kaffman allegedly acknowledged that none of the adult dogs were up to date on their annual parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis and Bordetella vaccines and the kennel had not been conducting annual sample-testing of dogs for heartworm disease. Three dachshunds were housed together in a single enclosure that measured 24 inches by 48 inches less than half the required size. Inspector's report on New Design Kennels of Rockwell City Nancy and Thomas Carlson of New Designs Kennel in Rockwell City: At the time of their June 15 inspection, the Carlsons had 61 adult dogs and 15 puppies. The couple was cited for two noncritical violations pertaining to primary enclosures for animals and inadequate veterinary care for dogs. The inspector found that three 18-week-old dachshunds were housed together in a single enclosure that didnt provide the minimum amount of required floor space. The dachshunds each measured 22 inches from the tip of their nose to the base of their tail, but were housed in an enclosure that was only 24 inches wide and 48 inches long less than half the required size. In addition, the inspector reported, there are no records of when vaccinations or parasite control treatments were given for most the 61 adult dogs. The Carlsons sell puppies to pet stores in at least three states, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji. Thomas and Willie Yoder of Keosauqua: At the time of their April 25 inspection, the Yoders had 21 adult dogs and 16 puppies. They were cited for three noncritical violations pertaining to housing facilities and the primary enclosures. The puppies are housed in enclosures with raised plastic flooring, the inspector reported, adding that she observed the feet and legs of one dachshund puppy falling through the openings of the floor numerous times as it walked around the enclosure. The Yoders have sold dogs to a pet store in the state of Washington, according to records maintained by Bailing Out Benji. Toni Robbins of Taga Aussies of Coon Rapids: At the time of her April 13 inspection, Robbins had 51 adult dogs and 25 puppies on hand. Robbins was cited for one noncritical violation pertaining to inadequate water for the animals, which affected 17 of the adult dogs and 13 of the puppies. Several enclosures, the inspector reported, had stainless steel water receptacles in them, but they lacked any water for the dogs and puppies to drink. All dogs must have continuously available water, the inspector advised Robbins. More than 300 Samoyeds were seized from an Iowa puppy mill in 2018. Where are they now? niko samoyed tesla niko and tesla 2 .jpg lua shelby skyy stella samoyed samoyed cartier kevin thor Valkyrie Mishka samoyed lucy samoyed Ollie samoyed hudson boo everest meka henry samoyed kody kota apollo samoyed samoyed gus Olive juneau bodhi and phoebe fenix samoyed gus (williams) samoyeds juno and masey roo harper winston umka inara gracie samoyed Toshi samoyed juno diamond samoyed Ronan samoyed arya (hazel) Finley houston luka tina Lucy max and polar buddy izzy with water bowl.jpg Iowa Samoyed rescue Niko Iowa Samoyed Niko chasing a ball Iowa Samoyed rescue Lua Iowa Samoyed rescues Stella and Skyy Iowa Samoyed rescue Finley Iowa Samoyed rescue Thor Iowa Samoyed rescues Valkyrie and Mishka Iowa Samoyed rescue Lucy (now in Texas) Iowa Samoyed rescue Hudson Iowa Samoyed rescue Everest Iowa Samoyed rescue Kody sings Iowa Samoyed rescue Apollo Iowa Samoyed rescue Gus (Huling) Iowa Samoyed rescue Olive Iowa Samoyed rescue Juneau Iowa Samoyed rescue Juno Iowa Samoyed Rescue Masey Iowa Samoyed rescue Gus (Williams) gets the Zoomies Iowa Samoyed rescue Harper Iowa Samoyed rescue Winston Iowa Samoyed rescue Gracie Iowa Samoyed rescue Juno and pal Hana Iowa Samoyed Rescue Ronan Iowa Samoyed rescue Houston Iowa Samoyed rescue Izzy Iowa Samoyed rescue Kody The Gage County Sheriff's Office seized 33 horses Thursday from two veterinary clinics in the county after allegations of neglect. The office said in a news release that its deputies and a state deputy sheriff from the Nebraska Brand Committee served search warrants Thursday afternoon at the Blue Valley Veterinary Clinic in Beatrice and the Pickrell Veterinary Clinic in Pickrell, both of which are owned by 38-year-old Jennafer Glaesemann of Beatrice. Investigators seized 29 horses from the Beatrice clinic and four from the Pickrell clinic and took them to an unnamed nearby facility for care and treatment, according to the release. Investigators issued a criminal citation to Glaesemann, alleging 37 counts of livestock neglect. According to an application for a search warrant filed last week, the sheriff's office investigated a dozen reports of animal cruelty at the two clinics between June 1 and Aug. 1. During a visit to the Beatrice clinic on Aug. 3, deputies observed 30 horses, several of which "appeared to be malnourished." The warrant application also details the deaths of more than a dozen horses at the two clinic locations. In the document, Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Hanson said he sought the warrant, "due to the large number of deaths of horses over a short period of time." Glaesemann allegedly told investigators that employees of the clinics had quit, leaving her as the sole care provider for the horses. Top Journal Star photos for August 2023 This coming term, the Supreme Court will hear United States v. Moore, a case that could determine the constitutionality of a hypothetical wealth tax. Given his years of palling around with billionaire benefactors, one thing seems quite clear: Justice Clarence Thomas needs to recuse himself from the case. Commentators who downplay Thomas acceptance of massive gifts ask: Maybe it looks bad, but why does it matter? Moore tells us loud and clear. Moore involves a provision of the 2018 Trump tax bill enacting a mandatory repatriation tax for any U.S. taxpayer who owns shares in a foreign corporation, even if the taxpayer never cashed out the money, but automatically reinvested it. Behind this seemingly abstruse issue is a crucial constitutional question: Does the 16th Amendment, which enables the federal government to tax income, allow the government to put levies on taxpayers assets if they didnt actually get the money in cash? In other words, can the federal government place a tax on wealth? This has real implications for both the budget and inequality. Indeed, most ultra-high-wealth individuals possess their assets: They make investments, and hold them. When they die, their heirs tax is figured not on the amount of profit earned off of the original cost, but the amount of profit earned off of its value at the time of the original purchasers death. Thus, hundreds of billions of dollars go untaxedwhich is just the way multibillionaires like it. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has advocated for a federal wealth tax for years, and she is far from alone: Sen. Ron Wyden, chair of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, has advanced similar proposals, as has President Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Heres where Thomas comes in. As ProPublica has extensively documented, a small group of billionaires including Harlan Crow, David Sokol, the late Wayne Huizenga, and Paul Tony Novelly have provided extraordinary benefits to Thomas, including at least 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, six helicopter flights, yacht voyages (including to the Bahamas), a dozen VIP passes to sporting events, and much, much more. Our current tax system does a wonderful job of taxing your wages and mine, but it leaves vast pools of wealth completely untaxedoften for generations. Folks like Crow, Sokol, and Novelly (as well as Huizengas heirs) would very much like to keep it that way. Thomas may soon have the opportunity to help them. (Its worth noting that Justice Samuel Alito has his own very real conflict concerns, as well.) Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate We Just Got a Hint About Conservatives New Supreme Court Strategy on Abortion Read More None of this is speculative. As tax experts Reuven S. Avi-Yonah and Steven M. Rosenthal explain: The courts have permitted, for many decades, Congress to tax a corporations undistributed investment income to the controlling stock holders of personal foreign investment companies and CFCs (and Congress continues to tax these undistributed earnings). These rules prevent wealthy Americans and US multinationals from using foreign corporations like uncapped traditional Individual Retirement Accounts. Advertisement Advertisement But, as Avi-Yonah and Rosenthal further explain, Moore could force Congress to rewrite major parts of our international, pass-through, and financial tax regimes. Crow, Sokol, and Novelly have deep interests in these rules as well. Again, it comes back to Thomas; 28 USC 455 requires the recusal of any justice whose impartiality might reasonably be questioned or who has any interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding. It beggars belief that a man who has acceptedand continues to acceptliterally dozens of fabulously expensive gifts and vacations from billionairesand whose mother still lives in a house that a billionaire, Crow, purchased for herwould be impartial to a case that the entire billionaire class has such an overriding and specific interest in. Advertisement Even Justice Antonin Scalia might agree. In his March 2004 memorandum explaining why he would not recuse himself in a case where the defendant was his good friend Vice President Dick Cheney, Scalia observed that friendship is a ground for recusal of a Justice where the personal fortune or the personal freedom of the friend is at issue. Moore is precisely such a case. Crow and Thomas other ultra-high-wealth friends potentially stand to lose billions of dollars if the court rules in favor of wealth taxes. Advertisement Importantly, we have a very recent example to follow. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, before she was elevated to the court, announced that she would not hear the case regarding affirmative action at Harvard University. She had previously served on Harvard Universitys Board of Overseers, the larger and less powerful of the universitys two governing bodies. In that capacity, she received no compensation, and the board was not involved in admissions decisions. But much to the consternation of affirmative action advocates, Jackson said that it might create the appearance of a conflict of interest and did not participate in the case (although she did participate in the companion case regarding the University of North Carolina). Advertisement Advertisement Lets compare the two. One could argue that because Jackson had a formal connection to Harvard, and Thomas has no formal connection to his billionaire friends, Jackson had to recuse and Thomas doesnt. Such an argument, however, turns ethics into a laughingstock. When she recused, Jackson was no longer affiliated with Harvard. She received no compensation for being an overseer. Thomas, on the other hand, still gets lavish gifts from his billionaire friends. Harland Crow purchased his mothers home for her. Advertisement Advertisement As trial attorneys tell juries: Use your common sense. Who has more influence over the judge in question: Harvard University or Thomas billionaire friends? Is someone more likely to favor their alma mater or people who continue to give them millions of dollars in presents, rewards, and favors? Would someone be more inclined to prefer their closest friends, who have literally erected shrines to them, or an institution that they have no true personal connection to? To ask these questions is to answer them. Advertisement One can imagine the obvious objection: Where does this stop? The Supreme Court handles issues that affect high-wealth individuals all the time. Must Thomas recuse himself from all of them? The narrow answer is: Of course not. Moore is not your run-of-the-mill Supreme Court case, or even your run-of-the-mill Supreme Court tax case. It implicates one of the most hot-button issues in federal tax policy that has a direct bearing on ultra-high-wealth individuals. It is relevant, and worthy of Supreme Court consideration in the first place, precisely because of its vast importance to billionaires. But the broader answer is: What if it does? Maybe the answer should be that if you want to be a Supreme Court justice, you cannot become the kept man of a small group of billionaires. Somehow every other Supreme Court justice has avoided it, at least as far as we know. The vision of an enormously powerful justice receiving millions of dollars in gifts from friends and then ruling on a case that could give enormous benefits to those friends is precisely the example of an interlocking elite feared by millions of Americans. Crow has said that it is kind of weird to think that if youre a justice on the Supreme Court, you cant have friends. Precisely so. What a justice cant do is rule on a case that could give those friends vast benefits. If those friends might be less interested in the friendship were the justice to recuse himself, well, that is the entire problem. There are a lot of ways to grow a business; many people use product led growth or sales and marketing to increase their sales. But know there is a third engine to grow your company: community led growth. On the Small Business Radio Show this week, my guest grew his business using his only his community. Lloyed Lobo, an entrepreneur, podcast host and community builder, experienced the Gulf War as a young refugee in Kuwait, witnessing the strength of community in evacuating the population to safety. As the co-founder of Boast.Al, he leveraged the Community-Led Growth model to bootstrap the company to eight-figure revenue and secure over $100m in funding, while also co-founding Traction, a community empowering over 100k innovators through connections, content, and capital. Drive Traffic to Your Website Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Sell Your Business Advertise Your Business Here He has a book coming out in September titled, From Grassroots to Greatness 13 Rules to Build Iconic Brands with Community Led Growth featuring stories from Harley Davidson, Nike, Peloton, Crossfit, and HubSpot. Here is what we discussed: Why do some companies have loyal, cult-like followings while others blend into oblivion? Is a good product enough to win in the market today? Small Business Deals Audience vs community, what is the difference? Most people hear community and ask, should I start a Slack/ FB Group/ Discord group/ or newsletter? instead of thinking through the mechanics of the journey and building relationships. Lloyed talks about how people are thinking about community wrong. What are the different types of community strategies with some tactical examples? I.e.. Community of Practice, Community of Product and Community of Play. Getting your community started from scratch. If you had to break it down into a step-by-step process, how would you do it? How do you ensure your community sticks and sustains for the long haul? What metrics to measure should you stay on top of? What are the main acquisition channels for new members and how do you measure them? What are some best practices to scale a community through ambassadors? How to turn your early members into evangelists? What is the one community growth strategy that had the highest impact and the results you achieved? What are the unique strategies and tactics to keep the community engaged and drive interpersonal connections between members. How to monetize a community in a way that members dont feel like they are being sold to? What are the key metrics for community success? What tools are you using to manage the community? Listen to the entire interview on The Small Business Radio Show. Independence is one of the main benefits of owning your own business. But as many small business owners have learned, the day to day business grind and tasks involved in running a business can often make you fall back into that uninspiring routine that you thought you were leaving behind at your 9-to-5. Luckily, as a business owner you have the ability to change that. Here are some simple things you can do to take back that business independence and freedom that made you want to start a business in the first place. Sell Your Business Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Drive Traffic to Your Website Advertise Your Business Here The Importance of Declaring Business Independence and Breaking out of the Day-to-Day Business Grind Breaking out of the day-to-day business grind is essential for both personal well-being and the sustained growth of a business. Immersing oneself in the daily minutiae can stifle creativity, hinder long-term vision, and lead to burnout. When business leaders and employees find themselves perpetually in the weeds of daily tasks, they might lose sight of the bigger picture, which includes innovation, strategic planning, and opportunities for expansion. Moreover, a constant routine can lead to monotony, which, over time, can sap enthusiasm and passiona crucial ingredient for entrepreneurial success. By stepping away from routine operations periodically, one can gain fresh perspectives, recharge, and return with renewed vigor and clarity. Benefits of breaking out of the routine include: Enhanced Creativity: A break from the norm can spark new ideas and innovative solutions. A break from the norm can spark new ideas and innovative solutions. Reduced Burnout: Periodic disengagement helps prevent fatigue and keeps passion alive. Periodic disengagement helps prevent fatigue and keeps passion alive. Strategic Focus: Stepping back allows for re-evaluation of goals and long-term strategies. Stepping back allows for re-evaluation of goals and long-term strategies. Increased Productivity: Refreshed minds tend to be more efficient and make fewer mistakes. Refreshed minds tend to be more efficient and make fewer mistakes. Better Work-Life Balance: Taking time for personal endeavors ensures holistic well-being. Taking time for personal endeavors ensures holistic well-being. Opportunities for Learning: Time away from daily tasks can be used to acquire new skills or knowledge. Time away from daily tasks can be used to acquire new skills or knowledge. Improved Team Dynamics: Allowing team members to lead in your absence can foster growth and confidence within the team. In essence, to ensure sustainable growth and a balanced life, its crucial for business professionals to periodically disengage from the daily grind and look beyond immediate tasks. How to Get Out of the Day-to-Day Business Grind Strategy Description Potential Benefit Archive Button for Emails Clear out emails older than a specified period (e.g., 90 days). Cleaner inbox, improved focus. Unsubscribe! Spend time unsubscribing from newsletters you no longer read. Less email clutter, improved productivity. Put Commitments on a Calendar Schedule events and commitments to avoid constant reminders. Clearer mind, improved organization. Compartmentalize Put off larger tasks for later to focus on immediate priorities. Increased focus, efficient time management. Unplug From Electronics Once a Day Avoid distractions by turning off phones and closing browsers while working. Enhanced productivity, reduced interruptions. Take a Break Once a Day Allocate time to step away from work to reduce stress and refresh. Reduced burnout, increased creativity. Hire a Freelancer Employ freelancers for complex or overdue projects. Accelerated project completion, reduced workload. Voicemails to Email Use apps like Nextiva to forward voicemails to your email. Streamlined communication. Make the Cloud Your Default Save Store files on cloud platforms like OneDrive or Google Drive for easy access and sharing. Efficient data management, enhanced collaboration. De-clutter Your Work Area Organize your workspace for a clearer environment. Improved focus, mental clarity. Learn How to Use Zapier Automate tasks and data transfer between apps using Zapier. Time savings, reduced repetitive tasks. Use a Scheduling App for Social Media Use apps like HootSuite to manage and schedule social media activities. Efficient social media management, saved time. Chunk Your Work Group similar tasks together to work in blocks for efficiency. Improved productivity, reduced multitasking. Create a Social Media Calendar Plan and track your social media strategy to avoid over-investing time. Efficient social media strategy, time management. Diversify Your Income Streams Implement multiple sources of revenue to mitigate financial stresses. Financial stability, reduced stress. Say No Politely decline proposals or tasks that aren't a good fit. Time saved, preserved focus on core activities. Have a Dedicated Workspace Create separate spaces for work and leisure to maintain work-life balance. Work-life balance, increased productivity. Take Vacations Periodically take time off to recharge and rejuvenate. Mental refreshment, increased productivity upon return. Build a Great Team Invest in a reliable team to share responsibilities and tasks. Business growth, efficient task delegation. Set Clear Guidelines for Delegation Create specific guidelines and expectations for task assignments. Effective task management, clear responsibilities. Have Fun with Your Team Organize team activities to boost morale and team bonding. Enhanced team morale, improved team dynamics. Meet with Other Business Owners Engage with peers or mentors for fresh perspectives and advice. Broadened perspective, potential collaboration. Take a Look at Your Goals Periodically review business objectives to align decisions and actions. Clear direction, motivation boost. Use the Archive Button for Emails Small Business Deals A cleaner inbox can help you focus on the most important items. Periodically, it can be beneficial to just archive or delete emails that are no longer relevant. Choose a period of time, say 90 days, and just clear out everything older than that so that you can focus on the newer, more relevant items. Unsubscribe! You know all those newsletters you somehow end up subscribed to? Spend 30 minutes unsubscribing to the ones you dont read anymore. Its very liberating. Put Commitments on a Calendar Putting events and other commitments on a calendar can clear space in your head so you dont have to constantly spend time reminding yourself of those upcoming to-dos. Compartmentalize Have a problem thats just simply too much to handle today? Dont be afraid to put off some larger tasks for the following day or week so that you can really focus on whats right in front of you now. You can even put those things in your calendar or planner so youll be sure to set aside enough time in the future. Unplug From Your Electronics Once a Day When youre on a roll with a project, checking your email or responding to phone calls can really throw you off. So turning off your phone and closing out of your browsers while you work can really help your productivity. Take a Break Once a Day But all of that constant work can sometimes lead to burnout. When this happens, dont be afraid to just step away for a bit. Taking at least one break throughout the day can help you release some stress. And then when you come back, youre likely to get more done and be more creative, too. Hire a Freelancer for that Ugly Project Have one or two projects that you cant seem to get a handle on? Go to a freelance marketplace, set a budget, and hire freelance help to get that ugly project that is overdue and has been weighing you down. You can often hire out projects for a few hundred dollars, depending on the type and size of the project. Have Your Voicemails Sent to Email There are applications like Nextiva where your voice mails can be automatically forwarded as an audio file to your email. This means that at the end of the day you can check all of your communications in one place instead of going back and forth responding to both calls and emails. Make the Cloud Your Default Save When you save files to the cloud, youre able to easily share them with your team and access them on other devices. Once you choose a cloud storage solution like OneDrive or Google Drive, you can set it up so that your files are automatically saved there. Then you wont have to spend time transferring all of your files over and over again. De-clutter Your Work Area Nothing says I have a lot of things on my plate like literally having a lot of things on your plate. Clean up your workspace and get it organized. A nice, clean work area is a good way to free ones mind of mental clutter. Learn How to Use Zapier Zapier is a neat way to send information automatically from one app to another. By using Zapier to automate tasks, it frees you from doing repetitive tasks or manually entering data twice into a new app. Use a Scheduling App for Social Media Schedule and manage all of your social media profiles from one dashboard using an app such as HootSuite. It saves you from jumping around from social site to social site. You can schedule in advance, so you dont have to interrupt your day to update your channels. Chunk Your Work To work in the most efficient way possible, it helps to work on similar tasks in one block, instead of constantly switching your attention back and forth to different types of tasks. For instance, if you have several different phone calls to make, set aside a block of time specifically for returning phone calls. That way, you wont have to go back and forth between phone calls and other tasks throughout the day. Create a Social Media Calendar If youre not careful, you can easily spend an entire day checking, posting, and monitoring your companys social media channels. To avoid wasting away in the dark corners of Twitter and Facebook, consider creating a calendar to map out and track your social media strategy. Knowing what you want to accomplish and what it will take can help free the rest of your time for other things. Diversify Your Income Streams One of the main stress factors in any business is money. If profits are slow, youre likely to have to make cuts or work even harder. But if you have multiple streams of income, such as an online store and partnerships with local retailers, then a slow month here or there isnt likely to have as big of an impact. Say No Nowhere is it written that you have to accept every business proposition that comes your way. If something isnt a good fit or you simply dont have enough time for it, gracefully declining can be very liberating. Have a Dedicated Workspace Whether you work from home or in an office, its important to have space set aside for work and space set aside for, well, not work. The ability to work remotely is certainly nice sometimes. But you also dont want to spend all of your evenings working from your couch when you should be spending time with family or winding down. Take Vacations Leaving your business behind for a week here and there wont kill it (or you). If you have a competent team and youve prepared for being out of the office, stepping out for a few days to a week can actually be very re-energizing. Build a Great Team The benefits of having a great team around you cannot be overstated. When you trust the people who work with you, you can feel more comfortable leaving some tasks with them rather than trying to do everything on your own. Set Clear Guidelines for Delegation However, there are limits to passing tasks off to your employees. People tend to do better work when they know exactly what is expected of them. So if you have a clear work stream and chain of command, delegation of tasks is likely to be a pretty smooth operation. Have Fun with Your Team, Too Just as you likely experience burnout while running your business, your employees are likely to get weighed down by their daily tasks from time to time. In those instances, a team retreat, office party or even just a venture to your local happy hour establishment can do wonders for morale. Meet with Other Business Owners It can sometimes help to get perspective from people who dont spend every day working for your business, but who still understand some of things you deal with on a daily basis. Having a business mentor or just some peers in your industry who you can bounce ideas off of or meet with over coffee periodically can provide that all important perspective. Take a Look at Your Goals No matter what your current situation, its always important to keep your main business objectives in mind when making decisions. It can sometimes help to take a look back at those goals to remind yourself what all your hard work is going toward. If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more. While it might not be the first thing you think about when setting up your business, the do not enter sign is a critical component for your business. Do not enter signs play a variety of roles including providing security, safety, and traffic control. You have probably seen the do not enter sign on the service bay of a car dealership or a retail establishment. These signs often help to keep unauthorized people from accessing sections of the premises that they should not be in. A good do not enter sign should have a simple, visible, and direct message. Here are some of the best do not enter signs for your business. Do Not Enter Signs For Your Business Feature / Product Top Pick: SmartSign Do Not Enter - Wrong Way Metal Sign Runner Up: SmartSign Folding Do Not Enter Floor Sign Best Value: SmartSign Do Not Enter Danger Sign Material & Durability 80 mils thick rustproof aluminum, laminated Injection molded plastic Available in plastic, aluminum, vinyl, or 3M reflective grade Size 24 x 18 inches 25" x 12" 7X10 inches or 10X14 inches Reflectiveness Highly reflective (3M reflective film) bright yellow color Optional with 3M reflective grade Usage & Functionality Direct traffic Warning for wet slippery surfaces/hazardous areas Warn about hazardous restricted areas Installation & Portability Pre-punched and pre-cleared holes Folding design for portability pre-punched/pre-cleared holes SmartSign Do Not Enter Wrong Way Sign Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Drive Traffic to Your Website Sell Your Business Advertise Your Business Here Top Pick: This is an extremely durable sign. It is made of 80 mils thick rustproof aluminum and also laminated for additional protection. It is also highly reflective thanks to the 3M reflective film that is 3 times more reflective than engineer-grade signs. The pre-punched and pre-cleared holes allow for quick and easy installation. SmartSign Do Not Enter Wrong Way Sign Buy on Amazon SmartSign Folding Do Not Enter Floor Sign Small Business Deals Runner Up: Synonymous with janitorial duties, this folding do not enter sign does a great job of keeping guests from wet slippery surfaces or hazardous areas. The signs are made of injection molded plastic that easily outlasts lightweight or corrugated folding signs. We also love this sign because of its portability and clear messaging. And because it sits on the floor, the sign also acts as a barrier which makes it very effective at keeping people out of restricted areas. SmartSign Folding Do Not Enter Floor Sign Buy on Amazon SmartSign Do Not Enter Danger Sign Best Value: Durable, waterproof, conspicuous. What else do you want in a warning sign? This sign is available in two sizes: 7X10 inches and 10X14 inches and you can get it in plastic, aluminum, vinyl, or in 3M reflective grade material. Alert your guests about hazardous restricted areas with these signs. SmartSign Do Not Enter Danger Sign Buy on Amazon Sigo Sign Do Not Enter Square Sign For straightforward do not enter messaging check out this square sign. It is available in aluminum and polyethylene and the sizes also range from 12X12 inches to 24X24 inches so you can use it on the fence, wall, or on posts. Besides, the signs are made of superior-quality materials and you can buy them knowing they will stay fresh and visible even after many years of use. Sigo Sign Do Not Enter Square Sign Buy on Amazon Sigo Sign Restricted Area Employees Only Sign Sigo Sign makes some amazing signs. This sign is easy to read and also made of some high-quality materials. It is available in vinyl for those who love stickers, polyethylene, and aluminum. The signs are fade resistant and super easy to install too thanks to the pre-drilled holes. Sigo Sign Restricted Area Employees Only Sign Buy on Amazon Faittoo Restricted Area Sign These Faittoo restricted area signs are made of heavy-duty and rust-free aluminum and measure 10X7 inches. They feature pre-drilled holes which makes them super easy to install and they also come with a 2-year worry-free warranty. Faittoo Restricted Area Sign Buy on Amazon iSYFIX Restricted Area Signs Stickers These high-performance stickers are long-lasting and resistant to wear, abrasion and weather. Unlike some stickers, the iSYFIX stickers stretch and conform easily and remove cleanly without adhesive residue. Bold and high-contrast colors make these signs super hard to ignore which makes them a perfect pick for a do not enter door sign. iSYFIX Restricted Area Signs Stickers Buy on Amazon NMC Do Not Enter Sign Keep safety first with these NMC do not enter signs. These long-lasting signs are made of thick and durable polystyrene material and are perfect for alerting guests and staff about dangers and hazards in your facility. They are also easy to install. NMC Do Not Enter Sign Buy on Amazon Faittoo Restricted Area Sign Authorized Personnel Only 6 Pack These restricted areas signs by Faittoo exceed expectations. They are durable, easy to install, bright and eye-catching, and very fairly priced for a pack of 6 signs. The heavy-duty rustproof aluminum signs can withstand inclement weather without fading, and you can use these signs indoors and outdoors for many years. And if thats not enough, the signs also come with a 2-year worry-free warranty. Faittoo Restricted Area Sign Authorized Personnel Only Buy on Amazon SmartSign Do Not Enter Sign Simple, clear, direct messaging. Thats what this sign is all about. Manufactured by the South Dakota company, this sign is available in a range of durable materials ranging from plastic to aluminum. You also get a choice of size options to fit your needs. The signs are also laminated to protect the graphics from weather and abuse. SmartSign Do Not Enter Sign Buy on Amazon What to Look for When Buying Do Not Enter Signs Do not enter signs will help you keep your business premises safe and secure. All businesses have areas that need to be restricted for a whole host of reasons. No matter your reason, there is a variety of do not enter signs that will keep you safe and secure. Here are some factors to consider when looking for do not enter signs. Clarity: the whole idea of having a sign is so that it can communicate. Ideally do not enter signs should have clear, concise, and easy-to-understand messaging. Reflective materials are a plus for dimly lit areas. the whole idea of having a sign is so that it can communicate. Ideally do not enter signs should have clear, concise, and easy-to-understand messaging. Reflective materials are a plus for dimly lit areas. Material: These would normally range from aluminum to plastic and vinyl. Always go for laminated materials as it helps to protect the graphics from fading. These would normally range from aluminum to plastic and vinyl. Always go for laminated materials as it helps to protect the graphics from fading. Message: Closely tied to clarity, you need to think of the message that you want to pass across. A good do not enter sign should have a simple and easy-to-understand message. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Qualify for discounts, special offers and more with a Business Prime account from Amazon. You can create a FREE account to get started today. Social media is the main connection of the 21st Century, and businesses are tapping into its powerful potential. Social media can (and should) be used for more than status updates and sharing your meatloaf dinner with family and friends. When utilized correctly, social media can help you connect with your customers, build your business, and link with potential customers as well. However, social media seems deceivingly easy. Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Sell Your Business Drive Traffic to Your Website Advertise Your Business Here It cant be difficult to post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, right? Its not hard per se, but it does require some clear strategy as to ensure you are not wasting your time or, at worst, inadvertently creating bad press for your business. Below are a few tips to help you improve your social media strategy. Improve Your Social Media Strategy Understand Your Goals As with any business plan, the first step to determine what you do is to define where you want to go. What are your purposes for bringing your business to social media? Do you want to raise brand awareness? Build customer loyalty? Reach out to potential customers? Small Business Deals Identify one or two main goals and use them to develop what social media will look like for your business. If you try to peg every goal at the same time, you are not likely to accomplish anything at all. Set Objectives You Can Measure Being with S.M.A.R.T goals that you can measure overtime. Successful objectives need to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. For example, if your goal is to increase out reach to a potential customer base, one S.M.A.R.T goal might be to generate 5 new leads a week. However, if your focus is increasing brand awareness, you might want to increase the number of times your business is mentioned across social media by placing sponsored ads, for example. Regardless of the goal, do not forget the important time line. Whether it is generating 5 leads every seven days or increasing brand awareness by 75 percent within a year, successful goals have expiration dates. Characterize Your Customers Now, you have the roadmap, but you are not quite sure of the destination yet. Successful social media encompasses the ability to target the correct group of people with the correct message. In order to do this, you must the audience you are hoping to garner. For example, if your business focuses almost exclusively on males 18-25, you want to target your posts and advertisements for this group. It would be a waste of time to target everyone from 18-65 when your product or service is only intended for a small percentage of that range. Examine the Competition The awesome thing about social media is your ability to check out the competition non-conspicuously. Your competition is actively targeting the same people as you are so you do not want to make the mistake of examining what they do when it comes to social media. Select two or three of your major competitors and examine their posts. Are they primarily funny or serious? How do they handle cultural differences and references? Do they talk about other products? For example, if you sell yard equipment, do your competitors focus on the performance of their products, or do they simply post creative pictures that happen to feature the equipment? Then, examine the interaction they receive for each post. The amount of likes, comments, and such for the various post types will show you which styles work best and which ones flop. Choose your channel. Bringing your business to social media does not mean taking on every platform at the same time. In fact, that might be a sure fire way to fail. Instead, choose the outlet that appears to best fit your audience and that you feel most comfortable using to start with. Dont forget that Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are not the only social media outlets available. If you are looking to enhance business-to-business sales,you may want to consider LinkedIn. If you are in fashion, you may want to consider Pinterest. Build a Content Plan Finally, make sure you can always consistently deliver top-notch content. Your content should always relate directly to your brand and the overall message you aim to convey with your audience. Think about how you can not only sell product but also add to the lives of your customers and potential customers. Use videos, guides, tutorials, tips, and other forms of content to give your customers as much as you can. Whether you are just bringing your business to social media, or you are working to revamp your original plan due to low outreach or engagement, utilize these tools to ensure your business gets noticed and engaged on social media. Do not feel like you have to do it all at once. Social media is a large animal. One step at a time is often the best step for breaking out on any new platform. Navigating the Social Media Landscape: Effective Strategies for Business Success In todays interconnected world, social media has transformed into a pivotal conduit of communication and connection. Businesses are harnessing its potent capabilities to establish strong customer relationships, amplify their brand, and connect with potential clients. However, venturing into the social media realm requires more than casual status updates and casual interactions. A strategic approach is essential to ensure that your efforts yield meaningful results and positively impact your business reputation. Here are some essential strategies to elevate your social media endeavors: Clarify Your Objectives: Like any journey, your social media expedition demands a clear destination. Determine your businesss purpose for venturing into this realm. Are you aiming to enhance brand awareness, foster customer loyalty, or attract new prospects? Set one or two primary goals that will define your social media journey. Trying to accomplish every goal simultaneously might result in achieving none. Craft Measurable Goals: Embark on your social media journey with S.M.A.R.T goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. Objectives that satisfy these criteria empower you to gauge your progress effectively. Whether its generating a certain number of leads per week or increasing brand mentions by a specific percentage, well-defined goals with time-bound targets drive your efforts towards success. Profile Your Audience: Before navigating this vast landscape, you must identify your target audience with precision. Tailoring your message to the right demographic ensures your efforts are not in vain. Whether youre appealing to a niche market or a broader segment, understanding your audiences preferences, behaviors, and needs helps you deliver content that resonates. Observe Competitors Strategically: Harness the discreet advantage of social media the ability to observe competitors without drawing attention. Examine a few key rivals to uncover their strategies. Are they focusing on humor or seriousness? How do they adapt to cultural nuances? Understanding their content style and interaction patterns offers insights into what resonates and what doesnt. Choose Your Platform Wisely: Dont spread yourself thin across every platform; instead, focus on the one that aligns best with your audience and expertise. The world of social media extends beyond Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Platforms like LinkedIn or Pinterest cater to specific niches. Selecting the right channel ensures a more focused and impactful presence. Craft a Compelling Content Plan: Consistency is the key to success in the realm of social media. Develop a content plan that not only aligns with your brand message but also enriches your audiences lives. Offer a blend of videos, guides, tutorials, and tips that cater to their interests. By delivering valuable content consistently, you nurture engagement and enhance your brands credibility. Strategy Description Clarify Your Objectives Define the purpose of your social media presence. Identify if your goal is brand enhancement, customer loyalty, or prospect attraction. Prioritize one or two goals to avoid diluting efforts. Craft Measurable Goals Formulate S.M.A.R.T goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. Quantify your objectives, such as generating weekly leads or increasing brand mentions by a percentage. Profile Your Audience Precisely target your audience by understanding their preferences, behaviors, and needs. Tailor your message to resonate with your demographic, whether it's a niche market or a broader segment. Observe Competitors Strategically Utilize the discreet advantage of social media observe rivals without alerting them. Analyze competitor strategies, content style, and interaction patterns to gain insights into effective approaches. Choose Your Platform Wisely Focus on a platform that aligns with your audience and expertise. Opt for platforms beyond the mainstream (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) if they cater to your niche, like LinkedIn for B2B or Pinterest for fashion. Craft a Compelling Content Plan Consistency is vital develop a content plan that aligns with your brand message and benefits your audience. Blend videos, guides, tutorials, and tips to provide valuable, engaging content regularly. Gradual Execution Social media success requires strategic planning. Execute step by step, focusing on objectives, audience, competitor insights, platform selection, and compelling content. Gradually build engagement and credibility to unlock social media's potential for your business. Embarking on a social media journey requires strategic planning and thoughtful execution. By setting clear objectives, profiling your audience, learning from competitors, and delivering consistent, value-rich content, your business can truly leverage the power of social media. Remember, success on social media is a gradual process take one step at a time to unlock its vast potential for your business. Conclusion The 21st Centurys primary connection, social media, has evolved into a dynamic tool that businesses are leveraging for its exceptional potential. Beyond being a platform for personal updates and casual interactions, social media is a robust avenue to engage with customers, bolster your brand, and establish links with potential clients. However, the path to success on social media is not as straightforward as it may seem. While posting on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram may appear simple, it demands a well-defined strategy to ensure that your efforts are fruitful and do not inadvertently create negative publicity for your business. The strategies outlined in this guide offer a comprehensive blueprint to elevate your social media presence and yield meaningful results. Understanding your objectives, setting measurable goals, and profiling your audience empower you to tailor your approach for maximum impact. Learning from competitors discreetly and choosing the right platform wisely help you position your business strategically. Finally, crafting a compelling content plan ensures that you consistently deliver valuable content that resonates with your audience, enhancing engagement and brand credibility. As you embark on your social media journey, keep in mind that success unfolds gradually. Each step you take, from defining your objectives to refining your content strategy, contributes to unlocking the immense potential of social media for your business. Embrace the process and remember that patience, strategic planning, and continuous improvement will ultimately help you navigate the intricate landscape of social media and achieve the desired business success. The first part of this series discussed the basics of integrated marketing and how the method blends traditional techniques with digital parts. The previous article looked at how this modern tool combined the elements of more conventional outbound marketing with inbound marketing. This second installment looks at how to take a step back and watch how these moving parts interact by looking at a few hypothetical campaigns that bridge the gap between cyberspace, print, radio and television. Drive Traffic to Your Website Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Sell Your Business Advertise Your Business Here Integrated Marketing Campaign Example Some of the best integrated marketing campaigns encourage customers to support local small businesses. For example, an event promoting small retailers in a place like Pennsylvania could start with a hashtag like #ShopPenn as the fulcrum of the campaign. YouTube Videos That twitter hashtag might point to some YouTube videos about specific local businesses in the Pennsylvania area and perhaps even a live event to be held in a public location where shop owners can distribute pamphlets and flyers, all through one centrally organized campaign. The Sagefrog Marketing Group has long been leaders in the integrated marketing space. Their 2017 B2B Marketing Mix Report highlights the need to use this integrated technique to engage both younger and older demographics. Small Business Deals The survey notes: 55 percent of businesses dont have a formal marketing plan. The top lead sources have email marketing, social media marketing, public relations and trade show events all sharing space as big drivers for success. Online marketing and trade shows and events have excellent ROI. Mark Schmukler, CEO and Co-founder of Sagefrog Marketing Group, sees the parts of these campaigns as interrelated and the focus continually shifting. Pendulum I think the whole thing is a pendulum really, he tells Small Business Trends. When digital first came along it was so innovative and powerful people thought all the old channels were dead. He goes on to say that while digital routes are great for measuring ROI, people are looking to drive revenue too and thats where these more traditional tools come in. There are more than a few examples that prove Schmuklers point. Narrowing the focus helps to get the message out across different channels to your target market. Not everyone needs to be on Facebook or Pinterest. Deciding whats right for your business and target market is critical. Therefore, it stands to reason a good marketing communications mix might have several elements like: A press release. Product giveaways on social media that tie in with a series of limited coupons. A website thats updated with new offers. Demos and events where your product or service gets demonstrated. Heres another example of a campaign that would have your goods and services flying off the shelves. Selling Refurbished Computers? Lets say youve got a small business selling refurbished computers a nice example that combines digital uses with a physical product. A website would need to be a part of any integrated marketing campaign and its a good idea to offer some kind of break on shipping so you can compete with the bigger players in the online space. A good old-fashioned press release might highlight the fact that youre going to give a free seminar on the best practices to use in the cloud. Having your logo strategically placed on charging booths at the local computer show makes sure youre covering all the bases. Advertising box The last word here goes to the experts. Schmukler is clear you shouldnt assume your small business will get to where it needs to go without thinking outside the traditional advertising box. Unveiling the Synergy: Case Studies in Integrated Marketing Exploring how integrated marketing campaigns seamlessly connect various channels to achieve powerful results: #ShopPenn: Boosting Local Businesses An integrated campaign supporting local retailers in Pennsylvania showcases the fusion of digital and physical elements: Hashtag Activation: Initiate a campaign with #ShopPenn to drive social media engagement and awareness. YouTube Videos: Produce compelling videos spotlighting individual local businesses, giving them an online presence. Live Event: Organize a public event where shop owners distribute flyers and pamphlets, connecting the digital campaign to real-life interactions. The Blend of Digital and Traditional: Refurbished Computer Sales An example of integrating digital strategies with a physical product for maximum impact: Website Strategy: Create an engaging website offering refurbished computers, with special shipping offers to compete with online giants. Create an engaging website offering refurbished computers, with special shipping offers to compete with online giants. Press Release: Craft a press release highlighting a free cloud computing seminar, establishing expertise and attracting attention. Craft a press release highlighting a free cloud computing seminar, establishing expertise and attracting attention. Event Presence: Place your logo strategically on charging booths at local computer shows, reinforcing brand visibility. Schmuklers Insight: Embrace Innovation Mark Schmukler from Sagefrog Marketing Group emphasizes the need for innovation in marketing strategies: Shifting Focus: Acknowledge the pendulum-like shift between digital and traditional channels, emphasizing the value of each approach. Acknowledge the pendulum-like shift between digital and traditional channels, emphasizing the value of each approach. Tailored Targeting: Opt for platforms that align with your business and target market, recognizing not all channels are equally effective. Opt for platforms that align with your business and target market, recognizing not all channels are equally effective. Holistic Mix: Create a communications mix featuring press releases, social media giveaways, website updates, and in-person demos. Create a communications mix featuring press releases, social media giveaways, website updates, and in-person demos. Online Revenue Streams: Even brick-and-mortar businesses can benefit from online revenue streams, like paid social media posts. Insights Description Shifting Focus Acknowledge the pendulum-like shift between digital and traditional channels, recognizing the unique value each approach brings. Tailored Targeting Opt for platforms that align with your business and target market, understanding that not all channels have equal effectiveness. Holistic Mix Develop a communications mix comprising press releases, social media giveaways, website updates, and in-person demonstrations for comprehensive outreach. Online Revenue Streams Even brick-and-mortar businesses can harness online revenue streams, such as utilizing paid social media posts for extended reach. Integrated marketing thrives on creative amalgamation, connecting diverse channels for a cohesive and potent marketing approach that resonates with modern consumers. Navigating Challenges and Maximizing Impact While integrating offline and online marketing can yield remarkable benefits, its essential to navigate potential challenges effectively to maximize impact. Consistency in Messaging Ensure that your brand messaging remains consistent across both offline and online channels. Conflicting messages can confuse customers and dilute your campaigns effectiveness. Resource Allocation Integrating offline and online strategies may require allocating resources, both in terms of time and budget. Balancing these resources is crucial to maintain a cohesive campaign. Tracking and Measurement Establish clear metrics for tracking the success of integrated campaigns. Use tools like UTM parameters and unique promo codes to monitor the impact of different channels. Audience Segmentation Understand your target audiences preferences and behaviors across offline and online platforms. Tailor your messaging and approach to cater to different segments effectively. Technological Integration Ensure that your online and offline systems are well-integrated. For instance, if youre promoting an in-store event online, make sure attendees data seamlessly transitions between both realms. Case Study: Seamless Shopping Experience Consider a scenario where a home decor store integrates offline and online efforts: Offline: Offer exclusive in-store discounts. Provide QR codes on physical signage that link to product pages for more information. Offer exclusive in-store discounts. Provide QR codes on physical signage that link to product pages for more information. Online: Allow customers to browse items online and create a wishlist. Offer an option for in-store pickup to bridge the gap between the digital and physical shopping experience. The Art of Adaptation The success of integrated marketing lies in the ability to adapt strategies based on real-time insights. Regularly analyze data from both offline and online channels to fine-tune your approach. Conclusion Integrating offline and online marketing isnt just about combining strategies; its about creating a synergy that offers a seamless, holistic experience for customers. When executed thoughtfully, this integration transcends the boundaries of traditional and digital, forming a harmonious connection that resonates deeply with modern consumers. Its not just about being present in multiple spaces; its about crafting an engaging narrative that unfolds across various touchpoints, enriching the customer journey and propelling your brand towards lasting success. I think there are opportunities for even traditional brick and mortar businesses to look at online revenue streams, he adds. Whats hot now is paid social media where I can sponsor a post on your timeline. You probably use social media for marketing your small business. You may use it in your personal life to keep in touch with friends. And you probably rely on social media to build business connections. But unless you also use a social media recruiting strategy to look for potential employees, you could be missing out on some fantastic job candidates candidates that big companies are going to snap up. Sell Your Business Drive Traffic to Your Website Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Advertise Your Business Here Why Use a Social Media Recruiting Strategy? Compete with Bigger Companies Big businesses and executive recruiters are turning to social media in droves as a method of finding qualified job candidates. Two-thirds of human resources managers in a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) say their organizations have found new hires through social media in the past year. Find Passive Job Candidates Most small business owners can attest that finding skilled, qualified workers seems to be getting harder and harder. Many good employees arent actively seeking new jobs (these are called passive job candidates). Instead of wading through stacks of irrelevant resumes, and limiting your search to whoever chooses to apply for your job, a social media recruiting strategy enables you to actively find and reach out to people with the exact skills and experience youre looking for. Connect with High Quality Employees A whopping 87 percent of HR professionals in the SHRM survey say its somewhat, or very important, for job seekers to have a social media presence on LinkedIn. Nearly as many (83 percent) believe its somewhat, or very important, for candidates to have a presence on professional or industry association social networking sites. The savviest employees are more likely to consider a strong social media presence as an essential part of their career development. Small Business Deals Which social media sites work best to find qualified hires? While LinkedIn is the primary source of new hires, used by 57 percent of respondents in the SHRM survey, nearly one-third also found employees through professional or industry association social networking sites, and 19 percent found them via Facebook. When viewing a candidates social media profiles, keep these things below in mind. Social Media Recruiting Strategy Tips Look for a Complete Social Profile Profiles that are up-to-date, detailed and thorough typically reflect the same attitude toward work. Incomplete profiles, or those whose last accomplishments were several years ago, may reflect someone who is not keeping their skills current. Look at Their Connections Are They Valuable? More connections are not necessarily better. Candidates whose connections are smaller in number, but more directly related to their jobs, industry or career path may be more focused. Also pay attention to the types of groups the candidate is involved in on social media, and how active they are in contributing to those groups. Check Their Recommendations Number, variety and depth of reviews and recommendations help paint a fuller picture of a potential candidate. Look for someone who has recommendations from a wide range of people throughout their career not just from one job. Is Their Online Presence Professional? Seventy-three percent of HR respondents in the survey say its important for public social media content to be professional. Run a Background Check Last, but not least, remember that social media can also be used to create false profiles. Never rely solely on information in a social media profile or LinkedIn resume. Always conduct a background check (if relevant to the position) and contact a job candidates references before making a decision. Unlocking the Power of Social Media Recruitment In the quest for exceptional talent, traditional recruitment methods might fall short. However, social media has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying and engaging with prospective employees. Employing a social media recruitment strategy opens up a world of opportunities to connect with candidates who might otherwise remain hidden. Heres why you should consider incorporating social media into your hiring process and some strategic tips to ensure its success. Why Social Media Recruitment Matters Unleash Your Competitive Edge: To compete with larger companies, small businesses need innovative strategies. Social media recruitment allows you to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with industry giants in the hunt for top talent. Engage Passive Candidates: Skilled individuals arent always actively seeking new opportunities. Social media recruitment empowers you to proactively identify and reach out to passive candidates with the precise qualifications you require. Connect with Quality Candidates: A robust social media presence is increasingly crucial for career-oriented individuals. Candidates with strong profiles on platforms like LinkedIn and industry-specific networks often display commitment to professional growth. Strategies for Effective Social Media Recruitment Look Beyond the Surface : Thoroughly examine a candidates social media profile. A complete, updated profile showcases an individuals dedication to staying current in their field. : Thoroughly examine a candidates social media profile. A complete, updated profile showcases an individuals dedication to staying current in their field. Evaluate Connections : Its not just about the quantity of connections. Focus on candidates whose connections are relevant to their industry, job role, or career trajectory. Their participation in industry groups reflects their engagement. : Its not just about the quantity of connections. Focus on candidates whose connections are relevant to their industry, job role, or career trajectory. Their participation in industry groups reflects their engagement. Consider Recommendations : Assess the range and depth of recommendations a candidate has received. Diverse endorsements throughout their career offer insight into their versatility and impact. : Assess the range and depth of recommendations a candidate has received. Diverse endorsements throughout their career offer insight into their versatility and impact. Prioritize Professionalism : A polished online presence matters. Over 70% of HR professionals emphasize the importance of maintaining a professional tone on public social media content. : A polished online presence matters. Over 70% of HR professionals emphasize the importance of maintaining a professional tone on public social media content. Perform Due Diligence : While social media provides valuable insights, its not a standalone source. Always conduct thorough background checks and contact references to validate a candidates claims. : While social media provides valuable insights, its not a standalone source. Always conduct thorough background checks and contact references to validate a candidates claims. Leverage LinkedIn : The go-to platform for professional networking, LinkedIn should be a cornerstone of your social media recruitment strategy. Its focused approach allows you to engage with candidates aligned with your industry and roles. : The go-to platform for professional networking, LinkedIn should be a cornerstone of your social media recruitment strategy. Its focused approach allows you to engage with candidates aligned with your industry and roles. Explore Niche Networks : Industry-specific social networking sites can yield targeted candidates with specialized skills. These platforms facilitate direct communication with candidates who share your industrys passion. : Industry-specific social networking sites can yield targeted candidates with specialized skills. These platforms facilitate direct communication with candidates who share your industrys passion. Harness Facebooks Potential : While not primarily designed for recruitment, Facebooks vast user base can uncover diverse talent. Leverage its advanced search features to identify candidates in line with your requirements. : While not primarily designed for recruitment, Facebooks vast user base can uncover diverse talent. Leverage its advanced search features to identify candidates in line with your requirements. Utilize Visual Platforms: Visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest can reveal a candidates creativity and personal interests. Theyre particularly useful for roles that demand a strong visual sense. Strategy Description Look Beyond the Surface Examine candidates' social media profiles thoroughly to gauge their dedication to staying current. Evaluate Connections Focus on relevant connections in terms of industry, job role, or career path. Consider Recommendations Assess the variety and depth of recommendations to understand versatility and impact. Prioritize Professionalism Emphasize maintaining a professional tone on public social media content. Perform Due Diligence Use social media insights as a supplement; conduct background checks and contact references. Leverage LinkedIn Utilize LinkedIn's focused approach for professional networking aligned with industry and roles. Explore Niche Networks Tap into industry-specific networks for direct communication with passionate candidates. Harness Facebook's Potential Utilize advanced search features on Facebook to identify candidates aligned with your requirements. Utilize Visual Platforms Explore visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest for roles that demand a strong visual sense. Incorporating a social media recruitment strategy can revolutionize your hiring process. It empowers you to connect with candidates on a deeper level and consider factors beyond the traditional resume. By diving into their online presence, you gain insights that help you make informed decisions about the ideal fit for your organization. Embracing the Future of Hiring In a world driven by digital connectivity, the realm of recruitment is evolving rapidly. The utilization of social media as a powerful tool for talent acquisition has unveiled a realm of possibilities that were once unimaginable. As you embark on the journey of unlocking the power of social media recruitment, consider it not just as an alternative, but as a strategic imperative to secure exceptional talent for your organization. With social media recruitment, youre not merely competing; youre thriving on an even playing field with larger corporations. The ability to engage passive candidates, those hidden gems not actively searching for opportunities, grants you a distinctive edge. These potential employees, whose skills and experiences align with your needs, can be actively sought out, paving the way for growth and innovation. The connection with high-quality candidates is no longer confined to traditional methods. A strong social media presence has become an essential cornerstone of a modern professionals identity. By embracing platforms like LinkedIn and specialized networks, youre tapping into a goldmine of individuals committed to continuous growth, making them valuable assets to your team. Navigating this landscape requires a strategic mindset. The art of looking beyond the surface, evaluating connections, considering recommendations, and upholding professionalism ensures that your approach is comprehensive. However, social medias power is not singular; its complemented by due diligence. Relying on it solely could be misleading; a combination of social insight and traditional verification is the path to reliability. Platforms like LinkedIn have emerged as not just tools but allies in the recruitment journey. Through these networks, you connect with talent finely aligned with your industry and roles, transforming hiring into a strategic partnership. Venturing into niche networks and harnessing the potential of diverse platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest offers multidimensional insights into candidates. The intersection of professionalism and personal interests enriches your understanding and aids in decision-making. Incorporating social media into your recruitment strategy reshapes your hiring paradigm. No longer confined to paper resumes, youre peering into candidates professional lives, aspirations, and personalities. As you make strides in embracing this innovation, remember that the future of hiring has arrived, and its empowered by the digital worlds connectivity. Unlock the potential, engage with candidates on a deeper level, and pave the way for a future where exceptional talent is seamlessly identified, engaged, and nurtured. Your organizations success is intricately linked to the talent you bring on board, and social media recruitment is your passport to a world of limitless possibilities. Monday August 21, 2023 ALL DAY - "FILL THE BUS" - Virtual - Spartan Students! The MSU Center for Community Engaged Learning and MSU Alumni invites you to participate in our 15th Annual Fill the Bus event. We strive to give local students and families an equal start to the new school year! When a student walks into the classroom with the basic supplies they need, they can focus on what really matters - learning! Students you can donate New school supplies (ex. pack of Crayons, Pack of #2 Pencils, Pack of Markers, Notebooks, and or Folders) at the Center for Community Engaged Learning located in the Student Services Building, Suite 101. You can also make a monetary donation online through our CrowdPower fundraising page. For more information and all the places and events to find us and or make a donation please visit our website https://communityengagedlearning.msu.edu/. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ARRIVAL/MOVE-IN (OISS), WELCOME PROGRAMMING, AND MAIN EVENTS Varies by location - Please consult your move-in schedule for information about your move-in date and time. All students living in the residence halls in Fall 2023 were asked in mid-July to select their specific move-in window based upon availability for their hall. Visit liveon.msu.edu/move-in to learn more. International students and students with a programmatic early arrival will receive specific move-in information from their program or advisor. Welcome Programming and main events for new international students will be hosted by OISS. AUGUST 21 - 24 5 PM (EST) RESIDENTIAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY (RBC) ORIENTATION & WELCOME DAYS - Various locations in the Broad College of Business Complex - RBC first year students only - Residential Business Community (RBC) Orientation & Welcome Days will be held August 21-24, 2023. These events are open only to first year students admitted into the RBC Fall 2023. Please see your MSU email for additional details. Hosted by MSU Broad College of Business. Please click here for the 2023 Fall Welcome Spartan Family & Sensory Guide Icon Key. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/can-brics-dethrone-us-empire-1112754192.html Can BRICS Dethrone US Empire? Can BRICS Dethrone US Empire? In this weeks episode of the New Rules podcast, host Dimitri Simes Jr. speaks with Pepe Escobar, a geopolitical analyst and writer, about BRICS, its opportunities and challenges, ahead of the summit in South Africa this week. 2023-08-21T14:15+0000 2023-08-21T14:15+0000 2023-10-26T15:40+0000 new rules radio brics brics summit brics bank pepe escobar south africa global economy trade currency /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/15/1112753911_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_c7f14abfbefce899371a378d05ce10ba.jpg Can BRICS Dethrone US Empire? In this weeks episode of the New Rules podcast, host Dimitri Simes Jr. speaks with Pepe Escobar, a geopolitical analyst and writer, about BRICS, its opportunities and challenges, ahead of the summit in South Africa this week. "We should not expect BRICS in two days in South Africa turning the rules based international order upside down. No, this is going to be a gradual, slow moving, very challenging process. But what's happening in South Africa and immediately after South Africa, let's say, is a sort of Rosetta Stone for what's going to happen ahead."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.Catch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM south africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Simes Dimitri Simes Dimitri News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Simes Dimitri new rules, brics bank, what is brics and its purpose, which countries want to join brics 2023, what is brics in banking, what is the importance of brics bank, what is the economy of the brics https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/erdogan-expects-to-hold-face-to-face-meeting-with-putin-in-september-1112756217.html Erdogan Expects to Hold Face-to-Face Meeting With Putin in September Erdogan Expects to Hold Face-to-Face Meeting With Putin in September Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he expects to hold a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September. 2023-08-21T12:18+0000 2023-08-21T12:18+0000 2023-08-21T12:21+0000 world russia vladimir putin turkiye recep tayyip erdogan ukrainian crisis g20 un general assembly /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/15/1112755868_0:0:3190:1794_1920x0_80_0_0_695efef1d10657c25c6b924cd5118eb9.jpg "There will be the G20 meeting in India and the UN General Assembly in the United States in September. If we find an opportunity in this busy environment, we will meet and talk with Putin face-to-face," Erdogan told reporters.Russia's presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier told the media that Putin and Erdogan had agreed to decide on the time and place of their meeting in the near future. According to the spokesman, the agenda of the two leaders' talks will focus on bilateral ties, the Ukraine crisis and the Black Sea Grain Deal.Recep Tayyip Erdogan added that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan may pay a visit to Russia in the near future."[The Turkish] foreign minister may soon travel to Russia. Because it is very important that this work [on the grain deal] be face-to-face, and it will be much more targeted to get results," Erogan told media.Referring to Ukrainian crisis, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he hopes for results regarding Ankara's mediation in resolving the conflict."We are seeking this [peace talks], this is our hope. We talked about this during [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky's visit [to Istanbul], as well as at our meetings at the NATO leaders' summit [in Vilnius]. I hope we get results if the two leaders approve of our mediation," Erdogan told reporters.The Kremlin has repeatedly stressed that it is open to negotiations, provided that the "new territorial reality" is recognized. Moscow added that the peace talks should be held with Kiev's Western backers, who are the ones really in charge of current Ukrainian politics. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230805/over-third-of-turks-believe-ankara-should-prioritize-ties-with-russia-china---poll-1112402306.html russia turkiye Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, turkiye, vladimir putin, recep tayyip erdogan, ukrainian crisis, black sea grain deal https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/iranian-foreign-ministry-summons-swedish-danish-ambassadors-over-quran-burnings---report-1112746549.html Iranian Foreign Ministry Summons Swedish, Danish Ambassadors Over Quran Burnings - Report Iranian Foreign Ministry Summons Swedish, Danish Ambassadors Over Quran Burnings - Report A deputy head of the human rights department of the Iranian Foreign Ministry said during a meeting with diplomats that they held these two countries responsible for the burnings. 2023-08-21T01:25+0000 2023-08-21T01:25+0000 2023-08-21T01:25+0000 world iran islam anti-islam protests quran quran the quran sweden denmark tehran /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/15/1112026815_0:143:2729:1678_1920x0_80_0_0_720acaaa268d95f89a2d3513d10d8ca8.jpg On Friday, another Quran burning took place in front of the Iranian embassy in Stockholm. It was organized by Salwan Momika, who is a Christian refugee from Iraq. A deputy head of the human rights department of the Iranian Foreign Ministry said during a meeting with diplomats from Denmark and Sweden that Iran holds the governments of these two countries responsible for the desecration of the Quran, the Tasnim news agency reported. The Swedish authorities said on Friday they would review the public order law that permits Quran-burning protests in the country. Several Quran-burning demonstrations have taken place in Sweden, as well as Denmark, in recent months. Most Muslim countries have condemned the demonstrations, and some have summoned the Swedish and Danish ambassadors to give them notes of protest. Last month, hundreds of Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy after the burning of the Quran in Stockholm. iran sweden denmark tehran tehran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International tehran, quran, denmark, iran, sweden, tehran, anti-islam protests, iranian foreign ministry, islamaphobia https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/kim-jong-un-oversees-missile-test-amid-large-scale-us-south-korea-military-drills-1112751835.html Kim Jong Un Oversees Missile Test Amid Large-Scale US-South Korea Military Drills Kim Jong Un Oversees Missile Test Amid Large-Scale US-South Korea Military Drills Pyonyang has repeatedly underlined it goes ahead with missile tests in response to what North Korea describes as provocative war games carried out by Japan, South Korea, and the US. 2023-08-21T10:12+0000 2023-08-21T10:12+0000 2023-09-18T13:34+0000 world us south korea japan joe biden yoon suk yeol fumio kishida summit military drills north korea /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/15/1112749017_0:0:1112:627_1920x0_80_0_0_a7a54820214a8ab9793c2b13b27726ec.png North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected the launch of strategic cruise missiles fired from a patrol ship of his countrys East Sea Fleet, according to a state-run news agency.The media outlet released images of Kim inspecting the ships weapons and combat preparedness as he watched a missile test.According to the news agency, the missile test showcased the ships combat capabilities and prepared the sailors for carrying out the attack mission in actual war.The report did not specify the date of the missile test, which seemingly came as Washington and Seoul started a joint large-scale military exercise in the region. The exercise will include about 30 field training events based on an all-out war scenario, according to an official from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.This followed a trilateral summit between the leaders of the US, South Korea and Japan, which was held at the US presidential retreat of Camp David late last week.During the gathering, US President Joe Biden - along with South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida - discussed expanding mutual security and economic relations.Yoon, for his part, pointed out a purported "threat" emanating from North Korea, saying that the three leaders had agreed to improve their "joint response capabilities to North Koreas nuclear and missile threats, which have become sophisticated more than ever." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230818/bidens-trilateral-summit-with-south-korea-japan-aimed-at-accelerating-anti-china-policy-1112682339.html south korea japan north korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg kim jong un's inspection of a missile test, us-south korea military drills, trilateral summit between us, south korea, japan https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/north-korean-hackers-try-to-prevent-south-korea-us-from-conducting-drills-1112746924.html North Korean Hackers Try to Prevent South Korea, US From Conducting Drills North Korean Hackers Try to Prevent South Korea, US From Conducting Drills The Kimsuky group hackers first tried to attack a South Korean company providing services for South Korea-US exercises. Employees' personal devices became hacked in the process, but the hackers failed to get military information. 2023-08-21T03:12+0000 2023-08-21T03:12+0000 2023-09-18T13:37+0000 asia hacking hacking hacking claims cyber crime south korea pentagon military north korea /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/01/15/1081836465_0:113:1200:788_1920x0_80_0_0_c2b0b4459291d233e663695691cfd9b6.jpg "The security investigation department of the Gyeonggi Police Agency as a result of the investigation into the case of sending several malicious emails in February-March of this year found out that Kimsuky was behind this," the police said in a statement. The hackers first managed to enter malicious code via email into the computer of an administrative employee of the company in January, after which they obtained the data of other employees of the company, the statement read. Later, in February, the hacker group sent letters to employees providing computer simulation services for the Freedom Shield military exercises. The employees tried to open the attached file which allegedly contained information about problems with their tax deductions, but a computer network run by the Pentagon did not allow them to open the file, the statement added. However, a number of employees of the company forwarded the letters to their personal email and opened malicious files from their own computers, which led to their personal devices being hacked, the police noted, adding that North Korean hackers failed to get military information. The police, working with the US military, were able to determine that the cyberattack involved fake IP addresses used during the 2014 incident when Kimsuky hacked the South Korean operator of hydro and nuclear power plants, KHNP. In addition, the letters used expressions characteristic of the North Korean language, the statement said. south korea north korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International hacking, cyber crime, military, south korea, north korea, pentagon, us, united states, kimsuky group https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/poland-receives-first-south-korean-k239-chunmoo-rocket-system-1112764926.html Poland Receives First South Korean K239 Chunmoo Rocket System Poland Receives First South Korean K239 Chunmoo Rocket System Poland has received its first South Korean multi-barreled rocket launcher, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced. 2023-08-21T17:06+0000 2023-08-21T17:06+0000 2023-08-21T17:13+0000 military poland south korea k2 weapons mariusz blaszczak military equipment multiple rocket launcher polish army polish ministry of national defense /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/15/1112768254_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_88104d3e5981019576e0cd90b8834eb0.jpg "The first Korean K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery system has arrived in Poland. It was mounted on a Polish Jelcz truck. New launchers will also arrive later this year," Blaszczak wrote on X (formerly Twitter).A total of 288 such rocket launchers will be delivered under the agreement between Poland and South Korea. The first 18 systems, integrated into Polish Jelcz vehicles, will be delivered together with ammunition in 2023.The K239 Chunmoo is a self-propelled wheeled multiple rocket launcher capable of firing multiple caliber rockets. It carries two rocket pods, each with six 239-millimeter guided missiles with a range of about 80 kilometers, or a ballistic missile with a range of 290 kilometers.The head of the Polish Ministry of Defense said earlier that the first 18 launchers will be integrated into the armament of the 18th Mechanized Division in the eastern part of the country.Earlier, Poland signed contracts to procure 1,000 K2 tanks, 672 K9A1 self-propelled howitzers and three squadrons of FA-50 fighter aircraft from South Korea. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230529/south-korea-races-to-feed-europes-insatiable-hunger-for-weapons--1110765482.html poland south korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International k239, chunmoo, rocket system, mariusz blaszczak, poland, south korea, polish army, south korean weapons, south korean military equipment, polish jelcz vehicles, south korean ammunition, south korean munitions, rocket launcher https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/ramaphosa-vows-to-keep-south-africa-clear-of-global-power-contest-1112746404.html Ramaphosa Vows to Keep South Africa Clear of Global Power Contest Ramaphosa Vows to Keep South Africa Clear of Global Power Contest The president assured the nation that he would not let his country be dragged into the ongoing standoff between world powers, and reaffirmed South Africas commitment to its non-alignment policy. 2023-08-21T00:29+0000 2023-08-21T00:29+0000 2023-08-21T00:29+0000 africa brics cyril ramaphosa south africa global politics /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0c/0d/1105412458_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_b429f79d60e5e228ee6e975bab210bdd.jpg "While some of our detractors prefer overt support for their political and ideological choices, we will not be drawn into a contest between global powers. Instead, our country strives to work with all countries for global peace and development," he said. Ramaphosa reaffirmed South Africas commitment to its non-alignment policy and blamed instability on the continent on the 20th-century Cold War, in which many African countries were forced to choose a side. "This experience has convinced us of the need to seek strategic partnerships with other countries rather than be dominated by any other country," the president said. Ramaphosa spoke ahead of next weeks summit of BRICS emerging economies, of which South Africa is a full member. He said that although being a BRICS member had created opportunities for South Africa its government would also seek to strengthen ties with the United States by hosting an economic forum in November, as well as with the European Union. "As part of our ongoing relationship with the countries of the European Union, we will hold the European Union-South Africa Summit later this year in South Africa to foster our investment and trade relations," the South African president added. At the same time, Ramaphosa noted that BRICS countries together can significantly change the world economy and international relations. He also believes that the organization plays an important role in the world due to its "economic power, market potential, political influence and development cooperation." africa south africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International south africa, africa, brics, cyril ramaphosa, world politics https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/republicans-rap-biden-admin-for-quietly-selling-trumps-border-wall-parts--1112748596.html Republicans Rap Biden Admin for Quietly Selling Trumps Border Wall Parts Republicans Rap Biden Admin for Quietly Selling Trumps Border Wall Parts The wall on the US southern border was pledged by former President Donald Trump as something that will effectively slow migration from Mexico to America. 2023-08-21T09:33+0000 2023-08-21T09:33+0000 2023-08-21T09:33+0000 americas us joe biden donald trump border wall migrants auction /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0a/0b/1089847694_0:75:3073:1803_1920x0_80_0_0_757536a5faeaa6a58ba6091f914c292d.jpg Republicans have lashed out at the Biden government over reports that Washington is quietly auctioning off unused parts of the US-Mexico border wall for a hefty sum. Wicker was echoed by his colleague James Lankford, who argued that "the pennies made from selling the border wall will not be enough to pay the families who suffer from a criminal act committed by someone who crossed our open borders during the Biden administration."Republican Nicole Malliotakis, for her part, insisted that US President Joe Biden has no regard for taxpayer dollars or how his open border is bankrupting communities across the country that are footing the bill for his failures."Her colleague Juan Ciscomani, in turn, reproached Biden for his "refusal to act" to stem the migration flows, urging the federal government to utilize every tool in the toolbox to secure our [US] border."The remarks followed a US newspaper reporting that GovPlanet, an online auction marketplace for surplus government materials, recently oversaw the $2 million sale of 81 lots of steel square structural tubes that were apparently intended for the US border wall.The report came as the US Department of Defense confirmed to the newspaper that those tubes are "excess border wall materials that the US Army Corps of Engineers turned over to the [Pentagons] DLA [Defense Logistics Agency] for disposition and are now for sale.This was preceded by a group of GOP members introducing legislation titled the Finish It Act in May, which stipulates extending the border wall by means of using the previously bought and unused border wall panels.When entering office in January 2021, Biden, for his part, issued an order to halt all border wall construction, dismissing Trumps program as a waste of money that was not a serious policy solution.The migration crisis, meanwhile, shows no sign of abating in the US, with a whopping 1,973,092 encounters at the US-Mexico border so far this year, according to data from US Customs and Border Patrol. The number stood at 1,947,310 within the same period in 2022, and 1,332,845 in 2021. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/us-border-agent-biden-plan-to-deter-migrants-was-not-clearly-relayed-to-front-lines-1110246820.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg wall on the us' southern border, donald trump's border wall, migration flows, migration crisis, us border wall https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/russian-air-defense-downs-ukrainian-drone-in-belgorod-region---mod-1112764037.html Russian Air Defense Downs Ukrainian Drone in Belgorod Region - MoD Russian Air Defense Downs Ukrainian Drone in Belgorod Region - MoD MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's air defense systems have detected and intercepted a Ukrainian drone over the Belgorod Region on Monday afternoon, the Defense Ministry said, adding that the incident did not result in any damage. 2023-08-21T14:16+0000 2023-08-21T14:16+0000 2023-08-21T14:16+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian drone attacks on russia belgorod region russia ukraine drone warfare drone strike drone attack terrorist attack russian defense ministry /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/15/1112764710_0:320:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_64010862bfb7314dd19c0a90f3588c96.jpg "On August 21, at around 4:00 pm Moscow time [01:00 pm GMT], the Kiev regime made another attempt to carry out a terrorist attack using an aircraft-type drone. Russian air defense systems detected and destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the foiled terrorist attack did not result in "casualties or damage." belgorod region russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukrainian drone attacks, belgorod region, drone warfare, russia's special military operation, ukrainian crisis, unmanned aerial vehicles, uav, drones, kamikaze drone, drone attack, drone strike, foiled terrorist attack https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/russian-strikes-on-ukraines-ammo-depots-to-further-deplete-kievs-combat-capability-1112764531.html Russian Strikes on Ukraines Ammo Depots to Further Deplete Kiev's Combat Capability Russian Strikes on Ukraines Ammo Depots to Further Deplete Kiev's Combat Capability Over the past several days, Russian troops have intensified attacks on the Ukrainian armys logistical hubs as part of Moscows ongoing special military operation in Ukraine. 2023-08-21T17:53+0000 2023-08-21T17:53+0000 2023-08-21T17:53+0000 russia ukraine special operation ammunition arms depots attacks troops forces analysis /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/15/1112763894_0:0:2888:1625_1920x0_80_0_0_b59bf70cb6a5e4f230bc9ec8945c65d1.jpg Russian troops have destroyed three railcars with ammunition belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), Vadim Astafyev, head of the Yug (South) battlegroups press service, told Sputnik on Monday. He said that the attack on the railcars part of Russias ongoing special military operation in Ukraine - was conducted by Yugs missile units on the Avdeyevka front line. This followed a UAF ammo echelon being hit by Russian forces in the Dnepropetrovsk region in south-eastern Ukraine.He added that staging attacks without munitions is a tricky task, which is why we currently witness the [Russian armys] hunt for [the UAFs] ammo depots and echelons.He was echoed by Earl Rasmussen, an international consultant and a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, who told Sputnik that he thinks it's a wise move to eliminate UAF munition depots before they have a chance to be used.The remarks come after a US broadcaster reported last month that the US and NATO grapple with the dwindling supply of artillery ammunition for Ukraine. The broadcaster cited unnamed officials as saying that the US has been nearing that red line as it has continued to supply Ukraine with 155mm ammunition, the NATO standard used for artillery rounds.US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan told the news network that even though the US began ramping up ammunition production last year, munitions would still take years to mass produce to acceptable levels.This unfolds amid Kievs botched counteroffensive, which was launched on June 4 after multiple delays. Since the beginning of the counteroffensive, Ukraine has lost over 43,000 troops and 4,900 units of military equipment, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230820/scott-ritter-for-nato-and-ukraine-reality-bites-1112738775.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg russian attacks on ukrainian army's ammo depots, russian special military operation in ukraine, ukrainian armed forces, ukrainian army''s defense capability https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/south-africa-receives-over-5bln-from-brics-bank-for-infrastructure-projects-1112747882.html South Africa Receives Over $5Bln From BRICS Bank for Infrastructure Projects South Africa Receives Over $5Bln From BRICS Bank for Infrastructure Projects South Africa has received 100 billion rands ($5.27 billion) from the New Development Bank created by the BRICS countries for the construction of roads, water supply and energy, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday. 2023-08-21T05:22+0000 2023-08-21T05:22+0000 2023-08-21T05:22+0000 world brics summit 2023 brics south africa cyril ramaphosa new development bank (ndb) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0c/0d/1105412458_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_b429f79d60e5e228ee6e975bab210bdd.jpg "South Africa has benefited from the New Development Bank, which was established by the BRICS countries in 2015. Our country has been funded by the bank in several infrastructure projects to the value of R100 billion in sectors such as roads, water and energy," Ramaphosa said, speaking to the nation ahead of the BRICS summit, which would be held in Johannesburg from August 22-24. South Africa is strengthening trade and investment ties with other BRICS countries, as well as cooperating in areas such as technology, security and innovation, the president added. The BRICS summit in Johannesburg is expected to be attended by the leaders of Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to participate in the summit via video link. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230818/beijing-bets-on-brics-as-biden-ramps-up-tech-and-trade-war-1112709713.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230820/can-russian-video-games-break-into-the-brics-market-1112730444.html south africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International brics summit, brics summit 2023, russia brics, new development bank, south africa brics, south africa summit https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/un-chief-to-speak-at-brics-summit-departs-to-south-africa-tuesday---spokesperson-1112770492.html UN Chief to Speak at BRICS Summit, Departs to South Africa Tuesday - Spokesperson UN Chief to Speak at BRICS Summit, Departs to South Africa Tuesday - Spokesperson UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be heading to the BRICS summit in South Africa to discuss the importance of international cooperation, climate change and other issues, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday. 2023-08-21T18:30+0000 2023-08-21T18:30+0000 2023-08-21T18:30+0000 world brics summit 2023 the united nations (un) brics johannesburg south africa stephane dujarric antonio guterres /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/15/1112770332_0:123:3220:1934_1920x0_80_0_0_0a0db20259e59991973704fa40ae854d.jpg "Secretary-General of the UN will be heading to Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the 15th summit of the BRICS," Dujarric told reporters, adding that Guterres will leave New York on Tuesday evening. When asked about the BRICS expansion, Dujarric stressed that it is up to the group to decide who becomes a member. The BRICS summit will take place in Johannesburg from Tuesday to Thursday. johannesburg south africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International brics summit 2023, brics summit in johannesburg, brazil, russia, india, china, south africa, participants of brics 2023 summit, guests of brics 2023 summit, expansion of brics, brics 2023 agenda, what countries want to join brics, multipolar world order, polycentric world order, united nations, brics development, brics summit, antonio guterres https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/us-continuously-engages-in-anti-russia-rhetoric-in-apec-says-envoy-1112746800.html Russian Envoy Slams US Incessant Russophobic Rhetoric at APEC Russian Envoy Slams US Incessant Russophobic Rhetoric at APEC The US continuously uses anti-Russian rhetoric at APEC, said a Russian official after high-ranking officials and ministers at the third summit in Seattle. 2023-08-21T06:21+0000 2023-08-21T06:21+0000 2023-08-21T10:02+0000 world apec apec summit asia-pacific economic cooperation (apec) russia us seattle /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/07/0a/1097141362_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_3c1f2a08950915e3439b325589dca440.jpg "The United States still cannot give up anti-Russian rhetoric at APEC. They are obediently parroted by their most faithful allies," Berdyev stressed. "However, these escapades are gradually fizzling out. An obedient minority echoes Washington at the microphone. On the sidelines, many delegations admit that they are looking forward to the end of this American obsession." In 2022, Berdyev noted, the Thai presidency made every possible effort to prevent the forum from taking illegitimate decisions that circumvent the fundamental principle of consensus. Moscow hopes the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) returns to its constructive functioning after the US chairmanship ends, the envoy added.Berdyev stressed that Russia insistently demands from the host side the fulfillment of the entire range of obligations as the Chairman of the Forum."We hope that common sense will prevail in preparing the summit meeting and its outcome documents, and priority will be given to achieving consensus agreements in the interests of all APEC economies," he said. "In general, we regret that the destructive decisions of the Americans have a negative impact on the productivity of APEC, and we hope that this important regional cooperation platform, which has passed many years of testing for strength and relevance, will return to constructive functioning at the end of the current cycle."On Western Efforts to Undermine APEC PrinciplesThe West is increasing the level of confrontation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) by bringing into the platform geopolitical discussions that are far beyond the scope of the forum, Russias senior official at APEC, Ambassador Marat Berdyev told Sputnik.The current international situation negatively impacts the forum [APEC]. Western members of the forum are actively raising the level of confrontation in the APEC platform, trying to bring into the discussions geopolitical topics that go far beyond the scope of the organization, Berdyev said in a statement.Berdyev noted that a number of Russia-friendly APEC members are in favor of strict adherence to the basic principles and norms of the forum and focus on the tasks of economic integration. Russia also seeks to prevent the shift away from the economic integration component of this association.Along with participation in the G20, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), work in APEC is one of the key areas of Russian multilateral diplomacy aimed at the removal of all unreasonable barriers and building an effective environment across the entire continent, Berdyev added.The United States, which serves as the APEC host of 2023, has totally disregarded its non-discrimination commitments, Berdyev stressed."The Russian side agreed to the US 'shift' in APEC in 2023, after receiving US assurances that they would strictly comply with all the chairman's obligations to the economies participating in APEC. Particular attention was paid to confirming the Chairmanship's readiness to ensure non-discriminatory access for all delegations to events without 'double standards' and arbitrariness," Berdyev said. "Unfortunately, the Americans, accustomed to living in captivity of their own exclusivity, once again completely disavowed these promises by their actions."Berdyev pointed out that this concerns both the organization of the work processes and the content of APEC's agenda this year.The United States is ramping up its efforts to replace inclusive collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region with the Western-centric formats, Ambassador-at-Large, Senior Official in APEC from Russia Marat Berdyev told Sputnik."We see the buildup of US efforts to replace the inclusive nature of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region with Western-centric formats of interaction in line with the American 'Indo-Pacific' project," Berdyev said. "We are convinced that the new dividing lines in the Asian region will create barriers to the practical ties between the APEC economies and the normal functioning of added value chains," he noted.Berdyev pointed out that the prerequisites for such a negative scenario are already visible against the backdrop of attempts by the United States and its allies to reshape the trade and investment agenda in the Asia-Pacific region by promoting alternative mechanisms to the so-called framework economic interaction in the Indo-Pacific region.On Obstructions to Russian DiplomacyA number of Russian delegates did not get a US visa to take part in the third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials and Ministerial Meetings in Seattle, Ambassador-at-Large, Senior Official in APEC from Russia Marat Berdyev told Sputnik."Within the framework of the third series of meetings of senior officials of the Forum, representatives of several Russian departments could not attend the relevant meetings. A number of delegates did not receive visas at all, and in some cases, entry permits were issued during or after the main meetings," Berdyev said. "The current situation creates serious obstacles to our full-fledged participation in the activities of APEC under the American chairmanship and cannot but affect the effectiveness and credibility of the US shift."On Russias Stance Towards APECMoscow will consider Washington's undermining of the rights of the members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) when making a decision on its representation at the upcoming Leaders Summit in November, Ambassador-at-Large, Senior Official in APEC from Russia Marat Berdyev told Sputnik."Washington continues to lose face as a responsible participant in international communication, a negotiable player. We note the growing appetites of the American side, in particular, its inappropriate behavior and infringement of other economies, particularly, Hong Kong," Berdyev said. "Of course, such somersaults by the Americans do not go unnoticed, forcing many countries to strive for the accelerated establishment of a multipolar world, independent of Western structures and whims. We will take this approach of Washington into account when deciding on the level of Russia's representation at the Forum's summit in November"Berdyev stressed that Russian insistently demands from the host side the fulfillment of the entire range of obligations as the Chairman of the Forum."We hope that common sense will prevail in preparing the summit meeting and its outcome documents, and priority will be given to achieving consensus agreements in the interests of all APEC economies," he said. "In general, we regret that the destructive decisions of the Americans have a negative impact on the productivity of APEC, and we hope that this important regional cooperation platform, which has passed many years of testing for strength and relevance, will return to constructive functioning at the end of the current cycle."Berdyev went on to say that ahead is the presidency of Peru and South Korea, and Russia has already established a substantive dialogue with colleagues from Lima, who are going to look for a "common denominator" and focus on collective efforts to strengthen the economic and integration potential."In this context, we plan a number of specific joint initiatives and projects, including the engagement of Russian business and academic circles," he added.On Trends in Global EconomyMoscow expects the timely completion of the IMF quotas review and that they will indeed be redistributed in favor of underrepresented nations, including China, Russias senior official at APEC, Ambassador Marat Berdyev told Sputnik."We look forward to the timely [before December 15 this year] completion of the 16th general review of IMF quotas and their real redistribution in favor of 'underrepresented' countries, primarily China and other developing countries," Berdyev said. "Any other reform options, including maintaining the status quo in terms of votes in the IMF or implying their symbolic redistribution will become an illustration of the West's unwillingness to give up its dominant positions in the Bretton Woods Institutions that have already become an anachronism."As for the reforms of multilateral financial institutions, primarily the IMF and the World Bank, Berdyev went on to say, the world community has yet to determine their direction and main parameters. "Any changes should be worked out in universal formats on a transparent, non-discriminatory basis, take into account the financial characteristics of various countries, and have real benefits for developing states," he said.In early June, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, speaking about Policy Briefs on Our Common Agenda, said that reforms to the IMF quotas were needed and the representation of the developing nations in both the IMF and the World Bank should be expanded to address injustices and systemic bias in the international financial architecture and proposed a representative apex body to oversee the entire system.The countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America have increasing interest in new forms of payment, Russias senior official at APEC, Ambassador Marat Berdyev added."There is a growing interest in new forms of payment in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. ASEAN is intensifying the dialogue on the use of national currencies, since last year there has been an agreement on digital border trading in local financial instruments," Berdyev said. "In the EAEU, according to preliminary data, already more than 90% of transactions are carried out in the currencies of the member states of the Union, while the ruble is reasonably in the lead."Berdyev pointed out that APEC, like other specialized multilateral formats, does not remain aloof from the problems of global finance."These include, among other things, growing inflationary pressure, high levels of debt, a lack of resources to finance global development, market volatility, and a crisis in the banking sector of some developed countries," he said. "Under these conditions, the world economic system is going through a period of adaptation to new challenges and threats."Berdyev went on to say that there can be seen a decline in the use of the US dollar, which is increasingly perceived as an unreliable asset."The countries of the world's majority are reducing the share of 'toxic' currencies (first of all, the US dollar and the euro) in their foreign trade and financial transactions," he said. "This trend is caused by the sanctions 'voluntarism' of the collective West, which, with its unilateral and illegitimate restrictive measures, has undermined confidence in the American-centric financial system. There are also the consequences of the irresponsible financial policies of many developed countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they launched a printing press to cover the budget deficit, provoking bubbles in the commodity markets, and then consumer inflation and a decline in living standards."Berdyev underscored that strengthening the role of national currencies is an objective process."Political reasons against the backdrop of the 'sanctions war' launched by the United States probably still prevail, but economic logic cannot be discounted either. Suffice it to recall the exorbitant debt accumulated by the Americans, the endless excesses around the budget deficit," he said. "According to statistics, the share of the dollar in the total volume of international payments through SWIFT in January 2023 decreased to 41.7%. According to the IMF, its share in reserves reached its lowest level in 27 years at 58.36%.""Settlements are increasingly dynamic in yuan (the weight of the Chinese currency in trade contracts from March 2021 to March 2023 increased from 1.9% to 4.5%), Indian rupees, currencies of Arab and other developing countries. The Russian ruble is becoming more and more popular and attractive, especially in the Eurasian space," he added.In response to sanctions, Russia has accelerated efforts to switch to national currencies in trade. In February and March, the yuan replaced the US dollar as the most traded currency in Russia.In April, the International Monetary Fund said the US dollar has depreciated since October 2022 but remains stronger than it has been since 2000.The same month, World Bank President David Malpass said that the US dollars dominance has been put into question by competitors such as blockchain technology and the Chinese yuan.Berdyev spoke after high-ranking officials and ministers held meetings in Seattle where they addressed food security and energy matters among other issues as part of the third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials and Ministerial Meetings. The APEC Economic Leaders Week will take place in San Francisco in November. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/representative-inclusive-and-flexible-sco-is-vital-part-of-new-multipolar-world-1111659937.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230818/us-main-instigator-of-coups-terrorism-and-assassinations-around-world---media-commentator-1112710064.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230810/russian-economy-overtakes-germany-uk-and-france-despite-western-sanctions-1112511026.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230702/jim-rogers-de-dollarization-fuelled-by-soaring-us-debt-1111626237.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230711/multilateralism--reforms-how-brics-currency-offers-better-deal-for-global-south-1111820744.html russia seattle Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International asia-pacific economic cooperation, apec, apec summit, russia, us, seattle, us-russian relations https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/voila-we-have-air-power-f-16-transfers-to-ukraine-will-take-years-to-produce-results-1112766548.html Voila, We Have Air Power? F-16 Transfers to Ukraine Will Take Years to Produce Results Voila, We Have Air Power? F-16 Transfers to Ukraine Will Take Years to Produce Results While Ukraine is now set to receive F-16 Falcon fighter jets from NATO, they wont be on the battlefield for at least six months, and they stand little chance of being effective for at least two years. 2023-08-21T16:40+0000 2023-08-21T16:40+0000 2023-08-21T16:40+0000 analysis earl rasmussen boris rozhin ukraine f-16 fighting falcon denmark netherlands /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102231/48/1022314856_0:254:4928:3026_1920x0_80_0_0_28bcd0dd627899ab99f545c365d0702c.jpg According to the latest deal hammered out between the NATO powers and Ukraine, the Netherlands and Denmark will together supply Kiev with 61 F-16 Falcon fighter jets of the older A/B variants - with updated equipment - in exchange for being permitted to buy newer versions of the jet from the United States.Kiev has long sought Falcons, which were introduced as an interceptor in the 1970s to counter Soviet fighters and bombers, as a year and a half of combat has severely attrited its air forces. While Western powers that are former Soviet allies have until this point supplied Ukraine with Soviet-made aircraft from their own inventories, shipping Western-made fighters presents a new challenge since both Ukrainian pilots and Ukrainian technology will have to be adapted to use them.Boris Rozhin, a military expert with the Center for Military-Political Journalism, an independent Russian military affairs think tank, said that the transfer of fighters would likely be slow and it would present few problems for Russian forces.It was promised that Denmark and Holland should receive 61 F-16 fighters according to their plans within three years. That is, some quantity will be delivered possibly before the end of the year, some parts will arrive in 2024-25 and even possibly in 2026. This is a rather lengthy process, at each stage of which geopolitical and technical problems may arise. Maybe the conflict will come to naught by then. Various things can happen. But there is no particular doubt that these aircraft will be provided in principle, the process is underway, approved by the United States, he told Sputnik.If the planes are nevertheless handed over, the pilots have time to master these machines and learn how to handle them correctly and efficiently, then they will be used to launch missiles. That is, they will also seek to carry out missile strikes against our facilities, because they fly at low altitudes, Rozhin said.In response, we can attack the airfields where they are based and warehouses with missiles that are transmitted from the West. Since Russian intelligence has certain capabilities to track such cargoes, it is possible to detect their location and eliminate them even before the start of their operation, Rozhin continued. We will probably also see strikes on military targets, personnel accommodation facilities and guarding the parking lot or repairing such vehicles. They will need to hide them well to avoid such blows.He noted that these aircraft are heavily used, having been the mainstay of Danish and Dutch air forces for years, meaning the transfer process will have to include repair work in addition to training and adapting them to fire Ukrainian missiles.He added that it cannot be ruled out that some of the pilots will be NATO pilots who will be used in Ukraine under the guise of mercenaries or volunteers.Earl Rasmussen, an international consultant and a retired lieutenant colonel with over 20 years in the US Army, told Sputnik that much remained up in the air, so to speak, about how the agreement will actually be implemented.The Netherlands haven't even decided how many planes they're going to provide because they've got only a total of 42 in their entire air force. They've already got some internal training commitments, some internal defense commitments and some commitments apparently with Romania as well. So they've got to take that out and we'll see how many are left, Rasmussen explained.He noted that even for experienced pilots, they're probably talking a minimum of six months before they will be able to operate the F-16, but that it could take up to two years of training before they can optimally fly the plane in formations that you want in an appropriate way for combat missions.So it's not just buying the planes, getting on planes, and voila, we have air power now. I don't see anything happening till - they may have commitments with the planes, but I don't see anything happening till next year at the earliest, he told Sputnik.I understand they got a couple of pilots, a few pilots that have already been trained. Realistically, I don't think we're going to see, even though I think Denmark said they can transfer six right away. I don't really see those once conditions are met. I don't see any of those conditions even slightly being met for at least six months. So we're looking at next year before the plane even starts to go in. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230125/what-is-the-f-16-falcon-fighter-jet-nato-is-debating-shipping-to-kiev-1106706119.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230820/rfk-jr-says-sending-f-16-fighter-jets-to-kiev-poses-threat-to-ukraine-humanity-1112735865.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230817/ukraine-wont-be-receiving-f-16-fighter-jets-this-year---air-force-spox-1112659450.html ukraine denmark netherlands Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier ukraine; f-16 falcon; netherlands; denmark; earl rasmussen; boris rozhin https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/watch-russian-drones-wipe-out-ukrainian-armored-vehicles-1112762543.html Watch Russian Drones Wipe out Ukrainian Armored Vehicles Watch Russian Drones Wipe out Ukrainian Armored Vehicles Russian soldiers have been relieving the Ukrainian troops of the armored vehicles in the Zaporozhye region in a smooth manner employing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) which help minimize human losses among Russian servicemen. High-precision strikes conducted by first-person view (FPV) drones disorganize Ukrainian forces leaving them unable to attack. 2023-08-21T16:55+0000 2023-08-21T16:55+0000 2023-08-21T16:55+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russia russian ministry of defense ukraine ukrainian crisis russian drones drone warfare drone strikes video /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/15/1112761990_8:0:893:498_1920x0_80_0_0_f34ad4ea2c3b0c8199ead8d83a216a5c.png Russia's Ministry of Defense has published video footage showing three FPV drones destroying Ukrainian armored vehicles in the Zaporozhye region. In early June, Ukraine made an attempt to launch a counteroffensive, which resulted in nothing more than severe losses in manpower and military equipment supplied by the West. The latter has proven to be useless for the Kiev regime which has been disappointing its Western partners. At the same time, Ukrainian troops, tired of sacrificing their lives for Zelensky, have been deserting and surrendering to the Russian Army. russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian Forces Destoy Ukrainian Armored Vehicles Russian military personnel operating FPV drones destroy armored vehicles involved in attempts to break through Russian defenses 2023-08-21T16:55+0000 true PT0M17S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian military, russian troops, russian fpv drones, russian drones, zaporozhye region, drone warfare, russia's special military operation, ukrainian crisis, unmanned aerial vehicles, uav, fpv drones, kamikaze drone, drone attack, drone strike https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/we-came-we-dithered--we-died-1112771792.html We Came, We Dithered & We Died We Came, We Dithered & We Died For a 1971 New York Times op-ed, Jacques Cousteau wrote of the damage being done to the oceans and coral reefs at a "frightening" rate. No one listened. No one did anything. Now, as Cousteau warned, our oceans are finished. 2023-08-21T20:26+0000 2023-08-21T20:26+0000 2023-08-21T20:26+0000 analysis ted rall greta thunberg earth congress the united nations (un) global warming /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107897/86/1078978612_0:32:3063:1755_1920x0_80_0_0_c567fc04051ce79bef905a4c75b1606f.jpg More than 90% of coral reefs on Earth will be dead in the next 25 years. What if we didsomething? No. Reef extinction is irreversible, even if we were to stop emitting greenhouse gases right this second.Some 96% of all ocean life, fish big and small and everything that swims, will be gone as well. Theres nothing we can do to save them.The cause is obvious and well-known: rapid and extreme global warming caused by humans, pollution and overhunting. We dont have to look far to see that the ocean is boiling: at this writing, water temperatures off the Florida Keys have reached 97. Caribbean waters are normally 82 year-round. The surprise isnt that 96% of the ocean life is doomed, its that 4% may not be - but it will be soon.Ironically, all this heat is about to start a new Ice Age. A new study concludes there is a 95% chance the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of ocean currents including the Gulf Stream that carry warm water from the tropics into the North Atlantic, will collapse between 2025 and 2095 because it is being blocked by cold water dumped into the northern part of the ocean from melting glaciers and ice caps. Without the AMOC, as soon as two years from now and no later than 70, Europe will be buried under sheets of ice, like in the disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow.Bummer. I liked Europe.Several years ago, flying west from Istanbul to New York, my planes pilot announced he and his colleagues could see the Gulf Stream was breaking downand had been for some time. As a result, wed arrive earlier than scheduled. He explained why this was scary. He urged us to write our Congressmen. I wonder if anyone on board did - I didnt. What would have been the point? Congress doesnt care or help or act.In a natural-disaster movie like 2012 or Armageddon, the worlds political and business leaders gather in a blue-lit Situation Room chock full of computer screens displaying cool infographics, some in business attire, others in exotic garb, all wearing somber holy-crap expressions as the camera pans around. Someone, either the UN Secretary General or the US president (these are American movies), calls on nations to drop everything, set aside their differences and dedicate all their resources and attention to the existential crisis of climate change, the worst threatby farthat humanity has ever faced.Because this is a film, where politicians are sometimes evil but never total idiots, everyone nods in agreement, rolls up their sleeves and gets to work to save humanity.(In the European version of this film, we all die in the end after waging a valiant and noble struggle.)Actual politics, however, are not as logical or commonsensical as movies. Young people like activist Greta Thunberg are, quite reasonably, appalled at the mess theyve inherited thanks to decades of dithering: I ask my smart friends why were so stupid. Its all about money, they usually say, more or less. Business and rich individuals profit from the current system. But that doesnt make sense. Therell be no economy if were all dead. You cant enjoy your wealth if youre dead. Being dead, all of us as a result of environmental catastrophe, is a distinct possibilityfor our grandchildren, our children, even for precious Us.And yetmy smart friends are right. Capitalist idiots are so moronically capitalist that theyd rather be rich and dead than middle class and alive. The rest of us, the non- and anti-capitalist people who neither benefit from ecocide nor approve of it, are letting the greedy lunatics take us with them. We, precisely because we believed Jacques Cousteau and did nothing to act, react or resist, are even dumber than they are. Darwin wins again.(Ted Rall (Twitter: @tedrall), the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, co-hosts the left-vs-right DMZ America podcast with fellow cartoonist Scott Stantis. You can support Teds hard-hitting political cartoons and columns and see his work first by sponsoring his work on Patreon.) https://sputnikglobe.com/20230725/crucial-atlantic-ocean-current-at-risk-of-collapsing-by-2025-study-warns-1112145530.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230722/florida-keys-coral-reefs-are-bleaching-due-to-record-high-temperatures-1112082590.html earth Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.jpg Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.jpg jacques cousteau, damages to world's oceans and coral reef, global warming effects on environment, Longtime harness racing industry participant Brian Paquet of Quebec, Que. passed away suddenly on Aug. 20 at the age of 78. Brian was involved as a breeder and owner of Standardbred. He also spent time serving as an industry leader with terms on the Board of the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society for decades including terms as Vice President. He then also served on the Board of Standardbred Canada, with terms as the Vice President while also sitting on the executive committee for several years. He was also on the board of the Quebec Jockey Club as well as the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame's Election Committee. The Quebec Jockey Club issued the following statement on Brian's passing. "It is with great sadness that we have just learned the sudden passing of Mr. Brian Paquet, who is certainly considered a leader in horse racing in Quebec. His death is all the more dazzling as he was still very active in recent weeks and with his volunteer work in the industry. "To speak of Brian is to speak of a man who was deeply involved in the industry without ever mentioning his hours and his pennies spent in the industry close to his heart. An owner and above all as an active breeder, the Panic horses will remain engraved and remembered for decades to come. Brian was one of those behind the resumption of racing in Quebec. "He inserted himself, his knowledge and dedication toward the progress of the industry like it was many years ago. It was within the CJQ board that he distinguished himself. He was one of those on whom all horse people in Quebec could count. His deep respect for people around him led him to express himself with his suave accent in the language of Moliere. What a pleasant and simple man, easy to be around, listening to everyone. "He will be difficult to replace at the Jockey Club. "The members of the Jockey Club are sending their most sincere and deepest condolences to first and foremost his family, then to his many friends across Canada as his reputation spanning the whole country, "Brian, you will be missed by everyone in the industry including the horses!" He was predeceased by: his parents, Lyla Montgomery and Russell Paquet. He is survived by: his wife France; his daughters, Jennifer (Yves Laurencelle) and Jessica; his brother Allan (Lynda Forsyth); his sister Marion; and his sisters-in-law, Isabelle and Renee. He also leaves to mourn his nephews, nieces, cousins and many friends. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Center Communautaire Valcartier (2215 Bd Valcartier, Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, QC G0A4S0). A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 5 p.m. at the same location. Expressions of sympathy can be made as a donation to the ACFA Foundation (at the heart of agricultural families), 600, rue Benoit, St-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 1L6, 450-768-6995, acfareseaux.qc.ca. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Brian Paquet. Brian Paquet de Quebec, un membre de longue duree de l'industrie des courses attelees, est decede subitement le 20 aout a l'age de 78 ans. Brian a ete implique en tant qu'eleveur et proprietaire de Standardbred. Il a egalement passe du temps a servir en tant que dirigeant de l'industrie avec des mandats au sein du conseil de direction de la Canadian Standardbred Horse Society pendant des decennies, y compris des mandats de vice-president. Il a ensuite siege au conseil de direction de Standardbred Canada, avec des mandats de vice-president tout en siegeant au comite executif pendant plusieurs annees. Il a egalement siege au conseil d'administration du Quebec Jockey Club ainsi qu'au comite d'election du Temple de la renommee des courses de chevaux du Canada. Le Club Jockey du Quebec a publie le communique suivant suite au deces de Brian. Cest avec une grande tristesse que nous avons appris au cours des dernieres heures, le deces subit de M. Brian Paquet, qui peut etre certainement considere comme une figure emblematique des courses de chevaux au Quebec. Son deces est dautant plus fulgurant quil etait encore tres actif au cours des dernieres semaines, dans son service benevole de lindustrie. Parler de Brian, cest parler dun homme qui sest implique, sans compter ses heures et ses sous dans une industrie qui lui tenait tant a cur. On la retrouve tour a tour comme proprietaire, et surtout comme un eleveur actif : les Panic resteront graves dans les memoires pour quelques decennies encore. Brian a ete lun de ceux qui etaient a lorigine de la reprise des courses au Quebec. Il y a mis du sien, de son expertise, de son devouement aussi. Il avait tant a cur que lindustrie progresse et se developpe comme aux beaux jours. Cest au sein du c.a. du CJQ quil sest demarque. Il a ete de ceux sur qui tous les gens de chevaux du Quebec pouvaient compter. Son profond respect des gens qui lentouraient lamenait a sexprimer avec son suave accent dans la langue de Moliere. Quel homme agreable et simple, facile a cotoyer, a lecoute de tout un chacun. Il sera difficilement remplace au Club Jockey, des gens comme lui netant pas legion. A sa famille tout dabord, a ses nombreux amis a travers tout le Canada ensuite, sa reputation setendant sur tout le pays, les membres du Club Jockey adressent leurs plus sinceres et leurs plus profondes condoleances. Tu seras manque par tous les gens du milieu, surtout des quadrupedes! Il a ete precede dans la mort par : ses parents, Lyla Montgomery et Russell Paquet. Il laisse dans le deuil : son epouse France; ses filles, Jennifer (Yves Laurencelle) et Jessica; son frere Allan (Lynda Forsyth); sa soeur Marion; et ses belles-soeurs, Isabelle et Renee. Il laisse egalement dans le deuil ses neveux, nieces, cousins, cousines et de tres nombreux ami (e) s. Une visite de condoleances aura lieu le mercredi 20 septembre 2023 de 12 p.m. a 5 p.m. au Centre Communautaire Valcartier (2215 Bd Valcartier, Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, QC G0A4S0). Un service funeraire aura lieu le mercredi 20 septembre 2023 a 5 p.m. au meme endroit. Vos temoignages de sympathie peuvent se traduire par un don a la Fondation ACFA (au cur des familles agricoles), 600, rue Benoit, St-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 1L6, 450-768-6995, acfareseaux.qc.ca. Veuillez joindre Standardbred Canada pour offrir nos sinceres condoleances a la famille et aux amis de Brian Paquet. Fiercely fought over 161 years ago, more land at the Battle of Cedar Mountain in Culpeper County has been preserved as farmland. As local residents and preservationists finalized details for the recent anniversary of the Aug. 9, 1862 battle, they rejoiced in a National Park Service announcement of a $429,372 matching grant toward the protection of seven more acres at Cedar Mountain, according to a release from American Battlefield Trust. Earlier this year, the Trust, based in Washington, launched a campaign to preserve a combined 104 acres at Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain battlefields, pursuing federal and state matching grants to leverage against member donations toward the goal, the release stated. The Cedar Mountain property is immediately south of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jacksons command post near Crittendens Gate and contiguous to other protected lands. It is a key addition to the future battlefield park slated to open next year at the two battlefields in Culpeper County. Virginia Land Conservation Foundation has also supported the project. The American Battlefield Trust has long been committed to the protection of important historic landscapes at Cedar Mountain, Brandy Station and other battlefields in this region, said President David Duncan. Projects like this help us bolster those holdings and create the critical mass of battlefield necessary for robust interpretation, especially as we approach next summers opening of Culpeper Battlefields State Park. Local residents and history buffs are visiting the battlefield in increasing numbers to learn about the events that occurred there and enjoy new programs and amenities, said Diane Logan, president of the newly named Cedar Mountain Battlefield Foundation, formerly Friends of Cedar Mountain. She said this years anniversary events unveiled the Cedar Mountain Battlefield Foundation Kids Camp. It brought families and spectators to the field to learn more about both battle and everyday life in camp through drill and even a taste of hardtack, Logan said. Preservation of this additional battlefield land creates more opportunities for research and enhanced interpretation what a marvelous anniversary present! Historians have assessed Culpeper County was the most marched upon, camped upon and fought upon county in the nation throughout the American Civil War, but its bloodiest day came at the Battle of Cedar Mountain. Nearly 25,000 forces engaged at the site with an estimated 3,691 casualties 1,338 Confederates and 2,353 on the Union side. Administered by the National Park Service, the Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant helps permanently protect American battlefields. In announcing the recent round of grants, Director Chuck Sams said the National Park Service is proud to help state organizations and their partners preserve and protect the irreplaceable historic and cultural landscapes in their communities through local stewardship of these hallowed grounds. Set to open next year, the Culpeper Battlefields State Park was brought to fruition in 2022 after the Commonwealth of Virginia approved the budget for a new unit of the state park system. The park will be formed through a 1,700-acre donation of Trust-owned land on the Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Kellys Ford and Rappahannock Station battlefields, according to the release. While master planning and features of the upcoming state park continue in anticipation of the opening, the seven additional acres will further enrich the story and history told in the region, according to the Trust. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy The debate over abortion rights continues to heat up in Nebraska, with a new effort emerging that could leave the issue up to voters in 2024. Local abortion rights advocates under a newly formed committee called Protect Our Rights filed paperwork this month with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission to establish a ballot initiative that would put a constitutional amendment protecting the right to abortion on the 2024 ballot. Andi Curry Grubb, a member of the committee and Nebraska executive director of Planned Parenthood of North Central States, said the committee is considering a ballot initiative, but hasn't yet committed to the effort. "We are committed to exploring all possible options to protect our rights in Nebraska and restore the rights Nebraskans lost when politicians passed an abortion ban earlier this year," Curry Grubb said in an email. Curry Grubb declined to give further details on the possible initiative. A petition drive would require signatures from 10% of Nebraska's registered voters to make it on the ballot. According to the latest data from the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office, that would translate into roughly 122,000 authorized signatures. State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, who has led the charge for abortion restrictions in the Legislature, said she expects that abortion-rights supporters will launch the petition effort. But she said she believes Nebraska voters would reject a constitutional amendment protecting abortions. "To me, it's totally obnoxious to think that people in Nebraska don't realize that we are a pro-life state," Albrecht said. Without knowing the ballot language, it's unclear to know how the initiative would impact abortion access in Nebraska, if it were to pass. In this year's session, lawmakers tightened the state's abortion restrictions from 20 weeks post-fertilization to 12 weeks based on gestational age. Those restrictions in LB574 took effect immediately. They have been challenged in court because the law affected both abortions and gender-affirming care options for individuals under 19. The legal challenge claims the law violated the Nebraska Constitution's single-subject rule. A Lancaster County District Court judge recently rejected this challenge. Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska filed an appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court Friday. Abortion rights were on the ballot in several states in 2022. In California, Michigan and Vermont, voters passed ballot measures protecting abortion rights in their state constitutions, and in Kentucky, Kansas and Montana, voters rejected measures that would have made it easier for lawmakers to increase abortion restrictions. Following those elections, Nebraska abortion rights advocates have suggested that Nebraska voters might follow suit if they had a vote on abortion, and Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston cited the outcome of the Kansas initiative as a reason for casting the deciding vote to block a bill that would have banned abortions at six weeks gestation. Albrecht said she believes the Kansas initiative failed because abortion rights advocates misled voters. "It's so confusing if you're not in it every day," Albrecht said. While Albrecht believes Nebraska voters would ultimately reject an initiative to protect abortion, she opposes a ballot initiative because she said it will lead to both sides of the debate spending too much money. She noted that a combined $22 million was spent by supporters and opponents on the Kansas ballot question. Last year, William Kip Thompson and his wife, Beni, began planning the vacation of a lifetime. It would be for themselves and their five offspring, the youngest of whom is 15. Soon, the south Roanoke, Va., couple will have four in college at the same time, yikes. They figured summer 2023 would be their last chance in years to have an all-in-the-family vacation. So they splurged. They booked a seven-day Alaska cruise package, in a luxurious three-bedroom suite, aboard the Norwegian Jewel. The package included five days of post-cruise land travel in Alaska, as well as air travel for all seven Thompsons. They booked it through Norwegian Cruise Line, a well known Florida-based cruise operator. The trips cost was $60,619.17. Kip Thompson, a local eye surgeon, paid that fully five months in advance. Some weeks before they were to leave, NCL sent the Thompsons their itinerary, including flights. Beni Thompson noticed a potential hitch almost immediately. They were flying on the same day they were supposed to board the Jewel. That made her nervous. She said she contacted Norwegian Cruise Line twice by phone about that specific concern. Everything Ive ever seen about cruises said, never travel on the same day youre boarding a ship, because of the potential for airline delays, Beni Thompson told me. She mentioned that to the NCL representatives as well. Both reps assured her the family would make it to Vancouver in time, because we were leaving on the first flight of the day and hardly anything ever goes wrong with those, Beni told me. As a result, the family stuck with the original flights booked by Norwegian. The big travel day was June 28. Early that morning, the Thompsons were to board a Delta flight in Greensboro that would fly them to Atlanta. There, theyd catch a connecting Delta flight to Vancouver, British Columbia, where the Norwegian Jewel would leave its dock at 4 p.m PDT. The Thompsons first flight was scheduled to leave Greensboro at 5:41 a.m. The Thompsons were at the airport, but that airliner didnt take off. The fight was canceled because its crew, which had been delayed flying into Greensboro the night before, lacked the minimum number of required rest hours to fly early that morning to Atlanta, Kip Thompson told me. The Thompsons called NCL. A rep informed them the cruise line could not rebook them on flights that would get them to Vancouver on time. The family should work with Delta, to see if there was another way to get them to Canada, NCL told them. Another flight delay in Charlotte According to Delta, there was a possibility. Delta booked the family on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte that was supposed to arrive in Seattle shortly after noon. Then they could catch a short Delta flight to Vancouver, and make it to the Jewel on time. But it would be tight. So the Thompsons hurriedly drove 90 minutes from the Greensboro airport to Charlotte, where they caught the American flight to Seattle. Unfortunately, it was delayed by more than an hour. The American flight landed in Seattle around 1:30 p.m. PDT. By then, their Delta flight to Vancouver had left its gate. (The two cities are roughly 140 miles apart.) In desperation, the family tried to hire an Uber to Vancouver. But none of the three Uber drivers they contacted had passports which the driver would need to get the family across the Canadian border. Kip Thompson contacted NCL again. Was it possible they could board the Jewel at its first stop in Ketchikan, Alaska? Kip said NCL told him a rule prevented the family from boarding at any port other than Vancouver. The land package portion of their vacation would not begin until the cruise ended seven days later. Thompson inquired whether there was any way his family could do that part of the trip. NCL replied no. Thompson said hes never gotten a decent explanation as to why. 2-day summer-travel nightmare So on June 30 around 5:30 a.m., the Thompson clan landed home in Roanoke after a 48 very frustrating hours. They never took their planned Alaska trip-ofa-lifetime. Shortly thereafter, Kip Thompson began asking Norwegian Cruise Line for a refund. He did that via email. Initially, an NCL guest experience coordinator sent Thompson a denial letter addressed to a different unhappy NCL customer, Monica DeGraff of Golden, Colorado. (This becomes noteworthy later in the narrative.) Next, NCL sent Thompson a correctly addressed denial that was identical to DeGraffs in other words, it was a form refund denial letter. Ultimately NCL offered Thompson $2,500 back. That constituted some taxes and service charges for dining and beverages that Thompson had paid as part of his $61,000 prepaid travel package. Dissatisfied, Thompson escalated his refund request with the cruise operator. But that didnt do any good. The latest communication he received was Aug. 7 from Roger Farinas, the cruise operators guest experience supervisor. After a review of your case at length, we have determined that your concerns have been addressed in accordance with our policies, Farinias wrote Thompson. While we are sorry to learn of your continued disappointment with our previous responses, our position in this matter remains firm. I learned details about the botched vacation from the Thompsons last week. Tuesday, I wrote Katty Byrd, Norwegian Cruise Lines vice president of guest services, about the Thompsons issues with NCL. It appears to me that Norwegian Cruise Lines policies have cost Dr. Thompson $58,300, because of canceled flights that Norwegian booked and for which the Thompson family was on-time. It wasnt their fault the flight NCL arranged for them was canceled, I wrote Byrd. From that perspective, it seems less than fair that Dr. Thompson should have to eat that $58,300. Am I looking at this the wrong way? If so, please tell me how and why. Norwegian Cruise Line responds Byrd never replied. But Friday morning I received an unsigned email message from NCLs public relations department. Although Norwegian Cruise Line offers flight arrangements as part of our cruise package, we do not have direct control over the operations of the airlines and are not responsible for their cancelations,[sic] the message said. Per our air policy terms and conditions, If there are delays, cancelations, [sic] or any schedule changes within 72 hours of your departure time, you will need to work directly with your airline for re-accommodations. These changes are beyond the control of NCL. Additionally, as a convenience to our guests we offer the option to deviate flights up to two days pre cruise, which the guest did not elect to do. (Weeks before their travel, Beni Thompson tried to persuade NCL to book her family on earlier flights. But the NCL reps pooh-poohed her concerns, and assured her flying a day earlier was unnecessary.) NCLs response continued: The guest is ineligible for a full refund as they did not purchase travel insurance. It is because of unexpected situations, such as this, that we strongly recommend guests obtain travel protection insurance. Without travel protection, we are unable to provide an exception to our cancelation [sic] fee policy. Kip Thompson says he was offered travel insurance, by NCL, at the time he booked the cruise package. But he turned it down without inquiring as to the price. That brings us back to Monica DeGraff, the other unhappy Norwegian Cruise Line traveler. Recall that when Thompson first asked NCL for a refund, the cruise operator replied to him with a letter addressed to DeGraff in Colorado. NCLs letter also denied her a refund for a different Norwegian cruise. So I called DeGraff and asked for her travel story. Turns out it was very similar to the Thompsons nightmare. She had trip-protection insurance DeGraff bought a 10-day cruise in Italy and Greece for herself, her teenage daughter and her mom aboard Norwegians Breakaway Voyage. That ship departed May 26 from Rome. Norwegian arranged their flights for the same day as the cruises departure. The DeGraffs missed the cruise because a flight NCL booked them on from Toronto the second leg of their air travel to Rome was delayed. That plane didnt arrive in Rome until the Breakaway Voyage already had left. The airliner was so late leaving Toronto that DeGraff and her family never got on it, because they knew they would miss the ships departure. DeGraff had purchased trip-protection insurance offered by NCL as part of her vacation package. She told me it cost about $200 per person. Though she later made a claim for $11,000 (the amount she advance-paid for the missed cruise package) the insurance company denied it. Instead, the insurer paid DeGraff, her mom and daughter $500 each, the maximum coverage in the insurance policy for airline flight delays, DeGraff said. That paid for their flights back to Colorado, but not much else. DeGraff told me shes invested more than 50 hours trying to get an $11,000 refund, or a credit for future travel, but shes been stymied by NCL and the insurer that wrote the policy. Collectively, the two families are out $72,000 because they could not take cruise vacations with Norwegian Cruise Line because of delays with flights booked by the cruise operator. Everyone reading this will draw their own conclusions from these sad stories. Here are a few: First, Ill never book anything on Norwegian Cruise Line because its refund policies seem unfavorably skewed against its customers. (It would seem less frustrating to flush the money down a toilet. At least with that, thered be no expectation of a vacation.) Second, Ill never buy trip-protection insurance for a vacation unless Im absolutely certain itll fully cover my losses if the vacation doesnt happen because of airline delays. Those occur at every single airport, every single day. (In that respect, the policy Norwegian sold Monica DeGraff was almost worthless.) Third, is the old saw about arriving at least a day early at the port of departure for any planned cruise. Its solid advice. Ill take that if I ever book a cruise. Well wrap this up with the last sentence from the final, four-paragraph form letters Kip Thompson and Monica DeGraff each received from Roger Farinas, Norwegian Cruise Lines guest operations supervisor. Here it is: It is our hope that over the course of time, you will consider Norwegian Cruise Line in your future travel plans, Farinas wrote to each. Was he kidding? BRICS summit expected to promote S. Africa's tourism sector Xinhua) 09:20, August 21, 2023 JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) expects that the upcoming BRICS summit can boost tourism revenue of the country. TBCSA CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa told Xinhua in an interview that they are looking to the summit to bring in more tourists. "It's a major event. We're expecting it to boost our tourism. The booking of conference space, restaurants, and hotels will bring in a lot of revenue," Tshivhengwa said. "We need to look beyond the traditional areas that bring in tourists; we need to focus on countries like China to bring more tourists to the country," he said, adding that South Africa ought to make it simple for Chinese tourists to travel to the country. The 15th BRICS Summit will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from Aug. 22 to 24. According to Tshivhengwa, around 93,000 Chinese visitors visited South Africa in 2019. The pandemic interrupted tourism, despite South Africa's efforts to draw tourists from China. In the first quarter of 2023, foreign direct spending skyrocketed to 25.3 billion rand (1.3 billion U.S. dollars), up by 143.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the Tourism Department's report on International Spending and Tourism Impact. Thandiwe Mathibela, a spokesperson for South Africa tourism, told Xinhua that the country had started to welcome visitors from China in March this year. "Events are always the biggest drivers of tourists. People may come to an event for the first time, and they will want to come again to experience the country. Some delegates come with their families," she said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) The aspiration for Aleppo's resurgence faces formidable barriers, colonel Abdul Jabbar Akidi writes for Syria TV. The yearning of displaced Aleppans for their lost paradise rekindles discussions about Aleppos revival. Since its fall to the regime, backed by Russia and Iran in 2016, the discourse continues to captivate attention, despite being laden with dreams and political idealism. Turkey recently announced a tripartite mechanism to establish the Aleppo model for refugee repatriation, showing potential. However, Yassin Aktays proposal to place Aleppo under international trusteeship for refugee return seems distant in current geopolitical realities. Aleppos historical significance has long interested Turkey, but obstacles remain. Half of Syrias refugees within Turkey are from Aleppo, complicating any solution originating there. Over seven years, Turkey has not presented a comprehensive vision for Aleppo despite its importance. Hurdles for any agreement involving Aleppo include political, military, security, and societal challenges. The absence of necessary frameworks renders international protection unfeasible. Collaborating with regional and global powers remains difficult due to competing interests. In essence, the aspiration for Aleppos resurgence faces formidable barriers, suggesting it hinges on broader political resolutions and international collaboration. Secondly, Turkeys ongoing discussions with Russia and the Assad regime might aim to create jobs for refugees, luring them back to Aleppo. But the crucial issue remains: how can those returning face neighborhoods scarred by their oppressors? Assads forces and Iran-backed militias that now control these areas present insurmountable hurdles. Third, the geopolitical landscape complicates the plan. Stronger international players in Syria overshadow Turkeys influence. These forces prioritize their interests, not Turkeys proposal. Fourth, with militias and a weak state presence, returning to Aleppo is dangerous. A secure environment, backed by the UN, is essential for people and businesses to thrive. Fifth, Yassin Aktays idea of international trusteeship needs a neutral military presence. However, nations are reluctant to risk their forces for Turkeys gain. Turkey itself hesitates due to risks and its Syrian involvement. Delegating to unreliable factions raises credibility issues. Sixth, local factions that prioritize peaceful solutions oppose Turkeys understanding of Russia. Some, like the National Army, retain control over key areas, aligned with Astana agreements. Seventh, Hayat Tahrir al-Shams approval is pivotal. Their exclusion obstructed previous agreements, as seen in the Sochi buffer zone. Eighth, the Assad regime focuses on Turkish force departure, not refugee returns. Assads statements cast doubt on negotiations over Aleppo. In Turkish political circles, Aleppo discussions often start informally, later leaking through official channels, hinting at underlying political motives. Despite the citys emotional resonance, Turkeys preservation efforts are lacking. In conclusion, achieving Aleppos revival faces challenges akin to lengthy discussions in Astana and the Constitutional Committee. It requires political alignment, security, and international reconstruction support, making it a challenging aspiration. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Sheikh Hikmat Salman al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze, issued a poignant message to the citizens and youth of Syria, according to as-Suwayda 24. On Sunday, As-Suweida 24 documented over 40 distinct protest points across the As-Suweida governorate. This robust response to calls for a general strike marks a remarkable and unprecedented event since 2011. Throughout forty-two areas, the residents congregated in gatherings, a number anticipated to rise further, with diverse manifestations of protest and varying participation rates. Across villages, government institutions were shuttered, roads were blocked, and resounding chants reverberated demanding the departure of al-Assad, underscoring that Syria belongs to its people, not the al-Assad family. Within the heart of As-Suweida city, Al-Seer/Al-Karama Square witnessed the convergence of hundreds of protesters. They raised banners calling for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2254, fervently chanted for freedom, and passionately voiced the necessity of overthrowing the Syrian regime as the sole remedy to extricate the nation from its downward spiral. In an unusual turn of events for the governorate, the majority of shops remained closed, and government offices did not receive visitors. Universities even announced the postponement of student examinations. Among the 24 documented protest sites by the As-Suweida team was the city itself along with Dhibin, Sala, Busan, Al-Thala, Baka, Sahwa Al-Khader, Miamas, Shaqqa, Arman, Khalkhla, Al-Surah Al-Saghira, Majadel, Al-Anat, Shahba, Namra Shahba, Al-Kafr, Al-Qarya Al-Mashnaf, Mufalah, Qanawat, Al-Shabki, Al-Harisah, Sami, Al-Mazraa, Walga, Umm Al-Zaytoun, Ariqa, Al-Raha, Umm Al-Ruman, Sahwa Al-Balata, Najran, Salim, Atil, Kafr Al-Lahf, Al-Munaithira, Rima Hazim, Al-Mujimer, Ura, Harran, agaric. While As-Suweida has been a backdrop for popular protests seeking change for years, their current impact stands unparalleled. The governorate has plunged into a state of general strike and civil disobedience, with protesters chants imbued with palpable anger. The message echoed by the demonstrators today asserts that patience has worn thin, leaving no alternative but to rise against injustice and tyranny, as one protesters slogan boldly proclaimed. Spiritual Leaderships Call for Change Sheikh Hikmat Salman al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze, issued a poignant message to the citizens and youth of Syria. His words echoed deep concern over the prevailing circumstances, urging resolute action for change and justice. Al-Hijris statement resonated with dissatisfaction and a clarion call for transformation, addressed squarely to officials and relevant authorities. The banner We Seek Honor and Dignity, accentuated the escalating distress and hardship borne by the populace due to successive crises and mismanagement. He extended his greetings and peace to the Druze community and the entire Syrian populace spanning from Houran to Al-Jazeera. He expressed admiration for their endurance and fortitude in confronting consecutive challenges. Sheikh Al-Hijri emphasized that silence should not be construed as consent. He proclaimed, The actions and decisions have adversely impacted livelihoods, and now its time to address the root causes of these conflicts and tribulations. We must rid our land of every intruder, abuser, and destructive element before they pilfer our resources. The statement further declared, We find ourselves in the presence of outsiders who have exploited our resources through questionable means, and honourable individuals have been absent from these adversities. Instead, there have been individuals in positions of authority behaving reprehensibly, amassing and enacting decisions that violate principles and the Constitution. These decisions were taken clandestinely to shock the people, subvert their resources, and extinguish their hopes for a blessed and prosperous life. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Numerous proprietors of shops and eateries have deemed operating under current prices unsustainable, according to Baladi News. Recent reports highlight the adverse impact of salary increases on the closure of beloved shops and restaurants, as surging material costs and challenging selling conditions force business owners to shutter their establishments. Abdel Aziz Maqali, the head of the Consumer Protection Association affiliated with the regime in Damascus Governorate, shed light on the situation. Numerous proprietors of shops and eateries have deemed operating under current prices unsustainable. The swelling expenses of materials and the inability to align sales with prevailing circumstances have compelled many to take the drastic step of shutting down, all in a bid to prevent supply disruptions. In Damascus, proprietors of popular establishments have taken matters into their own hands by setting their own prices, bypassing the official price directives issued by the government. This shift follows the backdrop of increased fuel prices. The result is a tumultuous market scenario within regime-controlled zones, marked by confusion and instability in the availability of basic food essentials, as corroborated by reports from loyalist media outlets. Sam Ghurra, a representative from the Association of Popular Restaurants, Parks, and Cafes loyal to the regime, disclosed that raw material costs surged by an alarming 50% over the past few days. The concurrent decision to elevate fuel prices has further exacerbated the situation, compelling businesses to establish their own price structures, rather than waiting for official price announcements from entities like the internal trade and consumer protection or the governorate. He outlined the ongoing market instability, hampering consensus on reasonable official price points that would cater to both consumers and restaurant owners. The volatility in material prices, particularly the doubling of oil prices and an over 60% increase in tahini prices has created a challenging environment. To illustrate the impact, he shared that the cost of rosary items has soared to 26,000 pounds and in certain instances, a kilo is being sold for 32,000 pounds. Sandwiches now command prices over 1,000 pounds higher than before the fuel price hike. In this context, Al-Maqali acknowledged the considerable chasm between existing market prices and official benchmarks. He underscored the necessity of managing exchange rates and establishing stable markets in major urban centers. He went on to voice his concerns about certain elements within the regime, accusing them of adhering to a strategy akin to shaping clay and then dough. Maqali divulged that prices escalated by 40% following the 100% rise in fuel costs and lamented the sluggish pace of market activity. The recent salary increment authorized by al-Assad, accompanied by a corresponding surge of 100% in oil derivative prices, has precipitated market confusion and near-total stagnation, as reported by government-aligned newspapers. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. On Sunday, a demonstration took place in the southwestern Syrian city of As-Suweida, with dozens of protestors expressing their concerns about the worsening economic conditions. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights provided information about this event. Simultaneously, images of U.S. military convoys moving through different Iraqi cities have surfaced in local media. There are reports suggesting that Shiite factions are cognizant of a potential upcoming operation and have been advised to avoid escalating the situation. Coincidentally, Monday, August 21st, will mark a decade since the tragic Ghouta chemical massacre. During this event, the Bashar al-Assad regime released the nerve agent sarin on civilians in the Ghouta district of Damascus, which was under rebel control at the time. This horrific incident resulted in the loss of over 1,400 lives, including many innocent children. As Syria burns, and its economy collapses, firefighters appeal for support The Washington Post has published a report highlighting the dire situation in Syria as fires rage across the country, compounding the ongoing humanitarian crisis and economic collapse. The report discusses how fires are affecting Syrias Mediterranean coast, aggravating an already dire humanitarian situation caused by factors like earthquakes and an economic crisis. The fires are spreading due to heat waves, low humidity, and strong winds, leading to extensive damage across the region. President Bashar al-Assads visit to firefighters showcases the gravity of the situation. He acknowledges the challenges posed by the fires, likening them to battles that have taken place during the countrys long civil war. This underlines the scale of the crisis the country is grappling with. The report highlights that the fires have led to firefighters on both sides of the conflict (government and rebel-held areas) working together to combat a shared threat. However, they face hurdles due to a lack of support from both the government and the international community. The report emphasizes the difficulties faced by firefighters. They lack adequate resources, including specialized vehicles that can navigate steep terrain and roads. This limitation hampers their ability to respond quickly to fires, putting both lives and property at risk. It underscores the human toll of the fires, with numerous casualties and injuries reported, including children. The fires also lead to extensive destruction of forests, agricultural lands, and homes, forcing people to leave their residences. The impact on the environment, such as the loss of biodiversity, is also noted. The report highlights how even in government-held areas like Latakia, the economic impact of the war and Western sanctions has depleted resources, including firetrucks. The governments control over information makes it challenging to assess the full extent of the damage. The article connects the fires to the broader context of Syrias economic collapse. The currencys devaluation and soaring poverty rates indicate the dire economic conditions the country is facing. Despite recent diplomatic developments, the economy continues to deteriorate. The report suggests that climate change is contributing to the recurring fires in the region, making them more challenging to control. The diminishing vegetation cover and green areas are worsening the situation, raising concerns about future fire occurrences and their environmental impact. Overall, the report sheds light on the multifaceted crisis in Syria, where fires add to the already complex challenges posed by conflict, economic collapse, and environmental factors. The collaboration of firefighters from opposing sides, the struggle for resources, and the broader economic context emphasize the urgency of addressing these issues to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. Dozens protest deteriorating economic conditions in Syrias As-Suweida Dozens protested in the southwestern Syrian city of As-Suweida on Sunday the deteriorating economic conditions, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, Arab News reports. Government offices, main roads and shops were closed in the city as citizens from villages and towns gathered, calling for change. Exams that were scheduled for Sunday at the Damascus University branch in As-Suweida have been postponed for a later date due to the civil unrest. Protests have swept As-Suweida and Daraa with demonstrations calling for the departure of the head of the Syrian regime, and for the improvement of economic conditions, the report said. [MORE DETAILS IN OUR REPORTING] Mysterious U.S. Military Movements in Iraq Syria a Possible Target Photos of U.S. military convoys moving in separate cities are circulating on the local media in Iraq amid reports that the Shiite factions are aware of an imminent operation, and have been asked to avoid escalation. However, Major General Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, denied in a televised statement any U.S. military movements. In turn, a government official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the alleged movements are limited to locations outside the Iraqi border. But three Iraqi figures, including a leader in an armed faction stationed in northwestern Iraq, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US was repositioning its troops in the region, in preparation for a military operation outside Iraq. The leader noted that the armed factions believe that the strategic objective of the operation was to change the rules of engagement with the Russians in Syria. What we have now is just speculation, based on limited information, as the Americans do not share much with Baghdad about their operations, he underlined. According to the Iraqi figures, the Americans will also try to cut off the Iranian supply route towards Syria and Lebanon, through Iraqi territory (). This is all we know so far. Unusually, factions known for their positions against the US presence are maintaining calm over the recent US movements. A leader in the Coordination Framework said: The faction leaders recently discussed information about the American moves, and received an Iranian message that what the Americans are doing whatever it is is not a cause for concern. Hundreds of Syrian trucks trapped at the Jordanian border A flood of videos some posted online, others sent directly to our team show hundreds of trucks at a standstill at the Nassib post on the Syrian border with Jordan, France 24 reported. In this video, a truck driver says, Today, Wednesday, August 9, 2023, makes it ten days that weve been waiting at customs at the Nassib border post. More than 1,250 vehicles are currently stopped at the border. Some trucks are carrying non-food products while others have refrigerated compartments full of vegetables and fruits. Our team spoke to someone working on the Syrian side of the Nassib border post, who told us that at least 300 trucks were currently at a standstill in the border posts parking lot as of August 15. We dont know the reason, but Jordan wont let them enter. All of the trucks transporting products, including food, are still trapped here, he added. Jordan is an important transit zone for trucks going from Syria to the Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, which most cargo trucks enter from the Al-Haditha border post. Screengrabs of the video sent to us by an Observer on August 15, 2023 showing trucks carrying refrigerated compartments filled with agricultural products trapped on the border between Syria and Jordan. Screengrabs of the video sent to us by an Observer on August 15, 2023 showing trucks carrying refrigerated compartments filled with agricultural products trapped on the border between Syria and Jordan. Observers Our team contacted customs officials in both Jordan and Saudi Arabia, who said that there was no blockade on the trucks it was a customs issue that had led to the delays. They didnt explain the nature of the customs issue. A measure meant to curb Captagon trafficking? On August 15th, our team spoke to a man who owned a number of trucks transporting goods from Syria to the Gulf states. Mazen (not his real name) posted a video showing all the trucks blocked at the Nassib border post. Its an unprecedented situation. The checks carried out by the Jordanian authorities are causing serious delays for trucks from both Syria and abroad that want to go to the Gulf. Many of these trucks end up stuck under the sun for hours, despite the fact that some of them are carrying perishable cargo. The measure is aimed at facilitating the export of Jordanian products to the Gulf states. None of the truck drivers dare to talk about it because they are afraid that the Jordanian authorities might ban them from even entering the territory. However, personally, I think that theyve applied this measure to try and restrict the trafficking of Captagon, because Syrian traffickers hide it in anything you can imagine in order to get it across the border, in tomatoes or other vegetables and in lots of other products. You can see proof in the photos published by customs officials in neighbouring countries. This situation seems to have resulted in the Saudi Ministry of Transport deciding to adopt new restrictions on cargo vehicles entering the kingdom. These restrictions went into effect on August 1st, 2023. Under the new law, the ministry has banned the circulation of vehicles older than 20 years old. War, illegal logging and climate change turn Syrias forests into barren land On a riverbank in war-ravaged Syrias north, felling has reduced what was once a lush forest to dispersed trees and decimated trunks poking out from dry, crumbly soil, AFP reports. Twelve years of conflict that led to a spike in illegal logging, along with the effects of climate change and other factors, have eroded Syrias greenery. The dwindling forest on the shores of the Euphrates River is shrinking every year, said Ahmed al-Sheikh, 40, a supermarket owner in the village of Jaabar, in the Kurdish-held part of Syrias Raqa province. Before, the forest would attract tourists, birds, purify the air and protect the area from dust storms, he said. But fuel shortages and rampant poverty during the war have pushed many Syrians to chop the trees to sell or use for heating, dealing a blow to the nature surrounding Jaabar. Its ancient citadel had made the village a popular pre-war tourist attraction, with a reforestation project launched in the mid-1990s offering rare respite from the searing heat. Some people cut down the trees to sell them and earn money, others to keep warm during the winter, Sheikh said. If this goes on, desertification will follow. Residents told AFP they hear loggers riding motorbikes into the forest at night to cut down trees. Even in broad daylight, young men sneak into the woods to chop trees, evading the handful of forest guards patrolling the vast, green spaces. No shade left Syrias war has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. It has also devastated the environment, triggering an alarming loss of forest cover across the country, Dutch peacebuilding group PAX warned in a report earlier this year. The country has witnessed a 26-percent decrease in tree cover since 2000, according to data from Global Forest Watch. Ten kilometres (six miles) from Jaabar, the same fate has befallen the trees of Tuwayhina. In my childhood, we used to come here with friends to sit under the shade of eucalyptus and pine trees, said Mohammed Ali, surrounded by tree trunks scattered across the sun-scorched earth. But now it is a barren land, said the 30-year-old nurse. Now, there is no shade left, only the heat of the sun everywhere. The dust storms never stop, the lake is drying up and there are no trees left, Ali said, referring to Lake Assad, Syrias largest freshwater dam reservoir. Water levels have dropped and pollution has worsened in the Euphrates and the reservoir it feeds, with the rivers flow further impacted by upstream dams in Turkey. Deforestation in Syria is largely attributed to logging and thinning for firewood, according to the PAX report. Soaring fuel prices combined with massive displacement form the main driver for large-scale deforestation throughout Syria, it said. Civilians are cutting down trees for cooking and heating, while there are clear indications that armed groups also use illegal logging and wood sales as a source of income. Blanket of greenery The once-dense forests of Syrias west have suffered the most degradation caused by the war, mostly from tree felling and wildfires, PAX said. Remembering Syrias Ghouta chemical weapons massacre 10 years on Monday, 21st of August will mark ten years since the Ghouta chemical massacre, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad released the nerve agent sarin on Syrian civilians in the then rebel-held Ghouta district of Damascus, killing more than 1,400 people many of them children. The New Arab looks back at this crime on the eve of a decade since its tragic occurrence. Syrian Revolution in Ghouta From the very earliest days of the Syrian revolution in 2011, the population of East Ghouta had been overwhelmingly supportive of the Syrian revolutionary cause and the consequent armed rebellion against the Assad regime and its allies. By 2013, Ghouta was held by rebel forces and the Assad regime had imposed a brutal siege on the district, collectively punishing the civilians living there. The regime also routinely bombarded the area with airstrikes and artillery fire, often killing many civilians. In the early hours of 21 August, the residents of Ghouta were alerted to what was by then a very typical air raid. However, witnesses say that while air raids are usually accompanied by the sounds of missiles and the resultant explosions, no noise accompanied this particular one. A few hours later, Ghoutas medical facilities were overwhelmed by hundreds of patients being brought in with no visible signs of injury, which were the types of conflict and trauma injuries the health workers had been used to. Rather, these patients were experiencing convulsions, suffocation, coughing up blood, foaming at the mouth, and, ultimately, death. As one report put it, patients, particularly children, were dropping like flies in front of perplexed medical staff. It would later be confirmed by experts that these people has been suffering from the cruel effects of sarin gas, which had been deliberately fired into civilian areas in Ghouta by Assad regime forces. The world awoke to countless pictures and videos of piles of dead bodies being held in makeshift morgues set up to deal with the unprecedented influx of corpses over a period of less than 24 hours. In the hours that followed, not only did Ghouta struggle to cope with the dead and affected victims, but also the fear of another attack. As Nour Aden, an activist who survived Ghouta recounted: You hear the planes come and you fear the bombing. But the chemicals are silent. You dont know youre dying until you can smell it and then it is too late. In the aftermath of the attack, there was widespread global outrage and horror at the scenes emerging from Ghouta. The US had claimed that chemical weapons use was a red line that if crossed would prompt its intervention in the Syrian war to protect civilians. But the Obama administration quickly abandoned the idea. What emerged instead was a US-Russian deal, called the Kerry-Lavrov agreement, that allegedly facilitated the removal of Syrias chemical weapons stockpiles under UN supervision. Russia had instantly claimed against the overwhelming contrary evidence that Assad was innocent of the Ghouta attack, instead using its vast disinformation network to blame the victims or claims it was a false flag. Critics said it allowed Assad to get rid of one particularly cruel aspect of his arsenal, while allowing his conventional slaughter to continue. However, it didnt even negate the use of chemical weapons by Damascus. Along with many minor attacks, the Assad regime would go on to commit two more major chemical weapons attacks at Khan Sheikhoun in 2017 and Douma in 2018, which prompted minor US-led airstrikes on Assads chemical facilities. Every year since the attack, Syrian activist groups have gathered around the world in remembrance of the massacre and to highlight the continued plight of Syrians who oppose Assad, Iran and Russia. This year, The Syria Campaign organised events over the weekend in cities around the world to remember Ghouta and its victims and give voice to its survivors as its tenth anniversary approaches. The fundamental grievance for Syrians is that there has been no justice for the estimated 1,400 dead and Assad continues to get away with other crimes. As the Syria Civil Defence, popularly known as the White Helmets, put it: A decade has passed since the chemical weapons massacre in Ghouta a wound that remains unhealed, as souls still await justice. Analysis: Turkiye-Syria Normalization Challenges Turkish columnist Sinem Cengiz, a Turkish political analyst specializing in Turkeys Middle East relations, wrote an op-ed for Arab News, entitled Analysis: Turkiye-Syria Normalization Challenges by Sinem Cengiz discusses the ongoing efforts to normalize relations between Turkey and Syria, with a focus on the diplomatic, economic, and security challenges facing both countries. The article begins by highlighting the significance of the Turkey-Syria normalization process, drawing a parallel with the Saudi Arabia-Iran normalization attempt brokered by China. This sets the stage for understanding the broader diplomatic landscape in the Middle East. The op-ed explains that the normalization efforts between Turkey and Syria were initiated with Russian mediation. Diplomatic and intelligence contacts have been established, and a summit in Moscow aimed to create a roadmap for the normalization process. The article points out that there are significant obstacles to the normalization process due to the diverging interests of the two countries. President Bashar Assad of Syria has expressed concerns about Turkeys presence in Syria, suggesting that the talks aim to legitimize it. Turkey, on the other hand, emphasizes that its troop withdrawal is contingent on its security being ensured. The op-ed notes that Syria sought Arab support against Turkey, but Turkeys improved relations with Arab nations could hinder such efforts. Additionally, the Kurdish terrorism threat originating in northern Syria is a significant concern for Turkey. Withdrawal without proper security measures could lead to the resurgence of Kurdish militias and pose a security threat. The article highlights that the primary drivers behind the normalization process are economic and security-oriented. Turkey seeks relief from its refugee burden, which is linked to the normalization process and regional support. The need to address the Kurdish threat also contributes to Turkeys engagement with Syria. The op-ed emphasizes that Turkey places importance on maintaining its relationship with Russia, which plays a role in the normalization process. However, the presence of multiple actors and variables complicates the dynamics of the Turkey-Syria detente, leading to conflicting interests. The article concludes by acknowledging that the path to Turkey-Syria normalization is challenging. Despite Russian involvement, the process is expected to be slow due to the intricate dynamics at play. Nevertheless, engagement at the security level is predicted to continue. In summary, the op-ed provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and complexities surrounding the Turkey-Syria normalization process. It underscores the importance of various factors, including diplomatic, economic, and security considerations, while acknowledging the potential for slow progress due to intricate dynamics. The op-eds balanced approach offers insights into the ongoing diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. Pentagon denies U.S. military to cut Irans land route into Syria The Pentagon on Thursday reiterated its denial that U.S. forces fighting the Islamic State group have moved to cut off Iran-backed militias access to a key border crossing between Iraq and Syria, Al-Monitor reported Pentagon Press Secretary U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told journalists that recent news reports in Arabic-language media alleging such were false and that U.S. forces are not involved in security on the Iraqi border. Im not tracking any significant shift in forces as it pertains to the defeat ISIS mission in in Syria, Ryder said in response to a question by Al-Monitor on Thursday. We dont provide border security. Thats the role of the Iraqi government, he continued. The Pentagons denial came after the top commander of U.S.-led coalition forces also pushed back on the reports. The coalition is not preparing for military operations to cut off anybody except Daesh [IS]. We remain focused on Daesh, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane told reporters during a phone briefing from Baghdad on Wednesday. The Qaim-Albukamal road is a key access route for militias backed by the Quds Force of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) flowing weapons and personnel into Syria. IRGC-linked militias and other pro-Assad groups have a heavy presence around Albukamal on the Syrian side of the crossing. The area is straddled by U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters across the Euphrates River to the northeast and other U.S.-backed Syrian forces more than a hundred miles to the southwest at the coveted Al-Tanf border crossing along the Baghdad-Damascus highway. Israel has continued a quiet campaign to strike such groups to prevent the approach of projectile missile systems toward its borders. The context: The local reports come as the Biden administration renews its calls for Iran to de-escalate hostilities with U.S. forces and U.S.-aligned states across the Middle East amid new progress towards a detainee exchange. Coalition commander Maj. Gen. McFarlane told reporters at the Pentagon earlier this month that he does not see a connection between Russias actions and Irans goal of expelling U.S. forces from Syria. I think that harassment is, if you will, based on multiple interests for Russia but also for Syria as theyre trying to frustrate us, McFarlane said. Youll hear explanations of why those unsafe, unprofessional incidents are happening. Ive been deliberate about maintaining the focus on IS, ensuring we are not putting anybody else at risk as we do those operations, he added. Roughly 900 U.S. troops remain in Syria under the 2001 Authorization of the Use of Military Force (AUMF), which does not permit them to deploy lethal force against groups other than ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Syria unless acting in self-defence. Overt US movement into Albukamal which is controlled by Syrian pro-regime forces would almost certainly trigger a significant escalation. Know more: The Pentagon appears to be holding off for now on approving a plan to place U.S. Marines on commercial tanker ships to deter Irans attempt to seize such vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. A widespread strike has been launched across multiple towns and cities in Daraa and As-Suweida, according to Syria TV. In the southern regions of Daraa and As-Suweida, a series of demonstrations and protests against the Syrian regime have unfolded since August 17, marked by the rallying cry calling on President Assad, Leave! We want to live. These expressions of discontent stem from the escalating economic hardships and deteriorating living conditions experienced across Syria. Simultaneously, a widespread strike has been launched across multiple towns and cities in Daraa and As-Suweida, commencing on Sunday. At the forefront of this movement is Al-Hirak, an assembly of Syrian activists based within the country. This entity has gained popularity through its presence on various social media platforms, particularly in the southern region. Al-Mutasim Billah, one of the coordinators of the Syrian peaceful movement in the western outskirts of Daraa, spoke to Syria TV. He underscored that the protests in southern Syria have maintained their momentum since the regimes assumption of control over the area in mid-2018. The protests have taken diverse forms, with Daraa consistently engaged in the Syrian landscape. Rather than retreating, the city has established a precedent by supporting the broader Syrian populace in their quest to break free from tyranny. Al-Mutasim Billah emphasized the regimes perpetuation of violence, asserting that it currently employs tactics aimed at subjugating the remaining Syrians. This involves a strategy of deprivation, along with the adoption of arbitrary and poorly thought-out economic policies. These measures are designed to tighten control over both loyalist and opposition-held Syrian urban centers, effectively marginalizing unemployed youth and prompting displacement. He further elaborated that the movement, despite its inherent demands, remains rooted in the fundamental principles of the revolution. Through the ongoing demonstrations within the governorate and those still to come, the movement calls for the release of detainees and the overthrow of the existing regime. The overarching objective is the establishment of a unified Syriaa nation founded upon principles of justice and social equity. Just yesterday, the Syrian Peaceful Movement issued an official statement reaffirming its core values and objectives. Central to this declaration is the movements unwavering commitment to nonviolence and its steadfast refusal to exploit its actions for partisan or factional gains. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Banyan Real Estate Fund Mauritius Vs ACIT (Delhi High Court) Introduction: The Delhi High Courts recent judgment in the case of Banyan Real Estate Fund Mauritius vs ACIT (Assessment Year 2016-17) brings focus on discrepancies in Section 148 Notice of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The court examined incorrect allegations, muddled facts, and apparent lack of application of mind by the Assessing Officer (AO). This article offers a comprehensive examination of the case, providing insights into the background, the detailed analysis, and conclusions drawn from the judgment. Detailed Analysis: Background of the Case: The petitioner was issued a notice under Section 148A(b) of the Income Tax Act, related to the remittance of monies to non-resident/foreign companies, and paying 1 lakh or more for acquiring shares. The allegations were found to be erroneous, leading to the writ petition. Discrepancies in Notice: The petitioner demonstrated the mistakes in the allegations, proving that the money was received upon the sale of shares, not as alleged. The explanation included intricate details concerning the sale of shares and the acquisition of bonus shares. Lack of Application of Mind by AO: The court pointed out the Assessing Officers failure to correct the course after the petitioners response, showing no application of mind in understanding the transactions. Stay Granted: The court stayed the operation of the impugned order and consequent notice until further hearings, observing prima facie incorrect allegations. Pending Matters: The court noted the pending adjudication related to Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and Mauritius, an aspect that may affect the case further. Future Course of Action: The judgment set the stage for further legal proceedings, including counter-affidavits and rejoinders, with the next hearing scheduled on 12.02.2024. Conclusion: The judgment in Banyan Real Estate Fund Mauritius vs ACIT illustrates the critical importance of precision and diligence in issuing notices under the Income Tax Act. It emphasizes the accountability of Assessing Officers in making correct allegations and underscores the courts willingness to grant interim relief when procedural anomalies are evident. The case serves as a precedent for future assessments and highlights the importance of accurate understanding and interpretation of financial transactions in legal proceedings. The rulings implications extend to the broader legal discourse on transparency, fairness, and procedural correctness in tax assessments. FULL TEXT OF THE JUDGMENT/ORDER OF DELHI HIGH COURT 1. Allowed, subject to just exceptions. W.P.(C) 10485/2023 & CM APPL. 40640/2023 [Application filed on behalf of the petitioner seeking interim relief]. 2. This writ petition concerns Assessment Year (AY) 2016-17. 3. The record, as presently made available to us, shows that there has been no application of mind by the Assessing Officer (AO). 4. Evidently, the petitioner was issued a notice dated 24.03.2023 under Section 148A(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 [in short, The Act]. 5. The allegation levelled against the petitioner concerned the following two aspects: (i) First, it had remitted monies to non-resident/foreign company. (ii) Second, it had paid Rs.1 lakh or more, for acquiring shares. 5.1 Insofar as remittances were concerned, in the notice under Section 148A(b) of the Act, there are two amounts mentioned i.e. Rs. 36,70,31,500/& Rs. 8,98,87,560/-. 5.2. Insofar as the allegations concerning the monies paid by the petitioner for acquiring shares was concerned, it was pegged at Rs. 10,18,59,480/-. 6. As required in the aforesaid notice, the petitioner filed a response dated 04.04.2023, whereby it was conveyed that a serious error was committed by the AO. 7. It was pointed out that the petitioner had, in fact, received monies upon the sale of shares, and not, as alleged, remitted monies through a non-resident/foreign company. 7.1. In this regard, the petitioner indicated that it had sold shares of two entities i.e., Landmark Hi Tech Development Private Limited and Safari Retreats Private Limited. 7.2. Insofar as the amount received on sale of share of Landmark Hi Tech Development Private Limited was concerned, it was asserted that the petitioner had received Rs. 36,70,31,500/-, and, likewise upon sale of shares of Safari Retreats Private Limited, it was averred that the petitioner had received Rs. 8,98,87,560/-. 7.3 Therefore, the cumulative amount that the petitioner claimed it had received on sale of the shares was Rs. 45,69,19,060/-. 8. As regards the other allegation, which is that it had paid Rs.10,18,59,480/- for acquiring shares, the petitioner submitted that it had, in the first instance, acquired 1,41,47,150 shares from a company going by the name Treasured Developers Pvt. Ltd. (TDPL). 8.1. The petitioner further averred that, against these shares, it was allotted 70,73,575. bonus shares. Thus, at the given point of time, the petitioner held 2,12,20,725 equity shares in TDPL. 8.2. he petitioner claims that an amalgamation took place between TDPL and another company, namely, Suncity Dhoot Colonizers Private Limited. It is stated that the scheme of amalgamation concerning these companies was sanctioned via an order dated 22.06.2015 passed by the Delhi High Court in Company Petition No. 417/2015. 8.3 The petitioner claims that, consequent to the amalgamation, it was allotted 1,01,85,948 shares of Suncity Dhoot Colonizers Private Limited, bearing a face value of Rs. 10 per share. 8.4. Thus, the explanation given was that the amount which was flagged by the AO, was nothing but the face value of the aforementioned shares amounting to Rs.10,18,59,490/-. 9. The petitioner also brought to the notice of the AO that the allotment of shares in a scheme of amalgamation was not construed as transfer under the Act. In this regard, the provisions of Section 47(vii) of the Act was mentioned by the petitioner. 10. According to the petitioner, the allegations stemmed from the erroneous assumption in the notice dated 24.03.2023 issued under Section 148A(b) of the Act that the petitioner had not filed its Return of Income(ROI). 11. Mr Indruj Singh Rai, learned counsel, who appears on behalf of petitioner, says that the entire transaction was disclosed by the petitioner in the ROI. 12. In this behalf, our attention was drawn to the copy of the ROI placed on record by the petitioner. A perusal of the ROI shows that the petitioner had disclosed the sale of shares and had also claimed exemption on the long term capital gain earned by it. 13. The AO, while noticing the reply filed by the petitioner, seems to have continued on the course embarked upon by him i.e., continuing with the reassessment proceedings, without any course correction. 13.1 It is quite obvious that the AO has muddled up the facts and thus made allegations which, prima facie, dont appear to be correct. 14. Furthermore, as pointed out by the Mr Indruj Singh Rai, for the first time, in the Section 148A(d) order, the AO seems to have flagged the issue that the petitioner was attempting to take benefit of the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) executed between India and Mauritius, and, in this context, stated that it had failed to provide the audited balance sheets of Indian entities, whose shares were sold in the AY in issue. 15. Furthermore, on this aspect, the AO also made observations that the details concerning the Directors, shareholding patterns of the Indian entities, the Minutes of Board Meeting and the valuation report as per Section 50 of the Act, read with rule 11UA, had not been submitted. 16. A bare perusal of the notice dated 24.03.2023 issued under Section 148A(b) of the Act would show that these aspects were not adverted to by the AO. 17. However, on being queried, Mr Indruj Singh Rai, did concede that the benefit of the DTAA has been denied to the assesee for AY 2014-15. It is, however, stated by the Mr Indruj Singh Rai that this aspect is pending adjudication before this Court in W.P(C) No. 4652/2022. 18. Mr Puneet Rai, learned senior standing counsel, who appears on behalf of respondent/revenue says that he would have to file a counter-affidavit in the matter. 19. Accordingly, issue notice. 19.1 Mr Puneet Rai, learned senior standing counsel accepts notice on behalf of the respondents/revenue. 20. Counter affidavit will be filed within six weeks. 20.1 Rejoinder thereto, if any, will be filed, at least five days before the next date of hearing. 21. List the matter on 12.02.2024. 22. In the meanwhile, operation of the impugned order dated 27.04.2023 passed under Section 148A(d) of the Act and the consequent notice of even date i.e., 27.04.2023 issued under Section 148 of the Act shall remain stayed. 23. Parties will act based on the digitally signed copy of the order. RIVNE, Ukraine Along a bustling street in a western Ukrainian city, Denys Abdulin takes his first independent strides since he was severely wounded and blinded while fighting invading Russian troops more than a year ago. The 34-year-old former soldier, wearing black glasses and gripping a white mobility cane, steps onto a more crowded stretch of sidewalk. His movements become tentative and tense. He accidentally blocks the path of a woman approaching an ATM to withdraw cash. Like many other pedestrians, she responds with a compassionate smile and gracefully moves aside. Gradually, Abdulin covers almost three-tenths of a mile, guided by a trainer walking ahead of him with a bracelet of small metal bells. Five other Ukrainian military veterans conquered similar challenges while attending a rehabilitation camp for ex-soldiers who lost their vision in combat. Over several weeks, the men would learn to navigate the city of Rivne, to prepare their own meals and to use public transportation while traveling solo. Daily tasks they previously performed without thinking now demand focus, strength and dedication. Everyone pays their price for freedom in Ukraine, Abdulin, who spent months confined to a hospital bed and rarely takes off his dark shades, said. The war Russia launched in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, has killed tens of thousands of fighters on both sides. Countless others, both Ukrainian military personnel and civilians who took up arms to defend their country, have been maimed or suffered other injuries that irreversibly reshaped their lives. No statistics currently exist for how many service members have lost their sight due to severe wounds sustained in the war, according to Olesia Perepechenko, executive director of Modern Sight, the non-governmental organization that puts on the camp. But demand for the program is growing as the war nears its 1-year point. Over the course of several weeks, the veterans, accompanied by their families, reside at a rehabilitation center outside of Rivne. Most receive their first canes here, take their first walks around urban and natural environments without assistance, and learn to operate sound-based programs for using cellphones and computers. Our goal isnt to retrain them, not to change them, but simply to give them a chance to become independent and self-reliant, said Perepechenko, who is herself blind. Abdulin voluntarily joined the military when Russia invaded Ukraine nearly 18 months ago. Completing the walk marked a new phase in his recovery following the wounds he sustained when a mine detonated a few yards behind him in Sieverodontesk, a city in eastern Ukraine now occupied by Russians. It seemed to me that a flame flew out of my eyes, he said of that day in May 2022. I immediately realized that I had lost my eyes. In 2014, when Russia unlawfully annexed Crimea and armed conflict erupted in Ukraines Donbas region, Perepechenko yearned to be on the front lines helping in some way. Her request to join the army was declined, so she decided to embrace a new mission: helping soldiers who lost their sight to reclaim a sense of autonomy. Modern Sight held its first rehabilitation camp in 2019 and organized around 10 more since then. However, only two camps have taken place during the war. Although there is a waiting list of 30 people for the next session, the non-profits primary hurdle is funding: each camp costs about $16,400 to put on. Abdulin spent almost a year receiving treatment for his injuries, which included a shattered jaw from the shrapnel that also stole his vision and left him with breathing and balance problems. His wife, Olesia Abdulina, returned with their two children from Lithuania, where the three of them sought refuge after Russia's full-scale invasion. His eyes were still so swollen, with bandages over them, covered in cotton pads, Abdulina said of seeing her husband at the hospital for the first time after their months of separation. The main thing is that youre alive, she said she responded when he told her he would never see again. During the months after that, she fed him with a spoon and rarely left his side. At the Modern Sight camp, the two of them were learning how to integrate his impairment into their family life. We remain the same people. We have the same capabilities, Ivan Soroka, 27, who joined the Ukrainian army on the day Russia invaded and was attending the camp for a second time. We need to stand up, take control and work on improving ourself. A projectile wounded Soroka near Bakhmut in August 2022, when the longest battle of the war so far was just beginning. Russian forces ended up taking the city in eastern Ukraine in May after more than eight months of intense combat. I lost my sight immediately, thrown by the blast wave. I felt that I was dying, Soroka said. I lay there for about two minutes. Then I realized that no, someone isnt letting me go there. As he recalls those moments, he implies it was his fiancee, Vlada, now sitting beside him, who kept him alive. By the time they leave the center, the men will know they have the tools to get around a city and gained something equally vital a sense of community forged through shared experiences and a common trauma. Photos: Blind veterans beat challenges at Ukraine rehab camp Oregon Health & Sciences University said this week that it will seek to join forces with Legacy Health, a business move that would dramatically reshape the Portland health care market. The proposed hospital behemoth would employ more than 32,000 people, according to OHSU, making it the largest single employer in the Portland region. Its footprint would stretch across more than 100 locations, including 10 hospitals. An approved merger would effectively shut down Legacy Health and absorb its operations under OHSU. The impact of this transformation on patients and health care providers is likely to be profound, though details remain scant. Heres what know at this time: When will the proposed merger be complete? The two hospital systems say they plan to finalize the merger before the end of 2024 but have not offered a more detailed timeline. OHSU has reportedly committed $1 billion into the merged entity over the next decade. What entities will review or oversee it? Any final agreement reached between OSHU and Legacy will require regulatory approval from the Oregon Health Authority, Washington Health Department and the Federal Trade Commission. Issues theyll consider are market share and whether a merged entity might violate antitrust law. The Oregon Health Authoritys Health Care Market Oversight program reviews health care business deals in the state, including mergers and acquisitions, to ensure they promote health equity, lower consumer costs, increased access and better care. The program has yet to receive a proposed plan from OHSU and Legacy, spokesperson Amy Bacher said. The hospitals must do so at least 180 days before a transaction closes. Why is this happening now? Legacy, the largest hospital chain in Portland, lost a catastrophic $172 million in its 2023 fiscal year, raising questions about its viability. It has faced other challenges too. Legacy alienated employees at its Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center when it announced it was closing the facilitys birthing center. More recently, a security guard at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Northwest Portland was shot and killed by a disgruntled visitor. On Thursday, The Oregon Nurses Association said in a statement that it supported the merger. Over the past few years, we have seen significant failures on the part of the Legacy Health System, including, most recently, the attempted closure of the Family Birth Center at Legacy Mt. Hood, and horrific acts of violence in the workplace at Legacy Good Samaritan, the statement said. ONA does not have any faith in Legacys management, so a merger with a public institution like OHSU which will come with more requirements related to transparency and accountability is likely to be in the best interests of Legacys patients and their 13,000 staff members. Will Legacy rebrand or remain known as Legacy? According to the letter of intent signed by both hospital systems, the parties will work together in good faith to develop a strategy for appropriately branding the system as a whole and individual facilities comprising the system, including retaining the Legacy name for its existing facilities in some or all branding for at least some to-be-determined period. What is expected to happen to the Legacy hospital workers and administration? Neither hospital system has provided much detail at this time. Company mergers often result in administrative or management layoffs. Per the letter of intent, physicians, advance practice providers and all other workers will remain retained by the current employer at the time the deal is finalized. The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems on Thursday said it did not have information about how prior hospital mergers in the state have impacted system staffing levels and headcounts. Will Legacy patients be able to continue to see their doctors? Legacy and OHSU both will continue normal operations throughout the duration of the merger. The hospitals say they do not expect any changes to insurance carrier relationships once its complete. What other impacts might this proposed merger have on patients and providers? Studies have typically found that hospital mergers can often lead to increased health care costs without measurable improvements in the quality of care, according to a 2020 report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. However, research published in 2021 by the American Hospital Association, an industry group, claimed they drive down costs and increase performance. Russias Luna-25 module collides with Moon surface, contact with it is lost August 21, 2023 12:18 The Russian Luna-25 module entered an uncalculated orbit and collided with the surface of the Moon, after which communication with it was interrupted, Russia's federal space agency Roscosmos announced, the BBC Russian service reported. Efforts to find the module were unsuccessful, and the mission is considered concluded. This was the first such mission in Russia's post-Soviet history. It was launched on August 11 from the Vostochny Space Launch Center. "According to the results of the preliminary analysis, due to the deviation of the actual momentum parameters, the Luna-25 spacecraft entered an uncalculated orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon. A specially created interdepartmental commission will deal with finding out the reasons for the loss of the spaceship," says the respective statement released by Roscosmos. Roscosmos general director Yury Borisov said that the soft landing of Luna-25 was supposed to take place on Monday. Luna-25 is part of the Russian lunar program for the exploration and practical use of lunar and sublunar space by means of automatic interplanetary stations. The station weighed 1.8 tons, and its complex of scientific equipment31 kg. The scientific equipment was developed by the Russian Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Luna-25 was to be controlled from Earth. Luna-25 was to engage in both purely scientific research and study the formation and evolution of the Moon, and practical research and study the possibilities of using the Moon's minerals in the future. The main task of this mission was to develop soft landing technology near the lunar south pole to facilitate the work of future missions; this was to be done by the orbital part of the automatic probe. Also, this device was to explore the surface of the lunar south pole region, including in order to search for water with the help of cryogenic drilling. In addition, Luna-25's instruments were to study the dust, micrometeorites, and radiation environment of the Moon's polar region. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Zenith Synergy announced the appointment of Mr. Rahul Agarwal as a Board Advisory Member. Rahul Agarwal was the CEO and MD of Lenovo India, from 2015 to June 2021. He joined the company in 2004 at inception and helped build it from a small base to a USD 1.5B revenue entity. He is credited for the transformation of the company into a profitable growth model and becoming a device + services company. With him at the helm, India became the first and the only region worldwide ever, to become No 1 in both PCs & Tablets businesses. His business experience there spanned from B2B to B2C, ecommerce, retail, distribution, omnichannel, customer direct to business partners. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Agarwal has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep understanding of the IT industry. He served as the Head of B2B Business for Lenovo for five years, where he played a pivotal role in driving growth and innovation. Prior to that, he led the Marketing Communications division for Lenovo globally, setting up the renowned and pioneering World Wide Marketing Hub. Rahul Agarwals contributions extended to his role as the CMO of Lenovo India, where he implemented strategic marketing initiatives that propelled the companys success. His efforts were instrumental in establishing Lenovo as a trusted brand in the Indian market. We are thrilled to have Mr. Rahul Agarwal join Zenith Computer Team, said Dr. Yogesh Bhatia, MD of Zenith synergy. His guidance will enable us to position Zenith as a leading brand in PCs in India and globally. This fits in very well with our philosophy of Reimagining Legends His extensive experience, strategic mindset, and passion for technology make him an invaluable asset to our company. We look forward to leveraging his expertise as we continue to push boundaries and drive innovation. As a Board Advisory Member, Mr. Agarwal will provide strategic counsel to Zenith Synergy executive team, leveraging his deep industry knowledge to help shape the companys technology roadmap and drive business expansion. His presence will further strengthen Zenith Synergy position as a pioneer in the global technology market. With a strong educational background, Mr. Agarwal holds a PGDM/MBA degree from IIM Ahmed. He also obtained an undergraduate degree in Business Management from Delhi University, solidifying his foundation in business and management principles. On joining the company, Mr. Rahul Agarwal, said I am delighted to join Zenith Synergy as a Board Advisory Member. The companys commitment to innovation and its transformative solutions align perfectly with my own passion for technology. I am excited to contribute my expertise and collaborate with the talented team at the company to drive growth and shape the future of the industry. Together, we will empower businesses and individuals worldwide with cutting-edge technological advancements. In a meticulously crafted agreement that heralds a new era of innovation, Polygon Labs and SK Telecom have solidified their partnership, laying the groundwork for a profound and enduring collaboration. At the heart of this alliance is Polygons pivotal role in empowering SK Telecom to forge its own dynamic Web3 ecosystem, a strategic move that promises to redefine the landscape of connectivity and creativity. The ceremonial signing of the agreement took place between Oh Se-hyun, SK Telecoms Vice President and Head of Web3, and Marc Boiron, the visionary CEO guiding Polygon Labs. This momentous event not only seals their commitment but also symbolizes the convergence of their shared vision: to leverage the transformative potential of blockchain technology and Web3 applications. Central to the partnership is the integration of Polygons native cryptocurrency, MATIC, into SK Telecoms existing suite of services. This integration holds the key to elevating user experiences and catalyzing innovation across diverse sectors. By embarking on this bold endeavor, SK Telecom envisions a future where traditional telecom services seamlessly interlace with decentralized applications, resulting in an entirely novel digital experience for users. At its core, the collaboration is anchored in the strategic imperative to fortify SK Telecoms Web3 ecosystem. The implications of this move are far-reaching, setting the stage for unprecedented progress. Powered by the driving force of Polygons MATIC, SK Telecom aspires to nurture a vibrant hub that attracts creators, developers, and enthusiasts alike. This emphasis on community-driven innovation is poised to foster a culture of collaborative creativity that redefines the digital landscape. A notable facet of this partnership is the convergence of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) with the telecom industryan intersection that holds immense promise. With the amalgamation of Polygons technical prowess and SK Telecoms market presence, the potential of NFTs is poised to be unleashed in ways previously unexplored. This power-packed partnership envisions a realm where digital ownership and creative expression converge seamlessly within the fabric of telecommunications. The implications of this collaboration extend to the core of Web3 applications and blockchain technology. The fusion of Polygons expertise with SK Telecoms expansive network lays the foundation for groundbreaking advancements. Through this partnership, SK Telecom is on a mission to carve out a unique niche, redefining the contours of digital engagement. We believe that the future lies at the intersection of connectivity and creativity, stated Oh Se-hyun, the visionary driving SK Telecoms Web3 initiatives. Our partnership with Polygon Labs represents a significant leap towards this futurea future where users are not just consumers, but active participants in the creation and evolution of digital experiences. Marc Boiron, the forward-thinking CEO of Polygon Labs, echoed these sentiments: Our collaboration with SK Telecom marks a momentous step towards realizing the true potential of blockchain technology. Were excited to witness the fusion of our innovation with SK Telecoms market leadership, opening doors to limitless possibilities. As the partnership between Polygon Labs and SK Telecom gains momentum, industry experts and stakeholders are keeping a close watch on the trajectory of this transformative alliance. The shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of whats possible in the realm of Web3 applications holds the promise of reshaping industries and reimagining the digital landscape. In conclusion, the meticulously crafted partnership between Polygon Labs and SK Telecom stands as a beacon of innovation in the ever-evolving landscape of blockchain technology and Web3 applications. As Polygons MATIC takes center stage in empowering SK Telecoms dynamic ecosystem, the future unfolds with the promise of a seamlessly interconnected digital realm, where creativity and connectivity converge in unprecedented ways. This partnership isnt just a collaboration; its a catalyst for a future where the possibilities are as limitless as the imagination itself. The College Station school board last Tuesday gave district officials approval to contract with TNT Security Solutions to provide an armed security officer at each of the districts 13 elementary and intermediate schools. This measure was taken to comply with House Bill 3, which was passed by the Texas Legislature during this springs 88th session and requires armed personnel at all school campuses beginning this school year. State lawmakers expressed the importance of addressing school safety in this springs legislative session after the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, in which 19 students and two teachers died. District officials also announced last Tuesday that A&M Consolidated and College Station high schools will have an additional armed officer from the Brazos County Sheriffs Office, which will put two armed officers at each of the districts comprehensive high schools. In previous years, Consol and College Station each had one armed officer on campus. College View High School and the districts three middle schools will continue to have just one armed officer from the Brazos County Sheriffs Office. During Tuesdays meeting, College Stations deputy superintendent Molley Perry explained to the board the district decided to contract with TNT Security Solutions, a Brazos Valley-based company, since conversations with local law enforcement agencies, including the Brazos County Sheriffs Office, indicated they dont have the staffing to provide 13 additional officers or deputies to each of the districts elementary and intermediate campuses. An alternative notion to contract with TNT Security Solutions was proposed instead to be in compliance with HB 3. The College Station school board met in executive session for around 10 minutes to discuss the matter and then recessed to open session and approved the item by unanimous decision. Earlier this month, the Bryan school district also contracted with TNT Security Solutions as well as the Bryan Police Department to comply with HB 3. The Bryan school district had a previous agreement with Bryan police to provide school resource officers, but SROs were not assigned to each campus on a full-time basis, according to a school board resolution. The first live specimen of a yellow-legged hornet, which poses a threat to honeybees and other pollinators, has been detected in the wild in the United States, according to a release from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The GDA, US Department of Agriculture, and the University of Georgia confirmed the presence of the hornet near Savannah, Georgia, in August, the release said. The yellow-legged hornet is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia and feeds on a variety of insects, according to the GDA. If allowed to establish in the US, this invasive species could threaten honey production and Georgias native pollinators, the release said. Pollinators play a significant role in Georgias agriculture industry, the states main economic driver, and it is imperative that these invasive pests are tracked and eradicated, the GDA said. We are working with USDA APHIS and UGA to trap, track, and eradicate these pests and will continue to assess the situation as new information becomes available and allocate additional resources as need. The Georgia Department of Agriculture is asking for the publics help in reporting any sightings of the yellow-legged hornet, but is urging caution in the event they come across one. 20 of the biggest insects in the world 20 of the biggest insects in the world Attacus atlas: Atlas moth Chalcosoma atlas: Atlas beetle Deinacrida heteracantha: Giant weta Dynastes hercules: Hercules beetle Eacles imperialis imperialis: Imperial moth Enoplocerus armillatus: Giant longhorn beetle Gauromydas heros: Mydas fly Goliathus regius: Royal goliath beetle Lethocerus grandis, Lethocerus maximus: Giant water bug Lucanus cervus: European stag beetle Macrodontia cervicornis: Sabertooth longhorn beetle Macropanesthia rhinoceros: Giant burrowing cockroach Megasoma actaeon: Actaeon beetle Megasoma elephas: Elephant beetle Ornithoptera alexandrae: Queen Alexandra's birdwing Pepsis pulszkyi: Tarantula hawk Phryganistria chinensis: Stick insect Tenodera sinensis: Chinese praying mantis Titanus giganteus: Titan beetle Tropidacris: Tropidacris grasshopper WASHINGTON Texas has quietly moved its buoys to the American side of the Rio Grande, and Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday the 1,000-foot barrier preventing migrants from crossing into Texas had simply drifted into Mexican territory. The governor offered no apology to Mexico, which complained for weeks about the violation of its sovereignty, nor any explanation for why the buoys were installed so close to the Rio Grande midpoint for that to have happened. Last Tuesday, the Justice Department showed a federal court evidence that roughly 80% of the barrier was on the Mexican side of the border, which Texas officials had previously denied. The buoys are attached to concrete anchors using 12-meter chains. The river is no deeper than 4 feet in that area, meaning the buoys can shift quite a bit in the current. Crews were working on the buoys Monday near Eagle Pass, hours before Abbott arrived for a news conference. Joined by four fellow Republican governors, he blasted President Joe Bidens immigration policies and defended the states tactics, which includes razor wire, state police and National Guard. The $850,000 floating barrier was installed six weeks ago. An 1899 law prohibits construction in a waterway without federal approval. Abbott says Texas needs no such permission because its under invasion by migrants and drug smugglers. We are fully authorized by the Constitution to do exactly what were are doing, and that is to secure the border, he said Monday. The Justice Department issued a lengthy rebuttal to that contention last week. Federal courts have always rejected efforts to equate immigration with the emergency powers afforded states in case of invasion. The Justice Department also says the barrier harms relations with the largest U.S. trading partner even more so once the border violation became apparent. The fact that Texas decided to rectify the error without a heads-up, let alone permission, the Justice Department told a court Friday after learning the work had begun, added to a growing list of ongoing and flagrant violations by the state. U.S. District Judge David Ezra, a Reagan appointee, will hear arguments Tuesday morning in Austin on the DOJ lawsuit aimed at forcing Abbott to remove the buoys and halt further construction in the river that defines the Texas-Mexico border. Last Tuesday, the Justice Department filed a survey from the International Boundary and Water Commission (IWBC), the binational agency that controls the river, showing that roughly 80% of the barrier was on the Mexican side. On Thursday night, a tipster alerted the IBWC that work was being performed on the barrier. The next morning, IBWC dispatched a civil engineer, Evelio Siller. His affidavit describes excavators and workers repositioning concrete blocks that anchor the barrier. Texas officials have yet to explain how the barrier ended up on the wrong side of the border. Nor have they said how much it cost to correct that error. Frank Fisher, spokesman for the U.S. Section of the IBWC, said Monday the agency is monitoring the recent activity involving the Texas floating barrier in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, and referred further questions to the Justice Department. The state paid a company called Cochrane USA $850,000 to install the barrier. Abbott scheduled a news conference with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to defend Operation Lone Star, Texas $10 billion border security effort, and air criticism of President Joe Bidens border policies. The United States had no advance notice that Defendants would be performing additional work on the Floating Barrier. When questioned by counsel this afternoon, Defendants admitted that Texas is presently repositioning the Floating barrier within the river, the Justice Department told the court Friday. Texas newly resumed, unauthorized construction activities in the Rio Grande underscore why this Court should order Texas to remove the barrier. Mexicos top diplomat raised complaints about the buoys directly with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during meetings in Washington two weeks ago. Migrant advocates, Democratic lawmakers and Mexican officials say the buoys add to the risk for migrants, forcing those intent on crossing the river to do so at deeper and more dangerous parts. The river is about 200 feet wide and no more than 4 feet deep where the barrier was placed, 2 miles downstream from Eagle Pass. Its attached by 12-meter chains that allow it to shift position with the current. Several migrants have drowned near the buoys since they were installed about six weeks ago. Texas also has installed razor wire along 60 miles of the border, and migrants have been entangled and cut. S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Eli Lilly and Company is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical company. It is the 12th largest pharmaceutical company by revenue and has offices in 16 countries. Its medicines are sold in at least 125 countries including its 8 blockbuster drugs. The company is a member of the S&P 500 and S&P 100 indices, it brought in roughly $5.5 billion in revenue for 2021 and employs more than 35,000 people across its network of research and production facilities. Eli Lilly and Company was founded in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly. The colonel, a veteran of the Civil War, had recently dissolved an unsatisfactory partnership and set on his own to produce and develop medicinal chemicals. Colonel Lilly remained as president until his death in 1898. His charge to his family, company and coworkers was to take what you find here and make it better and better. The company is well-known for many drugs, including the first mass-marketing of quinine to treat malaria. The company brought in $4,470 in its first year and saw that figure grow 10X over the next 3. Among the many innovations during this time period is the addition of gelation coatings for pills which helped set the company up for rapid expansion. The company was incorporated in 1881 as Eli Lilly and Company issuing stock to family and friends. The 1900s brought about more change for the company, change in the form of expansion which included international markets. Advancements during the war years included increases in efficiency due to increased automation and the development of precision technologies. Among the technologies was pill manufacturing which included injecting medicines directly into a gelation capsule. This method allowed for more exact dosing, setting the standard for modern production. The company produced capsules for itself and sold excess capacity to competitors. Other major advancements include fruit flavorings in medicine, straight-line manufacturing and a method of blueprinting manufacturing tickets to prevent errors. The modern period saw the company grow and discover new, world-class pharmaceuticals. Today, the company is engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of human pharmaceuticals. It offers a wide range of treatments, including Prozac but is perhaps most noteworthy for its work with insulin. The company is the first to mass produce insulin and has made numerous advances in treating diabetes in the time since. While other drugs are more widely known, its diabetic drugs Basaglar, Jardience, Trulicity, Humalog and Humulin are its top-sellers and contribute the bulk of revenue and cash flow. Along with Diabetic research, the company also focuses on Alzheimer's, Oncology, Immunology, Obesity and Pain care. At the end of 2022, the company pipeline had 23 compounds in Phase 3 clinical trials and 1 in review. There were another 18 in Phase 2 trials and more than 2 dozen in Phase 1 trials. The average cost to discover a new drug was running at $2.6 billion with a 10-year discovery-to-patient timeline. The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface. Read More The Charles Schwab Corporation is a financial services company that offers a wide range of investment services, including brokerage, banking, and financial advisory services. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Westlake, Texas, the company operates through two main segments: Investor Services and Advisor Services. The Investor Services segment offers individual investors retail brokerage and banking services, while the Advisor Services segment provides custodial, trading, and support services to independent investment advisors. In 2020, the company completed its acquisition of TD Ameritrade, further expanding its client base and offerings. Charles Schwab Corporation's management team is led by Walt Bettinger, who has been the company's President and Chief Executive Officer since 2008. Mr. Bettinger joined the company in 1995 and has held various leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer and Head of Schwab Institutional. Over the past few years, Charles Schwab Corporation has experienced steady growth in its key financial metrics. It is reporting increased revenue and increased profit margin. Charles Schwab Corporation's valuation metrics are generally in line with industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings ratio is slightly lower than the industry average, and the company's price-to-book ratio is also somewhat lower than the industry average. Charles Schwab Corporation's stock has generally performed well over the past few years, with some fluctuations in response to broader market conditions and regulatory changes. The company's stock price has outperformed the S&P 500 for several years. The company has also experienced increases in trading volume in response to changes in market conditions and regulatory changes. Charles Schwab Corporation operates in the financial services industry, which has experienced significant growth and transformation over the past few years. The industry has been impacted by a range of factors, including advances in technology, changing consumer preferences, and regulatory changes. Charles Schwab Corporation competes with other financial services firms, including traditional brokerage firms, online investment platforms, and banks. Charles Schwab Corporation has a range of potential growth opportunities, including expanding its offerings to meet the evolving needs of its clients. The company has been investing in technology and digital platforms to improve its services and attract new clients. In addition, the company's acquisition of TD Ameritrade has provided new opportunities for growth and expansion. The company also focuses on expanding its international presence and exploring new markets. Charles Schwab Corporation faces a range of potential risks and challenges, including changes in regulatory and political environments that may impact the company's operations and profitability. The financial services industry is subject to a wide range of regulations, and changes in these regulations could significantly impact the company's operations. In addition, the industry is subject to intense competition, which could affect the company's ability to attract and retain clients. Another potential risk is the impact of market volatility on the company's operations. Charles Schwab Corporation generates a significant portion of its revenue from commissions and fees, which are impacted by changes in market conditions. In periods of market volatility, clients may reduce their trading activity, which could affect the company's revenue and profitability. The company also faces risks related to data security and privacy. The company collects and stores sensitive financial and personal information on its clients. Any breach of this data could significantly impact the company's reputation and financial performance. To address these risks and challenges, Charles Schwab Corporation is focused on maintaining a robust regulatory compliance program and investing in data security and privacy measures. The company is also focused on diversifying its revenue streams and expanding its offerings to meet the evolving needs of its clients. British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a multinational tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Established in 1902, the company has a rich heritage and is one of the world's largest tobacco manufacturers. Its mission is to deliver "a better tomorrow" by offering high-quality tobacco and nicotine products to adult consumers worldwide while ensuring responsible business practices. The company produces and sells cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and next-generation products (NGPs), including e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products. British American Tobacco's extensive portfolio of well-known brands, such as Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Dunhill and Rothmans, caters to diverse consumer preferences. With a global reach, British American Tobacco operates in over 180 markets and has a strong presence in developed and emerging economies. Its target market primarily comprises adult smokers and tobacco consumers who seek high-quality products and innovative alternatives. British American Tobacco boasts a highly experienced and diverse leadership team that drives the company's strategic vision. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Jack Bowles, the management team combines extensive industry expertise with a focus on innovation and sustainable growth. With over 30 years of experience in the tobacco industry, Bowles has held various senior leadership positions within British American Tobacco before assuming the role of CEO in 2019. He has played a pivotal role in shaping the company's NGP strategy and driving its transformational agenda. British American Tobacco has delivered solid financial performance over the past few years, driven by its global presence and robust brand portfolio. The company's reported revenue has been up for the past several years, and its operating profit margin has been stable at around 40%, highlighting its ability to generate strong profitability. Over the years, British American Tobacco has shown resilience in the face of regulatory challenges and changing market dynamics. The company has managed its debt levels effectively, maintaining a healthy balance sheet and a strong credit rating. Its price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book ratio indicate that the company's stock appears undervalued compared to its peers. The factors driving the company's valuation include its global market leadership, diversified product portfolio and ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences through its NGP offerings. Recent changes in investor sentiment have been influenced by the company's continued focus on innovation, sustainable practices and its commitment to reducing the health impact of its products. British American Tobacco's stock performance has shown resilience amid broader market fluctuations. Trading volume has remained robust, indicating sustained investor interest in the company. Several factors have contributed to this positive market performance. Firstly, the company's ability to adapt to evolving consumer preferences by investing in NGPs has positioned it to capture a growing market segment. Successful product launches and strategic acquisitions have also boosted investor confidence in British American Tobacco's long-term prospects. British American Tobacco operates in the tobacco industry, which continues to face significant regulatory and social challenges. The industry is subject to strict regulations regarding advertising, packaging, and health warnings aimed at reducing the harm caused by tobacco consumption. This regulatory environment has led to declining smoking rates in many developed countries. In addition to regulatory pressures, the industry faces increasing scrutiny over the health risks associated with smoking. Growing awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco has led to a shift in consumer preferences towards reduced-risk alternatives, such as NGPs. This trend presents both opportunities and challenges for companies like British American Tobacco. Despite these challenges, the tobacco industry remains resilient and continues to generate substantial revenue. The global tobacco market is highly competitive, with key players vying for market share. British American Tobacco competes with other major tobacco companies such as Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International. In recent years, British American Tobacco has significantly invested in NGPs, leveraging its technological capabilities and scientific expertise. The company has introduced successful products like Vuse and glo, which have gained traction among consumers seeking alternative nicotine experiences. Expanding its NGP offerings presents a significant growth opportunity for British American Tobacco, particularly as the market for reduced-risk products continues to grow. While British American Tobacco has demonstrated resilience, the company faces several risks and challenges. One of the key challenges is the increasing regulation and restrictions imposed on the tobacco industry. Stricter regulations can impact product development, marketing activities, and consumer demand. The company needs to adapt to these evolving regulatory landscapes while maintaining compliance and finding innovative ways to engage with consumers. Changing consumer preferences and the growing popularity of reduced-risk alternatives pose another challenge. As more consumers switch to NGPs, traditional tobacco sales may decline, impacting British American Tobacco's revenue streams. The company must continue investing in research and development to stay at the forefront of NGP innovation and maintain its competitive position. Additionally, ongoing litigation and legal challenges related to smoking-related health issues present financial and reputational risks. British American Tobacco must effectively manage these risks through robust risk management strategies, transparent communication, and responsible business practices. The following companies are subsidiares of Emerson Electric: A.P.M. Automation Solutions Ltd., AE Valves, AGI Mexicana S.A. de C.V., ALCO CONTROLS spol. s.r.o., APM Automation Solutions, ASC Investments Inc., ASCO (Japan) Company Limited, ASCO L.P., ASCO Numatics (India) Private Limited, ASCO Numatics Holding Inc., ASCO SAS, ASCO Valve (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ASCO/JOUCOMATIC s.r.o., ATX SAS, Advanced Protection Technologies, Aegir Norge Holding AS, Alliance Compressors LLC, American Governor, Aperture, Apple JV Holding Corp., Appleton Electric LLC, Appleton Electric S.A. de C.V., Appleton Group, Appleton Group Canada Ltd., Appleton Grp LLC, Appleton Holding Corp., Appleton Holding Sarl, Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Artesyn Hungary Elektronikai Kft., Artesyn Technologies, Asco AB, Asco Controls AG, Asco Controls B.V., Asco Joucomatic Ltd., Asco Joucomatic ZA B.V., Asco Magnesszelep Kft., Asco Numatics GmbH, Asco Numatics S.A., Asco Numatics Sirai S.R.L., Asco Numatics Sp. z o.o., Ascomatica S.A. de C.V., Ascomation (NZ) Ltd., Ascomation Pty. Ltd., Ascotech S.A. de C.V., Ascoval Industria e Commercio Ltda, Automatic Switch Company, Aventics, Aventics, Aventics AB, Aventics AG, Aventics AS, Aventics ApS, Aventics B.V., Aventics Corporation, Aventics Holding S.A.S., Aventics Holding S.a.r.l., Aventics Hungary Kft, Aventics Inc., Aventics India Private Limited, Aventics Limited, Aventics Ltd., Aventics Oy, Aventics Pneumatics Equipment (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Aventics Pneumatics Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Aventics S.A.S., Aventics S.R.L., Aventics Services Germany GmbH, Aventics Singapore Pte. Ltd., Aventics Sp. z.o.o., Aventics Spain S.L., Aventics spol. s.r.o., Avtron LoadBank, Bannerscientific Limited, Beckman Industrial B.V., Beijing Rosemount Far East Instrument Co. Ltd., Bettis Canada Ltd., Bettis Holdings Limited, Bettis UK Limited, Biffi Italia S.r.l., Bioproduction Group, Branson Korea Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonic S.A., Branson Ultrasonics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonics B.V., Branson Ultrasonics Corporation, Branson Ultrasonics a.s., Branson Ultrasonidos S.A.E., Branson Ultrasons SAS, Branson Ultrasuoni S.R.L., Branson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Bray Lectroheat Limited, Bristol Babcock Limited, Bristol Inc., Buehler Europe Limited, Buehler UK Limited, CR Compressors LLC, CSA Consulting Engineers Ltd., California Emerson LLC, Cascade Technologies, Cascade Technologies Holdings Limited, Cascade Technologies Limited, Chemat GmbH Armaturen fur Industrie - und Nuklearanlage, Chloride Koexa S.A., Componentes Avanzados de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Computational Systems, Computational Systems Incorporated, Conception et Representation de Technologies de Controle C.R.T. Controle SAS, Control Products Inc., Controles de Temperatura S.A. de C.V., Cooligy Inc., Cooper-Atkins, Cooper-Atkins Corporation, Cooper-Atkins Pte. Ltd., Copeland Access + Inc., Copeland Compresores Hermeticos S.A. de C.V., Copeland Corporation, Copeland Corporation LLC, Copeland Limited, Copeland Redevelopment Corporation, Copeland Scroll Compresores de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copeland de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copesub Inc., Crosby Valve LLC, Damcos A/S, Damcos Holding A/S, Daniel Automation Company, Daniel Europe Limited, Daniel Industrial Inc., Daniel Industries, Daniel Industries Canada Inc., Daniel Industries Inc., Daniel Industries Limited, Daniel International Limited, Daniel Measurement Solutions Private Limited, Daniel Measurement and Control Inc., Daniel Measurement and Control S. de R.L. de C.V., Danmasa S.A. de C.V., Dar Ibtikar Al Iraq for General Services and General Trade LLC, Decision Management International, Dieterich Standard Inc., Digital Appliance Controls (UK) Limited, Dixell North America Inc., Dixell S.R.L., Do+Able Products, E. Business Development E.B.D.Com Ltd., E.G.P. Corporation, EECO Inc., EGS Comercializadora Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Private Ltd., EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES s.r.o., EMR (Asia) Limited, EMR (Mauritius) Ltd., EMR Emerson Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, EMR Europe Holdings Inc., EMR Foundation Inc., EMR Holdings (France) SAS, EMR Holdings Inc., EMR Worldwide B.V., EMR Worldwide Inc., EMRSN HLDG B.V., EMRSN Process Management Morocco Sarl, ENPDOR2012A Limited, ENPESNA Inc., EPM Tulsa Holdings Corp., EPMCO Holdings Inc., ETC International Holdings Ltd., Easy Heat Europe SAS, Easy Heat Inc., El-O-Matic B.V., El-O-Matic Valve Actuators (F.E.) Pte. Ltd., Electrische Apparatenfabriek Capax B.V., Emerald Advanced Technology Limited, Emerson (Philippines) Corporation, Emerson (Taiwan) Limited, Emerson (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Arabia Inc., Emerson Argentina S.A., Emerson Asia Pacific Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Holdings Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Sichuan) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Taiwan) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Thailand) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Czech Republic s.r.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Denmark A/S, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control France SARL, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Germany GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hong Kong Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hungary Kft, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Italia S.r.l., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Middle East FZE, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Netherlands B.V., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Polska Sp. Z.o.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Holding LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK II Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control US LP, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Automation Solutions GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Automation Solutions Ireland Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Isolation Valves Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions SSC UK Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Beijing Instrument Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Services LLC, Emerson Climate Technologies (India) Private Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies (Shenyang) Refrigeration Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Solutions (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Transportation Solutions ApS, Emerson Climate Technologies Arabia Limited Co., Emerson Climate Technologies Australia Pty. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies FZE, Emerson Climate Technologies GmbH, Emerson Climate Technologies Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Europe S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Sarl, Emerson Commercial & Residential Tools LLC, Emerson Commerical & Residential Asia Limited, Emerson Comres de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson DHC B.V., Emerson Dietzenbach GmbH, Emerson Dominicana Srl, Emerson Egypt LLC, Emerson Electric (Asia) Limited, Emerson Electric (China) Holdings Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Electric (Mauritius) Ltd., Emerson Electric (South Asia) Pte. Ltd., Emerson Electric (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Electric (Tongling) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation, Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation (Chile) Limitada, Emerson Electric (Zhuhai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric CR Limitada, Emerson Electric Canada Limited, Emerson Electric Company (India) Private Limited, Emerson Electric Company Lanka (Private) Limited, Emerson Electric Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, Emerson Electric II C.A., Emerson Electric International Inc., Emerson Electric Ireland Limited, Emerson Electric Korea Ltd., Emerson Electric Nederland B.V., Emerson Electric Overseas Finance Corp., Emerson Electric Poland Sp. z o.o., Emerson Electric U.K. Limited, Emerson Electric de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Electric do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Energy Systems (UK) Limited, Emerson FZE, Emerson Final Control US Holding LLC, Emerson Finance LLC, Emerson Fusite Electric (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Gabon SARL, Emerson Hazardous Electrical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Holding Company Limited, Emerson Holding Sweden AB, Emerson InSinkErator Appliance (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Industrial Automation USA Inc., Emerson International Holding Company Limited, Emerson Japan Ltd., Emerson Junkang Enterprise (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Korea Limited, Emerson LLC, Emerson LLP, Emerson Machinery Equipment (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Mexico Finance S.A. de C.V. SOFOM ENR, Emerson Middle East Inc., Emerson Network Power DHC B.V., Emerson Paradigm Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management (India) Private Limited, Emerson Process Management (South Africa) (Proprietary) Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Tianjin) Valves Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Vietnam) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management A/S (Denmark), Emerson Process Management AB, Emerson Process Management AG, Emerson Process Management AS, Emerson Process Management Angola Lda, Emerson Process Management Arabia Limited, Emerson Process Management Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Process Management B.V., Emerson Process Management Chennai Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Distribution Limited, Emerson Process Management Europe GmbH, Emerson Process Management Flow B.V., Emerson Process Management Flow Technologies Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Process Management Holding AG, Emerson Process Management Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management Kft., Emerson Process Management LLLP, Emerson Process Management Lda, Emerson Process Management Limited, Emerson Process Management Ltda, Emerson Process Management Magyarorszag Kft., Emerson Process Management Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Korea Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management NV, Emerson Process Management New Zealand Limited, Emerson Process Management Nigeria Limited, Emerson Process Management Oy, Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions Inc., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions India Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Qatar W.L.L., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Inc., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Tulsa LLC, Emerson Process Management Romania S.R.L., Emerson Process Management S.A., Emerson Process Management S.A. de C.V., Emerson Process Management S.L., Emerson Process Management S.R.L., Emerson Process Management SAS, Emerson Process Management Shared Services Limited, Emerson Process Management Sp. z o.o., Emerson Process Management Ticaret Limited Sirket, Emerson Process Management UAB, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Valve Automation Inc., Emerson Process Management Verwaltung GmbH, Emerson Process Management d.o.o., Emerson Process Management de Colombia SAS, Emerson Process Management del Peru S.A.C., Emerson Process Management s.r.o., Emerson Professional Tools (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Puerto Rico Inc., Emerson Retail Services Europe GmbH, Emerson S.R.L., Emerson Sales UK Limited, Emerson Saudi Arabia LLC, Emerson Scroll Machining (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Sice S.R.L., Emerson Sweden AB, Emerson TOV, Emerson Technologies GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Technologies Verwaltungs GmbH, Emerson Tool Company de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Tool and Appliance Company S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson UK Trustees Limited, Emerson USD Finance Company Limited, Emerson Valves & Controls Japan Co. Ltd., Emerson Ventures Inc., Emerson Vulcan Holding LLC, Emerson Xi'an Engineering Center, Emersub 1 LLC, Emersub 10 LLC, Emersub 11 LLC, Emersub 12 LLC, Emersub 14 LLC, Emersub 15 LLC, Emersub 16 LLC, Emersub 3 LLC, Emersub 4 LLC, Emersub 5 LLC, Emersub 7 LLC, Emersub 8 LLC, Emersub 9 LLC, Emersub CII Inc., Emersub CV Inc., Emersub Italia S.R.L., Emersub LXXXIV Inc., Emersub LXXXVI Inc., Emersub Mexico Inc., Emersub Treasury Ireland Unlimited Company, Emersub XLVI Inc., Emersub XXXVI Inc., Emirates Techno Casting FZE, Emirates Techno Casting Holding Limited, Emirates Techno Casting LLC, Enardo, Endura-Greenlee Tools, Energy Solutions International (India) Private Limited, Energy Solutions International GP LLC, Energy Solutions International Ltd., Energy Solutions International SAS, Energy Solutions International Sub LLC, F-R Tecnologias de Flujo S.A. de C.V., FC QSF LLC, FMC Technologies, Fiberconn Assemblies Morocco Sarl, Fincor Holding LLC, Fire & Safety Group.Com Ltd., Fisher Controles de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fisher Controls International LLC, Fisher Jeon Gas Equipment (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Fisher Regulators (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Sanmar Limited, Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc., Flow Control Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Flow Control Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Flow Control US Holding Corporation, Francel SAS, Fromex S.A. de C.V., Fusite B.V., Fusite Corporation, Fusite Land Company, GSEG LLC, General Equipment and Manufacturing Company Inc., Generale de Robinetterie Industrielle et de Sytemes de Surete, GeoFields, GeoFields Inc., Greenex Ltd., Greenfield (UK) Limited, Greenlee, Greenlee Communications, Greenlee Tools Inc., Gulf Valve FZE, Gustav Klauke GmbH, H.T.E. Engineering Limited, HD Electric Company, HTE Engineering Services Limited, Hindle Cockburns Limited, Hiross India Private Limited, Hiter Industria e Comercia de Controles Termo-Hidraulicos Ltda., Humboldt Hermetic Motor Corp., Hytork International Ltd., I Solutions Inc., ICC Intelligent Platforms GmbH, ISE-MagTech, Industrial Controls Canada ULC, Industrial Group Metran JSC, Instrument & Valve Services Company, Intelligent Platforms LLC, Intellution, International Gas Distribution SA, Intrinsic Safety Equipment of Texas Inc., JCF Fluid Flow India Private Limited, JSC Metran-Export, Joucomatic S.A., K Controls Limited, Keystone Germany Holdings Corp., Keystone Valve (Korea) LLC, Keystone Valve (U.K.) Limited, Klauke, Klauke (Jiangsu) Electrical Connection Technology Co Ltd., Klauke France SARL, Klauke Handelsgesellschaft mbH, Klauke Iberia S.L., Klauke Polska Sp. z.o.o., Klauke Slovakia s.r.o., Klauke UK Ltd., Knurr, Liebert, Liebert Swindon Limited, Locus Solutions LLC, Locus Traxx Worldwide, Locus Traxx Worldwide Europe BVBA, MDC Technology Limited, MDC Technology Trustees Limited, METCO Services Limited, MYNAH Technologies, Management Resources Group Inc., Mecafrance (Deutschland) GmbH, Metallurgical Services Laboratories Limited, Metaserv Limited, Metco Services Venezuela C.A., Micro Motion Inc., Mobrey Group Limited, Motores Hermeticos del Sur S.A. de C.V., NetworkPower Ecuador S.A., Nippon Fisher Co. Ltd., Novel Environmental Technologies Ltd., Novel Extinguishing Agent Technology Ltd., Numatics Incorporated, Nutsteel DHC B.V., Nutsteel Industria Metalurgica Ltda, O.M.T. Officina Meccanica Tartarini S.r.l., Open Systems International, P I Components Corp., PT Emerson Solutions Indonesia, PT. Emerson Indonesia, PT. Paradigm Geophysical Indonesia, Pactrol Controls Limited, PakSense, PakSense Inc., Paradigm, Paradigm (UK) Holding Limited, Paradigm B.V., Paradigm France S.A., Paradigm Geophysical (India) Private Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (KL) Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical (Nigeria) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (U.K.) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical B.V., Paradigm Geophysical Corp., Paradigm Geophysical Italy SRL, Paradigm Geophysical LLC, Paradigm Geophysical Limited, Paradigm Geophysical Pty Ltd, Paradigm Geophysical S.A., Paradigm Geophysical Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical Spain S.L., Paradigm Geophysical de Venezuela C.A., Paradigm Geophysical do Brasil Ltda., Paradigm Geoservices Canada Ltd., Paradigm Geotechnology (Egypt) S.A.E., Paradigm Kazakhstan LLP, Paradigm Middle East FZ-LLC, Paradigm Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Parex Industries Limited, Pentair Valves & Controls, Pentair Valves and Controls India Private Limited, Permasense, Permasense Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Permasense Limited, ProSys, ProTeam Inc., Progea, RAC Technologies (Israel) Ltd., RIDGID Inc., RPP Europe GmbH, RPP LLC, Rey-Lam S. de R.L. de C.V., Ridge Tool (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Ridge Tool Company, Ridge Tool Europe NV, Ridge Tool GmbH, Ridge Tool GmbH & Co. OHG, Ridge Tool Manufacturing Company, Ridge Tool Pattern Company, Ridgid France SAS, Ridgid Italia S.R.L., Ridgid Online Inc., Ridgid Scandinavia A/S, Ridgid Werkzeuge AG, Rosemount China Inc., Rosemount Inc., Rosemount Measurement Limited, Rosemount Nuclear Instruments Inc., Rosemount Specialty Products LLC, Rosemount Tank Gauging India Pvt. Ltd., Rosemount Tank Gauging Middle East SPC, Rosemount Tank Gauging North America Inc., Rosemount Tank Radar AB, Rosemount Tank Radar Properties AB, Roxar, Roxar AS, Roxar Flow Measurement AS, Roxar Flow Measurement Sdn Bhd, Roxar Limited, Roxar Maximum Reservoir Performance W.L.L., Roxar Saudi Co., Roxar Services AS, Roxar Services OOO, Roxar Software Solutions AS, Roxar Technologies AS, Roxar Vietnam Company Ltd., Roxar de Venezuela C.A., Rutherfurd Acquisitions Limited, S.F.T. Group Ltd., SABO-Armaturen Service GmbH, Safety Systems UK Pte. Ltd., Sakhi-Raimondi Valve (India) Limited, Scroll Compressors LLC, Scroll Mexico LLC, Sempell GmbH, Shanghai Virgo Valves Technology Consulting Co. Ltd., Sherman + Reilly, Soluciones 0925 C.A., Spectra-Tek Holdings Limited, Spectra-Tek International Limited, Spectra-Tek UK Limited, Spectrex, Spectrex Inc., Spectronix Ltd., Spensall Engineering Limited, Steel Support Systems Limited, Stratos Lightwave, System Plast International B.V., System Plast Ltda, System Plast USA de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TDM-avtomatizatsiya, TV&C GP Holding LLC, Taiwan Valve Co. Ltd., TechnipFMC, Termocontroles de Juarez S.A. de C.V., Tescom Corporation, Tescom Europe GmbH & Co. KG, Tescom Europe Management GmbH, The Automation Group Inc., The J.R. Clarkson Company LLC, Therm-O-Disc Europe B.V., Therm-O-Disc Incorporated, Thunderline Z Inc., TopWorx UK Limited, Tranmet Holdings B.V., Tranmet Holdings Limited, Verdant Environmental Technologies, Vilter Manufacturing LLC, Virgo Valves & Controls (ME) FZE, Virgo Valves and Controls Sdn Bhd, Von Arx AG, Vulsub 1 Limited, Vulsub Brasil Holding, Vulsub Brasil Ltda., Vulsub Chile SpA, Vulsub Gulf Holding Limited, Vulsub Holding III (Denmark) ApS, Vulsub Holding Ltd, Vulsub Holdings A LLC, Vulsub Holdings B LLC, Vulsub Holdings C LLC, Vulsub Holdings D LLC, Vulsub Italia S.r.l., Vulsub Middle East Holdings LLC, Vulsub Peru S.A.C., Vulsub Property Holding LLC, Vulsub Property Limited, Vulsub S.A., Vulsub South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Vulsub VZ C.A., Westinghouse Electric Pvt. Limited, Westlock Controls Limited, Westlock Equipamentos de Controle Ltda., Woodstock Land Company LLC, epro GmbH, iSolera Inc., iSolutions Private Limited, and intelliSAW. Read More Medical Properties Trust Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in acquiring and developing healthcare facilities. The company's portfolio comprises properties across the United States and Europe, including acute care hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Since 2003, Medical Properties Trust Inc. has become a leading player in the healthcare real estate industry. The company's strategy is centered on long-term leases with high-quality tenants, providing stable cash flow and reducing the risk associated with occupancy and rental rate volatility. Medical Properties Trust Inc. has a strong track record of growth and profitability. One of the critical drivers of Medical Properties Trust Inc.'s success is its focus on the healthcare industry. With an aging population and increasing demand for healthcare services, the healthcare industry is expected to continue growing in the coming years. As a result, the need for healthcare facilities is likely to increase, which should benefit Medical Properties Trust Inc. Additionally, the company's focus on long-term leases with high-quality tenants provides stability and predictability, which is especially important in the healthcare industry, where occupancy and rental rate volatility can be high. Medical Properties Trust Inc. has an excellent management team with a proven track record of success. Under the company's current leadership, Medical Properties Trust Inc. has grown rapidly and consistently outperformed its peers. The company's management team has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. In 2020, Medical Properties Trust Inc. was recognized as a leader in sustainability performance. Medical Properties Trust Inc. is exposed to general economic conditions, regulatory changes, and competition within the healthcare real estate industry. The company's success is also dependent on the performance of its tenants, which may be affected by factors such as changes in healthcare laws, reimbursement rates, and patient volumes. Additionally, the company's focus on healthcare real estate may limit its ability to diversify its portfolio in the event of a downturn in the healthcare industry. Despite the risks, Medical Properties Trust Inc. has shown resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of healthcare facilities, and the company's portfolio of high-quality properties has continued to generate strong cash flows. Medical Properties Trust Inc. has used the pandemic to acquire additional properties at attractive valuations. Medical Properties Trust Inc. is well-positioned to benefit from several long-term trends in the healthcare industry: The aging population is expected to increase the demand for healthcare services, including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and long-term care facilities. The shift towards value-based care drives consolidation in the healthcare industry, likely resulting in increased demand for healthcare facilities. Advances in medical technology are increasing the need for specialized facilities, such as proton therapy and cancer treatment centers. Medical Properties Trust Inc.'s financial position is strong, with a healthy balance sheet and access to capital markets. The company has consistently maintained an investment-grade credit rating and low capital cost, allowing it to finance growth. Additionally, the company has a diversified tenant base, with no single tenant accounting for more than 4% of its annualized base rent. This provides stability and reduces the risk associated with tenant concentration. MP Materials Corp. is a company that has rapidly become a leading provider of rare earth materials. These materials are essential to numerous industries, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, and consumer electronics. With its headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, MP Materials Corp. operates the only rare earth mining and processing site in North America, in Mountain Pass, California. The company was founded in 2017 as a special purpose acquisition company and merged with MP Materials, which acquired the Mountain Pass site from the bankruptcy of Molycorp. Since the merger, the company has successfully increased production levels. In 2020, it went public through a SPAC merger with Fortress Value Acquisition Corp, now trading on the NYSE under the ticker MP. MP Materials' management team is led by Chief Executive Officer James Litinsky, who has over two decades of experience in the financial industry. James Litinsky is a former hedge fund manager with a restructuring and value investing background. He previously worked as a hedge fund manager at JHL Capital Group and recently served as the CEO of commercial real estate company CIVANA. As for financial performance, MP Materials has consistently grown over the past few years. In 2022, the company generated $527 million in revenue, up from $67 million in 2018. The company also reported a net income of $289 million in 2022, compared to a net loss of $34 million in 2019. The company's gross margin increased from 6% in 2018 to 82% in 2022, reflecting the company's successful cost management strategies. In comparison, the sector media gross margin is about 30%. MP Materials has also worked hard to reduce its debt levels, primarily incurred through acquiring the Mountain Pass site. Regarding valuation, MP Materials' stock is currently trading at a price-to-earnings ratio higher than the industry average and a price-to-book lower than the industry average, indicating that the company's shares are relatively undervalued compared to its peers. The company's stock has been volatile since going public in 2020. In the first few months of trading, the stock price increased by over 300%, driven by investor enthusiasm for rare earth materials and the company's position as North America's only rare earth mining and processing site. However, the stock has since experienced significant price fluctuations, reflecting the volatility of the broader stock market. MP Materials operates in the broader rare earth materials industry, heavily influenced by global supply and demand trends. The industry is dominated by Chinese companies, which control over 80% of the worldwide supply of rare earth materials. However, in recent years, there has been a growing demand for alternative sources of rare earth materials, particularly in the United States and Europe. This has created opportunities for companies like MP Materials to expand their market share and capture a more significant portion of the industry's growth potential. The rare earth materials industry has recently faced regulatory and political challenges, particularly concerning trade tensions between the United States and China. In 2019, China threatened to limit exports of rare earth materials to the United States, which would have had significant implications for the U.S. economy and national security. However, in response, the U.S. government has encouraged domestic production of rare earth materials and reduced reliance on foreign sources. This has created a favorable regulatory environment for companies like MP Materials, which are positioned to benefit from increased government support and investment in the industry. MP Materials has identified several growth opportunities in the rare earth materials industry. One potential avenue for growth is developing new products and applications for rare earth materials. The company has already developed a proprietary process for extracting rare earth materials from waste streams, which could have significant environmental and economic benefits. MP Materials is also exploring opportunities to expand its production capacity and enter new markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite these opportunities, MP Materials faces several risks and challenges. The company relies heavily on demand for rare earth materials, which can fluctuate significantly based on global economic conditions and geopolitical tensions. Additionally, the company's reliance on a single mining and processing site in Mountain Pass, California, exposes it to operational risks and potential disruptions. Furthermore, MP Materials faces competition from established companies in the rare earth materials industry and new entrants seeking to capture a share of the market's growth potential. The company must continue to innovate and differentiate itself to maintain its competitive position in the industry. KUNMING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Malik Hamza, a Pakistani exhibitor, showcased his exquisite brass handicrafts to visitors on Sunday at the seventh China-South Asia Expo. To his joy, he found out that a potential customer was referred to him by a satisfied previous client. "The art craft is handmade in Pakistan, requiring approximately one week to complete each piece," Hamza said. The five-day expo, which kicked off on Aug. 16 and ended on Aug. 20 in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, attracted over 30,000 exhibitors as well as representatives and guests from 85 countries and regions and international organizations. At a booth showcasing Pakistani jade in the South Asia Pavilion, Khan Muhammadnasir, a Pakistani representative, engaged in lively discussions with Chinese visitors about product variations and distinctive features. To enhance the presentation of his offerings, Muhammadnasir acquired the services of a Chinese translator to assist at the booth. "The morning has brought good business, and we anticipate even more visitors over the weekend," Muhammadnasir said. He also mentioned the convenience of logistics, explaining that for visitors who are interested in products that are not easy to carry, the shop can readily pack such products and deliver them to desired locations. On the other side of the South Asia Pavilion, in front of the booth of Sri Lankan jeweler Mohamed Rikas, customers frequently approached to inquire about products. "Rest assured about the quality, and we're open to discussing the price," Rikas said. A familiar face at the event, Rikas brought a stunning array of jewelry from his Sri Lankan store to this year's expo. His aim was to connect with his Chinese clients and continue growing his business by presenting some of the best-quality pieces from his collection. Rikas was a participant at the first China-South Asia Expo in 2013 and that was the first time he brought jewelry to China. Rikas quickly recognized the promising business prospects the country offered and has been a consistent participant, taking part in this expo every year since its inception. Over the years, the expo has seen its exhibition space triple from 51,100 square meters to 150,000 square meters, and the number of participating countries, regions and international organizations more than double from 42 to 85. A total of 338 projects with a combined investment value of 404 billion yuan (about 55.5 billion U.S. dollars) were inked at this year's expo. "With each visit, I have new gains and forge connections with fresh clients," Rikas said, adding that he has successfully cultivated a client base of over 10 Chinese jewelers through these endeavors. Premier African Minerals Ltd is a natural resources exploration and development company focused on the mining and production of minerals in Africa. The company's headquarters are located in London, United Kingdom. Premier African Minerals has a diversified portfolio of exploration and mining assets across Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Togo. The company primarily focuses on lithium and tungsten mining, with additional interests in gold, nickel and rare earth elements. Premier African Minerals is a well-managed company with a team of experienced mining professionals. George Roach, the company's CEO, has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, including senior executive positions at Rio Tinto and De Beers. Roach has led Premier African Minerals since 2010, and during his tenure, the company has made significant progress in developing its mining assets in Africa. The company's senior geologist Wolfgang Hampel has 27 years of experience in lithium and rare earth metal mining. Between 2008 and 2012, before he joined Premier, Mr. Hampel was Chief Operating Officer and consulting geologist for Tantalus Rare Earths AG. His team was responsible for discovering a rare earth ionic clay deposit on the Ampasindava Peninsula in Northern Madagascar. Over the past few years, Premier African Minerals has reported varying metrics. In terms of ownership, the company has a relatively high level of institutional ownership. In early 2021 the stock price started climbing, and it has remained on the uptick, but that uptick has been accompanied by fairly significant volatility. Premier African Minerals' stock price has been impacted by various factors, including the global economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and fluctuations in commodity prices. The mining industry in Africa has seen substantial growth in recent years, with increasing demand for minerals and resources across the continent. Premier African Minerals operates in a highly competitive market, with a range of local and international players vying for market share. The company's primary focus on lithium and tungsten mining places it in a position to benefit from the increasing demand for these metals, driven by the growth of electric vehicles and renewable energy. Premier African Minerals has a range of growth opportunities, including expanding its mining operations, exploring new mineral deposits and strategic partnerships and acquisitions. The company is exploring new lithium deposits in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, with plans to expand its production capacity in these regions. Premier African Minerals is also evaluating opportunities for strategic partnerships and joint ventures to accelerate its growth in the mining sector. As with any mining company, Premier African Minerals faces various risks and challenges, including fluctuations in commodity prices, regulatory changes and operational risks. The company's reliance on a few mineral assets also exposes it to concentration risk. Additionally, political and economic instability can impact the African mining industry, creating additional hazards for companies operating in the region. Procter & Gamble Co, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a multinational consumer goods corporation founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. The company has a rich history of innovation and has become a household name in many countries worldwide. Proctor & Gamble Co is a consumer staples stock. A consumer staples stock is a type of stock that offers investors a more stable and steady growth pattern that is minimally affected by economic factors. With a market capitalization of over $327.9 billion as of February 2023, Procter & Gamble is one of the largest companies in the world. The company operates in over 70 countries, with its products sold in more than 180 countries globally. Its brand portfolio includes household names such as Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Crest, and Olay. Procter & Gamble's business is divided into five segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment includes SK-II, Pantene, and Herbal Essences. The Grooming segment comprises brands such as Gillette, Venus, and Braun. The Health Care segment includes brands such as Oral-B, Vicks, and Pepto-Bismol. The Fabric & Home Care segment includes Tide, Downy, and Swiffer brands. The Baby, Feminine & Family Care segment includes brands such as Pampers, Always, and Tampax. Procter & Gamble's products are sold through various channels, including retail stores, online retailers, and direct-to-consumer channels. The company has also invested in e-commerce capabilities and digital advertising, recognizing the importance of these channels in reaching consumers. Procter & Gamble has a long history of innovation and investing in research and development. The company's R&D efforts are focused on improving its existing products and developing new products that meet the evolving needs of consumers. Procter & Gamble also invests heavily in marketing and advertising, recognizing the importance of building strong brands that resonate with consumers. Recently, Procter & Gamble has made sustainability a key focus area. The company has set ambitious goals to reduce its environmental footprint, such as using 100% renewable electricity at all its plants by 2030. Procter & Gamble has also committed to reducing its plastic packaging waste to reduce its use of virgin plastic by 50% by 2030. Procter & Gamble has a strong financial position, a solid balance sheet and a history of strong cash flows. The company has a long record of paying dividends, with over 130 years of uninterrupted dividend payments. Procter & Gamble has also implemented a share buyback program, repurchasing over $30 billion of its shares in the past three years. Despite its size and global reach, Procter & Gamble faces competition from various large and small companies. The consumer goods industry is highly competitive, with companies constantly vying for market share and consumer attention. Procter & Gamble must continue to innovate and invest in its brands to stay ahead of its competitors. Morris Chang founded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited in 1987. The company was founded as and remains to this day the world's leading pure-play semiconductor foundry. A semiconductor foundry manufactures semiconductors for other companies at their specification; clients of Taiwan Semiconductor include but are not limited to Advanced Micro Devices, Apple, NVIDIA and Broadcom. Even some semiconductor manufacturers with their own production facilities, such as Intel and Texas Instruments, use Taiwan Semiconductor to some degree. This model aims to ensure Taiwan Semiconductor remains relevant to the semiconductor industry while never competing with its customers. The companys mission statement says it all to be the trusted technology and capacity provider of the global logic IC (integrated circuit) industry for years to come. The company has been traded on the Taiwan stock exchange since 1993 and the New York Stock Exchange in 1997. Taiwan Semiconductor is the 2nd most valuable semiconductor company on the market and is only supplanted by Nvidia, a primary customer. In regard to its growth, the stock has grown revenue and earnings by better than 15% annually for investors since its IPO. The company operates a network of foundries throughout Taiwan. As of 2022, there seven operations foundries and 2 in the works, including 1 in Arizona and 1 in Japan. The Arizona plant will be operational by 2024 and will begin manufacturing with the 3 nm processes. With these, Taiwan Semiconductor can manufacture nearly 15 million 300 mm wafers per year. The companys capabilities include process nodes ranging from 2 microns to 4nm. The company also packages, tests, and markets integrated circuits, semiconductor devices and related services internationally. The companys products include logic, mixed-signal, RF and embedded memory chips. Taiwan Semiconductor has been focused on maintaining its leading position right from the start. To that end, the company tends to reinvest large amounts of capital to increase and expand production as well as in the advancement of semiconductor technology. Among the companys many advancements are the development of N7+ and then N5 and down to the current standard of N4. These technologies were the first commercially available extreme ultraviolet lithography processes. This technology allows for smaller circuitry on the microchip and increases the chip's transistor density and overall functioning. Areas of research are centered on 4 disciplines that include Logic, Interconnect, Memory and Artificial Intelligence. Specific avenues for research include transistor structure, ferroelectrics and on and off-chip interconnect systems. Taiwan Semiconductor's revenue topped $57 billion in 2021. The company manufactured 12,302 different semiconductor devices that year, using 291 different technologies for 535 clients. Its products are used in mobile devices, telecommunications, automobiles, manufacturing and consumer technology, to name a few end markets. The company employs more than 65,000 people and is committed to the shift to green energy and sustainability. To that end, it became the 1st semiconductor company to make the RE100 pledge which states it will use 100% renewable energy by the year 2050. PHNOM PENH, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is playing a crucial role in boosting the ASEAN economic integration into the world economy, Cambodia's Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak has said. "The world's largest free trade agreement will bolster resilient, sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the region and resist the trend of anti-globalization and protectionism," he said in a speech at the launch of a book titled "RCEP: Part I: Geo-Political, Geo-Economic and Legal Analysis" in Phnom Penh recently. The RCEP free trade deal comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Sorasak said the RCEP, covering 2.3 billion people, or 30 percent of the world's population, contributed 26.2 trillion U.S. dollars, about 30 percent of global GDP, and accounted for 28 percent of global trade in goods and services, and 32.5 percent of global foreign direct investment inflows. He said the mega-trade pact will help Cambodia graduate from its least-developed country status by 2027 and achieve its goals of becoming an upper middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income nation by 2050. According to the minister, Cambodia's total export to the RCEP member countries amounted to 4.59 billion dollars during the January-July period this year, a year-on-year increase of 21 percent. Entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022, RCEP member countries have committed to eliminating tariffs on more than 90 percent of goods traded within the RCEP. Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, a think-tank under the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the RCEP has contributed to stabilizing its members' economies, especially amidst this ongoing global economic recession and uncertainty. "The RCEP has great potential to create tangible benefits for all of its members, and ASEAN will reap long-term benefits from this trade deal by integrating further into global supply chains," he told Xinhua on Monday. "I believe that the RCEP will help transform the ASEAN region into a new engine of growth in Asia." Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said the RCEP has not only boosted ASEAN's economy, but also helped narrow the development gap between the rich and poor ASEAN countries. "It holds huge potential for all member countries to expand their trade and investment ties and to quicken their economic recovery in the post-pandemic era," he told Xinhua on Monday. Matthews said the RCEP provides new business and employment opportunities, strengthens supply chains in the region, and promotes the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the regional value chains and production hubs. "It has given an opportunity for SMEs and startups to reach the larger economic marketplaces," he said. "Thanks to the lower tariffs, trade barriers, and improved market access, I think that trade among ASEAN members and with the RCEP dialogue partners has increased multiple times," he added. Wells Fargo & Company is a multinational financial services company that has established itself as a prominent player in the global financial industry. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Wells Fargo operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. Its rich history and successful mergers and acquisitions have contributed to its significant global presence. As a comprehensive financial services provider, Wells Fargo offers a wide range of banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer financial services. The company's mission is to satisfy its customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo aims to achieve this by providing exceptional service, acting with integrity, fostering diversity and inclusion, and contributing positively to the communities it serves. Wells Fargo's extensive product and service portfolio caters to various market segments. The company serves individual consumers, small businesses, corporations, and institutional investors. Its key customers encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from everyday banking customers to high-net-worth individuals and large corporations. Wells Fargo aims to meet the diverse financial needs of its customers through personalized solutions and innovative offerings. The company has achieved several notable milestones and received recognition for its contributions to the financial industry. Wells Fargo has been ranked as one of the "Big Four Banks" in the United States, alongside JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup. It is also recognized as one of the largest banks in the country by total assets, deposits, and market capitalization. Wells Fargo's commitment to delivering quality financial services has earned it a position among the most valuable bank brands. Wells Fargo is led by an experienced and capable management team that guides the company's operations and strategic direction. The leadership team consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and extensive finance, banking, technology, risk management, and customer service expertise. The Chief Executive Officer and President of Wells Fargo is Charles W. Scharf, who brings a wealth of experience in the financial industry. The management team also includes key executives such as Michael J. Santomassimo as the Chief Financial Officer and Scott Powell as the Chief Operating Officer. Each management team member contributes their professional background, accomplishments, and expertise to ensure the company's success. Wells Fargo has demonstrated consistent financial performance over the years, driven by its diverse business segments and strategic initiatives. The company has reported steady revenue growth, reflecting its ability to attract and retain a large customer base. Wells Fargo's revenue metrics indicate its success in generating income through its various financial services and product offerings. Earnings metrics illustrate the company's profitability and stability. Wells Fargo's focus on prudent risk management practices and diversified revenue streams contributes to its ability to generate sustainable earnings. Profit margin metrics showcase the efficiency of Wells Fargo's operations. The company's ability to manage costs effectively while generating revenue is key to maintaining healthy profit margins. Debt levels play a significant role in evaluating the company's financial position. Wells Fargo's management strives to maintain a conservative approach to managing debt, ensuring a strong balance sheet and financial stability. Wells Fargo's valuation metrics are influenced by a range of factors, including its market position, financial performance, growth prospects, risk profile, and investor sentiment. Factors driving Wells Fargo's valuation include its brand recognition, customer base, diversified business segments, and ability to generate consistent earnings. Changes in investor sentiment, market conditions, and regulatory developments can also impact the company's valuation over time. Investors closely monitor Wells Fargo's stock performance, assessing its ability to deliver value over the long term. The stock has had issues in the past due to news or events that have affected the company's share price, such as regulatory actions, the global pandemic, and strategic initiatives. These factors should be considered in analyzing its market performance. Wells Fargo operates in the highly competitive financial services industry, which is subject to evolving regulatory frameworks and technological advancements. Understanding the broader industry in which the company operates is crucial to assessing its competitive positioning. Wells Fargo competes with other major banks and financial institutions domestically and internationally. The company leverages its brand recognition, extensive product and service offerings, customer relationships, and technological capabilities to gain a competitive advantage. However, it also faces challenges such as regulatory compliance, changing customer preferences, and disruptive market forces. Wells Fargo has identified several growth opportunities within its diverse business segments. The company aims to deepen relationships with existing customers, attract new customers and expand its presence in key markets. In consumer banking, Wells Fargo focuses on enhancing digital capabilities, improving customer experience, and providing innovative solutions to meet evolving customer needs. The company seeks to leverage its strong brand and customer base to drive growth and increase customer loyalty. In wealth and investment management, Wells Fargo aims to capitalize on the growing demand for comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. The company's expertise in wealth management positions it well to capture opportunities in an increasingly complex investment landscape. As with any financial institution, Wells Fargo faces various risks and challenges. It is important to comprehensively analyze potential risks and challenges to understand their potential impact on the company's performance. Factors such as regulatory changes, cybersecurity threats, economic downturns, and reputational risks pose challenges to Wells Fargo's operations. The company has implemented robust risk management strategies, invested in technology and security measures, and enhanced compliance frameworks to mitigate these risks. Ongoing efforts to prioritize ethical conduct, transparency, and stakeholder trust are integral to managing risks effectively. Mastercard Inc. is a leading technology company in the payments industry that provides payment processing solutions to businesses and consumers worldwide. Mastercard is one of the largest payment processors in the world by market cap and the number of payments processed. Mastercard was founded in 1966 as Master Charge: The Interbank Card. The company was created to respond to the growing need for a secure and reliable payment processing system. In 1979, the company changed its name to Mastercard. Mastercard is in over 200 countries and territories and serves over 2.8 billion cardholders. Mastercard operates on a business-to-business (B2B) model, providing payment processing services to financial institutions, merchants and governments. The company earns revenue primarily through transaction processing fees, cross-border fees and other value-added services. Mastercard's business is divided into four segments: domestic assessments, cross-border volume fees, transaction processing fees and additional revenue. Mastercard's financial performance has been consistently strong in recent years, with revenue and earnings growth driven by increased transaction volumes and higher fees. Mastercard faces significant competition from other payment processing companies, including Visa Inc. (NYSE: V), American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) and PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL). However, Mastercard has maintained its position as one of the largest payment processors in the world due to its strong brand recognition, global network and innovative technology solutions. Mastercard has consistently invested in innovative technology to enhance its payment processing solutions. One of the company's most significant innovations in recent years is Mastercard's tokenization technology, which provides a secure way to process payments without exposing cardholder data. Mastercard has also invested heavily in contactless payment technology, which has become increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mastercard has a solid commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The company has set ambitious goals to reduce its carbon footprint, increase financial inclusion and promote gender equality. Mastercard is also actively involved in philanthropic efforts, including the Mastercard Foundation, which focuses on advancing financial inclusion in Africa. As with any company, Mastercard faces several risk factors that could impact its financial performance. One of the most significant risks facing Mastercard is the potential for increased regulation of the payment processing industry. Mastercard is also vulnerable to changes in consumer behavior, such as a shift away from traditional payment methods toward mobile payments. Additionally, Mastercard's business depends on the overall health of the global economy, which could be impacted by factors such as inflation, geopolitical tensions and natural disasters. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code CAIRO, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) on Monday welcomed the reunification of the Central Bank of Libya, which had been divided into two entities due to a yearslong civil war. "The move will impact the Libyan economy and the living conditions of Libyans in a positive way," the AL said in a statement. It voiced hope that "this important step will be an incentive to unify other Libyan institutions that suffered divisions for years and to put an end to the controversial issues of distributing revenues that have caused conflict among political actors." "This is an encouraging decision to activate the political process toward the procedures of running the awaited elections," it added. On Sunday, Siddiq Al-Kaber, governor of the Central Bank of Libya, made the announcement at the bank's headquarters in Tripoli after meeting with department heads from Tripoli and Benghazi branches. The bank has been divided into western and eastern branches since 2014. Libya has witnessed violence and insecurity since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. For Sen. Richard Durbin, no trip to the Du Quoin State Fair is complete without a side visit to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The five-term senator will be making his annual stop at the universitys Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 25 to meet with students. He reached out to our office again and said hed just like to meet with students, explain what hes working on and perhaps encourage students to consider careers in government, John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute explained. Shaw said he expects Durbin to be on campus for about 45 minutes, giving remarks and visiting with students. For students, many of them are just interested in the life of a lawmaker, wondering what it takes to represent a state as large and diverse as Illinois, Shaw explained. He added that as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin may be able to provide students with some insight on judicial appointments and some of the committees work on artificial intelligence regulation, and give students a better understanding of the governments commitment to higher education. The event is designed for and directed to SIU students. Close Students pass through the breezeway at Faner Hall on the SIU campus as rain and strong winds passed through the area in February in Carbondale. Students walk along the Campus Lake Trail on a mild Tuesday afternoon on the SIU campus in Carbondale. Mild temperatures stick around the region on Wednesday, but rain is forecast for most of the day. A student uses an umbrella while riding his bike through the SIU campus on a rainy Wednesday morning in Carbondale. GOING UP A student goes up the steps at the Engineering Building on the SIU campus on a sunny afternoon on Monday in Carbondale. Dont expect to see much sun the next few days as wintry weather is expected to arrive Tuesday evening. A small snowman adorns the outside of Morris Library on the SIU campus on Wednesday morning in Carbondale. Overnight snow canceled classes at many schools in the region, but only caused a delay in the start of classes at SIU. CHILLY RECEPTION Students pass by an icy holly tree near the Life Science Building on the SIU campus on a cold Monday afternoon in Carbondale. Overnight freezing rain made for slippery conditions in the morning and a mix of wintry precipitation late in the day created some slick spots on roads. Students walk by the partially frozen fountain in the plaza near Faner Hall on the SIU campus as the sun begins to thaw things out on Wednesday in Carbondale. A student is framed by blossoming cherry trees while walking along Lincoln Drive on the SIU campus on a mild, but windy, Monday morning in Carbondale. SIU student Rufayda Adam takes photos of a flowering magnolia tree on campus on Tuesday in Carbondale. Adam was sending the photos to her mother in Sudan where there arent flowering trees. A student walks through the SIU campus near Pulliam Hall during a rain shower on Tuesday in Carbondale. More rain is in the forecast each day through Friday. Students pass through the SIU campus past blooming redbuds and azaleas on a pleasant Thursday in Carbondale. A rainy and stormy day is forecast for Friday with highs in the 60s. A student passes through Thompson Woods on the SIU campus as showers pass through the region on Thursday in Carbondale. Cooler, but drier, weather is in the forecast the rest of the week with a gradual warming trend expected through the weekend. A student cruises on a scooter past a flowering dogwood near Browne Auditorium on the SIU campus on a pleasant Wednesday in Carbondale. The mild weather is forecast to continue through Friday before a chance of showers returns on Saturday. A young white-tailed deer buck eats leaves from a tree on the west side of the SIU campus on Tuesday morning in Carbondale. A bicyclist passes along Douglas Drive on the SIU campus on Wednesday in Carbondale. More pleasant weather is in store for the region through the weekend. A white-tailed deer peers out from behind foliage in Thompson Woods on the SIU campus on Wednesday in Carbondale. DANDY DAISIES A jogger passes by blooming daisies and catnip near Altgeld Hall on the SIU campus on Thursday in Carbondale. More pleasant weather is forecast into the weekend before rain is expected to return on Sunday. A walker passes by arrows on the Campus Lake Trail on Wednesday on the SIU campus in Carbondale. The arrows were used to direct competitors in the Saluki Triathlon last weekend. STROLLING ON WHEELS Anthony Fletcher skateboards through one of the breezeways at Faner Hall on the SIU campus on Monday afternoon in Carbondale. A worker cleans the exterior windows of one of the lounges at Neely Hall dormitory on the SIU campus on Tuesday in Carbondale. Campus Collection The best shots from the campus of Southern Illinois University during the first half of 2023 Students pass through the breezeway at Faner Hall on the SIU campus as rain and strong winds passed through the area in February in Carbondale. Students walk along the Campus Lake Trail on a mild Tuesday afternoon on the SIU campus in Carbondale. Mild temperatures stick around the region on Wednesday, but rain is forecast for most of the day. A student uses an umbrella while riding his bike through the SIU campus on a rainy Wednesday morning in Carbondale. GOING UP A student goes up the steps at the Engineering Building on the SIU campus on a sunny afternoon on Monday in Carbondale. Dont expect to see much sun the next few days as wintry weather is expected to arrive Tuesday evening. A small snowman adorns the outside of Morris Library on the SIU campus on Wednesday morning in Carbondale. Overnight snow canceled classes at many schools in the region, but only caused a delay in the start of classes at SIU. CHILLY RECEPTION Students pass by an icy holly tree near the Life Science Building on the SIU campus on a cold Monday afternoon in Carbondale. Overnight freezing rain made for slippery conditions in the morning and a mix of wintry precipitation late in the day created some slick spots on roads. Students walk by the partially frozen fountain in the plaza near Faner Hall on the SIU campus as the sun begins to thaw things out on Wednesday in Carbondale. A student is framed by blossoming cherry trees while walking along Lincoln Drive on the SIU campus on a mild, but windy, Monday morning in Carbondale. SIU student Rufayda Adam takes photos of a flowering magnolia tree on campus on Tuesday in Carbondale. Adam was sending the photos to her mother in Sudan where there arent flowering trees. A student walks through the SIU campus near Pulliam Hall during a rain shower on Tuesday in Carbondale. More rain is in the forecast each day through Friday. Students pass through the SIU campus past blooming redbuds and azaleas on a pleasant Thursday in Carbondale. A rainy and stormy day is forecast for Friday with highs in the 60s. A student passes through Thompson Woods on the SIU campus as showers pass through the region on Thursday in Carbondale. Cooler, but drier, weather is in the forecast the rest of the week with a gradual warming trend expected through the weekend. A student cruises on a scooter past a flowering dogwood near Browne Auditorium on the SIU campus on a pleasant Wednesday in Carbondale. The mild weather is forecast to continue through Friday before a chance of showers returns on Saturday. A young white-tailed deer buck eats leaves from a tree on the west side of the SIU campus on Tuesday morning in Carbondale. A bicyclist passes along Douglas Drive on the SIU campus on Wednesday in Carbondale. More pleasant weather is in store for the region through the weekend. A white-tailed deer peers out from behind foliage in Thompson Woods on the SIU campus on Wednesday in Carbondale. DANDY DAISIES A jogger passes by blooming daisies and catnip near Altgeld Hall on the SIU campus on Thursday in Carbondale. More pleasant weather is forecast into the weekend before rain is expected to return on Sunday. A walker passes by arrows on the Campus Lake Trail on Wednesday on the SIU campus in Carbondale. The arrows were used to direct competitors in the Saluki Triathlon last weekend. STROLLING ON WHEELS Anthony Fletcher skateboards through one of the breezeways at Faner Hall on the SIU campus on Monday afternoon in Carbondale. A worker cleans the exterior windows of one of the lounges at Neely Hall dormitory on the SIU campus on Tuesday in Carbondale. COLUMBIA -- South Carolina ETV and Public Radio (SCETV) has announced that Flow Fusion, a competition for teens and young adults to celebrate Hip Hop artistry, is now accepting entrants. The online competition was officially announced during the World Famous Hip Hop Family Day on Aug. 19 at the Koger Center in Columbia. Flow Fusion offers teens and young adults the opportunity to channel their artistic talents and become a part of the vibrant Hip Hop narrative by submitting their work in various categories. The competition complements the recently released PBS documentary, "Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World," which delves into the roots, impact and evolution of this genre, as well as the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop. Led by Chuck D of Public Enemy, Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World traces the genre's political awakening and its role as a powerful conduit for social consciousness. Featuring rap icons, cultural commentators and inspiring stories, the documentary underscores how Hip Hop has emerged to tell the stories of our communities. In harmony with the themes of Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World, Flow Fusion provides a platform to explore various facets of Hip Hop, including graffiti art, dance, lyrics, DJ skills and album cover art. Competition highlights Submission Time Frame: Aug. 19, 11 a.m. Sept. 22, 11:59 p.m. Contestants: Open to teens and young adults with a passion for Hip Hop artistry Categories: Graffiti art, dance, lyrics, DJ and album cover art Age Groups: 13-17 and 18-22 Submission Limit: One entry per category Voting Time Frame: Sept. 25, 8 a.m. -- Sept. 29, 11:59 p.m. Voting will be open to the public starting Sept. 25 on the SCETV website. The public is invited to engage with their favorite entries and to share entries across social media platforms using #FlowFusion. Winners of the various categories will be showcased on the SCETV website, at upcoming SCETV events and receive a prize relating to their category, aimed at helping to bolster their creative endeavors. FALLON, Nev. Linda Noneo turned up the heat in her van to ward off the early-morning chill that persists in northern Nevadas high desert even in late June. As the first rays of daylight broke over a Christian cross on the top of a hill near the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone colony, she drove toward her first stop to pick up fellow tribal members waiting for transportation to their medical appointments. Noneo is one of four community health representatives for the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone, which the tribe said includes about 1,160 enrolled members. The role primarily involves driving tribal members to their health appointments, whether in Fallon, a city of just under 10,000, or Reno, more than 60 miles west. Noneo said she and her colleagues have also taken patients as far away as Sacramento, California, and Salt Lake City, round trips of nearly 400 and 1,000 miles, respectively. Public health experts contend the role Noneo and others like her fill is an integral part of ensuring people receive the care they need, especially for chronic illnesses, by helping close gaps in areas with medical provider shortages. Besides transporting patients to their appointments, community health representatives provide health education, patient advocacy, and more. Noneo said she and her colleagues spend a lot of time helping young mothers and elders, checking on the latter, taking them to get groceries, or delivering their medication. Yet, most state Medicaid programs dont recognize or pay for services offered by health workers, such as Noneo, who work on tribal lands. Thats despite their work being essentially the same as that of community health workers in nontribal communities, a classification many state Medicaid programs cover. In Nevada, that disparity recently changed when the state began allowing workers on tribal lands to qualify for Medicaid reimbursement as community health workers. Tribal leaders say the Medicaid payments supplement existing personnel funding by covering the individual services the workers provide. That in turn should allow tribes to train and hire more community health representatives, which could expand health and support services for tribal members. Only two other states, South Dakota and Arizona, treat community health representatives serving Native American populations as eligible for the same Medicaid reimbursement as their similarly named counterparts in nontribal areas, according to Michelle Archuleta, a community health representative program consultant for the federal Indian Health Service. However, she said, the tribes the CHRs work for have not begun billing the states Medicaid programs. The Community Health Representative program, established by Congress in 1968, is among the nations oldest community health workforces. Its jointly funded by each tribe and the IHS, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for providing health care to members of federally recognized tribes. As of 2019, more than 1,600 of these tribal linchpins worked in the United States, according to the IHS. Last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved Nevadas plan to make community health workers who complete training and certification requirements eligible for Medicaid reimbursement when they assist with chronic disease management and prevention. And in December, leaders with the Nevada Community Health Worker Association helped tribes make sure their community health representatives would receive the necessary training for certification. The association would fully support tribal clinics submitting their community health representative training for recognition in the state and it would not require a change to state law, said Jay Kolbet-Clausell, program director for the group. For now, community health representatives are receiving double training to be able to file for Medicaid reimbursement. Training and certification requirements for community health workers vary widely by state and employer, as workers are often hired by hospitals, local organizations, health departments, or federally qualified health centers. But a movement has been emerging across the country to bring more uniformity to those requirements and formalize the roles, said Sweta Haldar, a policy analyst with the Racial Equity and Health Policy program at KFF. As part of this process, states are expanding coverage for community health workers under Medicaid. According to a brief Haldar co-authored, 28 of 47 states, and Washington, D.C., reported having policies that allow Medicaid reimbursement for services provided by community health workers. Arkansas, Georgia, and Hawaii did not respond to KFFs survey. Theres a really robust evidence base that is growing every day that community health worker interventions can be effective in reducing health disparities, particularly in communities of color, Haldar said. Studies have also shown that community health worker programs are effective in improving health outcomes for people with chronic conditions and that they reduce health care costs. Soon after Nevada implemented its program, about 50 community health representatives completed the requirements. Another cohort of 20 finished the curriculum later, said Kolbet-Clausell. The goal is for those who have completed the recent training to help their peers through it, they said. Even before the tribal workers were included in the community health workforce, one of its greatest strengths was its diversity, Kolbet-Clausell said. In Nevada, the 2022 student group was made up of greater shares of people who are American Indian or Alaska Native, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, or from rural areas than the states general population. They said its likely one of the most diverse health programs in the state. Community health representatives such as Noneo are typically tribal or community members themselves, which, public health experts say, allows them to connect more easily with the patients they serve and better connect them to health care. For example, the first person she picked up that June morning was her cousin, who had a 6 a.m. dialysis appointment. Kolbet-Clausell said theyre optimistic about the growing workforce and the support its getting from state leaders. Five, six years ago, there was a lot more resistance, they said, because lawmakers saw the efforts to expand the community health workforce as simply spending more money. But this actually just benefits rural communities as much as it benefits underserved urban communities. It serves everyone. Back in Fallon, Noneo reflected on her 27 years as a community health representative for her tribe as she prepares to retire in September. She has been there with her fellow tribal members through important and hard times in their lives like driving an expectant mother to Reno to deliver a baby, taking people to receive treatment for mental health crises and addiction, and bringing patients to their dialysis treatments on her week off around Christmas so they wouldnt miss their appointments. The most challenging part of the job, she said, is experiencing the loss of someone she has regularly seen and provided years of services for. We all have compassion, she said. In this kind of job, you have to have that. After decades of shuttling patients, Noneo has the work down to a steady and familiar rhythm. Four hours after dropping off her cousin for dialysis, Noneo picked her up at the clinic as she dropped off the next dialysis patient. On a clipboard, she logged the hours and mileage for each appointment. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. USE OUR CONTENT This story can be republished for free (details). Everton late entries to Hudson-Odoi race? | 21/08/2023 Everton and Nottingham Forest could be looking to try and hijack Callum Hudson-Odoi's proposed move to Fulham, according to a report. The Evening Standard claim that the Toffees and the Trees have entered the equation while the Cottagers hesitate over Chelsea's 8m valuation of the player. Hudson-Odoi has largely been surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge lately having failed to really break into the first team there after returning from his loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen. Fulham are targeting him as a potential attacking midfield addition having seemingly moved on from Demarai Gray while Forest are seemingly linked with every player going. Article continues below video content Everton, meanwhile, might be eyeing 22-year-old Hudson-Odoi as an alternative to Wilfried Gnonto who is proving hugely challenging to lever away from Leeds United who appear resolute in their demands to get 30m for the Italian international. The talk regarding Hudson-Odoi has been played down by Chris Beesley at the Liverpool Echo, however. Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () How to get rid of these ads and support TW ToffeeWeb The coronavirus accomplished what no Moldovan government could have done or wanted to do. From Bas-TV. Hundreds of thousands of labor migrants began streaming back home to Moldova when the first wave of the pandemic hit. What could induce them to stay home and what steps has the government taken? Or should we instead hope the formidable army of young, employable Moldovans will grasp another opportunity to leave for Europe, Israel, or Russia? According to the World Bank, Moldovas population was 2,681,735 on 1 January 2019. This means that in the past 30 years, the country has lost almost 1 million inhabitants, chiefly because of emigration. If the current trend continues, experts at the Vienna Institute of Demography predict, the population could fall to 1.7 million by 2050. This spring, however, as countries around the globe imposed lockdowns and other measures to check the spread of COVID-19, a reverse process began: newly jobless expatriates started to head home to Moldova. According to the Border Police, about 1,275,000 people entered Moldova in the period from March to November, and 5,000 to 7,000 keep arriving every day by land and air. Clearly, not all of them should be considered labor migrants, but according to various estimates this group makes up no less than 70 percent of the total number of inbound border crossings. Full-fledged labor migrants are people who live and work abroad for several years, those who have settled down there. Because of the pandemic, they are currently out of work but still have opportunities to return later, economic analyst and former parliamentarian Veaceslav Ionita says.Their decision to come back to their native country is motivated by cheaper living costs here, as they have relatives here and either can stay at their parents home or have their own accommodation. Jobless Rate Rises, but Slower Than Feared Before the coronavirus crisis, the registered unemployment rate in Moldova was among the lowest in Europe, at about 4 percent, according to National Bureau of Statistics data. When the pandemic hit, the number of unemployment claims jumped sharply, the National Employment Agency (ANOFM) says. Many returning workers, along with those based in Moldova, applied for unemployment support of around 2,775 lei ($160) per month. The explanation for this phenomenon, Ionita believes, is that after losing a job, many workers dont even try finding another job in their native country, choosing instead to pack their bags and go abroad. Now, deprived of their foreign earnings, these people have been returning home and applying for aid. More than half of the roughly 41,000 unemployed as of 1 November joined the jobless rolls after 1 April. However, officially, just 1,411 individuals are repatriates. Since the data are based on the applicants own statements, the figure is probably on the low side because applicants rarely want to admit their status as repatriates, ANOFM explains. The same factor means the true number of jobless is higher than the official figure. These figures also do not take into account those returnees who do not register with the Employment Agency, either because they hope to go abroad again soon or because they have found work. An Expats Tale Svetlana Verbitsky left Basarabeasca, a city in southern Moldova, for work abroad in 2007. When the pandemic began, she was working as a nanny in Germany, but found herself out of a job when the lockdown took hold. Recruitment agencies closed, and it became impossible either to find another job or return home. Svetlana Verbitsky with her daughter and grandchildren. All photos are courtesy of Bas-TV. With the borders closed and flights canceled, I wouldnt have been able to leave Germany for two months, she says. As soon as I could, I returned home with people I knew in their car. I spent some time at home with my daughter, son-in-law, and my three beloved grandchildren, then began to look for work. I needed to make a living, after all. To my own surprise, I found work fairly soon as a nanny for a family in Chisinau. I havent made up my mind whether to go abroad again. Some experts suggest that this returning labor force could give a new impulse to Moldovas social and economic development. Others disagree. They maintain that if the majority of returnees stay in the country and stop sending money to their families from abroad, it will be a real shock not only for the families, but for the economy as a whole. Thus, they argue, it is not advantageous for the government either to provide jobs to these people in Moldova or to create conditions for starting a business. Will Remittances Recover? World Bank data show that remittances sent to Moldova from abroad typically make up from 16 percent to 22 percent of the countrys GDP. In 2019, remittances sent via banks amounted to $1.2 billion roughly $1,000 per household, the equivalent of two months average wages for an individual. The effects of remittances are felt the greatest in rural areas, where most recipients live. And even this large sum does not reflect the true scale of remittances, according to Mikhail Poisik, an economist at the National Institute for Economic Research, because migrants bring most money home with them as cash. Last year, Moldovans changed $2.2 billion worth of cash at currency exchange counters. This year, however, remittances could fall by half, Poisik says. In January and February the volume of currency exchange was $305 million for these two months. So at the beginning of the year, people were still working, he notes. The flow of foreign currency so critical for Moldovas economy then started to dry up. But could it snap back? Data indicate that labor migration is picking up again: just over 800,000 people left the country between July and October, according to the Border Police. In the first phase of the pandemic, some foreign companies even chartered planes to take workers to Germany and Poland. Agriculture, construction, and food processing employ the greatest number of Moldovans abroad, says Vasiliy Cheban, head of the Association of Recruitment Agencies of Moldova. The [early wave] of the pandemic coincided with the beginning of the agricultural and construction season, a time when workers are in high demand. If the demand for labor increases, salaries and wages grow as well, Cheban says. Employers are ready to pay more so foreign workers come to them and not their competitors. For instance, a construction worker used to earn about 2,500 euros gross, but during the pandemic the same worker can earn 3,000 euros. National Bureau of Statistics data show that male migrants outnumber women, making up 55 percent of the foreign-based workforce. Young workers predominate: 32 percent and 27 percent of migrants fall into the 2029 and 3039 age cohorts, respectively. Rural areas contribute 79 percent of labor migrants. Migration varies widely by region: rates are roughly three times higher in the southern Cimislia and Basarabeasca districts than in the municipalities of Chisinau and Balti. In the past 15 years the numbers of children and the elderly leaving the country have risen, reflecting a tendency for the reunification of migrant families abroad, according to the statistics bureau. Many labor migrants return home periodically, although about about one in 10 stays abroad permanently. According to the Center for Demographic Research of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, around 30,000 people emigrate permanently every year. Russia, Ukraine, the United States, Germany, and Israel are the most popular destinations. Bigger Paychecks and Higher Quality of Life Viktor Mocanu, president of the Moldovan Association of Sociologists and Demographers, explains that the social status of emigrants is changing. If until 2010 a migrants decision to leave the country was dominated by economic factors people simply lacked money to provide for their families now we can observe the migration of young adults who are more or less well-off and well-educated. It means they are not satisfied with the prevailing social and economic situation in the country. Valentine Buchatsky, a native of Basarabeasca, went to work in Germany seven years ago, when he was 25. What he first planned as a temporary stay became a permanent move. Now, his family, home, job, and prospects are there. It would be difficult for me to return to my native Moldova, Valentine Buchatsky says. I decided to stay in Germany mostly because I wanted my children to have better prospects. Im afraid it would be difficult for me to return to my native Moldova even in my old age. One of the arguments in favor of living here are social guarantees for everyone children, employed people, and seniors. People with jobs naturally pay higher taxes, but if they lose their job, they receive around 65 percent of their average annual income for the previous year and if they earned well, it could be about 1,600-1,800 euros a month. Thats enough to live pretty well here and even to go on vacation once a year. Valentine sometimes returns to his homeland to visit his parents and relatives. When I come to Moldova and to my native city of Basarabeasca, to be honest, I hardly notice any changes for the better. And these little things that are being done arent enough to make me or other migrants return permanently. There is not that much work here, salaries and wages are low, little help exists for young families from the state, the healthcare system is weak, the educational system gets worse and worse with each passing year For Svetlana Verbitsky, who turned 50 this year, her home, family, and soul will always be in Moldova. The quality of life and culture are definitely higher both in Europe and in the U.S., but I have never felt at home abroad. In Germany I was most annoyed by their bureaucracy. Certainly, I have thought about returning to Moldova for good these thoughts have never left my mind: my children, grandchildren, and friends are here, but I wasnt sure whether I could find a decently paid job here. If our state offered that to me and my fellow Moldovans forced to earn our daily bread in foreign countries, I think many of us would rather live and work in our motherland. A Coming Wave of Immigrants? This is not to say that Moldovas government has done nothing to attract migrants back home. For instance, from 2014 to 2016, a government program guaranteed financial aid to former labor migrants who launched a business in the agricultural sector, and laid the groundwork for public-private partnerships involving returning migrants. Early this year, the government set up a commission to study the effects of depopulation and mass emigration on the countrys development. Then came the pandemic and an economic crisis in its wake and the government was practically helpless to mitigate its effects. All previous programs, plans, and strategies called for opening new production facilities and creating new jobs, but now the situation has changed, and new jobs wont be created. On the contrary, huge job cuts are coming, Poisik says. Small businesses have simply closed, and big businesses either give their workers unpaid vacations or cut salaries and wages. Under these conditions, the only thing the state can offer its unemployed citizens, including guest workers returned from abroad, is the involuntary unemployment allowance of 2,775 lei, some financial aid for people willing to work in the agricultural sector or some menial work. Veaceslav Ionita is convinced that returned migrants faced with a choice between menial work in Moldova or abroad will prefer the second, much higher paid option. Job openings in domestic firms will be taken either by citizens unable or unwilling to leave, or by immigrants, he believes. In that case, Moldova could soon transform from a supplier to an importer of labor, and the government will be forced to open the door to foreign workers. For now, as the daily number of COVID-19 infections keeps rising, few but low-skilled jobs are being advertised in Moldova. According to National Employment Agency data, as of 23 November, 78 percent of the 7,694 vacancies required only vocational training or none. Just 28 vacancies were listed in Basarabeasca, almost all for jobs on the railway. Liudmila Topal has been chief editor of Bas-TV and its sister radio station Bas-FM since 1999. The stations serve the Basarabeasca district in Moldova. An earlier version of this article appeared in Russian on the Bas-TV website. Translated by Tetiana Merega. Helen Wolff was eight when she started showing lambs in 4-H programs. Now, she is 86. While she doesnt show lambs anymore, her 35 years spent as a teacher could be akin to shepherding youth by teaching home economics. Its those students who inspired her to commission Casper artist Chris Navarro to make a sculpture representative of her, 4-H programs and the animals of Wyoming. It is in honor of her students, Wolff, who does not have any children of her own, said. And after teaching in Dubois, Jackson, Jeffrey City and Casper, Wolff said that she sees students everywhere. When her garbage can took (her) out six years ago, the doctor at the hospital recognized her as his former teacher. She laughed while telling the story. What happened to you, Mrs. Wolff? he said. And I said, Well, my garbage can took me out. And he said, I didnt think anything could take you out. Like she was, many of her students were involved in 4-H programs, too. She helped a bit with that, but mostly taught things in her home economics classes that run parallel to many of the concepts advanced through 4-H: landscaping, interior design, food and nutrition. Wolff told the Star-Tribune that Navarro seems to think the sculpture will be unveiled on Sept. 9 at the fairgrounds in Casper. A born and bred Wyomingite, Wolff said that her parents not originally from the state, though they made their home in Lander instilled in her values of kindness, generosity and appreciation for the Equality States vast, accessible natural beauty. I grew up on a ranch. My mom and dad are very wonderful people. And I grew up helping other people, she said. Its a giving thing, not a taking. They lived six miles south of Lander, a location that breathed life into the idea of a sculpture. And I had some money, Wolff recalled, and I thought, well, maybe we can do something called Six Miles South. The work is life-sized and bronzey, with a horse standing behind a little girl who is holding a lamb in her arms. The child gazes lovingly at the lamb. Out of the corner of his eye, the horse stares at the little girl as if to say, Put the lamb down, and pay attention to me. The horse does have a name Prince in honor of one of two horses that Wolffs family had. Since he wears bridles and bits all the time, Wolff told the Star-Tribune, he wants to prove that he can do more than just the practical work of a ranch horse. Maybe he could be a therapy horse or even a wild mustang on the prairie, she said. But its more than just a sweet reminiscence on childhood or a reflection on the importance of 4-H programs in a world that is becoming increasingly digital. The sculpture is meant to show and encourage kindness. Be nice to everyone. Kind to everyone, Wolff said. I dont care who they are. Kind to our land, our streams, our fish, our animals. She hopes the statue, once unveiled, will be up at the fairgrounds forever. And on the third and final reading it passed. Unanimously. Sans Councilor Brandy Haskins, who was not present, the Casper City Council voted Tuesday night to pass the ordinance that would extend the 1-cent tax indefinitely after a heated period of public comment and zealous responses to those comments by councilors. The unanimous vote mirrors what happened at the last two readings, where the ordinance glided through council each time. To recap: The 1-cent tax adds another penny to Wyomings 4% sales tax; said penny stays in the county, however. The proposed ordinance calls for the tax to be extended indefinitely not made permanent, the Star-Tribune previously reported. (In the future, community members could still vote to end the indefinite extension, thereby putting the sales tax back on the ballots every four years.) The city doesnt have the ability to say yea or nay to extending the tax by itself, since its a county-level tax. Wyoming state statute does, however, provide a path for counties and the communities within them to collectively decide to approve the optional 1-cent tax, sometimes also known as 5th cent, indefinitely. Thats whats happening right now. Midwests clerk/treasurer told the Star-Tribune that the ordinance is being sent to the towns attorney; after it goes through him, their council will move forward with the first reading. Edgerton Mayor Buck King did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Mills Mayor Leah Juarez said in a text to the Star-Tribune that the towns council wants to discuss it further in a work session before we make a determination. On the agenda for an Aug. 7 work session meeting, a line item was One Cent Discussion: Permanent 5th Cent. Juarez clarified in another text that a pro permanent (1-cent sales tax) group that asked to be put on the agenda. Many of them spoke. Although council did not discuss it at that meeting. We stated that we needed to discuss it further as a council. The court treasurer for Bar Nunn told the Star-Tribune there just isnt any interest in the ordinance, so it hasnt gone before the towns council and isnt scheduled to. The Evansville town clerk said that theres been discussion, and the ordinance might be put on the agenda in the next few weeks or in September. The ordinance went out with a bit of a bang at Casper City Councils Tuesday night meeting. Like at previous meetings, there was debate and many strong currents of emotion. Generally, those in opposition brought up voters rights and wondered why the council didnt just put the indefinite extension on the ballot for voters to choose during the next election cycle. Most were concerned over increasing taxes; one speaker said their father struggled with increasing property taxes specifically, as he is on a fixed income. With the rise in property taxes, he was $11 short to make his budget meet up with his housing, the speaker said. He spoke in opposition to the extension. By increasing these taxes, its gonna make it a lot harder on him, since he has a six-year-old daughter that he also has to feed and take care of, the speaker said. I dont think its right to go on and make this a permanent tax. As aforementioned, the indefinite extension would not erase the possibility of the 1-cent tax being off the ballots forever, though. If a future city council decided to undo the extension, it would go back on the ballots every four years, as it has been since its inception in 1974. Those in support mentioned various points including that extending the tax would help maintain the quality of living in Casper, which would therefore draw more people to want to move and live and work here; the tax isnt new and therefore isnt adding anything to what people in the county already pay; and that law enforcement in Casper benefits greatly from the 1-cent funds, so if residents want to back the police, then this is a tangible way to do it. One of the main things that it does fund is law enforcement and emergency services, Shane True, who is an owner with his wife, JoAnn True, at AB Services LLC and who spoke in support of the extension, said. I can think of no better way to back the blue, to back our law enforcement, than to keep this tax in place permanently. And I can think of no better way to make moves to defund the police, to defund law enforcement, than to have this tax go away. Councilors responded with a united front: The tax is necessary, they maintained, and without it, residents of Casper would suffer a lower quality of life and surrounding municipalities would be at risk of extinction. It is also, Vice Mayor Ray Pacheco noted, just the first step for this ordinance. As mentioned above, there are five other municipalities that have to vote on it before it can go to the county commissioners. This has to make many other hurdles before its an actual law thats passed, that we make this permanent he said. This is a process that were going through, so were having that conversation. Thats been surprising here, the amount of misinformation that has come to me in the form of emails, phone calls and the public speakers, Councilor Michael Bond said. I would encourage everyone to this has been mentioned here to study the issues a little bit more deeply, get accurate information and then express your opinion. In the coming weeks, the ordinance must clear the majority of the municipalities before it goes to the board of county commissioners, where it must also pass successfully. If it does pass the county commissioners, the county clerk would then have to certify to the county treasurer at least 90 days before the 2026 election season that Natrona County has met the requirements to axe the tax from the ballot, the Star-Tribune reported previously. NEW YORK Rudy Giuliani glared across a Washington hearing room as a lawyer seeking his disbarment after the Jan. 6 insurrection asked: How did this man, celebrated as Americas mayor after 9/11, become a leader of an attempt to overturn a national election? Its like there are two different people, Hamilton Phil Fox III, the lead prosecuting attorney for the agency that disciplines Washington lawyers, said last December. I dont know if something happened to Mr. Giuliani or what. Giuliani feted, knighted and named Time magazines person of the year for his leadership as New York City mayor after the 2001 terrorist attack has seen his reputation eviscerated and now his liberty imperiled for his steadfast defense of former President Donald Trumps false claims about the 2020 election. On Monday, Giulianis downfall sank to its lowest level yet with his indictment in Georgia on charges he acted as Trumps chief co-conspirator in a plot to subvert President Joe Biden's victory. Giuliani, Trump and 17 other people were charged under Georgias version of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The law, known as RICO, was once one of Giulianis favorite tools when he was cracking down on mobsters and Wall Street titans as Manhattans top federal prosecutor in the 1980s. Now, as he nears 80, it could put him behind bars. Giuliani called the indictment an affront to American democracy and said it does permanent, irrevocable harm to our justice system. On his radio show Wednesday, he described the case as an atrocity and an out and out assault on the First Amendment. How did it come to this? People whove studied Giulianis rise and fall see his failed 2008 presidential run as a turning point. Giuliani started as the front runner for the Republican nomination, capitalizing on his post-9/11 popularity. But he struggled in the primaries amid GOP concerns about his past support for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control, and questions about his personal life and business ties to the Middle East. For years following the race, Giuliani's political career appeared over. After falling into a deep depression, he and his then-wife Judith decamped to Florida, where Trump put them up for a month in a bungalow at his Mar-a-Lago estate, biographer Andrew Kirtzman said. Trump really took Giuliani under his wing at a very vulnerable moment, said Kirtzman, whose second Giuliani biography, Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of Americas Mayor, was published last year. And then in 2016, Trump decided to run for president, and he needed Giuliani and Giuliani needed Trump. Trump, a first-time candidate, leaned on Giuliani's political acumen and loyalty and put him to work as a surrogate leading attacks on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom Giuliani had faced in a 2000 U.S. Senate race. The 2016 campaign returned Giuliani to relevance, but he surprised many with the ferocity of his attacks and his frequent claims that Clinton had committed crimes. Giuliani was seen as squandering his image as an elder statesman of sorts on a candidate who, at the time, was written off as having little chance to win. Giuliani angled for a post in Trump's cabinet but didn't get it. Instead, he continued as Trump's attack dog, a role that saw him traveling to Ukraine seeking damaging information about Biden's son, Hunter. Giuliani's contacts with Ukrainian figures later played a role in Trumps first impeachment trial and prompted an FBI investigation. In April 2021, federal agents raided his home and office, seizing computers and cellphones, but the probe was later dropped without any charges. Some people who were once close to him say the Giuliani of today has little in common with the man they knew. The man that I knew 20 years ago, the hero of Sept. 11 bears no resemblance to this man, said Judith Giuliani, who was by his side in the aftermath of 9/11 and his 2008 election loss. I actually feel sorry for him. Its sad. Hes not the person that he used to be to any of us. When Trump lost the 2020 election, Giuliani played a starring role in his effort to remain in the White House, which prosecutors say included illegal maneuvering to flip the results in key states. Giuliani appeared to have hair dye streaking down his face at one news conference, making him the butt of late-night television jokes and internet memes. Those blunders came in the wake of another embarrassment: clips from the Borat sequel showing Giuliani flirting with a young actress posing as a TV journalist and then lying on a bed, with his hand down his pants. Giuliani said he went to the hotel thinking he was going to be interviewed and was just tucking in his shirt. Giulianis critics argue that hes always been combative and abrasive, with a disdain for critics and a willingness to go after rivals. The real Rudy Giuliani was hiding in plain sight, said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Just because he was the face of a devastated and pained city after 9/11 doesnt mean that he wasnt still the authoritarian, anti-democratic bully" that he was "for 90% of his mayoralty, which ran from 1994 to 2001. Said Kirtzman, who was with Giuliani on 9/11 as they fled debris from the falling World Trade Center: His legacy is in tatters. A look at the 19 people charged in the Georgia indictment connected to Trump's election scheme Key people in the Georgia election fraud case Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani John Eastman Mark Meadows Sidney Powell Kenneth Chesebro Prosecutors have said Chesebro, an attorney, worked with Republicans in numerous swing states Trump lost, including Georgia, in the weeks after the November 2020 election at the direction of Trumps campaign. Chesebro worked on the coordination and execution of a plan to have 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate declaring falsely that Trump won and declaring themselves the states duly elected and qualified electors. Jeffrey Clark Jenna Ellis Ray Smith A Georgia-based lawyer, Smith was involved in multiple lawsuits challenging the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. He also gathered witnesses to provide testimony before Georgia legislative subcommittee hearings held in December 2020 on alleged issues with the states election. Robert Cheeley A Georgia lawyer, Cheeley presented video clips to legislators of election workers at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta and alleged the workers were counting votes twice or sometimes three times. He spoke to the lawmakers after Giuliani. Michael Roman A former White House aide who served as the director of Trumps election day operations, Roman was involved in efforts to put forth a set of fake electors after the 2020 election. David Shafer Shawn Still He was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state and declaring themselves the states duly elected and qualified electors. Still was the finance chairman for the state GOP in 2020 and served as a Georgia delegate to the Republican National Convention that year. He was elected to the Georgia state Senate in November 2022 and represents a district in Atlantas suburbs. Stephen Cliffgard Lee Prosecutors say Cliffgard Lee, a pastor, worked with others to try to pressure Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman and her daughter after Trump and his allies falsely accused them of pulling fraudulent ballots from a suitcase during the vote count. Lee allegedly knocked on Freemans door, frightening her and causing her to call 911 three times, prosecutors said in a court filing last year. Harrison William Prescott Floyd Also known as Willie Lewis Floyd III, he served as director of Black Voices for Trump, and is accused of recruiting Lee to arrange a meeting with Freeman and Chicago-based publicist Trevian Kutti. Trevian C. Kutti Prosecutors allege Kutti, a publicist, claimed to have high-level law enforcement connections. They say Freeman met with Kutti at a police precinct, where she brought Floyd into the conversation on a speakerphone. Prosecutors say Kutti presented herself as someone who could help Freeman but then pressured her to falsely confess to election fraud. Cathy Latham Scott Graham Hall An Atlanta-area bail bondsman, Hall was allegedly involved in commandeering voting information that was the property of Dominion Voting Systems from Coffee County, a small south Georgia jurisdiction. Also charged in the scheme were Powell, Latham and former county elections supervisor Misty Hampton. Misty Hampton She was the elections director in Coffee County. Hampton was present in the county elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, when a computer forensics team copied software and data from the countys election equipment. She also allowed two other men who had been active in efforts to question the 2020 election results to access the elections office later that month and to spend hours inside with the equipment. Read the Trump indictment in Georgia Your browser does not support the iframe HTML tag. Try viewing this in a modern browser like Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Internet Explorer 9 or later. WHEN the rice finishes, we make dumplings. Thats the reality for one family because they simply cannot afford to replenish food until the next pay cheque. Living pay cheque to pay cheque is a dilemma many households are facing in Trinidad and Tobago. Artists perform during the inauguration of the House of Heritage in Cairo, Egypt, Aug. 20, 2023. Egypt's Ministry of Culture inaugurated on Sunday evening a new venue to showcase and preserve the country's rich intangible cultural heritage with a ceremony featuring traditional music and dance. The venue, named the House of Heritage, is located inside the Foustat Traditional Crafts Center in Cairo and was inaugurated by Egyptian Minister of Culture Neveen Al-Kilany and representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Ministry of Culture inaugurated on Sunday evening a new venue to showcase and preserve the country's rich intangible cultural heritage with a ceremony featuring traditional music and dance. The venue, named the House of Heritage, is located inside the Foustat Traditional Crafts Center in Cairo and was inaugurated by Egyptian Minister of Culture Neveen Al-Kilany and representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The house, which is part of Egypt's program to mark the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, will be a venue for preserving and promoting the country's intangible cultural heritage, in addition to hosting many heritage-related workshops and events. "The House of Heritage includes shops for selling handmade products, a museum for showcasing traditional crafts, and places for organizing a variety of heritage-related cultural activities throughout the year," Al-Kilany told reporters. For her part, Nuria Sanz, director of the UNESCO Cairo Office, said the House of Heritage is a way to integrate all kinds of Egyptian heritage, tangible and intangible, noting that its inauguration is a kick-off event of the UNESCO's joint celebrations with Egypt that will continue till the end of the year. "The role of Egypt has always been pivotal vis-a-vis all the UNESCO conventions," Sanz said, stressing that Egyptian officials, academics and experts contributed actively to the preparatory work for ratification of the UNESCO convention 20 years ago. During the celebration, a number of Egyptian artisans showcased their craftsmanship in front of visitors, including weaving, copper engraving, wood carving, pottery making, drawing on ceramics, etc. Fatma Al-Hawary, a trainee in a handicraft workshop at Foustat Traditional Crafts Center, was shaping a circular copper sheet into an artistic decoration. "The House of Heritage is a very good initiative because we need to preserve our heritage. These traditional handicrafts are declining, so we revive them and bring our heritage to light," the craftswoman told Xinhua. Egypt boasts a vibrant and rich living heritage, with multiple elements of intangible cultural heritage already inscribed on UNESCO's lists, including distinctive practices like "Aragouz," a traditional form of hand puppetry, the singular stick-based dance game "Tahteeb," and the art of hand-weaving in Upper Egypt. People attend the inauguration of the House of Heritage in Cairo, Egypt, Aug. 20, 2023. Egypt's Ministry of Culture inaugurated on Sunday evening a new venue to showcase and preserve the country's rich intangible cultural heritage with a ceremony featuring traditional music and dance. The venue, named the House of Heritage, is located inside the Foustat Traditional Crafts Center in Cairo and was inaugurated by Egyptian Minister of Culture Neveen Al-Kilany and representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) KI is planning a huge homecoming for Carnival 2024. KI (Kris Persad) and his family band 3Veni have been noticeably absent from the fete circuit for the past five years. The Toronto, Canada-based former chutney soca monarch says he is longing for the one place where he is at home: the Carnival stage. Heads must roll and there must be an immediate investigation into who purchased 20 unusable wooden ladders for the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service (TTFS) for a whopping $1 million. The ladders are now parked up behind the Fire Service headquarters because they cannot be mounted on fire trucks, Leo Ramkissoon, president of the Fire Services Association, told the Sunday Express yesterday. Chief Justice Ivor Archies recent call for acceptance among judges suggests that at least some of them have not been dispensing justice impartially to all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. Speaking at the Caribbean Judges Forum on HIV Health and Human Rights last Thursday, the Chief Justice asserted, As lawyers and judges, we must begin from the premise that it is possible to construct functional, moral or ethical codes of behaviour without adherence to any particular doctrine, regardless of how strongly we may hold our personal religious convictions. KABUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police arrested 19 people on charges of involvement in criminal activities in seven of Afghanistan's 34 provinces on Sunday, said a statement of the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs on Monday. The arrested people were allegedly involved in illegal activities such as robbery, mobile snatching, forgery, theft, drug smuggling, and creating law and order problems in the country, the statement said, adding that further investigations are underway. Similarly, police in Kabul had also arrested dozens of people on charges of involvement in criminal activities over the past couple of weeks. The History Channels American Pickers is making its way to Arizona in September in search of valuable antiques. Episodes will be filmed in the Grand Canyon state, but exact locations werent announced. The interest the show receives from collectors will determine where they will make stops. The documentary series explores the world of antique picking, with an eye for historically significant or rare items, a news release said. Interested collectors should email their name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to americanpickers@cineflix.com or call (646) 493-2184. Stores, flea markets, malls, auction businesses, museums or anything open to the public will not be considered. For more information about the show, visit history.com/shows/american-pickers. A 77-year-old man riding a scooter early Sunday morning on Tucson's south side was struck and killed by a driver who Tucson police say had crossed lanes of oncoming traffic. Kenneth Michael Van Buren was riding a mobility scooter north in the southbound lanes of South 12th Avenue near West Michigan Drive about 6 a.m. when the driver of a northbound Nissan Altima crossed into the opposite lanes of traffic, struck the scooter from behind then smashed into a light pole, police said in a news release. Officers found the Nissan near the crash scene, but the driver was not with the vehicle, the release said. Later, police say Jorge Elfido Reyes Fajardo, 22, returned to the car and was questioned by officers. Fajardo was determined to be impaired and driving on a suspended license, the release said. The effects of a tropical storm that was moving in to California Sunday was marked by gusty winds across Tucson early in the day. Wind gusts of up to 60 m.p.h. persisted through much of the day and showers across the area were anticipated later Sunday, the National Weather Service in Tucson said Sunday afternoon. Forecasters have said they expected minimal affects from the former hurricane. For Monday, Tucsonans can expect temperatures in ranging from a low of 70 to a high of about 90 degrees. There's a slim chance of ran in the afternoon. Looking ahead to the upcoming week, Tucson and greater Pima County can expect an increase in thunderstorms due to Hilary on Tuesday and Wednesday. High temperatures for those two days should be in the mid- to high-90s, forecasters said. Comparing Republicans to the Three Stooges Please stop insulting the Three Stooges by comparing Republicans to them. The Three Stooges would have done a better job. Flora Frederick Midtown MMNN Mass Murder News Network CNN, ESPN Who would have thought when these networks were unveiled there would have been enough content to support them being on the air 24/7. Now, (Only in America) the time has come to establish a new network that could take possession of all the content that Im sick of seeing play out on a daily basis. Establish the MMNN to show the latest results in the insanity that grips our nation every day murder by guns (assault rifles AR-15s) especially! No need to worry about content, there will be plenty for the general public to view. Think of the sponsors that would come a knocking! Take all the gore and put it on on network so that the news hour can return to what it was. I am a responsible gun owner who will never view MMNN but I will tell you this, If Congress wont act then I will be voting those assault rifle loving representatives out of office. Then, down the road, MMNN goes kaput! Bert Hanson Northwest side Conversion therapy causes harm Re: the July 8 letter False narrative. Heterosexism, the belief that all people should be straight and heterosexual people are superior to gay, lesbian and bisexual people, and cissexism, the belief that all people should be cisgender and cisgender people are superior to transgender and nonbinary people, underlies the false belief that conversion therapy works. Efforts to change a persons sexual orientation or gender identity fail. Gender identity change efforts and sexual orientation change efforts can shame, intimidate, frighten, pressure and browbeat people to renounce their identity and live hidden in the closet. Erasure of LGBTQ people, their lives, their relationships, their contributions to the world and their joy is the goal of heterosexist and cissexist conversion therapy and the banning of books, drag queen story hours, and education that includes LGBTQ people. Conversion therapy causes harm and should be illegal. No one ever became gay or trans because they talked to an LGBTQ person. If you believe straight cisgender people are superior to LGBTQ people, ask yourself why. Richard Muszynski, Ph.D. Midtown Light and truth Loving others as much as ones self, is the way of light and truth. God, through his son, Jesus, demonstrated to us over 2,020 years ago that hating others is the way of darkness, chaos, and falsehoods. In our present times, about one-third of the citizens of our nation, most of whom are followers of D.J. Trump, seem determined to live in darkness as they work hard to spread hatred, lies, fear, repression, chaos, and death. Trump is the present-day version of the princes of darkness; Hitler and Stalin being former versions. Why do we continue to allow Trump and his followers to use the ways of hate and darkness to rule roughshod over us? We can stop this ruling by lies, hate, and fear by voting in all relevant elections after informing ourselves of the truth and discarding the lies of false propaganda. Voting this way and with concern for others can remove evil from power and return the right people and leaders to power! Laddie Cox Northwest side Kevin McCarthy Kevin McCarthy again displays spineless fear of his master, Donald Trump, and moral emptiness in his role as House speaker. After condemning Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection, he journeyed to Mar-a-Lago to beg forgiveness. He sold his soul to republican pillars Taylor Greene, Gaetz, and Boebert to get the House speakership. He props up George Santos because he needs the crooks vote to keep his speakership. Hes now following orders to try to expunge evidence of Trumps impeachments. But Trump doesnt understand that expunging doesnt mean it didnt happen. Trumps two impeachments did happen; that bell cannot be un-rung. History will remember. Even if acolyte McCarthy is able to expunge Congressional records of Trumps misdeeds, they will forever be part of Trumps legacy, the only president who was twice impeached AND criminally indicted. Jack Graef SaddleBrooke The curious silence of Rep. Juan Ciscomani On June 9, Donald J. Trump was indicted for illegally keeping classified documents in Florida. What was Rep. Juan Ciscomanis response? Silence. On Aug. 1, Donald J. Trump was indicted for his involvement in the 2020 election interference. What was Rep. Juan Ciscomanis response? Silence. Does Ciscomani support these indictments or is he with his MAGA Republican buddies and call it a witch hunt? We just dont know. Ciscomani should not be allowed to sit on the fence, he owes his constituents an honest statement about his stance on these indictments. Does he think that anyone involved in undermining the will of the people by negating their votes should be able to hold elected office? As Trump continues to tell lies about the election he lost and call for violence, will the silence from Ciscomani continue to show his complicity? Kathy Bielas Foothills The futility of banning books With so many school boards, parents, Republicans, governor of Florida, etc. banning books because of supposed bad content. It seems rather futile to do so. I would guess that most households have internet access. Many, many children have cell phones and/or tablets. Thus making it easy to order these books online, go to websites, visit things like YouTube where all this forbidden information is located, get books out of a local library, share books and internet locations, go to social media groups, etc. There are many ways that parents and children can have access to the supposed bad stuff that it seems extremely futile to ban books. And banning books can violate our First Amendment rights. Flora Frederick Midtown Cooperative effort for climate change Re: the Aug. 11 article Cooperative effort needed to fight climate change. Another place where there are few choices. I just put away items from my weekly grocery shopping and almost filled my trash can. Most everything is packed in non recyclable paper, cans, plastic. Reusable grocery bags are only a baby step to minimize non recyclable items. Is it possible that providers of grocery items we all buy package in recyclable containers? Karen Kennett Kirts Northeast side Potentially heartwarming It would be heartwarming to read letters to the editor from lifelong Democrats saying the Democratic Party today does not stand for what they believe in and supported all their life and thus they have changed parties. It would make this writer believe our country has a chance to survive as a republic. Dale Knight Oro Valley Trumpism as metaphor for fentanyl? Something to think about is the disturbing number of similarities between Trumpism and fentanyl. Both have an insidious seductive quality to which otherwise rational, thoughtful individuals are susceptible. Both are disseminated through distribution systems that are next to impossible to disrupt (i.e. drug cartels and Fox News). Both alter the reality of the user to the point of desocialization, manias, and the seeking of ever increasing doses to satisfy self destructive cravings. Use of each may result in severe consequences as their potency cannot be predetermined at any given time. But while both Trumpism and fentanyl are dangerous agents of societal destabilization, these dangers can be so easily rendered harmless by a personal refusal to partake. It doesnt cost a penny, or need governmental intervention to eradicate both. Ed Alelyunas West side Hard to please When Donald Trump began his first campaign for the White House, decent people were aghast at his crudely insensitive monologues. MAGAs responded that the offended should ignore Trumps words and focus on his actions. Now that the DOJ and other law enforcement agencies are focusing on Trumps actions, the MAGAs want it stopped. Complaining after polite people comply with your request is a perfect example of ignorant self-importance. Coming from the MAGAs, though, its lamentably predictable behavior. Rick Cohn Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton 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 Schools in session: Monday is the first day of classes for Epic Charter Schools. Tuesday is the first day of classes for Sand Springs Public Schools. School supply distribution event: Claremore Public Schools Johnson-OMalley Program will have school supplies available from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at the circle drive of the Claremore Enrollment Center. Wednesdays pick up event is for Indigenous students who are new to the district. Shot clinics: The Oklahoma Caring Van will have free shot clinics from 3-5 p.m. Monday at 1624 E. Virgin St., as part of the Seminole Hills Back to School Bash and from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Greenwood Cultural Center as part of distribution event hosted by Food on the Move. Corduroy kudos: The National FFA Organization has named 26 Oklahoma chapters as National 3-Star Chapters. Eastern Oklahoma chapters to receive the award include those from Bartlesville, Bluejacket, Dewey, Pawhuska, Stillwater, Vian and Webbers Falls. The Bartlesville chapter is also one of 10 finalists for the National Model of Excellence, which is presented to one chapter based on its efforts to implement FFAs mission and strategies through activities and outreach efforts. Meeker FFA was the last Oklahoma chapter to be recognized as the National Model of Excellence, earning the distinction in 2020. Parent resources: Catoosa Public Schools and the Catoosa Police Department will co-host a community talk on social media and cyberbullying Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the districts multipurpose dome, 2000 S. Cherokee Ave. Meanwhile, OSU-Tulsa will host Yes, Empowering Families for Success from 9:30-11:45 a.m. Saturday. Along with representatives from TPS departments and community organizations, the symposium will include panels about school success topics, such as student attendance and transportation. The event is free and open to the public. Stay home day: Tulsa Honor Academy will not have classes Friday due to a staff development day. Candidate announcement: John Croisant announced Tuesday that he will seek another term representing District 5 on TPS board of education. The boards current vice president, Croisant was elected to office in 2020. TPS campuses within District 5 include Eliot, Hoover, Lanier, Mayo Demonstration and Patrick Henry elementary schools; Edison Middle School and Edison High School. School board calendar: The boards of education for Bartlesville, Catoosa and Tulsa are scheduled to meet on Monday. The Oklahoma State Board of Education is scheduled to meet Thursday in Oklahoma City. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 Campaigns and elections: State Rep. Jeff Boatman, R-Tulsa, will formally announce his candidacy for state Senate District 25 on Monday. Boatman is in his third term representing House District 67 in southeast Tulsa. He has a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Tulsa and masters in Christian counseling from Southwestern Theological Seminary, and is a co-founder of Global Holdings, a payment processing services company. Earlier this week, SD 25 incumbent Joe Newhouse announced he will not seek reelection next year. Broken Arrow Vice Mayor Christi Gillespie said she is a Republican candidate for SD 33, which will be open next year because of term limits. Gillespie was elected to the Broken Arrow City Council in 2019 and became vice mayor in 2021. She has a mass communications from Oklahoma Christian University and more than 30 years in sales. Pardonne-moi: Former Ottawa County District Court Judge Robert E. Reavis II was appointed to the state Pardon and Parole Board by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Reavis, of Miami, was district judge from 1994 to 2018 and has worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs the past five years. Judge Reavis is an honorable and thoughtful man, said Chief Justice John Kane. We served in northeast Oklahoma at the same time as trial court judges. His ability to review cases, assess problems and render decisions will make him an excellent member of the Pardon and Parole Board. Resignation: State Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, resigned effective Sept. 1. Martinez, vice chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, pleaded guilty earlier this month to felony non-driving DUI. He also pleaded guilty to a DUI in 2014. State law prohibits felons from serving in the Legislature, although there was some question as to whether that applied in Martinez case because he received a deferred sentence. A special election will be held to complete the current term. Meetings and events: A car pool to the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting in Oklahoma City will meet at 6:30 a.m. Thursday in the parking lot of Congregational Church, 2900 S. Harvard Ave. Former Trump Chief of Staff Kash Patel is scheduled to appear with the previously announced Lara Trump at Sheridan Church on Sept. 10. See sheridan.church for details. The Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office of Civil Rights Enforcement will hold an employment law seminar 9 a.m.-4:15 p.m., Sept. 14, at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, 700 N. Greenwood Ave. Register at oag.ok.gov. The Attorney Generals office and the Oklahoma Press Association will have a series of Open Meetings and Open Records Act seminars this fall, including 1-3 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Tulsa Technology Center Riverside Campus, 801 E. 91st St. Bottom lines: Former Oklahoma Department of Commerce Executive Director Brent Kisling has opened a business development consulting firm, called NexTo, in a joint venture with another Enid-based company, Retail Attractions. state Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City, are Oklahoma Military Order of the Purple Heart legislators of the year. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. TALIHINA The veterans home sits on a 600-acre lot, nestled atop a hill overlooking the Kiamichi River Valley in southeast Oklahoma. A canopy of native oaks and pines shade the grounds trimmed laws from the blasting summer sun. Complete with the main hospital, an auditorium, a fishing pond and other amenities, the Talihina Veterans Center is a haven for aging service members who sought respite in a lush and serene place. But the states decision to close the center with the aim of mitigating monthly half-a-million-dollar losses, and the siphoning of funds from other veterans services provided to help cover it, means the veterans living in Talihina need to leave a place many thought would be the last stop in their life journeys of service and sacrifice. The original plan was to time the closure with the opening of a veterans home in Sallisaw, just 90 minutes north, and move the veterans there. Costly construction mistakes have delayed the new facilitys completion to late next year or early 2025. The veterans must decide where theyd rather go instead. They could choose to move to any of the six other veterans homes across the state, to a private nursing home nearby or with a caretaker, if they have one. Staying in the place they consider home is not among the options. We can choose where we want to go, but thats it. It feels like we are being forced to leave, said Danny Fitzwilliam, a 59-year-old Army veteran. Fitzwilliam served as a military police officer in the 1980s before transferring his experience to a 30-year career with the Oklahoma City Police Department. He lived at the Talihina Veterans Center for five months. He said he chose it because he became enamored with the Ouachita Mountains, which loom over the center and stretch far enough east to disappear into Arkansas. Had he known the center was going to close less than a year after he checked in, Fitzwilliam said he never would have gone there. Management called us into a meeting to let us know they are closing and that we have to leave. Nobody liked it, said Fitzwilliam. Some of the guys have been here for many years. I feel really sorry for them. Jimmie Billings, 84, served for 20 years as a Navy electronics technician and has lived at the center for two. After having served multiple tours during the Vietnam War, the native of nearby LeFlore County wanted to retire close to home. Billings said hes thinking about moving to the home in Sulphur, but that he plans on staying put until the last day he can. The right business decision Fitzwilliam and Billings are among 36 veterans who were living in the center in June, when the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs announced its closure by Oct. 1. As of Aug. 10, only 14 veterans remained living in the center with a capacity for 175. The announcement prompted southeastern Oklahoma legislators Rep. Jim Grego and Sen. Warren Hamilton to issue press releases questioning the decision by the Oklahoma Veterans Commission. Grego toured the center and Hamilton had a behind-the-scenes conversation with Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, Secretary of State Brian Bingman and Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs John Nash, which caused the closing plans to pause, said Greg Slavonic, who has served as the veteran affairs department interim director for five months. But a pause never truly occurred. The department continued working to move the veterans and reduce contractual nursing staff in an effort to close the home as soon as possible, said Slavonic, who himself is a career veteran and businessman, having served as the assistant secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and a senior leader at the Computer Sciences Corp. He said the half a million in monthly losses are attributed to overhead expenses to maintain the nearly 100-year-old building, labor costs and employee benefits and a lack of federal dollars received as per diems for each veteran who lives there. The cost of living at a state-run veterans center is split between the federal government, the state and the veterans themselves, depending on the percentage of their disability. This landed in my lap to resolve, Slavonic said. Looking at everything, this is a blend of taking care of our veterans and trying to make the right business decision thats best for the state of Oklahoma. So I went to the Veterans Commission and asked them to do it. The alternative, he said, was to continue losing money in Talihina and being forced to ask the Legislature for more taxpayer dollars to cover those losses and the cost of construction delays in Sallisaw. The home in Sallisaw was originally priced at $77 million, but the Veterans Commission asked lawmakers for an additional $21.7 million this year to complete the building. So far, $10.8 million has been granted by legislators to the state Department of Veterans Affairs, while another equal amount is expected to be voted on during the 2024 legislative session. Like going on deployment The veterans forced to leave Talihina have first dibs on private rooms at the new home in Sallisaw when it opens, Slavonic said, even if they move to another home in the interim. While veterans are being transported from Talihina to centers across the state, those who choose not to relocate now can stay until Oct. 31, the latest closing date determined by the department, he said. I know there are three veterans down there that want to stay until the last day, and thats fine, Slavonic said. They can stay, but at some point, they need to determine where theyre going to go. Billings is one of them. Sitting in a reclining chair in his room, surrounded by the essentials his phone, his wheelchair, a notebook, tissues and a TV remote he said leaving the place he calls home, just to be moved again when the Sallisaw location becomes an option, is like being in the military all over again. His wife, Mary, passed away 13 years ago, and his three children are grown and working in LeFlore County, unable to take him in. As far as he is concerned, Billings is at the whim of the state. When they tell me Im gone, well, Im gone. I would say from what it looks like, it wont be much longer, Billings said. Its like going on deployment for a year or so, waiting to go home. Right now this is home, and I guess Sallisaw would be my new home, but I am kind of in limbo between the two. He said one of the primary reasons hes come to love living at the Talihina Veterans Center is the relationships hes built with nurses and other staff tasked with taking care of him. Half of the staff you know, or you know their families, Billings said. In the days following the announcement of the closure, the veterans living at the home had their belongings packed into boxes and were made to share rooms on the first floor, as wings on the second and third floors were closed, said Sarah Breshears, the centers administrator. The setup, for some, was reminiscent of living in barracks and common rooms when they first enlisted. As more veterans started choosing other centers to move to and their numbers dwindled, they were once again afforded privacy in their own rooms, Breshears said. Questions about care During a tour of the main hospital and living quarters led by Breshears, veterans were spread out along the first floor keeping to themselves. While most were napping in their rooms, one was smoking in the courtyard, one was sitting in the physical therapy and fitness room in his wheelchair watching TV. Another gave Breshears a hug and kiss on the side of the head, having just finished spending more than an hour shining his leather boots. A Vietnam War Veteran hat sat high on his head. The staff, made up primarily of state employed and contracting nurses, was eating lunch, cleaning, running errands within the center or huddled in small groups talking. They appeared to be waiting. Waiting for something to do or happen, and waiting for the day when they too would be scattered to find new jobs. Billings and Fitzwilliam said the care theyve received at the Talihina Veterans Center has been adequate and friendly, but locals and former staff members expressed worry about how the closing operations, specifically the reduction of force, would affect veterans physical and mental health. Some worry they will be left waiting to be fed, for wheelchair assistance, changes of clothing and showers. A review of the Veterans Affairs department and the Talihina home by the state auditors office in 2017, when plans to close the center began taking shape, found a toxic work environment throughout the state agency, wrought with vindictive terminations of staff and inadequate care for veterans in multiple homes, in some cases leading to the deaths of residents and the resignation of medical professionals. Slavonic said he became aware of the audit when he assumed his position and noticed the issues stated in the audit were ignored. The discrepancies listed in that report were not addressed and were not resolved, Slavonic said, There was no report given back to the state auditor on those discrepancies. One of the first things I wanted to do was conduct a climate survey of all the employees and request as honest feedback as I could get from them. I found there was not a healthy work environment here at ODVA. There was harassment and bullying and so many employees had not had pay raises for seven to 10 years. Individuals feared for their jobs, he said. There was no evidence of mistreatment or inadequate care of the veterans during an Oklahoma Watch tour of the center, and the two men who agreed to be interviewed made no indication that the quality of their care had fallen short. Veterans centers across Oklahoma, however, have a history of neglectful treatment of their residents. Investigations conducted by The Journal Record and the Tulsa World dating back more than a decade show multiple cases of abuse and neglect in Oklahomas Veterans homes. In 2011, an employee at the Norman center was charged with rape and oral sodomy against patients with advanced dementia. In 2012, a veteran was left to boil in a whirlpool bath at the home in Claremore, which caused his skin to flake off of his body he died 10 hours later. In 2017, a veteran in Talihina was left bedridden for two months and became infested with maggots and developed bed sores, eventually dying of sepsis. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, relatives of veterans at the Lawton home discovered family members were having their hygiene neglected and were being left in their wheelchairs for more than 24 hours at a time. Except for the one in Talihina, all the centers mentioned have already seen veterans move there in the past month. The investigations by local news outlets and the veterans affairs department have repeatedly attributed lapses in care to poor staffing levels, lack of proper training for nurses and inadequate leadership. It affects every veteran Breshears, the Talihina centers administrator, dismissed the idea that the veterans are not being cared for properly because the number of nurses has been reduced. She confirmed that nurses on contract with the state are being let go as they are no longer needed, but that the standard of care for the veterans remains. She said contractual nurses are being let go for two reasons: the number of veterans at the center no longer justifies their need, and the veterans affairs department is trying to save money by staffing fewer contract nurses, who get paid nearly double that of state employees. Its just not good business sense to have 23 contract staff, in addition to 80 state staff, when you only have 14 residents, Breshears said. Staff is usually reduced in direct proportion to the number of residents, so were actually overstaffed at this point. By Aug. 10, there were 66 state employees at the center, with more than 30 having accepted severance packages or transferred to another state veterans center, Slavonic said. Both Slavonic and Breshears said closing the Talihina Veterans Center is in the best interest of Oklahomas veterans and residents. Slavonic said he tried to think of the situation from all angles, considering what is best for Oklahomas veterans but focusing on doing right by the states taxpayers. From the standpoint of being good stewards of the taxpayers dollars, thats why I made the decision to move forward with the commissions recommendation to close the facility earlier than next November or December, when we hope the Sallisaw home will be complete he said. Operating at a loss of half a million a month, that number wouldve been somewhere around $9.5 million by then. When the Talihina Center comes up short each month, in large part because of the low occupancy meaning fewer federal dollars, the department is forced to pull money from other centers and services provided to veterans across the state, Breshears said. It doesnt just affect our veterans, it affects every veteran. If were losing half a million a month, then were taking from veterans, she said. It is a sad situation for the veterans here, but we need to look at the greater good too. We can provide equal or better care at other facilities. Billings, the career Navy veteran, said he feels like his and his fellow veterans best interests have been set aside for the sake of a dollar amount. The whole operation was not well planned out by the people who make the decisions in Oklahoma City. Theyre just looking at money, I guess, he said. Now theyre farming people out to other places, and theyre going to wind up having to move them back to this area again. If it were up to him, Billings said, the state Department of Veterans Affairs would find a way to keep the Talihina home open until everyone can move to Sallisaw together. All my family and friends are from this area, he said. I am perfectly happy right here. China eyes enhanced cooperation in various fields with Thailand: FM Xinhua) 09:32, August 21, 2023 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with the visiting Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met with the visiting Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Beijing. Noting that the development of bilateral relations will not be affected by changes in the international situation or the domestic situation in Thailand, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said it is believed Thailand will maintain stability and sustained development. Wang said China is ready to deepen cooperation in various fields with Thailand, urging the acceleration of the construction of the China-Thailand railway and the China-Laos-Thailand railway connection lines, and joint efforts to crack down on transnational criminal activities, including telecom fraud. He also expressed China's readiness to continue supporting the building of the ASEAN community, supporting ASEAN centrality, and supporting joint efforts to build an economic growth center. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to speed up consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, strive for the early formation of effective and substantive regional rules, and build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, said Wang. He also pointed out that regional countries should also guard against forces outside the region provoking camp-based confrontation and encouraging the Cold War mentality, which will undermine the hard-won peace and stability. Don said under the current situation of rising international and regional uncertainties, Thailand is willing to further strengthen dialogue and exchanges with China, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, promote China-Laos-Thailand railway connection, and work for common development. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with the visiting Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) This photo taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows a view of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) TIANJIN/CAIRO, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- "From the Bohai Bay to the Red Sea, we measure the 15,000-li-long (7,500-km-long) march of our career with youth," reads a line on the front page of a manual of China-Africa TEDA Investment Co., Ltd. Thanks to the care of the heads of state of China and Egypt, the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (SETC-Zone) has gradually become a demonstration project that aligns the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the development of the Suez Canal Corridor. Not long ago, the SETC-Zone celebrated its 15th birthday. Xinhua reporters once again visited industrial developer TEDA's headquarters in Tianjin, China and the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) in Egypt to figure out how a cooperation zone in the desert became a bridge of common development and win-win cooperation between the two countries. A DESERT MIRACLE In the mid-1990s, Egypt was impressed by the blossoming of China's development zones and solicited China's assistance in establishing a development zone in Suez. The Suez area, mostly covered by desert, is located in the northeastern part of Egypt and on the north coast of the Red Sea, and is some 120 km away from the capital city of Cairo. Its geographical location and geological environment are very similar to TEDA -- Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, situated about 150 km to the east of China's capital city Beijing with the Bohai Sea to its east. In 1998, the State Council, China's cabinet, assigned TEDA to undertake this project, said Qu Defu, chairman of TEDA Investment Holdings Co., Ltd. "In fact, it was replicating Tianjin's 'TEDA model' in the Suez area, and it became a national mission of 'TEDA people,'" said Qu. In recent years, China-Africa TEDA Investment Co., Ltd., which was jointly established by TEDA Investment Holdings Co., Ltd. and China-Africa Development Fund, opened a new chapter with the construction of the SETC-Zone. In 2008, the first-phase construction of the SETC-Zone kicked off on an area of 1.34 square km. In 2016, heads of state of China and Egypt unveiled the second-phase of the project, which covers an area of 6 square km. Over the past 15 years, the cooperation zone has attracted 145 companies to settle in and an investment of more than 1.7 billion U.S. dollars. With sales revenues exceeding 3.8 billion dollars, the businesses in the zone have provided about 5,000 direct jobs and 50,000 employment opportunities in related industries. Besides office buildings and production lines, supporting facilities such as star-rated hotels and amusement parks have been built. Ahmad Abdel Baqy, an engineering administrator in the zone, told Xinhua that he and his Chinese colleagues "built the cooperation zone into a beautiful city." LONG ROOTS LIKE DESERT PLANT On Jan. 21, 2016, the leaders of the two countries jointly unveiled the second phase of the China-Egypt SETC-Zone. That was the highlight for the "TEDA people," who regard investor-orientation as a priority, and uphold the spirit of the desert plant "Alhagi sparsifolia." "Alhagi sparsifolia is a low-growing shrub in Egypt. It does not 'drink' a drop of water all the year, even under high temperatures, and its root can reach as long as 40 to 50 meters. It's like our striving journey here," said Wei Jianqing, deputy general manager of China-Africa TEDA Investment Co., Ltd. The company helped cultivate the industrial chain in Egypt according to local conditions based on production capacity cooperation, Wei added. "For me and most Egyptians and even people in other Middle Eastern countries, fiberglass manufacturing was an entirely unfamiliar term," recalled Ahmed Soliman, deputy general manager of Jushi Egypt Fiberglass Co., Ltd. The cooperation zone supported Chinese enterprise Jushi to establish a subsidiary company in Egypt, which has enabled the Egyptian fiberglass industry to grow from scratch and made Egypt a major fiberglass producer in the world. What's even more commendable is that the company bolstered the seawater desalination project since the beginning of its design in order to solve the water problem. At present, the cooperation zone has attracted many Chinese-funded enterprises such as Jushi, XD-EGEMAC, and Midea, as well as enterprises from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and other countries. The first-phase construction has been completed, featuring four leading industries, i.e. new building materials, petroleum equipment, high and low voltage equipment, and machinery manufacturing. In the second phase of the project, some 40 companies have settled in, attracting over 300 million dollars of investment. Meanwhile, the cooperation zone is continuously upgrading from "industrial cluster" to "industry-business collaboration" center. Since 2021, it has successfully promoted the official operation of the first Chinese-funded TEDA-Royal Bonded Warehouse project in Egypt. Besides, it has focused on building an international commodity distribution center, and an automobile and accessories distribution center. "Even in the three years of COVID-19, 90 percent of enterprises in the zone gained profits. This is the most fulfilling achievement for us as a cooperation platform," said Liu Aimin, chairman of China-Africa TEDA Investment Co. Ltd. GROWING LIKE AN "ACACIA TREE" Last month, the SETC-Zone held a 15th anniversary celebration, which also highlighted its "strategic upgrade." Wang Linqiang, employee of TEDA Investment Holdings Co., Ltd., who participated in the event, added a little sense of ceremony to his first trip to Egypt. From the Cairo International Airport to the cooperation zone, there was vast desolate desert along the way. Together with the bustling cooperation zone, there was also a tall acacia tree that caught his eye. "It takes many years for an acacia tree to grow from a seed to a tree. I heard from my colleagues that this tree has been here for decades, just like our zone, growing tall and straight," Wang said, pouring two buckets of water on it, honoring the dedication of everyone in China and Egypt to the cooperation zone. Nahla Emad, 39, is now the CEO of the Egypt-TEDA SCZone Development Company. She said that the cooperation zone has arranged five trainings for her in China, where she learned the basics of an economic and trade cooperation zone, how to formulate an overall plan, how to build and operate the cooperation zone, how to do marketing and so on, giving her great room for growth. Liu said the proportion of local employees in the cooperation zone has reached 90 percent, of which one-fifth are women. At the same time, the "TEDA Overseas Model," which is based on the model of TEDA, combined with the experience of the China-Egypt SETC-Zone, has been applied to more than a dozen overseas projects along the Belt and Road through consulting services. On the new starting point as the cooperation zone marks its 15th anniversary, the "Teda Cooperation Zone 2030 Vision -- Strategic Upgrade Plan" was released, which will further promote the three major projects of industrial agglomeration capacity improvement, industrial service capacity improvement, and industrial supporting capacity improvement, offering better support to Belt and Road cooperation. SCZone Chairman Waleid Gamaleldien said that the TEDA cooperation zone is located in the hub of Asian, African and European continents, and is an important project for the BRI. With its unique strategic position, he is optimistic about the future of the cooperation zone in the next 15 years, and will be happy to see it become a stellar example of China-Egypt cooperation. Nahla Emad, CEO of the Egypt-TEDA Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) Development Company, is pictured at the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt, Aug. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Workers operate on the dishwasher production line of Midea (Egypt) Kitchen & Water Heater Appliances Co., Ltd. at the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt, Aug. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Workers operate on the fiberglass production line of Jushi Egypt Fiberglass Co., Ltd. at the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt, Aug. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) This photo taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows the bonded warehouse and second-hand car trading center at the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) This photo taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows a view of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) This photo taken on July 19, 2023 shows the gate for the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Workers work on the dishwasher production line of Midea (Egypt) Kitchen & Water Heater Appliances Co., Ltd. at the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt, Aug. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) This photo taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows an office building of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) This photo taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows a view of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Ahmed Soliman, deputy general manager of Jushi Egypt Fiberglass Co., Ltd., checks on the fiberglass production line of Jushi Egypt at the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt, Aug. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) BENGALURU -- India's space agency on Monday released images its spacecraft took of the far side of the moon as it headed for an attempted landing on the lunar south pole, just days after the failure of a Russian lander. The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft had been in a race with Russia to be the first to land on the lunar south pole, a region whose shadowed craters are thought to contain water ice that could support a future moon settlement. As news of the failure of Russia's Luna-25 mission broke on Sunday, ISRO said that Chandrayaan-3 was on course to land on August 23. The mission - Chandrayaan means "moon vehicle" in Hindi and Sanskrit - is India's second attempt to land on the south pole of the moon. In 2019, ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 mission successfully deployed an orbiter but its lander crashed. Rough terrain makes a south pole landing difficult, but making a first landing would be historic. The region's water ice could supply fuel, oxygen and drinking water for future missions. Images released on Monday showed craters on the moon's surface captured by the ISRO craft's Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera, which is designed to help find a safe landing location for the spacecraft. India's moon mission blasted off on July 14, and the lander module of Chandrayaan-3 separated from the propulsion module last week. For India, a successful moon landing would mark its emergence as a space power as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses. "If Chandrayaan-3 succeeds, it will boost India's space agency's reputation worldwide. It will show that India is becoming a key player in space exploration," said Manish Purohit, a former ISRO scientist. It would also boost India's reputation for cost-competitive space engineering. The Chandrayaan-3 was launched with a budget of about 6.15 billion rupees ($74 million), less than the cost to produce the 2013 Hollywood space thriller "Gravity". A successful mission would make India only the fourth country to successfully land on the moon, after the former USSR, the United States and China. "India is going to acquire a new technology with a successful landing, which is a big thing," K. Sivan, former chief of the country's space agency, said after the Chandrayaan-3 launched. Scientists at ISRO have said they learned from the earlier moon mission's failure and made changes to Chandrayaan-3 that would make a successful landing more likely, including making it possible to touch down safely anywhere within an expanded landing zone in adverse conditions. It has also been equipped with more fuel, more solar panels and sturdier legs. Executives in India's nascent space industry also expect a boost. The number of space startups in India has more than doubled since 2020, when India opened to private launches. "The next three days will be nothing less than 'terrific'! Eagerly looking forward to the landing!", Pawan Chandana, co-founder of Skyroot, which launched India's first privately built rocket last year, posted on X, formerly called Twitter. ($1 = 83.0900 Indian rupees) Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Hanoi on Sunday afternoon, starting his official visit to Vietnam from Sunday to Tuesday at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong. This is his first visit to Vietnam since he assumed power in 2019 and the first visit by a Kazakh president in 12 years. President Tokayev and his entourage were welcomed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi by Chairman of the Presidential Office Le Khanh Hai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, along with Kazakh and Vietnamese diplomats. The top Kazakh official was accompanied by a number of Kazakh ministers and leaders of corporations in the fields of energy, transportation, and national investment funds. During his three-day stay in Vietnam, President Tokayev will meet with leaders of the Vietnamese Party, state, government, and lawmaking National Assembly, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Thuong will chair an official welcome ceremony for his Kazakh counterpart in Hanoi on Monday. The two leaders will then hold talks and witness the signing of several cooperation documents. The two state leaders are expected to visit Chu Dau pottery village in northern Hai Duong Province, one of the most famous craft villages in Vietnam. His visit to the Southeast Asian nation was originally scheduled to take place from June 11 to 13 this year, but it was postponed due to major forest fires in the Abay region of the Central Asian country. Before becoming the second president of Kazakhstan in June 2019, Tokayev briefly served as acting president after assuming various positions as foreign minister, prime minister, president of the Senate of Kazakhstan, and director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland. Vietnam and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations in 1992 and their bilateral relationship have developed fruitfully ever since. With an area of more than 2.7 million square kilometers, Kazakhstan is strong in such industries as food, construction, chemical production, metallurgy, and petro-chemistry. Meanwhile, Vietnam has a strength in agricultural production with many key products. Trade between Kazakhstan and Vietnam reached nearly US$600 million in 2022, and the two nations are striving to increase the figure to $1.5 billion by 2030. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The restoration of Hanois seriously polluted rivers cannot be carried out overnight and it will require strong financial resources, Dr. Le Dang Doanh, former head of the Central Institute for Economic Management, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday. Earlier, the Hanoi Peoples Committee said it would assign the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to conduct a project to improve the environmental quality in and develop the system of four inner-city rivers: To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set. Commenting on the project, Doanh said multiple seminars and conferences had been held to discuss solutions to the issues of tainted rivers in the capital but they seemed fruitless. A section of the To Lich River in Hanoi is seriously polluted. Photo: Quang The / Tuoi Tre The city should call for private resources and capital from international organizations for the project as well as learn from their experience in tackling environmental pollution, Doanh added. It is necessary to invest in infrastructure, including wastewater collection and treatment systems, to deal with the environmental pollution in rivers," he said. "Wastewater must be treated before being released to the rivers. The water levels in rivers in Hanoi tend to fall during the dry season, so the city should develop a system to pump water from large rivers into polluted ones. This job requires a huge investment, Doanh noted. The Vietnamese capital city should also call on residents living along rivers to comply with regulations on environmental protection, specifically not littering and encroaching on riverbanks. Garbage piles up in a river in Hanoi. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Meanwhile, Associate Professor Dao Trong Tu from the center for sustainable development of water resources and adaptation to climate change told Tuoi Tre that Hanoi should build mobile pumping stations to pave the way for the water flow in polluted rivers. To recover contaminated rivers, the control and treatment of sources of waste and wastewater are a must, Tu noted, adding that if the wastewater continues flowing into the rivers in the inner-city area, the resultant pollution will become worse. Many sections of the Lu River in Hanoi are badly polluted. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Earlier, Chau Tran Vinh, head of the Department of Water Resources Management under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said ensuring the continuous water flow in rivers is a solution to their recovery. The state should also consider building dams in the Red and Duong Rivers to allow water to run into the tainted Day and Nhue Rivers. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Many sections of the Bien Tay (Western Sea) dyke measuring over 300 kilometers in length in Ca Mau and Kien Giang Provinces, located in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, are running a high risk of being damaged by waves while it plays an important part in protecting agricultural production activities and the lives of thousands of residents. The dyke section in Ca Mau stretches a length of 108 kilometers from the Nam Canal in Rach Cheo Commune, Phu Tan District to the Tieu Dua Canal in Khanh Tien Commune, U Minh District. The dyke protects nearly 129,000 hectares of agricultural land and over 26,000 households in Ca Mau. However, only 51 kilometers of the dyke has been concreted, while the remaining 57 kilometers faces a high risk of collapse, threatening production and the daily life of local residents. Huynh My Le, a resident in Khanh Hoi Commune, U Minh District, said waves have become bigger over the past three years. Whenever waves rise for about half an hour, her house is heavily flooded despite the dyke system. Ca Mau Province has a coastline of 254 kilometers but up to 187 kilometers has been seriously eroded, according to the provincial Peoples Committee. Coastal erosion has washed away some 5,250 hectares of land and protected forests, equivalent to the area of a commune in Ca Mau, over the past decade. Since early this year, riverside land collapse have also sunk some 230 houses with total losses of over VND1 trillion (US$42 million). Nguyen Tien Hai, secretary of the Ca Mau Party Committee, said the province would deal with landslide sites until 2025 amid the currently complicated climate change. Otherwise, losses would be greater, hitting the provinces socio-economic development. We need some VND3.4 trillion [$142.8 million] to handle riverside landslides and coastal erosion spanning 89 kilometers. [The province] will also develop an additional seven resettlement areas to accommodate over 1,380 erosion-hit households, Hai added. Workers upgrade a Western Sea dyke section in Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: T.Huyen / Tuoi Tre Meanwhile, Kien Giang Province is home to some 200 kilometers of the Western Sea dyke stretching from Van Khanh Tay Commune in An Minh District to Ha Tien City. Coastal erosion has been seen along a coastline measuring over 56 kilometers in An Bien, Hon Dat, and Kien Luong Districts as well as Ha Tien. Most recently, strong waves triggered by rains and the southwest monsoon damaged 30 meters of the Western Sea dyke section in Van Khanh Commune in June last year, severely affecting the agricultural production on 500 hectares of land in the commune. During a recent visit to Ca Mau, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the province was confronted by serious landslides. At first, the province should review landslide-prone areas and take the initiative in evacuating households in these areas to safer places, PM Chinh required. The province has expanded protected forests and coordinated with other forces to safeguard existing protected forests to prevent waves and wind from hitting coastal residential areas, according to To Quoc Nam, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The administration of Kien Giang Province also sought funds for the upgrade of the Western Sea dyke section in its precincts and the construction of a coastal road. Besides investing in dyke and embankment systems, Ca Mau and Kien Giang have planted avicennia alba, a species of tropical mangrove, to reinforce the Western Sea dyke. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nearly 50 instructors of the Vietnamese language from 16 countries and territories got together at a training session in teaching Vietnamese provided by the author of the 'Hello Vietnamese' book series in Hanoi on Sunday. This activity was organized by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV) in collaboration with the Vietnam Education Publishing House (VEPH) as a move to further promote the use of Vietnamese among overseas Vietnamese communities. Dr. Nguyen Thuy Anh, the author of the book series, directly taught about 50 Vietnamese trainees who returned from England, Germany, France, Thailand, Laos, Taiwan, and others. Many of them have been teaching Vietnamese for more than five years. Some of them are teachers at schools while the others voluntarily teach at cultural centers for both adults and children. The biggest challenge to Vietnamese language teachers abroad is the lack of materials and methods to teach Vietnamese as a foreign language to Vietnamese who grew up abroad and have little access to their mother tongue or Vietnamese culture. The 'Hello Vietnamese' series is designed according to the story and journey of the character Miu Nguyen and comprises six books covering levels one to six, respectively named Ra Khoi (literally Out to Sea), Kham Pha (Discoveries), Thu Thach (Challenges), Ket Noi (Connection), Cong Hien (Devotion), and Truong Thanh (Maturity). Many trainees commented that the book is designed attractively, helping children enjoy learning Vietnamese with interesting stories. These books also help Vietnamese children look back to their roots and arouse among them the love for their homeland through the lessons featuring the love for family members and for Vietnamese communities, as well as through beautiful landscapes, delicious traditional dishes, and national cultural characteristics, some trainees said. At the session, the SCOV, VEPH, and the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka, Japan jointly announced the launch of a Vietnamese bookcase located at the consulate. The bookcase has more than 50 Vietnamese titles with about 450 books for both overseas learners and teachers of Vietnamese, as well as for researchers of the Vietnamese language abroad. Currently, such books published by VEPH have reached Vietnamese communities in many countries around the world, including Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Russia, Qatar, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and China. According to official statistics, there are currently about 5.3 million Vietnamese living and working in 130 countries and territories, with the U.S. hosting about 2.2 million Vietnamese, the largest Vietnamese community abroad. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Foreign Correspondent is on point this week with an episode looking at wildfires in Canada. David Lipson is on the ground as fire crews from around the world, including Australia, battle blazes. Canada is in the grip of the worst forest fires in recorded history. In recent days, tens of thousands of people in British Columbia were evacuated, as the Canadian government deployed its armed forces to deal with the crisis. Most residents of Yellowknife, the capital of Canadas Northwest Territories have also fled their homes. An area of almost 14 million hectares has been scorched by more than 6,000 separate wildfires burning all over the country since late April. Almost 5,000 thousand international firefighters have already been flown in including several hundred Australians. This week Foreign Correspondent travels to British Columbia and Alberta where a desperate battle is underway to save lives and homes. Reporter David Lipson goes inside the fireground to see firsthand how a nation better known for snow and ice is coping with the fire catastrophe. He meets the Canadian smoke jumpers who parachute into difficult terrain to fight fire fronts in remote locations. He also spends time in the makeshift camps that have become home to fire crews from around the world including the Australians many of whom are veterans of Australias Black Summer. The comradery within the camps helps with the challenges of the difficult work they face and when the Australians leave to face their own summer fire season, they know the Canadians will be ready and willing to return the favour. 8pm Thursday on ABC. Updated. North Shore leaders have written to federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland expressing some frustration at a lack of consultation in a feasability study into a potential relocation of SBS from Artarmon to western Sydney. The Sydney Morning Herald reports Federal teal independent MP Kylea Tink, state Liberal MP Tim James and Willoughby Mayor Tanya Taylor described the feasibility study as less than opaque. We are concerned and frustrated over the complete lack of consultation with our community in what can only be described as blatant disrespect of the electorates we represent, they wrote. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is leading the feasibility study, in collaboration with SBS. The study, which is still in its early stages, will look at whether moving SBS could help address inequality in infrastructure, skilled jobs and cultural investment in Western Sydney. SBS will be actively participating in the Governments feasibility study into a possible relocation of SBSs Artarmon headquarters and will work constructively as part of the process, an SBS spokesperson told TV Tonight. The outcomes of this study, which is being run by the Department of Communications, will be carefully considered by the SBS board, which as the Minister has said, holds ultimate responsibility for any decision. Our priority will remain accessing the talent, tools and technologies we need to continue fulfilling our Charter each and every day for our audiences who are in all corners of Australia. The Board will consider the Feasibility Studys outcomes in 2024 while any decision around moving would be implemented in the years following. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Rustam Emomali, chairman of the National Assembly of Tajikistan, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji Monday held talks with Rustam Emomali, chairman of the National Assembly of Tajikistan, calling for enhanced exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that in May this year, the two heads of state jointly announced the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity, and mutual benefit, drawing up a new blueprint for bilateral ties. China stands ready to work with Tajikistan to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen strategic mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges, safeguard common security, advance international coordination, and advance bilateral relations, Zhao said. He added that China thanks Tajikistan for its long-standing firm support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns, including Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and human rights, and will continue to support Tajikistan in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions. Zhao said that China and Tajikistan achieved fruitful results on the Belt and Road cooperation, and, in recent years, the two sides have overcome the adverse impact of the epidemic and shown strong resilience and vitality in economic and trade cooperation. "We hope to deepen cooperation in traditional fields such as the economy, trade, investment, connectivity, and agriculture and open up cooperation in innovative areas such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence," he said. He called on the two sides to run Confucius Institutes and Luban Workshops well, promote local cooperation, consolidate popular support for lasting friendship, deepen cooperation on combating the "three forces" and drug crimes, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. The NPC of China is willing to work with the National Assembly of Tajikistan to strengthen exchanges at all levels and deepen cooperation on legislation and supervision to provide a solid legal guarantee for the development of bilateral relations, Zhao said, calling on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional parliamentary organizations to safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Rustam Emomali said Tajikistan firmly abides by the one-China policy, and Tajikistan's National Assembly is willing to strengthen friendly exchanges with the NPC of China and make unremitting efforts to promote the building of a community with a shared future between Tajikistan and China. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, and Rustam Emomali, chairman of the National Assembly of Tajikistan, sign an agreement on the cooperation between China's NPC and the National Assembly of Tajikistan after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Tao) By Rachel Savage JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The development bank founded by the so-called BRICS countries is planning to issue its first Indian rupee bond by October, its chief operating officer said on Monday, as the lender comes under pressure to raise and lend more in local currencies. The New Development Bank (NDB) issued its first rand bond in South Africa last week and could consider local currency issuance in members Brazil, Russia and United Arab Emirates, Vladimir Kazbekov told a press briefing ahead of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg on Aug. 22-24. Founded in 2015, the NDB is the most concrete achievement of the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - as they bid to turn the bloc into a counterweight to the west. However, its already slow pace of lending has been further hampered by sanctions against Russia. "We're going to tap (the) Indian market - rupees - maybe by October in India," Kazbekov said. "Now we start thinking seriously... to use one member country's currency to finance projects with that currency in another member. Let's say, a project in South Africa to be financed in CNY (Chinese yuan), not with USD (U.S. dollar)," he said. Kazbekov declined to give a target size for the Indian rupee bond program, which Reuters had previously reported was in the process of being set up. Chief Financial Officer Leslie Maasdorp told Reuters then that the bank aims to increase local currency lending, most of which has so far been in the Chinese yuan, from about 22% to 30% by 2026, but that there were limits to de-dollarisation. The NDB is also ready to fulfil a commitment made two years ago to provide $3 billion of financing for South Africa's "Just Transition" from mostly coal power to renewable energy, Kazbekov said. "The commitment is still there, but no projects. That's why we are trying to find projects," he said. (Reporting by Rachel Savage; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Darren Chan, founder and chief executive of Sugarbook. (PHOTO: Sugarbook) SINGAPORE On a February afternoon in 2021, Darren Chan, the Malaysian founder and chief executive of online dating platform Sugarbook, was on his way to lunch when he was arrested by police whom he said arrived in four vehicles. At that moment which in his own words was like a scene "straight out of the movies" Chan knew that his company's viral marketing strategy had "blown up a bit too much" for its own good. A few days prior to his arrest, a post on Sugarbook's website, titled "Top 10 Sugar Baby Universities in Malaysia", garnered significant attention from the authorities and drew the ire of a segment of the country's population. Chan spent 10 days in jail and was subsequently charged over the article's publication, to which he pleaded not guilty. While the outcome of the trial has not been reported on since, Chan, now 36 years old, told Yahoo Finance Singapore recently that his legal troubles have been "sorted out" and that "the case is now closed". He did not want to elaborate further. Despite the controversy, Sugarbook said it has some 4.5 million members predominantly from Malaysia, the US, and Singapore across more than 90 countries. The platform is also expanding into new markets such as Taiwan and has introduced new features such as live-streaming. While he was unwilling to reveal the company's earnings and other financials, Chan said that revenue has risen by 60 per cent year-to-date, compared to the same time period last year. Sugarbook has also paid out US$1.7 million to live streamers since the feature was launched last year, he said. This included luxury gifts such as Hermes, LV, and Chanel handbags. Story continues What sets Sugarbook apart from regular dating websites is the "sugaring" element a transactional relationship between two consenting adults as encapsulated in the platform's tagline "Where Romance Meets Finance". Controversial meets conservative Why did Chan decide to launch the controversial platform in a Muslim-majority country like Malaysia? He said that it was simply his home country. He also believed that if he could make it in "conservative" Malaysia, he could make it anywhere in the world. Chan founded Sugarbook in 2016 when he was 29. By then, he had made some money from the sale of music tech startup Gigfairy, which he funded as an angel investor, in the same year for an undisclosed sum he said it was "somewhere in the low millions". Calling himself a workaholic who "really love(s) the tech industry", Chan said he "needed something to do". "One day, I was sitting at a cafe in Bangsar (a gentrified area in Kuala Lumpur), and I was seeing all these fancy cars dropping passengers off. These passengers were older men who looked really wealthy and had their female partners beside them, and they were way younger," Chan shared. "So, I was wondering if there was a social networking platform for these kinds of relationships. I did some research, and it came down to a set of statistics showing the reason that a certain amount of relationships fail not because of cheating; it's because of finances," said Chan on how he first got the idea to start Sugarbook. Sugaring is a lifestyle choice Once he found his niche, Chan went about building the company despite being told by many not to do it. "I knew what I wanted to do. To me, there was nothing to be afraid of as long as we are not doing anything illegal. We are just facilitating relationships and creating a platform for people to meet," said Chan, who added that he believes all relationships are transactional. If it weren't for my loved ones, I'll get into jail in every country and get Sugarbook viral.Darren Chan He set aside a budget of RM100,000 (S$30,000) and gave himself a one-year timeline to get the platform up and running. The money was used to pay for office rentals, job postings, servers, advertisements and any other expenses he may incur for the year. He also hired a website developer, whose salary he claimed he could not afford to pay initially until the platform started seeing some profits six months after its launch. Chan also shared how he removed himself from his social circle and gave up family time in order to focus on building the company. "I had to separate myself from the group of friends I was with mainly because I need to focus. If there's too much noise, and if I go through Sugarbook with anyone else, people are going to say you shouldn't do this and that, and that might cause you to have doubts," said Chan. Not giving up Chan added that spending time in remand made him more determined to make his venture a success. "Every day, I was planning on ways to expand Sugarbook," said Chan. "I knew that I was not doing anything illegal." In fact, he shared that he had offers to invest in the business from people he met in jail. On whether he has any plans to sell the company, Chan said that he has received 11 offers to buy Sugarbook. "Selling is definitely not in the pipeline, but should there be a good offer, with a number that is very, very attractive, we are more than happy to explore," said Chan. Ultimately, Chan said, "Would I do it again? If it weren't for my loved ones, I'll get into jail in every country and get Sugarbook viral." Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Plans have been put forward for a Rosas Thai restaurant in Frederick Street in Edinburgh city centre. Photos: Rosas Thai (Photo: Rosas Thai) Hot on the heels of its first Scottish restaurant, a popular London chain are looking to add a second site north of the border. With their branch on West Nile Street in Glasgow set to open its doors in September, plans have now been put forward for a Rosas Thai restaurant in Frederick Street in Edinburgh city centre. The plans centre around the former Cafe Rouge premises, according to documents lodged with City of Edinburgh Council. The planning application states: Rosas Thai propose to maintain the existing boundary to the front and retain the existing planters redecorated only in Rosa brand colour. Entrance doors will be redecorated with new lighting in the same position replacing what is currently in situ. Signage will be replaced and flags attached to existing flag pole bracketry." It added: All listed features and elements will be retained, with internal decoration and the main layout remaining existing internally with new furnishings and finishes. Rosas Thai was co-founded by Saiphin and Alex Moore, who brought dishes from Saiphins native Thailand to London when they opened a market stall on Brick Lane back in 2007. Just one year later they took over Rosas Cafe in Spitalfields, a traditional east London cafe just around the corner from the market stall, and opened the first Rosas Thai restaurant keeping the Rosas name because they didnt have the means to change the sign. Now, 15 years later, Rosas has become renowned for bringing its fresh, vibrant cooking, signature Thai hospitality and Bangkok cafe vibes to cities and neighbourhoods across the UK.Guests at Rosas Thai can expect an unfussy and relaxed dining experience that is authentically Thai. The menu celebrates Saiphins time-honoured recipes and the best of Thai ingredients, including curry pastes from a husband and wife team in the Huai Yod district and pad Thai noodles from a 3rd generation family business. New extreme wildfire risk alert sounded in Greece as five villages are evacuated Greek authorities have warned of an extreme wildfire risk around capital Athens as strong winds have renewed burning infernos and prompted evacuations in five northern villages. The alert was issued for areas around Athens and other parts of southern Greece on Monday as the large summer wildfire, which has already destroyed several homes over the weekend, was feared to have come dangerously close to residential areas. A wildfire, which ignited near the town of Alexandroupolis over the weekend, led to evacuations in eight villages that were emptied on Saturday due to the advancing flames. Some 200 firefighters, assisted by 16 water-dropping aircraft, volunteers and police, were battling the blaze near Alexandroupolis. Local authorities said about half a dozen outlying houses and outbuildings were badly damaged in two of the evacuated villages, as well as a church. Sections of a major highway were closed for a second day as smoke reduced visibility, while Alexandroupolis residents were advised to keep their windows shut. Greeces minister for civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said on Sunday that firefighters, police, army personnel and volunteers were waging an intense battle in the Alexandroupolis area, and called for extreme public vigilance throughout the country on Monday. No outdoors work that could trigger a fire will be permitted, he said. We must all protect our country. Across the border in Turkey, the governor of Erdine province declared Sunday that the border crossing at Ipsala had been closed until further notice due to the fires. The fresh alert comes as the Meteo weather service forecasts another round of high temperatures in Greece this week, with mercury expected to reach or even exceed 40 degrees Celsius in certain areas. Warm air masses hovering over the Eastern Mediterranean are expected to raise temperatures by 2-5C above the usual for this time of year. Greece has been suffering from wildfires for weeks now as record-shattering temperatures driven by the climate crisis led to a massive surge in wildfires this year in several countries. Story continues While Greece suffers destructive wildfires every summer, scientists said increasing temperatures are making them more frequent and prolonged. Last month, a large wildfire on the resort island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on the island of Evia. Another three wildfire-related deaths have been recorded this summer. Apart from Greece and other European countries, Canada is also witnessing its worst wildfire season on record this year with fires raging for months now. Meanwhile, wildfires in Hawaiis Maui have killed 114 people. Additional reporting by agencies The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina enguled in flames (AP) At least 850 people are still missing after devastating wildfires tore through the Hawaii island of Maui, with the death toll standing at 114. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were travelling on Monday to the site of the blaze to comfort survivors as Mr Bidens administration responds to the devastation. Mr Biden will deliver remarks paying tribute to the victims of the wildfires, which began on August 8 and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina. I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life," the president said in a statement ahead of the trip. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions." Hawaii Governor Josh Green said on Sunday that an army of search and rescue teams" with 41 dogs have covered 85% of the impacted area in the search for the missing. Fire damage in Lahaina on the Hawian Island of Maui (REUTERS) Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said there were currently 850 names on the list of missing persons, although he noted this was down from the original list containing more than 2,000 names. Over 1,285 individuals have been located safe. We are both saddened and relieved about these numbers as we continue the recovery process, he said. The number of identified will rise, and the number of missing may decrease. Nearly 2,000 people on the island remain without power and 10,000 are without telecom connectivity, according to official estimates. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink. While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, officials said that cellphones, identification and other documents that people would need to help them enrol in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges. More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground in Hawaii to respond to the wildfires, according to the White House. BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has lodged serious demarches with relevant parties after leaders of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) smeared and attacked China on Taiwan-related and maritime issues at their Camp David meeting, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday. The trilateral meeting discredited China on Taiwan-related and maritime issues, grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, deliberately sowed discord between China and neighboring countries, and seriously violated the basic norms of international relations, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing when answering a relevant query. "China strongly disapproves of and firmly opposes this and has made serious demarches to relevant parties," Wang said. "We have also noticed that the U.S. side stated that the U.S.-Japan-ROK partnership is not against anyone," Wang said, urging the U.S. side to match its words with actions and act on its statement that the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China, stop smearing China's image and harming China's interests, and stop creating division and confrontation and undermining regional peace and stability. (Bloomberg) -- Ukraine will get F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands for its counteroffensive against Russia, the European countries confirmed, days after the US agreed to the transfers. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with the Dutch prime minister in Eindhoven, where the pair toured an air base, and headed next to Denmark for talks with Premier Mette Fredriksen and other officials. Its still unclear when the planes could be delivered to Kyiv, since theyre subject to the completion of pilot training and other logistics. Zelenskiy met with Swedens prime minister on Saturday. Most Read from Bloomberg US officials have become gloomy about Ukraines counteroffensive strategy, weeks before the Biden administration will need to secure Congressional approval for more funding, the Financial Times reported. The report echoed an assessment last week from the Washington Post, citing intelligence sources who werent identified. Ukraines foreign minister pushed back in an interview with Germanys Bild am Sonntag, urging patience and repeating a call for more weapons help. Our success will reward the optimists and ruin the reputation of the doubters, Dmytro Kuleba said. Russia repelled a drone south of Moscow early Sunday, the defense ministry said. A drone strike on the main railway station in Kursk in southern Russia, less than 100 miles from the Ukrainian border, damaged buildings and infrastructure. Two drones were also shot down in Russias Belgorod region. The range of threats penetrating well inside Russia has increased, the UK defense ministry said in an update, adding that its military is likely under intense pressure to improve air defenses. Latest Coverage Story continues Putin Turns to Ruble and Ballot to Shore Up Shaken Authority Third of Ukraine Crop Exports Wiped Out After Black Sea Block Dutch Pledge to Send F-16s to Ukraine During Zelenskiy Visit Russias Luna-25 Spacecraft Destroyed as It Crashes Into Moon Russian Missile Strike on Ukraines Chernihiv Kills Seven Coming Up Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at BRICS summit this week Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Police officers outside a property on Hammond Road in Woking, Surrey, after a 10-year-old girl was found dead and a murder probe was launched Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire A young girl who was found dead at her home in Woking earlier this month was known to Surrey County Council, the local authority has said. According to Surrey Police, 10-year-old Sara Sharif was found by officers following a call from Pakistan by her father, Urfan Sharif, at around 2.50am on August 10. Mr Sharif, 41, his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 28, are wanted for questioning. Police believe the group travelled to Islamabad on August 9, with five children aged between one and 13. Surrey County Council said they were working tirelessly with our safeguarding partners to gain a full understanding of the situation as quickly as possible. On Friday, council leader Tim Oliver said: This is an incredibly sad situation and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with everyone affected. He said the national Child Safeguarding panel has been notified of the death and a multi-agency rapid review is under way, in line with standard process following the death of a child. He explained: This rapid review will determine whether a local child safeguarding practice review (LCSPR) is to be undertaken by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership. An LCSPR is a statutory process, bringing together partners including the police, health, social care and education to review practice of all agencies involved, organisational structures and learning. On Sunday, the councillor said: We can confirm Sara Sharif was known to Surrey County Council but we cannot comment further while the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnerships thorough review process is ongoing. It was reported on Saturday that Pakistan police in the eastern province of Punjab are seeking to arrest Mr Sharif in connection with Saras death. Mr Sharifs family home is reportedly in Jhelum, Punjab, about 84 miles from the capital. Officer Imran Ahmed said police found evidence that he had briefly returned to Jhelum, before leaving and disappearing, AP reported. Sara suffered extensive injuries over a sustained period before she was found dead at the property in Hammond Road, a post-mortem examination showed. A famous king penguin was given a guard of honour as it was promoted to a new rank at a ceremony attended by 160 uniformed soldiers. Sir Nils Olav III, which lives at Penguins Rock at Edinburgh Zoo, is the official mascot of His Majesty the Kings Guard of Norway and receives ceremonial visits. In 1972, a king penguin at the zoo was adopted and named after Major Nils Egelien, who organised it, and King Olav of Norway who was on the throne at the time. It became tradition that the kings guard band and drill team of Norway would visit the mascot when they performed at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. King penguin Sir Nils Olav inspects the guard of honour with Edinburgh Zoo staff Lorna Moffat and Michael Livingstone (John Linton/PA) This month, Sir Nils Olav was promoted to the rank of major general for setting a superb example for the rest of the penguins. Sir Nils Olav worked his way up from mascot, becoming a corporal in 1982; sergeant in 1987; regimental sergeant major in 1993; honourable regimental sergeant major in 2001, and colonel-in-chief in 2005. He received a knighthood in 2008, and became a brigadier in 2016, and inspected visiting soldiers. The bird now has the title of Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the Bouvet Islands and official mascot of His Majesty the Kings Guard of Norway which was celebrated with a military spectacle. Norwegian soldiers send fish and Christmas cards each year, and visit when they are in Edinburgh. A special ceremony was held to award Sir Nils his new title at Penguins Rock, attended by more than 160 uniformed guardsmen who are taking part in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Staff Sergeant Fredrik Gresseth, from the kjngs guard band and drill team of Norway, said: Sir Nils Olav is the mascot of his majesty the kings guard and was adopted during one of the band and drill teams participation at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The tradition of sending Nils Olav and his family fish, Christmas cards and visiting him during the units participation at the tattoo have been an important part of the battalions history. Story continues King penguin Sir Nils Olav inspects the troops (John Linton/PA) His promotion this August, for good conduct and for being a superb example for the rest of the penguins at the Edinburgh Zoo, is a milestone in his career as mascot for the guard. The guardsmen of the drill team look forward to this rare occasion of being inspected by their own mascot, while the band will set the atmosphere worthy of a knighted king penguin. David Field, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: We are honoured to host his majesty the kings guard band and drill team of Norway once again as they return to Edinburgh Zoo to bestow this prestigious new title upon our king penguin, Sir Nils Olav. It is a very proud moment and represents the ongoing close collaboration between our two countries, Scotland and Norway. Jason Barrett, chief operating officer at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: His majestys kings guard of Norway bring a rich history, honour, and tradition to our cast and have been a fan favourite for years. Having acts like the Kings Guard showcases the cross-cultural component found within the tattoo. On behalf of the entire cast and crew, I am delighted to congratulate Sir Nils Olav III on his promotion to major general. (Bloomberg) -- Hungary and Turkey will continue to coordinate their policy on Swedens bid to join the NATO military alliance, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said, after the two nations leaders met. Most Read from Bloomberg Since the national legislatures in Budapest and Ankara are both in recess, the question of when ratification may take place will be taken up during the fall, Szijjarto said on Sunday. He spoke after Prime Minister Viktor Orban hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Budapest. Turkey and Hungary are the only two NATO countries that havent ratified Swedens bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a move that was spurred by the Nordic countrys security concerns after Russias invasion of Ukraine last year. The process has dragged on despite Turkey lifting its objections last month after Sweden pledged to follow a new plan to crack down on Kurdish separatist groups there. Hungary, for its part, has said its following Turkeys cue in the ratification process, without saying why. Orban and Erdogan also agreed that Hungary would purchase 275 million cubic meters of natural gas from Turkey next year, Szijjarto said. The two leaders will meet again in Budapest on Dec. 18, he said. A natural gas pipeline that runs through Turkey and the Balkans has become the key gateway for Hungarys imports of natural gas from the east, mostly Russia. Before the invasion, gas came from neighboring Ukraine, but Moscow has been forced to channel most of its shipments away from there as most European Union states shun Russian supplies of the fuel. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Independent Dutch lawmaker Pieter Omtzigt has launched his own political party but ruled out running for the prime minister post ahead of elections in November. Most Read from Bloomberg Our country has big problems and they call for a new way of doing politics, Omtzigt said in a video message on social media platform X on Sunday. His new party will be called the New Social Contract, he said. A former member of the Christian Democrat party, Omtzigt rose to prominence after he played a key role in uncovering a childcare subsidies scandal that sent thousands of people into poverty and resulted in kids being separated from their parents and placed in foster homes. That led to the collapse of Prime Minister Mark Ruttes third government in December 2020. Omtzigt, whose popularity was reflected in an EenVandaag Poll last month that showed him as the leading candidate to replace Rutte, told local newspaper Tubantia on Sunday that he doesnt want to become prime minister. Omtzigt said his place remains in parliament where he can act as group chairman to lead the new party and that he is prepared to join a coalition government, if needed. Read more: Here Are the Main Contenders to Replace Rutte as Dutch Premier The Netherlands is scheduled to hold elections on Nov. 22 after the collapse of Ruttes fourth coalition government due to infighting over the migrant crisis. The governments fall was followed by Ruttes surprise decision to leave politics, creating a political vacuum in the country, with several possible contenders to take over from the Netherlands longest-serving premier. Omtzigts party will compete against Ruttes center-right VVD party, which named Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius as its new leader. Other potential candidates for the role of prime minister include Caroline van der Plas, the leader of the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement and Frans Timmermans, who is running for the leader of the Left alliance. Story continues A recent poll by Ipsos/EenVandaag shows the VVD narrowly beating the merged left parties by one seat. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged Monday to keep up military support for Ukraine for as long as it takes and to help with post-war reconstruction. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that might mean Greece could help train his country's fighter pilots on new Western aircraft, though Greek officials did not comment. Zelenskyy was in Athens for his fourth visit to a European Union capital in three days, and he also attended an informal meeting of Balkan leaders with top European Union officials. In statements following his talks with Zelenskyy, Mitsotakis voiced full support for Kyiv against Russias invasion and condemned Russian for war crimes. He pledged to stay on the side of the government and the heroic people of Ukraine, however much time may be required. Mitsotakis also said NATO-member Greece would participate in the titanic task of reconstruction in Ukraine when the fighting is over. Zelenskyy thanked Mitsotakis for Greece's support, and suggested that Athens has agreed to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the U.S.-made F-16 warplanes that Denmark and the Netherlands have pledged to provide to Kyiv. Today we have an important result for the aviation coalition Greece will take part in training our pilots on F-16s," he said. Thank you for this offer. Greek officials did not respond to requests for comment, and Mitsotakis made no reference to pilot training. Zelenskyy and Mitsotakis also signed a joint declaration on Greece supporting Ukraine joining NATO, when allies agree and conditions are met. In the evening, Zelenskyy joined an informal dinner organized by Mitsotakis for nine Balkan leaders, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel. The dinner was to discuss the western Balkans future in the EU, which many of the region's countries have already joined and the rest are jockeying to enter. A joint statement issued after the dinner meeting voiced support for a re-energized and re-focused EU enlargement process that would lead to the western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova becoming full-fledged members of the European family. Story continues Greece has joined its NATO and EU partners in strongly backing Ukraine against the Russian invasion and has provided military assistance in the form of armored personnel carriers and ammunition. But Athens has resisted pressure to provide Kyiv with a Russian-made air defense missile system stationed on the southern island of Crete. Greece is engaged in a substantial weapons procurement program of its own amid testy relations with neighboring Turkey its NATO ally and historic regional rival. Zelenskyy flew to Greece from Denmark, which together with the Netherlands on Sunday announced they would provide Kyiv with F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year. The presidents of Serbia, Montenegro and Moldova, the prime ministers of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, and the head of the council of ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina attended Monday's dinner. A notable absence was Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Relations between Greece and its northwestern neighbor have soured over the jailing of ethnic Greek minority leader Fredi Beleri, who was arrested before local elections in May on vote-buying allegations. Beleri was elected mayor of the southwestern Albanian town of Himara despite being in pre-trial detention. Athens insists his detention is politically motivated and has called for his release. I believe we all understand that it was not possible to invite Mr. Rama to such an important initiative, Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said. When we say that Albanias European path passes through the basic respect of European rules and the rules of justice, we mean it, he added, noting that Albania's president had declined an invitation to attend. BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming 2023 BRICS summit logo features a sun that beams light in five colors: green, blue, orange, red and yellow, representing the current five members of the group. This year's summit, to be held in South Africa from Aug. 22 to 24, champions the theme "Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism." That spirit, BRICS officials say, has sparked the interest of some 40 countries from the Global South in joining the group. GROWING INTEREST At the forthcoming summit, leaders are expected to discuss the BRICS group's expansion, including the admission criteria and the guiding principles, Carlos Maria Correa, executive director of the South Center, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "Twenty-two countries have formally approached BRICS countries to become full members. There's an equal number of countries that have been informally asking about becoming BRICS members," said Anil Sooklal, South Africa's BRICS ambassador. Algeria is among the latest countries to show their interest. "We officially applied to join the BRICS group, and we sent a letter asking to be shareholder members in the bank (New Development Bank)," Ennahar TV, an Arabic broadcaster, quoted Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as saying on July 22. According to Mainichi Shimbun, a Japanese daily, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and other oil-producing countries have also made applications. Once approved, the BRICS members will cover over half of the world's oil and gas resources. "Many countries in the Global South have sought to come together in order to work towards a more just and inclusive world order ... BRICS inspires many countries to come together again in order to advance this vision," said Kenneth Creamer, a senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, during a recent interview with Xinhua. CHARM OF BRICS In June this year, French President Emmanuel Macron once voiced his intention to attend the upcoming summit following his talks with South Africa's International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor. This is where the charm of BRICS lies. The bloc has become a positive, stable and constructive force in international affairs. Several emerging economies, for instance, are financially distressed due to the IMF's stringent economic policies, said Deutsche Welle, Germany's state-owned broadcaster. It noted that the New Development Bank and the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement could support economies with payment difficulties. "The New Development Bank is the most prominent achievement. It's also led to some increased trade between the countries, and won some international attention," said Daniel Bradlow, a University of Pretoria professor who has studied the group. Above all, BRICS defends multipolarity and multilateralism, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said. By doing so, "BRICS countries are countering the concept of the Cold War and opening up the possibility of a more equitable and just international order that benefits the world." "In an increasingly polarised world, BRICS is creating an enabling avenue for countries to fashion a more inclusive political and economic order," said Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan international relations scholar. Many countries are tired of the United States' virtual domination of the global economy for decades, the Spanish website Rebelion said. Failure to comply with Washington's directives results in sanctions and financial blackmail. BROADER PROSPECTS With potential members down the road, cross-border trade within the group would become more efficient and catch the eye of more investors. The prospect of a BRICS-issued currency is a possibility. "Its members would likely be able to produce a wider range of goods than any existing monetary union," said Foreign Policy, an American news publication, while remarking on the prospective currency. "Because each member of the BRICS grouping is an economic heavyweight in its own region, countries around the world would likely be willing to do business in the hypothetical money." As Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay were added as new members of the BRICS New Development Bank, there's bound to be even fairer and more accessible international trade as the four countries lie on three continents. "For new entrants, being part of BRICS could expand their diplomatic influence and open up lucrative trade and investment opportunities," the Washington Post said in a recent article. In an interview with the TASS news agency, Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, South Africa's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, said BRICS is happy to accept new members who express interest in joining. "BRICS is committed to upholding multilateralism, reforming the global governance system and has consistently advocated for the developing countries to be fairly treated in the international arena," Gerald Mbanda, an Africa-China cooperation expert, told Xinhua. "This is the reason I believe that the BRICS is undoubtedly an avenue for accelerated growth with increased trade and investment opportunities," Mbanda said. University of North Georgia (UNG) students experienced a variety of learning environments through study abroad and study away opportunities this summer. A total of 126 students participated in 10 faculty-led programs this summer, including 89 with study abroad and 37 with study away programs in the United States. An additional 107 students took part in more individualized study abroad experiences. One of the study abroad opportunities was "Film in Italy," which sent 14 students to Barga, Italy, for five weeks with faculty member James Mackenzie, associate director for film in the School of Communication, Film & Theatre. Students on the trip began producing documentaries, which can be viewed as in-progress projects at this September's Georgia Film Festival on UNG's Gainesville Campus. One group explored the story of an artist who painted a bench in a small Italian town, while another highlighted an emerging 20-year-old rapper from the local area. "I loved seeing how proactive UNG students are," Mackenzie said. "They went out and met locals and found stories to tell." Ellie Nicholson, a senior from Athens, Georgia, pursuing a degree in film and digital media with a production concentration, was both surprised and thrilled to be able to be part of "Film in Italy." She enjoyed learning about Italian cinema and culture, and she also thrived on gaining a new level of independence while abroad. "You have to get that kind of exposure and take that leap to get out of your comfort zone," Nicholson said. Daniel Kumi, a senior from Marietta, Georgia, who is also pursuing a degree in film and digital media with a production concentration, transferred to UNG from Georgia State University because of UNG's overall film program and the chance to study abroad in Italy. Kumi called it an "awe-inspiring experience" to learn his craft while in another country. "No matter where anyone goes in the world, it's important to educate yourself deeply about the culture. You're stepping into a guest's home," Kumi said. "It was a pretty unforgettable experience. I'm all the better for it." Bobbi Larson, '18, University of North Georgia (UNG) executive director of economic development and community engagement, was one of 39 graduates from the nine-month Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI). Following six in-person sessions, the graduation was held July 26 in Washington, D.C. Larson is the first UNG employee to graduate from ALI. The ALI, a leadership and economic development program sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), included fellows from 13 states. "I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity to participate in the Appalachian Leadership Institute. It was a great experience. Each fellow brought a unique perspective on the region's challenges, opportunities and strategies," Larson said. "I look forward to continued engagement with ALI alumni and to putting all that I learned into practice for the benefit of communities in Georgia and throughout Appalachia." Larson serves on several community boards including the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, Lumpkin County Library and Chestatee Regional Library System boards. The ALI sessions included skill-building seminars with regional experts, peer-to-peer learning, and case study analysis. All aspects of the curriculum were designed to equip fellows with the knowledge and network needed to create positive change in their communities. ALI is a comprehensive regional leadership training program developed by the Appalachian Regional Commission in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; The Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy; Tuskegee University; and Collective Impact. ARC is an economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC's mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation. "My enthusiastic congratulations to the 2023 class of Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows. I'm proud of the work this industrious group of changemakers has accomplished over the last nine months as they dedicated themselves to sharing and building the knowledge needed to create long-lasting impacts on the region," ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin said. "The partnerships they built during their time at the Appalachian Leadership Institute will help bolster the strength and vitality of the region long after graduation, and I can't wait to see the further impacts they will have as they continue their leadership roles across our 13 states." Prior to joining UNG in 2014, Larson spent 14 years with the American Red Cross serving in fundraising and management positions. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in management from Methodist College and an MBA from UNG. UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland (on the screen) briefs a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on Aug. 21, 2023. Concerning trends seen in recent months continue throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland said on Monday, underscoring the need to restore a political horizon and achieve a two-state solution. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Concerning trends seen in recent months continue throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland said on Monday, underscoring the need to restore a political horizon and achieve a two-state solution. Palestinians and Israelis are killed and injured in near daily violence that is fueled and exacerbated by a growing sense of despair about the future, Wennesland said in a briefing to the Security Council. Violence continues on the upswing, with more than 200 Palestinian and nearly 30 Israeli fatalities in the West Bank and Israel so far this year, already surpassing 2022's annual figures, and the highest since 2005, he said. Settlement expansion continues unabated, Wennesland said, adding that the fragility of the Palestinian Authority fiscal situation, compounded by funding shortages facing key UN agencies, threatens to worsen the plight of the most vulnerable Palestinians. "While we must urgently focus on addressing the most critical issues and on de-escalating the situation on the ground, we cannot ignore the need to restore a political horizon," he stressed. The United Nations remains firmly committed to supporting the parties to achieve an end to the occupation and the establishment of a two-state solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements, said Wennesland. UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland (on screens) briefs a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on Aug. 21, 2023. Concerning trends seen in recent months continue throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland said on Monday, underscoring the need to restore a political horizon and achieve a two-state solution. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) HCM CITY/ HA NOI Through large distribution and retail systems in HCM City, industry associations have launched many typical products from foreign countries to promote and expand the consumption of goods in Viet Nam. Recently, the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) has co-ordinated with MM Mega Market Viet Nam to organise a cooking contest with American chicken, because the demand for American chicken in Viet Nam is increasing every year. ang ong Phuong, the representative of USAPEEC, said that currently, American chickens exported to Viet Nam mainly go to service chains such as industrial kitchens, restaurants, and school canteens. Vietnamese chickens are fresh, serving daily Vietnamese meals. Therefore, American businesses want to promote their products and chicken exports to the Vietnamese market. The central system of MM Mega Market currently mainly distributes frozen American chicken thighs, with prices ranging from VN40,000 to 45,000 per kilo. In addition, the US is the second largest soybean supplier to Viet Nam, accounting for 32.3 per cent, mainly serving the animal feed and raw materials processing industry in Viet Nam. Besides, Korean cuisine is no longer strange to Vietnamese people. Taking advantage of this, CJ Foods Viet Nam Company, with the brand name Bibigo, has launched the campaign "Korean" bus to introduce the taste of Korean cuisine to young people in Viet Nam. Accordingly, the programme went through 162 points in 11 provinces and cities across the country in three months, until November 10, with the destinations being traditional markets, night markets, residential areas and universities. At the stops, consumers will have the opportunity to enjoy mandu, kimchi, tokbokki, seaweed, which helps users fully enjoy the taste of South Korea. Roh Woong Ho, General Director of CJ Foods Viet Nam, said that CJ Foods Viet Nam would continue to invest in improving technology, closely following the needs of enjoying food such as eating style, taste and suitable price to the conditions of Vietnamese consumers. Not to be left out, the high-end supermarket Finelife, a retail brand belonging to the Saigon Co.op, is also organising an "Imported Fair at Finelife Urban Hill Supermarket" until August 23. The festival introduces to customers more than 1,000 items of fruit, seafood, pork, beef, canned food, cold meat, and wine imported from many countries around the world, such as the US, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Ngo Trieu Duong, Director of Finelife supermarket, shared with Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam (VnEconomy - Vietnam Economic Times) that consumers would experience "unique" Asian and European dishes. Commercial and service activities in HCM City continue to be bustling with a series of promotional programmes. This has contributed to an increase in aggregate demand in the retail market. Along with that, the concentrated promotion programme Shopping Season 2023 also contributes to stimulating the purchasing power of people and visitors to the city. Data from the General Statistics Office of HCM City shows that the total retail sales of consumer goods and services in the city last month reached VN103.8 trillion ($4.3 billion), up 4.3 per cent over the previous month and increasing 11.7 per cent year-on-year. Total retail sales of consumer goods and services reached VN660 trillion in the seven months, up 6.9 per cent year-on-year. VNS Major General Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director of the Police Department for the Administrative Management of Social Order (C06) under the Ministry of Public Security, spoke to Dan Tri online newspaper about the e-identification app VNeID when it was officially launched for domestic air travel from the beginning of August. The e-identification app VNeID level 2 was officially introduced for domestic flights starting from the beginning of August. There are both positive responses and complaints regarding the extended check-in time compared to using chip-based citizen identification cards. What are your thoughts on this matter?" Using the chip-based citizen identification card for check-in procedures might be faster, as the e-VNeID app requires a password input for access. The use of passwords indeed enhances security. The more layers of security codes, the higher the security level. Many individuals who are not accustomed to the app or do not remember their passwords may experience delays. However, the VNeID app, like the national population database system, is in its initial stages. In the future, we will continue to enhance the utility of this application. It may include scanning the face to confirm identity so you do not need to open the app, and the speed of recognition will also be increased. Through media and the hotline of C06, we have received a lot of feedback regarding the insufficient convenience of the app. The reasons could be due to outdated phones that are not compatible with the app, weak network and connection systems, and people's lack of familiarity with the operations, leading to misunderstandings. People might also struggle with access due to bandwidth overload. To address these problems, the agency also conducts regular checks on the entire operational process of the application to assess its utility. These checks aim to identify any issues that need to be addressed in order to provide benefits to both individuals and businesses. The eID accounts at level-2 have been introduced with the capability to integrate multiple personal paper documents, enabling citizens to perform administrative procedures solely using their mobile phones. However, the integration of other types of personal documents apart from the chip-embedded citizen identity card still encounters difficulties and numerous errors. Could you please explain the reasons behind these issues? Not just one ministry or department alone can independently implement the project on developing and applying the population data and electronic identification and authentication to serve national digital transformation. It requires synchronisation and unity from all ministries, departments, localities, businesses and citizens. Obstacles related to a specific ministry will be handled by that ministry. For example, matters like driver's licences and vehicle registration will be resolved by the Ministry of Transport. C06, specifically referring to the National Population Data Centre, will have the task of receiving information and data from citizens and authenticating the correct individuals. I hope that media agencies will widely promote this information to citizens, businesses and localities. Regarding the features of eID accounts at level-2 within the VNeID app, C06 has consistently reviewed processes, features, and functionalities to enhance their utility. Out of the 25 essential public services serving citizens and businesses, we focus on the services that people currently need the most and make them as user-friendly as possible. Currently, the focus is on simplifying procedures related to air travel, followed by enhancements in social welfare, banking, electronic payments, and more. This gradual approach aims to contribute to the development of a digital government, digital economy, and digital society. The interconnectivity features for birth and death registration have begun to be implemented. The national population data system brings many conveniences. How is this system secured? Ensuring the security and safety of the national population data system is a critically important task. The Ministry of Public Security always considers security and safety when setting up a nationwide data system. That is the legal corridor such as the enactment of the Decree on Personal Data Protection, as well as other laws like the Information Technology Law. These legal frameworks serve as a legal foundation. In the coming time, the ministry wants the Personal Data Protection Decree to be elevated into a law so that it can best protect personal data. Regarding the National Population Data Centre, it is protected by seven layers of security from the exterior to the inner data storage area. These layers are authenticated using personal information from citizen identification cards, biometric facial recognition, comprehensive surveillance cameras, and are controlled by C06's three officers. The centre always arranges officers on duty around the clock and coordinates with the Network Security Bureau and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department, allowing experts in information security at home and abroad to monitor and supervise cyber safety and security. We have also received a lot of information and media reports about the personal data of citizens being leaked. The C06 is cooperating with various departments to identify the root causes in order to implement preventive solutions. However, initially, I can affirm that the leakage of citizens' personal data did not originate from the National Population Data Centre. VNS OTTAWA Viet Nam and Canada have obtained numerous achievements in bilateral relations over the past 50 years, but there remains substantial potential for them to advance those ties, said Vietnamese Ambassador to the North American country Pham Vinh Quang. He made the remarks during an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relationship (August 21, 1973-2023). Highlighting the countries long-standing connections, he said the two sides have maintained frequent high-level mutual visits and meetings, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit to Viet Nam in 2017, during which the comprehensive partnership was set up, and the Vietnamese Prime Minister' attendance in the G7 Summit in Canada in 2018 and meetings with his Canadian counterpart on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in November 2022 and the G7 Summit in Japan in May 2023. The countries have shared many common viewpoints on regional and international issues. Meanwhile, the Viet Nam-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group was established in 2021 and the Canada-Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Group, last year. Trade and investment are among the priority areas of their relations. Viet Nam is currently Canada's largest trade partner among the ASEAN, which in turn ranks second, after the US, among Viet Nam's trade partners in the Americas. Bilateral trade has continually seen a double-digit growth rate annually, reaching US$7 billion in 2022 (or $13 billion, including the goods transited through the US, as calculated by Canada). As of the end of last year, Canada ranked 14th among the 130 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam, with nearly 250 projects worth almost $5 billion. Viet Nam invested $150 million in Canada, equivalent to 47.5 per cent of the country's total overseas investment, statistics show. The two sides established a joint committee on economic affairs in 2022 to foster cooperation in this regard, Quang went on. He also underlined the developing collaboration in defence and security, education, tourism, people-to-people exchanges, and locality-to-locality ties. Since 1990, Canada has remained one of the biggest suppliers of development assistance for Viet Nam, with a total value of about C$2 billion (nearly $1.5 billion). Talking about the potential of bilateral ties, the diplomat said both countries share many common viewpoints on regional and international issues; wish to develop an Asian-Pacific region of peace, stability and development on the basis of international law such as the United Nations and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); and want to build order, rules, and regulations on seas, including the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea). Recently, Canada has paid more attention to regional cooperation as seen in its adoption of an Indo-Pacific strategy last November. This September, it will upgrade relations with ASEAN to a strategic partnership. These are important stepping stones for the two countries as both wish to nurture sound relations between ASEAN and Canada so as to help promote their ties, according to him. In terms of economy, trade and investment, Canada is a G7 member and the worlds 14th largest economy while Viet Nam is a developing country with a population of about 100 million, a dynamic and capable workforce, a large market, and attractiveness to foreign investment. Canada views Viet Nam as a gateway for it to enter other markets in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific. Quang perceived that Viet Nam can make use of the North American countrys advantages in technology and science to support its industrialisation, modernisation, infrastructure development, green economy, energy transition, and climate change response. Another advantage of bilateral ties that should be tapped into is the community of about 300,000 Vietnamese people in Canada, which is a great resource for the relations to grow in all fields, including people-to-people exchanges, education, and development cooperation. Regarding cooperation at multilateral forums, the two countries have cooperated with each other within the frameworks of ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the International Organisation of La Francophonie, and the UN. This is a basis for them to cooperate closely in multilateral issues, he said. The ambassador went on to say that 2023 is a memorable year when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. The Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa and the Consulate General in Vancouver have been holding various celebratory events alongside the activities held by Vietnamese ministries and sectors, and the Canadian Embassy in Ha Noi and Consulate General in HCM City. He expressed his hope that thanks to those activities, the countries can promote cooperation to a new height. VNS HA NOI President of the Belgian Senate Stephanie D'Hose arrived in Ha Noi on August 21 morning, starting her official visit to Viet Nam from August 21 to 25, 2023. The visit is made at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue. Since Viet Nam and Belgium established diplomatic relations in 1973, the traditional friendship and good cooperation between the two countries have continued to develop positively. President of the Belgian Senate Stephanie D'Hose is the highest-ranking Belgian politician to visit Viet Nam in 2023, the year the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations (1973 - 2023) and five years of their strategic partnership in agriculture. The visit demonstrates the importance that Belgian leaders attached to the relations with Viet Nam. The visit aims to promote economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries as well as the cooperation between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the Parliament of Belgium; and strengthen coordination between the two countries at multilateral forums such as the United Nations, regional and international inter-parliamentary organisations. VNS HA NOI President Vo Van Thuong chaired an official welcome ceremony for his Kazakhstani counterpart Kassym - Jomart Tokayev in Ha Noi on Monday. The Kazakhstani President arrived in Ha Noi on Sunday for an official visit from August 20-22 at the invitation of President Thuong. The two presidents held talks right after the welcome ceremony. Before the welcome ceremony, President Tokayev and his entourage laid a wreath at the monument to war martyrs and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum. This is the first visit of a Kazakhstani President to Viet Nam in 12 years, and also the first time Tokayev visits Viet Nam in his new position. Viet Nam and Kazakhstan set up their diplomatic ties on June 29, 1992. Since then, the bilateral relations have been developing well in various fields. In July 2008, the Vietnamese Embassy in Kazakhstan was put into operation, while the Central Asian country opened its embassy in Ha Noi in March 2015. The two countries have maintained regular high-level delegation exchanges as well as collaboration in both the bilateral framework and at multilateral forums. The good political relationship has opened up many opportunities for economic and trade ties. Since the free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU - including Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) took effect in 2016, Kazakhstan has become the second biggest trade partner of Viet Nam in the EAEU. In 2021, Viet Nam-Kazakhstan trade accounted for 10 per cent of total trade between the Viet Nam-EAEU. The visit of President Tokayev marks a new chapter in the Viet Nam-Kazakhstan economic-trade-tourism cooperation. The two sides are expected to sign over 10 cooperation agreements during the visit. VNS HA NOI National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue and the President of the Belgian Senate Stephanie D'Hose on Monday held talks and signed a letter of intent for cooperation, praising cooperation achievements between the two legislative bodies. Welcoming DHose on her first official visit to Viet Nam, the Vietnamese NA Chairman said that as part of the countrys foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and international cooperation, Belgium, along with the European Union (EU), is one of the most important partners of Viet Nam. The year also sees the 50th anniversary of Viet Nam-Belgium diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of their strategic partnership in agriculture. The ongoing European Union-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is considered one of the highlight achievements in economic cooperation between Viet Nam and EU, and Belgium in particular. NA Chairman Hue thanked Belgium for its support to Viet Nam and proposed that the two countries continue working together in several key areas, including clean agriculture, renewable energy, digital economy and green economy through the Belgian governments preferential credit package (Finexpo). Belgium will also provide assistance for Viet Nam in terms of resources, finance, institutional development and human resources training, with the aim towards sustainable development, circular economy, environmental protection and climate change adaptation, particularly the commitments to COP26 within the framework of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). Climate change response projects will focus on areas that are most vulnerable to the phenomenon, including the northern mountainous area, the central coast, and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta of Viet Nam. The Vietnamese top legislator also requested that the Belgian senate work with the European Commission (EC) in removing the yellow card for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) for Viet Nam, adding that the local authorities are actively taking measures for the sustainable exploitation of aquatic resources. Regarding the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the Senate President DHose said that Belgium is expected to complete the ratification process in early 2024. Discussing the agricultural strategic partnership, the two leaders suggested enhancing this collaboration by establishing a food supply chain. As part of this partnership, Belgium will work with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on a conference promoting agricultural cooperation in October this year. NA Chairman Hue added that the two countries should cooperate to improve capacity in animal and plant quarantine, hygiene, and goods quality in accordance with the EU standards. He also asked Belgium to facilitate the access of Vietnamese exports to the Belgian and EU markets, particularly rice and coffee. Viet Nam also welcomes investment from Belgian companies to Viet Nam in green and sustainable sectors, as well as maintaining and developing supply chains. The two leaders agreed that cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Belgian Senate has seen positive results, with high-level delegation exchanges and consultation mechanisms in multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF). They have also worked together in promoting sustainable development goals, monitoring the implementation of agreements between the two governments, and supporting the collaboration between localities and the business community. NA Chairman Hue said that the legislative bodies can exchange experiences in law-making in regard to digital transformation and just energy transition. Senate President DHose said that a resolution on supporting Agent Orange/dioxin victims in Viet Nam is expected to be ratified by the Belgian House of Representatives in October this year. The document called for the Belgian government to provide more aid to the victims and for the Vietnamese Government in helping them. The resolution is of special interest to the Viet Nam-Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group, she added. Discussing notable results in socio-economic development, poverty reduction, ensuring human rights and creating sustainable livelihoods, NA Chairman Hue called for Belgium and EU to increase cooperation and dialogues with Viet Nam for their common interests, especially when Viet Nam and Belgium are both members of the United Nations 2023-2025 Human Rights Council. The two countries will continue to cooperate effectively in international and multilateral forums including the United Nations (UN), the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). NA Chairman Hue also extended his invitation to the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians for Belgian delegates. The event will be held in Viet Nam this September. Following their talks, NA Chairman Hue and Belgian Senate President Stephanie DHose signed a letter of intent for cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Belgian Federal Parliament. VNS HA NOI General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Monday for Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in which he affirmed that Viet Nam always treasures the development and reinforcement of ties with traditional friends, including Kazakhstan. Trong said the Vietnamese Party, State and people always remember and appreciate the invaluable support that the Kazakhstani people provided for Viet Nam during the past struggles for national independence and the current cause of national construction and development. Speaking highly of the fine outcomes of the talks and meetings between the Kazakhstani President and Vietnamese leaders, the Party chief exchanged views with the guest on several major orientations and measures to elevating the bilateral traditional friendship to a new height and fostering the comprehensive cooperation for the benefit of the people of both nations and making positive contributions to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world. Tokayev, for his part, affirmed that Kazakhstan always treasures the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries, and regards Viet Nam as a top partner in Southeast Asia. He underlined the importance of enhancing relations between political parties of Kazakhstan and the Communist Party of Viet Nam, considering it a crucial channel in the bilateral relationship. The President also agreed on major measures to deepen the bilateral ties, particularly in economy, trade and investment. He suggested the two sides take full advantage of the Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) of which Kazakhstan is a member, as well as paying attention to cultural cooperation to raise mutual understanding between the two countries people and young generations. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam highly values the position and role of Kazakhstan in the Central Asian region and wants to enhance multifaceted cooperation with the country, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong inh Hue said while meeting with visiting Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Ha Noi on Monday. Lauding the outcomes of the guests talks with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and his meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Hue expressed his confidence that the signed documents between the two sides will create a favourable legal framework to promote the traditional friendship and collaboration between the two countries in the upcoming time in a more comprehensive and effective manner. The top legislator stressed that the Vietnamese NA and himself always support the two nations comprehensive cooperation in various fields, including economy, trade, investment, transport, tourism, education, training, culture, and defence-security. Hue announced with delight that the bilateral parliamentary ties have so far yielded significant results. He expressed his hope that Tokayev, who previously served as the Chairman of the Kazakhstani Senate, would support the Vietnamese NA and the Kazakhstani Parliament in inheriting and elevating their existing good cooperative relations, towards the signing of a bilateral cooperation agreement. On the occasion, Hue invited the chairpersons of the Senate and of the Majilis (lower house) of Kazakhstan to officially visit Viet Nam and send a delegation to attend the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians scheduled to take place in Ha Noi in September. In response, Tokayev said that the Kazakhstani Parliament will send a delegation to the conference. The NA Chairman said he hoped that the President himself, the Parliament and the Government of Kazakhstan will continue to pay attention and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese expatriate community to live, study, work, and integrate in Kazakhstan. Agreeing with his host, Tokayev expressed his wish that both sides would work together to promote the achieved cooperation outcomes and further enhance partnerships in the fields of economy, trade, and investment. The Kazakhstani President noted Viet Nam is a key partner of Kazakhstan in Southeast Asia and that amid numerous international changes, their enduring solidarity and traditional friendship have become increasingly important. He also thanked Viet Nam for its participation in the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) hosted by Kazakhstan. The President hoped that the two parliaments will fortify their collaboration and exchange experiences, bringing about mutual benefits. He took this occasion to invite Hue to soon pay an official visit to Kazakhstan. VNS HA NOI The Vietnamese Government attaches importance to enhancing a deeper, substantial, and effective relationship with Belgium, which is a founding member with a significant voice within the European Union, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told President of the Belgian Senate Stephanie D'Hose during a meeting in Ha Noi on Monday. D'Hose is on an official visit to Viet Nam from August 21-25 at the invitation of National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong inh Hue. PM Chinh hailed her visit on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the fifth anniversary of strategic partnership in agriculture. According to him, Belgium is always among Viet Nam's top trade partners within the EU while Viet Nam is the biggest ASEAN trade partner of Belgium. Last year, two-way trade reached US$4.73 billion. D'Hose wished that via the visit, Belgian Federal Parliament and the Vietnamese NA would set up a higher level of cooperation in order to reinforce friendship and links between the two countries, including the consideration of measures to remove trade barriers and foster collaboration in technology and innovation. She also hoped that Viet Nam would issue favourable visa policies to make it easier for Belgian citizens and businesses to enter the country. In reply, PM Chinh said since August 15, Viet Nam has officially granted a 45-day visa exemption to citizens of certain nations entering the country, adding that he takes note of Belgium's proposal and will continue hasten this work. To improve political trust and deepen bilateral coordination, he suggested both sides increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially those at high level. He called for close liaison at multilateral and international forums, particularly on issues of mutual concern such as conflict prevention, peacekeeping and climate change response. In his view, both sides should maximise the advantages of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and strive to achieve a trade turnover of $7 billion in the next 2-3 years. He asked Belgium to continue facilitating the entry of Vietnamese traditional aquatic and agricultural products such as rice, coffee, and seasonal produce into the Belgian and EU markets. The host also proposed the Belgian Senate accelerate the early approval of the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by the Belgian Federal Parliament, as well as the European Commissions early removal of the yellow card warning against Vietnamese aquatic products. Expressing appreciation for Belgium's supply of ODA to Viet Nam, the PM proposed further joint work in key areas such as clean agriculture, renewable energy, digital economy, green economy, and circular economy. He also asked Belgium to assist Viet Nam in developing circular agriculture and smart agriculture, and implementing the National Strategy for Green Growth for 2021-2030, focusing on sustainable, eco-friendly and climate-adaptive development. Additionally, he suggested studying the establishment of a trilateral cooperation mechanism involving Viet Nam, Belgium, and an African partner to address food security concerns. As one of the countries hardest hit by climate change, Viet Nam proposes that Belgium increase its support in terms of resources, finance, institutional building, and human resources training to fulfil commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), as well as outline specific projects to help the country cope with climate change, especially in the Mekong Delta, with a focus on green development and saltwater intrusion combat, he said. On the occasion, he suggested Belgium consider increasing the number of postgraduate scholarships for Viet Nam, especially in areas where Belgium has strength, such as transportation infrastructure, environment and tourism. Agreeing with the PMs proposals, the Belgian guest said both sides need to continue expanding exchanges and dialogues at all levels across various fields, with a particular focus on intensifying high-level exchanges to further broaden bilateral relationship. She said the Belgian Federal Parliament is actively taking steps for the EVIPA ratification before June 9, 2024 when Belgium concludes its presidency of the Council of the European Union. Belgium is also ready to assist Viet Nam in energy transition, agriculture, and addressing the consequences of chemical/dioxin contamination, he said. On global and regional issues of shared concern, the PM proposed the European country back ASEAN's and Viet Nam's stance on the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) issue, including ensuring safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, settling disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), toward formulating an efficient and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). VNS SUVA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua)-- A Fijian parliamentarian has called on the country's leaders to take a firm stand against Japan's planned discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. Japan's decision to dump the wastewater into the sea threatened not only Fiji's immediate ecosystem, but also the livelihoods of islander communities, Ketan Lal, a parliamentarian of opposition party FijiFirst, told Fiji Times. "Our people rely on the ocean for sustenance and survival, and we cannot stand by as a nuclear shadow threatens to taint our marine resources," Lal said. He said the Pacific islanders have witnessed the devastating consequences of nuclear contamination, and they must "not allow history to repeat" itself on their shores. Japan's claims of safety cannot be trusted blindly, the parliamentarian noted, "We must raise our voices together, a chorus of unity against this looming disaster. We must safeguard our marine resources, our island homes, and our future." He urged the government to heed the call made by environmental activists to fight against Japan's intentions. Amid wide criticism from both home and abroad, the Japanese government has been pushing to dump the nuclear-contaminated wastewater this summer from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was hit by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011. According to media reports, the specific discharge date is expected to be set in late August. HA NOI Viet Nam always values its friendship with traditional partner countries in the Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, and wants to enhance multifaceted cooperation between the two nations for the mutual benefit of both countries and their people, affirmed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at his meeting with visiting Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Ha Noi on Monday. Commending positive developments in the bilateral relationship, particularly in politics, diplomacy, economy, and trade, the PM suggested that both sides increase their exchange of visits and meetings at all levels, and continue to support each other at multilateral forums and international organisations, especially the United Nations and Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). The Kazakhstani President stated that Kazakhstan regards Viet Nam as an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region and hopes to further strengthen the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the Southeast Asian country, particularly in economy, trade, and investment, based on shared values and interests. Chinh praised the nations effective implementation of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). He also noted that there remain untapped potential and ample room for the sides to complement each other and develop together. He suggested Kazakhstan continue to create favourable conditions for strong Vietnamese goods such as agro-fishery products, textiles, and woodwork to access the Kazakhstani market. Both sides should collaborate to speed up the amendment of the FTA to further facilitate bilateral trade and investment. In response, Tokayev assured that he will direct the Kazakhstani Government to focus on enhancing cooperation in the fields mentioned by PM Chinh, particularly transport, logistics, culture, tourism, finance, and digital transformation. He expressed his wish to further promote the role of the Viet Nam-Kazakhstan intergovernmental committee on economic-trade and sci-tech cooperation and push for the implementation of specific projects between the two nations. The Vietnamese Government leader hoped that in addition to the signing of the mutual visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders and the memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation, the Presidents visit will open up more opportunities for people-to-people exchanges, promote tourism cooperation, and facilitate trade between the nations. On the occasion, the PM thanked Kazakhstan for its support for Vietnamese citizens living, working, and studying in Kazakhstan. He urged continued favourable conditions created for Vietnamese enterprises to invest and do business there. VNS HA NOI Construction progress of the North-South Expressway project phase two, which lasts between 2021-25, is dependent on site clearance and construction materials supplied by localities, said construction managers. A report of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) last Thursday said that localities had actively implemented site clearance for the project. So far, the project had been handed over 89 per cent of the site, up by two per cent compared with last month. As much as 80 per cent of the site could be built, an increase of three per cent compared to the previous month. Construction for resettlement areas and technical infrastructure relocation, especially high-voltage power lines, was being conducted but was still slow, the report said. As for construction materials, the MoT said last month, it attested exploitation registration for 42 out of 69 material exploitation sites. As many as 15 out of those 42 sites were operating. The sites that had not been exploited were mainly due to uncompleted negotiations with the land owner on prices, land use rights and capital contribution. Some exploitation sites would also have to carry out procedures for changing land use purposes. Although the Prime Minister assigned sand supply targets to different provinces - such as An Giang 33 million cubic metres, ong Thap 0.5 million cubic metres and Vinh Long five million cubic metres - for the Can Tho-Ca Mau Expressway sub-project, some localities did it slowly, not meeting the requirements, according to the MoT. Participating directly as an investor in the Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon Expressway sub-project, Cao Viet Hung, deputy director of the Project Management Board No. 2, said that the project had handed over 76km out of 88km, or 86.3 per cent. Of this length, Quang Ngai Province handed over 53.4km out of 60.3km, or 88.45 per cent, and Hoai Nhon Town in Binh inh Province handed over 22.6km out of 27.7km, or 81.8 per cent. However, Hung revealed that contractors could access only about 68.5km out of 88km, or 78 per cent. The remaining sections had not been constructed because there is no road to access the construction site. Localities were relocating technical infrastructure works for 13 sections of the route, leading to interruptions in construction. A delay in licensing the material exploitation sites had greatly affected overall progress, leading to lower construction output than planned. On that basis, the Project Management Board No. 2 proposed to solve problems related to ground clearance, and hand over the remaining sections soon so that the contractors can implement their work. Prerequisites To complete the North-South Expressway project phase two by 2025, the MoT directed contractors to take advantage of favourable weather conditions to organise overtime construction. It requested localities to complete ground handover of the entire route in the third quarter of this year. Localities must carefully review procedures to determine the cost of compensation for site clearance and prevent unreasonable costs inconsistent with the framework approved by the PM and the laws. Provinces and cities where the project passes through must set up working groups under the PMs direction to negotiate with land owners to ensure they are consistent with the compensation prices prescribed by the State. They should apply sanctions for cases of deliberately raising prices, and complete procedures to exploit 27 sites this month and the remaining 27 sites next month. The MoT also proposed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment should soon draft a report to the National Assembly on changing the land use purpose of the project. It should soon advise the Government to allow Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, Binh inh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces to increase the capacity of licensed sand mines. VNS HCM CITY In the next three years, some 90 local farmers in HCM City will get opportunities to go abroad to learn and exchange experiences in agricultural product processing, marketing and selling. The municipal Peoples Committee has approved a project to send farmers abroad for training and experience exchange in agricultural product processing, marketing, and selling in foreign markets in the 2023-25 period. Accordingly, the city plans to send two farmer delegations abroad each year, with each consisting of no more than 18 members. The proportion of management staff will not exceed 20 per cent of the delegation. It will give priority to farmers who are developing key products and products under the national One-Commune-One Product programme (OCOPs). The selected farmers who are members of various cooperative groups, start-up businesses, farm owners, and managers working in the agricultural sector will be sent to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Israel, and Australia. They are divided into specific production groups and will go to nations with corresponding agricultural production strengths. The farmers have a large production scale, strong financial ability to expand their operation, and apply new technologies in their work. They have to commit to participate in the citys communication and advocacy activities in making urban agriculture modern. The project is expected to increase the added value of agricultural products via promoting agricultural production and consumption, and connecting supply and consumption. It will also help to train agricultural human resources to meet the strategic requirements for developing urban agriculture models and promoting international exchange, cooperation and integration in the agriculture sector. During the learning trip, farmers can expand their international networks and learn about advanced agriculture in other countries. VNS Founded in 1986, GFR is a family-owned conglomerate steered by the Rahmoune brothers, with the eldest sibling Ahmed Rahmoune at the helm as CEO. Boasting a diverse portfolio, the group oversees 12 subsidiary companies. This includes an auto import-export entity based in Dubai that is involved in an array of sectors such as ceramic production, construction materials, food processing, coastal tourism resorts, real estate, and the distribution of cars and motorcycles. The Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria, Tran Quoc Khanh, along with commercial counsellor Hoang Duc Nhuan, presented an overview of Vietnam's economic achievements, potentials, and strengths in the areas of GFR's interest, aiming to connect them with the appropriate Vietnamese corporations. During the meeting, Ahmed Rahmoune, chairman of GFR, said, "Vietnam's remarkable economic progress in recent years has truly impressed me, and we have a strong interest in forging ties with Vietnamese enterprises." In the automotive sector, GFR engaged in substantive discussions with representatives from Truong Hai Auto Corporation (Thaco) about importing buses, trailers, and motorcycles. Furthermore, there is palpable interest from GFR in potentially collaborating with VinGroup for the distribution of VinFast electric cars and motorcycles in the Algerian market. Several GFR companies also initiated dialogues with Mecanimex to locate potential suppliers of large packaging for their cement and clinker manufacturing and export operations. Furthermore, the group expressed an intent to partner with other Vietnamese companies for sourcing sugarcane, aiming to meet the import demand of over 36,000 tonnes annually for their bakery production lines. Rahmoune also revealed the group's aspiration to find a partner to construct a water amusement park for their coastal resort. Looking ahead, GFR aims to strengthen collaborations with Vietnamese partners across various sectors, including renewable energy, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications, he said. Following the dialogue, a representative from Thaco extended their gratitude to the Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria for facilitating such a meaningful connection between enterprises of both nations. Thaco holds a strong belief that Algeria represents great potential as a burgeoning market for our flagship products, the representative said. Singapore Regional Business Forum: Techcombank commits to further partnerships The Singapore Regional Business Forum in Hanoi on June 7 attracted great attention from Singaporean fintech companies looking for new opportunities. On August 16, the southern province of Dong Nai organised a dialogue to clarify any barriers in the process of investment capital attraction. At the meeting, industrial real estate developers and manufacturers primarily raised concerns about the difficulties related to site clearance, the dizzying rise in land rental prices, and the asynchronous infrastructure that connects the IPs. Nguyen Thanh Dat, general director of Nhon Trach 6a Investment Construction Industrial Zone Co., Ltd., expressed his concern about the increase in land rental fees in recent years. He said that the company signed a lease agreement for the 2019-2024 period at price of VND2,000 (around 8 US cents) per square metre. However, the current price has climbed by 20 times to VND40,000 ($1.69) per sq.m. The sudden adjustment in land rental prices will affect the outlook of investors, especially in the context of the real estate markets general difficulties. Thus, the company has requested that the province reconsider more affordable fees, Dat said. In terms of infrastructure, Thai Hoang Nam, general director of AMATA City Long Thanh JSC shared, "Amata Long Thanh IP is ready to attract investors, however, the construction of the surrounding infrastructure system has yet to be implemented, leading to concern among potential clients." "Thus, we expect the province to accelerate the construction of road routes to connect the highway to the IPs in the province," he added. After listening to the business communitys opinions, Nguyen Hong Linh, Secretary of Dong Nai Party Committee issued an ultimatum to the relevant authorities, requiring them to approach investors and manufacturers to clarify all the obstacles immediately. The final report covering the findings is due within a month. The province will also concentrate on resolving all the pending issues in terms of land clearance at the 10 current IPs. The total area awaiting land clearance stands at 820 hectares. Linh said, The province currently lacks large areas of available land to welcome secondary investors. The land clearance delays are due either to residents refusing compensation or the province not having allocated plots for resettlement yet. Over the coming time, the feasibility of resolving these issues will be studied, but if no solution is found, the uncleared area will be removed from the planning. The eagerness of Dong Nai is understandable as the race to lure foreign-invested capital heats up. As many emerging localities such as Nghe An, Thai Binh, and Quang Ninh push ahead with this work, Dong Nai is in danger of losing its competitive advantage. Dong Nai is one of the largest hubs for IPs in Vietnam and has been a trusted investment destination for billion-dollar projects. However, it currently reports a downturn in foreign investment as it lacks the capacity to pick up large-scale ventures. Southern region scales up logistics investment Localities in the southeast are expediting a raft of major infrastructure projects to realise the goal of shaping a logistics hub in the Southern Key Economic Zone. Construction of terminal at Long Thanh intl airport to begin in August Work on a passenger terminal at Long Thanh International Airport in southern Dong Nai province is scheduled to start in August, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) announced at a working session on July 6 with the provincial People's Committee. Dong Nai licenses two foreign-invested projects, worth $30 million The committee's vice chairwoman Nguyen Thi Hoang praised the two large-scale projects, saying that they would play an important role in speeding up local economic development. Localities report downgrade in FDI attraction amid land shortages Localities such as Dong Nai and Thanh Hoa are struggling to provide enough available land for some of the biggest manufacturers, currently relying only on the interest of smaller-scale ventures. Foreign investment continues to be the main driving force for the development of the industrial property market. How do you evaluate the movement of new capital from current and future tenants? Chong Chee Keong, general manager for Industrial Overall, Vietnams economy shows promise and resilience in the face of global headwinds. We do see some recovery recently and diversification of the investment focus. Particularly in Vietnam, when real estate sectors are still facing difficulties, we see the interest has moved into infrastructure and renewable energy sectors which align with the governments direction to boost national infrastructure capabilities. We see this as a good opportunity for Vietnam to upgrade towards more sustainable development and prepare for future trends into environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts. In 2023, industry and construction accounted for one-third of the national GDP and will require at least another 9-12 months for the government to resolve the financial and legal policy before we see the recovery of these sectors. Issues related to procedures, infrastructure, land, and fire protection are posing challenges in attracting investment into industrial property. What challenges are you facing in project implementation? Frasers Property did not face many problems while executing projects in Vietnams North. However, we ran into some procedural challenges with building licenses as well as problems with land in the South. However, up to now, the local governments have been working efforts to make those procedures easier and more supportive for Frasers Property Vietnam. The demand for industrial real estate, such as industrial land, infrastructure, RBF, RBW, etc., serves to restructure the Chinese side of the manufacturing supply chain. and there has been a significant increase from the Vietnamese side. Additionally, multinational manufacturers from Asia, Europe, and the US are increasingly choosing Vietnam as their top destination. In the future, we expect that Vietnam would implement additional policies to welcome and promote foreign investment, particularly in production and emerging industries. This will make Vietnams industrial development and involvement in global production and supply chains more prominent. Domestically, the supply of industrial property in the secondary market tends to increase. Does this make competition between traditional and new markets more intense? Based on our observation, the improving infrastructure network (connectivity within tier 1 and tier 2) plays an important role in facilitating expansion of the industrial market. Tier 2 provinces will benefit from the spill-over effect when established areas in tier 1 become more competitive for new development or expansion. Queen bees entering a tier 2 province is also seen as a good opportunity for developers like Frasers Property as the entering point to engage in the supply chain and service clusters. Industrial Centre Yen Phong 2C What are the main factors that need to be promoted to increase the efficiency of attraction in industrial property investments? Accelerating construction, modernising, and sustainable infrastructure will empower Vietnam to reduce the barriers to trade and strengthen its ability to attract more foreign investment. In the long run, Vietnam must develop a highly skilled and specialised workforce to meet production chains with high added value, which is an increasingly visible trend. Along with continuing to develop infrastructure, foreign investor production costs will be more stable. This will boost the attractiveness of Vietnam and encourage investors to remain here longer. How important are aspects like innovation and digitalisation in the companys efforts? Sustainable development is at the heart of our strategy and contributes considerably to Frasers Propertys success. The main principles that we agree to develop in all projects are green and responsible solutions, together with health and wellbeing amenities. To be genuinely efficient, a good development must be well-built and operated on both hardware and software levels. For hardware, our facilities are customer-centric design specifications, bringing utmost operation efficiency and future-proof to the enterprises benefits. For software, we focus on people, improving human resources and service-oriented. Technology is not the main objective at Frasers Property, but it plays an important role in connecting properties, people, and processes through data information systems, implementing digital solutions to improve productivity, and leveraging data analytics to provide a great experience for our customers and employees. Weve carried out plenty of steps to improve the groups ability to digitalise, whether in structures, workflows, or even in the neighbourhood, in order to keep ahead of technological trends. The most important qualities for any business are originality and innovation. We encourage our staff to be innovative and creative while coming up with ideas to achieve sustainability. Innovation is defined by Frasers Property as modifications that enhance value. To make investment and management decisions for these assets, we also have a long-term perspective and take the entire asset lifecycle into account. Last but not least, we guarantee a safe, inclusive workplace and neighbourhood. We have established a group-wide sustainability framework in all of our present markets to empower employees and align the entire company with a focus on sustainability. Every step of our value chain incorporates ESG factors. Despite the economic slowdown, prices of industrial property and warehouses in Vietnam have continued to rise. Do you believe this is sustainable in the long term? The trend of industrial and warehouse rents will continue to rise in the short and medium term because of limited supply against the demand, which mainly comes from China+1 relocations. In the long run, we think that Vietnam will continue to be a popular destination for investors due to its rising position in the supply chain, rising domestic demand, and developing logistics infrastructure. In addition, rents will rise as prospects strengthen. Frasers Property Vietnam offers enticing warehouse and factory concepts Industrial and logistic real estate are becoming increasingly more attractive as Vietnam benefits from the shifts in global supply chains, the strong effects of many free trade agreements, and its liberalised trade base. Frasers property towards 4Ds perspective Hua Tiong Lim, CEO of Frasers Property Vietnam, concurrently CEO of Development at Frasers Property (Holdings) Thailand, took part in an Urban Land Institute Singapore discussion on developer perspectives on transforming cities through decarbonisation, decentralisation, digitalisation, and disclosure, which was part of the 2022 World Cities Summit held in Singapore last week. Lim shares some of his insights on what goes into creating thriving cities through these 4Ds. The captivating and explosive stage at Huda Beach Carnival 2023 Last month, Huda held a series of events with the theme Uncap Huda. Uncap an explosion of beach carnival colours. Through the event, Huda was committed to providing the people of Central Vietnam with enriching experiences while fostering a sense of pride in and solidarity with the local culture. Not only an opportunity to immerse in the vibrant and bustling festive atmosphere, the carnival was is also an occasion for participants to recharge themselves and enjoy every activity to the fullest on the beautiful beaches of the central region. The carnival has won the hearts of people in Central Vietnam with a series of unique events The event began with a captivating parade and street art performances, which were meticulously prepared by charming artists. Participants were also provided the opportunity to get sparkled and bejewelled at the make-up area, explore the colourful playground, and enjoy the refreshing Huda Ice Twist beer taste on the beach. The vibrancy and attractiveness of the event have made a strong impression on plenty of tourists and locals. The journey was even more explosive following a fascinating music night along with the enthusiastic participation of young artists such as Truc Nhan, Only C, Justatee, Orange, MONO, Phuong Ly, HIEUTHUHAI, S.T Son Thach, Hoang Rapper, Trang Moon, and Red Light Band. Immersing in the lively and colourful ambience of music was the highlight of an emotional road of experience for each visitor. Ly Thanh Huyen who is a tourist from Hanoi said, The atmosphere was very exciting and lively. I had a chance to experience a lot of interesting and unique activities, especially when I was able to dance with the dancers of the show. The Huda Beach Carnival was a cheerleader to me, as the festival succeeded in encouraging everyone to come and enjoy. Sharing his experience, Nguyen Van Thang from Dong Hoi in Quang Binh province commented, The atmosphere was extremely vibrant, fun, and bustling. I am proud that my hometown can welcome tourists through these unique activities. Hopefully, there will be many similar events so that Quang Binh can attract many more tourists in the future. Joyful recreational activities on the beach were welcomed by young people at Huda Beach Carnival Many young people also immersed themselves in the engaging carnival. Vo Trong Nhan from Quang Nam province said, I had the opportunity to take part in the Huda Beach Carnival event in both Danang and Tam Ky. Tam Ky is only a small city, but the festival here was well organised, and on a grand scale. I felt the fun, joy, and excitement in all the activities. Le Quang Nhat from Quang Nam added, For me, the event was like a vibrant party of sound, light, and colour. The activities were imbued with a festive vibe and the spirit of the central region, thus stirring up the atmosphere in each location and attracting many participants. Even those not present were able to take part in the fun. Pham Linh Chi from Hanoi said, I enjoyed the festive ambience full of colour while watching the live broadcast of carnival on the Huda fanpage. I hope that I will be able to visit the central region in the future, and be part of a Huda event in person. Huda is a beer brand under Carlsberg Vietnam, a member of Carlsberg Group - one of the first Danish multinational companies in Vietnam. Carlsberg modernising production for sustainability Carlsberg Vietnam is continuing to deliver high-quality products at its modern factory, showing a continued focus on evolving technology and sustainable practices. Experience Central Meaningfully with Hudas freshwater ambassador challenge The people of the central region responded strongly to the Huda Fresh Water Ambassador challenge within the framework of the Fresh Water for Beloved Central programme. Fion Ng - Chief operation officer BW Industrial Development JSC With the global recessionary outlook, export orders in Vietnam have dropped. But many companies who are talking to us right now are actually thinking about catching the economic rebound in the second half of 2024. To be ready for that, they have to start looking now. Our customers are looking for space because supply chain diversification has become a top priority, and they are preparing ahead for the economic rebound expected strongly in 2024. The plan has strong financial backing from international investors despite global and local economic turbulence. We secured $300 million from international investors in the first quarter of 2023 alone. This transformative investment took BWs total commitment in Binh Duong from $600 million to $900 million, solidifying its position as one of the provinces largest foreign-led companies. BW is resolute in attracting further investments to the province, with the total projected to exceed $1 billion this fiscal year. Bruno Jaspaert - CEO, DEEP C Industrial Zones We saw the biggest investment influence and the biggest room for growth in the north. This is absolutely not because the south is less interesting. However, the north is certainly not the only place for investors to choose, but it also depends on many other factors, such as appropriate infrastructure or production facilities located near the supply chains of the investors and manufacturers themselves. And yet again, other manufacturers are looking for very specific materials that are easier to find in a specific location such as mining, incoming or outgoing goods. In the north, there are a number of provinces that are doing very well, such as Haiphong, that have been doing well over past years. Quang Ninh is catching up very rapidly and is quite interested in a long-term vision plan for attracting industries. There are a number of provinces with particular advantages, and I believe that we will see more and more industrial complexes in the future. Paul Fisher - Country head, JLL Vietnam The medium- to long-term prospects for industrial and logistics real estate in Vietnam are strong indeed. Vietnam benefits heavily from a big wave of investment from China+1, an influx of new highly sophisticated manufacturers and also just a growing diversification of the manufacturing base globally is benefiting and a lot of that is coming to Vietnam and as a result of that trend, the growth in manufacturing is really the backbone of economic growth in Vietnam and thats also driving growth in the logistics sector. Weve seen growth for a number of years now increased, particularly from international investors in the Vietnamese industrial logistics property market, which accelerated from around 2018 when we saw a wave of private equity money that came in and funded a lot of development. Were also seeing a big growth in the amount of real estate that we have, both industrial and in logistics. JLLs research forecasts that warehouse space will almost double from 2023 through to 2025. Were also seeing a lot of renewed interest and some investors starting to close deals again. We expect that previous upward trend to continue in terms of overseas funding. A number of investors already will be in the office at the precise location, so we likely see a very strong end to this year. Hoo Swee Loon - Deputy general director Le Mont Group I believe that the industrial real estate sector in Vietnam will experience robust growth in the near future. Vietnam is becoming a favoured destination for foreign investors in the China+1 strategy, attracting major industrial players to set up operations and resulting in a rapid increase in demand for industrial land, factories, and warehouses. Moreover, Vietnam is striving to become a modern industrial nation, aiming for the industrial sector to contribute 40 per cent of GDP by 2030. To achieve this goal, the government is issuing policies and strategic actions to facilitate the development and expansion of industrial clusters (ICs). The number of ICs is expected to grow substantially, leveraging their unique advantages. First and foremost, the planned and constructed ICs make the most of the potential and natural advantages of each region and locality. Additionally, these clusters provide opportunities for new small- and medium-sized businesses. Furthermore, the production facilities within these clusters have generated tens of thousands of jobs for local labour with competitive wages compared to regional counterparts, enhancing economic competitiveness. An energy conference was convened in Hanoi on August 18, co-hosted by Vietnam's Energy Efficiency Office under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the National Electricity Regulatory Authority. Speaking at the event, Tran Viet Nguyen, deputy head of Business Development at Vietnam Electricity (EVN) remarked, "During peak months, we've observed electrical loads spiking to staggering levels, at one point even reaching 900 million kWh with a peak capacity of over 43,000MW on 19 May." "The El Nino phenomenon has drastically reduced water levels for our hydroelectric plants. When coupled with our coal-fired thermal power plants facing operational challenges and fuel shortages, balancing the power supply and demand especially in May and June became particularly challenging," added Nguyen. With forecasts for 2024-2025 painting a picture of relentless growth in electricity demand, the deputy head emphasised, "We're estimating a need for an additional 4,000-5,000MW. However, what's concerning is that our anticipated capacity addition may not fully meet this demand, potentially leading to power shortfalls." Highlighting regional disparities, he added, "Regions in the north, which are already experiencing significant load growth, could be staring at a shortage of up to 2,000MW between 2024 and 2025." Given this impending scenario, EVN's focus has shifted towards conservation. "We are advocating for frugal and efficient power usage," Nguyen stated. "Our aim is to achieve a minimum power-saving target of 10 per cent across sectors and galvanise our industrial consumers to participate in our load-shifting programmes." Reporting on the recent successes, he shared, "In just May and June, we managed to save about 220 million kWh each month, which is approximately 1 per cent of the total demand. If we factor in contributions from other consumer groups, I believe our cumulative energy conservation can potentially reach 2 per cent." Nguyen highlighted, "These savings mean we could forgo the need to invest in a 1,200MW coal-fired thermal power plant. As we move forward, our mission is clear. By 2025, we aim to slash energy losses across our power system to below 6 per cent and also implement robust demand management and load adjustment programmes." Outlining a vision for the future, he concluded, "By 2030, we desire a situation where half of our office buildings and households embrace rooftop solar power. This isn't just about energy; it's about building a sustainable future for Vietnam." Vietnam faces petrol shortage risks Alhough the petrol situation in Vietnam is stable at present, a lack of investment, market barriers, and poor planning could potentially result in a shortage in the coming months. More demand felt for family office services in Vietnam The flourishing expansion of high-net-worth clientele across Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam, is stimulating growing interest among foreign family offices, leading to a reconfiguration of investment strategies and opening pathways to unparalleled opportunities. According to a report by Tracxn, a global SaaS-based market intelligence platform, the fintech sector in Vietnam has experienced a significant downturn in funding throughout 2023, largely attributed to the lingering effects of the funding winter and the prevailing global macroeconomic uncertainty. While these challenges have impacted the country's startup funding landscape, experts remain optimistic about the sector's rebound as the global economy stabilises. Over the past decades, Vietnam's economy has experienced substantial growth, resulting in a significant increase in per capita income, which multiplied by 3.6 times between 2002 and 2021. The country's economy is projected to grow by 6.3 per cent in 2023, further emphasising its potential for continued expansion. However, the report pointed out that the first half of 2023 has seen a remarkable drop in fintech funding, falling to a paltry $6.2 million. This represents a staggering 97 per cent decrease compared with the $201 million recorded in the same period in 2022. Similarly, the funding for the first half of 2023 was 67 per cent lower than the $17.9 million registered in the latter half of 2022. A notable factor contributing to this decline is the absence of late-stage funding rounds. The fintech space in Vietnam has witnessed a complete absence of in this area throughout 2022 and 2023. Among the funding rounds that did occur, early-stage investments constituted the majority, contributing $5.1 million to the total. However, this amount reflects a steep 97 per cent decrease compared with the substantial $195 million raised during the first half of 2022. Furthermore, the early-stage funding for the first half of 2023 was down 32 per cent over the $7.5 million that was secured in the last 6 months of 2022. Seed-stage funding also saw a considerable reduction, amounting to only $1.1 million. This marks an 82 per cent on-year decrease, and an 89 per cent drop compared with H2/2022. Analysing the on-quarter funding, the difference is evident. The first quarter of 2023 recorded a total of $5.1 million, signifying a 76 per cent decrease from the $21.2 million secured in the first quarter of 2022. In the second quarter of 2023, funding experienced a staggering 99 per cent decline, plummeting from $180 million in Q2/2022 to just $1.1 million in Q2/2023. The fintech sector in Vietnam experienced only one funding round exceeding $100 million during the first half of 2022. Since then, none have surpassed this milestone. Furthermore, the sector has not produced any unicorns, nor witnessed any acquisitions or initial public offerings within the past two years. Hanoi is the only city in the nation to secure funding for the fintech sector during the first half of 2023. Key investors that have played a pivotal role in shaping the local fintech landscape over the past two years include CIE IIITH, Y Combinator, WeFounder Circle, Integra Partners, and Genting Ventures. CIE IIITH, Y Combinator, and WeFounder Circle have been significant players in the seed-stage investment domain, while, Integra Partners and Genting Ventures have emerged as prominent investors in early-stage funding rounds. The Vietnamese government is contributing to the growth of the fintech sector by spearheading the National Digital Transformation Programme. This ambitious initiative aims to achieve significant milestones, including transitioning half of all banking operations online, providing half of the population with digital bank accounts, and facilitating 70 per cent of transactions through digital channels. Vietnam's fintech app market shows impressive growth Vietnam's fintech app market has experienced substantial growth, presenting opportunities for innovation and expansion. April Tayson, Adjust's regional vice president for Southeast Asia and India, discussed with VIR's Le Luu how Adjust provides data-driven insights and solutions to empower fintech marketers while ensuring compliance with data protection regulations. Fintech groups and banks linking up for new payment partnerships Vietnams payment fintech landscape is witnessing a surge in partnerships between foreign giants like Apple Pay and local banks, while local payment apps are teaming up with international firms, signalling promising growth prospects for the digital payment sector. JAKARTA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- ASEAN has agreed to boost its electronic trading cooperation with China in an effort to reduce the digital economy gap in the Southeast Asia region, an Indonesian minister said Monday. The initiative was endorsed during a consultative meeting between ministers of economy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries with the Ministry of Commerce of China on Monday in Semarang, Indonesia's Central Java province. The meeting was part of the 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting held on Aug. 17-22. China has become the fourth-largest source of foreign investment among ASEAN partners, said Indonesia's Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, highlighting significant economic impacts ASEAN can gain through cooperation with China. He said the meeting also elaborated on the reports of the implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area. WASHINGTON Barack Obama, mindful of the urgent power of a president's words, liked to say he was guarded with his language because anything he said could send troops marching or markets tumbling. His successor, Donald Trump, showed no such restraint. Now Trump is facing dozens of criminal charges in four separate indictments, two of them anchored in the Republican's lie that he did not lose the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump's propensity for falsehoods and his right to utter them are at the core of his legal defense. Though the U.S. presidency is vested with many overt powers, one of the most important is implicit: the power of rhetoric. It is often used as a call to action, to rally Americans for a mission abroad, to comfort a grieving public after tragedy or to sacrifice for a greater good. "Scholars like me who study presidential rhetoric, presidential communication, they call it essentially a second Constitution," said Jennifer Mercieca, a communications scholar at Texas A&M University. Having presidents communicate directly to the public "changed the complete balance and separation of powers without having a new constitutional convention. It made the president the center of our political system." Trump, in effect, is arguing that his words as president carried no special force and he was simply exercising his free speech rights. "Most presidents have a sense of the importance of language of the written word, of the spoken word," said Wayne Fields, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis and an expert on presidential rhetoric. "Some of them are not particularly good at it themselves, but they rarely are quite so dismissive of it as Trump has been." Lawyers for the former president, who faces criminal charges in courtrooms stretching from Miami to New York, made it clear that Trump's free speech rights will form the foundation of their defense in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot case. John Lauro, one of the lawyers, characterized to CNN that special counsel Jack Smith's case was "very, very unusual, outside-of-the-bounds criminal prosecution of First Amendment rights." But Smith anticipated that argument when he began to outline Trump's alleged wrongdoing in the federal indictment over Trump's culpability in the Capitol riot. On the second page of the document, prosecutors stressed that Trump was free to essentially lie: "The defendant had a right, like every American, to speak publicly about the election and even to claim, falsely, that there had been outcome-determinative fraud during the election and that he had won." Instead, Smith argued in the indictment, it is Trump's conduct, not merely his words, that constituted prosecutable offenses. That distinction could prove critical given that Trump abandoned so many of the basic tenets of presidential communication during his time in office. "An incorrect phrasing or an offhand comment can move markets or make the phone lines at the State Department blow up. This is really the first thing you learn when you come to the White House," said Dan Pfeiffer, Obama's White House communications director. "Anything out of the president's mouth or even a tweet from the White House account has tremendous power." That level of language discipline, Pfeiffer said, "was a huge transition from the campaign for Obama and all of us." It's hard to deny how powerful a president's direct words can be, though that was not always the case. Mercieca said until the early 20th century, presidents rarely spoke to the public. A leader's comments were primarily intergovernmental and often done in written form. That began to change with President Theodore Roosevelt, as well as President Woodrow Wilson, who revived the practice of delivering the annual State of the Union in person to Congress after more than a century of presidents sending lawmakers a written update. "I think that the bully pulpit is one of the more unique tools that is available to a president that other branches of government or government officials can't utilize in the same way," presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky said. "Because it is a powerful tool, presidents have to wield it carefully and with great thought and intention." Fields said President Dwight Eisenhower paid special care to how his words were being translated abroad, as did President Ronald Reagan, whose speechwriters were well aware how his rhetoric was being heard in the former Soviet Union. Domestically, Roosevelt used his platform to push his environment and conservation agenda. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt later used his trademark fireside chats to communicate with an anxious public through the Great Depression and World War II. Trump's presidential rhetoric was riddled with thousands of falsehoods, and he was prone to vulgar name-calling and derision of political opponents. On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump used the language of battle in ways difficult to ignore. In testimony before the House's Jan. 6 committee last year, Mercieca noted Trump invoked the word "fight" 20 times in his speech at the Ellipse near the White House just before the riot, while using the word "peacefully" just once. The federal charges against Trump focus on his actions namely, that he wasn't charged with incitement, which takes the issue of his speech off the table, according to legal experts. "He's allowed to lie. That's not the conduct that's charged. What's important is what the indictment says he did," said Carrie Cordero, senior fellow and general counsel at Center for a New American Security and a former Justice Department official. "And what he did was try to use try to corrupt, really different institutions of government in furtherance of the conspiracy to defraud the United States to try to prevent the election outcome." Scene: Trump in DC for historic 2020 election charges WATERLOO A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly crashing his car into a vehicle his father was driving following an argument Friday afternoon. Waterloo police arrested Jeremy Richard Ganfield, 44, for assault with a weapon, second-degree criminal mischief and driving while suspended. Bond was set at $10,000. According to court records, Ganfield and his father, of Dumont, were involved in a dispute in the area of West Fourth Street around 1 p.m. Friday. Ganfield allegedly threatened to punch his father, who then drove off. Ganfield allegedly chased his father and sideswiped his fathers vehicle, according to court records. No serious injuries were reported. VOLGA One man died two days after being ejected from the back of a moving pickup truck July 29, according to the Clayton County Sheriffs Office. William Gross, 24, of St. Joseph, Missouri, was the victim and one of seven people reportedly occupying the white 2017 GMC Sierra accelerating along Domino Road (Highway C2W) at 7:07 p.m. near the Volga U Campgrounds, a Monday news release stated. An organizer previously said it happened during a lull in the Volga Diesel Truck Show activities. The fatality was the first of two accidents that night in the area that resulted in serious injuries, the Iowa State Patrol confirmed. William Gross and Brett Gross, 21, also of St. Joseph, Missouri, both sustained life-threatening injuries after being ejected from the vehicle. Brett Gross was released after both had been transported by air ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Tucker Baker, 24, of St. Joseph, Missouri, was the driver and the only other person identified in the release with the update requested by The Courier. The Clayton County Sheriffs Office technical collision investigators have presented the case to the Clayton County Attorneys Office for possible charges. Event organizer Tom Klingman, CEO of Volga City Truck Cruise, said July 30 the accident wasnt on event grounds. The July 28-29 activities attracted 900 people. But he believed the victims and driver had been camping at the nearby Volga U Campground and drinking had been involved. The rest of the event was cancelled. That same night, three hours later, the Iowa State Patrol reported an alleged pedestrian hit-and-run at 10:08 p.m. at the intersection of Oak Street and Highway C2W. The vehicle was reportedly traveling westbound on Highway C2W when the man walking on the shoulder was reportedly hit and then transported by air ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for serious injuries and incapacitation. What led the pickup truck to eject? Videos of the incident obtained from witnesses showed a series of three pickup trucks rapidly accelerating in succession, with the GMC Sierra being the third, according to the Sheriffs Office. The tailgate of the pickup was down and the Grosses were seated on it. The Sheriffs Office stated they were unable to remain seated on the tailgate due to the rapid acceleration, which caused them to be fully ejected from the vehicle onto the pavement below. None of the other occupants suffered injuries. The Clayton County Sheriffs Office was assisted on scene by the Elkader Police Department, Clayton County Conservation, MercyOne Elkader Ambulance, Volga Fire, Volga First Responders, LifeGuard Air Ambulance, and Air Care 2 Air Ambulance. Today in history: Aug. 21 1911: "Mona Lisa" 1959: Hawaii 1986: Cameroon 1991: Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin 1992: Ruby Ridge, Idaho 2000: Submarine Kursk 2010: Iranian Nuclear Power Plant 2011: Tripoli 2013: Chelsea Manning 2015: Train Attack 2016: The Olympics 2020: Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli 2020: The Golden State Killer KABUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A total of 38 aid workers with the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) were killed during the past two years in Afghanistan, local media reported. Most of the victims were polio vaccinators and deminers, Daniel Peter Endres, UN Deputy Special Representative and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for Afghanistan, told TOLOnews TV channel. The media outlet added that UN employees provided humanitarian aid to more than 26 million people in 401 districts of Afghanistan in 2022. Afghanistan is one of the most mine-maimed countries globally due to decades of war, and aid workers have been risking their lives on their mission to dangerous regions. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in a recent report, documented 1,095 civilian deaths and 2,679 injuries in the war-torn country between Aug. 15, 2021 and May 30, 2023. Out of the casualties, 639 cases were caused by unexploded ordnance or landmines. WATERLOO Prosecutors have filed federal charges against a Waterloo woman accused of stealing more than $148,000 from the excavation company where she used to work. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Iowa charged Teresa Mae Chiappone, 55, with one count of wire fraud on Friday. She had earlier been charged with first-degree theft in connection with the case. Chiappone had worked as an office manager at Bentons Sand and Gravel. Authorities allege she wrote $150,000 worth of checks to herself from 2020 to 2022. She covered up the theft by disguising the payments as checks to venders that the company did business with in the businesss bookkeeping system, according to court records. She also allegedly used a company credit card that was issued to a former worker to make purchases, records state. An Iowa nurse fired for allegedly falsifying records and failing to check on patients has been denied unemployment benefits. State records indicate Theresa L. Michels worked as a registered nurse for Great River Medical Center in West Burlington from January 2022 through May 2023 when she was fired. In mid-May, a nurse manager for Great River had issued Michels an action plan for performance improvement due to patient-safety concerns. The hospital had concluded Michels had made far too many errors in patient records and had failed to include necessary information in patient charts. A few days later, Michels was tasked with providing post-surgical care for a heart patient and was assigned to take the patients vital signs every 15 minutes. The hospital concluded Michels didnt perform the work, and then, more than an hour after the tasks were to be completed, recorded in the patients file that she had done the work. The hospital also concluded several other tasks associated with that patient were not completed. Additional charting errors were discovered in the days that followed, and the nurse manager concluded Michels was falsely documenting the completion of patient assessments that she had never performed. The hospital fired Michels on the grounds that her actions could have resulted in serious injury or the death of a patient and had created a financial liability for the corporation. Michels applied for unemployment benefits, arguing that her actions were not so serious as to warrant termination of her employment. After a hearing on the matter, Administrative Law Judge Sean Nelson denied Michels application for benefits, finding she had substantially endangered the safety of a patient at Great River. This was also not an isolated incident, but the most egregious in a greater constellation of charting issues, Nelson stated in his decision. More unemployment cases Other Iowans recently fired for alleged on-the-job misconduct include: Tracie Gutknecht, who was fired in March from the Cedar Rapids Community School District where she worked as a full-time purchasing specialist. In April 2022, the district asked Gutknecht to assist with listing surplus items on a public auction site where members of the public could bid on the items. During one such auction, Gutknecht bid on, and won, a set of four cabinets. She needed only one for herself, so she sold the other three through Facebook Marketplace. She made several similar transactions over the next 11 months, with the full knowledge of others in her department, until the deputy superintendent suspended her and then fired her. Gutknecht was awarded unemployment benefits, with the judge in her case noting there was no evidence suggesting she knowingly violated district policy or that the district had ever warned her of any improper conduct. Michele Tharp, who worked for Catholic Health Initiatives as a radiology office assistant until she was fired in April for allegedly violating the federal Health Information Privacy and Portability Act. Tharp worked with an employee who Tharp believed took advantage of the employers sick leave and policies by consistently calling in sick during holidays and busy periods. In April, after one such incident, Tharp called up the colleagues medical records on her computer, looked at them briefly, and then closed out of the file. Another employee who saw Tharp call up the file reported the matter to a supervisor and Tharp was fired. Administrative Law Judge Patrick Thomas awarded Tharp unemployment benefits, noting that she had credibly testified that the violation arose from a momentary lapse of judgement. Counties with the highest heart disease rates in Iowa Counties with the highest heart disease rates in Iowa #25. Ida #24. Fremont #23. Humboldt #22. Fayette #21. Montgomery #20. Osceola #19. Allamakee #18. Keokuk #17. Adams #16. Cherokee #15. Clarke #14. Cass #13. Sac #12. Audubon #11. Kossuth #10. Monona #9. Franklin #8. Lucas #7. Ringgold #6. Van Buren #5. Pocahontas #4. Wright #3. Wayne #2. Clayton #1. Appanoose JUNEAU The portion of the sales tax that stays in Dodge County can now be used for any county purpose and is no longer limited to building projects, after the County Board adopted the change this week. The county is able to keep the 0.5% of the 5.5% sales tax that is charged when purchasing items in Dodge County to stay in Dodge County. In the past, Dodge County has used the money primarily for debt repayment and capital projects. However, it now will be able to use the funds in other ways. The Dodge County Board of Supervisors voted 18 to 11 on Tuesday to open up the use of the tax in additional ways that would help the budget. Starting in 1994, Dodge County had used the sales tax for major projects. But at the time, the state provided the county with more than it does currently, County board supervisor Andrew Johnson said. In 2005, the state funded the county at 35%, but then it dropped down in 2019 to 25%, Johnson said. The state was having its own set of problems. County officials need the freedom to develop the county budget as they see fit, and after contacting other counties, they found that most did not have the limitations that Dodge County has with the use of the tax, Johnson said. Dodge County is one of 68 counties in Wisconsin to impose a .05% sales tax. Fifteen counties were contacted and none of those counties had a specific policy that limited the use of sales tax revenue. The county is not increasing taxes but just changing how the money can be used, Johnson said. The tax was originally meant to be part of the county government for just 10 years, said Supervisor Jeff Breslow, who had wanted some changes to the ordinance. Dodge County Administrator Cameron Clapper said officials were not suggesting raising the tax. There is revenue that the county gets that has limitations, but property taxes and sales taxes are the only ones that could be used anywhere in the budget. The policy does limit the use of sales taxes to certain functions currently that relates to community and economic development. The intent is not to open the door wide open, Clapper said. Dodge County Fair on Friday JUNEAU Middle and high school students in the Dodgeland School District will be meeting their new principal when classes resume next month. Dominic Gischia was chosen to serve the middle and high school area of the school. Gischia comes from the Lake Mills School District, where he has been serving as the elementary assistant principal and summer school coordinator. He was a band teacher at Lake Mills High School and Johnson Creek Middle/High School and has served as a drumline instructor for Kettle Moraine High School. Gischia grew up in Kohler and is looking forward to returning to his roots of being in a small, rural school, Dodgeland Superintendent Jessica Johnson said. Mr. Gischia distinguished himself as the best fit for this position and for our school district through his demonstrated instructional leadership and the positive rapport and respect that he has developed with the students, parents and staff which he has served, Johnson said. Gischia started his role on Friday. Students will return on Sept. 5. COLUMBUS A 37-year-old Poynette man faces charges including felony driving under the influence after an off-duty area law enforcement officer who was at a convenience store in Columbus noticed his driving when he pulled up to the pumps. The off-duty officer was at the convenience store around 8:45 p.m. Saturday when the vehicle the man was driving pulled into the lot, according to a press release from the Columbus Police Department. A Columbus officer made contact with the man at the pumps. The Columbus officer suspected the man of being under the influence and had him perform a field sobriety test. A K9 from the Dodge County Sheriffs Office conducted a drug sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of controlled substances. In a plastic baggie corner two small chunks that later tested positive for cocaine were found in the vehicle center console, the police office said. The man was arrested and taken to Columbia County Jail and placed on a probation hold. He is charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, fifth offense, operating a motor vehicle after revocation, failure to install an ignition interlock device, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and felony bail jumping. The Columbia County Sheriffs Office, Fall River Police Department and Dodge County Sheriffs Office K9 assisted the Columbus Police Department. UW-Platteville and UW-Parkside will consider furloughing employees as a budget-cutting option, among others, for the upcoming year as school officials project theyll fall millions short of current operating levels. Announced Monday in emails to staff, the universities could join UW-Oshkosh in furloughing its employees starting this fall, as the University of Wisconsin System sits a collective $33.4 million in debt as of June. While year-end financial documents show many of the Systems schools outpaced initial expectations for revenue last year, for the majority of them, it wasnt enough to counteract increases in expenses. Many of the Systems universities have faced dire financial straits for years, as school officials regularly point to declining enrollment, the states aging population and decisions by state legislators over the past decade to freeze tuition and reduce state support. UW-Platteville has especially struggled, as its had the largest percentage of enrollment decline of all System main campuses and was in the midst of a fiscal recovery plan prior to Mondays announcement. System President Jay Rothman, who has been raising the alarm about strained university finances for months, said in a statement that UW-Platteville and UW-Parksides announcements were disappointing and unfortunate but did not come as a surprise. Of the 13 universities, only two, UW-Madison and UW-La Crosse, ended the fiscal year with a positive balance; the other 11 had a combined shortfall of $68.8 million. The System is partnering with Deloitte, a global business analytics firm with an office in Milwaukee, to examine all of the universities finances, excluding UW-Madison. Our universities are facing demographic, political and economic realities that require hard, though necessary decisions. These actions we are forced to take represent missed opportunities for our students and families but are necessary given our circumstances, Rothman said in a statement. We are in a war for talent, and we would rather be investing in recruiting, retaining and graduating students to improve lives and communities and to meet current and future workforce needs. Other measures Each of the universities outlined options for immediate and future actions to reduce expenses in addition to campuswide furloughs. At UW-Parkside, a $4 million projected deficit could be solved by reducing spending by 10% and only filling jobs deemed as critical; at UW-Platteville, staff could be reduced through layoffs and retirement incentives. Going forward, UW-Parkside Interim Chancellor Scott Menke said the university might also consider consolidating or structuring departments or eliminating academic programs with low enrollment. UW-Parkside ended the last fiscal year $9.4 million in the red, largely caused by its falling short of revenue projections by $2.3 million while expenses increased by $6.3 million. UW-Platteville pulled in nearly $5 million more in revenue than it first budgeted for, but with actual expenses outpacing that projection by nearly $11 million, extra funds couldnt close the gap. UW-Parksides balance sheet is expected to skew even further in the upcoming year. Under its draft operating budget, which the Regents will consider for approval Tuesday, UW-Parkside is expecting to see its revenue drop by $140,606 while its expenses skyrocket by $8.7 million, in large part due to inflation. UW-Plattevilles draft operating budget, published prior to its cost-cutting announcement, initially expected to cut its ongoing structural deficit by $900,000 to $9.7 million. UW-Platteville also planned to pull $3 million from its tuition reserves as projected expenses are expected to outpace revenue by $8.6 million. More work to do In the announcement, UW-Platteville Chancellor Tammy Evetovich commended staff for the work theyd already done to reduce the universitys debt load, but added there was more that needed to be done. Although I am encouraged by preliminary enrollment figures for this fall, it is clear more immediate measures are needed to align our budget with our enrollment and costs, she wrote. All of the Systems cost-cutting announcements have followed a $32 million cut in state aid to the System that Republicans included in the current state budget in an attempt to force campuses to eliminate their diversity, equity and inclusion offices. The announcements also come two weeks after the System implemented an interim furlough policy, which grants System leadership the ability to implement furloughs for the 2023-24 school year, without prior review from the UW Board of Regents. Photos: UW-Platteville Richland in Richland Center Capt. Black Cap. Aquamayne. Unc About That Action. The Chair. These were nicknames fixed to immoderate of nan participants successful nan viral brawl that took spot on nan riverfront successful Montgomery, Ala. The Alabama Sweet Tea Uprising unified Black group who came to nan assistance of a Black co-captain of nan Harriott II riverboat aft he was attacked by aggregate achromatic boaters who refused to move their pontoon, which was illegally parked astatine nan dock. Montgomery Police person since charged 3 achromatic men and 1 achromatic woman pinch third-degree assault. But nan untold communicative down that time are nan Black women who honored their enslaved ancestors astir 2 hours earlier nan brawl occurred astatine nan aforesaid riverfront connected Aug. 5. Dressed successful white, pinkish and yellow, nan women saged nan aerial and prayed while sprinkling brightly-colored roseate petals into nan Alabama River, wherever enslavement ships erstwhile roamed. This commemoration was portion of a closing ceremonial for nan inaugural Feminine Flow Experience, a womens wellness and wellness convention founded by Montgomery therapist Candyce Anderson. As funny memes and videos flooded societal media pursuing nan brawl, Anderson went to Instagram to adhd discourse to nan situation. In a metropolis that was erstwhile nan capital of nan Confederacy, Montgomery is cloaked pinch ancestral energy. This is nan metropolis wherever nan enslaved were paraded successful shackles down Commerce Street earlier they were sold astatine nan citys enslavement markets. This is nan metropolis of Anarcha, Betsy, Lucy and different enslaved women whose bodies were experimented connected without consent aliases anesthesia successful nan sanction of gynecology. This is nan metropolis wherever a boycott initially planned by Black women not only desegregated nationalist transportation, but group nan instauration for nonviolent wide protests during nan Civil Rights Movement. This is nan metropolis wherever Black women who purged themselves of their traumas during nan Feminine Flow Experience marched on Commerce Street backmost towards nan stream pinch smiles connected their faces, roses successful their arms and Beyonce's Find Your Way Back bumping successful nan background. Anderson stressed nan value of utilizing joyousness to salary homage to nan ancestors and really it prepares liberators for nan conflict for societal change. We tie connected nan spot and resilience they displayed during difficult times, Anderson said. We would not beryllium live had they fixed up and fixed successful to oppression. Andersons treatment ceremonial adds different level of humanities discourse to a brawl that captured nan attraction of a nation. Not only did nan melee connected nan riverfront hap during Black August, an yearly commemoration of Black guidance that started successful nan situation abolition movement, it besides highlights nan domiciled extremist healers play successful nan conflict toward group freedom. This isnt nan first clip a ceremonial wherever Black group connecting pinch nan ancestors led to an eruption of liberative power acold from it. On nan nighttime of Aug. 14, 1791, soon earlier nan enslaved initiated a bid of uprisings during nan Haitian Revolution, enslaved rebels held a ceremony centering African belief traditions successful a wood called Bois Caiman. While accounts of what happened vary, aggregate witnesses spot Dutty Boukman, an enslaved Jamaican man who led nan revolution, astatine nan halfway of nan ceremonial arsenic a Vodou priest. During nan ceremony, it is believed Boukman said a dream to empower and animate his chap enslaved revolutionaries. His words became known arsenic Boukmans Prayer. Ancestral treatment ceremonies exemplify really group gyration doesnt conscionable hap connected nan beforehand lines of freedom. Anderson said healers exemplary to liberators nan vulnerability, aforesaid attraction and organization attraction needed to prolong nan movement. The soul gyration is connected to nan outer revolution, she said. Space is made for suffering truthful joyousness tin besides flourish. Healers punctual activists of humanity and forestall burnout. Care for nan tone nurtures empathy, moreover for opponents. Anderson became a therapist to heal communities harmed by oppression. She created nan Feminine Flow Experience aft noticing a shape of her Black women clients begging for a abstraction to conscionable beryllium and breathe. Anderson said she envisioned creating a soft, luxurious abstraction for melanated women. The stream is 1 of galore places wherever Anderson honors her ancestors and prays. So, nan imagination intelligibly showed nan women stepping toward nan water. Anderson kept this successful mind arsenic she created nan Feminine Flow Experience, which was held nan time of and nan time earlier nan brawl successful Montgomery. Many nutritionists, yoga instructors, breathwork practitioners and different healers stepped into nan abstraction to springiness Black women nan devices to support their emotional, beingness and intelligence wellbeing. Anderson pointed retired aggregate reasons why these devices are needed. During nan conference, she referenced nan words of Zora Neale Hurston who said that Black women were nan mules of nan world And Anderson has seen nan consequences. Heart illness is nan starring origin of decease of Black women, who are besides 3 times much apt to dice during childbirth and acquisition fibroids. All of this is happening connected apical of nan regular group and gender microaggression Black women endure. This is why intelligence wellness and societal justness must intersect, Anderson said. Overall, societal justness for achromatic womens intelligence wellness intends building an equitable society, dismantling barriers to wellness, and embracing nan richness of their identities. Advocacy, access, trauma healing, organization spot and holistic attraction are cardinal intersections. Specifically, spot and resilience successful nan look of injustice are portion of achromatic womens identities. Anderson has been flooded pinch texts, emails and messages ever since a video showing nan ceremonial started circulating connected societal media. Those who are willing successful joining nan adjacent Feminine Flow Experience tin cheque retired her website. Shes doing an Instagram unrecorded astir what nan brawl taught her astir Black women Monday, Aug. 21, astatine 6 p.m. central. Whether online, connected nan streets aliases successful sessions, Anderson is pursuing nan footsteps of her favourite revolutionaries: Author and playwright James Baldwin, societal justness leader Tamika Mallory and maternal wellness advocator Angelina Spicer. I americium perpetually reminded that gyration happens connected aggregate layers and crossed genres that nutrient holistic impact, Anderson said. Despite 4 indictments that see charges of racketeering, conspiracy and attempting to reverse nan past statesmanlike election, erstwhile President Donald Trump is astir moreover pinch President Joe Biden heading into Michigans adjacent statesmanlike election. Thats according to a canvass by EPIC-MRA, a Lansing-based nonpartisan patient that surveyed 600 progressive and apt 2024 voters Aug. 6-11. Biden leads Trump by 1 percent constituent 46% to 45% successful a hypothetical matchup erstwhile including nan mini number of voters who are only leaning toward each candidate. Among voters definite of their choice, Biden leads Trump 43% to 40%. Undecideds made up 9% of nan poll, which is simply a typical sample Michigans demographic makeup. Biden is running, I think, weaker than he should beryllium successful immoderate areas, EPIC-MRA president Bernie Porn told MLive. And Donald Trump, actually, moreover pinch each of nan indictments, he was astatine 34% favorability successful our past study and now hes astatine 37. When EPIC-MRA past polled Michigan voters in June, Biden and Trump were tied astatine 44%. Trumps guidelines has stayed loyal, but its not capable astatine nan moment. He loses among independent voters by 9 points against Biden, Porn said. But Biden would person a larger lead if he did amended successful a fewer demographic groups for illustration national members and Black voters. With a 4-point separator of error, nan August canvass shows Trump is good wrong scope of winning Michigan. This correction separator fundamentally intends 1 tin hypothetically expect nan predetermination to output a consequence betwixt these extremes: Biden 50/Trump 41 (+4 much for Biden, -4 less for Trump) Trump 49/Biden 42 (+4 much for Trump, -4 less for Biden) Trump and Biden are considered nan far-and-away frontrunners for nan Republican and Democratic nominations, respectively. The latest nationalist polling has Trump pinch astir a 40-point lead complete Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Biden pinch astir a 50-point advantage complete lawyer and anti-vaccine advocator Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As for really Michiganders scheme to vote, 62% scheme to ballot successful personification and 33% scheme to ballot absentee, according to nan poll. Last November, 58% voted successful personification and 42% absentee. Voters will person a caller in-person action adjacent year, erstwhile early voting centers will beryllium unfastened for astatine slightest 9 days successful nan superior and wide elections. Voters will beryllium capable to locomotion successful earlier Election Day and formed a ballot, and absentee voters tin put their ballots into a instrumentality connected site. Go deeper: Here are 6 ways voting successful Michigan will beryllium different successful 2024 Also successful EPIC-MRAs August poll, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a 51-to-46% support rating, thing that has held mostly dependable during nan Democrats clip successful office. They disapprove of Biden, however, 64% to 34%. Michigans system sewage worse marks than Whitmer. 35% of canvass respondents said its gotten worse complete nan past respective months, while 22% said it has improved and 39% said it has remained astir nan same. Improved gained 5 points since nan June poll, however. In nan title for U.S. Senate, wherever Lansing congresswoman Elissa Slotkin is considered nan Democratic frontrunner, EPIC-MRA has been polling hypothetical matchups of her and Republicans. The August canvass has Slotkin up 42%-to-37% complete erstwhile cardinal Michigan congressman Mike Rogers, while nan June canvass had her edging retired erstwhile Detroit constabulary main James Craig, 40% to 39%. Neither Rogers nor Craig has declared candidacy. Republicans presently moving see State Board of Education personnel Nikki Snyder. Read much from MLive: UAW onslaught against Big Three could origin complete $5B successful economical losses, study finds Michigan expands $4M nutrient stamp fraud investigation pinch caller arrests Michigan schoolhouse shooter took pleasance successful his appetite for darkness, charismatic says 13 Michigan restaurants donating 100% of profits to Hawaii wildfire relief The constabulary main who oversaw nan sharply criticized raid of a section news outlet successful Kansas alleged a newsman was "either impersonating nan unfortunate aliases lying astir nan reasons why nan grounds was being sought" erstwhile she accessed nan driving records of a section business owner, according to antecedently unreleased tribunal documents. The allegation is nan first nationalist reporting and proposal of grounds that whitethorn person led to nan Aug. 11 raid. Led by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody, constabulary officers raided nan Marion County Record and seized computers, individual compartment phones, a router, and different instrumentality from nan newspaper. Police besides carried retired raids astatine 2 backstage residences, including nan location of nan paper's co-owners. A signed hunt warrant, which was later withdrawn by nan region attorney, said constabulary were looking for accusation related to section restauranteur Kari Newell who had accused nan insubstantial of "illegally obtaining drunken-driving accusation astir her and supplying it to a assembly member," according to Meyer, who wrote astir nan incident in an article. But nan newspaper's lawyer Bernie Rhodes told USA TODAY connected Sunday that nan insubstantial did not break immoderate authorities aliases national laws erstwhile newsman Phyllis Zorn obtained Newell's grounds done a nationalist authorities website. "Zorn had each right, nether some Kansas rule and U.S. law, to entree Newells drivers grounds to verify nan accusation she had been provided by a source," Rhodes said successful an email. "She was not engaged successful 'identity theft' aliases 'unauthorized machine access' but was doing her job." All seized items were released Wednesday aft Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey withdrew nan constabulary department's hunt warrant. The lawyer had said, "insufficient grounds exists to found a legally capable nexus betwixt this alleged crime and nan places searched and nan items seized." The incident has since received wide disapproval and sparked statement complete property freedoms aft respective news organizations condemned nan constabulary department. "As I person said galore times successful nan past week, it is not a crime successful American to beryllium a reporter," Rhodes said successful an email. "These affidavits beryllium that nan only alleged 'crime' Chief Cody was investigating was being a reporter." 'Gestapo tactics': Police behaviour 'chilling' ambush of Kansas newspaper, publisher's home Court documents propose entree to Newell's grounds arsenic logic for raid According to tribunal documents provided to USA TODAY by Rhodes, Cody wrote successful an affidavit that nan Kansas Department of Revenue told him Newell's accusation was "downloaded directly" from nan section by Zorn and personification utilizing nan sanction "Kari Newell." "Kari's sanction was listed 3 minutes aft Phyllis Zorn downloaded nan accusation according to nan Kansas Department of Revenue," nan affidavit states. "Downloading nan archive progressive either impersonating nan unfortunate aliases lying astir nan reasons why nan grounds was being sought." Cody added successful nan affidavit that he contacted Newell who told him "someone evidently stole her identity." The Marion County Record said it had looked into nan position of Newell's driver's licence - related to a 2008 condemnation for drunk driving - connected nan Department of Revenue's nationalist website aft nan newspaper received a tip. But nan newspaper only reported Newell's licence suspension erstwhile she revealed it during a City Council meeting. The Associated Press reported that Zorn was instructed connected really to hunt records by nan section and nan newspaper had obtained Newell's driver's licence number and day of commencement from a source. "Not to my knowledge was thing forbidden aliases wrong," Zorn told nan news agency. Attorney: Affidavits not revenge until 3 days aft raid Rhodes said nan affidavits were not revenge pinch nan territory tribunal until "three days aft nan forbidden searches were executed." He added that while nan affidavits "purport to beryllium signed" earlier a magistrate judge connected nan time of nan raids, authorities person not provided an mentation connected why they were not revenge beforehand. Authorities are continuing their investigation into whether nan Marion County Record collapsed authorities laws. The investigation is now being led by nan Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Cody had defended nan department's actions successful a Facebook station soon aft nan raid, saying nan national rule that protects journalists from newsroom searches makes an objection for when location is logic to judge nan journalist is taking portion successful nan underlying wrongdoing. Contributing: Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY; Associated Press NEW HUDSON, MI - His woman says she conscionable wanted her room backmost and now shes sewage it aft Mike Skyring opened his first cooky shop, Men Bake Cookies, which conscionable held its expansive opening complete nan weekend. The cooky shop is located astatine 56849 Grand River Avenue successful New Hudson. Skyring, who is simply a Navy veteran, says it each started 3 years agone erstwhile he made immoderate sweetener cookies for his daughters birthday. I had ne'er really made cookies before, Skyring told MLive. They turned retired beautiful bully and it benignant of grew from there. I had been baking them retired of our location since past and trading them astatine a section farmers market. Eventually, I outgrew that and decided to unfastened this shop. Skyring makes a modular six flavors on pinch a mates of monthly rotating flavors, Each cooky weighs much than a 4th pound. Chocolate spot is simply a coagulated favorite, he added. Lemon meringue is simply a really large one, too. Its benignant of a sleeper. No 1 knows astir it and past they effort it and show maine its really good. One long-time customer we ran into astatine nan expansive opening raves astir Skyrings cookies. Ive been buying them since he first started coming to nan South Lyon Farmers Market a mates of years agone and judge me, these cookies are delicious and erstwhile he runs out, it upsets me, Mike Markiewycz said. Im a cooky connoisseur. I expect anyone who likes cookies to travel present because theyre great. Each cooky is $5 to $6. Men Bake Cookies is now unfastened Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Fridays from 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Its closed Tuesdays and Saturdays. MORE FROM MLIVE: Historic Michigan edifice conscionable named arsenic 1 of nan apical 10 successful nan full U.S. You will soon beryllium capable to committee nan Boblo Boat again These 4 legendary bands are astir to execute 1 past performance successful Michigan DHAKA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh on Monday observed the 19th anniversary of the August 2004 grenade attacks at incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's rally that killed at least 24 people. The day began with Prime Minister Hasina, also president of Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party, paying tributes to the victims of the Aug. 21 grenade attacks by placing wreaths at a monument in the capital Dhaka. Addressing a discussion later in the day, Hasina stressed the need for expediting the implementation of the trial court's verdict of the Aug. 21 grenade attack case. A Bangladesh court in October 2018 sentenced 19 people to death, including two former ministers, over the case of grenade attacks. Another 19 people, including Tarique Rahman, the exiled acting chairman of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), were sentenced to life imprisonment. The sentence also included jail terms for 11 others. Twenty-four people, including Ivy Rahman, the women affairs secretary of Awami League and wife of former President Mohammad Zillur Rahman, were killed in the grenade attacks. Hundreds of people including Hasina were wounded. AL, which rose to power with a landslide election victory in early 2009 and won its third term in 2018, now eyes for the fourth consecutive victory in the national elections slated for early next year. AL is facing challenges from the BNP, which is demanding Hasina's resignation and free and fair elections under a non-party caretaker government. By Ile-Ife Okantah, a freelance writer focusing connected Black media and celebrated culture By Ile-Ife Okantah, a freelance writer focusing connected Black media and celebrated culture Earlier this year, america Housewives recappers were tapped by Dame Brian Moylan himself to participate successful a March Madness bracket ranking nan worst Househusband of each time. I dutifully stepped up to nan sheet (anything for Brian), taking complete nan Actual Villains section, and RHOAs ain Bob Whitfield was among nan men I was fixed to take between. Though he mislaid to Joe Guidice for a slew of reasons, Bob has decidedly earned his spot among nan villainous husbands weve watched torment various Housewives complete nan years. Sherees conflict for a seven-figure colony aft her divorcement from Bob was documented passim nan first fewer seasons of nan show, pinch nan astir memorable segment being Bobs 6-foot-5 grown ass sticking his lingua retired astatine Sheree aft successfully representing himself successful court. Or, my individual favorite, erstwhile Sheree poured h2o connected him during a heated speech astir his deficiency of support pinch nan kids. Then, aft seasons of dragging Bob for being a deadbeat, she brought him backmost connected nan show arsenic an effort at a storyline to springiness their narration a 2nd shot. When Sheree accepted Bob backmost into her life, disturbing specifications astir their matrimony came to light. Their speech successful nan van during nan formed travel to Maui is 1 of nan hardest Housewives moments to watch and mustve been unimaginably difficult for Sheree to relive. Sheree and Bob began speaking candidly astir their divorcement erstwhile Bob joked successful item astir nan existent physical, verbal, and intelligence maltreatment he inflicted connected Sheree. The speech led to Sheree having to show her children astir being abused by their begetter now that nan remainder of nan world was privy to those backstage moments. While Joe Giudice yet precocious to nan adjacent information of my bracket alternatively of Bob, it was chiefly because Joes wide beingness successful nan Housewives canon is much important than Bobs. But were reminded that Bobs atrocities cognize nary bounds erstwhile he uses his grandaughter Meccas sip-and-see to uncover a caller kid of his ain decades aft her birth. There isnt an charismatic announcement; he simply invited nan female himself, instructed her to deterioration pinkish for illustration nan remainder of nan family, and pulls her into a picture, unbeknownst to Sheree, who assumes shes his caller girlfriend. In a hilarious enactment of pettiness, she summons Martell to jump successful nan image arsenic well. Two tin play that game! Sheree doesnt observe nan womans existent personality until aft nan picture. Her sanction is Candice, shes Bobs 3rd kid (Sheree was only alert of 2 others), and Kairo and Kaleigh already cognize her. In fact, shes been coming astatine erstwhile family events without Sherees knowledge. The different women person a bigger guidance than Sheree, pinch Kandi starring nan group pinch a litany of questions for Bob were each wondering: Who is she? How aged is she? Why hasnt Bob brought her up before? Did Bob cognize astir her while he was joined to Sheree? Bob claims they were connected a need-to-know ground backmost then. Since Ive dated my stock of gaslighters, Im assuming back then refers to earlier they were legally married, and it didnt hap to him to bring it up successful nan years that followed. Bob slithers away, avoiding further questioning, saying he didnt cognize it was going to beryllium Bobs inquisition. And conscionable arsenic quickly arsenic this absurd storyline was talented to us, its taken distant by ending credits popping up connected nan surface and Sheree declaring that Bob has been a portion of crap and still a portion of shit (amen!) earlier posing for a picture. Im sorry, but were we erstwhile again robbed of a perchance bully infinitesimal this play earlier it moreover had a chance to go something? Thanks to a clip of nan aftershow that leaked earlier nan section aired, Ive seen immoderate reactions I wish couldve been featured successful nan episode. Kenya notes really Sheree has historically kept a bully poker face, ne'er showing her existent feelings until things scope their breaking point. Sanya points retired that Sheree is truthful acold removed from being emotionally attached to Bob that it doesnt faze her. And, Sheree says that Bob hasnt done a paternity trial yet. (Personally, I deliberation they look capable alike to cognize nan truth.) Sheree astir apt didnt cognize astir nan paternity trial until aft filming, but astatine slightest nan uncover was documented connected camera for america each to see. Our resident character Drew provides nan B-plot astatine Meccas sip-and-see erstwhile she refuses to participate nan premises because Anthony, her messy aged adjunct from past season, is inside. Apparently, Anthony threw a footwear astatine Drew 1 nighttime astatine nan club. According to Drew, God Himself is watching complete her and prevents nan 2 from interacting astatine Meccas party. In her words, God intervened simply seconds earlier she walked correct into his trap. According to Anthony, nan footwear propulsion was successful retaliation to Drew throwing her cheap ass handbag astatine him. I wish that night couldve been caught connected camera, too. Outside of nan sip and see, this section is simply a spot for illustration Mecca: sleepy. Sanya attends an assignment pinch Dr. Jackie astir her gestation (which is fundamentally an Atlanta rite of transition astatine this point), and Marlo hosts a rubbing arena celebrating group who grew up successful foster care. Kandi and Drew are engaged filming Todds movie The Pass. Its unclear if a awesome distribution institution will prime up nan movie, but if I had to springiness it my champion shady guess, it would beryllium that possibly Tubi will put successful a bid. Even Drew said that aft filming The Pass, shes only accepting Lifetime and above roles. Todd has adopted his buddy Tyler Perrys philosophy: usage arsenic small money and arsenic small clip arsenic imaginable to crank retired a last product. To trim backmost connected nan budget, they utilized their ain location and chamber for scenes, and nan full accumulation took 10 full days, truthful he decidedly made nan astir retired of his allowance. The filming of Drews same-sex chamber segment is ironically anticlimactic, and she continues her puritanical consecutive woman act, saying that being pinch a female is very overseas to her. But erstwhile she describes resorting to nan Uta Hagen technique, specifically relying connected her consciousness of sensation and smell, it winds up sounding a batch much seductive than she astir apt intended. Of course, Ralph makes judge to find a measurement to beryllium disruptive erstwhile he visits Drew successful her trailer later that day. He is predictably insecure, ignoring Drews database of ways she relates to her characteristic and focusing only connected nan lesbian aspect. Then successful his interview, he says that picking up the slack astatine location is chaotic, utilizing quotations arsenic he calls her a thespian, sending a nonstop connection astir really he feels astir her career. In her trailer, Ralph grills Drew astir what explicitly happened during nan emotion scenes, asking questions astir whether nan buss progressive tongue, if she had an orgasm, and if nan character was munching. Drew reassures him that its each activity and nary of nan activity scenes are real, and successful her interview, she says she wishes Ralph would return her occupation seriously. Its clear that nan producers person been trying to nudge america successful nan guidance of wondering if Ralphs guidance to Drews activity segment is much warranted than it appears successful tonights episode. The teaser for nan play finale shows that were yet going to perceive astir Drews alleged narration pinch Ty Young and spot nan bid of events starring to her and Ralphs title to nan courthouse. Lets dream its worthy our while aft making it done nan season! Not to beryllium outdone by Ms. Leakes, Kenya did her ain sit-down pinch Carlos King, which dropped this week. It wasnt each that explosive, but seeing a different broadside of Kenya was cool. I wish personification other did these interviews because Carlos is intelligibly biased, arsenic he has a typical narration pinch these women. As overmuch arsenic I emotion proceeding his position arsenic a producer, it would beryllium bully to person a much nonsubjective personification asking questions. Part 2 comes retired adjacent week, and I stake itll beryllium better. It was awesome to perceive some Kenyas and Carloss thoughts astir really nan casting process has drastically impacted nan value of nan show. They said astir really casting was erstwhile Kenya first joined, pinch women filming aggregate scenes without being guaranteed airtime, fto unsocial a full-time position, to now, wherever they said conscionable astir anyone tin get approved. Kenya herself said she hadnt moreover signed a statement yet during immoderate of her play 5 scenes. Im not amazed that Anthonys messy ass was nan 1 who hooked up Sheree and Martell. Hes gross for body-shaming Drew while simultaneously telling Kandi he lives for women. You tin propulsion shadiness without assemblage shaming! We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Is that fall we feel in the air? Just kidding, San Francisco always feels like that. Ahead of the return of fall arts programming comes a series of end-of-summer affairs this week where you can shop local makers, eat fair food at the Civic Center Carnaval, adopt pets at Bark & Meow Around the Block, and hear free music in the park at NoisePop's Due South. Plus, get ready for a full apartment refresh: SF's downtown Ikea store opens this week. Have a good one! Quench your craving for half-priced drinks and free pizza at Mommenpop-up, with guest bartender Jared Murray (formerly of True Laurel); 6pm to 9pm Monday. // Beretta, 661 Divisadero St. (NoPa); RSVP at mpopberetta.splashthat.com. Make it a moody Monday when you vibe out with Oakland's DJ Chatoyance, who'll be spinning feel-good funk, soul, and Afrobeats from the '70s and '80s to pair with drink specials; 9pm Monday. // Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave. (Oakland); get free tickets at theestorkclub.com. Close your eyes, and pretend like you're sunning and eating seafood on a Sicilian beach in summertime: Delfina's Ferragosto wine dinnerfeaturing such dishes as prosciutto and melon, charred octopus, and local white seabassaims to transport you to a holiday in Italy; seatings at 5:45pm and 8:15pm Tuesday. // Delfina, 3621 18th St. (Mission); reservations atopentable.com Roll your own rainbow at Breakthrough Sushi's cooking, er, non-cooking class. You'll learn the finer points of rice and where to source and how to slice high-quality fish; 5:30pm to 8pm Tuesday. // Hotel Kabuki 1625 Post St. (Japantown); tickets ($99) at eventbrite.com Get tickets for the grand opening of TacoRouge, the newest incarnation of the iconic spot in the old home of Nicks Crispy Tacos. Celebrate the return of this creative Mexican restaurant/nightclub with a marching band and live music from HowellDevine Band, unlimited drinks, passed tacos and tostadas, a salsa bar, and more; 6:30pm to 10pm, Tuesday. // Taco Rouge, 1500 Broadway St (Russian Hill); tickets ($25) at eventbrite.com Thank you to our partners at Taco Rouge. Trade in your old Scandinavian furnishings for something fresh: Ikea's SF city store opens Wednesday! In addition to over 50,000 square feet and 27 fully furnished room settings, the store is offering a buy back and resell program aimed at sustainable living. Look out for coworking space an a food hall coming soon; open 11am. // 945 Market St. (SoMa); for more info, go to ikea.com. Show us what you've got: It's Anything Goes! open mic night; sign up by 6pm, show at 6:30pm Wednesday. // Oasis, 298 11th St. (SoMa) ; tickets ($20-$30) at eventbrite.com Help bring life back to downtown at the four-day Civic Center Carnival. Among the amusements are rides and games, including a ferris wheel and a 100-foot super slide, and fair-style food (who wants funnel cake?!). The event kicks off an initiative to revitalize UN Plaza, which will bring a street skating area, exercise equipment, and game tables to the area beginning in September; 2:30pm to 9:30pm Thursday and Friday, beginning at 12:30pm Saturday; and noon to 8pm Sunday. // Fulton Street between Main Library and the Asian Art Museum; for more info, go to sf.gov/news. Get "All the Feels" when you meet Oakland-born artist Tracy Piper at the opening reception for her new solo exhibit, a bright collection of relatable figurative paintings that delve into the human experience; 6pm to 9pm Friday, show through Sept. 23. // Voss Gallery, 3324 24th St. (Mission), vossgallery.art Maybe you've been collecting the mugs and plates for years, or perhaps you're only just getting in on one of the Bay's most beloved brands. Either way, now you can get a closer look at Heath Ceramics with a small group factory and showroom tour; 11am Friday. // 2900 18th St. (Mission); advance RSVP ($15) required, eventbrite.com Adopt a pet at Berkeley Humane's Bark & Meow Around the Block, a family-friendly street fair providing the opportunity to support more than 20 local animal shelters and rescues plus food, drink, and other vendors; 10am to 4pm Saturday. // 2700 9th St. (Berkeley),berkeleyhumane.org Put a 90s-style spin on the dog days of summer at 21st Amendment's Augustfest, a free beer party featuring local brewery collaborations, food truck grub, outdoor activities, and live music; noon to 8pm Saturday. // 21st Amendment Brewery & Taproom, 2010 Williams St. (San Leandro); RSVP for free or get VIP tickets ateventbrite.com. Immerse yourself in the ancient Chinese tradition of the Hungry Ghost Festival, said to be a healing force for restless spirits. Translation: There will be an awesome parade and family-friendly, inclusive community vibes hosted by the Chinese Culture Center of SF; 4pm to 9pm Saturday. // Rose Pak Station Upper Plaza (Chinatown), ghost-festival.org Vegans, bring your appetites to Oakland for the purported world's largest Vegan Street Fair. Hosted by John Lewis (aka Bad Ass Vegan), the fest will feature more than 20 vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants and vendorsthink Farm Fresh to You, Malibu Burgers, and Vegan Weirdo. The event is free to attend, with food and drinks available for purchase; 11am to 7pm Saturday. // For more info, go to eventbrite.com. Perk up your ears at Due South's second free concert of the 2023 series presented by NoisePop and SF Parks Alliance. Grab snacks from the food trucks and kick back while Cherry Glazerr, Momma, and King Isis take the stage; 2pm Saturday (additional shows Sept. 16 and Oct. 7). // Jerry Garcia Amphitheater (McClaren Park); get more info and RSVP at sanfranciscoparksalliance.org. Meet your makers at Creative Communal's End of Summer Artisan Market. Bring your pups and sway your hips to live beats while you should locally crafted jewelry, clothes, and more; 11am to 4pm Saturday. // Fourth Street Makers Row, 1919 Fourth St. (Berkeley); more info at eventbrite.com Try to handle it: Weed meets drag and bingo at Bong-o-Bingo with DJs, infused mocktails, and prizes; 6pm to 9pm Saturday. // Mission Cannabis Club, 2442 Mission St. (Mission); $15 at the door plus a $10 dispensary purchase (which includes a bingo board and raffle ticket, get more details on Facebook. Bliss out with reiki and a sound bath in Golden Gate Park. If you've been checked out lately, Source Field Sound's Nicola Buffa will help you tune in; 1pm to 3pm Saturday. // Old Speedway Meadow (GGP); tickets (starting at $22) on eventbrite.com Run run run away to Radium Runway, a seven-week event series that will transform Alameda's old Naval base into an industrial stage for cultural performances from the likes of Oakland hip-hop orchestra Milk Nawooj, salsa percussionist Javier Navarrette, and the Golden Hour Youth Music Festival. Some events are free, some are ticketed ($15-$30), but all include a backdrop of stunning city views; grand opening is noon to 3pm and 5:30pm to 8:30pm Saturday; events through Oct. 15. // Get more info at radiumpresents.org and tickets at eventbrite.com. Don't freak out: Widespread Panic is playing three nights of shows in Wine Country; 6pm Friday through Sunday. // Oxbow RiverStage, 1268 McKinstry St. (Napa); tickets at ticketmaster.com. If you haven't oohed an aahed over the theatrics of Cirque du Soleil lately, get tickets while you still can to see Corteo, a silly tale of the beauty and tragedy of human life; through Sunday. // Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way (Mission Bay); tickets at ticketmaster.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 22) Actress Iza Calzado revealed on social media that she was infected with a parasitic disease called toxoplasmosis while she was pregnant with daughter Deia Amihan. Calzado penned an open letter to her daughter in an Instagram post. "Dear Deia, around this time last year, I went on a trip with you in my tummy to a town called Diesse in Switzerland. It was a short healing trip I planned for my 40th birthday. Little did I know that it was God's way of making sure I would connect with nature, my power and with you because I needed that strength to face what was about to unfold," she wrote on Sunday. The actress shared that she was informed on the evening of Aug. 16 that the recent infection could be a potential risk for her daughter especially if passed through the placenta. "As darkness set in, so did the reality of the possible repercussions of congenital toxoplasmosis. I was told there could be brain damage, visual impairment or it could even lead to pregnancy loss," she added. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. It added that people often get toxoplasmosis from eating undercooked and contaminated meat. After learning about her condition, Calzado said she felt the primal urge to fight not just for herself, but for her daughter. "This was the first time I felt deeply connected to you. I knew that we would fight this together. I knew that God was on our side and he would make sure everything turns out well," she said. Calzado then flew to the United Kingdom for advance testing or treatments of the disease that are not available in the Philippines. Despite the possible risks, the actress said she was glad to deliver her child safely and uninfected. "I am so glad I held on to this faithfully in my mind as we went through our toxo journey Thank God that we concluded that you were safe. The placenta did its job to keep the toxo out," she said. Instagram Celebrity The actor, who is best known for his roles as Kelby in the 2002 film 'Brown Sugar', informs his online devotees that he had 'a partial laminectomy in two places,' but they focus on his appearance instead. Aug 21, 2023 AceShowbiz - Boris Kodjoe recently underwent major surgery. The actor, who is best known for his roles as Kelby in the 2002 film "Brown Sugar", informed his online devotees that he had "a partial laminectomy in two places." However, instead of focusing on his health issue, many people gushed over his look. Making use of Instagram on Friday, August 18, the 50-year-old shared on Instagram a video of him laying in the hospital bed as he prepared for the operation. He told his fans, "I'm at the hospital, about to have a double laminectomy, back surgery. It's my second one in ten years. The first time worked really well, so now I'm doing it on two other levels. L1, L2 and L3 or 4." In the caption of the post, Boris wrote, "Then this happened. Had a partial laminectomy in two places, a back surgery I had in two other vertebrae ten years ago." He then added, "Thank you, Dr Watkins Jr @thebackdoctorapp and his amazing staff for taking good care of me. Now I gotta rest and heal, then PT for a couple of weeks. Auf geht's!!" The post has since been flooded with comments from people sending the "Station 19" star well-wishes, but they were focusing on his appearance instead. "I know I should be sending up prayers but can we talk about this man's skin!!!!! LORDT!!!! Smooth as butter," one person wrote. Another penned, "He look like a handsome chocolate Mr. Clean." A third chimed in, "He still fine and aging great. prayers for speedy recovery." Fellow actor Romany Malco also noted, "I'm happy you're OK but why in the hell do you look so young?!?" You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The backing dancer-turned-actor doesn't seem to be sad as he takes to Instagram to make fun of the fallout following his ugly separation from the 'Gimme More' hitmaker. Aug 21, 2023 AceShowbiz - Sam Asghari has turned to fans for help choosing his "paparazzi disguise." The personal trainer-turned actor, 29, who mentioned "irreconcilable differences" in his 16 August divorce petition against Britney Spears, 41, mocked the fallout over the news they were splitting by posting the plea alongside a snap of him in three sets of wigs. "Help me choose paparazzi disguise," he said on his Instagram Stories on Saturday, August 19. Along with his message was a snap showing Sam in three joke disguises, with him sporting a grey wig and moustache in one, a short, curly brown wig with sunglasses in another and a light brown wig as his third option. Sam Asghari mocks situation surrounding Britney Spears divorce Sam listed 28 July 28 as the date of his separation from Britney. Following the breakup, Sam used his Instagram Stories to announce the separation, saying, "After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together." He added "s*** happens" and went on, "We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always." There has been speculation Sam could miss out on a multi-million dollar payday from his divorce from Britney due to an alleged loophole in their prenup. He is said to have agreed at the start of their 2022 marriage to get $1 million for every two years of. But Us Weekly reported he is now set to lose out on the cash as they were only hitched for 14 months before he filed for divorce. But sources have told TMZ even though the prenup prevents Sam from receiving any spousal support, he could receive a bumper one-off cheque from Britney to prevent him from sharing any "embarrassing" information about their marriage. Us Weekly added Sam's prenup agreement money was capped at $10 million after 15 years. An insider insisted in a chat with Page Six Sam is not after Britney's cash, saying, "He admitted publicly he is not fighting (their prenup agreement.) This will be resolved quietly and professionally and soon. That's it." Us Weekly also claimed that the model-turned-actor waived any claims to Spears' music catalogue in their prenup, and alleged his name is not on the deed of their shared home in Thousand Oaks, California, where they got hitched. TMZ is also reporting he will get "nothing" but his gifts from the Grammy winner in their divorce. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The Florida rapper's wife Vonshae speaks up after the Triple C star is accused of pointing rifle at her and their 6-month old daughter, detailing the incident that led to his arrest. Aug 21, 2023 AceShowbiz - Gunplay's marriage is on the brink of divorce following his arrest. The rapper's wife Vonshae said she's filing for divorce after an alleged domestic violence incident during which he reportedly pointed a gun at her while she was holding their 6-month-old daughter. Taking to her Instagram page on Sunday, August 20, Vonshae broke her silence on the outcome of the alleged domestic violence incident. "I just want everyone to know my daughter and I are safe," she first informed her followers. "My daughter safety is my first priority." Blaming Gunplay's alcohol issue for his erratic behavior, the Afro-Latina influencer claimed, "Unfortunately Richard is back using and developed a very bad drinking problem. I've tried everything in my power to help him and love him. This is a demon he has to overcome on his own. At this point I really believe it's too late." She went on detailing the incident that led to his arrest, "To summarize last night event. I asked Richard to quiet down as he scared the baby sleeping by telling playing call of duty. He started going off on me for asking him to be quiet. I tried to collect a bag so my daughter and I can go to a room while he sobers up. He didn't want us to leave and things went left fast." "He was arrested last night, the weapon is in police custody," she continued, before sharing her plans to divorce him. "I have a restraining order, my daughter is in my custody and I am filing for divorce. He will never get the chance to disrespect us again. Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers. This is a very traumatizing experience please keep me in your prayers." Vonshae, who has appeared on "Love & Hip Hop: Miami", added in the caption, "I never planned on speaking on this but now that it is out. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you." Gunplay, whose real name is Richard Welton Morales Jr., was arrested in Miami earlier on Sunday. According to a Miami-Dade County inmate search, the rapper was taken into custody on multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and child abuse, all of which he has denied. Gunplay's bond has been set at $20,000. As of Sunday afternoon, his bond has not been posted. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The TV personality's team denies allegation that she had a controlled substance during her arrest in Miami, claiming that she carried epilepsy medication, not cocaine. Aug 21, 2023 AceShowbiz - Tommie Lee is enraged following her recent arrest in Miami, Florida. The TV personality is upset by the alleged "unjust" treatment that she received after she was arrested on drug possession charges on Sunday, August 20. The reality TV star's team has now denied the drug possession allegation, claiming that she carried her friend's epilepsy medication, not cocaine, during the arrest. They also claimed that Tommie was singled out due to her popularity. In a statement to The Neighborhood Talk, Tommie's reps said she was leaving a restaurant after having a dispute with a disrespectful employee. Her team alleged that she was only approached by law enforcement because they were familiar with her. "They chose to handcuff and arrest her on grounds of drug possession, despite the fact that the 'drugs' were, in fact, her friend's epilepsy medication," the reps said. "They seized upon this as an excuse for her arrest when no other valid reason was evident. It's completely understandable that she felt infuriated by this unjust treatment, especially when she was spending her own hard-earned money." They further claimed that there were more severe things happening at the restaurant, including an intoxicated individual who was allegedly making threats. Tommie's team said police should've been investigating that instead. Tommie was leaving Victory Restaurant and Lounge in Miami, Florida on Sunday night following a verbal altercation with an employee when she was arrested by police. Her charges included cocaine possession with the intent to sell and disorderly conduct/breach of peace. There's no word on the amount of the bail for her yet as the "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star reportedly remains in jail as of press time. This isn't the first time Tommie had a brush with the law. In 2019, she was arrested and indicted on child abuse charges for allegedly physically attacking her middle school-aged daughter. After getting bonded out, she was arrested again for being drunk. Following the arrest, she declared her intention to seek treatment for her alcohol issue. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 'Come Outside' raptress and YNW Melly's mom react after it's reported that Quando Rondo's affiliate won't face trial over the 2020 fatal shooting of Von. Aug 21, 2023 AceShowbiz - Asian Doll a.k.a. Asian Da Brat has weighed in on the latest update on the King Von shooting case. Following report that charges against Lul Tim have been dropped, the raptress blasted police for letting the killer walk away unpunished. Asian, who used to date Von before his death in November 2020, appeared to suggest that there was something bigger at play behind the prosecutors' decision. "Because the police said Tim ain't kill him the police did," she wrote in a since-deleted tweet. The 26-year-old femcee also lashed out at those who were bringing up Von in interviews. "N***as doing all these interviews about King Von look goofy asl," she began ranting. "Speaking on open cases & telling stories he never told is top of the line snitch s**t. He ain't condone s**t he'll cut a mf off for. Y'all n***as forever b***hes to me & never stood on business. I hate n***as who don't stand on business allot lil boy. S**t dead we like grown men that get s**t done over here." Von's family was also infuriated by the outcome. A family member went on Instagram Live to vent her frustration over the report, asking why prosecutors did not contact the slain rapper's family first with the information. Meanwhile, YNW Melly's mother compared the Von shooting case to her son's shooting case. "Meanwhile the State of Florida is trying to give Melly the death penalty without a gun or witness and a Mistrial!! This is wild #LLVory," so she claimed in response to the news about Tim. Tim's attorney Noah Pines confirmed on Sunday, August 20 that felony murder charges against his client, born Timothy Leeks, were dropped. "The case against Mr. Leeks was dismissed prior to ever being indicted," the statement to XXL read. The attorney didn't provide further explanation, but it has been reported that Tim won't face trial because prosecutors now see the shooting as an act of self-defense. This comes as a result of evidence appearing to show Von assaulting Tim's affiliate Quando Rondo during an altercation outside of the Monaco hookah lounge in Atlanta, Georgia on November 6, 2020 that led to the shooting. Tim has been out on bail since 2021. You can share this post! Apple Music Celebrity Multiple photographs of the 'Dancing in the Dark' hitmaker will go on display in September to offer a unique perspective of the iconic musician 'away' from his sold-out gigs. Aug 21, 2023 AceShowbiz - A new Bruce Springsteen exhibition is confirmed to take place in Boston. The Boss is being feted with the "Bruce Springsteen: Portraits of an American Music Icon" event on September 13. Held in the Boch Center Wang Theatre, it's all part of the US city's Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame. Due to go on display are pictures of the "Born to Run" rocker taken by his photographer sister Pamela Springsteen and the likes of Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Barry Schneier, Frank Stefanko. The event listing reads, "From the streets of New Jersey to the sunbaked landscapes of California, this career-spanning photo exhibit showcases intimate photographs of one of America's most important musical voices. Through photos and interviews, this exhibit gives a unique perspective of Bruce Springsteen away from the sold-out arenas and in front of the lens." Last week, Springsteen was forced to postpone two shows due to illness. The legendary musician had been due to perform at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park on August 16 and 18, but shortly before Wednesday's August 16 gig, it was announced he and his E Street Band wouldn't be taking to the stage as planned. In a statement on Bruce's X page, his team said, "Due to Bruce Springsteen having been taken ill, his concerts with The E Street Band at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on August 16 and 18 have been postponed. We are working on rescheduling the dates so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled shows." The tour kicked off in February although it was initially announced in 2020 to support his "Letter to You" album before being delayed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It finally got underway earlier this year for a 28-date run across the United States before a 31-show European leg. The 73-year-old star returned to the US with a show in Chicago on August 9 while the latest axed gigs mark the second time he's had to postpone shows on the tour. In March, the "Dancing in the Dark" hitmaker was forced to reschedule three shows due to an unspecified illness. At the time, E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt wrote on Twitter, "No need to be anxious or afraid. Nothing serious. Just a temporary situation. We will all be back in full force very soon." The following month, Bruce was struck down with COVID-19 and had to pull out of plans to attend the American Music Honors awards show at the Pollak Theatre on the campus of Monmouth University in New Jersey. He had been due to attend the ceremony - which raised funds for the university's Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music - alongside his wife Patti Scialfa but had to appear via video message instead after they both fell ill. You can share this post! Hong Kong: Winky So to be WTO representative The Government announced today that Deputy Judiciary Administrator (Planning & Development) Winky So will take up the post of Permanent Representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on September 6. She will succeed Laurie Lo, who has proceeded to pre-retirement leave. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said: Miss So is a seasoned Administrative Officer with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that she will continue to serve with professionalism in her new capacity. Miss So joined the administrative service in July 1996 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April this year. She has served in various bureaus and departments, including the Correctional Services Department, the former Constitutional Affairs Bureau, the former Financial Services Bureau, the Chief Executives Office, the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Washington DC, the former Economic Development & Labour Bureau, the former Transport & Housing Bureau, the Home Affairs Department and the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Geneva. She has been serving in her current post since October 2021. Speaking of Mr Los retirement, Mrs Yeung noted that he had rendered 32 years of loyal and dedicated service to the community of Hong Kong. She said: During his tenure as Permanent Representative of the Hong Kong SAR of China to the World Trade Organization, he has been playing an active and constructive part in the meetings and negotiations of the WTO, fully representing Hong Kong, Chinas positions on WTO matters, and honouring Hong Kongs commitment to upholding the rules-based multilateral trading system. She wished him a fulfilling and happy retirement. This story has been published on: 2023-08-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China to open up wider, offering opportunities to world 09:38, August 21, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily Photo shows an aerial view of the China (Jiangsu) Pilot Free Trade Zone in east China's Jiangsu province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Feng) China's State Council has recently issued a statement outlining its guidelines regarding further optimizing the foreign investment environment and intensifying efforts to attract foreign investments, making more efforts in attracting and utilizing foreign investment. The statement has aroused active responses from the international community. Many observers said the 24 measures delineated in the document place emphasis on both the macro and micro issues, "offer conveniences for foreign businessmen's work and life in China in detail", and "help boost the economy." Such comments have fully proven that China, which has continuously expanded high-standard opening up, holds great appeal to the rest of the world. Despite the rise of global protectionism and the reckless push of "decoupling and breaking the chain" by certain countries, the international community still desires to advance open cooperation and share opportunities offered by China. "China still presents opportunities that cannot be ignored," noted a recent article published on the website of RBC Wealth Management, a large wealth management firm in Canada. "With its GDP accounting for 18 percent of the global total, we think the size of China's economy alone demands attention from multinationals. The country has the world's largest middle-income class," wrote the article, pointing out a major reason why foreign institutions are increasing investment in China amid lackluster global economic recovery and sluggish cross-border investment. Data showed that China has managed to keep foreign investment relatively stable in the first half of this year, when foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, totaled 703.65 billion yuan ($96.66 billion). From January to June, 24,000 new foreign enterprises were established in the country, which represented a year-on-year increase of 35.7 percent. During the period, the country witnessed continuous improvement in the quality of foreign investment, with high-tech industries and the high-tech manufacturing sector seeing FDI growth of 7.9 percent and 28.8 percent, respectively. China is not an "option", but a "must-go" destination brimming with immense opportunities. This is a shared view among multinationals, which consistently emphasize their commitment to continuing nurturing and expanding their presence in the Chinese market. The opportunities offered by China stem from the country's efforts to steadily promote institutional opening up, constantly optimizing its market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment. Cargos are being loaded or unloaded from dozens of ships at a terminal at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province, August 10. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Jin'gang) Since the beginning of this year, various Chinese departments have intensified efforts to ensure better services for foreign investment. They have strengthened regular communication with foreign firms and business associations to promptly address difficulties in business operations and project implementation, striving to provide greater convenience for foreign traders and investors in China. In January, China's new Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment officially took effect, with a historic number of 239 new items further widening the scope of foreign investment. In June, the General Administration of Customs rolled out 16 new measures to optimize the country's business environment, further bolstering foreign entities' confidence in investment and development in China. The opportunities offered by China result from the country's efforts to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules and constantly promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's pilot free trade zone (FTZ) construction. Since the establishment of the first pilot FTZ in the eastern Chinese metropolis of Shanghai, the country has so far set up 21 FTZs, which have become an important factor driving China's in-depth reform. Trade and investment facilitation measures, such as the shortened negative list for foreign investment, the Single Window system for international trade, and free trade accounts, were trialed, explored and refined in FTZs before being applied nationwide. To date, a total of 278 institutional innovations piloted in the FTZs have been replicated and promoted nationwide. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement took effect, spurring opening up and cooperation among member countries across more areas, at higher levels, and in greater depth. China and Singapore have completed "substantive negotiations" on the upgrade of bilateral free trade agreement, the third round of negotiations on Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) was successfully held, the negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement between China and Honduras were launched, and China and Nicaragua completed the substantive negotiations on a free trade agreement. As China's "circle of friends" for free trade area continuously expands, the dividends of the country's opening up are bound to benefit more countries and regions. Visitors watch Lamborghini cars exhibited in the third China International Consumer Products Expo held in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan province, April 14, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Junqi) The opportunities offered by China also come from the country's efforts to provide high-quality platforms for open cooperation and build bridges for domestic and foreign firms to expand their markets. Embracing the world with open arms, China has warmly invited all parties to share opportunities and seek common development. China's exhibition economy has been burgeoning since the start of this year. Over 3,300 brands from 65 countries and regions participated in the third China International Consumer Products Expo held in southern China's island province of Hainan. During the 133rd Canton Fair, also known as the China Import and Export Fair, held in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, $21.69 billion worth of export deals were signed on site. The third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo that took place in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan province, saw more docking projects between enterprises than ever. Some 75 countries and international organizations will participate in the upcoming China International Fair for Trade in Services 2023 offline in the name of national governments or headquarters. Over 1,800 companies are gearing up to participate in the offline and online exhibitions of the event. More than 280 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises have signed up for the sixth China International Import Expo. According to data released by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, an economic research institute based in Germany, China has become the first country in the world to break the $300 billion mark in the monthly value of exports in goods. Despite the recent slowdown in demand from developed economies, China's foreign trade has maintained a sound trend toward stable growth and showed continuous improvement in its structure, exhibiting strong resilience, pointed out analysts. The more the world faces the risks brought about by protectionism, the more it needs the willingness and ability to continuously expand opening up. By vigorously advancing high-standard opening up and pursuing a higher-level open economy through more impactful actions, China not only benefits itself, but also makes valuable contributions to the world. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Senator Bato dela Rosa said an inmate escaping the national penitentiary, a maximum security compound, is a "mortal sin" for the authorities responsible for the security lapse. "Sobra-sobrang [Too much] lapses. That's unacceptable. Maximum security compound nalayasan ng isang preso [a prisoner was able to escape]. That's a mortal sin, mortal sin 'yan....Nakakahiya [It's embarrassing]," the senator told reporters in a phone call. Dela Rosa, a former director general of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), said a "deep investigation" should be carried out to pinpoint the extent of the negligence of duty among those in command. According to authorities, inmate Michael Cataroja was reportedly able to escape the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) after impersonating a visitor and copying the prison's stamp manually on his arm. Cataroja later on revealed that he also escaped from the compound by riding a garbage truck. The inmate has been missing since July 15 and was re-arrested a month later. Command responsibility When asked if current BuCor chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. is "off the hook" from the incident, the senator said he is "not sure yet." "Command responsibility should be applied dito sa mga commander, mga leader, administrator ng presohanTitingnan nating kung hanggang saan aabot 'yong command responsibility," Dela Rosa said. [Translation: Command responsibility should be applied here to commanders, leaders, prison administrators... We will see how far that command responsibility extends to.] The senator said the prison superintendent is usually the authority responsible for the prison's security. He added that an investigation would show if other officers in the chain of command, such as the NBP superintendent and the BuCor chief, are also responsible for the security lapse. Alabamas unemployment rate is lower than the nations. But so is its workforce participation rate. The Alabama Department of Labor Friday reported that the states unemployment rate for August was 2.1%, a new record low and lower than the national rate of 3.5%. A labor market is generally thought to have reached full employment when it hits 4 to 5% unemployment. Alabama continues to set economic records, said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. But the states labor force participation rate is at 57%, unchanged from July 2022 and lower than the national rate of 62.6% last month. More from Alabama Reflector Alabamas prime-age participation rate measuring labor force participation for those aged 25 to 54 was 77.8%. But the national rate was 83.1%, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve website. Those who follow the rates say its not unusual for Alabama to trail the country in that metric. Is it low? Yes, it is low, but Alabama has always been within the bottom 3 or bottom 4 throughout history, said Michele Tatum, the labor market information division director with the Alabama Department of Labor. This is not anything new for Alabama. Part of the reason is that the states population tends to be older than the rest of the United States. In 2022, the median age of the state was 39.4 years, compared to 38.9 nationwide. For the states white population, making up about 64% of the population, the median age was 42.9 years. The labor force includes those at least 16 years old and not institutionalized, such as those who are incarcerated or in the military. Some who are included in that figure would be people who are either at or nearing retirement age. This population is less likely to work for a variety of reasons, such as health. The unemployment numbers do not factor into its calculation those who have dropped out of the labor market altogether. But Alabamas numbers suggest that while those who want to work have a job, there exists a large segment of the population within the state who continue to be absent from the labor force. Back in the Great Recession in 2008, the numbers of the unemployed were twice as much as they are now because people werent working but they were looking for work, Tatum said. Now we have a problem where people arent working, but they are not looking for work. Some officials, including Gov. Kay Ivey, are concerned that Alabama continues to lag other states in terms of the share of its population who want to be part of the labor force. She expressed those concerns Aug. 10 when she suggested that 50,000 Alabama residents who are not participating in the labor force should get off their fannies and look for jobs. In a July commentary for the Alabama Daily News, Ivey wrote that she wanted to address the barriers that may prevent those not in the workforce from seeking jobs. Maybe that is childcare, she wrote. Maybe that is transportation. Maybe that is simply difficulty in shifting from a reliance on government programs to employment. The appropriate threshold for labor force participation is unclear. On the one hand, a lower number signals that fewer people are contributing to the economy, which can be troubling. The labor force participation rate is one of the more underrated measures, said Ben Meadows, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Alabama Birmingham Collat School of Business. A lower number means there is untapped wealth. It means that fewer people are contributing their positivity to the economy. Agnitra Roy Choudhury, an assistant professor of economics at Auburn University Montgomery, said that another reason for lower labor force participation numbers could be a significant number of discouraged workers, which is not good for the economy. However, that issue may not be as significant given the unemployment figure is at a record low in the state. But Tatum stressed that the state has always lagged in terms of its labor force participation rate. That number is also an artifact of the states demographics. It is just now the labor force participation rate is now something that everybody wants to focus on, Tatum said. Well, it is not that easy to change. The denominator is the population. How are we going to change that? A Mobile man who has spent time in prison on multiple charges is now charged with the murder of another Mobile man early Sunday morning. Mobile police said officers responded to a location on Dunbar Street shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday on a report of a man with multiple gunshot wounds. When they arrived at the scene, officers learned the victim -- later identified as 30-year-old Tchywoskie Rhodes -- had been driven to Infirmary Health in a private vehicle, but died shortly after arriving at the hospital. By Sunday night, investigators had a suspect in custody. Jordan Terrell Hundley, 30, was taken into custody and charged with Rhodes murder. Hundley has served jail time on multiple previous occasions on charges including shooting into occupied buildings, three arrests for DUI in an 18-month period, promoting prison contraband, obstruction of justice and multiple counts of marijuana possession. In January, Hundley was sentenced to 9 years, 11 months and 30 days for shooting into an occupied building and obstruction of justice. All but 30 days of that sentence, however, was suspended. Hundley was also on probation for a 2022 conviction for shooting into an occupied building. He is now charged with murder and two counts of felony probation violation. He remains in the Mobile Metro Jail, being held without bond pending a court hearing Wednesday morning. Get the Ed Chat newsletter: Enter your email for weekly updates about Alabama schools: Nearly one in five Alabama students are chronically absent from school. That means about 127,000 students missed more than 18 days of school in 2021-22, according to new data from The Associated Press and Stanford University. Experts say it could be higher, if not for targeted work from organizations like the Helping Families Initiative, which have invested resources into making sure students remain in the classroom. We look for the root causes of [truancy and absenteeism] and we form individualized intervention plans that are student and family and neighborhood specific, said John Tyson, director of the Helping Families Initiative and former Mobile County District Attorney. Across the country, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened during the pandemic. More than a quarter of the nations students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year, making them chronically absent, according to the most recent data available. Before the pandemic, only 15% of students missed that much school. The long-term consequences of disengaging from school are devastating. And the pandemic has absolutely made things worse and for more students, said Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a nonprofit addressing chronic absenteeism. All told, an estimated 6.5 million additional students became chronically absent, according to the data, which was compiled by Stanford University education professor Thomas Dee in partnership with The Associated Press. The absences come on top of time students missed during school closures and pandemic disruptions. They cost crucial classroom time as schools work to recover from massive learning setbacks, the AP found. Read more: Kay Ivey visits two turnaround schools Read more: A new Birmingham violence prevention project helps young adults Absent students miss out not only on instruction but also on all the other things schools provide such as meals, counseling, socialization. In the end, students who are chronically absent missing 18 or more days a year, in most places are at higher risk of not learning to read and eventually dropping out. Kids are staying home for myriad reasons finances, housing instability, illness, transportation issues, school staffing shortages, anxiety, depression, bullying and generally feeling unwelcome at school, according to the AP. The Helping Families Initiative, which is a partnership between Alabama district attorneys, schools and other state agencies, have reduced truancy and chronic absenteeism in districts throughout the state by addressing these root causes. The program currently works with 21 districts attorney offices. Even when families face huge barriers like poverty or ongoing mental health concerns, Tyson said, individualized solutions are still possible. They just take time and attention. Tysons organization has provided families with washing machines and stoves so kids can have clean clothes and meals for school; shoes for a student who left school everyday at noon because he grew out of the pair he had and his feet were too sore to go to his next class; mental health appointments for children who had not been previously evaluated; and social workers in homes for parents who were illiterate and needed help reading the instructions for their childrens prescriptions. The inner agency team is the magic here. Were not limited by an individual case officers experience or by the individual menu of any agency whether it be public or private. Our individualized intervention plans are comprehensive and provide for coordinated and collaborative services amongst all the various agencies that may have something that we might need, Tyson said. That not only does great things for the child and the family, but also improves the value of every one of our participating agencies. Helping Families has helped school districts create inter-agency, individualized plans for students identified as chronically absent and at-risk for dropping out. The organization began working with Russell County Schools in 2017 after it reported chronic absenteeism rate of over 23%. After a year, they cut that rate to 9%. By 2020, the rate dropped even further to 3%. According to a RCS analysis, helping more students attend school regularly allowed 12,000 additional days of instruction time compared to previous school years. Still, most Alabama schools saw huge jumps in their absentee rates in 2022, a possible lingering pandemic disruption, according to an analysis by AL.com. Absences worsened in every state with available data notably, the analysis found growth in chronic absenteeism did not correlate strongly with state COVID rate, according to the AP report. Montgomery Public Schools has implemented a new policy this school year to try to reduce their rates. MPS students who are absent 15 consecutive days will be withdrawn from school after district personnel conduct a home visit and a certified letter is mailed to the parent with no response One of the districts high schools - Sidney Lanier High School, which will be shutdown in the next few years as outlined in MPSs capital plan - had a chronic absentee rate of 50.4%, the 16th highest of any school in the state. Marbury High School in Autauga County had the highest absentee rate in 2022 at nearly 59% of its enrolled students. Addressing chronic absences allows you to address wider community problems. This program is an additional tool that is available to battle the broader issue of crime in this state. Not every kid who is absent commits crime. Im not gonna say just because youre absent youll wind up being a criminal; but too often, that is what occurs, Tyson said. My disappointment as district attorney was the discovery that even though we knew who might be in trouble, we didnt do anything about it till its time to arrest and thats too late. If we can address the root causes earlier, attendance and behavior issues take care of themselves. San Bernardino County, California, sheriffs deputies fatally shot an armed man Friday suspected of killing the owner of a local clothing store he disparaged for displaying an LGBTQ Pride flag. The incident began when deputies responded to an emergency call at the Mag.Pi store about 5 p.m. Friday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. When they arrived they found the owner, Laura Ann Carleton, 66, suffering from a gunshot wound, authorities said. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. Her killer, who was armed with a handgun, fled on foot, sheriffs officials said. A short time later, deputies confronted the suspected gunman near Rouse Ranch Road and Torrey Road and shot him, authorities said. The man, who has not been identified, died at the scene. Deputies were not injured in the incident. Sheriffs officials did not say whether a gun was recovered from the scene or if the shooting of Carleton would be investigated as a possible hate crime. But they said in a news release that through further investigation, detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton. Law enforcement agencies in several states, including New York, California and Nebraska, have investigated the destruction of rainbow Pride flags as potential hate crimes. Colleagues, friends, family and community members who knew Carleton as Lauri mourned her death in posts on social media. They brought flowers, flags and banners to the store to honor her life. Robin Lyles, a close friend of Carleton, owns a store called the Lake House located on the same street as Mag.Pi. On Friday, Lyles was in the Lake House when a panicked customer ran inside and told her to close her store because a gunman had just shot her friend. When I left, I stopped and saw her husband and got out and gave him a hug and asked if it was true? Lyles said. And he said, yes, shes gone. The Pride flag outside of Carletons store was on the ground, Lyles said. Carleton began her fashion career when she was a teenager and worked at fashion house Kenneth Cole as an executive for more than 15 years, according to Mag.Pis website. She traveled with her husband across the U.S., Europe and South America, and those trips fueled her love for design, fashion, food and other passions. Shes the mother of a blended family of nine children, according to the website. Lyles said she bonded with Carleton over a mutual love for antique wooden boats and encouraged her friend to open a store in Cedar Glen. Mag.Pi also has a store in Studio City. She had great style and panache and knowledge, and she was a just an incredible go-getter, Lyles said. The killing sent shock waves across the local community. Democratic congressional candidate Derek Marshall, who is gay, said Carleton was a huge supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and a class act. People within the community described Carleton as kind and almost like a second mom to them, he said. She was very proud of flying the Pride flag, Marshall said. The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ organization said in an Instagram post that while Carleton didnt identify as LGBTQ+, she was defending her Pride flags placed in front her shop the night of the shooting. Lauris unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community and her dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space within her shop touched the lives of many, the group said in a statement. Her untimely passing in a senseless act of violence has left us all deeply saddened. 2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Authorities are trying to find family members of two people who died in Jefferson County recently, including a pedestrian who was fatally struck in Homewood. Dennis Edward Hancock, a 52-year-old white male, was crossing West Oxmoor Road at 1:02 a.m. Friday when he was hit by a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle stopped, police said. Hancock was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:27 a.m. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said all attempts to locate Hancocks family to notify them of his death have failed. No photo was available for Hancock. Harriett Elizabeth McMillian (Jefferson County Coroner's Office) In the second case, Harriett Elizabeth McMillian, a 65-year-old Black female, died Saturday. Birmingham police went to McMillians home in the 1700 block of 26th Street in Ensley just after 5:30 p.m. to perform a welfare check at the request of a concerned neighbor. They found her unresponsive, and she was pronounced dead on the scene. There was no trauma or foul play, Yates said. All attempts to locate her family also have been unsuccessful. Family members are asked to call the coroners office at 205-930-3603. A Georgia sheriff pleaded guilty Monday to groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett, who recalled being so stunned that she froze when the lawman grabbed and squeezed her breast at a hotel bar last year during a law enforcement conference. Bleckley County Sheriff Kristopher Coody pleaded guilty in Cobb County State Court to a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery and was sentenced to a year on probation, news outlets reported. He also resigned from the office he had held since 2017. He so violated me, and at that moment I felt so powerless, Hatchett told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday after the hearing. I see myself as a strong woman. I have never been a victim, and I felt it was important for there to be accountability. An Atlanta attorney, Hatchett starred in the courtroom reality shows Judge Hatchett and The Verdict With Judge Hatchett. She also represented the family of Philando Castile, a black driver who was shot dead by a Minnesota police officer in a Twin Cities suburb, in a highly publicized lawsuit. In January 2022, she attended a meeting of the Georgia Sheriffs Association as the guest of a retired Georgia sheriff who introduced her to several colleagues. One of the sheriffs she met at the convention hotels bar outside Atlanta was Coody. Hatchett said she told Coody she wasnt sure where his home county was located. The sheriff pointed a finger at her chest, she said, and replied: In the heart of Georgia. She said he then repeated those words as he grabbed her left breast and began squeezing and rubbing it. Hatchett said she froze in shock and that it was her host, former DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown, who grabbed Coodys arm and pulled it away from her. It happened on a Tuesday, and by Thursday morning I could not get out of bed, Hatchett said. So I started counseling literally that evening. She reported the incident to Cobb County authorities, who obtained a warrant for Coodys arrest. The case had been pending in court until the sheriffs plea Monday. Hatchett sat in the courtrooms front row as Judge Carl Bowers sentenced Coody to serve one year on probation, pay a $500 fine and perform 400 hours of community service. The sheriffs attorney, Joel Pugh, said Coody sent a resignation letter Monday morning to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they were victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward. Hatchett said she felt compelled to speak out in part because many women cannot. I dont want to be the poster woman for this, but I think its important for me to be very candid, she said, adding: Its important that other victims see me holding him accountable. Coody had served since 2017 as sheriff of Bleckley County, a rural community of about 12,000 people located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Macon. Miles College will receive a $50,000 scholarship endowment fund for their Division of Communications on Aug. 23 from the Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA). Dr. Steven E. Hairston, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, said this is an extremely exciting moment for Birminghams historically Black college. Up to 10 students five students per semester will be eligible for this scholarship starting in the spring or fall of 2024, Hairston said. Communications division chair Dr. Bala Baptiste has been working with the ABA to provide opportunities for their students, according to Hairston. He added that the college has been in a significant fundraising mode since 2019 and is grateful to the ABA for supporting their students. This is a great opportunity, Hairston said. We truly appreciate the Alabama Broadcasting Association for thinking of Miles College and for thinking of our students. We try every single day to avail our students the opportunities that will make them good citizens, good journalists (and) go out and make a positive impact on society. This helps us to do it. The ABA will present the check at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, at the Miles College Welcome Center. Welcome back, folks. Its going to be hot this week so soak up some air-conditioning, get caught up on your news and take our weekly week-in-review quiz below. Get the Down in Alabama newsletter: Enter your email to subscribe to the daily Down in Alabama newsletter: Military promotions Alabama U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville continues to take fire over his blocking military promotions, reports AL.coms William Thornton. Last week ended with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley telling the Washington Post that the blockade is hurting military readiness. You remember that Tuberville put the hold in place in February in reaction to a new Pentagon policy to provide paid leave and travel in order to receive abortions out-of-state. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, was quoted by Newsmax saying that he believes the Republicans will persuade Tuberville to end the standoff. Newsmax shared that news with a link on the social-media site formerly known as Twitter. Tuberville reshared it and added a single two-word comment: Good Luck. Dune rats Developers and some lawmakers, notably Congressman Jerry Carl, a Mobile Republican, would like to see the Alabama beach mouse taken off the endangered species list, reports AL.coms John Sharp. The issue is that the special permitting required to develop along the Baldwin County Gulf Coast has time and monetary costs. But that potential development is a big reason for the endangered status in the first place. In a 2019 federal review of the beach mouse, it was determined that its habitat range had gone from 8,000-9,000 acres to fewer than 2,500. The report blamed not only development but also strong hurricanes over the past couple decades and concern over future sea-level rise. Carl said he believes the endangered status is used to slow down construction. Quote, Its a rat. You cannot eradicate rats. Exhale on Chandler Mountain Alabama Power last week withdrew its application for a project that wouldve placed reservoirs and dams on Chandler Mountain in St. Clair and Etowah Counties, and some local residents are celebrating that outcome, reports AL.coms Dennis Pillion. Opposition organizer Fran Summerlin lives on a farm next to a proposed dam site. She said that after Thursdays announcement she just sat on her dock and appreciated that, at least for now, nobodys going to take it away from her. Kim Lankfords 400-acre cattle farm has been in her family for five generations. I know my daddy and my pawpaw are smiling from heaven, she said. Summerlin said some area residents would like to see the area formally turned into a nature preserve. New Opry member Former Mountain Brook resident Sara Evans is becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Last week at a show at Nashvilles Ryman Auditorium, Opry star Whispering Bill Anderson invited Evans to join. She said no. (She was being sarcastic, of course. Theres no way I would say no, she said.) Warm it up Tropical weather systems are lining up in the Atlantic, but none of the storms are an imminent threat to the northern Gulf Coast. Of more pressing concern is the heat wave were going to be in this week. Were liable to see triple-digit temps, so hydrate and dont overdo it during the hot part of the day. Check al.com/weather for updates on that and tropical weather. The fall will be here before we know it. More Alabama news Weekly quiz This weeks topics include kidney transplants, small towns, grocery transactions and country-music history. Take the quiz. The podcast Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has issued a show cause order to a university in Ermita, Manila for its unauthorized educational programs. CHED said the Philippine Christian University (PCU) ran transnational higher education programs and shortened graduate programs without permits from the agency. The commission said it issued the show cause order on Aug. 15. CHED noted that the PCU also failed to submit relevant information on its international partners and did not follow the prescribed faculty-to-student ratio in its Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management program. The PCU also posted public announcements of its transnational higher education programs without regulatory permit, and partnered with institutions that are not accredited as quality higher education providers, CHED added. CNN Philippines has sought PCUs statement on this matter. The Archbishop of Mobile took to Facebook Monday to rebuke suggestions by Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch that church officials havent been fully cooperative in the investigation of former priest Alex Crow. Burch said last week the Archdiocese of Mobile had not gone above and beyond in sharing information with investigators, according to a report by Lagniappe. If we ask for something, they will typically provide it, Burch told the outlet. Hes disgraced the church, [and] Id be going above and beyond to provide whatever, but thats just me. Here is full coverage of the case of Alex Crow Burch also reportedly said he suspects others in the archdiocese have more information, but arent coming forward. Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, however, said Monday the archdiocese has fully cooperated with law enforcement. In late July, when we were notified Alex Crow had abandoned his parish ministry and left the country with a recent McGill-Toolen graduate, we immediately notified the district attorney of Mobile County, Rodi said. Based upon this report from the archdiocese, the district attorneys office opened an investigation. The Archdiocese of Mobile has and continues to fully cooperate with investigators, Rodi continued. Alex Crow was immediately notified that he could no longer could perform any priestly ministry, he could not dress as a priest, he could not continue to tell people he is a priest. Crow was stripped of his duties as a priest in July after the archdiocese said he had abandoned his assignment. Crow had reportedly left the country with an 18-year-old woman, with the two later located in Italy by a family member of the young woman. At the time, about three weeks ago, Burch said no criminal activity was suspected. In his Monday statement, Rodi also said Crow will not be able to return to the priesthood, regardless the outcome of the investigation. We see no way for Alex Crow to return to ministry and this has been shared widely in the Catholic church, he said. In his statement, Rodi also said he joined with those who are concerned, sad, angry, about the behavior of Alex Crow and how his behavior is affecting the young woman with whom he is traveling, their families, and the entire family of the Archdiocese of Mobile. Burch has accused Crow of grooming the young woman when she was still a student at McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, as well as another couple of young girls, although investigators have yet to produce any hard evidence outside of two letters the sheriffs office say were written by Crow. When asked by AL.com how they had determined the letters were genuine, the sheriffs office would only say they were given to us, but were not saying from who. Rodi acknowledged Monday there are still many questions to be answered surrounding Crows activities. All of us want to know the truth. All of us want to know the facts of this case, he said. Now I know you have questions, he said later in his statement. I do, too. And the archdiocese will continue to cooperate with civil authorities as they try to put together the pieces of this puzzle. New York City is paying hotels up to $300 a day to house migrants who are not even legally in the United States. The city is diverting city resources from essential services for which the city's residents have paid taxes to people who are not in any way entitled to them. "Some of New York City's struggling hotels are charging the city premium rates to provide emergency housing for migrantseven as the city slashes services to pay the bills" (emphasis is mine). In other words, illegal migrants are being permitted to steal from New York's taxpayers, and with the city's government as willful accomplices. At what point do New York City's workers and taxpayers push back by refusing to pay these costs? Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants The Left will doubtlessly bleat that "racists" are against migrants and asylum seekers, and also cite the New Testament parable of no room at the inn. One who has the means to do so should extend hospitality to struggling strangers, but not if one lacks the means to provide for one's own family and guests (i.e. citizens and lawful immigrants). We have veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and high suicide rates who are not getting the help they need even though they served our country. We have homeless citizens, and Code Blue alerts in winter to get them into some kind of temporary shelter which does not cost anywhere near $300 a day; the communal housing plus a hot meal is probably closer to $20 or $30. We have children in failing schools, most of which are in failed Deep Blue-governed cities, and money squandered on illegal migrants is money stolen from these people to whom our society has an obligation. Do these homeless Americans in New York City look like they are being lodged in $300 hotel rooms? There are meanwhile three classes of people who enter the United States; two are desirable and one is undesirable. A refugee is fleeing an oppressive regime, like the Jews whom Franklin Delano Roosevelt, God the Father in the Democrat Trinity (with Obama as the Son and Lyndon Johnson the Holy Ghost) sent back to Nazi Germany to be murdered. Vietnamese "boat people" who fled the Communists, Afghan women who don't want the Taliban to throw acid in their faces for going to school, and Iranian woman who don't want to be raped in Evin Prison for refusing to wear burqas are all refugees. The same goes for Hong Kong Chinese who don't want to live in Xinnie the Pooh's surveillance society, and Ukrainians who don't want to be ruled by Vladimir Putin. Refugees whom Franklin Roosevelt didn't manage to send back to Nazi Germany to be murdered included Albert Einstein, Hans Bethe, John von Neumann, Leo Szilard, James Franck, Edward Teller, Rudolf Peierls, and Klaus Fuchs. Enrico Fermi was meanwhile a refugee from Fascist Italy. This is why the civilized world got the atomic bomb and the Axis didn't. When a country turns into an outhouse (the family-friendly version of the word Donald Trump used), as Germany did in 1933, the best people are usually the first to leave. An immigrant is somebody with job skills who is willing to learn English if he or she doesn't already know it, and wants to Americanize by adopting our national values and culture. Unless we're Native Americans, we are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Canada, our liberal neighbor next door, requires immigrants to know English or French, and may give bonus points for both, and also to have money or job skills. Canada does not allow migrants who lack these things to leech off its generous social welfare programs, although it does welcome refugees, Ukrainians, and Hong Kong Chinese. A migrant is somebody who just walks across the border the same way a burglar walks into your house, and acts as if he owns the place. Here is a video of adult migrants in Hungary throwing away food that is given to them by the police, although the children do appear grateful for the aid. Citizens and legal immigrants in Texas feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods because of swarms of illegal migrants. The bottom line is that these migrants would not come if they did not expect to be given more than emergency food, shelter, and medical care. We don't let people starve or freeze on our streets, nor do the Hungarians allow people to starve or freeze on theirs either, but taxpayers have no duty to give them more than basic subsistence until they can be returned to their countries of origin. The fact that New York City taxpayers are being forced to carry them shows meanwhile that they are either not working or, if they are, are not earning enough to live in a pay-more-get-less venue like New York. If people are really seeking asylum, however, resources should be provided for them to do sopossibly through offices right on the border. Although consulates cannot offer asylum, they can offer other forms of protection to people who are really fleeing oppression. We would be ashamed to repeat Franklin Roosevelt's behavior by sending refugees back to countries where they will be oppressed or killed, or by putting American citizens into concentration camps as Roosevelt did with people of Japanese ancestry. Refugees, yes; immigrants, yes; migrants, no. This Needs to be an Issue in 2024 It is no surprise that the Democrat Left wants to reinstate the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. This will force working Americans to help carry wealthy elitists in pay-more-get-less cities like New York and Los Angeles, as the elitists in question pay far more than the standard deduction in state, local, and property taxes. If you want to live in a $2.4 million trailer in California on your own money, that's up to you but don't ask me or others to help carry your income and property taxes. If you want to vote for left-wing Democrats in New York City who need to raise taxes to carry illegal migrants, you go ahead and do that but don't try to get me or any other taxpayers to carry your bad decisions. This is a strong argument to "use your head and vote Red" in November 2024. People who buy goods and services need to realize, meanwhile, that the cost of squandering billions of dollars on illegal migrants, as well as New York's astronomical rents, prices in general, and property taxes, is built into the price of everything that originates there. Do New York lawyers charge up to $1000 an hour because they're really better lawyers, or is it because they have to cover sky-high office rental costs and living costs in general? Are you planning a conference? The fact that NYC has stuffed its hotels full of illegal migrants means hotel space will command premium prices if you can find it at all, and intelligent employers will be unwilling to cover these costs for business travel. Schedule your conference somewhere else, maybe in a flyover country small town with hotel shuttles to the nearest airport. Online conferences eliminate travel and lodging costs completely. Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history, and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. He or she is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to "cancel culture" for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter. Image: Screen shot from video, via YouTube Corporate media and the Democrats are fixated on the so-called insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, so much so that they are attempting to imprison a past and potentially future president over supposedly causing it. Aside from the fact that it wasnt an insurrection, and that President Trump didnt cause it, President Biden and his corrupt DOJ are using it as an excuse to remove Bidens likely political opponent, banana republic-style, ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The Cambridge Dictionary defines insurrection as, An organized attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country, usually by violence. Image: Thierry Ehrmann, via Flickr // CC BY 2.0 Who exactly organized the January 6 protests? Trump held a rally that day and told his supporters, "I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard." Protesters in fact were exercising their First Amendment right, of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The only major act of violence was a Capitol Police officer fatally shooting a petite and unarmed female military veteran, for which the officer received zero punishment. Capitol police opened the doors for protesters to enter, and even escorted some through the building. How much of the minor violence was committed by undercover Feds? Despite the theater and melodrama of the January 6 Congressional committee and now Special Counsel Jack Smith taking over Trumps persecution from the committee, the truth of the days events has been kept hidden by Congress, including by the U.S. House now under Republican control. Fortunately, Tucker Carlson, now free from Fox Newss Orange Man Bad yoke, shed some light on January 6 through an interview with former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund. The gist of this interview spells out the real insurrection. Federal agencies, the FBI, DHS, and the military knew there would be chaos at the Capitol that day and downplayed intelligence given to the Capitol Police Chief. They let the protest happen and prevented the Capitol Police from stopping it. Who else might have been involved? Capitol leadership including Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi? Numerous federal agents were in the crowd instigating the protests. Despite credible threats, National Guard assistance requested by the police chief, was denied by Speaker Pelosi. She then likened January 6 to Pearl Harbor and 9/11 but denied any efforts to prevent or stop the protests, almost as if the days events were preplanned. This was an orchestrated plan by government agencies, constitutionally under the control of President Trump, to undermine his presidency and future political ambitions by a systematic denial of intelligence and support from multiple agencies. Lastly, the mysterious Ray Epps is on tape instigating protesters to break the law yet has been off limits to all investigations thus far but will likely be called as a witness by Trumps defense attorneys. The January 6 insurrection conveniently pressured the vice president and Congress to quickly certify the election due to safety concerns, preventing the Constitutionally valid remedy of allowing the states to investigate election concerns before certifying their electors. In other words: An organized attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country, usually by violence. An insurrection. This is the only insurrection that the corporate media and ruling class wants to discuss. But the real insurrection began much earlier. I contend that it began on June 16, 2015. Politico called it, The escalator ride that changed America. Indeed, it did as this ride soon turned the Constitution into toilet paper. Initially Trump was thought of as a buffoon promoting his ego and media persona. Corporate media gleefully gave him endless coverage, not to promote Trumps novel political ideas but to boost their ratings. The ruling elite soon stopped laughing when it appeared that Trump would win the Republican nomination and had a high probability of beating their favored candidate, a corrupt and unlikeable previously failed presidential candidate. The Obama justice and intelligence agencies then concocted evidence that candidate Trump was colluding with the Russians to steal the 2016 presidential election. They knowingly lied to FISA courts so they could spy on Trump and his campaign team and associates, hoping to derail his election. These same agencies deliberately suppressed the illegalities of Trumps political opponent. Despite their efforts, Trump was elected president, and these same agencies doubled down, lying and continuing to spy on Trumps transition and administration to secure a partisan special counsel investigation of Trump, casting a shadow on his presidency and limiting his ability to govern. For example, under the cloud of being Putins puppet, Trump couldnt engage productively with Russia. Look where are now as a result. Once again, it was An organized attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country. An insurrection. The same ruling class group, although out of elected, but not administrative power, rigged the 2020 election. First through COVID, which today is looking more and more like a planned exercise to damage Trumps reelection prospects. Conspiracy theory? Not anymore. Sen. Ron Johnson alleges that COVID was pre-planned by an elite group of people. Event 201 in October 2019. From the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Event 201 was a 3.5-hour pandemic tabletop exercise that simulated a series of dramatic, scenario-based facilitated discussions, confronting difficult, true-to-life dilemmas associated with response to a hypothetical, but scientifically plausible, pandemic. What was an exercise, or dress rehearsal, in 2019 became reality the following election year. COVID lead to unconstitutional election law changes and mail in ballots, previously considered fraud-prone by many Democrats including Jimmy Carter. Ballot counts stopped on election night in a few swing states and cities, only to resume the following day with Trump no longer leading. Election challenges were routinely denied by courts citing standing. Congress did nothing. Americas national police state, the FBI, DOJ, and DHS colluded with social media and big tech giants to suppress any talk of election interference. We recently learned of a Michigan cover-up in Muskegon over, 8,000-12,000 likely-fraudulent voter applications submitted by Biden campaign-financed GBI Strategies in October 2020. Despite this being given to the FBI to investigate, the FBI did nothing. Instead, they targeted Catholics as domestic terrorists. Ten thousand ballots here and 10,000 ballots there and its not difficult for a corrupt and cognitively challenged candidate who campaigned from his basement to somehow receive 81 million votes, far more than his charismatic and popular predecessor Barack Obama. Fake preprinted ballots were sent to shopping malls, restaurants, and convenience stores where no one lives. These undeliverable ballots were filled out, submitted, and counted, without signature verification or any other validity safeguards, as Jay Valentine outlined in American Thinker last week. Unsurprisingly Trump pushed back, and now a weaponized DOJ and Democrat state AGs are indicting Trump left and right, attempting to thwart his 2024 candidacy and ideally put him in prison for the rest of his life. The latest Georgia indictment includes such horrendous crimes as Mark Meadows sending a text message asking for a phone number or Trump telling supporters to watch OAN. Meanwhile the corrupt Biden Family receives a pass for taking tens of millions of dollars in foreign bribes and laundering the money through dozens of shell corporations. The media says 'meh.' The justice and intelligence agencies obfuscate to protect Biden and refuse to properly investigate. 51 intelligence officials lied by saying the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation. Yet Trump is indicted in a RICO conspiracy for tweeting supporters to watch TV. Sound familiar? An organized attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country. An insurrection. The left now controls the government. But the government is more than that. Remember Abraham Lincolns description, Government of the people, by the people, for the people. That is who the insurrection is now directed toward, Trump and his millions of supporters. Trump is leading his GOP opponents by at least 40 points. The real insurrection was not the orchestrated January 6 false flag, but an ongoing effort by the unelected administrative state and the bipartisan Democrat and Republican ruling class to defeat Donald Trump and the people who support him. It began with an escalator ride and is now a banana republic witch hunt. How will it end? Trump repeatedly said, We caught 'em all. At some point he will have to put up or shut up. If he did indeed catch them, this will be a mega-tsunami tearing the heart out of the deep state, with hope for making America great again. If he is bluffing, Trump will be watching from behind prison bars as America descends into an Orwellian dystopia of economic and societal collapse. We are approaching the final act of Trump versus the deep state. As the enigmatic Q said repeatedly, Nothing can stop what is coming. Nothing. But what exactly is coming? As Trump likes to say, Lets see what happens. Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brians Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph and LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph. In the history books, great social revolutions are often distilled into digestible reasons for their emergence. Rising unemployment, widespread illness, cultural upheaval, and rapid technological change have all been diagnosed as the proximate causes for various sudden shifts in society. If you look past those antiseptic historical autopsies, though, and concentrate on the feelings and passions of the people who experienced the revolutions firsthand, you will find another symptom present in every single movement for great change: popular rejection of ruling class lies. People despise lies, especially lies that have had the effect of making them feel foolish. People despise lies so much that they will go out of their way to pretend obvious lies are somehow still based in truth. It is much more comfortable to believe that governing institutions continue to make "honest" mistakes than to accept that those institutions abandoned honesty a long time ago. It is easier to spin one lie away with yet another soothing lie than to accept the darker, harder, bitter truth. However, officially sanctioned lies tend to coagulate in the body politic much like spike proteins clotting in the blood until, eventually, the whole system just bursts. When that happens, people become rightly mad. They are mad not only because they finally recognize that their government has been engaged in massive deceptions, but also because they are ashamed for having defended obvious lies as truths for far too long. Rage is the inevitable result a rejection of the people and institutions responsible for such degrading self-delusions. And when rage arrives, a peculiar thing tends to happen: fewer and fewer ruling-class heirs remain to defend the status quo. History records successful revolutions when the previous system's liars rebrand themselves, recede into the background, or simply disappear. Whatever else you might think about our current historical moment, one observation is inescapable: rage is in the air. And how is the ruling class responding? Instead of turning down the temperature under a boiling pot already spilling over, it is frantically pressing down an iron-laden lid and hoping the pressure won't build. The vast majority of Americans believe that their elections are tainted by fraud, but the ruling class chooses to see nothing. Rising political dissent is met with government-engineered censorship and false imprisonment. Popular opinions against illegal immigration and unnecessary wars and for energy independence and less government regulation are entirely ignored. The people's wants and needs are scorned, while the unaccountable bureaucracy imposes its will upon the unwilling. Just as every other deposed ruling class has done in the past, our ruling class has chosen to stand on top of the lid barely containing society's boiling pot of passions, buoyed by the false notion that raw force will make that pot less likely to explode. If any spectacle could convey the ruling class's contempt for the people, it is Hillary Clinton's recent sit-down with Rachel Maddow during which the two serial liars celebrated the current regime's political persecution of President Trump. The whole world now knows Clinton as the chief architect behind the Russia collusion hoax and Maddow as the shameless propagandist who supported that hoax with baseless conspiracy theories of her own. If it is really a crime to "defraud" the American people and the U.S. government by spreading unsubstantiated lies meant to fracture society, misuse government resources, and escalate geopolitical tensions with nuclear foes, then by any reasonable measure, Clinton and Maddow deserve their day in the dock for all the damage they have done. Instead, not only have both inveterate liars suffered no consequence for fanning the flames of falsehoods meant to topple the Trump administration, but also they laugh in the faces of Americans who are now forced to witness the Biden regime arrest his chief political opponent under the color of law. The old tyrants who propagated the last hoax applaud the current tyrants propagating the next one, and their hatred for the American people who see through their duplicity echoes with every cackle. The collapse of the "rule of law" and the impartial application of "justice" always precedes the ultimate collapse of any governing system. Again and again I have come across the same tale in the notes and diaries of people who suffered through such difficult eras while recording their thoughts for posterity. One of the recurring observations passed on from generations past is the shocking recognition that the "rules" had suddenly changed forever. Rights once thought well preserved quickly disappeared. "Justice," as it had been known, evaporated replaced by loyalty oaths and religious-like devotion to the State. Civil codes of conduct vanished in the shadow of the ruling class's predilection for intimidation and brute force. The agreed-upon compact binding citizens with their government was summarily rewritten into an indentured servant contract empowering the government to be masters over their citizen slaves. Reading the warnings from the past hits me like a horror movie with an indelible message: beware the moment when long-respected rules are carelessly thrown away. When I listen to Clinton and Maddow laugh about locking up their political enemies for imaginary crimes, I get that same horror movie feeling. The ruling class now takes the following indefensible position: the highest officeholders within the DOJ, the FBI, and the broader Intelligence Community can engage in an international conspiracy with the Democrat party to frame an elected president as a Russian spy in order to force his removal from office without facing any real criminal scrutiny, let alone punishment. Those same Intelligence Community leaders can then orchestrate a fraud upon the American people by falsely labeling Hunter Biden's incriminating laptop as "Russian disinformation," and when President Trump correctly observes that parts of the federal government have again engaged in a conspiracy to affect the outcome of a presidential election, it is the victim not the perpetrators whom the system seeks to lock up. The ruling class tries to steal the 2016 election, and Donald Trump alone is punished with the Mueller Inquisition, DOJ harassment, and an unfounded impeachment. The ruling class successfully steals the 2020 election, and Donald Trump alone is punished with enough federal and state indictments to put him away for a thousand years. To the liars sitting atop society's boiling pot, that kind of hypocrisy seems like "justice." To ordinary people, though, the new rules of injustice have only ensured that the pot will overflow. When systems lose legitimacy, they lose longevity. American institutions have lost all legitimacy, yet the ruling class just as all overthrown ruling classes of the past remains enamored of its own lies. Masks will save you from COVID. America's borders must remain unprotected for diversity's sake, while Ukraine's borders must be protected at all costs. Only government-sanctioned racism will end racism. Americans should live in poverty so that Marxists such as John Kerry and Al Gore can pretend to fight the weather. Pedophiles should be treated as a protected class, but children should be victimized by "trans" indoctrination and surgical mutilation. Donald Trump is somehow not "fit for office," but the dementia-addled, money-laundering criminal in the White House somehow is. Every problem in society is the fault of white people, men, "climate change" or all three! Everywhere Americans once turned for guidance their government, the news media, academia, disinterested experts is now covered in the same "woke" slime and "politically correct" lies. Those lies are building up all around us, choking more and more Americans who see through them. The false promises of "hope" have been replaced with raw anger. The boiling pot meant to contain Americans' passions is popping and splattering. And America's ruling class forcefully pushes down the lid, openly hostile to the truth that it alone is responsible for everything that finally explodes. Image via Pickpik. Kaleo Manuel, the now-"redeployed" Hawaiian state water commissioner who delayed the release of water for five hours to Lahaina's firefighters as the town burned, is no ordinary bureaucrat. He's got "supporters." Here's a buried-news picture-story from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, showing about 30 "supporters" gathered around him, showering him with about 15 leis, which went up to his chin as he grinned. There were hula dances, and from a hula master who teaches at the Univerity of Hawaii at Manoa, no less. There were a couple of older people wearing "808 Cleanups" t-shirts, representing an Oahu-based beach-cleanup and Native Hawaiian advocacy NGO, sponsored by foundations from Starbucks, Target, Patagonia, Atherton, and other wokester outfits. There was no story to the picture sequence, but the Star-Advertiser included these captions: Kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine dances a hula during a rally in support of the state water deputy, Kaleo Manuel, seen with lei in front of the doorway at middle, on Thursday. ...and... Kaleo Manuel, right, becomes emotional while gathering with supporters inside the Kalanimoku building on Thursday. Late Wednesday DLNR said it was "re-deploying" Manuel, DLNR's first deputy, from his role at the Commission on Water Resource Management. "This deployment does not suggest that First Deputy Manuel did anything wrong," a statement from DLNR said. "DLNR encourages the media and the public to avoid making judgments until all the facts are known." This is kind of mysterious. What kind of bureaucrat has "supporters"? Politicians have supporters, but bureaucrats? And why are they stepping up to the plate now, particularly with news coming out that he delayed the release of water to save Lahaina? Are they happy he apparently stuck it to Lahaina? This doesn't seem to be the time to applaud this guy, let alone shower him with leis and dance the hula in his honor. But they are. And that suggests that reforming the system in Hawaii that created the conditions for the incineration of Lahaina is going to tough job to uproot. Politics is at work here. After all, here's what he did to get himself "redeployed" as deputy director of his agency, the Hawaiian Commission on Water Resources Management, according to Honolulu Civil Beat, which broke the story: With wildfires ravaging West Maui on Aug. 8, a state water official delayed the release of water that landowners wanted to help protect their property from fires. The water standoff played out over much of the day and the water didn't come until too late. The dispute involved the Department of Land and Natural Resources' water resource management division and West Maui Land Co., which manages agricultural and residential subdivisions in West Maui as well as Launiupoko Irrigation Co., Launiupoko Water Co., Olowalu Water Co. and Ha'iku Town Water Association. DLNR delayed releasing water requested by West Maui Land Co. to help prevent the spread of fire, sources familiar with the situation said. Specifically, according to accounts of four people with knowledge of the situation, M. Kaleo Manuel, a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and DLNR's deputy director for water resource management, initially balked at West Maui Land Co.'s requests for additional water to help prevent the fire from spreading to properties managed by the company. According to the sources, Manuel wanted West Maui Land to get permission from a taro, or kalo, farm located downstream from the company's property. Manuel eventually released water but not until after the fire had spread. It was not clear on Monday how much damage the fire did in the interim or whether homes were damaged. Seems the taro farmer (or farm collective) he had to get permission from first needed five hours to make up his mind about whether to save Lahaina. And based on what's known about Manuel, given his youthful age of 39, his involvement with Native Hawaiian "collectives," as well as his statements about water "equity," he seems to have thought he represented only Native Hawaiian activist groups in his state job, and not the county of Maui or the entire state of Hawaii. So the taro farmer or farmers, who were likely Native Hawaiians with their own interests, came first. Not surprisingly, they are defending him. His water maneuver was part of a collectivist permission process, which created a delay, and his unwillingness to muscle them for their immediate "yes" in the face of conflagration may have been more about thwarting the taro farmers' hated and "greedy" landowners whose properties he seemed content enough to let burn. After all, they just wanted water for their swimming pools, according to some of the activists he was affiliated with. Apparently, Manuel didn't notice that once the wildfire went across the landowners' land, the fire would be ready to take Lahaina next. Lahaina, the royal Hawaiian city, by the way, was loaded with Native Hawaiians who died in the flames. Way to stand up for Native Hawaiians, Marvin. Manuel's background seems to be distinctly political. First, he's an Obama Leader, and not just any Obama leader, but one of two leaders who were designated the leaders of the leaders in 2019. His bio reads: Kaleo is passionate about elevating native and indigenous ways of knowing in all spheres of discourse and dialogue. His mentor, who promoted him to water commissioner, was one Suzanne Case, head of the powerful Department of Land and Natural Resources, who went to Punahou school, same as Obama, and only a few years apart. His connection to Vicki Holt, the hula master who danced for him, seems obvious enough: she runs the Pa'i Foundation and has Manuel on the board of directors. His qualification for job seemed to be his activist background. After all, the education portion of his resume reads that he's got a major in Native Hawaiian culture, another in urban and regional planning, plus a certificate in Native Hawaiian historical preservation, which is quite a credential for the guy who let Lahaina burn. His agency is now trying to shield him by "redeploying" him "to focus on the necessary work to assist the people of Maui recover from the devastation of wildfires," meaning he's not up to the job. But they also seem to be protecting him: This deployment does not suggest that First Deputy Manuel did anything wrong. DLNR encourages the media and the public to avoid making judgments until all the facts are known. DLNR will have no further comment on this matter. While he looks culpable, it's fair to allow for the possibility that he didn't have sufficient information about what was happening and may have thought it was just big landowners' estates that were burning. His resume says he was born and bred on the Big Island and now lives in Oahu, meaning he hasn't spent much time on Maui, nor understood the risks of wildfires, particularly on the dry side of Maui in the south. His interests seem to be purely big blue city Honolulu. He may have been so in the habit of deferring to woke activist ethnic grievance groups that he didn't understand that his job was to lead for the entire state. It seems unlikely he could ever win a state office with this on his record, but it hasn't stopped his "supporters," who see him as someone worth protesting for. That's politics. There's some kind of symbiotic relationship going, or more likely, he's so involved with them that he has conflicts of interest. Where'd he get these supporters, and why does he have them? Should someone in charge of managing water resources for the state have "supporters" from one group that is constantly at odds with another? Something doesn't quite ring right here. It does point to greenie and Native activists calling the shots here and a tremendously politicized system, potentially protecting him and thwarting investigations to Lahaina's destruction. Image: Screen shot from Grassroots Army video via YouTube. "You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, 'you are free to compete with all the others,' and still justly believe that you have been completely fair." President Lyndon B. Johnson, Commencement Address at Howard University, June 4, 1965 When LBJ addressed the 1965 graduating class of historically black Howard University, he kicked off racial (and eventually sex-based) preferences in college admissions in what could be characterized as the Oppression Olympics. Immutable characteristics such as race and sex would, decades later, arguably overshadow merit and competency as primary college admissions and employer hiring criteria. A few short years later, then-Xerox CEO Joseph C. Wilson issued a directive ordering his hiring managers to hire underqualified and outright unqualified minorities in a case of extreme corporate virtue-signaling. Many other Fortune 500 companies praised Xerox for its "vision" and "social responsibility." Merit and qualifications have been degraded ever since in what has become known now as "Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity." Getting back to the Oppression Olympics, it must be pointed out that no group, except possibly for Native Americans, comes close to the amount of discrimination and violence that African-Americans experienced before the modern civil rights era. Having said that, though, they were not the only groups on the receiving end of discrimination in America. Several European ethnic groups, all of whom the government classified as "white" once LBJ ushered in affirmative action preferences for "non-whites" groups such as Irish, Italians, and Jews suffered severe discrimination, including lynching, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Image by Pixlr AI. It's true that, if affirmative action had applied solely to African-Americans, the impact on the opportunities of others would have been minimal. However, beginning in the 1970s, the left kept pushing to expand affirmative action to other "non-white" ethnic groups and to women. Today, "white males" constitute roughly 30% of the U.S. population. This means that approximately 70% of the U.S. population is eligible for affirmative action preferences (that is, anyone not classified as a "white male"). Given the Supreme Court's recent affirmative action decision, we are at a crossroads. Will we as a society attempt to reorganize as a meritocracy, or will we permit our institutions to circumvent the ruling and continue "diversity, equity, and inclusion" practices by using a work-around such as the "application essay" that academia now wants? The application essay will be used to identify applicants' race in relation to the hardships they allegedly have faced because of racism. This sleight of hand is unfortunate and needs to be strongly opposed. LBJ's point about those groups hobbled by racism being brought to the starting line "with the others" is valid if and only if "the others" aren't themselves hobbled in the pursuit of "equity." Joseph Wilson's directive imposed exactly that hobbling at Xerox. He admitted that hiring standards had to be lowered so that well qualified "white male" candidates were turned away to make way for the underqualified and outright unqualified to pursue a Twilight Zone standard of equityand maybe that was reasonable in the beginning. However, despite 60 years during which minorities should have the wherewithal to make it to the starting line under their own steam, these corporate policies have never been rescinded; on the contrary, they have been enhanced over the decades. Saul Alinsky used my hometown of Rochester, New York as a beta test for a national rollout of his coercive affirmative action demands directed at Eastman Kodak Company. Amid protests, threats, and lawsuits in the mid-1960s, Alinsky eventually wore Kodak down and brought the company to its knees by substantially lowering its hiring standards in pursuit of "diversity." After seeing the havoc and turmoil that Alinsky brought to Kodak, Wilson's change to Xerox's hiring was his pre-emptive surrender to Alinsky's diversity mob without a fight. If we are ever to truly pursue equal opportunity, it needs to start with schools returning to the basics and retiring the social justice woke propaganda. Our foreign adversaries laugh at our students' pathetic performance in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and our emphasis on cultural Marxism in the form of DIE (Diversity, Inclusion, Equity). We need to turn this alarming situation around and quickly. Michael A. Bertolone, M.S. is a freelance writer in Rochester, N.Y. His eBook The War on Equality: How Equity is Destroying Our Society is available on Amazon, and also posts on Substack. The National Review recently reported that after mounting pressure from lawmakers to parents, the Texas State Library & Archives Commission has opted not to renew its longstanding contract with the American Library Association. Of course, this elicited a flurry of derogatory remarks and memes from the left, some of which can be seen below: And: Yeah, because all Texas needs is fewer libraries. Real bang up job ya did there roller-Nazi Liam Nissan (@theliamnissan) August 18, 2023 (The slur roller-Nazi is a reference to Greg Abbotts disability that confines him to a wheelchair.) Also: Texas State Library and Archives Commission to Leave American Library Association WTF? Is Fahrenheit 451 becoming a reality in MAGAt States? Perhaps its time for those of us living in these states to pick a banned book and commit it to memory. https://t.co/EreqBbDEAa Boats (@deckape_1) August 19, 2023 The move to cut ties came in response to the proliferation of pornographic and pseudo-academic material making its way into school and public libraries thanks to leftist operatives, as well as the president of the ALA recently admitting that she is a Marxist lesbian. Normal adults dont think children should be sexualized and indoctrinated, weird I know! Weve seen Gender Queer with its graphic illustration of two erect men engaging in foreplay; Its Perfectly Normal with its cartoon depictions of masturbating minors; and Whats an Abortion, Anyway? which is a cutesy childrens picture book to explain abortion care, but dont worry because its gender inclusive, medically accurate, and age-appropriate. In 2022, the ALA published a Top 13 Most Challenged Books list, and said this in the opening statement: The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to defend each person's right to read under the First Amendment and ensure free access to information. Out of the 13 books, more than half were challenged because of the LGBTQIA+ content unsurprisingly, Gender Queer was number one. Now, I suppose the first tweet does have a hint of truth, because the rational forces who pushed for the break from the ALA are in fact probably illiterate in queer porn; yet, we conservatives would argue that thats a very good thing. What is the lefts obsession with coming for children, especially children that dont belong to them? Well, heres your answer: The left doesnt reproduce in the bedroom, they indoctrinate in the classroom. Get your kids out of government schools before they are turned against you. SamSorbo (@thesamsorbo) August 19, 2023 How do you perpetuate your leftist philosophies if youre an abortion-loving, homosexual, climate cultist who doesnt have children of your own? Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Nearly 4,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) used free flights back home not just once but up to five times at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Commission on Audit (COA). It asked the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to explain how 3,707 OFWs tapped the emergency repatriation program multiple times between April 2020 to May 2022. The OFWs were listed as in distress, which also earned them free accommodation, meals, and rides to their respective destination. Overseas Filipino in distress is defined as those who have medical, psycho-social, or legal problem requiring treatment, counseling, or legal representation under the Migrant Workers And Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995. It appeared that the repatriation program was utilized by these OFWs for their regular trips back home after their contracts expired and not from distress as can be gleaned by the number of times these OFWs availed of the program, COA said. The audit body added that the improper evaluation of these OFWs depleted scarce government resources and exhausted funds that could have been used for eligible OFWs in distress. Auditors traced the 3,707 OFWs to Northern Mindanao, but OWWAs regional office there said ot only received and facilitated these OFWs as communicated to them by the central office. OWWA Northern Mindanao, meanwhile, assured COA that it will consult with the central office to ensure that the emergency repatriation is expended only to those eligible. I like Vivek Ramaswamy very much, because he is bright and talented and has good ideas except for two bad ideas, both having to do with small but formidable long-time U.S. allies, which would be Israel and Taiwan. Vivek wants to dump those two alliances, at a time when China is ready to pounce on Taiwan, and Iran is in a new alliance to provide massive numbers of suicide drones to Russia. Both of those small countries are immensely talented and productive in defense technology, A.I., and cyber-warfare, and both resemble small Silicon Valleys. Independent and productive, they are important allies for us. Vivek argues that the U.S. should stop providing arms to Israel, as if this were just a one-way street. Because of its frontline status among hostile enemies, Israel has been a kind of de facto test bed for U.S. defense technology as in missile defense technology, which we are constantly co-developing in alliance with the Israeli Defense Force. Israel is also our most reliable source of intelligence on the most dangerous part of the world: the Middle East and its new Chinese alliances. As A.I.-driven weapons develop, Israel and Taiwan can only be U.S. assets. What about Taiwan? There, Vivek is proposing another suicidal idea namely, that the U.S. should withdraw its support after he (Vivek) moves Taiwan's advanced chip production to other parts of the world. Vivek is right that Taiwan's primacy in high-tech chip production is a risk for the world, because China constantly threatens to take over Taiwan. By calling the long war between Nationalist China and CCP China a "domestic dispute," Vivek is trying to solve a major civil war with empty words. Taiwan is not going to allow its advanced chip technology to be siphoned off to the rest of the world without a fight. They would be fools to allow that, and they are not fools. Similarly, the U.S. could decrease weapons support to Israel, but only by sacrificing some big advantages. Many of the hot battles of the Cold War with the Soviet Empire were fought in the Middle East. Great powers like the U.S. always prefer to fight proxy wars, not ones at home. The United States has never had to fight a major war on its own soil, not since we emerged as a great power in World War I. Our distant allies have helped to keep a defensive line far from home. Neither Taiwan nor Israel is a throw-away ally. I don't know if Vivek is quietly trying to curry favor with China or India, or with jihadist states like Iran and Saudi Arabia. I do know that Vivek is an extremely smart and strategic candidate and that he has many good ideas. So why those two duds? Image: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr, unaltered. The push for woke math is getting stronger. Everyone knows about "A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction," the formal program of the Oregon Department of Education which allows 2 + 2 = 5 because demanding the correct answer is racist and white-supremacist. Some newer ones include eliminating advanced math classes in middle school in the name of equity because they attract a disproportionate percentage of whites and Asians; trauma-informed pedagogy, which takes into account students' difficult lives; and Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools (discussed recently on AT here), approved on July 12 by California's Board of Education and sort of a culmination of much of the above and more: it eliminates letter grades in favor of "standards-based assessments"; it effectively knocks calculus off the high-school curriculum; and it likely will result in an end to California's historical leadership in STEM innovation and harm to the country as a whole. To paraphrase Vladimir Lenin, the capitalists will buy the rope with which they will hang themselves. An initiative related to the Mathematics Framework and unanimously endorsed by the University of California Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) is to expand the eligible college prep advanced math and related coursework for acceptance to the University of California to include data science courses, nudging out traditional math courses to promote "equity," thereby leaving many students unprepared for STEM fields. What's different this time is that there is a "behind-the-scenes protest" from...professors in the University of California system! They believe that the very students the initiative is intended to help will be left behind. (Shouldn't that apply to 2 + 2 = 5 as well? Just asking.) Of course, other professors are defending the initiative, so the fight has just begun. Or maybe it's already over. We live in an era of professors being afraid to say anything that doesn't toe the line for fear of it being a career-ender; peer-reviewed math papers being subject to the wrath of the woke mob and rejected by, or even retracted from, prestigious math journals; and mandatory diversity statements: Faculty at universities across the country are facing an echo of the loyalty oath, a mandatory "Diversity Statement" for job applicants. The professed purpose is to identify candidates who have the skills and experience to advance institutional diversity and equity goals. In reality it's a political test, and it's a political test with teeth. What are the teeth? Nearly all University of California campuses require that job applicants submit a "contributions to diversity" statement as a part of their application. The campuses evaluate such statements using rubrics, a detailed scoring system. Several UC programs have used these diversity statements to screen out candidates early in the search process. A typical rubric from UC Berkeley specifies that a statement that "describes only activities that are already the expectation of Berkeley faculty (mentoring, treating all students the same regardless of background, etc)" (italics mine) merits a score of 12 out of a possible 5 (1 worst and 5 best) in the second section of the rubric, the "track record for advancing diversity" category. The diversity "score" is becoming central in the hiring process. Hiring committees are being urged to start the review process by using officially provided rubrics to score the required diversity statements and to eliminate applicants who don't achieve a scoring cut-off. The math professor who wrote the above, a vice president of the American Mathematical Society, was blasted by colleagues in a subsequent issue of the same math journal for daring to speak out about it. We all know that universities are bastions of leftist ideology, but how bad is it among math professors specifically? Consider the featured chart on the political party (a proxy for ideology) of full-time, Ph.D.-holding, tenure-track faculty in various fields at top-ranked liberal arts colleges. For mathematics, the ratio of Democrats to Republicans is 5.6:1, or equivalently, Democrats constitute 5.6/(5.6+1) 85% of math professors registered as D or R. Some solace can be taken in that mathematics has a lower D:R ratio than most of the other fields in the chart. At the same time, the ratio for mathematics, as well as for the other fields that may factor into this debate, is an indicator of the uphill battle ahead. W.A. Eliot is a pseudonym. Image: PxFuel. Less than forty years ago, our understanding of how the human body decomposes was limited. Much of what was known came from ancient studies conducted by Song Ci in China during the 13th century. Song Ci (11861249) was a forensic medical expert whose groundbreaking book titled Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified is still held in high esteem by forensic scientists. But the things forensic experts learned from Song Cis research were still not enough for modern crime solving. Forensic anthropologist, William M. Bass, was one of the first to realize this. Bass had been in the position of head of the anthropology department at the University of Tennessee for a little over a decade, and had been appointed as the first state forensic anthropologist of Tennessee. As the state's forensic anthropologist, Bass was often called upon to determine the cause and time of death. While working on these cases, Bass realized the importance of needing a place to study and observe postmortem events. Photo credit: Pantip.com During the early 1980s, Bass created the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility to better understanding the process of corpse decomposition, which would permit him and other forensic scientist to develop techniques of extracting critical information such as the timing and circumstances of death from human remains. His initial institution was a small fenced-off area with a slab of concrete on top of which Bass left human bodies to decompose while Bass and his students took notes. Today, the Anthropological Research Facility, better known as body farm a term coined, in 1994, by crime author Patricia Cornwell who wrote a novel of the same name drawing inspiration from Dr. Bass and his work covers 2.5 acres of land and is surrounded by razor-wire and fences. It contains more than 150 bodies placed in a variety of areas to mimic crime scenes. Some are buried in shallow graves, inside vehicles or even in a noose, and then left to rot while being monitored for decay. Over 100 bodies are donated to the facility every year. Some individuals even pre-register before their death. The information gathered by studying how the body decomposes because of digestive enzymes, bacteria, and insects is most often used to determine the postmortem interval. Knowing the length of time that has passed since death helps a great deal when attempting to reconcile the information gathered at the crime scene with alibis given by possible suspects. At present there are six such facilities in the United States operated by University of Tennessee, Western Carolina University, Texas State University, Sam Houston State University, Southern Illinois University, and Colorado Mesa University. The first body farm outside the United States is being established by the University of Technology, Sydney, and is due to officially open early next year. Photo credit [Warning: link contains graphic photos] Researchers at the University of Tennessee's Forensic Anthropology Center excavate the site of an experimental burial to learn more about how the human body decomposes. Photo credit At Freeman Ranch, operated by Texas State University, bodies are kept in cages. Freeman Ranch is the largest body farm at 7 acres. Photo credit [Warning: link contains graphic photos] Photo credit [Warning: link contains graphic photos] Photo credit [Warning: link contains graphic photos] The stages of decomposition: bloat (top), advanced decay (middle), and dry decay (bottom). Photo credit [Warning: link contains graphic photos] On November 12, 1720 Peter Tordenskjold died in a sword duel. It will not sound familiar to most people, but he was one of the great national heroes of Denmark and Norwaycountries that were once united, a daring sailor who would be the equivalent of what Nelson is to the British, Ruyter to the Dutch, Jones to the Americans or Bazan to the Spanish. Remembered in several popular songs and honored with several statues, streets, books, films and even a festival, a corvette of the Danish navy and a ship of the Norwegian navy are named after him. He is also cited in the Danish royal anthem. The end of Peter Wessel Tordenskiold's naval battle in the North Sea, 1919, by Christian Ferdinand Andreas Mlsted Peter Jansen Wessel (Tordenskjold is a nickname given to him in 1716) was born in Trondheim in October 1690. At that time that city was part of the Dano-Norwegian kingdom, also known as Oldenburg after the titular dynasty on the throne since 1448. That union, which also included the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, as well as dependent territories (Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland) and colonies (the Danish Antilles, the African Danish Gold Coast, the Asian Nicobar Islands and the Indian cities of Serampore and Tharangambadi), had been forged in 1536 as a result of a failed attempt to merge the Scandinavian states, the Union of Kalmar of 1397. The unification failed because the Swedish aristocracy, suspicious of the dominant position that Denmark had thanks to the fact that the crown remained in the hands of Queen Margrethe I, ended up leaving in 1521, leaving their partners alone and choosing their own monarch, Gustav Vasa. The Swedes and Danes clashed in an armed conflict between 1611 and 1613 over commercial control of the Baltic and later the Thirty Years' War further complicated the relationship, leaving Sweden as an emerging and dominant power in Northern Europe. The Danish-Norwegian kingdom went through difficult years, defeated again and again by their northern enemies in successive contests. This resulted in an internal weakening that gave rise to a turn toward the absolutism of Christian V, embodied in the Lex Regia of 1665, to the detriment of the balancing role that until then had been played by the Riksrad (Royal Council). In 1675, Denmark took advantage of the fact that the Swedes were immersed in the French-Dutch War to invade them, with the aim of recovering the provinces of Scania, previously lost. But things did not go well and the status quo returned. Peter Tordenskjold It was in this context that Wessel was bornlet's call him that for the momentthe tenth son of a rich businessman who was also a city councillor. In spite of enjoying a comfortable position, he was a very restless boy, even rebellious, who often got into fights and continually caused problems for his parents. A good example of his mischievous ways is that in 1704, when he was only a teenager, he hid as a stowaway in a ship and arrived in Copenhagen where he tried to enter the naval academy. He did not succeed, but he did made friends with the royal chaplain, who arranged for him to join the crew of a ship sailing to the West Indies. This is how he began his seafaring life, traveling for five years on the triangular route Guinea (now Ghana) -Caribbean-Denmark. Finally, in 1709 he was admitted to the academy and as a cadet he made other itineraries through the East Indies until in 1711 he obtained his second lieutenant's office, being assigned to the frigate Postillon . There he became friends with Baron Valdemar Lvendal, a Norwegian admiral who saw great possibilities in the young man and gave him command of a four-gun sloop called Ormen . With her he participated in another of the continuous wars that Sweden was involved in, the one that started in 1700 and that lasted until 1721. In 1712, his protector entrusted him with the 18-gun frigate Lvendals Galej , ignoring the opinion against the admiralty, which considered Wessel too impulsive. The latter, whose arrogance had led him to have friction with his superiors, requested and obtained a new assignment in the Baltic under the orders of Admiral Ulrik Christian Gyldenlve, illegitimate son of King Christian V who had the mission of supporting from the sea the siege of Stralsund to prevent the supply of the Swedish fleet. His new pupil did not take long to make a name for himself by attacking every enemy ship he saw, regardless of the difference in size or weaponry because he approached with false flags and had a special ability to get away quickly if things went wrong. Peter Tordenskjold threatens the commendant Danckwardt in the Swedish city Marstrand during the siege 1719. Painted by the Danish artist Otto Bache (1875). In this way, the Danes kept the Swedes and their allies (British and Dutch) at bay, repeatedly disrupting their supply transports. Wessel scored a handful of victories and became a lieutenant captain at the same time that the enemy offered a reward for his capture by considering him a privateer in practice, something which many Danish sailors agreed. They did not look favorably on that way of fighting, nor did they bear his bravado. In any case, it proved effective because the King of Sweden Charles XII had to give up his plan to invade Norway. In 1714 one of the most unheard of episodes in Wessel's military career took place, so much so that he had to undergo a court martial to determine whether his behavior in the battle against an enemy frigate had been acceptable. That summer, at the end of July, the Lvendals Gallej was sailing off Lindesnes (a municipality on the southern Norwegian coast) flying the Dutch flag when it came across a British-flagged ship. It was one of the ships that the Royal Navy had equipped and made available to Sweden; specifically, the the 28-gun frigate De Olbing Galley commanded by the English captain Bactmann. Both approached cautiously and at the last moment, the Scandinavians raised their true flag, to which the others responded by opening fire. After exchanging cannon shots all day, night fell and De Olbing Galley tried to slip away but could not and the next morning the confrontation resumed. For fourteen hours both ships took shot at each other and suffered considerable damage in the process. The problems for Lvendals Gallej were more, because of the aggressiveness of Wessels attacks, the ship was running out of gunpowder. Then Wessel had a boat lowered and sent with a white flag. The Englishman thought it was to negotiate the surrender but he was stunned when he heard the true proposal of the adversaryWessel wanted a shipment of gunpowder and cannon balls to continue the battle. A painting by naval officer Bernhard Grodtschilling showing vessels from the Danish navy in the Great Northern War. The ship at the center is Lvendals Galej. Obviously the proposal was not accepted but they did toast together and exchange compliments. Then, given the battered state of the two ships, each one went their own way. The news of that unusual action roused Frederick IV, King of Denmark, who demanded a court martial for Wessel. It was carried out in November, and he was accused of revealing information to the enemy about his precarious situation and of putting a crown ship at risk by attacking a better-armed adversary. However, the audacious sailor was acquitted in less than a month when he successfully argued a section of the Danish naval code which mandated that fleeing enemy ships had to attacked no matter the size. After this peculiar incident at sea, Wessel went to the king asking for a promotion, and was raised to the rank of Captain. Meanwhile, the war went on and Wessel continued to fatten up his list of casualties caused to the Swedes. Most were transports but in the battle of Kolberg, fought in April 1715, he even captured the veteran Rear Admiral Hans Wachtmeister, who was also an advisor to King Charles XII. He also captured the frigate Vita Orn, which was renamed Hvide rn and placed under his command. It was in 1716, when the war was over, that he was given the nickname Tordenskjold, which means "shield of thunder"; his popularity was such that he was even granted the title of knight. But his career did not end there, far from it. That same year, Sweden returned to its old ways trying to invade Norway, for which it laid siege to the fortress of Fredrikshald by surprise. The local population set fire to their own houses and took refuge behind the walls, leaving the attackers unable to feed themselves on the ground and having to wait for a supply fleet sent from Gothenburg. When it arrived and anchored in the Dynekilen fjord, a small squadron made up of two frigates and five smaller ships suddenly appeared, destroying some thirty enemy units with hardly any casualties. The person responsible for the action was precisely Tordenskjold, who thus forced to lift the siege and was promoted again, now to commander. Portrait of Peter Tordenskjold by Jacob Coning. He then assumed command of the Kattegat squadron, but in the Danish-Norwegian navy disdain for his way of fighting still remained, and this included his direct superior, Admiral Christian Carl Gabel, so when he received the order to stop the Swedish squad in Gothenburg did not get the collaboration it would have needed. The failure in the mission meant that in 1718 he was again brought before a court for recklessness. Again he was spared, this time thanks to the testimony on favor of his old friend, Admiral Gyldenlve. Shortly after the trial, Tordenskjold rose through the ranks again, reaching rear admiral in December. Tordenskjold participated in new operations the following year, seizing the Swedish fortress of Carlsten and, finally, capturing much of the Gothenburg Squad via a cunning ruseinciting them to surrender by pretending to have more forces than he actually had. Success made him vice-admiral just as the war between Sweden and the kingdom of Denmark-Norway was ending. He was still very young, having just turned thirty, but paradoxically there his career had an unexpected and tragic end. The irony of fate wanted him to die not in battle, but by fighting against a Swede. It was during a duel with Count Jacob Axel Stael von Holstein, a colonel in the Livonian army, a territory that at that time was part of Sweden. Von Holstein was ten years older than his opponent. They met in Hanover, where Tordenskjold was passing through after having traveled to England to offer his services to King George I (with the permission of the Danish monarch), since there was now peace and he missed action. They were both at a dinner party when the Scandinavian secretly accused him of having cheated a friend during a game of cards, distracting him while he showed him a portrait of a hydra that he claimed to have. An altercation broke out and the Livonian tried to draw his sword, which Tordenskjold prevented by hitting him with the pommel of his own. Then Von Holstein challenged him to a duel. Servant Christian Kold, prays by Tordenskiold's side after his death in the duel. Painting by Vilhelm Rosenstand. The duel took place on the morning of November 12, 1720, on the outskirts of a town called Gleidingen, about thirty kilometers south of Hanover. Less than a minute later, the Livonian had pierced the torso of Tordenskjold with a knife, inflicting a wound three fingers wide and four long. He died right there, in the arms of his godfather, Lieutenant Colonel Georg Otto von Munchhausen (father of the famous literary baron). The body of the sailor was discreetly transported to Copenhagen and buried in Holmen's church; without any ceremony because duels were prohibited. Of course, there was no shortage of conspiracy theories alluding to a Swedish revenge against the man who had defeated them, but today scholars of the subject seem to lean more towards a problem of idiomatic understanding. His brother Caspar, who was also an admiral, continued to give prestige to the surname, by earning the von aristocrat. Denmark and Norway remained united until 1814, when their navy was defeated by the British when the kingdom declared its neutrality in the war against Napoleon; curiously Nelson surrendered it using the same trick employed by Tordenskjold in Gothenburg. This article was originally published in La Brujula Verde. It has been translated from Spanish and republished with permission. If youre using a streaming device, chances are that you have access to some sort of free content service. While that may be the case, Amazon has something for Fire TV users. The company just unveiled the new Fire TV app, and it gives you free content from more than 400 sources, according to the Fire TV Blog. The Fire TV app gives you content from a bunch of providers This is sort of a one-stop shop for different types of content. Its called the Fire TV app, but it targets a wide range of content. You have access to several live TV streams, so youll be able to access content like live sports, the news, and more content. Advertisement Advertisement Along with the live content, theres also a plethora of on-demand content that you can watch through. There are a ton of content providers like The Hollywood Reporter, CNN, Taste of Home, MSNBC, Fox Soul, Tasty, Reuters, TMZ, and many more. It covers a wide range of content including news, sports, gaming, cooking, art, etc. As you can guess, youll be able to access this new app if youre using an Amazon Fire TV device. It should be present in your software, so you wont have to go to the store and download it. You can summon Alexa and say Play Fire TV channels. If you cant or dont want to access Alexa, you can navigate to your Apps & Channels screen. There, youll be able to find the app. This is a free addition to your Amazon Fire experience, so there are no fees or subscriptions you have to go through. Actually, you dont even need to sign-up; you can just access the app and start watching content. Thats great for people who want to watch the content but dont want to bother with creating a new password and all of the frustrations that come with that. In a recent report, it becomes clear that NVIDIA-powered Chromebooks might not be making the launch stage. News that Google was working on a gaming laptop hit the internet earlier this year. This took Chromebook lovers off their feet as they hoped for a high-performance device that they could play more games. However, their hopes for these high-performance Chromebooks with NVIDIA graphics cards might not see the light. Some experts have found proof, pointing out that Google is no longer working on this project. This doesnt mean that the idea of launching NVIDIA-powered Chromebooks has been met with Googles axe. Advertisement Advertisement There might still be plans to bring NVIDIA graphics cards to Chromebooks, but that wont happen anytime soon. At the moment, Google seems to be solidifying gaming on Chromebooks for users to benefit from. By doing this, Google will make more games available on Chromebooks and this will then increase the importance of an NVIDIA graphics card. High-performance NVIDIA-powered Chromebooks are not coming soon, but the dream isnt dead Although plans regarding NVIDIA-powered Chromebooks are on hold, the dream isnt. According to the folks at About Chromebooks, the codes that point out the existence of this plan have been replaced. On the ChromeOS baseboards, sources found out that codes Herobrine, Hades, and Agah are all gone. The baseboards clearly say that these codes are all cancelled and their projects shut down. These codes had various attributes that pointed to Googles work to build NVIDIA-powered Chromebooks. This is bad news for those who were looking forward to gaming Chromebooks that would use NVIDIA graphics cards. However, the removal of these codes leads to the birth of new codes that might bring some hope. Sources also point out that a new code, Aurora, is now in existence on the ChromeOS baseboard. This new code in question makes use of the NVIDIA RTX 3050 but doesnt show that it will be available for public usage. Google might have the intention of using this new code to lay the groundwork for truly gaming Chromebooks. With this new code, Google might work hard to perfect Steam gaming on Chromebooks and make more non-cloud-based games available. At the moment, there are only a handful of non-cloud-based games that are available for ChromeOS gamers. Once the work to perfect gaming on Chromebooks is done, netizens might then welcome a new graphics card to ChromeOS devices. This graphics card will be none other than the RTX series from NVIDIA. When these devices will become available isnt clear, but fans can keep their fingers crossed in anticipation. The Google Pixel 8 series is coming in October, most likely, and along with the devices well get a Google Camera UI revamp, it seems. This information has been revealed by Android Authority, and a bunch of screenshots also got shared. So, we can take a closer look at the new UI. This information has been shared by an anonymous source inside Google, says Android Authority. Regarding the change itself, its not all that surprising, as the Google Camera UI has been mostly unchanged since the Pixel 4 launched back in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement The Pixel 8 series will bring a Google Camera UI revamp In the new UI, photo and video modes will be more clearly separated. They were both a part of a carousel of modes you could switch between, but that will change. There will be a separate switch between photo and video modes below the carousel itself. Then, based on your choice, the carousel will change too. You can see all that in the two images below. Google will also swap the location of the camera switch button with the gallery preview button. Also, the settings pop-up will now appear if you swipe from the bottom up, not the other way around, as was the case before. You can, alternatively, of course, tap the settings icon too. The company will also rearrange some camera modes too. The Motion tab will be separated into Long Exposure and Action Pan. Google wants to make them easier to spot. The Cinematic Pan, on the other hand, will become simply Pan. Another thing youll notice is the fact the old stabilization modes are gone. Those options will be placed in the pop-up menu. Youll be able to choose between standard, active, and locked. The Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro camera specs also surfaced a while back That is basically it as far as the camera UI is concerned. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro camera specs have also been revealed by Android Authority in the past, in case youre interested in checking those out. Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to arrive in October, but Google did not reveal the launch date yet. Samsung is slowly moving towards the launch of the Galaxy S24 series. The company has already started picking up regulatory approvals for components such as batteries, while leaks reveal key specs of the upcoming devices. Internally, it has reportedly begun the firmware development for the new phones. Sources have confirmed to SamMobile that Samsung has started developing the firmware for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. The company has three separate regional versions of the firmware in development: Europe, India, and the US. More precisely, only European and the US versions of the former two models are in development. The Korean firm is readying the firmware for the Ultra model for all three regions. Advertisement Advertisement As expected, the initial build of the Galaxy S24 firmware is based on Android 14. The devices will launch in early 2024 running the latest version of Android out of the box. Samsung will ship the flagship trio with either One UI 6.0 or One UI 6.1, with the latter being more probable. The phones should get updates until Android 14. The Korean firms update policy currently guarantees four major Android OS updates and five years of security updates. The Galaxy S24 series will come in two processor variants Samsung shipped the Galaxy S23 series with Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset globally. The for Galaxy version of this chipset, which also powers the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, has a slightly faster CPU and GPU than the standard version. It was initially exclusive to Samsung, but Qualcomm recently started supplying this overclocked chip to other brands as well. Next year, Samsung will once again use an overclocked for Galaxy version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the Galaxy S24 series. However, not everyone may get this processor. The company is rumored to be going back to Exynos. The Galaxy S24 trio will ship with the Exynos 2400 in some markets, including Africa, Europe, and India. The new Snapdragon chip will reportedly be limited to China, South Korea, and the US. Considering the history of Samsungs flagship Exynos chips (all those performance, thermal, and power issues), some of you might not be best pleased with the company going back to Exynos next year. But the Korean firm is confident that its recent foundry improvements have mitigated those problems. Time will tell whether it has left behind the Exynos woes for once and all. If not, Samsung might find it tough to sell the Exynos 2400-powered Galaxy S24. X (formerly known as Twitter) is reportedly working on a new feature that makes it impossible to block users on the platform. Elon Musk himself said that blocking users makes no sense, and the feature will be removed. Blocking users is a common way on social platforms to prevent users from reaching your content or stopping them from abusing you. However, X is now going in the opposite direction and wants to remove the blocking feature. Of course, you will still be able to block users from directly messaging you. But you can no longer stop them from interactions. Advertisement Advertisement Some users now complain that removing the blocking feature makes removing abusive posts and users from the timeline harder. When you now block a user on the platform, his posts no longer appear on your timeline, and he cannot send you direct messages. You can no longer block users on X (Twitter) Twitter former CEO Jack Dorsey also agrees with the change, saying, 100%. Mute only. But the problem with a complete mute is it might not provide enough protection against abusive users. A muted user can still interact with the muter and comment on his posts. Additionaly, Musks decision to remove blocking features contradicts App Store and Google Play Store policies. Both stores require social platforms to provide users with tools to protect themselves against harassment, including the ability to block. Insisting on implementing the change might lead to removing the X app from both app stores unless Musk can settle with Google and Apple. Another question that X needs to answer is whether the accounts that were blocked before the implementation of this decision will be automatically unblocked. If the change takes effect, the only way to protect your tweets is to make your account private. Protecting free speech was arguably one of Elon Musks main incentives to pay $44 billion for Twitter. After taking over the company, the billionaire reinstated some controversial accounts like Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson, and Donald Trump. Removing the blocking feature might also align with Musks free speech incentives and the digital town square he wants to build. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Human rights defenders from Southern Tagalog called for the dismissal of complaints filed against them by government forces. Anakbayan Southern Tagalog coordinator Kenneth Rementilla and Mothers and Children for the Protection of Human Rights secretary-general Jasmin Rubia are co-respondents in a complaint. On June 26, Rementilla and Rubia received the complaint filed by Sergeant Jean Claude Bajaro of the Philippine Army. They face charges of giving material support to terrorists in violation of the Anti-Terrorism Law. The complaint stated that Rementilla and Rubia provided materials to members of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) in Batangas province in July 2022. Their subpoena was issued by Antipolo City Prosecutor Mari Elvira Herrera, who they appealed to "side with truth and justice." "Never let state forces abuse their power. Nawa'y makita po natin ang (May we see the) inconsistency, vague distinction ng (of) military between terrorists and human rights defenders," Rubia said. Meanwhile, human rights defender Hailey Pecayo is facing five criminal complaints, including violation of the Anti-Terrorism Law, genocide and crimes against humanity, and attempted murder. The military said Pecayo is a member of the New People's Army. "Makita ho sana na baseless po yung accusations sa amin Nais lang naming tumulong sa mamamayang Pilipino," Pecayo said. [Translation: I hope you can see that the accusations against us are baseless We just want to help the Filipino people.] CNN Philippines' digital producer Syrah Vivien Inocencio contributed to this story. (ANSA) - ROME, AUG 21 - A 61-year-old woman was fighting for her life in a Genoa hospital Monday after being attacked with a rock by a 34-year-old homeless man for no apparent reason near a park in the northwestern port's city centre at around noon, local sources said. They said the man struck the woman in the head with a 20cm rock repeatedly before a passerby ran him off. She was said to be "nearing death". Italy has seen a wave of violence against women this year, in which 75 women have been killed. (ANSA). Baby murderer Lucy Letby to spend rest of her life in jail for evil crimes Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in jail for her cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of murder and attempted murder of babies at the hospital where she worked. The most prolific child serial killer in modern British history was told by judge Mr Justice Goss there was a malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions for which you have no remorse. The 33-year-old was convicted by a jury of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more while working in the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. The judge handed her a whole-life order at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, for each offence, making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison. Addressing the nurse, who refused to appear in court, he said: You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions. The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving, but in each case you deliberately harmed them, intending to kill them. He went on: By their nature and number, such murders and attempted murder by a neonatal nurse entrusted to care for them is a case of very exceptional circumstances. This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder. There was a malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions. Lucy Letby did not attend her sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) Mr Justice Goss said Letbys outward appearance as a nurse who was very conscientious, hard-working and confident enabled her to repeatedly harm her victims without arousing suspicion. Confidential documents, including resuscitation notes and hundreds of work handover sheets containing childrens names, found in police searches of her home, were kept as morbid records of her actions, he said. Mr Justice Goss noted that Letby also had a fascination with the babies and their families, which extended to making repeated searches on Facebook for their parents. He concluded: You have caused deep psychological trauma, brought enduring grief and feelings of guilt, caused strains in relationships and disruption to the lives of all the families of all your victims. It is no part of my function to reach conclusions as to the underlying reason or reasons for your actions. Nor could I, for they are known only to you. Amid anger from the victims families at her refusal to attend, the judge told Letby she would be provided with copies of his remarks and the personal statements of the parents. Earlier, mothers and fathers addressed an empty dock as they told her You are nothing and You are evil. More than a dozen relatives of victims sat in the public gallery for the hearing on Monday and eight jurors returned to see the sentencing. In a statement read to the court, the mother of Child A, who was murdered by Letby, and Child B, who she attempted to kill, said: You thought it was your right to play God with our childrens lives. She said that after the death of Child A, a boy, they feared for his twin sister, and made sure a member of the family was always with her, but made a mistake and started to believe what happened to the first child was a tragic event that couldnt be stopped. She added: Little did we know you were waiting for us to leave so you could attack the one thing that gave us a reason to carry on in life. In the statement, made on behalf of her and her partner, she said: Maybe you thought by doing this you would be remembered forever, but I want you to know my family will never think of you again. From this day you are nothing. The mother of Child I, a premature-born girl, said her husband wished he was dead, he wished it was him that died and not their daughter. When they handed (Child I) to us we never wanted to let her go, we held her so tight, she was our gorgeous little princess and I cant even begin to explain the pain. When we lost her a part of us died with her, she said. Another parent said hospital bosses told her a police probe was out of the question after the death of her child, a full-term girl referred to as Child D, on June 22 2015. Hers was the third infant death in a fortnight equalling the total number of deaths on the neonatal unit for the whole of 2014. Child Ds mother told the court she asked for her medical notes and met doctors and management from the Countess of Chester Hospital. She said: We got a solicitor and I wanted the police involved. At that stage I was told this was not a criminal matter, so the police was out of the question. Hospital bosses have come under intense scrutiny over the steps taken to remove Letby from the unit following concerns by consultants. The Government has ordered a non-statutory independent inquiry to look at the case, including the hospitals handling of it, but families and politicians have called for it to be put on a judge-led statutory footing. Asked whether it would be by reporters on Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: I think the important thing for the inquiry to do is make sure that families get the answers that they need, that it is possible for us to learn the lessons from what happened, everything conducted transparently and to happen as quickly as possible. But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for a statutory inquiry, saying what it gives you is the power to order documents, to order witnesses to come forward so we get the fullest, proper, comprehensive analysis of what went wrong here. As Director of Public Prosecutions, I saw how crucial it is for victims and their families that perpetrators appear in court. That criminals can cowardly hide away is a shamefully exploited loophole, and one Labour will close. Victims must be at the heart of our justice system. Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 21, 2023 Ministers have also vowed to give judges the power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing after Letbys refusal, which comes amid growing calls following the non-attendance of the killers of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. The mother of Child E, a premature boy who died, and Child F, his twin brother, who survived, told the court that the nurses refusal to appear was just one final act of wickedness from a coward. Mr Sunak described Letby as cowardly, while Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said it was the final insult. Earlier, Ben Myers KC, defending, said Letbys sentence was fixed by law as to the minimum period to be served and, in those circumstances, there was nothing he could add in mitigation. He said: Miss Letby has maintained her innocence throughout these proceedings. Letby was cleared of two counts of attempted murder. The jury of seven women and four men were unable to reach verdicts from the 10-month trial on six counts of attempted murder in relation to five children. Prosecutors are expected to decide next month whether to press for a retrial on those counts. A 10-year-old girl who was found dead at her home was known to Surrey County Council, the local authority has said. Sara Sharif was found in Woking after police were called from Pakistan by her father, Urfan Sharif, at about 2.50am on August 10, Surrey Police have said. Mr Sharif, 41, his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 28, are wanted for questioning. Police believe they travelled to Islamabad on August 9, with five children aged between one and 13. Surrey County Council said they were working tirelessly with our safeguarding partners to gain a full understanding of the situation as quickly as possible. Urfan Sharif is wanted for questioning (Surrey Police/PA) On Friday council leader Tim Oliver said: This is an incredibly sad situation and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with everyone affected. He said the national Child Safeguarding panel has been notified of the death and a multi-agency rapid review is under way, in line with standard process following the death of a child. He explained: This rapid review will determine whether a local child safeguarding practice review (LCSPR) is to be undertaken by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership. An LCSPR is a statutory process, bringing together partners including the police, health, social care and education to review practice of all agencies involved, organisational structures and learning. He told the PA news agency on Sunday: We can confirm Sara Sharif was known to Surrey County Council but we cannot comment further while the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnerships thorough review process is ongoing. On Saturday the Associated Press news agency reported that Pakistan police in the eastern province of Punjab are seeking to arrest Mr Sharif in connection with Saras death. Mr Sharifs family home is reportedly in Jhelum, Punjab, about 84 miles from the capital. Officer Imran Ahmed said police found evidence that he had briefly returned to Jhelum, before leaving and disappearing, AP reported. Sara suffered extensive injuries over a sustained period before she was found dead at the property in Hammond Road, a post-mortem examination showed. Travel companies and a consumer group are urging the Prime Minister to take decisive action on behalf of British holidaymakers by enabling the aviation regulator to fine airlines. In a joint letter to Rishi Sunak, they called for the Kings Speech on November 7 to include a Bill focused on strengthening the Civil Aviation Authoritys (CAA) ability to enforce breaches of consumer rules. Among the signatories were holiday companies loveholidays, On the Beach, Riviera Travel and Thomas Cook, consumer group Which? and travel business organisations the Association of Independent Tour Operators and Advantage Travel Partnership. Thousands of flights to and from UK airports have been cancelled this summer due to issues such as air traffic control restrictions and wildfires on Rhodes and other Greek islands. Many affected holidaymakers claim airlines have ignored their legal responsibilities during disruption, which can include booking customers a ticket with a rival airline so they reach their destination as quickly as possible, and providing meals and overnight accommodation. The letter to Mr Sunak stated: As a coalition of consumer advocates and travel companies, we urge you to show your support for British holidaymakers affected by this summers air travel disruption by agreeing to strengthen the Civil Aviation Authoritys (CAA) enforcement powers through this autumns Kings Speech. This summer has seen the all too familiar sight of holidaymakers plans ruined by air travel disruption; this time through UK and European strike action, thousands of summer flight cancellations, and the terrible environmental impact of wildfires. While some of these issues are outside of airlines control, they are routinely failing whats in their control: to uphold their customers legal rights to rerouting and refunds, and provide clear and timely passenger information. In July, the Department for Transport said in its response to a consultation that the CAA will be given the power to fine airlines, but gave no timescale for when legislation will be introduced. CAA joint-interim chief executive Paul Smith said: We have long called for a stronger enforcement toolkit to bring us in line with other UK regulators. The plans recently announced by the Government would achieve this and help ensure that the UK Civil Aviation Authority is better equipped to hold the industry to account in meeting their obligations to passengers. Blocks on childminders looking after children in their rental properties should be lifted to help boost numbers in the sector, a minister has told landlords. Childrens minister Claire Coutinho has written to housing associations, social landlords and developers urging them to review restrictive clauses in tenant contracts which could prevent them from working in their own homes. The restrictions are seen as a factor that can discourage people from considering a career in childminding. She said: We have outstanding, high-quality childminders, offering flexible and accessible childcare in a home-like environment. Too often prospective childminders are having the door slammed in their faces because they face a blanket ban on working from home. It comes as the UK Government lays the groundwork to begin offering more free childcare provision to parents. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced reforms for England in the Budget in March which will allow some families of children as young as nine months to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week. From April next year, working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare. This will be extended to working parents of all children older than nine months from September next year. According to the Department for Education (DfE), the number of childminders operating in England has more than halved over the past 10 years, with ministers looking to reverse the trend ahead next years childcare offer expansion. Officials at the department said childminders who are living in leasehold properties are sometimes blocked by so-called restrictive covenants which prevent the property from being used for business purposes. Some who are living in rented accommodation have found that their tenancy agreements prevent them from registering their business or that their landlords mortgage agreements include restrictions from the lender, DfE officials said. Childrens minister Claire Coutinho has written to landlords about the barriers tenants face when embarking on a childminder career (UK Parliament/PA) As well as attempting to remove rental sector barriers to childminding, ministers have also announced other measures designed to encourage more people into caring for school-aged children. The Conservative Government said it has tabled amendments to the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill that will allow professionals to work in groups of up to four childminders in total in a bid to tackle loneliness in the sector. The childminder start-up grant, worth up to 1,200 for all childminders who have joined the profession since the Budget, is also due to be rolled out soon, according to the DfE. Ms Coutinho said: We are addressing the challenges childminders face including loneliness, where they work, long registration times and local authority pay timetables. Through our support of the sector, we will deliver the flexible care that parents need. But the organisation representing private residential landlords in England and Wales said it will not accept the blame for systemic issues in the childcare sector. Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: No landlord wants to stand in the way of the provision of childcare, but the Government must recognise that housing providers are not the issue. The Governments encouragement to landlords to be open-minded is no doubt well-meaning but fails entirely to acknowledge the very real issues facing the childcare industry or the legitimate concerns of housing providers. Mortgage lenders and insurers need to be more flexible in enabling landlords to allow childminders to operate from the properties they let. Tenancy deposits must also be allowed to reflect the greater risk of damage to properties being used for childminding. We will continue to work with the Government on the difficulties and barriers landlords face in enabling tenants to become childminders but refuse to accept the blame for systemic issues in another industry. Separately, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is urging parents to check they are claiming the free childcare hours they are already entitled to, with the data showing around one in 20 children nationally may be missing out. There are 10 days left to claim for hours for the autumn term, the Cabinet minister said. Ms Keegan said: I wouldnt want any family to miss out because they cant find childcare that meets their needs or simply didnt know how much they were entitled to. A Lebanese man who took his three children abroad while their mother was away has been handed a suspended jail term by a family court judge. Judge Sonia Harris concluded that electronic appliance dealer Samer Abdul Sater, 41, had breached court orders to return the youngsters to their mother Flora Abdul-Sater, 30, in England and was in contempt. She imposed an 18-month jail term, suspended for six months, after being told how Mrs Abdul-Sater had not seen sons William, seven, and Alexander, five, and daughter Jazmin, three, since they were taken from their then home in Egham, Surrey, in June 2022. The judge said Abdul Sater had taken to the children while their mother was away on a work trip. Flora Abdul-Sater (top right) with her children Alexander Abdul-Sater (top left), William Abdul-Sater, (bottom right) and Jazmin Abdul-Sater (Flora Abdul-Sater/PA) She heard that the youngsters were in Lebanon. Mrs Abdul-Sater, an economist originally from Hungary, had begun committal proceedings in the hope of forcing her estranged husband to return the youngsters. Judge Harris sentenced Abdul Sater at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Monday. The judge concluded that Abdul Sater, who was not at the hearing, had breached six court orders. She said he had persistently failed to comply with judges orders and persistently failed to attend court hearings and shown disrespect. The judge added: This court considers the conduct of Mr Abdul Sater to be particularly serious. She said she was satisfied it was right to sentence Abdul Sater in his absence. Mrs Abdul-Sater, who no longer lives in Egham, is being represented by law firm Dawson Cornwell. Barrister Mani Basi, who led Mrs Abdul-Saters legal team, told the judge: The children have not been returned to England and they remain in Lebanon. He said she had last spoken to the children by telephone earlier this month and added: My client has no connection with Lebanon herself and is fearful for the childrens safety and their welfare. Mr Basi said Abdul Sater had breached many orders and told the judge: He has no respect for the jurisdiction of England and Wales. The judge said the children were wards of court but concluded that it would be in their best interests if they were allowed to be named in media reports of the case. Lucy Letby to be sent victim impact statements after refusing to appear in court Lucy Letby will be sent copies of victim impact statements read out during her sentencing after refusing to appear in court. The 33-year-old did not appear in the dock at Manchester Crown Court on Monday as she was given a whole-life order after being convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more. The judge, Mr Justice Goss, ordered that she be sent a transcript of his sentencing remarks and copies of the statements read out by the families of her victims. He said: The defendant, Lucy Letby, has refused to attend court for this sentence hearing. Accordingly, I have to sentence her in her absence. I shall deliver the sentencing remarks as if she was present to hear them. And I direct that she is provided with a transcript of my remarks and copies of the victim personal statements read to the court. The statement from the mother of twin boys Child E and Child F, who Letby was convicted of murdering and attempting to murder respectively, said her absence was one final act of wickedness. She told the court: Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is. We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough and stays in her cell just one final act of wickedness from a coward. Rishi Sunak branded the serial child murderer cowardly for refusing to appear for sentencing. The Prime Minister said the Government was looking at changing the law so criminals could be compelled to attend sentencing hearings. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak branded Lucy Letby cowardly (Euan Duff/PA) He was asked during a visit to a nursery in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on Monday whether ministers were moving too slowly on making the change. Mr Sunak told broadcasters: The first thing is to extend my sympathies to everyone affected by this. I think, like everyone reading about this, its just shocking and harrowing. Now, I think its cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims and hear first-hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones. We are looking, and have been, at changing the law to make sure that that happens and thats something that well bring forward in due course. Letby joins a string of offenders in recent years who have refused to attend court as their punishment is handed down. Lucy Letby refused to attend her sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) Judges can order defendants to come to court before verdicts are delivered. If they fail to obey, they can be found in contempt of court and face up to two years in prison but the law does not cover sentencing hearings. Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government was committed to changing the law so criminals could be compelled to attend sentencing, after the non-attendance of the killers of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. On Monday, he said the Government was looking to change the law at the earliest opportunity. He added: Nothing could begin to undo the damage that Lucy Letby has done. Justice has been served, but it was an insult to the families of her victims that Letby failed to appear in the dock to hear her sentence handed down. She took the cowards approach, insulting her victims one last time by robbing their families of the chance to look her in the eye as the judge decided her fate. Cases like these make me even more determined to make sure the worst offenders attend court to face justice, when ordered by the judge. Thats why we are looking at options to change the law at the earliest opportunity to ensure that in the silence that follows the clang of the prison gate, societys condemnation will be ringing in prisoners ears. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of dragging its heels (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The PA news agency understands plans could be put forward as early as the autumn, as soon as parliamentary time allows. But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of dragging its heels over changing the law. He said: I hope the Government will do it because I think it can be done very quickly. If they dont, we will force an amendment to appropriate legislation. But actually, my position is to invite the Government to get on with it, to offer Labours support so this could go through very, very quickly. This isnt the first case. The Government has been dragging its heels on this. Get on with it, for the sake of these victims, and of course, the other cases that went before it. Lord Thomas, a cross-bench peer and former Lord Chief Justice, told BBC Radio 4s PM programme that for sentences short of whole-life terms the obvious answer is to have powers to add to the sentence if the person convicted fails to attend. But he said the threat of a longer sentence would be completely pointless in the case of someone already receiving a whole-life order. Addressing the option of forcibly requiring the convicted to attend sentencing, he added: Having once seen someone in the United States bound and gagged in court, I dont think that that is an appropriate solution. The judge told the court he would deliver his sentencing remarks as if Letby was present to hear them (Elizabeth Cook/PA) He said one alternative would be to broadcast the judges remarks to the persons cell. Jebina Islam, sister of Ms Nessa who has been campaigning on the issue after her own familys experience, said: Its amazing that this is actually happening. The thought of these predators choosing to come to court was truly outrageous and unfair for the victim and their families and now we have put a stop to this. I am over the moon that this change is happening and thank everyone for their support and love. Ayse Hussein, cousin of Jan Mustafa who was murdered in east London and who has also campaigned on the issue, said: In our case it was a double murder, and knowing that the perpetrator was allowed to sit comfortably in his cell while the judge read out the impact statements was a stab in the back. The perpetrator should be in the dock facing the family and listening to what he has put us through and to see the pain and tears, because he has caused this by killing our loved ones, but because of the law he doesnt have to see or hear anything. This is wrong and has to change. Londons victims commissioner, Claire Waxman, said offenders must be made to face sentencing in court and hear the impact of their crimes, or face consequences if they refuse. Welcome this from @AlexChalkChelt We know forcing offenders to court may have unintended consequences for families but we have been devising solutions with justice partners and families to alleviate some of the pain this cowardly act causes them. Look forward to working with Govt https://t.co/BrX2ZDVSqk Victims Commissioner London (@LDNVictimsComm) August 21, 2023 Mr Sunak also defended the non-statutory inquiry announced by the Government into Letbys crimes amid calls for it to be put on a statutory footing led by a judge. Asked whether it should be upgraded to a judge-led inquiry, with the power to compel witnesses to appear before it, the Prime Minister said: I think the important thing for the inquiry to do is make sure that families get the answers that they need, that it is possible for us to learn the lessons from what happened, everything conducted transparently, and to happen as quickly as possible. Those are the objectives that we want for the inquiry and well make sure that its set up to deliver on those aims. Childrens minister Claire Coutinho argued that the independent inquiry launched after Letbys convictions on Friday would be much quicker. But Dame Christine Beasley, a former chief nursing officer, warned that witnesses can opt out of it if they want to as she joined a growing list of figures pushing for the investigation to be strengthened. Downing Street later suggested the inquiry could be put on a statutory footing but could not say when terms of reference would be published. Asked by reporters if the Government had ruled out a statutory inquiry, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: No, I think as you heard the Prime Minister say this morning, we are focused on the outcomes. The most important thing is to make sure families get the answers they need and that its possible to learn the lessons, that its done transparently and that it happens as quickly as possible. And thats crucial. And obviously, we will have an inquiry on the right footing to achieve that. Pressed again on whether it could be a statutory inquiry, he said: As I say, we will put it on the right footing to achieve those outcomes. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for unity anew as he joined the country in commemorating the 40th death anniversary of former senator Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr. In a statement on Monday, Marcos said Aquino became an example of being relentless and resolute for many Filipinos. He also said Filipinos must gain inspiration from Aquinos indomitable spirit, as he called on them to unite for the nations progress. In our purposive quest for a more united and prosperous Philippines, let us transcend political barriers that hamper us from securing the comprehensive welfare and advancement of our beloved people, he said. Let us allow this compelling force to promote collaboration, celebrate diversity, and create a society that is teeming with vitality and inspiration, Marcos added. Speaking to CNN Philippines The Final Word, Filipino writer and columnist Manuel Manolo Quezon III said Marcos statement on Ninoy Aquino Day is pragmatic. It puts his own supporters in a tough spot where they had to applaud it when what they were expecting was probably an abolition of this commemoration, he said. Quezon III said Marcos is trying to stay true to himself in two ways being the son of his father and as a leader of the country. Marcos is toeing a fine line of not disrespecting his own father while not categorically starting a new fight with the admirers of Ninoy, he added. The former speechwriter of the late president Benigno Aquino III added that Marcos statement showed he does not want to bring up old fights, considering he has many fights on many fronts at present. Aquino, a known critic of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, was assassinated on the tarmac of the then Manila International Airport on Aug. 21, 1983 as he returned from self-exile in the United States. Meanwhile, former Manila mayor Lito Atienza said he considers Aug. 21, 1983 as the day that democracy was restored in the country. At a forum on Monday, Atienza said Ninoy's assassination 40 years ago prompted Filipinos to push back against Martial Law. Atienza was a candidate for councilor and was on the stage in Plaza Miranda when it was bombed, killing nine people and wounding 95 others. The elder Marcos used the bombing to justify the suspension of habeas corpus, which was a prelude to his declaration of Martial Law in 1972. CNN Philipppines' Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report. A police re-investigation into the Birmingham pub bombings which killed 21 people will not lead to criminal charges due to insufficient evidence. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that it could not bring charges despite a thorough and careful review of evidence related to the 1974 atrocities. 21 people were killed in what remains the worst unsolved terrorist attack on the UK mainland. There was hope that a new investigation by West Midlands Police could bring justice but the CPS has said that it could not positively identify who planted the bombs. West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Jayne Meir said: We submitted all the evidence available to the Crown Prosecution Service for their consideration and we note their decision. Our thoughts remain with the families and victims of this terrible atrocity. We remain committed to bringing to justice those responsible for the Birmingham pub bombings. The CPS said that it reviewed a new file of evidence collected by West Midlands Police but could not bring charges due to there being insufficient evidence to identify who planted the bombs. It said that it would continue to support police should there be further lines of enquiry. As well as those killed, more than 200 people were injured after twin blasts tore through the Tavern in the Town and Mulberry Bush pubs on November 21, 1974. The remains of the Mulberry Bush pub in Birmingham on November 22, 1974. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the attacks (PA) A third bomb failed to go off and was recovered, but later lost, by West Midlands Police. Six Irishmen Hugh Callaghan, Paddy Hill, Gerry Hunter, John Walker, Richard McIlkenny and Billy Power were wrongly convicted over the attacks and jailed for life in 1975, but were freed in 1991 after the Court of Appeal ruled their convictions were unsafe. West Midlands Police lost a court appeal in 2020 to force the journalist Chris Mullin to hand over source material from the 1980s which was said to contain a confession from the true perpetrator of the crimes. The Guardian reported that in a letter to the victims families, the CPS said that it did not have sufficient evidence to identify who made the confession to Mr Mullin and that it was unlikely that a new court order compelling him to reveal the source would be granted. On Monday, Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: The Birmingham pub bombings were a terrorist atrocity which cut short the lives of 21 people and injured many more who were simply seeking to enjoy their evening. The attack has brought such unimaginable grief and our thoughts remain with the family, friends and every one of the victims. The victims families, through the Justice4the21 campaign group, have long been calling for a public inquiry into the attack, which was spotlighted after the announcement of an inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing in February this year. Justice4the21 has been approached for comment. Inquests into the deaths were held in Birmingham in 2019, where an anonymous witness, named Witness O, named the perpetrators as Mick Murray, Seamus McLoughlin and James Francis Gavin, who have since died, and Michael Hayes, who admitted on television in 2017 to being involved in the bomb plot. Meanwhile, Margaret Smith, the mother of bombings victim Maxine Hambleton, has issued a civil writ against a fifth man, Michael Patrick Reilly, who was arrested in November 2020 and later unconditionally released as police investigated the bombings. Ms Smith is also suing the former chief constable of West Midlands Police, Sir David Thompson, claiming the forces investigation was conducted negligently and in breach of its statutory duty. A family whose lives were turned upside down when their three-month-old baby was diagnosed with an aggressive and rare blood cancer are searching for a stem cell DNA match to maximise his chances of survival. Francis, from Walton, Liverpool, was described by his mother Anna as a joyful baby who hardly ever cried. He was given blood tests after she spotted an unexplained bruise on his arm when he was just six weeks old. While initial tests failed to reveal anything abnormal, Francis was eventually given a bone marrow biopsy when he became very ill and tired. Anna was told he has acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a type of blood cancer which causes the bone marrow to make too many abnormal white blood cells and prevents it from making healthy blood cells. According to the NHS, about 3,100 people are diagnosed with AML in the UK each year. The risk of developing the disease increases with age and it is most common in those over the age of 75. Franciss biopsy showed his bone marrow was 80% cancer cells. Anna said: Finding out that our baby has blood cancer has completely turned our world upside down. You never think something like this will happen to you, you feel so desperate. Were devastated that Francis is having to face something so hard so young. Francis has been admitted to Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool where he will undergo chemotherapy before being transferred to Manchester Childrens Hospital in November. Doctors have informed the family that at the end of his treatment, Francis will need a stem cell transplant as his only chance of a cure. The family are now urging people to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register in a bid to find Francis a match. Anna said: If youre able to sign up, please consider becoming a stem cell donor. You could save the life of someone like Francis and give hope to their loved ones too. The signing up process requires filling out a form online. Anthony Nolan will send those interested a cheek swab, which should be returned to the charity before a person is added to the register. Henny Braund, chief executive of Anthony Nolan, said: It would mean everything to Franciss family to find him a donor before November when he will need his transplant. We will be supporting them as they wait for news of a donor who could give him a second chance at life. If youre aged 16-30, in good health, you could give hope to someone like Francis by joining the Anthony Nolan register today. We are particularly urging young men to consider signing up they are far more likely to be chosen to donate but they are less likely to sign up. Rishi Sunak failed to guarantee he will be able to stop small boat crossings in the English Channel by the next general election as he acknowledged the complexity of the issue. The Prime Minister expressed his commitment to stopping the boats and highlighted that the number of illegal migrants making the dangerous journey this year is down for the first time in some years. However, he said he would not be being straight with the public if he claimed the crisis can be solved overnight. His comments came during a visit to a nursery in North Yorkshire, during which he was asked whether he would be able to sort the small boats crisis by the next election. (PA Graphics) Mr Sunak told broadcasters: One of my five priorities is to stop the boats. The current system is both unsustainable and is completely unfair, but particularly unfair on British taxpayers who are forking out millions of pounds to house illegal migrants in hotels and local communities. Thats not right. Weve got to put a stop to that. And were working on it. Its not an easy problem to fix. I never said we would be able to solve it overnight. It will take time and we have to attack it from lots of different ways. But I am pleased that the number of illegal migrants crossing this year is down for the first time in some years. That shows that our plans are working, but of course theres still more to do and people should know I am determined to grip this problem, and thats why one of my five priorities is to stop the boats. Pressed again on whether it will be done by the next election, he said: I want it to be done as soon as possible, but I also want to be honest with people that it is a complex problem. There is not one simple solution and it cant be solved overnight and I wouldnt be being straight with people if I said that was possible. Almost 18,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year. Some 1,278 people made the journey last week, with crossings taking place on six out of seven days. This takes the provisional total for 2023 to date to 17,957. The average number of migrants per boat rose to around 67 on Sunday when 337 people were detected in five boats. On days with multiple crossings, this is the highest daily average per boat so far this year, PA news agency analysis shows. But there was a single crossing recorded on February 15 with 69 people on board. (PA Graphics) During the same visit, Mr Sunak also defended plans to house migrants on an RAF base in Lincolnshire that has historic links to the Second World War Dambusters raid. Asked about the risk that moving asylum seekers into RAF Scampton poses to a multimillion-pound investment, he told regional broadcasters: Of course the Home Office and other authorities are in dialogue with all local partners to work through all the outstanding issues and questions. On why migrants housed in Lincolnshire hotels are not set to be moved to RAF Scampton, with local businesses facing a prolonged squeeze as a result, he added: We are investing in driving growth in the local economy, and at the same time we are taking decisive action to stop the boats. That is why our new law in Parliament is so important. It has been opposed by other parties but I think it is the right thing to do, and we are taking action to reduce, as I say, the amount that taxpayers are spending on housing illegal migrants in hotels. It is millions of pounds a day that is not right, it is not fair. People boarding the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge at Portland Port in Dorset (James Manning/PA) With a capacity of more than 500, the Government also hopes that the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge, together with former military bases, will help reduce the amount it is spending on hotel bills. However, just days after the first migrants arrived at the vessel, they had to be removed because of the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply. The Prime Ministers official spokesman told reporters: The Home Office are still awaiting the results of the further tests. As I said, they want to re-embark people as soon as possible once those tests have been completed. He added: We continue to work closely with the contractors on this to make sure that the accommodation is appropriate and we have all the tests in place. A total of 850 people are missing in connection with the deadly wildfires that devastated Maui earlier this month, the county's mayor announced. In an overnight update posted to Facebook, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said there were now 850 people officially believed to be missing. At least 114 people died in the wildfires, the deadliest in modern U.S. history, he noted. He said 27 victims have so far been identified, with 11 of the victims' families notified. At least 850 people officially declared missing in Maui wildfires, mayor says (Yuki Iwamura / AFP - Getty Images) Bissen said the number of missing people was the result of the FBI combining and refining various lists of missing people. "We are both saddened and relieved about these numbers," he said. "There is positive news in this number, because when this process began, the missing person list contained over 2,000 names," he said, noting that more than 1,285 people have been located safe. While the number of people initially feared missing was more than 2,000, as Bissen noted, it dropped as cellphone communications were restored and people were able to make contact with their loved ones. Arriving at an accurate count in a mass casualty disaster can in some cases take months or even years, researchers and forensic anthropologists said. Were still trying to take stock of who was in the area during the fire, who is missing, Lynn Goldman, an epidemiologist and the dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, which studied the death toll after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017, previously told NBC News. Were talking about people who lived in Lahaina, tourists, transients. The death toll number is always provisional, in a way, she said. I assume people wont stop trying to find remains and the work will take a very, very long time. On Friday, the FBI announced the opening of a site where people could provide DNA samples that would be matched with the remains that have already been found, in a bid to help expedite the process of identifying victims. President Biden visited Hawaii Monday to view the widespread damage from the recent Maui wildfires, meet with survivors and officials -- and fend off criticism that his administration responded to the disaster too slowly. The president and first lady Jill Biden arrived nearly two weeks after ferocious, wind-whipped blazes claimed at least 115 lives and likely many more. They returned to the U.S. mainland later in the day, arriving in Reno, Nevada overnight en route to Lake Tahoe, where the Bidens are scheduled to vacation for several days. Mr. Biden began his visit to Maui with an aerial tour, a common way for presidents to view the magnitude of disaster zones without hampering the response on the ground. From above, Mr. Biden had a clear view of the devastation wrought on the community of Lahaina. Hawaii's governor says many of the victims of Lahaina may be children. "To the people of Hawaii, we're with you for as long as it takes, I promise you," the president said in brief remarks from Lahaina Monday. "May God bless all those we've lost, may God find those who we haven't determined yet, and may God bless you all." On the ground in Lahaina, the president surveyed the damage, and heard firsthand from first responders and local leaders. He also met with community elders out of the earshot of reporters. In brief remarks, Mr. Biden said the federal government will be with the people of Maui for as long as they are needed, while being "respectful" of the sacred ground and wishes of the people of Maui. "We're focused on what's next that's rebuilding the long-term rebuilding for long-term and doing it together to help get us back on our feet," the president said. "To rebuild the way we want to rebuild, by making sure your voices are heard, but respecting your traditions, by understanding the deep history and meaning of this sacred ground, and establishing your community not to change its character, but to reestablish it." In Lahaina, the president announced he's appointing Bob Fenton, the Federal Emergency Management Agency regional administrator responsible for Hawaii, to head up the federal response to Maui. Marine One flies as U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden (not pictured) arrive at Kahului Airport, in Maui, Hawaii, U.S., August 21, 2023. / Credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE / REUTERS "The biggest thing that the president needs to see is just the actual impact. It really feels different when you're on the ground and can see the total devastation of Lahaina," Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanna Criswell, who is traveling with the Bidens, said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday before the president's trip. Mr. Biden issued a major disaster declaration on Aug. 10, two days after the devastating fires, to expedite federal funding and assistance to the area. U.S. President Joe Biden attends a community event at the Lahaina Civic Center, in the fire-ravaged town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii, U.S., August 21, 2023. / Credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE / REUTERS But some critics, including disgruntled survivors in Hawaii and some Republicans hoping to face Mr. Biden in next year's presidential election, say federal aid has been inadequate and poorly organized. Former President Donald Trump said it was "disgraceful" that his successor hadn't responded more quickly, though White House spokespersons have said Mr. Biden delayed his trip so he wouldn't distract officials and rescuers on the ground from recovery efforts. Criswell, defending the government's response during appearances on Sunday talk shows, said Mr. Biden's presence Monday should underscore his commitment to ensuring Hawaii's recovery. She said more than 1,000 federal responders were now on the ground in Hawaii, adding that none of them would have to be moved to the U.S. Southwest to help as Tropical Storm Hilary moved through. Maui residents say the process of recovering lost loved ones and identifying bodies has been agonizingly slow. Members of a search-and-rescue team walk along a street on Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. / Credit: Rick Bowmer / AP Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said more than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for and that the number probably includes many children. He warned it could be impossible to find all of the missing. While search teams have covered 85% of the search zone, the remaining 15% could take weeks, Green said on "Face the Nation," adding that the fire's extreme heat meant it might be impossible to recover some remains "meaningfully." Maui officials said late Monday that 100% of the single-story residential properties had been searched in the disaster area and teams will now transition to searching multi-story residential and commercial properties. By their very nature, they will likely take much longer to go through than the single-story residential structures, Green has said. Criswell acknowledged that the process could be frustratingly slow, but said the federal government had sent experts from the FBI, the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services to help with the slow and painstaking identification process. "The structures that are burned have been burned completely," Christy Bormann, a member of the search and rescue team who is working with a cadaver dog, told CBS News. "So, we're talking about ash and we're talking about metal. That's basically what's left of those structures." Green conceded he wished sirens would have alerted residents on Maui to evacuate as the blaze quickly spread through Lahaina, calling the response by the island's now-former emergency chief "utterly unsatisfactory to the world." "Of course, as a person, as a father, as a doctor, I wish all the sirens went off," Green told "Face the Nation." "The challenge that you've heard and it's not to excuse or explain anything the challenge has been that historically, those sirens are used for tsunamis." "Do I wish those sirens went off? Of course, I do," Green said. "I think that the answer that the emergency administrator from Maui, who's resigned, was of course utterly unsatisfactory to the world. But it is the case that we've historically not used those kinds of warnings for fires." Herman Andaya, the former Maui County emergency chief, cited health concerns as the reason for his resignation. He was off island attending a conference for Hawaii first responders when the fires broke out. However, several of his counterparts pulled out of the event so they could prepare their communities, sources told CBS News. The aftermath of a wildfire is visible in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. / Credit: Jae C. Hong / AP While viewed as almost politically mandatory, presidential visits to major disaster zones can carry risks. When President George W. Bush traveled to Louisiana in 2005 to witness the historic devastation of Hurricane Katrina, critics seized on pictures of him looking out the window of Air Force One while flying over New Orleans to say his arms-length visit lacked empathy. And when then-President Trump casually tossed rolls of paper towels into a crowd in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico in 2017, critics called his gesture cavalier and insensitive. Trump to surrender in Georgia Thursday, first co-defendant turns himself in At least 25 minutes from help: Living in an "ambulance desert" Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals The FBI is searching for a member of the Proud Boys who was scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Washington on Friday but is now missing, according to court records and the US Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. Christopher Worrell, 52, was convicted in a bench trial on seven charges related to his actions during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The FBI has released a wanted poster for Worrell saying he violated conditions of release pending sentencing. Worrell is wanted for violating conditions of release pending sentencing on federal charges related to the violence at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, the poster states. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Worrell in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, Washington, D.C., on August 15, 2023. We are interested in hearing from any members of the public who might have information regarding Mr. Worrells whereabouts, Patty Hartman, a spokesperson for the US Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia, told CNN in a statement. Worrells attorneys declined to comment. Worrell has been under house arrest in Florida. His case had become a cause celebre in right-wing circles because of his health issues while in jail and claims that officials had dragged their feet in getting him medical treatment for a broken finger. He is also diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and at one point he contracted Covid-19 while at the jail. Worrells sentencing was canceled on Tuesday and a bench warrant for his arrest was issued, according to court records. Federal prosecutors were seeking a 14-year sentence for Worrell, according to the governments sentencing memorandum which was submitted on Sunday. Worrell was found guilty, after a bench trial in which he perjured himself, of assaulting a group of police officers with a deadly and dangerous weapon in order to thwart Congresss certification of the 2020 electoral vote and the peaceful transition of power, prosecutors wrote in the memorandum. The FBI asked that anyone with information on Worrells whereabouts contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate. CNNs Hannah Rabinowitz and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this story. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com PALM SPRINGS, Calif. The remnants of Hurricane Hilary lashed a swath of the West from the mountains and deserts to the Pacific Ocean beaches Monday after triggering mudslides, flooding and water rescues across Southern California. Rain and debris washed out roadways and left vehicles stranded in standing water. Parts of Los Angeles County had almost 7 inches of rain; Beverly Hills had almost 5 inches by early Monday. Downtown Los Angeles saw its wettest August day ever on Sunday when 2.48 inches fell. More than 100 miles to the east in Riverside County, a foot of rain fell on Mount San Jacinto. The nearby Coachella Valley was hit hard, and Palm Springs police at one point Sunday said 911 lines were down so residents had to text 911 or reach out to the nearest police or fire station. Crews in Rancho Mirage pumped floodwaters out of the Eisenhower Medical Center. Officials in Palm Desert urged residents to stay home or proceed with caution while workers cleaned up downed trees and mitigated flooding. This storm has been unlike anything our community has faced before," authorities said in a Facebook post. "Not everything is a quick fix, but our team is doing our best to have Palm Desert up and running." Schools, businesses and offices closed across the region as the storm remained capable of "life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding" for parts of the Southwest, the National Weather Service warned. The National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical storm but warned the system could produce another 2 to 4 inches of rain in many areas. Isolated communities across portions of Southern California and southern Nevada could see up to 12 inches through Monday, forecasters said. As the storm rolled north, parts of Oregon and Idaho were already experiencing heavy rain Monday. Some areas could get hit with up to 5 inches through Tuesday morning, resulting in some "significant" flash flooding, the weather service said. But Southern California was not free of Hilary. "Across interior Southern California, road and rail line closures due to major flooding, washouts and mudslides are likely, putting a significant strain on infrastructure," said Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather director of forecasting operations. Tropical Storm Hilary updates: Storm drenches Southern California, prompting floods, rescues A large tree is uprooted and caused damage in Palm Desert, Calif., on Aug. 21, 2023. The Coachella Valley was cleaning up after Tropical Storm Hilary moved through. Developments: In San Diego, rescue teams pulled 13 people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Mayor Todd Gloria declared a state of emergency ahead of the 1.82 inches of rain the city received Sunday the most of any August day on record. Images of a flooded Dodger Stadium parking lot became a trending topic on social media Sunday, but by the next morning the area had dried out, according to a Dodgers tweet. Preliminary 36-hour rainfall from southern Nevada shows that Bristlecone, west of Las Vegas, was inundated with 6 inches, breaking the rainfall record for a tropical cyclone or remnant for the state. South-central Arizona could see strong, severe thunderstorms Monday, the weather service said. Hilary tracker: Hilary tracker: Follow storm's path as post-tropical cyclone moves into Nevada Seniors rescued with earthmover in desert community In Cathedral City, a desert community of about 50,000 just east of Palm Springs, 14 seniors were pulled from a home care facility with the help of earthmovers on Monday. They were among the 46 people who were rescued in the city after a mudflow that developed Sunday night trapped several people in cars, homes, and even a train. After Hilary had dropped over 3 inches of rain across the Coachella Valley, low-lying desert roads and some homes were damaged by flooding in addition to being submerged in mud. Earthmovers were used to rescue the 14 seniors when the homes in the area became inundated with mud. They were transferred to other care facilities after the dramatic rescue. Its not something I have ever done in my 34 years as a firefighter, Cathedral City Fire Chief Michael Contreras said of the rescue. But disasters like this really cause us to have to really look at those means of rescue that arent in a book and that you dont use every day. Hilary leaves behind thick layers of mud Abundant amounts of mud where it doesn't belong were one of the most noteworthy effects of Hilary's journey through Southern California, causing traffic backups from layers of sludge thick enough to get SUVs stuck. In the San Bernardino Mountains, crews were working Monday to clear mud that has been blocking the homes of about 800 residents, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Alison Hesterly said. Among them was a couple in the town of Oak Glen whose house was surrounded by about 4 feet of muck. In Cathedral City, Kimberly Garnica woke up to find her car was stuck in mud outside her home. The yard is just filled with a lot of mud, said Garnica, 20. You can just tell the streets arent really built for this. Cathedral City Fire firefighters rescue residents of an elderly care home after the home on Horizon Drive became inundated with mud from Tropical Storm Hilary in Cathedral City, Calif., on Monday, August 21, 2023. Emergency incidents doubled in Los Angeles In Los Angeles, Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Monday her department had dealt with more than 1,800 emergency incidents over a 24-hour period, more than double the average number. Rescuers remained vigilant for mudslides that could be triggered on sodden mountainsides, she said. Mayor Karen Bass said there were no reports of deaths or injuries and that damage appeared to be relatively minor. Crews were out cleaning up debris and returning power in areas that went dark. Most city workers were working remotely Monday but were expected to return to offices Tuesday, she said. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain noted this was a "historic event'' in the region given how many rainfall records were broken. "I'm glad it wasn't more widespread,'' Swain said, "but I don think it was quite severe in some isolated areas.'' New system could become a tropical storm and threaten Texas While the remnants of Hilary continue to soak the western U.S., several tropical systems were bubbling up in the Atlantic. The one system that will threaten the mainland U.S. has yet to become a tropical depression or storm. Whats called Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, now spinning in the Gulf of Mexico, is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm before slamming by midday Tuesday into south Texas, where a tropical storm warning was in effect. The system, which will be dubbed Harold if it reaches tropical storm strength as expected, will bring heavy rainfall and possibly flooding across south Texas on Tuesday and into Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said. When the center released its latest update at 4 p.m. Central Time on Monday, the system was about 375 miles southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, and carried sustained winds of up to 35 mph. The update included flood watches or warnings for parts of seven western states. Elsewhere in the Atlantic Basin, Tropical Storm Franklin was forecast to hit the island of Hispaniola shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti later Tuesday and into Wednesday. Across Hispaniola, significant and potentially life-threatening flash flooding is possible Tuesday into Wednesday, the hurricane center said. The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico was also forecast to feel the effects of Franklin, mainly in the form of heavy rain and flash flooding. Franklin is expected to produce rainfall amounts of up to 6 inches across Puerto Rico through the middle of the week. Meanwhile, far out in the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Emily dissipated into a remnant low Monday morning, while Tropical Storm Gert was likely to dissipate at any time, the hurricane center predicted. Doyle Rice Palm Springs could get a year's worth of rain in 2 days Palm Springs had been deluged by more than 3 inches of rain by Monday morning. Almost an inch fell in one hour Sunday afternoon in a city that typically picks up less than half an inch all summer, AccuWeather said. Palm Springs averages less than 6 inches of rain a year and could get that in 48 hours, AccuWeather said. The city declared an emergency "due to unprecedented rainfall and flooding of local roadways and at least one swift water rescue." A 20-mile section of I-10 was closed in both directions because of storm damage. Some residents dealt with earthquake during storm An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 jolted parts of Southern California on Sunday in the midst of the storm, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake, which struck at 2:40 p.m. local time, was centered about 4 miles southeast of Ojai. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said no significant injuries or damage were immediately reported. There is no apparent cause and effect between storms and earthquakes, the U.S. Geological Survey says on its website. Lake Mead closed since Friday The Lake Meade National Recreation Area remained closed Monday "for the purposes of maintaining public health and safety" after being damaged by Hilary. The lake, the nation's largest artificial reservoir, is on the Colorado River in Nevada and Arizona, about 25 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. The Park Service said the recreation area had experienced multiple power and utility outages and dock damage that makes access difficult for emergency response boats. Multiple park areas rely on one-road access with low water crossings that probably will be be washed out, disconnecting entire communities from service and rescue, the Park Service said. Saddled by years of drought, increasing demands for water and climate change, the lake level reached historic lows last year, and the remains of several bodies were found. Last week, however, the Bureau of Reclamation said investments in system conservation and improved hydrology have led to "significant improvements." Hilary in photos: Hilary in photos: See flooding, damage in Southern California after storm moves through Contributing: Eve Chen, Ken Tran, Claire Thornton, Jordan Mendoza, Josh Peter and Dinah Pulver, USA TODAY; Kate Franco, Palm Springs Desert Sun; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hilary live updates: Remnants of hurricane bring dangerous flooding Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Sunday that former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the guy to watch during the first debate of the 2024 GOP primary. I think Chris Christie is going to be the guy to watch. Hes the most skilled debater. Hes coming after Trump, DeSantis and Ramaswamy, and its going to be entertaining, Hogan said in a panel discussion on CNNs State of the Union. Hogan, like Christie, has been critical of former President Trump, and both have encouraged Republicans to move on from the former president. Hogan has decided against joining the crowded field in 2024. Christie, a Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential primary, helped Trumps 2016 and 2020 election campaigns, through efforts including debate prep by acting as a stand-in for Trumps opponents at the time. Reports have indicated that Trump is not going to attend the debate, citing his double-digit lead in numerous national polls as a primary reason. He has also refused to sign a pledge to support whoever the the GOP nominee ends up being. Trump instead reportedly plans to lure viewers away from watching the Fox News-hosted debate by releasing a pretaped interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The ex-wife of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan is fighting extradition to Florida, where she stands accused of orchestrating a plot to murder Bridegan. Mr Bridegan, 33, was shot dead after dropping off his two children at his ex-wife Shanna Gardner-Fernandezs home near Jacksonville, Florida. A third child Mr Bridegans with his second wife was in the car at the time of the shooting and was uninjured. Mario Fernandez, Ms Gardner-Fernandezs second husband, was arrested in March and was charged with orchestrating the murder by hiring Henry Tenon, a tenant residing in one of his properties, to kill Mr Bridegan. Mr Tenon has admitted to shooting the executive. On Thursday, police announced that Ms Gardner-Fernandez had been indicted on a first-degree murder charge and is accused of conspiring to have her husband killed. Ms Gardner-Fernandez is currently in the custody of the Benton County Corrections Department in Washington. During a court appearance on Friday, Ms Gardner-Fernandez refused to waive extradition to Florida, where she faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and child endangerment, Fox News reports. She is being held without bond and is expected to reappear in court on 14 September. Key Points Ex-wife of slain Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan charged with first degree murder Who is Mario Fernandez, the man accused of orchestrating Jared Bridegans murder? Jared Bridegans widow reveals last moments together 11:35 , Rachel Sharp The widow of murdered Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan has spoken out about the last time she saw him alive as his ex-wife is fighting extradition to face charges over her murder. Kirsten Bridegan told NewsNation that she said goodbye to him and their daughter Bexley as he went off on whats referred to as date night where he goes on his off weeks when the twins are with their mom. She said they hugged and kissed and spoke later on the phone that night but that was the last moment they had in person together. It was when we said goodbye for him to leave to whats referred to as date night where he goes on his off weeks when the twins are with their mom, she said. He and Bexley were leaving and it was love you, bye, see you later. You know, hug and kiss and that was the last moment. No, sorry. I take that back. We did talk on the phone that night. But as far as in person, that was our last moment. The investigation 11:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn Jared Bridegans widow, Kirsten Bridegan, told The Independent in the months after his death that her husband of four years was such a good man, a good father, great spouse and a loyal friend. He would lend a tool to anybody who needed it, go to their house and help them. Its just shocking that anyone would target him and to do it in such an evil and cowardly way, especially with my daughter in the car. In April 2022, she said she was praying that they can recover DNA or fingerprints from the evidence that theyve sent for processing because that will let us know who is behind this and who killed him. Its so frustrating that it takes time but this isnt a TV show, its real life. I pray and hope that when that comes in that will give us someone or something to go after. Ms Bridegan did not want to comment at the time on her husbands relationship with his ex-wife but said hed found it challenging raising his eldest children between two homes. Being a father of children that are split between two homes is difficult, and that was something was difficult for him. While she said the grief of losing her husband was unbearable at times, Ms Bridegan said she was focused on caring for her daughters and bringing her husbands killers to justice. Its hard allowing myself to feel those emotions and deal with them head on, she told The Independent. Sometimes I feel like I have to push those aside and be here for my daughters. Ive just been trying to focus on my girls and get answers. Someone out there knows something, someone out there knows who did this. Whether its for the reward money, or because youre a decent person and have a shred of humanity, please come forward. Please keep sharing, keep looking. An alleged affair 09:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn A man claiming to be a fitness trainer who was hired by Jared Bridegan to train Shanna Gardner-Fernandez as a Christmas gift told Fox News Digital that he had an affair with the mother of two. He told the outlet on the condition of anonymity that their professional relationship turned intimate a few months into their training sessions. He claims the couple had been strained at the time and living at opposite sides of their house. The trainer said that both Mr Bridegan and Ms Gardner-Fernandez were members of the Mormon faith, but that the latter had drifted from the religion while Mr Bridegan was still devout. He claimed that Mr Bridegan discovered sexual text messages between his then-wife and the trainer on her phone, which caused a significant rift in the couples relationship. Friends of Mr Bridegan speaking to Fox News Digital reportedly said the father was willing to forgive the alleged infidelity for the sake of their children, but claim that Ms Gardner-Fernandez wanted out of the marriage. Ms Gardner-Fernandez has publicly denied those allegations, according to The Florida Times-Union. However, the day after the couples divorce, she reportedly listed the trainer as her emergency contact when she visited a local tattoo parlour to receive a piercing, according to Fox News Digital, which reviewed the waiver she signed. A worker at the tattoo shop claims Ms Gardner-Fernandez said she just wanted Mr Bridegan to shut up and reportedly asked the staff if they knew anyone who could shut him up. She acknowledged these comments to The Florida Times-Union, saying they were the result of her being in the midst of a messy divorce, and not a threat toward her ex-husband. A staffer at the elementary school the couples twins attended told Fox News Digital that Ms Gardner-Fernandez expressed disdain while discussing her ex-husband. Who was Jared Bridegan? 07:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn Mr Bridegan, 33, was born in Missouri but moved to Florida with his family at a young age, going on to study digital media and building a career in UX design, according to his obituary. He met Shanna Gardner while she was visiting Florida; she grew up in a wealthy Mormon family from Utah that founded Stampin Up!, a multi-million dollar paper craft company. They married in 2010 and initially lived in Utah but later moved to Connecticut and then to Florida after welcoming twins, a boy and a girl, as their son had a heart condition requiring he live at sea level, according to The Florida Times-Union. The couples relationship fell apart in 2014 and 2015, according to Fox News Digital, citing court documents from their divorce filings. Ms Gardner-Fernandez filed for divorce on 23 February, 2015, according to court records. The couple remained in near constant litigation over the divorce and their childrens custody until his death in 2022. The court file for the couples divorce contains approximately 300 entries, according to The Florida Times-Union. Ms Gardner-Fernandez told the paper that her ex-husband allegedly engaged in disturbing and abusive behaviour such as regularly interrogating and recording her children after actively coaching them on what to say. She claimed he threatened to use the recordings against her. He claimed that his ex-wife treated him in a disparaging manner in front of the children, and installed surveillance devices in his car and the childrens bedrooms. She declined to comment on the claims, telling the paper I dont see any good in airing our dirty laundry. New layers of ghastliness to the already vicious crime 01:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn The murder was as brazen as it was horrifying, a father of four shot dead in broad daylight in front of his toddler but revelations in the 18 months since Jared Bridegans killing have added only new layers of ghastliness to the already vicious crime. One man was arrested in January in connection with the Florida mans death, prosecutors alleging that hed pulled the trigger but likely hadnt acted alone. Two months later, a second suspect was arrested: This time the new husband of Mr Bridegans first wife, the mother of two of the 33-year-old victims children. And now that woman, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, has been arrested herself, indicted on a charge of first-degree murder and accused of conspiring to have her former spouse killed after a messy divorce and custody battle. Its a case replete with allegations of abuse and deception playing out against the backdrop of what had seemed, for a time, like an idyllic life. Mr Bridegan worked as a Microsoft corporate executive, while Ms Gardner-Fernandez hailed from a prominent Utah family; both had remarried and were raising their families in the Florida sunshine. A Microsoft executive was murdered in an ambush. Did his ex wife arrange it? Shanna Gardner refuses to waive extradition to Florida Sunday 20 August 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco Ms Gardner-Fernandez is currently in the custody of the Benton County Corrections Department in Washington. During a court appearance on Friday, Ms Gardner-Fernandez refused to waive extradition to Florida, where she faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and child endangerment, Fox News reports. She is being held without bond and is expected to reappear in court on 14 September. Widow welcomes news of arrest Sunday 20 August 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell Jared Bridegans widow, Kristen Bridegan, welcomed news of the arrest of his ex-wife. For 547 days, we hoped and prayed that this day would come, she told reporters. Shannas arrest ends one horrific chapter of our pursuit for justice for Jared and now we opened a new one. This next chapter will be excruciating. We are confident in the ability of the States Attorneys Office and law enforcement to bring truth to light we expect to see justice carried out to the fullest extent of the law. Parents of Shanna Gardner-Fernandez issues statement on arrest Sunday 20 August 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell The Kirton McConkie Law Firm in Salt Lake City, Utah, issued a statement on behalf of Shanna Fernandez-Gardners parents, Shelli and Sterling Gardner. Words cannot accurately express the depth of our sadness. Family is our top priority. We love our daughter and are focused on supporting her and our entire family as we help our grandchildren navigate this difficult and very confusing time, it read. For their sake and all involved, we caution against further speculation and request privacy as the legal process runs its course. In the meantime, we are thankful for the continued support, thoughtfulness and prayers being so generously shared by friends and loved ones. Jared Bridegans widow, Kristen Bridegon, told reporters she was desperate for the grandparents to allow her husbands two children from his marriage to the suspect to be reunited with their half-sisters. Shanna Fernandez-Gardner (Copyright The Florida Times-Union 2022) Husband of Microsoft executives ex-wife could face death penalty Sunday 20 August 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell The husband of the ex-wife of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan could face the death penalty for his roadside murder in Florida. Prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty for Mario Fernandez Saldana, who is accused in connection with the February 2022 killing. Bridegan was murdered amid a family court fight with his ex-wife Shanna Gardner-Fernandez over custody and finances related to their 10-year-old twins. Husband of Microsoft executives ex-wife could face death penalty for roadside murder The ex-wife suspect Sunday 20 August 2023 11:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn After her divorce from Jared Bridegan and her marriage to Mario Fernandez, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez reportedly moved her family to southeastern Washington state without her new spouse, according to Fox News Digital. Kirsten Bridegan, before Ms Gardner-Fernandezs arrest, had told the outlet she was shocked to learn Ms Gardner-Fernandez moved away, claiming her step-children are now isolated from her and their half-siblings. First, the twins lost their dad, then they were completely cut off from their own sisters, and now theyre being taken away from their school, friends, their sports teams, she said. They are so isolated, and thats what concerns me. The twins didnt attend their fathers funeral service but in a post to her custom bakerys Instagram account, Mr Bridegans ex-wife Shanna said she had held a private memorial with family and friends to show support for my littles. It was a very emotional day, but also a day for smiles, laughter and love, she wrote. Mr Bridegans widow told Fox she has tried to make contact with Ms Gardner-Fernandez, but said she has been met with silence. Its been an added loss, she said. On top of losing Jared, my children have lost their siblings. Ive lost my step-kids. I have tried for months and months to make contact and have gotten nowhere. Ms Gardner-Fernandez, however, was arrested in Washington state on Thursday and will be extradited back to Duval County, Florida, where she has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder and child abuse. We promised at the outset of this investigation we would not relent until we uncovered the truth of Jareds murder, the whole and entire truth, State Attorney Melissa Nelson told reporters. The Independent has reached out to Ms Gardner-Fernandezs criminal defence attorney, Henry Coxe III, for comment. Bridegans widow, Kristen Bridegan, welcomed the hope that justice would be served. For 547 days, we hoped and prayed that this day would come, she told reporters. Arrests Sunday 20 August 2023 07:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn In January, authorities arrested Henry Teton, 61, a longtime felon, and charged him with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse. Melissa Nelson, the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District, told reporters that were other suspects being investigation and authorities know that Henry Tenon did not act alone. An old booking photo of Henry Tenon, now 61, who has been charged with second-degree murder connected to the 2022 death of Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach, Florida (Florida Department of Corrections) Authorities did not detail the exact role they believe Mr Tenon played in Mr Bridegans death but revealed a connection between Mr Tenon and Ms Gardner-Fernandez. They said Mr Tenon was living at a home in Jacksonville that was owned by Mario Fernandez, Ms Gardner-Fernandezs husband at the time of the murder. Mr Fernandez reportedly purchased the rental property in 2017 and solid it in October 2022, according to investigators. Mr Tenon appears to have rented directly from Mr Fernandez. The landlord himself was arrested on 16 March on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against him l alleging he committed the crime for pecuniary gain and in a cold calculated and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification. The decision to pursue the death penalty in the case came just days after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new law requiring that only eight out 12 jurors need to agree on the death sentence. It replaces a law which needed a unanimous vote for the death penalty. Prosecutors announced earlier this year that Tenon had pleaded guilty and would testify against co-defendants; he will serve at least 15 years in prison, according to the plea agreement. Then, this week, Ms Gardner-Fernandez was also arrested in connection with her ex-husbands death across the country in Washington State. The investigation Sunday 20 August 2023 03:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn Jared Bridegans widow, Kirsten Bridegan, told The Independent in the months after his death that her husband of four years was such a good man, a good father, great spouse and a loyal friend. He would lend a tool to anybody who needed it, go to their house and help them. Its just shocking that anyone would target him and to do it in such an evil and cowardly way, especially with my daughter in the car. In April 2022, she said she was praying that they can recover DNA or fingerprints from the evidence that theyve sent for processing because that will let us know who is behind this and who killed him. Its so frustrating that it takes time but this isnt a TV show, its real life. I pray and hope that when that comes in that will give us someone or something to go after. Ms Bridegan did not want to comment at the time on her husbands relationship with his ex-wife but said hed found it challenging raising his eldest children between two homes. Being a father of children that are split between two homes is difficult, and that was something was difficult for him. While she said the grief of losing her husband was unbearable at times, Ms Bridegan said she was focused on caring for her daughters and bringing her husbands killers to justice. Its hard allowing myself to feel those emotions and deal with them head on, she told The Independent. Sometimes I feel like I have to push those aside and be here for my daughters. Ive just been trying to focus on my girls and get answers. Someone out there knows something, someone out there knows who did this. Whether its for the reward money, or because youre a decent person and have a shred of humanity, please come forward. Please keep sharing, keep looking. An alleged affair Sunday 20 August 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn A man claiming to be a fitness trainer who was hired by Jared Bridegan to train Shanna Gardner-Fernandez as a Christmas gift told Fox News Digital that he had an affair with the mother of two. He told the outlet on the condition of anonymity that their professional relationship turned intimate a few months into their training sessions. He claims the couple had been strained at the time and living at opposite sides of their house. The trainer said that both Mr Bridegan and Ms Gardner-Fernandez were members of the Mormon faith, but that the latter had drifted from the religion while Mr Bridegan was still devout. He claimed that Mr Bridegan discovered sexual text messages between his then-wife and the trainer on her phone, which caused a significant rift in the couples relationship. Friends of Mr Bridegan speaking to Fox News Digital reportedly said the father was willing to forgive the alleged infidelity for the sake of their children, but claim that Ms Gardner-Fernandez wanted out of the marriage. Ms Gardner-Fernandez has publicly denied those allegations, according to The Florida Times-Union. However, the day after the couples divorce, she reportedly listed the trainer as her emergency contact when she visited a local tattoo parlour to receive a piercing, according to Fox News Digital, which reviewed the waiver she signed. A worker at the tattoo shop claims Ms Gardner-Fernandez said she just wanted Mr Bridegan to shut up and reportedly asked the staff if they knew anyone who could shut him up. She acknowledged these comments to The Florida Times-Union, saying they were the result of her being in the midst of a messy divorce, and not a threat toward her ex-husband. A staffer at the elementary school the couples twins attended told Fox News Digital that Ms Gardner-Fernandez expressed disdain while discussing her ex-husband. Shanna Gardner fighting extradition to Florida Saturday 19 August 2023 23:01 , Andrea Blanco Ms Gardner-Fernandez is currently in the custody of the Benton County Corrections Department in Washington. During a court appearance on Friday, Ms Gardner-Fernandez refused to waive extradition to Florida, where she faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and child endangerment. She is being held without bond and is expected to reappear in court on 14 September. Who was Jared Bridegan? Saturday 19 August 2023 21:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn Mr Bridegan, 33, was born in Missouri but moved to Florida with his family at a young age, going on to study digital media and building a career in UX design, according to his obituary. He met Shanna Gardner while she was visiting Florida; she grew up in a wealthy Mormon family from Utah that founded Stampin Up!, a multi-million dollar paper craft company. They married in 2010 and initially lived in Utah but later moved to Connecticut and then to Florida after welcoming twins, a boy and a girl, as their son had a heart condition requiring he live at sea level, according to The Florida Times-Union. The couples relationship fell apart in 2014 and 2015, according to Fox News Digital, citing court documents from their divorce filings. Ms Gardner-Fernandez filed for divorce on 23 February, 2015, according to court records. The couple remained in near constant litigation over the divorce and their childrens custody until his death in 2022. The court file for the couples divorce contains approximately 300 entries, according to The Florida Times-Union. Ms Gardner-Fernandez told the paper that her ex-husband allegedly engaged in disturbing and abusive behaviour such as regularly interrogating and recording her children after actively coaching them on what to say. She claimed he threatened to use the recordings against her. He claimed that his ex-wife treated him in a disparaging manner in front of the children, and installed surveillance devices in his car and the childrens bedrooms. She declined to comment on the claims, telling the paper I dont see any good in airing our dirty laundry. New layers of ghastliness to the already vicious crime Saturday 19 August 2023 18:00 , Graig Graziosi & Sheila Flynn The murder was as brazen as it was horrifying, a father of four shot dead in broad daylight in front of his toddler but revelations in the 18 months since Jared Bridegans killing have added only new layers of ghastliness to the already vicious crime. One man was arrested in January in connection with the Florida mans death, prosecutors alleging that hed pulled the trigger but likely hadnt acted alone. Two months later, a second suspect was arrested: This time the new husband of Mr Bridegans first wife, the mother of two of the 33-year-old victims children. And now that woman, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, has been arrested herself, indicted on a charge of first-degree murder and accused of conspiring to have her former spouse killed after a messy divorce and custody battle. Its a case replete with allegations of abuse and deception playing out against the backdrop of what had seemed, for a time, like an idyllic life. Mr Bridegan worked as a Microsoft corporate executive, while Ms Gardner-Fernandez hailed from a prominent Utah family; both had remarried and were raising their families in the Florida sunshine. A Microsoft executive was murdered in an ambush. Did his ex wife arrange it? Saturday 19 August 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell Prosecutors say they will push for the death penalty for both Shanna Gardner-Fernandez and her husband, Mario Fernandez. He and his former tenant, Henry Tenon, have both already been charged for their alleged roles in the February 2022 murder in a wealthy suburb of Jacksonville Beach. Jared Bridegan, a father of four, was murdered after he had dropped off the twins he shares with his ex-wife and was headed back to the house he lived at with his second wife, Kristen Bridegan. Investigators say that he stopped his vehicle when he saw a tire in the middle of the road, and when he got out to move it he was shot multiple times in front of his daughter Bexley. Court documents say that several bullets came within inches of hitting the youngster, who was strapped into her car seat. Widow welcomes news of arrest Saturday 19 August 2023 12:00 , Oliver O'Connell Jared Bridegans widow, Kristen Bridegan, welcomed news of the arrest of his ex-wife. For 547 days, we hoped and prayed that this day would come, she told reporters. Shannas arrest ends one horrific chapter of our pursuit for justice for Jared and now we opened a new one. This next chapter will be excruciating. We are confident in the ability of the States Attorneys Office and law enforcement to bring truth to light we expect to see justice carried out to the fullest extent of the law. Jared Bridegan: Ex-wife charged with murder of Microsoft executive Saturday 19 August 2023 09:00 , Oliver O'Connell The ex-wife of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, who was fatally shot by a gunman as he drove home with his two-year-old daughter, has been arrested and charged with his murder. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez was arrested in Washington state on Thursday and will be extradited back to Duval County, Florida, where she has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder and child abuse. Graeme Massie reports. Ex-wife charged with murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan Shanna Gardner-Fernandezs comments following ex-husbands murder Saturday 19 August 2023 06:00 , Oliver O'Connell Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, the ex-wife of Jared Bridegan, sat for an interview following her ex-husbands murder, during which she expressed sadness that he had been killed, stating that he was still the father of my children. Any time divorce comes into any situation its messy, she told WJAX in July 2022 following his murder. Even though we didnt always get along, he was still the father of my kids, she said, claiming she fell to the floor because I was devastated when she learned he had been killed. She has now been charged with first degree murder relating to the death of Mr Bridegan. Ms Gardner-Fernandez insisted at the time she had no idea who carried out the murder. #BREAKING: Jared Bridegans ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, has been arrested and indicted on first-degree murder in his death. @SAO4Florida prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Here she is last June telling @ActionNewsJax she had nothing to do with his murder. pic.twitter.com/D6rh3Qo2Cu Ben Ryan (@BenRyanANJax) August 17, 2023 Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan was shot dead in a chilling ambush. Did his ex wife arrange it? Saturday 19 August 2023 04:00 , Oliver O'Connell Jared Bridegans ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Ferenandez, has been charged with his murder. Though she did not pull the trigger the night he was gunned down outside his car, investigators believe a spiteful divorce led to her orchestrating, along with her new husband and a gunman, the murder of her ex-husband. Here is everything you need to know about the murder of Jared Bridegan. Read more... A Microsoft executive was murdered in an ambush. Did his ex wife arrange it? The Shooting Saturday 19 August 2023 03:00 , Oliver O'Connell On 16 February 2022, around 8pm, Jared Bridegan was in the Sanctuary neighbourhood in south Jacksonville Beach, where he had just dropped his twin 10-year-old daughters off at his ex-wifes house after taking them to dinner. A third daughter, a two-year-old he had with his second wife, was still in his car when Mr Bridegan encountered a tire blocking the one-way road he was travelling on. He was still approximately two miles away from his ex-wifes house when he encountered the roadblock. Mr Bridegan stepped out of his vehicle to move the tire, and when he did, he was shot numerous times from close range. Jacksonville Beach Police Sargent Tonya Tator said officers believed the tire was planted at the site to stop Mr Bridegans vehicle. When officers got on the scene, they found the vehicle with the flashers on, and there was a tire up in front of his vehicle in the roadway, she told PEOPLE. From there we are just trying to put the pieces together. There were no problems with his vehicle. She said the detective in charge of the investigation believed the shooting was likely targeted. Security footage captured an image of a blue Ford F-150 made between 2004 and 2008 leaving the area around the time of the shooting, police said. Law enforcement asked for the publics assistance in identifying and locating the vehicle. Kristen Bridegan says she always felt ex-wife was responsible Saturday 19 August 2023 02:00 , Oliver O'Connell From very, very early on, everything in my body and soul told me she was behind it, Kristen Bridegan, widow of Jared Bridegan, told reporters after it was announced Shanna Garner-Fernandez had been arrested and charged with the murder of her husband. Moment Mario Fernandez arrested for allegedly orchestrating Microsoft exec Jared Bridegans murder Saturday 19 August 2023 01:01 , Graeme Massie Suspect potentially faces the death penalty if convicted. Bodycam captures arrest of man accused of orchestrating Jared Bridegans murder Parents of Shanna Gardner-Fernandez issues statement on arrest Saturday 19 August 2023 00:00 , Oliver O'Connell The Kirton McConkie Law Firm in Salt Lake City, Utah, issued a statement on behalf of Ms Fernandez-Gardners parents, Shelli and Sterling Gardner. Words cannot accurately express the depth of our sadness. Family is our top priority. We love our daughter and are focused on supporting her and our entire family as we help our grandchildren navigate this difficult and very confusing time, it read. For their sake and all involved, we caution against further speculation and request privacy as the legal process runs its course. In the meantime, we are thankful for the continued support, thoughtfulness and prayers being so generously shared by friends and loved ones. Jared Bridegans widow, Kristen Bridegon, told reporters she was desperate for the grandparents to allow her husbands two children from his marriage to the suspect to be reunited with their half-sisters. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez charged with murder of ex-husband Jared Bridegan (CBS47) Who is Henry Tenon? Friday 18 August 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell Mr Tenon, 62, was charged on 25 January with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse. Authorities say that he was a former tenant of Mr Fernandez. He has a long criminal history and was already behind bars awaiting trial on unrelated charges. Police announced on 16 March that Mr Fernandez had been arrested in Orlando and he was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse. On the same day, it was announced that Mr Tenon had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against him and anyone else potentially involved in the killing. An old booking photo of Henry Tenon, now 61, who has been charged with second-degree murder connected to the 2022 death of Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach, Florida (Florida Department of Corrections) The state attorney said that Mr Tenon had admitted that he was the gunman and he faces up to 15 years in prison under the plea agreement. Mr Fernandez pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned in July and prosecutors say that he will not be offered a plea deal. According to the indictment, he wrote Tenon three checks and phone records show the men made more than 70 phone calls to each other before and after the killing. Friend of Jared Bridegan breaks silence after fathers ex-wife is charged in his murder Friday 18 August 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell A friend of murdered father of four and Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan has spoken out after Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, Mr Bridegans ex-wife, was charged with his murder. He called the revelation absolutely wild, in an interview with The Daily Beast. Im relieved for Jareds family, Nate Sanders told the outlet, noting he had seen the effect his ex-wife had on his friend. As Ive said before, no one who knew how Shanna treated Jared or her character is surprised by this. Im just thinking about the Bridegans today and how bittersweet this event is. Watch: Bodycam shows Mario Fernandezs arrest for accusations of arranging Jared Bridegans murder Friday 18 August 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell News4JAX obtained bodycam footage on Friday from the Orange County Sheriffs Office showing the man accused of planning Jared Bridegans death being arrested in March, just over a year after Bridegan was killed in an ambush shooting in Jacksonville Beach. Who is Mario Fernandez, the man accused of orchestrating Jared Bridegans murder? Friday 18 August 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell Mario Fernandez, a Florida landlord, was arrested in March on suspicion of orchestrating the murder of Jared Bridegan. Mr Fernandez is married to Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, Mr Bridegans ex-wife. Police believe the landlord hired Henry Tenon, a tenant residing in one of his properties, to kill Mr Bridegan. Mr Tenon has admitted to shooting the executive. Mr Bridegan was shot and killed while trying to move a tire out of the road that was blocking his vehicle on his way back from his ex-wifes home. Mario Fernandez Saldana (OCJ) Read more... Husband of Microsoft executives ex-wife could face death penalty for roadside murder Authorities have not given motive for murder Friday 18 August 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell Authorities have not given a motive for the murder, but an arrest warrant states the investigation into Bridegans background revealed a highly acrimonious divorce from his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and a contentious relationship with both Gardner and Fernandez Saldana. Jared Bridegans widow pleads for her children to be reunited with half-sisters Friday 18 August 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell Kristen Bridegan told reporters that Jareds children with his ex-wife, twins Abby and Liam, had been kept away and isolated from us while living with their mother, stepfather and maternal grandparents. Despite my constant requests to see or speak to them, I have been denied and continuously ignored, she said through tears. I plead with the Gardners to put the emotional and mental well-being of Liam and Abby above all else and allow them to reconnect with us. We are their family, we love them... Let our children be siblings again and put them first and do whats right. Recap: Ex-wife of slain Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan charged with first degree murder Friday 18 August 2023 16:39 , Oliver O'Connell The ex-wife of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, who was fatally shot by a gunman as he drove home with his two-year-old daughter, has been arrested and charged with his murder. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez was arrested in Washington state on Thursday and will be extradited back to Duval County, Florida, where she has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder and child abuse. We promised at the outset of this investigation we would not relent until we uncovered the truth of Jareds murder, the whole and entire truth, State Attorney Melissa Nelson told reporters. Read more... Ex-wife charged with murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan Toddler in Jared Bridegans car narrowly avoided being hit by gunfire Friday 18 August 2023 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell Jared Bridegans toddler, who was in the car with him on the night of his murder, reportedly narrowly avoided being hit by gunfire. Mr Bridegan was returning home after dropping two of his children off at his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandezs home, when his path was blocked by a tire in the road. When he exited his car to move the tire, a gunman emerged and shot him. Though Mr Bridegans daughter a child he had with his second wife was in the car, she was unharmed. However, investigators found bullets had entered the cars interior just inches away from where the toddler was seated. Shanna Gardner-Fernandezs comments following ex-husbands murder Friday 18 August 2023 14:26 , Oliver O'Connell Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, the ex-wife of Jared Bridegan, sat for an interview following her ex-husbands murder, during which she expressed sadness that he had been killed, stating that he was still the father of my children. Any time divorce comes into any situation its messy, she told WJAX in July 2022 following his murder. Even though we didnt always get along, he was still the father of my kids, she said, claiming she fell to the floor because I was devastated when she learned he had been killed. She has now been charged with first degree murder relating to the death of Mr Bridegan. Ms Gardner-Fernandez insisted at the time she had no idea who carried out the murder. #BREAKING: Jared Bridegans ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, has been arrested and indicted on first-degree murder in his death. @SAO4Florida prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Here she is last June telling @ActionNewsJax she had nothing to do with his murder. pic.twitter.com/D6rh3Qo2Cu Ben Ryan (@BenRyanANJax) August 17, 2023 Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan was shot dead in a chilling ambush. Did his ex wife arrange it? Friday 18 August 2023 13:01 , Graeme Massie Jared Bridegans ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Ferenandez, has been charged with his murder. Though she did not pull the trigger the night he was gunned down outside his car, investigators believe a spiteful divorce led to her orchestrating, along with her new husband and a gunman, the murder of her ex-husband. Here is everything you need to know about the murder of Jared Bridegan. READ MORE: A Microsoft executive was murdered in an ambush. Did his ex wife arrange it? Kristen Bridegon says she always felt ex-wife was responsible Friday 18 August 2023 12:03 , Graeme Massie From very, very early on, everything in my body and soul told me she was behind it, Kristen Bridegan told reporters after it was announced Shanna Garner-Fernandez had been arrested and charged with the murder of Jared Bridegan. Jared Bridegan, with his wife Kristen, was shot dead in Jacksonville Beach on 16 February 2022 (Courtesy of Brigaden family) Parents of Shanna Gardner-Fernandez issues statement on arrest Friday 18 August 2023 10:03 , Graeme Massie The Kirton McConkie Law Firm in Salt Lake City, Utah, issued a statement on behalf of Ms Fernandez-Gardners parents, Shelli and Sterling Gardner. Words cannot accurately express the depth of our sadness. Family is our top priority. We love our daughter and are focused on supporting her and our entire family as we help our grandchildren navigate this difficult and very confusing time, it read. For their sake and all involved, we caution against further speculation and request privacy as the legal process runs its course. In the meantime, we are thankful for the continued support, thoughtfulness and prayers being so generously shared by friends and loved ones. Jared Bridegans widow, Kristen Bridegon, told reporters she was desperate for the grandparents to allow her husbands two children from his marriage to the suspect to be reunited with their half-sisters. Kirsten Bridegan, Jared Bridegan, and children in family picture before he was shot dead in Jacksonville Beach (Family photo / Facebook) Who is Henry Tenon? Friday 18 August 2023 07:56 , Graeme Massie Mr Tenon, 62, was charged on 25 January with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse. Authorities say that he was a former tenant of Mr Fernandez. He has a long criminal history and was already behind bars awaiting trial on unrelated charges. Police announced on 16 March that Mr Fernandez had been arrested in Orlando and he was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse. On the same day, it was announced that Mr Tenon had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against him and anyone else potentially involved in the killing. The state attorney said that Mr Tenon had admitted that he was the gunman and he faces up to 15 years in prison under the plea agreement. Mr Fernandez pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned in July and prosecutors say that he will not be offered a plea deal. According to the indictment, he wrote Tenon three checks and phone records show the men made more than 70 phone calls to each other before and after the killing. An old booking photo of Henry Tenon, 62, who has been charged with second-degree murder connected to the 2022 death of Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach, Florida (Florida Department of Corrections) Officials have not said what led to Shanna Gardner-Fernandezs arrest Friday 18 August 2023 07:07 , Graeme Massie Henry Tenon did not act alone. Mario Fernandez did not plan alone. And Shanna Gardners indictment acknowledges her central and key role in the cold, calculated and premeditated murder of Jared Bridegan, said State Attorney Melissa Nelson on Thursday. Jared Bridegan was dropping his eldest twins off at his ex-wifes home when he was murdered (Courtesy of Bridegan family) Authorities have not given motive for murder Friday 18 August 2023 06:01 , Graeme Massie Authorities have not given a motive for the murder, but an arrest warrant states the investigation into Bridegans background revealed a highly acrimonious divorce from his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and a contentious relationship with both Gardner and Fernandez Saldana. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez charged with murder of ex-husband Jared Bridegan (CBS47) Friend of Jared Bridegan breaks silence after fathers ex-wife is charged in his murder Friday 18 August 2023 05:01 , Graeme Massie A friend of murdered father of four and Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan has spoken out after Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, Mr Bridegans ex-wife, was charged with his murder. He called the revelation absolutely wild, in an interview with The Daily Beast. Im relieved for Jareds family, Nate Sanders told the outlet, noting he had seen the effect his ex-wife had on his friend. As Ive said before, no one who knew how Shanna treated Jared or her character is surprised by this. Im just thinking about the Bridegans today and how bittersweet this event is. Who is Mario Fernandez, the man accused of orchestrating Jared Bridegans murder? Friday 18 August 2023 04:05 , Graeme Massie Mario Fernandez, a Florida landlord, was arrested in March on suspicion of orchestrating the murder of Jared Bridegan. Mr Fernandez is married to Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, Mr Bridegans ex-wife. Police believe the landlord hired Henry Tenon, a tenant residing in one of his properties, to kill Mr Bridegan. Mr Tenon has admitted to shooting the executive. Mr Bridegan was shot and killed while trying to move a tire out of the road that was blocking his vehicle on his way back from his ex-wifes home. The husband of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegans ex-wife has been arrested and charged in connection with his murder by the side of a Florida road. (OCJ) READ MORE: Husband of Microsoft executives ex-wife could face death penalty for roadside murder Jared Bridegans widow pleads for her children to be reunited with half-sisters Friday 18 August 2023 03:04 , Graeme Massie Kristen Bridegan told reporters that Jareds children with his ex-wife, twins Abby and Liam, had been kept away and isolated from us while living with their mother, stepfather and maternal grandparents. Despite my constant requests to see or speak to them, I have been denied and continuously ignored, she said through tears. I plead with the Gardners to put the emotional and mental well-being of Liam and Abby above all else and allow them to reconnect with us. We are their family, we love them... Let our children be siblings again and put them first and do whats right. Ex-wife of slain Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan charged with first degree murder Friday 18 August 2023 02:05 , Graeme Massie The ex-wife of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, who was fatally shot by a gunman as he drove home with his two-year-old daughter, has been arrested and charged with his murder. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez was arrested in Washington state on Thursday and will be extradited back to Duval County, Florida, where she has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder and child abuse. We promised at the outset of this investigation we would not relent until we uncovered the truth of Jareds murder, the whole and entire truth, State Attorney Melissa Nelson told reporters. READ MORE: Ex-wife charged with murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan Toddler in Jared Bridegans car narrowly avoided being hit by gunfire Thursday 17 August 2023 22:05 , Graig Graziosi Jared Bridegans toddler, who was in the car with him on the night of his murder, reportedly narrowly avoided being hit by gunfire. Mr Bridegan was returning home after dropping two of his children off at his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandezs home, when his path was blocked by a tire in the road. When he exited his car to move the tire, a gunman emerged and shot him. Though Mr Bridegans daughter a child he had with his second wife was in the car, she was unharmed. However, investigators found bullets had entered the cars interior just inches away from where the toddler was seated. Shanna Gardner-Fernandezs comments following ex-husbands murder Thursday 17 August 2023 21:45 , Graig Graziosi Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, the ex-wife of Jared Bridegan, sat for an interview following her ex-husbands murder, during which she expressed sadness that he had been killed, stating that he was still the father of my children. Any time divorce comes into any situation its messy, she told WJAX in July 2022 following his murder. Even though we didnt always get along, he was still the father of my kids, she said, claiming she fell to the floor because I was devastated when she learned he had been killed. She has now been charged with first degree murder relating to the death of Mr Bridegan. Ms Gardner-Fernandez insisted at the time she had no idea who carried out the murder. Gotham - Getty Images On Saturday, Angelina Jolie enjoyed a theater trip with her daughter Vivienne in New York City. The Eternals star was wearing a chic tan suit with wide slacks and a long blazer that swung around her body. Under the blazer, she wore a beige top with a scoop neck tucked in at the waist. She accessorized with nude pumps, black sunglasses, and a large leather tote in black and white. Vivienne was wearing khaki pants and a purple t-shirt with a pair of black Converse sneakers. The 15-year-old had her hair up and was smiling as she and her mother chatted while walking past the cameras. One of the teen's interests is theater, and she and Jolie have been working on producing a stage version of SE Hinton's 1967 book The Outsiders, partially adapted from the Francis Ford Coppola film of the story in 1983. It premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in February of this year in San Diego and is directed by Danya Taymor. A source close to Jolie told People, Angelina is excited about this new venture. She believes this is a musical for all ages but particularly resonates with young people. She wants to ensure the team is listening and working with young people every step of the way and that their voices are leading in bringing this production to life on Broadway. Jolie shared her own statement, saying, Viv reminds me of my mother in that she isnt focused on being the center of attention but in being a support to other creatives. Shes very thoughtful and serious about theatre and working hard to best understand how to contribute. She added, I cant begin to express how excited I am for this musical to make its Broadway debut and look forward to sharing this new adaptation of The Outsiders with the world. You Might Also Like Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez expressed optimism that the four new sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States will be operational in a years time. Romualdez made the remarks in an interview with CNN Philippines on Monday. My sense would be probably within the next six months one or two of them (EDCA sites) will be ready and the other two will also be available shortly after. I think within a years time these EDCA sites will be operational, Romualdez said. The envoy said that so far, the US has not expressed any intention to add more sites under EDCA apart from the four new ones and the five previous ones. Right now, wala pa naman [theres none] but the EDCA agreement with the US is open, Romualdez said. If we feel that there is a need for other areas also, especially if this becomes successful, I don't see any reason why we should not look into possibilities of other EDCA sites in the future, he added. The additional four EDCA sites are located in Cagayan, Isabela, and Palawan. In April, the United States said that it will be allocating $100 million in infrastructure investments for the new and existing EDCA sites for 2023. "We're proud of the investments we are making. By the end of FY 2023, we expect to have allocated more than $100 million in infrastructure investments at the new and existing EDCA sites," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said in April. Austin said that the new EDCA sites will also spur economic activities near their locations. China previously opposed the expansion of EDCA sites and said that this will cause instability in the region. "Economy and trade cannot flourish without a peaceful and stable regional environment. However, some Americans claim that the four additional military sites in the Philippines to which US forces would have access under the EDCA would bring economic 'opportunities, jobs' to their host communities, and discredit China-Philippines economic cooperation at the same time," the Chinese Embassy said in a previous statement. Manila and Washington repeatedly insist that the new EDCA sites are not directed at a specific country. A man holds a sign reading 'You call this a storm?' in Palm Desert, California - Mark J. Terrill/AP Southern California was hit by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake as the state braced itself for the impact of Hurricane Hilary. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury when the earthquake struck at 2.41pm local time (9.41pm GMT) on Sunday, roughly 4.35 miles southeast of the Ojai community in Ventura County. Buildings rattled from the impact of the shock and several smaller aftershocks followed. It came as Hurricane Hilary, classed as a tropical storm, bore down on California where the governor, Gavin Newsom, has declared a state of emergency. The hurricane made landfall in Baja California in Mexico on Sunday before barrelling north. A flooded intersection at Imperial Beach, California ahead of tropical storm Hilary - AFP A boulder on a road near Ocotillo in California - Instagram @alinadory via REUTER Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years. The impact of the heavy rainfall will be intensified by the normally arid local climate. Flash flood warnings were issued for at least nine million people, specifically for the Los Angeles, Long Beach and Glendale areas. In addition to the flooding, the winds are threatening to bring down power lines which would leave swathes of the region without power. Elsewhere sandbags were delivered to bolster defences. Motorists leave their vehicle stuck on a flooded road during heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary in Palm Springs - AFP Although the greatest damage is expected in coastal areas, officials warned it could have an impact further inland. Not only is it coastal population centres like Los Angeles and San Diego but also inland areas - the San Bernardino Valley, areas near Death Valley. Those are areas that have been under drought conditions and water will not absorb quickly, Anne Bink, associate administrator of FEMAs Office of Response and Recovery, said in an interview on MSNBC on Sunday. Mud spilled onto highways, water overwhelmed drainage systems and tree branches fell in places from San Diego to Los Angeles. Flooded streets at Imperial Beach, California - AFP Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said that while Hilary had weakened from a Category 4 hurricane, he added: Its the water, not the wind, that people should watch out for most - some areas could get as much rain in hours that they typically get in a year. You do not want to be out driving around, trying to cross flooded roads on vehicle or on foot, Mr Brennan said during a briefing from Miami. Rainfall flooding has been the biggest killer in tropical storms and hurricanes in the United States in the past 10 years, and you dont want to become a statistic. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Anthony Cerrato lives with his fiancee, Maggie Arce, his father, and a family friend in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the San Fernando Valley, an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its his fathers house, and being in his late 20s, communal living isnt always ideal. Cerratos mom passed away two years ago, and even before then, his family struggled to afford their mortgage. It was like a dream of theirs to own this home and to buy and live herebut its always been a struggle, he told Fortune. Cerrato has been helping his father out, contributing toward his mortgage payment each month and making sure theres food in the fridgeand, hes saving money while he does so. After his mom passed away, Cerrato and his partner rented a studio in Canoga Park for $1,400 a month. But since moving back home, he generally gives his father around $700 to $1,000 each month for the mortgage alone. In March of this year, the California Housing Finance Agency introduced the Dream for All program built into the states annual budget. Later that month, the down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers would be available and those that qualified could receive a loan up to 20% of the purchase price of the home; (the homeowner would then pay back that loan amount and a percentage of any appreciation in the home value). For Cerrato and his partner, it was a push for them to start seriously thinking about buying their own home. But in less than two weeks, the Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan was put on pause, overwhelmed with applications and $500 million in funding that was cut to $300 million. It lasted only two weeks, and literally as we were looking at home, our realtor was like, we just got an email that all funds have been completely locked up, theres no more, Cerrato said. That was definitely kind of a hit to our overall mentality. The Dream for All program has since been revived, with $200 million in funding remaining, although its not clear when theyll begin accepting applications, or how long itll last this time. Even so, Cerratos fiancee recently lost her job. Before that, their combined income was around $130,000 annually, before taxes, he says. Theyre still looking for a home in Bakersfield, California, in particular, where the average home value is $340,427 versus, lets say San Fernando, where the average home value is $685,439, or Los Angeles, where the average home value is $906,524. Their price range is around $200,000 to $250,000. On social media, Cerrato shared a video of a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house listed on Zillowits clearly run down but listed for close to $220,000. The video was mostly a joke and for over $200,000 for what he called pretty much a trap house and something thats completely dilapidated, is ridiculous, Cerrato explained. Still, in his view, seeing that made it seem like the floor of the market was being raised. It just kind of was like, wow, are we going to soon be priced out of a home in Bakersfield? Cerrato said, later adding, Im not looking to buy a $350,000 [or] $400,000 home and be house poorI refuse to be house poor, I lived that my entire life. And the floor of the market has kind of been raised. In March of 2020, the onset of the pandemic, Bakersfields typical home value, according to Zillow, was $238,449. More than three years later, as of August 2023, the citys average home value is $340,427. Thats almost a 42.8% increase in such a short period of time, all the while mortgage rates have more than doubled since their pandemic lows and are hovering above 7%. When Cerrato started making money, after graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles and working toward his career in marketing, thats when things started to change. He was no longer house poor, Cerrato says, and they could all live comfortably and pay their bills. Before, everything went towards the mortgage and you had to figure out what youre going to eat, he said. Thats why even if he was approved for a $400,000 mortgage loan, he wouldnt consider buying a house worth as much. Cerrato didnt grow up in the house he lives in now. He grew up in a one bedroom apartment, living with his mother, father, and brother. Im used to sharing, he said, me and my brother slept in the living room. Although, they didnt grow up poor, Cerrato explained. They still had an Xbox, PlayStation, computer, cars, but we didnt own a home, he said. As he and his fiancee continue to look for homes in Bakersfield and the surrounding area, he knows there are reasonably priced homes that arent completely run down, unlike the listing he shared online. I just hate to see that the floor of the market is starting to increase, Cerrato said. Im just hoping that houses stay the way they are for the next couple months while Im looking for a home, hopefully they stay within a range that Im able to afford. Before the program went on pause, he and his partner went into savings mode, Cerrato said, and they looked into liquefying any assets they had. Even after the program was halted, they still feel like owning a home is within reach, although his fiancee losing her job does make things a bit harder. Im willing to buy at a lower price pointso that way I can save myself that grief, thats why Im willing to move out to Bakersfield away from my family, Cerrato said. At one point, he considered Palmdale, California where the average home value is $480,649, and is a bit closer to home, but was priced out of that market given that home prices rose 31% in more than three years. I used to think of Palmdale as a place that I could afford a home, but now as I look, at my age when I can finally afford it, I realized Ive also been priced out of there, he said. Now I gotta go a little bit further, and so the next best stop is Bakersfield. Still, Cerrato and his fiancee are in a bit of a unique situation, where he feels like their earning potential could become a lot higher, since after losing her job, shes started working toward getting her bachelors degree. It feels like if we wait another two years, then well for sure be priced out, it just doesnt feel like its worth it to wait much longer, he said, adding that once they own their own home, they can eventually sell if their situation changes and buy another, that way their money is going toward an asset thatll likely appreciate. But there has been something on his mind as he considers buying a house outside of his hometown, given thats what he and his partner can afford. I fear that, the worst part about it.people who are coming from [other markets] are obviously starting to price people out of their own city, people who know Bakersfield as home, so I kind of I really empathize with that because its happened to me in my own hometown, Cerrato said. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home The Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo hosted its inaugural Calf Fry Festival Saturday night, with proceeds going to the Potter County First Responders. Lisa Baca and Kelsie Dixon prep their food Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. Over 300 people attended what organizers hope will become an annual festival, featuring music and a plate of calf fries - a local favorite at the Big Texan since it opened in March of 1960. Music from Velvet Funk and Bomb City Groove kept the crowd entertained as they partook in the Texas area delicacy. Funds from the festival went to the Potter County Sheriff and Fire-Rescue Employee Benefit Fund. The fund was created to help first responders of Potter County with any unforeseen need like a family emergency or funeral. members of Velvet Funk spar on the guitar Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. Bobby Lee, co-owner of the Starlight Ranch and the Big Texan, spoke about the first-year festival and the reason for the choice of featured food. Earlier in the week, Lee was concerned about the elevated temperatures affecting the turnout for the festival but said he was happy with the number of people who came out to enjoy unique food and a worthy cause. Lontisha Taylor-Long and Jerri Taylor show their love for calf fries Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. Co-Owner of the Big Texan Danny Lee and his nephew Patrick Lee prepare calf fries for patrons Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. A group of calf fry enthusiasts grab their condiments Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. We hope this is the first of many years with the Potter County Sheriffs group, Lee said. This has been a delicacy of the Big Texan for 63 years. We sell over 60,000 pounds of calf fries a year. People come from all over the place to eat our calf fries. We have not changed the original recipe for this item and many people say we have some of the best calf fries they have eaten. Lee said it took a while for him to understand the appeal of calf fries, which are cooked bull testicles. Well, at least until he was about 7 years old. A couple get their orders of calf fries Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. The lead singer of Velvet Funk entertains the crowd Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. We have been cutting these since day one and it was just like cutting a chicken or peeling shrimp, Lee said. At the time, we never thought about a calf fry as what it really is. Our chicken fried gravy really helps make them taste so good. It is a really simple recipe which is like what they batter chicken gizzards with. Lee said the reaction to the calf fries was exceptionally good during the vent but he also made available chicken tenders for those that decided to chicken out after receiving some feedback from some that would not eat the featured dish. A dance partner gets turned around Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. Valerie Dee chickens out and goes with the chicken fingers Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. The horn section of Velvet Funk grooves the crowd Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. I was amazed that my father, a Yankee, was so flexible and amenable to making this part of my menu, but it has continued to be a crowd favorite at our restaurant, Lee said. Sgt. Jimmy Hinson from the Potter County Sheriffs Department and a member of the employee benefits board that the festival was benefiting spoke about his group's mission. Velvet Funk entertains the crowd Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. A dance is shared with smiles Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. A group shakes their tailfeather to the bands rendition of "Wobble" Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. Tonights concert and festival will benefit the employee benefits board of the Potter County Sheriffs and Fire Rescue, Hinson said. We put our efforts into helping employees and staff of both agencies. We work together in the field, so we work together on this board as well. Hinson said his board has helped employees who have had bad illnesses in the family and have lost their homes to fire, as well as many other needs. A couple dances to Velvet Funk Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. One of the over 300 attendees Saturday evening showing off his moves at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. Bomb City Groove entertains the crowd Saturday evening at the 1st annual Calf Fry Festival at the Starlight Ranch Event Center in Amarillo. Any money that we raised tonight will go straight to the board I am grateful for all that came and supported us for this event, Hinson said. This was a great event; these were the best calf fries I have ever eaten. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Starlight Ranch hosts Calf Fry Festival first responders BEIJING (Reuters) -China is investigating a Chinese national accused of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the country's state security ministry said on Monday. The 39-year-old Chinese national, surnamed Hao, was a cadre at a ministry and had gone to Japan for studies, which was where the spying recruitment occurred, the ministry said. Hao's gender was not revealed. The statement came less than two weeks after the ministry said it uncovered another national also suspected of spying for the CIA after being recruited in Italy. The U.S. embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment, while the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo referred questions to the CIA, which was not immediately able to respond outside business hours. The ministry said Hao had become acquainted with a U.S. embassy official known as "Ted" while sorting out a visa application. He invited Hao for dinners, presented gifts and sought Hao's help with writing a paper that Ted promised to pay for, the ministry said. Ted introduced Hao to a colleague named Li Jun before his term at the embassy in Japan ended, the ministry said; Li and Hao then maintained a "cooperative relationship". Before Hao completed studying, Li revealed being Tokyo-based CIA personnel and "instigated Hao into rebelling", telling Hao to return to China to work for a "core and critical unit". Hao signed an espionage agreement, accepting assessment and training from the United States, according to the statement. The ministry said Hao worked in a national department upon returning, "according to the requirements of the CIA", and provided the CIA with intelligence while collecting U.S. pay. Relations between the United States and China have soured in recent years over a range of issues, including national security. Washington has accused Beijing of espionage and cyberattacks, charges China has rejected. China has also declared it is under threat from spies. China called on its citizens this month to participate in counter-espionage work, after expanding its anti-spying law in July, alarming the United States. (Reporting by Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom, Additional reporting by Elaine Lies in Tokyo; Editing by Gerry Doyle) Copyright 2023, Des Moines Register and Tribune Co. Donald Trump holds a commanding lead over the rest of the 2024 Republican presidential field in Iowa and a more than 2-to-1 lead over his closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with about five months to Caucus Day, a new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. The poll of Iowas likely Republican caucusgoers comes as the former president grapples with the fallout of a fourth criminal indictment and a pack of other top contenders prepares to gather for a high-stakes GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Among those likely caucusgoers, 42% say they plan to support Trump a lead of 23 percentage points over DeSantis, who is at 19%. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina follows in third place with 9%. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence tie at 6%, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is at 5% and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy follows with 4%. The poll finds many indicators of Trumps strength, but the race is not settled and may be closer than it may first seem, said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., the firm that conducted the poll. More: See where presidential candidates are campaigning in Iowa Sixty-three percent of likely GOP caucusgoers say they support Trump as their first or second choice in the caucuses or are actively considering him. That footprint is on par with the 61% who say the same for DeSantis. Plenty could shift by Caucus Day on Jan. 15. A majority, or 52%, of likely GOP caucusgoers have a first choice for president and say they could still be persuaded to support a different candidate, while 40% say their minds are made up. Seven percent do not have a first-choice candidate. In addition, just 7% of poll respondents say they are considering only one candidate for president. Seventeen percent say they are considering two candidates; 19% say three; and 55%, four or more. The poll of 406 likely Republican caucusgoers was conducted Aug. 13-17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. It is the Iowas Polls first test of the field of 14 Republican candidates vying for their partys chance to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in 2024. In addition to the top contenders, seven other candidates are polling at 2% or lower. They include North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is at 2%, and former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, who has 1%. Businessman Ryan Binkley, conservative radio host Larry Elder, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, businessman Perry Johnson and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez all register below 1%. As they think about which candidate to support, 65% of poll respondents say its most important to find a candidate who comes closest to their own views on issues, while 29% say its most important to pick a candidate who has the best chance of defeating Biden. Donald Trumps legal challenges may be helping him in Iowa Even as Trump faces mounting legal troubles, his support appears only to grow. A grand jury in Georgia indicted Trump Aug. 15 for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election there. The Iowa Poll, which was conducted Aug. 13-17, showed greater support for Trump in the days after the indictment was unveiled. In the days before the indictment, Trump led DeSantis 38% to 20%. In the days after, his lead grew to 43% over DeSantis 18%. Trumps Iowa footprint, combining his first-choice support, second choice and those actively considering him, also increased 12 percentage points after the Georgia indictment was announced from 55% to 67%. More: How is the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll conducted? Let us explain. Donald Trump leads, but Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott have room to grow Although Trump leads overall, the poll measures candidates full footprint of support in Iowa, where caucusgoers are known for considering many candidates before slowly zeroing in on one person by Caucus Day. The footprint adds together those who say the candidate is their first choice for president, those who say the candidate is their second choice and those who are actively considering supporting the candidate.By that measure, about as many likely GOP caucusgoers are considering DeSantis as are considering Trump. Trumps Iowa footprint includes the 42% who say he is their first choice for president, 10% who say he is their second choice and 12% who say they are actively considering him. Thats 63%, or nearly two-thirds of likely Republican caucusgoers, who are considering caucusing for Trump. DeSantis support includes the 19% who name him as their first choice, 20% who say he is their second choice and 22% who say they are actively considering him totaling 61%. Scott is the only other candidate whose Iowa footprint tops 50%. In addition to the 9% who say Scott is their first choice for president, 15% say he is their second choice and 29% say they are actively considering him. That gives him an Iowa footprint of 53%. Haleys Iowa footprint totals 40%, Ramaswamys is 34% and Pences is 31%. Selzer said other candidates have the opportunity to gain on Trump and turn people who are actively considering them into firm supporters, but theres a lot of work to be done. GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox during day three of the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Des Moines. Trumps support is more firmly locked in than DeSantis; 66% of those who name Trump as their first choice say their minds are made up, while 34% say they could be persuaded to support someone else. For DeSantis, its nearly the inverse, with 31% who say their minds are made up and 69% who could be persuaded. More: Donald Trump, at Iowa fair, woos crowds, rebuffs 'wise guy' question on taking plea deal Trump also leads DeSantis among self-identified Republicans, the core of caucusgoers, 51% to 20%. Among those who say they will be attending their first caucus in January, Trump leads the Florida governor 47% to 18%. And among evangelicals, an influential group in Iowa thats often key to a caucus win, Trump leads with 47% who say he is their first choice for president. Hes followed by DeSantis, who gets 20% of evangelicals and Scott who gets 7%. Phil Marchand, a 42-year-old Sergeant Bluffs resident and poll respondent, said he caucused for Trump ahead of the 2016 election and has been on the Trump train ever since. Marchand is steadfast in his support for Trump in the current election cycle. He said he considered other Republican candidates, including DeSantis and Scott, but ultimately decided to caucus again for the former president come January. The more time I spend listening to DeSantis and the more I listen to the things Trump is saying, the more I think that it has to be (Trump). It cant be anyone else, he said. More: Trump is wrestling with 5 big legal cases. Here's how they may collide with the campaign calendar. Marchand said he appreciates Trumps America first approach to foreign policy and his efforts to grow the economy and jobs. If Trump does not receive the Republican nomination, Marchand said he would likely register as an independent and vote for a third-party candidate. Independent caucusgoers could be the way in for Trump challengers Among independents, Trump and DeSantis are nearly evenly split, with 21% supporting Trump as their first choice and 19% supporting DeSantis. Another 13% of independents support Scott, 12% support Christie, 10% support Haley and 6% each support Pence and Ramaswamy. No other candidate tops 5% with independents. Self-identified independents who say they will likely caucus with Republicans make up 25% of the polls respondents. To me, that's a little bit of something to be paying attention to, Selzer said. Because we've seen this happen in the past. A non-Trump candidate could say, 'I've got to get people to come to the caucus who are outside of the GOP base. So, if a candidate can grow the people who are coming to the caucuses, that is the way in, because Trump is strong with that base. Brian Alstrom, a 48-year-old independent voter and poll respondent, said he would consider caucusing in January if it looks like some of the candidates opposing Trump have a chance. I did vote for him both times because it was the lesser of two evils, Alstrom said of Trumps 2016 and 2020 campaigns. But it was hard to even listen to him speak. Im just done with him. Hopefully I dont have to vote for him again, because Im not going to vote for Joe Biden. Alstrom, who is a Dorchester resident, said hes soured on Trumps personal approach to managing conflicts and his combative attitude. He said DeSantis is his top choice for president, followed by Scott. In DeSantis, Alstrom sees an appealing candidate with a common sense approach to issues that are important to him, such as the economy and national security. Florida speaks for itself in how successful theyve been, he said. ... Id love to see that transfer to the rest of our country. Donald Trump has never been viewed favorably by more Iowa Republican caucusgoers Since his presidency ended and as he has mounted a third campaign for the White House, Trump has been criminally indicted four times, has attacked Kim Reynolds, Iowas popular Republican governor, and has held relatively few campaign events in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. And yet, Trump has never been viewed favorably by more of Iowas likely Republican caucusgoers than he is now, the Iowa Poll shows. In August 2015, Trump was viewed favorably by 61% and unfavorably by 35% his best showing among likely GOP caucusgoers during the 2016 caucus cycle. Trump went on to finish second in Iowas Republican caucuses behind U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. More: Candidates try to clear GOP debate fundraising hurdles. Is it changing their Iowa strategy? Now, Trump is viewed favorably by 65%. That includes 42% who view him very favorably the best showing of any of the 2024 candidates. Another 33% view him unfavorably, and 2% are not sure. Trumps best showing is among self-identified Republicans, with 77% viewing him favorably and 21% viewing him unfavorably. He also does well with those who make less than $70,000 a year (74% favorable, 25% unfavorable) and among evangelicals (74% favorable, 25% unfavorable). DeSantis overall favorability numbers are about on par with Trumps. The Florida governor is viewed favorably by 66% of likely GOP caucusgoers and unfavorably by 29%. Another 5% are not sure. Among self-identified Republicans, DeSantis is viewed favorably by 74% and unfavorably by 21% numbers that are about equal to Trumps. More: Republican presidential candidates woo Iowa's pivotal evangelicals to pry them away from Trump Poll respondent Rick Williams, a 72-year-old Holstein resident and self-identified Republican, said he considers himself a Trump supporter and believes the former president is being unfairly targeted in the series of criminal indictments that have been unveiled this year. Still, he plans to support someone else in the caucuses. Right now, he prefers DeSantis. Trump supporters are going to support him no matter what if he's the nominee, Williams said. But we need the independents. We can't win with just us. We've got to get the independents, and I don't know if he can swing them. The Florida governor has higher favorability ratings with independents than Trump: 52% view him favorably, and 43% view him unfavorably. More: Mike Pence is asking Iowans to choose him for president. Some say Jan. 6 is 'holding him back' For Trump, its the inverse: 44% of independents view him favorably, while a majority, 53%, view him unfavorably. Williams, a semi-retired paramedic, said Scott is currently his second-choice candidate. Scott is viewed favorably by 59% and unfavorably by 17%. But a higher percentage 24% are unsure, indicating they dont know enough about him to say one way or the other. Genevieve Hefel, a 63-year-old Dubuque resident and poll respondent, said she voted for Trump in the 2020 election but has felt her support for the former president wane. Because of the recent indictments, Hefel, a retired Army sergeant, said she believes theres too much noise around Trump for him to be able to defeat a Democratic opponent in the general election. Hefel said shes still considering other Republican contenders in the race, but shes drawn to Scotts positive message and Christian beliefs and plans to caucus for him. He's able to carry on a conversation to get his point across without having to be ignorant or raise his voice, Hefel said, reflecting on an interview she saw Scott give recently. He handled it very professionally and calmly, and I thought he made very good points. Scott does best with those age 55 and older, with 70% viewing him favorably and 16% viewing him unfavorably. Haley is viewed favorably by 53% and unfavorably by 26%. Another 21% are not sure. GOP presidential candidate Mike Pence speaks at the Des Moines Register political soapbox during the Iowa State Fair, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. Mike Pence, Chris Christie among those with highest unfavorable ratings Seven candidates are underwater, meaning more likely Republican caucusgoers view them unfavorably than favorably. They include Binkley (12% favorable, 21% unfavorable), Hurd (13%-22%), Hutchinson (20%-32%), Johnson (18%-22%) and Suarez (12%-23%). Pence is viewed favorably by 42% and unfavorably by 53%, with 5% who arent sure. Even though hes underwater, a plurality 33% say they have a mostly favorable view of the former vice president. But he holds no advantage with evangelicals, despite his efforts to highlight his own faith and connect with Iowas religious conservatives: 43% view him favorably and 51% view him unfavorably numbers that mirror his overall favorability numbers. Among all the candidates, Christie is viewed unfavorably by the greatest share of poll respondents, with 60% saying they view him unfavorably, including 31% who view him very unfavorably. Another 28% say they view him favorably and 12% say theyre not sure. Republican presidential candidate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie addresses a gathering during a campaign event at V.F.W. Post 1631, Monday, July 24, 2023, in Concord, N.H. No 2024 presidential candidate performs better than Iowas own Republican elected officials. Reynolds commands the highest numbers, with 81% viewing her favorably (including 50% who view her very favorably), 18% who view her unfavorably and 1% who are not sure. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is viewed favorably by 73%, unfavorably by 22%, and 5% are not sure. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is viewed favorably by 72%, unfavorably by 24%, and 4% are not sure. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR. Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm. About the Iowa Poll The Iowa Poll, conducted Aug. 13-17, 2023, for The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 406 registered voters in Iowa who say they will definitely or probably attend the 2024 Republican caucuses. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted 2,953 randomly selected voters from the Iowa secretary of states voter registration list by telephone. The sample was supplemented with additional phone number lookups. Interviews were administered in English. Responses for all contacts were adjusted by age, sex and congressional district to reflect their proportions among voters in the list. Questions based on the sample of 406 voters likely to attend the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondents such as by gender or age have a larger margin of error. Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom is prohibited. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: Donald Trump holds commanding lead 5 months to caucuses TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government will decide on Tuesday when it will begin to discharge treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, in a plan criticized at home and abroad. Speaking to reporters at his office in Tokyo, Kishida reiterated the importance of moving forward with the decommissioning process for the damaged plant, but declined to give a window for when the release might happen. Broadcaster NHK said Kishida is finalising plans to start releasing the water as soon as possible after Thursday, without clarifying its sources. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month greenlighted the programme, saying that the impact from the water release on people and the environment would be "negligible". Despite such assurances, the prospect of more than a million tons of water being pumped into the Pacific from the nuclear plant owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company has sparked alarm in South Korea and China, which banned seafood imports from some areas of Japan following the nuclear disaster in 2011. Local fishing groups have also protested the plan, saying they are gravely concerned over the reputational damage from the water release - expected to take decades to complete - and its impact on their livelihoods. Japan's Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said earlier on Monday the government had won "a degree of understanding" from the fishing industry for the release of the water. Kishida and Nishimura on Monday met Masanobu Sakamoto, the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, to offer safety assurances. Ahead of the talks, Sakamoto said that the group's opposition to the plan had "not changed one bit," adding that they understood the release could be scientifically safe but still feared reputational damage. The water, equivalent to the contents of 500 Olympic-size swimming pools, has mostly been used to cool nuclear reactors damaged in 2011 when tsunami waves crashed into the plant on the coast north of Tokyo after an earthquake. It has been treated to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter. Kishida acknowledged the concerns of the fishing association but said the water release had become a pressing matter, and asked them to understand that the disposal of the water was necessary. "I promise that we will take on the entire responsibility of ensuring the fishing industry can continue to make their living, even if that will take decades," he said. (Reporting by Tim Kelly, Satoshi Sugiyama, Elaine Lies, Chang-Ran Kim and Sakura Murakami; Writing by Elaine Lies and Sakura Murakami; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Clarence Fernandez and Sharon Singleton) By Abu Arqam Naqash MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Police in Pakistan-administered Kashmir said on Monday a civilian was shot dead by Indian forces along the Himalayan region's disputed boundary, the second such incident since June despite a ceasefire accord. Scenic Kashmir is claimed in full, but controlled only in part, by India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars and engaged in numerous clashes over the region since both won independence from British rule in 1947. Riaz Mughal, Superintendent of Police in Kashmir's Kotli region, said a 62-year-old man was hit by "unprovoked" Indian shooting while he was cutting grass near the Line of Control (LoC) - the de facto border between the two countries. The Indian military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The LoC had seen intense cross-border firing for years before a ceasefire was reaffirmed by the two countries in 2021. Since then, such exchanges have become rare. Before Monday's incident, two people were killed in June by Indian firing, in what was the first major incident since 2021. India acknowledged the incident but said people were trying to slip across the border. India says Pakistan trains and supports Islamist militants fighting for Kashmiri independence. Islamabad denies this charge and says it only provides moral and diplomatic support for "freedom fighters". (Additional reporting by Krishn Kaushik in New Delhi; writing by Gibran Peshimam; editing by Mark Heinrich) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel on Monday said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should strengthen its capabilities by acquiring more surface vessels. In an interview with CNN Philippines The Source, Pimentel said he does not see the purpose of submarines during operations usually done in the country. I'm very much against the idea because I do not see how a submarine can help us resupply any of our outpost during disaster periods to deliver relief goods, he said. Its just what they call a bling bling because it has become a trend in our area. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said last May that the government plans to purchase a submarine, but he noted that it is a "very large" commitment as it involves training, equipment, and "quite significant" operational requirements. The Department of National Defense said last year that the acquisition of a submarine is not yet a priority due to budget constraints. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri in a statement on Monday said there is a need to amend the government procurement law to expedite the process of purchasing equipment that will improve the countrys defense capabilities. He also pushed for the passage of Senate Bill No. 315 or the proposed Philippine Defense Industry Development Act that seeks to promote the local production of defense equipment and material. Early this month, the China Coast Guard (CCG) fired water cannon at Philippine vessels while on a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal. The CCG also conducted dangerous maneuvers that could have put the lives of Filipinos onboard the smaller vessels at risk. By Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's populist Pheu Thai Party announced on Monday a controversial pact to form a new government with parties backed by its longtime enemy the military, vowing it would still deliver on its electoral promises including a new constitution. Thailand's bicameral parliament has been deadlocked for weeks on forming a government, after the anti-establishment election winner Move Forward succumbed to conservative resistance in parliament, leaving second-placed Pheu Thai to take up the effort. While the proposed 11-party alliance could end five months of caretaker government, the deal between Pheu Thai and army-backed parties could also prolong concern about a new bout of instability after nearly two decades of on-off turmoil. Parliament will vote on Tuesday on the prime ministerial bid of Pheu Thai's Srettha Thavisin, a 60-year-old real estate mogul who was thrust into politics only a few months ago. Srettha said it was necessary to work with military-backed parties, which were created by a military that led coups against former premiers Thaksin Shinawatra and sister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2006 and 2014. "To move the Pheu Thai Party forward, to help the people, we are not lying to the people but we have to be realistic," he told a press conference. "Over the past nine years Pheu Thai was not in government, we didn't have power, it is clear people's living standards dropped." CONTROVERSIAL PACT Such a coalition would be controversial to many voters given the clear-cut outcome of the May 14 election, in which Pheu Thai and Move Forward thrashed conservative parties led by generals, in what was seen as a resounding rejection of nine years of government led or backed by the military. An opinion poll on Sunday showed most Thais disagree with the idea of a coalition that includes military-backed groups. The alliance is the product of a constitution written by the military that make it extremely difficult for election winners not favoured by the conservative establishment to form governments. Move Forward, despite huge youth and urban support for its progressive agenda, has been cast to the parliamentary opposition and has refused to back Pheu Thai's multi-party effort, calling it a distortion of the election result and against the public will. Pheu Thai said it would still forge ahead with changing the constitution to make it more democratic, but would steer clear of amending laws related to the powerful monarchy. It vowed to deliver on promises to raise the minimum wage and provide handouts in digital currency - trademark populist policies of Pheu Thai's billionaire figurehead Thaksin, who has loomed large over Thai politics since his overthrow in 2006. Thaksin, 74, has dominated headlines in recent days and reiterated his plan to return home on Tuesday and end 17 years of self-imposed exile, despite being a fugitive in Thailand after skipping jail for abuse of power and more. Posting on Monday on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Thaksin said he wanted to "come back to live on Thai soil and breath the air with other Thai people". (Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Chayut Setboonsarng and Panu Wongcha-um; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Robert Birsel and Alison Williams) By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a crowd in Denmark on Monday that promised deliveries of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets had made him confident Ukraine could end Russia's invasion. Denmark and the Netherlands on Sunday announced they would supply the first F-16s to Ukraine, with the initial six due to be delivered around New Year. Washington had approved the delivery of the jets ahead of Zelenskiy's trip to Copenhagen. "Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war," Zelenskiy told thousands of people who gathered outside the Danish parliament to hear his speech. Russia warned earlier that supplying the jets to Ukraine would only escalate the war, which has dragged on for almost 18 months. Russian forces are occupying almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory and Kyiv is battling hard to push them out. "The fact that Denmark has now decided to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict," Russian ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a statement cited by the Ritzau news agency. "By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its actions and words to leave Ukraine with no other choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia," he said. The Ukrainian military said the jet was vital to the success of its counteroffensive, which has proceeded slowly since its launch in early June, as it would prevent Russian fighter jets attacking advancing forces. "Superiority in the air is key to success on the ground," air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media. Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine may only use the donated F-16s within its own territory. "We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that," Ellemann-Jensen said on Monday. "Those are the conditions, whether it's tanks, fighter planes or something else," he said. Denmark will deliver 19 jets in total. The Netherlands has 42 F-16s available in all but has yet to decide whether all of them will be donated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called the decision a "breakthrough agreement". Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday that Ukrainian pilots had begun training, but it would take at least six months and possibly longer to also train engineers and mechanics. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Philippa Fletcher) By Nate Raymond and Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Monday revived a Republican-backed Alabama law banning the use of puberty blocking drugs and hormones to treat gender dysphoria in transgender minors, a day after a judge blocked a similar Georgia law. A three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the families and physicians challenging the law "have not presented any authority that supports the existence of a constitutional right" for parents to treat their children with "transitioning medications subject to medically accepted standards." U.S. Circuit Judge Barbara Lagoa, writing for the panel, said Alabama has "a compelling interest in protecting children from drugs, particularly those for which there is uncertainty regarding benefits, recent surges in use, and irreversible effects." All three judges on the panel were appointed by former President Donald Trump, a Republican. The administration of current President Joe Biden, a Democrat, intervened in the case on the side of the families. "Our clients are devastated by this decision, which leaves them vulnerable to what the district court - after hearing several days of testimony from parents, doctors, and experts - found to be irreparable harm as a result of losing the medical care they have been receiving and that has enabled them to thrive," legal organizations representing the plaintiffs - including GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Human Rights Campaign and others - said in a statement. "The 11th Circuit reinforced that the State has the authority to safeguard the physical and psychological wellbeing of minors, even if the United States Attorney General and radical interest groups disapprove," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke, also a Trump appointee, had issued a preliminary order blocking the Alabama law last May. The 11th Circuit's ruling came a day after U.S. District Judge Sarah Geraghty in Atlanta issued an injunction blocking a similar Georgia law in response to a challenge by parents of transgender children. Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr, a Republican who is defending the law, said he planned to appeal. That appeal will also be heard by the 11th Circuit. Geraghty, a Biden appointee, said the ban was discriminatory because it "places a special burden on transgender minors because their gender identity does not match their birth sex." Republican lawmakers in several states have passed such laws restricting medical treatments for transgender minors. Many have been blocked in court challenges, with judges finding they discriminate by sex and interfere with parents' right to direct their children's treatment. Another federal appeals court, the St. Louis, Missouri-based 8th Circuit, previously refused to reinstate a similar Arkansas law. Such conflicts between appellate courts can make it more likely that an issue will eventually end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, though the cases over gender-affirming care are still in their early stages. Supporters of the laws say so-called gender-affirming treatments like puberty blockers and hormones are unproven and risky, while opponents say they have been shown to improve mental health in transgender children. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by David Gregorio and Stephen Coates) By Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan Vice President William Lai managed to walk a fine line on his sensitive trip to the United States if China's drills in response are anything to go by, but Beijing's ire may not be allayed for long by a person it deeply dislikes. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly denounced Lai as a separatist, held exercises around Taiwan on Saturday, the day after he returned, but on a far lower scale than previous war games in April and last August in protest at Taiwan-U.S. engagement. China has a particular dislike of Lai, the frontrunner in polls ahead of January's presidential election, due to his previous comments about being a "worker for Taiwan independence". But Lai did not meet any senior U.S. officials or lawmakers during the visit, aside from the head of the unofficial U.S. body that deals with the country's Taiwan ties. In his public events he talked about peace and dialogue, though he also said that Taiwan would not back down in the face of threats. "The People's Liberation Army could not find an excuse to make a big fuss," said Ma Chen-kun, a Chinese military expert at Taiwan's National Defence University. "These drills were a lot of thunder, but less rain." There was no live fire component, unlike last August when China fired missiles over Taiwan, the drill lasted only one day, and was not given a name, unlike the April one, though Chinese state media did launch a series of personal attacks on Lai on Saturday, including calling him a "liar". Taiwan's defence ministry, in its daily report on Chinese movements over the previous 24 hours, said on Monday morning that it had spotted no Chinese military aircraft entering the Taiwan Strait over that period. Both Taiwan and the United States had sought to keep Lai's U.S. visit low key, officially describing it as stopovers on his way to and from Paraguay and saying it was a decades-long routine for Taiwan presidents to transit in the United States during trips overseas therefore China shouldn't use the visit as a "pretext" for military drills. China, in the long run, is unlikely to be ameliorated, believing as it still does that Lai is a dangerous separatist who may go back to pushing for Taiwan independence when he wins election, said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based International Relations Scholar. "If Lai Ching-te becomes president and returns to his original stance or even strengthens it, he could force the mainland to deal with Taiwan using non-peaceful means," he said, using Lai's Chinese language name. 'NO SURPRISES' Lo Chih-cheng, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said Lai's trip was also about the broader process of showing him to the United States as a steady and trustworthy leader. "Maybe you think the transits were a bit boring or simple, but also there were no surprises," Lo said. An opinion poll published on Monday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation showed Lai extending his lead and pulling well ahead of his nearest competitor to be Taiwan's next president, the former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je. China's reaction could also have been muted since the visit came against the backdrop of both Beijing and Washington trying to improve relations, which could include a visit to the United States later in the year by President Xi Jinping for an Asia Pacific summit. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a ministry spokesman told reporters on Monday that it was hard for Lai to hide his "evil intent" to seek independence. China could take other, trade-related, steps to punish Taiwan, having previously stopped Taiwanese fruit and fish imports. On Monday, China suspended Taiwanese mango imports citing a pest problem. But China has its own domestic problems as well, not least economic ones like a property market crisis, and threat of war with Taiwan is not going to help that, said Fan Shih-ping, a professor at National Taiwan Normal University's Graduate Institute of Political Science. "Noise about achieving unification through force is a negative for Chinese consumers. Who wants to spend if there's going to be a war?" he said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) When he first announced he was running for president earlier this year, most Americans had no idea who Vivek Ramaswamy was. Yes, he was an exceptionally rich and energetic Harvard graduate, full of optimism about the United States but unafraid to partake in the culture wars, as he showed in his book Woke, Inc. On the other hand, he was who, exactly? "Let me just address the question that is on everybody's mind at home tonight," a grinning Ramaswamy said Wednesday at the first GOP primary debate. "Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name and what the heck is he doing in the middle of this debate stage." Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy signs a supporter's hat at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 12. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) At the time Ramaswamy announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, the field was dominated by Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor then widely seen as Trumps successor. The other Republicans who had joined or were about to join the primary field were nothing more than a sideshow, many pundits and consultants said. Since then, however, Ramaswamy has emerged as an intriguing choice for conservatives, as Trump faces the prospect of prison, stemming from the multiple state and federal cases now proceeding against him. DeSantis, meanwhile, has run what critics say is a lackluster campaign, plagued by mistakes of his own making. Wednesday's primary debate could be a coming-out moment for Ramaswamy, but it could also confirm fears that he is nothing more than a flash in the political pan. An American upbringing Ramaswamy speaks at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Aug. 17. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Ramaswamy is the son of Indian immigrants who raised him in a comfortably middle-class household in Cincinnati. He was raised in the Hindu faith of his ancestors, but went to a Catholic high school. Ramaswamy studied at Harvard, then Yale Law. He became wealthy through a number of investments in the biotechnology sector. He is worth at least $630 million, according to Forbes. In 2021 he published Woke, Inc., which one review criticized as a wounded right-wing yelp against companies that make moral as well as commercial decisions. The book became a bestseller. DeSantis without the baggage? Last week, a pro-DeSantis political action group which is, in an unusual step, mostly running his campaign was embarrassed by the publication of a memo it had written about how DeSantis should behave during the first GOP primary debate, which takes place on Wednesday. For months, the DeSantis camp had been insisting that the race was a two-man contest between him and Trump. But the memo from his political group, Never Back Down which is forbidden by law from coordinating with the campaign shows that, behind the thin veneer of bravado, the DeSantis campaign is terrified, as other candidates gain and he continues to fall, in both national polls and those in early-voting states. Among the advice from Never Back Down: Take a sledge-hammer to Vivek Ramaswamy: 'Fake Vivek' or 'Vivek the Fake," the memo says. It also suggests that DeSantis should point out that Ramaswamys family belonged to Indias elite Brahmin class. Ramaswamy raps at the Iowa State Fair. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) DeSantis has long tried to persuade voters that he is the most electable Trump-like alternative to Trump. But then Ramaswamy emerged. He was a businessman, like Trump, and eagerly defended the former president while DeSantis waffled as indictments against Trump mounted. And whereas DeSantis has a tendency to snap at reporters, engage awkwardly with the public and deliver a stump speech heavy with obscure terminology, Ramaswamy seems to connect easily with voters. And once he does, he gives them the comforting sense that his story is proof of American greatness. He gives you a sense of hope, not all doom and gloom, one prospective voter in Iowa told the Associated Press. Earlier this month at the Iowa State Fair, Ramaswamy who while at Harvard rapped about his libertarian beliefs under the stage name Da Vek performed Eminems Lose Yourself while on stage with the states governor, Kim Reynolds. Predictably enough, the moment went viral. I think that hes probably a bigger threat to DeSantis, because right now DeSantis is positioning himself as the alternative to Trump, but hes stalled out, said Sean Spicer, who was the first White House spokesman in the Trump administration. What does he actually believe? Signing a pamphlet at the Iowa State Fair. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Ramaswamy seems to be the most policy-oriented one in the GOP primary, Republican pollster Mark Penn said in a Fox News appearance. For all his love of rap music and eagerness to court the national media which some believe is at least partly responsible for his success the first-time candidate has put out a slate of highly conservative positions. Ramaswamy is fervently against the government doing anything to stop climate change. He has called for the U.S. military to be deployed to the border with Mexico in order to halt the flow of migrants. He opposes more aid to Ukraine and wants a federal ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. A lot of his ideas self-consciously recall the proposals that made Trump popular in the first place. Ramaswamy, who calls his agenda "America First 2.0," says he will take the America First agenda even further than Donald Trump did. Does he have a chance? Speaking at the Iowa State Fair. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Ramaswamy has been rising in the polls for months and is now either leading DeSantis in some national and state polls or trailing him by a diminishing margin. Then, of course, there is Trump, who seems to like Ramaswamy as much as he despises DeSantis though that may be only because he doesnt see Ramaswamy as a threat. I expect to take [Trump] as an adviser in a Ramaswamy administration, the insurgent candidate recently said but it is more likely he will find himself with a plum position in a second Trump administration, should that come to pass. Watch on Yahoo News: Vivek Ramaswamy surges in popularity ahead of first GOP debate, Fox News poll indicates, via Fox News For Pete Berg, the decision to make a show putting a spotlight on the opioid crisis was personal. Berg, director and executive producer of Netflixs Painkiller, tells TODAY.com that when he was approached with the idea for doing the show, he immediately started thinking about how opioid addiction has affected the people in his life. I thought about counting the people that I know that have died or really, really struggled with opioid addiction. I quickly got off both hands, it was over 10, he says. And I started thinking about how it has personally impacted me, and that created passion inside of me that I knew would help drive me to do the best job that I could with this show. As the team was finishing the show, lawyers approached and said for legal reasons, the show had to put disclaimers at the beginning of each episode, which read: This program is based on real events. However, certain characters, names, incidents, locations, and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes. To me, those disclaimers always devalue what people are about to see in some way, Berg says. It didnt sit with me well for this one. I didnt want people to be able to devalue the enormity of the tragedy and the magnitude of the brutality of this crisis. To bring the crisis home for viewers, Berg enlisted real people who had been affected by the opioid crisis to read the disclaimers at the beginning of each episode. Before they do so, the speakers share stories of their loved ones who died as a direct result of the opioid crisis. Lesley Faulkner as Elizabeth Sackler, Matthew Broderick as Richard Sackler, Sam Anderson as Raymond Sackler, Clark Gregg as Arthur Sackler Sr., John Rothman as Mortimer Sackler, Dan Fox as Arthur Sackler Jr., Catherine Tait as Jillian Sackler, Maria Ricossa as Else Sackler, Michele Kaye as Denise Sackler in A different person reads the disclaimer before each of the six episodes of Painkiller, which recounts the rise of OxyContin, a highly addictive prescription drug manufactured by Purdue Pharma, which has played a role in the hundreds of thousands of drug overdose deaths caused by prescription opioids in the U.S. And so I thought, what if we could find parents whose children had died from OxyContin, get them to read this standard disclaimer, but then say, hey, what is real and then talk about their own experience and children, that it would set the tone for what we were trying to accomplish, and allow us to make sure that the viewer was properly prepped for what they were about to see, Berg says. Painkiller also tells the story of the people behind the marketing plan of OxyContin, including members of the Sackler family, like Richard Sackler, the former president of Purdue Pharma. Berg says he wanted to represent some of the absurd nature of some of the events Purdue hosted to try to market the drug in Painkiller, particularly the dancing scenes throughout Episode Three. I started to unpack the reality of the Sacklers. Its a tricky unpacking because theyre so secretive, he says. But the more I learned, the more absurdly farcical the whole Purdue Pharma culture seemed these bizarre retreats they would do in South Beach, Florida, where a bunch of giant OxyContin plushies would dance. Theyd have bad entertainers singing songs about selling OxyContin and it all just seemed absurd to me. If you evaluate someones talent based on their ability to make money, the Sacklers get A pluses. But if you look at the taste, and the morality, and the lack thereof, and sort of try and start adding it up, theres something almost absurd to me about them, he continues. Thats why you hear smoke alarms and you see giant dancing OxyContin plushies, and you see Richard and (his uncle) Arthur dancing with glee when they get the approval from the FDA. While the characters in the show are played by actors, several of them are based on real people, like the Sacklers, while others are fictional characters based on a collection of real people, like lawyer Edie Flowers and Purdue Pharma sales rep Shannon Schaeffer. Berg says the show reached out to the real Richard Sackler to try to have him involved in any way, but there was no response. I tried to see if he would meet with me. I was not able to do that, Berg says. The Sacklers do a very good job of letting their lawyers do the talking. They are very, very effective at staying in the shadows. Berg is aware there have been other shows before Painkiller about the opioid crisis, like Dopesick, as well as books like Barry Meiers Pain Killer and Patrick Radden Keefes Empire of Pain. He says he considers the totality of the pop culture reckoning of the Sacklers to be a different form of justice outside of the legal system, as the Sacklers have never been criminally charged. When you realize how much money this family has and how theyre using the interest payments from their fortune to pay these fines, its not touching them, Berg says. You realize that, thats not really right, isnt it? Its hard to get justice if your children have died. The totality of all of these shows, books and writings is that you walk out anywhere and start talking to someone to mention the name Sackler and people know, Berg continues. I think that probably hurts quite a bit. The Sackler family denies wrongdoing. At a 2020 Congressional hearing, David Sackler, former member of the Purdue Pharma board of directors and son of Richard Sackler, gave his familys perspective on the epidemic. I want to express my familys deep sadness about the opioid crisis. OxyContin is a medicine that Purdue intended to help people, and it has helped and continues to help millions of Americans. Far too many lives have been destroyed by addiction and abuse of opioids, including OxyContin. There are many lawsuits that have blamed Purdue and my family for the opioid crisis. While we deny liability and are vigorously contesting these claims, we want to respond to the opioid crisis, because the prescription medicine that our company manufactured and sold, which was never intended to harm anyone, ended up being part of a crisis that has harmed too many people, he said. The Supreme Court announced on Aug. 10 that it would pause Purdue Pharmas bankruptcy deal that would have protected members of the Sackler family from further civil lawsuits. As part of the deal, the Sackler family agreed to pay $6 billion that could be used to settle opioid-related claims, but only if the deal included complete release from any liability in future cases. Purdue Pharma pled guilty to criminal charges as part of an $8 billion settlement, per NBC News. This article was originally published on TODAY.com The remnants of Tropical Storm Hilary, a Category 4 hurricane when it was churning in the Pacific before crashing ashore in Mexico, brought record-breaking rainfall to Southern California, flooding roads and causing mudslides and rock slides as it barreled north. While Hilary was expected to dissipate Monday, forecasters warned rainfall from the storm could cause "life-threatening" flooding across the southwestern U.S. People as far north as Idaho were warned the storm could cause flooding in their areas. Hilary was downgraded to a tropical storm prior to making landfall over Baja California, Mexico, Sunday before becoming a post-tropical cyclone early Monday morning. Latest storm coverage from CBS Los Angeles "We are not out of the woods yet," Brian Ferguson, deputy director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, told CBS News on Monday. "The back end of this storm is still impacting us. We could still see mudslides today as that ground gets saturated." No fatalities from Hilary were reported in the state, said Ferguson, who described the damage to residences and critical infrastructure as "very minimal." As Hilary was raking across Southern California on Sunday, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Ojai, northwest of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake didn't cause any significant injuries or damage, Ferguson said. "Having multiple, complex, overlapping disasters is something that we've had at multiple times in recent years, and unfortunately our state has had the opportunity to get pretty good at this work," he said. A car is partially submerged in floodwaters as Tropical Storm Hilary moves through Cathedral City, California on August 20, 2023. / Credit: Getty Images Flooding was impacting many areas and numerous rock and mudslides were reported. The National Weather Service's Los Angeles office said on social media that "virtually all rainfall daily records" for the area were broken as of 3 a.m. PDT Monday. Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years. It dumped more than half the average annual rain on some desert and mountain areas, including Palm Springs, which saw nearly 3 inches of rain by Sunday evening. Tens of thousands of people across Southern California had no power due to the storm and Palm Springs lost 911 service Sunday night, CBS News Los Angeles reported. The station said Hilary's outskirts were still lingering over greater Los Angeles and battering some regions with heavy rain early Monday morning. Where is flooding expected? The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said flood watches were in effect for Southern California, northwest Arizona, much of Nevada, southwest Utah, eastern Oregon, western and central Idaho and southeast Washington. A flood watch means flooding is possible in those areas. "Hilary is expected to produce additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches across portions of southeast California and southern Nevada through Monday, with isolated storm total amounts up to 12 inches," the center said. "Continued flash and urban flooding is expected." What's more, 1 to 5 inches of rain was expected across portions of Oregon and Idaho through Tuesday morning "resulting in localized, some significant, flash flooding," the center added. In Nevada, officials remain concerned about dangerous flooding across the western Mojave Desert, which is at high risk for flash flooding, "an exceedingly rare occurrence," the weather service's office in Las Vegas said Sunday on social media. Southern California was experiencing heavy rain in Los Angeles and surrounding counties, CBS News Los Angeles reported. Mount Wilson in Angeles National Forest recorded over 8.5 inches of rain as of 7 a.m. PDT, the top amount reported by the weather service's Los Angeles office. Beverly Hills recorded 4.8 inches, and downtown LA recorded nearly 3 inches. The National Weather Service said Ventura County was experiencing life-threatening flooding and San Bernardino, Riverside and nearby mountains were at high risk of flash floods. San Bernardino and Riverside Counties issued evacuation orders and Orange County issued evacuation warnings. Among many dramatic scenes playing out as Hilary hit: How is Southern California dealing with Hilary? As of 8 a.m. PDT Monday, Hilary was about 115 miles west-northwest of Elko, Nevada, and racing north-northeast at 24 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Although no longer a hurricane, the system was still bringing heavy rainfall to the area. It was the first time that the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for Southern California, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency ahead of its arrival. President Biden on Sunday said he has asked FEMA to deploy personnel and supplies to California. Mr. Biden also said the Coast Guard has pre-positioned aircraft to allow for rapid response and rescue efforts. "My Administration also deployed federal personnel to Nevada to ensure the state has additional support, and we will continue to coordinate with California, Nevada, and Arizona on any resources they might need," Mr. Biden said. Evacuees from Catalina Island arrive in Long Beach, California, after leaving due to Hurricane Hilary. Aug. 19, 2023. / Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images On Sunday evening, Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country, announced all schools, campuses and after-school programs would be closed Monday due to the storm. Los Angeles Unified Announces School Closures for Monday, Aug. 21 pic.twitter.com/nzzNDvTNbd Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) August 20, 2023 "This was not an easy decision," the district said on social media. "Los Angeles Unified acknowledges the unique, unprecedented nature of Tropical Storm Hilary, which has garnered city, county, and state declarations of emergency." Pasadena Unified School District followed suit later Sunday night. The California Department of Parks and Recreation on Saturday ordered a temporary closure of all San Diego and Orange County state beaches and several state parks. Disneyland announced Saturday that parks would be closing early Sunday, with Disney California Adventure Park closing at 9 p.m., Disneyland Park closing at 10 p.m. and the Downtown Disney District will close at 11 p.m. The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels all moved their scheduled Sunday home games to Saturday double-headers in anticipation of the storm. When will Hilary hit Las Vegas? Nevada will see heavy rain into Monday morning with likely flooding in Las Vegas and "significant flooding" in Death Valley National Park, the Weather Channel reported. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon due to the "imminent impact" of Tropical Storm Hilary across the state. "Significant damage to public and private property are likely, including multiple transportation routes," the declaration read. That came days after he announced that 100 National Guard troops had been activated ahead of the tropical storm. -Alex Sundby contributed reporting. Illinois woman arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot Trump Air traffic controller shortage raises concern amid increased plane near-collisions Texas coast braces for storm as California recovers from tropical storm Hilary Former President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday he will not participate in the first Republican primary debate this week. Stating that the public already knows who I am, Trump wrote on his social media platform: I will therefore not be doing the debates! It was not immediately clear whether Trump meant he will sit out all currently scheduled debates there is a second GOP primary debate set for September or any and all future debates. A Trump adviser told CNN that the former president could still decide to participate in a later primary debate, despite his post. Trump has told a number of allies that he does not want to debate at the Reagan Library, the location of the second debate, and complained in private conversations that he has never been invited to speak at the venue, blaming, in part, the chairman of the board of trustees, Fred Ryan. Ryan was the chief executive officer of the Washington Post. Wednesdays primary debate is the first of the 2024 cycle. For weeks the former president has privately and publicly floated skipping it, given his lead in the polls. Multiple sources familiar with Trumps plans previously told CNN he is planning to sit for an interview with former Fox News Host Tucker Carlson instead. Still, Republican officials had been publicly seeking to convince Trump to join the debate stage as recently as Sunday morning. Hours before Trump posted, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel said she hoped he would debate. Im still holding out hope that President Trump will come. I think its so important that the American people hear from all the candidates, McDaniel said on Fox News. McDaniel and David Bossie, who is in charge of the RNC debate committee, visited Trump at his Bedminster, New Jersey, home in recent weeks to encourage him to participate, according to a Trump adviser. The former president was noncommittal on his plans during this meeting. Fox News president Jay Wallace and the networks chief executive, Suzanne Scott, had also encouraged Trump to participate in the debate. To qualify for the debate, candidates must have at least 40,000 unique donors, with at least 200 unique donors per state, and must reach at least 1% in three national polls meeting the RNCs requirements or at least 1% in two national polls and two polls from separate early voting states. Candidates are also expected to sign a loyalty pledge expressing their commitment to unite and back the eventual Republican nominee, regardless of who that is. To this point, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have all qualified. This story has been updated with additional information. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct Sen. Tim Scotts title. CNNs Jack Forrest contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Former president Donald Trump on Sunday said he doesnt need to participate in any debates as he seeks his partys nomination for next years presidential election, as nearly a dozen of his Republican primary rivals prepare to square off on Wednesday. Writing on his own social media platform, Mr Trump said the US electorate knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had. He added: I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES! However, at least one of Mr Trumps children will be present at the debate. Donald Trump Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle will be in attendance, according to The Daily Caller. Were excited to see all of our friends in Milwaukee on Wednesday in support of President Trump. Were confident that in 2024, GOP voters will reject the RINO establishment and re-nominate President Trump in a landslide, they told the outlet. Mr Trump has often mused about skipping the debates, citing his overwhelming lead among the Republican primary voters who will decide whether he appears on the ballot against President Joe Biden in November 2024. In a June interview with Fox News, the ex-president asked why hed allow people at one per cent or two per cent and zero per cent to be hitting [him] with questions all night when pressed on whether hed attend the Milwaukee debate by Fox anchor Bret Baier, who is set to co-moderate the Fox-sponsored programme. At least eight candidates have met a Republican National Committee polling and fundraising threshold for participation in the debate: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, ex-Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, ex-South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The twice-impeached, quadruply indicted former chief executive, who easily met the GOP criteria to participate, has a history of skipping out on debate sessions when he does not feel he will be penalised by voters. In 2020, he backed out of his second general election debate with Mr Biden after the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates decided the event would be a virtual one because hed attended a prior debate after contracting Covid-19 and kept his diagnosis secret. Four years earlier, he refused to participate in another Fox-sponsored debate amid a feud with then-anchor Megyn Kelly, instead choosing to host a rally that he billed as a fundraiser for veterans. Mr Trump, who has frequently railed against the right-wing network since its analysts correctly predicted that he would lose Arizonas electoral votes during the 2020 election, and more recently amid the network hosting frequent appearances by many of his primary rivals, is reportedly set to counterprogramme the Fox debate with a pre-taped interview with Tucker Carlson, the right-wing former Fox host who was fired from the network earlier this year. Asked about the ex-presidents plans for Wednesday evening, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung replied: We cannot confirm or deny stay tuned. One of Mr Trumps primary opponents, ex-New Jersey governor and former ally to the ex-president Chris Christie, has called him a coward and has said he lacks the guts to show up at a debate. At the same time, DeSantis-backing Super PAC Never Back Down has released an advertisement that states Republicans cant afford a nominee who is too weak to debate, though the ad does not attack Mr Trump directly. The ex-president has also thus far refused to sign a Republican National Committee pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee. The pledge states: I affirm that if I do not win the 2024 Republican nomination of President of the United States, I will honor the will of the primary voters and support the nominee in order to save our country and beat Joe Biden. With additional reporting by agencies Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel on Monday said the Philippines should prepare for Chinas next actions in the West Philippine Sea as Manila plans another resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal following the water canon incident last Aug. 5. Let us anticipate what China can possibly do and then let us now prepare for what they can possibly do, he told CNN Philippines The Source. Pimentel also said authorities should deploy more assets to show China the Philippines capabilities in conducting rotation and resupply (RoRe) missions. He also noted that Ayungin Shoal is closer to the Philippines, so Manila should take advantage of this. Also called Second Thomas Shoal, Ayungin is located 104 nautical miles west of Palawan and is well within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Aug. 19 told the China Coast Guard to behave and to not meddle with Manilas upcoming RoRe missions at the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal. BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II US Navy Ship, has been on the Ayungin Shoal since 1999. It was intentionally grounded to serve as a Philippine military outpost in the contested waters. The Philippines has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Kalayaan Island Group, which China is also claiming through its nine-dash line. Beijings claim was invalidated by the 2016 arbitral ruling. The tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines regarding areas within its EEZ and continental shelf that are being claimed by China. Pimentel also backed Senator Francis Escuderos proposal to allocate a portion of the 2024 budget to building structures on Ayungin, but Pimentel said the structures to be built should be non-military, like shelter for fisherfolk during bad weather or halfway house for research vehicles. The agency that will implement it will either be the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Works and Highways, or the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources depending on the structure to be established, he added. A judge signed off Monday on a $200,000 bond for former President Trump in the Georgia election case, according to court filings. Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis (D) charged Trump and 18 others over their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. The defendants have a deadline of Friday at noon to voluntarily surrender. Read the bond order here. Trump-consent-bond-order-Georgia-1Download For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk. Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen. If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned. I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country. It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously. Vote View Results STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has falsely accused Nagorno-Karabakhs military of jamming the GPS system of a civilian aircraft flying from Fizuli to Baku. In a statement released Monday, Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said the Azeri accusations are fake and have nothing to do with reality. Furthermore, the Fizuli-Baku airway is outside of Nagorno-Karabakh airspace. As noted previously, the aircraft flying in the abovementioned airway doesnt cross the air borders of the Republic of Artsakh. By spreading such false statements Azerbaijan seeks to divert the international communitys attention from the daily deteriorating humanitarian disaster resulting from the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor, the Ministry of Defense of Nagorno-Karabakh said. It added that Azerbaijan itself has been consistently targeting civilian infrastructure in Nagorno-Karabakh during and after the 2020 war, by blocking the Lachin Corridor, disrupting gas and electricity supplies and jamming internet and mobile phone connection. A bench headed by CJ D Y Chandrachud said the issue is already pending before a constitution bench of the apex court New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a declaration that abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which bestowed special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was constitutionally valid. Terming the plea as "misconceived", a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the issue of constitutional validity of abrogation of Article 370 is already pending before a constitution bench of the apex court. "What kind of a petition is this? You are now seeking a declaration by this court that the abrogation of Article 370 is valid. Why should we issue that declaration on your petition? Who has set your client up?" the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, asked the counsel appearing for the petitioner. The bench noted that the petitioner has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a declaration to the effect that abrogation of Article 370 (1) of the Constitution and the deletion of Article 35-A were constitutionally valid. "A declaration cannot be issued by this court with regard to the constitutional validity of the action of the Union Government. In any event, the issue of constitutional validity is pending before the constitution bench," it said. "The present petition is misconceived and is accordingly dismissed," the top court said. Article 35-A, which was incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, accorded special rights and privileges to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and barred people from outside the state from acquiring any immovable property in the state. It also denied property rights to a woman who married a person from outside the state. On August 5, 2019, the Centre decided to strip the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir of special status and bifurcate it into two union territories. By abrogating Article 370, the central government had revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge constitution bench headed by the CJI is hearing arguments on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which split the erstwhile state into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. On August 7, SC ordered the establishment of a committee to oversee relief, rehabilitation, and compensation for victims NEW DELHI: A panel led by former high court judge Gital Mittal, tasked with overseeing relief and rehabilitation for victims of violence in Manipur, submitted three reports to the Supreme Court on Monday. One of these reports addresses the need to enhance the compensation scheme for the people of the strife-torn state. The Supreme Court announced that it will issue orders on Friday to facilitate the operation of this three-member panel. The bench, consisting of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justices J.B. Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, instructed that copies of the three reports should be provided to all relevant lawyers. Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing one of the victims, was directed to gather suggestions for the panel. The bench also noted that the committee led by Justice Mittal had submitted three reports, which touched upon issues like document loss and the necessity to upgrade the Manipur compensation scheme, aligning it with the National Legal Services Authority policy. According to the bench, "The reports submitted by the Justice Mittal-led committee show that essential documents need to be re-issued, and the Manipur victim compensation scheme needs an upgrade. A nodal administration expert should be appointed." On August 7, the Supreme Court ordered the establishment of a committee comprising three former women high court judges to oversee relief, rehabilitation, and compensation for victims, as well as the monitoring of criminal cases by former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar. The court had specified that the panel would directly submit reports to it. The bench clarified that the committee would be chaired by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mittal, with Justices Shalini P. Joshi, a former judge of the Bombay High Court, and Asha Menon, an ex-judge of the Delhi High Court, as members. The court had earlier stated, "We will appoint a committee of three former high court judges," and had listed the issues the panel would address, including relief, remedial measures, rehabilitation, compensation, and the restoration of homes and places of worship. Additionally, the bench indicated that the committee of judges would visit relief camps to assess the conditions there. The bench is currently hearing approximately ten petitions related to the escalating violence in Manipur, including those seeking a court-monitored probe into the cases and measures for relief and rehabilitation. Since ethnic violence erupted in the state on May 3 during a 'Tribal Solidarity March,' where the hill districts protested against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status, more than 160 people have lost their lives, and several hundred have been injured. Modi describes pre-2014 as era of scams, corruption Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday described the pre-2014 period as an era of scams and corruptions and said that people were robbed of their rights and their money, but now every penny is directly reaching their bank accounts. Addressing the Madhya Pradesh Rozgar Mela virtually from Delhi, he said that one of the key gains of plugging the leakage in the system is that the government is now capable of spending more for the welfare of the poor than before. The investments made on a huge scale in the welfare programmes have also generated employment in every nook and corner of the country. Driving his point home, he cited the example of common service centres (CCCs), established in villages in the country. Around five lakh new CCCs have been set up in the villages in the country since 2014, which not only created jobs for the people but also ensured welfare of the villages and the poor, he said. When decisions are made with a positive mindset, right intention and full devotion then the whole environment is filled with positivity, Modi observed. He noted the marked improvement in the poverty scenario in the country, saying that 13.5 crore people in India have moved above the poverty line in the last five years, as per the Niti Aayog report. Besides, the average income of the people has increased manifolds in the last nine years, he added. According to the ITR data, the average income, which was around Rs 4 lakh in 2014, has increased to Rs 13 lakh in 2023. Besides, the number of people from lower income group to upper income group has also increased. The PM said that the growth of public trust in the government has led to a surge in the number of taxpayers in the country. Modi said that the new figures of income-tax returns have suggested that the trust of people in their government is becoming stronger. As a result, the citizens of the country are coming forward in large numbers to pay their taxes honestly. It is clearly visible to them that the economy, which ranked 10th in the world before 2014, has reached fifth position today, Modi said. The PMs statement comes in the wake of disclosure from the official data that the total number of income-tax returns (ITRs) for AY 2023-24 filed till July 31 is more than 6.77 crore, which is 16.1 per cent more than the total ITRs for AY 2022-23 (5.83 crore) filed till July 31, 2022. Referring to the National Education Policy (NEP), Modi said that NEP is making a huge contribution in leading India to becoming a developed country. The NEP has laid emphasis on both traditional knowledge as well as state-of-the-art technology. A new curriculum has been chalked out for primary education under the policy. The most significant feature of the policy is to impart education in the mother tongue, which has done away with the social injustice as students who do not know English have so far been not allowed education in their mother tongue. Education in regional languages, as devised in the NEP, would be the basis of massive reform in the education system in the country, he said. Around 5,500 teachers of government primary schools in Madhya Pradesh were given appointment letters on the occasion. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Senate public services committee chairperson Grace Poe calls on transport authorities to immediately release the 3 billion subsidy for public utility vehicles (PUV) as fuel prices rise for the seventh week in a row. "Inilatag na natin sa 2023 budget ang 3 billion fuel subsidy na hindi pa rin nagagamit kahit halos matatapos na ang taon," Poe said in a statement Monday. [Translation: We have already laid out in the 2023 budget the 3 billion fuel subsidy that is still unused although the year is almost over.] "The DOTr must immediately issue the memorandum circulars and execute the memorandum of agreement necessary for the release of the long overdue fuel subsidy," she added. The senator's statement came after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)'s announcement that the 3-billion fuel subsidy will only be released once a joint memorandum circular stipulating guidelines will be issued by DBM, DOTr, and the Department of Energy. Poe also appealed to DOTr and other concerned agencies to "exhaust provisional remedies" to help both the PUV sector and commuters. She further called on the Department of Finance to suspend the excise tax on fuel and petroleum products until prices stabilize. Taxi operators once again urged transport officials to increase the flagdown rate by 30 more amid the continuous increases in fuel prices. An Iranian military delegation has arrived in Russia to discuss cooperation between the two countries amid criticism from the West over Tehran's support for Russia's offensive in Ukraine, the Russian Defence Ministry said today. The Iranian delegation is headed by Brigadier General Kiyumars Heidari, the commander of the Islamic Republic Army's ground forces, TASS news agency said. "Russia considers Iran as one of the key countries in the Middle East and a strategic partner of Moscow," Oleg Saliukov, the commander of Russia's ground forces, said during the visit. The Russian general added that during the current stage of bilateral cooperation the dialogue with Tehran is "intensive". The two military officers agreed to continue to promote ties between the Russian and Iranian ground forces "in various fields", the official statement said. During their visit, the Iranian delegation also visited Russian military facilities and units. Western countries have accused Iran of supplying drones and ammunition to Russia to support its war in Ukraine. According to Russian opposition media, a factory where assembly of Iranian drones has begun is already operating on Russian territory. Peugeot refreshed the entire lineup of the second generation of the 208 in July 2023, and the electric version was also heavily upgraded. It gained not only a new look but also a more powerful motor and a longer range. Four decades after Peugeot launched the iconic 205 hatchback that sold in over 5 million units, the French automaker tried its best with the B-segment 208. Since the times were changed, the new model also came with an electric version. The automaker was not new to this game since it already tried it on the 106 Electrique supermini hatchback in 1995. Still, that model was a flop, with sales way under the target. But the carmaker learned its lesson, and when it brought the e-208 in 2019, it enjoyed great success. The second generation of the 208 was a tremendous success for the French automaker. Even though it came in 2019, one year before the world pandemic situation, it was on top of its game and recovered quickly. It became the best-selling vehicle in its class for two years in a row, and the electron-powered version came on top of the B-segment in the electric category. Part of that success was the car's exterior design. As a result, Peugeot dared even more when it launched the 2023 model. At the front, instead of one vertical LED strip on each side of the front fascia, included three lines resembling three lion claws. After all, the lion was the brand's badge. Also, the grille was broader and extended on the lower bumper to the apron. The LED headlights lost their vertical illuminated slats and got three LEDs to illuminate the road. Depending on the trim level and color, the e-208 boasted wider tires and flared wheel arches. At the same time, at the back, a roof spoiler adorned the top of the tailgate. Furthermore, the taillights featured three horizontal LED lines instead of vertical ones, as in the 2019 model. As a distinct element for the electric version, Peugeot offered the e-208 with a choice of 16 and 17 light alloy wheels. Peugeot engineers also improved the cabin. Like its predecessor, it featured a digital instrument cluster fronting the driver. In addition, a 10 touchscreen sat on top of the center stack for the infotainment system. Customers could buy the car with up to three charging ports (two at the front and one for the rear passengers) and a wireless charger for their mobile phones. But the most significant upgrade was under the skin. While the automaker kept the same e-CMP platform with a front-wheel-drive setup, the motor was upgraded. Thus, instead of the older 134 HP (136 PS) unit, the automaker installed a 154 (156 PS) electric heart. The battery pack remained at the same value as its predecessor, but the range was extended to 400 km (249 miles) thanks to the new regenerative braking system. The automaker said that the battery pack could have been charged in approximately 25 minutes from 20% to 80% on a fast-charging station, while at a regular 7.5 kW, it took four hours and 40 minutes for the same refill. A 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster won the Best in Show award at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Only three such cars have survived to this day. Photo: Livestream of the 72nd Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance | Screenshot YouTube Other winners at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Photo: Livestream of the 72nd Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance | Screenshot YouTube HP Two hundred sixteen cars from 18 countries and 30 American states took part in the Pebble Beach competition this year. But for one of them, the Concours d'Elegance finished with confetti and acclaim. It is a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster. And it is a car with quite a story.According to a copy of the original Kommission paper, the model, one of the three remaining long-tailed roadsters with a covered spared wheel, was ordered back in May 1937 by the King Mohammad Zahir Shah of Afghanistan, and it was delivered to him in September. The last king of Afghanistan was only 23 when he purchased the Benz. Four years before, he had become king after the assassination of his father.His paternal uncles, to whom he ceded power, strengthened links with the international community, reaching agreements on foreign assistance, diplomacy, and trade with states like Germany, Italy, and Japan. This is how the import of luxury goods into Afghanistan, cars included, became easier.When World War II started, he sent the car to Paris, France, to be stored at the Afghan embassy. After the War, in 1948, King Mohammad gave it to his son-in-law, the Prince of Afghanistan, who shipped it to London. He sold it in the summer of 1953 to a London-based dealership. Mr. A.W. Giles of Old Catton, Norwich, England, bought it in December 1953. The Mercedes then began its life in the United States: it was shipped to Jacksonville, Florida.Illinois businessman and early American collector of Full Classics Vernon D. Jarvis put his name on the short list of owners of the 540K Special Roadster. He was the owner of one of the most spectacular collections of pre-war automobiles.Then the roadster ended up in the hands of enthusiast Robert Bahre, who sold it to the current owners. And now, it has been brought to Pebble Beach by Jim Patterson of the Patterson Collection in Louisville, Kentucky.The competition started with the 25th Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance, which is a drive along 70 miles of coastal roads. The automobiles that cruise in the tour have the advantage if they tie in the class competition.For four whole days, the juries checked every inch of the participating cars and were eventually impressed by the time and thought invested in the restoration of the 86-year old roadster. The restoration, not an actual thorough one, happened in 1950. It was more of a cosmetic one. The powertrain, transmission, and all the mechanical components kept their ground over the years. So the car holds an impressive degree of originality. Even the floor mats are still there, while the Dunlop tires have not been changed since 1953.The Jarvis purchase document reveals that the Mercedes had 11,700 miles in 1953. But the odometer was reset, and it now shows only 883 miles.The automobile had to fight against a sibling, the Auriga Collection's 1930 Mercedes-bent 710 SS Special Roadster, but also the 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto Figoni Cabriolet presented by Gregor Fiskin, while Peter Mullin Automotive Museum also came with a significant contender in the run: the 1939 Delahaye 165 Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet.Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz have been battling for the Best in Show award for years. With this Sunday's victory, Mercedes takes the lead, reaching a total of 10 wins at Pebble Beach. The model also left home with the Mercedes-Benz Star of Excellence Award.It is not the first time a 540K has become the Best in Show in Pebble Beach. Back in 2021, a Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn Kurier received the trophy, while 1973 was the year of the 540K Special Cabriolet A.While the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Roadster left with the Best in Show trophy, the event at Pebble Beach brought joy to other competitors as well. It was a 1950 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Cabriolet the winner of the Elegance Award.The Special Award Alex Ulman Trophy went to the 1936 Hispano-Suiza J-12 Saoutchik Cabriolet, part of the Keller Collection in California. A 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall left with the Ansel Adams Award.The Alfa Romeo that lost to the Mercedes-Benz 540K Roadster in the run for the Best in Show, the 8C 2300 Corto Figoni Cabriolet, found consolation in the triumph in the Class L-1: Prewar Preservation.Another Alfa Romeo, a 6C 2500 SS Touring Spider, received the Chairman's Trophy.The oldest car that made it to Pebble Beach this year was a 1908 Benz 105Prinz Heinrich Two Seat Race Car, that ended in the third place in Class A-2: Vanderbilt Cup Era Race Cars. For example, the 1969 model year witnessed the debut of a new engine. Dodge introduced the 440 (7.2-liter) Six Pack, which used three two-barrel Holley carburetors. It was rated at 390 horsepower and used the A12 designation in Dodge's nomenclature you can identify a Super Bee fitted with this engine by the M code in the VIN tag.According to rough numbers, Dodge produced approximately 27,800 Super Bees for the model year 1969, most coming with the base 383 under the hood. The 440 Six Pack was rarer, as only around 1,900 units rolled off the assembly lines with the new engine. Eventually, Dodge also produced 166 Super Bees with the almighty 426 Hemi. 1969 Super Bee born with a 383 is fighting for life in what seems to be a forest, struggling with the invasion of rust and humanity's ignorance.As a petrolhead, I can't imagine why someone would abandon such a great car . However, what's worse is that the vehicle likely spent decades in the same place, eventually losing some parts, probably in favor of other projects. It now comes without seats and the rear end, eBay seller tohi-9425 explains.The metal condition isn't as bad as you'd expect, as the body passed the test of time, not with flying colors but in a shape that still allows for complete restoration. We're not getting a closer look at the interior, likely as the seller didn't have the keys (considering the photos made through the side windows), but at least we can check out the V8 under the hood.The 383 doesn't look good, and I don't expect it to be alive, especially in a car that's been sitting for a long time in nature. The seller didn't share any specifics on the engine, so you'll have to bring a good mechanic to inspect the mechanical part of the car before committing to a purchase. You should also expect plenty of rust on the floors and the trunk.A 1969 Super Bee is still an intriguing find regardless of its condition, so I believe this car won't remain up for grabs for too long. The seller hopes to get at least $2,000 for it this is the starting bid. The auction will end in two days.Interested customers who want to see the Super Bee in person must travel to Parkersburg, West Virginia. And considering the car's condition, a trailer is the only way to take home the car or, at least, what's left of it. From the outset, Ford developed the S550 for global markets. The switch from left-hand drive to right-hand drive was poorly executed, though, because the Blue Oval is notorious for the way it cuts corners. More specifically, the center console for the RHD version is shared with the LHD version, which means that the handbrake is located next to the passenger's right leg rather than the driver's left leg. Dubbed S650 beginning with the 2024 model year, the Mustang has been spied testing in Australia with the center console that Ford uses in the LHD version. This cost-cutting measure didn't go unnoticed by members of the Mustang7G forum, which aren't thrilled by FoMoCo's penny-pinching.Originally scheduled for the second quarter of 2023, pricing information for the Australian market is due to be published later this month. As per the Dearborn-based automaker, customer deliveries are scheduled to kick off in the first quarter of 2024.Similar to the United States market, the Mustang is Ford's only car in Australia. For future reference, the S550 is currently available in this part of the world for 52,590 kangaroo bucks, at the very least. The S650 is certain to be more expensive for a number of reasons, beginning with the 10-speed automatic that's now standard in combination with the 2.3-liter turbocharged I4 engine known as the EcoBoost.Only the V8-powered GT can be had with a manual. By extension, the GT-based Dark Horse is available with three pedals as well. There is, however, a huge difference in manual transmissions between them. The GT comes with the dreaded Getrag of the previous generation, whereas the Dark Horse levels up to the sturdier and more enjoyable Tremec that Ford previously used in the 2021 2023 Mach 1.The recently unveiled Mustang GTD, as in the road-going brother of the Mustang GT3 racecar, isn't coming to Australia. The 800-plus-horsepower brute will be assembled by Multimatic in Canada exclusively in left-hand drive. Ford intends to build anything between 1,000 and 2,000 examples, with prices starting at circa 300,000 freedom eagles.There's no telling if the Shelby GT350 will come back with its flat-plane crankshaft Voodoo engine, a 5.2-liter V8 that if brought back may receive the dual throttle bodies of the 5.0-liter Coyote in the GT and Dark Horse. Further down the road, the Shelby GT500 is reportedly coming back with the cross-plane crankshaft Predator that used to make 760 horsepower in the S550-gen Shelby GT500.Hearsay also suggests a Mustang Raptor all-road specification, which sounds a bit ridiculous at first glance. On the other hand, Porsche and Lamborghini did exactly that to the 911 and Huracan with the limited-run Dakar and Sterrato.The seventh-generation Mustang will reportedly end production in Flat Rock on April 27, 2029. Mere days later, the S750 will once again, reportedly start production with all-electric muscle. The zero-emission pony car allegedly features the GE2 platform that Ford will debut in the second generation of the Mustang Mach-E. SUV ICE They teased it, they allowed the leaks, and when it came the time to shine, they shied away. That wasn't the case with the new, all-electric EV6 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year Limited Edition that tried to make the headlines at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering in model-exclusive Deep Forest Green over Desert Beige. Frankly, not even the authentic NACTOY medallions can make it more interesting than the refreshed 2024 Sorento.Hopefully, the South Korean automaker is reserving a grand premiere for the North American variant at a later date their partners at Hyundai did exactly that with the 2024 Santa Fe's new generation presented in Santa Fe, New Mexico, of course. But with fanfare or low quiet, it doesn't really matter for the never-sleeping imaginative realm of digital car content creators.For example, the good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube have recently imagined the CGI looks of the unannounced and unreleased Kia Sorento GT a model to top all other CUVs, even the mighty Telluride. That's interesting, right? However, if you think about it, it's not exactly illogical either.In America, the mid-size crossoversector is like a veritable battlefield where every automaker tries to outdo and outrun their competitors especially in the field of three-row models. And the 2024 Kia Sorento won't have to worry solely about its boxy sibling, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, but also about new entries in the field like the-powered or hybridized 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander.The latter version comes with a top Hybrid Max variant that churns a combined 362 horsepower and 339 lb-ft (460 Nm), making it a lot more powerful even than the popular Honda Pilot with its 285-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine. As such, the resident pixel master and the channel's host not only cooked the potential 2024 or 2025 Kia Sorento GT Line but also a fully-fledged Kia Sorento GT.However, we disagree that both could field the same powertrain taken from the Kia K5 a 2.5-liter turbo inline-four with up to 290 horsepower. That one could work wonders on a hypothetical Kia Sorento GT Line to mitigate the clear and present Honda Pilot danger. But the Kia Sorento GT would need much more oomph to become the most powerful crossover in the company's lineup, even above the Telluride.So, maybe it's best if we suggest trying harder to find an appropriate powertrain the Kia Stinger's Lambda II 3.3-liter turbo V6 with 368 horsepower sounds like a match made in heaven to address any 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander concerns, right? Of course, do remember this is all wishful thinking. The competition in the navigation space is getting fiercer, mainly thanks to Apple and its efforts to improve Apple Maps. Real-time charge station information in Apple Maps EV Photo: Porsche Similar features in Google Maps Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution Other Apple updates for drivers Photo: Apple The iPhone maker announced a major Maps overhaul a few years ago, and since then, it's been working around the clock on expanding the availability and improving the platform with new functionality.Apple Maps has evolved significantly, and the detailed city experience proves how the Cupertino-based tech giant plans to upgrade the service. Apple Maps now features incredible attention to detail, with its new maps (powered by Apple and not by a third party) sporting trees, sidewalks, crosswalks, stop signs, and traffic lights.Apple doesn't want to stop here. The company will soon update Apple Maps with support for real-time charging availability information, and the feature will be available for all users running iOS 17.Apple has been working around the clock on improvingrouting in Apple Maps. In 2020, the company announced a major Apple Maps in this regard, with an improved routing engine that considers EV specifications debuting for the Ford Mustang Mach-E in 2022. The Mach-E has long remained the only model boasting Apple's promised EV routing, despite the iPhone maker promising to work with more carmakers for this feature's adoption. Porsche joined the select club of carmakers offering Apple Maps EV routing earlier this year with the Taycan, and Apple will likely announce new partners in September when it announces new capabilities for its mapping service.The tech firm will improve Apple Maps with EV charging station availability information, so drivers of zero-emission cars will know in advance if a specific stall is available. Apple Maps will integrate EV profile support, letting drivers configure their cars and choose from charging networks in the region, including Tesla Supercharger and Chargepoint (in the United States). Drivers can also choose their plugs, so eventually, Apple Maps will only display relevant information that makes sense for each vehicle.Apple has already integrated the feature into the existing iOS 17 beta builds, and the public rollout should kick off in September when the operating system becomes available for all users.iOS 17 will only support the iPhone XS and newer, so if you use an older device, you must upgrade to a newer model to get the new Apple Maps capabilities.You're not wrong if you believe you've seen similar features elsewhere. Google announced support for EV charging station availability in 2019, with the search giant using a similar approach to Apple's.Google Maps initially supported the most popular EV charging station networks in the United States, including the ones from Tesla and Chargepoint. The service allowed users to configure an EV profile and choose the plug type in their cars, eventually getting availability information only for the compatible charging stalls.Google Maps provided extra information, including charging station photos and reviews, location, and charging speeds.The feature debuted on Android, Android Auto, and iOS. It was available in the United States and the United Kingdom.Apple will most likely stick with baby steps, so I expect the charging station availability to launch in its home market before expanding to other regions.Apple's next month's iOS update will include several other goodies for drivers.One of them is the support for offline maps . iOS 17 will allow Apple Maps users to navigate without an Internet connection. The feature has been around for many years in Google Maps, but Apple will also allow other modes without an Internet connection, including walking and transit.Apple will also announce the new-generation CarPlay next month.Compared to the existing version of CarPlay, the new edition will feature deeper integration into the car, getting access to more information and providing additional capabilities. CarPlay 2.0 will also align with other Apple products and use an updated interface with widgets. It will offer faster access to essential vehicle information and support direct integration into the instrument cluster for more straightforward and convenient navigation.The new CarPlay will only support new-generation vehicles, so you won't be able to upgrade your car to the 2023 release. Apple is already working with several carmakers to install CarPlay 2.0 into their future models, with the first cars supporting the system expected to become available next year. CarPlay 2.0 will also use all screens in the cabin, allowing for extensive configuration and customization.Apple will allow carmakers to personalize the look and feel of CarPlay to retain their brand identity. The approach is similar to Google's Android Automotive, a fully featured car operating system that powers the infotainment system in the vehicle. Android Automotive is also deeply integrated into the car and reads additional information, but compared to Android Auto and CarPlay, it does not require a mobile device to run. From the end of the Second World War until roughly the early 90s, Boeing was the undisputed king of the civilian airliner space. In the early days of the jet age especially, it seemed that all routes, both foreign and domestic, traveled via a 707 or a 747. Sure, the occasional challenger presented itself. Big names like Lockheed, Convair, McDonnel Douglas, and De Havilland came and went, but nobody presented a legitimate threat to Boeing's supremacy in the airliner space for decades. That was until Airbus rolled on the scene and made Boeing sweat. Photo: Boeing Photo: Boeing In 2019, Airbus finally surpassed Boeing for the title of the number one aerospace contractor in the world by revenue off the backs of the cutting-edge A320neo series and the monumental PR disaster of the 737 MAX . In its nine decades in the passenger airliner sector, Boeing has never been put on the ropes to such a savage and publicly visible degree. But don't expect Boeing to take this on the chin. The aviation titans from Washington State have a smoking gun waiting in the wing (pun intended) that could turn the tide of the industry back in Boeing's favor should everything go to plan. This is the Boeing 777X, and it's here to prove that Boeing can still innovate like the good old days.To understand the impetus behind the 777X program, we need to understand the circumstances behind the competition between Boeing and Airbus even before the 737 MAX swung public opinions in the European's favor. In the early 2010s, Airbus announced they'd begun work on an all-new widebody twinjet airliner based on the legacy A330. Dubbed the A350, this novel jet would first fly in 2013 after multiple comprehensive redesigns and sported a maximum theoretical range of an eye-watering 8,800 nautical miles (16,300 km; 10,100 mi) with seating arrangements spanning from eight to ten abreast across three bespoke variants.In so many ways, the A350 split the difference between Boeing's 777 and 787 Dreamliner in a way that had the potential to poach customers away from either American twin jet. This was not a challenge that Boeing could take lightly, and in 2011, they announced the development of an all-new, widebody, twin-engine airliner based on the 777 in service since 1995. Dubbed the 777X, Boeing's prime objective, as stated on the plane's one webpage, was to build " the worlds largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, unmatched in every aspect of performance." In order to achieve this, Boeing would need to take the basic design of the standard "triple seven" and apply the lessons learned from the smaller but impressively technology-dense 787 Dreamliner and apply them to what's hailed as the largest twinjet airliner ever built.As with any airliner worth its investment, a solid foundation with a reliable and powerful engine was required to help garner the 777X mass market appeal. General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce were all involved in submitting design proposals for Boeing's new flagship twin jet. But in the end, it was GE with their GE9X high-bypass turbofan jetting 110,000 lbf (490 kN) of thrust which was selected to power the 777X. Though slightly less powerful than the General Electric GE90 engines that powered the original 777, the GE9X was as much as ten percent more fuel efficient. In civil aviation terms stretched over tens of thousands of flights, such a difference is nothing short of immense.Further goodies on the 777X platform come in the form of a comprehensively redesigned wing. One with an increased aspect ratio over the standard 777 from 9:1 to 10:1 and sporting a neat-looking folding wingtip arrangement that became the biggest visual signifier of the 777X's new design. All the while, the wing's primary load-bearing superstructure, known as the wing box, is sub-contracted to the aerospace division of, of all people, Subaru . It consists of a heavily titanium-reinforced construction, far more so than the legacy 777, for added strength and handling capabilities.Meanwhile, production space once dedicated to the 787 Dreamliner at Boeing's plant in Everett, Washington, was reorganized to accommodate the 777X's production starting in the mid-2010s. The 777X lineup will consist of three bespoke models, the 777-8 and 777-9 for passenger service and the 777-8F freighter. With dimensions of 232 feet, 6 inches (70.87 m) long on the 777-8 and -8F, and 251 feet, 9 inches (76.73 m) in the longer 777-9, Boeing's largest twinjet is right on par in size with the Airbus A350 sporting Rolls-Royce Trent XWB turbofans. Meanwhile, the 777-8 and 777-9 can accommodate up to 395 and 426 passengers per flight, respectively.Using thinner composite metal material in the fuselage, Boeing is able to stretch the seating of the 777X's 20-foot, four-inch (6.20 m) fuselage up to ten abreast, one more seat per row than that of the Airbus A350. In the all-important category of range, the 777-8 is also essentially at near-parity with the A350-1000. With a range of 8,745 nautical miles (16,190 km; 10,050 mi) to the A350-1000's 8,700 nautical miles (16,100 km; 10,000 mi), airline companies would be hard-pressed to ascertain which aircraft, one European and one American, would be the right choice to order for their fleet.But if Boeing's official webpage literature is anything to go by, the 777X's more spacious fuselage, more customizable seating architecture, and enhanced refinement off the back of its technology sharing with the 787 Dreamliner make for an airplane that has that little extra advantage over Airbus. At least on paper, that is. With its first test flight taking place on Jul 25th, 2020, and four prototype test aircraft manufactured so far, a series of disappointing production delays relating to everything from supply chain issues, disputes with the FAA over incidents during flight testing, and even the recent global health crisis, Boeing doesn't expect to deliver the 777X in any of its three forms until 2025 at the very earliest.With major airlines like Lufthansa, British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and All Nippon Airways still waiting on back orders of as many as 363 aircraft, Boeing is in a race against time to fulfill these multi-billion dollar production contracts before the parties involved lose their patience and opt for Airbus products instead. Keep in mind that some of these airlines have been waiting for their orders of 777Xs for a decade by now. But even so, there doesn't appear to be an issue on the part of Boeing for finding new customers for their still-unproved widebody jet. The latest order for another ten airframes came from Air India back in Jun 2023 as a part of a $70 billion initiative to completely revitalize their fleet of aircraft.In the meantime, the four pre-production aircraft triple sevens are hard at work testing various aspects of passenger flight, with each aircraft dedicated to a specific aspect of the experience, from taxiing to takeoff and landing. But until international regulators determine beyond any reasonable doubt that the 777X is a rock-solid airframe, the recent tragedy of the 737 MAX, still fresh on everyone's mind, seems to have these sanctioning bodies not leaving anything to chance. But after two back-to-back unmitigated human tragedies in a row so recently, is it any wonder why the 777X's flight testing is dragging on for years past the sell-by date?Well, after Boeing's CEO was denied a whopping $7 million annual bonus thanks to delays in the program over the last year, the pressure is on like never before. The truth of the matter is it's anyone's guess how long the 777X will take to receive its all-important FAA-type certification. But with the press at large not giving Boeing much slack in the wake of the 737 MAX, it's safe to say the oversights that caused those twin tragedies will not be allowed to repeat themselves, Boeing's industry reputation be damned.But what do you all think? Are you excited to fly on Boeing's newest twin jet sometime soon? Or are you still apprehensive, even after almost five years since the 737 MAX was grounded? Let us know in the comments down below. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) The Makabayan bloc is looking to file a House resolution seeking a probe into the BRP Sierra Madre removal issue, but an opposition senator sees no need for such a move. According to House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, Congress must launch an investigation to pinpoint the individuals responsible for allegedly sealing a deal with the Chinese government for the removal of the ship from Ayungin Shoal. Castro said it might be former President Rodrigo Duterte who may have made the promise to China as former presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo already said they were not behind the alleged agreement. The late former President Benigno Aquino III, meanwhile, was the one who challenged Chinas claims in the contested waters. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on the other hand, said he was not aware of such an agreement, and stressed that the BRP Sierra Madre would remain at Ayungin Shoal. READ: Marcos: Rescind deal with China to remove BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal if it exists It can be remembered that on May 6, 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte called the country's arbitral victory against China's claims in the West Philippine Sea a piece of paper that he can throw away in a trash bin. Duterte said the ruling affirming the Philippines' sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone is just a piece of paper that led to nothing, Castro said in a statement. The lawmaker also questioned Dutertes recent trip to China for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. READ: Duterte sees Marcos to discuss meeting with Xi Jinping Castro likewise noted that Duterte and his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte are mum on the issue, as well as on other aggressive tactics launched by China against Philippines vessels. Their silence on the issue speaks volumes and it seems that we may not have to look far to find the traitors the Philippine Coast Guard is talking about as it is Duterte [who] has the longest list of instances of sleeping with China, she added. The communications team of Vice President Duterte has yet to respond when asked for comment. Meanwhile, in an interview with CNN Philippines The Source on Monday, Sen. Koko Pimentel said there is no need to investigate the issue. I have been a senator for more than 10 years now. I have never heard this claim except until now, so this could be a bluff to keep us pre-occupied with something that is not that important, he said. At any rate, President Bongbong Marcos, he wanted to put an end to this path, so that we will no longer pursue this path. Sabi niya (He said) if there is one, I rescind it so that's it, he added. The best of aviation and the best of maritime history meet inside Delta's new luxurious lounge, a space that will delight all customers and especially nautical history enthusiasts. Boston just won a new deluxe space that pays tribute to its unique spirit. It's official - Delta customers can already step inside the new E Concourse Club, open from 1:30 to 10:45 p.m. The newest and hottest lounge at Boston-Logan Airport will operate on the international E Concourse, joining the existing two clubs on Concourse A.It's huge, beautifully styled, and enjoys spectacular views. Covering almost 21,000 square feet (1,950 square meters), the E Concourse Club, with a new lounge, will be able to welcome more than 400 guests. This brings the Delta Sky Club's capacity to more than 1,000 guests.With views of the historic harbor, Delta's lounge invites guests to go back in time. The unusual color palette combining marine-inspired shades of navy and teal with warm terracotta accents is inspired by Boston's harbor and skyline at sunset. The timeless elegance of classic sailing yachts is reflected in the architecture of the new space and particular elements, such as the washed oak motifs, mimicking the wood of an old ship.The historic tribute is carefully blended with contemporary, high-luxury additions. The premium bar inevitably grabs all the attention with its spectacular layered ceiling overhang and backlit display. Luxury is also reflected in the high comfort level. Customers have access to six soundproof phone booths, perfect for those who need more privacy for work.The restroom amenities were also upgraded to include a family room and five shower suites. Last but not least, no luxurious lounge would be complete without gourmet dining. Even the classic New England clam chowder will surely taste better in this unique space with a maritime touch. Delta is ready to elevate its customer experience in multiple ways. Last year, it signed a multi-year agreement with the Californian Joby for future electric air taxi services. The aviation operator is ready to pump nearly $200 million into the Californian manufacturer, resulting in a premium experience for future customers. Joby's air taxi will provide fast, efficient, and green home-to-airport transportation services to the airline's customers.Those traveling through Los Angeles and New York will also enjoy flying car rides to and from multiple city airports. The booking process promises to be easy, and the service itself could drastically improve flying time. According to the eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) company, the partnership will be mutually exclusive in both the US and the UK. This new service could radically transform commercial aviation in the future. In the meantime, Delta customers have a new Boston lounge to explore and enjoy. Like most supercar tuners, you either love or hate Novitec. The German company is known for wild makeovers of Italian exotics, but curiously enough, the tuning program for the Ferrari 812 Competizione is devoid of garish visual garnish. GPF DPF kW When it comes to looks, the only upgrades available are dual-spoke forged wheels for 275/30 R21 tires up front and 335/25 R22 tires out back. For reference, the factory-supplied rubber measures 275/35 R20 and 315/355 R20. Given that Ferrari designed the 812 Competizione for the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R in these exact dimensions, it's better to leave the tire-wheel combo fully stock.Novitec upgrades further include titanium lug bolts, a set of springs, a hydraulic lift system for the front axle, as well as aluminum spacers to widen the track by up to 40 millimeters (1.57 inches) per axle.As for the fun stuff, Novitec offers a performance-oriented exhaust system. Available in stainless steel, Inconel, or get this gold-plated Inconel, said exhaust is best paired with a set of sport cats. The catalytic converters in question can be had with or without gasoline particulate filters. Theentered the mainstream due to Euro 6 regulations a few years ago, and similar totechnology, the GPF is designed to reduce fine particulate emissions.Novitec's final upgrade for the 812 Competizione, at least for the time being, comes in the form of a device that clears any error codes and warning lights triggered by the high-flow catalytic converters. Said device is advertised under the Tectronic moniker.The sportier exhaust, cats, and Tectronic are said to improve the naturally-aspirated V12's output from the standard 610(830 ps) to 637 kW (866 ps). Converted to mechanical ponies, make that 819 horsepower stock and 854 horsepower after said modifications. Not bad, isn't it? Unfortunately, Novitec didn't offer any pricing information at all.The truth of the matter is, nobody with an 812 Competizione in their heated garage would bother asking the German tuner about the price of said upgrades. Lest we forget, the coupe retails at an eye-watering 499,000 euros (around 543,685 dollars).While that may seem a little too much for a front-engined gran turismo, bear in mind the Competizione is the ultimate expression of the 812 series. It may also be the final version of the 812 before the F167 goes official. The 812-replacing model is expected to arrive in dealer showrooms in 2024. Camouflaged prototypes of the F167 reveal a few Roma-inspired stylistic traits, although the final design still is a mystery at the moment or writing. Ferrari took the veils off the 812 Competizione in May 2021. As per the automaker's H1 2023 report, the Prancing Horse is currently ramping up production of the 812 Competizione A. Before going any further, A stands for aperta, the feminine version of aperto, which means open. The 812 Competizione A is a targa-topped convertible that retails at 578,000 euros (around 629,800 dollars).The 812 Competizione also happens to be Ferrari's most performance-oriented gran turismo ever, succeeding the F12tdf (Tour de France), which in turn succeeded the 599 GTO. The 812 Competizione uses a 6.5-liter V12, a free-breathing leviathan that can trace its roots back to the 6.0-liter V12 in the Enzo supercar from the early 2000s. Anniversaries are so overrated! Pagani saw this for themselves at the Monterey Car Week. What was supposed to be a celebration soon transformed into a panic moment. Everyone thought the supercar was on fire. Watching a Pagani Utopia burn is heart-wrenching indeed. It is an over 2-million dollar vehicle, and a fire would mean there is one less in the world of the 99 to be built. Photo: On Fire Garage | Instagram AMG SUV But as bad as the scene caught on video looks, it is not what it seems. What everyone thought to be smoke was actually fire extinguishing powder. And luckily, there was no fire in the first place.The "smoke" which was not actually smoke, as we have already sorted it out seemed to come out of the engine compartment of the Pagani Utopia , while the model was on display at the Monterey Car Week, with the engine switched off, at 11:20 a.m. on Friday.Horacio Paganis son, Cristopher, the companys head of marketing, explained the situation to Road and Track: "A guest of the event was touching switches on the inside of the car and set off the engines self containers fire extinguishers," he explained So it is simple as that: a car show attendee set off the fire extinguisher by touching buttons and switches even though he had no idea what they were there for. If you take a look at the center console of the Utopia, you will give that guy credit. There are so many controls there that it takes a lifetime to understand what each is doing. But sometimes, keeping our hands to ourselves can... save anniversaries.Because one thing is for sure. The curious attendee wrecked the supercar's debut in North America and the company's 25th anniversary just because he played around the dashboard and center console. Furthermore, the Pagani Utopia is not exactly a car one should go around and press buttons in.Introduced back in September 2022, after six years in development, the model, originally codenamed C10, came as a replacement for the Huayra. The Pagani Utopia is powered by a mid-mounted-sourced twin-turbocharged V12 engine, either mated to an automatic or to something we don't get much in supercars these days: a manual transmission.The seven-speed unit, developed in partnership with Xtrac, is mounted transversally and works alongside an electro-mechanical differential.That power plant develops 852 horsepower (864 PS) and 811 lb-ft (1,100 Nm) of torque to pull only 2,822 pounds (1,280 kilograms), which is just around how much a crossoverwould weigh.Pagani is only producing 99 examples of their third model. And all 99 of them were instantly assigned to customers willing to pay a starting price of $2.19 million. Mobile homes are a great alternative for those looking to relocate, permanently or not, to no exact address, whether with a goal of cutting down on expenses or simply traveling more. But what about those who don't have a home, to begin with? Photo: Kacey Wong Photo: Kacey Wong Photo: Kacey Wong Photo: Kacey Wong The idea of mobile homes as a solution to urban homelessness is not new, but it's seeing a resurgence in the spotlight due to the post-2020 housing crisis. Companies like Boxabl or Escape Tiny Homes are working with authorities to build tiny home communities or are offering their units as a solution to those not able to afford rent, let alone monthly payments for a mortgage.Mobile homes and we're not talking here about those custom, blown-up-to-size units that are more like palaces on wheels than tiny houses could work in a variety of scenarios, homelessness being one of them. The smaller the mobile home, the more suitable for that purpose it would be.That was an idea that Hong Kong-born artist Kacey Wong also focused heavily on in his work. The artist, who is now living under self-exile in Taiwan, specifically dealt with the theme of homelessness and city living in his late 2000s art, specifically in the 2008 piece he called the Wandering Home.We're bringing it up today because it's still very relevant even after all these years and, with some adjustments, could even be used for a real build. Bicycle trailers and campers or even bicycle-based mobile homes are also having a moment right now, though not specifically as an alternative to homelessness. Instead, they're riding the wanderlust wave and are presented as excellent, more mobile, and more affordable variants to full-size RVs.The Wandering Home was designed as any of these things or all of them at once. It's a home that sits on a tricycle, of the kind that was then (and is still) popular in mainland China. It's also a full DIY (do it yourself) build, with a compact footprint of just 3 by 4 feet (0.9 by 1.2 meters) but considerable headroom and all the basic creature comforts of a home.Designed out of metal sheets and lightweight plywood, this mobile home was 290 cm (9.5 feet) long and 220 cm (7.2 feet) wide, with a height of 278 cm (9.1 feet) when parked and in camp mode.Mind you, this isn't a home in the sense that proper towable is. It pales even in comparison with some modern bicycle trailers, if only for the fact that its height makes it rather unstable or that it can't offer space to lie down unless you fold down the extension in which case the lower half of your legs is outside of the private space.These are valid objections, but context is essential here: Wong designed and built the Home for himself as a way to "explore the idea of minimal dwelling," questioning "the basic unit of urbanity." He imagined the smallest, most compact unit that could mimic a home yet offer complete freedom in the city landscape. All the while, he wanted his project to bring attention to living conditions in the city.The result was Wandering Home, a small mobile home with a lounge, which was also a bedroom, which was also the kitchen, which was also the dining room. But hey, at least the cramped interior was rendered airy by means of the higher ceiling and several windows, a couple of them awning to allow for a cross-breeze.Power to move the Wandering Home came from the rider's legs, and their legs alone. The year this project was presented to the public was 2008, and electric bikes were not yet an industry mainstay. On the bright side, the lightweight construction didn't pose any issues during transport other than stability on tighter corners.In "camp" mode, the Wandering Home offered a bed for one by means of a fold-out expansion. It was a most creative solution to the space problem, but also a rather inconvenient one because it meant loss of privacy and maybe even the risk of getting your feet wet in an unexpected downpour at night.Realizing the real-life applicability of the Wandering Home, Wong would later propose it as a conceptual study for alternative housing for the homeless.It was tested on street sleepers in Sham Shui Po and traveled to Venice, Italy, representing Hong Kong at the 11th International Architecture Exhibition. The Wandering Home also appeared in the Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism Architecture in Hong Kong that same year and spanned a series of similarly-themed works by the artist.In today's ongoing discussion about if not downright obsession with tiny living and mobile homes, the Wandering Home serves as a stark reminder that less really is more, in some cases. It also shows that if freedom of movement is the desired goal at any given point in time, you don't really need that much to achieve it. A tricycle and some basic construction skills, as well as a complete disregard for personal comfort, will do. Perhaps never before in the history of armored warfare has such a fuss been kicked up about a vehicle produced in so few numbers as the Russian T-14 Armata main battle tank. Regardless of what side of the pro vs. anti-Russia camp you sit on, the internet at large has been at each other's throats about what aspects of Russia's newest MBT are legitimate and which are thinly-veiled propaganda. Meanwhile, the Russians themselves have been hard at work recently, attempting to market their shiny, new tank to markets outside Russian soil. As first reported by the EurAsian Times, the Russian Armed Forces' latest technology exhibition held between Aug. 14th and the 20th around Moscow was a prime opportunity for the T-14 to strut its stuff in front of personnel representing seven different countries and 85 non-domestic companies and contractors. For a tank with so many of its finer points hidden behind highly-classified status within the Kremlin, such an event was a prime opportunity for parties outside Russia's sphere of influence to get an up-close look at what Uralvagonzavod has to offer. Though it might seem counterintuitive to assume non-Eastern European countries would want anything to do with a Russian main battle tank, the reality is not what you think.Plenty of countries outside of Russia's physical sphere of influence have employed their tanks, aircraft, and other weapons in the past. Most notably, India and Russia had maintained relatively cordial relations regarding military hardware up until the ongoing military occupation of Ukraine by the Russians beginning in 2022. Iconic Russian main battle tanks like the T-72 , the T-90, and the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle became stalwarts of the Indian army after the United States began favoring Pakistan in international affairs during the late 20th century.Meanwhile, other nations, like Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland, and Mongolia, are among those that still use ex-Soviet T-72s in their arsenals. But after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and possibly even well before this time, many of these nations are now ideologically opposed to the Russian Federation on principle alone. In the case of Finland especially, recently made a member-state of NATO , the chances of most of these nations even considering fielding a military contract from Russia, let alone for a Russian main battle tank, seems like a pie-in-the-sky fantasy situation rather than something that could take place in 2023.In any case, Russian State media has purported that the T-14 won't be ready for full-scale production outside of a handful of prototypes until at least 2025 at the earliest. Depending on which way the war in Ukraine might wind up, whether the Russian Federation will exist in the state that it does today in that amount of time is something that gets more and more dubious as each month passes. Like most things involving Russia these days, all roads to the T-14 Armata are about to pass through Ukraine first. Canopee is a name worth remembering it's a new-generation vessel that was specifically designed for the transportation of ESA (The European Space Agency) 's Ariane 6 space launcher. In honor of this important role, the new ship is fitted with an innovative auxiliary propulsion system based on wind power. kW Canopee recently got its wings, which it will put to the test over the next weeks. It's about to undergo its final sea trials, scheduled to last until the end of this month. Only a month ago, it had completed its maiden voyage without the innovative wings, traveling to Guyana at the beginning of this year. At the time, the new wings, a wind-assisted propulsion system called Oceanwings, were still being assembled.The ship was completed by Neptune Marine at the end of 2022. According to the manufacturer, its three main innovations are the special hull shape, the wind-assisted auxiliary propulsion, and the fact that the wings are integrated both constructively and system-technically. The ship is 121 meters long (just under 400 feet) and 22 meters wide (72 feet). It features an enormous deck and accommodation for up to 22 people.In addition to the two 3,480engines, it's powered by four state-of-the-art wingsails boasting a total of 363 square meters (3,900 square feet), set on 36-meter (118 feet) masts. The Oceanwings system is set to reduce the ship's fuel consumption by an impressive 15%. This translates to more than 3.5 tons of fuel per day. Most importantly, it will do so without sacrificing the vessel's speed.Canopee is a real trailblazer. It claims to use the extraordinary power of wind more than any commercial ship today in relation to its main propulsion system. It's also the first commercial application for the Oceanwings system, developed by the French company Ayro.Once it's fully ready to enter service, the new vessel will conduct 11 return trips to French Guyana every year. It will be transporting components of the Ariane 6 rocket from European ports to this destination, matching this delicate task with a trailblazing, green propulsion system. The project began in 2019 when Ariane Espace was officially looking for an innovative ship that could carry fragile and dangerous loads. It also had to be able to do so over long distances, crossing the Atlantic Ocean and entering the shallow Kourou River.The completion was won by the shipping company Alizes, who partnered with the naval design studio VPLP Design, Neptune Marine, and Ayro. Oceanwings will also be installed on a game-changing all-electric yacht made by Alva Yachts. It confirms that wind power is seen more and more across the industry as one of the best answers for green shipping and maritime transportation in the future. Another week has ended and with it came and went a clearer look at the latest batch of modified Harley-Davidson bikes we thought worthy of bringing to your attention. As usual, as we prepare for the week ahead, a quick look back will get us ready for what we're about to show you in the days ahead. 5. Harley-Davidson Bultracker 57 Photo: Lord Drake 4. Harley-Davidson Pan America by Melk Photo: Melk 3. Harley-Davidson Om Tibetan Photo: Lord Drake 2. Harley-Davidson Fighter Photo: No Limit Custom 1. Harley-Davidson Radical Queen Photo: Thunderbike Of the seven custom Harleys we discussed last week, we chose the five most impressive ones to include in this best-of list. They are two-wheeled machines playing in different segments of the moto industry and re-made with new looks and at times with enhanced mechanical bits by some of the world's most impressive custom garages: Lord Drake, Melk, No Limit Custom, and Thunderbike.An important thing to note is that all of the custom shops listed above are based in Europe, and the bikes to follow are nothing more than a true testimony to how talented the guys there are at modifying these American-made machines.The Spanish shop that goes by the name Lord Drake is one of Europe's most active such businesses. No less than four of its motorcycles made it on autoevolution last week, two of which are included in this list.Something called the Bultracker 57 is the first one, but ranks fifth in our list. We gave it this spot because, like many of the bikes Lord Drake modifies, it doesn't exactly adopt a style to the liking of the American public: scramblers with a touch of street tracker.The Spanish have a long series of custom bikes named Bultracker, and the 57 is, like most of the others in this family, a modified Sportster of an older generation.Just like the others in the series, this one too suffered extensive modifications, especially to the rear, which had to be made in the scrambler style. There an 18-inch wheel was fitted, backed by Ohlins shocks and shielded from the elements by a high-floating fender.The front end was at the receiving end of changes as well, with a much larger wheel, sized 21 inches, fitted there. It is held in place by a modified fork, with a BMX handlebar floating up top.Lord Drake made no mention of how much the Bultracker 57 is worth in this guise.Melk is a French crew with a much smaller portfolio than that of Lord Drake. Yet the builds they're responsible for are perhaps even more impressive. And they now also include much newer Harley models.Melk's bike no. 39 is one of its most recent projects, and is based on one the youngest Harley models on the market: the Pan America. Not many of them are around in altered guise, given their age and all (the family was introduced in 2020), so every time we see one we immediately get all worked up.Melk is primarily a paint shop, but it does venture to perform visual and at times even mechanical changes. The Pan America follows the same trend.The French shop kept many of the original bits and pieces installed by the American bike maker, including the wheels, elements that are almost always the first to go. An aftermarket adaptive suspension system made by ARH backs them, and altered fenders have been installed above.The highlights of the build are the many protective elements installed on the ride. The most obvious are the guards for the radiator and engine, but also the headlight protection grid. Crash bars are visible on either side.I said Melk is primarily a paint shop, and that's obvious in the way this bike presents itself. Mostly black, it's a noticeable presence thanks to the Candy Gold lines that decorate the bike's edges, wheels rims, and crash bars.The price of a Pan America in this configuration is 26,990 euros ($29,470), base bike included.The second Lord Drake custom build to make it in our week's list is the Om Tibetan . Originally a Softail Deluxe, the bike was brought to a new level of cool that shows the Spanish can make a lot more than Sportster-based scramblers and trackers.The name of the ride is meant to be a nod to Om, one of the most powerful symbols in Hinduism and Buddhism. You can see it inscribed on the bike's extended fuel tank.The Om Tibetan rides on custom wheels (the one at the rear is 240 mm wide) and it's held upright by a Legend air suspension system. They spin under the power of the stock Harley engine that now breathes through an aftermarket Harley air filter and a Vance & Hines exhaust.The price of the Om Tibetan is not known.The Breakout is one of the favorite Harley-Davidson base motorcycles for customization work, and this means two things. First, there are many of them out there to choose your favorite from. And second, that also makes it difficult to find one that really stands out.The Fighter is a Breakout assembled in Germany at the hands of local crew Nine Hills. It doesn't stand out through some impressive mechanical solution or some impressive design idea, but thanks to how little it cost to put together.There's a big chance Nine Hills does not share info on all the parts that were added, as they mostly advertise only the parts made in-house, but they're still enough for us to get a better idea of what to expect financially.The shop used only four parts from its inventory for this build, namely the two fenders, the engine spoiler, and the side license plate holder. Combined, these bits cost only 1,400 euros ($1,500). And they're so effective in making the otherwise stock Breakout stand apart that we placed it near the top of our list.It's only natural for a custom bike named Queen to be at the top of any list, isn't it? But that's not the only reason why this Street Bob modified by the Germans from Thunderbike made it so high.Thunderbike is arguably the Old Continent's most prolific custom shops. In the 30 or so years they've been on the market they rolled out literally hundreds of reinterpreted Harleys, and some bikes made in-house from the ground up as well.The Radical Queen is one of their most recent builds, having been shown earlier this year. It is also one of their most expensive ever, with the price tag for the parts used alone reaching the staggering sum of 20,000 euros ($22,000).What does one get for that? A stunning Street Bob riding on in-house made wheels, with the rear one measuring a flimsy 180 mm wide and looking anything but out of place. A custom fuel tank, many covers in all the right places, modified fenders, and a custom exhaust are only the highlights of this insane ride.The week is young and we'll start looking at more custom Harleys in detail this week, so stay tuned for more of the same. We all have a tendency to become very attached to our place of work and all the objects we deal with on a daily basis - after all, work occupies the most part of our daily lives. But can we really say our personal relationship with the workplace is as solid as the one military aviators seem to enjoy? 5. Ready to mount the deadly giant Photo: USAF/Heather Salazar 4. When your pet knows a trick and does it well Photo: USAF/Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Ergish Photo: USAF/Master Sgt. Grady Epperly 2. Walking the tanker Photo: USAF/Tech. Sgt. Mary McKnight 1. A helicopter on a leash Photo: USAF/Airman 1st Class Edgar Grimaldo Being a pilot, especially a military one, requires a special mindset. Just think about it: most of the time the biggest danger white-collar workers face is running out of printer paper, whereas these guys and gals put their lives on the line every time they wake up in the morning.And that's not because they have to head out into battle because, at least for now, America is not directly involved in all that many wars. It's because flying in general can be dangerous, and flying in a military aircraft can be even more so.That's probably why most pilots have a special relationship with the aircraft they use on a daily basis. We know they give names to the machines, tend to their needs, talk to them, and even spoil them from time to time.For many military pilots, the airplanes they fly are probably not objects, but something more likely akin to pets. And last week's release of USAF photos is more than ample proof of that, as we are treated with sights of aircraft and the people that fly them in the most telling of circumstances.Fighter jets are impressive by trade, but they don't really come close to the feeling of awe and power one gets when standing next to a bomber airplane. And a lucky few even get to mount these deadly giants on a daily basis.The pic you're looking at here shows exactly such an instance. The crew of a B-2 Spirit belonging to the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is heading to the plane, ready to take off for the Bomber Task Force 24-4 mission which took place in mid-August in Keflavik, Iceland.For the average Joe the knowledge that they're about to board a machine capable of dropping tons of conventional and nuclear bombs on the enemy's heads could be daunting. But not for these two guys, seen here casually walking toward their mechanical beast.No matter what kind of vehicles we use, we all get scared when they start releasing smoke for whatever reason. That's because where there's smoke there's usually fire, and where there's fire there's danger.Not Maj. Kristin Wolfe, pilot and commander of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team. That's because in the case of the vehicle she uses smoke is not actually smoke, but a vapor cloud, a trick her work ride is used to do on a regular basis.This particular F-35 is the one that moves from air show to air show across the nation, and the cloud vapor stunts always capture the attention of onlookers. Through skilled flying, the right speed, and the proper air conditions, the F-35 is always willing to please its handler and form these amazing clouds around its waist and wings.When it was snapped on camera for this pick, the plane was doing the same thing during the Arctic Lightning Air Show at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in late July.All of you pet owners know that when an animal gets hungry, it must immediately be fed. It doesn't manner where you are, what time of day it is, or if food is readily available, when hunger strikes it must be satisfied.In a sense that's what military aviators do on a constant basis. Because the fuel they pour into their airplanes when they depart the home base is often not enough to complete most missions, they have to feed their mechanical beasts on the go.Believe it or not, the favorite feeding grounds for America's military airplanes are not ground stations, but random locations in the sky, where aerial tankers fly.As the operator of the largest flying tanker fleet in the world, the U.S. is also the most active nation when it comes to this type of procedure. The latest USAF photo to show such an activity is the one we have here.We get the sight of an F-22 Raptor's nose and cockpi as it approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker for a refueling op which took place in mid-August. Below the blanket of clouds seen in the background is the Alaskan Stony Military Operations Area.The C-130 Hercules is one of the most reliable transport airplanes ever devised for military needs. First flown in 1954, the plane is still around serving the needs of the world's armies, in one of the many variants that have been introduced since.The KC-130 is one of those variants, born in the Lockheed Martin stables in 1960. The plane is a tanker by trade, the kind of which I mentioned earlier, but it can also be used for transport.The one seen in this USAF photo is being walked home by a chief of operations for the 235th Air Traffic Control Squadron. The plane closely and faithfully follows the chief down the runway of the Holland Drop Zone Pass in North Carolina.As you can see, the runway is not exactly an example of laser straight tarmac, but a much more rugged, dusty surface. And that only shows just how capable the decades-old behemoth still is.No matter where you live in this world you're probably used to seeing dogs, cats, and even some more exotic animals being walked on a leash. But how about a helicopter?What you're looking at here is a crew chief from the 56th Rescue Generation Squadron shutting down an HH-60G Pave Hawk at the Batajnica Air Base in Serbia.I must admit, I'm not familiar with how the shutdown procedure for the helicopter usually goes, but it does seem to involve something that makes the helo look a bit like an animal being walked on a leash to perform its daily needs.The pic shows an instance we're probably not going to see for long, as the HH-60G Pave Hawk will begin being replaced with the HH-60W Jolly Green II soon enough.The above are the best five photos of USAF activities the military released last week. Tune in again next Monday for the usual dose of American military machines and their operators. Photo: Facebook/Charlie Burns Photo: Facebook/Charlie Burns Photo: Facebook/Charlie Burns The rest is history, as they say.If you haven't heard of the Boastwagen outside of the UK, it's ok. The amphibian is a local legend and not an international celebrity, making appearances at local events, on England's canals, and even sailing on the Thames. Earlier this month, for instance, it caused quite a commotion when it went for a ride on the historic Pontcysyllte Aqueduct near Llangollen, North Wales, the world's highest aqueduct.More than a commotion, the Boatswagen caused the water equivalent of a traffic jam, given the narrowness of the canal and its slow speed of travel. On the bright side, this provided plenty of opportunity for passers-by to take in this amazing vehicle that totally lives up to its name: a boat that's also a Volkswagen.The Boatswagen started out as a beat-up Volkswagen Polo or a pair of them, if you wish to get technical. Charlie Burns takes the full credit for the idea, just like he picked up the full bill for the main junk Polo, for which he paid 1,200 in 2019. He then brought Charnel and Jenkins in on the idea: what if they'd build the perfect surfer car, a car you could drive to the beach and then into the water without much hassle?They welded the two Polos together, turning the future amphibian into a six-wheeler. Then, they set out to create a hull under the vehicle with foam boards, filling everything with foam to keep the water out. Just in case water did get in, they added three bilge pumps.For propulsion, the Boatswagen drives like an old Polo on land and steers like a traditional power boat on the water, thanks to an outboard motor in the rear. As showcased on its most recent public appearance, when in boat mode , the entire party moves in the open rear, where the controls are, which adds a bit more strangeness to an already strange sight.The deadline for the initial build was of three weeks, but the trio made it. Boatswagen was unveiled at the Cornwall Board Masters Festival, where Jenkins explained that it was meant to be a follow-up to Clarkson's Toyboata. The Boatswagen is the worthy heir to Toyboata's crown. "We always thought with the shape and theme of the vehicle they should have made it drive out to sea to really create the ultimate surfer's dream and so that's what we did," he said.The amphibian continued making appearances that year before being retired to a shed and forgotten for a couple of years. Seeing how busy the three builders are, it's no wonder.In 2021, the Boatswagen was rediscovered and, being again in a rather deplorable condition, went through a much-needed glow-up before it was sent out in the world. Now that the world has seen that the Boatswagen can float, it's time for the next challenge, which has actually been in the works for some time: drive it to the beach "just to see how slow it is."To reiterate: amphibious vehicles are slow, heavy, and not particularly good-looking because they have to integrate dual powertrains while also remaining watertight. But the saving quality of such a vehicle can be the ability to not take itself too seriously. And that's exactly what has turned the Boatswagen into the local legend it is today. Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile Death toll from Hawaii wildfires up to 114 as search for victims continues Xinhua) 09:46, August 21, 2023 LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the Maui wildfires in the U.S. state of Hawaii reached 114 on Friday while more than 60 percent of the disaster area has been searched, authorities said. The Maui Police Department confirmed in an update that the total number of fatalities in the deadly wildfires has increased to 114, up from Thursday's 111. In a televised speech, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said that the number of lives lost in the disaster is "expected to increase each day" as the search for victims continues. "The scope of devastation on Maui is difficult to express in words," said the governor, noting that more than 2,200 buildings have been destroyed and another 500 have been damaged at an estimated cost of nearly 6 billion U.S. dollars. "Now, we are engaged in the difficult work of searching for survivors, reuniting separated families and identifying the remains of those we've lost," Green said. There are now approximately 470 search and rescue workers and 40 search dogs combing through the hundreds of burnt buildings, according to the governor. "We will rebuild Lahaina. It will take years of work and billions of dollars, but we are committed to this effort, and together we will meet this challenge," the governor said. Deadly wildfires have scorched much of the historic town of Lahaina, a popular tourist spot on Maui and once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. It's home to around 13,000 residents. Green said he has ordered a comprehensive assessment of every detail of the emergency response to the fires on Maui. With at least 1,000 people still unaccounted for, recovery teams in Lahaina are racing against time to cover as much ground as possible before heavy rains are slated to move in next week, reported local news outlet Hawaii News Now. The White House said in a statement earlier this week that U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Maui on Monday to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state and local officials. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Former Foreign Affairs Secretary and now special envoy of the President to China Teddy Locsin Jr. said the Philippines has no plans of going to war with China. In a tweet, Locsin said that Manila and Beijing are at peace with each other. The Philippines has zero interest in going to war with China which for now it suspects will only prompt the US to offer its good offices to broker a peace between the Philippines and China which is not needed because we are at peace with each other though there maybe something for the US brokering a superfluous and redundant peace. We're not stupid, Locsin said. In a separate interview with CNN Philippines, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said that war should never be an option for countries amid changing geopolitical landscapes in the region. Nobody really wants a major conflict because the alternative is disaster for the entire world, Romualdez said. The Philippine envoy also refuted the claims of Beijing that the United States was driving conflict in the region. That is absolutely not true that the involvement of the US with the Philippines has been around for a long time, said Romualdez. We have the Mutual Defense Treaty which has been around since 1951, the Visiting Forces Agreement which is close to 20 years now, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement [EDCA] which was also agreed upon in 2015, all of these have been in place. We are just simply strengthening our relationship with major ally the United States, the envoy added. Weve seen our fair share of sensational-looking Ferraris, but when it comes to their flagship spec gran tourers, few would come close to this one-of-a-kind 812 Competizione, unveiled recently at an exclusive event at Casa Ferrari during Monterey Car Week. SUV Photo: Ferrari This so-called Tailor Made concept is based on one of just 999 units of the 812 Competizione, one of the Prancing Horses most exclusive series aimed at collectors and enthusiasts alike. As for what inspired this cars creation, well, that would be a blank sheet, much like the one used at the Ferrari Styling Center whenever designers start working on new models.The end-result also happens to look very Comic book friendly, which should please all you Marvel and DC fans out there.As for what will happen to this car, which by the way was commissioned by Ferrari North America; its next stop is the Ferrari Gala in New York City on October 17, where it will be auctioned off with all proceeds being donated to charity.Now that weve got the boring stuff out of the way, lets look at this bespoke 812 Competizione more closely.The first thing that stands out is the matte Giallo Tristrato paint, mirroring one of the now iconic yellow cards on which Ferrari designers jot down their ideas. The lines themselves were traced in matte Nero DS Sketch and can be found on the hood (including on that carbon fiber blade), the louvers, roof, mirrors, on the vortex generators, spoilers, doors, both fascias heck, the entire car looks sketchy, but not in a bad way.Inside, youll find new-generation Alcantara throughout the cockpit, composed of 65% recycled polyester. This type of upholstery made its debut in the Purosangue. There are also plenty of design sketches on the seats, to match the dual-tone black and yellow vibe of the cabin, which also happens to feature black trilobal Superfabric, used for the carpet and rear wall.All things considered, this car is simply put, spectacular. It would almost be a sin to drive it as your daily, as opposed to placing it on a pedestal somewhere for all your friends to admire.I'm addressing the cars future owner directly here: I know that Ferraris are meant to be driven, but this exterior should not be subjected to any forces of nature. Any damaged body panels would be impossible to replace. On second thought, if you can afford to buy a bespoke 812 Competizione , you can probably afford to pay any artist to faithfully replicate all the sketches found on this car, should any sections of the vehicle need replacing.Oh, and as a reminder for anyone who may have forgotten what lies beneath the 812 Competiziones rear louvers it's a 6.5-liter V12 engine , producing 819 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. Epic stuff. 21 August 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Rena Murshud Read more A true friend is tested in bad times. When the war between Ukraine and Russia started, friends and foes were also revealed between the parties. For example, Ukraine recognized Iran (with 17 Shahid drones) and several countries that provided weapons against it in the middle of the war. Do not be surprised - one of those countries was Armenia. Even at the beginning of the war, several groups of Armenian robbers fought together with the Russians against Ukraine under the military name. A group of them was captured by Ukrainian soldiers and even exposed and severely punished. In fact, when talking about Armenia, it is nothing new to emphasize these things, but the dangerous side of the issue is the discovery of Armenian-made E-001M mines on Ukrainian soil. The mentioned mines were also widely used against Azerbaijan in the Patriotic War. Also, the recent date of the production of mines confirms that Armenia produces and widely uses mines banned by the UN organization in other conflict regions. A few days ago, the Ukrainian military discovered an Armenian-made E-001M anti-personnel mine while clearing their territory of mines. This shows that despite the fact that Armenia has repeatedly stated that it is a neutral side in the Russian-Ukrainian war, it suggests completely different thoughts that came to light during mine clearance. It seems that Armenia was not only involved in the war with Azerbaijan, but also engages in provocations in other countries and illegally supports them. It should be noted that the Ottawa Convention, which has international legal force since 1999, prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines. Armenia is among the 163 countries that joined the agreement on December 14, 2017. Despite all the facts, Armenia, as usual, is acting against the law. While commenting on the issue for Azernews, Ukrainian military expert Alexander Okhrimenko also clarified some presumptions about Armenia. He confirmed the probability of supplying some weapons to Russia via Armenia. But despite this, the Armenian side denies this, since direct evidence has not yet been found. But it is clear that Russia uses precisely those mines that are very difficult to find and very difficult to defuse. Let the researchers look into this matter. After all, this is a huge crime committed by Armenia. "I think, Armenia is illegally planting mines. The trouble is that the sale of weapons is very beneficial for Armenia itself. Unfortunately, this is how many people make money. Not only that, these are some kind of Armenian companies that do not work for the government, but rather work illegally. It was they who framed these weapons," the expert said. Talking about illegal weapons, A.Okhrimenko noted that the underground arms market was, is and will be. For this reason, there is indeed a possibility that this is an illegal arms market. And here there are the hands of the Armenian participants. "I think that at the moment it is necessary to demand that an investigation be brought into this case. If during the investigation it turns out that this is the work of the Armenian participants, then the perpetrators will be severely punished. Because it is definitely considered a big crime," the military expert added. In the conclusion, speaking about the relations between Armenia and Russia, Alexander Okhrimenko noted that Armenia's being allies with Russia is quite obvious. He also explained the reasons behind this unbreakable connection. "Firstly, Armenia is part of the Russian military bloc, and secondly, the Prime Minister of Armenia met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Officially, Armenia collaborates with Russia when the matter is Ukraine. Even if Armenia takes no action but it is still silent about some issues. In my opinion, these Armenian-Russian relations are considered biased. But Armenia is somehow trying to show and explain to everyone that the country supports Ukraine. But the leadership of Armenia, on the contrary, supports the pro-Russian policy," the expert underlined. --- Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 18:30 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more The separatist gang under the auspices of Yerevan in Garabagh started to step back before the internal pressures. Media outlets under the separatist gang announced that "in the coming days, it was decided to increase the sales of bakery products throughout Garabagh to make it easier for people." Besides, the media also stated that an additional volume of pork and beef will be released to the markets in Khankendi, and the maximum price of the meat amounts to $10. The decision caused ardent discussion on social media among Armenians. Many ask the question that if Garabagh is under blockade whence they take the meat and flour. One of the social media users noted that all villages in Garabagh are full of pigs, cows, and other foodstuffs. Villagers will be happy to sell the products. Another social media user, Nadejda Melnik, asks that it was forbidden to keep cattle and pigs before, so how did they suddenly appear? It is crystal clear that there is enough food in Garabagh, but the separatist gang and its patrons in Yerevan hindered to release these products to market to put pressure on Azerbaijan. Going the limits, even the Armenian side took the issue to the UN Security Council. However, Azerbaijan has expressed its rightful comments from all possible platforms. The Azerbaijan Republic underlined that due to the investigations over smuggling forbidden products, and the sabotage that resulted in the wounding of an Azerbaijani soldier, the Lachin Border Checkpoint was closed. However, a blockade or humanitarian crisis in Garabagh is out of the question, because Azerbaijan offers the Agdam-Khankendi road as an alternative to the Lachin-Khankendi route, and even Azerbaijan is ready to provide the Armenian minority with humanitarian aid. It is the Armenian side that causes the humanitarian crisis by putting concrete blocks on the Agdam-Khankendi road and deliberately rejects humanitarian aid. In a footage, Azerbaijan proved that the Armenian side smuggled lethal weapons through the Lachin-Khankendi road. However, it is impossible for Armenia to smuggle anything from the Agdam-Khankendi road. Therefore, Armenians go the extra mile to use the Lachin-Khankendi road. So, playing the victim cards, Armenians wanted to create an illusion, showing people as though starving in Garabagh. But social media says totally different things. The residents of Garabagh are sharing the photos taken at their parties, birthday events, wedding ceremonies, and so on. The photos demonstrate that the deficit of foodstuff is out of the question. In all photos, tables are full of foodstuffs. The Azerbaijani permanent representative to the UN showcased these photos at the meeting of the UN Security Council over the humanitarian crisis in Garabagh which had been convened at the request of Armenia. Moreover, about this Azernews had published an in depth report on the real situation in Khankendi with photos and videos. Some Armenian social media users claim that the separatist regime in Azerbaijan's Garabagh released the meat and bakery products after showcasing these photos in the UN SC. Nana Firunts asks if they could not release it prior to Azerbaijan showcasing the photo at the UN SC. Tatyana Matinyan pointed out that the meat and flour get from the sources where cakes were provided for wedding parties and restaurants previously. Vigen Azroyan approached the issue with sarcasm and noted that the UN SC has started to be involved in animal husbandry. As for the price of the meat, it is worth noting that the price is affordable. Moreover, social media users from Armenia noted that they have the same price in Armenia. It should be noted that in Azerbaijan the price of beef and pork is the same, but the price of beef in Garabagh is less in comparison with the price in Turkiye. It once again proves that there is no blockade in Garabagh, otherwise, the residents of Garabagh would not be able to produce competitively priced meat. --- Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 17:21 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have discussed prospects of cooperation in the field of industrial parks. This was reported by Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikail Jabbarov on his page in X (Twitter), Azernews reports, citing Economy Minister. "At a meeting with the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov we held useful talks on expansion of economic and trade relations between the two countries, promotion of mutual investments, implementation of joint projects, as well as prospects of cooperation with Uzbekistan in the field of industrial parks," he said. It should be noted that trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in 2022 amounted to $181.2 million (52.4 percent growth compared to 2021). The economies of the two countries have sufficient potential for mutual trade indicators to grow to $1 billion in the coming years. As of the first of July 2023, 204 enterprises with Azerbaijani capital were operating in Uzbekistan (71 in 2017), including 67 joint ventures and 137 foreign enterprises. Since the beginning of this year, 22 joint ventures have been established. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 14:47 (UTC+04:00) From 1 September, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum will offer guided tours for those wishing to explore the mysteries of carpet art. With over 6,000 carpets in its collection, the museum is home to the world's largest collection of Azerbaijani carpets. The carpets on display date from the 17th to the 20th centuries and are arranged according to style and region, Azernews reports, citing Museum. As part of the tour entitled "Semi-Nomadic Life", according to the program, participants will be offered a tour of lint-free carpets and rugs, which are an integral part of the life of people living a semi-nomadic - nomadic lifestyle. There will also be a master class on the techniques of lint-free carpet weaving, including hemp, followed by a visit to the Bibi-Heybat Mosque. Participants of the tour "Palace Carpets" will get acquainted with rare pearls from the museum collection - Garabakh, Tabriz, Shamakhi, Baku carpets of XVII-XVIII centuries, as well as take a master class on pile carpet weaving. A meeting with the artist in the workshop of the famous carpet weaver will be organized for them. The museum's guided tours will provide visitors with an opportunity to uncover the secrets of Azerbaijan's seven regional carpet-weaving schools. Through the carpets, visitors will gain insight into local culture, nature, and beliefs. In addition, the museum will offer live demonstrations of carpet weaving, and visitors can purchase souvenirs in the gift shop. The museum's ticket office is open Tuesday-Friday from 10:00-18:00 and Saturday-Sunday from 11:00-19:00. The exposition is open Tuesday-Friday from 10:00-19:00 and Saturday-Sunday from 11:00-20:00. Admission is 7 AZN for adults, 3 AZN for schoolchildren and students, and 12 AZN for guided tours. The museum's 3rd floor is temporarily closed due to reconstruction works. The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum is a must-see for anyone interested in the history and culture of Azerbaijani carpets. With its guided tours, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the art of carpet weaving and its importance in Azerbaijani culture. Tours will be led by experts in the field on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 18:00. Those wishing to take part in the 6-person tours must register at least one week in advance, follow the link. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 17:05 (UTC+04:00) At the Lachin State Border checkpoint, the free passage of Armenian minority living Garabagh in the direction of Khankendi-Gorus was once again ensured. According to Azernews, a total of 60 people proceeded from Azerbaijan to Armenia through the Lachin state Border checkpoint. The documents of these persons were checked, and their free movement was ensured. Representatives of foreign media also followed the free passage of Armenians. Most of the people leaving Garabagh and heading for Armenia have taken Russian citizenship. Passing through the border checkpoint in the direction of Armenia, they are mainly persons who are trying to incite separatism in the territory of Azerbaijan. Apparently, both they and those behind them realized that they would not be able to continue this vile game with Azerbaijan, so they came to the conclusion that leaving Garabagh was the only correct way out. After the 44-day war, official Baku stated on various platforms, at various levels, that only those who respect the laws of this country can live in Azerbaijan. For those who do not accept these conditions, the doors are open and they can leave Azerbaijan and live wherever they want. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 11:12 (UTC+04:00) 13 families of Lachin residents, who returned to their native land today after years of waiting, have received keys to their homes, Azernews reports. Families sent from Gobu Park 3 residential complex in Garadagh district of Baku city and reached Lachin experienced the joy of reuniting with their native homes. After meeting the families in Lachin, employees of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs handed them the keys to their houses. Thus, 234 families, i.e. 904 people, have been permanently accommodated in Lachin. It should be noted that all conditions have been created for the resettled families to be accommodated in Lachin in the houses in which they used to live and which were restored or rebuilt after the occupation on the instructions of the Head of State. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 11:34 (UTC+04:00) President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, will pay a state visit to the country on August 22-2, Azernews reports with reference to the website of the President of Uzbekistan. The program of the stay provides for high-level talks and other events with the participation of the leaders of the two countries. The agenda includes issues of further deepening the Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations of strategic partnership and expanding practical cooperation in priority areas. As a result of the talks, a package of bilateral agreements is expected to be adopted. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 11:50 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter to congratulate Santiago Pena on his assuming Presidency of the Republic of Paraguay, Azernews reports. The letter says: "Dear Mr. President, I cordially congratulate you as you took office of the President of the Republic of Paraguay. I believe that we will make joint efforts to successfully continue friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Paraguay in both bilateral and multilateral formats. I offer my best wishes to You, and wish success in your responsibilities for the sake of welfare of your friendly people. Respectfully, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 21 August 2023 " --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 12:43 (UTC+04:00) On 21 August, from 07:05 to 07:20, illegal Armenian armed formations in the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, tried to install long-term fortifications in front of the Azerbaijani army positions. towards Khojaly district, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Defence. As a result of urgent measures taken by the units of our army, the works were immediately stopped. Besides, from 09:30 to 10:10 hours, from the positions located in the direction of Yukhari Shorzha and Yukhari Zaghali settlements of Basarkachar district, the units of the Armenian Armed Forces shelled the positions of our army located in the direction of Zaylik and Bazirkhana of Kalbajar district with firearms of a different caliber. Our agencies have taken response measures in these directions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, August 21) The government of Biliran has expressed its desire to advance the fundamental rights of same-sex couples in the province, particularly in securing equal access to medical rights and asset sharing. Governor Gerard Roger Espina called a meeting with the Biliran Bisexual and Gay Society JJC Naval Warrior and other officials of the province on Monday to discuss ways to attain this goal. Maraming pangyayari sa ating LGBT community na kung naospital ang kanilang long-time partner, hindi makadesisyon ang partner nila sa mga emergency health situation dahil hindi kasal. Ito po ang bibigyan natin ng linaw at solusyon bago matapos ang taon, Espina explained. [Translation: It happens often in the LGBT community that when one of them is hospitalized, their partner cannot make decisions when it comes to emergency health situations. We will give clarity and a solution to this before the end of the year.] Espina added that during the meeting he also proposed to provide a program that will give same-sex couples in the province an option to represent their partners for urgent medical decisions through a signed agreement. Once implemented, this will be another innovation from Biliran that will give additional options to our long standing LGBTQIA couples in our communities, Espina said. This plan of the provincial government was welcomed by the group who released a statement after the meeting. By advocating for equal rights and opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, you are paving the way for a more inclusive and accepting society, the group said in their statement. Your efforts are instrumental in ensuring that every member of the LGBTQ+ community in Biliran feels valued and respected. We are grateful for your leadership and support in promoting equality and inclusion," they added. The group also said they hope the provincial government's plan will result in a more accepting environment for same-sex couples where everyone can love and live freely, without fear and discrimination or prejudice. 21 August 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00) Russias Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the moon, state space corporation Roscosmos said on Sunday, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. In a statement, Roscosmos said it lost contact with the Luna-25 on Saturday after the pilotless spacecraft ran into difficulties. The spacecraft moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the moon, the agency said. It added that a special interdepartmental commission was investigating the cause of the crash. Luna-25 was launched on Aug. 11 from the Vostochny Space Launch Center, 5,500 kilometers (over 3,417 miles) east of Moscow. Russias first moon mission in 47 years was expected to land on Monday. According to state news agency TASS, the mission was to study the internal structure of the moon and explore natural resources, including water. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 21 August 2023 19:00 (UTC+04:00) Belgium's new Foreign Minister, Hadja Lahbib, is set to visit Azerbaijan and Armenia in the coming weeks. The visit comes as part of her first official mission abroad since taking office in August of this year, Azernews reports. Lahbib, a former journalist with 20 years of experience at the Francophone public broadcaster RTBF, was appointed by the Mouvement Reformiste (MR) party to succeed former Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes. Wilmes had stepped down to care for her husband, who is battling cancer. The visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia is seen as an important one for Lahbib, as it marks her first foray into international diplomacy. She will be tasked with addressing the ongoing conflict between the two countries, which has been ongoing since the 1990s. Lahbib has no political experience but has a wealth of knowledge from her time as a journalist covering international affairs. She has reported from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and the Middle East, and has also worked on Brussels' bid to become the European capital of culture in 2030. Lahbib is the first foreign minister of North African descent in Belgium, and her appointment has been celebrated in feminist and progressive circles. She is seen as a symbol of diversity and inclusivity in the Belgian government. The visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia is expected to be a challenging one for Lahbib, but she is confident that her experience as a journalist will help her navigate the situation. She has said that she is looking forward to defending Belgium's interests abroad and pushing the EU to address militant attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lahbib is set to visit Azerbaijan and Armenia in the coming weeks, and her visit is sure to be closely watched by the international community. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz With the back-to-school season right around the corner, here are the best places to get supplies for the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year in Bahrain in case you have not figured it out yet. This quick cheat list is all what parents need to see to make the back-to-school journey. This is the perfect time of the year to get some school essentials and stationery such pencils, erasers, pens, or even notepads. Here is a list of the best stores in Bahrain to get school supplies for the upcoming academic year: Shakeel Trading Shakeel Trading is one of the best spots to get all the school essentials at amazing prices. They have a wide range of products from international brands and even their own line 'SADAF'. Their Back to School campaign has all that you might ask for. Ajeeb Stores Get ready for school with Ajeeb Stores, where you can shop from a wide range of products in amazing prices. Ajeeb Stores are well known stores specialled in school supplies, and educational toys. LuLu Hypermarket Get your kids school supplies at some great discount prices at LuLu hypermarket in Bahrain. LuLu Hypermarkets have become the most preferred shopping destinations in the GCC. Carrefour A great way to jump-start back to school is by saving on back-to-school essentials for your kids at Carrefour. Along with all of the essentials, you could also conveniently get a bunch of your kid's favorite snacks! Ramez Ramez is a discount center with several options and products to choose from. It offers a wide selection of products ranging from school supplies, clothing, electronics, and more. talabat Back to School offers are in full swing and talabat has something for everyone. You can get all your school must-haves from one place, just talabat it! Alanwar Discount Center Alanwar Discount Center has got your stationery needs covered at amazing prices with great offers. Centrepoint Shopping online on the Centrepoint website offers you great discounts and it is the best way to get the best backpacks, notebooks, and stationery for all your kids. But for everyone who still enjoys shopping in-store, Centerpoint is located in Bahrain City Centre! Amateur sleuths are in luck: The monetary reward for information on one of Bakersfield's ugliest cold cases more than tripled just as the Disc You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter. The Fifth District Court of Appeal paused proceedings in the criminal trial for two men accused of gunning down a corrections counselor while Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. (CNN) Ecuadorians are voting in presidential and legislative elections that have been overshadowed by political assassinations and violence driven by criminal organizations vying for control of the countrys drug trafficking routes. Nearly 100,000 troops will be dispatched to ensure public safety and order across Ecuador on election day, Ecuadors government says. But as votes were being cast, the countrys National Electoral Council (CNE) said its telematic voting platform had suffered cyber-attacks from several countries, including Russia, Ukraine, China and Bangladesh, that affected access to the vote. Diana Atamaint, CNEs president, however, assured Guatemalans during a Sunday press conference that the votes recorded were not violated. It was more than a week ago when presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a former journalist known for being outspoken on corruption, was slain as he left a campaign event. Several politicians have been killed this year, but Villavicencios death has pushed the countrys problems to the global stage. Preliminary evidence suggests the suspects arrested in connection with his killing are members of organized criminal groups. On the eve of the vote, another candidate, Otto Sonnenholzner, said a shooting took place close to where he and his family were having breakfast. Villavicencios death highlights the Andean countrys sharp transformation. Only a few years ago Ecuador was seen as a place of relative security compared to its neighbors Colombia and Peru, two of the worlds biggest producers of cocaine. A deadly escalation of violence in recent years, fueled by a cocaine boom in the region, has seen criminal gangs alter the landscape in Ecuador as they engage in high-level graft, extort businesses, overrun prisons, and murder anyone who gets in their way. The violence and lack of economic prospects have led to many Ecuadorians opting to leave the country some to its neighbors, others to the United States. Over half Ecuadors workforce is in the informal economy, meaning that millions of people do not have a contract and benefit packages to rely on in hard times a situation that was further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, widespread discontent with the rocketing crime rates tanked the popularity of outgoing president Guillermo Lasso and paved the way for him to call for snap general elections for August 20, in which he is not a candidate. Everything to play for Anything could happen in Sundays presidential vote, say analysts, who point to the killing of Villavicencio as potentially changing voters preferences. His demise could shape results on Sunday, said Laura Lizarazo, a senior analyst for the Andean region at political risk consultancy Control Risks, as voters who feel completely unprotected, abandoned, unheard amid the crimewave and economic uncertainty may feel compelled to use the ballot as a means of emotional release. Citizens may also feel fearful about voting, said Glaeldys Gonzalez, an expert on organized crime at the International Crisis Group. These (criminal) groups have a spectrum of tools to control communities through extortion and kidnappings, especially in poor and marginalized areas like (the port cities of) Guayaquil or Esmeraldas to intimidate both citizens and also candidates. Days after Villavicencios murder, a left-wing local party official, Pedro Briones, was shot dead in Esmeraldas province. Who is running? Luisa Gonzalez from the Movimiento Revolucion Ciudadana (RC) party is currently the frontrunner and the only woman running out of the eight presidential candidates. The left-wing RC party, the political coalition of former leftist President Rafael Correa, has enjoyed momentum in the last few years as it exploits nostalgic sentiment for Correas rule, Lizarazo said. Correa still wields large influence in the country and has supported her run from exile in Belgium. The former president was sentenced in absentia in 2020 to eight years in prison for aggravated bribery, which he has repeatedly denied. Gonzalez has promised to enhance public spending and social programs, and wants to address the security crisis by fixing the root causes of violence, such as poverty and inequality. Gonzalez, a former tourism and labor minister in Correas government, has also called for the judiciary to be reinforced to help with prosecutions, analysts say. Prior to his death, Villavicencio told CNN En Espanol that Ecuador had become a narco state as he proposed to lead a fight against what he called the political mafia. His friend and fellow investigative journalist Christian Zurita has since replaced Villavicencio as Movimiento Construyes presidential candidate. The 53-year-old specializes in reporting on alleged corruption, organized crime and drug trafficking. He told Reuters this week that he would like to use international loans to fund social programs, reduce taxes on businesses that hire young people and better equip the police to help combat crime. Center-right candidate Otto Sonnenholzner, from Alianza Actuemos, is seen as the pro-business candidate. The former radio personality and vice president (from 2018-20) during the Lenin Moreno administration says he wants to recover the economy and tackle public security, and has a four-fold plan to fight crime in the country via prison control, intelligence for arms restrictions, protecting those operating justice and increased support for public workers. Most business associations and foreign investors are crossing fingers that he gets to the runoff in October, but voters do not really connect with him, Lizarazo said, citing latest polling figures. Indigenous rights candidate and environmentalist Yaku Perezs plan includes citizen security, ecological safety and economic empowerment. He is known for his campaigning for indigenous water rights and was a critic of Correa, who promoted an agenda that was heavily dependent on extractive industries. Businessman Jan Topic, who has styled himself as a political outsider in the race, has vowed a tough-on-crime approach in the style of El Salvadors leader Nayib Bukele and the current environment in Ecuador may favor his type of approach, analysts say. Topic told CNN that while he admires Bukele, he would be more careful when it comes to respecting human rights. If no presidential candidate receives over 50% of the vote, or 40% of the vote and a 10-point lead over the second-place candidate, a runoff will be held in October. The winner of the race will only hold office until 2025, which would have been the end of Lassos six-year term before he decided to invoke a constitutional mechanism, known as mutual death, and call for early elections. That 18-month period is a short frame of time for even the most seasoned of politicians to turn things around in Ecuador, experts say. No matter the election results, the security environment will likely remain very challenging, Lizarazo added. Because the security crisis has deep causes that go beyond the capacity of an administration that will be around for only 18 months. This story was first published on CNN.com. "Assassinations cast a grim shadow as Ecuador selects a new president" Legendary Oregon Coast History Comes Alive with Lewis 'n Clark Reenactment in Sept Published 08/15/23 at 4:31 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Seaside, Oregon) There was a time when salt was worth its weight in gold in the early U.S.A. At least when it came to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, this was true as they were settling in for the winter along the proto-Oregon coast. (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection) In the winter of 1805, Lewis, Clark and the Corps of Discovery arrived at the Pacific Coast, in need of salt to continue their journey in a few months time. Salt, which had last been obtained in St. Louis as they first set out, was used in preserving meat for this arduous journey. So just after their Fort Clatsop was completed, a handful of men were sent south to the sea to collect salt. On Saturday and Sunday, September 9th and 10th, the Seaside Museum creates the Lewis and Clark Salt Makers event, held at the end of Avenue U, on the beach. The program will be held Saturday, September 9th from 9 am 6 pm and Sunday, September 10th from 9 am 3 pm. Members of the Pacific Northwest Living Historians (PNLH) will recreate and share the experience of that exploration group, bringing to life the salt camp which those explorers established more than 200 years ago. They will set up camp and a working replica of the sea water-boiling structure used back then, recreating the feel of the actual endeavor. Lewis and Clark Salt Makers has been an annual event now for more than two decades, with the historical reenactment becoming a bit of Oregon coast history itself. It even helps to release interesting bits of information not always known, such as the fact that in his own journals Captain Meriwether Lewis called the group Corps of Northwestern Discovery. On December 26, 1805, Lewis and Capt. William Clark sent forth a special detachment from their just-completed winter quarters at Fort Clatsop. Five men traveled overland from the fort to the coast, searching for the best location for making salt. On January 1, 1806, the fifth day of their search, these men found the perfect spot and set up camp: the beach of present-day Seaside, Oregon. They proceeded to make salt by boiling sea water for nearly two months, all while enduring the wet winter weather, before they returned to Fort Clatsop. Visitors to the program will enter the camp and time-travel a bit. There was no running down to the local convenience store on Highway 101 for salt back then, over 200 years ago. Here, you'll find members of the PNLH busy making salt, as they boil sea water over a fire just as the men of the Lewis and Clark expedition did in 1806. The interpreters will also share the history and stories of the legendary expedition with everyone who comes to the beach. Hotels in Seaside - Where to eat - Seaside Maps and Virtual Tours Lewis and Clark Salt Makers is a free, interactive learning opportunity for the whole family. Courtesy photo A portion of this project was made possible through a grant from the City of Seaside Tourism Advisory Committee. This program is also supported by the Sandy Cove Inn, Owsley Wood services, and United Site Services. Not far down the Promenade, there's Lewis & Clark Way, which hosts the actual spot where the troupe boiled ocean water. The replica of their rock oven (saltworks) and a monument sits there, which was discerned back in the late 1800s by talking to tribal members who had known exactly where it was. Call 503.738.7065 for more information. MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted As School Choice is beginning to take shape in North Carolina: What is your position on what it should evolve into? 4.55% School Choice is only a distraction from the promise of real public education.90.91% School Choice, as it evolves into its best model to serve the public' s education needs, this benefit will provide choices outside of the historic construct supporting the public school monopoly.4.55% School Choice - I cannot see how it serves the Education Industry. The Special Prosecutor appointed on the Hunter Biden cases, David Weiss, has been revealed by the leftwing Washington Post as having worked in the past in a close relationship with Hunter's brother, Beau Biden. Isn't that cosy? It is amazing that the Post, which has veered far to the left wince its purchse by far left oligarch Jeff Bezos, would out this story, but they have. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/before-investigating-hunter-biden-prosecutor-worked-with-brother-beau/ar-AA1fvKKz Not to be outdone, the far left New York Times (a/k/a Pravda on the Hudson) has printed an article saying the DOJ had planned to let Hunter Biden off completely, without even the fig leaf of the give away plea deal until the IRS whistleblowers testified in Congress. Then they decided they had to at least take a plea on something. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/19/us/politics/inside-hunter-biden-plea-deal.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12428715/Hunter-Biden-prosecutor-David-Weiss-did-NOT-plan-charge-presidents-son-IRS-whistleblowers-came-forward-sounding-alarm-DOJ-interference.html Is the progressive establishment starting to turn on Robert Perers a/k/a Joe Biden? Meanwhile, in our perverted politicized "justice" system, ithey are pulling out the stops for a seies of Stalin Show Trials against the leading opposition candidate, Donald Trump. The first in-human results for a technology that allows intraocular lenses to more closely replicate a crystalline lens were presented at the American Society of cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting in San Diego, according to an Aug. 21 report from Healio. George Waring, MD, founder and medical director at Waring Vision Institute, presented results for Atia Vision's OmniVu IOL System. It is a shape-changing modular system system with a fixed-power front optic and a shape-changing base filled with fluid that responds to ciliary muscle movements, according to the report. The system works by inserting the base lens into the capsular bag after a 5.5 mm manual capsulotomy, which allows the front optic lens to dock into the base. "The natural accommodative mechanism of the eye, when stimulated, activates the fluid-filled base, changing its shape and increasing the range of focus," Dr. Waring said in the report. The results comprised data on 25 eyes of 18 patients and the technology appears to improve the range of focus while reducing dysphotopsia. Dr. Waring said the next step is to begin the investigational device exemption as they move toward FDA clinical trials. A Massachusetts orthodontist and dental hygienist recently organized a drive to deliver dental supplies to victims of the fires in Maui, CBS News Boston reported Aug. 18. Richard Hesby, DDS, and dental hygienist Janine Opupele began collecting donations such as toothbrushes and toothpaste as well as other personal hygiene products to send to the area. They encouraged other dental practices to get involved as well. Ms. Opupele told the news station that Concord-Lexington (Mass.) Family Periodontists donated about 100 toothbrushes and several cases of toothpaste and floss. The Becker's Dental Review website uses cookies to display relevant ads and to enhance your browsing experience. By continuing to use our site, you acknowledge that you have read, that you understand, and that you accept our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica, which called off plans to build a new Michigan hospital after it reported a $39.8 million second-quarter operating loss, is now seeking further extensions to existing covenant suspensions. The 11-hospital system is also dealing with a delayed sale of its hospice and home care division, according to an Aug. 17 filing. Proceeds from an eventual sale will be used to draw down some of the system's debts, according to the filing. Outstanding obligations total $453 million. "The system and the financial institutions are currently negotiating further extensions of the covenant suspension to provide additional time to address regulatory compliance for the proposed sale," according to the filing. "ProMedica is working diligently to move the transaction forward as quickly as possible," the system told Becker's. Olympic Medical Center lost more than $3.5 million in July as stagnant patient volumes and low reimbursement rates continue to challenge the Port Angeles, Wash.-based hospital, the Peninsula Daily News reported Aug. 19. Olympic Medical Center recorded $17.6 million in patient revenue for the month, a 20 percent drop from the $22 million it had budgeted, according to the report. A key factor in the drop in revenue was a decrease in the number of patients using commercial insurance. Compounding the loss were expenses related to a long-term, at-risk patient who was discharged, but whose charity care cost Olympic Medical Center $750,000, CFO Lorraine Cannon told the Peninsula Daily News. The Washington Health Care Authority has provided Olympic Medical Center with an unrestricted $458,000 distressed grant, given to hospitals that lacked adequate cash on hand to remain financially solvent, experienced financial losses during fiscal year 2022 or were at risk of bankruptcy. The hospital ended 2022 with a $16.1 million operating loss and reported a $7.9 million operating loss in the first four months of this year, according to the report. The number of critical access hospitals has increased by 446 since 2004 and as rural hospitals face a financial crunch, more could be trimming their services in exchange for increased federal funds. To obtain critical access status, hospitals need to have no more than 25 beds and an average duration of stay under 96 hours. While cutting services to meet these requirements might seem like a difficult choice, hospital leaders told Becker's that the designations give them a path toward financial stability. In June, Farmington, Maine-based Franklin Memorial Hospital applied for critical access status. Franklin Memorial CEO Barbara Sergio said that the new designation will allow them to turn a profit. "Currently, Franklin runs in the negative every year, and we were grateful to have the support of Maine Health and be part of that health system," Ms. Sergio said. "For that reason, when we turn critical access on Oct. 1, we should actually turn positive. We haven't identified the exact bottom dollar yet, but we're definitely looking positive when you put in the cost reporting system." For hospitals on the edge, the extra funding can allow them to keep their doors open. Malone, N.Y.-based Alice Hyde Medical Center will receive between $3 million and $4.5 million more in annual reimbursements if their designation is approved. "Critical access hospital status will directly support Alice Hyde's mission of caring for our community," Michelle LeBeau, RN, president of Alice Hyde Medical Center, said in the release. "Our ability to invest in our people, our facilities and our campus is critical as we continue to change to meet the needs of our community. CAH status will support those needs through improved reimbursement from government payers and advance the already high-quality care we provide." Some hospital leaders also see the critical access designation will allow them to remain independent and not merge with a larger system. In May, Carroll, Iowa-based St. Anthony Regional Hospital applied for a critical access designation. Hospital officials aim for the new designation to reduce financial vulnerability and allow them to remain an independent rural hospital. "This allowed us to continue operating as a strong independent hospital for our community and it's something that we always try to make our decisions around," said St. Anthony Regional CFO Eric Salmonson. (CNN) With more than 95% of the ballots counted, anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arevalo, from the progressive Movimiento Semilla party, appeared to have won Guatemalas presidential election on Sunday, beating former first lady Sandra Torres by 59.1% to 36.1% of votes cast, according to official data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). It is a stunning turnaround for the former diplomat who reinvigorated a race that has been plagued by fears of democratic backsliding after the state disqualified opposition candidates who spoke out against corruption drawing concerns from rights groups and Western allies. The president of the TSE, Irma Palencia, said during a press conference on Sunday night that today, the people voices spoke, as it became apparent that Arevalo had won by a large margin. The center-left politician tapped into widespread public discontent with his promises to curb crime and corruption, tackle malnutrition, and bring growth to a country that has one of the highest levels of inequality in the region. Achieving those goals wont be easy for Arevalo, whose father was the countrys first democratically elected president, as Congress is set to be largely controlled by establishment parties, including Torres Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza. Analysts caution there could also be attempts to undermine the victory by Arevalo, pointing to attempts by state actors to disqualify him after his surprise second place finish during the first round of voting in June. A Guatemalan court suspended his Movimiento Semilla party on the request of Rafael Curruchiche, who heads the Special Prosecutors Office Against Impunity and is on the US State Departments Engel List of corrupt and undemocratic actors. Curruchiche said they were investigating Movimiento Semilla for allegedly falsifying citizens signatures a claim Arevalo has denied. His win comes as regional observers say rising kleptocracy, graft and weakening rule of law have exacerbated inequality in the Central American country, driving thousands of Guatemalans to move to the United States in recent years. The situation worsened after a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission, known as CICIG, credited for assisting in hundreds of convictions, was dissolved in 2019, rights groups say. Prosecutors and judges associated with the commission were arrested and investigated and many have since fled the country. The ensuing years have seen high rates of poverty and malnutrition. Members of the media who have opposed corruption in their reporting have also faced legal consequences. This year, prominent Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora was sentenced to six years in prison for money laundering, in a ruling press groups described as an attack on free speech. Ben Schwartz, MD, is leaving his role as president of Corewell Health's East region, and Darryl Elmouchi, MD, COO of Corewell Health, will assume the role on an interim basis. Dr. Schwartz is leaving Corewell Health Aug. 21 after about one year in the regional president role, according to a news release shared with Becker's. Dr. Elmouchi has served as COO of Corewell Health since April, according to his LinkedIn page. Before that, he was president of Corewell Health's West region. "Darryl's extensive experience as a physician and leader, and his deep familiarity with our system and its transformational goals, makes him ideally suited to lead our east team through this period of transition," Tina Freese Decker, Corewell Health's president and CEO, said in the release. Ms. Freese Decker added, "We appreciate the enthusiasm Ben brought to Corewell Health. He fostered new relationships strengthened our sense of community and pride. As we move forward, we will remain focused on providing high-quality, safe and equitable care." Dr. Schwartz said, "This was a mutual decision. I am so proud of everything we have achieved together over the past year. I want to thank the Corewell Health East team for the spectacular compassion and kindness they bring to patients every day." Corewell Health is a 22-hospital health system with dual headquarters in Grand Rapids and Southfield, Mich. The East region includes eight hospitals, more than 150 outpatient locations, more than 5,000 physicians and 33,000 employees. Hospital and health system boards must play an active role in addressing rising violence against healthcare workers, the American Hospital Association said in an Aug. 21 boardroom brief. The association is calling on boards to ensure their hospital or health system has an organizational strategy to mitigate workplace violence with data collection, education and senior level accountability as key components. To initiate discussions around building a safer workplace, AHA recommended board members start by asking the following five questions: 1. Does your organization have a workplace violence prevention policy? 2. Is the board receiving updates on programs and policies related to workplace violence prevention? 3. Is your organization routinely reporting data on incidents of violence to leadership, including the board? 4. Does the organization have a strategy and dashboard to assess workplace safety and is this shared with the board? 5. If your Community Health Needs Assessment identifies violence as a priority, is the board receiving updates on programs and partnerships that aim to reduce community violence? Read the full brief here. The Hawaii State Hospital, a publicly funded, state psychiatric hospital in Kaneohe, is firing three top-level managers as part of a leadership restructure amid patient overcrowding and workforce shortages, local media outlets reported over the weekend. On Aug. 17, Associate Administrator Bimmie Strausser, MD, Director of Nursing Lani Tsuneishi, MSN, and Operations Administrator Anthony Fraiola were fired and escorted off the property, staff at the facility said, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. Kenneth Luke, the hospital's acting administrator, on the same day announced to staff that the three senior managers were no longer with the hospital and that the hospital is restructuring its senior leadership team. "Other leaders will be asked to take on new roles to help our organization to move forward," Mr. Luke said, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Honolulu Civil Beat. According to both publications, Mr. Luke's announcement to staff did not provide a reason for the move. However, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that he did note the hospital "is being challenged with maintaining quality care in a safe and therapeutic environment, while having to manage an ever-increasing demand for our services." Mr. Luke added, "I am confident that, by functioning as one team, we can meet this challenge." Shawn Hamamoto, spokesperson for the Hawaii State Department of Health, told Becker's, "We are unable to comment as this is a personnel matter." Ms. Tsuneishi, who has worked at the Hawaii State Hospital for more than three decades, told Honolulu Civil Beat she is shocked by her termination and that she has never had job performance issues. The hospital has long struggled to recruit and retain enough workers, and she suspects the firings are related to issues such as overtime costs and staffing, Ms. Tsuneishi said, according to the publication. Dr. Strausser and Mr. Fraiola did not respond to Honolulu Civil Beat's requests for comment. Despite signing a letter of intent to be acquired by the University of Iowa for $20 million, a recent review of Iowa City-based Mercy Hospital assessed its value at $137.3 million, The Gazette reported Aug. 21. Mercy Hospital owns 14 properties, its flagship hospital campus is valued at $112.9 million. The community hospital filed for bankruptcy this month. Despite signing the letter of intent with the University of Iowa, the hospital will still hear from other bidders. "The University of Iowa and Mercy Iowa City have signed an asset purchase agreement, and the university is considered the 'stalking horse bidder,'" Mercy President and CEO Tom Clancy wrote in an email to employees last week. "Other potential buyers could make a competing bid to acquire Mercy, and we are currently in a period where those bids could be submitted. The selected organization is generally the one offering the highest and best bid, with some advantages given to health care organizations that will take care of our patients and will continue to serve employees and the community." Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings, which is planning to sell three Connecticut hospitals to Yale New Haven Health, owes more than $1.6 million in taxes in the state, according to a CT Insider Aug. 21 report. The for-profit Prospect Medical Holdings, owners of the Eastern Connecticut Hospital Network attempting to sell the hospitals, owes the taxes in three separate municipalities, the report said. The Connecticut attorney general's office confirmed it is investigating the situation regarding Prospect Medical. Back taxes and interest total approximately $1.67 million, the report said. The three hospitals involved are struggling financially, and Yale officials believe the acquisition will help stabilize them. "This is an opportunity to stabilize the Prospect hospitals, but it won't be easy," Yale New Haven CEO Chris O'Connor said at a recent meeting. "This is a very difficult time for all Connecticut hospitals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Yale New Haven Health is dealing with its own challenges." Members of SEIU 121RN launched a 10-day strike Aug. 18 at Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park, Calif., over what they say is short staffing and faulty equipment at the facility. The union represents about 355 nurses at the hospital, which is owned by Alhambra Hospital Medical Center, according to a union news release shared with Becker's. Union members are expected to strike through Aug. 27. They contend that they face "chronic unsafe staffing due to high turnover that has reached crisis proportions." They also allege that substandard equipment and inadequate workplace hazard policies are contributing to decreased morale, and that existing security practices are inadequate to prevent the flow of weapons into the hospital. "Nurses are required to search patients belongings and confiscate weapons, which nurses say puts them at undue risk and distracts from patient care," the union release said. Garfield Medical Center has retained replacement nurses during the strike and is disappointed about the strike action, the hospital said in a statement shared with the Los Angeles Times. The hospital also pushed back against the union's allegations. Staffing levels and the condition of equipment at the hospital has not compromised care for patients, the hospital said, according to the Los Angeles Times. It also said nurses had the equipment needed to provide safe patient care, that it had made efforts to protect its workers from violence, and that nationwide nurse shortages were affecting hospitals across the U.S., including Garfield Medical Center, which had offered sign-on bonuses and held job fairs to attract new workers. "We believe the union is being disingenuous about its real reason for calling this strike," the hospital said in its statement, according to the Los Angeles Times. "What it really comes down to is money," specifically a proposed pay increase the union had rejected. Read the full Los Angeles Times report here. A former respiratory therapist who pleaded guilty in the deaths of two Missouri hospital patients in the early 2000s has been sentenced to 18 years in prison, CBS affiliate KCTV reported Aug. 19. Jennifer Hall, a former respiratory therapist at Chillicothe, Mo.-based Hedrick Medical Center, was initially arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. In April, Ms. Hall took a plea deal for two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and one count of second-degree assault. According to KCTV, Ms. Hall was sentenced Aug. 18 to 18 years in prison with the possibility of parole. Ms. Hall pleaded guilty in the deaths of Fern Franco, 75, and David Wesley Harper, 37, who were among nine people who died under what charging documents describe as "medically suspicious" events at Hedrick Medical Center in 2002, according to the report. Prosecutors had said an autopsy revealed morphine and succinylcholine, a powerful muscle relaxer, in Ms. Franco's system, although her physicians had not ordered either drug. Ms. Hall worked as a respiratory therapist at the hospital from December 2001 until she was placed on administrative leave the following May. During that time, the hospital saw 18 cardiac arrests or "Code Blue" events. Previously, the hospital recorded about one annually. Prior to her guilty plea, Ms. Hall had denied involvement in the patients' deaths, according to the report. Katie Duke, a nurse practitioner who is the host of a podcast called "Bad Decisions," an Instagram influencer, brand ambassador for Figs scrubs and a stand-up comedian, is not getting hired by hospitals, The Washington Post reported Feb. 21. During a comedy show in 2022, she told the audience, "Tonight is about some fun, it's all about some pretty offensive digs at the healthcare system, our government and our healthcare leadership." Her content pushes back on traditional expectations about what a nurse is and how they should act, according to the Post. Ms. Duke's balancing act needing to be a hospital NP to be relevant for her audience while making digs at the healthcare system is teetering. In 2010, she was an ER nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital featured on ABC's docuseries "NY Med," which helped eventually launch her fame. In 2013, she told the Post she was abruptly fired after posting a photo of the ER after the staff saved a man hit by a subway train. There were no people in the Instagram post, but the caption read, "Man vs. 6 train." Ms. Duke said she wanted to show "the amazing things doctors and nurses do to save lives the fing real deal." The post did not violate HIPAA, but she said her director called it insensitive and unprofessional before security escorted her out. She said the caption was "cold," but added the public should see nursing culture as it is: "That's ER speak," Ms. Duke told the Post. "We say 'head injury in room five.' We don't say 'Mr. Smith in room five.' We talk and think by mechanism of injury." Many hospitals are navigating the terrain of having their workers be popular online. In January, a plastic surgeon's license was suspended after live-streaming procedures. The month prior, four nurses were no longer employed at an Atlanta hospital after posting an "icks" video complaining about maternity patients. The "real deal" Ms. Duke wants to share may be hindering her hireability. Her application to a Mount Sinai hospital in New York got stalled. A 13-week contract with a NewYork-Presbyterian hospital ended on day two, after the recruiter called and said hospital administration said she "wasn't a good fit." Both hospitals declined to comment on the Post's story. During this uncertainty in her hospital nursing career, she was advocating for the profession on Capitol Hill and beginning sponsorships with Nurse.com, Pfizer and Tommy John before working full-time at a health-tech startup, according to the Post. She wants to return, but hospitals may not want that. "I want to have it both ways," Ms. Duke told the Post. "I wish I could work at a hospital that would allow me to take great care of patients and help train and educate new people coming on board and, at the same time, use my platform as an opportunity to spread awareness about the value of nurses and supported working environments and safe staffing. But that's just unrealistic." If hospitals listened to nurses and acted on their suggestions, staffing challenges likely would be much less severe, Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, RN, president of the American Nurses Association, told Becker's. But this is not happening, she said. "We see the same thing over and over again," Dr. Mensik Kennedy said. "Nurses say they're not actually heard or listened to in their organizations. Hospital leaders are talking about engaging nurses and empowering them, but nurses continue to say they don't feel heard." "Everyone is saying nurses should be making scheduling decisions, but that's not happening. Nothing is changing. Hospitals talk about all the new innovative models they want to launch. But there's nothing new going on." ANA is a proponent of "enforceable" nurse-to-patient staffing ratios because safe minimums are the least nurses are requesting, she said, noting ratios would add consistency across the industry. "Ratios won't solve all the staffing issues by any means," Dr. Mensik Kennedy said. "But it's one way of showing nurses that people are listening to them." The Partners for Nurse Staffing Think Tank a consortium of industry groups released a list of 65 suggestions to help alleviate the nursing shortage in a May 10 report. Participating organizations included the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the American Organization of Nursing Leadership, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The think tank's recommendations, "Priority Topics and Recommendations," published in April 2022, focused on strategies that could be implemented in 12 to 18 months. While the ANA's call for minimum ratios has received a lot of attention, Dr. Mensik Kennedy said there is another task force suggestion that deserves immediate consideration: flexible work environments that afford nurses the ability to self-schedule their shifts. The think tank suggested that nurses be cross-trained to various units "to support well-being during a shift that incorporates time for professional development and leadership engagement such as shared governance," Dr. Mensik Kennedy said. Strategies that build in flexibility include offering shifts with variable start times and duration. Nurses would also be allowed to work in various roles on different units after cross training. Further, giving nurses the ability to schedule their own shifts within a flexible work environment would go a long way to giving them what they have been requesting, Dr. Mensik Kennedy said. CentraCare-Monticello (Minn.) Birth Center implemented telehealth services to care for infants in serious or critical condition, according to an Aug. 21 report from KNSI Radio. The services utilize the video feature on an Apple iPad to allow experts from St. Cloud (Minn.) Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit to monitor NICU patients in Monticello, allowing infants to remain closer to home, according to the report. The ability to observe an infant in critical condition in real-time will allow for a quicker understanding of their current state to determine the next steps, as opposed to relying on describing the situation via telephone. The software was developed by CentraCare and the health system plans to expand to two additional birth centers every year, according to the report. (CNN) North Korean state media released images of leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a missile test on Monday, days after its regional rivals held a historic summit, and as US-South Korea joint military exercises kick off nearby. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim was on site to monitor the launch of strategic cruise missiles fired from a patrol ship, belonging to the North Korean Navys East Sea Fleet. While on board, Kim inspected the patrol ships weapons and combat preparedness, and highly praised the ship for maintaining high mobility and mighty striking power and constant preparedness for combat to cope with sudden situation, according to KCNA. It added that the missile test demonstrated the ships capabilities and prepared the sailors for carrying out the attack mission in actual war. Photos released by KCNA show Kim, dressed in white and black, standing with his hands on his hips beside uniformed sailors on the ship deck. Other photos show the test itself, the missile launching from a vessel in a cloud of smoke. While the report did not specify the date of the test, KCNA published the photos on Monday as the US and South Korea kick off their large-scale joint military drills, which will take place over ten days. The two countries have increased military and economic cooperation in recent years, drawing closer together in the face of growing threats in the Indo-Pacific and as North Korea has rapidly ramped up its own weapons testing program. On Sunday, ahead of the joint drills beginning, suspected North Korean hackers targeted a company involved with the exercises, according to South Korean police but were thwarted by the security system, with no military-related information stolen. South Korean authorities are now working with the US military to investigate the hack attempt. Seoul also responded to the North Korean missile drill on Monday, calling state media reports exaggerated and in many cases different from the facts. The countrys Joint Chiefs of Staff added that Seoul and Washington were both monitoring Pyongyangs activities, and that the South Korean military was ready to respond to any provocation by North Korea. The missile test comes shortly after the leaders of South Korea, Japan and the US vowed to establish a stronger partnership at the first-ever stand-alone trilateral summit on Friday, held at Camp David in the US. After their meeting, the three leaders announced a new annual trilateral summit, a three-way hotline, and a commitment to conduct annual military exercises and share intelligence. While the summit fell short of producing a three-way collective defense agreement, it served as a show of force against North Koreas provocative behavior and Chinas military and economic aggressions. In their joint statement, the three leaders reiterated their call to denuclearize North Korea, urging the hermit nation to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and condemning its unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches. This story was first published on CNN.com. Kim Jong Un inspects missile test as regional rivals meet and kick off joint military drills In the first seven months of 2023, staff at Columbus (Ind.) Regional Health reported 100 incidents of violence, The Republic reported Aug. 20. That's an increase from 86 reports during the same time period last year, and 84 during the entire year of 2021. Fifteen of this year's incidents have been forwarded to local prosecutors, according to the newspaper. In addition to increasing de-escalation training for staff and creating a new reporting system, the hospital has launched its own police force. Staff in some areas now wear "personal duress buttons" on their clothes; if the buttons are pressed, hospital police officers are immediately dispatched to their location. Tony Pope, the hospital's police chief who is also vice president, secretary and a board member of the International Association for Healthcare, Safety and Security told the newspaper the rising number of incidents isn't the only problem. The level of violence has also increased. "In the past, we saw a lot of threatening behavior, maybe somebody throwing a food tray at someone or in their direction, squeezing somebody's hand, but we're seeing events now where staff members are getting punched, they're getting kicked, they're getting spat on," Mr. Pope said. Violence against healthcare workers is rising nationwide; healthcare and social services employees recorded 453,000 nonfatal injuries in 2021, higher than any other industry, including manufacturing and construction. In a recent poll from Becker's on LinkedIn, more than 20 percent of respondents said their hospital does not have a plan in place to protect workers. A bakery in Co Armagh has won a 0.2m deal to supply sweet treats to Lidl Northern Ireland stores. And Holmes Bakery in Portadown, which has been in business since 1937, will expand its 20-strong workforce by a further three employees as as result of the deal. It will supply fifteens, caramel fingers and sweet mince slices to more than 40 Lidl stores across the region. Family-run Holmes Bakery, which was acquired by Woodwin Catering in 2009, won an initial supplier contract last year after taking part in the retailers Kickstart Supplier Development Programme in 2021. And the partnership with Lidl Northern Ireland has been described as a a significant milestone for the brand, which has won several awards. Lidl Northern Ireland said the deal was part of its commitment to support innovative suppliers in Northern Ireland. Last year, it sourced nearly 350m of goods from suppliers in Northern Ireland. Zoe Russell, Lidl Northern Ireland buyer, said: Local suppliers are the bedrock of our success and were excited to be further investing in and championing another home-grown company which continues to prove itself as one of the regions most ambitious and innovative companies. Our new supply contract with Holmes Bakery underlines the growing popularity of its products with our customers and expands the range available to shoppers while also helping to create new local jobs its a sweet treat for everyone. According to grocery information company Kantar, Lidl is the provinces fastest-growing supermarket retailer. It now has a 9.2% share of the market after reporting the strongest growth among all retailers up 27% year-on-year. Gillian Castles, Holmes Bakery account manager, said: Our newest supply deal represents a significant milestone for our team and is a testament to our own focus on providing quality products and ingredients that consumers want to buy. "We are delighted that Lidl Northern Ireland is continuing to invest in Holmes Bakery as it enables us to invest further in building our team and in growing our award-wining range of products. In the 12 months to February 2022, Lidl Northern Ireland poured 347m into the agri-food industry here, supporting 60 producers. Read more Plans for new 20m hotel and office complex in Newry revealed The company said that almost 300m worth of goods procured locally were exported through Lidls expansive store network, reaching new customers across Europe from Britain and Ireland as far as Romania, Greece, Cyprus and even to the USA. Lidl Northern Ireland employs more than 1,200 people across its 41-strong store network and regional distribution centre in Nutts Corner. Other Northern Ireland companies supported by Lidl Northern Ireland include Enniskillen-based artisan condiment supplier Erne Larder and apple producers Natural Umber, based in Dungannon. Mary Killen from Gogglebox with her husband Giles in their trademark armchairs Gogglebox stars Giles Wood and Mary Killen have revealed that their earnings from the Channel 4 series have helped them pay off their mortgage. Mary Killen, from Larne, has made regular appearances with her husband on the show since joining in 2015. The pair quickly became fan favourites for their deadpan commentary and comical bickering. In an interview on BBC Radio Scotlands The Afternoon Show, the pair shared some insight into the positive aspects of appearing on the programme, namely the financial benefits. Wood, who is an artist, said: I think we were able to pay off the mortgage. He went on to note that the pair kept quiet, very quiet about their earnings, explaining: I leave all the paperwork to Mary because shes more interested in the details of life. I take a broad brush approach to life. Wood added that hes still surprised that he and wife Mary get approached by fans despite being on the series for eight years. He reflected: I live such a quiet life that Im constantly surprised that people recognise me. Its the same thing as when you used to go into a garage and see yourself on closed-circuit television. Its a constant fascination to watch yourself on television. Killen, who is an author and columnist for The Spectator, previously discussed their decision to not join social media like their Gogglebox co-stars. The Northern Ireland native appeared on the same radio show earlier this month and explained that being absent from the online sphere has meant theyve avoided becoming victims of trolling like so many other notably faces. She said: The thing is, it hasnt really affected us that much because were not on social media, so we cant get trolled or whatever. But the thing is, when I go out, which I do much more than Giles, people usually come up beaming saying, Are you Mary off Gogglebox? Your husband makes us laugh. Theyre always very pleasant. Queens University Belfast has announced a 4.9m new landmark venue for the Seamus Heaney Centre (Queens University Belfast/PA) Queens University Belfast has announced a 4.9 million new landmark venue for the Seamus Heaney Centre, which will open for staff, students and the public early next year. The reimagined space at the listed buildings in University Road and Mount Charles is close to the campuss main Lanyon Building. The original Seamus Heaney Centre was opened by the Nobel Prize-winning poet in 2004. Professor Glenn Patterson said: It is an enormous pleasure to be able to announce this next stage in the development of the Heaney Centre, further honouring the legacy of Seamus Heaney Nobel Laureate, Queens graduate, honorary graduate, lecturer and one of Irelands greatest poets 20 years after the centre was founded under first director the late Ciaran Carson. The new centre allows us to build on the academic and artistic achievements of those first 20 years and to look with confidence to the next 20 and more with greater scope for engagement with the wider literary community. In this new shared space we will create a centre that looks out, speaks out, and writes out confidently into the world. The new centre will feature an expanded poetry library, a large venue space, teaching rooms, academic offices, work stations for up to 30 students, and an exhibition area to display the Seamus Heaney archive held by Queens. It is anticipated the new Seamus Heaney Centre will open in Belfast next year (Queens University Belfast/PA) The centre will also help with the creation of a Visiting International Seamus Heaney Chair in Creative Writing. Catherine Heaney, the poets daughter and a member of the advisory board, said: The Seamus Heaney Centre is really important to me and my family because its about education. Queens is where my father started writing poetry, where he studied himself, and started his career as a lecturer and an educator. Its very much part of his writing past and the amazing thing about the centre is that its carrying that into the future. The project will be funded by the universitys capital development programme and through philanthropic donations from donors across the globe. The new centre will include an exhibition space (Queens University Belfast/PA) Helen Carrick, assistant director (philanthropy) at Queens, said: The original Seamus Heaney Centre was established in 2003 with a philanthropic gift from the Atlantic Philanthropies, so its fitting that philanthropy continues to play a crucial role in the success of the centre. To date, thanks to several generous donors, including the Wolfson Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation, an impressive 1 million has been raised for this project. We aim to at least double this figure to support the vision of the Seamus Heaney Centre, including establishing an academic chair and expanding on the centres outreach activity with schools and local communities. With Freshers Week soon upon every student ready to experience university life for the first time and for Northern Ireland young people opting to stay close to home, theyre in luck: the Students Union at Queens has been ranked as the cheapest in the UK for a pint. The study conducted by TonerGiant investigated the top 21 universities in the UK to find out which Student Union Bars offer the cheapest draught pint. Queens University Belfast, alongside Durham University and Imperial College London, were ranked joint first as the place to grab the cheapest pint after a day in the library. Priced at 2.80 for a pint of Carling, a day at Queens The Union Bar wont put too much of a dent in that precious student loan. Meanwhile, for students heading across the water, they may want to go off campus if theyre at Cambridge. Its bar, The Orator, will charge you 5 a pint the highest cost out of all of the UKs unis analysed. Completing the top cheapest are University of Bath (The Plug and Tub) at 3.15 for a pint of Carling, at number seven, followed by University of Yorks Courtyard which serves pints of Carling for 3.35 each. Ranked ninth is the Drapers Bar and Kitchen (Queen Mary University of London) which charges 3.40 for a pint. Joint 10th are Londons Kings College (Guys Bar) and Mooch Bar, University of Nottinghams venue which price their Carling at 3.50, as well as Aston University, Birmingham (Aston Lounge), which sells Carling at 3.50. Rounding out the top 15 cheapest is Locos (Brunel University) at 3.99 for a pint of Carling Extra Cold, while University of Edinburgh (Library Bar) and Freemans at University of Leicester are joint 16th due to selling Tennents and Heineken for 4.10 respectively. Ranked number 18 is the Members Bar at Oxford University which sells pints of Stella Artois for 4.67, while one place higher is University of Manchesters 532 Bar Kitchen sells a pint of Carling for 4.70. Placed 20 is The Packhorse (Royal Holloway, University of London) with Amstel on sale for 4.85. Finally, at number 21 is Cambridge Universitys The Orator which sells its Freedom Larger at 5. The student unions were compiled using the top UK 50 universities as ranked by the 2021 QS World Rankings and the price of a draught beer at each university was recorded, as well as public data available online, including menus from the respective universities websites. Where data was not available online, Student unions were contacted for prices of a draught pint of beer and where there was no response or a response to state that their prices would be changing have been excluded from the rankings. Stuart Deavall from TonerGiant said: Joining university can be both stressful and exciting for students, with lots of preparations to be made for the term. We investigated the cheapest Student Union Bars, which reside in the top 50 universities in the UK, and found that the cheapest pint could be found at Durham University, Imperial College London and Queens University Belfast, at just 2.80. A fitness to practise hearing for the doctor at the centre of Northern Irelands biggest patient recall has been set up. The probe into neurologist Dr Michael Watt will take place in two periods at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) next month and in October/November. It comes after an earlier decision for him to be voluntarily erased from the medical register was quashed. The first period of the hearing will run from September 4-8, the second from October 17 to November 6. The panel will consider Dr Watts behaviour and if it was unacceptable in the areas of maintaining professional performance, assessment, clinical management, record keeping and relationship with patients. More than 5,000 of Dr Watts former patients were invited to have their cases examined for possible misdiagnoses, including patients who were treated for stroke, Parkinsons disease and multiple sclerosis. The Belfast Trust previously apologised to the patients who suffered avoidable and unnecessary harm whilst under the care of Dr Watt. Last year a review by the Royal College of Physicians into 44 deaths revealed a misdiagnosis rate of 45% among this group of patients twice that for living patients. Around one in five of his patients had their diagnosis changed when 2,500 cases were reviewed. In March this year a hearing at the High Court challenging Dr Watts voluntary erasure was told he appeared to have been given a get out of jail free card while patients were denied public scrutiny of their medical care. Dr Watt relinquished his medical registration in 2021, but following the successful judicial review he was put back on the register. During a tribunal in April, Mr Justice McAlinden described the process where the neurologists request was heard without the necessary jurisdiction as a fiasco. He had been handed a 12-month interim suspension, allowing time for the MPTS to fix a hearing date. Last year police were also urged to launch a formal investigation after an expert review found significant failures in the treatment of patients under the neurologists care. SDLP MLA Colin McGrath welcomed announcement of hearing. It should have taken place a long time ago and its disappointing that patients have had to fight to get this far, he said. There remain serious questions to answer and it is appropriate that they are now being looked at by the tribunal. The whole situation casts a long shadow over our health service and its important that lessons are learned so that nothing like this can ever take place again. However, we will be unable to fully move on until this case is properly examined and patients feel that their experiences have been heard and taken on board. Patricia Hutchinson with nurse Andrew Hunter, healthcare assistant Rachel McGlone and clinical nurse specialist Laura Cudden with volunteer therapy dog Sandi at the Marie Curie Belfast hospice A therapy dog has begun working with Marie Curie Belfast to help give terminally ill patients a sense of normality and ease anxiety. Alistair King, founder of Therapy Dogs NI, and his golden retriever Sandi will now make weekly visits to the hospice. Therapy dogs have been shown to have a range of benefits, including reducing stress levels, managing depression and even lowering blood pressure. Mr King had a golden retriever called Rosie who was registered with a therapy dog charity in the UK, before getting one of her pups, Sandi, trained up to take over. "We're a self-supporting organisation that provides visits to nursing homes, schools, special schools, the hospice, the Marie Curie hospice now, free of charge," he said. "My wife and I are both partially retired civil servants, so we've got a bit of time on our hands, and it's very rewarding to do the visits and take Sandi to see the people." As well as the hospice, Mr King and Sandi visit primary schools, special schools and nursing homes. "It's lovely to see, Sandi can sort of communicate with people, she's got a knack of just looking people straight in the eye and giving them her paw and a hug," he said. Dogs go through training to become certified as a therapy dog, but Mr King said the most important ingredient for a good therapy dog is their temperament. "Guide dogs are working dogs, a therapy dog isn't really as such a working dog," he said. "A lot of it actually is down to the temperament of the dog in the first place. A lot of dogs wouldn't be suitable to be a therapy dog. "Sandi in particular, and her mother (Rosie) was the same, are very loving. They're not aggressive at all, and very gentle. Even though she's quite a big dog, she's very gentle and it just seems to come to them naturally." Mr King said Sandi's visits can help brighten the days of the people they interact with. "A day in nursing care... is a long day. When somebody comes in with a dog that's going to give you a hug and a bit of a pet, or somebody to talk to. You can talk to the dog or talk to me about the dog, and so on. "Have a wee bit of conversation, it breaks the monotony, it generates a wee bit of communication, relationship and it's a wee bit of normality almost." Eimear McCooey is the fundraising management lead for Marie Curie in Northern Ireland. She said the therapy dogs scheme has a range of benefits for people in their care. "Whether Sandi visiting the hospice helps with reminiscing, or eases loneliness, and calms anxiety, the benefits of visits with hospice patients and their families are numerous," she said. "The opportunity to create these moments for patients at the end of life, and their family members, is priceless. Some patients need their spirits lifted with a little pleasure and laughter; others need quiet comforting. "These furry visitors can be a non-judgmental listener or a quiet friend. Sandi sits calmly and lets patients and their families recollect and smile, offers them a paw but will also welcome a hug. She also brings a huge smile to our staff and everyone at the hospice." Ms McCooey said the charity's collaboration with Therapy Dogs NI is part of its care approach that goes beyond medical intervention. With friends and family who came to celebrate their golden anniversary Syd and Liz on the day they got engaged Liz and Syd on their wedding day in Ohio, August 18, 1973 With friends and family who came to celebrate their golden anniversary Syd and Liz Doyle visit Cornmarket in Belfast to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary (Photo by Kevin Scott) Half a century after meeting on the streets of Belfast, Syd and Liz Doyle made an emotional return to the spot where they first set eyes on each other. They flew in from the US to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary back where it all began at Cornmarket. Family and friends joined them for Saturdays trip down memory lane. 50 years of love: NI man and US wife who had first date on Bloody Friday back in Belfast It was 1972 the worst year for casualties during the Troubles and Syd, from Crumlin, made his way into the city centre to do some shopping. Thats where he spotted Liz, who was 18 and had come straight out of high school in Ohio and jumped on a plane to Northern Ireland. With friends and family who came to celebrate their golden anniversary She wanted to spread the word of God, and despite her young age, wasnt scared about venturing to these parts. Liz even joked that if she did die, she wanted it to be in the most dangerous place in the world to make the front page of all the newspapers and bring attention to the need for peace. One morning that July, she said she wanted to take her guitar into Belfast and start singing about Jesus. She recalled: I came in by myself on the bus, I went through the checkpoints and asked a policeman where was the best place to play. He said, theres a place thats been bombed out and pedestrianised, called Cornmarket. So, I came and I was a bit nervous, there were soldiers about and I started playing, hoping I wouldnt start a riot. There werent many people around to begin with because they were frightened, but they came when I started to play. Then I looked and there was this handsome, young man with red hair and I felt the Lord say, Youre going to marry him and he was there listening for a while, but he left. A short time later, Liz heard a voice behind her say: Sister, youre doing a great job. Syd and Liz on the day they got engaged It was Syd, who recalled that Liz grabbed his attention because it was unusual at the time to hear an American singing in the middle of a bomb-battered Belfast. I thought she was wacky, he laughed. Syd asked her to go for coffee, and soon after, they went on their first official date on July 21 Bloody Friday. We had been walking through the town and there was shrapnel, glass and dust in the air, he explained. His sister was a nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital, and it was only later that evening when the pair were at her house that they realised what had happened that day. Liz added: It was awful. We could have been hit by those bombs at any stage. At that point, everything was bombed out, it was so sad. The beautiful buildings were wrecked and people were traumatised. They were frightened to come into the town because they didnt know what was going to happen. Knowing that Liz would be returning to the States at the end of summer, Syd asked her five or six times to marry me before she finally said yes during a trip to Randalstown. They tied the knot the following year on August 18 in the US, and now work in reconciliation as Christian missionaries. Liz and Syd on their wedding day in Ohio, August 18, 1973 They first lived in south-east England for 25 years, where they helped build three churches, and then settled in America in 1998, starting Nations Light Ministries to train leaders globally. Standing beside the Spirit of Belfast sculpture adjacent to a busy Victoria Square over the weekend, the couple, surrounded by friends and family that they had brought over for their golden anniversary trip, reflected on how much has changed since their first meeting. I think the noticeable thing about Belfast between now and then is that there was a domination of fear in 1972, said Syd. There were always tanks, youd be searched, and there was an immediate feeling of threat and fear in the air. With friends and family who came to celebrate their golden anniversary A tear formed in his eye as he added: Now, theres a lightness. Folks in Northern Ireland have always been friendly, but theyre more free to be friendly. Liz said: Its so wonderful now to see everybody living together. Its good to see what has happened over the years, and how its gone forward, not backwards. Looking back on their relationship, Syd noted: I think our message is that out of all the disaster, the hell and killing, something good can come out of it, and our meeting was it for us. The convicted republicans emerged into the evening sunshine and the Sunday World was there to capture the moment ONH boss Carl Reilly, right, and ex New IRA man Tony McDonnell clasp hands as they leave their top secret meeting on the Anderstown Road in west Belfast this week Dissident terror duo Carl Reilly and Tony McDonnell clasp hands as they emerge from a top-secret summit in west Belfast. The convicted republicans emerged into the evening sunshine and the Sunday World was there to capture the moment. The pictures of the deadly duo will send shivers down the spines of security chiefs. Their blatant bravado tells its own story of a movement rejuvenated by the leak of details on almost 11,000 PSNI officers and civilian staff. The images must surely put the security services on high alert. Doomed dissident chief Carl Reilly chaired the secret summit in an office in the Andersontown Road area, during which the PSNI data breach was discussed as well as perceived MI5 harassment of members of the terror group. Read more Co Armagh PSNI officers concerned as data breach documents fall into hands of crime gang The Firm Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) boss Reilly, who recently pleaded guilty to IRA membership, is awaiting sentencing next month. He is expected to receive a minimum of four years. Sources say he believes he could receive two years of that on a suspended licence, however, security sources believe the recent data breach, which meant the details of PSNI officers found their way into the hands of dissidents like Reilly and Co could extend his sentence. Carl Reilly (right) and Tony McDonnell Reilly (47) was pictured alongside veteran republican Tony McDonnell, who has convictions for having information on serving police officers that was likely to be used for terrorist offences. According to sources, former New IRA man McDonnell is Carl Reillys trusted confidante and is under constant police surveillance, with his car being regularly stopped and searched by officers. Other members of the terror group experience the same level of scrutiny, however Reilly appears to be the least touched by this level of unwanted police attention. Fifty-three-year-old McDonnell once quizzed over the Regency Hotel shooting in Dublin also saw his west Belfast home be searched by murder cops. Read more Loyalist convicted of hounding Noah Donohoes mum once beaten up by UVF supergrass The Ballymurphy-born dissident, jailed in 2013 for collecting information on police officers, also had his property raided on numerous occasions in connection to several alleged offences. The Sunday World was informed that at one stage he was under threat from the Kinahan Cartel. McDonnells home was also raided in connection to the murder of Warren Crossan. Crossan (28) was shot dead in broad daylight as he visited his mother on St Katharines Road in the St Jamess area of Belfast in 2020. Cops believe his callous killers waited for several hours before chasing him and shooting him multiple times. The 28-year-old was targeted in what is believed to be a revenge attack following the murder of Dublin gangland enforcer Robbie Lawlor in Ardoyne in April 2020. The Sunday World also reports that Reilly and his mob meet regularly, on a Sunday, at Belfasts Milltown Cemetery where they are observed by undercover cops. ONH are perceived to be a serious threat. Members are aware they are under constant surveillance, however, and are quietly paranoid as to why MI5 or the PSNI have not made a move in recent weeks. Carl Reilly One source said that Wednesdays meeting, under the guise of the Republican Network for Unity, the so-called political wing of ONH, spoke of concerns that something big was going to happen. Not sure what but the feeling is that there is something not sitting right, We are waiting on something but not sure what. Carl is f**ked and there are not too many concerned about it, because despite Carls beliefs, he is not that popular, too big of an ego for this game. But McDonnell, well, he is seen as one of the most wanted dissidents in Northern Ireland, what happens there no one really knows but we are bracing ourselves, the second source said. Read more PSNI custody papers found on Limavady street corner in latest data breach The Sunday World reports that several police officers have been deemed as legitimate targets, one in particular who ONH believe makes it his job to harass its members every single day he is on duty including car stops, searches and continuous house drive-bys. There is one cop in particular we have our eyes on, he is number one on our list. We didnt need the details of the leak to know who he is or where he is stationed, revealed a dissident source. Time is of the essence now, picking the timing is vital, especially as Carl is set to go to jail. We would be stupid to do something now but that means just now, not never, the source told Sunday World. The RNU held an event on Belfasts Falls road to discuss policing. Everyone from journalists, political parties and the legal and local community were welcome. However, dissident group Saoradh were banned. That wasn't reasonable in what she did in murdering those children Lucy Letby did not appear in the dock for her sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) Eamonn Holmes says Lucy Letby has forfeited any human rights she once had as she could face a whole-life order in Manchester Crown Court on Monday. Discussing the sentencing hearing on GB News with investigations consultant Oliver Laurence, the veteran broadcaster said the new trend for defendants to be allowed to miss their sentencing is something that should be really hit on the head and not tolerated. The former neonatal nurse now the most prolific child murderer in modern British history has refused to attend her sentencing. She would become only the third woman to be given a whole-life order should the judge pass such a sentence, as has been suggested, at the hearing. As a Western democracy we have some level of human rights which is important to remember as a fundamental, Mr Laurence explained. Reasonable force obviously has to be proportionate. But, Mr Holmes responded that he felt Letbys human rights goes out of the window for me. That wasn't reasonable for us in what she did in murdering those children, he said. I think she's forfeited any rights. The Crown Prosecution Service has been advised they can use reasonable force to get prisoners to attend their sentencing, where they would have to face their victims across the court and hear their statements. Law enforcement expert Mr Laurence said he believed Letby should have to come up and said reasonable force may mean they may handcuff or they may drag her up. Justice Goss has got an important job today in managing the courtroom, being able to deliver his sentencing allowing the victims to deliver their victim impact statements, Mr Laurence added. Hell want that to be done in a controlled manner because he understands, as does the court, the importance of listening to those statements. He will want little disruption but equally like us, he will also want her to understand what's happened. Its an important moment today. Pensioner will be returned to NI from Canada within next few weeks A former pastor who admitted abusing three young boys in a care home in the 1980s will be returned to Northern Ireland from Canada within weeks. Henry Clarke has decided he will no longer try to overturn a court ruling which ordered his extradition. Clarke, now aged in his 80s, previously confessed to abusing three boys at care homes in Northern Ireland in the 1960s and 70s. He moved to Canada in the late 1970s, but later made admissions after being taken in for questioning when he returned here on holiday. Authorities did not charge him at the time as it was thought too much time had elapsed between the offences and the confession. The Canadian authorities were never informed. Clarke admitted the accusations of abuse during an interview with the RUC in Belfast in 1985 and, afterwards, in a letter he wrote from Canada. He confessed to abusing one boy at Bawnmore House care home in Newtownabbey, and another at Firmount Hostel in Antrim. He was allowed to return to Canada, and later wrote to the RUC confessing to the abuse of another boy in Conway House childrens home. In 2012, the inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse was announced. It was headed up by the late Sir Anthony Hart and investigated the abuse of children who lived in institutions in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995. Public hearings began in 2014 and the inquiry concluded hearings in July 2016. A report was published the following January. Clarkes victims gave evidence to the inquiry. Following this, BBC NI produced a television documentary about the allegations. Journalist Kevin Magee travelled to Canada and interviewed the pastor, who admitted that he had indecently assaulted teenage boys in care homes between January 1, 1966, and January 1, 1972. When questioned by the BBC, Clarke admitted abusing three boys in his care in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that time, I would not have used the word paedophile because I would never (have) thought of it, but subsequently as years have gone on, I realised that is the proper word for what I had done, he said. Always in the back of my mind I knew what I was doing was wrong. Read more Neigbours relieved that deaths of elderly couple in Co Down not being treated as suspicious One of his victims waived his right to anonymity calling Clarke a monster. Following the BBC documentary, which aired five years ago, a fresh investigation into the case was ordered. Clarke fought extradition, citing his advancing years and that he had two disabled sons and was the sole carer for his wife. The case went all the way to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, which upheld a federal decision to surrender him for extradition to Northern Ireland. Clarke, who now lives in Meadow Lake in Canada, is to be surrendered for extradition within 45 days. His lawyer Chris Veeman said he has decided to no longer challenge the appeal courts decision and will return to Northern Ireland to face the charges. The Canadian government will arrange transport for him and then hand him over, he told Canadian broadcaster CBC. Mr Veeman said he did not know how the Northern Ireland authorities intend to proceed once Clarke is in custody. Clarke is expected to appear in court in Belfast as soon as the handover by the Canadian authorities takes place. Tributes have been paid to two men who died competing in an Ironman event in Co Cork on Sunday. The men have been named locally as Ivan Chittenden, in his 60s and from Toronto in Canada, and Brendan Wall who was in his 40s and living in the UK but originally from Co Meath. They died in the swimming segment of the triathlon in Youghal. In a statement on social media the organisers of the event, Ironman Ireland, said they were saddened by the deaths. We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of two race participants at the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023, they said. During the swim portion of Sundays race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance. We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance. Phil Harris, a competitor from Co Down, said his thoughts and prayers were with the families of the men. The weather conditions changed quite quickly whenever we were getting into the water. It wasnt so bad once you got through the waves, he added. Cork County Council extended sympathies to the families. Cork County Council is deeply saddened over the tragic loss of two race participants during the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023 event in Youghal today, they said. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the athletes at this incredibly difficult time. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we are currently offering every assistance required to the Ironman Group and all those impacted. We wish to express our gratitude to the response agencies involved, including our dedicated fire and emergency personnel, for their unwavering efforts during this difficult time. The men had been competing in the half Ironman, a 70.3 mile half triathlon, which had been moved from Saturday to Sunday as a result of Storm Betty. The event continued with a 90km cycle and a long-distance run. Lucy Letby on the day of her arrest (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) Serial child murderer Lucy Letby has refused to appear for her sentencing hearing as she faces spending the rest of her life in prison. Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, faces a whole life order when Mr Justice Goss hands down her sentence at Manchester Crown Court later. More than a dozen relatives of Letbys victims sat in the public gallery for the hearing on Monday and eight jurors returned to see the sentencing. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters on Monday it was cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims. The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. She has joined the list of the UKs most twisted child killers, including the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the so-called Angel of Death paediatric nurse Beverley Allitt. Lucy Letby faces spending the rest of her life in prison (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) Nicholas Johnson KC, prosecuting, told the court Letbys offending was a very, very clear case for a whole-life tariff to be imposed. He said the murders qualified on a number of grounds, including that they were premeditated and they involved an elements of sadistic conduct. Mr Johnson said there was also more than one victim and those victims were children. The prosecutor opened his remarks by confirming that the defendant has refused to come into court. Last week, the 33-year-old refused to return to the dock as the jury continued to return verdicts and the court was told she did not want to take any part in her sentencing hearing, and would not follow the hearing via video-link from prison. But late on Sunday, a Government source suggested lawful enforcement could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate. Lucy Letby should be in court to hear societys condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge, the source told the PA news agency. If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can. Mr Justice Goss said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but the Government has vowed to give judges the power to do so. Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government is committed to changing the law so criminals are compelled to attend their sentencing hearings following the non-attendance of the killers of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. Nadine Dorries is facing increasing pressure to step down as an MP as a second council has demanded her immediate departure from office. The Tory former cabinet minister announced her intention to quit in June after she failed to receive a peerage in Boris Johnsons resignation honours list but has yet to formally resign. Shefford Town Council has now joined Flitwick Town Council in expressing frustration over what they see as a continuing lack of representation. In a letter published on Twitter, now known as X, on Monday, the council raised concerns about her limited involvement in local events and services. It also highlighted the fact that Ms Dorries last contribution in the House of Commons was made on June 7, 2022. The letter, signed by Town Mayor of Shefford Ken Pollard, said: Following a discussion at the Full Council meeting of Shefford Town Council on Friday July 28, I have been asked to write to you formally on behalf of the residents of Shefford to raise the towns concerns and frustration at the continuing lack of representation for the people of Mid Bedfordshire at Westminster. In your role as the acting Member of Parliament of Mid Bedfordshire, residents of Shefford feel that, due to your scant interest in your constituency, your aversion to attending local events or services and your lack of a maintained constituency office, the local area has been abandoned by yourself. Your last spoken contribution in the House of Commons was on June 7, 2022, and your last written question was asked on the December 20, 2017. In addition, your behaviour and actions reported in the press are in direct violation of The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles, published on May 31 1995), which apply to anyone who works as a public officeholder and all those who are elected or appointed to public office. The letter added: Our residents desperately need effective representation now, and Shefford Town Council calls on you to honour your commitment and tender your resignation immediately. Responding to Shefford Council calling on Ms Dorries to step down, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: Nadine Dorries actions are a gross insult to the people of Mid Bedfordshire. Why on earth should their taxpayers money fund an MP who hasnt worked in months? If Nadine Dorries had a shred of integrity left, she would stand down now and give local people a chance to elect a new MP who will actually do the job. A second council has called on Tory former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries to resign (Stefan Rousseau/PA) It is disgraceful that she continues to have the Conservative Party whip. Clearly, Rishi Sunak thinks Nadine Dorries actions are still worthy of being a Conservative MP. Asked if the Prime Minister would back a move in Parliament to force Ms Dorries to step down, the PMs official spokesman told reporters: Ive seen (some) sort of speculation around that. Obviously, were in recess. I think youve heard from a number of ministers on this already. I dont think Ive much to add beyond what weve said before. Ms Dorries made public her decision to leave her position in Westminster on June 9. However, just a week later, she reversed course and announced her intention to remain in office temporarily, citing the need to investigate the reasons behind her exclusion from a seat in the House of Lords. Known for her steadfast support of Mr Johnson, Ms Dorries is also known as the host of a weekly talk show on Talk TV. She has also authored a book titled The Plot: The Political Assassination Of Boris Johnson, which is slated for publication shortly before the Conservative Party conference in September. Mid Bedfordshire has been held by Ms Dorries since 2005 and the Conservative Party generally since 1931. Justin Trudeau has accused Facebook of putting profits over peoples safety during the emergencies created by Canadas record wildfire season. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced earlier this summer it would keep its promise to block news content from Canada on its platforms because of a new law that requires tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online. Fires raging in Canada have pushed tens of thousands of people from their homes and threatened cities such as Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. About 30,000 people were under evacuation orders in British Columbia. The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above houses in West Kelowna (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) Right now, in an emergency situation where up to date local information is more important than ever, Facebook is putting corporate profits ahead of peoples safety, the Canadian PM said at a news conference in Cornwall on Prince Edward Island. It is so inconceivable that a company like Facebook is choosing to put corporate profits ahead of insuring that local news organisations can get up to date information to Canadians. Government ministers called on Meta on Friday to lift its Canada news ban, which applies to local outlets as well as national media such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The company, which is headquartered in Northern California, stood by its decision and said in a statement about the wildfires that people in Canada can continue to use Instagram and Facebook to connect with their communities and access reputable information, including content from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organisations. The countrys residents and visitors are not able to view or share news on the Meta-owned social networks, including news articles, videos and audio posted by outlets inside or outside of Canada. Meta has not been alone in its action. Googles owner, Alphabet, also said it planned to remove Canadian news links in response to the new law, although it has not followed through yet. The Online News Act, passed in late June after lengthy debate, is set to take effect later this year. This is Facebooks choice, Mr Trudeau said. In a democracy, quality local journalism matters, and it matters now more than ever before when people are worried about their homes, worried about their communities, worried about the worst summer for extreme events that weve had in a very long time. Meta took similar steps in the past. In 2021, it briefly blocked news from its platform in Australia after the country passed legislation that would compel tech companies to pay publishers for using their news stories. It later struck deals with Australian publishers. Police have confirmed that a wildfire raging on the Spanish tourist island of Tenerife was started deliberately, Canary Islands regional president Fernando Clavijo has said. Mr Clavijo said police had opened three lines of investigation but did not say if there had been any arrests. Improved weather conditions helped firefighters make advances overnight in their battle to tame the blaze that has raged out of control for the past five days, authorities said on Sunday. Local residents try to reach their houses in Benijos village (AP) Tenerife governor Rosa Davila said at a news conference: The night was very difficult but thanks to the work of the firefighters, the results have been very positive. The Canary Islands have been in drought for most of the past few years, like most of mainland Spain. The islands have recorded below-average rainfall in recent years because of changing weather patterns impacted by climate change. Although the blaze in the north-east of the island is not near the main tourist areas in the south-west, the regional government ordered the evacuation of a state-run hotel in the Teide volcano national park, in central Tenerife, some 30 miles south-west of the fire zone. It was not immediately clear how many people were staying at the hotel. Firefighters have battled through the night to try to bring under control the worst wildfire in decades on Tenerife (AP) Ms Davila said that more than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since the fire started on Tuesday. The islands emergency services said on Sunday that 11,600 hectares (29,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland had been burned. No injuries have yet been reported, and Ms Davila said that thanks to the firefighters, no houses have been burned so far. The fire, described as the worst in Tenerife in decades, is threatening 11 town areas flanking a steep and craggy mountain area. Access for firefighters is extremely difficult. High temperatures are expected to continue (AP) The emergency services said air quality in 19 town areas was not good and urged people to stay indoors when possible and wear masks outdoors. More than 400 firefighters and soldiers have been deployed, as well as 23 water-carrying helicopters and planes. Spains mainland is bracing for another heat wave starting on Sunday that will last until Thursday. The state weather service said temperatures would gradually rise to hit 40C in parts of the mainland on Wednesday and Thursday. Local residents crowd a van while inspecting their homes as fire advances through the forest in La Orotava in Tenerife (AP) On Tenerife, the agency predicted maximum temperatures averaging 30 C (86F) for the coming week. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, Spain heads the list of EU countries affected by wildfires so far this year, with 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) burned, ahead of Italy and Greece. More than 2,000 people were evacuated in a wildfire on the nearby La Palma island last month that affected some 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres). Spain accounted for almost 40% of the nearly 800,00 hectares (two million acres) burned in the European Union in 2022, the EU agency said. The seven Canary Islands are located off the north-west coast of Africa and south-west of mainland Spain. At their nearest point, they are 60 miles from Morocco. Mr Zelensky warned that Russias neighbours are at risk if Ukraine does not prevail (Scanpix via AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Danish legislators for helping his country resist Russias invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Kyiv with American-made F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year. Mr Zelensky told the legislators that if Russias invasion is successful, other parts of Europe would be at risk from the Kremlins military aggression. He said in Copenhagen: All of Russias neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail. Mr Zelensky portrays Ukraine as defending Western values of freedom and democracy against tyranny. He has argued that Ukraine needs to be properly provisioned to fend off Russias much bigger force. Ukraine has been pressing its Western allies for months to give it F-16s. Its armed forces are still using aging Soviet-era combat planes from the 1970s and 80s, and its counter-offensive against Russian positions is advancing without air support, which analysts say is a major handicap. Mr Zelensky said on Telegram that Ukraine would get 42 jets. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, which could be delivered around the end of the year when pilot training lasting four to six months is completed. However, getting Ukrainian squadrons battle-ready could take much longer. US Air Force Gen James Hecker, commander of US air forces in Europe and Africa, said last week that he did not expect the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. He added that getting F-16 squadrons ready for battle could take four or five years. Mr Zelensky and Ukraines first lady Olena Zelenska appeared in Copenhagen (Scanpix via AP) While some training has already begun for Ukrainian pilots, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said this amounts to just language lessons so far. Training Ukrainian pilots is just one of the challenges in the anticipated deployment of F-16s. Questions also remain over who will carry out crucial aircraft maintenance, the supply of spare parts and what weapons the West will supply to arm the fighter jets. The United States last week announced its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver the F-16s. That is needed because the aircraft are made in the United States. On Sunday, Mr Zelensky visited the Netherlands and inspected two grey F-16s parked in a hangar at a Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven together with Mr Rutte. The Dutch leader did not provide a number or timeframe for deliveries, saying it depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. Mr Zelensky started his trip Saturday in Sweden, where he asked Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Sweden has said it will allow Ukrainian pilots to test the planes but has not made any commitments to hand them over. Mr Kristersson said on Monday that Sweden needs the Gripen planes for its own defence, noting that the countrys bid to join Nato has not been finalised. We dont rule anything out in the future, he told the TV4 channel. We will do everything we can to support them also with aircraft. But right now there are no new commitments to provide Swedish aircraft to Ukraine. On Monday, Russian air defences jammed a Ukrainian drone west of Moscow and shot down another one on the outskirts of the city, the Kremlin said. Two people were injured and one of them was taken to hospital when drone fragments fell on a private house, according to Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region. Such drone attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in Russia in recent weeks. Also, Russian rail officials said that a relay cabinet used to run train traffic was set ablaze on the outskirts of Moscow, causing delays, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency. Russian authorities have reported multiple similar incidents across the country, some of which have been blamed on acts of sabotage encouraged by Ukrainian security agencies. In Ukraine, at least four civilians were killed and 25 others wounded by the latest Russian attacks, according to the Ukrainian presidential office. The dead included a 71-year-old man killed by Russian shelling in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, near the border with Russia. EX-UDA dealer Silly Willy McLaughlin fell out with the terror gang after being blamed for a police raid at a drug flat in Belfasts Shankill area. The 38-year-old, who was back in court last week to be convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to supply, later had his prized Mercedes car and work van burned outside his home on Malvern Way. In another incident cops had to evacuate the whole street after receiving reports a pipe-bomb had been left close to the property. The UDA was furious that McLaughlin, who sold its drugs, continued to work with crime boss Dee Coleman a convicted UDA member who was booted out of the paramilitary group following a row over cash. But it also blamed the 38-year-old, whose criminal record runs to 28 pages and 250 convictions, for a police raid at a drug flat in Belfasts lower Shankill estate. Read more Loyalist convicted of hounding Noah Donohoes mum once beaten up by UVF supergrass A UDA source revealed: Silly Willy was looking to buy 1kg of benzocaine to mix with cocaine so he could bulk out his stash and have more to sell. So he sent a runner to collect it from a flat on the Shankill where it was being stored. Only Silly Willy, the runner and two other UDA members knew it was there. Later that night the UDA men moved the benzocaine, around 20kg of it, to another safe house. The following day the cops broke down the door of the flat where Silly Willy had sent his runner. They found nothing because the benzo had been moved, but as far as the UDA was concerned it was all Silly Willys fault. It was after that that his car and work van was burned, and then a suspected pipe-bomb was left outside his house on Malvern Way. McLaughlin cut a forlorn figure in Belfast Crown Court last week where he was put on probation for two years for possessing a small amount of cocaine with intent to supply. He was caught with the stash, and a quantity of criminal cash, while driving through the city centre late at night with a friend. Read more Fears bodies of elderly couple laid undiscovered inside neglected Co Down house for six months Sentencing him, Judge Mark Reel said: It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that this man operated as a street-level drug dealer. McLaughlins recent court appearance is the fourth time he has been convicted of drug dealing offences which have led to three separate jail terms totalling 34 months. A report from probation officers concluded he posed a high risk of reoffending. The court was told that the career criminal suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder relating to a 2007 house fire in Enniskillen which claimed the life of his eight-month old daughter Chelsea Agnew. He was later acquitted in court of accidentally killing the child, as was his then partner Charmaine Agnew, who was also found not guilty of manslaughter due to gross negligence. It was after this that McLaughlin moved to the Shankill Road in Belfast and started dealing drugs for the UDA. After nearly four decades in office, Hun Sen this week steps down as Cambodias prime minister.The National Assembly sat for the first time Monday, one day before the new premier is set to be sworn in. On Aug. 22, he will hand power over to his eldest son, Hun Manet, who was just 8 years old when his father took charge of a communist regime embroiled in a civil war and held afloat, barely, by foreign aid. The 71-year-old strongman prime minister is bequeathing his son a country that has changed considerably over the course of his reign. Cambodia is on track, by World Bank estimates, to reach upper-middle income status by 2030, but inequality is rampant and poverty remains widespread. The government Hun Manet, 45, inherits is one where it pays to have powerful parents. His incoming defense minister, Tea Seiha, is the son of his fathers long-serving defense minister, Tea Banh, who was appointed in 1989. His new interior minister, Sar Sokha, too, is taking over from his own father, Sar Kheng, who has held the top security position for 31 years. Its a generational change of government taken to its most literal extreme. The new minister of commerce, Cham Nimol, is the daughter of Cham Prasidh, who ran the ministry from 1994 to 2013. The minister in charge of the civil service, meanwhile, is Hun Manets younger brother, Hun Many. Control of Cambodias central bank is passing from Chea Chanto, in charge since 1998, to his daughter, Chea Serey. In fact, almost a quarter of the 125 ruling party candidates who ran in the July 2023 national election are related, according to a recent analysis by the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association. The newest government reflects the Cambodia that Hun Sen has built through decades of political violence and institutional control. It is one where absolute poverty has fallen, but where an idealistic system of electoral government created by the United Nations in the 1990s has been transformed into a constellation of family fiefdoms, glued together only by a knack for corruption. It is a clanic succession; it is a whole clan renewing itself, Sam Rainsy, Cambodias longtime opposition leader, told Radio Free Asia (RFA), a news service affiliated with BenarNews, this month. The regime has become a hereditary dictatorship. Then-Foreign Affairs Minister Hun Sen holds a press conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 31, 1983. [Francis Deron/AFP] Young reformist A low-level Khmer Rouge military commander who turned on Pol Pots regime two years before its 1979 fall, Hun Sen rapidly rose to power in Cambodias Hanoi-backed revolutionary regime. In 1985, at the age of 33, he became the worlds youngest head of government and set about negotiating an end to the civil war with then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk, the father of Cambodias independence. Viewed as a reformist at the time, Hun Sen bucked the older conservative wing of the regime to reach an agreement with Sihanouks shadow government that resulted in the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement and the United Nations-run election. The globally funded nation-building exercise, estimated to have cost in the end more than U.S. $20 billion, was meant to instill in Cambodia a vibrant multi-party democratic system, complete with an independent media and a professional civil service. Instead, a series of power grabs by Hun Sen particularly a coup detat in July 1997 and the crackdown that followed the rise of Cambodias united opposition in 2013 meant those who openly opposed his rule could at best hope for prison or exile overseas. Smoke from a burning fuel station billows into the sky as a Cambodian family makes its way out of Phnom Penh amid fighting between forces loyal to the two prime ministers, July 6, 1997. [David van der Veen/AFP] After the 1997 coup, U.N. investigators found evidence that at least 40 of Hun Sens political rivals had been executed. In ousting his co-prime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, he effectively overturned the results of the 1993 U.N.-run elections that the latter had won. It would not be until the 2013 election that a viable challenge to his rule would re-emerge, when two long-bickering opposition parties merged into the Cambodia National Rescue Party and almost came to power in an election they said they only lost due to voter fraud. Months of demonstrations calling for a new vote followed. When the protests later dovetailed with a nationwide strike of garment workers calling for an increase in their $80 minimum monthly wage, the government responded with violence. Military police shot dead at least five of the workers, injuring and jailing dozens more. Hun Sen was once a hope for change but has become the one who destroyed the political system in Cambodia, said But Buntenh, a monk who helped lead protests after the disputed 2013 election before fleeing in 2017 amid a crackdown on regime critics. I recognize that he contributed to the rebuilding of Cambodia after the genocide, even though that had included him as a commander of the genocide, But Buntenh, who now lives in Massachussets, told RFA. Hun Sen also was instrumental in the development of the Paris Peace Agreement. That I accept and I appreciate, he said. But the people hate him because he took full control and ruled the country with his entire family, and takes Cambodia, as a nation, to belong to his family. An injured Cambodian garment worker escapes from riot police in the compound of a Buddhist pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 12, 2013. Police fired live ammunition during clashes with protesting garment workers. [AP] Succession, HBO-style Maintaining power has required more than just the violent vanquishing of foes. Hun Sen has also had to keep his own party behind him, even when not everybody has seemed on board. In the end, Hun Sens own succession plan required him to cut similar handover deals with Interior Minister Sar Kheng and Defense Minister Tea Banh. Such an across-the-board generational transfer is necessary, explained Sam Rainsy, given the dangerous and sensitive situation of Hun Sen standing down while two powerful ministers with large security forces behind them could still loom over his son. Politically speaking, and psychologically speaking, those older officials cannot work under Hun Manet, so they all have to go, Sam Rainsy said. And Hun Sen has to find compensation for his colleagues, so he promised they will be replaced by their sons as well. Hun Sens plan for his son to be his successor required him to cut deals with Interior Minister Sar Kheng and Defense Minister Tea Banh [pictured], who both have large security forces at their disposal. [Heng Sinith/AP file photo] But it also speaks to the fragmented nature of the government Hun Manet is taking over, one in which he lacks even the power to select his own most important cabinet ministers. It all resembles a kind of dynastic, corporate handoff, Sophal Ear, a Cambodia expert at Arizona State University, told RFA. Its Succession HBO-style, except within a government. The state is me Though hes standing down as prime minister, Hun Sen will hold plenty of prime positions, including Senate president, a role that will make him the acting head of state when King Norodom Sihamoni is out of the country. Im not going anywhere, Hun Sen noted in an Aug. 3 speech, in which he also warned he could return as prime minister if Hun Manet is endangered. Im just not going to be prime minister anymore but I will still have power, as the president of the ruling party. The role of CPP president may have newfound prominence in Cambodia. As the government-aligned Khmer Times noted in its report on his speech, Hun Sen pledged to respect the independence of the new government but noted their decisions must not be different from the policy of the party that has made a promise to the electorate. In some ways, its a reversion to Hun Sens roots, as a young revolutionary trained by political minders from Vietnam, where the Communist Party secretary-general runs the show, and the prime minister, as head of government, implements party edicts. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen takes a selfie with a fan during an inauguration ceremony for a Phnom Penh road project, August 3, 2023. [Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP] Stability, but for how long At the very least, Hun Sen will be able to say he left behind a system of government that has lasted, said Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor at the Australian Defense Force Academy in Canberra and an election observer during the 1993 U.N.-run elections. Hun Sen will bequeath to Cambodia the longest-serving and most stable regime since Cambodia attained independence in November 1953, Thayer said, even if the outgoing premier also will go down in history as the destroyer of multiparty democracy in Cambodia. Hun Manets government, he added, will have a chance to overcome baggage from the past and forge new policy paths, as it searches for legitimacy. Hun Manet, son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun, shows his inked finger after voting in Cambodia's general election, in Phnom Penh, July 23, 2023. [Cindy Liu/Reuters] One of the weaknesses of a personalist authoritarian regime is its reliance, at the end of the day, on its central persona. Rainsy, the opposition leader, said that while the passing of ministerial fiefdoms from parent to child across the regime this week was meant to shore-up Manets position, there are no long-term guarantees. As long as Hun Sen is in good health, as long as he can show authority and threaten everybody, then this can last, he said. But the very day Hun Sen shows a sign of weakness, the day that his health deteriorates to the point that his authority is not as it is now, Hun Manet will not be able to hold onto his position. Exiled former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra gestures during an interview in Hong Kong on March 25, 2019. UPDATED at 7:51 a.m. EDT on 2023-08-21 Former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to return home from 15 years of self-imposed exile on Tuesday, the same day Parliament is set to vote for a new prime minister. Thaksins daughter, Paetongtarn, announced at the weekend that her father would arrive at Don Mueang Airport at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, only hours before lawmakers decide whether to support the nomination of property tycoon Srettha Thavisin from the Pheu Thai Party for prime minister. Pheu Thai, the populist vehicle of the Shinawatra family, is seeking to form a new government after the progressive Move Forward Party failed last month, following fierce opposition from Thailands conservative ruling elite. The timing of Thaksins arrival and what backroom deal making laid the foundations for his return have added to months of political intrigue in Thailand, which has been under a caretaker government since a general election on May 14. We havent done a deal with anybody, Paetongtarn said on Sunday at Bangkok Thonburi University, after praying at Bangkok City Pillar Shrine. I know my father cant be distinguished from politics but his return is as a Thai citizen. He wants to come back to raise seven grandchildren. He is not thinking about politics or being held a hostage. Thaksin, a billionaire telecommunications magnate, was ousted as prime minister in a military coup in 2006 and fled Thailand in 2008 to escape a prison term for several different charges, including corruption and tax evasion. Thaksin faces a combined 10-year jail term for three offenses, but he can seek a royal pardon. He had been reluctant to return earlier over concerns he would be treated unfairly by the military-backed government that deposed his sister, Yingluck, in a coup in 2014. Her overthrow was spearheaded by then-Army chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha, Thailands current caretaker prime minister who has led the country in one form or another since the coup nine years ago. Tomorrow at 9 a.m., I beg for permission to live on the Thai soil and share the breath with the Thai people, the self-exiled former prime minister said Monday in a message posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Thaksin, 74, is unlikely to have been allowed back into the country without a political deal, say some observers of Thai politics. We must understand the complexity of Thai politics: Parliament or the government are not the final authority there are too many power axes, associate professor Thanaporn Sriyakul, chairman of the Political Science Association at Kasetsart University, told BenarNews. Now, the opposite axis can be assured the nation goes the way it wants; no amendment to the constitution and the [Pheu Thai] party wont get out of line Thaksin is being held hostage. If Sretthas bid for PM fails and Paetongtarn is nominated in his place, Thaksin will remain influential in Thai politics, Thanaporn said. We may see ministers parading to his cell asking for policy advice, he said. His daughter as prime minister could also help him while serving time in jail and lessen the length of his sentence. Pheu Thais Paetongtarn Shinawatra attends a birthday celebration held by red shirt supporters, a day before her father Thaksin is due to return from self-exile, at the party headquarters in Bangkok, Aug. 21, 2023. [Reuters] Thailands national police chief, Gen. Damrongsak Kittiprapat said on Monday Thaksin would be detained upon arrival and referred to the Supreme Courts Criminal Division for Political Office Holders. He will then be issued with a warrant for his imprisonment and taken to Bangkok Remand Prison, he said. Dr. Nuttakorn Vititanon, a political scientist at Chiang Mai University, said there was no guarantee that Thaksin would receive a pardon from King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun (Rama X). To receive a royal pardon, he has to serve one-third of his sentence, said Dr. Nuttakorn Vititanon, a political scientist at Chiang Mai University. If we take a deep look at the corruption case, it is likely that he will not be royally pardoned at all. The situation is bleak. Thaksins return adds to the political stakes ahead of Tuesdays parliamentary vote for prime minister. On Monday, Pheu Thai unveiled an 11-party alliance that includes two royalist parties established by former coup leaders. Srettha now has the backing of 314 seats in the 500-member house of representatives. He needs at least 375 votes from the combined house and senate to seat a new prime minister. Pheu Thais decision to work with United Thai Nation and Palang Pracharath is likely to upset some supporters, but it could help it win votes from senators in the 250-seat upper house. Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said the inclusion of the two military-aligned parties in its alliance was a matter of necessity. Unless we brought these two parties in, we would still fail, Cholnan said at a press briefing. We have to do good by the country and the people by setting up an elected government with Pheu Thai being at the core. There are no chances that we will serve other parties purposes. Kunnawut Boonreak in Chiang Mai, Thailand, contributed to the report. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. 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. Chad Smith, who will be leaving his role as CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, takes up his new post with the Boston Symphony this fall, but hell be scoping out the scene at Tanglewood during visits this summer. For the 100th year, the descendants of Mathias and Sabina Kirchner met to celebrate their family history in Dalton STAMFORD, Vt. In pursuit of a completely sustainable home in idyllic Southern Vermont, movie star Susan Sarandon alleges in a new lawsuit she instead found shoddy work and questionable billing by a Clarksburg contractor. Sarandon bought a property in Stamford, Vt., which borders Massachusetts in Southern Vermont, in 2018. The award-winning actors limited liability company, The Right to Bear Farms, brought suit against Clarksburg resident Chad DeGrenier, his wife, Carin DeGrenier, and their company, DeGrenier Contracting and Property Management LLC, in federal court in Springfield on Aug. 17. The suit seeks a jury trial to assess damages for breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment against the independent contractor in Clarksburg. Sarandon accuses DeGrenier Contracting of inaccurate invoices and charging for work that didnt happen. The intention of the Thelma & Louise leads purchase of her County Road property in Stamford was to construct a single-family home that would ideally be entirely off-the-grid, particularly in light of increasing global environmental instability, according to the suit. Sarandon wanted to build a single-family home on the property, which had only a small cabin on the site when she bought it. Sarandons suit claims that DeGrenier misrepresented his qualifications in building the home she asked for, and that Mr. and Mrs. DeGrenier were inconsistent in their invoicing, accounting, and record-keeping practices. During a November 2022 visit to the Vermont home, she and her family observed a number of issues with construction completion and quality. The suit alleges that DeGrenier downplayed Sarandons concerns. But Sarandon and her friends again observed issues in January 2023. In February 2023, Sarandon commissioned an engineering investigative report that found 47 problems both minor and major, from mold developing on the exterior overhang by the porch to roof, ceiling and insulation issues. Many of these construction defects are due to Mr. DeGreniers consistent failure to select and manage qualified, independent contractors, and his practice of selecting friends and family members to construct or install specific portions of the home, as well as due to his failure to properly manage those contractors that he did select, the suit reads. Chad DeGrenier was at one point also hired to be the propertys caretaker. Sarandons suit alleges that he did little to that effect, despite taking $140,000 in the name of the job, and allegedly investing $91,000 in a snowblower, registered in his name. DeGrenier did not return a request for comment on Monday. The house sits high on a hill, at 2,062 feet above sea level, with views southeast to a line of wind turbines on a far ridge in Florida, The Eagle reported in 2021. Sarandon purchased the 47-acre property for $297,000. Cultural representation often has a history of putting forward a poor interpretation of God, the Bible, and truth. Sometimes God is an indifferent man with a beard on a cloud. Sometimes movies present narratives from the Bible with so many ridiculous twists and turns they become unrecognizable. One of the beings discussed in the Bible who receives some of the biggest reinterpretations of his history, character, and power in Satan. Despite the Bibles clear narrative and statements about who Satan is and what his destiny will be, writers, filmmakers, and thinkers have created false narratives about him. One of the biggest meta-narratives about the Devil is that he is or will be the king of Hell, and that he and his demons are responsible for dolling our punishment for people being punished there. When this version of Satan is held up to the scrutiny of the Bible however, this image shows itself to be false. While Satan is a powerful spiritual enemy and people need God to overcome his influence, he is just a created being with limited power who has already been defeated. Who Is Satan? The history and future of the being known as Satan is spread across the Bible in several places. At some point before the Creation of Adam and Eve, Satan - called Lucifer - was a very important angel in Heaven. There are some implications that he may have been responsible for leading worship to God in the heavenly places. At some point, he developed pride, and tried to overthrow God, convincing one-third of the angels to join him in rebellion. He and those legions were cast out, and hell was created to hold them. When God created the world and humanity, Satan possessed a snake and tempted Eve to disobey God, bringing sin and death into the world. He spent time ...going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it (Job 1:7b). When Jesus came to earth, Satan tried to tempt Him with food, power over the angels, and power over the nations. Jesus overcame these temptations, paid the price for peoples sins on the cross, and defeated death with His resurrection. These actions defeated Satan as well, as Paul wrote, But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57). The Book of Revelation foretells that Jesus will have a millennial reign on this earth, and during that time Satan will be bound in chains and thrown into a bottomless pit. And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:7-10). He will have no influence in the new Heaven and new earth that will exist forever. A Brief History of Satan in Pop Culture Gods Word gives only the broadest overview of the spiritual realm, and what goes on there. People often fill in the gaps in fiction, or even sometimes in religious texts, with their own ideas and interpretations, and it has happened globally for thousands of years. There are supplemental ideas of Satan from Judaism, from early Christianity, through the centuries of Christian culture, and the interpretations of non-Christian cultures of the devil. Some of the interpretations of Satan in pop culture meaning not from a religious interpretation include but are not limited to: 1321: Inferno by Dante Presents the devil as the ultimate traitor who is trapped in the lowest circle of hell chewing on the heads of Judas, Brutus, and Cassius. 1667: Paradise Lost by John Milton Origin of the quote Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven.. In his time, Milton would not have considered Satan an anti-hero, but that interpretation has been applied retroactively starting around the 19th century. Satan is portrayed a.s the leader of the fallen angels with the vision to build a parallel kingdom in hell. 1779: Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Presentation of the idea of selling souls; inspiration for famous 19th century operatic version of the play 1880: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky Presents the devil as a proud, elderly man who speaks with one of the titular brothers who defends his existence as there to negate and create doubt. 1968: Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones Song that presents evils in the world as a product of the devil, and presents the devil as a being desiring to be known. 1968: Rosemarys Baby by Roman Polanski This film presents the devil as an active and malevolent force that is working toward bringing about the end of the world and the dominion of evil; biological father of the anti-Christ. 1990: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett Satan is presented as the king of hell, and the biological father of the anti-Christ. 2007-2020: Supernatural This TV series presents the devil as the ruler of hell, as both an antagonist and an anti-hero who works as a sort of balancing mechanism in the universe which can cooperate with angels and humans. 2012- Present: !, Hataraku Mao-sama (The Devil is a Part-Timer!) Presents the devil as the protagonist trying to both conquer and keep up a part time job in a restaurant; amalgamates the Christian understanding of the devil with the Japanese version of demons. He is often used as a way to represent rebellion (appropriate or inappropriate), pride, ambition, arrogance, defiance, treason, charm, charisma, and deception. Does Satan Reign in Hell? In many pop culture portrayals, Satan is presented as the ruler of hell, with power and authority there, and on earth where he influences. He is sometimes heroic, or portrayed as a balancing force in the world. In some presentations, such as in the song I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Deathcab for Cutie, there is an implication that Satan is engaged in a game with God of who can collect more souls. In more cartoonish depictions, such as the Adam Sandler film Little Nicky, he is responsible for sentencing individuals to their specific eternal punishments in hell. However, the Bible is clear that God reserves all judgments. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy (James 4:12a). While people cannot judge one another, Satan certainly cannot judge other beings. He has already been judged! Satan cannot be considered the King of Hell, as there is no such title. Hell is not a kingdom, but a place created in a separate space. Or to use a scientific term, it is a dimension from Heaven that will exist eternally to be the punishment itself. It was not initially created for people, but for the fallen angels. Then [Jesus on His throne] will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). If hell was made for the angels, and Satan in a fallen angel, he will not reign there. It will be the source of his torment. Satan will not have power forever. In fact, his power is neutered even now. The only thing he can do is try to prevent people from accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, vengefully trying to bring as many humans with him as possible. Praise God Jesus has made a path for anyone to repent and spend eternity in Heaven. Until Satan is forever cast into hell, Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:8-10). Sources Baillie, Eva Marta. Facing the Fiend: Satan as a Literary Character. 1st ed. The Lutterworth Press, 2014. Ellis, Bill. Lucifer Ascending The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2021. Wilmington, H.L. Wilmingtons Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981. Photo credit: Getty Images/Jordan Lye Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com. Related podcast: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group. Related video: Here are three ways Satan is deceiving todays culture. Stock Footage & Music Courtesy of Soundstripe.com Thumbnail by Getty Images BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. Within the South African Fast Food market, there is a growing love for 'local is lekker' which is resulting in robust market growth, driven by large servings of locally focused advertising and marketing, such as load shedding and the country's ever-popular braai culture. At the same time, township culture is having a supersized effect on the domestic market, not only in terms of flavours and offerings, but also demand and investment, with players leveraging this growing popularity to create a uniquely South African fast food experience. Insight Surveys latest SA Fast Food/QSR Industry Landscape Report 2023 carefully unfolds the global and local Fast Food/QSR markets, based on the most credible intelligence and research. It examines the latest market trends, innovation and technology, drivers, and challenges, to present an objective insight into the South African Fast Food industry environment and its future. Globally, the Fast Food market is estimated to be valued at approximately US$884.8bn in 2023 and is forecast to grow at a high compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2%, to reach approximately US$1.1tn by 2028. As illustrated in the graph below, McDonalds remains the most valuable fast food brand in 2023, by a large margin, achieving a brand value of US$191.5bn, despite having declined slightly from 2022. Significantly, Burger King and Chik-Fil-A were the only two brands that increased in value, with the rest declining slightly, during the period. In 2022, the South African fast food industry continued to grow from strength to strength after the disastrous effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrated by a significant increase of 19.4% between 2021 and 2022, although this is slightly lower than the 27.5% increase from 2021 to 2022. This high growth is expected to continue, with an expected CAGR of 9.0%, between 2023 and 2027, driven by ongoing load shedding, drive-thru technology and innovation, rewards and cash-back offerings, and the growing popularity of local fast food flavours, offerings, and marketing. Globally, based on Instagram tags, Italian cuisine reigns supreme, with pizza and pasta being two of the most popular foods in the world due its comfort food status. This is followed by Indian cuisine, with its rich flavours, spices, warmth, and complexity, and Japanese cuisine, with sushi proving very popular. However, in South Africa, uniquely local tastes, flavours, and offerings, are rapidly gaining in popularity, with local influences featuring in the introduction of new, locally inspired menu items and services. Specifically, township fast food offerings and flavour trends are making waves in the local market, boosted by the uniquely local flavours, as well as history and heritage, associated with these offerings, and the flavour fusions they provide. This includes the growing popularity of items such as bunny chows and kotas, which are also being offered by big players, such as KFC, which offered its Kentucky Sphatlho kota as a limited-edition menu item, and Kentucky Chow at its Kentucky Town pop-ups. Other uniquely local township offerings increasing in popularity include spicy Cape Malay meals, as well as braaied meats, such as chicken dust, and desserts, such as monster and freak shakes. This growing influence of township culture is demonstrated by Uber Eats pilot project for township expansion in the local market, a world first for the company, which includes significant investments in township restaurants and dark kitchens, as well as growing the numbers of Uber Eats couriers servicing these areas to meet demand, also potentially serving as a blueprint for global markets. Moreover, according to the Uber Eats South Africa Cravings Report, a uniquely South African fast food item, pap, was indicated to be one of the top Uber Eats orders with meals in 2022. This report also indicated that local consumers are also exceptionally fussy in terms of the spiciness of their food, as well as the inclusion and exclusion of ingredients, such as onions, cheese, and sauces, and often make unique requests, such as asking for more caramel on their ice-cream. This increasing preference for everything local is being driven by the utilisation of various localised advertising promotions and campaigns by prominent market players. As an example, Burger King partnered with Grey Advertising Africa on a new marketing campaign aimed at leveraging South African braai culture. This was achieved by promoting the companys speed of service and incorporating the its coming now-now phrase, as well as the companys focus on perfecting flame grilling, similar to braais. Additionally, KFC also used locally born comedian, Trevor Noah, on a new television commercial promoting its Chicken for Breakfast campaign, and affordable breakfast options, that also included uniquely South African humour. Furthermore, in July 2022, Nandos also launched a new television advert as part of its Bright Side campaign, that makes light of load shedding, and offered consumers free sides according to stages of load shedding, a uniquely South African phenomenon. The South African Fast Food/QSR Industry Landscape Report 2023 (178 pages) provides a dynamic synthesis of industry research, examining the local and global fast food from a uniquely holistic perspective, with detailed insights into the entire value chain market size and forecasts, latest industry trends and innovation, industry drivers and challenges, fast food/QSR competitor analysis, latest marketing and advertising news, pricing and promotion analysis. Some key questions the report will help you to answer: What are the current market dynamics of the global and South African Fast Food industry? What are the latest global and South African Fast Food industry trends, innovation and technology, drivers, and challenges? What are the market, food-type and off-line/on-line retail value trends in the South African Fast Food market (2017-2022) and forecasts (2023-2027)? Which are the key South African Fast Food market players and what is the latest marketing and advertising news for each of the competitors? What is the latest company news for key South African Fast Food players in terms of products, new launches, and marketing initiatives? What is the pricing and recent promotions of key Fast Food competitors by category: Burgers, Chicken, Pizza, Pies, and Others? Please note that the 182-page report is available for purchase for R45,000.00 (excluding VAT). Alternatively, individual sections can be purchased for R20,000.00 (excluding VAT). For more information, please email az.oc.yevrusthgisni@ofni, or call our Cape Town office on (021) 045-0202 or Johannesburg office on (010) 140- 5756. For a full brochure, please click here: South African Fast Food/QSR Industry Report 2023 About Insight Survey: Insight Survey is a South African B2B market research company with more than 15 years of heritage, focusing on business-to-business (B2B) and industry research to ensure smarter, more-profitable business decisions are made with reduced investment risk. We offer B2B and industry research solutions to help you to successfully improve or expand your business, enter new markets, launch new products or better understand your internal or external environment. Our bespoke Competitive Business Intelligence Research can help give you the edge in a global marketplace, empowering your business to overcome industry challenges quickly and effectively, and enabling you to realise your potential and achieve your vision. From strategic overviews of your businesss competitive environment through to specific competitor profiles, our customised Competitive Intelligence Research is designed to meet your unique needs. For more information, go to www.insightsurvey.co.za. In an industry that is evolving so rapidly, tertiary institutions need to keep up with the pace of change in e-commerce and ensure their graduates are equipped with the right skills when they enter the working world. Cheryl Ingram, founder and head of The Digital Media Collective, outlines changes she would like to see implemented in South African universities and colleges and how her award-winning digital agency is addressing these shortfalls. The e-commerce boom shows no signs of slowing down, with FNB Merchant Services expecting more than one billion online transactions in South Africa during 2025. As more brands take their offerings online and consumers increase their online purchasing activity, there is a growing need for graduates with relevant e-commerce knowledge in the digital marketing and brand management space a need that is not being adequately met by local tertiary institutions, says Cheryl. Identifying and addressing shortfalls As an active employer of BCom digital marketing and brand management graduates I am acutely aware that there are serious shortfalls in the curriculum and the skillset of graduates, says Cheryl. These graduates come out with little to no real world knowledge of the e-commerce journey and the same can be said for the levels of knowledge on all things digital marketing too. While they might have some of the theory in their heads, they dont have any practical insights into all the different elements that make up digital marketing or e-commerce. Cheryl says it takes eight months to a year to get graduates up to speed so that they can begin to add true value to the team. As a former teacher, Cheryl understands that adapting and changing curriculums is no easy feat especially when it applies to an industry that is evolving at such a rapid pace. That said, she believes there are changes that can be made to better equip graduates to insure they are industry-ready. Focus on practical First off, Cheryl says practical work experience and internships should form part of degree programmes and not just for a few weeks in their final year. TDMC takes interns from their first year right through to final year and has ended up offering every one of these interns a fulltime role once they have obtained their degree. It is all about seeing the practical application of what they learn. In their first year these interns do all those little jobs that take the pressure off the main team while getting to experience a real-world e-commerce work environment. They are given accountability from day one and we build on these responsibilities over their tenure with us until they are capable of managing an account on their own, says Cheryl. While she would like to see more agencies offering these kinds of learnerships, the challenge is that many of them have moved to remote working or hybrid office setups which makes valuable internships impossible. You simply cant have internships running remotely it is all about being in the environment, learning from conversations happening around you and getting first-hand experience of problem solving in action, says Cheryl, whose agency is proudly onsite. Cheryl says a lot of degree programmes overseas include a work experience year mid-degree and that this should also be considered by local universities and colleges. Connect with experts The other change Cheryl would like to see is the incorporation of relevant accreditations from Google, Meta, Shopify and the likes into the curriculums. We see graduates coming out with marketing degrees who have never seen Google Search Console or Meta Business Suite. And there really is no excuse - all of these platforms have learning academies that have been expertly developed by educators so there is no need for universities to develop their own programmes, says Cheryl. These courses are free, and they are credible. While some of the exams do have a cost attached to them, the accreditation students receive is invaluable and at least gives them an add on that any true digital agency would require. Educating a new generation While learning institutions play catchup, Cheryl says students looking for a future career in the e-commerce space should reach out to agencies and seek an internship from their first year of study. They need to keep trying until they find an agency or business to take them on so that they can learn in-house and be work ready, says Cheryl. Equally, if your college is not offering a more thorough digital marketing or e-commerce segment, students should consider going direct to source and gaining accreditations from Google and Meta themselves there is no need to pay an academy to do these courses as they are all based off the same material that these platforms provide for free. The good thing about these accreditations is that they can be easily verified online, which is excellent when students are looking for employment or freelance opportunities. E-commerce is an exciting career, but for us to ensure that the talent pool is deep enough to meet the industrys needs we need to see universities and colleges taking stock of how they can ensure their graduates are employment ready. As an agency that prides itself on meeting challenges with innovative solutions, we believe that the industry has an important role to play too by providing intern opportunities to help polish talent and give them real-world experience, says Cheryl. Time is running out, and the clock is ticking! We are thrilled to recognize the unwavering determination and incredible success of South African entrepreneurs through the launch of the Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year awards. This prestigious event is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the outstanding achievements of resilient and dynamic small business owners who have risen above challenges and achieved excellence. Calling all tenacious and innovative entrepreneurs! The Entrepreneur of the Year awards offer an unparalleled platform to celebrate your accomplishments alongside other South African entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Don't miss this chance to share your inspiring success stories and be rewarded for your exceptional contributions to the business landscape. Act now! Visit EOY.CO.ZA and seize the opportunity to participate in the highly anticipated 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year competition. By entering, you stand a chance to win your share of an impressive R2m in prizes, which can further fuel your entrepreneurial ambitions and contribute to the overall growth within South Africa. Be the driving force behind innovation, economic growth, and positive change in your business community! The Entrepreneur of the Year awards encourage all aspiring business leaders to embrace the spirit of entrepreneurship and join this prestigious competition in 2023. About the Entrepreneur of The Year competition: The Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding business excellence demonstrated by South African entrepreneurs and SMEs. By sharing their success stories and offering well-deserved rewards, this prestigious event fosters the growth and development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in South Africa. Click here to enter the Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 Awards. The Flux Trends second salon of the year will take a closer look at how and why the current democratic social contract is under threat - and how that is threatening businesses, industries, and the ways we work together. Source: Flux Trends Flux Trends Flux Trends' second salon of the year will take a closer look at how and why the current democratic social contract is under threat The session takes place on 23 August at 8:30 am at Workshop17 Watershed, 17 Dock Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, 8002 and is presented by Brownwyn Williams and hosted by Sharon Pearce. The post-Covid, post knowledge economy era requires a new social contract for a new world order that reflects the fundamental shifts changing minds, bodies and what it means to be human collectively and individually. Focus on key areas It will unpack and interrogate the insights from the trend briefing The Future of Us (which was presented by Williams) - focusing on key areas. The future of customers and community How Generation Z is changing everything, again. The changing nature of personal and collective identity and why selling to communities is the new hyper-personalisation. Multiverse identities how the metaverse is fragmenting us into many selves (and what that means for marketing). Hiveminds from crowdsourcing to consensus networks (and a glimpse at far-future singularities. The future of work and workforce The new employment contract and the end of time-based work culture. How to foster strong teams in the age of globally distributed remote work (and how to navigate the minefields of global culture and society). What workers want why meaning matters and the rise of corporate spiritual wellness programmes as a result. DAOs, the evolution of living organisations and organisational ecologists. The future of state and society The need for a new social contract and the limits of the liberal world order (and what this means for business and employers, from tax to labour law). Yin-yang Working in a borderless, yet splintered world unpacking the new 4D chess game for state and private actors. The greater good and the great trade-offs between privacy and freedom and security in an age of multiple existential threats unpacking everything. from open banking to programmable money and the seemingly inevitable push towards more forced transparency and more automated reward and punishment (and who watches the watchers). Hacking democracy (the Swiss and Taiwanese ways and the lessons we can apply to build our own Smart Communities). The capabilities versus jobs conversation This salon will also create a space to constructively focus on the capabilities versus jobs conversation around the shifts in the social contract. This part of the salon will have an interactive and engaging discussion facilitated by Sharon Pearce business transformation specialist, disruptor and solutionist. Who should attend This salon is for you if you are interested in the megatrends and micro shifts in the political, economic, technological and societal landscape that are changing us physically and fundamentally. Leaders (state and private sector) anyone who hopes to lead anyone Marketers anyone who hopes to sell anything to anyone HR departments and managers anyone who hopes to find, recruit, train or retain talent Social entrepreneurs anyone who is inspired to rewrite a stronger, more sustainable social contract. To join go to Fluxtrends. The global community of journalists, media organisations, and civil society groups, have expressed their deep concern over the infringements on media freedom and the repeated harassment faced by Zimbabwean journalists and civil society observers in the run-up to the elections in Zimbabwe. Source: African Development Bank Group African Development Bank Group Harare, Zimbabwe. Sanef has joined the global media community of journalists, expressing their concern on media freedom in the run-up to the Zimbabwe elections The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has joined the call, issuing the following statement: We call upon the Zimbabwean government and authorities to uphold the principles of democracy, transparency, and human rights by granting journalists from South Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, Africa, and around the world, the necessary accreditation to enter Zimbabwe and cover the forthcoming elections. As part of the global community of journalists and media freedom advocates, we stand united in our commitment to defending media freedom and ensuring that accurate and impartial information reaches citizens around the world. We urge the Zimbabwean government to recognise the importance of an unfettered media in a democracy and to take immediate action to create an atmosphere that respects the rights of both local and foreign journalists, leading to a fair and credible electoral process. The role of the media in a democratic society is paramount. A free, diverse, and independent media plays an essential role in providing accurate and unbiased information to citizens not just in Zimbabwe, but also Zimbabweans in the diaspora around the world, enabling them to make informed decisions during elections. Media freedom is the cornerstone of democracy Sanef believes that media freedom is the cornerstone of any vibrant democracy, and Zimbabwe should strive to adhere to international standards in this regard, including the UNESCO media freedom protocol and international laws governing media freedom. The upcoming elections in Zimbabwe hold immense significance not only for the country but also for the broader African and global community. It is imperative that the elections be conducted in an environment that is free, fair, and transparent. Media must be allowed to operate without fear of intimidation, harassment, or censorship, ensuring that citizens have access to diverse perspectives and comprehensive information. We condemn the reports of harassment faced by Zimbabwean journalists and civil society organisations who are in the country to observe the elections and ensure their fairness. Freedom of the press and the ability of civil society to operate unhindered are fundamental rights that should be protected and respected by all governments. Any attempts to suppress these rights undermine the credibility and legitimacy of the electoral process. Sanef urges the Zim government to grant swift and unbiased accreditation to journalists from South Africa, the SADC region, Africa, and the world, allowing them to cover the elections and report without undue hindrance. Work wthout fear Further, Zimbabwe security agencies must cease all forms of unjustified deportation of persons in Zimbabwe to observe elections and the harassment against Zimbabwean journalists and civil society organisations, enabling them to carry out their vital work without fear. We call upon the government to ensure a transparent electoral process that adheres to international standards, thereby instilling confidence in the results and upholding the democratic values of the nation. The state must uphold the right to media freedom as enshrined in international protocols and conventions, fostering an environment that encourages diverse and open discourse. The Zimbabwean authorities and the electoral agencies must collaborate with regional and international bodies to guarantee that the upcoming elections are conducted in a manner that respects human rights and democratic principles. Sanef encourages all media houses with capacity to send journalists to Zimbabwe to raise awareness about the importance of media freedom and the need for transparent and fair elections in that country. Renowned artist Johny Dar is once again breaking artistic boundaries with his latest masterpiece, AOI: Art of Implosion . This groundbreaking project blurs the lines between art, technology, healing, and ancient practices, offering a transformative experience that defies categorisation. AOI is now open to the public in Berlin, Germany, marking the fourth stop of its global pop-up tour. Johny Dar's work always challenged conventional notions of artistic expression by seamlessly integrating diverse elements such as fine art, sounds, design, and multimedia. With this approach, his artistic evolution brought him to the foundation of arts as a powerful healing modality. At the heart of AOI lies a state-of-the-art technological marvel: a standing capsule that invites individuals to step inside and embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and healing. Through this innovative device, users are enveloped in a frequency that induces a deep meditative state, cleansing their minds and relaxing their bodies. AOI's carefully crafted environment creates a space where subconscious thoughts, ideas, needs, and issues can emerge and be explored comfortably at will. This personal experience exposes users to energy and vibrations at a frequency of 528hz, harmonising with ancient healing practices and promoting holistic well-being. Johny Dar on the transformational journey he supports through his technological innovation, Art of Implosion: Allow the intelligence of your mind to merge with the intelligence of your body. Then you really become 100%. And when you are 100% from head to toe, then everything is convinced. You communicate that success, you walk it, you are it, you talk it, and nobody disagrees because you are 100% in. Drawing on decades of research and exploration, artist Johny Dar harnessed the power of ancient shamanic concepts and modern scientific insights to develop AOI. The Prana Pulse code, a programme rooted in millennia-old medical modalities, forms the basis for this transformative experience. AOI's unique LED therapy, resembling a mesmerising rainbow, delivers seven distinct light rays, including optional infrared light. Simultaneously, users are immersed in the soothing soundscape of Liquid Gold, an original composition by Dar, designed to evoke heightened states of awareness and emotional release. AOI goes beyond the artistic realm, delving into the science of light, meridians, and biophotonics. The project's integration of these ancient practices, like acupuncture and acupressure, aligns with the concept of meridians from traditional Chinese medicine. By stimulating specific points along these energy pathways, AOI's LED equipment harmonises the body's energy flow and promotes overall well-being. Furthermore, AOI taps into the intriguing world of bio-photonics, where every cell emits bio-photons that carry vital information. AOI's pioneering approach uses light to enhance cellular communication, enabling the body to function optimally and thrive. AOI: Art of Implosion debuted to critical acclaim in Ibiza, Costa Rica, and Dubai and has now arrived in Berlin. As part of its global tour, the installation will captivate audiences in more locations yet to be announced. Experience the transformative power of AOI for yourself. For more information and booking details, visit artofimplosion.com. About Johny Dar Johny Dar is a visionary artist known for his boundary-pushing creativity that transcends artistic genres. His innovative projects have captivated audiences around the world, challenging traditional norms and inspiring transformative experiences. With a lifelong dedication to the convergence of art and healing, Dar's recent work AOI, Art Of Implosion, explores the profound connections between human consciousness, technology, and ancient wisdom. More at johnydar.com. Instagram: @johnydarcreations @aoi.rejuvenation "My family is over 1,500kms away in the Free State and I don't really have anyone in Cape Town that I can go live with if we are evicted again," she says. Students from CPUT were locked out of this private residence building on 210 Long Street, Cape Town for several hours on Tuesday because the building owner claims he has not been paid monies owed to him for rent. Photo: Qaqamba Falithenjwa A dispute over payment to the owner of private student accommodation in Long Street, Cape Town has left students fearing that they could be homeless. On Tuesday, the owner of 210 Long Street, a private residence for CPUT students, locked out about 360 students from the building, claiming that he had not be paid. However, CPUT has accused the landlord of failing to meet the minimum norms and standards required to charge students the rate paid to a fully accredited residence. A second-year marine engineering student at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) says she is worried about being evicted from her accommodation again if the NSFAS payment issue is not resolved soon. The student, who asked that her name be withheld, was among about 360 CPUT students who were locked out of their accommodation Tuesday by the owner of 210 Long Street, a private residence for CPUT students. The student says the landlord had sent bouncers room to room to chase them out. She says about a month ago, the landlord told them to go to CPUTs financial office at the Bellville campus to pressure management to pay him. My family is over 1,500kms away in the Free State and I dont really have anyone in Cape Town that I can go live with if we are evicted again, she says. The students were allowed back into the building later that evening after negotiating with the building owner. The landlord, who only introduced himself as Oliver on the phone, claimed he was owed about millions of rands in rent. He claims students have been living in his building free of charge since April this year. However, CPUT has accused the landlord of failing to meet the minimum norms and standards required to charge students the rate paid to a fully accredited residence. This comes as more than 200 students from different universities marched to Parliament on Wednesday to voice their frustrations over the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding system. The students handed over a petition with more than 1,600 signatures calling for the new payment system to be scrapped. Housing allowance challenge In 2022 NSFAS allowed students to stay in residences that cost up to R5,900 per month. This amount was decreased this year when the funding scheme introduced a R45,000 annual limit on accommodation allowances and a policy where NSFAS does not cover accommodation fees for students completing modules that account for less than 60 credits. NSFAS issued guidelines stipulating private accommodation should provide, among other things, suitable areas for cooking, storing food, a four-burner stove per eight students, a microwave oven, and lockable cupboard. The 210 Long Street building currently does not meet all of these requirements. At 210 Long Street, according to students, the landlord is charging more than what NSFAS had apparently paid. When we called the landlord on Thursday afternoon, he said he would be meeting CPUT management to find a way forward, or he would have to take the same steps again. But a notice sent to students late on Thursday night by the manager read: We had a meeting with senior representatives of CPUT today, and asked to not continue with the eviction process this week as they will go back and find a viable solution to move forward. We will be in communication with everyone, when we get a response. CPUT Spokesperson Lauren Kansley told GroundUp on Thursday that the 210 Long Street accommodation is an unaccredited residence. The landlord is insistent that he wants to be paid the rate for a fully accredited residence, despite the accommodation not meeting the minimum norms and standards. This amount is R45,000 and the landlord is only eligible for an amount in the region of R41,200, said Kansley. She said CPUT management has had several meetings with the landlord explaining this issue. The institution is surprised at the landlords decision to evict the students when the majority of them have paid upfront for the month of August, she said. NSFAS in trouble In a statement on Wednesday, NSFAS announced that its chief executive officer Andile Nongogo has taken a leave of absence while the board investigates allegations against him related to his conduct in the awarding of bids at NSFAS. Chief Financial Officer Masile Ramorwesi is acting CEO until further notice. According to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), NSFAS hired businesses without banking license registrations to handle direct payment to students, and these businesses charge much higher rates than commercial banks would charge. Outa started exposing the irregularities as early as September 2022. We published our report in February 2023 which showed that the four companies who won the tenders to implement the new direct payment system were ill-equipped for the task and were not registered as financial service providers. Two of the service providers were not registered as VAT vendors. One service provider had links with dubious tenders awarded by the Services SETA during Nongogos tenure as CEO there, which Outa had previously exposed, the organisation stated on Thursday. OUTA said despite voicing their concerns to NSFAS, the funding aid scheme again implemented the new direct payment system on 30 June 2023. This decision negatively affected the payment of NSFAS allowances to thousands of students. Published originally on GroundUp. Anglogold Ashanti (AGA) shareholders on Friday voted in favour of the miner's plans to switch its primary listing from Johannesburg to New York, the company announced, clearing the way for its exit from South Africa. A small toy figure and gold imitation are seen in front of the AngloGold Ashanti logo in this illustration taken November 2021. Source: Reuters/Dado Ruvic More than 98% of AGA shareholders approved the switch, exceeding the required majority of at least 75% at a virtual meeting held on Friday, the company said in a statement. The proposed reorganisation also includes the relocation of AGA's headquarters to London from Johannesburg. AGA, the forerunner of which was founded by industrialist Ernest Oppenheimer a century ago, completed the sale of its South African mines in 2020. As the geological challenges of some of the world's deepest gold deposits make mining in South Africa more difficult and costly, the company has shifted its attention to more lucrative mines in Ghana, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as Australia and the Americas. AGA CEO Alberto Calderon has said a primary listing in New York would give the miner access to the world's biggest pool of gold capital. Government has paid more than R330m in claims related to the Marikana tragedy. Image source: Evgenyi Lastochkin 123RF.com This was revealed by Solicitor-General Fhedzisani Pandelani during a media briefing on Thursday, 17 August 2023. Claims payments have been disbursed to claimants through their legal representatives, including the Wits Law Clinic, as well as the Socio Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI). The tragedy occurred in 2011 at the North West town when police officials shot and killed some 34 miners during a labour-related strike at Lonmin Mine. Some 78 others were injured, with a further 10 people including law enforcement officials dying in clashes before the tragedy. The Marikana incident of 16 August 2012 is a painful and significant and solemn chapter in our nations history. It is something that we cannot downplay because people are still impacted emotionally and it casts a sombre shadow over the tragic clash between striking miners and law enforcement, resulting in multiple fatalities. As a result of which, we, as government lawyers, are now seized with having to meet the lawful demands that have been lodged with us. These funds have served to address a spectrum of claims that relate to legal consideration stemming from the Marikana incident, Pandelani said. In relation to the 10 people who died in earlier clashes, Pandelani said that no claim has been laid against government. There is always a narrative of confining the fatalities to only 34 individuals. In our book, its actually 34 plus another 10 who are never accounted for. We also need to take that into account. In relation to the 10 who died before the other miners, weve got no claim that has been lodged against government. The other 10 people who died, there was no causation on the death itself that was attributable to government or the State. Their settlements might have been settled by other individuals, Pandelani said. Constitutional damages Turning to the potential constitutional law damages that may be lodged against the state, Pandelani said the Solicitor-Generals office currently does not have the mandate to deal with those matters. He said upon instruction to do so, it is an issue that we are prepared to explore. Where a new concept... is introduced, such as constitutional litigation, which was not existing at the time of incident, you find a situation where you are applying the law retrospectively. We need to get instructions from the South African Police Service and everybody else. We are having to deal with the... concept of constitutional litigation. Why was it not pleaded as and when the matters started? And as creatures of instruction, where do you then derive the powers to settle on an aspect using taxpayers money on an issue which has not been ventilated in court? Until and unless there are new developments and there is cogent argument that is presented before any court of law about any novel or new issue that arises out of the Marikana litigation, I think we have done enough. Remarkable strides have been realised in the strategic orchestration and harmonisation of the Marikana litigation. The resolution of numerous claims stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to justice and due process, he said. In a world where gender equality remains a formidable challenge, South Africa emerges as a beacon of progress, celebrating the remarkable rise of women entrepreneurs in its dynamic business ecosystem. Our country is one of only 12, where women's entrepreneurial activities have increased year on year, and in 2021 it was reported that 11.1% of working-aged women engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activities. Cate Williams, head of product at Xena World, Buhle Tshasilanye, founder of Maria Grace Cares, Ashleigh Butterworth, marketing manager at FundingHub and Talya Plaatjies, founder of Fashionably Financial | image supplied The rise of female entrepreneurship means more women breaking barriers, shattering stereotypes and paving a way for other aspiring female business owners. Although 21% of the formal SME sector are female-owned businesses, these women are still presented with their fair share of obstacles. With the help of female SME experts, we set out to help ladies succeed on their entrepreneurial journey. Nurturing a strong support system Women globally are between 14 - 38% less likely than men to have a strong network that is both large and diverse. A strong support system is crucial for the success of any entrepreneur, and this is especially true for female entrepreneurs who face challenges regularly. Networking and mentorship will not only provide valuable insights and guidance, but they might land you your next big business deal. There are several valuable networking events and communities which are focused on all things females in business, these include: Xena, Future Females and Innovation City: Digital Divas. Getting out of your comfort zone, and putting yourself and your business out there, will allow you to connect with like-minded individuals, potential partners, and investors. If you dont live in a big city, seek out online networking platforms where you can ask questions and build your own, she-circle. Ultimately, it should start at home seek entrepreneurial mentorship from your parents or family friends. Next, move on to your social circles. Women need to talk more about business and money with their girlfriends. This isnt done nearly enough. Then, join a network like Xena which offers a safe place to meet tens of thousands of women who are also on their entrepreneurial journeys and are there to help According to Cate Williams, head of product at Xena World. Equally important is finding a mentor, this can be a woman in the same industry as you, or a powerhouse female you'd like advice from. Women are eager to uplift other women in business, and mentors can help you navigate the bumpy entrepreneurship journey by sharing their own experiences. Mastering your finances Funding is the lifeblood of any business, and for female entrepreneurs in South Africa, access to finance is often a major obstacle. Historically women have been restricted from getting access to the funding they need, either because of gender bias or lack of sufficient credit history. In 2021, the global funding gap for women reached $260bn to $320bn. New lending models and women-centric institutions are vital, and South African organisations and lenders are taking action. There are a number of government and private efforts that aim to empower women-owned businesses. Initiatives include Enablis Acceleration Fund for rural SMEs, Business Partners Women in Business Fund offering investments from R500k to R50m, National Empowerment Fund for Black women-owned businesses, and Isivande Women's Fund providing affordable loans for empowerment. Women possess the ability to take charge of their funding journey, especially if they have a strong business model. Marketplace platforms like FundingHub give entrepreneurs the power to compare multiple loan offers and find the best option suited to their needs. Part of business success as a female entrepreneur is also knowing how to manage your cash flow, how to budget properly and how to set yourself achievable goals. Talya Plaatjies, founder of Fashionably Financial, says: For female entrepreneurs, I would say that when it comes to your financial goals its so important to know your vision and be clear on what your goals are. Literally, write them down and remind yourself daily. It doesnt have to make R100,000 in the first year of business, it could be something as simple as going to a networking event and connecting with two people who are where you want to be in five years' time. Personally, I still go by the Smart (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely defined) rule when it comes to setting goals specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Embrace innovation and adaptability In the fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape of South Africa, innovation, technology and adaptability are key to staying ahead of the curve, especially as a female entrepreneur. For women business owners specifically, technology can give your business a competitive edge, but also break down gender biases by providing flexible work arrangements, and fostering virtual networking opportunities, thus accommodating the diverse roles and responsibilities that women frequently navigate. Women are 87% more likely to embrace product innovation, which illustrates that its not only imperative but that women have the innate capability to innovate. Innovation starts with identifying pain points or unmet needs and then developing creative solutions. Innovation doesn't always mean ground-breaking inventions; it can also involve finding unique ways to deliver existing products or services more efficiently, or a creative marketing strategy. For me, innovation and adaptability have stemmed from a place of curiosity and being present. Being present in various situations has given me a heightened level of awareness which has guided me on whatever next steps I may need to take or solve. Coupled with awareness is genuine curiosity - having a genuine curiosity about things has opened up opportunities, perspectives and questions which I would not be able to unlock if I did not challenge the norm, according to Buhle Tshasilanye, founder of the skincare line, Maria Grace Cares. Adaptability is equally important in a dynamic market environment. Stay agile and be prepared to pivot if necessary. Market demands and customer preferences may change, and being flexible allows you to respond to new challenges and opportunities. By continuing to empower themselves with knowledge, building strong networks, and leveraging innovation, female entrepreneurs can continue to drive positive change and shape the future of entrepreneurship in South Africa. To mark World Entrepreneurs' Day (21 August), a new Ipsos survey of direct sellers' by Seldia , the European Direct Selling Association, has revealed that direct selling could be one of the happiest career choices for budding entrepreneurs. In the survey, 83% of Herbalifes direct sellers (independent distributors) said that their businesses gave them great job satisfaction a far higher number than the European average, which sees only a quarter of us saying that were happy in our work. In addition, 87% said that their work was fulfilling, with 80% saying that direct selling with Herbalife has improved their quality of life overall. There are about 6.6 million direct sellers in Europe who make money selling well-known products to their customers face-to-face and without the need of any business premises. For many of them, its a great opportunity to be their own boss, to choose their own hours and to build a network of sellers should they wish to develop their business further, but for Herbalifes independent distributors, its more than just about earning money. The research found that 85% of Herbalifes independent distributors feel that theyve gained more than just income in their roles, with 82% saying that theyve sharpened up their business and sales skills and 81% saying that theyve learned how to work more effectively in a team. Improved interpersonal skills overall (87%) and increased self-esteem and confidence (86%) were two other personal benefits enjoyed by a vast number of those surveyed. Proud and connected The survey also indicated a strong sense of personal affiliation to the brand among Herbalife direct sellers. Ninety two percent (92%) said that they felt connected to the products or services they offer, while the same percentage (92%) feel aligned to Herbalifes values and purpose. A huge 81% had been attracted to joining a like-minded community of other direct sellers with an interest in health and wellbeing. More than nine out of ten (93%) Herbalife direct sellers said that theyre likely to recommend the company to a friend or a colleague and that theyre likely to continue with their Herbalife business activities in the future (95%). Direct selling an accessible route to career success On World Entrepreneurs Day, its important to acknowledge that entrepreneurship can take many forms and its encouraging to see that direct selling is a credible option for people who want to start their own business but who otherwise could be deterred. The survey shows that prior experience isnt essential in getting started in direct selling, with a third (32%) of Herbalifes independent distributors having less than three years experience in the industry. They also report that the low start-up costs in becoming a Herbalife independent distributor were a key factor in them starting their businesses (90%) a starter pack in South Africa is only R614.71 with 88% feeling that the low risk of financial loss was key Konrad Szakiewicz, country director Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and South Africa says: On World Entrepreneurs Day, its great to see such positive findings from entrepreneurs in the direct selling business who are clearly thriving, learning new skills and breaking down some of the barriers that they might have found had they started a business on their own. Thats why direct selling is a great option for those who want to go it alone but with the support and reassurance of an established brand and community. Herbalifes gold standard consumer protections also lead the way with a 12-month money back guarantee on membership and unused products, no minimum or repeat purchases, and full transparency on potential earnings. The future of direct selling Face-to-face, in-person contact between sellers and buyers is still at the heart of direct selling with meetings and parties the favourite ways through which sales are made. However, a new generation of sellers is using technology to create savvy online communities and businesses, with almost half (45%) saying that social media was the way to go. Finally, when asked to describe direct selling in three words, Herbalifes independent distributors said: freedom, simple, independence, fun, profit, satisfaction. In a landmark ruling, the North Gauteng High Court has upheld the importance of transparency by ordering the disclosure of the South African government's ostensibly 'confidential' Covid-19 vaccine procurement agreements. This significant decision has placed a 10-day deadline on the National Department of Health to release these contracts to the public. This move not only sets a precedent within Africa but also highlights South Africa's potential to become the first African nation to share crucial information that has largely remained inaccessible to most countries, as revealed by a report from Transparency International. The Health Justice Initiative (HJI) initiated legal action in this regard. "This is a massive victory for transparency and accountability. The contracts concern substantial public funds, and the contracting process has been marred by allegations that the government procured vaccines at differential, comparatively inflated prices, and that the agreements may contain onerous and inequitable terms including broad indemnification clauses, export restrictions and non-refundability clauses," the HJI said in a media statement. In July 2021, a request was made under the Promotion of Access to Information Act due to the significant importance of vaccine contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic. This request was prompted by the substantial funding allocated for vaccines and the public's anxiety surrounding them during lockdown. The goal was to make these contracts public because they had been kept confidential, and it was deemed to be in the public's interest to have access to this information. Demand for contract transparency Marlise Richter senior researcher at the HJI said the organisation was seeking transparency over which contracting parties had entered into binding agreements with the SA government. Thats been confidential. We dont actually know who government had contracted with. We assumed, because we got vaccines from Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson that they would be some of the contracting parties, but there might be others as well, Richter said. She mentioned that the Health Justice Initiative (HJI) was pursuing clarification regarding several aspects. These include the amount South Africa paid, the contract terms and conditions, and the complete indemnity the government assumed from the pharmaceutical companies. She explained that having this information would shed light on whether South Africa is permitted to donate or sell surplus vaccines and if the country has any options for recourse in situations where pharmaceutical companies deliver vaccines later than expected. Clarity for pandemic preparedness The information, once provided, will carry forward the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, Richter said. It highlights that public trust in government and their decisions regarding pandemic management is closely tied to the availability of information. In essence, transparency and access to information are crucial for building and maintaining trust in government actions during health crises like the pandemic. We believe that these principles should inform our pandemic preparedness. Adds Richter, We would hope that other countries, other jurisdictions, will be motivated by this case to also take action to find their contracts. A report by Transparency International shows only about 10% of countries have been able to access the contracts that have been signed with vaccine manufacturers. The Department of Health's sole response thus far has been an indication that they will study the judgment and respond in due course. It is due to make available all the records HJI requested within the time period set out in the judgment (10 court days from 17 August 2023). President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to welcome President Xi Jinping of China on a state visit to South Africa tomorrow, 22 August. This visit precedes the 15th Brics Summit scheduled for 22 August -24 August, 2023. Celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations and rooted in historic ties dating back to the Bandung Conference of 1955, this event marks a significant milestone in the relationship between the two countries. Source: Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco). The State visit by President Xi will give the leaders and their delegations an opportunity to reflect on developments under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and to consider further deepening co-operation.The visit crowns deliberations in which the two governments have been engaging on implementing structures such as the Bi-National Commission, Joint Working Group, People-to-People Exchange Mechanism and Strategic Dialogue. South Africa and China enjoy vibrant economic relations, and China is South Africas largest global trading partner by volume.China is an important investor in South Africa and provides support on infrastructure development projects including the Small Harbour Development Project, the TVET Refurbishment Project and the Mzimvubu Water Project, all of which are instrumental in job creation. Discussions during the state visit will explore further collaboration and partnerships the two nations can leverage on to solidify existing diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations.The expected outcomes of the visit include: Reaffirming the close and historic political ties underpinned by solidarity, a win-win partnership and people-to-people co-operation within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and in celebration of 25 years of diplomatic relations. Underscoring the urgent need to address the trade balance and diversify South African exports to China by identifying broad market access for value-added products. Highlighting the importance of sustainable foreign direct investment through supporting manufacturing, infrastructure, and beneficiation and encouraging close private-sector engagement from both countries. Acknowledging the support of China on bilateral technical co-operation under the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) in addressing South Africas domestic imperatives. Exchanging views on regional issues in support for development, peace and security. Enhancing multilateral co-operation, specifically within the context of Brics, the G77 plus China, and the G20, and to seek Chinese support for South Africa and Africas call for the reform of global governance institutions, notably the United Nations Security Council. It is anticipated that several agreements and memoranda of understanding will be signed during the state visit, focusing on socio-economic co-operation, which both sides will ensure implementation that yields results for both countries.South Africa and China will co-host the China-Africa Leaders Roundtable scheduled for 24 August, and also engage on co-operation at multilateral level, particularly at the Focac level. Katja Hamilton is at the Brics Summit this week in Johannesburg, reporting live for Bizcommunity. The Governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, took a wild swing at independent reporting, telling people not to listen to information from social media and "influencers." It's hard to say what his definition of an "influencer" is, only that he is clearly hostile to anyone reporting news outside of the government narrative. Green's disapproval of media reporting is not limited to alternative journalists, however. It appears that there is now an information blackout being instituted by the state. Corporate journalists are also being denied access to the area of the fire damage path as well as access to any details surrounding the investigation into how the fires may have started. WOW. This is the Governor of Hawaii, Josh Green basically saying that independent journalism about what is going on in Maui is VERY discouraged & that sources outside of the Government should not be trusted or listened to. Doing reporting through social media is pic.twitter.com/92RVkN7DSJ The Patriot Voice (@TPV_John) August 19, 2023 The lockdown is reminiscent of the state's recent draconian covid response and has undertones similar to the Hurricane Katrina calamity in 2005. It is possible that the Hawaiian government got a taste of ultimate power over the past few years and now they think that 1st Amendment rights no longer apply. The editor of the Maui Times reiterates that the government is shutting out all media inquiries and they are not to blame for the lack of confirmed updates on the situation. There are a few possible takeaways to be gathered here: First, it's clear that independent reporting is having an effect in exposing state mismanagement, which is why they are attacking "influencers" and putting access on ice. Second, public pressure must be immense, because even the local media is trying to stave off the torches and pitchforks by reiterating that they have no access. When was the last time you saw the mainstream media calling out information controls instead of working in direct lockstep with officials? Third, there is something going on in Maui beyond bureaucratic hubris. Why block the media from going to the site of the fire? Why try to inoculate the public to any information outside of government sources? Is there something they are trying to hide beyond incompetence? There is evidence to suggest that a major land grab is already in progress, with wealthy interests as well as state interests circling the charred Maui carcass ready to feed. There are also questions as to the true source of the fires. Frankly, if government policy decisions led to the deaths of hundreds of people then they should pay the price for their blunders. If other shady activities are afoot, then the public has a right to know. The state is not given license to deny media examination of the event. Democrats in Hawaii are trying to turn the tables and make the calamity about who deserves to report the news, when they should be scrambling to save their own skins in the face of intense public scrutiny. These people deserve to be placed under a very large and uncomfortable microscope. Running an independent media outlet is tough, and theres a company called NewsGuard thats making it even harder. NewsGuard claims to rate online content, including from media outlets, to see how trustworthy it is. But if we take a closer look, its doing more than thatits putting pressure on news organizations.NewsGuard started in 2018. It sends out analysts to review online content creators and give them ratings. The ratings appear as small badges with scores next to search results. NewsGuard started in 2018. It sends out analysts to review online content creators and give them ratings. The ratings appear as small badges with scores next to search results. But theres more to the story. NewsGuards real power comes from its connections with advertising agencies. These agencies guide their clients to stop giving money for ads to content creators that NewsGuards analysts dont like. Interestingly, big corporate media that are friendly with the establishment tend to get high scores. On the other hand, independent media that question the establishment often get low scores, even if they follow good journalism practices. Subjective Criteria NewsGuard says its fair and not biased. The companys ratings look at nine things, like who wrote the article and if it follows the usual editorial rules. But in reality, most of the rating comes from whether NewsGuard thinks the content is truthful. The first thing they check is if the source keeps spreading lies. They also look at how responsibly the source shares news. NewsGuard says if you fail the first test, youll fail the second. Another thing they check is if the headlines are accurate. If NewsGuard thinks a headline is wrong, they count it as a failure. They also want to see a pattern of fixing mistakes, or what they think are mistakes. These four things together make up more than half of the score. Even if NewsGuard cant find any real problems, they can still take away points if the source doesnt share the opinions they like. It claims that such content providers egregiously cherry-pick facts or stories to advance opinions. Meanwhile, NewsGuard requires at least 60 points to give it a credible rating. This approach becomes especially concerning when NewsGuard itself gets the facts wrong. For example, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company labeled the idea that the SARS-CoV-2 virus leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China, as false. If a news source with a perfect score reported responsibly about the strong indirect evidence for a lab leak, it risked NewsGuard greatly lowering its score and wrongly tagging it as an unreliable source that severely violates basic journalistic standards. The COVID-19 origins matter was a unique instance where NewsGuard later admitted its mistake, but only acknowledged that the lab leak theory couldnt be entirely dismissed. Workers inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, on Feb. 23, 2017. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images) While it checks facts for others, NewsGuard seems to have its own opinions. There have been many cases where media outlets have faced criticism from NewsGuard for sharing views that challenge widely accepted ideas on topics like climate change, vaccine safety, COVID-19 restrictions, the Ukraine conflict, the World Economic Forum, and more. On these matters, NewsGuard appears to guard the mainstream perspective and demands that content creators stick to the expected viewpoint. Ive had interactions with them where it was very obvious that they were anything but objective, said John Tillman, head of the non-profit Franklin Foundation, which manages the news service The Center Square. Most of the time, sources rated poorly by NewsGuard tend to be on the conservative side of politics. The Media Research Center (MRC), a watchdog for conservative media, found that NewsGuard gave higher scores on average to left-leaning sources compared to right-leaning ones, with a difference of 22 points. The 2021 report was based on analyzing NewsGuard ratings for over 50 major news outlets categorized as left- or right-biased by AllSides, a company that gauges media bias through unbiased content and editorial assessments. NewsGuard criticized the MRC report, claiming it picked specific outlets for the study and had a small sample size. MRC responded that the list included all news outlets reviewed by AllSides. When MRC repeated the study in late 2022, the gap had widened to 25 points. Journalists and media crew members during an election night event in New York on Nov. 8, 2016. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) Unlike the major fact-checking organizations, NewsGuard at least lives up to its name in that its a guard for the lefts news, says Matt Palumbo, investigator for the conservative podcast The Dan Bongino Show, in his upcoming book Fact-Checking the Fact-Checkers. In November 2019, NewsGuard got in touch with RealClearInvestigations (RCI) and questioned their use of unnamed sources to uncover the alleged identity of the whistleblower who initiated the impeachment of President Donald Trump. In response, RCI asked NewsGuard if it was also reaching out to The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC, or BuzzFeed to question their use of anonymous sources. However, NewsGuard reportedly didnt reply. When NewsGuard gave a negative label to the conservative education platform PragerU, the CEO, Marissa Streit, tried to fix the situation in good faith. She told PragerUs founder, Dennis Prager, during a podcast interview that they believed it was a mistake. But instead of a simple correction, NewsGuard sent them a list of demands. NewsGuard asked PragerU to stop criticizing the COVID-19 lockdown policies, to stop questioning the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, to avoid discussing any COVID-19 treatments not approved by the government, and to halt discussions questioning the seriousness of climate change, among other things. They also wanted to know who donated to PragerU, but the organization refused because they were worried about potential donor targeting. They want to smear these people. Thats the only reason they want their names, Mr. Prager said. In PragerU founder Dennis Pragers view, NewsGuard lacks respect for the pursuit of truth through dierences in opinion. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Marissa Streit attempted to make changes to meet some of NewsGuards demands and see how they would respond. For example, when a PragerU commentator questioned the motives of the World Economic Forum in a podcast, NewsGuard demanded that the video be taken down. According to Dennis Prager, NewsGuard doesnt seem to value the search for truth through diverse viewpoints. I still havent noted what did we say thats misinformation, as opposed to [an opinion on which] honorable people can dier, he said. The negative rating from NewsGuard led PragerUs video hosting provider, JW Player, to sever ties with them. Since then, PragerU has started an online petition against NewsGuard. They are powerful in a very bad, malevolent, malicious, destructive way, Mr. Prager said. NewsGuard has argued that its process is fair because it contacts the rated outlets for their input and includes their comments in the ratings. However, PragerUs experience suggests that this might just be a routine practice, and the arguments from the outlets dont seem to influence the final rating. In the end, it seems that the targeted outlets often give up and no longer consider NewsGuard relevant. Anthony Watts founder and editor of WattsUpWithThat.com and a fellow with the Heartland Institute. (heartland.org) Anthony Watts and Charles Rotter are in charge of WattsUpWithThat.com, a blog that presents content skeptical of the extreme effects of climate change. They believe that NewsGuard is not being honest in its intentions. They are purposefully focused on destroying the credibility of websites they dont like, said Mr. Watts, who is associated with the Heartland Institute, when speaking to The Epoch Times. Earlier this year, a NewsGuard team member named Zack Fishman contacted Mr. Watts about a few articles. One of these articles mentioned that the arrest of climate activist Greta Thunberg was staged. Mr. Fishman disagreed, stating that it was a real arrest. However, Mr. Watts clarified that he was referring to the way in which Ms. Thunberg was arrested. A video circulating online showed police officers posing with her while she was smiling and laughing before they took her away. It boils down to a disagreement with the reviewer, Mr. Watts said. They apply these sort of credentialist straw man games, Mr. Rotter said. Its like, We found this study that contradicts what this person said, therefore youre wrong. Even if Mr. Fishman identified actual mistakes, they appeared to be quite minor to question the overall credibility of the entire blog, which is what NewsGuard did. Newsguard attaches credibility ratings to news outlets and other content creators. (Petr Svab/The Epoch Times) Mr. Fishman pointed out three or four articles to Mr. Watts with claims he could dispute. Nonetheless, the website has published tens of thousands of articles. NewsGuard itself has suggested that its ratings should not solely be based on the accuracy of a few specific pieces of content. Our ratings do not mean that a site with a poor rating will never get a story right, or that a site with a strong rating will never get a story wrong, explained Matt Skibinski, the general manager of NewsGuard, to Breitbart. NewsGuard contends that it assesses journalistic standardswhen it identifies errors, are they corrected? However, Mr. Watts was not unwilling to fix errors. He believed that these werent mistakes in the first place, but rather matters of legitimate differences in viewpoint and opinion. These people are like robots. Its very dicult to actually have a discussion with them, Mr. Rotter said. Establishment Guard Mike Benz, previously in charge of the digital department at the State Department and now heading the Foundation for Freedom Online, asserts that NewsGuard is just one piece of a larger censorship industry that has grown over roughly the past six years. He points out that the key players in this industry are not mainly aligned with political parties but are more aligned with the established authorities. Even conservative outlets can get high NewsGuard ratings, but this often requires them to support the mainstream perspectives on specific issues. This industry emerged as a response to the rise of populism in the West, starting around 2015 with events like Brexit and the election of President Donald Trump. The trend continued with other notable populist leaders such as Marine Le Pen in France and Matteo Salvini in Italy, explained Mr. Benz. President Donald Trump takes the oath of office during his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2017. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) According to him, the establishment attributed citizens choices of wrong leaders to online media, including social platforms. From the 1940s until the present, there has been this bipartisan conception of foreign policy, he said. There is this uniparty axis that was being broken apart by the rise of free and unfettered news online that was growing to such popularity that the gatekeepers of national security state-aligned media, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the majors, like CBS, ABC, NBC, were now no longer the dispositive forces on elections around the world, particularly in the United States and across the EU. NewsGuard basically grew out of this soup in 2017 as the national security state and various opportunists on both sides of the political aisle, in particular the neoconservative wing of the GOP and pretty much all of the Democrat Party, except the anti-war left, joined together with various elements of the national security state, including the Pentagon, the State Department, and the intelligence services, to come up with basically a plan to end the popularity and availability of alternative news online. Mr. Tillman reached a somewhat similar conclusion. What theyre really trying to do is control information ow, because they dont like the democratization of information, he said. Notably, NewsGuards Advisory Board is populated with figures who are aligned with the established order. Among its prominent members is Gen. Michael Hayden, a former head of both the CIA and the NSA. Mr. Benz characterized him as a prominent figure in the national security state. Hayden was CIA director, NSA director, & 4-star general. Apex predator of the national security state. Deeply enmeshed in the censorship industry (hes on the board of NewsGuard) His target switched from foreign terrorism to domestic populism https://t.co/lniawsPr4x Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) July 15, 2023 Mike Benz, executive director of the Foundation For Freedom Online and a former State Department official. (Jack Wang/The Epoch Times) Mr. Haydens Twitter account clearly displays strong aversion, even going to extremes, towards President Trump and his supporters. In one tweet he shared, he compared Trump supporters to the Taliban terrorist group. Another tweet likened them to Nazis, and there was even one demanding the removal of well-known Republican lawmakers like Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green. This is the kind of stuff former CIA Director Michael Hayden retweets: That American conservatives are Taliban and Nazis and should be repressed. Hayden was a Republican, so you can imagine what the intelligence community is really like. pic.twitter.com/r5dCABcxBQ J Michael Waller (@JMichaelWaller) July 15, 2023 Other advisors for NewsGuard include Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who formerly led NATO; Arne Duncan, the former education secretary during the Obama administration; Don Baer, a former spokesman for the Clinton White House; and Tom Ridge, who was the initial head of the Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush. During the past year, the World Economic Forum has actively endorsed NewsGuard. NewsGuard gives sources a Red or Green rating using 9 credibility criteria. Learn more about fighting misinformation: https://t.co/gVugpFrZtF @WEFBookClub pic.twitter.com/ywXGmpWGR0 World Economic Forum (@wef) February 5, 2022 Their influence goes beyond just the United States; it stretches to countries like Canada, Australia, and Europe, and is gradually expanding to other parts of the world, indicating a clear aim for widespread global coverage. Moreover, their ratings are employed by different sectors of the censorship industry, involving researchers and individuals, some backed by funding from the U.S. government. These parties are working on developing tools to identify and counter viewpoints that are not favored online. Addressing the risks of misinformation in their 2022 white paper, NewsGuard mentioned that researchers using NewsGuards source reliability data found that anti-establishment networks disseminated content from a large number of NewsGuard Red-rated sites during the German Federal Election in 2021, proliferating anti-vaccination, anti-lockdown, and anti-climate protection content specically. NewsGuard is a self-appointed misinformation watchdog. It seems to be just one more way Americans are not allowed to think for themselves. GreatGameIndia is being actively targeted by powerful forces who do not wish us to survive. Your contribution, however small help us keep afloat. We accept voluntary payment for the content available for free on this website via UPI, PayPal and Bitcoin. If youre tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The UN is tripling down on its role as an important global player in the fight against online misinformation and amplification of the narrative of a supposedly serious threat this allegedly new phenomenon brings to humankind. Thus UN peacekeepers are adding another task to the duties the member-states fund when they approve their missions meant to help people and countries devastated by war and other disasters: they are now also building a digital army. And according to a writeup on the UN website, misinformation is viewed by the world organization in exceedingly alarmist terms as, deadly, and posing existential risk to such core building blocks of modern societies as democratic institutions and fundamental human rights. They really do make that connection, verbatim. And they now use the term war and battlefield to describe (mis)information and other goings on in the media, too. Weve heard this before, of course, from the Biden administration regarding the Covid vaccines/pandemic but the identical wording may or may not be a coincidence. In order to justify as much as it can this considerable shift in policy and focus from UNs traditional operations and purpose, the UN article doesnt talk only about things like undermining epidemic(s)-containing efforts, protecting scientific truths and facts (and, as recent experience has shown, facts as well ), and the like. To prop up the argument, it is claimed that the peacekeeping work itself, and the safety and lives of peacekeepers are also falling victim to large scale misinformation. The UNs solutions: effectively testing proactive approaches to the problem they defined, and doing this in a number of war-torn African countries. Leading the charge seems to be the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUSCO (a French-language acronym). Then theres something called the UN Verified initiative, which offers a course free of charge that is supposed to educate people in these physically dangerous places on how to keep themselves safe from online misinformation. This effort expands on several basic topics, including how to recognize disinformation, and the UN will also tell you why it is being spread. Another one is to be able to discern emotional, dramatic, and provocative content (some might say the article from the UN site referenced here might easily qualify.) The post The UN is Building a Digital Army To Fight What it Calls Deadly Disinformation appeared first on Reclaim The Net. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Chinese ambassador library inaugurated at National University of Laos Xinhua) 10:09, August 21, 2023 VIENTIANE, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese ambassador library has been inaugurated at the National University of Laos (NUOL) in the Lao capital Vientiane, aiming to enhance Lao students' understanding of China-Laos friendship through reading. Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Laos Liang Dazong told the inauguration ceremony on Friday that the library aims to enrich the reading resources of the NUOL, create a good reading environment, help students develop a good habit of reading, and enhance Lao students' understanding of China-Laos friendship. He said China and Laos attach great importance to personnel training and regard youth as the hopes of a country and the future of a nation, and both sides will further enhance educational cooperation. For his part, Vice President of NUOL Dayxanoulath Senduangden said the library is important for the university, which provides students with the opportunity to find more sources of knowledge. Many Lao students are interested in learning Chinese and applying for a Chinese scholarship. The books collected in this library include Chinese language, culture and literature. The vice president said this library is a symbol of friendly relations and the community with a shared future between Laos and China. The Chinese Embassy has established libraries in several provinces of Laos and will continue to create more libraries in the Southeast Asian country, in order to bring vitality for the development of Laos' education and plant a seed of China-Laos friendship. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. 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Simply answer the following question on the breakingnews.ie Facebook page Name one of the features of the Wedding & Honeymoon Show Event? For more information on the Wedding & Honeymoon Show and to get your tickets, go to Wed.ie Competition Terms & Conditions A neurologist at the centre of the Norths largest ever recall of patients is to face a new public hearing over his fitness to practise. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) has announced that a hearing into Dr Michael Watt will begin in September. Advertisement Concerns over the clinical work of the former Belfast Health and Social Care Trust consultant neurologist were first raised in 2018. More than 4,000 of his former patients attended recall appointments. A previous MPTS tribunal granted Dr Watt voluntary removal from the medical register. The private ruling was made ahead of an expected public hearing and caused anger among politicians and some of his former patients. Advertisement However, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) referred the matter to the High Court in Belfast due to concern that the ruling was not sufficient to protect the public. Advertisement The court in Belfast sent the case back to the MPTS after quashing its previous ruling. The new hearing will consider whether Dr Watts fitness to practise is impaired by reason of deficient professional performance, following a General Medical Council (GMC) assessment in which his performance was deemed unacceptable in five areas. Advertisement SDLP health spokesman Colin McGrath welcomed the new hearing into Dr Michael Watt (Liam McBurney/PA) An entry on the MPTS website stated: The tribunal will inquire into the allegation that, between 7 and 22 October 2018, Dr Watt underwent a General Medical Council assessment of the standard of his professional performance. It is alleged that his professional performance was unacceptable in the areas of maintaining professional performance, assessment, clinical management, record-keeping and relationship with patients. A separate probe, the Independent Neurology Inquiry, concluded last year that problems with Dr Watts practice were missed for years and opportunities to intervene were lost. Advertisement It said systems and processes in place around patient safety failed and made more than 70 recommendations. SDLP health spokesman Colin McGrath welcomed the new hearing as he said serious questions about the work of Dr Watt have still to be answered. He said: It should have taken place a long time ago and its disappointing that patients have had to fight to get this far. Advertisement Advertisement There remain serious questions to answer and it is appropriate that they are now being looked at by the tribunal. The whole situation casts a long shadow over our health service and its important that lessons are learned so that nothing like this can ever take place again. However, we will be unable to fully move on until this case is properly examined and patients feel that their experiences have been heard and taken on board. This tribunal will not make up for the pain and suffering caused to so many, but it will help to bring closure and answers for those involved. A youth charged with the murder of a man in Ongar, west Dublin, in June, has been further remanded in custody. John Mulrooney, 18, of Manorfield Green, Clonee, Dublin, is accused of murdering Aaron Keating on June 13th at Main Street in Ongar. Advertisement Mr Keating, who was in his 40s and from Blanchardstown, suffered severe wounds and was removed from the scene to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, where he was pronounced dead. The accused was 17, a minor, and could not be identified in media coverage of the case when it first came before the Dublin Children's Court on June 16th. The usual Children's Act reporting restrictions applied at that time, and he was remanded in custody. However, the reporting restrictions ceased after he turned 18 last month. He appeared again at the Dublin Children's Court and was further remanded in custody to appear again on September 15 for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The State has to complete a book of evidence before the court grants a trial order. Advertisement Mr Keating was known to the State services and lived in local private supported accommodation for several years. A Garda family liaison officer has been appointed to his family. Detective Sergeant Garda Mark Murphy had said that when the teen was charged, "there was no reply to the charge after caution". Tropical Storm Hilary has deluged arid parts of Mexico and then drenched Southern California from the coast to inland mountains and deserts, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers. Millions of people expect more flooding and mudslides on Monday, even as the storm begins to weaken. Advertisement The storm first made landfall in Mexicos arid Baja California Peninsula on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles south of Ensenada. One person drowned. It then moved through mudslide-prone Tijuana, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the US border. The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary dropped more than half an average years worth of rain on some areas, including the desert resort city of Palm Springs, which saw nearly 3in of rain by Sunday evening. Advertisement Advertisement An Imperial Beach lifeguard passes the pier, which was closed as Tropical Storm Hilary passed through the area (The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) The US National Hurricane Centre in Miami downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical storm in its early Monday advisory, and warned that continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding was expected over portions of the south-western US on Monday. All coastal warnings were discontinued. Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, and fire officials rescued 13 people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Advertisement Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water. Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second largest school system, said all campuses would be closed on Monday, as did districts across the region. San Diego schools postponed the first day of classes from Monday to Tuesday. The Palm Springs Police Department said on Sunday that 911 lines were down and that in the event of an emergency to text 911 or reach out to the nearest police or fire station. Advertisement Advertisement 8PM EDT Aug 20: The system in the Gulf of Mexico has a high chance of formation. Interests in the western Gulf of Mexico should monitor the progress of this system. Tropical storm watches or warnings may be necessary on Monday. Visit https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ for the latest pic.twitter.com/o3gvvIOXLI National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 21, 2023 Advertisement The storm was projected to weaken as it continued moving northward over California and into Nevada, but Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said very heavy rain and strong winds are still likely. Southern California got another surprise on Sunday afternoon as an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 hit near Ojai, about 80 miles north-west of Los Angeles, according to the US Geological Survey. The tremor was felt widely and was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury, according to a dispatcher with the Ventura County Sheriffs Office. Hilary is just the latest major climate disaster to wreak havoc across the US, Canada and Mexico. Hawaiis island of Maui is still reeling from a blaze that killed over 100 people and ravaged the historic town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. Firefighters in Canada are battling that nations worst fire season on record. Advertisement As Hilary bore down on Mexico, one person drowned on Saturday in Mugele, on the eastern side of the Baja Peninsula, when a vehicle was swept away by an overflowing stream. Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years (AP) Rescue workers saved four other people, said Edith Aguilar Villavicencio, the mayor of Mulege. Mexican army troops fanned out across the area where some of the worst damage occurred on Saturday. Soldiers used bulldozers and dump trucks to help clear tons of boulders and earth that clogged streets and roads. Power lines were toppled in many places, and emergency personnel worked to restore electricity. Also on Sunday, one of several budding storm systems in the Atlantic Ocean became Tropical Storm Emily, according to the National Hurricane Centre. It was far from land, moving west in the open ocean. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Franklin formed in the eastern Caribbean. Tropical storm watches were issued for the southern coasts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In September 1939, a tropical storm that roared into California ripped apart train tracks, tore houses from their foundations and capsized many boats, killing nearly 100 people on land and at sea. Canadian firefighters have made some progress battling blazes in a British Columbia region known for picturesque resort towns, but hundreds more raging across the province have pushed thousands from their homes. There is finally a bit of a glimmer of hope, West Kelowna fire chief Jason Broland told a news conference of the progress being made in the Lake Okanagan region, which is known as a summer destination for families. Advertisement The weather has allowed us to make progress, he said, adding that crews were able to conduct more traditional firefighting techniques such as putting out hot spots. More than 1,200 miles away, firefighters fought flames bearing down on Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. Evacuees from Yellowknife (Bill Braden /The Canadian Press via AP) Advertisement The fire remained about nine miles from the city, which was left virtually empty after nearly all of its 20,000 residents fled for safety. Advertisement Even as things dried out and fire behaviour picked up, we were able to do some good suppression work form the air and limit the progression, fire information officer Mike Westwick said at a media briefing on Sunday night. Canada has seen a record number of wildfires this year that have also caused choking smoke in parts of the US. All told, there have been more than 5,700 fires, which have burned more than 53,000 square miles from one end of Canada to the other, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Hundreds of fires continued to rage across British Columbia and 35,000 people were under evacuation orders on Sunday. Advertisement It is still very much dynamic, said Jerrad Schroeder, a British Columbia Wildfire Service chief. Theres still portions of this fire that we just have not prioritised. Northwest Territories: Today, we deployed another company of @CanadianArmy soldiers to Hay River. Approximately 400 @CanadianForces members are now assisting the territory. Our personnel continue to build firebreaks around Hay River and Yellowknife to keep communities safe. pic.twitter.com/pUVhAWZXmt Bill Blair (@BillBlair) August 20, 2023 Advertisement Fire chief Mr Broland also conceded that some may be coming back to nothing when evacuees are allowed to return. Advertisement Some of you have lost your homes. Theres no question about that, he said. There are lots of backyards where the fire has come right to your patio furniture. And its been stopped there because of the work of the 500 people that are on the ground fighting. Advertisement Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the approval of British Columbias request for federal assistance. Well continue to be here with whatever support is needed, he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. I brought the Incident Response Group together again today to address the wildfires in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, and to make sure were continuing to mobilize all of the federal resources needed. Our commitment to supporting everyone affected is unwavering. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 19, 2023 In a Facebook post, Yellowknife officials said they were working to establish wildfire defence lines around the city, creating fire breaks and using water sprinklers, cannons and aircraft dropping fire retardant. We are not out of the woods yet as many factors can change the status of a fire quickly, the post said. Shane Thompson, the provinces environment minister said the fire was unlikely to reach the outskirts of the community today or tomorrow. Advertisement Still, in Hay River, evacuees could be looking at weeks before they can return home, Mayor Kandis Jameson said in a Sunday morning statement to the communitys 3,800 residents. Warm, dry weather and steady winds are forecast for the upcoming week, she said. Former US president Donald Trump has confirmed he will be skipping Wednesdays first Republican presidential primary debate and potentially later debates. Writing on his Truth Social media platform, he said: The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES! Advertisement His spokesman did not immediately clarify whether he plans to boycott every primary debate or just those that have been scheduled. The former president and front runner for the partys nomination had said for months he saw little upside in joining his GOP rivals on stage when they gather for the first time in Milwaukee on Wednesday, given his commanding lead in the race. Why would I allow people at one or 2% and 0% to be hitting me with questions all night? he said in an interview in June with Fox News host Bret Baier, who will be serving as a moderator. Advertisement Advertisement Former President Donald Trump throws autographed red hats to the crowd during the final round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament (Seth Wenig, AP) Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised Fox, the host of the August 23 primetime event, insisting it is a hostile network he believes will not treat him fairly. He has discussed a number of debate counterprogramming options, including sitting for an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has been hosting a show on the website formerly known as Twitter. The New York Times reported on Saturday the interview set to air on Wednesday has already been taped. Advertisement We cannot confirm or deny stay tuned, Mr Trumps spokesman Steven Cheung said. The idea had been one of several alternatives Mr Trump had floated in conversations in recent weeks. They included possibly showing up in Milwaukee at the last minute or attending but sitting in the audience and offering live commentary on his Truth Social site. He also discussed potentially calling into different networks to draw viewers from the debate or holding a rally. Ecuadoreans were voting on Sunday to choose a president and legislature they hope will lead the country out of a spiral of violence and economic troubles after a campaign darkened by bloodshed. Candidates have pledged to fight sharp increases in crime, which the current government blames on drug gangs, and improve the struggling economy, whose woes have caused an uptick in unemployment and migration. Advertisement Security has taken centre stage in the contest since the August 9th murder of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a former investigative journalist and lawmaker who was gunned down while leaving a campaign event earlier this month. Other candidates have reported attacks against them, although in several cases police have said that the violence was not directed at the hopefuls themselves. Voters at the polls in Quito and Guayaquil said security was their major focus. Advertisement "First is security, and then the economy and jobs. Without security there isn't investment, there aren't companies, there aren't jobs," said public employee Patricia Simbana, who voted at an elementary school in the capital where Christian Zurita, Villavicencio's replacement, cast his ballot amid a scrum of journalists and heavily armed soldiers. Advertisement Simbana said she was voting for pro-market candidate Otto Sonnenholzner, who has hardened his discourse since the murder, repeatedly promising that criminals who use violence will be shot by police under his government. "It's time now to act with a firm hand," she said. In coastal Guayaquil, where crime has spiked in recent years, hometown law-and-order candidate Jan Topic - who says he was a member of the French Foreign Legion and has pledged to solve security problems first - was attracting support. "Without security we can't live, we can't do anything at all," said 24-year-old psychology student Maria Jose Cabrera, who also cited the need for jobs for young people and a fight against corruption. Advertisement Reported problems Luisa Gonzalez, a protegee of former President Rafael Correa, led polling before Villavicencio's killing with about 30 per cent of voting intention. She voted in Manabi province and predicted that the contest would not go to a second round. Advertisement A candidate needs 50 per cent of the vote, or 40 per cent if they are 10 points ahead of their nearest rival, to win in a first round. Otherwise, a second round is held, which would occur on October 15th. Gonzalez has promised to free up $2.5 billion from international reserves to bolster Ecuador's economy as well as bring back social programs implemented by Correa - who has since been convicted of corruption - during his decade in power. Advertisement Her Citizens' Revolution party and Villavicencio's Construye party both said some Ecuadoreans voting from abroad were having trouble with the online system set up for them. "The National Electoral Council recognizes the difficulties that have occurred with online voting, especially in Europe, Asia and Oceania," council president Diana Atamaint told journalists. "At this time the difficulties have been overcome." Voting was proceeding peacefully, Atamaint added. Over 30,000 of the 118,000 Ecuadoreans registered to vote from abroad via the online system had voted by 12.45pm local time, the council said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. Advertisement Zurita has promised to better equip the police and enshrine intelligence protocols to fight crime, using international loans to shore up social programs. Villavicencio's name and photo appear on ballots, which were printed before his murder. Environmentalist Indigenous candidate Yaku Perez has said he would revise mining concessions that do not comply with environmental and social rules and ask creditors for breathing room, while Daniel Noboa, son of prominent banana businessman and former candidate Alvaro Noboa, has centered his campaign on job creation. Also on Sunday's ballot are two environmental referendums - both expected to pass - that could block mining in a forest near Quito and development of an oil block in the Amazon. The 13 million-strong electorate will also choose 137 members of the national assembly. Voting is mandatory for those between 18 and 65 and authorities have said 100,000 police and military will guard polling places. Six suspects, all Colombians police say belong to criminal gangs, were charged with Villavicencio's murder and are being held. Another suspect died from wounds sustained in a shootout with authorities. The families of Lucy Letbys victims told her you are nothing and you are evil as the serial child murderer refused to appear in court for sentencing. Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, faces a whole life order when Mr Justice Goss hands down her sentence at Manchester Crown Court later. Advertisement More than a dozen relatives of Letbys victims sat in the public gallery for the hearing on Monday and eight jurors returned to see the sentencing. Advertisement British prime minister Rishi Sunak told reporters on Monday it was cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims. The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. Advertisement In a statement read to the court, the mother of Child A, who was murdered by Letby, and Child B, who she attempted to kill, said: You thought it was your right to play God with our childrens lives. She said after the death of Child A they feared for their second child and made sure a member of the family was always with her, but made a mistake and started to believe what happened to the first child was a tragic event that couldnt be stopped. Advertisement She added: Little did we know you were waiting for us to leave, so you could attack the one thing that gave us a reason to carry on in life. In the statement, made on behalf of her and her partner, she said: Maybe you thought by doing this you would be remembered forever, but I want you to know my family will never think of you again. From this day you are nothing. Advertisement Screenshot from footage of the arrest of Lucy Letby. Photo: Cheshire Constabulary/PA. The mother of Child C choked back tears as she told Letby in her absence: At least now there is no debate that, in your own words, you killed them on purpose. You are evil. You did this. Advertisement The woman added: I blame myself entirely for his death. I still live with the guilt that I couldnt protect him during pregnancy or in his short life. Nicholas Johnson KC, prosecuting, opened his remarks by confirming that the defendant has refused to come into court. Advertisement The mother of Child E, who died, and Child F, who survived, told the court the nurses refusal to appear was just one final act of wickedness from a coward. She added of Letbys time giving evidence: I would like to thank Lucy for taking the stand and showing the court what she is really like once the nice Lucy mask slips. It was honestly the best thing she could have done to ensure our boys got the justice they deserve. Another parent said hospital bosses told her a police probe was out of the question after the death of her child, a full-term baby girl referred to as Child D, on June 22 2015. She was the third infant death in a fortnight equalling the total number of deaths on the neonatal unit for the whole of 2014. Child Ds mother told the court she asked for her medical notes and met with doctors and management from the Countess of Chester Hospital. Advertisement She said: We got a solicitor and I wanted the police involved. At that stage I was told this was not a criminal matter so the police was out of the question. Letby has joined the list of the UKs most twisted child killers, including the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the so-called Angel of Death paediatric nurse Beverley Allitt. The prosecutor told the court Letbys offending was a very, very clear case for a whole-life tariff to be imposed. He said the murders qualified on a number of grounds, including that they were premeditated and they involved an elements of sadistic conduct. Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in the UK criminal justice system, for those who commit the most serious crimes. A hand-written note found by police in Ms Letbys home. Photo: Cheshire Constabulary/PA. Last week, the 33-year-old refused to return to the dock as the jury continued to return verdicts and the court was told she did not want to take any part in her sentencing hearing, and would not follow the hearing via video-link from prison. But late on Sunday, a Government source suggested lawful enforcement could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate. Advertisement Lucy Letby should be in court to hear societys condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge, the source told the PA news agency. If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can. Mr Justice Goss said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but the Government has vowed to give judges the power to do so. Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government is committed to changing the law so criminals are compelled to attend their sentencing hearings following the non-attendance of the killers of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. A global aid chief has urged the international community to provide more funds to help Sudanese people trapped by a monthslong military conflict between rival generals in the African nation. Jagan Chapagain, the secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said his organisations have received only 7% of the 45 million dollars (35 million) they appealed for to help those inside Sudan. Advertisement The war is pitting the military against the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Advertisement Sudan was plunged into chaos in April when simmering tensions between the military, led by Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere. The conflict has turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. Many residents live without water and electricity, and the countrys healthcare system has nearly collapsed. Advertisement The needs are real, Mr Chapagain told The Associated Press. Sudanese people need urgent support, urgent solidarity and urgent interest. The sprawling region of Darfur saw some of the worst bouts of violence in the conflict, and the fighting there has morphed into ethnic clashes with RSF and allied Arab militia targeting ethnic African communities. Advertisement Clashes also intensified earlier this month in the provinces of South Kordofan and West Kordofan. A rebel group attacked Kadugli, the provincial capital of South Kordofan and clashed with the military, killing and displacing civilians, according to the UN mission in Sudan. More than 3.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes to safer areas inside Sudan, according to the United Nations migration agency. More than a million crossed into neighbouring countries, including Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Central African Republic, the agency added. Mr Chapagain called for the international community to show the same solidarity with Sudanese people they showed last year when they rushed to help those who fled Russias invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement I see the humanitarian side of the Ukraine is a good example. Thats how the world community can come together. We need a similar solidarity for Sudan now, he said. Advertisement People board a truck as they leave Khartoum, Sudan (AP/PA) Along with the 45 million dollars needed to help those inside Sudan, Chapagain said another 35 million dollars (27 million) is needed to provide assistance to those who fled the fighting to Sudans neighbouring countries. Advertisement Mr Chapagains comments came following a trip to the Egyptian border with Sudan, where he met customs officials and Sudanese refugees who fled the fighting in Khartoum. Egypt received more than 272,000 Sudanese as of August 1, according to official figures. Although the operations at the Egyptian side of the border were organised, he said, there were long lines for people on the Sudanese side waiting to be allowed into Egypt. He said between 400 and 600 people are crossing daily into Egypt compared with thousands in the first weeks of the war. The Egyptian government had allowed women and children to cross without visas in the first weeks of the war, but in June it began requiring visas for all Sudanese citizens despite objections from activists and rights groups. Mr Chapagain said the Egyptian government is under economic pressure as they are hosting more than nine million migrants, including Sudanese, Syrians and others, as well as the countrys growing population of over 105 million. They want to be generous. They want to be welcoming, he said. But at the same time, they do have concern in the sense that they are still a developing country. Lucy Letby will be sent copies of the victim impact statements read out during her sentencing after refusing to appear in court. The 33-year-old did not appear in the dock at Manchester Crown Court on Monday as she was given a whole-life order after being convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more. Advertisement The judge, Mr Justice Goss, ordered that Letby be sent a transcript of his sentencing remarks and copies of the statements read out by the families of her victims. Advertisement He said: The defendant, Lucy Letby, has refused to attend court for this sentence hearing. Accordingly, I have to sentence her in her absence. I shall deliver the sentencing remarks as if she was present to hear them. And I direct that she is provided with a transcript of my remarks and copies of the victim personal statements read to the court. Advertisement In a victim impact statement, the mother of twin boys Child E and Child F, who Letby was convicted of murdering and attempting to murder respectively, said Letbys absence was one final act of wickedness. Advertisement She told the court: Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is. We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough and stays in her cell just one final act of wickedness from a coward. Advertisement Rishi Sunak branded the serial child murderer cowardly for refusing to appear for her sentencing hearing. The UK prime minister said the British government was looking at changing the law so criminals were compelled to attend their sentencing hearings. Lucy Letby refused to attend her sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) Advertisement He was asked during a visit to a nursery in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on Monday whether ministers were moving too slowly on making the change. Mr Sunak told broadcasters: The first thing is to extend my sympathies to everyone affected by this. I think, like everyone reading about this, its just shocking and harrowing. Now, I think its cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims and hear first-hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones. Advertisement We are looking, and have been, at changing the law to make sure that that happens and thats something that well bring forward in due course. Letby joins a string of offenders in recent years who have refused to attend court as their punishment is handed down. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak branded Lucy Letby cowardly (Euan Duff/PA) Judges can order defendants to come to court prior to verdicts being delivered. If they fail to obey, they can be found in contempt of court and face up to two years in prison but the law does not cover sentencing hearings. Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the UK government was committed to changing the law so criminals were compelled to attend their sentencing hearings following the non-attendance of the killers of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. On Monday, he said the government was looking to change the law at the earliest opportunity. He added: Nothing could begin to undo the damage that Lucy Letby has done. Justice has been served, but it was an insult to the families of her victims that Letby failed to appear in the dock to hear her sentence handed down. She took the cowards approach, insulting her victims one last time by robbing their families of the chance to look her in the eye as the judge decided her fate. Advertisement Cases like these make me even more determined to make sure the worst offenders attend court to face justice, when ordered by the judge. Thats why we are looking at options to change the law at the earliest opportunity to ensure that in the silence that follows the clang of the prison gate, societys condemnation will be ringing in prisoners ears. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of dragging its heels (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The PA news agency understands plans for law changes to force criminals to face their sentencing hearing could be put forward as early as the autumn, as soon as parliamentary time allows. But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of dragging its heels over changing the law to compel criminals to attend their sentencing hearings. He added: I hope the Government will do it because I think it can be done very quickly. If they dont, we will force an amendment to appropriate legislation. But actually, my position is to invite the Government to get on with it, to offer Labours support so this could go through very, very quickly. This isnt the first case. The Government has been dragging its heels on this. Get on with it for the sake of these victims, and of course, the other cases that went before it. Advertisement Jebina Islam, sister of Ms Nessa who has been campaigning on this issue after her own familys experience, said: Its amazing that this is actually happening. The thought of these predators choosing to come to court was truly outrageous and unfair for the victim and their families and now we have put a stop to this. Welcome this from @AlexChalkChelt We know forcing offenders to court may have unintended consequences for families but we have been devising solutions with justice partners and families to alleviate some of the pain this cowardly act causes them. Look forward to working with Govt https://t.co/BrX2ZDVSqk Victims Commissioner London (@LDNVictimsComm) August 21, 2023 I am over the moon that this change is happening and thank everyone for their support and love. Ayse Hussein, cousin of Jan Mustafa who was murdered in east London and who has also campaigned on this issue, added: In our case it was a double murder and knowing that the perpetrator was allowed to sit comfortably in his cell while the judge read out the impact statements was a stab in the back. The perpetrator should be in the dock facing the family and listening to what he has put us through and to see the pain and tears because he has caused this by killing our loved ones, but because of the law he doesnt have to see or hear anything. Advertisement This is wrong and has to change. Perpetrators have so many rights and privileges over families, we suffer and have to listen in court, they dont. Londons Victims Commissioner, Claire Waxman, said perpetrators of crime must be made to face their sentencing in court and hear the impact of their crimes, or face consequences if they refuse. She added: I have had numerous meetings with many justice partners on this issue and have suggested a number of proposals to Government, and whilst we welcome the commitment to make the necessary changes, we need the Government to follow through swiftly to ensure that victims and their loved ones can feel that justice has been delivered and start their journey towards some sense of closure. Mr Sunak also defended the non-statutory inquiry announced by the UK government into Letbys crimes amid calls for it to be put on a statutory footing led by a judge. Asked whether it should be upgraded to a judge-led inquiry, with the power to compel witnesses to appear before it, the UK prime minister said: I think the important thing for the inquiry to do is make sure that families get the answers that they need, that it is possible for us to learn the lessons from what happened, everything conducted transparently, and to happen as quickly as possible. Those are the objectives that we want for the inquiry and well make sure that its set up to deliver on those aims. The judge told the court he would deliver his sentencing remarks as if Letby was present to hear them (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Childrens minister Claire Coutinho earlier argued that the independent inquiry launched after Letbys convictions on Friday would be much quicker. But Dame Christine Beasley, a former chief nursing officer, warned that witnesses can opt out of it if they want to as she joined a growing list of figures pushing for the investigation to be strengthened. Steve Brine, the Conservative chairman of the health select committee, warned on Sunday that some key witnesses may not be willing to co-operate with the independent inquiry, which he said could drag on for years and disappear down a rabbit hole. Downing Street later suggested the inquiry could be put on a statutory footing but could not say when terms of reference would be published. Asked by reporters if the government had ruled out holding a statutory inquiry, the UK prime ministers official spokesman said: No, I think as you heard the Prime Minister say this morning, we are focused on the outcomes, the most important thing is to make sure families get the answers they need and that its possible to learn the lessons, that its done transparently and that it happens as quickly as possible. And thats crucial. And obviously, we will have an inquiry on the right footing to achieve that. Pressed again on whether it could be a statutory inquiry, he said: As I say, we will put it on the right footing to achieve those outcomes. Major wildfires are burning in Greece and on Tenerife, one of Spains Canary Islands off the north-west coast of Africa. Hot, dry and windy conditions are hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes, two of which have been burning for several days. Advertisement European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages in the central Viotia region, about 100 60 miles north-west of Athens, after a forest fire broke out on Monday morning. Local residents crowd a van while inspecting their homes as fire advances through the forest in La Orotava in Tenerife. Photos: AP. Advertisement The coast guard put two patrol boats and several fishing boats and private vessels on stand-by in case an evacuation by sea was necessary. Authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep pen in the area under evacuation, with local media reporting the man apparently died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his livestock. Advertisement In the north-east of the country near the border with Turkey, strong winds rekindled flames on several fronts in a major wildfire burning for a third day across forests and farmland near the town of Alexandroupolis. Several homes were destroyed over the weekend. Thirteen villages were evacuated, while more than 200 firefighters, assisted by 16 water-dropping planes and seven helicopters, volunteers and the armed forces were battling the fire, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. Advertisement Cyprus is sending two firefighting aircraft to help tackle the Alexandroupolis blaze, including four crew and five ground support staff. Fire advances through the forest in La Orotava. Photos: AP. With gale-force winds blowing in several parts of the country, authorities set the fire risk level in several regions, including that of the Greek capital, to extreme. Advertisement The (firefighting) system is on alert, and we must be too. The risk of wildfires remains high, Mr Marinakis said. Greece suffers destructive wildfires every summer, which officials say have been exacerbated by climate change. The deadliest Greek wildfire on record killed 104 people in 2018, in a seaside resort near Athens that residents had not been warned to evacuate. Since then, authorities have erred on the side of caution, issuing swift mass evacuation orders whenever inhabited areas are under threat. Last month, a wildfire on the resort island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Advertisement Advertisement People watch the flames during a wildfire near the north-eastern town of Alexandroupolis. Photos: InTime News via AP. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on the island of Evia. Another three wildfire-related deaths have been recorded this summer. In Spains Canary Islands, a wildfire that police say was started deliberately last Tuesday on Tenerife continues to burn out of control, although the worst seemed to have passed. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and nearly 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland have burned. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will visit the area on Monday to review the damage. Canary Island regional President Fernando Clavijo told Spains Cadena SER radio the worst is over, adding that the hundreds of firefighters deployed had made some progress for the second night in a row. The fire in the north-east of the island is not near any of the islands main tourist areas. The blaze has come close to some 10 municipalities, but there have been no injuries or burned homes so far. In Portugal and Italy, two other southern European countries often plagued by wildfires in the summer months, temperatures were predicted to soar this week. Italian authorities issued heat warnings for eight cities from Bolzano in the north to Rome in central Italy on Monday as temperatures were forecast to hit 38C. Storm warnings are in effect in the southern regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily. In Portugal, temperatures were forecast to reach 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in some southern parts of the country. Pope Francis expressed hope on Sunday for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Niger following the military coup in the West African nation. The pontiff told the faithful in St Peters Square that he is following events with concern, joining an appeal for peace in the country and stability in the Sahel region. Advertisement He called on the international community to find a peaceful solution as soon as possible, for the good of all. Mutinous soldiers overthrew Nigers democratically elected president last month, and have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffing most dialogue efforts. President Mohamed Bazoum, his wife and son have been kept under house arrest in the capital. Talks this weekend between Nigers new military regime and a delegation from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, have reportedly yielded little progress. Advertisement Nadine Dorries is facing increasing pressure to step down as an MP as a second council has demanded her immediate departure from office. The former British cabinet minister announced her intention to quit in June after she failed to receive a peerage in Boris Johnsons resignation honours list but has yet to formally resign. Advertisement Shefford Town Council has now joined Flitwick Town Council in expressing frustration over what they see as a continuing lack of representation. Advertisement In a letter published on Twitter, now known as X, on Monday, the council raised concerns about her limited involvement in local events and services. It also highlighted the fact that Ms Dorries last contribution in the House of Commons was made on June 7th, 2022. The letter, signed by Town Mayor of Shefford Ken Pollard, said: Following a discussion at the Full Council meeting of Shefford Town Council on Friday July 28, I have been asked to write to you formally on behalf of the residents of Shefford to raise the towns concerns and frustration at the continuing lack of representation for the people of Mid Bedfordshire at Westminster. Advertisement In your role as the acting Member of Parliament of Mid Bedfordshire, residents of Shefford feel that, due to your scant interest in your constituency, your aversion to attending local events or services and your lack of a maintained constituency office, the local area has been abandoned by yourself. Advertisement Your last spoken contribution in the House of Commons was on June 7, 2022, and your last written question was asked on the December 20, 2017. In addition, your behaviour and actions reported in the press are in direct violation of The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles, published on May 31 1995), which apply to anyone who works as a public officeholder and all those who are elected or appointed to public office. The letter added: Our residents desperately need effective representation now, and Shefford Town Council calls on you to honour your commitment and tender your resignation immediately. Responding to Shefford Council calling on Ms Dorries to step down, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: Nadine Dorries actions are a gross insult to the people of Mid Bedfordshire. Why on earth should their taxpayers money fund an MP who hasnt worked in months? If Nadine Dorries had a shred of integrity left, she would stand down now and give local people a chance to elect a new MP who will actually do the job. Advertisement Advertisement A second council has called on Tory former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries to resign (Stefan Rousseau/PA) It is disgraceful that she continues to have the Conservative Party whip. Clearly, Rishi Sunak thinks Nadine Dorries actions are still worthy of being a Conservative MP. Asked if the UK prime minister would back a move in parliament to force Ms Dorries to step down, the prime minister's official spokesman told reporters: Ive seen (some) sort of speculation around that. Obviously, were in recess. I think youve heard from a number of ministers on this already. I dont think Ive much to add beyond what weve said before. Advertisement Ms Dorries made public her decision to leave her position in Westminster on June 9th. However, just a week later, she reversed course and announced her intention to remain in office temporarily, citing the need to investigate the reasons behind her exclusion from a seat in the House of Lords. Known for her steadfast support of Mr Johnson, Ms Dorries is also known as the host of a weekly talk show on Talk TV. She has also authored a book titled The Plot: The Political Assassination Of Boris Johnson, which is slated for publication shortly before the Conservative Party conference in September. Mid Bedfordshire has been held by Ms Dorries since 2005 and the Conservative Party generally since 1931. London mayor Sadiq Khan has been accused of attempting to squash dissent, after his deputy asked a City Hall-funded expert to counter science that questioned the benefits of a charge on polluting vehicles. Shirley Rodrigues asked an academic, who was in receipt of funding from Mr Khans office, on two occasions to counter research and reporting about the ultra low emission zone (Ulez) in the capital. Advertisement Ms Rodrigues asked Professor Frank Kelly whether he would be willing to set the record straight, after his fellow Imperial College London university academics published a study suggesting the central London Ulez had a relatively small effect on air pollution at its launch. Ulez has proved controversial, with the Conservatives citing local anger against an expansion of the charge to every London borough as the reason it was able to pull off a shock victory in last months Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election the seat vacated by former prime minister Boris Johnson. Advertisement Advertisement The expansion, which was unsuccessfully challenged in the courts by five councils, of the zone past the north and south circular roads will see drivers in outer London pay a 12.50 daily fee from August 29th if their vehicles do not meet required emissions standards. Susan Hall, the Tory mayoral candidate in next years City Hall election, has pledged to scrap the expansion. Emails between Ms Rodrigues and Prof Kelly, which were obtained via a Conservative Party freedom of information request and shared with the PA news agency, show the deputy mayor contacted the air quality expert on November 16th 2021 to highlight a study published by Imperial College, which she described as misleading. Advertisement The study was covered in the Daily Mail and by Sky News, with the broadcaster reporting that the research showed Ulezs introduction in 2019 had resulted in only small improvements in air quality soon after it was implemented. City Hall says that analysing schemes such as Ulez at the outset is not appropriate as they take time for air quality improvements to be felt through motorists switching to cleaner vehicles or ditching their cars for public transport. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will extend Ulez to all London boroughs this month. Photo: Yui Mok/PA. Advertisement Ms Rodrigues, in her correspondence with Prof Kelly, said: I am deeply concerned about the damage this misleading study is doing, both to our credibility and to low emission zones as a policy instrument. Advertisement Is there anything you can do or advise to help us set the record straight? After Prof Kelly suggests he would be willing to support the Greater London Authority (GLA), Ms Rodrigues the next day emails again saying: I do appreciate that you dont want to have a fight with another part of Imperial but The Times have also picked up (the report) and (are) repeating the mistake. Is there anything youd be happy to put on the record now? Advertisement Ms Rodrigues, responsible for environment and energy policy, goes on to work with him to draft a press statement to send out in his name. In February 2023, when an article appears in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Khans deputy again emails Prof Kelly asking him whether he could write to the newspaper to challenge some of the misunderstandings in the reporting. Prof Kelly said Imperial College was against putting out a direct contradiction to the piece but said: As always, Im happy to fight back. London deputy mayor Shirley Rodrigues described a Ulez study as misleading Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA. City Hall offered to set up an interview with David Lammy, Labours shadow foreign secretary and a presenter on LBC, promising a friendly experience as the veteran MP was regarded as very supportive. Advertisement A question submitted in March by Peter Fortune, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, found that the GLA had paid Imperial College Projects almost 900,000 between 2021 and March 2023, with Prof Kellys Environmental Research Group (ERG) research included in that funding. Transport for London said in September that a study by the ERG, titled London Health Burden of Current Air Pollution and Future Health Benefits of Mayoral Air Quality Policies, was given 45,000 in funding. Mr Fortune said: Science relies on open, transparent debate. It is unacceptable that Sadiq Khan and his deputy conspired to silence legitimate research because it would damage the mayors reputation and credibility. Sadiq Khan has claimed he is just following the science, yet he has been using scientific advisers to protect his own interests. Plans to expand Ulez have sparked demonstrations. Photo: Victoria Jones/PA. The mayors own independent impact assessment shows the Ulez expansion will have a negligible effect on air quality, while hitting the poorest Londoners hardest. That is why we need to tackle air pollution where it is, instead of taxing where it isnt. Writing on Twitter, Mr Fortune added: The mayors office certainly shouldnt be dictating emails for press releases or squashing dissent. A spokeswoman for Mr Khan said: It is right, and standard practice across government, that we commission experts to carry out research to inform the work we do. Advertisement Frank Kelly and the Environmental Research Group at Imperial are some of the world-leading academic institutions looking at air quality. It is normal and proper to work with these experts to ensure our policies are as effective as possible at dealing with issues such as the high number of deaths, up to 4,000 a year, linked to toxic air in London every year. From tomorrow all Londoners with a non-compliant car or motorcycle can get a 2,000 grant to scrap their vehicle. See what support there is for you to replace or retrofit your vehicle ahead of the ULEZ bringing cleaner air to all of London on 29 August. pic.twitter.com/deAvqpGf71 Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) August 20, 2023 The Ulez analysis from the engineering department at Imperial only paints a partial picture, not accounting for the full lifetime impact of the scheme, and only focusing on its immediate impact around its launch. It is commonplace for academic experts to disagree with how other academic studies are interpreted, as was the case here. The mayors office said Prof Kelly and his team are independent academics whose work is not influenced by the funding bodies they work with. The scrappage scheme associated with the Ulez expansion, allowing Londoners with a non-compliant car or motorcycle to receive a grant of 2,000, is due to open on Monday. Imperial College declined to comment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has flown to Greece for talks with the countrys leadership and to attend an informal meeting of Balkan leaders with top European Union officials. Mr Zelensky met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and also was scheduled to meet the countrys figurehead president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Advertisement In the evening, Mr Zelensky is to join in an informal dinner organised by Mr Mitsotakis for top officials from nine Balkan nations as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel. We need to bring our friends, the aspiring members of the EU much closer to us and much faster. Glad to be in Athens to discuss the European perspective of our neighbors and partners in the East and the Western Balkans. We will keep bringing down barriers between our regions. pic.twitter.com/OJkAQYDlef Advertisement Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) August 21, 2023 Advertisement The dinner is scheduled to discuss the Western Balkans regions future in the EU, which many countries have already joined and the rest are jockeying to enter. Greece has joined its Nato and EU partners in strongly backing Ukraine against the Russian invasion, and has provided material military assistance in the form of armoured personnel carriers and ammunition. Advertisement But Athens has resisted pressure to provide Kyiv with a Russian-made air defence missile system stationed on the southern island of Crete. Earlier on Monday, Mr Zelensky was in Denmark, where he thanked lawmakers for helping his country resist Russias invasion. On Sunday, Denmark and the Netherlands announced they would provide Kyiv with F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Danish legislators for helping his country resist Russias invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Kyiv with American-made F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year. Mr Zelensky told the legislators that if Russias invasion is successful, other parts of Europe would be at risk from the Kremlins military aggression. Advertisement He said in Copenhagen: All of Russias neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail. People value strength. Strength helps. But strength is not always primary. Strength is a consequence. Consequence of who you are. And who is with you. Whom you respect. And who respects you. Whom you want to see in your home. And who wants to see you. Whom you trust. And who pic.twitter.com/HY5zeYAWvV Advertisement (@ZelenskyyUa) August 21, 2023 Advertisement Mr Zelensky portrays Ukraine as defending Western values of freedom and democracy against tyranny. He has argued that Ukraine needs to be properly provisioned to fend off Russias much bigger force. Ukraine has been pressing its Western allies for months to give it F-16s. Its armed forces are still using aging Soviet-era combat planes from the 1970s and 80s, and its counter-offensive against Russian positions is advancing without air support, which analysts say is a major handicap. Advertisement Mr Zelensky said on Telegram that Ukraine would get 42 jets. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, which could be delivered around the end of the year when pilot training lasting four to six months is completed. However, getting Ukrainian squadrons battle-ready could take much longer. US Air Force Gen James Hecker, commander of US air forces in Europe and Africa, said last week that he did not expect the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. He added that getting F-16 squadrons ready for battle could take four or five years. Mr Zelensky and Ukraines first lady Olena Zelenska appeared in Copenhagen (Scanpix via AP) Advertisement While some training has already begun for Ukrainian pilots, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said this amounts to just language lessons so far. Advertisement Training Ukrainian pilots is just one of the challenges in the anticipated deployment of F-16s. Questions also remain over who will carry out crucial aircraft maintenance, the supply of spare parts and what weapons the West will supply to arm the fighter jets. The United States last week announced its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver the F-16s. That is needed because the aircraft are made in the United States. Advertisement On Sunday, Mr Zelensky visited the Netherlands and inspected two grey F-16s parked in a hangar at a Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven together with Mr Rutte. F-16s will instill fresh confidence and motivation in both warriors and ordinary citizens. They will produce fresh results for Ukraine and the rest of Europe. I thank you once again, dear @MinPres Mark, @Statsmin Mette, your teams, and the peoples of the Netherlands and Denmark. pic.twitter.com/ffSdtMHkfI (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2023 The Dutch leader did not provide a number or timeframe for deliveries, saying it depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. Mr Zelensky started his trip Saturday in Sweden, where he asked Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Sweden has said it will allow Ukrainian pilots to test the planes but has not made any commitments to hand them over. Advertisement Mr Kristersson said on Monday that Sweden needs the Gripen planes for its own defence, noting that the countrys bid to join Nato has not been finalised. We dont rule anything out in the future, he told the TV4 channel. We will do everything we can to support them also with aircraft. But right now there are no new commitments to provide Swedish aircraft to Ukraine. A powerful and very fruitful day. I thank @MinPres Mark Rutte, his entire team, and the Dutch people for the decision on F-16s for Ukraine. Our warriors will receive 42 great combat aircraft. I thank @Statsmin Mette Frederiksen and the entire country of Denmark, as well as each (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2023 On Monday, Russian air defences jammed a Ukrainian drone west of Moscow and shot down another one on the outskirts of the city, the Kremlin said. Two people were injured and one of them was taken to hospital when drone fragments fell on a private house, according to Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region. Such drone attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in Russia in recent weeks. Also, Russian rail officials said that a relay cabinet used to run train traffic was set ablaze on the outskirts of Moscow, causing delays, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency. Advertisement Russian authorities have reported multiple similar incidents across the country, some of which have been blamed on acts of sabotage encouraged by Ukrainian security agencies. In Ukraine, at least four civilians were killed and 25 others wounded by the latest Russian attacks, according to the Ukrainian presidential office. The dead included a 71-year-old man killed by Russian shelling in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, near the border with Russia. The operator of Smiggle and Peter Alexander is reviewing its corporate structure as it considers a potential breakup of its businesses after announcing the surprise exit of chief executive Richard Murray. Premier Investments, chaired by billionaire retailer Solomon Lew, confirmed to investors on Monday that it had started a formal review of its structures with a focus on its apparel brands childrens stationery business Smiggle and pyjama retailer Peter Alexander to evaluate how each one can best take advantage of future growth opportunities. Premier Investments chairman Solomon Lew (right) and outgoing Premier Retail CEO Richard Murray. Credit: Eamon Gallagher The company will weigh up whether it should split the company into two or more separate businesses as part of a demerger. Murray has resigned from his role and will leave the business on September 15, before Premiers full-year financial results announcement. Long-serving chief financial officer John Bryce will become interim chief executive. CCTV captured a flash of light as an iPhone was launched from Tatiana Dokhotarus 22nd floor balcony, hours before police found her dead inside. It could be the key to finding her potential killer. Detectives, unable to find or track the missing phone, are pleading with the community to help find the vital evidence. Tatiana Dokhotaru was found dead in her Liverpool unit in May 2023. Grainy CCTV, released by the homicide squad on Tuesday, shows the light of an iPhone 14 streaking into the night from Dokhotarus unit just before midnight on May 26. The phone was thrown from the balcony at about the same time Dokhotaru made an anonymous call to police alleging domestic violence amid a fight with her partner Danny Zayat. A lesbian community group has applied to the Australian Human Rights Commission for an exemption from anti-discrimination laws to hold an event open only to same-sex attracted, biological women. The proposed Lesbians Born Female event in Melbourne to mark this years International Lesbian Day looms as a national test case in the clash between womens rights and transgender inclusion, with the organisers seeking the right to bar men, straight and bisexual women and transgender women from attending. Lesbian rights campaigner Carole Ann says it is not transphobic for same-sex attracted women to want a space of their own. Credit: Wayne Taylor In its application to the AHRC, the Lesbian Action Group says exclusively lesbian events have been driven underground by a repressive and conservative political climate that leaves women who speak out about lesbian rights exposed to abuse and recriminations. The group is seeking a five-year exemption from the federal Sex Discrimination Act to hold an event at the Victorian Pride Centre in Melbourne on October 15 and future events which would celebrate lesbian culture and allow like-minded and like-bodied women to gather. It says the fear of being labelled as transphobic has eroded lesbian rights. Victorian taxpayers could be forced to foot the bill if the states largest remaining coal-fired power station runs into financial strife before its anticipated closure in 2035. The Andrews government has reached an agreement with energy giant AGL that guarantees its Loy Yang A power station which supplies about one-third of Victorias electricity will be available to supply the grid with a steady pulse of energy for another 12 years to avoid blackouts and provide Latrobe Valley workers with certainty. AGL chief operating officer Markus Brokhof believes Loy Yang A will operate profitably until its closure in 2035. Credit: Janie Barrett But under the deal, Victoria has also agreed to shoulder an undisclosed portion of the financial risk if the business runs into trouble before 2035, including the possibility that cheaper renewable energy renders the ageing plant financially unviable. The agreement announced in the Latrobe Valley on Monday by Energy Minister Lily DAmbrosio and AGL chief operating officer Markus Brokhof follows concern about whether the grid is equipped to handle a rapid switch to variable wind and solar energy. The Australian Education Union have launched a new campaign aimed at significantly increasing funding in West Australian public schools over the next five years. The union has launched state-specific For Every Child campaigns across the country, with the WA campaign announced on Tuesday morning. The campaign includes targeted advertising, events and activities in WA school communities. Credit: iStock A survey of 752 WA teachers and principals revealed workloads were at unsustainable levels, with 73 per cent of respondents stating the hours they worked had increased over the past year. There has also been growing wellbeing issues in WA schools, with 73 per cent of teachers reporting a decline in student wellbeing in the last year and 90 per cent reporting a decline in teacher wellbeing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has deflected questions over his son Nathans membership of the Qantas Chairmans Lounge and an internship he undertook at consulting firm PwC, saying the 23-year-old is not a public figure. The Australian Financial Reviews Rear Window column has published a series of articles detailing the young Albaneses reported membership of the exclusive club and a two-week unpaid internship in 2021. Albanese celebrates his election victory with partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan last year. Credit: Janie Barrett The newspaper whose owner, Nine, also owns this masthead cited sources who claimed Albanese discussed the internship with the firms then-head of government relations in early 2021, before it began in June of that year. Asked about the reports on Monday, Albanese declined to provide detailed answers, saying: My son is not a public figure. He is a young person trying to make his way in the world. Former Liberal premier Nick Greiner has urged federal leaders to end the limbo for refugees who have arrived in Australia by boat, saying the nation could afford to fix the lasting problem without weakening tough border controls. Greiner also called on the Liberals to back the case for a bigger humanitarian intake for new migrants and shift its tone in the asylum seeker debate, pointing to the way Liberal governments had welcomed Vietnamese and Syrian refugees in the past. Liberal heavyweight Nick Greiner says the limbo must end for refugees on Nauru and Manus Island. Credit: Wolter Peeters The comments highlight the plight of more than 1000 refugees and asylum seekers who are being refused settlement in Australia because they arrived by boat and were processed on Nauru and Manus Island, a key policy under Labor and Liberal leaders over the past decade. Greiner, who joined the board of the Refugee Council of Australia 10 days ago, was premier of NSW for four years to 1992, and federal president of the Liberal Party for three years until 2020, later serving as Australias consul-general in New York. One of the big four consultancy firms will receive almost $8.5 million in taxpayers money over the next year to help design a new agency to monitor safety issues associated with Australias acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact. The Defence Department contract with EY, also known as Ernst & Young, comes amid a growing debate about the federal public services reliance on advice from external consultants for tasks that would previously have been performed in-house. The federal government is establishing a new regulator to oversee safety issues relating to the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. Credit: US Navy The Albanese government announced in March that it would create a new agency, known as the Australian Nuclear-Powered Submarine Safety Regulator, to regulate the unique circumstances associated with nuclear safety and radiological protection across the lifecycle of Australias nuclear-powered submarine enterprise. The regulator, which will sit within the Defence Department, will also monitor infrastructure and facilities associated with the AUKUS pact such as the yet-to-be determined east coast submarine base. The WA Nationals have urged their opposition alliance partner, the WA Liberal Party, not to run candidates against each other in the 2025 state election, warning against such a savage waste of resources. The warning was included in the Nationals wide-ranging proposed heads of agreement document, sent by president Tony Crook to WA Liberals president Caroline Di Russo on August 7 and obtained by 6PRs Mornings Program and WAtoday. Shane Love and Libby Mettam. Credit: Michael Genovese / Peter de Kruijff The proposal was met with a cool response from Di Russo, who said she would only continue discussions if Liberal leader Libby Mettam and Nationals leader Shane Love were in the room. At the heart of the proposal is the Nationals offer to stand Love aside as opposition leader and in return, the parties would form a joint campaign committee and the Nationals would be given plum upper house seats and strike agreements to not run against each other in the lower house. Hyderabad-based multi-brand mobiles retail chain Big-C mobiles has set a target of Rs 1,500 crore as turnover in the current financial year, said company's founder, chairman and managing director M Balu Chowdary. The company had achieved Rs 1,000 crore turnover in FY2022-23. Big-C mobiles, which currently has 250 outlets across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, in a release said it plans to open 150 new outlets in two years with investment of around Rs 300 crore. "We are aiming at taking the outlet count to 400 by opening 150 new outlets in two years with investment of around Rs 300 crore. We are also growing our portfolio of products beyond mobiles and introducing more and more electronics and gadgets. We will enter more markets. We have a strong 3 crore customer base," Chowdary said. "Big-C started its operations on December 23, 2002. We have successfully completed two decades by achieving market leadership in mobile retailing in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. We will increase our headcount to 4,000 in two years from the current 2,500," he said. Big-C has the credit of turning mobile handsets retailing into an organised activity in the country. "We are also present online and we give delivery within two hours if one buys a mobile on Big-C portal. Sales of TVs have also picked up at Big-C outlets," he said. India and the 10-nation bloc Asean have agreed to fast track negotiations for the review of the existing free trade agreement in goods between the two regions and conclude the talks in 2025, an official statement said on Monday. The issue was discussed during the twentieth AEM (Asean Economic Ministers)-India Consultation meeting, held at Semarang, Indonesia. The commerce ministry said that the main agenda of this year's meeting was the timely review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) which was signed in 2009 and implemented in January 2010. The economic ministers' meeting was preceded by AITIGA Joint Committee meeting, which deliberated the roadmap for the review and finalised the term of reference and the work plan of the review negotiations. The review of the AITIGA was a long-standing demand of Indian businesses and the early commencement of the review would help in making the FTA trade facilitative and mutually beneficial, it said. "The ministers agreed to follow a quarterly schedule of negotiations and conclude the review in 2025. The review of AITIGA is expected to enhance and diversify trade while addressing the current asymmetry in bilateral trade," it added. The decision for review of AITIGA will now be placed in the forthcoming India-ASEAN Leaders' Summit scheduled in early September for further guidance. Meanwhile, according to a joint media statement issued in Semarang, both the regions agreed to make the agreement more user-friendly, simple and trade facilitative for businesses to increase trade and support sustainable and inclusive growth. The consultation was co-chaired by Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan and Additional Secretary in India's Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal. India has asked for a review of the agreement with an aim to eliminate barriers and misuse of the trade pact. Recently, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the India-Asean trade agreement is the 'most ill-conceived' one. Members of the Asean include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In general, such review exercises include implementation issues, rules of origin; verification process and release of consignments; customs procedures; further liberalisation of trade in goods; and sharing and exchange of trade data. Also Read India, Asean to intensify efforts to wrap up trade agreement review by 2025 Delivering carbon neutrality for ASEAN could unlock $5.3 trn opportunity India, UK seeking equal treatment for services sector cos under FTA FTA talks: Treaty to figure prominently during UK's high-level team visit FTA between Israel, India to be discussed today, informs Israeli Minister India Inc to press the pedal on capital expenditure, says CEO poll India to get $25 million grant for strengthening animal health system Tomato prices cooling with fresh arrival; retail prices at Rs 50-70/ kg now Onion export duty 'timely' move to boost domestic supply, check price rise India, Asean to intensify efforts to wrap up trade agreement review by 2025 Trade experts said the review demand is there because India's exports to Asean have been affected due to non-reciprocity in FTA concessions, non-tariff barriers, import regulations and quotas. Concerns have also been raised about routing of goods from third countries in India through Asean members by taking the duty advantages of the agreement. Asean has a much deeper economic engagement with China through the Asean China Trade and Goods Agreement. During 2010-11, India's exports to Asean increased to USD 25.7 billion from USD 18.11 billion in 2009-10. However, imports in 2010-11 rose to USD 30.6 billion from USD 25.8 billion in 2009-10. Similarly, in 2022-23, India's exports to Asean increased to USD 44 billion from USD 42.32 billion in 2021-22. However, imports jumped to USD 87.57 billion in 2022-23 against USD 68 billion in 2021-22. The trade deficit has widened to USD 43.57 billion in the last fiscal from USD 25.76 billion in 2021-22. It was just USD 5 billion in 2010-11. Further the ministers also interacted with the ASEAN-India Business Council (AIBC)and noted the Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) flagged by the businesses. With the 18th Heads of State and Government Summit of the G20 (Group of 20), scheduled to begin next month in the national capital under India's presidency, Delhi police authorities are busy making special arrangements to ensure smooth vehicular movement during the arrival of the high-profile delegates, including heads of states for the mega event. As part of the preparations, Delhi traffic police on Monday morning conducted a mock drill exercise on major roads connecting Pragati Maidan - the main venue of the summit, with various hotels, to review restriction and diversion arrangements. Multiple teams of traffic police personnel were deployed at different junctions and barricades were erected at diversion points and junctions as part of the exercise. The venue of the summit will be the newly opened International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre named 'Bharat Mandapam' at Pragati Maidan. Delhi Police started preparations a few months ago and training staff who are to be deployed at various locations is on. In addition, police are training their staff to handle chemical and biological weapons and also focus on their soft skills. Nineteen "markswomen" of the Delhi Police, women commandos of its Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit have undergone a four-week specialised training course, conducted by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at its training centre in Karera, Madhya Pradesh. Apart from this, Delhi Police has procured special kinds of weapons, ammunition, bulletproof jackets and X-ray machines. "G20 is a matter of great pride for India, its main event is to be held in the month of September, in view of that anti-terror measures are being taken, swat commandos are at the forefront of anti-terror measures," Ingit Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell said on the precautions being taken for the Summit. "We have trained 19 SWAT commandos as markswomen in urban scenarios, they are different from snipers. The training was held for four weeks in MP's Karera," he said. The G20 Summit is slated to take place on September 9-10 at a recently-inaugurated state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam convention centre at Pragati Maidan. Also Read Nationwide Covid mock drill underway to take stock of preparedness DDMA to hold mock drill on earthquake disaster in Delhi across districts NDMA organises mock drill to test earthquake readiness in Delhi NCR Two-day nationwide Covid-19 mock drill concludes at 35 States and UTs Traffic advisory issued as Yamuna water rises to a record level in Delhi Chandrayaan-3: Images of Lunar far side area captured by camera released Cong questions withdrawal of BoB auction notice for Sunny Deol's Juhu villa Study finds benefits of Covid-19 vaccines against severe cases in children Fire destroys powerloom factory in Maharashtra's Thane, no casualty Two passengers die, five fall sick on board Patna-Kota Express train The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Centre's stand on a petition challenging the inclusion of chartered accountants, company secretaries and cost accountants within the ambit of reporting entities under the anti-money laundering law. A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma granted time to the Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma to seek instructions on the petition by Rajat Mohan, a practising chartered accountant (CA). The court, while listing the case for further hearing on October 4, noted that at this stage, the petitioner was not extending his challenge to the legality of certain provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act with respect to the consequent liabilities imposed upon the professionals. Observing that CAs were the experts in the field of accounting and the enhanced due diligence was with respect to specified transactions only, the bench -- also comprising Justice Sanjeev Narula-- asked the petitioner to state the problem with the new regime. Senior advocate Trideep Pais, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the inclusion is turning professionals into police on vague and subjective basis, which is also in violation of the fiduciary relationship that they share with their clients. Noting that onerous obligations have been put on practising CAs even when the client is not facing any criminal case, the senior lawyer said, I can be prosecuted in PMLA...you are surveying your own client. ASG Sharma urged the court to not issue notice on the petition, and said Any interference would upset the arch for reporting transactions. We just want them to be our eyes and ears (on case to case basis), he said, adding that a mechanism would be put in place in this regard and that the petitioner's prayer to annul the legal provisions under PMLA has to go. ASG Sharma further informed that National Financial Fraud Reporting Authority has also been formed. In the plea, the petitioner has said including CAs and other professionals within the definition of reporting entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), onerous obligations have been put on them with consequences of non-compliance leading to criminal prosecution, and it virtually makes such professionals engage in policing their own clients with whom they interact in fiduciary capacity. Also Read HC to hear plea against of CAs inclusion in money laundering law on Monday CAs, CSes concerned about new tweaks in anti-money laundering law Indian CAs mull India-Singapore platform for insolvency resolution AI to help chartered accountants deliver high quality audits: ICAI Prez Changes in anti-money laundering law can impact foreign investment: CAs SC dismisses plea seeking declaration that abrogation of Art 370 valid More than 6,800 corruption cases probed by CBI pending trial in courts: CVC Shoe thrown at SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya during party event in Lucknow SC to pass guidelines on summoning of officials in courts across nation Himachal rains: Thakur asks officials to build houses for those affected The petitioner by way of the present writ petition is challenging the validity of gazette notification No. S.O.2036(E) dated 03.05.2023 passed by the respondents wherein they have read into the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and expanded the definition of the word 'person' used in Section 2(1)(sa)(vi) as well as the definition of the word 'activity' used in PMLA. Specifically, a class of professionals i.e., Chartered Accountants/Company Secretaries/Cost Accountants have been included within the definition of 'Reporting Entities', the petition filed through advocates Shweta Kapoor and RK Kapoor has said. The petition has said the notification violates Articles 14, 19, 20 (3), 21 and 300A of the Constitution as well as other civil and statutory rights, including the right of privacy as well as the protection accorded to professional, privileged, and confidential communications. It has contended that the notification gives unbridled and unlimited, arbitrary, and whimsical power to the authority under the anti-money laundering law and creates the framework for a fishing and roving enquiry into every financial transaction of each individual/citizen of the country. The scope and application of PMLA is extremely rigorous and strict and even a bonafide oversight shall put the life, liberty careers of the reporting entities under threat. A sword of Damocles would always remain hanging on the head of the petitioner, the petition has submitted. It is left to the knowledge, comprehension and thought process of each Chartered Accountant/Company Secretary/Cost Accountant to judge the clients coming to them to understand their transactions from the perspective of money laundering and then increase their vigil on those accounts. This is the function of the state as per law and not of ordinary citizens who are merely professionals in a particular field and not qualified prosecutors, it further said. The Karnataka government on Monday decided to set up a committee to formulate education policy for the state -- while continuing the old education system for now -- as it has already made its view public that it will scrap the National Education Policy (NEP) mooted by the BJP-led union government. The previous BJP government in Karnataka had introduced the new NEP in Karnataka but with the Congress government taking over, it decided to do away with the policy. On Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a meeting on the subject with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar, Primary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, well-known author Prof Baraguru Ramachandrappa and senior government officials present. Later a statement was issued by the CMO denouncing the NEP. Since it is a state subject, the central government cannot formulate education policy. The National Education Policy has been formulated without taking the state governments into confidence. Education policy cannot be imposed by central government, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's office said. The statement quoted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as saying that what is being imposed (by the Centre) is a conspiracy. A uniform education system cannot be established in a country like India with multi-cultural and pluralistic society. Therefore, the chief minister said that a committee will be formed to formulate a new education policy while continuing the old education system, the CMO said. It further said other BJP-ruled states are also hesitant to implement the NEP. Other states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have made it clear to the Central government that they will not implement the National Education Policy. The chief minister said the state cannot be treated unfairly since centrally funded schemes are applicable to all states, the statement said. The CM expressed his concern that NEP will affect the poor, scheduled caste, tribal, backward and rural people. Even if the certificate is issued every year in higher education, how many job opportunities will those who have studied for one or two years get? Even if the poor students get job opportunities and quit studying in a year or two, will they be able to study further in the future the CMO asked. Also Read Come May 13, will BJP script history in 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections? High-voltage campaigning for Karnataka elections to end today at 5 pm BJP CEC meeting today to finalise candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls Karnataka Assembly polls: Rahul Gandhi promises Rs 2 hike in milk subsidy Karnataka may keep additional expenditure on 5 poll promises fiscal neutral Bomb hoax in Air India aircraft at Amritsar airport triggers panic Joint call for proposal under MeitY-NSF research collaboration announced Centre holds meeting on Covid, asks states to ramp up genome sequencing Govt-backed study links Ujjwala limits to gender dynamics, not inflation 1,300 railway stations being modernised under Amrit Bharat scheme: Vaishnaw At the meeting, Siddaramaiah said that educational institutions do not have the necessary infrastructure to implement this educational policy. This has created unnecessary confusion, the statement said. President Droupadi Murmu will arrive on a three-day visit to Goa on Tuesday during which she will address members of the legislative assembly and also participate in the Goa University's convocation ceremony, a government official said. On Tuesday, she will lay a wreath at the Martyr's Memorial at Azad Maidan in state capital Panaji and also attend a civic reception in the Raj Bhavan, the official said. On Wednesday, Murmu will attend the Goa University's convocation ceremony at Durbar Hall in the Raj Bhavan. She would later interact with members of vulnerable tribal groups in the coastal state, he said. The President will also address legislators at the state assembly complex on Wednesday, the official said. On Thursday, Murmu will visit Fort Aguada, a 17th-century Portuguese structure in North Goa. She will also visit the Basilica of Bom Jesus, a church housing relics of 16th century saint Francis Xavier in Old Goa. Murmu will also visit the famous Shantadurga temple in Ponda before returning to Delhi, the official added. Comparing the Canadian and the American Right updated to 2023 (Part Two) By Mark Wegierski web posted August 21, 2023 In regard to immigration, Canada has received about a quarter-million immigrants a year about 75% - 80% of them from non-European sources -- since 1988. The mass, dissimilar immigration began in the mid-1960s, but the total immigration since that time had been about 100,000 persons a year. Indeed, it had reached a mere 54,000 in Pierre Elliott Trudeau's last year in office (1983-1984). It was Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney who had raised it precipitously, where it has basically remained ever since. The population of Canada is now over 40 million. Unlike the U.S., where there is some degree of criticism of mass, dissimilar immigration permitted, this is virtually a closed issue in Canada. Indeed, Justin Trudeau has raised immigration to the unprecedented levels of over 400,000 a year, in the next three years. Related to policies of mass, dissimilar immigration are policies of multiculturalism. Canada has been a pioneer in the area of multiculturalism the city of Toronto today is probably the most diverse city in the world, with probably close to 200 groups represented. All levels of government (federal, provincial, and municipal) are required to support the cultural endeavours of ethnic groups, at least to some extent. Ethnic groups also claim absolute cultural self-determination, rejecting the earlier assimilation model. Multiculturalism today may really be called multiracialism, as it is "visible minorities" (a term officially used in Canada), rather than "white ethnics" such as Ukrainian-, Italian-, Portuguese-, and Polish-Canadians, who are overwhelmingly the focus of government, media, and corporate concern. Related to multiculturalism is "employment equity" (the Canadian term for affirmative action), which operates on behalf of the following "designated groups" women, visible minorities, aboriginal peoples, and persons with disabilities in all levels of government, as well as in much of the private sector. In one major "pay-equity" settlement, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (a quasi-judicial tribunal) ordered the Federal Government to pay about $3.5 billion (Canadian) to women working or formerly working for the Federal Government. (By contrast, the entire budget for the Canadian military in the year 2000 was about $10 billion.) In August 2002, there was an attempt to further entrench "employment equity" in the Federal Civil Service twenty percent of all new hires were to be visible minorities, and senior managers were to receive performance bonuses depending on how many visible minorities they hired. Although there were a few scattered voices of protest, this is fact seemed like a continuation of policies that had been in place for at least thirty years. The Harper government had several years ago promised some kind review of employment equity policies, but this did not go anywhere. Ironically, in the wake of BLM in the United States, Canada is awash with claims of "systemic racism" and a group of Black civil servants has launched a lawsuit against the Federal Government, claiming pervasive discrimination, and asking for $900 million (Canadian). On October 1, 2021, the lawsuit claim was raised to $2.5 billion (Canadian). As far as disabled persons, they have probably been included under employment equity to give the policy an increased aura of "kindness" and "compassion." It could be argued that there is not all that much being done for most disabled persons today, apart from giving them disability support payments and some subsidies for housing and assistive devices, which are not excessively generous. However, the inclusion of disabled persons as a "designated group" inclines this rather heterogeneous category of people (and their care-givers) to support the current-day "equity regime," and increases still further the social stigma of publicly challenging employment equity. Canada is also permeated by the bilingualism (French and English) policy. This means that Canada is an officially bilingual state, and that most positions (and especially senior positions) in the Federal Civil Service require knowledge of both French and English. The effect of this has been to increase the chances of French-Canadians and members of Canada's liberal English-speaking elites (more of whom tend to be bilingual) to obtain civil service positions. It has tended to discriminate against ordinary, English-speaking Canadians. New Brunswick, an Atlantic Maritime province with a French-speaking population of about 35%, is fully officially bilingual, and Ontario, with a French-speaking population of about 5%, has been urged to move to full official bilingualism. However, the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, where one of seven inhabitants doesn't have French as a first language, embraces unilingualism in its government and official policy: French only. Government (typically white-collar) jobs at the federal, provincial, or municipal levels are often considered to be relatively easy to do, with comparatively large benefits (relative to private sector compensations), so policies such as employment equity tend to exclude increasing numbers of persons (especially white males) from remunerative employment. And it now sometimes happens that persons are typically hired only if they bridge two or three designated categories. The government sector is also clearly permeated by varying degrees of political correctness, so a person with more conservative or traditionalist views is unlikely to be hired, and, even if hired, they may sometimes end up in a rather miserable situation, with constant stress and little chance for advancement. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home A one-year follow-up of COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals found that participants who received at least one dose of anti-Covid vaccination before contracting the coronavirus infection had a lower risk of post-discharge mortality, according to a study by ICMR. Of the 14,419 participants who were followed up at least once between four weeks and one-year post-discharge, 942 (6.5 per cent) had died and the remaining (93.5 per cent) were reported alive at any contact during one year of follow-up. They were from 31 hospitals across the country. "Participants who had received at least one dose of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine before their COVID-19 infection had a lower risk of post-discharge mortality," the study said. Vaccination prior to the COVID-19 infection (at least a single dose) provided 60 per cent protection against post-discharge mortality. People older than 40 years, men with co-morbidities and those who had moderate to severe COVID-19 to begin with had a higher chance of all-cause mortality within one of discharge from hospital. The study "Determinants of post-discharge mortality among hospitalised COVID-19 patients: Nested matched case-control analyses from the National Clinical Registry for COVID-19" has been published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR). It was conducted by the National Clinical Registry for COVID-19 study team. The team conducted nested matched case-control analyses to evaluate the factors related to one-year post-discharge mortality. The country's apex research body, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has been maintaining the National Clinical Registry for COVID-19 at 31 centres across the country, where all hospitalised COVID-19 patients were periodically contacted by telephone till one year after discharge. Data collected till February 2023 were included in this analysis. Emphasis was put on the 18-45 yr of age to understand the factors associated with post-discharge death in young adults. Factors associated with death in them after discharge were similar to the ones observed in other age brackets. Prior anti-COVID-19 vaccination did lend some protection against all-cause post-discharge death in this age group, although this cannot be claimed conclusively as the association was not statistically significant. Also Read ICMR to explore vaccine against 'WHO Blueprint Priority Pathogens': Govt Strengthen routine immunisation, focus on unvaccinated children: WHO One-shot chikungunya vaccine found safe, effective in first phase 3 trial Covid kills one person every four minutes as vaccination rates fall Air pollution can affect your Covid-19 vaccine efficacy, says study CM Gehlot ups honorarium for women in rural livelihood projects by 15% Chandrayaan-3 will soon land on moon's surface, check latest updates here Rajasthan elections: People will make Mission 156 a success, says CM Gehlot Moon landing anticipation builds for Chandyayaan-3 after Russia's crash India has 'open mind' for expansion of Brics: Foreign secretary Kwatra The limitations of the current investigation include reliance on telephonic follow-up, which could have led to under-reporting of the symptoms. The present analyses only included patients who were hospitalized due to COVID-19, and consequently, the findings cannot be generalized to all patients who had COVID-19, the study stated. The ICMR is also conducting a multicentric hospital-based matched case-control study on the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on thrombotic events among the 1845-year-old population in India in 2022 and on factors associated with sudden deaths among adults aged 1845 years in India. The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday staged a protest in Mandya district, demanding that the state not release any more water from the Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu. The protests were held in Sanjay Circle of Mandya district with protestors questioning the Congress government in Karnataka for agreeing to release water to the neighbouring state when its own districts are facing water shortage for irrigation of standing crops. BJP leader Ashwath Narayan, who was spearheading the protests said that we can't protest on the express highway as we don't want to disrupt the traffic there which is why we are staging protests here. Lashing out at the Siddaramaiah government, he said, "When we don't have the water for our own crops in Mandya and Madhur and water is not flowing in canals. How come we can release water to Tamil Nadu at this time?" The BJP leader said that it is important for the state government to convey the farmers' concerns to the Cauvery Water Management Authority and stop releasing water to Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has agreed to constitute a bench to hear the Cauvery river water-sharing dispute where Tamil Nadu has sought direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water daily for standing crops. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said it will constitute a bench to hear the case today itself after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tamil Nadu, sought an urgent hearing of the case. The matter has been a controversial issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for decades and they have been locked in a battle over the sharing of water from the Cauvery River, which is a major source of irrigation and drinking water for millions of people in the region. The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry with respect to the water-sharing capacities. Also Read Karnataka to file appeal in SC on Aug 21 over release of Cauvery water Cauvery life issue, won't allow construction of Mekedatu dam: TN Minister Cauvery issue: TN CM urges PM to intervene, advise K'taka to release water Cauvery water row: K'taka govt calls for all- party meeting on Aug 23 TN urges govt to ask K'taka to release Cauvery water to save Kuruvai crop Telangana elections: BRS MLAs face competition for tickets within party Forget mama, chacha has come: Kejriwal's dig at Shivraj Chouhan in MP Will decide who will be Madhya Pradesh CM after poll result, says Amit Shah Does the BJP really need a new Constitution? Fourth poorest, poverty-stricken: Sibal on Shah's 'atma nirbhar MP' remark The government of Tamil Nadu has approached the apex court seeking fresh directions on the release of water. Tamil Nadu in its fresh application sought direction to the State of Karnataka to immediately release 24,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) from its reservoirs and ensure the availability of the specified quantity of water at Biligundlu on the inter-State border for the remainder of the month for meeting the pressing demands of the standing crops. It also urged the top court to direct Karnataka to ensure the release of 36.76 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) stipulated for September 2023 as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT)'s final award of February 2007 that was modified by the Supreme Court in 2018. Tamil Nadu said Karnataka should make good the shortfall of 28.849 TMC water during the current irrigation year for the period between June 1 to July 31. The Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said that the state government has called an all-party meeting on the issue on August 23. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in London where he is scheduled to meet his brother and Pakistan Muslim League (N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif to discuss important things for the upcoming general election, Dawn reported. In a post shared on the X (formerly known as Twitter), Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed that they will meet during PML-N President's stay in the UK. "Former Prime Minister and President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Mr Shahbaz Sharif will leave for London from Lahore today. During his stay in London, Mr Shahbaz Sharif will also meet the party leader, Mr Muhammad Nawaz Sharif," she said on an X. The former premier departed from Lahore on a Qatar Airways flight and landed at Heathrow after a short stopover in Doha, as per Dawn. The return of Nawaz Sharif and the status of the cases he is embroiled in are likely to come up in the meeting, and the two brothers are expected to set a date for the party supremo's return to Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif left the country in November 2019 for medical treatment in London following his conviction in a corruption case. The three-time prime minister has not returned since and faces multiple cases in Pakistan, as per Dawn's report. Recently, Shehbaz Sharif said that his brother would return to Pakistan in September, lead the PML-N's election campaign and assume the role of the prime minister for a fourth time if the party would emerge victorious in the polls. In an interview on a Geo News programme, PM Sharif said that he will travel to London to meet his elder brother Nawaz as soon as the caretaker government took charge. But recently, the Supreme Court has ruled that the Review of Judgments and Orders Act, 2023 was "unconstitutional", crashing all the hopes of Nawaz Sharif, who was seeking to challenge his lifetime disqualifications, Geo News reported. Also Read Pak PML-N chooses Shehbaz Sharif as party president; Maryam Nawaz his VP Shehbaz Sharif asks Nawaz to return Pakistan, become PM for fourth time Pakistan: PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz mocks Imran Khan for avoiding arrest IMF treating cash-strapped Pakistan like a 'colony': Maryam Nawaz Nawaz Sharif will return to Pak next month to face court cases: PM Sharif India levies high taxes, would return favour if voted to power: Trump N Korea watches cruise missile launches as US, S Korean troops begin drills Former US President Trump to skip GOP presidential primary debates 3 dead, 6 injured in shooting at hookah lounge in Seattle: Officials Hilary makes landfall along Mexico's Baja, carrying deluge to California This decision has created a cloud of uncertainty for Nawaz Sharif to come back to his homeland. But, PML-N seems to be confident about Nawaz Sharif's return. Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday visited the violence-hit Jaranwala town in Punjab province and handed out a compensation of Rs 2 million each to around 100 Christian families whose homes were burnt down along with 21 churches by a mob of radical Islamists last week. The mob ransacked and torched 21 churches and several houses of Christians last week over blasphemy allegations in Jaranwala town of Faisalabad district, 130 km from Punjab's provincial capital Lahore. A Christian cemetery and the office of the local assistant commissioner were also vandalised. Kakar visited Jaranwala to express solidarity with the victims of the Christian community, where he distributed cheques worth two million rupees (USD 6,800) each to the affected people. He assured all the minority communities in the country that the government is committed to protecting their lives and properties as he pledged to bring the perpetrators of heinous attacks against Christians to justice. "If anyone causes harm to the minorities, the law of the country will take its course by ensuring that such incidents should not happen in future," he said. The Prime Minister also reviewed the renovation and rehabilitation work of churches and other structures that were damaged by the mob. "I'm heading to Jaranwala to meet and empathise with our Christian brethren," he tweeted earlier. Speaking on the occasion, Punjab's caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi said the main culprits of the Jaranwala incident have been apprehended. "The damaged churches will be restored while the compensation cheques will be handed over to all the affected families, he said. "At least 94 families will receive compensation of Rs 2 million each. The amount will help them rebuild their houses damaged in the violence," Naqvi had said earlier. The Christian leaders told Naqvi on Monday that at least 200 houses were damaged in the violence, and all should be compensated. According to the police, at least 20 churches and 86 houses of Christians were burnt down by the mob in Jaranwala last Wednesday. The two Christians accused of desecrating the Quran were arrested, police said, adding that 145 suspects have been arrested so far, including a cleric who made announcements from five mosques inciting people to attack Christian homes and churches. Also Read 6 killed in communal clashes in Haryana, 116 arrested: What we know so far Shah speaks to Bihar Guv on communal violence, additional forces to be sent Informal workers moving away from Gurugram after communal clashes in Nuh Mamata Didi is sleeping...Jungleraj has returned: Thakur on clashes in WB Sale of petroleum products halves in Pakistan, high inflation to blame PM Modi to attend 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg: Check details here US treasury 10-year real yield exceeds 2% for first time since 2009 Ecuadorians reject oil drilling in the Amazon, ending ops in protected area Japan pledges support to fisheries during Fukushima plant water release Baby killer nurse Lucy Letby sentenced to whole-life sentence in UK The police report also hinted at the presence of radical Islamist Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) elements that spearheaded the mob which unleashed the attack. Meanwhile, protests erupted against the Punjab chief minister for ignoring Catholics in Jaranwala. Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad Vicar General Fr Abid Tanveer said that hundreds of Catholic Christians of Jaranwala waited in Christian Colony for the Naqvi, but the chief minister visited an area of a small community and ignored the Christian Colony. Tanveer asserted that the biggest church of Jaranwala, the Catholic Church, located in the Christian Colony, was burnt and demolished in the riots, and 200 houses were damaged in the locality, while their valuables were also looted. He added that by ignoring the locality, Naqvi hurt the sentiments of the Catholics. On Sunday, the Punjab caretaker cabinet joined the Christian community in Jaranwala and sat among the rubble of a burnt church for the first Sunday mass. Asserting that the restoration of other churches would be completed this week, Naqvi said the rights of individuals with affiliations to various faiths would be safeguarded at all costs, and those who engage in mistreatment' would be made an example. Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures can face the death penalty. Often an accusation can cause riots and incite mobs to violence, lynching and killings. According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), till August 16 this year, around 198 persons have been accused of blasphemy, 85 per cent of them Muslims, 9 per cent Ahmadis and 4.4 per cent Christians. It said the Punjab province recorded over 75 per cent of the abuse of blasphemy laws cases in the past 36 years. Minorities, including Christians and Hindus, have been frequently subjected to blasphemy allegations and some tried and even sentenced under blasphemy in Pakistan. Valerie Laveus remembers when she first heard about an immigration program designed to allow people to come to the US from four countries, including her native Haiti. I said, Whoa! This seems like it would work well for bringing my nephew and my brother into the country,' said the Florida teacher, who received a WhatsApp message in January and verified with an immigration lawyer that the programme was real. After years of trying to get a green card, her brother arrived with her nephew in early August, ready to start a new life. They are two of the roughly 181,000 people who have entered the US under the humanitarian parole program since President Joe Biden launched the initiative. But 21 Republican-leaning states threaten to end the programme through a lawsuit to determine its legality, which is set to be heard in a Texas court beginning Thursday, with a decision coming later. If the Biden administration loses, it would undercut a broader policy seeking to encourage migrants to use the administration's preferred pathways into the US or face stiff consequences. The administration has said it had to act in the absence of congressional action to overhaul the nation's immigration system. But much of the administration's strategy is just one lawsuit away from collapse. In the Texas trial, Republican states are expected to argue the Biden administration is basically usurping the power of Congress by allowing up to 360,000 people annually into the US from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela under the humanitarian parole programme. They say the programme is an overreach of a parole power meant to be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. The administration argues it has the power to use humanitarian parole in this way and credits the initiative with drastically reducing illegal border crossings by immigrants from those four countries. Programme applicants must pass background checks and have a financial sponsor in the US who vouches for them. If approved, they must fly into a US airport instead of crossing at the southern border. They can then stay in the US for two years and get a work permit. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' No deal has yet been reached, says Joe Biden after debt ceiling talks Both Democrats, Republicans responsible for US spending crisis: Nikki Haley Debt limit talks start, stop as Republicans, WH face 'serious differences' GOP moves to push off Biden impeachment, as hard-right clamours for action Former Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif reaches London; meeting with Nawaz scheduled India levies high taxes, would return favour if voted to power: Trump N Korea watches cruise missile launches as US, S Korean troops begin drills Former US President Trump to skip GOP presidential primary debates 3 dead, 6 injured in shooting at hookah lounge in Seattle: Officials Immigrant rights groups successfully petitioned to join the legal proceedings on behalf of Laveus and six other people who are sponsoring migrants. Esther Sung, an attorney for Justice Action Centre, said the groups want to show the real people who have volunteered to be sponsors and how ending the program would affect them. Blas Nunez-Neto, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy with the US Department of Homeland Security, said in a recent conference call that the government is worried about the upcoming trial and will appeal if the administration loses. The case is scheduled to be heard by Judge Drew Tipton in Victoria, Texas, a Donald Trump appointee who has ruled against the Biden administration on who to prioritise for deportation. The federal government pushed unsuccessfully to have the humanitarian parole case transferred from Tipton's courtroom after suggesting the Republican states filed in Victoria because they were seeking a favourable judge. The US used its humanitarian parole powers to grant entry to tens of thousands of Ukrainians when Russia invaded, but the Republican states' lawsuit does not challenge that decision. Just about anyone can be a sponsor provided they fill out the paperwork. Many, like Laveus, are sponsoring relatives who have no other way to come to the US. Laveus said her brother was approved for a green card a few years ago, but the immigration system's quotas meant his arrival was estimated to be delayed another six years. In the meantime, she supported relatives from afar as they tried to survive in a country plagued by economic instability and largely controlled by gangs. A former opposition political leader and human rights activist from Nicaragua, who was jailed in his homeland for his activities, was sponsored by his brother, a US citizen living in El Paso, Texas. The man, who wanted his identity withheld to protect his family in Nicaragua, came to the US in July and plans to work in construction. I wanted to take this opportunity to save my life, he said in Spanish. Members of churches, synagogues and mosques have joined to sponsor people they don't know out of religious belief to help others. Eric Sype is sponsoring a member of a family he stayed with when he lived and worked in Nicaragua as a college student in 2014. Sype is one of seven sponsors represented by immigrants rights groups in the legal challenge. The person he is sponsoring plans to work in the US for two years, then return to Nicaragua to be with his wife and two children. Sype said his friend will stay in Sype's childhood home in Washington state, where a cousin has offered him a job at an orchard growing pears, cherries and apples. Sype said he had no hesitation about sponsoring the man, whom he said is part of his chosen family. Sype has spent major holidays including Christmas with the family in Nicaragua and they talk or message weekly. I just can't really imagine how this programme is doing anything but benefiting folks, bringing people back together, he said. The Biden administration's programme appears to be one of the largest single uses of the humanitarian parole authority, but it is certainly not the only administration to use it. The authority has been used repeatedly in large and small ways including providing entry to Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians in the late 1970s, Iraqi Kurds who helped the US in the 1990s Gulf War and Cubans fleeing their country at various times, according to data from the Cato Institute. The Biden administration started the program for Venezuelans in October 2022 and added Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans in January. Still, some who are generally supportive of the program have concerns. Critics say the need to have a financial sponsor essentially favours more affluent, well-connected migrants, while also fearing the program could be used to exploit migrants. Muriel Saenz, who helps immigrants through Nicaraguans Around the World, a Texas-based group, said it can be difficult to find sponsors for migrants who don't already have family ties in the US. She encourages US citizens to sponsor people they don't know, which can be a harder sell. It is too much responsibility, Saenz said. Legally you are adopting people for two years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Danish lawmakers on Monday for helping his country resist Russia's invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Kyiv with American-made F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year. Zelenskyy told the lawmakers that if Russia's invasion is successful, other parts of Europe would be at risk from the Kremlin's military aggression. All of Russia's neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail, he said in a speech in Copenhagen. Zelenskyy portrays Ukraine as defending Western values of freedom and democracy against tyranny. He has argued that Ukraine needs to be properly provisioned to fend off Russia's much bigger force. Ukraine has been pressing its Western allies for months to give it F-16s. Its armed forces are still using aging Soviet-era combat planes from the 1970s and '80s, and its counteroffensive against Russian positions is advancing without air support, which analysts say is a major handicap. Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Ukraine would get 42 jets. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, which could be delivered around the end of the year when pilot training lasting four to six months is completed. However, getting Ukrainian squadrons battle-ready could take much longer. US Air Force Gen. James Hecker, commander of US air forces in Europe and Africa, said last week that he did not expect the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. Getting F-16 squadrons ready for battle could take four or five years, he said. While some training has already begun for Ukrainian pilots, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Sunday it's just language lessons so far. Training Ukrainian pilots is just one of the challenges in the anticipated deployment of F-16s. Questions also remain over who will carry out crucial aircraft maintenance, the supply of spare parts and what weapons the West will supply to arm the fighter jets. The United States last week announced its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver the F-16s. That is needed because the aircraft are made in the United States. On Sunday, Zelenskyy visited the Netherlands and inspected two gray F-16s parked in a hangar at a Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven together with Rutte. Also Read Zelenskyy visits NATO candidate Sweden for first time since war with Russia Zelenskyy vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed 7 people US President Biden to meet Ukrainian counterpart at Nato summit: Report 7 killed in Russian missile attack in Ukraine as Zelenskyy visits Sweden Netherlands, Denmark will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine: Dutch PM Russia, China look to gain upper hand at BRICS summit in South Africa 17 Indians held captive in Libya return home after six months of ordeal Japan makes final plea to gain fisheries' understanding for Fukushima plant Southern California braces for more floods even as storm Hilary grows weak China's Honor stages India return with local mfg plans in early 2024 Rutte didn't provide a number or timeframe for deliveries, saying it depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. Zelenskyy started his trip Saturday in Sweden, where he asked Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Sweden has said it will allow Ukrainian pilots to test the planes but has not made any commitments to hand them over. Kristersson said Monday that Sweden needs the Gripen planes for its own defence, noting that the country's bid to join NATO has not been finalised. We don't rule anything out in the future, he told the TV4 channel. We will do everything we can to support them also with aircraft. But right now there are no new commitments to provide Swedish aircraft to Ukraine. On Monday, Russian air defences jammed a Ukrainian drone west of Moscow and shot down another one on the outskirts of the city, Russia's Defence Ministry said. Two people were injured and one of them was hospitalised when drone fragments fell on a private house, Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said. Such drone attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in Russia in recent weeks. Also, Russian rail officials said that a relay cabinet used to run train traffic was set ablaze on the outskirts of Moscow, causing delays, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency. Russian authorities have reported multiple similar incidents across the country, some of which have been blamed on acts of sabotage encouraged by Ukrainian security agencies. In Ukraine, at least four civilians were killed and 25 others wounded by the latest Russian attacks, according to the Ukrainian presidential office. The dead included a 71-year-old man killed by Russian shelling in the northeastern Kharkiv region, near the border with Russia. The 'hypothetical conflict' that may be at the root of Disney's woes By Stefan Padfield web posted August 21, 2023 Disney is not doing well. As of July 22, the stock price has fallen 15 percent over the last year, while the S&P 500 is up almost 15 percent. That means Disney is down 30 percent compared to the broader market over that period. Myriad explanations have been offered for this decline. It is arguably difficult to overstate the backlash generated by Disney's decision to "wage war on democracy" and parental rights by coming out publicly against Florida's parental rights bill in 2022. (I say "wage war on democracy" because Florida's governor Ron DeSantis presumably acted in accordance with his election platform when he signed the bill into law.) Effectively, Disney decided to spit in the face of at least half its customer base and perhaps more than half, given that it wasn't that long ago that people still thought of Disney as a "family friendly" company. From a shareholder perspective, it becomes critical to understand whether the corporation's leaders acted dutifully when making this decision. To understand Disney's decision to dive into politics by opposing "parental rights," we must briefly discuss an organization called the Human Rights Campaign. HRC is "one of the world's leading LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations." Meanwhile, the Catholic League has described it as "a radical homosexual organization" that "often disrespects the human rights of those with whom it disagrees." In his 2021 book The Dictatorship of Woke Capital, Stephen Soukup describes HRC as one of the activist groups that started targeting businesses in the early 1990s because the activists' social agendas "were 'too important' to leave to the democratic process." He further describes HRC as influencing businesses by employing a "soothsayer's trick" that defenders of Marxism had to employ in the face of Marxism's repeated failures simply keep moving the goalposts. Specifically, Soukup argues that HRC "tells companies that corporate policies x, y, and z will produce powerful progress for the LGBTQ community but changes its expectations the next year, saying that policies a, b, and c are the real keys." Ultimately, Soukup notes that HRC's Corporate Equality Index "has become an enormous concern for companies that desperately want to avoid the label 'homophobic' and thus do everything they can to appease and ally with HRC." I suspect many people would consider a corporate board made up of HRC supporters to be severely limited in its ability to act in an unbiased manner as they are duty-bound to do when it came time to decide whether to oppose a law derisively and deceitfully called the "Don't Say Gay" law. And yet, a judge ruling on a related shareholder's books and records request in the case of Simeone v. Disney concluded that this was a "hypothetical conflict," and denied the shareholder's inspection request. To be sure, not all of the directors on the Disney board were identified as HRC supporters, but the burden of proof on shareholders seeking access to the books and records of a corporation they own is, as the judge acknowledged, "the lowest standard of proof" in Delaware law. Further, while the alleged conflict is not the sort of financial conflict typically understood to constitute a breach of the duty of loyalty, it seems reasonable to worry that it is the sort of conflict that could undermine a board's responsibility to act on a fully informed basis in good faith. Even if less than a majority of the board is identified as being ideologically biased, shareholders should be allowed to review corporate minutes and other related documents to assess how much the conflicted directors contaminated the overall process. While I am unaware of any pending appeal, we should all hope this judge's decision is not the final word on the issue. Allowing HRC membership to create an actionable conflict for corporate directors may materially undermine the ability of corporate boards to govern. My response is that it's simply too costly to ignore these conflicts, given the extent to which we are politically divided as a nation and the extent to which people are consequently prioritizing their ideological commitments. Further, acknowledging the problems these conflicts can create should incentivize corporations to improve the viewpoint diversity of their boards. In fact, one can envision courts or legislatures creating a safe harbor from such claims for boards with demonstrable viewpoint diversity. Watching activists twist themselves into knots trying to argue against viewpoint diversity would be an added bonus. Stefan Padfield is an associate at the Free Enterprise Project at the National Center for Public Policy Research. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Home Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's rattles sabers against Israel By Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah web posted August 21, 2023 In a speech delivered on August 14, 2023, Sayyed Nasrallah warned that if war erupts between the Israeli enemy and Lebanon, "there will be no such thing as Israel." Marking the 17th anniversary of the victory in the July 2006 war, his eminence assured that Israel's military has gradually 'weakened' since the defeat it suffered in 2006. Hizbullah's media station Al-Manar I say to the enemy: According to all evidence, you will be returned to the Stone Age if you go to war. We do not deny that "Israe" can return Lebanon to the Stone Age due to its air force, but also "Israel" will be returned to the Stone Age. A full transcript appears in the Tehran Times Since the beginning of July 2023, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah has escalated his verbal clash with Israel with fierce rhetoric, belittling the Jewish State and arguing that Israel has lost its past deterrence because of its domestic weakness. Nasrallah, who is known to be a compulsive reader of the Israeli press and the international press coverage relating to Israel, seems to have concluded that Israel has lost power, is weakened from within, and lacks the resolve to wage war against Hizbullah or any other adversary. Few doubt that Nasrallah's bellicose policies match the strategies of his Iranian patrons and are carried out with Iran's approval. To illustrate his aggression, Nasrallah challenged Israel when his operatives erected tents after crossing the "Blue Line," the designated boundary that since 2000 demarcates the UN-recognized line of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. He openly threw down his gauntlet, pointing out that he was prepared to act militarily if Israel tried dismantling the tents. Nasrallah bluntly declared that the tents were established on Lebanese land, and Hizbullah did not intend to dismantle the tents and withdraw. The Hizbullah leader also claimed there is no basis for negotiating the land border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel. He demanded that Israel comply with his "proposal" of withdrawing to the 1923 Pallet-Newcombe lines, an agreement according to which there is already an internationally recognized border between Lebanon and Mandatory Palestine, thus returning 13 points of contention to Lebanese sovereignty, a proposal no Israeli government can even consider. Nasrallah promised to deal also with the unilateral "annexation" of the northern part of the border village of Ghajar, with its Syrian Alawite residents, if Israel did not withdraw from this "Lebanese" land, hinting that he would not hesitate to use force against Israel. Indeed, a few days later, an anti-tank missile was fired by a Hizbullah squad in the direction of the village, missing only by chance Israeli soldiers who were patrolling the area. On August 13, 2023, a Hizbullah operative threw a bomb at the fence between Lebanon and Israel. Nasrallah warned Israel several times not to miscalculate Hizbullah's resolve to confront Israel militarily and argued that the reverse is true for those in Israel who claim that Hizbullah has been deterred since the end of the Second Lebanon War. A possible signal of the coming events could be seen with the unprecedented intensification of Hizbullah operatives' many provocations on the border with Israel and even deep inside Israeli territory. Hizbullah's continuous military presence in South Lebanon contradicts UNSCR 1701; it prevents UNIFIL personnel from carrying independent inspections; operatives harass the inhabitants of the Israeli border villages and the guards on the observation posts with laser beams and loudspeakers. Hizbullah is blamed for a road-side bomb attack at the Megiddo Junction, rocket firings against Israel, anti-tank missiles fired in the Ghajar area, dismantling cameras installed by Israel on an observation tower meant to cover the Lebanese territory, incursions deep beyond the Blue Line, unprecedented road construction along the Israeli border fence, moving concrete blocks posed by Israel to demarcate the border, and adventuring in areas beyond the Blue Line where no Lebanese have crossed since the end of the second Lebanon war in 2006. The Iranian proxy continues monitoring Israeli territory from 27 towers constructed by Hizbullah in the past year along the Blue Line under the guise of "Green without Borders," a Hizbullah-affiliated organization that poses as an environmental NGO. Hizbullah recently conducted a military exercise in which Hizbullah elite troops practiced blowing up a border wall and invading Israeli territory. There are no doubts that the list above, as impressive as it might be, does not cover all the infractions carried by Hizbullah. It stems from the understanding in Nasrallah's own words that if Israel were today what it used to be in the past, with its formidable invincible army that could do whatever it wanted, and if Lebanon were today what it was years ago, then Israel would not have hesitated a moment to remove the tents swiftly. This is not the case today. In the eyes of Hizbullah, Israel has lost its credibility and, more importantly, its deterrence vis-a-vis its rivals not only against Hizbullah but also the Palestinian armed factions combating Israel in Judea and Samaria. The question is what stands behind Hizbullah's provocations against Israel at this point? Is Nasrallah rushing into a military confrontation with Israel, and to what extent does he assess that Israel will refrain from acting against the Iran-guided militia? Screenshot of a Hizbullah military exercise in southern Lebanon on May 21, 2023 (RT Arabic) One possible answer is the clue provided by one of Nasrallah's close followers and confident, Sheikh Sadeq el-Nabulsi, who gave an interview on Al-Hadath TV on July 6, 2023. He said that if the political factions in Lebanon could not agree on a presidential candidate and a stalemate continued, then the option of waging war would change the equation of forces in Lebanon and allow the presentation of a Hizbullah candidate, an opportunity unreachable to this point in Lebanon. According to that same Sheikh, Hizbullah has reached the moment to begin a military confrontation without waiting for Israel to act first. One cannot ignore this logic: it stands on its own two feet in the Lebanese context. However, Hizbullah is not an independent movement. Its leaders are in tune with the Supreme Leader in Tehran and in coordination with the IRGC and the Quds force. No doubt Tehran is aware of Hizbullah's activities facing Israel and has given the green light for all provocations. Most probably, Tehran's directives to Hizbullah will depend on its perception of other developments in the area, first and foremost in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Nasrallah's fierce rhetoric has brought the two sides closer to a military confrontation, possibly soon. Nasrallah is convinced he can challenge Israel and cross the red lines he imagined impassible in the past. Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah, a special analyst for the Middle East at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, was formerly Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence. Home Do you enjoy investigating and solving mysteries? Do you have the instincts to find out what's going on behind a fraudulent action? If so, you're in for an interesting profession that will not only put your analytical talents to the test but will also help you grow as a person! You should work at the "Central Bureau of Investigation" if you're looking for a rewarding and difficult profession. Although the CBI is a well-known investigative organization in general, many students are not aware of the application process. What should the first step be in order to pursue this renowned career? Let's have a look at it and go over everything you might need to know. What is the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)? An Indian company called Satyam Computer Services was involved in a business dispute in 2009 when the chairman acknowledged robbing the corporation of accounts worth Rs. 7000 crores. They were able to identify the manipulation of the company's account with the aid of properly qualified detectives. What kind of people do you suppose those officers were, and where do they originate from? The Central Bureau of Investigation was represented by those personnel, so maybe this has provided you with some insight into how the CBI handles investigations. If you haven't already guessed it, the Central Bureau of Investigation is the nation's top investigative body and is respected by the public, the government, the judiciary, and the media. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions typically entrusts it with cases of corruption, economic crimes, special crimes, and other high-profile issues. Now that you know more about CBI, you can better grasp what they do. Let us provide you with a checklist to help you find the perfect job! Eligibility requirements Getting through entrance exams (SSC-CGL and UPSC) Groundwork for Entrance Exams Eligibility requirements There are several ways to get there, but they are all equivalent in terms of eligibility. If you are a 12th-grader who is eager to work for the CBI, you must get a degree from an accredited institution in any discipline with at least a 50 percent average. The minimum and maximum age restrictions are 20 and 27, respectively, with a 5-year concession for SC/STs and a 3-year relaxation for OBCs. You can research the best post-secondary options and select the one that best meets your interests while continuing to advance your skills and knowledge throughout the coming years. Getting Through Entrance Exam There are several ways to become a CBI agent, as we've already covered. Getting into the SSC-CGL Exam is the initial step. In the CBI, SSC is used for all lower division hiring, from group B and group C through Sub Inspector. Commission for Staff Selection The SSC-CGL exam is divided into four levels: levels one and two are online, levels three and four are offline, and levels one and four are computer skill tests. Tiers Sections/ Papers Total Marks Time Duration Tier-1 General intelligence and reasoning, General awarenessQuantitative Aptitude, and English comprehension. {Each section contains 25 questions} Maximum marks 200 A cumulative time of 60 minutes Tier-2 Paper- 1 Quantitative Ability (100 questions) Paper-2 Statistics(100 questions) Paper-3 General Studies (Finance & Economics) (100 questions) Paper-4 English Language and Comprehension (200 questions) Each paper is of 200 marks, therefore the maximum marks to obtain is 200 each. 2 hours is the time allotted for each paper. Tier-3 A Descriptive Paper in English/Hindi (Writing of Essay, Precis, Letter, Application etc.) A Descriptive Paper in English/Hindi (Writing of Essay, Precis, Letter, Application etc.) 60 minutes Tier-4 It will be split into 2 parts: the DEST test and the CPT test. DEST requires you to write 2000 words on a computer in 15 minutes, whereas CPT assesses your ability in Word Processing, Spreadsheets, and Slide Generation. To gain entry into the arena, you will need to meet the physical requirements in addition to your academic abilities. Here, you'll be tested on both your physical and mental stamina, as well as your ability to handle a variety of physically demanding situations. You will be interviewed by a panel of CBI after successfully completing the previous two rounds, who will test your abilities once more to see if you are the ideal candidate. What if you decide not to complete this drawn-out procedure? Is there an alternative approach? You can become a CBI Group A officer without having to stand in a long queue, that much is true. However, that will be a difficult nut to crack, so you should seriously consider your job goals. The second route to becoming a CBI agent is to pass the UPSC Civil Services Exams. If you want to be considered for the Indian Police Service (IPS), you must pass this exam with a high enough score. The test for the Civil Services is divided into three tiers. Specifically, the preliminary, primary, and individual interviews. General Studies I and General Studies II or CSAT, two objective-type tests totaling 400 marks, made up the UPSC Prelims. The majority of the time, both papers are presented in two sessions using the offline mode (pen-paper) on the same day. The CSAT exam comprises 80 questions, compared to 100 on the General Studies I exam, and both tests are two hours long. There will be a primary exam and a personal interview after that. Here, you will have to complete 8 papers, and you can choose which service you wish to be given priority for. Groundwork for Entrance Exams Follow these tips to ace your admission exam if you actually want to learn how to get into CBI: Set a schedule and follow it. Make sure each subject receives the same amount of time. As many practice exams as you can. Numerous practice exams can help you speed up because you will only have a short amount of time for the exam. Start routinely reading publications like The Hindu and The Indian Express to remain current on relevant events. Always evaluate what you learn, and have confidence in yourself. Remain motivated and resist outside pressures. Imagine a world without radio, television, or social media. How long will you be able to survive? Humans are social creatures that do not exist in isolation. They crave constant engagement and are interested in the world around them. The process of communicating with the general public on a larger scale using media including radio, newspapers, magazines, television, the internet, advertising photography, etc. is known as mass communication. Mass communication includes the discipline of journalism. Journalism focuses on gathering and disseminating news via print and electronic media. It entails gathering, editing, and delivering news stories or editorials with the intention of enlightening the public for broad distribution through any mass media. A journalist can write about anything, from politics to dance and music. Anyone who wants to work as a news anchor should think about taking journalism or mass communication degrees. Let's first clarify the distinction between journalism and mass communication before learning how to become a news anchor. Mass communication is a component of journalism, but journalism is not a component of mass communication. Always bear in mind that journalism has the goal of persuading people, whereas mass communication entails distributing information to the public. What is Journalism? Writing, compiling, editing, and presenting news reports or editorials with the intention of enlightening the public for broad distribution through any mass media is referred to as journalism. Print media, reporting and editing, behavioural science, news and contemporary issues, and national and international issues are just a few of the topics covered in journalism courses. The following is a list of career options available after journalism Writing and Editing Content Newspaper/TV News Reporter Magazines Online Journalism Independent journalism Photojournalism sports reporting Legal Affairs Department Investigative reporting Skills Necessary Writing abilities Critical Analysis Interviewing skills Who should Pursue Journalism? People who desire to specialise in print and electronic media as journalists and are more interested in producing and presenting factual information. Additionally, there are courses in specific facets of journalism, such as sports, television, photography, press law, etc. What is Mass Communication? The term "mass communication" describes the methods of reaching a large audience. It would cover journalism (which covers print media such as newspapers and magazines, online news sources, and broadcast media such as TV and radio), advertising, public relations, radio, photography, event planning, etc. The phrase "mass communication" refers to a variety of courses, including news reading, reporting, column writing, anchoring, radio hosting, public relations, advertising, production, acting, web journalism, social media, etc. Public relations, media management, advertising, visual communication & film theory & practice are a few topics included in mass communication courses. Some job opportunities available after Mass Communication are Journalism Production Film Studies Public Relations Event Management Broadcasting Advertising Marketing Animation Skills required Creative thinking Dynamism Idea generation Who should Pursue Mass Communication? People who are more keen on employing creativity and ideation to explore the broad spectrum of communication. Let's explore news anchoring in detail now that we have a solid understanding of journalism and mass communication. Journalists known as news anchors inform the audience by covering breaking news and events that are occurring locally, nationally, and internationally. Broadcast journalists, often known as news anchors, are individuals who deliver information to a large audience by radio or television rather than through print media. It is their responsibility to communicate accurate, engaging, and attention-grabbing information to the general public. They are engaged in work related to politics, conflict, and the environment. Few famous news anchors in India are Barkha Dutt Rahul Kanwal Rajat Sharma Rajdeep Sardesai and numerous others Although there aren't any precise requirements for becoming a news anchor, having a degree in journalism or mass communication may help. Most of the nation's well-known news anchors and broadcasters have taken a semester or two in journalism or mass communication. Career in News Anchoring There are three possible paths one could take to become a news anchor: Complete graduation in any discipline and submit an internship application while doing so. Numerous colleges and universities offer diploma and short-term certificate programs in journalism and associated subjects. Complete high school in any field, then pursue a postgraduate degree in mass communication. Obtain a degree in journalism or mass communication. The skills needed for efficient and effective visual and oral communication of news and information relating to current events and public affairs are provided by journalism/mass communication courses. These courses also prepare students for broadcast careers in reporting, producing, and newsroom management. Eligibility All streams are welcome to enrol in journalism and mass communication courses. In class twelve, students must know at least one language. Few colleges have minimal aggregate requirements of 40%, whereas the majority of colleges require at least 50% in Class XII. Only a few other colleges might set an English cut-off. The majority of colleges have an entrance exam that assesses a candidate's knowledge of English, reading comprehension, and GK. Skills required Critical & Creative Thinking Interviewing skills/ Communication Skills Dynamism/ Presence of Mind/ Spontaneity Comfort with Camera What do you study in journalism or mass communication? Print Media Reporting & Editing Behavioural Science News & Contemporary issues National & International Issues Public Relations Media Management Advertising Visual Communication Film Theory and Practice Few notable colleges for under-graduation: Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University Delhi School of Journalism IP College for Women, Delhi University St Xavier's College, Mumbai Jai Hind College, Mumbai University Few notable colleges for post-graduation: A.J.K. Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi Asian College of Journalism, Chennai Xavier's Institute of Communication Minority-owned businesses suffer a second pandemic of crime as local governments handcuff the police By Stone Washington web posted August 21, 2023 The pandemic is now officially over. Thankfully most Americans survived, although we shall always miss those who were taken from us. However, one part of American society is still reeling from the pandemic's effects small business, especially small minority owned businesses. Those that weren't forced to shut their doors as a result of financial devastation are suffering from the double whammy of rising crime and sluggish recovery. Yet local governments seem indifferent to their plight. If governments don't open their eyes, we could see more and more businesses shut down particularly in black and other minority communities where the businesses are desperately needed. Small businesses cannot recover from the pandemic if local leaders remain callous to their plight. Many city officials are hamstringing the peacekeeping efforts of police, while proactive crime prevention efforts are cast aside, allowing violent crime rates to surge. Small businesses suffer, as increasingly brazen criminals take advantage of crises and police absenteeism. We've seen this time and time again in Ferguson, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and just two weeks ago at a 7-Eleven in Stockton, where two employees defended their store and are now facing criminal charges for doing so. Recall how many local officials told law enforcement to stand down and not use force, allowing anarchy to reign against private businesses during the George Floyd riots of summer 2020. That wasn't reassuring to small business owners and their employees fearful of losing their livelihoods. Small businesses comprise 44% of the U.S. economy and have generated 12.9 million jobs over the past twenty-five years, serving as the backbone of the U.S. jobs market. Yet, concerns over small businesses being vandalized, looted or even demolished are often mislabeled as "fearmongering." These concerns are generally dismissed by officials with the assertion that new businesses will simply rise from the ashes of the old. "It's all covered by insurance" was the dismissive response that many city leaders took after the 2020 riots. As a result, we have seen insurance rates rise sharply, leaving a number of businesses uninsurable in vulnerable communities lacking crime control safeguards. A recent survey revealed that 90 percent of small businesses polled were not confident in the adequacy of their insured status, while about a third (29 percent) had no insurance plan. When faced with potential risks, like robbery or arson, 51 percent admitted that they were less than "very prepared" to protect their property. Many of those permanently affected include small "mom and pop" shops that will never be able to recover or reopen, regardless of how much government relief aid is pumped into local communities. The damage from crime and lockdowns was too much for many businesses to bear. For those that have survived, the rising crime wave creates new dangers, especially in the underserved areas that need local businesses the most. Residents and businesses have begun to flee neighborhoods like this, leaving behind urban vacancies for criminals to fill. This lack of legitimate opportunity encourages more serious criminal activity, as informal barriers of social control dissipate. Regrettably, we have seen this before. In the 1990s, police forces and social scientists found that proactive policing measures that employ a "broken windows" approach counteracted this trend. These approaches concentrated resources on crimes of disorder such as breaking windows, committing random arsons and jumping ticket barriers. A 2015 study confirmed the success of policing strategies that actively surveyed and protected neighborhoods vulnerable to serious crime. These methods had a statistically significant-to-modest impact on reducing crime in every category. A "problem-oriented" focus, where officers prioritize the underlying problems in a community that most likely lead to criminal behavior, produces results. Researchers at the Manhattan Institute and elsewhere have called for New York mayor Eric Adams to restore the broken windows approach that once made the Big Apple among the safest cities in America. In order to protect small businesses, local governments must acknowledge the harm caused in the first place. Policies should safeguard businesses from damage first and foremost. The callous disregard to what small businesses suffered will reverberate for many years to come. Big city officials can make amends by acknowledging the essential role that small businesses play in job production and civil society. They must also withdraw any lingering lock-down inspired barriers that continue to restrict business activity. While cash relief for recovery is helpful, local governments must learn from their careless mistakes. They can do so by permitting police to do their job to protect communities, while enabling small businesses to flourish in a manner free from government-imposed restraints. Stone Washington is a member of Project 21 Black Leadership Network. This was first published by The Daily Caller. Reprinted with the kind permission of the National Center for Public Policy Research. Home Much earlier than the creation of the more technical fields like engineering and IT, higher education in the arts has existed for millennia. There are two main categories of education in the arts: fine arts and liberal arts. In the humanities and social sciences such as history, political science, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology, liberal arts courses cover the arts as a taught skill. Since ancient times, the various liberal arts fields have evolved in India thanks to the mingling of various cultures made possible by interactions with eminent academics like Marco Polo, Albiruni, Fa-Hien, and Francois Bernier. With increased support for study into its numerous areas, India's liberal arts have a wider range now. Here's a list of the top 10 liberal arts courses in India and how to apply for them. 1. Major in sociology or social studies In India, the minimum qualification for Sociology undergraduate studies is a passing grade 12 with main humanities subjects or any such equivalent. It is preferable to take sociology as a subject in high school (10+2). Some of the entrance tests that grant admission into the following universities are the Flame University Aptitude Test (FEAT), Shiv Nadar University Entrance Exam (SNUEE), Ashoka Aptitude Test (AAT), and Krea Immersive Case (KIC). The universities that offer quality courses in Sociology are: Flame University Ashoka University Shiv Nadar University Krea University 2. Philosophy Major This programme, one of the most popular liberal arts programs in India, requires applicants to have completed Grade 12 or the equivalent, preferably with humanities courses. Regarding the entrance tests, colleges hold their own entrance exams for Philosophy Major courses. The colleges that offer some of the most comprehensive programmes are: Krea University Azim Premji University Karnavati University's Unitedworld School of Liberal Arts and Mass Communication 3. History Major Programmes in history as a major subject need applicants to have passed the Grade 12 level exams with humanities subjects (including History), which is a requirement for other liberal arts programmes in India. Students can choose to take the SNUEE, AAT, KIC, or the Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET) to qualify for admission to Indian universities that offer history courses, including: Shiv Nadar University Ashoka University Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts Krea University Azim Premji University 4. Political Science/Political Studies/International Studies Courses in political studies and international studies require applicants to have completed high school with humanities subjects. It would be preferable if you had political science as one of your grade 12 subjects. Each university has its own set of entry exams, even though there isn't a single national entrance exam for political science studies. The top colleges that provide these courses are: Shiv Nadar University Unitedworld School of Liberal Arts and Mass Communication Karnavati University's Unitedworld School of Liberal Arts and Mass Communication 5. Bachelor of Arts in Economics The BSc Economics courses are not the same as the BA Economics courses offered in India. For the former, you must have completed at least Grade 12 of high school, or its equivalent, in either the Science, Humanities, or Commerce courses. Some of the admission tests that candidates attempt to pass for this course include the AAT, Jindal Scholastic Aptitude Test (JSAT), FEAT, and SET. Candidates can gain admission to some of the most prestigious colleges by passing these entrance exams: Shiv Nadar University Ashoka University OP Jindal University Flame University Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts Krea University 6. Business Studies In India, business studies fall under the umbrella of liberal arts courses, and the minimal requirements for qualifying are comparable to those for other liberal arts courses. The entrance requirement for this course may be satisfied by passing a Grade 12 exam or its equivalent. Students can enroll in the following colleges that offer business studies programs by taking the Symbiosis Entrance Test and the KIC round of the Krea University admissions process: Krea University Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts 7. English Literature To be eligible for undergraduate English and English Literature courses, a student must have completed Grade 12 in an English-medium school where English is taught as the primary language. Candidates for postgraduate programs must at least have a BA in English. Students can enroll in the following colleges that offer English classes by completing university-specific entrance tests, the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE exams, or both. Symbiosis University's Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts Shiv Nadar University Unitedworld School of Liberal Arts and Mass Communication 8. Journalism and Mass Communication Students who have either the science, commerce, or humanities stream in their Grade 12 level or its equivalent are eligible to apply for these courses because they are a broad subject that incorporates knowledge of numerous subjects and current affairs. Exams for applicants in journalism include the JSAT, AAT, and the Karnavati University Aptitude Test (KUAT). Candidates who pass these tests can enroll in the following colleges: Karnavati University's Unitedworld School of Liberal Arts and Mass Communication Symbiosis University's Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts Ashoka University OP Jindal University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication 9. Entrepreneurship Counseling in the liberal arts can frequently point students into entrepreneurial courses. The prerequisites for these programs are mainly open-ended because India supports entrepreneurs in all fields. Candidates who have passed the Vijay Bhoomi Scholastic Aptitude Test (VSAT), SNUEE, KUAT, and FEAT can enroll in the following colleges for entrepreneurial courses in order to further hone their eligibility: Vijay Bhoomi University's Jagdish Sheth School of Management Shiv Nadar University Karnavati University Flame University 10. Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) The minimal requirements for admission to BBA programs are a Grade 12 passing certificate from any educational board and graduation from any high school stream, including science, business, and humanities. Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) entrance exams at schools like Atria University consist of five rounds, including written subject matter tests, general aptitude tests, rounds of group discussions, and even rounds of personal interviews. The universities in India that provide BBA liberal arts programs are: Atria University FLAME University Vijay Bhoomi University's Jagdish Sheth School of Management Karnavati University's Unitedworld School of Business OP Jindal University Choose the best course for yourself It is not surprising that even international students view India as a potential education destination given the large variety of universities from which to pick when thinking about pursuing liberal arts courses in India. Additionally, these private schools and universities offer the most modern educational infrastructure, ensuring that students develop holistically in both their academic and practical lives. Due to the promising employment prospects in India for these fields, several of the best colleges in the country, including Flame University and Krea University, offer liberal arts courses such as social sciences, business studies, and languages. Beginning on August 18, 2023, the Central Board of Secondary Education will accept LOC applications for the CBSE Board Exams 2024. You can check the official notice addressing this at cbse.gov.in, the CBSE's official website. The submission of candidate lists for Class 10, 12 will commence and may be done using the e-Pariksha link on the official website. The deadline for applying for a LOC is September 18, 2023 without late fees and September 19, 2023 with late fees. To prevent any future issues for the students, the schools must fill out the correct student data. The newly connected schools with CBSE must first enter their information on the OASIS portal before submitting it on the HPE portal. They can provide LOC data after these tasks are finished. After the form has been completed and submitted, CBSE will not permit changes to the declared section or student strength. Additionally, the Board has mandated that before the final submission of LOC, schools must submit the pictures of their Class 9 and Class 11 registrants. According to the official announcement, candidates for the private/second chance compartment will have a separate URL available for submitting the online form. In addition to the regular fee specified in the notice, there is a late fee of 2000 rupees per candidate. For schools in India and Nepal, the practical fees for Class 12 are 150/- each practical subject per applicant, and 350/- per practical subject per candidate for schools abroad. The cost of the migration certificate is 350 per applicant. Candidates who are blind are excused from paying test costs for classes 10, 12. Candidates can visit the CBSE website for further information on this topic. Bhubaneshwar, Aug 21: The 19th Annual Convocation of KIIT Deemed to be University (KIIT-DU), Bhubaneswar was held on 19th August 2023, during which a total of 6638 students were conferred with Bachelor's, Master, and Ph. D Degrees. Gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest, Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Hon'ble Governor of Odisha exhorted the young graduates to spread the message of love in society and uphold the valid values of justice, equality, and fraternity. Drawing a parallel to the charm and fragrance of a flower that continues to smile in the face of adversities and pain, he urged students to discover their innate qualities and utilize them for the betterment of humanity. The University also conferred Honoris Causa Doctorate Degrees upon three eminent persons: Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Chairman, of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) &, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Govt. of India; Mr. Jitendra Kumar Mohanty, Chairman & Managing Director, Swosti Group of Hotels, Bhubaneswar; and Mr. Chander Prakash Gurnani, CEO & Managing Director, Tech Mahindra. In his presidential address, Shri Ashok Kumar Parija, Chancellor, KIIT DU said that education is the passport to a bright future and KIIT is shaping the brilliant minds as responsible citizens of his nation. He noted that KIIT's success is "littered with transformational milestones" and credited Prof. Achyuta Samanta for his unwavering commitment and persistent effort to take the university to new heights in the field of education. "His acute emphasis on the quality of higher education is subjected to the standards of international education and is evident in the pedagogy followed by KIIT," Shri Parija underlined. Prof. (Dr.) Subrat Kumar Acharya, Pro-Chancellor, KIIT-DU hailed the achievements of the universities and its role in producing talents who have been role models in their respective fields. This young university needs you in a way that will be an example of great learning and a citadel of knowledge. Presenting the report on the achievements of the University, Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Vice Chancellor stated that KIIT-DU continued to improve its standing in various national and international rankings of higher education institutions. Now, it is ranked among the top 16 public and private Universities in India as per the NIRF India Rankings of the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India and in the cohort of 601-800 globally by the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023. On the occasion, medals were awarded to 68 students for their outstanding academic performances. Four students were awarded Founder's Gold Medals for their outstanding all round and academic performances, while 32 students were awarded Chancellor's Gold Medals. Prof. J. R. Mohanty, Registrar proposed the word of thanks. Among others, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS; Umapada Bose, Vice President, R. N. Dash, Secretary; Prof. Saranjit Singh, ProVC, KIIT DU, and Prof. CBK Mohanty, ProVC KIMS were also present. TARA and Swiss government sign LC3 agreement in Nepal ICR Newsroom By 21 August 2023 Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA) signed an agreement on 17 August 2023 with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs acting through the Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal for Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) feasibility studies in Nepal. TARA was represented by Dr Soumen Maity, chief technology officer and Dr Debojyoti Basuroy, senior manager and business lead. The Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal was led by Matthias Meier, head of cooperation and Antonia Elena Fluck, programme manager. This project envisions decarbonising Nepals cement industry and help it in reducing both resource and carbon footprint thereby ensuring circularity in the construction industry. The initiative demonstrates a strong public-private partnership in Nepal and is expected to set an example to be replicated across all sectors. Published under 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. Unacem sees 9% advance in 2Q revenues ICR Newsroom By 21 August 2023 Peruvian Unacem Group saw a nine per cent increase in its 2Q revenues to PEN1559m (US$419.8m) in the 2Q23. The advance was attributed mainly to the incorporation of thermo-electric company Termochilca last May. In the core cement and ready-mix concrete businesses, sales volumes in Peru and Chile fell with sales in Peru, down 13.2 per cent YoY. "The incorporation of Termochilca and higher sales prices in all units helped to offset the sharp drop in cement dispatches in Peru, which was affected by an adverse macroeconomic situation," explained Kallpa SAB. Ready-mix concrete sales in Chile fell 27.8 per cent YoY while cement sales in the USA declined bye 7.4 per cent YoY in the 2Q23. The drop in cement volumes and other factors resulted in a contraction of its EBITDA margin from 25 per cent in the 2Q22 to 23.5 per cent in the 2Q23. According to Alvaro Morales, Unacems corporate financial director, the fluctuation in construction costs will normalise by the end of 2023. "Better revenues and margins are expected, given the expectation of a gradual recovery in cement dispatches in Peru and Ecuador, as well as a normalization in Celepsa's margins," projected Kallpa SAB. Unacem Group invested PEN224m in the 2Q23 when compared with PEN151m invested in the 2Q22. The group invested in new packaging machines and the reinforcement of the multi-silo in Peru, as well as the mill at Drake Cement, USA, and fixed assets for aggregate production in the USA. Published under You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The manager at the Mapco, 7701 Lee Hwy., told police she recognized a man walking into the store. She is familiar with the man stealing beer. She said that in this incident she observed the man select two beers and place one of them in his pocket. He then walked to the front of the store and paid for one of them. She was able to confirm this with the video of the incident. Police were able to get a photo of the man and send it out to CPD Sworn for possible identification. The man was seen getting into a white Lexus RX300 with TN tag. No other suspect information was observed, other than a light-skinned black male wearing a black shirt. The beer that the man took was worth $2.49 and the store is wanting to press charges for the theft. * * * A caller on N. Germantown Road told police they were in a verbal altercation with a man and wanted him to leave. The man grabbed his things and left on a bicycle, going south on Germantown Road. * * * A woman told police that her 2009 MYKA bicycle was stolen from the storage room of her apartment complex on E. 5th Street. She said that she was out of town for a couple months and observed that bicycle was stolen when she returned. She said the only people who have a key to the storage are other bike owners. * * * A man on Bradt Street told police he just discovered a dent in the passenger door of his vehicle and a busted rear brake light. He said he knew he did not hit anything when driving and believes this damage happened sometime this past weekend. * * * An anonymous caller told police a man was being aggressive with someone at Central Avenue/E. Main Street. Police observed a man in the roadway attempting to slow down vehicles to speak with them. The man was asked to leave the area and warned that if he was in traffic causing vehicles to stop or swerve to avoid him while asking for money again he could be arrested. * * * A woman told police she was attempting to enter the property belonging to Cedar Designs, 6300 Enterprise Park Dr., when she struck the overhang while crossing through the gate. The manager of the business said the damages are estimated to be approximately $4,000. No one was injured and the vehicle was driven from the scene. * * * Police received a call regarding a homeless female screaming at traffic at 301 E Martin Luther King Blvd. As police got into the area, they could hear the woman in an alcove next to the Kanku's at 301 E. MLK. Police recognized the woman and initiated a well-being check. They conducted a crisis assessment on her, but determined that she didn't meet criteria for involuntary hospitalization. Police concluded she just needed water and some shade, since the heat was reaching into the 90s. Police relocated the woman to Miller Park at her request and provided her with some water and a single occupancy tent. She was in a calmer demeanor when police left her. * * * Police observed a car pulled over on Bonny Oaks Drive. When speaking to the driver, police observed that she had been sleeping. It was apparent that she was too tired to safely operate a vehicle. so she called for a ride to come get her. * * * A woman on Carson Avenue told police she came home from work and noticed that her front kitchen window had been broken. Police immediately noticed damage to a double pane window in the southeast corner of the house. The woman said that she swept up the glass from the damage and the shattered glass was spread in the inside, indicating the impact most likely came from the outside of the residence. She showed police a rock that was on the lower window of the sliding vertical window. It is unlikely the rock fell there after being thrown. Police observed several rocks in the front yard landscape which matched the rock thrown. The woman told police that on her security cameras, during the time she was away at work, she heard her son and an unknown woman in an intense argument. She said it is possible that the damage was caused during that argument. However, her security cameras did not catch this specific incident. She said that she will question her son about the argument and damage. Her son was not on scene while police were present. The woman was provided a complaint card and did not decide if she would like to prosecute at this time. She was told to call the non-emergency number if she gains any suspect information or would like to prosecute. * * * A woman on Dee Drive told police she wanted a man to leave her property. The man was heavily intoxicated. Police provided the man a ride to the Bayberry Apartments with no issue. * * * Police observed a truck traveling eastbound on Riverside Drive towards the intersection of Waterwalk Place, when the traffic light turned red. The semi-truck attempted to stop at the red light, then proceeded through the red light before on-coming traffic could make their turn onto Riverside Drive. After running information on the driver, CA DMV reported his license was expired, even though his physical ID didn't expire until 2025. Due to technical difficulties with the E-Citation, police had to let the man go with a warning. * * * A woman told police she was in the Walmart, 2020 Gunbarrel Road, one day the week before and had her passport in her purse, but when she noticed it was gone, she was already home. The passport is blue and is a Mexican passport. She is unsure of where it could be located and doesn't know what day she lost it. * * * Police observed a gray Honda Accord with front-end damage abandoned at 18100 Interstate 24 WB. The vehicle registration was checked and towed by Mosteller's Towing. * * * A disorder was reported at the Comfort Inn & Suites. Police spoke with a man who said that he knew a woman who was getting a divorce from her husband, and she called him there. While talking to her, a second man came out and they got into an argument and the man said that the second man raised his shirt and he believed that he saw a firearm in his waist band, so he charged after him. Police then spoke to the second man, who said that he and his girlfriend (the woman getting a divorce) were here and she was outside smoking and he walked out and the man was outside sitting with her on a bench. He said he told him to get away from her, and this started an argument and the man started to chase him. Police then spoke to the woman, who was extremely intoxicated. She said that the man who called police was blackmailing her with pictures and videos of her. She also said that she didn't care if anyone saw the videos or pictures. Police informed her that what she described wasn't blackmail. She also said he had touched her, but wouldn't elaborate. All of them agreed to separate and the woman and the second man were asked to leave by hotel staff, which they did while police were on scene. * * * An employee at the Home Depot, 7421 Commons Blvd., told police two people were seen walking into the store at 4:31 p.m. The first person was observed to be the lookout as the second person was putting items into a tote box. Both of them passed the point of sale with $2,942.81 worth of merchandise. The two left in a black SUV and left the items in the parking lot. An officer assisted an individual who had accidentally locked their small child in their car at city hall. First responders were able to gain access into the vehicle, remove the child, and ensure that there were no major medical concerns. A resident of the Hawthorne at the Crest apartment complex reported a lost license plate. A Southern Adventist University student reported a lost car title. Officers spoke with an individual in the 100 block of Myrtle Lane about custody issues. Police assisted a citizen with a disabled vehicle on the 8400 block of Apison Pike. A business alarm was activated at Cranks, in the 8800 block of Old Lee Highway. Everything checked out ok.Collegedale officers assisted Chattanooga police search for a fugitive at a residence in the 4600 block of McDonald Road.The sheriffs office made contact with a Collegedale fugitive. The fugitive was transported to the jail and booked on their charges.An alarm was activated at Jacks Family Restaurant. The building was checked and everything was found to be ok.A traffic stop in the 5500 block of Little Debbie Parkway resulted in the drivers arrest for DUI, having an open container of alcohol, and refusal of implied consent.Chattanooga police made contact with a Collegedale fugitive wanted on bond revocation warrants from original drug charges. The fugitive was transported to the jail.Police were called regarding a dispute between neighbors at the Spring Green apartment complex. No crimes were committed.An unknown 911 call came in from The Commons, located behind city hall, during the Lemonade Festival. The area was checked but no emergencies were found.Police received a call about an individual asking people for money at the Four Corners Car Wash. The individual was gone prior to the officers arrival.Officers responded to a hit and run crash in the Walmart parking lot. The driver that had left was tracked down and charged with leaving the scene of an accident after admitting that they had intentionally fled because they didnt have insurance.An alarm was activated at the Collegedale Academy high school. The building was checked and everything was found to be ok.Police were called about a noise complaint at The Village at Apison Pike apartment complex after neighbors complained about loud music coming from an apartment. The occupants agreed to quiet down for the evening.Employees at Wired Coffee, in the 5700 block of Main Street, requested police to check on an individual whose erratic behavior was causing some concern inside their establishment. The individual left the business after speaking with police.Officers responded to The Village at Apison Pike apartment complex after a parent made an accusation of child abandonment against the other parent during a custody exchange of a child. Police confirmed that there had been no abandonment.A concerned citizen reported that one of the crossing arms at the railroad tracks in the 5500 block of Main Street wasnt functioning properly. Police responded to this location and checked, but found the railroad equipment to be functioning properly.A bonding agent surrendered a Collegedale fugitive who was booked on warrants for DUI and driving on a suspended license. The fugitive was transported to the jail.Police received a call to a home in the 9700 block of Bill Reed Road referencing a child custody issue. The reporting individual wanted to report that their ex-spouse was not abiding by the court ordered custody exchange times. The reporting individual advised police that they had a new court date coming up.A concerned citizen spoke with police about the sheriffs office recent SWAT stand off on Jackson Road in Apison. The citizen advised that they lived close by the scene of the stand off and was afraid to walk their dog alone. The individual was referred to the Hamilton County Sherriffs Office as the incident had occurred in their jurisdiction.An officer responded to the Hawthorne at the Crest apartment complex after receiving a report of property damage. The reporting individual advised that they had observed another individual park next to their vehicle and strike their vehicle while opening their door. The officer attempted to make contact with the other individual in the other vehicle but was unsuccessful.K9 Krino was deployed on a vehicle stopped in the 5000 block of Ooltewah Ringgold Road for failure to maintain lane and detected the odor of narcotics. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a marijuana joint.The driver of a vehicle stopped in the 9300 block of Lee Highway was found in possession of prescription pills that were not their own. The driver was charged with the offense.Chattanooga police requested Collegedale police to respond to a disorder at the Mapco gas station, located in the 9100 block of Lee Highway, as they only had one available officer to send. The Collegedale officer arrived on scene and found that the individual who had been causing the disturbance had already left. The officer canceled Chattanoogas response. Just a few of the co-workers and EMT friends of Scobey Newman honoring him at rites on Monday photo by Earl Freudenberg Scobey Newman, Jr.'s number 8 with crew preparing for procession Chaplain Jim Lewis and staff conducting the Celebration of Life Preparing to leave CFH North Chapel Erlanger Life Force circles right before departure Chattanooga Funeral Home Director Hank Williams preparing for the trip over the Chickamauga Dam to Bayside Baptist in Harrison Emergency workers leaving Hixson taking Scobey's last ride Previous Next Hamilton County EMT Charles P. B. Scobey Newman was being remembered Monday in Chattanooga as several thousand emergency workers and friends gathered for a Celebration of Life at the Bayside Baptist Church in Harrison, Tn. There was an overflow crowd at the 1,200-seat church auditorium an hour before the service. An estimated 100 different departments sent contingents to honor the popular emergency worker. Mr. Newman got his EMT license in 1978 and went to work for Hamilton County in 2009. The veteran emergency worker was described as a kind, selfless, compassionate person dedicated to saving lives. Fellow workers started gathering at the Chattanooga Funeral Home, North Chapel, about 9 a.m. Representatives from Monroe County, Knox County Ambulance Service, Bradley County, Life Guard, Puckett Ambulance, Baptist Med flight in Knoxville and Erlanger Life Force, Hamilton County EMS were just a few in attendance. The procession, which also consisted of the Chattanooga and Hamilton County motorcycle patrols, ambulances and emergency equipment, was one of the largest in Chattanooga history. Chattanooga Funeral Home associate Jim Sadler is a veteran of nearly 50 years. Mr. Sadler said it was the largest he had ever seen. The Celebration of Life started at 2 p.m. at Bayside Baptist. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said, Scobey was full of heart. He love God with all his heart and he loved each of you. He also said, Scobey was excellent in emergency medicine." The speaker said, To all the first responders, the standard in this community has been set by Scobey Newman. Hamilton County EMS Director John Miller said, Scobey has received every award possible in his field. He was extremely gracious and turned down promotions to remain a paramedic. He didnt want to do anything else. Mr. Miller said, Scobey had the ability to relate to anybody, the farmer in the country and the doctor in the emergency room. When Scobey spoke to doctors they listened. Chaplain Jim Lewis gave a short talk based on Psalms 23. Rev. Lewis said during Scobeys last days he read the Psalm to Scobey several times before his death. He said Scobey Newman "is now dwelling in the House of the Lord Forever." Hamilton County STARS Chief Clay Ingle said, There is no greater legacy than service to your community and Scobey left one of the greatest legacies an emergency worker can leave. He fought the good fight, a great Christian man and leader." Mr. Newman passed away Aug. 1 after a courageous battle of cancer. Renowned chef Kenyatta Ashford is launching a $450,000 crowd-sourced investment campaign for his Afro-Creole restaurant concept, Neutral Ground. This opportunity allows not only accredited investors, but Neutral Grounds past and future customers and the community at large to invest in the expansion of the business. The campaign is being administered through WeFunder, a crowdsourced Angel Investor Network. WeFunder is a great way for a growing business to bring investors on the journey with us," Mr. Ashford said. "This is not a loan or a donation. It is an investment with a return." With an overall goal of nearly a half million dollars to fund Neutral Grounds new Chattanooga location, Mr. Ashford is faced with his first goal of raising $50,000 by Aug. 31. Weve done really well and almost achieved the first step in the fundraising process. Chattanooga, our loyal customer base, friends and family have all been incredibly generous to get us to this point, Mr. Ashford said. In 2020 during the pandemic, Mr. Ashford launched his Neutral Ground brand, defying the odds and grew a successful and profitable business while based in the Proof Incubator. In 2022 Mr. Ashfords loyal following continued to support him as he added a catering arm to the Neutral Ground brand. At that time he became a member at LAUNCHs Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga. However, Mr. Ashford has always had his sights on his own brick and mortar restaurant. He is considering a number of potential locations for Neutral Ground, including the vibrant Southside. While building out a restaurant may be a daunting undertaking, Chef Kenyatta is no stranger to big challenges, or big wins. In 2020, Mr. Ashford was invited by the Food Network to participate in the popular cooking competition, Chopped. He not only made it to the final round, but took first place. Despite the difficulty of the competition, he joked that the hardest part was keeping his victory to himself until the episode aired. Man, that was hard. People would ask how I did and all I could tell them was I made it to the final round. But eventually the wait was worth it when I could finally claim the title of Chopped Champion, Mr. Ashford said. In addition to his TV success, Mr. Ashford boasts an array of awards and experience in diverse culinary destinations. He was awarded a Jean-Louis Palladin Work Study grant by the James Beard Foundation. That grant allowed him to explore authentic cuisine in Ghana, study Gullah Geechee cooking in Charleston, and Savannah, and work as Chef de Cuisine in various high-end restaurants. He has also initiated and currently works with several community programs including the 4 Courses & Supper Club, to educate and empower local high school youth who are interested in the culinary industry. Now, he is eager to once again share his unique culinary talents with Chattanooga by launching his own brick and mortar restaurant. Kroger announced Monday that the company will construct a new central fill facility with Cleveland, Tn., as its fifth U.S. location. Kroger will create 140 new jobs in Bradley County as a result of the project. The central fill facility will increase pharmacy efficiencies and accuracy by utilizing automated technology to fulfill prescriptions, officials said. Once complete, the 50,000-square-foot plant will support Krogers pharmacies in the Southeastern U.S. Founded in 1883, and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Kroger Company operates supermarkets and multi-department stores across the U.S. Governor Bill Lee said, Tennessee is leading the nation as the best state for companies to expand and succeed, thanks to our unmatched business climate, thriving economy and highly skilled workforce. Kroger is a national brand that shares our states strong family values, and their decision to establish this facility and create new jobs will ensure greater opportunity for Tennesseans across Bradley County. TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter said, We are proud to collaborate with Kroger again to announce new jobs and investment in Tennessee. Cleveland and Bradley County are geographically positioned to enhance Krogers distribution network across the Southeast, and we look forward to seeing the success of its newest Central Fill facility. Kroger Economic Development Director Lisa Daugherty said, "We appreciate the site selection guidance and collaboration with the State, city of Cleveland, Bradley County and Tennessee Valley Authority on this exciting project. Tennessee offers an ideal combination of business assistance and a skilled labor market to support the growth of Kroger Health. Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis and Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks said, Bradley County and the City of Cleveland have enjoyed a Kroger warehouse and distribution presence in our community since 1979, providing quality employment opportunities to several thousand residents over the past forty-four years. Today, we have the privilege of being some of the first to say welcome and thank you for your decision to make another investment in our community. Locating a state-of-the-art Central Fill facility in Southeast Tennessee not only allows Kroger to better serve its customers throughout a major portion of the Southeast, but it also serves as a testament to the hard work our citizens and leadership have put in over the years to make this place that we call home an attractive and productive location for logistics and distribution companies. John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of economic development, said, TVA and Cleveland Utilities congratulate Kroger on its decision to establish operations in Cleveland. Helping to attract companies creating job opportunities and investment in the region is fundamental to TVAs mission of service. We are proud to partner with the City of Cleveland, Bradley County, the Cleveland-Bradley County Chamber of Commerce and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help further that mission and celebrate this announcement together. We are pleased Kroger is creating 140 new jobs in Bradley County with the opening of its fifth Central Fill facility in the U.S. This project will grow our local economy, and the innovative prescription drug services provided by this facility will be a great benefit to our residents. We thank Kroger for its investment in Bradley County and very much appreciate their continued partnership, said Senator Adam Lowe (R-Calhoun). Rep. Kevin Raper (R-Cleveland), said, Once again, the state of Tennessee proves itself to be the best place in the country for corporations looking to expand their business. We are proud to announce the installation of Krogers latest Central Fill facility in Cleveland and Bradley County. This endeavor will create 140 jobs and provide state-of-the-art care through the utilization of automated technology to fulfill prescriptions. We are honored to be the site for this project, and highly anticipate the positive impact it will have on our economy and community. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Honors College is joining forces with the city of Chattanooga to find new and better ways to solve some of the citys problems.The UTC Innovations in Honors program and the Chattanooga Department of Innovation Delivery and Performance have agreed to collaborate on developing solutions to citywide challenges involving public housing and health during the 2023-2024 academic year.UTC Chancellor Steven Angle, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, Dean of the Honors College Linda Frost and a group of students newly enrolled in the honors program were among the attendees at the agreement signing this past Saturday in the Guerry Center on the University campus.From the citys perspective, we have some really gnarly problems, Tim Moreland, administrator of the Department of Innovation Delivery and Performance, told the students.You guys are going to be chewing on some of those problems with us. You guys can help us learn new things about the problems.Students will work with the city as part of the UTC Honors College Innovation Labs: Dr. Drew Bailey, UC Foundation professor and program coordinator for the Sport, Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management program in the Department of Health and Human Performance, will focus on the effort to have Chattanooga recognized as a National Park City. Dr. Karissa Peyer, associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, will focus on highlighting the health benefits of physical activity and linking Chattanooga residents to physical activity support in their neighborhoods. Dr. Chris Acuff, UC Foundation assistant professor of public administration in the Department of Political Science and Public Service, will focus on developing policy recommendations for affordable housing in Chattanooga.One of the roles of the University is to be a talent importer, to bring students in here, connect you to this community, connect you to the issues, problems and opportunities, and to get you to contribute back. Think of Chattanooga as your future, Chancellor Angle told the students.Mayor Kelly said the idea some have that government only gets in the way of progress is wrong, but success takes cooperation from people across the city. Yes, Chattanooga has problems, he said, but they arent impossible to address.Its not so big that people just sort throw up their hands and think, Oh well, it doesnt matter. We cant do anything about it. You can. There are a lot of interesting problems that we can solve together, he said.For the students, the collaboration between UTC and the city is a chance to work on real-world issues that need critical thinking, empathetic, research and problem-solving skills, Dean Frost said.She said they will learn from their successes andjust as crucialtheir failures.They will come away from their Innovation Labs with excellent stories to tell, not just about what worked and what they got right but, more importantly, what didnt work and how they responded to and addressed those failures, turning them into successes, Dean Frost said. China, Ghana celebrate 62nd anniversary of friendship treaty Xinhua) 10:37, August 21, 2023 ACCRA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Ghana celebrated their 62nd anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty in Ghana's capital Accra late Friday, marking a long-lasting and beneficial friendship between the two countries. During the celebration, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Lu Kun said in a statement that China and Ghana have always been very good friends and would work more to facilitate the people-to-people exchange between the two countries. Aikins Abrokwa, the director for the Asia and Pacific Bureau at Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, said that engagements between Ghana and China over the years have been mutually beneficial. "The frequent engagements by officials from Ghana and China at the bilateral and multilateral levels have yielded very concrete dividends in recent times, including boosting the trade relations, with Chinese investments in various sectors such as manufacturing and energy, agriculture, and the service sector recording considerable growth," said Abrokwa. He commended the Chinese government for demonstrating true friendship by responding positively to the request by the Ghanaian government to restructure its debt, resulting in the country securing a 3-billion-U.S.-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund. The director also commended the Ghana-China Friendship Association (GHACHIFA) for driving an agenda for enhanced cooperation between the two countries. Anani Demuyakor, the chairman of GHACHIFA and former Ghanaian ambassador to China, told Xinhua there is a need to move the relationship between the two countries to another level. "China-Ghana relations have been improving since immemorial, but now we have to inject some new blood and vigor for us to go even higher," said Demuyakor. China and Ghana established diplomatic relationship in 1960, and the two countries signed the friendship treaty the following year. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) (Photo : Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Denmark and the Netherlands have both agreed to supply Ukraine with F-16 jets to help Kyiv fight against Russia in the ongoing war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the "historic" agreement where Denmark and the Netherlands have chosen to supply Kyiv with F-16 jets to aid in its war against Russia. The development comes as Zelensky has long been asking its Western allies to provide such airplanes as Moscow's air superiority is blocking its slow-moving counteroffensive. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke alongside Zelensky during a joint press conference at Eindhoven airport. Denmark, the Netherlands To Supply F-16s to Ukraine He said his country would commit to supplying F-16 jets to Ukraine after the conditions for such a delivery have been met. The Ukrainian president argued that the deal is the most important agreement yet. He added that the Netherlands had become the first nation to agree to provide his country with F-16s after training. Despite the positive news, it will still take several months until Ukraine can utilize the F-16 jets. In a statement published on Sunday, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed to provide the airplanes in exchange for conditions, including training Ukrainian personnel, setting up infrastructure and logistics, and receiving the necessary authorization, as per CNN. Rutte said that the Netherlands currently owns 42 F-16 jets, some needed to help train in Denmark and later in Romania. He also noted that his country is looking into whether or not all of the remaining aircraft could be supplied but argued that he is not yet able to give a definitive answer as to how many will be given to Ukraine. Previously, Zelensky traveled to Denmark after a visit to the Netherlands, where he met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. At the time, the latter said that his country would provide 19 units of F-16 jets. Frederiksen said that they believe such aircraft will be able to help Ukraine protect its skies. Read Also: Ukrainian President Prepares 'Something Powerful' for Troops-What Is It? Long-Awaited Deliveries Frederiksen said that the goal of the delivery of the F-16 jets is to protect Ukraine and added that the planes are planned to be delivered closer to the new year, with six initially, then the next year eight, then finally, another five the year after. The development comes a day after a sudden Russian missile strike that targeted a Ukrainian theater, resulting in the death of seven people and the injury of nearly 150 others in the northern city of Chernihiv. According to Yahoo News, Zelensky vowed stern retaliation for the attack that killed a six-year-old girl and injured 15 children. Zelensky noted that delivering F-16 jets to Ukraine will provide new energy, confidence, and motivation to Kyiv's fighters and civilians. He added that he is optimistic that the latest development will help his country deliver new results for itself and Europe. On Friday, the United States government announced that it approved the transfer of the American-made F-16 jets to Ukraine. As the training of Ukrainian troops is planned to start later this month, Kyiv could begin the deployment of the aircraft as soon as 2024, said The Moscow Times. Related Article: China Conducts Military Drills Around Taiwan as a Warning @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Justin P. Wilson has been named winner of the 2023 Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award, part of the annual Governors Environmental Stewardship Awards administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The announcement was made Monday at the annual awards luncheon.Officials said, "Mr. Wilson has been one of Tennessees most important conservationists over the last five decades through his work and contributions in the public sector, private business and non-profit partnerships.His knowledge in the law, public policy, people and possibilities has made a clear, lasting difference for Tennessee."We are indebted to Justin Wilson in many ways in Tennessee, and none more so than in his tireless efforts in conservation, TDEC Commissioner David Salyers said. This award is for lifetime achievement, and Justin has devoted a lifetime to environmental protection.Mr. Wilson served as commissioner of TDEC from 1996-1997 and deputy governor for policy under Governor Don Sundquist in 1997-2003. He served six consecutive terms in 2009-2021 as Tennessee comptroller of the treasury.Mr. Wilson helped establish the 300-mile Cumberland Trail, securing funding for it as TDEC commissioner and as the governors policy lead. It became Tennessee's 53rd state park in 1998 and the state's only linear park. The park is named after Mr. Wilson and continues to expand, reflecting Governor Bill Lees investments in new state parks in terms of access, wilderness preservation and enjoyment.Mr. Wilson initiated a regional air quality collaboration meeting in 2001 with the governors of North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, leading to a regional agreement on air quality that helped avoid needless signals of conflict and policy uncertainty to the public and investors. Although these first gubernatorial collaborations focused on air quality in the Smoky Mountains, they fostered regional interest and collaboration for future low-carbon and renewable energy expansions. They were harbingers of efforts leading TVA to progressively shut down its remaining coal-fired plants.Mr. Wilson led efforts to clean up one of the largest and severely contaminated Resource Conservation and Recovery Act sites in Tennessee the 7,700-acre Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant in Chattanooga that became Enterprise South. In 1986, he was one of seven founding members of the Nashville Tree Foundation, and served as its first treasurer. Roger Heard was a violent felon who shot a police officer, District Attorney Coty Wamp told members of the Pachyderm Club at its meeting Monday. Heard was shot and killed by Chattanooga Police Department Investigator Celtain Batterson on Aug. 11. A CPD team was attempting to serve an arrest warrant on him at the Speedway on Third Street when he grabbed a gun and shot Officer Batterson in the arm at close range. The DA said Heard was wanted in Knox County. Previously, he had been convicted of felonies in Hamilton and Bradley counties and served 78 months in federal prison. DA Wamp said she had seen social media posts with pictures of armed people threatening to storm the city. They say, How dare that cop? she said. If Roger Heard had not died that day, DA Wamp said, He would never see the light of day so long as Im the district attorney. Thats whats going to happen if you shoot a police officer in Hamilton County, Tennessee, she said. DA Wamp said Tennessee Bureau of Investigation recordings and documentation released to the public Sunday supports Officer Battersons actions to be wholly protocol and that there "is no need to be coy with judgment while a third party investigates" the officer-involved death. "We're not going to hide from it, she said. DA Wamp said in the coming years she will put more violent offenders and drug offenders in jail, which she said will in turn lower crime. We see the same violent criminals over and over again, and then we see their buddies over and over again, she said. To get more convictions she is hiring prosecutors to specialize in gang and violent crime, child sex crimes, and drug crimes. Anybody that doesnt think we have a gang problem is living in la-la land, she said. Weve seen the consequences of that in the last week. She also said that overdose deaths in Hamilton County are six times higher than homicide deaths. The County Commission granted her office money this fiscal year to hire a dedicated drug prosecutor - Jamie Cleo, a former supervising DUI attorney. Ill give credit to the county all day long, she said. She urged multi-agency, county-wide advocacy to come together and affect this issue. DA Wamp said she will remain strict when punishing juveniles who commit violent crimes. She spoke to 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds who "dont care if they live or die, whose crimes intend harm or do harm." I will try to send you to prison, she said. The point is deterrence, and to change the hearts and minds of our juveniles, she said. A Sept. 5 date has been set for Captain Larry Taylor of Signal Mountain to go to the White House to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Joe Biden. A number of the friends of Capt. Taylor will be going to Washington with him on his being the recipient of the highest military award given to a soldier. Capt. Taylor on July 8 had gotten a call from the President announcing the signal honor. The next day, Capt. Taylor will be inducted into the U.S. Military Hall of Honor. Then the following Monday - Sept. 11- there will be a "Patriot's Day" parade in honor of Capt. Taylor in downtown Chattanooga. It is planned to start at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Read House and proceed down Market Street to the Medal of Honor Heritage Center, where there will be a ceremony. Officials said a large number of dignitaries have been invited to the ceremony. Captain Taylor graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in June 1966 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in armor. After completion of the armor officers basic course, he concluded being on the ground was not in his future. He attended flight training and was later assigned to one of the Armys first Cobra companies in Vietnam. With the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division, he flew well over 2,000 combat missions in the UH-1 and Cobra helicopters. He was engaged by enemy fire 340 times and was forced down five times. He was awarded 61 combat decorations, including 44 Air Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, two Bronze Stars, and four Distinguished Flying Crosses. There were many harrowing operations, but one in particular rises above the others. On June 18, 1968, Taylor rescued a four-man long range reconnaissance patrol at significant risk to his life. For his heroic actions that night, he was awarded the Silver Star. That award has now been upgraded by the White House to Congressional Medal of Honor. Captain Taylor concluded his military service with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in West Germany. After leaving the Army, Capt. Taylor operated a roofing and sheet metal company in Chattanooga. He has been involved in several veterans organizations including the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 203 in Chattanooga. Captain Taylors story and a full display will be added to the Charles H. Coolidge Medal of Honor Heritage Center. In an interview earlier, Captain Taylor said, I never lost a man because it was my job not to leave a soldier behind. One of the four men saved by Captain Taylor was SSG David Hill who now lives in Nevada. Mr. Hill visited Chattanooga two years ago and told Vietnam Veterans, Chapter 203, Im alive today because Captain Taylor saved my life. Mr. Hill is the only one of the four still alive. The last person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor from Southeast Tennessee was Marion Countys Ray Duke. That was in 1954. Capt. Taylor and his wife, Toni, reside at Signal Mountain. The Beatles' "Please Please Me" was originally much more indebted to Roy Orbison's songs. The Beatles' producer, George Martin, didn't like that version of the tune. TL;DR: Producer George Martin felt The Beatles Please Please Me needed to be changed in a major way. Martin discussed what he thought of the Fab Four during their early days. Please Please Me was a hit once in the United States and twice in the United Kingdom. The Beatles Please Please Me was originally much more indebted to Roy Orbisons songs. The Beatles producer, George Martin, didnt like that version of the tune. Despite this, he had a positive view of Orbison. George Martin decided The Beatles Please Please Me should be twice the speed During a 1999 interview with Westword, Martin discussed the origin of Please Please Me. The first time they really connected with me was when they came up with the speeded-up version of Please Please Me,' he said. In its original form, it was a dirge worthy of Roy Orbison, and I told them to double the speed, which seemed to work. P.S.: I like Roy Orbison. One of the great things that happened with The Beatles in the early days was the incredible speed with which they learned how to write good songs, he opined. The pressure was on them when they knew that I didnt think much of their early stuff and was going to use other material. This spurred them to do their homework and really get to grips with what people wanted. After that, they never disappointed me, and I was continually surprised that they gave me such good material; it was fresh every time. The Beatles eventually released a slower, early version of the tune Some songs can work as ballads and as up-tempo numbers. Please Please Me is not one of them. The tune is lightly suggestive, so making a dirge would be the wrong move. Theres a version of Please Please Me on Anthology 1 thats considerably slower than the single version of the track. Its still not quite a dirge, but its a lot less appealing than the final recording of Please Please Me. Orbisons influence on the track is apparent, but its not worthy of his best work. How Please Please Me performed in the United States and the United Kingdom Please Please Me was a hit in the United States. There, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. The tune appeared on the album of the same title. Please Please Me reached No. 155 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for one weeks. The Official Charts Company reports Please Please Me peaked at No. 2 in the United Kingdom, staying on the chart for 18 weeks. The tune recharted at No. 29 and stayed on the chart for four weeks. Meanwhile, Please Please Me hit No. 1 and spent a total of 70 weeks. In 1987, Please Please Me reached No. 32 and lasted on the chart for another six weeks. Please Please Me is a great song and Martin was glad the Fab Four changed it. Cherokee Nation Madison Wilson received her bachelors degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in environmental engineering at Oklahoma State University. She is now working toward her masters degree in the same field. Do you think its possible for a painting to be haunted and cause multiple houses to burn down around it? In the 1980s, a British tabloid called The Sun published a piece about a painting that was believed to be the source of fires. It told the story of a family living in South Yorkshire whose home had been destroyed by a mysterious fire. The owners of the home, Ron and May Hall, lost everything except for one item. A painting of a crying boy was found unscathed amidst the ashes. One firefighter claimed that this wasnt the first time something like this had happened. He had witnessed many fires across the U.K. that had burned everything to blackened bits, save for the Crying Boy Painting. The article blew up overnight, and many readers reached out to the newspaper, saying they had also been cursed by the painting. This led people to burn any prints they had of crying children in a mass bonfire in order to get rid of the curse. But why did so many households have artwork depicting crying kids hanging on their walls anyway? So the painting was done by an artist named Giovanni Bragolin, who was known for painting hundreds of crying children. The Crying Boy and prints of other children in tears ended up being mass-produced and readily available for purchase in stores during the 1950s to 1970s. Oddly enough, they tended to appeal to younger couples. The boy in the Crying Boy painting was named Don Bonillo, and it was said that he accidentally started a fire in Spain that resulted in his parents deaths. Ever since then, fires followed the boy wherever he went. In the 1970s, the boy himself became a victim of a fire. A body had been found inside the charred ruins of a car, along with a drivers license that read the name Don Bonillo. No evidence has been found to confirm the storys truth, but people still didnt want to push their luck on the off chance that it was real. To add more fuel to the flames and draw more attention to the story, The Sun peppered in some juicy details about the boys background, such as that he was mistreated by the artist who painted him, and the fires were his way of getting revenge. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. This 55-year-old guy and his 51-year-old wife have been married for 29 long years. They have a daughter who is 19, and they just moved her into her college apartment. The day before their daughters move-in day, his wife had already gotten the majority of their daughters things moved into the apartment. The following day, he and his wife spent time just putting the finishing touches on the move-in process. Upon arrival, we moved the boxes into her apartment, he explained. After we took all of her things in, I figured we were done. My wife informed me that she was going to help our daughter unpack and get settled in. I asked how long it would take, and she told me about an hour. I waited in the living room as my wife and daughter unpacked. After an hour, I went in to see how much longer they would be, and my wife was busy helping our daughter decorate. He says he was polite as he stated that their daughter did not need any help decorating since she had a whole day to do that on her own before her classes began. His wife replied that she was going to keep helping their daughter decorate the apartment, and considering the fact that they had no other plans for the day, he shouldnt be in such a rush. He thinks his wife does tend to do too much for their children, but because they are technically adults, they are capable of fending for themselves. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Its fascinating and admirable when you see people dedicate their lives to social reform and helping others. In a time when women were expected to spend most of their days as housewives, Jane Addams founded the Hull House and used her formal education to try and make America a better place for women and immigrants. Jane Addams was born in Illinois in 1860. Her mother died when she was only two, so her father and older sisters raised her. Her father firmly believed in social reform and education, so Jane started attending the Rockford Female Seminary as a teenager. She was a very passionate student, a member of the debate team, and participated in other school clubs. While at Rockford, Jane became interested in service and helping others. After graduating in 1881, Jane set her sights on becoming a doctor, as she wanted to help people but also wanted a career of her own instead of immediately settling down and getting married. She had plans to go to the Philadelphia Womens Medical College but suddenly fell ill less than a month into her first year there. Jane suffered from spinal issues she had as a child, which resurfaced and required her to get surgery. She was bedridden, and her mental health started declining as she couldnt achieve everything she wanted. When her health finally began improving around 1887, she and her good friend from school, Ellen Gates Starr, decided to travel to Europe together. While in London, Jane and Ellen came across Toynbee Hall, a settlement house located in a poor neighborhood in Londons East End. It was a place that offered charitable services and classes to the local community, and Jane became inspired to open a place like that in America. After returning from Europe, Jane and Ellen were determined to open a settlement house in Chicago. Around this time, Chicagos population was massive, with immigrant families making up a large portion of it. Because of this, many immigrant families were suffering due to overcrowding. In Chicago, Jane and Ellen found a run-down mansion that had been built by Charles Hull in the 1850s. Jane spent a lot of her own money on the first round of repairs needed on the mansion, then began to fundraise with Ellen to help turn it into one of Americas first settlement houses in 1889, which they named Hull House after the mansions first owner. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. A television ministry with the most-watched Christian apologetics program has been ejected from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) for insufficient oversight and dishonest fundraising. The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute, which produces The John Ankerberg Show, failed to meet three ECFA standards, according to an ECFA investigation. The apologetics ministry reportedly did not have an independent board, did not have adequate internal controls, and did not truthfully represent the intended use of the funds it raised. In securing charitable gifts, all representations of fact must be current, complete, and accurate, the ECFA standards say. According to MinistryWatch, The John Ankerberg Show raised about $20 million for audio Bibles but kept 80 percent. John and Darlene Ankerberg said the money went to producing and distributing the TV program, which cost about $2 million in 2022, according to tax records. No mention of this was made during the on-air fundraising appeals. The Ankerbergs insist they were not dishonest, though. Being 100 percent donor-supported, we invest 80 percent into our ministry, CEO Darlene Ankerberg told CT. We have made it clear to all donors that their support is for our overall mission. We believe donors support our mission of spreading the Word of God. A former director of donor relations reported the apologetics ministry to the ECFA and MinistryWatch. Andrew Jaeger, who worked for the Ankerberg organization from 2019 to 2022, said he found that donors had no idea how their money was being used and that a full disclosure of the TV ministrys financials would most certainly be met with disapproval, if not contempt. Jaeger claims the ministry is guilty of blatant tax fraud and tax evasion. He toldTheChattanooga Times Free Press the Ankerberg show was misleading well-meaning Christians, many of whom were older adults. In one fundraising segment, John Ankerberg asked viewers to give $500 for one audio Bible device, which they were told would bring 90 people to Christ. Viewers were not told that Faith Comes By Hearing, the ministry partner that produced the devices, only asked $75 per device. There was no information given about the intended use of the other $425. The audio Bible fundraiser was, in fact, the TV ministrys largest revenue stream, according to Jaeger. This was a huge cash cow, he told the Chattanooga newspaper. Darlene Ankerberg told CT that Jaeger was with the organization for less than three years and had a limited knowledge of overall operations. Publicly available tax records do not show how much the Ankerbergs raised for audio Bibles. But they do show the ministry brought in a total of $8.5 million in 2022, almost all of it in donations. The John Ankerberg Show spent a little more than $2 million on television production and another $1.9 million on salaries, including John Ankerbergs $258,000 annual compensation and Darlene Ankerbergs $89,500. A little more than $1.3 million was given to missionary outreach, according to the form filed with the IRS. The ministry ended the year putting more than $600,000 in the bank. The John Ankerberg Show has not always been so profitable. In 2003, the apologetics program raised about $1 million, but spent $170,000 more than it received. By 2013, however, the Ankerbergs had increased incoming donations by nearly 300 percent. Tax records show the ministry ended that year with a $1.2 million surplus. That was the year the show started asking for donations for audio Bibles. After 2013, according to a ministry history, The John Ankerberg Show raised enough money that it was able to purchase additional property in Chattanooga and expand into a remodeled Global Communication Center without incurring any debt. We invest in the capacity to extend our ministry outreach. Our outreaches include The John Ankerberg Show and our partnerships with other ministries, one of which is Faith Comes By Hearing, Darlene Ankerberg told CT. Our top priority is to be good stewards with the resources that have been entrusted to our ministry. The ministry will nonetheless take several clarifying steps in response to the ECFA findings, Darlene Ankerberg said. New people will be added to the board, which currently includes three family members. New financial controls will be put in place. And the statement given to donors about the use of funds will be updated. There is value in evaluating operations. We are doing so, Darlene Ankerberg said. We will continue to be transparent about how donations are used to present and spread the gospel around the world. The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute is also suing Jaeger, claiming breach of contract, illegal possession of confidential property, and tortious interference with business relations. According to court records, the suit was filed after the ministry learned Jaeger had contacted MinistryWatch and told donors they should stop giving to The John Ankerberg Show and ask for their money back. The Ankerbergs are no strangers to televangelism scandals. In the late 1980s, John Ankerberg played a key role in removing Jim Bakker from ministry. He met with Assemblies of God leaders and relayed information about as-yet unexposed sexual scandals, in addition to the allegations against Bakker that were then attracting national attention. Ankerberg, a Southern Baptist, said hed learned about the additional allegations from concerned individuals at the National Religious Broadcasters meeting in Washington, DC. Bakkers ministerial credentials were subsequently revoked. For the most part, however, the Ankerbergs have operated under the radar, as TheChattanooga Times Free Press reported in 2015. Since its founding, the apologetics-oriented programming has grown to an estimated potential audience of 4.5 billion viewers. The John Ankerberg Show also produces a podcast that is downloaded 24,000 times per month. In 2023, John Ankerberg was elected to the board of the National Religious Broadcasters. The ministrys membership in the ECFA was terminated the following month. Michael Martin, president and CEO of the ECFA, would not comment on the investigation into the finances of The John Ankerberg Show. He said, however, that ejecting a ministry from membership is a sign of the importance that ECFA really does place on the integrity and the value of the seal. He said that problems with fundraising can many times be traced to a breakdown in responsible governance and remain hidden for years, despite regular audits. It would be a recommendation of ours that all ministries consider having a whistleblower policy in place, Martin told CT. That is a healthy part of accountability. Georgia teacher who read gender identity book to 5th graders fired after parent backlash A divided Georgia school board upheld a decision to fire a fifth-grade teacher who read a picture book to her students about gender identity amid ongoing discussions nationwide about the content kids are exposed to in the classroom. Katherine Rinderle, who has been employed as a teacher for a decade, read the book My Shadow is Purple to her students at Due West Elementary School in Cobb County in March, prompting complaints from parents. The book uses colors to represent the concept of gender identity, as the main character's shadow is purple, but for others, their shadow is blue or pink. As NBC News reported Friday, the Cobb County School Board voted 4-3 to fire Rinderle, with the board's four Republicans voting to fire the teacher while three Democrats voted against the termination. The board's vote overrode the recommendation of three retired educators that concluded after a two-day hearing that Rinderle violated the district's policies but shouldn't be fired. In a Monday statement to The Christian Post, a spokesperson said the district is "pleased that this difficult issue has concluded." "[W]e are very serious about keeping our classrooms focused on teaching, learning, and opportunities for success for students," the spokesperson stated. "The Board's decision is reflective of that mission." School district lawyer Sherry Culver said it was inappropriate for Rinderle to discuss the concept of gender identity with her students. "The Cobb County School District is very serious about the classroom being a neutral place for students to learn," she said. "One-sided instruction on political, religious or social beliefs does not belong in our classrooms." Craig Goodmark of the Goodmark Law Firm, which represents Rinderle alongside the legal advocacy group, the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that the teacher could appeal the termination decision to the Georgia Board of Education. The attorney disclosed that Rinderle is considering her options, which include potentially bringing the issue to court. As Goodmark noted, Rinderle still holds a teaching license and could find employment at another school. "I am disappointed in the district's decision to terminate me for reading an inclusive and affirming book one that is representative of diverse student identities," Rinderle said in a Thursday statement through the SPLC. "The district is sending a harmful message that not all students are worthy of affirmation in being their unapologetic and authentic selves," she continued. "This decision, based on intentionally vague policies, will result in more teachers self-censoring in fear of not knowing where the invisible line will be drawn. Censorship perpetuates harm and students deserve better." Rinderle may be the first Georgia teacher fired following the enactment of laws banning the teaching of certain concepts in the classroom and increasing transparency to provide parents with more of a say in their children's education. Last year, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also signedbills to remove obscene materials from school libraries and open local school board meetings to the public. Multiple school districts nationwide have made headlines over the same issues. Earlier this month, parents from various faith backgrounds rallied together as oral arguments began in a lawsuit against Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. The parents seek to restore the right to opt their children out of lessons that use LGBT-themed materials. The school introduced a series of LGBT books last fall, and while it initially honored the parents' requests to exempt their children from certain content, the district began requiring all students to participate in LGBT-inclusive teachings in March. The parents feel as if the decision violates their right to determine the religious upbringing of their children. Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel for the Becket Law, said that some books the parents objected to include Pride Puppy and Uncle Bob's Wedding. The legal group filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of parents seeking the right to opt their children out of such teachings. "It's an important case for respecting the right of children to have the guidance of their own parents, and school boards don't have the right to cut children off from their parents," Baxter told CP at the time. (Photo : Jason Connolly / AFP) (JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) A California man was shot and killed by law enforcement personnel following the fatal shooting of a storekeeper after a dispute over a pride flag display. A California man was shot and killed by authorities after fatally shooting a female storekeeper following a dispute over a pride flag displayed in her shop. Deputies responded at around 5:00 p.m. to reports of a shooting at the Mag Pi clothing store in Lake Arrowhead, California. There, they found the store's owner, Laura Ann Carleton, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department announced a news release. Storekeeper Killed After Dispute Over Pride Flag Additionally, the suspect, who has not yet been identified, was said to have run away from the shooting scene. The news release noted that through further investigation, detectives learned that the killer made disparaging remarks about a rainbow-colored flag displayed outside Carleton's store before the fatal shooting. The sheriff's department said that the suspect was armed when deputies confronted him and that he was killed in a "lethal force encounter" as the investigation continues. The website of the Mag Pi store described the owner as a mother of nine children who has been married for 28 years, as per NBC News. Carleton previously studied at the Art Center School of Design and has had a long career in fashion, including working as an executive at Kenneth Cole for 15 years. On Saturday, a local grocery store, Mountain Provisions Cooperative, said that Carleton had been pivotal in helping organize a free store following a blizzard that struck the area earlier this year. In the social media post, the store said that Carleton was a "pillar in our community" and an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice. Additionally, the store encouraged the public to "fly your flags in honor of Lauri." In an Instagram post, Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ_ said that Carleton did not identify as a member of the queer community but was an advocate "for everyone in the community." The organization added that the storekeeper's unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community and her dedication touched many people's lives. Read Also: Biden Admin Expands Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainians in US LGBTQ Rights Hollywood director Paul Feig also described 66-year-old Carleton as a "wonderful friend," posting an image of them together. According to BBC, he said that his friend died after confronting the suspect who ripped down the pride flag at her store. On Instagram, Feig said that he was "devastated" to learn about the death of Carleton, mourning the loss of the family and the LGBTQ+ community. The director said that such types of intolerance need to end. The crime comes as LGBTQ rights in the United States are a controversial topic for many lawmakers and the public. In Massachusetts, a Catholic school system issued a new policy that ordered its students to use the names and pronouns assigned to them at their birth. The school also said that they should conduct themselves in a manner consistent with their biological sex. The announcement immediately drew criticism in the latest clash between religious leaders and supporters of gender and sexual fluidity, said the New York Times. Related Article: Wisconsin: Republican Lawmakers Seek to Eliminate Work Permit System for Minors @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Israel rejects prominent Evangelical Zionist groups clergy visas, threatening future operations Israel's Interior Ministry has reportedly stopped issuing visas to prominent Evangelical Zionist organizations, including the influential International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, threatening the future operations of these groups in the country. "We are slowly being squeezed out of existence by the Interior Ministry," David Parsons, vice president and senior spokesperson of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. ICEJ, an organization active in Israel since 1980 with branches in over 90 countries, has played a significant role in assisting Jews to immigrate to Israel. The group has provided more than 250 bomb shelters, cared for hundreds of Holocaust survivors and invested $25 million a year in various humanitarian projects in the country, according to Parsons. In Israel, Evangelical organizations mainly focus on charity work, including promoting immigration and providing assistance to Holocaust survivors, Haaretz noted, adding that much of their efforts are directed at strengthening Israel's national security, with many believing that the return of Jews to Israel is a precursor to the second coming of Jesus. Dr. Juergen Buehler, president of the Christian Embassy, told All Israel News that his team hasn't been told why the Interior Ministry has made this policy change towards ICEJ and other Evangelical groups. "The situation we face at the moment with the Ministry of Interior is unprecedented," Buehler said. "It has made us unable to operate effectively in our mission to stand and support the State of Israel." "In particular our television and media department is affected by the new visa policy which is even more difficult to understand. This is the main arm of the Christian Embassy for 'hasbara' [a Hebrew expression meaning public relations], telling good news about Israel and fighting anti-Semitism," Buehler added. "So, we are clueless and disappointed in this new change of policy in the Ministry of Interior and, of course, we hope this will be reversed to the previous mode of operation as soon as possible." According to Parsons, the change in policy came without warning. The ministry stopped issuing work and clergy visas to ICEJ's international staffers during the global pandemic, and since the formation of Israel's new government, has ceased issuing clergy visas altogether. ICEJ was notified a few weeks ago that its requests for clergy visas were rejected as the organization does not qualify as a religious institution, despite being registered as a "Christian association." "This denial comes despite the fact that we are in both name and nature a Christian organization," Parsons said, adding that the only option remaining was to request volunteer visas, which are now subject to severe restrictions, limiting potential volunteers to single people from well-to-do countries. According to the immigration law firm Kan-Tor & Acco, A-3 religious visas have been typically granted to "non-Israeli nationals who intend to serve in an acknowledged religious establishment in Israel and permit global religious figures to carry out their religious duties." The A-3 visa is valid for a year and requires annual renewal. "These organizations, among them, some of Kan-Tor & Acco clients, are functioning in Israel for years and were not been provided a reason for this decision," an update from the law firm reads. "It is not yet clear if this is a policy alteration that began with the establishment of the current Israeli administration. The Population and Immigration Authority noted that this matter has previously been discussed and will soon be reviewed by its director-general." Calev Myers, an attorney representing ICEJ, told Haaretz the organization plans to appeal the decision. If the appeals are denied, he warned that they would take the case to court. Other Evangelical organizations have also faced difficulties in obtaining clergy visas. The Baptist Convention of Israel and Christian Friends of Israel are among those who have encountered problems in recent months. The Population and Immigration Authority at the Interior Ministry told Haaretz that the new head of the Population and Immigration Authority Eyal Sisu is expected to reevaluate the issue. The sudden crackdown has left Evangelical organizations and advocates who have had good relations with Israel's right-wing governments confused. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has often touted the importance of strong relationships with the international Evangelical community. Evangelicals' support played a role in former President Donald Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Joel C. Rosenburg, an American-Israeli Evangelical activist and author, recently wrote that it's unclear if Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi and Knesset member who is part of the religious Shas political party, was responsible for this decision. "It may very well be happening at lower levels and the Minister is not aware of either the problem or the potential fallout of blatantly discriminating against the Christian Zionist friends and allies of Israel," Rosenburg stated. "Please also pray Prime Minister Netanyahu will direct Interior Minister Arbel to fix the problem without delay. In March, Netanyahu decisively intervened to stop legislation in the Knesset that would have trampled the religious freedom of Christians." The Christian population in Israel has grown in recent years but still comprises about 2% of the Israeli population. A report released by the Central Bureau of Statistics last December found that 75.8% of Christians in Israel are Arab Christians, accounting for 6.9% of the Arab population in Israel. Lawmakers from Israel's United Torah Judaism party earlier proposed a bill that would criminalize Christian evangelism. In March, Netanyahu said his government would not pass the bill. Israel already has legal measures to curb Christians from evangelizing to minors in the nation's Jewish majority and jail time for anyone who offers financial incentives for Jews to convert to Christianity. Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land, has attributed a recent increase in attacks in the Christian quarter to radical Jewish extremists. He claimed these extremists feel empowered and "protected" under Netanyahu's government, which he describes as Israel's most conservative in recent history. Pizzaballa reported a concerning rise in harassment of clergy and damage to religious properties, stating that the current cultural and political atmosphere seems to justify or tolerate actions against Christians. Additionally, during Easter Holy week, the decision by Israeli authorities to reduce the allowed number of people in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem from 10,000 to 1,800, citing safety and fire concerns, had left thousands of Christians dismayed. Over 1,000 missing in Maui wildfires; 114 confirmed dead More than 1,000 people are reportedly still missing in Maui due to the ongoing wildfires, with local officials recently placing the confirmed death toll at 114. In comments given to CBS News Face the Nation on Sunday, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green estimated that at least 1,000 people were missing in Maui, with rescue operations ongoing. More than 1000 are unaccounted for, about 1050. It will take several weeks, still, some of the challenges are going to be extraordinary, said Green, who noted that 85% of the impacted area had been covered. That last 15% could take weeks. We do have extreme concerns that because of the temperature of the fire, the remains of those who have died, in some cases, may be impossible to recover meaningfully. On Aug. 8, a series of wildfires hit Maui, fueled by a dry summer and winds from a nearby hurricane. The blazes have burned thousands of acres of land and destroyed hundreds of buildings. When asked about a Maui officials comments that many of the dead will likely be children, Green responded that it was possible that there will be many children among the deceased. This is the largest catastrophe and disaster that's ever hit Maui, probably that's ever hit Hawaii outside of wartime events, he continued. So we just thank everyone in the world for reaching out and supporting us through all of the, you know, the ways that they can. Right now we are trying to make sure everyone is sheltered, and we begin to get all the federal resources we can to make life in some way livable for the survivors. That's where we are at the moment. According to a Sunday update from Maui County officials, there are 114 confirmed fatalities though names have not been released yet, as next of kin have yet to be contacted. According to the update, the Olinda fire is 85% contained, the Kula fire is 85% contained, the Lahaina fire is 90% contained and Pulehu/Kihei fire is 100% contained. Officials warned that there remained an unsafe water advisory for Lahaina and Upper Kula, urging residents to only use bottled water or potable water provided from tankers for things like drinking, brushing teeth, ice-making, and food preparation. On Saturday, Green signed the Sixth Proclamation Relating to Wildfires, which strongly discouraged any nonessential travel to western Maui at the present time. Visitors have largely heeded the call to vacate West Maui, so hotels and other accommodations can be used for displaced residents and emergency workers, the proclamation noted. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Hawaii on Monday. Over 100 arrested after churches burned in Pakistan over blasphemy allegations Police in Pakistan have arrested more than 100 people for attacking at least 21 churches and vandalizing dozens of homes in Pakistans Punjab province over allegations that two Christian men had desecrated a copy of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. Thousands of Muslims led violent riots, burning churches and vandalizing homes, in a Christian colony in the city of Jaranwala on Wednesday. The unrest was ignited by claims that pages were torn from a Quran and blasphemous content was scribbled on them. Police arrived at the scene about 10 hours later, residents and community leaders told Reuters, which said the police have denied that, saying they prevented even worse damage. Usman Anwar, the police chief in Punjab province, was quoted as saying that the lack of intervention was aimed at avoiding loss of lives by not escalating tension. Police have arrested at least 128 people for vandalizing churches, the newswire added. Catholic bishops have sought tough action against those who set 21 churches on fire, including the historic Salvation Army Church, and vandalized Christian homes, according to UCA News. The Christian men falsely accused of tearing pages from a Quran, identified as Rocky Masih and Raja Masih, have also been arrested and are under investigation for blasphemy, a crime punishable by death in Pakistan, according to the BBC. Although no one has been executed for blasphemy in the country, mere accusations can lead to large-scale riots, lynchings and killings. Public gatherings have been restricted for a week in Faisalabad district, including Jaranwala, in a bid to maintain control over the situation. Videos on social media show protesters destroying Christian buildings as the police appear to watch without intervening. Yassir Bhatti, a 31-year-old Christian who had to flee his home, told AFP, They broke the windows, doors, and took out fridges, sofas, chairs, and other household items to be burned. The incident erupted after claims of finding torn pages of a Quran, allegedly discovered near the Christian colony with alleged blasphemous content, were taken to a local religious leader who urged Muslims to protest. Extremist slogans in favor of the far-right Islamic extremist political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik and the Islamic group Khatam-e-Nabuwat were raised by local mobs. Pakistan is expected to hold general elections in the coming months. We have once again been confronted with open hatred and uncontrollable rage shown towards the Christian community, Archbishop Benny Travas of Karachi said in a statement, according to Crux. Travas underlined that the allegations of blasphemy had yet to be determined. I just cannot comprehend how my people would show disrespect to any religion or to any religious books, he continued. We, as a Christian community, have time and again displayed our fidelity to the nation of Pakistan, yet incidents like the burning of Christian homes in Gojra, Shantinagar, Joseph Colony, and now Jaranwala, show that we are in reality second-class citizens who can be terrorized and frightened at will. On Friday, Travas spearheaded a non-violent demonstration against the Jaranwala attacks at the Karachi Press Club. Also on Friday, the bishops Commission for Interfaith Dialogue organized a similar protest in Hyderabad. At both locations, participants expressed their condemnation of the violence, speaking out and displaying banners. Religious-fueled violence is not new to Pakistan. In the past, blasphemy allegations have led to mobs killing accused individuals, including a Sri Lankan man in 2019 and a group burning down about 60 homes, resulting in six deaths in Punjab in 2009. Rights groups have long criticized Pakistans blasphemy laws, citing their misuse for personal gains. According to the Centre for Social Justice, over 2,000 people have been accused since 1987, with at least 88 killed on such allegations. This violence follows the recent passage of two bills in Pakistans Legislature that have stirred concerns among Christian and civil society groups. The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023 increases punishment for blasphemy offenses, while the National Commission for Minorities Bill 2023 has been viewed as inadequate in safeguarding minority rights. The ban against blasphemy, which carries no provision to punish a false accuser or a false witness, was expanded in the 1980s under military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq. According to The New York Times, the British government enacted the original laws in the late 19th century colonial era to keep people of different faiths from fighting each other. In recent years, there have been several high-profile cases that have brought international attention to the issue. In 2011, the governor of Pakistans Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was assassinated by his bodyguard for speaking out against the blasphemy laws. That same year, Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five, was sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy, sparking international outrage, leading to her acquittal in 2018 after spending eight years on death row. Her acquittal drew the ire of radical extremist groups, as many protested in the streets and threatened to kill the Supreme Court justices responsible for setting her free. Pakistani Christians attend worship services days after mobs burn churches Christians in eastern Pakistan gathered for worship services among the ruins of their vandalized churches on Sunday, days after a Muslim mob rampaged through their neighborhood, destroying more than 80 homes and 21 churches in Punjab province. The violence erupted after allegations spread that the Quran had been desecrated. In Jaranwala City, which was the scene of violence on Aug. 16, around 200 Christians assembled in a narrow alley beside the main Salvation Army Church, its cross missing after being torn down by the crowds, AFP reported, noting that many attendees came from surrounding cities to show support while others expressed fear and uncertainty about their safety. We used to come here without any fear but today we need the police, 29-year-old housewife Nosheen Farman was quoted as saying. The riot on Aug. 16 lasted for hours, leaving houses gutted and contents strewn across the streets. Most of the victims are sanitary workers living in cramped homes, some now sheltering in a government school or with relatives, according to the newswire. The local government has promised to rebuild, but the trauma remains. These buildings and houses will be restored, but it will be difficult for girls and children to come out of this trauma, 44-year-old Samson Salamat was quoted as saying. The diocese bishop led the services, and food rations were distributed to those affected, Reuters reported. Paramilitary troops have been guarding the sites, including the Salvation Army Church and Saint Paul Catholic Church. The provincial government announced compensation of 2 million rupees (roughly $6,750) for each affected family. Residents and community leaders have said the mob, armed with various weapons, rampaged without intervention by police and administration authorities present for over 10 hours. Police denied this, claiming they prevented a worse situation. Clerics from the outlawed Islamist political party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan allegedly led the campaign resulting in the violence, though the TLP denied such claims. Police have arrested two Christian brothers, Rocky Masih and Raja Masih, for blasphemy and nearly 160 people involved in the mob attack. Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan, but no one has ever been executed. The recent violence follows the passage of two bills that have stirred concerns among Christian and civil society groups, including the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023, which increases punishment for blasphemy offenses. The unrest was ignited by claims that pages were torn from a Quran and blasphemous content was scribbled on them. Rights groups have long criticized Pakistans blasphemy laws, citing their misuse for personal gains. Over 2,000 people have been accused since 1987, with at least 88 killed on such allegations, according to the Centre for Social Justice. The ban against blasphemy, which carries no provision to punish a false accuser or a false witness, was expanded in the 1980s under military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq. According to The New York Times, the British government enacted the original laws in the late 19th-century colonial era to keep people of different faiths from fighting each other. The controversial law has led to several high-profile cases, including the assassination of Punjabs governor in 2011 and the sentencing and later acquittal of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother, in 2018. Texas cuts ties with American Library Association over 'Marxist lesbian' president The state of Texas is reportedly cutting ties with the American Library Association after the group elected a self-described "Marxist lesbian" as president. Republican Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison announced on Aug. 17 the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) will not renew its contracts with the American Library Association (ALA) after Harrison called on TSLAC to cut ties with the ALA over the election of President Emily Drabinski. In a letter sent to TSLAC Commissioner Martha Wong in July, Harrison urged the state organization to "do the right thing for hardworking Texas parents and taxpayers" following Drabinski's election. "I have been made aware that the American Library Association (ALA) has elected Emily Drabinski, a self-proclaimed 'Marxist lesbian' and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, as President," Harrison wrote. "Texas should be leading the fight against Marxist ideology, not subsidizing it." Drabinski was elected 2023-2024 president-elect in April 2022. Harrison's description of Drabinski was in reference to a now-deleted social media post in which Drabinski wrote, "I just cannot believe that Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of @ALALibrary. I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity!" She also referred to herself as a Marxist in a 2022 interview, in which she said, "I never thought in a million years they'd give a Marxist a chance." In another interview last July with Red Fault, the blog of the Austin chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Drabinski acknowledged she was a "member of DSA in name and contribution" but "not active in the movement." In a 2021 video on "teaching the radical catalog," Drabinksi spoke at length about her explicit sexual preferences. "I could be straight. I could be a lesbian. I could be queer. 'Gay woman' and 'homosexual' were already outdated terms that we sometimes used to make fun of ourselves, but we certainly didn't use to describe and define ourselves," she said. "And I had access to about three sexuality options: you could be a top, or a bottom, or a switch. I don't even know if those terms are in use anymore. But when I started at Sarah Lawrence in 2003, everything had changed. There were so many other ways to be gay." In his letter to the commission, Harrison also cited ALA's history of fighting to keep materials deemed by parents as pornographic on school library shelves. "The ALA's 'Office for Intellectual Freedom' states that libraries can't remove inappropriate books because 'children and teens have the right to find the information they choose' and 'no one has the right to make rules restricting what other people use, or to make decisions for other families,'" he wrote. "This means the ALA may be undermining Texas statutes designed to protect children." Billed as a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization that has existed since 1876, ALA is the world's oldest and largest library association. The organization promotes libraries and library education internationally, with over 49,727 members as of 2021. Prior to Texas' decision to sever ties with the ALA, other states severed ties with the organization, including Montana and Missouri. In July, actor and Christian book author Kirk Cameron called for a federal investigation into ALA over his claims the association advised libraries to find ways to block or sabotage his upcoming nationwide event in August. Vivek Ramaswamy talks China, 9/11, war, economic collapse and LGBT ideology Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy recently sat down for a wide-ranging discussion with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The interview was posted by Carlson to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday. Ramaswamy is currently polling at 7% in the RealClearPolitics average of polls sampling the opinion of Republican primary voters, which puts him in third place behind former President Donald Trump (55.8%) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (14.9%). He and Carlson discussed relatively new information regarding the 9/11 attack, the connection between economic and foreign policy as well as the reasoning behind the American left's embrace of LGBT and climate ideology. The following pages highlight five highlights of the discussion. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next RFK Jr.s abortion flip-flop reveals Democrats abortion radicalism Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has soared to insurgent status in his Democratic primary challenge by shattering Beltway orthodoxies, but even he has a line he cannot cross: abortion. RFK Jr. has joined the long list of Democratic presidential hopefuls who reversed any professed support for pro-life legislation. The scene played out in a matter of hours at the Iowa State Fair, when he briefly endorsed a national pro-life protection. I believe that the decision to abort a child should be up to the woman during the first three months of life, Kennedy told NBC News on Sunday morning. So, you would cap it at 15 weeks? Or 21 weeks? asked the reporter, Ali Vitali. Yes. Three months, Kennedy replied. So, three months you would sign a federal cap on that? Vitali clarified a second time. Yes, I would, Kennedy continued. Once a child is viable outside the womb, I think then the state has an interest in protecting that child I think the states have a right to protect a child once the child can be viable. RFK Jr.s handlers immediately worried about their political viability, promptly trotting out a press release explaining that their candidate did not comprehend a clear question about the most consequential issue of the modern era. Mr. Kennedy misunderstood a question posed to him by [an] NBC reporter in a crowded, noisy exhibit hall at the Iowa State Fair, said an unsigned statement released by his campaign Sunday night. Mr. Kennedys position on abortion is that it is always the womans right to choose. He does not support legislation banning abortion. That is to say, Democratic Party operatives realized RFK Jr. can believe vaccines cause exotic diseases. He can proclaim that he has seen overwhelming evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the CIA played a role in the assassination of his uncle, President John F. Kennedy. He can accuse the U.S. of creating bioweapons and even breech the most serious of all left-wing canons, by treating Tucker Carlson like a human being. But opposing abortion at any moment before the child fully emerges from the birth canal is politically suicidal in Democratic politics. Explaining Kennedys second abortion flip-flop of the day, Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said, It seems clear someone told Kennedy to step back in line. This speaks volumes about the radical abortion lobbys grip on party leadership and consultants. That person may have been Kennedys campaign manager, former Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) who, like Kennedy, is a Roman Catholic (and regularly guest hosted TBNs Centerpoint). Kucinich earned a moderately pro-life voting record during his eight terms in Congress. I believe life begins at conception, he said, supporting a partial-birth abortion ban and a ban on transporting minors across state lines to procure an abortion. But he immediately changed his views when he entered the 2004 presidential race. By December 2003, he told Democratic primary voters that women will not be truly free unless they have the right to abortion a position he maintained during his 2008 campaign. Political expediency has enticed numerous politicians who were (or professed to be) pro-life to enter the Hall of Shame once they sought higher office in the Democratic Party, including: Bill Clinton, who as governor of Arkansas in 1985 signed a bill banning abortions after 25 weeks. I am opposed to abortion and to government funding of abortions, Governor Clinton wrote to Earlene Windsor of Arkansas Right to Life on September 26, 1986. As president, he supported taxpayer-funded abortion-on-demand, relentlessly investigated pro-life advocates, and repeatedly vetoed a partial-birth abortion ban; Al Gore, who earned an 84% pro-life voting record as a congressman from 1977-1984. In July 1984, he voted for an amendment to the 1984 Civil Rights Act that would define unborn children from the moment of conception as persons under the law. He began to shift following his election to the Senate in 1984, but as late as July 1987, he wrote, I have consistently opposed federal funding of abortions. In my opinion, it is wrong to spend federal funds for what is arguably the taking of a human life. It is my deep personal conviction that abortion is wrong. I share your belief that innocent human life must be protected, and I am committed to furthering this goal. Gore campaigned as a moderate pro-choice Democrat in 1988. By 2000, he began the pivot toward the Democrats full-blown embrace of abortion, saying Bill Clintons formula of safe, legal, and rare should instead be safe, legal, and accessible; Speaker of the House Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), who boldly declared in 1977: Life is the division of human cells, a process that begins with conception. The [Roe v. Wade ruling] was unjust, and it is incumbent on Congress to correct the injustice. I believe that the life of the unborn should be protected at all costs. But in 1985, less than two years before he launched his first presidential campaign and just months after purchasing an ad in the program of the National Right to Life convention he withdrew his support for a Human Life Amendment. Between entering office and his two presidential campaigns, his pro-life voting record fell from 96% to 11% (although, to his credit, he voted for a partial-birth abortion ban seven times); Jesse Jackson, who declared, Abortion is black genocide and had been scheduled to speak at the 1978 March for Life. As late as 1982, he said abortion was part of a great suicidal process. He flip-flopped during his 1984 presidential campaign, defending freedom of choice on theological grounds; and Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., whose perpetually incoherent abortion policy has veered from supporting a Human Life Amendment to the U.S. Constitution all the way to demanding taxpayer-funded abortion for veterans and illegal immigrants. The Democratic Party last named an openly pro-life Democrat to a national ticket in 1972 the year before Roe v. Wade when RFK Jr.s uncle, Sargent Shriver, replaced Thomas Eagleton as George McGoverns running mate. The last pro-life Democrat to mount a meaningful presidential campaign was former Florida Governor Reubin Askew in 1984. Shriver died in 2011 at 95; Askew died in 2014 at the age of 85. Although it fancies itself the party of open-minded voters and tolerance, the Democratic Party long ago began freezing out pro-life rhetoric within its ranks. In May 1992, pro-life Democrat Robert P. Casey Sr., then-governor of Pennsylvania, implored the Democratic Party platform committee meeting to embrace reasonable protections for life. Months later, Democrats barred Casey from speaking at the Democratic National Convention. Today, Kristen Day of Democrats for Life continues to lead a lonely battle asking her party to moderate its rhetoric, or at least adopt a plank recognizing a diversity of viewpoints on the issue. She has noted the party rightly fears a primary challenge from Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) via the No Labels movement, because his position on abortion is mainstream and inclusive, unlike the [Democratic Partys] establishment. If her fight is lonely, it is not because she stands alone. A recent Harvard/Harris poll (conducted by a former Clinton pollster) found that 60% of Democrats believe abortions should not take place after 15 weeks. Indeed, 49% of Democrats agree with RFK Jr.s stated position that abortion should end by the first trimester. Yet Democrats demagogued the 15-week pro-life protection as a national abortion ban, and the Democratic platform supports taxpayer-funded abortion until birth, extreme positions well outside the mainstream. Centrist voters could help Democrats defeat Donald Trump, but money trumps votes at the DNC. Just three abortion industry political action committees the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and EMILYs List committed to spending $150 million during the 2022 midterm elections. Their financial might has so radicalized the party on abortion that even gadfly candidates must toe the party line. As a result, the party has shredded its image as the party of the powerless. It is time we take the party back from those intent on harming preborn children and vulnerable women, says Day. We urge Democrats to be bold and stop caving to the pro-abortion minority. Due to the cyclical nature of politics, America needs two strong parties committed to protecting life, as they were before Roe and the sexual revolution. The Democrats need a candidate willing to boldly defy Big Abortion and the partys deep-pocketed megadonors on behalf of its current, and future, voters. And politics needs a leader willing to pay any price, bear any burden, and meet any hardship to restore the party to its historic identity as the defender of societys most vulnerable. If RFK Jr. took up that pledge, he would truly go down as a Profile in Courage. Originally published at The Washington Stand. US House votes Israel isn't racist state. Why is this even needed? The U.S. House of Representatives passed a symbolic resolution in July refuting the libelous claim that Israel is a racist and apartheid state, while also denouncing all other forms of antisemitism. The resolution was approved by a resounding 412-9 majority. This vote certainly served as undeniable evidence that the US-Israel alliance remains largely unshakeable, and the mainstream bipartisan consensus at its foundation was underscored by the announcement of a congressional delegations planned visit to Israel led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The question lingers, however, why was the resolution needed in the first place? Following Israels victories in defensive wars against its Soviet-backed Arab neighbors in 1967 and 1973, the campaign to delegitimize and demonize the worlds sole Jewish state was expanded far beyond the battlefield and into places like the United Nations. In 1975, the USSR and Arab UN member states mobilized support for Resolution 3379, which designated Zionism as a form of racism. Sufficient backing for this resolution came as a result of newly-independent states gaining membership in the UN, convinced that opposing Jewish self-determination was somehow akin to combating colonialism and imperialism. The resolution passed and was only overturned 16 years later. Israel has been the only state on the international stage to have endured a vote in the UN General Assembly on whether the national liberation movement responsible for its statehood amidst the ashes of the Holocaust and wars of extermination launched by neighboring Arab countries ought to be regarded as racist. The charge was leveled against Israel in an international forum again during the 2001 UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa. In Durban, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat addressed the audience on the opening day of the world conference and condemned what he said were Israel's racist practices in dealing with the Palestinians. Shortly after the conference, a letter written by Arafat in September 2001 marked the one-year anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000-2005) and called for wider support for the ongoing terror wave against Israeli civilians. What was the justification used by the Palestinian leadership for this terror campaign? The need to combat the nations of oppression and the darkness of racism. Ultimately, the Second Intifada would result in the death of more than 1,000 Israelis, with thousands more sustaining injuries. Throughout the intifada, suicide bombers blew up buses, restaurants, and night clubs; all while receiving financial assistance from the Palestinian Authority. The terrorists involved in the planning of a deadly suicide attack against a Sbarro pizzeria in 2001, for example, received upwards of $900,000 from the Palestinian Authority over the years. The term racist has been directed at Israel for decades for two specific purposes. The first is to demonize the Jewish peoples right to self-determination while arguing that it seeks to establish ethnic supremacy over Palestinians. Hypocritically enough, this charge is often made by those who support the establishment of a Palestinian state, making it clear that their issue is not with national self-determination, but with Jewish self-determination. Secondly, the racism charge has been used to justify and condone terrorism against Israeli civilians. While the House resolution was introduced to push back against the allegations made by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, who had called Israel a racist state, its introduction legitimized a debate that, in itself, held Israel to a unique standard. After all, members of Congress have never felt the need to introduce resolutions to determine whether other countries, friends or foes, ought to be regarded as racist states. The resolution should obviously be celebrated as evidence of the steadfast commitment American lawmakers retain toward supporting Israels right to exist and combating antisemitism. Yet the resolution should also serve as a reminder that the far-left antisemitic ideology that originated with Soviet propaganda is alive and well in the halls of Congress today and is rooted in the normalization of discourse that is solely, and obsessively, applied to Israel. Although the resolution passed, its few opponents did not entirely lose because they managed to legitimize a conversation that is not held for any other sovereign state. After all, U.S. military aid to Latvia and Estonia amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is not questioned as potential support to racist nations that have outlined in their constitutional preambles their nations right to pursue self-determination, but on the basis of realpolitik. Israel should not be held to a different standard. From the U.N. to the halls of Congress, to campuses around the world, this is how far-left antisemitism operates. Combating this form of bigotry, therefore, must involve a careful balance between denouncing hateful rhetoric and giving credence to allegations leveled against Israel. In his recent joint address to Congress, Israeli President Isaac Herzog proclaimed to unanimous applause, Questioning the Jewish peoples right to self-determination is not legitimate diplomacy, it is antisemitism. Similar to antisemitism on the far-right, far-left antisemitism through the blatant demonization of Israel seeks to portray the Jewish state as an outsider among the community of nations. In our efforts to combat this form of antisemitism, we must beware of legitimizing conversations guided by standards that are not imposed on any other sovereign state. Pakistan: Christians hold open-air services after churches and homes destroyed Christians in Pakistan were forced to worship in the open air on Sunday after their homes and churches were burnt down by mobs last week. At least five churches were burnt down and 21 more damaged during the wave of violence on 16 August, when thousands of Muslims attacked townships in Jaranwala, Punjab. According to the figures from Release International, mobs torched 40 Christian homes and attacked over 100 others. Churches affected by the violence belonged to different denominations, including The Salvation Army, United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church, and Saint Paul Catholic Church. The Reuters news agency reports that over 100 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, which was triggered by claims that torn pages of the Koran had been found in the Christian district. Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsan Naqvee, has promised justice for displaced Christians and assistance in rebuilding churches and homes targeted during the rampage. Release International's partner, Rev Waseem Khokhar, expressed his shock after visiting the area under police protection following the attacks. He said, "We don't have words to describe the terrible destruction of church buildings, Bibles and everything in them. All we could see were ashes." The mob violence caused Christians to flee for their lives. They are now beginning to return but are arriving to scenes of devastation and are in need of basic provisions like food, water, clothing, bedding and financial support to repair their homes. One pastor said his church building was destroyed and that he and his congregation have lost their homes. Release International said its partners have already met the Inspector General of the police to express their concerns about the violence and are hoping to meet the country's Prime Minister over the coming week. They want more to be done to stop mobs from taking the law into their own hands when there are allegations of blasphemy. "This latest terrible incident makes it clear yet again that it is the innocent who are blamed and punished when mob violence is allowed to rule," said Release CEO, Paul Robinson. "Time and again, we see Christians' lives destroyed by false accusations of blasphemy. Extremists are looking for opportunities to attack the Christian minority and drive them from their homes, and we have seen repeatedly over the years that they are prepared to manufacture evidence in order to do so. "This current allegation of blasphemy, like so many others, is unproven. However, the undisputed fact is that churches and Christian homes have been burnt down, and Bibles put to the torch." Release said the rampage may have been carried out in retaliation for the burning of Korans in controversial protests in Sweden and Denmark. The organisation is calling on Christians in the UK to pray for peace to be restored to the region. (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Tesla suffered a massive data breach and the company is now informing its customers, revealing that the incident was a result of "insider wrongdoing." Tesla's massive data breach that could affect more than 75,000 people is believed to have been a result of what officials call "insider wrongdoing" and includes information such as employee records. The announcement was made by the office of the Maine Attorney General on Friday as nine residents affected were from the state. The victims appeared to have been either current or former employees of the Austin, Texas-based automaker. Tesla Data Breach In a letter released on Aug. 18, Tesla said that a foreign media outlet, known as Handelsblatt, informed the company that it was able to obtain confidential information. It added that the investigation into the matter revealed that two previous employees misappropriated the information in violation of the company's IT security and data protection policies. The company added that it has already filed lawsuits against the two former employees but has not specified in which jurisdiction. The lawsuits resulted in the seizure of electronic devices that were thought to have contained company information, as per Bloomberg. The letter also said that the electric vehicle manufacturer was able to obtain court orders that prohibit the former employees from "further use, access, or dissemination of the data, subject to criminal penalties." The company's data privacy officer, Steven Elentukh, did not immediately respond to an email on Sunday requesting for comment regarding the situation. Handelsblatt is a German publication that revealed the news about the data breach in May. The media outlet said that it spent several months examining and reviewing the data that it acquired, which included more than 23,000 files from 2015 to 2022. The so-called "Tesla files" had 100 gigabytes of confidential data and had employees' names and contact information, such as their addresses, mobile numbers, and email addresses. Additionally, the data breach included roughly 2,400 customer complaints regarding the company's vehicles suddenly accelerating. There were another 1,500 complaints that pointed out the cars' braking issues, which include 383 instances of "phantom braking," according to Business Insider. Read Also: Wisconsin: Republican Lawmakers Seek to Eliminate Work Permit System for Minors Series of Complaints The situation comes as Tesla is still under pressure following a report that the electric vehicle manufacturer misled its consumers regarding the battery range of its products. Furthermore, they are allegations that the company created what is called a "Diversion Team" that would be responsible for dealing with customers who complained about the issue. Customers have long been plagued by what is commonly referred to as "range anxiety," which is the fear that your electric vehicle could run out of battery in between charging stations and leave you stranded. To address the issue, manufacturers developed efficient and reliable batteries that are capable of storing hundreds of miles worth of charge. However, Tesla allegedly went beyond and advertised range estimates that were not based on facts. The report noted that "a person familiar with an early design" of the software of Tesla cars said that it showed "rosy" projections for how far the vehicle is actually able to run while on a full battery. But after it fell below 50% charge, the projection would switch to a realistic number to avoid leaving drivers stranded somewhere, said Yahoo News. Related Article: Fatalities From Flesh-Eating Bacteria Reported in Tampa Bay @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : POIS Yuri Ramsey/Australian Defence Force via Getty Images) Australia is planning to boost its navy capabilities by supplying it with 200 Tomahawk missiles amid growing concerns of China's military build up in the region. Australia plans to boost its navy's capabilities by supplying it with 200 tomahawk missiles as concerns grow regarding China's continued military build-up in the region. On Monday, Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy is expected to announce a $1.7 billion investment in new, hi-tech missiles to expand the striking power of the Australian Defense Force (ADF). Australia To Supply Navy with Tomahawk Missiles The purchase of the missiles follows the recommendations made in the defense strategic review to bolster the ADF's medium-range immediately advanced and high-speed missile defense capabilities. Conroy said that buying the weapons was made to quickly enhance the ADF's capability. Still, he emphasized that the Australian government was also considering options to manufacture such missiles within the region. Additionally, he said that the missiles would be vital tools for the ADF to defend Australians properly. Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles are long-range guided missiles with a maximum range of 1,500 kilometers, as per News.com.au. In March, the US State Department approved the sale of roughly $1.3 billion worth of Tomahawk missiles. At the time, officials said that it was "vital" to the national interest to assist Australia in developing and maintaining a powerful and ready self-defense capability. The missiles were initially planned to be fitted to the Hobart-class destroyers of Australia. However, they could also be equipped on the Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines that the country plans to buy from the US. With this development, Australia becomes the third defense force to acquire the weapons after the US and the UK. In a statement, Defense Minister Richard Marles said that Australia needed to be able to defend itself amid an increasingly chaotic global landscape. The situation also comes as Australia, Japan, and the US plan to conduct a joint navy drill in the South China Sea off the western Philippines later this week. It is meant to underscore their commitment to the rule of law in the region following a recent show of aggression by the Chinese nation in the disputed waters, according to the Associated Press. Read Also: China Conducts Military Drills Around Taiwan as a Warning Joint Navy Drills The decision comes after Chinese coast guard ships on Aug. 5 blasted Philippine vessels in the contested waterway using water cannons. Disputes in the region have long been considered a potential flashpoint and have already become a fault line in the rivalry between the US and China. The planned drill between the three nations will include three aircraft and helicopter carriers that would sail together in a show of force. The commanders of the regions are also set to meet with Filipino counterparts in Manila after they conduct the offshore drills. The two Philippine security officials who spoke of the matter did so under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The US will deploy an aircraft carrier, the USS America, while Japan will be sending one of its largest warships, the helicopter carrier JS Izumo. On the other hand, the Royal Australian Navy will be deploying its HMAS Canberra, which can also carry helicopters. While being held in Philippine waters, the Asian nation itself will not be part of this week's drills due to military logistical limitations, said The Star. Related Article: Zelensky Hails 'Historic' Agreement to Supply Ukraine With F-16 Jets @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Of course were going to talk about generative AI at CIOs Future of Work Summit, a virtual event taking place September 20. With the promise of generative AI, were living through what many believe to be a seismic change in how we work and who works with and for us. But thats not all well talk about. The conferences theme is Automation and Augmentation: Building a Next-Gen Workforce. We promise to bring insights and examples from multiple industries to help you guide what that future looks like for you. Our conference team has updated sessions to reflect new innovations and practices that have developed since we originally began planning the event. And we will continue to adapt our content until we go live on September 20. Still, common themes have started to emerge. Here are three things to watch out for: The future is here. Atos earns the 2023 VMware Partner Worldwide Lifecycle Services Award for enabling end-to-end digital transformations True transformation is often a team effort. No matter what type of transformation, working with a trusted partner can make all the difference. For Atos, realizing its goal of engineering the digital world of the future means being a trusted partner that helps clients succeed in their digital transformation journeys. We try to harness the power of we,' says Colleen Fogerty, head of partner strategic marketing at Atos. Its all about creating foundations for businesses to make an impact both for its customers and for society at large. With more than 110,000 employees globally, Atos brings its diverse and multicultural lens to every project, enabling the VMware partner to see things other companies might miss and design the best possible solution for long-term success. Working hand-in-hand to power transformations For over a decade, Atos and VMware have designed extensive solutions for their clients and are now tightly aligned. Atos is one of VMwares largest strategic partners in EMEA, with thousands of employees dedicated to and certified in VMware solutions. This has enabled the companies to partner to build more holistic, end-to-end environments that support a customers entire digital transformation rather than solving a single challenge. The dedication to designing solutions that solve both todays and tomorrows challenges earned Atos the Worldwide Lifecycle Services Award in the 2023 VMware Partner Achievement Awards. These awards honor VMware ecosystem partners for delivering solutions and services that result in noteworthy performance, impact, and customer outcomes. We are very proud to receive this award, says Laurent Barbet, the SVP head of infrastructure and data management at Atos. It demonstrates the dedication and strategic alignment our two organizations share. The combination of Atoss leadership in data center infrastructure and hybrid cloud provisioning with the virtualization, application migration, and workload optimization expertise of VMware deliver on two business critical fronts that benefit our mutual customers. Enabling real change through digital transformation A large industrial manufacturer that was a long-time client of Atos and VMware was searching for ways to support its digital transformation with a fully automated hybrid cloud solution. As a leader and pioneer in its industry, the company had several goals tied to its digital transformation, including reducing its carbon footprint and improving its upgrade deployment process in locations worldwide. The overarching goal, however, was to simplify the companys existing operations to run in a multi-cloud environment while delivering the security and control typical of an on-premises solution. One of the complicating factors, though, was that the system needed to integrate several pre-designed software packages to run the clients cloud-native applications as they continued to run their critical legacy applications. The client got the exact solution they needed with Atoss Digital Hybrid Cloud (DHC) platform, which is built on VMware technology. Through a combination of VMware Cloud Foundation, a full software-defined data center, VMware Aria automation, and the clients integrated software stack, Atos and VMware deployed their resilient, software-defined solution across 11 sites globally. The deployment has been a resounding success, with the company gaining operational simplicity and cloud agility. Working with Atos and VMware, the company solved their digital transformation challenges and gained a pay-as-you-grow model to set them up for future success. Since deploying the solution, the company has already seen an up to 40% reduction in support tickets, a 20% lower total cost of ownership, and an up to 8x faster go-to-market for new digital services. The companys original goals were also achieved, with a 75% reduction in upgrade deployment times and a 20% reduction in carbon footprint, all of which attest to the notable outcomes that the partnership between Atos and VMware can achieve. Building pathways for future success Atoss dedication to the power of we and its strong ongoing partnership with VMware will now reach new heights with VMware Cross-Cloud managed services. We believe that a multi-cloud continuum consisting of private cloud, multiple public clouds, sovereign clouds, and edge computing will be needed to do business in the future, says Milena Rauti, global head of cloud portfolio for Atos. With the set of managed services that VMware offers with VMware Cross-Cloud managed services, Atos and VMware are poised to help companies better define their multi-cloud environments and make it easier than ever for them to manage applications. By combining Atos cloud services and VMware technology, businesses can more easily innovate and scale in the public cloud while being bolstered by the secure foundation of the private cloud continuum. With VMware Cross-Cloud managed services, Atos and VMware remove so many of the challenges associated with migrating, modernizing, and managing multi-cloud environments. We ensure that businesses are truly reaping the maximum rewards possible, with minimal risk and the quickest time-to-value, says Fogerty. To learn more about transformational, cloud-smart companies like Atos, visit the resources on VMware Partner Executive Edge, and check out our Cloud Smart Strategy whitepaper. Transparenta Consiliului Superior al Procurorilor, intre a fi sau a nu fi. Ce constatari se regasesc intr-un raport prezentat de CRJM? (Photo : Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images) North Korean hackers tried to breach security-related systems to get information about joint US-South Korean military drills. Suspected North Korean hackers have once again raised concerns by targeting a joint US-South Korea military exercise. The exercise, named Ulchi Freedom Guardian, is designed to enhance the readiness of both forces in responding to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, as per Independent. Cyber Intrusion Targets Key US-South Korea Military Exercise While classified information remains uncompromised, the incident highlights the ongoing challenges posed by cyber espionage and the escalating tensions in the region. Scheduled to commence on Monday, the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian summer exercises have been a source of contention for North Korea, which accuses the US and South Korea of using the drills as a guise for preparing an invasion. In this context, the recent cyberattack takes on added significance as a possible attempt to disrupt the exercises and undermine the coordination between the two allies. Believed to be orchestrated by a North Korean hacking group known as Kimsuky, the attack utilized a familiar tactic known as "spear-phishing" emails. This technique involves sending deceptive emails to unsuspecting targets, enticing them to reveal passwords or activate malware-laden attachments. In this instance, the emails were directed at South Korean contractors affiliated with the South Korea-US combined exercise war simulation center. Thankfully, South Korean authorities have confirmed that military-related information remains uncompromised. This quick response highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, especially in the face of persistent threats from state-sponsored hacking groups. However, the incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the need for continuous vigilance in safeguarding sensitive information. Interestingly, this recent cyberattack bears resemblances to a 2014 hacking attempt against South Korea's nuclear reactor operator. At that time, South Korea had attributed the attack to North Korea. The reemergence of a similar IP address used in both instances further strengthens the link to North Korean actors, underscoring the persistence of their cyber capabilities. In a parallel development that adds fuel to the already tense situation, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a test of strategic cruise missiles. The state media reported the event as South Korea and the US kicked off their annual military exercises. This juxtaposition further highlights the deep-rooted animosity between the two Koreas and their allies, as these exercises are seen by Pyongyang as preparations for a potential war. The missile test was described as aimed at verifying the ship's combat function and the capabilities of its missile system. This demonstration of military prowess serves as a clear message to South Korea and the US, asserting North Korea's determination to strengthen its offensive capabilities, according to Aol. Read Also: Zelensky Hails 'Historic' Agreement of Denmark, Netherlands Supplying Ukraine With F-16 Jets South Korea's Resolute Military Response Amid Rising Tensions South Korea's military response to these developments has been resolute. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian summer exercises of 2023 are set to be the largest in scale yet, involving tens of thousands of troops from both South Korea and the US, as well as some United Nations Command member states. This show of force seeks to convey a united front against North Korean provocations while demonstrating the readiness of the allies to respond effectively. Despite North Korea's ongoing missile tests, the international community remains concerned about the potential for these missiles to be armed with nuclear warheads. This alarming prospect underscores the urgency of diplomatic efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions and maintain stability in the region. As North Korea continues to modernize its naval capabilities, including the unveiling of a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone earlier this year, the need for strategic coordination and cooperation becomes ever more critical. In response to the recent cyberattack and missile test, South Korean lawmakers speculate that North Korea might escalate its military actions. Concerns have been raised about the possibility of North Korea firing an intercontinental ballistic missile or taking other provocative measures in protest of the military exercises and the trilateral summit involving South Korea, the US, and Japan. Amid these escalating tensions, it is clear that maintaining regional stability demands a delicate balance of military preparedness, diplomatic engagement, and cyber defense. The recent cyberattack serves as a stark reminder of the hybrid nature of modern conflicts, where conventional military actions are supplemented by cyber operations. As both sides continue their posturing, the world watches closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution that can de-escalate tensions and open the door to meaningful dialogue, Strait Times reported. Related Article: China Conducts Military Drills Around Taiwan as a Warning @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Primeste notificari pe email Nota bene: Adresele email cu extensia .ru nu sunt acceptate. Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has called on policymakers to remove mandatory audit requirements from smaller charities as a matter of urgency. In an open letter to social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville , ICAS called on the Scottish government to raise the charity audit threshold in the country from those with an income of 500,000 a year. It warned that at the current threshold there is an increasing risk that some Scottish charities may not be able to secure the services of an auditor for their statutory audit. Fewer auditors available Bruce Cartwright, ICAS chief executive, said in the letter: Increases to the company law audit threshold over many years has caused a fall in the number of accountancy firms being registered to undertake audit work. This continuing trend means there are fewer auditors available to take on audits, of not just companies, but other kinds of organisations, such as charities. He added that Scottish charities have a significantly lower audit threshold, introduced in the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2006, than companies. A company needs to have turnover of more than 10.2m in a financial year before an audit is required, but a Scottish charity only needs to have gross income of 500,000 or more, he said. The differential between these two thresholds only adds to the current challenges charities can face in finding an auditor. While the last significant uplift in the company law audit threshold took place in 2016, regulatory changes to the audit environment have led to a rise in demand for audit skills in a tight labour market and an increase in audit fees. The result is a greater risk that some Scottish charities may not be able to find an auditor to do their statutory audit. To mitigate this risk, we believe that the Scottish government should review the charity law audit threshold, with a view to raising it as a matter of urgency. Merit in considering a similar approach to that taken in England and Wales ICAS also highlighted its concerns about the sustainability of the current external scrutiny requirements for charities financial statements, calling for the independent examination regime for Scottish charities to be strengthened. The letter reads: We believe that it will be necessary to strengthen the independent examination regime for Scottish charities by being more prescriptive about the work an independent examiner should undertake. There would be merit in considering a similar approach to that taken in England and Wales, whereby charity independent examiners must comply with formal directions issued by the Charity Commission. Cartwright said it will also be necessary to strengthen the independent examination regime for Scottish charities by being more prescriptive about the work an independent examiner should undertake. The letter adds: Ultimately, we believe that if a significant number of charities are unable to file audited, financial statements where these are required, this will have a negative impact on public trust in the sector. Our more immediate concern is the impact on charities and the trustees of those charities who find themselves unable to meet their filing obligations under the 2005 Act and 2006 Regulations. This comes following reforms set out in the Charities (Regulation and Administration) Act 2023 , which which came into force this month. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, The Metropolitan Police has closed its investigation into cash-for-honours claims involving the Princes Foundation and will take no further action, it has announced . Police officers began investigating claims that staff at the charity, set up by King Charles III in 1986, offered to help a billionaire donor in his bid for British citizenship and an honour in September 2021. The investigation followed allegations published by the Sunday Times that donations to the charity by Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz were used to try and influence the king, then heir to the throne. It focused on the involvement of Mahfouz, who received a letter from then-Prince Charles thanking him for his donations to the Foundation and would later receive a CBE, according to the Times. When the allegations surfaced, the Princes Foundation also opened an internal investigation, which in turn led to Michael Fawcett temporarily stepping down as its chief executive. The police said the assessment process included liaison with charity about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices. It said the Foundation provided a number of relevant documents which were reviewed alongside existing information. On 6 September 2022, police interviewed a man aged in his 50s and a man aged in his 40s under caution at a London police station. The Met has concluded that no further action will be taken in this matter, and nobody has been arrested or charged during the course of this investigation. It said there are no suggestions of any wrongdoing by Mahfouz or the king. A spokesperson for the Princes Foundation said it had noted the decision of the Metropolitan Police. Following the conclusion of its own independent investigation and governance review last year, the charity is moving forward with a continued focus on delivering the education and training programmes for which it has been established, they said. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Edinburgh charity CEO retires Edinburgh Leisure has begun its search for a new chief executive officer after the retirement of June Peebles. Peebles held the role for eight years and was part of the original team that helped establish the leisure charity in 1998. On her departure she said: I leave whoever picks up the baton with an organisation that is mature and certain of its purpose, the value it brings to the city of Edinburgh and, importantly, with the ambition to do more. This is a great opportunity for someone to put their own stamp on how Edinburgh Leisure continues to thrive. Eden Scott is working on the recruitment for the charitys new leaders. Interested applicants should contact Sarah Gracie, associate director at Edinburgh Leisure. RSPCA Assured CEO steps down Mike Baker, chief executive of RSPCA Assured, a subsidiary of the national animal protection charity, has resigned as chief executive after joining the charity on an initially interim basis in March 2022. A spokesperson for the charity said: Mike Baker, chief executive of RSPCA Assured, has decided that the time is right for him to move on from his role. Mike joined RSPCA Assured last year and has laid the foundations for the ambitious growth that will be needed to transform farm animal welfare in the UK. Wed like to thank Mike for all his hard work and wish him well for the future. New CEO for cancer charity Will Burchell has been appointed as CEO of the Bone Cancer Research Trust, a medical research charity based in Leeds. He succeeds Mat Cottle-Shaw, who led the charity for two years and worked at the charity for a total of eight. Burchell joins from the Nottinghamshire Deaf Society where he has been CEO since February 2022. Before that, he was in senior leadership roles at Autism East Midlands, Turning Point, Dimensions UK, Framework Charity and more. Allie Gartland, chair of trustees at the Bone Cancer Research Trust, commented on the appointment: We are delighted to have appointed Will as the Bone Cancer Research Trusts CEO. Wills wealth of expertise in the charity sector and exceptional leadership skills will enable us to continue to develop and grow, alongside driving forward the charitys strategic direction following the launch of our new 10-year strategy. Youth charity recruits CEO Brathay Trust, a Cumbria-based youth development charity, has appointed Teresa Jennings as its new chief executive. She succeeds Godfrey Owen, who steps down after 16 years of leading the charity. Most recently, she was chief executive of charity n-compass for over seven years. She is currently a trustee for the Foxton Centre and Camphill Village Trust. On her appointment, she said: For the last 75 years Brathay has been committed to supporting young people in their own self-development journeys through experimental learning, and it is a privilege to have been chosen to steer the organisation into its next exciting chapter. Carers Trust appoints director The Carers Trust has appointed Dominic Carter in its newly created role, director of policy and public affairs. Carter joins from Hospice UK where he was head of policy, advocacy and research. Before that, he was in senior roles at Alzheimers Society, Homecare Association, Skills for Care and more. On his appointment, he said: With a key period ahead in the political calendar and a shifting relationship of decision-making power between national and local, I feel there is a huge amount I can achieve both at Carers Trust and with our Network Partners to ensure unpaid carers gain the recognition and support they deserve. BHF hires research and medical strategy lead The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has appointed research leader and NHS consultant physician Bryan Williams, as its first chief scientific and medical officer. Williams will join the charitys executive group in autumn 2023 and succeed Nilesh Samani (current medical director) in leading the BHFs research and medical strategy. He will be responsible for setting BHFs vision and funding strategy for cardiovascular research and enhancing the charitys scientific influence. Museum of London add governors to its board The Museum of London has announced the appointment of two more governors to its board. Samir Patel is CEO of Comic Relief. He joined the helm of the charity in March 2021. Before that, he was chief innovation strategist at Blue State. Throughout his career, he has worked with charities like Amnesty International, UNHCR, Natural History Museum and more. Bridget Banton is a creative consultant and founder of Dear Creative Gurl, a company that provides storytelling and content development to production companies, broadcasters and more. She is a voting member of BAFTA and fellow of RSA. WaterAid appoints five trustees WaterAid has appointed five trustees to its board. Nina Jasinski is a non-executive director, trustee, consultant and mentor. She has had a 40-year career growing marketing, advertising and communications agencies. Mamadou Biteye is an agricultural economist and development expert. He is executive secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation. Sanjay Nair is global head of business and transformation costs at HSBC Global Commercial Banking. Simi Kamal is a womens rights and poverty alleviation specialist based in Pakistan. She has served on number of national and international boards and is a geographer, water expert and environment professional. Ashvin Dayal heads the Rockefellers Power and Climate programme. He recently led the creation of Global Energy Alliance for People and Plant. Tim Wainwright, chief executive for WaterAid, said: Were thrilled to welcome five new members to WaterAids board of trustees. Together they bring a spectrum of hugely valuable expertise, insight and knowledge, along with a wealth of experience across different sectors ranging from energy and climate, to business communications, development and inclusion. Lymphoma Action recruits trustee Lymphoma Action has appointed Chrissie Kirby to its board of trustees. She is a haematology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and has a special interest in lymphoma and is passionate about improving care for lymphoma patients. I am honoured to be appointed as a Lymphoma Action trustee with healthcare expertise, she says. I am excited to bring my clinical knowledge and skills to the team. As a CNS, I represent the patient voice and I have always used Lymphoma Action as a resource for my patients and their families. I know how important the charity is and am very excited to be able to support and be a part of their continued success. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Ten days ago, the entire five-person police department of Marion, Kansas, raided the newsroom of their local newspaper, the Marion County Record, and the home of Eric Meyer, its editor and publisher. Meyer was home at the time with Joan Meyer, his ninety-eight-year-old mother and co-publisher; when he heard a knock on the door, he thought it was her Meals on Wheels delivery. Police confiscated electronic devices and reporting materialseverything we have, Eric Meyer told the Kansas Reflector. He likened the raid to something that might happen in Egypt, where the press is heavily repressed; Joan Meyer accused the local police of Hitler tactics. When her meal came, she refused to eat it; that night, she didnt go to bed. The next day, she died. The Record said, in a news story, that she had been stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief. The raid appears to have stemmed from a quintessentially small-town grievance. A few days earlier, Kari Newell, a local restaurant owner, had expelled Record staffers from an event she was hosting for Jake LaTurner, a local Republican Congressman. Eric Meyer wrote a story about the incident, which Newell criticized on Facebook. After that, a source contacted the Record claiming to have proof that Newell was once convicted of drunk drivinga problem for Newell, since, under state law, that would complicate a pending liquor-license application for her business. A Record reporter used a state website to verify the tip, but the paper didnt initially publish a story, suspecting, in part, of being roped into a divorce dispute between Newell and her husband. Meyer contacted the local police about the tip; the police in turn tipped off Newell, who accused the Record, at a public meeting, of illicitly disseminating her confidential information. After that, the Record ran a story about her claims, including information on the DUI. Then came the raid, based on a warrant to investigate the theft of Newells identity. The story moved quickly from there. National news organizations and press-freedom groups slammed the raid as a flagrant violation of the Records First Amendment rights. Meyer told Marisa Kabas, who writes a newsletter called The Handbasket, that, at the time of the raid, the paper had also been investigating claims that Gideon Cody, the local police chief, quit his prior job, in Kansas City, under a cloud of sexual-misconduct allegations; the Record decided against publishing a story about Cody, but sensitive details about him were present on devices seized. The Wichita Eagle reported that the judge who authorized the raid also had a history of drunk driving charges. For days, it remained unclear what evidence Cody had presented to the judgebut over the weekend, the Washington Post reported, citing affidavits in the case, that Cody claimed the Record couldnt have accessed Newells driving records without impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought. The records in question are typically confidential under Kansas law; third parties are allowed to access them in some cases, but the law does not contain any exception for the media. State investigators are now reportedly probing the papers conduct in the case. The Record has insisted that it broke no lawsand even if it did, Meyer has said, the police raid was comparable to bringing the SWAT team out for jaywalking. By the time the Post reported on the affidavits, a local prosecutor made a U-turn, withdrawing the search warrant for insufficient evidence and demanding that police return the Records property. (They complied.) In executing the raid, the police themselves may have violated state and federal laws protecting privacy and reporters rights. The Record is reportedly preparing to sue the city. Amid all that, last week, the papers staff managed to put out an edition. Its front page read, in large type, SEIZEDbut not silenced. Newsroom raids are incredibly rare in the United States; Katherine Jacobsen, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, told the Reflector that she isnt aware of one ever having happened before. More broadly, though, threats to press freedom are increasingly commonnot least at hyperlocal outlets, such as the Record. Last week, the Reflectors Clay Wirestone compiled stories of attacks on newsrooms that (like the Reflector) are affiliated with the States Newsroom network; he received testimony on everything from violations of open-records law to arrests of reporters. Also last week, the New York Times wrote about the existential financial threat that lawsuits can pose to small newsrooms, focusing on the case of the Wausau Pilot & Review, a Wisconsin news site struggling to pay its staff as it defends a libel case brought by a local businessman, even though a judge initially threw the case out. Sometimes, the threats are even starker: this spring, the McCurtain Gazette News, in Oklahoma, caught local officials on tape talking about killing its reporter. (As The New Yorkers Paige Williams has written, the paper is so small that it doesnt have a websiteso it printed a giant QR code steering readers to audio of the officials exchange.) Following a national uproar, the officials in McCurtain County were suspended from a state sheriffs association; one resigned as a county commissioner. Those involved in the Marion County Record raid could face consequences, too; at the very least, Newell and Cody seem to have condemned themselves to an offline version of the Streisand effect, cracking down so hard on a local source of information that they wound up drawing national attention to their alleged misdeeds. Since the raid, the Record has received support from all over; readers as far afield as New Zealand have requested subscriptions, as did an extremely famous movie producer, per Meyer. Locals have supported the paper, as wellincluding a vocal Trump booster who helps distribute it. On the whole, though, the communitys reaction has been mixed: Meyer told Kabas that many Marion residents defended the paper to him but wouldnt do so publiclypartly for fear, in at least one case, of a police reprisal. Several Marion residents told reporters from state and national outlets that they view the Records coverage as overly negative about their town. Some supported the raid. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Tensions between citizens and journalists are nothing new; as Williams put it, in a small town, a dogged reporter is inevitably an unpopular one. But the incidents in Oklahoma and Kansasand others that are similar, if less dramaticcome in the context of both intense anti-media sentiment and the economic dwindling of local news. Combined, these add up to a situation in which local officials feel emboldened to take extreme anti-press measures, local residents are less likely to care, and journalists are less likely to have the resources to fight backor to do hard-hitting work at all. On Saturday, around a hundred mourners gathered at a church in Marion for the funeral of Joan Meyer. According to the Record, the smell of stargazer lilies filled the nave and Meyer was buried with a newsprint rose placed over her heart. The pastor, Ron DeVore, noted that Meyer asked her son, following the raid, Where are all the good people? Meyer believed in the good people, DeVore said. And she was proof that small town does not have to mean small mind. Other notable stories: ICYMI: The New Yorkers Louisa Thomas on womens soccer as a global media phenomenon Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. VANCOUVER, British Columbia Firefighters battling wildfires in western Canada received help from reinforcements and milder weather Saturday, after the nations worst fire season on record destroyed structures, fouled the air with thick smoke and prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents. Flames were being held at bay 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, and weary firefighters had a reprieve around Kelowna in British Columbia. But the firefighters were nowhere close to declaring victory, especially with drier and windier weather forecast for the coming days. Were by no means out of the woods yet, Mike Westwick, wildfire information officer for Yellowknife, told The Associated Press. We still have a serious situation. Its not safe to return. The fires near Kelowna, about 90 miles (150 kilometers) north of the U.S. border, are among more than 380 blazes across the province, with 150 burning out of control, according to the Canadian Press. Another 236 fires are burning in the Northwest Territories. At a Saturday evening news conference, Shane Thompson, the province`s minister of environment and climate change, said the fires near Yellowknife had not grown very much in the past few days thanks to breaks in the weather. But I want to be clear, a little bit of rain doesnt mean its safe to come back home, he said. Others warned that incoming hot weather would make the battle more challenging. Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty encouraged residents to stay away from the town to ensure their safety and help with firefighting efforts. She assured people that patrols were monitoring the streets and homes to protect against looting. This fires taking a nap. Its going to wake up and we still got a serious situation to handle here, Westwick said. 20,000 Residents Yellowknife has been a virtual ghost town since a majority of the citys 20,000 residents started to flee following an evacuation order issued Wednesday evening, officials said. Long caravans of cars choked the main highway for days and those who couldn`t take to the road lined up for emergency flights out of the city. The last 39 hospital patients were flown out Friday night on a Canadian Forces plane, officials said. On Saturday, officials said the escape route out of Yellowknife was safe, for the time being. About 2,600 people remained, including emergency teams, firefighters, utility workers and police officers, along with some residents who refused to leave. Charlotte Morritt was among those who left Thursday, reaching that decision because of the unbearable smoke that she feared would be unhealthy for her 4- month-old son. Morritt, a journalist with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and her son took an evacuation flight some 1,500 kilometers (950 miles) west to safety in Whitehorse, Yukon, while her partner stayed behind to monitor their property and help create firebreaks and fight fires. We knew it was only a matter of time, said Morritt, who had been following media updates and satellite images of the approaching wildfires. 20 Kilometers of Firehose Air tankers dropped water and fire retardant to keep the flames from Yellowknife. A 10-kilometer (6-mile) fire line was dug, and firefighters deployed 20 kilometers (12 miles) of hose and a plethora of pumps. Canada has seen a record number of wildfires this year that have caused choking smoke in parts of the U.S. All told, there have been more than 5,700 fires, which have burned more than 137,000 square kilometers (53,000 square miles) from one end of Canada to the other, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. All of British Columbia was under a state of emergency Saturday. About 35,000 people have been ordered to evacuate wildfire zones across the province and an additional 30,000 people were under an evacuation alert, meaning they should be prepared to leave, Premier David Eby announced. Eby told reporters Saturday that the situation was grim and warned that the situation changes very quickly. He said he was restricting non-essential travel to fire-affected areas to free up accommodations such as hotels, motels and campgrounds for displaced residents and firefighters. Ian Stewart and his wife made the anxiety producing decision Friday to evacuate Kelowna with their 4-year-old border collie and drive 335 kilometers (210 miles) to the British Columbia town of Clearwater. The smoke was really oppressive and there were big chunks of ash falling everywhere, he said Saturday. They packed a couple of suitcases, passports, laptop computers and dog food, and drove in bumper-to-bumper traffic to escape. A shift in the wind carried smoke and haze from British Columbia into the Seattle area on Saturday, said Dustin Guy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The Puget Sound region was just recovering from record heat, and air air quality could reach unhealthy levels Saturday night through Monday, Guy said. Prime Minister Trudeau Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who met Friday with some of the Yellowknife evacuees who traveled south to Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: Weve got your back. Trudeau praised firefighters, police, military personnel, the Red Cross and others who responded to the fires and other natural disasters this summer. Terrible loss, increased extreme weather events. And all through it, weve seen Canadians step up, he told reporters in Edmonton. Sharp reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press journalist Andrea Thomas in Chicago contributed to this report. Photo: RCMP officers meet at a roadblock after evacuating the Wilden neighbourhood near Knox Mountain due to a wildfire burning above homes in Kelowna, British Columbia, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Hours before a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ohio and erupted in fire in February, a judge ruled a former railroad employee could proceed with a lawsuit claiming he had been harassed for years by managers who said he reported too many flaws in rail cars he inspected and had his job changed after reporting an injury. Richard Singletons case against Norfolk Southern was settled for an undisclosed amount after the judge said he had enough evidence to go to trial over whether he was disciplined for reporting safety violations that slowed trains passing through a Macon, Georgia, railyard. The settlement provided relief for Singleton, but does little for residents near East Palestine, Ohio, who worry about possible health effects from the accident`s toxic blaze. That derailment and others since inspired nationwide fears about railroad safety. Rail safety has been in the spotlight since the Feb. 3 Ohio derailment, with Congress and regulators proposing reforms. But little has changed, apart from railroads promising to install 1,000 more trackside detectors to spot mechanical problems and reevaluate their responses to alerts from those devices. Since Wall Street took them over, railroads have put productivity ahead of safety, lawyer Nick Thompson argued earlier this year on behalf of a fired engineer. He pointed to recent derailments in Ohio and Raymond, Minnesota. People are being killed, towns are being evacuated, rivers are being poisoned, all in the name of profit. Prohibiting Retaliation The railroads are working to eliminate such practices with policies prohibiting retaliation and myriad ways for workers fearful of retribution to report safety concerns, either directly to a manager or anonymously through an internal hotline. Statistics from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration show the number of single-year whistleblower complaints filed against big railroads declined from the 218 reported in 2018 to 96 last year. I have zero tolerance for retaliation. And Ive made that very clear. And in fact, the culture that were creating at Norfolk Southern is one of transparency and one in which people are encouraged to raise their hand and say theyve got an issue, CEO Alan Shaw said. Other major railroads, including BNSF, Union Pacific, CPKC, Canadian National and CSX, echoed that sentiment in statements and said they encourage employees to report safety concerns. Whistleblower cases represent a small fraction of the workforce numbering more than 100,000 nationwide. But even a handful of cases can instill fear among employees and have a chilling effect on safety reporting. Long before Mike Ratigan was fired from CSX in New York last year after refusing to help circumvent federal safety standards or ignore railcar flaws, he said he saw other workers sanctioned. Those disciplinary cases became a deer head for managers: a trophy that sent a clear message. It says, if we can do it to him, we can do it to you, Ratigan said. OSHA says 793 whistleblower complaints were filed between 2018 and the end of July, with Norfolk Southern leading all railroads with 257. Union Pacific and CSX weren`t far behind with nearly 200 complaints apiece, while another 113 were reported at BNSF. The numbers are much smaller at the Canadian railroads partly because much of their operations are north of the border. More than half of the complaints were dismissed after OSHA reviews. But that doesnt tell the full story because some dismissed cases become federal lawsuits that can lead to multimillion-dollar judgments against railroads. OSHA`s decisions also can be appealed, with 87 cases settled before OSHA decided if they had merit. Whistleblower Cases The Associated Press reviewed dozens of whistleblower cases and found a similar pattern. When they werent bound by confidential settlement agreements, former railroad workers discussed how managers didn`t want them to report too many safety violations because they would slow trains. Some ex-employees prevailed in court, but they all faced tough battles against massive companies with billions of dollars in annual profits and armies of lawyers. Mike Elliott was fired in 2011 after he went to the Federal Railroad Administration with safety concerns other workers reported to him in his capacity as Washington state`s top safety official with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union. The FRA responded with a special inspection that found 357 defects, angering his BNSF bosses. One of his managers confronted Elliott in the parking lot and jumped on the hood of his car, claiming Elliott punched him and tried to run him down. Elliott said he was acquitted of those allegations in a criminal case, but ultimately was fired. That started a yearslong court fight that included countless motions and a six- day trial before a jury awarded him $1.25 million and approved $500,000 in legal fees. After an appeal to the 9th Circuit, the railroad finally paid him in 2018. Its a never-ending battle. They have the best lawyers. They have the best lobbyists and they have a lot of lobbyists. They have a lot of money, and youre up against it. Elliott said. Dale Gourneau had a reputation as a tenacious safety advocate who may have written more bad order tags listing defects on railcars than anyone else in the Mandan, North Dakota, railyard where he worked for 18 years. Gourneau pressed his managers to stop blocking employees from applying for corporate BNSF bonuses for finding broken railcar wheels. Not long after, he was written up for failing to properly stop his ATV before crossing the tracks in 2019. He was fired a few months later after the company alleged he violated the same rule a second time, even though he claimed to have followed the common practice of stopping several feet short of the tracks to avoid another set of tracks. An administrative law judge ruled this spring that the discipline Gourneau received was merely pretext his managers conjured to fire him. The judge ordered BNSF to reinstate Gourneau and pay him $578,659 in back pay and penalties. BNSF is appealing and declined to comment on specific cases. For rail car inspector John Fulk, the situation got so bad that in 2011 he shot himself in the head in the parking lot of his workplace at a North Carolina Norfolk Southern railyard. His widow successfully argued in court that after being berated by managers for flagging too many cars for repairs, Fulk killed himself rather than face a disciplinary hearing and possible firing on trumped- up charges of trying to sabotage a trains braking system. Fulks case was allowed to move forward because he started the complaint process with regulators before his death. FRA investigators found numerous rule violations and his former coworkers told them Fulk had repeatedly been targeted by managers. But court documents say none of them would sign witness statements because they feared retribution. Norfolk Southern settled in 2015. Because of his adherence to FRA regulations, Mr. Fulk was subjected to abusive intimidation, disciplinary threats, and job threats by Norfolk Southern management, U.S. District Judge William Osteen wrote. Although he reported these acts and omissions, Norfolk Southern never took action to stop such treatment. Photo: This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk and Southern freight train that derailed Friday night in East Palestine, Ohio are still on fire at mid-day Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. CENTENNIAL, COLORADO, August 17, 2023 Commercial Restoration Company (CRC), a leading national provider of commercial restoration and reconstruction services, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Daniel Deutscher as its new Vice President of Finance. With a strong background in the construction, A&E, fabrication, and manufacturing industries, Daniel brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of success to his new role. With over 15 years of experience in financial management, Daniel has consistently delivered exceptional results throughout his career. His proficiency in financial reporting, strategic planning, and talent management will undoubtedly contribute to CRCs ongoing growth and financial stability. I am thrilled to welcome Daniel Deutscher as our new Vice President of Finance, said Commercial Restoration Company Founder and CEO, Bill Sutter. His extensive industry knowledge and proven ability to drive financial success make him an invaluable addition to our team. With Daniels leadership, we are well-positioned to strengthen our financial operations and maintain our upward trajectory. Chuck Borden, President of Commercial Restoration Company, added, Daniel brings exceptional expertise and a strategic vision that perfectly align with CRCs goals. As he leads our financial strategies, drives process improvements, and ensures accurate financial reporting, we have full confidence in our ability to sustain excellence and fuel our continued growth. Daniel Deutscher expressed his enthusiasm about joining CRC, saying, I am honored to assume the role of Vice President of Finance at CRC. The companys stellar reputation and commitment to excellence are truly inspiring. I look forward to working closely with the exceptional team at CRC and leveraging my skills and experience to contribute to the companys continued success. In his role as Vice President of Finance, Daniel will oversee the companys financial operations, including financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and analysis. He will also play a key role in developing and executing strategic initiatives to drive growth and profitability. CRC is confident that Daniels appointment will further strengthen the companys financial foundation and position it for continued success. About Commercial Restoration Company, LLC Commercial Restoration Company is a leading national provider of restoration and reconstruction services. CRC helps companies of every size and industry prepare for and recover from major property damage. From fires to floods to hail to hurricanes, weve seen and responded to it all. When you work with CRC, you know youre getting quality work thats done right. For more information, visit commercialrestoration.com or follow us on LinkedIn. Media Contact: Sarah Chadwick Director of Marketing & Communications s.chadwick@crcmail.com CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Sixteen years after being killed in the line of duty, slain Officer Jason West still finds a way to give back to the community he embraced. Much of that comes through the efforts of the memorial scholarship fund established in the wake of his tragic death in May 2007, when West responded to a disturbance call on Altamont Avenue and was fatally shot. At the time, he was 31 and a seven-year veteran of the force recently promoted to the rank of Investigator, as well as a member of the departments motorcycle unit. His killer continues to serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole for aggravated murder. But longtime Cleveland Heights resident Lita Gonzalez and others saw to it that Wests story didnt end there. The co-founder and president of the Officer Jason D. West Memorial Fund (OJWMF) Board of Directors remembered driving home with her husband from a family gathering that Memorial Day weekend when news of his death came over the airwaves. It was like somebody punched me, recalled Gonzalez. I had seen Jason on Lee Road (part of his beat) but had never met him personally. I wish I had. Everything I know about him as a police officer came from stories and memories that his family, business people, other police officers and residents told me. They painted a picture of a young man who loved being a police officer, loved the community he served and lived in, loved his family and always respected and was kind to people he came in contact with, she added. Roughly two dozen scholarships later, the board restructured last year, shifting from high school seniors who had been enrolled in the former Heights High School Career Tech Criminal Justice program to cadets attending the Cleveland Heights Police Academy. Pace Cadets Like the police academy that was shut down for the pandemic and reactivated just this year, OJWMF organizers plan to hold their first fundraiser since 2019. It will coincide with the Cleveland Heights Happy 5K Run on Oct. 1, where the OJWMF will be fielding a team of its own -- the Pace Cadets -- that will be open to runners, walkers and anyone in between. The 501(C)3 nonprofit will also be accepting donations to underwrite the $25 entry fees for any current Heights Police Academy cadets who want to run, as well as for scholarships to help cover the $5,000 tuition. Tax-deductible donations are also sought for the return of the Annual Mega Raffle and silent auction at The Tavern Company (TavCo), 2299 Lee Road, immediately following the race. The event will feature raffle items from local merchants, food, games for kids and more. All proceeds will go directly to providing tuition reimbursement to graduates of the Cleveland Heights Police Academy. Through it all, Gonzalez said OJWMF still pursues three main goals: First, to keep Jasons memory alive; second, to encourage young people to consider law enforcement as a career; and third, to repair the rift that has developed between police and youth. Im encouraged by what I see coming out of our police academy, Gonzalez added. Its one of the best in Ohio and I think its going to change things. She admits that something she would still like to see come out of the police academy are new recruits for the Cleveland Heights Police Department. That could bring the whole initiative full circle, given the fact that West himself graduated from the Cleveland Heights Police Academy in 2000 after earning a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Tiffin University the year before. Brief encounter Gonzalez also recalled setting up an OJWMF fundraising table some years back in the entrance lobby at Daves Market & Eatery (Zagaras at the time), when a man walked up and introduced himself with a Jason West story that involved his grandson back when he was in grade school. The grandfather said that they had been walking along Lee Road where they met West, who greeted them and asked the lad if he wanted to take a closer look at his police car. He said from that day on, his grandson wanted to become a police officer, Gonzalez said. As it turns out, that kid went on to take the law enforcement class when it was still offered at Heights High and wound up getting one of the Jason West memorial scholarships for college in 2017. Majoring in criminology at Cleveland State University, Chris Smith works in the Cuyahoga County Sheriffs Departments Protective Services Division, although hes currently enrolled in the Cleveland Heights Police Academy. He has a vivid recollection of their meeting also, as described in an interview on the OJWMF website entitled A Brief Encounter with Officer West Inspires a Career. Asked about receiving the scholarship back at Heights High, Smith said, It meant a lot to me because Officer West was someone I had met when I was 7 years old. It was a week before he was killed, and I was walking home from school with my grandfather, Smith continued. Officer West was in his parked patrol car. He talked to us and let me sit in the car and work the lights. I will always remember that small act of kindness. You never know the lasting impact of a small kind gesture. Gonzalez said that Smith can also apply for a tuition reimbursement as he and other cadets complete the academy later this year. But thats our dream one day -- that somebody with the Jason West scholarship gets hired by Cleveland Heights, Gonzalez said. Officer West believed in the importance of mentoring young people. Through the scholarship, his legacy continues to impact the lives of young men and women. At the same time, Smith stated in his OJWMF website interview from November 2022 that his career goals include becoming a county sheriffs deputy in the short term, then a sheriffs office investigator and eventually a member of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Smith has also attended the End of Watch ceremonies honoring West and other fallen police officers through the years. In 2014, city officials renamed the stretch of Cedar Road between Coventry and Lee roads in memory of West, who grew up in Avon before buying a house along Cedar near Cottage Grove Avenue. Organizers also expect Wests cruiser to be outside TavCo during the Fun Run and Mega-Raffle on Oct. 1, thanks to the restorative efforts of LJI Collision Center, after the cruiser had been sitting for years in the municipal parking lot. Read more from the Sun Press. (Photo : Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images) The police chief who led the search on a Kansas newspaper alleged that a reporter impersonated someone else. A recent police raid on the Marion County Record, a local newspaper in Kansas, has ignited a fierce debate over press freedoms and journalistic practices. The incident, which drew national attention, has led to accusations of misinformation, identity theft, and violations of privacy, leaving both media professionals and law enforcement at odds over the nature of the raid and its consequences, as per Wabi5. Kansas Newspaper Raid Sparks Intense Debate The Marion Police Chief, Gideon Cody, spearheaded the raid on August 11th, targeting the newspaper due to allegations that reporter Phyllis Zorn had engaged in dishonest or misleading behavior while accessing public documents. Specifically, Zorn had gathered driving records related to local restaurant owner Kari Newell. The police chief asserted that Zorn either misrepresented her intentions or impersonated someone else during her data collection. The controversy stems from Zorn's use of Newell's name in a public website search for driving records. According to the police, this act was considered identity theft. However, the newspaper and its staff stand by their actions, asserting that they acted within the confines of the law. Moreover, a source provided the newspaper with Newell's date of birth and license number unsolicited, which further muddies the ethical and legal dimensions of the situation. The police raid had significant ramifications for the newspaper and its employees. Beyond the immediate seizure of computers, a router, and personal cellphones, the disruption hindered the newspaper's operations. Employees worked overnight to rewrite stories and reproduce advertisements, exemplifying their commitment to the newspaper's mission despite the challenges posed by the raid. The following day's paper featured a defiant front-page headline: "SEIZED ... but not silenced." The legal aftermath of the raid added another layer of complexity to the situation. Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence to justify the raid. Consequently, all confiscated items were returned to the newspaper. Ensey's determination prompted him to seek a court order for the release of the seized evidence and the return of the materials to their owners, according to Fox News. Read Also: Bahrain: Around 500 Inmates on Hunger Strike, Seeking Better Conditions Marion County Record Upholds Its Actions The Marion County Record's Editor and Publisher, Eric Meyer, emphasized that the newspaper's actions were lawful, asserting that no laws were broken during the information-gathering process. The newspaper's attorney, Bernie Rhodes, echoed this sentiment and provided copies of the previously unreleased affidavits used in the raid. These documents highlighted that the driving records Zorn obtained were at the core of the raid, sparking the chain of events that led to the confrontation between law enforcement and the media. The incident has broader implications for the ongoing conversation surrounding press freedoms and journalistic integrity. The clash between the newspaper and the police chief has sparked discussions about the rights and responsibilities of the media in accessing public information. While authorities might have concerns about potential misuse or misrepresentation of such information, media outlets argue that their actions were aimed at pursuing legitimate news stories and serving the public interest. As the debate rages on, the Marion County Record's experience serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges faced by journalists in the modern era. The convergence of digital technology, privacy concerns, and evolving definitions of press freedom necessitates a delicate balance between responsible journalism and the adherence to legal and ethical boundaries. Ultimately, the incident in Kansas underscores the importance of fostering a robust dialogue that respects both the media's role and the law enforcement's duty to uphold the law, ABC reported. Related Article: Doctors Who Reported Lucy Letby Ordered to Apologize, Receive Warnings @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Parma Heights Historical Society is currently experiencing a restart of sorts. While I was born and raised in Parma Heights, for the last 19 years I lived in New York City, where I was completing my PhD in history, said Parma Heights Historical Society President Charles R. Kaczynski, a 1981 St. Ignatius High School graduate. Doing my research there, I became aware of the neighborhoods and certain parts have their own identity. It was interesting, so when I came back to Parma Heights I had almost a new set of eyes. After holding a series of bus tours last month, the nonprofit celebrates the Parma Heights Police Department with a temporary exhibit scheduled for noon Saturday (Aug. 26) at the Tollgate House on the Greenbrier Commons. In addition to displaying various historical artifacts related to the police department, patrol officer Bradd Smith and the citys police K-9, Gunny, will be in attendance. Im tracing the origin of the police department back to the original village ordinances Parma Heights passed in 1912, Kaczynski said. The exhibit includes uniform components, police radios, gas masks, cameras and blotter sheets. The Parma Heights Historical Society is a great community partner, Mayor Marie Gallo said. We appreciate their involvement in the preservation of the history of our city. Police Chief Steve Scharschmidt said its apropos that an exhibit displaying the history of his department includes a visit by the citys first police dog. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the historical society for the demonstration and exhibition, he said. Recognizing the past people and work from the police department helps us see how far we have come as a community and in law enforcement. Looking ahead, Kaczynski said the plan is for the Parma Heights Historical Society to hold quarterly events celebrating various historical aspects of the city. The next two exhibitions will be about the fire department and then the maintenance department, he said. Were looking at holding those in the Cassidy Theater community rooms. Were also in the process of acquiring artifacts from the various departments. This is part of the larger project that were doing to collect historical artifacts from the community. Read more news from the Parma Sun Post. AKRON, Ohio A 7-year-old boy is in very serious condition and a 19-year-old male also was wounded in a shooting Sunday afternoon in the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood. A statement from police says the boy underwent surgery Sunday after the shooting, which occurred at about 4 p.m. on the 600 block of Vernon Odom Boulevard. The boy will have to undergo more surgeries, police say. The teen male was shot in the leg but his wound is not considered life-threatening. Police released no additional details in regard to the shooting, saying the investigation was in its early stages. Anyone with information can call detectives at 330-375-2490 or Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS. Individuals also can send tips by texting TIPSCO to 274637. Download the Akron PD app and submit information by texting Tips411 or accessing the link at www.AkronCops.org. CLEVELAND, Ohio The great-grandson of former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson will spend at least the next 18 years behind bars for killing a man last year. The former mayor sat with family members in the courtroom Monday afternoon as Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold sentenced Donald Jackson Gates, 20, to life in prison for murder. His first chance at parole will be in 18 years. Authorities said Jackson Gates killed 20-year-old ChrisShon Coleman near East 40th Street and Quincy Avenue on May 14, 2022. Coleman had been shot at least 13 times in the torso, including from the front and from the back, according to autopsy results that were filed in court records. Police found 17 bullet casings in the street, all fired from a single handgun, the records indicate. Prosecutors dropped an aggravated murder charge that carried a potential sentence of life without the possibility of parole. County attorneys dismissed the charge after Jackson Gates pleaded guilty last week to murder, felonious assault and possession of a weapon after a felony conviction. Jackson Gates was ordered by Saffold to pay $12,192 to Colemans family to cover funeral expenses. He also was ordered to pay Colemans mother $365 for lost wages after the family said she was not able to work because of her distress. A family member sobbed while reading a statement on behalf of Colemans parents. This was cold, planned, calculated and intentional murder. This coward knew what he was going to do the moment he woke up May 13, 2022, she read. This coward hung all day with my son with the intent to kill him. Colemans supporters in the courtroom laughed when Jackson Gates apologized to the victims family when Saffold asked if he wanted to make a statement. Colemans family alleged Jackson Gates was given a lighter sentence because of his relationship to the former mayor. You have the keys to the city because your great-grandfather allowed you. Still you accomplished nothing with life, Colemans family member read. All you care about is being a gangster. Where did that get you? Saffold immediately said Frank Jackson never approached her regarding the case, adding that no one has ever attempted to influence her court in 36 years as a judge. I try to do an even dispensation of justice all the time. That is my reputation. We took a great deal of time to apply the law to the facts, she said. Police suspect the slaying is connected to a series of shootings that touched the former mayors family and dates back to the 2019 killing of a man outside a West Side barber shop. Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Kevin Filiatraut said the shooting of Coleman was in retaliation for the murder of Frank Jacksons grandson, Frank Q. Jackson. A car registered to Frank Q. Jackson was seen driving away from the Aug. 28, 2019, killing of Antonio Parra. After the shooting, police went to the mayors home to investigate. The younger Jackson told officers that he had sold the vehicle weeks before the slaying. The car was later found torched in a field. Police obtained a warrant charging James Greathouse with arson for burning the car in September 2021. Three days later, 29-year-old Robert Shepard lured Frank Q. Jackson to a home on Anita Kennedy Drive and Sidaway Avenue, where the 24-year-old was gunned down. Shepard was sentenced last year to life in prison after he was convicted of murder. Days before Coleman was killed, he posted on social media in support of Shepard, who is also his uncle. Filiatraut said social media fueled the fire for Colemans murder, but guns are the main issue. (Social media) leads to violence, he said. The community wants us to stop. We need everyone in the circle of the people here to want that, too, or else it just wont. The former mayor declined to comment after the hearing. CLEVELAND, Ohio While Ohio has lost more than 312,000 acres of agricultural land since 2001, there are still more than 10 million acres of farmland in the state, according to the American Farmland Trust. Reasons for lost cropland include the development of commercial, industry and residential areas. But since 2020, farming practices have also changed. The COVID-19 pandemic placed renewed attention on an increasingly consolidated agricultural industry where family farms have been swallowed up by large food corporations, while shifting purchasing behaviors caused massive economic swings in the U.S. Farms have also had to reckon with a changing climate. Wheat fields were once commonplace across the country, but drought conditions of late have caused farmers to give up growing the crop entirely. Right now, the most common crop in Ohio is soybeans, a crop with a demand forecasted by the federal government to grow in the coming decade. To illustrate where American farms still persevere, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most farmland in Ohio using data from the Agriculture Departments Farm Service Agency. Farmers reported the data as mandated by participation in USDA income support programs, including Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage as well as loan assistance. Counties are ranked by total acres of farmland. In every case in the top 10, the most common crop was soybeans. No. 10. Henry Farmland: 234,984 acres (2.3% of state total) Farms: 2,493 Soybeans: 111,091 acres (47.3% of county farmland) No. 9. Crawford Farmland: 240,619 acres (2.3% of state total) Farms: 1,937 Soybeans: 112,314 acres (46.7% of county farmland) No. 8. Hancock Farmland: 250,944 acres (2.4% of state total) Farms: 2,861 Soybeans: 137,047 acres (54.6% of county farmland) No. 7. Hardin Farmland: 251,902 acres (2.4% of state total) Farms: 1,956 Soybeans: 122,899 acres (48.8% of county farmland) No. 6. Pickaway Farmland: 254,822 acres (2.5% of state total) Farms: 1,761 Soybeans: 122,224 acres (48% of county farmland) No. 5. Seneca Farmland: 262,098 acres (2.5% of state total) Farms: 2,477 Soybeans: 133,056 acres (50.8% of county farmland) No. 4. Mercer Farmland: 275,187 acres (2.7% of state total) Farms: 2,970 Soybeans: 117,047 acres (42.5% of county farmland) No. 3. Putnam Farmland: 276,899 acres (2.7% of state total) Farms: 3,144 Soybeans: 144,242 acres (52.1% of county farmland) No. 2. Wood Farmland: 306,467 acres (3.0% of state total) Farms: 3,527 Soybeans: 166,317 acres (54.3% of county farmland) No. 1. Darke Farmland: 308,012 acres (3.0% of state total) Farms: 3,831 Soybeans: 146,699 acres (47.6% of county farmland) Zachary Smith is the data reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. He can be reached at zsmith@cleveland.com. See previous stories at this link. WESTLAKE, Ohio - Looking for growth? Try yoga. Try houseplants. Flows & Grows in Crocker Park will offer both starting August 28. The yoga studio offers classes, workshops, meditation and sound healing. The studio is complemented by a carefully curated collection of houseplants that promote physical and mental well-being. All are for sale. Yogi Emily Kloss created Flows & Grows, 228 Market St, Westlake, as a sanctuary for growth. Kloss had been practicing yoga for years when the pandemic started. When she lost her job, she dedicated herself to her yoga practice and reinvention. I had time and space to stop with a life thats always on the rat wheel, she says. She asked herself, What am I really doing here? Lets make life more purposeful. So, she became a yoga teacher. The combination of yoga and plants was a natural. Theyre my two favorite things in the world. It was easy, she says. I started in college and got a jade plant. I still have it. It is one of my prized possessions. I started enjoying the patterns of growth. As I deepened my yoga practice, I noticed that theyre similar in growth patterns. And, when youre taking care of a plant, it can put you in a meditative state similar to the practice of yoga. At home that led to 150 plants. And more are arriving for the store, which will offer a selection of indoor tropical plants, succulents, and cacti. With an emphasis on sustainability, Kloss will source plants from local nurseries and promote eco-friendly practices. Shoppers get advice with their plants. For houseplant novices with pets or small children, she recommends non-toxic plants like hoyas, calatheas and spider plants. She especially likes spider plants because they grow plantlets. These can be potted and shared with friends. The plant-challenged may want to consider snake plants, ZZ plants or pothos. Snakes and ZZs want water once a month and you can keep them in just about any light, she says. Pothos take a ton of neglect. Theyre trailing and create interest. Braver souls may step into rare plants like the trendy monstera Thai constellation which require more care and is prone to root rot. They have more health issues, but theyre very popular because theyre Instagramable, says Kloss. I recommend them for people who are really into plants as a hobby. The shop will offer care cards for each plant and diagnose plant health problems. Flows & Grows will offer a range of yoga packages, including drop-in classes, monthly passes, and packages tailored to individual needs. The studio will also host workshops and events focused on all aspects of growth, wellness, and sustainable living, inviting renowned instructors and speakers to share their expertise with the community. For more information about Flows & Grows, including class schedules, pricing, and events, visit flowsandgrows.com or contact Emily Kloss at info.flowsandgrows@gmail.com. The plant shop will be open 1 to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday. CLEVELAND, Ohio Its not always easy to escape to a tropical location at a moments notice to relax on a beach with a drink in hand. Now, locals with a bit of imagination can channel the experience in Gordon Square thanks to the recently-opened La Playa Fresh Seafood. La Playa, 6410 Detroit Ave., is located next to the popular modern Mexican spot Blue Habanero. Its not by accident both restaurants were created by local restauranteur Rafael Ayala. Ayala and his family are also known for starting the local Tres Potrillos restaurant chain. Those who are fans of Blue Habaneros signature tacos and frozen margaritas should leave their expectations at the door at La Playa. The sister restaurant has an identity of its own with a seafood-heavy menu with inventive and fresh drinks. Everything tastes better when youre having a good time, Ayala said. RELATED: Blue Habanero opens in Strongsville The inside seating area of La Playa Fresh Seafood in Gordon Square. Alex Darus, cleveland.com The inspiration for the entire restaurant comes from Ayalas love of Puerto Vallarta. He is originally from the Mexican state of Jalisco, where the beach town is located. Ayala spent a lot of time in the area and wanted to bring the beach vibe to a restaurant concept. The culinary arts there are amazing, he added. I love seafood, especially the cooking methods they use in Puerto Vallarta. There are endless ways to enjoy fresh fish at La Playa, all utilizing the cooking techniques found in Puerto Vallarta. The menu features plenty of raw or cold seafood options, like ceviche, aguachile and even a seafood tower. The cooked menu options are just as expansive, including dishes like pan-seared tuna steak, stuffed coconut shrimp, and whole lobster grilled with garlic butter. La Playa offers a handful of non-seafood dishes from chicken Milanese to Arachera steak. The starters also feature sharable platters like shrimp empanadas to Hot Cheeto-dusted street corn. The dishes are created by three in-house chefs that Ayala has been more than impressed with. When you come in, youre going to notice the difference, he said of the food in comparison to other restaurants. The exterior of La Playa Fresh Seafood in Gordon Square. Alex Darus, cleveland.com The cocktail list reads like that of a beach bar. Margaritas have their place, especially the signature soft-serve margarita with rotating flavors, but they dont overwhelm the cocktail menu. The offerings feature other refreshing sips from mojitos to micheladas, all made with real ingredients that dont come from a pre-mixed bottle. You can just taste the freshness, Ayala said of the cocktails. RELATED: Blue Habanero, Best Mexican Restaurant contest winner, stays hot despite Ohios coronavirus dine-in restriction While Ayala had always had the idea for La Playa in the back of his mind, it took a series of well-timed circumstances for it to come to life. The church that rents Ayala parking space for Blue Habanero also owns the building now housing La Playa, which was formerly the location of The Boiler 65. Folks at the church mentioned the buildings availability to Ayala, who already had the Mexican seafood restaurant concept mapped out. The stars aligned and Ayala began working on La Playa in January 2023. By July 20 of that year, La Playa officially opened its tiki-laden doors. The food and drinks are just half of the draw to La Playa. Ayala believes that the restaurants biggest asset is its atmosphere. There are cabanas sprinkled throughout the restaurant that genuinely feels like it belongs on a plot of sand. An outdoor area, complete with a tiki bar, only adds to the experience. The outside patio at La Playa Fresh Seafood in Gordon Square. Alex Darus, cleveland.com You feel like youre on the beach or on vacation, Ayala said. The idea is for people to be able to let their guard down when entering La Playa and have a good time. The relaxed nature also lead the restaurant to offer an everyday happy hour from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. with food and drink deals. Ayala envisions that his new seafood restaurant will become the must-visit hangout spot in town. Were getting busy and were going to be busy, he added. If You Go Location: 6410 Detroit Ave., Cleveland Contact: 216-331-2757 Hours: 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday Menu: laplayafreshseafood.com/menu/ PLAINS, Ga. -- Former President Jimmy Carters grandson says its clear were in the final chapter as his grandfather, the oldest lived president in U.S. history, continues hospice care and his grandmother, Rosalynn Carter, battles dementia. Life at the Carters home in Plains is quiet and calm these days, their grandson, Josh says. My grandparents have always been the entertainers, Josh Carter told People magazine. Visits were once filled with exciting stories and souvenirs from their world travels, he said, but now were kind of the ones having to entertain. Its different, its just a different era. Previously Rosalynn Carter, second longest living first lady, celebrates 96th birthday with husband and family Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter extend record as Americas longest married first couple, marking 77 years The Carter Center announced in February that Jimmy, 98, would stop medical intervention and enter hospice care to spend his remaining time at home with his family. Three months later, the Carters revealed that Rosalynn, who turned 96 last week, has dementia. Josh Carter, 39, noted to People that Jimmy and Rosalynn remain present and aware of whats going on around them. Hes still fully Jimmy Carter, Josh told People. Hes just tired. I mean hes almost 99 years old, but he fully understands (how many well wishes hes received) and has felt the love. Rosalynn understands that she has dementia, Josh said. She signed off on the news release that revealed her diagnosis in May. She still knows who we are, for the most part that we are family, he says, noting that a good nights sleep improves her symptoms. Josh Carter said he expects his grandfather will be the first to pass. Hes in hospice care and shes not, and its just math. Meanwhile, they remain together in the same small town where they were born, grew up and raised a family before Jimmy Carter launched his political career. The former governor of Georgia won the presidency in 1976. Its gotta be hard for Jimmy to see his wife of 77 years losing some of her memories, Josh said. But, on the other hand, theyve experienced everything that you can together. I think the beautiful thing is that they are still together. And theyre not just under the same roof. They are still holding hands ... its just amazing. Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, is the longest-lived president. His successor, Republican Ronald Reagan, died in 2004, at age 93. Reagans Republican successor, George HW Bush, died in 2018, aged 94. Carters post-presidency is widely held to be the most successful of any U.S. president, The Guardian reported. He conducted diplomatic missions and championed charitable work. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel peace prize, for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development. Together they are the longest married first couple in history. The Carters marked their 77th wedding anniversary in July. Rosalynn Carter turned 96 last week and is the second-oldest presidential spouse in U.S. history. Bess Truman died at 97 in 1982, the year after the Carters left the White House. COLUMBUS, OhioMaureen OConnor, the former chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, pledged that if Ohio voters pass her plan to create a citizen-led redistricting commission, she wont take part in subsequent redistricting efforts. Once this is submitted to the people and passed, Im not involved in it, OConnor told The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com editorial board on Monday. Im not going to be on the commission. Im not going to be overseeing it at all. And Im not involved in picking the commissioners. Rotunda Rumblings No money, no training: Ohio politicians have advocated for more police training as a response to high profile local and national instances of police officers shooting unarmed civilians and other incidents. But as Jeremy Pelzer explains, the states police training requirements are only in effect when the state provides the money to pay for the training, and that funding is given at the whim of state lawmakers. Gov. Mike DeWine has suggested taxing insurance premiums as a permanent funding source, but that idea has previously met resistance from the insurance industry and tax-averse conservative lawmakers. The Chronic: If a majority of Ohioans vote for the recreational marijuana proposal Nov. 7, they will likely have to wait until 2024 to begin purchasing adult-use weed from dispensaries. Laura Hancock explains how the proposal gives state regulators some time to pass rules to create the recreational program and issue adult-use licenses to businesses. The proposal also allows for home grow, but people likely couldnt begin cultivating plants until at least a month after the Nov. 7 election. An opposition campaign to the recreational proposal says this timeline of expanding access to marijuana would be too fast. Stuck online: Northeast Ohioans who won a class action lawsuit against FirstEnergy say their $10 to $20 winnings are stranded in digital payment form. Jake Zuckerman looks at what the plaintiffs are saying, and why they didnt just get money as a check or knocked off their electric bill. Another no: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost once again rejected the proposed language for a constitutional amendment that would scale back legal protections for police and other government officials on a future ballot. This marks Yosts sixth time rejecting the proposal, this time for omissions and misstatements that, as a whole, would mislead a potential signer as to the actual scope and effect of the proposed amendment. Media-shy spokesperson: Northeast Ohio congressional candidate Madison Gesiotto Gilbert has accepted a new job as national spokesperson for the Republican National Committee and is no longer running for Congress in Ohios 13th congressional district, Sabrina Eaton reports. Elevated by an endorsement from ex-President Donald Trump, Gilbert last year won a crowded GOP primary for the chance to take on Akron Democrat Emilia Strong Sykes, and got 47% of the vote against her last November. Gesiotto Gilbert refused to grant on-the-record interviews to Ohio media outlets including Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer throughout her 2022 campaign, and only agreed to answer questions via email through a campaign spokesman. Coming to terms: Does limiting the amount of time that an elected officeholder can serve lead to better government? Eaton reports that whether term limits drain talent or drain the swamp, theyve been popular with voters. If Ohios experience is any indication, theyve added to partisanship and made it harder to pass legislation. Lawmakers for opacity: A panel of state legislative staffers at a conference in Indianapolis urged lawmakers across the country to adopt laws that guard against public access to legislative documents, Gongwer reports. A top lawyer for the Alabama legislature said its necessary to give lawmakers a safe space. A top lawyer for Texas legislature said the process of how lawmakers arrived at a decision is irrelevant. Ohio lawmakers were in attendance at the conference hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Bank withdrawal: U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Champaign County Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, on Thursday subpoenaed Citibank for documents and communications related to a probe of major banks giving the FBI information about customers transactions made in the Washington, D.C., area around Jan. 6, 2021. Federal law enforcements use of back-channel discussions with financial institutions as a method to investigate and obtain private financial data of Americans is alarming, said a letter Jordan sent Citibank CEO Sunil Garg. It said his committee recently obtained documents that raise new concerns regarding the extent to which financial institutions, including Citibank, may have shared customer information with federal law enforcement despite the customers having no individualized nexus to criminal conduct. Censored: The next day, Jordan sent letters to Yoel Roth, former Head of Trust & Safety at Twitter, and Chris Krebs, former Director of the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), requesting transcribed interviews related to his committees ongoing censorship investigation. We believe that you are uniquely positioned to aid the Committees oversight, as you served as the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which, under your leadership, participated in efforts to unconstitutionally monitor and censor Americans speech on social media platforms, Jordan said in a letter to Krebs. Full Disclosure Heres five things we learned from the May 3, 2023 financial disclosure statement for state Rep. Riordan McClain, an Upper Sandusky Republican. 1. Aside from his legislative salary, he earned between $1,000 and $10,000 from SD Depository for construction 2. Hes an owner of Five 17 Homes LLC 3. He disclosed investments in two retirement funds, a mutual fund and a life insurance policy 4. He reported no gifts from lobbyists 5. He ate a meal worth $15.86 paid for by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation Birthdays Terra Goodnight, Innovation Ohios policy director The late Doug Green, a former state lawmaker from Mt. Orab Lauren LaRose, wife of Secretary of State Frank LaRose Straight From The Source Look, I dont think the governor should be on there. I dont think the legislators should be on there either. -Gov. Mike DeWine to Gongwer, saying he doesnt think politicians belong on the panel that draws the maps establishing political boundary lines. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. Subscribe to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. (Photo : Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) Canada has taken a decisive step to combat the fast-spreading wildfires in British Columbia by deploying the military, according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement on Sunday. Canada has taken a decisive step to combat the fast-spreading wildfires in British Columbia by deploying the military, according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement on Sunday. The move comes as the western province grapples with wildfires that have prompted evacuation orders for over 35,000 people, as per Reuters. Canada Deploys Military to Confront Wildfires With the situation escalating, British Columbia declared a state of emergency, implemented non-essential travel restrictions, and urged drone operators and observers to stay clear of rescue operations. The crisis has spurred authorities into action, including West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Broland, who shared a glimmer of hope after battling epic fires for four consecutive days. Despite the challenging conditions, he highlighted improvements that allowed firefighters to take a more proactive stance by getting boots on the ground and employing water-dumping strategies to combat the flames encroaching upon the town of 150,000. While the situation is showing signs of improvement, Broland cautioned that the battle to contain the McDougall Creek fire remains challenging, and there are undoubtedly difficult days ahead. Trudeau confirmed via Twitter that the federal government will provide military support to assist with evacuations, staging, and logistical tasks, as requested by the British Columbia government. The move underscores the severity of the wildfire crisis and the need for a coordinated and comprehensive response. While forest fires are not uncommon in Canada, the current wildfires' spread and disruptions underscore the gravity of the nation's worst wildfire season on record. Many experts attribute the heightened intensity of the wildfires to the impact of climate change, reinforcing the urgent need to address environmental concerns. The wildfire crisis isn't confined to Canadian borders alone. Across the US border, in Washington state, firefighters grapple with significant blazes. The Gray Fire and the Oregon Road Fire have scorched more than 20,000 acres of forest and have resulted in the destruction of over 100 structures. This transboundary predicament further emphasizes the shared responsibility of managing wildfires that disregard political boundaries. In British Columbia, the severity of the situation has prompted officials to issue evacuation orders to residents in high-risk areas. Urgent appeals have been made to prioritize personal safety and prevent situations that endanger not only civilians but also firefighters who may risk their lives in rescue missions. As the wildfire crisis unfolds, the urgency of the matter has transcended boundaries and prompted international support. Thirteen countries have rallied to assist Canada's firefighting efforts, highlighting the interconnectedness of global disaster response. The impact of the fires is extensive, with approximately 140,000 square kilometers of land-equivalent to the size of New York state-burned across the country, according to Daily News. Read Also: Delayed Water in Maui Contributes to Wildfire's Severity; Hawaiian Company Shares Details Canada's Haze of Challenges The haze and smoke generated have reached as far as the US East Coast, underscoring the magnitude of the issue and its far-reaching implications. As the fire season drags on due to persistent drought conditions, the incident has become a rallying point for discussions on resource allocation and firefighting efforts. Over the last decade, Canada has dedicated more resources to fighting and suppressing wildfires than to maintaining firefighting personnel and programs. The current crisis has prompted reflection on how best to balance these priorities moving forward. Amid the turmoil, communities like Yellowknife, the capital city of the Northwest Territories, also grapple with out-of-control fires. Though evacuations were carried out, officials anticipate that the fire won't reach city limits by the end of the weekend, offering some reprieve due to favorable weather conditions. In the face of adversity, the resolve of Canadian authorities, firefighters, and communities shines through, highlighting the unity and determination required to confront the challenges posed by the ongoing wildfire crisis, Republic World reported. Related Article: Fatalities From Flesh-Eating Bacteria Reported in Tampa Bay: Florida Officials @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a horrifying turn of events, a city center in Chernihiv, Ukraine became the scene of a devastating attack when a four-ton Russian ballistic missile struck the area during a religious holiday. The missile narrowly missed a family walking in the vicinity, leaving behind a trail of destruction and claiming the lives of seven people while injuring 117, including 11 children, The Sun reported. Russian Ballistic Missile Attack Shatters Peaceful Day The missiles used in the attack, known as Iskander missiles, are typically designed for military infrastructure and high-value targets. However, in a shocking display of disregard for civilian lives, Russia deployed these deadly weapons against innocent Ukrainian civilians. The attack took place in broad daylight, targeting a bustling city center during a peaceful Saturday morning. CCTV footage captured the moment the missile tore through the city, engulfing the road in a fiery orange inferno that had previously been filled with cars and pedestrians. Shockingly, the missile narrowly missed a family out for a stroll, underlining the arbitrary nature of the attack. Tragedy struck a six-year-old girl who suffered intense blood loss and lost her life, while her mother sustained serious injuries. Among the injured, 12 were confirmed to be children, and another 10 were police officers who were also harmed in the strike. The attack occurred as many locals were on their way to a church to celebrate the Ukrainian Catholic holiday, the Feast of the Transfiguration. This horrifying event, which caused mass casualties and significant destruction, has been condemned internationally as a war crime against civilians. The mayor of Chernihiv, Oleksandr Lomako, stated that the Russians must have been aware that civilians would be the primary victims of the attack, further emphasizing the intentional targeting of non-combatants. Denise Brown, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, denounced the repeated pattern of Russian strikes on populated areas of Ukraine, leading to loss of life, extensive destruction, and escalating humanitarian needs. The missile struck a building that was reportedly hosting a drone exhibition, and videos captured moments before the attack showed people smiling and posing, unaware of the impending disaster. The scale of the destruction was immense, with buildings and cars heavily damaged and people left in shock, as per Daily Mail. Read Also: Russia Charges US Businessman Gene Spector with Espionage President Zelensky's Condemnation and the Ongoing Struggle for Peace Ukrainian President Zelensky condemned the attack, expressing the pain and loss that it inflicted on an otherwise ordinary Saturday. The missile used was identified as an Iskander missile, measuring 23 feet in length and weighing four tons. The attack's repercussions were felt deeply within the community and beyond, as images circulated showing the aftermath of the destruction. President Zelensky's video post on Telegram highlighted the devastating impact, with debris scattered around a large building and cars in disarray. The city of Chernihiv, situated near the border with Belarus, had previously been occupied by Russian forces but was later reclaimed by Ukrainian forces. The attack marks one of the deadliest incidents in the region since its liberation. As the world mourns the lives lost and condemns the brazen attack on civilians, questions arise about the motivations behind such a horrific act. The tragedy underscores the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and highlights the urgent need for international efforts to address the escalating crisis and prevent further loss of innocent lives, according to Business Insider. Related Article: Australia Plans To Boost Navy Capabilities With 200 Additional Tomahawk Missiles as China Continues Military Build Up in the Region @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Philippine officials have reported that the United States, Japan, and Australia are poised to launch joint military drills in the disputed South China Sea this week. The three nations are taking this coordinated action in response to recent Chinese aggression in the region, aiming to demonstrate their commitment to upholding the rule of law, according to Sun Star. US-Japan-Australia Joint Military Drills in South China Sea The joint drills involve three aircraft and helicopter carriers sailing together, showcasing a united front and engaging in collaborative exercises. Two Filipino security officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to confidentiality, disclosed the forthcoming joint military maneuvers to the Associated Press. The move is a direct response to the recent show of force by China in the contested waters of the South China Sea. Following the offshore drills, commanders from the three nations will convene with their Filipino counterparts in Manila. The deployment of assets for the joint drills includes the US aircraft carrier USS America, Japan's formidable helicopter carrier JS Izumo, and Australia's HMAS Canberra, which is also equipped with helicopters. The joint exercise had been planned for several months, and it demonstrates a collective effort to assert the significance of international law and maritime stability in the region. While the Philippines will not participate in this week's drills due to military logistical constraints, it remains open to future participation. The decision underscores the urgency for improved regional cooperation and preparedness to address escalating tensions in the South China Sea. A recent joint statement from the White House, involving the US, Japan, and South Korea, underscored their collective condemnation of China's aggressive behavior and unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea. The statement expressed strong opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific waters. It reaffirmed their commitment to international law and freedom of navigation as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The joint drills come on the heels of a recent incident involving Chinese coast guard ships and militia vessels obstructing two Philippine navy-chartered civilian boats that were delivering supplies to Philippine forces stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal on August 5, as per Fox News. Read Also: Heart-Wrenching Moment: Russian Ballistic Missile Struck Theater, Killing 7, Including 6-Year-Old Girl in Chernihiv, Ukraine Tensions Escalate as China Deploys Water Cannons Amid the tense standoff, China's coast guard used water cannons against the Philippine vessels. The incident sparked international concern and garnered support from the United States, Japan, and Australia, all of whom expressed solidarity with the Philippines. The Chinese coast guard justified its actions by claiming that the vessels had strayed without permission into the disputed area. The Philippines' armed forces reiterated their commitment to upholding the rule of law and opposing threats and coercion. In light of the incident, the Philippines is planning another resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal, escorted by its coast guard and potentially supported by US assets. This renewed attempt to deliver supplies signifies the nation's determination to assert its sovereignty and maritime rights. The clash highlights the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and underscores the complexity of regional dynamics. The Philippines' pursuit of its territorial claims based on international arbitration has consistently met resistance from China. Despite an international arbitration panel's ruling in 2016 that Second Thomas Shoal falls within the Philippine continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, China has rejected the ruling and continues to assert its own claims. The intensification of military clashes in the region raises concerns about the potential for a larger confrontation. The presence of US assets and the invocation of mutual defense treaties further complicate the situation. As nationalist sentiments grow in both the Philippines and China, the potential for escalation remains a pressing concern. The joint military drills by the United States, Japan, and Australia signal their commitment to maintaining stability in the South China Sea and supporting international norms. However, as tensions persist and territorial disputes continue, the delicate balance in the region remains at risk, underscoring the need for diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation, South China Morning Post reported. Related Article: North Korea Hackers Target US-South Korea Joint Military Drills; Kim Jong Un Oversees Cruise Missile Launch @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Search and recovery team members check charred buildings and cars in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 18, 2023. A total of 850 people are still missing in connection with the deadly wildfires that devastated Maui earlier this month, the county's mayor announced. In an overnight update posted to Facebook, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said there were now 850 people officially believed to be missing. At least 114 people died in the wildfires, the deadliest in modern U.S. history, he noted. The mayor said 27 victims have so far been identified, with 11 of the victims' families notified. Bissen said the number of missing people was the result of the FBI combining and refining various lists of missing people. "We are both saddened and relieved about these numbers," Bissen said. "There is positive news in this number, because when this process began the missing person list contained over 2,000 names," he said, noting that more than 1,285 people have been located safe. While the number of people initially feared missing was at more than 2,000, as Bissen noted, it dropped as cellphone communications were restored and people were able to make contact with their loved ones. Arriving at an accurate count in a mass casualty disaster can in some cases take months or even years, researchers and forensic anthropologists say. "We're still trying to take stock of who was in the area during the fire, who is missing," Lynn Goldman, an epidemiologist and the dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, which studied the death toll after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017, previously told NBC News. "We're talking about people who lived in Lahaina, tourists, transients." "The death toll number is always provisional, in a way," Goldman said. "I assume people won't stop trying to find remains and the work will take a very, very long time." The FBI announced Friday the opening of a site where people could provide DNA samples that would be matched with the remains that have already been found, in a bid to help expedite the process of identifying victims. The crypto market was lower to start the week after bitcoin posted its worst week since May. Bitcoin was higher by just 0.02% at the $26,136.36, according to Coin Metrics. Last week, it lost 11% due to a sharp decline that began Wednesday afternoon. Ether was lower by 0.18% at $1,674 Altcoins were making bigger moves to the downside on Monday, however. Ripple's XRP slid nearly 5%. Coins tied to Ethereum competitors Solana , Polygon and Cardano lost about 3% each. DeFi tokens fell also. The Cosmos token lost more than 3% and Uniswap's coin was 2% lower. "External pressure in China is likely the biggest driver to the sell-offs," said Chris Martin, head of research at Amberdata. "Asia plays a huge role in crypto, especially with Hong Kong and Singapore opening the door, but with a wider economic downturn, I don't think we'll see the bull market play out like we hoped or expected." An American Airlines plane takes off from the Miami International Airport on May 02, 2023 in Miami, Florida. American Airlines pilots approved a sweetened labor deal, making the carrier the second major U.S. airline to seal a new contract with its highest-paid work group. The more than 15,000 pilots at American will get immediate raises of 21% with compensation increasing more than 46% over the duration of the four-year contract, including 401(k) contributions, their union said Monday. They will be due a 5% raise next year, followed by 4% in 2025 and 2026, followed by a 3% increase in 2027. Pilots have been pressing airlines for better compensation and work rules as the industry faces a shortage of aviators in the wake of the Covid pandemic. That crisis derailed negotiations, preventing many workers across the airline industry from getting contracted pay increases, while inflation soared. An earlier deal between American and the union fell apart after rival United Airlines and that carrier's union reached a richer, preliminary deal. But American increased its offer last month. American's pilots voted more than 72% in favor of the new contract, and there was a 95% turnout, according to the Allied Pilots Association. The agreement also includes improvements in scheduling and benefits. American said on Tuesday retroactive pay for the pilots will cost it $230 million in the third quarter. The airline raised its unit cost guidance on Tuesday to a 4% to 6% increase compared with the same period last year, up from a previous forecast of a 2% to 4% increase, maintaining its annual guidance. "This agreement will help American immediately expand our pilot training capacity to support under-utilized aircraft and future flying and provide our pilots with more opportunities to progress in their careers," American's CEO, Robert Isom, said in a statement. Delta Air Lines pilots ratified a new agreement earlier this year. Bank of America thinks XPeng's partnership with Volkswagen is enough to significantly improve the company's outlook. The firm upgraded the Chinese electric vehicle maker to buy from neutral Monday with a $22 per share price target. BofA's forecast implies roughly 49% upside from Friday's $14.98 close. Analyst Ming Hsun Lee said the company's partnership with VW, where both firms will collaborate on EV technology to develop two models for the Chinese market in 2026 , will help XPeng secure a stronger financial future. Specifically, the analyst cited three benefits from the partnership: "(1) investors' concerns over XPeng's fast cash burn will be lower, which supports valuation; (2) XPeng's AD capability is endorsed. We estimate it to record annual technology service income of RMB200-300mn per annum in 2024-25; (3) XPeng could manage cost better through larger scale procurement and stronger supply chain shared with VW." The analyst added that she also expects XPeng to turn a profit in 2025, compared with a previous forecast, which called for a loss. Lee also said XPeng's improving product lineup will add to sales volume growth. XPeng has added nearly 51% from the start of the year. XPEV YTD mountain XPeng has climbed more than 50% from the start of the year. However, the stock dropped more than 4% after XPeng reported a larger-than-expected net loss for the second quarter . CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. People walk past the headquarters of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, in Beijing, China September 28, 2018. Jason Lee | Reuters BEIJING Chinese financial regulators at a central and regional government level held a video conference Friday to discuss the resolution of financial risks, according to a readout Sunday from the People's Bank of China. The meeting called for coordinating financial support to resolve local debt risks, and adjusting policy for real estate loans. The weak financial situation of local governments has prevented the central government from supporting the economy with fiscal policy, Rhodium Group analysts said in June. Falling land sales from the property market slump has also been a drag on local government revenues. Investors are increasingly sensitive to the idea that some governments may not be able to rescue their debt-raising vehicles. S&P Global Ratings China has so far taken a relatively cautious stance on stimulus despite an overall slowdown in growth and repeatedly disappointing data in the last few months. Earlier this year, authorities emphasized that preventing financial risks was a priority. "China's ongoing property downturn and COVID restrictions last year have strained the finances of many local governments," S&P Global Ratings analysts said in an early July report. "This has widened the gap between the country's prosperous coastal provinces and the poorer inland regions," the analysts said. "Investors are increasingly sensitive to the idea that some governments may not be able to rescue their debt-raising vehicles." watch now In the last few weeks, Beijing has signaled a shift in its approach to real estate policy, and made some targeted moves toward easing. On Monday, the PBOC lowered the one-year loan prime rate by 10 basis points to 3.45%, but kept the 5-year rate the basis for most mortgages unchanged from a month ago at 4.2%. A new group of policymakers The meeting on Friday reflected a gathering of a new set of financial policymakers in China's overhaul of its regulatory system this year. The central bank's new head and party secretary Pan Gongsheng gave a speech at the meeting, as did deputy leaders of the National Administration of Financial Regulation and China Securities Regulatory Commission, according to the readout. It did not specify what they said. The readout said that attendees included representatives of the major state-owned banks, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges and the Central Financial Commission's administrative office. In Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, some government employees started working from home as part of a plan to reduce traffic congestion and, in turn, the horrible air pollution that has engulfed the city. The poor air quality is believed to be the cause of President Joko Widodo's chronic cough, as well. 'Work From Home' Order In recent weeks, the air condition in Jakarta, a megacity of 10.5 million population, has reached deadly levels. Earlier, it was reported that a Swiss technology firm called IQAir named Jakarta the most polluted city in the world. On Aug. 14, Widodo convened a special meeting of ministers to examine the capital's growing air pollution and to appeal to employees there to reduce traffic congestion by working from home. "The air quality in the Greater Jakarta Area has been very, very bad. The extended dry season spanning the past three months has intensified pollutant levels ... If deemed necessary, we will advocate for a hybrid work system in offices, a blend of on site and remote work," Widodo stated. According to an order issued by interim Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono, half of the civil service will work from home beginning Monday, August 21. This percentage will climb to 75% by the end of October 21, as reported by CNN. Jakarta provincial government spokesperson Sigit Wijatmoko said the restriction would apply to government facilities but not to hospitals, fire and rescue services, or public transportation. He remarked that allowing employees to work from home will not affect public services. Wijatmoko added that beginning in September, pupils at schools situated near major ASEAN Summit locations would be required to participate in remote learning. As Indonesian authorities prepare for the 43rd ASEAN Summit, which will be hosted at the Jakarta Convention Center in early September, pressure is mounting. The ASEAN consists of ten nations in Southeast Asia, many of which have long struggled with severe air pollution in their largest cities. Also Read: Toxic Particles from Maui Wildfire Pose Long-Term Health Hazards, Experts Warn President's Severe Cough This week, ministers in the Southeast Asian nation reported that President Widodo had been coughing for weeks, and they speculated that the growing air pollution in Jakarta might be to blame. Historically, the Greater Jakarta region has suffered from severe air pollution due, in large part, to the presence of manufacturing, coal-fired power plants, and heavy traffic. Tourist Minister Sandiaga Uno told reporters following last week's emergency cabinet meeting that the government was considering concrete steps toward enhancing Jakarta's air quality. Uno remarked, "If we look at Beijing's success, I am very confident that with the collaboration of local governments and businesses, we can also improve air quality in Jakarta." This was in reference to the Chinese government's success in improving air quality in the nation's capital. Also Read: Miss Universe Drops Indonesia Pageant Over Sexual Harassment Allegations @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tens of thousands of workers, from Hollywood writers and actors to hotel workers to UPS drivers, have taken part in the "summer of strikes." These kinds of collective actions are likely to keep going well into the fall, experts say. Over 230 strikes have been recorded this year so far, involving more than 320,000 workers, compared with 116 strikes and 27,000 workers over the same period in 2021, according to data by the Cornell ILR School Labor Action Tracker. The resurgence is due to three key factors, says Alex Colvin, dean at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations: New union leadership to push for stronger deals, new and younger union members calling for better working conditions, and a strong labor market with low unemployment. "We're seeing a confluence of a lot of labor activity in multiple areas, coming on the back of a surge in union organizing at places like Starbucks and Amazon" during the pandemic, Colvin says. "This is a noteworthy push on the labor side." News of strikes and their resolutions create momentum. "When you see another union succeed, you're more inclined to push yourself for a better deal," he adds. "There's a contagion effect in seeing the [strike] strategy working, and you're more likely to use it yourself." Union wins have another, possibly unintentional, consequence: Making employers more attractive. UPS saw an increase of more than 50% in searches for open jobs on Indeed, Bloomberg reports, after it came to a tentative agreement with the Teamsters Union. The deal would improve working conditions and boost pay, leading to an average driver earning $170,000 in pay and benefits at end of a five-year deal, according to CNBC. Starbucks, which formed its first union in December 2021, has seen a 96% increase in searches for barista jobs in the last year, according to Indeed data provided to CNBC Make It. Amazon, where New York-based warehouse workers voted to unionize in April 2022, has seen a 110% jump in searches for "Amazon warehouse" or "Amazon fulfillment center" jobs on Indeed in the last year. Search increases for both companies over the last year are considered "above average," according to an Indeed representative. It's "absolutely the case" that strong union protections can be a great hiring tool, Colvin says, as reluctant as companies may be to admit it. "Good wages, benefits and job protections that you see in unionized jobs are going to attract workers. Companies may not start with that premise, but they will see a benefit from it." "Hollywood is a good example," he adds, "where people in technical trades that support productions have a lot of protections and benefits. Those are good jobs because of the unions, and that attracts people in." A ship navigates the Panama Canal in the area of the Americas' Bridge in Panama City on June 12, 2023. Luis Acosta | Afp | Getty Images An increasing number of climate-driven extreme weather events is taking its toll on the world's major shipping routes and El Nino could make matters worse. El Nino or "the little boy" in Spanish marks the unusual warming of the surface waters in the tropical central and eastern Pacific Ocean. It is a naturally occurring climate pattern which takes place on average every two to seven years. The effects of El Nino tend to peak during December, but its full impact typically takes time to spread across the globe. This lag is why forecasters believe 2024 could be the first year when humanity surpasses the key climate threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Global average temperatures in 2022 were 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer when compared with the late 19th century. In drought-stricken Panama, low water levels have prompted the Central American country to reduce the number of vessels that pass through the critically important Panama Canal. The restrictions have created a logjam of ships waiting to traverse the route, which many companies favor, as it typically slashes the travel time between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Panama Canal Authority, which manages the waterway, said earlier this month that the measures were necessary because of "unprecedented challenges." It added that the severity of this year's drought had "no historical precedence." The Panama Canal pileup comes shortly after the U.N. weather agency declared the onset of El Nino, which is likely to pave the way for a spike in global temperatures and extreme weather conditions. What we see right now is perhaps only the starter of the main course that is being served next year. Peter Sands Chief analyst at Xeneta Peter Sands, chief analyst at air and ocean freight rate benchmarking platform Xeneta, said maritime chokepoints exist "all over the place," but that typically only calamitous events such as the 2021 Suez Canal obstruction tend to expose the fragility of the "just-in-time" delivery model. "I think global shipping is like the world's largest invisible sector," Sands told CNBC via videoconference. "We all rely on services and the goods carried by sea, but we hardly ever get to think about how they end up on the shelves unless something goes wrong." The Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, ran aground for almost a week in March 2021 while contending with strong winds. The obstruction halted all traffic on one of the world's busiest trade routes, causing massive disruption between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Analysts have since warned that extreme weather driven by the climate crisis could increase the frequency of Ever Given-like events, with potentially far-reaching consequences for supply chains, food security and regional economies. Vessels waiting to cross Panama Canal from Pacific Ocean side. Red square indicates Panama Canal 'Planet Labs PBC' Addressing the unusually long delays at the Panama Canal, Sands said that, while officials have previously imposed restrictions on ships due to low water levels, the onset of El Nino could exacerbate the problem. "What we see right now is perhaps only the starter of the main course that is being served next year because it could be [a] more severe drought when we get to the first half of 2024," Sands said, citing the impact of El Nino. "Right now, we do not see that filling up of the water levels that a normal year would bring around. So, it is literally a potential disaster in the making," he added. Falling water levels Danish shipping giant Maersk said it had been "largely unaffected" by the Panama Canal delays, although it warned that climate risks to major shipping routes were becoming more prevalent with potentially severe impacts. "We have actually had to deal with some of this back from the 1990s," Lars Ostergaard Nielsen, head of the Americas liner operations center at Maersk, told CNBC via videoconference. "I think the difference is that it is perhaps becoming more prevalent, it is more perhaps severe, if you like, in terms of the impact today." A crane loads a shipping container branded A.P. Moller-Maersk onto a freight ship. Balint Porneczi | Bloomberg | Getty Images Referring to low water levels and the restrictions in place on the Panama Canal, Nielsen said the drought is prompting Maersk to load approximately 2,000 containers fewer than usual on the same vessel. Typically, Nielsen said container ships might need to comply with a maximum depth of 50 feet on the Panama Canal. Current restrictions require ships to adhere to 44 feet of draft, forcing container ships to either weigh less or transport fewer goods. "Six feet of water, that makes a big difference," Nielsen said. While the Panama Canal is likely to be one of the shipping routes most exposed to climate vulnerabilities, it is not the only waterway struggling to cope with the effects of extreme weather. Low water levels on the Rhine River, an important trade route that runs through Germany via European cities to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, is also of concern. Ships sail across the Rhine at Bacharach in Rhineland-Palatinate. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images In late July, water levels at Kaub, Germany a measuring station west of Frankfurt and a key chokepoint for waterborne freight dropped to their lowest on a year-to-date basis. Falling water levels on Europe's busiest waterway have become a regular occurrence in recent years, making it more difficult for vessels to transit at capacity and increasing shipping costs. "On the Rhine it's basically more daily tactical decisions simply because it's short trips [and] it's relatively easy to find alternatives so you can actually deal with that quite late in your processes," Nielsen said. "Whereas [with the] Panama Canal, you really have to plan it quite early because by the time you have a crossed the Pacific etc., you don't really have any other options once you arrive," he added. Climate risks Competition in the electric vehicle industry is getting fiercer. Price declines have been accelerating since the start of the year, the market is growing and government subsidies have shrunk putting EV companies' business models to the test, Goldman Sachs said. The investment bank said in an Aug. 10 note that it sees two groups of companies "prevailing in an era of intense competition." The first is made up of companies that are backed by "robust finances" and aim to set up "vertically integrated business models," including batteries. Companies with such models take control of more processes across the supply chain, rather than relying on other suppliers. Goldman said such companies include Tesla, Chinese EV maker BYD and automaker Toyota Motor. The second comprises companies that tap opportunities leveraging new tech and business, said Goldman, naming stocks such as Panasonic, Toyota Industries and Hon Hai Precision Industry. The 6 stocks Here's what Goldman said about the six stocks, one of which is on its conviction buy list. Hon Hai : Hon Hai, the world's largest contractor electronics manufacturer, is a "key beneficiary" of the "rising EV outsourcing trend," Goldman said. The bank highlighted its "global footprint," significant manufacturing experience and comprehensive products and services in areas such as EV design, semiconductors and software. "Hon Hai could also leverage its experience in operating factories in 24 countries for ICT products, which we think reflects its strong ability to manage labour, supply chain, logistics, and government relations globally," Goldman wrote. Goldman gave Hon Hai a buy rating, and 12-month target price of 151 New Taiwan dollars ($4.73), representing about 42% potential upside. The stock is also on Goldman's conviction buy list. Tesla : Goldman noted that Tesla is ramping up its in-house battery manufacturing capabilities in addition to its partnerships with battery suppliers. "Tesla believes its battery strategy and capacity expansion plans will help to support its long-term growth targets and lower costs," the bank noted. Goldman gave Tesla a neutral rating, and 12-month target price of $275, representing about 25% potential upside. Toyota Motor : Goldman said strong EV products are the "missing piece" for Toyota, but it's a "potential catalyst for share price re-rating." "Toyota lags behind Tesla and BYD in EV sales, but we still see a large possibility of Toyota catching up," Goldman wrote. It added that unlike Toyota, not all EV manufacturers will be able to spend "a substantial amount of money sustainably" to cope with the various technological changes. Goldman also said Toyota's ability to reduce costs will be its strength in EVs. "Sustainable profit-making in EVs requires true cost competitiveness in an environment without government subsidies," Goldman said. Goldman gave Toyota a buy rating, and 12-month target price of 2,800 Japanese yen ($19.25), representing about 19% potential upside. Panasonic : Goldman called Panasonic a "pioneer" in cylindrical automotive batteries, saying it has superior capacity and safety track record. It gave Panasonic a buy rating, and 12-month target price of 2,100 Japanese yen, representing about 32% potential upside. Toyota Industries : Last year, Toyota Industries developed a bipolar nickel-metal hydride battery for hybrid vehicles. It's cooperating with Toyota Motor in that area, which is a "centerpiece" of Toyota's EV battery strategy, Goldman said. "Toyota Industries is a major player with a global market share of roughly 50% in electric compressors, the value added for which is increasing alongside advances in EVs," the bank wrote. It added: "Toyota Industries receives reliable dividend income on its shareholdings in Toyota and Denso, ensuring a steady stream of income and cash flow for the fiscal year. The company has an adequate financial position to fund any needs for greater investments in bipolar batteries in the future, in our view." Goldman gave Toyota Industries a neutral rating, and 12-month target price of 9,200 Japanese yen, representing about 7% potential downside. BYD : Goldman gave BYD a buy rating and a price target of 353 Chinese yuan ($48.40), representing about 47% potential upside. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. With yields generally considered safe, utility stocks have long been a favorite income play for retirees. Yet climate change may put those plans at risk. The wildfires in Maui are just the latest example of severe weather and the peril facing utilities. Hawaiian Electric , which currently has a 10.5% dividend yield, has been battered amid concern over its potential liability for the fires, which killed at least 114 people. Some 850 are still missing. Shares have tumbled nearly 63% since Aug. 7, the day before the wildfires raged out of control and ravaged Lahaina. While the cause of the blaze is still under investigation, several lawsuits have already been filed against Hawaiian Electric, which operates Maui Electric. The suits accuse the company of negligence and failure to turn off power in areas where high winds could down lines and cause a fire. Hawaiian Electric told NBC News it was focused on restoring power and emphasized the cause of the fire hasn't been determined. It declined to comment on the pending lawsuits. Meanwhile, in a conversation with Evercore ISI, the company's management said they will have to consider liquidity and the level of uncertainty when they make their quarterly dividend recommendation to the board of directors, analyst Michael Lonegan wrote in an Aug. 16 note. Utilities in general have had a tough year. The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund 's total return is -8.6% year to date, while the SPDR S & P 500 ETF Trust is up 15% over the same period. However, investors can pick up about 4% yield on stocks that have dividends that are considered safe, which makes them attractive to investors seeking income. XLU YTD mountain Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund Right now, utility executives and Wall Street analysts are grappling with understanding the impact of climate change on the sector, said Neil Kalton, equity analyst at Wells Fargo Securities. "It is evolving and it is evolving fast," he said. "We think the majority of utility C-suite executives would tell you that operating and maintaining the grid today in 2023 has become more challenging than it was 25, 30 years ago," he said. "It is really to do with the frequency of severe weather events and it is manifesting in the West through these catastrophic wildfires." In fact, the western part of the country does face the highest wildfire risks, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Therefore, the companies that operate there are the ones facing a growing problem, Kalton said. Here are some of the names he believes are most at risk. California utility companies are already trading at about a 15% to 20% discount on a price-to-earnings basis relative to their peers largely due to the risk of wildfires, Kalton said. "What we haven't really seen yet is other utilities face similar discounts," he said. "There has been a complacency among equity investors as how to think about this risk." Climate change's impact Climate change is altering not only the Earth's temperature, but also precipitation patterns, said Zachary Zobel, risk associate director at Woodwell Climate Research Center. Those patterns are moving more towards a "boom or bust cycle," he said. Yearly rainfalls are not really changing but there are fewer events, which leads to longer dry periods, he explained. That leads to what Zobel calls "fine fuel," like tall grass as opposed to tall trees, drying out quickly. In addition, droughts are becoming more likely, due to both the precipitation pattern and the increase in the planet's temperature. The result is not necessarily more fires but more acres being burned. "What it really boils down to is how rapidly a small fire can turn into a big fire," Zobel said. "What's causing these larger fires is a lot about the speed at which it can go from a spark to out of control." Climate change could affect utilities in other areas, like sustaining damage during hurricanes and floods. But wildfires are different in that the companies can be found liable for causing the destruction. In June, Berkshire Hathaway 's PacifiCorp was found liable for wildfires that occurred in 2020 after the company did not shut down power lines during the storm. The jury awarded the plaintiffs more than $73 million in compensatory damages, while punitive damages still need to be determined. PacificCorp has vowed to appeal and said it is confident it will prevail. Pacific Gas & Electric has faced scrutiny for its alleged roles in California's wildfires. It has been blamed for at least 31 fires that killed 113 people and burned almost 1.5 million acres, a judge wrote in a 2022 report. In early 2019, the company filed for bankruptcy. The same year, the company pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 84 people. PG & E reached a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of wildfires in the state in 2017 and 2018. Last year, PG & E agreed to pay $55 million for fires in 2019 and 2021. Where to invest The utilities affected by wildfires are only a small percentage of the overall sector, Wells Fargo's Kalton pointed out. The majority of the publicly traded utilities are in the eastern two-thirds of the country and not in high risk areas, he said. If buying a utilities fund, just be aware if any of the names are in a high risk area, he said. However, it's also important to remember that while utilities are generally seen as a safe dividend play, it's important to be diversified, said certified financial planner Marguerita Cheng , CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth and a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council. "You don't have to just rely on just one sector to get dividend income," said Cheng. "Look for companies that have a history of consistently paying their dividends." One way to find those companies is to look at the ProShares S & P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL), which tracks the S & P Dividend Aristocrats index. To make the benchmark, companies have to show 25 years of consecutive dividend growth. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting. HSBC thinks Nvidia still has more room to run. Analyst Frank Lee raised his target price on the stock to $780 from $600. Lee's forecast implies more than 80% upside from Friday's $432.99 close. He also reiterated a buy rating on the semiconductor company. Nvidia has been the stock to watch all year, gaining more than 196% thanks to excitement around artificial intelligence. Lee thinks that trend will carry on. NVDA YTD mountain NVDA shares year to date "Although market expectations have clearly risen for Nvidia and the overall AI supply chain, we expect bullish AI server momentum continued to surpass market expectations," he said in a note. "We continue to see strong demand that continues to outpace supply, especially with regard to AI GPU shipments." The company will report second-quarter results Wednesday after the bell. Lee thinks Nvidia will once again beat Wall Street expectations. "Despite significant FY2Q24 guidance beat last quarter and significant upward revision in consensus earnings, we see Nvidia likely to once again beat its previous guidance as our FY2Q24e sales of USD12bn is now +9% ahead of consensus estimate and company guidance of USD11bn mainly due to more bullish datacentre forecast of USD8.8bn vs consensus estimate of USD7.8bn," he said. Elsewhere, Baird analyst Tristan Gerra named Nvidia a top pick in a Sunday note. The analyst said that with AI momentum running at full speed, Nvidia remains the force to be reckoned with and will continue to benefit from higher demand. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Shares of Palo Alto Networks rose more nearly 15% Monday, continuing a rally that began when the security software vendor reported stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter earnings last week. The company reported adjusted quarterly earnings per share of $1.44 versus a Refinitiv analyst consensus of $1.28 per share. While Palo Alto missed consensus estimates for revenue, which came in at $1.95 billion versus $1.96 billion expected for the quarter ended July 31, the company said that revenue increased 26% compared with the year-ago quarter. There had been some concern among analysts that Palo Alto was slated to report bad news alongside its earnings, since it scheduled its earnings release date for after the bell Friday. Historically, it's a scheduling slot sometimes adopted by companies with poor numbers to report. As a result, Palo Alto stock fell as far as $208.02 after it announced its earnings release date. The premarket rally means that Palo Alto's shares have largely recovered from the plunge. Palo Alto CEO Nikesh Arora described the pre-earnings concern as making for "some very interesting reading" in analyst reports. By Sunday evening, those concerns had evaporated. Deutsche Bank analyst Brad Zelnick reiterated a buy rating on the stock and took his price target from $225 to $270. "Our call for a possible transition away from hardware was unnecessary as the company put up impressive F4Q results and multi-year guidance without the need for any unusual theatrics; no management change, no M&A, no strategic pivots, and importantly no guide down on growth," Zelnick wrote in a Sunday note to clients. In a note to clients Monday morning, Bank of America analyst Tal Liani noted that "the company's focus on profitability and better cost controls helped drive a 16c beat to consensus' $1.28." Bank of America took its price target from $270 to $290, writing that both guidance and results "were better-than-expected given the unconventional timing of the earnings release." WATCH: Palo Alto's surge in product growth undergoing digestion, analyst says The Pentagon's Space Development Agency on Monday awarded $1.5 billion in contracts to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for prototype communications satellites. SDA said the 72 satellites will be for the Beta variant of its Tranche 2 Transport Layer constellation, a network the U.S. military is building to provide encrypted communications through a fleet of hundreds of satellites, which it calls the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Lockheed and Northrop will each build 36 of the prototype satellites, scheduled to begin launching by September 2026. Lockheed's contract is worth $816 million, and Northrop's is worth $733 million. An SDA spokesperson told CNBC that the agency received six proposals for the contract. The Pentagon is increasingly ambitious in space, seeing a need to keep up with China's growing capabilities in a domain that has widespread ramifications for national security efforts back on Earth. The Space Force has especially seen its budget grow, with $30 billion requested for fiscal 2024. Much of that funding goes to both defense contractors and space companies providing products and services to the military. The first satellites of SDA's system launched in April. Those Tranche 0 satellites were the first effort to demonstrate the feasibility of SDA's network. In addition to communications, the SDA network aims to provide the U.S. military with features such as missile warning and tracking capabilities. SDA's network falls under the Space Force's contribution to the Department of Defense's Joint All-Domain Command and Control, a project to create a unified network across its military branches. SDA has previously awarded contracts to build and operate satellites in its fleet to York Space, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris . An ADSEP with blue PIL-BOXs, hardware which will be delivered to Sierra Space for the LIFE habitat pathfinder mission. Space infrastructure company Redwire is putting a biotech technology test bed on Sierra Space's first mission with its inflatable space habitat, establishing a new partnership between the two companies to make drugs in orbit. "It's an incredible moment for Redwire, an incredible moment for Sierra," Mike Gold, Redwire's chief growth officer, told CNBC. "We go to space not just for science and discovery, but to improve life on Earth." "I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to say those words. This is the first step in an amazing journey to come," he added. Biological and pharmaceutical research and production is seen as a key customer market for microgravity platforms in space. Redwire is not alone in targeting that market, with startups like Varda and Space Forge also working on such test beds. The idea is to manufacture drugs in space, leveraging the environment to create unique materials, that would be returned for use on Earth. "Many drugs are based on crystals. In space you can create perfect, or at least different versions of, crystals that can then be leveraged to create new versions of drugs with greater efficacy with the ability to last longer," Gold said. Russian authorities reported attacks by two drones in the Moscow region, which they said were intercepted by air defense forces. Falling debris from the interception injured two people, officials said. Denmark and the Netherlands announced their plan to donate a number of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, drawing condemnation from Russian officials who warn the move will only escalate the war. Meanwhile, flights at four airports in the Moscow region were briefly suspended, with several flights rerouted for "civil safety", local authorities said. Russia's federal air transport agency did not specify the reason for the disruption, but the timing tracked with reports from the Russian Defense Ministry about a "terrorist attack" carried out by drones in the region, which it blamed on Kyiv and said it repelled. Kyiv has not commented on the attack. All eyes are on Nvidia 's quarterly print after the bell Wednesday, and how well the chipmaker performs could have major implications for this derivative play, according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Charlie Chan named Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing a "catalyst driven idea" whose shares could rally given its role as the sole supplier for Nvidia's artificial intelligence graphics processing units. "TSMC generates 6% of revenue from AI-related semis in 2023e, and it expects it to see a 50% CAGR in the next five years," he wrote in a Monday note to clients. "We view NVDA's outlook guidance as a near-term share price catalyst. Nvidia shares rocketed more than 24% in late May, the day after topping quarterly expectations and issuing blowout guidance, citing elevated demand related to AI applications. The stock has served as the stock market's AI poster child in 2023, surging more than 215%. As a supplier to Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor has also benefited from the buzz around AI, with its U.S.-listed shares up more than 24% this year. Morgan Stanley regards Nvidia's October revenue guidance as a "key check point" pointing to AI-fueled semiconductor demand at Taiwan Semiconductor, as well as the growth of its Chip on Wafer on Substrate capacity supply, a vital part of the chip manufacturing process. Chan anticipates a 5% uptick in Taiwan Semiconductor shares should Nvidia exceed consensus October revenue guidance, and come in above $13 billion. An in-line print could yield a 2% gain. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting. China allocates more funds for disaster relief work Xinhua) 10:41, August 21, 2023 BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Saturday pre-allocated another 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) as part of the central government's support for disaster relief work in regions affected by flooding. The finance ministry said in a statement on its website that the new funding will mainly support relief work for residents severely affected by disasters, including those in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. The new funding will ensure that those affected by disasters are resettled properly, that production and life in impacted areas return to normal as soon as possible, and that affected residents are able to return home or move into new homes before the winter, the statement said. Since the beginning of the flood season, the central government has allocated more than 9.68 billion yuan across various flood prevention and relief funds to disaster-stricken areas, the statement said. In the statement, the Ministry of Finance ordered provincial-level financial departments to distribute the funds in a timely manner, strengthen the supervision of fund usage, and prioritize the protection of people's lives and property. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Lucy Letby, the deadliest child killer in modern British history, did not show up in court this morning for her punishment. The nurse, who murdered seven newborns and attempted to kill six more between 2015 and 2016, while working at the neonatal ward of the Countess of Chester Hospital, is anticipated to receive a life sentence at Manchester Crown Court, according to Metro. Today's prosecutor, Nicholas Johnson KC, began his statements by stating unequivocally that the defendant "has refused to come into court." "Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what kind of person she is," said the mother of Child E, who died, and Child F, who survived. They also said that they have regularly attended court, but when Letty decides she's had enough and stays in her cell, committing one last horrible deed as a coward." In recent days, there has been much speculation about whether Letby, 33, would actually show up before Judge Mr. Justice Goss to hear her sentence. When fresh findings were issued the next day, Letby told her legal team she did want to come to court, including for the sentencing. She had been present in the dock when the jury read out their initial verdicts. The judge has not yet made public the explanations for her absence. The sentencing hearing will undoubtedly take place whether she is present or not, the judge declared after all the judgments had been announced. According to the judge, there is nothing he can do about that since the court lacks the authority to order a defendant to appear at a sentencing hearing. Read also: Lucy Letby Update: Doctors Reporting Killer Nurse Ordered to Apologize to Protect Hospital's Reputation The Government Working on the Legislation to Prevent No-Shows in Court Justice Secretary Alex Chalk stated earlier this year that the government is 'committed' to amending the legislation to require offenders to show up to their sentencing sessions. (Photo: by Cheshire Constabulary via Getty Images) CHESTER, ENGLAND - JULY 3: In this frame from a video provided by Cheshire Constabulary, Lucy Letby is questioned following her arrest on July 3, 2018, in Chester, England. Late on Sunday, a government source suggested that, as a last resort, "lawful enforcement" would be utilized to make sure Letby shows up in court today. When the killer of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Thomas Cashman, neglected to attend court to learn he had been sentenced to life in prison, calls for action grew stronger earlier this year. The killers of Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa also skipped their sentence hearings the previous year. Farah Naz, Zara Aleena's aunt, expressed concern to Times Radio this morning that if criminals are not convinced to show up in court, their failure to do so "will continue as a trend." Related article: Lucy Letby Case: British 'Monster' Nurse Kills 7 Babies at Neonatal Facility, Prompts Review Care of 4,000 Infants @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to members of the media at the US Department of Justice building in Washington, DC, on August 1, 2023. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images Special counsel Jack Smith argued Monday that there was no good reason why Donald Trump's federal election interference trial should be delayed until spring of 2026, as the former president is requesting. To set a trial more than two-and-a-half-years away "would deny the public its right to a speedy trial," Smith wrote in a six-page filing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. Trump's filing "cites inapposite statistics and cases, overstates the amount of new and non-duplicative discovery, and exaggerates the challenge of reviewing it effectively," the special counsel wrote. Smith previously suggested Trump's trial should start on Jan. 2. Trump's attorneys last week proposed an April 2026 trial date, arguing that they need that time in order to sift through millions of pages of complex discovery materials. Their court filing included a graphic purportedly showing that those discovery materials would stack up to more than times the height of the Washington Monument. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards A graphic from a court filing from former President Donald Trumps legal team proposing that the federal election interference trial start in April 2026. Source: Fulton County Courthouse Smith shot back in Monday's filing that such comparisons "are neither helpful nor insightful." "In fact, comparisons such as those are a distraction from the issue at hand which is determining what is required to prepare for trial," he wrote. The argument from Trump's lawyers "rests on the faulty assertion that it is necessary for a lawyer to conduct a page-by-page review of discovery for a defendant to receive a fair trial," Smith wrote. "But the defendant can, should, and apparently will adopt the benefits of electronic review to reduce the volume of material needed to be searched and manually reviewed." Former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump hits balls on the practice range ahead of the LIV Golf Invitational series tournament at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 9, 2023. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images This combination of 2023 photos shows, from left, former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. Charlie Neibergall, Meg Kinnard | AP Former President Donald Trump holds a double-digit lead over his closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a major new poll of likely Republican caucusgoers in Iowa released Monday. The state will hold the first nominating contest of the 2024 GOP presidential primary race on Jan. 15. Trump garnered the support of 42% of respondents, while DeSantis came in second with 19%. Trump's 23-point lead over DeSantis is the largest GOP caucus advantage recorded by the poll since the 2000 primary, when George W. Bush notched a 30-point advantage. After Trump and DeSantis, no other candidate scored double digit support. Scott won 9%; former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley both came in at 6%; former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was at 5%; and 4% back Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and political newcomer. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards But Trump's advantage is still not ironclad, according to the joint survey conducted by the Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom. Fully 52% of respondents said they had not yet decided who they would support, while 40% said they were certain. With about five months to go before the Iowa caucuses, that uncertainty could be key to giving candidates like DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott an opening especially as Trump's unprecedented criminal charges in four separate cases increasingly dominate his campaign's message. When asked who their second choice would be, a 20% plurality picked DeSantis, followed by Scott at 15% and 12% for Ramaswamy. A further 29% of respondents said they were actively considering Haley the same percentage who said they were actively considering Scott. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Nearly two-thirds of respondents also said they have a favorable view of Trump, a virtual tie with DeSantis. Trump touted the survey results in a social media post Monday morning, while declaring that he had obtained $28 billion from China for U.S. farmers an assertion that fact-checkers have rated false. In an overture to Iowa voters, Trump also asserted without evidence that he "saved" ethanol and popular entitlement programs. The survey, conducted by Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, questioned 406 likely Republican caucusgoers from Aug. 13-17. It has a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points. While Trump and DeSantis share a similar overall approval in the state 63% for Trump and 61% for DeSantis the Florida governor's support appears to be much shakier than the former president's. Of the 40% of likely GOP caucusgoers who said they had made up their minds on who to support, two-thirds picked Trump, versus 31% for DeSantis. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Former U.S. president and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump leaves after speaking at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, Aug. 12, 2023. A judge set former U.S. President Donald Trump's bond at $200,000 in the Georgia criminal case accusing him of conspiring to overturn his loss in the state's 2020 election, a court filing showed Monday. The filing, called a consent bond order, came four days before the deadline for Trump and his 18 co-defendants to surrender in Georgia. Departing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' office Monday, Trump's attorneys said they had "just about" finalized the terms of Trump's surrender later this week, according to NBC News reporters on the ground in Atlanta. Willis' sprawling indictment accuses Trump and his co-defendants of conspiring to undo President Joe Biden's legitimate Electoral College victory in Georgia as part of a broader effort to reverse the national election result. Trump is charged with 13 counts of crimes including racketeering, criminal conspiracy and filing false documents. It's the second set of election interference-related charges against Trump, who has been indicted in four separate criminal cases this year. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set Trump's bond for the racketeering charge at $80,000, while the remaining 12 counts each received bond amounts of $10,000, the court filing shows. The bond document orders Trump not to "intimidate any person known to him or her to be a co-defendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice." Unlike several other co-defendants' bond sheets, Trump's offers several examples of acts that would violate that order. Trump shall make "no direct or indirect threat of any nature" against any co-defendant, victim or witness, including the 30 unindicted co-conspirators referenced in Willis' indictment. Trump must also not make any threat against "the community or to any property in the community," the bond order states. The order adds, "The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media." Trump is also prohibited from speaking about the facts of the case with any co-defendants, except through his counsel. Trump has not yet surrendered in Georgia. The bond terms can be crafted in advance so that a defendant is not held in jail while the conditions of their release are worked out. Other co-defendants' consent bond orders came streaming in Monday. McAfee set a $100,000 bond for John Eastman, the pro-Trump lawyer who is charged with nine counts in the Georgia case. Kenneth Chesebro, another pro-Trump lawyer and co-defendant, had his bond set at $100,000 on one count of racketeering and six counts of criminal conspiracy. Ray Smith's bond was set at $50,000, while the judge set a $10,000 bond for Scott Hall. Follow our live coverage of Donald Trump's arrest in the Georgia election case. Following a sharp slide from its mid-July record highs, Nvidia (NVDA) seems to be coming back into favor ahead of its quarterly release Wednesday evening. It's hard to even fathom the words "back in favor," considering the stock has more than tripled in 2023. But before last Monday's 7% gain and this Monday's more than 8% advance, shares of Nvidia had dropped nearly 14% from their all-time high close of $474.94 each on July 18 to their most recent closing low of $408.55 on Aug. 11. NVDA 3M mountain Nvidia 3-month performance Nvidia's recent resurgence raises the already-high bar going into Wednesday's earnings release as the semiconductor giant fights to keep up with the surging demand for its market-leading chips for artificial intelligence applications. Investors who recently bought Nvidia armed with sky-high expectations for the company's fiscal 2024 second-quarter print could choose to flee, no matter what the company reports and guides. Considering that a key variable to Nvidia's results is something outside of its hands the supply of its AI chips it's best to view the stock on a multiyear horizon, not quarter-to-quarter. "The analysts are completely in charge. They just keep taking it higher, regardless," Jim Cramer said Monday. Besides Apple (AAPL), Nvidia is the only other Club stock to get Jim's "own it, don't trade it" designation. "I'm not saying sell," he stressed. "I just question the valuation being created by this endless level of enthusiasm." An avalanche of research analysts have recently raised their stock price projections and tweaked their financial estimates for Nvidia. In the past 24 hours alone, HSBC hiked its Nvidia price target by 30% to $780 per share, among the highest on Wall Street, implying more than 66% upside from Monday's closing price of $469.67 per share. Baird named Nvidia a top pick and said it sees the stock reaching $570 per share over the next 12 months, up from its prior $475 objective. KeyBanc's new price target is $620 per share, from $550. These adjustments from HSBC, Baird and KeyBanc follow a steady stream of optimistic research notes last week , including one from Piper Sandler and one from Barclays, which said Nvidia has "no clear competitor close behind" in the race to financially benefit from the AI boom. The consensus price target for Nvidia has climbed to nearly $536 per share, according to FactSet, up about 7% since the start of the month. Estimates for Nvidia's fiscal 2024 Q2 sales have risen modestly, by about 1% to $11.2 billion, according to FactSet. These August revisions come after the more dramatic changes to fiscal second- and third-quarter Wall Street estimates that occurred in late May and June, in the immediate aftermath of Nvidia's jaw-dropping beat and raise on May 24 driven by the AI frenzy. Just as Nvidia's guidance sparked its post-earnings surge in May, investors will be focusing closely on the company's guidance for its current quarter. Expectations have been ratcheted up here, too. Sales in the three months ended October (fiscal 2024 third quarter) are now projected to be $12.6 billion, and earnings per share is expected to total $2.39, according to FactSet. For both metrics, that's 4.4% higher than the consensus just a few weeks ago. Based on current estimates, Nvidia's revenue for its October quarter is expected to more than double on a year-over-year basis, while EPS is projected to more than quadruple. If Nvidia's guidance ultimately falls short of those lofty expectations, it likely would say more about the availability of its high-end AI chips than customer interest in buying them. After all, the latest earnings reports from cloud-computing giants including Club holdings Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOGL) indicate that increased spending on AI infrastructure is alive and well . (Based on its AI prowess, the Club added some more shares of Microsoft on Monday since the stock's post-earnings decline.) A major question mark is supply and whether Nvidia, which relies on contractors such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) to produce its chips, has adequate product to meet demand. On its earnings call in late July, TSMC's chief executive, C.C. Wei, said it has been "very hard to fulfill 100%" of what its advanced-packaging customers, such as Nvidia, have needed. While TSMC is working to add capacity for this process known as "chip on wafer on substrate," or CoWoS, Wei said the constraints may not ease until the second half of next year. Another key theme going into Nvidia's print is the state of its China business. There's no doubt technology giants in the world's second-largest economy want Nvidia's chips to build out their AI systems. But there's uncertainty around what the U.S. government will eventually allow to be sold. In the interim, Chinese companies such as Alibaba (BABA) and TikTok parent ByteDance have reportedly placed massive orders totaling roughly $5 billion, according to the Financial Times to front-run any tighter export controls that Washington might impose. That should be positive for Nvidia's near-term results. But bigger picture, analysts at Citigroup said in a note to clients last week that investors want to know more about the sustainability of orders coming from Chinese firms. Nvidia currently sells throttled-back versions of its most-powerful AI chips in China, which were created last year to comply with the Biden administration's initial restrictions to address U.S. concerns about the technology being used by the Chinese military. According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. is weighing even tougher export controls that would also cover the less-powerful modified chips, known as the A800 and H800. Nvidia's unmodified versions are called the A100 and H100. Nvidia has said stricter export rules would have a minimal financial impact in the near term because demand in the rest of the world is strong enough to fill the void. But, over the long run, the company said it would feel an impact from lost opportunities in China. Sales to China have comprised 20% to 25% of Nvidia's overall data-center revenue, CFO Colette Kress told investors in June in response to the Journal's initial report on the matter. Data center sales accounted for about 60% of companywide revenue in Nvidia's fiscal 2024 first quarter. Bottom line Nvidia maintains its position as one of our two "own it don't trade it" stocks, despite our reservations around the recent drumbeat of price-target hikes and estimate revisions. The hype into the quarter has created a situation where a slight shortcoming could lead to an outsized decline in the stock, as short-term traders head for the exits. Investors with longer time horizons should be mindful of this setup and willing to see through it because Nvidia's place as the dominant purveyor of AI chips will reap rewards well beyond the next quarter or two. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long NVDA, MSFT and GOOGL. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. Jen-Hsun Huang, president and chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp., announces the EGX Edge Supercomputing Platform during the company's event at Mobile World Congress Americas in Los Angeles, California, Oct. 21, 2019. Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images In this article H MAR BKNG Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT My hotel bill from a three-night trip to New York City included 21 charges. Nine were for "destination fees." There were three daily fees of nearly $35 each notwithstanding that my third night was supposed to be "free" plus separate sales and occupancy taxes on each fee. And that was just for one of our rooms we booked two. All in, the fees were $240. 'Junk fees' in the hotel industry I'd read about "junk fees" in the hotel industry how they're often couched in such terms as "resort," "destination" or even "hospitality service" fees, that they're on the rise (especially in North America) and that they even got a mention in President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address this year. But I'd also read that hotel staff will waive them, when pressed. I, however, had no such luck at the end of my stay at Thompson Central Park New York, a Hyatt hotel. The front desk staff insisted the fees be paid. watch now In a written response to CNBC, Munir Salem, the manager of Thompson Central Park said: "Like many hotels in the area, Thompson Central Park includes a daily destination fee to provide guests with amenities, activities, and other benefits that we believe guests will enjoy." What I got for the fee The hotel's website says its "destination fees" provide amenities like: Premium internet access Access to a fitness center Concierge business services Newspapers on request One bottle of water per guest at check-in Those are all things I presumed would come with my booking, especially since entry-level rates regularly exceed $500 per night. There's more. The fees also provide discounts: a free hour on a bike rental (with one paid hour), 6% off The New York Pass for sightseeing, 8% off a hop-on hop-off bus tour, and "exclusive access to 20% off" zoo tickets all fine things, but nothing I wanted or would use. 'No way to opt out' In the competitive luxury hospitality industry where operators strive for flawless stays and glowing online reviews hotels with fees run the risk of leaving guests feeling hoodwinked right before they walk out the door. But the reason isn't surprising. "It's very lucrative," Rafat Ali, the CEO and founder of the travel media company, Skift, told CNBC. Federal Trade Commission estimates show consumers paid around $2 billion in hotel fees before the pandemic, and mandatory fees have grown since then. President Joe Biden said in his 2023 State of the Union Address: "We're going to ban surprise resort fees that hotels charge on your bill. Those fees can cost you up to $90 a night at hotels that aren't even resorts." Kent Nishimura | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images Ali said hotels are hoping mandatory fees will eventually be normalized, similar to how baggage fees are now an accepted cost when flying. But it's never going to happen, he said. "This was the argument that they made all along, which is: If I'm not checking baggage, why should I be paying that as part of the bundle?" he said. "In hotels, that doesn't work because you're not unbundling anything, you're just adding this on and there's no way to opt out." On Aug. 1 on Skift's website, Ali wrote an open letter to the travel industry with one message: "You won't win this 'junk fee' fight." The reason, he said, is that even in a partisan world, everyone dislikes these fees. Legislation and lawsuits Last March, the Junk Fee Prevention Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate to eliminate "excessive, hidden and unnecessary fees" and require total costs be clearly displayed "when a price is first shown to a consumer." In July, a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate specifically targeted fees in the hotel industry. The bill, the Hotel Fees Transparency Act, prohibits hotels from advertising rates without mandatory fees. Former presidential candidate and current Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced the Hotels Fees Transparency Act to the U.S. Senate in late July. Bill Clark | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Ali said, whether the bills pass or not, he believes they put public pressure on companies to act similar, he added, to how the Biden Administration targeted airlines that charge families to sit together. United, American and Frontier soon changed their policies. On Aug. 10, the Attorney General of Texas sued Booking Holdings which operates popular booking sites like Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda and Kayak for deceptive trade practices, taking aim at companies that advertise one rate and tack on mandatory fees later in the buying process. The suit addresses this practice, known as drip pricing, calling it an illegal "bait and switch tactic" that leads more consumers to make purchases either because they don't notice the new fees or because they begrudgingly accept the fees at the final booking page out of a reluctance to start the process all over again. Pennsylvania lodged a similar complaint against Marriott International Inc. In April 2023, the hotel chain agreed to pay $225,000 to Pennsylvania for failing to comply with agreed settlement terms, which required that Marriott clearly post room rates and mandatory fees. The issue of transparency Thompson Central Park's Salem told CNBC that its "direct booking channels fully disclose room rates and any fees to guests throughout the booking process." I checked that, and indeed the hotel's website does include the $35 fee in the total cost. Searches on Booking.com and Expedia showed the same. Perhaps I should have expected the fees after all? But the problem is I didn't book online; I booked over the phone (my family needs connecting rooms which is an issue unto itself). Additionally, when we checked in, the hotel couldn't locate our booking, which resulted in our having to negotiate a new booking on the spot. During these discussions, we talked about rates a lot, but destination fees never came up. A post from a message board on FlyerTalk.com. In a statement in support of the Hotel Fees Transparency Act, the American Hotel & Lodging Association's President and CEO Chip Rogers said the bill "will create a single standard for mandatory fee display." But even with transparent pricing, cases like mine could slip though. I'm left wondering why hotels don't simply wrap these fees into the room rate. After all, the same guest who is fine with a $300 nightly rate may balk at paying $250 for a room and $50 for a "hospitality service fee." An unsatisfying victory Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India is in the final stages of introducing a national policy to promote research and development and innovation in the pharma-medical devices sectors. India's commitment to quality, accessibility and affordability in healthcare is unwavering, particularly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandaviya said in his keynote address on Sunday to the Indian industry leaders in pharmaceuticals, G20 ministers and delegates, on sidelines of the G20 health ministers meeting organised here between August 17-19. He also spoke about India's vision for the future of healthcare, centered around a transition from volume-based approaches to a value-based leadership model. "Acknowledging the paramount importance of research and development in healthcare advancement, Dr Mandaviya announced India's strides in fostering an innovative environment," a government release said. "India is in the final stages of introducing a national policy to promote research and development and innovation in the pharma-medical devices sectors," the release said quoting Mandaviya. The Union minister invited countries, government bodies, industry leaders, healthcare professionals and researchers to join forces in a united effort "to elevate the pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors to unprecedented heights." He also acknowledged India's prowess in the pharmaceuticals and medical devices field, emphasising its role as a global hub for pharmaceutical excellence. In their opening remarks, Minister of Health for the Republic of Indonesia Budi G Sadikin, and Health Minister of the Netherlands Dr Ernst Kuipers highlighted India's success in health and pharmacology and stressed the need for collaboration between nations. The medicines manufactured in India save lives- in the Netherlands, in Europe and across the world. I look forward to intensified collaboration with India. There are tremendous opportunities for partnership in innovative medicines," Dr Kuipers said. "With the capacity and knowledge that India has in generic and specific drugs, we look forward to a more integrated collaboration with India, he added. Mandaviya also held a bilateral meeting with Indonesia's Health Minister Sadikin and discussed several issues of cooperation and collaboration in the health sector. He also led a delegation of G20 delegates and ministers, including the Indonesian health minister, to a Jan Aushadhi Kendra to share with them India's success in providing accessible, affordable and quality medicines to its citizens. After visiting the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, Sadikin said his country wants to replicate the Indian model to provide easy access to the best quality medicine to his people at the best price. India provides a large number of quality generic medicines and surgical equipment at affordable prices for all through its network of 9,600 Jan Aushadhi Kendras. After the visit, Sadikin told mediapersons, "I want to give the best medicines to my people in Indonesia. I have seen many models of different countries, and India's Jan Aushadhi Kendra model is the best in the world in terms of providing quality, accessibility and affordability of medicines to the people." "I look around many countries and I confess that India has the best," he said. Sadikin said he asked Mandaviya to visit Indonesia and bring his government officials and businessmen to talk, "public to public, private to private," and then replicate, with his permission, the model that has been done marvelously in India. "In the summit, discussions were held on the Jan Aushadhi Kendra. In a scenario where the cost of healthcare and medicine is on the rise, the Indian model has been lauded by health ministers across the world for its low cost and quality medicines," Mandaviya said. . Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) The chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) denied a report about plans for a joint drill between the United States, Australia, and Japan in the South China Sea. In an interview with reporters on Monday, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner said warships from the three countries were headed to the Philippines, but this was coincidental. A report published on the Kyodo news agency website last week said the US, Australia, and Japan were sending ships to the country for a "planned exercise" that would happen this week. He said American and Japanese ships are scheduled for a routine port visit, while an Australian warship is taking part in the first-ever Exercise Alon with joint drills in Palawan and other parts of Luzon. Brawner said the Australian ship was taking part in Exercise Alon, which began in Darwin, Australia last week. "Sa tingin ko, baka na-misinterpret lang na yung Exercise Alon na ito, kasama natin yung Australia and US, pero hindi tayo nagpadala ng barko," he said. [Translation: I think that this was misinterpreted because of Exercise Alon -- we are with Australia and the US, but we did not ask that they bring ships.] The report also said the Philippines "canceled" its participation in the joint drill, and this was also denied by Brawner who added they encourage joint exercises "among like-minded nations." "We are still continuing to coordinate kung saan nanggaling itong source ng information na ito," said Brawner. "But as far as we are concerned, hindi natin alam kung saan galing ito and that per coordination with our counterparts walang exercise among these three nations that is ongoing in the next few weeks," he added. [Translation: We are still continuing to coordinate where the source of this information is from. But as far as we are concerned. we don't know where it came from, and that per coordination with our counterparts, there is no exercise among these three nations that is ongoing in the next few weeks.] RELATED: PH, US eye joint patrols, maritime drills with like-minded nations in South China Sea this year Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) Manila condemned Beijing and its continued harassment over the West Philippine Sea at an international defense conference in Fiji attended by 24 countries and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner said. "Pinakita natin yung kung gaano tayong Pilipinas sumusunod sa international rules-based order. Prinisent din yung arbitral ruling (at) illegal claim ng China sa nine-dash line," Brawner told reporters on Monday. [Translation: We showed how the Philippines follows international-rules based order. We also presented the arbitral ruling and China's illegal nine-dash line claim.] In 2016, an arbitral tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ruled in favor of the Philippines and nullified China's sweeping claim over the South China Sea. China, which had a representative at the Fiji conference, reiterated its rejection of the landmark ruling and claimed that they followed international laws, the AFP chief said. "Pinakita ko don pati yung video nung water cannoning ng ating mga resupply ships, pinakita ko don so nagulat sila [We showed video footage of China's use of a water cannon on resupply ships, which shocked them]. The world needs to know what's happening in the South China Sea," he continued, referring to the Aug. 5 incident in Ayungin Shoal. READ: Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at PH vessels en route to Ayungin Shoal PCG Brawner shared that all countries in attendance came to the verbal agreement that rules-based international order must be promoted. This meant that nations must abide by the UNCLOS and not use violence or coercive, dangerous tactics in promoting its interests, something Manila has accused Beijing of doing. Meanwhile, it was also at the conference that the AFP denied knowledge of joint patrols over the South China Sea between the US, Australia, and Japan. READ: AFP: No plans to hold joint patrols in South China Sea Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) The Department of Education on Monday said over 16 million learners have enrolled for the upcoming school year, the biggest number coming from Calabarzon at over 2.8 million enrollees. The total number includes enrollees from public, private, local universities and colleges, and state universities and colleges. "Pinakamarami ang nakapagpatala sa Region IV-A na umabot sa 2,858,606, sinusundan ito ng NCR (2,220,470) at Region III (1,868,161)," DepEd said on their Facebook page. [Translation: The highest number was logged in Region IV-A reaching 2,858,606, followed by NCR (2,220,470) and Region III (1,868,161).] The agency earlier said they expected around 28 million students to enroll. DepEd said enrollment will continue until Aug. 26, and classes in all public schools will start on Aug. 29. Meanwhile, private schools may choose to start classes "not later than the last day of August," pursuant to Republic Act 11480, the DepEd said. The cancellation of the first commercial flight by North Korea's official airline since the country shut down its international airports in early 2020 due to the Covid pandemic came as a surprise. Unexpected Flight Cancellation Disappoints Media In anticipation of the arrival of Flight JS151 from Pyongyang on Monday morning, August 21, at 9:50 AM local time, reporters flocked to Beijing Capital International Airport. After media outlets had waited for what seemed like an eternity to witness the country's first overseas visitors in years, they were understandably disappointed to find that the flight had been canceled about two hours after its planned arrival. Air Koryo, the official airline of Pyongyang, canceled the flight, but the airport in Beijing did not provide an explanation, according to AFP via The Guardian. When asked about the cancellation, Wang Wenbin, a representative for China's foreign ministry, simply said that Beijing and Pyongyang had been given approval to resume commercial flights. He added, "During the summer and autumn flight season ... the Chinese side approved flight plans for passengers such as the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes of Air Koryo." On Monday afternoon, AFP reporters pounded on the locked glass doors of Air Koryo's Beijing headquarters in search of further information. The guy who opened the door repeatedly told AFP, "We don't know." He told reporters that the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North Korean governing party, was the best source for accurate information. See Also: North Korea Hackers Target US-South Korea Joint Military Drills; Kim Jong Un Oversees Cruise Missile Launch Pyongyang Has Shown Signs of Expanding Its Boundaries After being cut off from the world for three years because of Covid, Pyongyang is showing indications of opening up its borders and becoming more accommodating. Last month, North Korea's capital welcomed Chinese and Russian officials for the first time in years for a military showcase. A group of North Korean athletes were permitted to go to Kazakhstan last week to compete in a taekwondo tournament. Several Asian news agencies said that a group of persons, later identified as North Korean athletes, entered China over the land border last week, continued on to Beijing, and finally boarded a flight to Central Asia. After more than three years, Air Koryo was finally going to fly a commercial route again. The unification ministry in Seoul, which is in charge of dealing with North Korea, told AFP that they knew nothing about the flight's cancellation. North Korea's reopening of its borders has been signaled in a number of ways, according to a source. However, "it is difficult to determine yet whether it is a full-scale opening of the border or a fairly limited and controlled opening," they said. On Monday, NK News reported that Air Koryo planned to operate two flights from Vladivostok, Russia, to Pyongyang, the capital city, on Friday, August 25, and the following Monday, August 28. See Also: US, Japan, South Korea Unveil New Defenses as Pyongyang ICBM Launch Looms @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) The United States is ready to conduct and implement the proposed joint patrols with the Philippines and other like-minded nations such as Australia and Japan in the South China Sea, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said Monday. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Romualdez gave an update on the status of the proposed joint patrols between the Philippines, US, Japan, and Australia. Romualdez said Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro is now studying the proposal for the joint patrols in order for him to make the necessary recommendations to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The United States is prepared to implement it once we agree on terms of reference of the agreement. This is a multilateral effort with Japan, Australia and even with other countries who want to join in, the envoy said. It is now in the hands of our defense department and I think Secretary Teodoro is studying how it will go and will make a recommendation to the President on how this can be implemented, added Romualdez. The Philippine envoy explained that he is not privy to the status of the terms of reference of the proposed joint patrols. Romualdez believes that the multilateral patrols in the South China Sea will maintain peace and stability in the region. Yes, definitely kasi mas mabuti na maraming sumama, its freedom of navigation nga eh [The more countries, the better, this is freedom of navigation we are talking about] we want the South China Sea to be free from any kind of any country that dominates it that will stop the free flow of trade, Romualdez explained. Envoy: U.S., Japan, South Korea statement support shows PH is in the right Ambassador Romualdez also welcomed the statement of support issued by the US, Japan, and South Korea during the historic trilateral summit of its three leaders at Camp David over the weekend. Together we will stand up with international law, freedom of navigation and a peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, US President Joe Biden said during his joint press briefing with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific. In particular, we steadfastly oppose the militarization of reclaimed features; the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels; and coercive activities, the three leaders said in their joint statement. The three countries also affirm their support to the 2016 Arbitral Award that rejected Chinas sweeping claims of ownership of the South China Sea. Its an indication of how serious the international community is in supporting us and again this is because the determination that we have that we are not going to give up one inch as the President said and we will certainly do that in every way we can, said Romualdez. 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. 17 Indian victims of human trafficking rescued from armed gang in Libya; brought home by MEA Seventeen Indian nationals trapped by an armed gang in Libya have been rescued and brought back home by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), it was reported today. The rescued people, who were from Punjab and Haryana, reached Delhi last night. The group of rescued Indians. Photo courtesy: X/IndiainTunis Sources involved in the matter said that the Indian embassy in Tunis played a key role in evacuation of the Indians. The case was brought to the attention of the Indian embassy in Tunis the capital of Tunisia in North Africa on May 26 by the family members of the stranded Indian nationals. The Indians were being held captive by an armed group in Zwara City in Libya the city is very close to the Libya-Tunisia border and they were all victims of a human trafficking racket, said the sources. Their ordeal began in February this year, according to a post on the social network X. Following the appeal of the families of the Indian victims, the Indian embassy in Tunis pursued the matter with Libyan authorities throughout May and June, as well as through informal channels. On June 13, the Libyan authorities rescued the Indian nationals from the armed gang, but still kept them in official custody, since the Indians had illegally entered Libya. It took high-level intervention by the Indian ambassador in Tunis and senior MEA officials from New Delhi for the Libyan authorities to finally release them, said the sources. Once the 17 people were released, they were taken care of by the Indian embassy in Tunis they were given accommodation, clothing, food, and flight tickets. Since the rescued people had no passports, the Indian authorities facilitated their travel back to India by issuing emergency certificates. Russia-Ukraine War: Netherlands to soon deliver F-16 fighters to Zelensky: Dutch PM Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has confirmed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Netherlands will deliver F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Sunday. Photo Courtesy: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Twitter page Zelensky visited The Netherlands on Sunday. He met with Rutte at Eindhoven airbase, where they held a joint press conference. It is unclear how many F-16 fighter jets will go to Ukraine. In May the Netherlands announced that it would train Ukrainian military personnel for the deployment of F-16 aircraft. Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer those F-16s to Ukraine as soon as the necessary conditions have been met. We are pic.twitter.com/2XeBlCFJR9 Mark Rutte (@MinPres) August 20, 2023 Mark Rutte wrote on X: "In May the Netherlands announced that it would train Ukrainian military personnel for the deployment of F-16 aircraft. Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer those F-16s to Ukraine as soon as the necessary conditions have been met. We are working in close cooperation with the US and our other international partners." "This is a next step in our support for Ukraine. A long-term step, which sends a clear signal: that we will continue supporting Ukraine. With whatever it takes, for as long as it takes: military support, humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts," he said. "Many thanks to President @ZelenskyyUa for visiting the Netherlands today. It was good to speak in person with him and foreign minister @DmytroKuleba at Eindhoven Air Base, together with foreign minister @WBHoekstra, @DefensieMin Kajsa Ollongren and foreign trade and development minister @LSchreinemacher," he said. Zelensky said the F-16s will instil fresh confidence and motivation in both warriors and ordinary citizens. "F-16s will instill fresh confidence and motivation in both warriors and ordinary citizens. They will produce fresh results for Ukraine and the rest of Europe," Zelensky tweeted. Zelensky later stated on the social media platform X that he expects the support of 42 Dutch F-16 fighter jets. F-16s will instill fresh confidence and motivation in both warriors and ordinary citizens. They will produce fresh results for Ukraine and the rest of Europe. I thank you once again, dear @MinPres Mark, @Statsmin Mette, your teams, and the peoples of the Netherlands and Denmark. pic.twitter.com/ffSdtMHkfI (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2023 The Ukrainian leader said: "I thank you once again, dear @MinPres Mark, @Statsmin Mette, your teams, and the peoples of the Netherlands and Denmark." The vigil was co-organized by the North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA), the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), the Ambedkar International Center, Ambedkar Association of North America (AANA), Hindus for Human Rights, and members of the Sikh community. A US senator, who joined Indian Americans and allies at a protest and vigil, has demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing violence gripping India's northeastern state of Manipur, which has left over 150 dead and 50,000 displaced.It doesnt matter if youre Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, or Hindu, said Georgia senator Sheikh Rahman, addressing the protesters gathered outside the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. It is very important that we stand up for minority issues [when] minorities are suffering all around the world.Participants said, the brunt of the violence in Manipur has impacted the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo tribal community, leading to the destruction of thousands of Kuki-owned homes and hundreds of churches. Over the past few months, the Kuki-Zo have been the victims of extreme brutality, including sexual violence. Several of these crimes have been filmed and circulated on social media.Protesters carried placards with slogans such as Bring Rapists to Justice and Womens Bodies Are Not Battlefields, referencing a viral video that showed the horrifying assault of two Kuki-Zo women, who were stripped, paraded naked, groped by a mob of men and then gang-raped.Even as we speak, the state-sponsored ethnic cleansing is still ongoing and it is just the beginning, said Khai Samte, representing NAMTA. Let this be our first step towards fighting for justice for minorities like us, and for everybody everywhere [in India].There is utter silence on Manipur [from the Indian government], which is actually provoking more violence, said Sandeep Chavan, representing the AANA. We Ambedkarites all over the world stand for the Kuki-Zo, Muslims in Haryana, and everyone who is facing injustice.The ongoing violence in Manipur is not just a concern for the Kuki-Zo or the Christian community, but for everyone who believe in the basic human right to live without the fear of being gang-raped, murdered, and driven out of ones home, said Naushad Ghilzai, president of the IAMC Atlanta chapter. We call upon the US government to take a strong stance against this violence and urge the Modi regime to restore peace in the state.Both the central and state governments have failed to take any accountability or responsibility for communal violence throughout the country, said Romita Verma, representing the advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights. We strongly condemn the continuing acts of violence against minorities in Manipur, Haryana, and everywhere else in India. On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged that his country will provide fishing villages with all the assistance they need as it takes decades to release treated radioactive wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. Kishida committed to taking action to preserve the fishing industry's reputation during his meeting with fisheries representatives, as reported by The Associated Press. The National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives' Masanobu Sakamoto underlined the group's opposition to the release. He claimed that although the fishing community had grown somewhat more confident about the move's safety, they still feared damage to their business and appreciated the government's promise of support. (Photo: by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images) Fisherman Haruo Ono stands on one of his fishing boats at Tsurushihama Fishing Port, Shinchi-machi of Fukushima Prefecture, some 60 km north of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on August 21, 2023, ahead of a government's plan to begin releasing treated water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean. Later, Kishida told reporters that Sakamoto's reaction indicated better communication and that important Cabinet members will meet on Tuesday to decide when to begin the distribution. NHK, Japan's national television, said that the administration hoped it would start as soon as Thursday. Read also: Fukushima Water Release Aftermath: China Now Boycotting Japanese Cosmetics Brands! Assisting Fisheries Sakamoto commended the government for promising to assist the fisheries in the long run and asked for further funds if required. 80 billion yen ($550 million) in financing has been provided by the government for sustainable fishing operations as well as other initiatives aimed at boosting sales. The fishing industry's lessening opposition to the release is crucial since, following earlier unintentional and unauthorized discharges, the government pledged in 2015 not to begin without "understanding" from fishing groups. Three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi facility melted down as a result of a powerful earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11, 2011, polluting their cooling water. Around 1,000 tanks are used to collect, filter, and store the water. These tanks will be full by the beginning of 2024. Although most scientists concur that treated wastewater would have little to no environmental impact, some urge greater attention to the numerous low-dose radionuclides that are still present. To create a place for the plant's decommissioning and to avoid unintentional leaks from the tanks, according to the government and the plant's operator, the water must be removed. They claim that all of the treated water will be put through many processing steps to make it safer beyond international standards before being diluted. In a final report released in July, the International Atomic Energy Agency-which had requested Japan's assistance to increase transparency and credibility-concluded that the plan, if carried out as intended, will have a minimal impact on the environment and human health. To prevent the matter from interfering with their relationship, the administration has also increased its outreach efforts to neighboring nations, especially South Korea. Related article: Fukushima Water Release Plan Underway Despite Opposition from Fishing Officials @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. - GPU PCI Device ID (GPU chip, i.e. 2xxx/3xxx/4xxx) - You'll see this if you try flashing across series - PCI Subsystem ID (PCB ID) - You'll see this for any non-standard vBIOS - Board ID (PCB+GPU ID) - You'll usually see this on XOC bios or where the GPU was revised but the PCB remained the same (i.e. 1.07v 4090 revision) - Hierarchy (Unknown, potentially Lovelace/Turing/etc) - Dunno when you see this - A couple other minor items that appear to just be software-defined metadata - Turing (RTX 2xxx Series) down to Geforce GPUs have full crossflash ability now. - SubSystem Vendor to Vendor crossflash ability, as long as power headers are identical (Bellow 2000 series, it adapts on 3000-4000 series) & as long as no custom ic or voltage controller modifications exist (3000+ series) - Usage of this version without a ring-back server check & without a minimum-req version check - Ability to downgrade InfoROM & XUSB FW to remove SW EEPROM lockdown // mostly a thing between different EEPROMs like ISSI or for situations with dGPU's on Laptops or similar - As long as 32-bit & 8-bit checksum on usermod is correct, biosmod flash and bypass FE / VendorCert / XOC Cert / MasterCert ~ golden card system. Basically flash what you desire, as long as EEPROM size can take it. - Use the patched version to talk with Falcon , in case Developer knows how to contact it & utilize Nvidia powrprof.dll + MUTEX // example to build AIB Control tools, like GALAX NVVDD Tool - Basically created the foundation required to build future projects, ontop with cool features grated to MUTEX access Le site Techpower Up vient de recenser et proposer au telechargement deux outils de flash pour les cartes graphiques, d'une part NVflashk et OMGVflash . Les deux outils promettent de casser les barrieres mises en place par NVIDIA depuis la generation Geforce 900, avec l'introduction d'une signature numerique des Bios et d'une puce Falcon dediee a la tache de verification. Les nouveaux outils permettront de modifier les cadences, les profils de ventilation, les tensions (ce qui permettra de franchir certaines limites imposees aux RTX 4090).How's it work?When you go to flash a vBIOS to a GPU, nvflash double checks a few parameters (don't quote me on this, guessing a lot):What can we do now: Its tempting to imagine the people of the past as perennially serious, debating philosophy and inventing agriculture and never getting their long white beards caught in their complicatedly tied garments. After all, there was a good chance theyd die before middle age of an affliction that can be cured with a Band-Aid now, so some dourness was warranted. Even in the face of disease and Dorito drought, however, humans have always been humans, which means theyve always been petty, immature and amused by bodily functions. We know because 4 Pythagoras Invented a Prank Wine Goblet You know Pythagoras as the guy who came up with an equation to find the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle, so you probably thank him every day, but it wasnt all math, all the time for ol Thay-Go, as they called him. Okay, it pretty much was, but he sometimes used it for lulz as well, if the legend of the Pythagoras cup is to be believed. We dont actually know if Pythagoras invented the Pythagoras cup, but we do know that it had to be someone extremely nerdy, and why would they name it after some other nerd? Its brilliant in its simplicity: A wine goblet with a column protruding up from the bottom concealing a pipe that twists in such a way as to start siphoning out any liquid in the cup after its been filled past a certain point. Basically, if you pour yourself too much wine, it all drains out. Pythagoras cup spilleth under apparently It must have been invented by someone well-respected, or everyone would have stopped using them after the first guy got beaten to death by angry winos. Either way, versions of these cups are still sold today. Theyre definitely the most mathematically complex items in Spencers Gifts. 3 The Worlds Oldest Joke Is a Fart Joke Attention, dads: When your kids dismiss your next attempt at humor as the oldest joke in the world, you can tell them theyre factually wrong. (Theyll love it.) The oldest joke in the world was found in 1900 in what was once Ancient Sumer, possibly dating as far back as 2300 B.C.E. The good news: Its a fart joke. The bad news: It doesnt make any sense. The tablet reads, Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husbands lap, which we only know is a joke because it follows a structure, as Guinness World Records politely puts it, decidedly not noting that the structure is good. Women be farting in Ancient Sumer, apparently. You can try that one on your kids, dads, but itll just confuse them, which might be an artistic step up. 2 There Was a Whole Economy in Curse Tablet Insults These days, when someone wrongs you, you get together with your friends over drinks and take turns declaring, I hope his dick falls off, Oh, yeah? Well I hope his dick falls off on a steep hill so he has to chase after it, etc. Back in Ancient Rome and Greece, youd do the same thing, but youd pay a curse writer to confirm it. They inscribed whatever ill fate you wished to befall your enemy on a stone tablet under the belief that it was more likely to come true that way, kind of like a mean fortune cookie. These curse tablets did tend to be focused on body horror, such as those asking the gods to destroy a mans sacred organ so he cannot urinate and another hoping ones penis hurt(s) when you make love, but they also wished for mundane failure, for offenses ranging from infidelity to thievery to being more successful than someones favorite mime. Some of them are just straight-up insults, like one thats just an Ancient Roman translation of, essentially, Tacitas a raggedy bitch. They just wanted it on the record, apparently. Were not sure who is advising Roseanne Barr on social media strategy these days, but that consultant (assuming they exist) must believe in the old mantra, Any publicity is good publicity. Barr, who lost her iconic Roseanne series thanks to stupid tweets back in 2018, is at it again, this time mocking Maui fires and climate change because, we guess, Roseanne gotta Roseanne. Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. Using the Eric Andre Who Killed Hannibal meme as a starter kit, Roseanne created a two-part conspiracy fest. The first image features Andre firing a flamethrower at lush trees with the caption THE NEW WORLD ORDER. The second depicts raging Maui wildfires with the blurb, OH NO, GLOBAL WARMING STRIKES AGAIN. What exactly Roseanne is trying to say here is unclear the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein set Hawaii on fire and blamed climate change? The Illuminati doesnt want us to have nice things? Whatever the message, some Roseanne fans are here for it. Advertisement Advertisement Roseanne isnt the only comedian shaking a fist at the conspiracy clouds hovering over the Maui fires. Advertisement Conservative comic Rob Schneider blasted Joe Biden for hating Americans, an indisputable fact considering that as of last Tuesdays tweet, only $1.9 million (Breitbart reports that Schneiders figure is according to some estimates) had been committed to wildfire victims compared to $115 billion billion (were pretty sure Schneider only meant the first billion, but hey, he tweeted what he tweeted) to Ukraine. Advertisement Say this for Roseanne and friends trolling works, if social media response is the goal. Her Maui wildfire tweet has nearly 555,000 views and has been reposted more than 8,000 times, about four times the action she got posting a pink-outfitted selfie comparing her look to Kim Kardashians. Considering Roseanne has a new anti-woke show coming soon on, you guessed it, Elon Musks X, these tweets serve as an innovative form of show promotion. But at this rate, Elon, Roseanne, and Rob seem intent on setting the entire platform on fire. Attendees of the Continuing Day Treatment Program in the Lower East Side stretching during their daily treatment sessions. Photo: Rong Xiaoqing Before he began attending the outpatient program at the Lower Eastside Service Center, Binzai* had bounced back and forth between hospitals and community rehab centers for nearly a decade. After watching his father die in a car accident in 2007, he had stopped working at a Chinatown bakery and shut himself in at home all day, where he would talk to the wall. In 2009, he tried to go outside with hardly any clothes on, claiming he was being chased by Japanese assassins. When his mother blocked the door, he grabbed a knife and tried to stab himself. That was the first time Binzai was hospitalized. During another hospitalization, he had kneeled down before a doctor and begged him to kill him with an injection because life is too painful. Binzais mother, Yuping Huang, didnt know how to help her son. Working a minimum-wage job at a day-care center and speaking no English, she couldnt afford to care for him around the clock. The treatment programs he attended did not stave off his manic episodes, which would bring him right back to the hospital. His mother started taking antidepressants herself. Those days, I prayed to God to let me die soon so I didnt have to see my son suffer, she said. But ever since Binzai began participating in the Lower Eastside Service Centers treatment program, he has not been hospitalized. Its been seven years. Sitting hunched in a chair with a hard-to-read expression on his face, Binzai often looks sulky and bored. But hes there at the center five days a week. Margaret Lai, the programs director, has monitored him the entire time. Whenever Binzai looks edgy, Ms. Lai would call me, and wed discuss how to deal with it, said his mother. If not for her meticulous care, he wouldnt have the life he has now. The program Lai runs in the 500-square-foot room on East Broadway is the only one like it left in the city that is designed specifically for Chinese-speaking patients with severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Like Binzai, the dozen or so Chinese immigrants who are regulars had cycled between hospital and home and sometimes the streets before doctors referred them to the program. In the small room, decorated with red lanterns and cut-paper art, Chinese pop songs play in the background. Around the table, they practice tai chistyle exercise and take classes on getting along with family members, anger management, and other methods of coping with themselves and the world. But without enough Chinese-speaking social workers or funding from the state which favors new, more flexible models of treatment its at risk of closing down. Messages that patients wrote down to encourage themselves are posted together with New Years decorations: The light will overcome darkness; Keep moving forward to a splendid future. Photo: Rong Xiaoqing Lai, the 68-year-old director, is petite, barely five feet tall. She rarely raises her voice, and yet, when she speaks, it seems to have a calming effect on all the patients. She has worked at the Continuing Day Treatment program since graduating from Hunter Colleges social-work program 40 years ago. After the other full-time social worker quit last year, shes the only one left. When a patient begged Lai to expand the program to seven days a week, she mentioned that she should be considering retirement instead. But that made everyone very agitated. Some attendees cant imagine their futures without Lai. She tells them, I wont leave without making sure you continue getting good care. But she doesnt know how shell fulfill this promise. The centers job opening for a bilingual social worker who speaks Chinese has been open for a year, but has attracted only three applicants so far. None has been a good fit. Most community-based mental-health services face this problem. Workforce, thats the No. 1 issue, said Amy Dorin, president of the Coalition for Behavioral Health, which represents more than a hundred such providers in New York. The salary is not high enough, so people are choosing other fields. While Lai would not state the salary for the position, she did say that she does not make much more than the high end of the clinical social worker salary in the city, which is $76,200. But finding staff who speak Cantonese or other Asian languages like Bengali is even more difficult. Elaine Ho, who coordinates the Asian Bi-Cultural Clinic for Behavioral Health at Gouverneur hospital in downtown Manhattan, says her program faces the same shortage. If we offer sponsorship, it might be better, but we dont, said Ho most nonprofit organizations cannot afford the thousands of dollars needed to sponsor the work visa and green card for newly graduated international students majoring in social work. She is now one of the only two social workers left to staff her program, down from a total of eight before the pandemic. The biggest challenge, however, is that many Chinese immigrants with mental illness are extremely reluctant to begin treatment. Because of the stigma, many of the family members who take care of the patients in Lais program have never shared their situation with anyone outside the family. I have a colleague who is functional but a little odd. Ive seen other colleagues laughing at him behind his back, said the sister of one of the attendees. I cannot imagine how they would react if they knew my brother has schizophrenia. By the time someone goes to see a psychiatrist, most likely its going to be a very severe case, said Xinlin Chen, the visiting psychiatrist for Lais program. When the illness is in a more moderate or early stage, people try to keep it a secret. Some in the older generation also resort to folk remedies, like swallowing the ashes of burned incense, which they believe will drive away the devil that has possessed ones mind. Others consider mental illness to be a symptom of physical ailments and never think about visiting a psychiatrist until they are on the verge of being hospitalized. Researchers have found that culturally competent mental-health services can help reduce the sense of stigma for patients and increase the possibility that they will look for treatment and see better outcomes. But helping patients find such services is still a challenge. A recent survey on the mental health of Asian American women in New York found that 84 percent of the respondents agreed that talking to a mental-health professional would positively impact their life, yet only 45 percent said they know a community-based organization that provided mental-health services in their preferred language. Without other full-time staff, Lai must juggle running the program, filling out all the time-consuming paperwork required by government regulators, and fundraise, since state funds are not enough. On a humid day in June, Lai started class by leading the group of adults in their 30s to their 60s in reading the goals listed on the whiteboard aloud. They included Confucian tenets like Respect your elders and practical tips like Read newspapers to keep connected with the world. The virtue she highlighted above all was being punctual seeing your doctors and taking medicine on time. If you miss your pills, what will happen? she asked the students in Cantonese. Being hospitalized. they answered in unison. Do you want to be hospitalized? No. Then what do you need to do? Take the pills on time. The lesson might sound frivolous or alarmist. But Lai believes that referencing Chinese culture and educational methods makes it easier for the patients, many of whom grew up in mainland China or Hong Kong, to absorb certain lessons. For example, she frames anger-management skills in terms of respecting ones parents, rather than taking your frustration out on them, and she tries to boost the self-esteem of the members with lines from Tang-dynasty poems. As for taking pills on time, Lai repeats this goal every few days. For many of her students, skipping their medication has had catastrophic results: Some have attempted suicide, others have stormed out on family members, and a few ran away from home and spent the night on the streets. In the end, theyd all ended up involuntarily committed in hospitals, which none of them wanted to repeat. Margaret Lai, the director of the Continuing Day Treatment program, has been working with patients at the center for 40 years. Photo: Rong Xiaoqing The goal of outpatient programs like Lais is to stabilize patients and keep them out of hospitals through daily, on-site treatment. These programs began gaining support in the 1980s, offered as a solution during the deinstitutionalization movement of the time which wanted to prevent the abuse of patients locked away in psychiatric wards. Better medicine also meant many patients could control their symptoms while living in their own communities, rather than in hospitals. Then, in the 2000s, the state turned away from the goal of stabilizing patients and focused instead on their recovery and reintegration into society. In 2010, the New York State Office of Mental Health prioritized a new program model called Personalized Recovery Oriented Services, or PROS. Compared to the CDT treatment model, PROS offers patients greater flexibility in arranging their own services and aims for them to live independently. PROS patients are not required to attend treatment programs every day, and they can set their own goals, including finding a job (the employment rate of PROS patients is around 15 percent statewide), something a CDT program is not able to provide. Many providers say PROS also makes better financial sense for the government in the long run, since it pushes patients to wrap up treatment and reintegrate into society after a couple of years, while CDT programs might serve a patient for decades the one whos stayed the longest in Lais program has been there for 30 years. Many service providers have switched to the PROS model there are now up to 79 in the state, while the number of CDT programs has plummeted from 190 in 2005 to 11 across the state. The state has also launched several new service models after PROS, and it no longer issues new CDT licenses. In New York City, CDT programs serving Asian patients dropped from four to just the one run by Lai. But even fans of PROS agree that it cannot completely replace CDT. Peter Yee, a former assistant executive director of behavioral health services at Hamilton Madison House on the Lower East Side, was involved in transitioning the organizations CDT program to PROS about eight years ago. He likes the individualized services that PROS provides, but, he cautions that patients have to function high enough to understand the concepts. When Hamilton Madison House closed its CDT program, Yee said, some higher-need Asian patients who wouldnt fit in PROS were referred to Lais program. However, a spokesperson for OMH said that the PROS model was designed to meet the needs of people with serious mental illness at any stage. OMH strongly believes that all individuals have the capacity to recover and that decisions about the level of support any one individual needs should be made through a person-centered and recovery-oriented framework, he said. But Lai doesnt plan to switch. The OMH would like the patients to build function and be independent, said Lai. But for the patients we have, missing one day of the program could lead to a relapse. She still remembers when a member who lived alone didnt answer multiple phone calls during a period when they had paused in-person meetings because of the pandemic. Lai begged the manager of the building where he lived to check on him. He was found dead in bed. This is how important it is to meet every day in person, said Lai. Its not easy to know for sure whether someone is well over a phone call. This year, the state and the city announced a plan to add more psychiatric hospital beds, and Mayor Adams last November revealed a new policy that permitted police and emergency medical workers to involuntarily hospitalize mentally ill patients living on the streets who they determine might hurt themselves or others. To Lai, that plan looks like a step backward. Those who have family members in Lais program are even more concerned. When Binzai was hospitalized before, I couldnt even communicate with the doctors, said Huang. On the day I visited, two members were missing from class. One of them, Xiaoli, had called Lai in the morning to ask for a day off. Her mind was chaotic, she told Lai. The visiting psychiatrist to the program had recently increased the dosage of her medicine. Lai told her to do some breathing exercises, take a good rest, and drink a lot of water. But no one had heard from Ah Wen, a former messenger in his 40s who occasionally put on a tie to read the newspaper aloud to everyone. When he didnt pick up Lais calls, she called his brother to let him know. The members wondered aloud about whether he was sick, hospitalized, lost on the streets, or the worst case had died. As the members talked, Lais phone rang. Xiaolis husband told her that Xiaoli had been hospitalized after developing hallucinations. The members gasped when they heard the news. Ah Wens brother called a few minutes later to report that Ah Wen had been tracked down. He had thrown a tantrum in his supportive housing unit and refused to talk to anyone. Everyone seemed relieved that no one was still missing. Lai doesnt want her patients to be cocooned in their own world. She encourages them to donate from their meager supplemental-security income to underserved children and to do volunteer work in the community to help them build self-esteem, one of the major tasks Lai gives to herself. But when Binzai went to a bakery in Chinatown to offer his skills for free, he was let go after half a day when the manager found out about his condition. This can make it hard for Chinese immigrants with severe mental illness to live independently. Its not like Chinese patients do not want to find a job. But they dont speak English, and employers in the Chinese community wont hire them, said Ho. I asked Lai how she measures her accomplishments if the risk of relapse is permanent and if her patients may not ever be able to live independently. Any progress they make, no matter how tiny, makes me happy. And you have to measure the progress by years, not by days, Lai said. Then she went to lead the class into their favorite session singing. She placed a notebook on the table a collection of 84 Chinese songs from the past several decades. They sang together, and some also took turns singing solos. When Lai placed the notebook in front of Binzai, he shook his head and his eyes darted away, which is how he usually reacted whenever he was asked to sing in the class. But that day, he picked up the notebook and slowly flipped the pages. In a quivering voice, he began to sing, In a place far away, there is a fine maiden / When people pass her tent, they turn their head back and keep glancing Lai cheered and applauded, as if Binzai, who had once damaged the bathroom door at the venue in one of his manic episodes, was a pop star. Then she turned away and dabbed the corners of her eyes. It was the first time he had sung in public. * All patients named in the story are referred to by pseudonyms to protect their privacy. TikTok, Telegram, and an online betting site 1XBet were all ordered to be blocked by the government of Somalia on Sunday, August 20. The administration's justification for this move was that terrorists were spreading propaganda through these platforms. According to Bloomberg, this is the first time the government has issued an order to take down certain applications in the name of its attempt to combat terrorism. Apparently, App Ban Is One Way to Combat Terrorism The decision was made in preparation for the second phase of the military attack against the violent Islamist Shebab, who have been engaged in a deadly uprising against the central authority in Mogadishu for more than 15 years. In a report by Africanews, the Ministry of Communication and Technology explained in its statement that it had issued an order to internet providers instructing them to disable access to the three platforms by August 24. If the order was not carried out, the ministry said it would take legal action, although the nature of which was not defined. According to the ministry, terrorist organizations and those preaching immorality utilize the platforms TikTok, Telegram, and the 1XBET site to propagate violent pictures and videos and to mislead public opinion. The ministry believes that if they are made illegal, the struggle against the terrorists "who have spilled the blood of the people of Somalia" would be quickened. One social media user in Somalia who has a significant following is named Bilaal Bulshawi. He has shown disrespect for the order given by the government and said the authorities do not have the ability to restrict platforms like this, ABC News reported. Bulshawi said, "Even if it tries, we will utilize every means available to make our applications functional." This includes the use of virtual private networks, or VPNs, which may conceal a user's location to avoid censorship or location-based viewing limitations. Also Read: New York City Bans TikTok on Government-Owned Devices Amid Chinese Security Concerns A Violent Conflict Between Somali Army and Shebab Militant Group Alongside local clan militias and with the backing of African Union soldiers and American air attacks, the Somali army has been engaged in an operation against the Shebab, a group connected with al-Qaeda, since August 2022. Shebab militants were forced out of Mogadishu in 2011, but they continue to stay securely established in wide rural regions, and it is from these places that they manage to carry out assaults against security and civilian targets. Africanews reported that Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud may soon declare the second phase of the military attack against the Shebab in the southern part of the nation. Previously, Mohamoud has vowed to clear the country of Islamist militants. Also Read: TikTok Stores US User Data in China Servers, New Investigation Claims @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Euro, EUR/USD, US Dollar, Fed, Jackson Hole, China, PBOC, HSI, Crude Oil, Gold - Talking Points Euro support has held so far but may falter if the US Dollar resumes strengthening China eased monetary policy today, but not by enough looking at the price response Markets are now eyeing the Feds Jackson Hole symposium. If theyre hawkish, will EUR/USD break lower? Recommended by Daniel McCarthy Trading Forex News: The Strategy Get My Guide The Euro steadied to start the week as it pauses in its recent run lower on the back of the US Dollar regaining its ascendency this month. Most of the other major currency pairs have also had a slow Monday so far. The Federal Reserve meeting minutes for the July gathering opened the door to a potential hike in the target rate going into the end of the year. Later this week the Kansas City Fed will host its annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. For the near term, the market will be looking for clues on the September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) rate decision. The podium at this event also lends itself for notable adjustments in the bigger picture for the Fed. As a result, Fed Chair Jerome Powells speech will be closely watched by the market this Friday. The Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) eased monetary policy today by 15 basis points (bp) for the 1- and 5-year loan prime rate. They ended up moving the 1-rate by only 10 bp to 3.45% and kept the 5-year rate unchanged at 4.20%. Earlier today the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) eases monetary policy, moving the 1-year loan prime rate by only 10 basis points to 3.45% and kept the 5-year rate unchanged at 4.20%. The market had been anticipating a 15 bp cut for both instruments. Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index (HSI) plunged on the news, trading more than 1.8% at one stage. Other APAC equity indices are generally, except for Japan, that saw modest gains. Crude oil has found firming footing with the WTI futures contract is nearing US$ 82 bbl while the Brent contract is a touch above US$ 85 bbl. Spot gold remains below US$ 1,900 and has been oscillating around US$ 1,890 today. Looking ahead, the US will see some existing home sales adata and a number of Fed speakers will be crossing the wires. The full economic calendar can be viewed here. Recommended by Daniel McCarthy How to Trade EUR/USD Get My Guide EUR/USD DAILY TECHNICAL ANALYSIS SNAPSHOT EUR/USD remains below a descending trend line but has stalled in its bearish run just above a potential support zone in the 1.0830 1.0835 area where there are some breakpoints and prior lows. Support could also be near the 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement levels at 1.0770 which is just above the 200-day simple moving averages (SMA). Ahead of that level, some prior lows and the breakpoint in the 10830- 1.0835 area may provide support. If EUR/USD was to rally and approach the descending trend line, there could be resistance at the 21- and 55-day SMAs just ahead of it. Potential resistance might also be offered in the 1.1065 1.1095 area where several historical breakpoints reside along with a recent high and just ahead of the psychological level at 1.1100. Further up, resistance could be at the breakpoint from the March 2022 high at 1.1185 or the recent peak at 1.1275, which coincides with two historical breakpoints. Above those levels, resistance might be at the Fibonacci Extension of the move from 1.1095 to 1.0635 at 1.1380. Just above there are some more breakpoints in the 1.1385 95 area. To learn more about trend trading, click on the banner below. Recommended by Daniel McCarthy The Fundamentals of Trend Trading Get My Guide Chart Created in TradingView --- Written by Daniel McCarthy, Strategist for DailyFX.com Please contact Daniel via @DanMcCarthyFX on Twitter Ecuadorians decided against drilling for oil in a protected area of the Amazon, making it necessary for the national oil corporation to stop working in a place where two uncontacted tribes live and where there is a high concentration of wildlife. The Tagaeri and Taromenani are isolated people who reside in Yasuni National Park. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, proclaimed it a world biosphere reserve in 1989. The Yasun rainforest, one of the most biodiverse locations on Earth and home to some of the last Indigenous people living in voluntary isolation, like the Tagaeri, Taromenane, and Dugakaeri, was at the center of the historic referendum. According to reports, Yasun's land has more animal species than all of Europe and more tree species than all of North America combined. Over 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) in size, it is home to 121 species of reptiles, 139 species of amphibians, and 610 species of birds. There are at least three endemic species. By early Monday, more than 90 percent of the votes had been tallied, and over 60 percent of Ecuadorians had voiced opposition to oil drilling in Yasuni's Block 43, as reported by The Associated Press. Read also: US Pledges Financial Support for Ecuador's Anti-Drug Initiatives A Setback for Lasso The result is a serious setback for Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, who supported oil drilling and said that the country's economy depends on its profits. In the upcoming months, Petroecuador, the national oil firm, will have to shut down. (Photo: by GALO PAGUAY/AFP via Getty Images) Ecuadorian presidential candidate for the Movimiento Revolucion Ciudadana party, Luisa Gonzalez speaks to her supporters after learning the first results of the presidential election and referendum on mining and petroleum at her headquarters in Quito on August 20, 2023. The presidential election, which will be determined by a runoff between socialist candidate Luisa Gonzalez and right-wing rival Daniel Noboa, was held concurrently with the referendum. The killing of Fernando Villavicencio, one of the candidates, has caused political unrest throughout the nation. The referendum takes place at a time when the world is experiencing extreme weather events, blazing wildfires, and scorching temperatures that are destroying lives and livelihoods everywhere. Additionally, research indicates that the Amazon is on the verge of a vital tipping point that might cause the biologically diverse ecosystem to become a savannah, which would have serious consequences for the fight against climate change. The vote in Ecuador establishes a crucial precedent for the world given the recent reports that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to "max out" the UK's oil and gas reserves despite warnings from environmental organizations that doing so would nullify the UK's climate pledges. Without abundant biodiversity, once-powerful rivers would continue to shrink to a trickle, fertile meadows will become deserts, and the world's forests will lose all of their distinguishable characteristics. In other words, the things that are essential to maintaining life on this planet will fail. Related article: Fernando Villavicencio Assassination: Ecuador's President Vows to Punish Slain Presidential Candidate's Killers @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. William Gladstone was probably our greatest reforming prime minister. He was a brilliant man, if sometimes long-winded. On one occasion, as Chancellor, he delivered a Budget speech lasting nearly five hours. During his first stint as prime minister, the 1870 Elementary Education Act was passed, making schooling compulsory for all children between the ages of five and 13. This was one of the most far-reaching measures in British history. But great man though he was, Gladstone had the misfortune to have a father, John, who was one of the most prominent slave owners in the British Empire. A rebellion by slaves on one of his sugar plantations in British Guyana in 1823 led to more than 250 people being killed and 51 sentenced to death. That John Gladstone was a bad man is incontestable. It's easy enough to make that judgment now, of course, but his brutal suppression of the rebellion shocked even his contemporaries. William Gladstone (pictured) was probably our greatest reforming prime minister. He was a brilliant man, if sometimes long-winded, writes Stephen Glover William Gladstone was at first loyal to his father. In 1831 - two years before the abolition of slavery in the British Empire - he made a speech as a young Tory MP arguing for compensation for slave owners. And, indeed, John Gladstone was handsomely rewarded for his sins, receiving the equivalent of about 10 million in today's money. As William drifted towards the Whigs (or Liberals), though, he took a far more critical view of slavery. In 1850, he described it as 'by far the foulest crime that taints the history of mankind'. Such is the background to a decision by six of John and William Gladstone's descendants to pay 'reparations' of 100,000, which will be used to fund research into the impact of slavery. They will then make a public apology at the University of Guyana's International Institute for Diaspora and Migration Studies. This follows a similar gesture by the Trevelyan family, including former BBC reporter Laura, whose ancestors owned a plantation on the Caribbean island of Grenada. They have also apologised for their forebears' wickedness, and paid out 100,000 by way of reparations. The actions of the present generation of Gladstones and Trevelyans are perfectly understandable. Few of us would relish having a slave owner as a direct ancestor. And John Gladstone was especially unpleasant. Even if 100,000 seems a token payment - the Trevelyans and, perhaps particularly, the Gladstones are very rich indeed - it's better than nothing. And there is surely little harm in making an apology on behalf of long-dead people who can't speak for themselves. Yet other than salving the consciences of the families concerned, one must ask whether any useful purpose is served by these gestures. (And why were both families so anxious to publicise them?) The obsession with reparations is wrong-headed, and could become dangerous. As William drifted towards the Whigs (or Liberals), he took a critical view of slavery. In 1850, he described it as 'by far the foulest crime that taints the history of mankind' For one thing, I dispute whether it's possible to apologise on behalf of dead people. We can't speak for them. The most we can say is that we are desperately sorry that slavery happened. I'm certain most of us are. It's also the case that the victims of European slavery are long dead too. Neither a token payment nor a large amount of money can ever help those people in the slightest degree, or reverse the injustices meted out to them. So what exactly is happening here? If an expression of sorrow at the cruelties of the past were considered sufficient, I would be delighted to make it. But something more is demanded of us. Abasement is called for, followed by the transfer of a sum of money. How and when the process will end isn't clear. All that we can be sure of is that it's going to be long, divisive and bitter. READ MORE: Family of 19th century Prime Minister William Gladstone will apologise for his links to slavery on trip to Caribbean Advertisement Those like the historian David Olusoga who argue for reparations - he recently asked the Royal Family to follow the Church of England in making a large restitution - appear unaware of the moral quagmire into which they are leading us. For if the descendants of slaves must be compensated, so should the descendants of countless others who have been abused, tortured or murdered in the past. What about the six million Jews exterminated by the Nazis? Why, if reparations are sought for the descendants of slaves, should those whose families were murdered in the Holocaust not be compensated? If anything, their claim is stronger, since many of them are still alive. Must the German government pay out billions of euros to the relatives of those killed by the Nazi war machine? Or the Japanese government compensate the children and grandchildren of thousands of British prisoners of war mistreated or left to die in barbaric Japanese camps? That is the logic of the campaign for restitution for the descendants of slaves. And yet, strange to tell, we hear very little about the need to look after those whose forebears died within living memory in concentration camps, gulags or other abysmal places where modern men have behaved like beasts. Equally, activists restrict their demands to European countries. Yet many other peoples in the Arab world and even in Africa itself (think of Benin, in modern-day Nigeria, or the Ashanti in Ghana) were embroiled in slavery, either on their own behalf or in the service of Europeans. Should they also be paraded in the court of history, with apologies extracted from them and large reparations paid? Well, you can be absolutely sure they won't be. The call for restitution is one-sided, and the only transgressors are the representatives of European culture. Six of John and William Gladstone's descendants have decided to pay 'reparations' of 100,000, which will be used to fund research into the impact of slavery There is an ideological battle being fought in which selective history is used for political ends. Some clever people on the Left have come up with a novel idea for appropriating some of the assets of the developed world, though in fact very few of them derive from slavery. Onto this battlefield the good natured if somewhat naive Trevelyans and Gladstones have strayed, seeking to soothe their consciences in return for digging into their pockets for some small change, and offering apologies that are not, in reality, theirs to make. Where will it end? With us subsiding under a tsunami of guilt? Your great, great grandfather may have worked in a cotton factory whose cotton was picked by slaves. Or you may have had a great, great aunt who had shares in a business in the American South. But we are not all guilty. A few of our ancestors were, but they're dead; and the people they abused are also dead. We are not the guilty ones. Yesterday, I awoke to hear about a report, appalling if true, by the usually reliable Human Rights Watch. It alleges that hundreds of people, many of them Ethiopian migrants who have crossed war-torn Yemen, have been shot dead by Saudi border guards. That's the same Saudi Arabia which is a close British ally, whose prime minister, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has just been invited on an official visit to Britain later this year, when he will be greeted by the King. Let's concern ourselves with bad things happening now. Nothing in the world can be done to undo the sins of slavery. We can only resolve never to allow such terrible acts again. One day in August 2017, a smart-looking envelope dropped through the letterbox of 78 Pall Mall, an 18th-century building converted to an office block in the heart of London's Clubland. It contained a secret message from Michael Fawcett, one of the most senior aides to our then future King Charles, to a Saudi Arabian gentleman by the name of Busief Lamlum. Fawcett, who'd signed the headed notepaper via fountain pen, was confirming details of a highly unorthodox plan to help Lamlum's wealthy boss access the upper echelons of the British Establishment. Firstly, Fawcett wrote that he would be 'willing and happy to support and contribute to' an 'application for citizenship' by the man, a Saudi tycoon called Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz. Secondly, he continued, he was happy to help Mahfouz, who'd recently been made a Commander of the British Empire, gain a more exclusive honour. Michael Fawcett (right), one of King Charles' (left) most senior aides, signed a letter to Saudi citizen Busief Lamlum saying he would be willing to 'support and contribute' to his 'application for citizenship' Michael Fawcett was one of King Charles' longest-serving aides having held office for more than 40 years 'I can further confirm,' he declared, 'that we are willing to make an application to increase His Excellency's honour from Honorary CBE to that of a KBE [Knight Commander of the British Empire] in accordance with Her Majesty's Honours Committee.' According to the letter, the motivation for this generous royal gesture was quite simple: Mahfouz had in recent years pledged vast sums of money, believed to total around 1.5million, to Charles's various charities, including the Dumfries House Trust, which counted Fawcett as its 85,000-a-year chief executive. The aide duly praised the 'ongoing and most recent generosity' of the Middle Eastern donor, and stressed that 'both of these applications will be made in response to the most recent and anticipated support of the Trust, and in connection with [Mahfouz's] ongoing commitment generally within the United Kingdom'. Fast forward four years and the 'generosity' in question would suddenly ignite one of the most explosive royal scandals of modern times. A copy of the letter was obtained by the Mail on Sunday in September 2021. Its publication, which prompted the immediate resignation of Fawcett, not only raised awkward questions over whether Charles was leveraging his royal status for cash, but also sparked claims that his office had been breaking the law. At the centre of the hoo-hah was a piece of legislation introduced in 1925 called the Honours (Prevention Of Abuses) Act. Anyone found to be 'procuring or assisting or endeavouring to procure' an honour in exchange for money can receive an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison. An investigation was launched last February by the Met's 'Special Enquiry Team', the unit behind the contentious Partygate probe. And yesterday the Force revealed 'no further action' would be taken. The timing of that announcement, on the very morning of Lucy Letby's sentencing, led cynics to wonder if the cops were attempting to bury bad news. Prince Charles pictured shooting with Michael Fawcett at Sandringham in Norfolk in 1990 The King's former top aide pictured at Dumfries House in Cunnock, Ayrshire, in Scotland in 2011 After all, the pace of their investigation has already raised eyebrows. They appear to have conducted just two formal interviews, and according to Palace sources have failed to cross-examine anyone in the royal household, instead largely basing inquiries on documents referenced in news reports. Yet in truth, securing convictions for selling honours is notoriously tricky. Just one person, a Liberal Party fixer named Maundy Gregory, has ever been convicted under the act, and he was fined 50 and jailed for just two months way back in 1933. The 2006 'cash-for-honours' scandal involving wealthy businessmen who gave loans to Labour and were subsequently nominated for peerages saw 136 people, including Tony Blair, interviewed by police, only for the CPS to decide there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. Further complicating things, on the legal front, was the death of the Queen in September, which elevated Charles to monarch. This meant he would be protected by the concept of 'sovereign immunity' from being compelled to give evidence in court, a fact likely to have jeopardised any trial. Yet whatever the reason for yesterday's announcement, claims (however erroneous) that there may be one law for commoners and another for the royal court are almost as unwelcome, to Palace spin-doctors, as the attention this affair has thrown on the sometimes-murky world of Charles's charitable fundraising. Last June, there was another unwelcome controversy when it emerged that the King had accepted 3million euros [2.5million] in cash from a former Qatari prime minister, some of it in shopping bags (his office said all correct processes were followed). A month later, it was reported that the Prince of Wales' Charitable Fund had accepted money from the family of Osama bin Laden (the Palace said due diligence was carried out and Charles was not personally involved). Against such a backdrop, it may seem unlikely that the King would attempt to welcome Fawcett back into the fold. Yet their loyalty to each other runs deep. The former valet, dubbed 'Rasputin' by some colleagues, was the King's longest-serving aide, holding office for more than 40 years. Palace insiders claim Mr Fawcett is still in touch with the King. Pictured: Mr Fawcett outside his home in south west London in 2021 The duo were famously regarded as being so close that he would '[squeeze] Charles' toothpaste so the heir could brush his teeth'. This relationship first made ugly headlines back in 1998, when Fawcett was forced out after being accused of bullying. Yet he was allowed to return a couple of years later. Then, in 2003, he resigned again after being caught 'helping flog' unwanted royal gifts. However, a report exonerated him of any wrongdoing. He received 500,000 in severance pay and, after setting up the events company Premier Mode Ltd, became the Prince's go-to party organiser. Later, he was also hired to oversee renovations at the Prince's Highland retreat, Birkhall, the former home of the Queen Mother, and in 2013 was put in charge of Charles's pet project, the renovation of Dumfries House. That last job would, of course, end in tears. The big question now is whether Fawcett, who is said to have remained in occasional contact with Charles in recent months, could mount a third comeback. 'It would be very unwise,' was how one royal insider put it yesterday. 'But, as has been proven again and again, the King has a blind spot with that man.' Millionaire banker Massimo Segre accused his fiancee of cheating on him in front of distinguished guests Italian high society has been left reeling after a millionaire banker accused his bride of cheating on him in his speech at a lavish engagement party. Massimo Segre, 64, gathered distinguished guests at his mansion in Turin, to celebrate his upcoming nuptials to entrepreneur and politician Cristina Seymandi, 47. But instead of the loving words usually addressed to the bride to be, Massimo accused his future wife of cheating, to the shock of Torinese society, before declaring the relationship over. Over a lavish banquet, he said: 'I want to give Cristina the freedom to love. 'Specifically, to love another person; a notable lawyer, who she clearly cares about more than me.' 'Dear Cristina, I know how much you are in love with him mentally and sexually,' he added. 'And I know that before him you had a relationship with an industrialist acquaintance.' Stunned, Cristina looks around the room of some 150 guests for support as her fiance shares photos of her with another man. 'Don't think it pleases me to look like a cuckold in front of all of you,' Massimo then tells his friends, clearly devastated by his partner's alleged betrayal as the party falls silent. 'Cristina is so good at telling her truths, that I couldn't leave her alone to narrate the reason why I'm ending [our] life together tonight. 'It's a banal story of infidelity, even premarital. I am so disappointed,' he says. 'I am heartbroken.' Massimo was seen reading a prepared speech in Turin about his wife's alleged infidelities A moment of shock as Cristina looks around after being accused of having an affair with a lawyer He then wishes her well, before telling her to go to Mykonos with her lover, as the holiday - perhaps the honeymooon - is already paid for. After his speech was over, the lights dimmed and Massimo left the stage. Italian media reported that guests were annoyed at being 'used' as part of the show. Stunned, they stared on in silence unsure what to think. Since the engagement party, a video taken by one of the guests has gone viral, resulting in Cristina becoming the subject of death threats online. In a letter to the director of the Zona Bianca TV news programme, Christina said Massimo had committed an act of 'psychological violence' and had 'meticulously planned his revenge'. She added that she had a valuable sapphire ring given to her by Massimo's mother to mark their engagement which had 'mysteriously disappeared' 15 days before the party. Speaking to The Times, Cristina's adviser said she will be taking legal action for 'reputational damage' against he former fiance. 'She has suffered very serious attacks on social media and threats from Italian citizens. It has been traumatic,' she said. Cristina Seymandi, an entrepreneur and politician Massimo is pictured (right) in a post on Instagram Her lawyer, Claudio Strata, added that her banker fiance had 'intentionally humiliated her'. 'The letter was read out in front of dozens of people and it was captured in a video that was sent to the newspapers. We don't think this was improvised.' Massimo categorically denies having published the video, let alone having allowed it to be filmed. He has since accused Cristina of stealing 700,00 (598,000) from the couple's joint account, but she says the money was transferred with his consent before the relationship ended. In an interview with La Stampa, Cristina said that the bags for Mykonos 'were already packed' and urged onlookers to reserve judgment: 'Within every family, the dynamics are very complex and difficult to understand from the outside.' At the time, she said, she thought he'd gone crazy. 'He was very tired at the time,' she said. 'I am sure there's someone behind him who fanned the flames. In short, manipulated him.' She also noted: 'My professional life requires me to react and remain lucid. I will think about possible protections in civil and criminal matters.' Cristina added: 'It was a farce, let's face it. Serious things are resolved another way.' 'Now I will consider whether to sue him,' she said. Viviana Ferrero, former vice president of the Turin city council and friend of Cristina, described the ordeal as a 'sexist lynching'. She said: 'Two things hurt me, the end of a beautiful love story and the lynching... it's been going on for days. A sexist, chauvinist, violent, horrendous lynching. She went on: 'Dirty laundry is washed in the family and they, even if for a short time, were a very special family. 'And they could have been one of the most beautiful couples there were, because they combined so many qualities. 'I don't rejoice when the rich cry.' Massimo's mother, Franca Bruna Segre, was also a key figure in Italian finance, heading Banca Intermobiliare before her son became its financier. Massimo is also a director of Directa Sim, an online trading company, and has involvement in other sectors including health and media. To complicate matters, Cristina is professionally tied into some of these businesses, listed on LinkedIn as a director of Directa Sim since February. She has also been named CEO of Savio Thesan Spa, a company she joined by taking over Massimo's shares through the recently established Hope SRL. Cristina is the daughter of a renowned accountant from Turin and has held roles in politics and business over an eventful career. Cristina looks on as Massimo accuses her of having an affair with an unnamed lawyer In 2021, she backed the mayoral campaign of centre-right candidate Paolo Damilano in Turin, who promised to make her deputy if he won. Damilano lost in the run-off to centre-left candidate Stefano Lo Russo. Segre and Cristina met around the time of the pandemic and their wedding was delayed twice as a result. Finally, the plans were made and 'around 200' guests were invited to the lawn overlooking the Mole Antonelliana, an iconic domed building in Turin, to finally announce the date in October. But what started with general thanks to the audience took a sudden turn when Segre took the chance to out his partner. Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown has given fans a tantalizing glimpse inside her newly-built waterfront Hamptons home. The entrepreneur, 66, opened the doors to popular TikTok creator Caleb Simpson who shot to viral fame with house tours from everyday people. Bobbi, who lives in New Jersey, showed Caleb around the sprawling property that her real estate developer husband, Steven Plofker, built. It boasted floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, which flooded the open-plan living space with light and offered stunning views over the surrounding landscape. Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown has given fans a tantalizing glimpse inside her newly-built waterfront Hamptons home The entrepreneur, 66, opened the doors to popular TikTok creator Caleb Simpson who shot to viral fame with tours from everyday people of their homes Before entering her lavish home, which the couple moved into on Memorial Day, Bobbi tells Caleb that she has 'no idea' what it cost, claiming: 'My husband bought it and built it. It's his business.' The pair then step through the imposing wooden front door as the businesswoman jokes that she would 'never do MTV Cribs.' The tour of the property begins in an expansive living room - complete with laminate wood flooring and doors leading out onto a patio, which is yet to be padded out with furniture. Bobbi continues onwards as she tells her guest: 'It's the opposite kind of house that I've ever lived in.' Moving through to the open-plan kitchen, she said that the thing she loved most was that it was 'very minimal.' The stark white walls and kitchen units are complemented by accents of natural wood that create a neutral color scheme. The space features an imposing kitchen island and a lengthy dining table surrounded by eight chairs. Bobbi pulls back a series of cupboard doors to reveal how all kitchen equipment has been neatly tucked away and out of sight before then also showcasing the bar. Bobbi showed Caleb round the sprawling property which her real estate developer husband, Steven Plofker (pictured together), built The stark white walls and kitchen units are complemented by accents of natural wood that create a neutral color scheme The entire space is encompassed by floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for light to flood in and offers stunning vistas of the landscape beyond Before entering her lavish home, which the couple moved into on Memorial Day, Bobbi tells Caleb that she has 'no idea' what it cost, claiming: 'My husband bought it and built it. It's his business' And, despite work only just concluding on the house, Bobbi revealed that renovations are already underway on a neighboring second property The entire space is encompassed by floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for light to flood in and offers stunning vistas of the landscape beyond. Highlighting the shade screens that lower electronically to cover the outside area, Bobbi reels off the activities that she and Steven love, including kayaking and canoeing. The tour concludes with a glimpse of the bathroom, study and decking areas that are dotted around the property. And, despite work only just concluding on the house, Bobbi revealed that renovations are already underway on a neighboring second property. Bobbi, who is currently estimated to have a net worth of about $50 million, tied the knot with Steven in 1988 and the pair have since welcomed three children: Dylan, Duke, and Dakota. A woman has been widely praised on social media after explaining how the 'burnt toast' theory can be a remedy for anxiety. Ingrid, from Charlotte, North Carolina, took to TikTok to unravel the meaning behind the hypothesis which can have surprising benefits. She said the key was to believe that setbacks are just the universe 'either saving us from something more detrimental or pushing us in the direction that we need to go in.' And other social media users were quick to flood to the comments and thank Ingrid for her insight. Ingrid, from Charlotte, North Carolina, took to TikTok to unravel the meaning behind the hypothesis which can have surprising benefits She said the key was to believe that setbacks are just the universe 'either saving us from something more detrimental or pushing us in the direction that we need to go in' In the clip, which has so far been viewed more than 618,000 times, Ingrid speaks directly to camera as she explains: 'I recently learned about the burnt toast theory and it's really been helping me accept things that are out of my control. 'So if you're an anxious girlie, anxiously attached girlie, whatever, listen up.' Poll Do YOU believe in the 'burnt toast' theory? Yes No Do YOU believe in the 'burnt toast' theory? Yes 1076 votes No 1536 votes Now share your opinion Explaining the concept, she continued: 'Burnt toast theory is the idea that if you burn your toast before work and it adds five to 10 minutes to your trip, it's actually saving you from something catastrophic. 'Maybe saving you from a car accident. Maybe saving me from someone who you don't want to run into. 'But this is the idea that inconveniences in our lives, or when something releases us in the universe, it's either saving us from something more detrimental or pushing us in the direction that we need to go in.' Ingrid candidly revealed: 'I've often struggled with accepting things that are out of my control and I've struggled with being an anxious person at times. 'But adopting this and really thinking about it when I might be upset about something that is out of my control has really grounded me and allowed me to just have a little bit more peace in my life.' But the content creator concluded: 'Of course, you won't know exactly what the burnt toast has saved you from, but that's not the point. Explaining the concept, she continued: 'Burnt toast theory is the idea that if you burn your toast before work and it adds five to 10 minutes to your trip, it's actually saving you from something catastrophic' (stock image) And her clip was flooded with praise from dozens of other social media users as one simply wrote: ''I needed this' 'The point is to allow you to accept things in life that are completely out of your control. Give you more peace and ground you.' And her clip was flooded with praise from dozens of other social media users as one wrote: 'This is really helpful today. Thank you.' Another added: 'I just love the way you put this and I'm going to actively try to remember this when things aren't going my way.' And a third simply said: 'I needed this.' A Japanese store has slammed foreign tourists for being rude to staff, littering, and poor public etiquette. Terrence, from California, recently came across a large sign in Tokyo that berated tourists for having 'bad manners' and 'violating' the rules of the convenience store. The list was posted next to the store's entrance. Staff had to tidy up after tourists that littered inside the store, and put items back on the shelves in the wrong place, and angered by those who opened products befoer purchasing them. Tourists would also unreasonably expect staff to speak English. A Japanese store has slammed tourists for being rude to staff, littering, and poor etiquette A photo of the sign was posted on a popular group. It read: 'Requests for foreign customers, we are very troubled by the many violations of manners by foreigners. These are bad manners. '[Do not] place the item in your hand in a different location or in a different orientation. '[Do not] open the package before purchasing the goods or bring food and beverages into the store. [Do not] throw garbage inside the store or in the hallways.' The note also included information about what tourists could do to bridge the language barrier. 'Most of the staff can't speak English, please prepare an image of what you are looking for or make an effort to speak Japanese,' it advised. The store also banned customers from returning items that were not broken. Thousands commended the store for setting clear boundaries and complained about how uncivilised certain tourists can be. 'Sadly, many foreigners don't respect the Japanese culture or lifestyle,' one said. 'I wish all stores had a code of conduct to protect staff from abusive customers.' 'What they're asking for is just common courtesy - which many sorely lack,' another wrote. 'These requests for visitors are sensible and can be applied to not only Japan, but also to other Asian countries like Thailand, Korea, Taiwan where most local people can't speak English well,' a woman wrote. But others claimed staff should 'make more of an effort' to be well-versed in foreign expectations. 'There is no shame in not knowing English, but everyone should at least try to learn it,' a man said. 'Why can't I bring a coffee into a supermarket?' another asked. We are approaching an age where robots and AI are slowly becoming competent enough to replace humans. As hard as it is to accept, it's a concept that's slowly becoming a reality. One of the many differences between humans and robots is that the latter can't defend itself. Robot Deliveries Encountering Trouble There are no shortages of people who are willing to deliver food to houses, but businesses understand that using robots to deliver items may be more profitable in the long run, which is a sad reality. More companies are deploying delivery robots and it's slowly becoming a norm. It appears that there is an ongoing issue with the service, particularly the robots being damaged or tampered with by the people who come across them. This is a complication not only for the company that owns the machines but the businesses that supply the food it's holding. According to Interesting Engineering, videos have been surfacing online showing how people would forcefully open them to steal the contents. Other times, the robots were kicked just for the purpose of destroying the delivery robot. Blu Jam Cafe General Manager, Steve Avila said that when the order is stolen, they have to remake the food and are reimbursed for the items that were replaced. He added that he can see how the companies can be hurt by the incidents, given that the robots seem expensive. Serve Robots, one of the companies that supply the delivery bots, says that despite the viral videos showing how the robots are facing difficulties, they still have a 99.9% rate of successful deliveries. There are also protective measures in place to make it harder for people to vandalize the bots. Starship Technologies found a way to deter potential vandals from damaging their automated delivery robots. When tampered with, a loud siren alerts people in the area and perhaps spooks the vandal. It is also equipped with 12 cameras which makes it hard to evade detection. Read Also: Wendy's Plans to Use Underground Robots to Deliver Orders in Parking Lot Robots in the Food Industry Automated food services are not limited to delivery robots on the streets. Restaurants are also starting to purchase robots that can serve food from kitchen to table. Like the delivery bots, they can be cheaper to use, and they can solve labor shortages. Robot waiters are already prevalent in countries like Japan, and the US is already following suit. Dean of the Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. Dennis Reynolds that there is no doubt in his mind that robot servers are where the world is going. Still, robots will have to go through a lot of improvements before they replace humans. VP of a company that studies automation, Craig Le Clair says that "restaurants are pretty chaotic places," as mentioned in NY Post, so it would be hard to insert automation in a way that's productive. Certain systems will have to be changed to accommodate automated servers. While that might be hard, it is possible, just like fast food kiosks that have streamlined ordering processes. Robots as servers are far from perfect, but developers are already working on it. Related: Ridesharing Company Bolt to Deliver Food Using Autonomous Robots A woman ruffled a few feathers online after she revealed her controversial parenting methods. Mother-of-two Aubrey, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, took to TikTok to explain her different parenting rules that many have called her crazy for. In the clip, which racked up over 360,000 likes, she revealed she will never leave her daughter alone with a male, including family members such as her grandfather. Elsewhere she said there will be 'no sleepovers' with friends or family and she said her little girl doesn't have to respect people if they don't respect her. Starting the clip while doing her makeup she said: 'No sleepovers, not even with family members. And she will never be left alone with a male. I don't care if you're the grandparent, the uncle or the cousin.' Mother-of-two Aubrey, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, ruffled a few feathers online after she revealed her controversial parenting methods 'I won't treat my daughter any differently to my son, for instance, me letting my son go out late but not my daughter because it's too dangerous for a woman - I'm just going to treat them both the same.' For her third rule she stated her children have to be open and honest with her no matter what. She explained: 'Secrets will not be kept from your parents. And if you're one of those people now saying "I'll give you candy when your mum's not here, just don't tell her", that's the quickest way to never see us again. 'She doesn't have to kiss you, hug you or sit on your lap just because you asked her to and because your a relative and haven't seen her in a long time. 'She doesn't have to respect you if you don't also respect her, as a child she still will have opinions and emotions and she is allowed to feel a certain way.' Aubrey says her kids can have 'mental health days' when they need them and she'll help them 'regulate their emotions'. She also revealed she will be doing things slightly different when it comes to school and medicine. She said: 'We're not going to do a public school system that makes you sit at a desk for eight hours and not learn anything you really care about. 'We will always use holistic methods before we resort to western medicine, and I'm not going to force [my daughter] to share or finish her plate of food.' She continued: 'I am teacher her to stand up for herself, set boundaries and say no. 'I wont ever talk poorly about myself in front of her and I wont make comments about her appearance or body image. 'I am teaching her she can always come to me and never has to hide anything. As a mom I will make mistakes and I will own up to it and apologise. In the clip, which racked up over 360,000 likes, she revealed she will never leave her daughter alone with a male, including family members such as her grandfather 'Nothing will ever be just because I said so, I will have legitimate reasons. I am also going to travel with her even when it's hard with a toddler, it's worth making all the memories and experiences with our family. She concluded: 'I want her to know her worth and never look to others for validation.' The clip was captioned: 'Controversial ways I'm raising my daughter. Call me crazy IDC.' The views were mixed in the comments section, while many agreed with the mothers rules, some thought no sleepovers was a step too far. On person wrote: 'So are you saying youll never be away from her again? Like not even letting her stay with grands for a few hours? The views were mixed in the comments section, while many agreed with the mothers rules, some thought no sleepovers was a step too far Another said: 'She wont ever be allowed to have sleepovers with her friends? no judgement. just those were some of my best childhood memories' While another agreed saying: 'No sleep overs is wild, I hate that my mom never let me.' However others praised Aubrey for her rules with many saying they actually do the same. One person said: 'So many things happened to me as a child AT A SLEEPOVER!! Good for you mama.' Another wrote: 'The no hugging thing! Thank you! I hated when my mom would force us to hug people I did not like. A lot of my relatives were mean to me as a child.' While someone else said: '100% The school and medical one is my favorite. and the food 1. and the body image. ' Today the King began his Scottish holiday and the Royal Family's return to Balmoral by reviewing a guard of honour outside the main castle gates, a tradition stretching back 175 years. The future of Balmoral had been uncertain following the death of the late Queen. Charles prefers to stay at nearby Birkhall, and there were rumours he might turn the main house into a museum honouring his mother. The King's three-week residency, however, suggests he is keen to follow the family tradition of a summer stay at the castle which Queen Victoria called 'my dear paradise in the Highlands. King Charles inspects the Balaklava company from the Royal Regiment of Scotland as they for a traditional guard of honour at Balmoral. The ceremony marks the start of the Royal Family's two-month stay in Scotland Queen Elizabeth II inspects an Balmoral Guard of Honour from the Royal Scots in July 2004 King George VI inspects the guard of honour in the Station Square in August 1949 The Duke of Edinburgh conducts the review in 1952 Victoria and her consort Prince Albert leased the estate in 1848 without even seeing the original castle. When they arrived on September 8th, they were received by a guard of honour from the 93rd Regiment. After Ballater station was opened in 1866 a guard of honour formed up to greet Victoria on her twice-yearly visits to the Balmoral, although she never reviewed it. At the castle there was another smaller ceremony watched by locals. When she arrived in May 1899, four days after her 80th birthday, she told the well-wishers: 'I thank you very much for your hearty welcome. I am pleased to be amongst you again in my Highland home.' Her successors continued the tradition of a guard of honour which they began to review in person, walking along the lines of soldiers standing to attention. As a child the future Elizabeth II saw her grandfather George V and then her father George VI carry out the inspection. Her uncle, Edward VIII, had no great fondness for Balmoral and photos of him reviewing the 1st Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders, show him looking less than enthusiastic arriving for his Scottish break. The future King Charles was a nine-month-old baby in the arms of his nanny Helen Lightbody when he witnessed his grandfather George VI reviewing the 1st Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry at Ballater. Growing up he and his sister Anne would see their mother conduct the same ceremony. The Queen arrives at the gates of Balmoral, where she also met an old friend, the Mascot Cruachan IV in 2019. Two years earlier, the pony had tried to eat her bouquet of flowers Queen Elizabeth speaking to the Guard Commander before she inspected the Royal Guard of Honour at Balmoral in August 1983 King George V arrives at Ballater for the start of his Balmoral stay in 1933.He is shaking the hand of the Captain Campbell, commanding the guard of honour of Cameronians (Scottish rifles) After the rail link from Aberdeen was closed in 1966 the ceremony was once again held at the entrance to the castle. In recent years Queen Elizabeth would stay on the estate at Craigowan Lodge while the castle was still open to the public. On the day of her official arrival, she would dress in her usual matching coat and hat, with colour co-ordinated gloves, handbag and shoes. Having reviewed the troops and driven through the gates to the castle she would change into a tartan skirt, blouse, cardigan and stout walk shoes ready for two months of country living. She last attended the ceremony at the gates in 2021 when, aged ninety-five, she inspected a Guard of Honour from Balaklava Company part of The Royal Regiment of Scotland. Here she was reunited with its mascot, a Shetland Pony with an honorary army rank, Lance Corporal Cruachan IV. At their previous meeting in Stirling Castle in 2017 Cruachan tried to bite her bouquet. The Queen jokingly told him to 'Go away!' and told his minder 'They always try to eat the flowers.' King Edward VIII and his brother the Duke of York, future King George VI, at Balmoral in 1936 Queen Mary chatting with Major Grant, who commanded the guard of honour of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, on arriving at Ballater in September 1928 Queen Elizabeth with The Royal Regiment of Scotland's Mascot, the Shetland Pony, at Balmoral in August 2021 In August 2022, the official arrival at the gates was instead held at the door of the castle as the Queen was by then too frail to conduct the ceremony in public. Land rovers carrying troops could be seen driving in and out of the estate. The Queen would have been delighted that her successor has maintained the long-standing tradition of a formal welcoming ceremony. So would Queen Victoria, who loved Balmoral so much she disliked having to leave for the south. As Charles himself said 'She hated leaving, much as I hate leaving this marvellous place.' Grant Bird, 37, from Peckham, cooked for more than 400 people on Renaissance A baker from Peckham has revealed how an intervention from Jamie Oliver changed the course of his life after he dropped out of school - and led him on the path of becoming a baker for Beyonce. Grant Bird, 37, was playing truant from school and, by his own assessment, on track to earning no academic qualifications whatsoever when he joined a Jamie Oliver initiative at the age of 15. After his mother entered him for the documentary series Jamie's Kitchen, in which the multi-millionaire chef took on pupils from low-income backgrounds and showed them the ropes in professional kitchens, Bird began the 'gruelling' process of auditioning for the series and made it onto the show after other contestants dropped out. Almost overnight, he found himself thrust into the pressurised environment of a professional kitchen as he joined the group of trainees preparing to work in Oliver's London restaurant, Fifteen. It kickstarted a career which saw him cook for King Charles and Beyonce, on her recent sell-out Renaissance world tour. Bird now has an impressive CV and a strong reputation within the industry - with people on Beyonce's tour 'applauding' his post-Covid return to the catering team. Grant Bird, a 37-year-old baker from Peckham, south east London, was the star baker on Beyonce's renaissance tour Bird (second from right) was one of 15 trainees who took part in Jamie Oliver's series Jamie's Kitchen, which took on unemployed young people to work at his London restaurant, Fifteen The baker is known for his lavish designs covered in glitter and an abundance of sweet treats, which have become his signature combinations. When he took a break from the Renaissance world tour because he had been struck down with Covid, he claims Beyonce's 400-strong team immediately knew he was absent because they were being offered less extravagant dessert tables. When he returned from sick leave, his signature dishes were back on the menu including what he calls 'unicorn roadkill cookies'. Speaking to the Times, Bird, who claims to feel 'calm' in the kitchen despite insurmountable pressure, joked his style with decoration is to add enough glitter that 'you look like you ate a drag queen'. Some of his other signature desserts include avocado chocolate mousse with chipotle, in a Mexican style, and wasabi and black sesame cookies. Although he now brushes shoulders with pop royalty, Bird reveals he is still an exceptionally hard worker and sometimes undertakes working days of around 20 hours. He wakes up at 4am to build his makeshift kitchen in a car park at the latest stop on the tour and covers the lunch and dinner servings for the team. At 9.30pm he begins to dismantle his kitchen, before the tour bus leaves for its next destination at around 2am. The pastry chef, who is known for his signature style of extravagantly decorated desserts covered in glitter, began his career with Jamie Oliver He joked: 'Unless you have a cigarette you dont see the sunlight. Luckily, I smoke.' Recalling his time on Jamie's Kitchen, Bird referred to the Essex-born chef as 'a god' and revealed the series had originally been slated to follow an X Factor-style voting-off of contestants each week, but Oliver refused to follow the format. Bird claimed the celebrity chef couldn't bear the idea of getting rid of the young contestants and took the producers to task over the proposed format of the docuseries. Although the show taught kitchen skills for all types of cookery, Bird recalled only really taking an interest in the pastry section. He recently posted a throwback snap on Instagram showing himself when he was a contestant on the show, with the hashtag #grateful. The pastry chef produces desserts on a large scale including vegan specialties. Pictured: A vegan peach cake The show, which helped launch Oliver's Fifteen restaurant in London, also saw the launch of his Fifteen Foundation, Oliver's charity which inspires disadvantaged youths, including those who have suffered with substance abuse issues. When the restaurant itself went under in 2019, other contestants told the Observer they were grateful to the celebrity chef for changing their lives. Tim Siadatan, who was a kitchen apprentice on the show, went on to open hugely successful Italian restaurants Trullo and Padella. He said of Oliver: 'To have that vision and courage and be that generous is rare. I dont know many people like that who will go out of their way for you. 'Your parents might, but its rare for other people to genuinely mean it.' Following his appearance on the programme, he continued his training on catering teams for events such as polo tournaments attended by King Charles. He fell into catering for the stars by chance, after helping out a florist friend who was working on a Rihanna show and bumping into the head of catering. After he told her he was an aspiring chef, she offered him work at the MTV Music Awards in Belfast in 2011. By 2014 he had moved to the US and that same year, he worked for Beyonce for the first time. Americans are naming their kids after British cities with Aberdeen and Brighton among the picks. Celebrities have even jumped onto the seemingly popular trend as Actor Tom Hanks has a son named Chester, while Stoke-born Guns N' Roses star Slash has a child called London. Many parents from the US are looking across the pond for baby name inspiration which included Cardiff and Ely. According to The Sun, Bradford, Bolton, and Carlisle also were among newborns registered in the States last year with Lincoln the most popular tot name. However some Brits are also guilty are naming their children after American cities. Americans are naming their kids after British cities with Aberdeen and Brighton among the picks (stock image) Many parents from the US are looking across the pond for baby name inspiration which included Cardiff and Ely After all David and Victoria Beckham named their oldest son Brooklyn after the New York borough. It comes after furious Brits blasted American parents for naming their children after UK cities and counties online. The outrage was sparked when an unnamed Reddit user, from England, took to the discussion forum to urge people to put a stop to the seemingly popular trend. He cited the example that his friend's cousin's girlfriend is called Lecesta - based on the city of Leicester - before hitting out at both the incorrect spelling and pronunciation. Other social media users were quick to brand the naming debacle as 'fatally embarrassing' - but what do you think? The post, which was uploaded earlier this month, was titled: 'Stop naming children after British cities and counties!' It began: 'I'm from England. My American friend's cousin's girlfriend is called Lecesta. 'I thought it could be a cultural thing but it isn't. 'Apparently, her mother got together with her father at a party in Leicester in England and therefore named their child Lecesta. 'And what's even worse, the mother pronounces the word Leicester as Lie - Sess - Tur. It's actually Less - Tuh. 'And since Lecesta's mother pronounces Leicester this way, her daughter's name is pronounced Lee - Sess - Tur.' It concluded: 'Can we stop naming children after British places? AND THEN SPELLING THEM INCORRECTLY.' Other social media users were quick to brand the naming debacle as 'fatally embarrassing' (pictured) And other social media users were quick to flood the comments with their own thoughts on the matter. One wrote: 'The name is cringe, and the mispronunciation is fatally embarrassing.' Another furiously added: 'You realize all of American naming history is copying Britain and their version of English is just incorrect but with the excuse of calling it American English.' Someone else commented: 'Hard yikes on that pronunciation.' And a fourth sarcastically wrote: 'There is no end to the amazing things that Americans do with our language and culture.' A famous king penguin was given a guard of honour as he was promoted to a new rank at a ceremony attended by 160 uniformed soldiers. Sir Nils Olav III, who lives at Penguins Rock at Edinburgh Zoo and even wears his own epaulettes attached to his wing, is the official mascot of His Majesty the King's Guard of Norway and receives ceremonial visits. In 1961, the Norwegian King's Guard visited the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for a drill display and Major Nils Egelien loved the zoo's penguin colony. He drew similarities between the regal march of the king penguins and how the Norwegian Kings Guard soldiers marched. More than a decade later in 1972, a king penguin at the zoo was then adopted and named after Major Nils Egelien, who organised it, and King Olav of Norway who was on the throne at the time. Sir Nils Olav III, which lives at Penguins Rock at Edinburgh Zoo, is the official mascot of His Majesty the King's Guard of Norway and receives ceremonial visits It became tradition that the king's guard band and drill team of Norway would visit the mascot when they performed at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. This month, Sir Nils Olav was promoted to the rank of major general for 'setting a superb example for the rest of the penguins'. The penguin star now holds the third highest rank in the Norwegian Army, meaning Sir Nils now outranks the soldier he was named after in the seventies. Sir Nils Olav worked his way up from mascot, becoming a corporal in 1982; sergeant in 1987; regimental sergeant major in 1993; honourable regimental sergeant major in 2001, and colonel-in-chief in 2005. He received a knighthood in 2008 - which had to be approved by King Harald V of Norway - and became a brigadier in 2016, and inspected visiting soldiers. The bird now has the title of Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the Bouvet Islands and official mascot of His Majesty the King's Guard of Norway - which was celebrated with a military spectacle. Norwegian soldiers send fish and Christmas cards each year, and visit when they are in Edinburgh. A special ceremony was held to award Sir Nils his new title at Penguins Rock, attended by more than 160 uniformed guardsmen who are taking part in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. This month, Sir Nils Olav was promoted to the rank of major general for 'setting a superb example for the rest of the penguins' The penguin star now holds the third highest rank in the Norwegian Army, meaning Sir Nils now outranks the soldier he was named after in the seventies In 1972, a king penguin at the zoo was then adopted and named after Major Nils Egelien, who organised it, and King Olav of Norway who was on the throne at the time Norwegian soldiers send fish and Christmas cards each year, and visit when they are in Edinburgh Staff Sergeant Fredrik Gresseth, from the kjng's guard band and drill team of Norway, said: 'Sir Nils Olav is the mascot of his majesty the king's guard and was adopted during one of the band and drill team's participation at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 'The tradition of sending Nils Olav and his family fish, Christmas cards and visiting him during the unit's participation at the tattoo have been an important part of the battalion's history. 'His promotion this August, for good conduct and for being a superb example for the rest of the penguins at the Edinburgh Zoo, is a milestone in his career as mascot for the guard. 'The guardsmen of the drill team look forward to this rare occasion of being inspected by their own mascot, while the band will set the atmosphere worthy of a knighted king penguin.' David Field, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: 'We are honoured to host his majesty the king's guard band and drill team of Norway once again as they return to Edinburgh Zoo to bestow this prestigious new title upon our king penguin, Sir Nils Olav. 'It is a very proud moment and represents the ongoing close collaboration between our two countries, Scotland and Norway.' Sir Nils Olav worked his way up from mascot, becoming a corporal in 1982; sergeant in 1987; regimental sergeant major in 1993; honourable regimental sergeant major in 2001, and colonel-in-chief in 2005 In 1961, the Norwegian King's Guard visited the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for a drill display and Major Nils Egelien loved the zoo's penguin colony The bird now has the title of Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the Bouvet Islands and official mascot of His Majesty the King's Guard of Norway A special ceremony was held to award Sir Nils his new title at Penguins Rock, attended by more than 160 uniformed guardsmen who are taking part in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo There has been a long history between Edinburgh Zoo, Norway and king penguins, as the Norwegian family of Christian Salvesen presented the Zoo with its first-ever king penguin in 1913 Jason Barrett, chief operating officer at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: 'His majesty's kings guard of Norway bring a rich history, honour, and tradition to our cast and have been a fan favourite for years. 'Having acts like the Kings Guard showcases the cross-cultural component found within the tattoo. 'On behalf of the entire cast and crew, I am delighted to congratulate Sir Nils Olav III on his promotion to major general.' There has been a long history between Edinburgh Zoo, Norway and king penguins, as the Norwegian family of Christian Salvesen presented the Zoo with its first-ever king penguin in 1913. An Ethiopian woman is facing a severe backlash after she accused an Asian-owned boba tea shop of 'stealing black culture' and went on a nasty tirade against the workers. A video of the woman, who was later identified as Alewia Tola Roba - a research fellow at the Colorado State Government Capitol Building - going on the explosive rant at a drink restaurant called Trap Tea - The Boba Plug in Aurora, Colorado, was first shared to Twitter in August 2020. However, the clip recently went viral again after it resurfaced on Reddit in a post titled: 'Karen accuses Indonesians of "stealing black culture".' Alewia, who was 23 at the time, berated the employees, screamed at her fellow customers, and used racial slurs while claiming that the establishment was making money off of black culture because it used the word 'trap' in its name. A 'trap house' is a term often used in the black community to refer to a place where drugs are sold. An Ethiopian woman is facing a severe backlash after she accused an Asian-owned boba tea shop of 'stealing black culture' and went on a nasty tirade against the workers A video of Alewia Tola Roba going on the explosive rant at a drink restaurant called Trap Tea - The Boba Plug in Colorado (seen) was first shared to Twitter in August 2020 But the video recently went viral again after it resurfaced on Reddit. In it, Alewia berated the employees (one of whom is seen), screamed at her fellow customers, and used racial slurs Woman in Colorado accuses "Trap Tea" of appropriating black culture pic.twitter.com/NPanQjJ9hP Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) August 22, 2020 'I have a question, is this black owned?' Alewia could be heard asking an employee as she entered the restaurant. She claimed that the establishment was making money off of black culture because it used the word 'trap' in its name 'Uh no,' he told her, to which she replied, 'OK, interesting.' She then headed to the counter to pick up her pre-placed order, where she once again asked a worker if the store was 'black owned.' 'No, we're Indonesian,' he explained. 'OK, do you think you guys are using black culture to gain attention and gain customers?' she fired back to the flustered employee. She then started screaming at the top of her lungs to everyone else in the shop: 'This establishment is not black owned but they're stealing black culture.' 'You're thieves. Asian people stealing black culture once again. It's OK, you'll be exposed,' she continued during her nearly two-minute long outburst. 'I came here because I thought it was black owned. I told my friends, "I'm supporting a black business." But this is not black owned.' 'I have a question, is this black owned?' Alewia could be heard asking an employee as she entered the restaurant. 'Uh no,' he told her, to which she replied, 'OK, interesting' She then headed to the counter to pick up her pre-placed order, where she once again asked a worker if the store was 'black owned.' He explained, 'No, we're Indonesian' She then started screaming at the top of her lungs to everyone else in the shop: 'This establishment is not black owned but they're stealing black culture' 'You're thieves. Asian people stealing black culture once again. It's OK, you'll be exposed,' she continued during her nearly two-minute long outburst She even started to argue with other customers, calling one man who tried to defend the business a 'c**n,' which is defined as 'an insulting and contemptuous term for a black person.' After the incident went viral in August 2020, the company addressed it on Instagram, insisting that the name came from an 'appreciation of black, Southern culture.' 'Today has been an interesting day and we have received a ton of exposure - some good and some bad,' the brand wrote. 'But at the end of the day, we want everyone to know that Trap Tea is about love and bringing everyone together. 'The name came from the appreciation of black, Southern culture, the grind, hustle, and drive that we put into the brand, and the friends and family we have collaborated with to make it possible. 'This is about appreciation of the culture and bringing a dope spin for everyone to come enjoy something new.' It was eventually renamed to Banned Boba Bar. She also started to argue with other customers, calling one man who tried to defend the business a 'c**n,' which is defined as 'an insulting and contemptuous term for a black person' After the incident, the company addressed it on Instagram, insisting that the name came from an 'appreciation of black, Southern culture.' It was then renamed to Banned Boba Bar When it was shared to Reddit this week, the video sparked a slew of criticism for Alewia. Some people branded her as 'racist' and said she was using 'stereotypes' to fuel her argument When the video was first shared in 2020, it gained hundreds of thousands of views and left many people on the web outraged with Alewia's behavior. And when it was posted to Reddit this week, it sparked even more criticism for Alewia. One person claimed that she was being 'racist' and using 'stereotypes' to fuel her argument, adding, 'She needs a nap.' 'Ignorance combined with confidence is never a good thing,' someone else said. 'Boba tea is Taiwanese, if the business was black owned then she has no issues with black culture stealing boba from Taiwanese and making money, but Asians using a black word is stealing culture?' another user asked. 'By her own logic: wouldn't a black owned boba place be stealing Asian culture?' a different user agreed. 'Her argument is so stupid because shes basically saying that only black people use trap houses,' read a fourth comment. 'She isnt doing anyone any good with that argument. All shes doing is putting a bad light on black people. 'Last time I checked a trap house is used by anyone involved with drugs whether theyre black, white, Asian, or Hispanic.' A glum Tori Spelling was seen looking worse for wear as she left the hospital in a wheelchair with a giant bruise on her face - following a four-day stay for a mystery illness. Photographers caught the Beverly Hills, 90210, star, 50, being wheeled out of a medical center in Los Angeles, California, by a nurse on Sunday evening. The mother-of-five appeared to be unsteady and needed help from a friend as she stood up and got into a waiting car. The actress, who donned a baggy white T-shirt with an image from the movie Breakfast Club on it, black sweatpants, and white and blue Nike sneakers, looked somber as she exited the facility. A glum Tori Spelling was seen leaving the hospital in a wheelchair with a large bruise on her face - following a five-day stay for a mystery illness Photographers caught the Beverly Hills, 90210, star, 50, being wheeled out of a medical center in Los Angeles, California, by a nurse on Sunday evening The mother-of-five appeared to be unsteady and needed help from a friend as she stood up and got into a waiting car The actress donned a baggy white T-shirt with an image from the movie Breakfast Club on it, black sweatpants, and white and blue Nike sneakers Worse for wear: She looked somber as she exited the facility She had a large bruise on her right cheek and another on her left arm, as well as a Band-Aid on her hand where the IV had been. She had a large bruise on her right cheek and another on her left arm, as well as a Band-Aid on her hand where the IV had been She went makeup free for the outing, and her long blonde hair was left in loose waves around her face. Tori confirmed that she had been hospitalized hours earlier, sharing a photo of her hand hooked up to an IV on her Instagram Stories, which she captioned, 'Fourth day here and I'm missing my kiddos so much.' 'Grateful and so proud of my strong, brave, resilient and kind-to-the-core children, who remain positive no matter what comes my way,' she added. The hospital band revealed that she had been first admitted on August 17, which was the same day that she was seen filming a mystery project in Los Angeles. While it's unclear what caused her to be under medical care for half a week, Tori previously spoke about an ongoing mold infestation inside her home that had made her kids 'so sick' for 'weeks.' While many symptoms of mold exposure are mild, it can cause severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks that could lead to hospitalization. Tori and the children moved out of the home in May - first staying in a $100-a-night roadside motel before ultimately settling in an RV. She went makeup free for the outing, and her long blonde hair was left in loose waves around her face Tori confirmed that she had been hospitalized hours earlier, sharing a photo of her hand hooked up to an IV on her Instagram Stories She captioned it, 'Fourth day here and I'm missing my kiddos so much' Tori added that she was 'grateful and so proud' of her 'strong, brave, resilient and kind-to-the-core children,' who 'remained positive no matter what comes her way' While it's unclear what caused her to be under medical care for half a week, Tori previously spoke about an ongoing mold infestation inside her home that had made her kids 'so sick' Exposure can result in an infection reaction right away, or it could take some time to develop. Tori has certainly fallen on hard times recently, and the hospitalization is just another devastating blow that she has faced. Not only was she forced to leave her abode due to the mold, but it was also revealed that she had split from her husband-of-18-years, Dean McDermott, in June. At the time, the Canadian actor revealed in a since-deleted Instagram post that he was parting ways with Tori after 18 years of marriage. He said that they 'would continue to work together as loving parents' to 'guide and love their children through this difficult time' and asked for 'privacy' as they 'take time' to 'work their way through it. Last week, it seemed as though things had turned around for her - as she was photographed back at work. Images showed the 50-year-old all glammed up in a bright red pantsuit with a production crew surrounding her, as she read from a teleprompter to a camera. Although Tori has not shared any details on what she was filming, a source told DailyMail.com days earlier that she was plotting a return to reality TV to combat her 'money issues.' They explained that the options for work were slim thanks to the actors and writers strikes, and that reality TV or a competition show could pose as a great 'opportunity' for her to finally 'tell her truth.' While many symptoms of mold exposure are mild, it can cause severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks that could lead to hospitalization Tori and her children moved out of the home in May - first staying in a $100-a-night roadside motel before ultimately settling in an RV Exposure can result in an infection reaction right away, or it could take some time to develop Tori has certainly fallen on hard times recently, and the hospitalization is just another devastating blow that she has faced Not only was she forced to leave her abode due to the mold, but it was also revealed that she had split from her husband-of-18-years, Dean McDermott , in June 'Tori is caught between a rock and a hard place right now as she is trying to figure out what her next job is going to be because she is having some money issues,' they dished. Back to work: Last week, Tori was seen all glammed up in a bright red pantsuit with a production crew surrounding her, as she read from a teleprompter in front of a camera 'With the strike in full effect, she is looking into doing some more in the reality competition show world.' The actress and her estranged husband, Dean, previously starred in a series of Oxygen reality shows including Tori & Dean: Inn Love, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings, and Tori & Dean: Cabin Fever from 2007 to 2014, which followed the early years of their marriage as they took on various endeavors. The insider added that while Tori is desperate for 'a more consistent flow of money to come in,' she still 'wants to be a mom first.' 'Scheduling is very important to her,' they continued. 'As she tries to get on future shows, it all has to work out perfectly with her family. 'She is not desperate yet but let us see what happens in the next few months and what she might have to do to ... make things work.' The friend of Tori's said her dream would be to participate in Dancing With the Stars, and revealed that there are already some discussions being had about getting her on the show. Hours later, however, she was hospitalized for the undisclosed illness Although Tori has not shared any details on what she was filming, a source told DailyMail.com days earlier that she was plotting a return to reality TV to combat her 'money issues' Tori stopped to give her nurse a hug before leaving the hospital on Sunday The hospitalization comes weeks after DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that she was living in a van with her five children (seen) 'This might finally be the year that she does the show. So many 90210 stars have done it, so she would have so much support from her former cast members,' they said. 'The show would love her story and she would welcome the opportunity to tell her truth. 'She feels that doing the show could open some doors for her going into the end of the year and into 2024. Another source previously told DailyMail.com that Dean is 'furious' with Tori (seen leaving the hospital on Sunday) for choosing to live in a van despite receiving numerous 'offers from friends to stay in their homes' 'There have been talks to see what can be done, nothing official but the outcome is gearing towards her being on the dance floor.' Another source told DailyMail.com that Dean is 'furious' with Tori for choosing to live in a van despite receiving numerous 'offers from friends to stay in their homes.' They added that the 56-year-old believes Tori is 'doing it for sympathy' and insisted that she 'is not broke.' 'Dean is legit mortified, as are all of Toris friends,' they said. 'They do not understand why she would be doing this unless for sympathy. She has money. 'She is not broke and she has gotten offers from friends to stay at their house. Dean does not think that the kids should be living like this and of course he is angry. 'He is furious at Tori because she is acting like a child. She had every opportunity to make this marriage work and instead, she fostered the narrative for years that she was done with Dean.' They added that the 56-year-old believes Tori is 'doing it for sympathy' and insisted that she 'is not broke' 'Dean is legit mortified, as are all of Toris friends,' they said. 'They do not understand why she would be doing this unless for sympathy. She has money' Tori was raised by one of most successful TV producers on the globe, and famously lived in the second largest abode in all of Los Angeles as a teen but has struggled with finances as an adult When her dad died in 2006, Tori only received $800,000 of the estimated $600 million fortune that was left behind by her late father In 2016, she was sued by American Express for failing to pay an outstanding credit card balance of $87,594.55 Tori and Dean were also hit with a lawsuit from City National Bank later that year, who claimed they had 'failed to repay a $400,000 bank loan.' That case is still ongoing The insider added that Dean's 'main concern' is his kids, and that 'he is still talking to them' regularly. Tori was raised by one of most successful TV producers on the globe, and famously lived in the second largest abode in all of Los Angeles as a teen. She was propelled into the spotlight after she was cast in Beverly Hills, 90210 at just 17, but in the years since the show went off the air, she racked up tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt. The star has been very open about her financial struggles over the years, previously telling Good Morning America that after she was cast in the hit series, her parents told her she was on her own financially. She explained that she had a hard time managing her funds - which she believed stemmed from growing up with a lot of money. 'In all honesty, I grew up a certain way. I never had to worry about money that was my reality,' she said. When her dad died in 2006, Tori only received $800,000 of the estimated $600 million fortune that was left behind by her late father. In 2016, she was sued by American Express for failing to pay an outstanding credit card balance of $87,594.55. According to court documents, the money was 'seized' from her bank account in 2020. Tori and Dean were also hit with a lawsuit from City National Bank later that year, who claimed they had 'failed to repay a $400,000 bank loan.' That case is still ongoing. Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska has visited a children's ward in a hospital in Copenhagen today. Olena, 45, dressed in a smart green trouser suit, travelled to Rigshospitalet, a highly specialised hospital in Denmark, during her visit to the country. The First Lady was all smiles as she spoke to the head nurse in the Department for Children and Young People with Surgical Diseases, Trine Spiegelhauer. She also chatted to the Danish Minister of Health Sophie Loehde and Rigshospitalet's director, Rasmus Moegelvang. The hospital's history goes back 250 years to Denmark's first real hospital, 'Det kongelige Frederiks Hospital', which was established to treat and care impoverished patients free of charge in Copenhagen. Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska looked smart for the occasion, sporting a button down shirt blazer which matched her tailored trousers Olena looked smart for the occasion, sporting a button down shirt blazer which matched her tailored trousers. She opted for a belt to cinch in her waist, along with a pair of pointed kitten heels and some gold hoops. In her war-torn country, the Olena Zelenska foundation says it is currently rebuilding a hospital in Izium. Around 140,000 patients were left without medical care due to the hospital's destruction by Russian missiles, which destroyed key areas such as four operating theatres and an intensive care unit. In a Telegram post, the First Lady of Ukraine wrote about how Russia has destroyed more than 1,500 Ukrainian hospitals in more than a year-and-a-half. Olena and her husband President Volodymyr Zelensky are in Denmark on a two-day visit, having previously met Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia before joining Crown Princess Mary. According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, since the outbreak of the war, the country has sent approximately 1.5 billion euros in military support to Ukraine and an estimated 336 million euros in civilian contributions. Mr Zelensky's visit to Denmark was revealed by the Danish Prime Minister's office on Sunday after announcing a decision to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The First Lady of Ukraine, 45, travelled to the Rigshospitalet National Hospital during her visit to Denmark Olena beamed as she spoke to the head nurse in the Department for Children and Young People with Surgical Diseases, Trine Spiegelhauer (L) Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska during a visit to the children's ward at the Rigshospitalet National Hospital in Copenhagen She also chatted to the Danish Minister of Health Sophie Loehde and Rigshospitalet's director, Rasmus Moegelvang In a Telegram post, the First Lady of Ukraine wrote about how Russia has destroyed more than 1,500 Ukrainian hospitals in more than a year-and-a-half. Pictured: Olena listening at the hospital The hospital Olena visited goes back 250 years to Denmark's first real hospital, 'Det kongelige Frederiks Hospital', which was established to treat and care impoverished patients free of charge in Copenhagen Zelensky had hailed the agreement - made by both the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver the aircrafts - as historic, CNN reports. 'I am very grateful,' he added. Over the weekend, the leader of the war-torn country was in Sweden, and also met up with King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia - on the same day as a missile attack in Chernihiv killed seven people and wounded scores of others. It was his first visit to the country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Mr Zelensky condemned the missile attack, which he said hit buildings including a theatre and a university. 'This is what a neighbourhood with a terrorist state is, this is what we unite the whole world against. A Russian missile hit right in the centre of the city, in our Chernihiv,' he wrote on Telegram. 'A square, the polytechnic university, a theatre. An ordinary Saturday, which Russia turned into a day of pain and loss.' Adventurers have dubbed a spectacular waterfall as one of the most beautiful hidden gems in Australia. Millaa Millaa waterfall is near the small township of the same name in the Atherton Tablelands, 98km south-west of Cairns. Water plunges 18 metres down the rock face into the refreshing pool below all surrounded by emerald rainforest. The heritage-listed falls are one of the starring attractions along the tableland's 17km Waterfalls Circuit and is often called the most gorgeous on the trail. Travellers should visit the magnificent waterfall after a bout of rain where they will see the stunning find in all its glory. Scroll down for video Explorers are flocking to the spectacular Millaa Millaa waterfall in Far North Queensland as many dub the hidden gem one of the most beautiful spots in Australia Millaa Millaa waterfall is near the small township of the same name in the Atherton Tablelands, 98km south-west of Cairns The heritage-listed falls are one of the starring attractions along the tableland's 17km Waterfalls Circuit and is often called the most gorgeous on the trail READ MORE: Australian travellers discover a secret swimming hole with a crystal clear plunge pool and a spectacular waterfall near Coffs Harbour Advertisement Swimming is permitted in the revitalising pool which provides relief from the balmy Far North Queensland temperatures. The pool is encased by lush greenery that will make guest feel like their on a magical tropical island. A sprawling grassy area allows plenty of space to set up a picnic in the natural amphitheatre to the sounds of the cascading falls and chirps of the resident wildlife. Some visitors may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an elusive platypus known to reside in the area. Travel blogger Kayla who is exploring Australia in her van said she was 'blown away' by the jaw-dropping Millaa Millaa falls. Swimming is permitted in the revitalising pool which provides relief from the balmy Far North Queensland temperatures The pool is encased by lush greenery that will make guest feel like their on a magical tropical island A sprawling grassy area allows plenty of space to set up a picnic in the natural amphitheatre to the sounds of the cascading falls and chirps of the resident wildlife 'Point of view: You sold everything, bought a van, started an online business and travel Australia full time on your own. Now you get to play the ukulele and sit near waterfalls at 9am on a Thursday,' she wrote in an Instagram clip of her taking in the scenery from her van. Kayla added she was 'still processing' how 'mind blowing' the view was and it made her 'speechless'. One visitor said online Millaa Millaa was the 'most Instagrammable' location while another said it was a 'magnificent site' despite rain and fog and the water being very cold at this time of year. 'The limited visibility added a touch of mystique, creating a unique and memorable visit. Don't miss this majestic natural wonder, even in less ideal weather conditions,' they said. Overseas nurses are struggling to understand common British phrases like 'feeling sick' or 'I need the loo', health union guidance suggests. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has issued a guide for foreign-trained nurses explaining 50 common sayings or expressions. A patient telling a foreign trained nurse they were 'feeling under the weather' could create an 'obstacle when assessing a patients health and wellbeing', the union said. It comes at a time when the NHS is increasingly relying on overseas-trained nurses to fill long-running staff shortages. Analysis suggests international nurse recruits, from nations like India, Nigeria, and the Philippines, accounted for two-thirds of all new nurses in the UK in recent years. The RCN said its handy guide will help medics 'make sense of potentially mystifying phrases' The latest data, published in May, found that about half of new nurses registering in the UK in 2022/23 were originally trained overseas. And a rule change enacted last year means those who fail their English language test to come work in the UK could still get a job as long as their employer vouches for their English, a move criticised by patient safety campaigners. They warned that good communication is vital for patient safety and there was a risk some UK health and care employers desperate for staff could be tempted to vouch for workers English skills to shore up their staff numbers. Some campaigners have now called for the RCN slang guide to be formally adopted by the NHS as an induction tool for overseas-trained medics to help break down potential communication barriers with patients. Speaking about the launch of the RCN guide, one nurse, Adekola, described how he was left confused when a patient told him she was feeling sick. READ MORE: Nearly four in ten GP surgeries set limits on the number of patients they will deal with each day, survey finds Campaigners have criticised the limit. Dennis Reed, whose group Silver Voices campaigns for the elderly, said: 'To be told they can't get an appointment because of a limit on patient contacts is frustrating and demoralising' Advertisement 'I was confused, because in my mind I was like "come on, I know you are sick, that's why you are here",' he said. It was only when he saw a colleague reach for a sick bowl that he realised the phrase meant that a patient may be about to vomit. An RCN spokesperson said: 'People all over the world use figurative expressions to describe their circumstances and emotions. 'Often, the words used in these expressions don't appear to have any connection to what they're describing. 'If you were raised and educated in a different country, you may find these expressions to be an additional obstacle when assessing a patient's health and well-being. 'The aim of the guide is to help you feel more confident when having important conversations with the people you care for.' Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, which campaigns for elderly Britons, welcomed the guide to help nurses new to Britain understand 'common vernacular'. 'We have such a reliance on overseas health professionals that I think its important to address any cultural barriers and break down any language barriers,' he said. 'For the next few years were going to have to rely on thousands of medical professionals trained overseas so anything that can be done to ease that transition is fantastic.' He called for the guide to be adopted by the NHS so that more internationally-trained staff could access it. International nurse numbers in the UK have exploded in the past five years. In 2017/18 less than 5,000 new nurses in the UK were originally trained overseas, but this has soared to over 20,000 per year following the Covid pandemic. Experts have repeatedly raised the alarm about the UK's over-reliance on overseas-trained nursing recruits to shore up staff shortages in the NHS, which they say leaves the health service vulnerable to sudden shifts in international demand. Some experts even warned such 'poaching' from developing nations could lead to a dangerous 'brain drain' of medical staff from countries that desperately need them. Medics trained in places like India, the Philippines and Nigeria, accounted for two-thirds of all new recruits between 2019 and 2022, official figures suggest. Analysis of the Nursing and Midwifery Council figures by the Nuffield Trust found international recruits account for two-thirds of all new nursing and midwifery staff in the three years since September 2019. Despite falls in the number of staff from the EU, some 43,736 recruits were non-UK staff, while just 22,226 had been trained in the UK The number of internationally trained nurses joining the NHS has skyrocketed over recent years. Numbers have increased year-on-year, minus a blip of the Covid pandemic which hampered immigration, data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council shows. The number of international nurse recruits is now almost equal to the number of British nurses joining the profession for the first time But some are recruited from places like Ghana, classified as a 'red-list' nation for nurse recruitment by the World Health Organization. Red-list status indicates nurse shortages are severe so wealthy countries should not poach its staff. While UK rules forbid 'active recruitment' from places like Ghana medics can still independently apply for vacancies, which can be shared by NHS trusts on social media. There are 40,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS in England alone according to the latest official data. Here is the full list of British sayings and slang words the RCN believes could be an obstacle to an overseas trained nurse treating a patient: 'A bitter pill to swallow' Meaning: A difficult truth to have to accept. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'Learning that my appointment had been cancelled was a bitter pill to swallow after waiting so long.' '24/7' Meaning: All the time. 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'My mother seems to be in pain 24/7.' 'A clean bill of health' Meaning: Confirmation that a person is in good health. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'The practice nurse gave me a clean bill of health at my last appointment.' 'A new lease of life' Meaning: A new energetic and positive approach towards life, commonly after a difficult time. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'The new medication is working well. It's given me a new lease of life.' India and the Philippines account for the lion's share of international nurse recruits for 2021-22 but a fifth came from 'red listed' countries where the NHS is banned from actively poaching nurses. These were Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal, and Pakistan. This data, from the UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council, covers the period before Britain struck a special deal with Nepal to allow the NHS to recruit nurses from the country 'All ears' Meaning: Listening intently. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'If you have any advice about how to stop the swelling in my leg, I'm all ears.' 'Beat around the bush' Meaning: To avoid saying something difficult or uncomfortable directly by saying it vaguely instead. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'Please don't beat around the bush when talking about my condition with me.' 'Bigger fish to fry' Meaning: There are more important things to do or people to see. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'Don't worry about me and my cough. I'm sure you have bigger fish to fry.' 'Bite the bullet' Meaning: Making the difficult decision to do something you're not looking forward to. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I've decided to bite the bullet and go ahead with the biopsy as soon as possible.' 'Blessing in disguise' Meaning: Something that seems bad initially, but in the end provides a positive outcome. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'The endoscopy was uncomfortable, but it was a blessing in disguise because it gave me the answers I needed about my condition.' 'Burying my head in the sand' Meaning: Delaying addressing a problem in the hope that it will resolve itself, while knowing that it won't. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I've been burying my head in the sand about my raised blood pressure and hoping it would get better by itself.' 'Cold turkey' Meaning: To quit suddenly without assistance. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I gave up smoking cold turkey last year.' 'Cross that bridge when we come to it' Meaning: Avoid making a decision until later. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I know I might need surgery eventually, but let's cross that bridge when we come to it.' 'Cut to the chase' Meaning: Get directly to the meaning of what you're saying. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I don't understand medical language, so please cut to the chase about my results.' 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket' Meaning: Don't rely on one option only in case something changes and you haven't got a second option. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I'd like to have two birth plans because I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket.' While the headcount of full-time-equivalent adult nurses, who account for most nurses in the NHS in England, has gone up the number of total nursing vacancies has remained stubbornly high, official figures show. This has left the NHS essential treading water in terms of addressing staffing shortages 'Fit as a fiddle' OR 'Right as rain' Meaning: Very well, fit and healthy. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I was fit as a fiddle throughout my 40s, but now I'm in my 50s, I don't feel as healthy.' 'Since the procedure, I've been feeling as right as rain.' 'Giving me gyp' (pronounced 'jip') OR 'Playing up' OR 'Flaring up' Meaning: Causing pain or discomfort, often recurring over a prolonged time. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'My hip is always giving me gyp in the winter.' 'My knee has been playing up since I started running again.' 'My arthritis flares up when I take this medication.' 'Hanging in there' Meaning: Continuing to move forward each day, despite difficult circumstances. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I'm feeling very unwell but I'm hanging in there.' 'In the dark' Meaning: Not having information about something. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'For a while, I was in the dark about the treatment options available to me.' 'Sitting on the fence' OR 'On the fence' Meaning: Undecided. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I'm on the fence about whether I should have the counselling the hospital has offered me.' 'On the mend' Meaning: Recovering. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I'm finally on the mend since the accident.' 'Out of shape' Meaning: Unfit. In poor physical condition. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I was out of shape until I began taking regular exercise.' 'Play it by ear' Meaning: To make decisions as things happen with little information. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I don't know when I'll next be able to attend an appointment. I'll need to play it by ear.' 'Putting it off' Meaning: Delaying something intentionally. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I know I should have booked an appointment earlier, but I've been putting it off because I was worried.' 'Skin and bones' Meaning: Very thin. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'One of the symptoms of my cancer was extreme weight loss. I was skin and bone.' 'Spend a penny' Meaning: Using a toilet to urinate Example of how it could be used: 'Where is the toilet? I need to spend a penny.' 'Throwing up' OR 'feeling sick' Meaning: Vomiting Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I feel like throwing up every time I sit up' OR 'I feel sick every time I use that medication.' 'Under the weather' Meaning: Unwell. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I've been feeling under the weather ever since I started this new medication.' 'Wrap my head around it' OR 'Come to terms with it' Meaning: To understand and accept something that might take time and emotional effort. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I'm finding it difficult to wrap my head around my cancer diagnosis.' 'I'm beginning to come to terms with what the test results mean.' 'Barmy/Bonkers' Meaning: Crazy Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I thought I was going bonkers until my GP confirmed it was a common side effect.' 'Bloke' Meaning: A man Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'That bloke on reception was very helpful.' 'Botch job' Meaning: A badly done job Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'My previous surgeon did a botch job on my hip. I hope I don't have the same experience this time.' 'Chuffed' Meaning: Very happy Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I was chuffed when my results came back negative.' 'Cuppa' Meaning: Cup of tea Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'A cuppa might help to comfort that patient.' NHS data shows efforts to get more nurses into the health service are only barely keeping pace with the number of experienced nurses quitting 'Doddle' Meaning: Something that is easy Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I went to donate blood today. The process was a doddle.' 'Dodgy' Meaning: Something is not right Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'My stomach is feeling a bit dodgy.' 'Gobsmacked' Meaning: Shocked or surprised Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I saw the pregnancy test and I was gobsmacked.' 'Gutted' Meaning: Very disappointed Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I'm not being discharged until next week. I'm so gutted.' 'Faff' Meaning: Overly complicated or time consuming Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'Booking this appointment is quite a faff.' 'Knackered' Meaning: Tired/exhausted Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I was knackered after my last shift.' 'Loo' Meaning: Toilet Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I need the loo. Where is it?' 'Mate' Meaning: Friend Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I'm here to see my mate. His name is John Parker.' 'Rubbish' Meaning: Something untrue; of poor quality; bad. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'They are talking rubbish about my poor health. I feel fine.' 'The food is a bit rubbish.' 'I'm feeling rubbish.' 'Shambles OR a dog's dinner' Meaning: A mess; badly handled. Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'The backlog of NHS appointments is a bit of a shambles.' 'Skint' Meaning: To be without money Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I can't afford to get private healthcare. I'm totally skint.' 'Strop' Meaning: To be in a bad mood Example of how it could be used in a clinical setting: 'I was having a strop because I'm tired and uncomfortable after the procedure.' 'Taking the mick/taking the mickey' Meaning: To take advantage Example of how it could be used: 'My appointment is over 30 minutes late. They are taking the mickey.' Russia's first lunar mission in over 40 years ends in disaster. Russian Space Agency Roscosmos recently confirmed that its Luna 25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon's surface after experiencing a system glitch. Russia launched its lunar mission within days of India's, which is already looking for a safe landing spot on the Moon. Chasing Past Glories Russia's Luna 25 spacecraft has officially become space junk. According to a CNN report, Roscosmos lost touch with the spacecraft on Aug. 19 at around 2:57 PM Moscow time. This meant that the spacecraft impacted the lunar surface around that time. The Russian space agency added that the measures it took to re-establish communication with the spacecraft didn't yield any results. Meanwhile, its preliminary analysis of the ill-fated mission showed that Luna 25 "switched to an off-deisgn orbit" before colliding with the Moon. Roscosmos has yet to determine what caused its Luna 25 spacecraft to crash, but the events before it are clear. According to a Space.com report, Roscosmos's Luna 25 spacecraft suffered an "emergency situation" on Aug. 19, per the space agency's statement on Telegram. This "emergency situation" occurred on board the Luna 25's automatic station, preventing the spacecraft from executing the engine burn needed to enter its final pre-landing orbit. Read More: Instagram Users Report Bug Causing Excessive Zooming While Recording Stories Luna 25's crash onto the lunar surface marks the (disastrous) end of Russia's first lunar mission in 47 years - a blow to the country and its space agency's prestige. The country's last lunar mission, which involves the Luna 24 moon lander, landed on the Moon's surface on Aug. 18, 1976. Luna 25's launch was supposed to be undertaken by a partnership between Roscosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA), with the partnership covering three subsequent lunar missions. However, cooperation between the two space agencies ended when Russia went into open conflict with Ukraine in 2022 - the ESA moved to "discontinue cooperative activities with Russia" in Apr. 2022. It is unknown if and when Russia will attempt another lunar mission in the coming years due to the low value of the Russian Ruble affecting the country's economy, per Markets Insider. Russia's Luna 25 spacecraft was meant to land somewhere on the Moon's south pole region, where scientists believe there could be reserves of frozen water and previous elements, per NBC News. Indian Victory? Russia launched its lunar mission days before India's, meaning that the two country's lunar missions are in an unofficial competition on who could get their spacecraft onto the Moon's south pole. However, to say that there is ongoing competition between the two countries wasn't entirely accurate. Both Russia and India's lunar mission were decades in the making, per astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell; they just launched within days of each other by coincidence. McDowell is a researcher at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian. Nevertheless, India's Chandrayaan-3 moon lander is making good time on its mission. A BBC report stated that the spacecraft is already looking for a safe landing spot at the Moon's south pole. The spacecraft is expected to land on the lunar surface on Aug. 23 at 12:34 GMT. Related Article: NASA's Artemis II Crew To Help Prep Orion Spacecraft for Future Missions Almost four in ten GP surgeries set a limit on the number of patients they will deal with each day. The British Medical Association recommends GPs see up to 25 patients per day a cap which was recently described as 'arbitrary' by NHS officials. But a survey has found that 40 per cent of GP partners have a daily limit to the number of patients they will see before redirecting them to other services. The survey, from doctors' magazine Pulse, asked GP partners if their surgery has a daily limit for the number of patient contacts. These 'contacts' are thought to include all patient appointments, either carried out in person or remotely. The British Medical Association recommends GPs see up to 25 patients per day. But a survey has found 40 percent of GP partners have a daily limit to the number of patients they will see Campaigners have criticised the limit. Dennis Reed, whose group Silver Voices campaigns for the elderly, said: 'To be told they can't get an appointment because of a limit on patient contacts is frustrating and demoralising' However, they could also include any direct communication between a GP and patient. Campaigners have criticised the limit, saying the findings are 'frustrating'. Dennis Reed, whose group Silver Voices campaigns for the elderly, said: 'Many people who want to speak to a GP have already spent a few days suffering before they seek help. 'To be told they can't get an appointment because of a limit on patient contacts is frustrating and demoralising. 'There is no reason why we shouldn't be striving to return to the same level of appointments as before the pandemic.' However several GP partners said they had to limit patient numbers for safety. A GP partner in north-east London, whose practice has a daily limit of 25 patients per doctor, said: 'The thing we need to emphasise is that this is not about sloth, this is not about keeping things under control it's about keeping things safe.' The doctor, who preferred to remain anonymous, said doctors need to be able to focus on every patient, adding: 'You need to be 100 per cent sharp, you need to be picking up on cues, you need to be very, very alert, and safe in that.' Some 860 GP practices responded to the survey a sample size which the Department of Health and Social Care said was small. As those surgeries who told the magazine they had set a daily patient limit make up less than 3 per cent of all GP practices in England, it remains unclear whether the majority have done so. Dr Samira Anane, from the BMA, said: 'While the sample size of this survey is too small to be truly representative of general practice, the BMA's [recommended limit] ensures that patients are provided with high-quality care to address their full range of needs.' But Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England's national primary care director, told Pulse the limit was 'arbitrary', adding: 'We don't want practices routinely when they are open diverting patients.' Broadcaster Chris Evans today revealed he has skin cancer - after his masseuse urged him to have a suspicious freckle checked out. The 57-year-old today told listeners on his Virgin Radio show that his melanoma was found in the extremely early stages and he is hoping to make a full recovery. He said: 'It's been caught so early, just so you know, that it should be completely treatable. [Treatment] will happen on September 14.' It comes after a previous cancer scare in 2020 when he spotted concerning marks on his skin. But doctors told him he had 'nothing to worry about'. Before that, he was given the 'all-clear' in 2015 after fearing he had prostate cancer symptoms. Here, dermatologists explain the early warning signs of skin cancer and how to protect yourself. The broadcaster Chris Evans announced on his Virgin Radio show on Monday that he has skin cancer Signs of skin cancer range from the innocuous to obvious, but experts warn that treating cases early is key to making sure they do not spread or further develop Asymmetrical moles Dermatologists follow the ABCDEs when diagnosing melanoma; that is, asymmetry, border, colour, diameter and evolving. Most melanomas the rarest but most dangerous form of skin cancer that is most likely to spread present as moles that have uneven edges. They look different from common moles the round, brown or tan spots on the skin caused by growing clusters of cells in the skin called melanocytes. Dr Nayoung Lee, a dermatologist at NYU Langone Health, said: 'If you can't fold the mole in half, if edges don't line up' it could be melanoma. Irregular borders of a mole, the 'B' in ABCDEs, can also indicate melanoma. The edges of a normal mole are uniform and smooth. The Skin Cancer Foundation advises people to look out for 'ugly ducklings' unsightly moles that very clearly stick out from the pack all over the body. The foundation says: 'This recognition strategy is based on the concept that most normal moles on your body resemble one another, while melanomas stand out like ugly ducklings in comparison.' Moles of uneven colours Colour, the 'C' in ABCDEs, is a strong indicator of dangerous melanoma. Healthy moles are typically a single colour, from dark and light brown to pink and flesh-toned. Some moles become cancerous and change colours gradually. Roughly 20 to 30 per cent of melanoma cases develop in existing moles. The other 70 to 80 per cent of the time, cancerous moles arise on otherwise healthy-looking skin. But a suspicious mole often contains several shades of brown, black, or tan, as well as spots of pink, red or purple. It becomes more colorful as cancer progresses, so early action is crucial. In fact, 99 per cent of patients who detect and begin treating their melanoma early survive five years or more after their diagnosis. Dr Zaineb Makhzoumi, a dermatologist at the University of Maryland who specialises in a type of surgery to remove cancerous moles, said: 'Once you start to get two, three, four colors fused within one mole, that should be a warning sign and you should have that mole evaluated by a board-certified dermatologist.' Chris Evans shares three sons and one daughter with the professional golfer and part-time model Natasha, 38 Moles larger than a pea Size matters when it comes to suspicious moles. Melanomas typically present a bit bigger than a pea or a pencil eraser, about six millimeters or a quarter inch. Dr Makhzoumi said: 'Most moles, if they're benign, are smaller than a pencil eraser. 'If you have a mole that's bigger than a pencil eraser that is not in and of itself a warning sign and concerning. But rather when taken with the other constellation of signs, that's something that you want evaluated by a dermatologist.' Not all melanomas subscribe to the 'D' in ABCDEs where D means a diameter of at least six millimeters. In 2013, doctors in Queensland, Australia, treated a 38-year-old woman with invasive melanoma on her arm that measured just 1.6 mm in diameter. The small cancerous mole also did not appear asymmetrical, meaning doctors must still keep an eye out for moles that appear darker than those around it, as was the case in the Australian woman. Doctors must also monitor how a mole evolves over time. This is the 'E' in ABCDEs. Changes in the size, shape, color, or elevation of a spot or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching, or crusting, may be a warning sign of melanoma. Dr Makhzoumi said: 'Moles tend to go through an evolution, but the evolution of moles tends to be that that they shrink, or they disappear. 'If you have a mole that's evolving in that it's growing, it's getting darker, it's elevated, that's really, really key for melanoma,' Melanoma grows in two phases, horizontal and vertical. The horizontal phase can last years before the mole becomes dangerous and invasive, meaning it spreads to lymph nodes and organs. But in a later phase, the lesion grows vertically, at which point it becomes a tumor with the ability to spread elsewhere in the body, potentially proving fatal. Dr Makhzoumi added: 'Once melanoma enters that vertical growth phase, they actually accelerate very rapidly. So if you have a spot that all of a sudden starts to develop a lump to it, that is highly concerning for malignant melanoma.' Bleeding or scaly patches These will often appear on areas of the skin most often exposed to sunlight, such as the face and the top of the head. Precancerous squamous cell carcinoma the second most common form of skin cancer leads to actinic keratosis leads to a skin disorder that causes rough, scaly patches. The patches can sometimes bleed and become ulcerous. Dr Lee said: 'They just feel scaly so you can feel them more than see them.' People that have a history of heavy sun exposure are most likely to experience this type of skin cancer. With every bad, blistering sunburn comes a heightened risk of squamous cell carcinoma. Fair-skinned people and those with light eyes who are more prone to sunburn are also more vulnerable to SCC. More often than not, though, squamous cell carcinoma is curable when treated early. In fact, the survival rate is as high as 98 per cent. Dr Nayoung Lee (left), a dermatologist at New York University, said that moles with multiple different colors within them can be a warning sign. Dr Zaineb Makhzoumi (right), a dermatologist at the University of Maryland, warned that multi-coloured moles are a sign of cancer A sore that bleeds may indicate another type of non-melanoma skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma which, like SCC, has a high survival rate. Still, people should treat it aggressively once it's detected. Dr Lee said: 'Depending on location they can grow deeper in muscle and bone, so they do become problematic if left to grow for a long period of time.' Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of cancer overall and the most common type of skin cancer more specifically. Dr Lee added: 'Basal cell carcinomas, we don't even stage them because survival rates are good.' Dark patches on genitals Melanoma can present as dark lesions on the mucous membranes, meaning the inside of the nose, mouth, vagina, or anus, or the fingers and toes. This subtype of aggressive cancer is exceedingly rare and accounts for less than two per cent of all melanoma cases. Unlike other types of melanoma, mucosal melanoma is not affected by sun exposure. About half of the mucosal melanomas start in the head and neck, typically the nose, mouth, windpipe, or esophagus. Smoking, ill-fitting dentures, and ingesting or inhaling carcinogens all greatly compound the risk of sarcomas in the mouth. Most of the remaining 50 per cent of melanomas begin in the anus or rectal region and the female genitals. Spots on mucosal areas might not be melanomas but rather squamous cell carcinomas. Dr Lee said: 'Initially when it's early it kind of looks like a whitish bump or ridge on the mucosal surface. So as it grows it starts to look more like an ulcer, it can look fungated [like a fungal infection in appearance], or other things.' While doctors have not pinpointed the exact cause of mucosal membrane melanomas and non-melanoma cancers, some believe they are linked to a viral strain of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV strains 16 and 18 are those deemed high risk and cause the vast majority of cervical cancers. But strains six and 11, lower risk varieties, are more commonly associated with non-UV-linked skin cancers inside our bodies' orifices. Dr Makhzoumi said: 'The subtypes that are causing a cervical cancer are not the same subtypes that are causing skin cancer.' Patients can sometimes mistake nonmelanoma cancers in the genital region with a sexually transmitted infection, but doctors want to drive home the fact that this type of cancer is not a sexually transmitted disease. Waxy, pearly bumps on skin Basal cell carcinoma, which typically appears on sun-exposed parts of the body like hands, neck, arms, and legs, often present as a waxy lump or a small, smooth, shiny, or pale growth. It does not always appear raised, though, and could resemble a flat scar. Dr Makhzoumi said: 'You really want to look for a basal cell skin cancer, one of the really specific signs is that when you stretch the edges, it looks pearly. There's an opalescence to it, there's an opalescence to basal cells, they do really look like shiny or pearl-like.' A 'notable' newly discovered Covid variant may already be spreading across the world, according to a panel of government experts including 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advisers admitted they are unsettled by the variant, called Pirola, due to its catalogue of mutations. Britain has already detected a case of the highly-evolved strain, along with Israel, Denmark and the US. Alarm bells were raised because the unidentified patient, who tested positive while being treated in a London hospital, had not left the country so would not have contracted it abroad. The UKHSA team, including epidemiologist Professor Ferguson, said the 'rapid' appearance of the variant which was only officially noted last week suggested 'established international transmission'. Pirola's arrival comes as Covid cases take off once again, sparking concerns that the UK is on the brink of another wave just as the country heads into the winter when the NHS is busiest. NHS hospital data shows daily Covid admissions in England have increased on average by almost a fifth in week, rising from a seven-day rolling average of 258 on August 4, to 308 on August 11 Professor Neil Ferguson (pictured) said Pirola appeared to growing rapidly. The variant technical group, part of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), is tasked with forecasting coronavirus-style scenarios in case the pathogen mutates to spread among humans easier Virologists are unsettled by BA.2.86, as it is officially known, because of the array of mutations it carries on its spike protein, which is the part of the coronavirus that vaccines were designed to target. One expert labelled it the most 'striking' strain to have spawned since the highly transmissible Omicron strain emerged in winter 2021 and sent cases skyrocketing. Others, however, have warned it is far too early to panic. No evidence shows Pirola is any more of a threat than the dozens of strains that have come before it. Immunity levels built-up through vaccine roll-outs and previous waves are high and over time the virus has evolved to become less deadly, allowing society to treat it in the same way as the flu without pandemic-era restrictions. It comes amid a spike in cases which has sparked fears of a fresh wave in the coming weeks. Genetic tests on Friday revealed an unidentified patient in a London hospital had the Omicron spin-off nicknamed Pirola but also known scientifically as BA.X/BA.2.86. No links were found to the five other cases logged worldwide, in the US, Denmark and Israel During a meeting last week the UKHSA's variant technical group confirmed the British patient was detected as part of routine hospital testing. MailOnline understands that the team, which meets on a weekly basis, also includes UKHSA chief medical adviser Professor Susan Hopkins as well as influential members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). It is unclear who was in attendance at the most recent meeting. The group is tasked with forecasting scenarios of Covid variants and producing assessments on the risk of emerging strains. It concluded there is 'established international transmission' of the strain despite the small number of cases detected to date. It was however 'a low confidence assessment until further sequences are available'. 'The UK case has no recent travel history, also suggesting a degree of community transmission within the UK,' the group added. It said a more complete assessment could be made within a fortnight. The government health agency also designated the strain as a 'variant for the purposes of tracking and assessment'. It comes a day after World Health Organisation officials labelled Pirola a 'variant under monitoring'. A former government adviser told MailOnline today the UKHSA likely published the assessment in efforts to dampen down speculation and anxieties about the new variant. It comes after Government scientists drew flak for making morbid predictions during the pandemic. UK Health Security Agency statistics show that 589 out of 6,500 neighbourhoods in England had detected at least three Covid cases in the week to August 12. For comparison, just 58 areas had reached this threshold given to protect the anonymity of patients sickened in tiny clusters at the start of July. MailOnline analysis shows the figure has gradually increased week-on-week since then, hitting 270 on July 29 and 448 on August 5 One that has drawn particular focus is modelling by SAGE expert Imperial College London epidemiologist Professor Ferguson, dubbed Professor Lockdown. It warned 510,000 people could die from Covid if ministers did not act in early 2020. That specific model, which critics have since called flawed, is single-handedly credited with spooking ministers into banishing Britons into lockdown to thwart the spread of the virus. Experts largely accepted economically-crippling measures were vital to control the spread of the virus because there was no vaccine to prevent severe illness and stunt hospital admissions at the time. But other epidemiologists and public health scientists shared 'grave concerns' about the collateral damage of such policies on the NHS and other parts of society. Some insist that lockdown is why cases didn't reach the eye-watering levels set out in Professor Ferguson's models. He made other gloomy models throughout the pandemic, and later accepted that some were 'off'. While only six cases of the new strain Pirola first spotted last month have been detected so far worldwide, virologists are unsettled because of its mutations. A process called 'sequencing' allows scientists to find the exact genetic make-up of every virus sample. Early tests show Pirola has around 30 unique mutations in its spike protein, the part of the virus that latches onto human cells and causes an infection. This is the same piece of the virus that vaccines are designed to target. Several have unknown functions but others are thought to help the virus evade the immune system. Experts believe it is derived from BA.2 variant which stopped circulating around July 2022. Overall, testing and the sequencing that detects new strains have decreased since the WHO removed its pandemic emergency declarations. In the UK, officials no longer track the prevalence of the virus in the same way they used to, as part of the Government's ushering in of pre-pandemic normalities. Variant tracking capabilities have also been scaled back. UK Health Security Agency statistics show that 589 out of 6,500 neighbourhoods in England had detected at least three Covid cases in the week to August 12. MailOnline analysis shows the figure has gradually increased week-on-week since then, hitting 270 on July 29 and 448 on August 5 However, testing levels have remained stable over the past few months. Around 5,000 lateral flow test results and 2,700 PCR readings have been uploaded per day in the last week. Positive test results are reported by the minority of the public still eligible for a free Covid test or have taken a PCR swab such as health and social care workers, anyone with underlying health conditions. Experts have warned it's far too early to panic. No evidence yet shows Pirola is any more of a threat than the dozens of strains that have come before it. Other variants flagged as troublesome have fizzled out naturally. Ministers have vowed they will never deploy the curbs wielded during the darkest days of the crisis in 2020 and 2021 unless a doomsday variant emerges. Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist and lead for the Covid response at the WHO, last week cautioned there is very limited information available on the strain. But she said it needs monitoring due to its large number of mutations. Surveillance and sequencing is 'critical' to detect new variants and track known ones, she added. Meanwhile, after Denmark confirmed its third case of the strain on Friday, its public health institute, the Statens Serum Institut, said it was testing the virus to assess whether it poses a threat. But it stressed there is currently no evidence that Pirola causes more severe illness. However, confirmation on the variant in the UK also comes amid a surge in cases of the virus in the country. The number of neighbourhoods hit by Covid outbreaks in England has doubled in a fortnight. Nearly 600 districts reported clusters in the week to August 12, up from just 270 two weeks earlier. It means the number of regions in England hit by Covid has more than doubled in a fortnight and surged ten-fold in five weeks. Hospital admissions are also rising sharply, sparking concerns that the UK is on the brink of another wave just as the country heads into the autumn when the NHS gets busier. NHS hospital data shows daily Covid admissions in England have increased on average by almost a fifth in week. They rose from a seven-day rolling average of 258 on August 4, to 308 on August 11, according to the latest figures available. The uptick also coincides with the arrival of Eris, a variant which already makes up one in four new cases. But the toll of affected neighbourhoods is still a fraction of levels seen at the height of the pandemic. In early 2021, when the nation had battled through its first winter with Covid circulating, more than 5,300 local authorities reported cases and at much higher levels. A former FDA boss has said he is 'pretty concerned' about a new Covid strain already spreading in the US. Dr Scott Gottlieb warned that the variant known as BA.X, BA.2.86 or Pirola was 'highly mutated' and therefore likely to be better at escaping the immune systems of vaccinated or previously infected people. He acknowledged there is no evidence the variant is deadlier than older versions of the virus, but Covid fatalities in the US have already started to creep up, though they remain at near historic lows. BA.X stems from an 'earlier branch' of the coronavirus, so it differs from the variant targeted by current vaccines. The Biden Administration is expected to seize on concerns about BA.X and urge every American to get the new updated Covid vaccines this fall but there are concerns about how effective they'll be against the new strain. Dr Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, warned the fresh variant was 'highly mutated' and may be more transmissible than previous strains. He was speaking on CBS' Face the Nation this Sunday Hospitalizations are tracking upwards in the US, having risen by about 14 percent in a week to 10,300 admissions every seven days The vaccine rollout will still be open to healthy children and young adults despite doubts about whether they are necessary. Speaking on CBS' 'Face the Nation' about the BA.X variant this Sunday, Dr Gottlieb who was an FDA commissioner for two years said: 'I've talked to a number of virologists who are usually pretty staid and they're pretty concerned about this. 'To put this in perspective, this new variant is as genetically different from Omicron as Omicron was from the original strain that emerged in Wuhan so this is a highly-mutated virus.' He added: 'Certainly, at this point, it doesn't appear to be more pathogenic, so it doesn't appear to be more dangerous [than other variants]. 'But it may be more transmissible than the strains that are circulating now. And in that case, it could overtake them. 'It's too early to know. The testing's underway. I think we're going to know a lot more in a week or two.' Dr Gottlieb is now a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and sits on a Pfizer advisory board. BA.X has more than 30 mutations that distinguish it from the currently-dominant XBB.1.5 variant. These mutations have sparked alarm among experts, with some warning the strain is 'reminiscent' of the early days of Omicron because it is so different from any other variant currently circulating. When the first infections were revealed last week in Denmark and Israel, some scientists were so concerned that they even urged people to put on face masks again. A total of six infections have now been detected in four countries with the UK and US also reporting one case each although experts warn the strain is likely more widespread, although a lack of testing means many cases have been missed. In the UK, health officials say they have not been able to link their infection to another known case suggesting the mutant strain is more widespread. America's case was detected in Michigan, scientists say, but few other details have been revealed about the patient. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say they are monitoring the strain. Almost all Americans already have a level of protection against the virus, either from vaccinations, past infections or both, which gives experts optimism that there will not be another deadly wave. Hospitalizations and fatalities are now rising in the US, however, although these are coming up from historic lows and still well below this time last year. In the latest week data was available there were 10,300 hospitalizations, up 14 percent from the week before but barely a quarter of the 43,000 reported in the same week last year. Latest data also recorded 479 deaths in the last week of July, up eight percent on the previous seven days but, again, well below the 3,200 from this time last year. Deaths are up by eight percent to nearly 500 per week, although this still remains well below record levels The 'Eris' Covid variant scientifically known as EG.5 is currently dominant in the US behind about one in five cases, although Dr Gottlieb estimates this could be as many as half. Concerns have also been raised over this strain, which appears to spread more rapidly than others. But scientists say there is also nothing to suggest this is more likely to cause severe disease or death than previous strains. In preparation for shoring up America's Covid defenses this winter, a White House source said that everyone would be offered an updated booster. These shots are designed to target the XBB variants which are currently dominant in the US with Moderna reporting last week that its shot also worked against the BA.X subvariant that is currently dominant in America. They are set to be offered to all age groups, despite controversy over whether children and adults under 65 years old will need the top-up. In the UK, only adults older than 65 years are set to be offered the vaccine. Gun-related deaths in American children have reached a new record high, new data has shown. Analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that guns were responsible for the deaths of 4,752 Americans aged zero to 19 in 2021, which surpassed the previous record of 4,368 in 2020. It is the third year in a row there have been gun deaths in children now firmly ahead of motor vehicle traffic, suffocation, poisoning and drowning as leading causes of death. Dr Chethan Sathya, a pediatric trauma surgeon at Northwell Health in New York and the lead author of the study, said: 'This is undoubtedly one of our chief public health crises in this country. 'The most likely reason that your child will die in this country is at the hands of a firearm. Thats not acceptable.' The leading causes of death in American children from 2018-2021. Crude death rate is the rate of death per 100,000 person The above maps show the mortality rate from firearms in children by state and year between 2018 and 2021 Just last week, a nine-year-old shot dead a six-year-old boy in Jacksonville, Florida (stock photo) There is no sign that the steep trajectory of firearm deaths in children is slowing, Dr Sathya added. Over 80 percent of the firearm deaths were in males 19 and younger. Almost two-thirds of the deaths were homicides, with black male children most likely to die from homicide, while white males 19 and younger were more likely to kill themselves with guns. Of the 2021 deaths, 64 percent were homicides, 30 percent were suicides, and four percent were unintentional. Unintended shootings have also risen. Just last week, a nine-year-old shot dead a six-year-old boy in Jacksonville, Florida. A three-year-old in Florida also recently died after shooting himself with a handgun. In California, a three-year-old fatally shot his one-year-old sister with a handgun, and a two-year-old died after finding an 'unsecured firearm.' Between 2018 and 2021, there was a nearly 42 percent increase in the rate of children killed by guns, according to the analysis. Researchers were expecting to see a decline in firearm-related deaths in children in 2021 after they skyrocketed in 2020 though to be due to growing rates of mental illness during pandemic-induced lockdowns. Dr Sathya said the fact that gun deaths kept growing was 'surprising to many of us.' According to a separate analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 1,427 children aged one to 17 died from cancer in the US in 2021, while 2,348 died from motor vehicle accidents. The new study was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. READ MORE: Covid restrictions messed up children's balance because they spent so much time on screens Putting on nursery rhymes or cartoons has been the savior of many parents seeking a bit of respite from their babies. But letting infants watch programs on tv, tablets and phones may make them slower to talk and develop, a study suggests. Those who had the most screen time in their first year of life suffered the biggest developmental delays when toddlers, researchers found. The data comes after children's screen time rocketed during the Covid pandemic, when lockdowns and school closures forced them to stay indoors. Letting babies watch programs on tv, tablets and phones may make them slower to talk and develop (stock image) Researchers from Tohoku University, Japan, studied 7,000 babies, roughly half girls and half boys, between 2013 and 2017. Parents were given a questionnaire asking how many hours do they allowed their children to watch TV, DVDs, video games, and internet games, including mobile phones and tablets. The response options were none, less than one, one to less than two, two to less than four, or four or more hours per day. They found around half (48.5 percent) spent under an hour watching screens, 29.5 percent had one to two hours, 17.9 percent clocked between two and four hours, and 4.1 percent stared at a screen for over four hours a day. Children were assessed on communication, such as babbling, vocalising, and understanding and gross motor, such as arm, body, and leg movement. Scientists also looked at fine motor, such as hand and finger movement, and problem solving, such as learning and playing with toys. Children were also assessed on their personal and social skills, focussing on solitary social play and playing with toys and other children. Scientists linked a high screen time aged one with challenges in fine motor function, social and personal skills by the time they were two, according to the findings published in JAMA Paediatrics. The more time children spent on screens, the less developed these skills were but these delays had gone when assessed again age four. Researchers suggest it could be that youngsters may have already been suffering with slower fine motor, social, and personal development and had high screen time as a result. They also noted that some kids could see an improvement in their language skills if their screens were used for educational purposes. Associate Professor and study author Dr Taku Obara said: The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that high-quality (e.g. educational) programs should be selected when introducing digital media to children aged 18 to 24 months. Because it is difficult to limit screen time in general in today's world of electronic devices, it may be beneficial to identify and limit the screen time aspects that are associated with developmental delays while taking advantage of the educational aspects. A man from Ohio had to have five of his toes amputated after suffering a tick bite while on a summer fishing trip. Tim Rosebrook, from Toledo, has now been left with a stump for a right foot after the bite triggered an infection that cut off blood to his toes. Mr Rosebrook thought nothing of it when he noticed a tick on his third right toe following the trip last July. He removed the parasite and went about his life, but over the course of the next three weeks, his toe turned black and by the time he went to doctors, they had no choice but to amputate. Tim Rosebrook, from Toledo, had five toes on his right foot amputated after a tick bite became infected. The infection ended up cutting off circulation to his toes Mr Rosebrook (right) is pictured above with his doctor, Dr Ahmad Younes, a cardiologist at ProMedica in Ohio Doctors said the bite had triggered an infection which had damaged his blood vessels and caused critical limb ischemia, or when the blood flow to extremities like the toes is restricted. This leads to a lack of oxygen and nutrients in these areas, risking cell death and problems with repairing wounds such as from a tick bite. Doctors warned that in many cases of this condition, they would need to amputate someone's leg below the knee. But with Mr Rosebrook they were able to avoid amputating his lower leg after performing surgery to reconstruct some of his veins, restoring blood flow to most of the affected area. Describing losing his third right toe, Mr Rosebrook told 13ABC: 'They sent me to Flower [hospital], checked me out there, and next thing I know they took off the third toe.' When he returned in November with another diseased toe, he said: 'That toe they took off right there in my room, it was infected that bad! 'In that whole week, we went with taking a toe off, and then we went to working on the veins on the right leg, and then the following day is when they took all the toes.' During a tick bite, the critter burrows its head underneath the skin before injecting a numbing saliva so the host won't notice any pain. It then starts to suck blood. At this time, however, there is also a risk of the tick transmitting dangerous bacteria to a host which may cause an infection. Dr Ahmad Younes, a cardiologist at ProMedica in Ohio who treated Mr Rosebrook, said the hospital had 'declared war' on the infection to save their patient. 'We know that patients with critical limb ischemia which is what he had are at high risk of amputations,' he said. 'This is an advanced condition of peripheral arterial disease, where there is cholesterol plaque in the arteries that supply his foot, and that prevents wound healing if there's no adequate blood flow.' The doctor was able to save Mr Rosebrook's leg after performing surgery to reconstruct some of his veins He added: 'The word we use I think we're gonna go to war to keep this leg on.' In a warning to others, he said: 'Not every tick bite will cause patients to lose their legs, but we're more careful with patients with risk factors. 'If they have diabetes, if they have high cholesterol, if they're smokers, if they have heart disease, these patients have a higher risk of peripheral arterial disease and we take any of their wounds seriously.' About 50,000 Americans are bitten by ticks annually, estimates suggest, although it is only in rare cases that this leads to amputations. Tick bites are becoming more and more common, however, as warmer temperatures allow the critters to be active for longer and to spread further north. Doctors recommend receiving treatment for a bite if someone is concerned, especially if a red bulls-eye shape appears around it which is indicative of Lyme disease. This is because patients in the hospital are likely to be vulnerable due to age Calls for Covid face masks to return are ramping up amid increasing virus rates and the rise of a highly-mutated new variant. An Atlanta college has become the first since the government declared the pandemic over to mandate masks for students and staff just days after classes began. Morris Brown College, a private liberal arts school, is requiring students and employees to wear face masks in hallways and lecture halls for two weeks due to 'reports of positive cases among students.' Officials have also told students to maintain social distancing and banned all parties and large student gatherings for two weeks. Meanwhile, in an editorial published by the American College of Physicians (ACP), Government doctors and public health experts in Seattle have called for face coverings to be made compulsory in all healthcare facilities once more. They argue that hospital patients are at a higher risk of dying from or being seriously ill with Covid and would benefit from the 'reduce[d] risk for Covid contracted in the hospital among patients and health care workers.' A staff member offers a face mask to a man at Chinese Hospital in San Francisco, back in August 2021 during the pandemic People wearing masks wait to enter the Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, in July 2020 Hospitalizations from Covid are tracking upwards in the US, having risen by about 14 percent in a week to 10,300 admissions every seven days Morris Brown College in Atlanta became the first since the government declared the pandemic was over to mandate masks for students and staff just a week after classes began The 10 experts from Seattle & King County health department and the University of Washington said we should 'find ways to adapt to this new reality' rather than 'accepting unnecessary risks to patient and provider health.' Talk of masking up in public has been gaining traction after the CDC said it was monitoring new Covid variant BA.2.86. Numbers of Covid cases in Georgia have increased for three weeks in a row, but overall, the number of infections and hospitalizations remains low. Meanwhile, the academic paper was likely written before the new variants came to light, and before Covid hospitalization rates started rising in the US. Earlier today, a former FDA boss said he is 'pretty concerned' the variant known as BA.X, BA.2.86 or Pirola, which is 'highly mutated' and therefore likely to be better at escaping the immune systems of vaccinated or previously infected people. Dr Scott Gottlieb acknowledged there is no evidence the variant is deadlier than older versions of the virus, but Covid fatalities in the US have already started to creep up, though they remain at near historic lows. Hospitalizations and fatalities are now rising in the US, however, although these are coming up from historic lows and still well below this time last year. In the article published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the ACP's academic medical journal, said there is 'rationale to integrate precautions', including 'the ongoing disease burden among persons at highest risk for severe Covid-19, the large proportion of transmission from asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases, uncertainty about the future course of the pandemic, and the effects of postCovid-19 conditions.' Statements expressed in the journal do not necessarily reflect the views of the ACP. The researchers recognized that Covid cases have dropped dramatically since the pandemic due to vaccines, antivirals and increased community immunity, but said that 'severe outcomes' are still occurring due to the virus. They argued that patients in hospitals are far more vulnerable due to age and underlying conditions. The authors added: 'If we accept the benefits of increased mask wearing in clinical settings, we should find ways to adapt to this new reality rather than accepting unnecessary risks to patient and provider health. 'Perhaps rather than removing masks to improve rapport building and enhance perceived empathy, we could find ways to improve masked communication.' Patients should also be allowed to 'request that their providers wear a mask when they believe it is appropriate,' the commentary said. The authors said the masking could take different approaches, such as across healthcare settings in targeted settings like transplant, oncology, and geriatric units, where risk is highest for patients, but noted this is a 'less desirable' option. It could also be done in certain months of the year when the respiratory season is highest, depending on where the hospital is in the US, or when the burden of respiratory viruses on the community reaches a level deemed too high. They reference Washington State where healthcare organizations decided to extend universal masking in patient spaces, with individual facilities 'given the flexibility to tailor policies to their own unique spaces.' When Biden ended the Covid national emergency, the Covid measures were meant to have been dropped for good. But some UK scientists known for making gloomy predictions earlier in the pandemic are so concerned about the new Covid variants they have advised people to mask up again. Masks have long been a controversial Covid strategy due to the lack of hard evidence that they are effective. One of the most comprehensive meta-analyses of face coverings found that masks made 'little to no difference' to Covid infection or death rates in community settings. The debate around masks first turned sour in 2020 when health officials flip-flopped on their effectiveness. Then-NIAID director Dr Anthony Fauci said in 2020 that masks were 'not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is.' He later suggested people should wear masks as a mark of 'respect' for others. He admitted to lying to the public about masks' effectiveness to prevent panic buying and preserve masks for healthcare workers. The agency still recommends Americans wear masks in places with high transmission levels, such as on public transport. Critics of masks claim they have hindered communication and children's development and progress at school. Rises in RSV and flu in the winter were partly attributed to face-covering mandates because they prevented children from gaining natural immunity to other illnesses. Experts have described the new generation of drugs such as donanemab and lecanemab, which have been shown to slow down the progression of dementia, as a turning point in tackling the disease. But that's only part of the story. With the drugs most effective if they are used early, there is a growing need for new ways to diagnose dementia in the earliest stages, so patients can benefit fully from any treatments. In the meantime, new ways to help those living with dementia to stay independent for as long as possible can also have a big impact. Around 200,000 people in the UK develop dementia every year and a million people are currently living with the condition. The Alzheimer's Society says those with dementia occupy at least a quarter of hospital beds in England and are the most frequent users of adult social care services. Colin Capper, associate director of evidence and involvement at the Alzheimer's Society, says: 'If you're living with dementia, then being in hospital is very challenging. It often causes a downward spiral in the condition.' The Dorothy Community app allows people with dementia to find where they are going using a system similar to a satnav, that can be downloaded on to their smartphone or tablet Here we look at a range of technologies - available now or in development - which could lead to earlier diagnoses, helping those with dementia live independently and stay out of hospital. 'SATNAV' TO MAP FAMILIAR PLACES Sleep monitor aids diagnosis A pad that monitors sleep quality could identify people at risk of dementia. Data collected from the pad, which is placed under a mattress, is fed into a computer program that analyses 'sleep signature' a measure of the quality of sleep. This will be analysed using the 'dementia sleep index' a marker of sleep quality that is sensitive to disturbances seen in dementia, which was created by Imperial College London researchers. A new study called InSleep 46, taking place at University College London, will use the pad to identify participants whose sleep patterns suggest they are at risk of dementia; if it is proved accurate, it could then be deployed within the NHS. The pad, which is around the size of a pillowcase folded in half, detects when someone gets in and out of bed, sleep interruptions, and heart and breathing rates. Sleeping troubles are reported in about two-thirds of people with Alzheimer's. Advertisement The Dorothy Community app allows people with dementia to find where they are going using a system similar to a satnav, that can be downloaded on to their smartphone or tablet. The augmented reality app (which adds visual and other sensory information to enhance a real-life situation) maps everything in close detail. The user follows a 'yellow brick road' - the Wizard Of Oz reference is where the app's name comes from - to where they choose. They select this location by pressing on icons such as bathroom and living room. The app, which received funding from the Longitude Prize on Dementia, has been tested in three care homes in Waltham Forest and Romford, in London, where people with dementia have used it via an iPad attached to a walking frame. Dr Samir Shah, co-founder of the app and a consultant psychiatrist at North East London Foundation Trust, says it helped patients find their way to different rooms, which many of them could not do before. 'We demonstrated that users were walking more and were less likely to develop urine infections because they were able to go to the bathroom often enough - a common cause of urine infections is not using the loo as much as you should do,' he says. 'If we can help people to be more active, this should keep them less frail and reduce the chance of falls. Usually, the less you do, the worse you get.' The system uses GPS and object recognition to create the maps, then the creators add 'places of interest' such as bedrooms, medication counters, loos and where to get food and drink. It can record useful information for a 'companion app' - used by a carer or relative - including how many times someone has visited the bathroom or if they have got up in the night. That means issues such as urine infections could be spotted and treated earlier. Dr Shah adds: 'Our ultimate aim is to make every public space dementia-friendly by using accessible technology.' MONITOR TO REDUCE EVENING DISTRESS An innovative project aims to lessen 'sundowning' in people with dementia - that's agitation, restlessness, confusion and raised anxiety that starts in the late afternoon and continues into the night. It is thought to affect 20 to 30 per cent of dementia patients. 'People experiencing sundowning may even have hallucinations and delusions,' says Dr Rebekah Luff, a senior research analyst at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) charity, which is collaborating on the project with the University of Stirling. 'It usually happens farther into the stages of dementia, when it's likely someone has had a diagnosis.' A monitoring system developed by software company Anthropos Digital Care uses data collected from wireless sensors and monitors around the home, such as on doors, lights and kettles, to record their usage. This data will be used to understand someone's daily routines and spot any changes in behaviour that make sundowning more likely. The SCIE team will use this data, together with information from people with dementia and their carers, to offer insights into how best to support someone experiencing sundowning - for example, by helping them maintain more of a routine, or altering the environment of rooms that are too dark or too cold - or picking up that the person has eaten early and so may be hungry in the evening. Eye check to spot brain changes Routine eye tests may be able to track the progression of dementia. A study by Queen's University Belfast will look at scans of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, to detect changes which are thought to mirror those happening in the brain the retina contains very similar cells to those in the brain. 'In someone with Alzheimer's there are yellow deposits of fatty proteins, known as drusen, below the retina which should not be there, in the same way that amyloid proteins build up and form plaques in the brain,' says Dr Imre Lengyel, who is leading the research. 'If the cell deposits grow quickly, it shows the disease is progressing.' The research will study the eyes of people with Down's syndrome, which is caused by a genetic abnormality that raises their risk of developing Alzheimer's. Changes in annual eye scans and tear samples, which previous research has shown can contain inflammatory molecules associated with Alzheimer's, will be used to check the eye is a good window to monitor disease progression, and will be compared with brain scans to see if they match up. 'Our ultimate aim is to spot disease progression earlier,' says Dr Lengyel. 'Eventually we hope that looking for signs of Alzheimer's and progression of the disease could be done at High Street opticians.' Advertisement 'The reasons why sundowning happens are not well understood but it's likely that there are a range of factors,' says Dr Luff. 'There is some evidence that a disrupted body clock, or circadian rhythm, in someone with dementia is connected to sundowning - this can also impact daily routines - and changes in the eye and light also relate to this.' The new system is planned to be tested on 15 people with moderate to late-stage dementia who live alone, by the end of the year. HOLOGRAM GLASSES TO PROMPT RECALL The CrossSense glasses might look like ordinary glasses but they use augmented reality to create holograms assigned to specific objects and people - the theory is that they help to improve recall in people with dementia. 'The idea is that the user would learn to associate the additional stimuli provided by the glasses, such as a colour or specific music, with certain people or objects and in turn memorise things more effectively,' explains Szczepan Orlowski, software and business developer at Animorph Cooperative, which makes the glasses. 'For example, by associating a particular person, such as a husband or wife, with a certain colour or 'aura', the person with dementia would be trained to recognise this colour association over time and, in turn, recognise the person.' The concept builds on research that found people with the neurological condition synesthesia - which leads to experiencing one sense through another, so hearing a word triggers seeing a colour, for example - have better memory in older age over the general population. One theory is that this is related to the strengthened connections in their brains. The creators hope that using the glasses, which contain tiny cameras and microphones, will engage many areas of the brain, creating more connections, which will better stimulate the retrieval of information. The hope is that the user will not just have one way to recognise an object but several interconnected ones. The device is personalised before use, for example by uploading images of someone's relatives and frequently used objects, so it can recognise them when applying the hues and giving reminders. The creator hopes to test the glasses on people with early to mid-stage dementia in the autumn. Their memory and recall abilities will then be evaluated to find out if the glasses have helped. The glasses currently cost around 2,700, but the price is expected to come down. DOLL TO HELP REDUCE ANXIETY Hug by Laugh (the name of the research team from Cardiff Metropolitan University that developed it) is a 45cm tall soft, sensory doll designed to mimic the sensation of being hugged by a loved one, for people with advanced dementia. It has weighted limbs and a soft body that contains a simulated beating heart; and a music player that can be programmed to play a person's favourite music. Hug by Laugh (the name of the research team from Cardiff Metropolitan University that developed it) is a 45cm tall soft, sensory doll designed to mimic the sensation of being hugged by a loved one, for people with advanced dementia You place the comforter's upper arms around the shoulders and the doll will play music and return the cuddle. 'HUG has been shown to be really effective in terms of improving wellbeing, especially in the later stages of dementia,' says Simon Lord, head of innovation at the Alzheimer's Society. Research published earlier this year in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, involving 40 people with dementia, found using HUG could relieve anxiety and distress. It also improved food and drink intake and made people better at taking medication and having medical procedures - because the hug alleviated the anxiety and distress that can make these things difficult for people with dementia. CARD TO KEEP MONEY SAFE Sibstar is a debit card that helps people living with dementia to manage their spending. The card, which was developed by the daughter of a woman with dementia, is loaded with money by the person with dementia or their carer and can be linked to an app on a phone, which controls how and where the money can be used. The person who has financial power of attorney for someone with dementia receives real-time alerts on their phone to keep track of any purchases - the notifications allow them to keep an eye on loved ones while maintaining the person with dementia's independence. They can also act as a conversation starter to discuss the patient's daily activities. The same notifications can be set up to appear on the patient's phone, which is thought to help jog their memory about what they have been doing that day. The system is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the card has a 4.99 set-up fee and a monthly subscription of 4.99. 'People with dementia can make repeated purchases or buy things that don't make sense to relatives,' explains Colin Capper, from the Alzheimer's Society, which helped to fund the initiative. 'We also know older, more vulnerable people are more at risk from fraud, so this would help protect them. Sibstar has provided a solution that didn't exist before.' SPECTACLES THAT DETECT FALLS Imagic smart glasses are designed to help people recognise familiar faces and make phone calls, as well as monitor their heart rate, body temperature and sleep duration - all key signs of wellbeing for older people living alone. The hi-tech glasses are in development at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates and will be tested on people with different stages of dementia next year. They will contain a gyroscope (to measure orientation) and an accelerometer (to measure acceleration) which will assess movements and detect if someone falls or is likely to have a fall. Any information that suggests someone is unwell or at risk of a fall can be shared with a carer. The glasses, which will look like ordinary glasses with added sensors, batteries and connectors, will have a sensor which 'sees' a face and a module that would recognise it after running a comparison against stored familiar faces. 'They will be like a small, wearable computer,' says Dr Mohamed Seghier, a professor of biomedical engineering at Khalifa University. Holiday companies and consumer groups have written a letter to the Prime Minister calling for the aviation watchdog to be given the power to fine airlines. They want the UK Government to announce a bill at the upcoming King's Speech in November granting the Civil Aviation Authority stronger powers to punish air carriers for poor customer service. Signatories include the chief executives of Riviera Travel, Love Holidays and Thomas Cook, as well as the general counsel of On the Beach and the executive director of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. Flight warning: Holiday companies and consumer groups have written a letter to the Prime Minister calling for the Civil Aviation Authority to be given the power to fine airlines While some of these issues are outside of airlines control, they are routinely failing whats in their control: to uphold their customers legal rights to rerouting and refunds, and provide clear and timely passenger information. Many Britons have seen their summer holiday plans severely disrupted by strike action, cancellations, and wildfires across popular southern European destinations like Rhodes and Tenerife. Under current rules, travellers who have their flights axed should either be refunded or rerouted on a separate flight, and compensated for other expenses like food and accommodation. But according to the letter, airlines are 'routinely failing what's in their control,' including obligations such as providing passengers with 'clear and timely' information. As a result, signatory firm Which? says some holidaymakers are using their savings and overdrafts to fund their journeys, causing a negative impact on mental health. In a recent survey by the group, 45 per cent of travellers who experienced a delay claimed no airline employees were available to assist them. This turmoil has also caused difficulties for package holiday providers and third-party firms responsible for flight bookings, who have had difficulty getting back millions in compensation. Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: 'Thousands of passengers have been subjected to unfair and in some cases unlawful treatment by airlines and enough is enough. 'We're calling on the PM to show he is on the side of holidaymakers by giving the aviation regulator the power to issue substantial fines to airlines when they flout the law.' In late June, the Department for Transport said the CAA should be allowed more enforcement powers over the airlines it regulates. But the government has not released a timetable for passing these reforms, raising doubts that it will happen before the next UK general election. The CAA cannot directly fine an air carrier, so it has to apply to the courts for an enforcement order against them. Last month, the public body began legal action against Wizz Air following a massive volume of complaints against the budget airline for unpaid refunds. Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said airlines are 'unlikely to be immune the economic backdrop worsens and if the CAA is given new powers to fine if companies don't fulfil legal obligations, they could be hit with another bout of turbulence'. Walmart wants to crack down on users posing as other people. The popular retail corporation recently announced it is rolling out two identity verification systems for its delivery platform to verify a driver's identity and prevent fraud. Walmart launched its delivery platform, Spark, in 2018 and has seen significant success during the lockdowns and quarantines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A Case Of Fraudulent Identities Walmart's delivery drivers have a problem. According to a report from Business Insider, they have an issue with the company's Spark delivery platform giving delivery orders to drivers using false identities. The problem is evidenced by the recent experience of Walmart Spark delivery driver Mike Del Rio. He claims to be sitting in his car for hours without a single delivery while noticing the same handful of drivers receiving and delivering order after order. He later learned that these drivers assume false identities to get more delivery orders for themselves, giving them more income in turn. Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated case - many Spark drivers across the US noticed this modus operandi in action. According to the Spark drivers Business Insider spoke to, these fraudulent people used multiple phones and multiple names to get more delivery orders for themselves. These drivers asked to remain anonymous for fear of Walmart's retaliation against them, which may also mean their deactivation as Spark delivery drivers. Read More: YouTube Might Be Investigated for Showing Targeted Ads to Kids, Again According to a Walmart spokesperson, the company takes any reports of fraudulent activity seriously and has deployed many enhancements to other delivery platforms introduced to help them identify and prevent fraudulent activity. These include process improvements, product, and technical solutions, and confirming the identity of delivery drivers picking up and delivering orders. To prevent delivery-driver identity fraud, Walmart intends to roll out facial recognition and ID scam systems in September to verify a delivery driver's identity before they take an order. "We actively monitor and deactivate accounts whenever we become aware of fraud and are continuously rolling out new features and solutions to further prevent this activity," the spokesperson added. "We encourage drivers to report any concerns to Spark Driver platform driver support so we can investigate and take the appropriate action." Unfortunately, many drivers claim that their reports calling out certain Spark delivery drivers didn't amount to anything. However, the spokesperson said that the company is investigating them and that its team is taking "the appropriate action." Competiton From The Living And The Bots Fraudulent delivery drivers aren't the only problem Walmart faces with its crowd-sourced delivery platform. A report from Chicago Tribune revealed that some scammers use bots to hoard orders on the platform, making earning a living difficult for Walmart's Chicago-based delivery drivers. The alleged scammers even harassed and threatened some Sparks delivery drivers while waiting in the parking lots for orders. The situation reached a point where those that were harassed and harmed banded together outside the Cicero Supercenter to call attention to the issue. Walmart explained that the use of bots on its delivery platform violates its terms of use; it has been investigating reports of bot usage and has been deactivating drivers who muse the platform since. Related Article: Walmart Plans to Add Thousands of EV Charging Stations by 2030 The Albanese government says it cannot intervene in the case of a 16-year-old cancer patient whose family says she is being denied a lung transplant because of refusing the Covid vaccine as her condition continues to deteriorate in hospital. Leukemia-sufferer Dazelle Peters is fighting for her life in Newcastle's John Hunter, north of Sydney, with father Josh Peters saying her condition continues to alarmingly deteriorate because her lungs are 'buggered'. Sydney's St Vincent's hospital says Dazelle's lack of a Covid vaccination is a factor in her not being put on the lung transplant waiting list, but says there are other reasons beside that. Since undergoing a May 2021 bone marrow transplant Dazelle has suffered from Graft-versus-host disease, which causes her body's immune system to attack donor's blood cells. She has also contracted a rare form of pneumonia, which the hospital says makes Dazelle a potentially immunocompromised patient that needs to be vaccinated. A hospital spokesperson confirmed their 'policies and guidelines wouldn't support transplantation' of an unvaccinated person. 'Vaccination status against various infections is a critical part of this assessment in order to ensure optimal prospects of survival post-transplant,' a St Vincent's hospital spokesperson said. Dazelle Peters, a 16-year-old cancer patient, is being denied a lung transplant after refusing to take the Covid vaccine Despite saying she was 'sorry' to learn of Dazelle's situation Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney had advised 'the Australian Government is unable to intervene in clinical decisions'. Mr Kearney's response was in reply to a letter sent to her by outspoken Liberal MP Russell Broadbent, who raised both the plight of Dazelle and Victorian mum Vicki Derderian, who is being denied a heart transplant for refusing the jabs. Although Mr Broadbent wrote that he sought 'urgent clarification' on the two cases Ms Kearney did not reply until more than a fortnight later and following an enquiry on the response by Daily Mail Australia. 'The priority and treatment given to an individual is ultimately a clinical decision made by the treating hospital and transplant teams involved, Ms Kearney's letter stated. However, it clarified there is no official mandate barring the unvaccinated from getting transplants. Father Josh Peters waits beside his daughter Dazelle's bedside as the teen battles a disease that is attacking her lungs and other organs 'The Guidelines do not prevent a patient who has not received a Covid-19 vaccination from being placed on a transplant waitlist,' Ms Kearney stated. Ms Kearney said the states are ultimately responsible for transplant practices. 'Each state and territory is responsible for the delivery of the jurisdictional health services, including hospital and transplantation services,' it read. Dazelle's family say that while the consulting surgeon described Dazelle as a 'complex' case he also said she needed to 'do the right thing' and get the vaccines, which take nine months to administer, to keep other patients and staff safe. In a speech delivered on the floor of the House of Representatives in May Mr Broadbent implored MPs to take up Dazelle's cause. Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney has written to a Liberal MP who has taken up Dazelle's case saying she can't help 'Do you think it's OK for Dazzelle to be refused lifesaving surgery because she hasn't been jabbed?' he said. 'She and her parents aren't anti-vaxxers, far from it. After her bone marrow transplant, Dazzle had to be revaccinated with all her childhood vaccinations.' Mr Broadbent told Daily Mail Australia that every transplant is 'a miracle' because a number of factors have to align. 'It all has to come together at the right time and each time it comes together it is a miracle because there is a match,' he said.. For a transplant to occur a legally willing donor has to die on life support in a hospital that is appropriately equipped. Just as crucially there has to be a matching recipient of roughly the same age with the same blood type available in the timeframe that a transplant team can operate and an organ be kept viable if it is harvested. Outspoken Liberal MP Russell Broadbent says it would be 'unbelievable' if Dazelle were allowed to die because of hospital 'guidelines Liver transplant survivor and donation advocate Rob Manning told Daily Mail Australia there is a risk a willing donor's lungs that are uniquely a match Dazelle could be wasted if she is not a transplant list. 'This story is not about vaccines or anti vaxxers, it is about saving a young girls life,' he said. 'As a forever grateful recipient and passionate organ and tissue donor advocate, I think it is critical that everyone be afforded the same opportunity that I was given, if they ever need it and certainly Dazelle needs it.' 'Under no circumstances once a family has consented to their loved one becoming a deceased organ donor, should a hospital allow any of the donors organs to be wasted due to internal policies or politics. 'If the only person able to receive donated lungs Is Dazelle, then the hospital should ensure she receives them.' Josh Peters with his daughter Dazelle before the 16-year-old was diagnosed with leukaemia St Vincent's Hospital says it backs the decision not to put Dazelle on a wait list. 'The position taken in this case is that of the St Vincents Hospitals Transplant Team,' a hospital spokesperson said. 'It is purely evidence-based and entirely supported by the hospital. ' Mr Peters insists his family has done everything to make Dazelle a suitable transplant candidate, except get the four Covid shots. 'They are a Catholic hospital. They have all taken an oath to help people and take care of people and do the right thing by people. 'Who deems that she doesn't deserve a chance over anybody else?' 'This is no game. This child is f***ing sick man.' He said his daughter has been in and out of John Hunter Hospital since she was found collapsed in her bedroom a couple of weeks ago. 'Her lungs are all scarred up, they are buggered they are only running at about 20 per cent,' Mr Peters said. Mr Peters holds Dazelle's hand with the teen slipping into a coma following her bone marrow transplant in May 2021 'She couldn't even start to perform the lung function the other day because her lungs are just too distraught to hold the oxygen.' Although her cancer is in remission the toll taken by treatments over the past two and half years since her diagnosis in late 2020 have caused Dazelle's kidney, liver and heart to be impaired and she now weighs just 40kg. Dazelle's condition continues to worsen in hospital Although none of his family has been vaccinated against Covid, Mr Peters insists the decision is entirely Dazelle's. 'Dazelle has been clear she doesn't want the jabs,' Mr Peters said. 'People think that because we are the parents, we make the decisions, but we are not talking about a five-year-old child here. 'We can't force her, and the hospital know they can't force her.' According to the TGA, Covid-19 vaccines can cause some side effects. The most frequently reported include injection-site reactions (such as a sore arm) and more general symptoms, like headache, muscle pain, fever and chills. Myocarditis- an inflammation of the heart - is also listed as a possible but rare side effect of Covid-19 vaccinations. Myocarditis is reported in just 1-2 in every 100,000 people who receive Pfizer, and two in every 100,000 of those who receive Moderna and 3-4 in every 100,000 people who receive Novavax. The chief of police in the opioid-hit New Hampshire hometown of the FDA official who gave the thumbs up to Oxycontin wants to show him the damage the decision to legalize the drug has done even in rural America. Chief Paul Smith only discovered through DailyMail.com that Curtis Wright was living in retirement in Littleton. But while Smith didn't know Wright was in his town, he certainly knew who he was and his reputation for propelling the drug on to the market. 'I don't know Curtis Wright,' the chief told DailyMail.com. 'But if I was given the opportunity to speak to him, I'd give him the opportunity to come in and see what the epidemic has done in getting people addicted to these opiates. 'I would say to him, let's go do a ride-along. Let's go look and see the impact. Why don't we go look at the homeless camp and let's go look at some other places. Why don't you go down to the Serenity Center (a rehab facility) and see what the impact of the epidemic has done to us?' Wright joined Purdue Pharma a year after he left the FDA where he paved the way for the legalization of Purdue's top-selling OxyContin Chief Paul Smith would like to show Curtis Wright the hometown effects of his pushing through the legalization of OxyContin Former FDA official Curtis Wright, whose role in the opioids epidemic is being reviewed thanks to the Netflix show Painkillers, now lives in retirement in Littleton, New Hampshire Smith would like to show Wright the dark side of picturesque Littleton where his force has to spend untold hours arresting dealers and making sure addicts get help We revealed on Saturday that Wright who is facing new scrutiny thanks to the Netflix drama Painkiller lives quietly with his wife Linda in a 2,500 sq ft hideaway cabin on the outskirts of Littleton, a town of 6,000 residents on the Vermont border. When approached for his view on how he is portrayed on Painkiller, Wright, 73, barked: 'Go away. I don't talk to the press.' Wright is the former high-ranking FDA official who propelled OxyContin through the legalization process in 1995 after originally fighting against it. He then left government service and took a high-paying job with Purdue Pharma, the company that makes the drug. His role in the opioid epidemic that has swept the country is spelled out in the hit new Netflix series Painkiller. But Chief Smith, 55, has plenty he would like to tell Wright. he would tell him that OxyContin set the stage for the heroin epidemic and the increasing use of fentanyl. And he would like to show him how police resources in the town are now tied up as they focus on arresting dealers and hooking addicts up with treatment centers. 'Three hundred thousand people dead,' he said, citing the U.S death toll from prescription opioid overdoses since OxyContin hit the market. 'We're on the receiving end. It hit the town of Littleton really, really hard. In 2017, we had 10 overdose deaths in Littleton, a town of 6,000. We had more overdose deaths per capita than Manchester, which is New Hampshire's biggest city.' He said part of that reason is that his town lies on a major corridor with I-93 running through Littleton and I-91 passing nearby. Those two freeways give easy access to Boston and Montreal Littleton lies on a major corridor with easy access to Boston where the fentanyl crisis has hit hard. On Atkinson Street in the Massachusetts capital addicts shoot up in full view The opioid crisis has gone nationwide. Here users openly smoke drugs on the sidewalk of the Tenderloin area of San Francisco, where overdose deaths have rocketed Smith's house in Littleton is modest but it sits on a 5.3 acre lot with great views of New Hampshire and neighboring Vermont Wright lives in the 2,500 sq ft, three-bed, three-bath home that he and wife Linda bought for $380,000 in 2017 According to a 2019 survey by US News and World Report, New Hampshire has been hit worse than any other state apart from West Virginia by the opioid epidemic. The outlet said it had had 27.2 deaths for every 100,000 people over a five-year period. Smith told DailyMail.com he binge-watched Painkiller last weekend. 'This is just really weird. I had no idea he lived locally.' Smith isn't the only person in town who would like to have a word with Wright. So would recovering addict Caitlyn Hilliard, 33, who works at the Serenity Center. 'I'd really like to know why he approved OxyContin after holding out on it for so long,' she told DailyMail.com. 'Was it worth the impact it's had on so many people's lives, so many people of my generation who have lost so many friends to opiate addiction? Would he go back and make the same decision now, knowing where that choice would have led?' 'It's kind of shocking that he lives here,' said Hilliard. 'But it makes sense that somebody like him would come here to hide out and fly under the radar and nobody would know.' 'Honestly, that's crazy that he's here,' she told DailyMail.com. 'I watched three episodes of Painkiller, and it made me angry, really angry. I've lived with it with what I've gone through in my life. 'My childhood wasn't great, and I blame a lot of that on my mom being prescribed OxyContin,' she said. 'My mom was prescribed it at the beginning of 1998 when she broke her back, and she was on it for years, till I was 14,' Hilliard explained. 'So I watched what it did to her, and I had some negative experiences with it myself. 'The first time I did it, I was vomiting blood for hours.' But another former addict Jaimie D'Allesandro has no wish to speak to Wright. 'Honestly, at this point in my life, in my recovery and in my faith with God, I could care less to even meet the man. Painkiller co-creator Noah Harpster plays Wright on the Netflix show. He is portrayed as overweight and socially awkward and is manipulated by Purdue Pharma into paving the way for the legal sale of OxyContin Painkiller is not the first time that Wright's role has been shown on television. Brian Keane played him in the 2001 Hulu series Dopesick 'I watched three episodes of Painkiller, and it made me angry, really angry. I've lived with it with what I've gone through in my life,' recovering addict Caitlyn Hilliard, 33, told DailyMail.com Jaimie D'Allesandro started buying OxyContin on the streets, injecting it into his body, before he moved on to heroin. He's been in recovery for six years 'Me bashing the man and giving him my opinion of how I think he's a piece of cr*p is not going to do anything to help anybody. It's just going to mess with my inner spirit.' D'Allesandro, 40, is now regional manager for White Mountain's Recovery Home. He became hooked on drugs after suffering a broken back. After his doctor cut off his prescription, D'Allesandro started buying OxyContin on the streets, injecting it into his body, before he moved on to heroin. He's been in recovery for six years. He became familiar with Wright's actions through the show Dopesick. 'The pain medication situation has directly affected my life, my family's life,' he told DailyMail.com. 'My father was prescribed OxyContin. He ended up dying of heroin withdrawal complications in 2017. 'The way that OxyContin was marketed and presented, and the way the doctors presented it, it was negligence,' D'Allesandro continued. He too had no idea Wright was a local and was shocked to hear about it. 'It's interesting to know that this individual lives right here in Littleton,' he said. 'My personal blunt opinion is that anyone involved in that entire debacle was a wicked piece of sh*t,' he reacted. 'Big pharma, they don't give a crap about human beings. It's all about the bottom line and what they're making from a money perspective.' A single mum who quit her high salary job and swapped it for Centrelink payments claims working full-time was sending her broke amid the crippling cost of living. Shara returned to the workforce as a state manager for a retail company six months after her son Hendrix was born. The NSW woman hoped to have 12 months maternity leave but found her savings dwindled rapidly due to the cost of living. Shara returned to her on-the-road job but found after spending long hours working that most of her money was being spent on basic necessities. Some 40 per cent of her income went to rent, 30 per cent to childcare and the remainder was for bills and groceries. After expenses, the mum was financially going 'backwards', with work costing her money as she would routinely use her own car, which added petrol to her list of expenses. NSW single mum Shara (pictured) quit her high paying job after working full-time was sending her broke amid the crippling cost of living To curb costs, Shara would leave the heater off and often go without food to afford baby formula for her son. Shara also felt guilty for working too hard and not being as present for her son as she wanted. Due to the financial and emotional stress, Shara lost 30kg of weight and developed a number of health issues. READ MORE: How Aussies are paying more for less at the checkout as companies quietly shrink their products Advertisement So, she made the difficult decision to quit her job, move apartments and apply for Centrelink benefits. 'I was dropping my son off at day care at 7 every morning and picking him up at 5-6pm every night,' Shara told 7Life. 'I just got to the point where I wondered if this was actually worth it. I'm independent I'm not a government leech. It was a huge hit to my ego to have to do this.' Shara explained her quarterly electricity bill exceeded $1,100, weekly groceries cost $250, petrol costing hundreds a month and utilities meant 'money in' was less than 'money out'. Her rent also increased by $60 a week and her son's daycare increased its daily fee to $165 after the government announced its increase to the childcare subsidy. Shara added she received less than $50 a week in childcare subsidies because of her earning capacity. To make ends meet, the mum opted for quick and cheap meals for herself like Up & Go drinks, claiming she would 'eat when she could'. Shara realised she could not sustain her modest lifestyle despite working full-time so she quit her job. She sold her furniture, bought second-hand items from Facebook Marketplace and moved to an apartment closer to the shops so that she could walk and not have to use her car. Shara said quitting her job was 'the best thing' she could have done and is now studying to become a marriage celebrant while spending quality time with her son. She receives $1,500 a fortnight from Centrelink, with the government covering 85 per cent of Hendrix's childcare. Shara quit her job, moved apartments and applied for Centrelink benefits. She added she is in a better financial position than when she was working full-time The rest of her welfare payment is used for bills, groceries, school fees and rent, while supplementing her income with odd jobs from AirTasker including cleaning, mystery shopping and taking parcels to the post office for people. Shara does not have savings but is shocked that she is in a better financial position than when she was working full-time. She is calling for the government and workplaces to provide better support for mothers returning to the workplace. 'There is a whole workforce of single mums out there who want to work, but financially it's better for them to stay at home,' Shara said. Shara said she is grateful for the ongoing help she receives from Diamond Women - an organisation that helps women who are facing parenting without emotional or practical support. The organisation sent her fresh food hampers and offered Shara free counselling and general guidance. She hopes to be in a better financial position to return the favour to others who are also in need. Top doctors have called for a clampdown on 'unaccountable' NHS bosses in the wake of the killing spree by neonatal nurse Lucy Letby. The British Medical Association, which speaks for doctors, has spearheaded calls for hospital executives to be held accountable to a regulator like the General Medical Council, the Sunday Telegraph reported. The GMC, which keeps a register of doctors licenced to practice in the UK, has the power to strike off or restrict doctors found to have committed serious wrongdoing. Prof Phil Banfield, who chairs the BMA's UK council, told the Telegraph that doctors think there should be 'non-clinical managers in the NHS and other health service providers to be regulated, in line with the manner in which clinical staff are by professional bodies'. Dr Kevin O'Kane, a consultant in acute internal medicine, said 'there is no excuse for not bringing in professional regulation for NHS managers'. Top doctors have called for a clampdown on 'unaccountable' NHS bosses in the wake of the killing spree by neonatal nurse Lucy Letby (pictured being arrested) Prof Phil Banfield (left), who chairs the BMA's UK council, said that doctors think there should be 'non-clinical managers in the NHS and other health service providers to be regulated, in line with the manner in which clinical staff are by professional bodies'. Dr Kevin O'Kane (right), a consultant in acute internal medicine, said 'there is no excuse for not bringing in professional regulation for NHS managers' Marc Aitken, a consultant rheumatologist, said the 'lessons from the Lucy Letby case' was that 'NHS management should face the same rigorous scrutiny of their practice as clinicians'. Ex-Tory Cabinet minister and former GP Liam Fox said: 'There is no reason why doctors and nurses should be accountable to professional bodies for conduct and performance but not managers, especially when management can alter clinical pathways or patient safety as they did in this case. 'Simply walking away from life-destroying mistakes should absolutely not be an option in an ethics-based NHS.' It comes after ministers announced a public inquiry into Letby's crimes during her shifts as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester hospital in Chester, Cheshire between June 2015 and June 2016. But families, MPs and legal experts have criticised the move to make it a non-statutory probe which cannot compel witnesses to provide evidence or documents. A legal firm representing some of the families affected by what happened has blasted the inquiry as 'inadequate' and toothless. A group of consultants working in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester hospital repeatedly raised concerns with managers about Letby, 33. Some of the consultants have since said babies' lives could have been saved had hospital bosses listened to their warnings and acted upon them. Retired cardiologist David E. Ward claimed NHS managers are unaccountable and accused those who refused to listen to concerns of having 'blood on their hands'. The Women and Children's Building at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where Letby was allowed to commit her year-long killing spree Nurse Lucy Letby, 33, was found guilty of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others Speaking to the BBC, Sir Duncan Nichol, ex-chairman of the NHS Trust where Letby was employed, said he believed the Countess of Chester hospital's board was 'misled' by managers and told there was 'no criminal activity pointing to any one individual.' Caroline Johnson, a consultant paediatrician and Conservative member of the Commons health committee, insisted she wanted to avoid adding unnecessary 'bureaucracy' but accepted that in instances of 'poor performance' there had to be 'much better mechanisms to prevent such individuals from simply moving to another trust or role'. She accepted that 'if you over-regulate managers, that could lead to an over-abundance of caution' but added: 'A regulator could be the right approach.. You would have to do it in the right way.' Now the repeat offender has been jailed on a separate DUI charge after she drove the wrong way down a highway and caused a head-on collision A Philadelphia woman who won a $300,000 settlement after suing the city for being arrested on a driving charge has been jailed for a separate DUI offense. Khasandra Franklin, 27, was arrested in September 2020 for allegedly attempting to run an assistant district attorney off the road. Franklin filed a lawsuit alleging false arrest as well as assault, battery by authorities and malicious prosecution, ABC News reported. The city opted to settle the case for an eye-watering $300,000 which made its way to Franklin's bank account just 85 days after the suit was filed. The payout was the city's fourth largest for assault and battery in the last six years and more than five times the average settlement. Khasandra Franklin was arrested in September 2020 for allegedly attempting to run an assistant district attorney off the road She sued for false arrest and assault winning a $300,000 settlement In September 2020 Franklin was accused of trying to drive assistant district attorney Voci off the road. She was arrested and held on aggravated assault charges, but denied the allegations. The charges were withdrawn under the condition that Franklin undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation for a DUI case pending at the time. She then sued the city, winning the large payout. The DUI case related to an incident that occurred in January 2020, when Franklin crashed her car while under the influence in Hatboro, Pennsylvania. During the arrest Franklin threatened to sue, swearing at an officer when asked to undergo a breath test. She later pled guilty to the charges resulting from this incident. The repeat offender has now been jailed on a separate DUI charge after she drove the wrong way down a highway and caused a head-on collision Bodycam footage from the arrest shows Franklin repeatedly cursing at the officers and screeching 'you're going to jail! I have a good lawyer!' In September 2020 Franklin was accused of trying to drive assistant district attorney Voci off the road As a result of a second DUI charge Franklin was sentenced on Friday to three to 12 months in jail and five years probation. The sentence related to an incident that occurred at 4:30am on September 16 2022 when police pulled Franklin over and administered a DUI test after she was seen driving the wrong way down the I-76 and causing a head-on collision. Bodycam footage from the arrest shows Franklin repeatedly cursing at the officers and screeching 'you're going to jail! I have a good lawyer!' 'I know my f***ing rights, I'll sue all of y'all' she is heard shouting. Dee Ruffin Coates, whose car was hit in the collision said she was left with a concussion. Franklin pled guilty to the hit and run after receiving her $300,000 settlement. Lawyers have raised City Council President Darryl Clark voiced concerns about the costs of settling civil lawsuits in this way during budget meetings last March. How much is a beautiful view worth? When it comes to buying a home, a lovely aspect can mean almost everything you need only read through estate agents' particulars or look at the huge premium commanded by coastal properties. But a beautiful landscape cannot be given a precise monetary value, and it's not just a matter for property owners. The notion of 'England's green and pleasant land' as the popular hymn puts it is at the heart of what countless millions of adults treasure (with a strong element of nostalgia) about this country. And if you were to ask them what it means to 'protect the environment', they would probably define it as preserving this vista. Yet in the world of policy-making, this is not the case. In recent years, governments and environmental lobby groups have become as one in defining everything in terms of CO2 emissions. Global warming is the fixation, and all policies are judged according to the extent to which they contribute (allegedly) to mitigating it. More solar farms are set to be built in Britain. One in the Wiltshire town of Melksham is pictured Toxic To this purpose without beginning to quantify the costs or the feasibility the British government, under Theresa May, passed a law mandating so-called 'net zero carbon' by 2050. It is the need to meet this requirement that lies behind other laws now causing increasing consternation, as the clock ticks down. It will be illegal to buy a new car which is not substantially electrically powered after 2030, for example; and homeowners off the gas grid (such as the Lawsons, as it happens) will not be allowed to buy a new oil boiler after 2025, but must instead purchase heat pumps. Protestors in the Roman village of Silchester, Hampshire, where there are plans to build a solar farm the size of 120 football pitches in the countryside. They are pictured in August last year Then there is the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zones (Ulez) into the outer reaches of the capital, as mandated by the London Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan. It was widespread opposition to this in the parliamentary constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip which enabled the Tories to retain the seat at the by-election last month, when all the national trends pointed to a Labour victory. This was especially toxic (in the political sense) because Sadiq Khan's proposal to levy heavy penalties on older diesel cars and vans would bear down on the least well-off vehicle owners. But these revolts against the climate change consensus among policy-makers will be as nothing to those which will face the government (most likely a Labour one under Keir Starmer) as it attempts to enforce the inevitable consequence of the commitment to replace fossil fuel energy with electrification based on renewable sources. An aerial view shows the photovoltaic (PV) solar panels making up Manston Solar Farm in Kent It will confront, head on, this nation's love of its beautiful countryside and heart-felt idea of what 'preserving the environment' really means. This, or at least the physical reality of what such a policy would involve, was set out with startling clarity in 2011 by the late David MacKay, the chief scientific adviser to what was then the Department of Energy and Climate Change. David Cameron had come to power a year earlier, having rebranded the Conservatives with a tree logo, and as Opposition leader had ferociously whipped his MPs to vote for Ed Miliband's 2008 Bill mandating an 80 per cent cut in UK CO2 emissions by 2050. Electricity pylons run across Romney Marsh in Kent from Dungeness nuclear power station MacKay, a professor of physics and author of the book Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air, was no opponent of the then-government's commitment to move from fossil fuels to renewables, but that year he delivered a lecture to the Royal Society setting out what would happen to our countryside if a government were to meet its objectives. He pointed out that renewable energy is 'inherently diffuse', so that huge tracts of land were needed to generate the required amounts of kilowatts. Quoting his book, MacKay told his audience: 'Let's be realistic. What fraction of the country can we really imagine covering with windmills? Maybe 10 per cent? Royd Moor Wind Farm in Sheffield 'If we covered the windiest 10 per cent of the country with windmills, we would be able to generate 20 kilowatt hours per day per person.' Neglect But this, as he went on to point out, was not even a sixth of what the average Briton actually used. Taking solar into account as well, MacKay concluded: 'Whatever mix of renewables you take, they all deliver about 2.5 watts per square metre. 'It means the total land area occupied by renewable energy sources to supply today's lifestyle would be about half the United Kingdom.' Traffic passes a sign for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) near Hanger Lane in West London Nuclear power, by contrast which is entirely CO2-free produces about 1,000 watts per square metre: but successive governments have been scandalously remiss in their neglect of that industry. And also of our shale gas resources, partly on the grounds that they are a fossil fuel. Yet in terms of disfiguring the countryside, consider this: to produce the same amount of energy as a single shale gas site, you will need a wind farm 725 times the size or a solar farm 460 times larger (and gas, unlike wind or solar, does not depend on having 'the right weather'). Now we see the consequences, exemplified by the experience of Jaqueline Wright and her husband, who thought they had found the home of their dreams 15 years ago in rural Worcestershire. But with the construction of a 90-acre 'solar farm' in their vicinity, they told the Sunday Times last week of the sudden change in their once idyllic vista: 'It was all green fields, cattle and crops. Now it's all solar panels a sea of grey.' People take part in a protest against the Ulez expansion in Orpington, South East London Better get used to it: this is the future, though on a much vaster scale. Many thousands of acres, not just 90. The next generation of onshore wind farms which Labour say they are committed to introducing, in contrast to the Conservative embargo on them when Cameron realised the local opposition to his idea of 'greenery' may be more productive per acre than when Professor MacKay gave his forecast. But that is because the turbines have become so colossal. As an anti-wind farm campaigner, Lyn Jenkins, said of the latest proposal for them in his part of rural Wales: 'With the turning circle they have, it would be like 20 Blackpool Towers revolving simultaneously. The late David MacKay, the chief scientific adviser to what was then the Department of Energy and Climate Change, observed that half the landmass of the UK would need be covered with wind and solar farms to supply the country with its existing energy needs from renewables 'More, in fact, as they are larger. And they will be lit up to prevent air ambulances and rescue helicopters crashing into them. It will be devastating, and yet the people of North Wales are asleep about what is happening.' Hypocrisy The people of East Anglia are certainly not asleep about what is about to happen as a result of the massive electrification programme. Last November, the head of National Grid, John Pettigrew, said: 'We will need to build about seven times as much infrastructure in the next seven to eight years than we built in the last 32.' We are talking about new pylons, on a monstrous scale. And the residents of East Anglia are in uproar about the plans to run 50m-high pylons across their countryside, including the edge of Dedham Vale, immortalised in the masterpieces of the artist John Constable. Former prime minister David Cameron noted the local opposition to his idea of 'greenery' In a piece for the Conservative Home website, Richard Rout, deputy leader of Suffolk County Council, observed of the East Anglian scene: 'In the recent West Depwade county council by-election, the Green Party made another gain in an area impacted by the proposed pylons. 'The hypocrisy of the Green Party is mind-boggling. They at once extol the virtues of renewable energy, and then seemingly oppose any attempt to produce or transmit it.' Hypocrisy, indeed. But it is a national hypocrisy, in the sense that the British public indicates, in opinion polls, that they are largely (though less so than previously) in favour of 'net zero'; but when the reality of what that will cost them becomes clear, they oppose the very measures designed to achieve what they say they support. This is often described as nimbyism, with justification. But, in the words attributed to the late Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, 'Tip' O'Neill, all politics is local. What that means, in this context, is that if any political party thinks that voters will tolerate the desecration of their local view, even if they are told it is for the sake of global environmental concerns, then it is deluded. Both men were drug dealers; Qi's body was found last year Police had questioned him over the death of Hongli Qi, 28 Ferenc Stemler, 28, was shot dead outside his home in July A drug dealer, who was executed outside his home, has been revealed to be the major suspect in the suspected murder of another drug dealer one year earlier. Ferenc 'David' Stemler, 28, was shot after he met two men outside his rental home on Broughton Street in Canterbury, southwest Sydney, on July 27. He was treated by paramedics for gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen but died at the scene. Stemler was linked to the death of fellow low-level drug dealer, Hongli Qi, 28, who went missing on May 11, 2022. Qi's body was found in bushland by council workers at Packer Road in Blaxlands Ridge on Sydney's northwestern on August 16 - three months after he vanished. Drug dealer Ferenc 'David' Stemler (pictured), 28, was shot dead outside his rental home on Broughton Street in Canterbury Homicide Squad detectives questioned Stemler of Qi's suspected murder but never charged anyone, according to The Daily Telegraph. Qi was last seen alive by his family on May 11 at Sydney's Town Hall at about 1pm- about 80km away from where his body was found. Stemler was linked to the death of drug dealer, Hongli Qi (pictured), 28, whose body was found in bushland last August Police released CCTV footage of him leaving his Macquarie St apartment complex in Sydney's CBD at around 6pm later that day captured on the video checking his phone as he walked through the foyer. Qi, who moved to Australia from Vietnam when he was a child, was found in the same clothing he was last seen in on the CCTV. Police said the state of decomposition of his body made it difficult for detectives to determine how he died. 'The initial post-mortem hasn't been able to determine the cause of death,' Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said at the time. 'But because of the circumstances of how we have found him and the circumstances of how he disappeared, we're treating it as a homicide investigation.' Detective Doherty said he had a criminal history of drug supply and served time behind bars. 'His disappearance was completely out of character. We have a strong belief that Hongli (Qi) has been the victim of foul play,' he said. Police released CCTV footage (pictured) of Qi leaving a Macquarie St apartment complex in Sydney's CBD on May 11, last year It's not yet known how Stemler and Qi would have known each other besides the fact they were both drug dealers in Sydney. It's one of two incidents Stemler has been linked to by detectives. He was also linked to a botched assassination attempt at a Marrickville barbershop early last month. William Siale, 33, and Etuate Eric Siale, 20, were getting their hair cut when they shot by a masked gunman who stormed Adel's salon. William was shot in the buttock and back, by the masked gunman and Siale was hit in the chest. Both brothers survived the shooting. Police sources told The Daily Telegraph that William was a fully patched member of the Bandidos bikie gang. Eric, meanwhile, was a friend of several slain members of the Hamzy clan. There is no suggestion that either brother was involved in organised crime. While there is ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Qi's death, detectives have expressed no doubt over the brazen execution of Stemler. Stemler was also linked to a botched assassination attempt at a Marrickville barbershop early last month (pictured, police at the crime scene) Stemler was shot dead after he met two men outside his rental home on Broughton Street in Canterbury, on July 27 (pictured, forensics at the scene) Two cars were found torched by police shortly after the 'targeted' shooting. A burnt-out white Holden Commodore was found on Beaconsfield Avenue in nearby Kingsgrove, and another car, a Lexus, was found burnt out on Dunrossil Avenue in Casula. Detectives have not revealed a possible motive for the targeted shooting but believe it is likely linked to control of the lucrative drug trade. Stemler was due to face court for charges of drug possession in the coming days and had pleaded not guilty. He was the fifth person shot in just five days in Sydney last month leaving investigators racing for answers. A comedian has been slammed after likening Indigenous Australians to 'violent black men' and 'rent seekers' in a 'comedy skit' at a conservative political conference. Rodney Marks, a 'corporate comedian', performed the contentious skit at the Conservative Political Action Conference Star Casino in Sydney on Sunday. The conference featured addresses from a host of conservative politicians and business leaders such as One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Chairman of the CPAC network Warren Mundine. Marks, who played the role of United Nations diplomat 'Dr Chaim Tsibos', also denounced Indigenous leader Bennelong as a 'woman basher' during his speech. The audience is heard chuckling as the comedian tells them: 'I'd like to acknowledge the traditional rent-seekers, past, present and emerging'. A comedian at a conservative political conference has left some in his audience in stitches after likening Indigenous Australians to 'violent black men' and 'rent-seekers' 'But seriously, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners, violent black men. 'I hope there are some real feminists in the audience who appreciate the part-truth of that joke. 'It's interesting that woman-basher Bennelong is the name given to the land of the Sydney Opera House, whereas his victim and wife Barangaroo gets just a dubious casino, PwC offices and sandstone cutaways built over the land named after her.' A snippet of Marks' 25-minute speech was uploaded to Twitter on Sunday, with outraged users quick to slam his address. However, CPAC shrugged the criticism and defended Marks, writing: 'C'mon.. it was a comedy skits guys. He's from www.comedian.com.' In response to another angry tweet, the account wrote: 'Cheer up buttercup' followed by a single thumbs up emoji. 'On what planet are those jokes. That was abhorrent,' another wrote. Others labelled it 'disgusting' and 'disgraceful' as they joined in on the pile-on. One user described Marks' 25-minute performance on Sunday as 'appalling' CPAC was quick to shrug the criticism and defended the 'comedy skit' on Twitter According to his website, Marks performs 'funny keynote speeches that are almost believable'. 'Rodney has a growing repertoire of over 350 characters, with numerous accents and dialects, from hundreds of professions,' it states. 'He is a corporate impostor a comic hoax speaker in a business suit.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted CPAC for comment. His speech came only hours after Gary Johns, a spokesperson for the No campaign, recommended Indigenous Australians 'learn English' if they wanted a voice and claimed that some in remote communities were 'living in a stupor'. 'If you're not trying to get those people either out of that remote community or out of the stupor in which they live, or give them the tools to allow them adapt to life in the modern world, the world we inherited, then you're doing wrong,' he said. 'Being practical is not the answer. You have to do practical things in the name of integration.' Johns then claimed to quote Dave Price, the father of Coalition senator and face of the No campaign, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. 'As Dave Price, Jacinta's dad, has said to me often enough: 'If you want a voice, learn English. That's your voice,' he told the crowd. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson also addressed the crowd at the political conference Gary John, a No campaigner, recommended Indigenous Australians 'learn English' if they wanted a voice and claimed that some in remote communities were 'living in a stupor'. Greens Senator Sarah Hansons-Young later condemned Johns' speech on Twitter asking Opposition leader Peter Dutton to condemn the speech. 'There can be no fence sitters in this vote. Either you think this nasty rubbish is ok or you don't,' she wrote. 'Each of us has a choice. You're with the Nasties voting No, or you believe Australia can be better and vote Yes.' Other speakers at the two-day conference included former Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming and former deputy prime ministers John Anderson, who served under John Howard, and Barnaby Joyce, who served under Scott Morrison. A woman who went undercover to help police catch her killer fiance has spoken of the crucial role she played in bringing him to justice. Caroline Muirhead, 32, gathered evidence that helped to convict Alexander Sandy McKellar after he knocked down and killed cyclist Tony Parsons. McKellar and his twin Robert tried to cover up the crime in September 2017 by burying the former Navy petty officer. Ms Muirhead met deerstalker McKellar, 31, through Tinder but just five weeks later he confessed to causing the 63-year-old cyclists death. Mr Parsons had planned to ride through the night to complete a 100-mile journey from Fort William back to his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire. Caroline Muirhead, 32, gathered evidence that helped to convict Alexander Sandy McKellar after he knocked down and killed cyclist Tony Parsons McKellar and his twin Robert tried to cover up the crime in September 2017 by burying the former Navy petty officer Cyclist Tony Parsons was struck by a pick-up truck being driven by a drunk Sandy McKeller with Robert in the passenger seat Tony's body was discovered thanks to a can of red bull left at his burial site by Muirhead Police search a Highland farm at Auch Estate in connection with the disappearance of Tony Parsons on January 8, 2021 in Bridge of Orchy, Scotland The father of two, who had won a battle with prostate cancer, travelled north by train on the morning of September 29, 2017. But after 11pm, when he was last seen having a drink in the Bridge of Orchy hotel, he was struck by a pick-up truck being driven by a drunk Sandy McKeller with Robert in the passenger seat. The brothers had been drinking in the same bar as Mr Parsons before they crashed into him on the A82 on their way back home to the 9,000-acre Auch Estate in Argyll. They decided to bury his body in a peat bog and lived with their secret for just over three years. Sandy McKellar admitted his crimes to Ms Muirhead in November 2020 as they discussed getting married. She told the Sunday Mail: I was in shock, frozen almost. I didnt know what to believe. This man I thought I could be with for the rest of my life had just told me he was a killer. I didnt know what to do. After his confession, Ms Muirhead spent a month gathering information before dropping a can of Red Bull at Mr Parsons shallow grave so it could be found by police, as the Mail reported last month. Ms Muirhead, a forensic pathologist from Glasgow, told how McKellar first appeared gentle and kind towards her, but his personality could change when he drank heavily. She recalled asking him in late November 2020 if he was OK after he visibly tensed when a police car drove past them one evening. She said: I asked him, What is it? What is going on? What is it youre not telling me?. I said if we were going to be together and be a team, he needed to tell me what was wrong and Id support him. The widow of charity cyclist Tony Parsons, Margaret Parsons (left) and their daughter Victoria, arrive at the High Court for drunk driver Alexander McKellar's sentencing Mr Parson's son Mike (right) and his wife arrive at the High Court, Glasgow, for the sentencing of drunk-driver Alexander McKellar who killed his father with his car on September 29, 2017 The final journey of former naval officer and charity cyclist Tony Parsons Police officers search the valley on the outskirts of Tyndrum, Stirlingshire He started having a panic attack. He was gasping and started wailing. Then he told me what hed done something that hed got away with for years. He then took her to the site of the grave on the estate where he lived. Ms Muirhead said: He pointed out where the body was and told me what had happened and how they (the brothers) had hit him, that it was an accident. He said they hadnt trusted the police, theyd had issues with them before and thought they were out to get them, so thats why they didnt go to the police. Both McKellars had been due to stand trial for murder, but appeared in court last month to plead guilty to lesser charges. Alexander admitted culpable homicide, while Robert pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice. They are due to be sentenced on Friday. Ms Muirhead is reported to be considering legal action against Police Scotland over claims she felt coerced into spying on her ex after she alerted them to the grave. She is also said to have lodged multiple complaints against the force, with the Crown Office referring eight complaints to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC). A Police Scotland spokesman said: It would not be appropriate to comment on these assertions as criminal proceedings have not concluded. There are a number of outstanding complaints which will be progressed at the conclusion of all criminal proceedings. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: This case remains active until sentence. It would not be appropriate for COPFS to comment. Australians have unleashed at the driver of an American-style pick-up truck wiht huge 'fake guns' mounted to the body. The black Jeep Gladiator, with two cannons fitted on the side of the tray, was spotted cruising on Warrigal Road in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh South over the weekend. The intimidating fake weapons were fitted to point directly at the following traffic. The enormous four-wheel drive was also decorated with a sticker on the back showing an angry Hulk with a clenched fist. The 'antisocial Toorak tractor' was photographed in Melbourne on Sunday and the images were posted to redditt The Jeep Gladiator was mounted with enormous guns mounted to the side of the tray Photos of the truck were posted online by an angry Melbourne Reddit user, who declared: 'Yank Tank with fake guns spotted on our drive today'. Users blasted and mocked the owner of the vehicle, as a 'loser' and 'too cringe' and urged the original poster to report the vehicle to Victoria police. 'That is one of the most severe cases of micropenis I have ever seen,' one wrote. 'Guns are such a dumb thing to base your identity around,' another said. 'Thats hilarious, what a loser,' a third added. Several users said the guns were likely to be illegal. 'These appear to look like firearms, and may therefore be restricted just like actual firearms are, and are illegal to show in public,' one person said. 'Incredibly illegal, the cops will impound and crush that car, and serious firearms charges will follow,' another responded. In Victoria, possession of imitation firearms has a maximum penalty of two years in jail, unless they carry a special permit. Such an approval can only be granted by the Chief Commissioner of Police or the Governor of Victoria. Users said the weapons, even if fakes, were probably illegal Jeep Gladiators retail for $87,250 in Australia. A reviewer for The Australian gave the vehicle a one star review, largely based on steering issues. He described it as 'a unique ute, and not just because it looks like it was designed by a man whod been working at Tonka Trucks for years and decided to branch out, and up, and sideways.' A spokeswoman for Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia it could not comment until concerns about the vehicle were reported to police. K-pop girl group NewJeans performs onstage at Summer Sonic 2023, hosted at Zozo Marine Stadium, Tokyo, Aug. 19. Courtesy of ADOR By Pyo Kyung-min From Chicago's Lollapalooza to Tokyo's Summer Sonic 2023, K-pop girl group NewJeans had their fans roaring at festivals around the globe. Boasting five talented members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein NewJeans burst onto the scene in 2022 and managed to capture the hearts of fans worldwide in just a year. Although they haven't officially debuted in Japan, NewJeans secured a spot on the main stage at Summer Sonic 2023, hosted at Zozo Marine Stadium, Tokyo, Aug. 19. Taking the stage at a noontime slot, the group attracted a throng of 30,000 enthusiastic fans. Opening their stage with crowd favorites "Ditto" and "OMG," the group said, "This is our debut at Summer Sonic, and we're really hyped." The group shared their enthusiasm: "We worked hard to get here, so let's all have a great time today and make some unforgettable memories." NewJeans dazzled the audience with hits from their debut album, including "Cookie," "Attention," and "Hype Boy." The energy remained high as they transitioned to songs from their second mini-album, "Get Up," delivering a dynamic set of 11 songs in 40 minutes. The fans, known as "Bunnies," cheered for the group, waving their "Binky Bong" official group light sticks and holding up supportive placards as their idols performed. NewJeans performs onstage at Lollapalooza, hosted at Grant Park, Chicago, Aug. 3. Courtesy of ADOR Tech companies behind Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram should help compensate victims of scams, say bank bosses. Fraudsters are driving an online crimewave with one Briton falling victim to a shopping scam every seven minutes. Now Barclays is backing the Money Mail 'Stop the Social Media Scammers' campaign. It is calling for a tough new regime that would include forcing tech giants to pay towards the cost of reimbursing victims. Barclays said that 88 per cent of shopping scams, which cause victims to lose 1,000 on average, start on social media platforms. Tech companies behind Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram should help compensate victims of scams, say bank bosses Now Barclays is backing the Money Mail 'Stop the Social Media Scammers' campaign The bank says there should be a victim reimbursement fund to be financed by all firms whose systems and platforms are used to perpetrate scams, including tech companies and banks. It is also called for the creation of a cross-Government group within the Home Office to deal with the issue in order to coordinate regulators, policy makers, industry groups, and companies across different sectors. Barclays said the prevention of scams should also be made mandatory, particularly for tech companies, in a shift from current voluntary measures. The government is under pressure to make the tech giants to publish their scams data to inform consumers of the risks involved in using their platforms. Matt Hammerstein, chief executive officer of Barclays UK, said: 'With so much of everyone's lives now being online, from staying connected with friends and family, to shopping, it's important that people feel safe on the platforms they use. 'Our data shows that tech platforms, particularly social media, are now the source of almost all scams. 'However, there is no current legislative or regulatory framework obliging the tech sector to support the prevention of these crimes, as there rightly is for banks. 'We can only drive back this epidemic, and protect UK competitiveness, by stopping scams at their source, preventing the flow of funds to organised crime.' The Money Mail campaign is calling for fines to be imposed on social media platforms if they fail to clear out the fraudsters. The government is under pressure to make the tech giants to publish their scams data to inform consumers of the risks involved in using their platforms It argues there should be tougher identity verification measures to stop criminals setting up bogus social media accounts. While it is calling for sales sites such as Facebook Marketplace to offer users secure payment systems to buy and sell. Meta said: 'We don't want anyone to fall victim to these criminals, which is why we have systems to block scams and financial services advertisers now have to be FCA authorised. 'Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to defraud people, which is why we run campaigns on how to spot fraud. Our work is never done and we encourage anyone who spots a scam to report it in a few simple clicks.' A senior NHS manager believed to have ignored warnings about Lucy Letby while she was director of nursing at the baby killer's hospital has been suspended. Alison Kelly was accused in court of failing to act even when doctors raised 'serious concerns' about the nurse during her time as director of nursing and quality at the Countess of Chester Hospital. She is now a director of nursing at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust located in the Manchester area. Politicians called for her position to be examined by ministers, according to a report by The Telegraph. It emerged yesterday that Ms Kelly has now been suspended due to allegations that came to light during the court case. Senior NHS manager Alison Kelly (pictured) was accused in court of failing to act even when doctors raised 'serious concerns' about baby killer Lucy Letby Letby, 33, (pictured) was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more during her shifts on the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016 An NHS England spokesman told The Telegraph: 'We welcome the independent inquiry announced by the Department of Health and Social Care into the events at the Countess of Chester and will cooperate fully to help ensure all lessons are learned. 'In light of information that has emerged during the trial of Lucy Letby, and the announcement of the independent inquiry, the Northern Care Alliance has suspended Alison Kelly.' NHS managers accused of neglecting to act on repeated warnings that Letby was a threat to newborns now face the possibility of losing their pensions if convicted of criminal negligence or corporate manslaughter. Suspended Ms Kelly is the most senior nurse at the Salford and Rochdale organisations in the Northern Care Alliance in the North-West of England. The trust employs 20,000 staff. Politicians in the area were reportedly very concerned to learn that Ms Kelly remained in a senior management position at the trust. Letby, 33, will spend the rest of her life in jail after she was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more during her shifts on the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. Suspended Ms Kelly (centre) is the most senior nurse at the Salford and Rochdale organisations in the Northern Care Alliance in the North-West of England Ms Kelly was first told that Letby (pictured) was the only nurse on shift when three babies died in the space of two weeks Ms Kelly was first told that Letby was the only nurse on shift when three babies died in the space of two weeks. Letby then murdered four more babies after concerns were first raised with Ms Kelly. The NHS manager was contacted again in February 2016 by Stephen Brearey who found common links to nine deaths going back to mid-2015. Executives only launched a formal investigation in July 2016. An NHS England spokesman told MailOnline: 'We welcome the independent inquiry announced by the Department of Health and Social Care into the events at the Countess of Chester and will cooperate fully to help ensure all lessons are learned. 'In light of information that has emerged during the trial of Lucy Letby, and the announcement of the independent inquiry, the Northern Care Alliance has suspended Alison Kelly.' A statement from Dr Nigel Scawn, the medical director of the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'I speak for the whole Trust when I say how deeply saddened and appalled we are at Lucy Letby's crimes. 'We are extremely sorry that these crimes were committed at our hospital and our thoughts continue to be with all the families and loved ones of the babies who came to harm or died. We cannot begin to understand what they have been through.' A Queenslander has taken a brutal swipe at Sydney's cleanliness calling the streets 'putrid' and saying the city looks like 'a dump'. The scathing assessment was made by John, a listener to Ben Fordham's Sydney 2GB radio program who rang the host to let loose on the state of the harbour city and some of its inner suburbs. 'We used to live there (Sydney) and the streets were putrid,' John said. 'Darlinghurst, Surry Hills it was all filthy. The place looked like a dump.' A Queenslander has rung up a popular Sydney radio show to lambast the state of the city (pictured ibis in searches through a bin in central Sydney) John laid the blame squarely at the feet of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who is seeking a record sixth term having been in the job since 2004. Cr Moore announced her intention to run again on Friday. 'I dont think it would be good for the city if I dont continue, she told the Sydney Morning Herald. However, John was not impressed. 'I would have to think that Clover Moores a little bit up herself, being concerned that no one else concerned could do the same quality job,' he said. 'I used to live in Sydney and it really did look great but for Clover Moore to have another run, give it a break. John told Fordham that Sydney was a 'crap hole' compared to the 'lovely' Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove (pictured refuse left by backpackers at a Sydney beach after a New Year's party) Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is seeking a record sixth term in the job she has held since 2004 'We stayed at Crown (casino and hotel) for three nights and Crown was absolutely beautiful until you walked out the doors and got to look a bit further into Darling Harbour and so on,' he said. A bemused Fordham asked John where he lived and got the reply that it was in the inner west Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove. 'And its all beautiful there is it?' Fordham demanded. 'You know, it is lovely, it is lovely,' John replied. 'Its not like the crap hole that Sydney looked like.' Australia's first and to date only Indigenous government leader has revealed he will be voting No to the Voice. Adam Giles became Northern Territory chief minister in 2013, after rolling Terry Mills in a Country Liberal Party leadership coup. This made him the first Aboriginal leader of any state or territory government. Mr Giles, who now runs billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart's agricultural companies, said the Voice was a divisive issue that was designed to give Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a political legacy. 'I'm firmly of the view the Voice is not the right approach,' he told Jody Rowe's Tough Talk podcast. 'The Voice to me is something of a political tool that's ignited: there's a rule in politics that you start a bushfire over here while you go and do everything over there. 'To me the Voice has been set up as a political tool to put some sort of history in the Prime Minister's biography and that ember of a fire that has been lit has grown into a wildfire that is now uncontrollable, and it's taking reconciliation and the race relationships back a step or two. 'People have had a gutful by the government not explaining what it is.' Australia's first and to date only Indigenous government leader has revealed he will be voting No to the Voice - describing it as an issue dividing black and white Australia. Former Northern Territory chief minister Adam Giles is pictured right with his girlfriend Phoebe Stewart READ MORE: Anthony Albanese slammed for failing to read full Uluru Statement of the Heart Advertisement Mr Giles supports the idea of adding a preamble to the Constitution recognising Indigenous people living in Australia before the British arrived in 1788. This is also the position of the Liberal Party, which under leader Peter Dutton opposes the Voice but backs Indigenous Constitutional recognition. Like the federal Opposition, Mr Giles criticised Labor for failing to provide sufficient detail on the Voice proposal, likely to be put to a referendum in October. 'I don't know what it is and I'm pretty well informed,' Mr Giles said. 'Now you're seeing this great divide between black and white Australia.' Mr Giles, 50, said Aboriginal people he sat on the dirt with in central Australia, as an Alice Springs based MP, didn't regard Constitutional change as necessary. 'I would say to people, 'Do you want a change in the Constitution?' 'People would say to me, 'I want a house to live in, I want a roof over my head, I want a flushing toilet. I don't know what the Constitution is.'. 'In my whole time in politics in the Northern Territory, not one person told me they wanted to change the Constitution. 'I think it's a cruel farce. It's very upsetting that Aboriginal people are being used in a political tool.' Mr Giles is now the chief executive of beef cattle producer S Kidman and Co, partly owned by billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting. He is also the CEO of Hancock Agriculture. Mr Giles, who lost his seat of Braitling in 2016, said he was an Australian first, having briefly scrapped the Indigenous affairs portfolio when he governed the NT. 'But I would say that I wasn't an Indigenous chief minister, I was the 10th chief minister of the Northern Territory,' he said. 'I have Aboriginal background but I like to call myself an Australian so I reflect on being an Australian rather than being pigeonholed as just an Indigenous politician. 'I don't like that terminology. I think that when people say that, it castigates you as a lesser person in terms of a politician and I prefer just to be acknowledged as an Australian who happens to have Indigenous heritage and background.' Mr Giles in 2001 was a senior public servant in Canberra with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet when it reviewed the old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. Mr Giles, who is now runs billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart's agricultural companies, said the Voice was a divisive issue that was designed to give Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a political legacy. The PM is pictured far right with Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin and Indigenous leader Noel Pearson John Howard's Coalition government in 2004 introduced legislation to abolish ATSIC the following year, with support from the Labor Opposition then led by Mark Latham. Like the Voice, ATSIC represents were elected by Aboriginal people but unlike the Voice, it wasn't as advisory body added to the Constitution and could therefore be abolished with an Act of Parliament. Mr Albanese on Sunday described the Voice as a grassroots idea and urged Labor national conference delegates in Brisbane to campaign for it. 'I want you to get out there and campaign like you have never campaigned before,' he said. 'And just as the idea of a Voice came from the grassroots, it will be decided at the grassroots. By the people of Australia.' Thank God, I will never have to experience the desperate pain of the parents whose babies were murdered by Lucy Letby. Nothing can banish it completely, but one of the functions of the criminal justice system is to provide the comfort however small of seeing the likes of Letby held to account for their crimes. The word closure is bandied around too often in this context. Seeing the murderer of your child brought to justice surely provides anything but closure. But within the confines of the trial, there is indeed an arc which ends with a closure of the process from the initial plea through to the jury giving its decision and then, to close the trial, sentencing. Lucy Letby did not attend court for many of the verdicts on the 22 counts she faced. And she has indicated that she will not be present today, when Mr Justice Goss hands down what is expected to be a whole life order, which offers no hope of parole. Mr Justice Goss is expected to receive a whole life order, which offers no hope of parole The parents of the babies murdered by Letby and of those she tried to kill have been through hell during the 145 days of her trial It has always struck me as outrageous that anyone convicted of a crime is effectively free to decide for themselves whether to appear in court to hear their sentence. It is not just that they are treating the court and, by extension, society itself with contempt when they stay away. The real outrage is the impact on their victims and, in murder cases, their victims loved ones. The parents of the babies murdered by Letby and of those she tried to kill have been through hell during the 145 days of her trial. They had to endure the circumstances of the death of their child, or children, being raked over by both prosecution and defence lawyers. Then they had to listen to Letby herself lying about how their babies died, refusing to admit her guilt. It is unconscionable that she can then simply decide to take no further part and that they are now to be denied seeing Letby confronted with her guilt, and with the judge sentencing her for her crimes. In other cases, victims have found some solace in the convict having to listen to an impact statement. Yet Letby is expected to remain in her cell rather than face justice in person, through her presence in court. Lucy Letby did not attend court for many of the verdicts on the 22 counts she faced and she has indicated that she will not be present today Letby is expected to remain in her cell rather than face justice in person, through her presence in court The number of convicts refusing to attend their sentencing has increased in recent years. In April, Thomas Cashman, the killer of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, shot dead in Liverpool, stayed in his cell. Last December, Jordan McSweeney refused to attend his sentencing for the murder of aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena. And in April, 2022, Koci Selamaj, who killed school teacher Sabina Nessa, stayed away too. As the law stands, judges can demand that a convict appears, but prison officers are only allowed to use reasonable force to enforce this ruling. Fear of later legal action over what constitutes reasonable when the person is not being violent but simply refusing to leave their cell means that, in practice, judges have no actual power to force attendance. So it is good news that the Government seems set to introduce legislation to give extra powers to judges. The likely change appears to be that refusal to attend court would become an aggravating factor, which would mean an increased sentence. If Letby does receive a whole life tariff, such a penalty would be irrelevant in any case because her existing sentence would, of course, end only with her death in prison. But a new law could change the definition of what is considered reasonable force, allowing prison officers to shackle a convict if they refuse to move. Legislation to change the law on this matter is expected to be included in the Kings Speech to be laid before Parliament later this year. It cannot come too soon. Dan Andrews' department is advertising a role helping to advance treaty and truth-telling in Victoria with a whopping remuneration package of up to $533,431. Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply for the role, which will be a fixed term of up to five years. The role - Deputy Secretary of the First Peoples State Relations Group - will provide executive leadership and strategy to the Victorian Government to create practical solutions to emerging policy issues. The advertisement describes the work as an 'exciting opportunity to be a part of progress related to First Peoples cultural rights, land justice, self-determination, treaty and truth'. A successful candidate will earn a total remuneration package of anywhere between $410,018 and $533,431, depending on their experience and negotiations. Voice to Parliament No campaigner and Opposition Indigenous Affairs Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told Daily Mail Australia the job advertisement raises questions about how much an advisor on a potential Voice to Parliament could earn. Dan Andrews' department is advertising a role helping to advance treaty and truth telling in Victoria with a whopping remuneration package of up to $533,431 'We don't have much detail about the divisive Voice but we know it will cost us,' she said. 'The only question is how much. Australians want to know... how much its leaders will be paid, especially given we're the ones who will be footing the bill. 'Aussies have enough to worry about with mortgages and rent, food and fuel all going up. We want to know how much extra the divisive Voice will actually cost.' And the Fair Australia campaign on Twitter said: 'Wonder how much the President of the Voice will get paid? More than most Australians, bet your house on it (if you can still pay the mortgage!)' But a Yes campaign source argued this is nothing more than 'more misinformation from the No campaign, and deliberately so'. 'This is a position within the Victorian public service - it has nothing to do with the referendum and shouldn't be conflated.' The insider questioned whether the No campaign was suggesting 'Aboriginal people don't belong at senior levels of Victorian public service?' Victoria is relatively advanced in treaty discussions, the furthest along in Australia after beginning the formal process in 2016. Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply for the role, which will be a fixed term of up to five years The role - Deputy Secretary of the First Peoples State Relations Group - will provide executive leadership and strategy to the Victorian Government to create practical solutions to emerging policy issues Even still, insiders say the state is at least 10 years away from finalising any treaties or reaching a resolution. The ideal candidate for the role will 'have knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal affairs policy, legislation and frameworks, including best practice in relation to treaty and truth-telling'. They will be expected to provide and coordinate strategic policy analysis and advice directly to Dan Andrews as Premier, as well as the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, currently Gabrielle Williams. This will extend to any other Ministers who are involved in issues relating to the First Peoples State Relations Group. The job description does not specify how many years' experience a candidate must have, nor if they need any particular formal qualifications. Daily Mail Australia has sought clarification from Pipeline Talent. The successful candidate must also work closely with key stakeholders, including the First Peoples Assembly. Former co-chairs of the First Peoples Assembly include Marcus Stewart and Aunty Geraldine Atkinson, both of whom chose not to recontest this year as they work with the official referendum Yes campaign. They will be expected to provide and coordinate strategic policy analysis and advice directly to Dan Andrews as Premier, as well as the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, currently Gabrielle Williams Mr Stewart recently accused Ms Nampijinpa Price of 'hating' Aboriginal people and is also the husband of Labor Senator Jana Stewart, a fierce Voice advocate Mr Stewart recently accused Ms Nampijinpa Price of 'hating' Aboriginal people and is also the husband of Labor Senator Jana Stewart, a fierce Voice advocate. As part of the role with the Victorian First Peoples State Relations Group, the candidate will be required to 'support Victoria's work on truth, and advancing self determination and Treaty'. The government is seeking an employee who has demonstrated experience working at such a high level within complex organisations and leading projects. They're also after 'proven influencing, negotiation and relationship-management skills in an environment requiring highly developed interpersonal skills, and a proven capacity for highly effective communication with a range of government and non-government stakeholders'. The ideal candidate will also have an understanding of working both within government and with Aboriginal communities. While several states, including Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory have already started to discuss treaties over the past few years, the issue is at the forefront of Australians' minds with the upcoming referendum. The Albanese government has been at pains to reassure the public that the Voice - and the question that will be asked of them during the referendum - is not a treaty. A government spokesperson reiterated to Daily Mail Australia today a Voice will 'not be about more bureaucracy or politicians; it's the opposite'. 'We're all better off when governments don't spend taxpayer money on things that aren't working. Politicians don't know best - we get better results when we listen to people. 'A Voice will help us listen to locals and save money.' Indigenous Voice to Parliament No campaigner and Opposition Indigenous Affairs Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told Daily Mail Australia the job advertisement raises questions about how much an advisor on a potential Voice to Parliament could earn The Uluru Statement from the Heart, which Labor has vowed to execute in full, calls for treaty and truth-telling after a constitutionally enshrined Voice. Any treaties that the Australian government embarks on now are not likely to be finalised for decades to come. There are some schools of thought which suggest treaties could cost the Australian public hundreds of millions of dollars. It remains unclear just how many treaties could emerge. There are estimates which suggest the state of Queensland alone owes First Nations people 'up to $500million' in 'stolen wages' dating back to the 1800s, when some governments held First Nations wages in trust accounts only to later refuse to turn the money over. Many of the treaties in New Zealand - of which there has been about 80 - reportedly cost between tens of millions and hundreds of millions each. The cost varied depending on the number of people killed on each parcel of land, and the amount of land that was seized. He has been given a pass to Qantas Chairman's Lounge Anthony Albanese's son took on an internship at beleaguered consultancy giant PwC after his father reportedly spoke to one of the firm's top executives. Nathan Albanese - the only son of the Prime Minister and his ex-wife Carmel Tebbutt - took on a two-week unpaid internship with the firm back in June 2021, according to the Australian Financial Review's Joe Aston. The publication claimed Nathan, now aged 22, worked in the firm's Economics Policy Unit under chief economist, Jeremy Thorpe. Mr Albanese, the then Opposition Leader, reportedly spoke with former PwC government relations boss, Sean Gregory, about an internship for Nathan in the first half of 2021. Mr Albanese thanked PwC CEO Tom Seymour at a function months after his son completed his placement. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's son Nathan reportedly completed an internship with beleaguered consultancy giant PwC in 2021 (pictured together) Mr Seymour was reportedly unaware at the time that Nathan had an internship with the firm. The two-week internship went ahead despite there being no such program available at the company. 'There is no application process open to the public. There is no twice-yearly intake. This is an opportunity provided on an individual, ad hoc basis almost exclusively to the relatives of influential people,' the AFR's Rear Window column reported. 'So, then, why would PwC do it? For one reason. The same reason you make a political donation it's a variation of the same theme: to earn the firm a place in the trust and good favour of that influential parent.' Mr Albanese's office has labelled the claim as 'incorrect'. After graduating from university last year, Nathan now works full-time at the Commonwealth Bank. It comes after questions were raised about why Nathan was granted access to Qantas' exclusive Chairman's Lounge. The prime minister's son reportedly worked in the consultancy firm's Economics Policy Unit under chief economist, Jeremy Thorpe Mr Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon getting close and friendly with outgoing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce Membership of the Chairman's Lounge is typically reserved for celebrities, business executives and big name politicians, and visitors are reportedly personally selected by the CEO, Alan Joyce. There are six Charmain's Lounges at airports in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra, discretely hidden away from the travelling public. Members enjoy plush leather sofas, food from a buffet or a la carte menu, a complementary bar that is always open and, above all, peace and quiet. Mr Albanese has not declared the hospitality given to his son in an official register of interests The prime minister and Qantas have enjoyed a close relationship in recent years. Outgoing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announced the airline's support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which has been brought forward by the Albanese government, last week. The announcement coincided with the unveiling of three Qantas planes emblazoned with the 'Yes23' logo and a photo opportunity with Mr Albanese and Mr Joyce at an official launch party. Yes campaigners are granted free domestic travel by the airline. Members of the Chairman's Lounge (pictured) can enjoy plush leather sofas, food from a buffet or a la carte menu, a bar that is always open and, above all, peace and quiet A plumber has exacted revenge on a client who refused to pay after he fixed his hot water system and even offered a discount. The plumber, who goes by Hazz, was put on the job by a neighbour who said a family friend had no running hot water in his home and needed the problem to be fixed as soon as possible at his property in Melbourne. Hazz said he agreed to waive his labour costs after hearing the 'biggest sob story ever' from the homeowner. The kind-hearted plumber only asked the homeowner to cover the price of the parts used to fix the hot water system. When it came time to pay, the client dodged Hazz's requests and weeks later the plumber was still yet to receive a cent prompting the tradie to take action. In a video posted to TikTok, a person is filmed crawling underneath a home and sawing apart the copper piping that provides the home with hot water. A Melbourne plumber who goes by Hazz (pictured) has exacted revenge on an unruly client who refused to pay him for parts by destroying the hot water system he installed In a follow-up video, Hazz explains why such drastic measures had to be taken - and how there was much more to the story. 'I have a very kind heart, I want to help people and he took my kindness for granted,' Hazz said. He revealed the client had been given a $3,000 quote for the job from another plumber before Hazz came to do the work for a cheaper price. The plumber was only asking for the homeowner to cover the cost of the parts and insurance. The rift between Hazz and the client was exacerbated two weeks after the job was finished when the client asked him to also reconnect his stove. 'Then I realised how he was talking to me ... And he was literally not even being appreciative no more (sic),' Hazz said. Hazz then claims the client asked for a quote to produce to his insurance company claiming they would cover the costs. Hazz questioned if this meant he would finally be paid before another dispute erupted between the pair. The relationship deteriorated prompting the client to tell Hazz to 'come back and take your work' - which Hazz promptly did. The plumber also said the client had taken a European holiday despite telling him that he 'has no money' to pay for hot water. After disputes about how much Hazz was to be paid, the client told Hazz to 'come back and take your work' which he did by sawing off parts of copper piping (pictured) Numerous TikTok users commented on the videos to congratulate Hazz on standing up to the client. One revealed Hazz he wasn't the only tradie who had taken matters into their own hands after a falling out with a client. 'My brother is a sparky who wasn't paid, he went back and wired the doorbell so it rang continuously,' one wrote. 'Shows you have a heart, shame the real needy ones get a bad name from scabs,' a second added. 'The amount of times I've tried to be kind to people doing jobs cheap and they just end up screwing you over, its rough,' another wrote. 'Nothing wrong with what you did, you tried to do the right thing but got taken for a ride,' a fourth wrote. Evil serial killer Levi Bellfield, who murdered 13-year-old Milly Dowler, is 'suing the Government in a bid to overturn a ban on photos being taken at his prison wedding'. Justice chiefs allowed him to marry his besotted girlfriend in prison - after receiving as much as 30,000 in legal aid to fund his case. Solicitors for Bellfield sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice warning of a judicial review after the killer was hit with a ban on photography and video calls. According to The Sun, a source said Bellfield 'knows he has to have the photo ban overturned' so that he and his wife can take pictures at their wedding. The source added: 'Its sick they are using human rights laws again, but they know that is their route to success.' MailOnline has approached the Ministry of Justice for comment but The Sun reported it had received the legal letter but refused to comment. Evil serial killer Levi Bellfield, who murdered 13-year-old Milly Dowler, is 'suing the Government in a bid to overturn a ban on photos being taken at his prison wedding' Justice chiefs allowed Bellfield to marry his besotted girlfriend (pictured) in prison - after receiving as much as 30,000 in legal aid to fund his case Bellfield is known to have killed three people, including 13-year-old Milly Dowler (pictured) Bellfield is currently serving two whole-life orders for the murders of Milly Dowler in 2002, Marsha McDonnell in 2003 and Amelie Delagrange in 2004, as well as the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy in the same year. In May it was revealed Bellfield had reportedly confessed to police under caution to the murder of student Elizabeth Chau and told officers where her body is hidden. He was introduced to his fiancee through Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, who was friends with the woman before he died in 2020. Sources close to Bellfield say that he is more interested in the 'drama' than in actually getting married. Bellfield and Sutcliffe were on the same wing in HMP Frankland. Bellfield asked to be put in touch with her after seeing her picture in Sutcliffe's cell, according to reports. The 55-year-old murderer, who is serving life at Durham's Frankland Prison, threatened a human rights case if he was not allowed to wed and cried discrimination when he was not allowed to wear an engagement ring. His fiancee has now said that she is 'not ashamed' of their relationship, and believes that Bellfield has 'changed' and is 'not a monster'. She described herself to the Mirror as 'extremely non-judgemental', adding that she and her fiance have had 'kisses and cuddles' in the County Durham prison. News of Bellfield's proposed nuptials with the woman, who is in her 40s, sparked outrage when they were revealed last year, and then Justice Secretary Dominic Raab vowed action to stop it happening. Police officers and MPs said the case was 'grotesque' and an 'insult to the victims and their families'. He demanded that legislation to prevent the marriage was sped up. Lawyers for the convicted killer argued that the European Convention on Human Rights and the 1983 Marriage Act gave Bellfield the right to marry. Sources close to Bellfield say that he is more interested in the 'drama' than in actually getting married (Pictured: his fiancee) Bellfield also killed 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell (left) and 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange (right) Bellfield was put in touch with his now-fiance by Peter Sutcliffe (pictured), after seeing a picture of her in the Yorkshire Ripper's cell Bellfield is currently behind bars at HMP Frankfield (pictured) and is unlikely to ever be released Ministers have vowed to ban the practice of prisoners marrying, as some 60 prisoners, many of them serving long jail terms, applied to marry last year. Mr Raab introduced a Victims Bill in March, banning those on whole-life tariffs from marrying while incarcerated. Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke said: 'This is a disgusting insult to the victims and their families. 'This is a man who took away the human rights of young girls and women, including the right to live their lives and marry.' David Spencer, of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said it was 'horrific' that Bellfield would be allowed to marry and that the taxpayer funding the case was 'even more grotesque'. 'Criminals of his type have forfeited their rights and if the law currently permits him to be married then that should be changed. A man facing thousands of additional child abuse offences - including 136 counts of raping pre-pubescent girls - is expected to not have his 'voluminous' case progress through the courts until next year, a court has been told. Brisbane Magistrates Court's public gallery was packed on Monday morning as media awaited the 45-year-old's mention on the plethora of charges, laid by federal police earlier this month. The Gold Coast man has been in custody since August last year on separate alleged child abuse offences. Australian Federal Police (AFP) will allege the new 1623 charges relate to offences committed against 91 children in Brisbane, Sydney and overseas between 2007 and 2022. Police charged the man with more than 1600 child abuse offences, including 136 counts of raping pre-pubescent girls, earlier this month (stock image) On Monday, the man was not required to appear when his matter was mentioned for 356 of the offences, including 140 charges of indecent treatment of children under 12. His identity remains protected due to laws in Queensland preventing the identification of people charged with rape or serious sexual offences. The Director of Public Prosecutions prosecutor told the court he's had 'preliminary discussion' with the man's solicitor, Madeline Wood about the 'voluminous' amount of charges against him. 'We've had some discussion where we can expedite the matter to proceed through to committal,' he said. The prosecutor said the investigation against the man was still chasing evidence from witnesses overseas. 'The brief has largely been provided, there are some small bits of evidence relating to overseas witnesses which the DPP are waiting on and the federal police are waiting for as well but I don't anticipate that us delaying the matter,' he said. Ms Wood said her legal team had not been through the brief of evidence and agreed to a lengthy adjournment. Acting magistrate Anthony Gett said he wanted to hear from the DPP in November for an update on how the case is progressing, after the prosecutor had requested an adjournment to January. 'I still want to bring it back to see how its travelling, I don't want to adjourn it for a such a long period that's over five months away,' Mr Gett said. The matter will be mentioned in Brisbane Magistrates Court on November 6. The man remains in bail and has not made an application for bail. Police allege further self-produced child abuse material was uncovered on electronic devices owned by the man when he was arrested and charged last year. The AFP launched Operation Tenterfield in response, identifying children in the alleged abuse material recorded at 11 Australian childcare centres and an early learning centre attached to a school overseas. It is alleged the man recorded his offending on phones and cameras while working in 10 childcare centres in Brisbane between 2007 to 2013, and 2018 to 2022, along with a Sydney centre between 2014 and 2017. Other filmed offences are alleged to have taken place at the overseas location in 2013 and 2014. All the children allegedly offended against were pre-pubescent girls. Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said the alleged offences were 'unfathomable' and 'chilling news' Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said the alleged offences were 'unfathomable' and 'chilling news'. 'We are highly confident that all 87 Australian children who were recorded in the alleged child abuse material have been identified,' she said. 'The parents of all the Australian children recorded in the alleged child abuse material have been informed of the investigation. Some of the individuals identified in the alleged child abuse material are now aged over 18 years and have been informed.' Last year, the AFP was able to trace objects identified in the background of some of the alleged images and videos posted on the dark web between 2013 and 2014. It led police to a Brisbane childcare centre while the man's home was also raided. Nearly 4000 images and videos allegedly created by the man were reviewed by officers from a joint-agency task force between the AFP, Queensland Police and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE). By Kook Yeon-woo As part of its effort to create an optimal experience for test takers, ETS has introduced a revised TOEFL iBT test as of July 26. The test now takes less than two hours to complete, an enhancement from the previous three-hour-long test time.The changes include streamlined instructions and navigation, removal of unscored questions, a shortened Reading Section and a new Writing for an Academic Discussion task.The TOEFL iBT score scale remains unaltered, while the improvements, developed with feedback from ETS customers and stakeholders, address the needs of test takers and help them save time and ease test day stress.So far, the TOEFL iBT test's changes have garnered positive feedback from students with varying goals.Mun So-yeon, a high school student preparing for an undergraduate degree in Japan, said that she had struggled with the lengthy test-taking time in the past."Personally, I really loved the shortened TOEFL and how it reduced fatigue and improved my concentration throughout the test," she said after taking the test on the day it launched."However, those who were accustomed to the mandatory 10-minute breaks that were offered after Reading and Listening sections should prepare themselves for the new test without a break."Kim Poo-reum, a 17-year-old studying TOEFL to become a psychology major in Australia, said she was a bit worried about the new writing task that is replacing the old question type."To prepare myself for the new question type, I worked with the 28 free practice questions and scoring services that are available on the official website. After reviewing ETS feedback on my sample responses, I was able to understand how to improve my writing skills and get ready for the new question type," Kim said. "I am happy to see that my test date scores on July 26 improved compared to my last TOEFL test. There was really no reason to worry too much about the change if you are prepared."Another test taker, Han Seung-min who is a junior at Hanyang University, said he needed a TOEFL score higher than 80 to apply for the exchange student program at his school.Preparing for the shortened TOEFL iBT test, he said, "TOEFL Practice Online was very helpful for me as it provides an experience of what it's like to take the real TOEFL iBT test in the way how it was enhanced."He added, "I want to tell others to make sure they are accustomed to the new writing task. For me, writing a 100-word response in 10 minutes was not easy at all."To aid test takers like Han, ETS offers free preparation options TOEFL iBT Free Practice Tests and Practice Sets, as well as Writing for an Academic Discussion Practice Questions and TOEFL Test Preparation: The Insider's Guide.To learn more about the TOEFL iBT enhancements, visit www.ets.org/toefl/ibt-enhancements . To create an account, register for a test, access test prep resources, and more, visit www.ets.org/toefl The police chief who led a raid on a local Kansas newspaper claimed a reporter impersonated a restaurant owner to access her DUI records, court documents show. Cops raided the Marion County Record offices on August 11 and the newspaper's co-owner Joan Meyer, 98, died the next day. Restaurant owner Kari Newell, 46, triggered the searches after she accused the paper of getting her 2008 DUI information illegally which would have disrupted her request for a liquor license. Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody wrote in an affidavit that Marion County Record reporter Phyllis Zorn either impersonated Newell or lied about her reasoning to retrieve the records. But Zorn, publisher and editor Eric Meyer and the newspaper's attorney said on Sunday that no laws were broken when she accessed a public state website for information on the restaurant owner. The police chief who led a raid on a local Kansas newspaper claimed a reporter impersonated a restaurant owner or lied about her intentions to access her DUI records, according to court documents Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody wrote in an affidavit that Marion County Record reporter Phyllis Zorn (pictured) either impersonated Newell or lied about her reasoning to retrieve the records Authorities raided the offices of the Marion County Record on August 11 and the newspaper's co-owner Joan Meyer, 98, died the next day following the stress and grief she felt Police seized computers, personal cellphones and a router from the newspaper in the raid, but all items were released Wednesday after the county prosecutor concluded there wasn't enough evidence to justify the action. Affidavits showed that Zorn's obtaining of Newell's driving record was the reason behind the raid. The newspaper, acting on a tip, checked the public website of the Kansas Department of Revenue for the status of Newell's driver's license as it related to a 2008 conviction for drunk driving. Police chief Cody wrote in the affidavit that the Department of Revenue told him that those who downloaded the information were Record reporter Zorn and someone using the name 'Kari Newell.' He wrote that he contacted Newell who said 'someone obviously stole her identity.' 'Downloading the document involved either impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought,' Cody added. License records are normally confidential under state law, but can be accessed under certain circumstances, the affidavit cited. The online user can request their own records but must provide a driver's license number and date of birth. The records may also be provided in other instances, such as to lawyers for use in a legal matter; for insurance claim investigations; and for research projects about statistical reports with the caveat that the personal information won't be disclosed. Publisher and editor Meyer said Zorn actually contacted the Department of Revenue before her online search and was instructed how to search records. The reporter, asked to respond to the allegations that she used Newell's name to obtain Newell's personal information, said, 'My response is I went to a Kansas Department of Revenue website and that's where I got the information.' She added: 'Not to my knowledge was anything illegal or wrong.' Restaurant owner Kari Newell, 46, triggered the searches after she accused the newspaper of getting her 2008 DUI information illegally which would have disrupted her request for a liquor license Zorn, asked to respond to the allegations that she used Newell's name to obtain Newell's personal information, said, 'My response is I went to a Kansas Department of Revenue website and that's where I got the information' Publisher and editor Meyer (pictured) said Zorn contacted the Department of Revenue before her online search and was instructed how to search records Rhodes, the newspaper's attorney, said Zorn's actions were legal under both state and federal laws. Using the subject's name 'is not identity theft,' Rhodes said. 'That's just the way of accessing that person's record.' The newspaper had Newell's driver's license number and date of birth because a source provided it, unsolicited, Meyer said. It decided not to write about Newell's record. But when she revealed at a subsequent City Council meeting that she had driven while her license was suspended, that was reported. Along with the raid on the Meyer residence and the newspaper offices being raided, Marion City Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel's home was also pillaged after Newell made a personal fiery attack on her in public last Monday. During the council meeting on August 7 - four days before the raids - Newell stood up and accused the newspaper and Herbel of illegally obtaining information about her DUI arrest. Clips show the meeting descended into chaos - with people speaking over one another, hands slamming on desks, and participants being stunned by Newell's incendiary accusations. Newell, who owns restaurant Chef's Plate at Parlour 1886, took to the floor of the council meeting to make the smoldering accusations. She was down on the agenda notes as speaking about 'liquor/caterer license for Chef's Parlor 1886' but instead she started threatening legal action against co-owner Meyer, who was present, and his newspaper. It's understood that after airing her grievances at the chaotic council meeting, she filed a report to the police, who issued a search warrant, and instigated the raids. Newell claims that her information was also shared with councilmember Herbel - whose home was also raided - and accused her of 'maliciously' sharing it. 'My concern is that a council members would recklessly and negligently share that information with others, without doing her due diligence making sure that the information they were sharing was at least legal to share,' she said. Meyer denied sharing the information with Herbel. At this point, multiple voices, including councilmembers, start to speak over one another in shock following Newell's accusation. One then slams his hand against the desk, points in Newell's direction, and shouts: 'Order! You don't have the floor, if you wanna speak you can speak in a few minutes.' An empty spot on reporter Zorn's desk shows where the tower for her computer was before law enforcement officers seized it Newell then made the threat in front of the council: 'This is going to become a case, that's why. I just want to make you aware.' Meyer then took to the council floor to defend himself and add context to Newell's claims, saying: 'We were sent last week some information about Ms Newell, which we were concerned was obtained illegally. 'We received it from someone on a social media message. We consulted an attorney on whether it was privileged information. Our attorney's advice was no. 'Nevertheless, we chose not to disseminate it any further.' He added that he passed the information over to the Sheriff's office. Herbel then asked Eric Meyer: 'Was it shared with me?' He said: 'Certainly not by me. We did not obtain it. Someone sent it to us. If you don't believe it you can ask the Sherriff and police chief, they have messages I sent last Friday.' Herbel said law enforcement took her laptop and cellphone, and police showed her the same generic search warrant they showed Eric Meyer and the newsroom during those raids - saying they were 'investigating identify theft and unlawful acts concerning computers.' The police chief who led the raid, Gideon Cody, had recently left the Kansas City Police Department where he was a captain after 24 years. And Meyer's newspaper had subsequently looked into the alleged sexual misconduct charges against him, he told journalist Marisa Kabas She added that her 88-year-old disabled husband, who suffers with dementia, was 'traumatized' by the raid and was screaming her name while police pillaged their home for their personal belongings. The councilwoman told the Kansas City Star that her home raid was 'ridiculous' and the search on the newspaper run by Meyer and his now dead mother was an 'invasion.' The investigation into whether the newspaper broke state laws continues, now led by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). State Attorney General Kris Kobach has said he doesn't see the KBI's role as investigating the conduct of the police. Some legal experts believe the raid on August 11 violated a federal privacy law that protects journalists from having their newsrooms searched. While others say it violated a Kansas law that makes it more difficult to force reporters and editors to disclose their sources or unpublished material. Cody defended the raid in a Facebook post soon after it happened, saying the federal law shielding journalists from newsroom searches makes an exception specifically for 'when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing.' The Record received an outpouring of support from other news organizations and media groups after the raid. Meyer said it has picked up at least 4,000 additional subscribers, enough to double the size of its press run, though many of the new subscriptions are digital. He blamed the stress from the raid for the death of his mother Joan on August 12. Her funeral services were Saturday. The search warrant for the raid Meyer blamed the stress from the raid for the death of his mother Joan on August 12. Her funeral services were Saturday She collapsed and died 'mid-sentence' after refusing to eat due to being in complete shock over the raid. Before Joan died, she told The Wichita Eagle about the raids: 'These are Hitler tactics, and something has to be done.' Meyer said that when he woke his mother to offer her breakfast she died mid-sentence. 'I am perturbed I carefully chose that word as all get out about them raiding our office, but what bothers me most is a 98-year-old woman spent her last day on earth feeling under attack by bullies who invaded her house.' He did not give more details about the newspaper's probe into the police chief, but said: 'I really don't think it would be advisable for me to say what it was we were investigating, other than to characterize the charges as serious. It emerged on Tuesday that Cody was also being investigated by the newspaper over allegations of sexual misconduct. Cody became chief of the Marion County Police Department in late April, after leaving the Kansas City police amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The group involved got away with an estimated $400K from a Glendale mall Ivan Isaac Ramirez, 23, has been taken into custody while Brianna Jiminez, 21, is currently being sought by police in the August 15 incident One arrest has been made in the robbery of an LA Yves Saint Laurent store Police have announced the first arrest in the recent 'flash mob' robbery at a Los Angeles area mall where 30 thieves made off with $400,000 in YSL merchandise. Ivan Isaac Ramirez, 23, was apprehended Thursday for his alleged involvement in the massive theft of a YSL store at the Glendale Americana at Brand. Another suspect, Brianna Jimenez, 21, is still at large and is currently being sought by police. Her smirking photo was released by cops over the weekend. No other suspects' names have been released or arrests have been made. Videos posted online from the August 8 robbery showed people in dark clothes and masks running into and then quickly out of the store. The YSL incident is the latest in a series of recent 'flash mob' style robberies where large groups overwhelm employees and grab as much as they can before fleeing. Ivan Isaac Ramirez (pictured) was apprehended Thursday for his alleged involvement in the massive theft of a YSL store at the Glendale Americana at Brand Supect Brianna Jimenez (pictured) is still at large and is currently being sought by police. Her photo was released by cops over the weekend According to police, Ramirez was arrested and booked on several charges including organized retail theft, burglary, grand theft and conspiracy. During the shocking robbery, the thieves used no weapons and took off with hundreds of thousands from Yves Saint Laurent in under a minute. In a statement issued following Ramirez's arrest, Glendale Police Chief Manuel Cid said crimes like these are not acceptable in his city. 'I assure all members of the Glendale community and the broader Los Angeles region that these brazen smash-and-grab robberies and burglaries will not be tolerated,' said Cid. 'This marks the first arrest related to this crime and there are more arrests to come,' the police chief continued. Footage from the robbery at the store showed a group of hooded and masked thieves running out of the shop with arms full of merchandise. They sprinted through a walkway to the curb, where police said about 20 cars were waiting for them, and sped away in several directions. One suspect seemed to have been stopped as he tried to flee by an Amazon delivery driver, who was seen tussling with the thief. Videos posted online showed a group of thieves wearing dark clothing and masks running into the Yves Saint Laurent store at the Americana at Brand shortly before 5pm on August 8 The thieves ran back out with arms full of merchandise just a few moments later The group sprinted through a crowded walkway carrying their stolen items The brazen robbery occurred at the upscale Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale But somebody off-screen could be heard telling the delivery person to just let him go, saying it is 'not worth' getting struck by a fleeing vehicle. An employee later told FOX 11 that 'all merchandise was taken in less than a minute.' Speaking about the incident to KTLA, Glendale police Sgt. Victor Jackson said there was a 'short pursuit' of the suspects, but police did not locate any of them. He described the robbery as a 'flash mob,' explaining: 'In this circumstance, they kind of overwhelm the staff of the store. They all come in simultaneously. 'The staff doesn't know how to respond, they're trying to figure out what's happening.' Jackson added there had to be at least 30 to 40 people involved in the scheme, noting there were some who went inside the store and got the objects and others who waited in the cars. Robberies like this have become all too common in California, residents say. In another recent incident, a group of about 20 to 50 suspects struck a Nordstrom northwest of La La Land and swarmed the location. Footage taken inside the store shows men in dark hoodies and face masks ransacking the department store at Westfield Topanga Mall, even resorting to attacking security guards with bear spray. A shocking video has captured a scene of mob-style mayhem, showing a smash-and-grab robbery involving up to fifty looters at a Los Angeles mall Videos have rapidly circulated on social media, depicting the mob shattering display cases and grabbing high-end designer accessories, some still affixed with electronic security tags. One of the thieves was even seen pulling a large metal display shelf behind him as he fled, with a luxury leather bag still affixed to it by a security tag. The group sprinted to the door in an attempt to make swift exit from the store, securing as much merchandise as they can carry. The thieves took off with thousands of dollars worth of luxury handbags and designer clothing, an LAPD spokesman told NBC News. Yet another construction company has collapsed owing over $4million in the latest example of Australia's worsening building industry crisis. Exel Infragroup Pty Ltd, a company that until recently was the lead contractor of a multimillion dollar government project, entered liquidation on July 14. The Victorian-based company has been appointed liquidators Petr Vrsecky and Paul Anthony Allen from insolvency firm PKF Melbourne. Exel Infragroup owes $4.225million to 83 creditors, with liquidators hoping to return up to $350,000 to creditors by selling company assets including an oil rig. Exel Infragroup Pty Ltd, a company that until recently was the lead contractor of a multimillion dollar government project, entered liquidation on July 14 The Victorian-based company (pictured) has been appointed liquidators Petr Vrsecky and Paul Anthony Allen from insolvency firm PKF Melbourne 'They were making significant losses over the last few years. That's essentially why the company's gone broke,' Mr Vrsecky told news.com.au. 'By the time of the company's collapse, there were only four employees left. The bulk of the creditors are subcontractors and suppliers.' According to the group's still active website, the construction company specialised in civil construction, directional drilling and railworks. Exel Infragroup was previously engaged to work on Victoria's Big Build - a series of road and rail infrastructure projects commissioned by the state government. The company worked on the North East Line Upgrade at Lilliput and Balmattum in rural Victoria alongside a series of subcontractors. Some of those subcontractors are now claiming they are owed thousands of dollars. Synergy Traffic Management, based in Shepparton, were subcontractors to Exel Infragroup on the Big Build project. Operations Manager Callum Phillips said that while Exel Infragroup received payment to complete the work, he is still waiting on $63,000 for his workers. He says he's been chasing the company for the last eight months, to no avail. The shutdown comes after two Perth-based construction companies collapsed last week, leaving dozens of home unfinished Synergy Traffic initiated winding up proceedings against Exel Infragroup but the company went into voluntary liquidation before the matter went to court. Exel Galaxy, which operated in conjunction with Exel Infragroup, also collapsed back in 2020 owing $5million to creditors. The collapse is just the latest in a string of construction company shutdowns. Last week, Perth-based construction firm Western Luxury Homes Pty Ltd was placed into liquidation, according to a notice published by ASIC. The announcement came days after boutique builder Royal Construction and Design went into liquidation on August 8. Western Luxury Homes, headed by director Hetem Hajdari, was based in Alexander Heights and established in 2020. It's understood 12 homes were left incomplete when the firm folded, with signed contracts dating back to mid-2020. Rescon Builders Pty Ltd, known as Rescon Granny Flats, went into liquidation on Friday. The company built granny flats around Sydney, the Illawarra, Central Coast and Newcastle areas (pictured, granny flat built by the company) Clients are being urged to contact their home indemnity insurance provider, QBE Insurance, following the collapse. 'This enables homeowners to begin the process of engaging another registered builder to complete the work or managing other remedies they may be entitled to,' Building and Energy executive director Saj Abdoolakhan said. It comes as a third builder from NSW also collapsed earlier this month. Award-winning granny flat construction company Rescon Builders Pty Ltd, known as Rescon Granny Flats, went into liquidation on Friday. The company, which built granny flats around Sydney, the Illawarra, Central Coast and Newcastle areas has worked on more than 500 projects since it started in 2012. A commonly available medical dye which has been used in Australia for decades was revealed just three months ago by scientists as an antidote to potentially fatal poisoning by Death Cap mushrooms. Indocyanine Green, also known as Diagnostic Green and ICG, is available in a 100 gram bottle for $429 from ChemSupply Australia, although the company would not confirm if it can be sold to ordinary Australians or just doctors. An injectable fluorescent dye used in humans as a diagnostic aid since 1959, ICG is employed in imaging techniques such as angiography and other processes to determine function in the heart, brain, liver and eye. A Townsville eye specialist who uses ICG to diagnose inflammatory eye disease, and age-related macular degeneration told Daily Mail Australia said the 'can only be administered by a specialist'. But according to a study globally published in May this year, even if the ICG had been used on guests who ate beef Wellington pie on July 29, they would have to have been injected intravenously within four hours of the lunch. Chinese scientists published a study after testing the Indocyanine Green on mice injected with the major toxic component of death cap mushrooms, amatoxin or AMA. One of the reasons for the study appears to be that thousands of poisonings and deaths in China have resulted from 'Amanita phalloides ... the worlds most poisonous mushroom'. China recorded a 'total of 10,036 exposure events, resulting in 38,676 illnesses and 788 deaths ... between 2010 and 2020'. 'Among all poisonous mushrooms, Death Caps ... are responsible for more than 90pc of deaths,' says the scientific paper by researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. Erin Patterson's lunch guests would have had to have been injected within four hours with the medical dye to survive, going by the calculations of Chinese researchers Researchers at Sun Yat-sen university (above, their diagram) infected mice with Death Cap mushroom poison then with a common medical dye used globally since the late 1950s, giving the injected mice twice the survival rate The scientists said there was 'an urgent need' for antidotes to the Death Cap mushroom as there had been 38,676 illnesses and 788 deaths ... between 2010 and 2020' in China The study concluded 'ICG treatment is an effective antidote for treating AMA toxicity in mice'. 'Amatoxin poisoning is commonly associated with poor outcomes, mainly owing to the irreparable acute failure of the liver or kidney. 'Since consumption of Death Cap leads to a high rate of mortality, there is an urgent need to better understand the molecular toxicology (and facilitate) the discovery of effective antidotes to treat mushroom poisoning.' The Chinese researchers tested ICG as an AMA antidote on mice, which were all male and aged between four and five weeks old, and given free access to food and water during the experiment. Half the mice exposed to amatoxin and then given ICG died. However the scientists concluded the mice were more than twice as likely to survive than rodents only given the Death Cap toxin, and that the earlier they were given the antidote, the better. The Chinese university study on using ICG tp treat mice injected with Death Cap mushroom toxins showed how the dye was rapidly distributed all over the body but selectively taken and concentrated in the liver Heather and Ian Wilkinson were taken to hospital too many hours after the beef Wellington lunch to have survive, even if the Indocyanine Green had been available as an antidote for humans Results suggested 'it should be injected within the first few hours after mushroom poisoning', specifically a four-hour interval between poisoning and treatment. 'This 4 hour interval was the same as that used in previous studies to mimic actual human poisoning and treatment scenarios,' the study said. 'ICG loses its treatment effect on AMA toxicity when it was delivered 8 and 12 hours post AMA injection. 'This may be because AMA has caused irreversible damage during early hours of cytotoxicity, which is unable to be salvaged by ICG treatment. This suggests that ICG should be given as early as possible during treatment.' Indocyanine Green does not appear to be used anywhere in the world on humans with mushroom poisoning, and the alleged Australian Death Cap victims were not admitted to hospital until long after four hours following the beef Wellington lunch. Indocyanine Green is commonly used in Australia for diagnosing eye, heart and liver conditions via infrared monitoring of the fluorescent dye, but Chinese researchers who have tested it on mice says it inhibits Death Cap mushroom toxins attacking the liver Don and Gail Patterson are believed to have gone to hospital early on Sunday morning, by which time Amatoxin from Death Cap mushrooms would have been attacking their livers and kidneys Host Erin Patterson had her former husband's parents Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt and uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson over for lunch on Saturday, July 29. Erin Patterson, who said she made the dish with button mushrooms from the supermarket and dried mushrooms from an unspecified Asian grocery store in Melbourne, said she allowed the guests to choose their plate for the meal. That evening, the four guests came down with serious gastro-like symptoms and, in the early hours of Sunday, went to Leongatha and Korumburra hospitals. They were soon transferred to hospitals in Melbourne in a critical condition. Gail, 70, and Heather, 66, both died on Friday, August 4 and Don Patterson, 70, died the next day. Ian Wilkinson remains in Melbourne's Austin Hospital, in a critical condition and needing a liver transplant. All four suffered symptoms consistent with the ingestion of Death Cap mushrooms; from gastro-like illness to nausea, stomach pain, and, in the case of at least Ian, liver damage. Erin Patterson went to a Leongatha Hospital and was then transferred to Melbourne, but did not suffer so severely from the beef Wellington dish as her guests The commonly available diagnostic dye is available for a few hundred dollars for 100g, although a Queensland ophthalmologist said only a specialist can administer it Erin Patterson, who was also taken to Leongatha Hospital and then transferred to Melbourne with gastrointestinal symptoms, said her children ate leftovers of the been Wellington the following night, but she removed the mushrooms because they didnt like them. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Erin Patterson intentionally poisoned her four relatives. In the Chinese laboratory experiments, Indocyanine Green was injected intravenously into the mice after the administration of the amatoxin. An infrared monitor showed the ICG was rapidly distributed all over the body but selectively taken and concentrated in the liver. The scientists said the doses of ICG, equivalent to approximately 0.5 mg/kg in humans, were deemed 'safe for treating AMA poisoning in mice (because) we did not observe obvious side effects in the ICG-only mice'. 'The ICG can be metabolised and excreted via the liver and the hepatobiliary system (bile ducts) with a half-life of around 34 minutes.' In humans, the use of ICG in medical diagnostic work can cause side effects, such as a sore throat, hot flushes, and occasional anaphylaxis. ICG was developed in the Second World War as a dye in photography and tested in 1957 at the Mayo Clinic, and granted FDA approval in 1959. The Chinese researchers said that because 'ICG is metabolised ... in the liver and only excreted via the liver and bile ducts, since it is not absorbed by the intestinal mucous membrane, the toxicity can be classified as low'. The Sun Yat-sen University team said that more research will be required to identify exactly how ICG works to block the mushrooms toxicity, but suggested that the blockage of the toxin into circulation in the liver is a likely contributing factor. His mother found lewd messages with his former teacher A teacher who groomed a teenage student for sex nicknamed him 'bad boy' and spoke explicitly about her sexual stamina in a disturbing exchange spanning up to 6,000 messages. The texts between Dean Gray and his teacher were sent between April and July 2013 - when the 17-year-old was in his final year of school in Narrabri, northern NSW. It was only after Dean drowned in a freak accident on a boys' camping trip in October 2021, aged 25, that his mother Cherina Gray found the messages on his phone and realised the extent to which her son had been groomed. Now, Daily Mail Australia can reveal the true scale of the texts between Dean and his teacher, who can't be named for legal reasons. The teacher initially contacted him on Facebook about his maths results, but the texts gradually became more intimate, until the tone shifted and they started talking about their sexual exploits. Pictured: Dean Gray with his fiancee Taylor and their son, Bostin, before he died in 2021 Dean Gray, 25, (pictured with his mother Cherina) drowned on a camping trip in October 2021 Dean's mother Cherina Gray uncovered messages between him and his former teacher (pictured: a mock-up of the texts) 'Every time I have thought about you for the last few months, including now, my body responds ridiculously well,' she wrote, after one of their first sexual encounters. In another text, she said it was difficult to 'get my body started' because the 'venue' - which appeared to be somewhere in the school - was not ideal and she couldn't stop worrying about 'curtains, noises, people' and having 'no lingerie'. The relationship lasted about four months before Dean received a furious message from the teacher's husband, who blamed the teenager for the relationship and said 'get your dirty hands off my wife'. Dean struggled with his mental health after graduating high school, to the point where he disclosed his abuse to some friends, but ultimately shied away from make a formal complaint. He eventually told a friend the teacher was a 'deep, dark, twisted' person who 'you do not want to get tied up with'. 'Your kisses, your mouth, your hands' Ms Gray believes one of the first times the teacher had sex with her son was in June 2013 - while he was at school finishing a woodwork assignment. Afterwards, she wrote: 'Sorry! That was NOT my body - that was my brain interfering.' 'I can tell you that because every time I have thought about you for the last few months, including no, my body responds ridiculously well. Just not earlier today...' 'How u feeling?' Dean replied: 'I'm feeling pretty good. Hips are a bit sore, knees are a bit sore. Good workout.' 'Just kidding, a badass doesn't feel pain.' She wrote: 'OK badass. You obviously don't have a brain that needs a lot of preparation.' The texts between Dean and his teacher were often sexual, and detailed their exploits (pictured: a mock-up of the texts) At one stage, the teacher spoke about her sexual stamina (pictured: a mock-up of the texts) The teacher also said she was thinking about 'your kisses, your mouth, your hands' (pictured: a mock-up of the texts) 'I'm not calling today's effort dinner or dessert. It was entree. Maybe just an appetizer.' Later, she appeared concerned that her sexual performance was off-putting for the teenager. 'Been thinking about my badass, cute ass and wondering if I totally messed it up,' she wrote. He asked: 'What makes you think you messed what up?' She replied: 'Messed it up with you, by not being so good for you.' Dean said, jokingly, 'you were okay I guess,' before he added: 'Don't worry, I just have a bit of stamina. Prepare you for next time.' The teacher then said: 'It actually wasn't so much the stamina - I can do that bit. It was the initial nerves, couldn't get my body started kind of thing. Like a mental block.' 'Brain wouldn't stop worry about stuff - curtains, noises, people, no lingerie, stuff like that.' At another point, the teacher said she was thinking about 'seeing you, being with you, talking with you, your kisses, your mouth, your hands'. Dean replied: 'Hmmm. Those are good things ... good considering I'm such a badass.' She said: 'Nothing bad about any of those things, bad boy. You must be just bad enough to be my kind of bad.' Dean Gray, pictured with his fiancee Taylor Baxter and their son Bostin, vanished during a camping trip 'My girlfriends have children older than you' Following one of their first sexual encounters in July 2013, the conversation turned to whether others would find out about their relationship. 'Seriously, I am not telling anyone,' she said. 'Do you have any idea what they would think? You Sure nobody else knows?' He replied: 'I know, I know. I just know what you women talk about when you get a few wines into you.' 'No one knows. It will be our secret.' She said: 'Trust me - I'm not a talker about this. Thank you. He wrote: 'Hmm okay. I trust you.' The teacher then said: 'My girlfriends have children older than you.' The pair invariably grew concerned that someone would find out about their relationship (pictured: a mock-up of the texts) 'My husband knows' The relationship only appeared to ended when the teacher's husband found out, in July 2013. She wrote: 'Hey, I need to see you and talk to you. My husband knows and he wants it to stop. When can I talk to you face to face? He knows we are going to meet and talk about it.' READ MORE: Mystery as young fitness fanatic dad swims to the other side of a river during boys' camping trip before VANISHING and being found DEAD four days later - as his heartbroken fiancee reveals what she thinks REALLY happened What should have been a weekend of BBQs and campfires took an alarming twist when the fit and healthy 25-year-old hurt himself while swimming 50m across the gushing river. Advertisement Dean replied: 'How did he find out?' She responded: 'He has seen our conversations. It's OK I just need to talk to you. No one else knows.' Two days later, Dean received a furious message from the teacher's husband, from the teacher's account. 'This is the nameless husband ... I hope you understand the hurt and pain you have caused [in] 12 months time when you are on girlfriend number two or three we will still be trying to pick up the pieces of a shattered marriage,' he wrote. 'Don't you dare speak to my wife again, let alone put your dirty little hands on her body ... or there will be repercussions.' Heartbreaking find Dean, his younger brother and some of their closest friends packed their bags for a few days away on a property along the Namoi River on October 16, 2021. But the trip took a tragic turn when Dean, who was just 25, hurt himself while swimming across the gushing river. He dislocated his shoulder, so his friends told him to hang on to the riverbank while they looked for a way around to help him. His body was found four days later, two kilometres downstream from where he was last seen. Pictured: Dean, during his last camping trip on the day he went missing Pictured: The Namoi River near Narrabri, where Dean went missing His parents had learned about the relationship in 2016 after a family member disclosed details of the abuse. At the time, they reported the allegations to the police and Education Department but an investigation was closed due to 'insufficient evidence'. While the teacher was being investigated, Ms Gray said Dean's behaviour changed - he broke all the bones in his foot in a biking accident, and said he wished he had been run over by a truck. 'I knew something was going on,' she said. However, Ms Gray didn't know the full extent of the relationship - her son was a private person, and pulled away from his family when they found out about his grooming and assault. After he died, Ms Gray was trying to piece his last moments together and started looking through the messages on his phone. 'I'm scrolling through these messages - the first one that came up was when he was threatened by her husband,' she said. 'I scrolled through and started capturing it all - I kept going at it, I couldn't go to bed, so Rob and I stayed up until 2am talking back and forth about what I was finding and how horrified I was.' The couple spent 18 hours poring over about 6,000 messages between the teacher and her son. 'It was so heartbreaking because I'm watching my son be lured into this relationship and then being left out in the cold at the end, and then being blamed,' she said. 'He's living under our roof and we didn't even know about it. I really felt like a failure.' Dean is pictured with his ex-girlfriend Kat, before he started going out with Taylor Official complaint Ms Gray made copies of all the messages and lodged a complaint with the Department of Education. The teacher, who had been promoted at another school since Dean's abuse, was removed from face-to-face contact with children within 48 hours. However, police said the complaint could not progress because the victim was dead. Ms Gray recalled one moment where a local cop said: 'How many people do you want me to upset, Cherina?' these witnesses are all grieving dean's death.' 'I said, "it's nothing to do with what I want, it's your case to investigate".' The teacher at the centre of the allegations was promoted at another school and is still employed by the Department of Education. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the teacher, and the NSW Department of Education for comment. Embattled television personality Andrew O'Keefe will remain behind bars until the end of the month after he was arrested for allegedly breaching an apprehended violence order of a former partner. It was just the latest in a long line of sad scandals for the former Deal or No Deal host, who used to be one of Australia's most popular TV presenters. The fallen TV host's personal life has been on a downward spiral after the Seven network dumped him in 2021 following a separate domestic violence incident with a former partner. Sources told Daily Mail Australia former colleagues no longer keep in touch with O'Keefe following his exit from the network. 'It's sad, nobody I know at Seven has kept in contact with him,' a source revealed. 'To continue a relationship wouldn't be good for optics,' they added. Embattled former TV star Andrew O'Keefe (pictured) has landed himself in trouble again The fallen TV host's personal life has been on a downward spiral after the Seven network dumped him in 2021 The source added that O'Keefe was well-liked by top executives and crew during his 18 years at the network. The fallen TV host, 51, was once considered the Seven Network golden boy, taking home an estimated pay-packet of $1 million a year. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his extensive television and charity work. The latest saga to haunt the embattled father-of-three, came on Saturday after he was arrested at a unit on Longworth Avenue in Point Piper, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. Appearing at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday afternoon, it was revealed he had been charged with contravening an AVO after allegedly spending '10 to 15 minutes' at the unit of his former partner - who cannot legally be named - the night before. O'Keefe (pictured) first became a household name while hosting Deal or No Deal The court heard O'Keefe had been invited by the woman to visit, as they wanted to 'resume... their relationship'. But Magistrate Robert Walker said despite the invitation, O'Keefe must have been aware he was in breach of the AVO conditions, something he said there was 'no excuse' for. 'You must be sick of doing this,' Magistrate Walker said to the former TV star, who appeared in court via audio-visual link. 'I'm a little over it, Your Honour,' O'Keefe replied. The court heard O'Keefe was currently receiving treatment for mental health concerns, before making a frank assessment. 'It (treatment) doesn't seem to be working, does it,' he said. O'Keefe's solicitor Sharon Ramsden applied for bail on her client's behalf and said he was simply at the home to collect some of his belongings. She said that despite the fact there was an AVO in place between them 'the parties (involved) wish to resume... their relationship'. 'The ultimate breach is he was there for 10 to 15 minutes at the property,' Ms Ramsden said. 'It appears to be the parties wish to resume contact. The complainant I understand has extended an invite to claim the property.' Prosecutor Peter Archibald opposed bail, saying police had concerns O'Keefe would endanger the safety of victims and interfere with witnesses, for several separate matters he is currently on bail for, if he was released again. O'Keefe then took a parting shot at the Magistrate as he was led out of the cells at Surry Hills Police Station. 'Thank you, Your Honour, for nothing,' he said, slamming his hands on the table in front of him before leaving the room. O'Keefe will remain behind bars on remand until his next appearance in Downing Centre Local Court on August 30. In recent years, he's been in and out of court on drug and assault charges, and spent four months behind bars on remand after he was charged with a choking assault on another woman in his Sydney CBD apartment on Kent Street in January last year. O'Keefe's battle with drugs has played out publicly in recent years, including several stints in rehabilitation. Following his exit from Seven in 2021, he battled his demons in silence, attending a Buddhist-style silent meditation retreat where he vowed not to speak a word. He separated from his wife Eleanor in 2017, was infamously pictured kissing a brunette during a night out in Tasmania in 2018, and divorced his partner in 2019. More than 200 ships are stuck on both sides of the Panama Canal after authorities capped the number of crossings because of a serious drought. The large vessels, thought to be carrying millions of dollars worth of goods, are locked in a traffic jam with some waiting for weeks to cross. Vessel-tracking data highlights the extent of the issue with hundreds of ships, mainly bulk cargo or gas carriers, seen waiting near entrances to the canal on the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The number of daily transits through the canal has been capped at 32 by water authorities in a bid to conserve water. Panama is set to lose $200million in revenue from the delays and it could cause a spike in US grocery and parcel prices as extra fees are hiked on to shipping costs. Vessel-tracking data highlights the extent of issue with hundreds of ships, mainly bulk cargo or gas carriers, seen waiting near entrances to the canal on the Pacific and Atlantic oceans More than 200 ships are stuck on both sides of the Panama Canal after authorities capped the number of crossings because of a serious drought The entrances on both sides of the Panama Canal are jammed with some ships backed up for more than 20 days. Some shipowners have resorted to rerouting their journeys to avoid the backlog. The canal uses three times as much water as New York City on a daily basis and needs rainfall to replace it. But the rainy season is yet to arrive in Panama and the canal is going through its driest spell in more than a century. Restrictions for the number of vessels passing through has been extended until September 2. 'The delays are changing by the day. Once you make a decision to go there is no point to return or deviate, so you can get stuck,' Tim Hansen, chief commercial officer at Dorian LPG, which operates large gas carriers, told the Wall Street Journal. Without enough rain, the ship transits are cut and the lucky ones that cross pay hefty premiums. This increases transport costs for cargo owners like American oil as well as Asian importers and gas exporters. Ricaurte Vasquez Morales, the administrator of the Panama Canal, warned the restrictions could have to remain in place until the rest of the year. He said the drought could see a $200million drop in revenue next year if the low rainfall continues into winter. Conditions of extreme rain or drought are a lot more regular than in the early years of the canal's operation, according to him. It presents a huge challenge for the Panama Canal Authority which supplies water to around half the country's population of 4.5 million. 'The Canal communicates with its customers so that the information allows them to make the best decisions even if it means that they may choose another route temporarily,' Vasquez Morales said. 'Demand remains high which proves the Panama Canal remains competitive in most segments, even with measures to save water.' Operators have hired the US Army Corps of Engineers, who originally built the canal, and has set aside $2billion over the next decade to divert four rivers into the waterway and help ships flow through. The canal already has three rivers that feed into it. Wide disruption has not been caused for containerships which are the canal's biggest users. Most are given preferential status because they work on fixed schedules and book crossings up to a year in advance. The large vessels, thought to be carrying millions of dollars worth of goods, are locked in a traffic jam with some waiting for weeks to cross The entrances on both sides of the Panama Canal are jammed with some ships backed up for more than 20 days However some are caught up in the chaos and have to pay several times the average tolls. Lars Oestergaard Nielsen, who is head of customer delivery in the Americas at shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk, said: 'We had two ships that couldn't book and it was quite expensive. 'We went to an auction and paid $900,000 on top of $400,000 normal toll fee for each ship to cross.' Ordinarily, ships cross the canal at an average 50 feet of draft but this has now been reduced to 44 feet to cope with the drought conditions. Large boxships have to cross with fewer containers in order to match the lower water depth. Smaller ships are added to help move the rest of the cargo. Those that aren't on fixed routes like bulk and gas carriers which are booked to move goods in short notice end up facing the longest delays. Oslo-based Avance Gas operated 17 vessels and has had to re-route 75 percent of its ships moving American exports of butane and propane. Ships carrying these products to Asia move through the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good Hope. 'Waiting time is one thing, but it's also the uncertainty,' its chief executive ystein Kalleklev said. The number of daily transits through the canal has been capped at 32 by water authorities in a bid to conserve water Panama is set to lose $200million in revenue from the delays and it could cause a spike in US grocery and parcel prices as extra fees are hiked on to shipping costs 'It's risky to fix a ship with no firm itinerary because you can lose the contract if the wait is too long. The Panama Canal is a big mess these days twenty days in a queue is unprecedented at this time of the year.' Huge ships that move bulky items like coal and iron ore are stuck in the traffic jam. They are usually owned by medium or small operators and get no priority. The restrictions could add more pressure on consumer goods prices, according to maritime firms and experts, as delays and extra fees add to shipping costs. It could lead to higher prices and less choices for American consumers. The Panama Canal is important for moving consumer goods from Asia to the United States, especially ahead of peak selling seasons like Christmas. It also allows faster transportation of US commodities to Asia and South America's Pacific Coast. The Panama Canal has a 40 percent-market share of containers moving from Northeast Asia to the US East Coast. The cause of the fire has yet to be officially determined but recent Fuentes is one of 114 people to have been confirmed dead after the blaze Family and friends of Kenyero Fuentes, a teenager killed in the Lahaina wildfire, held a party for him on Sunday, what would have been his 15th birthday The family and friends of a teenage boy killed in the Lahaina wildfires have held a party for what would have been his 15th birthday. Dozens of loved ones gathered at Honokowai Beach Park on Maui for a celebration of Kenyero Fuentes's life just over a week after a blaze claimed his life. Fuentes is one of 114 people to have been confirmed dead following the horrific fires on the Hawaiian island, which could have been sparked by a downed power line. The teen's mother, Luz Vargas, told NPR that her family raced to retrieve Fuentes from the fires only to find the boy's charred remains face down in the wreckage. 'Please God, hold him for me,' Vargas told the outlet of her reaction. 'Wait for me there, mijo. Wait for me because one day, I, too, will leave this Earth.' The family and friends of Kenyero Fuentes, a teenage boy killed in the Lahaina wildfires, held a party on Sunday for what would have been his 15th birthday Pictured: Fuentes in a picture shared by family and friends The teenager is one of 114 confirmed dead following the horrific fires on Maui The loved ones of the teenage boy gathered on the beach Sunday afternoon in the picturesque location to share stories and remember the boy, gone too soon. In several photos, Vargas was seen embracing with others during the event and admiring flowers and signs posted in remembrance of Fuentes. The celebration of life comes as a GoFundMe to throw a funeral for the boy has raised more than $28,000 in a matter of days. 'He had lots of dreams and hopes for his future,' the fundraiser's description reads. The fund quickly reached and blew past its original $15,000 goal. 'We are extremely devastated by this and are trying to lay him to rest like he deserves.' the description continues. Hundreds have donated to the fund and dozens have shared messages of support. 'There are no words to express how sorry I am for the loss of your son. Sending love from Colorado,' one person shared. 'Sending all our aloha to this ohana. God bless you,' another added. The teen's mother, Luz Vargas (pictured) told NPR that her family raced to retrieve Fuentes from the fires only to find the boy's charred remains face down in the wreckage A sign reading 'feliz cumpleanos Keyiro' on the beach at the birthday celebration In several photos, Vargas was seen embracing with others during the event and admiring flowers and signs posted in remembrance of Fuentes A birthday cake for the boy The loved ones of the teenage boy gathered on the beach Sunday afternoon in the picturesque location to share stories and remember the boy, gone too soon The celebration of life comes as a GoFundMe to throw a funeral for the boy has raised more than $28,000 in a matter of days According to Vargas, Fuentes was home alone on the day of the fires. Classes for the teen were slated to start the next day at Lahainaluna High School. The rest of the family, including Vargas' husband and their eldest son, were working for their cleaning busy at a nearby condominium when the fires broke out. As other families were fleeing from the fires, they raced back into the area in an attempt to find their loved ones. 'Everyone was running away from the flames, but we were all running toward them,' Vargas said, adding that they split up to try and find him. At one point, another resident told her to stop and flee. 'Don't go! The fire has consumed everything,' Vargas recalled her saying. Her flip flops melted as she ran through the streets until she was stopped by firefighters and first responders who told her that no one was left. It wasn't until two days later that Fuentes' friends gave her the news that they had gone to the house and discovered his remains. Pictured: Fuentes in a picture from a GoFundMe for the boy's family There are still an estimated 1,000 more residents who have yet to be accounted for Nearly 80 percent of the burn zone has been searched for survivors and remains As of August 21, there are still an estimated 1,000 more residents who have yet to be accounted for. 'This is unprecedented,' Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said earlier this week. 'No one has ever seen this that is alive today. Not this size, not this number, not this volume and we're not done,' Pelletier said at a press conference. Nearly 80 percent of the burn zone has been searched for survivors and remains. 'We're still trying to take stock of who was in the area during the fire, who is missing,' Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, told NBC. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended the tax office as close to 300,000 Australians find themselves paying back debts they potentially didn't realise they owed. The Australian Taxation Office has reactivated the debts of 290,000 Australians who had temporary amnesties during the summer bushfires of 2020 and later during the Covid lockdowns. This will see many Australians get back a smaller tax return, or even owe the tax office money, after Labor scrapped the low and middle-income tax offset that offered $1,500 in relief. Dr Chalmers has defended the tax office with many people set to miss out during a cost of living crisis. 'Obviously, the tax office does the best job it can in ensuring that people are complying with the tax system but trying to provide as much information as they can as these steps are taken,' he said on Monday. The Australian Taxation Office has reactivated the debts of 290,000 Australians who had amnesties during the summer bushfires of 2020 and later during the Covid lockdowns (pictured is a Centrelinkj queue on the Gold Coast) 'I'm obviously not going to criticise the important work that the ATO does.' Dr Chalmers said he had also received a briefing from Australian Taxation Office Commissioner Chris Jordan. 'I know, speaking to the Commissioner and others in the ATO, that when they conduct this necessary work, they try and do it in the most sensitive way that they can,' he said. 'I expect that to continue.' The tax debts that had been put on hold in 2020 were reactivated from July 2022, which means they would be reflected in tax returns for 2022-23. An Australian Taxation Office spokeswoman confirmed the end of debt postponements would affect 290,000 people this financial year. Tax returns are due by October 31 if individual is submitting it or May 15 for those going through an accountant. Labor in government scrapped the Coalition's low and middle-income tax offset that provided that provided up to $1,500 in tax relief for those earning up to $126,000. Until June 2022, those earning $48,000 to $90,000 were entitled to a $1,080 tax offset and a one-off $420 cost of living allowance. That means those submitting tax returns for 2022-23 won't be getting this relief, and will have to wait until the stage three tax cuts kick in on July 1, 2024. Dr Chalmers, however, has ruled out increasing the GST from its present level of 10 per cent following a call from the Business Council of Australia. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended the tax office as close to 300,000 Australians find themselves paying back debts they potentially didn't realise they owed 'That's one of the things we don't have agreement with the BCA on - we don't have any plans or any intention to change the rate of the GST and I think I've made that clear on other occassions,' he said. This is despite confirming he agreed with most of their suggestions published in a new report on Monday. 'There is so much more we agree with the BCA than disagree on,' he said. The Business Council of Australia, which represents millionaire chief executives, has been campaigning for the Voice to Parliament alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. His girlfriend Lori Milliron, 65, was sentenced to 17 years for encouraging him A wealthy dentist convicted of killing his wife while on a safari in Zambia so he could collect millions in life insurance is expected to be sentenced to life in prison today for murder. Larry Rudolph, who prosecutors say had a lifetime 'spent seeking domination and control over others through wealth and power', fatally shot his wife Bianca Rudolph in October 2016. His girlfriend Lori Milliron, 65, is facing 17 years in prison after being sentenced in June for encouraging the murder. The 57-year-old wife and mother of two adult children was shot in the heart by her husband while the couple were away on a hunting trip in the African savannah. He claimed his wife accidentally shot herself while she was packing to head back home. At the hearing in a Denver federal court today, U.S. government prosecutors will also seek to get an estimated $25 million in restitution, seized property and fines from Larry Rudolph. Larry Rudolph (right) is accused of fatally shooting his wife Bianca Rudolph (left) in October 2016 while on a safari His girlfriend Lori Milliron (pictured), 65, is facing 17 years in prison after being sentenced in June for encouraging the murder Rudolph (pictured) claimed his wife accidentally shot herself while she was packing to head back home from the safari He was also found guilty in federal court last year for mail fraud for cashing in nearly $5 million in insurance policies for his wife. Rudolph has claimed throughout the case that his wife's death in the southern African nation in 2016 was an accident. His lawyers plan to appeal the conviction. Prosecutors say that after shooting his wife, Rudolph, who owned a Pittsburgh-area dental franchise, put the gun in its soft case to make it look like she had accidentally shot herself while packing. They also claim the location of the murder, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) from the nearest police station, was the perfect place to try to get away with the crime, where he rushed to have his wife cremated and intimidated officials investigating her death. They allege the goal was to live a lavish retirement with his longtime girlfriend, Milliron, with the help of the insurance money. She was sentenced to 17 years in prison in June after being convicted of being an accessory. She has since filed an appeal. 'The murder was the culmination of a lifetime spent seeking domination and control over others through wealth and power,' prosecutors said in a court filing outlining their sentencing proposal. Larry Rudolph could also get more time in prison for mail fraud in addition to paying a nearly $10 million fine, forfeiting millions in assets and paying the insurance companies back, according to what the prosecutors are seeking. It is unclear if any family members or friends of Bianca Rudolph will confront the dentist during the hearing. Pictured is Bianca Rudolph, who was fatally killed in 2016 by her husband, prosecutors say The son, left, and daughter, back right, of Pittsburgh dentist Larry Rudolph head into federal court for the afternoon session of the trial in July last year The couple's two adult children, Julian and AnaBianca Rudolph, have so far opted not to to speak much publicly about the death, although AnaBianca testified against Miliron at her sentencing. They are fighting for some of the financial penalties the government wants their father to pay, asking the court to treat them, not the insurance companies, as the victims of the insurance fraud. In a court filing, they say they have 'suffered considerable financial harm' and are entitled to restitution. Investigators in Zambia and for the insurers concluded Bianca Rudolph's death was an accident. The insurance companies, some based in Colorado, then had to pay out the life insurance because of her death, according to the defense in court documents. But Rudolph was arrested nearly five years after her death following an FBI investigation that sent agents traveling around the world to collect evidence and interview witnesses. A bartender at a steakhouse in Phoenix, where Milliron moved to be with Rudolph after Biancas death, said he overheard Rudolph saying 'I killed my f*****g wife for you!' during an argument they were having in early 2020. However, Brian Lovelace testified that he could not hear the words right before that statement because music was playing. Rudolph testified that he actually said 'now they're saying I killed my f*****g wife for you!' after learning that the FBI was investigating him. Prosecutors allege he built his wealth on fraud. They say he shot off his thumb during a previous visit to Zambia to collect millions in disability insurance money, and allege he also cheated his dental patients, creating the need for root canals by not doing fillings or drilling holes in their teeth while they were asleep. The fine sought by the government is twice the amount that Rudolph received for the life insurance polices as well as insurance for the jewelry Bianca Rudolph was wearing when she was killed. Rudolph practiced dentistry out of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Dental which made him a small fortune Rudolph reported that the jewelry was lost although officials in Zambia said they gave the items to him. His lawyers say the government did not charge Rudolph for that and never proved the allegation. Prosecutors want Rudolph to pay $4.9 million in restitution to the insurance companies, forfeit $4.8 million from bank accounts, as well as real estate in Arizona and Pennsylvania and two luxury vehicles - an Aston Martin DB-11 and a Bentley Bentayga, according to court filings. Rudolph's lawyers say the properties and cars are worth millions and that the combination of penalties totals over $25 million. They say he cannot afford that since he no longer controls his dwindling dental practice, has significant debts and will never be able to earn more money. Rudolph's two adult children control his finances now, according to the defense. 'The truth is that such a fine would serve only to punish and bankrupt the Rudolph children, not Rudolph himself,' his lawyers said. The government estimated that Rudolph is worth $15 million, according to the defense in a pre-sentencing report that is not available to the public, but a defense expert during the trial said his worth is now less than $10 million. Prosecutors argue Rudolph would still have millions of dollars after paying restitution, the fine and having the property seized. Before he went on trial, they say Rudolph claimed to be worth $27 million and argued that he did not need the life insurance money he got after his wife died to demonstrate his innocence. 'The adult children are not being punished, nor are they entitled to unjust enrichment from their fathers criminal scheme,' prosecutors said. China, other BRICS countries report rapid trade expansion in Jan.-July Xinhua) 13:10, August 21, 2023 BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's trade with the other four BRICS countries maintained rapid expansion in the first seven months of the year, official data showed Monday. China's imports and exports with other BRICS members expanded 19.1 percent year on year to 2.38 trillion yuan (about 330.62 billion U.S. dollars) during the January-July period, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. Exports grew 23.9 percent year on year to 1.23 trillion yuan while imports rose 14.3 percent from a year ago to 1.15 trillion yuan, data showed. Trade with these countries accounted for 10.1 percent of China's total foreign trade in the first seven months. The figure was up 1.6 percentage points from a year ago, according to the customs authorities. China's trade with other BRICS countries grew 17 percent year on year to 3.69 trillion yuan in 2022, customs data showed. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) North Korea's Air Koryo freight plane parked at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi, on Feb. 24, 2019. Yonhap North Korea's national airline was set to make its first commercial flight in over three years on Monday, only for it to be abruptly cancelled at the last minute. North Korea has been largely closed off from the outside world since early 2020, when it shut its borders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Journalists gathered on Monday at Beijing's Capital International Airport to await Air Koryo flight JS151 from Pyongyang, due to arrive at 09:50 a.m. But almost two hours after its scheduled arrival, a signboard in the terminal unexpectedly signalled it had been cancelled, prompting groans of disappointment from media waiting to see some of the isolated North's first international travellers in years. Beijing airport customer service told AFP that Air Koryo had not given a reason for the cancellation. AFP was unable to contact Air Koryo's Beijing office on Monday, and a journalist who visited the state-owned airline's outpost in the Chinese capital found the glass doors locked and bolted. But the office seemed well-maintained, and a worker on the same floor said airline staff did occasionally show up, though none had appeared that morning. A person with knowledge of Air Koryo's China operations told AFP they were not aware of any scheduled flights between Pyongyang and Beijing. The person, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, added that the company had not received notice from the North Korean government to restart flights to China. "The information that you have is mistaken. Flights have not resumed," they said. North Korean women wearing track suits with the North Korean flag and the words Taekwon-Do printed on the back walk to Chinese customs after checking in for a flight to Astana at the Capital Airport in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 18. AP-Yonhap The plans reference a recent price hike, which increased fines from 130 to 160 Fury has erupted over plans to hike parking fines in London by up to 25 per cent. London Councils - which represents authorities and controls fine limits - is consulting on the changes, which could raise parking fines by a quarter at a time when motorists in the city are already paying steep congestion charges and Ulez costs. Exact figures for the fines have not yet been confirmed but the consultations reportedly reference a recent 23 per cent hike brought in by Transport for London (TfL), which increased fines from 130 to 160. In addition, fines could be raised for driving in bus lanes or box junctions, while other parking fees such as clamping and vehicle removals are also set to be affected. The rise in parking fines would add to an increasingly expensive driving experience in London - with a 15-a-day congestion charge and expansion of the low emissions zone already battering vehicle owners. Fury has erupted over plans to hike parking fines in London by up to 25 per cent (file image) No exact figures for the fines have been confirmed but the plans reportedly reference a recent 23 per cent hike (file image) Penalty charge levels have not been changed since 2007, according to London Councils. Motoring groups have condemned the 'never-ending' schemes to 'get money out of motorists'. Luke Bosdet from the AA told The Telegraph: 'There seems to be a never-ending trail of London councils and TfL finding means to get money out of motorists, whether it's parking permits, parking charges or other driving charges.' Meanwhile Simon Williams, head of policy for the RAC, added: 'We can see no justification whatsoever for putting up these fines, especially in a cost of living crisis.' IAM RoadSmart director of policy Nicholas Lyes told MailOnline: 'Its starting to feel like Londons drivers and motorcyclists are becoming cash cows. 'Moreover, we know that some box junctions and bus lanes are not fit for purpose with poor signage and road layout, and worse still in the case of box junctions, the painted boundaries can be hidden by buildings and street furniture. 'Its time to stop finding ways of hitting hard-pressed drivers in their pockets.' The expansion of Ulez at the end of the month under London Mayor Sadiq Khan has caused controversy. From August 29 the scheme will cover all London boroughs and will force drivers of non-compliant vehicles to shell out 12.50 a day. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has even blamed the policy for his party's recent by-election loss in Uxbridge, which will now be included in the scheme. This week it emerged drivers will soon have to pay a toll to use the Blackwall Tunnel over the River Thames. Motorists may also end up paying a 3 toll to cross Hammersmith Bridge if it reopens to cars. Mayor Philip Glanville, London Councils executive member for climate change, transport and environment, said: 'London boroughs are committed to making our roads safe and accessible for everyone. 'By effectively managing parking and traffic we can incentivise people to drive and park safely, protect access, crossing and junctions, and increase active travel such as walking, cycling and rented e-scooter use. We can also improve bus prioritisation, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. 'Todays consultation is a crucial part of the transport and environment committees decision-making process on penalty charge levels and additional fees, and anyone who uses Londons roads can have their say on the new proposals. 'We are dedicated to ensuring the plans dont negatively impact lower income and more vulnerable people and welcome all input into this consultation.' Last week anti-Ulez protesters brought traffic to a standstill around London. Tractors, a taxi and a three-wheel car were seen spiralling around a roundabout at Orpington War Memorial, south-east London, on Saturday, while protesters shouted into megaphones and blew whistles. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last month urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan to 'think twice' about Ulez expansion, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested cities should look at other options for tackling air pollution. Mr Khan has previously admitted his decision to expand the Ulez was 'very difficult' but insisted it would 'see five million more Londoners being able to breathe cleaner air'. Orpington locals Alex Hart, 65, and his wife Cheryl, 61, were among protesters on the edge of London. The pair are worried they could have to spend up to 40,000 to replace their car. Mr Hart said: 'I have never protested about anything until this. I have got a car which is a Volvo C30. It's diesel because I was told by my Government that diesel was the environmentally friendly thing to do. I now have to get rid of it. 'It's a 2010 car but it has been regularly serviced and looked after. We go on journeys to see my children in Cornwall, we have recently been to Suffolk. The expansion of Ulez at the end of the month under London mayor Sadiq Khan has been rife with controversy London Mayor Sadiq Khan (pictured in June 2022) wants to expand the capital's Ulez area 'It's great but now Mayor Khan is telling me to get rid of it. 'We will be without a car soon or having to pay a tax which is totally unjust.' Signs warning drivers of the expansion of the capital's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) would be an endorsement of Sadiq Khan's plans, a council leader has said. Hertfordshire County Council will not erect signs warning drivers they are approaching the new area, its leader Richard Roberts has said. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: '[Sadiq Khan] has created a tax border and I don't want to put signs up, the mayor's signs, which in any way suggest that we endorse his plans. 'His cameras and his signs are already in place and there are national signs on our major infrastructure, on motorways, our main trunk roads, there are already signs up there. 'We may consider using our own visual boards that we have around the county at some point, but in terms of putting an infrastructure of signs up which effectively endorses the mayor's plans, we're not going to do that.' Killer nurse Lucy Letby should be dragged into court to hear the full horrors of her crimes, the victims' families said today. Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced on Monday, but is refusing to come to the dock for the hearing. Today, former justice secretary Robert Buckland said she should be forced to listen to families give their victim impact statements from her cell if she cannot be dragged into court. 'She needs to hear the victim's personal statements, as impact statements that will really bring home I think, to the wider world, the appalling devastating impact of the loss of these innocent children, these innocent babies, have had upon dozens of families,' Mr Buckland told GB News. The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015-2016. However, detectives are said to have identified 30 other newborns they believe Letby attacked after a review of incidents at the Countess of Chester hospital where she worked. Letby was on duty for each of the unexplained collapses. All of the babies survived, the Guardian reported. She has joined the list of the UK's most prolific child killers, including the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the so-called Angel of Death paediatric nurse Beverley Allitt. Asked on GB News about Lucy Letby's refusal to attend her sentencing for the murders of seven babies, minister for children Claire Coutinho said: 'Well, look I think it's appalling. I think she should be there. Children's nurse Lucy Letby (pictured in a custody photo) went on a year-long killing spree while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital Letby cries as she listens to the first guilty verdicts being read out by the foreman of the jury at Manchester Crown Court 'And I know that the Justice Secretary has said he's very committed to making changes that are needed to make sure that people who have committed awful crimes have to go to court so they can hear things like the victims' impact statement, which is really their moment to tell that person how this has impacted them.' On how it should be done, she said: 'I'm not a justice minister but what I do know is that the Justice Secretary has talked about his commitment to it. 'I know that there is commitment across Government to making sure that people who have committed crimes are facing the reality of that so they can hear these things and my understanding is that does mean that a change in the law is needed and the Justice Secretary has said that he's committed to looking at that.' On why existing legislation is not being used to bring Letby to court, Ms Coutinho said: 'Well, I'm sure they will look at everything that they can do to make sure that that is enforced. But I think there are some changes that it sounds like are needed as well to make sure that in every instance the perpetrator has to go to court and have that moment, as I said, of justice.' She added: 'I'm not a justice minister, but I think one of the things that may be a challenge is if someone gets a life order, then extending custody by two years might not be enough of an incentive to make sure that people come.' Letby could be handed a whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss at Manchester Crown Court. Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in the UK criminal justice system, for those who commit the most serious crimes. Letby may attend court although she previously indicated she did not intend to return to the dock, did not want to take any part in her sentencing hearing, and would not follow the hearing via video-link from prison. Mr Justice Goss said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but a Government source suggested 'lawful enforcement' could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate. 'Lucy Letby should be in court to hear society's condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge,' the source told the PA news agency. 'If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can.' The aunt of murder victim Zara Aleena has said that if criminals like Letby are not persuaded to attend their sentencing it 'will continue as a trend'. Speaking on Times Radio, Farah Naz, whose niece's killer, Jordan McSweeney, refused to attend court for his sentencing, said she feels for the families who will not get the 'brief moment of retribution'. She added: 'It's not full, but to see her in court and to stand and to have a moment perhaps where they can see that is part of her punishment... An artist's sketch of empty chairs inside the court after Letby refused to go into the dock to hear the further verdicts against her Letby's parents, Susan and John, arrive at Manchester Crown Court on August 18. The couple supported her every day in court. A source told the Mail that Letby's mother was distraught when her daughter was arrested wailing and crying, even telling police: 'I did it, take me instead,' in a desperate bid to protect her Letby - who grew up with two loving parents - is pictured as a young girl Letby was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital, in Cheshire (pictured) 'And so I feel sad for those families that also may want to address her in their victim impact statements. And, I think, to have that moment to address that person that's destroyed your life certainly is so important to the process of justice and so important to the victims themselves in their own process of dealing with their trauma. 'But I think it's much more than that. I know that we, you know, we've been talking about 'face the family'... I think that Letby has to face justice, and she has to face society. And I think we don't have to drag in the criminal. I think we can persuade them. 'There are certain other ways of getting them into the courtroom so they face justice, and that would be to extend minimum tariffs or to refuse a tariff or to refuse parole or to refuse certain privileges in prison. Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government is 'committed' to changing the law so criminals are compelled to attend their sentencing hearings. Parents of babies murdered by Lucy Letby last night demanded a law change to stop 'cowardly' offenders from 'hiding' when they are sentenced. The nurse is expected to refuse to appear in the dock when the judge imposes her punishment later today but the Government has vowed to force the child killer to attend. If Letby does not attend, she will get to avoid listening to victim impact statements, prepared by the families of those she murdered and harmed, explaining how she devastated their lives. MPs and parents of the infants last night demanded new legislation be fast-tracked to force serious offenders to 'face the music'. One father, whose twin boys Letby tried to murder, told the Mail her refusal to appear at Manchester Crown Court was a 'slap in the face' for her victims. 'I'm so angry that Letby is refusing to come to court to hear her sentence,' he said. 'She is a coward and we feel cheated that she will not be present to hear exactly how her terrible actions have affected our boys and our lives. 'What gives her the right to refuse to come up from the cells or to tell the judge that she doesn't intend to listen to his sentence? The law must change. The judge should be given the power to summon her into the dock to face myself, my wife and all the other victims who desperately want her to hear our victim impact statements. 'It is a total injustice and slap in the face for us all. The British justice system needs to change, to ensure that, in the future, all victims' voices are heard by those that perpetrate such horrendous crimes.' On Friday, Letby was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital, in Cheshire. By then, she was already refusing to enter the dock and her barrister, Ben Myers KC, indicated to the judge, Mr Justice Goss, that his client would not be appearing before him for sentencing. He said: 'The sentencing hearing will take place whether she is present or not. The court has no power to force her to attend therefore there is nothing I can do about it.' The judge is likely to impose a whole life tariff, meaning Letby will never be freed. She is likely to become only the fourth woman in British legal history to be given such a punishment. The Government is expected to include changes to legislation requiring offenders to be present in court for sentencing in the King's Speech in November. The proposals will compel offenders to attend or impose an increased jail sentence if they refuse by making 'no shows' a contempt of court. But this extra punishment would have little effect on the most serious criminals, such as Letby, who have no prospect of ever being freed. Tory former justice secretary Robert Buckland said there should be 'nowhere to hide' for offenders such as Letby and suggested the sentencing be played into her cell, regardless of her wishes. He said changes could be made to the Victims Bill, which is going through Parliament, or emergency legislation drafted to get the changes into law quicker. Sir Robert told GB News: 'Sadly, the court's hands are tied at the moment. My suggestion would be to make sure there was a live link beamed into the cell of the sound and/or send pictures to ensure that Letby has nowhere to hide and has to listen to what the judge is saying about the case.' The twins' father said: 'I agree with the suggestion of having cameras in cells so video can be beamed in Letby should have nowhere to hide.' Letby's refusal to appear comes after a series of high-profile cases where criminals have avoided coming to court to hear their fate, denying victims the satisfaction of seeing them sent down. The judge is likely to impose a whole life tariff, meaning Letby will never be freed. She is likely to become only the fourth woman in British legal history to be given such a punishment Tory former justice secretary Robert Buckland said there should be 'nowhere to hide' for offenders such as Letby and suggested the sentencing be played into her cell, regardless of her wishes Letby - wearing a blue hoodie with the strings covered in pink glitter - is taken from her house in handcuffs after being arrested by Cheshire Police in July 2018 Letby steps into the police car - telling officers to be careful because she had just had knee surgery Letby being quizzed in July 2018 by an officer about the rise in deaths on her watch. Letby replies: 'They told me there had been a lot more deaths and I'd been linked as someone who had been there for a lot of them.' Asked if she was concerned about the rise in mortality, Letby says - meekly - 'yes' They include Thomas Cashman, 34, who shot and killed nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel. His absence from court in April was described by Olivia's mother, Cheryl, 46, as a 'kick in the teeth'. DAILY MAIL COMMENT By refusing to admit to her abhorrent crimes, Letby has already compounded the misery of her victims' families by dragging them through a harrowing trial. Her refusal to attend today's sentencing now denies them some much-needed emotional succour. For justice to be seen to be done, those families need to be able to look this contemptible woman in the eye as punishment is handed down. Advertisement Tamlin Bolton, of Switalskis Solicitors, who represents parents of several of Letby's victims, said: 'It really is the final insult. For Letby to refuse to face these parents speaks of cowardice and shows a complete disregard for the damage she has caused.' Steve Brine, the Conservative chairman of the health select committee, added: 'Lucy Letby 100 per cent should be present to face the music and Parliament should legislate to make sure that defendants do so.' Tory former Cabinet minister David Jones told the Mail: 'It will be devastating to the families of the murdered babies if Letby is not in the dock when sentence is passed. Nothing can ever heal their pain, but it will not be true justice if she is not made to face the consequences of her actions in public. It must never happen again in this country, either. The law can't be changed quickly enough.' Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told The Telegraph that he would change the law if he won the next election as it was important that victims and their families that criminals are present in court, saying he saw the impact when he was DIrector of Public Prosecution. He added that 'while nothing can ever fully heal families' pain, it brings an element of closure and gives others confidence that, if they come forward, the system will deliver justice for them'. Sir Keir said that allowing criminals to avoid court is a 'shameful gap in the process' and that his government would close it. Whole-life sentences are reserved for multiple killings, cases involving terrorism, abduction, sexual abuse, pre-planning, the murder of an on-duty police or prison officer, or if the defendant has already been convicted of a murder. The only other women to receive the sentence are Moors murderer Myra Hindley who died in 2002 serial killer Rose West and Joanna Dennehy, who stabbed three men to death. Lord Falconer, former Lord Chancellor, said: 'Refusing to attend the sentencing should be an aggravating factor judges can take into account in increasing the sentence. In this case, the appropriate sentence is likely to be so heavy that such a power will make little or no difference. 'All the judge can do is acknowledge and condemn this final cruelty by Letby. For the families of her victims, there is no escape, no ability to avoid the worst by being absent from the difficult times. It is with them for ever.' Former director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald told the Telegraph that despite everyone in Britain wanting to see Letby in the dock for sentencing, it is 'very, very difficult' to force her to do so as because she is likely to get a whole life sentence she cannot be threatened with much. Anthony Albanese has refused to confirm whether his son undertook a two-week internship with embattled consultancy giant PwC more than two years ago. The Prime Minister's only son, Nathan, reportedly secured the gig in the first half of 2021 after his father had a conversation with the firm's former government relations boss Sean Gregory. Mr Albanese was opposition leader at the time of the alleged conversation. Mr Gregory, who has since been pushed out of the consultancy over the tax leaks scandal, then passed on Nathan's information to the HR department, according to the Australian Financial Review. On Monday, Mr Albanese was touring the new CSL Global Headquarters and Centre for Research and Development when he dismissed questions about the internship's appropriateness. Mr Albanese and his only son Nathan at Labor's election victory party "My son is not a public figure. My son is not a public figure. He's a young person trying to make his way in the world," the Prime Minister said. READ MORE: How Nathan Albanese secured an internship at consulting giant PwC 'after his dad's conversation with executive' Advertisement He referred the media to remarks made by Nationals leader David Littleproud earlier in the day, in which the MP said Nathan was "well educated and well qualified". "I don't think it's appropriate for politicians to be taking on other people's family members. I know Nathan personally, I think he's a fine young man," he told Sky News. "He'll make a great contribution to wherever he goes. I don't think we need to get into the personal attacks of family members, from my perspective anyway." The revelations came as part of a series of critical articles in the AFR's Rear Window column about Mr Albanese's son. Earlier this month, the paper revealed Nathan, 22, had received a pass into Qantas' invite-only Chairman's Lounge. Mr Albanese is very close with his son Qantas chief Alan Joyce personally curates the lounge's membership list and approved granting the pass to Mr Albanese's son. Almost every politician has a membership to the ultra-exclusive club. Asked why the membership was not disclosed on his parliamentary register of interests, the Prime Minister stressed that he "completely" complied with the requirements. Mr Albanese and his son are known to be close. The Prime Minister on Monday told Melbourne's Nova he the pair speaks every day. "We tell each other that we love each other ... I think that men have to be prepared to show affection and I think that is really important," he told the radio station. "Because kids growing up will go through some difficult times and that's what will keep you close and make sure you grow into being great mates, as I am now with my son." A young couple are relieved to be alive after a thief stole their four-wheel drive while they were asleep inside a trailer attached to the vehicle. Brock Momcilovic, his girlfriend Jedha Kinder and their two dogs camped overnight in their trailer at the Cumberland River rest stop on the Great Ocean Road on Saturday after a long day of driving. Ms Kinder was awoken to the sound of the car engine starting just before midnight. She jumped off the bed into the annex area between the trailer and the car, while Mr Momcilovic was thrown backwards. Brock Momcilovic, his girlfriend Jedha Kinder (pictured), and their two dogs camped overnight in their trailer at the Cumberland River rest stop on the Great Ocean Road on Saturday after a long day of driving when someone entered their 4WD and drove off Mr Momcilovic held on for dear life as the carjacker drove 8km along the windy Great Ocean Road to the town of Lorne Ms Kinder and the two dogs were dragged 200 metres up the road before falling out on to the road where she suffered bruising and gravel rash. The dogs fled in the chaos. But Mr Momcilovic held on for dear life as the carjacker drove 8km along the windy Great Ocean Road to the town of Lorne. 'I sort of just laid there because I thought it was a dream,' Mr Momcilovic told ABC Radio Melbourne. But quickly reality kicked in and Mr Momcilovic realised he had his phone handy. 'I rang triple-0 while I was holding on,' he said. 'I was actually on Google Maps while on the phone to the operator telling her where we were heading.' The abandoned vehicle Throughout the ordeal he had no idea whether his partner and their dogs were safe or if they had been run over by the trailer. But he could not jump off due to the speed they were travelling. 'I was worried if I fell off, I was going to be pretty well done,' he said. Outside Lorne, the car travelled slow enough for Mr Momcilovic to jump out. It was then abandoned not far from Lorne Police Station after the clutch blew out. The thief made off with the keys on foot. The couple's dogs were found a day apart, one was found at the campsite, the other near a cliff. They have since been reunited. The couple, from Wallan around 45km north of Melbourne, urged other campers not to leave their keys in the car. 'It could have been a lot worse,' he said. For months, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history was able to get away with a series of baby murders. Lucy Letby killed seven babies and tried to murder six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. While the twisted child killer continued to carry out the murders, hospital bosses refused to believe the 'nice' 33-year-old nurse was doing anything wrong. But the 'tipping point' came when Letby, from Hereford, was on duty at a time when two of three premature triplets died within 24 hours in June 2016. Here, MailOnline looks at how Letby's crimes came to light, ahead of her sentencing today when she is expected to receive a whole life sentence: Police bodycam footage of Lucy Letby being arrested at home in Chester on July 3, 2018 2015 - June 22: Child D, a full-term baby girl, dies 36 hours after her birth at the Countess of Chester Hospital. It is the third infant death in a fortnight - equalling the total number of deaths on the neonatal unit for the whole of 2014. - End of June/July: A meeting takes place between neonatal lead consultant Dr Stephen Brearey and director of nursing Alison Kelly, along with other bosses, to discuss an informal review undertaken by Dr Brearey of Child D's death. His findings reveal an 'association' with nurse Lucy Letby and her presence at the recent collapses. But no foul play is suspected and deaths are not thought to be linked. Dr Brearey recalls that he said: 'It can't be nice Lucy.' - August 5: Blood sugar levels of a premature-born baby boy, Child F, fall dangerously low and a blood sample is sent for tests at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. A day earlier the boy's twin brother, Child E, died following an unexpected collapse. - August 13: The blood test result for Child F reveals an abnormally high level of insulin which indicates it was not naturally produced. - October 23: Child I, a premature-born girl, dies on the unit. Concerns are raised again by some consultants in an email. Dr Brearey contacts unit's manager Eirian Powell over fears Letby is harming babies, and describes link as 'unfortunate'. 2016 - February 8: A 'thematic' review from an independent neonatologist based at Liverpool Women's Hospital takes place. The review, requested by Dr Brearey, does not find a reason for the increased number of deaths and collapses but concerns remain over Letby as the report is forwarded to nursing director Ms Kelly and medical director Ian Harvey. - March 2: Dr Brearey emails Ms Powell about organising a meeting, saying: 'We still need to talk about Letby.' - April 9: Another youngster, Child L, suffers a hypoglycaemic episode in which his blood sugars plunge. At around the same time his twin brother, Child M, unexpectedly collapses and requires full resuscitation before he recovers. A blood sample from Child L is sent for tests at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. The judge is likely to impose a whole life tariff, meaning Letby will never be freed. She is likely to become only the fourth woman in British legal history to be given such a punishment - April 16: The blood test result for Child L shows a very high level of insulin which again indicates it was not produced naturally. - May: Dr Brearey meets senior managers. He said he has 'no doubts' about concerns, but Ms Kelly and Mr Harvey allow Letby to continue working in the neonatal unit. Responding to concerns, a hospital manager suggests other NHS services could be the reason for a rise in deaths, with a document stating: 'There is no evidence against Letby other than coincidence.' - June 24: Child P, one of a set of triplet boys, collapses and dies a day after the death in the unit of his newborn brother, Child O. Dr Brearey phones duty executive on call, Karen Rees, a senior nurse in the urgent care division, to say he and his consultant colleagues do not want Letby to work her next scheduled shift on June 25 but she rejects the plea. - June 25: Ninety minutes into Letby's day shift, Child Q, a premature-born boy, needs breathing support after his blood oxygen levels and heart rate plummet. He goes on to make a full recovery. - June 29: The 'tipping point' has now happened. Consultants discuss recent 'inexplicable' events and then urge hospital bosses to remove Letby from the unit as a safety measure. Dr Brearey tells duty manager Karen Rees to replace Letby. Ms Rees initially refuses, but Letby is then told for the first time of her links to the deaths in a meeting. - June 30: Letby works her last nursing shift on the neonatal unit. - July 7: Hospital bosses reduce the neonatal unit service by cutting cot-space numbers and increasing the gestational age limit for admission from a minimum of 27 to 32 weeks. - July 15: An email is sent to all nursing staff informing them they will each undergo a period of clinical supervision - after medical director Mr Harvey had asked the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to conduct a review of the unit's service. The email states: 'Lucy has agreed to undergo this supervision first on Monday 18 July.' A Cheshire Constabulary image of the Staff Presence Report, showing Letby's line highlighted Letby being questioned in July 2018 by a police officer about the rise in deaths on her watch - July 19: Letby is moved to a clerical role, as she starts an administrative post in the hospital's Patient Experience Team. - August 9: Another group email to neonatal staff informs them that job secondment opportunities are available and states Letby is spending three months in the Risk and Patient Safety Office. - September 7: Letby registers a formal grievance procedure against her employer. Around this time the Royal College of Nursing union informs her by letter about allegations surrounding her involvement with a number of deaths. - November: The RCPCH says it found no obvious factors linking a total of eight deaths in the neonatal unit in 2015 and five deaths up to July 2016. However it did uncover significant gaps in medical and nursing rotas, and insufficient staffing for the provision of longer term high dependency and some intensive care. 2017 - May 18: Cheshire Police announce they have launched an investigation following 'a greater number of baby deaths and collapses' at the hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The probe will focus on eight deaths and will also review seven further deaths and six non-fatal collapses. 2018 - July 3: Letby is arrested at her home in Westbourne Road, Chester, at 6am and officers search the three-bedroom property. Searches also take place at her parents' home in Hereford and at her place of work in the hospital's Risk and Patient Safety Office. Police say the investigation has widened to 17 deaths and 15 non-fatal collapses between March 2015 and July 2016. Lucy Letby listens to the verdicts being read at Manchester Crown Court on August 11 2019 - June 10: Letby is re-arrested at her parents' home. 2020 - November 10: Letby is arrested again before she is charged and appears in court for the first time two days later. 2022 - October 4: Letby goes on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of ten others. 2023 - August 18: It can be reported that Letby has been found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others. WATCH THE MAIL'S LUCY LETBY DOCUMENTARY IN FULL HERE A nine-months pregnant girl and her unborn child have been killed by electrocution after she tried to charge her phone after taking a bath. Jennifer Karolayne, 17, was killed in the Monte Castelo neighbourhood, located in Campina Grande, in the state of Paraiba, Brazil, in the early hours of Thursday morning, August 17. The unborn child did not survive the incident. Upon receiving the distress call from the victim's husband, who was not named, emergency service teams promptly responded but found the teenager dead upon their arrival at her home. The victim's husband said that his wife had just come out of the bath and tried to put her phone on charge. Jennifer Karolayne, a nine-months pregnant mother-to-be was killed on Thursday after she was electrocuted The picture shows the wires in the house of Jennifer Karolayne, where she tried to plug her phone in after taking a bath She used an extension cord to power the mobile but was electrocuted and killed. Ms Karolayne's husband mentioned hearing an unusually loud noise and a scream from his wife. He then said he rushed to her and found her unresponsive on the ground. He said he tried to help Ms Karolayne, at which point he also received an electric shock. Ms Karolayne's mother-in-law said she was nine-months pregnant at the time and was waiting to give birth to the child. Chief Ramirison Pedro, from the Campina Grande Homicide Police Station, said that the case is currently being treated as an accident. However, the police chief said standard procedure dictates that an investigative protocol be initiated following the devastating incident. Heartbreaking pictures show the crib that would have belonged to Jennifer Karolayne's unborn child Ministers are facing mounting pressure today to hand stronger powers to the official inquiry into Lucy Letby's reign of terror, amid warnings it could fail to stop future child-killers. Former ministers and experts are demanding that the investigation into the nurse's sickening crimes is put on a statutory footing and led by a judge, with the power to force witnesses to appear and give evidence. The trial of the NHS serial killer - who is expected to get a whole-life prison term today - heard that managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital had numerous opportunities to have her removed from the maternity unit but failed to act. The government has set up an inquiry but wants it to have lesser powers, arguing that 'speed is of the essence' and a judge-led inquiry could be too slow. However, former justice secretary Robert Buckland told the Times: 'If we don't get all the key witnesses giving evidence then we risk failing to learn the lessons of this tragic scandal and we won't catch evil predators repeating her depraved crimes in the future.' The trial of the NHS serial killer - who is expected to get a whole-life prison term today - heard that managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital had numerous opportunities to have her removed from the maternity unit but failed to act. Former justice secretary Robert Buckland told the Times: 'If we don't get all the key witnesses giving evidence then we risk failing to learn the lessons of this tragic scandal and we won't catch evil predators repeating her depraved crimes in the future.' Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced on Monday. The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015-2016. She has joined the list of the UK's most twisted child killers, including the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the so-called Angel of Death paediatric nurse Beverley Allitt. Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in the UK criminal justice system, for those who commit the most serious crimes. Top doctors have called for a clampdown on 'unaccountable' NHS bosses in the wake of the killing spree. The British Medical Association, which speaks for doctors, has spearheaded calls for hospital executives to be held accountable to a regulator like the General Medical Council, the Sunday Telegraph reported. The GMC, which keeps a register of doctors licenced to practice in the UK, has the power to strike off or restrict doctors found to have committed serious wrongdoing. Prof Phil Banfield, who chairs the BMA's UK council, told the Telegraph that doctors think there should be 'non-clinical managers in the NHS and other health service providers to be regulated, in line with the manner in which clinical staff are by professional bodies'. Dr Kevin O'Kane, a consultant in acute internal medicine, said 'there is no excuse for not bringing in professional regulation for NHS managers'. Children's Minister Claire Coutinho argued that speed is 'of the essence'. A senior NHS manager believed to have ignored warnings about Lucy Letby while she was director of nursing at the baby killer's hospital has been suspended. Alison Kelly was accused in court of failing to act even when doctors raised 'serious concerns' about the nurse during her time as director of nursing and quality at the Countess of Chester Hospital. She is now a director of nursing at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust located in the Manchester area. Politicians called for her position to be examined by ministers, according to a report by The Telegraph. It emerged yesterday that Ms Kelly has now been suspended due to allegations that came to light during the court case. Mr Buckland was joined in his criticism by crime experts and Labour shadow ministers. Steve Brine, the Conservative chairman of the Health Committee expressed concern that the non-statutory independent inquiry will not have the power to compel witnesses, and could drag on for years and 'disappear down a rabbit hole', he told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House. And Samantha Dixon, Labour MP for Chester, said she wrote to Health Secretary Steve Barclay calling for a full independent and public inquiry as soon as Lucy Letby was found guilty. 'I do have some concerns about the risks around a non-statutory inquiry in that people are not obliged to attend and to give evidence,' she told BBC Breakfast. 'A non-statutory inquiry almost relies on the goodwill of witnesses to attend. They are not obliged to attend, they're not compelled to attend.' But Children's Minister Claire Coutinho argued that speed is 'of the essence'. Asked if it should become a statutory inquiry on Sky News, Claire Coutinho said: 'Well, whenever something like this happens, there's always a debate about whether it should be statutory or non-statutory. And there are different benefits to both. 'As you say with a statutory inquiry, it means you can compel people to give evidence. With a non-statutory inquiry is often much quicker. I think, in this case, everyone wants to make sure that this will never ever happen again and I think speed is of the essence to make sure that expectant parents across the country can feel assured that they know that there are steps in place to make sure that this won't happen again. A biking influencer planning to wed his motorcycle-mad fiancee has died after crashing his motorcycle into a dog. Influencer Burak Can Tasan, 23, was hurled off his bike after hitting the animal in the Saricam district of Adana in Turkey. Despite being rushed to hospital after the crash, Tasan later died after sustaining multiple injuries, according to local media reports. He was just weeks away from marrying fellow biking enthusiast Yaren Kara after the couple had announced their engagement on July 3. Tasan - whose account has over 130,000 followers on Instagram - previously shared how his romance with Ms Kara had changed his life. Tasan was a keen motorcyclist, who frequently shared posts across social media to showcase his passion for bikes Influencer Burak Can Tasan, 23, (pictured) was hurled off his bike after hitting the animal in the Saricam district of Adana in Turkey. Despite being rushed to hospital after the crash, Tasan later died after sustaining multiple injuries, according to local media reports In a touching post to his fiancee, he wrote: 'The year 2022 orchestrated its last surprise, leading me to you. 'Until now, I didn't understand the concept of love or being loved. 'That, I learned from you, my love. 'I'm thankful for the continual nourishment of my inner goodness and for never letting go of my hands. 'I am prepared to journey with you until life's end.' Tasan was a keen motorcyclist, who frequently shared posts across social media to showcase his passion for bikes. Following her fiancee's death, Ms Kara posted a video of herself in tears while holding a bouquet of flowers that Tasan had given her as a gift. Turkish police have opened an investigation into the accident, but it is currently unknown if the dog survived the collision. He was just weeks away from marrying fellow biking enthusiast Yaren Kara after the couple (pictured) had announced their engagement on July 3 Advertisement The families of Lucy Letby's victims today told how their world had been 'shattered by evil disguised as a caring nurse' - as the 'cowardly' murderer refused to face them in court for her sentencing. The most prolific child serial killer in modern British history will die in jail - and is only the fourth woman in the UK to receive a mandatory life sentence. More than a dozen bereaved relatives and eight jurors sat in the public gallery for today's sentencing, but the 33-year-old killer cowered in her cell rather than face them in the dock. The parents of Baby A, who was murdered by Letby in 2015, and his twin sister Baby B - who was attacked but survived - told of their pain in a victim impact statement read out to the court. They said: 'We never got to hold our little boy while he was alive, because you took him away. What should have been the happiest time of our lives became our worst nightmare.' The mother of Child C, who weighed just 1lb 12oz when he was murdered by Letby, described the 'overwhelming emotion' she felt the first time she held her son. She said: 'It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. My tiny feisty boy, my firstborn, my son. The trauma of that night will live with us all until the day we die. Knowing now his murderer was watching us was like something out of a horror story.' She said she blamed herself for his death and for not protecting him, adding: 'What if I had not gone to bed that night? Maybe he would still be here.' The mother of Child D said Letby's 'wicked sense of entitlement' had led her to claim lives 'that were not yours to take'. Meanwhile, the mother of Child E, who died, and Child F, who survived, said her world had 'shattered when we discovered evil disguised as a caring nurse'. Explaining how the babies had been conceived through IVF after a long fertility battle, she said: 'Lucy was aware of our journey and deliberately caused significant harm and cruelty to our boys. Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is.' She described Letby's failure to appear in court as 'just one final act of wickedness from a coward'. Child G, who Letby tried to murder while she weighed just 1lb after being conceived abroad through an expensive course of IVF, is now blind and must be fed through a tube. Her father told the court: 'Every day I would sit there and pray. I would pray for God to save her. He did. He saved her, but the devil found her.' He said his disabled daughter would 'never have a sleepover with a best friend or go to high school and graduate. She will never have a first kiss, a boyfriend, or get married.' The parents of Child I told the court that 'a part of us died' with the loss of their daughter. They described how - before Letby struck - she was a 'very content little girl' who was 'like a full-term baby, who often smiled and never cried'. But after the attack, 'she was swollen and seemed to be in a lot of pain, with eyes that looked very sad'. They had been told she might be home for Christmas on the night she died. None of the parents had any idea their children had been the victims of foul play until they were visited by police up to three years later. But today, the mother of Child N, who Letby tried to murder, said she always knew her son had been deliberately harmed. Meanwhile, the mother of Child O and Child P two brothers in a set of triples - said she continued to be haunted by 'vivid images' and lived in 'constant fear' of anything else happening to her surviving children. Earlier today, Nicholas Johnson KC, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court that Letby's offending was a 'very, very clear case' for a whole-life tariff to be imposed. He said the murders qualified on several grounds, including that they were premeditated and involved elements of 'sadistic conduct' against children. Mr Justice Goss has said he has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing, but the Government has vowed to give judges the power to do so. Rishi Sunak said it is 'cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims'. Letby's parents, Susan, 63, and John, 77, had attended every day of her trial but did not attend her sentencing. Letby has also refused to give closure to her victims' families by admitting to her crimes, with the closest she came to acknowledging her guilt being a scrawled message on a Post-it note which read: 'I am evil, I did this.' Children's nurse Lucy Letby (pictured in a custody photo, left; and while working in hospital, right) went on a year-long killing spree while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital A prison van believed to be carrying Letby arrives at Manchester Crown Court Letby cries as she listens to the first guilty verdicts being read out by the foreman of the jury at Manchester Crown Court two weeks ago An artist's sketch of empty chairs inside the court after Letby refused to go into the dock to hear the further verdicts against her Letby's parents, Susan, 63, and John, 77, had attended every day of her trial but were not at today's sentencing. They are seen on August 17 Letby preyed on babies small enough to fit in the palm of her hand by injecting them with air or insulin. She targeted one set of triplets and three sets of twins. Letby could become only the fourth woman to receive a whole life order Lucy Letby could face the rest of her life behind bars if she is handed a whole-life order, becoming only the fourth woman in UK history to receive such a sentence. Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in the country's criminal justice system and are reserved for those who commit the most heinous crimes. As the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, the 33-year-old nurse is expected to be handed such a sentence on Monday. If this happens, she will join a string of the country's most dangerous offenders who are likely to die behind bars, including Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens, necrophiliac David Fuller and homegrown terrorist Ali Harbi Ali who murdered MP Sir David Amess. A total of 70 criminals are serving a whole-life order. They will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it. Only three women have previously been handed the sentence: the girlfriend of Moors murderer Ian Brady, Myra Hindley - who died in 2002 - and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy. Letby could also follow in the footsteps of gun fanatic Louis De Zoysa, who was handed such a sentence last month after shooting Metropolitan Police custody sergeant Matt Ratana while handcuffed in a police cell in 2020. In December, killer Damien Bendall began serving a whole-life order for murdering his partner Terri Harris, 35, her daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, and Lacey's friend Connie Gent, also 11, who was staying for a sleepover. A year earlier Fuller was handed the same sentence for the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in 1987 and the sexual abuse of more than 100 dead women and girls in hospital mortuaries. Milly Dowler's killer Levi Bellfield is serving two whole-life orders - for her murder, the killings of Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. Other notorious criminals serving whole-life orders include Michael Adebolajo, one of Fusilier Lee Rigby's killers; Mark Bridger, who murdered five-year-old April Jones in Wales; neo-Nazi Thomas Mair, who killed MP Jo Cox; serial killer Stephen Port and, more recently, the Reading terror attacker Khairi Saadallah, who murdered three men in a park. Before they died, Brady, as well as the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and doctor Harold Shipman - thought to be one of Britain's most prolific serial killers - were also among those serving whole-life orders. In the past, home secretaries could issue whole-life tariffs, as they were previously known, and these are now determined by judges. Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which became law last year, the Government expanded the use of whole-life orders for the premeditated murder of a child. The reforms also allows judges to hand out the maximum sentence to 18 to 20-year-olds in exceptional cases, such as for acts of terrorism leading to mass loss of life. And the act gives judges the discretion, in exceptional circumstances, to impose a whole-life order on offenders aged 18 or over but under 21. Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi, who was convicted of conspiring with his suicide bomber brother Salman Abedi over the 2017 atrocity, avoided a whole-life order because he was 21 at the time. Advertisement In one case, she targeted a baby who survived despite being born at 23 weeks in a hospital toilet. The nurse attacked the tiny 1lbs 2oz infant three times by overfeeding her with milk and injecting milk into her stomach. She survived, but the brain damage she suffered at Letby's hands means she is unlikely to ever be able to walk or talk. Letby replaced Myra Hindley and Ian Brady as the most prolific child killer in modern British history after she was found guilty of murdering seven premature babies and attempting to murder six more. The only surviving women to receive whole life orders are Rose West and Joanna Dennehy, who stabbed three men to death. Police are now reviewing the care of 4,000 babies she may have come into contact with during a spell at the Countess of Chester Hospital from January 2012 to the end of June 2016 and two work placements at Liverpool Women's Hospital in 2012 and 2015. More families have already been warned their children may be victims during her five-year NHS career, raising the prospect of Letby appearing again in court. Countess of Chester hospital where she worked. Letby was on duty for each of the unexplained collapses. All of the babies survived, the Guardian reported. Detectives are said to have identified 30 other newborns they believe she attacked after a review of incidents at the The nurse, a seemingly 'goofy', 'innocent' young woman who had Disney cuddly toys on her bed, found different ways to inflict indescribable, inhuman levels of pain, with some of her victims breaking into tortured screams that experienced paediatricians had never heard before. Several had to take time off work to recover from the trauma. After each of her murders, Letby appeared 'animated and excited', offering to bathe, dress and take photographs of her victims' bodies. Due to her lack of contrition, her motive remains unclear, but the prosecution believes she got a 'thrill' out of 'playing God'. They also suggested she had been trying to impress a married doctor, knowing he'd be the one to come and help if she hurt children in her care. Letby would comfort the parents of children she killed - even sending them sympathy cards after their funerals. Before attacking innocent newborns as young as 23-weeks she had told mothers and fathers: 'Trust me, I'm a nurse'. After she killed one child she texted a colleague and said: 'Dad was on the floor crying, saying please don't take our baby away when I took him to the mortuary, it's just heart-breaking. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do'. In one case, a senior nurse on duty had to repeatedly tell Letby to come out of a room where a grieving couple were spending their last moments with their infant son. The father said Letby came in with a ventilated basket and told them: 'You've said your goodbyes. Do you want me to put him in here?' This prompted his wife to tell her: 'He's not dead yet.' Letby attacked several babies by shoving hard plastic or wire tubes down their throats. Another suffered a ruptured liver a violent injury likened by experts to injuries seen only in road accident victims. Like fellow nurse Beverley Allitt - who was convicted of murdering four infants at two Lincolnshire hospitals in Lincolnshire - Letby used insulin as one of her attack methods. On one occasion it was also claimed she murdered a tiny, ten-week premature baby boy because she was angry that one of her friends she was texting did not understand why she was upset at being given a break from working in intensive care following the death of another baby. In several of the cases, it was suggested Letby attacked the babies because she wanted a married paediatrician, who she insisted was just a close friend but was suspected of having an affair with, to be crash called to the neonatal unit so they could try to save the children together, talk about treatments and sympathise with each other after their deaths. Professor David Wilson, a leading criminologist, told the Mail that this desperation to be acknowledged at work were signs of a 'hero complex,' and narcissism in Letby's personality. Placing herself at the centre of a crisis was also indicative of the mental condition, Munchausen's, he said. As Letby was sentenced today, new photos have emerged of her on a hen do with a large group of friends Letby is seen smiling as she poses with her friends. She has now been confirmed as Britain's worst ever child killer Letby holding a drink (left) and posing with friends during a night out. The photos show how she was able to hide her inner evil during her private life Another photo shows Letby - wearing a black floral dress - posing at the front of a group of women on a hen do In others she is seen wearing a Christmas jumper. One of the photos was captioned 'Merry Christmas' Letby with a group of friends as they prepared to leave for a hen do READ MORE - Senior doctor who tried to blow the whistle on Letby says he was 'intimidated' by hospital bosses Advertisement An independent inquiry will examine 'the circumstances surrounding the deaths and incidents, including how concerns raised by clinicians were dealt with'. It comes as a senior consultant who tried to blow the whistle on her saying he felt 'intimidated' by hospital bosses. Dr John Gibbs, who has since retired, said managers 'closed their minds' too soon to the possibility that Lucy Letby was killing or harming babies on the neo-natal unit. He told the Mail that he was 'shocked' when chief executive Tony Chambers called the hospital's seven consultant paediatricians to a meeting, in January 2017, and told them Letby had not done anything wrong. The hospital boss even ordered medics to write a letter of apology to the nurse. By this stage Letby, 33, had been working in an office job at the hospital for seven months, having been removed following the death of two triplets on consecutive shifts in June 2016. She was hoping to return to the unit after an internal grievance apparently found no evidence of wrongdoing. Letby - wearing a blue hoodie with the strings covered in pink glitter - is taken from her house in handcuffs after being arrested by Cheshire Police in July 2018 Letby steps into the police car - telling officers to be careful because she had just had knee surgery Letby being quizzed in July 2018 by an officer about the rise in deaths on her watch. Letby replies: 'They told me there had been a lot more deaths and I'd been linked as someone who had been there for a lot of them.' Asked if she was concerned about the rise in mortality, Letby says - meekly - 'yes' READ MORE - Parents of babies murdered by Letby could receive less than 13,000 in compensation Advertisement Dr Gibbs said he felt intimidated by Mr Chambers, who told the consultants at the meeting that he was 'drawing a line' under the matter. Dr Gibbs's colleague, Dr Stephen Brearey, told the BBC that medics were warned there would be 'consequences,' if they refused to write the apology. Dr Gibbs said: 'There was a difficult meeting at the end of January 2017 where all us paediatricians met with senior managers, including the chief executive, the director of nursing and the medical director. We were told how stressful this had all been for Lucy Letby and a letter from her was read out explaining how unfair we paediatricians had been. 'We were told the chief executive had met with her and her father and we were told to write a letter of apology to Lucy Letby. 'It seemed inappropriate, but the whole of the meeting shocked me. At the end, I remember the chief executive saying he was drawing a line under this issue and he ran his finger across the desk. He looked at all of us and said: 'Do you understand?' I did feel, to some extent, intimidated.' He said the consultants wrote the letter of apology, but added: 'We didn't feel it was justified. We didn't apologise for raising concerns at all, we didn't say anything about whether we felt those concerns were true or not, we merely apologised to Lucy Letby for any inappropriate comments that may have been made and for the distress that had been caused. We left it more general.' The consultants said they felt they had 'no choice' but to continue trying to get the police involved for the sake of their patients. So they wrote to Mr Chambers, to put it on record that they were still worried about the deaths, and the fact that two independent reviews, by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a specialist neonatologist, from London, had failed to address whether a member of staff could be responsible. Dr Gibbs added: 'We began to realise that we were in direct confrontation with managers and we had no choice but to fight and to make sure the police got involved. By that stage, it was us or her.' Eventually, in April 2017, Mr Chambers agreed to meet the chairman of the local Child Death Overview Panel and a police officer who sat on the panel. Within minutes of listening to the consultants' fears about Letby, the pair told Mr Chambers he had to call in police. Texts between Letby and the unnamed doctor were read out in court. They appeared to show the doctor comforting the killer nurse as she feigned upset after the death of one of her victims And in another exchange over WhatsApp, Letby appeared to chat about her blossoming friendship with the doctor - who prosecutors said she had tried to impress by creating 'crisis situations' where they could work alongside each other to save the babies she had poisoned Killer nurse Letby would often pull funny faces for photos while out with friends. Two of her murders took place shortly after returning from a week-long holiday to Ibiza Asked why he thought management were so reluctant to involve police for so long, Dr Gibbs said: 'I think they could not accept and could not believe that a member of staff could be killing a series of patients in hospital. 'They just couldn't believe it was possible. 'I've been told that some of the senior nurses were strongly defending Lucy Letby and they just couldn't believe she had done anything. 'I think they (managers) closed their minds to the fact she could have done that too soon. 'It is a shame that, despite all us paediatricians expressing concerns, our clinical experience and our repeated observations that these deaths were outside our normal experience, they were unnatural and unusual, that advice wasn't heeded.' Another doctor has told the Mail that it was telling that Mr Chambers was a nurse before moving into management. Alison Kelly and Karen Rees, two other managers on the executive team, were also nurses. 'You wonder whether they were simply protecting one of their own and became blinkered by that,' the medic said. Dr Gibbs said he had 'mixed emotions' about the guilty verdicts. 'I feel some relief that the jury have come to conclusions in most of the cases and that the jury determined the truth. 'But, of course, it is devastating for the families.' He said it was telling that, in the seven years since Letby had left, there had been just one death on the neo-natal unit. Asked if he wished to respond to Dr Gibbs's claims, Mr Chambers referred to a statement he issued on Friday after the guilty verdicts. He confirmed he would give evidence to the independent inquiry, adding it was 'the right place to explore these complex issues'. Letby texting a colleague after the death of Baby A After the deaths of Baby A and Bay C, says: 'There are no words, it's been awful' In this string of messages, Letby tries to suggest the babies' deaths was linked to health problems The nurse describes 'crying and hugging' the parents of Baby E, who died in her care Kyiv does not typically comment on attacks that have occurred inside Russia Moscow's airports have been thrown into chaos and all outgoing and incoming fights delayed following a suspected kamikaze drone attack from Ukraine. All airports across the Russian capital were temporarily closed on Monday after Russia's defence ministry claimed a Kyiv drone was downed over the capital. Explosions were heard in the sky above the city as Kremlin air defences attacked the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) reportedly aimed at Moscow. One drone came down close to the sprawling mansion of pro-Putin propagandist Margarita Simonyan, 43, head of the RT state media empire, and a pro-war fanatic. Video footage captured across the city appeared to show a trail of air defence missiles and a drone exploding as grey smoke engulfed the surrounding air. A video from Shot media highlighted a drone exploding as it was hit in an air defence strike over Moscow on Monday One drone came down close to the sprawling mansion of pro-Putin propagandist Margarita Simonyan, 43, head of the RT state media empire, and a pro-war fanatic. She is pictured with Putin 'The drone that was shot down in the Istra district fell on the street next to us,' propagandist Simonyan said. 'Thanks to our air defences there were no casualties,' she said. A video from Shot Media evidently highlighted a drone exploding as it was hit in an air defence strike. The Russian defence ministry said an aircraft-style drone was blasted out of the sky at 8.16am over the Istra district of Moscow region. Ukraine - which does not typically comment on attacks inside Russian territory - did not immediately comment on the suspected drone strike attempt. Earlier a drone was downed by electronic warfare means, crash landing in a street near the village of Pokrovskoye, in the Ruzsky district of Moscow region. There was no independent verification of Russian claims that there was no damage. Hundreds of flights were diverted or delayed from all four major Moscow airports - Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky - as air space around the capital was shut under the so-called 'Carpet regime', an emergency plan for incoming drones. An explosion is pictured above Moscow on Monday as airports were thrown into chaos amid the suspected Ukrainian attack Video footage captured across the city appeared to show a trail of air defence missiles and a drone exploding as grey smoke engulfed the air around Video footage and images appeared to show a trail of air defence missiles following the suspected Ukrainian attack At least four planes bound for Domodedovo were diverted as far as Kazan, some 500 miles to the east. One pilot told passengers: 'All airports in Moscow are closed.' Russian media quoted a spokesperson for Domodedovo airport as saying flights were restricted 'in order to ensure additional flight safety measures.' Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin posted: 'Air defence forces shot down a drone while trying to fly up to Moscow. No damage or casualties.' The airports were closed for two hours during the attacks. Normal operations resumed afterwards. Moscow's airports have been thrown into chaos and all outgoing and incoming fights delayed as Russia's air defence missiles (smoke trail pictured) scrambled to intercept the attack Russian media quoted a spokesperson for Domodedovo airport (pictured) as saying flights were restricted restricted flights 'in order to ensure additional flight safety measures' The airports, including Vnukovo in Moscow, were closed for two hours during the attacks. Normal operations resumed afterwards Trains were also thrown into chaos around the Moscow Kyivsky station after an apparent sabotage attack on signalling and points equipment at Solnechnay. 'Trains in both directions are significantly behind schedule,' said a report. It comes as the Netherlands and Denmark indicated they would provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets on the stipulation that certain conditions be met. The additional supply of aircraft would be a long awaited addition to Ukraine's forces and defence capabilities. Glass of red wine on a table in the Piazza square in Batumi, Georgia / gettyimagesbank By Kwon Mee-yoo Ambassador of Georgia to Korea Tarash Papaskua / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk The widow of an Italian ice cream tycoon is facing a 300,000 court bill after losing an inheritance battle for his fortune against his first wife and children. Millionaire Ernesto 'Ernie' Colicci died from coronavirus in 2021 aged 66, nearly 40 years after founding a London-based ice cream 'empire' with his first wife, Josephine Colicci. But a bitter legal battle ensued when Mr Collici left his 4.75million fortune to his second wife, Russian-born Nora Grinberg, instead of his first spouse and their two children who played a key role in the company's success. In May, Ms Collici and her children, Rob Colicci, 39, and Rosanna Colicci, 36, won a High Court battle for a 1.6million stake in the family business fortune. The dispute returned to court this month for the judge to rule on how the costly legal bills should be split up. As the winning side, Ms Collici and her children were entitled to force Ms Grinberg to cover the bulk of their 389,000 costs, the judge said. But he ruled that some of this should be deducted, because the Coliccis had raised a peripheral legal issue which had no prospect of success. Despite the deduction, Ms Grinberg is set to pick up an estimated 313,000 court bill. Russian-born Nora Grinberg (pictured outside High Court), the second wife of a multimillionaire ice cream tycoon, has been ordered to pay a 313,000 court bill after losing an inheritance fight with his first spouse Ernesto 'Ernie' Colicci (pictured) died from coronavirus in 2021, aged 66, nearly 40 years after creating a London-based ice cream 'empire' with his first wife, Josephine Colicci The tycoon's first wife Josephine Colicci (pictured with their son Robert) won the inheritance row with Nora Grinberg in May During the trial, Ms Colicci argued that her ex-husband's shares in ECSI Ltd should pass to their children because of an agreement they had made together but Ms Grinberg claimed a more recent agreement meant they should pass to her. Mr and Mrs Colicci divorced in 2011, after being married for nearly 30 years. The tycoon then married his second wife, Ms Grinberg, in 2014. The business supremo arrived in the UK from his native Italy in 1982 'with a dream to sell ice cream' and over subsequent years created a business based around 35 sites across London's parks, operating cafes, boutique restaurants and vintage ice cream trucks. When Mr Colicci died, his April 2017 will left his entire 4.75million fortune to Ms Grinberg and their infant daughter, penning a letter to his children from his first marriage in which he said he had given them enough money during his lifetime. Ms Colicci sued her ex-husband's widow whom the court heard she disparagingly referred to as his 'Russian maid' - as the executor of his estate. The family insisted that the tycoon's 40 per cent stake in the family business was ring-fenced to be passed on to Rob and Rosanna, under an agreement they drew up together in 2016. Judge Mark Anderson KC handed them victory at London's High Court in May when he ruled that the 2016 agreement entitling Mr Collici's children to the 1.6m shares still stood at the time he died. In 2011, Mr Colicci had agreed that the shares would probably be left to Rob and Rosanna, said the judge, and that agreement had been made cast iron in 2016. Ms Colicci had argued her ex-husband's shares in ECSI Ltd should pass to their children, Robert and Rosanna (pictured) From left, Robert, Ernie, Josephine and Rosanna all played a role in the success of the family business The court heard the siblings each already owned a 10 per cent stake in the family company and Rob - who is married to ex-Hollyoaks actress Scarlett Bowman - is a director, while Ms Colicci owns the remaining 40 per cent. Penelope Reed KC - representing Ms Colicci and her children - told the court at trial that in the 2016 legal deed made between the family, the parents 'each covenanted to make a will' leaving their shares in the company to Rob and Rosanna. From the witness box, Ms Colicci told the court that she and her ex agreed that their children would inherit their company shares when they died to safeguard their offspring's futures and the Colicci empire. For Ms Grinberg, barrister Angeline Welsh KC argued that the terms of the 2016 agreement had been 'wiped out' by a subsequent shareholders' agreement struck in 2017, which 'superseded previous agreements' and which also distributed 10 per cent of Ernie and Josephine's shares to Rob and Rosanna. She accepted that his shares should stay within the Colicci family, but said that, because they are part of the estate left to Ms Grinberg by her husband, Rob and Rosanna should pay a fair price for them. Josephine Colicci, pictured with her ex-husband, sued Mr Collici's widow over his inheritance Ms Colicci claimed that a 2016 legal deed between her, her ex-husband and their two children insured their inheritance - and the judge agreed Ms Colicci said she had helped her husband build their empire through four decades of hard work The barrister told the judge that Ms Grinberg would face financial 'hardship' if she lost her late husband's stake in the family company for nothing. She had sacrificed a dynamic career as a chemical engineer running her own business to raise a family with Mr Colicci, with their daughter now aged six and fatherless, the court heard. 'The financial impact on his wife and daughter has been life-changing,' said her barrister, adding that much of the fortune Mr Colicci left to them is in danger of being swallowed up by debts and 'liabilities'. Following the birth of their baby, Mr Colicci had become determined to 'provide for his new wife and child' - feeling that he had already done his utmost to support his two children from his first marriage. He even left behind a 'letter of wishes' making clear that he was writing Rob and Rosanna out of his will so that he could provide for Ms Grinberg, who gave up a lucrative business role to marry him and raise a family. In his letter, he explained: 'I love Roberto and Rosanna very much and my will is no reflection on how I feel about them. I have provided both of them with significant financial funds in their lifetimes, and I have set them up with properties, rental properties, and provided them with careers. In his will, Mr Colicci said he had provided 'sufficient financial provision' for his first two children and wanted to leave the money to his new wife and child He said: 'They are independent adults now with financial security. I consider this more than sufficient financial provision for Roberto and Rosanna' 'They are independent adults now with financial security. I consider this more than sufficient financial provision for Roberto and Rosanna.' Giving his ruling in May however, the judge said: 'In opening the defence, Ms Welsh told me that she would be submitting that Nora had materially altered her position by giving up a very successful career, in reliance on promises made by Ernesto to provide for her and their infant. But he concluded that 'Nora's financial position is not relevant to any of the issues which I have to decide.' He said that Mr Colicci had first signed up to the possibility of the shares being left to Rob and Rosanna in an agreement penned in 2011, and the agreement had then been made obligatory in 2016. The 2017 agreement had not replaced the 2016 one or absolved Ernie of the responsibility to follow it, the judge found. 'I accept Ms Reed's submission that the 2016 deed imposes obligations on Ernesto and Josephine as testators, and confers benefits upon the adult children as beneficiaries, which are different from the subject matter of the 2017 agreement, which concerns the rights and obligations of the parties as shareholders,' he said. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch met Virginia's Republican governor Glenn Youngkin twice to personally encourage him to start a White House run. The 92-year-old Australian tycoon met with the rising GOP player, who only took Virginia's top political office in 2021, at least twice this year, according to several sources who spoke to the Washington Post. The date of the first meeting was unclear, while the second took place in the spring. The revelation of the meetings comes after it was previously reported that Murdoch had privately told his close circle that he wanted to see Virginia's 74th governor throw his hat in the ring. Youngkin, a former private-equity executive at the Carlyle group, has kept quiet about his ambitions for high office this year, and said in May that he was not planning on running 'this year.' Glenn Youngkin, a former private-equity executive at the Carlyle group, has kept quiet about his ambitions for high office Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old Australian tycoon (pictured in London in June), has a huge empire of media outlets across the world But Axios reported that if he does announce his 2024 presidential bid, he will only do so if the Republic party win in Virginia's Senate race in November. The outlet also reported that Murdoch isn't the only moneyed man who is set to support Youngkin, claiming that two billionaires, Ronald Lauder and Thomas Peterffy, are among GOP donors who want to back his potential presidential bid. While Murdoch's meetings with Youngkin took place earlier this year, and Youngkin still has not announced a 2024 presidential bid, their revelation comes as Murdoch's support for Florida's 46th governor Ron DeSantis' campaign slips. Youngkin ((pictured at an Atlanta political conference on August 19) only took Virginia's top political office in 2021 and has already proved popular across the country Murdoch reportedly met with Youngkin, seen here at a Washington Commanders' fan meetup in Virginia in July, twice this year to encourage him to make a bid for the White House Murdoch-owned newspapers have severely criticised him in recent weeks. The New York Post, which hailed him as 'DeFuture' after he won Florida's gubernatorial race last November, recently covered his wavering poll numbers, as well as backlash he faced for a campaign video that critics called 'homophobic.' On top of this, the Wall Street Journal's editorial board condemned the governor for a state bill he signed that primarily forced business-owners in Florida with 25 or more workers to use the U.S. governments E-Verify system to confirm the legal status of new hires. Murdoch has reportedly been cringing at DeSantis' anti-woke crusade that's been the centerpiece of his GOP primary run so far. On top of this, his poll numbers have left much to be desired. Murdoch has reportedly been cringing at the anti-woke crusade that Ron DeSantis, pictured here at a rally in new Hampshire in August, is on Just 14.8% of Republican voters are set to vote for DeSantis, pictured here at a rally in new Hampshire, as of August 20 according to FiveThirtyEight Once the GOP frontrunner who pundits believed stood the best chance of beating both Trump and the Democrats in 2024, national support for DeSantis has waned massively in the three months since he announced his presidential bid, according to poll data. According to an aggregation of polls by FiveThirtyEight, support for DeSantis among Republican voters peaked at 40.3% in early January. But just 14.8% of Republican voters have stuck with him, as of August 20. Dave Rexrode, chairman of Youngkins Spirit of Virginia Political Action Committee, did not respond to the Washington Post's specific questions about Murdoch, but instead said in a written statement: 'Virginias getting attention because parents still matter and Governor Youngkins commonsense conservative leadership is working. 'Theres more to do, so the governors not taking his eye off Virginia. These races are too important.' MailOnline has reached out to DeSantis' presidential campaign, DeSantis For President, and NewsCorp for comment. A GP who was suspended after asking a Muslim woman to remove her veil during an appointment has been allowed to return to work. Dr Keith Wolverson, 54, was handed a nine month suspension last year after he was found guilty of or admitted a total of 17 charges of misconduct in 2018 while working as a locum at urgent care centres in Derby and Stoke. In other incidents, he wrote in the notes of 15 patients criticising their English speaking skills and those of their relatives, claiming it was 'unacceptable' and 'not good enough'. Wolverson has now been allowed to return to work but with new sanctions imposed for a year after a misconduct panel ruled that he had not showed sufficient 'insight' into his actions nor taken a course in 'cultural diversity'. These sanctions include being assigned a responsible officer who will ensure that Wolverson is meeting certain medical standards as well as a workplace reporter who will provide them with regular feedback on his behaviour. Dr Keith Wolverson (pictured), 54, who was suspended after asking a Muslim woman to remove her veil has been allowed to return to work The General Medical Council describes a responsible officer as a 'senior doctor who makes sure the doctor is meeting the GMCs standards, including keeping their skills and knowledge up to date'. It adds that a workplace reporter must give regular feedback to a responsible officer about whether the doctor is complying with the conditions put in place, their progress and any complaints or concerns raised against them. Wolverson will also have to 'design a personal development plan to address... equality, diversity and inclusion with particular reference to cultural diversity'. The 17 charges of misconduct that he was found guilty of or admitted to related to incidents between January and May 2018. One incident saw him ask a Muslim woman, named as Mrs Q, to take off her niqab three times during a consultation on May 13, 2018, saying he could not hear her describing her daughter's symptoms. She refused his initial request saying she did not want to for religious reasons but he then repeated it. Her husband complained and the woman told last year's hearing she felt 'victimised and racially discriminated' against during the consultation. In an email later that month in response to the complaint, Dr Wolverson said she 'spoke poor English', that he was 'struggling to understand her' and was 'trying to look at her mouth movements to aid communication', which the tribunal deemed to be dishonest. It was also found that Dr Wolverson refused to speak to Mrs Q's husband despite his attempts to communicate with the doctor, which Dr Wolverson later claimed was because he 'found his manner aggressive and intimidating'. Dr Wolverson's legal rep Tom Day admitted the doctor had been 'insensitive'. The General Medical Council which brought the case against Dr Wolverson to the Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service, does not have any specific guidelines on how to examine women wearing full-face veils. Duncan Toole, chair of the tribunal, said they found Dr Wolverson's actions to be 'deplorable'. He added: 'Dr Wolverson had responded dishonestly to a patient complaint, repeatedly requested the removal of a face veil, and made offensive remarks in medical records. Dr Wolverson admitted making 'offensive notes and comments' in patient records about speaking poor English, adding: 'I shouldn't have put that, it was unprofessional, but it was borne out of frustration while trying to help people. 'It's difficult to make a diagnosis when you can't understand the language that someone is speaking to you.' Wolverson was handed a nine month suspension last year after he was found guilty of or admitted a total of 17 charges of misconduct working as a locum at urgent care centres in Derby and Stoke (Pictured: Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke on Trent) At the new review hearing, Dr Wolverson said that in the years he continued practising before his suspension he had not asked any other patients to remove their veil and there had been no 'repetition of his misconduct'. Since his suspension in October 2022, he said he had reflected on the incidents, had considered how he had would handle similar situations differently and 'deeply regretted the comments he made in the patients' medical notes'. He told the tribunal: 'It would be completely wrong to maintain the suspension and prohibit a doctor further from doing his duty to his patients when there are such grave shortages within the NHS currently'. Dr Wolverson added: 'I have undertaken training about Medical ethics, Honesty and Probity. 'I have stated that my default position would never be to ask a patient to remove a face veil... I do see the cultural significance to the wearing of a facial covering to some faiths and as such, this has far greater potential resonance, than a patient removing a face mask for prevention of viral transmission.' In its new ruling the tribunal stated: 'He accepted the gravity and the findings of the Tribunal but did not accept that he was dishonest. 'The Tribunal was surprised that Dr Wolverson had not focussed any of his remediation by undertaking any courses on cultural diversity. 'He accepted the previous Tribunal's findings were justified but qualified this by stating that he did not accept that it was his intention to be dishonest. 'The Tribunal noted that Dr Wolverson explained he has undertaken a course on insight and described how he has changed his practice in relation to patients who wear a face veil. 'However, when questioned, Dr Wolverson was unable to articulate how he has put his learning into practise.' The tribunal ruled that Dr Wolverson had not 'provided evidence of his increased insight into his actions to a sufficient level' and so his 'fitness to practise remains impaired by reason of his misconduct'. The tribunal decided not to extend his suspension but imposed conditions on his registration for a further 12 months. The Foreign Office came under fire today for telling Government officials to stop branding states hostile to the UK like Russia, China and North Korea as 'hostile states'. The department was accused of pandering to Beijing with official guidance that tells Whitehall to refer instead to specific 'hostile actors'. One source told the Times that they had been told that 'states aren't inherently hostile themselves, they just do hostile things', despite countries like Russia regularly issuing open threats to the UK. The FCDO argues it is changing to use terminology that is also used by the UK's global allies. But China hawk MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the paper: 'It's pathetic. The department was accused of pandering to Beijing with official guidance that tells Whitehall to refer instead to specific 'hostile actors'. One source told the Times that they had been told that 'states aren't inherently hostile themselves, they just do hostile things', despite countries like Russia regularly issuing open threats to the UK. But China hawk MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the paper: 'It's pathetic ... the idea that China is not a hostile state is absurd' 'Our position towards China is that we'll deal with it with robust pragmatism but often you can't be robust and pragmatic at the same time. 'This is Orwellian political speak in which you invent terms that are themselves meaningless to describe genuine dangerous and difficult circumstances because you have an ulterior motive such as not frightening your own people or not to upset those you are dealing with. 'The idea that China is not a hostile state is absurd.' Last month MPs warned Britain faces a 'nightmare scenario' of China controlling its nuclear power stations, universities and technology sector. The all-party intelligence and security committee (ISC) accused the Government of responding at a 'glacial pace' to the issues in a damning report. It said China had exploited the 'completely inadequate' steps to prevent Beijing penetrating every sector of the UK's economy. An apparent disregard for the security implications has allowed it to exert 'control over the UK's critical national infrastructure'. The report, compiled with the assistance of MI5 and MI6, suggested that a desperation to acquire Chinese investment had led to security concerns being dismissed. Its authors warned: 'Without swift action, we are on a trajectory for the nightmare scenario where China steals blueprints, sets standards and builds products, exerting political and economic influence at every step. This has the potential to pose an existential threat to democratic systems.' They added: 'China has been seeking to control or influence the UK's industry and energy sectors. Chinese money was readily accepted with few questions asked. 'It is unacceptable for the Government to still be considering Chinese involvement in critical national infrastructure.' Russia, meanwhile, has made repeated threats to the UK over support for Ukraine to fight back against its struggling invasion. In May Vladimir Putin's regime threatened Britain with 'an adequate response from our military' after an agreement to supply Kyiv with Storm Shadow long-range missiles. Britain has also provided battlefield weapons and tanks. A government spokesman said: 'The integrated review refresh uses a range of terms to describe the activities of state and non-state actors, including ''state threats''. 'This terminology is agreed across government and is widely used by our allies. The government continues to take strong action to counter state threats against the UK, including measures to protect our supply chains from China's coercive economic activity and the announcement last week of a new sanctions regime targeting Iran.' King Charles has reportedly offered an 'olive branch' to his disgraced brother Prince Andrew by inviting him and the Duchess of York to Balmoral. The Duke is the first family member to join the King at the Highlands castle in a move royal insiders said showed relations between the two have improved. Charles was reportedly joined by the Duke and his ex-wife Sarah, the Duchess of York - who is recovering from a breast cancer operation - over the weekend. Andrew, 63, drove himself to the 50,000-acre estate on Royal Deeside before later being accompanied by Sarah, who flew to Aberdeen. The pair are staying at the seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge on the estate - favoured by the late Queen. A royal insider insisted it was 'not a snub' the pair were staying at the lodge instead of the main house, telling the Express: 'The King and Andrew are now on much better terms and making him the first member of the family to join him is an olive branch.' Prince Andrew was stripped of all of his royal patronages and military roles in January 2022. But in a reported olive branch by the King, he was invited to Balmoral castle King Charles was reportedly joined by the Duke and his ex-wife Sarah, the Duchess of York - who is recovering from a breast cancer operation - over the weekend. Andrew, 63, drove himself to the 50,000-acre estate on Royal Deeside before later being accompanied by Sarah, who flew to Aberdeen. The pair are staying at the seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge on the estate (pictured is Balmoral Castle) The apparent peace offering came as Prince Andrew appeared to have won his battle to remain in the seven-bedroom Royal Lodge in Windsor. The King had been attempting to persuade his brother to move into the vacant Frogmore Cottage - the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan. Charles wanted Andrew to leave the 30-room mansion, where he lives with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and downsize to the Sussexes' old home. But the King does not have the power to force out Andrew from the 30million Royal Lodge - with royal insiders claiming the plan to move the Duke out have now been shelved. The news comes as insiders claimed Charles did not want his brother to 'come out of the freezer' - amid fears from royal aides there are still 'unexploded bombs' over the Duke of York's links to paedophile Jeffery Epstein. Royal insiders are concerned the Duke is 'more of a long-term problem' than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The late Queen Elizabeth II stripped her son of all of his royal patronages and military roles in January 2022 - when he was also stopped from using HRH in any official capacity. But his friendship with Epstein is causing the most worry for aides, with His Majesty not wanting his brother to 'come out of the freezer'. Prince Andrew has refused to leave the 30million mansion Royal Lodge (pictured) and move into the Sussexes' former home Frogmore Cottage Jeffrey Epstein served almost 13 months in jail in 2008 after he was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl. He took his own life while in jail in 2019 A royal source told the The Times: 'Andrew is more of a long-term problem than Harry and Meghan. It feels like more stuff is going to come out on Epstein and there are still unexploded bombs there.' Epstein served almost 13 months in jail in 2008 after he was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl. But Andrew continued his friendship with the offender after his release. He told the BBC in 2019 that his relationship with Epstein and the opportunities he had been given were 'very useful' and said he didn't recall the photo where he is seen with his arm around Virginia Roberts - now known as Virginia Giuffre - 'ever having been taken'. Jeffrey Epstein took his own life while in jail in 2019. Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell - who was also a friend of Andrew's and appears in the background of the photo of him and Ms Giuffre - is serving 20 years in prison for sex trafficking. Meanwhile, a friend of the King's believes the fallout with Prince Harry has 'humanised' him and he has been 'reassured' by 'the side the public has come down on'. The plan was for Prince Andrew to move out of his 30-bedroom home and into the smaller Frogmore Cottage (pictured), where Prince Harry and Meghan used to live Prince Andrew lives in the royal mansion with just his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York (left) The friend told The Times: 'He has done the right thing to rise above it and carry on with the work of the monarchy, which provides a welcome and stark contrast to what happens on the west coast of America. 'It's all very sad, but it also mirrors what happens in a lot of families, so it humanises him.' The late Queen's funeral and the coronation were two chances to see Charles lead moments of national unity. But both events shone a light on the conflict within the main members of the Windsor family. MailOnline has approached the Palace for comment. Rushed by a hammer-wielding man as he left his apartment building with his dog, Nicholas Cameron 'fought for his life'. When police arrived just six minutes later they found the 39-year-old fatally injured between two cars and arrested his attacker, Stuart Lindsay Heron, who was trying to leave the scene. Heron claimed he had spent hours waiting to confront Mr Cameron, a man he did not know, after seeing him 'dealing ice to kids'. But two folders, one titled 'target' and the other 'Heide', would identify the real reason he was murdered. Heron, 50, returned before the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday for a pre-sentence hearing after pleading guilty to Mr Cameron's July 10, 2021, murder earlier this year. Outlining the case, crown prosecutor Elizabeth Ruddle KC told the court Heron had been enlisted by his dominatrix, Heide Bos, to 'confront' her boyfriend - Mr Cameron. When police arrived just six minutes later they found the 39-year-old fatally injured between two cars and arrested his attacker, Stuart Lindsay Heron (pictured), who was trying to leave the scene. Ms Ruddle said Bos and Heron had met on FetLife, a social networking site for people exploring sexual kinks, just two months earlier. Bos went by the name 'hedonistic siren' and Heron, who went by the name 'slave pinto', had quickly embarked on a dominant/submissive relationship. Heron became her slave, telling Bos; 'I will be your slave for life m'lady', when she began to confide in him her dislike of Mr Cameron. She would later tell police; 'They're beneath you and (their), like, happiness is your happiness, so anything they can do to make your life more simple, easy, whatever.' On or about June 31, the pair were at Ms Bos's apartment when she asked him if it was possible to confront Mr Cameron and make him leave town. 'I'm 99.9 per cent sure I can convince him to never to contact or speak to you again m'lady lol,' Heron replied. The court was told Heide Victoria Bos (pictured) was in a 'volatile' off-and-on relationship with Mr Cameron Over the following days, he stalked Mr Cameron at his home and online, with police finding blueprints for his apartment and pictures in a folder titled 'target' on his phone. In a separate folder titled 'Heide' were screenshots of their conversations. Ms Ruddle told the court on July 9 Bos gave Heron the 'go-ahead' after an argument with Mr Cameron. She texted Mr Cameron asking him to come over while simultaneously telling Heron; 'I wish I could come and watch'. As Mr Cameron left his apartment with his dog, Misty, shortly after midnight on July 10, he was rushed by Heron. 'There was an agreement between Mr Heron and Ms Bos that he would confront and assault Mr Cameron in some sort of ill-conceived plan to get him to go away and stay away,' Ms Ruddle said. 'But at some point, immediately before or during the confrontation, that plan went awry.' Despite efforts from emergency services Nicholas Cameron was declared dead at the scene Victoria Heide Bos was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to manslaughter for her role in the death Ms Ruddle told the court the injuries sustained by Mr Cameron, which included 14 separate skull fractures, were 'among the most confronting' she had ever seen. 'He goes to that scene to assault, he's armed and he takes him by surprise,' she said. 'Mr Cameron fought for his life ... what he did that day, in the car park, is inexplicable.' Heron's barrister Richard Backwell told the court his client had lived a 'normal life' until he met Bos. 'There's really nothing, apart from when he gets involved with Ms Bos, that indicates that he'd end up sitting where he's sitting,' he said. 'He planned a confrontation slash assault and brought weapons with him ... There's no doubt this is a serious example of murder, given the number of blows to the head and stab wounds.' Mr Blackwell told the court his client, a former diesel mechanic, had described what happened as the 'worst decision' of his life. Heron was remanded into custody and will be sentenced at a later date. Heide Bos, who was initially also charged with murder, was jailed for six years in February after pleading guilty to manslaughter over her role in Mr Cameron's death after prosecutors accepted she did not know he was going to be killed. A metal detectorist has unearthed an ancient 'posy' gold ring believed to have been hidden by the Sheriff of Nottingham centuries ago. Andy Taylor, 57, from Lincoln, dug up the 460-year-old ring in July 2020 on farmland in Rushcliff, roughly 27 miles from Sherwood Forest which is historically associated with the legend of Robin Hood. The ring, dating back to circa 1560, was a popular 16th century love token. It weighs 15g and bears the mystery message 'I Meane Ryght'. Experts believe it may have been part of a hoard of treasure hidden by the Sheriff of Nottingham or a member of his family. Mr Taylor, who has been metal detecting for eight years and works for a water company, discovered the jewellery five minutes before his friend Graham Harrison, 65, found a signet ring believed to belong to a former Sheriff of Nottingham. The circa 1560 posy ring, a popular 16th century love token, bears a mystery message 'I Meane Ryght' Charles Hanson, who owns Hansons Auctioneers, pictured with the 16th century posy ring Mr Harrison's find, which sold for 8,500 at auction last March, bore the crest of the Jenison family who served as High Sheriffs of Nottingham hundreds of years ago. Sir Matthew Jenison was tasked with looking after the trees of Sherwood Forest - where folklore has it that the legendary outlaw hid out with his band of merry men. Legend also has it that the Jenisons gleaned great wealth from valuables left in their safekeeping during the Civil War which were never reclaimed. What is a 'posy' ring? The word 'posy' or 'poesy' is a derivative of rhyme in poetry. The rings were especially popular from the late medieval period onwards and were primarily used to communicate secret messages of love between the giver and the recipient. The wearing of words against the skin was also believed to increase their poignancy. This means the special engraving 'I Meane Ryght' on this posy ring is a romantic message, but according to experts we will never fully know what it means. Charles Hanson, who owns Hansons Auctioneers, said: 'Posy rings were often used as betrothal or wedding rings centuries ago. 'The messages inscribed inside were a secret to all but the wearer and giver, so we can never be certain what 'I Meane Ryght' meant to the owner of the ring.' Advertisement This theory was seemingly corroborated when a buried hoard of Civil War silver coins was unearthed from the same field where both rings were found. Mr Taylor now believes his posy ring, found during a metal detecting club event, may have belonged to a Sheriff of Nottingham too or someone known to him. 'I found it on a sunny July day in 2020. I was on a dig with around a dozen people from a metal detecting club,' Mr Taylor said. 'We were on farmer's land at Radcliffe-on-Trent in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire. 'It was so hot, I decided to go back to my car to fetch my drink. I was lucky. Just as I turned back, I picked up a lovely strong signal. 'I dug a divot in the sandy soil and there was the ring, just looking at me. It was an exciting find. When that signal goes off you never know whether it will be a ring-pull or ancient treasure. 'Within five minutes of me finding it, Graham dug up the Sheriff of Nottingham ring nearby. Some coins were discovered in the area on the same day too. 'I'm 95 per cent certain both the rings and coins originally belonged to the same person. They were all found within 10 square metres of each other. 'The land had been disturbed by a pipe being laid at some point, otherwise they might have been closer together. In my opinion it was a stash of valuables buried at the same time. Legend has it that the Sheriff of Nottingham's family hid valuables 'I think the ring may have belonged to him or someone close to him. It appears to be a man's posy ring, which is unusual. 'It's the second largest ring of its type ever seen according to a report I received from the British Museum. Due to the circumstances surrounding its discovery, the finder thinks it may have belonged to a Sheriff of Nottingham or a member of his family The ring, which weighs almost 15g and is around 460 years old, was unearthed during a metal detecting club event 'I have never sold any of my metal detecting discoveries before but if I don't part with the ring it will just be stuck in a pot forever with my best finds. I would like it to go to someone who will appreciate its historical value.' The ring will now go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbyshire, in October with a guide price between 2,000 and 3,000. READ MORE: Metal detectorist unearths rare 15th century gold ring with drawing of the Virgin Mary The 15th Century gold ring Matthew Hepworth found buried in a farmer's field Advertisement Charles Hanson, who owns Hansons Auctioneers, said: 'This posy ring is awash with intrigue thanks to its mystery message and possible connection to the Sheriff of Nottingham or the Jenison family. 'The Nottinghamshire branch of the Jenison family first appeared as aldermen of Newark in 1580. Each generation served as aldermen and, after the 1626 charter, as mayors. 'I suspect the posy ring was lost, or buried for safekeeping, in the mid-16th century, perhaps in the reign of the short-lived Edward IV or in the very early years of Queen Elizabeth I's reign (1558 to 1603). 'The font reflects the Roman capitals used until around 1560. After that time italics started to make an appearance. 'Posy rings were often used as betrothal or wedding rings centuries ago. The messages inscribed inside were a secret to all but the wearer and giver, so we can never be certain what 'I Meane Ryght' meant to the owner of the ring. 'Its weight indicates its owner was wealthy. It was likely given as a token of love or esteem nearly 500 years ago.' Mr Hanson added: 'It's remarkable to think this ring was probably given to its original wearer 120 years before the Great Fire of London in 1666 and was crafted out of gold before the Spanish Armada set sail in 1588. 'For any lover of history it has to be the ultimate gift. Of course, mention of the Sheriff of Nottingham reminds us of Robin Hood but the signet ring sold in 2022 related to a later sheriff. 'Tales of Robin Hood emerged in English folklore as early as the 13th and 14th centuries. 'Nevertheless, these finds still evoke those memories and remind us of Nottinghamshire life during the turbulent times of the 16th and 17th centuries.' A former model and real estate agent will be released from prison in just a month after she successfully appealed her jail sentence for a drug-fuelled crime spree. Monique Agostino appeared in the NSW District Court via audiovisual link on Monday after being jailed for nine months over a bizarre string of crimes including drug possession and larceny. The 28-year-old was forced to swap designer clothes for prison greens in May when she was sentenced to at least five months behind bars after pleading guilty to a shopping list of crimes. Monique Agostino has successfully appealed her jail sentence Monique Agostino (pictured) once had a legion of online followers The court heard she was motivated to commit the crimes for financial gain after she lost her driver's licence after driving with drugs in her system and driving without a valid licence. Without a licence, the former model could no longer work as a real estate agent in Sydney's affluent suburbs and she turned her mind to crime. In her original sentencing, her Legal Aid lawyer told the court Agostino was 'an intelligent individual who has used her abilities for criminal, instead of constructive, reasons'. She was arrested in possession of cannabis, stolen NSW registration plates, and another driver's licence which she intended to use for fraud. At the time of her arrest, the former Instagram influencer admitted she was taking illegal drugs on a weekly basis. The former model admitted to a string of crimes She had been using drugs regularly at the time, the court heard She was jailed for a minimum of five months for what her lawyer accepted was a 'determined thumbing of (her) nose at the law' after it was revealed police had issued 15 warrants for her arrest over four years. However, the former Sydney real estate agent scored a victory in court on Monday when Judge Mark Williams found the sentence was too severe. He upheld her appeal and reduced her non-parole period, so Agostino will be able to walk out of jail one month earlier. She will serve the remaining five months of her sentence in the community while under supervision. The legal win comes after a turbulent few years for the former model, who endured a drastic fall from grace precipitated by drug use. Agostino will be able to walk out of jail one month earlier Agostino is pictured in her mug shot Agostino was a getaway driver for teenage boys (pictured) who broke into an Italian restaurant In 2018, she acted as the wheelwoman for a group of adolescent boys as they committed a string of masked burglaries in Sydney's affluent north shore and also participated in the break-ins. The former Instagram model was also busted with ice and a restricted prescription medication when she was arrested. She was jailed for at least six months in one of the country's toughest women's prisons for the raft of offences. Years later, she is back behind bars again for what she hopes will be the last time. Serial child killer Lucy Letby could serve life behind bars with the country's most depraved murderers at a prison where inmates have the chance to go shopping, pet baby animals and decorate their cells pink. The 33-year-old, who will be held in segregation at first to stop her being attacked by fellow inmates, is likely to be jailed in HMP Low Newton in Durham alongside Joanna Dennehy, who murdered three men during a ten-day spree in 2013. Both Letby and Dennehy were sentenced to whole life orders. The only other women to have faced such a punishment are Moors murderer Myra Hindley - who died in 2002 - and Rose West. Past inmates at Low Newton have included Cromwell Street killer Rose West, Baby Ps mother Tracey Connelly and Britain's youngest female murderer Sharon Carr, who randomly selected and killed her victim when she was 12. At the top security prison, killer women get the chance to pet sheep and goats and look after a rabbit and birds as a way to keep them 'calm'. The scheme was revealed in a report last year by the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB), a group which ensures prisoners are treated humanely behind bars. HMP Low Newton is next door to the so-called Monster Mansion of HMP Frankland, which holds Soham murders killer Ian Huntley, Wayne Couzens and Levi Bellfield. Lucy Letby will be in HMP Low Newton in Durham alongside Joanna Dennehy, who slayed three men during a ten-day spree in 2013 This is one of the general population prison cells in HMP Low Newton where Letby will serve her life sentence The Rags to Riches shop featured well-known clothing brands which inmates were able to buy There is also a library at the prison where inmates can borrow books If and when she is put into the main prison population, Letby will likely have access to the Rags to Riches shop which sells clothing to inmates. The general population wing also features cells in which some level of room personalisation is allowed. Photographs from a previous inspection show pink towelling and beauty products are also available. Letby was originally held in HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, but was subsequently moved to HMP New Hall in Wakefield for the trial. After sentencing today she will be taken to Low Newton, which is located in the village of Brasside near Durham. Rose West was moved to Low Newton from HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Middlesex - where Letby had been serving her time on remand - after prisoners were found to be plotting to batter her with pool balls. West is now at HM New Hall, Flockton, Yorkshire, after being convicted in 1995 of ten murders. The most notorious inmate currently in Low Newton is Dennehy, along with Kilburn murderer Emma Aitken. Aitken was jailed for life for the murder of Barry Smith, whose beaten and burnt body was discovered outside Kilburn Welfare Social Club in Derbyshire in 2013. Her dad Vincent Aitken and boyfriend Nathan Dohert were also jailed for life. As a multiple child killer, Letby will be viewed with extreme hostility by most behind bars and likely placed into the prison's segregation unit at first. The area can hold up to three women and lacks some facilities. Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life behind bars after being given a whole life order by Mr Justice Goss Serial killer Joanna Dennehy is an inmate at HMP Low Newton, where she can pet sheep and goats to keep calm Rosemary West used to shared recipes for Victoria sponge cake with her fellow inmates while she was in prison If the scheme is still running, Letby will also be allowed to pet sheep and goats as therapy for inmates. As well as those animals, the prison also has a resident rabbit and two birds which are looked after by prisoners. The scheme was revealed in a new report by the Independent Monitoring Boards, which ensures prisoners are treated humanely. The IMB noted that petting the animals had a 'calming effect' on even the most 'challenging' of prisoners. Low Newton a maximum security jail and Young Offender Institution is considered a leader in changing the behaviour of dangerous female offenders. It is home to the 'Primrose Project', designed to treat women with 'dangerous and severe personality disorders' the only women's prison in the UK with such a unit. It is thought to be the only high security jail in the country to be operating a 'petting' scheme, although some lower category prisons do. During the period of the IMB report March 2021 to February last year the jail had 10 pregnant inmates and introduced 'memory boxes' for prisoners to help them cope with the stress of being separated from their child. Former inmates at HMP Low Newton include House of Horrors killer Rose West and Baby Ps mother Tracey Connelly Tracey Connelly, the mother of Baby P, and Rose West were all former inmates at the prison Letby will be the subject of psychological inquiries and reports, and will become the 'patient' of various would-be therapists and healers, whether she wants it or not. Inspection reports on the jail said: 'Cells were not well equipped with only a bed, toilet and sink. 'The regime was limited with only an hour a day in the open air and half an hour to complete daily tasks, such as showering.' The Ministry of Justice and Prison Service refused to comment to MailOnline about where Letby would serve her sentence, adding that they don't give information on individual cases. Letby will remain a suicide risk, and staff would be heavily - and very publicly - criticised if such a prominent prisoner were to take her own life. A suicide watch cannot be continued indefinitely, however - certainly not for years or decades, as it places too great a strain on the staff. It is a matter of judgment when a watch is lifted, and it is not a precise science. A TikToker has left viewers shocked after showing off his hugely-modified biceps, which have seen him gain a significant following online. The man, under the name of theanimalhilemakumu on TikTok, has almost 140,000 followers on the platform, with a whopping 1.3 million likes across his videos. Despite his popularity on the platform, a number of his videos have been flagged with a content warning, indicative of the serious health risks posed by altering his upper arms. Although he has used the account to share other content, the man appeared to begin showing his modified appearance in 2021. One video of him dancing and flexing his muscles has left viewers shocked over the drastically-altered size of his biceps. A man under the name of theanimalhilemakumu on TikTok has left viewers shocked after showing off his hugely-modified biceps, which have seen him gain a significant following online. One user said on Twitter: 'They call him the punisher...they even say when he sleeps at night, he doesn't lock the doors.' Another quipped: 'How tf does he wear shirts.' A third commented: 'He got them inflatable SpongeBob arms.' It comes after an ex-Russian soldier nicknamed 'Popeye' for his artificially huge biceps had 3lb of dead muscle removed by surgeons in 2019. Kirill Tereshin, 23, was warned he could die or face amputation if he did not get rid of the three litres of petroleum jelly he injected into each arm. Tereshin enlarged his biceps by 10 inches in just 10 days after injecting 'litres' of synthol into his arms. Use of synthol can lead to embolisms in the lungs, strokes, cysts and ulcers. Prior to having the dead muscle removed, Tereshin was defeated in the space of three minutes in an MMA bout against Oleg Mongol in Siberia back in October 2019. Footage of the 'crazy' fight shows Tereshin scrapping with his opponent in the city of Abakan before he is forced to the ground. The disastrous implants were causing Mr Tereshin 'high fever, strong pain, and weakness' His opponent, 20 years his senior, settled the fight by clasping an elbow to his throat - an attack which could be deemed illegal under Russian MMA rules. However, Tereshin conceded and the fight was over within three minutes. Surgeon Dmitry Melnikov, who removed the substance from Tereshin's arms, warned against the practice, stating: 'Petroleum jelly saturates the muscles, under skin tissues and the skin itself.' 'I think Kirill did not fully realise the consequences of what he had been doing,' he added. U.S. President Joe Biden holds a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during the trilateral summit at Camp David near Thurmont, Maryland, U.S., Aug. 18. Reuters-Yonhap Seoul's top diplomat said Monday the government explained to Beijing the results of a recent trilateral summit between the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan soon after the gathering. President Yoon Suk Yeol and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, respectively, held a summit at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David in Maryland last week, where they adopted a series of documents that outlined their commitments to enhance security and economic cooperation in the midst of an intensifying Sino-U.S. global hegemony rivalry. In an interview with Yonhap News TV, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said Seoul "explained in detail" the results of the meeting through diplomatic channels following the Camp David gathering. In a joint statement following the trilateral summit, Seoul, Washington and Beijing expressed their shared concerns about "actions inconsistent with the rules-based international order," recalling their individually announced positions on the "dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims" by China in the South China Sea. "In early August in the South China Sea, a Chinese coast guard vessel reportedly fired water cannons at a Philippine vessel. This incident served as an example of such aggressive behavior," Park said. The minister, however, stressed the trilateral gathering was not conducted "to exclude any particular country or target specific forces." On bilateral ties with Beijing, Park said Seoul wants to "foster a mature and healthy relationship with China." "As such a relationship should be built on a foundation of mutual respect and mutual benefit, we intend to maintain a stable relationship with China through communication in the future," Park said. On the issue of the Fukushima water release, Park said the focus of the tripartite summit was to "discuss common and most important areas of cooperation among the three nations," and that "there was prior consent not to include the contaminated water issue on the agenda" of the summit. Detectives investigating cash-for-honours allegations involving King Charles's charity The Prince's Foundation will take no further action, the Met Police has said. The Met launched an investigation last year following a series of newspaper articles accusing former close confidant to the King, Michael Fawcett, of promising to help a Saudi billionaire donor obtain British citizenship and a knighthood. Mr Fawcett, 60, resigned as chief executive of The Prince's Foundation in the wake of the allegations. The Met said the decision to take no further action followed advice from prosecutors and consideration of the information received to date, including interviews with 'a number of witnesses and [having] reviewed in excess of 200 documents'. It added that no arrests had been made and that 'any new information or evidence' that comes to light 'that requires further assessment' will be investigated by the special enquiry team. Detectives investigating cash-for-honours allegations involving Kings Charles's (pictured) charity The Prince's Foundation will take no further action, the Met Police have said The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in February 2022 following a series of newspaper articles alleging a donor to The Prince's Foundation was offered help securing a knighthood The case had focused on a letter first published in the Mail on Sunday in which Mr Fawcett, a long-time aide of the King and a former chief executive of the charity, offered to help a wealthy Saudi donor in exchange for his ongoing generosity. In the letter from 2017, Mr Fawcett reportedly wrote that he was willing to make an application to change businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz's honorary CBE to a knighthood, and support his application for citizenship. The letter, written on headed notepaper in Mr Fawcett's then-capacity as chief executive of the Dumfries House Trust, said the applications would be made in response to 'the most recent and anticipated support' of the trust. Mr Mahfouz is reported to have donated large sums to restoration projects of particular interest to Charles. Mr Mahfouz is said to deny any wrongdoing. Anti-monarchy group Republic made a formal complaint to Met detectives about Charles and Mr Fawcett in September 2021 following the stories. Scotland Yard said in a statement today: 'The Metropolitan Police Service has concluded an investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. 'The Met's Special Enquiry Team (SET) launched an investigation after an assessment of a letter passed to police on 5 September 2021, following media reporting. 'The assessment process included contacting those believed to hold relevant information. This process included liaison with The Prince's Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices. The case had focused on a letter first published in the Mail on Sunday in which Michael Fawcett (pictured left with Charles) offered to help a wealthy Saudi donor obtain a Knighthood and British citizenship in exchange for his ongoing generosity 'The Foundation provided a number of relevant documents which were reviewed alongside existing information. The assessment determined that an investigation should take place, and this began on 16 February 2022. 'As part of the investigation the SET obtained court production orders, spoke with a number of witnesses and reviewed in excess of 200 documents. 'Officers also contacted a media organisation to request specific documents which were referenced in published articles so that the Met could consider them as part of the assessment. 'These were provided in March 2022, after the Met publicly confirmed an investigation was taking place. 'On Tuesday, 6 September 2022, police interviewed a man aged in his 50s and a man aged in his 40s under caution at a London police station. 'A file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on 31 October 2022 for early investigative advice. Offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 and Bribery Act 2010 were considered. 'With the benefit of the CPS's early investigative advice, and after careful consideration of the information received as a result of the investigation to date, the Met has concluded that no further action will be taken in this matter. 'Should any new information or evidence come to light that requires further assessment, this will be carried out... Nobody has been arrested or charged during the course of this investigation.' Republic's chief executive said: 'Today the police have spun this as an investigation into the Prince's Foundation, yet the accusations were directed personally at Charles and Fawcett.' 'Republic will begin a fresh campaign to insist the royals are equal in law, to ensure the police treat them as equals. We will be demanding Parliament investigates the questionable relationship between the royals and the police.' The Prince's Foundation commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations, which found evidence of Mr Fawcett's 'communications and co-ordination' with 'so-called 'fixers' regarding honorary nominations for a donor between 2014-18'. Charles is president of the foundation but not involved with its governance, with the charity's trustees overseeing its day-to-day activities. A spokesman for The Prince's Foundation said: 'The Prince's Foundation has noted the decision of the Metropolitan Police. 'Following the conclusion of its own independent investigation and governance review last year, the charity is moving forward with a continued focus on delivering the education and training programmes for which it has been established.' A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: 'We have noted the decision of the Metropolitan Police Service. All other inquiries are a matter for the Prince's Foundation.' A teacher who read her fifth grade class gender identity book My Shadow is Purple about 'moving beyond binary' has been fired after a parent reported her to the school. Katie Rinderle, who taught at Due West Elementary School, in Marietta, Georgia, was dismissed on Friday after the Cobb County School Board of Education voted 4-3 against her. Ms Rinderle read the young children the picture book by Australian author Scott Stuart to her class in March. It depicts a non-binary child who doesn't identify with being a boy or a girl, his shadow is purple rather than blue or pink like his cis-gender parents. She bought 'My Shadow is Purple' at a book fair at Due West Elementary. After reading the book, the class engaged in a discussion about inclusion and acceptance. Students were then asked to self reflect and write their own shadow poem. Katie Rinderle, who taught at Due West Elementary School, in Marietta, Georgia, was dismissed on Friday at the tribunal after reading a children's book about being non-binary to her class My Shadow is Purple is about a non-binary child who doesn't identify with being a boy or a girl The teacher of ten years taught at Due West Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia As a result, she was accused of violating the district's policies on teaching controversial issues, according to WSB-TV. Ms Rinderle is the first teacher to be fired under a trio of Georgia's censorship laws, including the recently enforced Protect Students' Rights Act, commonly known as the 'divisive concepts' law. The case has drawn wide attention as a test of what public school teachers can teach in class, how much a school system can control teachers and whether parents can veto instruction they dislike. It comes amid a nationwide conservative backlash to books and teaching about LGBTQ+ subjects in school. Rinderle declined comment after the vote but released a statement through the Southern Poverty Law Center, which helped represent her. 'The district is sending a harmful message that not all students are worthy of affirmation in being their unapologetic and authentic selves,' Ms Rinderle said in the statement. 'This decision, based on intentionally vague policies, will result in more teachers self-censoring in fear of not knowing where the invisible line will be drawn. In a statement on the education board said: 'The district is pleased that this difficult issue has concluded; we are very serious about keeping our classrooms focused on teaching, learning, and opportunities for success for students.' The veteran teacher of ten years underwent a tribunal to decide on her termination after she sought to overturn the decision to fire her immediately. But she lost her bid, with three Democrats opposing the decision to fire her and four Republican lawmakers saying the opposite. Attorney Craig Goodmark, representing Ms Rinderle, reads from a copy of the children's book My Shadow is Purple during the hearing After reading the children's book, she had the class engage in a discussion about inclusion and acceptance In June author of the book Scott Stuart (pictured on his TikTok) defended Ms Rinderle Earlier this month school district lawyer Sherry Culves said that the district is 'very serious' about children learning in a neutral classroom, adding: 'A one-sided viewpoint on political, religious or social beliefs does not belong in our classrooms,' she said according to the Washington Post. In June author of the book Scott Stuart defended Ms Rinderle. He launched a scathing attack on school systems in the US and insisted there's nothing sexual or pornographic in his book banned in several American states. He has also expressed his disgust that the much-loved teacher may now lose her job after a parent complained about 'pornographic' material and 'inappropriate topics' in the book. 'This entire thing is so disgusting,' Mr Stuart said. 'To be very clear - there is nothing sexual or pornographic about this book. It's a book of acceptance and inclusion.' 'We need to be supporting teachers, not vilifying them.' Mr Stuart doubled down on his support for Ms Rinderle in a TikTok video which showed examples of her students' 'profound' reflections of the book along with positive feedback from their parents. 'So a teacher has just been fired for reading one of my books,' he began. 'It had parents reaching out saying this kind of lesson was something they wanted in the class.' 'This is a teacher who gets phenomenal feedback from the principal, her students, the parents,' Mr Stuart continued. 'Her teaching is described as transformative and key to the school's success.' My Shadow is Purple was nominated for a 2023 Australian Book Industry Award. It was described as a heartwarming and inspiring book about being true to yourself, and one that considered gender beyond binary in a vibrant spectrum of colour. 'This whole thing just really goes to show how much more interested the school system in US is in playing politics than they are in educating kids,' Mr Stuart fumed. 'It's gross, it's disgusting.' A dog lover who achieved viral fame for his desire to 'become an animal' has once again ventured out into Tokyo in his 12,000 bespoke collie costume - this time to pose for selfies with new found fans. Known only as 'Toco', the animal lover spent around two million Yen on the lifelike costume last year to fulfil his lifelong dream of 'becoming an animal'. Over a year on, he has now been pictured being taken for a 'walk' through the streets of the Japanese capital with the help of a friend who pulled him along in a trolley. In further surreal images, he was seen being given belly rubs as he was paraded around on the trolley to meet infatuated locals. It comes after Toco was last month got down on all fours to meet with his more realistic canine companions and was filmed attempting to perform dog tricks for his 54,000 YouTube subscribers on his channel 'I want to be an animal'. Known as 'Toco', a Japanese man in a dog suit is carried in a trolley cart in Tokyo, Japan, Monday A young woman appears delighted as she bends down to snap a selfie with Toco as he was paraded around in the back of a trolley through Tokyo on Monday In further surreal images, Toco was seen being given belly rubs and being paraded around on the trolley to meet infatuated locals around Tokyo on Monday Tokyo residents looked delighted to see Toco, bending down beside the trolley to grab a picture with the now viral internet sensation. But despite the increasing fame, Toco is not yet ready to take off his mask. Toco told MailOnline in May last year: 'Ever since I was a small child, I wanted to be an animal. I think it is a desire to transform. 'I've thought about it since I can remember.' The dog-lover said he has hidden his identity and his human face from the world because he doesn't want to be judged by people he knows. 'I don't want my hobbies to be known,' he said, 'especially by the people I work with.' 'They think it's weird that I want to be a dog. For the same reason why I can't show my real face.' Then late last year, Toco told the Mirror he's still not yet built up enough confidence to tell some of his closest friends about his hobby. 'I rarely tell my friends because I am afraid they will think I am weird,' he said. 'My friends and family seemed very surprised to learn I became an animal.' Toco said he enjoys 'doing things that only dogs do'. In September, Toco first attempted an outdoor walk. He said in a YouTube video documenting the experience he felt 'nervous and a little scared'. 'I'm wearing a leash because people are surprised when they see me. I'm very nervous,' he said in the video. 'Do you remember your dreams from when you are little? You want to be a hero or a wizard. A passerby takes pictures of a Japanese man in a dog suit carried in a trolley cart in Tokyo, Monday Toco is pictured being dragged around through Tokyo in a trolley on Monday. He spent around 12,000 to realise his dream of transforming into a rough collie dog Known only as 'Toco', the animal lover spent around two million Yen on the lifelike costume last year to fulfil his lifelong dream of 'becoming an animal' A Japanese man in a dog suit is carried in a trolley cart in Tokyo, Japan, Monday. The unidentified man, only known as Toco, is pictured in his collie costume. He has over 54,000 YouTube subscribers on his channel 'I want to be an animal' Toco is pictured during an interview, over a year on from spending around two million Yen on the lifelike costume to fulfil his lifelong dream of 'becoming an animal' 'I remember writing in my grade school graduation book that I wanted to be a dog and walk outside.' He noted how nice the wind felt in his fur, and rolled in the grass in his backyard. Toco said he wears sandals to protect his feet and the bottom of the costume from getting dirty, after spending almost 13,000 getting it custom-made. His now viral videos have attracted like-minded fans, with one saying: 'You inspire us to fulfil our dreams too.' Another wrote: 'I hope I become the animal I want to be as well. You're an inspiration to us.' Japanese company Zeppet, which creates costumes for TV commercials and films, spent 40 days making the outfit. A spokesman said: 'Modelled after a collie dog, it reproduces the appearance of a real dog walking on four legs.' A heartrending letter sent by an RAF pilot to the mother of a comrade who was killed when their Lancaster Bomber was shot down over Germany in the Second World War has emerged for sale. The handwritten note was sent by Flight Officer Paul Bunn to the mother of flight engineer Sergeant Douglas Timms, who was killed during a bombing raid in January 1945. Flight Officer Bunn revealed that his plane was hit in the petrol tanks and 'immediately caught fire' before the aircraft 'just blew up in mid-air' over the German town of Goppingen. He said he was blown out of the plane with the navigator and bomb aimer, but Sergeant Timms 'collapsed' and slid into the aircraft's nose. That was the last he saw of his comrade, who was later buried in a church graveyard by the Germans before being re-interred after the war in an Allied cemetery. Flight Officer Bunn, who was taken as a prisoner of war when he landed with his parachute, added that he would have written to her earlier, but for his feeling that he would be 'rubbing salt into an open wound'. The letter is being sold with Sergeant Timms's war medals, log book, flying jacket, a photo of him and his grave, and the initial telegram sent to his mother informing her of her son's death. The lot is expected to sell for up to 600. A heartrending letter sent by an RAF airman to the mother of a comrade who was killed when their Lancaster Bomber was shot down over Germany in the Second World War has emerged for sale. The handwritten note was sent by Flight Officer Paul Bunn to the mother of Sergeant Douglas Timms (pictured) Flight Officer Bunn's letter was in response to Sergeant Timms' mother's initial communication to him. He reassured Hilda Timms that her son son, who died aged 26, would not have suffered. He was killed along with wireless operator Sergeant Jack Ernest and air gunners Sergeant William Cook and Sergeant Ronald Poulsom. Flight Officer Bunn's full letter reads: 'Dear Mrs Timms, 'I was very pleased to receive your letter. Frankly I cannot understand why the Air Ministry haven't communicated with you. 'I would have written to you earlier only I felt that perhaps it would only be rubbing salt into an open wound. 'Well now on the night of Jan 2nd we were caught by fighters and were hit in the petrol tanks which immediately caught fire. 'Within a few seconds the aircraft just blew up in mid-air and myself, navigator, bomb aimer were blown clean out of the airplane. 'Now at the time your son was sitting next to me and when he got the burst from the fighter he collapsed and slid into the nose of the A/C and that was the last I saw of him.' Flight Officer Bunn's letter was in response to Sergeant Timms' mother's initial communication to him 'I did my best to find out from the Germans exactly what happened to them and they told me definitely that four of the boys were killed. 'Well now again they said that the boys would be given a decent funeral like their own people. 'There is another consolation and that is none of the boys could possibly have suffered in any way and were killed outright. 'We were shot down near a small town called Goppingen about 20 miles S.E. of Stuttgart. 'In closing please accept my sincerest sympathy and in future if I can possibly help you please don't hesitate in writing as I would only be too glad to do anything for you.' The brief telegram sent to Sergeant Timms's mother said: 'Regret to inform you that your son 546594 Sgt Douglas Joseph James Timms is reported missing from operations on night of 2nd January 1945. The letter is being sold with Sergeant Timms's war medals, log book and flying jacket. Above: The 1939-1945 Star, the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal, and War Medal 1939-1945 The brief telegram sent to Sergeant Timms's mother said: 'Regret to inform you that your son 546594 Sgt Douglas Joseph James Timms is reported missing from operations on night of 2nd January 1945. Letter follows immediately. Any other information received will be communicated to you immediately pending receipt of written communication...' Sergeant Timms was initially buried at the church cemetery of Schlierbach, a few miles from Goppingen. His remains and those of his comrades from the same plane were re-interred at Durnbach War Cemetery outside Munich in 1948 'Letter follows immediately. Any other information received will be communicated to you immediately pending receipt of written communication...' Sergeant Timms was initially buried at the church cemetery of Schlierbach, a few miles from Goppingen. His remains and those of his comrades from the same plane were re-interred at Durnbach War Cemetery outside Munich in 1948. Richard Bromell, of Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers, said: 'Sergeant Timms was an engineer flying in a Lancaster who was sadly killed in action near Stuttgart on January 2nd 1945.' 'The Lancaster was caught by German fighters and hit in the fuel tanks which caught fire and within seconds the plane blew up in mid-air. 'The pilot, navigator and bomb aimer were blown clear out the Lancaster and survived only to be captured when they landed by the Germans, but Sergeant Timms and three crew from the plane lost their lives immediately.' The lots - which have been put up for sale by a distant family relation of Sergeant Timms' - will feature in a two-day auction starting on August 29 at Charterhouse's sale rooms in Sherborne, Dorset. Lucy Letby's parents did not turn up to see their daughter sentenced after she was confirmed as the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history. The nurse's parents, Susan, 63, and John, 77, were a constant presence during her ten-month trial at Manchester Crown Court and attended every day. But they were not present for the final verdicts last Friday, and again failed to turn up this morning for the sentencing hearing as she was given a whole-life order. Mr and Mrs Letby had been so determined to hear all the evidence against their daughter that they relocated to Manchester from their home in Hereford. But earlier last week, Mrs Letby broke down in court as the guilty verdicts began to be returned, crying out: 'You can't be serious. This cannot be right.' John and Susan Letby, the parents of nurse Lucy Letby, arrive at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday last week (August 17, 2023) - the last time they were in court for the case Lucy Letby last week refused to return to the dock as the jury continued to return verdicts Lucy Letby's parents John and Susan Letby arrive at Manchester Crown Court last Thursday Lucy Letby is pictured as a child (left) and following her graduation (right) in December 2011, which her parents marked with an announcement in their local paper, the Hereford Times Last week, Letby refused to return to the dock as the jury continued to return verdicts and the court was told she did not want to take any part in her sentencing hearing, and would not follow the hearing via video-link from prison. She again refused to attend court today, despite being brought there in a prison van. The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. Investigators suspect Letby had told her parents scant detail about the crimes she was being accused of before it was laid out in front of them in court. A source told the Daily Mail last week that Letby's mother was distraught when she was arrested in 2018 wailing, crying and even telling police, 'I did it, take me instead,' in a desperate bid to protect her. At the time of Letby's arrest, her parents' neighbours told The Times that the family were devastated. One was reported as having said: 'She's an only child. Do I have to say anymore? I just feel for them so much. I feel so helpless that there is nothing we can do.' Retail boss John and Susan, an accounts clerk, raised Letby as an only child in a 1930s semi-detached home in a cul-de-sac. They still live in the same house - which they bought shortly after their marriage - and holiday in Torquay three times a year, taking Letby with them right up until she was arrested in July 2018. Nothing suggests Mr and Mrs Letby were anything but caring parents who showered their daughter with love from the moment she was born - five months after they married in July 1989. Growing up, Letby was a 'delight' to her parents - neighbours remembered. She had a part-time job at WH Smith in the city, and her parents were immensely proud when she became the first in their family to go to university. May 2, 2013 - John and Susan Letby leave Manchester Crown Court after Letby gives evidence November 11, 2022 - John and Susan Letby at Manchester Crown Court as the trial continues October 4, 2022: John and Susan Letby at Manchester Crown Court just before her trial began Lucy Letby listens to the verdicts being read at Manchester Crown Court on August 11 When she attained her honours degree they marked her graduation, in December 2011, with an announcement in their local paper, the Hereford Times. Alongside a picture of her wearing a mortarboard and clutching her degree certificate, they wrote: 'Letby Lucy BSc Hons in Child Nursing. We are so proud of you after all your hard work. Love Mum and Dad.' A similar announcement, with an accompanying photograph of Letby as a young child, was also placed in the same newspaper to mark her 21st birthday. But texts Letby exchanged with colleagues hinted she sometimes felt smothered by her mother and father and guilty about moving away. She explained they missed her and hated her living alone. She appeared to speak or text them every day and described them as 'suffocating at times'. She told one doctor friend who was considering moving to New Zealand that she could never do that as it would 'completely devastate' them. 'Find it hard enough being away from me now and it's only 100 miles,' she said. In a message to another friend, she wrote: 'My parents worry massively about everything & anything, hate that I live alone etc. 'I feel bad because I know it's really hard for them especially as I'm an only child, and they mean well, just a little suffocating at times and constantly feel guilty.' Ms Letby sometimes broke into tears in court during the trial and appeared anxious during breaks when her daughter was undergoing particularly tough periods of questioning by the prosecution. As the guilty verdicts were returned, Ms Letby broke into a series of anguished sobs which continued even after she had left the court. WATCH THE MAIL'S LUCY LETBY DOCUMENTARY IN FULL HERE Beaches around Athens have been evacuated as Greek firefighters and water bombing planes attempted to tackle a brutal wildfire that threatens much of southern Greece. The latest inferno broke out in the central region of Boeotia, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Athens, rescue services said, as several countries in southern Europe continue to battle wildfires amid searing temperatures this summer. That blaze has already claimed one life - a shepherd who attempted to save his livestock but was unable to escape, according to firefighters. Around 56 firefighters assisted by four water-dropping aircraft were trying to extinguish the flames, an official from the fire service told AFP. Civil protection authorities warned of an 'extreme' fire risk in the region around Athens and other parts of southern Greece, all while fires continued to burn out of control for a third day in northeastern Greece near the port city of Alexandroupolis. Firefighting crews are deployed on several fronts and are trying to halt the fire's progression towards the Dadia National Park, which suffered substantial damage from wildfires last year. A firefighter operates during a wildfire near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023 Firefighters operate during a wildfire at Loutros village An aerial view of a burned building after a wildfire in Greece. One person has been confirmed dead since wildfires broke out in the centre and south of the country General view of a wildfire in Monastiraki village, near the city of Alexandroupolis, Thrace, northern Greece, 21 August 2023 A firefighting helicopter operates during a wildfire near the city of Alexandroupolis, Thrace, northern Greece, 20 August 2023 More than 200 firefighters with the help of aircraft, volunteers and police are currently attacking the blazes across Greece. Seven firefighters and one volunteer had to be taken to hospital with injuries, over the weekend, officials said. Some 12 communities have been evacuated over the weekend and civil protection authorities urged residents to remain indoors due to the smoke. The area has been officially declared to be in a state of emergency. The very hot and dry conditions which increase the fire risk will persist until Friday, according to meteorologists. Last month, around 20,000 people, mostly tourists, had to be evacuated from Rhodes island after a fire broke out and was fanned by strong winds. Almost 17,770 hectares (more than 43,000 acres) were ravaged in 10 days in the south of the holiday island in the southeastern Aegean Sea. At the end of July, Greece experienced its worst heatwave ever for a month of July, with temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (more than 104 Fahrenheit) in many places, according to the National Observatory in Athens. It comes as Tenerife continues to fight wildfires of their own that police believe were started deliberately. Canary Islands regional president Fernando Clavijo said police had opened three lines of investigation but did not say if there had been any arrests. Improved weather conditions helped firefighters make advances overnight in their battle to tame the blaze that has raged out of control for the past five days, authorities said on Sunday. Tenerife governor Rosa Davila said at a news conference: 'The night was very difficult but thanks to the work of the firefighters, the results have been very positive.' Local residents try to reach their houses in Benijos village Firefighters have battled through the night to try to bring under control the worst wildfire in decades on Tenerife High temperatures are expected to continue in Tenerife Local residents crowd a van while inspecting their homes as fire advances through the forest in La Orotava in Tenerife The Canary Islands have been in drought for most of the past few years, like most of mainland Spain. The islands have recorded below-average rainfall in recent years because of changing weather patterns impacted by climate change. Although the blaze in the north-east of the island is not near the main tourist areas in the south-west, the regional government ordered the evacuation of a state-run hotel in the Teide volcano national park, in central Tenerife, some 30 miles south-west of the fire zone. It was not immediately clear how many people were staying at the hotel. Ms Davila said that more than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since the fire started on Tuesday. The islands' emergency services said on Sunday that 11,600 hectares (29,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland had been burned. No injuries have yet been reported, and Ms Davila said that thanks to the firefighters, no houses have been burned so far. The fire, described as the worst in Tenerife in decades, is threatening 11 town areas flanking a steep and craggy mountain area. Access for firefighters is extremely difficult. The emergency services said air quality in 19 town areas was not good and urged people to stay indoors when possible and wear masks outdoors. More than 400 firefighters and soldiers have been deployed, as well as 23 water-carrying helicopters and planes. Spain's mainland is bracing for another heat wave starting on Sunday that will last until Thursday. The state weather service said temperatures would gradually rise to hit 40C in parts of the mainland on Wednesday and Thursday. On Tenerife, the agency predicted maximum temperatures averaging 30 C (86F) for the coming week. Dmitry Muratov is a Russian journalist and Editor-in-Chief of the Russia's only independent newspaper, 'Novaya Gazeta'. In 2021 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace alongside Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, for his 'efforts to safeguard freedom of expression'. Tonight, a documentary about the life of Muratov, called 'The Price of Truth', will be broadcast on Channel 4. Beginning after the invasion of Ukraine in February last year, the film takes us through a year in the life of the Russian journalist as he battles for press freedom and his newspaper's survival, while his own life hangs in the balance. But who is Dmitry Muratov? What was his goal when creating Novaya Gazeta? And what is he doing now? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the influential figure. Dmitry Muratov is a Russian journalist, television presenter and Editor-in-Chief of the Russia's only independent newspaper, 'Novaya Gaz' Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, he has done everything he can to safeguard his journalists and denounce the war Who is Dmitry Muratov? Dmitry Muratov is a vocal advocate for an independent press, and is best known for investigating abuses of power. The journalist is a leading advocate for democracy and freedom of expression in Russia. The now 61-year-old studied at Kuybyshev State University (now Samara State University), before serving in the Soviet army for several years. He then began working as a reporter for 'Volzhsky Komsomolets' ('Volzhsky Young Communist Leaguer') in the 1980's, before moving to 'Komsomolskaya Pravda' ('Young Communist League Truth'). The Komsomolskaya Pravda was the official voice of the communist youth league, for young people aged 14 to 28. However, Muratov had bigger ideas for the kind of journalism he wanted to create. In 1993, he and a group of former journalists from the Komsomolskaya Pravda, decided to set up the Novaya Gazeta. The Novaya Gazeta, or 'New Gazette' in English, was created with the goal of being an independent publication that would influence national policy Novaya Gazeta: Russia's only independent newspaper The Novaya Gazeta, or 'New Gazette' in English, was created with the goal of being an independent publication that would influence national policy - it soon became a leading voice for freedom of expression in the country. The former President of the Soviet Union and 1990 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Mikhail Gorbachev, supported the newspaper financially by donating part of his award to help fund it - he also became it's co-owner in 2006. Under Muratovs leadership, Novaya Gazeta criticised Russian authorities for electoral fraud, human rights violations, police violence and other misuses of power. Six of the newspaper's journalists were murdered for writing critical articles on Russian military operations in Chechnya and the Caucasus. The most notable of which was Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian investigative journalist and human rights activist who reported on the Second Chechen war for the newspaper. She was murdered in 2006 in the elevator of her apartment building in Moscow - a crime which attracted international attention. The five other journalists who lost their lives were Igor Domnikov, Yuri Shchekotschikhin, Anastasija Baburova, Stas Markelov, and Natasha Estemirova. Under Muratovs leadership, Novaya Gazeta criticised Russian authorities for electoral fraud, human rights violations, police violence and other misuses of power In March 2022, Noyava Gazeta was forced to shut down as part of the Kremlin's clampdown on journalists As Editor, Muratov has also criticised Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the governments use of military force, in and outside Russia. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, he has done everything he can to safeguard his journalists and denounce the war. According to the Channel 4 website, he has spoken out saying 'Putin lives in the clouds. 'Hes thinking about how to change the past. He thinks that death is good if it means dying for the Motherland, and I think that living for the Motherland is the most important thing for Russia. We have a conflict between life and death. 'Im not an observer, Im a participant.' The shut down of Novaya Gazeta In March 2022, Noyava Gazeta was forced to shut down as part of the Kremlin's clampdown on journalists. The rules forbid journalists from describing the conflict as a 'war' or 'invasion' - instead they are told to call the conflict a 'special military operation'. Any publications who do not abide risk heavy fines or closures. When the war began, the newspaper had planned to continue and even planned to publish an edition in both Russian and Ukrainian in solidarity. However, Muratov later announced they would be ceasing operations until the war in Ukraine comes to an end, following two warnings from Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling and censoring Russian mass media. The second warning came shortly after Muratov spoke with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a group interview that was banned by Roskomnadzor. Novaya Gazetas editorial board wrote in statement: 'We have received another warning from Roskomnadzor. 'Following this, we will suspend the publication of the newspaper online and in print until the end of the special operation on the territory of Ukraine.' Muratov's Nobel Peace Prize medal (pictured) was sold for a record-breaking $103.5 million Selling the Nobel Peace Medal In 2021, Muratov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. However last year, he decided to auction his medal to help Ukrainian refugees. The medal was sold for a record-breaking $103.5 million. The previous highest amount paid for a Nobel Prize medal was in 2014, when James Watson (co-discoverer of the structure of DNA) sold his medal for $4.76 million. It was purchased by an anonymous buyer and proceeds went to UNICEF to aid Ukrainian children and their families displaced by Russia's invasion. Just days after the auction, on a train home from Moscow to Samara to visit his mother, Muratov was targeted by a masked attacker who poured red paint all over him. The paint was laced with acetone and his eyesight was permanently damaged. His attacker shouted 'Muratov, here's one for our boys', Novaya Gazeta Europe's Telegram channel reported. Just days after the auction, on a train home from Moscow to Samara to visit his mother, Muratov was targeted by a masked attacker who poured red paint all over him What is Novaya Gazeta Europe? Novaya Gazeta Europe was founded in April 2022 by exiled journalists from Novaya Gazeta. A statement on their website reads: 'We, the former employees of Novaya who left Russia, announced the launch of Novaya Gazeta Europe, a new EU-based media outlet free of Russia's censorship. 'We started our project with no investments, no legal registration and no bank accounts, leaving Russia with nothing but some minor savings. Our goal was to spread the word about Russia and the war.' They explain that they launched the website on April 20 however it was blocked by Russian censors nine days later for 'spreading fake news about the Russian army.' They added 'We are currently trying to reclaim our readers despite the censorship because freedom of speech is more important than a dictator's will and because our newspaper will not cease to exist even though Putin bans it.' Channel 4's 'The Price of Truth' To this day, Muratov refuses to leave Moscow, whatever the pressure on him and his team Tonight at 10pm, a new documentary will premiere on Channel 4, telling the story of the extraordinary man who risked everything, even his life, to preserve freedom of speech in Russia. The film was made by double Bafta winner Patrick Forbes, and follows Muratov 'every dangerous and extremely daring step.' To this day, Muratov refuses to leave Moscow, whatever the pressure on him and his team. Director Patrick Forbes said: 'Its been an incredible privilege to make this film, to watch my friends courage in facing down a tyrannical President and senseless war, and stand up for values that we in the West all too often take for granted. Sacha Mirzoeff, the documentary commissioner at Channel 4 added 'Were enormously proud about this film that brings humanity and understanding to how the independent press are trying to work within Russia during a time of conflict. 'Its protagonist, the Nobel prize-winning Dmitry Muratov of Novaya Gazeta has become a figure-head for independent journalists around the world in an age of increasingly controlled media.' Hospital bosses used killer nurse Lucy Letby as a poster girl to celebrate raising money for a new neonatal unit hours after she murdered a baby boy and tried to kill his twin brother, MailOnline can reveal. Letby, who is Britain's most prolific child killer, was today sentenced to a whole life order for murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more. In a final insult to her victims' families, she refused to appear in court to hear how she ruined their lives. Now, a chilling image has been uncovered of Letby celebrating with four colleagues on August 6, 2015, after a fundraising campaign for a new baby unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital - where she committed her heinous crimes - passed the 1.5million mark. Letby is seen flashing a huge grin for the cameras knowing she had just murdered a baby and attempted to kill his twin. Just two days earlier, a mother had walked in on the evil killer trying to murder her son, known as Baby E, after arriving on the unit with milk. She found him with 'blood around his mouth' before he died from a fatal bleed which is thought to be caused by Letby interfering with his nasogastric tube. Then on August 5, a day before the photo of Letby was published in a local newspaper, she attempted to kill Baby E's twin, Baby F, by spiking the child's feeding bag with insulin. In a newspaper article killer nurse Lucy Letby (left) celebrates raising money for a new neonatal unit - the day after trying to kill a baby - and two days after she murdered his twin brother Lucy Letby, who is Britain's most prolific child killer, was today sentenced to a whole life order for murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more Letby was one of the faces of the 'Babygrow Appeal' to raise money for a new neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital - which is where this photo from 2013 was taken Blood samples later showed 'extremely high' insulin levels and very low blood glucose levels - proving he had been injected. The blood glucose level was so low that, if left untreated, it might have caused Baby F convulsions, coma, apnoea, irreversible brain damage and death. Disturbing text messages also revealed the lies Letby was feeding her colleagues at the time. After Baby E's death, a colleague texted the killer and asked if she had been caring for the twins. Letby said: 'News travels fast. Who told you? Yeah I had them both. Was horrible.' The nurse later replied: 'I just really feel for his parents but for you too. You've had some really tough times recently.' Before Letby returned to work she texted a second colleague, who told the killer she has had some 'very bad luck'. Letby replied: 'Not a lot I can do really. He had massive haemorrhage could have happened to any baby x.' On August 9, 2015, days after trying to kill Baby F, Letby texted: 'I said goodbye to Baby F's parents as Baby F might go tomorrow. They both cried and hugged me saying they will never be able to thank me for the love and care I gave to Baby F and for the precious memories I've given them. It's heartbreaking.' The colleague said: 'It is heartbreaking but you've done your job to the highest standard with compassion and professionalism.[...]' Letby then replied: 'I just feel sad that they are thanking me when they have lost him and for something that any of us would have done. But it's really nice to know that I got it right for them. That's all I want.' Letby targeted innocent babies while working on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. She was convicted of murdering five baby boys and two baby girls at the Countess of Chester hospital and attacking other newborns in a year-long killing spree. Letby sent disturbing text messages after killing Baby E and then trying to kill Baby F hours later Letby was one of the faces of the Chester Standard's partnership with the Countess of Chester Hospital to raise money for the new neonatal unit. By 2017, the Babygrow Appeal - which is where the picture of Letby holding a babygrow comes from - raised more than 2.4million ahead of a formal planning application, which was granted in 2018. In 2013, Letby featured in the early stages of the campaign where she told readers she had qualified as a children's nurse from the University of Chester in 2011 and had been working on the neonatal unit since graduating. When asked what her role as a neonatal nurse included, she disturbingly said: ''My role involves caring for a wide range of babies requiring various levels of support. 'Some are here for a few days, others for many months and I enjoy seeing them progress and supporting their families. Letby worked on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016 'I am currently undergoing extra training in order to develop and enhance my knowledge and skills within the Intensive Care area and have recently completed a placement at Liverpool Women's Hospital.' She said that she hoped a bigger neonatal unit would 'provide a greater degree of privacy and space for parents and siblings'. Two years later, Letby then featured in the celebratory photo after the fundraising for a new baby unit passed the halfway mark. At the time, the article said that the neonatal unit was caring for around 450 babies a year. The improved unit eventually opened during the pandemic in 2021. At Letby's sentencing today, the heartbroken mother of the twins said she cried 'not again' when her second son became unwell. The babies were a result of several rounds of IVF - and the family had accepted they may never have children. When she found out Letby was a murderer, she said: 'We felt cheated, deceived and utterly heartbroken once more.' Harrowingly, she described how she had to grieve in front of Letby who bathed her son for the final time and dressed him in a woollen gown. 'He was buried in that gown, a gift from the unit chosen by Lucy,' she added. The mother continued: 'Lucy was aware of our journey and deliberately caused significant harm and cruelty to our boys,' she says. As Letby was sentenced today, new photos have emerged of her on a hen do with a large group of friends Letby is seen smiling as she poses with her friends. She has now been confirmed as Britain's worst ever child killer 'No children in the world were more wanted than them.' Baby F, now eight, is living with complex learning difficulties - something his parents believe is a result of him being poisoned with insulin. The mother said: 'Nothing can change what has happened to us, we are living with a life sentence because of Lucy's crimes.' She continued: 'We have been living a nightmare but, for me, it ends today. I refuse to wake up with my first thought be about my boys being harmed. Lucy no longer has control over our lives. She holds no power or relevance in anybody's life. She is nothing.' Dozens of Iranian drones and speedboats swarming two US Navy ships near the Persian Gulf after Washington sent them in to deal with Iran's renewed threat against one of the world's most important waterways, dramatic new footage has revealed. Iran's navy sent the small vessels to confront the USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall in the fraught Strait of Hormuz, which sits between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, according to a video published on Saturday. The speedboats were manned with armed soldiers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and came within inches of the ships, while drones also taunted the ships and managed to snap pictures right above them. Chopped up footage taken from several of the drones and speedboats showed Iranian soldiers speaking in a mix of English and Farsi, while a US soldier can be heard through garbled radio responding to the swarm of vessels, though it is unclear exactly what was said. Iranian media outlets claimed that the confrontation forced helicopters to land back on the Americans ships. The ships, a helicopter carrier and a support vessel that were carrying more than 4,000 American troops between them, were sent to the Gulf in response to Iran's continued threats of seizing commercial ships in the region. Dozens of boats and drones hassled the two US ships in the Strait of Hormuz It is not currently known exactly when the incident took place as Washington has not commented on the situation Iran's navy sent the small vessels to confront the USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall in the fraught Strait of Hormuz Armed soldiers were seen on the speedboats as they harrassed the two American ships The Strait of Hormuz is hugely important to the world economy, as one-fifth of the world's oil passes through its waters, but Washington has still not commented on the tense situation. The strait lies in the territorial waters of both Iran and Oman. At its narrowest point, it is just 21 miles wide, and the width of the shipping lane in either direction is only two miles. The stand-off comes just weeks after the US warned vessels to avoid the Persian Gulf following a threat that Iran made that it would seize oil tankers in the region. The threat followed a spate of attempted and successful seizures in the region, with the US claiming that Iran has gone after nearly 20 internationally flagged ships in the region over the past two years. These seizures began after the US under former president Donald Trump completely withdrew the States from the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran in 2019. The latest seizure came in early July, when the IRGC 'forcibly seized' a commercial ship in international waters, roughly 59 nautical miles from the Saudi Arabian city Dammam, according to the US. A navy spokesperson said the vessel was possibly involved in smuggling, and added that it decided not to follow through with a response. Days before this, the US revealed it was forced to intervene after the IRGC 'opened fire' on a commercial tanker near the coast of Oman. US Naval Forces Central Command said that it had sent the USS McFaul to deal with a distress call from a Bahamian-flagged oil tanker. 'Prior to McFauls arrival on scene, Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons. 'Several rounds hit the ships hull near crew living spaces. The Iranian navy vessel departed when McFaul arrived.' The Strait of Hormuz is hugely important to the world economy, as one-fifth of the world's oil passes through its waters Iranian media outlets claimed that the confrontation forced helicopters to land back on the Americans ships Drones also taunted the American ships and managed to snap pictures right above them The renewed threat of oil tanker seizures come after two years of attempted and successful vessel seizures by Iran Commander Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the Middle East-based 5th Fleet, said as the US began moving ships to the Strait: 'There is a heightened threat, a heightened risk to regional mariners in terms of seizures. 'Right now, our focus is on... increasing our presence in and near the Strait of Hormuz to ensure security and stability in a very critical waterway,' he added, declining to go into specifics of the move to the Strait. The US wasn't the only naval power to warn commercial vessels of the dangers of the Persian Gulf amid the high geopolitical tensions. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which also provides warnings to sailors in the Persian Gulf, issued its own alert at the time, which read: The two vessels, the USS Carter Hall and the USS Bataan, carried more than 4,000 troops between them Washington still has not commented on the latest escalation in Iran-US tensions Earlier this month, Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said if Iran wanted to reduce tensions, the ball was in its court 'UKMTO have been made aware of an increased threat within the vicinity of Strait Of Hormuz. 'All vessels transiting are advised to exercise caution and report suspicious activity to UKMTO.' In early August, Iran's Navy ran military drills in the Gulf and showed off its new Qadir cruise missile system and the Fath ballistic missile, which has a range of 600 kms (372 miles) Earlier this month, Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said the ball was in Iran's court: 'Our hope would be that the trend will downward....But ultimately that's up to Iran. 'In the meantime, we're going to do everything we can to ensure the safety and security in the region and the continued ability of commerce to transit the Strait of Hormuz unimpeded.' Iran has butted heads with its neighbours in recent years over its behaviour in the Gulf. In mid-July, the US and the Arab League, a bloc of two dozen countries in the Middle East, appeared to condemn Iran's actions in the important waterway. 'Any threats, armed seizures and attacks against commercial ships that interfere with navigational rights and freedoms in the strategic waterways of the region,' the joint statement read. 'We resolve to increase our commitment to pursue collective efforts to address threats to the security of vessels traveling through the regions waterways that are critical to international trade and the global economy.' A day later, the US and Bahrain published a similar declaration, which outlined their 'commitment to freedom of navigation in international waters, noting especially the importance of ensuring safe passage for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and condemned acts that put free navigation in jeopardy.' They 'felt guilty' after an afternoon out drinking in the Slug and Lettuce Two jurors who felt guilty for convicting two men then messaged them on Snapchat after an afternoon drinking session. George Matthews, 30, and Katherine Davies, 26, disclosed the top-secret jury deliberations, which led to the criminals appealing their sentences and costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds. The pair went out drinking at the Slug and Lettuce Iron Gate in Derby City Centre after Matthews, the jury foreman, delivered the criminals' guilty verdicts for drugs offences in autumn 2021. They felt 'guilty' about their earlier decision and hunted for both men on social media to make direct contact with them - which is against the law. Matthews then messaged one juror on Snapchat, while Davies struck up a 'flirtatious' conversation with a second, Derby Crown Court heard. Jurors George Matthews, 30, and Katherine Davies, 26, felt guilty for convicting two men and messaged them on social media Handing both of them suspended sentences, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: 'The top and bottom of it was that you felt sorry for the defendants after having had a drink and in your own befuddled way did what you did. 'But I have to put my other hat on and tell you this is a very serious offence. 'Ultimately the reason people are charged with this offence is to deter other jurors from taking the same steps. 'Every time (I swear a jury) I tell them they can get into trouble for doing certain things but I don't think even in your wildest nightmares, rather than dreams, (you would have considered) what the financial costs to the Court of Appeal this kind of behaviour entailed.' Section 20D of the 1974 Juries Act makes it an offence to deliberately disclose details about a jury's deliberations - even after a trial has taken place. Matthews, 30, of Chellaston Road, and Davies, 26, of Windley Crescent, both pleaded guilty to intentionally disclosing jury deliberations. Both were handed four-month sentences, suspended for a year and were ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work each. Sarah Allen, prosecuting, said Matthews, of Allenton and Davies, of Darley Abbey, sat on the jury over a six-week trial at the same court in the autumn of 2021. Matthews messaged once juror on Snapchat, while Davies struck up a 'flirtatious' conversation with a second, Derby Crown Court (pictured) heard She said having reached their guilty verdicts on the defendants for drugs matters on November 10, a group of them went to the Slug and Lettuce, in Iron Gate, and began drinking. The prosecutor said: 'Matthews decided to contact (one of the defendants) over Snapchat and Davies contacted (a second defendant) saying she was in the pub all afternoon and began a flirtatious conversation.' Miss Allen then told the hearing the precise contents of what the messages said which cannot be reported by law. She said: 'Matters came to light when one of the defendants told his solicitor the following day. As a result of their actions three defendants appealed their sentences (at the Court of Appeal in London) but they were unsuccessful.' Justin Ablott, for Matthews, said his client is autistic and that a psychiatrist's report had been prepared on his behalf. William Bennett, for Davies, said despite these ongoing legal proceedings his client has kept her job which involves dealing with would-be parents having screenings to find out if their unborn children may have any life-changing conditions. Julia Mellor, right, teaches two participants how to make makgeolli from scratch at an event run by The Sool Company. Courtesy of The Sool Company By Emma Sparkes Tucked away in a pocket of Seoul's Gwangjang Market is Hosunseng, an eye-catching business that departs from the more traditional food carts and restaurants surrounding it. This place, with bright orange signage, neon lighting, and a window-fronted walk-in refrigerator, is a trendy establishment dedicated to traditional Korean alcohol. It is here that The Sool Company is holding its work dinner. Dedicated to fostering knowledge and appreciation of traditional Korean alcohol, or sool, the members of The Sool Company have a passion that is palpable, even in casual conversation. The Sool Company runs hands-on makgeolli brewing classes. Courtesy of The Sool Company "This is a precious bottle they only do one batch a year," said The Sool Company Managing Partner Valentin Janiaut, holding up a bottle of Oh! Mija-ssi makgeolli, which is flavored with omija berries. Among the incredibly extensive selection of makgeolli, soju, yakju and even Korean gins available at Hosunseng, Janiaut, founder Julia Mellor and Managing Partner Bona Kim are able to pick up a bottle at random and talk at length about the origins of each type of alcohol, the brewery it originates from and its flavors. The Sool Company has come a long way since it started in 2012. Originally dedicated to bringing people together to sample makgeolli in different Seoul establishments, the company has since expanded to include tours to remote Korean breweries, one-day makgeolli brewing classes and even a new branch in the Netherlands. But the essential goal is the same: to maintain traditions, promote the charms of Korean alcohol and foster a community of like-minded sool enthusiasts. Speaking to Mellor about the company, it is impossible not to notice her enthusiasm. "It's about educating customers in the world about quality Korean alcohol, the cultural traditions behind sool and helping people understand that there's a difference between what they have been drinking up until now and a whole world of artisanal, historical and cultural treasures that is the sool industry," she said later during a phone interview. The Netherlands branch is a logical extension of this mission. Mellor explained, "We do classes, obviously tours, and have done that for the last decade. We just realized that it still requires people to come to Korea for those experiences. So we wanted to take it to them." She's certainly been busy with this goal. There's the consulting side of things, which recently has seen Mellor traveling back and forth between Rotterdam and London. This project, by Korea Foods UK, is to help set up Gomi Sool, which will be London's first large-scale makgeolli brewery, set to launch later this year. There's also the pop-up tasting and dining experience in Amsterdam that The Sool Company held in collaboration with Roch Shin, a Korean chef working with two-star Michelin restaurant Jordnaer in Denmark. The event, which was organized along with Hallie Bradley, The Sool Company's Netherlands-based marketing manager, was sponsored by breweries in Korea including Joeun Sool, J&J Brewery and Sulsaem. The company even made an appearance in Amsterdam's Carnivale Brettanomyces, a wild beer festival that this year expanded to include other fermented products such as makgeolli and kimchi. Lee Ok-joo of Hwayang Brewery talks at The Sool Company's dining and tasting experience in Amsterdam. Courtesy of The Sool Company Whatever the weather, come rain or shine, your postman or postwoman will work tirelessly to deliver your mail. In the UK, posties stand out thanks to their distinctive red attire, but an air of mystery surrounds their uniform- and that is their fondness for wearing shorts. And despite the unpredictability of the UK seasons, one thing is certain, many workers will be wearing shorts. While their fashion choice has baffled many over the years, they claim they have a perfectly good reason to wear them. Whatever the British weather, come rain or shine, your postman or postwoman will work tirelessly to deliver your mail. But the fashion choice has baffled many social media users In a Reddit thread a couple of years ago, one user asked if their choice of uniform was a rule, or just a 'silly' tradition passed down over the years. They wrote: 'Postmen/women of the UK, why do you wear shorts all year round no matter the weather?' 'Is it a rule or a silly tradition?' Another user, who had also clocked the fashion staple, said: 'Yeah I've seen them last week in shorts and a Royal Mail pastel blue short sleeve shirt. Hardcore. None of this DPD Hermes skinny joggers and overcoat nonsense.' But, it turns out, the decision is simple, as one 'current postie' explained: 'It really is just because it gets hot doing the job.' They added: 'One round I cover I wear trousers just because of the wind (made the mistake once and had windburn all up my legs) but it's that particular village happens to be the highest point of the town and is a massive wind tunnel. All other rounds I'm in shorts pretty much all year.' Another 'ex-postie' defended the choice, adding: 'I used to be 'that guy', the reason for me is that I hate sweating and walking around all day used to make me sweat my balls off. 'If it was an extreme day I might throw on waterproofs over my shorts, something I can easily slip on and off as the need arose.' It turns out, the reason why they opt for shorts is quite simple. As one 'current postie' commented on the thread: 'It really is just because it gets hot doing the job' One person, who claimed their friend was a postal worker, said that he wore shorts because 'they dry quickly', others agreed that 'Skin is waterproof' and therefore easier to dry Another said: 'Skin is waterproof. Working all day is hot work.' Another Reddit thread, posted six years ago, produced similar responses. One person, who claimed their friend was a postal worker, said he wore shorts because 'they dry quickly'. They added: 'He says there is nothing worse than wet trousers all day in the winter. 'You also don't get cold when on your feet.' Back in 2013, MailOnline reported that Royal Mail had banned their workers from wearing shorts during the winter months to prevent them from getting frostbite. READ MORE: Trouble brewing at Royal Mail as six postal workers are sacked in a row over tea breaks Advertisement More than 200 postmen across Cheltenham, Gloucestershire were told they must wear trousers as part of their uniform when working in freezing temperatures. But the decision was not taken lying down and many postmen voiced their opinions against the ban. One worker at the depot, who asked not to be named, said angry staff members had planned to contact the Communication Workers' Union about the ban. He said: 'We're all disgusted about it. I find wearing shorts much more comfortable as I feel more restricted in trousers and my legs do get warm. 'There's an agreement between Royal Mail and the union which stipulates the rules about uniforms and there's nothing saying you can't wear shorts. 'I'm very annoyed - I can't stand wearing trousers when I'm on the go all the time.' A couple were left stunned after arriving at their Cyprus hotel to find it looked unrecognisable amid major construction works outside the resort. Helen Milner, 56, had jetted off to Paphos, Cyprus, with her partner Anthony for a week in the sun this summer. But as the couple approached what they thought would be a luxury resort, they were instead met with builders and heavy machinery. She had used an independent travel agent for the getaway, who had booked the holiday for the couple with Jet2. Jet2 say they contacted Ms Milner's travel agent prior to departure to advise of the works and offered to move her free of charge and provide her with a full refund. A Jet2 spokesperson said: 'In line with our award-winning customer service, our teams proactively contacted Ms Milner's independent travel agent prior to departure to advise of the works and to offer the option to move to an alternative accommodation free of charge or cancel with a full refund. A video filmed by Helen shows extensive construction works near the luxury hotel She claims that she and her partner struggled to even get to and from the main entrance of the Basilica holiday resort, with the construction site dominating the local area Helen and Anthony had booked to stay at the Basilica holiday resort (pictured) in Paphos, Cyprus 'Both of these options were declined. We were not contacted by Ms Milner at all during the holiday, so we were unaware of any dissatisfaction. We encourage customers to contact us directly if they wish to discuss anything to do with their holiday.' Bank clerk Helen claims that she and her partner struggled to even get to and from the main entrance of the Basilica holiday resort, with the busy construction site dominating the surrounding local area. A video filmed by Ms Milner shows the maze of fencing, huge holes, and bare cables that hotel guests had to navigate to leave the luxury hotel. In the footage, Ms Milner is seen leaving the hotel as she begins to wander down the gravel path. The walkway should have served as the main road in and out of the resort, but instead builders were spotted in vests working all over the street. Bare cables can also be seen lying out in the open alongside deeply dug holes. Exposed cables sit under a fence which would be easily accessible to members of the public providing a less than idyllic view for the getaway. As the video continues, a blue truck removes large swathes of rubble from the resort which is then plagued with a forklift stopping Ms Milner from leaving the resort until it has passed. She took to social media last week to share her frustration after complaining about being greeted with major building work outside the resort. She said: 'Our hotel is on this street, the Jet2 rep used to arrive in a hard hat and Hi-Vis.' Her post received over 100 likes with hundreds of comments from people who shared Ms Milner's frustration. Helen took to social media last week to share her frustration with the holiday Speaking today, Ms Milner said: 'My partner and I went to Cyprus in June of this year, but we were so shocked as we had been told about work outside the hotel and it had taken a bit longer than expected. 'It was put to us more like it was a burst water main or general road maintenance - the hotel itself was okay, we had a two-bed apartment and it was okay but a bit dated. 'We were told there was work being carried out but not to that extent or we wouldn't have even gone to Paphos.' Over one million British tourists visit Cyprus each year which is by far the biggest demographic of the country's four million holidaymakers. A highly respected Royal Navy Commander has been jailed for 10 months for putting his hand down the pants of a female sailor on a train ride back from a boozy day trip in Amsterdam. Cdr George Walton was second in command and responsible for discipline on one of Britain's biggest warships when he sexually assaulted the woman as they travelled back to the Dutch Naval base. After HMS Albion moored at Den Helder in the Netherlands, 45 year old Cdr Walton and others decided to go for a day trip to nearby Amsterdam where they enjoyed a 'few drinks'. However, on the return journey, Cdr Walton, who has served in the Royal Navy for over 25 years, ignored the woman's protests to lift her top up and put his hand down her shorts in an 'appalling' sexual assault. After admitting one count of sexual assault at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, he was jailed for 10 months and dismissed from the Navy as a judge said his actions had affected morale within the Navy and besmirched its reputation. Commander George Walton pictured outside Bulford Military Court Centre The HMS Albion (pictured) is an amphibious transport dock of the Royal Navy, the first of the two-ship Albion class [File image] Prosecutor William Peters told the court the sexual assault happened on a Dutch train as Cdr Walton and the victim were serving on amphibious assault ship HMS Albion, which can carry 400 troops and crew. 'On this particular day, the ship was alongside the Dutch Naval base,' he said. 'Some decided to travel to nearby Amsterdam for a day out and they were among them.' The court heard the woman had enjoyed 'a few drinks' before moving onto a bar where Cdr Walton happened to be. Alongside another sailor, the three sailors decided to get the same train back to the Naval base in Den Helder, which was about 80 minutes away. Mr Peters continued: 'They had all had a few drinks and picked up some bottles of beer for the return journey home. The mood was jovial. 'When they got on the train [the victim] sat next to the window and Cdr Walton sat next to her. Whilst they were sitting down he put his left arm around her shoulder. They had been chatting away and she had been fine with it.' However, when the other sailor sitting opposite the woman fell asleep, 'matters progressed', the court heard. 'Cdr Walton started moving his left hand further down her body and she moved it away. 'He started putting his right hand on the front of her shorts between her legs and she kept moving it away to stop it.' Initially, the woman tried to 'laugh it off' but then 'made it plain' she wasn't interested as she unsuccessfully tried to wake the sleeping sailor opposite by kicking his legs. Mr Peters added: 'Cdr Walton then lifted up her t-shirt and put his hands under her shorts and touched her on the vagina. She reacted sharply, telling him to get off, grabbing his hand and throwing it away from her.' The court heard she then got up and phoned a friend who ensured she was kept separate from Cdr Walton as they got taxis back to the ship. The highly respected Royal Navy Commander has been jailed for 10 months for putting his hand down the pants of a female sailor on a train ride back from a boozy day trip in Amsterdam The following day, Cdr Walton was put on leave as the complaint was investigated. In a victim personal statement read to the court, the woman said the incident had been at the 'forefront of her mind'. 'I have tried to put this into my past but it has always been a stress to me, especially when deployed.' Mitigating, Michael Green said it was a 'real shame' Cdr Walton found himself in this position, but had shown remorse. 'He wishes to express that this behaviour was utterly unacceptable and incompatible with serving life,' he said. 'This was appalling behaviour in a public place, has affected the victim and will stay with her for a very long time - he knows that.' The court heard Cdr Walton has decided to stop drinking alcohol as a result of his behaviour that 'scuppered' his otherwise 'exemplary' career. Addressing Cdr Walton, Judge Advocate General Alan Large said: 'You were the second in command of a large warship. It is a command appointment and you were responsible for discipline on that ship. You are a commissioned officer, a senior one at that.' On the sexual offence, he added: 'We have no doubt it would have affected morale, unit cohesion and the reputation of His Majesty's Royal Navy. We acknowledge there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and we accept you are not dangerous. 'However, we have no doubt the particular circumstances of this case can only be achieved by immediate custody. 'You, Cdr Walton, were well aware the Armed Forces take a very serious view of inappropriate sexual behaviour, particularly towards junior ranks. 'We have therefore concluded the only appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.' Cdr Walton was sentenced to 10 months in military detention, of which he will serve half and complete the remainder under licence. HMS Albion, described as the Royal Navy's 'Swiss Army knife', is one of of just two of Britain's amphibious assault ships. Capable of carrying 400 sailors and Royal Marines, the warship was commissioned in 2003 and can carry vehicles such as the Challenger 2 main battle tank. The search for a missing Indonesian crew member has sadly been called off, a week after four Aussie surfers were miraculously rescued after 36 hours treading water in the middle of the ocean. Elliot Foote, his girlfriend Steph Weisse and friends Will Teagle and Jordan Short became stranded in waters off the island of Sumatra after their wooden longboat ran into rough conditions and capsized on August 20. The group then made the harrowing decision to separate from their three crew members in a desperate effort to find help. They were found last Tuesday morning clinging to surfboards with Mohammad Iqbal and a second Indonesian crew member also plucked from the water soon after. However, their inspiring tale of survival has been tinged with immense sadness as the group's guide, Fifan Satrio, remains missing and is feared dead. 'The search from the first until the seventh day has been effectively conducted, not only at sea but also along the shorelines around the Banyak islands, but the result was still zero,' Local search and rescue agency head Octavianto told news agency Agence France-Presse on Monday. The search for Fifan Satrio (pictured) has been called off The search will only re-commence if new information comes to light. A fundraiser has since been set up by Will Teagle's sister, Amy, to support Mr Satrio and the Haloban village that rallied together to search for the missing tourists. 'Our primary goal is to aid the Indonesian Haloban community, who helped save a group of strangers' lives despite still having a family member missing,' Ms Teagle wrote in the gofundme. 'We will allocate a meaningful portion of the funds raised to provide essential support to this community and to the family of Fifan Satria during and beyond this traumatic time. 'We also seek to extend gratitude and recompense to the individuals, businesses, and organisations who took part in the ongoing search and rescue operation. 'These teams volunteered their resources, time, and efforts without a second thought, and where possible, we will use these funds to relieve the financial burden of their rescue effort. ' READ MORE: The moment Peter Foote found out his missing son Elliot and his three friends were found Advertisement Mr Iqbal recalled how the Aussies paddled ahead in the desperate quest to find help after their boat had sunk. He and the other crew member stayed behind with Mr Satrio, who wasn't a strong swimmer and couldn't keep up with the group. 'The foreigners paddled very quickly but we couldn't keep up and we had to look after Fifan,' Mr Iqbal told The Australian. 'I tried to give Fifan a lot of encouragement. I reminded him to tie his surfboard to his body so whatever happened if he felt dizzy or passed out he would not sink to the sea. 'I told him if he didn't do that and he passed out, he might not be found.' Mr Iqbal last saw Mr Satrio clinging to a surfboard and life jacket undone. Mr Satrio's mother issued a tearful plea for the search to continue at a local service attended by the four Aussies on Thursday night. The Aussies are delighted to be back on dry land but are heartbroken their Indonesian guide remains lost at sea. Elliot Foote (with girlfriend Steph Weisse) paid tribute to their missing guide on Thursday The four Aussie surfers (pictured with friends back on dry land) paddled ahead of their Indonesian crew members in the hope of getting help sooner Elliot Foote and his mates (pictured) remain in Indonesia to celebrate his 30th birthday 'We had a great service last night with Fifan's family and the locals here - that was really special for us and special for them,' Mr Foote told the Today show on Friday. 'We are just so stoked and grateful for everyone and everything that happened, but we're still mourning, though, we're still upset at the end result but also happy to be here. ' It comes hours after Mr Foote broke his silence about the ordeal where he paid tribute to the group's missing guide. 'My deepest thoughts are with the family of Fifan. Our joyful young guide who hasn't been found,' Mr Foote posted earlier on Thursday. 'I wish there was more we could have done to help you, and that will stay with me as a burden to bear. 'I understand the loneliness you must've felt in those hours by yourself, and my condolences to your family.' Mr Foote's thoughts are with the family of Fifan (pictured), the group's joyful guide who hasn't been found Aussie surfers Steph Weisse, Elliot Foote, Will Teagle and Jordan Short (pictured, left to right) spent 36 hours lost at seas before they were finally rescued The four surfers and their crew had chosen to push on through the rough weather on Sunday night while a group of eight of their friends took shelter on Saran Alu. Mr Foote went on to say the experience was 'something that I cannot comprehend'. 'My emotions are incredibly mixed; elation, guilt, complete adrenaline, anxiety, pure joy and happiness,' he said. 'From the moment the boat went under until the time we were reunited on Pinang Island, uncertainty was the only certainty. 'I didn't know if my eight friends had made it to the island on the Sunday night before us, if my girlfriend Steph, Will and Jordan had been found and rescued before me or if I needed to get out there and find them.' This is the incredible moment Steph Weisse, Will Teagle and Jordan Short and an Indonesian crew member were located after 36 hours lost at sea DO YOU KNOW THE DOG'S OWNERS? A Golden Labrador was reportedly left locked inside a campervan before police smashed open a window to rescue it. Officers from Greater Manchester Police attended a call at around 1.15pm on Sunday afternoon after concerns were raised for the welfare of the dog trapped inside the vehicle. Reports suggested there were no windows open and that no people had been seen in or around the van since it had been abandoned. Temperatures reached up to 23C in parts of Manchester on Sunday, according to the Met Office. Officers at the scene broke the window to the campervan to rescue the dog, who is now being cared for in a rescue centre whilst attempts are being made to trace the owners. DO YOU KNOW THE DOG'S OWNERS? Email dan.woodland@mailonline.co.uk A Golden Labrador was reportedly left locked inside a campervan before police smashed open a window to rescue it Police attended a call at around 1.15pm on Sunday afternoon after concerns were raised for the welfare of a dog in a vehicle Reports suggested there were no windows open and that no people had been seen in or around the van since it had been abandoned What to do if you see a dog in a car on a warm day The RSPCA advises dialing 999 but only if the dog is showing any signs of heatstroke. The are four warning signs to look out for: excessively drooling, panting heavily, has collapsed or is vomiting, or appears to be drowsy/ lethargic/ uncoordinated. Will you get in trouble for breaking the car window? There has been much debate about this, and, although the intentions behind it would be good, the National Police Chiefs' Council warned you could be charged with criminal damage. Under The Criminal Damage Act 1971 a person could be deemed to have a 'lawful excuse' but the best advice is to call police. The RSPCA does say if you feel like you need to free the dog you should 'tell the police what you intend to do and why; take photos or videos of the dog; and get names and telephone numbers of any witnesses'. What if the dog appears to be okay? The RSPCA says to check the pay and display ticket (if one is on the dashboard) to ascertain how long the animal has been in the car for. Write down the vehicle's registration number and inform police if you think the dog is in danger. Make sure someone can stay nearby and call 999 if the situation worsens. What to do once the dog is free If the dog is showing any signs of a heatstroke or distress then people should follow the RSPCA's emergency first aid advice. Source: rspca.org.uk Advertisement Chief Inspector of Neighbourhoods in CoM Central Chris Boyd, said: 'It is just not acceptable to allow a dog to be in a vehicle on their own for even a couple of hours. 'When we found him, there were no open windows and, with it being quite warm today, this could have ended up a disaster. 'Dogs don't respond to the heat like humans do and as such, this lovely dog could have overheated. 'Even leaving a window open or a bowl of water is not good enough. Just don't leave your dog on it's own in a vehicle. 'If you are planning on being away from your vehicle, then don't take the risk and leave your dog at home.' Scientists have previously warned that leaving dogs in parked cars can be dangerous all year round, even in the winter when outside temperatures are relatively low. Dog welfare experts at Nottingham Trent University monitored internal temperatures of cars in the UK, without dogs inside them, every day for two years, reports from 2020 reveal. They found temperatures exceeded 77F (25C) in every month of the year high enough to cause overheating in breeds with flat faces, such as bulldogs and pugs. Annual campaigns highlighting the risk of dogs dying in hot cars typically begin in May but need to start earlier in the year, they said. Between 2010 and 2019 the RSPCA received almost 70,000 calls about animals and heat exposure, most of which related to dogs in hot cars. Just 20 minutes in a car that is too hot can cause heat stroke, which kills one in seven dogs diagnosed with the condition. Most dogs are comfortable at temperatures between 59F and 77F, but this is dependent on breed, coat length, fitness and other factors, the researchers said. Dogs should never be left alone in cars, as even just a few minutes trapped in the stifling heat can be fatal. This article has been amended since initial publication to remove a statement put out by Greater Manchester Police that the Labrador had been in the car for three days Beaches around Athens have been evacuated as Greek firefighters and water bombing planes attempted to tackle a brutal wildfire that threatens much of southern Greece. The latest inferno broke out in the central region of Boeotia, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Athens, rescue services said, as several countries in southern Europe continue to battle wildfires amid searing temperatures this summer. That blaze has already claimed one life - a shepherd who attempted to save his livestock but was unable to escape, according to firefighters. But is it safe to travel to Greece amid the new wildfires? Are any travel restrictions in place for Athens? Read on below for everything you need to know about the latest travel advice for Greece. A firefighter operates during a wildfire near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, Greece on Sunday, August 20, 2023 Is it safe to travel to Greece? The UK government has not updated its travel advice for Greece in light of the wildfires currently raging through the country, with no international restrictions in place regarding travel. As a result, you can still travel to Greece - which is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe for British tourists. Currently, there have been no reported disruptions at Greek airports, which have not seen any arrival or departure flights delayed due to the wildfires. If you are in or near an area affected by wildfires, you should follow the guidance of the emergency services. If you are in immediate danger, call the Greek emergency services on 112. Civil protection authorities have warned of an 'extreme' fire risk in the region around Athens and other parts of southern Greece, all while fires continued to burn out of control for a third day in northeastern Greece near the port city of Alexandroupolis. In July 2023, around 20,000 people, mostly tourists, had to be evacuated from Rhodes island after a fire broke out and was fanned by strong winds. Almost 17,770 hectares (more than 43,000 acres) were ravaged in 10 days in the south of the holiday island in the southeastern Aegean Sea. At the end of July, Greece experienced its worst heatwave ever for a month of July, with temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (more than 104 Fahrenheit) in many places, according to the National Observatory in Athens. It comes as Tenerife continues to fight wildfires of their own that police believe were started deliberately. A firefighting helicopter operates during a wildfire near the city of Alexandroupolis, Thrace, northern Greece on Sunday, August 20, 2023 What should I do if my flight gets cancelled? If your flight is cancelled, you have a number of different options. You are legally entitled to a full refund, which includes other flights from the airline that you won't use in the same booking, such as onward or return flights. You are also entitled to a replacement flight to get you to your destination. If your cancelled flight delays you by two hours or more, you have the legal right to be helped with costs. If the replacement flight offered to you has delayed you by two hours or more, and you were given less than two weeks' notice, you are legally entitled to compensation. She has since had to move out of her flat and stopped working in hospitality Paulina Bawej, 32, worked for Huangs Grill Ltd in London but was dismissed A pregnant woman who was told 'you will be terminated' by her female boss has been awarded 35,000 for discrimination and unfair dismissal. Restaurant manager Paulina Bawej, 32, had her rota at the upmarket Japanese eatery where she worked withheld and was told she had to take a 4,000 pay cut when she told her bosses she was expecting, an employment tribunal heard. Days later the mother-to-be was sent harsh messages from general manager Jenice Kim about 'terminating' her and was then fired. Miss Bawej - who represented herself during the course of the tribunal - has now been awarded 35,492.31 in compensation after successfully suing Huangs Grill Ltd for pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal. The company runs authentic Japanese restaurants Sushinoen, in Whitechapel, east London, and Taisho, in Golders Green in the north of the capital. Restaurant manager Paulina Bawej (pictured), 32, had her rota withheld and was forced to take a 4,000 pay cut where she worked at the Huangs Grills Ltd The company runs authentic Japanese restaurants Sushinoen (pictured), in Whitechapel, east London, and Taisho, in Golders Green in the north of the capital Ms Bawej went on to have her daughter Mali, who is now three (pictured together) She was initially told she would be transferred from Taisho to Sushinoen - but a contract was not drawn up and she was dismissed in February 2019. Miss Bawej - who went on to have daughter Mali, who is now three - said she was 'devastated' by the ordeal, had to move out of her flat and has given up on a career in hospitality. Speaking today following the case, Miss Bawej said: 'I was very confused. I was surprised to find out that I'm pregnant in the first place. 'I was devastated. In a few days I lost work and I had to move out from the flat I was renting as I was not able to afford it. I lost my income and it was a very hard time. 'After having a child I couldn't go back to hospitality and I've changed my career and become a community care assistant helping elderly adults.' The tribunal heard Miss Bawej was employed at assistant manager by the company from July 2018, working at highly-rated Sushinoen initially and then predominantly at Taisho. Ms Bawej - who went on to have daughter Mali, who is now three - said she was 'devastated' by the ordeal In February 2019, when she learned she was pregnant, Ms Bawej told her boss Yingshang Huang, 34, at a meeting that she was expecting a child. Mr Huang was 'shocked' and said he needed to speak to Ms Kim, it was heard. Ms Bawej was told by the pair that she had to stop working at Taisho and work at Sushinoen full-time. She asked to split her time between the two restaurants - but Ms Kim 'abruptly refused' and denied the request, told her her position had to change, and proposed a 4,000 cut in salary. When Ms Bawej raised pregnancy rights, Ms Kim texted her: 'This is nothing to do pregnant. I am talking about your position. 'Do not forget. Shang tried to give you chance. READ MORE: HR worker who was demoted by her boss and ordered to clean toilets after she returned from maternity leave wins more than 28K in compensation Advertisement 'You will be terminated from Taisho and employed in Sushinoen. Not transferred. I employed you for Taisho not for Sushinoen. 'We have already assistant manager so I do not need it and your salary is higher than normal. So I cannot afford it. It's up to you. If you want come welcome if not is fine.' Ms Bawej was confused over why she was seemingly being fired from one restaurant and hired to the other, the tribunal heard. She did not work at Sushinoen as a contract was not drawn up and was dismissed on February 17, 2019. At the Watford Employment Tribunal, Employment Judge Gary Tobin said the use of the word 'terminated' was a 'threat' to Ms Bawej. Judge Tobin also 'resoundingly rejected' Mr Huang's argument that she was sacked due to redundancy, which he said was a 'made up' excuse. He concluded: 'No other explanation fits the sequence of events or appears plausible. 'Huangs Grill has provided no proper explanation as to Ms Bawej's dismissal. 'She was not dismissed for poor performance or misconduct as originally contended. This was not redundancy situation as subsequently asserted. 'We can find no credible explanation as to why she was dismissed, save that this employer dismissed her because she was pregnant.' Judge Tobin added: 'Such is our dissatisfaction with [the argument put forward by Huangs Grill], we find that Mr Huang's evidence was an attempt to mislead the tribunal. 'Mr Huang was not a reliable witness nor was he an honest historian. 'We are satisfied that he made up a redundancy story, as an attempt to cover up his deliberate poor treatment of this pregnant employee.' Miss Bawej, from Barking, London, said despite being awarded compensation she has not been paid it and has referred her case to debt collectors. Mother of Baby A (murdered on June 8, 2015) and B (victim of attempted murder between June 8 and June 11, 2015) The mother of Baby A and Baby B said in a statement read to the court that 2015 'was going to be the best year of our lives' and 'everything was perfect'. 'We never got to hold our little boy while he was alive, because you took him away,' the statement says. 'What should have been the happiest time of our lives became our worst nightmare.' 'We are so thankful that we had that fear for Child B as it saved her life,' her statement said, adding that after Child A died they made sure a member of the family was always at their daughter's side. 'Little did we know you were waiting for us to leave so you could attack the one thing that gave us reason to live.' She said there will always be a 'gaping hole' where their son should be. 'We hope you live a very long life and spend every single day suffering for what you have done.' She added: 'You thought it was your right to play God with our children's lives.' Mother of Baby C (murdered on June 14, 2015) The mother of Child C broke down in tears as she read her heart-wrenching impact statement to the court, but bravely continued to address the empty dock. She described the 'overwhelming emotion' she felt the first time she held her son: 'It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. 'My tiny feisty boy, my firstborn, my son. 'The trauma of that night will live with us all until the day we die. Knowing now his murderer was watching us... was like something out of a horror story.' She said she blamed herself for his death and not protecting him: 'What if I had not gone to bed that night, maybe he would still be here.' She added: 'I think about what his voice might have sounded like... who he might have been.' She said she would open his memory box in the days after her son's death, wearing his footprints around her neck to feel close to him. But after Letby's arrest, these mementoes - that Letby had helped create - felt 'tainted'. She said she is now able to wear these mementoes again, for the first time in five years: 'I know they represent the love I have for my son and I will not allow evil to take that. They represent justice and the truth.' Becoming emotional, but continuing to read to the court, she said no sentence Letby receives could ever compare to what she has gone through. She concluded, telling Letby, referring to a note found in her house following her arrest: 'In your own words, you did this, you are evil.' Mother of Baby D (murdered on June 22, 2015) The mother of Child D then addressed the court. Clearly emotional, the judge reminded her to take her time speaking. She began by saying Letby's 'wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted nurse was truly a scandal'. 'Lucy Letby, you failed God and the plans we had for [Child D].' She added: 'Those lives were not yours to take,' saying her heart 'shattered into a thousand pieces' when her daughter died. After Child D died they had wanted her to be an organ donor - another baby needed a heart - but because of the post-mortem, this was not possible. This, she said broke her heart all over again. Child D's funeral service took place the day before her due date. 'Those weeks were particularly difficult. 'My arms, my heart, my life all felt so painfully empty. 'I missed Child D so much, I was desperate to smell her, cuddle her.' She said she questioned if she had done something wrong, missed something or 'failed her daughter'. She then detailed her fight for justice, desperately seeking answers about what had happened. 'I love being a mum but at the same time struggle with grief and depression. I have disconnected from many people around me,' she said. 'My marriage is also scarred by all the hurdles we went through. At first, we were each other's rocks... it has been hard to keep strong together.' Child D's mother then described the trial. Because she was a witness for the prosecution, she was not allowed to attend the early stages, but her husband attended court every day. 'It felt invasive having Child D's short life exposed to the public,' she said. She described explaining to her son - who was born a year after Child D died - what had happened to his sister. But he became scared, fearing the person 'who had hurt' Child D would escape prison and hurt his cousins. 'We wanted justice for Child D and that day has come.' She said the management at the Countess of Chester Hospital told her that her child's death was 'not a criminal matter' She said after her baby's death she asked for her medical notes and met with doctors and management from the Hospital. She said: 'We got a solicitor and I wanted the police involved. At that stage I was told this was not a criminal matter so the police was out of the question.' A week before the baby's inquest was due to take place she was told they were due to arrest someone, she said. She added: 'Thank God the police started their investigation.' She told the court: 'Lucy Letby had a chance to say something to us all, parents of the victims, and she had only one word 'unimaginable'. 'Her wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted nurse is a scandal. Lucy Letby. You failed God and the plans he had for (Child D). You even called it fate. You were clearly disconnected with God.' She added: 'We still have (Child D's) death to declare officially and this could not be done until the cause of death had been agreed. 'This is going to be another difficult thing to do, going to the registrar and declaring our daughter's death eight years after her birth. 'We wanted justice for (Child D) and that day has come.' Mother of Baby E (murdered on August 4, 2015) and Baby F (victim of attempted murder on August 5, 2015) When the mother of children E and F addressed the court, the emotion was thick in her voice, but she spoke clearly. She said 'our dreams had come true' when their babies were born, that the family was then complete, but that 'our world shattered when we discovered evil disguised as a caring nurse'. After her first son died, and her second son became unwell she cried 'not again'. Years later, she said, when they found out Letby was a murderer: 'We felt cheated, deceived and utterly heartbroken once more.' She fought back tears as she described how she had to grieve openly in front of Letby, as Letby bathed her son for the final time and dressed him in a woollen gown. 'He was buried in that gown, a gift from the unit chosen by Lucy,' she recalled, adding that there is not a day that goes by when they didn't regret that decision. The boys were the result of several rounds of IVF, with the family resigning themselves to the fact they may never have children. 'Lucy was aware of our journey and deliberately caused significant harm and cruelty to our boys,' she said. 'No children in the world were more wanted than them.' Their son now has complex learning difficulties, which they believe is a direct result of his being poisoned with insulin. 'Nothing can change what has happened to us, we are living with a life sentence because of Lucy's crimes.' She condemned Letby for refusing to leave her cell. 'I would like to thank Lucy for taking the stand and showing the court what she is really like once the 'nice Lucy' mask slips. 'It was honestly the best thing she could have done to ensure our boys got the justice they deserve. She added: 'Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is. 'We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough, and stays in her cell, just one final act of wickedness from a coward.' She said: 'We have been living a nightmare but, for me, it ends today. I refuse to wake up with my first thought be about my boys being harmed. 'Lucy no longer has control over our lives. 'She holds no power or relevance in anybody's life. She is nothing.' The woman said her son who survived has been diagnosed with severe learning difficulties 'which we believe is a result of being poisoned with a large quantity of insulin'. She said: 'I never allow him to be alone with medical professionals.' Father of Baby G (twice a victim of attempted murder on September 7 and September 21, 2015) His statement, read to the tearful court, recounted all the life experiences his daughter would never enjoy, such as a first kiss from a boyfriend, or marriage, as a result of Letby's evil. Their daughter was the result of IVF, which had cost the family great expense abroad, with the parents initially fearing she had miscarried early on. Child G was left disabled following the attacks - she is registered blind, nil by mouth (and is fed via a tube), and has progressive scoliosis which has caused her spine to curve. It left her parents 'afraid' and, as a result, they have not had any more children, and have not returned to use the remaining embryos left in an IVF clinic overseas. 'We were afraid of having another disabled baby,' he said in his statement. Her mother finds it difficult to trust people who work in hospitals, but they need nurses to visit them every week to help support them. He said: 'What if Child G outlives us? Who will then care for her? 'Everything feels like a constant battle just to have the essential things that Child G needs during her daily life.' He said his daughter would 'never have a sleepover with a best friend, or go to high school and graduate. She will never have a first kiss, a boyfriend, or get married. He added: 'She will always be in her chair.' He described the start of her life as a premature baby was a 'bumpy road'. He said: 'Every day I would sit there and pray. I would pray for God to save her. He did. He saved her, but the devil found her.' Mother of Baby I (murdered on October 23, 2015) 'I don't think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her and everything she went through over her short life was deliberately done by someone who was supposed to protect her and help her come home where she belonged.' She outlined the huge impact the death of her daughter has had on her and her husband. The woman said: 'We were both absolutely broken that someone could do something so evil to our precious little girl and this has had a massive effect on our family even until this day. 'We dug for years trying to get answers for what had happened and over the years we have been in some very dark places mentally.' She said: '(Her husband) wished he was dead, he wished it was him that died and not (Child I).' The woman said: 'When they handed (Child I) to us we never wanted to let her go, we held her so tight she was our gorgeous little princess and I cant even begin to explain the pain. When we lost her a part of us died with her.' She said that before her baby's collapse, she was 'like a full-term baby, she was on full-bottle feeds sat on my knee, very alert, she often smiled and she never cried. She was a very content little girl.' However, a week later, this had all changed. She described their daughter as 'swollen and looked in a lot of pain - her eyes looked very sad'. The night Child I died, they were told their daughter might be home for Christmas - she then experienced a deadly collapse. Father of Baby L (victim of attempted murder on April 9, 2016) and Baby M (victim of attempted murder on April 9, 2016) The father of babies L and M also submitted a statement, telling the court that one day when he attended the trial Letby stared at him, making him feel so uneasy that he had to move seats. Letby attempted to murder both his twin boys. Child L was poisoned with insulin and his brother M was harmed by having air injected into his bloodstream. The father said: 'There was a day when I was at the trial and the public gallery was full and I was sat in Lucy Letby's line of view and she kept looking over at me. 'That made me feel quite uncomfortable and uneasy and I had to move in the afternoon so I was out of her view.' He said the image of his son collapsing was 'forever etched' in his mind and the stress and strain had been unbearable at times. He said: 'Initially doctors told us that the whole events that took place in 2016 surrounding my children was normal for premature babies and we believed what the doctors were telling us at the time. Little did we know that a year or so after their birth the police would come knocking on the door and break the news that this could be an attempted murder case.' He said he had been prescribed anti-depressants but added: 'Even though they have helped they can never take away the feelings I have as a parent knowing now what had truly happened at the Countess of Chester in 2016 and it doesn't make it any easier to cope with over time.' Mother of Baby N (victim of attempted murder on June 3, 2016) A statement from the mother Child N was read - she described how, when she found out she was expecting him, her family felt 'complete'. Their son was born with haemophilia, but they had been expecting to take him home when Letby struck, using his disease as a cover for her murder attempt. 'The day we were called to the neonatal unit was the worst day of our lives,' she said, describing walking into the chaos of the room. 'Seeing our tiny baby fighting for his life... and not knowing if he would live or die.' 'I honestly knew Child N had been deliberately harmed,' she said, calling it a 'mother's instinct'. 'I just kept questioning why our healthy baby boy was fine one minute and then bleeding from the mouth and needing CPR the next.' She no longer trusts anyone else to look after her son, saying: 'Our trust has been broken.' She added: 'I think there has only been one occasion when [my husband and I] have gone out alone since Child N was born.' They wanted him to be home schooled because their belief in people in positions of trust has been completely broken. 'We know we smother him with love and affection because we don't want him to be sad and upset,' she added. They had discussed having another baby, but the possibility of having to return to the neonatal unit has stopped them from doing so. Mother of triplet boys O and P (murdered by Letby on June 23 and June 24, 2016) A pre-recorded video statement from the mother of triplet boys O and P both murdered by Letby was played to the court. She said she felt unable to enter the witness box today. 'I recall putting all my trust into the medical experts,' she said. Following the first death, she says: 'I was in a state of total shock and disbelief.' Then a second triplet became unwell. 'I had that awful sense of 'it is happening again',' she said, telling the court she blamed herself, believing she had passed an illness onto the boys and infected them. After two of her sons died, she recalled experiencing a 'horrible feeling' that her third son was next. He was moved to another hospital. 'I only have one photograph of me holding all three boys together,' she said. 'It was Lucy Letby that dressed Child P after his passing and took his footprints which were stored in a memory box,' she said. She says the nurse was inconsolable, and herself grew emotional as she recalled how she thanked the killer for helping her. She added: 'She has destroyed our lives.' She said that she continued to be haunted by 'vivid images' from the time and lived in 'constant fear' of anything happening to her children. Speaking about the trial, she said: 'Being within the courtroom environment was extremely harrowing. That was the first time I had seen Lucy Letby since 2016.' She said she sat behind a monitor so she was not in a direct line of sight and found the evidence difficult to listen to. She added: 'Having to come to terms with the police investigation has made the past few years unbearable.' Father of boys O and P The father of murdered triplets O and P wept throughout much of his pre-recorded video statement as he recalled how his three sons were described as 'miracle babies' at the Countess of Chester hospital. He said at first, the family 'were informed that [my wife] was unable to have children due to issues with her ovaries'. They had one healthy child and his wife later miscarried another. Then, they discovered they were having triplets - something that was extremely rare. 'We were well known at the Countess, staff called the pregnancy a 'miracle'.' When their sons were born, 'we were so excited at how well the boys were doing and commented on how identical they were, it was almost impossible to tell them apart'. Then Child O collapsed. The father held back tears saying: 'I noticed the colour of [Child O's] skin was changing rapidly, it didn't appear normal to the naked eye, it was horrific to see, and it is an image that I'll never forget, deep down I knew it was not going to end well. '[Child O] received a blessing from the priest and was quickly christened. 'Moments later, [he] was gone. 'I felt like I had been stabbed in the heart, no words could describe how I was feeling. 'I kept wishing it had happened to me and at that time would have gladly taken his place.' The hospital, he said, provided no explanation for what had happened. He said dressing their son after his death was 'traumatic'. He wiped away tears as he said: 'I was upset, but I could see how hurt [the mother] was. I felt useless and blamed myself.' He recalled that a day after Child O died, Child P collapsed. 'The situation escalated and I was worried at the drama and panic unfolding in the room. I knew it was serious when doctors arrived. 'The whole ordeal was a repeat of the previous day, I knew it was not going to end well. I thought we were going down the same road as we did with [Child O].' His wife continued to blame herself. All they could think of was getting their third son out of the Countess of Chester, saying 'he wasn't safe there'. His wife discharged herself early, in a wheelchair, to move to another hospital with her son. He then hit out at the Countess for failing to give them any support after their sons died. He said: 'We did not receive any counselling or support, after losing the boys, I didn't know how to deal with the situation or what to tell our eldest child, we had no guidance for the siblings. 'There was no contact from the Countess whatsoever, our extended family kindly offered to collect the memory boxes, but this wasn't acceptable at the Countess, the hospital wanted the direct family to collect, which made us very upset and angry as we never had any intentions of returning.' His statement added: 'Lucy Letby has destroyed our lives. 'The anger and the hatred I have towards her will never go away. 'It has destroyed me as a man and as a father.' The man wiped away tears and was visibly upset in the recording as he said: 'The continual pressure of having the trial hanging over us has been immense and difficult to describe. 'Even after the trial has ended, it will continue to haunt us and will always have an impact on our lives.' Hunter Biden's plea deal blew up spectacularly in court last month and the charges were dropped last week Special Counsel David Weiss - the top investigator into Hunter Biden's criminal case - did not plan to charge the president's son with any crimes until after two IRS whistleblowers came forward. It was only until after the IRS agents accused the Department of Justice of improper influence in the federal investigation into Hunter that Weiss decided to charge Hunter with tax crimes, according to correspondence obtained by the New York Times. Attorneys for the whistleblowers said that if it werent for their 'courageous actions' Hunter would never have been charged at all. According to the New York Times, four years into Weiss' five-year investigation, Weiss determined he did not have enough evidence to charge the president's son. During negotiations with Hunter's lawyers earlier this year, Weiss reportedly was working on a deal where Hunter would not have to plead guilty to any charges at all - including misdemeanors. Hunter Biden's plea deal blew up in federal court last month and now he may head to trial Attorney General Merrick Garland promoted Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss - the main Hunter prosecutor - to special counsel status on Friday IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler testified before Congress in July At the same time, whistleblower Gary Shapley came forward and alleged that DOJ in Washington, D.C., and California had refused to indict Hunter due to 'political pressures' and the president's son received 'special treatment.' And only a few days later, Weiss then changed his tune and wanted Hunter to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges, according to the New York Times. That was the plan, until the deal blew up spectacularly in court last month. Hunter appeared in federal court on July 26 prepared to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and walk away with just a slap on the wrist and no prison time. Republicans slammed as a 'sweetheart deal' that Biden's DOJ put together to protect the president's son. However, after Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned the 'diversion agreement' of Hunter's plea deal - a clause that gave him blanket immunity for a wide range of other potential charges, including illegal foreign lobbying - the deal blew up spectacularly. Noreika dismissed the charges in Delaware after requests from the prosecution last week. In addition, Attorney General Merrick Garland promoted Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss - the main Hunter prosecutor - to special counsel status earlier this month. As a result, DOJ lawyers are not planning to enter into a new plea deal with the president's son anytime soon, and he is likely to head to trial for tax and gun crimes following the appointment of the special counsel. Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell slammed prosecutors for changing their decision 'on the fly standing up in court' and also pledged that the DOJ will find 'no new evidence' against the president's son. Garland's decision to promote Weiss to special counsel comes after recent whistleblower allegations that Hunter received 'special treatment' during the criminal probe. IRS agents Joe Ziegler and Gary Shapley testified under oath to House Republicans that their investigation 'supported felony and misdemeanor tax charges,' which were ultimately not brought against the president's son Hunter due to political pressures. Weiss tried to bring felony charges against him in Washington, D.C., they said, but was blocked by the district's top federal prosecutor Matthew Graves, a Biden appointee. IRS agent with the criminal division Joseph Ziegler testifies during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing with IRS whistleblowers, Wednesday, July 19, 2023 The 'special treatment' for Hunter became a pattern that kept happening over and over, said the whistleblowers who were told they would get in 'hot water' if they tried to speak with President Joe Biden's adult children and grandchildren over the course of their investigation. The collapse of Hunter Biden's original plea deal also presents more problems for his father, Joe Biden. The president will now face more headlines and questions involving his drug-addict son's case as he hits the 2024 campaign trail. The unraveling of the agreement between prosecutors and the defense team means Hunter could now face more charges. It also means that Hunter is likely to face additional prosecutions down the road. Those may include any crimes related to his business deals with Ukraine, Romania and China that raked in millions of dollars. And Republicans say Joe was at the center of them. The White House has maintained that the president has never been 'in business' with his son. The Liberal Democrats were criticised today over plans for a vote on whether menstruation is not 'just a women's issue' but also one that affects trans people. Members at the party's annual conference in Bournemouth next month will be asked to agree that periods 'also affect some trans and non-binary people' as part of a wider conference motion on period poverty that includes a call for better access to sanitary products. It also wants better education for children and teachers 'to ensure an appreciation for the lived experience of menstruation'. But the motion, put forward by the Young Liberals and a local party branch in London, was criticised by Tory MPs, with Workington's Mark Jenkinson saying: 'Crikey, could they get any more off the rails?' And feminist campaigner Maya Forstater told GB News: 'Only women menstruate, and this is serious 'It matters because of safeguarding. Every institution has a responsibility for safeguarding, particularly children and vulnerable people. 'Young girls when they are starting their periods are both children and vulnerable people. And the last thing they need is people in positions of responsibility telling them they dont know what a man is and what a woman is.' Members at the event in Bournemouth next month will be asked to agree that periods 'also affect some trans and non-binary people' It comes after party leader Sir Ed Davey made headlines in May by saying a woman can 'quite clearly' have a penis, in a row over trans rights Feminist campaigner Maya Forstater told GB News: 'Only women menstruate, and this is serious it matters because of safeguarding.' It comes after party leader Sir Ed Davey made headlines in May by saying a woman can 'quite clearly' have a penis in a discussion on trans rights. Sir Ed was asked for his views on the issue during a wide-ranging radio phone-in. A caller named Mary asked him on LBC to explain 'what is a woman', saying she was a tactical voter asking 'on behalf of 51 per cent of the population'. Sir Ed told her 'the vast majority of people whose biological sex is a woman when they were birth (sic), they feel they're women ... but there's this very small number of people who don't feel like that'. Presenter Nick Ferrari then twice asked: 'Can a woman have a penis?' Eventually, the Lib Dem leader replied: 'Well, quite clearly.' The conference motion was brought forward by the party's branch in Lambeth, south London, and the Young Liberals. It states: 'Menstruation is not just a women's issue, and also affects some trans and non-binary people.' Elsewhere it asks the conference to note that 'period products are a human right, not a luxury', and demands the Government 'introduces a right for people in England to access a choice of free period products'. A Lib Dem spokesman said: 'Period poverty is an issue that needs addressing urgently. At Liberal Democrat conference, we will be debating policies to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and the crisis in our NHS both caused by this chaotic Conservative Government.' U.S. Apache helicopters are seen at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, ahead of the combined Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in this Aug. 20 photo. Yonhap South Korea and the United States kicked off major combined military drills Monday to bolster their joint readiness posture amid heightened tensions from North Korea's missile tests and hardening rhetoric against the allies. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, based on an all-out war scenario, began its 11-day run of various contingency drills, such as the computer simulation-based command post exercise, concurrent field training and Ulchi civil defense drills. The exercise got under way as Pyongyang's state media reported Monday that the country's leader Kim Jong-un oversaw cruise missile tests from a warship in apparent protest against the drills. It did not disclose the date of the inspection. Some 30 allied field training events are scheduled to take place during the exercise period, compared with 25 during this year's springtime Freedom Shield exercise and 13 in last year's UFS, according to a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official. Air Force stages air defense drills 4-day Ulchi civil defense drill kicks off Monday Yoon says NK threat will only make S. Korea-US-Japan cooperation stronger This year's UFS is known to include scenarios to train troops to swiftly transition into wartime, as well as to respond to false information possibly spread by Pyongyang during wartime or a contingency. Aside from South Korean and U.S. participants, personnel from nine member countries of the U.N. Command (UNC) will join the exercise. The countries are Australia, Canada, France, Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand, according to the U.S. Forces Korea. The UNC is a key enforcer of the armistice that halted the fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, an observer of the armistice, will also attend the drills. The commission has representatives from Sweden and Switzerland. Meanwhile, the South Korean military is strengthening its readiness posture against possible military activities by Pyongyang during the exercise period, such as missile launches. The North has long accused the allies' military drills of being rehearsals for an invasion against it, with Kim recently calling for a "drastic boost" in the country's missile production capability and for war contingency preparations in an "offensive" manner. Seoul's spy agency told lawmakers Thursday during a closed-door briefing that the North is preparing various provocations in time for the combined drills, such as an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. (Yonhap) President Joe Biden is set to pause his vacation in Lake Tahoe, Nevada to finally tour fire devastation in Maui, with an estimated 1,000 people still unaccounted for in the deadliest wildfires in the nation's history. Biden's trip following a period of public silence where he was criticized for his 'no comment' while spending time at his Delaware beach house. The death toll in Maui has topped 114, and officials are still analyzing the factors that contributed to the massive inferno, including problems with its electrical grid. Biden will visit with those who lost homes and loved ones during the disaster and be briefed by public officials. The White house said he has continued to receive briefings over the weekend, after Biden issued a series of public statements on the disaster following his early stumbles. He will be accompanied by first lady Jill Biden. Biden and first lady Jill Biden are set to fly from Reno to Maui, where they will meet with people impacted by devastating wildfires, first responders, and those coordinating the response. The trip comes days after Biden's 'no comment' in the immediate aftermath of the fires The president is leaving behind a tranquil setting. He is renting the home of billionaire former presidential candidate and climate activist Tom Steyer on the eastern side of the lake. He has been accompanied by his son Hunter, who has been dealing with the collapse of his plea deal on tax charges, and whose probe is now being overseen by U.S. attorney David Weiss in the role of special prosecutor. After taking criticism for his 'no comment' while at the beach, Biden has been making repeated references to the tragedy. He spoke at Camp David about financial contributions by Japan and South Korea announced at the summit, then boarded Marine One to make his way to Nevada. 'I want to start by expressing my appreciation for the contribution that your countries have made for relief following the devastating wildfires in Hawaii. I want to thank you both on behalf of the American people,' he said. Biden also said FEMA was preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary in Southern California. President Joe Biden leaves Lake Tahoe to visit those impacted by devastating wildfires in Maui. Here he departs from Our Lady of Tahoe Catholic Church in Zephyr Cove, Nevada on August 19 Biden is staying at the home of climate investor Tom Steyer. The White House said he is renting it at fair market value Biden leaves Lake Tahoe Monday morning, then flies to Hawaii, with plans to return the same day President Joe Biden thanked Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for their countries' contributions to Hawaii relief An estimated 1,000 people are still unaccounted for, and the death toll has topped 100. Biden plans to tour some of the devastation in Lahaina On Thursday he promised to offer assistance to Maui for 'as long as it takes' during a recorded message that aired on ABC's 'Good Morning America.' 'The entire nation is with you as you recover, rebuild and grieve,' he said. The wildfire that broke out August 8 in the town of Lahaina is now the deadliest in more than a century, and the fifth-deadliest on record for the U.S. 'We'll be with you for as long as it takes, I promise you,' the president added. He noted the federal government has already taken action to send hundreds of emergency personnel and thousands of meals and supplies to the historic tourist town ravaged by flames. Before Biden announced his visit, Republicans compared his lack of a visit to East Palestine, Ohio - where a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals, displacing 100s. Biden had promised to visit the Ohio town but never did. Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans tore into him. Trump said he was refusing 'to help or comment on the tragedy' and called the moment 'horrible and unacceptable.' Search operations of areas damaged by wildfires in Lahaina Town destroyed in the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, August 15 Biden first issued his 'no comment' while while staying at the beach near his Delaware home. Then while breezing by reporters he made a terse comment, saying he was 'looking at it.' Back at the White House, a reporter asked Biden at the White House: 'Can you tell us about your Hawaii trip?' 'No, not now,' Biden said, before staff eventually announced details. It call came during a time when Biden might have preferred some distance form the press, following the appointment of the special counsel for his son. Biden and the first lady are traveling to Maui on Monday to comfort survivors of the devastating wildfires that ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island earlier this month, as his administration responds to the devastation whose full scope is still unknown. The Bidens are taking a detour from their weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the day trip to Lahaina, a historic town of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. While there, the first couple will meet with first responders and be briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They will also view the damaged town, both from helicopters and on the ground, and the Democratic president will deliver remarks paying tribute to the victims of the wildfires, which have killed more than 100 people since they began on Aug. 8. The president will also tap Bob Fenton, a regional leader at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, where just about every building was obliterated. "I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life," Biden said in a statement ahead of the trip. "I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions." Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said that as of Sunday about 85% of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink. While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said that cellphones, identification and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process. More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground in Hawaii to respond to the wildfires, according to the White House. The administration has doled out more than $8 million in aid to affected families. Schatz, who will be with Biden as the president travels to his home state on Monday, stressed that officials were "still responding to the disaster" and "We are not yet in a recovery phase." "As bad as this looks, its actually worse," he said in a phone interview on Sunday. "What you cant see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you cant see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you cant see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down." While vacationing in Lake Tahoe, Biden has been on the phone regularly with officials to get briefed on updates to the wildfire response, the White House said. Former vice-president Mike Pence has claimed that he did not know of 'any broad-based effort' by his former boss, Donald Trump, to declassify top-secret documents as he was leaving the Oval Office. The 64-year-old Republican told ABC News that he hadn't heard anything about Trump's alleged plot, which a Florida grand jury indicted him in June. 'There is a process that the White House goes through to declassify materials. I'm aware of that occurring on several cases over the course of our four years,' Pence said. 'But I don't have any knowledge of any broad-based directive from the president. That doesn't mean it didn't occur; I just it's just not something that I ever heard about,' he added. A Florida grand jury indicted the former president in early June, charging him with 37 felonies and his longtime aide, Walt Nauta, with six felonies for allegedly retaining classified documents after he left the Oval Office. Mike Pence and Donald Trump, pictured here in November 2020, were at one point two of the most powerful people in the world Trump allegedly stashed classified documents in several spots around his Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida The classified documents were also allegedly stored on a ballroom stage at one point READ MORE: Trump is now facing NINETY ONE criminal charges in four criminal cases By ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement Having spent months reviewing evidence presented by special counsel Jack Smith, appointed in November 2022 to investigate the alleged wrongdoing, the jury believed there was enough evidence to charge him. Smith's team alleged that Trump stashed 32 documents at his Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida and refused to give them back. All but one of the documents were classified, and many touched on sensitive topics including foreign military capabilities, military activities or nuclear weapons. Documents were stored at times in different parts of the resort, including a ballroom stage and a bathroom. Smith also alleged that Trump tried to hinder his investigation by directing Nauta to secretly move the boxes holding the documents without Trump's lawyers or the FBI knowing. But in a shock twist, Smith came back with a 'superseding' indictment, which added another three felony charged against Trump and two to Nauta. Carlos De Oliveira (pictured middle) was a Mar-A-Lago employee who was allegedly directed to destroy security camera footage at Mar-A-Lago Walt Nauta (pictured) was charged with six felonies for his alleged role in handling and hiding the classified documents The superseding indictment also added a third defendant, Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-A-Lago employee who was allegedly directed to destroy security camera footage at the resort after investigators tried to obtain footage. This trial is scheduled for May 20, 2024 in Fort Pierce, Florida, but Trump also faces three more major cases. Federal prosecutors charged him with allegedly attempting to delegitimise Joe Biden's victory over him in a wide-ranging scheme that took place in the two months between Election Day in 2020 and January 6 2021. Trump allegedly orchestrated a campaign that saw him spread voter fraud misinformation, urge Republican officials to undermine election results in states Joe Biden won, bring together a fake slate of electors and even pressured Mike Pence to throw out the legitimate results. The two-month campaign culminated on January 6 when a mob of fervent Trump supported stormed the Capitol in an attempt to coerce and intimidate lawmakers. Trump allegedly held onto a cache of classified documents, even after he left the Oval Office and was not authorised to do so Jack Smith (pictured in August 2023) has been spearheading two of Trump's major cases Trump and 18 of his allied were also charged with concocting a scheme to delegitimise the results of Georgia's presidential vote by spreading lies, urging the state's lawmakers and officials to overturn Biden's win and plotting to send fake electors to Washington. And in New York, he was accused of falsifying business records to hide a payment to adult actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with him. Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, was allegedly a 'fixer' and paid $130,000 to Daniels in 2016, which the former president reimbursed him for. Prosecutors say that Trump disguised those payments as corporate legal expense, which is in violation of New York state law. A teacher at an elite girls' school in Melbourne who died after the school reported child safety issues to police has been identified. David Simpson, an educator at Melbourne Girls' Grammar, in South Yarra, where the annual fee for students is about $40,000, was the subject of mandatory reporting and child safety procedures after a complaint was made. Police had recently spoken to the private school and issued directions in relation to Mr Simpson. Daily Mail Australia can reveal that last Thursday - just one day before his death was announced, he posted a chilling image to social media with a picturesque Melbourne sunrise captioned with the words: 'Be a good day'. A teacher at an elite girls' school who died after he was reported to police over child safety issues has been identified as David Simpson Mr Simpson had previously worked at another prestigious school - Haileybury College - where he was head of science for about six years. He also taught at Tintern Grammar and St Helena Secondary College. On his LinkedIn page, Mr Simpson wrote of his love of teaching. 'I am passionate about working with and through others to develop professional learning communities that are focused on continuous improvement for the benefit of school networks, individual schools, educators and students,' he said. Families at the school, which charges nearly $40,000 a year, were told about the death on Friday. The elite school issued a statement on Monday confirming that a report had been made against him. The school said: 'In recent days the School learnt about an alleged child safety issue. The School's staff followed the Child Safety and Mandatory Reporting Procedures. 'As a school our priorities are focused on the safety and wellbeing of our students and community. We will always act in the best interests of the children in our care.' The teacher from Melbourne Girls' Grammar (pictured) had been reported to Victoria Police after a complaint was made David Simpson (pictured) had previously worked at other prestigious schools including Haileybury College - where he was head of science for six years The school added: 'An announcement to the staff and families of the school was made on Friday, August 18 regarding the death of a staff member. We are respecting the family at this time.' News of the death has left parents and the teaching fraternity reeling. 'We are all in utter shock,' a teacher told Herald Sun. 'This kind of thing sends shockwaves throughout the whole school community. 'The school has been offering support and counselling to staff and students.' For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14. As many as 850 people are still missing and 114 are dead following apocalyptic wildfires in Maui, as president Joe Biden is scheduled to arrive in devastated Hawaii after locals slammed him for taking too long to visit. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen gave the update on a video posted to Facebook, saying the FBI, which is assisting with search efforts, combined various lists of missing people to arrive at the total number. 'It is my sad duty to report that 114 individuals have been confirmed deceased,' the mayor said on a video posted to Facebook. 'There are currently 850 names on the list of missing persons.' 'We are both saddened and relieved about these numbers,' Bissen said. Bissen pointed out the number of people initially first feared dead was more than 2,000 but decreased once cellphone communications were restored. He added that 27 deceased individuals have been identified and 11 families have been notified. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said 850 people are still missing after apocalyptic wildfires Biden is pictured waving on Monday as he departs for Maui from Reno, Nevada Ella Sable Tacderan asked: 'We are part of the united States, Why are we getting put in the back pocket?' The mayor's update comes as Biden is set to visit the island following criticism that it took him too long to do so. Ella Sable Tacderan, who is currently sheltering 23 relatives at her home, said 'the community has been a big part of my family's survival', referring to the heroic work of locals to support each other in the wake of the devastation. In the CNN interview, she added: 'Aren't we Americans too? We are part of the United States, but why are we getting put in the back pocket? Why are we being ignored?' She said families were being turned away for aid because applications have not been approved or are still pending. Meanwhile Maui resident Mike Cicchino told NewsNation the president's response to the crisis leaves much to be desired. 'We're not very political people, we don't really go one way or the other, but Biden has really failed us. 'When one of the worst disasters in U.S. history happens, he hasn't been out here and it's been two weeks as of Tuesday - what kind of president does that?' A law enforcement officer who goes by Blake on TikTok also slammed the president, wondering: 'What the f*** are we doing in Maui? Biden hasn't even went there yet. 'You give all this money and time and efforts to Ukraine but you won't even do it for Americans? Come on.' Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit with those who lost homes and loved ones during the disaster and be briefed by public officials Biden's 'no comment' response while spending time at his Delaware beach house prompted outrage from even some of his Democratic allies. 'I campaigned for you,' said former Hawaii legislator Kaniela Ing on Monday on X. 'Now, when I lose dozens of my friends, family, and neighbors. This?' Instagram influencer Rogan O'Handley wrote on Twitter, now known as 'X,' that the more we learn about Hawaii, 'the more we learn why Joe Biden has consistently responded with 'no comment.' 'There is something REAL fishy going on here,' he continued. 'Hey, maybe if we change the name of Maui to Ukraine, maybe they will pay attention to us,' said former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, arguing a one-time $700 payment pales in comparison to the tens of billions the U.S. has spent defending Ukraine against Russia. Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit with those who lost homes and loved ones during the disaster and be briefed by public officials. The White house said he has continued to receive briefings over the weekend, after Biden issued a series of public statements on the disaster following his early stumbles. 'The biggest thing that the president needs to see is just the actual impact. It really feels different when you're on the ground and can see the total devastation of Lahaina, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanna Criswell told CBS News. 'He'll talk to some of the families that have been impacted by this and hear their stories.' The wildfire that broke out August 8 in the town of Lahaina is now the deadliest in more than a century, and the fifth-deadliest on record for the U.S. Meanwhile, locals have told DailyMail.com the actual death toll is at least 480 and that morgues have run out of body bags. Many of the bodies have been left unrecognizable by the fire with authorities asking friends and family of the more than 1,000 people still missing to submit their DNA so the remains of their loved ones can be identified. Recovery teams can be seen sifting through scorched debris throughout Lahaina Bissen pointed out the initial number of people initially first feared dead was more than 2,000 but decreased once cellphone communications were restored A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina The soaring death toll means authorities have also had to bring in mobile morgues with five refrigerated trucks parked outside the Maui Police Department morgue office to store the remains of fire victims. DailyMail.com photos taken on Wednesday showed hundreds of cars and vehicles still unsearched with just a handful marked with an orange X to show they'd been looked at. For Allisen Medina, 24, who has lived in Maui for five years and has spent the past two weeks making perilous trips into Lahaina to help burned out residents, that is still too slow. Speaking in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, she said: 'People have been doing their own recovery. 'I know there are at least 480 dead here in Maui and I don't understand why they're [the authorities] not saying that. Maybe it's to do with DNA or something. The wildfire that broke out August 8 in the town of Lahaina is now the deadliest in more than a century, and the fifth-deadliest on record for the U.S. Aerial view of a body bag being loaded into a refrigerated truck at the MPD Morgue Office 'I do know they ran out of body bags by the first or second night and had to ship some in from the mainland.' Allisen says the slow recovery process has led to family members being left to find the charred corpses of their loved ones themselves, including a friend of hers who lost four family members. The president has faced accusations of a lackluster response to the tragedy. He was also criticized after appearing to forget the name of Maui during recent remarks about the fires, referring to it as 'the one where you see on television all of the time'. When first asked about the blaze, the president told a reporter 'no comment' as he lounged on the beach near his Delaware vacation home. Before Biden announced his visit, Republicans compared his lack of a visit to East Palestine, Ohio - where a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals, displacing 100s. Biden had promised to visit the Ohio town but never did. 'President Biden completely ignored the people of East Palestine. Now, he's giving the people of Maui the same treatment,' Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote on X. Following the criticism, President Biden promised to offer assistance to Maui for 'as long as it takes' ahead of his trip to the island. 'The entire nation is with you as you recover, rebuild and grieve,' Biden said in a recorded message given Thursday to Good Morning America. Some 2,200 buildings have been decimated by the blaze Member of the National Guard walks through a charred neighborhood in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 16 Burnt out cars are seen on Wahikuli Terrace in Lahaina on Tuesday Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, from Hawaii, said that as of Sunday about 85 percent of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink. While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said that cellphones, identification and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process. More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground in Hawaii to respond to the wildfires, according to the White House. The administration has doled out more than $8 million in aid to affected families. Schatz, who will be with Biden as the president travels to his home state on Monday, stressed that officials were 'still responding to the disaster' and 'We are not yet in a recovery phase.' 'As bad as this looks, its actually worse,' he said in a phone interview on Sunday. 'What you cant see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you cant see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you cant see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down.' Former President Donald Trump holds a wide lead over Republican Ron DeSantis in Iowa, besting his closest rival by 23 percentage points. The data come less than five months before the Iowa caucuses, on the eve of the first Republican presidential debate. Trump said he won't take part in that challenge, preferring instead to sit on his lead while his potential rivals go at each other. The Florida governor continues to be Trump's closest competitor, even following weeks where he shed campaign staff and has seen many of his political activities backed by an outside super PAC that is supporting him. Former President Donald Trump more than doubles rival Ron DeSantis in the latest Des Moines Register poll Trump leads DeSantis 41-19 in the new Des Moines Register poll, which was taken August 13 to 17. That includes the period of Trump's fourth indictment, this time by a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury. He is charged with conspiracy, false statements, and other charges linked to his 2020 election overturn in the state. With Trump out of the debate, DeSantis is being advised to attack lower performing candidates including entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who is down at 4 percent in the Iowa poll. Coming in third in the survey is South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who stands at 9 percent, and who days ago placed an $8 million ad buy in Iowa and New Hampshire. Trump is sitting out the first presidential debate while sitting on his lead. He visited the Iowa State Fair August 12, days before his fourth indictment Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) ranks third in the new Iowa poll, at 9 per cent Scott is at just 3 percent nationally in the RealClearPolitics polling average. Trailing Scott is former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 6 per cent. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has been pushing back at Trump's claims he had the authority to refuse to accept votes for Joe Biden during the electoral count, is also at 6 percent. Former New Jersey. Gov. Chris Christie, who has been hammering Trump in New Hampshire and who has qualified for the debate, is at 5 percent. About two thirds of Trump supporters say their mind is made up, with a third saying they could be persuaded to back someone else. DeSantis' support is softer, with 69 percent saying they could be persuaded and only 31 percent saying their mind was made up. A plumber has expressed astonishment after pulling out a 'sausage dog-sized' hairball from a hotel drain. Bruce, who runs the Drain Cleaning Australia YouTube page, shared a video of a recent job where he was tasked with unblocking a drain in the shower of a Perth hotel. 'Believe it or not, this is a hotel shower,' he says as he films the mouldy tiles and pans to a bar of soap covered in hair. 'I mean, look at the state of it, mate. It's seen better days and it's probably seen many people.' He adds: 'I reckon this is the type of shower experience where you come out feeling a little bit more bloody dirty than when you first dipped your toe into the water.' He then removes the grate over the drain and slowly lifts it up, revealing the horrifying discovery. 'What on earth is that?', he says as he pulls up a clotted hair ball the length of a small toddler. 'Is that a small dog? Are you kidding me, mate?' 'All right, there's a first for everything, never have I ever seen a sausage dog down a drain. Wow, she's got some weight to her as well, mate.' 'Wow, there's probably a thousand people that have contributed to this.' The video, which has been viewed almost 20,000 times, attracted hundreds of comments praising Bruce for his honest work. Bruce the plumber said the clotted mass of hair reminded him of a sausage dog 'That is bloody disgusting,' one YouTube viewer wrote. 'I don't know how the hotel is still open! You're a hero doing this work!' 'You are an absolute boss for rescuing that poor, lost and forgotten sausage dog mate! ' joked another fan. 'Bruce, you bloody legend. There's no place I'd rather be than here, watching you collect this giant hairball from that disgusting shower drain,' yet another said. 'The world would be a much better place with more Bruce's in it that's for sure!' wrote one viewer. Bruce's page, which offers a glimpse of 'life through a plumber's eyes', has almost 36,000 subscribers. Human error is often to blame and a shortage of air traffic controllers has been blamed Dozens of close calls in July are part of an alarming number of near-misses in the US this year Dozens of near-misses between aircraft in the US last month highlight the alarming number of incidents which have taken place this year. There were 46 'close calls' in July, according to reports shared by the Federal Aviation Authority, and airline workers fear it's only a matter of time before a devastating incident in the US. Recent examples include several cases of aircraft almost colliding during take-off or landing at major US airports. Others include a mid-air near miss between two planes traveling in excess of 500mph. Industry workers have blamed a shortage of air traffic controllers which has forced many in the profession to work mandatory overtime. The demands of the job have left some burned out and even using alcohol and sleeping pills to relieve stress. A shocking 99 percent of air traffic control facilities in the US are understaffed, according to the New York Times, which found 310 out of 313 do not have enough workers. Some, including New York's regional facility and a Philadelphia tower, are operating at around 60 percent of staff or less. On July 2 when a Southwest Airlines flight landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport came just seconds from hitting a Delta Airlines 737 that was preparing to take off from the same runway On July 11 in San Francisco, two planes that were taking off nearly crashed into a Frontier Airlines plane which had just landed. The Frontier jet was waiting to cross a runway with its nose perilously close to the path of the two jets A third incident two-and-a-half weeks later involved a near-miss between an American flight and a United Airlines aircraft near Minden, Louisiana Incidents uncovered by the Times' review of preliminary FAA incident reports from July include one on July 2 when a Southwest Airlines flight landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport came just seconds from hitting a Delta Airlines 737 that was preparing to take off from the same runway. The Southwest flight aborted its landing and narrowly avoided a crash. On July 11 in San Francisco, two planes that were taking off nearly crashed into a Frontier Airlines plane which had just landed. The Frontier jet was waiting to cross a runway with its nose perilously close to the path of the two jets. Officials said the encounters were 'skin to skin'. A third incident two-and-a-half weeks later involved a near-miss between an American flight and a United Airlines aircraft near Minden, Louisiana. The American pilot, flying at more than 500mph, had to quickly yank the Airbus A321 aircraft up 700ft to avoid a collision. There has not been a major plane crash in the US for more than a decade. While fatal incidents involving small, personal aircraft can occur several times per year, the last fatal crash involving a US airline was in 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York, crashed into a house in Clarence Center, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground. Details of other incidents, along with complaints about the industry from workers, are also kept in a NASA database. These voluntary submissions include a recent report from a airline captain who said in November: 'This stuff scares the crap out of me.' The pilot reported an incident in which an air traffic controller cleared their flight to land in a path that appeared to be a 'collision course' with another flight. In another report from January this year, an air traffic controller wrote: 'Is it going to take people dying for something to move forward?' FAA spokesman Matthew Lehner told the Times that existing safety protocols had 'virtually eliminated the risk of fatalities aboard US commercial airlines'. But he said 'one close call is too many' and the FAA's objective was reducing the number of these incidents. 'The FAA maintains extremely conservative standards for keeping aircraft safely separated,' he said. 'Safety experts follow up on all events even those in which no collision was imminent or even possible and evaluate them for safety risks.' Air traffic controllers have told the FAA that the shortage of staff is 'plain dangerous'. In a safety reported filed last year, one said: 'Controllers are making mistakes left and right. Fatigue is extreme. The margin for safety has eroded tenfold. Morale is rock bottom. I catch myself taking risks and shortcuts I normally would never take.' A near miss incident at JFK on January 13 occurred when a Delta aircraft which was about to take off had to perform an emergency stop after an American Airlines plane crossed onto the runway 'It is only a matter of time before something catastrophic happens,' the controller said. Earlier this month, details emerged of a frightening near miss between a JetBlue flight landing at Logan International Airport in Boston and a private jet which took off without permission. The National Transportation Safety Board revealed the incident, on February 27, was captured in a chilling photograph from the JetBlue flight's cockpit which shows the LearJet aircraft obstructing the runway as it came into land. Only the quick-thinking of the JetBlue Flight 206 pilot prevented a collision, investigators said. The pilot performed a 'climb-out maneuver' to narrowly avoid the other aircraft. The LearJet's 63-year-old captain - flying for Hop-A-Jet, a Florida-based private charter company - had been told to lineup and read back the air traffic controller's instruction. But the pilot 'then began the takeoff-roll instead'. He later told investigators: 'I cannot understand what happened to me during the clearance, the only thing that comes to my mind is that the cold temperature in Boston affected me, I was not feeling completely well and had a stuffed nose. My apologies.' One incident, on February 27, was captured in a chilling photograph from a JetBlue flight's cockpit which shows a LearJet aircraft obstructing the runway as it came into land Only the quick-thinking of the JetBlue Flight 206 pilot prevented a collision, investigators said. The pilot performed a 'climb-out maneuver' to narrowly avoid the other aircraft (circled) He only learned about the near miss after arriving at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The private jet's crew was notified 'they had taken off without authorization and caused an airplane that had been cleared to land on runway 04 to execute a go-around, passing about 400 above them.' The report into the incident said: 'The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this incident to be: The Hop-a-Jet flight crew taking off without a takeoff clearance which resulted in a conflict with a JetBlue flight that had been cleared to land on an intersecting runway.' The JetBlue aircraft, a Embraer 190, was just 30 feet from the ground and approaching the intersecting runway when the two aircraft came closest to one another. The frightening incident followed a string of other near misses at US airports this year, prompting experts to warn the industry is facing 'the biggest disaster in its history' if the trend isn't reversed. The JetBlue aircraft, an Embraer 190 like the one pictured, was coming into land at Logan International Airport in Boston on February 27 when it nearly ploughed into a private jet The 63-year-old captain of the LearJet - an aircraft similar to the one pictured - told investigators: 'I cannot understand what happened to me during the clearance, the only thing that comes to my mind is that the cold temperature in Boston affected me, I was not feeling completely well and had a stuffed nose. My apologies' In February, a Boeing 767 FedEx cargo plane landing at Austin-Bergstrom International came within less than 100ft of a Southwest Airlines 737 aircraft that was taking off from the same runway. Analysts say only the quick-thinking of the FedEx pilot prevented a collision. The incident follows a similar near miss at John F. Kennedy International in New York City on Friday, January 13, when a Delta flight was forced to perform an emergency stop during takeoff while an American Airlines plane crossed the same runway. Aviation expert and pilot Juan Browne said: 'These sort of incidents are increasing at an alarming rate. 'There's a huge turnover in the industry, not only among pilots but amongst air traffic controllers, mechanics, mainters, rampers. And with the state of hiring practices and training today and the relentless effort to do things faster, cheaper and more efficiently we're just one radio call away from having the biggest aviation disaster in history.' In both the JFK and Austin-Bergstrom incidents, experts have said directions issued by air traffic controllers appear to have been an issue. Kit Darby, an aviation consultant and former United Airlines pilot, told DailyMail.com that he believes safety protocols to avoid near misses are adequate, but added: 'It's a very large, very complicated system that's relying on humans, and humans make mistakes.' The top Republican investigating Biden family corruption is outraged at a new report revealing that Hunter Biden's legal team urged the Department of Justice to prosecute IRS whistleblowers accusing the department of giving him 'special treatment.' According to correspondence obtained by the New York Times, Special Counsel David Weiss did not plan to charge the president's son with any tax crimes until after two IRS whistleblowers came forward alleging illegal politicization of Hunter's case. In addition, the report states that Hunter's legal team were disgruntled at the IRS agents who 'affected the deal' that fell apart in court last month - in part due to the allegations brought to light by the agents. As a result, Hunter's lawyers 'contended to the Justice Department that by disclosing details about the investigation to Congress, they broke the law and should be prosecuted.' 'Biden family attorneys are now pushing the Biden DOJ to prosecute IRS whistleblowers for sharing information with Congress,' House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer fumed in response to the report. @nytimes is reporting that Biden family attorneys are now pushing the Biden DOJ to prosecute IRS whistleblowers for sharing information with Congress. These brave whistleblowers testified under oath and deserve protection. This witness intimidation is unacceptable. https://t.co/42xRitIACp Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) August 20, 2023 'These brave whistleblowers testified under oath and deserve protection. This witness intimidation is unacceptable,' he continued on Twitter, now known as 'X.' Attorneys for the whistleblowers said that if it werent for their 'courageous actions' Hunter would never have been charged at all. Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on 'Sunday Morning Futures' that Republicans are 'facing obstruction like has never been demonstrated in the history of congressional investigations.' 'Not only are we being obstructed by the Biden legal team, we're being obstructed by the Department of Justice. We're being obstructed by the FBI, by the Secret Service, by the IRS, by the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. And the next question is will we be obstructed by the new Special Counsel David Weiss investigating this.' As for next steps in the GOP probe, they will be focused on nailing down the Biden family's overseas accounts. 'We've heard a report from a whistleblower that there are overseas accounts and we're going to be working with the Ways and Means Committee to try to get those overseas accounts,' he pledged. The committee announced last week it is seeking records from the National Archives revealing Joe Biden's use of pseudonyms to discuss his activities related to Ukraine with his son Hunter during his time as vice president. According to the New York Times, four years into Weiss' five-year investigation, Weiss determined he did not have enough evidence to charge the president's son. During negotiations with Hunter's lawyers earlier this year, Weiss reportedly was working on a deal where Hunter would not have to plead guilty to any charges at all - including misdemeanors. At the same time, whistleblower Gary Shapley came forward and alleged that DOJ in Washington, D.C., and California had refused to indict Hunter due to 'political pressures' and the president's son received 'special treatment.' And only a few days later, Weiss then changed his tune and wanted Hunter to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges, according to the New York Times. That was the plan, until the deal blew up spectacularly in court last month. Hunter appeared in federal court on July 26 prepared to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and walk away with just a slap on the wrist and no prison time. Republicans slammed as a 'sweetheart deal' that Biden's DOJ put together to protect the president's son. However, after Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned the 'diversion agreement' of Hunter's plea deal - a clause that gave him blanket immunity for a wide range of other potential charges, including illegal foreign lobbying - the deal blew up spectacularly. Noreika dismissed the charges in Delaware after requests from the prosecution last week. In addition, Attorney General Merrick Garland promoted Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss - the main Hunter prosecutor - to special counsel status earlier this month. As a result, DOJ lawyers are not planning to enter into a new plea deal with the president's son anytime soon, and he is likely to head to trial for tax and gun crimes following the appointment of the special counsel. Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell slammed prosecutors for changing their decision 'on the fly standing up in court' and also pledged that the DOJ will find 'no new evidence' against the president's son. Garland's decision to promote Weiss to special counsel comes after recent whistleblower allegations that Hunter received 'special treatment' during the criminal probe. IRS agents Joe Ziegler and Gary Shapley testified under oath to House Republicans that their investigation 'supported felony and misdemeanor tax charges,' which were ultimately not brought against the president's son Hunter due to political pressures. Weiss tried to bring felony charges against him in Washington, D.C., they said, but was blocked by the district's top federal prosecutor Matthew Graves, a Biden appointee. Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on 'Sunday Morning Futures' that Republicans are 'facing obstruction like has never been demonstrated in the history of congressional investigations' Attorney General Merrick Garland promoted Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss - the main Hunter prosecutor - to special counsel status on Friday IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joe Ziegler testified before Congress in July IRS agent with the criminal division Joseph Ziegler testifies during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing with IRS whistleblowers, Wednesday, July 19, 2023 The 'special treatment' for Hunter became a pattern that kept happening over and over, said the whistleblowers who were told they would get in 'hot water' if they tried to speak with President Joe Biden's adult children and grandchildren over the course of their investigation. The collapse of Hunter Biden's original plea deal also presents more problems for his father, Joe Biden. The president will now face more headlines and questions involving his drug-addict son's case as he hits the 2024 campaign trail. The unraveling of the agreement between prosecutors and the defense team means Hunter could now face more charges. It also means that Hunter is likely to face additional prosecutions down the road. Those may include any crimes related to his business deals with Ukraine, Romania and China that raked in millions of dollars. And Republicans say Joe was at the center of them. The White House has maintained that the president has never been 'in business' with his son. Employees in Australia could soon have the legal right not to be contacted by their bosses outside of work hours after the Employment Minister signalled he was in favour of the idea. Tony Burke, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, told Q+A on Monday the legislation would prevent bosses from contacting their staff via text, email or calls outside of rostered work hours. 'It's something where we haven't made a final decision of Government (but) I am really attracted to the idea,' Mr Burke said. Patricia Karvelas, host of the ABC program, then asked Mr Burke, who also serves as Minister for the Arts, if he ever contacts his own staff outside of hours, to which he stumbled over his words as the audience laughed. 'There's a different arrangement in terms of their overtime and things like that... but I am respectful of weekends,' joked Mr Burke. Q+A host Patricia Karvelas (pictured) pressed the Minister about his possible plans to enshrine the 'right to disconnect' in law on Monday evening Earlier, Mr Burke spoke about how technology had changed to allow people to be available 24 hours a day. 'It used to be the case if you were on call you'd get an on call allowance,' he said. 'Someone who was carrying a beeper would have an an on call allowance because they could be contacted at any point. 'The moment we all bought our own beepers on our phones, people are just being contacted.' Greens Senator Barbara Pocock has been pushing for an amendment to the Fair Work Act called the 'Right to Disconnect' bill, which would enshrine in law an employees' right to ignore emails and texts that arrive after hours. Poll Should employees have the right to not be contacted by their boss outside of work hours? Yes No Depends Should employees have the right to not be contacted by their boss outside of work hours? Yes 220 votes No 66 votes Depends 105 votes Now share your opinion Senator Pocock published the Work and Care Report in March, which calls for a major overhaul of Australia's workplace laws, including a four-day working week, and rails against the 'incessant creep of availability where we feel the need to respond to work messages after hours'. 'The pressure on workers to be available at all hours, particularly when working remotely, clearly has serious implications for mental and physical health and increases work related stress,' the report states. 'The Greens want to see a right to disconnect from work in federal law.' Mr Burke revealed on Tuesday that several Labor members have supported the report's recommendations. Australia would not be the first country to introduce such a law. France was the first European country to bring in legislation in 2017 which required employers to negotiate agreements with unions for a right to disconnect from technology after working hours. Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium have followed suit. While Germany does not have a similar law, many of its companies implement policies which have the same effect. The 'right to switch off' is based on legislation in France, where companies with more than 50 workers have been obliged since 2017 to set out the hours when staff are not supposed to send or answer emails For example, in 2012 Volkswagen stopped email servers from sending emails to the mobile phones of employees between 6pm and 7am. In the UK, the opposition Labour party has mooted plans to include a 'right to to switch off' in their election manifesto. Critics have dubbed the notion a 'skivers charter'. In July, the Australian Services Union (ASU) launched a campaign to embed the right to disconnect in the Fair Work Act after a survey of 154 clerical and administrative workers found that seven out of 10 were regularly performing work outside agreed working hours. Emeline Gaske, assistant national secretary of the ASU, said the union was pushing for the legislative change because 'most employees don't feel that they can say no to the increasing expectation that they will take work home with them'. 'As a result, 70 per cent are regularly performing unpaid work outside their agreed working hours, with almost one in five working in excess of eight hours [of unpaid overtime] per fortnight,' Ms Gaske told the Australian Financial Review. 'This expectation, and the fear for many that their careers will be negatively impacted should they decline, is having a significant negative impact on employees' physical and mental health and wellbeing and their personal relationships.' One of Donald Trump's top advisors has unveiled the tough anti-migrant crackdown the former president will launch if voters award him another stint in the White House in next year's vote. Stephen Miller, a senior Trump advisor, says a second Trump administration would construct more wall on the US-Mexico border, extend the floating barrier on the Rio Grande, and deploy a naval blockade against drug traffickers. Speaking with Axios, Miller unveiled other measures, including an expansion of the so-called 'Muslim ban' on arrivals from mostly Middle Eastern and African countries, and screening to prevent Marxists from entering the US. The rollout comes after US Customs and Border Protection revealed on Friday that agents processed 183,000 migrants in July, a 33 percent increase on June, as illegal people flows alarm millions of voters. 'For those passionate about securing our immigration system... the first 100 days of the Trump administration will be pure bliss,' Miller told the online news outlet. A second Trump administration would build more wall than was erected last time Trump plans to deploy the US military against Mexico's heavily-armed drug cartels That period would be 'followed by another four years of the most hard-hitting action conceivable,' he added. Though popular among many voters, tough immigration policies are alarming for some human rights groups and progressives, leaving Republicans and Democrats at odds for years over how to fix what many call a 'broken' system. According to Miller, the second Trump administration's policies would include: Ramping up ideological screening for legal migrants and nix applications from anyone deemed 'Marxists' likely determined by probing social media accounts for legal migrants and nix applications from anyone deemed 'Marxists' likely determined by probing social media accounts Deploy a Coast Guard and Navy blockade to stop drug smuggling boats from Latin America to stop drug smuggling boats from Latin America Revive and expand the 'Muslim Ban' from the first administration to block more people from mostly Middle Eastern and African countries from the first administration to block more people from mostly Middle Eastern and African countries Designate Mexico's drug cartels as 'unlawful enemy combatants' and deploy the US military against them against them Move to end birthright citizenship for children of migrants without papers possibly setting the stage for a battle in the conservative-loaded Supreme Court for children of migrants without papers possibly setting the stage for a battle in the conservative-loaded Supreme Court Extend the floating barrier of buoys along the Rio Grande. of buoys along the Rio Grande. Speed up deportations of migrants with criminal records of migrants with criminal records Complete the border wall that Trump started, but current President Joe Biden halted that Trump started, but current President Joe Biden halted Make undocumented migrants 'remain in Mexico' while they await a court date. while they await a court date. Make it harder for legal immigrants to enter the US with stricter financial requirements and hefty bonds to deter visitors from overstaying to deter visitors from overstaying Revive the Title 42 public health order to expel illegal migrants for non-COVID illnesses public health order to expel illegal migrants for non-COVID illnesses Expel child migrants in a bid to deter the trafficking of minors Americans have warmed up to tough anti-migrant measures after years of record-breaking flows of undocumented migrants into the US, straining services at the border and such cities as New York and Chicago. Many of the policies floated by Miller are popular among US voters, DailyMail.com/TIPP polling shows. Trump's advisors like the buoys deployed by Texas and would extend the floating barrier Though controversial, Texas Gov Gregg Abbot's buoys are supported by most Americans, our poll shows Once seen as extreme, the border wall is now a mainstream policy for US voters Our surveys of nearly 1,400 voters this month found that 52 percent support completing the barrier along the nearly 2,000-mile US-Mexico border. Another 51 percent of voters said they support the 1,000-foot floating buoy barrier that Texas Gov Gregg Abbot deployed along the Rio Grande to deter migrants. Trump aide Stephen Miller Meanwhile, fully 58 percent of US adults said smugglers of drugs and people should face the death penalty in another ringing endorsement of a hard-line Trump immigration policy. Still, some of Trump's 2024 policies are less popular. Only 39 percent of voters support ending birthright citizenship, and 46 percent are opposed to ending the American tradition. A second Trump administration would also have plenty of opponents fighting any immigration crackdown. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a policy chief for the American Immigration Council, which defends US immigration, said the policies were severe. A Trump plan to end birthright citizenship for undocumented migrants is less appealing to voters A Coast Guard and Navy blockade would stop drug smuggling boats from Latin America US Customs and Border Protection processed 183,000 migrants in July, a 33 percent increase on June Trump would rush 'people through the system, stripping due process protections from them, eliminating any access to legal services, and really transforming this into an assembly line deportation machine,' he told Axios. The Biden administration has already sued Texas over the use of buoys and barbed wire to deter migrants along the Rio Grande. Some of Trump's policies involve using the Alien Enemies Act and other dated, often-overlooked laws, which could open his crackdown to legal challenges. More buoys and military deployments would doubtless aggravate relations with Mexico. Despite the criminal indictments against him, Trump is the front-runner to win the Republican Party's nomination for the 2024 election, and polls show he's evenly matched against Biden, his expected Democratic opponent. Navy personnel pose for a photo during a ceremony marking the ROKS Park Wi submarine's achievement of 300,000 miles of accident-free operation at the Submarine Force Command in Changwon, Aug. 21, in this photo released by the Navy. Yonhap A 1,200-ton Korean submarine has achieved 300,000 miles of accident-free maritime operations in a milestone underscoring the Navy's enhanced underwater operational capabilities, the armed service said Monday. A ceremony celebrating the ROKS Park Wi's achievement was set to take place at the Submarine Force Command in Changwon, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, later in the day, according to the Navy. The domestically built submarine, the fourth Jang Bogo-class ship, was launched in May 1994 and went into service in August 1995. Built by Germany, Korea's first 1,200-ton submarine, ROKS Jang Bogo, hit the 300,000-mile mark in October 2019. "The fact that a locally built submarine achieved this milestone is proof of Korea's submarine construction and maintenance technology," the Navy said in a press release. The submarine has engaged in various local and overseas activities, including its participation in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise in 2000 and 2018. (Yonhap) A hilarious TikTok has captured worse-for-wear Brits sprawled across the floor at Ibiza Airport after days of partying. The clip, which was uploaded by DJ John Summit on Sunday, shows exhausted tourists catching a quick 40 winks before their flights back to the UK. Some holidaymakers used their luggage as a pillow as they took a nap outside the entrance to Burger King. Others lay next to their takeaways as they appeared to be out cold after a heavy week of boozing abroad. John said: 'Ibiza airport is like walking thru a battlefield' and added: 'Come on now, what is this? F***ing D-Day?' A hilarious TikTok has captured worse for wear Brits sprawled across the floor at Ibiza Airport after days of partying Some at the airport merely walked past with their suitcases, casting bemused looks at the chaos at their feet. The Brits were so tired that they were clearly determined to get some sleep in any place they could - with the airport floor apparently sufficient to do so. The Spanish party island of Ibiza is visited by hundreds of thousands British tourists every year. The popular holiday destination has become a go-to getaway location for Stag Dos and party holidays, offering boat bashes and 'super clubs', which can accommodate several thousand people at a time. The clip has since amassed two million views, as people took to the comments to express their amusement at the chaos of Brits on holiday. One said: 'Serious question, what goes on in Ibiza?' Another joked: 'Why don't they just design the airport to accommodate for this.' Amanda Meade said: 'Honestly, just proud of them for making it to the airport.' The clip, uploaded by TikTok user and DJ John Summit on Sunday, shows exhausted tourists catching a quick 40 winks before their flights back to the UK The clip has since amassed two million views, as people took to the comments to express their amusement at the chaos But Britons' recent trips to Ibiza have not all been so carefree. Earlier this month shocking footage emerged of a group of Brits getting into a massive brawl with local street sellers in Ibiza, with one holidaymaker being severely beaten. Footage of the brawl in the party resort of San Antonio, appeared to show a topless tourist, thought to be British, being kicked and ferociously punched by several men. It remains unclear how the violence erupted in the party town which is packed with Brits in the peak summer season. A British tourist has drowned after jumping into a lake to cool off during a family holiday in Turkey. The Pakistani-born British citizen, aged 43, had been on an organised tour at Manavgat Dam, in Antalya Province, when he plunged into the water to escape the heat. The Brit entered the water from a pier platform attached to a riverside restaurant. Soon after, he appeared to struggle, disappearing beneath the surface. He make desperate attempts to stay afloat and splashed around to keep his head above the water. Onlookers saw the man struggling and scrambled to help him. Others rushed to alert authorities. A British tourist has drowned after jumping into a lake to cool off during a family holiday in Turkey. He had been on a tour of Manavgat Dam (pictured) Officials from Turkey's Gendarmerie General Command were dispatched to the scene, as well as medics and rescue divers. The divers entered the water to retrieve the lifeless body which was reported to be 12 metres (around 40ft) beneath the surface. The rescuers battled low visibility due to the murky waters. Emergency medical staff were waiting on dry land to provide assistance to the Brit but were forced to confirm the loss of life. The body was sent to the Antalya Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy. It is still currently unclear why the British tourist drowned. It is hoped that the postmortem will be able to provide further insight into the incident and the timeline of the tragic death. Officials from the Gendarmerie General Command were dispatched to the scene at Manavgat Dam (pictured) in Turkey, as well as medics and rescue divers Antalya Province, in south-western Turkey, is the centre of the country's tourism industry and accounts for about 30 per cent of foreign tourists visiting the country. MailOnline has contacted the UK Foreign, Commonweath and Development Office for a statement. San Francisco's iconic Gump's department store boss has challenged Mayor London Breed to swap jobs with him for 180 days so he can sort out spiraling homelessness in the crime-addled city. CEO John Chachas, 59, compared the Golden City to Gotham - saying he believes its Democrat officials are at a 'critical juncture' in terms of their ability to turn its fortunes around. The multi-millionaire's call to action comes after he paid for a full-page ad in the city's most-read newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle, to air a scathing open letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Breed. He accused the politicians of dereliction of duty, citing the rampant homelessness and thievery which have become a hallmark of the city's streets - and which now threaten the existence of his historic 166-year-old store. On Monday, he said he won't let his longtime luxury furnishing outlet become the latest victim of the so-called 'retail apocalypse' without a fight - even offering to take on Breed's job for six months to sort it out. John Chachas, 59, the CEO of San Francisco's iconic Gump's department store, has challenged Mayor London Breed to swap jobs with him for 180 days so he can sort out spiraling homelessness in the crime-addled city Luxury home furnishings and home decor retailer Gump's has been operating for 166 years - with its only physical location being just one block from San Francisco's Union Square - the nucleus of the city's crime and homelessness problems Chachas accused the politicians of dereliction of duty, citing the rampant homelessness and thievery which have become a hallmark of the city's streets - and which now threaten the existence of his historic 166-year-old store Gump's has been a fixture of the Bay Area for decades, with its only physical outlet being just one block away from the once-glamorous Union Square - which is now the nucleus of the city's homelessness problems. 'What motivated me to write the letter was a belief that until public sentiment was publicly discussed, we would not see any change in the behavior of elected officials,' Chachas told Fox News. 'And so I decided that since I have the money and ability to do so, I would help try to clarify that for them. 'I have a wonderful company with wonderful people who are deeply committed to it - but we live in a city that's not functioning.' 'I would probably swap jobs with Mayor Breed for 180 days,' he added. 'I'll let her run Gump's for 180 days, she can let me run the city for 180 days and we'll see how we do... you'd see a lot of change in 180 days, I can tell you that.' Chachas said the situation was 'getting worse and worse' but Newsome and Breed are 'either incapable of understanding it or unwilling to actually make the policy changes that are needed'. 'I decided I'm going to go down swinging,' he said. 'Gump's will survive and we'll move someplace else if we need to. 'I don't really want to do that, but it's sort of lunacy to live in an environment where you go to work every day, or people go to work, and customers can't go to your store - that's not a normal operating environment.' Chacha's call to action comes after he paid for a full-page ad in the city's most-read newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle, to air a scathing open letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor London Breed Newsom and Breed have overseen a steep decline in San Francisco since the pandemic The filth and squalor at the junction of Jones and Eddy Streets in San Francisco's Tenderloin District, a few blocks from the department store He added that officials needed to act now to stop the city becoming more like Gotham - a fictional dystopia from the Batman movies. 'I think we're at a critical juncture,' Chachas said. 'This can be turned around. This can be fixed. It will not be fixed by pretending that the problem will go away. 'Functioning business districts are incompatible with these two terrible pillars of empty offices on the one hand, and giant swells of homeless persons on the other that are unmanaged. You will not have a functioning center of the city. 'Go watch the movie Batman, and Gotham - because that's where you're headed if you don't turn this around.' In his letter published August 13, Chachas said he fears that his store's 166th holiday season 'may be our last' due to what he called the 'tyranny of the minority' jeopardizing the 'livelihood of the many'. Chachas, who unsuccessfully ran for the US Senate in Nevada as a Republican in 2010, blamed the 'ramifications of Covid policies advising people to abandon their offices' by the Democrat elect for the acute deterioration of the downtown area. Gump's, which specializes in luxury furnishings and jewelry, was founded in 1861, and the Chacha family bought it in 2019. The business only has one physical location - on Post Street, just one block from San Francisco's once-glamorous Union Square, which is now the nucleus of the crime crisis. A woman lies passed out in front of a children's play area. Even upscale areas such as Russian Hill, which is part of the cable car route along Hyde Street, and tourist hotspots like the Golden Gate Bridge have been affected The luxury retailer would be the latest in a long list of stores to leave the city, as politicians have failed to address stubborn crime and homelessness seen since the pandemic The dire situation has led to a mass exodus of retailers in the area, with at least half of the neighborhood's stores closing their doors since the start of the pandemic. Brooks Brothers, Ray Ban, Christian Louboutin, Lululemon, and Marmot are among at least 95 retailers which have packed up and left the city for greener pastures. This number continues to grow - with Williams Sonoma, AT&T, Nordstrom and Banana Republic recently announcing they will also be withdrawing their downtown stores in the coming months. The last stores standing, like Target, have resorted to locking up their entire stock behind glass to deter shoplifters. Industry groups have noted that there is an issue with theft, with the National Retail Federation saying that organized retail crime is setting stores back around $100 billion a year, according to a 2022 survey. In 2021, retailers saw a 27 per cent increase in theft carried out by organized criminal rings, the survey found. To tackle the issue, they invested more money in safety and security measures to protect employees, customers and merchandise. Italian authorities have triggered yet another red alert for 17 cities with the third punishing heatwave in just two months set to blast the country from Wednesday. A dozen cities - Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Palermo, Perugia, Rieti, Rome, Turin and Verona - were already slapped with a red alert from today. Genoa, Milan, Naples, Trieste and Venice will be bumped into the red on Wednesday, meaning that residents are considered to be at maximum heat risk. Temperatures in several of Italy's biggest cities including Rome and Florence are already sitting at 38 degrees C today, with the mercury set to tip 40 degrees on Thursday. A red alert means even the young, fit and healthy are warned to stay out of the sun from 10am to 6pm, such is the heat of the baking summer sun. Storm warnings are also in effect in the southern regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily. People enjoy the sulphurous waters at Cascate del Mulino (Mill waterfalls) at Saturnia hot springs in Tuscany People enjoy the sulphurous waters at Cascate del Mulino (Mill waterfalls) at Saturnia hot springs in Tuscany on a hot sweltering day. The extreme weather continues as Italy faces another summer heatwave with temperatures set to exceed 40 Celsius Italy summer heatwave, Saturnia, Tuscany, Italy A boy drinks water from Fontana della Barcaccia during a new heatwave A tourist refreshes himself at a fountain during a heatwave in downtown Rome, Italy, on August 19, 2023 People use a piece of clothing to hide from the sun, during a heatwave in Milan, Italy August 21, 2023 Last month, several cities were forced to contend with widespread powercuts as temperatures reached a whopping 48 degrees C in southern Italy. Some half-a-million people were affected in and around the city of Catania, thanks to heat damage to underground cables. The cuts meant that between 200,000 and 300,000 people were not only without power, but also a supply of running water. Separately, flights were grounded following a fire at the city's main airport on July 16 that required terminal-wide repairs. The soaring temperatures in Italy come as Greece and one of Spain's Canary Islands battle savage wildfires. Hot, dry and windy conditions are hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes, two of which have been burning for several days. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages in the central Viotia region, about 60 miles northwest of Athens, after a forest fire broke out Monday morning. The coast guard put two patrol boats and several fishing boats and private vessels on standby in case an evacuation by sea was necessary. Authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep pen in the area under evacuation, with local media reporting the man apparently died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his livestock. In the northeast of the country near the border with Turkey, strong winds rekindled flames on several fronts in a major wildfire burning for a third day across forests and farmland near the town of Alexandroupolis. Several homes were destroyed over the weekend. Thirteen villages were evacuated, while more than 200 firefighters, assisted by 17 water-dropping aircraft, volunteers and the armed forces were battling the fire, Deputy Fire Chief Ioannis Artopios said. Local residents try to reach their houses in Benijos village as police block the area as fire advances in La Orotava in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023 A helicopter drops water on the flames as the fire advances through the forest toward the town of Pinolere in Tenerife More than 26,000 are being evacuated from Tenerife as 'out of control' wildfires have ravaged the island popular with British holidaymakers for a fourth day (pictured: The fronts of the forest fire on hills above houses, in the Guimar valley on the Canary Island of Tenerife) Another two villages were being evacuated on the island of Evia, near Athens, where 19 French firefighters also helped fight the flames, Artopios said, noting that 65 forest fires had broken out across Greece in the previous 24 hours. Cyprus was sending two firefighting aircraft to help tackle the Alexandroupolis blaze, including four crew and five ground support staff. With gale-force winds blowing in several parts of the country, authorities set the fire risk level in several regions, including that of the Greek capital, to 'extreme.' 'This extreme situation we are experiencing will further favour the outbreak and spread of forest fires,' Artopios said. Greece suffers destructive wildfires every summer, which officials say have been exacerbated by climate change. Greece's deadliest wildfire killed 104 people in 2018, in a seaside resort near Athens that residents had not been warned to evacuate. Since then, authorities have erred on the side of caution, issuing swift mass evacuation orders whenever inhabited areas are under threat. Last month a wildfire on the resort island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on the island of Evia. Another three wildfire-related deaths have been recorded this summer. In Spain's Canary Islands, a wildfire that police say was started deliberately last Tuesday on Tenerife continued to burn out of control, although the worst seemed to have passed. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and about 13,400 hectares (33,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland have burned. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the fire area would be declared a catastrophe zone, entitling the island to funds to help with reforestation and compensation for people affected. Canary Island regional President Fernando Clavijo told Spain's Cadena SER radio 'the worst is over,' adding that the hundreds of firefighters deployed had made some progress for the second night in a row. The fire in the northeast of the island is not near any of the island's main tourist areas. The blaze has come close to some 10 municipalities, but there have been no injuries or burned homes so far. In Portugal and Italy, two other southern European countries often plagued by wildfires in the summer months, temperatures were predicted to soar this week. Parents of Lucy Letby's victims today read their heartbreaking testimonies, branding the killer's failure to appear in court 'a final act of wickedness and cowardice'. One mother described in a statement how she was told her baby girl would be home by Christmas, but that day the newborn was tortured by the killer nurse 'until she had no fight left in her'. Letby tried to kill the tiny girl - born early weighing just 2lbs 2oz - three times. She succeeded on the fourth attempt. The father of two triplet boys who were murdered by Letby said their deaths 'destroyed' him 'as a man and as a father'. Their mother said she has only one photograph with her three son, saying Letby had 'destroyed' her life. The father of a little girl left disabled, brain damaged and blind after being attacked by Letby said she would 'never have a sleepover, first kiss or get married'. There were very few dry eyes in the court, with detectives and police family liaison officers unable to hold back tears as the victim impact statements were read out prior to the judges sentencing. Parents leaned over to support each other and passed boxes of tissues, and one woman, the mother of murdered child D, clutched a soft toy in her hands, a small grey rabbit. Some of the texts Letby sent where she spoke of there being an 'element of fate' involved in the deaths of babies that jurors found she murdered or attempted to murder The tragic words of the parents of the babies murdered and maimed by Lucy Letby were read out in court today as the child killer was sentenced Between June 2015 and June 2016, Letby murdered five boys and two girls. She targeted one set of triplets and three sets of twins and her victims ranged from a full term baby girl to infants born extremely prematurely, including one girl who survived despite being born in a hospital toilet at just 23 weeks gestation. A possible eighth victim, Baby K, died three days after prosecutors believed Letby had dislodged the infant's breathing tube. The jury were unable to reach a verdict on this particular case. All the babies and their parents have been given lifelong anonymity orders. Below, MailOnline reveals the parents' tragic testimony. Mother of twins Baby A (murdered on June 8, 2015) and B (victim of attempted murder between June 8 and June 11, 2015) Letby targeted three sets of twins. WHAT WAS LETBY CONVICTED OF? Count 1 - Murder of Baby A on June 8, 2015 - GUILTY Count 2 - Attempted murder of Baby B between the June 8, 2015 and June 11, 2015 - GUILTY Count 3 - Murder of Baby C on June 14, 2015 - GUILTY Count 4 - Murder of Baby D on June 22, 2015 - GUILTY Count 5 - Murder of Baby E on August 4, 2015 - GUILTY Count 6 - Attempted murder of Baby F on August 5, 2015 - GUILTY Count 7 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 7, 2015 - GUILTY Count 8 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 21, 2015 - GUILTY Count 9 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 21, 2015 - NOT GUILTY Count 10 - Attempted murder of Baby H on September 26, 2015 - NOT GUILTY Count 12 - Murder of Baby I on October 23, 2015 - GUILTY Count 15 - Attempted murder of Baby L on April 9, 2016 - GUILTY Count 16 - Attempted murder of Baby M on April 9, 2016 - GUILTY Count 17 - Attempted murder of Baby N on June 3, 2016 - GUILTY Count 20 - Murder of Baby O on June 23, 2016 - GUILTY Count 21 - Murder of Baby P on June 24, 2016 - GUILTY Advertisement The first set, a boy and girl, known as Babies A and B, were Letby's first victims. She murdered Baby A by injecting air into his drip of fluids when he was less than 24 hours old, in June 2015. Paediatricians noticed an odd discolouration on the baby's skin, with flitting patches of pink over blue that seem to appear and disappear. Neither had previously seen such discolouration. In the aftermath of Baby A's death a nurse innocently messaged Letby to say: 'I hope you are OK, you were brilliant.' The killer attacked Baby A's twin sister around midnight on the following shift in an identical manner, but she miraculously survived. The twins were born nine weeks prematurely because their mother, 38, suffered from high blood pressure and had previously had a stroke. The court heard harrowing evidence of her begging medics: 'Please don't let my baby die' as they tried unsuccessfully to save him. Today, the mother of Baby A and Baby B said in a statement read to the court that 2015 'was going to be the best year of our lives' and 'everything was perfect'. 'We never got to hold our little boy while he was alive, because you took him away,' the statement says. 'What should have been the happiest time of our lives became our worst nightmare. 'We are so thankful that we had that fear for Child B as it saved her life,' her statement said, adding that after Child A died they made sure a member of the family was always at their daughter's side. 'Little did we know you were waiting for us to leave so you could attack the one thing that gave us reason to live.' She said there will always be a 'gaping hole' where their son should be. 'We hope you live a very long life and spend every single day suffering for what you have done.' She added: 'You thought it was your right to play God with our children's lives.' Letby targeted one set of triplets and three sets of twins and her victims ranged from a full term baby girl to infants born extremely prematurely, including one girl who survived despite being born in a hospital toilet at just 23 weeks gestation The staff chart showing how Letby was on shift every time an incident occurred Mother of Baby C (murdered on June 14, 2015) Baby C was described by one nurse as 'the smallest baby she had ever seen.' He was Letby's second murder victim. She killed him by injecting air into his feeding tube, minutes after he was given his first milk. After doctors realised their resuscitation attempts were futile and passed him to his parents, he survived for several hours before he died in the early hours of June 14 2015. The mother of Child C broke down in tears as she read her heart-wrenching impact statement to the court, but bravely continued to address the empty dock. She described the 'overwhelming emotion' she felt the first time she held her son: 'It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. 'My tiny feisty boy, my firstborn, my son. 'The trauma of that night will live with us all until the day we die. Knowing now his murderer was watching us... was like something out of a horror story.' She said she blamed herself for his death and not protecting him: 'What if I had not gone to bed that night, maybe he would still be here.' She added: 'I think about what his voice might have sounded like... who he might have been.' She said she would open his memory box in the days after her son's death, wearing his footprints around her neck to feel close to him. But after Letby's arrest, these mementoes - which Letby had helped create - felt 'tainted'. She said she is now able to wear these mementoes again, for the first time in five years: 'I know they represent the love I have for my son and I will not allow evil to take that. They represent justice and the truth.' Becoming emotional, but continuing to read to the court, she said no sentence Letby receives could ever compare to what she has gone through. She concluded by telling Letby, referring to a note found in the killer's house following her arrest: 'In your own words, you did this, you are evil.' The GP and her husband, who runs his own business on the Wirral, Merseyside, have since gone on to have at least one more child. Mother of full-term Baby D (murdered on June 22, 2015) Baby D was the third infant murdered by Letby in a fortnight in June 2015. She was the only baby in the case born full term and only admitted to the neonatal unit because the hospital made a mistake. Midwives failed to give her mother antibiotics when her waters broke and she endured a 60 hour labour before her daughter was born. Although a healthy 6lbs 13oz, she was admitted to intensive care with breathing problems and a post-mortem later revealed she had pneumonia. Her mother, who works in customer services, gave powerful evidence in person at the trial, describing her traumatic birth and death aged less than two days. Letby injected air into Baby D's bloodstream causing her death. Her mother addressed the court today. Clearly emotional, the judge reminded her to take her time speaking. She began by saying Letby's 'wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted nurse was truly a scandal'. Letby with a group of friends as they prepared to leave for a hen do Letby holding a drink (left) and posing with friends during a night out. The photos show how she was able to hide her inner evil during her private life 'Lucy Letby, you failed God and the plans we had for [Child D].' She added: 'Those lives were not yours to take,' saying her heart 'shattered into a thousand pieces' when her daughter died. After Child D died they had wanted her to be an organ donor - another baby needed a heart - but because of the post-mortem, this was not possible. This, she said broke her heart all over again. Child D's funeral service took place the day before her due date. 'Those weeks were particularly difficult. 'My arms, my heart, my life all felt so painfully empty. 'I missed Child D so much, I was desperate to smell her, cuddle her.' She said she questioned if she had done something wrong, missed something or 'failed her daughter'. She then detailed her fight for justice, desperately seeking answers about what had happened. 'I love being a mum but at the same time struggle with grief and depression. I have disconnected from many people around me,' she said. 'My marriage is also scarred by all the hurdles we went through. At first, we were each other's rocks... it has been hard to keep strong together.' Child D's mother then described the trial. Because she was a witness for the prosecution, she was not allowed to attend the early stages, but her husband attended court every day. 'It felt invasive having Child D's short life exposed to the public,' she said. She described explaining to her son - who was born a year after Child D died - what had happened to his sister. But he became scared, fearing the person 'who had hurt' Child D would escape prison and hurt his cousins. 'We wanted justice for Child D and that day has come.' She said the management at the Countess of Chester Hospital told her that her child's death was 'not a criminal matter' She said after her baby's death she asked for her medical notes and met with doctors and management from the Hospital. She said: 'We got a solicitor and I wanted the police involved. At that stage I was told this was not a criminal matter so the police was out of the question.' A week before the baby's inquest was due to take place she was told they were due to arrest someone, she said. She added: 'Thank God the police started their investigation.' She told the court: 'Lucy Letby had a chance to say something to us all, parents of the victims, and she had only one word 'unimaginable'. 'Her wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted nurse is a scandal. Lucy Letby. You failed God and the plans he had for (Child D). You even called it fate. You were clearly disconnected with God.' She added: 'We still have (Child D's) death to declare officially and this could not be done until the cause of death had been agreed. 'This is going to be another difficult thing to do, going to the registrar and declaring our daughter's death eight years after her birth. 'We wanted justice for (Child D) and that day has come.' Mother of twins Baby E (murdered on August 4, 2015) and Baby F (victim of attempted murder on August 5, 2015) Letby attacked Baby E by ramming a piece of medical equipment down his throat, causing him to bleed profusely, when he was just a few days old in August 2015. She then murdered him by injecting air into his bloodstream. He was the fourth baby to die at her hands. Letby then attempted to murder his twin brother by adding insulin to his drip of nutrient feed. Although he survived he has been left with autism and significant learning difficulties. When the boys' mother addressed the court today, the emotion was thick in her voice, but she spoke clearly. She said 'our dreams had come true' when their babies were born, that the family was then complete, but that 'our world shattered when we discovered evil disguised as a caring nurse'. After her first son died, and her second son became unwell she cried 'not again'. Years later, she said, when they found out Letby was a murderer: 'We felt cheated, deceived and utterly heartbroken once more.' As Letby was sentenced today, new photos have emerged of her on a hen do with a large group of friends An artist's impression showing a parent of one of Letby's victims reading a victim impact statement as Mr Justice Goss watches on Between June 2015 and June 2016 Letby murdered five boys and two girls She fought back tears as she described how she had to grieve openly in front of Letby, as Letby bathed her son for the final time and dressed him in a woollen gown. 'He was buried in that gown, a gift from the unit chosen by Lucy,' she recalled, adding that there is not a day that goes by when they didn't regret that decision. The boys were the result of several rounds of IVF, with the family resigning themselves to the fact they may never have children. 'Lucy was aware of our journey and deliberately caused significant harm and cruelty to our boys,' she said. 'No children in the world were more wanted than them.' Their son now has complex learning difficulties, which they believe is a direct result of his being poisoned with insulin. 'Nothing can change what has happened to us, we are living with a life sentence because of Lucy's crimes.' She condemned Letby for refusing to leave her cell. 'I would like to thank Lucy for taking the stand and showing the court what she is really like once the 'nice Lucy' mask slips. 'It was honestly the best thing she could have done to ensure our boys got the justice they deserve. She added: 'Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is. 'We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough, and stays in her cell, just one final act of wickedness from a coward.' She said: 'We have been living a nightmare but, for me, it ends today. I refuse to wake up with my first thought be about my boys being harmed. 'Lucy no longer has control over our lives. 'She holds no power or relevance in anybody's life. She is nothing.' The woman said her son who survived has been diagnosed with severe learning difficulties 'which we believe is a result of being poisoned with a large quantity of insulin'. She said: 'I never allow him to be alone with medical professionals.' During Letby's trial, the mother had previously told how the sound of Baby E screaming after being attacked by the nurse was one that 'should not have come from a tiny baby'. 'It was horrendous. It was more of a scream than a cry.' Father of Baby G (twice a victim of attempted murder on September 7 and September 21, 2015) His statement, read to the tearful court, recounted all the life experiences his daughter would never enjoy, such as a first kiss from a boyfriend, or marriage, as a result of Letby's evil. Their daughter was the result of IVF, which had cost the family great expense abroad, with the parents initially fearing she had miscarried early on. Baby G was was born at 23 weeks just under the legal abortion limit when her mother went into labour in a hospital toilet. Despite battling a host of problems due to her prematurity, at three months she was well enough to be transferred to the Countess and was feeding well when Letby attacked her three times on two significant milestones in her short life at 100 days and twice on her due date, or the date she should have been born if she hadn't come early, in September 2015. Child G was left disabled following Letby's attacks - she is registered blind, nil by mouth (and is fed via a tube), and has progressive scoliosis which has caused her spine to curve. It left her parents 'afraid' and, as a result, they have not had any more children, and have not returned to use the remaining embryos left in an IVF clinic overseas. A Post-it note was found inside Letby's diary with 'hate' circled in bold 'We were afraid of having another disabled baby,' he said in his statement. Her mother finds it difficult to trust people who work in hospitals, but they need nurses to visit them every week to help support them. He said: 'What if Child G outlives us? Who will then care for her? 'Everything feels like a constant battle just to have the essential things that Child G needs during her daily life.' He said his daughter would 'never have a sleepover with a best friend, or go to high school and graduate. She will never have a first kiss, a boyfriend, or get married. He added: 'She will always be in her chair.' He described the start of her life as a premature baby was a 'bumpy road'. He said: 'Every day I would sit there and pray. I would pray for God to save her. He did. He saved her, but the devil found her.' Mother of Baby I (murdered on October 23, 2015) Baby I was a tiny baby who beat the odds to survive after being born weighing just 2lbs 2oz at 27 weeks gestation when her mothers' waters broke early. She was the fifth baby murdered by Letby. Over the course of three weeks the nurse tried to kill the three-month-old three times, finally succeeding on the fourth attempt, on October 23, 2015. In the run up to her death Letby sabotaged her care, either by overfeeding her milk, or injecting air into her stomach and her bloodstream. Her mother said in a statement: 'I don't think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her and everything she went through over her short life was deliberately done by someone who was supposed to protect her and help her come home where she belonged.' She outlined the huge impact the death of her daughter has had on her and her husband. The woman said: 'We were both absolutely broken that someone could do something so evil to our precious little girl and this has had a massive effect on our family even until this day. 'We dug for years trying to get answers for what had happened and over the years we have been in some very dark places mentally.' She said: '(Her husband) wished he was dead, he wished it was him that died and not (Child I).' The woman said: 'When they handed (Child I) to us we never wanted to let her go, we held her so tight she was our gorgeous little princess and I cant even begin to explain the pain. When we lost her a part of us died with her.' She said that before her baby's collapse, she was 'like a full-term baby, she was on full-bottle feeds sat on my knee, very alert, she often smiled and she never cried. She was a very content little girl.' However, a week later, this had all changed. She described their daughter as 'swollen and looked in a lot of pain - her eyes looked very sad'. The night Child I died, they were told their daughter might be home for Christmas - she then experienced a deadly collapse. Bay I's mother previously told the court how Letby behaved inappropriately, smiling and talking about how she had given their daughter her first bath as she helped her bathe her for a final time after she passed away. Letby also sent the couple a sympathy card and kept a copy of it on her mobile phone - because she was upset she couldn't attend their daughter's funeral with other nurses. Inside she wrote: 'It was a real privilege to care for Baby I and get to know you as a family. A family who always put Baby I first and did everything possible for her. She will always be part of your lives and we will never forget her.' The couple, of Cheshire, have five other children between them two sons, two daughters and a six month old baby boy. In a Facebook post to mark Baby I's birthday her father, 39, said: 'Not a day goes by that we don't think of you.' Father of Baby L (victim of attempted murder on April 9, 2016) and Baby M (victim of attempted murder on April 9, 2016) The third set of twins murdered by Letby, also twin boys, were attacked simultaneously on the same shift in April 2016. Two days earlier she had been moved off night shifts because of growing suspicions about her involvement in the near fatal collapses and deaths, which often occurred at night when fewer staff, or the babies' parents, were around. Born to a British Asian bank worker and his wife, both 52, the boys were born seven weeks early because doctors were worried they had stopped growing properly. The father of Babies L and M told the court today that one day when he attended the trial Letby stared at him, making him feel so uneasy that he had to move seats. Child L was poisoned with insulin and his brother M was harmed by having air injected into his bloodstream. The father said: 'There was a day when I was at the trial and the public gallery was full and I was sat in Lucy Letby's line of view and she kept looking over at me. 'That made me feel quite uncomfortable and uneasy and I had to move in the afternoon so I was out of her view.' He said the image of his son collapsing was 'forever etched' in his mind and the stress and strain had been unbearable at times. He said: 'Initially doctors told us that the whole events that took place in 2016 surrounding my children was normal for premature babies and we believed what the doctors were telling us at the time. Little did we know that a year or so after their birth the police would come knocking on the door and break the news that this could be an attempted murder case.' He said he had been prescribed anti-depressants but added: 'Even though they have helped they can never take away the feelings I have as a parent knowing now what had truly happened at the Countess of Chester in 2016 and it doesn't make it any easier to cope with over time.' Mother of Baby N (victim of attempted murder on June 3, 2016) Baby N was born seven weeks premature with the blood-clotting condition haemophilia. Letby attacked him three times on two shifts around a fortnight apart, in June 2015. The final two attacks occurred on June 15, the day Baby N was due to go home, which was also Letby's final shift before she went on a week-long holiday to Ibiza. Letby rammed a metal tube or some other piece of medical equipment down his throat causing it to swell and bleed. He almost died because doctors were unable to get a breathing tube down his swollen throat and, only when a specialist team arrived from the renowned Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool were they able to intubate him and get him on a ventilator. She also injected him with air. He survived with no lasting effects. A statement from his mother was read today. She described how, when she found out she was expecting him, her family felt 'complete'. They had been expecting to take him home when Letby struck, using his disease as a cover for her murder attempt. 'The day we were called to the neonatal unit was the worst day of our lives,' she said, describing walking into the chaos of the room. 'Seeing our tiny baby fighting for his life... and not knowing if he would live or die.' 'I honestly knew Child N had been deliberately harmed,' she said, calling it a 'mother's instinct'. 'I just kept questioning why our healthy baby boy was fine one minute and then bleeding from the mouth and needing CPR the next.' She no longer trusts anyone else to look after her son, saying: 'Our trust has been broken.' She added: 'I think there has only been one occasion when [my husband and I] have gone out alone since Child N was born.' They wanted him to be home schooled because their belief in people in positions of trust has been completely broken. 'We know we smother him with love and affection because we don't want him to be sad and upset,' she added. They had discussed having another baby, but the possibility of having to return to the neonatal unit has stopped them from doing so. Mother and father of triplet boys O and P (murdered by Letby on June 23 and June 24, 2016) Letby attacked and murdered two of three identical triplets on consecutive shifts after returning from a week-long holiday to Ibiza. The boys, who had been conceived naturally at odds of 200 million to one, were born by Caesarean section when their mother went into labour seven weeks early. But they were around 4lbs in weight, breathing for themselves, and considered in good condition before they died. Baby O was murdered on June 23, before his brother, Baby P, was killed the following day. They were Letby's sixth and seventh murder victims. Letby injected both boys with air. A pre-recorded video statement from the mother the boys was played to the court today. She said she felt unable to enter the witness box. 'I recall putting all my trust into the medical experts,' she said. Following the first death, she says: 'I was in a state of total shock and disbelief.' Then a second triplet became unwell. 'I had that awful sense of 'it is happening again',' she said, telling the court she blamed herself, believing she had passed an illness onto the boys and infected them. After two of her sons died, she recalled experiencing a 'horrible feeling' that her third son was next. He was moved to another hospital. 'I only have one photograph of me holding all three boys together,' she said. 'It was Lucy Letby that dressed Child P after his passing and took his footprints which were stored in a memory box,' she said. She says the nurse was inconsolable, and herself grew emotional as she recalled how she thanked the killer for helping her. She added: 'She has destroyed our lives.' She said that she continued to be haunted by 'vivid images' from the time and lived in 'constant fear' of anything happening to her children. Speaking about the trial, she said: 'Being within the courtroom environment was extremely harrowing. That was the first time I had seen Lucy Letby since 2016.' She said she sat behind a monitor so she was not in a direct line of sight and found the evidence difficult to listen to. She added: 'Having to come to terms with the police investigation has made the past few years unbearable.' The boys' father wept throughout much of his pre-recorded video statement as he recalled how his three sons were described as 'miracle babies' at the Countess of Chester hospital. He said at first, the family 'were informed that [my wife] was unable to have children due to issues with her ovaries'. They had one healthy child and his wife later miscarried another. Then, they discovered they were having triplets - something that was extremely rare. 'We were well known at the Countess, staff called the pregnancy a 'miracle'.' When their sons were born, 'we were so excited at how well the boys were doing and commented on how identical they were, it was almost impossible to tell them apart'. DAILY MAIL'S LUCY LETBY DOCUMENTARY 'Killer hiding in plain sight' The Trial of Lucy Letby: The Inside Story Advertisement Then Child O collapsed. The father held back tears saying: 'I noticed the colour of [Child O's] skin was changing rapidly, it didn't appear normal to the naked eye, it was horrific to see, and it is an image that I'll never forget, deep down I knew it was not going to end well. '[Child O] received a blessing from the priest and was quickly christened. 'Moments later, [he] was gone. 'I felt like I had been stabbed in the heart, no words could describe how I was feeling. 'I kept wishing it had happened to me and at that time would have gladly taken his place.' The hospital, he said, provided no explanation for what had happened. He said dressing their son after his death was 'traumatic'. He wiped away tears as he said: 'I was upset, but I could see how hurt [the mother] was. I felt useless and blamed myself.' He recalled that a day after Child O died, Child P collapsed. 'The situation escalated and I was worried at the drama and panic unfolding in the room. I knew it was serious when doctors arrived. 'The whole ordeal was a repeat of the previous day, I knew it was not going to end well. I thought we were going down the same road as we did with [Child O].' Texts between Letby and the unnamed doctor who she was close to were read out in court. They appeared to show the doctor comforting the killer nurse as she feigned upset after the death of one of her victims And in another exchange over WhatsApp, Letby appeared to chat about her blossoming friendship with the doctor - who prosecutors said she had tried to impress by creating 'crisis situations' where they could work alongside each other to save the babies she had poisoned Killer nurse Letby would often pull funny faces for photos while out with friends. Two of her murders took place shortly after returning from a week-long holiday to Ibiza Letby texting a colleague after the death of Baby A After the deaths of Baby A and Bay C, says: 'There are no words, it's been awful' In this string of messages, Letby tries to suggest the babies' deaths was linked to health problems The nurse describes 'crying and hugging' the parents of Baby E, who died in her care The texts end with Letby crowing that police 'have nothing or minimal on me' His wife continued to blame herself. All they could think of was getting their third son out of the Countess of Chester, saying 'he wasn't safe there'. His wife discharged herself early, in a wheelchair, to move to another hospital with her son. He then hit out at the Countess for failing to give them any support after their sons died. He said: 'We did not receive any counselling or support, after losing the boys, I didn't know how to deal with the situation or what to tell our eldest child, we had no guidance for the siblings. 'There was no contact from the Countess whatsoever, our extended family kindly offered to collect the memory boxes, but this wasn't acceptable at the Countess, the hospital wanted the direct family to collect, which made us very upset and angry as we never had any intentions of returning.' His statement added: 'Lucy Letby has destroyed our lives. 'The anger and the hatred I have towards her will never go away. 'It has destroyed me as a man and as a father.' The man wiped away tears and was visibly upset in the recording as he said: 'The continual pressure of having the trial hanging over us has been immense and difficult to describe. 'Even after the trial has ended, it will continue to haunt us and will always have an impact on our lives.' Lucy Letby's parents were not in court to see their only child sentenced today - after sitting through a 10-month trial that regularly touched on the close relationship they shared with her. Susan, 63, and John, 77, had been a constant presence during her ten-month trial at Manchester Crown Court and attended every day. But they were not present for the final verdicts last Friday, and again failed to turn up this morning for the sentencing hearing as she was given a whole-life order. Mr and Mrs Letby had been so determined to hear all the evidence against their daughter that they relocated to Manchester from their home in Hereford. Mrs Letby broke down in court when the first of the guilty verdicts were returned, crying out: 'You can't be serious. This cannot be right.' Dr Sohom Das, a consultant forensic psychologist and author of In Two Minds, said the couple would have been 'blindsided' by their daughter's conviction. Since her arrest, he believes they would have been caught between 'shock, disbelief, maybe even denial, and leading up to the trial, they would have clung on to some semblance of hope that she might get a not guilty plea. Obviously, that's all come crashing down.' Susan, 63, and John, 77, had been a constant presence during her ten-month trial at Manchester Crown Court and attended every day. They are seen on August 17 - the day before she was convicted, and the last day she appeared in the dock Letby being arrested by police. Investigators suspect Letby had told her parents scant detail about the crimes she was being accused of before it was laid out in front of them in court Nothing suggests Mr and Mrs Letby were anything but caring parents who showered their daughter with love from the moment she was born - five months after they married in July 1989 Speaking to The Telegraph, he also predicted they would feel a deep sense of mistrust about those around them. He said: 'They might become very sensitive and paranoid about people around them in the local community, because they'll be judged by so many people everybody will know who they are and what Lucy did.' 'I don't think they'll ever fully understand or accept' what she has done, Das thinks, leading to a future in which they will 'have to compartmentalise Lucy. 'There's the part of her that's done these horrific things, but there's still part of them, I imagine, that will love, care for her and worry about her. But their relationship has been 'irreparably damaged.' The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. Investigators suspect Letby had told her parents scant detail about the crimes she was being accused of before it was laid out in front of them in court. A source told the Daily Mail last week that Letby's mother was distraught when she was arrested in 2018 wailing, crying and even telling police, 'I did it, take me instead,' in a desperate bid to protect her. At the time of Letby's arrest, her parents' neighbours told The Times that the family were devastated. One was reported as having said: 'She's an only child. Do I have to say anymore? I just feel for them so much. I feel so helpless that there is nothing we can do.' In July 2018, her mother was seen accompanying Letby - dressed in a pink hoodie, sunglasses and a sun hat - for a meeting about bail conditions. Retail boss John and Susan, an accounts clerk, raised Letby as an only child in a 1930s semi-detached home in a cul-de-sac. They still live in the same house - which they bought shortly after their marriage - and holiday in Torquay three times a year, taking Letby with them right up until she was arrested in July 2018. Letby's parents marked her graduation by posting a notice in the local newspaper Nothing suggests Mr and Mrs Letby were anything but caring parents who showered their daughter with love from the moment she was born - five months after they married in July 1989. DAILY MAIL'S LUCY LETBY DOCUMENTARY 'Killer hiding in plain sight' The Trial of Lucy Letby: The Inside Story Advertisement Growing up, Letby was a 'delight' to her parents - neighbours remembered. She had a part-time job at WH Smith in the city, and her parents were immensely proud when she became the first in their family to go to university. When she attained her honours degree they marked her graduation, in December 2011, with an announcement in their local paper, the Hereford Times. Alongside a picture of her wearing a mortarboard and clutching her degree certificate, they wrote: 'Letby Lucy BSc Hons in Child Nursing. We are so proud of you after all your hard work. Love Mum and Dad.' A similar announcement, with an accompanying photograph of Letby as a young child, was also placed in the same newspaper to mark her 21st birthday. But texts Letby exchanged with colleagues hinted she sometimes felt smothered by her mother and father and guilty about moving away. She explained they missed her and hated her living alone. She appeared to speak or text them every day and described them as 'suffocating at times'. She told one doctor friend who was considering moving to New Zealand that she could never do that as it would 'completely devastate' them. 'Find it hard enough being away from me now and it's only 100 miles,' she said. Letby listens to the verdicts being read at Manchester Crown Court on August 11 READ MORE - Letby grins for local paper photo to celebrate the fundraiser bosses made her a poster girl for Advertisement In a message to another friend, she wrote: 'My parents worry massively about everything & anything, hate that I live alone etc. 'I feel bad because I know it's really hard for them especially as I'm an only child, and they mean well, just a little suffocating at times and constantly feel guilty.' Ms Letby sometimes broke into tears in court during the trial and appeared anxious during breaks when her daughter was undergoing particularly tough periods of questioning by the prosecution. As the guilty verdicts were returned, Ms Letby broke into a series of anguished sobs which continued even after she had left the court. Letby will die in prison after being handed 14 life sentences - one for seven charges of murder and attempted murder. WATCH THE MAIL'S LUCY LETBY DOCUMENTARY IN FULL HERE The site of Burning Man is facing a washout as Storm Hilary drenches Nevada the week before the iconic desert art festival is set to begin. Organizers were scrambling Monday to figure out next steps as Black Rock City in the northern Nevada desert flooded and roads leading into the pop-up city were closed. Some 80,000 people are expected to descend on the open-air, anti-capitalist art fair beginning on the 27th and lasting through September 4. A festival that left many regular 'Burners' feeling frustrated last year, leaves little room for error at this year's event. As Hilary moved to the northeast early Monday from Southern California, where it battered the San Diego, Palm Springs, and Los Angeles areas, it crossed the border in Nevada, where a state of emergency was preemptively declared. A Sunday evening update clarified that Gate Road, an entryway to the festival ground, would be closed until at least noon on Monday and possible later, depending on storm flooding. For the moment, this announcement primarily impacts workers who are setting up the grounds and installing various elements of the festival. Playa seems little muddy right now. What is the chance it will be dry in a week? #BurningMan #BM2023 pic.twitter.com/8a1n7Zks7B Andrey Chursov, Ph.D. (@achursov) August 18, 2023 Parts of Nevada have flooded after Hilary crossed into the state early Monday 'Due to the rain forecast Sunday 8/20 into Monday 8/21, the gate will be closed until at least noon on Monday 8/21. If you were planning to travel to BRC with a Work Access Pass, delay your plans. It can take 12+ hours for the playa to dry, so please be patient. More info to come,' read a tweet from an account called Burning Man Traffic. Videos coming out of Black Rock City Monday morning show the desert flooding as rain hammers the area, soaking through many of the thus far installed impermanent structures that have been set up. The event is not scheduled to begin until Sunday, and Hilary is predicted to dissipate by Monday afternoon into Tuesday, but it remains to be seen how long Black Rock City will take to dry out. Significant delays may impact the preparedness of organizers as visitors begin to arrive this weekend. The conundrum on Burning Man's grounds is the latest development from Hilary, which, while working through Southern California, flooded Dodger Stadium, cut off the ability of Palm Springs residents to call 911, and caused hundreds of flight cancelations out of San Diego, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. Over the weekend in Nevada, Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency after dispatching 100 National Guardsmen to southern Nevada last week to prep for the storm. Hilary's path was driven north into Black Rock City, which is in the upper part of the state. Rains from Hilary are predicted to travel as far north and Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. 'My administration will continue to work diligently with state, federal, tribal, and local partners in preparation and response to this severe weather event,' said Lombardo in a statement. 'Hurricane Hilary represents a serious threat to our communities, and once again, I implore all Nevadans to prepare for flooding, remain vigilant, and to follow all guidance from state and local emergency officials.' Flood watches in the Southwest as Hilary continues to batter desert areas. Early Monday the storm will move into Nevada, where a state of emergency has been declared Burning Man organizers may or may not be able to stomach a tropical storm-sized hit to their planning this year, after tickets sold at steep discounts following a festival that was frustrating to many longtime fans last year. In a typical year, tickets to the free-spirited festival sell for $575, in addition to $150 parking passes. This year, however, resellers were offering rates as low as $139, with parking passes marked down as well. SFGate reported that some faithful 'Burners' were feeling less bullish about the festival this year for a number of reasons, which include tech layoffs, an influx of influencers at the event, and weather concerns - which seem to have borne themselves out Monday. 'Last year's Burn was hot and difficult, which is part of the trendline the Earth is on,' longtime Burner Linda Williamson told SFGate. Paris Hilton is seen at Burning Man last year. Since many Burners like to take years off between attending, the pandemic pause may have reset the cycle and teed up 2023 as an off-year Williamson first attended Burning Man in 1997 but won't be going back this year, citing a logistical nightmare last year that resulted in a 10-hour traffic jam to return to civilization after the event. 'You have to devote an entire day just to the process of getting to the pavement,' Williamson said. 'I would love to be able to go, but I would also love to be able to leave.' Last year, some Burners reported that they waited as long as 12 hours to get away from the camp, and photos from the event show monster traffic jams stretching across the desert. Four Mexican men were killed during a hiking accident on the Pico de Orizaba on Saturday, authorities in the central state of Puebla said. The climbers were scaling the active volcano the highest mountain in the country and third in North America when they fell approximately 16,400 feet. The Puebla civil defense said that the climbing accident took place on the southern side of the volcano mountain - also known by its indigenous name Citlaltepetl - in the municipality of Atzitzintla. A preliminary report indicated that the accident was caused after one of the hikers slipped and fell, dragging the other three with him. Jose Sepagua and three other mountain climbers were accidentally killed while scaling the Pico de Orizaba, an active volcano, in Mexico, on Sunday Carlos Altamirano is among the four hikers who were killed in a climbing accident at Pico de Orizaba, an active volcano, in Mexico A preliminary report showed that Humberto Muray and three other mountain climbers were killed in an accident Sunday at Pico de Orizaba after one of the men slipped and fell, dragging the group about 16,400 feet down the volcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and third in North America The climbers accidentally were killed after one of the reportedly slipped and fell on the mountain and dragged the other hikers down the southern side of the volcano The victims have been identified as Hugo Cruz, 19; Jose Sepagua, 63; Carlos Altamirano, 53; and Humberto Muray, who is said to be 56. Images released by the Puebla civil defense showed rescue workers, including the Mexican Red Cross, attempting to recover the bodies down from a loose, rocky apron below an even steeper slope. Altamirano's and Muray's bodies were recovered Sunday. Red Cross footage showed volunteers carrying Cruz's and Sepagua's bodies after they were removed Monday around 4am. Sunday's incident is the first deadly accident on Pico de Orizaba, which soars to 18,619 feet above sea level and borders the states of Puebla and Veracruz, since June 16, 2022. Puebla state rescue workers and Mexico's Red Cross removed the bodies of four hikers who were killed in a climbing accident at Pico de Orizaba on Sunday At 18,619 feet above sea level, Pico de Orizaba is the highest mountain in Mexico. It is located between the states of Puebla and Veracruz Mexico's Red Cross said a rescue mission to recover all of the climbers was completed around 4 am Monday when two bodies were removed from Pico de Orizaba, an active volcano and the highest mountain in the country Abraham Cruz, of Bolivia, suffered a 492-foot fall, which authorities attributed to him not using suitable climbing equipment. In 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico said a member of the U.S. diplomatic mission died while climbing on the mountain. In November 2017, another American climber died and seven others were rescued on the mountain. Earlier this year, 31-year-old Perla Tijerina, of Mexico, spent 31 days living on top of the Pico de Orizaba as part of a personal challenge in which she sought out to test her mental strength and personal determination. A medic suspected of murdering nine Missouri patients more than 20 years ago has been jailed after admitting the manslaughter of two people. Respiratory assistant Jennifer Anne Hall, 42, was sentenced to 18 years on Friday for killing Fern Franco, 75, David Wesley Harper, 37, at the Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe. The court heard that both were condemned to a 'ghastly death' after they were injected with a drug that stopped them breathing during a wave of unexplained deaths during her five months at the hospital. From December 2001, when Hall started working at the hospital, until she was placed on administrative leave the following May, there were 18 cardiac arrests or 'Code Blue' events, up from an average of one a year previously. 'A sentence 20 years in the making,' Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney Adam Warren said in a statement. Hall repeatedly proclaimed her innocence but was always the prime suspect for the unexplained deaths Aprille Franco with a photo of her grandmother Fern who was killed by Hall 'For now, we all sleep better knowing she is behind bars.' Hall, who will be eligible for parole in 18 years time, served a year in jail for an arson attack on another hospital where she previously worked, a conviction that was later struck out. Hall was wearing a 'Care Bear' hoodie with the motto 'I don't f***ing care' when arrested by police in Kansas She was always the prime suspect over the suspicious deaths because she was with the victims at the time and had access to lethal pharmaceuticals. But in 2015 she told the Kansas City Star she wanted her name cleared, over the hospital deaths. 'My name is just thrown out there, and it's for horrifying reasons, I don't want my character destroyed,' she told the paper. The case was revived in 2017 after an analysis of Francos tissue samples found morphine and a powerful muscle relaxant used in anesthesia in her system. Neither drug was prescribed or ordered for her by her doctors, investigators said. 'Hall's victim was a sick, defenseless, elderly woman who was depending on Hall to care for her physical ailment within a medical facility,' a Chillicothe police officer testified in the document asserting probable cause for Hall's arrest. 'The substance Hall used to brutally take Fern Franco's life, succinylcholin, paralyzes the victim's muscles, including the diaphragm, causing the victim to suffer a ghastly death from suffocation while still maintaining full consciousness and awareness that they are unable to breath. Cardiac arrests went from one-a-year to 18 during the six months Hall was working at the 49-bed Hendrick Medical Centre in Chillicothe, Missouri (pictured) 'Morphine also acts to suppress respiration and is not given to pneumonia patients for that reason,' the officer wrote. Harper was dead just three days after he was admitted to the medical center with bronchitis. Police said the nurse told colleagues she found him seated on the edge of his bed when she entered his room, and that he complained about feeling ill before going into 'complete respiratory arrest'. Hall was found with a vial of succinylcholine in her pocket even though she was not certified to administer the drug. 'Because of Hall's singular proximity to stricken patients, her access to pharmaceuticals which are deadly if misused, and her discovery and method of notifying staff of every patient's cardiac emergency, nursing staff believed Hall was responsible for the patient deaths,' Chillicothe Police Officer Brian Schmidt wrote. Hospital chiefs eventually put Hall was on administrative leave on May 18, 2002 - two days after the death of Franco, whom cops contend was the last of her victims. She was arrested by Jefferson County police in Kansas in May last year, wearing a hoodie that pictured a 'Care Bear' and the motto 'I just don't f***ing care'. Hall was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty in April to reduced first-degree involuntary manslaughter counts in the deaths of Franco and Harper, along with one count of attempted second-degree assault. The investigation found 'that Hall is exceptionally computer literate, capable of locating anyone's personal information, and efficient at masking her on-line identity.' The criminal complaint against Hall listed 34 state witnesses, all of them identified only by their initials. Schmidt's probable cause statement said the witnesses 'expressed fear for their lives and the safety of their families if Hall were to discover their names and personal information.' Aprille Franco, the granddaughter of deceased Fern, said she hopes the surviving relatives of Hall's other alleged victims obtain some sense of closure. 'I don't want this to happen to anybody else,' she said after Hall's arrest. She said her late father, Fern's son, had long hoped for his mother's death to be explained. 'I'm doing this for him, and the families,' she added. Hall was suspected of killing seven other patients but will be eligible for parole in 18 years 'They deserve justice.' In 2010 a wrongful-death lawsuit was launched by relatives of five patients who died against St Luke's Health System, a company which took over the hospital a year after the deaths. But the Missouri Supreme Court struck out the lawsuit in 2019 citing the statute of limitations. 'We, too, are only interested in the truth, and look forward to a final resolution of the investigation,' St Lukes said in a statement. Two US servicemen have been arrested in Germany after a 28-year-old man was stabbed to death at a carnival in the western town of Wittlich. Both men, aged 25 and 26, are stationed at the nearby Spangdahlem air base and became involved in a scuffle with a security manager in the early hours of Saturday morning, German police reported. The victim, named as 'Michael O', was repeatedly stabbed and police are investigating whether a knife found nearby in the towns river Lieser is connecter with the killing. The base is home to around 5,000 service personnel and support staff, including the USAF 52nd Fighter Wing, nicknamed The Saber Nation. Police said a fight broke out at around 2.40am and four people, two men and two women, ran away from the scene of the crime. The mayor of the town said the attack was unprecedented as he appealed for calm The two servicemen were quickly arrested but did not speak to police, according to chief public prosecutor Manfred Stemper. One of the men said he couldn't remember. The motive for the alleged act was completely unclear, he told reporters. The group were visiting the towns traditional Saubrenner fair which attracts around 100,000 people each year, police said. Base commander Colonel Kevin Crofton said the attack was an intolerable and avoidable tragedy in our peaceful community, and thanked the people of Wittlich for their partnership and patience while the investigation unfolds. But the killing has shocked the small town which is a popular destination for off-duty officers. We've never experienced anything like this here, said Wittlich mayor Joachim Rodenkirch. The arrested men are among 5,000 stationed at the US Spangdahlem airbase in western Germany This act happened right on our doorstep, you can only begin to measure the pain in the family, In a speech in the town square he called for calm and said was horrified and terribly sad that a young man died in such a brutal way. German police have handed to the two men over to US authorities, who will take charge of the case in accordance with NATO statutes, a spokesman said. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations has taken over the investigation and has been approached for comment. President Yoon Suk Yeol presides over a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Aug. 21. Yonhap President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that increased threats of provocation from North Korea will only strengthen security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan. Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, a day after he returned from a trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. "The larger North Korea's threats of provocations become, the more solid the structure of trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will become," Yoon said. "These structures of trilateral cooperation will lower the risk of North Korea's provocations and further strengthen our security," he added. The first stand-alone summit among the three countries' leaders produced a series of agreements on bolstering security and economic cooperation, including a "commitment" to immediately consult one another in the event of common threats and an agreement to hold annual trilateral defense exercises. The three leaders also agreed to hold trilateral summits at least annually and operationalize the real-time sharing of missile warning data on North Korea before the end of the year. "From now on, cooperation mechanisms among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will function as powerful cooperation mechanisms promoting peace and prosperity in and outside the region, together with AUKUS and Quad, and continue to expand and develop," Yoon said, referring to the trilateral security pact involving Australia, Britain and the U.S., and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue involving the U.S., Australia, Japan and India. "Once South Korea, the U.S. and Japan connect the supply chain early warning systems they have been operating individually until now, our supply chain information and resilience level will improve dramatically," he added. Monday's Cabinet meeting was also held to discuss the Ulchi civil defense exercise that kicked off the same day for a four-day run. The annual exercise was fully reinstated last year after being scaled back under the previous administration and will involve some 580,000 officials from about 4,000 central and local government agencies and public institutions to check and enhance readiness for war and other contingencies. Yoon called for readiness against what he said would be North Korea's attempts to sow severe social confusion and division in the event of war through the distribution of fake news and the mobilization of anti-state forces for propaganda. President Yoon Suk Yeol presides over a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Aug. 21. Yonhap He also warned of North Korea's likely attempts to paralyze national infrastructure through attacks on nuclear power plants, cutting-edge industrial facilities and national telecommunication networks. "In order to achieve its goal in war, North Korea will fully mobilize all available means and will be willing to use nuclear weapons," Yoon said, noting that starting this year, the Ulchi exercise will include a government-led drill on responding to a potential North Korean nuclear attack. The civil defense drill is part of a South Korea-U.S. joint annual military exercise, called the Ulchi Freedom Shield, which will run until Aug. 31. Yoon presided over a National Security Council meeting before the Cabinet session and stressed the importance of the allied drills, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon. "True peace is defended not by one-sided begging or good will, but only by overwhelming strength," he was quoted as saying. "North Korea talks of preemptive nuclear attacks and offensive war preparations, but we will immediately and overwhelmingly punish any provocation from North Korea." (Yonhap) A victim of Jeffrey Epstein said she dated a JPMorgan employee who told her not to report his abuse to police - while the pedophile financier was still one of the bank's clients. Sarah Ransome, who was 22 when Epstein began abusing her in 2006, said she dated a senior employee at JPMorgan and told him about what was happening, but he encouraged her to 'move on and forget this whole thing'. The bank is accused in lawsuits of keeping Epstein as a client even though it knew about his abuse. It allegedly facilitated his abuse by providing financial services. Ransome previously disclosed in her memoir, Silenced No More, that she dated a senior banker who told her not to go to police. But he was identified only as 'Dan', a pseudonym, and the bank was not named. She has now told The Daily Beast that Dan, whose identity has not been reported, was an employee of JPMorgan. She said that although her former boyfriend did not work in the bank's private banking division, which counted Epstein as a client, she wonders whether Dan was still aware of the connection. Sarah Ransome (left) said she dated a senior employee at JPMorgan and told him that Epstein was abusing her, but he encouraged her to 'move on and forget this whole thing'. Ransome is pictured in 2022 with another Epstein victim, Elizabeth Stein JPMorgan is accused in lawsuits of keeping Epstein as a client even though it knew about his abuse. It allegedly facilitated his abuse by providing financial services 'Anything to do with Epstein, there are no coincidences whatsoever,' she told The Daily Beast, adding that JPMorgan has 'a lot to answer for'. 'In light of everything that's come out recently with JPMorgan, I can't be quiet.' Ransome, who was born in South Africa and moved to Scotland aged 14, was lured into Epstein's web by one of his recruiters after coming to New York to become a model. Epstein claimed he had connections at FIT, the New York fashion college, and Ransome has said he 'used my education as a way for me to trade my soul to the devil and become a sex slave to pay for my studies'. While the college placement never materialized, failure to agree to have sex with Epstein would lead to him refusing to support her anymore, leaving Ransome penniless and with no prospect of making it as a model, she claims. She dated the JPMorgan staffer from 2007 to 2008. 'I told him that I was being raped,' she said. 'I told him I was being trafficked. He knew what was being done to me. But I was so confused [He] wasn't like, 'Hey, let's go to the authorities.' He was like, 'No, no, no, don't go.'' Ransome said that she eventually left the US for London to escape Epstein's abuse but that the boyfriend followed her and was 'love-bombing' her. She wrote in her memoir: 'I had a funny feeling about Dan. I still do Once when I told him I might go to the authorities, he said, 'Why don't you just move on and forget this whole thing?'' 'I have no proof that they were connected,' she added of Dan and Epstein. 'I just had a question mark lodged in my gut, the sort of inkling Ive sometimes ignored at my peril...' Ransome is pictured in 2006 at Little St James, the property owned by Epstein in the US Virgin Islands, in a picture released by the United States Southern District of New York Epstein had been a JPMorgan client from 1998 until the bank terminated him in 2013, years after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for sex in the Florida state case. He died of an apparent suicide in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell The Daily Beast also reported that it reviewed emails between Ransome and Dan that were sent from his JPMorgan email address. Following Epstein's imprisonment in Florida, he sent Ransome an email about the news with the note, 'finally'. The Daily Beast said Dan did not respond to questions about the alleged behavior. JPMorgan was approached for comment. Epstein was a JPMorgan client from 1998 to 2013. The bank faces lawsuits over allegations it knew about his depraved behavior but failed to drop him as a client. Recent court filings allege JPMorgan Chase viewed Epstein as 'too big to fail' and so it retained him as a client even after his 2006 sex crimes indictment in Florida due to his connections to the rich and powerful. The US Virgin Islands unveiled the new accusations in a court memorandum in July, as part of its ongoing lawsuit against JPMorgan over the giant bank's ties to former client Epstein. The territory is suing JPMorgan for at least $190 million, saying the bank ignored red flags about convicted sex offender Epstein because he was a wealthy and lucrative client. Epstein owned the islands of Little St James and Great St James in the US Virgin Islands. Little St James was nicknamed 'pedophile island' after Epstein used it to abuse his victims. The recent court documents reveal that former JPMorgan executive Jes Staley testified under oath that he discussed Epstein's 'very public' 2006 indictment with the bank's CEO Jamie Dimon at the time it was making headlines. Dimon has previously denied any knowledge of Epstein or his account with JPMorgan until his 2019 arrest on federal charges, saying that he did not recall any conversations about Epstein with top lieutenants. Pictured left to right: Former JPMorgan exec Jes Staley, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Gates and Gate's trusted lieutenant Boris Nikolic Jamie Dimon (above) has previously denied any knowledge of Epstein or his account with JPMorgan until his 2019 arrest on federal charges, saying that he did not recall any conversations about Epstein with top lieutenants Staley, 66, led JPMorgan's asset management business from 2001 to 2009, and its corporate and investment bank from 2009 to 2013. He later spent six years as Barclays Plc's chief executive. JPMorgan is separately suing Staley to cover its losses in the lawsuits filed by the USVI and Epstein's victims, claiming he concealed what he knew about the disgraced financier and internally vouched for him. Staley has acknowledged being friendly with Epstein, but denied knowing about his sex trafficking, accusing JPMorgan of using him as a 'public relations shield' to deflect blame for its own failures in working with Epstein. Epstein had been a JPMorgan client from 1998 until the bank terminated him in 2013, years after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for sex in the Florida state case. He died of an apparent suicide in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking dozens of girls as young 14. The US Virgin Islands accused JPMorgan of turning a blind eye to Epstein's crimes, claiming the bank 'knowingly handled virtually every financial transaction Epstein needed to operate his sex-trafficking venture.' 'Epstein was too big to fail,' attorneys for the territory claim. Sen. Mitt Romney says he will decide in the fall whether to run for reelection to the Senate after years of bitter attacks from Donald Trump and his allies, plus the prospect of a bruising primary challenge. The 76-year-old former presidential nominee has become a lightning rod for the Trump wing of the Republican Party, frequently dismissed as 'Republican in Name Only.' It is a role he has embraced, recently arguing that the party should coalesce around an alternative to Trump in the presidential contest. Now he must decide whether he has the stomach for an exhausting primary battle in Utah, which was once cool on Trump and his allies but now favors the former president over Romney, according to recent polls. 'I'll make my own decision based upon my assessment of what I would be able to accomplish in the second term,' he told the Wall Street Journal. Sen. Mitt Romney says he will decide in the fall whether to run for reelection after years of bitter attacks from Donald Trump, plus the prospect of a bruising primary challenge He added that he found deal making 'fun and productive.' And he said he had a tough enough skin to live with attacks from a party that has moved to the right of the 2012 Republican candidate for president. 'Just because I'm alone doesn't mean I'm wrong You get to a point in life where its not like sitting alone in high school in the cafeteria,' he said. His state has also left him behind, according to a poll published in June. A Deseret News and University of Utah Hinckley Institute of Politics survey found that 47 percent of Republican voters believed Trump better represented them, compared to 39 percent who went for Romney. Yet in 2016, Trump only managed third in the state's presidential caucus. That leaves space for a Trumpy alternative in a primary. Utah state House speaker Brad Wilson has established an exploratory committee but says he is holding off on a final decision until Romney announces whether or not he is running again. Even so, Wilson who barely a month after rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 2021 filed a motion 'paying tribute' to Trump already has the declared support of 60 Utah House and Senate members. Romney spoke out against Donald Trump in 2016 and the former president continues to repay the compliment, especially since the Utah senator voted for his impeachment Utah state House speaker Brad Wilson has established an exploratory committee but says he is holding off from a final decision until Romney announces whether or not he is running again Only one Republican has declared for the race, but several others are circling, including former Rep. Jason Chaffetz. Meanwhile, Romney, with his reputation as an establishment Republican, remains a favorite punchbag of Trump, just as he has been since 2016. 'Who is a worse Senator, John The Stiff Cornyn of Texas, or Mitt The Loser Romney of Massachusetts (Utah?)?' he asked on his media platform Truth Social recently. 'They are both weak, ineffective, and very bad for the Republican Party, and our Nation.' The attacks have been an ever-present part of Trump's rally speeches. An Australian holidaymaker claimed he spent three days in hospital after being bitten by a venomous snake in Cornwall. Chris Laing, 37, lives in Melbourne where he has avoided Australia's various dangerous animals despite being an experienced bush walker. But after travelling thousands of miles to the UK he had to be rushed for emergency treatment when bitten by an adder. Mr Laing was raised in St Just, Cornwall and moved to Australia in 2010. During a return to his Cornish family he was ironically struck by the venomous reptile near their home on August 17. Australian Chris Laing, 37, (pictured) spent three days in hospital after being bitten by a venomous snake in Cornwall During his trip to the UK he had to be rushed for emergency treatment after he was bitten by an adder (pictured) Mr Laing in hospital with his Australian friend who he was on the walk with when bitten Mr Laing felt a sharp sting in his right ankle (pictured swollen). When he looked down he was shocked to see an adder snake latched on to him Mr Laing, who has avoided being bitten by a snake for 13 years in Australia, says the ordeal's 'irony has not been lost' on him. 'Most people don't even think we have venomous snakes outside of Oz so it was funny. The irony wasn't lost on any of us,' he said. 'I don't think I stepped on it. I've done a fair bit of bush walking out in Australia so my eyes are pretty well trained to looking at the path ahead. 'I had a sensation come from the right hand side. I thought it was a wasp or a bee. I couldn't believe it when I saw the snake.' Mr Laing had been walking along the coastal path between Lands End and St Just with his friend from Australia who had come to visit when he was bitten. He had been for a swim near Porth Nanven and was continuing on the walk when things took an unexpected turn. The Smart Cities program manager felt a sharp sting in his right ankle. When he looked down he was shocked to see an adder snake latched on to him. He eventually managed to kick the snake off of himself, but noticed the snake tried to lunge a second for him. 'It was bizarre behaviour from the snake. Usually they nip and retreat so I think it must have been protecting a nest,' he said. He had been walking along the coastal path between Lands End and St Just with his friend from Australia Mr Laing in hospital with his girlfriend after being bitten by the venomous reptile He had been for a swim near Porth Nanven and was continuing on the walk when things took an unexpected turn He said: 'Most people don't even think we have venomous snakes outside of Oz so it was funny. The irony wasn't lost on any of us' 'I was wearing running socks with a lot of elastic in them so I also think it might have been stuck in there. 'That means I might have gotten a few doses of the venom in me.' He added: 'When you get bitten by a snake the advice is the stay calm, immobilise where you were bitten and to not move so the venom doesn't pump around your body. 'I had to walk to the road thought so that probably didn't help.' After snapping a photo of the serpent, his friend helped Mr Laing up to the nearest road where they thankfully met a man with a car who drove him back to St Just. His leg soon began to tingle and go numb, so after calling 111 he was driven an hour away to the Royal Cornwall Hospital by his girlfriend. While walking to the A&E entrance, Mr Laing collapsed. He remained in hospital until Sunday after two separate doses of anti-venom and being monitored for several days. 'My leg was ballooning. The swelling was huge and the anti-venom made me feel sick,' he said. 'The staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospital were fantastic and really looked after me. 'I couldn't believe I had been bitten by a venomous snake here of all places. 'When I told my family my Australian uncle replied straight away - he thought I was joking.' A motorist has miraculously escaped with minor injuries after the car she was driving plunged off a cliff. Dramatic pictures from the daring three-hour rescue show the car stuck far down the rocky precipice with crashing waves below. Rescuers appear to have used ropes to descend towards the wrecked red Mini near Port Soderick, on the Isle of Man, from the steep bank by the road overlooking the sea. Brave fire crews worked by torchlight to save the stranded hatchback - with a light on the end of a fire engine's crane illuminating the scene. The smashed-up vehicle can later be seen in midair as it was lifted to safety - dangling on the end of a huge crane above the rugged landscape. Dramatic pictures from the daring three-hours rescue show the car stuck far down the rocky precipice with crashing waves below Brave fire crews worked by torchlight to save the stranded hatchback - with a light on the end of a fire engine's crane illuminating the scene Rescuers appear to have used ropes to descend towards the wrecked red Mini near Port Soderick, on the Isle of Man, from the steep bank by the road overlooking the sea The smashed-up vehicle can later be seen in midair as it was lifted to safety - dangling on the end of a huge crane above the rugged landscape The only significant damage appeared to be from the car's bumper, which is hanging off. The woman was rescued by fire crews and coastguards after her car landed on the cliff. Fire crews said she climbed out of the vehicle herself after the crash, which happened at about 11.15pm on Thursday, but needed help to get back to the road. Police said she was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A fire service spokesperson said: 'The single occupant of the vehicle had self-extricated but required assistance from the emergency services to get to a place of safety. 'Fire crews and the coastguard worked together to set up a rescue system for casualty recovery. 'Fire crews and the coastguard remained in attendance for three hours to assist in the recovery of the vehicle.' The woman was rescued by fire crews and coastguards after her car landed on the cliff Fire crews said she climbed out of the vehicle herself after the crash, which happened at about 11.15pm on Thursday, but needed help to get back to the road Reacting to the shocking photos, island locals took to social media to share their amazement at the driver's lucky escape Reacting to the shocking photos, island locals took to social media to share their amazement at the driver's lucky escape. One said: 'The car doesnt look as bad as I expected, very lucky person that it didnt crumple.' Another, Wendy Williams, added: 'Crikey! I bet the driver thought it was good night Vienna!' And a third - Ali Pate - said: 'Wow someone has had a lucky escape. Well done to all the emergency services.' The Mormon mom-of-three and grief book author Kouri Richins accused of killing her husband by spiking his Moscow Mule with a lethal mix of vodka and fentanyl, will not face the death penalty, if convicted. Richins, 33, who allegedly poisoned her millionaire businessman husband Eric Richins, 39, in their home near Park City Utah in March 2022 and then went onto publish a picture book on grief to help her children cope with the loss, will be spared the possibility of an execution. The victim's sisters and father reached the decision on Friday after Summit County prosecutors said it was made in 'careful consultation.' The notice was filed in Utah's 3rd District Court, The New York Post reported. Richins was arrested in May on charges of first-degree aggravated murder and multiple counts of second degree possession of a control substance with intent to distribute. Prosecutors said that her murder charges will be handled as a noncapital first-degree felony, as per the news outlet. Pictured: Mormon mother-of-three accused of poisoning her husband with a lethal cocktail in March 2022 is seen in court at a bail hearing on June 12 in Park City, Utah Richins was handcuffed and wearing a chain around her waist as she was escorted out of the courtroom by police A close-up of Richins looking somber as she is handcuffed with a chain around her waist in the courtroom Richins is also suing her husband's estate alleging she deserves monetary and physical assets as outlined in a prenuptial agreement that made prior to their June 2013 wedding. On June 9, she filed a civil suit claiming that she is entitled to half of all equity on the couple's home, which she estimates to be worth 'at least $1.9million, as well as about $2million in proceeds from the sale of Eric's share of a stone masonry business following his death. She is currently being held without bail at the Summit County Jail for allegedly murdering her husband on March 4, 2022 by giving him a Moscow Mule laced with about five times the lethal dose of fentanyl. She has not yet entered a plea on charges of criminal homicide, aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance, but her sister-in-law, Katie, alleged she had a financial motive for the murder. Kouri and Eric were married in June 2013, but before they walked down the aisle, the couple signed a prenuptial agreement in which Eric included a list of assets and debts that were acquired prior to their marriage that he wanted to remain in his ownership if the two were to divorce. It included Eric's 50 percent ownership interest of C & E Stone Masonry LLC, saying the business would remain his sole property even if Kouri invested in, or spent money on the company. Under the agreement, obtained by ABC 4. the only way Kouri could claim ownership or rights to the business is if Eric 'should die prior to [Kouri] while the two are lawfully married.' But prior to his death, Eric reportedly assigned ownership of the business to the Eric Richins Living Trust, and after he was found dead at their family home in Kamas, the interest from the business was sold to his partner, Cody Wright. Proceeds from that sale were around $2 million, according to the suit, but are currently on hold as Kouri argues that even though her husband transferred the business interest to the trust, it does not diminish her rights as set forth in the prenup. Pictured: Kouri and Eric Richins were married in June 2013 An undated family photo taken during the holidays and the pet dog The grief book 'Are you with me?' that Richins wrote a year after her husband's death She also argued that their family home was not included in the list of assets Eric had prior to their marriage, which she says is proof that it is a joint marital asset, and she should therefore be entitled to half of all equity on the house they bought in 2012 for $400,000. Kouri argued she contributed to the down payment on the home, the monthly mortgage payments and utility payments. She also said that after Eric's death, she funded a swimming pool and fencing at the house, which were contracted before his death. But a police search warrant following Eric's sudden death noted he had expressed concerns his wife was trying to kill him, and he had changed his will and power of attorney to give his sister full control before he was allegedly poisoned. Eric set up a trust on November 3, 2020, and Kouri said he included the family home in the trust without her authorization or knowledge. He also allegedly assigned personal property (purchased with funds from his and Kouri's joint bank accounts) without Kouri's knowledge or consent. But Eric's sister claimed he set up the trust after discovering that Kouri had stolen or misappropriated about $494,000 of his money. Katie alleged in a petition to block Kouri's claims on Eric's estate that in 2016, just three years into their marriage, Kouri started having financial problems and began stealing money from Eric to help with her real estate business. She argued that Kouri took money from his bank accounts and ran debts on his credit cards without his knowledge and even tried to change his life insurance policy to make her the sole beneficiary. According to the petition, Eric learned in September 2020 that Kouri had withdrawn at least $100,000 from his bank accounts and borrowed about $30,000 on his credit cards. Katie said he then confronted Kouri about the stolen money, and she admitted to taking it. At around the same time, Katie claimed, Eric discovered Kouri borrowed another $250,000 using a fraudulent Power of Attorney claim. Kouri Richins is seen in a professional photo that was posted on her Facebook account The petition alleged that in March 2019, Kouri opened up a bank account with a revolving line of credit and borrowed $250,000 without Eric's knowledge or consent, forging his signature. She then allegedly had Eric sign a Power of Attorney document legally binding Eric to the loan, but 'upon signing, Eric did not believe he was signing over such substantial rights.' Katie said Eric confronted Kouri about the fraudulent loan and she reportedly admitted she had wrongfully taken the loan and promised to pay it back. She allegedly repeated this promise as well as those to pay back Eric for the stolen bank money and credit card charges just a few days before Eric's death. Additionally, the petition stated, Kouri reportedly logged into Eric's life insurance account without his permission in January 2022 and changed the beneficiary from Cody to herself. But her attempt was unsuccessful, as the change had been discovered, and Eric changed it back to Cody. Kouri also allegedly promised she would pay Eric's tax obligations for his company and for his personal account using Eric's money, but she reportedly misdirected funds intended to be paid by C & E for the business' tax obligations as well as for Eric's personal tax obligations. The total amount Kouri misdirected or stole that were intended to be paid for Eric's federal tax obligations is at least $80,024, according to the petition, while the total amount for state tax obligations is reportedly at least $134,346. Katie's motion to disqualify Kouri from the estate, however, can not be granted until Kouri is found guilty, or not guilty, in her husband's murder. Authorities said Richins had told police she had performed CPR on Eric after finding him unresponsive in their home, but fire crew and medics who responded to the scene said this was unlikely as there was blood coming from his mouth. Court documents said Richins had bought $900 worth of fentanyl pills from an acquaintance before the Valentine's Day meal and two weeks later she asked for $900 more. Days later, Eric died of an overdose. Court documents showed he suffered an allergic reaction following a meal with Richins. He could not breathe and passed out after using an EpiPen and taking Benadryl. Following Eric's death, Richins had claimed he had an addiction to pain medicine in high school but there was no substance abuse issues since. But friends and family told police said they hadn't any idea of Eric being addicted to any form of medicine, and officers did not find any pain killers in the family home. It was later discovered that Kouri took her children on lavish vacations shortly after Eric's death. Nearly one year later, she penned a book to help children deal with grief, entitled 'Are You With Me?' She said in an interview earlier this year she was motivated to write the book after searching Amazon and Barnes and Noble and finding 'nothing' to help them 'cope'. 'I went on Amazon and Barnes and Noble to try to find something to help us cope at night, nights are the hardest. I just wanted some story to read to my kids at night and I couldn't find anything that suited them, so I was like "let's just write one."' She went on to describe her husband's death as a 'shock.' 'My husband passed away unexpectedly last year. March 4 was a one year anniversary for us. He was 39. 'It completely took us all by shock,' she claimed. An estranged husband who took his three children to Lebanon while their mother was away on a work trip has been handed a suspended jail term after a family court judge ruled he breached court orders. Samer Abdul Sater, 41, was hit with an 18-month jail term, suspended for six months, after a judge concluded he had breached court orders to return the youngsters to their mother Flora Abdul-Sater, 30, in England and was in contempt. A High Court in London heard how Mrs Abdul-Sater had not seen her sons William, seven, and Alexander, five, and daughter Jazmin, three, since they were taken from their then home in Egham, Surrey, in June 2022. Judge Sonia Harris said that the electronic appliance dealer had 'persistently' failed to comply with judges' orders. She added that the father 'persistently' failed to attend court hearings and had shown 'disrespect'. Flora Abdul-Sater (top right) had not seen her children since they were taken from their then home in Egham, Surrey, in June 2022 Judge Sonia Harris concluded that electronic appliance dealer Samer Abdul Sater, 41, had breached court orders to return the youngsters to their mother Flora Abdul-Sater (pictured with her children) in England and was in contempt The judge heard that Abdul Sater had taken to the children while their mother was away on a work trip and that the youngsters were in Lebanon. Mrs Abdul-Sater, an economist originally from Hungary, had begun committal proceedings in the hope of forcing her estranged husband to return the youngsters. Judge Harris sentenced Abdul Sater at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London today. The judge concluded that Abdul Sater, who was not at the hearing, had breached six court orders. She added: 'This court considers the conduct of ... Mr Abdul Sater to be particularly serious.' She said she was satisfied it was right to sentence Abdul Sater in his absence. Mrs Abdul-Sater, who no longer lives in Egham, is being represented by law firm Dawson Cornwell. Barrister Mani Basi, who led Mrs Abdul-Sater's legal team, told the judge: 'The children have not been returned to England ... and they remain in Lebanon.' He said she had last spoken to the children - by telephone - earlier this month and added: 'My client has no connection with Lebanon herself and is fearful for the children's safety and their welfare.' Mr Basi said Abdul Sater had breached 'many' orders and told the judge: 'He has no respect for the jurisdiction of England and Wales.' The judge said the children were wards of court but concluded that it would be in their best interests if they were allowed to be named in media reports of the case.' The partner at Dawson Cornwell who is representing Mrs Abdul-Sater confirmed to MailOnline today that the three children are still in Lebanon. A man has appeared in court charged with two terror offences relating to a data breach at the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Christopher Paul O'Kane, from Main Street, Feeny, is charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists and possession of two mobile phones for use in terrorism. The 50-year-old was pictured arriving at Coleraine Magistrates' Court in Ballymena, Co Antrim, earlier today. In court he sat handcuffed between two police officers and refused to stand when the charges were read against him. The defendant was arrested at his home on Friday after the personal data of all serving PSNI officers was mistakenly published online earlier this month. Christopher Paul O'Kane (pictured) appeared in court today charged with two terror offences after a PSNI data breach earlier this month O'Kane (pictured an Easter Commemoration ceremony in Derry in 2021) was arrested by police at his home in Feeny on Friday The court was told two phones were discovered in his bedroom, with a PSNI officer telling the hearing O'Kane was in possession of a spreadsheet containing names from the data leak on a phone found at his Dungiven home. The court heard that parts were highlighted which included details of sections of officers. The officer also said O'Kane had registered with a website that could be used to search for addresses using surnames. The officer said police believe O'Kane was intending to use the data to attempt to identify the home addresses of those named. The second phone contained images of explosive detonators, the court was told. The officer objected to bail based on the current heightened security situation. A defence solicitor said there was no evidence the material had been used for any nefarious purposes or with any intent. Bail was refused and O'Kane was remanded in custody for four weeks. Coleraine Magistrates' Court (pictured) heard O'Kane had possession of a spreadsheet containing names from the data leak on a phone found at his Dungiven home Chief Constable Simon Byrne (pictured) confirmed last week that dissident republicans had access to the information from the data leak Personal data on all serving members of the PSNI was mistakenly published earlier this month in response to a Freedom of Information request. Details released included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in. Chief Constable Simon Byrne confirmed last week that dissident republicans had access to the information and he believed it would be used to intimidate and target police. A document posted close to the Sinn Fein office in the Falls Road, Belfast, included information about a substantial number of police officers and staff, although their names had been removed. A number of other data breaches have since come to light, including the loss of a police officer's laptop and notebook which contained details of 42 officers and members of staff after the items fell from a moving vehicle last week. Ukraine paraded destroyed Russian tanks and fighting vehicles through the streets of Kyiv today as the nation prepares to mark its second wartime Independence Day. Ukrainians walked along Kreshchatyk Street in the heart of the capital staring at the charred shells of armoured combat vehicles and other bits of hardware, arranged in a long line like a military parade of the dead. Residents in central Kyiv said they liked having the wrecked Russian hardware on display and that they hoped it would raise the fighting spirit of Ukrainians. Ukraine's Independence Day, which commemorates 32 years of post-Soviet independence from Moscow, falls on Thursday - exactly 18 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its southern neighbour. The national holiday, which will be subdued because of the grinding toll of the war, comes at a critical juncture for Kyiv with its counteroffensive against Russian occupying forces making only slow progress in the country's east and south, well removed from Kyiv, and yet to retake major settlements. Ukraine paraded destroyed Russian tanks and fighting vehicles through the streets of Kyiv today as the nation prepares to mark its second wartime Independence Day Ukrainians walked along Kreshchatyk Street in the heart of the capital staring at the charred shells of armoured combat vehicles and other bits of hardware, arranged in a long line like a military parade of the dead Residents in central Kyiv said they liked having the wrecked Russian hardware on display and that they hoped it would raise the fighting spirit of Ukrainians A boy looks into the muzzle of a destroyed Russian military land vehicle displayed on Khreschatyk Street today Kyiv resident Natalia Koval, 59, expressed horror at what the battlefield trophies represented, but said she was confident Ukraine would eventually defeat Russia. 'Our state will celebrate,' she said. 'Yes, maybe not yet - but the moment will come, and this victory will be not only ours but a victory for the entire world.' Mark Omelchenko, 23, added: 'I think it's a good idea to show what our army is capable of doing and...to show how bad (the Russians) are at fighting. 'It's important to see such examples of our victories.' Mykola Kaplun, a 74-year-old from the central city of Vinnytsia who was visiting his granddaughter, said he was grateful for Western support in a war which, he conceded, sometimes feels as if it has dragged on too long. 'But the feeling that victory will definitely come has not changed,' he said. 'And my intuition tells me that all this will end by the end of the year, with our victory.' Ukrainian officials say their military's advance has been hampered by Russian minefields and well-prepared defensive lines, as well as Ukraine's lack of adequate air support. They say the Ukrainian death toll is a state secret, but US officials cited by the New York Times last week put the number of soldiers killed during the war at almost 70,000, with between 100,000 and 120,000 wounded. People look at destroyed Russian military land vehicles during an exhibition on Khreschatyk Street in Kyiv today Locals walk along Khreschatyk Street past displayed Russian military equipment destroyed by the Ukrainian army A man looks at destroyed Russian military land vehicles during an exhibition on Khreschatyk Street One Kyiv resident expressed horror at what the battlefield trophies represented, but said she was confident Ukraine would eventually defeat Russia Another said: 'I think it's a good idea to show what our army is capable of doing and...to show how bad (the Russians) are at fighting. 'It's important to see such examples of our victories' A sample of a destroyed Russian military land vehicle is displayed on Khreschatyk Street today Earlier today, Russian air defences jammed a Ukrainian drone west of Moscow and shot down another one on the outskirts of the city, Russia's Defense Ministry said. Two people were injured and one of them was hospitalised when drone fragments fell on a private house, Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said. Such drone attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in Russia in recent weeks. Russian rail officials also said that a relay cabinet used to run train traffic was set ablaze on the outskirts of Moscow, causing delays, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency. Russian authorities have reported multiple similar incidents across the country, some of which have been blamed on acts of sabotage encouraged by Ukrainian security agencies. In Ukraine, at least four civilians were killed and 25 others wounded by the latest Russian attacks, according to the Ukrainian presidential office. It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed today that Greece will help train Ukrainian F-16 warplane pilots and assist the reconstruction of Odesa. 'Today we have an important result for the air coalition: Greece will take part in training our pilots on F-16s. Thank you for this offer,' Zelensky told media alongside Mitsotakis on an official visit to Athens. A girl performs near destroyed Russian military vehicles today that were displayed ahead of the Independence Day in Kyiv A girl performs near destroyed Russian military vehicles in Kyiv today A man looks at destroyed Russian military land vehicles and missile fragments during an exhibition on Khreschatyk Street today People walk past destroyed Russian armoured military vehicles on display in Kyiv today Kyiv on Friday welcomed a US decision to let Denmark and the Netherlands hand F-16 fighter jets over to Ukraine once its pilots are trained to use them. Training by an 11-nation coalition is to begin this month, and officials hope pilots will be ready by early 2024. Greece has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia's invasion, providing humanitarian aid and weapons including infantry fighting vehicles, Kalashnikov assault rifles, launchers and ammunition. Mitsotakis today said Greece would 'be present in the titanic effort to reconstruct and rebuild' Ukraine, with 'particular emphasis on Odesa.' The Ukrainian port city in the early 19th century was the birthplace of a secret Greek revolutionary organisation that helped to spark the 1821 revolution against Ottoman rule in Greece. Zelensky is concluding a European tour with previous stops in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark. His visit to Athens coincided with an informal dinner hosted by Mitsotakis with Balkan leaders, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Charles Michel. The Greek PM's office said the gathering marks the twentieth anniversary of the 2003 Thessaloniki summit confirming the European perspective of Western Balkan states. The Ukrainian president had earlier posted on Telegram that he would hold a joint meeting and separate talks on bilateral issues with the Balkan leaders, and also meet with the European Commission president. A municipal worker cleans a sample of a destroyed Russian military land vehicle today Ukraine's Independence Day, which commemorates 32 years of post-Soviet independence from Moscow , falls on Thursday - exactly 18 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its southern neighbour. Pictured: A man looking at vehicles in today's parade Ukrainian officials say their military's advance has been hampered by Russian minefields and well-prepared defensive lines, as well as Ukraine's lack of adequate air support. Pictured: Locals in Kyiv view destroyed Russian military land vehicles during an exhibition on Khreschatyk Street The other participants are the presidents of Serbia, Moldova, Montenegro and Romania, the prime ministers of Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Croatia, and the chairwoman of the council of ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mitsotakis' office said in a statement. A historically Russian ally bound by centuries of tradition and a shared Orthodox Christian faith, Greece under Mitsotakis has shifted and unequivocally condemned Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Last year it expelled a dozen members of Russia's diplomatic and consular missions, and is hosting thousands of Ukrainians and their families. In April, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov visited the Greek capital for talks with his then counterpart Nikos Panagiotopoulos. Reznikov at the time said Ukraine after the war would seek Greek assistance in de-mining the Sea of Azov, and developing the country's naval forces. Greece has also offered to rebuild the maternity hospital in Mariupol that was shelled last year. In April 2022, Zelensky gave a televised speech at a special session of Greek parliament to request assistance for Mariupol and Odessa, two Ukrainian cities that have had large ethnic Greek populations for centuries. The session saw a rare attendance by the Greek head of state President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and Zelensky was given a standing ovation by Greek ministers and MPs. The Greek communists and a small nationalist party boycotted the event. A convicted terrorist whose extremist group tried to smuggle pregnant women and young children to ISIS in Syria has been released after just six years in jail. Ayman Shaukat, then aged 28, was the leader of a terror cell based in Walsall, West Midlands, who helped women try and flee to the war-zone to be with their husbands. He was jailed in 2016 alongside British Muslim convert Lorna Moore, 34, a trainee Maths teacher, who was sentenced to two-and-a-half years after being found guilty of trying to take her three children to Syria. Moore, a former Protestant from Northern Ireland, was one of two British mothers who plotted to join their terrorist husbands as part of a so-called 'Babies for ISIS' plot. At the same trial at London's Old Bailey, Shaukat was found guilty of helping Moore's supply teacher husband Sajid Aslam, 34, flee the UK and join the terror group in August 2014. Shaukat was also convicted of the same charge with regards to another Muslim convert, 22-year-old Alex Nash. Ayman Shaukat (pictured) was the leader of a terror cell based in Walsall, West Midlands, who helped women try and flee to the war-zone to be with their husbands. He was found guilty of helping Lorna Moore's supply teacher husband Sajid Aslam, 34, flee the UK and join the terror group in August 2014. Shaukat was also convicted of the same charge with regards to another Muslim convert, 22-year-old Alex Nash He was jailed in 2016 alongside British Muslim convert Lorna Moore, 34, (pictured) a trainee Maths teacher, who was sentenced to two-and-a-half years after being found guilty of trying to take her three children to Syria Shaukat, a law graduate, was jailed for 10 years after the judge said he was 'a supporter of terrorist acts in the form of violent jihad'. MailOnline can reveal that Shaukat, now 35, was released in October last year after a Parole Board hearing. A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Ayman Shaukat following an oral hearing. 'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. 'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims. 'Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing. 'Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing. 'It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more. 'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.' Shaukat, from Walsall, had denied helping his friends join ISIS by dropping Aslam and Nash off at airports. The court heard the day after dropping Aslam off at the airport Shaukat sent a photograph of himself posing with the ISIS flag. Aslam sent a triumphant coded message - a video link to a song called Made It by Cash Money Heroes - back to reveal he had made it to his destination. Shaukat, who started a law degree at Manchester Metropolitan University after dropping out of a building course, described IS as 'evil' to police and said that he had told MI5 he would 'assist in any way I could' after agents contacted him as treasurer of the community group Islam Walsall. He had several meetings and phone calls with security services before their association 'fizzled out', he said. But, the convicted burglar separately drove both Aslam, and Nash and his pregnant wife Yousma Jan, then 20, to Stansted and Birmingham Airport. Shaukat was handed 10 years in prison with five years extended licence after acting as the 'fixer' for the extremist group Islam Walsall. Pictured: File photo of IS fighters He also arranged Nash and Jan's affairs while they were abroad, including emptying their flat. He was treasurer and later vice-chairman of Islam Walsall which had a meeting house dubbed the Walsall Islamic Centre in Bradford Lane. The group was sympathetic to ISIS, had stalls at Walsall Market, and once hosted a Christmas Day conference with cronies of the hook-handed radical cleric Abu Hamza. Shaukat, who worked in Essington, Walsall and Smethwick, was nicknamed the Caldmore Chameleon by counter terrorism police for his ability to repeatedly change his story. Shaukat was handed 10 years in prison with five years extended licence after acting as the 'fixer' for the extremist group Islam Walsall. The court was told the group had seen at least five members join ISIS in the so-called Islamic State. Despite the judge's comments, Shaukat was released on licence after barely six-and-a-half years behind bars. Nash was jailed for five years with an additional one year licence period after pleading guilty to trying to join ISIS with his pregnant wife. The pair had been stopped in Turkey and had been returned to the UK. No action was taken against Yousma Jan. Judge Charles Wide QC told him at the time: 'You went to fight for ISIS and you went to great lengths. You were dedicated to the cause.' 'Nash would have been a fighter had he not been intercepted.' Nash, now 29, was released after a parole hearing in October 2019. He had served just over three years behind bars. The Old Bailey (pictured) heard that Moore had pretended she was taking her family to Majorca on a two-week package holiday in November 2015. But a text to her from another Muslim convert's wife in Turkey, the usual route to Syria, gave away her final destination because she told her: 'See you there' A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Alexander Nash following an oral hearing. 'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.' Nash converted to Islam when he was 18 and was known for his religious rap videos on YouTube. The Old Bailey heard that Moore had pretended she was taking her family to Majorca on a two-week package holiday in November 2015. But a text to her from another Muslim convert's wife in Turkey, the usual route to Syria, gave away her final destination because she told her: 'See you there'. Jude Charles Wide QC told her: 'You knew very well your husband's dedication. You knew it and you didn't tell. The things you lied about give a clear insight into your mindset.' The judge said that Moore had pretended to have broken up with him, when in fact he was sending sexual messages to her. Video footage shows the two drivers accelerating rapidly and refusing to allow each other to pass Young racing star died when she was thrown from the window of her fiance's rolling car Nascar legend Tony Stewart has spoken out after one of his young drivers was thrown from a car window and killed when her fiance lost control during a road rage incident. Ashlea Albertson, 24, was returning home to Greenfield, Indiana, from a vacation with Jacob Kelly, 31, when the couple were caught up in a fatal tussle with another driver on the I-65 in Jackson County. The cars collided and Kellys 2018 GMC Terrain span off the road, throwing Ashlea from a window as it flipped over and rolled. Ashlea was due to marry in March and fans learned of her death in an emotional Facebook tribute from her father Todd. Ashlea Albertson with fiance Jacob Kelly. The couple were due to get married in March next year Ashley with her team manager, the Nascar legend Tony Stewart In the past, Ive also gotten caught up in road rage, Stewart said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. I hope that we can honor Ashlea by controlling what we can control on the highway. Losing her is a sobering reminder of how precious life is. Ashleas death has shaken the racing community after it was revealed by her father, Todd Albertson on Facebook within hours of Fridays crash. She was a good kid and a better person, he said. She just loved racing, she loved the community and you all have done so much for her. Please keep my family, her fiance, and everybody who is going through this in your thoughts and prayers. And for those going to the track this weekend to enjoy their racing please know that all she ever wanted to do was to entertain and be loved by each and everyone who followed her. Enjoy life and every moment of it, we never know when our time is. Racegoers hailed her as one of the most promising young drivers on the circuit Ashlea said there was 'nothing like' the feeling she got from being behind the wheel Hundreds of people responded to his post including Kati Kantz who told him she had been one of the first on the scene. My son called 911 and I stayed with her until emergency personnel showed up, she wrote. Ashley's Facebook page was quickly filled with tributes from shocked fans She was holding on for you. May she rest in peace and may God watch over you and your family. Indiana State Police said the couple were driving northbound when they found themselves next to a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, being driven by Austin Cooper, 22, near the 48 mile marker. Evidence from the scene, including video footage captured by another vehicle, indicated that the two drivers began accelerating rapidly and refused to allow the other vehicle to pass, reported Sergeant Stephen Wheeles. Coopers vehicle then began to change lanes into the path of Kellys vehicle. Jacob Kelly lost control of his vehicle and spun, which resulted in the two vehicles colliding in the middle of the northbound lanes. Kellys vehicle rolled, which resulted in a female passenger, Ashlea Albertson, age 24, Greenfield, Indiana being ejected from the vehicle. Coopers vehicle left the east side of the roadway and came to rest in a field. Both Ashlea and her fiance were flown to University of Louisville Hospital where Ashlea was pronounced dead and Kelly was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Cooper and his passenger were transported to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Indiana where they were both treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made but police are awaiting the results of toxicology reports on both drivers. Ashlea had spoken about her joy in racing, telling the Greenfield Reporter I like to drive in the dirt. The sliding is the best feeling ever, she explained, Theres nothing like it. Drivers paid tribute to her in Shelbyville, Indiana, on Saturday at an event she was due to race in. Im going to think about Ashlea every time I think Im going to have road rage, team manager Rom Combs told WTHR. Ashlea will be in the back of my head. Stop, slow down and do whats right. An FA-50 light combat aircraft takes off during a combined drill between South Korea and the U.S. on Monday. The allies have begun their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises to counter threats from North Korea. Courtesy of South Korea's Air Force Yoon calls for 'realistic' training for possible psychological, nuclear warfare By Jung Min-ho The South Korean and U.S. militaries began their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises, Monday, focusing on preparations for a rapid transition to wartime operations in case of a North Korean attack. As part of the training, scheduled to continue until Aug. 31, about 580,000 officials from the government and its agencies will scrutinize the readiness for armed conflict and other types of security emergencies. This comes amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The same day, North Korea's state media reported that Kim Jong-un, its dictator, inspected the test-launching of "strategic" a term used for nuclear weapons cruise missiles. President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap At a Cabinet meeting, President Yoon Suk Yeol called for "realistic" exercises reflecting the North's war tactics and strategies, saying it would use all means necessary to win once a war breaks out. He told his Cabinet members to focus on preparing for three specific scenarios: propaganda efforts in the initial stages of the conflict, targeted strikes on key facilities for security and an imminent threat of nuclear attacks. "At the beginning of the war, North Korea would spread fake news such as disguised peace propaganda to cause confusion and division. Such efforts could disrupt the transition to war operations, which might result in our quick loss," Yoon said. "Next, North Korea would try to paralyze the society by attacking key facilities for national security. If North Korea's missiles, drones or cyberattacks destroy our nuclear power plants or communication network system, the damage to the people's lives could be enormous To meet the objectives of its war, the North would use all means possible, including nuclear weapons." U.S. troops prepare for joint drills with South Korea's military at their base in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Newsis Some 30 field training programs have been prepared for, with U.S. troops as well as personnel from nine member countries of the U.N. Command Australia, Canada, France, Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines joining the South Korean Army, Air Force and Navy in the exercises. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, an observer of the Korean Armistice Agreement on the peninsula, will observe the whole process of the UFS. In a statement, the Air Force said it carried out drills involving F-35A, KF-16 and other fighter jets as well as HH-47 rotorcrafts under a scenario of invasion from North Korean warplanes. The goal was to improve the interoperability between the air and land forces in detecting and striking down the North's warplanes while minimizing possible collateral damage. The annual exercises have expanded since last year under Yoon after being scaled back during the previous administration which refrained from combined military activities with the U.S. in an effort to appease Pyongyang. This photo released on Monday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watching a soaring missile during his inspection of a weapons test in North Korea on an unspecified date. Yonhap Yanca Lorrane had posted a message on Instagram alerting people to always call or message her in advance of visiting her The 27-year-old blogger's mother, Sandra Lorrane, revealed that she considered suicide because she 'didn't want to live anymore' after the murder A Brazilian influencer's mysterious murder almost drove her mother to commit suicide. Yanca Lorrane, 27, was at her home in the northeastern city of Salvador when three men broke in and shot her three times early Friday morning, the Civil Police said. The suspects fled and had not been arrested as of Monday. 'The authorship and motivation are being investigated,' the Civil Police said in a statement. Lorrane's mother, Sandra Lorrane, revealed that pain of witnessing her daughter's death nearly made her take her own life. Brazilian influencer Yanca Lorrane was shot dead after three male suspects broke into her home Friday in Salvador, Brazil Sandra Lorrane revealed that she thought about taking pills to kill herself because she couldn't deal with witnessing the murder of her daughter, Yanca Lorrane, was shot dead at their home in Brazil last Friday 'I went into a crisis, I started screaming, I even wanted to take [poison] to kill myself,' a distraught Sandra Lorrane said in a video that was posted to her daughter's Instagram account. 'I didn't want to live anymore because it hurts a lot to go through this.' Sandra Lorrane recalled hearing the shots before she rushed to aid her daughter. 'You are not feeling the pain of a mother who saw her daughter being murdered,' Sandra Lorrane said. 'I don't know who did it, I just heard the 'roar' of the shots and I don't care who did it, because it won't bring my daughter back.' The shocking murder took place hours after Yanca Lorrane posted a message on Instagram Story advising visitors not to show up unannounced at her residence. 'Please don't come to my door without calling me or sending me a message,' the message read in Portuguese. Just hours before she was gunned down inside her home, Brazilian blogger Yanca Lorrane advised anyone visiting her home to first call or send her a message Yanca Lorrane was sentenced to six years in prison for her role in a 2019 department store robbery that left two suspects dead and two others arrested The 27-year-old shared with her 76,000 plus Instagram followers that she had been taking medication for anxiety On Thursday, the young woman shared another message that read, 'The evil of some is to touch my name too much, what despair is this?' She had recently revealed on the platform that she was taking medicine to combat her battle with anxiety. She also claimed that a debtor who she did not know was seeking a 5,000 Brazilian reais payment, about $1,000. All of the messages from Lorrane's Instagram account, which has more than 76,000 followers, have since been erased. Her shaken mother said that several profiles with the slain influencer's photos have been created with the end goal of conning people out of money. 'They are creating fakes where they are saying things that I am not saying... asking for money that I'm not asking for,' Sandra Lorrane said. Yanca Lorrane was arrested in 2019 for her involvement with a gang that targeted department stores. Two suspects were killed and two others were arrested during a pursuit. She was caught transporting stolen tablets, cellphones, video games, and 9,000 reais, about $1,800, that were taken from a safe, according to court documents. Yanca Lorrane was sentenced to six years in prison, but it's unknown why she was not in jail. Charles' former top aide Michael Fawcett could make a spectacular return to working for the King for a third time after police sensationally dropped a probe into cash for honours allegations. Insiders suggested last night that His Majesty had not totally cut contact with Mr Fawcett, with the King 'not unaware of Michael's circumstance'. And they were asking whether he could yet bounce 'Lazarus-like' back from the scandal, having twice been forced to resign while working for the King over several decades of royal service. One source told the Mail today: 'Michael Fawcett is still in touch with the King, from what people hear. He won't ever truly be gone.' However, it is understood there has been no direct contact between the two men since the allegations first emerged 15 months ago. King Charles' former top aide Michael Fawcett could make a sensational return to work for His Majesty for the third time after police dropped a probe into cash for honours allegations. Pictured: The then-Prince of Wales and Mr Fawcett in 2019 Palace insiders claim Mr Fawcett is still in touch with the King. Pictured: Mr Fawcett outside his home in south west London in 2021 Mr Fawcett has also very much lost the support of Queen Camilla, who has been keen to cut ties with him completely. The case focused on a letter first published in The Mail on Sunday in which Mr Fawcett, 60, offered to help a wealthy Saudi donor obtain a knighthood and British citizenship in exchange for his ongoing generosity. READ MORE HERE: Relief for King Charles' former close confidant Michael Fawcett as Met Police drop probe into cash-for-honours allegations Advertisement Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz had given generously to the charity and was presented with a CBE in 2016 by the King, then the Prince of Wales, in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Emails appeared to show a direct link between the donations received and the honours. The Met launched its investigation in February last year. Two men, one in his 50s and one in his 40s, were questioned under caution in September. Today the force said it had concluded that it will take no further action following 'early investigative advice' from the Crown Prosecution Service. Mr Fawcett resigned as chief executive of the King's charity The Prince's Foundation in November 2021, while his events company, Premiere Mode, which organised private events and entertaining for the then Prince of Wales, was dropped in the wake of the scandal. Questions were also being asked last night by some sources about how extensive the Met Police investigation into the scandal was. One said today: 'I'd love to know precisely what the Metropolitan Police have been investigating for the past 18 months. As far as many people know, no-one in the royal household was ever interviewed about this.' Mr Fawcett, a former senior valet to Charles, has twice previously been forced to resign over scandals, including accusations of bullying and selling on unwanted royal gifts. But each time the then Prince of Wales took him back and even promoted him. He was a singularly unpopular figure in the royal household, sources have revealed. Many staff were fearful of the power he knowingly wielded, aware he had the then heir to the throne's ear. But the prince relied on him 'completely' and was said to have famously remarked he 'could manage without just about anyone, except for Michael'. The Palace has been asked if Mr Fawcett could once again work the King in a professional or private capacity but has refused to comment. Prince Charles pictured shooting with Michael Fawcett at Sandringham in Norfolk in 1990 The King's former top aide pictured at Dumfries House in Cunnock, Ayrshire, in Scotland in 2011 It said only that it had 'noted the decision of the Metropolitan Police Service' and said anything else was a matter for the Royal Foundation. Royal commentators feel it is unlikely Mr Fawcett could work for the King professionally, such as within the royal households, as that would be taxpayer funded. However he and his party planning company Premier Mode have also worked for Charles privately. Following his resignation as chief executive of The Prince's Foundation a Clarence House spokesman said it was ending this arrangement but there was no comment today as to whether this could be re-instated. The decision by the Met was criticised by Norman Baker, the former Liberal Democrat minister who had written to Scotland Yard asking them to investigate the Prince's Foundation under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act. READ MORE HERE: Prince Charles' closest aide Michael Fawcett is forced to resign after damning letter reveals he offered Saudi donor help securing a knighthood and British citizenship Advertisement He told The Guardian: 'This is an incredibly open and shut case with the evidence provided in writing. It is astonishing how this matter is not being taken forward. We need an explanation from the Crown Prosecution Service and the Met Police as to why no action is being taken. 'But the suspicion must be that no action is being taken because of the nature of the potential offender, rather than a proper assessment of the potential crime.' In that statement, it said its Special Enquiry Team (SET) 'obtained court production orders, spoke with a number of witnesses and reviewed in excess of 200 documents' as part of the investigation. It added: 'Should any new information or evidence come to light that requires further assessment, this will be carried out by the Met's SET. Nobody has been arrested or charged during the course of this investigation.' The Met's statement was issued shortly before the King received an official welcome to Balmoral Castle today at the start of his three-week summer stay there with Queen Camilla. Charles, wearing a kilt, appeared in good spirits during a small ceremony outside the Castle gates as he inspected a Guard of Honour formed of the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland. The Pipes and Drums of 4 SCOTS also performed at the ceremony, and The Royal Regiment of Scotland's Mascot, Shetland Pony Corporal Cruachan IV, was present. Former President Donald Trump's bond in the Georgia racketeering case was set at $200,000 on Monday, according to a document filed at Fulton County Court, and he was ordered not to send threatening social media messages. Details emerged as sheriff's deputies stepped up security, installing barriers around the run-down jailhouse where Trump and his 18 co-conspirators must give themselves up before midday on Friday. The former president was indicted last week in a racketeering case which accused him and his associates of a wide-ranging plot to reverse his 2020 election defeat. A date and time has yet to be set for Trump to be booked, but a source familiar with planning said it was likely to be Thursday or Friday. His legal team was spotted entering the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis earlier on Monday. Donald Trump is expected to turn himself in to Fulton County authorities on Thursday or Friday. On Monday, his lawyers negotiated bond conditions ahead of his surrender Trump's bond was set at at $200,000, according to a document filed at Fulton County Court, and he was ordered not to send threatening social media messages Defendants in the sprawling case are expected to negotiate the terms of their release and bond before being booked at the county jail. It could be more than a week before they then appear in court to enter a formal plea. Details of Trump's bond were among the first handful to be released as co-defendants reached agreements. The 'consent bond order,' published on the Fulton County Superior Court website, says Trump will 'perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice.' It goes on to add that this will include 'posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media.' Trump has denied any wrongdoing. On Monday morning, before the bond was agreed, he used his Truth Social media platform to condemn Gov. Brian Kemp (a fellow Republican) for failing to impeach Willis. Days earlier, Trump was warned he was in danger of violating the terms of his release in another case with 'inflammatory statements.' He has railed repeatedly against the 'biased and unfair' judge overseeing the federal case accusing him of seeking to subvert the 2020 election, and used similar language against prosecutors and at times singled out witnesses. Earlier it emerged that John Eastman, the lawyer charged with helping orchestrate the former president's fake elector scheme, had agreed to a $100,000 bond. The document was signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Trump's defense team and Scott McAffee, Fulton Country Superior Court judge Fulton County Sheriff deputies install security barriers outside the Fulton County Jail on Monday, days after an indictment against Donald Trump and 18 co-conspirators And Scott Graham Hall reached a $10,000 bond agreement. He is the local bail bondsman accused of commandeering voting information in Coffee County, south Georgia. Atlanta News First reported the details. Last week's indictment was the fourth brought against Trump since April. Authorities in Fulton County said he can expect no special treatment. He will have to be fingerprinted like other suspects at the notorious jail, and may for the first time have his mugshot taken. In the meantime, deputies were out on Monday morning preparing for a scrum of media interest and the possibility that protesters could converge on the jail. They put up steel barriers around the jail. Court filings published Monday show that lawyer John Eastman (left) agreed a $100,000 bond deal and Scott Graham Hall reached a $10,000 agreement Deputies prepared Monday for a rush of defendants in the 2020 election case Arrestees are generally fingerprinted at the county's jail, which is notorious for its squalid conditions, although Trump will not be held there while he awaits trial. The notorious, insect-ridden facility is being investigated by the Department of Justice after a series of deaths. Launching the investigation last month, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, said: 'The recent allegations of filthy housing teeming with insects, rampant violence resulting in death and injuries, and officers using excessive force are cause for grave concern and warrant a thorough investigation.' The latest case against Trump, who is the frontrunner for the Republican 2024 nomination, is laid out in a 98-page indictment. The sheriff's department says most people arrested in Fulton County are taken to the main jail on Rice Street, to the northwest of the city center, where conditions are being investigated It includes details of a phone call to Georgia's secretary of state urging him to find more votes for him and allegations that an election worker was harassed with false claims of fraud. And in one of the most extraordinary examples of attempts to change the outcome, it describes an alleged plot to access voting machines and steal data. 'The indictment alleges that, rather than abide by Georgia's legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia's presidential election result,' said Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last week. She is pushing for a speedy trial. Her proposed schedule would see the trail start on March 4, although that is certain to be challenged by Trump and other defendants. Campaigners staged a sit-down protest today and blocked vehicles from accessing the rubble of The Crooked House to hamper a clean-up of the remains of Britain's wonkiest pub. Diggers and lorries owned by Putnam Construction Services moved onto the site in Himley, West Midlands, two weeks after the beloved pub was controversial demolished following a mysterious fire which police suspect was an arson attack. Bricks were being 'cleaned' and stored at the site of the 18th century boozer as workers assessed any asbestos risk from the rubble where signs are displayed condemning the pub's destruction. Locals were left furious when The Crooked House - famed for being the place where coins seemingly rolled uphill along the bar - was torn down without council permission. Calls have grown louder for the pub to be rebuilt brick-by-brick with two petitions to save the watering hole amassing nearly 30,000 signatures. Today, more than a dozen campaigners demanded access to the lane leading to the wreckage, while two protesters blocked the path of a Putnam lorry and trailer exiting the site. Two protesters block a Putnam lorry and trailer from leaving the site of The Crooked House pub wreckage in Himley, West Midlands The clean-up of the beloved 18th century boozer has begun two weeks after it was demolished without council permission One man wearing a sleeveless leather jacket can be seen leaning against a metal walking stick while a woman sits crossed-legged on the floor holding a sign with words in red capital letters reading: 'Rebuild our Crooked House.' Jane Baker, from nearby Halesowen, was holding the protest banner and said: 'We're doing this, and all the people who have arrived today, because we care very much about our heritage, our history and the Crooked House. 'She's always stood there at the bottom of this lane. She means a lot to us all. What's happened is wrong and we need to make a stand, all of us.' Ms Baker, 59, a housewife added: 'We just want her back where she was. It's affected all of us, far and wide. We just want it rebuilt - by hook or by crook. 'We're making a stand for a very iconic building. This is why we are sitting in the road.' The burnt-out shell of the landmark pub, famed for its wonky walls and floors due to mining-related subsidence, was demolished within 48 hours of the blaze on Saturday August 5. Dudley North MP Marco Longhi urged anyone with concerns about issues at the site to continue to report them to his office. Mr Longhi said in a post on Facebook: 'The council is a statutory body and it has the most significant influence on this matter at present. Workers are 'cleaning' and storing bricks while also checking for any asbestos risk amongst the rubble where signs are displayed condemning the pub's destruction South Staffordshire Council said it was liaising with the contractor after workers moved on to the site. A statement from the local authority read: 'The council is aware of a contractor onsite and is engaging with the site owners and contractors to investigate what works are taking place' More than a dozen campaigners demanded access to the lane leading to the wreckage. Calls have grown louder for the pub to be rebuilt brick-by-brick with two petitions to save the watering hole amassing nearly 30,000 signatures 'I am grateful to everybody for reporting what is happening as I do have a direct line of communication with South Staffordshire District Council and I have made sure they are informed of all occurrences as reported by locals. 'The council is fully aware of its statutory roles, and it is fully aware of the very high levels of interest locally, nationally and internationally. What I have observed so far is that it is very much on top of things and it is undertaking its statutory roles admirably.' Mr Longhi previously attended a public meeting wearing a black t-shirt emblazoned with the words 'Rise From the Ashes, Save The Crooked House Pub'. He told angry locals to be 'patient' while the investigation is carried out. In a statement, South Staffordshire Council said it was liaising with the contractor after workers moved on to the site. A statement from the local authority today read: 'The council is aware of a contractor onsite and is engaging with the site owners and contractors to investigate what works are taking place. 'We are still currently ascertaining all the facts so cannot comment any further on this specific matter. 'The council is still investigating the full incident and formalising next steps and we cannot comment on any element of the ongoing investigation, so that we do not potentially prejudice our enforcement action. We will provide updates on our website as soon as we are able.' Staffordshire Police said it had received reports that a group of protesters had turned up at the site and officers were 'in attendance as a precaution and to reassure the community'. The pub went up in flames on August 5. Staffordshire Police said it is treating the blaze as a suspected arson attack The 18th century boozer was famed for being the place where coins seemingly rolled uphill along the bar Much of the anger has been directed at the pub's owners Andy Taylor and his glamorous jet-setting wife Carly. The couple bought the pub two weeks before it went up in flames The force said: 'We recognise the strength of local feeling following the loss of a significant cultural landmark. 'Our investigation is live and ongoing. A CCTV trawl, forensics and witness accounts continue to be worked through as we try to piece together the circumstances which led to the fire.' The historic site, known as Britain's wonkiest pub, was sold by pub company Marston's to a private buyer two weeks prior to the fire. The MailOnline revealed the owners to be glamorous jet-setter Carly Taylor and her husband Adam Taylor. It has emerged the couple had previously bought and allegedly gutted another traditional pub. Staffordshire Police is treating the blaze as arson, while firefighters previously said their efforts to put out the fire were hampered by a pile of soil which had blocked a rural road. A Tory council boss has vowed not to put up signs warning drivers of London's newly expanded ultra-low emission zone. Hertfordshire County Council's Richard Roberts told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the local authority will not put up infrastructure to mark the zone. He said putting up signs for Ulez on London's border would act as an endorsement of Sadiq Khan's plans to expand the zone's area. London's Ulez sees drivers in high emissions vehicles forced to pay charges of 12.50 a day to drive into the low emissions zone. The capital's Ulez, which initially only covered central London, is set to be expanded to cover all 32 London boroughs on 29 August 2023. Hertfordshire council leader Richard Roberts told BBC Radio 4 that putting up Ulez signs would act as an endorsement of London Mayor Sadiq Khan's (pictured) plans Hertfordshire County Council's Richard Roberts said putting up signs for Ulez would be an endorsement of Sadiq Khan's policy Mr Riverts has however said he will not erect signs warning drivers they are approaching the new area, when the expanded Ulez comes into force. He told the Today programme: '(Sadiq Khan) has created a tax border and I don't want to put signs up, the mayor's signs, which in any way suggest that we endorse his plans. 'His cameras and his signs are already in place and there are national signs on our major infrastructure, on motorways, our main trunk roads, there are already signs up there. 'We may consider using our own visual boards that we have around the county at some point, but in terms of putting an infrastructure of signs up which effectively endorses the mayor's plans, we're not going to do that.' The Ulez is set to be expanded to cover all 32 London boroughs on 29 August 2023 The expanded Ulez is aimed at reducing air pollution in London by deterring people from driving heavily polluting vehicles. Transport for London claims 90 per cent of all cars driven in outer London are Ulez compliant and that the majority of drivers will not be forced to pay the charge. People who own non-Ulez compliant vehicles are also eligible to receive grants from the Mayor of London's 110million scrappage scheme. Ulez charges are however set to hit drivers who own older cars, vans and motorbikes. Limited exemptions from the Ulez for non-compliant cars are available to NHS patients, Taxis, and vehicles for disabled people. A consultant whose evidence helped convict Lucy Letby has blasted hospital bosses for not apologising over failing to stop the killer nurse from murdering babies in her care. Dr Ravi Jayaram, who is a senior paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital, had joined other doctors in warning NHS bosses about the serial killer months before police were called in. Now, after the 33-year-old was jailed for life without the possibility of parole today, Dr Jayaram has unleashed his fury on hospital managers who he says ordered him and colleagues to apologise to the nurse after raising their concerns about her conduct. Speaking to ITV News tonight, the paediatrician said he is angry at the failure of bosses to apologise given what has happened since police made the horrific findings in their investigation into the deaths, code named Operation Hummingbird. He added that he was 'incensed' by attempts from hospital managers to try and justify their decisions after the full extent of Letby's depraved crimes were revealed. Last night the director of nursing at the hospital while Letby was on her murder spree was suspended. Dr Ravi Jayaram has blasted hospital bosses for failing to apologise over their alleged inaction in stopping Lucy Letby's killing spree Children's nurse Lucy Letby (pictured in a custody photo, left; and while working in hospital, right) went on a year-long murder spree while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital The TV doctor told ITV News that it was was 'absolutely correct' that Letby, who was jailed for life without the possibility of parole on Monday after being convicted of seven murders and six attempted murders, will spend the rest of her days behind bars. He said: 'But it doesn't change the fact that parents of these babies and their families will never get back what's been taken away from them. And it's made me angry that she hasn't had the courage to be there to face up to them.' But he added that he was also furious with NHS managers who he says have failed to take responsibility for their actions that didn't stop her sooner. He said: 'I think throughout this whole process there have been opportunities for those people who are at the top of the Countess of Chester to be able to put their hands up and admit that they got it wrong and apologise. 'They could have done this very early on, the very moment that Operation Hummingbird was launched. They could have done it at the point that Lucy Letby was first arrested. They could have done this at the point she was first charged. 'They could have done it as the trial progressed and more and more evidence came through. They certainly had a massive opportunity to do it on Friday when the verdicts were announced. 'And part of being a professional is being able to admit you got it wrong, it's about being able to admit, and have the balls to actually put your hands up and say "we made a terrible mistake, we can't undo it, but we apologise". 'But instead, and this is what's incensed me more than anything, they are still trying to find reasons why what they did was the right thing. 'For example, one of them said we weren't loud enough in expressing our concerns. How much louder could we be?' A tearful Dr Jayaram added that he had been trying to do his job and 'look after babies and children' by raising his concerns. Dr Stephen Brearey, lead consultant on the neonatal unit, raised concerns about Lucy Letby in October 2015 Medical Director Ian Harvey (pictured) is said to have clamped down on doctors who raised suspicions Dr Jayaram said trust chief executive Tony Chambers (pictured) held a meeting with consultants in January 2017 in which he stated: 'I'm drawing a line under this, you will draw a line under this, and if you cross that line, there will be consequences for you.' Senior NHS manager Alison Kelly (pictured) was accused in court of failing to act even when doctors raised 'serious concerns' about baby killer Lucy Letby Last week the senior paediatrician said he believed if bosses had taken action sooner 'four or five babies who could be going to school now who aren't'. After raising their concerns about Letby, a group of doctors at the Countess of Chester Hospital were advised by bosses to apologise to her or face a possible referral to the General Medical Council. WHAT WAS LETBY CONVICTED OF? Count 1 - Murder of Baby A on June 8, 2015 - GUILTY Count 2 - Attempted murder of Baby B between the June 8, 2015 and June 11, 2015 - GUILTY Count 3 - Murder of Baby C on June 14, 2015 - GUILTY Count 4 - Murder of Baby D on June 22, 2015 - GUILTY Count 5 - Murder of Baby E on August 4, 2015 - GUILTY Count 6 - Attempted murder of Baby F on August 5, 2015 - GUILTY Count 7 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 7, 2015 - GUILTY Count 8 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 21, 2015 - GUILTY Count 9 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 21, 2015 - NOT GUILTY Count 10 - Attempted murder of Baby H on September 26, 2015 - NOT GUILTY Count 12 - Murder of Baby I on October 23, 2015 - GUILTY Count 15 - Attempted murder of Baby L on April 9, 2016 - GUILTY Count 16 - Attempted murder of Baby M on April 9, 2016 - GUILTY Count 17 - Attempted murder of Baby N on June 3, 2016 - GUILTY Count 20 - Murder of Baby O on June 23, 2016 - GUILTY Count 21 - Murder of Baby P on June 24, 2016 - GUILTY Advertisement In a letter, which has been seen by ITV News, consultants allegedly wrote under duress: 'Dear Lucy, we would like to apologise for any inappropriate comments that may have been made during this difficult period. We are very sorry for the stress and upset that you have experienced in the last year. Please be reassured that patient safety has been our absolute priority during this difficult time.' Police would later be called into the hospital trust nearly two years after the deaths of the first of the seven babies Letby was convicted of murdering. The Government has since ordered an independent inquiry into the circumstances behind her murder spree, but Dr Jayaram has said it doesn't go far enough. He told ITV News tonight: 'There have been other inquiries into NHS scandals which have been statutory full public inquiries. 'Why on earth would this be announced as a non-statutory inquiry? Is the priority speed? 'I would much rather have an inquiry that asked the right questions and took as much time as it needed to get the right answers.' Medical Director Ian Harvey is said to have clamped down on doctors who raised suspicions, telling them via email that there was 'no smoking gun' as Letby was allowed to return to the ward. That's despite the fact no babies died between when Letby was removed from the unit in July 2016 and when police were called in by the hospital in May 2017. During this period, the trust chief executive was Tony Chambers and the medical director was Ian Harvey. Dr Jayaram said Chambers held a meeting with consultants in January 2017 in which he stated: 'I'm drawing a line under this, you will draw a line under this, and if you cross that line, there will be consequences for you.' Hospital executives are alleged to have doctors they would face 'blue and white tape' all over the ward if they followed their suggestion of calling police. Both Baby O, a triplet, and his brother, Baby P, were murdered after the 'Gang of Four' consultants raised their suspicions about the link between the nurse's presence and the deaths they had already witnessed. The unit's lead consultant Stephen Brearey even went back to management in the hours after Baby P's death on June 24, 2016, begging them to take Letby off the ward. They refused. Once police were finally called, after consultants demanded to speak to management face-to-face, Dr Jayaram told ITV it was only then that concerns were taken seriously. During the course of their investigation officers discovered two baby boys, from separate sets of twins, had been 'deliberately' poisoned with insulin eight months apart. The results of their blood tests had been missed by doctors who had no idea there was a 'poisoner at work'. Mr Harvey retired in August 2018 - a month after Letby was first arrested - after he reportedly notified Mr Chambers at the start of that year of his intention to retire. He had held other managerial roles within the trust and was medical director for six years. Speaking outside the Countess of Chester hospital on Friday, medical director Dr Nigel Scawn said: 'I speak for the whole trust when I say how deeply saddened and appalled we are at Lucy Letby's crimes' Mr Chambers served six years in his post before he resigned in September 2018. He said he made the decision to 'allow the trust to focus on its future' as the police investigation continued. Former director of nursing Alison Kelly left the Countess of Chester in 2021 and works in a similar position at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Salford Royal Hospital and Royal Oldham Hospital. She has since been suspended from her position due to allegations that came to light in the court case. Speaking outside the Countess of Chester Hospital on Friday, medical director Dr Nigel Scawn said: 'I speak for the whole trust when I say how deeply saddened and appalled we are at Lucy Letby's crimes. 'We are extremely sorry that these crimes were committed at our hospital and our thoughts continue to be with all the families and loved ones of the babies who came to harm or died. We cannot begin to understand what they have been through. 'This case has had a profound impact on our patients and our local community and also our staff, who come to work every day determined to provide safe and high quality care for all of our patients. 'Our staff are devastated by what has happened and we are committed to ensuring that lessons continue to be learned. 'We are grateful for the co-operation of our staff, especially those that have maintained the utmost professionalism while giving evidence in this trial.' Dr Scawn walked away without answering as a journalist asked him: 'Why did hospital managers try to stop Lucy Letby from being investigated?' House Republicans are ramping up their investigation into Hunter Biden by bringing in witnesses who they believe will back up stunning allegations of political interference by the Biden administration. The House Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees are demanding testimony from FBI and IRS agents who sat in on a key meeting that whistleblowers say exposed special treatment for Hunter, whose 'sweetheart' plea deal on tax and gun crimes imploded late last month. GOP panel chairmen Jim Jordan and Jason Smith say four agents have knowledge of an October 7, 2022 meeting where David Weiss - the top prosecutor in the Hunter case - allegedly said he was not the 'deciding person' on whether charges are filed against the president's son. IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley made the bombshell claim, saying he raised concerns during that meeting and then two weeks later was shut out entirely from working on the case in an act of retribution. Shapley claimed that during the October 2022 meeting, Weiss said he had been blocked by Biden appointees in Washington, D.C., and California from bringing charges against Hunter. Republicans slammed as a 'sweetheart deal' that Biden's DOJ put together to protect the president's son Hunter Hunter, Joe and Beau arrive at Fort McNair in Washington But in a July letter, Weiss insisted he had 'never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.' Attorney General Merrick Garland has vigorously denied that the Hunter Biden investigation faced any outside influence and insisted that Weiss, a Trump appointee, had ultimate charging authority. Garland designated Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter probe earlier this month. With his new authority as special counsel, Weiss now has the formal authority to file charges in any jurisdiction and does not need the permission of the U.S. attorney in that district. Weiss was nominated to the Delaware district attorney's office in 2018 by Trump and left in place by the Biden administration in a move intended to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. The Hunter Biden investigation by that office began in 2018 and culminated in two tax fraud charges and a gun charge. Hunter appeared in federal court on July 26 prepared to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and walk away with just a slap on the wrist and no prison time. Republicans slammed the botched plea agreement as a 'sweetheart deal' that Biden's DOJ put together to protect the president's son. However, after Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned the 'diversion agreement' of Hunter's gun charge - a clause that gave him blanket immunity for a wide range of other potential charges, including illegal foreign lobbying - the deal blew up spectacularly. Noreika dismissed the charges in Delaware after requests from the prosecution last week, opening up the president's son to other future charges. According to correspondence recently obtained by the New York Times, Weiss did not plan to charge the president's son with any tax crimes until after two IRS whistleblowers - including Shapley - came forward alleging illegal politicization of Hunter's case. The report states that Hunter's legal team were disgruntled at the IRS agents who 'affected the deal' that fell apart - in part due to the allegations that they brought to light. FBI and IRS agents who were involved in a meeting with now-special counsel David Weiss when he allegedly claimed he was prevented from bringing charges against Hunter Biden for tax crimes have now been hit with subpoenas Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith The Hunter Biden case could now be headed to trial as House Republicans press forward with their own investigations both of the Biden family business deals and of the Department of Justice's handling of the Hunter Biden criminal probe. Jordan has requested to speak with 11 officials at the DOJ and FBI he believes might have information on the matter. The Republican-led House Judiciary and Ways and Means committees subpoenaed Michael Batdorf, IRS Director of Field Operations, Darrell Waldon, IRS special agent in charge, Thomas Sobocinski, FBI Special Agent in Charge and Ryeshia Holley, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge on Monday. They have been demanded to come in for testimony between September 7-11. US defense personnel had several conversations with Musk, whose SpaceX firm provides the Starlink communication service used in Ukraine The view in US defense circles about Musk's supposed conversation with the Russian leader was: 'Oh dear, this is not good' Musk allegedly told US defense officials who treated him like a diplomat: 'Well, I had this great conversation with Putin' Elon Musk was treated like a 'diplomat' by senior Pentagon officials and said during a call about the war in Ukraine that he had a 'great conversation with Putin', it is claimed. The billionaire revealed he'd spoken with the Russian leader during a call around last fall with American defense personnel, who treated Musk like a 'diplomat' because of his influence in the ongoing war, according to the New Yorker. Ukraine's military was relying on Starlink, an internet and communications service provided Musk's company SpaceX. But several months after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Musk began to complain about the cost of providing the Starlink service for free. Defense officials were 'panicked' by the prospect of the service being switched off and Colin Kahl, then the Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon, discussed the issue with Musk in October last year. A senior defense official told the New Yorker that several conversations took place with US staff and Musk revealed: 'Well, I had this great conversation with Putin.' Elon Musk told senior Pentagon officials during a call about the war in Ukraine that he had a 'great conversation with Putin', it is claimed Reports that Musk had spoken with Putin about the war first surfaced last October, and the Tesla owner has denied the claim The report said that Musk 'had said that his consultations with the Kremlin were regular'. The report did not include further information about what Musk and the Russian president discussed. Reports that Musk had spoken with Putin about the war first surfaced last October, and the Tesla owner has denied the claim. The official who spoke to the New Yorker said the view in US defense circles about the alleged conversation was: 'Oh dear, this is not good.' Kahl said that 'even though Musk is not technically a diplomat or statesman, I felt it was important to treat him as such, given the influence he had on this issue'. As Musk grew uneasy about funding Starlink in Ukraine, he also argued publicly with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky about possible diplomatic solutions which could be found to the war. Musk had tweeted that a deal could be reached which allowed Russia to maintain control of the Crimean Peninsula, which it occupied in 2014. Colin Kahl, then the Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon, spoke with Elon Musk last October amid fears in the Pentagon that Musk might switch off the Starlink service in Ukraine As Musk grew uneasy about funding Starlink in Ukraine, he also argued publicly with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky about possible diplomatic solutions which could be found to the war Zelensky responded with a sarcastic Twitter poll which asked: 'which Elon Musk do you like more?': 'One who supports Ukraine' or 'One who supports Russia.' Ultimately, SpaceX continued to provide Starlink services and in June, the Pentagon said it had reached a deal to fund the service. Musk had claimed it would cost Starlink $400 million per year to continue its funding for the service. Kahl added: 'My inference was that he was getting nervous that Starlink's involvement was increasingly seen in Russia as enabling the Ukrainian war effort, and was looking for a way to placate Russian concerns.' Musk said in October 2022 that he'd spoken to Putin 'only once and that was about 18 months ago. The subject matter was space.' Ukraine has reportedly been forced to abort several planned drone strikes on Russian targets after Elon Musk refused to grant access to the Starlink satellite network for offensive military maneuvers. Kyiv had recently planned to remote-pilot a drone to deliver an explosive strike on a Russian navy ship at a Black Sea base in occupied Crimea. But the SpaceX CEO, 52, denied the Ukrainian military the use of his Starlink network - whose services he offered to Kyiv earlier in the war - forcing army chiefs to stand down the attack, according to a report by the New York Times. In the wake of the aborted strike, Ukraine army chief Valery Zaluzhnyi reportedly sought contact with U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, alleging that Musk had the ability to dictate his military's capabilities to attack key Russian targets. Zaluzhnyi said it was 'concerning' that Musk had scuppered several planned attacks. The billionaire, who has offered his network of satellites to support Ukraine's wartime communications in the months following Russia's February 2022 invasion, has maintained from the outset that his technology is meant 'for peaceful use only'. SpaceX CEO Musk, 52, has reportedly denied the Ukrainian military the use of his Starlink network on several occasions, scuppering planned attacks on Russian targets, according to a report by the New York Times A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows Valeriy Zaluzhnyi (C), Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, attending an event on the occasion of the Day of Ukrainian Statehood held on Mykhailivska Square in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 28 July 2023 Musk, whose offered his network of satellites to support Ukraine's wartime communications for free in 2022, has maintained from the outset that his technology is meant 'for peaceful use only' Musk's Starlink satellites have provided essential comms support for Ukraine's military since Russia invaded The latest controversy over Starlink's use for offensive military maneuvers comes after Gwynne Shotwell, the President of SpaceX, in February formally announced the company was limiting Ukraine's use of Starlink for military purposes. Shotwell stated the service could be used for typical communications and humanitarian efforts, such as connecting families and hospitals. The service had enabled Ukrainians to benefit from uninterrupted, independent and secure internet access amid Russia's consolidated missile attacks caused significant damage to Ukraine's communications infrastructure. In many cases, Starlink satellites became the only means of communication for the Ukrainian armed forces on the frontlines. Starlink's terms of service document clearly states: 'Starlink is not designed or intended for use with or in offensive or defensive weaponry or other comparable end-uses.' But Ukraine's military had harnessed the technology to pilot drones carrying anti-tank grenades, destroying Russian tanks and army trucks. In recent months, Kyiv has pioneered the use of naval 'kamikaze' drones - unmanned vessels laden with explosives that are driven towards Russian warships and detonated upon impact. It has also used seafaring drones to destroy or damage infrastructure controlled by Moscow, most notably a stretch of the Kerch bridge that connects occupied Crimea to mainland Russia. Hundreds of firefighters are battling to tackle major wildfires that are raging across Greece and Spain's Canary Islands, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering their efforts. Two of the fires have been burning for several days, with the largest active wildfire ravaging forests and farmland for a third day near the northeastern Greek town of Alexandroupolis - where 13 villages were evacuated and several homes were destroyed over the weekend. Greek authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep-pen in an area in the central Viotia region under evacuation as a wildfire approached. Local reports alleged the man died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his livestock. Two firefighters are being treated in a hospital for injuries sustained in a separate fire in the northern Kavala region, the fire department said. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. Hundreds of firefighters are battling to tackle major wildfires that are raging across Europe today, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering their efforts. Pictured: Helicopters fly over today as wildfire rages near Alexandroupoli, northern Greece Gale-force winds were fanning the flames of dozens of wildfires in several parts of Greece today, with the northeast particularly hard-hit. Pictured: Firemen battle flames burning vegetation near Prodromos, Greece today European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record. Pictured: Crews battle a blaze near Prodromos, Greece today Gale-force winds were fanning the flames of dozens of wildfires in several parts of Greece today, with the northeast particularly hard-hit. Evacuation orders were issued for villages in the northern regions of Alexandroupolis, Komotini, Kavala and Orestiada, the central region of Viotia and the island of Evia, while fire departments across the country were placed on general alert. More than 200 firefighters, assisted by 17 water-dropping aircraft, volunteers and the armed forces were battling the fire. Residents in Alexandroupolis were advised to keep their windows shut due to the smoke. Fifty-six firefighters from Romania and two water-dropping aircraft from Cyprus were heading to Alexandroupolis, while 19 French firefighters were helping tackle the Evia fire. The coast guard said 20 people were evacuated by private boats from a fire on the island of Kythnos, while patrol boats and private vessels were on standby for other potential evacuations from fire areas in Viotia and Evia. 'The last 48 hours, unfortunately like the next 48 hours, are proving exceptionally critical due to the strong winds and high temperatures that are creating extensive fire fronts,' said Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias. The largest active wildfire is ravaging forests and farmland for a third day near the northeastern Greek town of Alexandroupolis (pictured) Greek authorities have banned public access to mountains and forests in several regions until Wednesday morning, and ordered military patrols. Pictured: Flames surge toward settlements in Komotini, Greece today Since midnight, 53 fires had broken out across the country, including 14 in the northeastern Evros border region alone, officials say. Pictured: A man helps the firefighters today as a wildfire burns near Vatontas village on the Aegean Sea island of Evia, Greece The Greek government held an emergency meeting with the heads of the fire department, police, coast guard, armed forces and intelligence services. Pictured: Wildfire rages in Dialekto village near Kavala, northern Greece today Greece suffers destructive wildfires every summer, which officials say have been exacerbated by climate change. Pictured: A wildfire burns near Vatontas village on the Aegean Sea island of Evia, Greece today Since midnight, 53 fires had broken out across the country, including 14 in the northeastern Evros border region alone, he added. The government held an emergency meeting with the heads of the fire department, police, coast guard, armed forces and intelligence services. READ MORE: Is it safe to travel to Greece amid new wildfires? Are there travel restrictions for Athens? A firefighter operates during a wildfire near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, Greece on Sunday, August 20, 2023 Advertisement Authorities banned public access to mountains and forests in several regions until Wednesday morning, and ordered military patrols. Greece suffers destructive wildfires every summer, which officials say have been exacerbated by climate change. The country's deadliest wildfire killed 104 people in 2018, in a seaside resort near Athens that residents had not been warned to evacuate. Authorities have since erred on the side of caution, issuing swift mass evacuation orders whenever inhabited areas are under threat. Last month, a wildfire on the resort island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on Evia. Another three wildfire-related deaths have been recorded this summer. In Spain's Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa, a wildfire that police say was started deliberately last Tuesday on Tenerife continued to burn out of control. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated and about 13,400 hectares (33,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland have burned. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the fire area would be declared a catastrophe zone, entitling the island to funds for reforestation and compensation for people affected. Canary Island regional President Fernando Clavijo told Spain's Cadena SER radio 'the worst is over,' adding that the hundreds of firefighters had made progress. Pictured: A view of flames surging toward settlements as a devastating wildfires continues to rage in Komotini, Greece today Greece is battling fierce wildfires that continue to spread havoc. Flames reached neighbourhoods in Komotini today (pictured) Pictured: A wildfire moving towards residences burns vegetation in Komotini, Greece today A house is under fire (pictured) after flames surged toward settlements in Komotini today The fire in the northeast of the island is not near any of the islands' main tourist areas. The blaze has come close to some 10 municipalities, but there have been no injuries or burned homes so far. In Portugal and Italy, two other southern European countries often plagued by summer wildfires, temperatures were predicted to soar this week. Italian authorities issued heat warnings for eight cities from Bolzano in the north to Rome in central Italy on Monday as temperatures were forecast to hit 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). Storm warnings were in effect in the southern regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily. In Portugal, temperatures were forecast to reach 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in some southern parts of the country. A 30 year-old man identified only by his surname Choi is escorted by police to a court hearing, Saturday. The court issued a warrant to arrest him for assaulting and raping a woman on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap Criminologists say death penalty would not have deterrent effect By Jun Ji-hye Brutal stabbings and the violent rape of a school teacher on her way to work in a residential area of Seoul in recent weeks have not only escalated fears among the public, but also reignited a fierce debate over resuming the executions of death row inmates in Korea, which were halted 26 years ago. After Cho Seon, 33, went on a stabbing spree killing one man and wounding three others near Sillim Station in Seoul, July 21, a similar knife rampage occurred, Aug. 3, by 22-year-old Choi Won-jong near Seohyeon Station in Gyeonggi Province, that left one woman dead and 13 others wounded. A combined photo shows Choi Won-jong, left, the suspect of a stabbing rampage near Seohyeon Station, and Cho Seon, the suspect of knife attacks near Sillim Station. Yonhap Then on Thursday, a 30-year-old man, identified only by his surname Choi, brutally assaulted and raped a woman on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong. He was arrested on Saturday, and the victim, who remained unconscious following the attack, died later that day. Korea is categorized as a death penalty abolitionist in practice by Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization focused on human rights, as the country has not carried out any executions since Dec. 30, 1997. But the country still maintains the death penalty and courts continue to sentence criminals to capital punishment. The number of death-row convicts stood at 60 as of last year, according to Amnesty International's annual report published in May. Shocked by the recent crimes, people have expressed their anger on internet communities, demanding that law enforcement authorities sentence the suspects to death and carry out the executions. "I was quite skeptical about the death penalty, but changed my mind recently as brutal crimes have continued to occur," one online user wrote on Naver. Another said, "The country's punishment against felons is too weak. Death penalties should be carried out again to prevent similar crimes." A bereaved family member of the victim of Cho Seon's stabbing attack posted a petition on a website run by the National Assembly, demanding that the death penalty be carried out against the perpetrator "so he cannot be released and commit such a crime again." A woman lays flowers on the street near Seohyeon Station in Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 7, where one woman was killed and 13 others were wounded during a stabbing rampage on Aug. 3. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon A pair of British doomsday preppers who Austrian police claim had 'planned to build a nuclear dirty bomb' were found with a massive arsenal of weapons at their home. The pair, who have not been named in local media, face up to five years in jail after being charged with nuclear offences following their arrest in Ruden, Carinthia State, Austria, earlier this year. Detectives say they found materials for making bombs, including the explosive TNT, black powder and ball bearings, as well as detonators, at the property occupied by the men. Additionally, the authorities say they found a plethora of guns, including military assault rifles, at the house occupied by what is believed to be a cult of people preparing for the end of the world. The 67-year-old Brits, along with a 29-year-old Austrian co-conspirator, have been charged with conspiring to use 'a nuclear fuel, a radioactive substance, an explosive' to create bombs, local media reported. Police found a plethora of firearms, including military assault rifles and hunting rifles when they entered the property occupied by the two men Austrian police were called to the property after paramedics responding to an emergency noticed the arsenal Police are understood to be looking for a fourth accomplice, reportedly a 68-year-old Austrian national, who remains at large. Police discovered components of male lethal pipe bombs, including 1.5 kilogrammes (3.3 lbs) of TNT, 8.5 kilogrammes (18.7 lbs) of black powder, ball bearings and steel tubing inside the home. It is understood that the deadly concoction, which included sulphuric acid, was enough to create nine powerful DIY bombs. Investigators also found 20 detonators and a mobile phone which prosecutors believe was to be used as a trigger. Additionally, police found powerful hunting rifles, military assault rifles, shotguns, handguns and boxes of ammunition at the property. The three accused are to stand trial at Klagenfurt District Court as of Tuesday, 22nd August. Public Prosecutor's spokesperson Tina Frimmel-Hesse said: 'Such cases are very rare. The quantity was sufficient to produce eight pipe bombs with a devastating effect.' Frimmel-Hesse added that the offenders refused to reveal what they had planned to do with the explosives when questioned. The men are believed to be members of a cult preparing for the end of the world and live in the rural area of Ruden in southern Austria The three accused were arrested after one of them called for an ambulance during a medical emergency, according to local media. Responding paramedics immediately called police after seeing the arsenal at the property. Officers then arrested the three inhabitants and sealed the estate. A spokesman for the Klagenfurt State Prosecution told Newsflash: 'The men will be in court over the illegal possession of weapons and explosives.' The three men reportedly lived a very reclusive life and had no interest in talking to their neighbours. However, one local told the news outlet: 'The house they acquired some years ago is extremely dilapidated. The region is very quiet and rural, not a lot is going on there. 'Their neighbours don't know anything about the three men. It has to be seen whether they were part of some conspiracy network or just weird hermits.' The Voice to Parliament referendum date is expected to be revealed within the next fortnight - as support for the bill continues to struggle in the polls. The federal government is preparing to make an announcement on the date before parliament reconvenes on September 4. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed at Labor's 49th national conference in Brisbane over the weekend that Australians will vote for constitutional recognition and the establishment of an advisory body sometime in October or November. A date for the referendum is widely expected to be on October 14 - after the AFL and NRL grand finals. Mr Albanese added at the conference the government would have to consult with cabinet and the Australian Electoral Commission before announcing a date. Voice architect Noel Pearson also flagged a weekend in October or November for the referendum during a Yes23 campaign event in Sydney last month. The Voice to Parliament referendum date is expected to be revealed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured right with AFL legend Adam Goodes) within the next fortnight 'Our constitution says once you get it out of the hands of the politicians, you've got to have the referendum no later than six months no earlier than two months from that date,' he said. 'So that means (October to November) will be the last opportunity to have the referendum and I'm sure the government will announce one of those weekends.' It comes as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton slammed the prime minister of 'playing games with the date' and not being upfront with the public. 'Frankly, he should stop being tricky and he should come out and announce the date and let the people have their say,' he said, as reported in The West Australian. Deputy Leader Sussan Ley claimed the delay in the announcement of the date is 'symbolic of the Prime Minister's entire approach to the Voice'. 'He says he wants to change the country; we're just not allowed to know either how or when,' she said. The Yes camp is anticipated to ramp up campaigning for the Voice over the coming weeks as polls show support amongst the public continues to dip. A RedBridge survey taken earlier this month found the No campaign with a huge 56-44 lead over the Yes side. This comes as a Guardian Essential Poll had the No side at 47 per cent and Yes at 43 per cent. The Yes side now trails the No side in every state and territory - to pass, four of the six states would have to vote Yes, as well as winning the overall national vote (pictured L-R, Warren Mundine, Michaelia Cash, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Kerrynne Liddle) The Yes side now trails the No side in every state and territory - to pass, four of the six states would have to vote Yes, as well as winning the overall national vote. Both polls are an indicator that people's views are hardening as it's the first time people have been surveyed since the launch of campaign information pamphlets by both camps in July. The push to change the constitution has also revealed income and education divides - the more educated or well off a person is, the more likely they are to support Yes. Two-thirds of people with a Year 12 and TAFE education plan to vote No, while 56 per cent of degree holders support Yes, the poll, carried out for News Corp, found. Similarly, two-thirds of people with annual household incomes below $50,000 a year also plan to vote No. The Voice is even more unpopular with Protestants and voters aged over 65 - around 75 per cent in each category planning to vote No. Other groups supporting the Voice are those aged 18-34 (63 per cent in favour) and those speaking a language other than English at home (59 per cent backing Yes Two suspects being hunted by police over the alleged gang rape of a British tourist in Magaluf have been arrested in France. Spanish authorities had issued a European Arrest Warrant for the pair after up to eight men were accused of attacking an 18-year-old girl at a party hotel on the island of Majorca last week. The girl fled a hotel room after believing she had been attacked by up to eight men at around 5am last Monday, August 14, telling police she had woken up surrounded by young people holding mobile phones. Officers later identified three men by ringing the girl's phone, which it was claimed had been stolen during the ordeal, and luring them to a meeting. A total of six suspects had been taken into custody prior today. A number of men have since been taken into custody by police, with police in France making the latest arrests after Spanish cops discovered the men had flown to Germany before crossing the border en route to the French city of Strasbourg. A suspect previously arrested by police on suspicion of taking part in the alleged gang rape of a British tourist Two men detained by police last week on suspicion of being involved in the incident in Magaluf The pair now face extradition to Majorca, while Civil Guard officers announced today their probe to identify the men involved had now concluded. A spokesman for the force said: 'The Civil Guard has closed the investigation sparked by the alleged gang rape that took place in a hotel in Magaluf in the early hours of August 14.' He added: 'Officers saw early on the complexity of the investigation, as the alleged aggressors didn't form part of the same group of friends but encouraged by other participants, had allegedly joined the group action in sporadic acts, meaning no type of relationship existed between them.' Confirming the first six suspects had been held the day of the alleged sex attack and remanded in prison, the force said in a statement: 'The probe continued to identify the two young men whose arrests were pending. 'One they had been identified, officers discovered they had taken a flight to Baden-Baden in Germany so they could head to their homes in the Strasbourg area. 'The Civil Guard sought the assistance of the French authorities through the normal channels and issued European Arrest Warrants to avoid them evading justice. 'On Sunday the French police confirmed they arrested one of them in the French locality of Scherwiller before subsequently confirming a second arrest at Basilea Mulhouse Freiburg Airport in France, when that suspect was trying to take a flight to Turkey to avoid detention.' Earlier this week it was reported the first of the Magaluf gang-rape suspects was held after Spanish police got him to answer the 'stolen' mobile phone of the British teenager allegedly targeted. Two of the men arrested by police on suspicion of the gang rape arriving at court in Palma on August 16 A man accused of being involved in the incident arrives at court in Palma flanked by two police officers Officers are said to have dialled the girl's phone number and one of the alleged French attackers answered her device. The man who answered and two of his friends were then duped into heading to the hotel's reception without realising that they were going to meet police and the girl. The alleged victim pointed at the men named as Anthony G, 20, Anthony A, 20, and Khalil A, 18 and they were quickly arrested. Two other French men Thomas E, 23, and Romain C, 26, were reportedly arrested later at the hotel along with the Swiss man Lucas H who is aged 20. The arrests were made after the victim described the men to police and 'various surveillance devices' were placed on the hotel entrances. All six men were held on suspicion of rape and remanded in custody on Tuesday at a court hearing on the island capital Palma. Over the weekend it emerged the judge who refused the six suspects bail and remanded them in prison pending an ongoing criminal probe had concluded the Brit teen had suffered 'really humiliating and degrading treatment' and described the men's claims sex was consensual as 'completely preposterous.' Mobile phone footage of the alleged sex attack, seized by police on the suspects' phones and handed over to the investigating judge, is said to have shown the men had been 'enjoying themselves and laughing.' On Sunday Ultima Hora published more details of the judge's remand ruling it appeared to have been given full or partial access to, saying the suspects had allegedly 'deliberately taken advantage' of their alleged victim's drunkenness to persuade her to accompany them to a hotel room before 'surrounding her' and 'carrying out numerous sexual practices' with her despite her 'obvious lack of awareness and willing to carry out those practices.' The criminal investigation has now been passed on to Palma's Court of Instruction Number Two, having been dealt with by a duty court in its initial stages. The British teenager, who gave a statement to police as well as the investigating judge in court, is said to have flown back to the UK with a female friend who was on holiday with her. Medical reports revealed that the girl had several bruises or grip marks on her right arm, suggesting she had been held down, and a small cut on her upper chest. Police have already confirmed they found footage on the suspects' mobile phones showing the alleged multiple rape that is now in the hands of the investigating judge and could form a 'key part' of the case. The alleged gang rape is believed to have taken place at the BH Hotel in Magaluf on Monday, August 14 BH Mallorca Resort, the hotel where the alleged sex attack took place, has said it is cooperating fully with police and offered its support to the unnamed holidaymaker. A spokesman said in a statement released last Thursday: 'The BH Mallorca Resort deeply regrets what has happened and would like to manifest its firm and forceful repudiation of the alleged sexual attack that occurred in the early hours of Monday August 14 at the hotel. 'The hotel also wants to demonstrate its solidarity with the alleged victim of this aggression. 'We are co-operating fully with the Civil Guard and its investigators in everything they consider to be necessary. 'This hotel ratifies through this statement its commitment to the condemnation of all types of sexual attacks that affect peoples' dignity and physical integrity. 'Behaviour that undermines those rights has no place in this establishment.' The hotel said it would be making no further comment for the time being. A security guard at the hotel reportedly came to the rescue of the 18-year-old Brit after finding her sobbing on the floor in the lobby. He called police after finding her around 5am on Monday, recalling how he had just come in for his morning shift and describing the police response as very quick and efficient. Investigators have already looked at CCTV images the hotel has provided and carried out an inspection of the room where the alleged gang rape took place. The men held and remanded in prison have not yet been charged with any crime as is normal in Spain where formal charges are only laid shortly before trial. At this stage they are 'investigados' in an ongoing criminal probe, which means they are under formal investigation. It is not known if the British teenager has hired her own lawyer. The four-star adults-only BH Mallorca Resort describes itself as the 'best accommodation option in Magaluf'on its website. It has its own beach club with over 100 VIP beds, a DJ booth and dance floor. Unilever has been called 'a bunch of hypocrites' for continuing to sell products such as ice cream and soap in Russia, indirectly contributing to its war chest. The firm whose brands include Dove, Ben & Jerry's and Marmite is contributing half a billion pounds annually to the Russian economy, according to analysis from the Moral Rating Agency (MRA). The campaign group's estimation includes Unilever's costs and taxes expended in Russia on production, wages and rent. The London-based firm's spend is the equivalent of one monthly salary for a Russian soldier every two minutes and one T-72 tank per day. It could pay for 39 bullets every second, every day of the year, or one thermobaric rocket every 9.5 days. MRA spokesman Mark Dixon said: 'A Cornetto ice cream seems innocuous until you realise that millions of them being sold each day can quickly pay for the launch of a missile. 'Likewise, a bar of Dove soap starts to look pretty dirty when there are enough of them being produced to purchase a Russian tank. British taxpayers are financially supporting Ukraine and Britain's Unilever is financially supporting Russia. Britain's ally may soon actually have to fight Unilever staff invading Ukraine. Protesters wearing balaclavas hold placards outside Unilever's London HQ in March, demanding the company stops doing business in Russia The firm whose brands include Dove, Ben & Jerry's and Marmite is contributing half a billion pounds annually to the Russian economy, according to analysis from the Moral Rating Agency. Pictured: Unilever's headquarters in Rotterdam, Netherlands The London-based firm's spend is the equivalent of one monthly salary for a Russian soldier every two minutes and one T-72 tank per day Unilever's chief executive Hein Schumacher (pictured) says pulling out 'could result in it being nationalised', pointing to the takeover of French yoghurt maker Danone's Russian subsidiary earlier this summer READ MORE: Unilever will let its Russian staff join Putin's forces if they are conscripted amid mounting pressure to pull out of the country as they wage war on Ukraine Advertisement 'This twisted situation is the direct result of greed over morality despite the crocodile tears that Unilever is so skilled at conjuring up.' The analysis also caused fury among MPs, who criticised Unilever for its presence in Russia despite 'woke' posturing from brands like Ben & Jerry's. Conservative MP Bob Seely said: 'I understand there's a financial cost [to leaving Russia] but at the same time, every time these people pay tax to the Russian state, they are funding a war. The MP dubbed Unilever bosses 'a bunch of hypocrites' and said the company represented 'a moral void'. Labour MP Chris Bryant said: 'The business secretary should be naming and shaming companies still trading in Russia.' Unilever's chief executive Hein Schumacher says pulling out 'could result in it being nationalised', pointing to the takeover of French yoghurt maker Danone's Russian subsidiary earlier this summer. But he promised a Ukrainian war veteran to look at the issue with 'a fresh pair of eyes' in a leaked letter earlier this month. Unilever recently said it would comply with conscription laws, meaning its 3,000 Russian employees could be sent to fight. n A PLOT to ethnically cleanse the Ukrainian city of Mariupol through population transfers has been uncovered. The plan would reportedly see 300,000 Russians move there with the incentive of a preferential mortgage programme. Just 100,000 of the city's 450,000 residents remain. More than 25,000 people were reportedly killed and 16,000 children abducted, while 90 per cent of buildings were razed. An Ohio teenager who killed her boyfriend and one of his friends in an intentional 100mph crash has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Mackenzie Shirilla, 20, sobbed as she learned her sentence on Monday for the murders of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and his 19-year-old friend Davion Flanagan in July 2022. 'She had a mission, and she executed it with precision. The mission was death,' Judge Nancy Margaret said in handing down the sentence. In November, she was charged with murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, felonious assault, despite insisting that the crash was an accident. Prosecutors said she was on a 'mission of death' that she saw as her way out of their toxic relationship and that she'd scouted out the route a week before she killed him and his friend, who was 'cargo'. Mackenzie Shirilla, 20, broke down in tears on Monday as she was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for murdering his boyfriend and a friend in a deliberate car crash Mackenzie Shirilla with boyfriend Dominic Russo. She was convicted of his murder on Monday Russo said Monday the most significant piece of evidence against Shirilla was the 'chilling and tragic' surveillance footage, which shows her accelerating to smash her Toyota Camry into the wall of a commercial building. 'This is the type of evidence you can never unsee,' said Russo. She said that Shirilla, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, was a 'literal hell on wheels.' Last week, when Shirilla was convicted after a four-day, non-jury trial, Russo said the two men in the car experienced sheer terror as she drove them to their deaths. 'There can be no doubt as to the absolute terror of the two people in that car,' she said. 'This was not reckless driving. This was murder.' Shirilla's Toyota Camry is pictured after the crash in July 2022 The judge on Monday said there was 'no doubt of the absolute terror of the two people in that car' The court was shown footage of Shirilla accelerating into a wall at 100mph Shirilla's lawyers had argued the crash was an accident. The killer, who did not testify during trial, spoke before the court before the sentence was read. 'The families of Dominic and Davion, I'm so deeply sorry. I hope one day you can see I would never let this happen or do it on purpose. I wish I could remember what happened,' she said crying. 'We were all friends, and Dom was my soul mate,' she said. 'I wish I could take all your pain away. And to my family, thank you for the support and all the love you guys give. I love you all so much.' She and the two victims had been smoking marijuana before the collision. Her family said she plans to appeal the verdict. In one TikTok, she stares at the camera and declares: 'I'm just one of those girls that can do a lot of drugs and not die.' After the crash, Shirilla searched the internet for Los Angeles modeling jobs, from her hospital bed. Following her release, she attended a music concert in a wheelchair and was in a TikTok video for Halloween, dancing with friends dressed as what appears to be a corpse. As she was led away in handcuffs after learning her fate, one relative shouted: 'We love you, Kenz.' Another shouted: 'You're innocent.' Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 20, died in the crash that was caught on film and described by the judge as a key piece of evidence Shirilla cries in court as she was convicted of murder for the fatal crash Before Shirilla was sentenced, relatives of the two victims addressed the court. Dominic's mother, Christine Russo, told her: 'Mackenzie, going to prison because you did this, be thankful you're still alive and have a future, whatever that may be. 'Dom and Davion were robbed of their futures, their hopes and their dreams. 'Mackenzie showed no mercy on Dominic nor did she on Davion, only God at this time can have mercy on her soul.' Davion Flangan's mother said his death has left their family devastated. His sister, Davyne Flanagan, said: 'I feel stuck, I feel like I can't move forward. I feel lost. 'I would like you to give Mackenzie the longest possible sentence. I've known her for about three years and she's always taking the easy way out.' Three former justice secretaries last night added their weight to growing pressure to strengthen the official inquiry into Lucy Letby's sickening crimes. The trio joined others calling for a probe to be put on a statutory footing to give the public greater confidence and avoid accusations of an NHS 'cover-up'. And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer joined the chorus, saying a statutory inquiry was the only way to get the 'fullest, proper, comprehensive' understanding of what went wrong and when. Government sources said ministers were looking at 'all options' for upgrading the inquiry and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not rule it out. As it stands, the probe announced after Letby's convictions on Friday is non-statutory, meaning it will not have the power to force witnesses to appear before it or present certain documents. Baby killer nurse Lucy Letby, 33, was convicted of murdering seven premature babies and attempting to murder six more. A judge gave her 14 whole-life orders Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says a statutory inquiry was the only way to get the 'fullest, proper, comprehensive' understanding of what went wrong and when Children's minister Claire Coutinho defended the existing set-up, saying it 'makes more sense' because it could conclude faster. READ MORE: Lucy Letby is likely to see out days in HMP Low Newton where inmates go shopping for snacks and clothes, sleep in pink cells and pet animals Advertisement She added: 'I think speed is of the essence to make sure that expectant parents across the country can feel assured that they know that there are steps in place to make sure that this won't happen again.' But Sir David Lidington, who served as justice secretary under Theresa May, said the findings of a full-blown judge-led, statutory inquiry would command greater public confidence. He also backed calls to appoint a foreign medical expert to sit alongside a judge to avoid it being influenced by pro-NHS bias. He told the Daily Mail: 'I just think that because of the issue of trust that is at stake here, we should have a statutory inquiry and that it should include somebody who is from a different jurisdiction who has not got any [NHS] service history, somebody who is genuinely independent or who has no axe to grind.' It has been alleged that some NHS managers ignored warnings from Letby's colleagues that she was killing babies. Labour peer Lord Falconer, who was Sir Tony Blair's justice secretary, said there was a risk that a non-statutory inquiry would allow these to be covered up. Sir David Lidington, who served as justice secretary under Theresa May, said the findings of a full-blown judge-led, statutory inquiry would command greater public confidence It has been alleged that some NHS managers ignored warnings from Letby's colleagues that she was killing babies. Labour peer Lord Falconer (pictured), who was Sir Tony Blair's justice secretary, said there was a risk that a non-statutory inquiry would allow these to be covered up Jack Straw, who succeeded Lord Falconer under Gordon Brown, believes 'a non-statutory inquiry is not appropriate for circumstances like these, and in my experience is likely to create more problems than it avoids' He said: 'The inquiry can compel the production of people to give evidence and documents and if you look at what's happening at the moment, with blame being traded although no doubt the Government would ensure the institutions such as the hospitals and the NHS co-operated, they couldn't do that in relation to individuals who are no longer employed.' Jack Straw, who succeeded Lord Falconer under Gordon Brown, said: 'A non-statutory inquiry is not appropriate for circumstances like these, and in my experience is likely to create more problems than it avoids. 'It may have to spend years putting draft conclusions to witnesses who had not been properly cross-examined on specific but relevant issues during the evidence gathering part of the inquiry. 'Statutory inquiries may themselves drag on, but overall they are better.' Having been a constant presence throughout her ten-month trial, at the final moment of reckoning, John and Susan Letby were unable to face the truth about their only child's wicked crimes. Like Lucy, who cowered in her cell yesterday and refused to come to Manchester Crown Court to be sentenced, Mr and Mrs Letby also chose to stay away. They were not there to hear the heart-rending statements from the grief-stricken parents of the precious, longed-for babies murdered by their 33-year-old daughter. Or to listen to Mr Justice Goss declare that she will now spend the rest of her life behind bars. But then, right from the start of this hideous saga, the couple have been in utter denial about their precious daughter; unable or unwilling to accept that she could have committed the heinous crimes of which she was accused and, above all, never afraid to leap to her defence. It was Mr and Mrs Letby who accompanied their daughter to a key meeting with hospital bosses in January 2017, six months after she was removed from the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital following the death of two triplet boys. John and Susan Letby, the parents of nurse Lucy Letby, outside Manchester Crown Court ahead of the verdict in the case Convinced of her innocence, the couple helped her secure a letter of apology from senior doctors who had raised concerns about their beloved daughter, and threatened to report them to the General Medical Council. As devoted parents, their blinkered belief in their child is not exactly surprising. Letby is only the fourth woman in British criminal history to be given a whole-life tariff but, unlike killers such as Myra Hindley and Rose West, there is no suggestion that she endured a brutal or disadvantaged childhood. Far from it. Those who know the family say 77-year-old former shop manager John and 63-year-old retired accounts clerk Susan doted on their daughter. Some might even say too much so. Letby was born in January 1990, six months after her parents married and not long after they bought the house where they still live, a 1930s semi in a cul-de-sac in Hereford. Their daughter, say neighbours, was always a 'delight' to her parents. They watched her thrive at comprehensive Aylestone School, then Hereford Sixth Form College. Her first part-time job was as a teenager at WH Smith. When she became the first member of the family to graduate with a BSc in Child Nursing from the University of Chester in 2011 the couple were so delighted that they took out an advertisement in the local paper. 'We are so proud of you after all your hard work,' it read. They did the same again when she turned 21, accompanying the birthday notice with a photograph of their daughter as a sweet-looking child. And while they were said to be unhappy about her moving away from Hereford to start her new job, they helped Letby buy her first home; a 179,000 three-bedroom semi, just a mile from the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she lived alone with her two rescue cats, Tigger and Smudge. During her trial, the emergence of texts Letby exchanged with colleagues hinted that she sometimes felt smothered by her parents and also guilty about moving away from them. Like Lucy (pictured as a child), who cowered in her cell yesterday and refused to come to Manchester Crown Court to be sentenced, Mr and Mrs Letby also chose to stay away Letby was born in January 1990, six months after her parents married and not long after they bought the house where they still live, a 1930s semi in a cul-de-sac in Hereford She continued to holiday with them, going on the thrice-annual trips to Torquay the family had enjoyed since her early childhood. She told one doctor, who was moving to New Zealand, that she would never have been able to make such a move, as it would 'completely devastate them', adding: '[They] find it hard enough being away from me now and it's only 100 miles.' Another time, she messaged: 'My parents worry massively about everything and anything, hate that I live alone, etc. 'I feel bad because I know it's really hard for them, especially as I'm an only child, and they mean well, just a little suffocating at times and constantly feel guilty.' Ironically, given the nature of Letby's crimes, the key to understanding her sometimes claustrophobic relationship with her parents may well lie in her own infant years. One of the killer's closest friends, who went to school with her and also refuses to accept her schoolfriend's guilt, told the BBC's Panorama programme last week that Letby wanted to become a neonatal nurse because she herself had survived a traumatic birth. If true, this might go some way towards explaining why John and Susan Letby had a tendency to overprotect their daughter. What effect this might have had on Letby as she entered her adult years is another matter entirely. One psychologist connected to the case told the Mail Letby was a 'covert narcissist'. Having been at the centre of her parents' universe for so long, she craved the attention she had received since childhood and, once she was living away from them, needed to find it elsewhere. One psychologist connected to the case told the Mail Letby (pictured when younger) was a 'covert narcissist' Letby (pictured in 2007) was released on bail before being arrested on two further occasions, in June 2019 and November 2020, as investigations continued Other text messages sent throughout her murderous spree reveal how she sought sympathy and admiration from colleagues. After the death of her first victim - Baby A - in June 2015, a fellow nurse sent her a message which read: 'I hope you are OK, you were brilliant.' READ MORE - Parents of babies murdered by Letby could receive less than 13,000 in compensation Advertisement Letby responded: 'It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do... Just a big shock for us all. Hard coming in tonight and seeing the parents.' According to Dominic Willmott, a lecturer in criminology at Loughborough University, some of the nurse's texts suggest she wanted to 'garner sympathy' after the babies' deaths. He said last week that she may have been motivated by a 'pathological desire for attention and sympathy'. Another key prosecution argument throughout her trial was that Letby wanted to gain the sympathy of a doctor with whom she had become 'infatuated'. There have even been suggestions that Letby was suffering from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, a condition in which carers can intentionally harm children in order to gain attention for themselves. There are claims that she was animated after some of the murders, as if revelling in the drama she had created. John Letby was present when his daughter was arrested for the first time on July 4, 2018. He had stayed the night after driving her home the day before, following one of the family's holidays to Torquay, and watched as she was led out of the house by police officers. Letby is seen smiling as she poses with her friends. She has now been confirmed as Britain's worst ever child killer Letby holding a drink (left) and posing with friends during a night out (right) In court, Letby was close to tears when she said that after her arrest, her father had made her bed. Her room, as the jury saw from photographs shown in court, was rather childlike, full of stuffed toys, fairy lights and a saccharine sign on a wall that read, 'Leave sparkles wherever you go'. In her kitchen was a 'Happy Birthday Mummy' note from her cats, sent by her own mother. Letby was released on bail before being arrested on two further occasions, in June 2019 and November 2020, as investigations continued. On one occasion, when she was arrested at her childhood home, her distraught mother is said to have pleaded with officers: 'I did it. Take me instead.' Before their daughter's trial started last October, the couple, who still run a family radiator business, relocated from Hereford, renting an apartment close to Manchester Crown Court. They may now choose to relocate once more, to be near Letby as she begins her life sentence at a prison likely to be far from the family home. Throughout the trial, the couple were seen exchanging loving glances with their daughter, who often sought to make eye contact with them. Determined to hear every last piece of evidence against her, they have, at times, been an irascible presence in court, lambasting journalists over their coverage of the trial and bemoaning its duration, which forced them to extend the lease on their rented flat. They became a familiar sight during breaks in proceedings, both smoking cigarettes on the steps of the courthouse. Despite everything they have heard about Letby's wicked actions, the couple's faith in her has proved unshakeable. Last Friday, when all the verdicts were made public, Mrs Letby's disbelief was laid bare in court when she collapsed sobbing into her husband's arms, at one point shouting: 'You can't be serious. This cannot be right.' Another photo shows Letby - wearing a black floral dress - posing at the front of a group of women on a hen do just hours before she murdered her first victim Their decision to stay away from court yesterday was yet another clear sign of their continuing solidarity with their daughter. Being forced to listen day in, day out to details of the evil she perpetrated is more than most parents could bear. And yet, it is still nothing compared with the grief of those whose innocent premature babies were given a chance at life, only to have it murderously snatched away. At the heart of this monstrous tale stands a simple question. How could a child raised by such adoring parents have turned out to be one of the worst child serial killers in modern British history? If John and Susan Letby ever come to accept their daughter's guilt, it is a question they will be asking themselves for the rest of their lives. Two teenagers have been hospitalised under police guard with two more on the run after their allegedly stolen car collided with another vehicle. Emergency services were called to a two-car collision at the intersection of Civic Drive and McDonalds Road in Epping, north Melbourne, at about 2.25am on Tuesday. It's understood four teenagers were driving an allegedly stolen MG hatch. Witnesses told police the car was speeding before running a red light where it crashed into the second car. Two teenagers are on the run following a high-speed collision in an allegedly stolen whtie MG hatch (pictured, the allegedly stolen car) It's understood two teenagers fled the scene on foot, leaving a 16-year-old female and 13-year-old male seriously injured inside the MG. Both teenagers were taken to hospital under police guard while officers continue the search for the missing pair with the help of the Dog Squad. A 30-year-old man driving the second vehicle was hospitalised with minor injuries. An officer reportedly said if a passenger had been in the left side of the car, they would have been killed, Sunrise reported. Police alleged the white MG was stolen after running a check on its number plates. Victoria Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed or has dashcam footage of the crash to contact Crime Stoppers. A 30-year-old man driving the second car (above) was hospitalised with minor injuries after the allegedly stolen car ran a red light President greeted local politicians with hugs after saying last week he had 'no comment' on the inferno's devastation and First Lady Jill paused their summer vacation at Lake Tahoe in Nevada on Monday to visit Hawaii Furious Hawaiians greeted President Joe Biden with signs telling him to go home and demanding more federal disaster relief as the 80-year-old and his wife toured the island of Maui 13 days after devastating wildfires. The route of the president's motorcade was lined with people holding their thumbs down, with some waving Trump 2024 flags. On person had written a sign contrasting the money spent on Ukraine with the assistance sent to Hawaii - calculating that each Ukrainian has received over $1,700 since the war broke out in February 2022. The White House has announced that each affected household in Hawaii will receive $700 - a sum many islanders considered insulting. Locals were particularly infuriated by Biden, asked last Sunday about the fires as he left an afternoon on the Delaware beach, replying: 'No comment.' President Biden told Maui the nation 'grieves with you' in his first visit to the island since wildfires ravaged the city of Lahaina and the surrounding community Biden and first lady Jill Biden look at a burned car with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his wife Jaime Green as they visit areas devastated by the Maui wildfires People watch as the motorcade carrying President Joe Biden to visit areas devastated by the Maui wildfires passes by. One local gives the president a thumbs down Even Democrats were demanding to know why the federal aid had been slow to arrive, and joined in their Republican colleagues in questioning Biden's delay in arriving in Maui. Biden interrupted his Lake Tahoe vacation on Monday to fly five hours to the island, and insist that the federal government was there for the islanders. While the death toll in Maui has topped 114, some 850 remain missing. 'The devastation is overwhelming, to date 114 dead,' Biden said, before launching into a lengthy anecdote about his own loss of his first wife Naomi and one-year-old daughter in a car accident in 1972. 'We're focused on what's next as rebuilding a long, long term rebuilding for long term and doing it together to help get us back on our feet to rebuild the way we want to rebuild,' Biden told the crowd, as charred rubble lay in his background. 'By making sure your voices are heard, by respecting your traditions, by understanding the deep history and meaning the sacred ground and establishing your community not to change his character but reestablish it. 'We're also going to bring the capabilities to help you rebuild. So your critical infrastructure is more resilient in the future.' He also praised 'stories of hope, and heroism of the aloha spirit.' Biden had touched down in Kahalui hours earlier. Biden visited with those who lost homes and loved ones during the disaster and was briefed by public officials. The White house said he has continued to receive briefings over the weekend, after Biden issued a series of public statements on the disaster following his early stumbles. The president appeared more somber in tone when he met with local officials than when he told a reporter he had 'no comment' on the inferno's devastation while relaxing at his Delaware beach house last Sunday. Last week, he appeared to forget the name of Maui, repeatedly referring to fires blazing on 'the Big Island' Biden embraces with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green People hold signs as U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit the fire-ravaged town of Lahaina People watch as the motorcade carrying President Joe Biden to visit areas devastated by the Maui wildfires passes by Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his wife Jaime Green as they visit areas devastated by the Maui wildfires The Bidens paused their summer vacation at Lake Tahoe in Nevada on Monday to visit Hawaii The 114 person death toll already makes the inferno one of the nation's deadliest in history - and an estimated 1,000 people are still unaccounted for. Officials are still analyzing the factors that contributed to the massive inferno, including problems with its electrical grid. The president left behind a more tranquil setting - he is renting the home of billionaire former presidential candidate and climate activist Tom Steyer on the eastern side of Lake Tahoe. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet Hawaii Governor Josh Green (C) upon arrival at Kahului Airport in Kahului, Hawaii Biden (R) embraces Hawaii Governor Josh Green (2nd R) upon arrival at Kahului Airport in Kahului Biden and First Lady Jill paused their summer vacation at Lake Tahoe in Nevada on Monday to visit Hawaii He has been accompanied on that vacation by his son Hunter, who has been dealing with the collapse of his plea deal on tax charges, and whose probe is now being overseen by U.S. attorney David Weiss in the role of special prosecutor. After taking criticism for his 'no comment' while at the beach, Biden has been making repeated references to the tragedy. He spoke at Camp David about financial contributions by Japan and South Korea announced at the summit, then boarded Marine One to make his way to Nevada. 'I want to start by expressing my appreciation for the contribution that your countries have made for relief following the devastating wildfires in Hawaii. I want to thank you both on behalf of the American people,' he said. Biden also said FEMA was preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary in Southern California. Biden and first lady Jill Biden take an aerial tour on Marine One over areas devastated by the Maui wildfires President Joe Biden leaves Lake Tahoe to visit those impacted by devastating wildfires in Maui. Here he departs from Our Lady of Tahoe Catholic Church in Zephyr Cove, Nevada on August 19 Biden is staying at the home of climate investor Tom Steyer. The White House said he is renting it at fair market value Biden leaves Lake Tahoe Monday morning, then flies to Hawaii, with plans to return the same day President Joe Biden thanked Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for their countries' contributions to Hawaii relief An estimated 1,000 people are still unaccounted for, and the death toll has topped 100. Biden plans to tour some of the devastation in Lahaina On Thursday he promised to offer assistance to Maui for 'as long as it takes' during a recorded message that aired on ABC's 'Good Morning America.' 'The entire nation is with you as you recover, rebuild and grieve,' he said. The wildfire that broke out August 8 in the town of Lahaina is now the deadliest in more than a century, and the fifth-deadliest on record for the U.S. 'We'll be with you for as long as it takes, I promise you,' the president added. He noted the federal government has already taken action to send hundreds of emergency personnel and thousands of meals and supplies to the historic tourist town ravaged by flames. Before Biden announced his visit, Republicans compared his lack of a visit to East Palestine, Ohio - where a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals, displacing 100s. Biden had promised to visit the Ohio town but never did. Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans tore into him. Trump said he was refusing 'to help or comment on the tragedy' and called the moment 'horrible and unacceptable.' Search operations of areas damaged by wildfires in Lahaina Town destroyed in the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, August 15 Biden first issued his 'no comment' while while staying at the beach near his Delaware home. Then while breezing by reporters he made a terse comment, saying he was 'looking at it.' Back at the White House, a reporter asked Biden at the White House: 'Can you tell us about your Hawaii trip?' 'No, not now,' Biden said, before staff eventually announced details. It call came during a time when Biden might have preferred some distance form the press, following the appointment of the special counsel for his son. Biden and the first lady are traveling to Maui on Monday to comfort survivors of the devastating wildfires that ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island earlier this month, as his administration responds to the devastation whose full scope is still unknown. The Bidens are taking a detour from their weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the day trip to Lahaina, a historic town of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. While there, the first couple will meet with first responders and be briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They will also view the damaged town, both from helicopters and on the ground, and the Democratic president will deliver remarks paying tribute to the victims of the wildfires, which have killed more than 100 people since they began on Aug. 8. The president will also tap Bob Fenton, a regional leader at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, where just about every building was obliterated. 'I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life,' Biden said in a statement ahead of the trip. 'I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions.' Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said that as of Sunday about 85% of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink. While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said that cellphones, identification and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process. More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground in Hawaii to respond to the wildfires, according to the White House. The administration has doled out more than $8 million in aid to affected families. Schatz, who will be with Biden as the president travels to his home state on Monday, stressed that officials were 'still responding to the disaster' and 'We are not yet in a recovery phase.' 'As bad as this looks, its actually worse,' he said in a phone interview on Sunday. 'What you cant see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you cant see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you cant see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down.' While vacationing in Lake Tahoe, Biden has been on the phone regularly with officials to get briefed on updates to the wildfire response, the White House said. The Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, the head of Russia's space agency has said. Roscosmos director general Yury Borisov was dragged onto state TV yesterday to explain Vladimir Putin's latest failure and blamed the country's decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap. The pilotless Luna-25 was scheduled to land on Monday in a bid to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the Moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist. But Mr Borisov said the spacecraft's engines were turned on over the weekend to put Luna-25 into a 'pre-landing orbit' but did not shut down properly, plunging the lander onto the moon. The lunar mission was Russia's first since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. Only three countries have managed successful moon landings: the Soviet Union, the United States and China. The Luna-25 spacecraft (pictured during take off on August 11) crashed into the Moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, the head of Russia's space agency has said Roscosmos director general Yury Borisov (pictured yesterday on Russia 24) was dragged onto state TV today to explain Vladimir Putin's latest failure and blamed the country's decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap The Roscosmos had contact with the spacecraft until 2.57pm local time on Saturday, when communication was lost and 'the device passed into an open lunar orbit and crashed into the surface of the Moon'. Pictured: The moon lander Luna 25 automatic station during its way to the Moon on August 16 'Instead of the planned 84 seconds, it worked for 127 seconds. This was the main reason for the emergency,' Mr Borisov told Russian state news channel Russia 24. READ MORE: Russian astronomer who advised Putin's failed Luna-25 mission to the Moon is rushed to hospital over 'sharp deterioration in his health' Mikhail Marov was rushed to hospital after the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the surface of the Moon Advertisement He revealed that the Roscosmos had contact with the spacecraft until 2.57pm local time on Saturday, when communication was lost and 'the device passed into an open lunar orbit and crashed into the surface of the Moon'. 'The negative experience of interrupting the lunar programme for almost 50 years is the main reason for the failures,' Mr Borisov said, adding 'it would be the worst decision ever' for Russia to end the programme now. Luna-25 launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East on August 10. The spaceport is a pet project of Russian President Vladimir Putin and key to his efforts to make Russia a space superpower. Before the launch, Roscosmos said it wanted to show Russia 'is a state capable of delivering a payload to the moon', and 'ensure Russia's guaranteed access to the moon's surface'. Following the crash, the Russian space agency said the Moon mission was about ensuring long-term 'defence capability' as well as 'technological sovereignty'. 'The race to develop the Moon's natural resources has begun,' Mr Borisov said. 'In the future, the Moon will become an ideal platform for the exploration of deep space.' Sanctions imposed on Russia since it launched a war in Ukraine nearly 18 months ago have affected its space programme, making it more difficult to access Western technology. The unmanned Luna-25 was Russia's first attempt to land on the Moon since 1976 The Luna-25 was initially meant to carry a small rover, but the idea was abandoned to reduce the weight of the craft for improved reliability, analysts said. The lunar south pole is of particular interest to scientists, who believe the permanently shadowed polar craters may contain frozen water in the rocks that future explorers could transform into air and rocket fuel. The Lunar-25 had been in a race with an Indian spacecraft that launched on July 14 to be the first to reach the south pole. Both were expected to reach the Moon between August 21 and 23. A previous Indian attempt to land at the moon's south pole in 2019 ended when the spacecraft crashed into the Moon's surface. Former special counsel Park Young-soo, center, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court to undergo a court review on his arrest warrant over corruption allegations involving a property development scandal, Aug. 3. Yonhap Prosecutors indicted former special counsel Park Young-soo on Monday on bribery charges connected to a high-profile property development scandal. Park is charged with taking a combined 1.9 billion won ($1.4 million) from private developers in return for helping them land the so-called Daejang-dong project, including 800 million won he allegedly took while serving as the chair of the Woori Bank board of directors from 2014-15. Under the project, the Daejang-dong district in Seongnam, south of Seoul, was developed into apartment complexes, and the private developers' firm, Hwacheon Daeyu, reaped astronomical profits. Prosecutors also suspect Park additionally pocketed 1.1 billion won between 2019-21 in the form of a loan to his daughter while being promised 20 billion won in total in return for facilitating business favors for the developers. Woori Bank had initially considered investing in the private developers' consortium formed to win the development deal but backed out. Instead, the bank issued a letter of intent to extend a loan in favor of the private developers, an action seen decisive in the developers' winning of the preferred bidder status for the project. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office brought charges of bribery and graft as they indicted Park under physical detention Monday. Park is also one of several prominent figures in the "5 billion club," who were allegedly promised 5 billion won each by asset management firm Hwacheon Daeyu, along with former ruling party lawmaker Kwak Sang-do and former Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam. Park rose to fame after investigating a corruption scandal involving the ousted former President Park Geun-hye as a special counsel in 2017. (Yonhap) A crew member on a cruise ship has died after falling overboard at a pier in the Cromarty Firth. The man, aged in his 40s, was airlifted to hospital after falling from the Viking Mars on Friday but could not be saved. His family is now being supported by Viking Cruises and an investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the tragedy. The alarm was raised at 11am on Friday after the man fell from the ship, which has a capacity of 930 guests, at Saltburn pier at the Port of Cromarty Firth in Invergordon, Easter Ross. A trauma team, two ambulances and a helicopter were dispatched and the man was taken to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he died a few hours later. The man fell from the cruise ship Viking Mars on Friday, but sadly succumbed to his injuries the same day. Pictured: The Viking Mars arriving at port in Portsmouth in June this year The incident took place in the Port of Cromarty Firth in Invergordon, Scotland. Pictured: A view of the port in June this year In a statement, cruise company Viking said: 'It is with great sadness that we confirm a crew member passed away following an incident in Scotland on 18 August. 'We shared our deepest sympathies with the crew member's family and are working to ensure they have the support they need during this difficult time. 'Viking's focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our crew and guests. READ MORE HERE: Crew member dies after falling from cruise ship docked at Scottish pier Advertisement 'Our operations team is working with local authorities to determine how this occurred.' The company had previously said that no other crew members or guests were involved in the incident. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed of the man's death and Police Scotland confirmed that a report has been sent to the procurator fiscal. A police spokesman said: 'Around 11am on Friday, August 18 police received a report of a man having fallen from a ship at Saltburn Pier in Invergordon. 'Emergency services attended and the man was taken by helimed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he died a few hours later. 'A report has been sent to the procurator fiscal.' The 745-foot Viking Mars was built in 2022 and is classed as a small ship, meaning it can dock at ports which are inaccessible to larger vessels. It is used for cruises round Britain and to destinations including Iceland and the Mediterranean. 'I think about what his voice would have sounded like. What he would have looked like now. Who he would have been.' In three heartbreaking sentences, the tearful mother of one of the babies killed by Lucy Letby conveys the depth of loss and bereavement caused by the actions of the depraved killer nurse. This was the day the families gave their impact statements at Manchester Crown Court, after Letby's convictions for the murder of seven premature babies and attempted murder of six more in the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester hospital. Their harrowing testimony, which reduced court officials and police officers to tears, spoke of their agony, rage, and sheer incomprehension that someone charged with protecting such vulnerable infants could be so sadistically evil. Some of the babies who survived still carry the malign legacy of Letby's attempts to kill them, having suffered irreversible brain injury after she injected them with air or insulin. Lucy Letby wasn't there to hear first-hand from those whose lives she so cruelly devastated One, known as Child G, is quadriplegic, registered blind, nil by mouth, has cerebral palsy and needs major surgery to treat progressive curvature of the spine. In a statement read to the court, her father told how he prayed every day that God would save her life, adding: 'He did save her, but the Devil found her.' But Letby wasn't there to hear first-hand from those whose lives she so cruelly devastated, or indeed listen as the judge sentenced her to 14 whole-life terms. In a last act of cowardice, she remained in her cell, depriving families of the chance to look her in the eye as they told their stories and justice was meted out. Although her presence could not have assuaged their grief, it would at least have brought some degree of closure. The Government has been promising a law to compel criminals to attend court for sentencing. It can't come too soon. But this case was also about inept NHS managers who refused to believe they were harbouring a baby-killer, even after a string of clinicians warned that they could be. Understandably, the families want a full-blown statutory inquiry with powers to force witnesses to testify. But we know from bitter experience that they take time and often don't lead to the necessary reforms. What is needed here is a rapid, focused assessment of how NHS command structures failed so miserably to protect highly vulnerable patients. Those responsible must be brought to account and a new managerial system created to ensure such an outrage is never repeated. The first requirement is that whistleblowers, especially experienced clinicians, should be listened to not ordered to keep their suspicions to themselves. Courting scandal Is it mere coincidence that the Metropolitan Police announced no action would be taken against the King's former close aide Michael Fawcett over 'cash for honours' allegations on the same day Lucy Letby was sentenced? The Fawcett inquiry was an embarrassment to Scotland Yard, so ditching it on a day when the media's attention was distracted might have been an attempt to minimise criticism. But the cloak of controversy still hangs over Mr Fawcett, as it has done for years. Is it mere coincidence that the Metropolitan Police announced no action would be taken against the King's former close aide Michael Fawcett (pictured together in 2021) over 'cash for honours' allegations on the same day Lucy Letby was sentenced? There have been allegations of selling royal gifts, of selling access to the then Prince of Wales, and most recently of offering a KBE to a Saudi businessman who donated 1.5million to royal charities. The monarchy's credibility relies on the sovereign and those in his employ being above suspicion on matters of financial probity. For this reason, the King and Mr Fawcett must surely now part company for good. A wealthy dentist convicted of killing his wife while on a safari in Zambia so he could collect millions in life insurance has been sentenced to life in prison for murder and fined $15million. Larry Rudolph, who prosecutors say had a lifetime 'spent seeking domination and control over others through wealth and power', fatally shot his wife Bianca Rudolph in October 2016. The 57-year-old wife and mother of two adult children was shot in the heart by her husband while the couple were away on a hunting trip in the African savannah. He claimed his wife accidentally shot herself while she was packing to head back home. His girlfriend Lori Milliron, 65, is serving 17 years in prison after being sentenced in June for encouraging the murder. Rudolph was sentenced Monday in a Denver federal court for murder as well as for mail fraud. Larry Rudolph, who prosecutors say had a lifetime 'spent seeking domination and control over others through wealth and power', fatally shot his wife Bianca Rudolph in October 2016. Monday, he was sentenced to life in prison His girlfriend Lori Milliron (pictured), 65, is serving 17 years in prison after being sentenced in June for encouraging the murder Rudolph (pictured) claimed his wife accidentally shot herself while she was packing to head back home from the safari He cashed in nearly $5 million in insurance policies for his wife, as prosecutors say he wanted to live a lavish retirement with his longtime girlfriend using the money. 'We still believe strongly in Larrys innocence. We are looking forward to vindicating him on appeal,' said Rudolph's lawyers, David Oscar Markus and Margot Moss. Rudolph has claimed throughout the case that his wife's death in the southern African nation in 2016 was an accident. His lawyers plan to appeal the conviction. After shooting his wife, Rudolph, who owned a Pittsburgh-area dental franchise, put the gun in its soft case to make it look like she had accidentally shot herself while packing. The location of the murder, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) from the nearest police station, was the perfect place to try to get away with the crime, where he rushed to have his wife cremated and intimidated officials investigating her death. The goal was to live a lavish retirement with his longtime girlfriend, Milliron, with the help of the insurance money. She was sentenced to 17 years in prison in June after being convicted of being an accessory. She has since filed an appeal. 'The murder was the culmination of a lifetime spent seeking domination and control over others through wealth and power,' prosecutors said in a court filing outlining their sentencing proposal. Pictured is Bianca Rudolph, who was fatally killed in 2016 by her husband, prosecutors say The son, left, and daughter, back right, of Pittsburgh dentist Larry Rudolph head into federal court for the afternoon session of the trial in July last year Rudolph's adult children are fighting for some of the financial penalties the government wants their father to pay, asking the court to treat them, not the insurance companies, as the victims of the insurance fraud. In a court filing, they say they have 'suffered considerable financial harm' and are entitled to restitution. Investigators in Zambia and for the insurers concluded Bianca Rudolph's death was an accident. The insurance companies, some based in Colorado, then had to pay out the life insurance because of her death, according to the defense in court documents. Rudolph was arrested nearly five years after her death following an FBI investigation that sent agents traveling around the world to collect evidence and interview witnesses. A bartender at a steakhouse in Phoenix, where Milliron moved to be with Rudolph after Biancas death, said he overheard Rudolph saying 'I killed my f*****g wife for you!' during an argument they were having in early 2020. However, Brian Lovelace testified he could not hear the words right before that statement because music was playing. Rudolph testified that he actually said 'now they're saying I killed my f*****g wife for you!' after learning that the FBI was investigating him. Prosecutors allege he built his wealth on fraud. They say he shot off his thumb during a previous visit to Zambia to collect millions in disability insurance money, and allege he also cheated his dental patients, creating the need for root canals by not doing fillings or drilling holes in their teeth while they were asleep. The fine sought by the government is twice the amount that Rudolph received for the life insurance polices as well as insurance for the jewelry Bianca Rudolph was wearing when she was killed. Rudolph practiced dentistry out of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Dental which made him a small fortune Rudolph reported the jewelry was lost, although officials in Zambia said they gave the items to him. His lawyers say the government did not charge Rudolph for that and never proved the allegation. Prosecutors want Rudolph to pay $4.9 million in restitution to the insurance companies, forfeit $4.8 million from bank accounts, as well as real estate in Arizona and Pennsylvania and two luxury vehicles - an Aston Martin DB-11 and a Bentley Bentayga, according to court filings. Rudolph's lawyers say the properties and cars are worth millions and that the combination of penalties totals over $25 million. They say he cannot afford that since he no longer controls his dwindling dental practice, has significant debts and will never be able to earn more money. Rudolph's two adult children control his finances now, according to the defense. 'The truth is that such a fine would serve only to punish and bankrupt the Rudolph children, not Rudolph himself,' his lawyers said. The government estimated that Rudolph is worth $15 million, according to the defense in a pre-sentencing report that is not available to the public, but a defense expert during the trial said his worth is now less than $10 million. Prosecutors argue Rudolph would still have millions of dollars after paying restitution, the fine and having the property seized. Before he went on trial, they say Rudolph claimed to be worth $27 million and argued that he did not need the life insurance money he got after his wife died to demonstrate his innocence. 'The adult children are not being punished, nor are they entitled to unjust enrichment from their fathers criminal scheme,' prosecutors said. The 'El Chapo of the Cotswolds'? Brit father, 49, who 'ran global 5m drugs racket from small market town' faces 120 years in US jail if guilty of money-laundering and trafficking (as he bullishly tells prosecutors trying to extradite him: 'Bring it on') READ MORE: Elon Musk says X (formerly Twitter) will DROP 'block user' feature If you've had your X (formerly Twitter) account for more than nine years, you might want to check on your old tweets. Users have noticed that photos and links posted to the platform before December 2014 have been taken out and replaced by dead URLs. A famous example is the Oscars selfie posted by Ellen DeGeneres in March 2014, which vanished from her tweet, although it has since reappeared. It's unclear if it's an accident due to a technical trouble at X or a deliberate cost-cutting exercise to ease the demand of company servers. Musk is yet to address the issue, although he admitted in a post on Saturday that X 'may fail' shortly after saying he'll remove the block feature. The famous Oscars selfie posted by Ellen DeGeneres in March 2014 vanished from the tweet, although it has since reappeared Elon Musk has been slammed for 'more vandalism' of X, formerly known as Twitter, although it may be just temporary technical trouble READ MORE Elon Musk says X will DROP 'block user' feature The owner of X (formerly Twitter) said he intends to remove users' ability to block other users, except for direct messages Advertisement If you've only joined X in the last 8.5 years, this fresh issue won't affect you. But if you've been a long-time user and have posted tweets of your treasured photos, it might be worth checking if they're still there. To search for your own tweets from before December 2014, type into the Twitter search bar the following: 'From:[your username] until:2014-01-01'. By doing this, MailOnline found that some images were still appearing in tweets from before December 2014, but took screenshots in case their days are numbered. It's also worth downloading your Twitter archive, which lets you save tweets and all the media within them. X's newest problem affects posts containing images but also any hyperlinks converted through Twitters built-in URL shortener (t.co), according to the Verge. Tweets themselves are displaying, but it's the content within them that's having problems being displayed properly. Billionaire Elon Musk (pictured) took over as Twitter owner in October 2022 - and changed its name to X in July Download your Twitter archive Under Twitter Settings, select 'Your Account' and 'Download an archive of your data' Enter your password, click confirm and verify your identity with a one-time code Click 'Request data' and you'll be sent an email to download a .zip file of your Twitter archive Advertisement Content appears as URLs, but these can't be clicked on, and copying and pasting them into another search bar only takes you back to the original tweet. X user Tom Coates, who detailed the issue in a string of posts, called it 'more vandalism' from the Twitter owner and 'another cost-saving exercise'. 'Twitter has now removed all media posted before 2014,' he said. 'That's so far almost a decade of pictures and videos from the early 2000s removed from the service. 'Every image and video removed and replaced with a dead link.' In a message tacked on below Coates' first post, X said the missing images 'are still saved on Twitter/X's servers' but that the links are broken 'at the moment'. Regardless of this, Coates pointed out that the images 'are still effectively deleted from the public internet'. It's unclear if Musk's team is planning to restore the images to the tweets; MailOnline has contacted the firm for more information. In a message, X said the missing images 'are still saved on Twitter/X's servers' but that the links are broken 'at the moment' Elon Musk admits X (formerly known as Twitter) 'may fail' just as he's criticised for 'more vandalism' READ MORE: Why is Twitter 'X' now? Fans fume after Elon Musk rolls out rebrand The Twitter app is now officially X - and millions of users are fuming Advertisement It's possible it's just more temporary technical trouble from the firm, which has experienced outages thought to be due to tweaks to the site by developers. Outages have been a fixture ever since Musk began running Twitter, leading to speculation that there aren't enough staff to fix its problems. It comes as the billionaire owner admitted in a surprisingly honest message at the weekend that X 'may fail'. On Saturday he posted: The sad truth is that there are no great social networks right now. 'We may fail, as so many have predicted, but we will try our best to make there be at least one.' Musk recently caused a backlash by stating his intention to remove the ability to 'block' other users across X, excluding private direct messages. If enforced, it could means users have to contend with more harassment and the consequences of more unregulated free speech. While it remains unclear if Musk will follow through on disabling the block feature, many users on the platform pleaded with the billionaire to reconsider. 'Block is a critical peace of mind issue for many people because it generally gets the cyber stalkers to move on,' one X user said. Musk took over Twitter in October and has just changed its name to X as part of plans to turn it into what he's described as an 'everything' app. A shiny 'X' logo was installed at the platform's headquarters in San Francisco before being removed due to complaints from local residents. From lions and tigers to bears and a chameleon called Peachy, the mammoth task of counting more than 11,000 animals for Whipsnade Zoo's annual stocktake has begun. Every mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate will be weighed and measured as part of the herculean undertaking. However, not all of the creatures at the Bedfordshire zoo are willing participants. This means keepers have to use clever tactics to entice the animals to stand up and be measured, such as 'tricking' penguins into walking over scales during their morning feed, or coaxing camels onto giant weigh boards with a tasty snack. London Zoo will also carry out a similar stocktake later this week. Line up! From lions and tigers to bears and a chameleon called Peachy (pictured), the huge task of counting more than 11,000 animals for Whipsnade Zoo's annual stocktake has begun Eurasian brown bear Minnie is measured during the annual stocktake at Whipsnade Zoo WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ANIMALS AT WHIPSNADE IN 2023? European brown bears Minnie, Mana and Naya, who arrived in April Four-year-old domestic Bactrian camel Oakley Two-year-old blue-throated macaw Stilton Peachy the panther chameleon Giant red-legged millipede Tina Ring-tailed lemur named Quaker Tyrone the spiny turtle A herd of Asian elephants Advertisement Among those counted at Whipsnade Zoo so far are a domestic Bactrian camel called Oakley and a critically endangered blue-throated macaw named Stilton. European brown bears Minnie, Mana and Naya - who arrived at the conservation zoo in April as part of a global breeding programme - also took part in their first annual weigh-in. They measured over 6ft against their giant rulers after being tempted by a dash of honey. Zookeeper Tim Savage said: 'All of the animals at Whipsnade Zoo are weighed and measured regularly, but today's annual weigh-in is an opportunity to review the information we've recorded, and ensure it is up-to-date and accurate. 'With so many animals with different personalities, we have to come up with creative tactics to entice them onto the scales; from luring our leaping 2.5kg lemurs onto the scales in exchange for their favourite sweetcorn or using honey to encourage our European brown bears to stretch up to their full height against giant rulers. 'Minnie and Mana proved that bears really will do anything for a taste of honey!' All the animals' weights and measurements will be recorded in a shared database called the Zoological Information Management System, which will also be used by staff at London Zoo for their stocktake. This helps zookeepers around the world compare important information on thousands of threatened species. Carrying out weight checks and waist measurements not only helps staff keep an eye on animals' wellbeing, it also allows them to identify pregnant creatures. Getting measured: A giant red legged millipede named Tina is weighed by keeper Elliott Rose Among those counted at the Bedfordshire zoo so far are a critically endangered blue-throated macaw named Stilton Give us a treat! Keepers had to coax camels onto giant weigh boards with a tasty snack A ring-tailed lemur leaps onto another as apprentice zookeeper Mark Wallington operates a set of scales Tyrone the spiny turtle is weighed during the annual weigh-in at Whipsnade Zoo today Not only that, but it provides important information for their care, as well as for their species, as many are threatened in the wild and part of conservation breeding programmes. Whipsnade is home to more than 11,000 animals, including a herd of Asian elephants. Only last year the conservation zoo celebrated the birth of endangered Asian elephant calf, Nang Phaya, as well as the arrival of a reticulated giraffe calf named after war poet Wilfred Owen. A critically endangered Visayan warty piglet was also added to the zoo's official records in 2022, along with hundreds of critically endangered and extinct-in-the-wild freshwater fish which were bred at the zoo's aquarium and freshwater conservation breeding centre. Hold still! Zookeeper Elizabeth Brown weighs Stilton the blue-throated macaw European brown bears Minnie (pictured), Mana and Naya - who arrived at the conservation zoo in April as part of a global breeding programme - took part in their first annual weigh-in All the animals' weights and measurements will be recorded in a shared database called the Zoological Information Management System Whipsnade is home to more than 11,000 animals, including these ring-tailed lemurs Advertisement This awe-inspiring image captures the end stages of a distant star's life and offers a sneak peak of what will happen to our own sun in some 5 billion years. It was taken by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and reveals new features of the spectacular doughnut-like structure of glowing gas known as the Ring Nebula. Also known as Messier 57, the mesmerising object is around 2,600 light-years away from Earth and was born from a dying star that expelled its outer layers into space. It is this expulsion of stellar material that gives the cosmic masterpiece its distinct structure and vibrant colours. A similar image captured by Webb was made public earlier this month, but the new one taken with a different camera on the $10 billion (7.4 billion) observatory has revealed never-before-seen details in the outer regions of the ring. Beautiful: This awe-inspiring image captures the end stages of a distant star's life and offers a sneak peak of what will happen to our own sun in some 5 billion years. It was captured by the MIRI (Mid-InfraRed Instrument) on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope A similar image captured by Webb was made public earlier this month (pictured), but the new one taken with a different camera on the $10 billion (7.4 billion) observatory has revealed never-before-seen details in the outer regions of the ring WHAT IS THE RING NEBULA? Messier 57, or the Ring Nebula, is one of the most iconic and beautiful planetary nebulae known to astronomy. It is hugely popular with astrophotographers on Earth because it is angled favourably from our perspective, meaning it can be captured with just a small telescope. The nebula lies south of the bright star Vega, which makes up the famous asterism the Summer Triangle. It was discovered by French astronomer Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix in January 1779. Advertisement 'This striking image from James Webb's MIRI reveals new details that we could not observe with the NIRCam notably the arcs beyond the main ring,' said University College London's Professor Mike Barlow, the lead scientist of the JWST Ring Nebula Project. 'These formed in the central star's red giant phase, before it threw off most of its material to become the current hot white dwarf star. 'Early analysis by our team suggests a low-mass companion star with an eccentric orbit triggered an enhanced release of material from the dying star as it passed close by every 280 years, creating these arcs.' Together, Webb's images reveal the Ring Nebula's intricate structures - its rings, bubbles and wispy clouds - in unprecedented detail. The main ring of the nebula is made up of 20,000 clumps of dense molecular hydrogen gas, each about the mass of the Earth. But just beyond this outer edge of the main ring, Webb's MIRI (Mid-InfraRed Instrument) image has revealed for the first time that there are around 10 concentric arcs. Astronomers say these must have formed around every 280 years or so. However, no known process involved in the evolution of a star into a nebula has that kind of time period, so it is believed the arcs have formed from the interaction of the dying red giant with a companion star located the same distance away from it as Pluto is from our own sun. Dr Roger Wesson, of Cardiff University, said: 'Our MIRI images provided us with the sharpest and clearest view yet of the faint molecular halo outside the bright ring. 'A surprising revelation was the presence of up to ten regularly spaced, concentric features within this faint halo. No previous telescope had the sensitivity and the spatial resolution to uncover this subtle effect.' Analysis: Together, Webb's NIRCam (left) and MIRI (right) images reveal the Ring Nebula's intricate structures - its rings, bubbles and wispy clouds - in unprecedented detail By analysing the different images of the Ring Nebula, researchers hope to better understand the complex processes behind the formation and evolution of objects like it. Located in the constellation Lyra, Messier 57 is popular among stargazers because even a small telescope will reveal its doughnut-like structure of glowing gas that gave it its name. What makes planetary nebulae like it so captivating is their variety of shapes and patterns. These often include delicate, glowing rings, expanding bubbles or intricate, wispy clouds. Just like fireworks, different chemical elements in the nebula emit light of specific colours. This then results in exquisite and colourful objects, allowing astronomers to study the chemical evolution of these objects in detail. Five billion years from now, scientists think our sun will have grown into a red giant star, more than 100 times larger than its current size. Wow: This breathtaking image of the iconic Ring Nebula offers a glimpse of what our sun might look like when it dies. It was also taken by Webb's NIRCam instrument Eventually, it will eject gas and dust to create an 'envelope' accounting for as much as half its mass. The core will become a tiny white dwarf star which will shine for thousands of years, illuminating the envelope to create a ring-shaped planetary nebula like the Ring Nebula above. This will probably destroy any form of life on our planet, but whether the Earth's rocky core will survive is uncertain. Webb was launched from Guiana Space Centre on Christmas Day 2021 with the aim of looking back in time to the dawn of the universe. Astronomers hope the observatory will be able to reveal what happened just a couple of hundred million years after the Big Bang. The observatory is set to spend more than a decade at an area of balanced gravity between the sun and Earth called L2. While there, it will explore the universe in the infrared spectrum so that it can gaze through clouds of gas and dust where stars are being born. Captivating: The Ring Nebula has previously been captured in all its beauty by the iconic Hubble Space Telescope SHOPPING Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Mail Best article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, DailyMail.com will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information. If you routinely fantasize about the delicious Cadbury chocolate you ate in the UK or find yourself perusing Debenhams and Very wishing you could order that cute dress or sweater, you need to know that its 100% possible to get all of it here in America. Your favorites from the UK and Canada can come straight to your American doorstep courtesy of Reship, the website and app that offers you both UK and Canadian forwarding addresses so you can shop from the places you love. Thats huge if youre looking for a special gift, youre an expat who misses a little taste of home, or youre an Anglophile living in the States. Sign up, choose from either a free or paid membership, shop wherever you want in the UK and Canada, and provide your Reship address at checkout. Reship will then forward your packages to your home. Here are just a few things to keep in mind as you shop. Cadbury Chocolate You definitely cant find this in the States! Dig into every kind of UK Cadbury favorite imaginable, all neatly tucked into a delightful Double Deck selection box. This is a sweet treat for yourself or the chocolate lover in your life! Shop Michelle Keegan for Very Jersey Dress Who doesnt love a bit of summer yellow? Actress Michelle Keegans collection for Very includes all kinds of cute pieces, like this flattering fit-and-flare dress thats guaranteed to bring some extra sunshine to your day. Shop Boots Glow Dewy Facial Serum While you can buy Boots skin care products in America, it isnt anywhere near the full range and there are some products that are absolutely essential for beauty lovers. This popular serum brings a luminous glow to your skin and instantly brightens up even the most tired face like magic. Shop M&S Afternoon Tea Letterbox Just because you live in the US doesnt mean you cant enjoy proper teatime. This letterbox from M&S is filled with yummy favorites like the stores beloved Luxury Gold Tea, plus all types of shortbread biscuits, cakes, sandwich cookies, and more. Shop Nivea Fresh Blends Refreshing Body Wash Niveas overseas collections are far more vast than whats available at American stores. Shop Canadian retailer Shoppers Drug Mart and pick up a bottle of Fresh Blends body wash, a lovely medley of apricot, mango, and rice water that leaves skin baby soft and sweetly scented. Shop Pretty You London Chevron Lounge Suit Did someone say cozy? Theres nothing like curling up on the couch in something so toasty that it makes you never want to leave. Youll feel like youre wrapped up in a hug in this UK-exclusive lounge set sold at John Lewis. Shop Dr. Irena Eris Algorithm Impressive Recovery Night Cream Its tough to shop the entire Dr. Irena Eris range in the US, and this lush night cream is definitely worth your attention. Its powered by a botanical polypeptide complex that strengthens and boosts elasticity to leave skin more resilient (and its great even for sensitive skin). Shop The Holiday Guru is here to answer travellers' questions. This week he tackles queries that revolve around airport security recognition scanners, Eurostar's policy around pets, easyJet flight delay compensation and more... Q. I had a cataract removed and replaced with a new lens a few weeks ago. We are flying to Nuremberg next month will my new eye be accepted by airport security recognition scanners? Or will I have to join queues for manual passport inspection? Susan Trower, via email A. Whether Nuremburg or anywhere else, the Home Office says that e-Passport gates at airports do not in fact scan eyes, stating: Cataract surgery will have no implications for an individual using them. The gates authenticate passports and then using facial biometric comparison techniques to confirm the identity of the holder. Further information can be found at e-Passport gate guidance at gov.uk. Security check: The Holiday Guru reveals that e-Passport gates at airports do not scan eyes Q. Our easyJet flight was delayed four hours from Barcelona to Manchester. My husband got compensation [under EU regulation 261]. But Ive been told Im not eligible. Why is this? I sat next to my husband on the flight. Lynne Horabin, via email A. Because you booked your flight via a travel agent, you needed to tick a box on the compensation form that says your agent rather than you were the booker. Your husband must have done this. EasyJet says it will call and talk you through it; you are due 350 compensation. Q. Is Eurostar planning to allow dogs to travel in the near future? I drive to southern Italy at least once a year, so I can take my dog with me, but at 1,800 miles each way, it takes its toll. I would love to go by train to Paris and onwards to Italy. Antonio Sandivasci, via email A. Unfortunately not. Eurostar says its trains are not equipped to safely transport dogs and the same problem crops up at terminals in European cities. Eurostar allows only guide dogs and assistance dogs but it must be alerted in advance so staff can book a seat both for the owner and the dog (at no extra cost) to allow enough space. A reader inquires about whether Eurostar is planning to allow dogs to travel on board in the future (stock photo) Q. Will we need to apply for an ETIAS (European Travel and Information Authorisation) and go through the EES (Entry/Exit System) to enter the EU from the UK in the future? Geoff Dowdall, via email A. Yes. ETIAS travel permits, which last three years or until your passport runs out, will cost 6 and are expected to be introduced next year (etias.com). Meanwhile, the Entry/Exit System, which will scan passports and use biometrics, is also due next year. Q. I plan to go to Las Vegas in December, but my passport will be beyond the ten-year period since being issued. I have extra validity on the passport beyond ten years as I renewed it early. Will I be ok? Eddie Jones, Portsmouth A. Youll be fine. It is only within the EU that you must have a passport issued within ten years. A reader travelling to Las Vegas (above) asks the Guru whether their passport will be valid for entry into the U.S Q. My husband and I travelled to Sydney, flying with Qatar Airways from Manchester via Doha but our luggage did not arrive. We were told to purchase what we required and claim it back. After a few days, the luggage had still not come so we went to the airport. A kind official helped us find our bags, which had not cleared customs. We have made a claim for expenses from Qatar but have heard nothing. Can you help? Christine Truslove, Bolton A. Qatar Airways apologises for the delayed baggage and will cover your expenses. WERE HERE TO HELP If you need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk Australian actor Josh Lawson cut a solemn figure on Sunday as he took his dog for a walk on the Gold Coast in the wake of his shock cheating scandal. Last month, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed Lawson strung a besotted influencer along for a year after sparking up a holiday romance in Bali and introducing her to his 'daddy dom' fetish, only for her heart to be broken after discovering he already had a long-term partner, Rebecca Moore. During his lonely day out, the Mortal Kombat star, 42, looked unrecognisable with a very bushy beard. He dressed casually for the outing in a pair of blue shorts teamed with a white T-shirt and trainers. At one point, he was engaged in a long intense 40 minute photo call. Australian actor Josh Lawson (pictured) cut a grim figure on Sunday as he took his dog for a walk in the Gold Coast, in the wake of his shock cheating scandal Lawson has kept a low profile since his cheating scandal with a social media influencer called Fina came to light. Fina, who is from Brunei and lives in London, met Lawson on the holiday island while she was moving on from her divorce. She told Daily Mail Australia how she first matched with the actor on the celebrity dating app Raya in May 2022. The Mortal Kombat star, 42, dressed for a warm day out in a plain white T-shirt, blue shorts and sneakers as he strolled through a leafy park They then met up in Bali in August that year while she was there on holiday. The pair's relationship quickly blossomed and before long Lawson introduced her to his kink, requesting that she call him 'daddy' while he called her 'little girl'. Fina admits she hadn't heard of the House of Lies actor before they met, but noticed that tourists recognised him. Josh sported an intense look as he chatted on the phone for close to an hour while making his way through his scenic surroundings After their holiday in paradise came to an end, Fina and Lawson stayed in touch and regularly messaged each other pictures and sweet texts - but it was all part of his elaborate 'web of lies', she claims. Among the messages were shirtless pictures of Lawson in bed and the actor professing that their romance was 'more than a holiday fling'. In one message, he wrote: 'The second I saw you in Bali I knew there was something. I just felt connected to you immediately. And when our bodies touched, daddy found his little girl.' The Brisbane native carried the untied dog leash loosely in his hand and allowed his pup to walk freely with him as the beleaguered star made a rare public appearance He later confessed that he was new to the 'daddy dom' fetish but said he was 'surprised how much it turned him on'. Lawson made regular promises that he would meet Fina again, she claims, but these plans never came to fruition. Fina finally messaged Lawson's girlfriend Rebecca Moore after realising she had been led on. Daily Mail Australia has seen messages Lawson sent Fina in which he floats plans to meet up at the Cannes Film Festival and in New York. She also claims he spoke of flying to London from his home on the Gold Coast. Last month, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed that Lawson strung a besotted influencer along for a year after sparking up a holiday romance in Bali and introducing her to his 'daddy dom' fetish, only for her heart to be broken after discovering he already had a long-term partner, Rebecca Moore. It was only after these plans kept falling through - nearly a year on from their holiday romance - that Fina realised something was amiss. She told Daily Mail Australia how her heart sunk when she realised Lawson was already in a long-term relationship, after doing some digging on Instagram. 'It was all a web of lies. I was so consumed with what he was promising me. It was all so super deceptive,' she said. Lawson sent Fina pictures suggesting he had feelings for her Fina said she was so loved up with Lawson that she was looking into careers in Australia so they could be closer together - and that she felt he could be 'the next person in her life' after her six-year marriage ended in early 2022. The social media influencer added that Lawson was 'super into' his 'daddy dom' fetish and that she didn't mind going along with it. Solomon Islands' PM hails Chinese medical ship services Xinhua) 13:15, August 21, 2023 HONIARA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Prime minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare visited the Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" here on Sunday, hailing the medical services that the ship provided to the South Pacific nation. The ship, setting sail from east China's Zhejiang Province on July 3, docked on Aug. 19 at Solomon Islands' capital city Honiara, the fourth stop of its Mission Harmony 2023 to five Pacific Island countries. According to a press release from the prime minister's press secretariat, Sogavare visited multiple operating rooms and nursing stations on board, expressing the Solomon Islands government's appreciation to the Chinese government and people for the goodwill visit. Sogavare said the ship's name "Peace" is what the world needs today, and the goodwill medical visit is a sure way of achieving peace, as the boat saves lives and promotes borderless peace. This is the first Solomon Islands visit of the "Peace Ark," which is scheduled to stay in the country for seven days to provide medical services and impart health knowledge to local communities. There are 26 clinical departments and seven auxiliary diagnosis departments on the ship for disease diagnosis and treatment. Several medical teams will also be sent to the National Referral Hospital and local communities to conduct medical services. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Foreign tourists pose at a subway station in Seoul in this undated photo. Courtesy of Seoul Metro By Jun Ji-hye Seoul Metro, the operator of the Seoul subway system, will issue new travel passes offering unlimited subway access for a short period of time in a bid to offer more convenience to an increasing number of foreign tourists, the company said Sunday. The firm, owned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said it is putting a priority on issuing one-day and three-day travel passes, considering that 36.8 percent of foreign tourists visiting the capital stay in the city for four to seven days on average. The new travel passes are expected to be issued within the second half of the year, while the prices will be set at 5,600 won ($4) for a one-day pass and 11,800 won for a three-day pass. The plan is one of the three creative ideas awarded at a presentation hosted by the city government last month. The other two are the simultaneous dialog interpretation service and the same-day luggage delivery service called T-luggage. The simultaneous dialog interpretation service uses a two-way transparent display that offers simultaneous interpretation while a subway station staffer and a foreign tourist speak in their own languages. The service will begin in November at Myeong-dong Station on Line No. 4, as the area is a famous shopping district frequently visited by foreign tourists. The service will cover 13 languages, which will be expanded to five other stations including Seoul and Itaewon stations next year. Seoul Metro's T-luggage service offers same-day luggage delivery between Incheon and Gimpo International Airports and subway stations. Courtesy of Seoul Metro Congratulations are in order for Sarah Hyland and husband Wells Adams, who are celebrating their first wedding anniversary. The Modern Family alum and the Bachelor in Paradise star both took to Instagram to share some sweet sentiments, which turned out to be an early morning affair. 'One year married to you flew by in a blink of an eye,' Hyland, 32, began in the caption of a wedding photo showing Adams showcasing his wedding ring. She continued, 'You're my HUSBAND. My best friend. My true north. I love you more than words can say and every day is the best day when I'm with you. Marriage is most fun I've ever had because I get to be married to you.' Adams, 39, wasted little time to respond and wrote, 'How did you beat me to this?!? It's 4am in Fiji!!!!! But I love you more. So there's that.' Milestone #1: Wells Adams and wife Sarah Hyland celebrated their first wedding anniversary on Sunday, August 20, by sharing sweet sentiments to each other, along with a series of photos When the reality star finally shared his own wedding photo on his Instagram page, he ended up posting one as they exchanged their nuptials during the ceremony that showed his wife with a witchy look on her face. 'Happy first anniversary to my perfect wife. I love you more. Plus one. Anything you say,' he joked, in a reference to her look in the picture. Hyland's Modern Family co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who officiated the wedding, can be seen standing to her left. Adams also took to Instagram Stories and declared: 'Happy anniversary to the love of my life, along with a photo of one of the couple's phone conversations that he said was taken 'when we first started dating long distance.' In a post that obviously got right to the heart of his lady, Adams edited two old throwback pictures of the couple from their high schools days: 'High school sweethearts,' he wrote across the top. After having her heartstrings pulled by the sweet sentiment, Hyland responded by confessing: 'I am crying.' There's also a photo of the couple snuggled up together on a chair dressed identically in black jeans and a red and black plaid shirt. 'This is from a surprise birthday party where everyone dressed like me. She nailed it,' The Bachelorette cast member revealed at the bottom of the image. Hyland confessed their first year of marriage went by fast when she first posted a photo of the couple on their wedding day showing Adams highlighting his wedding ring Scary: When the Bachelor in Paradise star shared his own wedding photo on his Instagram page he ended up posting one showing wife with a witchy look on her face Adorable: The couple, who were married at a winery in Santa Ynez, California, also shared cute photos of each other when celebrating their wedding anniversary Heartfelt: In a post that obviously got right to the heart of his lady, Adams edited two throwback pictures together : 'High school sweethearts,' he wrote across the top. Playful: The couple also showed their sense of humor with a photo of them out to dinner Seeing double: There's also a photo of the couple snuggled up together on a chair dressed identically in black jeans and a red and black plaid shirt Great White Way: In a perfect wedding anniversary present, Adams revealed they were going to his wife's dad, actor Edward James Hyland, in a play on Broadway Hyland also shared a series of snaps taken on their wedding day that included one of Wells leading his new wife on the dance floor by doing a traditional swirl of his lady. 'The only dance partner I'll ever need,' she gushed underneath the black and white photo. Hyland and Adams first connected online in 2017 after she raved about the radio personality during his Bachelor In Paradise season. They would go on to get engaged in 2019, but their wedding ended up getting pushed back to August 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony, which was attended by family and close friends, was held at a winery in Santa Ynez, California. The guest list included Hyland's Modern Family co-stars Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen and Nolan Gould, to go along with Ferguson While fans get ready for the highly-anticipated Disney Plus Star Wars series Ahsoka to debut this week - with the streaming service pushing the premiere up by one day - star Rosario Dawson is enlightening fans on the intricate makeup process. Her title character was introduced as a 14-year-old Padawan learner of Anakin Skywalker in the 2008 film Star Wars: The Clone Wars before appearing in the animated series of the same name and the follow-up series Star Wars Rebels, voiced by Ashley Eckstein. Dawson came aboard to portray the character in live-action in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, ahead of this new limited series, debuting with a two-episode premiere on August 22. The 44-year-old actress' character is a species known as togruta in the Star Wars universe, chiefly distinguished by their unique 'head tails' known as montrals. She revealed in a new interview with EW that they were able to cut the makeup process down from over three hours on The Mandalorian to 90 minutes on Ahsoka. Premiere: While fans get ready for the highly-anticipated Disney Plus Star Wars series Ahsoka to debut this week - with the streaming service pushing the premiere up by one day - star Rosario Dawson is enlightening fans on the intricate makeup process Makeup: She revealed in a new interview with EW that they were able to cut the makeup process down from over three hours on The Mandalorian to 90 minutes on Ahsoka 'We were very proud! We timed ourselves every single day. Depending on how much skin was showing, sometimes it would go up to two hours,' she said. 'And that's tough: We were going in at 4 in the morning every day so that we could be ready when the crew is there at 6,' Dawson added. 'We'd have a full day, and then it would still take at least half an hour to take it all off,' she continued. The makeup process included installing custom-fitted head tails and having her face painted, as the crew noticed how shades of paint looked different in sunlight and in the, 'Volume,' described as, 'the groundbreaking LED technology used to project realistic backgrounds on set.' 'It was like, "Okay, I look really good in the light, but I'm neon now,"' she joked, resulting in the color being adjusted for each scene. 'The montrals are longer. It's all 3D-printed, and it moves completely differently. It's lighter,' she added. 'That technology literally didn't exist when we were first doing the character in The Mandalorian, so it's been really cool to see how it keeps evolving,' she continued. Proud: 'We were very proud! We timed ourselves every single day. Depending on how much skin was showing, sometimes it would go up to two hours,' she said Tough: 'And that's tough: We were going in at 4 in the morning every day so that we could be ready when the crew is there at 6,' Dawson added Longer: 'The montrals are longer. It's all 3D-printed, and it moves completely differently. It's lighter,' she added Technology: 'That technology literally didn't exist when we were first doing the character in The Mandalorian, so it's been really cool to see how it keeps evolving,' she continued The popular epic space opera multimedia franchise announced in a tweet that the premiere date of Ahsoka would be pushed up by one day on Disney+, the popular subscription streaming service, and that new episodes would be available in primetime. 'Thank you to all the fans who celebrated with us at our @AhsokaOfficial fan events around the world last night!,' the Star Wars Twitter account stated in its lengthy post. 'We're excited to announce that new episodes of #Ahsoka will now launch Tuesdays at 6PM PT, starting with our two-episode premiere on August 22, only on @DisneyPlus.' A one minute and four seconds long video clip was posted along with the tweet, featuring enthusiastic Star Wars fans attending several promo events and also sfeatured from the soon-to-be released limited series. Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker sweetly performed with a blind boy called Grayson Roberts at motivational speaker Charlie 'Rocket' Jabaley's Dream Factory in downtown Los Angeles last Friday evening. It was the 35-year-old podcaster who first discovered the brave nine-year-old manning a lemonade stand outside his home last Monday in order to raise funds so he could travel and 'see' the world (including the Great Wall of China) while he still has 'a little vision in one eye.' Little Grayson was born with a rare condition called Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome, which left him with Glaucoma (eye pressure) and Aniridia (no iris) for which he's undergone 32 surgeries including 5 cornea transplants. Charlie - who's a brain tumor survivor himself - vowed to help Roberts transform his modest lemonade stand into a Once Upon a Coconut-sponsored lemonade stand event called Limitless Lemonade where 'hundreds' of people showed up to support his dream. The fourth grader designed his very own Limitless Lemonade logo on an iPad, went to Target to get unique flavors of lemonade, and created a secret recipe for attendees stopping by between 5:30pm-8pm. Sweet: Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker performed with a blind boy called Grayson Roberts at motivational speaker Charlie 'Rocket' Jabaley's Dream Factory in downtown Los Angeles last Friday evening Grayson was surprised by the visit from the 47-year-old SoCal native, who showed up with several drumsticks in hand. 'What's up Grayson? Nice to meet you. I brought you some drumsticks. I saw a video of you playing drums and singing,' Travis said. 'I brought some donations for you. I brought some money for you.' A source told ET on Sunday that Barker donated a 'generous amount of money' after learning of the event through his 19-year-old son Landon Asher Barker's friend Mikey Tua. When Roberts asked 'Do you think we could play drums and sing together?' the DTA Records founder happily obliged. The excited child requested to perform a cover of Adam Jensen's 2017 song Street Fight with Travis since, as his mother apologized: 'We didn't practice any of Travis' songs.' 'I got it,' Barker smiled as he sat at the drum kit. 'I'm gonna learn this one on the spot.' After the song, the heavily-tattooed musician led the crowd with a chant of 'Grayson' before downing a mason jar of the blue lemonade Roberts dubbed 'Sky Blue-nicorn 2.2.' 'He has no customers': It was the 35-year-old podcaster who first discovered the brave nine-year-old manning a lemonade stand outside his home last Monday in order to raise funds so he could travel and 'see' the world (including the Great Wall of China) while he still has 'a little vision in one eye' Making lemons into lemonade: Little Grayson was born with a rare condition called Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome, which left him with Glaucoma (eye pressure) and Aniridia (no iris) for which he's undergone 32 surgeries including 5 cornea transplants Upgrade: Charlie - who's a brain tumor survivor himself - vowed to help Roberts transform his modest lemonade stand into a Once Upon a Coconut-sponsored lemonade stand event called Limitless Lemonade where 'hundreds' of people showed up to support his dream 'What's up Grayson?' The fourth grader was surprised by the visit from the 47-year-old SoCal native, who showed up with several drumsticks in hand Travis said: 'Nice to meet you. I brought you some drumsticks. I saw a video of you playing drums and singing. I brought some donations for you. I brought some money for you' A source told ET on Sunday that Barker donated a 'generous amount of money' after learning of the event through his 19-year-old son Landon Asher Barker's friend Mikey Tua When Grayson asked 'Do you think we could play drums and sing together?' the DTA Records founder happily obliged Roberts requested to perform a cover of Adam Jensen's 2017 song Street Fight with Travis since, as his mother apologized: 'We didn't practice any of Travis' songs' 'I got it,' Barker smiled as he sat at the drum kit. 'I'm gonna learn this one on the spot' Rocking out! After the song, the heavily-tattooed musician led the crowd with a chant of 'Grayson' before downing a mason jar of the blue lemonade the excited child dubbed 'Sky Blue-nicorn 2.2' Hooray! The audience cheers after the performance Grayson - 'loving his new drum sticks' - later gushed on Instagram: 'Thank you Travis for taking a break while @Filipina your music video to come to stop by my lemonade stand and allowing me to perform with you! It was so amazing And thank you for letting me choose the color of sprinkles because who doesn't love sprinkles?!' On break: Travis' Grammy-nominated rock band - including guitarist-vocalist Tom DeLonge and bassist-vocalist Mark Hoppus - will resume their 93-date Blink-182 world tour on September 1-2 at Scotland's OVO Hydro in Glasgow (pictured July 7) 'Thank you Travis for taking a break while @Filipina your music video to come to stop by my lemonade stand and allowing me to perform with you!' Grayson later gushed on Instagram. 'It was so amazing And thank you for letting me choose the color of sprinkles because who doesn't love sprinkles?!' Travis and his third wife Kourtney Kardashian - who each have three children from prior relationships - will soon welcome their first child together, a son. Barker's Grammy-nominated rock band - including bassist-vocalist Mark Hoppus and guitarist-vocalist Tom DeLonge - will resume their 93-date Blink-182 world tour on September 1-2 at Scotland's OVO Hydro in Glasgow. The expecting 44-year-old will eagerly await Blink-182's next big break, which takes place between October 23-February 7. Fans can catch more from the Calabasas neighbors-turned-married couple of 15 months in the 10-episode fourth season of The Kardashians, which premieres September 28 on Hulu. Chris Sandilands has announced he is engaged to girlfriend Nat Bartolo after a surprise stadium proposal earlier this month. Radio king brother Kyle Sandilands shared the happy family news with KIIS listeners on Monday. Chris popped the question to Nat during a Luke Combs concert in Sydney - with him clearly thrilled to have a new sister-in-law. 'My brother got engaged that night (at the concert),' Kyle, a newlywed himself, said. Kyle said Chris wanted to make it a surprise by not telling anyone of his intentions to pop the question. 'He didn't want to tell anyone about it because he did it in the middle of a song,' Kyle explained. However, the proposal attracted the attention of concert-goers which saw them erupt in cheers for the couple. 'The whole stadium started cheering when he proposed,' he said. Kyle Sandilands' brother Chris has shocks a stadium at a Luke Combs concert after he proposed to girlfriend Nat Bartolo earlier this month. Pictured 'They'd finished the song so everyone in the stadium looked up and was like ''what's the kerfuffle''. 'Then saw him on his knee with his big warrior beard and mohawk.' KIIS FM shared footage of Chris down on one knee as he asked Nat to be his bride. The pair immediately kissed after she said 'yes'. Chris wiped away tears during the emotional moment. Kyle and the KIIS team shared footage of Chris and Nat, as he got down on bended knee as fans in the stadium cheered for the pair. Pictured KIIS FM viewers were only too pleased for the couple, leaving their best for the pair. 'Congratulations to you both. I was there that night,' one listener said. 'Congratulations to you both,' another wrote. 'Congratulations to them both and especially to my cuz Nat,' another added. 'They'd finished the song so everyone in the stadium looked up and was like ''whats the kerfuffle''. 'Then saw him on his knee with his big warrior beard and mohawk' Chris has appeared on his brother's top-rated show over the years. In 2017, he suffered a horrific injuries due to a motorbike accident Chris has appeared on his brother's top-rated show over the years. In 2017, he suffered a horrific injuries due to a motorbike accident. He had to be airlifted to hospital where he underwent two operations. Suffering serious head injuries, shattering his pelvis and breaking his arm and eight ribs, doctors placed Chris in a clinically-induced coma. He spent nearly six months in a wheelchair while rehabilitating. Made In Chelsea's Ollie Locke and his husband Gareth have revealed the special meaning behind the unique baby names they picked for their twins. The couple announced the happy news on their Instagram accounts on Sunday that they had welcomed their little ones after their surrogate gave birth, revealing they are the proud fathers of a son and daughter. However Ollie, 36, added that it has been a 'scary time' after the birth six weeks ago as the twins were in a neonatal intensive care unit for a 'long time'. Sharing a video, Ollie revealed they have named their children Apollo Magnus Obi and Cosima Emily Bex. Speaking to HELLO! magazine Ollie and Gareth told how the names have Greek origins and hold special meaning. Family: Made In Chelsea's Ollie Locke and his husband Gareth have revealed the special meaning behind the unique baby names they picked for their twins Happy: The couple announced the happy news on their Instagram accounts on Sunday that they had welcomed their little ones after their surrogate gave birth, revealing they are the proud fathers of a son and daughter Gareth said: 'I always wanted to have a son and call him Apollo. My dad's nickname for my mum [Margaret] is Maggie, so Magnus is the male version.' Then their daughter's name Cosima means 'chaos and beauty' which the pair joked were characteristics she was already 'living up to'. Cosima's middle names are tributes to Ollie's close friend Emily Hartridge, a YouTuber who passed away in 2019, and the couple's surrogate Bex. Gareth added: 'We hadn't told Bex we were naming the baby after her, so Ollie took her to the registry office after they were born and surprised her.' In a YouTube video shared on Sunday, Ollie said of the struggles they had gone through after the birth: 'The babies were born six weeks ago. It has been a scary time, they have been in neonatal intensive care for quite a long time.' Gareth added: 'It was something we didn't want to share until we had them safe, back home with us and all part of the family. It is down to the amazing team in the neonatal units we've been in that means we've got the kids home now and the real daddying is about to begin.' On Instagram, Ollie added: 'We are so excited to announce that our beautiful twins are finally here and they are more precious than we could have ever imagined. 'We've captured our journey to this point on our Youtube Channel; Daddy Diaries, for a first glimpse and the excitement leading up to them coming home with us most importantly, their incredible and unique names that are just perfectly fitting for them both. Tough: However Ollie added that it has been a 'scary time' after the birth six weeks ago as the twins were in a neonatal intensive care unit for a 'long time' (surrogate Bex pictured pregnant) Idea: Gareth said: 'I always wanted to have a son and call him Apollo. My dad's nickname for my mum [Margaret] is Maggie, so Magnus is the male version' 'We have partnered with @johnsonsbabyuk to sponsor the first episode. Having supported families for over 125 years JOHNSON'S Baby have experienced many generations and styles of parenting. 'We are both JOHNSON'S babies and remember our loved ones using the product on us and our family members as we were growing up, so we are excited to partner with them. 'Not only are their products gentle and easy to use to protect babies' delicate skin, but they are use up to 96% naturally derived ingredients too! Click the link in our bio to watch this really exciting chapter in our lives. #ad #johnsonsbaby #AParentisBorn.' Olivia Bentley shared a sweet snap giving baby Apollo a bottle and wrote: 'Welcome to the world my beautiful godson Apollo Magnus Obi Locke-Locke and little Cosima. 'You are just wonderful and I can't wait to watch you grow up and go on a million adventures with you. Congratulations @ollielockeworld and @garethplocke Xx' The couple's surrogate Rebecca Ward gave birth via a planned cesarean at 36 weeks pregnant. According to the NHS twins usually arrive around 37 weeks, with doctors and midwives usually recommending a planned delivery from 36 weeks. On July 1 Ollie took to Instagram to reveal their surrogate Rebecca was 30 weeks pregnant, captioning bump pics of Rebecca: '30 weeks!! We love you @bex7ward you are forever our biggest superstar and we can't wait to meet you babies!' Before adding: 'Your daddies already love you more than you could ever know!! Xxxx'. Ollie revealed that he and Gareth were expecting twins in February in a post that read: 'We are beyond delighted to finally be able to share the news that we are expecting twin baby Locke-Locke's into the world this summer! 'You have all been so wonderful throughout the last 3 years of us trying to have a family and we promise to share every step of this adventure with you all. 'For all those on their own journey to become parents we are with you and sending all the baby dust your way! 'Thank you to our sensational surrogate @bex7ward for being the most incredible human, the love we have for you and your family is just another level! Xx.' In June the happy couple revealed the genders of their unborn twins, telling HELLO! that they were expecting a boy and a girl. Children's author Gareth said: 'As we get towards the finish line, it's become very much more real'. 'It felt like our lives were on hold but now it feels like we're moving forward. The babies coming along has reinvigorated everything.' It came after Ollie and Gareth spoke out in December after their surrogate suffered a miscarriage. It happened just days after Ollie and Gareth had announced that their surrogate had fallen pregnant after their third round of IVF. The couple previously suffered a miscarriage at six weeks pregnant in 2021 during their first round of fertility treatment. Ollie admitted their losses had left him feeling 'demasculated' that they have been unable to conceive so far. Last month Ollie revealed he had quit his hit E4 show Made In Chelsea after 12 years to star in a new YouTube series with Gareth about their journey to parenthood. Our Daddy Diaries documents their journey to fatherhood with weekly episodes. Ollie has appeared on Made In Chelsea on and off since the first series in 2011. Gareth meanwhile joined in 2018, during series 16. Gareth insists the pair have 'outgrown' Made in Chelsea, which documented their 2020 wedding, as they move into the next phase of their lives, and they wanted more 'control' over their output. He told The Sun: 'Made in Chelsea is about young people making up and breaking up. We're very much the dads of it all. 'It came the time for something new and for us to have something we have control over. We're part of the production of our new show and we'll get to share absolutely everything with our fans. Little one: Then their daughter's name Cosima means 'chaos and beauty' which the pair joked were characteristics she was already 'living up to' Love: Olivia Bentley shared a sweet snap giving baby Apollo a bottle and wrote: 'Welcome to the world my beautiful godson Apollo Magnus Obi Locke-Locke and little Cosima' Thrilled: In June the happy couple revealed the genders of their unborn twins , telling HELLO! that they were expecting a boy and a girl 'With the kids coming along it's a completely different path we're taking. We've outgrown Chelsea in that respect.' Ollie added: 'Our new show is an unadulterated, no holds barred access into our lives. It's going to be the real us. You'll see a lot more of our personalities than you have in Chelsea - a lot more us, a lot more real. 'It's something completely new and completely different. It's very high-end, unlike any other reality show.' If you have been affected by this story, you can seek advice at www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk or www.tommys.org or by calling 01924 200 799 Ellen Pompeo did not let the inclement Southern California weather stop her from stepping out to buy coffee on Sunday in Los Angeles. The 53-year-old Grey's Anatomy star who called out Netflix last month bundled up in a white windbreaker jacket with black details. The longtime actress wore a pair of light wash straight-leg jeans frayed cutoff hems and a pair of white sneakers. Ellen pulled her long blonde hair into a fuss-free ponytail for the outing in the city's Los Feliz neighborhood. The beverage run comes amid a 5.1 magnitude earthquake in the state as Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in LA and San Diego with 80mph winds. Coffee run: Ellen Pompeo did not let the inclement Southern California weather stop her from stepping out to buy coffee on Sunday in Los Angeles Gear: The 53-year-old Grey's Anatomy star bundled up in a white windbreaker jacket with black details The rainy day errand comes after Pompeo called out Netflix over its failure to pay residuals to actors. The actress was provoked after footage of her on Grey's Anatomy appeared as part of a meme shared on the streamer's TikTok. She reshared a screenshot of the clip and added a comment supporting SAG-AFTRA's ongoing strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major studios and streamers, including Netflix. The original upload showed a shot of Ellen in character as Meredith Grey that read, 'Me when there's a [bomb emoji] in the chest cavity,' referencing a season two episode. Ellen posted the snapshot in her Instagram Stories and added text that said, 'Also me when @netflix doesn't pay actors residuals. She added, 'holla. let's talk,' offering to help the streaming service find a resolution. It was the first time Pompeo spoke publicly about the actors' strike, revealing her support for union members fighting for a more generous contract. To emphasize the lack of residuals that are paid to actors, several stars have shared photos of their scant checks. Joining the conversation: The rainy day errand comes after Pompeo called out Netflix over its failure to pay residuals to actors 'I got on my soapbox': Katherine Heigl and Ellen Pompeo reflected on Heigl's controversial departure from Grey's Anatomy during their Variety's Actors on Actors segment Earlier this summer, Ellen was joined by former Grey's costar Katherine Heigl in a conversation for Variety's Actors on Actors series. Heigl, 44, departed the show in 2010 following rumors of on-set feuds and a reputation for being 'difficult' to work with. Addressing her controversial departure, Heigl said: 'I was so naive. I got on my soapbox and I had some things to say, and I felt really passionate about this stuff. 'I felt really strongly. I felt so strongly that I also got a megaphone out on my soapbox. There was no part of me that imagined a bad reaction. I felt really justified in how I felt about it and where I was coming from.' Just two weeks after opening up about her long-term health struggles with Lyme disease and announcing she's 'finally healthy', Bella Hadid is now reconnecting with one of her life's passions. On Saturday, the top model and the longtime equestrian took to her Instagram page several times to share about her love of horseback riding to her 59.5 million fans and followers. In the first couple of photos she posted one of her four-legged friends can be seen giving her a kiss while at Wellington International, an equestrian club in Wellington, Florida. Showing she's all about spreading the love, the catwalk queen reciprocated and gave the horse a sweet smooch on the nose. Hadid, 26, would go on to share three more carousels of herself relishing her time with various horses, engaging in some horseback riding, which included a few jumps at the club, and spending some alone time with the gorgeous animals. Love affair: Bella Hadid is getting back to her love of horses after announcing she was 'finally healthy' in an update about her Lyme disease that she shared a couple of weeks ago Skilled equestrian: The top model is a longtime equestrian who once dreamed of competing in the Olympics before her Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment forced her to quit in 2016 The Washington, DC native, who was raised on a ranch in Santa Barbara, California, could also be seen giving another of the horses a kiss in a video that was posted with 8 photos and another sort clip. The fashionista was dressed in two different traditional equestrian ensembles: one was all-white that hugged her lean physique, while the other equally form-fitting but was all-black. There are several shots of Hadid doing some show jumping, which is part of English riding equestrian events. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Just one look at the glowing smile on her face in every image and it's easy to see the love she has for the horses and equestrian sports. 'Thank you to all the great trainers and people who allowed me to ride their incredible horses And my Lucy , Blue , Ami,' she wrote in the caption. 'I love these animals.' She showed off her horseback riding prowess in the first clip of another carousel. Dressed this time in a black and white combination, Hadid again showed her skill and courage by doing more show jumping, which can prove to be dangerous. The superstar model, who recently was named to Time's 100 most influential people of 2023 list, looked like a professional, as she made jump after jump on the back of these gentle giants. Sweet: In a series of Instagram post, Hadid expressed her love of horse by giving several of them kisses while at Wellington International, an equestrian club in Wellington, Florida Dressing the part: The longtime equestrian donned several traditional outfit in her series of snaps and videos posted on Instagram Fashionista: The catwalk queen could be seen in all-black during her time at the club Impressive: Hadid showed off her skills as a show jumper in several photos and videos Hugging it out: The model, who spend many of her formative years on a ranch in Santa Barbara, showed all the animals lots of love Hadid also looked the part in an all-white outfit in the photo carousels Not only did Hadid offer up another kiss for a horse, she also spread the love to her mother, Yolanda Hadid, 59, who like Bella has also suffered with chronic Lyme disease. One photo shows the proud daughter giving her beaming mom a kiss on the cheek while she has her left hand wrapped around her other cheek. Bella has also credited her devotion to being an equestrian to her mother's love of horses through her life. 'I have been riding since I could walk and the fact that my mom knew everything about horses really helped my passion grow.,' she revealed in an interview The model's love of horses as a youth extended to her aiming to compete in the Olympics, but she ended up having to quit in 2017 due health issues related to sport at the Olympics before she was forced to give it up in 2016 because of her Lyme disease. Cute: Bella would also spend some quality qiet time with many of her four-legged friends Kisses for all: Not only did Hadid offer up another kiss for a horse, she also spread the love to her mother, Yolanda Hadid, 59, who like Bella has also suffered with chronic Lyme disease Adorable: Hadid singled out one of the horses that she rode during her recent horseback riding outing at the club in Florida Health concerns: Hadid had to end her quest to be an equestrian due to the symptoms of Lyme disease and subsequent treatments over the years Healthy days: Just two weeks ago, Bella revealed that she is 'finally healthy' after over a decade of struggles and treatments, including '100+ days of Lyme, chronic disease, [co-infection] treatment [and] almost 15 years of invisible suffering' In her health update earlier this month, Hadid revealed that she is 'finally healthy' after over a decade of struggles and treatments, including '100+ days of Lyme, chronic disease, [co-infection] treatment [and] almost 15 years of invisible suffering.' She went on to share about how her younger self that suffered all those years 'would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself.' She also shared her gratitude for her mother being there during those tough times. 'Thankful to my mommy for keeping all of my medical records, sticking by me, never leaving my side, protecting, supporting, but most of all, believing me through all of this,' she wrote with obvious emotion to her words. It was another day, another bikini for Kiki Morris on Sunday. The former Bachelor star turned up the heat as she slipped into a wild two-piece to pose up a storm in her new hometown of Ibiza. Kiki showed off her incredible figure in a strapless two-piece which showed off her ample cleavage and underboob. She paired the top with equally skimpy mismatched bikini bottoms. Kiki accessorised with a cane cowboy hat and several silver necklaces. The Bachelor star Kiki Morris turned up the heat as she slipped into a wild two-piece to pose up a storm in her new hometown of Ibiza on Sunday 'Want to take this time to thank the MVP of the summer, My hat 'Willie Nelson'' she captioned the photos. Other frames saw the bronzed reality star working overtime for the camera, lazing on a rock with an arched back. Kiki recently opted to go from blonde to chestnut brown after her move from Australia to sunny Ibiza, Spain, to live with her rumoured fiancee Jorge Darek. Kiki showed off her incredible figure in a strapless two-piece which showed off her ample cleavage and underboob She paired the top with equally skimpy mismatched bikini bottoms Kiki accessorised with a cane cowboy hat, tinted sunglasses and silver necklaces The reality star looked unrecognisable with shorter, darker brown hair this month as she returned to Instagram with a gallery of racy bikini selfies Her beau Jorge promptly commented on the post, jokingly writing: 'Wow this is what you do when I go for a walk.' 'Gotta be quick bb [chilli emoji, love-heart eyed emoji]', Kiki replied. Kiki embraced her new lifestyle in Ibiza this month, by debuting a new Mediterranean-inspired hairstyle (Pictured left earlier this year. Right, this month In several photos she wore a pair of stylish cat-eye sunglasses Kiki packed up her life and headed to Madrid in March to live with Spanish business owner Jorge. She has since been spotted wearing an engagement ring, but has never commented on rumours they are set to wed. Farewelling Australia at the time, she wrote on Instagram: 'It's not goodbye, it's see ya later. Last weekend in Sydney with my beautiful girls! Tomorrow is the day.' Bachelor fans will remember Morris from Richie Strahan's season in 2016. After being dumped on the show, she later returned to screens in spin-off series Bachelor In Paradise - but failed to find love there as well. On Sunday, two-time Grammy nominee Jennifer Lopez celebrated one year of marriage to her fourth husband - two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Affleck - by sharing never-before-seen snaps from their $400K wedding at his $8.9M, 87-acre property on the Hampton Island Preserve in Georgia. The couple formerly known as 'Bennifer' had technically obtained their marriage license on July 16, 2022 in Clark County, NV before eloping at the Little White Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas strip. The 54-year-old Bronx native - who's played a bride in nine films - gave her 394.3M social media following a sneak-peek at the lyrics for her upcoming song Dear Ben Pt. II. 'Dear Ben / Sitting here alone / Looking at my ring ring / Feeling overwhelmed / It makes me wanna sing sing / How did we end up here / Without a rewind / Oh my / This is my life.' Dear Ben Pt. II is one of nine reported songs Jennifer dedicated to the Berkeley-born, Cambridge-raised 51-year-old on her upcoming 13-track ninth studio album This Is Me... Now, which will be her first record since A.K.A. back in 2014. 'One year ago today': On Sunday, Jennifer Lopez celebrated one year of marriage to her fourth husband - Ben Affleck - by sharing never-before-seen snaps from their $400K wedding at his $8.9M, 87-acre property on the Hampton Island Preserve in Georgia Fireworks, indeed! The couple formerly known as 'Bennifer' had technically obtained their marriage license on July 16, 2022 in Clark County, NV before eloping at the Little White Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas strip Lopez released the first part of the song - Dear Ben - on her 2002 album This Is Me... Then during her two-year prior relationship to Ben, which ended in 2004. The Gigli castmates started texting each other again in February 2021, two months before she ended her engagement to Minnesota Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez. Affleck is now stepfather to Jennifer's 15-year-old fraternal twins - son Maximilian Muniz and daughter Emme Muniz - from her third marriage to Marc Anthony, which ended in 2011 after seven years. Lopez is now stepmother to The Air director-star's three children - daughter Violet, 17; daughter Seraphina, 14; and son Samuel, 11 - from his decade-long marriage to Daredevil leading lady Jennifer Garner, which ended in 2018. Before the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, Ben and his BFF Matt Damon were producing William Goldenberg's drama Unstoppable which stars The Mother producer-star as Judy Robles, the tattoo-sleeved mother of one-legged champion wrestler Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome). On November 18, Jennifer wrapped the titular role in Brad Peyton's AI thriller Atlas - premiering later this year on Netflix - alongside Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown. 'We had a good time,' Lopez said on Instagram Live at the time. 'This is a beautiful movie about the future, but it's also about letting people in.' The Delola founder also keeps busy running her cosmetics company JLo Beauty and Revolve clothing company JLo. Meanwhile, THR reported last month that Affleck's only scene as Bruce Wayne/Batman opposite Jason Momoa in James Wan's long-delayed sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was cut from the final film. 'How did we end up here?' The 54-year-old Bronx native - who's played a bride in nine films - gave her 394.3M social media following a sneak-peek at the lyrics for her upcoming song Dear Ben Pt. II Coming soon! Dear Ben Pt. II is one of nine reported songs Jennifer dedicated to the Berkeley-born, Cambridge-raised 51-year-old on her upcoming 13-track ninth studio album This Is Me... Now, which will be her first record since A.K.A. back in 2014 2002 throwback! Lopez released the first part of the song - Dear Ben - on her 2002 album This Is Me... Then during her two-year prior relationship to Ben, which ended in 2004 Proving the haters wrong! The Gigli castmates (pictured last Tuesday) started texting each other again in February 2021, two months before she ended her engagement to Minnesota Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez Collaborating: Before the strikes, Affleck (pictured June 18) and his BFF Matt Damon were producing William Goldenberg's drama Unstoppable which stars Jennifer as Judy Robles, the tattoo-sleeved mother of one-legged champion wrestler Anthony Robles 'We had a good time!' On November 18, Lopez wrapped the titular role in Brad Peyton's (L) AI thriller Atlas - premiering later this year on Netflix - alongside Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown Leni Klum looked incredible as she joined her boyfriend and their friends on a luxury yacht in the South of France on Sunday. The model, 19, who is the daughter of Heidi Klum and Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, wore a green bikini while soaking up some sun. She showed off her toned frame in the plunging number and shielded her eyes with a pair of black sunglasses. Leni was joined by her boyfriend Aris Rachevsky as they relaxed on the sun deck and snapped some photos. Aris, who is the son of Los Angeles talent agent Rhea Rachevsky, planted a kiss on his girlfriend while sunbathing. Relaxing: Leni Klum, 19, looked incredible as she joined her boyfriend and their friends on a luxury yacht in the South of France on Sunday On holiday: The model, who is the daughter of Heidi Klum and Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, wore a green bikini for the trip The media personality has embarked on a modeling career over the past few years. Leni made her debut in 2020, when she appeared alongside her mother on the cover of Vogue Germany at the age of 16. She has since appeared in promotional campaigns for various brands, including Dior Beauty, Fila and Intimissi, among others. The fashion industry personality's mother previously spoke to People and voiced her approval of her child's career choice. Heidi told the media outlet that 'I'm very proud of my daughter and her modeling' during her sit-down with the publication. Leni's stepfather Seal has also expressed his support for his stepdaughter and recently told E! News that he was 'so proud of everything that Leni has done.' The media figure spoke about her first modeling gig during an interview with People, where she discussed her introduction to the fashion world. 'I've always gone to work with my mom and thought, "This looks so fun. She looks so happy while she's working,"' she said. Fun in the sun: Leni was joined by her boyfriend Aris Rachevsky and some of their friends Kicking back: She showed off her toned frame in the plunging number while cooling off in the shower Chic: Leni shielded her eyes with a pair of black sunglasses Smooch: Leni was joined by her boyfriend Aris Rachevsky as they relaxed on the sun deck Happy: Aris, who is the son of Los Angeles talent agent Rhea Rachevsky, flashed a smile Loved-up: He planted a kiss on his girlfriend while sunbathing Career: Leni made her debut as a model in 2020 Bold: Aris wore some bright yellow swimming trunks Memories: The group posed for a series of fun photos Refreshing: Aris then took a plunge into the water Taking a break: Leni has appeared in promotional campaigns for various brands, including Dior Beauty, Fila and Intimissi, among others Model: The fashion industry personality's mother previously spoke to People and voiced her approval of her child's career choice Praise: Heidi told the media outlet that 'I'm very proud of my daughter and her modelling' during her sit-down with the publication Support: Leni's stepfather Seal has also expressed his support for his stepdaughter and recently told E! News that he was 'so proud of everything that Leni has done' Inspiration: 'I've always gone to work with my mom and thought, "This looks so fun. She looks so happy while she's working,"' Leni said Starting off strong: She appeared alongside her mother on the cover of Vogue Germany at the age of 16 Leni then spoke about her time on set with her mother and told the media outlet that she thoroughly enjoyed her time in front of the cameras. 'It was just such a good day. I wasn't nervous at all. I was just so excited,' she recalled. The social media personality also expressed that she was happy to have her mother with her during her modeling debut. 'My mom and I are just completely comfortable around each other and we were dancing around the whole day,' she said. A screenshot of Baek Kang-hyun's YouTube channel / Yonhap A 10-year-old child, who gained fame as an infant prodigy years ago and entered one of the nation's most elite high schools in March this year, recently dropped out due to persistent bullying by his classmates, his father said Monday. The child, named Baek Kang-hyun, grabbed people's attention in 2016, when he was only 41 months old, by displaying extraordinary talents in mathematics and music during his appearance on an SBS TV program on gifted children. At that time, his IQ was known to be 204. Baek again surprised the public in March this year when he entered Seoul Science High School. But he said on YouTube last Saturday that he quit school voluntarily the previous day after being disappointed with himself having become a machine for solving math problems. In a controversial disclosure, however, Baek's father insisted on a YouTube channel this week that his son had suffered continuous verbal abuse from his classmates and the school refused to respond to his request for help. "I heard Kang-hyun has been told by his older classmates two to three times a week since May that his attendance at the school was deceiving people," the elder Baek said, noting his son gradually lost his smile and became depressed. Some of his classmates who were in the same team project as Kang-hyun treated him as an "invisible person" by saying, "It's like there is one person missing in our group if Kang-hyun is a group member," according to the elder Baek. Moreover, a social media post has been found to contain swear words insulting Kang-hyun, prompting the elder Baek to consider asking for police investigation. He added his son weighed 27 kilograms at the time of high school admission but is now only 22 kg. He also said bullying perpetrators offered a formal apology over the weekend and his family decided to forgive them. The elder Baek then regretted the school's refusal to extend help. "We asked Kang-hyun be allowed to be an exception to the team assignments, but the school refused, saying the system cannot be changed because of one person," he lamented. (Yonhap) Gordon Ramsay finally responded to criticism of his 'ultimate grilled cheese' with a new recipe for a 'grilled cheese like no other.' For his redemption sandwich, the celebrity chef, 56, went for a high-octane spin in a supercar while his snack was left on the engine. It was after his 'medium rare' grilled cheese filmed in Tasmania for his Uncharted series was the subject of ridicule three years ago. Gordon told his TikTok viewers: 'Last time I made a grilled cheese, you guys absolutely pummeled me. 'So I'd like to redeem myself and give you a grilled cheese like no other.' Redemption: Gordon Ramsay finally had another crack at a grilled cheese sandwich, three years on from his artisanal effort getting panned Meals on wheels: The TV star's oven of choice was the V12 engine of an Aston Martin Valkyrie But the ingredients for this sandwich were nothing special - it was the oven which added the wow-factor. The 'grill' of choice was 'the sexiest oven you've ever seen in your entire life' - the V12, 1200 horse-power engine of an Aston Martin Valkyrie - which he took for a spin to heat the snack through. He seemed delighted by the outcome, finally managing to produce a grilled cheese in which the key ingredient had melted. In 2020, his effort was slammed for the luxury cheeses not melting, and the bread being too thickly sliced and burning. The comments to the clip which was posted to his YouTube channel were not kind, with one saying: 'My man really managed to cook a medium rare grilled cheese.' Another said: 'Impressive that he managed to not only fail to melt the cheese, but also simultaneously burn the bread. Truly the work of a professional.' But the TV star brushed it off, however, his grilled cheese comeback has left many with raised eyebrows yet again. One suspicious element of the creation was the pre-toasted bread used, picked up on by some viewers of the clip, which was posted on August 6. Powerful flavours: The multi-million dollar Aston Martin Valkyrie has 1,200 horse-power and can clock over 200 miles per-hour Not impressed: Gordon's 'ultimate grilled cheese' was the subject of ridicule after he made the snack for his Uncharted series Others took issue with the temperature of the sandwich, suspecting something fishy. One alleged: 'Gordon the cheese still isn't melted.' Another internet sleuth pointed out: 'Notice the "warm" grilled cheese is wrapped in cool to the hands foil.' Chloe Sims showed off her smooth visage as she headed out for dinner in London on Sunday. The former TOWIE star, 41, looked chic in a white suit, consisting of a cropped jacket and stylish wide leg trousers. She layered a sheer T-shirt underneath and elevated her height with a pair of two-tone stilettos. Joining some friends Amazonico restaurant, Chloe flashed a smile for the cameras before heading inside. The reality TV personality highlighted her flawless complexion with a bronzed makeup look and styled her hair into loose waves. Flawless: Chloe Sims, 41, showed off her smooth visage as she headed out for dinner in London on Sunday She accessorised her elegant look by carrying a printed Celine clutch bag. Chloe and her sisters, Frankie Sims and Demi Sims, signed a deal last year worth 1million to become the new Kardashians on OnlyFans' growing new TV venture. The new reality series, which premiered on Wednesday May 3 on Only Fans TV, shows the Essex family in a Kardashian-esque light. In the first episode, Chloe admitted she's 'never felt settled' in the UK and feels her family belong in LA. She told sister Frankie: 'I've been in the UK living for 40 years but I don't feel settled here, I just don't think we belong here.' 'I've never felt at home in any of my houses, I don't feel 100 per cent this is my life. I'm just so excited we are doing this together.' Chloe also touched on her decision to leave TOWIE: 'I decided to leave the longest running reality show in the UK. 'TOWIE changed everything for me so it was uncertain to leave such a comfortable position but I thought it was best to leave on a high. Elegant: The former TOWIE star looked chic in a white suit, consisting of a cropped jacket and stylish wide leg trousers Stylish: She layered a sheer T-shirt underneath and elevated her height with a pair of two-tone stilettos Throwback: Chloe rose to fame on TOWIE (pictured on the show in 2012) and quit in 2022 after over a decade on the show Moving on: The TV personality and her sisters, Frankie Sims and Demi Sims, signed a deal last year worth 1million to become the new Kardashians on OnlyFans' growing new TV venture (pictured in November 2021) The reality star then told her siblings: 'I hope everyone stays humble in this family because we have come from a humble place and I don't like it when people act spoiled. 'Here's to us and to killing it in LA!' said Chloe, adding: 'In the UK we don't really need to sell ourselves. Here we're completely unknown.' The series will go out on the free OFTV app, which unlike the parent site features no nudity and can be watched on a smart TV. And as part of the deal the family will also open OnlyFans accounts, but will feature Instagram-style pictures, with no explicit content. Tommy Mallet has revealed that he is planning to tie the knot with fiancee Georgia Kousoulou next year following their tragic miscarriage in April. The former TOWIE star, 31, also detailed the couple haven't ruled out trying for another baby and that they 'will do anything in their power to make it happen'. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the businessman, who owns successful footwear company Mallet London, discussed his future plans with Georgia, 32. He said: 'The wedding is going ahead bigger than ever next year. We pushed back the planning of the wedding after we lost the baby. 'We were meant to fly to Majorca to plan the wedding and have some alone time but didn't go because we discovered the miscarriage. Staying positive: Tommy Mallet has revealed that he is planning to tie the knot with fiancee Georgia Kousoulou next year following their tragic miscarriage in April Family: The former TOWIE star, 31, who share Brody, Two, with Georgia, also detailed that they haven't ruled out trying for another baby 'But we haven't cancelled anything. We're going strong, we've got a big day to plan and Georgia needs it as well. 'I want her to have the same second name and she deserves a really good day now and next year we're making it happen.' The reality star, who shares son Brody, two, with Georgia, has said he has always lived his life with the mentality of 'what's meant to be, is meant to be'. He added: 'My whole life has been lived with what's meant to be is meant to be, and I know that's awful saying that after losing a child but the past four months me and Georgia have been trying to just get through the next day, it's tough. 'For me, I'm just so lucky I have Brody, I've met people who have lost every single baby that they ever had so I'm just so blessed to have my little boy. 'Obviously we are going to have more kids, we will do anything in our power to make it happen.' Tommy, who's fashion mogul brand has earned him a place on the Forbes annual '30 Under 30' list in 2021, has since tried to use his fame and wisdom to give back to his community. Tommy, who is the face of Superdrug's new apprenticeship campaign 'Rise Up To Level Up', also detailed his hopes to raise awareness around the support needed for young people to gain valuable life skills. Wedding nuptials: Tommy said that the wedding is going ahead bigger than ever as he plans to tie the knot next year (Tommy pictured popping the question to Georgia in Mexico in 2022) Devastation: Georgia posted a black and white photo of herself in her hospital bed as she told followers the shock miscarriage that had left her 'without words' Superdrug will employ 500 apprentices this year, double the intake over the next three years and focus on five key areas where unemployment amongst the young is high, but apprenticeship take-up is low. He said: 'For me it's all about giving back to community because there is so many kids out there that don't know where they're going in life and I want to help them and that's why I'm behind this campaign. 'By doing what I've done with my business people now listen and respect me. I feel like together me and Superdrug will make it happen. 'If i didn't come out of school and try things I would never have had the life lessons or be where I am today. It's not always about trying to be on reality shows its grabbing what is in front of you.' Davina McCall shared the heartbreak of her chaotic childhood as she recalled being forced to fly alone to Paris aged three - and her mother Florence Kock forgot to pick her up from the airport. The TV presenter, 55, said that she mostly grew up with her grandparents in Surrey and would fly to France as an unaccompanied minor to see her French mother in the school holidays from a very young age. She told the Sunday Times travel supplement: 'The first trip I remember was very traumatic. I was three or four and too scared to ask for help. I wet myself on the flight. My mother would often forget to pick me up at the airport and Id be waiting and waiting before somebody would call to remind her. 'That was our normal. I would stay with my Spanish grandmother, French businessman grandfather and my big sister, who my mum had when she was 16. ' Davina said her mother was 'absolutely bonkers, with no boundaries.' Looking back: Davina McCall has revealed she was forced to fly to Paris aged 3 unattended and her mother forgot to pick her up at the airport She added that at the age of 12, she would go clubbing with her mum and would wear high heels and make-up anything went. She said: 'Paris was exciting, flamboyant and a bit scary sometimes. In my early twenties I moved there, living on Rue Saint-Martin, near the Pompidou Centre, working as a singing waitress in a jazz club.' Davina now lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, with her partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas, 50, who is also her co-presenter on the podcast Making the Cut. She has three children, Holly, 21, Tilly, 19, and Chester, 16. In 2012, Davina revealed her sense of relief at the death of the mother who virtually abandoned her as a child. The former Big Brother presenter said Florence's passing in South Africa in 2008 finally ended the heartbreak caused by the pairs troubled relationship. She said: When she died I felt a sense of relief that I could stop swinging from side to side. And I also think, Please God, when I die, dont let it be a relief to anybody. Davina didn't attend her mothers funeral but forgave her for the years of abandonment. She said of her late mother Florence, (pictured) : 'The first trip I remember was very traumatic. I was three or four and too scared to ask for help. I wet myself on the flight' She said: I imagined her in the hospital bed, and I imagined these shoots of light going from my palms, all over, across the world, to South Africa, to the hospital where she was at, and going straight into her heart. All I kept saying was, I forgive you. I forgive you. I forgive you. Davina stayed in contact with her father, Andrew, who passed away in March 2022 after a battle with dementia. But she saw little of her mother in France. Her holidays there would end in misery as her mother, a glamorous socialite, failed to turn up for pre-arranged meetings. The star moved back in with her father at 13 but her attempts to repair the relationship with her mother always ended in failure. Davina said: I tried so hard . . . time after time, I kept thinking, This is the bridge. She said her mothers refusal to show her affection left her catatonic with grief. She said: I couldnt make her invite me into her bed for a hug when Id had a nightmare. I felt shed done something to betray me or hurt me. Davina now accepts her mother was damaged and did the best she could with what she had. But as a teenager she sought solace in drugs and by 16 had experimented with cocaine and heroin. She managed to get herself clean by the time she was 25. Tragic: Davina has paid tribute to her father Andrew in March 2022 after confirming the devoted family man passed away on Sunday evening following a long battle with Alzheimer's. Coldplay are giving a local Australian musical act the chance to open their two massive Perth concerts. The UK band have launched a $15,000 competition that will seek out Western Australian musicians to join then at Optus Stadium. The competition seeks the next best talent from WA, promising $15,000 and gigs in November playing to 120,000 fans over two nights. The funds come in the form of a grant from the WA Government Contemporary Music Fund and will go to recording, marketing and touring for the chosen band. Coldplay will personally pick the winner themselves from a list of finalists created by industry experts. Coldplay are giving a local Australian musical act the chance to open their two massive Perth concerts. Chris Martin of Coldplay is pictured The band announced they will be bringing their Music of the Spheres World Tour to Perth in November for a special performance. The British rock band posted a video on YouTube telling their 25 million subscribers they will be performing at Optus Stadium. The beloved group last performed in Australia in 2016, and the concerts will be their first in the WA capital since February 2009. And given the popularity of the band, the gigs were sure to sell out all 60,000 seats. The UK band have launched a $15,000 competition that will seek out Western Australian musicians to join then at Optus Stadium The Perth shows will be the band's only concerts in Australia. While the financial details to bring the band to Perth remain undisclosed, Tourism Minister Roger Cook expressed optimism that the concert would drive international tourism revenue into Western Australia. Aussie fans from other states complained the two Perth-only dates meant they would be missing out on seeing the band perform. British model Adwoa Aboah left little to the imagination as she posed for the front cover of PORTER magazine. The socialite and former front cover star of Vogue, 30, discussed conquering the fashion world in her latest interview with the magazine. She showed off her toned physique in a black mesh bra and pants, teamed with a sheer skirt and heels. Adwoa then covered-up with a stylish black trench coat and matching trousers, before slipping into a brown satin dress. For PORTER's shoot, Adwoa was photographed by Ronan Mckenzie and styled by Helen Broadfoot. She wears pieces by Saint Laurent, The Row, Khaite and more. Incredible: British model Adwoa Aboah left little to the imagination as she posed for the front cover of PORTER magazine Career: The socialite and former front cover star of Vogue, 30, discussed conquering the fashion world in her latest interview with the magazine Adwoa is a British fashion model who appeared on the cover of British Vogue in December 2017. She has also been on the cover of American Vogue, Vogue Italia and Vogue Poland, while the fashion industry voted her as Model of the Year. Speaking on the world of modeling, Aboahe said: 'You get to a stage in your career where you no longer do group shoots or covers. You do campaigns and editorial by yourself. It becomes a very solitary kind of job and experience. And so [on set], I loved that I was getting to be with people all the time.' To see the full interview, read PORTER here Aboahe openly discussed that rejection is part of the job: 'I think I have about 10 million layers of skin, because of having to do a lot of self-work very early in my twenties. 'Don't get me wrong; there were a few parts this year that I got close to that I really wanted. I'm learning each time. I just feel like something's coming. I don't know when it's coming, but I have full belief.' Adwoa has been open about her problems with drink and drugs, previously saying she tried marijuana at the age of 14 before moving on to harder drugs. Last year, she revealed she was 'pushed to rip apart myself and put it all back together' while in a treatment facility for her drug addiction. The socialite and former front cover star of Vogue, 30, added that she is 'lucky' to be sober and go to treatment as it forced her to confront herself and her addiction issues. Speaking on the Reign With Josh Smith podcast for World Mental Health Day, she said: 'I was lucky enough to go to treatment, so I met a mad variety of people there who'd been through all sorts of different things. 'It kicks it out of you when you are forced to really confront yourself. I'm actually quite lucky. A lot of sober people say that. I think I'm quite lucky that I was pushed to deal with it now. Wow! She showed off her toned physique in a black mesh bra teamed with a stylish black trench coat and matching trousers Gorgeous: The beauty, who was wearing pieces by Saint Laurent, The Row and Khaite, slipped into a brown satin dress Star: Adwoa is a British fashion model who appeared on the cover of British Vogue in December 2017 Speaking on the world of modeling, Aboahe said: 'You get to a stage in your career where you no longer do group shoots or covers. You do campaigns and editorial by yourself.' 'Pushed to pick apart any judgments I had towards other people. Pushed to rip apart myself and put it all back together so that I could look at things a bit differently. 'Even though it was pretty f***ing s**t, I'm pretty lucky to be quite honest that I've been given this chance to do things differently and to look at situations in a more empathetic way, actually.' The model, who is often seen on the front row of major fashion shows, has been open about her problems with drink and drugs - back in 2016 she candidly spoke about first trying marijuana at the age of 14 after getting drunk at a house party. From then on, she said she tried cocaine and ketamine, with the latter being the drug which 'really got' her. Using her platform to raise awareness for Mental Health Week, she added: 'I've resigned myself to the fact that life is just so messy and one's mental health journey couldn't be further from linear. 'So the fact is it's just ebbs and flows and we find ways of dealing with things and then we're confronted with another thing, whether it be grief or identity or love or sex, it's endless. 'I think because our stories change and evolve, and we grow so our perspective on things changes, and it's so mad that you can look at a situation that happened a few years ago and then with some age and wisdom you suddenly reframe it and you're like, "Okay maybe it was my fault". 'Or maybe there are different ways that we can look at things, I think that comes with age definitely. I've started really putting into place those boundaries and knowing what's good for me and what is not good for me.' Back in 2016, when asked how many drugs she was doing, she said in an interview: 'Just every day. Aboahe openly discussed that rejection is part of the job: 'I think I have about 10 million layers of skin, because of having to do a lot of self-work very early in my twenties.' For PORTER's shoot, Adwoa was photographed by Ronan Mckenzie and styled by Helen Broadfoot. She wears pieces by Saint Laurent, The Row, Khaite and more Candid: Adwoa says she was 'pushed to rip apart myself and put it all back together' while in a treatment facility for her drug addiction 'My favourite thing to do was just sit in my room by myself. And what happened if certain people weren't going out on the Tuesday night, I could very easily find another that were going out that day. 'Then maybe they were going out on Wednesday, so I would go out with them. 'I don't think I necessarily wanted to stop, I just... my parents sent me to Arizona [for rehab]. 'The people that I grew up with, they took a lot of drugs, so it wasn't necessarily unheard of, it was normal, so I got away with it for a long time.' On it affecting her modelling, she said it affected how she viewed her self-image. 'Losing out on jobs and being judged on your appearance - I definitely got a second skin and got used to it, but moreso now I realised that it definitely didn't [help]. It definitely contributed to the way I feel about things about myself. 'I don't know if [getting scouted] was a booster, I definitely don't feel like it made me feel any better about myself by being in a magazine.' For help with drugs and alcohol contact Talk to Frank on 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or email them here https://www.talktofrank.com/contact. To see the full interview, read PORTER here Dhakota Williams has been enjoying a holiday away soaking up the sun in Malta. The gangland heiress-turned-OnlyFans star showed off her incredible figure in an Instagram post on Monday. The 21-year-old left little to the imagination as she posed in a skimpy green bikini as she lazed in a banana chair. 'His new obsession,' she wrote teasingly in the caption alongside the images, which showed her soaking up the sun while wearing Versace wraparound sunglasses. The brunette beauty appeared to go makeup free for the outing and finished her look with a gold belly chain. Dhakota Williams (pictured) has been enjoying a holiday away soaking up the sun in Malta The gangland heiress-turned-OnlyFans star showed off her incredible figure in an Instagram post on Monday The 21-year-old left little to the imagination as she posed in a skimpy green bikini as she lazed in a banana chair Dhakota joined OnlyFans in August and her mother Roberta soon followed. The pair recently discussed their foray into the sex industry with The Daily Telegraph, revealing they had 'no choice' due to their infamous history. 'I can't get a normal job like anyone else,' Roberta told the publication. Meanwhile, Dhakota said she'd been thinking about joining for some time before finally pulling the trigger. 'Mum gave me the courage to do it. There is no shame in owning your femininity,' she declared. Dhakota joined OnlyFans in August and her mother Roberta soon followed The pair recently discussed their foray into the sex industry with The Daily Telegraph, revealing they had 'no choice' due to their infamous history The duo recently starred in a live show where they delved into their life with infamous underworld figure Carl - Robert's late husband and Dhakota's father. The show, titled My Life Our Life, is described on the Eventbrite website as 'Roberta and Dhakota Williams talking about Life Before Carl, with Carl, and Now.' Dhakota was nine-years-old when her father, drug kingpin Carl, was bludgeoned to death at Barwon Prison by fellow inmate Matthew Charles Johnson in 2010. The hitman, whose life was made famous by the TV series Underbelly, had been jailed for 35 years in 2007 for ordering the murders of three rivals, and more time for conspiring to kill a fourth. Carl wrote several long letters to his wife and others from jail in the months before he was murdered, that have since been made into the book Life Sentence. The couple married in 2001 and were still husband and wife at the time of his death in 2010. Spencer Matthews got back in the saddle as he and wife Vogue Williams arrived in London's Soho on a motorbike on Monday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 34, and Irish TV presenter, 37, were all smiles as they parked up and walked around Soho Square - as Spencer bounces back from his recent hospitalisation while on a family holiday to Spain. Vogue looked effortlessly cool as she tucked a grey graphic T-shirt into a a pair of eye-catching zebra print jeans. She kept comfortable in a pair of chunky gold trainers and toted her belongings in a large black woven handbag. The mother-of-three accessorised with a pair of large gold hoop earrings and shielded from the sun behind a pair of chunky dark sunglasses. Riding in style: Spencer Matthews got back in the saddle as he and wife Vogue Williams arrived in London's Soho on a motorbike on Monday High spirits: The former Made In Chelsea star, 34, and Irish TV presenter, 37, were all smiles as they parked up and walked around Soho Square Stylish: Vogue looked effortlessly cool as she tucked a grey graphic T-shirt into a a pair of eye-catching zebra print jeans Spencer stepped out in a crisp white T-shirt, which he teamed with blue jeans and a pair of Nike trainers. The couple seemed in high spirits as they were filmed by a TV crew while arriving at a venue. Following the lunch outing, the couple were spotted driving away on the motorbike with Vogue holding onto Spencer's waist. The pair, who are parents to children Theodore, four, Gigi, two, and baby Otto, 16 months, sported coordinated black and white helmets as they made their way around the city centre. The outing comes after Vogue issued an apology on Friday after she claimed her husband Spencer was hospitalised for a 'cold sore medication overdose' during their recent holiday. The Irish model spoke to her co-host Joanne McNally on their My Therapist Ghosted Me podcast and admitted she 'sometimes embellishes things.' Clearing up the confusion earlier in the week, Spencer informed his fans that he was 'very much still alive' after rumours started circulating about his death. First recalling the story, Vogue explained: 'Spenny was hospitalised for two days because he is a little b***h and he can't handle it.' Looking good: She kept comfortable in a pair of chunky gold trainers and toted her belongings in a large black woven handbag Lunching: Vogue sat down on the grass to eat lunch during her low-key day out Cool: Spencer stepped out in a crisp white T-shirt which he teamed with blue jeans and a pair of Nike trainers Action: The couple seemed in high spirits as they were filmed by a TV crew Setting the record straight: The outing comes after Vogue issued an apology on Friday after she claimed her husband Spencer was hospitalised for a 'cold sore medication overdose' She continued: 'Well I will tell you what, he overdosed on cold sore tablets. I am not joking, I am not joking, I'm not. 'He overdosed on cold sore tablets and his liver function, because he did it for a full week, taking ten of these things and he said 'oh they're fine'. Vogue later insisted she wasn't sure that an 'overdose' was the reason and it was likely the sickness bug that had also infected the rest of the family. Recalling the incident, Vogue joked: 'I have to say, we've got to be careful about what we say Spencer on this pod. 'Because that story - it hasn't gone away and it's gone to something like 43 news outlets now. 'And I'm like, "It's fine, it's fine, I was only joking". But I honestly thought that that was the truth. 'Basically, we both got a bacterial stomach infection but I took what the doctor thought it was literally and then spread it like wildfire on our podcast.' 'I said it was cold sore tablets. And that wasn't the truth, I'm sorry sometimes I embellish things,' she added. Sharing his own update, Spencer put the rumours to bed, saying: 'For the avoidance of doubt... I am still alive. 'Also I was hospitalised with a virus but overdose on cold sore stuff sounds more interesting I guess?' Vogue previously divulged that while he was in dire straits with concerns over his liver function, he was also relieved as the family, including their kids and Vogue's aunt Gina, all fell ill elsewhere. Speaking about the illness, she said: 'I think he was kind of slightly thrilled because he was in hospital and Gina had just been to the doctors and she was fine. I'm not so sure he had it but I got it when we got home.' Joanne then hilariously joked about Spencer, who is teetotal after a battle with substance abuse, saying: 'In fairness the man has no vices anymore let him get his kicks where he can you know even off cold sore tablets.' Home time: Following the lunch outing, the couple were spotted driving away on the motorbike with Vogue holding onto Spencer's waist Chic: The pair, who are parents to children Theodore, four, Gigi, two, and baby Otto, 16 months, donned coordinated black and white helmets as they made their way around the city BBC Breakfast's Carol Kirkwood was missing from the show on Monday in another unexpected presenter shake-up. While Jon Kay and Sally Nugent were presenting as usual in the Salford studio, the meteorologist, 61, was nowhere to be seen. Carol was replaced by Sarah Keith-Lucas who brought viewers the latest weather updates. There have been several hosting shake-ups this month, including Sally taking a week off for a well-deserved birthday trip. Meanwhile, Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty also took some time off to enjoy the summer holidays. Absent: BBC Breakfast's Carol Kirkwood was missing from the show on Monday in another presenter shake-up Disappointing: While Jon Kay and Sally Nugent were presenting in the Salford studio, the meteorologist, 61, was nowhere to be seen It comes after Carol was left red-faced once again after host Jon Kay noticed a funny blunder during her live report. She had an awkward interaction with the broadcaster as she kicked off her look at the latest forecast. As Carol gushed about a picturesque snap sent in by one of their viewers, Jon was quick to point out an element she'd failed to notice. He noted: 'Right, it's just after 10 to eight and you know Carol gets beautiful pictures from all over the UK from you everyday that just encapsulate the weather. 'Well, this morning she's got a cracker, I think that's how you say it.' Laughing, Carol turned to the image on her screen, and said: 'It is. It's beautiful. I am looking at the sky of course Jon. I don't know what you're looking at.' But Jon was quick to remark that he 'wasn't looking at the sky.' While Carol's image did include a gorogeous blue skyline over a road, it was somewhat spoiled by a line of portable toilets. She told Jon: 'I didn't notice that when I pulled it in unfortunately. Amusing: Carol was left red-faced during Tuesday's show after host Jon Kay noticed a hilarious blunder during her report 'But it is lovely isn't it? This is one of our weather watcher's pictures taken a wee bit earlier in John O'Groats in the Highlands.' Carol then quickly moved on from the gaffe and straight into her weather report. Last month, Carol left viewers in hysterics when three adorable Labrador puppies clambered all over her and nibbled her microphone as she presented the weather. She joined live from a Guide Dog puppy centre to present her segment and remained the ultimate professional as the playful pups climbed over her and chewed her hair. During her live report, Carol said: 'And we're in for a treat because they're absolutely adorable as you can see and they're so playful as well. 'They've [the puppies] been woken up early this morning just for us, with a lovely start to the day for them too... come on you little scamp... whoops get off my mic, you little monkey... anyway!' Awkward: Last month, Carol left viewers in hysterics when three adorable Labrador puppies clambered all over her and nibbled her microphone But the puppies didn't stop for Carol as they kept on tugging and pulling at her hair and mic as she continued her segment. BBC Breakfast presenter Sally Nugent later praised Carol for remaining professional after the hilarious puppy attack. She said: 'Carol, I think you deserve and award for doing a weather forecast while someone was eating your microphone and another one was eating your hair. That was properly professional, well done.' Earlier that month, Carol suffered another awkward on-air encounter as she was dragged to the floor by a dog during a live Wimbledon report, leaving her co-stars in hysterics. The Confessions Of Frannie Langton is airing on ITV after its initial stream release on ITVX last year. The period drama follows the unique tale of former slave Frannie, played by Karla-Simone Spence, who has been having an affair with her white mistress, Madame Marguerite Benham (Sophie Cookson). As the story opens, she's charged with the murders of Madame and her husband George (Stephen Campbell Moore). The four-part drama jumps back and forth between the Benhams' mansion in 19th-century London, the Old Bailey (where Frannie is on trial) and the Jamaican plantation where Frannie was enslaved. But is The Confessions Of Frannie Langton based on a true story? Find out by reading more. Drama: The Confessions Of Frannie Langton tells the story of the title character (played by Karla-Simone Spence, right) falling in love with her mistress Madame Benham (Sophie Cookson, left) Is The Confessions of Frannie Langton based on a true story? While the events of the new ITVX drama keep as historically accurate as possible, the series is ultimately based on the novel of the same name by Sara Collins. Although not inspired directly by any particular true story, it draws upon contemporary themes such as slavery and prejudice. Collins described the title character as 'Jane Eyre if Jane Eyre was black and had sh***ed the mad woman in the attic and maybe killed Mr Rochester.' The debut novel was released in 2019 and like the series, its backdrop is Georgian London in 1826 when a maid - Frannie - is standing trial for murders of her employers George and Marguerite Benham (played by Stephen Campbell Moore and Sophie Cookson). It was soon credited by publications and writers alike, winning the Costa Book Awards First Novel prize in the year of its release. Speaking about the decision to adapt her novel for the small screen, Collins said: 'I wanted to dramatise a passionate love affair between a black woman and her white mistress in Regency London. 'We've been led to assume this kind of thing could never have happened, which is precisely why it's the story I wanted to tell.' Mystery: The immediate twist in the story is the murder of Madame Benham and her husband George (played by Stephen Campbell Moore, pictured) 'We have never seen a story in which a formerly enslaved person goes through a kind of sexual awakening or romantic awakening. 'You don't see this elsewhere in Jane Austen territory and I'm really proud of the magic of this drama. 'I also knew straight away that I didn't want to write yet another period drama where the only thing that happens to the black characters is slavery.' READ MORE: Secrets from the set: The Confessions Of Frannie Langton Advertisement Sara is very keen to distance her series, which has fictional characters in a historically accurate setting, from Netflixs Bridgerton, a Regency-set drama which has colour-blind casting, with black and Asian actors in roles traditionally taken by white performers. She has said: This is colour-focused casting. Bridgerton is a fantasy. Its a nice fantasy but what really interests me is that we dont lose sight of the truth. In that vein, the depiction of slavery including the depiction of brutal experiments on her enslaved peers is based on real history. But it is also a drama that isn't your 'typical' tale about slavery, as Frannie herself states to the viewer in narrating the start of the series. The character, played by Karla-Simone Spence, says: 'No doubt you'll be thinking that this is just another one of those slave stories, all sugared over with misery and despair.' When is The Confessions Of Frannie Langton on TV? The Confessions Of Frannie Langton will have its live-TV debut on August 21 at 9pm. That will be the first of four consecutive showings, at the same time each day, for each of the four parts of the period drama. It was released on ITVX on December 8, 2022, and those who are unable to watch it on ITV can still find the programme on demand there. President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at his office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo President Yoon Suk Yeol said, Monday, the government should step up efforts to help the public experience the outcomes of his summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week in a bid to dispel the opposition's doubts over the feasibility of agreements from the gathering at Camp David. "The three countries' partnership and their pursuit of common interests are not exclusive, but rather universal and just," Yoon said during a Cabinet meeting. "Ministries should put effort into making the achievements of the South Korea-United States-Japan cooperation system tangible and ensure their benefits could be felt by the citizens." On Friday (local time), Yoon, Biden and Kishida gathered at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David in Maryland and adopted a series of documents that heightens the three countries' security cooperation and economic partnerships into a quasi-alliance level. During the summit, the leaders agreed to institutionalize their three-way cooperation by agreeing to hold the trilateral summit at least once a year, and set up a number of annual Cabinet members' meetings, in order to improve the sustainability of their cooperation regime and expand the areas of partnerships. The leaders also agreed to set up a data-sharing warning system for North Korea's missile launches and regularly hold joint military exercises between the three countries. "The bigger the threat from the North grows, the stronger the security cooperation between the three countries becomes," Yoon said. "This will lower the risks of North Korean provocations and strengthen our national security." On the economic front, the leaders agreed to link each country's supply chain early warning systems, in order to better respond to possible disruptions in securing key industrial materials. Yoon cited a 2021 nationwide shortage of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), which stemmed from China's export control due to its domestic shortage and caused public inconvenience, especially among diesel vehicle drivers. He further noted that the trilateral partnership allows prompt responses from such external disruptions, as well as addressing uncertainties of industries with high dependency on critical minerals, such as semiconductors, electric vehicles and rechargeable batterys. "The trilateral cooperation regime at Camp David is about transforming global complex crises and challenges into opportunities through collective leadership and responsibility," Yoon said. "The risks to our citizens will undoubtedly decrease, while the prospects for opportunities will substantially increase." From left, President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pose before their luncheon at Camp David in Maryland, Friday (local time). Joint Press Corps Addison Rae has a new album out. The 22-year-old TikTok star is releasing 2 Die 4 and has taken to social media to spread the word. Over the weekend the siren posted several new images taken by Vogue shutterbug Ellen Von Unwerth. She was seen in a bra top with frilly little miniskirt that highlighted her toned figure. The star also thanked fans for their support as she releases the new tunes that were leaked earlier this year. 'So much love and gratitude. Cant help but get emotional. you are ALLLLL 2 die 4,' wrote the He's All That star. 2 fun: Addison Rae has a new album out. The 22-year-old TikTok star is releasing 2 Die 4 and has taken to social media to spread the word Tiny dancer: Over the weekend the siren posted several new images taken by Vogue shutterbug Ellen Von Unwerth And she added: 'AR out now. 'Before I can move on to my next chapter in music, heres a little sign off to my previous one,' she noted in another post. 'A few of you may have heard these songs after they were unfortunately leaked last year.. but if you loved them, now you can listen to them on all streaming platforms!!! Ahhh!! 'If you havent heard them, I hope you take a listen and they make you dance!! 'I love you all so much. And I love these songs. Thank you to everyone who has been so excited about these and has supported me so much!! 'And thank you to all of the writers/producers/engineers/everyone who were a part of creating and finishing this little time capsule & helping to get it out in the world (officially). 'Time to turn the page now. Stay tuned. Itll be worth the wait. <3.' This comes after she was seen in a blue denim bikini top that made the most of her figure. The actress added very short Daisy Duke shorts that matched. The frill of it all: She was seen in a bra top with frilly little miniskirt that highlighted her toned figure. The star also thanked fans for their support as she releases the new tunes that were leaked earlier this year Love it: 'So much love and gratitude. Cant help but get emotional. you are ALLLLL 2 die 4,' wrote the He's All That star Her prop was a red cherry that she positioned in her mouth just so as if she was going to take a bite out of it. The Louisiana native shared two different photos from the same set up. This comes after the close pal of Kourtney Kardashian was seen on vacation in Hawaii where she modeled swimwear for her followers. In July she was seen with Kourtney Kardashian in a series of cheeky photos. In the poolside snaps, The Kardashians reality star, 44, showed off her blossoming baby bump in a hot pink string bikini, and the TikTok personality modeled a matching set. The Poosh founder who is currently expecting her first child with her husband, Travis Barker captioned her post simply with an array of pink emojis. In one photo, the entrepreneur had her hands in her raven black, chin-length bob and held her hair back while pouting sultrily at the camera. Falling for her: In this image with Ellen Von Unwerth, right, to support her album, she is seen falling out of a washing machine At her side, the actress feigned a dramatic expression of shock as she gently touched the expecting mother's baby bump. In a similar photo, Kourtney turned to the side to show off a better angle of growing bump and curvy figure. While facing forward, Addison posed with her hands on her hips and her face in a relaxed expression. Sun goddess: Rae was enjoying some down time last week in a blue bikini that made the most of her figure Another image part of the carousel showed Kourtney and Addison at a different angle underneath the lavish pool shade in front of a flat screen television and bar. Once again, the reality TV personality turned to her side and cradled her baby bump with both of her hands. She threw her hair back with her mouth slightly ajar in the typical model expression. In the same photo, Addison leaned towards the camera and scrunched up her face while pointing to her lips with her finger. More visible in the photo, the social media sensation was seen wearing a white oversized scrunchie made up of doily lace on her wrist. Later, the dynamic duo appeared to have moved to the pool to take a solo picture in which Kourtney was seen laying to the side and lounging atop towels on a daybed. Matching bikinis: Last week she was seen with Kourtney Kardashian in a series of cheeky photos. In the poolside snaps, The Kardashians reality star, 44, showed off her blossoming baby bump in a hot pink string bikini, and the TikTok personality, 22, modeled a matching set Unlike the other snaps as part of the photo series, she shielded her face from the sun with a Prada denim wide-brimmed hat as well as a pair of rectangular shades. Both of the socialites left their hair down for their relaxing day by the pool. To showcase their radiant skin after a day of sunbathing, Kourtney and Addison appeared to be sporting makeup-free looks. Previously, the eldest sister of the Kardashian-Jenner clan started becoming close friends with Addison after they met through Kourtney's son, Mason Disick, 13, in 2020. Because Kourtney's eldest child whom she shares with her ex-boyfriend, Scott Disick was particularly interested in TikTok at the time and was a fan of Addison, they met up to make a video together. Since then, Kourtney and Addison became close friends despite their age gap which became a questionable concern on past episodes of the family's hit Hulu series. The gal pals were inseparable for the majority of 2020 and 2021 to the point that Kourtney even made a cameo in Addison's film debut, He's All That, and they even modeled for Kim Kardashian's clothing line SKIMS together. Since Kourtney started her romance with the Blink-182 drummer and has been busy keeping up with her family, however, the two have been spotted together less in the past two years. Long-awaited reunion: The last time Kourtney and Addison were publicly spotted hanging out was in a photo shared by the official social media page of Poosh in March. The duo flaunted their friendship in a series of stunning photos posing for Kourtney's beauty and wellness brand The last time Kourtney and Addison were publicly spotted hanging out was in a photo shared by the official social media page of Poosh in March. The duo flaunted their friendship in a series of stunning photos posing for Kourtney's beauty and wellness brand. The caption of the cute snaps referenced the hit Max anthology series, The White Lotus: 'Looking for the Mia to your Lucia?' With their cute friendship snaps, they also encouraged other people to get out there and make new friends: 'Poosh the link in our bio for tips on making friends as an adult.' The Coronation street star twins who originally played Bethany Platt looks totally unrecognisable 16 years since they left the show. Bethany is best recognised as the actress Lucy Fallon, 27, who most recently played the role from 2015 until her departure from the cobbles in March 2020. However, twins Amy and Emily Dalton first played Sarah Platt's (Tina O'Brien) unexpected daughter after she gave birth at just 13-years-old. Between 2000 and 2007, the twin blonde girls shared the role between them before they headed off to Italy with their on screen mum to live in Milan. The Lancashire born pair were born in March 2000 and turned 23 earlier this year, but neither have chosen to pursue a career in acting. Throwback: The Coronation Street star twins who originally played Bethany Platt look unrecognisable 16 years since they left the show All grown up! The Lancashire born pair were born in March 2000 and turned 23 earlier this year as they posed together on Instagram During their time in Weatherfield the twins were part of some hard-hitting storylines as part of the drama-filled Platt family. One of their most memorable scenes was when Gail Platt's serial killer ex-husband Richard Hillman attempted to murder his whole family by sending them plunging into a canal in his car, a scene all Corrie fans will remember. It was revealed earlier this month that Lucy Fallon is set to return to the cobbles after a three year break from the soap. She is set to rejoin the cast in scenes which are due to air after Christmas. Making the role her own, Lucy won several awards for her portrayal of Bethany, including Best Female Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards for her portrayal of Bethany in a grooming storyline. A TV source told The Sun: 'Lucy is one of soaps most talented actresses who won lots of awards for her powerful portrayal of Bethanys grooming storyline. 'She was destined for big things and everyone was sad to see her go but the door was always going to be left open for someone of her calibre and popularity. 'Bosses reached out to her a few weeks ago about the possibility of coming back, and told her everything theyd planned for Bethany if she agreed. Mother and daughter: The twins first played Sarah Platt's (Tina O'Brien) unexpected daughter after she gave birth at just 13-year-old Adorable: Amy and Emily shared the role but neither have chosen to pursue a career in acting (pictured on set in 2004) Never a dull moment: During their time in Weatherfield the twins were part of some hard-hitting storylines as part of the drama-filled Platt family (pictured with grandmother Gail Platt (R) and great grandmother Audrey Roberts (L) in scenes from 2005) Iconic Corrie moment: One of their most memorable scenes was when Gail Platt's serial killer ex-husband Richard Hillman attempted to murder his whole family by sending them plunging into a canal in his car (pictured with Sarah's at the time boyfriend Scooter (L) and brother David (R)) She's coming back! Bethany is best recognised as the actress Lucy Fallon, 27, who most recently played the role from 2015 until 2020, however she is set to return to Weatherfield after Christmas 'She was destined for big things and everyone was sad to see her go but the door was always going to be left open for someone of her calibre and popularity. 'Bosses reached out to her a few weeks ago about the possibility of coming back, and told her everything theyd planned for Bethany if she agreed. 'She discussed it with her boyfriend, and family, because shes a mum now with a baby. Once theyd talked about childcare, and how best to juggle it all, she was able to say shed love to return.' MailOnline has contacted ITV and a representative for Lucy for comment. Sienna Miller looked incredible as she enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach in Ibiza on Monday. The actress, 41, slipped into a tiny bikini as she soaked up some sun and shielded her eyes with a pair of stylish sunglasses. She styled her blonde hair with a hint of a wave and went makeup free for the outing, showing off her flawless complexion. Sienna took a dip in the sea to cool off before wrapping herself in a large grey towel and drying off. She was joined by a group of friends during her holiday, with the group later heading to restaurant Es Torrent for some food. Stunning: Sienna Miller looked incredible as she enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach in Ibiza on Monday Looking good: She flaunted her bikini body in a dark red bikini which had a flattering triangle top design Pretty: She styled her blonde hair with a hint of a wave and went makeup free for the outing, showing off her flawless complexion Confident: She strutted her stuff along the sand as she topped up her bronzed glow on the beach The star, who shares a 10-year-old daughter, Marlowe, with her actor ex Tom Sturridge, is currently dating Oli Green, 26. Sienna and Oli confirmed their romance at a Vanity Fair party back in February 2022 and have been very loved-up ever since. Earlier this year, the actress told how she had previously spent years investing in a relationship with someone who was 'a bucket with a hole in it of a person'. She revealed she thought she would be married by her 30s but the relationships she was in during those years didn't work out as she had hoped. Speaking to British Vogue, Sienna explained: 'I'd invested what felt like the important years in something that was just a bucket with a hole in it of a person. I wasted time. And I felt like time was really my currency.' She was quick to point out she was not referring to Tom Sturridge, who she dated from 2011 to 2015 and shares daughter Marlowe, ten, with. The exes have remained on friendly terms and Tom is now in a relationship with Alexa Chung. Prior to her relationship with Tom, Sienna was engaged to fellow actor Jude Law in 2004 after he popped the question on Christmas Day. Love: The star, who shares a 10-year-old daughter, Marlowe, with her actor ex Tom Sturridge, is currently dating Oli Green, 26 Tough: Earlier this year, the actress told how she had previously spent years investing in a relationship with someone who was 'a bucket with a hole in it of a person' On the beach: Sienna took a dip in the sea to cool off before wrapping herself in a large grey towel and drying off Sun: She was joined by a group of friends during her holiday, with the group later heading to restaurant Es Torrent for some food All smiles: She looked in great spirits as she picked up her stuff after a day on the beach Details: She accessorised her look with a pair of dangly red earrings for her day out at the beach Golden hour: She was making the most of the last rays of sunshine Stunning: She looked as beautiful as ever as she relaxed on holiday Bright: She shielded her eyes from the sun with some stylish shades Tough: She revealed she thought she would be married by her 30s but the relationships she was in during those years didn't work out as she had hoped Ouch: Speaking to British Vogue , Sienna explained: 'I'd invested what felt like the important years in something that was just a bucket with a hole in it of a person. I wasted time. And I felt like time was really my currency' Kind: She was quick to point out she was not referring to Tom Sturridge, who she dated from 2011 to 2015 and shares daughter Marlowe, ten, with Civil: The exes have remained on friendly terms and Tom is now in a relationship with Alexa Chung Before: Prior to her relationship with Tom, Sienna was engaged to fellow actor Jude Law in 2004 after he popped the question on Christmas Day Hard: He apologised to her in July of the following year for having an affair with the nanny of his children Relationship history: Sienna also had a highly publicised affair with the actor Bathlazar Getty in 2008 Challenging: Reflecting on her thirties being difficult, she added: 'There was a lot of anxiety. Relationships hadn't worked out' Honest: She said: 'I imagined that I would be married with three kids, being a great mum. I love being a mother. It's what I do best' Beauty: Later that day Sienna looked summer chic as she posed at the Self-Portrait lunch event in Ibiza Pose: She showed off her sense of style in a strappy white broderie anglaise dress for the occasion Outfit: She completed the look with a statement belt and wore dangly red earrings while posing with a Self-Portrait fan Event: Sienna was joined by creative director Han Chong (left), editor-in-chief of Vogue Australia Christine Centenera and her partner Joel Edgerton Chatting: She looked in great spirits as she spoke with the other high-profile attendees at the event He apologised to her in July of the following year for having an affair with the nanny of his children. Sienna also had a highly publicised affair with the actor Bathlazar Getty in 2008. Reflecting on her thirties being difficult, she added: 'There was a lot of anxiety. Relationships hadn't worked out. 'I imagined that I would be married with three kids, being a great mum. I love being a mother. It's what I do best.' Romance: Sienna and Oli Green, 26, confirmed their romance at a Vanity Fair party back in February 2022 and have been very loved-up ever since Exes: Sienna dated Tom Sturridge (pictured in 2021) from 2011 to 2015 and they share a daughter Marlowe, ten. The exes have remained on friendly terms ever since their split Soaking up the sun: She was enjoying a relaxing time on holiday Dip: She then took a refreshing swim in the sea after her sunbathing session Natural: She went makeup free for the day on the beach Windswept: Her blonde tresses were in beachy waves Jewellery: She sported some gold bracelets on her arm Tan: She had worked up quite the bronzed glow Chilling: She then relaxed on the sand as she watched the world go by Holiday mode: She looked happy and relaxed on the beach Taking in the views: She was happy to take a moment to herself Solo trip: She was not joined by her beau Oli during her trip to the beach Refreshing: She swam in the sea to cool off from the hot sun Inkings: She sported her small tattoos as she wore the bikini Out and about! Sienna looked great as she hit the beach in Ibiza In the sea: She lowered herself down into the water Beach day: She is spending time with her pals in Ibiza In the water: She launched herself into the cooling sea Drying off: After her dip she tied a grey towel around her waist Getting ready: She prepared to take a dip in the sea In we go! She was refreshed by the cooling waters Ibiza! She has been on the party island with her pals Vacation: She has jetted to Ibiza for a sunshine break Chilling out: She looked relaxed as she reclined on the sand Happy: She was all smiles during the day out Sunshine: She was soaking up the afternoon rays as she hit the beach Summer scenes: She has been spending part of August on the Spanish island Items: She also carried a red towel with her Nice: Sienna also enjoyed ice cream at Es Torrent restaurant later in the day Trip: It is not known is her beau Oli is with her on the holiday Chatting: She later dined at a restaurant near the beach with pals Sun: She squinted as she looked out over the bay Yum: She tucked into what looked like a chocolate ice cream Delicious: She took a break from tanning and headed to the restaurant Swimming: She got her hair wet as she took a dip in the sea Slicked back: Her blonde tresses were left wet from the water Break: They chatted away around the dinner table Drinks: They sipped on some fruity refreshments In the water: She took a dip in the ocean Looking great: She was the epitome of natural beauty as always Stroll: She made her way carefully down to the shore Day out: There were families and other beach goers relaxing around her Chilled: The beach was full of other people enjoying their holidays Assets: The skimpy bikini showed off her figure Bronzed glow: She will be going home with a great holiday tan Partner: She was without her boyfriend Oli Green Cooled off: She elegantly exited the waters Drying off: After the dip she went back to sunbathing Paris Hilton shared several images with her little boy on Monday. The 42-year-old reality TV veteran wore a long green palm leaf print dress as she held onto her son Phoenix whom she shares with husband Carter Reum. Little Phoenix had on a green-and-white bib that matched mom's dress. The Simple Life star was sitting in a gold framed arm chair in her Beverly Hills mansion with a neon Chanel logo sign above her. In her caption she addressed motherhood. 'Mommy Monday with my angel baby,' the DJ wrote as she added emojis for a baby and a blue heart. Baby boy: Paris Hilton shared several images with her little boy on Monday. The 42-year-old r eality TV veteran wore a long green palm leaf print dress as she held onto her son Phoenix whom she shares with husband Carter Reum Boy wonder: Little Phoenix had on a green-and-white bib that matched mom's dress Next to her chair was pop art: a can of Sliving Soup. Sliving is a word Paris made up to describe her slaying at living. In January, Paris shocked fans when the star revealed that she had become a first-time mother. Hilton told People that she and her husband had welcomed a son via surrogate. 'It's always been my dream to be a mother and I'm so happy that Carter and I found each other,' she told the publication. 'We are so excited to start our family together and our hearts are exploding with love for our baby boy,' said Paris. This new post comes after Paris was seen riding in a limousine with balloons at her feet and fresh flowers behind her as her father Richard Hilton filmed her with a camcorder. It was quite the image of a spoiled little rich girl, something she has discussed in her book Paris: The Memoir. The friend of Kim Kardashian was celebrating her father Rick's 68th birthday with the throwback image shared to Instagram. 'Happy birthday Dad! You've been my role model and biggest supporter since day 1! Thank you for always being there for me and inspiring me! I love you so much,' wrote the perfume mogul in her caption. 90210 gal: The Simple Life star was sitting in a gold framed arm chair in her Beverly Hills mansion with a neon Chanel logo sign above her Sliving soup on the side: In her caption she addressed motherhood. 'Mommy Monday with my angel baby,' the DJ wrote as she added emojis for a baby and a blue heart Paris' younger sister Nicky added, Happy Birthday Dad!' Hilton was born in 1981, in New York City, to Rick - Richard Hilton - and Kathy Hilton, a former child actress who sisters are Kyle and Kim Richards of RHOBH. Paris' paternal great-grandfather was Conrad Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels. The model was raised between New York and The Hamptons and Beverly Hills. In LA she attended the Buckley School and St. Paul the Apostle School. She went to Marywood-Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage, California. At 15, she attended Professional Children's School. She has said she was raised in a 'conservative' way with no dating or makeup. She described it as 'very proper, very prim, almost like a Stepford wife' to be introduced to the high society lifestyle. When back in NYC as a teen she partied a lot. Early days: On Thursday the 42-year-old reality TV veteran was seen riding in a limousine with balloons at her feet and fresh flowers behind her as her father filmed her with a camcorder Family: Hilton was born in 1981, in New York City, to Rick - Richard Hilton - and Kathy Hilton, a former child actress who sisters are Kyle and Kim Richards of RHOBH. With sister Nicky Old school: Paris' paternal great-grandfather was Conrad Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels. The model was raised between New York and The Hamptons and Beverly Hills At 16, to a series of boarding schools for emotionally troubled teens, including Provo Canyon School, where she says that she was mentally and physically abused by the staff. In her documentary This Is Paris, Hilton and other former students from Provo Canyon School recall the abuses they faced, including solitary confinement, forced medication, restraint, battery and strangulation. She attended Provo for 11 months and was released in 1999 when she turned 18. Hilton has a habit of posting images from her childhood. When promoting her book she took a trip down memory lane. She posted photos from her childhood up to her wedding to symbolize her evolution and life story that she unveils candidly in her new memoir. There was a black and white image of herself in grade school, followed by shots of her over the years, including one in 2004 when she released her first book, Confessions of an Heiress. Kanye West's 'wife' Bianca Censori put on a very risque display in a nude co-ord as she stepped out with the rapper in Italy on Sunday - after the beauty ignited fury in the country for 'going around virtually naked.' The Australian architect, 28, went braless in a plunging bodycon nude top paired with racy leggings which hugged her posterior as she shopped with West, 46. The beauty appeared naked in the jaw-dropping top which hugged her ample cleavage and trim waist. The skintight leggings revealed her hourglass curves, with the star adding height with white stiletto heels. Her locks were worn slicked back from her face and she sported smoky eye make-and taupe lipstick. Wow: Kanye West's 'wife' Bianca Censori put on a very risque display in a nude co-ord as she stepped out with the rapper in Italy on Sunday - after the beauty ignited fury in the country for 'going around virtually naked. Busty: The Australian architect, 28, went braless in a plunging bodycon nude top paired with racy leggings which hugged her posterior as she shopped with West, 46 Oh my: The beauty appeared naked in the jaw-dropping top which hugged her ample cleavage and trim waist Despite the sweltering 94 degree heat in Tuscany, Kanye covered up in a black snood teamed with a baggy black jacket and trousers. He forewent shoes and walked along in just a pair of black socks. The pair were later seen enjoying a glass of wine together over an alfresco dinner. Meanwhile, mortified Italians have slammed Bianca for wearing extremely revealing outfits during the couple's visit to the European nation. Bianca arrived in Italy with Kanye earlier this month, and has stepped out on several occasions with her bare breasts clearly visible beneath see-through mesh outfits. Italian locals have since branded the Kim Kardashian lookalike's outfits 'disrespectful' on social media, with some saying 'immodest' Bianca and Kanye weren't welcome in a country known for its conservative Catholic heritage. 'We don't need this trash in Italy,' one Italian user commented, while another branded Bianca's outfits as 'classless' and 'vulgar'. Cheeky: The skintight leggings revealed her hourglass curves, with the star adding height with white stiletto heels Pert@ The star showed off her curves as she bought snacks with Kanye Covered up: In contrast Kanye wore a demure ensemble as he shopped Eyepopping: Bianca showed off her posterior in the leggings Go time: The newlyweds were seen walking off from the shop Chat: The pair were deep in conversation during the day Looking: Bianca exuded confidence in her barely-there ensemble Busty: Bianca flashed her bust in the extremely racy ensemble Cheeky: The star flashed her curves as she chatted with Kanye Refreshed: Bianca held onto a soda as she walked along Cheers: Bianca drank a glass of wine as the pair dined alfresco later on Serene: The pair looked relaxed as they dined outside Fun: Bianca has been shocking Italians with her outfit choices Smile: Kanye cracked a rare smile as he chatted with his wife There he is: Kanye was seen walking in just socks on the outing Users from other parts of the world echoed this sentiment, with one commenting: 'Planning a trip to Italy, I have read several times that Italians are very fashionable and are fairly conservative in their clothing choices. Wonder what they think of this exhibitionist?' 'The classy Italians wont be impressed that is for sure. What an absolute mess!' another wrote, as someone else added: 'The Italians will be horrified'. 'This is sexy at home between adults, but trashy in public,' another wrote, while one pointed out Bianca should be dressed appropriately in a conservative Catholic country. 'Someone forgot to tell ex "Reverend" Kanye that they are in a conservative Catholic nation, not Miami or NYC...' they said. Kanye and Bianca wed in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills in January, about two months after the rapper's divorce to Kim Kardashian was finalised. However, the legality of the union is in question, as they did not file a marriage certificate. Bianca has a degree in architecture and worked Kanye's design company Yeezy prior to their getting together. She joined the company in 2020, according to Marie Claire. It's unclear whether she still works at Yeezy. Hollywood superstar Kevin Costner was seen strolling through the street of Glasgow on Monday. The American actor, 68, is visiting the city to score a film and looked in great spirits on the outing. The star was wearing a thick winter coat and scarf in the 22C heat as he walked with actor David O'Hara. Costner told photographers as she walked down the pavement: 'It's perfect here. We are here scoring a movie.' The actor signed autographs before returning to his Glasgow hotel after a day out and about. Happy: Hollywood superstar Kevin Costner was seen strolling through the street of Glasgow on Monday Grinning away: The American actor, 68, is visiting the city to score a film and looked in great spirits on the outing It comes amid a difficult time in his personal life as he is currently in the process of divorcing from his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner. Just a few days ago the pair arrived separately to give depositions in their pending divorce in Santa Barbara, California on Saturday. The at-odds duo initially tied the knot in 2004 - before she filed for divorce on May 1 after 18 years of marriage. Their divorce battle has become far from amicable, and Christine has been living in a $35,000 rental in town after she was booted out of the family's mansion. Kevin, 68, looked relaxed as he arrived to the law offices in light gray jeans, a white button down shirt, and sneakers. The Let Him Go actor wore dark sunglasses and carried a brown jacket. Christine carried two large bags for her meeting with the attorneys who are helping hammer out the final agreement for the dissolution of her marriage. Witnesses say the handbag designer was originally scheduled to arrive later in the day, but instead arrived an hour before her soon-to-be ex-husband. Relaxed: Costner told photographers as she walked down the pavement: 'It's perfect here. We are here scoring a movie' Chilly? The star was wearing a thick winter coat and scarf in the 22C heat as he walked with actor David O'Hara (left) The divorce proceedings between the former couple have been contentious from the start. One of the biggest sticking points is where Christine will live. Kevin's attorney have argued the prenup signed before their September 2004 wedding required her to move out of their Montecito home. The contract calls for a $200,000 down payment for Christine's new residence and for the Dances with Wolves star to cover the monthly mortgage, property tax, and insurance payments for one year. She initially refused to do leave the Montecito mansion, but a judge ordered her to leave the residence by July 31. The couple share three children, Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14 and Grace 12 and child support has been a big source of contention for the duo. Turbulent: It comes amid a difficult time in his personal life as he is currently in the process of divorcing from his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner (seen in 2015) Family: The former couple share three children: sons Cayden, 16; and Hayes, 14; along with their younger daughter Grace, 13 Christine initially asked for nearly $250,000 per month for child support, while The Highwayman star countered with an offer of $51, 940 per month. A judge has ordered the star to make payments of $129,000 per month. Hearings on the child support issue are scheduled for August 31 and September 9. Costner has four older children: Annie, 39, Lily, 37, and Joe, 35, from his marriage to Cindy Silva. He has a son, Liam, 27, from his relationship with heiress Bridget Rooney. John Cena starred in the trailer for the upcoming action-comedy feature Freelance, which was released on Monday. In the clip, the 46-year-old actor portrayed a former Special Forces operator who was tasked with protecting a journalist during a coup of a fictional Latin American country. In addition to the performer, who recently spoke about his less-than-stellar life prior to becoming a professional wrestler, the movie starred performers such as Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba and Christian Slater. The trailer began with point-of-view shot of a Special Forces mission gone wrong, during which Cena narrated: 'Do you know that feeling when you're doing exactly what you were put on the earth to do? Me neither.' The professional wrestler's character, Mason Pettis, later retired from the Forces, and when his boss, played by Slater, spoke about how being a lawyer would crush his soul, the former responded affirmatively. Leading man: John Cena starred in the trailer for the upcoming action-comedy feature Freelance, which was released on Monday Action-packed: In the clip, the 46-year-old actor portrayed a former Special Forces operator who was tasked with protecting a journalist during a coup of a fictional Latin American country; seen here is Alison Brie Talented cast: In addition to the performer, who recently spoke about his less-than-stellar life prior to becoming a professional wrestler, the movie starred performers such as Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba (pictured) and Christian Slater Slater's character later tasked Pettis with 'getting a journalist in and out of Paldonia,' and when the latter refused, he sweetened the deal with an offer of $20,000. Cena's character learned that he would be assisting Claire Wellington, played by Brie, and the writer received an awkward kiss on the hand from President Venegas, portrayed by Raba, after arriving in Paldonia. Although Venegas promised the two that there were 'so many wonderful things about my country,' they were immediately flipped off by a schoolgirl, much to Pettis' delight. The three were subsequently ambushed by a group of mercenaries who had started a coup, and after the former Special Forces operator dealt with the issue, he was referred to by Venegas as both a 'hero' and a 'one-man security detail.' When Wellington expressed that she could potentially have 'the scoop of a lifetime,' Pettis quipped: 'You've got to be alive to have the scoop of a lifetime.' The three then escaped into the jungle, and after being targeted by more mercenaries, the former soldier remarked that he was 'just doing my job.' Cena's character was later tasked with fending off another group of mercenaries, and when he asked Wellington if she was still excited about her scoop, she responded with 'less and less, honestly.' Pettis, Wellington and Venegas subsequently encountered one another after they had utilized a set of outdoor showers. Financial incentive: Slater's character later tasked Pettis with 'getting a journalist in and out of Paldonia,' and when the latter refused, he sweetened the deal with an offer of $20,000 Charmer: Cena's character learned that he would be assisting Claire Wellington, played by Brie, and the writer received an awkward kiss on the hand from President Venegas, portrayed by Raba, after arriving in Paldonia Mixed bag: Although Venegas promised the two that there were 'so many wonderful things about my country,' they were immediately flipped off by a schoolgirl, much to Pettis' delight Taking care of business: The three were subsequently ambushed by a group of mercenaries who had started a coup, and after the former Special Forces operator dealt with the issue, he was referred to by Venegas as both a 'hero' and a 'one-man security detail' On their own: The three then escaped into the jungle, and after being targeted by more mercenaries, the former soldier remarked that he was 'just doing my job' Not too happy: Cena's character was later tasked with fending off another group of mercenaries, and when he asked Wellington if she was still excited about her scoop, she responded with 'less and less, honestly' Caught with his pants down: Pettis, Wellington and Venegas subsequently encountered one another after they had utilized a set of outdoor showers The dictator then paused for a second to look at the former soldier's groin and remarked: 'Call me impressed, Mr. Pettis. Not petite at all.' The trailer ended with Pettis gleefully sniping the pilot of an attack helicopter before being forced to run from the crashing aircraft. In addition to the movie's three stars, its cast is rounded out by performers such as Martin Csokas and Alice Eve. Freelance is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on October 6. She is happily married to King Charles but before Queen's Camilla love story began with His Majesty there was another man that had captured her heart. I hear that the Queen, 76, may be beset by the ache of nostalgia, as I can reveal that her first love, Kevin Burke, has died aged 77. The pair met during the Queen's halcyon days as a fun-loving debutante, where she was adored by a slew of male admirers from the high society soirees that she would frequent. Mr Burke died earlier this month, with the family asking for donations to be made to the British Heart Foundation. His funeral will take place in September. Heartache: Queen Camilla's first love Kevin Burke has died aged 77. The pair met during the Queen's halcyon days as a fun-loving debutante (Pictured: The Queen in 2014) The young Milla Shand as she was known is thought to have met Kevin, the then 19-year-old son of Sir Aubrey Burke deputy chairman of the aircraft manufacturer, Hawker Siddeley, shortly after her coming out party in Knightsbridge in 1965. What followed was a whirlwind of glittering soirees against the backdrop of the swinging sixties where at sweet seventeen, Ms Milla Shand was the life and soul of the party. Although their affair was short-lived, Mr Burke spoke very fondly of his former flame, as he reminisced about their time together in Jessica Jayne's biography: The Duchess of Cornwall her story and secrets. 'Every night we had two or three cocktail parties to go to and a dance and a couple of dances to choose from at weekends in the country,' he revealed. 'It was the best fun, and I had the best and most fun partner you could possibly wish for. Camilla was immensely popular and although she wasn't a beauty, she was attractive and sexy.' Indeed, so popular was Milla, that it wasn't long before she moved on from Mr Burke and left him heartbroken. Youth: The young Milla Shand (Camilla, right) is thought to have met Kevin shortly after her coming out party in Knightsbridge in 1965. Pictured: Camilla with her mother Rosalind Shand in 1965 Fun: Kevin detailed his relationship with Camilla before her love story began with King Charles (pictured), saying: 'It was the best fun, and I had the best and most fun partner you could possibly wish for' 'I remained with Camilla all that year. I suppose we were in love and then she ditched me. Why? Well, the short answer is that she was having a ball in London,' he revealed. She later married her first husband the former Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973 with whom she had two children, Tom and Laura. They divorced in 1995. Having become a chartered accountant, Kevin Burke finally settled down at the aged of 42. His first marriage to advertising executive Peta Baker lasted 14 years ending in 2001. Then he wed former head-hunter Luisa Fairey, with whom he became a father for the first time at 58. Speaking at the time he said, 'It was unexpected, but I am a lucky fellow.' Kevin is survived by his 'much loved' son Max. Hailey Bieber debuted Rhode's newest peptide lip color, strawberry glaze, on Monday. The gloss is inspired by Krispy Kreme's strawberry glazed donuts. The model carried a box of donuts to a cherry red convertible Corvette in a video promoting the new product. She wore a fitted red leather jacket featuring three studded belts that showed off her thin waist. The influencer pairs the sexy jacket with a pair of low-rise, very short denim shorts that exposed the bottoms of her butt cheeks and a denim bra. Rectangular sunglasses, chunky gold hoop earrings and red and pink polished nails completed her look Cherry red: Hailey Bieber debuted Rhode's newest peptide lip color, strawberry glaze, on Monday Her brunette bob was parted on the side and windblown as she walked to the Corvette swinging her hips. Hailey's makeup gave her a glowing complexion and carried the red theme to her lips. 'Rhode <3's @krispykreme,' Bieber and Rhode captioned the joint post. 'Meet our new limited edition peptide lip treatment in strawberry glaze, inspired by Krispy Kreme's iconic Strawberry Glazed Doughnut launching 8/28 at 9am PST, only on rhodeskin.com.' The caption continued: 'To celebrate, Krispy Kreme is bringing back its Strawberry Glazed Doughnut in all participating US and Canada shops for a limited time only, starting 9/1. Glazed doughnut lips for summer.' The star sat down for an interview with Cosmopolitan to talk about the inspiration behind her strawberry glazed lip peptide. 'I've always loved the comparisons to beauty and food it's just so silly and cute and imaginative,' she told the outlet. 'And since I've always said I wanted to look like a glazed doughnut when I go to bed, I knew that if there was a world in which I could do something fun with Krispy Kreme, I wanted to do it,' she explained. 'I decided that I wanted to make a scent that was reminiscent of strawberry, in general, but strawberry glaze specifically because when I was a kid my favorite doughnut ever was a strawberry-frosted doughnut with sprinkles,' Hailey explained. Strawberry glaze: The new gloss is inspired by Krispy Kreme's strawberry glazed donuts Beautiful: The model carried a box of donuts to a cherry red convertible Corvette in a video promoting the new product Lip gloss: She wore a fitted red leather jacket featuring three studded belts that showed off her thin waist Cheeky: The influencer pairs the sexy jacket with a pair of low-rise, very short denim shorts that exposed the bottoms of her butt cheeks and a denim bra Closeup: Rectangular sunglasses, chunky gold hoop earrings and red and pink polished nails completed her look Glazed donut: Her brunette bob was parted on the side and windblown as she walked to the Corvette swinging her hips Corvette: Hailey's makeup gave her a glowing complexion and carried the red theme to her lips Convertible: 'Rhode <3's @krispykreme,' Bieber and Rhode captioned the joint post . 'Meet our new limited edition peptide lip treatment in strawberry glaze, inspired by Krispy Kreme's iconic Strawberry Glazed Doughnut launching 8/28 at 9am PST, only on rhodeskin.com' Inspiration: 'To celebrate, Krispy Kreme is bringing back its Strawberry Glazed Doughnut in all participating US and Canada shops for a limited time only, starting 9/1. Glazed doughnut lips for summer' Model: The socialite sat down for an interview with Cosmopolitan to talk about the inspiration behind her strawberry glazed lip peptide New product: 'I've always loved the comparisons to beauty and food it's just so silly and cute and imaginative,' she told the outlet. 'And since I've always said I wanted to look like a glazed doughnut when I go to bed, I knew that if there was a world in which I could do something fun with Krispy Kreme, I wanted to do it,' she explained 'So, this is a really nostalgic flavor for me, because I would still go and get that doughnut to this day, that's how much I love it,' she concluded. The new product debut comes as news surfaced that she has become 'heavily involved' in her husband, Justin Bieber's, business affairs. 'Hailey has taken control and is heavily involved. She's a part of meetings and she's talking a lot for him,' a source informed Page Six in an article published on August 20. 'She's the voice. Theyre becoming this power couple. She's a big part of everything he's doing,' the insider further added. Salma Hayek celebrated the birthday of her father-in-law, Francois Pinault, by sharing a post on her Instagram account on Monday. The 56-year-old performer posted a photo that showed her with the businessman, who turned 81. The actress, who recently showed off her sculpted form during a trip to Mexico, also penned a short message in her post's caption to express her fondness for her husband's father. Hayek began her statement with: 'Happy birthday to the man who raised the love of my life.' The actress added, 'Your wisdom, kindness, and warmth have been a guiding light in our lives. Cheers to laughter, love, and many more cherished moments together.' Special day: Salma Hayek celebrated the birthday of her father-in-law, Francois Pinault, by sharing a post on her Instagram account on Monday The Frida star also included a version of the message in her father-in-law's native French. Francois is a billionaire French businessman whose company Kering bought Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent in the Nineties. His company also owns Boucheron, Balenciaga, and the British fashion house Alexander McQueen. The Academy Award-nominated performer has been romantically involved with Francois' son, Francois-Henri, ever since 2006, when they initially met. Prior to meeting the actress, the 61-year-old businessman was married to Dorothee Lepere, with whom he shares a son and daughter named Francois and Mathilde. The CEO of Kering later began a short-lived relationship with Linda Evangelista, and the pair welcomed a son named Augustin following the end of their romance. Pinault eventually met Hayek, and the two became engaged in March of 2007 before welcoming their daughter Valentina, 15, that September. The happy couple went on to tie the knot in February of 2009, and they held a larger wedding ceremony that April. The actress recently spoke about her marriage during an interview with Glamour, during which she expressed that she had to be forced to attend her first wedding ceremony. 'The reason why it was a courthouse wedding was because they dragged me there,' she said. Love story: The Academy Award-nominated performer has been romantically involved with Francois' son, Francois-Henri, ever since 2006, when they initially met; they are seen in February Proud parents: Hayek and Pinault became engaged in March of 2007 before welcoming their daughter Valentina, 15, that September; they are seen in 2022 Fond memories: The actress recently spoke about her marriage during an interview with Glamour, during which she expressed that she had to be forced to attend her first wedding ceremony Hayek recalled that her family members took it upon themselves to ensure that she made it to her wedding. 'It was like an intervention...they just took me to the court. My parents, my brother, they were all ganging up on me. I had a phobia of the marriage thing,' she stated. However, the performer remarked that she eventually warmed up to the idea of being married. She stated: 'It was because I had said yes to the marriage, but I just wouldn't actually show up on the day or do it. And then afterward I said, "Oh, it's okay. I don't feel any different." And then a little bit later I said, "Okay, this is kind of exciting."' A 20-year-old lioness rests in a nearby forest after escaping from its cage at a farm in Goryeong, North Gyeongsang Province, Aug. 14. The animal was shot to death by authorities an hour after breaking free from the farm. Courtesy of Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters By Lee Hae-rin A series of incidents have occurred in Korea recently where wild animals that were held in captivity were subsequently shot dead after escaping from inadequate cages. This has prompted animal activists and experts here to call on the government to enforce wildlife management and protection measures. On Aug. 14, a 20-year-old lioness was shot to death by police and hunters at 8:12 a.m., an hour after it escaped from a private tourist animal farm in Goryeong County, North Gyeongsang Province. The animal broke out of the cage through the door that was accidently left unlocked by its keeper after being fed. The lioness, which spent its entire life in the cage, was found resting in a nearby forest and showed no signs of aggression, but was shot to death due to the potential threat to human life. This was one of many incidents where wild animals escaped and subsequently were killed this year. Earlier this month, a couple of chimpanzees escaped from Dalseong Park in Daegu, through a door that was briefly left open while cleaning. One of them was encouraged to go back to the cage by the zookeepers, but the other one died soon after being shot with an anesthetic. In January, two lion cubs escaped from their cage through a feeding hole at a zoo in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, while a zebra was located roaming around a residential area in Seoul after breaking out of a zoo via a wooden deck that was broken back in March. The animals were brought back to their respective "homes" on the same day as when they had escaped. In this photo provided by a local resident, a three-year-old zebra named Sero trots in a residential area in eastern Seoul after escaping from a nearby zoo, March 23. Korea Times file Animal rights groups pointed out that it was natural for these wild animals to escape because they live in species-inappropriate conditions without sufficient supervision. Lee Hyung-ju, the head of a local animal advocacy group AWARE, told The Korea Times, Monday, that the government failed to regulate wildlife management properly, which led the lioness and other wild animals in inadequate conditions to naturally escape. "We have seen a cycle of repetitive escapes and deaths of captive wild animals. Now is the time to question and look into the country's wildlife management system," Lee said. She explained that the humane and safe capture of wild animals on the loose is also unfeasible due to the lack of government regulation and resources, which encourages officials to make animals who have escaped return to their cages and only recommends killing the animals in the case of danger being present. This photo shows the cage, where the lioness lived before escaping. Yonhap Kevin Sorbo said he is a victim of cancel culture. The Hercules: The Legendary Journeys actor, 64, said he has been shunned by Hollywood for his conservative opinions and Christian beliefs in an interview on Fox News. The native Minnesotan claimed he and his agent had parted ways after the Andromeda star was 'blacklisted.' 'It was sad to me, you know, my manager and agent for so many years said that we can't get you jobs anymore, work with you because of you being a Christian, being a conservative,' he said. 'We have such a huge divide in our country right now, and it's perpetuated by the mainstream media, perpetuated by movies, TV,' he maintained. Blacklisted: Kevin Sorbo, 64, claimed he was 'blacklisted' by Hollywood for his conservative opinions and Christian beliefs; seen in 2019 'I don't harbor that kind of anger and hatred towards people. I have a different point of view.' The actor has made some controversial statements over the years. In 2014, he defended Mel Gibson's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ against allegations it was anti-Semitic telling Jerry Newcombe on the faith-based talk show Vocal Point, 'News bulletin: you did kill Jesus!' according to Christian Today. He later apologized for his use of words, but did not back down from his stance, saying, 'Did all Jews at that time hate Jesus? Of course they did not. The people screamed to let the hardened criminal go. That's in the book. That's in the facts.' That same year, he said derogatory comments about protestors in Ferguson, MO after the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. In a since deleted comment on Facebook share by Salon, he wrote, 'Ferguson riots have very little to do with the shooting of the young man. It is an excuse to be the losers these animals truly are. It is a tipping point to frustration built up over years of not trying, but blaming everyone else, The Man, for their failures.' 'It's always someone else's fault when you give up. Hopefully this is a reminder to the African Americans ( I always thought we just Americans. Oh, well.) that their President they voted in has only made things worse for them, not better.' In January 2021, he was called out by former Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless after theorizing that Capitol Hill rioters were actually Antifa activists in disguise. Jobs: 'It was sad to me, you know, my manager and agent for so many years said that we can't get you jobs anymore, work with you because of you being a Christian, being a conservative,' he told Fox News New film: Kevin made his comments while promoting his upcoming film Miracle in East Texas The movie tells the story of two con men who try to persuade widows to invest in their useless oil fields during the Great Depression. The film co-starring Louis Gossett, Jr and John Ratzenberger is set to screen in theaters October 29 and 30 Kevin has starred in multiple family friendly and faith-based films over the past decade including this year's Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist. The actor and producer has created his own Sorbo Studios with his wife of some 25 years, Sam, 58. The couple share three children, Braedon, 21, a social media influencer, Shane, 19 and Octavia, 17. The couple's latest release, Miracle in East Texas tells the fact-based story of two con men who try to persuade widows to invest in their useless oil fields during the Great Depression. The film co-starring Louis Gossett, Jr and John Ratzenberger is set to screen in theaters October 29 and 30. Following a cue from Angel Studios and their recent hit Sound of Freedom starring Jim Caviezel, fans interested in the film are encouraged to buy their tickets now. Fans who can afford to, are encouraged to 'Pay It Forward' by purchasing a ticket for someone else to use. The movie made the film festival circuit in 2019 and won several awards including Best Family Film at the International Christian Film Festival and Best Romantic comedy at The Houston Film Festival. Ex-husband of Spears wished her well in her ongoing divorce with Sam Asghari Federline, 45, is father to six children with three different partners West Valley Christian School initially filed suit in May in LA over balance A lawsuit against Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline, over an overdue $15,000 school tuition balance, has been dropped. The Los Angeles-area private school West Valley Christian School put in legal papers to drop their civil suit against Federline, 45, this past Wednesday, according to Page Six. Lawyer Ron Chow, who is representing the prep school, filed paperwork in Los Angeles Superior Court to have the case dismissed, according to the outlet. In the legal process, the court dismissed the case 'with prejudice' - which restricts the school from filing a suit over the sum in the future - and a non-jury trial slated for the future has been dropped. Federline is father to six children: daughter Kori, 21, and son Kaleb, 19, from his relationship to former fiancee Shar Jackson, 46; sons Sean Preston, 17, and Jayden, 16, from his marriage to Spears, 41; and daughters Jordan, 12, and Peyton, nine, with his wife, Victoria Prince, 40. The latest: A lawsuit against Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline, 45, over an overdue $15,000 school tuition balance, has been dropped. He was pictured in Las Vegas in 2018 Federline was wed to Spears in October of 2004, and Spears filed for divorce in November of 2006. He exchanged vows with current wife Prince in August of 2013, with the couple celebrating their 10-year anniversary this month. It was not made clear in documents reviewed by the outlet if the Fresno, California native and his spouse had paid any of the $15,593 toward the balance for their daughters Jordan and Peyton. In its initial legal filing May 9, the school said that the couple had failed 'to pay for services which had been provided on credit at their special instance and request.' The school said in legal docs that it had attempted to avoid going to court to collect the balance, but Federline and Prince 'failed and refused to pay all or any part of the remaining balance due.' Federline and Prince relocated to Hawaii earlier this month with their kids, with Spears giving the move her support. News of Federline's legal ongoings comes less than a week after Spears' spouse of 14 months, Sam Asghari, 29, filed divorce papers Wednesday in Los Angeles County court, listing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. Asghari has asked for Spears to pay spousal support and his legal team in the parting, noting that the couple - who wed at her Thousand Oaks, California mansion on June 9, 2022 - had separated July 28. Federline is father to six children - three boys and three girls - with three different partners Federline was wed to Spears in October of 2004, and Spears filed for divorce in November of 2006. They were pictured in 2005 in LA News of Federline's legal ongoings comes less than a week after Spears' spouse of 14 months, Sam Asghari, 29, filed divorce papers Wednesday in Los Angeles County court. Pictured 2019 in LA The Lucky songstress was seen posed with her two sons Sean Preston, 17, and Jayden, 16 'No negative intention has ever been directed towards [Spears] and never will be,' Asgharis rep Brandon Cohen said Thursday, according to the AP. 'Sam has always and will always support her.' Federline last week issued a statement through lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan amid news that Spears and Asghari were divorcing following more than a year of marriage. 'He wishes them both the best,' Kaplan told ET. 'If they reconcile, great, but hopefully it won't be a factor that makes her feel more alienated than she might otherwise be if she was still in an intact marriage.' Federline 'wishes her the best and hopes that things work out for her for the best,' his lawyer said. Jackie 'O' Henderson has been caught up in the sex scandal that has shaken one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs. Double Bay residents were left stunned on Monday after a couple began performing a sex act too graphic to describe next to the window of an apartment in broad daylight. Jackie, who lives nearby, revealed on Tuesday's radio show that she was actually in the area at the time of the incident. 'I was in Double Bay yesterday. I had the dentist!' the 48-year-old exclaimed when her co-host Kyle Sandilands brought up the bawdy news story. 'There's not a chance it could be me, but the building looks exactly the same. I was across the road from that,' she added. Jackie 'O' Henderson, 48, (pictured) has been caught up in the sex scandal that has shaken one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs The sex act was witnessed by multiple people, including tradies and diners who were sitting at Indigo cafe across the road. The property appears to be opposite the popular Golden Sheaf pub on New South Head Road, one of the busiest streets in Double Bay. One of the onlookers even sent a video to popular social media account Brown Cardigan. Double Bay residents were left stunned on Monday after a couple began performing a sex act too graphic to describe next to the window of an apartment in broad daylight. (Pictured is a screenshot from a clip of the incident posted to social media) After viewing the footage on-air, Kyle and Jackie both agreed that the couple almost certainly wanted to be caught. 'Oh, they are doing that deliberately though!' Jackie gasped, prompting Sandilands to surmise that the woman was a paid sex worker. 'Look at that hot girl. Now, that's a hooker for sure. You don't bring your wife up to the window in Double Bay in the middle of the day and get her go balls deep.' '100 per cent,' Jackie replied, adding: 'That is pure exhibitionism because they know they're on display. Well and truly.' The radio hosts decided to send producer 'Intern' Peter Deppeler to visit the apartment in Double Bay in search of the randy couple. Shortly after the segment aired, a clip was shared to The Kyle And Jackie O Show Instagram page showing Peter driving down the motorway towards Double Bay. 'We're on our way, we're almost there. We're en route to find the 'Double Bay Player' and the 'Eastern Suburbs Gobbler'. It's a Peter Files exclusive,' he enthused. Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge Rating: Alone Rating: Talking to yourself used to be the first sign of madness. Now it just means youre filming a reality television show. Benedict Cumberbatch was trying to pretend he wasnt surrounded by safety consultants but was on his own, preparing to winch himself down a Scottish cliff face, on Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge (National Geographic). I want to learn more about resilience, Ben burbled, to be able to impart that to those I know and love as well. That, I think, is what Bears all about. Later, he corrected himself: Extraordinary courage under pressure to survive, thats what Bears all about. The actor kept breaking off from the struggle to survive, to tell us how emotional this journey was, as he zigzagged along the North Sea coastline in freezing rain. Cold, wet, scrambling about on a rocky beach if this is extraordinary courage, then half the country deserves a medal, because it looked no different to the seaside holiday so many families have endured during this miserable summer. In fact, Ben and Bear had it easier. They didnt spend three hours in a traffic jam on the M5. Instead, they rode to their first clifftop by hanging onto the outside of a helicopter. This confirmed my suspicions about Bear: what hes really all about is striking a macho pose at every opportunity. Ben and Bear rode to their first clifftop by hanging onto the outside of a helicopter Benedict Cumberbatch was trying to pretend he wasnt surrounded by safety consultants but was on his own After more cliff descents and more floundering at the waters edge, the two men paddled a kayak out of a cove, to be picked up by the Royal Marines in a fast patrol craft Ben made much of the family legends about his grandfather Henry, a submarine commander during World War II. This led to an impressive climax for what, until then, had been a dull and repetitive hour. After more cliff descents and more floundering at the waters edge, the two men paddled a kayak out of a cove, to be picked up by the Royal Marines in a fast patrol craft. They then sighted a nuclear submarine and were welcomed aboard, which must have taken quite some organising the location of those subs is generally a national secret. But the cameras were barely permitted to do more than glance at the grey skin of the immense boat before it slid below the surface. We cut to Ben, now ashore and still talking to himself. He didnt say anything about his experience on the submarine, which simply added to the impression that this was all a rather pointless adventure. For the eight remaining contestants fighting against starvation in the Canadian wilderness on Alone (Ch4), the adventure isnt pointless theres a 100,000 prize for whoever lasts longest. But theres even more stilted conversation to camera, because the format is spelled out in the shows title: all of them are on their tod. This might work well in a novel, where we can read the characters thoughts, but it makes awkward and frustrating television. Woodland manager Alan, 48, even took the time to perform a scene from Mel Gibsons Braveheart for our benefit The producers must have drilled the candidates on the necessity of nattering constantly, because they do supply a ceaseless commentary. When a bear is prowling around the camp at night, or a fishing expedition nets the first food in days, the apprentice pioneers never forget to grab a GoPro and tell us whats happening. Woodland manager Alan, 48, even took the time to perform a scene from Mel Gibsons Braveheart for our benefit. They also tearfully recite the details of past ordeals. One suffered years of panic attacks, another was left unable to walk after a bike crash. But with all of them affected by the relentless solitude, these solo chats are looking increasingly odd and uncomfortable. The show might work better if the survivors were paired off, getting to know each other with long campfire heart-to-hearts, while viewers eavesdrop. But thats too much like real life to make good reality TV. Spirit Airlines has the highest hidden fees of any US carrier - making trips 736 percent more expensive than their base airfare, a new study has revealed. The budget airline adds an average of $161.12 on top of a fare of just $21.89, according to analysis by discount code website NetVoucherCodes, the highest increase of any airline in the world. Volaris, a Mexican low-cost airline, has the second highest hidden fees, according to the study. The hidden costs are 626 percent of the original airfare, asking customers to pay $82.20 on top of a $13.13 flight. It comes after the Government pledged to crack down on hidden 'junk' fees in February, which the White House estimates cost Americans around $65 billion every year. Customers are routinely promised a headline sum, only to find the true cost is much more expensive once they taken into account the price of baggage, seat selection and insurance - which often costs much more than the flight itself. Customers are routinely promised a headline sum, only to find the true cost is much more expensive once they taken into account the price of baggage, seat selection and insurance - which often costs much more than the flight itself Spirit Airlines has the highest hidden fees of any US airline - making the flight 736 percent more expensive, a new study has revealed NetVoucherCodes built a list of the world's top airlines and curated a route for each one which left on the same day and resulted in roughly the same amount of time in the air. The study then calculated how much was added to the airfare for services like carry-on baggage, checked bags, seat selection, fast track, insurance and onboard WiFi. Frontier had the third highest hidden fees as it adds $109 to a $29 base airfare on average - making the journey 376 percent more expensive. Sun Country Airlines, an ultra-low cost carrier which offers flights across the US, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, came in fourth place. The airline added $98.48 to a $49 flight - an increase of 201 percent. Sun Country Airlines said that when customers book a trip, they are given pricing for additional services. 'As a budget airline, we have customers who simply choose to purchase their flight and travel light without any extras. Other customers like the ability to make choices about whatever is important to them on flights,' a spokesperson said. Delta Air Lines, meanwhile, came in fifth place, with fees increasing the fare by 158 percent - including a $30 charge for seat selection. As part of the Junk Fee Prevention Act, President Joe Biden specified that he wants to axe fees for family members to sit with young children. 'I will prohibit airlines from charging $50 round trip for a family just to be able to sit together. Baggage fees are bad enough. Airlines can't treat your child like a piece of baggage,' the President said in February. According to figures from the Transport Department, passengers forked out $5.3 billion in baggage fees alone in 2022. It found that aviation companies also cashed in a further $700 million in cancellation and flight change charges last year. Volaris, a Mexican low-cost airline, has the second highest hidden fees, according to the study President Joe Biden used his State of the Union speech in February to highlight his war on junk fees - the hidden charges used by companies to screw more cash out of consumers According to figures from the Transport Department, passengers forked out $5.3 billion in baggage fees alone in 2022 On average, the study found, US airlines charge $78.04 in hidden fees. European carriers, on the other hand, charge an average of $57.79, while international carriers charge $33.27. While budget airlines tend to charge more in hidden fees - rather than incorporating them into the cost of the airfare itself - major carriers also add costs on top. United Airlines added $67 in hidden costs - increasing the overall price by 122 percent, according to the study, while American Airlines added $52 in hidden fees - bringing up the total by 95 percent. Rebecca Bebbington, a money travel expert at NetVoucherCodes, said there are a couple of strategies you can use to help ensure your air travel stays cheap. 'To avoid baggage fees, try fitting all your belongings into a carry-on bag,' she said. 'These tend to be free with budget airlines but be sure to pack strategically to avoid overweight baggage fees. 'You should also research the seat selection fees of different airlines. Consider skipping seat selection during booking and try selecting seats for free during online check-in, within the 24-hour window. 'If you're traveling in a group, book tickets together to increase the chances of being seated together without paying extra for seat selection,' she added. France-based CEVA Logistics has signed a pact with third-party logistics firm Stellar Value Chain Solutions for acquiring a controlling stake in the company, a statement said on Monday. The move under which CEVA will acquire the entire stake of private equity firm Warburg Pincus will help it diversify its presence in India. This will, in turn, boost its local workforce, assets, customer roster and capabilities, Stellar Value Chain said in a statement. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, the company said without disclosing the deal size. Incorporated in 2016 by logistics veteran Anshuman Singh, Stellar Value Chain Solutions is into contract logistics with omni-channel fulfilment services in segments such as e-commerce, automotive, consumer, retail, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, among others. "Warburg Pincus has been an extremely supportive partner in building this company right from its inception. It is now passing on the baton to another global giant, CEVA Logistics, to take this company ahead," said Anshuman Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of Stellar Value Chain Solutions. "The team from both the companies will allow for a quick integration and new, global opportunities for our associates." Post-acquisition, Stellar Value Chain Solutions will become part of the third largest company in the world in contract logistics, the company said. Anshuman Singh will continue driving this business following the acquisition. As part of the deal, CEVA will acquire approximately 7.5-million square feet of carpet area (approximately 15 million sq ft of total logistics area) of Stellar Value Chain Solutions across more than 70 facilities in 21 cities across India, it said. In addition, CEVA will inherit the Stellar's workforce of nearly 8,000 full-time and temporary employees, the company said. CEVA Logistics in India is currently present in 75 locations across 35 cities with approximately 27,00,000 square feet of warehouse space. With the acquisition, CEVA Logistics would become a much stronger player in Indian contract logistics space, offering its new customers global expertise and increased operational efficiency and innovation, Stellar Value Chain Solutions said. In addition to India, it said, the acquisition complements recent growth in CEVA's contract logistics business elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region. "With the addition of Stellar VCS, we will continue our strategic growth with the goal of becoming a top 5 global logistics player. We are expanding into more key market segments and boosting our presence in this strategic country," said Mathieu Friedberg, Chief Executive Officer, CEVA Logistics. Stellar has an important network of contract logistics facilities across India and a top roster of customers. Bringing on their expertise and footprint in India is a major step forward for CEVA Logistics, he added. Moreover, the deal is also expected to benefit CEVA's freight management and customs business in the region, the company said. At the same time, with new manufacturing trends and supply chain routes developing, CEVA's global network and wide range of logistics solutions provide its APAC clients with the agility needed to navigate changing market conditions, the company said. The era of corruption and scams prevailed before 2014 when the rights of the poor and their money were robbed, but now every penny is directly reaching their bank accounts, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. While virtually addressing the training-cum-orientation programme of newly-appointed teachers at the CM Rise Government Mahatma Gandhi Higher Secondary School in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, the PM cited a NITI Aayog report, and said 13.50 crore Indians have come out of BPL (below poverty line) category in five years. The data shows an increasing number of people are paying taxes, which shows their trust that the government is putting their money to good use, he said. Modi said positive news started coming up in the first year of Amrit Kaal itself, which shows the increasing prosperity and decreasing poverty. The NITI Aayog report said 13.50 crore Indians have come out of BPL (below poverty line) category in five years. The number of Income Tax returns shows that the average income of Indians has increased during the past nine years to Rs 13 lakh from Rs 4 lakh in 2014, Modi said. People are moving from lower income group to upper-income group, he added. Modi said data shows all sectors are gaining strength and generating employment opportunities. The faith of citizens has been increasing. They are coming up to deposit their tax with the faith that their every penny will be spent on the countrys development, he said. Continued on Page 2 Era of graft, scams that prevailed before 2014 has ended, says PM The countrys economy has now reached the 5th spot in the world from the 10th position in 2014, he said. The rights of the poor and their money were being looted even before reaching their accounts before 2014 in the era of corruption and scams. Now, every penny is reaching their accounts directly, the PM said. He said the plugging of leakage in the system means more money being spent on the welfare of the poor. The PM said investment has generated employment, and after 2014, five lakh new common service centres have been set up in India, providing employment to several people. The teachers getting their appointment letters today are joining the important responsibility of teaching in this historic period. They will hold the responsibility of moulding the future generations of India, modernising them and giving them a new direction, he said. Modi said the new teachers will play a key role in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) as they will make a huge contribution to fulfilling the resolve to make a developed India. An equal importance has been given to traditional knowledge as well as future technology in the NEP, said Modi, adding a new curriculum has been prepared in the field of primary education while progress has been made regarding (providing) education in the mother tongue. He said great injustice was caused by not imparting education in the mother tongue to students who did not know English. Modi said his Government emphasises books in regional languages in the syllabi which will become the basis of a big change in the education system of the country. When decisions are made with positive thinking, right intention, and full integrity, the whole environment gets filled with positivity and the announcement of the PM Vishwakarma Yojana is a reflection of this vision, he said. The PM had announced Vishwakarma Yojana during his Independence Day address from Red Fort with an outlay of Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000 crore, to boost livelihood opportunities for people engaged in traditional skills, including carpenters, masons and goldsmiths. The scheme has been formulated to adapt the traditional skills of Vishwakarmas to the needs of the 21st century. An amount of about Rs 13,000 crore will be spent on this scheme which will benefit those associated with 18 different types of skills, Modi said. During the training-cum-orientation programme, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan handed over appointment-cum-congratulatory letters to 10 teachers. The appointment-cum-congratulatory letters were given to 5, 580 newly-recruited teachers on the occasion. Seoul desperate to tackle drastic demographic decline In the face of a drastic decline in population, the government has decided to adopt a package of measures designed to attract around 300,000 foreign students by 2027. The Ministry of Education's Study 300K Project also seeks to secure foreign workers required by state-of-the art industries in advance. For one thing, the ministry plans to raise the proportion of students with master's and doctorate degrees in science and engineering sectors to up to 45 percent of all scholarship recipients. The ambitious plan, unveiled by Education Minister Lee Ju-ho Wednesday, came in a desperate bid to find solutions to the tricky issues resulting from Korea's low birth rate. The sharp decline in population has been stoking concerns over the possibility of provincial towns hollowing out, coupled with labor shortages in the manufacturing, services and high-tech sectors. The project features, among other things, the formation of task force teams made up of representatives from domestic universities, provincial governments and enterprises to attract foreign students by offering opportunities to carry out their career paths. It also seeks to encourage talented students for high tech industries such as semiconductors, batteries and artificial intelligence (AI). Since the nation implemented the Study Korea Project in 2005, the number of foreign students studying at domestic universities continued to increase to a record 160,000 last year. Yet Korea accounts for only 2 percent of the entire global study abroad market. The proportion of foreign students at domestic universities stands at only 3.7 percent, about half the average rate of 6.6 percent of other OECD countries. Global competition has been escalating to attract foreign students. The United Kingdom is poised to pour 35 billion pounds ($44.6 billion), while France and Japan are eager to encourage some 500,000 and 380,000 students from abroad by 2027, respectively. With the goal of outmaneuvering these countries, Seoul needs to map out outstanding policies, tactics and incentives to attract promising students. Steps are also needed to provide the students with more chances to get jobs after graduation and proper conditions to permanently reside in the country. Worse still, an increasing number of foreign students have been quitting in the middle of the scholastic process. More than 36,000 foreign students have so far left schools. This has partly been prompted by the practices of lowering student visa issuance standards. But more importantly, the universities, especially the regional ones, mostly suffering from financial difficulties, have failed to offer proper education and living conditions for the foreign students. The ministry's program is also focusing on attracting more foreign students by, for instance, lowering the standards of the Test of Proficiency in Korea (TOPIK) and the financial capabilities. This is, however, is contrary to the reality. For starters, many of the foreign students allegedly have setback in catching up with the curriculum due chiefly to their lack of Korean proficiency. The ministry and university authorities should first grasp the exact reason of the foreign students' quitting the school. And then they should take measures to help them study and live here. The regional universities, suffering from poor infrastructure facilities, should combine closely work together to jointly operate programs assisting the students. Only 19 percent of the foreign students either enter graduate schools or get jobs after graduation here. Now the government authorities and businesses, alike, should double down on efforts to induce high quality talents by visiting them overseas. Deregulation is also necessary to ease issuance of visas to match the needs from specific regions and industries. Businesses should be able to utilize the foreign students as interns more easily through such deregulations. An increasing number of foreign students will attempt to enter Korean universities should they be able to map out their career paths based on what they learned at domestic schools. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Johannesburg on Tuesday to take part in the 15th Brazil, India, Russia, China, South Africa (BRICS) summit there from August 22-24. Thereafter, he will visit Greece before returning home. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Greece in 40 years. Giving details of his schedule, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said here during a news conference on Monday that this will be the first in-person BRICS Summit after three consecutive years of virtual meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also said India has a positive intent and an open mind for the expansion of the five-nation grouping. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not participating in the high-profile event. The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade. Asked whether Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, Kwatra only said the schedule of the Prime Ministers bilateral meetings is being finalised. Modi may hold bilateral meetings with other heads of States on the sidelines of the summit, it was learnt. He may meet Chinese President Jingping. This interaction holds significance in the backdrop of ongoing military level talks at the Major General level to finds ways to ease tension at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. The two sides on May 14 had held Corps Commander level talks involving Lt Generals of the two armies at the LAC in an effort to fast forward the disengagement process from the flashpoints at Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh. These talks were followed by Major General level talks on May 18 and over the subsequent days. The parleys were held in an apparent bid to ensure peace and tranquility at the LAC. Modi will also participate in a special event BRICS -- Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue being organised after the summit of the five-nation grouping. Expansion of BRICS is a major agenda item of the summit. Around 23 countries have submitted their applications for membership of the grouping. The Foreign Secretary said the modalities for inclusion of new members into the BRICS are being discussed among the Sherpas of the grouping. I would not want to prejudge the outcome of the discussions, he said. Asked whether the BRICS is contemplating having a common currency, the Kwatra said there are several prerequisites for such a common currency framework. He said the discussion in BRICS has focussed on trade in the national currency. The Foreign Secretary also said a business delegation from India will also be travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings and also the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum. Prime Minister will depart tomorrow morning for Johannesburg where he would be participating in the 15th BRICS Summit that starts tomorrow and concludes on 24th August.., Kwatra said. He said the theme of the BRICS Summit this year is BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism. After completing his engagements in Johannesburg, the Prime Minister will travel to Greece for an official visit on August 25 on a special invitation of his counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Both the sides will explore ways to deepen and expand defence and security partnerships among other important areas. During the Prime Ministers visit to Greece, both sides will look to expand and diversify trade and investment segment of cooperation, deepen and expand defence and security partnership, infrastructure cooperation, shipbuilding industry...The visit would give both sides an opportunity to discuss also the regional and global issues of mutual interest and help broaden and deepen our bilateral engagement, the Foreign Secretary said. As regards, the Prime Ministers visit to Greece, MEA had said last week the two countries enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties. Modis visit to Athens on August 25 assumed significance as it would be the first prime ministerial visit from India since then PM Indira Gandhi visited Greece in September 1983. Then Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou visited India thrice -- in November 1984 for Indira Gandhis funeral, in January 1985 to attend a summit on nuclear disarmament and in January 1986 on a bilateral state visit as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day function. The logo of the new Opposition coalition INDIA is expected to be unveiled at the Mumbai gathering planned for August 31 and September 1, alongside the introduction of various other coordinating committees. Sources said the logo of INDIA bloc may be unveiled on September 1 before the beginning of the day-long deliberations. Additionally, there are plans to announce the lineup of committees dedicated to tasks like communication and preparations for the 2024 general elections. A joint secretariat for better coordination among the parties will also be announced soon, said the sources. Approximately 80 leaders from more than 26 political parties are expected to attend the third meeting of the alliance. At present, 26 parties are part of the grouping and a few more are set to join the alliance during the two-day meeting, sources added. This Opposition blocs first meeting was held in Patna in June and the second in Bengaluru last month. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, known by its abbreviation INDIA, is an Opposition front announced by the leaders of 26 parties to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to challenge the incumbent BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The leaders of the INDIA front with Chief Ministers of five States, including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, as well as former Congress president Sonia Gandhi are expected to reach Mumbai on August 31. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will host dinner for the visiting dignitaries at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on August 31 while the lunch on the day of meeting is to be hosted by the Mumbai unit of the Congress. Uddhav led Shiv Sena and Congress are Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition partners along with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Sources said the MVA leaders, including Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and Ashok Chavan, are engaged in micro-level planning to ensure that the meeting is a success. In this regard a meeting was held on Sunday which was attended by Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut, Congress leaders Varsha Gaikwad, Milind Deora and Naseem Khan, NCP leaders Narendra Verma, among others. Meanwhile, setting aside speculations over his likely absence from the meeting, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary confirmed that he would be attending the Mumbai meeting just like he did Bengaluru gathering. Simultaneously the NCP too has affirmed to make to make it at backdrop of grapevine both the regional parties in touch with ruling BJP as well. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said all temporary employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) would be regularised. Addressing an MCD programme at the Thyagaraj Stadium where he handed over appointment letters to 317 newly regularised employees, the chief minister said employees of Delhi's municipal corporation received salaries on the first date of the month after 13 years. God is with us and with His blessings and the blessings of you all, I am optimistic that we will make MCD the best municipal corporation in the world, he asserted. MCD employees are getting salaries on time for the last two months and the civic body's tax collection has also increased because it is being led by an honest dispensation, Kejriwal said. He said MCD employees and its officers will make Delhi the cleanest city in the country in the next two to three years. Mayor Shelly Oberoi and Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj were also present at the event. I met with all the employees, everyone is extremely happy... We will also make sure that the remaining employees are made permanent. This is my guarantee. We will fulfil every promise, Kejriwal said. The chief minister said that before the civic elections, he had given the guarantee of making temporary MCD employees permanent and I will fulfil it at any cost. It may take some time... But everyone will get their permanent appointment letters, he said, adding the MCD has now become efficient with good governance in place.It is the same MCD, same employees and same officials. So, what has changed? Only the dispensation has changed. An honest dispensation has now taken charge. Kejriwal said, Now that tax evasion has been reduced since the corruption in MCD has been curbed, people have realised that their taxes are being utilised for the public good. When the AAP formed government in Delhi, it used to be in deficit. It took a year or two but now the government is in revenue surplus, the chief minister said. We have provided free electricity, water, free bus travel for women, constructed schools and hospitals, free pilgrimage and still the Delhi Government's budget is not in deficit. I want to assure you that with these same officials and the same employees, the same MCD will be self-sufficient within a year or two, he added. People say that Indore is the cleanest city in the country. Within two to three years, you will make Delhi the cleanest city, Kejriwal said. The chief minister said an excellent cleanliness drive 'Ab Delhi Hogoi Saaf' is being run. The whole of Delhi will be cleaned. The mega cleanliness drive has been started and all employees, MLAs, councillors and officials are working on it. We will seek to increase people's participation gradually, Kejriwal said. At the event in Thyagaraj Stadium, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, In our society, we don't express our gratitude towards employees and officials.Our councillors will start this custom of gratitude. I request the councillors to invite sanitation workers to their houses every month to express gratitude, he said. Mayor Oberoi said a better model has also been initiated in the municipal corporation. Under the mega cleanliness campaign, teams have been formed for all 250 wards. All councillors, MLAs, and officials are working to clean every corner of Delhi. Credit for this also goes to the sanitation workers, she said. Paying tributes to former chief minister Kalyan Singh on his second death anniversary, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Babuji (as Kalyan Singh was known) dedicated his life to the more important task of serving Lord Ram than to sticking to the chair of chief minister. Speaking on the occasion, which was also attended by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah as the chief guest, Chief Minister Yogi said that the construction of a grand Ram temple at Lord Rams birth place in Ayodhya was the result of the campaign that went on from 1990 to 1992 and continued thereafter. The chief minister said that in January 2024, after a wait of 500 years, Lord Ram would finally grace his majestic temple, bestowing blessings upon us. At that moment, the soul of Kalyan Singh will find peace and contentment. He will shower blessings on us because the task for which he left his chief ministership is finally being accomplished, Yogi Adityanath said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that whenever Kalyan Singh got an opportunity to express his views on Pandit Deendayal Upadhyayas Ekaatm Manavaad, he clearly said that food to the stomach, love to the mind, thoughts to the brain and rituals to the soul was Ekaatm Manavaad. The chief minister added: Today we are commemorating the death anniversary of Kalyan Singh as Hindu Gaurav Divas. We all know that in 1991 when the Bharatiya Janata Party administration was established under Kalyan Singhs leadership, a climate of safety and sound governance was established in the state. Today is a day of beautiful coincidence because it is both Naag Panchami, a holy festival, and World Entrepreneurship Day. On World Entrepreneurship Day, the chief minister thanked and congratulated crores of entrepreneurs of India for demonstrating increased zeal for Make in India across the globe. He specially mentioned that in 1991, Kalyan Singh had formed Tala Nagari to give a new identity to the entrepreneurs of Aligarh. Chief Minister Yogi said that when the BJP government was formed in the state in 2017, work was started on One District One Product scheme to promote traditional enterprises and give a new identity to the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector. He further said that Aligarh was getting global recognition because of ODOP. This work was accomplished because when the power of the double-engine government moves forward with the blessings of the general public, then every wish is fulfilled. A grand temple is being built in Ayodhya, while Kashi Vishwanath, the development of Braj teerth and all the big projects of development which were never even thought of, are being seen taking concrete shape today, he said. The chief minister said the biggest cancer institute of UP had been renamed as Kalyan Singh Cancer Super Specialty Hospital. Apart from this, the medical college under construction in Bulandshahr, which was once the workplace of Kalyan Singh, had also been named after Kalyan Singh, he added. On this occasion, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, former chief minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Etah MP and Kalyan Singhs son Rajveer Singh Raju Bhaiya along with other ministers, MPs, MLAs and peoples representatives from the centre and the state were present. Suspense continues over the BJP Legislature Party leader in the Assembly. The state party legislators' eyes are fixed on the central leadership decision as to whom they will give the responsibility. In the last week of July, before the monsoon session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, the BJP Legislature Party meeting was held at the state office on 27 July. During this, there was a lot of discussion that the name of the leader of the Legislature Party would be agreed upon in the presence of Union Minister and Supervisor Ashwini Choubey. It was also about to be announced during that time. Although this did not happen. It was said that they have gone to Delhi with some names. Now in Delhi itself the top leaders of the party will decide on any one name. It is almost a month now. The MLAs are still waiting for their leader. In fact, after being made the state president, Babulal Marandi had expressed his desire to free himself from the post of legislative party leader and to give the responsibility to other leaders of the party. In such a situation, during the meeting of the party legislature party held on July 27, there was every possibility that a new leader would be decided by deciding on a common name from among the legislators. Also, in the Monsoon session, the party will show presence in the house along with the new leader of the Legislature Party. But due to some reasons the name could not be decided. According to the party, only Babulal remained the leader of the legislative party. Till the meeting of the Legislature Party, the names of many MLAs of the party kept floating as the leader of the Legislature Party. In these, more bets were being played on names like MLA CP Singh, Amar Kumar Bauri, Anant Ojha, Raj Sinha, Amit Mandal, Jai Prakash Bhai Patel. It was also discussed that since the party has shown work at many levels in terms of tribal class. Among these, from the appointment of Draupadi Murmu as the President to the appointment of Babulal Marandi as the State President, the works are important. In such a situation, from the point of view of the core voters of the party, only a leader of the General category should be given the reins of the Legislature Party. On this scale, speculations have been made on the names of CP Singh, Raj Sinha, Anant Ojha. There has been a continuous discussion in the party about reposing faith in him for his dedication, experience and discharge of important posts. What did the party say Biranchi Narayan had said after the meeting of the party's legislative party on July 27 that BJP is a democratic party. All the decisions of the party are based on discussions in a democratic manner. Union Minister Ashwini Choubey has taken opinion from the MLAs in the matter of Leader of Opposition. Based on the report, the central leadership will take a decision on the new leader. Here, the party's state officials and MLAs are in the hope that the leader of the opposition will be decided soon. Next year, along with the Lok Sabha, assembly elections are also to be held in the state. The sooner this matter is decided, the better it will be in the interest of the party. The Union government will compensate the damage caused to the electricity lines and towers by the recent rain triggered disaster in Uttarakhand. This assurance was given by the Union Power minister RK Singh to the State chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami when the latter met him in New Delhi on Monday. He said that the State government should undertake a survey of the damaged towers and send the report to the government of India. Dhami requested Singh that the electricity lines and power plants should be set up in the border areas. The union minister said that new norms will be set up for the border areas for this purpose. The CM said that 60 per cent of the total power availability in Uttarakhand is from hydro power projects which are affected by seasonal changes due to which fluctuation in available power to the state takes place. The power production is reduced to one third in the winters. He said that additional power should be allotted to the State from the central pool on which the union minister gave his consent. Dhami said that the union government should allot 400 MW of power to the State from the thermal power stations. He said that the technical committee of central electricity authority has recommended that in view of unavailability of base load Uttarakhand should be given additional 400 MW of power from thermal power plants. The Union minister gave his consent for this demand and assured that every possible assistance will be provided to the State. On Kishau dam, Singh said that work on the project will be undertaken after disposal of the objections from all the states concerned. The Union secretary, power, Pankaj Arora, Uttarakhand power secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram and UPCL MD Anil Kumar were present on the occasion. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami exhorted prominent industrialists to invest and establish their enterprises in Uttarakhand. In a meeting with the industrial fraternity in New Delhi on Monday, Dhami said that Uttarakhand Uttarakhand is among the swiftly progressing States of India, adding that its industrialists are the brand ambassadors of the State. In addition to giving suggestions on various aspects, the industrialists also showed interest in investing in Uttarakhand. The CM said that keeping in view Prime Minister Narendra Modis aim of developing India into a $5 trillion economy the State government has launched the Sashakt Uttarakhand mission under which it is aiming to double the GSDP in the next five years. The State government is going to organise a global investors summit-2023 later this year as part of efforts to achieve this aim, he said. Addressing the industrialists, Dhami said that investment-centric policies, investment in basic infrastructure, availability of capable human resource and good governance has helped lay the foundation for a healthy environment for investment in Uttarakhand. The State Institute for Empowering and Transforming Uttarakhand has been formed on the lines of the NITI Aayog for better policies, effective policy making, encouragement to innovations and regular monitoring and evaluation of development works. On the lines of actions taken by the Central government, the State government has also taken action to annual or amend defunct or useless laws. The government has so far identified 1,250 such Acts out of which 500 Acts have been eliminated through the single repeal act. The procedures are also being simplified to provide better and time-bound facilities to investors. The State government has also formed the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board to create infrastructural facilities and attract investors to the State, said Dhami. He further said that Uttarakhand is aiming to become a model State by 2025. Three large industrial parks have been established in the State. Our policies also include tourism policy-2023, MEME policy-2023, startup policy-2023, logistics policy 2023 and a policy for establishment of private industrial areas. All our policies are conducive to investors and we have made our policies attractive compared to other States. At present, the government has made a 6,000 acre land bank for industries in various sectors, said the CM. The chief secretary SS Sandhi, secretary to CM, R Meenakshi Sundaram and others also spoke in detail about the various initiatives and actions taken by the State government for the investors and the industrial sector. ASSOCHAM chairman Ajay Singh, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India director general Vinni Mehta and other members of the industrial fraternity also expressed their views in the meeting. Delhi Public School Ranchi held its Investiture Ceremony for the session 2023-24 of both Primary and Secondary wing with great pomp and grandeur, ushering in a new era of leadership and responsibility within the school community. The ceremony took place on Monday at the Vivekananda auditorium, where distinguished guests, teachers and students gathered to witness the formal appointment of the newly elected student council members. The occasion was presided over by Prabhat Kumar (IPS), IG (Provision) and Additional Charge of IG (Special Branch) & IG, JAP, Jharkhand as the Chief Guest. The programme began with a welcome song by the school choir followed by a bouquet presentation to the distinguished Chief Guest by the Principal. Further, it progressed by the newly designated School Appointees and House Appointees of both Primary and Secondary wing accepting their badges and sashes of privilege with a promise of allegiance. Shivangi Kumar (Head Girl), Abdullah Rahmani (Head Boy), Vanya Kant (Head Girl, Primary Wing) and Kanishk Goswami (Head Boy, Primary Wing) of DPS Ranchi, then acknowledged their duty and authority by upholding the prestigious School Flag handed over to them by the revered Chief Guest and the Principal. The Student Council of DPS Ranchi was ready then to take the oath of office and responsibility. The newly appointed members expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to serve and pledged to work tirelessly towards the betterment of the school and its students. They shared their vision for fostering a positive and inclusive school environment. It was followed by the energetic rendition of the school song March DPS March. The Chief Guest for the occasion, Prabhat Kumar (IPS) emphasized the significance of leadership in nurturing a sense of discipline, teamwork and integrity among students. He said, The student council is the nerve centre of the institution. It is up to you, to ensure that the varied activities offered in the campus are adopted by as many students as possible, and everyone feels welcome. He appreciated the dynamic atmosphere of the school and said that the opportunities and exposure provided to the students by the school made their personalities wholesome. Addressing the gathering of the young leaders from DPS Ranchi, Dr Ram Singh, Principal, asserted that he had firm faith in their capabilities of carrying their school to the zenith of glory. In his address, he highlighted the importance of leadership and urged the student council members to uphold the school's values and serve as role models for their peers. The ceremony not only marked the official beginning of the student council's term but also instilled a sense of pride and enthusiasm among the entire school community. A 36-year-old man was arrested in Delhi for allegedly staging a robbery in an attempt to decamp with his employer's money after becoming disgruntled with his behaviour, police said on Monday. The arrested accused was identified as Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Ashok Vihar. He worked as a driver for Sumit Gupta, who ran a business at Shastri Nagar, they said. Around 2.15 pm on August 18, Kumar left the residence of his employer on Gupta's two-wheeler with Rs 2.5 lakh for Shastri Nagar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said. When he reached 56 Bigha Park, Kumar claimed that his two-wheeler lost balance and hit a motorcycle parked nearby. He alleged that three people standing near the motorcycle started assaulting him. Kumar also claimed that the trio snatched his mobile phone, wallet and documents. They then took the keys to the two-wheeler, opened the storage box and decamped with Gupta's money, Kalsi said. When the police questioned Kumar, he was not able to provide information about the accused. When the police analysed footage from CCTV cameras installed in the area, they discovered that the robbery had not occurred. Work is being done on Devaranya Yojana to increase the area under cultivation of medicinal plants in the state. District and block level committees have been constituted in 40 districts under the scheme. The objective of the scheme is to increase the agricultural income of the farmers, especially the farmers of tribal areas. About 37 percent of the total geographical area of Madhya Pradesh is forest based, which is 12.27 percent of the total forest area of India. A large amount of rare medicinal plants are found in the forests of the state. Through the Devaranya scheme, a system of conservation and scientific exploitation and collection of all types of medicinal plants available naturally in the state is being developed. Efforts are being made to increase the production of various medicinal plants by coordinating with various departments of the government. Arrangements have also been made for training by organising farmers producing medicinal plants in areas having different climates. The scheme is being implemented jointly by AYUSH, Tribal Affairs, Panchayat and Rural Development, Forest, Horticulture and Food Processing and Farmers-Welfare and Agriculture Departments. In order to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants in the state, farmers are being given assistance by MGNREGA to cultivate 51 types of medicinal plants. State Medicinal Plants Board has been constituted. Taking advantage of the scheme, farmers of tribal areas have planted medicinal plants on about 7000 hectare area. More than 600 farmers have registered themselves in Neemuch Krishi Upaj Mandi. Efforts are being made by the State Medicinal Plants Board to enter into MoU with the companies producing AYUSH medicines for storage and marketing of medicinal plants. By Mark Peterson Once again, Korea is caught up in a battle over history not an argument with China or Japan we've seen those arguments but a battle between Korea's own historians. Well, technically it's between the establishment historians (what the non-establishment historians call the "pulpit" historians) and the non-establishment historians (what are also called pseudo-historians). The non-establishment historians like to call themselves the "jaeya" historians using the term that was used in the olden days for people out-of-power, non-office holders, or literally "in the fields." What is the dispute that has raised its ugly head? It is the publication of the "Jeolla Thousand-year History" project. The project began in 2018, marking a thousand years since the term Jeolla was first used to designate the province of the southwest part of Korea. For the last five years, about 213 scholars from the area have written 13,559 pages in 34 volumes a massive effort covering multiple disciplines within what can broadly be called history. There's no problem here? The Jeolla region, often ignored, often put-down, often blamed for being out-of-step with the rest of the country, felt a need to establish its legitimacy once and for all. But what happened? The pseudo-historians came in with their favorite song-and-dance that foreign powers have unrighteously controlled Korea or rather, they are accusing the 213 historians of writing a history that gives credit to the Japanese. You can put all the historians of Korea in one room and ask all those who give Japan credit for anything they've done in Korea to raise their hands, and you will see no one raise their hand. Yet, the pseudo-historians have seen a window of opportunity, and they have criticized the project for not being sufficiently xenophobic. Sorry, that's my interpretation of the thing. Not being sufficiently suspicious of Japanese historical sources. In fact, the pseudo-historians even criticized the use of Japanese and Chinese sources at all. They claim that Korean history ought to only be written from Korean sources. Huh? Of course, the 213 historians, only a few of whom worked on the early period, were sufficiently critical of the Japanese sources. Good historians are critical of all source materials, yet, to ignore any pertinent material is really a greater offense. But the pseudo-historians tore into them in written reviews and broadcast interviews and discussions on TV. Why are the pseudo-historians doing this? They have a following. If you are not sufficiently nationalistic and not sufficiently xenophobic, you can be criticized. And the criticisms have taken the form of demonstrations. In the streets. In front of scholars' offices. Signs. Placards. All printed up nicely by someone who wants to make sure the "demos" look well done. Yes, now we see it. There is a political dimension to all this. This is not the first time pseudo-historians have struck. The first found an audience among the politicians in the national assembly. The first issue was Harvard University's Early Korea Project. Funded generously by the Korean government, the Harvard project was once the pride and joy of archaeologists and early historians. Getting Harvard to devote faculty and resources to Korea was a major achievement. Korean government sources have given funding for other projects, but in addition to history, and literature, they now had archaeology. It was a real feather in Korea's cap. But things went south when Harvard published several volumes of research involving Harvard scholars, and scholars from around the world, that included results that the pseudo-historians didn't like, to wit, confirmation of the idea that the Han Chinese, about 2000 years ago, had a military outpost in Korea. The archaeological digs seemed to prove it, but the pseudo-historians are ultra-nationalistic, and any hint of colonization of Korea brings back the horrors of the Japanese occupation from 1910-1945 and the Japanese murderous invasion of 1592-1598. Thus, they have come up with a face-saving alternative idea the Chinese outpost never was in Korea, but was in the Liaodong Peninsula. There! No pre-modern colonization. Why, after all, that 2000-year-old Chinese outpost must have been a Japanese invention in the first place to show that Korea should be colonized again in the 20th century! This earlier dispute also had a political dimension. Not just well-managed demonstrations at faculty offices, but at the National Assembly. And no nationalistic National Assemblyman can pass up a chance to look more nationalistic, therefore, they cut off the budget for Harvard's archaeology department, the Early Korea Project was stopped, and the xenophobes won. One needs to be sympathetic, to some degree. Korea was severely abused by the Japanese occupation, and the psychological effects still linger. But on the other hand, wouldn't the historians of whatever stripe be better off to work together with scholars from other places, in multiple disciplines, to look at the data, debate the analysis and let the best publications win? That's the way it is supposed to be. Not to shut off funding for serious research, or as this latest group is calling for destroy the 34 volumes of Jeolla history. It's not hard to tell who the good guys are and who the bad guys are in an academic dispute. The bad guys want to burn the books! Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is a professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah. Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Monday directed the officials concerned to complete all the operational activities related to the Hisar airport by the end of this year so that civil aviation flights can begin their operations from the New Year. The Deputy CM, who also holds the portfolio of Civil Aviation, presided over a meeting of officers concerned regarding the construction of Hisar Airport here in Chandigarh. Chautala said that departments should move forward and expedite the Hisar Airport work with mutual coordination in order to complete tasks within the stipulated time. He directed to complete the alternate road from NH 9 to 52 in the area adjacent to Hisar Airport as soon as possible so that people do not face any inconvenience. Chautala instructed to get the remaining land registered as soon as possible and ensure the amount to the land owners. He directed the officers of the PWD department to complete the work of RCC watch tower, perimeter road, emergency access road, and security lighting by November 30 and also reviewed the work progress of shifting of 132 KV E.H.T. Power Line, preparation of DPR for setting up Solar Park, construction of Fuel-Store, Installation of Navigation-instruments, Drinking Water Supply, Drainage and Sewerage, and also instructed the officers to speed-up the work so that the airport could be operational within the stipulated time. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday advocated handing over the Nagarnar Steel Plant in Bastar to public sector giant Steel Authority of India (SAIL) if the National Mineral Development Corp was unable to run it. Talking to reporters, Baghel said the Chhattisgarh government was also willing to run the plant instead of letting it fall in private hands. Replying to a query, Baghel said the Centre had formulated such a plan that the state government could not participate in the bid if it was announced. SAILs Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in the state has experienced engineers and in case NMDC fails to run the plant, it must be handover to SAIL, he said. Four to five private companies have recently visited the plant and as per sources the Union government was soon going to open the bid, Baghel said. The sentiments of the people in Bastar were attached to the plant and they have provided land to NMDC anticipating that it will generate employment for local youths, Baghel said. "We are with the Bastar people and will make every possible effort to prevent the plant from going into private hands," he added. The responsibility of building the character of the Houses rests with the people's representatives. People's representatives in strengthening the nation through democratic institutions, said MP Assembly Speaker Girish Gautam, addressing a two-day conference organized by Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) England India Region in Udaipur. On this occasion Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Ial Liddell of CPA Headquarters, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker Dr CP Joshi and Rajasthan CPA Sanjay Lodha along with Principal Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly Awadhesh Pratap Singh were prominently present. Addressing this seminar Gautam said that for the House and its people's representatives it is necessary to earn the public's trust in the present time and said that for this to remain the public's trust on the House and the people's representative, there is a need for a comprehensive effort. The Government, the Opposition and the Legislative Assembly should move ahead with coordinated cooperation so that the public's faith in the Houses does not decrease. Expressing concern about the functioning of the Legislative Assemblies and its decreasing tenure, he said that due to this, the people's representatives can neither help themselves in nation building nor live up to the expectations of the people. Stating the need for building a coordinated portal of all parliamentary institutions for better efforts in view of the parliamentary system, he said that this would connect all the democratic houses with each other and it would also help them to clear their doubts. In this program, Lok Sabha Speaker/Deputy Speaker Rajya Sabha/ Chief Minister Rajasthan/ CPA President (England) and Speaker/ Chairman and Deputy Speaker/ Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assemblies/ Legislative Assembly of all the states of India, besides the Chief Secretary/ Secretary and key officials of all the Legislative Assemblies. Apart from this, the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha Secretariat has joined. Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded late Kalyan Singh, hailing him as a symbol of compassion for the marginalised and economically disadvantaged sections of society. Speaking at a ceremony held on the occasion of the second death anniversary of former chief minister late Kalyan Singh in Aligarh on Monday, Shah said, Babuji (as Kalyan Singh was called) worked to uplift marginalised communities and the poor, embodying boundless empathy. He never spoke of casteism but rather worked to empower marginalised communities. Shah reminisced about a pivotal moment in history when Ayodhya was inundated with fervent Ram devotees. As calls to employ force against the devotees grew louder, Babuji made a momentous decision he chose not to resort to violence and instead tendered his resignation as chief minister, a profound sacrifice that left an indelible mark on peoples memory, he pointed out. He also underscored that the initiatives initiated by Kalyan Singh for the betterment of marginalised communities have been consistently advanced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also been working to empower backward castes by granting constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. He said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi issue found a resolution under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Shah also highlighted the governments commitment to uplift the disadvantaged and its success in implementing the long-pending Ram Mandir project, signifying an inclusive approach that addresses both social welfare and heritage preservation within nine years. Amit Shah stated that the revered Kalyan Singh had three main objectives to accelerate the Ram Janmabhoomi movement; to ensure the welfare of the poor; and thirdly, to uplift backward sections of society without disturbing social harmony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been tirelessly advancing the work initiated by Babuji, he emphasised. The Prime Minister is providing water and electricity to millions of poor households, he added. Shah mentioned that when he became in-charge during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he had little knowledge about Uttar Pradesh. Babuji spent 11 hours explaining the intricacies of each district in Uttar Pradesh. He guided me over the phone twice every day. The result was that every record in Uttar Pradesh was shattered, Shah remarked. Amit Shah concluded by offering his tribute to Babuji on behalf of millions of party workers across the country. Extending greetings to more than 5 thousand 500 teachers appointed in the primary schools of the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that you have the responsibility of shaping the future generation of India, molding them into modernity and giving them a new direction. The state government deserves praise for the recruitment of about 50 thousand teachers in the state in the last three years. Prime Minister Modi was addressing the newly appointed teachers by virtually joining the programme organised at the Government Mahatma Gandhi Higher Secondary School for training-cum-orientation and handing over the felicitation letters to the newly recruited teachers. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan also inspired the newly appointed teachers and handed them felicitation letters. Minister Tribal Affairs Department Meena Singh and Minister of State for School Education Inder Singh Parmar attended the programme. Modi said that the newly appointed teachers are going to fulfill the crucial responsibility of implementing the National Education Policy. The National Education Policy has an effective contribution in fulfilling the resolution of a developed India. In this, equal importance has been given from traditional knowledge to future technology. A new curriculum has also been prepared in the field of primary education. Special efforts have been made regarding education in mother tongue. In order to ensure social justice, arrangements have been made for students who do not know English to study in their mother tongue. There is an emphasis on books in regional languages in the curriculum. This will become the basis of a big change in the education system of the country. Congratulating the newly appointed teachers, Prime Minister Modi said that all of you have reached here through hard work, you should continue with the tendency to keep learning. The government has prepared the online learning platform IGOT Karmayougi. Teachers should try to take maximum advantage of this facility. Modi said that today many financial initiatives are being taken in the country with far-reaching policies and decisions at all the three levels of education, skill development and employment. PM Vishwakarma Yojana was announced on this 15th August. PM Vishwakarma Yojana has been formulated to hone the traditional skills of our Vishwakarmas Charioteers i.e. craftsmen according to the needs of the 21st century. About 13 thousand crore rupees will be spent on this. Every kind of assistance will be given to the families associated with 18 different types of skills, so that the youths will get opportunities to enhance their skills. The Prime Minister said that when decisions are taken with positive thinking, right intention, full devotion, the whole atmosphere is filled with positivity. Two very positive news have come in the very first year of Amritkal. According to the report of NITI Aayog, 13.5 crore Indians have come above the poverty line within 5 years. The number of income tax returns to be filed this year is also giving another important indication. According to ITR data, the average income which was around Rs 4 lakh in the year 2014 has increased to Rs 13 lakh in the year 2023. The trust of the citizens of the country on their government is continuously increasing. The citizens of the country are coming forward to pay their taxes honestly. The economy, which was at number 10 in the world before the year 2014, has reached at number five today. Along with boosting our enthusiasm, these figures assure that every sector of the country is getting strengthened. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that 1.25 crore ladli bahana are getting Rs. 1000 each every month under Ladli Behna Yojana in which Rs 15 thousand crore will be spent annually. Addressing the Ladli Bahna Sammelan organized at Pichor tehsil headquarters of Shivpuri district today, Chouhan said that Ladli Bahna Yojana brings smile on the faces of women. The monthly amount of Rs one thousand will be gradually increased to Rs 3000, he added. He was accompanied by Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. The Chief Minister said that respecting the sentiments of the people, making Pichor a district would be seriously considered. The state government is working for the welfare of the people. Ladli Laxmi Yojana and now Ladli Bahna Yojana are being implemented for women empowerment. The priority is to ensure irrigation. Various irrigation schemes are at pace. Sanghata Irrigation Project of Pichor district will be completed at a cost of Rs 150 crore. On completion, it will benefit 10,000 farmers. The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is scalling new heights. Union Minister Scindia said that an unprecedented work has been done for women's empowerment by innovative schemes like Ladli Laxmi Yojana and Ladli Bahna Yojana. Both the schemes are being praised. Farmers are getting Rs. 6 thousand under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Chouhan is providing Rs. 6 thousand under CM Kisan Kalyan Yojana. Chouhan performed Bhoomi Pujan for development works worth Rs 409 crore. Scindia said that the Central and State Governments are jointly working to improve standard of living. Local MP KP Yadav also addressed. State Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister and in-charge of Shivpuri district Mahendra Singh Sisodia, Minister of State for Public Works Suresh Dhakad and Pritam Singh Lodhi and other public representatives and villagers in a large number were present. Thousands of people participated in the Mukhyamantri Jan Darshan Yatra on the way from Mandi Prangan to Chhatrasal Stadium in Pichor. The Chief Minister was welcomed by showering flowers at various places. CM Chouhan and Union Minister Scindia also greeted the citizens. Ladli Bahnas tied Rakhi to Chouhan. A shoe was hurled at senior Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya during a party event here on Monday. The shoe did not reach up to Maurya. The party workers overpowered the youth who threw a shoe at Maurya and thrashed him. A youth allegedly dressed as a lawyer hurled a shoe at SP national general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow when the leader arrived to address a meeting of the backward classes. Mondays incident comes a day after black ink was thrown at Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the Ghosi assembly bypolls, Dara Singh Chauhan during campaigning on Sunday. Police personnel present at the site rescued the attacker, identified as Akash Saini, and took him into custody after SP workers manhandled him. The accused has been taken to a hospital and further details will be known after questioning him, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lucknow) Aniandy Vikram said. He was taken into custody by the inspector of Vibhuti Khand police station. The incident took place at the SPs one-day mahasammelan of backward classes at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. SP president Akhilesh Yadav was scheduled to address the event. He had not reached the venue at the time of the incident. Maurya, a prominent Other Backward Classes leader in Uttar Pradesh who had defected to the SP from the BJP just before the 2022 assembly elections, has been in the thick of a controversy over his remarks on Ramcharitmanas and Hindu temples and Sanatan dharma. The incident took place around 12:30 pm when Maurya arrived at the venue. Maurya had organised the conclave to highlight the work of eminent personalities from the backward classes of society. SP president Akhilesh Yadav condemned the incident, saying the BJP is rattled as the people will hold the ruling party accountable during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for its misrule. BJP can stoop to any low for its narrow political ends. It is difficult to anticipate as to what more is to come from the ruling party towards the opposition parties, the SP president said. MLC Swami Prasad Maurya said, The electorate of Uttar Pradesh will dislodge the enemies of the OBCs and reservation from power in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Maurya alleged that the nation is in danger as national assets like railways, airports are being privatised, creating a huge job crisis for the unemployed youth. In a joint operation, the BSF and Punjab Police apprehended two Pakistani smugglers from along the International Border in Ferozepur and seized 29 kilograms of heroin from their possession on Monday, officials said. One of the smugglers suffered a bullet injury after the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel opened fire at the two men sensing a threat. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said those arrested have been identified as Muhammad Ajmal Riyan of Kanganpur village and Sivna of Alipur village of Pakistans Kasur district. A BSF official said the troops noticed the movement of the Pakistani smugglers around 2.45 am on Monday. The BSF and the Punjab Police were conducting a joint operation on the banks of the Sutlej River near Gatti Matar village on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, he added. He said the smugglers were carrying 26 packets (29.26 kilograms) of heroin. The injured smuggler is being treated for a gunshot wound in his hand at a hospital, the BSF official said. DGP Yadav said this is the eighth major heroin consignment seized by the Punjab Police in August, taking the total recovery of heroin to 142 kg in just 20 days. Special DGP R N Dhoke said the internal security wing has seized 193 kilograms of heroin since January this year. Sharing more details, AIG CI Ludhiana Simratpal Singh Dhindsa said that following the reliable inputs about the influx of large quantity of heroin from across the border, the police party arrested two Pakistani drug smugglers after recovering 29.2Kg heroin from their possession. More arrests are expected, he said. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said he will attend the meeting of the opposition alliance scheduled to be held by the end of this month in Mumbai. Will go to Mumbai. Will share with you the outcome, Kejriwal told reporters on the sidelines of an event when asked if he would join the upcoming meeting of the opposition parties in Mumbai. The meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA is scheduled to be held on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai. This will be the third meeting of the bloc forged to take on the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming general election. According to sources, the Mumbai meeting would be held in format of the Bengaluru meeting with leaders first conversing in an informal setting on August 31 before the main meeting the next day. During the meeting, the parties are expected to iron out their differences as much as possible, especially in states where they are in a direct poll battle. The meeting is being hosted jointly by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction, with support from Congress three constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the state was undergoing a significant transformation and in a marked departure from its reputation just six years ago, the state had become a prime investment destination within the country, drawing substantial domestic tourism and securing significant funds from banks for industrial growth, according to the latest Reserve Bank of India and NITI Aayog reports. Yogi Adityanath highlighted these developments while launching the Micro Entrepreneur Accident Insurance Scheme on the occasion of the World Entrepreneurship Day on Monday. Financial support of up to Rs 5 lakh will be provided to the micro entrepreneurs under the scheme. The chief minister disbursed a check of Rs 1,137 lakh, the first installment, to developers overseeing private industrial park projects in Jhansi, Hapur and Sambhal under the Pledge Park initiative. Highlighting the remarkable growth in Uttar Pradeshs exports, the chief said that this transformation was not abrupt but a result of well-guided efforts. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modis inspiration and direction along with the state governments inclusive approach that assured security to all investors without discrimination. As a consequence, Uttar Pradesh is swiftly gaining recognition as a top-tier destination on both the national and global fronts, he pointed out. He said that the foundation for this progress was laid in 2018 when Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the states inaugural Geographic Information System (GIS). Another pivotal step was the initiation of the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme on the states first foundation day. This scheme aimed to rejuvenate neglected sectors that were grappling with issues such as pollution, power shortages, and neglect from various departments. The strategic decision to tap into Uttar Pradeshs strengths, particularly its MSME clusters, played a key role in reinvigorating the economy. These clusters were on the verge of decline in various sectors. However, the concentrated efforts over the last six years have borne fruit with a threefold increase in exports. This achievement, even amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, further solidifies the states trajectory toward potentially becoming a trillion-dollar economy within the next five years. Referring to recent RBI and NITI Aayog reports, the chief minister stated that these reports, received last week, significantly demonstrate the ongoing transformation in Uttar Pradesh. He urged skeptics to recognise that the state has become the countrys first to ensure security. Uttar Pradesh is swiftly emerging as a major investment hub, excelling in banking services for entrepreneurs and drawing the highest number of tourists. The chief minister pointed out that the states systematic efforts across sectors are now yielding visible outcomes. The chief minister outlined the significant accomplishments in park development. He said that the MSME department was spearheading the development of private industrial parks for the first time. This move opens the door for government incentives to be extended to three new parks. Today, with plots spanning 10 to 50 acres, the government is offering 100 per cent exemption from stamp duty on purchase of industrial plots. A loan provision at a nominal one per cent per annum rate is in place for park development at Rs 50 lakh per acre. It may be mentioned that 75 per cent of plots in the forthcoming park will be reserved exclusively for MSME units. It has been established that entrepreneurs purchasing land in private parks will enjoy 50 per cent stamp duty exemption along with the benefits of the capital and other subsidies outlined in the MSME Policy 2022. While reflecting on the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the chief minister emphasised Uttar Pradeshs resilience. Despite initial doubts about the states potential, UP emerged as a success story under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he remarked. With a remarkable response strategy, the state achieved the lowest death rate, infection rate and witnessed substantial vaccination rates. The efforts earned UP recognition as a state that effectively navigated the crisis, ultimately leading to a surplus in revenue. Major infrastructure projects are in progress, spanning waterways, expressways, airports, enhanced rural connectivity, and investment-driven initiatives like medical device parks and pharma plastic parks. The chief minister acknowledged the paradigm shift within the state, as UP evolved from a region grappling with challenges just six years ago. Presently, North Indias first data centre in UP stands as a symbol of technological advancement, while the resounding buzz of UP's Film City has reached Mumbai, capturing the attention of directors, producers and actors eager to partake in its growth. The states conducive business environment is another notable factor contributing to its newfound appeal. The chief minister revealed that in 2018, on the inaugural Foundation Day, the UP government launched the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative. This was followed by the introduction of the Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana on the second Foundation Day in 2019. Both these schemes have gained significant recognition within the country. The Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana not only honours traditional artisans but also focuses on providing training, tool kits, and fostering self-reliance, in line with Mahatma Gandhis vision of Gram Swaraj. By Sandip Kumar Mishra It was reported that an Ilyushin IL-62 M Russian Air Force jet traveled from Moscow to Pyongyang on July 31 and stayed there for 36 hours. That happened just a few days after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang and his participation in a military parade hosted by North Korea on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. There is no clarification from Russia or North Korea on who traveled aboard the Russian jet or what was the purpose of the flight. But it has been speculated that the trip was related to a weapons deal. There is speculation that Russia, at war with Ukraine, is looking for ammunition from North Korea. The North has artillery shells and rockets which Russia needs right now. The U.S. has already accused North Korea of supplying arms and ammunition to Russia in the Ukraine war. According to the United Nations sanctions committee, Russia restarted its oil supply to North Korea in December 2022. And until June 2023, Moscow has supplied around 67,000 barrels to North Korea. In 2023, Russia also resumed grain exports to North Korea. This shows that the proximity between North Korea and Russia has improved significantly in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. All attempts to isolate Russia may have had an impact. But North Korea is smiling at the developments as it has got a golden opportunity to get reconnected to Russia. It is important to note that because of international sanctions and border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea's external trade plummeted to $710 million in 2021. Even though it has improved a bit in 2022 by reaching $1.59 billion, it is still quite meager. Thus, any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would give some relief to the North. Actually, North Korea took the visiting Russian defense minister to a weapons exhibition that included nuclear-capable missiles and military drones and the possibility of an arms deal appears real. Over the last two years, North Korea appears to have become less isolated, not only because of the Ukraine crisis, but also because of the U.S.-China rivalry. With increasing efforts to decouple or de-risk from China, North Korea has got a window to improve its utility as well as connections with China. Actually, in the "Victory Day" parade in North Korea on July 27, a Chinese delegation led by Politburo member Li Hongzhong also participated. Li delivered a personal letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kim Jong-un. Contests between the U.S. and China on issues such as Taiwan, South China Sea, trade manipulations and critical technologies have provided more strategic possibilities to North Korea to move closer to China. Overall, the Ukraine crisis and the U.S.-China rivalry have made a quasi-triple alliance among North Korea, China and Russia a reality which was dormant and minimal in the past. The Trump administration, after a failed summit meeting at Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2019, tried to isolate the North and increase pressure and sanctions on it. The Biden administration took more than a year to formulate its North Korea policy and practically reintroduced the Obama era's policy of 'strategic patience' plus continuation of the policy of the Trump era. Overall, the goal of the U.S. administration in the post-Hanoi period has been to push North Korea for denuclearization through sanctions. However, the result has been quite the opposite. North Korea since early 2022 has had more than 100 missile tests and despite economic hardships along with dealing with the pandemic, the Kim Jong-un regime appears to be politically more stable. Another objective of the U.S. foreign policy to isolate North Korea also failed to get the desired outcome as North Korea appears to have renewed closeness and exchanges with China and Russia. On Aug. 18, the U.S. hosted the Japanese and South Korean leaders at the Camp David in a trilateral summit but this summit would not be able to stop North Korea to forge more proximity with China and Russia, rather it would do the opposite. Actually the goal of foreign policy at the basic level is to consolidate your friends and not allow your rivals to come together. The U.S. might claim success that its allies and friends are more closely connected to one another at present but it cannot deny that it has been unable to stop its rivals from coming together. It even may be said that the U.S. policies have also been responsible for making it easier for its rivals to come together. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Pakistan and several other rivals are more connected now with one another and the spread of the U.S. rivals and their connections are growing rather than getting reduced. In the changing global rivalry and competitive Indo-Pacific, the equations are changing through moves and countermoves of big players but at least at this point of time, North Korea appears to have an advantageous position. The author is an associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India, and could be reached at sandipmishra10@gmail.com. Egyptian authorities detained a journalist working for a fact-checking platform following its coverage of a plane that was seized in Zambia along with its suspicions cargo after making a stop in Cairo, the outlet said. Security forces arrested Karim Asaad Saturday from his home in al-Shorouk neighborhood in eastern Cairo, the platform, Matsda2sh, or Dont Believe, said in a statement. The platform accused security forces of assaulting Asaads wife and threatening their child while detaining the journalist. Asaad's whereabouts remained unknown, it added. There was no immediate comment from the government. The platform said security forces asked Asaad about its extensive coverage of a mysterious plane intercepted in Zambia earlier this month after making a stop in Cairo. Zambian authorities said they found over USD 5 million in cash and more than 100 kilograms of suspected gold mixed with zinc, copper, and nickel on board the aircraft. Zambian authorities said six Egyptians were detained along with four from Zambia, Netherlands, Spain and Latvia in relation to the mysterious plane. Matsda2sh is a social media platform that focuses on debunking misinformation. The platform says its journalists are independent and hide their identities for safety reasons. Nepals top probe agency has interrogated former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Baburam Bhattarai for the first time for their alleged roles in the high-profile Lalita Niwas land grab scam, the investigative agency said on Monday. The land grab scam took place during the prime ministerships of Nepal and Bhattarai, as the Cabinet headed by them made policy-level decisions in the matter. Nepal and Bhattarai were interrogated on Sunday night in connection with the ongoing investigation into the scam, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) spokesperson Navaraj Adhikari said. It is alleged that a huge area of valuable land belonging to the government was grabbed by some brokers with the help of senior government officials and some politicians by creating fictitious owners. The CIB officials of the Nepal Police have recorded the statements from Nepal and Bhattarai in connection with the land-grab scam involving valuable land pieces adjoining the Prime Ministers official residence at Baluwatar in Kathmandu, he said. This is the first time that the CIB has taken statements from the former prime ministers in the case. Madhav Kumar Nepal is currently the chair of the CPN (Unified Socialist) party, while Bhattarai heads the Nepal Samajbadi Party. Nepal was prime minister from May 25, 2009 to February 6, 2011, whereas Bhattarai was prime minister from August 29, 2011 to March 14, 2012. Lalita Niwas covers some 300 ropanis (around 37 acres) of land and includes the prime ministers residence, Nepal Rastra Bank central office and some other residences of key government officials, according to a report in The Kathmandu Post newspaper. There are allegations that the Nepal Cabinet had allowed the transfer of government land to individuals. And the Bhattarai Cabinet allowed the registration of the land in the name of a fake trust named Pashupati Tikinchha Guthi. On February 5, 2020, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) brought corruption charges against 175 individuals in connection with the land grab. However, the constitutional anti-graft body had spared a number of key people, including former prime ministers Nepal and Bhattarai, even though it admitted that the decisions to illegally transfer the government land into private hands were taken during their tenures. The CIAA had said that the former prime ministers were not implicated as the decisions were the Cabinets policy decisions, over which it has no jurisdiction. Policy decisions refer to decisions made by political parties based on their election manifestos, based on which they contest elections. The commission did not implicate Nepal and Bhattarai based on Section 4 of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, which says the anti-graft body cannot investigate policy decisions of the Cabinet or the committees under it. However, earlier this month, while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Yograj Paudel, a former civil servant arrested in connection with the scam, Nepals Supreme Court had directed the authorities concerned to bring the prime ministers who headed the government during the transfer of the government land in the name of individuals in the Lalita Niwas case. The division bench of justices Anil Kumar Sinha and Kumar Chudal said that no one involved in making decisions relating to the transfer of land should be spared from the investigation, according to a report in MyRepublica news portal. As the investigation so far focused only on the employees of the assigned level of work and those who purchased land, while leaving out those who made decisions or participated in the decision-making process from the scope of the investigation, it also put the public trust in the entire judicial system at risk, the apex court has mentioned in its order. Meanwhile, taking to X, formerly Twitter, former prime minister Bhattarai wrote, I have fulfilled my duty by providing accurate information to the CIB in accordance with my public commitment from the beginning regarding inquiries raised about the decisions made by my Cabinet in the Lalita Niwas land-grab scam. I hope that this case will serve as a catalyst to eliminate all forms of corruption and irregularities within the nation, thereby ensuring good governance, he wrote. The CIB has already taken over a dozen people, including high government officials, into custody in the case. (): The New Zealand government has launched a comprehensive probe into the alleged case of exploitation of 115 Indian and Bangladeshi nationals who arrived in the country with the promise of employment that did not materialise. These individuals were accommodated in properties that were not fit to house so many people. The conditions of the accommodation were unhygienic, unsanitary, and inappropriate, New Zealand Immigration said in a press release. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has commenced an in-depth and comprehensive investigation into the case, it said last week. Our investigators have spoken with 115 Indian and Bangladeshi nationals who arrived in New Zealand on Accredited Employment Work Visas (AEWV) with the promise of employment when they arrived. Individuals have indicated they paid a substantial amount for the visa and a job, yet most are still waiting for any paid work, the immigration authority said. Despite paying significant sums of money, ranging from USD 15,000 (approx INR 12,46,778) to USD 40,000 (approx INR 33,24,742), to various agents for their visas and related jobs, most of these workers were not provided with any paid employment, news portal rnz.co.nz reported. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a temporary work visa category. Some individuals have been in New Zealand for several months and some have more recently arrived. The Indian High Commission has been engaged to provide support to their nationals, the immigration authority said. The Indian High Commission in a tweet on Friday last week said, As soon as we were informed regarding Indian workers in distress in Auckland, we reached out to support them. Food & Consular services provided to the workers. We are in touch with all concerned. We are committed to the welfare of the Indian community in NZ. According to a report in The New Zealand Herald newspaper, the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme already has 164 active investigations after complaints of worker exploitation and breaches. The scheme, established in July last year, has approved nearly 81,000 visas among about 27,900 accredited employers. It was meant to counter exploitation by ensuring employers were viable and treated their employees fairly, with pre- and post-accreditation checks, it said. Immigration Minister Andrew Little has ordered an urgent independent review of how the scheme is being operated after serious concerns were raised by a whistleblower on Tuesday last week that checks of potential accredited employers were not being carried out, the report said. S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Altria Group, Inc. is a US-based tobacco company and one of the Big-3 tobacco companies internationally. The company was formerly known as Phillip Morris International but emerged with its new name in 2003. The rebranding was intended to help the company improve its image while it shifted away from the smokeable tobacco segments of the business. It is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500. The company was a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average for many years but fell from that position due to declining tobacco sales and the divestiture of businesses. The company operates through a network of subsidiaries that include Phillip Morris USA. Phillip Morris USA is the core segment of business and includes the Marlboro line of cigarette brands. German immigrant Phillip Morris originally founded Phillip Morris in London in 1822. In 1844 the company began making its first line of machine-rolled cigarettes called English Ovals. The English Ovals remained in production in limited quantities until 2017. By 1902 the company had moved to New York City, where it was incorporated. Operations continued uninterrupted until 1919, when it changed ownership, and then, in 1929, manufacturing operations were moved to Richmond, Virginia and closer to the tobacco fields. Philip Morris made headlines again in 1933 when it integrated its manufacturing operations. This was done more than 30 years ahead of federal regulations and a ground-breaking move for the industry and America. After another multi-decade run of uninterrupted operations, the company began a series of acquisitions that included Miller Brewing, Kraft Foods and General Mills. Those acquisitions led to eventual mergers and spin-offs that resulted in SABMiller and Kraft General Mills. Altria Group operates through a network of subsidiaries manufacturing and selling smokeable, smokeless and oral tobacco products. Subsidiaries include but not are limited to Philip Morris USA, John Middleton Inc. and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company. Brands include Marlboro, Marlboro Lights, Black & Mild, Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Sky and Husky. The company's principal customers are wholesalers and large retailers. The company maintains a number of strategic partnerships as part of its efforts to shift away from smokeable tobacco. These include a 35% stake in JUUL smokeless tobacco products, a 45% stake in Canadian integrated cannabis company Cronos Group and a near-10% stake in ABInbev. These partnerships are intended to capitalize on smokeless tobacco and the legalization of cannabis at the US federal level. Altria brought in more than $21 billion in 2021. The company employs more than 6,000 people and has paid more than $6.5 billion in cumulative dividends. The companys operations help support more than 1,200 US farmers and are sold in over 300,000 US retail establishments. Altria continues to be a leader in workforce quality and has received numerous awards, including a spot on the National Business Consortiums Best of the Best List for 2022. The Federation of Korean Industries headquarters building in Seoul / Yonhap SK, Hyundai Motor, LG follow suit By Park Jae-hyuk Korea's four largest business groups have decided to rejoin the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), according to industry officials, Monday. The FKI, funded by membership fees paid by Korea's largest conglomerates and other companies, used to serve as the combined voice of businesses, asking the government for changes and support. But Samsung and other major conglomerates withdrew their memberships six years ago after then President Park Geun-hye, who was eventually impeached, was found to have used the business lobby group to collect bribes from big businesses. Since then, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has served as the combined voice of big businesses. But in recent years, the FKI has sought to shake off the stigma by appointing a new leader and embracing other reforms. The conglomerates, meanwhile, could avoid criticism for rejoining the FKI due to a technicality. Samsung and the other conglomerates retained their memberships in Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI), an economic think tank run by the FKI. Samsung Electronics' board of directors agreed to let the FKI take over the membership of KERI after the business lobby group merges with the think tank, Tuesday. "Samsung Electronics held a board meeting after the Samsung Compliance Committee recommended its five affiliates on Friday morning to rejoin the FKI," an industry official said on condition of anonymity. "An approval from the board members is unnecessary for the company's return to the FKI, but regarding its funding for the federation, the company needs to get an approval." Samsung SDI, Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance are said to have held board meetings to make the same decision. But Samsung Securities reportedly decided not to rejoin the FKI. SK Group's affiliates SK Inc., SK Innovation, SK Telecom and SK Networks also finished discussing the matter at each of their board meetings, according to sources familiar with the matter. The affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai E&C, Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Steel and those of LG Group LG Corp. and LG Electronics reportedly completed necessary procedures to rejoin the FKI. SK, Hyundai Motor and LG groups are also expected to rejoin the FKI by allowing it to take over the membership in KERI after the planned merger. The FKI plans to approve its merger with KERI at a general meeting, Tuesday, while appointing Poongsan Group Chairman Ryu Jin as the new chief. The business lobby group will also change its name. After the meeting, the new FKI chairman is expected to mention the return of the top four business groups to the federation. Samsung's four affiliates reportedly decided to pay their membership fees to the FKI, while it remains uncertain whether the affiliates of the three other business groups will follow suit. Their decisions, however, are facing strong protests from progressive civic groups. "Samsung's board of directors appears to have used a deceptive method to avoid its responsibility for the company's return to the FKI," the Solidarity for Economic Reform said in a statement. "After the inauguration of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the possibility has been growing of corrupt relations between business and political circles." The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice criticized the Samsung Compliance Committee for supporting the FKI, despite the committee's duty to eradicate the conglomerate's collusion with political circles. EOG Resources, Inc. is a leading independent exploration and production company focusing on the oil and gas industry. Based in Houston, Texas, EOG's mission is to provide energy solutions that power the world while adhering to the highest environmental and safety standards. With its robust portfolio of assets, talented management team, and commitment to technological advancements, EOG Resources has emerged as a key player in the energy sector. EOG Resources operates in multiple locations across the globe, primarily focusing on North America, including the United States, Canada, and Trinidad. The company's primary products and services revolve around the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. EOG Resources serves a diverse range of customers, including industrial, residential, and commercial sectors, as well as other energy companies. EOG Resources is committed to minimizing its environmental impact. The company employs advanced drilling techniques and utilizes cutting-edge technologies to maximize production efficiency while reducing emissions and water usage. EOG's sustainability efforts align with its mission to provide reliable energy solutions for a sustainable future. EOG Resources boasts a highly experienced and accomplished management team led by key executives with industry knowledge and expertise. Ezra Y. Yacob, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has driven the company's strategic growth initiatives. With a strong background in geoscience and leadership roles, Mr. Yacob has been with EOG Resources since 2005. He has served in various key positions, including President and Executive Vice President of Exploration and Production. Lloyd W. "Billy" Helms, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer, joined EOG Resources in 1995 and has held several significant leadership positions within the company. Mr. Helms has been pivotal in overseeing the company's operations, exploration activities, and production strategies. Timothy K. Driggers, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been integral to EOG Resources since 1995. Mr. Driggers' financial acumen and expertise have contributed to the company's financial stability and growth. EOG Resources has consistently demonstrated strong financial performance, with steady revenue growth and healthy profit margins. EOG Resources has successfully navigated market fluctuations and achieved long-term financial stability. When considering the company's valuation metrics, EOG Resources has been favorably positioned compared to its industry peers. The company's valuation metrics, such as price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, have reflected investor confidence in the company's future prospects and financial strength. With significant price movements and trading volume, EOG Resources' stock performance has been notable. The company's stock has demonstrated resilience, responding to market conditions and reflecting investor sentiment. Recent news and events, including industry trends, regulatory changes, and geopolitical factors, have influenced EOG's share price. EOG Resources operates in a dynamic and competitive industry highly influenced by global market conditions, regulatory policies, and technological advancements. The company competes with international and domestic players and strives to maintain a competitive edge through its operational excellence, technological innovation, and strong asset portfolio. EOG Resources is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities in the energy sector. The company continues to explore and develop new reserves, expand its operations and optimize production techniques. EOG's focus on technological advancements, such as utilizing data analytics and artificial intelligence, enhances its capabilities in identifying and extracting hydrocarbon resources efficiently. Like any company operating in the energy sector, EOG Resources faces various risks and challenges that can impact its operations and financial performance. Investors and stakeholders must be aware of these factors when evaluating the company's prospects. EOG Resources' revenue and profitability are closely tied to crude oil and natural gas prices. Fluctuations in commodity prices can significantly impact the company's financial results. Factors such as global supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical tensions, and economic conditions can lead to price volatility, posing a risk to EOG's revenue and profitability. The energy industry is subject to extensive regulations related to drilling, production, emissions, and environmental impact. Regulation changes, especially those aimed at reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources, can require significant investments and impact the company's operational costs. Non-compliance with regulations could result in penalties and reputational damage. EOG Resources relies on advanced technologies and innovations to efficiently explore and produce hydrocarbon reserves. However, technological advancements also bring inherent risks, such as data security threats and potential operational disruptions. Additionally, adopting new technologies may require substantial investments and successful implementation to yield desired results. The energy sector is highly competitive, with numerous players vying for market share. EOG Resources competes with both established energy companies and emerging players. Intense competition can lead to pricing pressures and reduced margins. Moreover, market conditions, such as supply and demand imbalances, can impact the company's ability to sell its products at favorable prices. EOG Resources operates in a global industry influenced by geopolitical tensions, trade policies, and macroeconomic conditions. Political instability, conflicts, and economic downturns in key markets can disrupt operations, impact demand for energy products and create uncertainty in the business environment. EOG Resources has implemented various risk management strategies to mitigate the potential impacts of these risks and challenges: EOG maintains a diverse portfolio of assets across multiple regions, allowing it to mitigate risks associated with specific geographic areas or regulatory environments. This diversification strategy helps spread risk and minimize the impact of localized disruptions. The company emphasizes operational efficiency, cost discipline, and continuous improvement. By optimizing its operations, EOG aims to enhance productivity, reduce costs and mitigate the effects of commodity price fluctuations. EOG Resources is committed to responsible environmental practices and sustainability. By proactively managing ecological risks and adopting environmentally friendly technologies, the company aims to mitigate regulatory and reputational risks. EOG maintains a solid financial position, enabling it to weather market volatility and fund strategic initiatives. The company's prudent financial management and capital allocation strategies provide a cushion against potential economic downturns and industry challenges. People buy bakery products at Tous Les Jours' 100th store in the United States in Bronxville, New York, on its opening day on Aug. 17. Courtesy of CJ Foodville By Kim Jae-heun Tous Les Jours, a bakery franchise operated by CJ Foodville, has opened its 100th store in the United States as Korean-style bread products gains popularity among American consumers, the company said Monday. Bronxville, where the new branch is located, is well known as a high-income neighborhood in New York. It is meaningful as it is the fifth store that the franchisee has opened in the U.S. The company said Tous Les Jours is now recognized as a solid business model due to its high profitability per store. "Tous Les Jours' business on the global stage is booming, as we have witnessed the opening of the 100th store in the United States. We are also planning to build a production line in the U.S. in the second half of this year in line with our efforts to promote the Korean bakery worldwide," a CJ Foodville official said. The bakery chain's business in the U.S. has been rapidly growing over the past five years. On average, the number of Tous Les Jours stores opening has increased from five to six in 2020 to 10, after that, on an annual basis. The proportion of stores owned by local franchisees accounts for 90 percent in total and nearly half of them run more than two. They have all seen their daily sales jump about 20 percent, year-on-year, since last year. Thanks to its flourishing business in the U.S., CJ Foodville has been increasing its surplus for five consecutive years there since it became the company's only overseas corporation to achieve a turnaround in 2018. CJ Foodville USA's sales and operating profit also soared 50 percent and 250 percent, respectively, in the first half of this year. CJ Foodville first entered the U.S. market in 2004 and it now operates Tous Les Jours stores in 24 states with stores in major U.S. cities like Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. SK Group and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won delivers an opening speech during the 46th KCCI Jeju Forum at Haevichi Hotel & Resort in Seogwipo, July 12. Courtesy of KCCI Top group executives to gather in Paris in October to ramp up final efforts By Park Jae-hyuk SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won chose to support Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030, instead of attending Monday's opening ceremony of the conglomerate's annual Icheon Forum at Grand Walkerhill Seoul. It is unusual for him to be absent from the business forum, which was launched in 2017 following his proposal for it. The chairman was unable to participate in the opening ceremony in person, because he visited Latin American countries to seek their support for Korea's second-largest city, according to SK Group. He will return to Korea before the forum's closing ceremony on Thursday. Chey didn't take a vacation this summer so he could play his role as the chair of the civilian committee for Busan's World Expo bid. Last month, he held a press conference with foreign correspondents in Korea, as the chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "I am a bit negative about the idea that we hold the expo to make money," he said at that time. "It is about time that Korea takes responsibility to pay back its debt not in the way of making interest payments, but by providing solutions needed by mankind." Although he has walked on crutches since his ankle injury in June, he traveled around European and Latin American countries this year to help Busan outshine the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh and the Italian capital of Rome, the remaining competitors in the Expo bid. With around 100 days left until the selection vote on Nov. 28 by 179 member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Chey is the only chief of the top four conglomerates who is still openly promoting Busan. Other conglomerate leaders have been cautious about advertising their efforts recently, in order to prevent their strategies from being leaked to Riyadh and Rome. Although SK also declined to mention details about Chey's recent itinerary, it was reported that the CEOs of the group's affiliates will gather in Paris in October to support Busan's World Expo bid, on the sidelines of the group's annual CEO seminar. Since SK Group held its CEO seminar in China in 2009, it has never held the event in a foreign country. "I think we might be spending more time in Paris than Seoul as November approaches," Chey said last month. SK On Executive Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won delivers an opening speech during the 2023 Icheon Forum opening ceremony at Grand Walkerhill Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of SK Group The 2017 film, Bushwick starring David Bautista, and Brittany Snow was strangely prescient to the events that may take place soon enough in the USA. Texas is seceding from the United States and has partnered with other Southern states (Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia with parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania also) to form the New American Coalition, with mercenaries and militias to infiltrate US areas, including Bushwick, New York for insurgency. With the ongoing recession biting the U.S. economy and putting every part of society into a deadly stranglehold; there seems to be a deadly polarisation politically between the Republican and Democrat faction across the nation. The witch hunt on U.S. President Trump is the key to much of the seriousness of the situation, and the followers of Trump who have been pushed to the brink, eventually will crack. When you have such an enormous build-up of pressure, it has to go somewhere. This is just plain physics, a Republican militia man revealed. Not everyone wants global communism ruled by China; tyranny of the minority, a weaponised state system, Marxist woke indoctrination from kindergarten onwards. This is why there will probably be a Bushwick moment some time in the near future. In a recent poll conducted by Global InfoAnalytics, it has been revealed that a significant majority of Ghanaians are opposed to Ghana's decision to send troops to Niger as part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) efforts to restore democracy in the country. The poll, which took place over a span of two days between August 18 and 19, sheds light on the sentiment of the Ghanaian populace regarding their nation's involvement in the regional crisis. ECOWAS had made the decision on August 10 to deploy its standby force to Niger with the aim of reinstating constitutional order in the country. Despite exhausting diplomatic avenues to resolve the crisis, ECOWAS concluded that deploying troops was necessary due to the lack of fruitful outcomes. However, the decision to send Ghanaian soldiers to Niger was met with skepticism and concern from various quarters. The poll, which sampled 1,618 respondents from all sixteen regions of Ghana, reveals that 52% of Ghanaians are against their country's involvement in the intervention. This underlines the widespread apprehension within the population regarding the potential ramifications of such a move. One notable aspect highlighted by the poll is that a significant 76% of respondents believe that coups in African countries are primarily triggered by the prevalence of bad governance. This perspective underscores the strong sentiment that addressing governance issues is crucial in preventing political instability. In contrast, 17% of respondents do not share this view, while 7% remain undecided. The poll also delved into the question of whether coups are a durable solution to addressing bad governance. The findings indicate that 49% of Ghanaians do not believe that coups provide a sustainable remedy to governance challenges, while 43% hold the opposite viewpoint. The remaining 8% did not express a definitive opinion on the matter. The response to this poll highlights the complexity of regional interventions and the cautious approach that citizens advocate for when considering military involvement in neighboring nations. Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged the Ghana Armed Forces to actively engage in the government's digitalization strategies. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College (GAFCSC), Dr. Bawumia emphasized the intertwined nature of military prowess and technological progress. Dr. Bawumia acknowledged the historical impact of the military on technology, citing examples like computers, GPS, and the internet. He underscored the importance of the military's involvement in advancing digitization efforts. The Vice President called on the GAFCSC to contribute its expertise by designing programs that enhance digital awareness and cyber security skills among the youth. "As I requested at last years graduation, government is looking forward to GAFCSC developing modules and programmes that will challenge the ingenuity of the youth, particularly in digitalization awareness and Cyber security related issues," stated Dr. Bawumia. GAFCSC, recognized as a prime national asset, plays a pivotal role not only for Ghanaians but also for military personnel from other African countries. Dr. Bawumia commended the institution for its impact and encouraged it to expand its offerings into untapped areas crucial for national development. "The increased demand for vacancies on your programmes should serve as a motivation to explore and tap into other areas of study that are necessary for the socio-economic development of our dear nation and by extension the continent," he emphasized. Dr. Bawumia also affirmed the government's commitment to supporting the military, including infrastructure expansion. The joint graduation ceremony celebrated the 2023 class of the College for Senior Command and Staff Course 44, along with the Master of Science in Defense and International Politics Class of 2023. This occasion marked a renewed dedication to harnessing technology for the nation's growth, solidifying GAFCSC's position as a beacon of knowledge and progress. This page may be updated if the event is repeated Past Event - Sunday, September 10, 2023 This page may be updated if the event is repeated $6 online / $8 at door Lebanon Antique Show 2023 Ohio's longest running antique show will return on September 9 & 10, 2023. ?Visitors will be able to browse over 30 dealers for a large selection of 18th - 20th century American & Continental Furnishings & Decorative Arts, primitives, textiles, old blue china, old pattern glass and art glass, Majolica, jewelry, silver, folk art, fine art and more.? September 9 | 10-5pm September 10 | 11-4pm Warren County Fairgrounds | 665 N Broadway | Lebanon, OH 45036 Ukrainian drone hits Russian railway station in Kursk, injuring 5 Xinhua) 13:31, August 21, 2023 MOSCOW/KIEV, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments related to the Ukraine crisis: A Ukrainian drone hit the roof of a railway station building in the southern Russian city of Kursk early Sunday, sparking a fire and injuring five people, said the regional governor. Roman Starovoit said on his social media channel that five people suffered minor injuries from glass shards, adding that all emergency services were working at the scene. - - - - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Ukrainian pilots started test flying Sweden's Gripen fighter jets, the government-run Ukrinform news agency reported. The Ukrainian side is interested in getting the Gripen aircraft to strengthen its position in the conflict with Russia, Zelensky said at a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson following their meeting in Sweden. At their talks, Zelensky and Kristersson also discussed the prospects of joint production of the Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicles in Ukraine, said the report. - - - - Ukrainian pilots have begun training to fly F-16 fighter jets, Ukraine's Channel 24 reported Saturday, citing the country's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. The training program will last at least six months, Reznikov said, adding that currently, it is unclear when Ukraine will get the F-16s from its partners. According to the minister, 11 countries have joined the aircraft coalition to help Ukraine, with the Netherlands and Denmark leading the project on training Ukrainian pilots. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Ecuadorian presidential candidate for the Movimiento Revolucion Ciudadana party, Luisa Gonzalez speaks to her supporters after learning the first results of the presidential election and referendum on mining and petroleum at her headquarters in Quito, Aug. 20. AFP-Yonhap Leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez and surprise challenger, business scion Daniel Noboa, won the first round of Ecuador's presidential election, beating out six rivals in a race clouded by the murder of anti-graft candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa who has promised to revive his social programs, was tallying 33 percent support, with more than 70 percent of ballot boxes counted, according to figures from the National Electoral Council. "We are celebrating because we are making history, even though so many of us have been ignored, today we begin moving toward a different history," Gonzalez told journalists and supporters at an event in southern Quito. Former lawmaker Daniel Noboa, son of prominent banana businessman and former presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa, was a surprise second-place with 24 percent of the vote. "The Ecuadorean people have won," the 35-year-old Noboa told journalists in Guayaquil. "The youth candidate, of the people who are seeking hope, who want to change Ecuador, has triumphed." Noboa said he looked forward to a second round against Gonzalez, scheduled for Oct. 15. Anti-corruption candidate Villavicencio, who was fatally shot as he left a campaign event earlier this month, was tallying 16 percent. Villavicencio has been replaced by fellow investigative journalist Christian Zurita, but appeared on the ballot because they were printed before his murder. Zurita, along with several other candidates, conceded defeat on Sunday evening. Candidates had pledged to fight sharp increases in crime, which the current government blames on drug gangs, and improve the struggling economy, whose woes have caused an uptick in unemployment and migration. Security took center stage in the contest after Villavicencio's killing. Other candidates have reported attacks against them, although in several cases police have said that the violence was not directed at the hopefuls themselves. Gonzalez supporters gathering ahead of a speech by her said they wanted a return of Correa's programs and better work opportunities. "I feel that as a woman she will fight for the people," said Fany Tarqui, 52, who brought her two daughters and their dog to the rally. "I want peace and sources of work." "Work is scarce for everyone, that's why migration has gotten so high," said retired teacher Wilson Lopez, 64. Six suspects, all Colombians who police say belong to criminal gangs, were charged with Villavicencio's murder and are being held in custody. Another suspect died from wounds sustained in a shootout with authorities. The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, votes during the general elections, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Aug. 20. EPA-Yonhap A webpage set up for some Ecuadoreans living abroad to cast their ballots suffered cyber attacks, the head of the national electoral council said, but the integrity of the vote was not affected by the issue. The cyber attacks on the webpage for voters abroad were launched from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia and China, said council president Diana Atamaint. "The online platform suffered cyber attacks that affected the fluidity of access to voting. We clarify and emphasize that the recorded votes have not been violated," Atamaint said. Multiple candidates had denounced problems with the webpage and Gonzalez called on Sunday evening for a do-over of the foreign vote. More than 82 percent of those required to vote did so, Atamaint added. Voting is mandatory for those between 18 and 65. Gonzalez has promised to free up $2.5 billion from international reserves to bolster Ecuador's economy and bring back million-dollar social initiatives implemented by Correa who has since been convicted of corruption during his decade in power. Noboa seemingly gained support after performing well in the only televised debate of the campaign. A lawmaker until current President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the national assembly and called early elections, Noboa has focused his campaign on job creation, tax incentives for new businesses and jail sentences for serious tax evasion. Also on Sunday's ballot were two environmental referendums that could block mining in a forest near Quito and development of an oil block in the Amazon. The vote on the Yasuni oil block showed support for a ban on development leading with 58 percent support, with about 24 percent of ballot boxes counted. A ban on mining in the Choco Andino forest was also winning with 67 percent support. Correa's Citizens' Revolution party was leading the count for seats in the national assembly, with about 40 percent support, while Villavicencio's Construye party tallied 21 percent, with about 35 percent of ballot boxes counted. (Reuters) BJP national vice-president D.K. Aruna speaks to a police officer at Indalwai Toll Plaza in Nizamabad. (By Arrangement) Hyderabad: The police on Sunday detained BJP national vice president D.K. Aruna at the Indalwai Toll Plaza in Nizamabad district and brought her back to her residence in Jubilee Hills of Hyderabad, effectively preventing her from reaching Nirmal to support a BJP protest. Former BJP MLA Aleti Maheswar Reddy was sitting on an indefinite strike in Nirmal to protest the newly-introduced master plan. Aruna was proceeding to Nirmal to extend her solidarity to Maheswar Reddy, but the police intercepted her vehicle at the toll plaza and informed her that she did not have permission to proceed to Nirmal. When Aruna was being detained at the toll plaza, Nizamabad MP D. Arvind, who was also proceeding to Nizamabad, noticed the ruckus and joined Aruna in arguing with the police to allow her to travel to Nirmal. Addressing the media later, Aruna said: "Maheswar Reddy was on indefinite strike for the past five days and his health condition was deteriorating day by day. I wanted to visit Nirmal to examine the health condition of Maheswar Reddy and extend my solidarity." Despite being detained, Aruna said she called the Nizamabad police and asked them to allow her to visit Nirmal. As she left the toll plaza and proceeded towards her destination, hundreds of police personnel descended on her vehicles at the Dudgam Junction. "Police misbehaved and acted rudely while lifting me at Dudgam locality. I was alone in my car and there was no mob. Police said there was a heavy crowd at Nirmal and did not allow me to Nirmal. They kept me in a police vehicle and did not inform where they were taking me. Finally, the police shifted me to my residence in Jubilee Hills," Aruna said. The bypoll was held in 64 villages for the posts of Sarpanch of 66 villages. (Representational image: ANI) Vijayawada: The ruling YSR Congress Party continued its winning streak in the AP Panchayat by-elections, the results of which were declared on Sunday. The bypoll was held in 64 villages for the posts of Sarpanch of 66 villages. Among them, 30 Sarpanch posts were unanimously won by the YSRC supporters. YSRC supporters won 23 places in the remaining 34 Sarpanch posts. TD supporters won 10 seats and Jana Sena supporters won one seat. In the by-elections for ward representatives, 63 seats did not have elections. In 243 wards where elections were held, 149 were won by the YSRC, 90 by the TD and four by Jana Sena supporters. In all, 1062, including the earlier elections and unanimous elections, YSRC supporters won in 810 places, TD supporters in 182 wards and Jana Sena supporters in seven wards. Election was not held for 63 wards. Water resources minister Ambati Rambabu, Planning Board vice-chairman Malladi Vishnu and former minister and MLA Vellampalli Srinivas said the results clearly showed complete support to chief minister Jagan Reddys welfare-oriented rule. In the previous municipal, local body and panchayat elections, the YSRC won a majority of the seats in the Kuppam assembly constituency, the bastion of TD. Now also, in the panchayat by-election held in six wards in the Kuppam constituency represented by Chandrababu, the YSRC supporters won five wards. Upendra Reddy, a YSRC supporter, won the Chalivendula panchayat election in Hindupur constituency represented by TD MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna. Supporters of YSRC have won in Peddapappur, the home mandal of JC Brothers in Tadipatri constituency. Out of four sarpanch seats in Srikakulam district, YSRC supporters won three seats and TD supporters won one seat. Out of 10 wards where elections were held, YSRC supporters won six seats and TD sympathisers won four seats. A sarpanch post in Parvathipuram Manyam district was won by YSRC-backed candidate. Candidates supported by YSRC and TD won one each seat for two ward member posts. In Vizianagaram district, three sarpanch positions were won by candidates supported by YSRC while TD won one seat. IN polls for eight ward members, YSRC supporters won six and TD two. For three Sarpanch seats in Alluri Sitaramaraju district, candidates supported by YSRC won two and a TD supporter one seat. Out of 14 ward member polls, 11 YSRC supporters, two TD supporters and one other candidate won. A TD supporter won a sarpanch seat in Anakapalli district. Out of seven ward member posts, YSRC supporters won five seats and TD supporters two. YSRC supporters won two wards where the elections were held in Visakhapatnam district. In the other districts, YSRC won a majority if the Sarpanch seats up for polls, and wards too, showing its clear dominance. A soldier from the state was among the nine personnel killed when an Army vehicle plunged into a gorge in Ladakh's Leh on Saturday (Representational image: PTI) Hyderabad: A soldier from the state was among the nine personnel killed when an Army vehicle plunged into a gorge in Ladakhs Leh on Saturday, August 19. The soldier, named Neerati Chandrashekhar, hailed from Thangellapalli in Kondurg mandal of Rangareddy district. He joined the forces in 2010. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter. According to an Army official, an ALS (Ashok Leyland Stallion) vehicle was moving as part of a convoy from Leh to Nyomathe when it skidded off the road and rolled down a gorge near Kiari in southern Ladakh around 6 pm. In 2018, the BRS (then TRS) led other parties in declaring the candidates first, with Chandrashekar Rao declaring his first list, of 105 candidates, on September 6, 2018, three months before the polling date on December 7. (By Arrangement) HYDERABAD: The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which is going all out to win a third consecutive term, is likely to release its first list of candidates for upcoming Assembly polls on Monday. BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is likely to release the first list at Telangana Bhavan, the party's headquarters, on the occasion of the auspicious Shravana Somavaram. Party sources said that the Chief Minister is likely to retain a majority of the sitting MLAs in the first list. However, the development triggered an infighting of sorts within several local BRS units, with supporters of incumbent MLAs and ticket aspirants hitting the streets, demanding tickets for their leaders. In 2018, the BRS (then TRS) led other parties in declaring the candidates first, with Chandrashekar Rao declaring his first list, of 105 candidates, on September 6, 2018, three months before the polling date on December 7. Chandrashekar Rao reportedly wants to continue the trend by declaring the candidates before Opposition parties do, party sources said. They said that the Chief Minister strongly believes that declaring candidates much in advance played a key role in the party securing a majority, by a huge margin, in 2018. "This enabled party leadership and candidates to focus on campaigning, reaching out to people by covering every village and mandal in Assembly constituency multiple times," a source said. Opposition parties of the Congress, TD, CPI and the TJS, which had formed a Maha Kutami to defeat BRS, could not even declare candidates by the deadline due to a tussle over seat sharing. Due to this, Opposition candidates could not focus on campaigning or reach out to people, BRS sources said. However, the suspense continues over the number of candidates to figure in the first phase. Since Rao is a believer in Vastu and numerology, the number is likely to be a multiple or derivate of six, considered his lucky number. Sources speculated that the list could have names of 42, 51, 69, 78, 96 or 105 candidates, as these numbers add up to six. Meanwhile, the internal tussle was evident in multiple Assembly constituencies on Sunday, starting with Amberpet, where local BRS leaders staged a dharna demanding that the party leadership not retain incumbent MLA Kaleru Venkatesh. They threatened to defeat Kaleru if the party ignored their demand. Uppal MLA Bethi Subhash Reddy and his arch-rival, Bonthu Rammohan, joined hands on Sunday after speculations surfaced that the party leadership decided to give the ticket to Bandari Laxma Reddy, who joined from Congress in 2018. Subhash Reddy and Rammohan rushed to MLC Kalvakuntla Kavithas residence in Banjara Hills and requested she take up the issue with the Chief Minister. They requested her to ensure a ticket to one of them and not Laxma Reddy. In Station Ghanpur, supporters of MLA T. Rajaiah, climbed a cell phone tower and threatened to jump, if Rajaiah is denied the ticket. In Bhupalapally, supporters of MLC S. Madhusudhana Chary demanded a ticket for their leader and urged the high command not to give the ticket to sitting MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy. In Jangaon, supporters of MLA Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy and MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy took out rallies demanding tickets for their leaders. In Yellandu, BRS workers held a rally demanding that a ticket not be given to incumbent MLA Haripriya Banoth. In Vemulawada, supporters of sitting MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh and ticket aspirant Chalmeda Lakshmi Narasimha Rao took out rallies demanding tickets for their respective leaders. Dissidence is also brewing in the Tandur constituency between MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy and MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy, and in the Nakrekal constituency, between MLA Chirumarthi Lingaiah and former MLA Vemula Veeresham. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. (Photo: Deepak Deshpande) HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has sent a clear message that the BRS will go it alone in the upcoming Assembly polls by declaring candidates for 115 of the 119 seats in one go on Monday. With this, the hopes of Left parties to forge an alliance with BRS for Assembly polls were dashed. The CPI and the CPM had pinned hopes that they would contest a few seats in upcoming Assembly polls in alliance with the BRS, in the wake of the BRS and Left parties working together for the Munugode bypoll last November. The Chief Minister had personally approached the Left parties to seek their support to defeat BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. The Chief Minister also took part in two election rallies in Munugode, alongside CPI and CPM leaders and even announced that BRS friendship with Left parties will not be confined to the Munugode bypoll, but will continue for the Assembly polls. The Left parties, which enjoy a considerable vote bank in Munugode, played a key role in helping the BRS defeat BJP in the bypoll. But after the BRS won the Munugode bypoll, Rao has kept his distance from Left parties, with CPI and CPM leaders openly stating on multiple occasions that they tried to meet Rao to discuss a partnership for the Assembly polls, but he refused the appointment. Now, with Rao declaring BRS candidates for most of the seats, the Left parties are left with no choice but to explore other options like joining hands with the Congress or contesting on their own, through mutual understanding. Since the formation of Telangana state, Rao has not been one for forging alliances for the Assembly polls, going it alone in 2014 and 2018. Before 2014, BRS had allied with Congress in 2004 and then the TD and Left in 2009. When asked about an alliance with Left parties, the Chief Minister said, "The BRS has declared candidates for all the seats. This question and also discussion about this issue is irrelevant now." The Chief Minister, while commenting on Left parties at Telangana Bhavan on Monday after releasing the list of candidates, however, maintained that the AIMIM continues to remain a friendly party of the BRS since 2014 and that they will work together in Telangana state. Although the BRS has declared candidates for the Assembly constituencies in the Old City, the AIMIM stronghold, it will be a friendly contest, as was witnessed in the 2014 and 2018 Assembly polls. TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy. (File Photo) Hyderabad: TPCC President and Malkajgiri MP Revanth Reddy on Monday urged farmers to take loan of worth Rs 2 lakh, and said that the Congress Govt would waive the loans once it comes to power on December 9. While addressing a press meet, he asked all the farmers, who got loan waiver recently to approach banks and take loans once again. The entire amount would be waived once congress returns to power after assembly elections, said Revanth. A handout image taken from police bodycam footage released by Cheshire Constabulary police force in Manchester shows the nurse Lucy Letby being arrested at home in Chester. (AFP) LONDON: A British nurse will be sentenced on Monday for murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to kill six others while they were in her care. Lucy Letby, 33, was convicted of killing five boys and two girls, making her the UK's most prolific child serial killer in modern history. She was arrested following a string of baby deaths at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England between June 2015 and June 2016. The prosecution said Letby attacked her young and often prematurely born victims by either injecting them with air, overfeeding them with milk or poisoning them with insulin. Following a trial that started in October, a jury at Manchester Crown Court ended more than 110 hours of deliberations on Friday. The jury cleared Letby of two counts of attempted murder and were unable to reach decisions on six other counts of attempted murder. But the multiple guilty verdicts for murder mean Letby faces the prospect of never being released from prison. Letby fought back tears in the dock as the jury returned their first guilty decisions earlier in August. She was not in court for the final verdicts and has reportedly told her lawyers she will not attend her sentencing. 'Bittersweet result' The families of Letby's victims said in a joint statement afterwards that while "justice has been served" it "will not take away from the extreme hurt, anger and distress that we've all had to experience". They added that it was a "bittersweet result" since some families did not receive the verdicts they had expected. The first babies Letby was accused of attacking were twins. A baby boy, referred to as child A, was just a day old when he died in early June 2015, while his elder sister survived a murder attempt. After the death of two triplet brothers within 24 hours of each other in June 2016, Letby was removed from the neonatal unit and placed on clerical duties. Two years later, in July 2018, she was arrested for the first time. On her third arrest in November 2020, Letby was formally charged and placed in custody. Letby's motives remain unclear. During the trial, the prosecution described Letby as a "calculating" woman, who "gaslighted" her colleagues into believing the rise in baby deaths was "just a run of bad luck". The jury was told that Letby was on shift when each of the babies collapsed. Some of the newborns were attacked just as their parents left their cots. The court heard that Letby took an unusual interest in the families of her victims, making searches for them on social media. She also sent a sympathy card to the grieving parents of a child she was later found guilty of murdering. Handwritten notes found during police searches at Letby's home were among the evidence seen by the court, one of which had "I am evil I did this" written in capital letters. Letby denied harming the babies and claimed a group of four senior doctors tried to pin blame on her to cover for the hospital's shortcomings. The UK government has announced an independent enquiry into the case and will look at how the concerns of clinicians were dealt with by hospital management. S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. 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But he'll have history to contend with Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left, meets with Masanobu Sakamoto, right, head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, and other representatives the prime minister?s office in Tokyo on Aug. 21. AFP-Yonhap Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government will decide on Tuesday when it will begin to discharge treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, in a plan criticized at home and abroad. Speaking to reporters at his office in Tokyo, Kishida reiterated the importance of moving forward with the decommissioning process for the damaged plant, but declined to give a window for when the release might happen. Broadcaster NHK said Kishida is finalizing plans to start releasing the water as soon as possible after Thursday, without clarifying its sources. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month greenlighted the program, saying that the impact from the water release on people and the environment would be "negligible". Despite such assurances, the prospect of more than a million tons of water being pumped into the Pacific from the nuclear plant owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company has sparked alarm in South Korea and China, which banned seafood imports from some areas of Japan following the nuclear disaster in 2011. Local fishing groups have also protested the plan, saying they are gravely concerned over the reputational damage from the water release - expected to take decades to complete - and its impact on their livelihoods. Japan's Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said earlier on Monday the government had won "a degree of understanding" from the fishing industry for the release of the water. Kishida and Nishimura on Monday met Masanobu Sakamoto, the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, to offer safety assurances. Ahead of the talks, Sakamoto said that the group's opposition to the plan had "not changed one bit," adding that they understood the release could be scientifically safe but still feared reputational damage. The water, equivalent to the contents of 500 Olympic-size swimming pools, has mostly been used to cool nuclear reactors damaged in 2011 when tsunami waves crashed into the plant on the coast north of Tokyo after an earthquake. It has been treated to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter. Kishida acknowledged the concerns of the fishing association but said the water release had become a pressing matter, and asked them to understand that the disposal of the water was necessary. "I promise that we will take on the entire responsibility of ensuring the fishing industry can continue to make their living, even if that will take decades," he said. (Reuters) A heartbroken Derry mother has launched a petition calling for stiffer sentences for drug dealers. Pauline Duddy, who tragically lost her daughter Jasmin to drugs, is calling on the Assembly to change the law so drug dealers could be prosecuted with murder. Jasmine (21), sadly passed away in February leaving behind her young son. Pauline described her daughter as a very bubbly and caring person with a big heart and a brilliant mother. Jasmin was the baby of the house, Pauline said. She was very caring, very bubbly but she was also very naive. Jasmin fell in with the wrong crowd. She thought these friends were her friends but they werent. Pauline said that Jasmin sought help for her addiction issues in the Asha Centre in Omagh and Granshas Woodlea House. The staff at Woodlea were brilliant, they really tried to help her. She did try to get off the drugs and she was off them for six months and she was amazing but she fell back into the drugs again. On the night before Jasmin died, Pauline said she asked her to get help. I knew the night she died she had something in her but i didnt know if it was drink or drugs but her speech was the best and I texted her please sober up and she texted back Im trying. At 4 oclock that morning the police knocked on my door and told me she was dead. Jasmine had taken prescription drugs, including pregabalin. Pregabalin is used to treat epilepsy and anxiety. It is also taken to treat nerve pain. The prescription drug has been linked to a string of deaths in Derry recently. Three people died as a result of taking the drug. Five more people were admitted to Altnagelvin Hospital with cardiac arrests. A local judge was told by police that the deaths were linked to a batch of Pregabalin four times stronger than usual. As a result Pauline has launched an online petition calling for stiffer sentences for anyone convicted of dealing drugs. The sentences are too light, she said. These drug dealers are getting two or three months and then they are back out and back dealing again. If theyre facing a stretch of 20 to 25 years, it might make them think twice. All they care about is lining their pockets and wains are dropping dead. Pauline said her motivation behind the petition is to help save peoples lives. Im doing this because nothing will bring my child back but this might help save someone else's child. I dont want any family to feel how my family is feeling these last six months. Jasmin was the baby of the house. Its been awful and everyday it gets harder. Pauline needs 100,000 signatures to take the Assembly. She has called for cross-party support in backing her bid to have stronger sentencing for drug offences. The petition can be found at: https://secure.avaaz.org/community_petitions/en/northern_ireland_assembly_stop_the_street_drugs/?fHVmCtb&utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=petition-1709138-stop_the_street_drugs&utm_term=fHVmCtb%2Ben&fbclid=IwAR3IxqF1QvJUAjMdQXGdLdi5YyHH73cZ4Iy5nU3RkKiLdWYLHIFh-RsXd6k A former senior detective in the Metropolitan Police now resident in Derry has appeared at the local Magistrate's Court today charged with breaching a non molestation order and releasing a sexual photo or film of a female without her consent. The 54-year-old man was granted an interim anonymity order despite misgivings from District Judge Oonagh Mullan after a solicitor said that he had received a threat in the past and there was a right to life issue. The man faces three charges of breaching the non molestation order on August 18, publishing a sexual image or film of a female without her consent on the same date with the offence aggravated by domestic abuse and a charge of harassment again on the same date. A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail. He told the court that police received a report from the man's former partner that he had breached the order by sending her messages on Tik Tok. He also published a picture of the woman sitting at a desk but underneath there were other pictures two of which showed the woman in the bath and her breasts were visible. The officer told the court that the non-molestation order had been imposed on July 25 and was due to be contested on a date in August but the defendant had breached it twice in the interim. He told the court that the defendant denied publishing the pictures and said that the woman had initiated the contact. The officer said that the defendant should have known better due to his past employment. Bail was opposed due to the risk of re-offending as the man had already breached the order. Judge Mullan said that the anonymity order she was being asked for 'did not sit easy' with her. Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that there was a right to life issue as 'some dissident republican would take the view that this man was a legitimate target'. The interim order was granted to allow District Judge McElholm to decide on the merits. Making a bail application Mr Quigley said his client denies the offences and there were' triable issues' in the case. Judge Mullan said that this man was a former police officer and the fact he was facing such charges was of concern. She granted him bail on condition he has no contact with the woman, does not enter the town where she resides and has no Internet enabled devices. He will appear again on September 14. A neurologist at the centre of Northern Irelands largest ever recall of patients is to face a new public hearing over his fitness to practise. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) has announced that a hearing into Dr Michael Watt will begin in September. Concerns over the clinical work of the former Belfast Health and Social Care Trust consultant neurologist were first raised in 2018. More than 4,000 of his former patients attended recall appointments. A previous MPTS tribunal granted Dr Watt voluntary removal from the medical register. The private ruling was made ahead of an expected public hearing and caused anger among politicians and some of his former patients. However, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) referred the matter to the High Court in Northern Ireland due to concern that the ruling was not sufficient to protect the public. The High Court sent the case back to the MPTS after quashing its previous ruling. The new hearing will consider whether Dr Watts fitness to practise is impaired by reason of deficient professional performance, following a General Medical Council (GMC) assessment in which his performance was deemed unacceptable in five areas. An entry on the MPTS website stated: The tribunal will inquire into the allegation that, between 7 and 22 October 2018, Dr Watt underwent a General Medical Council assessment of the standard of his professional performance. It is alleged that his professional performance was unacceptable in the areas of maintaining professional performance, assessment, clinical management, record-keeping and relationship with patients. A separate probe, the Independent Neurology Inquiry, concluded last year that problems with Dr Watts practice were missed for years and opportunities to intervene were lost. It said systems and processes in place around patient safety failed and made more than 70 recommendations. SDLP health spokesman Colin McGrath welcomed the new hearing as he said serious questions about the work of Dr Watt have still to be answered. He said: It should have taken place a long time ago and its disappointing that patients have had to fight to get this far. There remain serious questions to answer and it is appropriate that they are now being looked at by the tribunal. The whole situation casts a long shadow over our health service and its important that lessons are learned so that nothing like this can ever take place again. However, we will be unable to fully move on until this case is properly examined and patients feel that their experiences have been heard and taken on board. This tribunal will not make up for the pain and suffering caused to so many, but it will help to bring closure and answers for those involved. It was obviously a very challenging software to be decoded, and we can discuss the technicalities of Expiro and what it really was, but I think its a testimony to the kind of capability and talent we have within the country. We are on par with any other cybersecurity vendor in the world, and it underlines the fact that we have the necessary capabilities in managing this cybersecurity event, said Vishal Salvi, CEO, Quick Heal and SEQRITE. He spoke to me in the backdrop of Quick Heal's recent breakthrough against the Expiro virus threats that made quite a few headlines, making them the only cybersecurity company to offer a comprehensive end-to-end solution against Expiro-related infections. Experts at Quick Heal's Security Labs have not only analysed the latest version to understand how Expiro spreads, but also developed a complete solution to mitigate its impact. But what activities led to users and their systems getting infected in the first place? Did Indias love affair with pirated software play a significant part in Expiro virus propagation, I asked Mr Salvi. We have seen multiple traces of infections in all the deployments that we have done in India. We were at the forefront of looking at what this malware was doing, and malware does propagate through various methods through the use of cracked software, drive-by downloads from infected websites, or even propagation through network shares, right? said Salvi, suggesting the Expiro virus used all or any of these techniques for propagation. And even though Indias cyber sensibilities as a country are constantly growing in terms of use of legitimate software and understanding of secure controls and safeguards, But there's always vulnerable infrastructure, vulnerable users, and that's really what we have seen in this case as well, he emphasised. Fighting and weeding out Expiros hidden mechanisms wasnt easy, Salvi told me. When you look at an infector, it has two types broadly, one is called appender and the other prepender. Expiro was actually an appender virus, which are very rare compared to prepender, he explained, saying how appender infectors basically move around the header of any infected file. As a result, it becomes difficult to proceed in dealing with vulnerabilities effectively, he suggested. And that wasnt the least of Quick Heals worries. The second complexity in case of Expiro was that it had multiple ports and functions which were called to create a significant amount of complexity, deliberately created for the good guys to get lost in the maze right while they were trying to reverse engineer a solution, according to Salvi. Our team of analysts and researchers worked on this problem, they took it as a challenge to really understand how all of this was unfolding. And eventually, found a way to go back and restore the file to its original form. And that's really how we identified the detection, and within a matter of a few weeks we could then come up with a remediation technique, he stressed. This isnt the case only with the Expiro virus, Salvi told me, but about any malware code that comes to Quick Heals Security Labs. We put all our effort to make sure that we are able to reverse engineer and address the problem. We are glad that we are the first to sort of solve this [Expiro virus] problem and perhaps the only company so far. It can only happen when you have things working together, with the right investments and the focus we have had in this topic, it augurs well for the future of our team. Itt gives us a lot of confidence in solving a complex threat like this which we believe is going to be the norm in the future, said Salvi. Hearing from the head of a cybersecurity company that future threats are going to be more complex isnt easy. How is the industry, both public and private enterprise, including the Indian government, assessing the threat landscape, we asked Mr Salvi who provided a reassuring response. We are obviously, you know, talking to all our stakeholders to see how some of the work that we're doing can be leveraged to keep them safe. And we've always been at the forefront of collaborating with any government bodies or corporate bodies, for helping them in understanding cyber threats in much more detail and depth. We engage in capacity building measures with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) with their Cyber Surakshaa program and help in terms of training and nurturing talent and making them understand cybersecurity fundamentals, techniques and solutions, Salvi said, emphasising Quick Heals commitment to playing an important role in terms of capacity building as far as the nation is concerned, and also building an indigenous make in India story in the cybersecurity domain. Salvi has been quite vocal about democratising cyber security at every opportunity he gets to talk about it, especially related to making cyber security everyones responsibility in some way shape or form. What generally happens is theres a cybersecurity team, and the rest offload their responsibility on them. All the work that I expect to be done in order to keep me safe is designated to cyber security teams, but unless you are participating in the process of being cyber safe and understand your role, take ownership and accountability of your role, it becomes very difficult to really implement cybersecurity in a holistic way, he said, which is why democratising cybersecurity, making sure every stakeholder understands their role is very critical. Cybersecurity is only visible when it's not working, and it's invisible when it's working. Not getting hacked doesnt mean you may not be vulnerable to that possibility, so its very important that every stakeholder understands responsible cyber security practices, especially given the fact that there's so much digital adoption in the country. We need to keep talking about it and spread the message about democratising and making people accountable for cyber in a big way, Salvi emphasised. But it isnt all doom and gloom, especially as far as India is concerned, according to Salvi. I'm extremely encouraged by the amount of enthusiasm and passion that young entrepreneurs in India are displaying by venturing into building cybersecurity solutions, he said enthusiastically, recalling how a FinSec conclave he attended in Mumbai recently had lots of young Indian talent, creating various solutions and services on cybersecurity which was nothing short of amazing and extremely fascinating to him. It has never been like this, and it feels like were creating a Silicon Valley here in India for cybersecurity entrepreneurs. I think the time is right, you know, because we've done that in the IT services space before. As Quick Heal, were playing our part in giving direction to young entrepreneurs who want to pursue their ambition towards building security solutions not just for India but the world, Salvi concluded. HIGHLIGHTS Samsung is reportedly working on four cameras including 440-megapixel HU1 sensor. Revegnus also added a new camera sensor with 320-megapixels. The 50-megapixel ISOCELL GN6 might not be used in Samsung phones, but in Chinese smartphones. Samsung has been reportedly working on some new camera sensors for its upcoming devices. The South-Korean company is in the process of developing four camera sensors, and one of them is a huge 440-megapixel HU1 sensor. Samsung has announced its first 200-megapixel sensor in this years flagship model, the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Now will the company come out with something different next year ? Well this information has not been announced officially yet, but as always there are rumours. However, the 440-megapixel HU1 sensor might or might not be intended for smartphones. A tipster known as Revegnus has shared these details on X (Twitter). He added that Samsung is working on four camera sensors that are a 50-megapixel ISOCELL GN6, a 320-megapixel unnamed sensor, a 200-megapixel HP7 sensor, and a 440-megapixel HU1 sensor. Here are the specifications of these sensors. Also read: Samsung Galaxy S24 to feature Titanium Alloy and a bigger 50MP Telephoto sensor: More details tipped The tipster didnt reveal much about the 440-megapixel HU1 sensor but suggested that it might not be for smartphones. Interestingly, in the past, Samsung said they were working on a camera like what a human eye sees, with very high quality. This 440-megapixel part could be related to that idea. Revegnus also added a new camera sensor with 320-megapixels. This big sensor could be featured in Samsungs smartphones in future. Also, Mediatek Dimensity 9200 chip can work with cameras like this, so it's possible this camera part could be used in that kind of smartphone. Next up, there was a plan to use a 200-megapixels HP7 sensor with 0.7 microns in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. But the sensor would be costly, so the plan was dropped. If compared, then this sensor comes with larger pixels than the one in Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Also read: Samsung Galaxy S24+ appears more powerful than its precursor as per alleged Geekbench scores The 50-megapixel ISOCELL GN6 might not be used in Samsung phones, but in Chinese smartphones. HIGHLIGHTS The upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC is said to use TSMC's 4nm process. Xiaomi 14 series is expected to debut in China by November. Xiaomi 14 series might launch with two models: the standard one and the Pro model. Xiaomi is said to be in the process of developing its upcoming flagship series, the Xiaomi 14 series smartphones. A famous tipster, Digital Chat Station, has revealed a glimpse of the launch timeline for these smartphones. The smartphone is also expected to roll out with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and could launch this year in China as well. Apart from that, the Xiaomi 14 series might launch with two models: the standard one and the Pro model. Also read: Forget Xiaomi 13, next flagship may be dubbed Xiaomi 14 series: Heres why Qualcomms annual Tech Summit event is scheduled from October 24 to October 26 in Maui, Hawaii. The most awaited Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset could roll out in this event. According to Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 14 series phones are likely to be the first devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. These phones are expected to debut in China by November. The upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC is said to use TSMC's 4nm process. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 recently spotted on Geekbench in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus for testing, and in result, it gave 2723 points in single-core and 7525 points in multi-core. Digital Chat Station has also tipped some specifications of the vanilla Xiaomi 14 smartphone. It will reportedly be equipped with a 50-megapixel primary sensor of a larger 1/1.28 inch sensor than the 50-megapixel 1/1.49 inch sensor on the Xiaomi 13. Along with that, the smartphone is tipped to feature a telephoto sensor with 3.9x optical zoom, accompanied by a design with thin display bezels. Additionally, a previous leak revealed a 4860mAh battery for the Xiaomi 14. Also read: The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is the best portrait camera phone on the market now, heres why Fast charging will be fast, as the smartphone is tipped to support 90-watt wired fast charging and 50-watt fast wireless charging. Global and Chinese variants of the device have been identified through IMEI certification by model numbers 23127PN0CC and 23127PN0CG. The codename for the vanilla Xiaomi 14 is "Houji." The Xiaomi 14 Pro is speculated to feature a 5000mAh battery, supporting 90-watt/120-watt wired fast charging and 50-watt wireless charging. Xiaomi could launch the smartphones with both flat and curved panel options. IMEI listings for the Xiaomi 14 Pro indicate model numbers 23116PN5BC and 23116PN5BG. This Pro model is tipped to include WLG High-Lens sensors. Lastly, there's speculation that the Chinese brand might introduce the new MIUI 15 along with the Xiaomi 14 series smartphones. In China's battle for AI, Huawei hands in its results first while Xiaomi's LLM evaluation is revealed Xiaomi recently revealed its LLM for the first time. Data from evaluation platforms C-Eval and CMMLU is revealed as well. Chinese smartphone brands are joining the LLM race one after the other. Huawei's smart voice assistant "Celia" has already launched, and Xiaomei just had an impressive debut. The AI battle among Chinese mobile phone makers seems to be on the horizon. After Huawei, Oppo, and Meizu gave up on self-developed smartphone chips, it appears that smartphone makers are shifting their focus on the LLM generative AI trend. They are engaging in a new battle to push generative AI to the consumer market and allow consumers to experience this new technology on their mobile end devices. Chinese smartphone brands like Xiaomi have previously disclosed their plans and progress in the LLM sector. Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun and president William Lu have publically discussed Xiaomi's LLM and related strategies several times. Recently, evaluation platforms C-Eval and CMMLU released scoring data for Xiaomi's LLM "MiLM-6B." Xiaomi's description of MiLM-6B on GitHub states that "MiLM-6B is a large-scale, pre-trained language model developed by Xiaomi. It has 6.4 billion parameters." C-Eval and CMMLU are more well-recognized names in the field of Chinese LLM benchmark testing. They primarily assess the comprehensive knowledge reserves and language understanding capabilities of LLMs in the Chinese language domain. In C-Eval's evaluations, MiLM-6B had an average score of 60.2, ranking tenth in the overall list and first in the same parameter level. It even ranked ahead of Alibaba Cloud's Tongyi Qianwen. In CMMLU's evaluations, MiLM-6B had average scores of 57.17 in Five-shot testing and 60.37 in Zero-shot testing. In April 2023, Lei Jun wrote a post stating that Xiaomi would embrace large model technology. Later, during a conference call, Lu announced that the company had already established an AI lab large model team, consisting of over 1,200 professionals in the AI sector. Lu once stated that Xiaomi won't do general large models like OpenAI but would instead combine them with the company's business to generate results through technology. Industry analysis believes that Xiaomi's LLM is expected to be applied to various scenarios, such as the smart personal assistant Xiao Ai, the mobile OS MIUI, smart cockpits, IoT, and robots. As for Honor, CEO George Zhao mentioned at the Shanghai MWC that Honor has been collaborating with network service providers for its LLM demands. As of now, Baidu's ERNIE Bot, Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen, and iFLYTEK's Spark are all LLM models launched by major internet and AI companies. Thus, seeking external collaborations will likely be Honor's approach. As for Oppo, its team behind the "Breeno" smart voice assistant continues to conduct R&D for generative AI technologies. In April 2023, Alibaba Cloud announced that it's joining forces with Oppo's AndesBrain to build Oppo's LLM infrastructure. Tongyi Qianwen will be used as the foundation to complete the learning, fine-tuning, and front-end engineering for the LLM, creating an AI service for Oppo's end devices. Whether it's Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, or Oppo, Chinese smartphone brands are all expanding their IoT plans. The smart voice assistant has become the key entry point to link together all the equipment. Brands must incorporate LLM through voice assistants and then rapidly spread it to their entire software/hardware ecosystems. Huawei appears to have taken an early lead, as its Celia smart voice assistant is already connected to its Pangu Model. It can write article summaries, send meeting invitations through email, and create personalized designs using photos. A handout image taken from police bodycam footage released by Cheshire Constabulary police force in Manchester on Aug. 17, shows the nurse Lucy Letby being arrested at home in Chester on July 3, 2018. AFP-Yonhap A former neonatal nurse who killed seven babies in her care and tried to kill six others at a hospital in northern England was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of release by a judge who highlighted "the cruelty and calculation" of her actions. Lucy Letby, who refused to appear in court to face grieving parents who spoke of their anger and anguish, was given the most severe sentence possible under British law, which does not allow the death penalty. Justice James Goss said that the number of killings and attempts and the nature of the murders by a neonatal nurse entrusted with care for the most fragile babies provided the "exceptional circumstances" required to impose a so-called "whole-life order," which is exceptionally rare. "There was a malevolence bordering on sadism in your action," Goss said. "During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing. You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors." Following 22 days of deliberation, a jury at Manchester Crown Court convicted Letby, 33, of killing the babies over a yearlong period that saw her prey on the vulnerabilities of sick newborns and their anxious parents. The victims died in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England between June 2015 and June 2016. "I don't think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her and everything she went through over her short life was deliberately done by someone who was supposed to protect her and help her come home where she belonged," the mother of a girl identified as Child I said in a statement read in court. Prosecutor Nicholas Johnson said Letby deserved a "whole-life tariff" for "sadistic conduct" and premeditated crimes. Defense lawyer Ben Myers said Letby maintained her innocence and that there was nothing he could add that would be able to reduce her sentence. Letby's absence, which is allowed in British courts during sentencing, fueled anger from the families of the victims, who wanted her to listen to statements about the devastation caused by her crimes. "You thought it was your right to play God with our children's lives," the mother of twins, one of whom was murdered and the other whom Letby tried to kill, said in a statement to the court. Politicians and victim advocates have called for changes in the law to force criminals to appear for sentencing after several high-profile convicts chose not to face their victims in recent months. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who called the crimes "shocking and harrowing," said his government would bring forward in "due course" its plan to require convicts to attend their sentencings. "It's cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims and hear first-hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones," Sunak said. During Letby's 10-month trial, prosecutors said that in 2015 the hospital started to see a significant rise in the number of babies who were dying or suffering sudden declines in their health for no apparent reason. Some suffered "serious catastrophic collapses" but survived after help from medical staff. Letby was on duty in all of the cases, with prosecutors describing her as a "constant malevolent presence" in the neonatal unit when the children collapsed or died. The nurse harmed babies in ways that were difficult to detect, and she persuaded colleagues that their collapses and deaths were normal, they said. Senior doctors said over the weekend that they had raised concerns about Letby as early as October 2015 and that children might have been saved if managers had taken their concerns seriously. Dr. Stephen Brearey, head consultant at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit, told the Guardian newspaper that deaths could arguably have been avoided as early as February 2016 if executives had "responded appropriately" to an urgent meeting request from concerned doctors. Letby was finally removed from frontline duties in late June of 2016. She was arrested at her home in July 2018. An independent inquiry will be conducted into what happened at the hospital and how staff and management responded to the spike in deaths. (AP) Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. India roundup: Foxconn speeds up Indian expansion Over the past week, a series of developments and rumors regarding Foxconn's investments in India have occurred. Global PC and notebook manufacturers are closely watching if India will recosider implementing its import restrictions on computers. Foxconn ready to expand Apple products manufacturing and other investments in India After Foxconn Group subsidiary Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT) announced a capital injection of US$400 million to its Indian subsidiary, Young Liu, the group's chairman, said the company plans to set up key consumer electronics component assembly and EV components lines in India. Meanwhile, Foxconn reportedly begins making iPhone 15 in India, and FIT may produce AirPods for Apple in its Telangana facility. India produced 2 billion handsets in 8 years Counterpoint's data shows that mobile phones made in India grew at a CAGR of 23% between 2014 and 2022, with cumulative production reaching 2 billion units for the period. Import restrictions expected to reverse falling shipments in India's PC market According to IDC's market tracker, 3.2 million PCs, including desktops, notebooks, and workstations, shipped in India in the second quarter of 2023, down 5.9% quarter-on-quarter and 15.3% year-on-year, the fourth consecutive fall in the Indian PC market. Tata cements its dominance in India's EV market According to Canalys, 2 million light vehicles were sold in India in the first half of 2023, among which 48,000 were EVs, with Tata Motors accounting for 72% of India's EV market. Hyundai signed agreement to acquire GM's facility in India Hyundai and General Motors signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the latter's facility in Talegaon, Maharashtra. The plant has an annual production capacity of 130,000 units. Combined with Hyundai's other India-based facilities in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, Hyundai is expected to expand its Indian production capacity to one million a year. Ola Electric unveils affordable E2Ws to solidify market share Ola Electric, India's largest electric two-wheeler (E2W) brand by sales, unveiled three S1X models, which are priced in the range of INR89,999 and 109,999, aiming to attract more ICE scooter owners to switch to electric models with competitive price tags. Weekly news roundup: China is 5 generations behind US and other top stories These are the most-read news stories in the week of August 14-18, 2023 on DIGITIMES Asia website: Top Chinese equipment supplier: China is 5 gen behind in chip manufacturing due to US sanctions The United States and its allies have been obstructing the development of China's semiconductor industry, often citing national security reasons. However, the founder, chairman, and CEO of China's Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC), Gerald Yin argues that the true intentions of the US government have become evident since then, leading to China falling behind by at least five generations in semiconductor chip manufacturing technology. Leading Chinese scholar Wei Shaojun proposes new chip architecture for AI applications At a time when China's tech companies are frantically scrambling for Nvidia's high-end GPU chips to catch generative AI business opportunities, Wei Shaojun, a professor at Tsinghua University and an academician at the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, emphasized at Intel's 2023 China Academic Summit that future AI technology needs to start from the end application. He proposed a new chip architecture that the semiconductor industry in China is pursuing today, which not only requires strong software programmability but also strong hardware programmability. Qualcomm rumored to cut staff in Taiwan Amid the continued sluggish market, leading IC design company Qualcomm emphasized further cost control during this quarter's financial report meeting and said that it has presented a new layoff plan to the local US government. There are rumors on the internet that a company "Q" will be laying off 200 employees in its Taiwan office, and the company is said to be Qualcomm. Departments rumored to be affected are mainly product engineering, testing, and validation. Taiwanese DDI suppliers may turn to Chinese foundries for cost reasons Display driver IC (DDI) suppliers continue to be under pressure to reduce chip prices, and cost considerations may send them turning to Chinese pure-play foundries that can offer significantly lower manufacturing prices than their Taiwanese counterparts, according to industry sources. FIT injects US$400 million into Indian subsidiary Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT), a subsidiary of Foxconn Group, announced a capital injection to its Indian subsidiary, as Foxconn Group has been scaling up its Indian investments in mobile phones, semiconductors, and EV manufacturing. JCET, Tongfu and Huawei partaking Chinese effort to strengthen chiplet technology Chiplet technology has become increasingly crucial for China's semiconductor industry, and it will likely be a core driver for China to reduce reliance on foreign technology. In the past two years, many technology companies have begun investing in this field, and some enterprises have already achieved mass production. Chinese automakers secure SiC power modules to narrow BYD's lead Car manufacturers have long been investing in building up their automotive chip supply chain, and the power module sector has been attracting major investment from them. Automakers in China are trying to secure their access to power modules by collaborating with silicon carbide compound semiconductor (SiC) product providers, so as to catch up with BYD, the electrical automotive giant with the capability of producing batteries and IGBT/SiC key components. Chinese chip import substitution mired in internal competition as industry leader lambastes US sanctions In response to the escalating US bans, Gerald Yin, a prominent figure in China's semiconductor equipment industry, has finally spoken out. Yin, who had spent an extended period in the US and held high positions in semiconductor companies there, criticized the US sanctions against China and stated that they are groundless and will yield unfavorable outcomes. Despite the favorable trend toward domestic equipment substitution in China, it has also led to unprecedented competition. Yin openly discussed the severe internal competition within the domestic equipment sector, resulting in harmful competition obstructing industry development. This includes illegally obtaining competitors' trade secrets and copying their products. Companies are involved in both chip manufacturing and equipment development, leading to counterfeiting of suppliers' equipment. Huawei rumored to be testing 5G chip and SoC, targeting flagship handset market As Huawei's Executive Director and CEO of the Consumer Business Group, Richard Yu, loudly declared in early August that "Huawei's flagship smartphones are making a comeback," the announcement has led to speculations of Huawei's imminent return to 5G smartphone market. Furthermore, Chinese media previously quoted industry sources indicating that Huawei's 5G smartphones are expected to start shipping around the end of 2023, with the earliest possible launch in October. All these indications seem to suggest that Huawei's return to the 5G smartphone market is on the horizon. Samsung SDI reportedly to build South Korea's first LFP battery plant South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI will likely build the country's first LFP battery plant in its Ulsan production base, according to local media reports. However, as CATL and other leading China-based battery companies launch their next-generation products, South Korean manufacturers have faced more challenges entering the LFP battery market. Business Korea reported that industry and government sources said Samsung SDI is discussing with the Ulsan City Government a plan to produce LFP batteries in the area. The company will set up its first LFP battery factory in South Korea if the plan comes through. Sources from Samsung SDI told Business Korea that the company has yet to decide whether it will make LFP batteries for EVs or energy storage systems (ESS). It will take more time to finalize the investment. Ulsan is the designated special cluster for national advanced strategic industries focusing on rechargeable batteries. Therefore, Samsung SDI has been actively planning to expand its local production base. The company primarily makes batteries for EVs and ESSs with a production capacity of 10GWh. South Korean industry sources said demand for the cost-competitive LFP batteries is spiking thanks to the ongoing EV price war and the increasing renewable energy market. Chinese battery makers like CATL have seen their market share increase. South Korea-based LG Energy Solutions, Samsung SDI and SK On also have accelerated LFP battery development because they realize they will need products other than high-nickel ternary batteries to rival Chinese competitors in the long term. LGES plans to start mass-producing LFP batteries for ESSs within 2023, while SK On unveiled an LFP prototype for EVs in March. Samsung SDI, which depends on its high-added-value products, also said it will expand its LFP portfolio. Simultaneously, China-based companies are introducing new technologies to the market to maintain their leading position in LFP battery expertise. For example, CATL just announced Shenxing, an LFP battery enabling superfast charging. The company claimed the battery can support a driving range of 400km with a 10-minute charge. If the next-generation battery is commercialized in the first quarter of 2024 as expected, it will set a much higher technical bar for South Korean battery makers who are late to the LFP segment. A man charged with possessing documents following a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach will appear in court on Monday. PSNI said the 50-year-old, who has been charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists and possession of articles for use in terrorism, will appear at Coleraine Magistrates Court. Personal data on all serving members of the PSNI was published earlier this month following an error by a junior member of staff in response to a Freedom of Information request. Details released included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in. A 50 year old man has been charged by detectives investigating criminality linked to last weeks freedom of information data breach. pic.twitter.com/JonSJvNjyq Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) August 19, 2023 Chief Constable Simon Byrne confirmed last week that dissident republicans had access to the information and he believed it would be used to intimidate and target police. A document posted close to the Sinn Fein office in the Falls Road, Belfast, included information about a substantial number of police officers and staff, although their names had been removed. Multiple data breaches have come to light, including the loss of a police officers laptop and notebook which contained details of 42 officers and members of staff after the items fell from a moving vehicle. A 39-year-old man detained in relation to the breach following a search in Lurgan, Co Armagh on Wednesday has been released on bail. THE beach was busy, the water was calm, and the deep fat fryers were bubbling on the evening I met Shane Murphy of The Wild Fish at Garrettstown Beach. I ate crispy gold chunks of juicy haddock with lobster claws and prawns, with the sky merging into the sea as my view. Shane was always fascinated with the sea and at 14 years of age he bought his first boat. It cost me about 400. I saved up money every weekend from mowing lawns and was eventually able to buy one. I used to row out at first with patched up lobster pots until I made a bit of money and was able to buy a bigger boat. Shane Murphy and his old vessel, Aurora Borealis. Shane is originally from Douglas and used to spend his summers in Garrettstown at his familys holiday home. He would look to the sea and it gave him inspiration to go fishing. He used to go out with the local fisherman, who taught him all the tricks of the trade. Shane progressed into a professional fisherman and could easily work up to 40 hours in three days. A far cry from a regular 9-5 profession, working 12 hours or more is the norm for a fisherman. Like any job with those long days, its a lot easier if you love it! I loved fishing! I wanted to leave school and start fishing but the father made sure I got the Leaving Cert, so once I completed school I started fishing. One time we were out 98 miles from the Old Head, it was in the middle of the night and the forecast was bad. I remember looking out and seeing the swell way up over the boat. Once we landed and I was walking home, the wind was blowing me up the hill. Once I made it home I remember thinking, thank God for that! Another time, years ago, we were returning from a trip beyond Fastnet and the swell was so big the lighthouse disappeared behind each wave! Then, only a few weeks ago I just did a lovely trip around Fastnet with a pint of Guinness. A different experience altogether! Shane laughed. Shane Murphy in his younger days as a fisherman in his oil skins. Shane lived the fisherman life for 35 years, with a stint of fishing abroad on the East Coast of the U.S too. He spent upwards of three to four days at sea sometimes. If youre busy, youre hauling and youre kept going, but other times you could be quiet and you could relax with a cup of tea. There was a kitchenette on board where Shane could prepare full dinners of spuds and meat too. He was always a handy cook, which proved to be helpful later on in life. Shane owned six boats during his time as a fisherman. Aurora Borealis was bought from Scotland and when he went to buy it, he could see the Northern Lights, hence the naming of his boat after that skylight spectacle. He returned through the Caledonia Canal and through the different deep loughs of Scotland, including Lough Ness, which was a great experience. Shane still goes lobster potting part-time on his boat Aibh Ciaran, named after his kids, but he doesnt do the long-days or multiple days at sea anymore. I enjoy catching the lobster, the days would be about seven or eight hours and its not too hard. The perfect marriage of fish and chips at the beach. Picture: Richard Gordon. Around the east side of the Old Head is where I have the pots, and its where I did most of my fishing as well. Its where I used to catch the salmon as youd get them going up the Blackwater and the Lee. You cant fish salmon any more though. Smaller salmon seem to have been overfished way up north, which depleted the Irish populations. Shane has always enjoyed cooking and in 2014 he received a grant from Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) to start his food truck, The Wild Fish. His first day of trading was in the car park in Kinsale. His truck can be found at various spots, but the Archdeacon Duggan Bridge or The Bridge in Kinsale are his bread and butter and where he can be found most Sundays. He can also be spotted at Garrettstown Beach and Belgooly. Mike McCarthy, a close friend, has worked with Shane for 17 years and has made the career transition to fish and chips chef along with Shane. He wasnt sure at first but is all trained up with the HACCP now, said Shane. Shane is also a musician and plays regularly in Kinsale and Clonakilty with his band, Packing Up The Day Job. He plays the whistle, the bodhran and the guitar. Squeezing lemon drops over lobster claws, at The Wild Fish, food truck. Picture: Richard Gordon. His full-time fishing chapter has closed and now hes a part-time fisherman, chef, musician, and a full-time family man to his partner, Deirdre, and his four kids, Aaron, Ciaran, Aibhlinn, and Aoife. To try Shanes menu of fresh fish, calamari, scampi, and lobster, find out where you can catch him, on his social media @thewildfishfoodtruckkinsale. Show Me The Science, by Professor Luke ONeill (Gill Books 19.99) BY asking questions, says Professor Luke ONeill, we come to understand the world and our place in it. The immunologist, Trinity professor of biochemistry, and author of The Great Irish Science Book poses a series of questions for young readers to consider, such as: Do we have control over our lives? Why do we do things that are bad for us? Why do we believe in things we cant see? Whats the difference between men and women? And are we alone in the universe? Before we can answer such questions, he cautions, we need experiments, data, statistics and a lot of thought, in order to strip away the fantasy, through testing and retesting, arguing and debating, deleting and changing. Applying this scientific approach to the question of how much control we have over our lives, Prof ONeill examines how what we perceive to be free will may be influenced by our genetic make-up, our upbringing and environment, and even by infection by the parasite toxoplasma, which he says affects 7% of Irish people and can make men less risk-averse and women more outgoing. Then theres the influence of adverts, whose power has increased along with our dependence on technology. Warning readers about the amount of information we unwittingly reveal by using social media, he says algorithms can learn from this information and use it to manipulate you. Show Me The Science by Luke O'Neill is out August 31. Noting its importance for elections and democracy, he explains the process in chicken-and-egg terms. For example, a website knows that you spend all day searching for omelette recipes. The algorithm sends you ads for a political party that says they will give everyone a free chicken. You decide to vote for them because, hey, more eggs means more omelettes! Though he does not claim to have a ready solution, being aware of this problem is the first step towards tackling it, and he advises: If youre being shown an ad for something, its worth thinking about why youre seeing it. Far from exercising free will in decision-making, the bottom line, says Prof ONeill, is that we are letting the little machines that we carry around in our pocket control our lives. As an immunologist who was a prominent commentator during the Covid pandemic, Prof ONeill returns to the topic of online influence in a question close to his heart: Should we all get vaccinated? He takes aim at vaccine misinformation, which can spread like wildfire on the internet, and tells readers: You probably have an uncle or second cousin who thinks that vaccines are the root of all evil. That they contain microchips, or cause cancer, or somehow give you better phone reception. In somewhat glib fashion, he suggests to young people that the best solution to this problem may be to delete Facebook from the phone of the offending relative, who wont know how to reinstall it and will have to ask you for help. For answers to his question regarding why we do things that are bad for us, Prof ONeill looks to chemical and behavioural addictions and again points the finger at social media as a chief cause of smartphone addiction, as well as contributing to the epidemic of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders among teenagers. Though Show Me The Science, released on August 31, certainly does not have all the answers to the questions it poses, on issues ranging from mental health to climate change and alien activity, it does provide a starting point from which curious minds may go on to consider such topics in greater depth by learning to separate fact from fiction. Emily Calandrelli encourages young readers to Stay Curious And Keep Exploring (Chronicle Prism 25.20) in a collection of 50 science experiments utilising readily-available materials. The Netflix host of Emilys Wonder Lab introduces children to the science behind fizzy rockets that shoot into the air and self-imploding cans that demonstrate why astronauts need to wear such bulky space suits Try making your own invisible ink, see if your ears pop with the air pressure of an egg in a bottle, or make a mini vortex blaster with a balloon, to discover how wind is created. Some simple, others requiring adult assistance, the experiments in this compendium are designed to entertain while inviting children to construct and test out a hypothesis, learning to think like a scientist along the way. AUDIENCES will have the chance to experience Michael Collins last day through virtual reality technology thanks to the video production company, Wombat Media. The production company will present Michael Collins: The Ambush at Beal na Blath, a virtual reality documentary, in Clonakilty Library on Tuesday, August 22, marking the 101st anniversary of Collins assassination. Tim Crowley is an expert on Collins and founder of the Michael Collins Centre Museum, Clonakilty. He runs tours on Collins history, which last approximately four hours. The VR documentary condenses Crowleys tour to 13 minutes and focuses on the events surrounding Collins last day. Dave Slowo and Ciara Buckley run Wombat Media, a production company based in Cork. Buckley, who is from Castletownshend, met Slowo from Melbourne when they both worked in television in Central Australia and, since relocating to Cork, have made numerous documentaries about Corks history. The couple specialises in virtual reality, and Buckley says it was an exciting challenge to create a snapshot of Collins to mark his anniversary. We have worked in virtual reality for a few years; our first VR presentation was about Cape Clear, and we made it for the county council. Since then, we have produced quite a few, mostly focusing on local history. For this, we used a VR camera that films 360 degrees. We filmed Tim talking at multiple locations connected to Collins, which we edited with special software. Most people have watched VR videos on YouTube, but they dont have the same impact as using a headset which the audience can do next Tuesday. You can turn around when you wear the headset, giving a fully immersive experience. Michael Collins. Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images The documentary briefly introduces Collins before virtually taking viewers to places like The Michael Collins Centre Museum and Beal na Blath. There are several chances to take part in the VR on Tuesday, and the 4pm showing will be attended by the mayor of Cork, Kieran McCarthy, who is due to give a speech, Corks heritage officer, Conor Nelligan, and the star of the documentary, Tim Crowley. The screenings take place in the library, tomorrow from 11am 5pm. Booking through Eventbrite.ie CARRIGALINE teenager Claudia Carroll and her pony Knightsbridge Jack enjoyed their first experience of competing in the Connemara Classes at the RDS earlier this month. Although they did not place, the opportunity to compete at the Dublin Horse Show was amazing she said and she hopes to return next year. The Carrigaline Community School student added: The experience was amazing for me and Jack. If we get to the second time around, he will be used to the noise and the atmosphere. Claudia and Jack earned their place by finishing in the top 20 in the Connemara Classes during the qualifying stage earlier in the year. They faced stiff competition in Dublin as Jack was judged on a range of factors including good temperament, intelligence, soundness and their suitability for a child or adult. Claudias mother Harriet Murphy is overjoyed with their performance. They looked impeccable in attire and top-class tack for Jack, right from his long tail to his mane to his gleaming coat to his new shoes and plaited brow band stood out. A PETITION has been handed in to Cork City Council highlighting the impact of road closures on people in the Knocknaheeny/Hollyhill area. It comes as Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould has called on the local authority to review the process that saw several road closures receive approval in recent weeks. From Irish Water to Apple to the North West Regeneration team, each of these road closures are completely necessary and important for vital work to go ahead, Mr Gould said. We absolutely recognise this but there are serious questions about whether all of them needed to happen at the same time. However, this has caused disruption, Mr Gould added. There appears to have been no strategic planning for these closures and instead each application was approved on its own merit. A timeline should have been drawn up to allow for these works to go ahead smoothly and avoid the huge disruptions caused by the various road closures. Coordinating road closures will help to ensure that people follow diversions and that traffic can move safely around the city. Cork City Council needs to review these decisions and ensure that this doesnt happen again, Mr Gould added. City North West councillor Mick Nugent said he and his party colleague, councillor Kenneth Collins, along with other representatives, met with residents of Ascension Heights recently. We have handed in a petition to council as the impact of these road closures on them has been really significant, Mr Nugent said. We are hopeful this will be resolved but I think in future, any disruption or plans in the area should include consultation with the regeneration team. It is a huge project happening in the heart of Knocknaheeny and the team should be aware of other plans for the area. Meanwhile, Mr Collins said: I have written to the construction company, regeneration team, and other councillors requesting a meeting to discuss how the closure of Harbour View Road over the coming months can be handled. It is vital that we all sit down together and come up with a plan to avoid disruption as much as possible. In a statement to The Echo, a spokesperson for Cork City Council said: We acknowledge that essential infrastructure works are being undertaken at this time in the Knocknaheeny-Hollyhill area. Cork City Council continues to liaise with the contractors involved to minimise disruption to traffic. We would like to thank the local residents for their co-operation and understanding at this time while the works are being completed. CORK City Council spent more than 4.5m on IT equipment and support in 2021 and 2022, The Echo can reveal. Information obtained from the local authority shows that Cork City Council spent around 1.9m on IT equipment and support in 2021, along with a further 2.6m in 2022. A spokesperson for the local authority explained that some of this expenditure went towards combating the threat of cyber attacks. The local authority also spent around 340,000 on remote working costs to allow staff to work from home between the start of 2020 and the end of 2022. With the Covid-19 pandemic arriving in Ireland in early 2020, many workforces adopted a work from home approach. To facilitate this, Cork City Council spent around 185,000 in 2020, along with a further 99,000 in 2021 and 54,000 in 2022. Speaking about the more than 4.5m spent on IT equipment and support, a spokesperson for Cork City Council explained that 2021 and 2022 were busy years for Cork City Council as the organisation continued on its digital transformation journey. New online services were added to over 20 websites, new public wi-fi schemes, remote working was implemented and a councillor portal was launched. As organisations undergo this digital transformation, the threat from cyber incidents continues to increase and expenditure on both prevention measures, staff awareness and incident management have also increased. Speaking to The Echo, Labour Local Area Rep Peter Horgan, called for this expenditure information, and other information, to be made readily available to the people of Cork without the need for media queries or Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Local authorities in this day and age need to push an adequate digital policy that serves citizens and workers in City Hall, he said. What I would like to see is a merger of IT with transparency directives and a creation of a hub where all spending and issues are published proactively for the city to interrogate without the need for FOI requests. This data should range from housing repairs, maintenance of roads and footpaths, to the contracts entered into for big projects such as the Events Centre and BusConnects. The model I would suggest examining is based on the South Bend Transparency Hub in Indiana in the United States, Mr Horgan added. The Executive Order to create an open data hub was signed by then Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is now Secretary of Transportation in the Biden Administration. The hub was re-kitted in 2020 and it serves as a standard hub for submitting requests by members of the public, but also allows the public to see stats held by the city on issues ranging from crime statistics to traffic calming measures. A pro-active digital freedom local authority approach here in Cork would negate the time spent on Freedom of Information requests in the long term by local authorities. By publishing data in a format that is easy to use and for all to see and engage with, you foster more local democracy engagement outside of and within the election cycles at local level. The two athletes who died taking part in the 1.9km swim discipline during the 70.3km Ironman event in Youghal on Sunday have been maned locally as Ivan Chittendon from Toronto and Brendan Wall, who is originally from Co Meath but was living in Solihull in the UK. Post mortems are due to be carried out today. Gardai confirmed yesterday that one of the deceased was in his 60s and one was in his 40s. The Ironman 70.3 event, due to take place in Youghal on Saturday, was postponed due to the aftermath of Storm Betty and moved to Sunday. The two men were among several thousand participants who entered the water in Youghal on Sunday morning, with the full Ironman race also taking place. Ironman Ireland said that they were deeply saddened to confirm the death of two race participants at the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023. During the swim portion of Sundays race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance, a statement read. We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance. Fine Gael councillor Sinead Sheppard was among the thousands of spectators who turned out to support the some 3,000 athletes for what should have been a happy day for all involved. Ms Sheppard, whose husband Eamonn was competing in the half triathlon, said the atmosphere completely changed as word got around about the tragedies. Word was getting around during the race, she told The Echo. People were wondering if either of the men were their own loved ones. They were asking have I seen him in the race?, Is he on the bike? Is it somebody that I know? It is unbelievable and terrible. Everybody is in complete shock. "Its just such a tragedy on what should have been such an amazing day for Cork East. To have two fatalities like that is just such a tragedy. I was saying to my own mother that none of us ever think this will be us. However, this could be any of us here with a competitor in the race, Ms Sheppard continued. She extended her condolences to the families of those who died during this difficult time. 'Deepest Sympathies' Cork County Council also issued a statement in response to the tragedies yesterday. Cork County Council is deeply saddened over the tragic loss of two race participants during the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023 event in Youghal. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the athletes at this incredibly difficult time. "Our thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we are currently offering every assistance required to the Ironman Group and all those impacted. We wish to express our gratitude to the response agencies involved, including our dedicated Fire and Emergency personnel, for their unwavering efforts during this this difficult time. Meanwhile, Youghal RNLI, who provided assistance to one of the victims, released a statement in relation to the incident. They said they were diverted from a training exercise in Youghal Harbour on Sunday morning at approximately 8am after receiving a call for immediate assistance by a safety boat supporting a sporting event. The volunteer lifeboat crew arrived at the location within minutes and a casualty who had been taken from the water by the safety boat team was transferred to the lifeboat. The lifeboat immediately proceeded to the events designated Medical Extraction Point, where the casualty was transferred to the care of local Coast Guard and medical personnel. PEOPLE from all corners of Cork will converge at Fountainstown for the 'Swim with Gaza' event next weekend. The event, held on August 26, is held in conjunction with the Gaza Swimming Carnival, a swimming festival which takes place every year in Gaza, Palestine. Israel's repeated bombing of Gaza has left much of its infrastructure destroyed, with only an intermittent power supply and with fresh water in short supply. For children in Gaza, many of whom have suffered the trauma of war, there are very few facilities in which to play and enjoy a normal childhood. The children of Gaza do, fortunately, have the sea on their doorstep, and with the help of a dedicated team of local volunteers, many young people in Gaza are accomplished swimmers. It has now become customary for people all around the world to join Gaza's swimmers for a solidarity swim on August 26, and this year will be no different. From Brazil to South Africa and Europe to Palestine itself, people will be taking to the water in a global act of solidarity with the people of Gaza. Nedaa Yousef, one of the event organisers, explained: "This is a great opportunity for the people of Cork to reach across the waters and connect with Palestinians in an act of shared humanity and joy." The Cork event gets underway in Fountainstown at 3pm. People can swim, splash around for a while or simply dip their toes in the water in solidarity with the people of Gaza. This will be a fun event with family and friends welcome, while all those taking part in the swim will have the free use of a mobile sauna. Participation in the event is free but people are advised to book a free ticket through Eventbrite in order to avail of the sauna. FINANCE MINISTER Michael McGrath has expressed his condolences to the families of the two competitors who died taking part in the Ironman event in Youghal on Sunday and said it is important that the full facts of what happened are ascertained. Mr McGrath made the comments while speaking to reporters in Cork on Monday. Its a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the families of the two persons who tragically lost their life in Youghal yesterday [on Sunday], he said, reflecting on the double tragedy at the sporting event. I know that Ironman Ireland will, of course, be carrying out their own investigation to establish the full circumstances of what happened and of course the postmortems will take place today [Monday] and that will feed into the coroners court hearing eventually into this but its a terrible, terrible tragedy. Its clear that the conditions were particularly challenging in the water from reading the testimony from many of the other participants but its just a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the families. The two men died in separate incidents on Sunday morning during the swim portion of the popular event. They were later named locally as Ivan Chittenden from Toronto and Brendan Wall, who is originally from Co Meath but was living in Solihull in the UK. Postmortems were due to be carried out on Monday. Gardai confirmed on Sunday that one of the deceased was in his 60s while the other was in his 40s. Minister McGrath said: Its a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the families of the two persons who tragically lost their life in Youghal yesterday." Speaking in Cork on Monday, Mr McGrath said it is important that any questions following the two fatalities are comprehensively answered. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the families who must be in a terrible state of shock and in mourning at this time. But, of course, when two people lose their life in circumstances such as this, it is important that the full facts of what happened are established and that any questions that are being asked are comprehensively answered, so I have no doubt the organisers of the event will conduct a comprehensive investigation into what happened. Cork County Council is a lead sponsor of the event and I have no doubt that they will want a full account of what happened as well and it may well be the case that Water Safety Ireland will also be asking questions and wish to fully understand the facts and the circumstances of what happened, he said. In a statement on Sunday confirming the deaths of the two participants, Ironman Ireland expressed their sympathies to the families of the men who died. During the swim portion of Sundays race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance. We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time, the statement said. We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance. A man who was charged following a 4.2m cocaine seizure in Cork has appealed for bail to set up a business to support his young family. Gentjan Dodaj, aged 39, of Paradise Rd, Athlone, Co Westmeath, an Albanian national, told Cork District Court that he was applying for bail to finish setting up a business to provide for his pregnant partner and two children. If granted bail, he said he would 1,000,000% turn up in court for his next hearing on the major drugs charge, which could bring a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He accepts theres an inevitable outcome, but he is asking for bail to get his affairs in order, to set up a business to provide for his family in the future, said his solicitor, Shane Collins Daly. Mr Dodaj had been in Ireland for 17 years after first coming to the country as an asylum seeker aged 22 when he lived in direct provision. He is one of three men accused of possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine for sale or supply on August 5 in Richmond, Dunkettle, Co Cork. It is alleged that 60kg of the drug was seized following a major Garda and Revenue Commissioners operation. Mr Dodaj was allegedly asked to go to Cork by people he feared. He said that he was being paid between 4,000 and 6,000 to transport the cocaine. Mr Dodaj said he only did it because he needed the money. If I get bail, I go home, thats it, said Mr Dodaj. I have no crimes, ever. This is my first. 1,000,000% I will turn up [in court]. I will never leave this country. Everyone makes mistakes, and deserves one chance. I deserve one chance. Detective Garda Gavin Curran told the court that Mr Dodaj and two other men were under surveillance when they were observed at a transport storage yard in the Dunkettle area of Cork allegedly removing panels from a container. It is alleged that the men had waited for the container to arrive at the Port of Cork in Ringaskiddy and followed it to the transport storage yard after its legitimate load was removed. Wearing masks and armed with tools including ratchets, the three men then allegedly removed two panels from either side of the container in the early morning of August 5 where three bags of cocaine were allegedly removed from self-made concealment chambers within the panels. The empty panels were then allegedly replaced on the container. The three men were observed by gardai leaving the scene in a transit van and a Ford Mondeo, driving in convoy, with Mr Dodaj, who is seeking bail, driving the car. Three bags of cocaine, weighing some 60kg in total with a street value of around 4.2m were allegedly seized by gardai a short time later from the transit van, found stashed under a seat compartment and in the back of the van. GARDA OBJECTION Gardai objected to bail on multiple grounds, including the seriousness of the crime which, on conviction, could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. As an Albanian national with alleged links to transnational networks, gardai also alleged that Mr Dodaj could be a flight risk. But Mr Collins Daly told the court that his client was applying for bail to finish setting up a car valeting business which had gone further than a notional aspiration. Hes registered the business, obtained insurance and signed a long-term lease, said Mr Collins Daly. Mr Dodaj would be willing to sign on at a garda station twice a day, reside at his home address, obey a curfew, and sign a significant independent surety if granted bail, Mr Collins Daly said. Judge John King denied Mr Dodajs bail application on a number of grounds, including the seriousness of the charge. Mr Dodaj was remanded back to custody and is due before court for Director of Public Prosecution directions on September 4. Another two men were also charged following the 4.2m cocaine seizure, including Mr Dodajs brother, Donatel Dodaj, 22, who the court previously heard had arrived in the State in recent weeks and was staying with his brother. Daniel Afedoaei, 22, a Romanian national, of Sli an Aifrinn in Athlone, was previously remanded in custody in Cork Prison along with Donatel Dodaj until August 28 for DPP directions. The three men are accused of possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine for sale or supply on August 5 in Richmond, Dunkettle, Co Cork. A RECENT opinion article in the UK caused quite a stir online, particularly on Twitter, or X, or whatever it is called these days. The headline mentioned people going to the cinema alone, and prompted a debate about whether this was a good thing which added to the viewing experience, or a bit sad. After reading the full, well-researched article, it was clear to me that the writer was more irritated by the tendency of Millennials (born 1981-1994) and Gen Zs (born 1995-2012) to make everything they do a mini-movie on Instagram, TikTok or whatever social media app they are using, rather than people going to the cinema on their own. The writer was not necessarily criticising people going to the cinema alone, but thats what people on the internet picked up on. In fact, the outrage mainly stemmed from the Tweet that promoted the piece, using a clickbaity tag line that wasnt in the actual piece at all. Anyways, whether you agree with that journalist or not, I think that everybody should try going to the cinema on their own a bit more often. No matter what people may think, it can be one of the most liberating experiences of your adult life. What can seem like the incredibly daunting task of doing something that is not considered to be the social norm, could be the gateway to you enjoying trips to the cinema again, and potentially other solo activities. If you have been thinking about taking the solo cinema plunge recently, but are having second thoughts, let me put your mind at ease. As someone who worked in one of Cork citys cinemas for a number of years, as both a regular worker and a supervisor, nobody who works there cares that you are coming in on your own. We were always happy with the custom, and were thinking about when we were finishing that night or if the chipper would still be open when we were clocking out, rather than what our customers were watching! Also, going along means your choices are now not limited to your friends or partner that are with you. Just the other day, a friend and I planned to see The Meg 2, starring Jason Statham and some CGI shark. Something came up so my friend couldnt make it. Instead of heading home and ending my evening early, I went to see a different movie on my own, a comedy, and laughed out loud with all the happy couples and groups of friends in the same theatre. Thats right - you can literally see whatever you want. Think about it. Have you ever woken up on the Tuesday after a bank holiday slightly rattled, longing for a dark, air-conditioned room and a litre of Coke Zero with some popcorn and snacks? Then go see the rom-com that will make you cry out the last tears of the weekend! And remember, nobody is judging you or cares that you are on your own. They might judge you for the brewery smell coming off you from town on the Bank Holiday, but thats about it! Another advantage of going to the cinema alone - you can sit wherever you want! Obviously, I would recommend still sitting somewhere in the middle of the screen about halfway up the rows of seats (trust me, I worked in a cinema, thats the best spot), but if you want to nestle into the shadows near the back, just pick that seat for yourself. Or if you want to be near the wall for a bit of extra support in emotional movies, pick that seat. The world (or at least the rows of seats) is your oyster. Another plus - you can go t the cinema at whatever time you want. Next time youre in town and youre finished your shopping a bit early, or if you need to kill some time before meeting the crew for a night on the tiles, why not go see an afternoon showing of a new movie? When working the night shift as a doorman in New York a few years ago, I went to a matinee showing of Black 47, the movie about the Irish Famine, at 11am in Midtown Manhattan after no sleep. I had nightmares for weeks but it was my own decision and thats all that matters! If your solo trips to the cinema prove successful, you may find that youll start doing more things on your own, like going to gigs, plays and maybe even concerts yourself. Like the UK article alluded to, theres plenty of accounts on TikTok that document peoples solo (ad)ventures in public. You could easily find some inspiration online, or you could just as easily disregard this article. Going to the cinema with friends and family is brilliant craic, and speaking to someone directly after the movie about what just happened is a lovely pastime. All I will say is to give a solo trip a try, and you may never look back. FACIAL Recognition Technology (FRT) is used widely now and, while it might be controversial, its nothing new. As far back as 1964, the earliest pioneers of facial recognition were trying to get computers to recognise the human face. They took it as far as they could with the technology that was available to them at the time, but their work was an important first step in proving that facial recognition was a viable biometric. Since then, every decade has seen an improvement in how it works and how it is applied in modern society. Like it or not, its here to stay, but not everyone agrees with it. CNN Travel reported some time ago that a female airline passenger was surprised when she boarded a flight in the States without handing over her passport or boarding pass. Facial recognition and biometric technology, which is used in some airports to speed up boarding, and sift out security threats, had checked her out. Instead of scanning her boarding pass, her face was scanned at the airport gate and the machine let her through. She wasnt a happy camper though, and before she even sat down on her seat, she sent a Tweet to the airline, asking them to explain the process. Did facial recognition replace boarding passes, unbeknownst to me? Did I consent to this? she wrote. About 10 minutes later, she received a reply explaining that she could opt out of the process if she preferred and apologised if it made her feel uncomfortable. When I read this, I was surprised that she was so bothered. If the process got her to her seat on the plane faster and easier, then surely that was to be welcomed. We constantly whinge about being delayed getting through airports so I thought this would be a welcome shift, but many replied to her Tweet voicing privacy concerns. They debated the pros and cons of a technology thats becoming omnipresent in airports across the world. Self-service biometric kiosks have been available to passengers in Cyprus airports for the last few of years. You simply place your passport on a screen and look into a camera while it takes a photo. A few seconds later you receive a receipt with your photo attached. You hand that to the border control officer and off you go. I have no idea what he does with my photo, and I couldnt care less either. If this system helps to increase efficiencies, improves passenger experience, and bolsters safety and security, Im all for it. They also have a biometric system in Heathrow, and I have been photographed there many times, and in other airports too, and what they do with the information they collect doesnt keep me awake at night. Most of my personal details exist in their data bases already anyway. They have lots of information about me from my ticket purchase, my passport, and boarding pass, and if taking my photo helps me get from A to B a bit easier, and makes my flight safer, then click away. This conversation is now coming closer to home with the proposed introduction of FRT to our national policing service. Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, is anxious to equip gardai with the technology to enable them to deal with the huge amount of CCTV footage they have to process in criminal investigations. Trawling through hundreds of hours of video footage could be achieved much quicker. Ms McEntee said it will not be live FRT, but will be used for the most serious of crimes like murders, child sexual abuse and abductions. It will enable the force to carry out automated searches of video footage for suspects in criminal investigations, resulting in a huge saving of man hours. The Minister plans to introduce the legislation by the end of the year, citing its ability to help solve serious crimes. Journal.ie reported that The Irish Council for Civil Liberties is strongly opposed to the use of FRT for law enforcement and in public spaces. It has called for an outright ban on biometric surveillance in public spaces. FRT and other biometric surveillance tools enable mass surveillance and discriminatory targeted surveillance, it reported. They have the capacity to identify and track people everywhere they go, undermining the right to privacy and data protection, the right to free assembly and association, and the right to equality and non-discrimination. It sounds like some critics are afraid we might turn into China, where, according to Physics.org, that country is leading in facial-recognition technology. But while advocates warn it makes life easier, quicker and safer, opponents counter that its another example of how the Chinese government keeps a sinister and increasingly close eye on its 1.4 billion people. Shanghai and other Chinese cities have started deploying this technology to catch those who flout the rules of the road. Jaywalkers at some Shanghai intersections have their images flashed up on a nearby screen for public shaming and must pay a fine of 2.50 to have it removed. Wed have some craic if that was introduced to Patrick Street, but were unlikely to ever match China, one of the worlds most heavily monitored societies. They have more than 176 million surveillance cameras in operation and every citizen over 16 must hold an ID card. Experts say China is racing ahead of Western countries in deploying facial scanners, owing to its comparatively lax privacy laws and because the Chinese are used to having their pictures, fingerprints and other personal details taken. At Beijings famous Temple of Heaven, they went so far as to install facial recognition devices at lavatories to catch toilet-paper thieves. If someone returns too soon for more toilet paper, they are met with a polite rejection by a machine that recognises them and advises: Please try again later. Might get that for my house. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. A car is partially submerged in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Hilary in Cathedral City, California on Aug. 20, 2023. Mario Tama / Getty Images The first tropical storm to hit California since 1939, Hilary, which initially began in the Pacific Ocean as a hurricane reaching Category 4 strength, brought a deluge of rain followed by flash flooding to the Los Angeles area on Sunday. The storm hit Mexicos Baja California first, turning roads into rivers and killing one person. A state of emergency was declared by Governor Gavin Newsom for a large swath of Southern California, as the drought-parched region was under flash flood warnings into at least early Monday morning. Its quite amazing. Ive never seen anything like this, said Sean Julian, a resident of Rancho Mirage, as Reuters reported. Im seeing a lot more trees down. And theres a big tree that just fell over there, and I probably shouldnt be out here. Minimal damage and no fatalities had been reported in the Los Angeles area as the Los Angeles River, normally more of a thin stream, rushed through its concrete banks. For most cities, Los Angeles was tested but we came through it, and we came through it with minimal impacts, said Paul Krekorian, president of the Los Angeles City Council, as reported by The New York Times. For most cities, a tropical storm combined with a hurricane would be a catastrophic event. For Los Angeles and for our first responders, its just another day at the office. The desert resort town of Palm Springs was still under a flood watch through early Tuesday morning, its roads impassable. There is no way in or out of Palm Springs, Mayor of Palm Springs Grace Garner said in a CNN interview on Monday morning, as The New York Times reported. Forecasters said desert and mountain areas could see five to 10 inches of rain, as much as the drier regions get in an entire year, reported Reuters. Evacuations were ordered in San Bernardino County in the midst of trees, rock and mud giving way to gushing water. Parts of Ventura County were hit by as much as two inches of rain in a span of two hours, with water rescues carried out by firefighters in the Spanish Hills community. President Joe Biden ordered federal aid to be sent to the region. In Mexicos Baja Peninsula, low-income communities with homes not up to building codes were especially vulnerable. Almost 1,900 people were evacuated in the area. Weve always been aware that its a risky area. A lot of water runs (nearby) but what are we going to do? Its the only place we have to live, said Yolanda Contreras, who lives in a flood-prone area of Rosarito, Mexico, as Reuters reported. Now post-tropical storm Hilary is still bringing rain to California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Idaho, where flood watches were in effect, reported CBS News. Post-Tropical Hilary is expected to produce additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated storm total amounts to 12 inches, across portions of Southern California and Southern Nevada through today. Continued flash and urban flooding, locally catastrophic, is expected, the National Weather Service said on Monday. Telecommunications companies provide support to Japan's aquaculture producers Japanese telecommunications firms are bringing their technology prowess to land-based aquaculture, as Japan's fishing industry faces challenges due to declining resources and labor shortages. NTT has launched a joint venture with a startup from Kyoto University to engage in land-based farming. NTT Green & Food said it will use breed improvement technology for fish to speed up their growth rate and increase their edible portions. It added that it will use genome editing technology to engineer algae, the basis of fish feed, to store more carbon dioxide, as part of its efforts to contribute to decarbonisation. Kusumi Yoshikazu, head of NTT Green & Food, said land farming has great potential in terms of both quality and quantity. He added that the firm will aim for sales of about US$69 million dollars, in five years. SoftBank, another telecom giant, has launched a research project to farm sturgeon, along with partners including Hokkaido University. The project aims to establish a technology to produce high-quality caviar using artificial intelligence to analyse data such as the time and amounts of food consumed by each fish. - NHK Tyson Foods to sell poultry business in China Tyson Foods plans to sell its China poultry business, three people with knowledge of the matter said. Tyson has hired Goldman Sachs to advise on the sale and sent preliminary information to potential buyers including a number of private equity firms, said two of the people, adding the sale process was at an early stage. While it was not immediately clear what valuation Tyson Foods is seeking for the China poultry business, it has annual sales of about US$1.1 billion, one of the sources said. Tyson said in August it was evaluating all operations and closing four more US chicken plants in the latest bid to reduce costs after its third-quarter revenue and profit missed Wall Street expectations. The company opened its first factory in China in 2001 and now has four research and development centres, several processing plants and dozens of breeding farms in the country, according to its website for Chinese operations. It operates throughout the industry chain in China, from breeding and slaughtering to processing and distribution, providing chicken, beef, pork and processed foods. In June, Tyson launched a new factory focusing on processed foods such as cooked chicken and premade Chinese cuisine in the eastern Chinese city of Nantong and another that focuses on frozen and heat-processed foods in the central Chinese city of Xiaogan, the website showed. - Reuters Sarawak, Malaysia, funds pilot project to produce animal feed from oil palm waste The Premier of Sarawak, Malaysia, Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, announced on August 19 that he has allocated RM35 million (US$7.5 million) in funds to Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) to produce animal feed from oil palm waste. He said if the pilot project is successful, the state government will set up more manufacturing plants to produce other products out of oil palm waste. He said the move to create oil palm waste-based animal feed is aimed to reduce the costs of meat, chicken and eggs by producing the animal feed locally. "You know the prices of chicken and eggs, for example, have gone up, one of the reasons was due to the high cost of imported animal feed," he said. "Once our ringgit is weak, our import bill will be very high. Consequently, the prices of chicken and meat will be high," the premier said. He said the biomass from oil palm can be converted into animal feed, adding that SALCRA has thousands of hectares of oil palm plantations. "This is what we call the circular economy, meaning that we cannot waste our waste products. We can add value to our waste products," he added. - Malay Mail A federal judge has agreed with US government officials that a piece of artificial intelligence-generated art isn't eligible for copyright protection in the country since there was no human authorship involved. "Copyright has never stretched so far [...] as to protect works generated by new forms of technology operating absent any guiding human hand, as plaintiff urges here," Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia wrote in the ruling , which The Hollywood Reporter obtained. "Human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright." Dr. Stephen Thaler sued the US Copyright Office after the agency rejected his second attempt to copyright an artwork titled A Recent Entrance to Paradise (pictured above) in 2022. The USCO agreed that the work was generated by an AI model that Thaler calls the Creativity Machine. The computer scientist applied to copyright the work himself, describing the piece "as a work-for-hire to the owner of the Creativity Machine." He claimed that the USCO's "human authorship" requirement was unconstitutional. Howell cited rulings in other cases in which copyright protection was denied to artwork that lacked human involvement, such as the famous case of a monkey that managed to capture a few selfies . "Courts have uniformly declined to recognize copyright in works created absent any human involvement," the judge wrote. The judge noted that the growing influence of generative AI will lead to challenging questions about the level of human input that's required to meet the bar for copyright protection, as well as how original artwork created by systems trained on copyrighted pieces can truly be (an issue that's the subject of several other legal battles ). However, Howell indicated that Thaler's case wasn't an especially complex one, since he admitted that he wasn't involved in the creation of A Recent Entrance to Paradise. In the absence of any human involvement in the creation of the work, the clear and straightforward answer is the one given by the [Federal] Register: No, Howell ruled. Thaler plans to appeal the decision. According to Bloomberg , this is the first ruling in the US on copyright protections for AI-generated art, though it's an issue that the USCO has been contending with for some time. In March, the agency issued guidance on copyrighting AI-generated images that are based on text prompts generally, they're not eligible for copyright protection. The agency has offered some hope to generative AI enthusiasts, though. "The answer will depend on the circumstances, particularly how the AI tool operates and how it was used to create the final work," the USCO said. "This is necessarily a case-by-case inquiry." Russia's first attempt to land on the Moon since 1976 has ended in disapppointment. Ten days after its August 10th launch, Russia's state-run space agency, Roscosmos, confirmed its Luna-25 spacecraft had spun out of control and rammed into the Moon. "The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon," Roscosmos explained in a statement. The organization initially reported the incident as an "abnormal situation" before sharing news of the crash. Luna-25 was headed to the south pole to find water ice and spend a year analyzing how it emerged there and if there was a link with water appearing on Earth. It was also set to test drive technology and examine the regolith (the soil covering moon rock). The plan was for it to remain in the moon's orbit for five days before touching down on August 21st. Luna-25 took a range of images pre-crash, including one of the Zeeman crater, near the Moon's south pole. Welcome to the other side of the #moon! Russia's #Luna25 has shared first pics of lunar surface they show Zeeman crater on the moon's far side. The ultimate goal is to land on the moon's South Pole in search of water. Looking forward to new amazing photos from space pic.twitter.com/kRlnJBFLwM Russia (@Russia) August 19, 2023 If successful, it would have been the first craft to land on the south pole a title that may now go to India. Russia was racing to beat India, whose spacecraft launched on July 14th and is expected to land on the Moon on August 23rd. Countries across the globe are gearing up for their own moon missions. Currently, the United States plans to have humans orbit the Moon in 2024 and land on it in 2025. China, Japan, Mexico, Canada and Israel are among the other nations with active plans to reach the Moon. A Tesla data breach earlier this year affecting more than 75,000 people was caused by "insider wrongdoing," according to a notification on Maine's Attorney General website. The 75,735 people impacted were likely current or former Tesla employees. "While we have not identified evidence of misuse of the data in a manner that may cause harm to you, we are nonetheless providing you with this notice to ensure that you are aware of what happened and the measures we have taken," the company wrote in a letter to employees. The breach occurred on May 10th, when the German-language newspaper Handelsblatt said it received 100GB of data from "several informants" within Tesla. The "Tesla files" reportedly contained 23,000 internal files, containing 2,400 reports of self-acceleration issue and 1,500 cases of braking function problems. The latter included 139 complaints about unintentional emergency braking and 383 incidences of phantom stops from false collision warnings. In the employee letter, Tesla provided more information about the incident, confirming the May 10 breach date and that Handelsblatt had obtained Tesla confidential information. "The investigation revealed that two former Tesla employees misappropriated the information in violation of Teslas IT security and data protection policies and shared it with the media outlet." The data also included employee names and contact information including physical addresses, email addresses and mobile phone numbers. "The outlet has stated that it does not intend to publish the personal information, and in any event, is legally prohibited from using it inappropriately," Tesla stated. It added that several lawsuits resulted in the seizure of devices thought to carry the data, and that it had "obtained court orders that prohibit the former employees from further use, access, or dissemination of the data." Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe into Tesla's phantom braking issue following owner complaints. And in August 2022, it was reported that Tesla is facing a class-action lawsuit over the same problem. The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana. (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) - COP28 Director-General Majid Al Suwaidi visited Fiji for the Pacific SIDS High-Level Climate Dialogue, organized together with the Pacific Islands Forum. The Director-General recognized the existential threat climate change poses to Pacific islands and reiterated the COP28 Presidency's commitment to support the most vulnerable. - Al Suwaidi underscored the COP28 Presidency's commitment to delivering on the Global Goal on Adaptation and efforts to unlock climate finance as key benchmarks for success that would benefit Pacific islands. - Al Suwaidi praised advocacy by Pacific nations in the area of Loss and Damage, and called on countries to continue advocating for operationalization of the fund and funding arrangements at COP28. - Al Suwaidi also called for Pacific nations to use their moral leadership to help shape the global response to the Global Stocktake at COP28. SUVA, Fiji, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- COP28 Director-General and Special Representative Majid Al Suwaidi visited Fiji to meet with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and distinguished leaders of Pacific Island nations. In his remarks at the Pacific SIDS High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change in Fiji, Al Suwaidi underscored the COP28 Presidency's commitment to delivering for vulnerable countries at the upcoming climate summit. Al Suwaidi also recognized that climate change is an existential threat to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and emphasized the COP28 Presidency's intention to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach. Al Suwaidi said: "Communities here, on the frontlines of climate change, are facing sea level rise, salination of drinking water, coastal erosion, and the increasing severity of storms. These threats, coupled with the fact that the most vulnerable have done the least to contribute to the challenge, have made the Pacific Islands, and SIDs worldwide, moral leaders on climate action." Al Suwaidi outlined the four pillars of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda which includes fast-tracking a just and orderly energy transition; fixing climate finance; focusing on people, lives and livelihoods; and underpinning everything with full inclusivity. "These priorities are all interlinked and mutually reinforcing. And we need all stakeholders working together to ensure we all move forward, together. No one, no country, no region, no group can be left behind," Al Suwaidi said. Discussing the COP28 Presidency's priorities that affect SIDS the most, Al Suwaidi reiterated the need to operationalize the Loss and Damage fund and funding arrangements and deliver early capitalization. He also discussed the expectation that COP28 will adopt a framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation and reiterated that the framework "must be comprehensive and include ambitious targets to drive enhanced action on adaptation by all parties to build resilience and protect lives, livelihoods and ecosystems." Al Suwaidi called on Pacific nations to maintain pressure on the international community to raise its climate ambition, help resolve political bottlenecks, and ensure that there is a robust global response to the first Global Stocktake at COP28. Al Suwaidi said, "We need you at COP28 to make all of this possible. COP28 has the potential to reshape climate action for years to come. It is essential that Pacific Islanders are represented in whatever response there is to the Global Stocktake. That Pacific Island concerns help shape the pace and direction of the energy transition. And that Pacific nations continue to lead the discourse on adaptation, finance, and loss and damage." During his visit to Fiji, the COP28 Director General also engaged with the Cook Island's Minister of the Crown Vaine Mokoroa; Marshall Islands' Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce John Silk; New Zealand's Minister for Climate Change James Shaw; Tonga's Prime Minister Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni; Tuvalu's Minister of Finance and Economic Development Seve Paeniu and Henry Puna, Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum. The COP28 Director-General stressed that Pacific Island communities on the frontlines of climate change must be at the forefront of the climate decision-making process. During his trip, Al Suwaidi also engaged with Fiji-based COP28 International Youth Climate Delegate, Reshma Ram. The COP28 International Youth Climate Delegate Program of 100 young delegates represent the world's least-developed countries, small island developing states, Indigenous Peoples, and minority groups. The Program was designed to provide a platform for the needs and policy proposals of youth in global climate decision-making, build climate capacity, knowledge, and networks among youth, and establish a model for equitable youth inclusion in all future COPs. Notes to Editors COP28 UAE: COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors. As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a "leave no one behind" approach to inclusive climate action. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cop28-director-general-meets-with-fijis-prime-minister-underscores-presidencys-commitment-to-pacific-island-nations-climate-priorities-and-needs-301905455.html UPDATE, AUG. 30: Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino in coordination with Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 6 has deemed that the imminent risk of danger to life and properties in the vicinity of the East Fork Fire has diminished at this time. The Pre Evacuation Warnings issued on August 17, 2023, and August 20, 2023, are rescinded, and will be effective at 01:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. A Pre-Evacuation Warning may need to be reissued if the risk of danger to life and property should again warrant such action. For more information, please visit https://flathead.mt.gov/department-directory/oes/emergency-management/east-fork-fire-information or call the Flathead County Office of Emergency Services Public Information Line at 406-758-211 UPDATE, AUG. 25: Crews on the Big Knife Fire are beginning to time out, reaching the end of their working days on the fire to either go home or be reassigned to another fire, CSKT Division of Fire reported. Remaining crews are busy with the start of suppression repair work. Its not often realized how much work goes into this stage of a fire. In the coming weeks, dozer line will need to be naturalized and the rest of the equipment will be removed off the fire line. The objective is to leave it in as good condition, or better, than we found it, CSKT Division of Fire said. Several areas near the base of the mountains west of the fire are still under a pre-evacuation warning from the Lake County Sheriffs Office. The Big Knife Fire is reported to be 7,257 acres large and is 13% contained. UPDATE, AUG. 24: The Jocko Lookout is being assessed for additional protection improvements against the Big Knife Fire. CSKT Division of Fire reports crews are staging structure wrap, an aluminum/fiberglass covering that blocks up to 96% of radiant heat, at the tower in the event fire behavior picks up. Several areas near the base of the mountains west of the Big Knife Fire remain in pre-evacuation warning by order of the Lake County Sheriff. UPDATE, AUG. 22: The Niarada and Mill Pocket fires have reached 100% containment Tuesday. CSKT Division of Fire wrote the following on Facebook regarding the Big Knife Fire: "Fire Behavior Analysts assigned to the Big Knife Fire utilized a weather analysis program that uses historical and current weather data to assess the fire outlook. Rain yesterday and forecast for today will be a fire season-slowing event, but it will not be fire season-ending event. A fire season-ending event consists of a combination of weather events followed by a persistent combination of environmental factors to mark the end of fire season. Weather events can include rain or snow, lower temperatures, higher relative humidity, and cloud cover. Environmental factors such as lower sun angles and shorter day lengths reduce the active fire burning period. By the middle of September, there is a 50% chance of a fire season-ending event happening. By the last week of October this chance increases to 90%. The weather is forecasted to get warmer and drier by Friday providing the opportunity for the fuels to dry out and support fire growth again. Fuel drying is expected to take longer than the rain event that wet the Big Knife Fire the first week of August. The crews on the fire will be patrolling and monitoring the fire perimeter today. Tonight will be the last night shift. The Big Knife Fire is currently 1.25 miles north of the Rattlesnake Wilderness Boundary (Lolo National Forest) with no significant growth towards the Lolo National Forest in the last week. Smoke from the fire may impact the Snowbowl area, however the Lolo National Forest does not have any forest closures in place on the Missoula Ranger District. CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES: Several areas near the base of the mountains west of the Big Knife Fire remain in PRE-EVACUATION WARNING by order of the Lake County Sheriff. See the map for those locations in yellow (Jocko, Canal, Francis). The Tribal Primitive Area, Belmore Slough and Burnt Cabin Roads are closed. A PRE-EVACUATION WARNING means you may remain in your home. Individuals in this status should not bring back evacuated livestock until this status is lifted. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect around the fire area. Do not fly unmanned aircraft (drones) near the fire areas. Weather: More rain is predicted tonight through Wednesday morning. Warming and drying starts on Thursday. FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place across the Flathead Indian Reservation. No campfires are allowed, no smoking outside of vehicles, no operating combustible engines from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., no operating vehicles off designated roads and trails. Stage 1 fire restrictions are in place in Granite County. The following are prohibited until rescinded: Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire except within a developed recreation site or improved site. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials. Visit https://www.mtfireinfo.org/ for more fire restriction information across Montana." UPDATE, AUG. 21: Officials have reduced the mandatory evacuation order for the East Fork Fire to a pre-evacuation warning, effective Sunday, Aug. 20. The following is a Facebook post by Flathead County MT: PRESS RELEASE: East Fork Fire Lifts Mandatory Evacuation. The Evacuation Order issued on August 18, 2023, for all properties North of mile marker 146 on Highway 93 to mile marker 157.9 -- Lincoln/Flathead County line, and the Residents of Good Creek Road, and those who access Good Creek west to the Lincoln County line have been downgraded to a PRE-EVACUATION WARNING and will be effective at 02:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 20, 2023. All PRE-EVACUATION warnings issued on Thursday, August 17, 2023, are still in effect. Residents may return to their homes under a Pre-Evacuation Warning but may need to leave again on short notice if required. An Evacuation Order may need to be reissued; however, if that is deemed necessary, the Evacuation Order process will re-commence. For the most current information regarding evacuation status please visit https://flathead.mt.gov/.../east-fork-fire-information or call the Flathead County Office of Emergency Services Public Information Line at 406-758-2111. UPDATE, AUG. 20: The pre-evacuation warning in place for the Niarada Fire has been lifted and residents are allowed to bring livestock back home. All pre-evacuation warnings for Elmo and Big Arm have been lifted and operations are switching from active suppression to repairing the impacts of the efforts used to stop the fires which once threatened nearly 400 homes in the Elmo and Big Arm area, according to the CSKT Division of Fire. The Niarada Fire is reportedly getting closer to containment, and that the Mill Pocket is 100% contained. UPDATE, AUG. 19: A community meeting with updates on the Big Knife Fire is being held at the Arlee Community Center at 34086 Pow Wow Rd. on Monday, Aug. 21 at 7:00 pm. Big Knife Fire - 7,152 acres, 7% contained Fire activity on the Big Knife Fire was milder than predicted. On the north edge of the fire, along S. Canal Road crews are continuing to mitigate hazards by removing snags inside the fire perimeter at least a tree length from the line. Crews patrolling the area observed the fire backing down into the bottom of the Gold Creek drainage. On the south end of the fire in the Agency Creek drainage, crews are continuing to patrol and monitor fire activity. On the east side of the fire near Jocko Lookout, crews will continue monitoring the pumps and sprinkler systems and monitoring the fire growth in the primitive area. Niarada - 20,365 acres, 90% contained Crews were fighting against high winds, with the eastern portion of the Niarada Fire closest to elmo seeing the bulk of the effort as crews worked to cool lingering heat source utilizing some of the four miles of hose lays that have been installed in the area. These efforts will be ongoing for the next several days. Mill Pocket 1,869 acres, 95% contained Crews on the Mill Pocket Fire are working on suppression repair and minimal mop up. UPDATE, AUG. 18 AT 3:37 PM: Due to fire conditions near the East Fork Fire, the Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino has issued a mandatory evacuation for residents and visitors in the following areas: North of mile marker 142 on Highway 93 to mile marker 157.9 -- Lincoln/Flathead County line Residents of Good Creek Road, and those who access Good Creek west to the Lincoln County line All pre-evacuation notices issued Aug. 17 are still in effect including in Olney. UPDATE Aug. 18, 9:34 a.m. The Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (LCEMA) is alerting power service through the Lincoln Electric Cooperative (LEC) may be affected by the East Fork Fire. The following is a Facebook post by LCEMA: Alert: Evacuation warning notices have been issued by Lincoln County Sheriff's Office to residents in the Striker area of Lincoln County that may be impacted by the East Fork Fire. Additionally, LCEMA has been made aware of changing fire conditions that could affect the Northeast area of Lincoln County with power service through Lincoln Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LEC). Informational: The USFS Incident Management Team on the North Fork fire communicated that they have established an advanced action point for the East Fork Fire. If fire activity reaches that advanced action point, LEC and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will be placed on standby. At that time, LCEMA will initiate a CodeRED notification to all residents in the potentially impacted area. In addition, LEC will send automated calls to members to be prepared for the POTENTIAL of a system-wide outage. The Length of the possible outage would be based on fire conditions and damage assessments. If an extended outage is anticipated, LCEMA will work to coordinate sheltering and support to critical facilities. Both Lincoln Electric and BPA have NO plans to de-energize any of their facilities, UNLESS they receive a specific request to do so by incident command in the interest of safety. Action: Evacuation Warning (Yellow) begins when there is a possibility of a need to evacuate. During this phase, contacts and briefings with area residents is completed. Movement of persons requiring Access and Functional Needs or extraordinary care, large mobile property and livestock (if feasible) is recommended. Be prepared for the POTENTIAL of an area power outage. Sign up for CodeRED to get immediate emergency information notification: https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BFD8675274C8 LCEMA is working with the USFS, IMT, partners and monitoring this situation. updated information will go out as it becomes available. Check back by going to https://www.facebook.com/LC.EMA.MT Lincoln Electric Cooperative https://www.facebook.com/lincolnelectriccooperative U.S. Forest Service - Kootenai National Forest https://www.facebook.com/kootenainf A closure order is still in effect for roads in the vicinity of the East Fork Fire. To view, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/kootenai/alerts-notices/ For updated East Fork Fire information, please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident.../mtknf-east-fork-fire... UPDATE Aug. 17, 8 PM: East Fork Fire Due to hot, dry, and windy conditions the fire has grown to 2,600 acres overnight and throughout the day. Pre-evacuation orders have been set in place because of the possibility the fire has of spreading, this order allows time for residents to make plans for their homes, family, livestock, and pets in the event of an evacuation. The pre-evacuation area includes Highway 93 north beginning at Mile Marker 142 north to Flathead/Lincoln County line. Crossroads and affected addresses can be found on the Flathead County Website. This is not a mandatory evacuation order but in the event of a mandatory evacuation, local Sheriff's Office personnel will conduct door-to-door notifications of residents in the affected area. Evacuation notices will also be announced/published on radio, tv, online, social media, and through our Emergency Notification System, Code Red. UPDATE, AUG. 17: A CSKT Type 3 Incident Management Team, headed by Rob Berney, has taken command of the Niarada and Mill Pocket fires as the Northern Rockies team has timed out. On the Big Knife Fire, Brad Bergmans Incident Management Team 8 assumed command. Big Knife Fire - 6,275 acres, 7% contained On the southwest edge of the fire, crews are assessing the fires progress as it moves down the slopes to control lines. Firefighters are preparing canal roads for better access and removing vegetation around power poles. On the south end of the fire in the Agency Creek drainage, crews will patrol and monitor fire activity. With pumps and hoses in place, they will continue to work on hotspots within the perimeter. Crews will be monitoring the pumps and sprinkler systems installed to protect infrastructure on the east side of the fire as well as Jocko Lookout which has water systems in place as well as a fire-resistant wrap around the base. Niarada Fire - 20,365 acres, 85% contained The Niarada Fire remained relatively quiet Wednesday as crews continued to focus on building line as direct as possible along the fires eastern edge closest to Elmo and mopping up from previous firing operations. Crews continue to assess and patrol and mop up (cool areas containing heat) around much of the remaining fire perimeter. Suppression repair work has begun in these areas, including pulling in dozer line berms and blading roads. Structure protection crews remain outside Elmo near Big Arm, testing sprinkler systems and pumps while working with landowners on additional vegetation management around structures. Mill Pocket - 2,135 acres, 90% contained The majority of the Mill Pocket Fire is in mop-up status as crews work to ensure the fires edge are cool and pose little to no threat to containment. UPDATE, AUG. 16: Fire activity greatly increased in the Big Knife Fire Tuesday, whereas, the Niarada and Mill Pocket fires remained relatively quiet. Big Knife Fire The Big Knife Fire is sized at approximately 6,106 acres, 1,154-acre increase from Monday, and is 7% contained. The fire moved east up to the drainage toward the Tribal Primitive Area and away from Jocko, Francis and Arlee. According to CSKT Division of Fire's Facebook post, the persisting hot and dry weather with increased winds is expected to produce more smoke and fire growth Wednesday. Crews are monitoring the fire's progress as it shifts down to the control lines near the southwest edge, according to CSKT Division of Fire's Facebook post. Firefighters are getting canal roads ready to improve access and clearing out vegetation around power poles. The Craig Angency Hotshot Crew went direct along the fire's edge on the south side of the fire in the Agency Creek drainage. They will keep working up canyone and tie into scree slopes with pumps and hose set up. There are pumps and sprinkler systems to protect infrastructure east of the fire and at Jocko Lookout--which also has fire-resistant wrap around the base. Niarada Fire The Niarada Fire is burning 20,370 acres and is 81% contained as of Wednesday morning. Fire activity kept fairly quiet Tuesday--crews were still building a line as direct as possible to the fire's eastern edge nearest to Elmo. The smoke increase is likely interior pockets of vegetation burn out due to increased temperatures and drier weather, according to CSKT Division of Fire's Facebook post. Crews are still assessing, patrolling and mopping up the remaining fire perimeter. Crews have started suppression repair work in these areas. There are still structure protection crews outside Elmo near Big Arm. Mill Pocket Fire The Mill Pocket Fire is burning 2,135 acres and is 89% contained. The Mill Pocket Fire is still in mop-up status, and crews are working to make sure the fire's edge stays cool and no danger to containment. CSKT Division of Fire's Facebook post said there is still some heat in steep scree slopes on the northwestern side--firefighters are still putting out hotspots by dropping water via helicopter where necessary. CSKT Division of Fire says the following in its Facebook post in regard to closures, evacuation statuses and fire restrictions: "Several areas near the base of the mountains west of the Big Knife Fire remain in PRE-EVACUATION WARNING by order of the Lake County Sheriff. See the map for those locations in yellow (Jocko, Canal, Francis). In the Tribal Primitive Area, Belmore Slough and Burnt Cabin Roads are closed. Near the Niarada Fire, the Lake County Sheriffs Office has a PRE-EVACUATION WARNING in place for the area that includes Alexander Road, Early Dawn Road, Spring Lane Road, Walking Horse Lane, Windward Heights Road, Wildhorse View, Buffalo Bridge Road, Saddle Drive, Island Butte Lane, Bridle Path, Ten Deuce Way, Cliffview Drive, and Ricketts Road. The remainder of the town of Elmo is in READY status. A PRE-EVACUATION WARNING means you may be in your home. However, as there still is a risk from both fires, those in this status should not bring back evacuated livestock until the area is downgraded to READY status. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect around both fire areas. Do not fly unmanned aircraft (drones) near the fire areas, as that is hazardous for pilots, and the firefighters on the ground who rely on aircraft support. Remember, if you fly, we cant! Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place across the Flathead Indian Reservation. No campfires are allowed, no smoking outside of vehicles, no operating combustible engines from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., no operating vehicles off designated roads and trails. Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit www.MTFireInfo.org for more fire information across Montana." UPDATE, AUG. 15: Fire crews are continuing to battle the Big Knife, Niarada and Mill Pocket fires in northwest Montana Tuesday. A release from Northern Rockies Team 3 said the Big Knife fire, located 5 miles east of Arlee, is 4,952 acres large and 7% contained Tuesday. The Niarada Fire, located near Elmo, located 12 miles west of Elmo, is 20,365 acres large and 81% contained Friday. The Mill Pocket Fire, located 3 miles west of Highway 28, is 2,135 acres large and 89% contained. Big Knife Fire Big Knife fire activity grew amid increasing temperatures and lower humidity levels. Helicopters used water to check the fire's edge on the north side in the Gold Creek drainage. Crews will keep requesting aircraft for water drops, reconnaissance flights and sling loads. Crews are monitoring fire progress on the southwest if it moves down the slopes to control lines. To improve egress, crews are preparing canal roads and clearing vegetation near power poles. The Craig Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew (CMIHC) started to finish hazard tree mitigation and looked for opportunities to go direct on the south end of the fire in the Agency Creek drainage, according to the release from Northern Rockies Team 3. CMIHC set up pumps and hoses to several key scree slopes and will keep working the fire's edge. Sprinkler systems and pumps are set up around several spots of infrastructure and the Jocko lookout east of the fire--the lookout is covered in fire-resistant wrap. Niarada Fire Smoke is expected to increase as interior pockets of vegetation burnout due to increasing temperatures and drier weather. Northern Rockies Team 3 said in the release strategic firing operations were effective for the Niarada fire Monday--firefighters burned approximately 50 acres to establish indirect lines on the south side. Although the firing operations create a considerable amount of smoke, they cut the longevity of the fire and reduce long-term damaging impacts, according to the release. Crews are still assessing, patroling and mopping up a lot of the remaining fire perimeter. Structure protection crews are testing sprinkler systems and pumps and collaborating with property owners on further vegetation management around structures outside Elmo toward Big Arm. Mill Pocket Fire On the Mill Pocket fire, a lot of the perimeter that's still there is in mop-up and patrol status. There's still seat in steep scree slopes, and firefighters are still cooling hotspots with water drops on the northwestern side. An excavator is pulling in dozer lines to help with suppression repair, and the equipment is used to overturn bigger stumps to reduce remaining heat. UPDATE, AUG. 14: The following is a Facebook post by CSKT Division of Fire in regard to the Niarada Fire: "Fire personnel will be using tactical firing operations on the southeast corner of the Niarada Fire this afternoon. The objective of this operation is to clean up unburned fuels between the fire perimeter and containment lines. Removing available fuel reduces the chances of a wind driven fire crossing existing containment lines. Tactical firing operations or burn outs are one tool often implemented in the suppression of a wildfire. This technique is the coordinated and intentional application of fire to secure otherwise inaccessible portions of line, clean up portions of line where fuels were not fully consumed or attempt to steer the main fire away from communities, critical infrastructure or other values at risk. Managers implement firing only after opportunities for a more direct approach have been thoroughly explored. Before any firing operations are conducted, there are extensive preparations made to ensure the greatest possibility for success such as brushing back roads, building handline or mechanical line or ensuring natural features such as rivers, creeks or rock screes are sufficient to secure the fires edge. After all prep work is completed and personnel are in place, firefighters will only engage in firing operations if weather conditions are in their favor. While these operations can put substantial smoke in the air, they ultimately reduce the duration of the fire and long-term harmful impacts. Firing operations result in low to moderate intensity fire effects and often mimic the positive impact of natural fire on the landscape." UPDATE, AUG. 13: Fire managers with the Incident Management Team, BIA, and CSKT are having extensive conversations about long-term planning for the Big Knife Fire. The CSKT Division of Fire reports the weather is getting hotter and drier, which will increase fire activity. Discussions include balancing protecting homes, infrastructure, and cultural resources, with the risk to firefighters and the likelihood of success. The following is information on the actions made against the Big Knife Fire from the CSKT Division of Fire: Helicopters have been doing water drops to minimize the fire's spread into Gold Creek on the northern perimeter. Crews have completed a fuel break along the Jocko Canyon Road and line preparation and vegetation reduction along the Jocko S Canal Road. Equipment operators and crews finished control lines along the fire's southwestern edge to Agency Creek. Firefighters are monitoring the fire in these areas and are prepared to act if the fire moves down toward the lines. On the south side, firefighters are working to keep the fire north of Agency Creek. Helicopters have dropped water to cool the edge, and sawyers have been cutting down hazard trees to allow safe access. Additional crews will be inserted in this area to finish hazard tree mitigation and evaluate opportunities for digging handline and going direct on the fires edge. To the east of the fire, crews finished installing sprinkler systems and pumps around several pieces of infrastructure and the Jocko Lookout. The lookout has been covered with a fire-resistant wrap. Fire managers are discussing the next steps for this area, balancing the benefits of fire on the landscape, the risk to firefighters and pilots, and the values threatened. On the Niarada Fire, crews have worked hard to reach containment around a large portion of the fire perimeter the past two weeks. According to the CSKT Division of Fire, the following is being done: Along the southeastern and southwestern sides, crews continue to work directly along the fires edge to eliminate heat and build firelines. Several Type 1 Interagency Hotshot Crews have been improving firelines and preparing for a strategic firing operation on the southwest side. This operation will be done during favorable conditions to secure portions of the indirect line where its unsafe for firefighters to go direct. Fire managers planned to implement other firing operations, but those operations have been deemed unnecessary because the weather moderated fire behavior which allowed crews to go direct. Structure protection crews continue to work outside Elmo toward Big Arm, testing sprinkler systems and pumps while working with landowners on additional vegetation management around structures. Containment of the Mill Pocket Fire continues to increase. Much of the remaining perimeter is in mop-up and patrol status. However, heat remains in steep scree slopes on the northwestern side. Helicopters continue to drop water as needed, and crews are mopping up hot spots where they can access them. UPDATE, AUG. 12: Crews on the Niarada Fire are pushing hard toward containment, and much of the fire's northern and western perimeter is now in mop-up and patrol status, according to the CSKT Division of Fire. Crews will continue progressing along the eastern and southeastern fire perimeter, building more direct lines and working off the fire's black edge. Some indirect line will remain the only viable option around the fire's southerly perimeter, where terrain is treacherous and fuels are heavy. An update from CSKT Division of Fire says strategic firing operations will likely be necessary during favorable conditions to secure those portions of indirect line. Specialized crews of skilled sawyers continued cutting fire-killed snags (dead-standing trees) south of Highway 28, enabling safe access for hand crews to previously hazardous areas. Structure protection crews continue to work outside Elmo towards Big Arm. Due to current conditions and progress, a night shift is no longer deemed necessary, however, it could be reinstated if conditions change. Much of the Mill Pocket Fire is in mop-up and patrol status, and helicopters are still dropping water while crews work along the fires northwestern perimeter near Mill Creek. On the Big Knife Fire, a warming and drying trend resulted in smoldering fuels in lower to mid-elevations burning more actively again. Aircraft were used to drop water on hot spots in the Agency Creek, Jocko Canyon, and Big Knife Creek drainages Friday. Line preparation and vegetation reduction has been completed along Jocko Canyon/Canal Road. Equipment operators and crews completed control lines along the fire's southwestern edge to Agency Creek. They will continue working southward if the fire moves in that direction, CSKT Division of Fire reports. On the fire's eastern side, crews began performing structure and point protection measures in South Fork Jocko River. Some measures included strategically wrapping Jocko Lookout and placing pumps and sprinklers around other resource values at risk. A specialized assessment team continues evaluating the long-term potential fire growth of the Big Knife Fire. UPDATE, AUG. 11: Crews are continuing to battle the Big Knife, Niarada and Mill Pocket fires Friday burning in the Mission Valley. Big Knife Fire The Big Knife Fire currently sized at an estimated 4,952 acres and is 5% contained. CSKT said in a release even with the recent precipitation, the Big Knife Fire is anticipated to warm and dry over the course of the upcoming days. With that, fire managers are examining its possible long-term fire increase due to fire seasons historically lasting through fall. Heavy equipment operators are still tying road prisms to constructed firelines along the southwestern perimeter. Crews are mopping up the edge of a strategic firing operation they managed last week to keep the fire north of Agency Creek, CSKT said in the release. Aircraft are helping as long as conditions allow them, and helicopters dropped water on hot spots in the Agency Creek drainage. Niarada Fire The Niarada Fire, burning west of Elmo, is currently 20,365 acres big and is 47% contained as of Friday. CSKT said in their release fire crews battling the Niarada Fire took advantage of the recent rainfall Wednesday. Expert sawyers are cutting down dead trees south of Highway 28 to allow hand crews to work directly along the eastern and southeaster edge where they possibly can. Firefighters are preparing lines in locations of the Niarada Fire that may require strategic firing operations later on. CSKT said in the release crews will begin the strategic firing operations once conditions improve. Structure protection crews are still working outside Elmo towards Big Arm, and a night crew is monitoring the fluctuating conditions and the fire. Crews are continuing mop-up on the north perimeter near the Cromwell Creek Road and looking at areas of unburned vegetation west of the line to decipher if it is concerning for containment. Mill Pocket Fire The Mill Pocket Fire, burning 3 miles west of Highway 28, is currently 2,135 acres big and is 51% contained. CSKT said in their release the Mill Pocket Fire is in mop-up and patrol status, but crews are still battling the fire in the northwestern perimeter--mopping hot spots where they can in the steep scree slopes. Helicopters are still providing support to crews and dropping water to put out hot spots win dangerous or inaccessible areas. CSKT said the following in their release in regard to closures and evacuation status: "The Lake County Sheriff has placed several areas near the base of the mountains west of the Big Knife Fire in PRE-EVACUATION status. See the map for those locations in yellow (Jocko, Canal, Francis). In the Tribal Primitive Area, Belmore Slough and Burnt Cabin Roads are closed. The Lake County Sheriffs Office is downgrading those in EVACUATION status near the Niarada Fire in Lake County to a PRE-EVACUATION WARNING. This area includes Alexander Road, Early Dawn Road, Spring Lane Road, Walking Horse Lane, Windward Heights Road, Wildhorse View, Buffalo Bridge Road, Saddle Drive, Island Butte Lane, Bridle Path, Ten Deuce Way, Cliffview Drive, and Ricketts Road. A PRE-EVACUATION WARNING means you may return to your home. However, as there is still a potential threat from the Niarada Fire, please do not bring back evacuated livestock until the area is downgraded to READY status. The remainder of the town of Elmo is in READY status. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect around both fire areas. Do not fly unmanned aircraft (drones) near the fire areas, as that is hazardous for pilots, and the firefighters on the ground who rely on aircraft support. Remember, if you fly, we cant! Use extreme caution when driving on Highway 28. Firefighters and equipment are still working in the area. FIRE RESTRICTIONS Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place across the Flathead Indian Reservation. No campfires are allowed, no smoking outside of vehicles, no operating combustible engines between 1PM-1AM, no operating vehicles off designated roads and trails. Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit www.MTFireInfo.org for more fire information across Montana." UPDATE, AUG. 9: A community meeting is being held Wednesday night at the Elmo Community Center starting at 6:00 pm for the Big Knife, Niarada and Mill Pocket fires. If you cant make it, the meeting will be live-streamed via the CSKT Division of Fire Facebook page. Another meeting will also be held Thursday, Aug. 10 at the Arlee Community Center at 6:00 pm. As of Wednesday, the Northern Rockies Team 3 reports the Big Knife Fire is 4,864 acres large and 5% contained; the Niarada Fire is 20,365 acres large and 25% contained; and the Mill Pocket fire is 2,135 acres large and 51% contained. So far, four structures have been lost to these fires. several areas near the base of the mountains west of the Big Knife Fire in pre-evacuation status by the Lake County Sheriffs Office. Those evacuated due to the Niarada Fire in Lake County have been allowed to go home and are now in pre-evacuation warning status. This area includes Alexander Road, Early Dawn Road, Spring Lane Road, Walking Horse Lane, Windward Heights Road, Wildhorse View, Buffalo Bridge Road, Saddle Drive, Island Butte Lane, Bridle Path, Ten Deuce Way, Cliffview Drive, and Ricketts Road. UPDATE, AUG. 7 The Flathead County Sheriff's Office has announced they are lifting the evacuation notice on the Niarada Fire from Browns Meadow Pass to Highway 28; this includes Kofford Ridge Road and Battle Butte Road. They also said in a press release they are lifting the pre-evacuation warning for Mill Pocket Fire, Hubbart Damn Rd/NF-544 from the intersection of Crossover Road South to Highway 28. Keep in mind,t he decisions to lift or expand evacuation areas is made based on current or predicted fire conditions. Flathead CSO says they are thankful for the cooler weather and higher humidity this past weekend to help with fighting the fire. UPDATE, AUG. 6: The Lake County Facebook reports the Red Cross at Polson High School is moving into standby at this time. Evacuations are still in place at this time. UPDATE, AUG. 6: The 12,700-acre Middle Ridge fire is now 51% contained as of Sunday morning. CSKT Division of Fire reports smoke may be visible interior of the fire containment line where the fire is still smoldering. The Holmes Creek Fire is 45 acres large and 0% contained. The Mercer Fire, which was burning about a mile and a half from Evaro, is 2 acres large and 100% contained. People are being reminded of Stage 2 Fire restrictions in place across the Flathead Indian Reservation, which restricts campfires, smoking outside of vehicles, operating combustible engines between 1:00 pm and 1:00 am and operating vehicles off designated roads. UPDATE, AUG. 5 The CSKT Division of Fire reports the Niarada Fire was extremely active Friday on the south and southeast sides. It is reported to be 17,024 acres large. About 150 residents were evacuated due to the fire by the Lake County Sheriff's Office. In the Tribal Primitive Area, Belmore Slough and Burnt Cabin Roads are closed. The following residences near the Niarada are under evacuation status: Alexander RoadEarly Dawn Road, Spring Lane Road, Walking Horse Lane, Windward Heights Road, Wildhorse View, Buffalo Bridge Road, Saddle Drive, Island Butte Lane, Bridle Path, Ten Deuce Way, Cliffview Drive, and Ricketts Road. The remainder of the town of Elmo is in ready status. The Flathead County Sheriffs Office has issued a pre-evacuation warning for Hubbart Dam Rd/NF-544 from the intersection of Crossover Rd South to Hwy 28. Crews working the Big Knife Fire continue to try to flank the fire, implement structure protection measures along Canal Road and the fires western edge, and monitor the southwest edge. The Big Knife Fire is 4,636 acres large according to the CSKT Division of Fire. Several areas near the base of the mountains west of the Big Knife Fire are in pre-evacuation status as of Saturday. In the Tribal Primitive Area, Belmore Slough and Burnt Cabin Roads are closed. UPDATE, AUG. 4 The Lake County Sheriffs Office is evacuating residents south of Highway 93 from Alexander Lane to Walking Horse Lane. This includes the following roads: Alexander Lane Early Dawn Road Spring Lane Road Walking Horse Lane Windward Heights Road Wildhorse View Buffalo Bridge Road Saddle Drive Island Butte Lane Bridle Path Ten Deuce Way Cliffview Drive Ricketts Road If you were evacuated due to the fire, Red Cross has opened a shelter in Polson. The shelter is located at the Polson High School, 1712 2nd St. W, and will provide a safe place to stay, meals, and access to community resources. UPDATE, AUG. 4: More accurate mapping has the Middle Ridge Fire sized at 12,700 acres and 25% containment Friday morning. The Communication Butte Fire is 1,423 acres and is now 100% contained with crews continuing to monitor the area. No containment is reported on the Holmes Creek Fire east of Polson, which is estimated at 41 acres large. Smoke jumpers and heli-repellers are working the fire with air support from a type 1 helicopter dropping water with buckets. The CSKT Division of Fire reports fire resources from the CSKT division have been successfully responding to new fires as well as continued mop-up along the Middle Ridge and Communication Butte fires. UPDATE, AUG. 4: The Niarada and Big Knife fires increased in size overnight Thursday. The Niarada Fire is an estimated 14,816 acres with 0% containment Friday morning. The Big Knife Fire is an estimated 4,412 acres with 0% containment Friday morning. UPDATE, AUG. 3: A community meeting regarding the Big Knife, Niarada, and Mill Pocket fires is being held Thursday at 6:00 pm in Arlee at the Arlee Community Center, 34086 Pow Wow Rd. If you cant make the meeting, it will be broadcast live on the CSKT Division of Fire Facebook. A second meeting will also be held on Friday, Aug. 4 at 6:00 pm in Elmo at the Elmo Community Center, 47088 Cemetery Rd. Depending on internet connectivity, the meeting will either be streamed live like the Arlee meeting, or recorded and posted to Facebook afterwards. As of Thursday morning, the Big Knife Fire is 2,710 acres large and 0% contained. The CSKT Division of Fire reports the fire was active Wednesday ,with a spot fire south of Big Knife Creek burning eastward into the South Fork Jocko Tribal Primitive Areas. Strategic firing operations may be necessary to prevent spread to the west toward the valley and aircraft are helping crews as conditions allow. The Niarada Fire is reported to be 10,400 acres large and is 0% contained. This fire was also reported to be active Wednesday, spreading both to the northeast and southeast. Crews, heavy equipment, engines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft continue to work the fire, building firelines from safe anchor points and protecting structures in the area. Weather is anticipated to be hot and dry through Friday ,with the potential for thunderstorms and light precipitation by late weekend. The CSKT Division of Fire shared the following closure information: The Lake County Sheriff has several areas near the base of the mountains west of the Big Knife Fire in pre-evacuation status. In the Tribal Primitive Area, Belmore Slough and Burnt Cabin Roads are closed. Near the Niarada Fire, the Lake County Sheriff has placed the Walking Horse Lane area is in pre-evacuation status, and the town of Elmo is in ready status. The Flathead County Sheriffs Office has issued a pre-evacuation warning for Hubbart Dam Rd/NF-544 from the intersection of Crossover Rd South to Hwy 28. A mandatory evacuation remains in place from the top of the Pass on Browns Meadow Road South to Hwy 28, Nirada. This mandatory evacuation also includes Kofford Ridge Rd. Use extreme caution when driving on Highway 28. Visibility is very poor, and the speed limit has been reduced to 45 miles-per-hour. UPDATE, AUG. 2: The CSKT Division of Fire shared that favorable weather conditions and terrain have allowed for firefighters to make great progress across the Communication Butte and Middle Ridge fires. Both fires have a secured line around them. The Middle Ridge Fire is estimated at 13,000 acres, 20% containment. After making a hard push Tuesday, firefighters were able to hold the fire at Tower Rd., and crews have been working to secure line around the fire using dozers and firing operations for the past several evenings, to create containment. Mop-up on the Middle Ridge Fire will begin Wednesday, with crews putting out any hot spots along the entire fire line. The Communication Butte Fire is estimated at 1,423 acres, 30% containment. Crews made progress putting in a containment line. Mop-up will begin along the entire fire line, starting on the east and west side of the river, 10 to 30 feet interior, firefighters will put out any hot-spots within the secure line. Six engines and staff are assigned to the fire and will also be available if any new starts occur. On the Holmes Creek Fire, no containment is reported and the fire is estimated to be 36 acres. Single-engine air tankers were used to drop water on it throughout Tuesday. Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place across the Flathead Indian Reservation. No campfires are allowed, no smoking outside of vehicles, no operating combustible engines between 1:00 pm to 1:00 am, no operating vehicles off designated roads and trails UPDATE, AUG 2: The Big Knife Fire is burning 2,000 acres with containment remaining at 0% Wednesday morning. Evacuation warning is in place for those who live in Jacko Canyon and other nearby areas. For the more updated information on wildfires in Montana, visit mtfireinfo.org. The following is a Facebook post by CSKT Division of Fire: More crews and equipment have arrived on the reservation in support of fire suppression efforts and more. Many of the fires have seen extreme growth with the low fuels moisture and high temperatures. A Complex Incident Management Team will arrive tonight to take command of multiple fires, bringing more support staff for the increase in fire resources arriving. Mapping of the fires has been postponed because of limited visibility from smoke. Fire restrictions are in place with no campfires allowed within the boundaries of the reservation. #NiaradaFire Eleven miles west of Elmo, MT, estimated to be over 5,000 acres. Smokejumpers, a 20 person crew, single-engine air tankers, helicopters and heavy equipment have been responding to this fire. The fire is burning in very steep and rugged terrain heading north and east. Winds coming from the west/southwest continue to push the fire north/northeast. The fire had four single-engine air tankers, very large air tanker, five large air tankers, supporting ground resources all day. #BigKnifeFire - East of Arlee, MT, 1,991 acres. Over 100 fire fighters and overhead have made progress on a containment line on the western edge. This line is holding well. A Complex Incident Management Team will assume command of this fire Aug. 2. #MiddleRidgeFire - Southwest of Sloans Bridge, estimated over 10,970 acres. Fire fighters and heavy equipment with limited air support have managed to put in containment line and secure the south end of the fire in the area of Little Bitteroot Road. The north end of the fire is the most active and the priority focus today. #CommunicationButteFire - North of Dixon, Mont. in Ferry Basin, approximately 1,500 acres. The fire is burning in grass and timber, crews have made a lot of progress putting in containment lines today. The terrain is very steep and difficult to access. It did jump the Flathead River last night. Some air support. #MillPocketFire West of Niarada, 600 acres. Dozers are assigned and it has been receiving air support. The fire is progressing east and has moved to the canal. Evacuation Information Currently there are NO new evacuations, evacuations in Moiese community have been lifted, Browns Meadows in Flathead County is still under evacuation orders. The public is encouraged to be prepared if they are asked to leave by emergency responders. Fire Restrictions No campfires are allowed, no smoking outside of vehicles, no operating combustible engines between 1pm-1am, no operating vehicles off designated roads and trails. Re-Opened The Bison Range is open with regular operating hours. Highway 28 is open with speed restrictions. Advising the public to be prepared for potential stops and long wait times. UPDATE: Monday at 1:22 p.m. Firefighters are continuing to battle the multiple fires in the Mission Valley area Monday. Communication Butte Fire The Communication Butte Fire is burning an estimated 400 acres north of Dixon in Ferry Basin. CSKT Division of Fire said in a Facebook post the terrain is very steep and hard to access. Firefighters and aircraft will resume examining and engaging the fire where they can safely, CSKT Division of Fire said. Niarada Fire The Niarada Fire is now sized at 5,000 acres west of Elmo. The Niarada Fire crossed Highway 28 Sunday and largely drifted northeast. Fire crews and equipment are working on the fire with air support, weather dependent, CSKT said via Facebook. Middlge Ridge Fire The Middlge Ridge Fire, located west of Sloans bridge and Ronan, is burning an estimated 7,000 acres, according to CSKT's Facebook post. Big Knife Fire The Big Knife Fire, located east of Arlee, was showing severe fire behavior Sunday night, according to CSKT's Facebook post. The Big Knife Fire is burning an estimated 3,000 acres. CSKT Division of Fire said crews are centering their attention on securing the line on the west edge of the fire near homes and are making good progress. Mill Pocket Fire The Mill Pocket Fire, located west of the Niarada Fire, is burning an estimated 100 acres. UPDATE AT 5:00 PM: The CSKT Division of Fire announced that due to the Communication Butte Fire, the Bison Range is temporarily closed. As of Sunday afternoon, the fire is about 255 acres and is being driven toward the Flathead River by wind. The Middle Ridge Fire southwest of Sloans Bridge is over 500 acres as of Sunday morning. The Niarada Fire crossed the highway Sunday afternoon and is estimated at about 200 acres. RONAN, Mont. - Multiple fires were ignited following a lightning storm that passed through Mission Valley and surrounding areas Sunday morning. The biggest fire, named Middle Ridge, is about 500 acres large and two air tankers are responding with six water tenders and six skidgens. North of Dixon in Ferry Basin, the Communication Butte fire is about 100 acres large and is burning in grass and timber with a 20 person crew responding. The Niarada Fire is 11 miles west of Elmo and is about five acres large. Four single-engine air tankers, one helicopter for air support, three fire boss single-engine air tankers and eight smoke jumpers are responding. All three fires are burning in steep terrain. As of Sunday morning no structures are threatened and no evacuations have been ordered. People who are in the area are advised to be aware of emergency vehicles on roads as well as very dry grasses. UPDATE, AUG. 24: As containment on the Colt Fire has grown to 63%, officials will no longer be providing updates on the fire. Suppression repair and rehabilitation plans are being implemented in areas of containment. Forest Service closures in place due to the fire are still in effect. UPDATE, AUG. 22: The Colt Fire received a three-quarter inch of rainfall Monday. Moisture from Hurricane Hillary is expected to stay in the area for the next couple days, with a chance of thunderstorms. According to Inciweb, suppression repair and rehabilitation plans are ongoing with the hopes of increased containment. Crews are still monitoring and patrolling the fire. Swan Valley is forecasted to see temperature highs in the mid-70, with slightly lower temperatures at the ridgetops. Firefighters will do mop-ups, weather dependent. The Colt Fire is burning 7,154 acres and is still at 51% containment. UPDATE, AUG. 21: The Lolo National Forest has lifted closures on some campgrounds near the Colt Fire Monday. The campgrounds that have reopened are: Rainy Lake Campground and access road, and Alva Lake Campground and access road. All other forest closures are still in effect, including Lakeside Campground. Specific closures can be found here. Currently, excavators have set up waterbars in dozer lines to prepare for the large amount of rain in the forecast Monday. Crews are still monitoring and patrolling the fire, and moping up the southwestern edge. Chipping material made during fuel reduction along contingency lines will persist on the southern and eastern perimeters. UPDATE, AUG. 20: Expected precipitation over the Colt Fire area combined with highs in the 70s are leading officials to predict low fire behavior. Closures on the Rainy Lake Campground and access road as well as on the Alva Lake Campground and access road will be lifted Monday. All other forest closures, including Lakeside Campground, remain in place. Wyoming Team 4 Type 3 team took command of the Colt Fire Saturday evening. UPDATE, AUG. 19: Firefighters on the Colt Fire are taking advantage of limited fire activity to patrol and mop up hot spots. Containment on the fire is now at 51%. Wyoming Team 4 Type 3 will take command of the fire at 8:00 pm Saturday. Temperatures around the fire area are expected to be moderate over the weekend with precipitation possible on Sunday, with tropical moisture from Hurricane Hillary expected to make its way into the area at the beginning of next week. UPDATE, AUG. 18: A more accurate assessment of the perimeter of the Colt Fire shows the fire has burned 7,154 acres as of Friday morning. The fire is 46% contained. Limited fire activity was reported on the southern portion of the fire Thursday, allowing crews to strengthen fire lines. Crews on the north and east edges continue their mop-up efforts and pull hose from sections of the fire line where it is no longer needed. A red flag warning is in effect starting at 3:00 pm Friday, to midnight Saturday morning as strong, gusty winds are anticipated to pick up at the mountain ridges. The following are planned actions for Friday on the Colt Fire: In areas of containment, crews collected hose lays and equipment will be collected and ready for reuse. Helicopters and crews are available respond to potential new fire starts. Crews are continuing to mop-up residual heat along the fires perimeter. The majority of the fires heat remains on the fires southwestern edge. Chipping operations will continue on the southern and eastern perimeters. UPDATE, AUG. 17: Firefighters on the Colt Fire were treated to an Ice Cream Social at Fire Camp, hosted by the Seeley Lake Leo's Club. After a long hot day, the firefighters appreciated the cold, sweet treat. Thank you to the Leo's Club for showing their support, the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 5 said. The following are the planned actions for Thursday: Chipping operations on will continue along the eastern and southern fire perimeter. Firefighters will continue to seek out and mop up pockets of heat, assisted by data from the UAS, which can detect heat using infrared technology. Some crews are still constructing hand line along the fires edge in areas where the fire burned in patches, leaving some areas burned and others not. Crews will continue to remove pumps and hoses along the contained areas around the fire. Aerial resources will be available to assist firefighting efforts, as conditions allow. UPDATE, AUG. 16: The Colt Fire is still reported to be 7,202 acres large and 45% contained as of Wednesday morning. An update from the Northern Rockies Team 5 says crews will remove hoselays and pumps from the Beaver Lake area, where they are no longer needed. Unmanned aerial system operations will continue their detection of hot spots inside and outside the fire perimeter. Crews will mop-up residual heat along the fires perimeter through the fire area. Along the fires eastern and southern edge, chipping operations will continue. No evacuation orders or warning are in effect due to the Colt Fire UPDATE, AUG. 14: Evacuation warnings for the Colt Fire have been lifted Monday, according to the Missoula County Sheriff's Office. The cancellation is due to more containment, resources assigned and moderated fire behavior. The areas where the evacuation warnings are lifted are: Beaver Rovero Flats East Rovero Flats West North Inez South Inez The Missoula County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook cards placed by law enforcement are now okay to remove at this time. UPDATE, AUG. 13: In the area of the Colt Fire, southwest of Beaver Lake, a specialized crew of firefighters successfully felled hazardous trees using explosives. Crews continued to pro-actively search for areas of heat to mop-up along the fires eastern edge, an update from the Northern Rockies Team 5 said. Even though smoke is not visible in this area, there are areas of ground that remain hot and have the potential to reignite. Crews searched out these hot spots and cooled them by mixing in cold dirt and water. Planned actions for Sunday include: Crews will mop-up residual heat interior to the completed handline, dozer line, and roadson the fires southwest edge. They will use hose lays and pumps to assist with the mop-up process. Throughout the fire area, crews will continue to mitigate areas with hazard trees as needed to ensure crew safety while working. To the south and east of the fire area, crews will begin chipping operations. Firefighters chip wood to limit the concentrations of heavy fuels in and around the fire area. Essentially, by chipping the wood, it becomes less of a fire hazard. The unmanned aerial system (UAS) assigned to the fire will continue mapping hot spots on the fires northern flank. UPDATE, AUG. 12: Handline connecting to Sunset Ridge has been successfully completed by crews on the Colt Fire. Northwest of Sunset Ridge, crews are continuing to construct line in the most active area of the fire. Along the fires eastern edge, crews have collected all water equipment, such as pumps and hoses, and will now begin the process of inventorying all supplies, the Northern Rockies Team 5 said in an update Saturday. One of the aircraft assigned to the fire assisted Flathead National Forest in successfully putting out a new fire start west of Lindberg Lake. Lake Alva Campground, Lake Inez Campground, and Rainy Lake Campground remain closed at this time due to firefighter activity in the area. The following are the planned actions for Saturday: Crews are beginning the mop-up process along the fires southwest edge as they finish constructing handline in the area. They will be installing temporary hose lays and pumps to assist in efforts to extinguish heat along the fires perimeter. Crews determined a few hazardous trees on the southwestern edge of the fire were too dangerous to fell with a chainsaw. For this reason, a specialized crew will be on the fire line tomorrow to fell these trees using a tool called a Fireline Explosives Blaster (FLEB). The FLEB assures the safe and effective felling of hazardous trees using specialized explosives. UPDATE, AUG. 11: A weather trend of rising temperatures may bring more active fire behavior on the Colt Fire, according to an update from the Northern Rockies Team 5. Currently, the fire is mainly burning in dead standing or downed trees, however, as fuels dry out it is expected that other fuels, such as huckleberry bushes and other shrubs, may ignite more readily. Heavy equipment will continue to improve existing roads in the fire area to allow for better firefighter access to the fires southern flank Friday. The update says crews will spend the next few days completing handline on the southwest edge of the fire. Once the handline is completed, crews plan to begin the mop-up process in the area. In order to facilitate this effort, a helicopter crew brought supplies (such as hose lays and pumps) into the southwest area of the fire. While mopping up, crews will use these supplies to cool hot spots along the fires edge. UPDATE, AUG. 10: The Colt Fire is 7,202 acres large and 45% contained Thursday. An update from the Northern Rockies Team 5 says crews are expected to need three more days to complete the handline from the south flank of the fire to Sunset Ridge. This will connect their handline with the existing line constructed by heavy equipment along the ridgeline. Crews on the southwest end of the fire continue to construct handline along the fires edge, however, progress is slowed by steep terrain and hazardous trees. Heavy equipment is assisting crews by improving existing roads in the fire area. The temporary flight restriction for the fire area has been extended to a full 24-hour restriction as the UAS will be mapping out the southern edge of the fire as conditions permit. UPDATE, AUG. 9: Containment on the Colt Fire has grown to 45%, with the majority of added containment being on the southern edge, the Northern Rockies Team 5 reported. As crews continue to mop-up the southern and northern edges, they work east to west to increase containment in the coming days. More showers are expected over the fire area Wednesday evening with warm, dry weather anticipated for Thursday. UPDATE, AUG. 8: Containment on the Colt Fire has increased to 39% as crews were able to take advantage of quieted fire behavior from the moisture and mop-up on residual heat on the northeast and eastern edges. The current size of the fire is 7,179 acres with 506 total personnel working to fight the fire. Air operations will be using two unmanned aerial systems (UAS drones) over the coming days to map out areas of heat within the fire area. The UAS aircraft is best able to pick up areas of heat within the fire late at night and early in the morning due to lower air temperatures at these times. For this reason, the temporary flight restriction (TFR) for the fire area (FDC 3/7867) has been extended from 8am-10am to a full 24-hour restriction. Today, crews will continue to mop-up remaining residual heat along the fire's northern and eastern edges between Colt Lake and Beaver Lake. They will also continue to construct lines west to Sunset Ridge on the south flank and heavy equipment will assist crews with additional line construction on the northwest corner of the fire. UPDATE, AUG 7: The Colt Fire remains at 25% contained as of Monday morning at 9:22am. Northern Rockies Team 5 sent out a press release saying while rainfall in the area decreased fire activity, it also limited firefighters' ability to access roads in certain areas of the fire. Crews were able to mop-up some residual heat from much of the fire's northern and eastern edges. Right now, crews are continuing to mop-up residual heat. Heavy equipment will search for opportunities to construct line further along the fires southwest edge near Sunset Ridge. Hand crews will again be in the area, searching for a path to continue the line beyond the ridge. Along the southern edge of the fire crews will continue to construct handline above West Fork Clearwater River. Aircrafts will be available to assist firefighters as needed as long as conditions allow. The release says showers and thunderstorms may return this afternoon, bringing with them a risk of heavy downpours, lightning, and gusty outflow winds. While the rain has lessened fire activity for the time being, fire activity is expected to increase later in the week as temperatures rise and relative humidity's decrease. This incoming warm weather with possible gusty winds will increase the chances of larger fuels burning, as the dryness of these fuels is still near record lows. UPDATE, AUG. 6: The Colt Fire is now 25% contained as of Sunday morning. Crews are working to mop-up residual heat along the fires north perimeter from Beaver Lake to Colt Lake. On the east side of the fire, heavy equipment will begin constructing line from Sunset Ridge east, continuing the progress of the line constructed by hand crews. Firefighters will continue constructing handline along the south edge of the fire Sunday, as weather permits. The fires forward progression has been slowed by recent rain, with growth mainly contained to the southwestern portion of the fire. While the fire will likely exhibit creeping and smoldering behavior in the coming days, single tree torching is possible if the fire burns into large areas of unburned ground fuels, the Northern Rockies Team 5 reported. As the weather warms towards the middle of the week, with less precipitation anticipated, an increase of fire activity is expected. UPDATE, AUG. 5: The Northern Rockies Team 1 transitioned command of the Colt Fire to the Northern Rockies Team 5 Saturday. Monsoonal moisture in the upper atmosphere and cloud cover of the fire area subdued fire activity Friday, however, persistent dry conditions at the surface keep the potential for fire spread high. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity with a chance of rain are being forecasted for the weekend. Acreage was reportedly added to the fire Friday, however, there was no overnight infrared mapping flight to verify the increase. The following are the planned actions Saturday: In the southwest corner of the fire heavy equipment and crews will continue to construct indirect control lines. Along the west side, crews will prepare roads and handlines and use hose lays to secure and mop up the fire edge. On the north and east sides of the fire, personnel will patrol, hold, and mop up where needed. Crews that have been working from east to west on the south side of the fire north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River will continue handline construction. The crews are working in steep terrain and the handline construction is slow and steady. Helicopters will be used to cool hot spots and slow fire spread. Operations personnel from both teams will work together on all sides of the fire to transfer knowledge and situational awareness to provide for a safe and efficient team transition. The Missoula County Sheriffs Office has issued the following evacuations and closures: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE, AUG. 4: The Colt Fire is burning an estimated 7,179 acres and is 23% contained as of Friday morning. Fire activity was the highest in the southwestern corner due to persistent dry conditions over the area, the Northern Rockies Team 1 reports. Cooler temperatures, higher humidity and a chance of rain are forecasted for the area in the coming days. Crews on the southwest corner of the fire are working to keep the fire north of Sunset Ridge. Engines are patrolling, holding and mopping up along the north and east side of the fire. Helicopters are being used to cool hot spots and slow fire spread. The Structure Protection Group will continue structure protection assessment work in the Lindbergh Lake area and will be patrolling the Highway 83 corridor and other identified structure zones. The following evacuation and closures are in pace according to the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order UPDATE, AUG 3: The Colt Fire is now 6,860 acres large and 19% contained as of Thursday morning. The Northern Rockies Team 1 says fire personnel in the southwest corner will be re-evaluating the locations planned for indirect control line construction and adjusting those actions based on where the spot fire moved. On the forest road systems west of the fire, heavy equipment and crews will work on linking roads and control lines together forming indirect control lines. Along the north side, east side (Forest Road 646), and southeast corner firefighters will continue to hold and mop up along the line. On the south side, and north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River, four crews will continue to build fire control line moving from east to west. These crews may camp closer to the line to decrease travel time. Helicopters and airplanes will continue to be used to keep the fire checked up on the west side and southwest corner. The Lindbergh Group will continue structure assessments as well as look for indirect control line opportunities that would have the highest opportunity for success ahead of the fire. A night shift of engines will patrol and monitor fire conditions. The following evacuation and closures are in pace according to the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order UPDATE, AUG. 2 AT 11:14 A.M.: The evacuation orders in the areas of Rovero Flats East and Rovero Flats West have been lifted Wednesday, the Missoula County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook. Those areas are now under evacuation warning. MCSO said residents may notice law enforcement taking down the red order cards and replacing them with yellow warning cards. MCSO shared a map reflecting evacuation status in the identified zones: Red means the zone is under evacuation order, yellow means warning and green means pre-identified zones in the event the fire approaches those areas. Currently, there are more zones that have been pre-identified and are in green: Fawn, 83 N, 83 S, Boy Scout N, and Boy Scout S. For the more updated information on wildfires in Montana, visit mtfireinfo.org. UPDATE, AUG 2: The Colt Fire is burning 6,860 acres with containment at 19% Wednesday morning. The Northern Rockies Team 1 reports a high-pressure ridge weather system is keeping smoke from nearby and far away wildfires in the area. In addition, the ream is reporting warm, dry weather could lead to active fire behavior, Wednesday. The following actions are planned for the day: On the southeast corner and east side along Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road) firefighters will continue to hold and mop up along the line. Patrol and mop up will also continue in areas on the north side of the fire. In the northwest corner crews will continue to construct indirect line working to connect between Colt and Beaver Lakes. Along the west side crews and equipment will access the area and start working to prepare Forest Road 9570 as an indirect control line. Access routes have been found and an attempt will be made to bring equipment into the southwest corner if fire activity safely allows. Helicopters will continue to be used to keep the fire checked up on the west side and southwest corner. On the south side, and north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River, crews will move from east to west working on fire control line construction. These crews will start to spike camp closer to the line to decrease travel time. The night shift of engines will patrol and monitor fire conditions. Evacuation warnings and orders: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. The list of current closures includes: Forest Road 906 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground access road 4357 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground Alva Lake Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Alva Lake Campground Lakeside Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Lakeside Campground Lake Inez Campground Forest Road 646 (closed at the junction of FSR 552; FSR 4354; Forest Road 552 (beyond the turn off to west side Lake Inez access Forest Road 5407 and 463 closed beyond the West Side snowmobile trailhead (these roads access the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Marshall Wildlife Management Area and Lake Marshall) Temporarily closing the Forest System Road loops of the Clearwater (FSR 4370 and 4353) and Richmond (FSR 667 and 720) For the more updated information on wildfires in Montana, visit mtfireinfo.org. UPDATE, AUG. 1: The Colt Fire grew an additional 527 acres, burning 6,704 acres total with containment increased to 8%. According to Inciweb, fire activity continued Monday due to increasing temperatures and decreasing relative humidity. Fire crews continued holding efforts on all sides of the fire. Crews held the fire line and looked out for hot spots on the southeast corner, helicopters cooled hot spots where necessary. On the east side, personnel mopped up and put effort into raising containment along Forest Road 646, Colt/Uhler Road. Firefighters will resume holding, securing and mopping up Forest Road 646, Colt/Uhler Road. Crews on the north side, crews and equipment worked to hold along the existing fire lines and resumed building control lines. Crews will work a mix of indirect line preparation along Forest Road 906, holding the existing lines and looking out for fire spots. Crews on the west side took the chance on working on a direct fire line upslope from Colt Lake. Aircraft dropped fire retardant to slow fire spread on the southwest corner, and will continue to be used in this area if necessary. On the west side of the fire, there is a plan in place for access and indirect control line building on the west side of the fire, and according to Inciweb, "These plans will start to be implemented as crews can be shifted from other parts of the fire area." On the south side, crews will be working on direct control line moving east to west while north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River. A group will resume evaluating structure protection. Evacuations and closures: The Missoula County Sheriffs Office Evacuation Warning and Order summary: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. If conditions rapidly change an Evacuation Order may be issued with no prior notice or warning. Home and property owners in the surrounding area should remain vigilant and prepared. Have an evacuation plan for family, pets, and livestock; sign up for emergency alerts at Smart911.com; and be familiar with the Missoula County evacuation process and what an order and warning means by clicking on the following link: https://www.missoulacounty.us/government/publicsafety/officeofemergencymanagement/evacuationinformation. For evolving Evacuations and Warnings please visit the Missoula County Sheriffs Office Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MissoulaCountySheriffsOffice . The Lolo and Flathead National Forests have closed several forest roads, areas, and campgrounds near the fire area for public safety. The list of current closures includes: Forest Road 906 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground access road 4357 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground Alva Lake Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Alva Lake Campground Lakeside Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Lakeside Campground Lake Inez Campground Forest Road 646 (closed at the junction of FSR 552; FSR 4354; Forest Road 552 (beyond the turn off to west side Lake Inez access Forest Road 5407 and 463 closed beyond the West Side snowmobile trailhead (these roads access the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Marshall Wildlife Management Area and Lake Marshall) Temporarily closing the Forest System Road loops of the Clearwater (FSR 4370 and 4353) and Richmond (FSR 667 and 720) UPDATE, JULY 30: Containment on the Colt Fire grew to 6% by Sunday morning. Fire growth was reported, however, the exact figure is unavailable. Moderate growth is expected Sunday with the fire moving through the heavy dead and down surface vegetation. The following are the planned actions for Sunday, according to the Northern Rockies Team 1 update: On the southeast corner of the fire personnel will continue firing operations and secure the line north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River and tie in with Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road). Crews will continue to hold and mop up along the eastern control lines along Forest Road 646. On the north side, crews will hold and secure the fire along Forest Road 4356 and look for opportunities for fire control line from Colt Lake to Beaver Lake. North and South Structure Protection will assist with burning operations and holding operations on the east and southeast sides of the fire. Structure Group remains ready to respond for structure protection as needed. A night shift of engines and personnel will patrol and monitor fire conditions. Helicopters and airplanes will be used to drop water and retardant on the fire as needed. The Missoula County Sheriffs Office has the following evacuations and closure orders in place: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE, JULY 29: The Colt Fire is 5,475 acres large and 3% contained as of Saturday morning. Fire behavior is expected to be moderate with the active fire edge moving through the heavy dead and down surface vegetation. On Saturday, crews will hold and secure the eastern control lines along Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road) as well as on the north side of the fire where burning operations have taken place, according to the Northern Rockies Team 1. On the southeast corner, crews will continue burning operations and work on securing that area and tying in with Road 646. On the south side, crews will look for potential control features north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River. To the north, the Heavy Equipment Task Force will continue working on control line preparation along the Beaver Creek Road. South Structure Protection will conduct structure assessments and protection work at Lake Inez. A night shift of engines and personnel will patrol and monitor fire conditions. Helicopters and airplanes will be used to drop water and retardant on the fire as needed. The following evacuation and closures are in place by the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order UPDATE, JULY 28: Pilots are being reminded of a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in the area of the Colt Fire. The closure is for firefighting aircraft to safely work the fire. In addition, the Condon air strip has been closed for general aviation as it is being used as a firefighting helicopter base. Overnight, the Colt Fire was estimated to have grown to 5,252 acres, according to an update from the Northern Rockies Team 1. Fire behavior Friday is expected to be low to moderate with the active fire edge moving through the heavy dead and down surface vegetation. Torching and spotting are possible in the subalpine fir and lodgepole pine. Fridays planned actions include: Crews will continue burning operations along Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road) to secure the north and east flanks of the fire. On the south side, crews will continue to secure the spot fires, construct direct hand line towards the west, and assess road systems for potential control features near the West Fork of the Clearwater River. A Heavy Equipment Task Force and crews will continue working on vegetation removal and control line preparation along the Beaver Creek Road on the north side of the fire. South Structure Protection will continue structure assessments and protection work at Lake Inez. A night shift of engines and personnel will patrol and monitor fire conditions. Helicopters will be used to drop water on the fire as needed and where they can be most effective The following are current evacuations and closures from the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE, JULY 27 AT 9:56 AM: The Colt Fire has grown more than 500 acres since Tuesday, for a total of 4,937 acres burned. Fire containment is at 0% Thursday. An update from the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1 says fire activity remained moderate on Wednesday even as temperatures started trending a few degrees warmer and relative humidity levels started dropping a few points lower. Temperatures in the area of the fire are expected to range from mid60s to high70s Thursday depending on the location of the fire, with relative humidity levels as low as 20%. Fire behavior is expected to be moderate. Crews will be doing the following planned actions Thursday, according to the update: Crews will continue to secure the spot fires on the east flank of the fire and continue to burn ground vegetation in select locations between the fires edge and Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road). On the south side, crews will work to hold fire spread by constructing direct hand line where appropriate and continue to assess road systems as potential control features near the West Fork of the Clearwater River. On the north side of the fire a Heavy Equipment Task Force and crews will continue working on vegetation removal and control line preparation along the Beaver Creek Road. The north and south Structure Protection Groups will conduct structure assessments, remove fuels, and install water handling equipment where needed. Helicopters will be used to drop water on the fire and have been very effective when needed. As fire suppression work continues, firefighter and public safety remain the number one priority. The following evacuations and closures are in place by the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE, JULY 26 AT 9:55 AM: A dry cold front along with cooler temperatures and lighter winds provided for moderate fire activity in the area of the Colt Fire the last couple of days. An update on the size of the fire was not provided Wednesday morning as cloud cover prevented an overnight infrared mapping flight from gathering information. Fire behavior is expected to be moderate Wednesday as personnel continue working on securing spot fires on the east flank and begin to burn ground vegetation in select locations between the fires edge and Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road), an update from the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1 said. At this time, the following forest roads, areas and campgrounds near the fire area have been closed: Forest Road 906 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground access road 4357 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground Alva Lake Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Alva Lake Campground Lakeside Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Lakeside Campground Lake Inez Campground Forest Road 646 (closed at the junction of FSR 552; FSR 4354; Forest Road 552 (beyond the turn off to west side Lake Inez access Forest Road 5407 and 463 closed beyond the West Side snowmobile trailhead (these roads access the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Marshall Wildlife Management Area and Lake Marshall) Temporarily closing the Forest System Road loops of the Clearwater (FSR 4370 and 4353) and Richmond (FSR 667 and 720) The Missoula County Sheriffs Office has issued the following evacuation warnings and orders: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE: Tuesday, July 25 at 2:19 p.m. The Colt Fire is burning an 4,390 acres as of Tuesday and remains 0% contained. Fire personnel will be leading a public meeting Tuesday from 78 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Elementary School gym. The meeting will be streaming online via the Colt Fire Facebook page. UPDATE: Monday, July 24 at 11:08 a.m. The Colt Fire has nearly doubled in size Monday, now burning nearly 3,000 acres. According to Inciweb, the Colt Fire is 2,927 acres big and is still zeropercent contained as of Monday morningthe size of the fire grew by 1,352 acres within two days. The fire is lightningcaused. Sunday fire activity was moderate with faint winds and stable air in the area, according to Inciweb. More fire crews and equipment are responding to the fire. Crews resumed placing an indirect fire line along Forest Road 646, northeast area of the fire, by clearing out brush and ground vegetation. In the south, west and north areas, personnel were scoping out road systems for access and opportunities to build direct or indirect fire lines. The Structure Protection team were doing assessments and preparations for sturcture protection along Highway 83 and near the lakes south and east of the fire. Air crews were scooping water on areas of the fire. The National Weather Service put out a Red Flag warning in place from 2 p.m. to midnight Mondaypilots and public boaters on Seeley Lake and Lindbuergh Lake are asked to keep away from firefighter aircrafts when they are scooping water from lakes. Inciweb said crews finished clearing brush ground vegetation and improved access along Forest Road 646. Crews will be working on the north and south parts of the fire to open existing roads and start building fire lines in places with high chances of containing the fire. According to Inciweb, north side of the fire is demonstrating more difficulties for access the Structure Protection team is continuing structure assessments and preparations. Aircraft will keep scooping water depending on if the flying conditions are still safe. With the Red Flag warning in place, fire personnel will be assessing escape routes and safety zones with an increased awareness of fluctuating weather and fire activity. Weather conditions are forecasted with low humidity levels at 30 percent and strong winds of 20 milesperhour with 30 mileperhour wind gusts blowing over the fire area. The following evacuations are in place, according to Inciweb: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. The following closures are in place: Forest Road 906 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground access road 4357 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground Alva Lake Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Alva Lake Campground Lakeside Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Lakeside Campground Forest Road 646 (closed at the junction of FSR 552; FSR 4354; Forest Road 552 (beyond the turn off to west side Lake Inez access Forest Road 5507 and 463 closed beyond the West Side snowmobile trailhead (these roads access the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Marshall Wildlife Management Area and Lake Marshall) Temporarily closing the Forest System Road loops of the Clearwater (FSR 4370 and 4353) and Richmond (FSR 667 and 720) UPDATE: Monday, July 24 at 9:29 a.m. Smoke was moving through several valleys Sunday night and into Monday morning due to the Colt Fire burning northwest of Seeley Lake. Air quality is at unhealthy conditions from Lake Inez through Condon Monday morning. Missoula CityCounty Air Quality Specialist Sarah Coefield said in a release air quality in Seely Lake is overall moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups. The smoke drifted all the way down to the Potomac Valley where air quality is at unhealthy for sensitive groups, and reached the Mission Valley where air quality sits at unhealthy for sensitive groups. "Due to overhead smoke mixing down to the valley floors, air quality for those near the Colt Fire may get a bit worse this morning before it gets better," Coefield said in the release. However, Coefield said the air quality is expected to get better by Monday afternoon. "The high pressure ridge that caused our hot temperatures these last several days is breaking down and that will create a turbulent atmosphere, which means air will be more capable of moving up and down and shaking it all around. For the short term, this is good, because it means smoke should easily lift out of the valleys by this afternoon and folks should see decent air quality." But, Cofield said there will be heavy winds a significant portion of Monday afternoon and a lot of Tuesday. A red flag warning is in place over the Colt Fire, with winds picking up over the course of Monday from the south, southwest and west. Coefield said fire activity and a big column of smoke is expectedfast winds may be heading towards the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Smoke is expected to impact the Highway 83 corridor, and northwest breezes are expected to push smoke to Seeley and Salmon lakes. Southerly winds are likely to spread the fire north bringing more overnight smoke into the Swan Valley, Coefield said. In Missoula, Frenchtown, Lolo, air quality improving is based on how the weather affects the fires in Idaho. "One of the smoke models thinks the Little Bear Fire is going to get feisty and send smoke to Lolo. The Little Bear Fire has been slowly fiddling around in a previously burned over area, but based on heat detections, it has started picking up acreage. It may see enough wind and activity today to send smoke our way, so keep an eye out," Coefield said. The Little Bear Fire has been increasing acreage, and there may be enough wind to push smoke towards the Missoula area. Coefield said the general haze throughout Missoula County is due to fires burning in the region and is fluctuating air quality from good to moderate Monday morning; but, Coefield said the air quality should not be a huge worry by Monday afternoon. UPDATE, JULY 23: Another 500 acres have been burned by the Colt Fire overnight Saturday, making the fire a total of 1,575 acres in size. As of Sunday afternoon, containment on the fire is still at 0% and the fire is active on all sides. Brent Olsons Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of the fire Sunday morning and additional fire personnel and equipment have been arriving and are being integrated into fire operations. The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Monday, July 24. The Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1 warns that hot, dry, and windy conditions may lead to critical fire weather conditions on existing or new fires. The Missoula County Sheriffs Office have issued the following evacuation warnings and evacuation orders: Residences on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under Evacuation Order Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under Evacuation Warning. USFS has issued emergency closures of Rainy Lake Campground and the main Lake Alva Campground and Lakeside at Alva Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order The Red Cross shelter at the Ovando church is going on standby. If you are evacuated due to the Colt Fire and need shelter, you can call the Red Cross at (406) 2151514. The following are the planned actions for Sunday according to the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1: Crews will work on clearing vegetation along the Colt and Beaver Creek Roads to improve fuel break areas. On the south and east areas of the fire, personnel and crews will be looking for direct and indirect opportunities to prepare containment lines and fuel breaks. Direct and indirect fire suppression tactics will be assessed and prepared to be implemented as fire conditions allow. Structure protection assessments and preparations will continue. As new crews arrive, they will be safely orientated to the fire area and begin working where safe to do so. Firefighter and public safety are the number one priority as this fire response transitions into longer duration suppression work. Air resources will be used as needed to slow fire spread and cool down areas of heat. UPDATE, JULY 22 AT 5:00 PM: An evacuation warning has been issued for residents on the east side of Lake Inez, specifically those residences on Beargrass Ln. and West Lake Way. Residents are being warned that due to the possibility of rapidly changing conditions, an evacuation order may be issued with no prior warning. The Missoula County Sheriffs Office is asking people to not stop along Highway 83 for the safety of firefighters and first responders. Missoula County 911 reports that the Red Cross shelter at the Ovando church is on standby due to lack of demand. If you are evacuated due to the Colt Fire and need shelter, you can call the Red Cross at (406) 2151514. UPDATE, JULY 22 AT 10:38 AM: Overnight, the Colt Fire has grown to about 1,000 acres as active fire behavior continues on all sides. Predicted burning conditions anticipate the fire to continue to grow, the Montana DNRC reported. Ground crews are continuing to perform structure protection northeast of the fire while aviation resources continue suppression efforts by cooling hotspots and slowing the fires rate of spread. An Evacuation Order is still in place for residents along Highway 83, between mile marker 27 and 31(Rainy Lake to Summit Lake). An evacuation warning has also been issued for residents along Highway 83, between mile marker 15.5 and 27. Those evacuated due to the fire can go to a Red Cross shelter that has been set up at the Blackfoot Community Bible Church in Ovando at 209 Birch St.. A Complex Incident Management Team will be inbriefed Saturday to assume command of the fire Sunday. Multiple aviation resources including four CL415 super scoopers,one very large air tanker, and multiple large air tankers. Fire managers are using all available tools to suppress the, for lives, homes, property. People are being reminded to not fly drones while crews are working on a fire after a drone incursion happened in the area Friday. It is a criminal misdemeanor in Montana to fly drones that interfere with fire suppression efforts, with a fine of up to $1,500 and the potential of being charged with firefighting costs. According to the Montana DNRC, the following are the planned actions for Saturday: Crews will continue working along Colt Road, clearing vegetation, and creating a stronger fuel break. Engine crews will continue structure assessment in the Summit Lake housing area. Incoming resources will start clearing vegetation along the Beaver Creek Rd. Aviation resources will continue suppression efforts by cooling hotspots and slowing the fires rate of spread. The Missoula CityCounty Health Department is donating air purifiers to daycare, nursing homes and community businesses as the fire season begins. UPDATE, JULY 21 AT 6:00 PM: Red Cross has been contacted and is working to secure a location for those evacuated by the Colt Fire, according to the Missoula County Sheriff's Office. If you have questions, you may contact them at 1800REDCROSS or, in Montana, at 4062151514. UPDATE, JULY 21 AT 3:45 PM: Residents along Highway 83, between mile marker 27 and mile marker 31 (Rainy Lake to Summit Lake) have been ordered to immediately leave the area. The Missoula County Sheriff's Office is reporting incident conditions present an immediate threat to people in the area. For evacuation information, you can call 2584636. UPDATE, JULY 21: An evacuation warning has been issued for residents along Highway 83, between mile marker 27 and mile marker 31 (Rainy Lake to Summit Lake) due to the Colt Fire. The Missoula County Sheriff's Office is warning the conditions can change quickly and that if fire activity increases, emergency personnel may not be able to make personal notifications. InciWeb is reporting the Colt Fire grew to about 200 acres Friday due to late afternoon fire conditions. Crews reengaged the fire Friday morning after having to back off due to the increased activity. A Complex Incident Management Team has been ordered to manage the fire and will be debriefed Saturday and take formal control of the fire Sunday. As of Friday afternoon, the fire is not contained and is active. SEELEY LAKE, Mont. - A 15 acre fire is burning in dense timber northwest of Seeley Lake. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reports the Colt Fire was detected July 18 and is burning about 15 miles northwest of Seeley Lake. It was reportedly started by lightning. At this time, the fire is on land managed by the Lolo National Forest but under Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation fire protection and is currently 0% contained. Firefighters are working the perimeter of the fire with chainsaws to create a break in fuels (saw line)and finding success with aerial resources committed to the fire. No structures are threatened and no evacuations are in place, however, the public is being told to avoid the Beaver Lake and Colt Lake areas where crews are actively working. CENTENNIAL, Colo. The National Cattlemens Foundation is accepting applications for the annual W.D. Farr Scholarship program. Established in 2007, the scholarship recognizes outstanding graduate students pursuing careers in meat science and animal agriculture. Two $15,000 grants are awarded to graduate students who demonstrate superior achievement in academics and leadership and are committed to the advancement of the beef industry. Scholarship recipients recognize that the program not only benefits their work but also the entire industry. This scholarship is giving me the opportunity to holistically investigate some of the greatest challenges and opportunities for future agriculturalists and to expand my knowledge of livestock systems and the innovations that will support future agri-food supply chains, said 2022 recipient and Colorado State University graduate student Ashley Schilling. Graduate students must apply online by submitting a cover letter, curriculum vitae, description of applicants goals and experience, a short essay, statement of belief in the industry, as well as a review of the applicants graduate research and three letters of recommendation by Sept. 22. The 2023 scholarship recipients will be recognized at CattleCon 2024 in Orlando, Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. The scholarship honors the successful career of the late W.D. Farr, a third-generation Coloradan, pioneer rancher, statesman and banker who was known for his extraordinary vision. His dedication to improving agriculture, livestock and water development resulted in significant changes in farming methods that have influenced the practices of ranchers and farmers throughout the nation. Farr was the first president of the NCF and served as president of the American National Cattlemens Association, which would later become the National Cattlemens Beef Association (NCBA). Farr died at age 97 in August 2007. The NCF advances the future of the beef industry by assisting in the education of the next generation of beef industry professionals. For more information and to apply for the scholarship, visit www. nationalcattlemensfoundation. org. An agri-tech firm will develop artificial intelligence for grassland monitoring and management to support decarbonisation, with a focus on dairy farms. listt.io, a start-up based in London, has received government funding worth over 130,000 to develop the AI project. It has developed an autonomous soil and crop health monitoring solution, based on mobile robotics for agriculture. The concept is to deliver high-accuracy sensors to provide high-integrity soil and crop data for reporting and validation purposes. The project will use AI across the full stack of such solutions - from translating earth observation (EO) data to actionable areas, identifying sample points, to interpreting the data gathered. listt.io received the fund as part of a multi-million-pound government investment worth a total of 4 million. Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, Lord Callanan said: "We are unquestionably world-leading when it comes to advanced AI and our track record for decarbonisation. "This unique position means we must now push the boundaries in how this technology can enhance our rapidly-growing clean energy sector. "Its projects like those announced today that will take us to the next step on our ambitious journey to becoming net zero, while boosting our energy security and creating a new wave of skilled jobs for the future." Other projects to receive funding include a solar energy project by the University of Nottingham, which will use AI to improve forecasting of solar energy production. Key terrorist commanders among 13 arrested in Pakistan's Punjab Xinhua) 13:32, August 21, 2023 ISLAMABAD, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province arrested 13 terrorists during separate intelligence-based operations, the CTD said. The arrested men included three high-profile terrorist commanders belonging to the banned outfit Islamic State, the CTD said in a statement on Saturday, adding that the operations were conducted in various districts of the province. The department said the terrorists were planning to carry out terrorist activities in the province, highlighting that the timely action by the police prevented the province from a major disaster. "CTD has been working towards the goal of a safer Punjab and authorities are determined to root out the scourge of terrorism," the CTD statement said. The CTD personnel also seized a cache of weapons, including improvised explosive devices, detonators, and explosives during the operations. Police have registered separate cases against the arrested terrorists, who have been shifted to an unknown location for further investigation. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) ZIMBABWE will continue on its journey to greatness only under the visionary leadership of Zanu-PF with milestones scored in just five years being signposts of greater things to come as the nation relentlessly marches towards Vision 2030, President Mnangagwa said. In an interview with Zimpapers Television Network and ZBC, the President said only Zimbabweans can maintain peace and security, themselves key enablers of economic growth and prosperity. The President, whose administration has rolled out life-changing programmes and projects such as dams, achieved food security, turned universities into industrial parks and innovation hubs and empowered locals to do works once preserved for multilaterals, said the journey towards Zimbabwes greatness has just begun and is guaranteed only under a Zanu-PF Government. We still have a journey ahead of us, this is just the beginning, we will continue to do more, we will continue to build dams to make sure we have enough that even in drought years we will be food secure, we want to produce everything that we require, we are empowering students, just look at what we have done in the past five years, people must vote for development, a party that has the ideas, he said. Widely expected to win tomorrows elections, the President said he will use the term to implement more people-centred projects for development that leaves no one and no place behind. I am going for my second term, its my last term, I believe that those in my party Zanu-PF, that the building of our land depends on us, the modernisation of our country depends on us, people from outside can only come to support our programmes, said the President. The President, whose administration has engagement and re-engagement as a pillar of its foreign policy dismissed the notion that tomorrows elections are to fulfil the expectations of foreign governments, stressing that the plebiscite offers Zimbabweans a chance to choose their leadership, in a free and fair election without undue interference. Our vote is actually about choosing a party that the people believe has the capacity to provide for their needs. In the past elections were done in order to satisfy Western countries. That is stupid, we have elections in order to have the best party whose programmes address the needs of the people, he said. Asked what measures his administration has put in place to guarantee peace in the country and avoid a repeat of 2018 when opposition supporters ran amok after losing the polls, President Mnangagwa said the onus is on Zimbabweans to preserve the prevailing peace. Our people should know that the peace is preserved by them and not from outside. You are the guarantors of the peace, it is our responsibility as Zimbabwe. I have said nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, inotongwa nevene vayo, igonamatirwa nevene vayo, you cannot do that when you are fighting. I am happy that we are in this election period and the country is peaceful. I am happy that there are young people who are attending our programmes, this shows that our country has a good future. If they come to us who have gone through the mill, talking about peace and harmony we can build this country, he said. The relaxed President who had earlier met with observers from Sadc, the African Union and the European Union also said ahead of tomorrows elections, the ruling party Zanu-PF has nothing to hide, hence the invitation of observers from across the globe and also the international media. The President reiterated his position that the countrys currency is here to stay as no country can be developed using foreign currency. Breaking imperialistic chains and blinkers, the President Mnangagwa led administration is also charting a new path characterised by inward looking, creating employers through the Heritage 5.0 Education model which places emphasis on science and technology, with innovation hubs and industrial parks having been set up to produce national requirements. With the economy growing at a rate of 5 percent, the fastest in the region, despite the illegal economic sanctions, President Mnangagwa said his Government will continue to invest in the energy sector to keep pace with the rapid industrialisation and economic expansion. Already, the President has ended power outages, thanks to the construction of the Hwange Power Station Units 6 and 7 which are now feeding 630 megawatts into the national grid. For years Zimbabwe was blighted by hunger but under President Mnangagwa the agriculture sector is being climate-proofed with dams being constructed in every part of the country in the spirit of development that leaves no one and no place behind. Crucially, the President said the countrys development can only come from its people as opposed to the neo-liberal mindset that foreign direct investment is key to any nations development. Herald John Deere is holding a careers event in September to help resettling military personnel take the next step in their careers. It is the first major event to be held by the company where details of the landmark John Deere Military Hiring Programme in the UK will be set out. The initiative was launched in July and helps those leaving military service find jobs working with agricultural machinery. Attendees of the free virtual event will find out how they can bring their skill sets and experience to technician roles in dealerships. They will also hear from individuals who have transitioned from military service into various agricultural machinery roles within John Deere. Allan Cochran, John Deere branch training manager, said the event was a great opportunity for ex-servicemen and women to find about a new career. "The armed forces produces people who are highly skilled, motivated, and extremely competent, and many already have the engineering skills needed to become qualified technicians. With many transferable skills, those with experience of military machines will be perfectly placed for a new career working with some of the worlds most advanced agricultural and turfcare equipment. It was announced that the Military Hiring Programme was being rolled out in the UK and Ireland following its huge success in the United States. Those signing up to the programme, which consists of 70 courses, will be offered free technical training to help them apply their current skills to John Deere products and services. Registration is open now for the virtual event, taking place on 20 September at 7pm. Scientists at the Moredun Research Institute are leading a 6m international effort to develop an effective vaccine for on-farm worm control. The institute, based in Scotland, is seeking to develop a commercial product to help control this major issue in the sheep industry in the UK and beyond. Parasitism by gastrointestinal nematodes - parasitic worms which live in the gut - has a significant impact on livestock production worldwide. Nematode infections of sheep negatively affect health and welfare outcomes for infected animals. The cost of parasitism in the UK is estimated at approximately 4 per lamb through reduced weight gain and treatment costs. In Australia, the total cost to the sheep and goat industry is estimated at more than AU$450 million each year. Scientists say this inefficiency in production also impacts greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, affecting the industry's ability to reach net zero targets. Chemical treatments are the mainstay of parasite control programs for nematode infections, but researchers say that resistance to these treatments severely undermines control options on-farm in many areas of the world. Dr Alasdair Nisbet, project lead from Moredun said: We are delighted to be able to lead this team to develop our nematode vaccine technology further. "This project is co-funded by each of the partners with matched funding from the Australian Federal Government through the Meat & Livestock Australia Donor Company to a total value of just over 6M (AU$ 11M) over 5 years. "More than half of the budget will come to the Scottish partners, with the intention to develop a commercially exploitable vaccine against the main gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep globally." The Moredun Research Institute is working with the University of Glasgow and University of New England, Australia to develop the vaccine. Donald Trump will skip the first Republican primary debate. Donald Trump will skip the opening Republican primary debate The former president confirmed on his Truth Social platform that he will not be going to the event on Wednesday (23.08.23) and may skip the debates altogether thanks to his "legendary" polling numbers in the battle to be the party's candidate for next year's election. Trump wrote: "New CBS poll, just out, has me leading the field by 'legendary' numbers... I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES." The controversial politician has privately and publicly weighed up whether he should attend the debate and the overwhelming response was for him to skip the event. Trump confirmed to his allies that he will be snubbing the debate and his interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson could be released at the same time to keep him in the spotlight. The billionaire - who has been criminally charged four times in recent months - is said to have considered entering the debate at the last minute to grab the headlines from the event and overshadow the other candidates but has now soured on that option. Trump is also keen to humiliate Fox News - who are hosting the debate - as he has been unhappy with their coverage of him in recent months. The former president is believed to be annoyed by the positivity towards his rival Ron DeSantis and has privately lashed out at Fox chief Rupert Murdoch. Giant mushrooms from space could kill millions on Earth with an alien fungus. Mushrooms could kill millions on Earth with an alien fungus Top medium Sammy Rawlinson - who has correctly predicted train crashes and volcano eruptions - has issued a chilling warning that a "type of substance or fungus from another planet" will soon be coming to Earth. Rawlinson - who hails from County Durham and is known as the 'North East Nostradamus' - said: "This substance of fungus will be poisonous to humans. "It could make us quite ill and maybe even cause a virus." The medium has thousands of followers on social media and accurately predicted Donald Trump's rise to the US presidency. She gives private readings to clients as far away as New Zealand. After the US Congress recently heard that people had been killed to protect secrets about aliens, Rawlinson vowed: "One day we will know of them. "The letter X will be in the name we give to the fungus." Chad Michael Murray and his wife Sarah Roemer have had their third child and have gushed over the new arrivals heart-shaped birthmark. Chad Michael Murray and his wife Sarah Roemer have had their third child and have gushed over the new arrivals heart-shaped birthmark The One Tree Hill actor, 41, announced he and his Closer co-star actress partner, 38, had welcomed a little girl on his Instagram Story on Saturday. (19.08.23) Revealing she had been born sometime last week, Chad said alongside a snap of them holding the newborn: So blessed and feeling so very grateful. Weve added to our pack with our new little girl (heart emoji.) The Odds on this as her birthmark must be 8 billion to 1 or close (crying smiley face emoji.) Thank you all for so much love and warmth with our baby news :) Everyones healthy and loved. #LoveBig #Family#FamilyLife #Baby #wolfpack Thank you God (hand clap emoji.) The babys birthmark appears to be on one of her ankles, and Sarah also said on her Instagram on Saturday: Our baby girl arrived last week with a heart on her ankle. We are so in love! Soaking up all the baby squishy moments that go by all too fast. The couple already have a son, eight, and six-year-old daughter, but have never publicly revealed their names. In July, Chad told his Instagram followers their third child was on the way by saying alongside a snap of Sarah cradling her huge baby bump: Baby #3 loading. Anyone know any new gadgets for babies? Its been a bit since we had one. Chad and Sarah tarted dating in 2014, with the actor proposing later that year, before they married in 2015. The pair are relatively privately about their relationship, but even though the couple rarely post to each other on social media, Chad last year wrote Sarah a Mothers Day tribute online. He said: For me, growing up with single father most of my life, I never truly knew the importance of a mother until I had the honour of watching you carry this family on your back from that moment our son was born. Our babies know just how lucky they are to have you as their Mama. I love you dearly. We love you dearly. Thank you so much for being the Human, Woman, Wife and Mother you are. Sandra Bullock is reportedly planning to scatter her late partners ashes at a luxury sea resort where they secretly exchanged vows. Sandra Bullock is reportedly planning to scatter her late partners ashes at a luxury sea resort where they secretly exchanged vows The Speed actress, 59, was left devastated at the start of August when her long-term photographer boyfriend Bryan Randall died aged 57 after a three-year battle with fatal motor neuron disease ALS. Sources have now told DailyMail.com she is considering saying her final goodbye to him at the Three Bees in the Bahamas, where she apparently wants to scatter his ashes in the sea. The outlet said they pair had an unofficial wedding ceremony at the resort in 2017, three years before his devastating diagnosis with ALS though they never formally married. An insider said: The place was just so special to them both. They would take over the entire island so they could just be themselves. It was a place where they shared some of their happiest times together and with the kids and friends. They would go there for weeks at a time. It holds a lot of meaning and it just makes sense for that to be where she says goodbye to him. DailyMail.com has obtained photos of the pair kissing on the beach at the resort. Bryans daughter Skylar Staten Randall, 29, took receipt of her fathers ashes last week after a representative from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery made the delivery to her Los Angeles apartment three days after he passed away. DailyMail.com reports Sandra and Bryan exchanged vows on the beach in the Bahamas in an intimate ceremony witnessed by friends and family on 31 December, 2017. Video also obtained by the outlet shows the couple dancing after the ceremony. Sandra first met Bryan after hiring him to take photographs at a birthday party for her son Louis, now 13, in 2015. They went public as a couple in October of that year, at the premiere of her movie Our Brand is Crisis. Sam Asghari has asked fans for help choosing his paparazzi disguise. Sam Asghari has asked fans for help choosing his paparazzi disguise The personal trainer-turned actor, 29, who cited irreconcilable differences in his 16 August divorce petition against Britney Spears, 41, poked fun at the fallout over the news they were splitting by posting the plea alongside a snap of him in three sets of wigs. He said on his Instagram Stories on Saturday (19.08.23): Help me choose paparazzi disguise. Below his message was a snap showing Sam in three joke disguises, with him sporting a grey wig and moustache in one, a short, curly brown wig with sunglasses in another and a light brown wig as his third option. Sam listed 28 July 28 as the date of his separation from Britney. Following the breakup, Sam used his Instagram Stories to announce the separation, saying: After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together. He added s*** happens and went on: We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. There has been speculation Sam could miss out on a multi-million dollar payday from his divorce from Britney due to an alleged loophole in their prenup. He is said to have agreed at the start of their 2022 marriage to get $1 million for every two years of. But Us Weekly reported he is now set to lose out on the cash as they were only hitched for 14 months before he filed for divorce. But sources have told TMZ even though the prenup prevents Sam from receiving any spousal support, he could receive a bumper one-off cheque from Britney to prevent him from sharing any embarrassing information about their marriage. Us Weekly added Sams prenup agreement money was capped at $10 million after 15 years. An insider insisted in a chat with Page Six Sam is not after Britneys cash, saying: He admitted publicly he is not fighting (their prenup agreement.) This will be resolved quietly and professionally and soon. Thats it. Us Weekly also claimed that the model-turned-actor waived any claims to Spears music catalogue in their prenup, and alleged his name is not on the deed of their shared home in Thousand Oaks, California, where they got hitched. TMZ is also reporting he will get nothing but his gifts from the Grammy winner in their divorce. Akanksha Dean, traveller and foodie, has a list of restaurants to check out on your next visit to Dubai From a gastro theatre restaurant, restaurants with a focus on hearty ingredients to restaurants that imitate a city, Dubai has it all Krasota The Address Downtown An immersive gastro theatre from the squad behind Moscows well-known White Rabbit restaurant, Krasota offers an amalgamation of pictorial art, haute gastronomy, and progressive expertise in an exceptional dining experience. Forget a regular dining room; here youre seated in an auditorium with a large circular table for 20 diners, with a pixel-perfect 3D multimedia performance projected across the curved walls and flashed over the table. Each piece of the gastro-act perfectly accompanies every course of the set menu. Chef Vladimir Mukhin is the brain behind the Krasota theatre, while film director and co-owner Anton Nenashev brings the art to life through interactive installations, 3D projections, and custom AI designs. The dinner show starts with a relaxed amuse-bouche, and includes eight courses and eight graphic acts, with two special beverages served in the breaks. Dubai is just the place for this kind of dining extravaganza. To read the full story, become a PRIME member today. PRIME Unlimited Access to Insightful Industry Information All Corporate Members and TexPro Subscribers are eligible to access F2F PRIME CONTENT using the same login credentials. MORE than US$120 000 was stolen in an armed robbery at a cash-in-transit security company in Bulawayo. The robbers, armed with a pistol, attacked two people who had gone to the offices to collect money. There has been an increase in armed robberies in Zimbabwe, particularly targeting cash-rich households and businesses. Last year, six cash in-transit robberies were recorded, prompting concern over the trend. National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said they were investigating the armed raid which occurred at the security companys cash-in-transit offices in Thorngrove, Bulawayo. Two men who had gone to the cash-in-transit offices to collect cash for banking were attacked by two male suspects who were armed with an unidentified pistol using a white Honda Fit. The suspects snatched a satchel which had US$122 598 and sped off in their getaway vehicle, said Ass Comm Nyathi. Meanwhile, five 50kgs of gold carbon were stolen when four armed robbers struck at a mine in Rosa, Chiweshe. Four suspects who were armed with pistols attacked a miner and three security guards before stealing 5 X 50kgs gold carbons and two cellphones, Ass Comm Nyathi said. H Metro Chinas international trade with other BRICS countriesBrazil, Russia, India, and South Africahas witnessed a significant increase of 19.1 per cent year-on-year (YoY), reaching 2.38 trillion yuan (around $326.85 billion) during January-July 2023. This constitutes 10.1 per cent of Chinas total foreign trade value during this period, a surge of 1.6 percentage points from the previous year. Specific figures reveal that Chinas exports to BRICS nations totalled 1.23 trillion yuan, a YoY growth of 23.9 per cent, while imports stood at 1.15 trillion yuan, growing 14.3 per cent on a yearly basis, as per the General Administration of Customs (GAC). China's international trade with BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa) has risen by 19.1 per cent YoY from JanuaryJuly 2023, constituting 10.1 per cent of China's foreign trade. Exports to BRICS increased by 23.9 per cent, and imports grew 14.3 per cent. China's private firms made up 57.1 per cent of the trade volume with BRICS. Chinas private companies, in particular, have shown great enthusiasm in expanding into these markets, with a rapid growth in trade volume. Their foreign trade amounted to 1.36 trillion yuan, marking a growth of 29.4 per cent, accounting for 57.1 per cent of the total trade volume between China and other BRICS countries. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB) The year 2023 has been a bonanza for one of the most versatile actors, Vijay Varma who has time and again proved that he's a chameleon and can fit perfectly in each and every role. Giving back-to-back successes with the well admired & successful shows such as 'Dahaad', 'Lust Stories Season 2, and drumrolls for the positive switch in 'Kaalkoot'! This actor proved his mettle with his distinctive performances and has stamped the audience's trust, who opts for any content knowing if it has Vijay, it will be quality content! Apart from that, this prolific actor also made his way to the international platform that got him the 'Best Performance (Web Series)' for 'Dahaad', award at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, and was also the only actor to be nominated in two categories! Followed by this, he made the headlines with his impressive appearance at the Cannes Festival, where he also visited ten years later, and he also appeared in the IIFA Festival and Melbourne, where he was also awarded the Best Actor Award. Vijay Varma has left an indelible mark and has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with. Vijay Varma said spoke about his achievements and said, "This year has been fairly international for me. I started with Berlin, then I went to Cannes, then IIFA, and now Melbourne. So when you go to these platforms, where there is global cinema, you tend to put your best foot forward. It's a festival for a reason and we all dress to celebrate and we put our best foot forward. You tend to have the most fun with it and I did it." Audiences can't keep calm as they are eagerly waiting on his exciting line up of his upcoming projects starting from, Homi Adajania's 'Murder Mubarak', Sujoy Ghosh's 'Devotion of Suspect X' and the much awaited 'Mirzapur 3'. The versatile performer Mohit Raina who will be next seen in the upcoming Hotstar Specials' 'The Freelancer' essays the role of Avinash Kamath - an Indian mercenary on a rescue mission to save a girl from war-torn Syria. While the show's trailer is out and fans are looking forward to seeing the actor in a unique role in the high-scale thriller, it was learnt that Mohit Raina had injured himself during the filming of the show. Talking about the same Mohit Raina said, "Amidst the bustling Mumbai schedule of 'The Freelancer,' I encountered a knee injury that undeniably brought its own set of challenges. As actors, we often navigate circumstances beyond our control, and in those moments, it's imperative to make the most of them while honoring the time and dedication invested by the entire team. The unwavering support of the entire crew played a pivotal role, enabling us to successfully wrap up the shoot." Created by Neeraj Pandey and directed by Bhav Dhulia, the show is set to release on September 1, 2023, on Disney+ Hotstar. 'The show's cast also includes veteran actor Anupam Kher, Kashmira Pardeshi, Sushant Singh, John Kokken, Gauri Balaji and Navneet Malik in key roles. Dileep's Plea Rejected By High Court In Memory Card Case: In a significant legal development, the Kerala High Court has dismissed actor Dileep's plea to adjourn the hearing for the petition filed by the actress in the memory card leak case connected to the assault she endured and its recorded footage. The High Court has also deferred its ruling on the actress's petition. King Of Kotha To Break Odiyan's Day 1 Collection Record In Kerala? Dulquer Salmaan's Film Sparks Great Buzz The court has further appointed Adv. Renjith Marar as amicus curiae to provide assistance in the legal matter raised by the actress concerning the memory card leakage. Dileep's request for an adjournment of the hearing was grounded in his assertion that the actress's petition aimed to obstruct the judge's announcement of the verdict in the case. Actress Demands Inquiry In contrast, the actress argued that the court bears the responsibility of safeguarding her fundamental rights as a victim. She demanded a comprehensive investigation into the incident and the identification of the individuals responsible for the memory card leak. This appeal garnered support from the state government as well. Consequently, the court has postponed its decision on this particular petition. Dileep has alleged that the actress's petition serves other ulterior motives. Highlighting the compilation of statements from over 250 witnesses, he contended that the prosecution seeks to impede the judgement of the presiding judge who has heard these statements. Dileep also questioned the characterization of the memory card leakage, asserting the existence of evidence to counter this claim. He suggested that those matters be brought up during the trial. The examination of witnesses by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is still pending. The contention is that these aspects will come to light during that phase, and if disclosed prematurely, they could impact the ongoing trial. Dileep has additionally shown his readiness to confidentially present his arguments to the court, outlining reasons for requesting an adjournment, in a sealed envelope. This is not the first time Dileep has raised concerns. In a previous instance, he pointed out that the prosecution's alleged attempts to prolong the trial in the actress assault case had caused significant distress in his life. He accused the prosecution of collaborating in the pursuit of prolonging the trial by instigating an investigation into the memory card issue, which is connected to the recorded assault. On the other end, the actress contends that an illicit attempt was made to tamper with vital evidence when the memory card was improperly accessed while under the court's custody. She asserts that the culprits inserted the memory card into a mobile device linked to social media accounts, demanding a scientifically rigorous investigation. Seeking the court's intervention, the actress, as the complainant, has implored for an inquiry supervised by the court. Highest Grossing Tamil Movies In Kerala Since 1996: Rajinikanth And Vijay On Par In The Rankings This ongoing legal dispute has brought to the forefront complex issues related to evidence integrity, victim protection, and the integrity of legal proceedings. The High Court's decisions will have far-reaching implications for the pursuit of justice and the resolution of this high-profile case. After the Independence Day celebrations, it is time for another big festival in the country especially in South India. We are talking about Onam which happens to be the harvest festival. The festival celebrates the return of King Mahabali/Maveli to his beloved state Kerala and is celebrated over the period of 10 days As Kerala gears up to celebrate Onam with a lot of zeal and fervour, Josh, India's most popular short video making app, is inviting creators to celebrate the special occasion with the audience. For the festival of Onam, Josh is launching a special 13 day campaign with an open hashtag challenge. During the campaign, the creators will be encouraged to create Onam related videos along with using Onam related audios from the Josh library and spread the positive spirit of the festival across the state. Interestingly, Josh team has even added exclusive tracks to the music library for the special occasion of Josh. But this isn't all. The campaign also gives the creators a chance to win special gifts which include gold coins, exclusive kits and vouchers. So what are you waiting for? Grab your phone and create a video to celebrate Onam with Josh users and you might win some exciting prizes Participate in the Onam Campaign by clicking on the link below : https://share.myjosh.in/challenge/c8138845-b38b-456e-8c0b-c2202d53377d Looking for inspirations, well here are some amazing videos from Josh creators enjoying the onset of the festivity : https://share.myjosh.in/video/234d5e8b-a0e9-4a83-8d1f-03d67e9e41b6?u=0x5c151eca600eef0b https://share.myjosh.in/content/cfe20e78-e550-4f50-a11d-27206d17947e https://share.myjosh.in/video/adaf736b-ab4d-4e59-b6db-3bc6ef4069e1 https://share.myjosh.in/content/8bb140a9-9691-4b8c-a2a5-605ef1eeeef3 https://share.myjosh.in/video/033486fc-f9cd-482b-84a0-bbdcd16b39b3?u=0x52bc24f6819d43bf https://share.myjosh.in/content/b3bc2a5c-3a53-47bc-8805-dfb9184a7022 https://share.myjosh.in/video/8e619e1c-86c2-42da-a8f2-c4a4b7fbad93?u=0xb3aef2c94a0a78ae https://share.myjosh.in/video/2e7a3fb7-67bc-4a55-a9f9-4088f97b563b?u=0x1943be6d2eca2647 https://share.myjosh.in/content/b3bc2a5c-3a53-47bc-8805-dfb9184a7022 https://share.myjosh.in/video/ea1b6b77-276e-4bf2-89a4-2ba7402b72f2?u=0x7ff774e71945ea50 https://share.myjosh.in/video/43b98e5f-0632-4c2a-89c2-646101cff8c6 A lot more exciting activities, collaborations, and campaigns await you on the Josh app. Download the Josh app and follow the latest creator community activities on https://linktr.ee/JoshMalayalam Bigg Boss 17 Exclusive: It's been just a week since Salman Khan-hosted Bigg Boss OTT 2 ended with YouTuber Elvish Yadav winning the controversial reality show and Bigg Boss 17 has already started creating buzz. Filmibeat exclusively revealed about the makers planning for a unique theme this year - Singles Vs Couples. As the new season of Colors TV's controversial reality show is expected to premiere in September ending or October beginning, several popular names are said to be in contention to enter the Bigg Boss house this year. As revealed earlier, Pandya Store couple Kanwar Dhillon and Alice Kaushik are said to be almost confirmed for the show. SEEMA HAIDER WITH HUSBAND SACHIN MEENA IN BIGG BOSS 17? Well, Filmibeat has got another exclusive information related to Bigg Boss 17. After Kanwar and Alice, the show's team has also reached out to Seema Haider and Sachin Meena. Yes, you read that right! Revealing the same, the souced told Filmibeat, "As the theme is going to be Couples Vs Singles this time, the makers are trying to rope in Seema Haider and Sachin Meena for Bigg Boss 17. As the duo is making headlines currently, they seem like a perfect choice for the show to grab eyeballs. Along with Alice (Kaushik) and Kanwar (Dhillon), even Seema and Sachin are in advanced talks." However, an official announcement from the makers' side regarding Bigg Boss 17 contestants is still awaited. EVERYTHING ABOUT SEEMA HAIDER AND SACHIN MEENA Could you imagine leaving your home, illegally entering a foreign nation, and braving the threat of imprisonment all for the sake of a man you've fallen for online? This is precisely what Seema Haider, a Pakistani mother of four, claims she did for a man named Sachin Meena residing in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The online shooting game PUBG turned out to be their matchmaker as they initially connected in 2019. Earlier this year, Seema embarked on a daring journey across borders - spanning Pakistan to Dubai and then Nepal - clandestinely entering India with the intent of forging a new life with Sachin. All was going as planned until the authorities caught wind of her presence. Since the emergence of Seema Haider's tale, this romance has navigated numerous twists and turns. What began as a cross-border love affair even raised suspicions about potential involvement from the Pakistani intelligence agency. As the couple is still fighting for their love, we're really looking forward to seeing them in Bigg Boss house. Keep watching this space for more updates! Karan Kundrra and Tejasswi Prakash are the hottest couples in the town and there are no second thoughts about it. The power couple found love in each other during their stint on Bigg Boss 15 and ever since then they haven't left a chance to paint the town red with their romance. From enjoying date nights to travelling together, sharing mushy posts about each other on social media & more, Karan Kundrra and Tejasswi Prakash are sheer couple goals. And while they are going strong with their relationship, there have been endless speculations about their wedding. The fans have been yearning for Karan and Tejasswi to tie the knot soon. Amid this, the new buzz about the power couple states that TejRan (as fans fondly call Tejasswi and Karan as) are already married. Tejasswi Prakash Gets The Best Birthday Gift From Fans, Karan Kundrra's REACTION Is Unmissable Yes! You read it right. This happened after Tejasswi Prakash and Karan Kundrra's pic with Israeli Consul General of Mumbai Kobbi Shoshani went viral on social media. The pic was shared by Israeli Consul General of Mumbai wherein he was all praises for the Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal. In the caption, he had referred to Tejasswi as Karan's spouse dropping hints about TejRan's hush-hush wedding. In the pic, Karan looked dapper in a white shirt which he had paired with black trousers and a light brown blazer. On the other hand, Tejasswi made a statement in a white outfit. Kobbi Shoshani captioned the image as, "Karan Kundra is beloved actor and also a gentleman. So happy to meet his spouse Tejasswi Prakash". Take a look at Karan and Tejasswi's viral pic with Israeli Consul General of Mumbai: TejRan Ki Shaadi! Tejasswi Prakash's BIG Condition For Wedding With Karan Kundrra: Mujhe Aur Use Bahut Baar... Well, we wonder if Karan and Tejasswi have secretly tied the knot or if the wedding is on the card anytime soon. Earlier, when Tejasswi was quizzed about her plans to marry Karan, the actress told Hautterfly that there is no pressure on them to tie the knot. "Mujhe aur Karan ko bahut baar aata hai ye sawal. Karan does understand that I am at a certain stage of my professional life. He will only do it when I think I am ready. He knows what he wants in life. We both are very secure in our relationship. There's no pressure," she was quoted saying. Syncredible, a leading digital networking platform, is pleased to announce the launch of its advanced digital business card app, which integrates QR code technology for seamless contact sharing. This development revolutionizes professional networking by offering an eco-friendly and efficient alternative to paper business cards. Munich, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2023) - Syncredible's latest offering enables professionals to easily design, customize, and share their digital business cards with a simple QR code scan. The app, available on Google Play and the App Store, addresses the limitations of paper business cards, which often become outdated and contribute to environmental waste. More information can be found at https://syncredible.app/en/. Syncredible Announces Innovative Digital Business Card with QR Code Integration To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/177575_60620bbfe450cbec_001full.jpg With the fast pace of technological advancements, the demand for efficient and modern networking tools has never been more evident. Syncredible's solution bridges this gap, offering a platform that not only simplifies the exchange of contact details but also improves the overall networking experience. When it comes to seamless digital networking, the Syncredible app offers users to efficiently incorporate essential details such as photos, logos, contact information, websites, and social media links. Once created, these digital cards can be instantly shared by displaying a unique QR code. Recipients can then scan the code with their smartphone, ensuring that the contact details are accurately and promptly saved. In the age of digital transformation, where first impressions are often made online, having a dynamic and interactive virtual business card can set professionals apart. Syncredible's platform provides this edge, allowing individuals to present themselves in a manner that's both contemporary and impactful. "Digital business cards define the future of networking. They offer exceptional flexibility, enabling users to update and share their contact information in real-time. Moreover, by stopping the need for paper, we're also promoting a more eco-friendly approach to networking," stated Josef Baumgartner, CEO of Syncredible. Visit the following link to learn more about how Syncredible is transforming digital networking. One of the standout features of Syncredible's digital networking app is its emphasis on customization and branding. Users have the freedom to select their preferred colors, fonts, and layouts, securing that their digital business card aligns with their professional image. Additionally, the app's user-friendly interface allows that even those new to digital networking can design and share their cards within minutes. Beyond the convenience and branding benefits, Syncredible's digital business card solution highlights the company's commitment to sustainability. By transitioning to digital, users can significantly reduce paper waste and associated printing costs. Syncredible's dedication to innovation in the digital networking space is transparent in its continuous efforts to improve user experience and functionality. The company's focus on data security, combined with its state-of-the-art features, positions it as a frontrunner in the digital business card industry. For more detailed information about Syncredible's digital business card solution and its array of digital networking features, interested parties are encouraged to explore the Syncredible app, readily available on Google Play and the App Store. Contact Info: Name: Josef Baumgartner Email: josef@syncredible.app Organization: Syncredible GmbH Address: Munchener Str. 26, 85247 Schwabhausen, Germany, Munich, Bavaria 80331, Germany Website: https://syncredible.app/en/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177575 BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Producer prices data from Germany is the only major economic news due on Monday, headlining a light day for the European economic news. At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is scheduled to issue Germany's producer price data for July. Prices are forecast to fall 5.1 percent annually in June after rising 0.1 percent in June. At 4.00 am ET, Statistics Poland publishes industrial production and producer prices for July. Economists forecast industrial output to fall 0.6 percent annually after easing 1.4 percent in June. Producer prices are expected to ease 1.1 percent, in contrast to the 0.5 percent increase a month ago. In the meantime, current account figures are due from Greece. Copyright(c) 2023 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 / August 21, 2023 / (TSX:NANO)(OTC PINK:NNOMF)(Frankfurt:LBMB) Highlights: Nano One successfully completes its second SDTC funded project. Initiated in May 2019, a final contribution of $803K was recently awarded, totalling $8.25M. Proceeds were focused on scaling Nano One's One-Pot process technology and team, for the production of LFP and NMC materials. Funding also accelerated Nano One's acquisition of critical equipment, advanced its M2CAM technology development and validated the cost-competitiveness of its process technologies. Nano One Materials Corp. ("Nano One" or the "Company") is a clean technology company with patented processes for the production of lithium-ion battery cathode active materials ("CAM") that enable secure and resilient supply chains by driving down cost, complexity, energy intensity, and environmental footprint. The Company is pleased to report that it has received the final contribution of $803,300 from Sustainable Development Technology Canada ("SDTC") and the Government of British Columbia's Innovative Clean Energy ("ICE") Fund. This completes the Company's second SDTC project and its success led to a third SDTC funded project that was previously announced in February 2023 which is expected to provide an additional $10 million in non-dilutive funding. Support for Nano One's Scaling of Advanced Battery Materials Project was awarded by SDTC in May 2019 and completed in January 2023 with total government contributions of $8.25M, with $5.25M from SDTC and $3M from the ICE Fund, respectively. This final contribution of $803,300 represents a 10% holdback that is awarded once all successful commitments and reporting requirements have been achieved. "SDTC has been an important contributor to Nano One over the years and has been instrumental in propelling us to where we are today," stated Nano One's CEO Mr. Dan Blondal. "Their funding for this project provided the means to execute our business plans and aided in securing additional support from the capital markets and from various strategically interested parties. With SDTC and ICE Fund support, we grew our team, added to our portfolio of intellectual property and optimized our processing technology and know-how. We believe we can be cleaner, greener and leaner than the methods used in Asia, while being cost competitive in Canada, North America, Europe and the Indo-Pacific region." Advancing the Scale of the One-Pot Process The funded project helped Nano One accelerate significant advances in scaling of its One-Pot process for lithium iron phosphate ("LFP"), specifically in preparation for pilot and industrial scale production at its recently acquired facilities in Candiac, Quebec. The project enabled 10 kg batches of One-Pot LFP and greater for third party evaluation that have since led to trials in the company's Candiac facility that are exceeding 1000 kg (1 tonne). Through the course of the project, the team was able to reduce reaction times resulting in cost reduction and improved yield. The team also reduced CAPEX and OPEX associated with the One-Pot process for LFP as compared to existing LFP methods and they developed a comprehensive techno-economic model for LFP, providing confidence for large scale piloting and production activities at its Candiac facility. The project also supported the development of Nano One's innovative metal-to-cathode-active-materials ("M2CAM") technology, that simplifies the supply chain and enables the use of metal powders instead of environmentally problematic metal sulphates. M2CAM aims to eliminate wastewater and waste sulphate, cost effectively, and this is of increasing strategic interest in North America, Europe and other regions where there are environmental standards coupled with the need for tens of millions of tonnes of CAM production. Kelli Forster, Senior Vice President of People and Culture stated, "The financial support from SDTC and the ICE Fund has enabled us to further attract and retain industry leading experts with science, engineering and business backgrounds. We have the most experienced LFP production team in North America and by pairing this with our innovative culture, we are setting the stage to change how the world makes battery materials. I am proud of our team, and I look forward to its continued growth." ### About Sustainable Development Technology Canada At SDTC, we support companies attempting to do extraordinary things. From initial funding to educational support and peer learning to market integration, we are invested in helping our small and medium-sized businesses grow into successful companies that employ Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are relentlessly focused on supporting our companies to grow and scale in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The innovations we fund help solve some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges: climate change, regeneration through the circular economy, and the well-being of humans in the communities they live in and the natural environment they interact with. About Innovative Clean Energy Fund The Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund is a Special Account, funded through a levy on certain energy sales, designed to support the Province's energy, economic, environmental and greenhouse gas reduction priorities, and to advance B.C.'s clean energy sector. Since 2008, the ICE Fund has committed approximately $110 million to support pre-commercial clean energy technology projects, clean energy vehicles, research and development, and energy efficiency programs. On March 13, 2017, the Province announced a joint call partnership with Sustainable Development Technology Canada to support the development of pre-commercial clean energy projects and technologies. About Nano One Nano One Materials Corp. (Nano One) is a clean technology company with a patented, scalable and low carbon intensity industrial process for the low-cost production of high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials. With strategic collaborations and partnerships, including automotive OEMs and strategic industry supply chain companies like BASF, Umicore and Rio Tinto. Nano One's technology is applicable to electric vehicles, energy storage, and consumer electronics, reducing costs and carbon intensity while improving environmental impact. The Company aims to pilot and demonstrate its technology as turn-key production solutions for license, joint venture, and independent production opportunities, leveraging Canadian talent and critical minerals for emerging markets in North America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region. Nano One has received funding from SDTC and the Governments of Canada and British Columbia. For more information, please visit www.nanoone.ca Company Contact: Paul Guedes info@nanoone.ca (604) 420-2041 Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this news release includes but is not limited to: the results of any milestones achieved within the "Scaling Advanced Battery Materials Project" jointly funded by SDTC and the British Columbia ICE fund; ongoing and any potential future collaborations with SDTC; current and future collaboration engineering, and optimization research projects; the Company's future business and strategies; uses of funds, and future capital expenditures and other expenses for specific operations; industry demand; ability to obtain employees, consultants or advisors with specialized skills and knowledge; incurrence of costs; competitive conditions; general economic conditions; the intention to grow the business, operations and potential activities of the Company; the functions and intended benefits of Nano One's technology and products; the development of the Company's technology and products; the commencement of a commercialization phase; prospective partnerships and the anticipated benefits of the Company's partnerships; the Company's licensing, supply chain, joint venture opportunities and potential royalty arrangements; the purpose for expanding its facilities; scalability of developed technology; and the execution of the Company's plans - which are contingent on support and grants. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of terminology such as 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'intend', 'continue', 'estimate', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'ongoing', 'target', 'goal', 'potential' or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are 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 statements or forward-looking information, including but not limited to: successful completion of the ongoing, and any potential future, collaborations with SDTC, the British Columbia ICE Fund and any of the consortium partners; general and global economic and regulatory changes; next steps and timely execution of the Company's business plans; the development of technology, supply chains, and plans for construction and operation of cathode production facilities; successful current or future collaborations that may happen with OEM's, miners or others; the execution of the Company's plans which are contingent on support and grants; the Company's ability to achieve its stated goals; the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents via license, joint venture and independent production; anticipated global demand and projected growth for LFP batteries; and other risk factors as identified in Nano One's MD&A and its Annual Information Form dated March 29, 2023, both for the year ended December 31, 2022, and in recent securities filings for the Company which are available at www.sedar.com. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE: Nano One Materials Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/775297/Nano-One-Successfully-Completes-Second-SDTC-Project-Receives-Final-Contribution-of-803000 The Brooklyn rescue group Flatbush Cats, responding to overcrowded animal shelters and the number of street cats literally multiplying due to a lack of affordable spaying and neutering, has unveiled a plan to address the growing kitty crisis. On Monday, the group will open a new multimillion-dollar nonprofit spay/neuter clinic to provide the surgeries themselves. We had to acknowledge, candidly, that as important as rescue and fostering and adoption and [trap, neuter release, or TNR] work is we do all those things we had to acknowledge that its not going to solve the problem, so we had to move upstream, said Will Zweigart, founder and executive director of Flatbush Cats. The Flatbush Veterinary Clinic will open for business next month, allowing pet owners and rescuers to bring both cats and dogs in for spaying and neutering for a fraction of the typical cost. Zweigart says the surgeries will cost around $225 for cats and slightly more for dogs; private vets the Daily News spoke with charged up to $1,150 for the bloodwork and surgery. Will Zweigart, executive director of Flatbush Cats, outside the new Flatbush Veterinary Clinic at 1460 Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Located in a brand-new building, the 3,700-square-foot multilevel space was purchased outright by the rescue. In addition to a reception area and exam rooms, it features recovery areas downstairs where TNR cats can heal after surgery before returning to their outdoor communities. The entire mission of the clinic itself is that we will be able to keep families and their pets together and create good qualities of life, said Kai Small, the clinics wellness veterinarian. The group aims to perform 7,500 surgeries per year and provide basic exams and vaccinations, which could mean the difference between animals ending up on the street or remaining in a home. There are an estimated 500,000 to 1 million stray and feral cats in the city, the Daily News reported Sunday. In the past week weve had a box of kittens in a towel dumped on the stoop, said Lindsay Branch, the rescue program manager for Flatbush Cats. The clinic also received a really ill cat that was dumped in an open carrier, and this is a cat that clearly has a lot of problems, said Branch, adding that it had an upper respiratory infection and was unable to walk. Stray cats at 75 Green St., Brooklyn, New York, Thursday, August 17, 2023. Again, a totally solvable problem if youre able to get it to a vet, said Branch. But someone left the kitten in a carrier next to a park out there for someone to find. Flatbush Cats will continue their rescue, foster and adoption work along with operating the clinic. One of the groups pilot patients was an 8-week-old kitten named Creature, recently found on a Flatbush street. The cat, his outsized meows mismatched to his tiny body, received his first vaccine and a deworming that same day. This is his first real step into getting into the rescue program, said Branch, who added the kitten will be available for adoption at Mondays opening. Lindsay Branch, rescue program manager of Flatbush Cats, holds a kitten named Creature at the new Flatbush Veterinary Clinic at 1460 Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn. Finicky, an 8-year-old cat found living in a basement of a residential building, delighted in the attention of staff, marching across an exam table and leaning into pets. After years of rough living, he needed to be medically assessed before possibly being placed into foster care. Saving the citys felines visit by visit comes at hefty cost, however. Zweigart estimated that the first year of the clinic would cost well over $1 million. So far the vast majority of donations have come in from more than 10,000 individual givers from around the world. It mostly comes from people who want to break this cycle. They want to see this happen here. Someone from this morning donated and said, I dont live in New York, I dont even live in the U.S. and I want to see this happen,' said Zweigart. Were not there yet, she added. We still have to raise additional funds to get these doors open and deliver these affordable services to New Yorkers. Wellness veterinarian Kai Small is pictured with a cat named Finicky at the new Flatbush Veterinary Clinic on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn on Thursday, August 17, 2023. The idea is to start small and do as much preventative medicine and health care as we can for as many people as we can, and the more were able to being people into the doors and the more were able to get funding, the more were able to expand the things that were able to do, said Small as he petted Finicky. At Mondays opening, Councilman Justin Brannan will present the clinic with a check for $150,000 from the 2024 New York City budget. Will Zweigart (right), executive director of Flatbush Cats, gives City Councilmember Justin Brannan a tour of the new Flatbush Veterinary Clinic at 1460 Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. This is a long time coming. The city is really falling short when it comes to helping feral cats, said Brannan, who visited the clinic last Thursday. Its something that should matter to every politician. I think this is a huge first step and I think that we should open up Flatbush Vets all over the city. Zweigart said increased support from the city will allow the operation to expand services and lower costs. This is a solvable problem, she said. We built the solution to overcrowded shelters right here. SAN DIEGO, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Trucept Inc. (OTC Pink: TREP) Trucept has increased operating Income by 166% and 665% for the 3 and 6 months ending June 30, 2023 as compared to the same periods the prior year. Trucept has also increased Net Income by 149% and 126% for the 3 and 6 months ending June 30, 2023 as compared to the same periods in the prior year. Trucept reduced Operating Expenses by 26% and 18% for the 3 and 6 months ending June 30, 2023 as compared to the same periods the prior year. Trucept has made an investment in Dalrada Financial Corporation (OTCQB:DFCO). Dalrada has consistently delivered outstanding financial results, which makes this strategic investment particularly attractive for Trucept and its shareholders. CEO Norman Tipton commented: "I'm thrilled to announce that Trucept's first half of 2023 has witnessed exceptional financial results. This success stems from our team's unwavering dedication, our diverse service offerings, and the trust our small business partners place in us. It's not just about numbers; it's about the growth stories we're helping to write every day. As we continue into the year, we're driven by our commitment to empowering even more businesses. Thank you for being part of our journey." Trucept offers professional services that help businesses navigate growth. The company's professional services now encompass the following: Data Driven Marketing, Technology, and Accessibility Act compliance Services Insurance Offerings and Third-party Administrator (TPA) services Full-Service Payroll Human Resources and Management Employee Benefits Administration Accounting Support Safety and Risk Management For additional information, visit www.trucept.com. About Trucept Inc. True solutions, today and tomorrow: Trucept Inc. helps organizations focus on growing their business. With a dedicated suite of powerful tools and services designed to put business owners in charge of running their businesses and increasing efficiency, Trucept tackles a variety of important administrative needs and provides a host of value-added advantages. For more information, call 858-798-1620 or visit https://trucept.com/. Disclaimer Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future revenues and sales projections, plans for future financing, the ability to meet operational milestones, marketing arrangements and plans, and shipments to and regulatory approvals in international markets. Such statements reflect management's current views, are based on certain assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results, events, or performance may differ materially from the above forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors, and will be dependent upon a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain additional financing that will allow us to continue our current and future operations and whether demand for our products and services in domestic and international markets will continue to expand. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard to these forward-looking statements or the occurrence of unanticipated events. Factors that may impact the Company's success are more fully disclosed in the Company's most recent public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its annual report on Form 10-K. SOURCE Trucept Inc. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Food Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo, and Home Delights Expo concluded on a high note today. HONG KONG, Aug 21, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - The Food Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo and Home Delights Expo, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded on a high note today while the two trade fairs - Food Expo PRO and Hong Kong International Tea Fair - drew to a successful close on 19 August. The five fairs featured more than 1,800 exhibitors from 24 countries and regions and attracted close to 480,000 public visitors, an encouraging recovery sign for the trade and fairs industries. The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), organised by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIIA) in collaboration with the HKTDC and eight major research institutes, also concluded on 18 August.Food tasting returned at the Expo following a ban during COVID-19, the Food Expo and concurrent fairs became festive public events attracting both local families and visitors.The newly rebranded Food Expo PRO, previously known as the Trade Hall, was held for the first time since travel links returned to normal. Food Expo PRO and the Tea Fair together attracted more than 20,100 buyers from 69 countries and regions, including Mainland China, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Mexico and Poland, reaffirming Hong Kong's F&B trading hub role in Asia.Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: "This year's Food Expo and the concurrent events have been truly exciting and bustling, with the number of visitors and exhibitors' sales showing positive signs, underlining strong public demand and appetite for food shopping. The two trade fairs, including the rebranded Food Expo PRO and concurrent Hong Kong International Tea Fair, were well supported by group pavilions and exhibitors from a vast spectrum of countries and regions. We are pleased to see that the five events have successfully created business opportunities for exhibitors and the public, who were truly satisfied."Electronic payment helps boost spendingThe second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme rolled out shortly before the fairs and the promotion of electronic payments at the expo by HKTDC has made transactions faster and more convenient. More than 50% of about 1,300 respondents in an on-site survey had spent HK$1,000 (US$128) or more at the exhibition; the overall per capita spending was about HK$1,500, a year-on-year rise of more than 8%. Nearly 80% of survey respondents paid electronically, underlining the spending boost e-payment brought.Strong consumer sentiment brings rewarding salesThe Food Expo has always been Hong Kong's annual culinary highlight, bringing together a selection of the world's finest specialities. Eric Lin, Managing Director of exhibitor Hop Hing Loong Company Limited, said: "We import more than 100 brands from different countries worldwide. Consumers are keen to make purchases while Japanese fruit liqueurs and sake are among the best sellers. We expect total sales to reach HK$800,000 to HK$1 million at the Expo this year."Trade buyers broaden business networksThe Food Science and Technology Zone was a new addition at the Food Expo PRO. A Hong Kong exhibitor, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi), showcased non-alcoholic beer and the "electronic tongue", a smart device which carries out a full range of quantitative and qualitative taste sensing analysis. Dr Carmen Man, a lecturer at the institute, said: "We have met a good number of food-tech companies and government representatives from different countries, including Japan and Singapore. They expressed keen interest in our technology and products and we will continue to explore business collaboration."At the Hong Kong International Tea Fair, Shobel Mulinge, Commercial Director of Nala Tea Company Ltd from Kenya, established links with buyers from Egypt, Mainland China and Singapore. The company expects to receive new orders worth US$400,000 through this year's fair.EXHIBITION+ hybrid mode boosts borderless business exchangeFood Expo PRO and the Tea Fair are still being held online under the EXHIBITION+ hybrid model. Buyers and sellers can continue to check out AI-recommended business leads as well as arrange and conduct online meetings with each other through Click2Match, a smart business-matching platform, until 26 August. The trade fairs also launched the offline-to-online communication function Scan2Match, helping buyers bookmark favourite exhibitors, browse product information, and continue their online chat with exhibitors during and after the physical fairs.The concurrent Beauty & Wellness Expo offered a wide range of beauty and health products. Exhibitor Erica Yu, Founder & CEO of Quantumbeauty Biotechnology Co, Ltd from Mainland China said: "Our main goal in participating in the Beauty & Wellness Expo for the first time is to promote our brand and our home beauty device. We prepared 100 sets at our booth, but they were all sold out on the first day. We had to immediately replenish another 500 sets from Shenzhen. We expect sales will reach HK$650,000."Home Delights Expo exhibitor Qivation Company Limited, showcased various nano photocatalytic home and personal products. Director Jeff Chan expected that their onsite sales turnover would rise 30% from last year to HK$400,000.Mainland and overseas participants return, unleashing business opportunitiesThis year's five major events featured various group pavilions, including Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, 10 provinces from Mainland China and more. The turnout showed that mainland and overseas exhibitors and buyers were eager to return to physical fairs in Hong Kong.At Food Expo PRO, Singapore buyer Gary Lee, Business Development Director of San SeSan Global Pte Ltd, met 10 exhibitors through the business matching service, placing orders with exhibitors from Poland, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mainland China and more, seeking frozen foods, instant foods, cashew nuts and tea leaves completing orders worth SG$300,000 (US$221,000).Chinese Medicine conference creates synergiesThe Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), together with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions, presented the latest International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM), offering invaluable Chinese medicine insights and information for industry participants. Under the theme Inheritance and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 18 keynote speakers from around the globe discussed Chinese medicine research and development and shared on successful product commercialisation. The conference was held in conjunction with five major fairs, achieving a cross-fair synergy effect.For more comments from exhibitors and buyers, please visit:HKTDC Food Expo PRO: http://bit.ly/3YH8zTfHKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair: https://bit.ly/3KKsz1CHKTDC Food Expo: https://bit.ly/3YJuJEyHKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo: https://bit.ly/3YFWSMAHKTDC Home Delights Expo: https://bit.ly/3qCgp3ZPhoto download: https://bit.ly/3KS72nJWebsites:HKTDC Food Expo PRO: https://foodexpopro.hktdc.comHKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair: https://hkteafair.hktdc.comHKTDC Food Expo: https://hkfoodexpo.hktdc.comHKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo: https://hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.comHKTDC Home Delights Expo: https://homedelights.hktdc.comThe International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM): https://icmcm.hktdc.comAugust Happy Buy website: https://ecoupon.hktdc.com/food/About HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.Media enquiriesHKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs Department:HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Beauty & Wellness ExpoKate Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4239, Email: kate.hy.chan@hktdc.orgHKTDC Food Expo PRO, HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair, ICMCMFrankie Leung, Tel: +852 2584 4298, Email: frankie.cy.leung@hktdc.orgHKTDC Home Delights ExpoClementine Cheung, Tel: +852 2584 4575, Email: clementine.hm.cheung@hktdc.orgSource: HKTDCCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / NV Gold Corporation (TSXV:NVX)(OTCQB:NVGLF)(FSE:8NV) ("NV Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to report assay results from the recently completed Reverse Circulation (RC) Drill Program carried out at its 100%-owned Triple T Gold Project located in the Humboldt Range, Nevada. The Project is situated 7 kilometers east of the Rochester silver-gold operation and 42 kilometers southeast of the Florida Canyon Gold Mine (see Figure 1). The program consists of 14 shallow RC drill holes totaling 719.3 meters in the northern-most of the three target areas. Almost all drill holes intersected one or more, near-surface mineralized quartz veins with up to 4.57 m averaging 2.40 g/t Au in TT-9 and 9.14 m averaging 1.39 g/t Au in hole TT-11 (see Figure 2). The recent drilling and mapping program has confirmed the presence of a regional low-angle thrust plane (shear zone) controlling the Triple T gold mineralization over a strike length of up to 5 kilometers and possibly further on under cover rocks. The North Target area now measures 250 by 400 meters and remains open north and south as well as down-dip to the east (see Figures 3 & 4). With the confirmation that gold mineralization is expanding underneath the carbonate unit to the east (Upper Limestone), NV Gold is planning geophysical (Induced Polarization (IP)) investigations to reveal potentially larger erosion-protected targets along this promising structural gold-corridor. Figure 1: Triple T Gold Project General Location Map Figure 2: Triple T Oxide Mineralization and 2023 Drill Intercepts (cut-off>0.1 g/t Au) Figure 3: Triple T Lithology and Sampling Figure 4: Triple T Conceptual Targets John Watson, Chairman of NVX, stated: "Our recent successful drilling at Triple T, combined with detailed geologic mapping and structural interpretation has illuminated new targets and expanded dimensions for this project. Recent sampling of numerous outcropping quartz veins north of the drilling area has the potential to enlarge the mineralized zone even further. We are very pleased with the results of the program and are excited about the potential of the project going forward." John R. Kerr, P.Eng. is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. Quality Assurance, Quality Control ("QA/QC") and Sample Analysis The Company has implemented a quality control program to ensure best practices in sampling and analysis of the chip samples. The chips of the entire hole are collected at the drill site, logged and split into an eighth sample using a rotating sample splitter. The eighth sample is then securely shipped to the ALS Global Laboratory in Elko, Nevada. During sample collection and assaying, there is an established QC procedure using standards, and blanks inserting each at 30m intervals in each hole. At the laboratory, samples are crushed and pulverized in preparation for analysis. The samples are analyzed for gold using fire assay with AA finish. About NV Gold Corporation NV Gold Corporation is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Reno, Nevada and is focused on delivering value through its gold exploration efforts in Nevada, USA and by leveraging its expansive property portfolio. On behalf of the Board of Directors, John Watson, Chairman and Interim CEO 303.884.6909 For further information, visit the Company's website at www.nvgoldcorp.com or contact: Freeform Communications at 604.245.0054 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and statements that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company and include, without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things: the potential quantity and grade of mineral resources identified in the Exploration Target and the Company's current expectations regarding future exploration and development plans. Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information and 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 information or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except as may be required in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice regarding forward-looking information and statements. SOURCE: NV Gold Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/775485/NV-Gold-Corporation-Reports-Positive-Drill-Results-from-Triple-T-Gold-Project NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / Suncor Energy Suncor broke new ground when we first began reporting our sustainability performance in the mid-1990s. Twenty-eight years later, the Report on Sustainability and its companion publication, the Climate Report, continue the practice of disclosing our progress in more than a dozen areas of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Suncor's 2023 Climate Report and Report on Sustainability are now available. "We take our performance in environmental, social and governance (ESG) areas seriously. This is why we disclose our sustainability performance every year through these comprehensive reports," says Jon Mitchell, Suncor's Vice President - Sustainability. "The audience continues to grow because a lot of groups important to our company, from Indigenous Peoples to investors to regulators, want to know what we are doing to operate a sustainable business, our efforts to improve and our plans to be successful in a low-carbon future." The Report on Sustainability covers 19 different ESG areas. Some of Suncor's 2022 highlights include: Improving environmental performance in 2022 13% reduction in freshwater withdrawal since 2018 94% water recycle rate for mining and in situ operations 1 million tree and shrub seedlings planted 362 hectares reclaimed at our oil sands operations Creating strong partnerships in 2022 $3.1 billion spent with Indigenous-owned suppliers, which represents 20% of our overall spending on procured goods and services 5.4 per cent of Indigenous employees in our overall workforce Investing in communities and people in 2022 $40 million contributed to community, charitable and non-profit groups in communities where we operated 27% of our employees participated in SunCares, our employee giving program More than 105,000 hours volunteered by employees and $6.2 million employee donations to community organizations The Climate Report charts our progress made on our climate objectives in our strategy. Highlights from this year's report include: A pathway to net zero Achieve net zero GHG emissions in our operations by 2050 and reduce emissions by 10 megatonnes (Mt) across our value chain by 2030. 10 Mt is equivalent to the annual average emissions of 2.3 million Canadian homes. $540M spent on low-carbon projects in 2022, in line with our 10% of capital allocation commitment to low-carbon energy Became Alberta's 4th largest electricity operator in 2022 by generating low-carbon power through our cogeneration fleet Download the 2023 Report on Sustainability and 2023 Climate Report here. Any questions or comments regarding the reports can be sent to sustainability@suncor.com. Media Contact: media@suncor.com Read More View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Suncor Energy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Suncor Energy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/suncor-energy Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Suncor Energy View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/775589/Suncor-Issues-Its-Annual-Report-on-Sustainability-and-Climate-Report SAO PAULO, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Qn-SOLAR, a leading Photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer, has announced its upcoming participation in Intersolar South America, taking place from August 29 to 31 at Booth B7.68 at Expo Center Norte, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The company will showcase its flagship product, the QNN182-HS585-72, at the expo. Intersolar South America, the largest exhibition and conference for the solar industry in South America, brings together renowned experts and industry leaders to shed light on the hottest topics within the industry. The participation of Qn-SOLAR demonstrates its unwavering determination to make significant strides in the South American market. "We are thrilled to announce that we have already secured signed orders totaling 200MW in the South American market for H2 of 2023. We anticipate a rapid growth in order volume during this period. To better serve the local market, we have established a Qn-SOLAR subsidiary in Brazil, complete with local warehouses, sales, logistics, after-sales, and business development teams. At Qn-SOLAR, we prioritize transparency and traceability in every step of our supply chain. We are optimistic about the potential of the South American market and remain dedicated to its success.", said Stephen Cai, Chairman and Co-founder of Qn-SOLAR. The QNN182-HS585-72, the flagship product sold in South America, is based on the 182mm N-Type TOPCon technology and boasts an impressive module efficiency of 22.7%. It excels in low irradiance conditions, surpassing traditional PERC modules, and offers a lower power degradation rate and temperature coefficient. Earlier this year, the QNN182-HS585-72 obtained the INMETRO certification, enabling its entry into the Brazilian market by meeting specific requirements. The certified product has already been successfully deployed in a utility-scale project. Notably, the ambitious 70MW Fishery PV TOPCon technology-based project in Hubei Province, China, showcases Qn-SOLAR's commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions, providing enhanced support to the local fishery and aquaculture industries. Mordor Intelligence highlights two major trends in the South American market. Firstly, the ground-mounted segment surpasses the rooftop segment in the solar PV market due to the prevalence of large-scale solar PV projects. Secondly, Brazil's ambitious plan to invest USD 25 billion by 2030 presents growth opportunities for solar module manufacturers worldwide. Consequently, the solar power sector in Brazil is expected to experience substantial growth and dominate the South American solar PV market in the coming years. Following Intersolar South America, Qn-SOLAR will also actively participate in various trade shows in Europe and Japan later this year to explore new business opportunities and demonstrate its unwavering commitment to global carbon emissions reduction. About Qn-SOLAR Qn-SOLAR is a professional and fully-integrated photovoltaic manufacturer with over 15 years of experience in EPC project development. Our commitment to providing customers with comprehensive and value-driven solutions is matched by our unwavering dedication to rigorous product quality control and refined management practices that drive cost efficiency. With an expanding footprint in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and South America, Qn-SOLAR has already made its mark on the entire photovoltaic supply chain. By 2023, our production capacity for photovoltaic cells and modules will reach 69 GW and 39 GW, respectively, solidifying our position as a leading player in the industry. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2189062/3.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/qn-solar-to-further-expands-its-global-footprint-with-participation-at-intersolar-south-america-301904514.html WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Broadcom, Inc. (AVGO), a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions, on Monday affirmed its expectation that its acquisition of VMware, Inc. (VMW) will close on October 30, 2023, and provided an update on its progress with various regulatory agencies. On August 21, 2023, Broadcom received final transaction approval from the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority. This follows legal merger clearance in the European Union, as well as in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, South Africa, and Taiwan, and foreign investment control clearance in all necessary jurisdictions. In the U.S., the Hart-Scott-Rodino pre-merger waiting periods have expired, and there is no legal impediment to closing under U.S. merger regulations. Broadcom continues to work constructively with regulators in other jurisdictions for regulatory approvals, which Broadcom believes will be received before October 30, 2023. Accordingly, VMware and Broadcom have also agreed to further extend the Outside Date as contemplated in the transaction agreement. Broadcom said it is confident that the combination with VMware will enhance competition in the cloud and benefit enterprise customers by giving them more choice and control over where they locate their workloads. Copyright(c) 2023 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. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The global virtual teller machine (VTM) market is experiencing growth due to several factors, such as an increase in demand for cost-effective and secure solutions, a surge in the adoption of automation solutions in the banking sector, and an increase in the adoption of multifunctionality features in VTMs. PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Virtual Teller Machine (VTM) Market by Offering (Hardware, Software, and Service), Deployment (On-Site, Off-Site, and Others), and Provider (Bank and Financial Institutions, and Managed Service Provider): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global virtual teller machine (VTM) industry was valued at $1.6 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $5.0 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.5% from 2023 to 2032. Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/7315 A virtual teller machine (VTM) is a device that allows customers to communicate with a teller remotely via video conference. Customers can use VTMs to carry out a variety of banking transactions, including cash withdrawals and deposits, as well as check balance and account inquiries. The virtual teller can answer questions, provide guidance, and complete transactions on the customer's behalf. Virtual tellers-to-teams (VTEs) are often equipped with sophisticated features such as document scanning and card reading, as well as biometric authentication, for increased security and convenience. Prime Determinants of Growth- The global virtual teller machine (VTM) market is experiencing growth due to several factors, such as an increase in demand for cost-effective and secure solutions, a surge in the adoption of automation solutions in the banking sector, and an increase in the adoption of multifunctionality features in VTMs However, security issues and privacy concerns and high implementation cost are hampering the market growth. On the contrary, the increase in the adoption of video banking technology is expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the market during the forecast period. Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $1.6 Billion Market Size in 2032 $5.0 Billion CAGR 12.5 % No. of Pages in Report 261 Segments Covered Offering, Deployment, Provider, and Region Drivers Increase in demand for cost-effective and secure solutions Surge in adoption of automation solutions in the banking sector Increase in adoption of multifunctionality features in VTMs Opportunities Increase in the adoption of video banking technology Restraints Security issues and privacy concerns High implementation cost COVID-19 Scenario: The virtual teller machine (VTM) market has witnessed stable growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the stringent restrictions on movement and varying degrees of lockdowns across several countries paralyzed business activities, many people shifted toward digital platforms for banking transactions. However, the demand for VTMs has increased post-pandemic, owing to the high demand in rural areas of developing countries such as China and India., which is expected to boost market growth. The hardware segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period- Based on offering, the hardware segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global virtual teller machine (VTM) market revenue, and is expected to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Owing to increasing demand for real-time data collecting and helping to complete basic transactions, request banking services, or receive immediate assistance with the help of live video conferencing consultation with a remote bank teller. However, the software segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 15.1% from 2023 to 2032. Owing to the increase in adoption of digital technology across numerous industries and the need to offer better services. Buy This Report (261 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/3QITzCB The on-site segment to maintain its lead position throughout the forecast period- Based on deployment, the on-site segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global virtual teller machine (VTM) market revenue, and is expected to maintain its lead position throughout the forecast period. owing to rising online shopping and growing demand for on-demand banking services globally. However, the off-site segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 14.6% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the rise in the adoption of off-site VTMs by various banks to improve their operational efficiency and control various processes. The bank and financial institutions segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period- Based on provider, the bank and financial institutions segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to more than three-fourths of the global virtual teller machine (VTM) market revenue, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. owing to the strong adoption of modern technologies in many end-use industries and the growing need for advanced interactive machines in financial and associated institutions. However, the managed service provider segment would portray the fastest CAGR of 15.0% from 2023 to 2032. Owing to increasing demand for technologies that help financial institutions to increase customer satisfaction and gain a competitive advantage. Want to Access the Statistical Data and Graphs, Key Players' Strategies: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/7315 Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032- Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global virtual teller machine (VTM) market revenue. Owing to the growing demand for interactive machines and managed services in the financial sector. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. The same segment would showcase the fastest CAGR of 15.6% during the forecast period. Due to a rise in virtual teller machine (VTM) technology investment in developing nations such as India and China is accounted development of private and rural banking. Leading Market Players: - Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Kontron AG Aurionpro Solutions Ltd. Arman Design KIOSK Information Systems REDYREF Slabb Kiosks Diebold Nixdorf NCR Corporation Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global virtual teller machine (VTM) 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. Trending Reports in BFSI Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount): Cardless ATM Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Crypto ATM Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 AI in Insurance Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Financial Planning Software Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 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 Us: United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/virtual-teller-machine-vtm-market-to-generate-5-0-billion-by-2032-at-a-12-5-cagr-allied-market-research-301905675.html CHICAGO, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Core HR Software will probably continue to be adopted in the future, along with integration of AI and automation, a focus on improving employee experiences, customisation, international compliance, and addressing the needs of remote work and diversity. The market's future is anticipated to be shaped by features for AI-powered recruitment and continuous learning, data security, and mobile accessibility. The Core HR Software Market size is expected to grow from USD 10.7 billion in 2023 to USD 15.1 billion by 2028 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.0% during the forecast period, according to MarketsandMarkets. The need for a centralized repository for employee information to access and manage employee records in real time drives the growth of the Core HR Software Market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Core HR Software Market" 252 - Tables 49 - Figures 234 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=81186018 Scope of the Report Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2018-2028 Base year considered 2022 Forecast period 2023-2028 Forecast units Value (USD Million/Billion) Segments Covered Component, Software, Services, Deployment Type, Vertical, and Region Regions covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America Companies covered Workday (US), SAP (Germany), ADP (US), UKG (US), Oracle (US), Ceridian (US), IBM (US), Paycom (US), Paylocity (US), and Cornerstone OnDemand (US), Visma (US), Access Group (US), Paychex(US), EmployWise (India), HrOne (India), greytHR(India), PeopleStrong (India), Personio (Germany), Sprout Solutions (Philippines), Darwinbox (India), ServiceNow (US), HiBob (US), APS Payroll (US), BambooHR(US), Paycor (US), Zoho (India), Namely (US), Gusto (US), and Rippling (US). By software, the personnel management segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Personnel management, encompassed within core HR software, constitutes a comprehensive suite of tools and functionalities aimed at efficiently managing the entire employee lifecycle within an organization. This multifaceted solution streamlines HR processes, from recruitment and onboarding to performance management, career development, and offboarding. Personnel management enables HR professionals to effectively track, organize, and analyze employee information through a unified platform, thereby enhancing workforce productivity, engagement, and strategic decision-making. The software facilitates job posting, candidate screening, interview scheduling, and offers acceptance. It centralizes candidate data, allowing HR teams to assess applicant suitability and seamlessly transition successful candidates into the onboarding phase. During onboarding, personnel management software automates paperwork, training schedules, and introductory materials, expediting the integration of new employees and contributing to a positive first impression. Request Sample Pages @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=81186018 By deployment type, the cloud segment holds a larger market size during the forecast period. Adoption of cloud-based core HR software adoption has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, transforming how organizations manage their human resources. According to a study by Gartner, cloud-based HCM applications represented 60% of all HCM deployments in 2020, which is expected to increase further in the coming years. The flexibility and scalability offered by cloud solutions have driven this trend, allowing businesses to adapt quickly to changing workforce needs and scale operations seamlessly. Additionally, as per the PwC HR Tech Survey 2022, 91% of organizations stated that more employees are using core HR software on the cloud. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have particularly embraced cloud-based HR software due to its affordability and ease of implementation. With integrated cloud HR suites gaining popularity, businesses are reaping the benefits of streamlined HR processes, data consolidation, and real-time analytics, empowering them to make data-driven decisions for talent management and strategic planning. As cloud technology continues to evolve and more organizations recognize its advantages, adopting cloud-based core HR software is poised to thrive during the study period. By Region, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Asia Pacific countries' Core HR Software Market is experiencing rapid growth and expansion. The region's diverse and dynamic business landscape and increasing technology adoption drive the demand for advanced HR solutions to streamline workforce management and improve overall HR efficiency. Asia Pacific comprises China, Japan, India, and the Rest of Asia Pacific. Being an emerging economy, Businesses of all sizes, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to large corporations, have recognized the value of these solutions in optimizing HR processes and supporting organizational growth. Integration with other business systems, such as payroll, accounting, and talent management, is a top focus for core HR software providers in the region. Top Key Companies in Core HR Software Market: Some of the key players operating in the Core HR Software Market are - Workday (US), SAP (Germany), ADP (US), UKG (US), Oracle (US), Ceridian (US), IBM (US), Paycom (US), Paylocity (US), and Cornerstone OnDemand (US). Recent Developments: In June 2023, Workday announced the expansion of its partnership with Samsung SDS, a system integrator and cloud-based HR technology provider, to drive business and deliver unified HCM for HR professionals in the region. In June 2023, UKG acquired Immedis, a workforce management, and HR payroll solution provider, to transform the global payroll landscape by launching UKG One View, a multi-country payroll solution. In April 2023, Oracle announced enhancements to Oracle ME, an employee experience platform, Oracle Grow, an innovative AI-driven offering that unifies learning, skill development, and career advancement into a personalized journey, empowering individuals to pursue self-guided learning opportunities. In March 2023, Ceridian announced that Center Parcs UK & Ireland chose Dayforce to enhance its workforce efficiency, boost employee engagement, and ensure regulatory compliance. With Dayforce's extensive workforce management features, including time and attendance tracking, intelligent scheduling, task management, and people analytics, Center Parcs aims to empower and retain its front-line workers effectively. In October 2022, ADP announced the launch of Voice of the Employee, an employee survey solution to help employers to collect employee feedback throughout the employee lifecycle and improve the employee workplace experience. In October 2021, SAP announced SAP SuccessFactors Opportunity Marketplace, a new solution that connects workers with individualized recommendations to fuel personal growth and development and increase organizational agility. Inquire Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=81186018 Core HR Software Market Advantages: Core HR software offers a centralised platform for managing all employee-related data, including personal information, employment history, pay, benefits, performance evaluations, and more. By doing this, the necessity for human data entry and the possibility of data duplication or inaccuracy are reduced. Numerous HR procedures, including onboarding, offboarding, leave administration, attendance monitoring, and others, are automated by the programme. This lessens the administrative burden and frees up HR personnel to work on more strategic projects. HR personnel may carry out activities more effectively, saving time and money, with the help of automated processes. Faster responses to enquiries and requests benefit employees as well. The main HR software aids in maintaining current and accurate personnel data. Automation increases the reliability of the HR database by lowering the possibility of human error during data entry and retrieval. Features that aid organisations in adhering to corporate rules, industry standards, and labour laws are frequently included in the programme. As a result, there is a lower chance of legal troubles and penalties for noncompliance. HR professionals can derive insights from employee data thanks to the powerful reporting and analytics tools provided by core HR software. Decision-making, personnel planning, and performance reviews can all benefit from these insights. Employees can access and edit their personal information, request leave, view pay stubs, and more through the self-service portals provided by many key HR software solutions. Employees feel more empowered as a result, and HR has less work to do. It is made simpler to post job openings, screen applicants, arrange interviews, and manage the hiring process by the inclusion of applicant tracking and recruitment functions in several core HR systems. Report Objectives To define, describe, and forecast the core Human Resources (HR) software market based on component, software, service, deployment type, vertical, and region To provide detailed information regarding the major factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges) influencing the growth of the market To strategically analyze markets concerning growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall market To analyze and forecast the market size in terms of value To forecast the market size for five main regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high-growth segments of the market To strategically profile the key players of the market and comprehensively analyze their market size and core competencies in each subsegment To analyze competitive developments such as agreements, alliances, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions in the market To analyze the impact of the recession on the global Core HR Software Market Browse Adjacent Markets: Software and Services Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Blockchain Identity Management Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Robot Operating System Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Video Processing Platform Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Data Catalog Market- Global Forecast to 2027 Human Capital Management Market - Global Forecast to 2026 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. 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Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/core-human-resource-hr-software-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/core-human-resource-hr-software.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/core-hr-software-market-worth-15-1-billion-by-2028---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301905347.html Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, August 21 For immediate release 21 August 2023 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 100,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 851.72 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 18,595,544; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 206,395,759. The figure of 206,395,759 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 The sounds of bowling balls on polished wood and tumbling pins filled the air as seven-year-old Charna Elias held hands with a volunteer, skipping toward an open lane. With assistance, she dropped a ball down a ramp and smiled to the cheers of volunteers and camp counselors. As she rose to leave, one of her small hands clutched the cane she was still learning to use and adults verbally guided her down stairs. Charna is one of 21 blind and visually impaired children ages 7 to 14 attending the Jewish Community Center Brooklyns summer camp for the first year at Fort Hamilton Army Base in Bay Ridge, aiming for strikes alongside 600 of their sighted peers. The camp, the first in Brooklyn for visually impaired children, is free to attend. Camp attendee Charna Elias, 7, with the help of camp counselor Rachel Bodek, uses a slider to bowl at a summer camp for blind and low vision children at Fort Hamilton Army Base on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. The two-week session ended last week, and was launched by the Kings Bay Young Mens-Young Womens Hebrew Association and JCC Brooklyn, in partnership with UJA-Federation of New York and Helen Keller Services for the Blind. While activities can be tailored to the children with little or no sight, nothing available to the other kids is off-limits to them painting and archery included. In other camps, even if were not scared, they would just do things that they think a blind person would be OK with, said Lana Mamatkazina, 12. But here they let us go all out. It makes us open up new possibilities and new abilities, continued Lana, who is going into seventh grade and lives in Long Island City. In my school Ive been swimming since, what, first grade, and I learned zero. But here, in two days, I was able to float on my back for about a minute. Camp counselors and small children enjoy outdoor activities while attending summer camp at Fort Hamilton Army Base Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. The 177-acre campground provides ample space for adventures large and small, from a ropes course to cooking class, weaving lanyards and turns on the Extreme Air Jumper a contraption where the child is strapped into a frame with a harness and uses an inflatable cushion to launch themselves as high as 30 feet in the air. We really want them to have bruised knees and a little bit of sunburn and make friends, said Daniel Zeltser, chief operating officer of Kings Bay YM-YWHA-JCC Brooklyn. Camp attendee Lana Mamatkazina (left), 12, enjoys the Extreme Air Jumper activity while attending the summer camp at Fort Hamilton Army Base on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. The camp strikes a balance between inclusiveness with the hundreds of sighted campers and specialized attention for the other campers, creating a camaraderie among the ones whose vision is compromised. In addition to the sighted camp staff, there are visually challenged volunteers four who are blind, and one with low vision. Theyre getting to be with other blind kids, said volunteer Rachel Bowdek, 38, a teacher of visually impaired students from Rockland County. Theyre having a grand time. We are trying to do as much stuff with hands as possible, said Irina Kocherova, director of special needs services for Kings Bay YM-YWHA-JCC Brooklyn. Camp attendee Dayanara Landeros, 13, participates in an arts and crafts class at the camp on Aug. 14. Kocherova, a special education teacher who worked with Helen Keller Services for the Blind for 18 years, trained the staff by blindfolding them and having them rely on partners to guide them through activities, giving them a sense of what the visually impaired campers might experience. Im happy that I dont feel left out of any activities because Im usually the only visually impaired student, but when Im at camp there are so many people who are like me and it just makes me feel comfortable, said Dayanara Landeros, 13, a rising eighth-grader from Eltingville, S.I., who said making smores and a clay bowl were among her camp highlights. Organizers and campers alike hope the camp can grow from its first summer. Next year were hoping to double in time and go to four weeks, said Zeltser. He also aims to enroll 35 children for summer 2024. I want to see more next year, I want this camp to expand, I want more people to come. Camp attendee Lana Mamatkazina, 12, swims under supervision at the camp on Aug. 14. Kocherova watched some of the 21 campers splash and laugh in the pool next to the Verrazzano Bridge, including some who hadnt been in the water all summer before they came to JCC. This is what we were struggling for, she said. Regulated Information - Denominator Atlas Special Opportunities, LLChas converted 6convertible bonds in Oxurion resulting in a EUR 150,000capital increase. This is part of Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC's EUR 20 million Capital Commitment1 that will allow Oxurion to focus on progressing its novel and differentiated back of the eye drug candidate targeting potential market opportunities of over USD 5billion. Leuven, BELGIUM,Boston, MA, US-August 21, 2023- 07.00 PM CET - In accordance with article 15 of the Belgian Act of May 2, 2007 on the disclosure of major participations in issuers of which shares are admitted to trading on a regulated market and regarding miscellaneous provisions, Oxurion NV (Euronext Brussels: OXUR) (the "Company" or "Oxurion"), announces the below information, following the issuance of 92,288,761 new ordinary shares on August 18, 2023, for a total amount of EUR 150,000, as the result of the conversion of 6 convertible bonds, pursuant to the Capital Commitment entered into with Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC. Following completion of the capital increase through the conversion of the convertible bonds, the total number of shares issued by Oxurion amounts to 2,030,138,637 outstanding ordinary shares carrying voting rights (compared to 1,937,849,876 outstanding ordinary shares previously). This number will be used as the denominator for the calculation of the percentages of shareholdings. Therefore, Oxurion publishes the following updated information: Share capital (EUR) 81,806,161.32 Total number of securities with voting rights (all ordinary shares) 2,030,138,637 Total number of ordinary shares (= denominator) 2,030,138,637 Number of outstanding, granted rights to subscribe to securities carrying voting rights not yet issued: 590,500 subscription rights ("SRs") issued on November 20, 2017, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 590,500 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares); 60,000 SRs issued on December 23, 2020, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 60,000 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares); 972,250 SRs issued on April 14, 2021, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 972,250 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares); 532,500 SRs issued on September 22, 2021, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 532,500 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares); 604,405 SRs issued on December 30, 2021, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 604,405 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares); 188 convertible bonds issued on March 14, 2023, April 20, 2023, May 22, 2023, June 15, 2023, and August 10, 2023, entitling its holder, Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC, to subscribe to a total number of securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions of these convertible bonds pursuant to the Subscription Agreement entered into between the Company and Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC on March 1, 2023; and 100 convertible bonds issued on December 20, 2021, entitling their holders (Kreos Capital VI (UK) Limited, Pontifax Medison Finance (Israel) L.P. and Pontifax Medison Finance (Cayman) L.P.) to subscribe to a total number of securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions of these convertible bonds as attached to the Agreement for the provision of a Loan Facility entered into between the Company, Kreos Capital VI (UK) Limited, Pontifax Medison Finance (Israel) L.P. and Pontifax Medison Finance (Cayman) L.P., on November 21, 2021 (as amended from time to time). END About Oxurion Oxurion (Euronext Brussels: OXUR) is a biopharmaceutical company developing next generation standard of care ophthalmic therapies, which are designed to improve and better preserve vision in patients with retinal disorders including diabetic macular edema (DME), the leading cause of vision loss in working-age people, as well as other conditions. Oxurion intends to play an important role in the treatment of retinal disorders, including the successful development of THR-149, its novel therapeutic for the treatment of DME. THR-149 is a potent plasma kallikrein inhibitor being developed as a potential new standard of care for the up to 50% of DME patients showing suboptimal response to anti-VEGF therapy. Oxurion is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with corporate operations in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.oxurion.com. Important information about forward-looking statements Certain statements in this press release may be considered "forward-looking". Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and, accordingly, entail and are influenced by various risks and uncertainties. The Company therefore cannot provide any assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize and does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or any other reason. Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties affecting the business and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement is contained in the Company's Annual Report. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of Oxurion in any jurisdiction. No securities of Oxurion may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. state securities laws. For further information please contact: Oxurion NV Tom Graney Chief Executive Officer Tel: +32 16 75 13 10 tom.graney@oxurion.com (mailto:tom.graney@oxurion.com) Michael Dillen Chief Business Officer Tel: +32 16 75 13 10 michael.dillen@oxurion.com (mailto:michael.dillen@oxurion.com) US Conway Communications Mary T. Conway m (mailto:mtconway@conwaycommsir.com)tconway (mailto:mtconway@conwaycommsir.com)@conwaycommsir.com (mailto:mtconway@conwaycommsir.com) 1Press releaseOxurion, 02/03/2023 Attachments Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 21, 2023) - SATO Technologies Corp. (TSXV: SATO) (OTCQB: CCPUF) (the "Company", or "SATO") is pleased to announce financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023. Please refer to the Company's Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Management's Discussion and Analysis for full details and discussion of the results, copies of which have been filed and are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and are available on the Company's website (www.bysato.com). 2023 Operational - Highlights (unaudited) Efficiency ratio (BTC produced per Exahash): 77.86 BTC per EH/s quarterly average (for the three months ended June 30, 2023 ("Q2-2023")) ; (for the three months ended June 30, 2023 ("Q2-2023")) 8 MW of power equipment ready for deployment to support future expansion Financial - Highlights (unaudited) Total revenue in Q2-2023 of $4,212,596, representing growth of 108% when compared to the $2,021,642 of revenue for Q2-2022; representing when compared to the $2,021,642 of revenue for Q2-2022; Net Income of $600,606 for the 6 month period ended June 30, 2023 compared to Net Loss of $(5,040,387) for the same period in 2022; for the 6 month period ended June 30, 2023 compared to Net Loss of $(5,040,387) for the same period in 2022; Average electricity cost to mine 1 Bitcoin in Q2-2023: US$14,022 ; (US$9,198 in kWh cost before power premium ); ; (US$9,198 in kWh cost ); Average electricity cost to mine 1 Bitcoin in the 6-month period ended June 30, 2023: US$12,538 (US$8,195 in kWh cost before power premium ) (US$8,195 in kWh cost ) Cash position as at June 30, 2023 of $326,204 and the equivalent of $1,214,185 worth of Digital Assets; and the equivalent of worth of Digital Assets; Operating Cash Flow positive for Q2-2023 with $345,270 provided by operating activities. "Yet another robust financial performance this quarter, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the SATO team. Our core aim is the construction of proprietary data centers tailored for Digital Asset Mining, and the integration of AI/HPC into our data center infrastructure, paving the way to meet future demand. Our historical growth stands testament to our efficiency. We're now channeling our energies toward replicating this growth," remarks Romain Nouzareth, CEO. The Company will be hosting a conference call for the presentation of the financial results for the quarter ending June 30th, 2023, followed by a Q&A session. The event will take place via a conference call on August 23rd, 2023 at 10.30AM EDT. Analysts, media, and investors are invited to attend. Details of the conference call are as follows: Date: Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023 Time: 10.30 AM Eastern Time Dial-in number: +1 646 558 8656 Ask your questions in advance: https://forms.gle/whsh3DuiQPf3PLRg8 Conference ID: 896 3087 0370 Webcast link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89630870370 A recording of the call will be available on our website shortly after the event for those who are unable to attend. We look forward to having you join us for this important update and appreciate your continued support. On behalf of the board, Romain Nouzareth, SATO CEO and Chairman About SATO SATO, founded in 2017, is a publicly listed company positioned for ongoing success in deploying computing power for Bitcoin Mining, High Power Computing ("HPC"), and Artificial Intelligence ("AI"), via proprietary data centers designed to provide efficient compute power tailored for the digital world. Listed on (TSXV: SATO) & (OTCQB: CCPUF) since 2021, the Company prides itself on outstanding performance, financial stability, and a top-tier team. Around 65% of securities (on a fully diluted basis) own by Officers, Directors, Insiders and Shareholders above 7% with long term vision. To learn more about SATO's distinct vision, ambitious goals and meet the team, visit www.bysato.com. For additional information, please contact: Investor Relations: invest@bysato.com Arrange a one-on-one meeting with the CEO to review these findings: https://calendly.com/satobtc/sato-1-1 NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the future performance of the Company, and other statements that are not historical facts. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177947 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / Acre AT&T has joined forces with DSD Renewables for a five-project community solar portfolio in Upstate New York. The telecommunications firm, one of the largest corporate buyers of renewable energy in the country, will serve as an anchor tenant subscriber, offtaking 15.5 megawatts (MW) of the larger 24.1MW portfolio. An anchor tenant is any community solar subscriber with a significant annual spend on electricity. Anchor tenants subscribe to community solar farms under contract for the lifetime of that project, which is around 20 years. The range of investments is expected to generate 17.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean energy annually, generating enough energy to power more than 2,000 homes every year and offset the equivalent of 12,331 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Sustainability commitments AT&T has committed to being carbon neutral across its entire global operations by 2035 and the new agreement paves the way for the firm's next step into community solar. The move will support New York's renewable energy initiatives, reduce energy costs and help provide accessible renewable energy programs to local communities. AT&T's subscription to these five projects is forecast to offset approximately 61 percent of energy use per year. AT&T's community solar advisor NRG assisted in the selection of DSD based on its community solar expertise and advanced project development status. DSD Renewables is backed by world-leading financial partners such as BlackRock Real Assets and aims to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy resources for a more sustainable future. Sarah Moon, Senior Director of Community Solar at DSD, said: "These projects offer a socially conscious and innovative way for large corporations like AT&T to reduce their carbon footprint while making a positive impact in the communities where they operate. "By continuing to support community solar programs, we're able to help create cost-effective solutions that benefit big corporations and residents alike, providing clean, affordable energy to local communities." Shannon Thomas Carroll, AVP of Global Environmental Sustainability at AT&T, said: "We strongly believe that corporations can play a key role in helping power the communities they serve, and this agreement is one way for AT&T to do just that. "By working together with developers like DSD, we're able to explore solutions outside of on-site renewables that can help us reduce environmental impacts while also supporting local communities by making solar programs more accessible. It's a win-win for AT&T and the people we serve." Oliver Haines, Senior Consultant - Renewable Energy & Energy Storage, at Acre USA, said: "Seeing initiatives like this by AT&T and DSD happening is another very clear sign of major organizations seriously buying into decarbonization targets. These projects are a win-win for everybody; major companies get to reduce their carbon footprint, affordable electricity is created through new solar programs, and trust is built between consumers and companies. "These projects also serve as an education opportunity firsthand, by making them more prevalent in the US and giving the general public a chance to better understand where their energy could come from and the positive environmental impact they bring. "My expectation is that this trend of commercial solar will continue, as we are seeing a massive incline with not just major retailers but also real estate institutions looking to add clean, on-site energy solutions to their property portfolios." The community solar sites are situated in Cortland, East Syracuse, Medina, Utica, and Swan Lake. Four are already under construction and the final project is expected to begin later in the year. About Acre At Acre, we work with the most aspirational businesses with potential to make real change; from those who are just starting out to those who are well on the journey to crafting a legacy. Our 18 years' experience in sustainability recruitment, combined with our extensive global network, enables us to provide talent solutions that are designed to deliver this change. Through our unique behavioural assessment technology, we understand the types of people, skills and behaviours required to create impact. We can develop these qualities within your existing teams too. We find talented people and develop their skills to ensure they make a true impact in ambitious, progressive organisations. Acre. Making companies ready for tomorrow. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Acre on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Acre Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/acre Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Acre View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/775753/The-Sun-Shines-On-New-Yorks-Community-Solar-Power-Deal VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / NextGen Food Robotics Corp. (the "Company" or "NextGen") (NEO:NGRB; OTC Pink:NGRBF; Frankfurt:O83) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tas Mann as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr. Mann is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) currently providing CFO and advisory services through his position with Treewalk Consulting Ltd., a provider of financial and advisory services to both public and private companies. Mr. Mann has advised and supported various companies through the public listing process, and Mr. Mann currently provides consulting, advisory and financial reporting services to companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, Canadian Securities Exchange and the OTC Markets. Mr. Mann has replaced Dasha Enenko as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Ms. Enenko has also stepped down as Corporate Secretary of the Company, a position which will be assumed by the Company's CEO, Paul Rivas. The Company thanks Ms. Enenko for her contributions to the Company and wishes her the best in her future endeavors. About NextGen Food Robotics Nextgen Food Robotics is an automated robotic food co-packer and manufacturer that uses technology to modernize its food manufacturing processes. Additionally, Nextgen is developing the "Lily app", which is an AI-powered food application. For investor inquiries or further information, please contact: Paul Rivas, Chief Executive Officer 1 (236) 471-1357 Privas@nextgenai.ca Neither the Neo Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the NEO Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. SOURCE: NextGen Food Robotics Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/775779/NextGen-Food-Robotics-Announces-Management-Change Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 21, 2023) - Elemental Altus Royalties Corp. (TSXV: ELE) (OTCQX: ELEMF) ("Elemental Altus" or "the Company") announces its operating and financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2023. For complete details please refer to the Financial Statements and associated Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, which can be found on the SEDAR+ website (http://www.sedarplus.ca) or the Company's website (www.elementalaltus.com). Second Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights: Record revenue of $2.6 million, up 25% compared to Q2 2022 Record adjusted revenue of $4.7 million, inclusive of Caserones royalty revenue, up 127% compared to Q2 2022 Record Gold Equivalent Ounces (" GEOs ") of 2,377 ounces, up 109% compared to Q2 2022 Record adjusted EBITDA of $3.3 million, up 184% compared to Q2 2022 Royalty Portfolio Highlights and Key Developments: On March 27, 2023 Lundin Mining Corporation (TSX: LUN) announced that it had entered into a binding purchase agreement to acquire a 51% interest in the Caserones copper-molybdenum mine in Chile (" Caserones ") On March 9, 2023, the Company entered into a binding agreement to acquire an additional 0.025% effective net smelter return (" NSR ") royalty on Caserones On July 12, 2023, the Company agreed to purchase an additional effective 0.030% NSR on Caserones, increasing the total effective NSR held to 0.473% On April 20, 2023, the Company announced that it had completed the acquisition of an additional 0.25% NSR royalty on the Pickle Crow project in Ontario, Canada from a private third-party entity for total consideration of US$300,000 in cash, increasing the effective NSR royalty held by the Company to 2.25% Highlights Subsequent to June 30, 2023: On July 20, 2023, the Company announced that it agreed to the sale of its 100% owned Diba and Lakanfla gold licences in western Mali to Allied Gold Corporation (" Allied "), the owner and operator of the Sadiola gold mine. As consideration, Allied will grant a near-term production NSR royalty of 3% on the first 226,000 ounces of gold from certain deposits followed by a 2% uncapped royalty on all other production from the licences and pay up to $6 million in cash. The transaction will be completed after local regulatory approvals and filings are completed On July 25, 2023, the Company announced it had agreed to the sale of a 95% interest in its Daro and Zager copper-gold licences in northern Ethiopia to ANS Exploration ("ANS"). As consideration, ANS will pay US$200,000 in cash and grant two uncapped NSR royalties of 2.5% on copper and gold produced from the licences. The transaction will be completed after local regulatory approvals and filings are completed Frederick Bell, CEO of Elemental Altus, commented: "The first half of 2023 has been very positive with the Company continuing to deliver record revenues and impressive growth in our attributable production quarter over quarter. This quarter we continued to add exposure to one of our cornerstone assets, a royalty on the Caserones copper mine in Chile and we look forward to seeing additional optimization on the asset now that Lundin Mining is the majority owner and operator. "Subsequent to the end of the quarter we generated three new gold and copper royalties through transactions on assets in Mali and Ethiopia. The royalty in Mali in particular offers the potential for near-term revenue at Allied's adjacent Sadiola gold mine and we look forward to adding further royalties to the portfolio in the second half of the year." Operating Asset Highlights The following table summarizes the Company's revenue from royalty interests during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022. Adjusted revenue also includes accrued royalty revenue from equity investments for the same periods (see Non-IFRS Measures). Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2023 $'000 2022 $'000 2023 $'000 2022 $'000 Revenue from royalties Amancaya 211 216 448 498 Ballarat 179 - 214 - Bonikro 87 - 266 - Karlawinda 1,181 1,216 2,440 2,361 Kwale - 93 - 206 Mercedes 193 - 433 - Mulgarrie 14 - 14 - Mount Pleasant 85 88 189 206 SKO 67 - 151 - Wahgnion 583 469 1,251 1,444 Total revenue 2,600 2,082 5,406 4,277 Royalty revenue from equity investments Caserones1 2,128 - 3,148 - Adjusted revenue 4,728 2,082 8,554 4,277 (1) The Caserones royalty is held by Sociedad Legal Minera California Una de la Sierra Pena Negra ("SLM California") in which the Company held an effective 22.8% equity interest at June 30, 2023. The Company has agreed to acquire a further 1.6% interest in SLM California and this is expected to close in Q3 2023. The following table summarizes the Company's GEOs from royalty interests during the three and six ended June 30, 2023 and 2022: Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2023 GEO 2022 GEO 2023 GEO 2022 GEO Amancaya 106 116 225 265 Ballarat 90 - 108 - Bonikro 44 - 134 - Karlawinda 594 673 1,227 1,263 Kwale - 50 - 110 Mercedes 97 - 217 - Mulgarrie 7 - 7 - Mount Pleasant 43 49 95 111 SKO 34 - 76 - Wahgnion 293 250 629 536 Caserones1 1,070 - 1,580 - Total GEOs 1 2,377 1,138 4,298 2,285 (1) See Non-IFRS Measures. Elemental Altus expects to achieve previously announced guidance of 9,000 to 10,200 GEOs, weighted towards the second half of the year. Quarterly changes to revenue received by Elemental Altus are driven primarily by fluctuations in production at the underlying mines, the timing of sales, changes in the price of commodities and assets being advanced to production. Karlawinda Gold Mine, Australia Capricorn reported record annual production at Karlawinda during the year to June 30, 2023, having produced 120,014 ounces On April 26, 2023 Capricorn reported that their 73 hole (10,983m) RC drilling at the newly identified Berwick prospect, located 2km east of the Bibra open pit, detected near surface gold mineralisation over a 500m strike length and follow up drilling is underway Near mine exploration has identified a number of additional prospects within 5km of the Bibra deposit, including Muirfield and Vedas Caserones Copper Mine, Chile In Q2 2023, the Company accrued adjusted royalty revenue of $2.13 million (before tax) using an estimate of Q2 sales from Lundin Mining's published production, and a $0.9m upward adjustment based on under accrued revenue relating to Q1 2023 The Company recorded a received dividend of $1.40 million relating to Q1 2023 sales On July 13, 2023, Lundin Mining (TSX: LUN) closed its previously announced acquisition of an initial 51% of Caserones from JX Nippon Mining and Metals for $950 million. Lundin Mining has the right to acquire up to an additional 19% interest in Caserones for $350 million over a five-year period commencing on the first anniversary of the date of closing Lundin Mining announced that Caserones annual production guidance for both 2024 and 2025 is 110,000-120,000t of copper and 1,500-2,500t of molybdenum on a 100% basis Wahgnion Gold Mine, Burkina Faso Wahgnion throughput remained steady as production moved into the Samavogo pit during the quarter, where grades are expected to increase from Q3 On June 30, 2023 Endeavour Mining announced the sale of its Wahgnion and Boungou mines in Burkina Faso to Lilium Mining, a subsidiary of Lilium Capital Mercedes Gold Mine, Mexico Bear Creek reported a revision of mining methods utilized at the mine with the Marianas and San Martin deposits switched from cut and fill mining at both deposits to room and pillar mining at San Martin and sub-level caving and sub-level stoping at Marianas Tonnes mined from the high-grade San Martin deposit (Measured and Indicated Resource of 289,000t @ 6.6g/t Au) are expected to double from 400 to 800t per day during Q3 2023 as the available working faces increase. The deposit is expected to account for an estimated 50% of H2 2023 gold production Bonikro Gold Mine, Cote d'Ivoire The Company owns an NSR royalty on an area of the mine known as Pushback 5 at Allied Gold's open pit Bonikro gold mine in Cote d'Ivoire. At a gold price above $1,450, the NSR royalty is at an effective rate of 2.25%, capped at 560,000 ounces Allied Gold is expected to target full production from the royalty area during H2 2023 Amancaya Gold Mine, Chile In Q2 2023 attributable GEOs were broadly similar to Q1 2022 During the period, Austral focused exploration efforts at Amancaya on geological interpretation, having designated a shallow drill program to demonstrate continuity at the Oeste vein, a narrow gold-rich vein previously interpreted and parallel to the Central vein Ballarat Gold Mine, Australia The Company owns a 1.25% NSR royalty on the underground Ballarat gold mine in Australia and also owns approximately $0.6 million in accrued royalty payments The current administrators are undertaking a sales process of the mine which is expected to be finalized prior to the administration ending date of October 2023 During the administration period, the mine has continued to operate Tailings permits have been progressed offering a pathway to long term management of the tailings Frederick Bell CEO and Director Corporate & Media Inquiries: Jacy Zerb, VP Investor Relations Direct: +1 604-243-6511 ext. 2700 j.zerb@elementalaltus.com Elemental Altus is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: www.discoverygroup.ca or contact 604-653-9464. TSX.V: ELE | OTCQX: ELEMF | ISIN: CA28619K1093 | CUSIP: 28619K109 About Elemental Altus Royalties Corp. Elemental Altus is an income generating precious metals royalty company with 10 producing royalties and a diversified portfolio of pre-production and discovery stage assets. The Company is focused on acquiring uncapped royalties and streams over producing, or near-producing, mines operated by established counterparties, as well as generating royalties on new discoveries. The vision of Elemental Altus is to build a global gold royalty company, offering investors superior exposure to gold with reduced risk and a strong growth profile. Qualified Person Steven Poulton, Executive Chairman for Elemental Altus, and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this press release. Notes Non-IFRS Measures The Company has included certain performance measures which are not in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These non-IFRS measures do not have any standard meaning under IFRS and other companies may calculate measures differently. Elemental Altus has included certain performance measures in this press release that do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company's royalty revenue is converted to an attributable gold equivalent ounce, or GEO, basis by dividing the royalty revenue received in a period by the average gold price for the same respective period. The presentation of this non-IFRS measure is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Other companies may calculate these non-IFRS measures differently. The production forecast was derived using information that is available in the public domain as at the date hereof, which included guidance and estimates prepared and issued by management of the operators of the mining operations in which Elemental Altus holds an interest. The production forecast is sensitive to the performance and operating status of the underlying mines. None of the information has been independently verified by Elemental Altus and maybe subject to uncertainty. There can be no assurance that such information is complete or accurate. Royalty revenue is received at zero cost. Elemental Altus pays 20% per ounce on streaming revenue from the Ming mine. Adjusted Revenue Adjusted revenue is a non-IFRS financial measure, which is defined as including gross royalty revenue from associated entities holding royalty interests related to Elemental Altus' effective royalty on the Caserones copper mine. Management uses adjusted revenue to evaluate the underlying operating performance of the Company for the reporting periods presented, to assist with the planning and forecasting of future operating results, and to supplement information in its financial statements. Management believes that in addition to measures prepared in accordance with IFRS such as revenue, investors may use adjusted revenue to evaluate the results of the underlying business, particularly as the adjusted revenue may not typically be included in operating results. Management believes that adjusted revenue is a useful measure of the Company performance because it adjusts for items which management believes reflect the Company's core operating results from period to period. Adjusted revenue is intended to provide additional information to investors and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. It does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Gold Equivalent Ounces Elemental Altus' adjusted royalty, streaming, and other revenue is converted to an attributable gold equivalent ounce, or GEO, basis by dividing the royalty and other revenue from associates in a period by the average gold price for the same respective period, plus the net gold ounces received in the period from streaming investments. The presentation of this non-IFRS measure is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Other companies may calculate these non-IFRS measures differently. The production forecast was derived using information that is available in the public domain as at the date hereof, which included guidance and estimates prepared and issued by management of the operators of the mining operations in which Elemental Altus holds an interest. The production forecast is sensitive to the performance and operating status of the underlying mines. None of the information has been independently verified by Elemental Altus and may be subject to uncertainty. There can be no assurance that such information is complete or accurate. On behalf of Elemental Altus Royalties Corp. Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This news release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's ability to deliver a materially increased revenue profile, the future growth, development and focus of the Company, and the acquisition of new royalties and streams. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Elemental Altus to control or predict, that may cause Elemental Altus' actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but not limited to: the impact of general business and economic conditions, the absence of control over the mining operations from which Elemental Altus will receive royalties, risks related to international operations, government relations and environmental regulation, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties; the uncertainties involved in interpreting exploration data; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with Elemental Altus' expectations; accidents, equipment breakdowns, title matters, labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions in operations; fluctuating metal prices; unanticipated costs and expenses; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions; liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of important factors which could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements, refer to the annual information form of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2022. Elemental Altus undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements and information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking statements and information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement or information can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177954 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 21, 2023) - US Copper Corp. (TSXV: USCU) (OTCQB: USCUF) (FSE: C730) ("US Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of the exploration drilling program announced on June 8, 2023, at the Company's wholly-owned Moonlight-Superior Copper Project, located in Plumas County, California. The Moonlight-Superior Project has a mineral resource estimate of 1.3 billion pounds of copper indicated and 1 billion pounds of copper inferred across three deposits - Moonlight, Superior and Engels. The resource estimate is contained in the National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") Technical Report and Resource Estimate for the Superior Project, Plumas County, California, with an effective date of November 15, 2013, available on US Copper's website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. A total of 15 shallow holes totalling 3,990 feet were drilled at the Engels deposit to test the oxide cap that sits atop the Engels copper sulfide deposit. Drilling at Engels proceeded quickly and the Company was also able to drill an additional 15 holes at the Moonlight deposit totalling 2,430 feet to test the oxide cap on that deposit. A further two holes were then drilled at the Lambs Ridge historical copper deposit. Samples from all 32 holes have been logged, bagged and sent to the lab for assays. Assay results are expected to be available in September. The main objectives of the 2023 exploration drill program include: Upgrading and potentially expanding the current oxide resource estimate; Providing samples for preliminary metallurgical evaluation; and Providing initial data for inclusion in a preliminary economic assessment on the Engels oxide deposit. "As an exploration and development stage company with a copper project in northern California, we welcome the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Energy to add copper to the critical materials list. This decision was based on the high risk of U.S. copper supply disruption and its importance to domestic manufacturers of electric vehicles and clean energy technologies. With global copper demand projected to double by 2035, the U.S. will need to develop a secure and responsible domestic supply of mined copper. We look forward to working with our California stakeholders and prospective partners to advance the strategically important Moonlight-Superior Copper Project," commented Stephen Dunn, President and CEO of US Copper. The Company would also like to announce that its Board has approved the grant of 4,625,000 stock options to certain directors, officers and consultants of the Company, subject to regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange approval. The stock options have been issued with an exercise price of $0.10 per share, vest immediately, and have a 3-year term. Qualified Person The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by George Cole, M.Sc., Director of US Copper who is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. George Cole is a Registered Professional Geologist through AIPG (CPG-11687). About US Copper Corp US Copper controls approximately 13 square miles of federal mining claims in the Light's Creek Copper District in Plumas County, NE California; essentially, the entire District. The District contains substantial copper (silver) sulfide and copper oxide resources in three deposits - Moonlight, Superior and Engels, as well as several partially tested and untested exploration targets. The Superior and Engels Mines operated from about 1915-1930 producing over 161 million pounds of copper from over 4 MT of rock containing 2.2% copper with silver and gold credits. The Moonlight Deposit was discovered and drilled by Placer Amex during the 1960s. Details of the resources on US Copper's property and the parameters used to calculate them can be found in the "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Moonlight Deposit, Moonlight-Superior Copper Project, California, USA" dated April 12, 2018, on both the Company's website at www.uscoppercorp.com or on www.sedarplus.ca under the US Copper Corp profile. For Further Information Contact: Mr. Stephen Dunn President, CEO and Director US Copper Corp. T: (416) 361-2827 E: info@uscoppercorp.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 press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company, projected demand for copper and development of copper supply in the United States. Forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "hopes", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned", "intends", "projected" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177957 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In a significant development for the aviation sector, American Airlines pilots have given their resounding approval for an improved labor agreement, marking the second major U.S. carrier to successfully secure a fresh contract with its top-earning workforce. With this decision, over 15,000 pilots within the American Airlines fold stand to gain immediate salary hikes of 21 percent. Over the course of the stipulated four-year contract, this will culminate in a remarkable cumulative compensation surge of more than 46 percent, a figure inclusive of 401(k) contributions, as confirmed by the pilots' union on Monday. The path leading to this newly embraced agreement was not without its twists. A prior deal between American Airlines and the pilot union had previously fallen apart, influenced in part by the lucrative preliminary agreement achieved between rival carrier United Airlines and its corresponding union representatives. This left American Airlines with the challenge of recalibrating its offer to garner the needed support. Rising to the occasion, the airline revisited and enhanced its proposal, a strategic move that ultimately led to the present consensus. The resounding endorsement of the contract by American's pilots speaks volumes, with an overwhelming 72 percent of the pilot body casting their votes in favor. This landslide decision was further amplified by an impressive 95 percent turnout, indicating the significance and unity of the pilot workforce. Beyond the palpable economic benefits, the agreement also encompasses a host of improvements to scheduling and associated benefits, addressing critical concerns of the pilots. The aviation landscape has been notably altered by the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, presenting a unique set of challenges, including a conspicuous shortage of aviators. Pilots across various airlines have seized this opportunity to advocate for more equitable compensation and refined work regulations, harnessing their collective voice to effect change. 'This agreement heralds a new chapter for American Airlines, enabling us to promptly bolster our pilot training capacity. This step is vital in supporting underutilized aircraft and preparing for future operational expansions. Importantly, this accord ushers in greater prospects for our pilots to advance within their professional trajectories,' emphasized Robert Isom, the CEO of American Airlines, in a formal statement released in response to the development. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Mega-Chance: Der Indien Report Ihre Chancen im groten Wachstumsmarkt: 3 indische Top-Aktien. Die Highlights dieses Spezialreports: 1. Indien als Wachstumsriese, 2. Indiens Wirtschaft boomt!, 3. 3 Top-Performance-Aktien. Jetzt kostenlos downloaden. Hier klicken Actress Alia Bhatt, who is basking in the success of her latest release, Karan Johars Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, finds herself at the centre of controversies every now and then. As per latest developments, the Gangubai Kathiawadi star hit headlines when she narrated an incident surrounding her husband actor Ranbir Kapoor in a makeup tutorial video for a fashion magazine. In the clip, Alia revealed how Ranbir makes her wipe off her lipstick as he likes her lips natural colour. This infuriated internet users who continued to call their relationship toxic based on the clip. However, the duo were spotted posing adorably at the Mumbai airport on Saturday night as they left for a quick getaway with their daughter Raha to an undisclosed location. While Ranbir was dressed in a blue tracksuit, Alia kept it easy-peasy in all-white attire, which she paired with a denim jacket. Take a look: Uploaded a day ago, the post amassed over 86,000 likes. Alia Bhatt shares a cryptic post Alia Bhatts lipstick remark left her fans uneasy and concerned, as per ETimes report. Not just this, the incident left internet users calling out Ranbir Kapoor for his alleged toxic behaviour and branded him as a red flag. While answering a question about how Alia takes toxicity and criticism, the 30-year-old actress replied in a cryptic post, Constructive criticism is the best way to grow. While clearing the air surrounding her marriage with the Saawariya star, she called him her happy place while gushing that she can be her truest, most authentic self around him. She also answered several questions related to her movies, marriage and motherhood. Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor tied the knot on April 14, 2022 in a traditional ceremony at their Mumbai home. The couple welcomed their daughter Raha in November same year. Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoors professional commitments On the professional front, Alia Bhatt recently delivered the hit, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. She also made a successful Hollywood debut with Heart of Stone, alongside Gal Gadot, and Jamie Dornan. Up next, the diva will play the lead in Farhan Akhtars road trip drama, Jee Le Zaraa alongside Katrina Kaif. Now, shifting our focus to Ranbir Kapoors lineup, the actor has been roped in to headline Sandeep Reddy Vangas action thriller Animal. With Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, and Tripti Dimri in the lead, the project is slated to release on December 1. A recurring moment in OMG 2, starring the terrific pair of Pankaj Tripathi and Akshay Kumar, is built around Kanti Sharans (Tripathi) rituals in court. Every time Kanti chants a loud prayer, it is met with louder echoes from an expanding courtroom. It underlines not just the roots that he stands upon but also the canopy that flanks either side of a man who represents a significant proportion of this country. This after all, is a film cradled by faith, coated by its colours, and somewhat shaped by the landscape it is also in a sense, trying to shake up. To think that the makers of OMG 2 would then have the courage and gall to explore sexuality and adolescence, in a presumptively conservative setting, allots this story the kind of wind that momentous waves are made of. In fact, its precisely the thing that universalises OMG 2s sensitive, put potentially irksome, messaging. Told from the perspective of Kanti Sharan, played exceptionally by the ever-so-likeable Pankaj Tripathi, OMG 2 navigates the tricky space of adolescent sexuality. After Kantis son is caught pleasuring himself in school, the public humiliation that follows, urges a humble man to don the cape of a lawyer and fight for the dignity of his child. In doing so, he not only categorises the role of the education system in grooming Indian men and women, but also that of faith in pursuing the just nature of change. While religion itself was the thorny centre of the first film, here it acts an ally of sorts, powering Sharan through battles of wit, with the sensitive urges of the heart. His exchanges with Shiva, played by Akshay Kumar, detailed as epiphanies could also simply be reflections of his own true self. Divinity resides as much in argument as it does in undebated adulation after all. Where OMG 2 really soars is in its desire to merge rationality with faith, that elusive space of co-existence where the two borrow from the others magical quality. While knowledge might come from books, the film argues, the conviction to drive it towards change, might still require inspiration or intervention. While some or maybe most of us, seek this inspiration in material gain, sometimes it manifests, in different ways. Ways that most of India tries to define for itself in its own way. To some it is culmination of a folk tale, to some its the sustenance of an age-old myth. To some it is destiny, that irretrievable destination that action feels like the reaction to. Its simply, inextricable from our essence of being, something that the sequel builds upon as a foundation. In OMG 2, Kantis sobering dive into the annals of sexuality is never quite seen at odds with his desire to also be faithful. He pursues the former as an education and the latter as his means of endurance. Unlike most arguments between science and faith, Kanti is willing to learn one without unlearning the other. Its what makes his profession, that of a shop owner, who also organises religious pilgrimages, all the more crucial to the films key provocations. How could a man of such staunch ritualistic habits, consider the seemingly vulgar? Its a question that the film chooses to only tangentially answer, thereby supporting the idea that one could be liberal and progressive while being devout; just as much as one is believed to be without. Faith need not automatically serve as the lock that imprisons thought. Occasionally, it can also serve as the key. Amit Rais film walks a tightrope that few films have attempted before. He wants to talk about sexuality from a religiously sensitive town, without addressing the conflict it can come to represent in the context of austerity. And yet he sidesteps that bogey from where there might have been no return, to assure his audience that the sight of a religious man, fighting for the liberality of his son, his sexual grooming, need not be that novel a sight. In fact, most Indian homes currently witnessing a cold war between generations, might actually be accustomed to finding that agreeable middle ground where one becomes the other, at least in essence, if not on the surface. Mainstream filmmaking is an incredibly hard business. Though Hindi cinema has engineered itself a factory that considers social issues and taboos as packaging for light-hearted comedies, they only confront contradictions that concern neighbourhoods and not entire cities and regions. OMG 2 on the other hand is a different animal for it glides through the potentially volatile mix of sex education and faith, by exhibiting the two next to each other like easy, unassuming confidantes. There is of course the mention of shivas ling, of the Kamasutra and other instances where religion, undeniably overlaps with sexuality. Its a fact that no censor board, or socially gathered critique can deny. Which is why the very thing that might make OMG 2 infuriating to some, makes it universal to most. Royal author Tom Bower says Meghan Markle never intended to stay in the UK once she married Prince Harry back in 2018. She never intended to stay in England. She always intended to go back to California, and it has served her very well, he told the Express. Bower also mentioned the Duchess of Sussex used the Princes Royal status to woo Hollywood elites. All his friends were excluded and all her Hollywood contacts were included, like Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney and all her agents. Everyone was there to help her career. Duke and Duchess stood down as active working members of the Royal family and moved to California in 2020. Meghan has always been ruthlessly ambitious as compared to her capabilities. She never got the kind of limelight she always wanted till the time she got married to Harry and after the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan. Earlier this month Meghan was eyeing a move from Montecito to her childhood home of Malibu where it is closer to the Hollywood A-listers, according to a report published in skynews.com. Meghan and her anti-stress patch The Duchess of Sussex was spotted recently without her husband Prince Harry, who is currently in south east Asia, as she attended an appointment in her hometown of Montecito on Thursday with a bodyguard by her side. She donned a $1,650 Max Mara wool coat for the outing, even though it was warm in Montecito that day. According to reports published in Daily Mail, temperatures climbed as high as 73F (22.7C) and didnt drop below 65F (18C). Also notable was the NuCalm stress patch on her left wrist. The patches which cost $80 for a pack of 20, are said to provide resonance and frequencies, as well as a sensation of calmness. We understand that Meghan Markle needs to stay calm. And this anti stress patch disc helps users to relax and recover. Hope it helps her to recover from the ongoing stressful situation with the British royal family ever since her marriage with Prince Harry. Her professional life too doesnt look too bright. Meghans failed Hollywood dreams However, Meghan is still struggling to make a place in Hollywood, despite hiring a hotshot agent. Meghan Markle signed with Hollywood talent agency William Morris Endeavor back in April, but the Duchess of Sussex is yet to announce her upcoming projects. Not body know about her Hollywood plans, except for the fact that most Hollywood A-listers are distancing themselves both from Prince Harry and Meghan. There are also rumours that the fairy tale romance of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may not be as picture-perfect as it seems, according to a royal commentator who appeared on Talk TV. Kinsley Schofield, the commentator, dropped some shocking insights into the couples relationship, revealing that while a split is not imminent, there could be trouble ahead within the next five to ten years. (With added inputs from agencies) The fatal shooting of a clothing store owner near San Bernardino, California, by a man who made disparaging remarks about the shops Pride flag is latest in a barrage of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks that have put queer New Yorkers on edge and emboldened extremists. Its very clear that our community is still under attack every day, said Trevon Mayers, Senior Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement at Manhattans LGBTQ Community Center in the West Village. So many stories dont get told but we are quite literally fighting for our lives. The killing of Laura Ann Carleton comes on the heels of the fatal stabbing of OShae Sibley. Sibley was killed blasting music and after vogueing with friends at a Midwood, Brooklyn gas station last month. OShae Sibley was stabbed to death in front of a gas station on July 29, 2023. Its in the air, its in the water, said Audacia Ray, Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy at the New York City Anti-Violence Project. Its a cultural conversation thats happening now. So it does make people more vulnerable. In the past six months, weve seen more incidents of hate violence being reported, particularly in public transportation and on the streets. A report from the Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD released a report showing a recent rise in anti-LGBTQ hate and extremism nationwide. Between June 2022 and April 2023, New York State had at least 35 anti-LGBTQ+ extremist and non-extremist incidents the second-highest in the nation, behind California, according to the ADL and GLAAD. We are definitely seeing an uptick in more random acts that are targeted at folks who are perceived to be queer trans, and also attacks on spaces, Ray said. Ray said these incidents can escalate, as in the tragic California killing. A survey by Anti-Violence Project, of which Ray is a lead author, found that more than three-fifths of LGBTQ+ organizations experienced some type of harassment or violence. Theres also been a wave of anti-LQBTQ+ legislation across the U.S., including the Supreme Court ruling that allows businesses to refuse services for gay people. The LGBTQ community is tired and scared, said Stacy Lentz, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn. Were not going to back down, but this is alarming. This is alarming that an ally, just for putting up a pride flag in their store could be murdered. I really think this has a lot to do with our LGBTQ folks kind of being served up as red meat to a conservative base and putting us in the middle of the culture wars. When you have heated rhetoric full of hate, it can lead to actual real physical violence. Pride flags at the Stonewall Inn, the site of the 1969 Stonewall riots that set in motion the gay rights movement, were ripped down three separate times in one week ahead of Pride this year. I think that were all a little alarmed, she said. I think were all going to be on our toes a little bit more. And I think that, you know, weve got to really hold people accountable, that not only are doing this physical violence, but that are spewing this hatred, hateful language and again. A sign sits at a memorial at a gas station during a vigil for OShae Sibley on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in Brooklyn. Less than three weeks ago, a man was slashed on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade in what was being investigated as a hate crime. In June, a gay man was stabbed to death aboard a Manhattan subway car, just a year after being the victim of a previous hate-fueled attack. I think people feel emboldened now, and the threats are real, said Carol Bullock, Executive Director Pride Center of Staten Island. It was very clear this weekend with that horrible tragedy. But you even look at all the legislation thats happening right now so many anti LGBTQIA+ bills are being introduced on a regular basis now, just attacking our community. I have somebody who came up to me and talked about how they were playing music loud at a gas station, and all of a sudden was like, Oh, I turned my radio down. I might not be safe,' Bullock said. And I was just talking with someone this morning about having pride flags outside of our homes. People are second guessing themselves now and are afraid that it just calls attention to them and you know, could put them in harms way. New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher installs a new LGBTQ+ flag outside the Little Prince Bistro on Prince St. in Manhattan after an arsonist burned a different Pride flag earlier in the day on Feb. 20, 2023. Anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti and drag queen story hour protests have become increasingly common, she said. Theres just this undercurrent of, the threats are real It makes all of us sort of step back, pause and worry about our own safety here and worry about the safety of those within our community, Bullock said. In the face of the problem, advocates are pushing queer New Yorkers to take precautions like forming safety plans and letting others know where theyre going. Theyre also asking allies to take extra care in protecting others and staying alert. It can be discouraging at times,Mayers said. I think for me, I look at these things as an indication or something that is missing. When were facing attacks at every angle, I think the only way to overcome that is to respond with a stronger organizing approach. There was a time when parents used to change the television channel if a couple began to kiss on screen. They wanted to protect their children from inappropriate content, or perhaps save themselves from the embarrassment of questions that they were not keen to answer. I guess they also wanted to discourage any curiosity about the hungers and pleasures of the body. Today, I find parents eagerly looking for resources to educate themselves. They want to be prepared when children approach them with queries about sexuality, dating and relationships. I am not a parent, but I have been a teacher, so I can empathize with how challenging it must be. Parents want their children to be safe, comfortable and thriving but they struggle to keep up with the fast pace at which the world around them is changing. They are mortified of not being good enough as providers, nurturers and role models. They keep trying to do better. In the last few weeks, I have been moved by the portrayal of two such parents on Indian screens Bulbul Jauhari (Mona Singh) in Season 2 of the show Made in Heaven on Amazon Prime, and Kanti Sharan Mudgal (Pankaj Tripathi) in the film OMG2 that released in cinema halls. The show is created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, and written by them along with Alankrita Srivastava. They have also directed some of the episodes; Nitya Mehra and Neeraj Ghaywan have directed the remaining ones. The film is written and directed by Amit Rai. Bulbul works as an auditor with a wedding planning company in Delhi, and her job is to help cut down costs. Kanti Sharan is a shopkeeper in Ujjain, who sells objects that devotees need to perform religious ceremonies. While their circumstances are not entirely similar, there are overlaps. Bulbuls son Dhruv (Mihir Ahuja) is suspended from school along with other boys after a girl named Shruti files a complaint about getting molested and being filmed using a cellphone. Kanti Sharans son Vivek (Aarush Varma) is rusticated from school after a video of him masturbating in a toilet goes viral because of peers who shoot him without consent. Dhruvs friend Chetan (Aditya Raj Arora) is the boy that Shruti has named but Chetans friends are also involved. Unlike Chetans mother (Namita Lal) who believes that Shruti is lying, Bulbul wants to know the truth. She challenges the parents who allege that Shruti has filed a complaint to get attention. Having lived in an abusive marriage for years, Bulbul had to endure domestic violence until she killed her ex-husband in an act of self-defence. She is afraid that Dhruv might turn out like his father. Her heart goes out to Shruti. If Dhruv is responsible for hurting Shruti, Bulbul wants him to face the consequences. She wants him to understand that sexual assault cannot be justified through character assassination of the girl. Kanti Sharan is unaware of the bullying that his son had to face in school. He learns about it only after Vivek is admitted to a hospital for overdosing on pills that fight erectile dysfunction. Kanti Sharan feels let down by his son for engaging in what he considers shameful behaviour. He has no clue about Viveks distress because they rarely talk. The father speaks, and the son is expected to listen. The father does not hesitate to slap his child to ensure obedience. Such a relationship makes it impossible for the son to confide and seek help. He ends up believing peers who make him feel ashamed about the length of his penis. He tries every avenue to rectify his supposed defect so that he can stand a chance with girls. Bulbul has a younger son named Gaurav (Krrish Rao). She is worried that Gaurav might be affected by Dhruvs suspension. It takes her a while to realize that she has not failed as a mother. Gaurav finds the courage to tell her the truth about what Dhruv and his friends have been up to. Thanks to this disclosure, Bulbul is able to convince Dhruv to tell the principal about what really happened to Shruti in school, and how the video was shot and circulated. Bulbul makes Dhruv realize that he should not feel pressurized to fall in line with the boys club. She reminds him that he and Shruti used to be friends, so it is his duty to help her. On the other hand, Kanti Sharan learns to stand up for his own son. He files a defamation suit against his sons school, and fights the case with all the passion that he can summon. He argues that schools ought to make sex education an integral part of the curriculum so that students can get satisfactory and reliable answers to all of the queries in their young minds. He brings in a medical expert to testify that masturbation is a safe and healthy practice, and that it is not abnormal for people to want to pleasure themselves. Moreover, he suggests that sex education could help boys grow into men who are aware of the needs of their wives, and therefore enter the sphere of intimacy through the eyes of tenderness rather than conquest. Thanks to what unfolds in Bulbul and Kanti Sharans stories, we get to witness how the secrecy and shame that are often associated with conversations around sexuality harm children and teenagers. They feel distant from their parents, and turn to immature peers or untrustworthy adults to satisfy their curiosity. Instead of protecting them, their parents put them in harms way. Good intentions, not supported by a reality check, backfire miserably. While Singh and Tripathi deliver top-notch performances, the credit for making their characters believable in their vulnerability and their determination to fight must also go to the writers and the directors. As we celebrate Bulbul and Kanti Sharan, let us also take a moment to remember Rani Irani (Pooja Bhatt) from Srivastavas show Bombay Begums that released two years ago. Rani, who is the CEO of a bank tells her daughter Shai (Aadhya Anand), Look, Shai, I want you to know that you dont have to do anything to please a man, okay? Srivastava wrote the screenplay with Iti Agarwal and Bornila Chatterjee. Like Vivek in OMG2, Shai in Bombay Begums feels that she is undesirable. While Rani is able to tell Shai, We all love you very much, and we are there for you, Kanti Sharan shows his love by fighting for his son in court and staking his own career, and Bulbul shows her love by telling Dhruv about the violence that she had to undergo in her marriage so that he does not follow in the footsteps of the man that his father was. These parents come from different socio-economic backgrounds but they have something in common the desire to see their children make wise choices, lead happy and fulfilling lives, not get into trouble, and not harm others. Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen is known for her intelligent repartee and bold choices in life as well as on the work front. However, one reason that has made the Aarya actress hit headlines is her decision to raise her two daughters alone at a young age. While Renee Sen, her elder daughter was adopted at 24, her younger daughter Alisah was adopted a decade later in 2010. Now, in a recent interview with television host Siddharth Kannan, the 47-year-old actress offered several insights into her professional and personal life. She also opened up about adopting her daughters, Renee and Alisah while explaining their perspective on her marriage. On The Siddharth Kannan Show Based on the snippets from the talk show, host Siddharth Kannan asked Sushmita Sen if her kids miss a father figure. The Main Hoon Na actress, who is known for her compassionate responses, replied that one only misses what they have. Further clarifying their view of marriage, she added that now if she suggests getting married, each of them will say, What? For what? I dont want a father. Adding humour to the conversation, she added, But I may want a husband, it may have nothing to do with you! In addition, she mentioned her father Shubeer Sens presence in their lives. While the daughters dont miss a father, she added that anytime they need a father figure and serve as a great example, he is the man. Just like the actress, her daughters also share a close relationship with their grandfather. Check out one of Sushmita Sens adorable Instagram posts alongside her daughters: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sushmita Sen (@sushmitasen47) Professional life On the work front, Sushmita Sen has received acclaim for her performance in the recently released web series, Taali. As part of the Jio Cinema-premiered series, Sushmita plays the role of Shreegauri Sawant based on daily struggles of a transgender activist. In addition, she is set to feature in Disney Plus Hotstars Aarya 3. The second part of Ram Madhvanis television series had garnered a lot of acclaim leading to the third season. The plot revolves around a widow who seeks revenge against those who killed her husband. India is seeing an infrastructure boom. Roads and highways are being added at a fast pace as the Narendra Modi-led government pushes for economic progress and the latest feather in its cap is an eight-lane elevated expressway connecting Delhi to Haryana. Called the Dwarka Expressway, this is the first of its kind motorway in the country and will be open to the public in the next three to four months. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari shared a video of the upcoming road on X, formerly known as Twitter, and called it a marvel of engineering and a state-of-the-art project. Whats so special about Dwarka Expressway? The expressway is a four-pack motorway with a length of 563 kilometres and is expected to decongest National Highway-48 between Delhi and Gurugram. It comprises flyovers, tunnels and underpasses and spans from Shiv Murti on NH-48 to Kherki Daula Toll Plaza in Gurugram. The Dwarka Expressway will improve connectivity between Delhi and Haryana with the travel time between Delhi to Manesar reduced to 15 minutes from the current hour and a half. According to the video shared by Gadkari, it will take 20 minutes to go from Manesar to Indira Gandhi International Airport, 25 minutes from Dwarka to the Singhu border and 45 minutes from Manesar to the Singhu border. The project will also strengthen the connectivity of the International Convention Centre in Dwarka, Sector 25. A three-way service lane is constructed on both sides of the expressway. The project integrates an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) for advanced transportation. The road has been constructed using two lakh tonnes of steel, which is 30 times more than what was used to build the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Moreover, 20 lakh cubic meters of cement concrete, which is six times more than what was used for Dubais Burj Khalifa, has been used. Twelve hundred trees were reportedly replanted during the construction. The building of the expressway costs Rs 10,000 crore and is part of the Bharatmala Phase-I project. Rs 91,000 crore for 5,000 km was finalised for the infrastructure development under this project on 10 August 2016, reports News18. However, the cost of construction of the Dwarka Expressway has come under the scanner of the Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG). What are CAGs concerns? The CAG has raised an alarm about the escalation of cost in the construction of the road. It tabled a report in Parliament on 10 August which pointed out that the expressway was built at a very high cost of Rs 250.77 crore per km. This far exceeds the Rs 18.2 crore per km approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. Thats not all. According to the CAG report, the construction of the highway was approved by the road ministry without a detailed project report. Now the report has led to a slugfest between the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). What is the AAP saying? Last week, the Aam Aadmi Party staged a protest at the under-construction expressway. Several party leaders and workers alleged that the project was a scam with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that the Narendra Modi-led government has broken all records of corruption. On Friday, the matter came up during a session of the Delhi Assembly as AAP MLAs cited CAG reports on various schemes by the Centre including the Dwarka Expressway. Starting the discussion on the alleged scam in the construction of Dwarka Expressway and other irregularities pointed out by the CAG in its report tabled in Parliament, AAP MLA Rituraj said that the cost of the expressway increased from Rs 18 crore per km to Rs 250 crore per km. This seems to be a gold road, added Rituraj and demanded the scam should be probed by the CBI or the Enforcement Directorate although not much is expected from them, reports the news agency PTI. AAP minister Imran Hussain said that on the one hand, Prime Minister Modi talks about fighting corruption, but the CAG report has shown that agencies of the Centre are involved in irregularities. While the Dwarka Expressway is being constructed at a cost 15 times higher than the estimated cost, the AAP government in Delhi has completed projects at costs lower than estimates and that too in time, he claimed. What is the Centre saying? Gadkari has refuted allegations of high construction cost and said that the Dwarka Expressway was not 29 kilometres long as mentioned in the CAG report but around 230 kilometres long, as it had tunnels included in it as well, reports India Today. He said that Rs 9.5 crore was being spent per kilometre. The minister claimed that he had spoken with CAG officials who were convinced by the explanation but still went ahead with the report. According to government sources, in the absence of an adequate response from the road transport and highways ministry and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the CAG adopted an incorrect methodology for computing the cost of the Dwarka Expressway. The CAG simply divided the total cost of construction of Rs 91,000 crore (expenditure) under the National Corridor Efficiency Programme with the projects entire length of 5,000 kilometres under development, they claimed. The sources said that the CAG has noted that the cost of construction of Rs 18.2 crore per kilometre does not include the cost norms for flyovers, ring roads, etc. They were of the view that the expressway has elevated roads, underpasses, tunnels and other components which were not part of the project, reports PTI. The government has saved 12 per cent in construction costs against estimates in awarding contracts for the expressway, ministry sources claimed. They said that all four contracts for the Dwarka Expressway were put out for tender at an average civil cost of Rs 206.39 crore per kilometre. Ultimately, the contracts were awarded at a substantially reduced rate of Rs 181.94 crore per km, which reflects a 12 per cent reduction from the estimates. With inputs from agencies Russias first Moon mission in 47 years failed when its Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the Moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing orbit, underscoring the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme. Russias state space corporation, Roskosmos, said it had lost contact with the craft at 11:57 GMT on Saturday after a problem as the craft was shunted into pre-landing orbit. A soft landing had been planned for Monday. The failure underscored the decline of Russias space power since the glory days of Cold War competition when Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth Sputnik 1, in 1957 and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961. Russia had not attempted a Moon mission since Luna-24 in 1976 when Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev ruled the Kremlin. The Vladimir Putin-led country has been racing against India, whose Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land on the Moons south pole this week, and more broadly against China and the United States which both have advanced lunar ambitions. Also read: Vikram lander breaks away: What next in Chandrayaan-3 mission? Half of the lunar missions in 6 decades failed Though Moon missions are fiendishly difficult, many countries attempts have failed in the past. From 1958 to 1979, only the US and the USSR (now Russia) launched Moon missions. In these 21 years, the two countries launched 90 missions. There was a lull in the decade that followed with no lunar missions from 1980 to 1989. Japan, the European Union, China, India and Israel have been late entrants. According to NASA, only half of the lunar missions involving landing on the Moons surface have succeeded in the last six decades. There have been a total of 109 lunar missions from 1958, out of which 61 were successful, according to the US space agencys Moon Fact Sheet. As many as 46 missions involved landing on the lunar surface, including landing of the rover and sample return. Out of these 21 were successful, while two were partially successful. Lets take a look at the failed missions. The US Air Force Pioneer 0 mission (1958) The U.S. Air Force created a series of pathfinder flights to determine whether lunar exploration was feasible while the space race was in full effect. The Pioneer missions were the first attempt to send a spacecraft anywhere beyond Earth orbit, as stated by NASA. Initially known as Able 1, the spacecrafts booster rocket exploded 73.6 seconds after liftoff on 17 August 1958. The following three Pioneer launches also failed, and it wasnt until the launch of Pioneer 4 on 3 March 1959, that any success was deemed to have been possible. Also read: What happens if someone dies on the Moon, Mars or anywhere in space? The Soviet Unions Luna 1958A, 1958B, 1958C The Soviet Union was as keen as the United States to land on the Moon. But these early exploratory efforts also produced a number of failures. The initial of these missions, Luna E-1 No. 1, aka Luna 1958A, aimed at purposefully crashing a spacecraft onto the lunar surface, but the 156 kg Ye-1 probe never made it into orbit. According to NASA, the launch vehicles structural failure on 23 September 1958, occurred due to vibration caused by pressure oscillations in the BVGD boosters and exploded 92 seconds after launch. The second mission Luna 1958B was launched on 12 October 1958, a few hours after the US Pioneer 1 mission, which again was an unsuccessful attempt by the US. The third Luna 1958C was the third Soviet attempt to reach the Moon, which lost thrust 245 seconds after launch due to failure of a a hydrogen peroxide pump gearbox which was compromised by the failure of a hermetic seal and loss of lubricant feed. The rocket lost stability and the engine was shut down by the AVD emergency system. NASAs first 6 Ranger missions (1961-1964) In contrast to the early Pioneer missions were just attempts to reach the Moons vicinity, NASAs 1960s Ranger missions, which were intended to explore the Moon with probes before purposefully crashing them onto the lunar surface. Ranger missions 7 through 9 were successful, while the previous six missions could not be regarded to have been successful, according to NASA. NASAs Surveyor of the Moon 2 (1966) and 4 (1967) Despite being the first American spacecraft to successfully touch down on the Moon, two of NASAs seven Surveyor missions were a complete failure. When Surveyor 2s engine failed to start in September 1966, it crashed on the Moon, and when Surveyor 4s radio communications failed in July 1967, it crashed on Earth. According to NASA, the main objectives of the Surveyors were to obtain close-up images of the lunar surface and to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings. Also read: Why Chandrayaan-3 stands out from all other moon missions The Soviet Zond 6 mission (1968) On 10 November 1968, the Soviet Union successfully launched the Zond 6 spacecraft, carrying out the missions objectives of performing a lunar flyby and returning to Earth. The spacecraft, which carried scientific probes including cosmic-ray and micrometeoroid detectors, photography equipment, and a biological payload, was a precursor to manned spaceflight, as per NASA. After completing a full orbit around the Moon, the mission failed as Zond 6 crashed on Earth due to a parachute failure. The Soviet Luna 15 (1969) Not all Luna missions were successful. Luna 15, a mission that aimed to land on the Moon and return samples, was one significant failure. It took place at the same time as the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission, and was thought to be a last ditch effort by the Soviet Union to return a sample from the Moon before the United States. On 21 July 1969, the day NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the Moon, the probe suddenly crashed into the lunar surface due to technical problems. The 12,500-pound probe fell around 870 kilometre from Tranquilly Base in Mare Crisium, so the Moonwalkers were never in any danger. Apollo 13 (1970) Launched on 11 April 1970, Apollo 13, US spaceflight was a successful failure, just like Zond 6 was. After a service module oxygen tank ruptured two days into the mission, the third Apollo lunar landing attempt had to be cancelled. Shortly after, NASA astronaut Jim Lovell is credited with saying, Houston, weve had a problem here, as the crew of three floated some 200,000 miles (322,000 km) from Earth. The crew was compelled to move from the Command Module to the Lunar Module because oxygen was running low. They collaborated closely with NASA mission control, devising new processes and survival strategies. On 17 April 1970, Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise returned safely to Earth. Chinas Longjiang-1 (2018) According to Business Insider, two microsatellites, Longjiang-1 and Longjiang-2, were launched in May 2018 as part of Chinas Change 4 mission to the Moon with the aim of performing ultra-long-wave astronomy studies in lunar orbit. While Longjiang-2 made it to its target, Longjiang-1 encountered issues that prevented it from departing Earth orbit. Israels Beresheet (2019) Along with the United States, the Soviet Union, and China, Israel made its first attempt to become the fourth nation to successfully land a probe on the Moon in 2019. Unfortunately, that never happened since on 11 April 2019, due to technical problems, the Beresheet probe crashed while attempting to land. Also read: Chandrayaan-3 vs Russias Luna-25: Why Moons south pole is so fascinating Indias Chandrayaan 2/Vikram lander (2019) In a repeat of the Beresheet blunder, Indias Vikram lander was unable to touch down on the Moon in September 2019. The probe reached the surface at a speed of up to 110 miles per hour (180 kilometres per hour) since it did not slow down throughout its descent. Its dispersed remnants were discovered three months later. Japans OMOTENASHI (2022) OMOTENASHI (Outstanding MOon Exploration Technologies), created by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), was intended to use solid rocket motors to try a semi-hard lunar landing, but the space agency was unable to get in touch with the probe once it was launched. Lunar Flashlight (2022) Shortly after its launch in December 2022, issues with NASAs Lunar Flashlight surfaced. The water-seeking spacecraft was unable to enter its intended halo orbit around the Moon due to clogged fuel lines, which caused thruster issues. NASA and Georgia Tech engineers developed a strategy in which Lunar Flashlights remaining propulsion capacity would launch the probe into a high Earth orbit from which it could survey the Moons southern pole region for signs of water ice once per month, rather than the initially planned once per week. The Lunar Flashlight mission is considered a partial failure in this regard, according to Gizmodo. Japans ispaces Hakuto-R M1 lander (2023) The Tokyo-based business ispace had aspirations to become the first for-profit company to set down a lander on the Moon. But this didnt happen. The Hakuto-R M1 lunar lander crashed on 25 April 2023, after a four-month mission to the Moon. The UAEs Rashid rover, a transformer-like robot, among other payload items, was lost as a result of the failed landing. Engineers are still figuring out what went wrong just before the lander was reaching the surface The unsuccessful attempt indicates that a private company has not yet achieved a soft lunar landing. With inputs from agencies COVID-19 is making a comeback and it could be devastating. The World Health Organisation and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States are on alert for a new, severely altered lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19. Six cases in four countries have been detected since late July. Scientists are keeping an eye on the new lineage, named BA.2.86, because it has 36 mutations that distinguish it from the currently-dominant XBB.1.5 variant. So far there is no evidence that BA.2.86 spreads faster or causes more serious illness than previous versions. The CDC said its advice on protecting yourself from COVID remains the same. Should we be concerned? What is new about COVID? COVID infections and hospitalisations have been rising in the US, Europe and Asia, with more cases in recent months attributed to the EG.5 Eris subvariant, a descendant of the Omicron lineage that originally emerged in November 2021. Over the past few days, public health authorities have documented one case each of BA.2.86 in the United States, the UK, and Israel, and three cases in Denmark. What do scientists say about BA.2.86? BA.2.86 stems from an earlier branch of the coronavirus, so it differs from the variant targeted by current vaccines, explained Dr S Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist Hospital. He said it remains to be seen whether BA.2.86 will be able to out-compete other strains of the virus or have any advantage in escaping immune responses from prior infection or vaccination. But many countries have drastically reduced testing of patients and their efforts to analyse the genomes of the viruses causing new COVID cases. In that situation, the trajectory of BA.2.86 doesnt look good right now, given the speed at which new cases are being identified, said Dr Eric Topol, a genomics expert and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California. Its many mutations make BA.2.86 radically different in its structure compared to earlier variants, Topol said. The main question, he added, is whether BA.2.86 will turn out to be highly transmissible. Do the new variants make people sicker? US emergency department visits and hospitalisations for COVID remain low, but have been rising since early July, according to data on the CDC website. So far, however, doctors have been reporting that patients seen in recent weeks, as the Eris variant has been spreading, are not as sick as those they treated during earlier waves of the pandemic. Wider spread of BA.2.86 would likely cause more illness and death in vulnerable populations, Topol said. It is too soon to know whether BA.2.86 will cause more-severe illness. Based on the available evidence, we do not yet know what risks, if any, (BA.2.86) may pose to the publics health beyond what has been seen with other currently circulating lineages, a CDC spokesperson said. Will vaccines protect against new variants? Due to the waning of the pandemic, it may have been a year or more since many people were either previously infected or vaccinated against COVID. The vaccine is still going to provide you great defence against illness and death, Long said. Updated COVID booster shots now being developed have been designed to target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. Moderna said preliminary trial data suggest its latest version of the vaccine shows promise against Eris and a related variant called Fornax, which has begun to circulate in the US. Pfizer Inc has said its updated COVID-19 shot showed neutralising activity against the Eris subvariant in a study conducted on mice. With inputs from Reuters A space race that ended with a crash. On Sunday, the much-hyped race to the Moon between Russias Luna-25 and Indias Chandrayaan-3 came to an end when the former crashed on the lunar surface, with the countrys space agency, Roscosmos, confirming the same. Roscosmos announced that communication with Luna-25 was abruptly lost at 2:57 pm (11:57 GMT) on Saturday. According to preliminary findings, the lander has ceased to exist following a collision with the Moons surface, Roscosmos said on Sunday. With Luna-25 crashing, Russias hope of establishing itself once again in the space race has come to an end. Moreover, the missions failure may be a blow to President Vladimir Putin, who has used Russian achievements in space as part and parcel of his hold on power. Lets take a closer look at the Luna-25 crash and also what this means not only for Russia but also for other Moon missions. The final minutes Luna-25, the countrys first moon lander in 47 years, that took off on 11 August was aiming to be the first mission to reach the moons south polar region, ahead of ISROs Chandrayaan-3, which is set to land on the lunar surface on 23 August. Officials with Russias Roscosmos space agency said on Sunday that Luna-25 lander crashed into the moon after an orbital manoeuvre went wrong yesterday (19 August). At about 14:57 Moscow time (on 19 August), communication with the Luna-25 spacecraft was interrupted, Roscosmos wrote in an update on Telegram today (in Russian; translation by Google). The measures taken on 19 and 20 August to search for the device and get into contact with it did not produce any results. A preliminary analysis suggests that the wayward orbital manoeuvre sent Luna-25 into an unexpected trajectory, one in which the moon lander ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface, Roscosmos wrote. Preliminary findings have revealed that the apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon. Roscosmos providing details on what happened said, Thrust was released to transfer the probe onto the pre-landing orbit. During the operation, an emergency situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the carrying out of the manoeuvre within the specified conditions. Speculating the reasons behind the crash, Anatoly Zak, the creator and publisher of RussianSpaceWeb, opined that flight control system of Luna-25 was a vulnerable area, which had to go through many fixes. Moreover, he said Russia had opted for a more ambitious landing, rather than the route chosen by the US, China and even India. Natan Eismont, a senior scientist at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which led the scientific operations of Luna-25, was quoted as telling the New York Times the spacecrafts engine had not performed as designed during burns to adjust the spacecrafts course. What I can say, and it was noticed by outside observers, that the correction somewhat deviated from what has been stated, said Eismont, who said he was not directly involved with the mission. This mission controllers managed to cope with it successfully until the last manoeuvre, Eismont said. But the last burn, to move Luna-25 to an orbit ahead of landing that passed within 11 miles of the surface, required a big push that did not go as planned. Most likely the braking thrust was either too strong or it was in a wrong direction. Also read: Why the Moons south pole is so fascinating Eismont suggested perhaps the mission managers should have taken more time. And even as scientists and space experts ponder the reason behind the crash, Roscosmos officials said they have already formed a team to investigate the crash of Luna-25. A specially formed interdepartmental commission will deal with the issues of clarifying the reasons for the loss of the moon (lander), Roscosmos wrote in the Telegram update. The implications for Russia Russias Luna-25 mission, its first since 1976, was to have made a soft landing on the lunar south pole on Monday, the first in history. Roughly the size of a small car, it was expected to operate for a year on the south pole, where scientists at NASA and other space agencies in recent years have detected traces of frozen water in the craters. Apart from hunting water ice, Luna-25s main goal was to examine the regolith and rocks around it, looking at the wispy lunar atmosphere and testing out technology for future landings on the moon, reported Space.com. The failure of the mission is a setback for Russia that during the Cold War became the first nation, as the Soviet Union, to put a satellite, a man and then a woman in orbit. The loss of Luna-25 may dent Russias future space plans Roscosmos has the Luna-26 mission, and even the Luna-27 which will see a drilling rig being sent to the moon. Also, it has the Luna-28, a sample-collection mission that aims to return material from the moons polar regions to Earth. However, these will likely be delayed due to Luna-25s failure, as Roscosmos investigates to find the root cause of the probes crash into the moon. As Vitaly Egorov, a blogger who writes extensively on space exploration, said, The future of the subsequent launches of Luna-26, Luna-27 and beyond is now in question. Even before the accident, they were promised to be launched no earlier than 2027, and now the deadlines can be shifted more or cancelled altogether. It also pile pressure on Russias $2 trillion economy, and particularly its hi-tech sector, as it grapples with Western sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow for the war in Ukraine. As some experts note its not a good look for Russia, who has fallen a long way in space exploration from the heights of the Soviet era. Other moon landings With the crash of Luna-25, all eyes turn to ISROs Chandrayaan-3 which is on course to become the first spacecraft to land near the lunar south pole. ISRO on Sunday, confirming that landing would likely take place on Wednesday (23 August) said Chandrayaan-3 was functioning normally and getting ready for its scheduled descent, at the beginning of the lunar day-time that extends to about 14 days on Earth. Also read: Vikram lander breaks away: What next in Chandrayaan-3 mission? China is also planning to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and build a base there, AFP reported. The worlds second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space programme in a push to catch up with the United States and Russia. The US also has the Artemis mission lined up for late 2025 in which they plan to put two astronauts on the surface near the lunar south pole. However, time needed to build and test the SpaceX lunar lander threatens to push the flight into the 2026-27 timeframe. With inputs from agencies On Monday, the Delhi government suspended an official accused of raping and impregnating a teenager. The official, Premoday Khakha, has also been arrested by the police alongside his wife who is accused of giving the survivor abortion pills. Khakha was placed under suspension with immediate effect according to an order issued by Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar. This came after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the chief secretary to suspend of the officer. The order issued by the Chief Secretary stated that a disciplinary proceeding against Khakha was being contemplated. But who is Khakha? And what happened? Lets take a closer look: Khakha is a deputy director in the Delhi governments women and child development department. According to his LinkedIn profile, Khakha was an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) since March 2022. Khakha previously served as assistant director, Litigation and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), in the Women and Child Development department and was superintendent/person-in-charge of the Juvenile Justice Board I & III and Observation Home for Boys-II in Delhi. He was also assistant director in the Department of Women & Child Development and was assigned for the implementation of Integrated Child Protection Scheme in Delhi and the superintendent- head of the office of Delhis Juvenile Justice Board. According to India Today, the survivor had been living with Khakha and his family since the death of her father a family friend in October 2020. The survivor is a Class 12 student. Khakha has been accused of repeatedly raping the minor between November 2020 and January 2021. The survivor in January 2021 returned to her mothers home as per NDTV. The survivor was admitted to hospital last week after having anxiety attacks, police said. The survivors mother took her to the hospital, police added. DCP (north) Sagar Singh, told the outlet an FIR has been registered under the POCSO Act on the basis of a complaint from the survivor. The survivor said that she started living with a family friend, her guardian, after her fathers death from October 2020 to February 2021. She was sexually harassed, physically molested and repeatedly raped by the uncle under whose care and guardianship she was staying at his house. The survivor started having anxiety bouts and was admitted to a hospital a week back, Singh said. The survivor only confided in authorities after receiving extensive counselling, police added. According to Free Press Journal, the survivor told Khakhas wife she was pregnant. However, Khakhas wife, rather than report the matter to the police, told the survivor to keep it under wraps. She then got her son to get abortion medication and gave it to the survivor. As per NewsBytes, Khakhas wife has been charged with criminal conspiracy under IPC Section 120-B for aiding her husband and not alerting the police. Khakha could face a 20-year jail term if convicted or even a life sentence, while his wife could face a 10-year jail term, as per the website. He (the accused) is a deputy director in the WCD Department. Since an FIR has been lodged in the alleged matter, the law should take its course. The Delhi government is sensitive in regard to such serious matters of womens safety and child abuse. If he has committed any such reprehensible act, the sternest possible action should be taken against him, the Delhi government said in a statement, as per Mint. Shocking case Speaking to News18, Delhi minister Atishi said Khakha never worked as her OSD. Calling it a shocking case, Atishi called on the Delhi Police to take strict action. Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said this is a heinous act that has shaken society. Everyone has daughters, and this is a very shameful act. The officer should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, Bharadwaj added, as per NDTV. As per News18, prior to Khakhas arrest, Swati Maliwal, chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women, slammed the Delhi Police and claimed she was not allowed to meet the minor survivor. ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/tZItxZy8Cr Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 21, 2023 For half an hour the hospital administration is preventing me from meeting the minor victim. The guards are saying that the police have forbidden it. What is going on? First of all, you are not arresting the accused and on top of that you are preventing me from meeting the girl. What does Delhi Police want to hide? she asked. Maliwal also said the DCW has issued a notice to the Delhi Police. A government officer who was sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department for so long has been accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl and when she got pregnant, he and his wife tried to abort the pregnancy. We have issued notice to Delhi Police, why is he not arrested yet, we are also issuing a notice to Delhi govt because we want to know what are the complaints against him and what actions have been taken against him, she was quoted as saying. But Singh told NDTV the case was registered on 13 August a week after the survivor was taken to hospital. Police also said the survivor is not yet up to making a statement before the magistrate. However, the police said they are gearing up to ensure this is done as soon as possible. With inputs from agencies Seventeen Punjab and Haryana youths, who had been held captive in Libya for six months after having their hopes for a better work and life dashed by dishonest travel agencies, returned to India on Sunday night. The Embassy of India to Libya says it has successfully repatriated 17 Indians from Punjab and Haryana on 19 August, who were detained in Libya since February this year. They had arrived in Libya after being duped by travel agents under the pretext of lucrative jobs in Italy and pic.twitter.com/hp2DEJHoRW ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 The Embassy of India to Libya has successfully repatriated 17 Indians from Punjab and Haryana on 19 August, who were detained in Libya since February this year, said the Embassy in a statement. They had arrived in Libya after being duped by travel agents under the pretext of lucrative jobs in Italy and were detained by the mafia in Libya, the statement added. According to The Tribune, the rescue operation was planned and funded by Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney, who followed up with the Indian and Libyan authorities to repatriate the youths. Sahney had learnt of the youths taking a donkey route to reach Italy in February and having landed in Libya instead. In Libya, the youths ended up in the illegal immigrant list and were put behind the bars after they escaped the mafia. The journey was never completed and a nightmare of a detour took us to Libya where we were kept in Zuwara City in subhuman conditions, without food and water, The Tribune quoted Anmol Singh, one of the 17 youths who reached New Delhi on Sunday, as saying. Another youth Dharambir told The Tribune that they were taken to Dubai from India with a promise to be sent to Italy but eventually were taken via sea route to Egypt and finally Libya. In Libya, we were sold off to a local mafia that made us do unpaid work at construction sites, he added. With inputs from agencies Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ordered suspension of the rape accused Delhi government official and has sought a report from Chief Secretary by 5 pm Monday (21 August). The accused, a deputy director in the Women and Child Development (WCD) department in the Delhi government, has been booked for allegedly raping his deceased friends minor daughter several times and impregnating her. The Delhi Polices failure to arrest the officer is the worst part of this case. Everyone has daughters, and this is a very shameful act. The officer should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said. As per reports, the victim met the accused at a church. After her father's death on 1 October, 2020, the minor girl got into depression and the accused, who had already befriends her, took her to his house on the pretext of helping her. Sources told News18 that the girl, a Class 12 student was allegedly administered abortion pills by the accused's wife. She was also forced to terminate her pregnancy by the wife of the accused. The accused had allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021. The survivor said that she started living with a family friend, her guardian, after her fathers death from October 2020 to February 2021. She was sexually harassed, physically molested and repeatedly raped by the uncle under whose care and guardianship she was staying at his house. The survivor started having anxiety bouts and was admitted to a hospital a week back, the police official said. The cop further said the victim revealed about the abuse to the doctors after extensive psychological counseling. She stated having undergone termination of pregnancy by the accused and his wife. Medical examination has been done. Investigation is in progress," the police official said. The matter involving the official and his wife came to light when the girl, who is now in Class 12, recently narrated the incident to a counsellor at a hospital where she was admitted following an anxiety attack, the police officer said. When the minor allegedly became pregnant, she told the wife of the accused who later asked her son to get pregnancy termination medicine and gave them to the girl, the officer said. In January, the victim returned home with her mother who had then visited the Delhi government official's house to meet her daughter. She had an anxiety attack in August this year and her mother admitted her to St Stephens hospital, where the girl narrated the whole incident during the counselling session, the officer added. The hospital the informed the Burari police station in Delhi and a case was registered against the accused under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police said. In a statement earlier, the Delhi government said the sternest possible action should be taken against him if found guilty. He (the accused) is a deputy director in the WCD Department. Since an FIR has been lodged in the alleged matter, the law should take its course. The Delhi government is sensitive in regard to such serious matters of womens safety and child abuse. If he has committed any such reprehensible act, the sternest possible action should be taken against him, the government said in a statement. With inputs from agencies Accusing the Congress of acting under the pressure of its ally DMK, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday slammed the Karnataka government for releasing 10 TMC water from the Cauvery River to Tamil Nadu. Addressing the media, Union Minister Rajiv Chandrasekhar said large parts of Karnataka have been hit by drought and the Congress governments decision to release the water without consultation with other parties will lead to farmers woes. Over 50 farmers have ended their lives by suicide and farming has been hit by power shedding as well, the Karnataka MP claimed. The Congress government in Karnataka is characterised by misgovernance, lack of development and corruption, he charged. Chandrasekhar also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his claim that China has encroached on Indian territory in Ladakh. He is an icon of hypocrisy, the BJP leader said. If there is a government in the history of India which has taken unwavering tough decisions on the issue of national security and integrity, it is the one led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said. It is Gandhi and the Congress which have appeased forces inimical to India, he alleged, citing the reported MoU between the Congress and the Communist Party of China when the UPA was in power. Police misconduct allegations filed with the Civilian Complaint Review Board jumped about 40% in the first half of the year, the watchdog agency said in a report issued Monday. The increase from 4,233 in the first six months of 2022 to 5,917 during the same time frame this year was not unexpected, several police sources said. They noted the NYPD has been making more arrests and issuing more summonses since Mayor Adams took office last year. Through June, police made about 20% more arrests than last year and issued about 20% more summonses. More enforcement means more unwelcome interactions with the public, one source said. It only makes sense the complaints would go up. The increase is even more stark, 53%, for the number of complaints the CCRB wound up investigating 2,776 so far this year versus 1,819 last year. An NYPD cruiser sits with its lights on as residents congregate outside the NYCHA Howard Houses in Brownsville, Brooklyn on Monday, June 5, 2023. The report said the other complaints were forwarded to the NYPD for an investigation because they were not under the CCRBs jurisdiction. The watchdog also noted that there was a rise in the number of stop, question and frisk complaints filed 502 in the first half of this year compared to 273 during the same time frame in 2022. Thats an increase of 87%. The CCRB released a second report detailing 87 cases that concluded in the second quarter of the year, including 12 that ended with departmental trial verdicts and 17 that ended with pleas. Asked for comment, an NYPD spokesperson said its difficult to pinpoint the reasons for the rise in complaints, explaining that factors may include increased outreach efforts outlined in the CCRBs new semi-annual report, the watchdogs ability to generate its own cases and the NYPDs historic number of felony arrests this year. The important thing is there exists an independent repository for such complaints and a system for the NYPD and CCRB to vigorously, swiftly adjudicate each of them, the spokesperson stated. In one case, the CCRB recommended that a Bronx cop, Officer James Stalikas, be fired for an incident in which he was accused of pointing a gun at a man he believed to be involved in a credit card scam, hitting him with his collapsible baton and using a banned chokehold. An NYPD judge cleared him of the force allegations, found him guilty only of using offensive language and recommended the loss of five days pay, a penalty that then-Commissioner Keechant Sewell agreed with. Earlier this year, the CCRB in a scathing 590-page report found three dozen NYPD officers accused of excessive force and other misconduct during the George Floyd protests were not disciplined, even after the agency substantiated charges against them. People film police officers as they chant anti-NYPD slogans on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in New Yorks Times Square. The report found 146 cops violated NYPD rules 269 times during the protests, with 34 demonstrators struck with batons, 28 pepper-sprayed and 59 roughed up with physical force. The NYPD, which made more than 2,000 arrests during the heated protests, defended itself in a statement, noting that rioters vandalized police cars setting some on fire looted high-end stores, most notably in SoHo and attacked cops. A Delhi government official has been booked for allegedly raping his deceased friends minor daughter for several months, police said on Monday. The assault took place allegedly between 2020 and 2021. The Burari Police station registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the official under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on 13 August. According to police, following the death of her father, who was also a government employee, the minor girl started living with the accused in Burari from October 2020 to February 2021. As per the complainant, the accused sexually harassed, physically molested and repeatedly raped her for several months between 2020 and 2021. The girl started having anxiety bouts and was admitted to a hospital a week back. After extensive psychological counselling, she opened up to the doctors, counsellors and police officers and revealed that she was sexually harassed by the accused, police said. The minor disclosed that she got pregnant and she was forced to abort her pregnancy by the wife of the accused, Delhi Police said. The medico-legal examination of the minor has been conducted and an investigation into the matter is underway. Further details are awaited. Senior Delhi government official Premoday Khakha has been detained by the Delhi Police for allegedly raping and impregnating his deceased friends minor daughter for several months. Khakhas wife has also been detained by the Delhi Police on Monday, who allegedly gave the minor girl abortion pills and forced her to terminate pregnancy. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sacked Khakha who worked as a deputy director in the Women and Child Development (WCD) department in the Delhi government. "The accused has been detained and we are interrogating him. His statement is being recorded," DCP North District Sagar Singh Kalsi said. #WATCH | The accused deputy director and his wife are being interrogated. Any other witnesses or accused will be made a part of the investigation: DCP North District Sagar Singh Kalsi on Delhi govt official accused of raping a minor girl pic.twitter.com/rnGRwC58SF ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 On Monday morning, Delhi Police personnel reached at the residence of the rape accused Delhi government official in Burari. #WATCH | Police arrive at the residence of the rape accused Delhi govt official in Burari He has been booked for allegedly raping his deceased friend's minor daughter for several months pic.twitter.com/2dDb2hzCPy ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 "A case was registered in Burari PS of North District. The 17-year-old girl lost her father in October 2020. Later, the girl was sent to the residence of her deceased father's family friend who is the accused (Delhi govt official) in the case now. She submitted that in November-December 2020 and January 2021, she was raped by her local guardian. When she told this to the accused's wife, the woman threatened her and also made her undergo an abortion," Kalsi said "The girl has been under stress and tension. She also suffered panic attacks after the incident. During her treatment and mediation, the incidents came to light. The doctors have advised that the girl is not fit to give a statement. Action will be taken after recording the girl's statement," Kalsi told media before Khakha's detention. According to police, Khakha has been accused of sexually harassing, physically molesting, and repeatedly raping the minor victim for several months between 2020 and 2021, while his wife has also been booked for allegedly giving abortion pills to the victim. After the death of her father, the victim was living with Khakha and his family at their house in Burari. Police said that last week the minor girl was having anxiety bouts and was admitted to a hospital. After extensive psychological counselling, she opened up to the doctors, counsellors, and cops and revealed that she was sexually harassed by the accused. Refresh for more updates The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed two public interest litigation (PIL) petitions that aimed to halt the operations of Google Pay in India. The petitions alleged that Google Pay was violating regulatory and privacy standards. A bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad underscored that Google Pay functions as a third-party app provider and does not require authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act (PSS Act). The court clarified that Google Pay does not fall under the category of a system provider as defined by the PSS Act. It emphasized that the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is the designated operator of the UPI system for transactions within India. NPCI, as a system provider, is authorized by RBI to offer transaction facilitation services. Transactions conducted through Google Pay using the UPI system are exclusively peer-to-peer or peer-to-merchant transactions, and Google Pay does not qualify as a system provider under the PSS Act of 2007. Addressing concerns about data privacy, the bench dismissed the argument that Google Pay improperly accesses and collects sensitive user data. The court referred to the UPI Guidelines of 2019, which distinguish between customer data and customer payments sensitive data. The former can be stored by the app provider in encrypted form, while the latter must be stored solely within the bank systems of payment services providers, rather than third-party apps like Google Pay, as per Google Pays chosen multi-model API approach. The verdict stemmed from a plea by advocate Abhijit Mishra, who personally argued before the High Court that Google Pays operations in India as a payment system provider lacked the necessary permissions. Mishra contended that the storage of sensitive information about Indian citizens by Google Pay would constitute violations under the Aadhaar Act of 2016 and the PSS Act. Representing themselves, advocate Abhijit Mishra presented the case. Advocates Ramesh Babu MR, Manisha Singh, and Nisha Sharma represented RBI. Google Pay was represented by Senior Advocate Arun Kathpalia along with advocates Saurabh Kumar, Abhishek Kr Singh, Saurabh Kumar, and Diksha. A BJP minister from Maharashtra has stoked a controversy by linking daily consumption of fish to having smooth skin and sparkling eyes as those of actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Speaking at a public event in north Maharashtras Nandurbar district, Maharashtra Tribal Minister Vijaykumar Gavit said, People who consume fish on daily basis develop smooth skin and their eyes sparkle. If anyone looks at you, the person will get attracted (towards you). Did I tell you about Aishwarya Rai? She lived near seashore in Mangaluru. She would consume fish daily. Have you seen her eyes? You will also have eyes like her, the 68-year-old Maharashtra minister said. The minister, who is father of BJP Lok Sabha member Heena Gavit is BJPs Lok Sabha member, justified his remarks, saying: The fish contain some oils, it makes your skin smooth. Will ask if there is any research on this Gavits statement deep not seep well to many. His own party colleague, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane said, I eat fish daily. My eyes should have become like that (like those of Aishwarya Rai). I will ask Gavit sahib if there is any research on this. Meanwhile, NCP MLA Amol Mitkari slammed Gavit and said that the Maharashtra minister should focus on issues faced by tribals, instead of making such frivolous comments. A panel headed by former judge Gital Mittal to oversee relief and rehabilitation of victims of violence in Manipur on Monday submitted three reports to the Supreme Court, including one on the need to upgrade the compensation scheme for the strife-torn people of the state. The Supreme Court said it will pass orders on Friday to facilitate functioning of the three-member panel. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the copy of the three reports be given to all lawyers concerned and directed advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for one of the victims, to collate suggestions for the panel. The bench said the Justice Mittal-led committee has filed three reports on issues such as loss of documents and the need for upgrade the Manipur compensation scheme on the lines of the National Legal Services Authority policy. The reports submitted by the Justice Mittal-led committee shows essential documents need to be re-issued and the Manipur victim compensation scheme needs an upgrade and a nodal administration expert be appointed, the bench said. On 7 August, the top court ordered setting up of a committee of three former women high court judges to oversee relief and rehabilitation of victims and compensation to them besides asking former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar to monitor the probe in criminal cases. The court said the panel will be submitting reports to it directly. A bench said the committee will be headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mittal and include Justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi, a former judge of the Bombay High Court, and Asha Menon, an ex-judge of the Delhi High Court. The bench is hearing around 10 petitions related to the spiralling violence, including those seeking court-monitored probe into cases, besides measures for relief and rehabilitation. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The Calcutta High Court on Monday refrained from passing any orders in the Jadavpur University death case before hearing the views of the students of the varsity. The court was hearing petitions seeking its intervention in the case of the death of a first-year student who fell from a hostel building on August 9 and died at a nearby hospital early morning the next day. The police have registered a case of murder and conspiracy and made 12 arrests so far, including current and former students living illegally on the campus. Senior Advocate and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee told the High Court that the university was quiet on the issue of ragging, believed to be the cause of the students death. A boy fell from the hostel and was found naked in a pool of blood. The university did not lodge a FIR. Students who rushed him to the hospital did not lodge a complaint. It is the boys parents who rushed from Nadia, who lodged a complaint, the court was informed. The police went to the hostel, the gates of which were locked and the police personnel was stopped from entering. The police then received information that a taxi had gone to the hospital and then they also went to the hospital. Why have the students here become so violent? Shocking things are going on in the campus, Banerjee added. The high court said students need to be heard in the matter. We are only concerned with the university campus. If there is a recognized students union, they can be impleaded, the court said. Kalyan Banerjee also informed the court that CCTV cameras were installed in 2012 and the students gheraoed the then Vice-Chancellor for 53 hours. The V-C resigned. Another one came and he also resigned. In 2016, another V-C came, and he removed CCTV cameras. In 2016, a student died because of ragging, Banerjee told the court. The court then asked, Why did this VC do that? To that, Kalyan Banerjee replied, Maybe, he wanted to be popular with students. When the Advocate General of the state was asked for his views, AG SN Mookerjee told the court, Sadly, ragging has become endemic to institutions, particularly in engineering. It has gone beyond what one can call social interaction between seniors and juniors. It is not a situation where it has not been known that there have been excesses. Students themselves are not able to regulate and ensure peace and harmony there has to be intervention. The Advocate General confirmed what Kalyan Banerjee had told the court earlier and said, The police were prevented access to the hostel, and we have lodged a case. When the court asked, Who did it? the Advocate General replied, One of the students who did that was Joydip Ghosh says a report from the police. The court also heard the lawyer appearing for Jadavpur University. The university has been created by a statute. If the authorities say we are empowered and we are unable to implement, then we will have to think of other issues, the court said Kalyan Banerjee also drew the attention of the court to an interview by a student to a digital news portal based out of Kolkata, NTT. One student union leader has made a statement that university is my second home and if I have the right to smoke and drink in my home, why can I not do it on campus? Kalyan Banerjee informed the court. The court also observed, If the University is becoming famous for wrong reasons can the university not close down the hostel, while discussing the issues of protests and inconvenience to the public. The case will now be heard on September 5. The BJP too has also moved the Calcutta High Court seeking an NIA probe into what has been going on at the university campus. BJP Leader Rajarshi Lahiri told NDTV, We have prayed for intervention of NIA investigation because sometime in 2022 we already had seen that a Jadavpur University student was caught for Maoist links from Nadia. And the student who has been killed is also from Nadia. Medical conferences held at luxurious hotels with lavish dinners and cultural festivities might soon become a thing of the past due to new rules from the National Medical Commission. These regulations prohibit doctors from participating in any seminars, workshops, or conferences that receive sponsorships, either directly or indirectly, from pharmaceutical companies or the allied health sector. Breaching these regulations could result in the suspension of a doctors license for a period of three months. Section 35 of these fresh professional conduct guidelines also prevents doctors and their families from receiving consultancy fees or honorariums from pharmaceutical companies or their representatives. Additionally, these rules extend to encompass commercial healthcare establishments, medical device companies, or corporate hospitals under any pretext, prohibiting doctors from accepting fees or honorariums from such entities. In the past, during the era of the former Medical Council of India (MCI), a provision was in place that forbade doctors and their families from accepting gifts, travel arrangements, or hospitality from companies. However, companies found a workaround by forming contracts with doctors, compensating them for delivering lectures, conducting workshops, or being part of their boards. Doctors would then declare the income from these honorariums and consultancies. Corporate hospitals also engaged in similar practices, contracting doctors to attract patients and compensating them under the guise of facilitation fees. This allowed many doctors to earn more than their regular salaries through these consultancy deals with pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as through these facilitation payments. The new regulations seem to have closed this loophole. According to the new rules, doctors can only receive remuneration from these commercial entities in the form of salaries and employment benefits. This tightens the grip on potential conflicts of interest. In January 2010, the MCI had similarly prohibited doctors from accepting gifts from pharmaceutical companies. However, facing strong opposition from doctors, the regulations were later softened to permit gifts valued up to Rs 1,000. Furthermore, restrictions on travel were relaxed by stating that doctors couldnt accept travel support to conferences, seminars, or workshops as attendees. Consequently, many doctors were designated as faculty members rather than delegates to secure travel funding. It remains to be seen if these seemingly stringent regulations will be subject to future dilution, as was the case with previous rules. The new guidelines emphasize that doctors must be conscious of potential conflicts of interest, especially in situations like clinical drug trials. They stress that the nature of these relationships should be publicly disclosed, complying with existing laws and regulations. These revised regulations have been hailed as an improvement over the previous MCI guidelines in deterring doctors from receiving improper incentives or bribes from pharmaceutical and commercial entities. The rules aim to address a loophole that allowed doctors to receive questionable payments via consultancy or honorarium channels. However, some critics find the regulations too concise, urging for more comprehensive provisions. Malini Aisola from the All-India Drug Action Network was quoted in a report saying, The regulations should have offered more detailed insights into how various aspects would be handled. The section regarding disclosure of relationships lacks strength. Ideally, the regulations should outline how doctors are required to divulge details about their funding sources, the intent behind the funding, and the platforms where this information will be publicly accessible, preferably on a dedicated website or portal. According to a fact-finding report of the Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), at least 19 churches were fully destroyed and 89 Christian houses set on fire in recent violence against the people of the Christian community in Jaranwala in Faisalabad. A total of 19 churches were burnt fully while two churches and some prayer rooms/community halls were also affected. The HRFP report stated that in the August 16 Jaranwala mob attack on churches and Christians, Watch: Churches Set on Fire by Mob in Pakistan | Vantage Highlights It further said over 400 houses were affected in total with 89 Christian houses including those of pastors and priests being completely gutted while 15 houses were partially destroyed. The report stated that over 10,000 Christians had hid in sugar cane and other fields, during the first nights of attack. The HRFP said its report was based on direct information and evidence through the fact-finding mission trip to the sites of the incident, interviews of victims, families, local residents, church leaders, neighbourhoods, journalists, police officials, local authorities, political workers and different stakeholders. The HRFP team met in person with more than 150 victims and families and church leaders who shared their stories about victimizations and religious persecutions, losses and immediate needs to help them urgently and for a longer time, the report stated. The HRFP fact-finding team observed that household items were looted, and the rest were burnt. It said that since the people fled on time, they managed to escape. The human rights team said that most of those who fled are in facing traumatic conditions with several people sustaining injuries and a few women reporting abuses. Most of them were afraid that they did not want to return to their homes ever, the report said. FIR was registered on the August 16, morning, under sections 295B and 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code against two Christian men. FIR stated that the two Christians living in Jaranwala has blasphemed against Holy Quran and Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH) by using insulting words against Islam and Prophet Muhammad. FIR has registered by police ASI on the complaint of Muhammad Afzal, Noor Hussain and Muhammad Toheed, supported by religious groups and the people who have been biased against Shaukat Masih as well. Both the accused are on judicial remand and have appeared at court hearings through video link due to high-security reasons, HRFP stated.HRFP said that it had learnt from survivors that different Islamic religious groups, local clerics and religious fundamentalists supported and facilitated the attackers. Announcements by the cleric of a local mosque further provoked people. Naveed Walter, President of HRFP, said in blasphemy cases against minorities, it has never been proven if someone ever truly committed blasphemy. But never the accusers have been brought to justice. The same situation was seen in Sawan Masihs case of Joseph Colony, who spent 7 years in jail while the accuser never has been asked on that level why he accused falsely. In Rimshas case, even the religious cleric Hafiz Muhammad Khalid was proven guilty that he did trap Rimsha in a blasphemy case, but the court gave him relief. Asia Bibi was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and was released in 2018 after a Supreme Court decision proving her innocent but her accusers have never been questioned on those levels, Walter said. Naveed Walter said, until serious actions of the state and the establishment of a strategy and strict policy against such mob attacks, the same incidents would be repeated as in 2021 when a Sri Lankan national was burnt alive. In 2014 Kot Radha Kishan Kasur a couple was burnt alive. In 2013 Joseph Colony Lahore attacked burnt houses and churches. The 2010 attack on Warispura Faisalabad destroyed houses, churches and shops. In 2009 Gojra and Korian attack destroyed and burnt houses and churches including 7 people were burnt alive. In 2005 the Christians of Sangla Hill were attacked leaving Christian families devastated. In 1997 Shantinagar village was attacked, houses and Churches were burnt to ashes and now a Jaranwala incident, Naveed Walter, President of HRFP said. The accusers should be held accountable and questioned from the beginning. If they couldnt prove their allegations against the accused then they should be brought to justice, Walter added. According to the HRFP president, there is a huge difference between accusations of any minority by Muslims and accusations against Muslims by their own religion of blasphemy. When an individual member of the minority community is being accused then the whole community has to suffer while when a Muslim is being accused, only the individual gets hurt. We condemn however the blasphemy accusation at any person belonging to any religion or faith and there should not be a space for any type of justification, he said. Naveed Walter said the repeal of blasphemy laws and changing the mindsets of Islamists and the general public could be a milestone if they are serious and sincere about making Pakistan a truly democratic and progressive country. Otherwise, the same incidents would continue, and only the condemnations would be continuing, he added. Even a longer time could not fulfil the trauma of victims, women and children in particular that fled in fear and spent nights with no roof over their heads, he added. Naveed Walter said that the police and court culture is discouraging religion-based cases, like blasphemy and abductions, forced conversions and forced marriages of minority girls. Such discriminatory laws and practices and violence are one of the main reasons why minorities internally or externally relocate got a chance in such situations. He said that 23 per cent of minorities reached 5 per cent while the above 90 extra-judicial killings have been noticed in blasphemy cases only. With inputs from ANI. In an intelligence-led operation against trans-border drug trafficking networks, Border Security Force and Punjab Police in a joint operation arrested two Pakistani smugglers from along the international border in Ferozepur with 29.26 kg of heroin, said an official on Monday. In an intelligence-led operation against trans-border drug trafficking networks, Border Security Force & Punjab Police, in a joint operation have seized 26 packets of Heroin (29.26 Kg) & arrested 2 Pak nationals. 1 Pak national injured in exchange of fire with security forces 1/2 pic.twitter.com/wg11e5aHtq DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) August 21, 2023 In an intelligence-led operation against trans-border drug trafficking networks, Border Security Force & Punjab Police, in a joint operation have seized 26 packets of Heroin (29.26 Kg) & arrested 2 Pak nationals. 1 Pak national injured in exchange of fire with security forces, said DGP Punjab Police on X, formerly known as Twitter. One Pakistani national was injured in exchange of fire with security forces, it added. Police said that an FIR has been registered at SSOC Fazilka and the investigation is on to establish backward and forward linkages. @PunjabPoliceInd is totally committed in War Against Drugs to make Punjab drug-free as per directions of CM @BhagwantMann, said DGP Punjab Police. With inputs from agencies The Supreme Court on Monday allowed a rape victim from Gujarat to terminate her pregnancy, saying that outside marriage the pregnancy has effects on the mental health of a woman when it is unwanted. Supreme Court allows a rape victim from Gujarat to terminate her pregnancy. Supreme Court observes that in Indian society, within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a source of joy for a couple and society. However, outside marriage, it has effects on the mental health of https://t.co/G2hN27rcUA ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 The apex court observed that in Indian society, within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a source of joy for a couple and society. However, outside marriage, it has effects on the mental health of a woman when it is unwanted, it added. On Saturday, the top court in a special sitting, while hearing the plea of the rape victim, had ordered her fresh medical examination and sought the report from the hospital by 20 August. The court also expressed displeasure over the Gujarat High Court adjourning the rape survivors petition for medical termination of her 26-week pregnancy, and said valuable time was lost during the pendency of the matter. The bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan observed that there should be a sense of urgency in such cases and not a lackadaisical attitude of treating the matter as any normal case and just adjourning it. The Supreme Court was informed by the counsel for the petitioner that the 25-year-old woman had approached the high court on 7 August and the matter was taken up the next day. He said the high court had on August 8 issued a direction for the constitution of a medical board to ascertain the status of pregnancy as well as the health status of petitioner. The report was submitted on August 10 by the medical college where she was examined. The top court noted that the report was taken on record by high court on August 11 but strangely, the matter was listed 12 days later i.e. on August 23 losing sight of the fact that every days delay was crucial and of great significance having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case. The bench also noted that the petitioners counsel has brought to its notice that the case status of the matter showed that the petition was rejected on August 17 by the high court but no reasons were dictated in the court and the order is yet to be uploaded on the high courts website. In the circumstance, we direct the secretary general of this court to inquire from the registrar general of the High Court of Gujarat and ascertain as to whether the impugned order has been uploaded or not, the bench said. With inputs from agencies Southern Californians are assessing the damage caused by tropical storm Hillary, which brought unseasonably hard rains to the West Coast and Mexico through the end of the weekend and into Monday. The storm previously a category 4 hurricane with 145-mph winds reached land in Mexicos Baja California Peninsula Sunday. At least one person drowned. The storm made its way into the U.S. after soaking Tijuana. Parts of California, including Palm Springs, Calif., experienced more than three inches of rainfall Sunday. Thats half the amount of rain the area normally sees in a year. Prior to the weekend, the last time a tropical storm hit California was at the start of World War II. A bridge is flooded over as tropical storm Hilary makes landfall in Rancho Mirage, Calif. on Aug. 20, 2023. The National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned Californians Monday morning of ongoing dangerous conditions. Across the Southwestern United States, the ongoing and historic amount of rainfall is expected to cause life-threatening to locally catastrophic flash, urban and arroyo flooding including landslides, mudslides and debris flows today, officials said. Localized flooding was expected to continue Tuesday in northern parts of Californias Intermountain West. Rescue workers retrieved over a dozen homeless people from a flooded encampment near the San Diego River. The 1.82 inches of rain that fell on San Diego made for the citys wettest August day ever, slightly topping the previous record of 1.8 inches San Diegans saw on Aug. 17, 1977. Schools in the city were set to start the school year on Monday. They now plan to open Tuesday. Los Angeles public schools also closed Monday. A toppled tree from the tropical storm covers a car in Los Angeles on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to the desert resort city of Palm Springs and inland mountains, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers. (AP Photo/Stefanie Dazio) While heavy rains were forecast for Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported an unexpected 5.1 magnitude earthquake 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles at 2:41 p.m. local time. It caused no known injuries. Water had to be pumped out of the emergency room of Riverside Countys Eisenhower Medical Center Sunday, according to the Associated Press. Eisenhower Health said on Facebook its ambulance bay was flooded, but no patient care areas were affected. Technical issues left Palm Springs police without access to 911 phone lines Monday morning. Pedestrians look towards a flooded waterway as tropical storm Hilary makes landfall in Rancho Mirage, Calif. on Aug. 20, 2023. Aerial footage of Dodger Stadium posted online Sunday night showed flooding around the ballpark, where Sundays game against the Miami Marlins had to be rescheduled. The first-place Dodgers begin a road trip Tuesday that keeps them away from L.A. for a week. The extreme weather in California comes less than two weeks after wildfires in Hawaii, boosted by powerful winds, killed more than 100 people. Accuweather experts plan to monitor several areas for development across the tropical basin as Florida and Texas prepare for hurricane season. With News Wire Services The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the West Bengal governments plea challenging the Calcutta High Court order to grant interim relief to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee against CBI and ED interrogation in a recruitment irregularities case. Supreme Court refuses to entertain West Bengal governments plea challenging Calcutta High Court order refusing to give interim relief to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee against CBI and ED interrogation in recruitment irregularities case ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 The West Bengal government had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court order which had refused to give interim relief to Banerjee. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) exposed a cash-for-jobs racket in West Bengals municipalities and municipal corporations. The agency, while probing a teacher recruitment scam, stumbled upon evidence of another scam involving group D and group C positions. According to the EDs report, candidates paid hefty sums ranging from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh to secure positions such as labourers, clerks, teachers, engineers, and more. The probe revealed that since 2014-15, approximately 6,000 vacancies across 17 positions in 60 civic bodies were filled through this corrupt practice. With inputs from PTI A UP court recently gave bail to a 20-year-old man accused of raping his minor niece in 2020, however, he went ahead and did something more gruesome the same day. He allegedly snatched a 3-year-old girl from the lap of her mother when the duo was sleeping on a cot in the open and took her to a secluded place. The girl woke up and started screaming, so the accused allegedly threw her repeatedly to the ground, killing her. According to the police, the accused then raped the kids lifeless body. The incident reportedly occurred on August 8 in Gorakhpurs Parmeshwarpur village. The deceased girls mother realised her daughter was missing early morning around 3 AM. The family, after having searched for the kid, lodged a police complaint. Two days later, police found the dead body on an empty plot of land in the village. The accused identified as Mithlesh alias Mithai, was caught after his sister-in-law, the mother of the niece he had raped in 2020, called the police and expressed fear that he might harm her daughter again. Police followed the lead and tracked him to his sisters house. Upon interrogation, Mithlesh reportedly confessed to the crime. Police have recovered the clothes of the victim from the crime scene. Manoj Kumar Awasthi, SP (City) (North) told media that they arrested Mithlesh and filed chargesheet with 72 hours of the crime. Previous Incident The case for which Mithlesh had been in jail for the past three years occurred on December 9, 2020. A complaint in the matter was filed the next day by Mithleshs elder brother, who alleged that on December 9 his family was attending a wedding in the neighborhood. He had asked Mithlesh to take his daughter home as she was not willing to stay at the party. But, when he returned, he could not find both Mithlesh and his daughter. After searching for some time, he found the daughter crying with clothes torn and running on a village road. When asked, she had told that her uncle had raped her. Mithlesh was arrested following the registration of FIR and since he was a minor when he committed the crime, he was kept in a juvenile home for two years before being shifted to jail. Its the dream cabinet of the decade. At least, so it must seem to Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, a strongman of Pakistan and human rights nightmare for everyone else. After a period of messy political manoeuvring and rumours galore, the new cabinet has been announced, with what everyone in India now knows, the wife of a convicted terrorist as a human rights minister. It would be hilarious if it wasnt so tragic because the announcement of the cabinet was preceded by a parliament session which energetically passed some 108 bills, even as it passed out of existence on 10 August. That legislation and the cabinet taken together, means that Pakistan is back under martial law, with a very thin democratic veil drawn across for the benefit of the beholder. And not just that. The Naya Pakistan Army is even more powerful than before. The prime minister has a full hand First, the cabinet. Notice that the maximum number of portfolios have been retained by the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar. That so far includes the National Security Division, the Inter-Provincial Coordination and Higher Education (by legislation earlier) and a few others. Kakar is the proverbial dark horse, with most politicians even unaware of who he was or his background. Kakar is from Quetta and founded the BAP (Balochistan Awami Party) together with veteran politician Saeed Hashmi in 2018. The fledgling party fought its first election that year and made it to the province. Not only that, it supported the then hot army favourite Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Equally obligingly, it later supported the No confidence motion against Imran, bringing him to the dust. Recently, Pakistani media which retains its excellence despite the worst attacks against it reported that the BAP had first made some overtures to Asif Ali Zardari, and then quietly reached out to the Nawaz Sharif faction, who seem to have accepted Kakars appointment with quiescence. Even as Kakar very properly left the BAP, many of his erstwhile colleagues are set to join the PML(N). All of this has led to public disquiet among Baloch elders like Sardar Akhtar Mengal. It seems the usual games are afoot, which in turn means that the selection of a Baloch as prime minister is not aimed at all at assuaging the very real discontent in Balochistan. In fact, this deep selection of a man who once denied that there were any disappearances at all in Balochistan is only going to make it worse. A Malik comes to town Going into the rest of the cabinet. The selection of Mushaal Hussein Mullick, wife of convicted terrorist Yasin Malik as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Human Rights and Womens Empowerment, is obvious what will catch the eye in Delhi. Enough has been said of Yasin, who has been handed life imprisonment in a money laundering case, but has a dozen other cases against him, including the kidnapping of Rubiya Saeed, daughter of then home minister Mufti Mohamad Saeed, crimes against Pandits and killing of four air force personnel among others. But the lady herself has shown little interest in her husbands fate. Mullick, who married Yasin Malik in 2009, had applied for a visa in 2013 and travelled to India twice. She thereafter never applied again, despite her public statements of being denied a visa. She has little credibility in the valley (and perhaps none at all in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir since she never speaks of it), but the appointment is clearly made in response to the Indian governments opening of fresh cases against Malik, and a desire to take a hand in any possible (and likely) protests should Yasin Malik get the ultimate penalty. Meanwhile, Mullick has already been talking about taking the Kashmir issue to the International Court of Justice for the release of prisoners etc. More of the same can be expected. A clutch of establishment men Others in the cabinet include Sarfaraz Bugti, who hails from a family that was on the right side of General Zia-ul-Haq, and implacably opposed to Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and Baloch independence. Earlier home minister in Balochistan, he projected himself as more Pakistani than the Pakistanis, who during an election rally taking pictures of himself standing on an Indian Flag, and tweeting this vigorously. There are unsavoury charges of his kidnapping of a minor girl but nothing was heard of it thereafter. He is the caretaker Interior minister, which means the insurgents can expect a government even more willing to use force. Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jillani is an affable professional, and rumours had earlier slated him to be the prime minister. He will best be known to Delhi as having been declared persona non grata on charges of having provided a Kashmiri with some Rs 3 lakh. This happened during a particularly bad time, when the Indian High Commissioner was being regularly harassed in Islamabad, resulting in tit-for-tat actions that sent relations plummeting. Jilani is part of the Second Track dialogue circuit and is well known to the Indian establishment, and can be expected not to move an inch from the Kashmir first position (i.e withdrawal of Article 370) unless he is given an absolute go-ahead from the army. Then theres Lt Gen(retd) Anwar Ali Haider, in charge of defence and earlier chairman of Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority, under the PTI government, and even earlier of the hugely profitable Army Welfare Trust. This is a man who turns up on the right side. The new Information Minister is Murtaza Solangi, a well-known journalist who was unceremoniously shown the door from Capital TV in the anti-Imran putsch, and was earlier head of Radio Pakistan. He was recently in New Delhi during Bilawal Bhuttos visit to Goa and seems to have been reinstated in official circles. As Information Minister, dont expect much information. All in all, the cabinet with not have much individual clout, but with some thorough professionals like Air Marshal (retd) Farhat Khan, also earlier posted in Delhi, and retired as Vice Chief. He heads the newest high profile think tank on the block and is in charge of a project to manufacture 6-seater aircraft in Pakistan. Then theres Dr Umer Saif, another professional in the field of IT. All this is very well, provided they stay within the lines drawn for each. If not, each can expect the worst. That is seen in new legislation that was hastily put through by the outgoing Parliament. The army rules The intrepid Dawn reports that the parliament passed 108 bills as it went into history. That includes some interesting ones like the National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Authority, and yet another move to corporatise the Armys National Logistics Cell (NLC). Regarding the first, remember that politicians have regularly been accused of money laundering with or without proof. Now theres a whole department to get to work on it. By including the Financing of Terrorism in its remit, it gives Pakistan brownie points with the Financial Action Task Force. The legislation on NLC has a dark history. An army-run organisation, (that once ran drugs during the Afghan war) it has long been dipping its fingers into the financial pies, something which is against its original charter. Responsible finance ministers like Abdul Hafeez Sheikh had tried without success to limit its power, especially after the NLC management was found to have been illegally engaged in trading on the Karachi Stock Exchange, in which activity it lost some Rs1.8 billion between 2004 and 2008. An inquiry was instituted against three retired generals and two civilians in 2011. But as is often the case, just a few weeks later, the NLC instead was allowed to bid for a state-owned company, further increasing its already formidable assets. In 2012, its net income alone was PKR 3.9 bn. Under the new watch, therefore, the NLC has become a full-fledged corporation and a massive asset. To all this add the fact that the army chief now sits on the board of the newly created SIFC (Special Investment Facilitation Council) that was set up with parliamentary approval in June. The question of why the army has to be part of an economic body has been questioned (politely) by nearly everyone. Now the cherry on the cake. The Official Secrets Amendment Bill (2023) gives sweeping powers to investigating agencies and intelligence. This not only broadens the definition of enemy to include anyone engaged in activity against Pakistan. Additionally, the bill extends wartime punishments to peacetime and introduces penalties for inadvertent espionage. All in all, this is the best it can get for the Pakistan Army. It has a cabinet and prime minister of it choice, additional immense powers to ruin almost anyone, and an economic stranglehold that ensures that the institution itself will never be short of resources. Now it seems that elections will be postponed due to the need to conduct a fresh delimitation of constituencies on the basis of a new census. Thats going to take time, at least till December according to the Election Commission- which breaches the 3-month constitutional deadline. Once breached, anything goes. Not that it matters much. No new government however strong, can compete against the now all-powerful, everywhere at once army, even if it wants to. Besides, they usually never want to. But heres the bottom line. This is the armys chance to arrest the steep economic slide that it has always blamed the politicians for. That it chose and then harassed the politicians is another matter. But this could be its now or never situation. Thats interesting in itself. Another buck that cant be passed. Meanwhile, it is Pakistan Army Zindabad. The writer is a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi. She tweets @kartha_tara. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I.N.D.I.A is not synonymous with India, at best it is a homonym, but the Opposition, especially Congress is gung-ho at the name of the newly-minted entity that is supposed to dethrone the BJP and put a spanner in the Modi-Shah juggernaut. After long the Congress, more than other Opposition parties, seems to think that they have landed on a formula, err name, that they think might mislead the people of India, once more, to confuse the Congress with India. For long the Congress, through its politics of nomenclatureeverything in the country named after the Gandhi-Nehru familysuccessfully hegemonised the mental space of the Indian electorate and remained in power. Without saying in so many words, the Gandhi-Nehru family kept telling the people that they were India and India was all about them, leveraging the name of Mahatma Gandhi and the history of the Indian Freedom Movement against the British. This I.N.D.I.A is yet another way of saying the same thing. But, it will not fly with Indians anymore, for reasons that are steeped in the very same Indian National Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. The very articulation of the name of this Opposition Unity entity is alien to the nature of the India electorate and would very sorely fail to rally the masses against the BJP. Rahul Gandhi and his advisors, the more significant ones of whom are stationed outside India, say Chicago, must realise a few things. To move the masses one needs to talk in their language and idiom. While the Congress for long has tried to monopolise Mahatma Gandhi, his movements and the national movement as such for their narrow political gains, they have failed to understand the Mahatmas ways of articulating Indian politics. The first and foremost principle of Gandhi was to talk to the people he wanted to lead in their vocabulary. Gandhi never called his mass mobilisations by the name of, say, Non-Cooperation Movement or Civil Disobedience Movement etc. His idiom was what we call desi, Indian. He called people to action not by coining names, but exposing the British Raj for what it was. He articulated his way of mass mobilisation and captured its essence in such words as satyagraha and janandolan. But, the anglicised moorings of Rahul Gandhi and his Congress, the inbuilt elitism of their education and ways of life, have created an echo chamber in which they think they can communicate and have a dialogue with the masses of India by way of I.N.D.I.A and not in an idiom that would prefer Bharat, a word that every Indianfrom farmers to rikshaw pullers to tea sellerscan connect with. Let me remind Rahul Gandhi of another of Mahatma Gandhis ways of seeing Indian politics that actually moved the last Indian to stand against the British Imperialismit was Ram Rajya. Mahatma Gandhi, being the politician par excellence (and, yes, Mr Rahul Gandhi, Mahatma too was educated outside India) was well aware of the digits of actual politics. If you want to dismantle one form of governance, you need to put forth an alternative. People are rallied to a cause, if there is an outcome to be expected. This Ram Rajya was what Mahatma Gandhi promised to deliver if and when the British Raj was to be drubbed. Moreover, while Mahatma Gandhi was accused of being pro-Hindu and a pseudo-secular by the left and communists for articulating the Indian reality as Ram Rajya, Mahatma Gandhi deliberately did so since Ram Rajya was the only governance that majority of Indians had imagined as a people and since it also carried the moral weight of Ram and, hence, the highest standard of public morality. I.N.D.I.A has practically lost the match even before it has begun since it doesnt rhyme with the tongue of the common Indian. All the more, since this I.N.D.I.A alliance is also imbued with Nehruvian atheism and terms such as Ram Rajya etc are both alien to its imagination and consciously an anathema. In fact, despite all the expectations of arriving at a common formula for fielding candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls against the BJP and NDA, the alliance will only confuse voters who would, otherwise, have voted for the regional parties that still communicate with the people of the region and state in the local idiom. In all, the alliance and its alien nomenclature is only going to be counterproductive, especially in the Hindi-speaking states, which invariably account for the maximum number of seats in the Lower House. Figure this: Will not a Samajwadi Party voter get confused if Akhilesh Yadav were to ask for votes in the name of I.N.D.I.A and not for late Netaji? On another thought, lets put Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra with the I.N.D.I.A alliance. They seem to be a poor attempt at recasting Rahul Gandhi as Mahatma Gandhi, in the image of a saint who has nothing to do with power, but is just roaming India for its well-being, for uniting it. I mean, all other gaffes apart, Rahul Gandhis T-Shirt price was just about enough to sap the effort of all significance. Social media memes, of course, notwithstanding! To be a Mahatma Gandhi, it takes more than just a surname. To be a Mahatma takes more than just a yatra. To be Gandhi the politician, it takes more than fashionable names of alliance and parties. Politics is not an exercise in linguistic jugglery, it is an exercise in deconstruction and reconstruction of structures of power, the understanding of which is a far cry when one considers the glee at having found I.N.D.I.A as the name of a political house on fire. The author is News Editor, Firstpost. He tweets from @SiddharthaRai2. Views expressed are personal. Amid rising concerns between INDIA alliance member Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress over comments on Delhi Lok Sabha seats, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Monday clarified that he will attend the Opposition blocs third meeting scheduled to be held in Mumbai. Congress leader Alka Lamba had on Wednesday miffed AAP with her preparing on all seven Delhi seats remark after a meeting with the partys top leadership to review its preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections. No decision has been taken on whether to have an alliance, but we have been asked to prepare ourselves on all seven seats. We will go to the people after preparing ourselves properly in all seven seats, she had then said. The Aam Aadmi Party hit back, saying there was no point of attending the next meeting of INDIA alliance in Mumbai, if the Congress wants to go solo in Delhi. We will go to Mumbai, and will let you know about our strategy, Kejriwal told reporters on being asked whether the party will participate in the meeting. Accusing AAP of acting jumpy, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Friday said that Alka Lambas remark has nothing to do with the decision of an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party. There might be two reasons for AAP getting jumpy in this case. One is that they might have got an indication from Amit Shahs speech where he said AAP will quit INDIA and they often listen to the BJP. Secondly, AAP might be missing out on being a party that is talked about, he said. Dikshit claimed that there is no controversy over the alliance and that the AAPs statement is either a tactic to blackmail them or stay in the news. There are 543 seats and no other parties are talking like this about the alliance. Samajwadi Party in UP is going to have far bigger bearing. There is no controversy about the alliance. It is the AAP that has to tell us if they are preparing the ground to move away or not. AAPs statement is either a tactic to blackmail or to stay in the news, Sandeep Dikshit said. The Congress leader elaborated on the ideological differences between the two parties. We are way different from the AAP politically, but if they modify themselves and comply with the Congress central leadership, we will support them. The decision for an alliance will be taken by the central leadership, he said. The logo of opposition INDIA alliance is likely to be unveiled during the blocs meeting in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, according to people aware of the developments. Nearly 80 leaders from more than 26 political parties are expected to attend the meeting in the countrys financial capital. At present, 26 parties are part of the grouping and a few more are set to join the alliance during the two-day meeting. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, known by its abbreviation INDIA, is an opposition front announced by the leaders of 26 parties to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. Our list of phones under Rs 30,000 has undergone a major transformation since last quarter. You can easily call most of these phones Flagship Killers; in fact, one of them used to be a flagship phone not long ago. We have phones with high-quality AMOLED displays with high refresh rate, powerful processors, impressive cameras with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and more. 5G compliance is a given, and all handsets are ready for that network. Time to meet the best phones you can buy under Rs 30,000 in India at the moment. Best phones to buy under Rs 30,000 in India Poco F5 5G Lets start with a phone that deserves to be more popular than it is. Poco F5 5G has a couple of features that I havent seen in phones in this segment. For starters, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 SoC, which is a huge improvement over its Gen 1 variant, and performs better than even the Snapdragon 888+ chip. You get a choice between 8 GB or 12 GB RAM, which is accompanied by 256 GB internal storage. The second standout feature of this device is its vibrant and mighty impressive 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen with support for 12-bit colour, 120 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance. The display has 1000 nits peak brightness and is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Thirdly, the Poco F5 5G has an attractive design, especially its Snowstorm White variant which has a holographic design at the back which radiates different patterns from different angles as you can see from the image below. The phone is quite slim measuring just 7.9 mm in thickness and one of the lightest in the segment at a shade over 180 grams. Photography is handled by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. You get a 16MP front camera for selfies and video calls. Its 5000 mAh battery lasts over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W fast charger can juice it up fully in a little over 45 minutes. The Poco F5 5G runs Android 13 with MIUI 14 and is one of the rare phones to offer a 2-year warranty. Poco F5 5G price in India: Rs 27,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage; Rs 29,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage Realme GT 2 The top variant of the former Realme flagship is now available under 30K. The Realme GT 2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, which is still potent enough for the segment. You get the 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage variant here. Other than an elegant design, it has a 6.62-inch AMOLED display that supports 10-bit colour depth. The screen is HDR10+ compliant and flaunts a 120 Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The camera department has a 50MP primary camera with OIS that captures some impressive shots in different modes and lighting. Giving it company is an 8MP ultra-wide snapper and a 2MP macro camera. The 16MP front camera handles selfies and video calls quite well. The Realme GT 2 has a 5000 mAh battery that keeps it going for over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled fast charger can juice it up fully in just over half an hour. The phone launched with Android 12, and an Android 13 update is available with Realme UI 4.0. Realme GT 2 price in India: Rs 28,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage Realme 11 Pro+ 5G We have another Realme phone on the list that offers a very different set of features. While the company dropped OIS from the Realme 10 Pro+ 5Gs primary camera, it is back here in the Realme 11 Pro+ 5G. And whats more, you now get a 200MP primary camera that captures some great images across varied lighting. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera. The 32MP front camera will have selfie enthusiasts interested. The Realme 11 Pro+ 5G has a 6.7-inch curved Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate. It is HDR10+ compliant and can display over a billion colour shades. The curved display adds to the style quotient of this device. Speaking of style, this phone has a vegan leather back that looks and feels great. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC, which is decent enough for the segment though not as powerful as the phones above. You get its 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant comfortably in this budget. The battery life of this phone is quite impressive too. Thanks to some neat power management and an efficient SoC, its 5000 mAh battery lasts a little under two days of moderate use. The company bundles a 100W SuperVOOC charger that manages to juice it up fully in under half an hour. The Realme 11 Pro+ 5G runs the latest Android 13 with Realme UI 4.0. Realme 11 Pro+ 5G price in India: Rs 27,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage Motorola Edge 40 The Motorola Edge 40 is another stylish phone you can buy at this budget, and is fairly compact too for todays standards. The phone measures just 7.6 mm in thickness and weighs close to 170 grams despite its aluminium frame. You get a choice of plastic or eco-leather back panel. This phone too has a curved display and you get a 10-bit 6.55-inch P-OLED screen with 144 Hz refresh rate, 1200 nits peak brightness and HDR10+ compliance. This phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chip and accompanied by 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 internal storage. The camera spread on the Motorola Edge 40 may not seem elaborate but is quite effective. It is helmed by a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus, which doubles up as a quality macro camera too. Its 32MP front camera is bound to impress the selfie crowd. Its 4400 mAh battery can go on for over a day of moderate use and the bundled 68W fast charger can recharge it fully in under 45 minutes. The Motorola Edge 40 runs Android 13, and like most Motorola phones, you get a clean and near-stock user interface. Motorola Edge 40 price in India: Rs 29,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G The recently launched Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G is quite an interesting device that is packed with impressive features. For starters, it offers 512 GB storage something incredibly rare in this budget. The camera department is stacked, starting with a 50MP primary camera with sensor-shift OIS. Then you have a 108MP ultra-wide camera (something I havent seen before in this segment) with auto-focus. It can capture some excellent macro shots too. Theres a 2MP depth sensor to assist in portrait shots. You also have a 32MP front camera for selfies and video calls. This phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8050 chip and you get 8 GB RAM to go with it. The Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for flicker-free scrolling. A 5000 mAh battery keeps it powered for a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 45W fast charger promises to juice up two-thirds of the battery in half an hour. The phone runs Android 13 with HIOS 13 UI. Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G price in India: Rs 29,998 for 8GB RAM/512GB storage X, which was previously known as Twitter until its recent rebranding, is grappling with an issue where old posts containing images or hyperlinks converted through Twitters built-in URL shortener are not displaying properly. This problem came to light when Tom Coates posted about it on a Saturday afternoon, and a Brazilian blogger with the handle, @DaniloTakagi had already pointed it out a couple of days prior. As it stands, this glitch appears to impact tweets that were published before December 2014. Videos are not affected since X introduced native image support in 2011 and built-in videos in 2016. However, links to platforms like YouTube now appear as text with a non-functioning t.co URL. Interestingly, the glitch even affected one of the most famous tweets in history. Its a selfie shared by Ellen DeGeneres during the 2014 Oscars broadcast, featuring celebrities like Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. This tweet became the most retweeted ever, amassing over 2 million shares in a span of hours. While there havent been any public statements from owner Elon Musk or X CEO Linda Yaccarino about the problem, the image in the affected post was restored at some point on Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Despite speculation that this might be an intentional cost-cutting measure by Musk, the fact that the original media hasnt been deleted suggests its more likely an error or bug. These issues have been cropping up since last years takeover and the subsequent mass layoffs. Interestingly, there is at least one other older tweeted image that is still functioning. Its the image posted on President Barack Obamas account after winning his 2012 reelection campaign, showing a hug between him and the First Lady. While its unclear if this one was manually restored, it was still viewable on a Saturday afternoon. The timing of the issue seems connected to changes Twitter implemented in 2016, introducing enhanced URL enrichment to display previews for linked websites and native attachments that didnt count towards Twitters 140-character limit. Developer documentation indicates that the metadata for these changes began to emerge in December 2014. Tesla is currently handling one of its biggest data crises. The company was hit by a massive data breach a couple of months ago, where miscreants had access to some of the most vital and personal information of over 75,000 current and former employees. The American EV giant, led by Elon Musk, has begun informing both current and former employees affected by the data breach that occurred in May, impacting 75,735 individuals. An inside job In a notice published on the website of the US-based Maine Attorney General, Tesla revealed that an investigation uncovered that two former Tesla employees misappropriated the information in violation of Teslas IT security and data protection policies. The company swiftly responded by containing the breach, assessing its extent, and safeguarding the compromised information. Tesla pursued legal action against the two ex-employees, resulting in the confiscation of their electronic devices suspected of containing the stolen data. Furthermore, Tesla obtained court orders to prevent the former employees from any further utilization, access, or distribution of the data, under threat of criminal consequences. An attempt to whistleblow? Reportedly, these former employees shared sensitive information with the German newspaper Handelsblatt. However, the newspaper assured Tesla that it would neither publish the data nor use it inappropriately due to legal restrictions. The breach encompassed certain personal data of specific current and former employees, including names and contact details such as addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses that Tesla typically holds as part of its role as an employer. Possibly connected to the autopilot scandal Although Tesla uncovered no instances of personal data misuse, it decided to offer those affected complimentary access to Experian IdentityWorks, a service that monitors credit and guards against identity theft. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Teslas engineers admitted not addressing issues with the Autopilot system following a fatal 2016 accident in the US that claimed a drivers life. This revelation emerged during testimonies given in 2021 for a lawsuit regarding a similar fatal collision involving a Tesla in 2019, which is currently heading for trial in the US. A US federal judge has affirmed that artwork generated by artificial intelligence (AI) cannot be granted copyright protection. The ruling, issued on Friday, dismissed a lawsuit by AI entrepreneur Stephen Thaler against the US Copyright Office. US District Judge Beryl Howell, in her decision rejecting Thalers legal challenge, emphasized that human authorship is a fundamental prerequisite for legal protection under copyright law. She emphasized that this principle lies at the heart of copyright eligibility, regardless of whether human creativity is harnessed through novel tools or emerging media. While acknowledging the adaptability of copyright law over time, Judge Howell highlighted that its scope has never extended so far as to safeguard creative works originating solely from technology without any human influence. Thaler, the founder of neural network firm Imagination Engines, initiated the lawsuit after the Copyright Office declined his 2018 application to secure copyright for artwork created by his AI system, known as the Creativity Machine. The submitted work, titled A Recent Entrance to Paradise, was described as autonomously generated by a computer algorithm operating on a machine. Although Thaler had positioned himself as the copyright owner in his application, reflecting a work for hire scenario, the Copyright Office rejected his request. The office argued that the crucial connection between human cognition and creative expression was central to the concept of copyright protection. Thaler contested this decision, contending that AI should be considered an author when it satisfies authorship criteria, with the AI systems owner assuming copyright ownership. He asserted that the offices denial was unjust, arbitrary, and a breach of the Administrative Procedure Act. The Copyright Office had previously stated that AI-generated works were ineligible for copyright protection. However, in March, the office clarified its stance, indicating that content crafted with AI assistance might qualify for protection if a human had selected or arranged it in a manner demonstrating sufficient creativity, resulting in an original work of authorship. The involvement of AI in artistic creation has become a focal point in an ongoing Hollywood writers strike. More than 160,000 professionals from the film, radio, and television sectors have ceased work, leading to halts in major productions. Union leaders are engaged in negotiations with producers to ensure that AI cannot undermine wages or completely replace human workers. In January, a coalition of artists filed a lawsuit against the creators of AI art generators, including Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DreamUp. The artists characterized AI-generated art as a parasite that could inflict irreparable harm upon their community if allowed to proliferate. Their collective legal action alleged that these AI tools unlawfully utilized artists content for training purposes without consent or compensation, subsequently reaping substantial profits from the outcomes. Russian teenagers will now learn how to operate and counter military drones in the upcoming academic year, according to a curriculum published on Monday by the education ministry. Moscow announced last November it was re-introducing Soviet-style military training for children from 2023, as it presses ahead with its nearly 18-month offensive in Ukraine. The drone course, which will be offered to pupils aged 15 to 17, comes as Russian territory is targeted by almost daily Ukrainian drone attacks and as their use becomes pivotal in the conflict. According to the education ministrys website, pupils will gain an understanding of the ways in which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used in combat. They will also perform practical tasks on drone piloting as well as learn the algorithm to counter enemy drones. The introduction of such a program in schools will make it possible to systematically prepare our citizens for a possible confrontation with the enemy, lawmaker Sergei Mironov said in November 2022 as he advocated for the reintroduction of the training. The revised military program also includes a module dedicated to Kalashnikov assault rifles, hand grenades and shooting. Since Moscow launched full-scale hostilities against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russian authorities have led a sweeping campaign to boost patriotism at school. Schools have been ordered to play the national anthem and hoist the flag at the start of each week. The Kremlin also introduced classes dubbed important conversations that teach World War II revisionism, Russian values and Moscows official narrative about its troops protecting compatriots in Ukraine. An estimated 850 people were still unaccounted for Monday following the devastating wildfires across Maui, as President Biden arrived on the island to witness the destruction firsthand. The death toll from the blazes has climbed to 114, as authorities said they had searched 85% of the destroyed historic town of Lahaina. Of those confirmed to have died, only 27 had been identified as of early Monday morning. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the list of missing people once topped 2,000, but the FBI and local authorities had been working around the clock to locate and identify those individuals. He also noted that when cellphone communication was restored, many people were able to contact their loved ones, which helped pare down the missing list. Wildfires on Maui destroyed the town of Lahaina, where this cat walked by a burned out car on Aug. 18. We are both saddened and relieved about these numbers as we continue the recovery process, Bissen said in a Facebook video update. Through the tireless work of the FBI and Maui Police Department, over 1,285 individuals have been located safe. A complete investigation and damage assessment of the fires is expected to take months, as one blaze essentially reduced the 12,000-person town of Lahaina to apocalyptic rubble. Early investigations showed the fast-moving infernos may have been caused by downed power lines igniting dry grassy areas. President Biden visited the island on Monday, marking his first trip to Maui since the fires erupted on Aug. 8. Upon arrival, he boarded Marine One for an aerial tour of the damage. He later planned to speak with state officials, emergency responders and survivors to reassure them of the federal governments support. I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life, Biden said in a statement before his arrival. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures and traditions. In an aerial view, burned cars and homes are seen next to a an untouched home in a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire on August 18, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii. Meanwhile, the mayor has asked people to provide DNA samples in hopes of identifying possibly deceased relatives. A center for such samples was set up at a Hyatt hotel on the island. Our lives have changed forever and things will not be the same, Bissen said. What will be the same is the way we care for each as we grieve and go through this together. Australian announced on Monday that the country has finalised an agreement to purchase highly effective long-range weapons from the United States. This move comes as Australia seeks to respond to the increasing military strength of China. The procurement includes a stockpile of over 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a price tag of $830 million. According to Australias defence department, these missiles are among the most advanced weapons. Australia is currently undertaking a significant transformation of its military capabilities, with a strategic shift toward enhancing long-range strike capacities. We are investing in the capabilities our Defence Force needs to hold our adversaries at risk further from our shores and keep Australians safe in the complex and uncertain world in which we live today, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement, reported AFP. The Tomahawk cruise missiles have a strike range of more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) and will be carried by the Australian Navys Hobart Class destroyers. They will eventually be used by the roving nuclear-powered submarines acquired by Australia under the landmark AUKUS pact. Australias AUKUS allies the UK and the United States are the only other countries with significant stockpiles of Tomahawk missiles. As we enter what many are calling the missile age, these will be vital tools for the Australian Defence Force to do its job of defending Australians, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said. Canberra said in January that it had snapped up a US offer to also obtain HIMARS rockets the mobile artillery system used by the Ukrainian army to devastating effect. Washington recently announced that it would help Australia build its own domestic missile manufacturing industry, with an eye to shoring-up supply chains disrupted by the war in Ukraine. We are buying these weapons now to deliver capability quickly, Conroy added. But we are also considering options to manufacture missiles domestically because of the importance of building sovereign Australian defence manufacturing capabilities. The US Army has in recent years tested prototype hypersonic cruise missiles at the Australian Defence Force weapons range in remote South Australia. With inputs from agencies As BRICS members converge in Johannesburg for a summit on Tuesday, the biggest agenda on the cards would be expansion with an expected formal move to draw Saudi Arabia closer. However, India, South Africa and Brazil are not very keen to bring in more countries given the effect it would have on their influence in the grouping. Leaders from the BRICS economic bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will hold three days of meetings in Johannesburgs financial district of Sandton. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will be in attendance. Chinese Premier Xi Jinping will also attend the meeting and although not in attendance physically due to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him over the war in Ukraine, Russias President Vladimir Putin will also make an appearance through a video link. The main summit on Wednesday and sideline meetings Tuesday and Thursday are expected to produce general calls for more cooperation among countries in the Global South amid their rising discontent over perceived Western dominance of global institutions. One specific policy point with more direct implications will be discussed and possibly decided on the proposed expansion of the BRICS bloc, which was formed in 2009 by the emerging market countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, and added South Africa the following year. Saudi Arabia is one of more than 20 countries to have formally applied to join BRICS in another possible expansion, South African officials say. Any move toward the inclusion of the worlds second-biggest oil producer in an economic bloc with Russia and China would clearly draw attention from the United States and its allies in an extra-frosty geopolitical climate, and amid a recent move by Beijing to exert some influence in the Persian Gulf. If Saudi Arabia were to enter BRICS, it will bring extraordinary importance to this grouping, said Talmiz Ahmad, Indias former ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Even an agreement on the principle of expanding BRICS, which already consists of a large chunk of the developing worlds biggest economies, is a moral victory for the Russian and Chinese vision of the bloc as a counterbalance to the G-7, analysts say. Both China and Russia favour adding more countries to bolster a kind of coalition even if its only symbolic amid Chinas economic friction with the US and Russias Cold War-like standoff with the West because of the war in Ukraine. Countries ranging from Argentina to Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates have all formally applied to join alongside the Saudis, and are also possible new members. If a number of them are brought in, then you end up with a bigger economic bloc, and from that a sense of power, said Prof. Alexis Habiyaremye of the College of Business and Economics at the University of Johannesburg. However, Brazil, India and South Africa are less keen on expansion and seeing their influence diluted in whats currently an exclusive developing world club, there is momentum for it. Although nothing has been decided, though, and the five countries must first agree on the criteria new members need to meet. Thats on the agenda in Johannesburg amid Beijings push. The US has stressed its bilateral ties with South Africa, Brazil and India in an attempt to offset any outsized Russian and Chinese influence emanating from BRICS. In the buildup to the summit, the State Department said that the U. was deeply engaged with many of the leading members of the BRICS association. With inputs from AP Neo-natal nurse Lucy Letby, the United Kingdoms most prolific serial child killer in modern times, will spend the rest of her life behind bars, a judge ordered on Monday following her conviction for murdering seven newborn babies and trying to kill yet another six. Letby, 33, murdered the five baby boys and two baby girls at the neonatal unit of Countess of Chester hospital in northern England where she used to work as a nurse in 2015 and 2016, injecting the infants with insulin or air or force feeding them milk. Some of the children she attacked were twins in one case she murdered both siblings, in another she killed two of three triplets, and in two instances she murdered one twin but failed in her attempts to kill the other. Letby, refused to attend court for the sentencing in Manchester, northwest England, sparking outrage from her young victims families. The order of the court is a whole-life order on each and every offence and you will spend the rest of your life in prison, said judge James Goss. Judge Goss said she had acted with pre-meditation, calculation and cunning with malevolence bordering on sadism, coldly denying responsibility for her actions throughout the trial. Most of her young victims suffered acute pain but she deceived colleagues at the Countess of Chester Hospital about what she had done. Letby kept medical notes as morbid records about what she had done, which were found during police searches of her home after she was arrested. You have no remorse, the judge said. There are no mitigating factors. You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies, and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions, he added. Lifelong harm had been caused to her victims families by cutting short young lives almost as soon as they began, the judge said. Loving parents have been robbed of their cherished children. You have caused deep psychological trauma, he added. No motives have emerged for the killings, which took place between June 2015 and June 2016 and have made Letby one of Britains most notorious serial killers. Some 70 criminals are currently serving a whole-life order in the UK. Only three women have previously been given the sentence: Moors Murderer Myra Hindley, who with her boyfriend Ian Brady killed five children in the 1960s, and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy. Hindley died in 2002. Harold Shipman, a medical doctor who killed 15 of his patients but is suspected to have murdered as many as 250, was given a whole-life term in 2000. He killed himself in his cell in 2004. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is due to visit China at the end of August, officials familiar with the matter said. The visit to Beijing is a long-awaited trip seeking to stabilise a turbulent relationship between the two countries that has sunk to its lowest point in decades. Britains foreign office said it would announce Cleverlys travel plans in the usual way. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond or comment. Cleverly was expected in China towards the end of July, but the trip did not materialize as China announced the unexpected replacement of his counterpart Qin Gang with former Chinese foreign minister and veteran diplomat Wang Yi. Qin went missing for over a month before being replaced on July 25, with the details behind his removal left unclear by the Chinese government. He has not appeared in public since late June. Cleverly is due to land in Beijing on August 29, one of the officials aware of the matter said. Others said the trip was expected around the end of the month, without specifying dates. The trip is only expected to last a couple of days and has been scaled back from the original plan, according to one of the officials Cleverly would be the highest-ranking British official to visit China since the pandemic, after relations nosedived over issues including Beijings crackdown in Hong Kong and its treatment of Uyghur Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. The UK government has taken a relatively hawkish approach to China, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declaring that Beijing poses the biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity in May. Sunak is also under increasing pressure from some lawmakers in his ruling Conservative Party who are seeking to harden Londons policy on China. The UK is also home to large Hong Kong and Uyghur diaspora communities; whose activists are vocal on Chinas alleged human rights abuses. After Beijing lifted Covid-19 restrictions earlier this year, a slew of high-ranking European and US officials visited the country, some with great fanfare. A few senior UK government officials have visited China in recent months, but these trips were relatively low-key in comparison. Canada is sending the military to tackle fast-spreading wildfires in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday, as the western province deals with flames that have led to evacuation orders for more than 35,000 people. British Columbia declared a state of emergency and imposed a ban on non-essential travel to free up accommodations for evacuees and firefighters, and urged drone operators and others capturing images of the fires to stay clear of rescue workers. West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund said he saw some hope after battling epic fires for the past four days. He said conditions have improved, helping firefighters to put boots on the ground and dump water on flames that threatened the town of 150,000. Things are looking better. We are finally feeling like we are moving forward rather than moving backwards, and thats a great feeling, Brolund told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. However, he warned of difficult days ahead to contain the McDougall Creek fire. Trudeau said in a tweet that the federal government will offer support from the Canadian military to help with evacuations, staging, and other logistical tasks in response to a request from the British Columbia government. Forest fires are not uncommon in Canada but the spread of blazes and disruptions underscore the severity of its worst wildfire season yet, which some experts have blamed on climate change. Other fires, exacerbated by severe drought, have been reported closer to the U.S. border and in the US Pacific Northwest. Just across the border in Washington state, firefighters battled two major blazes, the Gray Fire and the Oregon Road Fire, which combined had blackened more than 20,000 acres of forest and destroyed more than 100 structures. In Canada, government officials urged residents in evacuation order zones to leave immediately to save their lives and prevent firefighters from dying trying to save them. Officials have not given any estimates of the total number of buildings destroyed. Videos and photos on social media showed destroyed structures and vehicles, and huge flames consuming trees. The Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline and its expansion project, which makes it way to the Pacific coast through the interior of British Columbia, was unaffected by the fires, a company spokesperson said on Sunday. The Coquihalla stretch of the pipeline expansion, southwest of Kamloops, is the closest to fire. Underground pipelines are typically buried a few feet below the surface and are protected from fire by the soil and the constant movement of liquid moving through the pipeline, the spokesperson added. The fires have drained local resources and drawn in federal government assistance as well as support from 13 countries. At least four firefighters have died. About 140,000 square km (54,054 square miles) of land, roughly the size of New York state, have been scorched nationwide, with smoky haze extending as far as the U.S. East Coast. Government officials project that the fire season could stretch into autumn because of widespread drought-like conditions. Skies on fire About 2,000 km to the north, a wildfire burning out of control in Yellowknife, the capital city of Northwest Territories, had triggered evacuations of almost all of its 20,000 residents last week. The fire is not expected to reach city limits by the end of the weekend, officials said, with some rain and cooler temperatures helping slow its progress. Krista Flesjer, who evacuated from the city with her dogs, said it was a rough trip. I was afraid of getting caught in the fires that were coming across the road, she said. For Flesjer, the main worry is whether her house, which is just two years old, would survive. In British Columbia, the TransCanada highway was closed near Chase, about 400 km northeast of Vancouver. The highway is the main east-west artery used by thousands of motorists and truckers heading to Vancouver, the countrys busiest port. Kip Lumquist, who works at a gift shop in Craigellachie, a tourist spot on the highway, said she had seen a lot of devastation over the past week. It was crazy. We couldnt see the hills, the mountains, the trees, anything, probably (for) two and a half days, Lumquist said. I drive a white vehicle, and when I walked out to get in my car its just black. Its devastating to the community. Chinas state security ministry announced on Monday that they are conducting an investigation into a Chinese national who has been accused of spying for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The individual in question is a 39-year-old Chinese national identified by the surname Hao. He was a cadre at a ministry and had traveled to Japan for studies. It was during his time in Japan that the alleged recruitment for espionage activities took place. The ministry did not disclose the individuals gender. The statement came less than two weeks after the ministry said it uncovered another national also suspected of spying for the CIA after being recruited in Italy. The ministry said Hao had become acquainted with a US embassy official known as Ted while sorting out a visa application. He invited Hao for dinners, presented gifts and sought Haos help with writing a paper that Ted promised to pay for, the ministry said, reported Reuters. Ted introduced Hao to a colleague named Li Jun before his term at the embassy in Japan ended, the ministry said; Li and Hao then maintained a cooperative relationship. Before Hao completed studying, Li revealed being Tokyo-based CIA personnel and instigated Hao into rebelling, telling Hao to return to China to work for a core and critical unit. Hao signed an espionage agreement, accepting assessment and training from the United States, according to the statement. The ministry said Hao worked in a national department upon returning, according to the requirements of the CIA, and provided the CIA with intelligence while collecting US pay. Relations between the United States and China have soured in recent years over a range of issues, including national security. Washington has accused Beijing of espionage and cyberattacks, charges China has rejected. China has also declared it is under threat from spies. China called on its citizens this month to participate in counter-espionage work, after expanding its anti-spying law in July, alarming the United States. With inputs from agencies European Unions top trade official stated ahead of India visit that the bloc looks forward to strengthening relations with key partner New Delhi by progressing FTA negotiations. The European Unions diplomatic service said on Monday that EU Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis will go to India on Tuesday for a 5-day visit. In addition to co-chairing the EU-India High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment in Delhi with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Valdis Dombrovskis will attend the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting in Jaipur. India is a key partner for the EU and we look forward to engaging with our Indian counterparts on how we can further deepen our ties, notably by advancing our talks for a Free Trade Agreement. The G20 comes just six months before the 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, so we must seize this opportunity to drive forward the multilateral trade agenda at a time of global turbulence, Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, was quoted in the statement. During his stay, he is also due to meet Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian Minister of Finance, for discussions on the EUs relations with India, European External Action Service (EEAS) said. According to the EU, it wants to strengthen ties with India and is working towards that goal by negotiating three large agreements: a free trade agreement, an investment protection agreement, and an agreement on geographical indications. Closer EU-India cooperation is symbolised through the parallel engagement in the Trade and Technology Council, the statement read. Last year, the European Union and India relaunched negotiations to forge a free trade agreement, with the aim of completing talks by the end of 2023. The latest round of negotiations between the parties began in 2007, but they were suspended in 2013. The leaders of the EU and India decided to pick up negotiations in May 2021. A free trade agreement (FTA) is an agreement between two or more nations that aims to ensure frictionless commercial relations by removing trade obstacles between imports and exports. Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will attend a meeting with European Business during his visit to India, which is being organised by the EU Delegation and Task Force to Create a Federation of European Business in India (FEBI). Multilateral trade for global growth and prosperity, inclusive and resilient trade, supply chains, and harnessing technology for paperless trade are the main themes of the G20 conference in Jaipur, which begins on Wednesday. The US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, Turkish Trade Minister mer Bolat, Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, and Japanese Minister for Economy, Trade, and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura will all be available for bilateral meetings with Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis in the margins of the event. (With agency inputs) A rare and deadly flesh-eating bacteria, identified as vibrio vulnificus, has claimed the lives of eight individuals along the US east coast, triggering heightened alerts from health authorities. With five fatalities reported in Florida and three in locations including Long Island, New York, and Connecticut, authorities are urging caution while swimming in the ocean and consuming shellfish. The vibrio vulnificus bacteria has raised concerns among health officials, particularly for those with open wounds, as direct contact with seawater could lead to infection. Two victims from Connecticut were believed to have contracted the bacteria while swimming in Long Island Sound, a tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. Another individual fell ill after consuming raw oysters at an out-of-state establishment, sparking investigations into the source of contamination. Kathy Hochul, New Yorks governor, stressed the seriousness of the situation, remarking, While rare, the vibrio bacteria has unfortunately made it to this region and can be extraordinarily dangerous. She urged residents to remain vigilant, safeguarding themselves and their loved ones from potential risks. Florida has witnessed the highest death toll, with five fatalities occurring in the Tampa Bay area. The state has recorded 26 cases of vibrio vulnificus infections since the start of the year, a figure that follows a pattern of increasing infections in recent years. In 2022, Florida reported 74 cases and 17 deaths linked to this bacteria, which experts partially attributed to elevated bacteria levels following Hurricane Ians aftermath. While Vibrio vulnificus infections are relatively rare, they can be severe, causing gastrointestinal symptoms such as fever, chills, and vomiting. The bacteria is also associated with necrotizing fasciitis, a rapidly progressing bacterial infection that can result in limb amputations and fatalities, particularly among individuals with compromised immune systems. The rise in infections over the past few decades, including a dramatic eightfold increase between 1998 and 2018 in the US, has been connected to the effects of climate change. The warming coastal waters where the bacteria resides have led to a northward spread, extending infections to new regions. William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of preventive measures, especially for those at higher risk. If youre immunocompromised and have a new injury that hasnt healed, stay out of the water, he cautioned, adding that individuals should prioritize safety and heed precautions to mitigate the risk of infection. Surprise favorite Bernardo Arevalo was swept to victory in Guatemalas presidential election on Sunday, with his anti-corruption message firing up weary voters. Arevalo scored 59 per cent of the vote, with 95 per cent of ballots counted, according to official results from the TSE national election body. His rival, the former first lady Sandra Torres, came in second with 36 per cent of the vote as of Sunday night. Arevalo pulled off a massive upset after defying opinion polls and coming in second in the first-round election in June. Ahead of Sundays vote, observers and foreign allies had sounded the alarm about meddling and efforts to undermine the electoral process, after a top prosecutor tried to have Arevalo disqualified and ordered raids on his party offices and the election body during the campaign. After a first round marked by low turnout and invalid votes, the TSE reported a historic turnout percentage at the close of Sundays voting, without giving details. Fed-up voters expressed despair over the poverty, violence and corruption that have crippled the Central American nation, pushing thousands of its citizens to emigrate in search of a better life, many to the United States. You can no longer live anywhere, because there is so much crime, complained 66-year-old housewife Maria Rac, an Indigenous Mayan who voted in the town of San Juan Sacatepequez, 30 kilometers (20 miles) west of the capital. Truck driver Efrain Boch, 47, voting in the same town, pleaded with the new government to tackle corruption. Arevalo, the son of the countrys first democratically elected president, Juan Jose Arevalo, has slammed the plague of corrupt politicians on the campaign trail. We have been the victims, the prey, of corrupt politicians for years, Arevalo, a 64-year-old sociologist and former diplomat, said. To vote is to say clearly that it is the Guatemalan people who lead this country, not the corrupt. The prosecutor who has targeted him, Rafael Curruchiche sanctioned by Washington for corruption said he did not rule out more raids and possible arrests after the elections. A risk to the system At the close of voting, the TSE reported no significant incidents during the day. Torres, from a traditionally center-left party, promised welfare programs and various subsidies for the poor. However, she had also won the backing of the right and evangelicals, increased her socially conservative rhetoric, and was seen as representing the establishment. Traditional political forces have bet on Torres, because Arevalo is seen as a risk to the continuity of the system, political analyst Arturo Matute told AFP ahead of the results. Mayan farmer Brigido Chavix, 57, said he did not support Arevalo, but I voted for him because we want new faces. That lady (Torres) has already been around for a long time talking about policies, policies, and she has never carried them out. Torres, 67, the ex-wife of late leftist president Alvaro Colom, has failed in her third attempt to become president. Ahead of the results she had denounced some irregularities during Sundays voting, without giving evidence. Before the election, she raised doubts about the objectivity of the countrys electoral board, accusing it of leaning toward Arevalos party. She had dismissed Arevalo as a foreigner because he was born in Uruguay while his father was in exile. Corrupt taken control Arevalo will replace unpopular right-wing President Alejandro Giammattei, who is constitutionally limited to one term. Under Giammattei, several prosecutors fighting graft have been arrested or forced into exile. He has also cracked down on critical journalists. The corrupt have progressively taken control of all state institutions, former attorney general Claudia Paz y Paz who is now in Costa Rica told AFP. Guatemala has some of the worst poverty, malnutrition and child mortality rates in Latin America, according to the World Bank. The murder rate is one of the highest in the world, with many killings attributed to gang violence related to drug trafficking. China said Monday it had lodged complaints over a statement released at a first-of-its-kind summit of the leaders of the United States, South Korea and Japan in which they criticised Beijings aggressive behaviour. The United States Joe Biden hosted the summit described as launching a new chapter of close, three-way security cooperation at the presidential retreat Camp David. In a joint statement on Friday, the three leaders said they opposed the dangerous and aggressive behaviour of China in maritime disputes in the East and South China Sea. Beijing hit back on Monday, saying the leaders had smeared and attacked China on Taiwan-related and maritime issues, grossly interfered in Chinas internal affairs and deliberately sowed discord between China and its neighbours. It also expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition and has lodged solemn representations with relevant parties, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing. The Camp David statement specifically referenced Taiwan, calling peace and stability on the issue an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community. There is no change in our basic positions on Taiwan, and we call for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, it said. On Saturday, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army staged air and sea drills around Taiwan in what it said was a stern warning after the islands vice president visited the United States. If relevant countries really care about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, they should abide by the One-China principle, stop condoning and supporting separatists advocating for Taiwan independence and their activities, and take concrete actions to safeguard regional peace and stability, Wang said on Monday. The Taiwan question is purely Chinas internal affair. Solving the Taiwan question is Chinas own business. EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (AP) The Netherlands and Denmark announced Sunday they will give F-16 warplanes to Ukraine, a long-awaited announcement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an important motivation for his countrys forces, embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia. The promise of new fighter jets came the day after an unusually brazen Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian theater that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 others in the northern city of Chernihiv. Zelenskyy vowed stern retaliation for the attack, whose victims included a slain 6-year-old girl dead and 15 wounded children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left and Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen hold a press conference, at Skrydstrup Airbase, in Vojens, Denmark, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Denmarks prime minister says it will donate 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. It follows a similar offer earlier from the Netherlands Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an important motivation for his countrys forces, who are embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia. After months of entreaties from Zelenskyy for F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian air force, the U.S. recently gave approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to provide Ukraine the American-made jets. Zelenskyy travelled to both countries Sunday to finalize the delivery deals. F-16s will certainly give new energy, confidence, and motivation to fighters and civilians. Im sure it will deliver new results for Ukraine and the entire Europe,? the Ukrainian leader said. Ukraine hopes the jets will give it a combat edge, after launching a counteroffensive against the Kremlins forces without air cover from Western aircraft, placing its troops at the mercy of Russian aviation and artillery. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pledged 19 F-16s to Ukraine and said she hoped the first six could be handed over around New Year. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte didnt provide a number or timeframe, saying it depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel that Ukraine would get 42 jets. The F-16s will not help immediately now with the war effort. It is anyway a long-term commitment from the Netherlands, Rutte said. We want them to be active and operational as soon as possible. Not for the next month, thats impossible, but hopefully soon afterward. He and Zelenskyy inspected two gray F-16s parked in a hangar at a Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sit in a F-16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Airbase, in Vojens, Denmark, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. A few hours later, Zelenskyy and his wife were received by Frederiksen, other Danish Cabinet ministers and Crown Princess Mary at the Skrydstrup air base in southern Denmark where Ukrainian pilots will receive F-16 training in coming months. The two leaders climbed into a Danish F-16 and tried out the seats. Frederiksen said hopefully six fighter jets could be delivered around New Year, eight more next year and the remaining five in 2025. Please take this donation as a token of Denmarks unwavering support for your countrys fight for freedom, she said. Zelenskyy called the Dutch and Danish donations a huge push for other countries who were in doubt about providing Ukraine with F-16s. Asked whether there were conditions attached to the donations, such as a commitment not to use them in Russian territory, Zelenskyy said that had not been discussed but added that defending Ukrainian territory was the main goal. The Dutch and Danish governments are also spearheading a coalition that is working to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the advanced fighter jets. A 22-year-old software engineer employed by the streaming giant Netflix has gone missing under mysterious circumstances. The incident occurred after he was last spotted entering an Uber vehicle in California. Yohanes Kidane was seen leaving his downtown San Jose apartment building at approximately 7:15 pm (local time) on 14 August. His family informed local news channel that he stepped into a car adorned with Uber stickers. He was wearing grey sweatpants, a black hoodie, and black shoes at the time of his disappearance. Kidanes brother, Yosief, said, Two young colleagues of his saw him and were able to talk to him, reported New York Post. According to Yosief, Kidane stated that he was en route to San Francisco, potentially to meet a friend. The most recent footage available depicted him exiting his apartment complex and entering a black Toyota Camry. Recently, Kidane had started working with Netflix as a software engineer. He relocated to the Bay Area in July after graduating from Cornell University in May. Notably, Kidanes mobile phone, wallet, and backpack were located close to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Centre in San Francisco. His brother shared a poster indicating that the backpack was found nearer to the bridge on the subsequent day. The backpack contained two laptops and personal documents. Records showed that his phone had been predominantly situated near the Golden Gate Bridge on the night of 14 August. A commuter in San Rafael spotted his phone and wallet on a small grassy hill between the Welcome Centre and a coffee shop. Remarkably, the contents of his wallet, including $30 in cash, his ID cards, and phone, remained untouched. With inputs from agencies North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles, state media reported on Monday, as the US and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. The Norths report on missile tests came three days after the leaders of the US, South Korea and Japan held their first stand-alone trilateral summit and agreed to increase their cooperation on their ballistic missile defences to counter North Koreas evolving nuclear and missile threats. During an inspection of a navy flotilla on an unspecified date, Kim boarded a patrol ship to review its weapons and preparations for combat, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said Kim later watched the ships seamen conduct a drill of launching strategic cruise missiles, a word implying the weapons were developed to carry nuclear warheads. A state media photo showed him watching a soaring missile from the patrol ship from another place, not on the vessel. KCNA said the missiles hit designated targets without any errors, demonstrating the ships readiness and attack capability. Kim said he would bolster efforts to build powerful warships and modernise shipboard and underwater weapons systems for the Norths navy. He called for the countrys sailors to build overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength, saying that is more important than numerical or technical superiority of weapons, according to KCNA. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles, state media reported Monday, as the U.S. and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. The Norths report on missile tests came three days after the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan held their first stand-alone trilateral summit and agreed to increase their cooperation on their ballistic missile defences to counter North Koreas evolving nuclear and missile threats. During an inspection of a navy flotilla on an unspecified date, Kim boarded a patrol ship to review its weapons and preparations for combat, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said Kim later watched the ships seamen conduct a drill of launching strategic cruise missiles, a word implying the weapons were developed to carry nuclear warheads. A state media photo showed him watching a soaring missile from the patrol ship from another place, not on the vessel. KCNA said the missiles hit designated targets without any errors, demonstrating the ships readiness and attack capability. Kim said he would bolster efforts to build powerful warships and modernize shipboard and underwater weapons systems for the Norths navy. He called for the countrys sailors to build overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength, saying that is more important than numerical or technical superiority of weapons, according to KCNA. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement North Koreas report on its cruise missile tests contained an exaggeration and was not consistent with the facts. It said South Koreas military will maintain firm readiness based on its capacity to overwhelmingly defeat potential North Korean provocations. North Koreas naval cruise missile may appear technologically behind but is still a real threat, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. The latest test shows Pyongyangs intention of attacking South Korea from many angles if it believes the Kim regime is at risk. Launches from North Koreas huge stockpile of ballistic missiles are prohibited by U.N. Security Council resolutions. Its cruise missile tests arent banned, but they still pose a threat because they fly at a lower altitude to avoid radar detection. Analysts say North Korea aims to use cruise missiles to strike incoming U.S. warships and aircraft carriers in the event of conflict. North Korea was widely expected to resume weapons tests in reaction to the US-South Korean military training that began Monday for an 11-day run. The Ulchi Freedom Shield training is a computer-simulated command post exercise. The U.S. and South Korean militaries said they also plan conduct large-scale field exercises as well. North Korea in past years has slammed major U.S.-South Korean drills as practice for an invasion and has responded to them with missile tests. U.S. and South Korean officials maintain the exercises are defensive in nature and they have no intention of attacking the North. Since the start of 2022, North Korea performed more than 100 weapons tests, some of them involving nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the U.S. mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan. The U.S. and South Korea have expanded their regular training exercises in response. During their summit at Camp David, President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said they intend to put into operation by years end the sharing of real-time missile warning data on North Korea and hold annual trilateral exercises. The three leaders also announced the establishment of a trilateral working group to boost cooperation to combat North Korean cyber threats and block its cyber-enabled evasion of sanctions. Biden said the three nations would also establish a hotline to discuss responses to threats. North Korea has said the three countries push to strengthen their security cooperation is compelling it to reinforce its own military capability. South Koreas spy service told lawmakers Thursday that North Korea was taking steps needed for the launches of long-range missiles and an attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit. The Norths first attempt to launch a spy satellite in late May ended in failure. Pakistans President Arif Alvi has denied approving the two controversial bills, which make it an offence to reveal the identities of military intelligence officers and propose jail terms for defaming the army. Introduced earlier this month, the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill provoked bitter debate in the Pakistan National Assembly. Alvi, who disagreed with the bills, asked his staff to return the bills to the Parliament unapproved in time to not stop them from being effective. He had ten days to either sign the bills or return them to the Parliament with some observations, failing this the bill would be taken as passed by the president. However, his staff, he alleged, didnt obey his order and delayed the return to let them assume effect. I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws. I asked my staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to make them ineffective. I confirmed from them many times whether they have been returned & was assured that they were. However, I have found out today that my staff undermined my will, he wrote in a post on X. President Alvis statement can throw the legality of the laws into question. However, Pakistans interim law minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam accused Alvi of purposely delaying the assent, and returning the bills with neither assent nor observations, according to BBC. Aslam added that since the bills were not received from the president even after 10 days, they automatically became law. According to a gazette from the Senate Secretariat the bills were deemed to have been assented to by the president. While one bill recommends a three-year jail term and a fine of up to 1 crore rupees for anyone who discloses the identity of an intelligence official, informant or source, the other imposes a jail term of up to five years on anyone who discloses sensitive information relating to national security. Pakistans main opposition party, former prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the coalition partners of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) have criticised the bills as draconian laws passed in haste and without discussion and prudence. And the laws are already being used to arrest opposition members. PTIs Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested on Saturday under the Official Secrets Act. His party claimed that Qureshi was detained for holding a press conference where he challenged the postponement of the election. But the government accuse him of leaking the contents of a secret diplomatic cable for political motives. President Alvi got the bills before parliament was dissolved on 9 August. Initially, the aim of dissolving the Parliament was to hold fresh elections in November. However, after the electoral commission said the electoral boundaries must be redrawn to reflect fresh census data, the polls have now been postponed until February. In the interim, the country will be under a caretaker government. The intelligence services in Pakistan have been regularly accused of illegally detaining the members of the opposition, dissidents, activists and journalists, and human rights observers note the increasing number of disappearances every month. The PTI has also said that it will take the disputed bills to the Supreme Court and declared its complete support for Alvi, whos among the founding members of the party. Former prime minister Khans arrest in May saw violent protests in which even military cantonments were targeted. Since then, the PTI has been systematically targeted. Their key leaders, including Khan, were given jail sentences over a variety of charges. Pakistans Punjab government on Monday announced a compensation of Rs 2 million for around 100 Christian families whose homes were burnt down by radical Islamists last week over allegations of blasphemy. An enraged mob ransacked and torched 21 churches and several houses of Christians last week over blasphemy allegations in Jaranwala town of Faisalabad district, 130 km from Punjabs provincial capital Lahore. A Christian cemetery and the office of the local assistant commissioner were also vandalised. At least 94 families will receive compensation of Rs 2 million each by tomorrow (Tuesday). The amount will help them rebuild their houses damaged in the violence, said Punjabs caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The Christian leaders told Naqvi on Monday that at least 200 houses were damaged in the violence, and all should be compensated. According to the police, at least 20 churches and 86 houses of Christians were burnt down by the mob in Jaranwala last Wednesday. The two Christians accused of desecrating the Quran were arrested, police said, adding that 145 suspects have been arrested so far, including a cleric who made announcements from five mosques inciting people to attack Christian homes and churches. The police report also hinted at the presence of radical Islamist Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) elements that spearheaded the mob which unleashed the attack. Pakistans caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar visited the town on Monday. Im heading to Jaranwala to meet and empathize with our Christian brethren, he posted on social media platform X. Meanwhile, protests erupted against the Punjab chief minister for ignoring Catholics in Jaranwala. Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad Vicar General Fr Abid Tanveer said that hundreds of Catholic Christians of Jaranwala waited in Christian Colony for the Naqvi, but the chief minister visited an area of a small community and ignored the Christian Colony. Tanveer asserted that the biggest church of Jaranwala, the Catholic Church, located in the Christian Colony, was burnt and demolished in the riots, and 200 houses were damaged in the locality, while their valuables were also looted. He added that by ignoring the locality, Naqvi hurt the sentiments of the Catholics. Tanveer condemned this alleged injustice, claiming that Catholic leadership waited there for the chief minister and staged a protest against his act of ignoring the Christian Colony. He announced that the protest would continue until the chief minister visited the colony of Catholics. On Sunday, the Punjab caretaker cabinet joined the Christian community in Jaranwala and sat among the rubble of a burnt church for the first Sunday mass. Asserting that the restoration of other churches would be completed this week, Naqvi said the rights of individuals with affiliations to various faiths would be safeguarded at all costs, and those who engage in mistreatment would be made an example. Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures can face the death penalty. Often an accusation can cause riots and incite mobs to violence, lynching and killings. According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), till August 16 this year, around 198 persons have been accused of blasphemy, 85 per cent of them Muslims, 9 per cent Ahmadis and 4.4 per cent Christians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leaving for Johannesburg tomorrow morning to participate in the 15th BRICS Summit and may meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines as PMs schedule in terms of bilateral meetings in South Africa is still being worked out, Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. The BRICS Summit starts from tomorrow and will conclude on 24 August. #WATCH | Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra says, Prime Minister will depart tomorrow morning for Johannesburg where he would be participating in the 15th BRICS Summit that starts tomorrow and concludes on 24th August pic.twitter.com/irgacsPzEA ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 Addressing a press conference on Monday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, The theme of the BRICS Summit this year is BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism. This would be the first in-person BRICS Summit after three consecutive years of virtual meetings owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about the chances of a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit, Kwatra said, The host country South Africa has invited large number of guest countries, besides BRICS members. PMs schedule, in terms of bilateral meetings with those leaders who would be present in South Africa is still being developed #WATCH | When asked about the chances of a bilateral meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra says, The host country South Africa has invited large number of guest countries, pic.twitter.com/2jK53rFjJr ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 He said a business delegation from India will also be travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings and also the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum. After completing his engagements in Johannesburg, PM will travel to Greece for an official visit on 25 August at the invitation of PM of Greece, Kwatra informed. Greece is one of Indias important European partners. Both India and Greece are not just modern democracies but we also share close and age-old historical and cultural relations, said Kwatra. As far as BRICS expansion is concerned, he said that India has been clear from the start that we have positive intent and an open mind on the issue. In so far as BRICS expansion is concerned, we have been clear from the start that we have positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansionThose are the subject matters of ongoing current discussion between the Sherpas of the BRICS in South Africa and I would not want to prejudge the outcome of the discussions, he added. With inputs from agencies In a significant display of support and empathy, President Joe Biden is set to visit the fire-ravaged community of Lahaina on Monday, offering reassurances to the people affected by the historically deadly wildfire that swept through the region earlier this month. The Presidents visit aims to address the concerns of residents and provide insights into the federal governments commitment to aiding in the recovery process. Accompanied by the First Lady, Jill Biden, the President will engage with local officials, first responders, and victims during his trip to Lahaina, gaining a firsthand understanding of the extensive destruction left in the wake of the inferno. According to Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), President Bidens presence is anticipated to convey the message that the federal government stands ready to support the communitys recovery efforts while allowing residents to rebuild according to their preferences. The catastrophic wildfires, which erupted on 8 August, inflicted unprecedented devastation upon Lahaina, incinerating over 2,200 homes and businesses and leaving a grim toll of death and destruction. As of Sunday, the death toll had tragically reached 114, with numerous individuals still unaccounted for. Speaking on CNNs State of the Union, Criswell emphasized the Presidents commitment to empowering the people of Maui, stating, Hes going to be able to reassure the people of Maui that the federal government is there to support them but were doing it in a way thats going to allow them to rebuild the way they want to rebuild. Criticism had arisen from Republican quarters due to the Presidents initial delay in addressing the fires, although he did provide brief remarks shortly after the tragedy unfolded. Criswell revealed that she had been in direct communication with the President during this period, conveying the gravity of the situation and the necessary resources required to mitigate the crisis. On Friday, President Biden authorized further federal support for Hawaii, underscoring the administrations commitment to aiding the stricken state. The cause of the fires remains undetermined, pending the results of an ongoing official investigation. Meanwhile, the painstaking process of identifying victims is underway, involving forensic experts dedicated to the challenging task of providing closure to families impacted by the disaster. Hawaiis Governor, Democrat Josh Green, highlighted the ongoing search efforts and the substantial progress made in accounting for individuals affected by the fires. Green cautioned that, due to the intensity of the flames, some remains may prove impossible to recover meaningfully, a heartrending reality that could leave some families without closure. Furthermore, the Governor revealed that, following the Lahaina blaze, there have been subsequent smaller fires across various parts of Hawaii, indicative of the challenges posed by the evolving climate crisis and potential human error in emergency notifications. As Maui grapples with the aftermath of the fire, another challenge looms on the horizon the return of children to school. While efforts are underway to accommodate students in surrounding areas, the trauma of the disaster may hinder some from reentering the educational system. Amid these hardships, Governor Green highlighted the importance of addressing the climate crisis, asserting, Climate change is here. We are in the midst of it with a hotter planet and fiercer storms. With President Bidens visit, the people of Lahaina find themselves at a critical juncture, as they not only seek to rebuild their homes and livelihoods but also confront the growing realities of a changing climate. Within Russias security apparatus, there is a group with strong views that favours the removal of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff chief Valerii Gerasimov. A report by Bloomberg on 20 August indicates that this faction also supports implementing comprehensive mobilisation and martial law in Russia. Its worth noting that theres currently no sign that the Russian President Vladimir Putin will adopt such measures. Members of Russias current elite are also displeased with Putins perceived weak response to the rebellion involving the Wagner mercenary group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to Bloomberg. The recent detention of Igor Strelkov Girkin, a former commander of Russian proxy forces in Donetsk Oblast, by Russian Investigative Committee officers has further heightened tensions. Girkin, before his arrest, had expressed on his Telegram channel that Russia cannot endure another six years under the leadership of what he referred to as a useless coward. As Russias nearly 18-month-long conflict with Ukraine continues, internal tensions within Russia are intensifying as different groups vie for resources and favour from the Kremlin. The core dilemma for Putin appears to revolve around the choice between leadership competence and loyalty to him. With inputs from agencies Donald Trump said Sunday he will skip this weeks first Republican presidential debate, arguing that Americans know him well so theres no need for a public showdown with his rivals for the White House. In a message on his platform Truth Social, Trump touted what he called a hugely successful record as president and what he described as his popularity among the American people. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES! he said. The first debate in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is scheduled for Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In his post, Trump noted the latest in a wave of polls showing him far, far out ahead of the Republican field, this one by CBS News published Sunday. It said 62 percent of those polled for the survey would vote for him even though he has been indicted four times this year, including on charges he tried to subvert US democracy by scheming to overturn the 2020 election and stay in power despite his loss to Joe Biden. Trumps closest contender in the CBS poll was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 16 percent. The rest of those in the field are polling in the single digits. Trump wrote that DeSantis is crashing like an ailing bird. The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, Trump said, citing issues including energy, border security and the military, and the economy. The 77-year-old former president, who is rarely out of the headlines, had been vocal about possibly skipping the debate in the midwesten city of Milwaukee, wary of sharing the limelight with lower-polling rivals. The New York Times reported Friday that Trump had told aides he was planning to upstage his rivals by skipping the event, organized by Fox News, and instead sit for an online interview with one of Foxs former hosts, Tucker Carlson. Even in his absence, Trump will be ripe for broadsides from opponents over the four criminal and three civil trials he faces involving allegations before, during and after his scandal-plagued presidency. Obviously, his legal issues are affecting this race, Fox News host Bret Baier, who will be moderating the debate, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. All these candidates have been asked non-stop about whats happening in courtrooms around the country. So hell be a part of this debate whether hes there or not. Seven other candidates have qualified for the debate, including state governors DeSantis and Doug Burgum, former vice president Mike Pence, Trumps UN ambassador Nikki Haley and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. While Trump dominates the field, polling well above his opponents, some allies worry that a no-show could give his rivals a chance to create a viral moment and gain momentum. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy predicted on Monday that Russia will lose the war that still rages in his country, one day after Denmark and the Netherlands promised to donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war, Zelenskiyy said in a speech before a large outdoor crowd in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, Russia warned that a decision by Denmark and the Netherlands to donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine would only escalate the conflict. Ukraine said the jets would help end Russias invasion. On Sunday, Denmark and the Netherlands announced they would supply F-16s to Ukraine, with the initial six due to be delivered around New Year. Washington approved the delivery of the U.S.-made jets last week. The fact that Denmark has now decided to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict, Russian ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a statement cited by the Ritzau news agency. By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its actions and words to leave Ukraine with no other choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia, he said. Kyiv said the jet was vital to the success of its bid to drive Russian forces from its territory in a counteroffensive that has proceeded slowly since its launch in early June, as it would prevent Russian fighter jets attacking advancing forces. Superiority in the air is key to success on the ground, air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media. Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine may only use the donated F-16s within its own territory. (With agency inputs) Mayor Adams will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday as part of his first official trip to the Middle Eastern country. The mayors planned sit-down with Netanyahu which was first reported by the Daily News before being announced by City Hall on Monday is expected to take place behind closed doors in Jerusalem in the evening. A scheduling advisory from Adams office does not elaborate on the purpose of the meeting, but their chat comes amid a controversial effort by Netanyahus far-right government to overhaul the democratic countrys judicial system. Critics say the reforms will push Israel toward dictatorship, and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, have avoided meeting with Netanyahu amid the divisive judicial overhaul. For months, tens of thousands of Israeli pro-democracy demonstrators have taken to the streets of cities like Tel Aviv to protest the reforms, leading to some violent clashes with police. A source familiar with Adams itinerary, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations, said the mayors meeting with Netanyahu should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the judicial reforms. New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends an opening reception at the Jerusalem Arts Campus on his first day of a three-day visit to Israel on Monday, August 21, 2023. To underscore that point, Adams will meet with leaders of the Israeli protest movement on Tuesday morning local time, according to his public schedule. The source said Adams, whos in Israel through Thursday, is also expected to meet later in the week with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, a prominent opponent of Netanyahus reforms, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whos more left-leaning than the prime minister. Hes going to get the full breadth of perspectives, the source told The News. Also on Adams schedule for Tuesday is a separate sit-down with Eli Cohen, Netanyahus hand-picked minister of foreign affairs. Joining the mayor for his overseas trip are Joel Eisdorfer, a senior City Hall adviser, and First Deputy NYPD Commissioner Tania Kinsella, as well as some New York City Jewish leaders. Adams trip is being paid by the UJA-Federation of New York, a Jewish philanthropic group. New York City Mayor Eric Adams tours Machane Yahuda Market in Jerusalem with with the Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion, on Monday, August 21, 2023. The New York Jewish Agenda, a progressive group critical of Netanyahu, did not condemn Adams plans to meet with the prime minister. Instead, the groups executive director, Phylisa Wisdom, issued a statement focusing on Adams planned confab with the protest leaders: Given the enthusiasm for the movement and concern for the future of democracy in Israel among New Yorkers, prioritizing meeting with those representatives is important. In addition to domestic tumult over the countrys judicial reforms, Israel launched its most aggressive air attacks in decades on Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank last month, contributing to the unease in the region and drawing condemnation from some human rights organizations. Against that backdrop, Adams arrived in Jerusalem early Monday. His public schedule Monday included attending a reception with Israeli faith and ethnic leaders followed by a sit-down with Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon. In remarks at the reception posted to his Twitter account, Adams who faced criticism earlier this year for casting doubt over the necessity of separating church and state in the U.S. urged attendees to embrace faith in their everyday lives. What we learn in our synagogues, our churches, our mosques, our temples cannot merely remain in a sterilized environment of our places of faith, he said. We cannot be a globe with so much faith but we see so much devastation. We must live who we say we are. It has to be more than just reading. We have to now start believing. New York City Mayor Eric Adams meets with Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion at City Hall in Jerusalem on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. In announcing the trip last week, Adams office said the mayor was heading overseas to meet with local and national leaders, learn about Israeli technology, and discuss combined efforts to combat antisemitism. This is the second time members of the Adams administration are making an official visit to Israel. Last year, then-City Hall Chief of Staff Frank Carone and other top Adams advisers visited the country. In a video posted to his Twitter account late Sunday, Adams described Israel as a real partner, of course, in the region and stressed that he sees tech as the most important part of his trip. Many important stops. Number one: Technology, Adams said in the video, which showed him boarding a plane in New York. Were also going to go to real important religious sites that we will focus on, and have meetings with government officials to continue to strengthen our relationships here. New York City Mayor Eric Adams tours Machane Yahuda Market in Jerusalem on Monday, August 21, 2023. Back in the Big Apple which is home to 1.6 million Jewish New Yorkers a confluence of crises and scandal awaits the mayor. More than 58,000 migrants, most of them from Latin America, continue to be housed in city shelters and emergency housing facilities, straining local resources and prompting Adams to warn he may have to further cut various services for New Yorkers. The deepening migrant crisis has caused infighting among New York Democrats, with Gov. Hochuls administration earlier this month suggesting in court filings that Adams team is not making good use of resources it has received from the state. On the political side, Adams is facing scrutiny over a recent indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charging six supporters of his 2021 campaign, including a retired NYPD officer whos close to the mayor, with orchestrating a sweeping straw donor scheme to his benefit. Adams is not implicated in that case and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. A report from last week by the news outlet The City raised concerns about the legitimacy of another set of donations to Adams 2021 campaign. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the historic supply of F-16 aircraft by the Netherlands and Denmark which is expected to help Kyivs counteroffensive against Moscow, CNN reported on Sunday. The Netherlands and Denmark will be providing Ukraine with long-anticipated F-16 aircraft after the US approved sending the aircraft to Kyiv allowing Ukrainian pilots to begin training on the fighter jets. F-16s are single-engine, multi-role jet aircraft, meaning they can be used in air-to-air or ground-attack missions. Notably, Kyiv has urgently been calling on its Western allies to provide F-16 jets, as its slow-moving counteroffensive is hampered by Russian air superiority, according to CNN. Speaking at a joint press conference with Zelenskyy at Eindhoven airport in the Netherlands, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that his country would commit to delivering F-16 aircraft to Ukraine once the conditions for such a transfer have been met. Zelenskyy hailed the agreement as historic and the most important one yet. The Netherlands became the first country to agree to provide Ukraine with F-16s after training. I am very grateful, CNN quoted him as saying. He said that Ukraine would get 42 F-16 fighter jets after training for Ukrainian pilots and engineers is completed, according to his agreement with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Kyiv Independent reported. And this is only the beginning, Zelenskyy added. He further ruled out any possibility of giving away Ukrainian territory in return for peace. Ukraine will not exchange its territory with Russia in a potential peace deal, Kyiv Independent quoted Zelenskyy as saying at the press conference on Sunday. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on August 20 that Ukraine would get 42 F-16 fighter jets after training for Ukrainian pilots and engineers is completed, according to his agreement with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. And this is only the beginning, Zelensky added. However, even with this agreement, it will take months until Ukraine will be able to use these jets. Earlier on Sunday, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement stated that it had agreed to provide F-16s. Conditions for the transfer include training Ukrainian personnel, setting up infrastructure and logistics, and receiving the necessary authorization, it said. But, it is not clear yet how many aircraft will be provided by the Netherlands, CNN reported. At this moment, the Netherlands still owns 42 F-16s. Out of these 42, we need planes to help training in Denmark and later on in Romania, Rutte said. He added that the Netherlands would look into whether all of the remaining planes could be supplied but stated that he could not yet give a definitive number After his visit to the Netherlands, Zelenskyy went to Denmark where he met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Today we announce that we will provide 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine, we believe Danish fighter jets will help protect your skies, Frederiksen said. The aim of this delivery is to protect Ukraine. We plan to provide the jets closer to the new year, about six of them, then eight in the next year and then another five, CNN quoted her as saying. The meetings come after a US official on Friday said the US had committed to approving the transfer of F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine as soon as training is complete. Ukraines Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Saturday that Ukrainian pilots had begun training. Meanwhile, the US decision of approving the transfer of F-16s marks a sharp turnaround by the Biden administration, which for the last year had refused to approve any transfer of the aircraft or conduct training for fear that it could escalate tensions with Russia. The change indicates a new sense of urgency from Washington to get fighter jets to the battlefield as soon as possible, amid growing concerns about the prospects for Kyivs slow-going counteroffensive, according to Politico. Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow will consider the supply of F-16s to Ukraine as a threat from the West in the nuclear sphere because of the jets ability to carry nuclear weapons. On Friday, he renewed the warning that in providing arms to Ukraine, the NATO allies risk entering a situation of direct armed confrontation of nuclear powers, Politico reported. Commentary: Trilateral meeting at Camp David stokes embers of Cold War Xinhua) 13:54, August 21, 2023 BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea convened at Camp David on Friday to unveil their plans for bolstering military ties while deliberately propagating rhetoric about the so-called "China threat." Orchestrated under U.S. guidance, the trio is endeavoring to forge a closed and exclusive geopolitical clique under the guise of "security cooperation." Such a maneuver will inevitably fan the flames of antagonism, compromise the strategic security of other countries and jeopardize regional stability. By sowing seeds of division and intensifying opposition, the meeting represents a perilous gambit that might resurrect the specter of the Cold War. The United States actively wooing Japan and South Korea is nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing. Rather than considering the security interests of both countries, it is edging them toward a cliff. If history is any guide, wherever the military tentacles of the United States reach, peace will be elusive. Take a look at what the United States has done in the Middle East and Europe, as well as what it has been doing in the Asia-Pacific region. Washington's evil intent is self-evident. The so-called "security cooperation" is merely a facade for the United States to exploit the psychological vulnerabilities of certain countries and peddle security anxieties. Washington's so-called military cooperation with Japan and South Korea, built upon undermining the strategic security of other nations, cannot keep both countries safe. Instead, it will escalate the security risks in the region; ultimately, Japan and South Korea will become the sacrificial lambs. The United States leaves no stone unturned to forge alliances in the Asia-Pacific region, driven by a desperate bid to salvage its hegemonic power. In recent years, the United States has been actively hitching regional countries to Washington's so called "Indo-Pacific strategy" bandwagon, marketing the "Indo-Pacific economic framework," bolstering the Five Eyes alliance, cobbling together the QUAD, manipulating NATO to interfere in the Asia-Pacific and coercing regional countries into taking sides. The underlying motive behind these actions is to maintain America's dominance. The Asia-Pacific region is a fertile ground for development and cooperation, not a battleground for hegemonic powers. Countries in the region are averse to picking sides and casting their lot with any particular faction. The United States' aggressive push for the so called "Indo-Pacific strategy" is dismantling the well-established architecture of regional cooperation and undermining the hard-earned progress toward peaceful development cultivated by the countries in the region for decades. Callously disregarding the prevailing pleas of regional nations for peace, development, cooperation and prosperity, Washington's reckless attempts to reverse historical progress will inevitably lead to failure. Authentic communication and cooperation between nations should focus on enhancing regional prosperity and preserving peace and stability globally. The three leaders partaking in the Camp David meeting ought to be well-versed in this internationally recognized principle. The United States must abandon its military motivations in the Asia-Pacific area. As for Japan and South Korea, both should refrain from being lackeys of U.S. hegemony, lest they find themselves at loggerheads with most regional nations. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Gov. Hochul announced Monday that the state will pour an additional $20 million into aiding asylum seekers in New York City with the goal of helping them exit emergency shelters, secure work authorizations and manage their claims for asylum. The newly announced outlay is in addition to $1.5 billion the state has already directed toward the city to address the migrant crisis, which has strained the citys social services infrastructure since last April. The new state funds are intended to speed the flow of migrants social services casework and connect them with services related to leaving emergency shelters and filing claims for asylum. The money will be for processing 30,000 migrants now sheltered in facilities operated by the citys Health + Hospitals network, the citys Office of Emergency Management and Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The new funds come amid backlash toward Hochul, who has been criticized for not being forceful enough in mitigating the crisis. The path out of this crisis is work authorization, Hochul said in a written statement. Getting asylum seekers on track to work authorization will help them become self-sufficient and come out of the shadows. New York State has provided significant humanitarian aid for more than a year, and were committed to continuing to support the city in managing this ongoing crisis. Migrants are seen outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan early Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. Hochuls announcement comes the same day she announced that the federal government has authorized the rental of Floyd Bennett Field as a shelter for asylum seekers and just days after her team and Mayor Adams administration butted heads in court over the citys push to suspend the right to shelter law, which dictates that the city provide shelter to anyone who requests it within a prescribed timeframe. As part of the court case, the state submitted a legal filing that criticized the city as being sluggish in providing reimbursement documentation and sloppy in its handling of state funds. Adams is out of town Monday in Israel for the early part of the week, but suggested last week that hes open to Team Hochuls constructive criticism. Whatever feedback my partner in the governors mansion wants to give, we want to hear, he said. But we also want to explain some of the actions we took. Getting migrants out of emergency relief centers and other shelters and into jobs and permanent housing is widely viewed as a key to alleviating pressure on the citys homeless shelter system, which is housing nearly 83,000 people as of last week. Over the past two years, the length of stays in those shelters has increased, further exacerbating the crisis, according to a report put out Monday by city Comptroller Brad Lander. The length of stay for adult families averaged 885 days in 2022 fiscal year accounting, a more than 100-day spike when compared to the 773 days in 2021. Length of stays for families with children also rose, although less sharply, with the average day count in 2021 climbing from 520 days to 534 in 2022. A contractor lays out pillows at the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center Tuesday, August 15, 2023 in Queens, New York. For months, Adams has criticized the federal government for not doing enough to expedite work permits for asylum seekers. But Lander has criticized Adams along those lines as well. To obtain the permits, migrants must first formally apply for asylum in the U.S. After weathering criticism for not doing enough to help asylum seekers navigate that process some of it from the comptroller Adams announced in June that the city opened an Asylum Application Center, which is funded by the state and will also receive a part of the new $20 million Hochul announced Monday. Front page of the New York Daily News for Aug. 6, 2023: Migrant fiasco at Roosevelt Hotel a bad look for Adams, but mayor blames presidents policy. Migrants sleep on a sidewalk outside Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown last week as the city continues to face the crisis with limited help from the federal government. Along with that new pot of funding, Hochul announced that asylum seekers in city shelters will now be triaged using a new color-coded scale. A green status will indicate that there are no significant barriers blocking one from exiting shelter; yellow will signify existing barriers but a clear path to resolution; red will be used to denote more complex barriers. This triage method will speed exit from shelter, facilitate the connection to services or resources required to exit shelter and put families on the path to independent living, the governors press office said Monday. Individuals and families will be engaged on arrival at the citys arrival center and on an ongoing basis throughout their time in shelter. In a joint statement, the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless praised Hochul for allocating new funding for migrants, but suggested more needs to be done. The devil is in the details, and we need more information from the state, including a concrete timeline for transitioning 30,000 new arrivals out of shelter and securing those individuals work authorization, they said. We hope that this is the beginning of the Governor galvanizing the full weight and authority of the State to address an emergency that warrants a whole-of-government response to ensure the safety and well-being of our newest neighbors. The Biden administration has tentatively offered a long-sought lease agreement that would allow New York to put a state-funded migrant shelter at an airfield in southeast Brooklyn, Gov. Hochul said Monday. The site, Floyd Bennett Field in Jamaica Bay, could host more than 2,000 asylum seekers, Hochul said, a precious addition for the city as it strains to house tens of thousands of newly arrived migrants. Gov. Kathy Hochul Hochul said the state had been negotiating the contract with the White House for months, culminating in talks that ran until 11 p.m. on Sunday night. The state was reviewing the contract Monday morning, the governor said. Hochul, under pressure to help the city handle the migrant crisis, had recently pointed to her work to secure the airfield, which is property of the U.S. Interior Department. The answer one month ago was no, Hochul said of the federal governments stance on the lease. This is a significant development by the administration in Washington to acknowledge that we need more help here. It was not immediately clear how much the lease would cost, or when the shelter might be operational. The White House did not immediately reply to requests for comment. The Interior Department deferred comment to the White House. Hochul said the federal government had previously taken the position that shelters cannot be built on Interior Department property. I am fully prepared, as part of our continuing efforts to help this situation, to fund the cost of the shelter, Hochul said at a news conference in the Bronx. She said she would continue to press the White House to offer more resources to the city, which has taken in about 100,000 migrants in a year. Many of the migrants have fled political upheaval in Central and South America. New York City, which projects the costs of the crisis could balloon to $12 billion by 2025, has seen the population of its shelter system roughly double since last summer. Mayor Adams has pushed for more support from the White House and from the state. The Hochul administration has said it has pitched in about $1.5 billion so far, and the governor has said she is aiming for an additional $1 billion in aid to the city in the next state budget. Also Monday, Hochuls office detailed a new $20 million state investment in expedited work permit processing for migrants. The ultimate goal is to get these people working, the governor told reporters. In the last week, the city has opened state-funded megashelters, including one at a parking lot outside the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in eastern Queens and another on Randalls Island. The Creedmoor site will shelter about 1,000 asylum seekers, and the Randalls Island shelter will take in about 3,000, according to the mayors office. In a statement Monday, Adams thanked the governor for her commitment to pay for the planned shelter at Floyd Bennett Field. Im looking forward to more of this kind of partnership with our friends in Albany as we manage this ongoing crisis, Adams said. But lets be clear: Because we havent seen meaningful policy changes that would alter the course of this crisis, weve been forced to play an unsustainable game of whack-a-mole. Adams has called for reforms to federal immigration policy on the U.S.-Mexico border and for expedited work permits for migrants. The mayor and the governor, Democratic allies, recently have found themselves at odds over the states handling of the crisis. Adams has pushed for more financial support from the state and for Hochuls administration to force upstate municipalities to accept asylum seekers from the city. In his statement, the mayor said he hoped the lease contract would mark the beginning of a new era of enhanced partnership between our local, state and federal governments. Donald Trump dominated his closest Republican presidential primary competitor, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, in a survey of Iowa voters published Monday, the latest signal of strength for the former president. The poll, published by The Des Moines Register, found Trump thrashing DeSantis by 23 percentage points in Iowa, a gap smaller than his national lead but still formidable. For DeSantis or any other dark horse seeking to dethrone Trump in the GOP White House race, Iowa could be a critical proving ground. The state, which has an evangelical-leaning electorate, has been described as a relatively challenging primary state for Trump, whose bid to return to the White House has been shadowed by four indictments this year. Trumps poll numbers have strengthened in recent months as the charges have piled up. DeSantis, long seen as Trumps strongest rival, has been bedeviled by budget troubles. His poll numbers sagged through the spring and into the summer, and he replaced his campaign manager two weeks ago. Republican Iowa voters are slated to head for their first-in-the-nation caucus next January. The first Republican presidential debate this cycle is scheduled for Wednesday on Fox News. Trump has said he will not attend, but his former vice president-turned-rival Mike Pence has said he thinks the front-runner might still show. The Des Moines Register poll, which was also sponsored by NBC News and Mediacom, was conducted by phone last week, before and after Trumps election interference indictment in Georgia, the newspaper said. The Selzer & Co. pollster surveyed 406 likely Iowa caucusgoers. Trumps standing in Iowa appeared to strengthen after the Georgia indictment. About 38% of respondents named Trump as their first choice in two days before the indictment, a number that rose to 43% over three days after the indictment, according to Selzer & Co. The share of likely Iowa caucusgoers who named Trump as their first or second choice jumped from 55% before the indictment to 67% after, said Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co. This is the hardest evidence Ive seen we just happened to be in the field during that time that these indictments are, if anything, improving his potential voters impressions of him, she said by phone. Overall, Trump finished with 42% first-place support, DeSantis nabbed 19%, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina notched 9% and South Carolinas former Gov. Nikki Haley scored 6%. Pence picked up 6%, and Chris Christie, the moderate former New Jersey governor, was the first choice of 5% of voters. Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech bigwig, picked up 4%. Nationally, Trump led DeSantis by about 39 percentage points on Monday, according to an average of polls by FiveThirtyEight, a survey aggregator. Ramaswamy was in third nationally, about 46 points behind Trump, according to FiveThirtyEight. Former President Donald Trump could face a Jan. 2 trial date in his federal election interference case, less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has asked for his Georgia racketeering trial to start March 4, the day before Super Tuesday. Then theres the March 20 start date already set for his Stormy Daniels hush money trial and a May 24 trial in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, both squarely in the middle of the primary campaign. Former President Donald Trump speaks as the keynote speaker at the 56th Annual Silver Elephant Dinner hosted by the South Carolina Republican Party on August 5, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. For any other candidate, the overlapping legal and campaign schedules in the first months of 2024 would be a political death knell. But Trump has built a commanding lead in polls of Republican voters even as his legal woes mount. Hes also raised tens of millions of dollars in campaign donations off his indictments as he pleads with followers to help him fight the charges. Republican political strategists say this raises the likelihood that Trump could actually benefit from the legal drama in the midst of the GOP presidential nominating contest. In any normal world, this would end his campaign, said Douglas Heye, a Republican strategist. But were clearly not there. None of Trumps closest rivals in the GOP race have challenged his narrative that he is being persecuted by a rigged system, leaving Republican voters to mostly rally behind him. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks at a news conference at the Fulton County Government building on Aug. 14, 2023 in Atlanta. Substantial majorities of GOP voters have already voted for Trump twice and about half of them say they would back him even if he is convicted of felonies. Most Republican voters appear to buy Trumps argument that Democrats are using the legal system to unfairly target him and strongly believe he was a good president. The publicity from all those trials could very much help Trump lock up the nomination by making him even more of a martyr, said Miles Coleman, a University of Virginia political analyst. Trump could face practical challenges if the trials are going on at the same time as his primary campaign, making it more difficult for him to attend debates and rallies, for example. But so far, the ex-president has sought to use his legally mandated court appearances as publicity-grabbing campaign-style events, like his stop at a Cuban restaurant after his arraignment in Miami Federal Court. He has also opted to skip the first GOP debate this week, choosing instead to appear on Tucker Carlsons online program on the X platform. Both Willis and special counsel Jack Smith have pushed for Trump to face trials as soon as possible. Smith last week asked District of Columbia Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan to set a Jan. 2 trial date in the four-count indictment charging him with overturning his loss to President Biden in 2020. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, countered with an April 2026 date. The judge is expected to set a preliminary date at a hearing Aug. 28. If the bulldog prosecutor gets his way, Trump would be on trial when the first Republican voters weigh in on the nomination in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. The first-in-the nation GOP primary in New Hampshire comes days after Iowa, most likely on Jan. 23. The GOP contest moves to South Carolina on Feb. 24, followed by Michigan on Feb. 27. Super Tuesday comes next on March 5 with California and Texas leading a massive lineup of at least 13 states heading to the polls. Willis wants to start the Georgia racketeering trial of Trump and 18 co-defendants on March 4, just hours before millions of Republicans vote. Trump hopes to vanquish his rivals with wins in earlier states, but if he doesnt, Super Tuesday could be the big kahuna of the primary fight. Trump has not yet been arraigned in the Georgia case and has not yet proposed a date of his own to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee. Polls released last week bolster the case that Trump is only gaining momentum with Republican voters as prosecutors circle around him. An impressive 70% of Republicans told an Associated Press survey that they view the former president favorably, and about 60% say they are happy hes making a return run for the White House. Just 16% of them approve of the legal cases against him. Special Counsel Jack Smith But the same polls show that Trumps increasing legal jeopardy is hurting him dramatically among non-Republican voters. Some 53% of voters say they definitely will vote against Trump if hes the GOP nominee. An additional 11% say they probably wouldnt pull the lever for him in 2024. A separate Quinnipiac University poll says independents support the indictments by a wide 57%-to-37% margin. Those dire numbers for Trump help explain why Biden brushes off his own lackluster poll results by repeating a favorite phrase that voters should compare him to the alternative, not the Almighty. I suspect [Biden will] be getting more mileage out of that phrase next year, Coleman, the University of Virginia political analyst, said. The overall dynamic sets up a dangerously simple Catch-22 scenario for the Republican Party: Trumps ever more visible legal problems may only help him lock up the nomination. But they make him even less electable in a rematch with Biden. For his part, Trump is focused only on the immediate challenges in front of him, meaning hell likely stay laser-focused on keeping his MAGA base in line, without worrying much about anything that comes next. Donald Trump doesnt play 3D chess. He plays checkers, Republican strategist Heye said. But everyone else overthinks things and thinks hes playing chess. So he wins. Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri has urged the Economic Community of West African States to make Niger Republic junta a scape goat. This comes after the junta proposed 3 years transition plan to hand over power to the civilian government.Reacting to Tchanis promise via a post on Instagram, Omokri stated that such an undertaking was worthless.He insisted that ECOWAS must make the junta a scapegoat or the effect of the coup will spread to other West African countries.According to Omokri, Quote The so-called promise by the coup leader, General Tchiani, to hand over to civilians in three years is worthless. It is not even worth the value of the paper from which he read it. The man is just looking for relief from the ECOWAS, and if ECOWAS leaders give in, he will consolidate himself until another strongman removes him. Didnt Abacha promise that his administration would be brief? Power corrupts, and absolute power, such as the type currently being wielded by Tchiani, corrupts absolutely. ECOWAS should continue with the squeeze in Niger. Why do they still have GSM and Internet data? They depend on the French-based Eutelsat. Shut it down. Shut them out of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. Nobody should be rattled by Wagner forces in Niger. Wagner are merciless mercenaries. They fight for money. Without money, their appetite for Niger will soon dim. And Russia is not in a position to financially support Niger for a sustained period. It has its domestic issues to contend with. Consign Niger back to the Stone Age, and his own soldiers and people will eventually turn against him, and General Tchiani will be forced to flee to either Russia or their client states like Mali or Burkina Faso. If General Tchiani is allowed to trick ECOWAS and get them to accept his Taqiyya promise, the domino effect of coup will continue to other West African nations. This is beyond Niger. Make Tchiani a scapegoat! felicilin at 21-08-2023 03:43 PM (2 months ago) (f) Under the auspices of the Niger Delta Women League (NDWL), some female leaders from the Niger Delta and elsewhere have asked that Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, resign immediately from his position or face dismissal. Under the auspices of the Niger Delta Women League (NDWL), some female leaders from the Niger Delta and elsewhere have asked that Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, resign immediately from his position or face dismissal. Moreover, should their demand be rejected, the women have vowed to stage a major protest outside the National Assembly on September 26th. The groups National President, Hon. Sheila Abiye Tamuno in a statement issued on Monday said in which they bemoaned the economic hardship that the average person was currently facing as a result of the careless removal of fuel subsidies and the lack of adequate measures in place to mitigate their negative effects. They also stated that Akpabios unguarded remarks came as he was using the gavel to seal a celebration of an elite 10th Senate over the sufferings of the common people. Ajemina Gobo, the coordinator for Rivers State, Madam Eureal Allagoa, the coordinator for Bayelsa State, Elizabeth Moses Bassey, the coordinator for Cross Rivers State, Eucharia Ezidimma Ewurum, the coordinator for Imo State, Madam Isesele Francisca Ofure, the coordinator for Edo State, Madam Unwana Ibanga, the coordinator for Akwa Ibom State, Madam Okubakere Omini. The women asserted that Akpabio chose to jest with the fate of over 300 million Nigerians because he does not comprehend the gravity of the legislative business of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Moreover, should their demand be rejected, the women have vowed to stage a major protest outside the National Assembly on September 26th.The groups National President, Hon. Sheila Abiye Tamuno in a statement issued on Monday said in which they bemoaned the economic hardship that the average person was currently facing as a result of the careless removal of fuel subsidies and the lack of adequate measures in place to mitigate their negative effects.They also stated that Akpabios unguarded remarks came as he was using the gavel to seal a celebration of an elite 10th Senate over the sufferings of the common people.Ajemina Gobo, the coordinator for Rivers State, Madam Eureal Allagoa, the coordinator for Bayelsa State, Elizabeth Moses Bassey, the coordinator for Cross Rivers State, Eucharia Ezidimma Ewurum, the coordinator for Imo State, Madam Isesele Francisca Ofure, the coordinator for Edo State, Madam Unwana Ibanga, the coordinator for Akwa Ibom State, Madam Okubakere Omini.The women asserted that Akpabio chose to jest with the fate of over 300 million Nigerians because he does not comprehend the gravity of the legislative business of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Quote It is sufficiently clear that from his infamous Let the poor breath misplaced joke to token has been sent to your bank accounts to enable you to enjoy your vacation Akpabio has inconsiderately and injuriously slammed the gavel on the head of every Nigerian. We are bleeding from his actions and he needs to leave before he kills us all. We call on H.E (Sen) Godswill Akpabio to honorably resign his position as President Of the Senate Of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and drop the gavel with immediate effect. We call on the Distinguished Senators Of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria, to stand up for the masses, band together in defense Of democracy and vote Akpabio out should he not agree to toe, the path of honor by resigning his office. In strict defense Of (3) and (4) above, we shall be mobilizing one million Niger Delta Women on the 26th September 2023 to the gate Of the National Assembly to either thank the Senate or pressure them to do the needful. As we continue to groan under the fangs Of the current economic woes in our nation where families can no longer afford two square meals, skyrocketing cost of transportation, good health care services, bludgeoning electricity tariffs, etc. we would not sit down and watch Akpabio sniff out the minutest hope of life through his unguarded acts of impunity and indiscretion, they said. The statement bemoaned the possibility that, with all economic indicators skyrocketing, the situation in Nigeria would soon resemble that of the Great German Depression of 1931. they said.The statement bemoaned the possibility that, with all economic indicators skyrocketing, the situation in Nigeria would soon resemble that of the Great German Depression of 1931. Quote With no purchasing power, value, and even the right to basal living conditions and Akpabio feels it is the best time to tell us how they are entitled to go on enjoyment spree off our National purse, while Nigerians are told to endure. We address the press today because Godswill Akpabio has desecrated the hallowed chambers by adding insults to the economic injuries of the Nigerian man on the streets. For a man like Akpabio that comes with so much baggage to the hallowed chambers, we ordinarily would have expected him to take a break from his chequered past. The same Akpabio who in the guise of supervising the NDDC forensic audit, rather used the period under review as a cover to heartlessly plunder the Commission and the entire Niger Delta region to the tune of #1.4 Trillion Naira, using Akwa as sole Administrator. The same act, he committed without Senate approval amounting to extra-budgetary expenditure. No wonder Akpabio made sure to frustrate every attempt to constitute the NDDC board for years after Ms. Joy Nunieh exposed his kleptocratic high-handed tactics during a Senate hearing. For a man under investigation by anti-corruption agencies for multiple, mind-blowing levels of sleaze, to be handed the sacred position of the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a joke taken too far, making our dear Country a laughing stock to the International Community. As women, leaders, and mothers of the Niger Delta, we think its high time we redeem the image of our region, from the unsavoury misconducts and shame that Akpabio embodies, the women stated. the women stated. Post Reply Posted: at 21-08-2023 03:43 PM (2 months ago) | Addicted Hero Baby-killing nurse Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison. The British caretaker responsible for murdering seven infants and attempting to kill an additional six didnt attend her Monday sentencing hearing, according to the BBC. The Manchester judge who ordered Letby to a life sentence without parole for her cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder made the 33-year-old killer only the fourth woman in England ever given such a penalty. British Secretary of State for Justice Alex Chalk joined an attorney representing the victims families in criticizing Letby for skipping Mondays proceedings. Lucy Letby is not just a murderer but a coward, whose failure to face her victims families, refusing to hear their impact statements and societys condemnation, is the final insult, Chalk said. He suggested laws might be changed to require criminals to attend future sentencing hearings. Lawyer Tamlin Bolton told the BBC that Letbys absence spoke to an indifference toward her victims and the legal system. I imagine many of the families, not only those that we represent, all feel extremely angry she didnt attend today, she said. She, too, called Letbys decision the final insult. Letby was convicted Friday following 22 days of jury deliberation. Between 2015 and 2016, she murdered seven babies left in her care by various means, including force-feeding and injecting them with air. She attempted to kill six other children some of whom were rendered disabled, according to their parents. Letby cried loudly last week when she was convicted on two counts of attempted murder prior to Fridays sweeping verdicts, according to The Guardian. Her lawyer told the court after the earlier verdicts that his client wouldnt attend further proceedings. In a joint statement read outside the Manchester courthouse Friday, victims families thanked jurors for enduring 145 days of extremely harrowing and distressing testimony and evidence. Letbys motive for harming 13 children while working in the neonatal unit at northwest Englands Countess of Chester Hospital remains unknown. Authorities reported finding a note reading I am evil during a search of her home. With News Wire Services Google Rolls Out 'Dark Web Report' Feature for Indian Google One Subscribers: Heres How It Works News oi -Kabir Jain Google is extending its Dark Web Report feature to its Indian Google One subscribers. This feature was previously only available to US subscribers. This feature empowers users to monitor their personal information on the dark web, an underground space often used by hackers for illicit activities. The Dark Web Threat The dark web is notorious for illegal activities and personal data trading. Google recognizes that data like names, birthdates, contact details, and emails can be exploited for criminal purposes like identity theft. The Dark Web Report alerts users if their data is detected on the dark web, enabling them to take action against potential threats. How It Works Users activate the Dark Web Report and select the data they want to monitor. If any of this data appears on the dark web, the tool sends an alert with steps to secure it. Regular users can do a one-time check, but Google One subscribers get more comprehensive monitoring. Benefits for Google One Subscribers Subscribers can track a wider range of data, including their names, birthdates, up to ten email addresses, and ten phone numbers. Real-time tracking provides timely updates on new findings, along with actionable suggestions and support. Insights and Privacy The Dark Web Report not only identifies compromised information but also offers insights into possible hacking efforts or data breaches. Google's steadfast commitment to privacy ensures that all data maintained within a user's profile is handled with the utmost security and adherence to privacy standards. Users are granted the autonomy to delete or deactivate tracking at their discretion, reaffirming their control over their personal information. Staying Safe in a Digital World As technology advances, so do threats. Google's Dark Web Report is a step towards better cybersecurity. By letting you track and respond to compromised info on the dark web, Google is making online security easier. Via Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Google Pixel 8 series camera app to get major UI overhaul: Report News -Kuldeep Singh Google's camera algorithms have consistently delivered superb results, making the Pixel smartphones some of the best for camera performance. Moreover, the camera app on Pixel phones simplifies the point and shoot experience. However, things could change on the Pixel 8 series. A source related to Android Authority shared screenshots of the new Google Camera UI redesign, which will likely be introduced with the upcoming Pixel 8 lineup this fall. Changes coming to Google's Camera App To recall, the last big design overhaul was back in 2019, so it's interesting to see what Google has in store for its Pixel users. The first thing you notice is the clear separation between the Photo and Video modes. A dedicated toggle at the very bottom of the app lets you choose whether you want to take a still or record a video. Only then can you choose the corresponding mode from the carousel. Previously, all modes were mixed in the rolodex. Moving closer to the Norm The button switch between the front facing camera and the ones on the back have swapped places with the last photo preview (also a shortcut to Gallery). It's now in line with most Android camera apps from other manufacturers, although Pixel users may take time to adapt to the new app. The additional settings menu pops up after a swipe up from bottom of viewfinder, but it doesn't appear within thumb's reach if you are using bigger Pro model. Lastly, Google has changed order of some camera modes and has regrouped others. Perhaps Google intends to encourage users to engage more with some of the modes, such as Long Exposure and Action Pan. New Features Additionally, Google is working on a new feature called Staggered HDR, which aims to speed up capture process and minimize artifacts. It achieves efficiency with shortened times between frames. The Adaptive Torch feature allows software to adjust flash intensity depending on lighting environment dynamically. And then there's Segmentation AWB functionality that applies varying processing to different areas of image to make it more true to life. FAQ's What is the news about? The news is about a leaked redesign of the Google Camera UI. What does the leaked redesign entail? The leaked redesign showcases new changes and updates to the Google Camera user interface. Who leaked the information? The information was leaked by an undisclosed source. What are some notable features of the redesigned UI? Some notable features of the redesigned UI include improved navigation, updated icons, and enhanced functionality. When can users expect to see this redesign implemented? There is no official announcement regarding when users can expect to see this redesign implemented. Best Mobiles in India Samsung reportedly working on a massive 400 MP camera sensor News -Kuldeep Singh Samsung is reportedly working on four new high-end sensors: the 50 MP GN6, 200 MP HP7, an unknown 320 MP sensor, and the 440 MP HU1 sensor. However, tech leakster Revegnus claims these sensors are unlikely to be used in Galaxy S smartphones and may be designated for other manufacturers or industries. Which devices will use Samsung's new camera sensors? The most interesting sensor of the bunch is the 50 MP GN6. It will be a one-inch snapper with 1.6m pixels and is expected to compete with Sony's popular IMX989 sensor. Due to its cost, Samsung may adopt this sensor for other manufacturers' devices rather than using it in their own products. On the other hand, the purpose of the 440 MP HU1 sensor may not be for smartphones at all. It could find more utility in automotive or industrial sectors where higher resolution imaging is required. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that these sensors will be seen in Samsung products. The GN6 sensor is highly likely to be used by manufacturers in the Greater China region, and the HP7 sensor was initially planned for the S25U but was canceled due to its excessively high cost. https://t.co/2LC2se9TqU Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) August 18, 2023 Additionally, the development of a potential Galaxy S series-compatible camera with a resolution of up to 320 megapixels is underway. However, it may not be available until the Galaxy S26 Ultra at the earliest. Will Samsung incorporate the 200 MP HP7 sensor on its smartphones? Initially intended for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the 200MP HP7 sensor offers slightly larger pixels and improved image quality compared to its predecessor in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. But due to manufacturing costs, Samsung may not consider this sensor for their own smartphones. While Samsung is working on these impressive high-end sensors, it seems that most of them will not be used in their own flagship smartphones. Instead, they are likely to be adopted by other manufacturers or find applications in industries such as automotive and industrial sectors. FAQ's What sensors is Samsung working on? Samsung is working on four new high-end sensors, including a 50MP GN6, 200MP HP7, an unknown 320MP sensor, and the 440MP HU1. Will these sensors be used in Galaxy S smartphones? These sensors are unlikely to be used in Galaxy S smartphones. Who may use these sensors? These sensors may be designated for other manufacturers or industries. How many megapixels does the GN6 sensor have? The GN6 sensor has a resolution of 50 megapixels. What is the resolution of the highest megapixel sensor? The highest megapixel sensor has a resolution of 440 megapixels. Best Mobiles in India Russias Luna-25 Crashes While Attempting A Soft Landing On The Moon: All Hopes On Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander News oi -Alap Naik Desai Russia's state space corporation, Roskosmos confirmed the dreaded news that its Luna-25 moon lander mission lost contact, and has most probably crashed on the lunar surface. This means that India's Vikram lander is now the only one left to try and land on the Moon and release the Pragyan rover. The Luna-25 appeared to have a near-perfect trajectory before losing communication with ground control. Let's look at the possible reasons and how India's Chandrayaan-3 is prepared to handle the very challenges Luna-25 may have failed to handle. What Happened To Did Russian Luna-25 Moon Lander? Russia's state space agency, Roskosmos, confirmed it lost contact with the Luna-25 mission at 11:57 AM GMT (5:27 PM IST) on Saturday. According to the latest logs, the spacecraft was attempting the most critical part of the mission, which is altitude and velocity reduction. The Luna-25 mission operated as per plan right until the primary propulsion vehicle ejected the lander module and the latter began its gradual descent. In other words, the problems started after the de-boosting phase has begun. Russias first moon mission in 47 years, Luna-25, ended in a crash on August 20. Roskosmos, the Russian space corporation, according to Reuters, said the spacecraft spun out of control and smashed into the moon. "The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist pic.twitter.com/npod0PMMgI Eagle Eye (@SortedEagle) August 20, 2023 According to the official statement from Roskosmos, "the apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon" Although an inquiry has been ordered, the most likely reason that several experts cite is the cascading errors and failure to rectify them in time. Although quite premature to conclude, it is possible that the Luna-25 mission faced the same hurdles that caused the Chandrayaan-2 to fail. Another one bites the dust!#Roscosmos #Luna25 has crash landed on the Moon. The Luna-25 problem was possibly caused by an engine malfunction. Fingers crossed for #ISRO #Chandrayaan3! A powered descent is set for August 23rd! Only the best can stick the landing! pic.twitter.com/YzP0UAjEvI What about it!? (@FelixSchlang) August 20, 2023 Russia's last mission to the Moon was the Luna-24, way back in 1976. In other words, it took the country about half a decade (47 years to be precise) to send another unmanned rocket to the Moon. The Luna 24 mission successfully collected a drill core sample from Mare Crisium and returned it to Earth automatically. Will Chandrayaan-3 Succeed Where Luna-25 Failed? The Chandrayaan-3 mission has been quite successful so far. There have been no glitches and the software embedded has been performing flawlessly. So disappointing for all the scientists, engineers and explorers to see Luna 25 crash. All eyes now on India, attempting south Moon landing in 3 days. @isro pic.twitter.com/q4Gk8agBCq Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) August 20, 2023 Additionally, the Chandrayaan-3 has several upgrades and improvements, made after studying the Chandrayaan-2 mission and its causes for failure. The mission's head had recently proclaimed that the Vikram Lander and its velocity as well as altitude guidance and control systems have been finetuned to achieve a soft landing even in the grimmest circumstances. The Vikran Lander, which houses the Pragyan Rover, is supposed to land on the Moon on August 23. Hence, the world will now tune its attention to India's lunar mission. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Iowa Guard Tests Innovative Technology during Northern Strike By 2nd Lt. Paige Bodine August 18, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The 294th Medical Company Area Support from the Iowa National Guard tested a groundbreaking technology by integrating drones in a training environment on August 7. Medical squads were able to experience a cutting-edge drone system that can detect casualties from the sky and assess their vital signs, making it a game-changer in disaster response scenarios. The drones utilize VISTA (Vision and Intelligence Systems for Medical Teaming Applications), which has been in the works for four years, with two dedicated years of intense development for unmanned aerial systems for casualty protection. "At Northern Strike, we had the perfect place to test the technology. Working with medical personnel is what we want to take to the next level," said Jay Rouse, the director of business development for Aerete, who played a crucial role in integrating the remote triage capability into the VISTA system's medical ability. Northern Strike was the ideal training location for the technology to be tested, emphasizing training to advance the technology. The 294th Medical Company Area Support (MCAS) includes the Medical Treatment Squad, which operates on the field, performing lifesaving measures for those wounded in combat. Utilizing medical drones in the field comes from Aerete's pioneering use of photoplethysmography to monitor heart and respiration rates through the skin, enabling early detection of casualties from a distance. The system has been successfully tested with body armor, demonstrating its capability to scan from 10 to 50 meters, enhancing casualty detection. SGT Brady Overstreet from the 294th MCAS out of Iowa, who is among the medics utilizing the medical drones, expressed his optimism, stating, "I have high hopes for the potential usage of this. This is the first time our squad is using this technology. I think this training is great; there are so many moving parts to being a medic," Overstreet said. "This will be better for our patients, units, and Army." The Iowa Medical Company's collaboration with the Army Medical Research and Development Command's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) has been instrumental in advancing Project VISTA. This joint effort aims to enhance human detection signals from casualties, with future expansion plans to include wound classification and broader medic capabilities. The Northern Strike exercise provided the ideal platform for demonstrating the medical capability, showcasing the potential for broader use in disaster response scenarios. Ethan Quest, the Deputy Chief of the Medical Robotics and Automatic Systems Division at TATRC, highlighted the importance of Northern Strike as a platform for demonstrating their solution. "We are here to support Project VISTA for casualty detection and standoff assessment of casualty through a US solution," Quest said. "This was a very good opportunity for us to demonstrate our capabilities of showing our solution. The specific goal is to get feedback from the Medics. We are looking to improve the system for their capabilities. We were happy to be here at Northern Strike and work with the medics to see the capability to keep our Soldiers and medics safe." The collaboration between the Iowa Medical Company and TATRC leads to advancements in medical training and real-world application. The innovative medical drone represents a significant step forward in improving medical practices. As the eyes and ears of first responders in mass casualty and emergency events, the medical drone is a valuable asset for ensuring prompt and efficient medical assistance. As the medical field looks to the future, exploring the potential for broader adoption of innovative medical technologies like VISTA will undoubtedly shape a brighter future for medical care in challenging environments. "With the medical drones, we can find casualties and wounded quicker and further away. We can identify the triage before we even get to the site and monitor the patients as they get evacuated to the next level of care," said Jay Rouse, business director at Aerete, emphasizing the system's capability to revolutionize medical response. The drone project VISTA at Northern Strike showcases the power of collaboration and innovation in advancing medical capabilities. The medical field continues to evolve and improve through the dedication and passion of individuals like Jay Rouse, SGT Brady Overstreet, and Ethan Quest, promising a future where advanced tools enhance patient care and save lives in the most challenging situations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center strengthens Indo-Pacific partnerships By Christopher Hurd, Army News Service August 18, 2023 WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army combined the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center with the Australian Combat Training Centre for a one-of-a-kind collaboration during Talisman Sabre 23 in Townsville, Australia earlier this month. The merged training center, led by Australia, tested nearly 10,000 troops from multiple partner nations during a 10-day field training exercise. "Big exercises like this are where we can induce the fog and friction of stress," said U.S. Army Col. Bryan Martin, Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center operations group commander. "[They are] the closest we can get to actual real combat on our respective combined forces, so that when that day comes, that they're trained and they're ready." The scenario called for the joint force to protect a chain of islands from an invading large hostile nation. The enemy force, which was made up of service members from the participating countries, was given tasks and could make decisions to achieve their mission. This allowed commanders to train their forces in a scenario and environment that could be encountered in the Pacific. "This activity that's occurring here is just the richest, most immersive and most realistic, no-consequence training environment that we can possibly create," said Australian Army Col. Ben McLennan, Australian Defence Force's Combat Training Centre commander. This was the first time the U.S. Army merged combat training centers with a partner nation. Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division combined with service members from Germany, Indonesia and Australia to form a task force under Australian command to expel the enemy force. During the training, there was also a virtual portion. This allowed commanders to handle simulated battles, as well as having to deal with electronic warfare and cyberattacks. "The Australian Army hasn't participated in something of this magnitude since 1918," McLennan said. "It's energizing to be involved in an enterprise enabling the best of our teams to reach their highest performing potential." This was the third and final training rotation of the year for the JPMRC. JPMRC was established nearly three years ago to provide realistic training opportunities for U.S. service members and partner nations in the Indo-Pacific. It's the first new combat training center outside the continental U.S. in 50 years. The center executes three training rotations annually, one in the terrains of the Hawaiian Islands, one in Alaska's extremely cold weather, and one at a satellite location of an allied or partner nation in the region, such as Australia. The rotations are run by the 196th Infantry Brigade, the training support brigade in the Indo-Pacific, with support from the 25th Infantry Division and the 11th Airborne Division. The training is a joint venture with participation from every U.S. military branch. There is also involvement from multinational partners including Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia. Each exercise is built upon a multifaceted simulation. This system incorporates real-time feedback by employing virtual and constructive effects across multiple levels, which immerses participants in a comprehensive training environment. "This allows us to keep trained and ready forces available and forward in the region," said Gen. Charles Flynn, U.S. Army Pacific commander, during a media roundtable earlier this fiscal year. "It allows us to generate readiness in environments and in conditions that we're most likely to operate in ... It allows us to rehearse with a number of joint and multinational partners." Each fall, the team holds the first rotation of the year in Hawaii to train in jungle warfighting. They use the entire island chain with fictional battles taking place simultaneously in multiple locations. The second rotation takes place in Alaska in the spring. This is an artic-focused training exercise. The final rotation is held in the summer at a satellite location like the one used during Talisman Sabre in Australia. These joint service/multinational training rotations help strengthen partnerships and build on their combined defense capabilities. "The landpower network is a key component in the security architecture that helps keep the Indo-Pacific region safe, free and open because it protects national sovereignty something that's very important to each of our allies and partners," Flynn said. "The interoperability and close relationships we build while training together within the landpower network is a key advantage in competition and, if necessary, in conflict." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Michigan Army National Guard Conducts Training at XCTC By Capt. Cammy Alberts August 18, 2023 FORT MCCOY, Wis. -- U.S. Army Michigan National Guard Soldiers, known as the "Iron Battalion," traveled to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin for eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) training from July 21 through August 12. Approximately 400 Michigan Army National Guard Soldiers conducted several training iterations to provide realistic training in unfamiliar terrain to build readiness. "It's new terrain; they don't know what to expect, said Cpt. Mitchell Kittle, Alpha company commander. "At Camp Grayling, Michigan [where the unit typically trains], everyone knows what to expect." The U.S. Army National Guard's XCTC program enables brigade combat teams to achieve the platoon readiness to deploy, fight and win battles worldwide. "The Soldiers are learning to maneuver day and night in various conditions," said Sgt. First Class Gustavo Diaz, operations non-commissioned officer, 3-126, Higher Headquarters Command. "Through this training, they increase the company's overall performance." The training space at Fort McCoy provides a challenging contemporary operating environment with degraded and contested domains in a realistic time and space to train platoon-level tasks. The Michigan Guard Soldiers trained against simulated oppositional forces (OPFOR). Real-world adversarial operational environments are constantly changing, so the OPFOR team must present different challenges for U.S. forces. "The OPFOR is to act as the enemy and give us an adversary to engage to better prepare ourselves for future conflicts, said Sgt. First Class Adams Griswold, platoon sergeant, Charlie Co. 3-126. "Overall, I feel like they did a very good job providing this for us." The 3-126 Soldiers also participated in live-fire training that consisted of uneven, rocky terrain, C-wire, breaches, team cooperation, limited critical communication, and night training with Night Observation devices (NODs). Training in a fast-paced, high-intensity, unfamiliar environment challenges the Soldiers. The XCTC aims to develop adaptive, flexible, resilient, and robust leaders through rigorous planning, preparation, execution, and assessment. "It's been pretty fun, being able to practice my job in the field environment as opposed to being back in the rear, making runs, staying up late, really making some good memories with many people," Spc. Benjamin Ray, supply specialist, 3-126, Higher Headquarters Command. "I've been learning a lot of cool stuff about the infantry guys." XCTC is the U.S. Army National Guard's program of record that enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy. Fort McCoy's motto is to be the "Total Force Training Center." Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin, located in the heart of the upper Midwest. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghans are 'out of options' and desperately need realistic alternatives to poppy cultivation 18 August 2023 - As Afghanistan's widespread economic crisis drags on and jobs become scarcer, the women of Dogabad village are finding innovative ways to support their loved ones, even as their own lives seem grimmer than ever. In this impoverished neighbourhood of Kabul, against all odds, women are taking the lead. The restrictions placed by the Taliban de facto authorities on women and girl's education and employment have shattered the dreams of many of the women here, but their spirits remain unbroken. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), through its implementing partner, the Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR), is doing what it can to empower them via Alternative Development projects. These projects focus on providing small rural farmers and drug-affected communities with licit income generation activities to reduce their dependency on income from opium poppy or risk thereof. UN News spent time with the women of this tiny village in Kabul city's Police District 7, better known as PD7. We also travelled to Nangarhar Province in the eastern part of the country. Visiting the rural districts of Gushta and Surkhrud we saw first-hand how these projects have helped regular Afghans make ends meet, particularly after the Taliban's harsh decrees shut the doors of opportunity for women and left former opium poppy famers with no viable means to make a living off their lands. The women beneficiaries in Dogabad are provided with pullets, feed, and poultry farming training through this project, with a goal of giving families and communities affected by drugs some sense of food security and basic income. Mariam* is a Women's Empowerment Manager at DACAAR. She had almost finished her master's degree in business administration before the ban on women's education was enforced. She told UN News that she feels empowered because programmes like these give vulnerable women in Afghanistan the opportunity to be financially independent in the future, as well as the ability to support their loved ones. She says her job is to motivate the women and girls she serves, and her message is simple. "I tell them: Please keep going. One day something positive will happen, and life will change. I will never lose hope and never give up on this opportunity. I will try. No matter how hard the situation gets, I will try my best." Dreams shattered Many of the women involved in the project are overqualified to do this kind of work, but survival supersedes everything else. Fatima* was studying to get her master's in economic management and working as an interpreter before the ban. Her father, a driver at a human rights organization for 17 years, lost his job after the Taliban takeover. "We didn't have anything to eat. We borrowed money from so many people just to survive, at least until my father found a job. But he didn't. So that's why we had to sell our house." The family of nine is now renting a small house in the neighbourhood. This project is a lifeline. Eighteen-year-old Sara* received her high school degree just before the ban was implemented. In addition to poultry farming, she is currently volunteering at a small private school for children who cannot afford tuition. "I love my students very much, and I feel empowered by helping them become better people." She had dreams of becoming a doctor, but for now, those dreams seem out of reach. A sustainable model Since 2016, UNODC has supported more than 85,000 households through Alternative Development projects. The UN agency has adopted a short and medium-term strategy to ensure food security, while also creating sustainable models which lure farmers away from the poppy industry. The years-long process of transforming a poppy field into an orchard requires patience but could be very lucrative if properly implemented "Once a field is converted into an orchard, it will stay that way in the longer term, and there is less possibility for the farmer to again revert back to poppy cultivation." That's according to Hidayatullah Sapi, an Alternative Development Programme Coordinator at UNODC. UN News visited an orchard with Mr. Sapi in the rural Gushta district, an hour and a half east of Nangarhar's Provincial capital Jalalabad. While the plot was never used to cultivate opium poppy - the main ingredient in heroin, UNODC supported its establishment as a preventive measure and used it as a demonstration for other farmers to be trained. A bright future A drip irrigation system installed on this plot, home to nearly 1,100 lemon trees, has been a lifesaver for landowner Haji Mohamed Iqbal and his employees. Both cost effective and environmentally friendly, this system has massively increased his production and allowed him to hire two permanent laborers. In addition, as the land's yield continues to grow, it has created jobs for up to 20 seasonal workers. "We have another orchard with same number of trees that yields 700 monds (4,900 kgs), but this orchard, which is properly designed and taken care of, yields 112,000 kgs of lemon. So, there is a huge difference between this and the traditional orchard," Mr. Iqbal explained. "The future of this orchard looks bright." From farm to table Alternative Development is about much more than just providing support to farmers. According to Mr. Sapi, the projects focus on the entire value chain of a certain crop or product. For example, farmers are grouped together in cooperatives to give them a degree of bargaining power with traders. He further explained that UNODC has supported the processing factories with equipment and linked them to the farmers. "So now those factories are buying the products from orchards that we have established. They are processing [these products], packaging [them], and then supplying them to the market." Climate devastation With its low altitude and high temperatures, the eastern region of Afghanistan is ripe for citrus cultivation, according to the UNODC alternative development coordinator. Yet, while the land here is fertile, climate change has had a devastating impact on local farmers. "When there is rain, there is enough water in the rivers. But floods can destroy the farmers' fields. And in the off season, when there is no rain, the rivers are dry, and people lack access to water for irrigation," Mr. Sapi explained. He stressed the need for the international community to support farmers in implementing improved agricultural practices, especially installing drip irrigation systems so they will be able to use water more efficiently during times when this vital resource is scare. Living in the now Even though funding is drying up and has been since the Taliban retook the country nearly two years ago, hopeful farmers continue to visit Mr. Iqbal's orchard. "They want to establish orchards [like this one], but they cannot afford to. And there are no more NGOs coming here to assist them," he said. Mr. Sapi noted that the local demand for citrus is astounding - some 200,000 metric tonnes annually - but only 10 per cent of that is met locally. This means investing in orchards could be a viable long-term replacement to poppy cultivation in the eastern region. In the meantime, people still need to make ends meet, which is why UNODC also supports the development of vegetable farms. The Taliban authorities implemented a ban on poppy cultivation in April 2022, with a 10-month grace period. This year the ban has been strictly enforced, and evidence suggests that it has been quite effective. On the outskirts of Jalalabad city in Surkhrud district, UN News spoke to Fatehabad village elder Khanullah, who said the farmers he leads had plans to cultivate poppy this year, but the Taliban destroyed the crop before the harvest. The de facto authorities took their names and referred them to UNODC's implementing partner, DACARR, which provided 21 farmers with 3 kgs of okra seeds and 25 kgs of fertilizer each. "There are more farmers who are also eligible for support, but since the project is small only these 21 farmers were selected", Mr. Khanullah explained. Out of options Mazar Shah, one of the 21 men that received the seeds and fertilizer, told UN News that while he appreciated the support, he and the other farmers faced an uphill climb. Vegetables simply cannot replace poppies, he said. They all understood the harms caused by opium, but he and the other former poppy farmers were trying to survive, feed their families, and pay their debts. "We were cultivating poppy because it has more return. If we are supported with the high value crops, we will never cultivate poppy, not in a hundred years", Mr. Shah explained. Afghan markets are flooded with vegetables, so the profit margins are almost nil. The price of 7 kgs of Okra when in-season is around 120 Afs, or 1.5 USD, and the vast majority of farmers do not have the capacity to grow in the off-season when profit margins are potentially much higher. UNODC's Hidayatullah Sapi warned of a growing sense of despair among vulnerable farmers. He said: "Famers have clearly told us that if the international community and the de facto authorities do not support [them], and if there wasn't a ban by the de facto authorities, [they] will grow poppy again because [they] don't have any other option." The humanitarian imperative Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the United Nations has been operating under what is called a "Transitional Engagement Framework", which largely limits its operations to meeting basic humanitarian needs. UNODC's Representative in the country, Ms. Anubha Sood, said Alternative Development projects "definitely fall under humanitarian." She stressed that with the ban now being strictly enforced by the de facto authorities, "farmers need to grow something [so they can] put food on the table." Ms. Sood highlighted the gender perspective in the move away from poppy cultivation. Women, she says, have been the most vocal in combating the narcotic crop, particularly due to its social impacts. "Women don't want their family members to be involved in the cultivation of opium poppy", the UNODC country chief said. "It has wiped out a generation. You see the impact even among your household members. Your young children are using it. Your family members are using it. Your husband is using it. Your brother is using is. So, it's not just about economic gains. There are other repercussions, and now people see that. And women have been very, very vocal about it." Ms. Sood noted that many of the farmers who were supported by UNODC have made the switch in a sustainable manner, and those efforts are being replicated by others with the means to do so. However, she stressed that the ban has created a lot of suffering for the small farmers who don't have the reserve to carry on. "Their crops are gone, and their families are going to starve", she said. Since 2022, only $5.86 million (USD) has been provided for UNODC's alternative development projects. The aim has now shifted to projects focusing on food security and has since reached some 14,000 direct beneficiaries, of whom 33 per cent are women. Ms. Sood stressed that the United Nations has taken the decision to "stay and deliver" for the common Afghan, "no matter who is in power". "These are the people that we need to think of when we sit and decide whether this money goes for this intervention. I think that is what should not be forgotten." *The names of the Afghan women featured in this piece have been changed for their own protection NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN rights chief calls for immediate restoration of constitutional order in Niger 18 August 2023 - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called on Friday for Niger's democratically elected officials to be released "at once", following their detention in the attempted coup last month. In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Turk urged the generals to restore constitutional order immediately. The UN rights chief expressed grave concerns for the people of Niger. "The people have already been through so much hardship over the years. Now, the very people who they elected to build a pathway to end their destitution have been removed by force," he said. The message comes as the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) called for a humanitarian corridor out of Niger to be established urgently, for stranded migrants. Vaccines stranded: UNICEF This call was echoed by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative on the ground, Stefano Savi, in an interview with UN News. He called for a reopening of the border so that humanitarian supplies and more urgently needed humanitarian staff could be admitted to meet rising needs. He said it was imperative to allow in vaccines stranded at humanitarian hubs. "We have the vaccines just awaiting the reopening of the airspace. You know, those vaccines are essential to carry out vaccine campaigns." In the first half of 2023, more than 60,000 migrants travelled through Niger. IOM said that recent border and airspace closures have led to overcrowding in its centres, where thousands of migrants are hosted as many wait to return home. According to the Organization, in 10 days, departures for over 1,000 migrants, primarily from Mali and the Republic of Guinea, were cancelled or postponed. Meanwhile, around 1,800 migrants are awaiting assistance outside IOM transit centres, which host around 5,000 people at seven transit point strategically positioned along migration routes. Chronic food insecurity From the UN human rights office, OHCHR, spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani noted that Niger was one of the poorest countries in the world, with nearly half of the population living on less than $2.15 a day and millions reliant on humanitarian assistance. She deplored that the country's people have been forced to endure "even more misery" following the attempted coup, which has triggered border closures, trade interruptions and a surge in food prices. Even before President Mohamed Bazoum was seized by some of his guards in the 26 July power grab, over three million people were chronically food insecure, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and close to half of all children under five were suffering from chronic malnutrition. The OHCHR spokesperson reiterated Mr. Turk's call for "full and free access for humanitarian assistance" to allow "critical food, medical and other relief supplies into the country". Freedom at stake Ms. Shamdasani added that there had been a "very worrying" clampdown on civic space in Niger, which was impacting freedom of expression and public assembly. This included allegations of intimidation against journalists and bans on international media outlets. She also noted that recently there has been a "deeply troubling" pattern of unconstitutional changes in government by military forces across West Africa - the Niger putsch being the sixth in the region in the past three years. In his statement, Mr. Turk also raised concerns about the announced decision by Niger's military leaders to prosecute President Bazoum and others working with him for high treason. "This decision is not only politically motivated against a democratically elected President but has no legal basis as the normal functioning of democratic institutions have been cast aside," he said. "The very notion of freedoms in Niger is at stake," the High Commissioner continued, insisting that generals "cannot take it upon themselves to defy - at a whim - the will of the people. Rule-by-gun has no place in today's world." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two men died Sunday during the swimming portion of an Ironman competition in Cork, Ireland, authorities said. One man in his mid-40s from Meath, Ireland, and a 64-year-old Canadian man from Toronto died in separate incidents during the 1.2-mile swim at the event in Youghal in southwest Ireland. Several thousand athletes had entered the water at Claycastle Beach, The Irish Times reported, some of them doing a half-triathlon that had been postponed the day before due to bad weather, and the others participating in the full 140-mile Ironman race scheduled for Sunday. The two men who died were participating in the half Ironman, which entails biking 56 miles and running 13.1 miles after the swim. Ironman Ireland, which organized the race, said its officials were deeply saddened by the deaths, without identifying the men by name. During the swim portion of Sundays race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognizing the athletes were in need of assistance, the organization said in a statement. We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. The County Cork Council also reached out to those affected. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the athletes at this incredibly difficult time, the council said in a statement. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we are currently offering every assistance required to the IRONMAN GROUP and all those impacted. With News Wire Services Expectations run high as emerging economies gear up for BRICS summit People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:10, August 19, 2023 The voice of the Global South, represented by major emerging economies in BRICS has become increasingly important in addressing global challenges at a time of profound geopolitical changes. CAIRO, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 15th BRICS Summit, to be held in South Africa's Johannesburg next week, has received a lot of media attention in the months leading up to the event, underscoring the growing influence of BRICS over the past years. Analysts believe what happens at Johannesburg will be watched with heightened interest, as the voice of the Global South, represented by major emerging economies in BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has become increasingly important in addressing global challenges at a time of profound geopolitical changes, and the group has demonstrated great potential to improve the architecture of international relations. Expectations are high about the outcome of the summit as its participants are expected to discuss the accelerated use of local currencies, strengthened cooperation to fast-track mutual growth, and the promotion of inclusive multilateralism, among other issues of common concern. RISING INTEREST IN BRICS MEMBERSHIP As per data released earlier this year from Acorn Macro Consulting, a British economic research firm, the BRICS group makes up 41 percent of the global population and accounts for 16 percent of world trade. The five BRICS countries now contribute about a quarter of the global GDP. With its growing economic presence on the global stage and as one of the most important platforms for win-win cooperation among emerging economies and developing countries, BRICS is becoming increasingly attractive. "Twenty-two countries have formally approached BRICS countries to become full members. There's an equal number of countries that have been informally asking about becoming BRICS members," said South Africa's BRICS Sherpa Anil Sooklal. In an opinion piece published on the website of Dubai-based commercial magazine Arabian Business in June, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said more countries joining BRICS would provide "a compelling opportunity for growth and cooperation." In a column published on the website of Dubai-based English daily Gulf News recently, Osama Al Sharif, a journalist and political commentator based in the Jordanian capital Amman, said the increasing number of applicants joining BRICS has indicated "a sense of urgency by countries to address some of these challenges and strengthen partnerships away from Western influence." FAIRER GLOBAL GOVERNANCE BRICS has "great potential in terms of creating the architecture of international relations," Russia's foreign intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin was quoted as saying by Turkiye's semi-official Anadolu Agency at the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security on Tuesday. "The five BRICS nations are considering expanding the grouping by forging closer links across many areas of both economy and civil society. This is born of a long-held desire to increase the representation of developing nations in appropriately responding to shared global challenges," the UAE foreign minister wrote in the opinion piece. In the eyes of Adnan Mansour, who served as Lebanon's foreign minister between 2011 and 2014, the Johannesburg summit will strengthen BRICS' position in a world where the United States and its allies have been coming up with global trade rules that only serve their own advantage. "The event will contribute to global stabilization, dialogue, partnership and progress," he told Russian news agency TASS in an interview published earlier this week. "At a time when there is so much criticism about how Western countries have failed to create a more equitable economic order in a world plagued by poverty, over-exploitation of the planet's resources, pollution, famine and disease, BRICS+ could go a long way in addressing some of these challenges," Al Sharif wrote. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ECOWAS delegation arrives in Niger after threatening military action Iran Press TV Saturday, 19 August 2023 2:39 PM The West African diplomatic mission arrived in Niger a day after issuing an ultimatum to the military leaders to reinstate the pro-Western president who was toppled on July 26. The delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which, according to analysts, represents Western interests in the region, arrived in the Niger capital, Niamey, on Saturday. African American journalist and political analyst Abayomi Azikiwe told Press TV recently that the US-led NATO military alliance is behind the ECOWAS military threats against Niger. "The ECOWAS are merely code words which indicate that Washington favors a return to the status quo under ousted President Mohamed Bazoum," he stated. A plane carrying the delegation landed in the capital Niamey at around 1:00 pm (1200 GMT), a day after the bloc's military chiefs said they were ready to intervene to reinstate the ousted President. Niger's governing military council confirmed the arrival of the ECOWAS representatives, headed by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar. Sources close to ECOWAS and Bazoum said the delegation should seek diplomatic mediation with the junta leaders who have taken power in Niger. A previous ECOWAS delegation led by Abubakar earlier this month tried and failed to meet Bazoum and the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani. A source close to the latest delegation said it would send "a message of firmness" to the army officers and meet Bazoum. ECOWAS had earlier threatened that a task force was ready to be deployed in Niger; adding that a "peaceful solution" would continue to be sought. The defense chiefs of the 15-member said on Friday that they are ready to act whenever an order is given. "We are ready to go anytime the order is given," ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah said during the closing ceremony. "The D-Day is also decided, which we are not going to disclose." Musah emphasized the ECOWAS delegation would pursue "the peaceful path to restoring constitutional order". If the military leadership in Niger is open to a peaceful solution, ECOWAS will refrain from military intervention, he stressed. In any case, this is not "the preferred option" for the international community. "The decision is that the coup in Niger is one coup too many for the region, and we are putting a stop to it at this time, we are drawing the line in the sand," Musah said. In the meantime, neighboring Nigeria has warned of military intervention, saying it would "practically exacerbate the crisis and inflict further suffering on the innocent people in the Niger Republic and the wider region." However, Mali and Burkina Faso have said an intervention would be tantamount to a declaration of war on them. Meanwhile, Bazoum has been in military detention for more than three weeks now. Last week, protesters took to the streets of Niamey to protest against plans by West African nations to deploy a military force to the country. The protesters surrounded a French military base in Niger, protesting against years of military intervention by the European country in the West African nation. Protesters rallied near the army base on the outskirts of the capital Niamey on August 11, shouting, "Down with France, down with ECOWAS." The Niger Army has accused the African nation's former colonizer France of being the force behind ECOWAS' determination to restore Bazoum to office to serve the West's interests. France was a colonial power in West Africa until 1960. Since independence, the European country has maintained trade relations and a military presence in the region. It has 1,500 soldiers in Niger. American and European soldiers are also stationed in Niger. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Burkina Faso Ready to Back Niger if ECOWAS Launches Intervention - Defense Minister Sputnik News 20230819 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - On Friday, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah said that ECOWAS general staff chiefs had agreed on a date for the beginning of military intervention, but would not make it public. Burkina Faso is preparing for the fact that forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) may launch a military intervention in Niger, and the country is ready to support Niamey, Burkinabe Defense Minister Kassoum Coulibaly told Sputnik. "We anticipate aggression [of ECOWAS forces against Niger]. In any case, the head of our state [Ibrahim Traore] said that we are ready for the aggression, we support Niger," Coulibaly said. He added that Burkina Faso is even ready to withdraw from ECOWAS because it considers the association's policy towards Niger illogical. The members of the Economic Community of West African States should not wage wars against each other, and the very idea of such events is shocking, Coulibaly said. "We have no right to fight each other. We are part of a single economic union. The very idea that some states of the association want to wage an internecine war is shocking. It is also shocking that some heads of state want to wage war against other countries under the guise of democracy," Coulibaly said. He also noted that the organization has a wide network of offices across the region, but its leaders often ignore messages from experts on the ground. "If they had not ignored the messages from ECOWAS experts, they would have seen the signs [of the coming conflict]. And a lot could have been avoided," the minister said. Coulibaly additionally called the ECOWAS intention to reinstate the ousted Nigerien president, Mohamed Bazoum, strange, adding that the community itself should help states such as Niger in its fight against terrorism. "Burkina Faso stands in solidarity with Mali and opposes any aggression against Niger because we share a common border. We are waging a war against terrorism and we must continue to wage it," he said. A military takeover took place in Niger on July 26. Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani. Following the takeover, the ECOWAS suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze the assets of the military and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country. In early August, during a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, the ECOWAS leaders agreed to activate a standby force to potentially compel the Nigerien military to reinstate Bazoum. No Talks of Establishing Russian Military Base in Burkina Faso Underway There are no plans to establish a Russian military base in Burkina Faso, Burkinabe Defense Minister Kassoum Coulibaly said. "This is not about inviting foreign troops or setting up bases. I do not think it can solve the problem [of terrorism]. We ourselves know what is really happening on our land," Coulibaly said when asked about Russia's possible military bases in the country. The minister said that Burkina Faso should be provided with the necessary means to fight on its own. "It is difficult for us to let other soldiers die for us. We need to get the necessary means to fight our own battles," he said. The minister also mentioned the new concept of "volunteers for the defense of the homeland," which stipulates the creation of small armed groups from the population to fight terrorists. "This concept was born out of the will of our people. We are now putting it into practice by improving it and developing legal regulations to make sure that these people know how to handle weapons and, most importantly, respect human rights," Coulibaly said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No: 200, 19 August 2023, Press Release Regarding the Extension of the U.S. Decision to Lift the Arms Embargo on the Greek Cypriot Administration Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs Following the decision of the United States to lift the arms embargo against the Greek Cypriot Administration in September 2020 and the expansion of the scope of the said decision in 2022, we condemn that the U.S. has now extended that decision's duration for one year as of 1 October 2023. We fully support the justified reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). We would like to take this opportunity to remind that together with the TRNC, we have repeatedly pointed out how the various destabilizing steps recently taken by the U.S. in the region at the expense of the Turkish Cypriot side undermine the neutral position on the Island of Cyprus which this country has maintained for many years, and constitute an obstacle to reaching a just, lasting and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue. We invite the U.S. yet again to reconsider these policies that put the stability in the region at risk. Turkiye, as a guarantor state, will always continue to ensure the existence, security and peace of the Turkish Cypriots within the framework of its historical and legal responsibilities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No: 201, 19 August 2023, Press Release Regarding the Intervention of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus in the Construction of the Pile-Yigitler Road in the Territory of the TRNC Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs We find unacceptable and strongly condemn the physical intervention yesterday (18 August) by soldiers of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in the sovereign territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with the aim of preventing the construction of the Pile-Yigitler road. We fully support the relevant statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the TRNC and the justified reaction of the TRNC authorities. The UN's stance on the Pile-Yigitler road, which is a humanitarian project aiming to facilitate the direct access of TRNC citizens in the village of Pile to their own homeland, as well as the subsequent statements made by the UN, are incompatible with the impartial attitude that the Peacekeeping Force is obliged to display on the Island. UNFICYP, while on the one hand playing a major role in the escalation of tension in the context of the road construction project which started peacefully, presented itself on the other hand as a victim in the events on the ground. What is in fact expected of the UN Peacekeeping Force is that it should contribute to the solution of humanitarian needs on the Island. It is inexplicable that despite this, the UN has for years turned a blind eye to the Greek Cypriot Administration's faits accomplis in the Buffer Zone while preventing the Turkish Cypriots from meeting their justified humanitarian needs. This situation clearly demonstrates that the UN is not fulfilling its basic duties and functions such as approaching the two sides on the Island equally and finding solutions to disputes. Following yesterday's events, the UN and UNFICYP must make concerted efforts in the coming period to ensure that they do not completely lose the trust of the TRNC authorities and people. As a Guarantor State, we invite the UN Peacekeeping Force to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would overshadow the mission it has been carrying out in Cyprus for nearly 60 years, to accord equal treatment to the two sides in Cyprus and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the TRNC. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guterres condemns assault against UN peacekeepers in Cyprus 19 August 2023 - The UN chief has condemned an assault on Friday by Turkish Cypriot security forces against 'blue helmets' serving with the peacekeeping force on the divided Mediterranean island. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement issued on behalf of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that several members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) had been injured while UN vehicles had also been damaged inside the buffer zone that divides the Turkish Cypriot north and Greek Cypriot south. Security Council mandate Mr. Dujarric said the peacekeepers had been preventing unauthorized construction work in the Pyla/Pile area, "in accordance with their mandate" provided by the UN Security Council. According to news reports, Turkish Cypriot bulldozers moved in to clear UN vehicles, bollards and barbed wires placed in the buffer zone, and three UNFICYP personnel required hospital treatment following the assault, including one who had been kicked to the ground. UNFICYP also condemned the attack saying in a statement that threats to the safety of UN peacekeepers and damage to UN property were "unacceptable and constitute a serious crime under international law, which will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." The Secretary-General urged the Turkish Cypriot side "to respect the authority of UNFICYP as mandated by the Security Council and to withdraw all personnel and machinery from the UN buffer zone immediately. 'Constructively re-engage' He also called on the Turkish Cypriot side "to constructively re-engage with UNFICYP to find a mutually agreeable way forward in the Pyla/Pile area." The tensions result from a plan by Turkish Cypriot authorities to build a new road which includes an area under UN control, according to news reports. Since a de facto ceasefire between the two sides on the island in August 1974, UNFICYP has supervised ceasefire lines provide humanitarian assistance and maintained the buffer zone between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot forces. The Secretary-General also reiterated his "long-standing call on the parties to refrain from taking any unilateral actions that may raise tensions and compromise finding a mutually acceptable way forward." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen reaffirms relief agencies' commitment to the people of Yemen, their lives, their dignity, their protection and their resilience UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Press Statement On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, reaffirms the UN and relief agencies' commitment to the people of Yemen, their lives, their dignity, their protection and their resilience. We stand with and for all people in Yemen, no matter who, no matter where, and NoMatterWhat. "I want to first express my deep sadness for the loss of our WFP colleague who was killed a month ago in At Turbah. I strongly condemn this attack and call for swiftly bringing the perpetrators to justice. On the other hand, I welcome the release of the five UN staff members who were released after eighteen months in captivity. While the entire UN family in Yemen is relieved that our colleagues are free, we also recall that other UN staff are still held against their will in Yemen. We stand in solidarity with them," said Mr.Gressly. Gressly said that these incidents are a stark reminder about the challenges and dangers humanitarians face in Yemen. The safety and security of aid workers must never be compromised. "I strongly condemn any violence against them and call upon all parties to ensure their protection. Aid workers' unrestricted movement, especially that of female aid workers, is crucial for effective and principled humanitarian action. The role of female aid workers is vital, particularly in identifying and addressing the needs of women and children. Movement restrictions that hinder humanitarians' access to people in need are unacceptable," he added. Continuing misinformation and disinformation campaigns are adding to these challenges. They create a hostile environment for aid agencies, deprive affected people of desperately needed assistance, and threaten the safety of beneficiaries and aid workers. It is incumbent upon us all to counter disinformation and ensure the truth prevails. "I'm seizing the occasion of the World Humanitarian Day to extend my profound gratitude towards the relentless efforts of aid workers who labor under such challenging circumstances to bring relief to those severely affected by the crisis and in dire need of our assistance," he said. They continue to deliver life-saving aid to and protect affected communities NoMatterWhat. In the first half of 2023, 189 aid agencies in Yemen provided assistance to an average of 9.8 million people monthly (9 UN agencies, 53 international NGOs, and 127 national NGOs). However, relief agencies face a funding crisis that has jeopardized the response. It is four months from the end of the year, and the humanitarian response plan is only 30% funded. "I call on donor countries to act urgently to prevent a catastrophic outcome," Mr Gressly concluded. ENDS 19 August 2023 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas leader calls for efforts to confront Israeli settlement expansion plans Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 10:56 AM The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called for efforts to confront the Israeli regime's plans to expand the construction of illegal settlements across the West Bank, saying the schemes aim to displace Palestinians and relocate them to Jordan. "The Israeli plans seek to purge the West Bank of Palestinians, and impose Israeli Judaization plans in al-Quds," Khaled Meshaal, head of the Palestinian group's office in the diaspora, said in a recorded speech on Saturday evening as he addressed rallies in support of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Meshaal warned of the grave danger threatening al-Aqsa Mosque, adding that Jewish settlers have been escalating their incursions into the sacred site. "The Palestinian people all over the occupied territories will continue confronting the occupying Israeli regime through all available means," he said. The senior Hamas leader called on Arab and Muslim nations to support Palestinians against Israeli settlement expansion plans. Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East al-Quds as its capital. Israel, which captured the territory in 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community, calls al-Quds its indivisible capital. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel's continued illegal settlement expansion. More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. Israeli settlers damage Palestinian vehicles near Huwara Meanwhile, Israeli settlers have attacked passing Palestinian vehicles near the northern entrance to the town of Huwara, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Local sources told the official Palestinian news agency WAFA that dozens of settlers gathered near the Salman Alfarisy junction and launched an attack on Palestinian-owned vehicles and pelted them with stones. No injuries were reported as a result of the attack. Incidents of sabotage and violence by settlers against Palestinians and their property have become a daily occurrence throughout the occupied territories, particularly in the West Bank. Jewish extremists continue their acts of vandalism, known as price tag attacks, against Palestinian properties. However, Israeli authorities rarely prosecute settlers, and the vast majority of the files are closed due to deliberate police failure to investigate them properly. Settler violence includes property and mosque arson attacks, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, and attacks on vulnerable homes. Israeli settlers have noticeably escalated attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in recent months. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel forces raid occupied West Bank town, injure dozens of Palestinians Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 9:39 AM Dozens of Palestinians have sustained injuries after Israeli troops stormed the northern part of the West Bank, amid stepped-up deadly violence by Israeli forces and extremist settlers against Palestinians in the occupied area. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced in a statement that its paramedics provided medical assistance to at least 72 people in Beita, located 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) southeast of Nablus, on Saturday evening, as they were suffering breathing difficulties as a result of inhaling excessive tear gas used by Israeli forces to suppress protest rallies in the town. A journalist was also struck in the leg by a tear gas canister fired during skirmishes. The PRCS added that one of its crew members managed to evacuate a family of five, including children, from a car they were aboard as Israeli soldiers were using tear gas intensively. Israeli forces also broke into a mosque and a store in Beita to confiscate security camera recordings. Earlier, the troops closed the main military checkpoints in southern Nablus, intensified security measures in and around the region, and forced businesses in Huwara town to close down. The Israeli military put its forces on high alert and deployed more soldiers in Nablus after two Jewish settlers were fatally shot at a carwash in Huwara town on Saturday afternoon. Following the retaliatory shooting incident, Israeli forces abducted three Palestinian citizens from Huwara. Another Palestinian was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers at a makeshift checkpoint near Qalqilya as he was en route to his workplace. Moreover, four Palestinian citizens suffered gunshot wounds last night during confrontations with Israeli forces as the latter raided the city of Tulkarm and the nearby refugee camp. Local sources told the official Palestinian news agency WAFA that a young man was shot in the face with live ammunition, another suffered shrapnel wounds to the hand, and two others were run over by an Israeli military jeep while riding a motorcycle. The injured were subsequently rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Confrontations erupted in the Tulkarm refugee camp after Israeli forces invaded it, and fired live rounds, stun grenades and tear gas canisters. Israeli military sniper units were positioned in the vicinity and entrances of the camp. However, no arrests were reported during the Israeli incursion. The Israeli regime launched raids on various cities of the West Bank almost on a daily basis under the pretext of detaining what it calls "wanted" Palestinians. The raids usually lead to violent confrontations with residents. Over the past months, Israel has ramped up attacks on Palestinian towns and cities throughout the occupied territories. As a result of these attacks, dozens of Palestinians have lost their lives and many others have been arrested. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed this year in the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza. The majority of these fatalities have been recorded in the West Bank. At least 32 people have been killed in Palestinian retaliatory attacks against Israeli settlers during that time. Hamas hails Palestinian prisoners for achieving their demands Meanwhile, the Gaza-based Hamas resistance movement has hailed Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons for achieving their demands after they staged a mass hunger strike. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement that accommodation of Palestinian prisoners' demands proves that all attempts to undermine the inmates' determination are doomed to failure. For his part, the director of Asra Media Office, Ahmed al-Qudra, stressed that Palestinian resistance factions are ready to participate in a comprehensive plan in support of Palestinian prisoners against any Israeli assault. The High National Emergency Committee of the Palestinian Prisoners' Movement on Friday announced the suspension of the mass hunger strike launched by Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli detention centers, adding that their rights were obtained. The committee underlined that the hunger strike came as a response to punitive measures imposed by far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. There are reportedly more than 7,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Human rights organizations say Israel violates all the rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Fourth Geneva Convention. Palestinian prisoners are held for lengthy periods without being charged, tried, or convicted, which is in blatant violation of human rights. Advocacy groups describe Israel's use of detention as a "bankrupt tactic" and have long called on Israel to end its use. The IPS keeps Palestinian prisoners under deplorable conditions lacking proper hygienic standards. The prisoners have also been subjected to systematic torture, harassment, and repression all through the years of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories. According to the Palestine Detainees Studies Center, about 60% of the Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails suffer from chronic diseases, a number of whom died in detention or after being released due to the severity of their cases. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coup leader: Niger open to dialogue, ready to defend itself if needed Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 12:24 AM Niger's coup leader says the country is open to dialogue to avert a conflict with the West Africa's main regional bloc, warning that, at the same time, it is prepared to defend itself if needed. General Abdourahamane Tiani made the remarks in a televised address to the nation on Saturday night, saying neither coup leaders nor "the Nigerien people want war and remain open to dialogue." He, however, warned, "If an aggression were to be undertaken against us, it would not be the walk in the park that some believe." "ECOWAS is getting ready to attack Niger by setting up an occupying army in collaboration with a foreign army," Tiani said without saying which country he meant. In the meantime, the coup leader added that the junta pursues its own agenda and would launch a national dialogue to consult on a transition back to democracy, which "should last no longer than three years." "Our ambition is not to confiscate power," Tiani added. Coup leaders toppled Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, following which the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened to use force if the coup leaders refused to return Bazoum to power. The bloc reiterated the threat on Friday, saying an undisclosed "D-Day" had been agreed for possible military intervention in Niger. ECOWAS delegation meets with junta leader, former president Earlier on Saturday, an ECOWAS delegation arrived in Niger's capital city of Niamey for, what it called, a final diplomatic push before deciding on whether to take military action. The delegation was met at the airport by the junta-appointed prime minister and was also allowed to meet with Bazoum, in a sign of openness to negotiations on the part of the coup leaders. The group that flew to Niger was led by Nigeria's former military leader, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and included ECOWAS commission president, Omar Touray, an ECOWAS source said while speaking on condition of anonymity. Nigerian presidential spokesperson Abdulaziz Abdulaziz posted a photo of the delegation's meeting with Bazoum. "After meeting .... (junta leader) General Abdoulrahmane Tiani, the ECOWAS delegation in Niger has also visited President Mohamed Bazoum this evening," he wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, without sharing any details on the outcome of the talks. Thousands volunteer to support junta Separately on Saturday, thousands of the junta's supporters gathered at a stadium in Niamey, where the crowding caused the postponement of an unofficial census of civilian volunteers for non-military roles if ECOWAS actually resorted to force. Thousands of mostly young men gathered outside the stadium hours before the scheduled start time of the event. The gathering has been seen by observers as a sign of the strong support in some quarters of Niger's society for the junta. "In all our calculations and our understandings, we never thought we could mobilize (this number of people)," said Younoussa Hima, co-organizer of the initiative dubbed "The Mobilization of Young People for the Fatherland." Organizers of the recruitment drive said they did not intend to sign up volunteers for the army, but their goal was to gather a list of people willing to lend their civilian skills in case ECOWAS attacked. This is not the first time Nigeriens have come out in force to display support for the coup leaders and voice rejection of the country's Western-backed authorities. Earlier this month, thousands of people surrounded a French military base in the capital, protesting against years of military intervention by the European country in the West African nation. Protesters rallied near the army base on the outskirts of Niamey, shouting, "Down with France, down with ECOWAS," and saying that the regional bloc was being "manipulated by France." The junta leaders have also moved to repeal a number of military agreements signed with France. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Firefighters are frantically dousing blazes threatening villages in Greece, major cities in Canada and the Spanish island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The Tenerife fire was deliberately set, authorities said Sunday. A wildfire outside the Greek town of Alexandroupolis in the countrys northeast, near the Turkish border, has forced more than a dozen villages to evacuate, eight of them Saturday and five more Sunday. No one was seriously injured, but numerous homes were destroyed over the weekend, officials said. About 200 firefighters and 16 aircraft were battling the blazes, which were spurred by strong winds. Volunteers and police were also beating back the flames. The conditions led civil protection authorities to issue warnings of extreme fire risk for Monday around Athens and elsewhere in southern Greece. The fires led Turkeys Erdine Province to close its border with Greece indefinitely at the Ipsala crossing. An inside view of a burnt church after a wildfire in a village near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, Greece, on Aug. 20, 2023. About 2,555 miles away, Canary Islands Regional President Fernando Clavijo said Sunday that the fire on Tenerife had been intentional and that three lines of investigation were open. More than 400 firefighters plus 23 helicopters and planes had started to get a handle on the out-of-control blaze by Sunday, five days after it started. Improved weather conditions also helped. More than 12,000 people had been forced from their homes and the fire had scorched 29,000 acres of pine forest and scrubland, Tenerife Gov. Rosa Davila and emergency officials said Sunday. Davila added that no one was injured and that no houses were lost in the worst fire Tenerife has seen in decades. The blaze still threatens 11 mountain towns and has hurt air quality in 19 town areas. Across the Atlantic, in northwestern Canada, the Northwest Territories capital of Yellowknife has been almost completely evacuated as most of its 20,000 residents fled the encroaching flames. That wildfire is one of 237 burning in the Northwest Territories. Smoke from the McDougall Creek wildfire fills the air and nearly blocks out the sun as people take in the view of Okanagan Lake from Tugboat Beach, in Kelowna, British Columbia, on Aug. 18, 2023. Kelowna, British Columbia, saw firefighters fending off flames outside the 150,000-population city about 90 miles north of the United States. There are more than 380 blazes across British Columbia alone, 150 of which were still burning out of control Sunday. Climate change may be playing a role in how fierce the fires are. In Greece, destructive wildfires are seasonal, but officials there and elsewhere in Europe say climate change is making fires more frequent and intense. In Tenerife, a yearslong drought enabled the arson fire to spread quickly. Likewise in Canada, the fires strength and frequency depend on the interaction between the climate and the fuels, University of British Columbia Ph.D. candidate Jen Baron told CBC News. With News Wire Services Nigerien Military Leader Says Niger Does Not Want War Sputnik News 20230820 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The leader of the mutineers who seized power in Niger, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, said on Saturday that his country does not want war, but will be ready to defend itself if necessary. "Neither the army nor the people of Niger want war, but we will resist any manifestation of it," Tchiani was quoted as saying by the Al Jazeera broadcaster. He noted that the member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) do not realize that Niger has become the key to containing the region from destabilization against the backdrop of increased terrorist activity. Tchiani added that the sanctions imposed against his country were aimed at putting pressure on the rebels, and not at finding a solution to the current situation. In addition, Tchiani said that rebels do not seek to seize power in the country but rather seek to come to a solution that would meet the interests of the people. On Saturday, media reported that an ECOWAS delegation arrived in the capital of Niger and met with deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to assess conditions of his detention. Later in the day, Reuters reported that the delegation also held talks with Tchiani. A takeover took place in Niger on July 26. Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Tchiani. Following the power shift, ECOWAS suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze rebels' assets and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country. In early August, during a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS leaders agreed to activate a standby force to potentially compel the Nigerien military to reinstate Bazoum. On Friday, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs Abdel-Fatau Musah said that ECOWAS general staff chiefs had agreed on a date for the beginning of military intervention, but would not make it public. The UK government temporarily withdrew staff from its embassy in Niger following the takeover, the UK Foreign Office said on Saturday. "We have temporarily withdrawn our UK staff from Niger and our embassy is operating remotely," the ministry said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 8 EAMS innovates, provides joint airlift across COCOMs Published Aug. 20, 2023 By Tech. Sgt. Devin Boyer 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar (AFNS) -- The 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron at Al Udeid Air Base, conquered a logistical challenge by building relationships with U.S. Navy counterparts. Typically, the 8th EAMS would need to procure enough cargo to generate airlift operations on aircraft such as the C-17A Globemaster III. However, by partnering with the U.S. Navy's Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 Detachment IIA, they were able to increase response times in delivering supplies to service members around the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Operating out of Bahrain International Airport, HM-15 DETIIA is a permanent detachment that houses MH-53E Sea Dragon aircraft. Their mission is to provide airborne mine countermeasures, the process of detecting and neutralizing modern mines, in the USCENTCOM AOR. Though HM-15 DETIIA performs their mission out of Bahrain, their local training opportunities are limited due to airspace restrictions. As such, the unit regularly flies sorties to AUAB's airspace to practice flying patterns and familiarization training. "AUAB is the ideal training environment for our crews, providing precision instrument approaches, huge runways and a helipad for use during day and night sorties," said U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Keith Schmitt, HM-15 DETIIA officer in charge. The 8th EAMS took this opportunity to align their priorities with HM-15's training requirements and coordinated an airlift operation to deliver $240,000 worth of troops-in-contact ground support equipment for a U.S. Army unit in support of theater operations. Additionally, they delivered $28,000 in support parts for several weapons systems for U.S. Marine Corps units in support of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. This joint effort effectively saves $34,000 per mission. "This partnership unified multiple branches of the Department of Defense," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Thomas, 8th EAMS load planning noncommissioned officer in charge. "A relationship was forged between the 8th EAMS and HM-15 DETIIA. The result of eight days of coordinating and planning paid off with the creation of a direct air channel for cargo movement from AUAB to Bahrain International Airport utilizing combat airpower." The coordinated effort began at the end of June, and since then, the teams have successfully accelerated the movement of $1.8 million of ground support equipment for Operation Spartan Shield. Not only has this new-formed bond between units saved on transport costs, but the operation has provided invaluable hands-on experience for the MH-53E aircrews. "Our flight crews practice loading common aviation equipment to earn logistics-related qualifications," Schmitt said. "Loading and configuring the aircraft with unfamiliar cargo prepares them for vertical onboard delivery missions to Navy ships that frequent the Arabian Gulf, which often requires flying unanticipated cargo back to the beach." Through innovative solutions, all branches of the DoD can benefit operationally, impacting multiple combatant commands' AORs. "By working with the U.S. Navy, we are utilizing their routine training missions to solve the Air Mobility Division's transportation allocation outside of the USCENTCOM theater, and into the Africa Command theater of operations," Thomas said. "It allows us to access a broader range of capabilities and resources beyond what the Air Force can provide. This relationship can lead to enhanced operational effectiveness and the ability to handle a wider variety of missions. It means we are strategically aligning joint operations with the overarching objectives and goals of national security." One of the priorities of the National Defense Strategy is to build a resilient joint force, and these airlift operations are aimed at that very priority. "Here at the 8th EAMS, we are accomplishing that goal, and together USCENTCOM and NAVCENT are generating combat airpower without spending an extra cent while moving cargo for all six of the U.S. military branches and DoD partners," Thomas said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address First Case of Newly Discovered Coronavirus Variant Detected in UK - Health Agency Sputnik News 20230819 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The newly discovered coronavirus variant BA.2.86, which contains a high number of mutations, has been detected in the United Kingdom for the first time, in an individual who has no recent travel history, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Friday. "This variant was detected in the UK on Friday 18 August, and has also been identified in Israel, Denmark and the US," the agency said in a statement. "There is currently one confirmed case in the UK in an individual with no recent travel history, which suggests a degree of community transmission within the UK." The new variant has a high number of mutations and is genomically distant from both its likely ancestor, BA.2, and currently circulating variants, the UKHSA said, adding that it had insufficient data to assess the potential immune response and the severity of the disease. In late July, the BA.2.86 coronavirus variant was sequenced in Israel and Denmark, and then detected in the United States. A total of six cases of BA.2.86 have been detected in four countries, including the UK, by now. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated it will actively monitor the highly mutated variant. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address N Korea hackers target joint US-S Korea war games: Seoul Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 10:22 AM South Korean police have leveled allegations against a suspected North Korean group of hackers, claiming it attempted to disrupt the upcoming huge joint war game between the military forces of Seoul and Washington, due to begin on Monday. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency alleged in a statement on Sunday that the hackers were believed to be linked to a North Korean group that researchers call Kimsuky, and they carried out their hack via emails to South Korean contractors working at the South Korea-US combined exercise war simulation center. It further claimed that a joint investigation by the South Korean police agency and the US military had found that the IP address used in the latest attack targeting the war simulation center of the allies' joint military drills matched the IP identified in a 2014 hack against South Korea's nuclear reactor operator. The statement added that military-related information was not stolen. North Korea has previously denied any role in cyberattacks. South Korea and the United States plan to kick off the annual 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills starting on Monday and lasting until the end of August. The summer exercises aim to upgrade the joint forces' ability to counter North Korea's latest advancements in its nuclear and missile development programs. North Korea views joint military exercises in the region as a provocation, repeatedly warning Seoul and Washington against such moves. It sees the joint exercise as preparation and rehearsals by the US and South Korean forces for a future invasion of the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Luna-25 Module Makes First Measurements in Moon Orbit Sputnik News 20230819 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Specialists have activated the instruments on the Luna-25 automatic landing module several times during its flight along the lunar orbit, producing the first scientific results from the mission, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos said on Saturday. "The Luna-25 spacecraft built at the Lavochkin Association, JSC [part of Roscosmos] continues its flight along the circular orbit of the artificial satellite of the Moon. During the flight, several activations of scientific equipment created at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences were carried out," Roscosmos told reporters. The ADRON-LR detector of neutrons and gamma rays sensed the most intense lines of chemical elements of the lunar soil in the energy spectrum of gamma rays, the space corporation added. A wide-angle ionic energy-mass analyzer ARIES-L, designed to study the interaction between the solar wind and the Moon's surface, as well as the composition of regolith based on secondary ions and neutral particles knocked out of it, was turned on in the lunar orbit for the first time. Thanks to the data obtained, scientists were able to choose the optimal mode of operation of the instrument on the lunar surface to measure the energy spectra of particles in the energy range from 10 to 3000 electron volts, Roscosmos said. "The PmL instrument, designed to record microparticles levitating near the lunar surface and to determine the parameters of the surrounding plasma, has registered a micrometeorite impact event. Most likely, this micrometeorite belongs to the Perseid meteor shower, which the Luna-25 managed to successfully cross during the flight to the Moon," the space corporation added. Specialists have also processed two photos of the Zeeman crater, located on the far side of the Moon, which is 190 kilometers (118 miles) wide and 8 kilometers deep. Scientists believe it was formed by a very strong impact, which is possible when the speed of the impactor is very high or its substance is very dense. "Detailed photographs show that the bottom of the crater is mottled with smaller ones. This is what happens when some of the material ejected on impact falls back and creates numerous small 'potholes.' Such formations are very interesting from the point of view of lunar geology," the corporation said. On August 11, the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket lifted off from Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome and launched into orbit Luna-25, the first Russian lunar mission in almost 50 years and the first one in Russia's independent space history. Its predecessor, Luna-24, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1976. The new mission is part of the Russian lunar program for the exploration and practical use of the Moon and its orbit to establish a fully automated lunar base. Luna-25 is expected to become the first station to make a soft landing in the lunar south pole with difficult terrain on August 21. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Luna-25 Lunar Probe Crashes Into Moon After Technical Failure By RFE/RL August 20, 2023 Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed onto the surface of the moon on August 20 after spinning into an uncontrollable orbit, the Roskosmos space agency reported, delivering a blow to President Vladimir Putin's space ambitions. Roskosmos said it had lost all contact with the probe as it attempted to land on the Moon's south pole, a feat that no nation has yet achieved. "The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the moon," Roskosmos said in a statement. Putin last year vowed that Russia would return to the moon despite Western sanctions that deprive the country of critical advanced technology. A successful landing would have helped boost Russia's prestige following its disastrous invasion of Ukraine and the poor performance of its armed forces. Moscow would have gained "bragging rights" to add to its list of space achievements, including the first to send a satellite, man, woman, and dog into space, Tim Marshall, author of a book on the latest space race, wrote in a post earlier this month. More concretely, a successful landing would have sent a message to Beijing that "Russia remains a serious space power" at a time when Putin is looking to deepen cooperation in space with China amid Western isolation, he said. Roskosmos said a special commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the catastrophic failure. A day prior to the crash, the spacecraft experienced an "abnormal situation" as it prepared to enter a pre-landing orbit prior to its scheduled descent to the lunar surface on August 21. According to Russian media, space officials held an emergency meeting overnight on August 19-20 in an attempt to try to save the mission. "Measures taken on August 19 and 20 to locate the craft and make contact with it were unsuccessful," the Roskosmos statement added. The Luna-25 entered lunar orbit on August 16, becoming the first Russian spacecraft to do so since the Luna-24 in 1976 under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Russia plans to establish a base on the moon by 2040. Most moon missions have landed on its equator. The Luna-25 probe was scheduled to land on the south pole, where scientists believe they might find frozen water and other resources that could be used during longer human stays on the surface of the moon. If the landing succeeded, Russia would have had a leg up in the competition for its resources, according to Marshall. "As on Earth, the resources are finite so it will be first come first served," he wrote. The probe had the capability to dig out rock samples up to 6 inches deep to determine where water and other minerals might be. It was supposed to operate for one year. A rocket carrying the 800-kilogram Luna-25 probe was launched from Russia's Vostochny cosmodrome on August 11. Russia has been racing against India, which plans to land its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft at the moon's south pole on August 23. The United States and China also have advanced lunar-exploration programs and plans to establish lunar bases. In 2011, Russia's ambitious Fobos-Grunt mission to a moon of Mars failed without even exiting Earth's orbit, crashing into the Pacific Ocean in 2012. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and TASS Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-luna-25-probe- abnormal-situation-moon-landing/32555348.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ambassador: China-Iran cooperation at its best Iran Press TV Saturday, 19 August 2023 3:16 PM Chinese Ambassador to Tehran Chang Hua says his country's cooperation with Iran is at its best in various fields, voicing hope that both sides will further improve ties. Chang made the remakrs in a Saturday meeting with Governor of the northwestern Iranian province of West Azarbaijan Mohammad Sadeq Motamedian, IRNA reported. He said there are ample opportunities for cooperation with West Azarbaijan Province in the areas of international trade with Europe, mining and the exchange of experience in the environmental protection. The diplomat added that a document has been signed to boost China's trade with Europe via Iran, noting that the capacities of West Azarbaijan Province and the Silk Road can be used in this regard. He said Beijing and Tehran can also expand their cooperation in tourism given Iran's great tourist attractions. Motamedian, in turn, said West Azarbaijan Province has "very considerable" capacities in the field of international trade and can be regarded as Iran's gateway to Europe. The official explained that the existence of a railway network in West Azarbaijan leading to Turkey and Europe can be used for the transfer of commodities from East Asia to Europe. He said the Chabahar corridor to Maku (in West Azarbaijan) can be used to transfer the Chinese goods to Europe which would consequently reduce costs and the transportation duration. West Azarbaijan Province has also the "best access to Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea" which can be used to optimize trade cooperation, Motamedian emphasized. "Several rich mines and agricultural and tourism capacities are among the other advantages that can be used to enhance cooperation with China," the governor said. China is Iran's largest trade partner. Both countries are subject to different levels of illegal sanctions imposed by the US. They have enjoyed close ties in recent years, particularly after the United States reinstated sanctions on the Iranian economy in 2018 after unilaterally withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal. The two countries signed the landmark 25-year partnership agreement in March 2021 in an attempt to strengthen their long-standing economic and political alliance. The deal was announced during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Tehran back in 2016. It sets the outlines of China-Iran cooperation in political, cultural, security, defense, regional, and international domains for the next 25 years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address To the Chinese diaspora in New Zealand, China mutes critics and feeds talking points Independent Chinese media outlets go out of business and are replaced with Beijing-friendly voices. By Jane Tang for Asia Fact Check Lab 2023.08.19 -- Su Wende's Mandarin Pages newspaper thrived in New Zealand for years - until blacklists and advertising boycotts driven by China's consulate cut the Chinese-language daily to a weekly. Chen Weijian's New Times Weekly was hit by the same tactics and then driven out of business by a lawsuit. The Auckland publishers clashed with a force that was named among top concerns by New Zealand's intelligence agency in its annual security threat report: the targeting of ethnic Chinese communities by people and entities linked to Beijing. The report followed a similar one in March from Canada's intelligence agency that listed China among foreign actors that "monitor, intimidate and harass diaspora communities" and "attempt to silence dissidents and promote favorable narratives." A steady stream of government and media reports about China's influence and information operations in Western countries has shed light on covert Chinese police stations in major cities, harassment of places that host dissidents and media disinformation campaigns. The reports on China's influence machine - confirmed to Radio Free Asia's Asia Fact Check Lab by multiple Chinese media figures in New Zealand - show how Beijing deploys cash, aggressive diplomats and boycotts to produce China-friendly press coverage and deter critical reporting. The effort largely targets growing Chinese diaspora communities in Western democracies, and comes as the United States and allies are reassessing their economic ties to China over security concerns. Blacklisted In Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, Su Wende had dreams of establishing a news agency to serve the Chinese community. In 1987, after graduating college in Malaysia with a computer science degree, Su arrived at the University of Auckland to study business. Four years later, he founded the first free Mandarin newspaper in New Zealand: Mandarin Pages. The paper publishes news, information, translated articles and editorials. It generates revenue from classified ads. "There were only 20,000 Chinese people in Auckland at the time, and we were printing 5,000 copies for every issue," said Su. In its heyday at the start of the century, Su's paper was headquartered in a brightly lit building in downtown Auckland, with more than 20 employees. The newspaper quickly expanded from two to six issues a week and enjoyed what seemed like a never-ending stream of ads and unrivaled influence in the Chinese community of New Zealand. By the end of 2022, however, Mandarin Pages was down to three full-time employees and had relocated to an old one-story red-brick building in Auckland's Chinatown. The publication maintained its print circulation of 5,000, but had shifted to a weekly. "Honestly, since the pandemic, the company's been in the red," he acknowledges. Part of Su's struggle is shared by many print media outlets as they lose ground to digital outlets. But for Mandarin publications reliant on Chinese immigrants, the biggest challenge comes from Chinese diplomatic missions. "In the last five years, I've pretty much been blacklisted by the embassy," Su said. "It's like a form of economic sanction." "The Mandarin Pages no longer gets ads from major Chinese companies like China Southern Airlines and the Bank of China," he added. "It's definitely hit us hard." Su said the Mandarin Pages has been attacked on social media by pro-China voices as anti-Chinese Communist Party, a "separatist supporting Taiwan independence" and a supporter of the banned Falun Gong spiritual group. Mandarin Pages has also faced suspension on WeChat, China's popular Twitter-like platform, for coverage of China's interference in New Zealand politics. And in a hilarious run-in with WeChat, a classified ad listing for an "independent one-bedroom apartment" was rejected because "independent" is a politically sensitive word in China. "Why do I keep going? I don't want to see the United Front media supporting United Front work as the only voice in New Zealand and just defaming the West and New Zealand," Su said, referring to the United Front Works Department, China's main external influence agency. The Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland did not respond to RFA's request for comment. Reuters quoted the Chinese Embassy in Wellington as saying it was "strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed" to the China-related content in the New Zealand intelligence report, which also listed Iran and Russia as countries of concern. Sued out of existence In 1991, Chen Weijian escaped to New Zealand through Hong Kong from Hangzhou, where he previously operated a printing house. He fled a tense political atmosphere in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. In 1996, Chen founded the New Times Weekly in New Zealand. "As the first newspaper founded by mainland Chinese people in New Zealand, our keen understanding of mainland China politics and grounded perspective on the lives of Chinese immigrants allowed us to quickly expand our influence," Chen told RFA. "But after a few months, the consulate started to interfere with our operations," he said. "They sent a list of journalists and writers that we weren't allowed to publish." "I ignored them, but one of my partners from Hong Kong still had business in mainland China and believed that we should comply with the consulate's wishes. We couldn't agree, and so he backed out of the New Times Weekly." Chen and his younger brother, Chen Weiming, picked up the mantle. "The counselor from the consulate-general in Auckland would visit us during weekends with alcohol in tow to convince us that the Communist Party of China is more open now than before," Chen told RFA. "They encouraged us to visit China again and hoped that we could also publish articles painting China in a more positive light instead of simply criticizing." In 2001, the New Times Weekly clashed with the Chinese consulate in Auckland over coverage of the self-immolation of Falun Gong practitioners at Tiananmen Square. Thus began a series of painful sanctions against the news outlet. "The consulate wrote to us, decrying what we published about the Tiananmen Square incident as lies and asking us to publish an explanation from the embassy regarding the self-immolation," said Chen. In a few weeks, the publication started unexpectedly losing advertisements. Chen later found out that the consulate had warned advertising agencies and Chinese communities "against advertising with New Times Weekly because that would be anti-China." The final straw was a 10-year defamation suit filed by the Chinese Herald, a pro-Beijing newspaper. "On June 4, they posted several articles claiming that the (Tiananmen) massacre had made major contributions to the Chinese people and led to 20 years of stable economic growth," Chen said. "We published an article criticizing the Chinese Herald for yielding to the Communist Party's control, and they sued me for defamation." After a costly and time-consuming process, New Times lost the lawsuit and was ordered to pay NZ$50,000 (about US$30,000) in compensation. In 2011, New Times Weekly closed. Despite numerous attempts by Radio Free Asia to interview owner Lili Wang of the Chinese Herald, Wang politely declined to be interviewed. Indirect pressure Sun Jiarui, a 77-year old man from Beijing, left China 42 years ago and spent 25 years in Fiji. He founded a local Mandarin publication called the Fiji Daily before retiring to New Zealand in 2005. Sun is better known by his pseudonym, the South Pacific Frog in a Well, under which he's published several books, hosted Mandarin programs for Radio New Zealand Pacific and the BBC, and written columns for the Mandarin Pages. "Self-censorship in the media, influence from the embassy, and reporting by 'Little Pinks'...mean it's no longer possible to criticize China on Mandarin media outlets in New Zealand," he said. Little Pinks is a derisive term for China's army of nationalistic trolls and online commentators. Over 10 years ago, Sun wrote an article criticizing Chinese diplomats for showing up late and behaving arrogantly during a local event. "The assistant editor responsible for typesetting was a student from mainland China. Right before publication, the editor-in-chief of the Chinese Herald, known for his close ties with the embassy, called the Mandarin Pages requesting that we pull the article," said Sun in an account confirmed by editors involved with the dispute. "Through the incident, I learned that the embassy had deployed people to control the media," Sun said. 'Magic Weapons' While Mandarin Pages struggles, however, the Chinese Herald has grown its staff and circulation. One of the world's leading scholars on China's influence and propaganda outreach policy is a New Zealander named Anne-Marie Brady, a professor at Canterbury University. She has tracked how the Chinese Communist Party works with local Chinese-language media outlets or buys publications to exert its influence. "The leading Auckland Chinese language paper, the Chinese Herald has close personell links to the PRC consulate works with the All-China Federation of Overseas Chinese," Brady wrote in a 2017 study. "The paper was originally totally independent, but like many other papers, it has been steadily 'harmonized' with Chinese media control agencies," she wrote. Brady's report on Chinese influence efforts, titled "Magic Weapons: China's political influence activities under Xi Jinping," identified party links to influential Mandarin media outlets in New Zealand. In early 2018, Brady's home and office were burglarized, and laptops and a burner phone were taken, while valuables were untouched, and her mechanic said the family car was tampered with. Diverging views As is the case in many countries in response to leader Xi Jinping's authoritarianism, nationalistic foreign policy and the COVID-19 pandemic, public opinion toward China in New Zealand has soured. A poll released by the Pew Research Center in 2021 showed that 67% of New Zealanders hold negative views of China and up to 80% believe in speaking up against China's human rights violations despite the country being New Zealand's biggest trading partner. "Around 10 years ago, the people of New Zealand saw China as a great opportunity, a rising nation about to become a part of the international community," said Jason Young, director of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Center. "Around 2017, (China's image) started changing." But preliminary data from research by Taiwan's Doublethink Lab seen by RFA shows that while over 70% of non-Chinese New Zealanders hold negative views of China, over 60% of Chinese respondents in the country expressed positive views of China. Doublethink Lab, a research outfit that tracks China's global influence, has identified traits in people susceptible to the Chinese Communist Party's information outreach: a low sense of belonging in New Zealand, participation in Chinese communities, systematic Mandarin learning, familiarity with Mandarin media in New Zealand and getting their news from Chinese social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo. "For older generations of Chinese immigrants, the rise of China has given them renewed confidence," said New Zealand author and ethnicity researcher Tze Ming Mok. "To a certain extent, they've attached their self-worth to China: Anyone criticizing China is criticizing me." Restoring the glory The majority of new Chinese immigrants rely heavily on WeChat and Mandarin communities for their information, making them soft targets for the Communist Party's information warfare. Tze noted that at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, very few senior Chinese immigrants were vaccinated because China's social media platforms carried the narrative that "American vaccines are bad for Chinese people." In his decade in power, Xi has put great importance on targeting overseas Chinese, placing the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office under the United Front Work Department and ramping up the information outreach. Xi's notion of all Chinese "working together to restore the glory of China" seems to resonate with many members of the Chinese community in New Zealand, which over the past century has grown from 3,000 people, or less than 0.3% of the national population, to 250,000, accounting for around 5% of the country's 5 million people. When talking about sensitive topics such as human rights violations in Xinjiang and the destruction of the democracy movement in Hong Kong, senior Chinese immigrants echo the slogans, narratives and wording used by China's official spokespeople and propaganda nearly word for word. "New Zealand should remain neutral. We can't follow the U.S. into everything, like a puppet," said Terry Wang, an 81-year-old second-generation immigrant. "Look at Hong Kong: The city is filled with CIA operatives whose sole purpose is to create chaos. The U.S. selectively criticizes China for violating human rights in Xinjiang only when it serves their interest," added Wang, repeating lines often heard at Chinese Foreign Ministry news conferences. At the Auckland Chinese Community Center, where elderly long-time immigrants play ukulele and sing, or square off at mahjong, Kai Luey quickly cites the China Global Television Network, the global arm of China's state broadcaster, when asked where he gets his news on China. "CGTN! It's helped me learn more about China," the 82-year-old said. "China has made me very proud. They've brought tens of millions of people out of poverty and they've never invaded any countries even after their rise - unlike the British and European colonizers," Luey said. "They only have bad things to say about China." As he welcomes members to the mahjong room, Luey turns around and adds a chestnut from party propaganda: "Present-day China wouldn't be possible without the Communist Party!" Editing by Paul Eckert. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address HKSAR chief listens to public views on upcoming policy address with focus on talents, tourism Global Times By Chen Qingqing Published: Aug 20, 2023 06:46 PM John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive (CE) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), listened to public concerns and suggestions from hundreds of people on Sunday during a district forum for the upcoming policy address in October, which is expected to include some new measures to attract talents and boost tourism. The two-session forum, held in Aldrich Bay Government Primary School and lasting two hours, was attended by about 120 people from all walks of life. During the forum, community members voiced their opinions on topics including land and housing, transport, innovation and technology, finance, culture and sports, education, youth, poverty alleviation, healthcare and social welfare, according to the website of the HKSAR government. In the second session, participants were divided into four groups with the goal of engaging in extensive discussions with principal officials on themes that include boosting the economy and people's livelihoods. Lee interacted with those participating in each group in turn. Lee delivered his first policy address at the Legislative Council in October 2022, rolling out a series of measures in regard to attracting global talents, enhancing the city's competitiveness as an international financial hub, and further integrating into the country's overall development plan. The CE said the public generally agreed to the governance policy in the 2022 Policy Address, and he hopes to listen to more public views and consolidate the objectives and implementation of different policies, so as to deepen and broaden policies as well as identify priorities. The 2023 Policy Address is scheduled to be delivered on October 25, and the HKSAR government will conduct more than 30 consultation sessions to listen to views and suggestions of Legislative Council members, representatives of various sectors and members of the public. Following the uncertainties in the global economy, Hong Kong society now expects the HKSAR government to formulate and implement policies to foster the local economy and business sustainability, some observers said. Lau Siu-kai, a member of the Chief Executive Policy Unit Expert Group, told the Global Times on Sunday that the HKSAR government should implement the important policies proposed in last year's policy address and deliver tangible results as soon as possible, so as to boost public confidence in the government and Hong Kong. "There's no need to force new policies every year," he said. "Many of the important policies proposed in last year's policy address have crossed the five-year term. The HKSAR government has been facing the financial pressure and grim external situation, so it should cherish and make good use of resources," Lau said. "We have too much experience in tolerating the poor standard of civil services. Several departments have not done their roles properly. Patients have to queue up for a year just for a five-minute medical consultation in public hospitals. Somehow the public housing resources are wrongly allocated to those with their assets hidden outside the jurisdiction," Chu Kar-kin, a Hong Kong-based veteran current affairs commentator who has been following the forum, told the Global Times on Sunday. Also, talents are attracted to the city, but jobs are not secure and careers are not promising. Taxpayers are paying for services or resources they cannot enjoy, Chu said. "Property prices and rents have rocketed for a decade and is in an adjustment stage. The government should allocate more resources to invest in our future such as education and welfare for the elderly. The government should also foster the cultivation of the technology and creative sector," he said. During the forum, Lee said that "it is necessary to look at the different needs of the public in their daily lives and understand the living conditions of various community sectors when formulating policies," so as to respond proactively to the people's aspirations, local media The Standard reported. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Inspects KPA Navy Unit Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, inspected the Guards 2nd Surface Ship Flotilla of the East Sea Fleet of the Navy of the Korean People's Army (KPA) honored with the title of O Jung Hup-led 7th Regiment. The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un was greeted by Admiral Kim Myong Sik, commander of the KPA Navy, and commanding officers of the fleet and the flotilla. The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un looked back with deep emotion on the combat course of history followed by the unit associated with the great feats of our Party in leading the army. He requested the unit to further intensify education through our Party's feats of leading the army, always set an example in preparations for combat and always take the lead in strengthening the navy. Then he learned in detail about the state of the preparedness of warships of the surface ship flotilla for combat and war and the military service of the soldiers and the plan for updating the naval port. After getting on the Patrol Ship No. 661 which will be on sea alert, he acquainted himself in detail with its weapons and preparations for combat, and highly praised the ship for maintaining high mobility and mighty striking power and constant preparedness for combat to cope with sudden situation. That day he watched the seamen of the patrol ship staging a drill of launching strategic cruise missiles. At the drill aimed to reconfirm the combat function of the ship and the feature of its missile system and make the seamen skilled at carrying out the attack mission in actual war, the ship rapidly hit target without even an error. As a result, the ship's regular posture for mobilization and offensive ability were perfectly appreciated. Pointing to the important mission and duty of the KPA Navy for frustrating the enemy's will for war in emergency, carrying out the strategic and tactical plan of the Supreme Headquarters and defending the sovereignty and security of the country, Kim Jong Un advanced our Party's revolutionary policy for strengthening the Navy for making it an all-round and powerful Juche-based service group with rapidly improved combat efficiency and full modern means of surface and underwater offensive and defensive. He said that we would put spurs to the modernization of naval weapons and equipment including the building of powerful warships and the development of shipboard and underwater weapon systems, holding fast to the line of developing the naval forces set forth at the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, and thus achieve remarkable successes in radically improving the modernity and combat capability of the Navy in a short span of time. He said that all the surface and underwater warship units of the Navy should thoroughly keep constant mobility and steadily increase the capability for actual war so that they can actively carry out their combat missions in the unfavorable circumstances by raising a hot wind of intensifying combat training with the viewpoint that training precisely means war preparations. As is always emphasized, the victory or defeat in battle is attributable to the political, ideological, mental and moral superiority of the soldiers, he said, adding that what is really necessary in battle is not the numerical and technical superiority of weapons and equipment but the overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength of the soldiers who handle them. There can be neither unbeatable enemy nor failed battle for a soldier armed with the indomitable spirit, and it is important for the present generation to steadily carry forward the tradition and spirit peculiar to the KPA without an inch of deviation, he said. He expressed belief that only victory and glory are in store for the Navy as the indomitable fighting spirit of the naval fighters of the preceding generations including heroes Kim Kun Ok and Chae Jong Bo, who have long recorded the invulnerable heroic spirit in the brilliant combat course of the Navy, inspires the sailors of the new generation to victory and the great Juche idea illuminates the course of victory. He expressed expectation and belief that all the sailors would more firmly prepare themselves to be frontline soldiers of national defence and death-defying corps of the sea, fully displaying the spirit of devotedly defending the country, thus defending and reliably demonstrating the great reputation and honor of the heroic sailors of the preceding generation who worked miracles unprecedented in the world history of naval warfare. Receiving his deep trust, all the service personnel of the unit pledged to firmly prepare themselves to be brave warriors who are firmly defending the sovereignty of the DPRK and the security and happiness of its people and recording the route of loyalty to the country's sea by consolidating the tremendous might of the heroic KPA Navy, bearing in mind the mission of defending the country instilled by him. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Council Member Chi Osse has garnered a majority of his colleagues as sponsors of a bill to shift the cost of residential rental brokers fees to landlords, instead of having them fall on renters, arguing that its fairer that tenants dont pay for a service they didnt ask for. The Real Estate Board of New York has mounted a full counteroffensive, warning of ballooning costs and a degraded market. Whos right? No one, probably. The impact would likely be more muted than either side contends. Will the system collapse in a heap of free-for-all, chaotic rentals managed by landlords incorporating fees into hugely increased rents, or in over their heads trying to handle brokering on their own, as REBNY claims? Probably not. Will the bill guarantee that renters have a seamless experience without the onerous cost of paying a significant sum to a middleman, with no hit to rents, as Osse has insinuated? Probably not. This rental market is different than practically anywhere else, yet it still responds to the same principles. Dire warnings put forth by REBNY sound more like fixable issues than inevitable eventualities. The argument that the new market would be murky and feature bait-and-switch tactics and unscrupulous actors ignores that the current market is murky and features much of the same. Concerns that inexperienced landlords might end up discriminating against, for example, housing voucher holders seem like something for enforcement authorities to contend with; compliance with the law isnt optional, after all. Rents over the last year have skyrocketed well beyond increases in owner costs, a result of surging demand in the post-pandemic era and our continued dismal failure to even approach the level of housing construction that the city needs. Will the passage of the bill lead to increased rents? Almost certainly, but not out of absolute necessity. Landlords will raise the rents where they can, and losing the competitive advantage against no-fee, higher-rent apartments will mean that a lot of them will default to matching the higher rents, even if their costs dont differ much. That doesnt make Osse right about the dynamics here, particularly when it comes to brokers. The market incentivizes landlords to contract with brokers because they know theyre not absorbing the cost. Theyll be less likely to do so once it starts eating into profits, and cash-strapped renters arent going to infill that collapse in demand. So while the current brokerage system isnt going to cave in, its also very unlikely to remain at its current size in the aftermath. Renters may wonder what exactly brokers are even adding to the whole transaction in an era of Streeteasy and video tours shared via text. There certainly have been egregious cases of brokers pulling in thousands of dollars for, essentially, sending a few emails. Yet its brokers who are listing and ensuring that the available stock remains transparent and up-to-date. Without them, the system would be more of a nightmare to navigate than it already is, even if renters dont want to pay for them. Where does that leave us? Mainly with an acknowledgement of the many shortcomings of our undersupplied housing system. This bill wont fix those issues, and it wont send the system into a tailspin either. Giant strides made in last nine years towards making our defence sector 'Aatmanirbhar'; Most of the weapons with Armed Forces are made in India: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence "New India believes in issue-based multi-alignment; takes decisions sans any pressure" "Govt's aim is to make India a developed & empowered nation by 2047" Posted On: 19 AUG 2023 8:14PM by PIB Delhi The defence sector, in the last nine years, has made giant strides towards achieving self-reliance and due to the efforts of the Government, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, most of the weapons being used by the Armed Forces are made in India. This was stated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at a G-20 Summit organised by a private TV news channel in New Delhi on August 19, 2023. Describing the significance of 'Aatmanirbharta', Shri Rajnath Singh said, "Without self-reliance, we cannot take independent decisions on global issues in line with our national interests. The dependence on import of defence equipment is a hindrance to India's strategic autonomy. Imports adversely affect the Balance of Trade that is detrimental to our economy. Self reliance not only strengthens the economy, but greatly enhances employment opportunities too." The Raksha Mantri listed out various steps taken by the Ministry of Defence towards achieving 'Aatmanirbharta'. These include issuance of eight positive indigenisation lists - four by Department of Military Affairs comprising 410 weapons and platforms for the Armed Forces and four others of 4,666 items by Department of Defence Production for the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). Besides banning the import of these items, the Government has insisted on their manufacturing in India itself. Shri Rajnath Singh emphasised that 'New India' is indigenously making Aircraft Carriers like INS Vikrant, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas and the country is now moving towards self-reliance in every field. On India's G-20 presidency, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that it demonstrates the growing stature of India in the international community. He talked about the shift in India's approach in the foreign policy from non-alignment to multi-alignment. "We do not believe in non-alignment. We believe in issue-based multi-alignment. Today, our thinking is not escapist, but pro-active and pragmatic. While taking decisions, now we are guided by the national interest. We are taking decisions without any pressure." The Raksha Mantri pointed out that due to the Government's efforts, India is now among the top five economies and in the coming years it will become a US$ five trillion economy, among the top three. "India was once ridiculed for its low economic growth rate in the 60s and 70s. Today, we are the fastest growing major economy in the world," he said. Shri Rajnath Singh stressed that the government has addressed the issue of poverty resolutely, due to which 13.5 crore people have risen above the poverty line in the last five years, as per NITI Aayog. He added that the world bodies, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, have appreciated the Government's efforts towards eliminating poverty. From the category of Fragile Five, investment firm Morgan Stanley has now kept India in the group of Fabulous Five, he said. On education and health, the Raksha Mantri asserted that the government has paid adequate attention to the two most important pillars of the country. "We have established seven new IITs and seven new IIMs, besides setting up about 400 new universities across the country. We have brought a radical change in the education system by introducing the new National Education Policy. While the number of AIIMS in the country has tripled as compared to 2014, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana has provided free health insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh annually to 10 crore families of the country," he said. Highlighting the digital transformation in India in the last nine years, Shri Rajnath Singh said, "the maximum number of digital transactions across the world are taking place in our country." In 2013-14, there were about 127 crore digital transactions, which has gone up almost 100 times to 12,735 crore in 2022-23. The Raksha Mantri underlined that the Government has zero tolerance against corruption and strictest action is being taken against those engaged in money laundering and plundering the resources of common masses. Elaborating on the Government's vision, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that 'New India' is aspirational, which sets big goals for itself. "It is no longer ready to accept that it is a country of the weak. New India does not bear the mentality of slavery, or accepts false narrative of slavery and cowardice. It believes in the true narrative of bravery and patriotism. New India, which we are building, does not have any inferiority complex at the cultural level. It is proud of its roots," he added. Shri Rajnath Singh summed up his address by saying that the structure of 'New India' has been prepared and the Government is striving to convert this into a strong & robust building. "The next 25 years will be very crucial as it will determine how beautiful and grand this building will be. By 2047, we not only wish to make India a developed nation, but also complete the journey by making it empowered," he said. ********* ABB/Anand (Release ID: 1950497) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address INS VAGIR ON AN EXTENDED RANGE DEPLOYMENT TO FREMANTLE, AUSTRALIA India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 19 AUG 2023 7:22PM by PIB Delhi INS Vagir, an Indian Navy (IN) submarine, is on an extended-range deployment. The deployment commenced in Jun 2023 and Vagir will reach Fremantle, Australia on 20 Aug 23. The submarine, which is the Indian Navy's fifth Kalvari class submarine, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Jan 2023 and is based in Mumbai. During her stay in Australia, INS Vagir will participate in various exercises with Royal Australian Navy (RAN) units on the West Coast of Australia. Concurrently, on the East coast of Australia, Indian Naval ships and aircraft are involved in Exercise MALABAR 23 from 11-21 Aug 23 and AUSINDEX 23 from 22-24 Aug 23. During the ongoing deployment, basic, intermediate and advanced-level Anti-Submarine exercises are scheduled. In addition, the RAN submarine and Indian Naval P8i aircraft are scheduled to exercise with INS Vagir. This deployment will further augment the cooperation and synergy between IN and RAN. The ongoing deployment is a testament to the reach and sustenance of IN submarines. The extended range deployment is the maiden deployment by an IN submarine to Australia and showcases the capability and professional acumen of IN to undertake sustained operations at extended ranges from the base port for prolonged durations. Earlier during the deployment, INS Vagir had visited Colombo as part of the International Day of Yoga on 21 Jun 23. ****** VM/PS (Release ID: 1950460) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC rangers defuse terrorist attempts on Ashura, Tasu'a days: Cmdr. IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 19, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Rangers of the Islamic Republic Guards Corps (IRGC) have neutralized terrorist attempts in Iran on Ashura and Tasu'a days, according to the commander of IRGC Ground Force. Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said that the enemies had plans to carry out terrorist and destabilizing operations which were thwarted by the dispatch of five IRGC ranger units to border regions. The commander said that the IRGC carried out a drone and missile operation which aimed to force disarm the anti-revolutionary groups or force them back to their camps. He added that the operation was an accurate one which dealt a heavy blow to the anti-revolutionary groups in the northern Iraqi region by means of 70 missiles and tens of drones. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'IRGC, Army among top military powers thanks to their synergy' IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 19, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's top general says cooperation and synergy between the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Army have placed them among the top military powers of the region and the world. Addressing the 24th meeting of IRGC commanders and officials in Tehran on Saturday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri hailed the IRGC's performance during the last year, saying the elite force, alongside the Army, operates as a powerful arm of the Islamic Republic. The remarks came two days after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called the IRGC the greatest counter-terrorism organization in the world. "Today, the IRGC is the biggest anti-terror organization in the world," he said during a meeting with IRGC commanders and officials on Thursday. "It is a well-equipped military organization. It is an efficient and independent organization that can do things that many big armies in the world cannot do." Baqeri further said, "This revolutionary organization has thwarted the plans of the Global Arrogance," describing the "green-wearing" forces of the IRGC as the most important obstacle to total US domination over the world. "The IRGC is an obstacle to an absolute domination of the Global Arrogance, and this is the reason for the enmities and pressures of the United States and its allies against the IRGC," he added. General Baqeri further said the US is still seeking a unipolar world, arguing that Washington's power is in decline. "Today, Russia is standing up to the expansionism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and China is also seeking to strengthen its military power to confront the United States," he noted. He added that international organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS have also demonstrated their power in the world. These are all signs of the decline of the United States, the top Iranian general reiterated. 4354**7129 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC Navy fast attack craft can sail at speed of 110 knots: Commander Iran Press TV Saturday, 19 August 2023 9:38 AM The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says the homegrown fast attack craft operated by the naval force can now sail at the speed of 110 nautical knots (203 km/h). Addressing a gathering of high-profile IRGC commanders and officials in the Iranian capital city of Tehran on Saturday, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said the IRGC Navy's experts have increased the speed of the vessels, as demanded by the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. "Nowadays, we possess fast attack craft that can sail at a speed of between 90 to 110 knots," Tangsiri said. He pointed out that IRGC naval forces are now in full control of the Persian Gulf, and US aircraft carriers have to observe Iran's maritime regulations while sailing in the strategic body of water. "There was a time when NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) member states did not comply with our maritime regulations. But they now conform to the IRGC Navy's warnings. For instance, IRGC vessels once sailed towards a US aircraft carrier, and the warship retreated at least [nautical] 150 miles (277 kilometers)," the senior military commander said. He went on to note that the IRGC Navy is now in possession of various types of combat, reconnaissance, surveillance and hybrid unmanned aerial vehicles and has a wide inventory of ground-based anti-ship missiles. "We have managed to install rocket launchers on 8-meter-long fast attack craft. We are the first country in the West Asia region to manufacture a vessel, with an airstrip for drones to fly from or land on," Tangsiri said. Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient. Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations. Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran's defense capabilities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Arrests Activists Before Anniversary of Amini's Death By VOA Persian Service August 19, 2023 The number of detainees in Iran's Gilan province has risen to 13 after the apprehension reported Friday of 12 people on charges related to "activities against national security," Azizollah Maleki, the commander of Gilan's Law Enforcement Force, said. According to the state supported ILNA news agency, Maleki did not disclose the identities of the recently detained individuals in Gilan. He did reveal that "considerable quantities of tools and materials for anti-system propaganda, as well as communication devices for opposing networks, were located and confiscated from the suspects' hideouts." He said in a statement that "officers of the Public Security Police acted upon reports of unlawful conduct attributed to specific individuals in Rasht, Anzali, Fouman, and Lahijan cities, coinciding with the anniversary of last year's incidents." He was referring to the widespread protests following the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody for allegedly disobeying the dress code. Anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death Ahead of the upcoming September 16 first anniversary of Amini's death, several reports are emerging concerning the detainment of various civil and labor activists, along with family members of those who had been arrested or killed during last year's widespread protests across Iran. Gilan's police chief has characterized the charges against the detainees as "conspiracy and cooperation in committing acts against the national security, along with involvement in propagandistic endeavors against the system in favor of opposition factions." He did not disclose where the 12 individuals were being held but did confirm the police investigations of the suspects are underway. On Thursday, the Intelligence Department of Gilan province said that the 12 were known to engage in diverse anti-security activities amid the 2022 protests and were engaged in identifying and gathering information about other individuals who were previously involved in those events. Investigators allege that the ringleaders intended to assemble a by deceiving certain young individuals and enlisting their support a groups to create circumstances conducive to unrest and insecurity in Gilan province and other cities within the Kurdistan province. For decades, the security apparatus and judicial bodies of the Islamic Republic of Iran have levied analogous charges against political, labor, and civil activists. The accused activists and global human rights organizations have persistently refuted these allegations. The Iranian Human Rights Campaign has highlighted the arbitrary detentions of women's rights activists in Gilan. The organization underscores the imperative to meticulously document each of these cases, a crucial step toward the comprehensive work of the U.N. Truth Commission. This effort aims to shed light on many human rights violations perpetrated by the Islamic Republic. Bidar Zani, a collaborative media platform of women's rights activists, had earlier reported the arrest of 12 women activists and one political activist by security forces this past week. According to Bidar Zani, the arrested individuals include: Jelveh Javaheri, Forough Saminia, Matin Yazdani, Yasamin Hashdari, Negin Rezai, Zahra Dadras, Zohreh Dadras, Vahedeh Khosh-Sirat, Shiva Shah-Siah, Sara Jahani, Azadeh Chavoshian, and Hooman Taheri. They were apprehended in the cities of Rasht, Lahijan, Fuman, and Bandar Anzali. The families of the detainees in Gilan province visited the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's office of Rasht on Thursday seeking information about their condition. According to Bidar Zani, the prosecutor's office withheld details about who arrested the activists and where they were being held. The families were told to return to the prosecutor's office Saturday for more information. Bidar Zani reports the detained activists are being denied the right to make phone calls, which raises concerns regarding their well-being and safety. 15 detainees Meanwhile, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights is reporting the arrest of "four young residents from the city of Mahabad." The activists are identified as Shirkou Nasiri, Hiva Shabang, Ashkan Rasouli, and Hedayat Khaste, along with two individuals from Oshnavieh named Shirvan Khezri and Ayoub Mirzai, by security forces. As a result, the tally of detainees in these two cities alone has risen to more than 15 individuals in recent days. The Iranian Retirement Council, a pensioner's organization, acknowledged on its Telegram channel the "sweeping surge on the threshold of the commemoration of Iran's most significant societal upheaval; the movement for 'woman, life, and freedom.'" The council highlighted that through overt defiance against all forms of oppression, women have united across all facets of existence, challenging the authorities and confronting every form of intimidation, repression, and coercion with extraordinary bravery. It further said their unwavering determination remains unyielding despite all obstacles, showcasing their unparalleled courage. The council emphasized that "those who have been apprehended are the children of the revolution, and we have stood and will continue to stand beside them." In a resolute statement, the council declared, "we perceive these arrests as an extension of the effort to quash various movements for livelihood and freedom, and we vehemently denounce this action." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran self-sufficient in production of ground forces equipment: Commander IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 20, 2023 Moscow, IRNA -- The commander of the Ground Force of the Iranian Army Brigadier-General Kiumars Heidari has announced that Iran is fully self-sufficient in production of equipment needed by the force, adding that Iran does not rely on any other country for the needs of its ground forces. Heidari made remarks while visiting Iran's booth in Russia's military exhibition, known as Army Forum 2023, in Moscow on Sunday. He said some experts are working in 23 military branches to meet the needs of the ground forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, adding that they have achieved self-sufficiency in those fields. General Heydari is currently in Moscow at the invitation of Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces of Russia General Oleg Salyukov. During his visit, he will hold talks with his Russian counterpart to discuss various issues and will visit some technological and training centers in the country. He also plans to meet with some officials from Russia's armed forces headquarters and the country's Ministry of Defense. 9376**9417**4261 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC forces US warship entering Persian Gulf to land its helicopters IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 20, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) have forced a US warship entering the Persian Gulf to land their helicopters and avoid approaching the territorial waters of Iran, according to a footage published by force. The footage was published on Sunday in the closing hours of a meeting of IRGC's Supreme Assembly of Commanders. It showed IRGC forces warning the US warship that it should land helicopters that were flying near the Iranian territorial waters or they will be fired at by the IRGC. US forces then obey the command and land the helicopters, according to the video. Commander of the IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said after the footage was screened that IRGC naval forces are closely monitoring American military movements in the Strait of Hormuz. He also emphasized that there is no need for trans-regional forces to be present in the Persian Gulf, adding that Iran and neighboring countries are cooperating to guarantee the security of the strategic waterway. 6125**9417**4261 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Army ground force commander in Russia for bilateral talks IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 20, 2023 Moscow, IRNA -- The Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Force, Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari, has arrived in Moscow at the invitation of Russia. Upon arrival in Moscow, General Heydari was welcomed by Iran's Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali and senior officials of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation, IRNA reported on Sunday. General Heydari is visiting Moscow at the invitation of Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces of Russia General Oleg Salyukov. During his visit, he will hold talks with his Russian counterpart on various issues and visit some technological and training centers in the country. He also plans to meet with some officials at Russia's Armed Forces and Ministry of Defense. 1483**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's Army commander arrives in Moscow for bilateral talks ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sun / 20 August 2023 / 13:12 Tehran (ISNA) - Iranian Army Ground Forces commander Brigadier General Kiumars Heidari paid a visit to Moscow on Sunday to meet with Russian military officials. Upon his arrival in Moscow, General Heidari said, "I traveled to Moscow at the official invitation of Russian Army commander. Iran and Russia enjoy great relations and this trip has taken in line with these interactions. We have good cooperation with Russian side in military issues, especially in fields of education and sport. During the visit, I will meet with a number of Russian military officials and also visit the Russian defense industry exhibition". "Self-sufficiency is a principle in the Iranian armed forces. We have 23 branches in the Army Ground Force that can complete our defense cycle. We have reached sufficient independence in these 23 branches and do not need any country," he added. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In a welcome move last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the extension and re-designation of temporary protected status for Ukrainians, allowing those whove arrived as of Aug. 16 to remain in the country with work authorization and protection from deportation at least through April 19, 2025. The move was a no-brainer, providing some security for those fleeing a brutal invasion. Still, its not the moment to call it a day. TPS is, as the suggests, structured to be temporary, though in practice it often isnt. There are current TPS holders from countries including Somalia and El Salvador that have been living here in a sort of status limbo for decades, getting renewals but no fundamental security. Thats because Congress failed to build in a path to residency and eventual citizenship, apparently having not considered that it would never quite be safe for nationals of certain countries to return. So we dont have to speculate about the fate that will befall hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian TPS recipients, because its happened to many others before them. Without further congressional action, theyll be stuck in a kind of semi-permanent status, building lives in the United States without any clear way to guarantee their place past the next re-designation cycle, and never able to naturalize. That could be addressed by the passage of the Ukrainian Adjustment Act, a bill to provide a path to residency for Ukrainians paroled into the United States which would cover most TPS holders along with those that have come in through parole programs and not received TPS since the outbreak of hostilities with Russia in 2014. This is an even bigger no-brainer for Congress, unless its interested in the diplomatic, public relations and ethical nightmare of having the fate of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees be subject to the continuing support and whims of the executive, who could very well be Donald Trump, a man who seems all too happy to throw Ukrainians under the bus for his own domestic political ambitions. If policymakers fail to act and end up in two years with Ukrainians being stripped of status and unceremoniously deported. Congress should also pass the Afghan and Venezuelan Adjustment Acts, bills that would provide paths to citizenship for hundreds of thousands more people who are busying themselves building lives here after fleeing the collapse of the Afghan government in the aftermath of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, or the regime Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, one of the U.S.s most vehement regional opponents. In fact, why stop there? If Congress is already passing laws, why limit them to these patches without addressing the underlying issues? It should go back to the drawing board and totally reformulate our humanitarian immigration systems to prevent people from ending up in these limbos in the first place. That will entail a recommitment to an expansive global refugee system that can more quickly process people abroad and allow them to arrive in the U.S. with status in hand, as well as a return to policies to let people whove been in the country for years without incident apply for permanent residency regardless of their status, a consensus position in a bygone era of bipartisan understanding on immigration. Iran's ex-top banker accused of passing confidential information to IMF Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 7:14 PM Former Central Bank of Iran (CBI) governor Abdolnasser Hemmati has been accused of supplying confidential information to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) three years ago when he was seeking to secure a multi-billion dollar loan from the fund to finance Iran's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Peyman Ghorbani, a former deputy at the CBI and its current head of research, said on Sunday that Hemmati had passed highly-sensitive monetary and economic data to the IMF in 2020 when Iran applied for a loan under IMF's Rapid Financing Instrument. Ghorbani said the data included information about CBI's forex reserves in banks in other countries, which were declining at the time because of US sanctions, as well as data about Iran's general economic performance. He said the IMF had used the data in an analytic report about the global economic situation published in April 2021 when Iran was "in the midst of an economic war" with the US. "At the time, Hemmati claimed while reacting to the IMF report that its estimate about the amount of CBI reserves was an obvious mistake and said the report was an erroneous one that was based on flawed information," wrote Ghorbani in a thread on his account on the X platform. The revelations come amid debates in the local Iranian media about the release of some $6 billion worth of Iranian funds in South Korea which is taking place under an emerging prisoner swap deal between Iran and the United States. Hemmati has sought to belittle the deal by saying that he could have easily secured the release of the CBI funds in other countries when he was CBI governor if he had enough political support. Ghorbani said, however, that the former chief banker is only trying to deflect blame by criticizing the prisoner swap deal with the US. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC forces US helicopter carrier to ground choppers in Strait of Hormuz Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 3:46 PM Video footage released by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy shows Iranian speedboats issuing warnings to a US helicopter carrier in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing the warship to ground its choppers before they can enter Iran's territorial waters. Addressing a gathering of high-profile IRGC commanders and officials in Tehran on Saturday, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said the Navy made the intruding vessel to comply with orders from the Iranian speedboats. The commander said the IRGC deployed vessels from the Zolfaqar flotilla to the scene and, in coordination with the speedboats, forced the US helicopters to land shortly after they took off from the vessel's flying deck. During the Saturday meeting, the IRGC Navy released footage from the Thursday confrontation. Tangsiri said the August 17 intrusion was the first of its kind by US forces since November 2021. The top commander underscored the prowess of the IRGC Navy and said, "Iran and other neighboring Persian Gulf countries can ensure regional security and they have no need to the presence of outsiders." Tangsiri said the IRGC Navy's success in monitoring the maritime movements in the Persian Gulf and its vigilance in the face of threats, particularly from the warships of extra-regional countries, proved that the Iranian forces would never allow enemies to undermine security in the strategic region. Iran has made it clear that it views US military vessels lurking in the waters of the Persian Gulf as a threat to its national security and a source of tension and instability in the region. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly vowed to give a decisive response to any hostile move by Washington that would disrupt the security of the strategic waterway. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Army's Ground Force 'self-sufficient' in production of military equipment: Cmdr. Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 3:07 PM The Iranian Army's Ground Force has reached a "very good" level of self-sufficiency in the production of essential combat equipment and bears no dependence on any foreign countries in ground defense, says Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari. The commander of the Ground Force was quoted by IRNA as making the statement on the sidelines of a visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran's pavilion at Russia's Army-2023 International Military-Technical Forum near the capital Moscow on Sunday. Stressing that self-reliance is on the agenda of Iran's Armed Forces, Heidari said the entire 23 divisions of the Ground Force are working to meet the needs of the military unit and have reached self-sufficiency. The commander also underlined the Islamic Republic's self-sufficiency in supplying tanks and electronic warfare equipment, among others. Earlier in the day, Heydari arrived in Russia at the official invitation of his counterpart General Oleg Salyukov and visited the Russian military expo in Patriot Park in the suburbs of Moscow. During his stay, the top commander will visit some educational, technological and operational centers of Russia. He will also meet with some officials of the Russian armed forces and Ministry of Defense. The exhibition, organized by the Russian Defense Ministry, was held from August 14 to 20. Virtually 1,500 leading Russian defense enterprises and as many as 85 foreign companies and organizations from seven countries took part in the event. Iran's domestically-manufactured Ababil ballistic missile was for the first time put on display at the military exhibition, alongside a range of other cutting-edge Iranian military equipment, including drones and electronic warfare systems. The Islamic Republic also for the first time showcased a replica of its tactical Sayyad air defense system at the exhibition. Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great progress in developing a broad range of military equipment, making the Armed Forces self-sufficient in the defense sector. Iranian officials have repeatedly said the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to build up its defense capabilities, emphasizing that such abilities are entirely meant for the purpose of defense and will never be subject to negotiations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian president will leave for South Africa on Wednesday to attend BRICS summit Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 2:27 PM Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi is scheduled to travel to South Africa to participate in the annual meeting of the BRICS group of emerging economies. Raeisi will leave Tehran for Johannesburg on Wednesday to take part in the 15th summit of BRICS heads of state at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. In addition to giving a speech at the summit, the Iranian president will also meet with a number of leaders in attendance. The upcoming summit of the BRICS will be held in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24. The leaders of 70 countries have been invited to the event. According to South Africa, some 40 nations have shown interest in joining, either formally or informally, including Saudi Arabia, Argentina and Egypt. The summit is expected to discuss the potential expansion of the group, referred to as BRICS +, and turn it into a geopolitical bloc to challenge Western dominance. BRICS+ aims to add more countries to the group in order to build a strong transcontinental multilateral alliance. The plan has provided an opportunity for other countries to forge closer links with the bloc of major emerging economies to advance their interests. The summit, entitled "BRICS and Africa", will also emphasize on how the bloc can build ties with a continent increasingly becoming a scene for competition between world powers. The BRICS group of fast-developing economies a Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa a is often seen as an alternative development partner to the Western economic and political hegemony. The five-nation bloc accounts for 42 percent of the global population and about 26 percent of the world's economy, according to the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies. The New Development Bank (NDB) launched by the BRICS bloc also aims to de-dollarize finance and increase local currency fundraising and lending, amid Western sanctions against founding shareholder Russia. Iran is among dozens of countries that seek membership in BRICS and has submitted a formal application to join the body. Russia and China have welcomed Iran's application and the group's expansion to include international powerhouses. Back in July, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that the Islamic Republic's potential accession to BRICS will promote multilateralism and counter unilateral policies, including sanctions. He added that Iran's potential membership in the bloc would provide the country with an opportunity to make use of great capacities from Africa to Asia, Latin America, and other countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran nabs 200 Daesh terrorists plotting attacks during Arba'een march: Minister Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 11:20 AM Iran's Intelligence Ministry says it has arrested about 200 members of the Daesh terrorist group plotting to foment chaos and instability during the rituals of Arba'een, which marks the fortieth day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS). Speaking at the 24th Supreme Assembly of Commanders of the IRGC in Tehran on Saturday, Esmail Khatib said terrorist groups and hostile states were orchestrating vicious conspiracies against the Islamic Republic and the West Asia region. He said 200 Daesh terrorists entered the country to carry out destabilizing actions in Iran, neighboring Iraq, and the region during the Arba'een rituals. Most of the plots have been neutralized with the recent counter-terrorism operations and arrests by Iranian security forces, he explained. Khatib also highlighted the cooperation between the Intelligence Ministry and the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the fight against terrorism and separatist groups. Arba'een brings together millions of people from across the world who undertake an 80-km walk between the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. Last year, Iran's government spokesperson said more than three million Iranian pilgrims had flocked to neighboring Iraq to participate in the annual Arba'een commemorations, setting a new record. Imam Hussein (AS) and his 72 companions were martyred in the Battle of Karbala in southern Iraq in 680 AD while resisting the much larger army of the despot Umayyad ruler of the time, Yazid. 'Spies from Europe arrested in Iran' Khatib also said the Intelligence Ministry has captured spies from Sweden, France and Britain, adding that a number of them have been executed despite foreign pressures. "Today, the power of the country's intelligence organizations is such that they have captured spies from France, Sweden, the UK, and many other countries," Iran's intelligence minister said. Khatib underlined that a number of those spies have been sentenced to death despite foreign pressures and have been executed. Israeli regime on brink of collapse: Khatib Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian intelligence minister pointed to the internal crises in the Israeli regime and said the occupying entity is on the verge of collapse. "The situation that the Zionist regime is facing on a daily basis is the result of the resistance put up by Martyr Soleimani's efforts," Khatib said, referring to the late commander of the Quds Force of IRGC, General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a 2020 US drone attack in Iraq. "The Zionist regime, which once claimed to be the fourth power in the world today, speaks of its own internal decay. From its president to other officials, everyone is talking about the fact that this regime is collapsing," he noted. According to a new poll recently conducted by the so-called Israel Democracy Institute, the majority of Israelis believe the regime is on the verge of economic, social, and political collapse due in large part to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's extremist coalition cabinet. On Saturday, thousands of protesters rallied for the 33rd straight week against the Benjamin Netanyahu regime. The Netanyahu cabinet includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. It triggered the demonstrations in January by announcing a judicial overhaul plan, which it then forwarded to the Knesset in the form of several bills. The changes seek to enfeeble the regime's high court in favor of the political elite by rendering the former incapable of striking down the decisions that are made by politicians. Other proposed changes include giving the cabinet a greater say in the appointment of judges to the court. Ever since its onset, the protest movement has snowballed into the biggest to have ever been faced by the occupying entity throughout its history. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ayatollah Khamenei successfully guided Iran through US-led sanctions, sedition: IRGC chief Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 7:34 AM The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has successfully guided the country through economic sanctions and seditions over the past four decades. "With his smart and tactful management and guidance, Ayatollah Khamenei passed the Islamic Iran through the Nile River of sanctions, threats, economic pressure, great seditions and psychological warfare," Major General Hossein Salami said at a meeting of the Supreme Assembly of IRGC commanders and officials on Saturday. He also appreciated the Leader's standing against the arrogant powers and disappointing the enemies. Ayatollah Khamenei, he added, strengthened the spirit of jihad (endeavor for the sake of God) among Muslims around the world. 'Unlike resistance front, enemies in decline' General Salami also emphasized that the enemies have been becoming weaker while Iran and the Axis of Resistance have been growing stronger over the past 45 years. "Today, the US is declining more than ever, and the enemy is at the peak of its weakness," he said. "Israel is also weaker than in 1967, while [the Lebanese resistance movement] Hezbollah is stronger with better and more up-to-date equipment and tools." "The Islamic Revolution and the Axis of Resistance have the upper hand against the US, the usurper Israel and its allies in the region. This has been achieved through the Leader's wisdom and tactfulness, as well as the endeavor and perseverance of the Islamic Ummah." The IRGC chief commander also said Ayatollah Khamenei has put the US in "a strategic dead end," arguing that the enemy knows that it will face a defeat both with and without anti-Iran sanctions. Washington imposed harsh economic sanctions against Tehran in May 2018 after unilaterally withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In response to the US "maximum pressure" campaign, the Islamic Republic has pursued a policy of "maximum resistance" to overcome the impact of the illegal sanctions through self-reliance. Elsewhere in his remarks, General Salami hailed the "brilliant performance" of the IRGC since it was founded in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution of 1979. He said the reason the IRGC is so strong is because "it sees the non-divine and Western powers as weak and unworthy." In relevant remarks on Thursday, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the IRGC as "the world's biggest anti-terrorism organization" capable of carrying out tasks that many of the world's major militaries cannot accomplish. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli air force suspends several senior reservists as anti-regime protests persist Iran Press TV Saturday, 19 August 2023 11:20 AM Chief of Israeli regime's air force has suspended a number of senior military reserve forces amid persisting protests against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right cabinet and its policies, including the so-called judicial overhaul plan. Major General Tomer Bar agreed to suspend the service of several brigadier generals, without identifying them or revealing the number of sacked officers, Israeli media outlets reported. The report said the commanders of the Israeli air force can either return the high-ranking reservists to service later, or opt to replace them. The latest development came a day after the Israeli navy suspended Rear Adm. Ofer Doron and Rear Adm. Eyal Segev. The head of the Israeli navy, Vice Adm. David Sa'ar Salama suspended the two reservists after they declared plans to discontinue their volunteer reserve duties while insisting that they refused to serve in "a dictatorship." Doron and Segev both served as heads of operational headquarters and as deputies to Salama in emergencies. More than 10,000 reservist soldiers, including members of the elite intelligence unit 8200 and air force pilots, have said they would no longer show up for duty on a voluntary basis in protest. The chief of the Israeli air force has already warned that the state of the force's readiness is "worsening" as dozens of reservist pilots have declared they would no longer show up for volunteer duty in protest against the policies of the incumbent far-right administration. Public outrage against the regime's radical policies has intensified since last month, when the Knesset passed the first bill of the judicial overhaul plan after opposition lawmakers left the session. The bill scrapped the "reasonableness" law, through which the supreme court can overturn decisions made by the Israeli cabinet such as ministerial appointments. The remaining parts of the overhaul package will be discussed after the Knesset returns from summer recess in October. Netanyahu, who is fighting corruption charges in court, has claimed that he would be willing to negotiate with the opposition, though previous mediation efforts -- including one by the regime's president -- have failed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Suu Kyi's son urges young Burmese to 'never give up' on democracy Kim Aris says in an interview with RFA that the junta hasn't responded to his requests to contact his mother. By RFA Burmese 2023.08.20 -- Radio Free Asia's Soe San Aung spoke with Kim Aris, the son of former State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, last week. Suu Kyi served as Myanmar's de facto leader following national elections in 2015, which her National League of Democracy won by a landslide. The party also won the 2020 national elections, but the military seized power from the democratically elected government on Feb. 1, 2021. The army immediately arrested civilian leaders, including Suu Kyi, who were in Naypyidaw for the convening of the newly elected lower house of parliament. She was held at Naypyidaw Prison until last month, when a source told RFA that she was relocated to "a more comfortable state-owned residence." Aris is living in the United Kingdom and has been unable to contact his mother since the military coup. RFA: You've been involved in supporting the Burmese community in London and you've been finding funds to support back home. First, tell me what you've been doing to support the spring revolution, the nationwide wave of popular resistance to the Myanmar military following the 2021 coup. Kim Aris: But I never really wish to be a public figure. I kind of already stand by and see what others do and what is needed. And as my mother's son, I have a unique position whereby I can speak out to the world. Outside of the Burmese community, people aren't very aware of what's happening. So I'm doing what I can to raise funds and awareness for the cause. RFA: As we know, your mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, was once given the chance to leave Burma, but chose to stay with the Burmese people over her family. How would you describe your mother? Kim Aris: It always saddens and angers me that my mother has sometimes been portrayed as cold hearted because she was unable to be by my father's side while he was dying. I was nursing him at that time, and I can say that he did not wish for her to return to England. We wanted to be by her side in Burma. Unfortunately, the military couldn't find it in their heart to allow him his dying wish. And from my point of view, I've never felt like she left me. I was with her when she was first put under house arrest in Burma. And it never felt like she abandoned me in any way. Also in Burma, everybody's now lost their parents to the military. It's not as though I've actually lost my mother. People in Burma are going through far worse than what I have been through. It's lucky for me that my mother left me here in England, where it's safe. I feel privileged. Compared to what's happening to the people in Burma, I have a very easy life. RFA: Now your mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, is under house arrest again. Have you had any contact with her? Kim Aris: As far as I'm aware, she's not actually under house arrest. She's in prison somewhere. The military has said that she's been moved into house arrest, but there's been no evidence that that's actually the case. I have had no contact with her. And the military hasn't responded to any requests I have made for contact or to inform me of her whereabouts. In the past, I have had some contact when she was under house arrest in Yangon, but now I don't know what condition she's being kept under or where she is. RFA: We are aware that you went to the Burmese embassy to give a birthday gift to your mother, but they didn't let you in and they didn't even say anything to you. How many times have you sent a request to the junta to get in contact with her? Kim Aris: There's actually very little point to corresponding with these people because I haven't received any response ever. So I've tried various other avenues, such as through the British Foreign Office and via the International Red Cross, but they've had the same result, which is no response. RFA: I'm sorry to hear that. But in the last amnesty, they commuted some of your mother's sentence. What was your reaction? Kim Aris: It's a military gesture. The military has used these tactics in the past to try and appease the international community whilst they still continue to perpetrate all sorts of atrocities against their own people every day. And even with the reduced sentence, my mother would still be over 100 when she's released. RFA: So you've been back to Burma, like when your mother was released in 2010. What was your perception about the country? Kim Aris: Well, obviously the situation there was incredibly sad, especially since the country was going through a period of development. There was a great deal to look forward to. Now, all of that has been taken away. The country has gone backwards since the coup. So it seems like it is worse now than it was back in 1988. RFA: Yeah, it's like the country is in chaos right now. You know, young people are fighting back for their freedom. What's your point of view about today's crisis? Kim Aris: Well, from what I can gather, the situation is not sustainable for anybody. The military aren't as strong as people think they may be. They have lots of high tech weaponry, but they do not have the manpower that the people have. And I hope that this war cannot go on for too much longer. No more bloodshed. But obviously, that's not going to happen any time soon. Hopefully things will play out before two years' time. The military will collapse, but we'll see. RFA: What if you had a chance to talk directly with Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the chairman of the junta's governing body? Kim Aris: I would ask him to stop waging this war against his own people. The resolve and fortitude of the Burmese people is absolute. They will never accept the military rule, and the youth of Burma will never accept having their freedom taken away. Now, for the first time in a long time, all the different ethnicities are starting to work together, and that shows that the army will never win this war. RFA: What hope do you have for Burma? Kim Aris: I hope that Burma will achieve the freedom that it's been looking for so many years now. And that people can start to rebuild their lives. In the future, hopefully people will be united and be able to work together in a more inclusive manner. RFA: Burmese people asking for international help. As Aung San Suu Kyi's son, what is your message to the international community? Kim Aris: I would ask the international community not to stand by and let the military junta brazenly commit crimes against humanity. I would ask them to increase humanitarian assistance and support organizations that are actually able to get aid to the areas which are in need. Also, to impose more targeted and effective sanctions against the junta. Also to recognize a meaningful dialogue with the shadow National Unity Government. As stated in a recent UN report, war crimes committed by Burma's military, including the vengeance bombings, is becoming increasingly frequent. 1.7 million civilians have been displaced, over 15,000 arrested and 6,000 killed. The military are conducting a war on their own people, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. 17.6 million civilians are now in urgent need of lifesaving aid, protection and support. Recent floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have added to this crisis, with a further 50,000 people displaced. A regime that uses airstrikes against civilian villages, then returns to kill mothers and children while they are collecting the dead for burial. It's a situation that needs to be addressed by the international community, who seem to be happy to stand aside and let this happen. RFA: We have learned that your mother doesn't want you to get involved in politics. Is that true? Did she ever say anything to you? Kim Aris: Yeah, she's never wanted me to be involved in politics. I've never wanted to be involved in politics. As I said, I would much rather not be any sort of a public figure. But since the military are not allowing me any access to my mother at all, I feel like I need to do something to try my best to help the situation in Burma. After all, my mother cannot tell me what she thinks. So I have to think what she would want me to be doing. And I know she would want me to be helping where I can. RFA: Do you hold out hope that she would be set free again? Kim Aris: Absolutely. I cannot see the situation in Burma continuing as it is. I hope she will be free - along with all the other political prisoners in the country - and can find peace again. RFA: What is your message to the people who are fighting for democracy in Burma, especially young people? Kim Aris: I would say never give up. And this fight is one that cannot be lost. The military will never win. And the rest of the world is thinking about what is happening today, even though it doesn't seem like it. Sometimes people around the world are trying to help. RFA: By the way, I have seen the pictures with your mother and Taichito (Aung San Suu Kyi's dog). We know you left Taichito with your mother in Burma. What is his situation now? Kim Aris: I believe he is in Yangon. I'm not sure where exactly. He's getting old. His eyesight isn't as good as it was, and I'm sure he'll be missing May May (Burmese word for Mommy). Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan arrests opposition leader in crackdown on Imran Khan's party Iran Press TV Saturday, 19 August 2023 6:18 PM Pakistani authorities have arrested opposition leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a widening crackdown on former prime minister Imran Khan's party by the military-backed interim government. Qureshi, who twice served as Pakistan's foreign minister, was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday in the capital Islamabad shortly after he denounced the newly installed caretaker government for its attempts to delay the elections which are scheduled to be held later this year. "He was arrested from his residence by Islamabad police. We don't have any further details yet," a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP. In recent months, Pakistani authorities have made widespread arrests targeting Khan's PTI party in an attempt to crush his grassroots support, causing nationwide anger against the country's powerful military, which most people believe is behind the crackdown. According to several independent surveys, the PTI will win a landslide victory in the next elections if the party is allowed to run a political campaign without restrictions. PTI spokesman Zulfi Bukhari condemned Qureshi's arrest on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying the vice chairman of the party was "arrested for doing a press conference and re-affirming PTI stance against all tyranny and pre-poll rigging that is going on currently in Pakistan." "PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been illegally arrested once again," the PTI said in social media post on X. Qureshi was also arrested on May 11 and released on June 6. In the meantime, Khan, 70, is currently serving a three-year jail term. Khan was arrested earlier this month and taken to jail after a court found him guilty in one of the more than dozens of cases he has faced. The former prime minister has maintained that some 200 cases against him are politically motivated to keep him out of power. He says the country's powerful military is behind these cases. The three-year jail sentence issued by a lower court disqualifies him from taking part in elections. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IED attack kills 11 laborers in Pakistan's North Waziristan Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 6:01 PM At least 11 laborers, working on an under-construction army post, have been killed in an attack in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded under their vehicle. Rehman Gul Khattak, a senior government official for North Waziristan, said in a statement on Sunday that the device exploded after being attached to the vehicle they were traveling in on Saturday evening. "The laborers were working at an under-construction post for the Pakistan army," Khattak said. The attack in North Waziristan's Shawal Valley, 300 kilometers southwest of the capital Islamabad, was confirmed by Pakistan's interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar in a post on a social media platform. "Heartbreaking to know about the terrorist attack in North Waziristan which claimed the lives of 11 innocent laborers. Strongly condemn this senseless act of violence and stand in solidarity with the families affected," Kakar posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks since the Taliban surged back to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. The militant assaults have been focused in regions close to border with Afghanistan, and Islamabad alleges some are being planned on Afghan soil -- a charge Kabul denies. The outlawed group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has waged a growing campaign against security officials, including police officers. In January, a bomber linked to TTP blew himself up in a mosque inside a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing more than 80 officers. Last month, the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group claimed responsibility for a bombing that killed at least 54 people, including 23 children, at a political party gathering ahead of elections due later this year. The attacks surged since last year when a ceasefire between the TTP and the government in Islamabad broke down. The TTP pledges allegiance to Afghanistan's Taliban militants. The Pakistani government accuses the Taliban government of providing hideouts to the TTP militants near the border. More than 300 attacks have hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province this year alone, according to official data, with a vast majority of them claimed by the TTP. Top Pakistani officials accuse the Taliban administration of not doing enough to control the movement of armed groups from crossing the porous border. US forces occupied Afghanistan for about two decades under the pretext of fighting the Taliban. But when the forces chaotically left the country in August 2021, the Taliban stormed the capital Kabul, which had been weakened by prolonged occupation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. NATO once again uses Cold War strategies against Russia 18.08.2023 The North Atlantic Alliance once again uses Cold War strategies against Russia. Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation - Chief of the Main Directorate for Political-Military Affairs of the Russian Armed Forces - Colonel General Viktor Goremykin pointed out that during his speech at the II International Anti-Fascist Congress held in Minsk. 'At the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023 the North Atlantic Alliance once again uses Cold War strategies against Russia. In the documents, Russia is declared the most significant and direct threat to the NATO's security. Collective West is not ready to put up with development of multi-polar world and is willing to defend its hegemony any means necessary, including military ones,' said Victor Goremykin. He recalled NATO's decision to deploy a three-hundred-thousand-strong bloc force in one of the alliance countries within a month in case of a threat with the possibility for advanced formations to engage in combat operations within three days. 'Measures for long-term support of Ukraine and modernisation of the Ukrainian army to NATO standards are taken into account. Kiev has been promised supplies of increasingly modern and long-range weapons', Goremykin pointed out. The Deputy Defence Minister pointed out that the collective West continues to deliver weaponry to the Kiev regime, forces Kiev to conduct suicidal counter-offensives, demonstrate tactical successes despite heavy losses in manpower and equipment, and does everything to prolong and escalate the conflict. 'NATO uses the Ukrainian crisis as an excuse to build up its forces. Yet another phase of alliance expansion has been put into motion. Military infrastructure is being modernised and strike weapons are being deployed in Eastern and Central Europe. The Polish General Command announced the strengthening of the military presence in the east of the country near the borders of Belarus and Russia', he said. Viktor Goremykin said that in the conditions of extremely sharp aggravation of threats and NATO activity near the borders of the Union State, Moscow and Minsk are forced to take retaliatory measures. 'The most important of these is the deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons of the Russian Federation on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. The Iskander-M operational-tactical system capable of launching missiles with nuclear warheads was handed over to Belarus. Belarusian aircraft have been re-equipped for possible use of nuclear weapons,' he said, recalling the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow will respond to attempts of aggression against Minsk with all means at its disposal. The Russian Defence Ministry has proposed the establishment of a joint coordination council with the Belarusian Defence Ministry for systematic work with young people to counter the information and psychological warfare conducted by the West. Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation - Chief of the Main Directorate for Political-Military Affairs of the Russian Armed Forces - Colonel General Viktor Goremykin pointed out that during his speech at the II International Anti-Fascist Congress held in Minsk. 'In order to streamline this work, it is proposed to form a coordination council or working group under the ministries of defence of Russia and the Republic of Belarus with the inclusion of qualified specialists, cultural figures, consultants on scientific and historical issues, military experts with extensive military knowledge and practical experience, representatives of youth movements,' said Viktor Goremykin. He noted that systematic work in patriotic education of youth and preservation of military-historical heritage becomes more important than ever before. 'In our opinion, the main object of the information and psychological warfare announced to us by the West is, first of all, young people. That is why joint activities to fight for historical truth must be carried out continuously and on a permanent basis, covering all categories of young citizens,' said the deputy head of the Russian Defence Ministry. According to Goremykin, it is necessary to use innovative active and interactive forms and methods in such efforts. 'Organise patriotic digital lessons based on prepared video material, talk shows on armed forces media resources for young people. Strengthen the educational role of exhibition activities with the wide display in cities, garrisons, schools and universities of declassified and poorly researched archive documents exposing fascism and neo-Nazism, including their distribution via the Internet through messengers and social networks,' the Deputy Minister of Defence said, citing examples. Colonel General Goremykin also suggested organizing panel discussions and open dialogues with invitations to them by prominent speakers, historians, veterans of combat operations, as well as forming lecture groups similar to the propaganda work in the area of special operations. Viktor Goremykin expressed confidence that the II International Anti-Fascist Congress in Minsk would play its role in consolidating the efforts of the international community to counteract the ideology and manifestations of neo-Nazism in modern conditions. 'Next year it is proposed to continue the tradition and hold the III International Anti-Fascist Congress on the territory of the Russian Federation,' said Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Anti-Fascist Congress to help unite progressive forces 18.08.2023 'I am confident that the Second International Anti-Fascist Congress will help unite progressive forces from different nations in eradicating hateful Nazi ideas,' Sergei Shoigu said. Sergei Shoigu also noted that fighting against Nazism has become even more topical issue. 'Western globalist elites continue to talk about their exceptionalism triggering deadly conflicts and coups, fostering Russophobia and aggressive nationalism, destroying morality and family values, and trying to impose their will on other nations, along with their system of violence and suppression. The goal of today's revanchists is to ensure Russia's disintegration and collapse, destroy the Union State, and finally break down the system of global security and international law. This is exactly the reason for the catastrophe the Ukrainian people are enduring today. They have become hostages to the criminal Kiev regime and its Western masters, and are being used as a bargaining chip for the implementation of the brutal, perfidiously evil plans,' the head of the Russian military department stressed. 'In present-day conditions I would like to emphasise that relations between Russia and Belarus have a solid basis and are constantly strengthening. Together, we effectively address issues of defence management, countering most topical challenges and threats,' Sergei Shoigu noted. Over 30 countries are participating in the Second International Anti-Fascist Congress. The forum aims to unite healthy international forces to confront the spread of fascist and Nazi ideas and preserve the historical truth about World War II. The Congress brings together military delegations, diplomatic professionals, government officials and members of public organisations, as well as representatives of the academic community, major religious denominations, media outlets, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The congress participants will discuss countering the spread of fascist ideology, preventing historical distortion and preserving historical memory, the role and place of the state, the public, representatives of science and religious associations in the fight against neo-fascism during the plenary session and during the work of thematic sections, which will be held in Minsk's Central House of Officers. The First International Anti-Fascist Congress took place at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Centre outside Moscow on 20 August 2022 in conjunction with the Army 2022 International Military-Technical Forum. The Congress was attended by military attachAs from 26 nations and nine foreign delegations, lawmakers of the State Duma, spiritual leaders of the country's largest confessions, political and popular figures from Donbass, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia has to send 'sobering signals' to West about risks of nuclear war: Lavrov Iran Press TV Saturday, 19 August 2023 2:05 PM Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has to repeatedly send "sobering signals" to the West in order to prevent a direct armed confrontation of nuclear powers. Speaking to Russian official news magazine, The International Affairs, Lavrov warned that the United States and its NATO allies risk ending up in "a situation of direct armed confrontation of nuclear powers." "We believe such a development should be prevented. That's why we have to remind [ourselves] about the existence of high military and political risks and send sobering signals to our opponents." Lavrov further said that having nuclear weapons defends Russia from external security dangers. "The possession of nuclear arms is today the only possible response to some of the significant external threats to the security of our country," he added. Moscow has repeatedly warned the US and its NATO allies about the risk of a nuclear confrontation. The US and NATO countries provide the majority of Ukraine's military assistance since Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February last year. Last month, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow would have to use nuclear weapons if Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces proved successful. Medvedev was speaking about the counteroffensive Kiev launched in early June, hoping to push south toward the Crimean Peninsula by the end of the year. In a report, the Washington Post said a US intelligence assessment found that the counteroffensive will stall before reaching the key southeastern city of Melitopol. Medvedev, a key aide to President Vladimir Putin and deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, also urged an immediate halt to the Western supply of heavy weaponry to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden formerly described the possibility of Russia utilizing tactical nuclear weapons as "real." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg however said this week, "The Western military alliance has not detected any changes to Russia's nuclear force stance, and therefore, NATO did not need to reciprocate in its nuclear posture." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Seeks To Seize Power Assets Belonging To One Of Nation's Richest Individuals By RFE/RL's Russian Service August 20, 2023 Russia's Prosecutor General has filed a lawsuit to confiscate a power asset belonging to one of the country's richest men, claiming his purchase of the company five years ago was corrupt, local media reported. The Prosecutor General is seeking to nationalize Siberian Energy Company (SIBECO) from Andrei Melnichenko, an energy and fertilizer tycoon whom Forbes named Russia's richest man, media reported. Melnichenko in 2018 bought SIBECO, which owns thermal power plants in Siberia, for 36 billion rubles ($571 million at the time) from former minister Mikhail Abyzov. The prosecutor general called the transaction "antisocial." Abyzov, who worked as a minister from 2012 to 2018 following a lucrative career in the power industry, was arrested in 2019 on charges of embezzling 4 billion rubles from SIBECO and moving the money offshore. He denies the charges and remains jailed as his trial continues. Abyzov and Melnichenko, both natives of Belarus, briefly studied together in Moscow in the 1990s and later became influential players in Russia's newly privatized power industry. Melnichenko snapped up thermal coal assets and power plants, creating a vertically integrated company. The purchase of SIBECO, which owns coal-fired plants, expanded his energy empire. Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the state confiscation of power assets still owned by Abyzov. Abyzov served as Minister of Open Government under then-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Abyzov was seen as close to his former boss and his arrest in 2019 was interpreted as an indirect attack on Medvedev and a sign of his weakening stature within the ruling elite. It is unclear what prompted the Russian Prosecutor General to seek to seize SIBECO now. The case is the latest in a series of confiscation attempts filed this year. Melnichenko catapulted to the top of Forbes's list of richest Russian this year for the first time, edging out metals and oil tycoons on the back of the strength of his fertilizer empire. Melnichenko is among the Russian tycoons sanctioned by the West. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-power-assets- siberian-energy-company-melnichenko/32556157.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the anniversary of Russian journalist Darya Dugina's murder by Ukrainian special services 20 August 2023 09:00 1612-20-08-2023 The life of talented young journalist Darya Dugina (Platonova) was tragically cut short on August 20, 2022. The investigative authorities of the Russian Federation have established that the brutal murder of the Russian journalist was organised and executed by the Ukrainian special services. The Kiev regime, under the guidance of its Western curators, is ready to commit any bloody crimes, including the organisation and execution of terrorist attacks to eliminate objectionable representatives of the media community. This once again confirms the criminal essence of Vladimir Zelensky's dictatorship. The cynical killing of Darya Dugina was followed by a series of attempted murders and assassinations of Russian journalists and public opinion leaders committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Journalist Oleg Klokov was killed in a shelling by a high-precision US missile aimed at a group of Tavria TV and radio company's reporters in October 2022. An attempt to assassinate founder of Tsargrad TV Konstantin Malofeyev was made in March 2023. War correspondent Maxim Fomin (Vladlen Tatarsky) was killed in an explosion in April 2023. Writer and public activist Yevgeny Prilepin (Zakhar Prilepin) was seriously injured in May 2023. Attempted murders of Editor-in-Chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya international media group Margarita Simonyan and journalist and TV host Ksenia Sobchak were prevented in July 2023. RIA Novosti war correspondent Rostislav Zhuravlev was killed as a result of shelling of a civilian vehicle with US cluster munitions in July 2023; four of his colleagues received injuries of varying severity. A year after the tragic death of Darya Dugina we have not heard a single word from relevant organisations and human rights institutions about this and many other deliberate atrocities committed against those media representatives whose point of view does not coincide with the one approved by the collective West (an insipid comment by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay expressing regret about the death of Rostislav Zhuravlev does not count). Hypocrisy, dividing journalists into the "good" and "bad", "ours" and "theirs" is what prevails in the activities of those organisations. We would like to once again draw the attention of international human rights organisations and the judiciary to the fact that the rights of journalists are being flagrantly violated and terrorist methods are being used against them. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Supplied 62.7% More LNG to China in January-July 2023 Year to Year 20230820 BEIJING (Sputnik) - Russia supplied 4.46 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) worth $2.98 billion to China over January-July 2023, up 62.7% compared to the same period last year, according to data released by China's General Administration of Customs on Sunday. In January-July 2022, China purchased 2.74 tonnes of LNG from Russia, while, in the whole year, Beijing imported 6.485 million tonnes from Russia for $6.732 billion. Australia remained China's number one LNG supplier in the first seven months of 2023, with exports of 13.5 million tonnes of LNG worth $8.3 billion, and was followed by Qatar with 9.51 million tonnes worth $6.1 billion. Russia was the third largest supplier, according to the customs data. The United States exported to China only 1,270 tonnes of LNG for $867.3 million during this period. Russian pipeline gas supplies to China increased in January-July 2023 by almost 100% (98.98%) and amounted to $3.942 billion. The Chinese customs does not publish data on the volume of supplies, but only financial information. The figure almost reached the level of the whole of 2022, in which the total value of Russian pipeline gas exports to China reached $3.98 billion. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coalition Jet Flies Dangerously Close to Russian Fighter in Syria Sputnik News 20230820 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - An F-35 fighter jet of the US-led coalition operating in Syria flew dangerously close to a Russian Su-35 aircraft near Al-Tanf in southeastern Syria, a senior Russian military official said Sunday. "Russian pilots acted highly professionally taking timely action to avoid a collision. The coalition's behavior continues to create dangerous aviation conditions and escalate tensions in the Syrian airspace," Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit told a news briefing. The incident was reported to the Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation at around noon on Saturday. The flyby happened at the altitude of some 9,000 meters (5.6 miles). The official said that the coalition also violated protocols by flying drones without prior authorization. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S., Japan, South Korea reaffirm commitment to cross-strait peace ROC Central News Agency 08/19/2023 05:44 PM Washington, Aug. 18 (CNA) The leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait following a trilateral meeting in Maryland on Friday. "Today, we've reaffirmed -- all reaffirmed our shared commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," U.S. President Joe Biden said at a press conference after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The trilateral meeting at Camp David, the first-ever standalone summit between Biden, Kishida and Yoon, focused on security, economic and technology cooperation among the three countries. In particular, the three countries agreed to engage in annual multi-domain military exercises, improve their information sharing, and strengthen trilateral cooperation on ballistic missile defense, according to Biden. In the three documents issued after the meeting -- the Commitment to Consult, the Camp David Principles, and the Spirit of Camp David -- the leaders described peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as "indispensable" for security and prosperity in the international community. "Recognizing that there is no change in our basic positions on Taiwan, we call for a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues," the documents said. In a press release issued on Saturday (Taipei time), Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) thanked the three governments for expressing concern over the situation in the Taiwan Strait. In the meantime, the release denounced China for its acts of "coercion and military intimidation against Taiwan" that posed "significant security challenges" to the region. Taiwan remains committed to working with like-minded partners to foster peace, stability and prosperity within the region, MOFA said. (By Chiang Chin-yeh and Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan accuses China of trying to influence elections through military drills ROC Central News Agency 08/19/2023 07:36 PM Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Presidential Office on Saturday condemned military exercises China conducted near the island nation, which it said caused disorder in the region and were an attempt to influence Taiwan's elections next year. The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday launched joint air and sea patrols, and navy and air force military exercises near Taiwan proper, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND). Citing an anonymous spokesperson from China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), the Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency issued a strongly-worded statement on Saturday morning criticizing Vice President Lai Ching-te's (ea) stopovers in the United States during his Aug. 12-18 trip to Paraguay, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in South America. The stopovers, according to the TAO spokesperson, were an attempt by Lai to pursue Taiwan independence by seeking U.S. backing, Xinhua reported. In a statement, the Presidential Office rejected the Xinhua article. It is a long-standing practice for Taiwan's presidents and vice presidents to have stopovers in the U.S., and China should not use this as a pretext for its provocations, the office said. China's recent provocative behavior in and around the Taiwan Strait is an attempt to influence the presidential and legislative elections next year and has caused tension in the region, it said. The military exercises came on the heels of the trilateral summit between U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David. The leaders issued a post-summit joint statement to "reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community." Beijing, meanwhile, has deliberately ignored its responsibility to the international community and used Lai's trip as an excuse to escalate tensions and disrupt regional stability which will further erode its credibility in the international arena, the Presidential Office said. The office assured the public that the nation's armed forces and national security apparatus has been closely monitoring the PLA movement near Taiwan, and that the country is capable of safeguarding its national security. It urged China to immediately stop disrupting regional stability and to refrain from creating trouble in the international community. The MND on Saturday condemned the PLA for conducting military exercises and patrols near Taiwan, calling such actions "irrational" and "provocative." The ministry said the PLA flew 42 warplanes near Taiwan between 9 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Saturday, including 26 that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or its extension. In addition, eight PLA ships conducting joint combat readiness patrols were detected around Taiwan during that period, according to the MND. According to a message shared by the PLA Eastern Theater Command on social media, the military exercises were conducted in the sea and air north and southwest of Taiwan and included submarine-related drills, as well as exercises to establish air and sea control. Meanwhile, Su Tzu-yun (ece), a scholar with the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), said the intent behind the PLA's military exercises was three-fold: To respond to the trilateral summit underlining the importance of peace in Taiwan Strait, to react to the U.S. Navy deploying the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group (CSG) in waters off Taiwan's east coast during Lai's visit to Paraguay, and to distract the disgruntled Chinese public from China's flagging economy. According to Su, the drills China staged near Taiwan were actually related to concurrent drills by the PLA and Russia's military near Japan, which China called "joint strategic patrols" instead of "joint combat readiness patrols," as it called the drills conducted near Taiwan. The true intent behind these military exercises was to respond to the U.S. deploying the USS Reagan CSG near Taiwan, and displeasure over "Taiwan independent separatists" was merely an excuse for staging the drills, Su said. In addition, China's real estate crisis, rising unemployment rate, and ailing economy have all provided the impetus for Beijing to hold the drills as an outlet for public discontent. By framing the drills near Taiwan as a response to Lai's stopovers in the U.S., China is using cognitive warfare to divide Taiwanese society, which must demonstrate unity if it is to build up defense resilience, Su said. (By Sean Lin, Wu Sheng-hung and Wen Kuei-hsiang) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China announces drills near Taiwan following VP Lai's return from Paraguay ROC Central News Agency 08/19/2023 12:57 PM Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) The People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted military drills on Saturday near Taiwan proper, as a "stern warning" to Taiwan independence separatists for colluding with "foreign elements" and in response to their "provocations," according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency. The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese PLA on Saturday launched joint air and sea patrols, and navy and air force military exercises near Taiwan proper, according to the Chinese government mouthpiece. "The patrols and exercises are meant to train the coordination of military vessels and airplanes and their ability to seize control of air and sea spaces," Shi Yi (), a spokesperson for the command, said, according to Xinhua News Agency. The armed forces' ability to fight in real combat conditions will be tested, Shi said, adding that the patrols and exercises serve as a stern warning to "the collusion of Taiwan independence separatists with foreign elements and their provocations," according to Xinhua News Agency. The announcement came one day after Vice President Lai Ching-te () returned to Taiwan following a visit to Paraguay, Taiwan's South American diplomatic ally, from Aug. 12-18. During the trip, Lai made two stopovers in the U.S. - the first in New York on Aug. 12 local time and the second in San Francisco on Aug. 16 local time. He was greeted by Taiwan's Representative to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim () in New York and American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chair Laura Rosenberger along with Hsiao at San Francisco International Airport. As of press time, the scope of the planned drills had not been announced by China's Maritime Safety Administration or through other official channels. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) condemned the planned PLA drills, calling them "irrational and provocative." The military will deploy an appropriate amount of force in response to the situation, the MND said. (By Sean Lin) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong: HK, SZ hold ecology meeting Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan today led a delegation to Shenzhen to attend a meeting of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection held with a view to deepening co-operation between the two places. Co-chaired by Shenzhen Vice Mayor Zhang Hua and Mr Tse, various issues were discussed in the meeting, including collaboration on marine pollution prevention and control, wetland conservation, water quality improvement, air quality, cross-boundary transportation using new energy sources, and the circulation of resources. Both sides also reported on the progress of their respective work and shared experiences. Mr Tse said: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will maintain close contact with relevant authorities of Shenzhen and work together to advance the tasks of the working group. We will also continue to pursue the four major strategies, namely net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport and waste reduction, and implement low-carbon transformation. To align with the national dual carbon targets of reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, Hong Kong will strive to attain carbon neutrality before 2050, the ecology chief reiterated. This story has been published on: 2023-08-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Iran says interference, orchestrating coups "recurring element" in U.S., British policies Xinhua) 13:55, August 21, 2023 TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Saturday that a "recurring element" in U.S. and British foreign policies is intervention, including orchestrating regime change in other countries. Nasser Kanaani made the remarks in a post on X, previously known as Twitter, to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-British orchestrated military coup in Iran in 1953 that toppled then-democratically-elected Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and reinstated the monarchist dictatorship under the country's king Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown years later in 1979 following the victory of the Islamic Revolution. Kanaani said 70 years ago, a national government in Iran was overthrown in a coup supported by the United States and Britain. "Backing dictators, interfering in other states' internal affairs, suppressing freedom-seeking movements and organizing coups are among the recurring elements in the policies of the United States and Britain," he added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Experts call for further cross-Straits integration amid challenges from secessionists, external forces Global Times By Wang Qi in Chengdu Published: Aug 19, 2023 01:47 AM Amid profound changes in geopolitics and constant provocations by Taiwan secessionists, experts and scholars from both sides of the Taiwan Straits on Friday called for further strengthening of cross-Straits people-to-people exchanges and economic and trade cooperation to promote social integration and development on both sides. Experts from universities and think tanks in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan island exchanged their ideas at a major cross-Straits academic seminar on Friday in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province. The seminar was held after the provocative "transit" through the US of the deputy leader of Taiwan region Lai Ching-te, and amid rising concerns of an escalation of tensions and even a "peace or war" juncture if Lai becomes the next Taiwan regional leader after the 2024 election. Wei Ai, head of the Cross-Straits Research Center of National Chengchi University in Taiwan, said during the seminar that different from the close cross-Straits interaction when Ma Ying-jeou was in power, after Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016, cross-Straits relations were deadlocked as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities do not recognize the 1992 Consensus and rely on the US. With the DPP likely to remain in power in 2024, the deadlock is likely to continue. Therefore, cross-Straits exchanges are needed to bypass DPP obstruction, which makes private enterprises and organizations on both sides particularly important. Echoing Wei, Chi Chun-chen, a senior cross-Straits scholar at Ming Chuan University, told the Global Times that some people in Taiwan are suspicious of the mainland because the DPP controls the media and smears the mainland. It also modifies textbooks to deny Chinese culture. If Lai is elected, there may be more tricks than in Tsai's period in office. In order to preserve the prospect of peaceful reunification, exchanges between local governments and people on both sides of the Straits need to be further strengthened, Chi said, noting that the mainland can further encourage Taiwan's youth to live and work in the mainland. Sheng Jiuyuan, director of the Center for Taiwan Studies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said that it's vital to promote cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation through non-official means and to form an irreversible, sustainable and people-centered model of cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation. The two sides of the Straits need to establish more efficient industrial interaction through new cooperation areas, and to constantly increase the well-being of people on both sides in economic and trade cooperation, so as to better consolidate the foundations of cross-Straits people-to-people exchanges, Sheng added. Cao Xiaoheng, director of The Institute of Taiwan Economy of Nankai University, said that in promoting the institutionalization of cross-Straits economic cooperation and building a cross-Straits common market, the mainland has several advantages, including a huge and growing market, a sound industrial system, a stable business environment, and a large trade volume worldwide. Cao pointed out that the future focus of cross-Straits cooperation could be on scientific and technological innovation, which is the focus for high-quality development in the mainland. Liu Xing-ren, an associate professor at Taipei-based Chinese Culture University, told the Global Times on Friday that it is the consensus of Taiwan society that cross-Straits exchanges are beneficial for Taiwan. As the strength of the Chinese mainland has been continuously improving, Taiwan should not be absent from the process of the development of the motherland. The path of peaceful reunification of the mainland is consistent, despite rising challenges and risks, said Liu. He called on the DPP authorities to give people on the island enough space for cross-Straits communication, and to let the people on both sides of the Straits to jointly decide on the future development. Li Zhenguang, deputy director at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, told the Global Times that the DPP has created many policy obstacles to cross-Straits exchanges and integration. "All we have to do is break its blockade of communication," Li said. People-to-people exchanges between the two sides are the basis for integrated development. To deepen integration and development is actually to push cross-Straits relations onto the track of peaceful reunification, so as to avoid compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits harming each other, Li added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UPDATE: PLA holds joint drills around Taiwan island following separatist Lai's provocative 'stopovers' in US Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Aug 19, 2023 12:48 PM The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced on Saturday that it is holding a joint exercise around the island of Taiwan, following the return of the island's separatist deputy regional leader Lai Ching-te from his "stopovers" in the US. Military exercises serve as countermeasures to secessionist activities, and the more separatists provoke, the dimmer a peaceful future is for the island of Taiwan, observers said. The PLA Eastern Theater Command is holding a sea and air joint combat readiness alert patrol and a joint training exercise involving naval and aviation forces on Saturday, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesperson at the PLA Eastern Theater Command, in a press release on the day. In a move to test the troops' actual capabilities in joint operations, the exercise focuses on training subjects including vessel-aircraft integration and seizing control, Shi said. Mission units including multiple Navy destroyers, frigates and missile boats, formations of Air Force fighters, early warning aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft as well as conventional missiles from the Rocket Force rapidly maneuvered and assembled toward preset regions and started combat deployment, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said in a separate press release later the day. According to videos released by the PLA Eastern Theater Command, J-10C, J-11B, J-16, Su-30MK2 fighter jets, Type 054A frigates and DF-15 ballistic missile transporter erector launchers were among the weapons and equipment involved in the drills. Fighter jets carried live munitions, including PL-10 short-range combat missiles and PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, videos show. Working with support from multiple intelligence sources, these combat platforms operated as a system and coordinated with each other according to their missions, as they arrived in designated waters and air spaces around the island of Taiwan as planned, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said. The PLA forces carried out a close-in deterrence mission from multiple directions, in multiple dimensions and through an extended time period, forming a situation that the island of Taiwan is surrounded and approached from all directions, the press release read. PLA destroyers and frigates took advantageous positions through high-speed maneuvering and stealth approaching, with standing-by missile boats carrying out tracking and aiming at hostile mobile targets throughout their entire courses jointly with land-based missile assault groups, electronic countermeasure units as well as observation and communications forces, the China Central Television (CCTV) reported. Warplanes seized air superiority and coordinated with warships in striking hostile vessels and aircraft in reconnaissance and patrol missions, CCTV said. Drills were conducted for jointly seizing maritime and airspace control, submarine search and anti-submarine operation in the waters and airspace to the north and southwest of Taiwan island to test the capability of the command's forces in coordinated operations and systematic confrontation, according to the PLA Eastern Theater Command. This is a stern warning to collusions between "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces, Shi said. Lai, a candidate of the separatist Democratic Progressive Party for the 2024 Taiwan regional leader election, returned to the island on Friday after "stopovers" in the US during his trip to Paraguay. When Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen made "stopovers" in the US in a similar manner in April, the PLA Eastern Theater Command held combat alert patrols and "Joint Sword" exercise encircling the island of Taiwan in waters to the east of the island. The latest exercise is a pointed countermeasure against Lai's "stopovers" in the US, a Chinese mainland military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Saturday. It marks the third major PLA countermeasure operation against collusion between "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces over the past a little more than a year, the expert said, referring to the large-scale joint exercise around the island in August 2022 in response to then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to the island as the first, and the combat alert patrols and "Joint Sword" exercise in April in response to Tsai's "stopovers" and her meeting with current US House speaker Kevin McCarthy as the second. With each exercise, the PLA has gained more capabilities and experiences around the island of Taiwan, as well as the actual control over the region, the expert said. "We are willing to created wide space for peaceful reunification, but will never leave any room for any kind of 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities. We will take resolute measures to penalize 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces and their acts and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said in a statement on Saturday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mainland's Taiwan affairs office supports study on suspension of tariff preferences for Taiwan products People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:22, August 19, 2023 BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Friday voiced support for the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) in mulling over the suspension or partial suspension of tariff preferences for Taiwan products under the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in accordance with rules. According to preliminary results from a trade barrier investigation launched by the MOC, Taiwan's restrictions on products from the mainland did not comply with the requirements for advancing the normalization, institutionalization and liberation of economic ties across the Taiwan Strait, which were included in the ECFA, said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, in response to a media inquiry. The restrictions went against the ECFA provision of "gradually reducing or eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in a substantial majority of goods between the two Parties," Zhu said. The unilateral restrictions by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority are suspected to have also violated WTO principles, including non-discrimination and the general elimination of quantitative restrictions, and damaged the interests of relevant industries and companies on the mainland as well as the interests of consumers in Taiwan, she said, citing the MOC preliminary results. In June 2010, the mainland and Taiwan signed the cross-Strait ECFA based on the 1992 Consensus, which has produced concrete benefits for both sides, especially Taiwan companies and people, Zhu said. Instead of taking measures to lift the trade restrictions against the mainland, the DPP authority, however, has done the opposite to make things even worse since taking office, for instance raising the number of prohibited import items from the mainland, she added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Conducts Military Drills Near Taiwan as Warning to 'Separatist Forces' - Beijing Sputnik News 20230819 BEIJING (Sputnik) - The Chinese air force and navy conducted joint patrols and exercises around Taiwan on Saturday as a warning to the "separatist forces of the island," Shi Yi, the spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said. The drills came after Taiwanese Vice President and presidential candidate Lai Ching-te wrapped up his trip to Paraguay, during which made transit stops in New York and San Francisco. China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the transit through the United States and condemned Lai's visit to the country. "The PLA Eastern Theater Command organized joint maritime and air combat readiness patrols around the island of Taiwan on August 19, and conducted maritime and air force drills," Shi said in a statement published on WeChat. The Chinese military practiced coordinating maneuvers of vessels and aircraft and intercepting control communications, as well as tested real combat capabilities during joint operations, the statement read. "This is a serious warning to the separatist forces of the island colluding with foreign forces for the purpose of provocation," the official said. Earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin dodged giving a straightforward answer to a question whether China will conduct large-scale exercises near Taiwan following Lai's stop in the US, while saying that Beijing will take effective measures to protect its sovereignty. Last month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the US to refrain from receiving Lai, arguing that the visit would violate the "one-China" principle and the provisions of the three joint China-US communiques. Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan a a territory with its own elected government a maintains that it is an autonomous country, but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Analysts: Chinese Military Drills Serve as Warning to Taiwan, Response to Camp David Summit By William Yang August 19, 2023 China staged a new round of military exercises around Taiwan on Saturday, as it expressed anger toward Taiwanese Vice President William Lai's two stopovers in the United States. Apart from issuing warnings to Taiwan, analysts say the drills are part of Beijing's response to Friday's Camp David Summit featuring leaders from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea. "China is not only aiming at Lai but also issuing a warning to the U.S., Japan, and South Korea after the three countries strengthened military cooperation and intelligence sharing at the Camp David Summit," Lin Ying-Yu, a China military expert at Tamkang University in Taiwan, told VOA in a phone interview. The latest exercise comes a day after Lai's return from his seven-day trip to Paraguay, which included transit stops in New York and San Francisco. In response, an unnamed official in China's Taiwan Work Office accused Lai of colluding with the U.S., referring to Lai's stopovers in the U.S., an interview Lai gave to news outlet Bloomberg, and his meeting with U.S. officials in Paraguay. The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, characterized the military exercises on Saturday as "stern warnings" to the collusion between Taiwan independence separatists and foreign forces. But unlike the two multi-day, blockade-style military exercises that China launched recently as responses to high-level engagement between Taiwan and the U.S., Lin from Tamkang University notes the scale of Saturday's drills is smaller. "Lai and the U.S. didn't cross the red line in arranging his transit stops in the U.S., so the scale of the Chinese military exercise is smaller compared to the military exercises last August and this past April," said Lin, referring to Beijing's reactions to the former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August of 2022 and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last April. In response, Taiwan's Defense Ministry condemned Beijing's "irrational and provocative act" and said the military exercises don't contribute to the peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits. "The drills highlight China's mentality of military desperation, and Taiwan will dispatch appropriate troops to respond to the military exercises accordingly," the ministry said in a statement. Limited effect China views Taiwan as part of its territory and vows to reunite with the island democracy through force if necessary. Beijing opposes high-level interactions between Taiwan and other countries and repeatedly has deployed military aircraft and naval vessels to areas near Taiwan as part of its intimidation campaign. On Saturday, Taiwan's defense ministry said 42 Chinese military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone, or ADIZ, after 9 a.m. local time, and 26 of those crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial demarcation that separates Taiwan and China. Some observers say one of Beijing's goals with the military exercises around Taiwan is to intimidate the Taiwanese people so they act and vote in a certain way. Since China has staged multiple large-scale military exercises around Taiwan over the last year, though, the effectiveness of this strategy has been decreasing. "It's no secret that people in Taiwan don't necessarily freak out every time there is a military drill by China," Lev Nachman, a political scientist at National Chengchi University, or NCCU, in Taiwan, told VOA in a phone interview. "Beijing thinks that they are scaring [the] Taiwanese people, but they don't realize that most Taiwanese people don't even notice these threats." Despite the calm reaction from many in Taiwan, Nachman asserted that major political parties in the country will try to make electoral gains either by framing the Chinese military drills as proof of the threat from China or as evidence of the growing risks that Taiwan faces if it continues to assert its status as a sovereign state. "Both the DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] and main opposition party Kuomintang, or KMT, would like Taiwanese people to pay more attention to the drills because they think the drills are good for their electoral politics," Nachman explained. He added that the KMT will try to frame the drills as proof that the DPP is putting Taiwan in serious danger while the DPP wants to convince Taiwanese people that threats from China are growing. On Saturday, Taiwan's Presidential Office and the DPP both criticized Beijing for attempting to create fear among the Taiwanese public and interfere in the presidential election scheduled for next January. "The Chinese Communist Party is using Lai's visit as an excuse to verbally and militarily intimidate Taiwan, as well as attempt to intervene in and influence Taiwan's democratic election, which not only destroys cross-strait relations but also won't earn Taiwanese people's approval," the DPP said in a statement. Meanwhile, KMT's chairman, Eric Chu, told reporters during a brief interview that both sides of the Taiwan Strait should "strive to create a peaceful environment through exchangements and dialogues rather than a vicious cycle that would make Taiwan the most dangerous place recognized by the world." Careful monitoring While China's military drills have limited repercussions on Taiwan's civil society, military experts say Taiwanese authorities and the military must heed potential changes or adjustments to China's military tactics. "Since Taiwan adjusts its defense strategies based on the Chinese military's tactics, these exercises are of great significance to Taiwan," Lin from Tamkang University said. Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taiwan, said one of the objectives of the joint air and sea patrols launched by the PLA is to maximize their capabilities in maintaining air and maritime supremacy. "This type of drill focuses on enhancing the coordination between PLA's air force and navy," he told VOA. In the face of growing military threats from China, Su says it's important for Taiwan to showcase the will to defend itself and enhance its defense capabilities. He contends authorities also need to focus on strengthening the Taiwanese people's "mental defense" against the psychological effect of the military exercises. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan accuses China of election interference with trade probe ROC Central News Agency 08/20/2023 08:53 PM Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has accused Beijing of seeking to meddle in Taiwan's presidential election by launching an investigation into what China has described as trade barriers imposed by Taiwan. It was the first time that Taiwan's government agency in charge of cross-Taiwan Strait affairs has branded the probe launched by China as interference in the presidential election, slated for Jan. 13, 2024. The time frame in which the fair trade inspection will be carried out -- from Apr. 12 to Oct. 12, 2023 or Jan. 12, 2024 if necessary-- pointed to economic coercion that is politically motivated, the MAC argued in a statement. The MAC's comment came in response to the release of the preliminary results of an investigation into Taiwan's use of the 1993 Regulations Governing Trade between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area to ban imports of certain Chinese goods. Beijing had looked into what it alleged were trade barriers imposed by Taiwan on more than 2,455 Chinese products, and in its initial findings on Aug. 17 said that Taiwan was in breach of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It threatened to end preferential tariffs for select Taiwan goods under the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) as a potential retaliatory measure. The ECFA was signed in 2010. On Aug. 18, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) dismissed China's accusations as politically motivated, stating that Taiwan's ban of certain Chinese imports on protectionist and national security grounds was not in breach of WTO rules. The MOEA also underlined that the 1993 regulations had come into existence before the two countries joined the WTO in 2002. In light of the longstanding nature of the current arrangements, the MOEA said it hoped China would refrain from "politicizing" trade issues and instead discuss any concerns regarding import bans with Taiwan at the WTO. But asked on Aug. 17 if China might suspend preferential tariffs under the ECFA, Shu Jueting (), a spokesperson for China's Department of Commerce, said corresponding measures would be taken if the department's ongoing investigation substantiated claims of discriminatory practices by Taiwan. Shu said China had raised its concerns via the WTO's trade policy review mechanism several times over the years, but Taiwan had yet to change its regulations, and that the list of Chinese agricultural, textiles, metals, coal and mineral imports prohibited by Taiwan continued to grow, reaching 2,509 products as of Aug. 17. Hsu Chia-hao (), an assistant political science professor at National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan, told CNA that Beijing will use the inspection strategically based on how the election unfolds. For instance, the investigation could be used to manipulate voter preferences during the campaign period, or as an excuse for economic punishment if the election outcome did not meet Beijing's expectations, Hsu said. Amid the cross-strait standoff, however, local industry representatives called for more communication. Hsu Shu-po (), the president of the General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China, said the business community is concerned about possible disruptions to the ECFA. Neither China nor Taiwan benefits from a halt in economic exchanges as they are important trade partners, and it required both sides to extend goodwill to solve related disputes, Hsu said. (By Lee Ya-wen, Shih Hsiu-chuan and Lee Hsin-Yin) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 25 Chinese warplanes cross Taiwan Strait median line: Defense ministry ROC Central News Agency 08/20/2023 01:18 PM Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) A total of 45 warplanes and nine warships from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China were detected around Taiwan during the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday, including 25 warplane that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). Among the intruding aircraft that crossed the informal dividing line in the strait between China and Taiwan, nine were Su-30 fighter jets, four were J-11s, and 12 were J-10s, flight path released on Sunday by the MND showed. In addition, a Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft and a Z-9 anti-submarine helicopter were detected entering the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND data. An ADIZ is an area declared by a country to allow it to identify, locate and control approaching foreign aircraft but is not part of territorial airspace as defined by international law. The MND did not provide details of the locations of the nine PLA warships around Taiwan. According to images released by the Military News Agency, the Navy's Tian Dan guided-missile frigates were closely monitoring activities of the PLA's Xuzhou frigate. "The Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP (combat air patrol) aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities," the ministry said in a statement. On Saturday, the PLA's Eastern Theater Command launched joint air and sea patrols, and navy and air force military exercises near Taiwan proper, which it claimed were conducted as a "stern warning" to Taiwan independence separatists for colluding with "foreign elements" and in response to their "provocations." The military activities came after Vice President Lai Ching-te () returned to Taiwan on Friday following a visit to Paraguay, Taiwan's South American diplomatic ally, from Aug. 12-18. During the trip, Lai made two stopovers in the United States -- the first in New York on Aug. 12 (local time) and the second in San Francisco on Aug. 16 (local time). Beijing, which regards Taiwan and mainland China as part of one country, has objected to the stopovers and accused Lai and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of using the visits to promote Taiwan's independence. Washington has maintained that allowing Taiwanese presidents and vice-presidents to transit on American soil had been a "routine" practice for decades and that Lai's visit was no exception. Taipei has blasted the latest round of Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, which it said caused disorder in the region and were an attempt to influence Taiwan's elections next year. In a statement released Saturday, the Presidential Office said it is a long-standing practice for Taiwan's presidents and vice presidents to have stopovers in the U.S. "China should not use this as a pretext for its provocations," it said, adding that China's recent provocative behavior in and around the Taiwan Strait is an attempt to influence the presidential and legislative elections next year and has caused tension in the region. Meanwhile, in an interview broadcast late Saturday with a local news station, Lai, who has on more than one occasion described himself as a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence," insisted that Taiwan is a democratic country. It's Taiwan's people who get to decide who should serve as their president, instead of China, the DPP's presidential candidate said. "It is not the person China favors who can have the job. This violates the spirit of democracy, and poses a huge blow to Taiwan's democratic system," Lai said. However, his opponents in the January 2024 race, New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih () and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (), are far from being considered pro-China even if they may be seen by Beijing as more preferable candidates because they have not openly supported Taiwan independence as Lai has. Hou, from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), has pledged to reduce tensions, maintain peace and prevent a war from breaking out between the two sides, while Ko from the Taiwan People's Party sees himself as the best alternative for voters dissatisfied with both the DPP and the KMT. The MND has meanwhile condemned the PLA drills, calling them "irrational and provocative." (By Matt Yu and Elizabeth Hsu) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA's sudden, swift joint drills around Taiwan island highlighted by live munitions, multi-source intelligence support Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Aug 20, 2023 07:59 PM Updated: Aug 20, 2023 08:09 PM The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched a sudden and swift joint exercise around the island of Taiwan on Saturday that was not anticipated by the island's defense authority despite the island's separatist deputy regional leader Lai Ching-te's provocative "stopovers" in the US, as the drills displayed the PLA's growing combat readiness and its capability to completely control the region, experts said on Sunday. Marking the PLA's third major countermeasure operation against collusion between "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces since last August, the latest exercises shows that secessionist attempts will never succeed and will only sabotage peaceful future of the island, analysts said. Between Saturday morning and Sunday morning, armed forces on the island of Taiwan detected 45 PLA aircraft and nine PLA vessels around the island, with 27 of the detected aircraft including Su-30, J-11 and J-10 fighter jets, a Y-9 command and control aircraft and a Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter crossed the so-called median line of the Taiwan Straits or entered the island's self-proclaimed southwest air defense identification zone, the defense authority on the island said in a press release on Sunday. The report on the sudden significant increase in PLA activities around the island came after the PLA Eastern Theater Command on Saturday announced it had launched a sea and air joint combat readiness alert patrol and joint training exercises involving naval and aviation forces on Saturday. In a move to test the troops' actual capabilities in joint operations, the exercises focus on training subjects including vessel-aircraft integration, seizing control and anti-submarine warfare. Spokesperson of the defense authority on the island said on Tuesday, four days before the drill, that there was no sign of large-scale exercises amid Lai's scheduled return from his trip on Friday, media on the island reported at the time. Clearly such an exercise was not expected by the defense authority on the island. It shows that the PLA is ready for missions in the Taiwan Straits at any time, as its regular training sessions and large-scale exercises have fused together, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese mainland military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday. With command, control and communication links among different military services and branches being interconnected and all kinds of training being carried out daily, the PLA can launch large-scale exercises at anytime, leaving no time for enemies to react or prepare before an operation, Fu said. In the exercises, mission units including multiple Navy destroyers, frigates and missile boats, formations of Air Force fighters, bombers, early warning aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft, as well as conventional missiles from the Rocket Force rapidly maneuvered and assembled toward preset regions and started combat deployment, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said in a press release on the day. Working with support from multiple intelligence sources, these combat platforms operated as a system and coordinated with each other according to their missions, as they arrived in designated waters and air spaces around the island of Taiwan as planned, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said. Fu said that the multiple intelligence sources likely include those from satellites, reconnaissance aircraft and early warning aircraft in dimensions including land, sea, air, space, electromagnetic space and cyberspace. These intelligence sources are collated at the command center and distributed to combat units in real time, as the PLA's level of grasping, analyzing and using intelligence has reached a high level in informationized warfare, Fu said. According to media reports, J-10C, J-11B, J-16, Su-30MK2 fighter jets, H-6K bombers, KJ-500 early warning aircraft, Type 054A frigates and DF-15 ballistic missile transporter erector launchers were among the weapons and equipment involved in the drills. Fighter jets and bombers carried live munitions, including PL-10 short-range combat missiles, PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, KD-63 land attack cruise missiles and YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles, media reports show. The PLA forces carried out a close-in deterrence mission from multiple directions, in multiple dimensions and through an extended time period, forming a situation where the island of Taiwan is surrounded and approached from all directions, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said. To the north of Taiwan island, PLA destroyers and frigates took advantageous positions through high-speed maneuvering and stealth approaching and launched mock strikes on hostile maritime targets. To the east of Taiwan island, PLA flotillas organized beyond-visual-range strikes against naval targets and close-range counterattacks based on real time situations. To the southwest of Taiwan island, surface vessels and anti-submarine helicopters formed a multidimensional anti-submarine network, searching for underwater targets in a wide region, quickly cross-verified suspect targets and launched mock attacks, while standing-by missile boats carried out tracking and aiming at hostile mobile targets throughout their entire courses jointly with land-based missile assault groups, electronic countermeasure units as well as observation and communications forces. Fighters and bombers carrying live munitions flew to designated regions from multiple directions, established strike positions, coordinated with surface vessels and carried out mock attacks on hostile aircraft and vessels in a move to seize air superiority and control of the sea. Supported by a land-sea-air joint intelligence system, the warplanes formed an integrated link, carried out joint reconnaissance, target distribution and mock precision strikes, as they tested their multi-domain awareness, coordination and joint blockade and strike capabilities. The PLA again surrounded the island of Taiwan from all directions, leaving "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces with no chance, Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday. Such a blockade and encirclement means that the PLA can suppress all military targets in and around the island of Taiwan, including those on the island or from the US, Song said. Stern warning The exercises are a stern warning of collusion between "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesperson at the PLA Eastern Theater Command, in a press release on Saturday. Lai, a candidate of the separatist Democratic Progressive Party for the 2024 Taiwan regional leader election, returned to the island on Friday after "stopovers" in the US before and after his trip to Paraguay. When Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen made "transit" in the US in April, the PLA Eastern Theater Command held combat alert patrols and the "Joint Sword" exercise that encircled the island of Taiwan in waters from the east of the island. In August 2022, the PLA also held large-scale joint exercises around the island in response to then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to the island. No matter in which way "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces or external interference forces provoke and sabotage the prospect of peaceful reunification, the Chinese mainland will always take resolute countermeasures to penalize them, experts said, noting that the more separatists provoke, the dimmer a peaceful future is for the island of Taiwan. With each exercises, the PLA gains more capabilities and experience around the island of Taiwan, as well as actual control over the region, observers said. "We are willing to create wide space for peaceful reunification, but will never leave any room for any kind of 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities. We will take resolute measures to penalize 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces and their acts and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said in a statement on Saturday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by Russian Defence Ministry 18.08.2023 On 18th August around 04.00 a.m. Kiev regime attempted yet another terrorist attack launching unmanned aerial vehicles at objects in Moscow and Moscow region. After countermeasures of air defence units, an unmanned aerial vehicle changed its course and fell on a non-residential building in the Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment area of Moscow. There are no casualties and no fires in the result of the attack. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint statement of Intent between the Prime Minister of Sweden and the President of Ukraine Government Offices of Sweden 19 August 2023 Statement of Intent between the Prime Minister of Sweden and the President of Ukraine on Enhanced Cooperation on the CV90 Platform, made 19 August 2023. Continued Western support to Ukraine is crucial for Ukraine's fight for freedom, and for the freedom of Europe as a whole. After 18 months of war in Europe, our conclusion is that modern and agile land combat systems are essential to repel and defeat an aggressor. One key element to the success of both defensive and offensive operations on the battlefield is the mobility, fire power, reliability, and crew protection of a modern tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). As part of Sweden's long-standing commitment to support Ukraine, Sweden has donated Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), in solidarity with Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty and freedom. Sweden has also, and will continue to do so, supported Ukraine with training, spare parts and maintenance of the vehicles. Acknowledging that CV90 is a highly effective and modern combat vehicle, Sweden and Ukraine share the conviction that further cooperation on the CV90 platform will be mutually beneficial. This Statement of Intent therefore symbolizes Sweden's and Ukraine's will to strengthen cooperation in production, operation, training, and servicing of the CV90 platform. Sweden and Ukraine share the conviction that closer cooperation will contribute to competence building and further development of Western platforms. It will also open up possibilities for further, and closer, cooperation in the future. This Statement of Intent should also be seen in light of the agreements between Sweden and Ukraine on protective security and defence procurement support, signed by both parties during the 12 July NATO Summit in Vilnius, symbolizing Sweden's long-term commitment to support Ukraine in a broader sense. Through this Statement of Intent, Sweden reconfirms its commitment to continue its strong support for Ukraine, for a s long as it takes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sweden and Ukraine strengthen their cooperation Government Offices of Sweden 19 August 2023 On 19 August 2023, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Sweden. During the visit, several ministers took part in the talks. Mr Zelenskyy and Ms Zelenska were also received by His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen. Mr Kristersson also hosted meetings with the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and all party leaders. A joint press conference was held after the talks. "The visit highlights the close and strong relations between Sweden and Ukraine. It also shows that our support is important and contributes to Ukraine's defence against Russia's full-scale invasion. I stressed once again that Sweden will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary," says Mr Kristersson. During the visit, Mr Kristersson and Mr Zelenskyy signed a Statement of Intent on enhanced cooperation between Sweden and Ukraine concerning Combat Vehicle 90. During the press conference, Mr Kristersson said that the Statement of Intent is a concrete testament of Sweden's and Ukraine's shared desire to enhance cooperation on the production, training and maintenance of the Combat Vehicle 90 system. Statement: Joint statement of Intent between the Prime Minister of Sweden and the President of Ukraine These talks covered Sweden's continued military support, including the prospects for future deliveries of combat aircraft, Ukraine's peace plan and Sweden's support for Ukraine's EU membership. Sweden's military support to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion amounts to more than SEK 20 billion. In addition to the Combat Vehicle 90 system, this support includes Leopard tanks, the Archer Artillery System, advanced anti-aircraft systems, ammunition, mine-clearance equipment and personal protective equipment. Sweden's overall support to Ukraine during this period amounts to SEK 26 billion and includes humanitarian assistance, financial support, support for reconstruction and support for civil crisis response. On 17 July, the Government adopted a strategy for Sweden's reconstruction and reform cooperation with Ukraine comprising SEK 6 billion. During the visit, Mr Kristersson also presented a Ukrainian translation of this strategy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President held a meeting at the command centre of the special military operation in Rostov-on-Don August 19, 2023 04:10 Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the command centre of the special military operation in Rostov-on-Don. The President heard reports from Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, front commanders and other senior officers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine's president asks for Gripen jets during visit to Sweden Iran Press TV Saturday, 19 August 2023 6:46 PM Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began discussing with Sweden the possibility of receiving Gripen jets, as he arrived for a visit to the capital Stockholm on Saturday. Gripen is a light single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft. Zelensky announced the visit on social media, saying he will hold talks focused on "partnership, defense cooperation, EU integration, and common Euro-Atlantic security." "I thank all Swedes who support Ukraine," he added. After meeting Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Zelensky said he began discussing with Stockholm the possibility of receiving Gripen jets to boost its air defenses. "Today we discussed in detail the future steps regarding the possibility of opening the subject of receiving Swedish Gripens," Zelenskiy said at a joint news briefing with Kristersson. Kristersson made no mention of the aircraft in his remarks though. Ukraine and Sweden also signed an agreement that will see Ukraine begin production of Sweden's CV90 combat vehicle. Sweden broke with its doctrine of not delivering weapons to countries at war after Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine and pledged to provide Kiev with thousands of AT4 anti-tank weapons. It has been supplying Kiev with weapons such as tanks, anti-aircraft systems and armored Type 90 infantry fighting vehicles. Since the start of the war, Stockholm has sent $1.8 billion in military aid to Ukraine. This week, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said the government was planning a new $313.5 million military support package to Ukraine, consisting mainly of ammunition and spare parts to previously delivered weapon systems. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Strike On Ukraine's Chernihiv Kills At Least Seven, Including Child, Wounds Scores By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 19, 2023 At least seven people, including a child, were killed and 129 were wounded in a Russian missile strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on August 19, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a "terrorist state" had carried out the attack and caused "a day of pain and loss." Oleksandr Lomako, acting mayor of Chernihiv, said the attack was another blow to the city. "This is another war crime by Russia against Ukraine. The blood of all innocent children and people is on the hands of Russia. We will not forgive this. Never," Lomako said on Telegram, adding that three days of mourning would be observed on August 19-21 under a decree he signed. Zelenskiy, who is on a visit to Sweden, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Russian missile hit the heart of Chernihiv. A square, a university, and a theater." Zelenskiy also posted a video of the purported place of the attack. "Russia turned an ordinary Saturday into a day of pain and loss," said Zelenskiy. "This is what it means to live next to a terrorist state," he said, adding, "I urge the world to stand up to Russian terror." Regional Governor Vyacheslav Chaus said on Telegram that the attack was "probably a ballistic missile." Separately, the Interior Ministry said a 6-year-old boy was killed and 15 other children were among the wounded by the missile, which struck Chernihiv's Drama Theater. The mother of the boy killed in the attack was in serious condition, authorities said. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said most of the victims were in vehicles or were crossing the street on foot. The people inside the theater reached a shelter in time after the air-raid alert was announced, he said. The UN's humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine condemned the missile attack as "heinous" and called on Moscow to end strikes on populated areas. "It is heinous to attack the main square of a large city, in the morning, while people are out walking, some going to church to celebrate a religious day for many Ukrainians," said Denise Brown in a statement. "I condemn this repeated pattern of Russian strikes on populated areas of Ukraine, causing deaths, massive destruction, and soaring humanitarian needs." Earlier on August 19, the Ukrainian military said that the air defense shot down 15 out of 17 Iranian Shahed drones that Russia used in its latest overnight attack on Ukraine. "The air force in cooperation with the air defense and other components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed 15 enemy drones," the military said in its daily report, adding that the attacks targeted the eastern, northern, and western parts of Ukraine. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said on August 19 that its air-defense systems repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on a military airfield in Novgorod region located northwest of Moscow, but the attack resulted in a damaged Russian warplane. There were no casualties in what the ministry's statement called "a terrorist attack," but a fire that broke out on the airfield causing damage to one of the warplanes parked there. The information could not be independently verified. The ministry earlier claimed that it had downed a Ukrainian missile over Moscow-occupied Crimea overnight. On the diplomatic field, Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena, traveled to Sweden for talks on defense cooperation. Zelenskiy visited Sweden with his wife, Olena, for talks on defense cooperation. He announced that he and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson had agreed on 10 points, including cooperation on the production of powerful CV-90 combat armored vehicles in Ukraine, joint training on equipment provided by Sweden, and further steps to transfer Gripen fighter aircraft to Ukraine. "I am grateful to Sweden for its firm and consistent support. Together, we protect life, freedom, and our common values." Zelenskiy said at the conclusion of his visit to Sweden, which has applied for NATO membership. Kristersson said he was proud to have had the honor to welcome Zelenskiy. "I highly appreciate our close contacts and cooperation. Sweden's support for Ukraine's freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity will continue for as long as it takes," Kristersson said on X. Sweden, which abandoned its longstanding policy of military nonalignment to support Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, is part of a coalition of 11 Western countries together with Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and the United Kingdom that pledged last month to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s. On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces continue to advance in the areas near the southern cities of Melitopol and Berdyansk, the military said on August 19, adding that during the day Ukrainian forces fought a total of 26 clashes along the front line. The General Staff's evening summary said Russian forces carried out five missile and 44 air strikes and 17 attacks from rocket salvo systems on troop positions and populated areas. The push toward the Russian-occupied strategic city of Melitopol is part of Ukrainian forces' attempt to cut off Russia's land bridge to Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. It comes as a U.S. intelligence report quoted by The Washington Post assessed that Ukrainian forces do not appear likely to reach and retake Melitopol during the ongoing counteroffensive. Russia controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, most of the Luhansk region, and large tracts of the regions of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson. The Russia-installed head of the military in Kharkiv, Vitaly Ganchev, said on Russian television on August 19 that the number of communities Russia controls in the Kharkiv region had grown by five and now totals 33. "The front line is slowly moving toward Kharkiv. Our troops are approaching the suburbs of Kupyansk," he said. It is not possible for RFE/RL to verify either side's claims of battlefield success. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-drone-strikes-ukraine- crimea-attack/32555000.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Storied Cossack Leader Mazepa Helps Ukraine Put Its Stamp On A Monastery Long Linked To Moscow By Rostyslav Khotin August 19, 2023 As its forces fight to repel a massive Russian invasion, Ukraine is seeking to put its stamp on a sprawling Orthodox Church complex that long loomed over the capital as a symbol of Moscow's influence: the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, or Monastery of the Caves. To aid that effort, the Ukrainian church that threw off the yoke of the Moscow patriarch in 2019 has enlisted the help of Ivan Mazepa, a leader who lived and died over 300 years ago. An icon of independence in Ukraine, his name is anathema in Russia -- literally. Mazepa, who as Cossack hetman of the Zaporizhian Host was the top leader of a large swath of Ukraine from 1687 to 1708, was a major patron of the church and helped develop the Lavra, a landmark complex of churches, crypts, and related buildings on the steep right bank of the Dnieper River in central Kyiv. On July 25, a special commemorative service was held at the Lavra to honor Mazepa on the 336th anniversary of his elevation to hetman in 1687. At that time, the Hetmanate was in a union with Russia. In 1708, however, Mazepa entered a wartime alliance with Sweden against Tsar Peter the Great, earning the lasting ire of Russia, where he is still branded by the state as a traitor, and a reputation as a champion of independence in Ukraine. The service late last month included the presentation of a bell, now restored, that Mazepa donated to the church centuries ago. It is to be mounted in the Lavra's main bell tower, a prominent feature on Kyiv's skyline and a symbol of the capital. 'Empire Of Evil' The religious ceremony was attended by dozens of Ukrainian soldiers, a show of unity between the church and the military as the war ground on at the front 17 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. "We must restore our common Ukrainian sacred place. And today we are near this bell, a sacred bell that has seen a lot in its history, has overcome a lot, and by the grace of God has been preserved," said Archimandrite Avraamiy, the head of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. "And in our thoughts, we go back to the times of Hetman Ivan Mazepa, who managed the state wisely -- and he wanted the state to be independent and he contributed to that." "But as always, the Russian empire of evil destroyed those who were against it. And now we are seeing it [again]," he said. The war has had a major impact on Orthodox Christian life in Ukraine, which had been riven by tension between rival churches aligned with Kyiv and Moscow for decades before the full-scale invasion. Three years before the invasion, in 2019, the Kyiv-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) was recognized as independent by the spiritual head of all Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, ending centuries of Russian dominance over Ukrainian Orthodoxy. Religious Rivalry As Ukrainians band together in the face of the Russian onslaught, the OCU has grown stronger, with hundreds of parishes that had been with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), switching allegiance. The UOC, meanwhile, has struggled to distance itself from the Russian Orthodox Church and its leader, Moscow Patriarch Kirill, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a vocal backer of the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has described the reduction of influence of UOC as a matter a national security. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, founded in the 10th century, became a flashpoint this year after Ukrainian authorities ordered the UOC to leave the complex, a UNESCO world heritage site formally in the ownership of the Ukrainian state. That hasn't quite happened. UOC priests and monks remain but have retreated to the less prominent section known as the Lower Lavra -- and their head, Metropolitan Pavlo, is under house arrest outside Kyiv while state authorities investigate him on suspicion of "inciting religious enmity and justifying Russia's actions." The OCU has been granted the use of the Upper Lavra and it now holds regular services there. The church service on July 25 was the second one at the Monastery of the Caves that has been devoted to Mazepa. On June 11, the first liturgy honoring Mazepa was held at All Saints' Church, which was built at the Lavra by Mazepa 325 years ago. It was attended by several senior government officials. Ukraine's culture minister at the time, Oleksandr Tkachenko, called it a "historic day." "For the first time in the history of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a memorial service has been held to honor its patron and sponsor -- Hetman Ivan Mazepa, who was excommunicated by the Russian imperial church during his lifetime for his unwillingness to submit to Muscovy," Tkachenko wrote on Facebook. "As we promised, the Lavra is becoming Ukrainian. Now, within its walls, we will hear prayers for the famous figures of Ukrainian history," Tkachenko added. War And Defeat When Mazepa joined forces with King Charles XII of Sweden against Russia in 1708, during the Great Northern War, the Russian church declared him anathema by personal order of Tsar Peter the Great. Forced to leave Ukraine with Charles XII after Sweden lost the crucial Battle of Poltava in June 1709, Mazepa died a few months later. This anathema against Mazepa is still technically in place in the Russian Orthodox Church. Ukrainian churches do not recognize it, however, seeing it as political move by Peter to suppress the idea of independent Ukraine rather than a religious step. To this day, the Russian church and state portray Mazepa as a traitor and a troublemaker. In a report on the liturgy honoring him at the Lavra in June, the Russian state news agency TASS said the service had been organized by the "schismatics" of the OCU, whose legitimacy and independence are not recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church. "For the betrayal of his oath to Russia, [Mazepa] was publicly punished and stripped of his titles and awards. The Russian Orthodox Church declared Mazepa anathema for violating the oath of loyalty to the Russian tsar, given on the Bible, and also for allowing Swedish soldiers to desecrate Orthodox churches," the TASS report said. During his tenure in 2005-2010, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko unsuccessfully asked Patriarch Kirill to remove the anathema. With ties between the two countries torn apart by Russia's aggression, it seems unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. And Ukraine is unlikely to ask again anyway. Instead, the OCU is honoring Mazepa with liturgies, while he is praised by the country's leadership as a symbol of independence -- and "Europeanness" as well for his union with Sweden, which was a European superpower before it lost the war with Russia following the debacle at Poltava, which is in east-central Ukraine. At the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Mazepa sponsored and oversaw the reconstruction of the main Assumption Cathedral, built All Saints' Church, several towers, and a wall surrounding the monastery, which was called the Mazepa wall long after his death. He also built dozens of churches across Ukraine, many in an architectural style sometimes called Cossack Baroque or Mazepian Baroque. Mazepa's colorful life inspired Voltaire, George Byron, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and Franz Liszt among others. "Mazepa was the first to show...that he was ready to sacrifice his life for Ukraine. That's why Moscow constantly calls him a traitor. Our nation is a Cossack nation and in the past the part of society which thought about the independence of Ukraine was called Mazepian," Kyiv-based history professor Volodymyr Serhiychuk told RFE/RL. What's In A (Street) Name? In addition to two church services to honor Mazepa, activists collected enough signatures earlier this year for an electronic petition to rename the street on which the Lavra is located after Mazepa -- as it was in 2007, under Yushchenko. That changed under Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych. Shortly after his election in 2010, on the eve of a visit by Patriarch Kirill, most of the street was renamed Lavrska, leaving only a short two-block stretch far from the complex itself with Mazepa's name. "Can you imagine what the political situation Ukraine was like back in 2010, when to satisfy Russian Patriarch Kirill, who wanted to come to Kyiv but didn't want the Lavra to be on Mazepa Street, the bigger part of it was renamed Lavrska? This street was never Lavrska before," the author of the petition, Andriy Lupak, told RFE/RL. "It was done to make Patriarch Kirill happy." "The street was deliberately renamed for the visit of Patriarch Kirill, who didn't want to enter Lavra from Mazepa Street," concurred Kyiv activist Taras Shamaida, who held protests against the renaming in 2010. Now the Kyiv City Council is looking into the matter, after the petition quickly gained more than 6,000 signatures in March -- enough for it to be considered by local authorities. Lupak, the author of the petition, hopes that the matter will be resolved by the end of the year. Mazepa was quickly 'rehabilitated' after Ukraine declared independence and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. He soon appeared on the 10-hryvnya banknote. Since then, Ukraine has erected several monuments to Mazepa, including in Poltava, the site of the battle in which the tsar's victory helped the powerful Russian Empire emerge. Plans to put a monument in Kyiv have been discussed but no decision has been made. "We have departed from the opinion, which was imposed on us, portraying Hetman Mazepa as a traitor. Mazepa wanted Ukraine to live a free and independent life," Lupak told RFE/RL. "And now, after 300 years, we are fighting for the same things Ivan Mazepa was fighting for." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-mezepa-lavra- monaestery-russian-orthodox-church/32552846.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Strike Hits Center of Combat Drone Experts in Ukraine's Chernigov - Source Sputnik News 20230819 DONETSK (Sputnik) - A Russian strike in the Ukrainian city of Chernigov targeted a meeting place for military experts on combat UAVs, which was disguised as a civilian drone exhibition, a source familiar with the matter told Sputnik. Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian media reported an explosion in Chernigov after an air raid alert was sounded in the city. "In Chernigov, the gathering point for the command personnel of the Ukrainian armed forces was struck. The event was held in compliance with secrecy measures. The strike itself hit a facility used by the Ukrainian military," the source said. The source also showed a photo of an invitation to the event, masqueraded as a drone festival named "Angry Birds," with a recommendation not to wear a military uniform. "[We] urge you to come to the event in civilian clothes. If possible, take off your military uniform to avoid identifying the event as being related to the military sphere," the invitation read. The leaflet also said that it was a private event, as it featured information that was sensitive for the country's defense capabilities, including the presentation of new equipment. Most of the participants were active military officers, therefore, filming or taking pictures of them was possible only with their consent, according to the invitation. Last month, the Russian Defense Ministry said Russian forces had launched an overnight missile strike on facilities that manufactured and prepared drone boats near Odesa, where foreign mercenaries were also present. Precision strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure have been carried out by Russia since October 10, two days after the first attack on the Crimean Bridge. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Thwarts Ukrainian Drone Attack Near Moscow - MoD Sputnik News 20230819 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian electronic warfare systems prevented a Ukrainian drone from attacking facilities in Moscow and the Moscow region on Saturday by downing it in a deserted area, which caused no casualties or damage, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "This afternoon, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by an airplane-type UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] on targets in Moscow and the Moscow region was thwarted," the ministry said in a statement. Russian air defense forces detected the drone and jammed it with electronic warfare systems, the ministry said, adding that the UAV lost control and crashed in a deserted area near the village of Putilkovo outside Moscow. The incident caused no casualties or destruction, the ministry added. Earlier on Saturday, Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian drone over the western Belgorod region. Kiev attacked a military air base in Russia's Novgorod Region with another drone on Saturday morning, damaging one warplane. Ukraine has been sending drones into the Russian territory almost daily since it launched a counteroffensive in early June, as Kiev was unable to show any results on the battlefield. The United Nations said Friday following a botched drone strike on Moscow that it did not want to see any targeting of civilian infrastructure. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Drone Attacks Military Air Base in Russia's Novgorod Region - MoD Sputnik News 20230819 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A Ukrainian drone attacked a military air base in Russia's Novgorod Region on Saturday morning, damaging one warplane and causing no casualties, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "Today, at about 10:00 Moscow time [07:00 GMT], the Kiev regime carried out a terrorist attack using a copter-type UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] against a military airfield in the Novgorod Region," the ministry said in a statement. The drone was spotted by the external observation post of the airfield and was fired at with small arms, the statement said. "As a result of the terrorist attack on the territory of the airfield, a fire broke out at the aircraft parking space, which was promptly extinguished by fire brigades. One warplane was damaged, there were no casualties as a result of the terrorist attack," the ministry added. On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Ukrainian drone was shot down around 4:00 a.m. (01:00 GMT) when it attempted to attack facilities in Moscow and the Moscow region. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Air Defenses Down Ukrainian S-200 Missile Aimed at Crimea - Russian Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230819 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian missile defense systems destroyed in the air an S-200 missile that Ukrainian troops used to attack facilities in Crimea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said early on Saturday. "This night, on August 19, the Kiev regime attempted a terrorist attack on the territory of Crimea with an S-200 air defense missile converted into a strike version. The Ukrainian missile was timely detected by the Russian air defense forces and shot down in mid-air," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that there were no casualties or material damage. On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Ukrainian drone was shot down around 4:00 a.m. (01:00 GMT) when it attempted to attack facilities in Moscow and the Moscow region. Prior to that, Russian forces had managed to successfully thwart two separate drone attacks in the Belgorod Region and over the Black Sea. Ukraine launched its much-touted counteroffensive in early June after multiple postponements. Citing the counteroffensive's needs, Kiev pushed its Western donors to step up the military and financial aid. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Loses Over 40 Soldiers in Krasny Liman Direction as 6 Drones Strikes Foiled Sputnik News 20230819 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian military units thwarted six Ukrainian attacks in the Krasny Liman direction, Kiev has lost more than 40 soldiers, Alexander Savchuk, the head of the press center of Russia's Center Group of Forces, has told Sputnik. "In the course of active defense of the taken borders in the Krasny Liman direction in the Torske bulge of the Serebryansky forestry, frontline units of the Center Group of Forces, supported by artillery fire and air strikes, have thwarted and repelled six attempted attacks by assault groups of the 63rd and 42nd Mechanized Brigades and the 95th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces," Savchuk said. "The enemy's losses amounted to over 40 soldiers. An infantry fighting vehicle and a pickup truck were destroyed." Over 30 artillery positions of the enemy have been found and suppressed as part of counter-battery fire, he said, adding that a self-propelling howitzer and a mortar have been destroyed. The military aviation has also carried out 12 bombing strikes on a command and observation post, three temporary personnel and firepower hubs in the areas of the Serebryansky forestry and the villages of Chervona Dibrova and Nevske. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Classic FM, August 1, 2023 By Sophia Alexandra Hall Photos have emerged from Afghanistan of musical instruments being set on fire by the Taliban as a spokesperson for the ruling government describes music as immoral. One photo showing four men watching a large pile of instruments engulfed by flames was released to the press by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice on Sunday and was reportedly taken in Herat, Afghanistans third largest city. The large pile was made up of guitars, a harmonium, and a tabla (drum) which were burned alongside speakers and amplifiers in the fire. The instruments and equipment are thought to have been collected from wedding venues across the region. A spokesperson from the Ministry in Herat recently said music causes moral corruption and that playing instruments will cause the youth to go astray. The Ministry also posted photographs of a pile of musical instruments on fire on 19 July, but it is unclear whether this is the same fire that took place in Herat. This is not the first time instruments have been set on fire in Afghanistan. In early 2022, an undated video went viral of musical instruments being burned in front of their owner. Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, 20 years after being pushed out by US troops, musicians have been fleeing the country. The Taliban banned all performances of non-religious music in the country soon after they regained control, sending those musicians still in the country into hiding. Students and teachers of the Afghanistan National Institute for Music, the countrys only music school, fled Afghanistan and are now exiled in Portugal. Among them, 284 were granted asylum and their escape was helped in part by high-profile musicians including cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. Music is not the only industry being attacked by the Taliban. Beauty salons in the country have also been ordered to close, which will lead to the loss of 60,000 jobs. Since the Taliban retook Afghanistan, women have been disproportionately affected by their rule. Women have been banned from public places, gyms, public baths, and amusement parks. They have also been banned from both secondary and university education and most jobs. President of Ukraine holds meeting with Speaker of Swedish Parliament, leaders of parliamentary parties President of Ukraine 19 August 2023 - 20:38 As part of his visit to Sweden, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Speaker of the Riksdag (Parliament) of the Kingdom of Sweden Andreas NorlAn and the leaders of the political parties represented in the country's highest legislative body. The Head of State thanked the Swedish parliamentarians for their solidarity with Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression and support for all important decisions regarding assistance to our country. "We are especially grateful to Sweden for the powerful defense assistance, which significantly strengthened the Defense Forces of Ukraine and the defense of the Ukrainian sky. I am counting on the expansion of cooperation between our countries in this area," Zelenskyy said. At the meeting, special attention was paid to the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. The President thanked the Riksdag for supporting his proposals to establish a lasting and just peace. The Head of State noted the importance of Sweden's practical involvement in the implementation of the Formula's points on ensuring radiation, nuclear and ecological safety. The parties also discussed steps to bring Ukraine closer to the EU. Zelenskyy thanked the Riksdag for its strong support on this path during Swedish presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2023. The President expressed special thanks to the Swedish Parliament for its participation in international efforts to de-occupy Crimea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Together with our partners, we are working on strengthening Ukrainian opportunities in the sky - President in Sweden President of Ukraine 19 August 2023 - 18:15 Ukraine, together with its partners, is working to gain an advantage over the Russian invaders not only on the ground, but also in the sky. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting with media representatives following negotiations with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson. "It is important that we took powerful steps. It is important that in a few weeks there will be appropriate actions which, I strongly believe, will open up the possibility of obtaining suitable aircraft in the future. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, I will have negotiations with several more states, and I am sure that we, together with our partners, will achieve an appropriate result for the sky, so that the Russians do not have this advantage," the Head of State said. He said that the Ukrainian army needs to control the sky to ensure the further advance of troops and the liberation of the territories occupied by Russia. "We are on our land. We know exactly what we are fighting for and we know exactly that we will win. Today, on the ground, our military is doing the possible and the impossible, and in many difficult directions we see how we are advancing, while Russia is retreating. And where it does not retreat, it loses thousands," the President said. At the same time, he said that despite advancing on the ground, Ukraine's defense forces still do not have an advantage over the Russian troops in the sky, because they are not equipped with modern aircraft. According to the Head of State, Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen aircraft can strengthen Ukrainian positions in the sky. Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine needs more infantry fighting vehicles, so the agreement on the production of CV90 in our country is an important step that will save people and save time for repair. "This is war: something breaks and needs to be repaired. To repair in other states, not on the territory of Ukraine. It is very hard. You lose time and initiative on the battlefield. And, most importantly, you lose people. Therefore, today's step is a powerful step forward," the President said, adding that the quick technical implementation of the agreements reached is now required. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security cooperation between Ukraine and Sweden will fully reflect the unity of our values - Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Swedish government head President of Ukraine 19 August 2023 - 17:53 As part of his working visit to the Kingdom of Sweden, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson. The head of the Ukrainian state thanked the head of the Swedish government and the entire people of Sweden for the vital support of Ukraine and our citizens. Zelenskyy also thanked for the condolences expressed by Kristersson over the Russian missile attack on the city of Chernihiv, killing seven Ukrainians and injuring about 90. "We deal with such vile Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, daily. Every day while this criminal aggression continues. The only way to stop it is to expel the Russian invaders from our land. Physically defeat Russia on the battlefield. Unfortunately, they will not understand anything else in the Kremlin," the President of Ukraine said at a meeting with media representatives following the negotiations with the Prime Minister of Sweden. According to him, during the negotiations, the parties detailed the agreement on the joint production of the Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicle in Ukraine. "Our warriors highly praise the V90 and are grateful not only for the fact that they are advancing with the help of these vehicles, but also for the fact that the CV90 vehicles help save and protect the lives of our warriors. Life is the most valuable," Zelenskyy said. "This is an example of the fact that security cooperation, cooperation in production will fully reflect the unity of our values. And we will do everything possible to make the first CV90 manufactured in Ukraine appear as soon as possible," he added. The Ukrainian head of state also thanked Kristersson for the fact that, in accordance with the agreements, Ukrainian soldiers began training on Archer artillery systems. In addition, Ukrainian pilots began test trials on Swedish Gripen fighters. Negotiations are ongoing regarding the possibility of Ukraine receiving these aircraft. In the context of preparing the new 13th package of Swedish military assistance to Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately noted the provision of ammunition for air defense, combat vehicles, spare parts for armored vehicles, and demining equipment to the Ukrainian army. According to the President, Sweden has also joined the implementation of the Peace Formula, in particular the points on restoration of radiation and nuclear safety, restoration of justice, ecological safety and humanitarian demining. And today, the issue of increasing Sweden's role in the implementation of the Peace Formula and the approaching Global Peace Summit were discussed. Also, as the Head of State said, within the framework of the Joint Declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine, a discussion of work on the Ukrainian-Swedish bilateral document will take place on Saturday. In addition, Zelenskyy discussed with the Prime Minister of Sweden the acceleration of the supply of Swedish high-tech pumping equipment to provide drinking water to dozens of Ukrainian cities suffering from a lack of it after Russia destroyed the dam at the Kakhovska HPP. The President of Ukraine highly praised the Swedish government's recent adoption of a multi-year strategy for Sweden's recovery and reform cooperation with Ukraine, which provides for the private capital involvement in recovery. "Sweden will be with us in the post-war transformation - I thank you for that. We also discussed the possibility of patronage over Ukrainian regions and industries that need recovery after the Russian strikes," Zelenskyy said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement of Intent between the Prime Minister of Sweden and the President of Ukraine on enhanced cooperation on the cv90 platform President of Ukraine 19 August 2023 - 16:06 Continued Western support to Ukraine is crucial for Ukraine's fight for freedom, and for the freedom of Europe as a whole. After 18 months of war in Europe, our conclusion is that modern and agile land combat systems are essential to repel and defeat an aggressor. One key element to the success of both defensive and offensive operations on the battlefield is the mobility, fire power, reliability, and crew protection of a modern tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). As part of Sweden's long-standing commitment to support Ukraine, Sweden has donated Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), in solidarity with Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty and freedom. Sweden has also, and will continue to do so, supported Ukraine with training, spare parts and maintenance of the vehicles. Acknowledging that CV90 is a highly effective and modern combat vehicle, Sweden and Ukraine share the conviction that further cooperation on the CV90 platform will be mutually beneficial. This Statement of Intent therefore symbolizes Sweden's and Ukraine's will to strengthen cooperation in production, operation, training, and servicing of the CV90 platform. Sweden and Ukraine share the conviction that closer cooperation will contribute to competence building and further development of Western platforms. It will also open up possibilities for further, and closer, cooperation in the future. This Statement of Intent should also be seen in light of the agreements between Sweden and Ukraine on protective security and defence procurement support, signed by both parties during the 12 July NATO Summit in Vilnius, symbolizing Sweden's long-term commitment to support Ukraine in a broader sense. Through this Statement of Intent, Sweden reconfirms its commitment to continue its strong support for Ukraine, for as long as it takes. This Statement of Intent is signed in two copies. The Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Done at Harpsund on 19 August 2023 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "Time and time again" children's lives being cut short by attacks in Ukraine UNICEF Statement by Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia 19 August 2023 GENEVA/KYIV, 19 August 2023 -- "Today's horrific attack on a civilian area in Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, has reportedly killed a six-year-old child and injured at least 12 other children. "The attack reportedly hit a town square, a university building and a theatre as families were going about their daily lives. Such attacks scar the lives of those affected and chip away at the fabric of the country. "This is just the latest of a recent sequence of reported attacks that have killed and injured children across Ukraine. Time and time again we are seeing children's lives cut short and families suffering the insurmountable grief of losing a child, all due to this horrific war. "The killing and maiming of children have been sustained throughout the length of this war. More than 1700 children have lost their lives or sustained injuries, mostly from bombardment. "Attacks must stop. Children must be protected. This country must be given the chance for peace and its children the chance of a future. Once again, we call on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to abide by legal and moral obligations to keep children out of the line of fire. Children and their families desperately need peace." ##### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Missile Kills Churchgoers, Children, Injures 129 in Northern Ukraine By VOA News August 19, 2023 A Russian missile attack Saturday killed at least seven people, including a 6-year-old child, and injured 129 near the central square in the historic Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of Kyiv. The missile struck while people were heading to church to celebrate a religious holiday. Twelve of the wounded were children and 10 were police officers, according to the interior ministry. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video on the Telegram messaging app showing harrowing images from the aftermath of the attack, including a body in a car surrounded by debris. "A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theater," Zelenskyy wrote while visiting Sweden to discuss a new military aid package of more than $313 million from the Nordic country. During his first visit to Stockholm since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy asked the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets to help Ukraine boost its air defenses. In June, the Swedish government said it would give Ukrainian pilots the opportunity to test its Saab-made jet, but it also has said it needs all its planes to defend Swedish territory. Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukrainian pilots have begun training on the planes. During a joint news briefing, Kristersson did not comment on the Gripens, but -condemned the Russian missile attack on Chernihiv. Sweden changed its long-established policy of military nonalignment to back Ukraine with weapons and other support in the war against Russia. Sweden has applied for NATO membership and is in the process of joining the alliance. Ukrainian pilots also have begun training on U.S. F-16 fighter jets, a process that would take at least six months and possibly longer, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Saturday, two days after a U.S. official said F-16s would be transferred to Ukraine once its pilots were trained. Reznikov said in a TV interview that six months of training was considered the minimum for pilots, but it was not yet clear how long it would take to train engineers and mechanics. Ukraine says these modern U.S. fighter jets are necessary so it can counter the air superiority of the Russian invaders. "Therefore, to build reasonable expectations, set a minimum of six months in your mind, but do not be disappointed if it is longer," Reznikov said. Washington has approved sending F-16s to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russia as soon as pilot training is completed, a U.S. official said. Reznikov did not disclose where and when the training was taking place. The training included technical language training because most of the technical manuals are written in English. The fighter jets are not likely to affect the trajectory of the war anytime soon, according to U.S. officials. U.S. Air Force General James Hecker told reporters Friday at a virtual meeting of the Defense Writers Group that there are no prospects currently for either Ukraine or Russia to gain the upper hand in the air. "I don't think anyone's going to get air superiority as long as the number of surface-to-air missiles stays high enough," Hecker said, responding to a question from VOA. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa, did note that if Ukraine runs out of its integrated air and missile defense ammunition, "then it becomes a problem." "Both Ukraine and Russia have very good integrated air and missile defense systems," he said. "That alone is what has prevented [Russia or Ukraine] from getting air superiority." In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said: "We welcome Washington's decision to pave the way for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine." Camp David At a trilateral summit Friday, the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea pledged to "stand with Ukraine against Russia's unprovoked and brutal war of aggression." Meeting at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David, President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said their countries would continue to help Ukraine. They also pledged to continue sanctions on Russia and to accelerate their countries' "reduction of dependency on Russian energy." Kishida said "the free and open international order based on the rule of law is in crisis," and pointed the blame at Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the continuing North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and a "unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas" a referring lastly to China. VOA U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer and VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this story. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine crisis enters 'garbage time,' likely to last long: experts Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Aug 20, 2023 10:37 PM This past weekend saw continued fighting between Russia and Ukraine on the frontlines and behind the lines. Dozens of battles were reported in frontline areas, while airports, train stations and other targets in both countries were hit. Although the battle is burning its way into Russian territory, neither side has much ability to change the course of the war, analysts noted on Sunday. Experts describe the conflict as having entered "garbage time," considering that neither side is likely to make much progress. However, the conflict is seen as to be continuing for a long time, unless a major turning point appears. On Sunday, Moscow's Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports suspended flight arrivals and departures, reported Russian News Agency TASS. The shutdown was believed to be related to a drone threat. A noticeable change, however, is that the battlefield has expanded to Russian territory, said Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator. "This is inevitable because Ukraine has been seeking more long-range weapons, including drones, modified anti-aircraft missiles and cruise missiles," Song told the Global Times on Sunday. "It will have an increasing ability to strike targets in Russia in the future." Earlier on Saturday, Russia's Defense Ministry reported a flurry of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting the regions of Moscow, Novgorod to the northwest of the Russian capital, and Belgorod that borders Ukraine, Reuters reported. On Sunday, five people were reportedly injured in a drone strike targeted at a train station in Kursk in western Russia. Also on Saturday, seven people were killed and 144 were wounded after a Russian missile struck a central square in northern Ukrainian city Chernihiv, said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian defense ministry on Saturday said its air defenses have destroyed 23 Ukrainian unmanned aviation vehicles (UAVs). On Sunday, Russia said its forces destroyed ammunition of Ukrainian mortar unit near Kupyansk, repelled a Ukranian attack in Zaporozhye, and destroyed up to 15 Ukrainian fighters in Kherson. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also said on Saturday that dozens of battles had been fought on the frontline. The Ukrainian air force, rocket and artillery units struck targets such as concentrations of Russian personnel and equipment and air defenses. It is clear from the latest developments that neither side has the ability to dramatically change the situation, nor are they focusing on the frontlines of the battle, Cui Heng, an assistant research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Sunday. Cui described the conflict as having entered what he called "garbage time," where neither side is likely to make much progress, but rather stalling in the hope of exhausting the other. Cui sees this as Ukraine's operational strategy to break the isolation that Russia has deliberately created aiming to separate the battlefield from major Russian cities and the general public, in a bid to turn the Russian population against the conflict. "However, Ukraine's military is not strong enough to make a frontal breakthrough," he said. Experts believe this conflict is bound to become protracted, as the two sides are unable to reach a consensus on the territorial dispute and the US-led West hopes to use Ukraine to drag Russia down. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday that the West is not interested in negotiating with Moscow on the issue of Ukraine, reported Xinhua News Agency. But an escalation of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine hinges on the attitude of the US and NATO, Song noted. If the US and NATO provide more long-range strike weapons, then the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine will escalate, he said. If the US and NATO choose to intervene directly, then the conflict could escalate to the entire European continent. Ukraine has begun discussing with Sweden the possibility of receiving Gripen jets to boost its air defense, said Zelensky on Saturday after meeting Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, following approval from the US for Denmark and the Netherlands to send F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote in his Telegram channel on Saturday that Russia is set to "destroy the nationalist regime in Kiev" even if it takes "years and even decades," according to TASS. Ukrainian media reported that Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced his readiness to resign and Zelensky is currently actively seeking a replacement for the post. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian pilots begin training on F-16 fighter jets Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 3:43 PM Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov says the training has begun for Ukrainians to operate US F-16 fighter jets, a move that brings Kiev closer to obtaining a long-sought-after military asset. Reznikov told Ukrainian media on Saturday that alongside pilots, several Ukrainian engineers and technicians are participating in the instructional program. While Reznikov refrained from specifying the training's end date, he mentioned that the minimum period of the training process is six months. The F-16 training program, supported by a coalition of 11 NATO countries, included technical language training, as Reznikov said the usual basic English level was insufficient. The defense minister highlighted the importance of defining the aircraft's armament. "After all, without radars, the plane cannot see, and without machine guns, missiles and shells, it is not a weapon, but only a carrier," he said. The training program is part of a broader effort by NATO to bolster Ukraine's defenses amid the war with Russia. Denmark and the Netherlands have taken the lead in preparing a program to train Ukrainian pilots on the American jet, but the US is still working with other countries to see who may provide F-16s to the Ukrainian Air Force. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Sunday that the Netherlands and Denmark will give an unspecified number of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine once all transfer conditions are met. "Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine and the Ukrainian Air Force," in cooperation with the US and other allies, he said in a joint press conference with Zelensky at a military air base in Eindhoven. The pledge, made as Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Netherlands, is the first real promise of F-16s for Ukraine's armed forces. It came two days after the United States approved F-16 fighter jets provided to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands upon the completion of pilot training. Zelenskiy, for his part, called the deal a "breakthrough agreement", saying the aircraft would reinforce Ukraine's air defenses and bolster its counter-offensive capabilities. Ukraine has consistently called on its Western allies to supply its forces with F-16 fighter jets. Western allies were initially reluctant to provide Kiev with advanced warplanes, fearing the provision of new fighter jets might trigger a direct confrontation between the US-backed NATO military alliance and Moscow. However, sentiments changed after US President Joe Biden signaled at the Group of Seven Summit in May in Japan that a training program for Ukrainian pilots in the operation of F-16s could begin. Russia has repeatedly warned that the transfer of F-16 to Ukraine would be a "colossal risk" that could escalate the war. In this regard, Russian President Vladimir Putin blames the West for stoking the "flames of war" by sending arms and weapons to Ukraine to fight a proxy war against Russia. Putin said that the Western-supplied weapons and munitions were burning up in Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Medvedev warns Russia-Ukraine hostilities could drag on for decades Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 8:45 AM Russia's Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has warned that hostilities between Russia and Ukraine may end up dragging on for decades, saying the West is bound to end up defeated. "Should it take years or even decades, then so be it. We have no choice: either we will destroy their hostile political regime, or the collective West will eventually tear Russia to pieces," Medvedev wrote in a Telegram post on Saturday. He then warned that in case Russia loses the battle, the West will also "perish" with Russia as well. "Nobody needs this." Medvedev described Ukraine as a state that is "terrorist in its essence" and that Russia must destroy and fully dismantle it and make sure "this filth" never re-emerges again. He added the war with Ukraine is an "existential" conflict for Russia and a fight for its very existence. On the contrary, he said, the current hostilities are a "strange war" for the collective West, therefore, the West's support for Ukraine cannot last forever and they are bound to end up defeated. "For them, this is a strange war in which people who are strangers to them are dying. And while they do not feel sorry for them, the West will never go beyond the point when its own interests get hurt too much," the former Russian President said. "Someone else's war sooner or later becomes boring, costly, and irrelevant." Moscow has repeatedly warned the US and its NATO allies about the risk of a nuclear confrontation. The US and NATO countries provide the majority of Ukraine's military assistance since Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February last year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia repels Ukraine drone attack on Moscow as missiles hit gathering of drone makers in Ukrainian city Iran Press TV Sunday, 20 August 2023 7:49 AM Russian authorities have reported repelling Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and another city as Kiev declares a Russian missile strike targeting the venue of Ukrainian drone manufacturers in a northern city. "Last night, a drone tried to reach Moscow from the southern direction," Moscow Mayor Sergei Soyanin declared Sunday in a post on the Telegram messaging app, adding: "It was stopped by the air defense forces. Thanks to the military for their work." Later in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry further stated that the drone was suppressed by electronic warfare and crashed in a deserted area after losing control. There were no casualties or damage from the drone crash, it added. Also on Sunday, another Ukrainian drone crashed into the roof of a railway station in southern Russian city of Kursk, slightly injuring five people, Kursk Region Governor Roman Starovoit declared. "According to preliminary information, it crashed into the roof of the railway station building, after which a fire broke out on the roof. Five people were slightly injured from glass fragments," the governor further stated in a Telegram post. Russian missile hits secret meeting drone makers in N Ukraine The developments came after Kiev reported a Russian missile strike on Saturday targeting a theater where Ukrainian drone manufacturers were holding a secret meeting in the northern city of Chernihiv while wondering how Russians had learned about the gathering. This is while Ukrainian officials and Western media outlets tried to highlight the number of casualties in the strike and treating the attack as one targeting civilians. Regional governor Viacheslav Chaus and other Ukrainian authorities reported seven people killed and 144 others wounded, with 41 people remaining hospitalized on Saturday. Chaus, however, pointed out that the missile had hit the theater where "a meeting" was taking place and that people leaving church and those passing by were among those hurt in the attack. He further stated that law enforcement agencies were looking into how Russians had become aware of the event, which he only claimed included "business and community representatives" amid local media reports that those taking part in the meeting were drone manufacturers. "All the participants, including engineers, members of the military and volunteers, were asked to go to an air raid shelter in the theater when the alarm sounded," Reuters reported citing "an event organizer." "All those who took shelter remained safe," Maria Berlinska, a co-founder of the Dignitas Fund, whose fundraising includes money for drones for the frontline, said in a Facebook post as cited in the report. Following the missile strike, Ukraine's Western-sponsored President Volodymyr Zelensky threatened retaliatory measures, claiming: "I am sure our soldiers will give a response to Russia for this terrorist attack; a notable response." He made the remarks in his nightly video address, delivered early on Sunday at the end of an official visit to Sweden, the newest member of the US-led NATO military alliance, where he asked for more weapons for Kiev's war efforts against Moscow. The development came just days after Russian missiles targeted a sea-drone manufacturing plant in Ukraine, its defense ministry announced on Tuesday. The targets were hit with long-range ship-launched missiles, the ministry added in a statement, describing the drones built at the facilities as "essentially unmanned boats loaded with explosives," noting that they were used by Ukraine to commit "terrorist attacks." The ministry further emphasized that the missile strike was successful and that all targets had been destroyed, though it did not mention where the attack took place. The missile strike came after Ukrainian forces used such sea drones to wage an attack on the bridge across the Kerch Strait, which links the Crimean Peninsula with Russia's mainland. 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Gasoline stations in Crimea have at times run out of the oil product over the past month, residents have told RFE/RL. One of the leading gasoline chains in Criema sent clients a text message last week urging them to stock up on the product amid concerns about a shortfall, residents said. Russia, one of the world's largest produces of oil products, has been supplying the peninsula with gasoline and other oil products via rail across the $4 billion Crimean bridge opened in 2018. Ukraine's armed forces on July 17 struck the bridge for the second time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion last year. The strike forced Russia to halt oil product shipments by rail. The bridge has become a key Ukrainian target as it tries to drive Russian forces from its territory, including Crimea. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Oil products are now delivered via a slow ferry crossing that can only take place during the day. Local residents have taken to social media to complain about the lack of gasoline. "There is no 95 [octane] for the third day in a row, especially at Atan [gasoline station chain]," one resident posted on a Sevastopol community page on Vkontake, a Russian social network. Following the July 17 bombing, Russian-installed Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev tried to calm residents, assuring them there "won't be a deficit" and said there was no need to stock up. "Misha, what's up with gasoline? " one resident wrote last week under Razvozhaev's Telegram channel, using the diminutive form of the governor's first name in a sign of their displeasure. "Do tankers only ship [Russian oil products] overseas?" Some residents said gasoline can be found if you look for it. If some cases you need a ration card to fill up. "There is no gasoline at some gas stations. But there are plenty of those where it is sold freely. So you can find it when you need to fill up. I've filled up a full tank, and I only drive when its important business," one resident told RFE/RL. "There is gasoline, but you need a ration card. When I hear this, I feel that we have stepped 35 years into the past when you could only get sausage with a ration card," Nadezhda Golovanova wrote on a Sevastopol social media page, referring to food deficits during the Perestroika years. Ukraine has sought to make life in Crimea untenable for Russia in an attempt to regain control of the peninsula. With the receipt of new Western weapons and the development of indigenous ones, including drones, it has been making progress with that goal. Kyiv has stepped up its targeting of Crimea in recent months and is also trying to cut off the land bridge from Russia to Crimea through the Donesk region with its latest counteroffensive. Ukraine has recently hit two bridges connecting Crimea to Ukrainian territory under Russian control. Ukrainian military officials say the situation with supplies for residents will only get worse as Russia will need to prioritize deliveries to its military on Crimea. Oleksandr Khmelevskiy, an independent expert, told RFE/RL that this could lead to social unrest, putting pressure on Moscow. "If the economic situation deteriorates significantly, support for the war from the population will decrease significantly. The further it goes, the more difficult it will be to explain to the population what Russia is fighting for, what this war was required for," he said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine- crimea-bridge-strike-gasoline-shortages/32556201.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netherlands, Denmark To Give Ukraine F-16 Fighter Jets In Crucial Win For Kyiv By RFE/RL August 20, 2023 The Netherlands and Denmark have said they will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine once certain "conditions" have been met, a long-awaited development that will help Kyiv fill a crucial hole in its defense capabilities. Russia has used its more advanced and more numerous jets to repeatedly bomb Ukrainian cities, slow its counteroffensive, and threaten its ships exporting grain crucial to its economic survival, making Kyiv's acquisition of modern U.S. jets a key ingredient to its successful defense of the country. "Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine and the Ukrainian Air Force, in close cooperation with the United States and other partners once the conditions for such a transfer have been met," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on August 20 at Eindhoven air force base with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at his side. Rutte said that the Netherlands has 42 F-16s available but did not state whether all or just some would be given to Ukraine. Zelenskiy called the deal a "breakthrough agreement." Later in the day, Denmark said it would give 19 of the U.S.-made jets to Ukraine. Ukraine inherited an aging fleet of Soviet MiG and Sukhoi jets that lack the strike depth and technology of modern Russian jets, putting Kyiv at a significant disadvantage in the war. Ukraine also has a much smaller fleet than Russia. The more advanced F-16s would allow Ukrainian pilots to strike deep into Russian controlled areas and with great accuracy, intercept missiles that have terrorized Ukraine cities, and take on Russian jets that threaten its shipping lanes. U.S. intelligence leaked earlier this year indicated that Ukraine had lost 60 of 145 jets in its fleet. Ukraine has never officially disclosed its losses. The deals announced August 20 imply that Ukraine could receive as many as 61 of the F-16s. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a U.K. defense and security think tank, said in a report last year that the F-16's advanced capabilities mean that "even a small number of Western fighters could have a major deterrent effect" on Russia's "cautious" pilots. However, the aircraft are unlikely to arrive in time to help Ukraine's military with its current counteroffensive, which is going slower than anticipated in part because its ground forces do not have much air support. For more than a year, Kyiv had been urging the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to give it F-16 fighters or allow NATO members to transfer them. Washington had balked, fearing such deliveries could provoke Moscow or that Ukraine might use them to strike Russian territory. Earlier this year, the Biden administration acquiesced to the jet transfers amid domestic and allied pressure, repeating a pattern of stalling on advanced weapons systems before giving in. Ukraine is two months into a major counteroffensive to retake land in the east and the south. While Ukraine has regained some territory and, more importantly, degraded Russia's defenses, it has suffered significant personnel and equipment losses. U.S. military experts say Ukraine is forced to conduct an improbable task -- carry out a counteroffensive without air superiority -- something the United States would never do. Zelenskiy flew to the Netherlands on August 20 to jointly announce the deal before continuing on to Denmark later in the day. The two NATO member states have led international efforts to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16s. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on August 19 that training had begun for Ukrainians to fly F-16s but added it would take at least six months to also train engineers and mechanics to repair them. Training will take place in Denmark and Romania, officials from a coalition of 11 nations have said. Ukraine, which expects several dozens of pilots to be trained, said last week it did not expect to be able to use F-16s this autumn or winter. Experts say Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no signs of halting his invasion despite its failure to date and expect the war to drag well into next year, meaning the F-16s are likely to be deployed in battle. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/netherlands-denmark- ukraine-f-16-fighter-jets/32556104.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow Briefly Halts Operations At Two Airports As Zelenskiy Visits The Netherlands By RFE/RL August 20, 2023 The authorities in Moscow briefly halted operations at two major airports overnight in response to what officials described as a Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian capital, as Ukraine's president arrived in the Netherlands for talks on the delivery of advanced Western fighter jets. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram early on August 20 that air defenses had disrupted the incident, which he said involved a single drone. But operations at the city's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were suspended. The Defense Ministry reported that the drone had been disabled by electronic means over Moscow's Stupino district around 4 a.m. local time. The previous day, the military said a drone had been "intercepted" in the Moscow region en route to the capital. Operations at Moscow airports have been suspended several times in recent weeks. On July 30, Vnukovo was shut down after a drone attack damaged high-rise buildings at the prestigious Moskva-Citi business complex. The airport was shut down again briefly on August 6. Also on August 20, the governor of Russia's Kursk region wrote on Telegram that a "Ukrainian drone" had crashed through the glass roof of the Kursk railway station, starting a small fire and injuring five people. Another overnight drone attack was reported in the southern Russian region of Rostov. Officials said the purported attack was thwarted by electronic means. The information could not be independently verified. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on August 20 arrived in the Netherlands for talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rugge at a military air base in Eindhoven. The talks come two days after the United States gave approval for Dutch and Danish authorities to hand over F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. The Danish and Dutch governments are also participating in a coalition effort to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the advanced aircraft, which are seen as a significant upgrade in Kyiv's capabilities to counter Russia's invasion. On August 20, the Ukrainian military reported five Russian missile strikes and 61 air strikes over the previous 24 hours. "As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population," the General Staff said in its daily briefing. "Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed." The incidents came one day after a Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv killed at least seven civilians and injured at least 148 more. Acting Chernihiv Mayor Oleksandr Lomako has declared three days of mourning from August 19-21, writing on social media that "we will never forgive this." With reporting by TASS, Reuters, and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/32555868.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Ukraine Split Over Counteroffensive, Washington Braces for War of Attrition - Reports Sputnik News 20230820 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Tensions are mounting between officials in Washington and Kiev over Ukraine's strategy in the counteroffensive, with the United States seemingly girding for a war of attrition amid limited results on the battlefield, the Western media reported on Sunday. US officials reportedly urged Ukraine to stop avoiding risks and make full use of its forces in the south. Washington also advised Kiev against concentrating its main forces in the eastern direction, but Ukraine instead sent its best units there, the newspaper said. The report added that US officials are privately preparing for a war of attrition in Ukraine, which may last into 2024, while they continue to publicly reiterate support for Kiev's counteroffensive. Republican Congressman Andy Harris, a co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus in the US House of Representatives, said at a meeting with voters earlier this week that the counteroffensive "failed" and that aid to Kiev should be slashed, the report said. He also expressed doubt that the conflict is "winnable" for Ukraine. Earlier this week, US magazine reported that the Ukrainian political leadership was allegedly misled by the military command on the true scale of Ukraine's losses in the counteroffensive. Ukraine launched its much-touted counteroffensive in early June after multiple postponements. Citing the counteroffensive's needs, Kiev pushed its Western donors to step up the military and financial aid. According to the Russian Defense Ministry's estimates, as of August 4, Ukraine's losses in the counteroffensive were about 43,000 troops and 4,900 units of military equipment. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Air Defense Prevents Ukrainian Drone Attack on Moscow Sputnik News 20230820 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that on Sunday night, air defense forces stopped a Ukrainian drone flying to Moscow from the south. "At night, a drone tried to reach Moscow from the southern direction. It was stopped by the air defense forces. Thanks to the military for their work," Sobyanin said on Telegram. Later in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the drone was suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed in a deserted area. There were no casualties or damage from the drone crash, the ministry added. Ukraine has been sending drones into Russian territory almost daily since Kiev launched its counteroffensive in early June. The United Nations said Friday following a botched drone strike on Moscow that it did not want to see any targeting of civilian infrastructure. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Drone Attacks Railway Station in Russia's Kursk, 5 People Injured Sputnik News 20230820 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kursk Region Governor Roman Starovoit said on Sunday that a Ukrainian drone attacked the building of the railway station, causing five people to be slightly injured. "Attack of a Ukrainian drone in Kursk. According to preliminary information, it crashed into the roof of the railway station building, after which a fire broke out on the roof. Five people were slightly injured from glass fragments," the governor said on Telegram. Starovoit noted that all operational services are on site, while the details of the incident are being specified. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President following the meeting with Mette Frederiksen: We have agreed on the transfer of 19 F-16 jets by Denmark President of Ukraine 20 August 2023 - 21:17 During a working visit to the Kingdom of Denmark, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen. "We have agreed on the transfer of 19 F-16 jets by Denmark. This is a very powerful support for us. Training missions are already starting. Today, we have talked to our men and women who are studying and will work with F-16s here and then in our skies," the Head of State said during a meeting with media representatives following the negotiations with Mette Frederiksen. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian warriors are motivated to win and look forward to defending our skies with F-16s. "And a very important signal was made today that everyone will do everything to ensure that we get the first jets as soon as possible," he said. The President of Ukraine thanked Mette Frederiksen, the entire government team and the Danish society for their support and solidarity with Ukraine. During the meeting, the parties also discussed the expansion of training missions. The infrastructure is already being prepared for this. "We will work together with other partners to make this success for the Ukrainian sky shield even greater," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said and added that the announced assistance from Denmark and the Netherlands is extremely powerful. Answering journalists' questions, the Head of State noted that today's decisions of Denmark and the Netherlands were only the first fruits that would become an important signal for other countries to provide combat aircraft to Ukraine. "I think that the most important thing that happened here today is that it will be a great impetus for those states that previously doubted whether to provide us with aircraft," the Head of State emphasized. During the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mette Frederiksen also discussed the capabilities of the Ukrainian defense forces on the battlefield. The President emphasized that Denmark's assistance in this regard is one of the most significant. "It includes air defense, artillery, munitions, coastal defense, Leopards, armored personnel carriers and demining vehicles. We are working to boost our capabilities not only on land, but also at sea, in the defense of our ports. This is important for global food security," he emphasized. The Head of State also noted Denmark's assistance in the implementation of the Peace Formula, as the first meeting of national security advisors and representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs on the implementation of the Peace Formula took place in Copenhagen. "Now the only question is which states will show leadership with regard to specific points of the Peace Formula," the President noted. In addition, the parties discussed the details of Denmark's involvement in rebuilding Ukraine after the Russian attacks. "The meaningfulness of your work, the absolute concreteness of the assistance, in particular to our city of Mykolaiv, which is constantly shelled by the occupiers, is a good example for other countries that seek to help restore and protect normal life," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President familiarized himself with the program of training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 at the base of the Royal Danish Air Force President of Ukraine 20 August 2023 - 19:38 During a working visit to the Kingdom of Denmark, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Fighter Wing Skrydstrup air base of the Royal Danish Air Force. Accompanied by Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen and the Royal Air Force Command, the Head of State familiarized himself with the technical features of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets and the training program for Ukrainian pilots on these aircraft. He spoke with Ukrainian pilots who are undergoing training on F-16s to protect Ukrainian skies. "Greetings, dear officers and soldiers, pilots and engineers. You are the future of security in our skies. I am honored to be here today at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Denmark. I would like to thank Mette and her team, and all the Danish people. It is a truly historic step from friendly Denmark that our pilots are trained on F-16s," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized. The President noted that he is aware of the great motivation of Ukrainian pilots and engineers to quickly and efficiently master new equipment. "I wish you successful training and return home with your new wings as soon as possible to defend our country, its sovereignty and territorial integrity. To protect our people and our homes. I am confident in each of you," he said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also presented state awards to the Ukrainian military. The President emphasized that the whole of Ukraine is proud of its defenders and wished them success. During the visit to the base, the Head of State examined F-16 jets and familiarized himself with their capabilities and peculiarities of operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President following the negotiations in the Netherlands: We will use F-16 to keep Russian terrorists away from Ukrainian cities and villages President of Ukraine 20 August 2023 - 17:15 Ukraine and the Netherlands have agreed to provide our country with F-16 fighter jets after the training of Ukrainian pilots and engineers is completed. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with media representatives following negotiations with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte and a briefing on the operation of F-16 fighter jets in the framework of a working visit to the Netherlands. "Another step to bolster Ukraine's sky shield is F-16s. We will use these jets to keep Russian terrorists away from Ukrainian cities and villages. Mark and I have agreed on the number of F-16s that will be provided to Ukraine after the training of pilots and engineers," the Head of State informed. He expressed confidence that F-16s will certainly give a new energy of confidence and motivation to Ukrainian warriors, which will yield new results for Ukraine and the whole of Europe. Answering journalists' questions, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the Netherlands had become the first country to agree to provide Ukraine with F-16s after the completion of the relevant pilot training. "I would rather not talk about the number (of aircraft - ed.), Mark said that we are discussing the number of 42, but we are going to have a conversation with our colleagues from Denmark as well. As Mark said, it is a joint decision on providing the aircraft. I think it will be fair to talk about the number a little later," the President explained. At the same time, he noted that Ukraine needs to prepare the infrastructure for the operation of F-16 aircraft, and our military will work on this issue. The Head of State also noted that, in addition to aircraft, our country also needs to enhance air defense, especially as the autumn-winter period approaches, when energy infrastructure facilities will again become priority targets for Russian missile attacks. "We, like no one else in the world, understand what winter without electricity is like. That is why we have a set of tasks that we need to solve," the President said. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, during the full-scale invasion, Russia has already used more than 6,500 missiles and more than 3,500 attack drones, including Iranian "Shaheds", against Ukraine. The vast majority of them were aimed at civilian targets, not military ones. The President of Ukraine emphasized the leadership of the Netherlands in supporting our air defense, which actually saves thousands of people, entire cities and the entire country. "I thank you, Mark, I thank the Netherlands, I thank the people of the Netherlands for their leadership in supporting Ukraine. For their leadership in the Patriot coalition, for every launching station and missile provided for air defense, for NASAMS. Each of these munitions, each missile, is a life saved. We highly appreciate it. And we thank you for every piece of this weapon," the Head of State said. He informed that the parties also discussed the issue of expanding defense cooperation between the two countries. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted the leadership of the Netherlands in global efforts to implement the Ukrainian Peace Formula and bring those responsible for aggression against Ukraine to justice. "And today we talked about this work. When we all together restore the full force of international law and the UN Charter after the Russian aggression, a significant merit of your state will be in this result," the President of Ukraine summarized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy familiarized himself with the peculiarities of operation and maintenance of F-16 fighter jets at the Royal Netherlands Air Force base President of Ukraine 20 August 2023 - 16:05 During a working visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte visited the Royal Netherlands Air Force base in Eindhoven. The Head of State was briefed on the operation and maintenance of F-16 fighter jets, which Ukraine is seeking to obtain to reinforce the AFU Air Force. The President heard information from Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force AndrA Steur and inspected two F-16 fighter jets. Volodymyr Zelenskyy climbed into the cockpit of one of the fighter jets and familiarized himself with the equipment. The Head of State expressed gratitude to Mark Rutte, his government, the Royal Netherlands Air Force Command, all military and instructors for supporting Ukraine and reliable and effective cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with Mark Rutte President of Ukraine 20 August 2023 - 15:55 During a working visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in Eindhoven. "We highly appreciate the leadership of the Netherlands in the comprehensive and powerful support for Ukraine," the Head of State noted and expressed hope that such a level of support from the Netherlands would be preserved after the parliamentary elections and the formation of the new government in that country. The President informed the Prime Minister of the Netherlands on the situation on the frontline and the advancement of Ukrainian defenders. At the same time, he noted that our servicemen need increased assistance to achieve strategic goals on the battlefield. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked for the decision of the Dutch side to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets to enhance the protection of our sky, which is vital. The President noted that the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets is to be completed as soon as possible. The leaders discussed further upgrading Ukraine's air defense with modern anti-aircraft missile systems. The Head of State also noted the role of the Netherlands in strengthening the defense forces of Ukraine with armored vehicles, in particular, readiness to participate in the CV90 IFV coalition, which is being established at the initiative of Sweden. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Netherlands for acceding to the Joint Declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine and for starting negotiations on a bilateral agreement with the Netherlands based on this declaration. The President of Ukraine noted the leadership of the Netherlands in the implementation of the Peace Formula initiated by him and discussed with Mark Rutte the preparations for the future Global Peace Summit. In addition, the Head of State expressed gratitude for the assistance package of EUR 120 million allocated by the Dutch government in June, part of which was immediately directed to eliminate the consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam by Russian terrorists. The parties discussed the possibility of providing grants for Ukrainian SMEs, as well as the participation of Dutch businesses in the reconstruction of Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Step by step, we are getting closer to Swedish Gripen aircraft appearing in our skies - address of President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 20 August 2023 - 01:08 Dear Ukrainians! Today, we are working all day in Sweden, now we are finishing the day in Stockholm. Weapons for our warriors are the main thing. There are results, and they are much needed results. Armored vehicles - V90, cool vehicles. Just what is needed at the front. Not only supply from partners - although we are accelerating it - but also production in Ukraine. Our production. New production. There is an agreement with Sweden on the production of V90 in our country. Everything powerful that serves us now, we must localize and produce. We will do so. The second is Archer systems for our gunners. Our boys are already studying in Sweden. The powerful system, the necessary system. We are working to have more of them in Ukraine. The third is modern aviation. We are trying very, very hard to increase the capabilities of military aviation. This is one of the hardest tasks, but I am sure: we will accomplish it. Now, we have a breakthrough result regarding Gripen fighters - cool, modern Swedish combat aircraft. Our soldiers are already starting to test them. And we are step by step, negotiation by negotiation, we are getting closer to the fact that Gripen fighters will appear in our sky. Today, in particular, I talked about this with the Prime Minister of Sweden, with representatives of the Swedish parliamentary parties. Thank you for understanding our needs! We are working on the beginning of the stage with the training of our boys on Gripen fighters. We will discuss the details. Today, there was a good and meaningful audience with King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia - I visited them together with Olena. Grateful for the support of Ukraine and our people, grateful for the understanding of what Ukrainians have to go through now. Today, various leaders, representatives of states, and international organizations condemned yet another extremely vile Russian attack on Ukraine, on our Chernihiv. I am grateful to everyone in the world who today expressed condolences to Ukraine, our people. Unfortunately, seven people died in Chernihiv from a Russian missile, among them is a girl, her name was Sofia, she was six years old... My condolences to the relatives! There are 144 wounded and injured, including 15 children. The missile just hit the center of the city. And this is on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, an Orthodox holiday. A total of 140 people performed the rescue operation. Doctors, emergency services, military, local authorities - everyone helped. Thank you to everyone who saved the lives of children, adults - everyone. And I would especially like to mention the emergency paramedics Liudmyla Kopysh and Viacheslav Prokhorenko, the employees of the State Emergency Service Serhiy Kostenko, Vladyslav Sokolenko, Yuriy Ovrutsky, Valeriy Morhatsky, Oleksiy Marchenko and Viktor Dovzhenko, and policemen Andriy Vovk and Andriy Zeliak. Thanks to all of you! I am sure: our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly. Glory to all who protect our state and our people! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netherlands, Denmark to Supply US-Made F-16s to Ukraine By VOA News August 20, 2023 During his visit, the two countries pledged to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Zelenskyy welcomed the "historic" announcement making Denmark and the Netherlands the first countries to donate F-16 jets to Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia. "It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine's fight for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression," Zelenskyy said after his visit to a Dutch air base with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. After his visit to the Netherlands Zelenskyy flew to Denmark, where he and his wife were received by the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, other Danish Cabinet ministers and Crown Princess Mary at the Skrydstrup air base in southern Denmark where Ukrainian pilots will receive F-16 training in the coming months. "We have agreed on the transfer of 19 F-16 jets by Denmark. This is a very powerful support for us. Training missions are already starting. Today, we have talked to our men and women who are studying and will work with F-16s here and then in our skies," Zelenskyy said at a news conference following talks with Frederiksen. The Danish prime minister pledged 19 F-16s to Ukraine and said she hoped the first six could be delivered around the start of the new year. Rutte didn't provide a number or a timeframe when the Dutch might delivery theirs, saying it depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. "The F-16s will not help immediately now with the war effort. It is anyway a long-term commitment from the Netherlands," Rutte said. "We want them to be active and operational as soon as possible. ... Not for the next month, that's impossible, but hopefully soon afterward," he said. Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel that Ukraine would get 42 jets. He said that the F-16s will be an important motivation for his country's forces that are embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia. Zelenskyy added that the U.S. fighter jets are necessary to counter the air superiority of the Russians. The Dutch and Danish governments are also involved in a coalition that is working to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the advanced fighter jets. Zelenskyy declined to say how many Ukrainian pilots would undergo training in Denmark and later in Romania, citing security reasons. Denmark, however, said Friday that the training is starting this month. Officials previously said that Ukrainian pilots will need six to eight months of training on the high-tech jets. The training includes technical language training in English because most technical manuals are written in English. The fighter jets are not likely to affect the trajectory of the war anytime soon, according to U.S. officials. U.S. Air Force General James Hecker told reporters Friday at a virtual meeting of the Defense Writers Group that there are no prospects currently for either Ukraine or Russia to gain the upper hand in the air. "I don't think anyone's going to get air superiority as long as the number of surface-to-air missiles stays high enough," Hecker said, responding to a question from VOA. "Both Ukraine and Russia have very good integrated air and missile defense systems," he said. "That alone is what has prevented [Russia or Ukraine] from getting air superiority." In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said, "We welcome Washington's decision to pave the way for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine." The British defense ministry said Sunday in its daily report about Russia's invasion of Ukraine a that Ukraine is striking deep inside Russia and the leadership of Russia's Aerospace Forces is "highly likely" being pressured to improve its defenses over western Russia. The ministry said Russian President Vladimir Putin "almost certainly" invaded Ukraine believing that it "would have little direct effect on Russians." Uncrewed aerial vehicles are regularly hitting Moscow, the ministry's report said. There have been "increasing reports" of SA-5 GAMMON missiles hitting Russia. The ministry said the 7.5-ton Soviet-era GAMMON had been retired from Ukraine's defense inventory but has been apparently resurrected "as a ground attack ballistic missile." Russia's defense ministry said Sunday it jammed a Ukrainian drone headed toward Moscow, causing it to crash. Afterward, flights at Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were suspended as a precaution. Officials say a fire broke out when a Ukrainian drone hit a train station in the Russian city of Kursk. Five people were injured in the incident. Kursk borders Ukraine. In his daily address, Zelenskyy vowed retaliation for a deadly Russian missile attack Saturday on the historic city of Chernihiv, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of Kyiv. The attack Saturday killed seven people, including a 6-year-old, and injured 144 others. I am sure," the president said, "our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly." The missile struck while people were heading to church to celebrate a religious holiday. Fifteen of the wounded were children and 10 were police officers, according to the interior ministry. Zelenskyy posted a video on the Telegram messaging app showing images from the aftermath of the attack, including a body in a car surrounded by debris. "A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theater," Zelenskyy wrote while visiting Sweden to discuss a new military aid package of more than $313 million from the Nordic country. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Using Soviet-Era Missiles in Strikes on Russia By VOA News August 20, 2023 The British defense ministry said Sunday in its daily report about Russia's invasion of Ukraine that Ukraine is striking deep inside Russia and the leadership of Russia's Aerospace Forces is "highly likely" being pressured to improve its defenses over western Russia. The ministry said Russian President Vladimir Putin "almost certainly" invaded Ukraine believing that it "would have little direct effect on Russians." Uncrewed aerial vehicles are regularly hitting Moscow, the ministry's report said. There have been "increasing reports" of SA-5 GAMMON missiles hitting Russia. The ministry said the 7.5-ton Soviet-era GAMMON had been retired from Ukraine's defense inventory but has been apparently resurrected "as a ground attack ballistic missile." Russia's defense ministry said Sunday it jammed a Ukrainian drone headed toward Moscow, causing it to crash. Afterward, flights at Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were temporarily suspended as a precaution. Officials say a fire broke out when a Ukrainian drone hit a train station in the Russian city of Kursk. Five people were injured in the incident. Kursk borders Ukraine. In his daily address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed retaliation for a deadly Russian missile attack Saturday on the historic city of Chernihiv, about 145 kilometers north of Kyiv. The attack Saturday killed seven people, including a 6-year-old child, and injured 144 near the central square in Chernihiv. I am sure," the president said, "our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly." The missile struck while people were heading to church to celebrate a religious holiday. Fifteen of the wounded were children and 10 were police officers, according to the interior ministry. Zelenskyy posted a video on the Telegram messaging app showing images from the aftermath of the attack, including a body in a car surrounded by debris. "A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theater," Zelenskyy wrote while visiting Sweden to discuss a new military aid package of more than $313 million from the Nordic country. During his first visit to Stockholm since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy asked Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets to help Ukraine boost its air defenses. In June, the Swedish government said it would give Ukrainian pilots the opportunity to test its Saab-made jet, but it also has said it needs all its planes to defend Swedish territory. Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukrainian pilots have begun training on the aircraft. During a joint news briefing, Kristersson did not comment on the Gripens, but he condemned the Russian missile attack on Chernihiv. Sweden changed its long-established policy of military nonalignment to back Ukraine with weapons and other support in the war against Russia. Sweden has applied for NATO membership and is in the process of joining the alliance. Ukrainian pilots also have begun training on U.S. F-16 fighter jets, a process that would take at least six months and possibly longer, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Saturday, two days after a U.S. official said F-16s would be transferred to Ukraine once its pilots were trained. Reznikov said in a TV interview that six months of training was considered the minimum for pilots, but it was not yet clear how long it would take to train engineers and mechanics. Ukraine says these modern U.S. fighter jets are necessary so it can counter the air superiority of the Russian invaders. "Therefore, to build reasonable expectations, set a minimum of six months in your mind, but do not be disappointed if it is longer," Reznikov said. Washington has approved sending F-16s to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russia as soon as pilot training is completed, a U.S. official said. Reznikov did not disclose where and when the training was taking place. The training included technical language training because most of the technical manuals are written in English. The fighter jets are not likely to affect the trajectory of the war anytime soon, according to U.S. officials. U.S. Air Force General James Hecker told reporters Friday at a virtual meeting of the Defense Writers Group that there are no prospects currently for either Ukraine or Russia to gain the upper hand in the air. "I don't think anyone's going to get air superiority as long as the number of surface-to-air missiles stays high enough," Hecker said, responding to a question from VOA. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa, did note that if Ukraine runs out of its integrated air and missile defense ammunition, "then it becomes a problem." "Both Ukraine and Russia have very good integrated air and missile defense systems," he said. "That alone is what has prevented [Russia or Ukraine] from getting air superiority." In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said, "We welcome Washington's decision to pave the way for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine." Camp David At a trilateral summit Friday, the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea pledged to "stand with Ukraine against Russia's unprovoked and brutal war of aggression." Meeting at Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat, President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said their countries would continue to help Ukraine. They also pledged to continue sanctions on Russia and accelerate their countries' "reduction of dependency on Russian energy." Kishida said, "The free and open international order based on the rule of law is in crisis," and pointed the blame at Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the continuing North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and a "unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas" a referring lastly to China. VOA U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer and VOA national security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this story. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Westford, USA, Aug. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest, central banks worldwide diversify their reserves by holding gold bullion, aiming to reduce reliance on traditional currencies and mitigate economic risks. The gold bullion market experiences a positive impact as these institutions strategically allocate funds to gold, increasing the demand for the precious metal. Browse In-Depth TOC on the "Gold Bullion Market" Pages - 157 Tables - 61 Figures 75 Get sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/gold-bullion-market Gold's cultural and ornamental value continues to drive its demand, especially in regions where gold holds cultural significance or is used in jewelry and decorations. As consumer spending and preferences for gold jewelry rise, the gold bullion market benefits from the steady demand for gold as a luxury and decorative item. Prominent Players in the Gold Bullion Market PJSC Polyus Barrick Gold Corporation Newmont Corporation AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. Kinross Gold Corporation Newcrest Mining Limited Goldcorp Inc. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Sibanye-Stillwater Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited Randgold Resources Limited Cia de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. Gold Fields Limited Shandong Gold Mining Co., Ltd. Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. Fresnillo PLC Yamana Gold Inc. Kinross Gold Corporation Alamos Gold Inc. Eldorado Gold Corporation Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/gold-bullion-market Online Segment is Expected to Grow the Market Due to Convenience and Accessibility Online segment in the gold bullion market is witnessing rapid growth due to the convenience, accessibility, and transparency of online platforms. Increasing digitalization and e-commerce trends have led to a surge in online gold purchases, attracting a broader range of investors looking to buy gold bullion conveniently through digital channels. During economic uncertainties, North America is emerging as the fastest-growing region in the gold bullion market due to increased investment in precious metals as a safe haven. Demand for gold bars and coins is rising among investors and collectors, reflecting the region's growing awareness of gold's role as a hedge against market volatility. Gold Bars Segment is Expected to Dominate the Market Due to Popularity Among Investors and Central Banks Gold bars remain dominant in the global gold bullion market due to their widespread popularity among investors and central banks. The tangible and universally recognized nature of gold bars and ease of storage and liquidity drive their demand. Investors value gold bars as a reliable form of investment and a tangible store of value in times of economic uncertainty. Asia Pacific emerges as a dominant player in the gold bullion market due to its cultural affinity for gold, strong demand from individual investors, and central bank purchases. Economic growth, rising middle-class population, and the historical significance of gold as a store of value contribute to its dominance in this region. A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the gold bullion market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavors to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand. Key Developments in the Gold Bullion Market In 2022, Gold Fields (GFI) unveiled an agreement to acquire Yamana Gold (AUY) of Canada in a deal valued at $6.7 billion. Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM) and Kirkland Lake Gold recently completed a merger valued at $10.46 billion. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/gold-bullion-market Key Questions Answered in Gold Bullion Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? List the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence. In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide Market Global Asteroid Mining Market Global Titanium Market Global Cryolite Market Global Iron Ore Pellets Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com Pune, India, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global carbon black market size was valued at USD 25.80 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to expand from USD 27.44 billion in 2023 to USD 38.10 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.8% over the study period. The rise is driven by the increasing deployment of the product in tire manufacturing and the growing plastic demand for the automotive, consumer goods, and electronics industries. Get a Sample Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/carbon-black-market-101718 List of Key Players Profiled in the Carbon Black Market Report: Birla Carbon Thailand Public Co. Ltd. (Thailand) Cabot Corporation (U.S.) Orion Engineered Carbons SA (Germany) Phillips Carbon Black Limited (India) CSRC Group (Taiwan) Omsk Carbon Group (Germany) OCI COMPANY Ltd. (South Korea) Himadri Speciality Chemicals Ltd. (India) Longxing Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (China) Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (Japan) Report Scope & Segmentation: Report Attributes Details Forecast Period 2023-2030 Forecast CAGR 4.8% 2030 Value Projection USD 38.10 Billion Market Size in 2022 USD 25.80 Billion Historical Data 2019-2021 No. of Pages 280 Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Company Profiles, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors and Latest Trends Segments Covered By Thickness By Type By Application Regions Covered North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East and Africa Carbon Black Market Growth Drivers The rubber industry is growing rapidly owing to the increasing demand from the automotive, electronics, consumer goods, and construction industries.. The increasing product adoption of rubber products, coupled with rapid growth in the tire industry, will drive the global market during the forecast period.. Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/carbon-black-market-101718 Segments: Furnace Black Segment to Lead Driven by Soaring Demand from Rubber Manufacturers Based on process type, the market is categorized into acetylene black, furnace black, thermal black, and others. The furnace black segment is set to lead the market, exhibiting an appreciable CAGR over the projected period. This is due to the growing usage of the product as a strengthening agent by rubber producers. Standard Grade Segment to Register Notable Growth Impelled by Escalating Industrial Applications On the basis of grade, the market is segmented into standard grade and specialty grade. The standard grade segment is touted to expand at a considerable rate over the anticipated period. The surge is propelled by the escalating adoption of these products for various industrial applications. Tire Segment to Exhibit Substantial Surge Driven by Rapid Expansion of the Automotive Sector By application, the market is classified into non-tire rubber, tire, inks & toners, plastics, and others. The tire segment is poised to exhibit substantial growth, holding a dominating market share, over the analysis period. The expansion is propelled by the rapid expansion in the automotive sector. Based on geography, the market for carbon black has been studied across North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. COVID-19 Impact: Market Growth Hampered by Disruption in the Automotive Sector The COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted the automotive sector considering the disruptions in supply chains. The pandemic put a halt on assembly plants in the U.S., creating large-scale manufacturing interruptions across Chinese and Europe exports. There was a demand shock owing to disruptions in the supply of raw materials and finished products. Get a Quote Now: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/get-a-quote/carbon-black-market-101718 Report Coverage: The report gives a comprehensive analysis of the major trends poised to impel the global business scenario throughout the projected period. It further provides insight into the key driving and restraining factors. Additional components comprise the impact of COVID-19 on industry growth and an account of the pivotal strategies adopted by leading companies for gaining strong industry footing. Drivers and Restraints: Expansion of the Rubber Sector to Impel Market Growth The escalating product demand from the consumer goods, electronics, automotive, and construction sectors is propelling the expansion of the rubber sector. This is set to propel the carbon black market growth over the forecast period. However, the production of carbon black involves the emission of hazardous gases. This may hinder industry expansion to some extent. Regional Insights: Asia Pacific to Emerge as a Key Region Owing to Growing Product Deployment The Asia Pacific carbon black market share is estimated to surge at a considerable rate throughout the forecast period. The region held a major market value driven by the escalating usage of the product in the manufacturing of plastic goods and tires. The North American market is poised to expand at a notable CAGR over the analysis period. The expansion is driven by the soaring product deployment in vibration isolation devices. Competitive Landscape: Leading Companies Undertake Strategic Steps to Strengthen Industry Foothold Key carbon black players are centered on adopting various strategic deals for strengthening their positions in the market. These comprise merger agreements, partnerships, acquisitions, and the launch of new products. Additional initiatives include collaborations and the formation of alliances. Ask for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/ask-for-customization/carbon-black-market-101718 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Key Emerging Trends For Major Countries Key Developments: Capacity Expansions, Acquisitions, Partnerships, etc. Insights on Regulatory Scenario Porters Five Forces Analysis Qualitative Insights on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Carbon Black Market Supply Chain Analysis & Challenges due to Covid-19 Steps were taken by Government / Companies to Overcome this Impact Potential Challenges and Opportunities Due to COVID-19 Outbreak TOC Continued...! Speak to Our Expert: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/carbon-black-market-101718 Key Industry Development: March 2022 Cabot Corporation acquired Tokai Carbon (Tianjin) Co., Ltd from Tokai Carbon Group. The deal helped the expansion of the manufacturing capacity of Cabot. The company planned to invest in capacity upgradation for supporting the development of lithium-ion batteries. Read Related Insights: Rubber Market to Reach USD 51.21 Billion by 2027 | Rubber Industry Share, Demand, Growth Opportunities, and Future Business Analysis At 5% CAGR, Plastics Market Worth USD 643.37 Billion by 2029 | Expanding Footprint of Engineering Plastics to Propel Growth Potentials About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Address: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 9th Floor, Icon Tower, Baner, Mahalunge Road, Baner, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Attachment Chris Caldwell United Renewables CEO in conversation with Rajesh Chandy DOUGLAS, Isle of Man, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a fusion of intellectual prowess set to intrigue, Rajesh Chandy, distinguished Academic Director of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School, engages in a compelling discourse alongside Chris Caldwell, the visionary CEO of United Renewables, in the latest episode of the Conversations on Climate podcast. As these two dynamic minds converge, they unveil a tapestry rich with innovation and business evolution, quietly woven across the Global South's terrain. Chandy, heralded for his academic prowess, takes center stage to unravel an engrossing narrative of ingenuity, whilst Caldwell lends astute industry perspectives to the unfolding narrative. In this decisive episode , Chandy fervently proclaims that the very crucible of pioneering climate solutions lies within the fertile realms of the developing world. The canvas comes alive with vivid depictions of micro-entrepreneurs stoking the fires of necessity to forge avant-garde technologies in energy efficiency, waste reduction, and the nurturing of sustainable enterprises. "Necessity births innovation, and it is within the developing world's crucible that these audacious entrepreneurs are reshaping the trajectory of our planet," Chandy affirmed with unwavering conviction. The spotlight then shifts to the potent fusion of marketing and sustainability, a theme ardently championed by Chandy. He underscores businesses' profound obligation to harness the influential might of marketing as a catalyst for climate education and advocacy. "Marketing wields the power of transformation, moulding beliefs and behaviours," Chandy asserts. Steering the symphony of the Conversations on Climate podcast is Caldwell, the architect behind United Renewables. His strategic acumen infuses pragmatic relevance into each dialogue, propelling this platform into a pivotal space that hosts luminaries from academia, business, and government, collectively shaping the discourse on climate change. Prepare to embark on a voyage poised to illuminate and inspire, as Rajesh Chandy and Caldwell breathe life into this captivating episode. About Rajesh Chandy Rajesh Chandy stands as the vanguard of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School. Revered as an indomitable luminary in the domains of marketing and entrepreneurship, his contributions grace the esteemed pages of academic journals. Chandy's clarion call for climate change and sustainability resonates globally. About Conversations on Climate Conversations on Climate is a platform dedicated to fostering meaningful discussions on climate change, sustainability, and their impact on businesses. The Conversations on Climate Newsletter provides business professionals with insights, interviews, and thought-provoking content from experts and leaders in various industries. Through this platform, professionals can discover innovative ways to drive business success while contributing to a more sustainable future. About Christopher Caldwell: Christopher Caldwell is the visionary CEO and founder of United Renewables, a cutting-edge climate tech startup pioneering innovative solutions to combat greenhouse gas emissions. The Conversations on Climate podcast has garnered esteem within professional circles due to its feature of in-depth interviews with eminent climate change experts. "An alumnus of Yale University and London Business School, Caldwell's passion for sustainability drives him to make a real impact on the world. About United Renewables: United Renewables is a renowned leader in the renewable energy sector, committed to driving a global energy transition. The company specialises in delivering cutting-edge renewable energy solutions to island communities, empowering small communities and businesses to embrace sustainable practices. Caldwell is also a growing authority in the digital climate debate, as a thought leader and host of the podcast Conversations on Climate. For more information and access to this exceptional episode, visit the Conversations on Climate Podcast on Youtube or Podbean platforms. For all related articles. Conversations on Climate is a joint production of United Renewables and the London Business School Alumni Energy Club. Conversations on Climate brings world-leading thinkers from business and academia together to share their expertise on the subject of climate change. Guests include Sir Andrew Likierman , Julio Dal Poz , Professor Jean-Pierre Benoit , Professor Ioannou , Tara Schmidt , Professor Dan Cable , Professor Zoe Chance , Professor Lynda Gratton , Tom Gosling , Eduardo Famini Silva , Dr. Linda Yueh , Yariv Cohen and Francois Ortalo-Magne. All previous episodes can be found here. Related articles can be found here. CONTACT Isabella Hawke Sales and Marketing Consultant COMPANY United Renewables PHONE +447624457139 EMAIL IIhawke@unitedrenewables.co.uk WEB unitedrenewables.co.uk/resources A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1f270ce7-7091-4477-a59f-3349c1557b04 Dublin, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Transparent Plastics Global Market 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global transparent plastics market is expected to grow from $125.33 billion in 2022 to $136.57 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.97%. The market is expected to grow to $172.67 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 6.04%. Where is the largest and fastest growing market for transparent plastics? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? This report answers all these questions and many more. The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. An increase in demand for electric vehicles is expected to propel the transparent plastics market. Transparent plastics are used in electric vehicles for packaging and vehicle parts such as interior and exterior panels, windshields, car indicator covers, windows, and other parts as they are lightweight, less fuel-hungry, and affordable. For instance, the International Energy Agency, an independent intergovernmental agency with headquarters in France, reports that global sales of electric vehicles climbed by 43% in 2020. As a result, the increase in demand for electric vehicles is driving the transparent plastics market. Bio-based transparent plastics are a key trend gaining popularity in the transparent plastics market. Major players in the market are focusing on launching bio-based polymers and plastics for market growth. For instance, in October 2021, Lanxess, a Germany-based chemical company, launched Durethan BLUEBKV60H2.0EF. It is a sustainable high-performance plastic which either have a carbon footprint that is at least 50% lower than that of conventional products, or at least 50% made from circular (recycled or biobased) raw materials. In December 2021, Sonco, a US-based packaging company, acquired Clear Pack Company for an undisclosed amount. Through this partnership, Sonoco will expand its rigid plastic operations. Clear Pack Company is a US-based manufacturer of thermoformed and extruded plastic materials. Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the transparent plastics market in 2022. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the transparent plastics market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. Transparent PlasticsMarket Segmentation Segmentation by Type Rigid Transparent Plastics Flexible Transparent Plastics Segmentation by Polymer Type Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Polypropylene (PP) Polystyrene (PS) Polycarbonate (PC) Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Other Polymers Segmentation by Application Packaging Building and Construction Electrical and Electronics Automotive Consumer Goods Healthcare Other Applications Major players in the transparent plastics market are: DuPont The Dow Chemical Company LyondellBasell SABIC Covestro AG BASF SE INEOS Group PPG Industries Evonik Industries Lanxess AG Teijin Limited LG Chem Denka Company Limited Trinseo PLC Asahi Kasei Eastman Chemical Company Chi Mei Corporation Arkema SA Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 200 Forecast Period 2023-2027 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $136.57 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2027 $172.67 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6% Regions Covered Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/auga0g About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Functional Cosmetics Market by Functionality (Conditioning Agents, UV Filters, Anti-Ageing Agents, Skin-Lightening Agents), Application (Skin Care, Hair Care), and Region (Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America) - Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global functional cosmetics market is estimated to grow from USD 3.3 billion in 2022 to USD 4.6 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 5.4% Functional cosmetics are defined by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as products with components that exhibit pharmacological activities or direct effects related to disease prevention, cure, treatment, or impact on body structure and function in humans or animals. These products serve specific purposes beyond conventional cosmetics, with ingredients tailored to fulfill functional roles. For instance, anti-acne agents like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are integrated into anti-acne creams, while hydroquinone serves as a skin-lightening agent in skin whitening creams. The Asia-Pacific region is set to play a prominent role in the market's growth, displaying the fastest value-based expansion during the forecast period. The region's demand for cost-effective functional cosmetics, coupled with a rising population, contributes to its growth. Rising temperatures drive the adoption of UV-filter-based cosmetic products, particularly sun care and body care items. Key players, including BASF SE (Germany), Nouryon (Netherlands), Ashland Inc. (US), Clariant AG (Germany), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), Gattefosse (France), Stepan Company (US), Lucas Meyer Cosmetics (Canada), Croda International PLC (UK), and Air Liquide S.A. (France), are instrumental in shaping the landscape of the functional cosmetics market. UV filters is expected to be the second fastest-growing functionality type of the functional cosmetics market, in terms of value, during the forecast period UV filters are used in cosmetic products to absorb or reflect the UV rays emitted from sunlight or artificial light. Cosmetic product manufacturing companies are more interested in including UV filters in their products to protect the skin and scalp from damage caused by UV radiation. Some UV filters products include sunscreens, shampoos, and sprays Haircare accounted for the second largest share of the functional cosmetics market, in terms of value, in 2022 The hair care segment deals with the products that help regulate the behavior and properties of the hair so that it can be maintained desirably. The hair care application involves hair sprays, hair conditioners, hair straighteners, shampoos, and tonics, among others used to improve the appearance of hair or protection of scalp. There is an increasing awareness among consumers of the effects caused due to the harsh environmental conditions which damage the hair follicle. The demand for hair care products is substantially high in Brazil as consumers are keen to spend more on hair care products. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 198 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $3.3 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $4.6 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.4% Regions Covered Global Premium Insights High Growth Expected in Emerging Economies During Forecast Period Asia-Pacific to Record Highest Growth During Forecast Period Germany and Conditioning Agents Accounted for Largest Market Share in 2022 Skin Care Segment LED Functional Cosmetics Market Across Regions India to Register Highest CAGR During Forecast Period Market Dynamics Drivers Increasing Demand for Multifunctional Ingredients Accelerating Demand for Anti-Aging, Skin-Whitening, and Sun Protection Products Increasing Demand for Natural and Organic Products Rising Awareness About Skin Health Restraints Risks Related to Use of Chemicals Consumer Skepticism Opportunities Shifting Focus Toward Male-Specific Cosmetics Personalization and Customization Challenges High Product Cost Supply Chain Analysis Raw Materials Manufacturing of Functional Cosmetics Distribution Network End Use Industries Technology Analysis Cosmetic Nanotechnology Modiface Skin Technology Case Study Analysis Case Study on Coats Group PLC Company Profiles Major Players BASF SE Nouryon Evonik Industries AG Clariant AG Ashland Inc. Gattefosse Stepan Company Lucas Meyer Cosmetics Croda International PLC Air Liquide SA Other Key Players CP Kelco Eastman Chemical Company Emery Oleochemical Group Givaudan SA Symrise AG Sonneborn LLC Vantage Specialty Chemicals United-Guardian, Inc. Innospec Inc. Kao Corporation Momentive Performance Materials Inc. Adeka Corporation DuPont de Nemours, Inc. Royal DSM Sollice Biotech For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ekhl3s About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment HOUSTON, TX, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prairie Operating Co. (OTCQB: CRKR; the Company), is pleased to announce the results of a comprehensive independent third-party evaluation of its non-producing position in Weld County, Colorado. The reserve report reflects the quality and scale of the Companys 37,000 gross acre position, establishing a possibles reserves basis of ~285.3 MMBoe with a PV10 value of ~$2.4 billion. The reserves are supported by 412 qualified locations across both the Niobrara and Codell formations that are part of the Companys future development plan. Furthermore, Prairie Operating Co. has hundreds of additional locations beyond this initial 5-year development program that are not currently included in the report. As the acreage position is further delineated through internal development and offset drilling activity, the Company anticipates material increases to its proven oil and gas reserves and PV10 valuation. "This independent third-party reserve report firmly validates the strength and scalability of our asset base. stated, Ed Kovalik, Chairman and CEO. We are confident our extensive drilling inventory will be a driving factor in creating consistent, long-term value for our shareholders. The team looks forward to filing permits and beginning our development program, as we have positioned the Company for significant growth." August 1, 2023: Estimated Reserves at Strip Pricing (1) Prairie Operating Co. Estimated Possibles Reserves Highlights: 285.3 MMBoe with corresponding PV10 of $2.4 billion Approximately 74% oil & liquids and 26% natural gas 412 Undeveloped drilling locations The Companys estimated possible reserves as of August 1, 2023, as shown in the table below, have been prepared in accordance with the Society of Petroleum Engineers Petroleum Resources Management System guidelines issued by Collarini Energy Experts, an independent petroleum engineering firm, utilizing NYMEX Strip Pricing as of July 31, 2023. Reserve Category Formation Well Count Net Oil (mbo) Net Gas (mmcf) Net NGL (mbngl) Net Equiv. (mboe) PV10 ($000s) POSS Codell 148 45,947 99,806 15,852 78,434 641,081 Niobrara 264 96,688 338,511 53,766 206,873 1,722,856 Total 412 142,635 438,318 69,618 285,306 2,363,937 Note: PV-10 is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measure section below. (1) Strip Pricing as of July 31, 2023: WTI/Henry Hub 2024: $76.24/$2.96; 2025: $71.38/$3.38; 2026: $67.57/$3.43; 2027: $64.45/$3.36; 2028: $61.87/$3.26; 2029: $59.68/$3.26; 2030: $57.79/$3.27; 2031: $56.09/$3.33; 2032: $54.63/$3.37; 2033: $53.29/$3.46; and thereafter: $53.29/$3.60 Non-GAAP Financial Measures PV-10 is derived from the Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows (Standardized Measure), which is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for proved reserves. PV-10 is a computation of the Standardized Measure on a pre-tax basis. PV-10 is equal to the Standardized Measure at the applicable date, before deducting future income taxes, discounted at 10 percent. We believe that the presentation of PV10 is relevant and useful to our investors as supplemental disclosure to the standardized measure, or after-tax amount, because it presents the discounted future net cash flows attributable to our possible reserves before considering future corporate income taxes and our current tax structure. While the standardized measure is dependent on the unique tax situation of each company, PV10 is based on prices and discount factors that are consistent for all companies. Our possible reserves were derived from wells of offset operators in the same development area. We have shown possible reserves as we will not have proven reserves until our development plan commences. About Prairie Operating Co. Prairie Operating Co. (f/k/a Creek Road Miners, Inc.) is a publicly traded company engaged in the development, exploration, and production of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids with operations focused on unconventional oil and natural gas reservoirs located in Colorado focused on the Niobrara and Codell formations. The Company is also a crypto company focused on cryptocurrency mining. The Company is dedicated to developing affordable, reliable energy to meet the worlds growing demand, while continuing to protect the environment. To learn more, visit www.prairieopco.com. Forward-Looking Statements The information included herein and in any oral statements made in connection herewith include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included herein, are forward-looking statements. When used herein, including any oral statements made in connection herewith, the words could, should, will, may, believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, expect, project, the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on the Companys current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. These risks include, but are not limited to, general economic, financial, legal, political, and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; the ability of the Company to successfully develop its assets in Weld County, Colorado; the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the merger with Prairie Operating Co., LLC; the risks related to the growth of the Companys business and the timing of expected business milestones; and the effects of competition on the Companys future business. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described herein and in any oral statements made in connection therewith occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks not currently known by the Company or that the Company currently believes are immaterial that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the Companys expectations can be found in the registration statement on Form S-1/A filed by the Company on July 27, 2023, and in the Companys periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023, and any subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including the Companys most recent Form 10-Q filed on August 14, 2023. The Companys SEC filings are available publicly on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Investor Relations Contact Wobbe Ploegsma wp@prairieopco.com Dublin, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Europe Dialysis Devices Market By Product Type, By Application, By Disease Condition, By End User, By Country, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Europe Dialysis Devices market is poised for remarkable growth until 2028. The scarcity of organ donors further bolsters the growth prospects of the Europe dialysis device market. The increasing prevalence of kidney failures, hypertension, and diabetes has created a substantial demand for dialysis devices in the region. Hospitals are increasingly adopting these devices to address the rising cases of kidney-related diseases, thereby fostering a positive impact on the market. Additionally, the escalating costs of organ transplantation procedures and the surge in lifestyle-related diseases due to unhealthy eating habits are propelling the demand for portable dialysis devices. As Europe's healthcare sector continues to evolve, the expansion of the Europe Dialysis Device Market is on the horizon. However, challenges such as the lack of awareness regarding kidney diseases and the potential side effects of dialysis procedures could restrain market growth. Furthermore, the insufficient number of dialysis clinics to meet patient needs and the extended waiting times for complex dialysis procedures might hinder the pace of growth in the Europe Dialysis Devices Market. Increasing Incidence of Kidney Failures Chronic Kidney disease is one of the fastest-growing causes of death. Chronic Kidney disease is a serious condition where the kidneys are damaged and cannot purify the blood properly. The prevalence of diabetes and obesity has increased in Europe. This results in the growing burden of chronic kidney diseases. In nephrology, Europe faced many challenges with the increase in the aging population in 2020. Approximately 75 million population is suffering from chronic kidney diseases in Europe. End-stage kidney disease is treated with dialysis treatment. This, in turn, is expected to increase the demand for dialysis devices in Europe. Lesser Availability of Organ Donors for Kidney Transplantation Europe Dialysis Device market is growing because of the less availability of organ donors for transplantation. There are several medical, legal, religious, cultural, and ethical factors that affect the donation of organs. Stringent laws and regulations for organ transplantation in Europe are also responsible for the smaller number of organ donors for transplantation. The process of organ transplantation is a complex procedure that requires a skilled professional. A minute alteration in the process due to not taking care of the process can cause many diseases in the patient. Sometimes, the patient's body doesn't accept the donated organ, and this can cause the death of a patient. All these factors have increased the demand for dialysis procedures for the treatment and management of different kidney disorders, thereby driving the growth of the Dialysis Devices Market in Europe. Increasing Prevalence of Diabetes High blood sugar levels for a long time might cause chronic kidney disease in patients. Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage of kidney disease. The presence of chronic kidney disease is characterized by the increased level of urinary albumin excretion and by the low blood filtration rate of the kidney. There are approximately 60 million people suffering from diabetes in Europe, according to WHO. The rising incidence of diabetes and diabetes becoming a co-morbidity condition in people suffering from kidney problems is expected to drive the growth of dialysis devices in Europe. Competitive Landscape Major competitors are focusing on extensive research and development activities to stay competitive in the market. Other competitive strategies include the formation of alliances and partnerships. New market players may invest in the research and development of technologically advanced products that may have the advantages of a cost-effective process and fulfill performance efficiency, which would support the market growth in the future years. Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in Europe dialysis devices market. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Medtronic Plc. B Braun Melsungen AG Baxter International, Inc. Nipro Medical Europe NV Nikkiso Europe GmbH Teleflex Medical Europe Ltd. Allmed Medical Care Holdings Limited Terumo BCT Europe N.V. Rockwell Medical, Inc. Clinical Trial Analysis Ongoing Clinical Trials Completed Clinical Trials Terminated Clinical Trials Breakdown of Pipeline, By Development Phase Breakdown of Pipeline, By Status Breakdown of Pipeline, By Study Type Breakdown of Pipeline, By Country Clinical Trials Heat Map Report Scope: Europe Dialysis Devices Market, By Product Type: Hemodialysis Devices Peritoneal Devices Continuous Replacement Therapy Devices Others Europe Dialysis Devices Market, By Application: Peritoneal Dialysis Hemodialysis Europe Dialysis Devices Market, By Disease Condition: Chronic Acute Europe Dialysis Devices Market, By End User: Hospitals & Clinics Ambulatory Surgical Centers Homecare Europe Dialysis Devices Market, By Country: Germany France Spain Italy Austria Sweden Switzerland Belgium Denmark Netherlands For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yg7ii6 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Burlingame, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Pleural Diseases market size was valued at US$ 3.84 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 6.09 billion by 2030, grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8% from 2023 to 2030, according to a new study conducted by Coherent Market Insights, Inc. Pleural diseases is a medical condition that affect the pleura, a double-layered membrane surrounding the lungs. These conditions can range from benign to malignant and can have a significant impact on respiratory function and overall health. Hence, growing prevalence of pleural diseases is expected to drive growth of the pleural diseases Market growth. The condition is on rise due to factors such as lifestyle changes, aging populations, and increasing exposure to environmental pollutants. Pleural Disease Market Key Developments: In March 2023, Boston Scientific introduced new pleural adhesion device, the Boston Scientific Pleural Adhesion System. The system is designed to create adhesions between the lung and the chest wall, which can help to prevent the reaccumulation of pleural fluid. In February 2023, Interpace Diagnostics introduced new pleural biopsy device, the Interpace Diagnostics Pleural Biopsy System. The system is designed to provide a minimally invasive way to obtain pleural tissue for diagnosis, and it is intended for use in patients with pleural effusions. Key Market Takeaways: Global pleural disease market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.8 % during the forecast period, owing to increasing prevalence of disease coupled with the advancements in diagnostic technologies to improve the treatment process % during the forecast period, owing to increasing prevalence of disease coupled with the advancements in diagnostic technologies to improve the treatment process On the basis of Disease Type , Pleural Effusion segment is expected to hold a dominant position. This encompass an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, which can result from various causes, such as congestive heart failure, infections, malignancies, and more. , Pleural Effusion segment is expected to hold a dominant position. This encompass an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, which can result from various causes, such as congestive heart failure, infections, malignancies, and more. On the basis of Diagnostic Tools , imaging techniques segment is expected to hold a dominant position, owing to the fact that it is the initial technique to detect pleural effusion, or other structural abnormalities. , imaging techniques segment is expected to hold a dominant position, owing to the fact that it is the initial technique to detect pleural effusion, or other structural abnormalities. On the basis of Treatment Modalitie , medications segment is expected to hold a dominant position owing to the high use of antibiotics to relieve the symptoms of pleural disease. , medications segment is expected to hold a dominant position owing to the high use of antibiotics to relieve the symptoms of pleural disease. On the basis of End-User , hospitals and clinics segment is expected to hold a dominant position, owing to the increasing number of hospitals and clinics coupled with the growing number of pateints visiting hospitals for pleural disease. , hospitals and clinics segment is expected to hold a dominant position, owing to the increasing number of hospitals and clinics coupled with the growing number of pateints visiting hospitals for pleural disease. On the basis of region, North America is expected to hold a dominant position over the forecast period, due to the presence of well-developed healthcare infrastructure and a high level of awareness about pleural diseases in the region. Read full market research report, "Pleural Diseases Market, By Disease Type (Pleurisy, Pleural Effusion, Pneumothorax, Mesothelioma, Others), By Diagnostic Tools (Imaging Techniques, Molecular Diagnostics, Thoracoscopy and Pleuroscopy), and By Geography, Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2023-2030", published by Coherent Market Insights. Pleural disease Market Key Trends and Analysis: Increasing healthcare expenditure is expected to be a major trend observed in the market. According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. health care spending grew 2.7 percent in 2021, reaching $4.3 trillion or $12,914 per person. As a share of the nation's Gross Domestic Product, health spending accounted for 18.3 percent. Moreover, growing adoption of molecular diagnostic techniques is another trend observed in the pleural diseases market. Pleural Diseases Market Report Coverage Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2022 US$ 3.84 billion Forecast Period: 2023 to 2030 Growth rate CAGR of 6.8% from 2023 to 2030 Base year for estimation 2022 Historical data 2018 - 2021 Forecast period 2023 - 2030 Pleural Disease Market Drivers: Key players in the market are introducing advanced diagnostic tool for early diagnosis of the disease and improve treatment outcome. Manufactures are introducing technology such as high-resolution imaging, minimally invasive procedures like pleuroscopy and thoracoscopy for early and accurate diagnosis of the disease. Such advancement in the technology is expected to drive market growth Pleural Disease Market Opportunities: Key players in the market are investing heavily for conducting research and development in order to develop innovative treatment approach. Moreover, growing populairty of telemedicine and remote monitoring solutions in respiratory disease is expected to provide additional market growth opportunities. These technologies allows remote consultations, monitoring of patients, and home-based care, enhancing access to healthcare services for patients with pleural diseases. Detailed Segmentation: Global Pleural Diseases Market, By Disease Types: Pleurisy Pleural Effusion Pneumothorax Mesothelioma Others Global Pleural Diseases Market, By Diagnostic Tools: Imaging Techniques Molecular Diagnostics Thoracoscopy and Pleuroscopy Global Pleural Diseases Market, By Treatment Modalities: Medications Thoracentesis and Pleurodesis Minimally Invasive Interventions Surgical Interventions Global Pleural Diseases Market, By End User: Hospitals and Clinics Diagnostic Centers Research and Academic Institutions Global Pleural Diseases Market, By Region: North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany Italy U.K. France Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan Australia India ASEAN South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa GCC Countries Israel South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Company Profile: Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Novartis International AG Roche Holding AG Bristol Myers Squibb Merck & Co., Inc. Pfizer Inc. GlaxoSmithKline plc Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH Sanofi AbbVie Inc. Eli Lilly and Company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited Bayer AG Celgene Corporation Related Market Intelligence Reports: Physician Office Diagnostic Market, By Product Type (Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) Devices, Clinical Chemistry Analyzers, Immunoassay Systems, Molecular Diagnostics, Urinalysis Systems), By End-User (Physician Offices and Clinics, Urgent Care Centers, Ambulatory Care Centers), By Application (Infectious Diseases, Cardiovascular Disorders, Metabolic Disorders, Cancer Diagnosis, Pregnancy and Fertility Testing), and By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa)- Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2023 - 2030 Genetic Testing Market, By Type (Carrier Testing, Diagnostic Testing, New-born Screening, Predictive and Presymptomatic Testing, Prenatal Testing, and Other Types), By Disease (Alzheimer's Disease, Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Thalassemia, Huntington's Disease, Rare Diseases, and Other Diseases), and By Technology (Cytogenetic Testing, Biochemical Testing, and Molecular Testing), and By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa)- Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2023 - 2030 In Vitro Diagnostics Market, by Product Type (Instruments and Reagents & Kits), by Technology (Immunoassay, Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Microbiology, Hematology, Coagulation & Hemostasis, Urinalysis, and Others), by Application (Infectious Diseases, Diabetes, Oncology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Autoimmune Disorders, and Others), by End User (Hospital, Pathology Laboratories, Point-of-Care Diagnostics, Research Institutes, and Others), and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa)- Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2022 - 2030 Browse through Coherent Market Insights Clinical Diagnostic Research Reports. About Us: Coherent Market Insights is a global market intelligence and consulting organization focused on assisting our plethora of clients achieve transformational growth by helping them make critical business decisions. We are headquartered in India, having sales office at global financial capital in the U.S. and sales consultants in United Kingdom and Japan. Our client base includes players from across various business verticals in over 57 countries worldwide. We create value for clients through our highly reliable and accurate reports. We are also committed in playing a leading role in offering insights in various sectors post-COVID-19 and continue to deliver measurable, sustainable results for our clients. Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Goliath Resources Limited (TSX-V: GOT) (OTCQB: GOTRF) (Frankfurt: B4IF), please note that a paragraph detailing "Grant of Options" was removed. The corrected release follows: BULLSEYE GOLD-COPPER PORPHYRY ~1,000 Metres Diamond Drilling, Highlights: The Bullseye porphyry is a drill ready target that shows all the right components for an extensive gold-copper porphyry mineralizing system including surface mineralization, textures, and alteration, and remains open in all directions; located ~14 km north of the Goldsource high-grade gold breccia zone drill target. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a9d6ab63-b6af-465d-9cfe-01d980b827e1 The Bullseye porphyry is a target consisting of coarse-grained intrusive units with mineralization, textures and potassic alteration (including K-Feldspar). Multiple Au-Cu mineralized grab samples were collected from the Bullseye drill target and assayed up to 3.06 g/t Au, 1.8 g/t Ag and 1% Cu. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/847cd45f-5257-417b-9134-03b623c5b525 The Bullseye drill target area has been mapped on surface defining a large 1,200 x 1,000 metre alteration system. The area contains a quartz-sericite-pyrite (QSP) core that is coincident with molybdenite-chalcopyrite mineralization. Independent interpretations of subsurface geophysical data concluded it is consistent with a porphyry signature. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66f18272-eda5-48c6-954c-07950470210d The age of the intrusive with porphyritic texture at the Bullseye discovery has been confirmed as Mid-Cretaceous, in contrast with the Eocene age of other known porphyries in this belt. Multiple high-grade gold rich polymetallic Au, Ag, Cu veins are radiating from the porphyry centre, where grabs assayed up to 21.3 g/t Au and 31.5 g/t Ag. The most prolific gold in placer creeks in the district with coarse nuggets of over 6 ounces gold drain the Bullseye porphyry and related polymetallic veins in the margin. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f26f3e8-e10b-4efc-8995-b997b7617adc The alteration pattern observed at the Bullseye drill target coincides with the top part of a porphyry system with strong concentric propylitic alteration surrounding a core of potassic and phyllic alteration bordered by domains of argillic alteration. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a80bbe16-0db7-420f-a352-112c05aabe74 The Lucky Strike property is located within a larger known porphyry belt and ~100 km south of its 100% controlled Golddigger property. GOLDSOURCE HIGH-GRADE GOLD BRECCIA ZONE - ~1,000 Metres Maiden Diamond Drilling, Highlights: The Goldsource Zone is a high-grade gold breccia that is a drill ready target that shows all the right components for an extensive gold mineralizing system including surface mineralization, textures, and alteration that remains open in all directions. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33179909-4e16-44a9-8f61-9085e4cf521d The Goldsource main zone consists of a series of high-grade surface outcrops over 500 metres containing polymetallic quartz hydrothermal breccia with galena and chalcopyrite where grabs assayed up to 96.8 g/t Au (3.4 oz/t Au) and 78.10 g/t Ag. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a247922-07f3-48d3-9563-679b0903da9b The Goldsource drill target is located within a corridor of sheeted mineralized veins that extends for more than 1,500 metres along an E-W trend, over 200 metres wide and remains open. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4a8f79a-f7d6-48d7-b38e-44aadaac41a9 Alteration signature derived from satellite spectral data on Goldsource shows strong hematite, silica, jarosite and phyllic alteration over an extensive area, confirming strong potential for gold mineralization. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b107c5d3-b48c-4137-a4e0-2ee0212af1dc The gold mineralized hydrothermal breccia geologically sits within the Quock formation Hazelton Volcanics in close proximity of the Red Line in a World Class geologic setting. Airborne magnetic data identified a circular feature that is 1 kilometre in diameter and centered around the Goldsource drill target hydrothermal breccia. Goliath Resources Limited (TSX-V: GOT) (OTCQB: GOTRF) (Frankfurt: B4IF) (the Company or Goliath) has commenced ~2,000 metres of diamond drilling at its 100% controlled Lucky Strike property. There are two new separate mineralized gold targets exposed at surface that remain open and have never been drilled before. The Lucky Strike property covers 31,486 hectares just north of Terrace, British Columbia and ~100 km south of its 100% controlled Golddigger property. These new drill targets at Lucky Strike were found through follow-up prospecting and mapping that also helped identify several other strong gold prospects for follow up exploration that could result in additional high-grade drill targets for 2024. An accompanying infographic is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/330e75d5-74b5-45e4-9d21-7f7e7545fbfd The 2023 drill program at the Luck Strike property will be focussed on two new separate gold targets: the Bullseye gold-copper porphyry exposed at surface where grab samples assayed up to 3.06 g/t Au, 1.8 g/t Ag and 1% Cu; and Goldsource, a high-grade gold breccia target exposed at surface with grab samples up 96.8 g/t Au (3.4 oz/t Au) and 78.10 g/t Ag. Roger Rosmus, Founder & CEO of Goliath Resources, states: Goliath is a project generator and seasoned explorer with a focus on new discoveries. The Bullseye and Goldsource targets have confirmed the presence of significant gold mineralization found at surface on our Lucky Strike property. We look forward to testing these new discoveries for the first time with the drill bit in 2023 with ~2,000 metres of drilling. We believe drill results from this drill campaign, as well as assay results from our ~18,000 metres of drilling at our Golddigger property should provide substantial news flow catalysts. BULLSEYE GOLD-COPPER PORPHYRY Exploration previously reported on the Bullseye porphyry drill target ~14 kilometres to the north of the Goldsource breccia drill target, has identified a series of new mineralized outcrops within coarse-gained intrusive units with mineralization, textures and potassic alteration including the presence of K-Feldspar, indicative of a porphyry. Grab samples assayed up to 2.15 g/t Au, 143 g/t Ag, and 1 % Cu. These new showings are located within 800 metres of the Bullseye drill target situated at the eastern edge of a previously mapped zone of propylitic alteration flanking a SkyTEM electromagnetic anomaly with low conductivity in the catchment area of Lorne Creek and Douglas Creek, two of the most prolific coarse placer creeks in the district. The Bullseye drill target consists of a high-grade core containing typical porphyry mineralization, textures and alteration, including the presence of chalcopyrite and bornite, that assayed up to 3.06 g/t Au, 1.8 g/t Ag and 1% Cu, within a large 1,200 x 1,000 metre alteration system characterized by polymetallic Au-Ag-Cu quartz veins radiating from the porphyry centre. Alteration signatures extracted from recently acquired Worldview 3 satellite spectral data shows strong concentric propylitic alteration surrounding a core of phyllic alteration bordered by domains of argillic alteration, coinciding with the Bullseye drill target. The alteration patterns observed at the Bullseye drill target are coincident with the top part of a porphyry system outcropping at surface on Lucky Strike. The age of the intrusive with porphyritic texture has been identified as Mid-Cretaceous, in contrast with the Eocene age of other known porphyries in this belt. The Bullseye porphyry remains open in all directions and is drill ready. With initial drilling success, the new Bullseye porphyry provides for an excellent opportunity to expand the zone along strike and to depth. GOLDSOURCE HIGH-GRADE GOLD BRECCIA Follow-up prospecting and mapping in the Goldsource area located on the Lucky Strike property ~14 km south of the Bullseye porphyry target extended the main high-grade gold outcrop an additional 150 metres along strike to the East of the main target where grab samples assayed up to 4.92 g/t Au and 14.55 g/t Ag. The total strike extent of the Goldsource main outcrop has been expanded to 550 metres. The Goldsource target consists of a high-grade polymetallic quartz hydrothermal breccia containing galena and chalcopyrite located within a corridor of sheeted veins that extend more than 1,500 metres along an E-W trend and over 200 metres wide where grab samples assayed up to 96.8 g/t Au (3.4 oz/t Au) and 78.10 g/t Ag. The trend is highly oxidized with primary sulphide contents ranging typically between 1-5% that are generally represented by limonitic voids and boxworks. Alteration signature derived from recently acquired Worldview 3 satellite spectral data shows strong hematite, silica and phyllic alteration coincident with the Goldsource discovery and adjacent areas further emphasising the potential for strong gold mineralization. The mineralized hydrothermal breccia geologically sits within the Quock formation in close proximity of the Red Line in a world class geologic setting. Airborne magnetic data identified a circular feature 1 kilometre in diameter centered around the Goldsource target hydrothermal breccia. The Goldsource high-grade gold breccia has never been drill tested, remains open in all directions and is drill ready. Lucky Strike Property The Goldsource and Bullseye targets are fully permitted for drilling and are situated on Goliaths 100% controlled Lucky Strike property located near Terrace in northwestern British Columbia. It sits within a world class geological terrane of the Skeena Arch, a belt-scale structural corridor that is associated with significant porphyry and related mineralization. The Property is within 2 kilometres of logging access roads with direct access to hydro-power and paved highway in close proximity to major infrastructure in Terrace B.C. Qualified Person Rein Turna P. Geo is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, for Goliath Resources projects, and supervised the preparation of, and has reviewed and approved, the technical information in this release. Other Grab, channels, chip and talus samples were collected by foot with helicopter assistance. Prospective areas included, but were not limited to, proximity to MINFile locations, placer creek occurrences, regional soil anomalies, and potential gossans based on high-resolution satellite imagery. The rock grab and chip samples were extracted using a rock hammer, or hammer and chisel to expose fresh surfaces and to liberate a sample of anywhere between 0.5 to 5.0 kilograms. All sample sites were flagged with biodegradable flagging tape and marked with the sample number. All sample sites were recorded using hand-held GPS units (accuracy 3-10 metres) and sample ID, easting, northing, elevation, type of sample (outcrop, subcrop, float, talus, chip, grab, etc.) and a description of the rock were recorded on all-weather paper. Samples were then inserted in a clean plastic bag with a sample tag for transport and shipping to the geochemistry lab. QA/QC samples including blanks, standards, and duplicate samples were inserted regularly into the sample sequence at a rate of 10%. All samples, including rock grabs, channels, and talus samples, are transported in rice bags sealed with numbered security tags. A transport company takes them from the core shack to the ALS labs facilities in North Vancouver. ALS is either certified to ISO 9001:2008 or accredited to ISO 17025:2005 in all of its locations. At ALS samples were processed, dried, crushed, and pulverized before analysis using the ME-MS61 and Au-SCR21 methods. For the ME-MS61 method, a prepared sample is digested with perchloric, nitric, hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids. The residue is topped up with dilute hydrochloric acid and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Overlimits were re-analyzed using the ME-OG62 and Ag-GRA21 methods (gravimetric finish). For Au-SCR21 a large volume of sample is needed (typically 1-3kg). The sample is crushed and screened (usually to -106 micron) to separate coarse gold particles from fine material. After screening, two aliquots of the fine fraction are analysed using the traditional fire assay method. The fine fraction is expected to be reasonably homogenous and well represented by the duplicate analyses. The entire coarse fraction is assayed to determine the contribution of the coarse gold. The reader is cautioned that grab samples are spot samples which are typically, but not exclusively, constrained to mineralization. Grab samples are selective in nature and collected to determine the presence or absence of mineralization and are not intended to be representative of the material sampled. About Goliath Resources Limited Goliath Resources Limited is an explorer of precious metals projects in the prolific Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia and area as well as the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Quebec. All of its projects are in world class geological settings and geopolitical safe jurisdictions amenable to mining in Canada. For more information please contact: Goliath Resources Limited Mr. Roger Rosmus Founder and CEO Tel: +1-416-488-2887 roger@goliathresources.com www.goliathresourcesltd.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), nor the OTCQB Venture Market accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Goliaths current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the ability of Company to complete the financings and its ability to build value for its shareholders as it develops its mining properties. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Goliath. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the proposed transactions will occur, or that if the proposed transactions do occur, will be completed on the terms described above. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and Goliath is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. This announcement does not constitute an offer, invitation, or recommendation to subscribe for or purchase any securities and neither this announcement nor anything contained in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. In particular, this announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer would be illegal. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. Dublin, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Hemophilia Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Hemophilia A), By Treatment Type (On-demand), By Therapy (Gene Therapy & Monoclonal Antibodies), By Distribution Channel, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global hemophilia market size is expected to reach USD 21.07 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2023 to 2030 The approval of gene therapy and monoclonal antibodies for treating hemophilia and the presence of multiple such candidates in the pipeline are major drivers for market growth. In addition, the increasing life expectancy of hemophilia patients due to reduced mortality is another key factor driving market growth. The development and launch of novel therapies to control hemophilia are propelling the market growth. For instance, in April 2020, FDA approved the genetically engineered product Sevenfact [coagulation factor VIIa (recombinant)-jncw] as a treatment option to control bleeding episodes in adolescents (of age group 12 years and above) and adults. Furthermore, the presence of 2 gene therapy products, BioMarin's Roctavian for hemophilia A, was approved only in Europe, and CSL's Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec-drib) was approved both in the U.S., and Europe demonstrates an opportunity for expansion in other regions. BioMarin's Roctavian is under review with the U.S. FDA after its previous rejection and has a PDUFA date set for June 30, 2023. Major players are focused on developing new products and entering into strategic collaborations for enhanced geographic presence. For instance, in April 2022, Novo Nordisk A/S partnered with Canadian Blood Services to enhance its product offering with marketed drugs Esperoct and Zonovate, publicly available for treating type A. Moreover, in February 2023, Sanofi received FDA approval for its drug Altuviiio, a factor VIII replacement therapy for treating hemophilia A. However, a key restraining factor is the delayed diagnosis of mild to moderate disease in developing countries such as China and India. Another key challenge for the market is the possible access issues for gene therapy due to its high cost and lack of long-term data. For instance, the cost of treatment using Hemgenix (Approved in 2022) is USD 3.5 million per treatment, making it the most expensive treatment in the world. Hemophilia Market Report Highlights The type A segment held the largest share of the hemophilia market owing to the higher prevalence of hemophilia A and the availability of multiple products for its treatment. This segment is also expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to the approval of gene therapy Based on the distribution channel, the specialty pharmacies segment held the largest market share in 2022, attributable to the specialized nature of the treatment required for the condition By therapy factor replacement therapy held the largest share of the hemophilia market in 2022, as it is the major form of treatment used in both prophylaxis and on-demand treatment North America was the largest revenue-generating region in the hemophilia market in 2022, which can be attributed to the presence of key players, regulatory support, patient awareness, and favorable funding assistance Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 105 Forecast Period 2022 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $12.6 billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $21.07 billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.6% Regions Covered Global Hemophilia Market Variables, Trends, & Scope Hemophilia Market Lineage Outlook Parent Market Outlook Penetration And Growth Prospect Mapping Market Driver Analysis Increasing Population Of Newborns Favorable Government Initiatives Rising R&D And New Product Development Rising Adoption Of Prophylaxis Treatment Market Restraint Analysis High Cost Associated With Procuring Treatment Business Tools Porter's Five Forces Analysis Pestle Analysis Pipeline Analysis Competitive Landscape Company Categorization Participant's Overview Financial Performance Product Benchmarking Company Market Positioning Company Market Share Analysis, 2022 Company Heat Map Analysis Strategic Initiatives Company Profiles Novo Nordisk A/S Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited F. Hoffmann La-Roche Ltd. Bayer AG Pfizer, Inc. CSL Behring BioMarin Octapharma AG Sanofi Spark Therapeutics, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/o9szag About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Mining - Thematic Intelligence" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global AI market is poised for remarkable growth, with projections indicating a value of $909 billion by 2030, expanding at an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.2% between 2022 and 2030. This exponential growth is fueled by recent advancements in machine-learning algorithms, such as OpenAI's GPT-4, coupled with the increasing computing power, allowing AI to revolutionize problem-solving in real-time. One sector where the impact of AI is particularly pronounced is the mining industry. Companies in this sector are actively seeking innovative solutions to enhance productivity, cut costs, and identify new mineral sources. Already playing a significant role, AI's influence is expected to magnify in the years ahead, reshaping mining operations. Despite its potential, embracing AI represents a substantial investment, particularly for mining companies grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn. As these companies navigate financial challenges, they face the imperative to reevaluate their allocation of resources in order to adopt emerging AI technologies. The transformative power of AI is manifesting across industries, making its mark in real-time problem-solving and revolutionizing traditional workflows. With the AI market's projected growth and its already tangible impact on sectors like mining, companies are compelled to chart a strategic course forward to harness the full potential of this technological revolution. Scope AI enables mining companies to use autonomous machinery and data to improve efficiency and productivity and reduce downtime. These tools can reduce operational costs for mining companies. Autonomous machinery can also reduce the requirement for on-site workers, thereby removing them from potential hazards and improving safety. AI can help companies better understand the environment and terrain where exploitation is to begin. According to Glencore, this can save firms up to 80% of unnecessary costs Reasons to Buy Understand the impact of the AI theme on the mining sector. Understand the impact of generative AI on the mining sector. Access the latest data on the AI theme within the mining sector. Identify the leading digital transformation efforts from mining companies through investment into the AI theme. Access case study insights on leading players within the AI theme. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Players 3. Consumer Challenges 4. The Impact of AI on Consumer 5. Case Studies 6. AI Timeline 7. Market Size and Growth Forecasts 8. Signals 8.1. Mergers and acquisitions 8.2. Patent trends 8.3. Company filings trends 8.4. Hiring trends 8.5. Social media trends 9. AI Value Chain 9.1. Hardware 9.2. Data management 9.3. Foundational AI 9.4. Advanced AI capabilities 9.5. Delivery 10. Companies 11. Sector Scorecards 12. Glossary 13. Further Reading 14. Thematic Research Methodology 15. About the Publisher 16. Contact the Publisher A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes ABB Agnico Eagle Akkio Alibaba Alphabet Amazon AMD Apple Baidu BHP Boliden C3.ai Caterpillar Champion DroneDeploy Earth AI EVRAZ Fortescue Freeport McMoRan Goldspot Discoveries Hikvision IBM Imago Kobold Metals Komatsu Minerva Intelligence Newcrest Rio Tinto Sandvik SenseTime Teck Resources Tesla Vale For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8p4o9e Source: GlobalData About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Dublin, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Combat Drone Market by Platform (Small, Tactical, and Strategic) Application (Lethal, Stealth, Loitering munition and Target), Type, Launching Mode (Air Launched Effect, Vertical Take-Off, Automatic Take Off) and Region - Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The combat drone market is projected to grow from USD 7.2 billion in 2023 to USD 10.8 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2023 to 2028 The global combat drone market is experiencing significant growth driven by the surging demand for unmanned systems within the defense sector. The integration of disruptive technologies into modern warfare has fueled the need for specialized and strategic drones in military operations. Countries across the world are actively engaging in research and development initiatives to explore and expand the applications of combat drones. With a focus on efficiency and versatility, combat drones are proving their worth in low-altitude flights, finding utility in various military tasks even in hostile environments. Serving both in times of conflict and peace, these drones are adept at reducing pilot risks and enhancing aeronautical capabilities for defense forces. Embraced by defense sectors globally, combat drones present advantages such as lower operational costs compared to manned aircraft, making them a preferred choice for defense applications. The increasing budgetary constraints, coupled with a decline in the recruitment of defense personnel and equipment by the US and European countries, have led to the requirement for developing cost-effective defense equipment to carry out several military missions. Continuously changing modern warfare techniques require conducting critical missions in populated areas using combat drones. Moreover, the availability of advanced navigation as well as satellite communication technologies has led to highly viable remote operations being conducted by these drones. Combat drones can reduce collateral damage while hovering, searching, and identifying targets, which makes them an invaluable asset to the military sector. Besides, companies operating in the combat drone market are focusing on improving the technological capabilities of these drones. Based on the platform, the strategic segment is to grow at a higher market share during the forecast period. Based on the platform, the combat drone market has been classified into small, tactical, and strategic drones. The strategic drone segment is to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The strategic segment held the majority share of the market in 2022 and is estimated to hold its dominance during the forecast period owing to the high price of HALE and MALE drone platforms. Based on application, the lethal segment is to grow at the highest market share during the forecast period. Based on the application segment, the combat drone market has been classified into lethal, stealth, loitering munition, and target drone. The loitering segment is to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Lethal drones or lethal autonomous weapons are autonomous military systems that can individually search for targets and destroy them based on programmed limitations and descriptions. A loitering munition drone can be described as an advanced, autonomous drone equipped with explosive payloads designed to loiter or hover over a designated area for an extended period. The loitering munition segment is further sub-segmented into recoverable and expendables. North America is expected to hold the highest market share. North America is projected to lead the combat drone market in 2023. The US is the largest market for combat drone market in North America. North America is a politically stable region owing to the stable governments of countries in the region. The US and Canada have good business relations and are home to some key players operating in the combat drone market. North America has been at the forefront of the technological revolution taking place globally. Canada and the US are pioneers in science and technology. Drones have been used for a long time in defense and commercial sectors worldwide. Since the beginning, the region has been a leader in technological advancements. Though North America faced competition from some other developed and developing regions, it continues to retain its supremacy in the technological field. Competitive landscape The major players in the Combat Drone market mainly resorted to contracts to drive their growth. They also entered new markets by launching technologically advanced and cost-effective products. An increase in the demand for advanced Public Safety Drone products and the growth of emerging markets have encouraged companies to enter new regions. Northrop Grumman (US), General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (US), Raytheon Technologies (US), Israel Aerospace Industries Inc. (Israel), and Airbus (Netherlands) are some of the leading players in the market. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 228 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $7.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $10.8 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.6% Regions Covered Global Premium Insights Increased Funding by Government to Drive Market Hybrid Segment Estimated to Lead Combat Drone Market in 2023 Loitering Munition Projected to Grow at Highest CAGR During Forecast Period Asia-Pacific Region to Register High CAGR Market During Forecast Period Market Dynamics Drivers Growing Adoption of Combat Drones Deployment of Combat Drones Surge in Intensified Military Training Cost-Effectiveness in Terms of Operation and Maintenance Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security Applications Decreasing Prices of Components Restraints Limited Trained Personnel Limited Bandwidth, Payload Capacity, and Autonomy Opportunities Advancements in AI and Autonomy Increased International Cooperation Technological Advancements in Drone Payloads Full-Scale Conversion for War Scenario Simulation Challenges Safety and Security of UAVs Electronic Jamming to Limit Communication and Control Combat Drone Market Ecosystem Prominent Companies Private and Small Enterprises Startups End-users Industry Trends Technology Trends Drone Swarms Stealth and Low Observable Technologies Electronic Warfare Using Combat Drones Synthetic Aperture Radars Sigint by Drones Manned-Unmanned Teaming (Mum-T) Endurance Hypersonic Armed Drones Technology Analysis AI in Combat Drones Mid-Air Refueling of Drones Spy Drones Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles Anti-UAV Defense Systems Dipole Drive for Combat Drones Use Cases Persistent Surveillance and Intelligence Gathering in Hostile Environments Battlefield Damage Assessment and Post-Strike Analysis Maturity Mapping of Drone Technologies Innovation and Patent Registrations, 2020-2023 Evolution of Combat Drone: Roadmap from 2010 to 2030 Company Profiles Key Players Northrop Grumman Corporation Raytheon Technologies Corporation Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Aerovironment, Inc. The Boeing Company Airbus Elbit Systems Ltd. Leonardo Spa Qinteiq Group PLC Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. Lockheed Martin Corporation Griffon Aerospace Scr (Sistemas De Control Remoto) Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. Other Players Dynetics, Inc. Robotican Ltd. Volansi, Inc. Aerotargets International, LLC Platform Aerospace Shield AI Instanteye Robotics Athlon Avia Silvertone UAV Bluebird Aero Systems Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a326s0 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Karin Schnarr as Chief Executive Officer and Registrar. She will assume the role on September 18, 2023. Dr. Schnarr is a highly accomplished and performance-focused senior executive with extensive experience in the academic, publicsector, and private-sector consulting environments. She is an Associate Professor, Strategic Management, at the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, where she has been Director of MBA and BBA Programs as well as being a member of the universitys Board of Governors and Senate. Karin has held numerous senior roles in the Government of Ontario, including as Chief of Staff to ministers in multiple portfolios, during which time she guided the development of public policy, legislation, and regulations related to key government priorities. Recently, Karin served as Chair of the Ontario Governments Task Force on Women and the Economy. Dr. Schnarr is a seasoned relationship builder within organizations, across government ministries and agencies, and with external partners and stakeholders. She has extensive Board of Directors and governance experience across multiple sectors and industries. Karin was recently the Chair of the Board of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario and the Vice-Chair of the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board. A strong community supporter, she also volunteers on the National Advocacy Committee for ALS Canada and was formerly on the board of the Kids Health Foundation. Karin is a former member of the iGaming Ontario Board of Directors. Dr. Schnarr received her PhD in Strategic Management (Corporate Governance) and her MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. She also holds a Master of Arts (English Literature) from Queens University, and Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Waterloo. The AGCO and its Board of Directors are excited to welcome Dr. Schnarr to the organization and extend their sincere gratitude and appreciation to AGCOs outgoing CEO and Registrar, Tom Mungham, who announced his intention to retire from the agency in March 2023. MEDIA CONTACT AGCO Media media@agco.ca 416-326-3202 ABOUT THE AGCO The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is an Ontario provincial regulatory agency reporting to the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG). It is a corporation under the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019. The AGCO is responsible for regulating the alcohol, gaming, horse racing and private cannabis retail sectors in Ontario in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, and in the public interest. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/630893f6-ebe1-4e44-9b6d-d1aaa47c04d6 NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aspiring visual artists, the opportunity you've been waiting for has arrived. The Joseph Samuels Scholarship for Visual Arts is proud to announce its inaugural year, offering a one-time award of $1,000 to a talented and passionate visual artist who exemplifies the transformative power of artistic expression. At the crossroads of artistic pursuit and visionary leadership, the Joseph Samuels Scholarship for Visual Arts aims to recognize and elevate emerging artists in their creative journey. With a firm belief in the capacity of art to inspire, communicate, and catalyze change, this scholarship seeks to provide a platform for dedicated artists to showcase their talent, creativity, and commitment to the world of visual arts. Celebrating Diversity and Inclusivity in Artistic Expression Art knows no boundaries, and the Joseph Samuels Scholarship celebrates this truth. Embracing artists from all walks of life, backgrounds, and experiences, the scholarship embodies the spirit of inclusivity and diversity. Whether you paint, sculpt, photograph, or innovate through digital media, your unique artistic voice is welcomed and valued. Criteria That Reflect Excellence To be considered for the Scholarship for Visual Arts launched by Joseph Samuels, hedge fund expert, applicants must embody the essence of artistic excellence. They should possess a genuine passion for the visual arts and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of creativity. With a focus on personal growth and a dedication to exploring new artistic techniques, the scholarship seeks artists who are not only exceptional today but are also poised for future growth and contributions to the art world. Applicants are required to submit a thought-provoking essay that delves into the evolution of their artistic journey and envisions the impact their art will have on both individuals and society. This essay serves as a canvas for applicants to express their unique vision, creativity, and aspirations. Honoring the Visionary Behind the Scholarship The Joseph Samuels Scholarship for Visual Arts carries the legacy of its visionary founder, Joseph Samuels of Islet Capital. A respected financial strategist and the driving force behind Islet Capital Management, Joseph's journey exemplifies dedication, passion, and a knack for recognizing potential. Born and raised in New Jersey, his fascination with economics and finance led him to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University, setting the stage for his illustrious career in the financial industry. Application Details and Key Dates Aspiring artists eager to seize this remarkable opportunity can find detailed information and access the application process on the official scholarship website: https://josephsamuelsscholarship.com/. The deadline for submitting applications is February 15, 2024. The winner of the scholarship will be announced on March 15, 2024, marking the beginning of a transformative journey for the selected artist. Join the Movement Are you an artist driven by the desire to make a lasting impact through your creative expressions? The Joseph Samuels Scholarship for Visual Arts invites you to join a community that celebrates art, diversity, and innovation. As we embark on this inaugural year, we look forward to uncovering the next generation of visual artists who will shape the future of the artistic landscape. About Joseph Samuels Scholarship for Visual Arts* The Joseph Samuels Scholarship for Visual Arts is a prestigious award aimed at nurturing the growth of emerging visual artists. Founded by esteemed financial strategist Joseph Samuels, islet capital founder, the scholarship celebrates artistic excellence, creativity, and the power of art to inspire positive change. With a commitment to diversity and inclusivity, the scholarship seeks to provide a platform for artists from all backgrounds to showcase their unique talents and visions. PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We are delighted to announce the launch of the Dr. Lawrence Gray Scholarship for Future Doctors, an esteemed initiative dedicated to fostering exceptional young talents with a profound commitment to advancing the field of medicine. Driven by the legacy of Dr. Lawrence Gray, a trailblazing figure in cosmetic, reconstructive, and plastic surgery, this scholarship aims to inspire and support the next generation of medical leaders who share his dedication to excellence, compassion, and innovative thinking. Applicants aspiring to embark on a journey of healing and transformation through medicine are encouraged to seize this remarkable opportunity. Whether they are current undergraduate students actively pursuing a medical career or high school students with definitive plans to enroll in a university for a medical degree, the Dr. Lawrence Gray Scholarship is designed to recognize and reward exceptional individuals who embody the values of academic excellence, dedication to medicine, and a relentless pursuit of personal and professional growth. At the heart of this scholarship lies a commitment to nurturing problem-solving visionaries. As part of the application process, applicants are invited to submit an essay that creatively addresses a significant challenge currently faced by the healthcare industry. We believe that innovative solutions hold the key to transforming healthcare for the better, and we eagerly anticipate the ingenious proposals that our applicants will present. The visionary behind this scholarship, Dr. Lawrence Gray, stands as an exemplar of unwavering dedication to both his patients and the medical community. With a career spanning over 38 years, Dr. Gray has left an indelible mark on the realm of cosmetic, reconstructive, and plastic surgery. His technical expertise, compassionate patient care, and groundbreaking surgical techniques have solidified his position as a respected pioneer in the field. Dr. Grays journey began with his academic pursuits at Washington University in St. Louis and Indiana University School of Medicine. His quest for excellence led him to further refine his skills at Boston University and Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. In 1985, Dr. Gray established Atlantic Plastic Surgery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a testament to his commitment to providing unparalleled care. Beyond his surgical accomplishments, Dr. Grays humanitarian spirit shines through his involvement in organizations such as Rotaplast International and Rotaplast, demonstrating his profound dedication to making a global impact. As a Clinical Faculty member at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Dr. Gray's continued pursuit of knowledge ensures that his expertise remains at the cutting edge of the medical field. The Dr. Lawrence Gray Scholarship for Future Doctors comprises a one-time award of $1,000, acknowledging the recipients' dedication to their educational journey and future contributions to the field. The application deadline for this esteemed scholarship is February 15, 2024, offering aspiring medical leaders ample time to showcase their academic prowess, problem-solving abilities, and passion for medicine. The eagerly awaited announcement of the scholarship winner is scheduled for March 15, 2024, offering the recipient the opportunity to embark on their academic journey with renewed enthusiasm and financial support. We encourage all eligible students who meet the scholarship criteria to submit their applications promptly. Detailed information about the scholarship and the application process can be found on the official website: https://drlawrencegrayscholarship.com and https://drlawrencegrayscholarship.com/lawrence-gray-scholarship. Dr. Lawrence Grays remarkable legacy of medical expertise, compassion, and community engagement resonates deeply in this scholarship. It is a privilege to extend a helping hand to the medical leaders of tomorrow, empowering them to carry forward Dr. Grays values of excellence, compassion, and innovation. About Dr. Lawrence Gray Dr. Lawrence Gray is a distinguished figure in cosmetic, reconstructive, and plastic surgery with over 38 years of experience. A pioneer in surgical techniques and patient care, Dr. Gray's dedication extends beyond the operating room, encompassing humanitarian efforts and community engagement. As the guiding light behind the Dr. Lawrence Gray Scholarship for Future Doctors, his legacy of excellence continues to inspire the next generation of medical leaders. WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 150 Members of the U.S. House joined today in sending a letter to U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn G.T. Thompson, R-Pa., and Ranking Member David Scott, R-Ga., citing their opposition to the so-called Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, H.R. 4417/S. 2019, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, and Sen. Roger Marshall, Kansas in the Senate. Two of the leading groups that lobbied the Members of Congress to join the letter include the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM), Competitive Markets Action (CMA), as well as members of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, Kansas Cattlemens Association, National Dairy Producers Organization, Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias, and others. In June, OCM and CMA launched a public campaign against EATS, a measure the groups deem an assault on states rights and a gift to Chinese pork conglomerates like Smithfield. Last month, the groups rallied in Washington, D.C., to join in nearly 100 meetings on Capitol Hill , and spoke out against EATS at their annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The groups are determined to prevent the measure from marginalizing American family farmers and opening the floodgates to Chinas takeover of American agriculture alongside conservative groups like FreedomWorks, and expect more letters against EATS from Members of the House and Senate to be sent in the coming weeks. The letter sent today, led by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Earl Blumenauer, R-Ore., included a number of House Agriculture Committee Members like Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., Jim Costa, R-Calif., and other rank and file Members including front liner Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. We write today expressing our strong opposition to the inclusion of H.R. 4417, the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, or any similar legislation in the 2023 Farm Bill, wrote the Members. Modeled after former Representative Steve Kings amendment, which was intensely controversial and ultimately excluded from the final 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills, the EATS Act could harm Americas small farmers, threaten numerous state laws, and infringe on the fundamental rights of states to establish laws and regulations within their own borders, they continued. We applaud the more than 150 bipartisan Members of the Peoples House for standing firmly against the terrible EATS assault on independent family farmers, states rights, and the Constitution, said Marty Irby, President at Competitive Markets Action and Board Secretary and the Organization for Competitive Markets. Wed be better off sinking the farm bill than seeing one enacted that includes the Hinson-Marshall legislation selling out American agriculture to China. Were committed to utilizing every resource OCM has at our disposal to prevent the EATS Act from becoming law and preventing the Chinese from taking over American food production, said Taylor Haynes, President at the Organization for Competitive Markets and a cattle rancher from Laramie, Wyoming. OCM led the charge in the farming and ranching space to defeat a previous iteration of the EATS Act led by former Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, from being included in the 2018 Farm Bill led by former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, and current Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. In recent weeks, even Marshall declared on RFDTV: Were getting the heck beat out of us, on the terrible EATS Act. If EATS is included in the upcoming Farm Bill, itll mark the end of American family farming as we know it, said Deborah Mills, Chairwoman of the National Dairy Producers Organization and a Board Director at the Organization for Competitive Markets. We must fight this hostile takeover with everything we have its clear from China Weeklys recent commentary that the Hinson-Marshall EATS Act is Chinas baby. Its a damn shame to see the EATS Act leaders sell out Kansans to help increase profits for Chinese-owned corporations like Smithfield, said Mike Schultz, founder of the Kansas Cattlemens Association, and Vice-President at the Organization for Competitive Markets. In June, OCM and CMA launched a campaign against the EATS Act that centers the opposition of family poultry, pork, and dairy farms as well as independent cattle ranchers. Specifically, it highlights their concern that Chinese interests are not solely focused on land rights; they are aggressively acquiring entire agricultural companies, posing a significant threat to our farming sovereignty. The campaign has to date included ad buys in Politico Morning and Weekly Ag for three full weeks in June and one full week in July, as well as ad buys that included a takeover of The Daily Callers homepage five times as well as radio ads in key Congressional Districts, and a billboard truck on Capitol Hill, the last half of July thatll be returning for the full month of September and beyond. The ads encourage voters to contact their elected officials and ask them to vote no on any Farm Bill that contains the EATS Act. OCM and CMA plan to continue the ad campaign throughout the course of 2023 until the Farm Bill is finalized and enacted. Enacting the Hinson/Marshall Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act via the Farm Bill would eliminate hundreds of state agricultural laws, effectively paving the way for even more foreign intrusion without guardrails. This absence of rules, particularly those that support American family farmers and ranchers, would create an environment in which large Chinese corporations like Smithfield Foods and others can easily expand across all 50 states without having to comply with state laws that protect rural communities, American farming families, and consumers. The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation of the Organization for Competitive Markets is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. Our mission, and our duty, is to define and advocate the proper role of government in the agricultural economy as a regulator and enforcer of rules necessary for markets that are fair, honest, accessible and competitive for all citizens. Competitive Markets Action (CMA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit based in Washington, D.C., that was formed with the mission of shaping policy to promote more regenerative and sustainable agriculture, and competitive markets in the U.S., and to defend against attacks on states rights by the federal government. CMA works to raise awareness of the harm caused by multinational conglomerates to the American family farmer, the consumer and our U.S. economy as a whole in an effort to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms. Attachment DALLAS, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa, the community management industrys largest company, is proud to continue its partnership with Community Partners of Dallas (CPD) through a month-long collection drive benefitting that organizations 30th Annual Back-To-School Drive. Team members at Associas home office collected dozens of school supplies, including backpacks, binders, calculators, spiral notebooks, composition books, folders, paper, note cards, glue, markers, pens, and pencils. They also collected monetary donations totaling $1,070. Thanks to CPDs bulk purchasing power, every dollar donated is equal to six dollars in school supplies. This let them purchase $6,420 worth of supplies to help local kids start the 2023 school year on the right foot. With the average cost of school supplies at the beginning of the school year being approximately $70 per child, Associas home office team provided enough supplies for almost 100 kids. Community Partners of Dallas is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 to support the work of Dallas County Child Protective Services. Since then, thousands of caring individuals, companies, and organizations have helped meet the needs of 15,000 abused and neglected children annually. CPD remains the first and only nonprofit to address these specific needs in Dallas County, and its programs have been replicated by more than 155 cities across Texas. To learn how you can make a difference in the lives of these children, visit http://www.cpdtx.org/get-involved/. Community Partners of Dallas is a wonderful organization firmly committed to helping kids in need, said Associa Chairman and CEO John Carona. We are honored to support their efforts in protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. About Associa With more than 275 branch offices across North America, Associa is building the future of community for more than 6.5 million residents worldwide. Our 14,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise, and trailblazing innovation. For more than 44 years, Associa has brought positive impact and meaningful value to communities. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com. Stay Connected Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa Attachment Las Vegas, NV, United States, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thousands of Southern Nevadans can now get FREE personal WiFi access through a new program from the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Cox Communications. The program launched Aug. 18, 2023, just in time for families that are currently without access to WiFi in their homes as kids headed back to school. Nevada Rep. Susie Lee helped kickoff the program on Aug. 18 by presenting the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District with a check for $3.8 million from the federal Emergency Connectivity Fund, part of the American Rescue Plan. The program enables 50,000 low-income residents to use their library cards to borrow a User ID and Password from participating Las Vegas-Clark County Library District branches. The user ID and Password provide free access to the CoxWiFi hotspot network on up to three devices until June 30, 2024. Because each User ID and Password can be used on up to three devices, parents can share their credentials with family members, thereby expanding the service to as many as 150,000 residents. Our mission at the Library District is to contribute to the elimination of the digital divide, said Library District Executive Director Kelvin Watson. Access to connectivity and technology should be a right that is available to everyone, and access in the home is especially important as children head back to school. This partnership with Cox Communications is another example of how public libraries are creating powerful programs using public funding to erase barriers and unlock opportunity. The Las Vegas-Clark County Library Districts innovative American Rescue Plan investment in hotspot access reflects President Bidens belief that access to high-speed internet is now essential for any young person, worker, or small business owner to be able to thrive educationally and economically, said Gene Sperling, White House American Rescue Plan Coordinator and Senior Advisor to the President. President Biden is deeply appreciative to the members of the Nevada Congressional delegation who voted for the American Rescue Plan and made possible for the people of Nevada this step forward toward universal, affordable broadband. The program is the first of its kind in Nevada and possibly in the nation. Traditionally, library programs in other states lend physical hotspot devices to customers, which then must be returned at the conclusion of the lending period. With the Library District program, there is nothing to return when service ends on June 30, 2024. Strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Library District are essential to Cox and our commitment to ensure digital access for all, said Cox Las Vegas Market Vice President Janet Uthman. The Library Districts Get Connected at the Library program, which enables free access to Coxs extensive WiFi network across the valley, is an important step. Another is the Federal governments Affordable Connectivity Program that has already helped thousands of low-income residents in Southern Nevada receive home internet, often at no cost. To qualify for the program, customers must: Be age 18 or over Have a valid, full-service Las Vegas-Clark County Library card. Library cards are available to Clark County residents at the customer service desks of all Las Vegas-Clark County Library branches. (Library District Instant eCards cannot be used for this program.) Not currently have internet access to meet educational and/or employment needs Supplies are limited for the CoxWiFi User IDs and Passwords and will be available to check out on a first-come, first-served basis starting Aug. 18, 2023. The FREE Personal WiFi Program is available only at these participating Las Vegas-Clark County Library District branches where Cox service is available: Centennial Hills Library, Clark County Library, East Las Vegas Library, Enterprise Library, Meadows Library, Rainbow Library, Sahara West Library, Spring Valley Library, Summerlin Library, Sunrise Library, West Charleston Library, West Las Vegas Library, Whitney Library, and Windmill Library. Please visit TheLibraryDistrict.org for locations and hours. CoxWiFi is a virtual hotspot network with over 14,000 locations in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area and is available in all Cox serviceable areas. For residents who live in areas without Cox service, the Library District has WiFi hotspot devices available for check out with a valid library card. About the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District About Las Vegas-Clark County Library District The award-winning Las Vegas-Clark County Library District is an independent taxing entity that serves a diverse community across 8,000 square miles. Through its 25 branches and website, the Library District offers a collection of 3.2 million items, including books, movies, music (including streaming and downloadable), online resources, and free programs for all ages. The Library District is a vibrant and vital member of the community offering limitless learning; business and career advancement; government and social services support; and best of all, a place where customers find a sense of culture and community. For more information, and to support Library District programs, please visit TheLibraryDistrict.org. About Cox Communications Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through technology. As the largest private broadband company in America, we operate fiber broadband networks in more than 30 states, providing connections and advanced cloud and managed IT services for nearly seven million homes and businesses nationwide. We're dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities and the characteristics that make each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox. The commercial division of Cox Communications, Cox Business, provides a broad commercial solutions portfolio including advanced cloud and managed IT solutions and fiber-based network solutions that create connected environments, unique hospitality experiences and support diverse applications for nearly 370,000 businesses nationwide. For more information, please visit www.coxbusiness.com. Attachment ATLANTA, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Holzer & Holzer, LLC informs investors that it has filed a class action lawsuit against Shift4 Payments, Inc. (Shift4, or the Company) (NYSE: FOUR). The lawsuit alleges Shift4 made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and compliance policies, including: (i) Shift4 had inadequate disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; (ii) as a result, Shift4 failed to properly account for customer acquisition costs, thereby artificially inflating its net cash provided by operating activities; (iii) accordingly, Shift4 would likely be forced to restate one or more of its previously issued financial statements; (iv) Shift4 employed accounting maneuvers in connection with, among other things, its mass strategic buyout program and sponsor bank merchant settlement account, that were designed to present an inaccurate picture of the Companys performance, its underlying business quality, and its earnings power; and (v) all the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to negatively impact Shift4s reputation and business. If you bought shares of Shift4 between November 10, 2021 and April 18, 2023, and you suffered a significant loss on that investment, you are encouraged to discuss your legal rights by contacting Corey Holzer, Esq. at cholzer@holzerlaw.com or Joshua Karr, Esq. at jkarr@holzerlaw.com, by toll-free telephone at (888) 508-6832 or you may visit the firms website https://holzerlaw.com/case/shift4/ to learn more. The deadline to ask the court to be appointed lead plaintiff in the case is October 19, 2023. Holzer & Holzer, LLC, an ISS top rated securities litigation law firm for 2021 and 2022, dedicates its practice to vigorous representation of shareholders and investors in litigation nationwide, including shareholder class action and derivative litigation. Since its founding in 2000, Holzer & Holzer attorneys have played critical roles in recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for shareholders victimized by fraud and other corporate misconduct. More information about the firm is available through its website, www.holzerlaw.com, and upon request from the firm. Holzer & Holzer, LLC has paid for the dissemination of this promotional communication, and Corey Holzer is the attorney responsible for its content. CONTACT: Corey Holzer, Esq. (888) 508-6832 (toll-free) cholzer@holzerlaw.com SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) equity and bond investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now. Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/HE Contact An Attorney Now: HE@hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895 Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) Investigation: The investigation focuses on Hawaiian Electrics assurances that it has a robust wildfire mitigation and grid resiliency program that includes, among other things, inspecting its infrastructure. When historic wildfires recently broke out in Maui, killing dozens of people and causing billions of dollars of damage, the companys assurances came into question. On Aug. 12, 2023, The Washington Post reported that [b]efore the Maui wildfires, Hawaiian Electric did not have a plan adopted widely in California and other states to shut off power in certain lines in advance of dangerous winds. According to the Post Hawaiian Electric was aware that a power shut-off was an effective strategy, documents show, but had not adopted it as part of its fire-mitigation plans, according to the company and two former power and energy officials interviewed by The Washington Post. Citing a former member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, the Post reported that the decision to avoid shutting off power is reflective of the utilitys struggles to bolster its aging and vulnerable infrastructure against wildfires[.] Then, on Aug. 16, 2023 Forbes reported that [a]n unusually sharp reaction to the Lahaina calamity also occurred in the area of credit ratings[] and Standard & Poors downgraded Hawaiian Electric all the way from BBB- to BB-, three rating notches at once. CNN Business reported that S&P Global said the wildfires have placed the company at a higher risk of default[.] After the close on Aug. 16, 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that Hawaiian Electric is speaking with firms that specialize in restructuring advisory work to address the electric utilitys financial and legal challenges arising from the Maui wildfires, said people familiar with the matter. This news drove the price of Hawaiian Electric shares and bonds sharply lower. Were focused on investors losses and whether Hawaiian Electric misled investors about its operational safeguards necessary to comply with state safety requirements, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you invested in Hawaiian Electric and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Hawaiian Electric should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email HE@hbsslaw.com. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. New York, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) today kick off more than 420 Fill the Boot events to raise lifesaving funds throughout Labor Day weekend in over 40 states. The funds raised by more than 339,000 IAFF members and their affiliates across the country go towards MDA's mission for scientific and clinical research and care for families living with muscular dystrophy, ALS (also known as Lou Gehrigs disease), and related neuromuscular diseases. Online donations, which may be made at mda.org/FTB will continue as fire fighters take to the streets in communities across the country with boots in hand asking pedestrians, motorists, customers, and other passersby to support the mission. "All of us at IAFF have remained committed to the Muscular Dystrophy Association as our charity of choice since 1954. It is incredibly gratifying to see the impact of the Fill the Boot fundraising program through MDA's mission, with new treatments for these genetic diseases, and better access to the world for families. While we Fill the Boot year-round, Labor Day Weekend is a special time where fire fighters across the country continue to collect critical funds in the community one dollar at a time. We will always answer the call for MDA families!" said Roger Lopez, MDA/IAFF National Coordinator. The partnership between MDA and IAFF spans 69 years, beginning in 1954 when the IAFF signed a proclamation designating MDA as its charity of choice and vowing to continue raising awareness and funds until cures are found. To date, fire fighters nationwide have raised $690 million over nearly seven decades. The funds raised by IAFF have led to breakthroughs in research and many FDA-approved treatments for neuromuscular diseases, in addition to access to treatments and care from day one, and through newborn screening and other advocacy efforts. "We are so grateful to our dedicated partners at IAFF and excited for the kick-off of hundreds of Fill the Boot events in communities across the country this Labor Day weekend. Its the start of National Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month and is an important time of year for this longstanding tradition. The funds raised by Fill the Boot have afforded the best week of the year to children and young adults living with neuromuscular disease at MDA Summer Camp, and it's led to incredible breakthroughs in scientific and clinical discovery. Recently, the first-ever FDA approved gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy became a reality. Our MDA Care Center Network and MDA Gene Therapy Support Network are guiding families through these new treatments. In addition, this funding over the decades has yielded four other FDA approved treatments for a variety of neuromuscular diseases in just this year alone, said Donald S. Wood, Ph.D., President and CEO, MDA. When communities across the country stop for a fire fighter to Fill the Boot, MDA funds the mission to accelerate research, advance care, and advocate to empower people diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases to live longer, more independent lives. The campaign will be shared on social media channels using the hashtag #FillTheBoot. Follow MDA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Follow the IAFF on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. About the IAFF The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is the driving force behind nearly every advance in the fire and emergency services in the 21st century. With headquarters in Washington, D.C, and Ottawa, Ontario, the IAFF represents more than 339,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in more than 3,500 affiliates. IAFF members protect more than 85 percent of the population in communities throughout the United States and Canada. The IAFF is also one of the most active lobbying organizations in Washington, D.C. The IAFF Political Action Committee, FIREPAC, is among the top one-half of one percent of all federally registered PACs in the country. About Muscular Dystrophy Association Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is the #1 voluntary health organization in the United States for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. For over 70 years, MDA has led the way in accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for the support of our families. MDA's mission is to empower the people we serve to live longer, more independent lives. To learn more visit mda.org and follow MDA on Instagram, Facebook, X, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Attachments SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges RTX Corporation f/k/a Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE: RTX) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now. The Firm also encourages persons with knowledge that might assist the investigation to contact its attorneys. Class Period: Feb. 8, 2021 July 25, 2023 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Oct. 2, 2023 Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/rtx Contact An Attorney Now: RTX@hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895 RTX Corporation (RTX) Securities Fraud Class Action: The litigation focuses on RTXs disclosures about its manufacturing quality controls within its Pratt & Whitney engine program. The complaint alleges that RTX made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose that: (1) its engines had been affected from at least 2015 2020 by a quality control issue; and (2) this issue would require RTX to recall and reinspect many engines, affecting its customers and harming its business. Investors learned the truth on July 25, 2023, when Reuters reported that contamination in the metal used to manufacture the Pratt & Whitney engine parts meant that 1,200 of the more than 3,000 engines built of the twin-engine Airbus A320neo between 2015 and 2021 must be removed and inspected for micro cracks. The same day, RTX reduced its 2023 free cash flow guidance by about $500 million (or about 10%) and blamed this on recent findings of contamination in the metal used to make its Pratt & Whitney engine parts that would require potentially hundreds of accelerated engine inspections. During the earnings call, management revealed [i]ts going to be expensive and [t]his is an issue that we first uncovered back in 2020 when we had an incident with the V2500 turbine disc. This news sent the price of RTX shares sharply lower that day. Were focused on investors losses and proving RTX misled investors about its manufacturing quality controls and, recently, its claim to have remediated the contamination issue in 2021, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you invested in RTX Corporation and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding RTX Corporation should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email RTX@hbsslaw.com. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (Hawaiian Electric or the Company) (NYSE: HE). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Hawaiian Electric and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On August 14, 2023, news outlets began reporting that Hawaiian Electric did not have a plan to shut off power in advance of dangerous winds that contributed to the recent wildfires in Maui. Specifically, it was revealed that the Company, which oversees Maui Electric and provides service to 95% of Hawaiian residents, did not deploy a public power shutoff plan, which involves intentionally cutting off electricity to areas where strong wind events could spark fires. On this news, Hawaiian Electrics stock price fell $10.94 per share, or 33.76%, to close at $21.46 per share on August 14, 2023. Then, on August 16, 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that Hawaiian Electric is speaking with firms that specialize in restructuring advisory work, exploring options for the financial and legal challenges arising from the Maui wildfires. On this news, Hawaiian Electrics stock price fell $2.54 per share, or 17.43%, to close at $12.03 per share on August 17, 2023. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . Guelph, Ontario, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- August 21, 2023 Guelph, Ont. Good in Every Grain, the public outreach campaign from Grain Farmers of Ontario today launches an award-winning science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program for Ontario Grade 3 classrooms. Good in Every Grains Ontario Farming STEMterprise is a unique teaching resource based on Ontario grain farming in coordination with the Ontario elementary school curriculum. The Farming STEMterprise program created by the National Farmers Union United Kingdom (NFU U.K.) brings agriculture into the classroom in a fun and exciting way for students and teachers alike. Supporting teachers is a huge priority for us. We know how much work is being done to help Ontarios children grow and learn. We also recognize that teaching agriculture can be dauinting if you are not a farmer or working in the industry. STEMterprise is a great program for algning agricultural knowledge and experiences with the current teaching curriculum. We hope students enjoy this 10-week program and feel more connected to their food and farming, says Victoria Berry, Manager,Communications, Grain Farmers of Ontario. The program meets the Ontario curriculum requirements in several subject areas, including Science and Technology, Health and Physical Education, Engineering, Language, and Math, in 10 stages of weekly lessons and activities. Lesson plans use several skill sets as they lead students through growing grain seeds in their classroom, conducting a market survey of existing granola bars, creating their own nutritious granola bars to meet consumer, or other students, needs, marketing, designing sustainable packaging and selling their product at a farm store. This program, offered at no cost to Ontario teachers, will allow students to learn where their food comes from, how food gets from field to fork, and how farmers protect the environment while meeting the increasing demand for food. Students will also develop business, entrepreneurship, and sales skills as they create a classroom bake sale with their granola bar businesses. Good in Every Grain is excited to launch this program and bring the importance of agriculture back into classrooms, one grain at a time. Ontario Farming STEMterprise materials can be found for download at https://goodineverygrain.ca/ontario-farming-stemterprise/. About Good in Every Grain Good in Every Grain is the Grain Farmers of Ontario public outreach campaign. Good in Every Grain reaches over 100,000 people annually across Ontario to provide trustworthy information about grains, grain farming, and Ontario grain farmers.. About Grain Farmers of Ontario Grain Farmers of Ontario is the provinces largest commodity organization, representing Ontarios 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers. The crops they grow cover over 6 million acres of farm land across the province, generate over $4.1 billion in production value, result in over $18 billion in economic output and are responsible for over 75,000 jobs in the province. -30- AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClearDATA , the first and most comprehensive provider of healthcare-specific managed cloud, compliance and security services, today announced it has been selected as Best Managed Security Service. The recognition comes from the 2023 SC Awards program hosted by SC Media, honoring outstanding innovations, organizations, and leaders that are advancing the practice of information security. ClearDATAs healthcare-native cloud security posture management (CSPM) solution, the CyberHealth Platform, protects the industrys cloud and data infrastructure, allowing companies to modernize care delivery while ensuring privacy, security and compliance. SC Medias panel of judges praised ClearDATAs success as a managed security service, calling it a cut above [its] peers." ClearDATA is a protector of healthcare data in the public cloudlaser-focused on its mission to modernize healthcare to improve patient experiences and outcomes. The CyberHealth Platform offers healthcare organizations a trifecta of benefits: protecting healthcare data in the cloud while minimizing false positives and decreasing response times; automatically preventing, detecting and remediating compliance drift and PHI security gaps; and integrating privacy and security controlsso clients can innovate at the speed of healthcare. For healthcare organizations, this means sensitive data is private, secure and compliant across cloud environments, from design through runtime. Furthermore, ClearDATA's healthcare-centric managed detection and response (MDR) services, including cyber threat intelligence, best-of-breed security technology and highly specialized expertise provide 24/7/365 protection from cyber threats. From early-stage startups to large enterprises, healthcare organizations have partnered with ClearDATA at every stage of their cloud journeys, said Charles Cinert, Chief Services Officer at ClearDATA. Whether planning a new application, balancing a complex multi-cloud strategy, or scaling a mature cloud operation, ClearDATAs CSPM solutions help organizations manage their compliance, security and privacy posture across public cloud infrastructures. Ultimately, this empowers companies to innovate and transform healthcareat speed. To view the complete list of winners for the 2023 SC Awards, visit: https://www.scmagazine.com/2023-sc-award-winners For more information about how ClearDATAs CyberHealth Platform helps healthcare organizations manage security posture through prevention, detection and response to cloud infrastructure risksvisit cleardata.com . About ClearDATA Cloud Catalyst. Healthcare Protector. ClearDATA is the first and most comprehensive provider of healthcare-specific managed cloud, compliance and security services, enabled by the powerful CyberHealth Platform. ClearDATAs solutions enforce continuous cloud compliance, defend health innovation with healthcare-centric threat intelligence and security technology, and protect health data across all cloud environments from design time through run time. To learn more about how ClearDATA helps market-leading organizations modernize and protect healthcare with secure, highly accessible data in the cloud, visit cleardata.com . Bank of Baroda decides to withdraw e-auctioning of Sunny Deols property for loan dues The Central government-owned mortgage lender, Bank of Baroda (BOB) laden with Rs.34,832.16 crore of gross non performing loans as on June 30, has decided to withdraw its decision to auction actor Sunny Deols Mumbai property for non payment of its loan about Rs 56 crore and interest on that. The decision comes a day after Bank of Baroda advertised about e-auctioning of the actors property. The bank in a newspaper advertisement on Monday said that "the sale notice I respect of Mr. Ajay Sing Deol alias Mr. Sunny Deol stands withdrawn due to Technical Reasons and listed the description of the property. On Sunday in the newspaper advertisement, that has been widely circulated in the social media, BOB said the borrower, Sunny Deol, owed the bank about Rs 55.99 crore plus interest and cost from December 26, 2022 onwards less recovery upto date. Whether the bank misspelt the actors name as 'Ajay Sing Deol' instead of 'Ajay Singh Deol' is yet to be ascertained. According to the bank, the property that is put on e-auction measures 599.44 sq. metres and a structure known as Sunny Villa located in Mumbais Juhu locality. Sunny Deol is described as the borrower/guarantor and the other guarantors are Dharmendra Singh Deol and Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd. The bank is auctioning the property under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2022. The reserve price is about Rs 51.43 crore and the earnest money deposit is fixed as about Rs 5.14 crore. According to BOB, the property can be inspected between 11 a.m and 1 p.m. on September 14 and the status of the possession is symbolic. The bank also said the borrowers/guarantors can redeem the securities by paying the outstanding dues/costs/charges and expenses at any time before the sale is conducted. The auction notice was issued by BOBs Zonal Stressed Asset Recovery Branch, Ballard Estate, Mumbai. Sunny Deol was not available on phone when IANS tried to get his reaction to the BOB e-auction advertisement on Sunday. Vuoma - Discovery of gold mineralization 2.7 km south of Helmi Helmi - Mineralization extended towards East Kutuvuoma - New zones of gold mineralization Expanded drill program with 4,500 m planned for second half of 2023 ST. JOHN'S, NL, Aug. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Aurion Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AU) (OTCQX: AIRRF) ("Aurion" or the "Company") reports results for 22 holes from the 2023 drilling program on the Aurion-B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO) ("B2Gold") Joint Venture ("JV"), operated by B2Gold, in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in northern Finland. Summary Vuoma - Discovery of gold mineralization 2.7 km south of Helmi 1.33 g/t Au over 8.30 m from 133.60 m (VUO23007) Mineralization proximal to mainly untested 20+ km southern domain boundary 15 km along strike from the Kaaresselka Prospect (Aurion 100%) Helmi - Mineralization extended towards East 1.21 g/t Au over 9.20 m from 392.00 m (IKK23045) Identification of additional mineralized shoots Kutuvuoma - New zones of gold mineralization 1.43 g/t Au over 10.45 m from 261.70 m (KU23011) New zones south of historic mineralization Expanded drill program with 4,500 m planned for second half of 2023 Total 2023 drill program increased to 12,500 m Drilling to commence in September Comments "The discovery of new gold mineralization on the southern domain boundary and the identification of additional gold mineralized zones at Kutuvuoma and Helmi represent significant results from the recent drilling program," commented Aurion CEO Matti Talikka. "The discoveries of Helmi and Ikkari (Rupert Resources) in proximity to the northern domain boundary suggest that these major structures are prospective for the deposition of gold. The new discovery further supports the gold prospectivity of the 20+ km long, mainly untested, southern domain boundary that also hosts Aurion's Kaaresselka Prospect." Figures associated with this release can be found at the following link: https://aurionresources.com/site/assets/files/1506/nr23-17figures.pdf. 2023 drill program A total of 8,156.10 m of diamond core drilling has been completed to date on the JV properties in 2023. The drill program was designed to test several new target areas and for the existence of additional mineralized zones or extensions to known mineralization at Helmi and Kutuvuoma. This press release contains results for 22, mainly scout, holes (5,964.10 m) drilled at Helmi (3 holes), Kutuvuoma (4 holes), Kutuvuoma East (7 holes), Vuoma (6 holes) and 2 regional holes (2.6 km SSE of Kutuvuoma). Table 1: Aurion-B2Gold JV Drilling Result Summary Aurion-B2Gold JV Drilling Result Summary Hole ID Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) Cu (%) Target Area / Notes KU23010 30.0 -50.0 351.60 364.40 12.80 0.26 Scout incl. 351.60 353.70 2.10 0.97 and 430.20 447.00 16.80 0.30 incl. 440.30 443.30 3.00 0.98 KU23011 30.0 -50.0 258.20 274.55 16.35 0.99 Scout (abandoned) incl. 261.70 272.15 10.45 1.43 KU23012 30.0 -50.0 231.20 234.00 2.80 0.83 Scout and 244.60 245.80 1.20 1.89 and 299.00 302.30 3.30 0.52 KU23013 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout (abandoned) VUO23004 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout VUO23005 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout VUO23006 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout VUO23007 30.0 -50.0 65.70 68.40 2.70 0.73 Scout and 78.50 94.00 15.50 0.37 incl. 81.20 91.20 10.00 0.49 and 133.60 141.90 8.30 1.33 and 171.40 172.75 1.35 1.33 VUO23008 30.0 -55.0 NSV Scout VUO22009 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout IKK23044 340.0 -50.0 197.60 198.40 0.80 0.39 Helmi and 201.80 205.75 3.95 0.40 IKK23045 160.0 -75.0 80.00 85.00 5.00 1.00 1.18 Helmi and 112.00 117.05 5.05 0.37 0.30 and 220.55 225.75 5.20 1.04 and 308.70 310.10 1.40 1.76 and 392.00 401.20 9.20 1.21 and 409.50 410.50 1.00 7.73 IKK23046 160.0 -68.0 161.40 165.85 4.45 1.24 0.62 Helmi (abandoned) KUE23040 340.0 -50.0 31.00 32.40 1.40 2.02 Scout and 44.40 45.55 1.15 1.17 and 72.80 77.00 4.20 0.60 KUE23041 340.0 -50.0 216.60 217.40 0.80 0.32 3.13 Scout KUE23042 330.0 -50.0 88.00 90.40 2.40 0.21 0.26 Scout KUE23043 340.0 -50.0 NSV Scout KUE23044 340.0 -50.0 44.10 53.05 8.95 1.65 Scout incl. 52.35 53.05 0.70 16.00 and 69.85 71.00 1.15 1.48 KUE23045 340.0 -50.0 NSV Scout KUE23046 340.0 -50.0 NSV Scout TEP23007 30.0 -55.0 NSV Scout TEP23008 30.0 -55.0 NSV Scout All widths are core widths. True width is not known at this time. All assay values are uncut. NSV - no significant values Vuoma Six scout drill holes (1,205.85 m) were completed in the Vuoma permit area in the southeastern part of the JV property. The holes were planned to test the southern side of the Kumpu basin with the aim of finding a prospective volcano-sedimentary package of rocks along the main Savukoski/Kumpu contact (the equivalent package which hosts Helmi). Drill holes VUO23004, VUO23005 and VUO23006 were collared approximately 2.7 km south-southwest of Helmi and drilled to the northeast. All three holes intersected anomalous gold (?0.1 g/t) values hosted by various lithologies. The best individual sample was from hole VUO23004 where 0.72 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 132.40 m was returned from sediments. Drill hole VUO23007 was collared 2.7 km south of Helmi and drilled to the northeast. Several mineralized intervals were intersected in strongly deformed, sericite-chlorite-albite/K-feldspar altered Kumpu sandstone with local trace sulphides. These intervals lie within ~60 m of the Savukoski/Kumpu contact. Intercepts include 0.73 g/t Au over 2.70 m from 65.70 m, 0.37 g/t Au over 15.50 m from 78.50 m including 0.49 g/t Au over 10.00 m from 81.20 m, 1.33 g/t Au over 8.30 m from 133.60 m and 1.33 g/t Au over 1.35 m from 171.40 m. This mineralization is a new discovery along the Savukoski/Kumpu contact on the southern margin of the basin. Notably, the hole also intersected ultramafic rocks containing magnetite-pyrite veinlets like those observed at Helmi where they carry gold. Drill holes VUO23008 and VUO23009 were collared approximately 3.6 km southwest of Helmi and drilled to the northeast. The holes did not intersect any significant mineralization. Helmi Three drill holes (1,034.20 m) were completed to the east of the Helmi prospect. The holes were planned to test the eastern part of the Helmi corridor prospective package and the possibility of a mineralized shoot under the main Helmi mineralization. Drill hole IKK23044 was collared as the easternmost hole along the Helmi corridor and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected low grade mineralization at the bottom of the hole close to the tenement boundary with Rupert Resources Ltd. The mineralization is hosted in metasedimentary intervals within an ultramafic volcanic package, bracketed by brecciation. The hole returned 0.39 g/t Au over 0.80 m from 197.60 m and 0.40 g/t Au over 3.95 m from 201.80 m. Drill hole IKK23045 was collared to the east of Helmi, 292 m west-northwest of IKK23044 and drilled to the southeast. The hole intersected several mineralized intervals including 1.00 g/t Au and 1.18% Cu over 5.00 m from 80.00 m, 0.37 g/t Au and 0.30% Cu over 5.05 m from 112.00 m, 1.04 g/t Au over 5.20 m from 220.55 m, 1.76 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 308.70 m, 1.21 g/t Au over 9.20 m from 392.00 m and 7.73 g/t Au over 1.00 m from 409.50m. The mineralized zones may represent the identification of additional mineralized shoots along the Helmi corridor. Drill hole IKK23046 was collared to the east of Helmi, 177 m west-northwest of IKK23045 and drilled to the southeast. The hole intersected 1.24 g/t Au and 0.62% Cu over 4.45 m from 161.40 m. Due to technical difficulties the hole was abandoned short of the planned target depth, notably where signs of Helmi-style alteration and strain began increasing within the ultramafic host package. Kutuvuoma Four scout drill holes (1,457.25 m) were completed to the south and west of the test pit area of the Kutuvuoma prospect. The holes were planned to test targets outside of the known mineralized zones at depth and beyond the plunge to the west. The holes also aimed to test geophysical anomalies and discontinuities visible in the ground magnetics outside of the immediate test pit area, as well as at the contact with the gabbro body south of the pit. Drill hole KU23010 was collared 450 m south of the test pit and drilled to the northeast. The hole intersected low grade mineralization in pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite enriched metasediments in contact with ultramafic rocks returning 0.26 g/t Au over 12.80 m from 351.60 m including 0.97 g/t Au over 2.10 m from 351.60 m. A second low grade mineralized interval was intersected in pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pyrite enriched ultramafic rocks returning 0.30 g/t Au over 16.80 m from 430.20 m including 0.98 g/t Au over 3.00 m from 440.30 m. These intercepts represent identification of new mineralized zones or shoots to the south of the previously identified mineralization. Drill hole KU23011 was collared 400 m southwest of the test pit and drilled to the northeast. The hole intersected mineralization hosted by mixed ultramafic rocks and metasediments with blebby pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite. Higher grades in the interval are associated with quartz veining. The interval returned 0.99 g/t Au over 16.35 m from 258.20 m including 1.43 g/t Au over 10.45 m from 261.70 m. This intercept represents identification of a new mineralized zone or shoot to the south of the previously identified mineralization. Hole KU23011 became stuck in a graphitic fault and was abandoned prior to target depth. Drill hole KU23012 was collared 425 m west-southwest of the test pit and drilled to the northeast. The hole intersected mineralization hosted by talc-chlorite schist returning 0.83 g/t Au over 2.80 m from 231.20 m and 1.89 g/t Au over 1.20 m from 244.60 m. Low grade mineralization was intersected in ultramafic rocks returning up to 0.52 g/t Au over 3.30 m from 299.00 m. Drill hole KU23013 was collared 300 m west of the test pit and drilled to the northeast as a 180 m overcut to hole KU23012. The hole appears to have either drilled over or stopped short of the mineralization as it became stuck in a graphitic fault and was abandoned prior to target depth. One anomalous gold (?0.1 g/t) value was returned from the end of the hole. Kutuvuoma East Seven scout drill holes (1,695.00 m) were completed at several areas between the Helmi and Kutuvuoma prospects and were planned to test various geophysical and geochemical targets. Drill hole KUE23040 was collared approximately 2.7 km west of Helmi, designed as a scissor hole to KUE20001, and drilled to the northwest. Similar to KUE20001, the hole intersected mineralization in graphitic mudstone and mafic graphite tuff within ultramafic volcanics returning intervals of 2.02 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 31.00 m, 1.17 g/t Au over 1.15 m from 44.40 m and 0.60 g/t Au over 4.20 m from 72.80 m. Drill hole KUE23041 was collared approximately 3.0 km west of Helmi, designed to test an interpreted ultramafic-mafic tuff package proximal to gabbro, and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected 0.32 g/t Au and 3.13% Cu over 0.80 m from 216.60 m at the contact between talc-chlorite schist and graphitic mudstone. Drill hole KUE23042 was collared 180 m northwest of hole KUE21009 to the west of Helmi, designed to test an interpreted structural zone, and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected 0.21 g/t Au and 0.26% Cu over 2.40 m from 88.00 m within talc-chlorite schist. Drill hole KUE23043 was collared approximately 2.2 km northwest of Helmi, designed to test a magnetic high/low transition coincident with anomalous base of till geochemistry, and drilled to the northwest. The hole returned a few anomalous gold (?0.1 g/t) values up to 0.15 g/t Au. Drill hole KUE23044 was collared approximately 2.5 km west of Helmi, designed to test for mineralization between holes KUE22028 (6.25 g/t Au over 6.00 m from 222.60 m) and KUE22035 (2.61 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 228.80 m), and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected mineralization hosted in ultramafics and metasediments, returning intervals of 1.65 g/t Au over 8.95 m from 44.10 m, including 16.00 g/t Au over 0.70 m from 52.35 m and 1.48 g/t Au over 1.15 m from 69.85 m. The mineralization in KUE22028 is interpreted to be extended 80 m to the west with these new intersections. Drill holes KUE23045 and KUE23046 were collared approximately 1.8 km east-northeast of Kutuvuoma, designed to test a zone of disruption related to interpreted northeast structures, and drilled on section to the northwest. The holes did not intersect any significant mineralization. Regional (2.6 km south of Kutuvuoma) Two scout drill holes (571.80 m) were completed in the southeastern part of the JV property, proximal to the interpreted domain boundary. The holes were planned to test for the possible existence of the Savukoski Group volcano-sedimentary package rocks between gabbros and Kumpu Group sediments. Drill hole TEP23007 was collared approximately 2.6 km south-southeast of Kutuvuoma and drilled to the northeast. One anomalous gold (?0.1 g/t) value of 0.43 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 51.90 m was returned. Drill hole TEP23008 was collared approximately 2.6 km south-southeast of Kutuvuoma and drilled to the northeast as an undercut to TEP23007. One anomalous gold (?0.1 g/t) value of 0.13 g/t Au over 0.90 m from 239.00 m was returned. Exploration plans for 2023 A total of 4,500 m of drilling is planned for the second half of 2023, increasing the total drilling to over 12,500 m from the initially planned 10,500 m. The plan will include follow up drilling on the newly identified mineralized zones, as well as scout drill holes testing additional targets on the JV properties. In addition, generative work including base of till sampling, top of bedrock sampling and geophysical surveys continue during 2023. The budget for 2023 is unchanged at CAN$10.4 million. Aurion is fully financed to contribute its 30% share of the planned expenditure. Background The JV (30% Aurion/70% B2Gold) covers approximately 347 km2 along the major crustal scale Sirkka Shear Zone in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt and includes a number of discoveries such as Helmi (2.05 g/t Au over 77.50 m), Kutuvuoma (16.47 g/t Au over 11.0 m), Soretiavuoma (48 g/t Au over 1.1 m), Sinerma (0.54 g/t Au over 40.2 m), Kiekeromaa (5.8 g/t Au over 5.0 m) and Kettukuusikko (4.33 g/t Au over 20.4 m). B2Gold is the operator of the JV. Quality Assurance and Quality Control All samples were delivered to ALS preparation facility in Sodankyla, Finland where sample preparation work was completed. Analytical work for these samples was completed at ALS facilities in Loughrea, Co. Galway, Ireland and Rosia Montana, Romania. ALS is an internationally accredited lab and are ISO compliant (ISO 9001:2008, ISO/IEC 17025:2017). Samples were analyzed for gold using the Au-AA26 procedure (50 g fire assay with AAS finish: Lower Detection Limit ("LDL") 0.01 g/t gold; Upper Detection Limit ("UDL") - 100 g/t gold). B2Gold has an internal QA/QC program involving the insertion of certified standards and blanks into the sample stream. ALS has its own QA/QC protocol using standards, blanks and duplicates. This news release has been reviewed by Andrew Hussey, P.Geo., GIS Geologist and Database Manager for Aurion Resources, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. For more information on these projects please visit our website at www.aurionresources.com. About Aurion Resources Ltd. Aurion Resources Ltd. (Aurion) is a well-funded, Canadian exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: AU) and the OTCQX Best Market (OTCQX: AIRRF). Aurion's strategy is to generate or acquire early-stage precious metals exploration opportunities and advance them through direct exploration by our experienced team or by business partnerships and joint venture arrangements. Aurion's current focus is exploring on its fully owned Risti and Launi projects, as well as advancing joint venture properties with B2Gold and Kinross in northern Finland. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Matti Talikka, CEO 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. SOURCE Aurion Resources Ltd. New Found Gold Corp. ("New Found" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NFG, NYSE-A: NFGC) is pleased to announce the successful completion of its 3-D seismic survey on its Queensway Project. New Found's 100%-owned Queensway project comprises a 1,662km2 area, accessible via the Trans-Canada Highway, 15km west of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821840753/en/ Figure 1: Photos of the seismic program (Photo: Business Wire) Highlights The acquisition phase of the 3-D seismic survey, which was initially announced on March 7, 2023 and began on June 26, 2023, is now complete. The survey was finished on schedule and on budget. The survey was conducted by HiSeis, an industry leader in hard rock seismic surveys, utilizing approximately 20,000 energy source points spaced at 12.5m intervals along 260km of source lines, as well as approximately 25,000 geophone receiver stations, generating 3-D seismic data across a 47km2 grid. Source lines were spaced at 100m intervals and perpendicular receiver lines were constructed at 100m interims to optimize resolution from 200-1,000m in depth, with good resolution penetrating to 3,000m. The final phase of the program consisting of data cleaning, compilation and interpretation is now underway with a targeted completion date of October 2023, while more detailed interpretive work will continue into Q1 2024. Upon receipt of the initial interpretation, the Company intends to generate drill targets for immediate testing in Q4 of 2023. New Found today released a video about the seismic survey that can be viewed by clicking this link. Greg Matheson, COO of New Found, stated: "The successful completion of the acquisition phase of the 3-D seismic survey is the culmination of nearly two years of planning and will provide us with an industry leading, unparalleled view of the subsurface of Queensway. Through the knowledge gained by 435,000m of drilling, we know that Queensway presents a highly faulted and complex plumbing system that has proven drillhole after drillhole to be host to high-grade gold. This environment is an ideal candidate for 3-D seismic and is expected to aid in identifying the plumbing features of this orogenic system. We anticipate that this product will greatly benefit our interpretation of the geological environment beyond the known mineralized zones and represents a long-term investment into the Queensway Project." Qualified Person The scientific and technical information disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Greg Matheson, P. Geo., Chief Operating Officer and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Matheson consents to the publication of this press release dated August 21, 2023, by New Found. Mr. Matheson certifies that this press release fairly and accurately represents the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this press release. 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 500,000m drill program at Queensway and is well funded for this program with cash and marketable securities of approximately $47.5 million as of August 2023. Please see the Company's website at www.newfoundgold.ca and the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Contact To contact the Company, please visit the Company's 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. Forward-Looking Statement Cautions This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to the 3-D seismic survey, the benefits and use of the results of the survey, the interpretation of the results of the survey, and the final phase of the program, including the timing thereof; exploration, drilling and mineralization on the Company's Queensway gold project in Newfoundland and Labrador; the interpretation of drilling and assay results, the results of the drilling program, mineralization and the discovery of zones of high-grade gold mineralization; plans for future exploration and drilling and the timing of same; the merits of the Queensway project;; future press releases by the Company; and funding of the drilling program. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "interpreted", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "suggests", "indicate", "often", "target", "future", "likely", "pending", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", "possibly", "preliminary", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with the use and interpretation of the results of the 3-D seismic survey, the final phase of the program, possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of assay results and the drilling program, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's Annual Information Form and Management's discussion and Analysis, publicly available at SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), the Canadian Securities Administrators' national system that all market participants use for filings and disclosure, for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821840753/en/ Contact New Found Gold Corp. Per: "Collin Kettell" Collin Kettell, Chief Executive Officer Email: ckettell@newfoundgold.ca Phone: +1 (845) 535-1486 Vancouver, August 21, 2023 - Avante Mining Corp. (TSXV: AVA) ("Avante" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has intersected a 24-metre interval with visible sulfides and visually identified pentlandite, a nickel sulfide, at the Company's Voisey's West nickel project (the "Voisey's West" or the "Project"). The Project is located in the same intrusive complex as the nearby Voisey's Bay mine and 70km west of the town of Nain, Labrador, Canada. Highlights First drilling into new zone visually identified nickel sulfide in pyrrhotite, 30 metres north of the northernmost drill intersection with significant sulfides to date. 2.5km trend containing multiple high-grade nickel zones. 340 meters north of drillhole intersection showing 14 metres at 1.02% nickel, 0.51% copper and 0.03% cobalt (08-AA-60). 950 meters north of drillhole intersection showing 5 metres at 1.28% nickel, 0.52% copper, and .03% cobalt (08-LP-55). Multiple targets remain open for expansion and show potential for additional new discoveries. Magmatic nickel sulphide style of mineralization, similar to Voisey's Bay. Adrian Smith, CEO of the Company commented, "With this new discovery, we have validated our structural and geophysical exploration model and are excited to continue with further drilling on this and additional untested targets." Figure 1: New drill core from VW-23-03 showing partial section from 15 metres to 24 metres. Interval of visual sulfides with pyrrhotite and visually identified interstitial chalcopyrite and pentlandite within the pyrrhotite showing disseminated to blotchy and net-texture. Bottom contact at 45 degrees. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6963/177868_73eb840024ffb9ea_001full.jpg Figure 2: Drill hole VW-23-03 section from 1 to 4 meters downhole showing disseminated coarse patches of pyrrhotite with visually identified interspersed chalcopyrite and pentlandite within pyrrhotite. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6963/177868_73eb840024ffb9ea_002full.jpg The new drill hole (VW-23-03) has discovered a new zone of mineralization 30 metres north of the No Baccy zone. The hole is drilling away from previous holes NB-08-64 and NB-08-65 which intersected 1 meter of 1.47% Nickel, 0.28% Copper, 0.03% Cobalt, and 1 metre of 1.2% Nickel, 1.04% Copper, 0.03% Cobalt respectively. The new hole is testing a VTEM conductor and is the furthest north drillhole on the Project to identify significant sulfides mineralization in drilling to date. The newly discovered zone in hole VW-23-03 was collared into shallow till cover targeting a VTEM anomaly intersected a mottled gabbro intrusive with pervasive sulfides beginning at the bedrock contact. Company geologists have visually identified the sulfides as pyrrhotite with interspersed chalcopyrite and pentlandite. These sulfides occur as fine-grained disseminations to semi-massive net-textured aggregates. Figure 3: Close up core photo from VW-23-03 at 23.4 metres down hole showing sulfide matrix net-texture. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6963/177868_73eb840024ffb9ea_003full.jpg The bottom contact of the mineralized interval in hole VW-23-03 is at 45 degrees to core axis, however the true thickness or extent of the zone is not known, additional drilling will aim to better define the orientation and extent. Drill hole VW-23-01 identified minor sulfide mineralization and is being processed and sampled. Drill hole VW-23-02 was lost due to weather delays causing the drill rods to be stuck and lost down hole prior to reaching the anticipated target depth. The Company plans to provide further updates on the drilling as additional information becomes available. The Company is working to log and sample the core and will be sending samples for analysis to a Canadian accredited laboratory for complete multi-element analysis withfurther updates to follow. Adrian Smith continues, "Magmatic sulfide ore deposits are known for being some of the worlds most valuable metal accumulations and become physically concentrated within magma reservoirs and flow pathways. At Voisey's West, we believe we are seeing evidence of these pathways, which by their nature are deep seeded conduits potentially connected to magma chambers with additional accumulation at depth. We are excited to discover a new previously unknown zone near surface and believe there is much more to be discovered at Voisey's West." About the Voisey's West Project The Voisey's West is located 50km from, and within the same intrusive complex and geological setting as the world class Voisey's Bay nickel mine. The Property is in the Churchill Province of Labrador and underlain predominately by quartz-feldspathic and metasedimentary gneisses derived from plutonic and sedimentary rocks. The rocks are intruded by the multi-phase, Nain Plutonic Suite (NPS) composed primarily of anorthosite, troctolite, diorite and granitoids and are known to host nickel-sulfide mineralization. Following the discovery of Voisey's Bay deposit, enhanced regional prospecting led to the discovery of three pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pyrite-pentlandite showings located on the Voisey's West, namely, the Long Pond, All-About-It and No Baccy. Initial surface grab samples from the Long Pond and All-About-It showings returned up to 1.36% Nickel and 0.58% Copper, and 1.05% Nickel and 1.53% Copper respectively. Continued work led to the identification of a primary mineralized corridor occurring over approximately 2.5 kilometres and multiple high-grade nickel drill intersections up to 14 metres of 1.02% Nickel, 0.51% Copper and 0.03% Cobalt. Disclosure Some results presented in this release are considered historic in nature. The qualified person for the Company has not verified all of the historic sample analytical data disclosed within this release. While the Company has obtained all historic records, including analytical data from the previous owners of the Voisey's West and from various government databases, the Company has not independently verified all of the results of the historic sampling. See news release dated July 6, 2023, for information on confirmation sampling completed by the Company. Adrian Smith, P.Geo., is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 for the Voisey's West project. The qualified person is a member in good standing of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) and is a registered professional geoscientist (P.Geo.). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information disclosed herein. Approval of Rolling Stock Option Plan The Company also announces that its shareholders approved all resolutions, including the ratification of the Company's rolling stock option plan, at the annual general meeting of shareholders held on May 2, 2023. The maximum number of common shares which may be issued under the stock option plan is 10% of the Company's issued and outstanding share capital at the date of grant. The stock option plan has a "rolling" limit, as the number of common shares reserved for issuance pursuant to the grant of stock options will automatically increase as the Company's issued and outstanding share capital increases. The limit includes outstanding stock options previously granted. About Avante Mining Corp. Avante Mining Corp. (TSXV: ACP) is a mining exploration company focused on developing high-value geographically significant projects including the Voisey's West. Avante is paving the way by combining quality projects with proven exploration strategies and a dedicated team to achieve exceptional outcomes. The Voisey's West is located in the same intrusive complex as the world class Voisey's Bay Nickel mine where reported remaining proven and probable reserves include 32.4 million tonnes of 2.13% Nickel, 0.96% Copper, 0.13% Cobalt, and additional measured and indicated 10.3 million tonnes of 0.87% Nickel, 0.65% Copper, 0.04% Cobalt. It represents one of the most competitive nickel operations globally. For more information visit avantemining.com The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Avante Mining Corp. undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CONTACT INFORMATION: Adrian Smith, CEO and Director Contact 1-778-331-3816 info@avantemining.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177868 Vancouver, August 21, 2023 - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (OTCQB: PVGDF) (the "Company" or "Provenance") is pleased to announce that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of up to 10,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $800,000. Each Unit will consist of one common share in capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.12 per Common Share for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and a day from the date of issuance. The Company may pay a finder's fee on a portion of the gross proceeds of the Offering. The Offering remains subject to regulatory approval. Closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about August 31, 2023. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for the continued advancement of its Eldorado Project and for general working capital. About Provenance Gold Corp. Provenance Gold is a precious metals exploration company with a focus on gold and silver mineralization within North America. The Company currently holds interests in three properties, two in Nevada, and one in eastern Oregon, USA. For further information please visit the Company's website at https://provenancegold.com or contact Rob Clark at rclark@provenancegold.com. On behalf of the Board, Provenance Gold Corp. Rauno Perttu, Chief Executive Officer Safe Harbor Statement: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its regulation services provider, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177869 Vancouver, August 21, 2023 - Cullinan Metals Corp. (CSE:CMT) (OTC:CMTNF) (FWB:7KO) ("Cullinan" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed non-binding letters of intent (the "LOI"), with two vendors ("Vendors" or individually, "Vendor One" and "Vendor Two") to acquire a 100% interest in and to a series of highly prospective lithium mineral properties (the "Properties") located in Northwestern Ontario. The LOI with Vendor One is dated July 26, 2023, and it includes a series of mineral projects which are commonly referred to as "Flower Falls", "Lily Pad", "Dory Ariel-Lake", "West Haig", "East Haig", "Ratte Lake" and "Flash Lake North". The LOI with Vendor Two is dated July 31, 2023, and it includes two mineral projects that are commonly referred to as "Waspesi" and "North Maskerine". The Properties: The Flower Falls, Dory - Aerial Lake, West Haig, East Haig, and Flash Lake properties are located in a lithium-favorable geological setting in the vicinity of the Georgia Lake, Mavis Lake, Separation Rapids and GT1's Root Lake properties in Northwestern Ontario where lithium prospects and deposits have been discovered. Geologically, the properties are hosted within metasediments of the English River Subprovince between two muscovite-bearing peraluminous granites. Lithium has been the primary mineral of economic interest in this area and the lithium mineralization style is dominantly hosted within spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes and sills. The pegmatites of the area seem to be of magmatic origin and are generated by the progressive crystallization of granitic magma. They usually appear as loosely tabular dykes and sills, attenuated lenses, and small irregular-shaped bodies. Metasediments make excellent hosts for lithium-bearing pegmatites. The deposit model for the area indicates that rare-element lithium-cesium-tantalum (Li, Cs, Ta) pegmatites can fractionate up to 10km away from their parent granite (Breaks et al., 2003). Lilypad is directly adjacent to significant Ta Cs Rb mineralization. The closest significant mineralized outcrop on Lillypad is the JJ Dyke in adjacent property to the SE. Near the southwest edge of the property, on OGS map 992 are some small outcrops that are noted to be pegmatites. No previous drill holes or geochemistry was found in the project area. Very minimal work has been done on these projects. The lake sediment sampling data collected by the Ontario Geological Survey indicates that the English River Subprovince is host to lithium, yet it is vastly unexplored for LCT-pegmatites. Lake sediment lithium sample results suggest the muscovite-bearing granite is fractionating towards the northeast. Terms of LOIs: Pursuant to the terms of the LOIs, the Company was granted the right to conduct a full due diligence investigation on the Properties. This includes the right to visit the Properties and to conduct preliminary sampling and exploration work to the extent permitted by applicable mining laws. Upon discovery of spodumene mineralization on any of the Properties (the "Discovery"), the relevant Vendor and the Company will execute either: a) An assignment and assumption agreement (the "Option Agreement") pursuant to which the Vendor will assign to the Company all rights and interests to the property purchase options agreements; and/or b) A property purchase agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") pursuant to which the Vendor will grant all rights and interests in and to the Properties to Cullinan. The considerations for the Option Agreement and/or Purchase Agreement will be negotiated between the Vendor and Cullinan immediately after the Discovery. Marc Morin, CEO, said, "We are very excited to have entered into the LOIs. The Properties are highly prospective for lithium and also give Cullinan shareholders the opportunity of discovery across nine (9) different locations in Northwestern Ontario." Marc Morin continued, "There will be no payments or share issuances until the Discovery." The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The transactions are arms-length transactions and will not constitute a fundamental change or result in a change of control of the Company within the meaning of the policies of the CSE. The transactions are subject to conditions precedent including, but not limited to, completion of due diligence, entering into an Option Agreement and/or Purchase Agreement, satisfaction of the conditions negotiated therein and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that an Option Agreement and/or Purchase Agreement will be entered into or that an acquisition will be consummated on the terms or timeframe currently contemplated, or at all. On behalf of the Company, Cullinan Metals Corp. Marc Enright-Morin CEO (604) 669-9788 About Cullinan Metals Corp. Cullinan Metals Corp. is a Canadian mining and exploration company focused on the development of energy metals. With a strong emphasis on key energy resources such as copper, graphite, and lithium assets, Cullinan is dedicated to unlocking the potential of these resources globally. Cautionary Statement The information about adjacent lithium prospects and deposits in this news release is taken from publicly available information online. The Company has not been able to independently verify the information contained. The information is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization of the properties, which are subject of this news release. Forward-looking statements Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including assumptions that all conditions to the closing of the proposed transactions will be satisfied and that the proposed transactions will be completed, in whole or in part, on the terms set forth in the LOIs. The forward-looking information reflects management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Such risk factors may include, among others, the risk that required approvals and the satisfaction of material conditions are not obtained in connection with the proposed transactions, the risk that the proposed transactions are not approved or completed on the terms set out in the LOIs or that an Option Agreement and/or Purchase Agreement will not be entered into in connection therewith. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company's management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward?looking statements set forth herein concerning the Company reflect management's expectations as at the date of this news release 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, other than as required by law. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Vancouver, August 21, 2023 - The Directors of Solis Minerals Ltd. (ASX: SLM) (TSXV: SLMN) (OTCQB: SLMFF) (FSE: 08W) ("Solis Minerals" or "the Company") is pleased to advise that the Company has closed Tranche 2 of the Placement, issuing a total of 9,521,818 shares at A$0.55 per share to raise gross proceeds of A$5,236,999.90. The Company's total issued equity capital post Tranche 2 allotment is 87,799,883 shares. Assisting brokers received, in aggregate, fees of 6% of the funds raised under the Placement, being a total of $89,999.93 in connection with the closing of Tranche 2. Tranche 2 of the Placement was approved by shareholders at a Special Shareholder Meeting of the Company held on 11 August 2023 in Perth, WA. Additionally, the Company has granted 7,000,000 performance rights to its directors with the terms and conditions disclosed under Schedule 4 of the Notice of Special Meeting released to the ASX on 12 July 2023. CDIs trading on the ASX issued on account of the shares cannot be converted into common shares of the Company for the purposes of trading such shares in Canada until four months and one day have elapsed from the issuance date. Authorised by the Board of Solis Minerals Ltd. About Solis Minerals Ltd. Solis Minerals is a Latin American battery mineral-focused mining exploration company. The Company owns a 100% interest in the Borborema Lithium Project in NE Brazil, covering 25,600ha. It has recently executed an option to acquire 100% of the Jaguar Lithium project in Bahia state, Brazil. In addition, Solis also holds a 100% interest in 32,000ha of combined licences and applications of highly prospective IOCG (iron oxide copper/gold) and porphyry copper projects in southwestern Peru within the country's prolific coastal copper belt - a source of nearly half of Peru's copper production. For further information, please contact: Matthew Boyes Executive Director Solis Minerals Ltd. +61 (0) 498 189 338 Stephen Moloney Investor Relations Corporate Storytime +61 (0) 403 222 052 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider 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/177930 VANCOUVER, Aug. 21, 2023 - Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE:RFLX) (FSE:HF2) ("Reflex" or the "Company") announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement financing (the "Private Placement") of up to 4,000,000 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.25 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000. Each Unit shall consist of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company ("Share") and one-half (1/2) of one (1) Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"), whereby each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase an additional Share at an exercise price of $0.35 for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. Closing of the Private Placement is anticipated to occur on or about the week of September 11, 2023, and is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals. The net proceeds of the Private Placement are intended to be used to advance the Company's Ruby Graphite Project and for other general corporate purposes. Finders' fees may be payable to eligible arm's length persons with respect to certain subscriptions accepted by the Company. Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), the Units issuable under the Private Placement will be offered for sale to purchasers resident in Canada and/or other qualifying jurisdictions pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A.2 of NI 45-106 (the "LIFE Exemption"). Because the Private Placement is to be completed pursuant to the LIFE Exemption, the securities issued in connection with the Private Placement will not be subject to resale restrictions in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. There is an offering document dated August 21, 2023, related to the Private Placement that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.reflexmaterials.com. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or available exemptions from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Paul Gorman CEO & Director Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. Suite 915 - 700 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1G8 Canada Tel: (778) 837-7191 Email: info@reflexmaterials.com About Reflex Advanced Materials Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. is a mineral exploration company based in British Columbia. Its objective is to locate and, if warranted, develop economic mineral properties in the strategic metals and advanced materials space. It is focused on improving domestic specialty mineral infrastructure efficiencies to meet surging national demand by North American manufacturers. The Company is working to advance its Ruby Graphite Project, located in Beaverhead County, Montana, and ZigZag Property, located in Thunder Bay Mining Division, Crescent Lake Area, Ontario. For more information, please review the Company's filings available at www.sedarplus.ca and visit the Company's website at www.reflexmaterials.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or" should" occur or be achieved. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the closing of the Private Placement, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, and the use of proceeds from the Private Placement are forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Reflex, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete exploration work, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Reflex does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday recalled the contributions of party leader Ahmed Patel on his birth anniversary saying throughout his political career he remained a support system which anchored the party at all times. Kharge in a tweet said, "Recalling the contribution of senior Congress leader and a valued colleague, Ahmed Patel ji on his birth anniversary." "Throughout his political career, he remained a devoted Congressman, and a support system which anchored the party at all times. His simplicity shall always remain in our hearts," the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh remembered Patel on his birth anniversary saying that for years he was a pillar of the party and his effective troubleshooting skills were acknowledged as legendary. In a tweet, Ramesh said, "Ahmed Patel, who succumbed to COVID-19 almost 3 years back, would have been 74 today. For years he was a pillar of the Congress party organisation." "Totally self-effacing and low-profile, he had friends in all political parties. His personality lent itself to effective troubleshooting and crisis management in which his skills were acknowledged to be legendary and is still recalled. He was friend, philosopher and guide to a vast many," the Congress communication in-charge said. Patel was very close to the Gandhi family. He died on November 25, 2020, due to Covid related health issues. Born on August 21, 1949, Patel also served as the political secretary to Sonia Gandhi. He had also been appointed as the treasurer of the All India Congress Committee in 2018. The Austrian weekend was one full of surprises for Marco Bezzecchi. After a start in which the VR46 rider was firmly among the favourites, a slight drop in concentration relegated him to a non-optimal and risky start from the third row. A risk that he paid for heavily in Saturday's race, the innocent victim of a manoeuvre perhaps too aggressive by Martin, who was later sanctioned. However, 'Bez' was able to react to the disappointment by finding the right spirit, perhaps thanks to the enthusiastic presence of Valentino, team patron as well as "putative father" of the Academy guys, who were able to put on a show on Sunday. Marco controlled the race intelligently, managing tyre wear in the early stages, a strategy that later paid off in the duel with Alex Marquez, from which he emerged victorious, thus finally taking the third step of the podium. Fifteen precious points that keep him in the top tiers of the standings, he is third 62 points behind his friend and rival Pecco Bagnaia, who has been in a state of grace in the last few races. After yesterday's negative, blameless day, you must be very satisfied with this podium. "I am very much - Marco said - especially after the last two races, the one at Silverstone and the one yesterday, in which things didn't go in the right direction. Obviously being able to get back to being competitive immediately gives me a lot of satisfaction; it wasn't a foregone conclusion starting from the third row, but I was able to get a good start avoiding risks in the first corner. I immediately felt very strong under braking, but rear tyre management also played a decisive role. This allowed me to easily move up the standings, until I found myself behind Alex Marquez. Overtaking him wasn't easy at all, I spent ten laps analysing the points of the track where I thought I could have a margin on him, so after realizing I had an advantage in the third sector, I prepared the attack on the penultimate corner, and it went the way I hoped. But there were some mistakes; once I ended up quite wide!". It must not have been easy to tackle such a long race after yesterday's crash at the first corner, the Italian rider complaining of pain in his shoulders. "I expected worse, there was some pain this morning, but I still tackled the warm-up without painkillers. The left shoulder got slightly worse, but it was still bearable. Then in the race between adrenaline and everything I forgot about it, but now I'm starting to feel the effects". The desire for revenge got the upper hand after the crash at Silverstone and yesterday's crash in the Sprint. "I went at it like crazy today, but the crash in England didn't affect me in that sense. I needed a result like this, with that good battle with Alex, to erase yesterday's disappointment. It was great with the guys in the team to be able to raise morale in such a short time". A Sunday to remember, not only for Marco but for the entire VR46 group, all crowned by the presence in the pits of Valentino himself. "I really can't complain continued Bez - Vale's presence in the pits gave me a lot of energy, as did Celestino Vietti's victory on Acosta in Moto2 just before my race. Cele is one of my best friends, inside and outside the paddock, his victory gives me a lot of joy." Could all this party atmosphere, the happiness of this family environment, especially after the race, together with the VR46 friends and with Valentino, influence the choice of team for your future in racing? "Valentino is pushing hard to help me with this decision. It's something that has great intrinsic value for me and makes me very happy, not everyone can say they have the support of the inimitable Valentino Rossi. I think I've already made my choice, but I can't communicate anything officially yet". Is Valentino pushing for you to stay in VR46, or for you to get a factory Ducati? "It's a question I've heard a few times lately - the Italian rider whose near future hasn't yet been put on paper sarcastically replied - Valentino would like me to stay with the VR46 team, and honestly, that makes me happy". There's a party atmosphere in the air tonight with the other guys from VR46. "Yes, I have to thank Pecco because he gave me a private flight to get home early! I'm a lucky guy, my friend and rival has a lot of money! - he joked again - We haven't organized anything yet but I think we're going to have fun". We saw you celebrating with Valentino after the race. Is it possible to be friends and rivals at the same time? "Pecco and I have been great friends for more than ten years. He is one of the few people with whom I have such an intimate relationship that we can jokingly insult each other after the races but on the track we are rivals". A rivalry that now sees Nuvola Rossa soaring at the top of the standings 62 points ahead of Marco, who is currently third, just a few points behind Martin. "A lot depends on the tracks we face, on some he has more margin, on others I'm closer to him, like here in Austria. He was better than me in qualifying, where I managed the pressure badly and this perhaps influenced the race. Pecco is certainly of a higher level in this management of the weekend". Next year, there could be four Academy riders riding a Ducati. We are clearly referring to the rider market, and to the future of Franco Morbidelli after his divorce with Yamaha. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't make this type of reasoning, for me we are four riders in MotoGP, the colours of the bike aren't important to me. But I think Franco deserves a competitive bike, because he's an excellent rider and he doesn't deserve to stay at home. If he were to find a home with Ducati, I'd be happy for him." MotoGP is going through some changes. Today here at the Red Bull Ring we saw full grandstands, what more can the riders give for the show? "I think the organizers here in Austria have done a great job, our sport is one of the most spectacular, but I can't say I'm impartial as a rider! - he joked again - the other classes also put on a show so it's a good thing the organizers are committed to keeping the fans' interest alive throughout the weekend, even if this may mean more responsibilities and commitments for us riders. It is something we can improve on further, but I think that here at the Red Bull Ring everything worked great, I also hope the other circuits follow suit". This was the first race weekend where the new tyre pressure regulation played an important role on track performance. Has the strategy in the race changed? "Obviously it's a new element of difficulty that we'll have to learn to deal with, it wasn't easy also given the high temperatures. However, it's also one of those elements we don't have complete control over because a lot depends on the specific situations during the race. In my case, I didnt have huge problems, except when I had to chase Alex for many laps, and I found myself forced to be elastic with him to keep the front tyre pressure under control. It's something we'll have to get used to". Hulkenberg ruining Magnussen's F1 career Nico Hulkenberg is in the process of "ruining" Kevin Magnussen's Formula 1 career. Kevin Magnussen, Belgian GP 2023 Haas F1 Team / LAT That is the view of former F1 driver Marc Surer, referring to the way in which 35-year-old Hulkenberg has dominated Haas incumbent Magnussen in 2023. Magnussen ruined Mick Schumacher's F1 career and now Hulkenberg is ruining Magnussen's career, the Swiss told formel1.de. "I expected Magnussen to be at Hulkenberg's level, and he's doing that in the race but not in qualifying. Obviously, Hulkenberg has a natural talent. Kevin is a good driver, no doubt, but he lacks something extraordinary, and I don't think it's motivation. Although if the car is not progressing, as seems to be the case, it is quite problematic to stay fully motivated, Surer added. German Hulkenberg returned to F1 this year after a three-year full-time break in his career, and he has been outspoken about Haas' car problems lately. We keep fighting, we keep working, he tells Speed Week. When I signed and started here, I knew it wasn't going to be all sunny days. But he says the whole team is in the same boat as him. We've known for a few months now that our problems on Sunday are just too big at the moment to meet expectations within the team, the German admits. Sponsor interest in Haas very high says Steiner Gunther Steiner says interest from potential Formula 1 sponsors is currently "very high". Kevin Magnussen, Belgian GP 2023 Haas F1 Team / LAT The Haas boss insists that is despite the fact that television ratings, especially in the US, have taken a dive in the wake of the 'Netflix boom' and amid Max Verstappen's dominance. I think a lot of things are watched today outside of television, especially by young people, and I don't think there is yet a real instrument to measure this, Steiner is quoted by France's Auto Hebdo. I think there are more people watching than we actually know, because we still measure the TV audience like we did 20 years ago. After the Nikita Mazepin-Uralkali debacle of early 2022, Haas signed Moneygram as title sponsor this year and Steiner says talks are currently taking place with more potential backers. There is always a lot of interest in general, Steiner said. "We are talking to different parties at the moment, but the interest is very high. "As a team, we have a lot of discussions going on. In a normal sponsorship discussion, people want to know all the facts, so they're taking their time and are in no rush to sign up for next year. Union minister Smriti Irani (File Photo) Union minister Smriti Irani will be visiting her parliamentary seat of Amethi soon to hold a Jan Samvad (public dialogue) programme. This is another move, to firm up her electoral presence in the constituency in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections due next year. The development comes close on the heels of Congress' newly appointed state chief Ajay Rais claim that senior party leader Rahul Gandhi would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi. Sources said that Rais claim alerted the BJP that Rahul would return to his constituency in 2024. BJPs Amethi district president Durgesh Tripathi said that as per a tentative plan, Irani is expected to soon hold the public dialogue programme in Amethi assembly segment, which is represented by SP MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh. The development also attained much pertinence days after the opposition, including the Congress, forged an overarching coalition, INDIA, to take on the BJP-led NDA. Amethi Lok Sabha seat comprises five assembly segments -- Gauriganj, Amethi, Tiloi, Jagdishpur and Salon (in Rae Bareli). While Gauriganj and Amethi were won by Samajwadi Party in the 2022 assembly elections, Tiloi, Jagdishpur and Salon are represented by the BJP. Irani, as a matter of fact, has already held Jan Samvad programmes in Salon and Jagdishpur. Tripathi said that the programme aims to bring together the MP, people and district officials on a common platform. Thousands of people had benefited from the programme. Many of the peoples problems were solved immediately, he stated. The BJP, apparently, seeks to thwart every attempt of the Congress to resurrect itself in Amethi which was represented by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in 1999 and then by her son Rahul between 2004 and 2014. In 2019, however, Irani wrested the seat from Rahul. BJP spokesperson in Amethi Govind Chauhan said that while the saffron party was gaining ground consistently, the Congress was on a constant slide. He said that the recent urban local body elections clearly show that the Congress had lost its base. Our party workers are upbeat about the upcoming programmes and campaigns which would be carried out under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said. Ripple Effect Crowned Cinematographer of the Year GraphicOnline Showbiz News Aug - 20 - 2023 , 10:55 The Chief Executive Officer of Ripple Effect, David Appeigyei popularly known as Kwaku Zee has been adjudged Best Cinematographer of the Year Award at the recently concluded 2nd edition of the Innovative Influencers and Excellence Awards for his commitment in building the media landscape in Ghana. The star-studded event, which was organised by Studio75 Production and took place on August 18, 2023, in Accra, sought to establish and uphold an entrepreneurial environment that supports thriving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for the enhancement of the nation's economy and the standard of living for individuals. He received the award as an acknowledgement of his exceptional leadership and innovation in Ghanas media sector. His contributions involve producing robust, innovative, and dependable content that meets international benchmarks. Speaking to the media after receiving the prestigious honour, the CEO of Ripple Effect, David Appeigyei thanked his entire team for always working hard and responding to duties. He dedicated the award to his entire team, all events stakeholders, and notably, his valued and cherished clients who have shown unwavering support throughout the years. He added that, this award is indeed a great achievement and has come to empower me to work harder. " My greatest appreciation goes to my cherished clients and family who consistently help to bring the best in me", he said. About Ripple Effect Established in 2011, Ripple Effect is a leading video production company, where imagination comes to life through the lens. With an expert team of creative minds and cutting-edge technology, they have transformed ideas into captivating stories that leave a lasting impact. Whether it's a corporate promotional video, a birthday party, a heartfelt wedding film, or an engaging documentary among several others, their services are tailored to meet the clients unique vision and goals. The notable production and events Ripple Effect has handled include; A great documentary for the World Bank, Bill and Melinda gates foundation in Nigeria, the Documentary of the 25th Anniversary for First Atlantic Bank, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite 60th Birthday party, KENCY 2020, Real Estate Mogul, Kojo Jones wedding and many more. Work to protect democracy Nana Konadu Agyeman Aug - 21 - 2023 , 12:00 Th Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations at the National Commission for Civil Education (NCCE), Samuel Asare Akuamoah, has called for a closer collaboration with Parliament to raise awareness among Ghanaians to appreciate the need to protect the countrys democracy and Africa in general. He said today the ordinary man on the street was losing confidence in democratic and political institutions, a sad development that the two bodies must stand up to address. Visit Mr Akuamoah made the call during a visit to the headquarters of the NCCE in Accra yesterday by officials from the Departments of Public Engagement and Media Relations of Parliament. The visit led by the Director of the Department of Public Engagement, Superintendent Afia Tenge (retd), was aimed at strengthening the partnership between Parliament and NCCE to intensify civil education among Ghanaians and raise awareness of the threats to democratic institutions. Today, we have the violent extremist groups in the sub-region fighting and telling the ordinary person to let them in to solve the problems that you have that governments are unable to solve, Mr Akuamoah said. These groups are promising that when they come to power, they will arrest and amputate the limbs of armed robbers and corrupt elements who are not being punished. And the people think that is the solution, he said. Civic engagement Mr Akuamoah said the situation had become critical and there was, therefore, a need for democratic institutions, such as Parliament and the NCCE, to work together to heighten the awareness among the citizenry to these threats to democracy in the country and the sub-region. We can marshal all the forces to go and fight whoever is engaged in coup d etat or undemocratic change in government but if the people on the ground say that is what we want, what will you achieve? he said. So we need to take up our civic engagement to the populace to let them appreciate why there was a need to protect our democracy, he stated. Key partners Ms Tenge said Parliament was charting a new path to strengthen its representational role and deepening public involvement in the work of the legislature. She said through strategic interventions and corporate plan, the Parliamentary Service Board had come out with a four-year plan to achieve the representational goal In line with the plan, she said Parliament had created the Public Engagement Department to concentrate on public engagement and promote inclusivity and participation of the citizenry in parliamentary business to consolidate democracy. Through our institutional analysis, we have realised that we cannot do much without involving some of the strategic state institutions when it comes to civic education. The NCCE is a very key partner if we need to get our messages to the people because they already have the infrastructure and channels and the best way we can maximise output is to reach out to the commission so we can work to reach our common goal, she said. A levy is a tax: belaboring an obvious point J. Atsu Amegashie Opinion Aug - 21 - 2023 , 11:40 The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) treats levies (like the Covid-19 levy) and the value-added tax (VAT) differently because the levies are imposed on the value of consumption but the VAT is imposed on the levies-inclusive amount of a consumer's expenditure. To the GRA, it appears that a levy is not a tax. The GRA claims that "The base for charging VAT is the value of the supply (Goods or services) including the chargeable levies ... " (see reference below). This is wrong! The Covid-19 levy, tourism levy, Ghana education trust fund levy (GetFund levy), and national health insurance levy (NHIL) are examples of earmarked taxes. According to Ozer et al. (2020), "Earmarking means taking all or a portion of total revenue from a tax or group of taxes and setting it aside or protecting it for a designated expenditure purpose." Nobel laureate James Buchanan (1963) defined earmarking "as the practice of designating or dedicating specific revenues to the financing of specific public services. It is discussed under such headings as special funds, segregated accounts, segregated budgets, dedicated revenues." The NHIL is a 2.5% consumption tax that is earmarked for healthcare expenditures; the GetFund levy is a 2.5% consumption tax that is earmarked for expenditures on education; and the tourism levy is a 1% consumption tax that is earmarked for the development of tourism. The tourism levy is imposed on the consumption of services provided by hotels, restaurants and catering centres, tourist sites, tour operators, etc. And the Covid-19 health recovery levy 2021 (Act 1068) is "An Act to impose a special levy known as the Covid-19 health recovery levy on the supply of goods and services and imports to raise revenue for Covid-19 expenditures and to provide for related matters." In contrast, the VAT is a 15% non-earmarked consumption tax (i.e., it can be spent on any government activity). Levies are taxes. That is why levies require parliamentary approval. The Covid-19 levy, tourism levy, GetFund levy, NHIL, and VAT are all consumption taxes and they should be imposed on the value of consumption (the tax base for consumption). The value of consumption is NOT the levy-inclusive or tax-inclusive amount of a consumer's expenditure. To reiterate, the GRA's claim that "The base for charging VAT is the value of the supply (Goods or services) including the chargeable levies ... " is wrong! The main differences between the levies and the VAT are that the levies are earmarked taxes while the VAT is a non-earmarked tax and there is no input tax refund (to producers) associated with the levies while there is an input tax refund (to producers) under the VAT. According to the GRA, "The NHIL, GETFund Levy and COVID-19 HRL cannot be deducted as input VAT." (see reference below). A levy is a tax. J. Atsu Amegashie August 20, 2023 References Amegashie, J.A. (2023). Ghana: still calculating consumption tax incorrectly. Graphic Online, August 17, 2023 Graphic Online - Graphic.com.gh (https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/opinion/ghana-still-calculating-consumption-tax-incorrectly.html) . Buchanan, J.M. (1963). The economics of earmarked taxes. Journal of Political Economy 71: 457-469. Ghana Revenue Authority, The VAT Standard. (https://gra.gov.gh/domestic-tax/tax-types/vat-standard/#:~:text=services%20into%20Ghana.-,The%20levy%20is%20chargeable%20at%20a%20rate%20of%201%25%20calculated,goods%20and%20services%20into%20Ghana .). Ozer C, Bloom D, Martinez Valle A, Banzon E. Mandeville K, Paul J, Blecher E. Sparkes S, Chhabra S. (2020). Health earmarks and health taxes: What do we know? Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice. Knowledge Brief. Co-produced with the JLN. World Bank: Washington DC, December 2020. Finding common ground: Political parties role in shaping future Yaw Ofosu Asare Opinion Aug - 21 - 2023 , 11:52 In the ever-shifting sands of Ghanaian politics, I find myself bearing witness to a bizarre metamorphosis a grotesque exchange of ideological skins between two once-distinct political animals. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), once fierce champions of their own divergent beliefs, have slowly become twisted reflections of one another, snatching fragments of their opponents creed and weaving them into their own. This diabolical transformation begs the question: Why have these two parties, once so firmly rooted in their respective ideologies, begun to adopt each others principles like some ghastly game of political dress-up? Consider the shifting landscape of Ghanaian society. Over the decades, the nation has evolved its people more educated, its economy more robust, and its citizens more demanding of the political class. This evolution has forced the NPP and NDC into a desperate scramble for relevance, each party seeking to entice the populace with the shimmering allure of a hybrid ideology. Bastion The NPP, once the bastion of free-market capitalism and limited government, has found itself dipping its toes into the murky waters of social intervention. Desperate to capture the hearts and minds of the underprivileged, they have adopted policies more akin to their NDC rivals, dancing a delicate jig between their traditional pro-business stance and a newfound interest in welfare. Meanwhile, the NDC historically the defender of social justice and state intervention has begun to flirt with the seductive siren call of capitalism. They have started to embrace private enterprise and foreign investment, all the while maintaining their commitment to social equity. It is as if theyve been possessed by the ghost of their NPP adversaries, seeking to strike a balance between competing economic forces. But what lies beneath this chameleon-like behaviour? The answer, dear reader, is a ruthless pursuit of power. In the cut-throat world of politics, the path to victory is often paved with compromise and adaptation. By adopting elements of each others ideologies, the NPP and NDC have effectively broadened their appeal, creating a monstrous Frankensteins monster of political philosophy that seeks to consume the hearts and minds of the Ghanaian electorate. Strange This strange metamorphosis raises a deeply unsettling question: What does this ideological cross-pollination mean for the future of Ghanaian politics? Will the lines between the two parties continue to blur until they become indistinguishable, like two grotesque beasts locked in an eternal embrace? Or will they eventually find their way back to their original principles, shedding the borrowed skins and emerging as distinct, revitalised creatures? Only time will tell. But as I gaze upon the twisted dance of the NPP and NDC, I cannot help but feel a sense of foreboding. For in this grotesque game of ideological dress-up, we risk losing the very essence of democracy the freedom to choose between distinct visions for the future. As the lines blur and the colours bleed into one another, we are left to wonder: In this mad, ever-changing world of Ghanaian politics, do we still have a real choice, or are we merely choosing between two faces of the same coin? As I sit down to write about corruption in Ghana, I cant help but feel a deep sense of sadness and frustration. It is one thing we seem to be good at. Corruption is our national treasure, our piece de resistance, our claim to fame. I mean, who needs a clean and efficient government when you can have bribes, under-the-table deals and abuse of power? It is like living in a real-life episode of House of Cards, except that it is not just the politicians who are corrupt, it is everyone. And by everyone, I mean everyone. From the high and mighty to the low and humble, corruption knows no bounds in our beloved Ghana. But let me not be too dramatic. Corruption is a serious issue that affects every aspect of our society, and we need to do something about it. We cant just sit around and complain about it. We need to take action, and we need to do it now. Fertile grounds Ghana, a land of rich traditions, proudly boasts a complex tapestry of ethnic groups, languages and customs. Yet, it is within the very essence of our culture that corruption has found fertile ground to take root. The intricate social structures that define the Ghanaian way of life have inadvertently woven a web that enables and perpetuates corruption. From the family unit to the highest echelons of power, the implicit rules of loyalty, respect and obedience often become twisted, giving rise to the abuse of power and the erosion of ethical values. Ghanaians, known for their warm hospitality and communal spirit, embrace the concept of ubuntu, the understanding that our well-being is interconnected. However, it is this very sense of interconnectedness that has created a breeding ground for nepotism and favouritism, fostering an environment where personal gain supersedes the greater good. As a result, the very foundation of our society, the bonds of family and friendship, have become tainted by the insidious influence of corruption. Culture Ghanaian culture places great emphasis on the importance of authority figures, from tribal chiefs to government officials. While this reverence can inspire a sense of unity and stability, it has also led to a dangerous imbalance of power, allowing those in positions of authority to act with impunity. This unchecked power, when combined with the ever-present temptation of wealth and influence, has created a perfect storm in which corruption can thrive. To address this deeply rooted issue, it is essential to identify the aspects of our culture that may contribute to the persistence of corruption. We must question the traditions and norms that have long been accepted as immutable, and seek new ways of understanding and adapting to the changing world around us. By fostering a spirit of critical inquiry and introspection, we can begin to dismantle the structures that have allowed corruption to become so deeply ingrained in our society. Moreover, we must actively engage in promoting education and awareness, ensuring that the values of honesty, integrity and accountability are instilled in the hearts and minds of future generations. It is through these efforts that we may begin to create a cultural shift, turning the tide against the pervasive influence of corruption. Resilient In the face of adversity, the Ghanaian spirit remains resilient and determined. We must now harness that same tenacity and creativity to confront and overcome the culture of corruption that has for too long cast its dark shadow upon our nation. By acknowledging and addressing the cultural factors that have allowed corruption to flourish, we can begin the arduous journey towards a brighter, more prosperous future for all Ghanaians. The writer is at Southern Cross University. Pope Francis prays for peace in Niger GraphicOnline International News Aug - 20 - 2023 , 14:11 During the Angelus held in Saint Peter's Square on Sunday, Pope Francis expressed his deep concern for the ongoing situation in Niger, a nation in West Africa. He conveyed his solidarity with the Bishops' plea for peace within the country and stability across the Sahel region. The Pope also offered his prayers for the international community's endeavours to promptly discover a peaceful resolution to the situation, emphasizing the well-being of all individuals involved. He urged for collective prayers for the people of Niger. Let us pray for the dear people of Niger, Pope Francis said. And let us also pray for peace for all populations wounded by war and violence, especially for Ukraine, which has been suffering for so long. Furthermore, Pope Francis beseeched prayers for global peace, extending his call to individuals affected by conflict and violence worldwide. He particularly highlighted Ukraine's enduring suffering. The leaders of the Church in West Africa have also emphasized the importance of a peaceful resolution to Niger's predicament, firmly opposing any military intervention. Religious figures from the region have echoed the stance of Catholic Bishops, cautioning against military involvement as it could exacerbate the current crisis. In a recent statement communicated through the Aci Africa news agency, the Regional Conference of Major Superiors of West Africa (RECOMSWA) echoed the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA-CERAO) by urging the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to explore alternative intervention strategies, beginning with negotiation. The statement expressed a shared desire for restraint, prudence, and accountability from ECOWAS and other regional and international entities involved in this delicate situation. Niger witnessed the overthrow of its democratically elected president by mutinous soldiers last month, leading to their consolidation of power and reluctance to engage in meaningful dialogues. President Mohamed Bazoum, along with his family, has been confined to their residence in the capital. Efforts have been made by Niger's new military regime and a delegation from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, to engage in discussions aimed at resolving the standoff, which took place over the weekend. Character trumps leaders skills and gifts Hadiza Nuhhu-Billa Quansah Life Aug - 21 - 2023 , 06:51 The model of godliness with integrity that a Christian leader shows in his lifestyle, challenges others to follow Christ through the testimony of his life. But that is not always the case. A good number of Christian leaders failed in ministry because of character flaws. I once cried very bitterly for the moral failure of a spiritual leader I had deeply respected. It was at a Younger Leaders Conference in Singapore which was organised by the Lausanne Movement (formerly the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelisation). The time for the first session for the main speaker had come. But the conference auditorium was rather quiet. No activity. We waited for a while, then Leighton Ford stepped up unto the podium and read a sad note from the main speaker. He would not be available for the conference. He had been involved in a case of moral failure with his secretary. He was removed from office and had started a period of counseling and was under Church discipline. His note ended, Let not this happen to any of you Evangelical leaders gathered in this conference. What? I was suddenly overwhelmed with grief. My dam of tears burst, and I wept bitterly. He was such a great and very skillful and gifted leader. Sadly, character failure knocked him out of Spiritual Leadership Ministry. I wept for him, I wept for the International ministry he served. I wept for the terrible betrayal we still could be to Christ. Over the past two decades or more, we have seen prominent National and International Christian leaders in Church and society taken off the playing field due to gross crack in character, and moral failure. Some Churches and organisations apply Church discipline more promptly and in line with biblical instructions than others. The Bible requires Christians leaders to live exemplary lifestyles: set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12 ESV). The power of Christ-like character and the power of leadership example is key to success in ministry and public service. A great example is Prince of Preachers, Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon. Dr Larry J. Michael of Southern Baptist Seminary reviews the importance of character to Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon and his great leadership influence through godly character. Traditionally, character has been defined as the moral constitution of a person. In other words, character reveals the true substance of a person; who that person really is, day in and day out, in good times and bad times, over the course of a lifetime. Contrary to some opinions, character is not ones title, role or position. In its essence, leadership is not a position, its a lifestyle. Those who have made the greatest mistakes are leaders who have assumed that their position was more important than their lifestyle. For some of them, the consequences have been tragic or terrible. The personal character of a leader bears witness to the lasting influence of that leader. Throughout his extended ministry, Rev. Charles. H. Spurgeon exhibited steadfastly the highest moral conduct in his personal and public life. James Douglas wrote in His biography of Spurgeon: He was great as a man. Great in private with God, and great in public with his fellow men. The man had a lifelong consistency, and his influence helped to lead thousands of people to follow the Christ he loved and served. Authentic leaders exhibit an uncompromising standard of moral character. It is no coincidence that Spurgeons legacy as a Christian leader is due in large measure to the fact that he exhibited steadfastly the highest moral conduct throughout his life. Christians must never submit to low standards of morality among their leaders. Warren Bennis contends that character is the essence of leadership. Leaders cannot lead effectively without the trust of their followers. When people see hypocrisy, they withhold their trust. When people are betrayed, they withdraw their support. Trusted leaders are consistent in their public and private behaviour. They are authentic in their concern for their followers and they are true to their word. Spurgeon earned the trust of even the public media by demonstrating a public picture of himself that was matched by a pattern of his private behaviour. To make the right case for character regarding leadership, one must consider the consistency of ones actions, the motives behind ones decisions, the behaviour in ones relationships, the integrity of ones use of ethical principles and certainly ones authenticity in lifestyle. But a true character cannot be evaluated properly in the span of a few years or even several decades. To judge ones character, especially as it relates to leadership, a fully accurate assessment could take a lifetime. A leader might exhibit stellar character in his leadership today, but tomorrow, he might fall. Spurgeon was not naive enough to ignore his own vulnerability. He was the first to admit his own sinfulness before a righteous God and a watching world. His sermons are full of the recognition of his own plight, were he not transformed by the abounding grace of his Saviour. Spurgeons secret to overcoming sinful temptation was nothing less than his total submission to the rule and reign of Christ in his life. Through his unwavering commitment, strong convictions and disciplined lifestyle, Spurgeons character remained very much solidly consistent with the faith he professed. Leaders will experience temptation like anyone else but the difference lies in how they respond to such temptation. Spurgeons secret to overcoming sinful temptations was his personal relationship with Christ. As the entrepreneur of many enterprises including the orphanage, almshouses and other benevolent ministries, Spurgeon could have padded his own pocket at the expense of those organizations. But the evidence is quite clear that, instead, he gave sacrificially to fill the coffers of those groups, never profiting from them personally. He did not only live right, he ensured that other leaders lived right. Spurgeon kept fairly tight reins on the leadership circles of his church and its extended ministries. The leaders must be a model of character. People today want to know that their leaders are credible, and that they can be trusted. Members of an evangelical church want to see their pastor exhibit the personal qualities that he expounds from the pulpit for example, that their pastor is a truthful leader who keeps his word. They want to know that he is honest in all of his dealings, pays his bills on time, doesnt cheat on his taxes and follows through with his commitments. They want not only to see him speak about evangelism but also to know that he is an evangelist personally. They dont want just to hear preaching on tithing; they want to know that their pastor is a biblical giver. They need to know that when he challenges them to be involved in daily ministry, he too is doing his part. They want to see their pastor demonstrate family priorities, not just proclaim what the Bible teaches about them. They desire to hear about Gods love, but they want to see their leader practise love. They need to hear about godly priorities, but they want to see their pastor demonstrate holiness and the right balance in his own lifestyle. Bishop J. C. Ryle echoes Spurgeons sentiments: Biblical doctrine preaching is useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life. It is worse than useless; it does positive harm. Something of the image of Christ must be seen and observed by others in our private life, and habits, and character, and doings. (The author is a consultant in authentic Christian Spirituality and Discipleship and former CEO of Scripture Union) Be relevant, abreast of changing trends - Nana Adjoa Hackman advises new lawyers Vincent Amenuveve Aug - 21 - 2023 , 12:00 The Managing Partner and Co-founder of Africa Legal Associates (ALA), a Pan-African corporate law firm based in Ghana, Nana Adjoa Hackman, has called on budding lawyers to be abreast of changing trends in the law profession to remain relevant. She further advised young lawyers to be mindful that what would never change in the law profession was its strong moral codes of which integrity was fundamental. A successful law career is defined by a reputation of constant learning and consistent delivery and performance over many years. It is not something you can fast-track or take a short cut to get to. It will require you to build within yourself, a strong foundation, with depth and substance. This is the path that you have chosen, Ms Hackman stressed. She gave the advice at the 2023 graduation of 310 students of the University of Ghana School of Law, Medical School and the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences last Saturday. The students completed their courses successfully during the 2022/2023 academic year. At the event included Professor of Law and Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, Professor Raymond Atuguba; the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Prof. Julius Najah Fobil, and journalist and first female Chairperson of the University of Ghana Alumni Association, Doris Kissiwa Ansah, who represented the Chancellor of the University at the congregation. Others were a lawyer and political risk analyst, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Ghanas former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Victor Smith. Changing world Ms Hackman, a corporate legal practitioner specialising in corporate governance, said, for instance, that the world had changed a lot since she completed her Law degree programme in 2001. She said the conservative law profession was, therefore, being challenged like never before to question views and practices that were once held dear to the heart. One such development is the emergence of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution. I am a keen follower of the World Economic Forum and its daily reportage on trends, issues and innovations likely to cause a revolutionary change to the global economy, Ms Hackman, who has over 20 years of legal and advisory experience, observed. She stated that such trends and innovation as AI tools, if used well, could improve the efficiency and productivity of lawyers and law firms, but could equally retire lawyers if they failed to get on top of the new rapid developments taking place. We must begin to be more solution-oriented, more agile and more adept to technological trends. It also means that like other at-risk disciplines and professions, we must begin to adopt new ways of teaching, examining and learning the law, Ms Hackman told the new graduates. Globalisation impact Touching on the impact of globalisation, she pointed out that its effect on the legal profession was that we are competing with colleague lawyers and law firms beyond our jurisdiction, but this also presents us with opportunities on a global scale. Bringing it closer home, Ms Hackman was of the view that the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) presented to lawyers opportunities to provide services to a marketplace of about 1.3 billion people, with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than $3.4 trillion. How do we make ourselves more relevant in this new integrated Africa? I dare say that in the area of business law, our Francophone colleagues are a step ahead of us in this regard, having developed and implemented the Organisation for Harmonisation of Business Law (OHADA) in the early 1990s, she indicated. Ms Hackman underscored the importance of legal integration as sine qua non to economic integration, adding that she looked forward to the near future where young Ghanaian lawyers would be moving motions in the highest court of an integrated Africa. She mentioned the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and global warming as other trends that required lawyers in Africa to integrate the interests of businesses with that of society, in a way that ultimately ensured the sustainability of both business and society. COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa installed Chief Patroness of Catholic Church Joshua Bediako Koomson Aug - 21 - 2023 , 07:47 The Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Commissioner of Police (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, has been installed the Ekuo na (Chief patroness) of the Holy Family Akan Kuo of the Accra Archdiocese of the Catholic Church. As the Ekuo na, her duty is to unite all Akan societies within the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Accra into one formidable Christian organisation. The Holy Family Akan Kuo is a group which comprises Akan societies within the Catholic Church who help members to follow the mass and other liturgical celebrations in the Akan language in their respective parishes. The installation, which also coincided with COP Addo-Danquahs 54th birthday, took place at the St Peters Catholic Church in Accra yesterday. The occasion brought together senior and retired police officers, including former Inspector-Generals of Police, Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong and James Oppong-Boanuh, as well as former Commissioner of Police, Nathan Kofi Boakye. Other dignitaries, who graced the ceremony, included a Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dina Asonaba Dapaah, as well as some traditional leaders. There was also a cake-cutting ceremony to commemorate the birthday of COP Addo-Dankwa. She also received a gift, which included the Constitution and history of the Holy Family Akan Kuo, from the church. Significance The Accra Diocese Chaplain General of the Holy Family Akan Kuo, Very Rev. Father Benjamin Opoku Ohene, said COP Addo-Dankwa was very supportive and participated in every church activity, in spite of her busy schedules. Additionally, he said she was very down-to-earth and very receptive to everybody. This is why upon looking through the church, there are others who deserve this position better than you but God says you are the one He prefers. Very Rev. Ohene explained that the group was not formed to encourage ethnocentrism, but to promote culture and ensure that the liturgy of the church was done in a language everyone easily understood and added that the group sought to promote social cohesion, spiritual growth and be one anothers keeper. Appreciation COP Addo-Dankwa expressed appreciation for the honour done her by the church and also thanked God for His blessings. Present was her family, including her husband and children. When I first saw the letter, I thought it was a mistake because I felt I was not qualified for such an honour, but against all odds, the church insisted that I was the right person for this job. I thank the church and the national executives for recognising my effort, she said. COP Addo-Dankwa said although the task was huge, with the support of God and the church, she would succeed in her duties. Free SHS: Over GH2.7 billion paid to food suppliers since 2017 Timothy Ngnenbe Aug - 21 - 2023 , 12:15 The government has spent in excess of GH2.7 billion on the payment of food suppliers under the free senior high school policy between 2017 and 2022. The amount covers the supply of 18 food items to over 700 senior high schools (SHS), technical, vocational and community development schools. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab, who made this known today (August 21), said GH81.1 million was paid to food suppliers in 2017; GH296.2 million in 2018; and GH441.5 million in 2019. For 2020 and 2021, he said NAFCO paid GH467.9 million and GH692.2 million respectively, while GH726.6 million was paid in 2022. Mr Abdul-Wahab added that although the government owed the food suppliers for 2022, GH100 million was paid on July 17, this year while another GH80 million had been released but yet to hit the account of the suppliers. "In terms of percentage, I can say that 85 per cent of what we owe as arrears for 2022 has been settled. What is remaining is 15 per cent, which we are working to ensure that it is settled before the end of the month," he said. He was speaking at the Meet the Press series held by the Ministry of Information in Accra today (August 21). The presentation largely focused on how far the NAFCO had gone in fulfilling its mandate of ensuring food security, promoting guarantee prices for farmers, stabilising prices of food items on the local market and promoting local consumption of grains. more to follow... Global InfoAnalytics survey shows majority are against sending troops to Niger Getrude Ankah Nyavi Aug - 21 - 2023 , 13:14 A poll conducted by the Global InfoAnalytics has shown that majority in Ghana are not in support of sending troops to Niger to help restore constitutional rule. According to the research conducted between Friday, August 18, and Saturday, August 19,2023, 52 percent of respondents are opposed to sending soldiers from Ghana to Niger, 38 percent in support and 10 percent have no opinion. According to Global InfoAnalytics, those who are not in favour of sending troops are afraid of a possible if Ghanaian soldiers were to be involved. The views according to Global InfoAnalytics were sampled from 1,618 respondents across the 16 regions of Ghana. The poll also found that nearly 76 percent of the respondents share the view that coups in Africa have been occasioned by bad governance in those countries, while 17 percent do not share this view, and 7 percent have no opinion. The research also said 49 percent of Ghanaians insisted that coups are not a durable solution to bad governance, while 43 percent disagree and 8 percent have no opinion. The coup On July 26, 2023, the presidential guard in Niger detained President Mohamed Bazoum, and the presidential guard commander, General Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta. The presidential guard forces closed the country's borders, suspended state institutions, and declared a curfew. Reacting to the development, leaders of the ECOWAS regional bloc agreed to deploy a "standby" military force to Niger. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS, said the use of force would be a "last resort". Also on Friday, August 18, West African military leaders indicated that they are on standby, awaiting the activation of the ECOWAS order to deploy forces into Niger. The objective of this anticipated deployment is to compel the coup-makers to relinquish control and reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. This formed a crucial part of the resolutions of the 48th Extraordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS) in Accra, Ghana. General Abdourahamane Tchiani however says he will hand over to a democratic government after three years. Related articles: ECOWAS troops ready for Niger to restore constitutional rule Niger coup leaders reopen negotiation doors to ECOWAS ECOWAS military chiefs agree D-day for Niger military intervention China steps up flood relief efforts, minimizing impact on agriculture Xinhua) 13:57, August 21, 2023 Agricultural technicians check conditions of rice at a rice field affected by floods in Shangzhi City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao) BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- China is taking multi-pronged disaster relief measures to minimize the impact of flooding on agricultural production in affected areas and to accelerate the restoration of normal life and production. Heavy floods triggered by typhoons have swept across large swathes of China this summer, resulting in significant damage to vital crops, including rice. As this is a crucial period for autumn grain crop yield, efforts to save the rain-soaked fields and ensure a bumper harvest this year have been highlighted. In northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, one of the country's major granary regions that has been affected by the extreme weather, vegetable farmer Li Minli followed expert guidance in draining accumulated water from a field and removing plastic mulch to increase evaporation from the soil. Li's vegetable greenhouse has suffered severely from the prolonged rainfall. However, timely and targeted instructions from experts have made her feel reassured. To guide farmers in affected areas to save their crops and reduce their losses scientifically, groups of sci-tech workers were dispatched by local governments and provincial science institutions to provide on-site support. Local governments have also dispatched additional work forces, agricultural machinery and drainage equipment to aid water drainage efforts in crop-growing areas. They have also urged the intensified management of fields to ensure adequate grain output. In Baimazhuang Village of Douzhuang Township, Zhuozhou City, one of the worst-affected areas in Hebei, an agricultural machine can be seen grinding wet straw so that it can be absorbed better when it is returned to the fields. Since flooding receded, villagers have been making intense efforts to drain water and repair damaged fields, according to Yang Hong, Party secretary of Baimazhuang Village. All 690 mu (46 hectares) of arable land in the village has been flooded, Yang said. However, thanks to government aid, 300 mu of farmland in the village now meets the conditions needed to resume cultivation, and replantation has already begun, Yang added. In the face of challenging circumstances, Chinese authorities have made all-out efforts to ensure agricultural production. While ramping up flood monitoring and prevention, the country has also dispatched groups of working teams to major disaster-stricken provinces to provide instruction. Chinese authorities pre-allocated another 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) on Saturday as part of the central government's support for disaster relief. The central government has allocated more than 9.68 billion yuan in various flood prevention and relief funds for disaster-stricken areas since the beginning of this year's flood season. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs also stressed the importance of efforts to initiate drainage measures for flooded vegetable fields promptly, and efforts to implement targeted measures that support autumn sowing. The financial sector has also been supporting flood relief work. The National Administration of Financial Regulation (NAFR) said earlier that transportation, telecommunications, gas and power supply, water conservation, and waterlogging prevention projects will enjoy more loan support. According to the NAFR, the total value of payments and prepayments made by insurance companies to China's 16 affected regions was 2.54 billion yuan as of Aug. 15. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed the need for proper training of security personnel deployed in the temple town of Ayodhya. According to a state government spokesman, the Chief Minister said that the safety of temple, devotees and tourists is the topmost priority. For this, he instructed officers to take all the necessary steps and prepare a fool-proof system. Every believer is eager to visit Ayodhya. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the religious city is being developed in accordance with the glory of treta yug. Along with preserving the ancient culture and civilization in Ayodhya, the government is committed to providing state-of-the-art urban facilities for the visitors, he said. The spokesman further said that the entire temple town should be decorated in a grand manner for the inauguration of the temple. Mutts and temples should be painted. Facade lighting should be done on a similar theme in the entire city. The roads, city streets and by lanes should be improved. There should be no waterlogging anywhere in the city and the drains should be covered." He said that the number of devotees/tourists in Ayodhya these days is 100 times more than its original residents. Therefore, the urban development department will have to make special arrangements for cleanliness. Additional sanitation workers should be deployed in Ayodhya, Yogi Adityanath said. He said that the multipurpose parking lots and shops should be completed as soon as possible, while arrangements should be made for drinking water, toilets and changing rooms. For the pleasant stay of the devotees/tourists coming from the country and world, he gave instructions to deploy tourist police and traffic police in Ayodhya after conducting their behavioural counselling. Ghanas drop on global peace index worrying Peace Council Linda Sah Aug - 21 - 2023 , 07:56 The National Peace Council (NPC) has expressed concern over the countrys drop in the Global Peace Index. It has, therefore, called on all citizens, especially the youth, to do all they can to promote peace in their communities and society. The Director of Capacity Development and Outreach of the NPC, Janet Sarney-Kuma, who expressed the concern, said the growing trend of unrest particularly in schools was a cause for concern which needed to be addressed. She, therefore, called on all students and the public to be peace ambassadors to help restore a peaceful atmosphere in schools. At the end of the day, we are hoping to build more peaceful students within the schools, she said. Mrs Sarney-Kuma made the call during a sensitisation programme by the NPC to foster peaceful co-existence among senior high school (SHS) students in the country. GPI ranking Ghana has also slipped from the second most peaceful country in Africa in the 2022 index to the third position and 51st in the world, in the rankings released last June. The latest Global Peace Index (GPI), published on June 28, 2023, put Sierra Leone ahead of Ghana as the most peaceful country in West Africa, but Botswana top as the most peaceful on the continent, with Senegal and Namibia, following Ghana in that order in Africas top five rankings. The students Reacting to this ranking, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the NPC, Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, attributed the decline to some of the happenings in the country such as armed robbery, highway robberies, as well as attacks on journalists, political violence, and the land guard menace and other perceptions, which all went to inform the rating and compilation of the results. Sensitisation The NPC is an independent statutory institution with the responsibility of managing and resolving conflict to ensure sustainable peace. Its special sensitisation event will see the NPC engaging eight SHSs in the Greater Accra Region on violence, the causes of conflicts, conflict management and conflict resolutions to create sustainable peace in schools. The programme is a soft approach to educating young adults on how to manage and eradicate rising conflicts in various institutions. Out of the eight schools, the council has so far visited Osu Presbyterian SHS, La Presbyterian SHS, Accra Academy, Accra Girls SHS, Nungua SHS and Achimota School. Unity Mrs Sarney-Kuma indicated that the council would do more of such sensitisation programmes to increase its visibility and revisit the schools, which would be involved in the exercise to introduce peace clubs in SHSs. The NPC Capacity Development and Outreach director stressed the importance of unity and upholding the good name of their respective institutions and the country as a whole. Let us be good citizens and set good examples wherever we are to preserve the peace our country enjoys and collectively achieve great things, she said. She advised all students not to fall victim to any form of violence but report perpetrators to the school authorities. Discipline The Assistant Head of Administration at the Nungua Senior High School, Matthew Adamani, advised the students to be disciplined in every action taken because there will never be peace if you are not disciplined. He, therefore, urged his students to avoid bullying their colleagues or engaging in any form of conflict or violence. He also commended the NPC for choosing his school as part of the sensitisation programme. Indonesia Consulate marks 78th Independence anniversary Daily Graphic Aug - 21 - 2023 , 11:47 The Indonesian Consulate in Ghana has commemorated the countrys 78th Independence with a number of activities. The celebration was on the theme, Terus Melaju untunk Indonesia'', meaning 'Continue Advancing for an Advanced Indonesia.' It brought together Indonesians living in Ghana as well as representatives of Indonesian businesses in the country. Addressing the gathering, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia in Ghana, Paskal A. B. Rois, said the occasion was a time for joy as well as a renewed call for patriotism and unity among Indonesians. For us at the Consulate in Ghana, we have decided together with the Indonesian companies and community in the country to touch the lives of future leaders of this country, he said. Relations Mr Rois said Indonesia was committed to enhancing bilateral relations with Ghana and as a show of its commitment and focus on youth development, more than 30 Ghanaian students had been offered scholarships and were currently pursuing various partially funded degree, masters and doctoral programmes in Indonesian universities He added that some students were also studying other fully funded courses with the KNB scholarship scheme. He, thus, called on Ghanaians students, university lecturers and their faculty to grab such opportunities from Indonesia aimed at strengthening the human resource base of the developing world. The Member of Parliament for the Adentan Constituency, Mohammed Adamu Ramadan, congratulated the people of Indonesia on their anniversary and expressed the hope that the two countries would do more to mutually benefit from their relationship. The Municipal Chief Executive for the Adentan Municipal Assembly, Alexander Nii Noi Adumuah, lauded the initiative of the Honorary Consul and said it would deepen collaboration between Indonesia and Ghana. Also as part of the Independence Day commemoration, the Consular, together with Indonesian companies in Ghana, donated some items to four basic schools in the Adentan and Madina municipalities to celebrate the independence of Indonesia. The items included indomie noodles, toiletries, stationeries and school bags. The beneficiary schools were the Holy Rosary R. C. Basic Schools, De Youngsters International School, British Columbia College and the Bettle Presbyterian Basic School. Indonesian companies that presented the products included United Foods Indo Ghana Limited in Accra, manufacturers indomie noodles; Peace Indo Ghana Limited in Tema, producers of medisoft soaps; and the Wings Group Indonesia in Accra, manufacturers of the So Klin powdered soaps and other detergents. Also, the wife of the Honorary Consul and Managing Director of Rois Limited, Gifty Rois, donated a projector to her alma mater, Holy Rosary R. C. Basic Schools, to support the teaching and learning of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). Additionally, the Country Director and Deputy Africa Regional Representative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, Yurdi Yasmi, and his wife also made some donations. All the items were presented during a ceremony held at the Holy Rosary R. C. Basic Schools in Adentan. Appreciation The Head teacher of the Holy Rosary R. C. Junior High School, Esther Bonney, expressed her gratitude to the Indonesian Consulate and companies for being selected for the donation. The Municipal Director of Education, Gifty Mussey, also thanked the Indonesian Consulate and the entire Indonesian community in Ghana for the support, describing it as crucial to enhance the provision of quality education in schools. In a reciprocal gesture, Ms Mussey on behalf of the beneficiaries, presented two artworks created by students of the school about Indonesia to Mr Rois for Indonesias contribution to the promotion of education in Ghana. No procurement law was flouted in new BoG head office project - Governor Zadok Kwame Gyesi Aug - 21 - 2023 , 12:30 The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, says no procurement laws were flouted in the building of the bank's new head office in Accra. He said the decision to put up a new head office for the central bank was not a recent idea and that it had been on the table since 2013. The central bank Governor made the remarks at a press conference in Accra on Monday, August 21, 2023. He explained that the Bank of Ghana in the 1990s began the search for a suitable and secured land for a new head office and that in 2012, the Bank was allocated an unnumbered 5.19-acre land at Accra Central by the Lands Commission which also had issues. That, he added, the Bank did not have access to the land since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration refused to give the Bank vacant possession on the grounds that they had never agreed to give up ownership of the land. Dr. Addison further said the Bank continued to search for suitable land for its Head Office throughout the period from 2013 to 2016 and more recently in 2018, the Bank approached the SIC to acquire its vacant land at Ridge near the Ridge Hospital. He said the government issued an Executive Instrument to allow the Bank of Ghana acquire that Land and SIC was duly compensated. After the acquisition of the land, he noted, the Bank then began to plan the building of its new Head Office, taking into consideration the need to ensure the building meets all the requirements of a modern central bank of international standards (similar to central bank head office buildings in Abuja and Dakar). For the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the new building "is not just a simple ordinary building" and that it has modern facilities which includes the provision for data centers, currency processes, vaults, and other sensitive installation. "Let me re-emphasize that the Bank followed all the necessary public procurement processes in this endeavor. No procurement laws were broken," Dr. Addison defended the rationale for the building of the new head office. Attached below is a copy of the full address of Dr. Addison at the press conference Gentlemen of the Media. Welcome to this special press briefing, which has been necessitated by recent developments following the publication of the 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Bank of Ghana on 28th July 2023. Given the unique circumstances under which the 2022 report was published, it has become necessary for me to make this statement to help put the report into context and to clarify key issues that have arisen since the publication. The Bank of Ghanas 2022 Financial Statement results reflect the crisis that hit the economy in that year. This Press event is to give a clear statement of the problem and chronology of events leading to the economic crisis in 2022 and related developments in Ghana at that time. At the end of 2019, through prudent economic management, macroeconomic fundamentals had been well anchored. The Bank of Ghana reported profits of GHC 1.6 billion in 2019, GHC 1.5 billion in 2020 and GHC 1.4 billion in 2021. The policy objective then, was to consolidate the gains made between 2017-2019 and steer the economy towards achieving broad-based inclusive growth and establishing all the needed structures for transitioning from a Frontier Economy to a Full-Fledged Emerging Market economy. Then came the covid-19 pandemic at the turn of 2020. We all witnessed the devastating effects of the pandemic and the uncertainty this disequilibrium created globally. Ghana was not spared the effects of the pandemic. There were clear public policy initiatives by the government, with outstanding leadership by the President, to protect lives livelihoods at all costs. Protecting lives and livelihoods at all costs required exceptional financing. Fortunately, through the swift intervention of the international financial institutions, the IMF (through the Rapid Credit Facility) and the World Bank, a significant portion of this financing was met. In addition, the Bank of Ghana, following prudent management, had built enough buffers and policy space, which enabled it to trigger the emergency financing exception under Section 30(6)) of the Bank of Ghana Act, Act 612 as amended, to provide the needed additional financing support through the purchase of GHC10 billion of the Governments Covid-19 bonds, which helped to close the exceptional financing gap. These interventions from the Bank of Ghana, the IMF, and the World Bank, helped the government to navigate and effectively contain the devastating effects of the pandemic. Ladies and Gentlemen, as expected, Ghanas public health policy response to the pandemic came at a high fiscal cost to the economy, leading into 2021, which was amplified by the spillover effects of the Russia-Ukraine war that started in early 2022. As a result, sovereign spreads on Ghanas Eurobonds widened, and Credit Rating Agencies further downgraded Ghanas sovereign debt rating. This effectively blocked Ghanas access to the international capital markets in 2022, a resource which the budget had relied on to borrow about US$3 billion annually to help close the financing gap. It is important to state that a significant part of the annual borrowing was just to meet debt service and energy payment obligations, given that Ghanas annual external debt service payments and energy payments alone had risen to the range of 3 to 4 billion dollars annually as at 2020. Losing access to the international capital market for new financing immediately triggered a liquidity crisis for government, spilling over into a balance of payments crisis as the country had to continue to honour its debt service obligations, energy payments, and import bill. In keeping up with these critical external payments, the Bank of Ghana lost US$500 million in external reserves in just two months, with no new inflows of foreign currency from the usual annual Eurobond issuance by government to replenish its reserves. Furthermore, to help address Governments liquidity crisis, the Bank extended additional overdrafts to the government to address auction failures and prevent domestic default, and enabled government to meet domestic debt obligations and other critical payments needed to avoid a disorderly halt to economic activity. Throughout the first half of 2022, there was no new foreign financing until July when the Afrexim Bank stepped in to support with US$750 million. This is a typical replay of what is referred to in the literature as a first-generation macroeconomic and balance of payments crisis. You would recall that many people doubted if the economy was in crisis because they did not hear that interest payments on bonds were not being paid in early 2022; they did not see queues at the pump for petrol and diesel; there were no shortages of essential items on the market; and they did not hear that public sector workers, including civil servants, the Police and the Military, were not being paid their salaries. The reason was that the Bank of Ghana had provided the needed support to keep the economy going. These circumstances led the Government to approach the IMF for support in July 2022. The IMF immediately sent in a Mission to assess the economic situation. The mission concluded that the economy was at tipping point, and it was agreed with the understanding of the IMF, that the Bank of Ghana should continue to provide the necessary support to keep the economy running until a reform programme had been put into place, which will trigger IMF financing. The portrait painted above of the Ghanaian economy in 2022, was similar to what pertained in many other frontier and emerging market economies. Key countries with similar experiences were Egypt, Argentina, Turkey, Kenya, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, just to mention a few. What separated these countries and their ability to hold their economies until a package of reforms was introduced, was the availability of policy buffers and the resilience of key policy institutions. We all know what happened in Sri Lanka. The Bank of Ghana was able to step in with support to the economy until the IMF programme was concluded, because of the policy buffers built, following years of prudent management. This is a reflection of the resilience of the Bank of Ghana for being able to rise up to the occasion to play its statutory role as the lender of last resort to support the economy during the crisis. Economic history also teaches us that crises are a part of the business cycle, and the accumulation of policy buffers is the only way to guarantee space to deal with such crises, and this is clearly the role the Bank of Ghana played with distinction. Now let me shift my remarks to the corrective measures that were put into place in 2022 to manage the crisis, in particular the major policy effort designed to put Ghanas debt on a sustainable path. These corrective actions included the Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) program, where the stock of Government of Ghana/public sector debt was to be halved from 105 per cent of GDP to 55 per cent of GDP by 2028. The holders of Government debt had their debt instruments exchanged for new ones with lower coupon payments and longer tenors. Despite the resulting losses incurred by households, banks and other financial institutions, the threshold of 55 per cent of GDP was not met. As part of the solution, the Minister for Finance wrote to the Bank of Ghana with a proposed treatment of 50 per cent haircut on Bank of Ghanas holdings of Governments non-marketable debt. Naturally, the Bank of Ghana was concerned and fully aware of the implications of such a treatment on the books of the Bank. We held several discussions with the Ministry of Finance, the Governments Advisors on the Debt Exchange (Lazard & others) and the IMF on this treatment. At the request of the Bank of Ghana, the IMF sent a technical mission of central bank balance sheet experts to assist the Bank of Ghana to assess how the debt treatment would impact the Banks financial position and its ability to carry out its statutory mandate. The conclusion of that technical assessment mission was that Bank of Ghana should be able to function effectively (i.e., remain policy solvent) even after the imposition of such a haircut. The IMF placed a high premium on this particular debt scenario involving the Bank of Ghana as that was the only scenario that was going to allow the Government to meet the debt threshold that would allow Ghanas IMF programme to proceed for Board approval. The Bank of Ghana accepted this proposal on that basis, given how crucial it was to secure the Fund-supported program and the benefits that would inure to the economy as it would help to reset the economy and prevent a total collapse with much broader socio-economic implications. A Bank of Ghana board meeting was therefore arranged to get the board pass a resolution to this effect. The Bank of Ghana acted in good faith for the broader interest of Ghanas economy. 11. The debt included all the legacy debts of the Government of Ghana dating back to 1992 and included the accrued overdraft of 2022, overdraft to Cocobod, the Covid-19 Bond, and even BoG holdings of Telecom Malaysia (Ghana Telecom Bonds) Bonds and Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) bonds issued by Government. As of 2015, the accumulated claims on Government and Cocobod were about GHC13 billion. The debt, therefore, is not about recent debt alone. Almost all lending from the IMF, including the Extended Credit Facility and the Rapid Credit Facility during the Covid 19 pandemic, and all financial sector resolution bonds have all been added as Bank of Ghana lending to Government. This is not factual. 12. It is important to state that the losses reported were technical losses arising from the haircut and the application of accounting standards (in particular, IFRS 9) to estimate expected credit losses over the tenor of the Government debt held by Bank of Ghana. It is not money lost by the Bank of Ghana through its operations in 2022. Rather, one should look at this as a reflection of the total cost of the economic and social crisis the country faced over the years and an attempt to resolve a major structural problem of the Ghanaian economy. 13. I must also add that, if one takes time to go through historical financial statements of the Bank of Ghana, you will realize that this is not the first time that the Bank has gone into negative equity. During the early years of structural adjustment, very large exchange rate depreciations led to revaluation losses that drove the Bank into negative Equity. Indeed, anytime the economy faces major challenges, the Bank of Ghana balance sheet suffers, and the equity position moves into negative territories. You will recall that in 2017 and 2018, the Bank of Ghana incurred similar negative equity from the impairment of legacy liquidity support loans granted in 2015 and 2016 to insolvent banks, which our external auditors impaired due to the doubtful prospects of recovering from those insolvent banks. The Bank of Ghana however, recovered and generated profits throughout the period 2019 to 2021. 14. It is worth noting that Central Banks are not commercial banks. Bank of Ghanas current financial condition will not impact negatively on the operations of the Bank. The IMF Technical Assistance mission validated this conclusion, before the necessary decisions were taken. In their opinion, the Bank of Ghana was policy solvent and would remain so, as it had enough income to cover monetary policy operational costs. The Bank of Ghana had sufficient capital amounting to about 15 per cent of its total liabilities. Its recommendation was for the Bank to retain all profits and a reassessment should be made in the year 2027. The Bank will also manage to reduce its operational costs during this period. 15. Ladies and Gentlemen, in all these, the Bank of Ghana has acted within the applicable laws. It is not true that Bank of Ghana has been providing financing for the Government every year. There has been zero financing in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. The Bank of Ghana has only had to support in the pandemic year of 2020 and the crisis year of 2022. The Bank of Ghana Act (612), as amended, limits financing of Government to 5 percent of previous years tax revenue. This provision in the law has been adhered to since I took office in April 2017. Between 2017 and 2019, in addition to the requirements of the Bank of Ghana Act (612), as amended, the Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Finance to even impose a tighter restriction of zero central bank financing, and this was observed strictly, even though MOUs are not legally binding. Between 2012 and 2015, the Bank of Ghana provided overdraft to finance government and Cocobod every year. And there was neither a pandemic nor a global economic crisis. 16. When Ghana was hit with the Covid-19 in 2020, Section 30(6) of the Bank of Ghana Act (612), as amended, was triggered, and as indicated earlier, the Bank purchased GHC10 billion worth of Covid-19 bonds to support the economy through the pandemic. This was done within the applicable laws governing the Bank of Ghana. When section 30 (6) of the Bank of Ghana Act (612), as amended, is triggered, it, allows the Governor, the Minister for Finance and the Controller and Accountant General to agree on a new limit of central bank financing. The law further says that the Minister of Finance will then have to inform parliament and the Minister has since informed parliament as part of his briefing to update Parliament on the IMF program and status of the Domestic Debt Exchange. 17. Let me also seize this opportunity to talk about an issue that has come up lately in the media and one which borders on our new Head Office building. While discussions on a national security issue like the Central Bank building is a sensitive one, I will provide you with a brief history of how this has evolved over the years. The Bank of Ghana as far back as the 1990s began the search for suitable and secured land for a new Head office. In 2012, the Bank was allocated an unnumbered 5.19-acre land at Accra Central by the Lands Commission which also had issues. The Bank did not have access to the land since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration refused to give the Bank vacant possession on the grounds that they had never agreed to give up ownership of the land. The Bank continued to search for suitable land for its Head Office throughout the period from 2013 to 2016. More recently in 2018, the Bank approached the SIC to acquire its vacant land at Ridge near the Ridge Hospital. The Government issued an Executive Instrument to allow the Bank of Ghana acquire that Land and SIC was duly compensated. 18. The Bank then began to plan the building of its new Head Office, taking into consideration the need to ensure the building meets all the requirements of a modern central bank of international standards (similar to central bank head office buildings in Abuja and Dakar), and incudes provision for data centers, currency processes, vaults, and other sensitive installation. It is not just a simple ordinary building. Let me re-emphasize that the Bank followed all the necessary public procurement processes in this endeavor. No procurement laws were broken. I have requested that a more detailed response to the issues raised in the public discourse on the Banks new Head Office building be published on our website immediately after this press engagement today. 19. The decision to commence construction was taken in 2019 when the Bank generated profits. Appropriations for the Head Office were made each year from profits in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The project has therefore, been going on for over 3 years. The DDEP only took place in January 2023. If we were to be taking the decision today, building a legacy Head Office would not have been a priority. However, this is a project that has been running for 3 years and about 50 percent complete. The Bank is fully aware of its responsibilities to ensure that the costs do not escalate beyond reasonable levels and that many of the original design features to including data centre, currency processing centre, ICT equipment, specialized security features have been deferred and only grey boxes provided for future use to manage costs. 20. Let me end by reassuring the public on the policy solvency of the Bank of Ghana to achieve its statutory mandate going forward. Every central banks credibility depends on its ability to achieve its mandate. These technical losses do not jeopardize that ability and are sometimes the price to pay for achieving those aims. It is important that we place the central banks policy mandate ahead of profits. We must recognize the special character of Central Banks and the role they play in an economy. Central Banks are institutions of public policy and do not exist for profits but for national welfare and as such could have a negative equity position and continue to be policy effective. Very clear policies have been put in place to return to positive equity in the medium term. And as we do this, we will continue to rebuild our policy buffers to continue to provide the necessary assurance of policy support as we rebuild a stronger and a more resilient and inclusive economic post pandemic. Thank you very much for your kind attention Ridge Church School holds ceremony for JHS graduates Elizabeth Konadu-Boakye Aug - 21 - 2023 , 07:35 Fresh basic school graduates have been encouraged to find more productive ways to spend their time as they wait for their results in order not to get into trouble. They have also been urged to pay particular attention to what they consume from the internet and social media so that they are not misled to lead wayward lives. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ebenezer Chemists Limited, Ebenezer Sampong Bediako, who gave the advice, further urged the students not to consider everything that looked normal in society as right, but to follow the leading light of God and to live in purity. "Be kind to others, and they will be kind to you; don't always wait to have everything clear before you begin an adventure; take things one step at a time because a little action can do wonders," he said. Mr Bediako was addressing the passing out ceremony for 77 students of the Accra Ridge Church School yesterday after they wrote the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The ceremony in Accra was on the theme: Be good example to your world. It was attended by parents, guardians and well-wishers who came to support the students after completing their basic school education. Students during the ceremony The day was also used to honour some students who excelled in various fields and distinguished themselves throughout their stay in the school. Consistency The Headmistress of the school, Nana Ama Acheampongmaa Badasu, said this years batch of students was considered rigorous because they faced a lot of challenges climbing up the ladder of education. She said aside from the numerous challenges that came with the emergence of COVID-19, the 2023 batch was introduced to a new curriculum which they had to quickly adjust to. There were no textbooks. You depended on your teachers and learners resource packs with very scanty information yet you were very consistent and developed different strategies to study and catch up, which included online group studies, she said. Despite the challenges, the headmistress said the students went the extra mile while still engaging in other school activities, which prepared them adequately for the examination and set them aside as good examples to other students in the school. Congratulations. You have done it. All the hard work has finally paid off, and you're ready to take the next big step in life. You have, indeed, been good examples to the school, and I'm proud of you, Mrs Badasu said. She further urged the students to imbibe values such as integrity, hard work, service, leadership, humility, diligence, respect and excellence to attain more success in life. She expressed gratitude to the stakeholders of the school for their support and contribution towards the success of the school and the successful completion of the candidates. Sierra Leone First Lady and YAWC Network sign MOU to host Young African Womens Congress in Freetown Beatrice Laryea Aug - 20 - 2023 , 16:43 To demonstrate the commitment of Sierra Leone to women's empowerment and leadership development, the Office of the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone has signed a partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with organisers of the Young African Women Congress (YAWC) Network to host the 7th Annual Continental Convocation of the congress in Sierra Leone. The MOU was signed on Friday, 18th August 2023, at the State House in Freetown. The parties also briefed the press to announce to the public the plans underway for the successful hosting of the congress in the West African country. Justifying the reason for the partnership, Mr. Daniel Osei Tuffuor, the Founder and the Executive Chairperson of the Young African Women Congress Network commended the First Lady of Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leonean government for their commitment towards womens empowerment and the Sustainable Development Goals is impressive. Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bios #HandsOffOurGirls campaign has helped to minimise child marriage, teenage pregnancy, rape and defilement in many parts of Sierra Leone. Hosting such an international convocation in the country will further put a spotlight on the gender aspirations of the country, he stated. For her part, the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr Fatima Maada Bio expressed joy to partner with the international organization to host this remarkable event in the country. "Sierra Leone is honoured to host this significant event, which aligns with its commitment to gender equality, women's empowerment, and sustainable development," she said. The Young African Women Congress 2023 Annual Continental Convocation is scheduled to take place from the 20th to the 24th of November 2023 at the renowned Freetown International Conference Centre (Bintumani), Aberdeen in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The event is expected to attract approximately 800 participants, including young women from various African countries, renowned leaders, educationists, feminists, activists, politicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and corporate and business leaders. The convocation aims to provide a platform for young women across Africa to come together, exchange ideas, and discuss pertinent issues related to women and leadership on the continent. Guided by the principles of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, the conference will focus on empowering young women and fostering their role as change-makers in African societies. During the convocation, participants will engage in a series of panel discussions, workshops, networking sessions, and interactive forums. There will be series of side events and pre-Congress events including exhibitions, Sierra Leone Cultural Day and Business and Investment Cocktail meeting for business leaders aspiring to invest in Sierra Leone and other neighbouring countries. These activities will provide opportunities for knowledge sharing, skills development, and collaboration among participants, enabling them to address challenges and opportunities in leadership and development within their respective communities. The Young African Women Congress Network is a dynamic fraternity of young women of African descent residing in Africa and the diaspora. The network aims to empower young women and enable them to become effective leaders and catalysts for development across. Stop BoGs $250m head office construction - Bono House of Chiefs to President Biiya Mukusah Ali Aug - 21 - 2023 , 09:21 The President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, has appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to restrain the Bank of Ghana (BoG) from spending the $250 million on the construction of its new head office building. "As a matter of priority, we are appealing to the government of the Republic of Ghana to investigate the matter and stop them from further construction of the project. BoG is not totally independent; discuss with them to halt the development of the project. The house and its people are not happy about the development, how can the country go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for $3 billion and want to use $250 million to construct only one project? the president of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs quizzed. Job opportunities Osagyefo Agyemang Badu, who is also the Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, was speaking at the first general meeting of the house for the year last Thursday, in Sunyani in the Bono Region. He intimated that the amount could have been used to create jobs for the teeming youth or shared among the 16 regions to embark on development projects to improve their lot, emphasising that if he had the power to do so, he would have demolished the building to demonstrate my displeasure about the project. Faux pas Osagyefo Agyemang Badu described as a faux pas the BoGs decision to go ahead to build the new head office and questioned its timing, more so when the bank had announced a loss of about GH60 billion for 2022. "While we are about to recover from the shock of the announcement that the central bank made a loss of GH60billion in 2022, that same BoG came out with another shocking news of using $250 million to construct its office," he stressed. Development fund Osagyefo Agyemang Badu reiterated the houses commitment to set up the Bono Development Fund to initiate programmes to promote development and reduce unemployment among the youth. He said the house was expected to unveil the fund by the end of September 2023, and it would be used to create employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth, particularly graduates in the region. He thus commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for reviving the Sunyani Airport, a project which was abandoned for several years, emphasising that its revival would help boost economic development and further open up the region. He also thanked President Akufo-Addo for giving approval for the upgrading of the Sunyani Regional Hospital to a teaching hospital. Poor roads The Bono Regional House of Chiefs President, however, expressed concern about the poor nature of road infrastructure across the region. He mentioned the Sunyani town roads, Sunyani-Chiraa road, Berekum-Sampa road, Nsawkaw-Sampa road, Baakonieba-Berlin Top road and Odumase roads, as some of the roads in a deplorable state. Osagyefo Agyemang Badu was disappointed that though several government budgets dating back to the tenure of the late former President Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings to the present government had captured the Sunyani-Chiraa road, none of them constructed the road. He described the road as crucial to the chiefs and people of the region and Ghanas neighbouring country, Cote d'Ivoire, and therefore, urged the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene, to lobby for the completion of that project. Appeal The regional minister pledged her commitment to push for the rehabilitation of the roads and appealed to the chiefs to support her efforts. She also appealed to the chiefs to work closely with government appointees in the region to facilitate development. Ms Owusu-Banahene further appealed to the chiefs to desist from interfering in the planning schemes of the Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs). The Sunyani High Court Judge, Justice Harry Acheampong-Opoku, who swore in two new members of the house, advised the house to learn the Chieftaincy Act and the culture of the land. He urged them to always obey the laws of the country to avoid embarrassment, explaining that it was sometimes embarrassing to see a chief in court for a contempt case. Meeting The house, in memory of the late Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, and Berekumhene, Daasebre Amankona Diawuo II, observed a minutes silence before the days proceedings began. Two new members of the house the Omanhene of Wenchi Traditional Area, Osagyefo Ampem Anye Amoampong Tabrako III, and the Kwatwomahene, Osabarima Asiedu Kotwi II were sworn in as part of the agenda for the houses sitting. West Africa security situation: Coups step up terrorist acts - Report Emmanuel Bonney Aug - 21 - 2023 , 12:23 A mid-year review of violence involving African militant Islamist groups has observed spikes in violence and fatalities that coincide with the military coups in those countries. Data from the African Center for Strategic Studies indicates a surge in fatalities in the Sahel and Somalia. The Washington D.C-based academic institution within the US Department of Defense said fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups reached 22,288 over the past 12 months. This represents a 48 per cent increase from the same period last year that saw 15,024 fatalities. This level of fatalities is about 2.5 times more than the pace experienced a decade ago and higher than the record 20,562 set in 2015, mostly driven by Boko Harams lethal use of violence, the report which was released recently stated. The centre, which has a mission to ensure security for all Africans championed by effective institutions accountable to their citizens, said the Sahel continued to be the region experiencing the most violent events and fatalities. Burkina Faso, Mali "Eighty-seven per cent of the violent events in the Sahel are concentrated in Burkina Faso and Mali. The observed spikes in violence coincide with the military coups in those countries, the study said. That, the report suggested, reflected the opportunity militants seized when the Malian military junta scuttled the United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and international security partnerships, while inviting the Russian Wagner Group paramilitary forces. Brig. Gen. Dan Frimpong (retd) Burkina Faso, the data showed, continued to bear the brunt of violence in the Sahel, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the reported events linked to militant Islamist groups in the theatre for a second year in a row. Burkina Faso also accounted for 62 per cent of all fatalities in the region, the report said, adding that over the past year, Burkina Faso saw an 88 per cent increase in fatalities, comprising 6,130 deaths, the African Centre for Strategic Studies stated. Benin and Togo have each experienced a dramatic rise in violent events over the last year (to 131 from 16 in Benin, and to 22 from three in Togo). This represents a combined eight-fold increase in violent events. What was previously seen as episodic spillover from Burkina Faso into West Africas littoral states has become an ongoing security threat in these countries. Benin and Togo experienced 140 and 98 reported fatalities respectively as a result of this violence in the past year. Fatalities "Eighty per cent of these fatalities and events are happening in the Sahel and Somalia, which saw spikes in annual militant Islamist-linked deaths of 39 and 157 per cent, respectively. The Sahel continues to be the region experiencing the most violent events (2,912) and fatalities (9,818)," it said. However, the report found significant drops in militant Islamist violence in North Africa and northern Mozambique, which helped to moderate the continental increase in violent events, which rose four per cent. Col Festus Aboagye (retd) Nonetheless, the centre said Africa had experienced a nearly four-fold increase in reported violent events linked to militant Islamist groups over the past decade, from 1,812 events in 2014 to 6,756 events this year. "Almost half of that growth happened in the last three years," the report added. Experts Commenting on the data, two security experts expressed similar views that the coups were not necessarily due to terrorism or the threat of it. Brig. Gen. Dan Frimpong (retd) and Col. Festus Aboagye (retd) drilled the issue of coups down to good governance and welfare of the people. Commenting on the data, Col Festus Aboagye (retd), said terrorism or the threat of it was not causing coup d'etats. Rather, he said, it was the tension around how the state was managing its security policies and strategies. "So my understanding is that it is not the terrorism, it is how you manage your security policies and strategies," Col Aboagye told the Daily Graphic in an interview. On the situation of ECOWAS moving into Niger, he said, in a crisis situation the response should not be like it was going to teach it (Niger) a lesson. The best thing to do, he pointed out, was to sit down and find out why such a thing was happening so that it would not occur in another country. For instance, Col Aboagye said, there had been eight attempts by some African leaders to change their constitutions in order to prolong their tenure The unconstitutionality by some leaders to stay in power was what should engage the regional body, ECOWAS, he stated. Col Aboagye said coups did not happen because soldiers wanted to come and do better than civilians; "they happen because it is a switch that switches on and off in order to reset". Commenting on the issue of democracy, he said, it was accountability that must be adhered to. For his part, Brig. Gen. Frimpong (retd) said the solution to the problem of coup d'etats in the sub-region was good governance. He said, for instance, once the people thought their welfare was being taken care of by those ruling, there would be no cause for any upheaval. Impatient Responding to a question as to whether soldiers staging coups were impatient, Brig. Gen. Frimpong said that was not the case and that it was the society that rebelled and the military was the face. He said like members of other professions were trained to do their work, soldiers were also trained to keep the security of a country "so it is not that soldiers are not patient". Brig. Gen. Frimpong, however, said like any institution, there were bad lots who would do what generally the military did not endorse. He explained that the military was not a coup making institution and that soldiers were not taught how to make coups, adding that it was a response from a few individuals who had their own problems and then pulled the military along. Any coup maker, he said, was not a good soldier and that as a professional soldier he never believed in that. The military, he said, was not designed to rule, but to safeguard the territorial integrity of the nation by land, sea and air. Women farmers urged to enter commercial agriculture Gertrude Ankah Nyavi Aug - 21 - 2023 , 07:09 The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture (Crops), Yaw Frimpong Addo, has called on Ghanaian women farmers to move from smallholder farming to commercial agriculture. He said large-scale farming would enable them to make profits and also contribute more to the socio-economic development of the country. Mr Addo said because their farms were not big enough they were unable to reap much from the sector. "In the smallholder farming, there is not much money in it. This is because their farms are small, so they are unable to get the impact that they need of agriculture," he said Mr Addo made the call at the inaugural ceremony of the Ghana Association of Female Agriculture and Fish Farming Award Winners in Accra last Thursday. The association is made up of the best female award winners in all the regions. Women in farming He advised women in farming to embrace the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, which he said was tailored towards commercial farming. He added that the structure of the planting for food and jobs initiative would largely support women in agriculture. "So the phase two of the PFJ, I want women farmers to come together. For example, I want an association like this to take full advantage it. This is a new scheme coming up. There will be opportunities for women to take advantage of especially the youth, he added He also encouraged the women and the youth to enter into processing, marketing and other chains of the agricultural process. The chairperson of the Association, Ernestina Osei-Tutu, said the association aimed at giving a voice to women in agriculture at the national level. She urged women in farming to change their mentality of seeing themselves among the least in the society and rather know that they were the pivot of the development of Ghana. Intensive value chain For his part, the chief of party of Ghana Mobilising Finance in Agriculture Activity, Dr Victor Antwi, said women provided critical labour-intensive value chain service such as planting, harvesting, cleaning, sorting, processing, packaging and recalling of crops. He was, however, of the view that irrespective of their important role in the society, women's access to finance was constrained by barriers such as insufficient collateral for a bank loan, lack of bank accounts, low financial literacy and a fear of not being able to repay their loan. On the supply side, he said financial institutions have difficulty lending to segments of the value chain where women operate due to elevated risk profiles, remote locations, small loans and low profitably. Without finance, women finance, women in the agricultural value chain lose opportunities to grow their businesses and this affects their potential incomes and livelihoods. Union minister Smriti Irani (File photo) Union minister Smriti Irani will be visiting her parliamentary seat of Amethi soon to hold a Jan Samvad (public dialogue) programme. This is another move, to firm up her electoral presence in the constituency in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections due next year. The development comes close on the heels of Congress' newly appointed state chief Ajay Rais claim that senior party leader Rahul Gandhi would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi. Sources said that Rais claim alerted the BJP that Rahul would return to his constituency in 2024. BJPs Amethi district president Durgesh Tripathi said that as per a tentative plan, Irani is expected to soon hold the public dialogue programme in Amethi assembly segment, which is represented by SP MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh. The development also attained much pertinence days after the opposition, including the Congress, forged an overarching coalition, INDIA, to take on the BJP-led NDA. Amethi Lok Sabha seat comprises five assembly segments -- Gauriganj, Amethi, Tiloi, Jagdishpur and Salon (in Rae Bareli). While Gauriganj and Amethi were won by Samajwadi Party in the 2022 assembly elections, Tiloi, Jagdishpur and Salon are represented by the BJP. Irani, as a matter of fact, has already held Jan Samvad programmes in Salon and Jagdishpur. Tripathi said that the programme aims to bring together the MP, people and district officials on a common platform. Thousands of people had benefited from the programme. Many of the peoples problems were solved immediately, he stated. The BJP, apparently, seeks to thwart every attempt of the Congress to resurrect itself in Amethi which was represented by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in 1999 and then by her son Rahul between 2004 and 2014. In 2019, however, Irani wrested the seat from Rahul. BJP spokesperson in Amethi Govind Chauhan said that while the saffron party was gaining ground consistently, the Congress was on a constant slide. He said that the recent urban local body elections clearly show that the Congress had lost its base. Our party workers are upbeat about the upcoming programmes and campaigns which would be carried out under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said. As the foldable market matures, manufacturers are looking for a way to offer more affordable versions of their phones. Motorola had first shot this year with its Motorola Razr 40 but Samsung is sticking to its single Galaxy Z Flip and Fold yearly releases for now. That's about to change next year, according to a report by Revegnus - a tipster who shared some spicy info regarding Samsung's upcoming camera sensors. After the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 next year, Samsung is looking to release Fan Edition versions of the duo. That doesn't mean they are going to be available as early as next year, but it does sound like we are going to see them sooner rather than later. The report also suggests that Samsung will be focusing more on its Fan Edition sub-branding starting with the planned Galaxy S23 FE, meaning the company will start releasing Fan Edition devices more regularly. Source The Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority announced that the waitlist for the federally funded Section 8 housing voucher program will open from Dec. 5-12. Residents are encouraged to register online at www.ghura.org. A man faces multiple felony charges relating to a complaint in Chalan Pago last week. Documents filed at the Superior Court of Guam state that on Aug. 18, police responded to a removal request at a residence. A woman explained that she wanted her ex-boyfriend Scott Castro Chong removed from her house, as he had already been told he was not welcome. Police transported Chong to the precinct. The following day, the same victim called police again because Chong was back, according to the magistrates complaint. Chong appeared to have broken into the house by pushing an air conditioner to gain entry. Chong allegedly grabbed her neck, brandished a kitchen knife and said that both would die tonight, according to the complaint. The victim was able to calm Chong down by asking to smoke a cigarette outside. Police arrived as the couple exited the residence. Chong tried to tell police that they were OK but the victim ran to police and yelled for help. The defendant chased after her. As police separated the pair, Chong allegedly kicked one of the officers. Police observed injuries on the victims neck, and corroborated the victims complaint through an eyewitness and 911 dispatcher. Chong was charged with assault and three counts of family violence, all as 3rd degree felonies as well as burglary as a second degree felony. Man allegedly throws boiling rice at wife Dendrofe Grigley faces two felony charges following reports that he allegedly assaulted his wife on Aug. 1. According to a magistrates complaint, police responded to a walk-in complaint at the Dededo Precinct. They met with a woman who said that her husband had assaulted her two days earlier. According to the complaint, she and Grigley were arguing, and Grigley lifted the victim and threw her to the road outside the residence. He then ripped her dress, exposing her. When the pair wound up back inside the residence, Grigley reportedly picked up a pot of boiling rice and threw it at the victims face and neck. The couples son allegedly witnessed the incident. Grigley was charged with family violence and aggravated assault as third-degree felonies, as well as family violence as a misdemeanor. Siblings scuffle leads to arrest Police met with a Dededo resident on Aug. 16 in response to an assault complaint. The victim told police that she and her brother, Jesse James Flores, had argued at their residence earlier that afternoon. During that argument, Flores held his sister against a staircase and the victim struck Flores face to get away. As she walked away, Flores allegedly punched the victim in the back of the head and kicked her in her lower back. Flores also reportedly threw a knife at the victim following her call to the police, but he missed. Despite ongoing projects within the Guam Department of Education, such as mold mitigation that is still yet to be completed, GDOE superintendent Dr. Erik Swanson issued a statement on Monday to recommend to the legislature to maintain current procurement processes with the Office of Civil Defense and Guam Homeland Security. GDOEs work with the Department of Administration, OCD and GHS include projects for the schools mold abatement, air conditioning repair and replacement, sewer line replacements and ceiling and floor tile replacement. Though causing concern at first, the diversion of the $20 million through the governors administration, GDOE has been able to accelerate the procurement process using Department of Administration resources through the DLAN system to execute multiple contracts using portions of the allocated dollars with several million dollars in contracts for important support, stated Swanson. The superintendents support of the process comes just days after several members of the 37th Guam legislature voted in favor of amendments to force the Office of the Governor of Guam to return $20 million dollars to GDOE. While well intended to preserve the purpose of the allocation itself, recalling those funds would stop the procurement process that began in early June and force GDOE to restart the process and accompanying legal reviews setting the timetable back months rather than providing much needed health and safety repairs that are just beginning and are much needed across all schools, added Swanson. It takes all of us and our local government agencies from the Legislature to the Governors Office to local mayors, Guam Department of Education staff and faculty, parent volunteer groups, military units and private community supporters to make it possible for our GDOE schools to reopen this week. Sen. Chris Barnett, legislative oversight chair on education, questioned Swanson on Aug. 14 during the Fiscal Year 2024 budget session on whether GDOE would want the $20 million back. In response, Swanson noted his approval and that it was an accurate assessment at the time. Barnett also issued a statement on Monday as he indicated his confusion with Swanson and GDOE. The release appears to be a complete 180-degree turn from your leaderships and your many comments on the official legislative record relative to GDOEs desire to have the $20 million appropriated by senators to GDOE returned to the department, said Barnett. You have expressed to senators your displeasure with the reprogramming of education funds for storm recovery efforts for the whole of GovGuam, and that displeasure was reiterated by you several times on both the Legislative floor and in media interviews. Barnett further noted Swansons frustration with the lack of movement on GDOEs multiple requests through the Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defenses DLAN program as the cause for the senators amendment to secure GDOEs $20 million dollars. In updates provided by you and your staff, it was said that the bulk of GDOEs requests for help were flat-out denied or at a standstill, said Barnett. Barnett also noted that with his latest information, the project for mold abatement still does not have a contract in place or a completed invitation to bid, despite the request being sent in on June 13. Barnett then addressed that it was quite contradictory that Swanson is now pleased with GDOEs progress despite months passing with a lack of progress to show for it. Your release states that you are now pleased with the progress of GDOE DLAN requests being accelerated, said Barnett. However, at the same time, you are asking the legislature to undo its efforts to return the $20 million because it would force GDOE to restart the process and set the timetable back months when all the evidence shows that the process is still at the starting point. Barnett concluded that hell withdraw his support of the return of $20 million to GDOE if Swanson truly believes that GDOE will be better and more efficiently served through the DLAN process. Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the director of communications for the Office of the Governor of Guam, noted that GDOEs release speaks for itself. They have benefited from expedited procurement for disaster relief and changing that now would force them to restart or cancel the mold mitigation, fencing, maintenance, and repair they are contracting for, said Paco-San Agustin. The $20 million in question is being used for these contracts through procurement that is being done by the Office of Civil Defense. If the $20 million has to be sent to GDOE, it means Civil Defense will have to cancel that procurement, and GDOE will then be responsible for the procurement of these contracts and the procurement process will start all over from step one. The director further addressed that having GDOE be responsible for their procurement from step one will not make the schools safer. It just forces more delay. Some in the legislature are so focused on playing politics they dont actually realize when they are hurting the students they are trying to help. That cant be what the legislature intended, concluded the director. An altercation in Tumon on July 31 led to the Monday arrest of Guam Police Department officer Peter J. Leon Guerrero. According to a news release issued by GPD spokeswoman Berlyn Savella, on July 31, patrol officers with the Tamuning Tumon precinct responded to a disturbance on the beach side of Nanas Cafe in Tumon. Officers determined that a physical altercation had taken place involving three male adults, according to the release. One individual was transported for medical attention, while the other two individuals had left. GPDs Criminal Investigation Division assumed the investigation, which led to the apprehension of those involved. Arrested were: Peter J. Leon Guerrero, for aggravated assault and disorderly conduct, Jesse Leon Guerrero, for assault by Mutual combat and disorderly conduct, and Frederico Santiago, for assault by mutual combat and disorderly conduct. The release states that Peter J. Leon Guerrero is a uniformed officer with GPD and was booked and currently confined at the Department of Corrections. According to the release, the case has been closed and was forwarded to the Attorney Generals Office for their information. Chief of Police Steve Ignacio ordered an internal affairs investigation. The officer was placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues. We hold our officers to the highest standards and any alleged misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, he said in the release. Significant investments to increase the scale of our business and record generation has delivered results for Mercury in 2023. This year we realise the full benefits of large-scale investments made over the past two years to grow our renewable generation and customer business, said Mercury Chief Executive, Vince Hawksworth. Annual generation exceeded 9 TWh up 21% from 2022 levels. Record inflows into the hydro catchment underpinned strong hydro generation at 5,209 GWh, 28% higher than average. More than 1,000 GWh was spilled during the year to maintain lakes within consented operating limits. Wind generation increased 16% to 1,471 GWh following the Turitea South wind farm becoming fully operational. Mercurys scaled retail business also contributed to this result. Mercury is New Zealands largest electricity retailer by customer market share, with 860,000 customer connections following the Trustpower retail and NOW NZ acquisitions in 2022. Mercurys net profit after tax was $103 million, down $366 million on the previous year, with the previous years results including the gain made on the sale of our Tilt Renewables shareholding. Mercury reported $841 million operating earnings (EBITDAF), up $260 million on the prior years $581 million EBITDAF. Operational expenditure was $346 million, up $116 million on the prior year, while total stay-in-business capital expenditure was $119 million (up $51 million on the prior year). During the year there was record-breaking rainfall in many parts of New Zealand, including the Waikato catchment. This is reflected in todays result, as signalled in previous updates to the market. We know that for some the rainfall events had devastating impacts, and we provided financial assistance and on-the-ground help for our most severely impacted customers during the year in recognition of this. We also elected to delay the implementation of customer price changes to these affected areas, said Mr Hawksworth. Results have been partially offset by lower annual geothermal generation due to outages and lower electricity spot prices, however the turnaround at Kawerau geothermal station to install a new turbine and generator was completed successfully. SUPPORTING CUSTOMERS IN NEED Mercury Chair, Prue Flacks, said the company remained highly attuned to its role supporting New Zealanders through the transition to a low-carbon economy and more immediate economic challenges. We acknowledge this is a challenging time for many, with the rising cost of living impacting many households. As a major electricity retailer, we have a role to play in supporting customers and we take that responsibility seriously, said Ms Flacks. Actions to strengthen customer care this year included collaborating on joint research into hidden hardship with Genesis Energy and working on potential solutions with community groups. A two-year Winter Energy Study in partnership with Kainga Ora - Homes and Communities to trial how capped bills benefit customers over winter was also launched. SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS INTERGREATING THE RETAIL BUSINESS Significant progress was made to bring together Trustpower and Mercury employees, customers, brands, processes and systems during the year. All Trustpower customers were welcomed onto the Mercury brand in June, which included a refreshed technology platform, bill, website and app. We are firmly focussed on the successful migration of all our customers to a single technology stack. This is a major programme of work, and managing customer experience through this process is front of mind, said Mr Hawksworth. Completion of integration is key to unlocking benefits of the acquisition and were on track to deliver the cost synergies forecast when we announced the Trustpower retail acquisition. DELIVERING ON QUALITY RENEWABLES PIPELINE Mr Hawksworth said the company celebrated several key milestones during the year as the business continued to grow its wind generation portfolio. Full operation of Turitea South wind farm commenced in July 2023 with total project cost confirmed at $450 million (excluding capitalised interest). The $115 million, 43 MW Kaiwera Downs 1 wind farm is also nearing completion and remains on track to be operational by October 2023, with first power targeted for early September. We are actively considering our next projects as we continue to move at pace to bring more renewables online for the country, said Mr Hawksworth. Consent has been granted for the expansion of an additional generating unit at the Nga Tamariki geothermal station, and design and procurement is now underway prior to Final Investment Decision. Kaiwera Downs 2 and Kaiwaikawe wind farms are also both nearing Final Investment Decision development stages. Simultaneously, we continued our 20-plus year, half billion-dollar hydro refurbishment programme, to ensure the vital hydro assets in the Waikato are able to operate for another century, said Mr Hawksworth. OTHER OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS Developed Mercurys first Climate Transition Action Plan including emissions reduction targets, using tools provided by the Science-Based Targets Initiative. Cross-sector collaboration including commissioning an independent report by the Boston Consulting Group to provide a system-wide perspective on New Zealands low-carbon transition. Sales to commercial and industrial customers (physical and financial) lifting to 3,592 GWh, including a significant long-term agreement with Amazon to purchase approximately half the real-time output from the southern section of the Turitea wind farm. Progress on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives including the launch of more inclusive leave policies and the extension of the Diverse Emerging Leaders programme. Launch of a comprehensive health, safety and wellbeing policy towards a more holistic approach to safety and wellbeing. Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) was 0.49 for FY23 (down from 0.60 in 2022). DIVIDEND Ms Flacks announced the Board had declared a final dividend of 13.1 cents per share (cps) to be paid on 29 September 2023. This brings the full-year ordinary dividend to 21.8 cps, up 9% (20.0 cps FY22). This is the 15th consecutive year of ordinary dividend growth. Shareholders can further support growth by participating in Mercurys Dividend Reinvestment Plan, which has been extended. Shares for the FY2023 final dividend will be offered at a discount of 2.0% to the market price, calculated in accordance with the Dividend Reinvestment Plan Offer dated 22 February 2022. GUIDANCE Mercury is largely on track to meet or in some cases exceed its three-year objectives, two years in. Mercurys FY24 EBITDAF guidance has been set at $835 million. Guidance may change and remains subject to any material events, significant one-off expenses or other unforeseen circumstances including changes to hydrological conditions. FY24 stay-in-business capex guidance is $160 million, and FY24 ordinary dividend guidance is 23.3 cps representing a 6.9% increase on FY23 and the 16th consecutive year of ordinary dividend increases. 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"[...] On the night of 14-15 August, a local municipal representative, his wife and child were shot and killed in their house in the Decayette neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince by alleged gang members. The man was apparently targeted in retaliation for his reported support for a local self-defence group set up to confront the gangs. Hours earlier, on 14 August, five men and two women from the same family were burned alive when their home in the Carrefour-Feuilles neighbourhood was set on fire by the Grand Ravine gang. They were also reportedly targeted because of their support for a self-defence group. These neighbourhoods, as well as the Savanne Pistache neighbourhood, had been targeted by the Grand Ravine gang since 25 July. The violence intensified between 11 and 15 August, with gang members killing or injuring some 28 people, and looting or setting on fire at least 50 homes. Two police officers associated with the self-defence groups were also killed. Specialised police units were eventually deployed on 15 August and forced the gang out of the immediate area. However, the situation remains extremely insecure as the police subsequently withdrew and gang members are still operating in surrounding areas. Between 1 January and 15 August this year, at least 2,439 people have been killed and a further 902 injured. In addition, 951 people have been kidnapped. In response to the ongoing gang violence and pervasive insecurity, there has been a rise in 'popular justice' movements or self-defence groups, also leading to violence. Since 24 April up to mid-August, more than 350 people have been lynched by local people and vigilante groups. Those killed have included 310 alleged gang members, 46 members of the public and a police officer. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who visited Haiti in February this year, calls for urgent action to be taken on the UN Secretary-Generals appeal for a non-United Nations multinational force to support the Haitian police in addressing the grave security situation and restoring the rule of law, in strict compliance with international human rights norms and standards. The human rights of the Haitian people must be protected and their suffering alleviated." HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Storm : Haiti on yellow alert The General Directorate of Civil Protection, the Hydro-Meteorological Unit of Haiti (UHM) in concert with the Permanent Secretariat for Disaster Risk Management, has decided to put Haiti on Yellow Alert due to the passage of Tropical Storm Franklin overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. 13.5 people killed every day Violence in Haiti : 1,615 dead in 2021, 2,183 in 2022 and already 2,439 from January to July 2023 without counting the carnage of Carrefour Feuilles. Liancourt : 21 people kidnapped in 24 hours Friday, August 18, in Liancourt (Artibonite Dept.) heavily armed men from the "Gran grif" gang kidnapped 21 people on the same day. During this day, members of the population killed at least 4 members of the gang. The Kenyan delegation has arrived in Haiti A Kenyan delegation, made up of about twenty officers arrived this Sunday, August 20, 2023 in Port-au-Prince aboard a regular American Airlines flight to begin a mission to assess the situation of insecurity on the ground and determine the means necessary for the deployment of a non-UN intervention force after approval by the UN Security Council. PNH : Important strategic meeting Last week, the Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry, held an important meeting at the General Directorate of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) with the Commander a.i. of the PNH, Frantz Elbe who was accompanied by members of the High Commander. Several important and strategic points were discussed during this meeting. Cap-Haitien : New drinking water project In the presence of the authorities and the National Office for Migration (ONM), the International Organization for Migration (IOM - Haiti) and the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA), launched a project in Balan (Cap Haitien), to supply drinking water to Carrefour Titoit. An initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID-Haiti) which will benefit approximately 400 families. HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Subscribe to our daily NewsLetter Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password or receive our NewsLetter. Stay logged in Lost password Contact Published on 2023/08/20 Traveling Between 1998 and 2023, A Tender Time Travel Romance Begins Advertisement "A Time Called You" unravels a captivating tale of a mysterious romance, centering around Joon-hee, the protagonist who is grappling with the loss of her boyfriend a year ago. Transported back to 1998, she encounters Si-heon, an individual bearing an uncanny resemblance to her late love, and his friend In-gyoo. The series is set to make its debut on September 8, accompanied by an intriguing teaser poster and trailer. While capturing the unforgettable, beautiful moment of the late love, the teaser poster piques the viewers' interest as the two characters' gazes subtly diverge. Above these two figures read the taglines: "The moment I see you, I'll know" and "I'll come and see you". The taglines drive the audience to wonder if they are in the same timeline or if they are looking for each other from different temporal spaces. The trailer, unveiled alongside the teaser poster, marks the beginning of the time-slip romance. Joon-hee (Jeon Yeo-been), missing her late boyfriend (Ahn Hyo-seop) who tragically passed away, plays a mysterious cassette tape that transports her to 1998. Waking up to find Si-heon who looks exactly like Yeon-joon, Joon-hee's desperate wish to see him one last time had somewhat come true. All the while, the teaser offers a glimpse into the budding romance surrounding an enthralling love triangle as well as some mystery. As the release date of "A Time Called You" approaches, the three stars of the time-slip romance urged the audience to stay tuned and look forward to the series. "We all loved the script and enjoyed filming it. I'm sure you will find it just as captivating", said Ahn Hyo-seop, expressing his confidence about the series. "We will soon bring a very endearing and wonderful series that will be worth the wait, so please stay tuned", said Jeon Yeo-been. Kang Hoon also shared his love for the series, saying, "From spring to winter, we worked very hard and had a great time filming this series. Your love for "A Time Called You", Jeong In-gyoo, and me as an actor would mean the world to me". A tender time-slip romance of people living across the different timelines of 1998 and 2023, "A Time Called You" will be released exclusively on Netflix. ___________ ""A Time Called You"" is directed by Kim Jin-won-I, written by Choi Hyo-bi, and features Ahn Hyo-seop, Jeon Yeo-been, Kang Hoon, Kim Yi-kyeong, Im Tae-poong, Lee Min-goo. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2023/09/08~Upcoming, Fri on Netflix. Published on 2023/08/20 Netflix's very first Korean-language animated film will be the love story "Lost in Starlight", starring the voices of K-drama powerhouses Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung. Advertisement Most recently seen in talk-of-the-town K-horror series "Revenant", the two have already proven they have an uncanny chemistry. In "Lost in Starlight", they lend their voices to the roles of astronaut Nan-yeong and musician Jay, who embark on the longest-ever long-distance relationship - one that bridges Earth and Mars. After proving her acting caliber in diverse genres like "Space Sweepers", "Twenty Five Twenty One", "Alienoid" and more, Kim makes her first foray into voice-acting as scientist Nan-yeong, whose astronaut mom failed to return to Earth when things went awry during her Mars probe. Nan-yeong has always dreamed of exploring space too, and longs to go to Mars in hopes of finding a trace of her mom. Her dream comes true when she is selected as one of the astronauts for a Mars probe project. Before she blasts off though, she meets Jay, a musician who also fixes retro sound instruments. (It's all thanks to an old turntable that Nan-yeong inherited from her mom.) Jay is portrayed by Hong, an up-and-comer beloved for works like "Innocence", "D.P", and "Weak Hero Class 1". Expectations are high as the two actors participated in the pre-recording and live-action processes, to express the emotions of their characters in richer and deeper ways. Their interpretations of Nan-yeong and Jay thus deeply influenced the animation process and will make for a heartfelt and nuanced love story. Writer-director Han Ji-won-I arrived on the Korean animation scene with the debut of her short film "Kopi Luwak", and has expanded her distinctively delicate style with works like "Clearer Than You Think", "The Summer". She was recently invited to the Sundance Film Festival to show her short film "The Sea on the Day When the Magic Returns". In "Lost in Starlight", Han will use her talents to tell a story of star-crossed love that unfolds against the breathtaking expanse of space. Climax Studio which has showcased K-content globally with Netflix series like "Hellbound", "D.P" and "Jung E" is behind the production of "Lost in Starlight". This animated film is set to entrance fans with the heart-fluttering romance between two young lovers whose yearning for each other must bridge Earth and outer space. Can this long-distance relationship go the distance? Find out when the film premieres exclusively on Netflix. Information Title: "Lost in Starlight" Directed by: Han Ji-won-I Written by: Han Ji-won-I, Kang Hyeon-joo Voice Cast: Kim Tae-ri, Hong Kyung and more Produced by: Climax Studio Distributed by: Netflix by Kazi Anwarul Masud CHINA DURING THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WARS It is generally believed that the assassination of Arch-Duke Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire ignited the First World War. Narratives on the Causes of the War differ. WIKIPEDIAS narrative on the identification of the causes of World War I remains a debated issue. It claims that World War I began in the Balkans on July 28, 1914, and hostilities ended on November 11, 1918. Moreover, the Russian Civil War can in many ways be considered a continuation of World War I, as can various other conflicts in the direct aftermath of 1918. Scholars looking at the long term seek to explain why two rival sets of powers (the German Empire and Austria-Hungary against the Russian Empire, France, the British Empire, and later the United States) came into conflict by 1915. World War Two: Venus the bulldog, the mascot of the destroyer HMS Vansittart. [ Photo: rarehistoricalphotos.com] They look at such factors as political, territorial, and economic competition; militarism, a complex web of alliances and alignments; imperialism, the growth of nationalism; and the power vacuum created by the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Other important long-term or structural factors that are often studied include unresolved territorial disputes, the perceived breakdown of the European balance of power, convoluted and fragmented governance, arms race, and security dilemmas, among other factors. Scholars seeking short-term analysis focus on the summer of 1914 and ask whether the conflict could have been stopped, or instead, whether deeper causes made it inevitable. The assassination referred to earlier escalated as the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was joined by their allies Russia, Germany, France, and ultimately Belgium and the United Kingdom. Other factors that came into play during the diplomatic crisis leading up to the war included misperceptions of intent (such as the German belief that Britain would remain neutral), the fatalistic belief that war was inevitable, and the speed with which the crisis escalated, partly due to delays and misunderstandings in diplomatic communications. The crisis followed a series of diplomatic clashes among the Great Powers (Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, and Russia) over European and colonial issues in the decades before 1914 that had left tensions high. And the cause of the public clashes can be traced to changes in the balance of power in Europe that had been taking place since 1867. Consensus on the origins of the war remains elusive since historians disagree on key factors and place differing emphasis on a variety of factors. That is compounded by as classified historical archives become available, and as the perspectives and ideologies of historians have changed. The deepest division among historians is between those who see Germany and Austria-Hungary as having driven events and those who focus on power dynamics among a wider set of actors and circumstances. Secondary fault lines exist between those who believe that Germany deliberately planned a European war, those who believe that the war was largely unplanned but was still caused principally by Germany and Austria-Hungary taking risks, and those who believe that some or all of the other powers (Russia, France, Serbia, United Kingdom) played a more significant role in causing the war than has been traditionally suggested. Another narrative points to Kaiser Wilhelm II, role in causing the War. Because mighty Russia supported Serbia, Austria-Hungary waited to declare war until its leaders received assurance from German leader Kaiser Wilhelm II that Germany would support their cause. Austro-Hungarian leaders feared that a Russian intervention would involve Russias ally, France, and possibly Great Britain as well. On July 5, Kaiser Wilhelm secretly pledged his support, giving Austria-Hungary a so-called carte blanche, or blank check assurance of Germanys backing in the case of war. The Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary then sent an ultimatum to Serbia, with such harsh terms as to make it almost impossible to accept. Convinced that Austria-Hungary was readying for war, the Serbian government ordered the Serbian army to mobilize and appealed to Russia for assistance. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europes great powers quickly collapsed. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun. The causes of the Second World War are neither singular nor straightforward. This section will explore the primary causes which led to the outbreak of war in 1939. Germanys aggressive foreign policy was not the sole cause of the Second World War, but it was a large contributing factor. From 1935 onwards, Germany had actively pursued an aggressive foreign policy: reintroducing conscription and occupying Austria, the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia before eventually invading Poland in 1939. By breaking international agreements set out in the Treaty of Versailles and pursuing aggressive expansionism, Germanys actions made a major European war more likely. In the aftermath of the First World War and following the end of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles was agreed. Whilst a temporary economic recovery appeared between 1924-1929, Germany remained politically and economically fragile. The political instability from 1929-1933 led to disillusionment with politics and a rise in support for extremist parties such as the Nazis. The Treaty of Versailles also reduced the size of Germany. This had numerous outcomes, among them losing key economic outputs, as well as making people who had previously been German part of other countries. The change in the eastern borders of Germany in particular became a source of contention, and as a result, many people within Germany felt that the treaty was unfair. This again led to discontent and was exploited by extremist parties such as the Nazis who rejected of the treaty. WEAKNESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM AND POLICY OF APPEASEMENT The weakness of the International System and the Policy of appeasement became apparent. Whilst Germanys foreign policy played a decisive role in the outbreak of the Second World War, the failure of other countries to react, or their inability to react, was also key. The aftermath of the First World War also left France and Britain in politically and economically weak situations. This meant that they were often unwilling or unable to respond effectively to German aggression. Britain in particular felt that the Treaty of Versailles, and its effects on Germany, were harsh. Following the devastation of the First World War, Britain was desperate to avoid another world war. As a result of this followed a policy of appeasement towards Hitlers aggressive foreign policy from 1933-1939. This policy boosted Hitlers confidence and as a result, his actions became progressively bolder. Outside of mainland Europe, the USA and the Soviet Union also played key roles in the outbreak of the Second World War. In the lead-up to 1939, both countries followed increasingly isolationist policies, keeping themselves out of international foreign affairs where possible. The USA had not joined the League of Nations and had passed several Neutrality Acts in 1938 which avoided financial and political war-related deals. As a major power, the USAs reluctance to involve itself in other countries affairs helped to embolden Hitler and the Nazis. This contributed to the rise of Nazism in Europe, and its confidence to carry out its aggressive foreign policy without fear of retaliation from the USA. In addition to this, following the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939 , the Soviets ceased to be an immediate threat to the Nazis. This allowed them to start the war for Lebensraum with Soviet support. When combined, these factors reduced the chances of an effective challenge to Nazi Germany preceding the Second World War. It meant that Hitler was able to get progressively more confident without fear of retaliation or serious action from other powers. Creation of the Axis Powers Throughout the 1930s, new alliances were forged across Europe. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) helped to unite Italy and Germany, who both offered military support to the nationalist rebels attacking the democratic government. Prior to this, Italy and Germany had not been militarily aligned, and Italy had blocked Germanys plans to annex Austria in 1934. Following the Spanish Civil War, however, relations between the two countries improved. In October 1936, the Rome-Berlin Treaty between Italy and Germany was signed. The following month in November 1936, an anti-communist treaty, the Anti-Comintern Pact, was signed between Japan and Germany. In 1937, Italy joined this pact. The three countries formalized these pacts into a military alliance in 1940. The countries that were part of this alliance became known as the Axis Powers. When coupled with Germanys aggressive foreign policy, the creation of an alternative military alliance to the Allies, intensified the volatile situation. The Failure of the Allied Powers in the Summer of 1939 the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were ideological enemies. Despite this, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany entered into a non-aggression pact in the summer of 1939, which allowed them to invade and occupy parts of Poland. This pact suited both countries territorial aims. This situation, however, was not inevitable. In 1939, the Soviet Union was initially engaged in talks with the Allies over a defensive strategy for Poland. When these talks broke down, the Soviet Union turned back towards Germany, quickly agreeing on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Ultimately, the Allies failed to make a concerted effort to work together to prevent Hitlers attack on Poland. This failure was a contributing factor in the outbreak of the Second World War. The War ended with the victory of the Allied powers in 1945 with US President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin busy with the division of defeated Germany and the trial of Nuremberg. CHINA AT THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR The end of the Second World War saw China, now US President Joe Bidens enemy number one, effectively divided into three regionsNationalist China under control of the Ching Kai Sheksgovernment, Communist China, and the areas occupied by Japan. Each was essentially pitted against the other two, although Chinese military forces were ostensibly allied under the banner of the United Front. By the time Japan accepted the surrender terms on August 14, 1945, China had endured decades of Japanese occupation and eight years of brutal warfare. The end of World War II did not mark the end of the conflict in China, however. Japans defeat set off a race between the Nationalists and Communists to control population centers in northern China and Manchuria. Nationalist troops, using the transportation facilities of the U.S. military, were able to take over key cities and most railway lines in East and North China. Communist troops occupied much of the hinterland in the north and in Manchuria. The United Front had always been precarious, and it had been tacitly understood by both the Nationalists and Communists that they would cooperate only until Japan had been defeated; until then, neither side could afford to seem to pursue internal aims at the cost of the national struggle. IMF HOPEFUL OF CHINA AND INDIA TO PROMOTE GLOBAL GROWTH China has travelled many miles since then by becoming the second richest country in the world. IMF is hopeful that China and India will help global growth in the coming years. In its latest chart, IMF has predicted that in the region will contribute about 70 percent of global growth this yeara much greater share than in recent years. IMFS latest Regional Economic Outlook describes the resilience of the worlds most dynamic region and the important challenges facing its policymakers. In recent times, China has faced challenges due to Xi Jinpings struggle to shift the economy from being export-driven to consumption-oriented. People are increasingly inclined to save their money in banks rather than investing in real estate, which has become problematic. Additionally, a lack of employment opportunities for educated individuals has led to the emergence of a frustrated segment of the population. It remains uncertain whether Xi Jinping will attempt to bolster his popular support by pursuing actions such as an invasion of Taiwan. Kazi Anwarul Masud is a retired Bangladeshi diplomat. During his tenure, he worked in several countries as the ambassador of Bangladesh including Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Germany (HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that it filed an emergency action and obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freezes to stop an offering fraud allegedly perpetrated by Florida company PreIPO Corp., Boca Raton resident and serial recidivist, John A. Mattera, and West Palm Beach resident David P. Grzan. As alleged in the SECs complaint, which was filed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, from at least March 2022 and continuing through the present, PreIPO, through Mattera and Grzan, raised at least $4.2 million from investors. PreIPO, Mattera, and Grzan told investors in the offering that their money would be used to develop an online platform that offers access to shares in private companies before their initial public offerings. Contrary to the defendants statements to investors, the complaint alleges that only a small portion of the offering proceeds was used to fund PreIPOs online platform. Instead, PreIPO made undisclosed payments totaling about $1.7 million to Mattera, Grzan, and other officers of the company out of investor funds. In addition, according to the complaint, PreIPO, Mattera, and Grzan made material misrepresentations and omissions to investors regarding PreIPOs management in order to conceal Matteras involvement in and control over the company. The SECs complaint, filed on August 14, 2023, and unsealed today, charges the defendants with violating the antifraud and securities registration provisions of the federal securities laws. Specifically, the complaint alleges that PreIPO, Mattera, and Grzan violated Sections 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a) of the Securities Act, and Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5, and that Mattera is also liable as a control person for PreIPOs violations of Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5. In addition to the emergency relief granted by the court, the complaint seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties against all of the defendants, and officer and directors bars against Mattera and Grzan. The SECs complaint also names Boss Global Advisory Group Inc., a company controlled by Mattera, as a relief defendant, seeking disgorgement plus prejudgment interest. Helsingin Sanomat on Sunday reported that the price will surge to up to 68 cents per kilowatt-hour during the peak demand hours of 9am and 7pm as a result of three overlapping disruptions: limitations to electricity transmission capacity between Finland and Sweden, the suspension of electricity production at Olkiluoto 2 and the annual maintenance of Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant. DISRUPTIONS in Finnish electricity production and transmission capacity are having a significant impact on spot electricity prices. Moreover, winds are forecast to be weak. There is a stark difference to the beginning of the month. The newspaper pointed out that the average tax-free price of electricity was roughly 1.3 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first nine days of August. Jukka Leskela, the managing director of Finnish Energy, stated to YLE on Sunday that the situation will be one of the worst on Monday. Id rather not and really cant make any predictions about the prices, but this week will definitely be pretty tough unless the winds pick up, he commented. The most surprising of the disruptions is the shutdown of the second reactor at Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant, which is operated by Teollisuuden Voima (TVO). TVO on Friday announced the reactor was shut down in the early hours of the day due to an increase in humidity in the water-cooled generator on the turbine island. The cause has been identified as a leak in the generators cooling system. The plant operator estimated that the 900-megawatt reactor is expected to resume electricity production on 28 August. Leskela on Sunday told YLE that the historically high prices are unlikely to have a major impact on household and public costs. Luckily we know the reasons for the situation and know that its temporary. The period of very high prices will hopefully be very short-lived and, when prices fluctuate so much within a single day, many customers will surely have the opportunity to avoid the highest prices or at least reduce consumption, he gauged. Transmission capacity between Finland and Sweden is limited due to maintenance. While the 400-megawatt southern connection is expected to be restored at 6pm on Monday, the 1,000-megawatt northern connection will remain unavailable until 17 September, Pekka Salomaa, the director of electricity markets at Finnish Energy, stated to Helsingin Sanomat. Aleksi Teivainen HT Although the section on immigration lays out direct spending cuts worth around 250 million euros, including halving the refugee quota and adopting stricter criteria for residence permits, the largest savings related to immigration are expected to arise from introducing a language requirement to the labour market subsidy. THE SINGLE LARGEST immigration-related spending cut in the government programme is not found under immigration but under social security, reports YLE. While the government programme does not cast light on the details of the proposal, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has outlined how the proposal could be implemented in a memo, according to the public broadcaster: the government would first cut the labour market subsidy for all recipients and then introduce a supplement for recipients who have either demonstrated intermediate proficiency (B1) in Finnish or Swedish, or completed basic education in Finland. The idea is specifically that knowing the local language, be it Finnish or Swedish, helps you considerably to integrate and improve your employment opportunities in Finland, Minister of Employment Arto Satonen (NCP) explained to YLE on Saturday. He viewed that the government will have to mull over ways to offer more language instruction in pursuing the proposal. The proposal found its way into the government programme at the initiative of the Christian Democrats. The public broadcasting company wrote that the language criterion is expected to generate cost savings of 100 million euros during the electoral term and have a positive annual employment impact worth 32 million euros. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health stated in its memo that it is impossible to come up with an exact estimate of the cost effects of the proposal due to insufficient understanding of the language skills of labour market subsidy recipients. It nonetheless estimated based on a questionnaire about language skills distributed to immigrants that the proposal could reduce spending on labour market subsidy by 26 million euros a year. The subsidy, it gauged, could be tens of euros lower for recipients without the requisite language skills, at less than 700 euros. Whether the proposal can be carried out remains uncertain, however, due to constitutional challenges: the constitution prohibits discrimination based on language. According to the constitution, placing anyone in an unequal position without acceptable grounds based on factors such as age, language, origin or other personal reasons is prohibited. The government would have to present acceptable grounds for placing people in an unequal position, Maija Dahlberg, an assistant professor of public law at the University of Eastern Finland, said to YLE. She added that although the language requirement would principally apply to all labour market subsidy recipients regardless of their nationality, its actual effects would be what determine whether or not it is discriminatory. The prohibition on discrimination also applies to these kinds of measures, indirect discrimination, said Dahlberg. The Finnish public broadcasting company highlighted that the cost effects of the proposal are uncertain because it may have to be revised to apply to a smaller group of subsidy recipients in order to guarantee basic rights. Organising the language tests would similarly cause costs that were not accounted for in the memo drafted at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Experts on Saturday stated to YLE that overall the government programme reflects negative attitudes toward immigration and immigrants. There are very few remarks about immigration being somehow a positive thing. Immigration and immigrants cause a lot of problems, summed up Pasi Saukkonen, a senior researcher at the City of Helsinki. I think the major thread is a certain kind of distrust toward immigrants. Youre trying to encourage integration primarily through sanctions and threats, analysed Rolle Alho, a senior researcher at E2 Research. Aleksi Teivainen HT Five months ago, U.S. Army units began receiving the AMPV (Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle). This was prompted, in part, by so many, over 300 so far, M-113 armored vehicles, the AMPVs predecessor, being sent to Ukraine. The M-113s were welcome in Ukraine, where they protected Ukrainian troops, and casualties being moved to the rear, from random gun fire and shell fragments while moving around the combat zone. The army will obtain about 3,000 AMPV vehicles over the next two decades. Most AMPVs will replace elderly M-113 vehicles. Three years ago, the U.S. Army began receiving the first AMPVs, a long-sought replacement for the very popular 65-year-old M-113 design (80,000 built). The army officially began looking for an M-113 replacement in 2013 and by 2014 selected the vehicle submitted by BAE Systems. This candidate was based on the BAE M-2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle). The AMPV costs nearly $4 million each and has protection similar to the M-2 and even greater off-road mobility. AMPV pre-production prototypes were available for troop testing in 2018 and production of the first 551 of 2,907 AMPV was to begin at the end of 2018. There were delays getting the production line going and in early 2020 covid19 came along. Meanwhile the army was having budget problems and reduced AMPV spending. It will take longer to produce the 2,907 AMPVs needed. For example, full production didnt start until 2022, two years later than planned. In other words, all the AMPVs may not be produced in large quantities until the end of the decade. The 34 to 37-ton AMPV comes in several different variants and that accounts for the variable weight. Top speed is 60 kilometers an hour and range on internal fuel is 360 kilometers 0n flat ground or roads at cruising speed of 48 kilometers an hour. Crew varies from two to four depending on purpose. The basic AMPV has a crew of two and six passengers. AMPV can carry supplies using the flat-bed, no roof version. Medical variants have a roof and can carry four wounded troops on litters or six sitting. There is also a medical treatment variant that carries several medical specialists, a treatment table, additional medical equipment and space for one litter. The medical variant can also be used as a command center, mainly because the AMPV provides a lot more electrical power than the M-113. The command variant is meant to provide a mobile command center for a battalion or brigade headquarters. There is also a weapons carrier version that currently consists only of a mortar carrier that is armed with a 120mm mortar and 69 rounds of ammo. Other weapons systems will eventually be installed. Most AMPVs are armed with a 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine-gun. Israel, South Korea and the United States were all actively seeking a suitable replacement for the thousands of M113 APCs (armored personnel carriers) each used. All three nations still use lots of M113s. About 10,000 M113s are still in use worldwide and the U.S., South Korea and Israel account for more than half of them. Everyone wanted a more effective but still affordable replacement. The U.S. settled on a support version of the M2 IFV. South Korea developed the K21 to replace the M113 in combat and the 16-ton 6x6 K806 to replace the M113 for non-IFV functions. A larger version of this vehicle, the 8x8 K808 is similar to the American Stryker. The U.S. considered a Stryker variant as a M-113 replacement but found that this vehicle could not keep up with M1 tanks and M2 IFV while traveling cross-country in a combat situation. Since AMPVs will comprise about 30 percent of the armored vehicles in an armored brigade that became the deciding factor for the AMPV. In 2016 Israel selected the Eitan, an 8x8 wheeled APC. Eitan relies on new technologies to keep its weight under 35 tons and eliminate the cost to build and maintain tracked vehicle technology. Eitan also provides an affordable, well protected and more reliable APC than heavier and more expensive proposals. The Eitan used new types of lightweight armor and the Trophy APS (Active Protection System) for defense against RPGs (an unguided rocket propelled grenade fired from a metal tube balanced on the shoulder) and ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missile). New mechanical and electronic technologies enable the Eitan to handle off-road movement as well as a tracked vehicle. That concept had to be field tested extensively, which is why Israel first built Eitan prototypes to test mobility, protection and general usefulness. Eitan passed those tests. The new lightweight armor designs and Trophy have already been tested in combat. Trophy was first used in combat during 2011 and several times since. It has worked consistently. APS consists of a radar to detect incoming missiles and small rockets to rush out and deal with the incoming threat. A complete system weighs about a ton. Eitan will have a remotely (from inside the vehicle) controlled 30mm or 40mm autocannon and carry a crew of two and twelve passengers. The Eitan will mainly replace Israeli M113s by the end of the 2020s and cost about 20 percent less than the AMPV. The M113 was a hard act to follow. This boxy armed vehicle entered service in 1960, served effectively during the Vietnam War, and was the main American APC throughout most of the Cold War. At 13 tons, although often closer to 15 tons with added armor and other accessories, the M113 is lighter than the M2 and Stryker that replaced it in the combat role. The major shortcoming of the M113 is the time and expense of keeping elderly ones running. Thats because it runs on tracks, like a bulldozer. That means it has a max speed of only 65 kilometers an hour compared to at least 100 for wheeled armored vehicles. Those tracks wear out quickly and have to be replaced at great expense (over $10,000 a set) every 6,000 kilometers or less. Traveling on roads wears out the tracks faster. The tracks also limit how much weight you can add. However, the M-113 proved to be a very flexible platform, lending itself to modifications by many of the dozens of armed forces that still use it. Some countries have added turrets, mounting 25mm cannon. Israel, however, wanted more protection for the urban fighting its reserve troops (who rely on the M113) often encounter. By the 1990s an updated M-113 cost less than $2 million each. This late model M-113 had much better armor protection and reliability but was still inferior to the M-2 that replaced it as an infantry combat vehicle. The M2 Bradley is a 27-ton armored vehicle that proved to be an excellent, combat-proven vehicle worth keeping around for a while. Over 4,000 M-2s were built, plus about 2,300 similar M-3s, a recon version with more gear and fewer passengers. The M2 has a turret armed with a 25mm autocannon and two TOW ATGMs. The M-2 eventually cost about $5.7 million each and weight increased to 30 tons as more protection and other equipment was added. The new South Korean, Israel and American M113 replacements are also competing for the large export market for a good M113 replacement. Which vehicle wins that competition remains to be seen. McCarty wins DeJoy-Wos Family Foundation Scholarship Maxwell McCarty, a Mills River native studying at UNC at Chapel Hill, has been chosen for the prestigious DeJoy-Wos Family Foundation Scholarship. Through the scholarship, funded by Louis DeJoy and Dr. Aldona Wos, McCarty received tuition and housing to attend educational and professional programs hosted by The Fund for American Studies (TFAS). He also spent the summer in Washington, D.C., taking college courses through George Mason University, attending a variety of educational and interactive lectures by national leaders and completing a professional internship with the Potomac Institute. Louis DeJoy, a North Carolina business leader and current U.S. Postmaster General, his wife and former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia Dr. Aldona Wos, and The Fund for American Studies recently announced the 2023 recipients of the DeJoy-Wos Family Foundation Scholarship. TFAS is grateful for the continued generosity of Louis DeJoy, Dr. Aldona Wos, and the DeJoy-Wos Family Foundation, said Roger Ream, TFAS president. Their support is a testament to how vital these programs are. We greatly appreciate their incredible commitment to TFASs educational mission. DeJoy currently serves as the 75th U.S. Postmaster General, a role he was appointed to in May 2020 by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service. Formerly, he was the chairman and chief executive officer of New Breed Logistics. Dr. Wos served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia from 2004 to 2006 and as head of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services from 2013 to 2015. Wos also served as vice chair of the Presidents Commission on White House Fellowships, one of the nations most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. She is currently the president of the Institute of World Politics. A MAN has told how he sailed for three weeks in Antarctica without contact with the outside world. Keith Greenfield, 63, has returned home to Shiplake after what he called an incredible experience on board a traditional tall ship built in 1911. He was one of 31 paying sailors plus 19 permanent crew members on Europa, which is 50m long with three masts and is based at The Hague in the Netherlands. It belongs to Bark Europa, which organises different voyages. Mr Greenfield, who is chief executive of Wightlink Ferries and an experienced sailor, said: I particularly wanted to go to Antarctica because its totally wild and remote. Its one of the stormiest seas in the world, although the weather was kind to us. I wanted to challenge myself. There were amazing sights and the landscape was so ridged with extreme mountains, glaciers and icebergs it was like another planet. There was lots of wildlife to see as well and we spent lots of time exploring the peninsular. Mr Greenfield learned to sail with his father, who was a seaman, when he was a teenager and took it up again in his thirties. He has a boat in Portsmouth and regularly sails along the South Coast with his wife Sally and two children, whom he taught to sail when they were younger. He has also sailed across the Atlantic. Im more of a coastal sailor, said Mr Greenfield. Sailing across oceans is a different ball game but a friend did the Antarctica sail seven or eight years ago so he planted the seed in my head. I thought it sounded great, although not easy to do. He had been planning the trip before the covid pandemic but it was inevitably delayed and he says it was in fact a scramble for Europa to be ready in time for the summer in Antarctica, when it is our winter, having been out of action for three years. Mr Greenfield said: Out of the people who paid, there were probably three or four with previous sailing experience. There were a few who didnt have any but they were adventurous types. The crew teach you everything you need for the jobs youll be doing but three weeks on a sailing boat in rough seas is not everybodys thing. The ship set sail from Ushuaia, the capital of the Tierra del Fuego province on the southern tip of Argentina. Mr Greenfield, who arrived two days early after four flights to ensure he didnt miss the ship, said: I had a new set of base layers and really thick sweaters for the trip. I had to get the right boots and you need to have completely waterproof gear. I stayed in a little guest house in Ushuaia and there was a fabulous museum there. Then I joined the ship and my fellow crew members and we stayed one night in port to settle down and get the basic training like climbing the rigging. The next day, we were off. They went through the Beagle Channel to reach the Drake Passage, which connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean and the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. It took about five days to reach Antarctica. Mr Greenfield said: The first night was quite rough and quite a lot of people were seasick. Then it calmed down and it was a relatively calm passage for the rest of the trip there. We were lucky with the weather. There was a watch system where every four hours 10 of us were on watch. We had to steer the ship, look out or help the crew with the sails. There was a lot of pulling on ropes. Then wed have eight hours off and this system went all the way through the night so you could be working at any time. Since half the crew were seasick I wasnt as I was taking remedies the rest of us were working twice as hard for those first 24 hours. I had been asked to be watch leader so I had to organise the work. The visitors spent a week exploring the South Shetland Islands. Mr Greenfield said: As we approached, the mountains were very dramatic. They were really jagged and others were big snow-covered hills. We pulled into the bay and the next day we went ashore and started to meet wildlife. On Greenwich Island we met elephant seals, fur seals and gentoo penguins. There were gale force winds as the ship sailed to Deception Island, a natural harbour above an active volcano, with a narrow entrance. Mr Greenfield said: We went in through a break in the cliffs. It was very windy but the water wasnt too choppy. Then we had 50-plus knots, which is severe so it was too windy to anchor and we just had to go back and forth inside the volcano. It was a surreal experience. In the early evening, it was safe to go ashore. We had zodiac boats to reach the shore and explored an abandoned whaling station. We also found graves of people who used to live there. To think that people lived and died in such a remote place. Whaling was banned by the Sixties but it had all stopped [on the island] by the Forties. We came across lots of whale bones. The ship cruised around the mainland, stopping at various bays during which Mr Greenfield learned a lot about the local wildlife, environment and history. The colours of the ice were amazing, he said. Bodies of ice were formed over thousands of years, compressed and crushed, which generates different types of ice. When chunks break off from the glaciers you see the reflections from the different layers of ice which are contrasting colours because of the different densities. You can find out a lot from the glaciers. Every year theres a new layer of ice and when a volcano erupts, the ash is buried in the glacier so you can tell how long ago it erupted. We did some climbs up small mountains. It was quite icy so it was quite slow going. We saw some chinstrap penguins. We had signed an agreement about preserving the wildlife so we had to stay a minimum of 5m away and we had to disinfect and scrub our boots every time we went back to the ship or onshore to ensure we did not take any non-native seeds or diseases to other islands. They were particularly worried about bird flu, which was going round in South America. They take it extremely seriously. Moss was the only plant life there and it takes hundreds of years to grow. Its such a precious environment so theyre protective of it. We also saw quite a lot of humpback whales and minkes. The penguins were still nesting because theres not as much snow as there used to be and they dont realise its winter. It means a lot of the chicks wont survive because their fur coats wont fall off in time to reveal their waterproof coats. They spend winter feeding in the ocean. The penguins were comical walking around everywhere but did not seem to be achieving anything. You could watch them for hours. They swim in little groups, which is quite sweet. There were these tracks followed by all the penguins. They are a pinkish colour because of their poo. The group came across abandoned radio stations from the Forties and Fifties looking just as they did at the time with the old equipment. On Winter Island, Mr Greenfield saw Wordie House, a British scientific base named after James Wordie, chief scientist on Ernest Shackletons Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-17. On Goudier Island, he saw Port Lockroy, which was a whaling station before becoming the first permanent British base to be established on the Antarctic Peninsula. It closed in 1962 but in 2006 it became the worlds most southern post office and each summer, a team spends four months manning it. The current team is four British women who boarded the ship to talk about the work they do. The final stop was Andvord Bay where Mr Greenfield went for a dip in the harbour with some other members of the crew. It had to be done, he said. It was a very cold but sunny day and very calm so there was no wind chill. On the way back to Argentina, the sailors experienced more strong winds but it was blowing from behind so the ship became a day ahead of schedule which enabled an extra stop in Estancia Harberton in the Beagle Channel. On the other side of the channel was Cape Horn, which Mr Greenfield wasnt expecting to see because there are usually clouds and storms but it was a calm evening. Estancia Harberton is part of Ushuaia and has the Tierra del Fuego provinces first ever farm settlement, which was founded by Thomas Bridges, a British Anglican missionary. The fifth generation of his family still lives there. Mr Greenfield said: Its a really interesting place. To end their trip, the sailors had a final barbecue on board the ship. The food had been excellent throughout the trip. Mr Greenfield said: The cook, a Dutch guy, is the longest-serving member of the crew. He cooked with a woman and it was really healthy with lots of choices. They baked bread every night so it was fresh every morning. There were lots of salads. Mr Greenfield said he had made friends for life during their expedition. He said: There were crew members from their late twenties through to a couple in their seventies. About a third were female and about half were couples. There were eight guys on their own and a couple of women on their own. In the crew, it was about 50/50 male and female. They were from all over the world. There were five Brits, a few from the Netherlands, Germany and Austria, six Canadians and some from the States, Brazil and Australia. It was really nice and as a result of living and working with these people, were friends for life. Were all keeping in touch. Ive had lots of invites from other people and Ive invited people to visit us when theyre in England. The trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Mr Greenfield which has motivated him to explore other areas. He said: It has given me the appetite to go to North Greenland and Spitsbergen. I have friends who have been there. There are historic ships and big islands which have lots of wildlife and glaciers. The wildlife is different to Antarctica polar bears, for example. I wouldnt have to go to Argentina, Id go to Norway, which is a lot nearer. Ill hopefully get my wife to come with me. She likes wildlife she just didnt want to do the long sailing passages. Being without the internet or phone signal for three weeks made Mr Greenfield appreciate what he has. He said: Im happy to be home. The ship is small compared to home and youre constantly sharing with other people. There was only an emergency method of contact through a satellite phone. You could only send a short written message, like a telegram. You are really cut off, which felt scary. It makes you realise how life is so digital. Everything you do banking, bills to pay, people you keep in touch with means constant digital contact. But after a few days you get used to it and you forget about it you live in a bubble. I did think about home a bit. I only used the satellite once to send a birthday message to my wife. She was able to reply so at least I knew that nothing had gone badly wrong at home. Once you get to land, the phones just start pinging and you just think, Whats in store?. There were absolutely loads of emails where do you start? it was quite daunting. Over there, life was quite simple and you take every day as it comes eating, sailing and sleeping. Then all of a sudden, life gets a lot more complicated when you connect to the world again, which was a little bit scary. I decided not to look at emails for 24 hours and just talk to my wife on the phone just so she could tell me anything I should know. I then started to message people gradually. She had been away on a walking trip in Cyprus, where she was born, so when I got home it was nice to debrief on our adventures. On August 4th Ukraine launched an attack on Russian ships at the Russian naval base at Novorossiisk, which is east of Crimea and a major commercial port for oil exports as well as other goods. As naval bases in Crimea come under increasing attacks by Ukrainian missiles and unmanned attack boats, Russia moved most of its remaining warships and support ships to Novorossiisk. Now Ukraine is attacking Russian ships at Novorossiisk. using unmanned speed boats carrying up to half a ton of explosives. Most of these attack boats are intercepted and sunk but one of them got through and damaged the Ropucha-class LST (landing ship, tank) Olenegorsky Gornyak. The explosion caused the landing ship to take on water and tug boats were seen assisting the listing landing ship to a safer berth. Olenegorsky Gornyak was one of six landing ships from the Russian Baltic and Northern fleets that were sent to the Black Sea in 2022 to support Russian operations against Ukraine. Olenegorsky Gornyak was one of 28 Ropucha-class landing ships built for the Soviet Union navy in Poland between 1974 and 1991. Newly independent Ukraine inherited one of those Ropucha-class ships in 1991. Russia took that ship back in 2014 when they seized control of Crimea. The Russian Navy has about twenty LSTs and some of these were used in the Black Sea to move passengers, vehicles and cargo from Novorossiisk to Crimea because the Kerch Strait bridge was damaged and its ability to handle vehicle traffic limited. There are currently three classes of LST in service. The oldest are the three 4,600-ton Tapir-class LSTs that were built in the 1960s and 70s. The most recent are two 6,600-ton Ivan Gren-class ships that entered service in 2018 and 2020. These are supposed to replace the Ropucha-class ships but not enough money has been available to do that. The three Tapir-class LSTs will have to be retired by the end of the decade. The Ropucha-class ships will begin retiring in the 2030s. Unless there is money to build more Gren-class ships, most Russian LSTs will be retired by the end of the 2030s. This pattern is similar with nearly all classes of Russian warships. Only a few classes of submarines are exempt. The Russian surface fleet is fading into retirement and eventually most Russian naval power will consist of submarines. Russian warships in the Black Sea are the only ones currently engaged in combat, if only because Russia is trying to use these warships to block grain exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea. Russia was once the major naval power in the Black Sea, but since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 most nations bordering the Black Sea have joined NATO. Turkey, which controls the only entrance to the Black Sea, was already a NATO member and Ukrainian efforts to join NATO were one of the reasons for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Unless Russia wins in Ukraine, the Black Sea will become a NATO controlled sea, similar to what has happened in the Baltic Sea. That leaves Russian warships dependent on bases in the north, near the land border with Norway, and in the Far East, near Japanese and South Korean naval bases. The Japanese and South Korean fleets are far larger than the Russian Far East fleet. This is a post-Cold War development. Before the 1990s, the South Korea fleet was largely non-existent and the Japanese fleet tiny and purely defensive. Chinese naval power began to emerge by the late 1990s but took another decade to become a significant force. Then as now the American West Pacific fleet was a major naval power in the region. On August 18 and 19, 2023, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra joined health ministers from across the world in Gandhinagar, India, to participate in the G20 Health Ministers' Meeting to discuss global health issues. During the G20 Health Ministers' Meeting, Secretary Becerra shared with other G20 health ministers and representatives of invited countries and international organizations the United States Government's perspective on several topics, including strengthening global health security and pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR), enhancing cooperation to increase access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, and advancing digital health innovation to improve health care access and delivery. Secretary Becerra also participated in bilateral meetings with Australia, Brazil, India, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to discuss opportunities for enhancing health cooperation. In addition to participating in the Health Ministers' Meeting and bilateral meetings, Secretary Becerra held a media availability with local, regional, and state-wide Indian press where he reiterated that India is one of America's indispensable partners and that the U.S. and India partnership brings health benefits to the region and the world. HHS Office of Global Affairs (OGA) Assistant Secretary Loyce Pace will assume the role of head of the delegation and will continue to represent the United States in G20 and health-related bilateral engagements in India this week. Sometimes in the 1950s, the French philosopher Roland Barthes, waiting in a barbershop in Paris, picked up a copy of the magazine Paris-Match. On the cover was a young black man in a French uniform, his eyes uplifted, frozen in a salute at what seemed to be the Tricolour, the national flag. The philosopher saw what the image was trying to say: that France is a great Empire, that all her sons, without any colour discrimination, faithfully serve under her flag, and that there is no better answer to the detractors of an alleged colonialism than the zeal shown by this Negro in serving his so-called oppressors. PREMIUM Cars burn after a march for Nahel on Thursday, June 29, 2023 in Nanterre, outside Paris. The killing of 17-year-old Nahel during a traffic check on Tuesday, captured on video, shocked the country and stirred up long-simmering tensions between young people and police in housing projects and other disadvantaged neighbourhoods in France. After more than 3,400 arrests and signs that the violence is now abating, France is once again facing a reckoning. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File) French philosopher Roland Barthes (Le Salon de la Mappemonde/Flickr) That is how, Barthes goes on to say in his book Mythologies, how myths work. His take on myth is very different from what we might readily assume in India the stories, legends, and wisdoms handed down from past generations through oral and scriptural memory. For the French philosopher, myth causes history to evaporate and naturalize certain symbols. There might be some of that in Brahminical Hindu myths too, as caste-oppressed intellectuals such as Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd have pointed out, but thats a different discussion. Barthes focus is very much on the myths created by modernity. There is much history behind the reality of the black soldier in the French uniform, and that is precisely the history of colonialism and slavery. But the image causes all that history to vanish, and seeks to naturalize the black soldier saluting the French flag, creating the myth of race-blind French equality, and the power of multicultural patriotism in France. That patriotic black soldier is the dream of the white imperialist the recurring Uncle Tom and his black benevolence, the kind and pacific Reverend Stephen Kumalo in the South African writer Alan Patons apartheid-era bestseller Cry, the Beloved Country. Even that moment in Gone with the Wind when Scarlet OHara looks at the black slaves from her plantation, laughing and bantering on their way to fight a war for the side that seeks to keep them enslaved and mistakes their momentary laughter as genuine happiness, deploring Abraham Lincoln for initiating the Civil War. As Barthes senses, these myths are unmistakably modern. There was something openly brutal and savage about early European colonialisms, such as those driven by Spain and Portugal, mostly in the Americas but also elsewhere. Genocide and torture were part of their quotidian paraphernalia. The European Enlightenment of the late-18th century changed everything, with its narrative of progress, modernity, and universal reason. Savage brutality needed to be replaced by legitimizing narratives about colonial domination. Enter the White Mans Burden and the argument for spreading civilization to the darkest stretches of the globe. The two major post-Enlightenment colonizers, the British and the French, were markedly different from their Spanish and Portuguese predecessors, not only in their superior weaponry of science, technology, and full-blown capitalism, but also in their softer power of the claim to spread modernity and progress. Nowhere did the difference become more blatant than in South Africa, where the earlier Dutch settlers, most of whom left a pre-Enlightenment Europe, were quickly put in a place of inferiority and subordination as the English arrived in the Cape and Natal in the 19th century. Next to the modern, industrial English, the earlier Dutch and Huguenots were a primitive, farming population, uncouth hence the birth of the word boor from Boer. The interior of a colonial church on the island of Goree off the coast of Dakar in Senegal. (Shutterstock) Both the British and the French tried to make the fullest use of the two prime means of soft power they had: The Church and education the first to convert the heathens to the Christian flock, and the second to convince the colonized the superiority of Western culture, though they met with staggered success in different colonies, such as between Africa and South Asia. Even so, it is well-known now that the study of English literature got its first life in India, in the early 19th century, when only the classics were prestigious enough to be admitted as university subjects in Oxbridge. Decolonization has been the hardest on the soft fronts, clearly always ongoing, and who knows, given the irreversible nature of colonial modernity, never fully desirable either, particularly when the only other option seems to be home-grown chauvinism. There were key differences between the French and British style colonialisms. The British localized their administration according to the character of different places; neither did they quite try to Anglicize whole native populations just creating a buffer class of babus and brown sahibs were enough for their ideological and administrative purposes. The French model, on the other hand, was that of assimilation and centralization. Dakar was the centre of French administration in Africa, and the goal was to Gallicize the natives as much as possible. That is the political nerve touched by Roland Barthes in his reading of the image of the Paris-Match: That the black solider is exactly like any other French citizen, in his patriotism and his loyalty to the Tricolour. While there carries a goal of egalitarianism, it suppresses that violence that must power such equalization, the complete erasure of indigenous character, the denial of the exploitation French colonialism has carried out on black people in Africa, the Caribbean, and elsewhere around the world. Anti-colonial thinkers from the Francophonie have repeated pointed to the softer power and the self-concealing myths that have ensured the ideological success of colonialism. None has described the sexual anxieties of the black man more viscerally than the Martinique psychoanalyst Frantz Fanon. The negritude movement, led by French writers from the colonies, notably Aime Cesaire from Martinique and Leopold Senghor, who was to become the president of Senegal, particularly rebelled against the assimilation policy of French colonial rule. But this is exactly where the civilising claims of French colonialism have prevented a large section of the French public from seeing the ravages of its overseas rule that, beyond its direct consequences on the colonies, have led to waves of migration, long past decolonisation, to what was once the mother ship. We are here because you were there. Thats the simplistic rationale behind a trajectory that is shaped by a myriad of material and ideological reasons, ranging from postcolonial poverty and trauma to the pursuit of metropolitan modernity and the promise of a good life. A protester holds a placard Place des Terreaux in Lyon on June 30, 2023, as unrest erupted following the shooting of a teenage driver by French police in a Paris suburb on June 27. The unrest has come in response to the killing of 17-year-old Nahel, whose death has revived longstanding grievances about policing and racial profiling in France's low-income and multi-ethnic suburbs. (Jeff Pachoud/AFP) But the immigrant, black or Arab, remains the Other, usually exotic and often dangerous. The relentlessly assimilationist model of French society has caused endless friction with immigrants, that between secularism and religious attire in institutions being one of the most obvious and persistent. But the most tragic and traumatic violence, that of police brutality on immigrants of colour, remains a spectre that continues to haunt France. The suppressed history of some of the most flaunted myths of French society - such as that of the patriotic and dedicated black solider before the French flag bared by Barthes is rooted in its history, culture, literature, art, and philosophy. Till the French public, or at least its politicians, accept the hidden colonial histories of these myths, the violence will get no respite. Saikat Majumdars forthcoming work includes the novella The Remains of the Body and the nonfiction book, The Amateur. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Continue reading with HT Premium Subscription Daily E Paper I Premium Articles I Brunch E Magazine I Daily Infographics Subscribe Now @1199/year Already Subscribed? Sign In In the ever-evolving landscape of cryptocurrencies, India with a population of 1.4 Billion people has emerged as a hub of innovation and transformation. We are excited to present a comprehensive overview of the top 10 crypto projects that are not only creating a buzz but also redefining the future of finance in India. Dive into this article to explore the projects that are making waves and gaining recognition in the Indian crypto ecosystem with the trust of 100 Million+ Crypto Holders in the entire country. Here are the top crypto projects in India at this moment: 1. Trillioner Coin (TLC) 2. Bybit India 3. Polygon (MATIC) 4. CoinDCX 5. CoinSwitch 6. Sharedum (SHM) 7. Huddle01 8. OnRamp Money 9. Xinfin (XDC) 10. Chingari (GARI) 1. Trillioner Coin (TLC): The most emerging crypto project in India is definitely ranked as the best crypto project in India at this moment with a 2000% surge in its price already. The project by Famous Indian entrepreneur, Lavish Choudhary, aims to on-board 100 celebrities and 5000+ content creators through its most innovative content creator economy, next gen social media and crypto banking. The Trillioner crypto project aims to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the crypto world by offering financial services for both crypto projects and private users. This will include access to products as well as traditional fiat banking and financial services for blockchain businesses and individuals. 2. Bybit India: The best crypto exchange in India right now led by none other than Indias best crypto leader and influencer, Abhyudoy Das. This is the Indian division of Bybit, 2nd biggest derivatives exchange in the world by volume and 3rd most visited exchange in the entire crypto industry. Bybit aims to be the crypto ark in the industry and got value of all high value traders in the Indian subcontinent. 3. Polygon (Matic): The project by Sandip Naiwal, scaling Ethereum for a Better Future. This globally appraised crypto project focused on addressing Ethereum's scalability challenges. With its layer 2 solutions, Polygon is enhancing transaction speeds and reducing fees, making it an integral player in India's push towards decentralized applications and smart contracts. 4. CoinDCX: The All-In-One Crypto Trading Solution in India by Sumit Gupta and Neeraj Khandelwal,both who are known as popular crypto influencers in the Indian region. Taking the lead is CoinDCX, the ultimate destination for crypto enthusiasts. With a user-friendly interface, a wide range of cryptocurrencies, and robust security features, CoinDCX is empowering Indians to dive into the world of crypto trading with confidence. 5. CoinSwitch: Simplifying Crypto Trading Like Never Before by famous Indian Crypto influencer, Ashish Singhal. CoinSwitch game-changer in the crypto trading arena. By offering seamless conversion between cryptocurrencies, CoinSwitch is making trading accessible to everyone. Its intuitive platform and competitive rates are driving adoption and reshaping India's crypto landscape. 6. Sharedum (SHM): With a goal to make decentralization for everyone, Sharedum was started by one of the most prominent names in the Indian Crypto industry, Nischal Shetty. Shardeum is an EVM-based, linearly scalable smart contract platform that provides low gas fees forever while maintaining true decentralization and solid security through dynamic state sharding. 7. Huddle01: Started by emerging Indian influencer, Ayush Ranjan, Huddle01 was born out of a simple idea - to make communication more reliable, efficient and secure, and governed not by any centralized entities but the people. It started off as a project at the ETHGlobal Hackathon in 2019. And in 2 years, Huddle01 has scaled to launch its own Video Meeting dApp, Communication Infrastructure, and is building the 1st dRTC Network. 8. On Ramp Money: On Ramp Money allows users to instantly buy & sell digital assets with lowest processing fees. It supports more than 400+ tokens and can be easily used with all decentralized applications (dApp), CEXs & DEXs to smoothly onboard users to buy & sell multiple digital assets across all chains. 9. Xinfin (XDC): Bridging Traditional Finance with Blockchain by two well known Indian founders Atul Khekade, Ritesh Kakkad. At the fourth position is Xinfin, a project that's blurring the lines between traditional finance and blockchain technology. With its hybrid blockchain network, Xinfin is transforming global trade and supply chain financing, positioning India as a key player in the world of enterprise blockchain solutions. 10. Chingari (GARI): GARI is a governance token of Chingari app, used as an in-app currency and gives users governance rights to decide about the platform's progress via voting, bringing decision-making power back to the users. Users can stake GARI to vote and get rewarded. Conclusion: These top 10 crypto projects are not just transforming the way Indians perceive cryptocurrencies but also playing a pivotal role in shaping the nation's financial future. From user-friendly exchanges to scalable solutions and enterprise-grade blockchain networks, each project represents a unique facet of India's growing involvement in the world of blockchain technology. As the Indian crypto landscape continues to evolve, these projects stand as pillars of innovation, driving adoption, and propelling India towards a more decentralized and inclusive financial ecosystem. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/ editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/ subscribe to the contents of the article/advertisement and/or views expressed herein. The reader is further advised that Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the views, opinions, announcements, declarations, affirmations etc., stated/featured in same. The decision to read hereinafter is purely a matter of choice and shall be construed as an express undertaking/guarantee in favour of Hindustan Times of being absolved from any/ all potential legal action, or enforceable claims. The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute a financial advice. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Jio Financial Services share price: Shares of India's Jio Financial Services (JFS), carved out of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, fell as much as 5% in their trading debut on Monday, valuing the company at 1.58 trillion rupees ($19 billion). Mr. K V Kamath (Independent Director and Non-Executive Chairman, JFSL), Mr. Subhash S Mundra (Chairman, BSE) at the Listing Ceremony of Jio Financial Services Limited on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday.( HT photo by Anshuman Poyrekar) Jio Financial Services stock opened at 262 rupees and fell to a low of 248.90 rupees. The current valuation makes it the third-largest non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India, behind Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv, which are valued at 4.15 trillion rupees and 2.32 trillion rupees, respectively. It is also expected to complement Reliance's consumer businesses, which include India's largest wireless operator with about 428 million users, a top retail chain with over 17,000 stores. While JFS is yet to build out a business in India's fast-growing financial services sector, analysts say its access to the vast trove of data from Reliance's telecom, digital and retail businesses will give it a leg up in lending. Last month, JFS announced a tie-up with Blackrock, the world's largest asset manager, to float a mutual fund company. Analysts say JFS' access to the vast trove of data from Reliance's telecom and retail businesses will also give it a leg up in lending. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Jio Financial Services (JFS), a part of the conglomerate Reliance Industries led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is set to make its debut on stock exchanges on Monday, according to exchange circulars. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, waves on the red carpet during the second day of the opening of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) at Jio World Centre, in Mumbai.(REUTERS) "Trading Members of the Exchange are hereby informed that effective from Monday, August 21, 2023, the equity shares of Jio Financial Services Ltd (formerly known as Reliance Strategic Investments Limited) shall be listed and admitted to dealings on the Exchange in the list of T Group of Securities," the BSE said in a notice on Friday. Reliance had last month spun off JFS, with the stock price set at a much higher-than-expected 261.85. This valuation placed JFS at approximately $20 billion during a special trading session. JFS is part of major Indian indexes, including the benchmark Nifty 50. However, despite its presence, trading remains inaccessible until its listing and it will be removed at the end of its third day of listing, as per exchange rules. All you need to know about Jio Financial Services: 1) Reliance Industries demerged its financial services operations, transferring them to RSIL (Reliance Strategic Investments Ltd). This entity was subsequently renamed as JFSL (Jio Financial Services Ltd). Shareholders got one JFSL share for each Reliance share they held. 2) JFSL will offer a broad range of financial services solutions and has plans to expand operations into insurance, digital payment and asset management verticals. 3) The spinoff, which will create the fifth-largest financier in terms of capital, positions JFS as a direct contender against prominent names like Paytm and Bajaj Finance. It is also expected to complement Reliance's consumer businesses, which include India's largest wireless operator with about 428 million users, a top retail chain with over 17,000 stores. 4) Some analysts expect JFS to debut at a premium. "There are many passive exchange-traded funds which have exposure to the Nifty and Sensex," said Narendra Solanki, head of fundamental research for investment services at Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers. "After three days, when JFS is scheduled to go out of these indexes, we could see some outflows," Solanki added. 5) Last month, JFS announced a tie-up with Blackrock, the world's largest asset manager, to float a mutual fund company. Analysts say JFS' access to the vast trove of data from Reliance's telecom and retail businesses will also give it a leg up in lending. (With inputs from agencies) Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Days after Mahindra Automotive unveiled a showcase prototype of Thar.e SUV the model will be based on the carmaker's flagship off-roader Thar, also an SUV Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra asserted that the prototype will not be forgotten as a mere concept, but it is a project that the manufacturer is committed to turn into reality. Mahindra Thar.e electric concept SUV has made its first appearance on global stage at an event in South Africa on August 15. Nope. Not just a concept. From the moment we all saw the prototype we were committed to making this a reality, Anand Mahindra wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. The Thar.e prototype was showcased on August 15 on India's Independence Day, at a company event in South Africa. Mahindra Automotive's Thar.e The e-SUV will be based on the in-house INGLO P1 EV platform, which is dedicated to EVs (electric vehicles); according to Mahindra Automotive, the platform enhances the vehicle's rigidity, provides a higher degree of safety for the passengers, offers a long range for the EV (due to its capability to accommodate a larger battery pack), and more. Also, while Anand Mahindra in his post did not mention a specific timeframe regarding the commencement of the model's production, the homegrown auto manufacturer, hinted at the South Africa event that Thar.e will enter production sometime in 2025. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail NHLANGANO A punter who allegedly lost over E75 000 on one of the betting platforms, is said to have tried to commit suicide. The incident happened last week around Nhlangano in the Shiselweni Region. This publication gathered that the man, *Musa, who is a Mobile Money (MoMo) agent around Nhlangano Town, first won over E20 000. In his second attempt, he won about E40 000. Sources informed this publication that Musa then went on to bet all the money he had won and lost all of it. It was said that he then used his business money to play but lost again. He is said to have then called an agent they used to load MoMo units and requested him to deposit about E15 000 into his account. He allegedly promised to refund the agent on the following day. Gambled According to the sources, Musa gambled with this money and lost. The sources further revealed that Musa then tried to commit suicide by hanging himself, but the tree he chose was too short such that his feet could not touch the ground. He then tried to ingest a poisonous substance and locked himself inside his house, said the source. The agent who had sent him the E15 000 is said to have called him several times for his money but he did not respond to the calls. The agent is said to have hired a taxi to Musas house, where he found his car parked outside and the keys to the house were in the key hole inside. He was not picking but his phone was ringing inside, narrated the source. It was further gathered that the agent called the landlord and they broke into the house and found Musa in a very bad condition. The source said Musa was rushed to hospital, where he was treated and discharged on Friday, having fully recovered. It was gathered that Musas wife made means of paying some of the money owed to the agent. When reached for comment, Musa did not want to address the matter but kept accusing one of the people who assisted him of being responsible for spreading information about the incident. Can I talk to you in person, where can I find you? he said before terminating the call. *Not his real name. Amid buzz over 'Operation Hasta' doing rounds regarding certain BJP legislators in Karnataka willing to go back to their "mother party", BJP MLA and former minister S T Somashekar on Sunday met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. BJP's S T Somashekar. Also Read - CT Ravi warns retaliation if Cong eyes to induct leaders from BJP in Karnataka Earlier in the day, party hopper Ayanur Manjunath, currently with JD(S), called on Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state chief D K Shivakumar. Somashekar said in a statement that his meeting with Siddaramaiah was regarding a discussion on "development of his constituency". The BJP MLA from Yashwanthpur constituency in the city met the Chief Minister at his residence. Later, he said the meeting was regarding the need for a maternity hospital at Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout on a civic amenity plot and a flyover for Kengeri Satellite Town. Somashekar has been hobnobbing with Congress leaders. Recently, he hailed Shivakumar and called him his "political guru". Meanwhile, reacting to his meeting with Manjunath, Shivakumar said many people meet him. However, he said he cannot explain why they were meeting him. 'Operation Hasta', meaning 'Operation Palm' is a term that has gained significance now as it is said to be a drive to bring BJP leaders and legislators to the Congress fold. Palm is the Congresss party symbol and 'Operation Hasta' is said to be in retaliation to the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' in 2019 when 17 Congress and JD(S) legislators jumped ship to join the BJP. 'Operation Lotus' had resulted in the toppling of the short-lived coalition government of Congress and the JD(S). With rumours doing rounds that many BJP legislators and leaders are said to be in touch with Congress leaders, the BJP has started an exercise to keep its flock together. It is persuading its disgruntled MLAs who are said to have one foot out the door. Two days ago, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said he had spoken to the BJP MLAs and former ministers Shivaram Hebbar and Munirathna. "I spoke to them and they clearly said they are not going to quit the party. We have brought the local problems to the notice of our party president. That will be solved. We will remain united," Bommai told reporters. An angry rebuttal to 'Operation Hasta' came from former minister and BJP national general secretary C T Ravi who said he knew how to "operate the palm". Reacting to it, Shivakumar on Sunday said: "C T Ravi is giving us a threat that he will chop off the palm. What happened when you (BJP) took away Congress and JD(S) MLAs? When you can threaten others, others also know how to threaten you. You brought down the coalition government to form yours." He clarified that he is not calling anyone to join the Congress and there was no need now in the party. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bharatiya Janata Party held a massive protest in Karnatakas Mandya on Monday against the Congress-led state government for releasing the Kaveri water to Tamil Nadu. The party members demanded that the release of water be stopped immediately as it is against the interest of Karnataka farmers and alleged that the Congress was bowing near the Tamil Nadu government. Kaveri water: Karnataka BJP blocks roads as it protests state govt's move Also Read - Kaveri water row: CJI Chandrachud to constitute bench for hearing pleas of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu The protesters were seen blocking the roads at Mandya and chanting slogans against the government. The independent MP from Mandya, Sumalata Ambareesh, was also seen at the protest and questioned how the government could release water to other states while its farmers are suffering without water. The government must immediately respond on the issue and make Karnataka farmers interest a priority. The protests will continue until the government takes a decision in favour of the farmer community, she said. The BJP alleged that the Congress does not care about the farmers and only releases water to Tamil Nadu to serve the interests of the ruling party DMK. In a post on X (formally Twitter), the BJP alleged, The Karnataka government is just wooing the Tamil Nadu government only for Rahul Gandhis political future. MK Stalin was the one who opposed the Mekadatu project, and the Congress has joined hands with him. The party is now acting like people are not aware of its political strategies. The BJP is with the Karnataka farmers, unlike the Congress which acts based on the orders from the Tamil Nadu government. Meanwhile, Chief Justice of India CY Chandrachud will be constituting a bench to hear the pleas of both governments. The Tamil Nadu government sought fresh directions from the apex court in the water-sharing agreement and filed a new application. On Saturday, The Karnataka cabinet directed the advocate general to file the state's appeal before the Supreme Court regarding the release of Kaveri river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. There is also an all-party meeting scheduled on August 23 to discuss the Kaveri water issue. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid the brewing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments over the sharing of the Kaveri water issue, Chief Justice of India CY Chandrachud will be constituting a bench to hear the pleas of both governments, reported Bar & Bench on Monday. The Tamil Nadu government sought fresh directions from the apex court in the water-sharing agreement and filed a new application. Supreme Court of India (Representative Photo) Also Read - Kaveri water row: Karnataka to file appeal in top court on Aug 21 over release Last week, the Tamil Nadu government had approached the Supreme Court with a plea to direct Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of Kaveri water daily for standing crops. The Karnataka cabinet then directed the advocate general to file the state's appeal before the Supreme Court regarding the release of Kaveri river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The government of Karnataka earlier said they will release 10 TMCs of water to Tamil Nadu taking into account its needs like drinking water and standing crops in the Kaveri basin areas citing scarcity due to deficit monsoon rains. However, the political row erupted after the decision and opposition parties alleged that the Congress-led Karnataka government backstabbed its farmers. Who said what? On the Kaveri water row, former CM Basavaraj Bommai said, The Congress never fought for the benefit of state farmers. Instead of using 32 TMC of water, Tamil Nadu has already used 60 TMC of water. The Karnataka government failed to fight against it; they didn't even discuss it with the Kaveri Water management authority. It is nothing but the betrayal of Karnataka farmers, during the tough times. Former CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy also attacked the Congress government and said that it doesnt care about the needs of Karnataka farmers. He said, The Mahadayi padayatra is nothing but a drama by the Congress party. What we feared has happened and this is a brutal betrayal of Karnatakas food givers. Only because DMK is part of INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), the Congress party is releasing the Kaveri water. The Karnataka government also called for an all-party meeting on August 23 to discuss the Kaveri water issue. However, Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar said that the government decided to release water to neighbouring states for the benefit of farmers from both states and called it a brotherly bonding. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) got its first mayor in Punjab with party loyalist Baljit Singh Channi being unanimously elected to lead the Moga municipal corporation (MC) on Monday. Channi is a councillor from the citys ward number 8. Aam Aadmi Party loyalist Baljit Singh Channi was unanimously elected mayor of the Moga municipal corporation on Monday. (HT file photo) In the 50-member House, 42 councillors led by Moga AAP MLA Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora unanimously voted for Channi. Among the 42 councillors, 32 were from the AAP and 10 from other parties extended support to the ruling party. Nitika Bhalla of the Congress was removed as the Moga mayor after she lost a no-confidence motion in the House meeting on July 4. Also read: 29kg of heroin seized from two Pakistani smugglers in Ferozepur On June 7, 42 councillors signed a no-confidence motion against Bhalla and submitted it to the MC joint commissioner. Later, the councillors submitted another no-confidence motion against senior deputy mayor Parveen Kumar Sharma, deputy mayor Ashok Dhamija and the finance and contract committee (F&CC). Forty-one councillors had voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against Bhalla, while she had got the support of only six members. However, the no-confidence motion against the senior deputy mayor and the deputy mayor was rejected for want of quorum. Moga MC commissioner Poonam Singh said that 42 councillors and the Moga MLA attended the House meeting on Monday, while eight members remained absent. Baljit Singh Channi was unanimously elected as the mayor of Moga MC in the House meeting, she said. Channi, who is a social worker, said that he would ensure a corruption-free and hassle-free public utility service system in the Moga MC. We will together work for the development of Moga city and the welfare of the people, he said. AAP MLA Dr Arora said: The first mayor of AAP has been elected in Moga. This is a big victory for the people. Due to the opposition partys mayor, all development works were stalled in the city. Now we will streamline everything. Congratulations to all AAP volunteers of Punjab. Special thanks to chief minister Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. Despite a strong majority of turncoats, the AAP picked party loyalist Channi for the post of mayor. Channi is among the four councillors who had won the 2021 Moga MC election on the AAP symbol. As the AAP government is going to conduct urban local body elections in the state, picking Channi instead of any councillor, who had switched sides recently, will encourage its volunteers. In the 2021 Moga MC elections, the Congress had bagged 20 of the 50 seats, while the SAD had won 15. Another 10 seats were won by Independents, while four were bagged by the AAP and one by the BJP. The 10 independents had supported the then ruling Congress and Bhalla was elected the first woman mayor of Moga. Since the AAP won the assembly elections, 28 councillors from the Congress, the SAD and the BJP joined the AAP, taking the official count for the party to 32. By taking control of the Moga MC, the ruling AAP has got a boost ahead of the civic body elections. The elections to 39 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab will be held between November 1 and 15. The schedule for five corporations of Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Phagwara will be announced after the delimitation exercise. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Parteek Singh Mahal Parteek Singh Mahal is a multimedia correspondent based at Faridkot in Punjab. He covers medical education, politics and Punjab police. ...view detail Four bike-borne miscreants executed two snatchings within two hours on intervening night of Sunday and Monday at Jaspal Bangar road and Lohara bridge. Two snatchings within two hours on intervening night of Sunday and Monday were reported at Jaspal Bangar road and Lohara bridge. (iStock) Sahnewal and Daba police have registered two separate first information reports (FIR) against the unidentified accused. In the first incident, the Sahnewal Police registered a case following the statement of Pankaj Kumar of Laxmi Nagar, Giaspura. Pankaj in his complaint told police that he, along with his friend Avdhesh Kumar, was returning home on a bike. When they reached Jaspal Bangar road around 12.15 am, four miscreants intercepted them. The accused allegedly thrashed the duo and robbed them of the bike, two mobile phones and their bags containing clothes before fleeing. The victim informed the police after the accused fled from the spot. Sharing details, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gurmel Singh, investigating officer, said a case under section 379B (snatching), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against unidentified accused. Two hours later, the accused robbed another man, Sushil Kumar of Mohinder Nagar near Lohara Bridge. The victim stated the accused intercepted his way around 2.15 am and made away with his mobile phone and 5,000. ASI Sukhdev Singh, who is investigating the case, registered an FIR under sections 379B, 34 and 506 of IPC against unidentified accused. The incident was captured in the closed-circuit television cameras and police teams are scanning the footage to trace the accused. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! A bomb threat on Indian Airlines UK-bound flight sent the security staff and passengers into a tizzy at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar, on Monday. However, after thorough checks, the threat was found to be a hoax. Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar. (HT File) Sources at the airport said a cleaning staff member, while cleaning the flight, had discovered a piece of paper with the word bomb written on it in one of the aircrafts bathrooms. The cleaning member informed the authorities of the airport. The flight (AI 170) had come to the Amritsar Airport from Gatwick, carrying 187 passengers at around 8 am on Monday. The flight was scheduled to depart for Gatwick at around 1:30 pm. The flight was fully searched by the security personnel following all codes and procedures. But no explosive/bomb was found. It was a hoax call. The flight departed for Gatwick with 240 passengers, said the Amritsar airport director in a statement. Sources said the flight was thoroughly searched by the team of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for at least 3 hours before issuing the clearance for its departure. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! In a joint operation, the Border Security Force and Punjab Polices counter-intelligence teams in Ferozepur and Ludhiana, recovered 26 packets of heroin, weighing 29.26kg, after arresting two Pakistani smugglers on Monday. One of the smugglers was injured in the exchange of fire with the security forces and was rushed to the BSF hospital in Mamdot before being referred to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and hospital, Faridkot. Border Security Force and Punjab Police personnel with the 26 packets of heroin recovered from two Pakistani smugglers in Ferozepur district on Monday. (HT Photo) Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav said, The arrested have been identified as Muhammad Ajmal Riyan of Kanganpur village in Kasur district of Pakistan Punjab and Sivna of Alipur village, also in Kasur. This is the eighth major heroin consignment recovered by Punjab Police this month, taking the total recovery of the contraband to 142kg in 20 days. Also read: Drug smuggling ring: Nabbed hawala dealer was key player in Dubai-Punjab drug trade Special DGP, internal security RN Dhoke, said that with the latest seizure, the internal security wing of the state police had recovered 193kg of heroin since January 1, 2023. Acting on a tip-off, a team of the CI at Ferozepur and Ludhiana along with personnel of the BSFs 182 Battalion conducted an operation early on Monday morning. They detected the movement of the intruders near the border at Gatti Matter village under Joginder outpost. When challenged, the intruders opened fire. The security forces retaliated, injuring one of the smugglers, assistant inspector general, CI, Ludhiana Simratpal Singh Dhindsa said. Lakhbir Singh, the AIG of CI, Ferozepur, said that 26 packets of heroin were seized from the smugglers along with two mobile phones. A case has been registered under Sections 21C, 29 and 30 of the NDPS Act; Sections 3/34/20 of the Indian Passport Act; and Section 14 of the Foreign Act at Fazilka. Due to flooding in the Sutlej river, more than a dozen BSF posts in the district are submerged, leading to intensified patrolling by the BSF to prevent smugglers from taking advantage of the situation. Officials said vigil on the border has been increased. Four Indian smugglers were caught with 20kg of heroin on July 23. On August 6, 77kg of heroin and weapons were recovered from two locations, while 3kg of heroin were recovered on August 16. Since July, Ferozepurs counter-intelligence team has seized 130kg of heroin in Ferozepur and Fazilka districts. EIGHTH HEROIN HAUL IN AUGUST August 17: Jalandhar rural police arrest drug smuggler, Joga Singh of Rajapur village in Ludhiana, after recovering 8kg of heroin. August 11: CI, Amritsar, busts smuggling racket with the arrest of drug smuggler Harpal Singh of Lakhna village in Tarn Taran district after recovering 5kg of heroin. August 10: Amritsar rural police bust cross-border smuggling racket with the arrest of three drug smugglers after recovering 12kg of heroin. August 6: CI, Ferozepur, busts two cross-border smuggling rackets with the arrest of four drug traffickers after recovering 77.8kg of heroin and three pistols. August 5: State special operation cell (SSOC), Amritsar, recovers 4kg of heroin concealed along road in Bute Dian Chhana village in Mehatpur. August 3: SSOC, Amritsar, busts smuggling racket with the arrest of drug smuggler Shinder Singh after recovering 6kg of heroin and 1.5 lakh drug money. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! A 70-year-old farmer was crushed to death under the wheel of a trailer attached to a modified vehicle during a protest at Longowal in Sangrur on Monday. Five cops also injured in clashes with the farmers, who were agitating against detention of leaders, a day ahead of Chandigarh protest. (Videgrab) Five cops were also injured during a clash with farmers who were protesting against detention of some of their leaders, a day before a planned demonstration in Chandigarh to seek compensation for losses caused by floods. The clash ensued when the police personnel tried to stop them from moving ahead to block a road and a toll plaza near Badbar village on the Sangrur Barnala highway. Sangrur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Surendra Lamba said members of BKU (Ekta-Azad) union wanted to block the Sangrur-Barnala national highway and also the Badbar toll plaza but police refused to let them. The farmers, however, forced their way through barricades using tractor-trailers, he said. An inspector escaped being crushed under a tractor-trailer but was severely injured, police said, adding that another policeman sustained injuries to his face and three more were hurt as well. Unfortunately, an old farmer was run over by a rashly driven gharhuka ( a modified vehicle) and died during the treatment. We are initiating action against the driver of the vehicle, said the SSP. The deceased farmer has been identified as Pritam Singh, a resident of Mander Kalan village. Pritams leg was crushed under the wheels and was rushed to the Sangrur civil hospital from where he was shifted to Rajindra hospital in Patiala. He, however, succumbed to his injuries. A video purportedly showing the elderly farmer coming under the rear tyres of the trailer surfaced on social media. Some farmers could be seen asking the vehicles driver to stop but he did not. Police said the incident took place because of the irresponsible behaviour of a few tractor and bus drivers during the protest. The SSP said some protesters hit policemen with their sticks as the protest turned violent. He added that said the situation was now peaceful and police used the highest level of restraint. Kuliwinder Soni Longowal, senior BKU (Ekta-Azad) leader, said, Ahead of August 22 protest, police have been raiding houses of farmers and several farm leaders, including Jaswinder Longowal, president of BKU (Ekta- Azad), have been detained. To get our leaders released, we decided to stage a protest at the Badbar toll plaza. When we were marching towards the toll plaza, the police attacked us. The cops also damaged our buses, he alleged. Sixteen farmer bodies, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, plan to hold a demonstration in Chandigarh on Tuesday, demanding a package of 50,000 crore from the Centre for damage caused due to the floods in the northern region, including Punjab. Early in the day, farmers claimed that several of their leaders, including Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) president Sarwan Singh Pandher and Bohr Singh of the BKU (Behramke), had been detained by the Punjab Police. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal slammed the AAP government for the death of the farmer in Sangrur. Horrendous broad daylight murder of a beleaguered and peacefully protesting farmer Pritam Singh at Longowal (in CMs home district Sangrur) has sent shockwaves throughout the state especially among the farmers, Sukhbir said on X, previously known as Twitter. Leader of Opposition in Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa also condemned the police action against farmer leaders in different parts of the state. The @AAPPunjab govt in Punjab has unleashed its draconian agendas. Several farmers union leaders have been arrested and raids are still going on to arrest some other farmer leader, he tweeted. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Harmandeep Singh Harmandeep Singh is staff Correspondent and have specialisation in investigative reporting. He covers Punjab politics, mining, crime, school education, health, medical education, administration, labour department, brain-drain and rural areas besides burning issues of Sangrur and Barnala districts. ...view detail Two employees of a local firm have been booked for allegedly duping their employer, TRBEX Impex Private Limited, of over US $1 million through an elaborate scheme involving the export of nonferrous metal from Bamako, Mali, Africa, to Togo and Dubai. TRBEX Impex Private Limited general manager Kuldeep Singh lodged a complaint with the Sahnewal police after the incident came to light. (iStock) The accused, identified as Naveen Kumar of Sector 32, Chandigarh road, and Sachin Kumar Sharma of Delhi, allegedly received the transferred funds from the company and sent a shipment containing empty boxes instead of the promised metal. When the incident came to light, TRBEX Impex Private Limited general manager Kuldeep Singh lodged a complaint with the Sahnewal police. In his statement, Kuldeep revealed that Naveen Kumar worked as an executive logistics employee at TRB Exports Private Limited in Ludhiana, while Sachin Kumar Sharma held a similar position at TRBEX Impex Private Limited in Delhi. Both companies have common directors, and the TRB Group also operates associated companies in Dubai engaged in the import and export of nonferrous metals, all of which are managed by directors and employees from Ludhiana. Kuldeep said Naveen Kumar was sent to Bamako, Africa, in August-September 2022 with the purpose of procuring nonferrous metal for the company. He convinced TRBEX Impex Private Limiteds management that exporting this particular metal would be highly profitable. In consortium with Sachin Kumar Sharma, the accused received a sum of US $1,003,065 from the company. Subsequently, Naveen claimed that the shipment had been dispatched to Togo in West Africa, as well as to Dubai. However, upon inspection, authorities discovered empty boxes instead of the expected metal. When questioned, Naveen failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. Besides, the complainant alleged that both Naveen and Sachin had established their own business and cheated TRBEX Impex Private Limited in the process. The matter was reported to the city police on April 19, resulting in an inquiry being initiated. Following a thorough investigation conducted by a senior police official, the Sahnewal police filed an FIR under Sections 420 (cheating), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A former sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) was shot dead by three bike-borne unidentified persons at his confectionery shop situated in Bhalla Colony in the Chheharta area of Amritsar, on Monday, police said. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Prabhjot Singh Virk and other officials reached the spot and started an investigation. (HT Photo) The deceased was identified as Rajinder Kumar Kalia. Police said the incident took place at around 3:45 pm when Kalia was at his shop, police added. The deceaseds wife Sneh Lata, who is a teacher, told the police that three unidentified persons arrived on a motorcycle and tried to snatch money from the cash box. The accused pretended as customers tried to snatch the money from the cash box. When my husband resisted, one of them took out a pistol and opened fire at him. After opening fire, the accused fled from the spot. My husband got injured and was rushed to a private hospital, but was declared dead on arrival, said the deceaseds wife said. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Prabhjot Singh Virk and other officials reached the spot and started the investigation. The ADCP said their preliminary investigation has found that two of the bike-borne men had entered the shop while the third was waiting outside. Our teams are working to ascertain the identity of the accused. Preliminary, it appears to that the victim was killed during an attempted robbery, he said. Police have registered a case under sections 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Chheharta police station against three unknown persons. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MBABANE - The Parish Church Council and Reverend Canon Advent Nhlanhla Dlamini are being investigated for allegedly being in the process of acquiring land to form a breakaway church. This was disclosed by the Registrar of the Diocese of Eswatini under the Anglican Church, Mbuso Simelane. Simelane made these allegations in the matter where the Parish Church Council and Reverend Canon Advent Dlamini want the Diocese of Eswatini Anglican Church of Southern Africa to be interdicted from revoking his pastoral licence. They are also challenging the transfer of Reverend Dlamini. I am investigating claims that while they are appearing in court, they are in the process of acquiring land for themselves so that they could form a breakaway Anglican Church, said Simelane. In his affidavit, Simelane alleged that the applicants (Parish Church Council and Reverend Canon Advent Dlamin) were allegedly tearing the Anglican Church apart. There is nothing wrong with forming a breakaway church as the Anglican Church came to being by breaking away from the main church. The problem is that in doing so, if true that the applicants are forming a breakaway church, they should not do so under the premise that they have not been consulted about the transfer of Reverend Dlamini and that the point of departure is that the consultations have broken down since the diocese is refusing to breach the provisions of the diocesan regulations and canon, submitted Simelane. It was further his argument, that no priest was owned by the congregants but was exercising a calling from God under the hand of the bishop. He argued that the applicants should not mislead the court that they were entitled to be consulted when a priest was rotated, and to abuse Reverend Dlamini to agree to stay at the Cathedral so long as they were happy with him. He narrated to the court that in or around 2015 or thereabout, he was allegedly called upon to face at least 250 strong congregants of the Cathedral, (inclusive of the members of Parish Church Council in an impromptu vestry, where they wanted Reverend Dlamini to be transferred from the Cathedral for introducing a free service once a month where the sacrament of the Holy Communion was not administered. Leaving The second applicant (Reverend Dlamini) wanted to catch the youth and parishioners who were leaving the Cathedral parish to various ministries around town where they danced and did not sing the prescribed hymns. There was also the hype of oh pastor I receive, alleged Simelane. He alleged that Reverend Dlamini also wanted to give the members of the congregation a chance to identify their skills in preaching. If my memory serves me right, that was the time where lay ministers in the person of Rev Dr Thokozani Nkambule, Rev Muzi Masina, Rev Lucky Vilakati, Rev S. Motsa and Rev Artwell Simelane, Rev Phindile Mkhonza and others, answered their calling of becoming lay ministers based on the introduction of the free service, Simelane submitted. He said he was supposed to chair that vestry meeting with Amos Motsa and Gogo Jonga but they left him on the podium alone. According to Simelane, the congregation was angry that Reverend Dlamini had purportedly breached Canon 24, which provided that he must celebrate the Holy Communion every Sunday and not introduce acts of other ministries of a free service and that he had overstayed in the Cathedral. The district court has fixed a date in September for gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and seven co-accused in a 2019 murder case to be produced in court. The date, however, has not been disclosed for security reasons. The court had directed the Chandigarh Police to tie up with the respective jail authorities and decide on a date when all eight accused can be produced in court. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) In the last hearing on August 17, police had produced Bishnoi in a local court in connection with the Sonu Shah murder case. Lodged in Bathinda jail, he was brought on a production warrant amid tight security arrangements by AGTF, SWAT, commando, Chandigarh Police and Punjab Police. Rajveer, alias Sonu Shah, a property dealer, was gunned down by four assailants inside his office at Burail village in Sector 45 on September 28, 2019. Police had nominated eight accused Bishnoi, Dharminder Singh, Shubham alias Bigni, Manjit alias Rahul, Abhishek alias Banti, Raju Basodi, Rajan and Deepak alias Ranga. Charges were framed in 2022, but after Deepaks arrest in April this year, the chargesheet needs to be filed afresh. For this, presence of all accused was mandatory. However, Raju, lodged in Tihar Jail, and Abhishek, lodged in Mandoli jail, could not be brought to the city. The court of additional district and sessions judge Jaibir Singh had directed the Chandigarh Police to tie up with the respective jail authorities and decide on a date when all eight accused can be produced in court. The matter was listed for Monday and a date in September has been finalised. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday alleged that the BJP government had insulted National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who worked for accession of the only Muslim-majority state to India. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday alleged that the BJP government had insulted National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who worked for accession of the only Muslim-majority state to India. (PTI File Photo) Mufti made the remark apparently in reference to the dropping of Sher, a popular moniker of Sheikh Abdullah, from the Kashmir International Convention Centre. Recently, the government silently dropped the title Sher from Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in governments official press releases eliciting harsh reactions from NC leader Omar Abdullah. On a question about wife of JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Maliks wife being made special advisor to Pakistans caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, Mehbooba said Mushaal Mullick was not a terrorist. I am not an advocate for Mullick but she is not a terror convict. Her husband Yasin Malik is. What is the government doing with Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah? The BJP needs to understand this. They are dishonouring Sheikh sahib who worked for accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, the PDP president told reporters here. Reacting to Mehboobas statement, J&K BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said that appointment of Mushaal Mullick as the minister in PoK assembly was Pakistans traditional policy of glorifying terrorists and terror. Mushaal is the wife of Yasin Malik, who is facing life sentence for his involvement in bringing gun, killing Kashmiri Pandits, and promoting street violence in the Valley. The PDP chief should introspect and stop advocating and provoking people on Pakistans agenda. She should also stop speaking Pakistans language, Thakur said. On Congress leader Rahul Gandhis claim that China had seized Indian territory in Ladakh, Mufti said it was a claim made by the locals of the area, not Gandhi. China has entered Indian territory and grazing land has been put off limits for the people of Ladakh. China has occupied 1,000 sq km of this grazing land. This is not what Rahul Gandhi is saying but what people of Ladakh are claiming, she said. So many rounds of talks have failed so far to push China back, the former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister said. Mufti also hit out at DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad for his saying that most Indian Muslims were converts from Hinduism. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Punjab Police have started registering first information reports (FIRs) in all cases related to the movement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along the Pakistan border, which are increasingly being used to smuggle arms, ammunition, explosives and drugs from across the border. Deputy inspector general (DIG), border range, Amritsar, Narinder Bhargav said now, even the cases in which no recovery is made but are related to the movement of the flying objects on the border will be registered by the police Before this, only those cases were being registered in which a recovery was made and that too during their joint operation with Border Security Force (BSF). Deputy inspector general (DIG), border range, Amritsar, Narinder Bhargav said now, even the cases in which no recovery is made but are related to the movement of the flying objects on the border will be registered by the police. On Sunday, two such cases were registered at the Ajnala police station in the Amritsar-rural district and one at Tarn Taran districts Khemkaran police station. There was no recovery of any drone or contraband in these three incidents. According to the FIRs registered in these three cases, the humming sound of drones was heard by the BSF personnel. As per the FIRs, BSF opened fire but no recovery was made. These cases have been registered under Sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Aircraft Act. Bhargav said this will help Punjab Police to investigate every case related to drone activity. With the registration of all drone-related cases, our teams will be able to investigate them. Now, we are focusing more on the issue. Our motive is to cut the supply link between the Indian and Pakistani smugglers, and for this, we are already running several programmes, including a Drone Emergency Response System (DERS), which works to activate the concerned village-level defence committee (VLDC) to cordon off the area where the drone movement is noticed so that no smuggler can collect the air dropped contraband. The registration of cases and investigation is part of our DERS programme, Bhargav said. Our technical and cyber cell teams will investigate all drone-related cases to ascertain backwards and forward linkages. We are taking the issue seriously, he added. The lodging of FIRs in all drone-related incidents will also increase coordination between the police and the BSF. A senior police official posted in the border area, who didnt wish to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said, Earlier, BSF used to give most of their drone-related cases to narcotics control bureau (NCB) for their investigation. This is the first time that the cases are being lodged by Punjab Police for investigation. Earlier, only those cases were being lodged by Punjab Police in which recoveries were made during the joint operations. In recent months, Punjab Police and BSF have jointly recovered several drones and contraband smuggled from across the border using drones. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on his maiden visit to Ladakh post revocation of Article 370, met party leaders and workers at Hunder in Nubra Valley and returned to Leh on Monday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on his maiden visit to Ladakh post revocation of Article 370, met party leaders and workers at Hunder in Nubra Valley and returned to Leh on Monday. (PTI File Photo) Congress spokersperson for Leh district and leader of the opposition in LAHDC-Leh, Tsering Namgyal, said, Rahul Gandhi had interaction with the local people, party leaders and workers at Hunder where he stayed overnight. He had a general discussion about their issues and lives. Namgyal informed that Rahul Gandhi was on his way back to Leh. After a days stay at Leh on Tuesday, he will leave for Kargil on Wednesday, said the spokesperson. It may be stated here that Congress and the National Conference have forged a pre-poll alliance against the BJP for elections to the 30-member LAHDC-Kargil, which goes to polls on September 10. The Congress leader rode on his mobike for 170 km from Pangong Lake to Hunder in Nubra Valley. On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi had said that the concern of the people in Pangong was their grazing lands taken over by China. To a query of Centres claims of no Chinese incursions and no land taken away by them, Rahul had said, Here the people say that Chinese forces entered and their grazing land taken away and (now) they cant go there. The Prime Minister says that not an inch of land taken away, which is not correct. ask anyone here and they will tell you. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The mortal remains of soldier Vijay Kumar Gautam, who was killed in an accident in Leh district of Ladakh, were consigned to flames with full state and military honours at his native village here on Monday. Army personnel pay tributes to Havildar Vijay Kumar inShimla on Monday.The mortal remains of soldier Vijay Kumar Gautam, who was killed in an accident in Leh district of Ladakh, were consigned to flames with full state and military honours at his native village in Himachal on Monday. (Deepak Sansta/HT) Nine soldiers, including Gautam, were killed while one sustained critical injuries when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge near Kiari in southern Ladakhs Nyoma on Saturday. The body was airlifted to Annandale Ground in Shimla and from there, it was taken to Dimni, Gautams native village, where the last rites were conducted.The nephew of the deceased lit the funeral pyre in the presence of family members, including Gautams wife and two sons aged six and one and a half years, and hundreds of local residents. Gautam joined the army in 2004. Local MLA from Shimla (Rural) Assembly constituency Vikramaditya Singh was present at the cremation. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu mourned the demise of the soldier. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Following revocation of Article 370, Jammu region has witnessed a spike in terror attacks while situation has improved in Kashmir Valley, says an official document of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Following revocation of Article 370, Jammu region has witnessed a spike in terror attacks while situation has improved in Kashmir Valley, says an official document of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. (PTI File Photo) Article 370 and 35-A were done away with on August 5, 2019, and Jammu and Kashmir state was bifurcated into two union territoriesLadakh and Jammu and Kashmir. Based on 17 security indicators, the document shared the data of the past four years (up to June 16 this year). With a shift in Pakistans strategy to foment trouble in Jammu region, the data showed an upward trend in the grenade attacks, IED blasts and subsequent casualties. The data showed that out of the 17 security indicators, eight have seen a spike in the Jammu region till June 16, 2023. Grenade attacks have witnessed a spike of 50% with eight incidents in the past four years. Similarly, 13 IED blasts took place in Jammu region compared to seven, thereby recording a spike of 45%. Eleven casualties took place in the IED blasts in the past four years with a staggering increase of 73 %. The region also witnessed seven incidents of stand-off fire and hit and run cases. Data also mentioned that 231 terrorists and their associates have been arrested in the past four years against 73 before revocation of Article 370. However, incidents of weapon snatching, stone pelting, shutdowns, civilian killings have witnessed a sharp decline. It may be stated here that the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch witnessed three major terror attacks this year on January 1 at Dhangri, April 20 at Tota Gali and May 5 at Kandi forests in Rajouri. In the three attacks, armed terrorists killed 10 soldiers and seven Hindus. Additional director general of police Mukesh Singh said that 2-3 groups of terrorists were still active in Poonch and Rajouri districts and anti-insurgency operations are on to eliminate them. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ravi Krishnan Khajuria A principal correspondent, Ravi Krishnan Khajuria is the bureau chief at Jammu. He covers politics, defence, crime, health and civic issues for Jammu city. ...view detail Meghwal endorsed the Advocate Protection Act and two other proposals put forth by advocates for their welfare during a conference on Monday. Meghwal was addressing the National Law Conference 2023 organised by Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana at Law Bhawan, Sector 37. Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana chairperson Ashok Singla urged Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal for implementation of an Advocate Protection Act for welfare of law practitioners. From left: Bar council chairman Ashok Singla, Union minister of state (independent charge) for law & justice Arjun Ram Meghwal (centre), Punjab and Haryana high court chief justice Ravi Shanker Jha during the National Law Conference in Chandigarh on Monday. (Keshav Singh/HT) The minister said, I support proposals and demands kept by Bar Council of India and Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana chairpersons. I assure that their demands will be met soon. Bar Council of India chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra said that a proposed advocate protection act has been submitted to the Union minister. Enacting such a law at the Union level would assist in safeguarding advocates. He added that amendments to the Advocates Act have also been put forward. Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana chairperson Ashok Singla urged the minister for implementation of an Advocate Protection Act. He emphasised the necessity of a budget provision for advocates and an insurance policy catering to advocates needs. He appealed to the advocates to explore alternative means of protesting and voicing concerns instead of resorting to strikes, considering the publics distress due to the burden of ongoing court cases. Addressing the gathering with the theme Constitutional vision for Prabuddha Bharat in commemoration of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkars legal practice, Meghwal said, Knowledge serves as intellectual nourishment and spiritual sustenance is akin to the divine. Ravi Shankar Jha, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court, Baldev Raj Mahajan, advocate general of Haryana, Vinod Ghai, advocate general of Punjab and Satya Pal Jain, additional solicitor general of India, were also present on the occasion. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Uttarakhand forest department is preparing a comprehensive plan to protect tigers and check human-animal conflict after 229 tigers were found outside the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) in Kumaon, endangering the lives of both the animal as well as of villagers living outside the reserve area. The tiger population in Uttarakhand has risen from 178 in 2006, 227 in 2010, 340 in 2014, 442 in 2018 and 560 in 2022. (Representative file image) According to the tiger census report released on July 29, there are 260 tigers inside CTR and 229 outside Corbett, Deepchand Arya, conservator of forests (CF), western circle, Kumaon, said There are more tigers outside Corbett, than (in) some of the major tiger reserves in the country like Bandhavgarh (135) and Kanha (105). In the western forest circle (WFC), 216 tigers have been found, while in Champawat, 11 tigers have been found. One tiger each has been found in Nainital and Almora, he said With so many tigers outside protected areas, there are chances of a surge in man-tiger conflict in Kumaon. So, we have decided to form a detailed proposal for the protection of these tigers outside Corbett and how to check their coming into conflict with the villagers. We also have to ensure these tigers dont become victims of poaching, he said Diganth Nayak, divisional forest officer (DFO) Ramnagar forest division (which has 67 tigers), said with so many tigers found outside Corbett, they will focus on putting in measures to check man-tiger conflict. Our emphasis will be on community connect, involving locals in protecting tigers and checking incidents of conflict. Villagers will be made aware, patrolling will be strengthened and technology will be used to keep a tab on the movement of tigers, Nayak said. Prakash Chandra Arya, DFO Terai West (which has 52 tigers )said with so many tigers moving outside Corbett, they will focus on ensuring tigers dont venture out much from the forest areas. To strengthen prey base in forests, we will focus on developing and improving grasslands, develop more water holes and increase surveillance through cameras traps Also Read: Another tiger dies in Maharashtra, 29 reported deaths since January this year According to the tiger census report, CTR has one of the highest density tiger population in the world which is a source of tigers in the larger landscape. This has led to negative interaction of tigers with humans in and around the tiger reserve. To gain insights in how a territorial large mammal operates at such high density and provide an early warning system to alert nearby villages of tiger movement, radio collaring of tigers should be carried out in the tiger reserve. After the tiger census report was released chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also shared his concerns. Dhami said, It is a matter of happiness that tiger numbers have increased, especially Corbett Tiger Reserve which has reported the highest tiger numbers. But with the increase in tiger numbers, tiger poachers have also started becoming active. We are dedicated to checking such activities with strict monitoring and surveillance. With the surge in tiger numbers, we also have to look into how we can check tiger-man conflict. Besides Corbett and Rajaji Tiger Reserve, tigers are found in other areas here. We will request the Centre to help the state in taking strong protection measures in these areas also, he had said. Recent tiger poaching activities in the state have put authorities on the alert as well. Ar least seven people were arrested by a joint team of police, forest department and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in a tiger-poaching case, which led to the serizure of 15 kg tiger bones and an 11-feet long tiger skin were recovered (the longest ever found in the state.) The Shivalik-Bhabar tracts of the state are home to several tigers and has habitats that have the potential to hold more tigers including in areas like Almora, Nainital, and Champawat forest divisions, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has said In the recently-released tiger census report, WII experts emphasised safeguarding this tiger population, which is currently one of the densest in the world because of the comparatively well-connected forest tracts. In view of the increase in tiger number, WII has suggested radio-collaring tigers and elephants and proposed developing an early warning system, which can help alleviate the ever-surging tiger-man conflict in the state. The WII has also suggested that Terai West which is connected to CTR and Terai East -- also connected to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve -- should be declared as a tiger reserve. The state of Uttarakhand has reported the third highest tiger population in the country with 560 tigers, while the CTR has reported the highest tiger population with 260 tigers among the countrys 53 tiger reserves. In the latest report, the tiger population in Uttarakhand has risen from 178 in 2006, 227 in 2010, 340 in 2014, 442 in 2018 and 560 in 2022. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neeraj Santoshi He is principal correspondent based at Bhopal. He covers environment and wildlife, state administration, BJP and other saffron organisations. He has special interest in social issues based stories. ...view detail Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said all temporary employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be regularised. Kejriwal said MCD employees will make Delhi the cleanest city of the country in the next two-three years. (@ArvindKejriwal) Kejriwal was addressing a felicitation programme organised by the MCD highlighting the timely payment of salaries. Around 370 sanitation workers were also handed over regularisation certificates at the ceremony. It is my guarantee, and we will fulfill this commitment. It is a big task, and it may take some time, but everyone will be regularised, he added. Also Read: Kejriwal orders suspension of official accused of raping friends daughter Kejriwal added that all Group A, B, C and D category workers are getting salaries on the first day of the month. It happened last time in 2010. Everyone is getting salary on time after 13 years and everyone should be congratulated for it, he added. The CM added that an honest AAP-led government was in place in the MCD and will soon make it financially reliant. The chief minister said the house tax collections have gone up in the past few months. There is less corruption while people have also started paying taxes knowing their money will be put to good use. When we started, the Delhi government was also in losses, but now it has surplus funds despite water-electricity being free among other welfare schemes. Soon, MCD will also stand on its feet with same workers and officers, he said. Citing Indores example as being the cleanest city in the country, Kejriwal said MCD employees will make Delhi the cleanest city of the country in the next two-three years. The municipal elections in Delhi were held on December 4 and AAP won 134 seats out of 250, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which was in power for the past 15 years. Kejriwal highlighted the fact that under previous set up, MCD workers saw salary pendency for three to four months. 70% of workers time was spent on protests to get salaries. Now everyone is happy. MCDs main job is to clean Delhi. You have started a mega sanitation campaign and we will link all the people of Delhi with this drive. In the next few months, Delhi will become a cleaner city. I will fulfill all the guarantees made before the elections he added. Meanwhile, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor criticised the felicitation ceremony. Delhi CM Kejriwal has been promising voters of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh that once in power, AAP will regularise all temporary government employees and he should take lead to regularise the temporary employees of MCD first to set an example, he added. Kapoor alleged that AAP functionaries had been pressurising employee unions to make the workers attend the forcibly arranged programme to felicitate the chief minister. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against a senior Delhi government official for raping a 16-year-old girl repeatedly over several months, police officers aware of the case said on Sunday. The sexual assault left the girl pregnant, after which the suspects wife gave her abortion pills and ended the pregnancy, said officers. The suspect is yet to be arrested because the allegations are still being investigated, said police officers. (Representational Image/HT Photo) Read here: Two boys apprehended for raping six-year-old girl, handed over to CWC According to a Delhi government spokesperson, the suspect is a deputy director in the women and child development department. The government takes a serious view of such crimes and, if found guilty, severe action will be taken against the official, the spokesperson added. Sagar Singh Kalsi, deputy commissioner of police (north), said that a case of rape, molestation, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, causing hurt, causing miscarriage without consent, criminal conspiracy, common intention, and under the Pocso Act, has been registered at Burari police station. The suspect is yet to be arrested because the allegations are still being investigated, he added. Investigators said the girl lived in a north Delhi neighbourhood with her parents. The girls father was a senior official in the Delhi government, but he died in 2020, while the girls mother is also a Delhi government official.The girl and the suspect met at a religious place in Burari, which they would frequently visit with their families, said officers associated with the case. Over time, the two families became very close, said a second senior police officer, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to discuss the case. According to the police, the girls father passed away in 2020, after which the suspect offered to take her to his home to support her and help her recover from the trauma, said the police officer cited anonymously above. DCP Kalsi said that for the next five months, the girl stayed under the care and guardianship of the suspect. Between October 2020 and February 2021, the official allegedly raped her several times at his residence, said the second officer. In 2021, the girl found that she was pregnant, and confided in the suspects wife, said investigators. She told us that the suspects wife warned her not to reveal the abuse to anyone and asked one of her relatives to bring abortion pills from the market. The wife gave the abortion pills to the girl, said the second officer. Sometime later, the girls mother visited the girl at the suspects residence. The girl told her mother that she was not feeling well and asked to be taken home, the officer said. The girls mother then took her home; however, she encountered the suspect again when she visited the place of worship, and he molested her at the scene, according to the police. The suspect continued to molest her on subsequent visits to the religious place, said investigators. The girl is an introvert and wasnt able to reveal the crime to anyone, the officer said. However, earlier this month, the girl suffered an anxiety attack and was admitted to a hospital in north Delhi. After extensive counselling, she confided in the doctors, counsellors, and police officers about the sexual abuse. She said she had terminated her pregnancy after receiving the abortion pills from the suspects wife, said DCP Kalsi. The hospital authorities informed the police, after which the FIR was registered at Burari police station. The survivor is still recovering and is under the care (of the hospital), said DCP Kalsi, adding that her medical examination has been conducted, and her statement will soon be recorded before a magistrate. Read here: Must show urgency in abortion hearings: Supreme Court The suspect did not respond to phone calls and messages seeking a response. The Delhi government spokesperson said, He (the suspect) is a deputy director in the WCD department. Since an FIR has been lodged in the alleged matter, the law should take its course. The Delhi government is very sensitive about matters of womens safety and child abuse. If he has committed any such reprehensible act, then the sternest possible action should be taken against him. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! LUDZIDZINI The 43rd SADC Summit has been described as one that afforded the country an opportunity to help leaders understand the Tinkhundla System of Government better. This was the observation of His Majesty the King, who said, as a result, some SADC leaders commended the country for coming up with a home-grown political governance system and encouraged emaSwati to nurture it if it worked well for the country. The King was speaking to the media upon his return from the summit on Saturday night. He was accompanied by Inkhosikati LaNtentesa. The summit was preceded by a meeting of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, known as the Troika. Eswatini was on the Troikas agenda, where it was expected to give an update on the political and security situation in the country, following the June 2021 riots. The King said after the opening ceremony, leaders went into a session where, among other things on the agenda, the country was able to give an update about recent developments that had seen the country attain peace and begin the process of elections. Prayer We reported to SADC that we started the year with a national prayer, where we called for silencing of the guns and the adoption of the Swati way of resolving issues, through peaceful means. We informed SADC that emaSwati listened to the call, which is in line with the Africa Union initiative towards achieving the goals of Agenda 2063 and there is now peace in the country, he said. The King said the prevailing peace had created a conducive environment to hold the national elections, which are currently underway and have recorded a very successful voter registration turnout. We reported that above 500 000 people registered, which was close to 600 000. If you turn this into a percentage, it represents between 90 and 95 per cent of eligible voter turnout. This demonstrated a commitment by emaSwati to participate in the Tinkhundla election process, he noted. The King said SADC would be sending election observers to all the countries that would be conducting elections, and Eswatini was more than ready to welcome them. He reported that this was when the country used the opportunity to educate the leaders on how the Tinkhundla System worked, saying the leaders were appreciative of the information. They encouraged us to continue working together and stay united in nurturing the system for the development and benefit of our people, he said. The King said the leaders wished the country well in the elections while extending the same to other countries that were heading to the polls this year. Agenda On the security issue, we were not the only country on the agenda, as there were reports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Lesotho, and others. The region has a bright future, but there is a need to address conflicts such as those we see in Niger, Sudan, Russia, and Ukraine. SADC took a position to call for a peaceful solution in all these areas as the impact is having a devastating effect on hundreds of people who have now become refugees, he said. His Majesty added that the reality on the ground was that no country could develop without the cooperation and support of other countries, which was why the country regarded SADC as an important organ. Speaking on the summit theme, Human and Financial Capital: The Key Drivers for Sustainable Industrialisation in the SADC Region, the King said concern persisted about how African countries continued to export raw materials with no value addition. He said the leaders had resolved to work together to reverse this trend. Among the issues we need to develop are; trade, energy sufficiency, and agriculture. We want to develop our region into the SADC that our forefathers envisioned. We will look at development from all fronts, particularly ensuring the presence of peace and security, and in making this call, it was evident that the region is committed to an Africa that is well developed to meet the needs of its people, he said. The senior Delhi government official, who was booked for allegedly raping his deceased friend's minor daughter, has been arrested by Delhi Police. His wife, who gave minor girl abortion pills as part of cover-up has also been arrested. The detention comes hours after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the suspension of the official, who has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The accused deputy director and his wife are being interrogated. Any other witnesses or accused will be made a part of the investigation, DCP North District Sagar Singh Kalsi, told news agency ANI. Earlier in the day, the police had registered an FIR against the official, who served as deputy director in the women and child development department. According to the investigators, the minor girls lived in a north Delhi neighbourhood with her parents. Her father, a senior official in the Delhi government, died in 2020. The girl's mother is also a Delhi government official. The victim and the accused had met at a religious place in Burari, which they would often visit with their families. Delhi govt official arrested According to police officials, when the girl's father died in 2020, the accused official offered to take her to his home to support her and help recover from the trauma of losing the parent. He allegedly raped the girl several times at his residence between October 2020 and February 2021. In 2021, the girl found she was pregnant and confided in the official's wife who warned her not to reveal the abuse to anyone. She even gave abortion pills to the girl. After a while, the girl's mother met her daughter at the accused official's residence. The daughter asked to be taken home on account of poor health. The girl encounter the suspect official at the religious place who molested her, police said. Earlier this month, the girl suffered an anxiety attack and was hospitalised. After counselling, she confided about the sexual abuse and termination of pregnancy. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail Allegations that a senior Delhi government officer raped a minor girl several times over three months has brought a cloistered neighbourhood church in north Delhis Burari into the spotlight, after it emerged that the survivors and suspects families shared ties that originated in a small prayer house decades ago. PREMIUM Police with the arrested Delhi government official and his wife on Monday. (ANI) Premoday Khakha, 51, who served as deputy director in Delhis women and child department (WCD), and his wife 50-year-old Seema Rani were arrested on Monday, after a 17-year-old girl who lived in their Burari residence between October 2020 and April 2021 alleged that the man raped her multiple times. Also read: Burari minor rape: Delhi CM Kejriwal orders WCD officers suspension Khakha, whom the girl referred to as mama, brought the minor in after her fathers death in October 2020. Her mother, who had known the family for years, believed her daughter would get better in Khakhas care, and that spending time in their home would help her overcome the bereavement. The trust emerged from a string of ties they shared. Their bond went back to 1998, when the two families first met during Sunday prayers at Amazing Grace Church in Shahdara in east Delhi. But their time in that two-storey church overlapped because of a common heritage both families are originally from Ranchi in Jharkhand, where they followed the Lutheran Church. When they moved to Delhi, their searches for a Lutheran Church led them to Amazing Grace Church, founded in 1992 by another Ranchi resident, Ajit Kumar Horo, at his residence in Bihari Colony in Shahdara. He set the church up after having himself given up on his quest for a Lutheran prayer hall in the Capital. Now more than 30 years old, the close-knit church still has just 30 families as members, though its changed locations twice, moving from Shahdara to Mukherjee Nagar in 2002 and then Burari in 2015. Since then, it has operated from a two-storey building in Himgiri Enclave residential colony, said Pramod Kumar, the church caretaker. Until Monday, when Khakha was suspended from his position in the government and was later arrested along with his wife, the members of the church, including its 64-year-old founder and pastor Horo, were unaware of the trauma that the minor girl was put through. Members of the church, who asked not be identified, said that relations between the two families, who had known each other for nearly 25 years, had soured. They said that the girl and her mother had not visited the church for nearly a month, while Khakha and his family members skipped prayers over the last two Sundays. When HT visited the church on Monday afternoon, a woman who works in the institution said she was aware that the girl was admitted to a city hospital around a fortnight ago. However, the woman, who asked not to be named, said she did not know the teenager had been raped. I still cant believe Khakha sexually assaulted the girl. I have known the families for over 20 years. They were very close and like a family. Khakha is a key member of the church. He was also the former secretary of the church committee. I remember him to be a nice and helping man, the woman said. HT spoke to Kumar over the phone, who said that no member of the church was aware of the case. He, however, added that he had noticed that the two families were not speaking to each other for the last few weeks. The girl was not regular at church for a while either, added Kumar. Horo told HT that set the church up with the hope of helping Christians from his hometown get educated. His church, he said, believed in free worship, providing a place for prayer meets and social work. Nearly 30 families are associated with the church. We only have one church in Burari and no other branches anywhere in the country, said Horo. Horo, a retired official with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), said the church, or its members were not involved in any conversions or preaching outside. Apart from him, at least three other members lead the Sunday prayers as pastors. The caretaker of the church, however, added that the entire building is covered by 16 CCTV cameras, and it was not possible for any member to commit any such crime at the religious place. We have video footage of the past few days. If required, we will give the footage to the police, added Kumar. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed the Left student unions for the death of a first-year student at Jadavpur University (JU) in Kolkata earlier this month. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addressing a gathering of Muslim leaders in Kolkata on Monday. (ANI) We used to feel proud about JU. We still do. But we saw how Left student unions killed the student. The situation hasnt changed. They wont change, Banerjee said while addressing a gathering of Muslim leaders in Kolkata. This is, however, not the first time that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo has attacked the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) and Left-backed student unions over the students death in JU. I called the victims parents. His father told me that his son used to cry over phone and say that he was being tortured. His father never imagined that they would kill his son and throw his body from the balcony. He wants justice. Who are these people. They are Marxists, Banerjee said while addressing a cultural programme in Kolkata on August 14. She had also said that she avoids going to any programme in JU. The victim was wearing an amulet. He was told that it was Red Fort (Left citadel) and forced to open it. They dont allow police to enter (the campus) or install CCTV. Students are ragged. It is now a terror town. I am hurt and shocked. I usually avoid going to JU. They may be good in studies. But to become a human being, one needs to be humane and have conscience. Not all are bad. I am not blaming the students. But there are some branded CPI(M) supporters. They think it is their right to torture freshers. They strip freshers, she had said. JU was adjudged the best university in West Bengal in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2023 (NIRF 23) rankings. It bagged the fourth position nationally among universities for the second year straight after IISc Bengaluru, JNU Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi. The CPI(M), however, hit back saying that no student unions would support ragging and demanded a thorough police probe into the incident. The TMC always tells the truth. We have seen how she blamed the CPI(M) when the Singur project failed. No students unions would support ragging. We would request not to play dirty politics. But we have seen how she politicised the issue by blaming the CPI(M) last week. We want a through probe into the incident and the guilty should be punished, Koustav Chatterjee, CPI(M) leader, told the media. A first-year student of the university allegedly died by suicide after he was ragged and sexually harassed by some seniors and ex-students. The victim was found lying naked in a pool of blood on the night of August 9. He succumbed in the early hours next day. Police have already registered a murder case and 13 persons, including former and present students, have been arrested till date. They Are all in police custody now. On Monday, forensic officials reached the hostel. A dummy was used to recreate the crime scene. Sleuths dropped the dummy from the second floor from where the student allegedly jumped. A few more persons who were there in the hostel on August 9 are being questioned. Their mobile phones are being scanned, said an official. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The four-day Y20 (Youth 20) Summit, which concluded in Varanasi on Sunday, accepted Indias proposal to include the African Union as a permanent member of the G20. It also demanded that G20 member countries should accept this proposal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Foreign delegates during the Y20 Summit in Varanasi. (PTI) Y20 is the official youth engagement group of G20. It provides a platform that allows the youth to express their vision and ideas on the G20 priorities. The summit made various recommendations, including empower lifelong learning, prepare the global workforce for global challenges, strengthen international research collaboration, promote universal gig worker rights and implement accessible sustainable financing and mentoring, according to a communique. The communique was released by representatives of Y20 Chair India, Indonesia Organising Committee and Brazil Organising Committee. Y20 under the overall framework of G20 under the presidency of India has set new milestones for the world. During the summit, Y20 communique was discussed and negotiated, thereafter, it has been signed successfully with global consent, said head of delegation, Y20 India, Falit Sijariya at a press conference. Director, department of youth affairs, Pankaj Kumar Singh, Varanasi district magistrate S. Rajalingam, Press Information Bureau (PIB)s media and communication officer Prashant Kakkar (IIS), Y20 chair Anmol Sovit, Track Chair, Y20 India, Lakshit Mittal also addressed the press conference. Good thing about the Y20 communiques first operative clause is that it accepts and celebrates Indias proposal to include African Union in G20 in order that G20 could be G21. Y20 members also demanded that G20 countries should accept Indias proposal to include African Union in G20 as a permanent member. In fact, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a proposal (to the G20 countries) to include the African Union as a permanent member in G20, said Sijariya. The outcome of the summit in form of the Y20 communique was signed by heads of delegations, marking the conclusion of various discussions held during the past few months. It is a testament to the collective common vision across the five identified themes of Y20, which will ensure that the voices of young people are heard by the highest-level decision-makers on global platform, the communque said. A plenary session was held on Sunday. The flag was officially handed over by Y20 India Chair to the Brazilian head of delegation. The outcome of the summit in form of Y20 communique was signed by heads of delegations, which marked the conclusion of the various discussions held during the last few months. The Youth 20 Summit 2023 was organised under the framework of G20 Presidency of India by the department of youth affairs, ministry of youth affairs and sports, at the Rudraksha International Cooperation and Convention Centre in Varanasi. During the four- day summit, delegates visited Sarnath, the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Ganga ghat during a river cruise. Indias rich art, culture and heritage left a long-lasting impression on the delegates from across the world. Rich and diverse cultural heritage of the holy city of Varanasi; its spirituality, literature, art, and music also mesmerised the delegates from G20 countries, guest countries and international organisations. A number of events were organised including the Y20 Curtain Raiser in New Delhi, inception meeting in Guwahati, Y20 pre-summit at Leh, Ladakh, 14 Y20 consultations at various universities across the country and 50 brainstorming sessions each by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS). Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sudhir Kumar Sudhir Kumar is Varanasi based senior staff correspondent.He covers all developments, politics, education--primary, secondary and higher -- crime, offbeat, tribes and human angle stories ...view detail LUCKNOW A youth allegedly dressed as a lawyer hurled a shoe at Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya during a backward classes conclave organised by him at Lucknows Indira Gandhi Pratishthan on Monday. The shoe did not reach up to Maurya and party workers thrashed the alleged assailant. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and party leader Swami Prasad Maurya duing OBC convention at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow, on Monday. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo) The police took the youth, Akash Saini, into custody. It all happened around 12.30pm when Maurya arrived at the corridor of the auditorium. The incident came a day after black ink was thrown at BJPs OBC candidate for Ghosi assembly bypolls, Dara Singh Chauhan, on Sunday during campaigning. Maurya had organised the conclave to highlight the work of eminent personalities from the backward classes of society. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was the chief guest. Yadav, who reached the venue an hour after the incident, hit out at the BJP. He said: Yesterday, it was the BJP man who was responsible for the ink attack incident. Even in todays incident, the man, in some way is of BJP...the BJP is rattled over the eroding public support and now it will have to give an account of its 10 years at the centre, and seven years in Uttar Pradesh. Who knows what the BJP would do before the elections. The incident is sad and should not happen with any leader. SP Maurya is a leader of stature. He had been minister and leader of opposition. This government talks about zero tolerance. Is it under its zero-tolerance that leaders are being insulted, he asked. During his speech, Yadav said: We have to be alert on BJP designs. The man who threw ink was a Yadav and the one who hurled the shoe is a Saini (both OBC castes). Referring to an old video of the youth (who hurled the shoe), Yadav said he seems to be a BJP man. The video purportedly shows the man in saffron clothes firing in the air with a rifle. Swami Prasad Maurya, during his speech, said: There were people who announced a bounty on my headthey are filled with so much venom and hatred, but I want to tell you that I cant be intimidated or stopped in my mission of fighting for social justice and against caste discrimination. In January this year, the SP leader had said that the Ramcharitmanas written by Goswami Tulsidas used derogatory language against backwards, Dalits, tribals, and women; and recently said that the Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath Daam were originally Buddhist monasteries. Hanumangarhi (Ayodhya) priest Raju Das, in a video statement, welcomed the attack. Thanks to the attacker who hurled the shoe at someone who hurls abuses at Sanatan Dharma. Today, a shoe was hurled at Mauryain the days to come, such attack would be on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav because leaders in his party make insulting remarks on Sanatan dharma, and he does not take action against them. Responding to the video, former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, warned Raju Das through a video message: We too live in the same Ayodhya, hope you are wise. Maintain dignity. One does not become a seer by his attire, but by conduct. Complaint against SP workers for thrashing accused A complaint was submitted against SP workers at Vibhuti Khand police station on Monday night for allegedly thrashing the man who hurled a shoe at Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya during a party event at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. In his statement to police, Vikas Saini, brother of the accused, Akash Saini, 30, claimed: When Swami Prasad Maurya entered the venue (IGP), his supporters told him that Akash had gone to attack the SP leader. At this, SP Maurya spat on him. Akash hurled a shoe at him, after which 40-50 SP workers thrashed him. He sustained a head injury. According to him, the SP workers objected Akashs presence at the OBC mahasammelan, saying that people with long teeka on their forehead and a particular hairstyle were not allowed at the event. But my brother (Akash), who is an advocate, objected by saying he was on the list of invitees, said Vikas. Several members of the Hindu Mahasabha, including its national spokesperson Shishir Chaturvedi, came in support of Vikas Saini. ACP (Lucknow) AV Singh said Akash Saini came to the event dressed as a lawyer. He was detained from IGP when some people were thrashing him. He sustained injuries and was taken to Balrampur Hospital, he said. We cant talk to him at this moment as he is undergoing treatment, added the officer. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! A youth allegedly dressed as a lawyer hurled a shoe at Samajwadi Party national general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow when the leader arrived to address a backward classes conclave. Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya. (Imaged sourced from social media.) The incident happened around 12.30pm when Maurya arrived at the venue. The crowd, comprising Mauryas supporters and SP workers, caught the attacker and manhandled him though the shoe did not hit the leader. Police personnel present at the site rescued the attacker, identified as Akash Saini, and took him into custody. Maurya had organised the conclave to highlight the work of eminent personalities from the backward classes of society. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was the chief guest. Mondays incident comes a day after black ink was thrown at BJPs OBC candidate for the Ghosi assembly bypolls, Dara Singh Chauhan, on Sunday during campaigning. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! LUCKNOW/VARANASI Twenty-four hours after black ink was hurled at BJPs OBC candidate for Ghosi assembly bypoll Dara Singh Chauhan, a youth Abhimanyu Yadav Diamond surrendered before cops in Ghosi on Monday, claiming he had acted at the behest of a local BJP leader. The accused revealed that he was angry with Chauhan because he left the SP to join the BJP, said police. (Pic for representation) Abhimanyu, whose facebook account has a photo of him with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, was purportedly seen walking to the Kopaganj police station in a video while responding to an unidentified person, who wanted to know reason for the ink attack on the BJP candidate. It is the BJPs doing. I was told by local BJP leader Prince Yadav (block development committee member) that this needed to be done as the election was tight. He had also promised to save me, the youth was seen telling the unidentified person. Circle officer (city) Dhananjay Mishra confirmed that the youth, who took responsibility of the ink attack, surrendered before the police. An FIR was registered against Abhimanyu following a complaint by Dara Singh Chauhans gunner Hari Om Maurya, he said. The case was registered under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means) and other relevant sections of the IPC, he added. The accused revealed that he was angry with Chauhan because he left the SP to join the BJP. He was emotionally attached to the SP, with which Chauhan was associated earlier, the police officer said. Police claimed the accused had also threatened Prince Yadav two days back during the bypoll campaign. However, local BJP leader Prince Yadav dismissed Abhimanyus allegations. In a video, he was purportedly seen telling some media persons that he was aware of the allegations levelled against him. I was in Kushinagar for the last two days, attending BJPs zila panchayat training session. Last night I came to Mau and watched the video of the ink-attack. This morning, I realised that I had been named by someone as being responsible for the attack. This is the handiwork of SP candidate Sudhakar Singh who felt that I was the only Yadav leader in Ghosi backing Dara Singh and hence wanted to disturb this equation, he was heard telling media persons. The ink attack, which happened seconds after BJP candidate Dara Singhs supporters had welcomed him in Adri Panchayat (Adri Chatti) area of Ghosi with garlands, had caught him off guard as the attacker smeared his face with black ink before fleeing. Just before that, Dara Singh had attended a public meeting at a college in Kopaganj block, targeting his rival and SP loyalist Sudhakar Singh, a former lawmaker, who missed the 2022 contest due to Chauhans last-minute switch to the SP. After the SP lost the 2022 U.P. polls to the BJP, Chauhan, despite winning from Ghosi seat, subsequently rejoined the BJP. The SP dismissed the BJP allegation. Who knows? For political mileage, may be some BJP people were behind the attack, Samajwadi Partys national secretary and state spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said. Politics is full of such baseless allegations, Chaudhary had said on BJPs charge against the SP. The result of the Ghosi bypoll would be known on September 8. Over the last couple of years, UP has consistently witnessed ink attacks on politicians. In 2020 and 2021, AAP politicians Sanjay Singh and Somnath Bharti were subjected to ink attacks, and in 2022 Kanhaiya Kumar was similarly targeted near the Congress office in Lucknow. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of hatching conspiracy and wondered why unlike previous ink attack incidents, the accused hadnt been nabbed this time. Jab Ghosi mein syahi phekne wale ne khud hi bata diya ki ye kaam ussasey bhajpaiyon ne karaya tha to ab aagey aur kya kehna... abhi aagey dekhiyega, haar ka darr bhajpa se kya kya na karwaye...Ghosi ki janata sapa ki cycle hi chunegi (when the ink-attacker has revealed that the attack was carried out at BJPs behest, what else remains to be said on the subject. Wait and watch, the BJP can stoop to any level as it fears defeat. The people of Ghosi would pick the cycle), Yadav posted on social media platform X. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED)s money-laundering investigation related to the alleged fraudulent collection of 205 crore from nurses for Kuwait jobs by a few recruitment firms has revealed that a substantial part of the proceeds of crime was allegedly sent abroad via hawala channels by the accused firms/ persons. HT Image The agency, which carried out searches in Mumbai and Kerala recently as part of the probe, is scanning the role of a few hawala operators in transferring a part of the proceeds of crime abroad, sources said. The agency suspects that the amount collected from the nursing emigrants, which is the proceeds of crime in the case, was sent to Kuwait by way of hawala transfer with the help of hawala operator/s whose roles are being verified, sources said. A recruitment firm, which is under the probes scanner, had allegedly, with the help of others, recruited around 900 nurses who were to be employed in Kuwait, by charging exorbitant service charge, ranging from 18.5 lakh to 20 lakh from each of the applicants, which was in excess to the stipulated charges of 20,000, sources said. The ED had initiated its money-laundering investigation based on a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Cochin, against several accused including two recruitment firms. The accused were involved in the alleged recruitment of nurses for the Ministry of Health, Kuwait, by using a license fraudulently obtained from the Government of India. Subsequently, the accused Indian firms had allegedly obtained the demand letters and authorisation letters from two Kuwait-based firms, Jezan International and Al-Amar Company, for recruitment of nurses for the Ministry of Health, Kuwait, a source said. The role of a then protector of Emigrants, Cochin, has also been under the scanner in the case. During its recent search operations, the ED found several bank accounts with a cumulative balance of 76 lakh, which were immediately frozen. Documents of immovable properties, with an estimated total market value of 12 crore, were seized as well. The CBI probe was initiated in 2015 after one of the accused firms came under the scanner of the Income Tax Department, which had seized 4.55 crore cash from its premises in April-May 2015. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The farmers in Maharashtra have launched protests against the central governments decision to increase export duty on onion to 40% saying that the decision would cause them suffer losses due to heavy duty on onion exports and less prices in domestic market. The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has hit the streets and blocked the Shirdi-Surat Highway, demanding the rollback of the government decision. (Representative Image) They have shut down auctions across all the market committees in Nashik, which also got support from the farmers outfits. The Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS) urged the farmers to extend their agitation across the state by shutting down auctions at all the market committees in the state while the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has hit the streets and blocked the Shirdi-Surat Highway, demanding the rollback of the government decision. Meanwhile, state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde said he would meet Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Delhi on Tuesday. Munde admitted that the Centres decision is injustice to the farmers. Also Read |India imposes 40% tariff on onion export till Dec 31 The rise in export duty is unjustified. As agriculture minister of the state I assure all the onion growers that I am going to take up the issue with the central government and I will meet Union commerce minister and Union agriculture minister tomorrow itself, Munde told reporters. State food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that they want the central government to buy onion produce to control the market prices. He said he would take up the matter with chief minister Eknath Shinde. The Union government on Saturday imposed a 40% tariff on the export of onions till December 31 to restrict overseas sales, amid the anticipation of rise in prices ahead of the festive season, when demand for most commodities goes up. The government has maintained that the move was to avoid a price rise similar to that of tomatoes in the country. Union minister of state for health and family welfare, Bharati Pawar, on Sunday, said, There is no ban on export per se. The government has imposed some duties to prevent price-rise similar to that of tomatoes. At the same time, if theres demand for onion within the country, prices wont fall in the domestic market, she said, adding that she will write to Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal to convey the farmers sentiments. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Faisal Malik Faisal is with the political team and covers state administration and state politics. He also covers NCP. ...view detail Mumbai: The committee which was set up by the Railway Board to investigate the Jaipur-Mumbai train shooting on July 31, by dismissed RPF constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary, submitted one part of the report to the rail ministry on Monday. Jaipur-Mumbai train shooting: Probe committee suggests reforms on using weaponry on trains Sources in the railways said the committee has suggested various reforms such as use of weaponry, working hours, vacancies in the RPF, the health of the staff and patrolling of trains etc. to curb such horrific incidents in future. However, details of the report werent confirmed by the railway officials. We have submitted our part of the report to the railway ministry. We will not be able to comment on the same, said a railway official. The first such closed-door meeting was held on August 1, railway officials said there are multiple parts to this report that will be submitted by the five-member committee chaired by Sanjay Sankrityayan, additional director general of RPF. They were given at least three weeks to submit their probe. The officers on the committee are PC Sinha, principal chief security commissioner (PCSC) of Western Railway, Ajoy Sadany, PCSC of Central Railway, Narsingh, principal chief commercial manager (PCCM) of North Western Railway, Dr JP Rawat, principal chief medical director (PCMD) of North Central Railway, and Prabhat, Principal chief personnel officer (PCPO) of West Central Railway. On July 31, RPF constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary, 33, gunned down a senior colleague and three passengers on Jaipur-Mumbai Express. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MBABANE The teacher who was accused of going against PUDEMO resolution on the general elections has since resigned from the political party. Lucky Malaza told this publication that he had since resigned from the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). Malaza was nominated at Sigcaweni Chiefdom for the position of Member of Parliament (MP). Sigcaweni is one of the communities under Gilgal Inkhundla, in the Lubombo Region. Malaza is contesting against Mayibongwe Gamedze, Mcolisi Gamedze and Sithembiso Mamba. His resignation from the proscribed organisation comes after PUDEMO took a stance against participating in the general elections. During the nominations stage of the general elections, the organisation, in a Facebook post, implied that it would deal with all their members who showed an interest and were nominated during the national exercise. Elections In an interview with our sister publication, the Times Sunday, in the July 30 edition, PUDEMO National Spokesperson Maxwel Dlamini said their branches were compiling reports of the members who defied the organisations stance and a disciplinary process would be undertaken. One of the members of the party who somehow defied the stance was Malaza. The MP candidate stated that he had been a member of PUDEMO since he left high school. He hinted that he had been partaking in the past elections as a voter not as a candidate. To begin with, Malaza explained that despite the organisations stance, the general elections were individually contested and were not organisational. I am participating as a community member of Sigcaweni, not as PUDEMO or its representative, he said. Malaza also stated that he was very much clear of the resolution that was taken by PUDEMO in terms of participation in the elections. He said since he saw the need to take part in the elections, yet the organisation was against it, he felt it was best to resign from the political party. I cannot say I am with them anymore, he said. In addition, Malaza said he was tired of sending people to Parliament through his vote yet his community was still lagging behind in terms of access to services. He said he believed that inasmuch as government had challenges in some areas of service delivery, he felt some of the services could have been available in his community, but the challenge was that the residents had limited access to information where some government services were concerned. Maharashtra tribal development minister Vijaykumar Gavit courted a controversy on Monday after he said that Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has got beautiful eyes because she used to eat fish regularly. Maharashtra tribal development minister Vijaykumar Gavit. (Twitter/DrVijayKGavit) Gavit, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Nandurbar who is considered an influential tribal leader from north Maharashtra, was speaking at a function organised by the fishermen community in Dhule district, and he made the remark about the former Miss World while explaining the importance and benefits of eating fish. You must have seen the eyes of Aishwarya Rai. How beautiful they are. She grew up in the coastal area of Mangalore in Karnataka. She used to eat fish regularly and thats why she has so beautiful eyes, said Gavit, whose daughter Heena is a BJP MP from Nandurbar Lok Sabha constituency. If youths start eating fish, they will also look good and could win hearts of girls easily, the minister advised the gathering. The fish contain some oils, it makes your skin smooth, he added. The remark invited jibes from his own party. According to news agency PTI, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane said, I eat fish daily. My eyes should have become like that (like those of Aishwarya Rai). I will ask Gavit sahib if there is any research on this. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Amol Mitkari said the minister should focus on issues faced by tribals, instead of making such frivolous comments, PTI reported. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MUMBAI: After the Centre imposed a 40% hike in onion export duty on Saturday in a bid to control the price in the domestic market and keep the supply steady, onion farmers and traders in Maharashtra agitated by suspending auction of the produce in markets in Nashik, one of largest onion producing pockets in the country, and Ahmednagar. Fifteen wholesale markets in Nashik, including Lasalgaon -- Asias biggest onion market -- were closed Monday. Thane, India - August, 21, 2023: at thane union market, Farmers are angry after central government increased export duty by 40% and stopped onion exports and onion is likely to become expensive in the coming days. , in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on,Monday, August, 21, 2023. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo ) The decision for the indefinite agitation was taken in a meeting of the Nashik District Onion Traders Association (NDOTA) on Sunday, confirmed Khandu Deore, the bodys president. Heavy duty on exports translates to a dent in prices expected by farmers in the domestic market. Balasaheb Kamathe, one of the traders at Lasalgaon, said, Large quantities of onions are exported from the APMC to neighbouring countries. The demand-supply chain will be affected when the new mandate comes into effect. Hence, we have decided to close the market for 15 days, said Kamathe. The shutdown will impact the supply across the country. Maharashtra accounts for around 40 percent of the total produce in the country. The rate of onion in Nashik districts wholesale market on Monday was 2150 per quintal. The average price is known to swing between 2000- 2500 per quintal at any given point of time. The farmers resistance has elicited differences in views from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in state. While union minister Bharati Pawar justified the Centres decision, ministers from the Ajit Pawar faction of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as well as Shiv Sena favoured higher prices demanded by onion farmers. The state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde, who called the Centres decision unfair, will be in Delhi on Tuesday to meet union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar to discuss the issue. Munde said, I assure all the onion growers a reduction in the export duty. Extending his support to the farmers, food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal said a rollback was imperative. Bharati Pawar however argued, There is no ban on the sale the government has imposed some duties to prevent a price rise similar to that of tomatoes. If theres demand within the country, prices wont fall in the domestic market. The Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS), a farmers outfit, urged the agrarian community to extend their agitation across the state by shutting down auctions across markets, while the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) blocked the Shirdi-Surat Highway, demanding a rollback. When activists from SSS met NCP president Sharad Pawar in Pune on Monday, Pawar assured them that he will bring up the issue for discussion at the Mumbai meeting of I.N.D.I.A. scheduled on September 1. BJPs ally Shiv Sena and Rayat Kranti Sanghatana (RKS) too slammed the Centres decision. Shiv Sena legislator and public works (public undertakings) minister Dada Bhuse said in half-jest, If onion prices go up by 25- 30 per kg, those who cannot not afford it should not eat it for two to four months; nothing will happen if they do so. He assured farmers in the state that the prices will not dip. RKS chief Sada Khot said, Whenever farmers start getting good prices for their produce, the central government intervenes by tweaking the policy of import and export. This happens in all governments, who are out to loot the farmers. Meanwhile, a section of farmers are not keen on suspending the auction completely for long. Bharat Dighole, president of the Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association, said, While the traders association at APMC Lasalgaon has decided to close down the market for 15 days, the onion growers do not want to do so. The opposition on the hike in export rates should be done jointly by the traders and farmers on the one hand, while farmers should be allowed to sell their produce alongside, as onions are perishable and farmers cannot hold large stocks for an extended period. We have given our memorandum of demands to immediately cancel this decision to the APMC chairman, but none of the traders came along with us, said Dighole. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two natives of Haryana were arrested in Keralas Thiruvananthapuram on Monday on charges of cheating and impersonation during a technical exam of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), police said. Police said the accused had fixed the mobile phone inside his clothes with a belt in such a way that its camera was attached to a shirt button hole. (Representative Image) The arrested persons were identified as Manoj Kumar and Gautam Chauhan, who had appeared for the written exam at different centres in the city under the guise of Sumit Kumar and Sunil Kumar, respectively. They had reportedly flown in from Haryana to appear for the exam for technician-B post of the VSSC and had planned to fly back as well. We had received an anonymous tip that a few persons were going to indulge in cheating and impersonation during the VSSC exams. Based on the tip, we alerted the invigilators of the respective centres. Shortly after, we got a call from a centre confirming the same, said an officer from the Museum police station, where the arrest of Chauhan was recorded. Kumar was arrested from a different exam centre falling under the Medical College police station. During the questioning, we found that the accused had used mobile phone and Bluetooth earpiece to cheat during the exam. He had fixed the mobile phone inside his clothes with a belt in such a way that its camera was attached to a shirt button hole. The camera was switched on and the questions were relayed through it using an app to someone outside who supplied the answers. The accused heard the answers through a tiny Bluetooth earpiece and wrote them. He was able to answer most of the questions, the officer added. There are others being questioned in connection with the incident and a probe is on to find out where the accused got the answers from and if there is a big racket operating behind it, the officer said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishnu Varma Vishnu Varma is Assistant Editor and reports from Kerala for the Hindustan Times. He has 10 years of experience writing for print and digital platforms and has worked at The New York Times, NDTV and The Indian Express in the past. He specialises in longform reportage at the intersections of politics, crime, social commentary and environment. ...view detail The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun preparations to connect with people through social media in a big way to maximise the partys outreach for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. BJP plans big social media push ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls (Pic for representation) It has set a target of reaching 30% people in the country through social media, leaders aware of the development said in Kanpur. In Uttar Pradesh, the party would be holding special social media workshops between August 27 and September 15. The party will focus on gaining the big faces of different social media platforms. The party will try to recruit those with a subscriber base of 20,000 to one lakh in the social media, said two BJP leaders on the condition of anonymity. 449 big influencers identified in the process have been invited to social media workshop in Lucknow on August 27, they added. At the district level, the partys focus would be on joining of people with a subscriber base of 10,000 followers to 50,000 followers. The idea is to reach out to 30% people in the country and use social media to manage equations in 30% of total Lok Sabha seats, said a leader. This way the party targets 24 seats in U.P. having a total 80 seats and 163 on the national scene, the leader added. The social media teams would be formed at three levels: Lok Sabha teams that would have one convener, one co-convener and 10 members each. The assembly and mandal teams would have convener, co-convener and five members each. Partys regional convener of social media (Kanpur-Bundelkhand) Mahendra Vikram Singh said, The party has given priority to social media this time. The state team in each district will have a 12-member social team while the IT team will have two members. This is the first time the party is pushing social media more than its IT wing. Ahead of these workshops, the party has set a deadline that each district should have social media in place by August 20. The biggest change this time is the district team(s) would not function under the district president but would report to the state social media team. The party would be holding a volunteers meet in all the major cities next month. We expect 5,000 influencers in Uttar Pradesh will join the party. They would help fight anti-BJP propaganda in different domains of social media, said leaders. The BJP leaders said these influencers will also be taken to the Kashi Vishwanath (KV) corridor in Varanasi and Ram temple in Ayodhya. Harsh Dwivedi and Ayushman Singh, the co-convenors of BJPs social media wing, said the party will also use artificial intelligence (AI) in its social media campaign. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The body of an adult one-horned rhinoceros was recovered in Assams Manas National Park on Saturday, but forest officials said it was not a case of poaching and that the death could be a result of fight between two rhinos. A newborn one-horned rhino with the mother inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. (AP File Photo) Officials of Manas National Park said the dead body was found near the Rupohi camp under the Bhuyanpara range of the national park. Vaibhav C Mathur, director of Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, on Sunday confirmed it was a natural death, and said, We have examined the dead body and it has been found to be a natural death, our officials have confirmed it. It was a male rhino, aged around 18 years. Its most likely that the animal died due to infighting with other wild animals or another rhino, he added. This was the third death of a rhino in Manas National Park this year. One rhino was killed by some poachers in June, while an aged female rhino died naturally earlier this month, he said. The officials said that the park was inhabited by a significant rhino population in the 1980s, but the number drastically reduced in the next two decades due to high numbers of poaching. The state government in the 2000s took some important steps and increased the security arrangements. The Assam forest department in 2005 planned to translocate rhinos from the Kaziranga National Park and the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, saving the lives of several wildlife animals, officials said. In the 2010s, the number of poaching cases reduced, and it came down to zero in 2021. The state government and Assam police are taking strict actions against poaching and have arrested several people in recent times, officials said. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in Assam and a team from the Chirang Forest Department last week conducted an operation near the India-Bhutan border and arrested three suspected poachers. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON AGRA In response to the PIL filed by an Agra-based lawyer, the Supreme Court has directed the issuance of notices to respondents. The PIL seeks stringent disciplinary actions by the Ethics and Medical Registration Board, as well as the State Medical Councils, against registered medical practitioners who do not prescribe generic alternatives to branded names. The Supreme Court bench -- comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Padriwala, and Justice Manoj Mishra -- heard the PIL. (PTI) The writ petition also calls for the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority to establish a pricing mechanism that takes manufacturing costs into account. This mechanism aims to protect buyers from being overcharged or exploited by medical establishments relying on inflated MRPs. The Supreme Court bench -- comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Padriwala, and Justice Manoj Mishra -- has informed that notices will be issued regarding the Writ Petition (Civil) 793 of 2023, as stated by the petitioner, KC Jain. KC Jain, the petitioner, emphasises that despite the Medical Council of India (MCI) requiring doctors to prescribe generic medicines since 2002, a span of 21 years, branded medicines are still commonly prescribed. This practice results in increased costs for patients compared to generic alternatives. Jain further highlights that only 20% of drugs fall under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), failing to address pricing for the remaining 80%. This situation forces patients to pay elevated prices for medicines. Explaining the PIL filed with the Supreme Court, Jain points out that access to affordable medicines plays a pivotal role in ensuring effective healthcare delivery and upholding the right to health. He notes that generic medicines, containing the same active ingredients as branded versions but without the associated brand name, are often significantly more affordable, with price differences ranging from 50% to 90%. Jains petition also underscores the necessity of medicines for the right to life, but high costs restrict access for economically disadvantaged individuals. He cites MCI regulations from 2002 and subsequent communications advocating generic medicine prescriptions, as well as amendments made in 2016, emphasising the importance of doctors prescribing generic medicines. Despite these measures, the practice is not consistently followed nationwide. The PIL raises concerns about the pricing of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs as per the DPCO. While scheduled drugs are subject to price control, non-scheduled drugs lack a fixed procedure for pricing, allowing manufacturing companies to set significantly higher MRPs. The petition calls for government intervention in regulating the prices of non-scheduled drugs. Jain adds that the matter is scheduled for a hearing on October 6, 2023. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! PATNA: The Bihar government on Monday put a plan to inaugurate and rename a park in state capital Patna after several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the state claimed that the park was already named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2018. Bihar environment, forest and climate change secretary Bandana Preyashi said they have asked Patna Municipal Corporation to confirm if the park was notified as Atal Park (HT Photo/Santosh Kumar) Bandana Preyashi, secretary of Bihars department of environment, forest and climate change, said the programme was postponed to confirm the facts about the park in view of the allegations. For the time being, we have postponed the inauguration of the said park that was scheduled today. We have also asked the Patna Municipal Corporation to confirm if and when was the park notified as Atal Park, she said. Bihar environment minister Tej Pratap Yadav was to inaugurate the park that was listed in official records as Coconut Park. People familiar with the matter said it was one of the 75 parks to be taken over by the forest department following an agreement with the urban development department in 2019. BJP state president Samrat Chaudhry mounted a sharp attack on chief minister Nitish Kumar, recalling how he had made a well-publicised visit to the former prime ministers memorial in New Delhi. The renaming shows the real face of chief minister Nitish Kumar and his respect for the late prime minister. A few days back he had gone to pay his homage and today he is getting renamed the park, said. Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai said it was a crime. It is offensive to rename the park which was named after Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is almost like a crime. The nation and public will question Tejashwi Yadav. Chief minister Nitish Kumar can still stop him and if he doesnt stop him now, then Tejashwi Yadav will change his name as well, said People familiar with the matter said the criticism wasnt fair because the park, according to the available information, may never have been officially named in memory of the former PM. Tej Pratap Yadav, who is Tejashwi Yadavs brother, rebutted the BJP criticism. The park is named Coconut Park in official papers. Rumours are being spread that the park has been renamed. The BJP people must have put up the board (of Atal Park), Tej Pratap said. The plaque does not cite any government department but only private organisations (HT Photo/Santosh Kumar) Mirtunjay Tiwary, spokesperson of the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal also hit out, saying it was the BJPs culture to rename projects and buildings. We dont believe in re-naming... It is the culture of BJP to change names, Tiwari said, citing the central governments recent decision to rename the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in New Delhi. According to the plaque on the pedestal of Vajpayees bust at the park, the park was named after Vajpayee at a function in December 2018 - it says the park will be called Atal Bihari Vajpayee-cum-Coconut Park. But the plaque only lists individuals or private organisations including the Situation and Development Foundation. It is not clear under what circumstances a private organisation were allowed to instal a statute at a public park and rename it. It has not been possible to contact the organisation since the listed phone number was switched off. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pune Currently, tourists driving to the fort are charged 50 and 100 in cash as toll for two-wheelers and four-wheelers respectively. (HT PHOTO) To facilitate a seamless and efficient entry process for vehicles going to Sinhagad Fort by road, the forest department will initiate an online toll process in a couple of days. Currently, tourists driving to the fort are charged 50 and 100 in cash as toll for two-wheelers and four-wheelers respectively. There has been a heavy rush of tourists visiting the fort, especially on weekends, causing long queues of vehicles in the ghat section of the fort. The new online system will enable visitors to avoid any delays. On Sunday, 926 two-wheelers and 400 four-wheelers were reported to have visited the historic fort. Apart from that, travellers flocked to the Khadakwasla Dam Chowpatty and Panshet Dam areas as well. Amol Pol, a regular visitor to the Sinhagad Fort said, I visit the Sinhagad fort 4 to 5 times in a month for trekking and workout, and the decision to charge the toll online is a welcome move. Usually, very few people carry cash while trekking or going to the fort and it is convenient to pay online toll fees. According to Pradip Sankpal, range forest officer, Pune Forest range, since the introduction of toll charges, only cash payments have been accepted. Many tourists and locals have asked for the entry toll to be charged online. We will begin implementing online payments this week in response to their request. For this, a letter has been sent to the relevant bank. We will begin online toll collection in the next two days by taking the necessary steps, he said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PUNE In a major relief to thousands of patients visiting Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cantonment General Hospital the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has started a catheterisation laboratory and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) here. The demand for NICU beds is huge and the needy can avail of the treatment at nominal charges at the hospital. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) This will end the hardship of patients who were referred to the Army Institute of Cardio-Thoracic Science (AICTS) and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) due to the unavailability of facilities, said officials. The inauguration ceremony for the new facilities was done by Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh, general officer-commanding-in-chief, Southern Command, in the presence of KJS Chauhan, Directorate Defence Estates, Southern Command, Pune, on Monday. Chief executive officer of PCB, Subrat Pal and other dignitaries were present during the occasion. As per the PCB officials, a 16 bedded cath lab, 10 bedded NICU, Jan Aushadi Kendra and a liquid medicine oxygen tank of 13 kilolitres were inaugurated during the event. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is a 200-bed hospital with a maternity ward, dialysis centre and intensive care unit. However, the unavailability of the NICU and advanced cardiac care forced the authorities to refer the patients to other facilities. Dr Usha Tapase, resident medical officer of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cantonment General Hospital, said, In the absence of the cath lab, patients in need of 2D echo, angiography and angioplasty were referred to AICTS. Looking at the response we also look forward to starting cardiac surgeries at the unit in future, she said. The PCB has decided to run the facility on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The units will be outsourced to private players. The tender will be floated soon and the patients will be provided treatment at central government health scheme rates. The decision to run the unit on the PPP model is taken considering the shortage of staff, said officials. Dr Tapase, further informed due to the availability of maternity care at the hospital there was a need for NICU. Before Covid-19 the hospital had a four bedded NICU which was closed during the pandemic and remained shut till date. Now the NICU has been upgraded to 10 beds. The demand for NICU beds is huge and the needy can avail of the treatment at nominal charges at the hospital, she said. The demand for NICU beds is huge and the needy can avail of the treatment at nominal charges at the hospital, she said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In an indirect attack on the Opposition, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said on Monday that it was ironic that his family, which has played an important role in protecting the interests of the tribals and moolvasis, was being accused of grabbing tribal land. Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday denied allegations of grabbing tribal land (ANI) Replying to a specific question at a function of a private news channel about his governments initiative to return the land to tribals, Soren said several acres of land have already been returned to tribals in the state. As of now, several allegations of land grabbing are being levelled against me. Ironically, someone who helped liberate tribals from the Mahajani system is being accused of grabbing tribal land. The fact remains it is due to our efforts that an innumerable number of tribals and moolvasis have been able to protect their land. If people are protecting their land by putting it in my name, then the entire state can use my name to protect their land, said Soren. As far as returning land to tribals is concerned, we have returned over 1,000 acres of land in Hazaribagh. Land has also been returned that was used for a firing range in Netarhat. A tribunal has been put in place to address such complaints. We have returned tribal lands and several more are in the pipeline. On the other hand, it is in the public domain how the land was taken in the name of making a land bank, he added. According to people close to the matter, ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) patriarch and former chief minister Shibu Soren is credited with running a campaign against the Mahajans (money lenders) in the tribal villages, simultaneously with the movement for a separate Jharkhand. While the chief minister did not elaborate on the context of his statement, it came days after Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Babulal Marandi alleged that the Soren family grabbed tribal land by buying it and altering names. On August 13, a day before embarking on a statewide Sankalp Yatra, Marandi alleged that Soren and his brothers bought tribal lands by altering their and their fathers names. Sorens remark also holds significance as it comes at a time when he has been summoned by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), which is probing money laundering related to an alleged land scam in the state capital, to depose before the federal agency. The ED had summoned Soren on August 7 to depose before it on August 14, but the chief minister refused to participate and raised questions about the legality of the summons. Describing it as politically motivated, Soren sought withdrawal of the summons, or he would take legal recourse. However, the federal agency rejected Sorens reply and summoned him for the second time, requesting him to appear at its Ranchi zonal office on August 24. The JMM has remained tight-lipped about Sorens future course of action and whether he will appear before the ED. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishal Kant Vishal Kant works as an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He tracks developments in Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi government. Vishal has spent about a decade covering the city politics and governance, besides writing on Delhis civic issues, urban transport and infrastructure. ...view detail China-Oman high-tech cooperation contributes to Oman's digital transformation: expert Xinhua) 13:59, August 21, 2023 MUSCAT, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The high-tech cooperation between China and Oman will contribute to Oman's digital transformation, said Ahmed Al Maashri, head of the Department of Electrical And Computer Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman. The SQU has recently teamed up with China's STAR.VISION, an AI satellite company based in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou to send Oman's first AI model into space, integrating sophisticated AI algorithms with satellite technology. "This initiative empowers researchers to upload AI algorithms onto Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites equipped with high-resolution imaging sensors and robust computing hardware," said Al Maashri. The expert said the innovative approach "facilitates on-satellite image processing, minimizing communication delays and yielding near-real-time results." The expert noted that the fusion of deep learning algorithms with LEO satellites offers an unparalleled opportunity. "We can think of hundreds of applications that can benefit from such technology," he said, listing examples such as weather forecasting and border protection applications. Al Maashri is confident that there will be more cooperation between the two countries in the future. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) MBABANE We are already serving our sentence. This has been said by the two incarcerated former Members of Parliament (MPs), Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, who have been in custody since July 26, 2021. The former Hosea and Ngwempisi MPs are currently awaiting mitigation on sentence and sentencing after being found guilty of terrorism (inciting violence during the June/July 2021 unrest) and murder, among other charges, by Judge Mumcy Dlamini on June 1, 2023. They want Judge Dlamini to be called upon to finalise their matter. The former legislators say they have been in the dark for too long, as it relates to their fate, after being convicted about three months ago. Intervention They have since written to the registrar of the High Court, through one of their attorneys, Ben J. Simelane, seeking the intervention of the Chief Justice (CJ), Bheki Maphalala, in their matter. They complained about being frustrated at being kept in suspense with regard to their fate. In their letter, the former legislators told the registrar that they wanted to know the outcome of the final lap of their case mitigation and sentencing. They complained that their right to a speedy trial was violated with impunity and this called for the intervention of the head of the Judiciary in the country, being the CJ. Mabuza and Dube were convicted on June 1, 2023. Through their attorneys, the pair expressed their frustration over the non-conclusion of their matter. The former MPs want the CJ to impress upon Judge Mumcy Dlamini to conclude their matter. In their letter to the registrar, the former MPs made a hue and cry about Judge Dlamini not concluding their matter. In the correspondence, they stated that they were convicted of various crimes, including murder and terrorism. They stated that after their conviction, no date was set for mitigation on the sentence. In our view, a criminal case cannot be postponed sine die (indefinitely); it has to have a specific date, especially when the accused persons are in custody, said the MPs. They stated that it was unprecedented that a convicted person could stay for three months without a date for mitigation of sentence. It is our plea that the trial judge be called upon to finalise the matter soonest, otherwise this is a failure of justice because the accused persons right to file an appeal is compromised and they are now serving sentence before their case is finalised, reads part of the correspondence. Before sentencing, Judge Dlamini is first expected to find out whether there were extenuating circumstances in the matter that could warrant her to mete out a lesser sentence on the accused duo. Usually, extenuating circumstances render an accused persons conduct less serious and thereby serve to reduce the punishment to be imposed. Judge Dlamini set out nine reasons upon which Mabuza and Dube were found guilty. MP Mabuza was acquitted of the offence of breaching COVID-19 regulations, which he was accused of committing during a community meeting that was attended by about 2 000 people at Hosea Inkhundla in June 2021. Their murder charge emanated from the death of two men who were run over by a motor vehicle that belonged to Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund (SMVAF ) that hit seven people at Nkwalini at an illegal roadblock, where some residents stopped vehicles and demanded money. During this period, illegal roadblocks were mounted in various parts of the country. Prove The Crown led 65 witnesses to prove its case against the incarcerated former MPs, who have spent one year and 10 months behind bars, despite their three unsuccessful attempts to be released on bail. The former MPs led witnesses who included former Nkilongo MP Timothy Myeni and former Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane. In her judgment, Judge Dlamini highlighted that, where more than one person set out to commit a crime, in the event their purpose was achieved, each perpetrators unlawful conduct should be imputed to the other. In her analysis, Judge Dlamini said it was reasonable to conclude that Mabuza informed the nation that the current government was not worth listening to or complying with its orders. Judge Dlamini found that there was a common purpose between those who committed the crimes on the ground and the two MPs who incited them. She said where more than one person set out to commit a crime, in the event their purpose was achieved, each perpetrators unlawful conduct should be imputed to the other. Contravening In the charge of contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008, the judge said noteworthy in the speeches of both the accused persons was that they informed their hearers that there were ills emanating from the appointed prime minister and all political appointees and such could only be cured by review of the Constitution. She further noted that Mabuza also pointed out that they would fight and that Swazis will be free. The court said, the questions that needed interrogation were what exactly they meant by review, fight and Swazis will be free? How did they intend to achieve the review or the fight in order to have Swazis free? Regarding the speech that was made by Mabuza at Hosea on June 5, 2021, Judge Dlamini said: From the speech by accused No.1 (Mabuza) as extracted from the video, it is clear that he advocated for a system where the King has no power in politics and he was selling this idea to the people who were present at Hosea Constituency. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with a Delhi high courts interim order permitting the St Stephens college to conduct interview for the 50% minority quota seats and said that any order passed at this stage will be too late and result in uncertainty among students. SC turns down DU plea against St Stephen's minority admission policy The high court order passed on July 21 was challenged before the top court in two separate petitions filed by the Delhi University and the university grants commission (UGC). Dismissing the two petitions, a bench of justices AS Bopanna and PS Narasimha said, Taking note that the order passed is an interim order and the high court has made admission subject to the final outcome of the writ petition, we see no reason to interfere at this stage. This is the second year that the high court permitted the college to fill up the 50% Christian quota seats by giving 15% weightage to interviews. The college had approached the high court challenging a December 30 notification issued by the DU directing all admissions under the minority quota to be filled up solely on the basis of the common university entrance test (CUET) scores. The top court order told the high court, Considering there should be certainty in the matter, we request the high court to decide (the petition) as expeditiously as possible. The Delhi University represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Court that the last date for close of admissions is August 31 and the college should not be permitted to proceed forward with the interviews. Defending the December 30 notification, Mehta said, Last year, the college was allowed to give 15% weightage to interview. This year, we insisted they can select only meritorious students based on CUET scores against the minority seats. Due to the HC order, meritorious candidates are being left out. The college represented by senior advocate A Mariarputham and advocate Romy Chacko said that the admission process for this academic year is over. The senior counsel stated that the admission was not unilateral as the University was supplied the final list of students admitted under Christian quota. The list was approved and the University sent email to students for paying fees. The bench told Mehta, It will be unfair to students to interfere at this stage. There will be uncertainty among student community. Pointing out the fact that the University has endorsed the admissions, the bench said, You have written to the students to pay fees and the letter does not say the admission will be subject to the order (of high court). You are a little late to approach us. Mehta told the Court that the University was bound to process the admissions or else there will be contempt of the HC order. The Court said, The HC order is of July 21 and one month has passed. You should have approached us before. The 15% weightage is an issue you will have to argue before the high court. The bench wished to know during the hearing if any meritorious students had approached the Court complaining against the interview process. Senior advocate Arun Bhardwaj appearing for a Christian candidate said that a petition is in the process of being filed as the petitioner atttended the interview but did not get admission. The solicitor general told the Court that it is only a matter of opening a small window for such candidates. Stephens is a prime college where admission cut offs end at 98-99 %. If a window is provided, the admission process can be over within a day, Mehta said. The bench maintained its stand and said, At this stage there will be more confusion if we interfere as some students would have already been interviewed. It could happen next year. As per the interim order, let admissions go on. On Friday, when the matter came up for hearing in the top court, Mehta claimed that the seats filled up through interview have virtually become payment seats to which the college had objected. The college had approached the HC challenging a December 8 order passed by the DU executive council to the effect that even in respect of 50% minority quota seats, admission should solely be on the basis of CUET scores and no interview or addition of 15% marks for interview will be permitted. This led to the December 30 notification. The HC in its July 21 order said, A prima facie case has been made out that the petitioner will suffer an irreparable loss if interim relief is not granted at this juncture. The balance of convenience also lies in favour of the petitioner. The college claimed that over the years, it has been making admissions to undergraduate courses by earmarking 15% weightage for personal interaction or interview. Last year, with the introduction of CUET, the college had to admit students to its general category seats solely on CUET scores as the top court had in October 2022 refused to stay the HC order. Last year too, when the controversy over CUET being applicable to minority quota seats arose, the HC had on September 9, 2022 permitted St Stephens to conduct interview for Christian students. Relying on this order, the HC extended the benefit to the college for this year too. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Get latest news on Education along with updates on Board Exams and Competitive Exams at Hindustan Times. Also get latest Job updates on Employment News SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has released the Junior Legal Officer 2023 exam date. According to the schedule released by the RPSC, the examination will be conducted on October 28 and October 29. Candidates can check the notice on the official website at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in. A detailed notification on the examination schedule will be released in due course. RPSC Junior Legal Officer 2023 exam date released, check notification here(File Photo) This recruitment drive is being conducted to fill 140 vacancies of Junior Legal Officers. Examination pattern The RPSC Legal officer examination will have four papers: Paper I: Constitution of India with special emphasis on Fundamental rights, directive principles and enforcement of rights through writes, functioning of High Court and Supreme Court and Attorney General. Paper II: Civil Procedure and Criminal Procedure Code provisions required to be referred generally in Government offices will be given importance. Paper III: Evidence Act, Limitation Act, interpretation of Statutes, drafting and conveyancing. Part IV: Language: Part A General Hindi, paper B General English. The duration of each paper shall be three hours. Each question paper will carry 50 marks. The pass marks shall be 40% in each paper. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Get latest news on Education along with updates on Board Exams and Competitive Exams at Hindustan Times. Also get latest Job updates on Employment News SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Prakash Raj broke silence on Twitter after he was criticised by many on the internet for sharing a Chandrayaan-3 post. Explaining the post, the actor gave a strong reply to trolls and clarified that he was referring to a joke. The internet has mixed reactions to his explanation. Also read: Prakash Raj calls The Kashmir Files nonsense Prakash Raj was attacked by trolls for his Twitter post. Prakash Raj on Chandrayaan-3 post Prakash Raj wrote, Hate sees only Hate I was referring to a joke of #Armstrong times celebrating our Kerala Chaiwala... which Chaiwala did the trolls see? If you don't get a joke then the joke is on you .. GROW UP #justasking. Reacting to Prakash's clarification, one user wrote in the comment section, Now you twist everything after seeing backlash. Good joke Prakash. Why did you feel the need to give an explanation? Are you having trouble? added another. Someone also said, Well said sir. Prakash Raj's post and controversy It all began on Sunday when the actor-politician tweeted a cartoon. The cartoon depicted a man in a vest and lungi pouring tea, which he called the first picture coming from the Moon." Sharing the same, he wrote, BREAKING NEWS:- First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander Wowww #justasking. Chandrayaan-3 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander aims to create history for India by landing on the lunar south pole on Wednesday evening. After completing its de-boosting manoeuvre operations, the module is reportedly hovering above the Moon's south pole and looking for potential landing sites as per the last update. With Chandrayaan-3, India aims to become the fourth country in the world to achieve this feat. If successful, the country would be joining the ranks of the United States, Russia, and China. It's India's third lunar mission and second attempt at achieving a soft landing on the Moon's surface. Previously, the 2019 lunar mission - Chandrayaan-2 was launched for the same. However, it ended up being unsuccessful in the final stages. Chandrayaan-3s development phase kickstarted in January 2020 with the launch scheduled sometime in 2021. However, the mission was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradeshs Sriharikota on July 14. It is slated to land on the moon's surface on August 23, as per news agency ANI. Talking about Chandrayaan-3's landing, Kareena Kapoor told ANI, It's a great moment for India and a proud moment for every Indian. All of us are waiting to watch it. I'm going to do that with my boys. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Tamil actor Kavin is celebrating his wedding with longtime girlfriend Monica David. He took to Instagram on Sunday to share photos from the golden ceremony. Kavin is known for films such as Lift and Natpuna Ennanu Theriyuma. (Also read: Ram Charan, Upasana, Pawan Kalyan attend Brahmanandam's son's star-studded wedding celebration in Hyderabad. See pics) Kavin with his wife Monica in first pictures from the ceremony. In the official photos from the wedding ceremony in Chennai, Kavin is seen in a traditional golden outfit and Monica wore a beautiful olive green-golden saree. She also wore golden earrings, golden necklace and bangles. Photos from the ceremony show them posing for the camera with big smile. A final photo in Kavin's post showed him putting the thaali around her neck. Fans and friends showered blessings on the new couple. Congratulations and celebrationss, wrote Sivaangi Krishnakumar. A comment read, Many congratulations Kavin and monica. A fan wrote, Wishing you both a very Happy married life. Kavin made his debut on the small screen with the serial Kana Kaanum Kalalang. He also played the role of Vedatiyan in the Saravanan Meenakshi serial. Kavin, who was working as an assistant director to director Nelson, made his debut as a hero with the film Sidihuna Ennanu Tiyala, which was released in 2019. After the film failed, he entered the show as a contestant on Bigg Boss. After Bigg Boss, the movie Lift was released in OTD and received good response. Following this, his film Dada,became a super hit. Earlier it was rumored that actor Laslia and Kavin were dating in the Bigg Boss house. They also confirmed this in the program. Later, after the show came out, his fans were waiting for the announcement of their marriage. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! ott:10 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail After rejecting 150 marriage proposals and having high expectations about the girl he would marry, in the first season of Indian Matchmaking in 2020, Sima Taparias client and entrepreneur Pradhyuman Maloo appeared on the second season after finding a partner off-screen, in actor-model Ashima Chauhaan by himself, in 2022. We have now exclusively learnt that the Mumbai Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Pradhyuman Maloo and his family, for allegations of domestic violence filed by his wife Ashima. Ashima Chauhaan and Pradhyuman Maloo got married in 2022 It was shown in the episode that the two were together since two years and had a grand wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan in February, 2022. However, Chauhaan left their home in September 2022, and as per the FIR filed by her, she allegedly endured physical and emotional abuse by her husband and his family, and her family was also allegedly subjected to blackmail and harassment. Advocate Anmol Bartaria, representing Chauhaan, tells us, The allegations with FIR lodged are grave and concerning with domestic violence and constant mental, physical abuse at its core. The matter is in the investigative stage and should be carried in full swing. Ashima is in the process of taking appropriate legal proceedings against the accused in accordance with law. He also shares that Chauhaan is not in the mental state to comment bearing utmost trauma and is currently, with her family in Bengaluru. We reached out to Maloo regarding the FIR filed against him and he gave a surprising response. I dont know about it. To the best of my knowledge we are in settlement talks with lawyers to resolve our martial issues amicably, he remarks. Commenting on the matter, Rushali Rai, who was one of the potential matches for Maloo expresses disbelief and says, He doesnt seem like that person. I heard that they are breaking up but didnt know about domestic violence. As far as Ive known him, this cant be true. The subject of budgets conjures up images of economists and finance experts going through complex numbers. At a political level, a whole session of Parliament is called the Budget Session and the sanctity is that even a single rupee of public funds cannot be spent without being approved by the Parliament. Is it time to ask the same question about how we use water? Save water(Shutterstock) In 1989, the Swedish hydrologist Malin Falkenmark developed the water stress indicator based on the amount of renewable freshwater available in a region for each person each year. Water stress arises when demand exceeds the quantity available from water resources in an area during a specific period. The core idea is that water can be quantified, measured, and compared across different areas. India has 18% of the world's population but only 4% of its water resources, making it among the most water-stressed countries in the world. This may be news for a society that perceives water as a free and bountiful gift of nature that we can use as much we please. The just published World Resources Institute (WRI) reports place India as the most water-stressed large country in the world, and that should be enough for us to sit up and re-think. Water numeracy involves mapping all its sources of fresh, usable water, accounting for the flow they may expect from these, and then planning how to consume that water judiciously. In simple terms, it means ensuring an adequate supply of water, on the one hand, and using it more efficiently on the other. An effective way to achieve this is to create a water budget. Like a household budget, a water budget lays out water earnings and expenditures for the entire year. It works like a bank passbook. For instance, you have 100 in your bank account and expect an income of 50 rupees. You decide how much of this 150 you want to spend and how much you want to keep in reserve for the next cycle. You can overdraw your water budget just as you overdraw your account, but only up to a limit that you're able to square off. Such an exercise increases awareness in a community about how to quantify its water assets and expected inflow. We need water numeracy so a state, a region, or a village can map its water resources against its water consumption and make it more efficient. The ministry of jal shaktis water body census earlier this year was a big step towards water numeracy. The truth about our water situation often gets lost in totals and averages. As a nation, we receive adequate rainfall. However, almost all of it falls within a narrow band of two months with a geographical dispersion that is hard to get right. This year, while parts of north India have seen excessive rain, large parts of the east are at least 20% deficient. The deserts of Rajasthan may evoke scarcity of water, and the lush fields of Punjab, a surfeit of it. Both visuals mask the fundamental nature of water stress. A pocket in Rajasthan may have a lower water supply but cropping and lifestyle in that location may be designed for lower consumption. On the other hand, the farms in Punjab maybe be guzzling fast-depleting groundwater. This is why we need to de-average our water situation and approach it with nuance. We need water numeracy to understand what adequate meansat the right time, place, and kind (only freshwater is effectively relevant). Fortunately, water budgeting is catching on. In April 2023, Kerala became the first state to adopt a water budget, albeit on a limited scale, to conserve water and use water in a balanced way. Every community needs to create a water budget: after all, we can only consume what we can replenish. We believe that simple water budgets hold the key to changing Indias water future. If farmers make smart choices based on how much water they have and how much water they need, farming is likely to become long-term, sustainable and remunerative. As we observe World Water Week with the theme, Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World, would you like to start by making a water budget for your residential complex or office? This article is authored by Shraman Jha, CEO, Hindustan Unilever Foundation and co-chair, FICCI Water Mission. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The India-United Arab Emirates (UAE) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has the potential to benefit Maharashtra, which is the largest contributor to India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The FTA, which went into effect on May 1, 2022, aims to increase bilateral trade between India and the UAE from $60 billion to $100 billion within the next five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In addition to increasing trade, the FTA will also facilitate increased investment flows between the two countries. UAE-based companies have already invested over $35 billion in India, with many of these investments coming to Maharashtra. This increased investment will bring new technologies and business practices to the state, boosting its economic development. India and the UAE have strong economic ties, with the total value of the UAE's non-oil trade with India reaching over $45 billion in 2021, representing a 60% increase from 2020 and an 8% increase from 2019. India is also the UAE's top trading partner for non-oil exports, accounting for nearly 14% of the UAE's total non-oil exports worldwide. According to data from the ministry's Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, India's exports to the UAE rose 17.6% to around $18 billion in the April-October fiscal year 22. Imports from the UAE during the same period increased by 33% to $32.3 billion. The FTA with the UAE has the potential to further boost Maharashtra's economic growth by providing greater access to the UAE market for Maharashtra's products and services. These will entail: Elimination of tariffs on a wide range of goods and services: The FTA will eliminate tariffs on a wide range of goods and services traded between India and the UAE, which will make it easier and more cost-effective for Maharashtra's businesses to export to the UAE. The FTA will eliminate tariffs on textiles, electronics, and engineering goods, which are major exports from Maharashtra to the UAE. This will make it easier for Maharashtra's textile manufacturers and electronics and engineering firms to sell their products in the UAE, which is a significant market for Indian goods. The elimination of tariffs under the FTA is expected to lead to increased exports of Indian products, including those from Maharashtra, to the UAE. According to data from the Indian department of commerce, Maharashtra's exports to the UAE increased by 23% in the first year after the implementation of the FTA. This includes exports of products such as textiles, electronics, and engineering goods, which are major sectors in Maharashtra. The FTA will make it easier for UAE companies to do business in Maharashtra, which is expected to attract foreign investment to the state. UAE-based companies may be attracted to invest in Maharashtra's manufacturing, services, and agriculture sectors, which could create new job opportunities and stimulate economic growth. The FTA will provide opportunities for collaboration and exchange between Indian and UAE companies, which can lead to the transfer of technology and knowledge. Indian and UAE companies may collaborate on research and development projects, or Indian firms may access advanced technologies developed by UAE companies. This can help Indian firms, including those in Maharashtra, to improve their products and services and stay competitive in the global market. It will provide greater access to the UAE market for Maharashtra's agricultural products, a major market for Indian agricultural products. This can boost the state's agriculture sector, which is a major contributor to the state's economy. The FTA will eliminate tariffs on agricultural products such as grains, vegetables, and fruits, which are major exports from Maharashtra to the UAE. This will make it easier for Maharashtra's farmers to sell their products in the UAE, which can increase their income and improve the viability of their farms. The India-UAE Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has facilitated increased trade and investment between the two countries, particularly in sectors such as oil and gas, diamonds, precious stones and pearls, machinery and mechanical appliances, and textiles. It has also strengthened cultural and social ties, including increased travel and migration. Overall, the India-UAE FTA has the potential to significantly boost the economy of Maharashtra through increased trade and investment with the UAE. It will also strengthen the already important partnership between the two countries and leverage their shared goal of using trade as a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity This article is authored by Anand Madia, Officer on Special Duty to the chief minister of Maharashtra. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A group of 17 Indians held by an armed group in Libya was freed after several months in captivity and brought back home with the efforts of the Indian embassy in Tunis and the external affairs ministry, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The Indians after their return from Libya on Sunday night. (Sourced image) The case of the captive Indian nationals, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, was brought to the attention of the Indian embassy in Tunis, which also covers Libya, on May 26 this year. It could not immediately be ascertained when the group was taken captive by the armed group in Zwara city in Libya after being trafficked from India. Following the intervention of Indian diplomats in Tunis and the external affairs ministry, the group of 17 men was evacuated from Libya and reached New Delhi on the evening of August 20, the people said. The case was brought to the notice of the Indian embassy in Tunis by the family members of the Indian nationals. The embassy remained in close touch with the families as it regularly pursued the matter with Libyan authorities throughout May and June. The matter was also taken up through informal channels, the people said. On June 13, the Libyan authorities were able to rescue the Indian nationals but kept them in their custody, given that they had illegally entered the country, one of the people cited above said. After the high-level intervention of the Indian ambassador in Tunis, NJ Gangte, and senior officials of the external affairs ministry from New Delhi, the Libyan authorities agreed to release the Indian men. During their stay in Libya, the Indian embassy looked after the needs of the Indians, including food, medicines and clothes. Since they did not have passports, emergency certificates were issued for their travel to India. Tickets for the 17 Indian men were also provided and paid for by the Indian embassy, the people said. In May, nine Indian crew members of a merchant vessel were freed after being held captive by a militia in Libya for more than three months. The sailors, who were part of the crew of M.T. Maya 1, informed the Indian embassy in Tunisia on February 15 that they were captured by the militia after the vessel broke down near the coast of Libya. The Indian sailors were released on May 31. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rezaul H Laskar Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music. ...view detail New York City in the United States witnessed the world's largest annual India Parade Day on Sunday, an event to pay homage to India's Independence Day, which was recently celebrated across India. This year marked the 41st parade that began around 12pm (local time) on 38th Street and Madison Avenue in New York. Actors Jacqueline Fernandez (L) and Samantha Ruth Prabhu took part in India Day Parade in New York City on Sunday. Among the attendees were spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Jacqueline Fernandez, and New York City mayor Eric Adams. The parade was organised by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), a non-profit organization representing the growing Indian diaspora in the Northeast USA. It was established in 1970. In a video shared by the news agency ANI, actress Jacqueline Fernandez was seen taking part in the parade, waving the tricolour flag along her way. On the parade route, members of the Indian diaspora tried to capture her moments. The performances featured participants dressed in festive outfits, dancing and playing drums. The parade brought together a vibrant mix of cultures and patriotism. New York City in the United States witnessed the world's largest annual India Parade Day on Sunday, an event to pay homage to India's Independence Day, which was recently celebrated across India. This year marked the 41st parade that began around 12pm (local time) on 38th Street and Madison Avenue in New York. Among the attendees were spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Jacqueline Fernandez, and New York City mayor Eric Adams. The parade was organised by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), a non-profit organization representing the growing Indian diaspora in the Northeast USA. It was established in 1970. In a video shared by the news agency ANI, actress Jacqueline Fernandez was seen taking part in the parade, waving the tricolour flag along her way. On the parade route, members of the Indian diaspora tried to capture her moments. The performances featured participants dressed in festive outfits, dancing and playing drums. The parade brought together a vibrant mix of cultures and patriotism. India Day Parade in New York The parade in New York City is the biggest among those carried out outside India. It is a huge event where thousands of people from the Indian community come together to celebrate their culture. The event includes Indian performances, a fair about taking care of the environment, a big parade with colourful floats carrying important messages, a global food festival featuring healthy millet foods, lots of tasty food stalls, and more. It is seen as a really big celebration for Indian Americans living there. Theme this year This year, the theme is Mission Life, which is also a big movement started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mission LiFE aims to turn the idea of living in a way that iss good for the environment into real actions. The goal is to get people all around the world to work together to protect and save the environment. Mission life is lifestyle about the environment. We want to tell the world that we must change our behavioural habits. We must change the way we live if we care about the planet," Randhir Jaiswal, the Consul General of India in New York said. He further added that the global community is celebrating the year of millets which are considered superfoods that can also help the planet because they can be grown with less water than other foods. Film stars at India Day Parade Actoe Samantha, who has announced a break from acting due to health issues, also took part in Sunday's India Day Parade in New York. "It is truly an honour for me to be here today...you have made me realise how rich my culture and heritage is and what I have seen today will last me for a lifetime. Thank you for all the support through the years. Thank you USA for supporting every film of mine, Samantha said. She will be next seen in the movie 'Kushi' with Vijay Deverakonda and also in the upcoming Indian Citadel with Varun Dhawan. Alongside her, actress Jacqueline Fernandez also attended the event. Many Indian celebrities have been invited to the parade in the past, including Arjun Rampal, Abhishek Bachchan, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sunny Deol, Allu Arjun, and Raveena Tandon. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sunny Deol's Juhu bungalow not on sale now: What's the controversy? A day after Bollywood star and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sunny Deols Juhu bungalow Sunny Villa was put up for auction by the Bank of Baroda (BoB) as the actor failed to repay a loan, the bank on Monday has withdrawn the auction notice citing technical reasons. Read more Mumbai: Bollywood actor Sunny Deol poses for photos during the launch of the trailer of his film 'Gadar 2', in Mumbai, Wednesday night, July 26, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI07_27_2023_000024B)(PTI) 17 Indians freed from captivity of armed group in Libya, return to Delhi A group of 17 Indians held by an armed group in Libya was freed after several months in captivity and brought back home with the efforts of the Indian embassy in Tunis and the external affairs ministry, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. Read more Tamannaah Bhatia, Nayanthara, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Trisha Krishnan: AI reimagines top south Indian actors as Barbie A photographer and digital artist used artificial intelligence (AI) to turn some of the biggest celebrities in south Indian cinema into Barbies and the results range from 'that's uncanny' to 'absolutely stunning'. Read more Web Stories | 5 things to carry on a beach vacation Yashraj Mukhate's love letter for Rasmalai in the form of a peppy song Yashraj Mukhate took to Instagram to share a new music video about Rasmalai. Through the clip, the artist shows his love for the delicious dessert in the most adorable way possible. Read more Watch: Djokovic makes subtle Rafael Nadal remark in incredible Alcaraz exchange after third Cincinnati Open title win Novak Djokovic was left gasping for breathe when the on-court presenter had asked him about the win just seconds after the intense Cincinnati Open final ended. Read more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Qatar Airways is planning to enhance its daily flight operations to New York by introducing an additional flight along with convenient flight schedules. The flag carrier of Qatar will increase frequency to New Yorks John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from two to three daily flights, effective October 30, 2023. Offering new connections between New York and more than 80 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, the new flights will conveniently arrive early morning and depart late evening from JFK. Customers from across the US will also benefit from the enhanced connectivity between JetBlue and Qatar Airways via New York. We continue to offer seamless connectivity to our passengers from the US market and beyond with the support of our strategic partners, said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker. With three flights per day scheduled in the morning, afternoon and evening, seamless connections from Detroit, Raleigh-Durham, Orlando or Tampa, to Doha, Kathmandu, Bangkok or Johannesburg have never been easier. Members of both Loyalty Programs Qatar Airways Privilege Club and JetBlue TrueBlue can earn miles from each others expansive codeshare flights. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways strategic partnership with American Airlines also continues to expand with American Airlines launching flights from its Philadelphia hub to Doha, starting October 28, 2023. American Airlines new Philadelphia-Doha services will provide customers with seamless travel options and benefits by connecting to more than 90 cities across North America, Caribbean and Central America, and to more than 80 cities across Africa, the Middle-East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Alaska Airlines and Qatar Airways will also offer customers from the West Coast improved connectivity with significant codeshare expansion and distribution enablement. During the coming weeks, guests will be able to book to more destinations beyond Doha on Alaska Airlines website. Our unwavering commitment to our longstanding US partners, American Airlines, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines is built on our mission to connect the world through our hub to our 160 destinations and more. We look forward to building more connections and uniting global passengers from across the world, said Al Baker. Qatar Airways serves key destinations in the US such as Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), and Washington DC (IAD). - TradeArabia News Service Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi paved the way for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and fulfilled former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singhs dream even though the Congress prolonged the issue. Union home minister Amit Shah pays tribute to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh on his death anniversary, in Aligarh on Monday (ANI) Shah said this during an event where the former chief ministers death anniversary was observed as Hindu Gaurav Diwas at Numaish Maidan in Aligarh. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath who was also present during the occasion said Kalyan Singh would certainly be pleased once the Ram Mandir is completed. Addressing the gathering, Shah asked supporters of Kalyan Singh to make the Bharatiya Janata Party win all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a true homage to him. The Congress did everything to prolong the Ram Mandir issue, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi made Ram Mandir a reality without any bloodshed. The beginning which was made by Babuji (Kalyan Singh) has been given a shape by Modi, Shah said.Congress leader Amit Singh, however, said, It was BJP leaders who created the situation of tension in the name of Janmabhoomi movement. BJP is in habit of placing baseless allegations. The home minister recalled that he had informed Kalyan Singh on phone about the foundation stone laying ceremony for Ram Temple by Prime Minister Modi (on August 5, 2020). In response, Babuji said it was realisation of his biggest dream, Shah added. Kalyan Singh was the Uttar Pradesh chief minister when the disputed structure was demolished on December 6, 1992. He lost the post thereafter but stated that he would give up his post 100 times for the Ram temple cause. PM Modi is on way to complete the unfinished task of Babuji after the court order in favour of temple, Shah said. Kalyan Singh worked for welfare of poor, empowerment of backwards and sacrificed his seat as chief minister and refrained from firing on agitated kar sewaks in Ayodhya (on December 6, 1992). Rather, he gave up his chief ministers status for the cause, Shah said. During the event, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that the legacy of Kalyan Singh would be the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. Babuji ...would certainly be pleased once the Ram Mandir is completed in Ayodhya and open for public viewing in the first quarter of 2024. The double engine government in UP is working to fulfil his dreams, he said. Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, state BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary and Union minister Piyush Goyal also spoke on the occasion. Delhi women and child development minister Atishi on Monday denied Bharatiya Janata Party allegations of her department appointing Premoday Khakha, the government official arrested for allegedly raping his friend's minor daughter for several months, as the officer on special duty (OSD). This is a completely false thing. He (the accused) has never worked with me as an OSD, Atishi told news agency ANI. It's a shocking incident as this accused was an officer in the Women and Child department. It's worrying as he's being charged with rape against a minor girl. I hope that the Delhi police will do the proceedings fast...As soon as Delhi CM (Arvind Kejriwal) got to know about the incident he (Arvind Kejriwal) gave the orders to the concerned officer to suspend the accused officer", she said earlier, referring to the CM ordering the accused official's suspension. Delhi minister Atishi. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition in the national capital, has launched an attack on ruling AAP over the arrested official. Delhi BJP president posted on X (formerly Twitter), The officer charged with raping a minor was Kejriwal Govt's favourite. Had been handpicked to serve as OSD to the Minister of WCD. @SwatiJaiHind will do well to stop her drama and @ArvindKejriwal should answer why was the rapist officer handpicked to serve as his Ministers OSD. Delhi needs an answer from you, Arvind Kejriwal! This document shows that Prem Uday Khaka was appointed as OSD to then WCD Minister, Shri Kailash Gahlot. Delhi BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj too attacked the AAP, questioning delay in suspending the officer. When FIR was filed on August 13, why so much time was taken to suspend the official, and why minister Atishi is silent on the issue, Swaraj said in a presser. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bank of Baroda on Monday withdrew a 30-day notice put up at actor and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Sunny Deols bungalow in Mumbais Juhu for auction over a 55.99 crore loan default, citing technical reasons. Actor and ruling BJP Member of Parliament Sunny Deol. (Twitter) The bank, which said Deol mortgaged the property housing his office and a studio, published another public notice saying it was withdrawing the previous one issued under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, to recover 55.99 crore plus interest from Deol. A Bank of Baroda official said the bank issued the fresh notice while refusing to comment further. A spokesperson for Deol, who represents Punjabs Gurdaspur in Parliament and has been in the news for the success of his film Gadar 2, said they were in the process of resolving this issue. ...it will be done soon. We request no further speculation on the same. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wondered who triggered the technical reasons for the notice withdrawal. Yesterday [Sunday] afternoon the nation got to know that Bank of Baroda had put up the Juhu residence of BJP MP Sunny Deol for e-auction since he has not paid up 56 crore owed to the Bank. This [Monday] morning, in less than 24 hours, the nation has got to know that the Bank of Baroda has withdrawn the auction notice due to technical reasons. The first notice dated August 19 mentioned it is a statutory 30-day one under the SARFAESI. It added the borrowers and guarantors can redeem the securities by paying the outstanding dues before the sale is conducted. The notice scheduled an e-auction of the 599.44 square metre property on September 25 and invited bids with a reserve price fixed at 51.43 crore. Interested buyers were to deposit earnest money of 5.14 crore. Bids could have been increased by 10 lakh during the auction, the notice said. It added that prospective buyers could inspect the property on September 14 morning. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday announced the candidates for all but four seats for the upcoming assembly elections scheduled later this year, attempting to gather early momentum for the crucial polls. Hyderabad, Aug 21 (ANI): BRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announcing the BRS list of candidates for the forthcoming Assembly polls, at a media conference at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad on Monday. (ANI Photo) (Mohammad Aleemuddin) KCR, as Rao is popularly known as, will contest from two seats Kamareddy and his present constituency Gajwel. The party announced candidates for 115 of the 119 constituencies, dropping only eight lawmakers. Today being the most auspicious day Sravana Panchami, I have decided to release the list so that the candidates would go into the campaign mode in the right earnest, KCR said at a brief press conference at Telangana Bhavan. Of the 115 candidates, 29 are from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, 24 OBCs and three from minorities. Overall, seven women find a place on the list. The BRS chief also said that his party would release its election manifesto in Warangal on October 16. No other party has announced its candidate list for the state elections, the schedule for which is yet to be announced by the Election Commission. KCRs son and states information technology minister KT Rama Rao (popularly known as KTR) will contest from Sircilla. His nephew T harish Rao has been fielded from Siddipet. Deputy speaker of assembly, T Padma Rao, will fight from Secunderabad. KCR also asserted that the BRSs friendly relationship with Hyderabad member of Parliament (MP) Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will continue. Both parties will definitely capture all 29 assembly seats in Hyderabad and erstwhile combined Ranga Reddy districts, he added. The chief minister further said that candidates for the remaining four constituencies Nampally, Narsapur, Goshamahal and Jangaon will be announced very shortly. We are going to win 95-105 assembly seats in the state in the coming assembly elections, apart from all the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general elections, KCR said. I wish all the candidates will achieve resounding victory in the coming elections and hold the BRS flag high. The BRS dropped eight sitting legislators from the list -- Gampa Goverdhan (Kamareddy), Rathod Bapu Rao (Boath), Rekha Nayak (Khanapur), Ramulu Nayak (Wyra), Bethi Subhash Reddy (Uppal), Dr T Rajaiah (Station Ghanpur), Atram Sakku from (Asifabad) and Ch Ramesh from Vemulawada. In Vemulawada, we had to drop sitting MLA Ch Ramesh because of a legal controversy over his German citizenship and replace him with Chalmeda Lakshmi Narasimha Rao, KCR said. In other constituencies, we were forced to drop the sitting MLAs for various reasons, including non-performance. They have not changed their style of functioning despite repeated warnings. KCR asked other ticket aspirants not to get disappointed or disheartened. BRS is an ocean and everybody would get some opportunity or the other. If not the MLA seat, they can become MLCs, MPs or zilla parishad chairpersons, besides other political posts, he added. Besides Vemulawada, the newly selected candidates replacing the sitting MLAs are Anil Jadhav (Boath-ST), Bhukya Johnson Rathod Naik (Khanapur-ST), Banothu Madan Lal (Wyra-ST), Bandaru Lakshma Reddy (Uppal), Kadiyam Srihari (Station Ghanpur-SC) and Kova Lakshmi (Asifabad-ST). In Korutla, sitting MLA Kalvakuntla Vidyasagar Rao was replaced by his son Dr K Sanjay Kumar on his request. Similarly, in Secunderabad Cantonment constituency, the BRS ticket was given to L Nanditha, daughter of MLA G Sayanna, who passed away recently. In 2018, the BRS, then known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi, won 88 of the 119 seats, forming the government for the second time. The Congress won 19 seats and the AIMIM seven. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won two and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win only one seat. After the elections, 12 MLAs from the Congress, two from the TDP and two independents joined the TRS, taking its tally to 104 seats. The Congresssstrength subsequently fell to five with the defeat of two MLAs in byelections, while the BJP improved its tally to three by winning two bypolls. The state Congress unit said the BRS move clearly showed that KCR had accepted defeat well in advance. He [KCR] is not confident of winning his own seat in Gajwel, and hence, decided to try his luck from Kamareddy as well, state Congress chief A Revanth Reddy said. He pointed out that only seven women made it to the list of 115 BRS candidates for the assembly elections. What does KCRs daughter Kavitha, who protested for reservations to women in elected bodies, do now? She should question her father, Reddy added. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Bandi Sanjay alleged that MLAs retained by the BRS to contest the upcoming polls were corrupt and land grabbers. It is imminent that they are going to lose the elections, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid attack from the Opposition, the Congress government has convened an all-party meeting on August 23 over the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka to release 10 tmc ft of water from the Kaveri basin to Tamil Nadu. We have convened the all-party meeting to discuss the inter-state river disputes on Cauvery and Mahadayi. Chief minister Siddaramaiah will chair the meeting to be held in Vidhana Soudha at 11 am on Wednesday. Some members of parliament have also been invited. Several issues pertaining to the matter will be discussed, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who holds the water resources portfolio, said on Sunday. Last week, following Tamil Nadu approaching the Supreme Court, Shivakumar had on Tuesday said Karnataka would release 10 tmc ft of water from the Kaveri basin to the neighbouring state. Karnataka has been maintaining that it will be able to release water to Tamil Nadu taking into account its needs like drinking water and standing crops in the Kaveri basin areas citing scarcity due to deficit monsoon rains. Shivakumar said the Karnataka government had already written to the Kaveri Water Management Authority (CWMA) requesting it to review the order directing the state to release 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu on a daily basis for the next 15 days. The state government on Saturday, directed the Advocate General to file the states appeal before the Supreme Court on Monday regarding the release of Cauvery river We have left it to the Advocate General how to fight the legal battle. It has not rained properly this year. So, it is our duty to look after the welfare of our state and the farmers. We are filing a petition in the Supreme Court tomorrow. We have already requested the authority to review the decision to release water, Shivakumar said on Sunday. Meanwhile, the state BJP has called for a Bengaluru-Mysuru highway bandh on Monday to protest against the Congress governments decision to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Former chief ministers HD Kumaraswamy and Basavaraj Bommai have criticised the government and accused it of betraying people for the sake of politics. The opposition has alleged that the Congress government is releasing water to help DMK, an ally in the newly-formed opposition block INDIA ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. If the State government releases Cauvery water just because they (DMK) are part of INDIA, farmers of Mandya and Mysuru and residents of Bengaluru will face shortage of drinking water in the coming days, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Shobha Karandlaje said. At a time when our farmers are facing an acute water shortage, why is it necessary for us to satisfy the dictates of the Cauvery Water Management Board? Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court (seeking the release of Cauvery water). What is the Karnataka governments position on this? Why are our Congress friends silent on this issue, Kumaraswamy had questioned on Friday. Meanwhile, several farmers were arrested and later released by the police for blocking the National Highway at T Narsipur on Saturday in protest. Leaders of the State Federation of Farmers Organisations and State Sugarcane Growers Association protested against the release of Cauvery water from the KRS and Kabini reservoirs to Tamil Nadu. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the suspension of a government official accused of raping a friends 16-year-old daughter repeatedly even as the clamour for the latters arrest grew while a police team was at his residence on Monday morning as part of the probe into the case. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal (HT Photo) The official allegedly raped the girl from October 2020 to February 2021 after bringing her home following her fathers death in 2020. His wife allegedly gave the girl abortion pills to terminate her pregnancy, the teenager told police in her complaint. The sexual abuse came to light when a psychiatrist at a Delhi hospital, who counselled the girl, reported the matter to the police this month. A spokesperson for the Delhi government said Kejriwal has asked chief secretary Naresh Kumar to submit a report on the matter by 5pm on Monday amid outrage over the abuse and delay in the arrest. Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the horrific incident has shamed humanity. Action should have been taken by now. Since no action has been taken, the chief minister has intervened and directed that the officer must be suspended. We will provide all possible legal assistance to the girl. Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal said she will issue a notice to the police over the delay in the arrest. She added the accused must be arrested soon. If the one whose job was to protect the daughters turns into a predator, then where will the girls go? Maliwal asked. The accused, a deputy director in the women and child development department (WCD), has been booked under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which warrants immediate arrest, apart from the Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal intimidation, conspiracy, causing miscarriage without consent, etc. Deputy police commissioner Sagar Singh Kalsi said the arrest was delayed as they were yet to record the girls statement before a magistrate. The child is still under trauma and stress. She is under observation. The investigation is in progress...after the statement to the magistrate, the further course will be decided, said Kalsi. A second police officer, who did not want to be identified, said the girl was undergoing treatment following an anxiety attack. He added the doctors treating her said she needed to be under observation for 14 days. Any further decision will be taken after her statement is recorded before a magistrate. We are seeing if her statement can be recorded today [Monday], said the second officer. He said the police team was at the residence of the accused as part of the investigation process. There was no clarity on action against the accused officials wife for hushing up the alleged abuse. The official joined the Delhi government over 25 years back as a welfare officer. He has also served as the superintendent of the Juvenile Justice Board which oversees the rehabilitation of children. In his social media profile, the accused identifies himself as an officer on special duty (OSD) to the WCD minister. But the government clarified he was not an OSD but a deputy director in the department. The Delhi government spokesperson said since the first information report has been lodged in the matter, the law should take its course. The Delhi government is sensitive...to such serious matters of womens safety and child abuse...If he has committed any such reprehensible act, then the sternest possible action should be taken against him. An officer in Delhis women and child development (WCD) department accused of raping a minor girl for months was arrested along with his wife on Monday, even as the state government suspended him from his position amid mounting outrage over a case that has stunned the national capital and set off a swirling political controversy. Premoday Khakha(LinkedIn) The arrests came hours after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the state administration to remove the suspect, Premoday Khakha (51), who served as an assistant director in the WCD department. Also read: Never worked with me as OSD: Delhi minister Atishi on govt official arrested for raping minor Delhis deputy commissioner of police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi confirmed that Khakha and his wife, Seema Rani (50), were taken into custody hours after officers recorded the survivors statement on Monday. The first information report in the case, under sections of rape, molestation, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, causing hurt, causing miscarriage without consent, criminal conspiracy, common intention, and under the Pocso Act, was registered at Burari police station on August 13. Khakha was booked on August 13 for raping and impregnating a 17-year-old girl who lived under his care with his family in their home in outer Delhis Burari. The mans wife administered the girl abortion pills later on. According to the survivors complaint, Khakha, whom she called Mama (maternal uncle), brought her to his residence in October 2020, after her father died of Covid-19. Khakha raped her repeatedly between November 2020 and January 2021, she said, adding that she returned to her mother, who also lives in Burari, in April 2021, saying she did not like to live with Khakhas family, said police, citing the complaint. It is unclear if she was assaulted after January 2021. However, for more than two years, the girl did not inform her mother about the sexual assault or use of contraceptive pills. The survivors and Khakhas families were friends and acquainted with each other from a small, tight-knit neighbourhood church that both were members of. Khakha joined the Delhi government over 25 years ago as a welfare officer. He also served as the superintendent of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), which oversees the rehabilitation of delinquent minors. A student of Class 10 in an open school, the girl is being treated at a Delhi hospital and will be under observation for a few days, said police. An investigator said the couple was detained from their residence on Monday afternoon and were arrested around 4.30pm. During interrogations, the husband and wife denied that they raped the girl or gave her abortion pills, said Kalsi. Police registered a first information report (FIR) on August 13, and said the arrests were made only eight days later because the girl was unwell and not able to issue a statement before a magistrate, as is the mandated procedure in cases of sexual assault. The doctors had earlier told us that she was not fit to give her statement. She then recorded her statement on Monday afternoon, after which the arrests were made, the officer said. The incident only came to light earlier this month, after the girl suffered a series of anxiety attacks, which also impacted her classes. Also read: People from govt trying to save him: NCW chief on Delhi minor rape incident On August 7, her mother took her to a city hospital to get checked. There, during multiple counselling sessions, she made sexual assault allegations against Khakha and five or six other people. The police did not identify who these other people were. She then told the counsellor about the alleged rape and subsequent abortion. The counsellor informed the police on the evening of August 12. The girls family, as well as Khakha, hail from Ranchi in Jharkhand. The girl and her parents earlier lived in Usmanpur in northeast Delhi, and the two families were acquainted in 1998, when they first met at the neighbourhood church in Shahdaras Bihari Colony. The church later moved to Burari, the neighbourhood where Khakhas family had shifted. The survivor and her family moved to the area in October 2020. The incident set off widespread outrage on Monday, with senior political figures in the Capital, led by chief minister Kejriwal, calling for strict action. Kejriwal on Monday morning ordered Delhis chief secretary Naresh Kumar to remove Khakha and sought an action-taken report by 5pm. Kumar on Monday evening issued orders suspending Khakha and ordering disciplinary proceedings against him. Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, meanwhile, called the incident horrific and said it had shamed humanity. Action should have been taken by this point. Since no action has been taken, the chief minister has intervened and directed that the officer must be suspended. We will provide all possible legal assistance to the girl, he said. Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal said she will issue a notice to the police over the delay in action. If the one whose job was to protect the daughters turns into a predator, then where will the girls go? The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Delhi unit, however, cited a note from then WCD minister Kailash Gahlots secretary, which said the latter had sought Khakhas appointment as his officer on special duty (OSD). Delhi BJP secretary Bansuri Swaraj in a press conference said the BJP strongly condemned the incident and sought Gahlots resignation. In this case, Khakha has got strength from Gahlot who should also take moral responsibility and resign, she said. In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said: This heinous crime on a minor girl child shakes the conscious of our society as a whole. BJP must answer why the Delhi Police did not arrest the accused immediately when the FIR was registered on August 13, 2023. Under whose pressure did the police shield an officer accused of such depravity? We demand a detailed inquiry to investigate these major procedural lacunae. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A mahapanchayat organised by Hindu Sena and a few other fringe groups, at News Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Sunday over the recent communal violence in Haryana's Nuh was stopped by police midway after some speakers, including Yati Narsinghanand, allegedly delivered inflammatory speeches. Yati Narsinghanand, the controversial head priest of Ghaziabads Dasna Devi temple. (PTI file) According to a police officer, the cops had asked organisers not to say anything about any particular religion, yet they made inflammatory speeches. After which, they were directed to stop the event, news agency PTI reported. Yati Narsinghanand, the controversial head priest of Ghaziabads Dasna Devi temple, were among the speakers for which the police gave verbal permission, according to the organisers. The police, however, denied giving permission to hold the event. Addressing the mahapanchayat', also organised by the All India Sanatan Foundation and other outfits, Yati Narsinghanand said, If the population of Hindus decreases and that of Muslims grows like this, then the history of thousand years will repeat itself. Then what happened to Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh will be repeated here. While he was speaking, the police officer objected to his speech. Then Vishnu Gupta of the Hindu Sena took the stage. He alleged that Nuh and Mewat have turned into forts of jihadists and terrorists and demanded that the Indian Army and CRPF camps be set up there. The country was divided in 1947 on the basis of religion. The partition will not be complete as long as a single Muslim is here, Gupta said. While he was speaking, the police officer intervened again and asked the participants to leave the site. You, the organisers, were asked not to say anything about any particular religion. Despite this you are not following it so this 'mahapanchayat' ends here, the officer said. The event came just nine days after the Supreme Court on August 11 said hate speeches against any religious community are unacceptable. Some sensitisation has to be done among the police force. On that, we would like the assistance of Centre and states. There are problem areas. After all, it is in the interest of everybody to have peace, the Supreme Court said in its observation over alleged hate speeches and Muslim boycott calls given in the wake of communal clashes in Nuh. Who is Yati Narsinghanand? Narsinghanand is, however, not new to such controversies. He has been booked in the past for making inflammatory remarks. Narsinghanand is currently on bail in connection with the Haridwar hate speech case. Earlier, the Dasna temple priest was granted bail in the hate speech case, but he remained behind bars for other cases slapped against him, including one under section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for making objectionable comments against women and abusing journalists. In December 2021, Narasinghanand had participated in a three-day religious conclave in Haridwar namely Dharma Sansad wherein he could be heard calling for genocide and usage of arms against Muslims. Later in an interview last year, the Hindu priest had said that those who believe in the Constitution, the Supreme Court, the politicians, and the Army will die a dog's death. In July this year, the Supreme Court issued a notice to Narsinghanand on a contempt petition filed against him for his alleged derogatory remarks against the judiciary last year. Last year, the Delhi Police registered a first information report (FIR) against the Dasna Devi temple head priest for allegedly making derogatory comments against Mahatma Gandhi, after a video of the controversial right-wing leader hurling abuses at the father of the nation went viral on social media. Was hate speech delivered? Asked if hate speech was delivered at the Delhi mahapanchayat on Sunday, a senior police officer said, This matter is being examined. Action as per law will be taken. Gupta of the Hindu Sena denied any "inflammatory speech" being delivered at the meeting. "Hindus were killed in Nuh. We are the victims, can't we protest against what happened to us in Nuh," Gupta said. Nuh violence Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh in Haryana on July 31 when a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked by mobs and later spread to Gurugram and other areas. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Disgruntlement can be seen brewing in a section of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs over the announcement of the list of the party candidates for 115 out of 119 seats in the Telangana state assembly, which is going for elections in December this year. The list that was announced by K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday (ANI) Though party president and chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) had been hinting that he would retain a majority of the sitting MLAs for the upcoming assembly elections, the party leaders were given the impression that at least 25-30 MLAs would be replaced by new faces. A senior party leader, privy to the development, said several ticket aspirants had been lobbying with KCRs son and BRS working president K T Rama Rao and daughter K Kavitha to see that their names be considered for the party tickets. The list that was finally announced by KCR on Monday afternoon, came as a big disappointment for the aspirants. Sitting BRS lawmaker from Malkajgiri assembly constituency Mynampalli Hanumantha Rao, who had been lobbying for the party ticket for his son, M Rohit, from Medak assembly seat, took a dig at KCR and his family members, especially the chief ministers nephew T Harish Rao. The party should give the tickets to both me and my son. We wont accept anything short of it. When KCRs family can get three tickets, why not two tickets for my family, which has done so much for Telangana? he asked. Hanumantha Raos name was a part of the list of BRS candidates for Malkajgiri seat, but his son was denied the ticket. Reacting to Hanumantha Raos comments, KCR said, We have given the ticket to Hanumantha Rao and it is for him whether he will accept or reject it. However, KTR reacted strongly to Hanumantha Raos comments. One of our MLAs who was denied a ticket to his family member, in an outburst, made some derogatory comments on minister Harish Rao garu. I not only strongly condemn the MLAs behaviour, but also want to make it clear that we all stand by Harish Rao, he posted on X (formerly Twitter). The BRS working president further said Harish Rao had been an integral founding member of the BRS since its inception and would continue to remain an important pillar of the party as it moves forward. Though Hanumantha Rao later said he would stand by the partys decision to deny ticket to his son, KCR might drop the MLA from the list in a day or two, the party leader quoted above said. Similarly, another BRS legislator from Station Ghanpur constituency Tatikonda Rajaiah, who was replaced by senior leader Kadiyam Srihari, may also quit the party. He is said to be looking towards the Congress or the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). BRS legislator from Vemulawada Ch Ramesh, whose name was also not in the list, because of the litigation over his Indian citizenship, expressed his displeasure. It should have been better if the decisions were taken after consulting with us and taking into consideration the aspirations of local people, he posted on X. Meanwhile, KTR admitted that some deserving candidates could not be accommodated (in the list) due to various reasons. Disappointments are to be taken in stride in public life. Unfortunately, some very deserving, capable leaders and a few others could not be accommodated. Will ensure those who have been denied an opportunity to contest get their chance in another form to serve the people, he posted. The list was also a big disappointment for the Communist parties Communist Party of India and CPI (Marxist) which were expecting that they would get at least two seats each. When we have announced the complete list, where is the question of sharing seats with the Left parties? KCR asked during a press conference. CPI state secretary K Sambasiva Rao said it was unfortunate that KCR, who had taken the support of the Left parties during the by-elections to Munugode assembly constituency in November last year, dumped them after winning the seat. We shall discuss the issue internally and announce our future plan of action, Rao said. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A Revanth Reddy said the BRS list clearly showed that KCR had accepted the defeat well in advance. He is not confident of winning his own seat in Gajwel; and hence, decided to try his luck from Kamareddy as well, he said. The PCC chief pointed out that there were only seven women in the list of 115 BRS candidates for the assembly elections. What does KCRs daughter Kavitha, who protested for reservations to women in elected bodies, do now? She should question her father, he said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary and former Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay alleged that all those MLAs who were retained in the list to contest for the upcoming elections were corrupt and land grabbers. It is imminent that they are going to lose the elections, he asserted. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided four places in Kolkata and South 24 Parganas district to collect more evidence against Sujaykrishna Bhadra, a key suspect in the West Bengal school recruitment scam who was arrested on May 30, officials of the federal agency said. Escorted by central paramilitary force personnel, ED officers also went to a packaged drinking water plant in the Bishnupur area of South 24 Parganas (HT Archives) A charge sheet against Bhadra, who is in judicial custody, was filed by the ED on July 28 at a Kolkata court. Bhadra, who was questioned by both the ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) before his arrest, told the media on March 23 that he worked for Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and nephew of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Abhishek Banerjee is my boss. I work for his company Leaps and Bounds. Since Banerjee cannot be touched by anyone, the agencies are targeting other people. It wont help, Bhadra said on March 23. The office of Leaps and Bounds at New Alipore in south Kolkata was raided on Monday. ED officers also raided an apartment at the citys upmarket Lee Road area. Bhadra gave the expensive property as gift to his daughter and son-in-law, an ED official said on condition of anonymity. Escorted by central paramilitary force personnel, ED officers also went to a packaged drinking water plant in the Bishnupur area of South 24 Parganas and a property owned by Leaps and Bounds in the same district. Agency officials said they examined many records and seized some documents. The raids took place a day after Abhishek Banerjee returned to Kolkata from the US, where he had gone for the treatment of his left eye that suffered injury in a car accident in 2016. No TMC leader commented on the ED raids. Bhadra is suspected to be involved in huge monetary transactions made by three companies. It is suspected that money from the bribe-for-job scam was laundered through these companies, the ED told the court when the charge sheet was filed. On May 20, CBI questioned Banerjee for almost 10 hours in connection with the recruitment scam. The interrogation was ordered by the Calcutta high court because his name was mentioned by Kuntal Ghosh, another suspect and a former TMC state general secretary. Ghosh was arrested by ED on January 21. He was expelled from TMC two months after his arrest. In May 2022, Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay ordered the CBI to probe the appointment of non-teaching (Group C and D) and teaching staff by the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Board of Secondary Education between 2014 and 2021. The appointees allegedly paid bribes in the range of 5-15 lakh to get jobs after failing the selection tests. The suspected involvement of TMC leaders surfaced when the ED arrested education minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee in July 2022. San Francisco, Aug 21 (UNI) Three people were killed and six more injured in a shooting early Sunday at a South Seattle hookah lounge in the U.S. state of Washington, officials said. Officers responded to reports of a shooting at Rainier Hookah Lounge just before 4:30 a.m. (1130 GMT), according to the Seattle Police Department. Police found that two men and a woman had been shot, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said at a news conference Sunday afternoon. The two men, aged 22 and 32, died from injuries at the scene. The woman, aged 30, was taken to hospital in critical condition. She died later in the day, Diaz added. The injured were also taken to the hospital. Four men and a woman were in stable condition as of Sunday afternoon. A 23-year-old man was in critical condition, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said at the news conference. The department's homicide unit is leading an investigation. It's not clear yet what led to the shooting or how many suspects have been involved. Police confirmed they recovered at least five guns. "It appeared they might have been trying to shut down the place, as well. But when it comes to the community, I believe it's an isolated incident," Diaz said. UNI/XINHUA ARN NEW DELHI: India and the European Union (EU) should use the G20 Summit to drive forward the multilateral trade agenda at a time of global turbulence, EU executive vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis said on Monday. European Union executive vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis. (File Photo/Reuters) Dombrovskis, who is also the EU commissioner for trade, will visit India during August 22-27 to attend the G20 trade and investment ministers meeting in Jaipur and to co-chair the India-EU high level dialogue on trade and investment with commerce minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi. He will also meet finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. India is set to host the G20 Summit during September 9-10. The grouping of the worlds 20 largest economies, which includes the EU, will meet amid deep divisions within the world community over Russias invasion of Ukraine. In a statement ahead of his departure for India, Dombrovskis described India as a key partner for the EU and said: The G20 comes just six months before the 13th ministerial conference of the WTO, so we must seize this opportunity to drive forward the multilateral trade agenda at a time of global turbulence. The EU looks forward to engaging with our Indian counterparts on how we can further deepen our ties, notably by advancing our talks for a free trade agreement, he said. The statement said the EU aims to deepen ties with India and is working to that end with negotiations on three ambitious agreements: a free trade agreement, an investment protection agreement and a geographical indications agreement. Closer EU-India cooperation is symbolised through the parallel engagement in the Trade and Technology Council, the statement said. India is only the second country, after the US, with which the EU has established a Trade and Technology Council. During his visit to India, Dombrovskis will also participate in a meeting with European businesses organised jointly by the EU delegation and task force to establish a Federation of European Business in India (FEBI). The key themes of the G20 trade and investment ministers meeting in Jaipur, starting on Wednesday, are multilateral trade for global growth and prosperity, inclusive and resilient trade and supply chains. On the margins of the event, Dombrovskis is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Canadian trade minister Mary Ng, US trade representative Katherine Tai, Turkish trade minister Omer Bolat, Indonesian trade minister Zulkifli Hasan, and Japanese trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Never worked with me as OSD: Delhi minister Atishi on govt official arrested for raping minor Delhi women and child development minister Atishi on Monday denied Bharatiya Janata Party allegations of her department appointing Premoday Khakha, the government official arrested for allegedly raping his friend's minor daughter for several months, as the officer on special duty (OSD). Read Here. Delhi Minister Atishi (PTI) Ukraine's Zelensky says 'confident' Russia will lose war Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he was "confident" Russia would lose the war in Ukraine. "Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war... I'm sure that we will win because the truth is on our side," Zelensky said in a speech outside the Danish parliament, as a large crowd cheered and waved Ukrainian flags. Read Here. KL Rahul suffers fresh injury setback despite Asia Cup inclusion as Ajit Agarkar clarifies Sanju Samson inclusion The cynosure of the Asia Cup squad announcement for Team India pertained to the inclusion of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who have been out of action for almost 3-4 months owing to their respective injuries. But while chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who named the 17-member squad for the continental event along with a reserve player, confirmed Rahul and Iyer's selection, he revealed that the wicketkeeper-batter has incurred a fresh injury blow which puts him in concern for Asia Cup. Read Here. American Airlines passenger claims attendant 'snatched' her nephew's snack box. Company responds An American Airlines passenger claimed that one of the flight attendants "snatched" her three-year-old nephew's snack box. Twitter user @dynamicallydara recounted the incident on the microblogging platform. Now, American Airlines has shared a response to her ordeal. Read Here. Mahesh Babu was asked about his back-to-back foreign trips with family, this is how he responded: 'Are you jealous?' Earlier this month, Mahesh Babu, wife Namrata Shirodkar and their children Sitara and Gautam were in Scotland, where they celebrated the actor's 48th birthday. During a recent event in Hyderabad, the Telugu actor was asked about his frequent foreign trips with family, and as per an India Today report, he retorted with an epic response. Read Here. Chandrayaan-3 landing on Moon: Date, where to watch Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 14, 2023. Chandrayaan-3 is expected to touch down upon the lunar surface on August 23, 2023. Here's everything you need to know about the historic event. See Here. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: India is approaching the issue of expanding the Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) grouping with a positive intent and an open mind, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Monday ahead of the blocs summit in Johannesburg. Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra. (File Photo/ANI) Speaking a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modis departure for South Africa, Kwatra appeared to squelch reports of Brics taking up the issue of a common currency by saying that discussions within the grouping on economic cooperation had focused on trading in national currencies. Noting that a large number of countries have expressed interest in joining Brics, Kwatra told a media briefing that there is considerable interest in becoming part of the bloc to leverage opportunities for cooperation. We have been very clear that we have a positive intent and an open mind when it comes to Brics expansion, he said. As Brics works on the principle of consensus, all member states have to have full consensus on how they would want Brics expanded, what should be the guiding principles of that expansion [and] what would be the criteria for such an expansion, Kwatra said. The issue is currently being discussed by the sherpas or senior advisers of the leaders of Brics states and is expected to come up during the summit to be held in Johannesburg during August 22-24. Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have emerged as leading candidates to join Brics. Replying to questions on Brics coming up with a common currency or a free trade agreement (FTA), Kwatra said the substantive part of discussions on economic cooperation have focused on increasing trade in national currencies. There are several prerequisites before you can even talk of a common currency framework, he added. On the issue of trade settlement in rupees, Kwatra said initial shipments had commenced and been completed with the UAE, and India will soon bring out standard operating procedures (SOPs) and do an outreach to the business community to see how to leverage this. Modi will leave for Johannesburg on Tuesday and participate in the Brics Business Forum leaders dialogue and the Brics leaders retreat soon after his arrival. The retreat will be a closed-door engagement with the agenda expected to include global developments and the role of Brics in addressing challenges. The main summit meeting on August 23 will comprise two sessions a closed plenary expected to focus on items related to intra-Brics cooperation, reform of the multilateral system and counter-terrorism, and an open plenary with the participation of organisations such as the New Development Bank (NDB) and Brics Business Council that will discuss global economic recovery amid geopolitical challenges, sustainable development goals (SDGs), and priorities of the Global South. This will be the first in-person Brics summit after three years of virtual meetings and India sees the grouping as an important platform for global multipolarity that can help build a fairer, inclusive and open international architecture, Kwatra said. On August 24, Modi will participate in the Brics-Africa outreach session and the Brics-plus dialogue. On August 25, Modi will make the first state visit to Greece by an Indian prime minister since 1983. Following a ceremonial welcome, he will visit the tomb of the unknown soldier and then hold restricted and delegation-level talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Both leaders will also address a business meeting and Modi will interact with the Indian diaspora. Kwatra said India perceives Greece as one of its important European partners and a gateway to the European Union (EU) market. Besides cooperation in defence and security, shipping and migration and mobility, the two sides are keen to expand and diversify trade and investment and cooperation in infrastructure and ship-building, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bengaluru: In a two-page letter, chief minister Siddaramaiah has expressed concern over the substantial reduction in Karnatakas share of tax revenue, as proposed by the 15th Finance Commission. (PTI) Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, has written to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urgently requesting the immediate release of Special Grants and State Specific Grants for the state. In a two-page letter, chief minister Siddaramaiah has expressed concern over the substantial reduction in Karnatakas share of tax revenue, as proposed by the 15th Finance Commission. This allocation has been slashed to 3.647% from the total pool of funds available for distribution among states. This significant decrease, spanning the years from 2020 to 2026, starkly contrasts the prior allocation of 4.71% advised by the 14th Finance Commission. This change has been attributed to changes in the methodology of sharing, resulting in a diminished financial share for Karnataka. According to the letter, the new calculation methods have inflated Karnatakas economic size resulting in a notable decrease in Karnatakas financial allocation. The implementation of the new approach in calculating the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has disproportionately inflated Karnatakas GSDP in the 2011-12 series by over 30%. This is in contrast to the average increase of less than 9% observed across all states. The reduction in tax devolution share to Karnataka by the 15th Finance Commission, compared to the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission, has resulted in a decrease of 37,011 crores in total tax devolution to the state over the past four years, from 2020-21 to 2023-24, stated Siddaramaiah in the letter. It addressed the inequity in accounting for IT-related services contributions to Karnatakas economy. Despite the significant impact of these services on the GSDP, their corresponding contribution to state taxes has not been properly acknowledged. This is because the exports of IT services are exempted from taxes. The letter also stated the severe impact of the reduced tax devolution on the states financial landscape, which resulted in a substantial decline of 37,011 crore between FY 2020-21 and FY 2023-24. Chief minister Siddaramaiah highlighted the unmet recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission regarding Special Grants and State Specific Grants. Despite the suggested allocation of 5,495 crore for Special Grants in 2020-21 and 6,000 crores for specific projects, these grants remain outstanding. This delay has further strained Karnatakas already precarious fiscal situation. Siddaramaiah reminded the central government that the 15th Finance Commissions final report for 2021-26 had earmarked state-specific grants of 6,000 crore for Karnatakas holistic improvement of water bodies in Bengaluru and for the peripheral ring road. However, despite the assurance, these grants have yet to be disbursed, compounding the states financial challenges exacerbated by reduced tax devolution. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has already announced that it will completely scrap the NEP 2020 from state educational institutions from next academic year. (HT PHOTO) The Karnataka government on Monday announced that a committee will be established within the coming week to draft the State Education Policy, slated to take effect from the next academic year. The committee will take inputs from various stakeholders, including vice-chancellors, private school and college managements officials, and academicians. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting with academicians and vice-chancellors of state universities on Monday to discuss the scrapping of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The decision came after the CM held a meeting on Monday with academicians and vice chancellors of universities. Vice-chancellors of 32 public universities and senior officials of the higher education department participated in the meeting. Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Shivakumar outlined the states intentions to develop a tailored education policy that aligns more closely with Karnatakas unique educational requirements. Karnataka government had a meeting with vice-chancellors and various academicians, including our officials. The National Education Policy (NEP) was brought in 2021, but let me tell you none of the BJP ruling states have taken interest in it and adopted it. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have rejected the NEP. We have examined all the aspects and we are going to scrap the NEP. From next year we will come up with our education policy. We will form a committee within a week, the deputy chief minister said. In another development, chief minister Siddaramaiah announced the distribution of laptops to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students within universities operating under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) guidelines. The decision was taken following the meeting with academicians, where the chief minister spoke to P Manivannan, principal secretary of the social welfare department and ordered the release of 230 crore to be given for the project. Laptops should be distributed to every student of all communities in universities. Necessary action will be taken for this in the coming days, Siddaramaiah said during the meeting. Officials in the know of the development said that the issue of the number of vacancies in universities across was also discussed during the meeting. More than half of the sanctioned posts remain unfilled, leaving a mere 1,882 positions filled said the vice-chancellors and officials told CM during the meeting. An additional financial burden was unveiled during the discussion. It was revealed that the salaries of 2,865 guest lecturers are being covered by university resources, imposing a strain on their financial health. During the meeting, the chief minister has voiced scepticism about the establishment of new universities in the face of diminishing budget allocation. Furthermore, recurring costs continue to rise. This has raised questions about the potential to provide quality education in such circumstances. The higher education departments budget stands out for allocating a significant 88% of its grant towards salaries. Addressing the need to align education with industry demands, the chief minister recommended that Visvesvaraya Technical University develop a curriculum that caters to the requirements for the job market. He emphasised the importance of flexible education, particularly for engineering graduates, to enhance their employability prospects. The CM also highlighted the importance of cultivating scientific temperament and rational thinking in graduates during a recent interaction with vice-chancellors. What is the use of graduates equipped with ignorance, without scientific temperament and rational thinking, who come out of the universities? What use are they for the country, state and society, the chief minister said. He said that the universities should equip graduates who will lead the country scientifically, intellectually, economically and in a civilised way. If they come out of universities filled with ignorance, they will not be useful for the country or state nor will they be useful for their own future, the CM said. In a call to action, the chief minister stressed the role of universities in shaping graduates who are not only well-equipped in knowledge but also possess the ability to lead in scientific, intellectual, economic, and civil domains. Karnataka is home to around 1.31 lakh students who are pursuing education in the 32 universities scattered across the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A prominent Kuki community group on Monday clamped a blockade of two arterial national highways in Manipur that is likely to severely crimp the supply of goods and essentials to the state capital Imphal, marking a setback in the faltering government efforts to restore normalcy in the state. Women stage a demonstration, demanding restoration of peace in violence-hit Manipur, in Imphal on August 11. (ANI) The announcement by the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) came roughly two days after three Kuki villagers were gunned down by unidentified gunmen, shattering the fragile peace established in the northeastern state that has been roiled by ethnic violence for three months. The blockade implemented on National Highway 2, which runs from Dimapur (Nagaland) to Imphal, and National Highway 37, which runs from Silchar (Assam) to Imphal was implemented in Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi, and Jiribam districts after midnight on Sunday. It is likely to severely constrict the flow of trucks from Nagaland and Assam into the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley, which is dependent on both the highways for food, fuel and essentials. The blockade was imposed days after it was lifted following an appeal from Union home minister Amit Shah. The economic blockade of the two national highways was imposed as Meitei groups are preventing essentials, including medicines, from reaching our areas. Only supply of medicines would be exempted by the blockades, which will continue till there is smooth movement of goods to Kuki areas, said Ng. Lun Kipgen, media cell coordinator of COTU. On Sunday, Manipur Police said the movement of 163 vehicles along NH-2 carrying essentials had been ensured. Strict security measures are in place in all vulnerable locations and security convoy is provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles, it said in a statement. A senior Manipur government official, who did not wish to be identified, said: Both the state and central governments are closely monitoring the situation in Manipur. There are adequate security arrangements on both the highways to ensure seamless flow of essential supplies to not just in the valley but also to all the hill districts of Manipur. HT reached out to the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, a prominent conglomerate of Meitei civil society organisations, for a response but did not get one immediately. On August 16, COTU issued a three-day ultimatum to the Centre and state government to ensure the supply of essentials and medicines to Kuki-dominated districts. Since that announcement, some medicines were sent to Moreh in Tengnoupal (a Kuki-dominated district) under escort. Essentials would be allowed to move without security cover. We want the Centre to instruct the Manipur government to ensure that. We are compelled to do this. But this is the only leverage we have with the state government, said Kipgen. As reported earlier, Meitei groups, including women bodies like Meira Paibis, have been blocking roads leading to Kuki-dominated areas since the start of the clashes, leading to scarcity of essentials both for civilians and security personnel stationed in those areas. Some supply of essentials reach Kuki-dominated areas like Churachandpur district from adjoining Mizoram. The blockade underlines the deep mistrust between the two communities locked in the deadly ethnic conflict that has claimed 160 lives and displaced another 50,000 people. Clashes in Manipur first broke out on May 3 in Churachandpur town after tribal groups called for protests against a proposed tweak to the states reservation matrix, granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community. Violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, displacing tens of thousands of people who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders. The clashes have virtually partitioned the state between the dominant Meitei community that lives in the plains and constitutes 53% of the states population, and the tribal Kuki group, which lives in the hill districts and makes up 16% of the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Monday said that disruptions will end when the voters start questioning the conduct of elected representatives in legislative bodies, days after the tumultuous monsoon session of Parliament ended. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla. (ANI) Pushing for a more digitised legislature, Birla suggested that on issues that are crucial for the country or a state, lawmakers must participate with a positive mindset and not indulge in protests just for the sake of it. Also read: BJP plans big social media push ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls Inaugurating the 9th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Conference at Udaipur, Birla said the prestige of legislative bodies is being increasingly eroded due to disruptions and unparliamentary behaviour. We have to make the democratic institutions more accountable, he said. But the prestige of legislative bodies is being increasingly eroded. How can we reduce the disruptions in the House? It will happen when voters start questioning their elected representatives about their conduct in the House. The Lok Sabha speaker, who is supervising the creation of a new, integrated platform for Parliament and all the legislative assemblies of the country, stressed that a greater digital footprint in legislative houses can make people more aware of how their representatives are functioning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pitched for one nation, one legislative platform. Very soon, we will get the (integrated) platform. Every person can access all issues raised in the session, the questions (posed to ministers), the budgets of all states and all the bills can be accessed, Birla said, emphasising that the digitised proceedings would allow people from far-flung areas to watch the proceedings, enabling them to evaluate how their representative is working. He pushed for use of more technology for better information for the public. If RTI (right to information) activists have more information about the functioning of the Houses than us, it would be a matter of concern, Birla said, suggesting all information about the functioning of legislative bodies should be available on the digital platform, rather than in RTI queries. In the monsoon session, sparks flew between the treasury and Opposition benches during the debate on a no-confidence motion. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the Congress, the largest opposition party, was suspended for unruly behaviour. The speaker on Monday suggested that on issues that are important for the country or a state, the lawmakers should take a positive stand to send the right signal. Some solutions should come after a debate on issues of vital importance. Lawmakers should take a positive stand to send a right signal. There can be different points of view in the debate but a solution must arrive, he later said. The speaker maintained that India, as the worlds largest democracy, have a greater responsibility to send a positive message to democratic countries. He hoped that when India celebrates 100 years of independence in 2047, we emerge as the torchbearer of democracy. In the inaugural session, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot described how his regime used information technology for greater public good. Some people refer to late PM Rajiv Gandhis quote that only 15 paisa in a rupee reached the ground and boast about how the DBT (direct benefit transfer) sends 100% money to beneficiaries. Today, the DBT or use of other technologies are possible thanks to Rajiv Gandhi. He started the IT revolution in India, Gehlot said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who has been out of active politics for some time, on Monday expressed his hurt at being benched by the party, even as he stressed he is ready if called in to bat. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and padayatris participating in the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra Kerala's Wayanad on September 27, 2022. (Congress Twitter/ANI) as of now, this is 2023, and I have been out of the Rajya Sabha for the last seven years. I have been without a position in the Congress for the last 10 years; I had not anticipated this. I had thought that I would be without a position for 10 years, and that may be after that, I would be recognised. But in my case, as it has turned out, it has been the opposite, Aiyar told PTI in an exclusive interview. The former Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officer, 82, added: I did have a good innings, but now I have been sent back to the pavilion. But I am all padded up and ready to bat if I'm called in to bat." Aiyar, who has spent his entire political career with the Congress, spoke to PTI on the occasion of the release of his autobiography. The book, titled Memoirs of a Maverick: The First Fifty Years (1941-1991), hit the stands on Monday. The former Union minister is infamous for his foot-in-mouth statements; in January 2014, just months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, he dismissed Narendra Modi, then the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, as a chaiwala (tea seller). Modi, who spent a part of his childhood selling tea, went on to make the BJP the first party since 1984 to win a single-party majority in the Lok Sabha, and became the prime minister of India. Then, in December 2017, in the run-up to assembly elections in Modi's home state of Gujarat, Aiyar called the PM a neech aadmi (a vile man). Though the Congress swiftly suspended him, the BJP won a closely-fought election in the state. In September last year, Aiyar, whose suspension was revoked in August 2018, walked along side Congress MP and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, during the Kerala leg of Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra (Unite India March). Gandhi represents the state's Wayanad seat in the Lok Sabha. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh police on Monday said a Maoist was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Bastars Narayanpur district. Police said the Maoist killed in the gunfight was yet to be identified (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Police said that the gunfight took place in Bhatbeda forest area under Orchha police station limits. Police said .315 bore rifle and a 12 bore rifle was seized. The dead man is yet to be identified. Inspector General of Police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P said the operation was launched based on inputs about the presence of senior Maoist leaders, including platoon in-charge Mallesh, commander Vimla and those belonging to the Indravati Area Committee of CPI ( Maoist). At around 9am, the firing started and after about 30 minutes when the firing stopped, the body of a Maoist in a uniform was found at the spot, the senior police officer said. A search is also underway in the nearby areas, the official said. The Kolkata police on Sunday registered a case of murder into the death of a 17-year-old student from Kolkata, who was found dead on July 14 in a womens hostel at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, officials familiar with the matter said. The victims family has alleged a foul play and police inaction into the matter. (HT Archives) However, the victims family has alleged a foul play and police inaction into the matter. The development came after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee spoke to the victims father on Sunday. State minister Aroop Biswas on Sunday went to meet the family in south Kolkata. A team of sleuths from Kolkata may also soon visit Vizag. We have lodged a complaint with Kolkata police on the advice of Biswas. The chief minister spoke to us over phone and has assured us of all help, said the victims father. He said that the girl had enrolled for an educational package provided by a company and was preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) while giving class 12 exams in Andhra Pradesh. For this, she was staying at a womens hostel in Visakhapatnam since May 2022. On the night of July 14, the victims parents in Kolkata got a call from the company authorities (who offered the education package) saying that she has sustained injuries after falling from the terrace of the hostel. Later, we were told that she fell down the stairs. We rushed to Vizag on July 15 and shifted her to another hospital for better treatment. The victim succumbed to her injuries on July 16, said the father. They alleged that it was not an accident and that there was some foul play behind the girls death. The Andhra Pradesh police, however, have registered a case under section 174 [police to enquire and report on suicide]. We moved the Andhra Pradesh high court and filed a a writ petition seeking a court-monitored probe on August 8, the victims father said adding that the court, after hearing the matter, on August 10, appointed a court commissioner to collect the CCTV footages from the hostel and other documents. The court commissioner has been asked to file a report within the next 15 days. An officer from the Netaji Nagar police station in Kolkata said, We have registered a FIR under sections of 302 [murder] and 120b [criminal conspiracy] after receiving a complaint from the victims father. Further investigation in the matter is underway, the officer added. The deputy commissioner of Visakhapatnam police couldnt be contacted even after repeated calls. Earlier on July 25, a 19-year-old B. Tech student from Midnapore, who was studying at a college in Andhra Pradeshs Guntur, died after falling from the 11th floor of the hostel. Hope Charity Trust funds Defibrillators across Gibraltar The GHA have announced that it has purchased 20 new Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) for our local community which will provide improved and modern AEDs located in different sites throughout Gibraltar. These are most welcome and will be a significant upgrade to the ones previously installed. The purchase of these 20 new AEDs has only been possible through the generosity of the trustees of the Hope Charity Trust, represented by Mr Charles Bottaro who have funded the entire cost of providing these across our community. An AED is a portable device used for persons who have suddenly collapsed, lost consciousness and stopped breathing. It monitors the patients heart rhythm and will deliver electrical shock waves if and when required. The GHA wish to emphasise that these devices can save lives, as sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of premature death and the chances of survival increases when an AED is used within 5-8 minutes. Hence, the sooner a person is treated by an electrical shock (defibrillation), the greater the chance of the persons life being saved. It is important to note that AEDs can be accessed by members of the public and used safely and successfully by people with no specific training to save lives. In order to give an opportunity to the Community to familiarise themselves with these devices, the GHA held an awareness stall on Wednesday 26th July and future awareness sessions are being organised across the community. Charles Bottaro on behalf of the trustees said We are delighted to have been able to partner with the GHA and fund the purchase of these AEDs. We hope that this initiative will help to save lives." The GHAs Director General Professor Patrick Geoghegan OBE said I am delighted with the donation provided by the trustees of the Hope Charity Trust. The purchasing of these AEDs will make the community safer. However, I urge the community that when the GHA announce the dates for these additional awareness events that as many people as possible attend. By working together we can make a real difference. The Minister for Health, The Hon Albert Isola MP said I endorse the DGs advice as we in Gibraltar are a community who look after each other. Knowing how to use an AED can be the difference between life and death, and therefore I hope that many members of our community attend the GHA awareness sessions. I would also like to sincerely thank Mr Charles Bottaro and the trustees of the Hope Charity Trust for their generosity in making this possible. Gibraltar is most fortunate to have this support and I am deeply grateful. National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma announced on Monday that the body had taken suo-motu cognisance of the alleged rape of a minor by her father's friend, a Delhi government official identified as Premoday Khakha. Making the announcement, Sharma said the NCW will conduct an inquiry into the case. National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma (Hindustan Times) Speaking to news agency ANI, Sharma said, NCW has taken suo-moto cognisance and we will conduct an inquiry into the case. An officer who worked with the Women and Child Development (WCD) department and worked for women's rights, has been accused of raping a minor girl. When he raped her for the first time, she was 14 and is now 16. Accusing some people from the Delhi government of trying to save the accused, the NCW chief added, An inquiry will be conducted where members of NCW will speak to the minor. It has to be investigated thoroughly since we are hearing that some people from the government were trying to save the accused officer. Khakha, who along with his wife has now been arrested, allegedly raped the girl from October 2020 to February 2021 after bringing her home following her fathers death in 2020. His wife allegedly gave the victim abortion pills to terminate the latter's pregnancy, the teenager told police in her complaint. The sexual abuse came to light when a psychiatrist at a Delhi hospital, who counselled the girl, reported the matter to the police this month. Shrama alleged that Khakha and his wife had kept the girl with them illegally, adding that the couple hadn't legally adopted the minor. She further questioned the Delhi government and the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) for not knowing that an employee at a senior level was committing such a crime. She said, When an employee of the WCD Department of Delhi government who was also working with DCW is doing all this, what were the Delhi government and DCW doing? Sharma said that the NCW had written to the Delhi government and WCD regarding the matter. DCW chief sits on protest after being denied to meet minor girl Earlier in the day, DCW chief Swati Maliwal sat on a protest at a hospital after she was not allowed to meet the minor. Speaking to reporters, Maliwal said that she wanted to see what the Delhi Police was trying to hide and why she was not being allowed to meet the survivor and her mother. She said, I am sitting here on a protest as I want to see what it is that the Delhi Police want to hide and the DCW chief is not being allowed to go in and meet the girl? We are trying since morning, the hospital is constantly asking us to not visit. Why shouldn't I visit? It is my statutory duty. Why wouldn't I meet the girl? It is such a shameful thing for Delhi police and the hospital that Delhi Commission for Women chief has to sit on the floor because they aren't letting me meet the survivor. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An other backward classes (OBC) leader from the Kurmi community, a former parliamentarian from Madhya Pradesh, a former Delhi lawmaker who returned to the Congress from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a former head of Rajya Sabha TV, and a legislator who was one of the first youth Congress presidents to be elected under a plan of Rahul Gandhi to promote young people were some of the new faces included in the Congress working committee (CWC) on Sunday. Another entrant, former MP Meenakshi Natarajan, hogged the limelight in 2009 when she defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Mandsaur, a seat the Congress never won since 1971 (HT Photo) Also read: Congress expands CWC, adds ex-G23 rebels While a number of top Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh didnt find space in the revamped CWC, Kamaleshwar Patel, a former minister in the Kamal Nath government, was included in the main body of the committee. Patel -- a Kurmi leader in Madhya Pradesh and a young MLA from the Sinhawal constituency -- entered the top executive body after the party announced quotas for scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, OBC, women and minorities in CWC. Last month, Patel was in the news for launching an indefinite protest with many tribals to demand action against Pravesh Shukla, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader who urinated on a tribal person. Another entrant, former MP Meenakshi Natarajan, hogged the limelight in 2009 when she defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Mandsaur, a seat the Congress never won since 1971. Natarajan got the seat as part of Rahul Gandhis plan to field young candidates in seats where the Congress didnt win for a long time. Born in Madhya Pradesh, Natarajan remains active in Mandsaur despite her electoral defeat in 2014. She is among the important women leaders in MP. She also got rewarded possibly because the party needs to strengthen its MP organisation, a leader involved in the process said, declining to be named. Another new face was Gurdeep Sappal. When Hamid Asari was vice-president, Sappal led Rajya Sabha TV as well as remained a joint secretary in Ansaris office. Credited for the deft handling of logistics for the party, Sappal is in charge of administration, and is one of the five party leaders handpicked to work in the Congress presidents office after Mallikarjun Kharge took charge last year. Sappal and Sayed Naser Hussain are two leaders part of Kharges core team to be included in the CWC on Sunday. Soon after Rahul Gandhi became general secretary in charge of National Students Union of India and Youth Congress, he started elections in these two organisations. While it remains debatable how much the party benefitted from holding these exercises, Vamshi Chand Reddy was one of the first Youth Congress presidents to be elected. Reddy is now a Telangana lawmaker. Last month, he was included in the 29-member election committee of Telangana Congress. Also read: Upcoming assembly elections in 5 states key focus of CWC reshuffle The state will face assembly polls later this year. Many Delhi workers remember Alka Lamba as one of the leaders who protested outside Sonia Gandhis residence in 2004 to demand the latter becomes Prime Minister. Years later, she quit the Congress and joined the AAP. Under AAP rule, Lamba became chairperson of the Delhi Commission of Women. In 2018, she quit the commission and later returned to the Congress. She is considered one of the staunchest anti-AAP faces of the Congress in Delhi. While a number of new leaders were included in the CWC, a few party insiders remained upset about exclusions. Not including a single chief minister in CWC sends a wrong signal. Also, there are more capable women leaders who have been left out, a second leader involved in reshuffle said, seeking anonymity. It is clear from the list that some names were added as they were part of the lobby of important functionaries in Delhi. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who is on a bike trip to Ladakh, reached Khardung La mountain pass in the union territory. This comes a day after Gandhi celebrated the birth anniversary of his late father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh. Rahul Gandhi during visit to Khardung La mountain pass in Ladakh. (ANI) Visuals from agencies showed the 53-year-old leader posing for pictures with people. Khardung La is a mountain pass in the Leh district of Ladakh. The pass is on the Ladakh Range, north of Leh, and connects the Indus river valley and the Shyok river valley. It is the gateway to the Nubra valley, beyond which lies the Siachen Glacier. On Saturday, Rahul Gandhi rode a motorbike for over 100 km to reach Pangong Lake from Shey village. Congress spokesperson Tsering Namgyal earlier said that before returning to Srinagar probably on August 24, Rahul has to visit Kargil, probably on August 22 or 23, to meet the party leaders, workers and the people from a cross section of society. Rahul will meet party workers and leaders ahead of elections to 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil. On Sunday, Gandhi reiterated that China has taken away peoples land and they are not being allowed to graze their cattle. Addressing the media from Pangong Lake, he said, For some logistical reasons, I couldnt come here during Bharat Jodo Yatra and I thought of having a detailed tour. I came to Pangong Lake, will go to Nubra and to Kargil and had been to Leh to listen to people and their concerns. Over here, people are concerned over their land being taken away by China. People have been affected because their grazing lands have been taken away, he added. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has refuted Gandhi's claims of Chinese occupation of Indian land and called him the propaganda machinery of Beijing. Addressing a press conference, former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, Rahul Gandhi ji, you are raising questions over our soldiers bravery and sacrifice in Galwan Why do you defame India visiting there? Why do you become Chinas propaganda machinery? Bengaluru: A man was arrested under Pocso Act for sexually assaulting two siblings aged eight and six in Kalaburgi district, Konchavaram police said on Monday. According to the police the 21-year-old accused was a relative of the two minors According to the police the 21-year-old accused was a relative of the two minors. The incident took place on August 19 in Chincholi taluk, while both parents were at work. Subsequent to the assault, both children began crying in pain and the assailant fled the scene, police said. The parents, who work as daily wage labourers discovered their children in a distressing situation and informed the Konchavaram police station. An FIR was lodged and the accused was found hiding in an agricultural field, and was arrested following a manhunt. Konchavaram police sub inspector, Jagadish Naik, said, Following the complaint lodged by the parents, we registered an FIR under IPC section 376 (rape) and the Pocso Act. The accused, a relative of the victims, was taken into custody on Sunday. Both the victims and the perpetrator underwent medical examinations at Chincholi government hospital, the examination results are awaited. The accused was presented before the Chincholi JMFC court, where judicial custody of 15 days was ordered. Authorities have informed the district juvenile board about the incident, and officials have visited the victims home to record their statements. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Six people, including a forest guard, were arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of a 27-year-old man, who was stabbed to death by a group of people last week, in Kotpulti-Behror district of Rajasthan, police said. The incident took place at Narol village, under Talvrikash forest range of Sariska Tiger Reserve, on August 17 (Representative photo) Earlier, 10 people, including four forest guards, were detained for questioning in connection with the incident that took place at Narol village, under Talvrikash forest range of Sariska Tiger Reserve, on August 17. We have arrested six of those detained earlier, including a 25-year-old forester Lalit Kishor, Kotpulti-Behror superintendent of police (SP) Ranjeeta Sharma said. The victim was identified as Waseem (27), a resident of Musari village under Tapukda police station, who died during treatment at a hospital after sustaining injuries inflicted with a sharp object. The other accused arrested on Monday were identified as a JCB owner Rajveer Pappu Gurjar(30), its driver Sher Singh (39), and three villagers Dharm Pal (22), Gyarshi Lal Gurjar(38) and Mukhram Gurjar(25), the SP said. Police are investing the role of other foresters in the incident and also how Waseem was stabbed, Sharma said. According to the police, Waseem and his four aides had gone to Rampur village to cut trees and collect wood from outside a house after taking the consent of the house owner. However, someone warned them that a team of forest officials was roaming in the area. While his two aides left for their village on a two-wheeler, Waseem, Asif and Azharuddin left in their pick-up van. Meanwhile, the forest guards saw them leaving and gave them a chase. After following them for about 20-25 km, the guards called a JCB driver and some local villagers to stop the pick-up van, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Jagram Meena had said on Saturday. In an official statement on Monday, the police said, Both sides clashed following the interception of the guards and Waseem was recovered by the police with a deep injury in his stomach caused by a sharp object, while Asif and Azharuddin received minor injuries. Waseem was referred to Kotputli Hospital, where he succumbed to his wound, police added. A first information report (FIR) under sections 302 (murder), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against four forest guards and a few others after Waseems family members filed a complaint at Harsora police station, police said. Further investigation in the case is underway, the SP added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On the occasion of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary, Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi on Sunday praised his achievements. Addressing an event at the 25th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award ceremony, Sonia Gandhi said Rajiv Gandhi accomplished innumerable achievements during his short political career which was finished in a very brutal manner". Sonia Gandhi. (PTI Photo) Also read: Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to father Rajiv Gandhi at 14270 feet in Ladakh Rajiv Gandhi's political career was finished in a brutal manner but he achieved many milestones in that short time. He was very sensitive towards the diversity of the country. Whatever time he got to serve the nation, he accomplished uncountable achievements. He was dedicated to women's empowerment. He struggled for the 1/3 reservation of women in panchayat and municipals, Sonia Gandhi said. "If today, over 15 lakh elected women representatives are there in rural and urban bodies, it is only because of Rajiv Gandhi's hard work and far-sightedness, she added. Rajiv Gandhi - who took over the charge of the grand old party in 1984 following the assassination of his mother and then prime minister Indira Gandhi - became India's youngest PM at the age of 40. He was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. BJP reacts Reacting to Sonia Gandhi's statement, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Congress should not hide the truth of how the former PM's decisions impacted India adversely. We can also understand the pain of Sonia Gandhiji which she feels about the death of Rajiv Gandhiji. She can praise his legacy but she should not hide the truth. The country saw how Rajiv Gandhi's decisions impacted India adversely. It was short-term, but the country faces a lot of problems. Be it- Sikhs killing in Delhi, UP, or Tamil Nadu, the BJP leader told news agency ANI. (With inputs from agencies) NEW DELHI: Speculation is growing about a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the Brics Summit in South Africa following a string of engagements between the two countries, which have been locked in a military standoff in Ladakh sector for more than three years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo credit: ANI) Modi will travel to Johannesburg on Tuesday for the summit of leaders of the Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) grouping, while Xi left Beijing for South Africa on Monday. The two leaders last met on the margins of the G20 Summit in Indonesia last November, when they had a brief interaction at a formal dinner. There was no official word from either side about a bilateral meeting on the margins of the Brics Summit during August 22-24, but speculation has grown in the wake of a string of recent diplomatic and military meetings. Senior Indian and Chinese corps commanders held their 19th round of talks on the standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Chushul-Moldo border point during August 13-14, and this was followed by several rounds of talks among local commanders that began on August 18, people familiar with the matter said. The talks among local commanders held at separate locations have largely centred round confidence-building measures, the people said. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and external affairs minister S Jaishankar met Wang Yi, currently Chinas foreign minister, on the sidelines of multilateral meetings in July and discussed the border standoff. The people cited above said all these contacts helped prepare the grounds for a possible interaction between the top leaders of the two sides, which would be the first since the standoff began in May 2020. Also Read: PM Modi, Iran Prez Raisi discuss ties, Chabahar port, Brics expansion Asked at a media briefing about the possibility of a meeting between Modi and Xi in Johannesburg, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra only said the prime ministers schedule for bilateral meetings is still evolving but didnt go into details. The India-China joint statement issued after the latest corps commanders meetings characterised the discussions on resolving the remaining issues in Ladakh sector of the LAC as positive and constructive another factor that fuelled speculation about a bilateral meeting in Johannesburg. The people cited above said the follow-up meetings between local commanders had focused on building maintaining stability on the ground. However, the people said the two sides continued to have differences with regard to the two main remaining friction points Depsang and Demchok where Indian troops have been unable to carry out patrolling since the standoff began. Barely two weeks after the Brics Summit, the Chinese president is expected to visit New Delhi for the G20 Summit. China plays a crucial role in the G20 process and has blocked all text referring to the Ukraine war in draft statements, while also opposing several proposals from the Indian side in areas such as climate action and women-led development. India and China have arrayed nearly 50,000 troops each in Ladakh sector since a brutal clash at Galwan Valley in June 2020 killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops and took relations to a six-decade low. Following several rounds of talks, the two sides pulled back frontline forces on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake, Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and Gogra. Jaishankar has insisted on numerous occasions that India-China relations cannot be normalised without peace and tranquillity at the border, while the Chinese leadership has contended the border standoff should be put in an appropriate place while ties are taken forward in other spheres such as trade. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rezaul H Laskar Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music. ...view detail An order passed by the Supreme Court cannot be retorted to by any other court in India, the top court said on Monday, taking a grim view of an order passed by the Gujarat high court attempting to justify its rejection of the plea of a rape survivor seeking abortion of her fetus of over 27 weeks. PREMIUM On Monday, a bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the termination of pregnancy after the latest medical report said a safe abortion was possible (ANI) The order by the Gujarat high court , was passed hours after the top court held a special sitting on Saturday -- a holiday, to hear the appeal filed by the rape survivor against the rejection of her request. Even as it called for a fresh medical report to assess the feasibility of a safe abortion, the Saturday order by the Supreme Court recorded its displeasure at the manner in which the high court dealt with the matter. On Monday, a bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the termination of pregnancy after the latest medical report said a safe abortion was possible. At the same time, it pulled up the Gujarat high court for passing an order on Saturday in the case, which it said, appeared to be a counterblast to the order issued by the Supreme Court. We dont appreciate this. We dont appreciate the high court passing an order which is like a counterblast to the order passed by this court. What is happening in the high court of Gujarat? Do judges retort like this to the judges of the superior court? the bench asked Gujarat governments standing counsel Swati Ghidiyal. Ghidiyal brought to the notice of the bench an order passed by Gujarat high court judge Samir J Dave on August 19 hours after the apex court entertained the appeal against the August 17 order of the same judge rejecting the womans plea citing the advanced pregnancy of 27 weeks. In the later order, the judge gave reasons as to why he turned down the request of the 25-year-old woman, adding she was duly apprised of the policies prevailing in the state of Gujarat regarding children born out of sexual assault. Where was the need for the learned single judge to pass this order on August 19 after he had already rejected her plea on August 17? How can the high court take this up suo motu? No court in India can retort to an order passed by the Supreme Court... Judges dont have to justify their orders, said the bench. It added that the view taken by the high court judge is against constitutional ethos. How can you perpetuate an unjust condition against a victim and force her to undergo full pregnancy? This is contrary to the view taken by this court... Rape is itself such a traumatic incident that perpetuation of that trauma cannot be allowed. At this juncture, solicitor general Tushar Mehta also showed up to represent the state government and requested the bench not to use harsh words against the high court judge for passing the August 19 order. Responding, the bench said: How can we ignore this? Your own counsel has brought this order to our notice...No judge can pass an order as a counterblast to the order of the Supreme Court. Appearing for the survivor, senior counsel Sanjay Parikh pointed out that the same high court judge, last month invoked Manusmriti while observing that earlier it was normal for girls to get married and deliver a child before the age of 17. The observation was made in connection with a plea seeking termination of an over seven-month-old fetus of a minor rape survivor, Parikh complained. In its final order, the bench allowed the woman to undergo termination of pregnancy by Tuesday, noting that pregnancy in a marriage is an occasion for joy for the family but pregnancy outside marriage, particularly after sexual assault, is seriously injurious to the physical and mental health of the victim. It added that there has been a bundle of Supreme Court judgments in the last two decades highlighting the significance of a womans reproductive choices and a sacrosanct right to her bodily integrity. The court lamented that the Gujarat high court had ignored the catena of judgments on this point and allowed the womans plea. The court directed doctors to preserve the evidence for the purpose of DNA identification in the ensuing rape trial, saying evidence shall be made available to the investigating agency by the hospital in Gujarat where the abortion will be carried out. After S-G Mehta repeatedly requested the bench not to pass strictures against the Gujarat high court judge, the bench recorded in its order: We restrain ourselves from saying anything on the order passed by the single judge of the high court on August 19 pursuant to the order passed by us on the same day. In its special sitting on Saturday, the bench had said that there must be a sense of urgency instead of a lackadaisical attitude in attending to the cases of termination of pregnancy, crticising the Gujarat high court for not realising the valuable time lost in the present case. Valuable time has been lost between August 11 when the medical report was placed before the high court and its order stating that the matter will be listed next on August 23...12 valuable days have been lost by the high court by postponing this case. In such cases there must be a sense of urgency and not a lackadaisical attitude...adjourning it like a normal case. The court castigated the high court after noticing that the though the medical report dated August 10 supported the victims plea for a safe abortion, the high court adjourned the case for August 23 when it took up the report on August 11. Later, on August 17, the high court rejected her plea without specifying the reasons or releasing its order. At this, the bench noted that not only the high court lost sight of that fact that a delay of each day would be crucial in a case of advanced stage of pregnancy but also that there was no order released by the high court to corroborate the reasons behind rejection of the plea by the 25-year-old woman. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, as amended in 2021, allows abortions up to 24 weeks for rape survivors. The law sanctions termination beyond 24 weeks only in case of substantial foetal abnormalities. However, a constitutional court can invoke its extraordinary powers to sanction termination of pregnancy beyond 24 weeks in appropriate cases. In July 2022, the Delhi high court allowed a 13-year-old rape survivor to undergo medical termination of pregnancy after 26 weeks, saying her misery and suffering would stand compounded if she was forced to bear the mantle of motherhood at a tender age. In August 2022, the Kerala high court also permitted the termination of the 28-week pregnancy of a minor rape survivor following the recommendation of a medical board. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the West Bengal governments plea to stop the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from investigating alleged irregularities in the recruitment of staffers in several municipalities in the state on the Calcutta high courts orders on April 21. The Supreme Court said it was satisfied that the two cases regarding recruitment in West Bengal schools and municipalities were linked (HT File Photo) The high court ordered the CBI probe after it emerged that the modus operandi followed by the suspects in the multi-crore cash-for-jobs racket in the states schools could have been replicated for recruitment for the municipalities. There is no doubt that one single company was employed to prepare OMR (optical mark recognition) sheets in both scams. We cannot then say that the second investigation is not linked with the first, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said. The bench noted that the high court acted on the basis of a status report of CBI. The same persons accused in the teacher recruitment scam are accused in the municipality recruitment scam. What more material does the judge require at the stage of registering FIR. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal appearing for the West Bengal government argued that the high court order was wrong as it bypassed the state government and didnt list any reasons why the case couldnt be probed by the state police. There was no material before the court to order an investigation. There is no complaint made regarding the municipal recruitment and for ordering CBI probe. Malafide must be made out against the state in carrying out the investigation. This amounts to bypassing the state machinery, said Sibal. Sibal said that this order should not become a precedent as the high court order came on an application moved by Enforcement Directorate. The bench, however, underlined that it was only looking at the high court order. In this case, we are satisfied that both cases are linked We are on the high court order. Can we say there was an absence of material for the high court to pass an order, the court said. Additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, who appeared for CBI, told the court that while probing the recruitment made by the West Bengal Primary Education Board, the agency found that the same company was engaged to prepare OMR sheets for the school recruitment examination and recruitment of staffers by about 16-17 municipalities. The senior law officer added that the two cases were intermingled and part of one conspiracy since the company printed OMR sheets for both exams. Raju also objected to the state fighting to protect the accused. There is an effort to protect higher dignitaries in the state as there is a possible involvement of education minister, other ministers and head of WB primary education board, Raju said. CBI said that in the teacher recruitment racket, investigators recovered 50 crore cash and 5 crore jewellery from state education minister Partha Chatterjee and his associate. Raju alleged that 350 crore had passed hands to give appointments to undeserving people. The West Bengal government opposed the high court order for a CBI probe, citing an October 2022 decision in which the Supreme Court ruled that it was not proper for high courts to straightaway order an investigation by CBI unless the allegations were so outrageous and the perpetrators of the alleged offences so powerful that an investigation by the state police would be ineffective. The state government also stressed that if the ED, in the course of its probe into the teacher recruitment case, detected an offence, it should have brought it to the notice of the state police since law and order was a state subject and any cognizable offence in Bengal falls within the jurisdiction of the state police. New Operating Theatre Opens at St Bernard's Hospital Minister for Health, the Hon Albert Isola MP has opened a fifth operating theatre at St Bernards Hospital. This new operating theatre will be dedicated to trauma and emergency procedures so that other theatres can operate more efficiently without interruption. This means that the GHA can continue to increase planned surgical procedures and reduce waiting times, as there will now be almost no cancellations resulting from emergency theatre use. As part of the new surgical strategy, this extra capacity will make it possible to have an uninterrupted orthopaedic list running every day of the week and help reduce waiting lists substantially. The new arrangement provides the capacity for up to 50% increase in orthopaedic surgery facilitating faster access to patients awaiting surgery. In addition, the extra theatre reduces pressure on the current day surgery unit theatre, moving plastic surgery and urology into the main theatre which will result in increasing both theatre time and space available. These changes will also help improve the quality of care provided alongside surgical procedures for example cancer pathways and increase operating time for breast and urology surgery. GHA Director General, Patrick Geoghegan OBE said: The GHA is committed to continuing to improve service delivery as part of our Reset, Restart, Recover transformation programme. We listened to peoples concerns in relation to our waiting times and this additional operating theatre is aimed at taking action to increase capacity and improve our patient experience to help address these concerns. Minister for Health, the Hon Albert Isola MP said: I would like to take the opportunity to thank the GHA Executive for the delivery of this new operating theatre. This will substantially reduce our surgical waiting lists and add greater flexibility when scheduling elective procedures. This is great news for our patients and community as we strive to improve the speed and quality of our services. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to address the plight of the victims of the ethnic clashes in Manipur who have lost identity proofs and are in dire need of adequate compensation to rebuild their lives, as it mulled over issuing necessary directions on the reports received from a high-powered committee comprising three retired women high court judges. Women stage a demonstration, demanding restoration of peace in violence-hit Manipur, in Imphal on August 11. (ANI) A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, took judicial note of the three reports submitted by the panel, appointed by it on August 7 that visited the strife-torn state and reported back on the efficacy of rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures. Two of these reports were submitted by the panel on August 17 while the last one was forwarded on August 19. The bench, which also comprised justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, opened the confidential reports submitted by the committee during the course of the hearing on Monday and flagged the concerns raised therein. The CJI pointed out that one of the three reports adduced by the committee, which comprises justices Gita Mittal (former chief justice of the Jammu & Kashmir high court), Shalini P Joshi (former Bombay high court judge) and Asha Menon (former Delhi high court judge), highlighted loss of identity documents by several persons affected by the violence. This report calls for assistance in reconstruction of important documents such as Aadhaar cards etc for such citizens, recorded the court order. Another report, the bench said, called for the Manipur victim compensation scheme to be improved and updated, bearing in mind the scheme framed by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). For instance, the Manipur victim compensation scheme states that if benefits under other schemes have been received by a victim, no benefit shall be provided to such a person under the Manipur scheme, said the bench. The panels third report proposed the appointment of domain experts to streamline the administrative aspects of the case proceedings. Pointing out that the committee had bifurcated the cases under several heads such as compensation, violence against women, health care, mental health, relief camps, data reporting and monitoring, the bench said that the reports will be shared with all the lawyers in the case so that they could assist the court in the issuance of necessary directives on August 25 when the matter will be taken up next. According to the status report adduced by the Manipur government in the court on August 1, the state witnessed more than 5,100 incidents of arson, which included use of explosive substances in destroying houses. Around 57,000 people were housed in as many as 361 relief camps as on the date, this report added. The bench further noted that certain procedural directions were required in the matter to provide for requisite administrative assistance; funding to meet financial expenses of the committee; necessary publicity by setting up a work portal and some other infrastructure changes. Suggestions in that regard may be collated by Ms Vrinda Grover (one of the lawyers in the natter) in due consultation with the committee, which shall be shared with the advocate general of Manipur by Thursday morning. List the matter on Friday, stated the court order. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, who was also appearing in the matter for one of the applicants, requested the bench to permit the committee to have the power to lay down their own procedure. She added that the members of the committee did not have a place to sit, and that justice Mittal had requested the Delhi high court chief justice to allot the panel a place. Responding, the CJI said that he would see to it that the panel has a place to sit in Delhi. I will have a word with justice Mittal and the chief justice of the Delhi high court. If the Vulnerable Deposition Witness Creation Office in the high court can be used by her, it would be fine. If not, then the Ministry of Home Affairs can make the required arrangements, justice Chandrachud added. By its order on August 7, the Supreme Court decided to monitor investigations into all cases of violence during the ethnic clashes in Manipur and further ordered the setting up of the high-powered committee. Deciding to keep an eye on the steps taken by the Centre and the Manipur government to quell the sectarian clashes that have claimed at least 150 lives since May 3, the CJI-led bench said on the day that the court-mandated layers of scrutiny will usher in objectivity in investigation, a sense of faith and rule of law. The court put Dattatray Padsalgikar, former deputy national security adviser and ex-director general of police (DGP) of Maharashtra, in charge of overseeing the investigation to be carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into 11 cases of crimes against women that the Centre conceded will be probed by the federal agency. One of these cases related to a horrific 30-second video clip of two Kuki women being stripped and paraded naked by a mob that prompted the apex court to take suo motu (on its own) cognisance, and the subsequent hand over of the case to CBI by the Centre on July 28. The August 7 order tasked the high-powered committee with enquiring into the nature of violence against women and ensuring physical and psychological well-being of those housed in the relief camps, besides the payment of damages to the victims. Clashes between the Kukis and Meiteis first erupted on May 3 during a protest against a court-ordered tweak to the states reservation matrix, granting Scheduled Tribe status to the latter. Violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, displacing tens of thousands of people who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders. At least 155 people have been killed in the violence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Attempts to paint every instance of a failed relationship as a rape case can adversely impact the legal prospect of genuine cases of sexual assaults, the Supreme Court said on Monday, adding that couples choosing to have a consensual and continued physical relationship should also be ready to face the eventuality of not getting married to each other. A view of the Supreme Court of India(ANI) Also read: Abortion case: Supreme Court pulls up Gujarat HC for its counterblast Either you live by more conventional standards or choose your own ways of living. In metropolitan towns, many young people are choosing the latter. So far as it is consensual and between adults, there is no problem. But when you choose to live by your own standards, you should also be ready to face all the possible consequences, a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia remarked. The court was hearing an appeal filed against a Madhya Pradesh high court order of April 18, quashing a rape case against a man who was put in the dock for having sexual relationship with a woman allegedly on the false pretext of marriage. Approving the high court order, the bench noted that the couple was together for five years before the woman decided to register a first information report (FIR) against the man at a police station in Gwalior. The man was 31 and the woman was 30. How is it rape? This is an instance of a relationship of five years with physical relations which has now gone sour... It is these types of cases which create problems for the genuine cases make the genuine cases problematic for the courts to deal with, the bench told the lawyer appearing for the woman. Responding, the lawyer argued that the facts of the case make out for a charge of rape since the man refused to marry her despite having a physical relationship with her for almost five years. So what? So, in every case, where physical relationships continue for a long time and the relationship does not end up in a marriage, should it be called a rape? That cannot be, retorted the bench, dismissing the appeal filed by the woman. In its April 18 order, the high court scrapped the FIR against the man, underlining a distinction between a false promise given on the understanding by the maker that it will be broken, and the breach of a promise which is made in good faith but subsequently not fulfilled. Only a false promise to marry made with an intention to deceive a woman would vitiate the womans consent being obtained under misconception of fact. But a mere breach of promise cannot be said to be a false promise, the high court held. It added that the present case could be a case of a breach of promise, but it cannot be said that the consent of the woman for physical relationship was obtained under a misconception of facts or false pretext. A bill tabled by the Union government in Parliament on August 11 to replace the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) creates a separate offence for tricking a woman into having sexual intercourse under a false pretext of marriage or any inducement such as job or promotion. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, which has been sent to a parliamentary panel for scrutiny, earmarks a distinct offence to penalise acts of beguiling women into a sexual relationship, and make the offence punishable with a jail term of up to 10 years. Section 69 of the bill states: Whoever, by deceitful means or making by promise to marry to a woman without any intention of fulfilling the same, and has sexual intercourse with her, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine. The explanation to this section clarifies that deceitful means shall include the false promise of employment or promotion, inducement or marrying after suppressing identity. Also read: ED cannot be a law unto itself, says SC In a 2019 judgment, the apex court urged courts to distinguish between rape and consensual sex. The court, in such cases, must very carefully examine whether the complainant had actually wanted to marry the victim or had mala fide motives and had made a false promise to this effect only to satisfy his lust, as the latter falls within the ambit of cheating or deception, it said. If the accused has not made the promise with the sole intention to seduce the woman to indulge in sexual acts, the top court added, such an act would not amount to rape. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utkarsh Anand Utkarsh Anand is Legal Editor at the Hindustan Times. He writes on law, judiciary and governance. ...view detail A suspected thief was beaten to death by villagers, while his two accomplices were critically injured in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday morning, police said. The incident came to fore after a video purportedly showing villagers wielding logs of wood and attacking the men was shared on social media platforms (Getty Images) The incident took place when the three men barged into the house of Loukiya villages gram pradhan, Akhilesh Kumar, but were caught by the villagers and assaulted, said an official. Providing details, Sitapur superintendent of police Chakresh Mishra said, The three men tried to forcibly enter into the house of the village gram pradhan but were caught and thrashed. This incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Rampur Mathura police station. Also read: Use Hindu calendar to ascertain when crime likely to rise: UP DGP All three men have a criminal record and cases registered against them, the SP said. The deceased was identified as 40-year-old Bhondu. According to police, he succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at the district hospital. The remaining two were identified as Ankit and Ashish, both of whom sustained serious injuries, said the police. The incident came to fore after a video purportedly showing villagers wielding logs of wood and attacking the men was shared on social media platforms. Following the attack, the villagers took the three men to a nearby community health centre (CHC) for medical attention, said the official. SP Mishra said, An FIR has been registered under Section 459 (grievous hurt caused whilst committing lurking house trespass or house-breaking) of the IPC based on the gram pradhans complaint. Additionally, an FIR will be filed against the villagers for the assault. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Security forces killed two terrorists during an encounter and foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Monday. The spokesperson informed that army also detected blood trails leading towards LoC (File photo) The encounter took place in Balakote sector of the district. The bodies of the slain terrorists could not be retrieved as they managed to flee across the LoC before succumbing to their injuries, suffered during a gunfight with the army, according to an Indian Army spokesperson. Defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal in a statement said, Intelligence inputs received from multiple intelligence agencies and police revealed the presence of terrorists across the LoC waiting to enter from Balakote sector. Based on these inputs, a surveillance grid was placed and multiple ambushes were planted at suitable locations. On Monday morning, the army detected presence of two terrorists in Hamirpur area of Balakote sector. As the terrorists approached the ambush, they were challenged and then engaged with effective fire. This forced the terrorists to flee from the ambush site. However effective fire resulted in one terrorist falling down on the ground near the LoC, said Col Bartwal. Additional troops were then moved into the area and search operations commenced on Monday afternoon, said the officials. The spokesperson informed that army also detected blood trails leading towards LoC. As per intelligence inputs the two terrorists, who attempted to infiltrate, were injured in armys fire, but still managed to return across the LoC and later they succumbed to their injuries, said the spokesperson. During the search operation, an AK 47 rifle with two magazines, 30 rounds, two grenades and Pakistan origin medicines were recovered from the area. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to hold a virtual meeting and review the Manipur situation with top government officials posted in the state on Tuesday, officials aware of the matter said on Monday. Union home minister Amit Shah with Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh. (PTI) Chief Minister N Biren Singh and senior officers of the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, police chief, and state government officials will brief the home minister on the law and order situation, the officials said. Besides discussing the law and order situation, the participants of the meeting will also discuss the recent killings in Ukhrul, the road blockades that began on Monday, the return of looted arms and weapons, the status of cases that have been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the rehabilitation of the displaced people, an official said, seeking anonymity. The official said the proposal of tribal bodies for a mass burial (the proposed burial is pending, and the tribal body is yet to confirm an alternative site) of the victims of the violence is also likely to be discussed. All top government officials will attend the meeting. The home minister will join the meeting via video conferencing, the official said. Since May 3, Manipur has been roiled by ethnic clashes, primarily between the majority Meiteis, the dominant community in Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kukis, who mostly reside in the hill districts. At least 160 people have died and nearly 50,000 displaced so far. Clashes first broke out on May 3 in Churachandpur town after Kuki groups protested against a proposed tweak to the states reservation matrix, granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. Violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, displacing tens of thousands of people who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders. Currently all the paramilitary forces the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Assam Rifles and the Indian Army are posted to restore normalcy in the state. Shah had earlier visited the northeastern state from May 29 to June 1 to review the situation. He also chaired an all-party meeting in June to discuss the violence. In July, the Union home minister directed the chief minister Singh to take strict action against those involved in an incident where three women were paraded naked, and one of them gang raped, in the state on May 4. This case is among 20cases that CBI is probing. On June 25, chief minister Singh met Shah in Delhi to discuss the situation in the violence-hit state, and said the Centre has advised his government to seek cooperation of all stakeholders for restoration of peace and normalcy in the region. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Prawesh Lama Prawesh Lama covers crime, policing, and issues of security in Delhi. Raised in Darjeeling, educated in Mumbai, he also looks at special features on social welfare in the National Capital. ...view detail The Uttar Pradesh government has challenged the acquittal of all 39 accused in the 1987 Maliana massacre, where 68 Muslims were killed, in the Allahabad high court. A separate appeal under Section 372 of the Code of Criminal Procedure against the lower courts judgment was filed by three victims of the massacre in the high court on June 27 (HT Archives) On March 31, a Meerut court had acquitted all accused in the case citing lack of evidence. The verdict, by additional district judge Lakhvinder Singh Sood, came after 900 hearings. The trial in the case has been going on since 1987. Additional district government counsel (ADGC) Sachin Mohan confirmed on Monday that the state government filed an appeal against the verdict in the Allahabad high court. He said the next hearing in the case is in October. A separate appeal under Section 372 of the Code of Criminal Procedure against the lower courts judgment was filed by three victims of the massacre in the high court on June 27. Mohan informed that an appeal to challenge the verdict of lower court has been sent to law department in Lucknow through the district magistrate a month before and it was filed in high court through the office of states attorney general. The petition filed by Mohammed Yaqub, Vakil Ahmad and Ismail Khan came up for hearing on July 11.The high court bench comprising justices Surya Prakash Kesarwani and Nand Prabha Shukla issued notices to the respondents, including Uttar Pradesh and the 39 accused. Yaqub the main complainant in this case was allegedly mercilessly beaten during the 1987 massacre. His legs and ribs were broken. Ahmad allegedly suffered bullet injuries and lost a kidney while Khan lost 11 members of his family. Of the 214 houses attacked then, 106 were razed and 72 people lost their lives, say prime witnesses. I was shocked to learn about the March 31 verdict, so we appealed against the verdict in the high court, said Yaqub. At that time, I was one of the able-bodied youths who were rounded up and mercilessly beaten even as the massacre was going on. Without any provocation, PAC personnel began attacking houses while the mob indulged in looting and rioting, he alleged. Ahmad said he was 25 at that time. I was shot at, following which I lost one of my kidneys. Another bullet pierced through my hand. They looted my shop and killed several relatives. I do not remember the number of times I went to court for hearings. The lower courts verdict shocked us. We are thankful that the high court has admitted our appeal. We hope to get justice, he added. Advocate Alauddin Siddiqui, the counsel representing the victims, said, It (the lower court verdict) was an abrupt decision at a time when the proceedings were still on. Hearing on the witnesses had not taken place and a lot of other facts were still under consideration. The accused had not been examined under CrPC section 313 (power of the court to examine the accused to explain evidence adduced against him). On the other hand, on behalf of the accused Kailash Bharti and others, a reply has been filed in the high court. The lower court has given the right decision. Now justice is expected from the high court as well, Bharti said. Senior journalist Qurban Ali who, along with former state police chief Vibhuti Narain Rai, is pursuing this case in the Allahabad high court, welcomed the state governments move. The prosecution of the accused is the duty of the state. The public prosecutor is defined in Section 24 of CrPC as the agent of the state to represent the interest of common people in the criminal justice system. I am hopeful that the state will perform its duty diligently, he said. Three research scholars and a postgraduate student of Visva-Bharati , West Bengals only central university, on Monday held a hunger strike to protest against alleged sexual harassment by a professor, the third such complaint against a member of the faculty in the last three months. HT Image The authorities said a probe into the allegation was underway. The four women staged a hunger strike for a day, with their faces covered, alleging sexual harassment by a professor ofthe anthropology department. They alleged they filed around 20 complaints with the authorities since March 2021 but in vain. One of the research scholars alleged she faced harassment since 2018. In 2021, the professor stopped the fellowship stipend I am entitled to as a Ph.D scholar. In January 2023, he directly made an indecent proposal. I complained to the vice-chancellor. The universitys internal complaints committee (ICC) called the three of us (research scholars) separately and recorded our statements but the fourth complainant (the postgraduate student) has not been summoned yet, the woman said, seeking anonymity. The students said they sent an email to the office of the registrar on August 18, saying they would hold a peaceful protest on Monday, and would subsequently approach the police, courts, the National Commission for Women and the office of the Prime Minister, who is the chancellor of the university. The moment we filed the first complaint, the harassment had become a daily ordeal for us but we kept patience and hoped that the university administration would act. We are scared of our life and safety. We also came to know that he (the accused) started character assassination and spreading rumours to outrage our modesty, the email, seen by HT, said. HT reached out to the anthropology professor for a comment but could not get one immediately. Vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty did not interact with the media either. However, university spokesperson Mahua Banerjee said: The ICC follows a procedure. It has done a part of its job. It cannot pass a judgment by hearing only one side. The professor has submitted a written reply to the committee. The committee will call him after studying it. The latest allegation comes days after an anonymous social media post levelled charges against an unnamed professor of another department. The post on Facebook, on August 11, was reportedly by a woman who claimed to be a first-year postgraduate student at the university. In her post on a Facebook group, VB Confessions, the student alleged she was physically and mentally tortured by multiple teachers of her department, after she entered the second year of a three-year undergraduate course. The varsity, in a statement on August 13, denied the allegations and called it a fabricated story, but a member of the faculty filed a police complaint against three people, including vice-chancellor Chakrabarty, for showing laxity in the matter. On August 14, Chakrabarty held a hunger strike for nine hours on the campus, condemning what he called a social media campaign against the university. On June 3, a professor from the education departmen, Rajarshi Roy, was arrested on the basis of a complaint by a woman working on a Ph.D thesis under his guidance since 2016. In her complaint, the woman alleged she was sexually harassed since 2016. In this case, spokesperson Banerjee said the sexual harassment committee conducted a thorough inquiry and has submitted its report to the authorities. Till now, no administrative action has been taken against him. It was an emotional reunion with their parents for 17 Indian youths, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, who returned to Delhi on Sunday after being released from wrongful detention in Libya where they were struck for six months. Screengrab of the video showing one of the youth meeting his family for the first time since return from Libya at the Delhi airport. Upon their return from the North African country, these youths were received by their families at the Indira Gandhi International airport, with many seen bursting into tears. These youths were held in captivity for several months by the armed group in Libya's Zwara city after being struck in the foreign nation, where they landed themselves after being duped by some unscrupulous travel agents from Punjab and Delhi on the pretext of lucrative job offers in Italy. Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney during the Parliament's monsoon session in July, had told the House that the youths had been released from the Tripoli jail last month and efforts were being made for their rescue. They had been duped of lakhs of money by those agents in the incident. Sahney said the amount varied from person to person. All of them left India for Italy in February 2023 via Dubai and Egypt. After a few days, they landed in Libya and kept in Zuwara City, where they were being deprived of basic amenities like food and water and faced physical assault, he said. On June 13, the Libyan authorities were able to rescue the Indian nationals but kept them in their custody as they had entered the nation illegally, an person familiar with the incident told HT. Sahney had told the House that the matter came to light in May after which he contacted the Indian embassy in Tunisia for their rescue. My office was in constant touch with these boys and their families. Initially, our major concern was to take them out from the captivity of the local mafia, he added. The Punjab MP had also said he would take responsibility for their legal and other expenses and also offer them free of cost skill training. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Monday once again came down heavily on the Gujarat high court for the manner in which it passed an order in a rape survivor's plea seeking an abortion. Observing that pregnancy outside marriage is injurious and a cause of stress, the Supreme Court also allowed the rape survivor to undergo medical termination of her over 27-week pregnancy. The Supreme Court said in Indian society within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a reason for joy and celebration not only for the couple but for the family and friends.(HT file) Taking note of the survivor's medical report, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said the high court was not right in rejecting the prayer for the termination of pregnancy. "We do not appreciate the high court's counterblast to the Supreme Court's orders. What is happening in the high court of Gujarat? Do judges reply like this to a superior court's order? We do not appreciate this. These kinds of attempts are being made by high court judges to circumvent something we have said, like this. There is no need for any judge of the high court to justify its order," the court said. Also Read: Courts cant have lackadaisical attitude in abortion cases: Supreme Court The apex court said in Indian society within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a reason for joy and celebration not only for the couple but for the family and friends. "In contrast, pregnancy outside marriage is injurious, particularly in cases of sexual assault or abuse and is a cause of stress and trauma affecting the physical and mental health of pregnant women. Sexual assault of a woman is itself distressing and sexual abuse resulting in pregnancy compounds the injury. This is because such a pregnancy is not voluntary or mindful. "In view of the above discussion and the medical report, we permit the appellant to terminate her pregnancy. We direct her to be present in hospital tomorrow so that procedure for termination of pregnancy can be carried out," the bench said. The apex court said if the foetus is found to be alive, the hospital shall give all necessary assistance, including incubation to ensure the foetus survives. If it survives, the State shall take steps to ensure the child is adopted in accordance with the law, it said. In a special sitting, the top court on Saturday expressed displeasure over the Gujarat high court adjourning the survivor's plea for medical termination of her pregnancy, and said valuable time has been lost during the pendency of the matter. Criticising the high court for not realising the valuable time lost in such cases, the bench led by Justice Nagarathna called for a fresh medical report of the victim by Sunday and fixed the matter for a hearing as the first case on Monday. Valuable time has been lost between August 11 when the medical report was placed before the high court and its order stating that the matter will be listed next on August 23...12 valuable days have been lost by the high court by postponing this case. In such cases, there must be a sense of urgency and not a lackadaisical attitude...adjourning it like a normal case, said the bench, which also included Justice Bhuyan. The court castigated the high court after noticing that the though the medical report dated August 10 supported the victims plea for safe abortion, the high court adjourned the case for August 23 when it took up the report on August 11. Later, on August 17, the high court rejected her plea without specifying the reasons or releasing its order. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, the upper limit for the termination of pregnancy is 24 weeks for married women, special categories including survivors of rape and other vulnerable women such as the differently-abled and minors. (With inputs from PTI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi government on Monday ordered the suspension of a Delhi government official who has been accused of raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl. The official, identified as Premoday Khakha, has been reportedly detained for questioning. Premoday Khakha(LinkedIn) The discovery of a small room in an ancient Roman villa near Pompeii has shed light on what life was like for those living under slavery. The bedroom was found at the Villa Civita Giuliana which lies a few hundred meters north of the walls of Pompeii which was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago. The furnishings of the room in Villa Civita Giuliana indicate that there may have been a hierarchy within the servants' quarters. (DW/Parco Archeologico di Pompei/dpa/picture alliance) What was discovered? Archaeologists on Sunday said that two beds only one of which has a mattress along with two small cupboards and a number of ceramic containers and pots were discovered in the room which is thought to have been used by slaves. The difference in the beds suggests there may have been a hierarchy in the servants' quarters, excavators said. "These details once again underline the conditions of precarity and poor hygiene in which the lower echelons of society lived during that time," Italy's culture ministry said in a statement. German museum director of Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel said in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that the discovery was in a way "more important & revealing of ancient life than a beautiful statue." A snapshot in time Ash from Vesuvius encased furniture and fabric, which when filled with plaster revealed the shapes and textures of long gone material, including a blanket on one of the beds. An inspection of the pots and ceramics has pointed to the difficult circumstances and unsanitary conditions people had to live under. According to the report the occupants of the room shared their quarters with at least three rodents, one of which was found in a crate under a bed, looking as though it was trying to escape when it too died like the inhabitants of Pompeii. While no traces of grates, locks, or chains were found Zuchtriegel said: "It seems that control was primarily exerted through the internal organization of servitude, rather than physical barriers and restraints." Excavations at the site were carried out in 1907-1908, and then again from 2017, when police realised the site was being targeted by illegal diggers. The site has since seen a flurry of archaeological activity largely thanks to a recently concluded 105-million-euro ($115.58 million) EU-funded project. Pompeii, which was rediscovered in the 18th century, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy and repeatedly uncovers sensational finds. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The auspicious Hindu festival of Nag Panchami is around the corner, and devotees are gearing up to celebrate the festival. Shukla Paksha Panchami or the fifth day of the Sawan month is marked as Nag Panchami. The festival falls two days after Hariyali Teej in the month of July or August. According to the traditions, women pray to the Serpent God, offer them milk, and pray for the safety of their brothers and family. If you and your loved ones are celebrating Nag Panchami this year, it is important to learn about the date, time, puja muhurat, history, significance, and celebration. Scroll through to learn all about this festival. Know all about Nag Panchami 2023 date, timings, puja muhurat, history, significance, and celebrations. (HT PHOTO) Nag Panchami 2023 Date, Time and Shubh Muhurat: This year, Nag Panchami falls on Monday, August 21. According to Drik Panchang, the Nag Panchami puja time will begin at 5:53 am and end at 8:30 am. The Nag Panchami puja tithi will start on August 21 at 12:21 am and conclude on August 22 at 2:00 am. Meanwhile, Nag Panchami will be celebrated on Monday, September 4 in Gujarat, Drik Panchang said, because the state celebrates the festival 15 days later. Nag Panchami 2023 History and Significance: As per Hindu traditions, Nag Panchami holds great significance and is dedicated to the worship of snakes. They are considered the most powerful creatures and are worshipped as deities mainly by devotees from the Naga tribe. It is believed that any worship offered to snakes reaches the serpent deities. According to Drik Panchang, the following twelve snakes are worshipped at the time of the Nag Panchami festival - Anant, Shesha, Vasuki, Padma, Kambal, Karkotak, Ashvatar, Dritrashtra, Shankhpal, Kaliya, Takshak, and Pingal. Additionally, it is believed that devotees who worship snakes on this day get rid of their fear of serpents and Kaal Sarpa Dosh. There are several legends related to Nag Panchami. One belief states that while playing near the Yamuna River, Lord Krishna stepped into the water to bring it out. However, Kaliya Nag attacked him. Lord Krishna defeated Kaliya Nag. He begged Krishna for mercy after realising that he was no ordinary child. Krishna spared his life and made him promise to no longer harm the residents of Gokul. Nag Panchami marks Lord Krishna's victory over Kaliya Nag. Nag Panchami 2023 Celebrations: Nag Panchami is celebrated by Hindus with much pomp. Devotees worship snakes to please Lord Shiva and offer milk and other things to live Cobras. Some people observe a fast the day before Nag Panchami, known as Nag Chaturthi or Nagula Chavithi. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! World Senior Citizen Day 2023: In India, people who have attained the age of sixty or above are usually referred to as senior citizens. Especially the people, who have retired from their job are senior citizens and they bring a lot of wisdom and experiences from the life that they have lived for decades. Senior citizens contribute a lot to society, teach us the importance of leading a life with kindness and empathy and show us how it is to live a life with wisdom and intelligence. World Senior Citizen Day is celebrated to honour the effort and the contributions made by the senior citizens of the country in uplifting society and bringing in so much wisdom for learning. World Senior Citizen Day 2023: Date, history, significance(Getty Images/iStockphoto) Every year, World Senior Citizen Day is celebrated with a lot of pomp and grandeur. As we gear up to celebrate the special day this year, here are a few facts that we should keep in mind. ALSO READ: Digital puzzle games could offer memory benefits for elderly individuals: Study Date: Every year, World Senior Citizen Day is celebrated on August 21. This year, as well, the special day is being celebrated on the same date. History: In 1988, Ronald Reagan, the then President of the United States declared August 21 as the day to honour the senior citizens for their achievements and contributions. He announced that August 21 will be celebrated as World Senior Citizen Day. Soon after, the celebrations transcended borders and became a global celebration. Hence. It came to be known as World Senior Citizen Day. Significance: Senior citizens bring wisdom from the past experiences of their lives which can help the younger generation to learn immensely. They also help in preserving culture and heritage by passing on the wisdom and facts over generations. While it is important to celebrate their wisdom and experiences, World Senior Citizen Day is also important to raise awareness about the policies that can help them and make their lives easier. On this day, awareness regarding their health and well-being is also raised. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The turmoil in Pakistan under a caretaker government exemplified by the unprecedented charge by President Arif Alvi that he didnt sign two key bills into law, and that his signature was forged is destabilising its security situation. The most significant of these threats is the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) which is active in Pakistan and Afghanistan . One of its primary targets is the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), a prominent Sunni-Deobandi political party in Pakistan led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. PREMIUM Given the complex web of sectarian rivalries, political affiliations, and ideological conflicts, ISKPs expansion poses a significant threat to regional stability(Representative Photo) The rise of ISKP is of particular concern to India due to its historical connection with Deoband Islam, which originated in India. ISKPs ambition to target India has been evident through its media publications and claims of operations in the country. As the threat continues to grow, India must closely monitor developments and prepare a comprehensive strategy to counter the rising influence of ISKP in the region. On July 30, a devastating suicide bombing at a political rally of JUI-F in Khar city of Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was linked to ISKP. The bombing killed 50 people, and injured another 200, making it one of the deadliest incidents in Pakistan this year. ISKP claimed responsibility for the attack within hours, signalling its ongoing campaign against the JUI-F and its affiliates. The targeting of JUI-F is rooted in sectarian rivalries, turf wars, and political expediency. The Deobandi school of thought, followed by JUI-F, has been viewed as a significant obstacle to ISKPs extremist ideology. The groups ideology is built upon a Takfiri interpretation of Islam, which entails declaring some Muslims as infidels or apostates due to perceived deviations from their puritanical beliefs. This ideology has been linked to violence and extremism. The ISKPs media arm is publishing materials specifically targeting Deobandis. An article in its publication Voice of Khorasan titled Who are the Deobandis? criticises this branch of Sunni Islam, accusing them of straying far from Islam based on their interpretations of Sharia. The publication points out similarities between some practices of the Deobandis and those considered polytheistic in rival schools of thought such as Barelvi. Furthermore, ISKP condemns leading Islamic scholars in Pakistan who belong to the Deobandi school but reject its doctrine. Understanding the roots of ISKPs hostility towards JUI-F requires examining events before its formation. Hafiz Saeed Khan, the eventual leader of ISKP, was a prominent Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander in the Orakzai tribal district in 2012-2013. During this time, he faced admonishments from TTPs central command for allowing the assassination of JUI-F scholars who spoke out against TTP. Subsequently, when Hafiz Saeed and other TTP commanders joined ISKP in 2014, their animosity towards JUI-F combined with the Islamic States virulent ideology provided ISKP with the justification to condemn JUI-Fs beliefs. Deobandi Islam traces its roots back to the late 19th century in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It emerged as a prominent Islamic seminary and has gained followers in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although Deobandi Islam and the philosophy practised in India do not align with the ideologies of the Taliban or JUI-F in Pakistan, ISKPs media publications have revealed ambitions to establish a presence in India. In the 23rd edition of Voice of Khorasan, ISKP declared its intentions to target India, warning of IS-linked operatives in South India and linking them to previous attacks in Coimbatore and Mangaluru. ISKP also condemned high-profile meetings between senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders and Muslim scholars, highlighting its continued monitoring of Indian current affairs. Given the complex web of sectarian rivalries, political affiliations, and ideological conflicts, ISKPs expansion poses a significant threat to regional stability. New Delhi must adopt a multi-faceted approach to counter the growing power of ISKP. Close monitoring of its media outreach and intelligence sharing with regional partners are crucial to understanding and mitigating the threat. Strengthening counterterrorism efforts and enhancing border security will help prevent the infiltration of ISKP-linked operatives into Indian territory. Furthermore, India should engage in diplomatic efforts with Afghanistan and Pakistan to address the common threat posed by ISKP. Collaborative initiatives to combat terrorism, share intelligence, and disrupt terror networks can be instrumental in containing the groups influence in the region. An unstable Pakistan not only affects the security of the immediate region but also has spillover effects on neighbouring countries such as India. Collaboration with regional partners, robust intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and diplomatic efforts must be key components of Indias response. Soumya Awasthi is consultant, Tony Blair Foundation. The views expressed are personal "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Employees at Meta Platforms, the company previously known as Facebook, must attend office three days a week from September 5, as was notified in June, the tech giant conveyed to its staff members last week. The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium. (REUTERS) Those not following the office mandate shall be disciplined, and may even lose their jobs, Lori Goler, the head of human resources at Meta, warned in an August 17 post on Workplace, the company's internal forum, reported Business Insider. Lori Goler's Workplace post Goler noted that employees assigned to an office must report at the assigned workplace; they must participate in in-person work at least thrice a week. The mandate, however, does not cover people who have already been authorised to function from a fully remote location, or online. To ensure that the policy is being complied with, managers must follow up with team members on a monthly basis, she added. Goler wrote: Managers will review badge and Status Tool information and follow up with those who did not meet the requirement, subject to local law and works council requirements. As with other company policies, repeated violations may result in disciplinary actions, up to and including a performance rating drop, and ultimately, termination, if not addressed. Meta's new work from office policy Under this, most new staffers, except for the ones recruited for fully remote roles, are required to work from office. After 18 months, and if there are positive performance reviews, people can apply to be fully remote. Being fully remote, as per Goler's memo, means that for such individuals, Meta will not be maintaining desk space, as their physical presence is not needed for more than four days every two months. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail An American Airlines passenger claimed that one of the flight attendants "snatched" her three-year-old nephew's snack box. Twitter user @dynamicallydara recounted the incident on the microblogging platform. Now, American Airlines has shared a response to her ordeal. Snapshot of the snack box that the American Airlines attendant 'snatched.'(Twitter/@dynamicallydara) "Flew @AmericanAir today w/a 3 year old and his snack box of unwrapped food. The flight attendant walked by, snatched it without asking, and took it to show a friend seated near the front of the plane. She was gone for several minutes. I had to throw it all out. I'm incensed! Contacting corporate," tweeted @dynamicallydara on August 13. (Also Read: Viral video of air hostess welcoming parents in flight wins hearts. Watch) Two days after she made this post, she shared another update saying that American Airlines "neglected to see the seriousness of the issue," and then detailed the incident in follow up tweets. @dynamicallydara shared that she and her nephew were playing games on iPad when the flight attendant approached her. The attendant picked up the snack box and informed @dynamicallydara that a friend of hers is travelling on the same flight and she would like to show her this box. Before the passenger could say anything, the attendant took off with the box. "She and my nephews food were gone for several minutes, out of my view. I have no idea who or what his food was exposed to while out of my sight and had to throw it all away when she finally returned with it," wrote the Twitter user. In a few more tweets, @dynamicallydara added that she did not confront the flight attendant during the duration of the flight, however, she spoke to her when they deplaned. She said, "I told her that while I understand the fascination with the snack box, as most people think its a good idea, it was most definitely not okay for her to just grab someones personal property." Since these tweets went viral on social media, American Airlines have responded to the incident. The airline wrote, What an adorable snack box! Our apology, the crew member took it from you without asking first. After the incident grabbed the attention of several people, many netizens took to the comments section of the post to share their reactions. Here's what people had to say about the incident: An individual wrote, "American Airline Employees have been so rude to customers more than ever. The lady who took the box should get fired. Good luck contacting corporate and getting any kind of positive response, but I would do it anyway, report the incident so it at least goes in her employee file." A second added, "Maybe its me Im confused, why did she have to touch it. Why couldnt the friend come to you to see it why take a 3 years old snack food, whatever. First lesson, keep your hands to yourself!" "No, she shouldn't have grabbed anything from a passenger without asking, but to throw everything away is ridiculous. Doesn't the child ever eat at a restaurant, daycare, babysitter, or anywhere else where food is opened or prepared outside of your presence?" expressed another. "Totally unacceptable behavior. Snatching a child's food and taking it. I hope you get justice. And this should be taken seriously," said a fourth. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! As North Korea's national airline- Air Koryo- was set to make its first commercial flight in over three years, it was abruptly cancelled at the last minute. The country has been closed off from the outside world since early 2020 when it shut its borders following the Covid pandemic. The cancelled status of an Air Koryo flight from North Korea's capital Pyongyang is seen in red on an information board at Beijing Capital international airport.(AFP) The flight was cancelled almost two hours after its scheduled arrival. A signboard in the terminal signalled it had been cancelled prompting groans of disappointment, AFP reported. With the chance to witness some of the isolated North's first international travellers in years was over in just moments. Beijing airport customer service said that Air Koryo had not given a reason for the cancellation, AFP reported. On the cancellation, China's foreign ministry said that it had approved restarting commercial flights between Beijing and Pyongyang. "During the summer and autumn flight season... the Chinese side approved flight plans for passengers such as the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes of Air Koryo," foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. Is North Korea becoming flexible about border controls? After three years of isolation, there are increasing signs North Korea may be becoming more flexible on border controls. Last month, Chinese and Russian officials attended a military parade in the North Korean capital- the first foreign dignitaries to visit the country in years. Last week, Pyongyang allowed a delegation of athletes to attend a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan as they crossed the land border into China before travelling on to Beijing. Seoul's Unification Ministry, which manages relations with the North, told AFP that there was "absolutely nothing we are aware of" regarding the cancellation of the flight. "There have been various signs regarding North Korea's reopening of its borders," an official said, adding, But it is difficult to determine yet whether it is a full-scale opening of the border or a fairly limited and controlled opening. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is due to visit China at the end of this month, three sources familiar with the matter said, a long-awaited trip seeking to stabilise a turbulent relationship that has sunk to its lowest point in decades. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly(Reuters) Britain's foreign office said it would announce Cleverly's travel plans "in the usual way". The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cleverly was expected in China towards the end of July, but the trip never materialised as China announced the unexpected replacement of his counterpart Qin Gang with former Chinese foreign minister and veteran diplomat Wang Yi. Qin went missing for over a month before being replaced on July 25, with the details behind his removal left unclear by the Chinese government. He has not appeared in public since late June. Cleverly is due to land in Beijing on Aug. 29, one of the sources said. The other two sources said the trip was expected around the end of the month, without specifying dates. The trip is only expected to last a couple of days and has been "scaled back from the original plan", according to one of the sources. All three sources requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Cleverly would be the highest-ranking British official to visit China since the pandemic, after relations nosedived over issues including Beijing's crackdown in Hong Kong and its treatment of Uyghur Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. The UK government has taken a relatively hawkish approach to China, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declaring that Beijing poses the "biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity" in May. Sunak is also under increasing pressure from some lawmakers in his ruling Conservative Party who are seeking to harden London's policy on China. The UK is also home to large Hong Kong and Uyghur diaspora communities, whose activists are vocal on China's alleged human rights abuses. After Beijing lifted COVID restrictions earlier this year, a slew of high-ranking European and U.S. officials visited the country, some with great fanfare. A few senior UK government officials have visited China in recent months, but these trips were relatively low-key in comparison. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A man shot dead the owner of apopular California clothing store after making disparaging remarks about a Pride flag that was hung outside her store. 66-year-old Lauri Carleton owned the clothing boutique Magpi in San Bernardino. She was gunned down outside the store last week, following which police fatally shot the gunman. Lauri Carleton owned the clothing boutique Magpi in San Bernardino (Mountain Provisions Cooperative/Facebook) Police said that Lauri had an altercation with a man who made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store, according to KABC. He shot Lauri at one point during the argument, and then fled on foot. Lauri was pronounced dead at the scene. Responding officers found the suspect, who refused to drop his handgun. When deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said, according to New York Post. The name of the suspect has not been released. Her death will not be in vain Tributes poured in for Lauri, who was well known in the community. A convenience store calledMountain Provisions Cooperative remembered her in a Facebook post. In loving memory of our dear friend, mom to many, ally, organizer, entrepreneur, founding member and soul of our co-op Lauri Carleton, the post says. Lauri was a pillar in our community, an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice. If you knew Lauri you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those she cared about. She was a force, she loved to crack jokes and wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible. We will continue to stand for the values she so selflessly stood for. Her death will not be in vain. Lauri and her husband Bort were pivotal in organizing our Free Store which provided free food and supplies for 4 months after the blizzard. Lauri put her whole heart into keeping it going as long as we could. Pay an act of kindness forward in her honor. Our community needs as much as love as we can get right now, it added. Tim Bagley, a friend of Lauri, wrote in a Facebook post, Our friend, Lauri Carleton, was shot and killed for having a rainbow flag outside her store in Lake Arrowhead, California. In the past when her Pride flag was removed or vandalized, shed just put up another one. This time she confronted him and she was shot multiple times and killed. All the hateful rhetoric against the LGBTQ community has a price. Lauri was an amazing person and constant LGBTQ ally. My love goes out to Lauris wonderful husband, Bort, and their children, and all of Lauris friends. This loss is heartbreaking. Thank you to all the allies who support the LGBTQ community. Keep fighting hate and fear with your love. May you rest in peace Lauri. Film director Paul Feig, who knew Lauri, wrote on X, Lauri Carleton was my friend. She was a wonderful person who did so much for the LGBTQ+ community as well as the community at large. What happened to her is an absolute tragedy. If people dont think anti-gay & trans rhetoric isnt dangerous, think again. A non-profit organisation namedLake Arrowhead LGBTQ wrote, Today was a very sad day for Lake Arrowhead and for the LGBTQ community. Our friend and supporter Lauri Carleton @magpi_shop was murdered defending her lgbtq+ Pride flags in front of her store in Cedar Glen California. Lauri did not identify as LGBTQ+, but spent her time helping & advocating for everyone in the community. She will be truly missed. From what we understand the suspect is no longer a threat. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday blasted Meta for banning domestic news from its platforms as wildfires rage, saying that up-to-date information during a crisis was crucial. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes a statement about the wildfires in Western Canada. (AP) "Facebook is putting corporate profits ahead of people's safety," he told a televised news conference in the Atlantic province of Prince Edward Island. Chinese President Xi Jinping headed to South Africa on Monday, state media reported, where he will attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. Chinese President Xi Jinping(AFP) The state visit will be Xi's second international trip of 2023, after making an official trip to Russia in March. "Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Monday for the 15th BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a state visit to South Africa," Xinhua news agency reported. The heads of Brazil, China, India and South Africa plus Russia's top diplomat will gather from Tuesday to Thursday this week under the theme "BRICS and Africa", South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said this month. Questions had swirled over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who is sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his role in the Ukraine war -- would attend this year's BRICS conference in South Africa, which is a signatory of the ICC. The Chinese leader previously visited South Africa in 2018 as he sought to enhance his country's diplomatic and economic ties with the continent. On the agenda at this year's summit will be the possible future expansion of BRICS membership, which the bloc has previously indicated it is open to. Several African countries have previously expressed a desire to join the bloc, including Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia. A total of 69 countries have been invited to the summit, including all African states. BRICS, a loosely-defined group that sees itself as a counterweight to Western economic domination, derives its name from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group represents 23 percent of the world's gross domestic product and 42 percent of the world's population.d mor SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prince Andrew might have officially lost the right to use his military titles or even be called His Royal Highness but it would appear that being part of the Firm certainly comes with benefits. Lisa Bloom, who represents several of Jeffrey Epsteins clients, believes that Prince Andrew avoided a serious FBI investigation by virtue of being a Royal. Lisa Bloom, who represents five Epstein victims and another witness who claims she saw Andrew with his accuser Virginia Giuffre claimed a decision was made at the highest level not to go him. Prince Andrew's Royal Status Allegedly Shields Him from FBI Investigation, Lawyer Claims She added that she was flabbergasted that Andres car crash interview on Newsnight wasnt seized upon by the FBI has his claims could be easy to disprove. The Duke, infamously, had refused to speak to investigators who applied to the UK government to make him available for interview under an oath. Bloom is quoted saying: The FBI clearly decided it was not going to go after Prince Andrew. That is a decision that had to be made at the highest level. We are talking about Prince Andrew was this a diplomatic issue? We didnt want to strain relations with the UK? Maybe? I do believe if this were somebody who was not a royal the investigation wouldve gone forward. They wouldve spoken to witnesses, and if they had enough evidence, they wouldve extradited him to the US to face justice. She claimed, in a documentary titled Secrets of Prince Andrew, that his decision to go on Newsnight after Epsteins death was stunningly arrogant. She also said that the lawsuit against Prince Andrew in 2021 by Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of rape and sexual abuse was settled out-of-court for $15million. She said: He lost the case in a very big way, and I believe he lost because he sexually abused Virginia. He wants to talk about everything else but doesnt want to talk about that. For the uninitiated, Prince Andrew and the Epstein Scandal was an episode of BBC's Newsnight broadcast on 16, November 2019 and led to a host of negative publicity which finally saw him withdraw from a public role. Prince Andrew has kept denying allegations accusing him of misconduct. Also Read| King Charles pushed right to the limit by Prince Harry, Meghan, he could In 2021, Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit accusing Prince Andrew of rape and sexual abuse. The case was settled outside of court, with Andrew reportedly paying 12 million, though he did not admit any liability. The allegations that Andrew's royal position might have influenced how the law is applied are serious and raise concerns about fairness within the British monarchy. Lisa Bloom's statements bring up important questions about ethics and are likely to add to the ongoing discussions about Prince Andrew's connections to the Epstein case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted Swedens NATO membership could be delayed if it doesnt stop Koran burnings that anger his conservative support base. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (Reuters) Sweden must first of all take care of the streets of Stockholm. If they dont take care of their streets, if these attacks on the things we hold sacred continue, then they shouldnt blame us, Erdogan said on Sunday on his way to Turkey from Hungary, according to state-run Anadolu Agency. Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members yet to approve Swedens membership. Erdogan agreed to support the bid in July but parliament still needs to pass it into law. The legislature wont resume work until October, though its foreign affairs committee can start discussions sooner if asked by the government. We cant know how long the debates at the parliament or committees will take about this issue or when it will be passed, Erdogan said. Smooth parliamentary approval depends on support from Erdogans nationalist allies, the Nationalist Movement Party, who have called for Sweden to do more to counter terrorism and stop anti-Islam demonstrations. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Daniel Cohen, a professor and Lazard adviser who led the Paris School of Economics, died Sunday, his publisher said. He was 70. French economist Daniel Cohen(AFP) We lost a great intellectual, French President Emmanuel Macron said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, adding to tributes pouring in, including from Allianz SE chief economic adviser Mohamed El-Erian. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called Cohen a towering economist and praised his advice to the government during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said his voice will be missed in the public debate. Cohens publisher, Albin Michel, didnt reveal the cause of his death. The author has been suffering from a blood disease, according to Le Monde newspaper. Cohen was a senior adviser on Lazards sovereign advisory team. His vision and his expertise were crucial to help many governments navigate periods of major financial struggles, Lazards director general, Jean-Louis Girodolle, said in an emailed statement. The French economist was also the chairman of the Finance for Development Lab, a Paris-based think tank supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A prolific author, Cohen wrote award-winning books including Homo Economicus: The (Lost) Prophet of Modern Times, which argued that the modern world has defined happiness mostly in terms of material achievement. Former French President Francois Hollande, a Socialist whom Cohen endorsed in 2012, cited Cohens warnings on the risks of big tech and said his death was a huge loss for economic research. The Covid-19 pandemic had led to health departments across the US to issue orders on the status of businesses, schools and public services. After the vaccinations began, some restrictions were lifted, and others were loosened. A 50 years old and immunocompromised resident receives a second booster shot of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in Waterford, Michigan, U.S., April 8, 2022 (REUTERS/Emily Elconin/File Photo)(REUTERS) Even into 2023, some states and local governments maintained masking orders and other restrictions for public employees and health care workers. Most of these orders, however, had lapsed by May 11. This was when COVID-19 public health emergency ended. Here is a look at the restrictions in 10 states, among others. Alabama Local governments, schools and businesses are barred from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for admission, or for receiving goods or services. State executive branch agencies cannot penalise individuals or businesses for not complying with President Joe Bidens federal vaccine mandate. Read more here. Alaska As per an order issued by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, executive branch departments are not allowed to order anyone to provide proof of vaccination to travel to or around the state. Read more here. Connecticut State employees and staff at schools and childcare facilities no longer face a vaccine mandate as it ended in April 2022. Most of Gov. Ned Lamont's COVID-related executive orders have already expired. Health care facilities, long-term care facilities and shelters do not need to use face-covering any longer. Read more here. Florida As per a legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 11, businesses, government bodies and educational institutions are barred from requiring COVID-19 vaccination or testing for employment, entry or provision of services. Read more here. Hawaii State employees no longer have to show proof of vaccination or undergo regular testing for travel to Hawaii. The statewide mask mandate has also been lifted. Read more here. Idaho Most public and private employers are prohibited from imposing vaccine mandates on employees. Government entities, businesses and venues are also not allowed to ask for proof of vaccination to allow someone to enter a premises or receive services. Read more here. Indiana State and local governments are banned from requiring vaccine passports, according to a bill signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb. Read more here. Kansas As per a bill signed by Gov. Laura Kelly, employers that mandate vaccines are required to allow for a medical or religious exemption. Read more here. Michigan According to a state budget law enacted in September 2021, publicly funded agencies are prohibited from requiring employees or customers to be vaccinated. Read more here. Minnesota In May 2022, a requirement for state employees to get vaccinated or submit to regular testing expired. Read more here. In some respite for the people of United States, Hilary has lost its earlier predicted strength and been downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone. But the danger remains as the Southwestern and Western parts the country are facing strong winds with powerful gusts, heavy rainfall and power cuts. Vehicles drive through a flooded street as Tropical Storm Hilary moves through the area on August 20, 2023 in Cathedral City, California. Southern California is under a first-ever tropical storm warning as Hilary impacts parts of California, Arizona and Nevada. All California state beaches have been closed in San Diego and Orange counties in preparation for the impacts from the storm, which was downgraded from hurricane status. (Getty Images via AFP) In Southern California and places like Los Angeles, flash floods have taken place, damaging property and risking lives. People have been warned to avoid unnecessary travel. ALSO READ| New York City witnesses two drastic fire incidents, three children rescued Here are the top 10 updates about Hilary The National Hurricane Center has warned people not to take the storm lightly despite its down gradation from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone. They have warned about flash floods and other life-threatening occurrences like landslides, due to incessant rainfall. Strong winds and rain is expected to batter the Western US on Monday. Meanwhile, schools remain shut and flights have been cancelled. On Sunday, Hilary entered California after crossing the US-Mexico border, becoming the first tropical storm in the state since Nora in 1997. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit parts of California while Hilary brought in devastation. Social media users labelled the combined calamity as hurriquake. The Los Angeles river is seeing increased water flow and the water level is way beyond the normal mark. The Los Angeles branch of the National Weather Service has said that daily rainfall records in the region has been surpassed. Various videos of damage and destruction being caused by storm Hilary is being shared on social media. California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency across most of Southern California. Hilary is moving north-northwest at 28 mph. It is expected to move north through California and dissipate over central Nevada on Monday. In Palm Springs, California, the 911 emergency phone system experienced an outage on Sunday night, police lieutenant Gustavo Araiza informed CNN. On Monday, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass tweeted, "This morning, Los Angeles was already in action as we anticipated the impacts of the tropical storm. A declaration of local emergency is still in effect to immediately activate emergency operations and waive any regulation that may inhibit saving of lives." San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department has issued a shelter in place order for some residents in the county to safeguard them amid the storm. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON U.S President Joe Biden is considering meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of next month's G20 summit in India's New Delhi, Axios reported on Monday citing four sources. Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman(Reuters) A meeting between the two leaders could give a push to the talks the White House has been holding with the Saudi government for a deal which includes U.S. security guarantees for Riyadh, and a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Axios said. Alleged Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermanns DNA will reportedly be tested against DNA recovered in the case of Victoria Camara, a New Jersey mom who was found murdered in 2003. Rexs arrest is tied to the Gilgo Four, referring to the four women whose bodies were found within days of each other in 2010. The women in question were Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, Amber Lynn Costello, 27, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25. Rex Heuermanns (L) DNA will reportedly be tested against DNA recovered in the case of Victoria Camara (R) (James Carbone/Pool via REUTERS, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department) Following Rexs arrest, Las Vegas authorities began probing cold cases to determine possible links. The Las Vegas Police Department's DNA lab is now set to conduct a direct comparison of Rexs DNA and the DNA recovered in connection with Victorias murder. The murder of Victoria Camara Victoria Camara, who was 17 when she was killed, resorted to sex work to earn a living for her baby girl and herself. In August 2003, her remains were found in the desert near a haul road in Boulder City. The location is about 26 miles southeast of Las Vegas. "Somebody took my mom's life without regard," Victorias daughter, who is now grown up, previously told News 12. She added, "I just hope it gets us the answers we've all been looking for. Honestly, it will definitely help a lot. "She just was thrown like a piece of trash in the desert," said Kaila Donaldson, Victorias first cousin and childhood best friend, according to KTNV. "You first hear it. It's unbelievable. It feels like a Lifetime movie." Kaila added, "She was a beautiful person, very artistic. She loved makeup. She loved building things. We used to play with Legos all the time. She was just the person that I could go and talk to about anything." It's very scary Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. said that he sees a link between his department's case against Rex and other similar cold cases that have been resurfacing after his arrest. "I do feel that there's similarities, it's very scary," he said. "When you see the deaths, the type of women that were killed, the occupation that they were in [...] it all resonates to this one particular person." Rex was "very quiet" when he was arrested, it has been revealed. The 59-year-old was caught by plainclothes cops as he strolled down a Midtown sidewalk on Thursday night, July 13. Rex had worked in Midtown for several years at his own company, RH Architecture. He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and other charges. Major wildfires were burning in Greece and on one of Spains Canary Islands off the African coast Monday, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes, two of which have been burning for several days. A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop, as a wildfire burns near the village of Asklipieio, on the island of Rhodes, Greece. (Reuters) European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages in the central Viotia region, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Athens, after a forest fire broke out Monday morning. The coast guard put two patrol boats and several fishing boats and private vessels on standby in case an evacuation by sea was necessary. Authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep pen in the area under evacuation, with local media reporting the man apparently died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his livestock. In the northeast of the country near the border with Turkey, strong winds rekindled flames on several fronts in a major wildfire burning for a third day across forests and farmland near the town of Alexandroupolis. Several homes were destroyed over the weekend. Thirteen villages were evacuated, while more than 200 firefighters, assisted by 17 water-dropping aircraft, volunteers and the armed forces were battling the fire, Deputy Fire Chief Ioannis Artopios said. Another two villages were being evacuated on the island of Evia, near Athens, where 19 French firefighters also helped fight the flames, Artopios said, noting that 65 forest fires had broken out across Greece in the previous 24 hours. Read Here: Canada to deploy armed forces in British Columbia to tackle wildfires Cyprus was sending two firefighting aircraft to help tackle the Alexandroupolis blaze, including four crew and five ground support staff. With gale-force winds blowing in several parts of the country, authorities set the fire risk level in several regions, including that of the Greek capital, to extreme. This extreme situation we are experiencing will further favor the outbreak and spread of forest fires, Artopios said. Greece suffers destructive wildfires every summer, which officials say have been exacerbated by climate change. Greece's deadliest wildfire killed 104 people in 2018, in a seaside resort near Athens that residents had not been warned to evacuate. Since then, authorities have erred on the side of caution, issuing swift mass evacuation orders whenever inhabited areas are under threat. Last month a wildfire on the resort island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on the island of Evia. Another three wildfire-related deaths have been recorded this summer. In Spains Canary Islands, a wildfire that police say was started deliberately last Tuesday on Tenerife continued to burn out of control, although the worst seemed to have passed. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and about 13,400 hectares (33,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland have burned. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the fire area would be declared a catastrophe zone, entitling the island to funds to help with reforestation and compensation for people affected. Canary Island regional President Fernando Clavijo told Spains Cadena SER radio the worst is over, adding that the hundreds of firefighters deployed had made some progress for the second night in a row. The fire in the northeast of the island is not near any of the islands main tourist areas. The blaze has come close to some 10 municipalities, but there have been no injuries or burned homes so far. In Portugal and Italy, two other southern European countries often plagued by wildfires in the summer months, temperatures were predicted to soar this week. Italian authorities issued heat warnings for eight cities from Bolzano in the north to Rome in central Italy on Monday as temperatures were forecast to hit 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). Storm warnings were in effect in the southern regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily. In Portugal, temperatures were forecast to reach 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in some southern parts of the country. US president Joe Biden is set to visit Maui nearly two weeks after wildfires swept through the Hawaiian island. At least 114 people have been killed in the blaze that raged through Lahaina in west Maui on August 8 in a death toll that is still mounting. The US president will pause his vacation in Lake Tahoe to fly from Reno, Nevada, to Maui, alongside first lady Jill Biden, Reuters reported. They will take a helicopter tour of the burned-out areas and then visit the devastated Lahaina community to see the wildfire damage firsthand. Maui Wildfire: US president Joe Biden (AP) After the tour, Joe Biden will make remarks "paying respects to the lives lost and reflecting on the tragic, lasting impacts of these wildfires on survivors and the community," a White House official said as per Reuters. Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election in 2024, has been criticized for his initial response to the Maui fires. The White House countered that the US president has been leading a "whole of government" effort to help Hawaii recover. Joe Biden himself said he did not want to travel to Maui until he was assured that he would not interfere with emergency response efforts. What has the White House said on Joe Biden's Maui visit? Joe Biden will announce the appointment of FEMA Region 9 administrator Bob Fenton as the chief federal response coordinator to oversee a long-term federal recovery effort, a White House official said. He will also meet emergency responders, survivors and community members. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions, Joe Biden said. What's going on Maui? Maui presents a challenge as the remains of some of the victims are still being recovered. There are also concerns among displaced Lahaina residents that developers will seek to buy them out, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said that Joe Biden will reassure the residents that they will be in control of how they rebuild. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The 14-day-old twins, Montana Alexander Bridges and Matthew Jace Bridges went missing Sunday night from their home in Livonia, Michigan. Both the boys have been found safe in Detroit by the Michigan State Police and the amber alert issued for finding the duo has been cancelled. Both the boys have been found safe in Detroit by the Michigan State Police. An amber alert was issued early Monday morning when the twins were abducted, only wearing their diapers, in Livonia. According to the Michigan State Police, the twins were abducted at around 10:30 p.m. on August 20, 2023, from a Quality Inn Motel on Plymouth Road. The police gave a description of the abductors, stating they may have been two unidentified females, travelling in a black Jeep Cherokee with chrome trim around the passenger windows and a Michigan registration of EHD1130. No further information has been provided on whether the abductors have been arrested or not. The authorities said more information would be provided later. No further information has been provided on whether the abductors have been arrested or not. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from a navy ship, state media reported Monday, as the U.S. and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the Guards 2nd Surface Ship Flotilla of the East Sea Fleet of the Navy of the Korean People's Army (KPA).(via REUTERS) The Norths report on missile tests came three days after the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan agreed to expand their security and economic ties at a summit in the United States. During an inspection visit of a navy flotilla on the eastern coast, Kim boarded a patrol boat to review its weapons and preparations for combat. He later watched its seamen conducting a drill of launching strategic cruise missiles, the official Korean Central News Agency said. KCNA didnt say when the missile launches happened, and a state media photo showed Kim watching the launch of a missile from another place, not on the patrol boat. KCNA's use of the word strategic in reference to the tested weapons implied they were developed to carry nuclear warheads. Kim said he would bolster efforts to build powerful warships and modernize shipboard and underwater weapons systems for the North's navy. He called for the country's sailors to build overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength, saying that is more important than numerical or technical superiority of weapons, according to KCNA. North Korea was widely expected to resume weapons tests in reaction to the summer U.S.-South Korean military training that began Monday for an 11-day run. The Ulchi Freedom Shield training is a computer-simulated command post exercise. The U.S. and South Korean militaries said they also plan conduct large-scale field exercises as well. North Korea has slammed major U.S.-South Korean drills as practice for an invasion and has responded to them with missile tests. U.S. and South Korean officials maintain the exercies are defensive in nature and they have no intention of attacking the North. Since the opening of 2022, North Korea performed more than 100 weapons tests, some of them nuclear-capable ballistic missiles designed to strike the U.S. mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan. The U.S. and South Korea have expanded their regular training exercises in response. During their summit at Camp David, U.S. President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said they intend to put into operation by year's end the sharing of real-time missile warning data on North Korea and hold annual trilateral exercises. It was the first ever stand-alone summit held by the three countries, and the leaders said they are committed to pursuing enhanced ballistic missile defense cooperation to counter North Koreas nuclear and missile threats. North Korea has said the three countries push to strengthen their security cooperation is compelling it to reinforce its own military capability. South Koreas spy service told lawmakers Thursday that North Korea was taking steps needed for the launches of long-range missiles and an attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit. The Norths first attempt to launch a spy satellite in late May ended in failure, when a rocket carrying the satellite plunged into the ocean soon after liftoff. Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will skip primary debates against other Republican presidential candidates, citing a new poll showing him with a wide lead over his rivals for the GOP nomination. Former US president Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, US on March 13. (REUTERS) The post on Trumps Truth Social platform came days before the partys first presidential debate in Milwaukee and ended weeks of speculation over whether he would take part. His announcement signals that hes already turning his attention to a possible matchup against President Joe Biden in the general election. Trump pointed to a CBS News survey published Sunday, saying it has me leading the field by legendary numbers. He went on to deride his opponents, notably Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for trailing in the polls and touted his presidential achievements, before adding in all-caps that he will therefore not be doing the debates! In his Truth Social post, Trump didnt say what he would be doing at the time of the debate, scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 23. The former president is expected to feature in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that may overlap with the event, though a spokesperson said Friday that plans hadnt been finalized. An interview with Carlson, who exited Fox News earlier this year, would be a snub to the network, which is hosting Wednesdays debate. Trump has criticized the network in recent days for its coverage of his campaign. Trump has skipped several events in early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire that are considered important to wooing party activists and giving candidates equal billing. He wasnt invited to an event in Atlanta this weekend hosted by radio host Erick Erickson that drew six other candidates including DeSantis. While Trump wont be on the debate stage Wednesday, he intends to have allies present in the audience in Milwaukee. His team has pressed several high-profile supporters to attend on his behalf, Representative Byron Donalds said in an interview. Trumps decision to avoid the primary debates increases pressure on his GOP rivals to alter their campaign strategies. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, in particular, has made targeting Trump a centerpiece of his White House bid and had relished the prospect of debating him. Hes a coward, Christie told reporters in Atlanta on Saturday, as it appeared increasingly likely that Trump wouldnt appear. Do you not owe it to the voters to stand up there and allow them to compare you to the rest of the people running? While Trump has taken umbrage with the idea of sharing a stage with unfriendly candidates polling in the single digits, he has also said he wouldnt sign a pledge from the RNC that is a requirement to qualify for the debates. The Beat Biden pledge instructs candidates to respect the Republican nominee and not run as a third party candidate. Late Sunday night, a driver crashed into seven pedestrians at the Midtown Manhattan crosswalk, leaving one critically injured, as informed by the police and law enforcement forces. Late Sunday night, a driver crashed into seven pedestrians at the Midtown Manhattan crosswalk. Five out of the seven victims, a 34-year-old woman who was critically injured and four men ages 24, 27, 28, and 60 had to be rushed to Bellevue Hospital. While most of the victims were taken to hospitals for medical attention, one refused medical care, said officers. While most of the victims were taken to hospitals for medical attention, one refused medical care, said officers. As of Monday morning, the hospitalized victims have been defined stable, as per the police. According to sources, it was around 11:55 p.m. at West 36th Street and 6th Avenue, when the driver of the Honda Accord hit the seven victims and fled the scene. She went on to strike two more cars along the Long Island Expressway near the 188th Street exit in Queens before she crashed her car and was later arrested by the police. While the investigation is in the procedure, no charges have been filed against the Honda driver. No reports of injury were made in the second crash. The other drivers were allowed to continue their journey post exchanging information with the police, said authorities. The 29-year-old driver has been taken to Long Island Jewish Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation. She tested negative for alcohol but had complaints of pain and therefore, will also be receiving medical care. While the investigation is in the procedure, no charges have been filed against the Honda driver. Authorities in Pakistan are promising 2 million rupees ($6,800) in compensation for each of nearly 100 poor Christians who lost their homes when a Muslim mob angered over the alleged desecration of a Quran stormed their neighborhoods, burning at least 16 churches and damaging houses, officials said Monday. Christians hold the holy cross and a placard during a protest in Islamabad on August 20 to condemn the attacks on churches in Pakistan.(AFP) Police said they have arrested dozens more rioters in ongoing raids, bringing the total number of detainees to 160. Mohsin Naqvi, the top official in Punjab province, made the announcement on X, previously known as Twitter, a day after he visited Jaranwala in Punjab, where hundreds of Muslims went on a rampage last Wednesday over allegations that a Christian man and his friend had desecrated Islam's holy book. Naqvi held a Cabinet meeting at a burned church in Jaranwala to get approval for the compensation for the victims of last week's violence in the presence of local priests and residents. Hundreds of terrified Christians who fled their homes have returned only to see destruction everywhere. They have been living outside their burned homes, fearing the structures may collapse. "They are worried for their safety, they are worried for their children, who witnessed the tragedy and are traumatized," Christian Priest Khalid Mukhtar said. He said according to his information, all 26 churches in Jaranwala were attacked, burned or damaged. The rioters said a local Christian and his friend tore pages out of a Quran, threw them on the ground and wrote insulting remarks on other pages. Police have arrested the two men. Local police chief Mansoor Sadiq said they have arrested 160 rioters and are continuing raids to arrest 450 more suspects. A Christian graveyard was also desecrated in Wednesday's violence, authorities said. On Monday, Naqvi, the caretaker chief minister of Punjab, said all Christians who suffered financial losses from the attacks will receive 2 million rupees in the next 48 hours. He said authorities have begun to repair the churches, and that all damaged places of worship will be restored to their original condition. But Mukhtar told The Associated Press that Naqvi and other officials only visited one damaged church on Sunday and did not go to the homes of anyone who suffered losses. He challenged Naqvis claim about the repair of churches, saying that the walls of two churches were only painted, and needed to be rebuilt. Last week's attack was one of the most destructive in the country's history. The violence drew nationwide condemnation, with caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar ordering the arrest of all those linked to the rioting. Under Pakistans blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out capital punishment for blasphemy, often mere accusations can incite mobs to violence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Iranian police arrested the head of a real estate agency after a viral video showed his firm selling an apartment to a dog. In the video, which was shared widely on social media, an Iranian couple signed a contract transferring their apartment to their dog. The dog, named "Chester", placed its paws on an ink pad with the help of a woman and stamped the contract. The dog, named "Chester", placed its paws on an ink pad with the help of a woman.(Representational) The woman said that the couple had no heirs and that they wanted to sell the apartment to the dog. There is no law banning dog ownership in Iran but earlier clerics have advised against keeping them as pets. ISNA news agency reported that the "police launched an investigation" following the video. "The police arrested the head of the real estate agency and shuttered the firm on Saturday," judiciary's Mizan Online website said quoting deputy prosecutor general Reza Tabar. The sale seeks to "normalise the violation of the society's moral values", and has no legal basis, Reza Tabar said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail SpaceXs chief executive officer Elon Musk told Pentagon officials that he had spoken personally to Russian president Vladimir Putin about the satellite-based internet SpaceX supplies to Ukraines military, the New Yorker reported. Elon Musk told Colin Kahl, then the Pentagons top policy official, during an October conversation about Ukrainian forces losing connection to Space Exploration Technologies Corp.s Starlink service as they entered territory contested by Russia, the report claimed. Twitter, X Corp., and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is seen.(Reuters) My inference was that he was getting nervous that Starlinks involvement was increasingly seen in Russia as enabling the Ukrainian war effort, and was looking for a way to placate Russian concerns, Colin Kahl told the New Yorker. Colin Kahl returned to a position at Stanford University last month. In October, Elon Musk denied that he had spoken to Vladimir Putin. In a post on Twitter, the social media platform since renamed X, the billionaire wrote that hed spoken to the Russian president only once, roughly 18 months earlier, about space. The report revives the controversy that erupted after Elon Musk posted so-called Russia-Ukraine peace plans that the Kremlin praised and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticized. After this, Ukrainian troops reported Starlink outages and Elon Musk threatened to stop funding Ukraines access to the service. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pope Francis said on Monday that he was writing a follow-up to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the protection of the environment and the dangers of climate change "to bring it up to date". Pope Francis(AP) He made the surprise announcement in a brief, unprepared addition in a speech to a group of lawyers from Council of Europe countries. In 2015, Francis wrote Laudato Si (Praised Be), a major document on the need to protect the environment, face the dangers and challenges of climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels. An encyclical is the highest form of papal writing. "I am writing a second part to Laudato Si to bring it up to date with current problems," Francis told the group, without elaborating. The encyclical, which made Francis a hero to many climate activists, was seen to have influenced the decisions taken later that year at the Paris climate conference that set goals to limit global warming. At the time it was issued, some conservative Catholics allied with conservative political movements and corporate interests fiercely criticised the pope for backing the opinion of a majority of scientists who said global warming was at least partly due to human activity. U.S. climate envoy and former secretary of state John Kerry told Reuters in an interview in June after meeting the pope that the encyclical had a "profound impact" on the Paris conference. In his comments on Monday, Francis did not specify what form the second part of Laudato Si would take, when it would be released or how it would elaborate on the original. In the eight years since the document was published, the world has seen an increase in extreme weather events such as more intense and prolonged heat waves, more frequent wildfires and more severe hurricanes. Last year, a senior Vatican official whose brief includes the environment said such events had become the "new normal" and had shown that the time for climate change denial and scepticism was over. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON British police said that they had dropped an inquiry into King Charles III's charity foundation, The Prince's Trust, over claims of a cash-for-honours scandal involving a Saudi businessman. The probe was launched last year after the head of foundation, Michael Fawcett, resigned in 2021 following an internal investigation. Tycoon Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz had donated large sums to restoration projects which were of particular interest to the British monarch. Royal Family: King Charles III reacts during a visit of the Sandringham Flower Show, in Sandrigham.(AFP) London's Metropolitan Police force said that after investigating and consulting with prosecutors it had decided to end the inquiry. "After careful consideration of the information received as a result of the investigation to date, the Met has concluded that no further action will be taken in this matter," it said. Should any new information or evidence come to light that requires further assessment, this will be carried out by the Met's Special Enquiry Team. Nobody has been arrested or charged during the course of this investigation, it added. What was the scandal relating to King Charles' foundation? Michael Fawcett was King Charles's longstanding former valet and was close to him for decades, He was alleged to have coordinated efforts as he sought a royal honour and even UK citizenship. Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz has denied any wrongdoing. What is the Prince's Foundation? The Princes Foundation is an umbrella organization for a number of King Charles charitable projects. It is based at the historic Dumfries House estate in Scotland - a center for education and training that champions sustainable living. It is also operated separately from Prince Charles main office at Clarence House. Earlier a spokesperson for King Charles maintained that the Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honors or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russian high school students will learn how to operate and counter military drones, AFP reported citing a curriculum published by the education ministry. Last year, Moscow had announced that it was re-introducing Soviet-style military training for children from 2023 amid Ukraine war. The drone course will be offered to pupils aged 15 to 17. Russia-Ukraine War: Russian president Vladimir Putin is seen. (AFP) According to the education ministry's website, school children will gain an understanding of the ways in which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used in combat and will also "perform practical tasks on drone piloting" as well as "learn the algorithm to counter enemy drones". "The introduction of such a program in schools will make it possible to systematically prepare our citizens for a possible confrontation with the enemy," Russian lawmaker Sergei Mironov said last year as he advocated for the reintroduction of the training. The revised military program also includes a module dedicated to Kalashnikov assault rifles, hand grenades and shooting. Since Moscow launched its campaign against Ukraine in February last year, Russian authorities have led a sweeping effort to boost patriotism at school. Schools have been ordered to play the national anthem and hoist the flag at the start of each week. Kremlin has also introduced classes- called important conversations- that teach Russian values and Moscow's narrative on Ukraine war. This comes as Russian territory is targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks as their use becomes pivotal in the conflict. At least two people were injured on Monday when parts of a Ukrainian drone destroyed by Russian air defences fell on a house in the Moscow region. Nearly 50 plane flights in and out of the capital were disrupted as arrivals and departures from Moscow's four main airports - Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky - were restricted, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At least two people were injured on Monday when parts of a Ukrainian drone destroyed by Russian air defences fell on a house in the Moscow region, the regional governor said. Russia-Ukraine War: Broken glass and debris in a damaged hall of a railway station.(Reuters) Nearly 50 plane flights in and out of the capital were disrupted after Russia said it jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Ruzsky district west of the capital and destroyed another one in the Istrinsky district nearby. Arrivals and departures from Moscow's four main airports - Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky - were restricted, disrupting 45 passenger planes and two cargo planes, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said. Russian officials have repeatedly cautioned that military drones flying over Moscow - which along with its surrounding region has a population of nearly 22 million people - could cause a major disaster. Separately, the Russian Defence Ministry said it had downed a drone in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, while the governor of Kaluga region, south of Moscow, said a drone had also been repelled there. No damage was reported in either attack. Drone air strikes deep inside Russia have increased since two drones were destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. Drone strikes on the Russian capital have become increasingly common in recent months. It is unclear what impact the drone attacks will have on perceptions of the war among the Russian population. Polling indicates support for the Russian military operation in Ukraine remains high, around 75%, though there are questions over how accurate polling is in Russia. Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed suggestions that Kyiv might surrender certain territories to Russia for future NATO membership joking that Ukraine would instead be willing to give up control of Russian border region Belgorod. "We are ready to exchange Belgorod for our membership in NATO," the Ukrainian president in Denmark as he was on a visit to inspect Danish F-16 fighter jets. Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses people from the steps of Christiansborg palace in Copenhagen, Denmark.(AP) The response came when Volodymyr Zelensky was asked during a press conference in Denmark about recent comments by Stian Jenssen, the director of NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg's private office who had last week acknowledged the possibility of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia in exchange for accession to NATO. Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly rejected suggestions that Kyiv might surrender occupied land in exchange for a peace deal with Russia. Zelensky and his top officials have said they intend to liberate all Ukrainian land per the country's 1991 borders. Read more: Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote in a letter sent last week "Trading territory for a NATO umbrella? It is ridiculous," Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky's office, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine's foreign ministry, said it was completely unacceptable to suggest such a deal. This comes as Zelensky secured commitments from the Netherlands and Denmark to supply long-desired F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. Zelensky said the Netherlands had agreed to send "42 great combat aircraft" to Ukraine with Denmark providing an additional 19. Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelensky's office, said, "It was not always public, and not everything can be told now. It was a truly multi-level process with our partners, the result of which is a significant number of F-16s for Ukraine." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote in a letter sent last week, I am writing to express the United States' full support for both the transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and for the training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors. It remains critical that Ukraine is able to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression and violation of its sovereignty. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Taiwan's military spending will rise 3.5% year-on-year to hit a fresh record high in 2024, president Tsai Ing-wen said as the island aims to improve defences amid a growing China threat. China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has ramped up military and political pressure over the past three years. Taipei strongly rejects the claims. Taiwan Budget: A Taiwan flag flutters in the wind in Taoyuan, Taiwan.(Reuters) The overall proposed defence budget which will need parliamentary approval, is T$606.8 billion ($19 billion)- 2.5% of the island's GDP. This marks the seventh consecutive year in which Taiwan has increased its military spending but the rate of growth will be far slower than the 14% rise seen this year. The budget will include a "special budget" for unspecified extra spending, president Tsai Ing-wen said. "Taiwan must continue to strengthen its self-defence capabilities, demonstrate its determination for self-defence, ensure its national security and interests, and seek more international support," she said. This comes as Tsai has overseen a military modernisation programme to make Taiwan better able to face China. The island has upgraded its fleet of F-16 fighter jets and is also developing its own submarines. The first prototype indigenous submarine of Taiwan was expected to be unveiled next month. The spending increase is far less than the 7.2% rise China has proposed for its defence spending this year. Taiwan's 3.5% rise is roughly in line with government predictions for overall GDP growth next year which is at 1.36%- its slowest pace in eight years. "In the face of the challenges of slowing global economic growth and rapid changes in the international political and economic situation, I would like to ask the executive team to carefully plan based on sound finances, and be sure to properly allocate resources," Tsai said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail Two men died at an Ironman competition in Ireland. They were removed from the water by emergency services but pronounced dead at the scene, police informed. The men were in their 40s and 60s. They got into difficulty in separate incidents during the swimming leg of the race in Youghal, Co. Cork, police said adding that they are investigating and the coroner has been notified. Ironman Competition: Two men died at an Ironman competition in Ireland.(Representational) The event had been postponed from Saturday due to flooding and bad course conditions after Storm Betty. Cork County Council said in a statement that it is "deeply saddened over the tragic loss of two race participants during the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023 event in Youghal today. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the athletes at this incredibly difficult time." What the event organisers said? In a statement, the event organisers said, We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of two race participants at the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023. During the swim portion of Sunday's race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance. We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance. In respect of the families and athletes' privacy, we will have no further comment, they added. How risky is the Ironman competition? The Ironman competition consisted of a 1.9 kilometre swim in Youghal Bay, a 90km bike course and a 21.1km run. The swim had already been cut from 3.8km due to poor weather conditions this year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail Nurse Lucy Letby, Britain's most prolific serial child killer in modern times, will spend the rest of her life behind bars, a judge ordered on Monday following her conviction for murdering seven newborn babies and trying to kill another six. Nurse Lucy Letby(Reuters) Letby, 33, murdered the five baby boys and two baby girls at the neonatal unit of Countess of Chester hospital in northern England where she was working in 2015 and 2016, injecting the infants with insulin or air or force feeding them milk. Some of those she attacked were twins - in one case she murdered both siblings, in another she killed two of three triplets, and in two instances she murdered one twin but failed in her attempts to kill the other. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday landed in Athens for an official visit, the Greek prime minister's office said, and would later join an informal dinner with EU and Balkans leaders. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with an obscured Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ahead of their meeting in Athens.(AFP) Greece has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia's invasion, providing humanitarian aid and weapons including infantry fighting vehicles, Kalashnikov assault rifles, launchers and ammunition. "The agenda is all that we can do together to protect human life and freedom in our common European home," Zelensky said in a Telegram message prior to the meetings. "Every day we add strength to our state, our soldiers and our cooperation with partners," he said. The Ukrainian president is concluding a European tour with previous stops in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark. Denmark and the Netherlands have said they would provide American F-16 jets to strengthen Kyiv's Soviet-era air force, as it pursues a grinding counteroffensive against Russian forces. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is meeting with Balkan leaders through Tuesday, and will host an informal dinner Monday evening with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Charles Michel also attending. The other participants are the presidents of Serbia, Moldova, Montenegro and Romania, the prime ministers of Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Croatia, and the chairwoman of the council of ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mitsotakis' office said in a statement. The Greek PM's office said the gathering marks the twentieth anniversary of a 2003 Thessaloniki summit confirming the European perspective of Western Balkan states. Read more: UK underwear chain Morrisons gets cancer warning labels A historically Russian ally bound by centuries of tradition and a shared Orthodox Christian faith, Greece under Mitsotakis has shifted and unequivocally condemned Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Last year it expelled a dozen members of Russia's diplomatic and consular missions, and is hosting thousands of Ukrainians and their families. In April, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov visited the Greek capital for talks with his then counterpart Nikos Panagiotopoulos. Reznikov at the time said Ukraine after the war would seek Greek assistance in de-mining the Sea of Azov, and developing the country's naval forces. Greece has also offered to rebuild the maternity hospital in Mariupol that was shelled last year. In April 2022, Zelensky gave a televised speech at a special session of Greek parliament to request assistance for Mariupol and Odessa, two Ukrainian cities that have had large ethnic Greek populations for centuries. The session saw a rare attendance by the Greek head of state President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and Zelensky was given a standing ovation by Greek ministers and MPs. The Greek communists and a small nationalist party boycotted the event. d more Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he was "confident" Russia would lose the war in Ukraine. Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses people from the steps of Christiansborg palace in Copenhagen, Denmark.(AP) "Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war... I'm sure that we will win because the truth is on our side," Zelensky said in a speech outside the Danish parliament, as a large crowd cheered and waved Ukrainian flags. Zelensky made his remarks a day after Denmark, along with the Netherlands, announced they would provide American F-16 jets to strengthen Kyiv's Soviet-era air force, as it pursues a grinding counteroffensive against Russian forces in the east. "The main thing is what we prove with our victory, with our cooperation... Together we prove that life is a value, that people matter. Freedom matters, Europe matters," the Ukrainian leader said. "It will be a common victory. Of truth, of democracy, of our people, of our nations." on Sunday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her country would deliver 19 F-16s, six of them by the end of this year, eight next year and five in 2025. Read more: Pope Francis to update landmark document on world environmental crisis Russia warned Monday that the delivery of the advanced jets represented an "escalation of the conflict". "By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its deeds and words to leave Ukraine no choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia," Russian ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said in a statement to AFP. "Such a position pushes Ukraine into the abyss and condemns its people to new victims." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in July that Moscow would consider the F-16s a "nuclear" threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons. Opening of floodgates in Arizona along US' border with Mexico has propelled illegal migration into the country. According to a report by the New York Post, US officials opened the 114 floodgates along the border to allow free flow of water during the yearly monsoon season and also to help in the migration of an endangered species of antelope. Representational Picture(via REUTERS) However, the move has backfired in a way that illegal migrants are using it to enter the United States. The report highlights that on an average 1400 migrants are illegally entering and a few of them are of Chinese origin. Amid the situation, the border agents are feeling helpless due to being outnumbered. The situation has turned Tucson post into the busiest point of illegal entry into the United States. Meanwhile, smugglers are milking the situation and bringing more and more illegal migrants to the loopholes along the border. What youre seeing is a lot of large groups who want to turn themselves in. Tucson has also traditionally been where smugglers concentrate Mexicans and Central Americans who dont want to be detected. Now theyre seeing 100 people at a time who are not running away," said Adam Isacson, director for defense oversight at the advocacy group Washington Office on Latin America. Its really becoming an epicenter. This is big, he added. ALSO READ| Hurricane Hilary makes landfall in Mexico, hits California: Check top 10 updates The report says that each of the 114 floodgates which have been opened, have 12-foot wide doors through which migrants can sneak in even on a motorbike. Reportedly, the gates have been open for nearly two months after instructions from several federal agencies, including the National Park Service and the International Boundary and Water Commission. Migrants took advantage of late start to the annual monsoon season, which caused the gates to be open while there were no rain. We tried to shut the gates but the order came down that we had to leave them open. You wouldnt leave the front door of your house open in a bad neighborhood, said one source as quoted by New York Post. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Tucker Carlson, took to Twitter on August 21, 2023, to post a broadcast of his future meeting with the President of Serbia, in which he states that Aleksander Vucic, has an interesting perspective on what's going on in Ukraine, adding that Serbia itself was blown up by NATO about 25 years ago. Post the meeting, he shared the views of the President whom he praised as being a smart man. Tucker can be seen on a journey in a car as he begins, So in a car to the Serbian embassy, to meet the President of Serbia, he is in town. Serbia has the distinction of being one of the countries in the region that has been bombed by NATO. I think he's got an interesting perspective on what's happening in Ukraine, the NATO war against Russia, it's worth hearing we think," he added. Post the meeting, he shared the views of the President whom he praised as being a smart man. One of the points he made is that the war in Ukraine, the war against Russia led by NATO, has crushed the European economy. The destruction of Nord Stream by the Biden administration, either directly or through proxies, is killing the German economy, added the President. Tucker commented on how the war between Ukraine and Russia, is hurting everybody with the exception of Russia and empowering states outside of Europe like the Gulf States, China, and Turkey. He stated how the world is being reset in response to this war, there is a massive shift in power from the US and the West towards the East. It's all happening right now, he ended. The ex-Fox News host met the Serbian President at the Serbian Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, for a meeting that will be published in the near future. While Tucker's view on the war is a completely fresh perspective for the US, the video has left netizens divided on whether they agree or disagree with his statement. Serbians, however, are not very supportive of their President who they think is a totalitarian and fascist. A champion of closer people-to-people ties among BRICS countries Xinhua) 14:07, August 21, 2023 BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, and pay a state visit to South Africa from Aug. 21 to 24. Ahead of his trip, Xi replied to a letter from the faculty and students of the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology in South Africa, encouraging them to learn the Chinese language well and contribute to carrying forward the China-South Africa friendship and promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries. In his letter, Xi said that he witnessed the establishment of the Confucius Institute 10 years ago and was pleased to see that, through the joint efforts of both sides, the educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries have yielded fruitful results. The interaction shows the great importance that Xi attaches to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges among BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In his speech at the plenary session of the BRICS Xiamen Summit in 2017, Xi devoted one section to expounding on how he views the cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Citing an ancient Chinese saying, "amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations," Xi said enhancing the exchanges among peoples of BRICS countries and seeing the spirit of partnership embraced by all the people in these countries is a worthy cause that deserves enduring commitment. "A job well done in this regard will keep BRICS cooperation vibrant," he stressed. Over the years, Xi has personally supported the efforts to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges among BRICS countries. Xi has shared stories in this regard in speeches delivered during trips to the other four BRICS countries. He lauded Carlos Tavares, a Brazilian expert on China, for enabling more people to understand China through his books, articles and speeches. In a speech delivered during a trip to India, Xi also cited verses by Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore that had inspired him. Among Xi's numerous interactions with people from these countries was a congratulatory message he sent in 2017 to celebrate the inaugural semester of Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, the first joint Sino-Russian university. He encouraged education officials and teachers from both countries to contribute to Sino-Russian educational cooperation and bilateral friendship. Thanks to China's active participation and vigorous promotion, BRICS cooperation has transitioned from a framework driven by the "two wheels" of politics and economy to the "triple pillars" of political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges. In recent years, cultural and people-to-people exchanges have notably gained momentum, and the activities of such exchanges are taking place regularly and have been institutionalized. There has been a wide range of activities, from the BRICS media forums, film festivals, and cultural festivals, to women's innovation contests, and technical and vocational education programs. This rich variety demonstrates that BRICS countries are committed to creating a broad landscape for cross-regional and cross-cultural exchanges. They have not only accelerated the advancement of the BRICS cooperation mechanism but also presented a "BRICS model" for fostering inclusiveness and mutual learning among different civilizations. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the opening of Hyatt Place Vijayawada, a modern haven offering 81 rooms and suites. The hotel marks the debut of the Hyatt Place brand in the state of Andhra Pradesh - a significant landmark in Hyatt's brand growth in the market. Developed by RVS Conventions Private Limited, the property features the Hyatt Place brand's intuitive design, casual atmosphere, and practical amenities, such as free Wi-Fi and 24-hour food offerings. Inspired by Hyatt's commitment to care, the property sets a new standard in hospitality with its smart design, delivering a harmonious fusion of functionality and space for today's multi-tasking traveler. The hotel is close to the city's commercial district and a convenient 20-minute drive from the Vijayawada International Airport. Its central location also offers quick access to local attractions such as the iconic Prakasam Barrage and the ancient rock-cut architecture of Undavalli Caves. Hyatt Place Vijayawada welcomes guests to a world of contemporary comfort inspired by local interiors and art pieces. Each room is thoughtfully designed to ensure comfort and innovation, making it an ideal retreat for business and leisure travelers alike. The hotel's exceptional amenities include two eclectic dining options, The Market and versatile event spaces perfect for hosting memorable weddings and gatherings. Hotel website The following publication is part of a series of 7 pieces prepared by Glion's IHB Masters students during a one-day workshop aiming at highlighting the potential of the hospitality industry to contribute to the achievement of the UN SDGs by 2030. All figures, data and initiatives are fictitious and were created by students in the context of an immersive and transformative learning experience where students generated ideas and propositions that transcend the conventional thanks to the simulation of a professional conference taking place in 2030. Learn more about the workshop at Glion here. This piece focuses on SDGs 5 and 10, Gender equality and Reduced inequalities. Students view the following objectives to be achievable by 2030 in the hospitality industry: women in management positions increase by 25% and a minimum of 35% boost for diversity and inclusion for minority groups. Students emphasised the importance of intentional policies not only among hotel groups but also in hospitality schools with the creation of the WIL (Woman in Leadership) program at Glion where researchers and professionals would collaborate to support women leadership. -------- The SDG Conference 2030 has concluded successfully today with more than 20 amazing speakers with 8 panel discussions, together with nearly 100 dedicated attendees and students in the hospitality industry. Throughout our half-day agenda, 8 amazing panel discussions have been completed, covering our achievable goals regarding 17 sustainable development goals and how different stakeholders in the hospitality industry have taken actions to obtain such objectives. As we are all aware, gender diversity in the workplace is becoming increasingly important for a variety of reasons. Not only does it play a role in prospective workers' decisions about whether or not to apply for a job with a given company, but there are also a number of other advantages for businesses that make efforts to increase gender diversity in the workplace. In the panel about gender equality and reducing inequalities, we proudly presented the goals that have been achieved with regards to equality: Up until now, on average, women in managerial roles has increased by 25% and a boost of minimum 35% for diversity and inclusion for minor groups. We were pleased to welcome 4 speakers: Source: Glion Ms. Bethina - CEO of Jumeirah kicked off our panel discussion by sharing some insights about remarkable figures that Jumeirah has achieved in the past years with efforts to gradually eradicate inequalities in the workplace. Ms. Bethina elaborated on the metrics her company employs to assess the value of initiatives like leadership development and mentorship. This could open doors for many people, especially women, to advance their careers to higher ranks. Additionally, a worldwide initiative to provide child care for women in positions of power has been initiated. After that, Mr. Yuhan He - CSR Director continued by giving us some valuable information about the various measures being taken to further the company's goals. He claimed the hotel's environmental efforts over the past five years had shown positive results. The gender pay gap at the hotel was reduced to less than 5%, and the average salary across all demographics (race, religion, age) was also brought closer to the norm. Further, every year for the past decade they have won the prize for best hospitality organization culture. They also pushed a number of office regulars to improve the hotel's internal stability and foster a more welcoming, varied, and productive workplace. The company's motto is "Different Us can serve Different customers," which was established on the principle that "the impact of different minds would give inspiration," leading to the formation of a consensus based on mutual regard. For example, respect on living habits, respect on religions, respect on recognition. Additionally, ten years ago, they made a commitment to diversity by adopting a policy that required a minority population composition of at least 20%. Also, so that everyone on the team could work without undue stress, they established a division known as a working assistant to help them with any issues or concerns they might have. Following up, we have Ms. Sindy - the Hotel School Dean of Glion shared about the Women in Leadership (WIL) Initiative that is implemented successfully in Glion. In her role as dean of a hotel school, she established an academic center to support studies of women in the workplace in the field. The center is staffed by five researchers drawn from the faculty and guest speakers at the hotel school, and it serves as a resource for students interested in conducting their own studies on women in the workplace. Since 2024, she has worked together with other institutions and the industry to host yearly conferences at which researchers and industry leaders are invited to present their thoughts. She also included the idea of WIL into her leadership classes to help students become more aware of its existence. She thinks that every one of her students, regardless of gender, is a future leader in their field and deserves to be heard and given the tools they need to make a difference. Then, in collaboration with the hotel sector, she offered three initiatives aimed at empowering women in the workplace and preparing them to advocate for equal pay, promotion opportunities, and other benefits. Furthermore, she established a WIL committee to help students apply classroom ideas in real-world settings through activities such as case studies and role playing. The alumni community strongly backs the committees, and the committees themselves serve as a conduit for the alumni to be reached for advice, guidance, and the exchange of useful experiences. She believes that this program would pave the way for greater chances for aspiring young women in the hotel industry and foster a community of mutual support among them. And finally, Ms. Muna Alturkistani - Government representative in Saudi Arabia discussed equitable policies and practices. She explained how legal frameworks, training and education, regular monitoring and reporting as well as partnership and collaboration can help promote equality and inclusivity in the hospitality industry. A big thank you to all our speakers for joining us and discussing valuable SDG goals! *Article by Thu Tra and Theresia Jessica About Glion Institute of Higher Education Founded in 1962, Glion Institute of Higher Education is a Swiss institution offering bachelor's and master's degrees in hospitality, luxury and finance to an international student body across three campuses in Switzerland and London, UK. Glion is ranked among the world's top five higher education institutions for hospitality and leisure management, and in the top three number for employer reputation since its entry in the ranking in 2018. (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2022). Part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education, Glion is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). For more information, visit glion.edu. US and UK saw respective deal volume reducing to almost half - China emerges as notable exception Amidst a backdrop of challenging market conditions, various industries have grappled with subdued deal activity during January-July 2023. The travel and tourism industry is no different and saw deal activity decline by a massive year-on-year (YoY) 35.7%, reveals GlobalData. An analysis of GlobalDatas Financial Deals Database reveals that 438 deals were announced in the travel and tourism industry globally during January-July 2023 compared to 681 during January-July 2022 Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: Volatile economic conditions continued to impact the deal-making sentiments in the travel and tourism industry in 2023 with most of the top markets experiencing double-digit decline in deal volume. In fact, the top two markets by deals volume, the US and the UK, saw respective deal volume reducing to almost half. The number of deals announced in the US fell by 45% from 218 to 120. Meanwhile, the deal volume for the UK declined by 43.8% from 80 to 45. India, Australia, France, South Korea, Japan, The Netherlands, and Italy witnessed YoY decline in deal volume by 16.7%, 21.7%, 19%, 5.9%, 60%, 31.3% and 10%, respectively. However, China emerged as a notable exception and registered 12% YoY growth in deal volume. In terms of regions, Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Middle East and Africa and South and Central America witnessed YoY decline in deal volume by 44.8%, 14.4%, 44.6%, 13%, and 20%, respectively, during January-July 2023. All the deal types under coverage witnessed YoY decline in deal activity. The number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing deals declined by 37.5%, 36.8% and 29.7%, respectively, during January-July 2023. Bose concludes: While markets grappled with volatility, the contrasting trajectory of Chinas deal volume demonstrates the industrys inherent resilience. As the industry charts its course through uncertainty, it continues to unveil pockets of potential and prospects for revival. Note: Historic data may change in case some deals get added to previous months because of a delay in disclosure of information in the public domain. Gilda Perez-Alvarado - Group Chief Strategy Officer - Accor Accor today announces that Gilda Perez-Alvarado, currently Global CEO of JLL Hotels & Hospitality, has been appointed as Group Chief Strategy Officer of Accor. Assuming the role on 01 October 2023, Gilda will be a member of the group's Management Board, based in Paris, in charge of overseeing global strategy, relations with hotel owners, and strategic partnerships, reporting directly to Accor Chairman & CEO, Sebastien Bazin. With a strong academic background developed across both Europe and North America, at Cornell University and IE Business School, Gilda started her career at PwC before joining JLL in 2004. Working in the company's Hotel & Hospitality division, Gilda has accrued nearly two decades of experience providing top-tier strategic advice to the industry's largest owners and investors including sovereign wealth funds, private equity, global brands, and family offices/UHNWIs. In her most recent role at JLL, Gilda is responsible for overseeing the global investment sales, debt and equity placement, strategic advisory and asset management services, offering leading expertise throughout the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. In addition, Gilda leads the Global Hotel Desk, the group's cross-border investment sales team which has executed the sale of some of the world's most iconic hospitality assets worldwide. In recognition of her capabilities spanning both real estate and hospitality, Gilda holds board and membership positions at a number of high-profile organisations, from Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc, Cornell University Board of Trustees, World Travel & Tourism Council, IREFAC, among others. She has also been the recipient of numerous awards, most recently the 2023 IREFAC Arne Sorensen Leadership Award. Commenting on this appointment, Accor Chairman & CEO Sebastien Bazin said "I am confident that with her considerable skills and global hospitality expertise, Gilda will help us unlock the power of Accor's strategy providing guests, owners and investors with an unrivalled hospitality experience." Speaking on her appointment to the role Gilda Perez-Alvarado added: "I am extremely pleased to be joining Accor which I have long admired as a global innovator in the hospitality industry. I look forward to applying my global hospitality, real estate and capital markets experience and insight to drive forward the group strategy and deliver against the management's inspiring vision for the company." Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 5 ways to give back to your community with music Musicians have the power to make a real difference in ways that no ordinary person can. Here are some ways to use your musical gifts to give back to those who need them. by Christine Elise Hubbard of SoundFly The power of music and its effects on us as human beings is undeniable. But there is something even more special for musicians when we have the opportunity to empower and help others through the thing we love most. On that note, if youre eager to make a greater contribution to society through your art and voice, here are some fulfilling ways you can use music to give back. 1. Volunteer with a local charity. Music-related charities are always looking for qualified volunteers (and even paid staff) to help them carry out their missions. You can run a quick search online for local organizations in your area, or partner with a national non-profit like Musicians On Call who bring music to patients in healthcare facilities to help promote the healing process, or the Recording Academys Grammy U, which offers mentorship to college students who aspire to have a professional career in the music industry. Get involved, donate your time and your expertise, and I can guarantee youll get back so much more than you give in the process! 2. Offer after school programming or continued education classes. As someone who has done this for many years, I cant even begin to describe how special it is to connect with children and inspire them to sing, songwrite, produce, play an instrument, and perform. Not only does music education help children and young adults expand their mind with a customized and personalized attention, but it helps their mental health and emotional regulation as well. Many of these kids could never afford music lessons or have access to real professionals outside of whatever theyre offered in public school, so having someone that really cares to teach them and get to know them makes all the difference. I reached out to my neighborhood Boys & Girls Club and YMCA to create music programs for their youth members, and then came up with a suitable curriculum that I offered with fellow volunteers a couple times every week. The impact we made was incredible. 3. Create free music education content to share online. If you dont have one already, creating a free website or even just a social media page is easy! There, you can offer free info, resources, and content in your area of expertise to share with people who are eager to learn. Its a great way to donate your time and talent, and also spread the world about your own musical prowess at the same time! 4. Offer scholarships for underprivileged students for private lessons. This is especially easy if you already have a framework established by running your own teaching business or working for one. Offer to scholarship a certain amount of local music school students per session to help pay it forward! 5. Start your own non-profit organization. If you feel that you really want to leave a long-lasting impact on the world through your music, consider starting your own non-profit organization! Like with any business, youll need to put together a business plan and a mission statement. This can be a very special experience, because it can speak to all of the things you personally care about and the changes you wish to see in the community you look to serve. The next step would be coming up with a name, location, securing a bank, and applying for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, so you can offer tax deductions for donors and receive charity tax benefits as an organization as well. While you wait for approval, you can start providing services right away and making a difference. As you grow, youll put together a board of like-minded individuals who care about your cause, run different fundraiser events, and continue to grow your reach to use your music to impact as many people as possible even long after youre gone. Now, what could be more fulfilling than that?! Share on: Chad Cellana, owner of NERD in Clarksburg, began planning for his marijuana dispensary a decade ago by learning about the industry from the ground up. Cellana has kept some of the look of the old sawmill office to display his wares. PreviousNext Clarksburg Dispensary Open and Looking Toward the Future Chad Cellana, with uncle and business partner John Cellana, is looking to expand his business, including the development of a grow facility. CLARKSBURG, Mass. New England Regional Dispensary, or NERD, owner Chad Cellana believes that the cannabis business should be personal. "We strive to keep those community values, and we want our customers to feel welcomed," Cellana said. "We want to know our customers and have those connections so we can make recommendations and accommodate their needs as best as possible." The cannabis dispensary, located on 34 Cross Road, is customer-service centric, Cellana said, and that he stands by the products he sells and recommends. "We don't want to have good deals but less good products," he said. "I am trying to carry a better product and educate the customer. I get questions every day 'What will help me with this, what will help me with that, what will help me sleep better?' We want to be able to make those recommendations." It's not strange that NERD, which only opened in May, has solidified this focus so quickly as it has been in the works for 10 years. A decade ago, Cellana was living in Milford, keeping tabs on potential medical marijuana legalization in Massachusetts. "I was reading the Milford Daily News, I liked to do the puzzles in there. So, I was following this story about voting to legalize it. And they did in 2012," Cellana said. "So, I started brainstorming and thought this could really happen in the future." Cellana said soon after medical marijuana was legalized, he spoke to his uncle and now business partner John Cellana about opening some sort of business in Berkshire County. John, a local entrepreneur, owns the property NERD now sits on. Understanding it was early in the process, Cellana said his uncle told him to keep the idea on the back burner and go out and "learn what you can learn." Cellana said he knew there was a cultivation facility being built in the neighboring town of Franklin. So he submitted a job application. "I got a job. Cool. So now I'm in the industry, and I'm really thinking, 'geez, I can learn what I need to learn here to do what I want to do,'" he said. Cellena quickly climbed the ranks in Franklin learning the business from top to bottom. "I guess I pivoted to another position after three years there to more of a production and inventory manager position," he said. "So, I kind of learned all the back house stuff. I was stocking the two dispensaries we had at that company. I thought I'm making these guys millions of dollars, right? So, let's see what I can do on my own." He enveloped himself in the cannabis industry at a pivotal point in his life. Fresh out of college, Cellena admitted he was a little rudderless at the time. "I found some direction in my life as a kind of post-undergraduate working in school systems trying to figure out whether to use my degree," he said. "And then I got this job and it changed everything. I never looked back. I always said in high school I would never work in a cubicle, and I really never did." Cellana worked on a business plan for years in the background and when he finally brought it before some accountants, they told him he had something unique. "They told me they see a lot of these business plans and what differentiated me was that I had all of the experience," he said. "Everyone else comes in with money and a warehouse so I quit my job in 2019." This is soon after recreational marijuana became legal in Massachusetts. Cellana said he stayed true and focused on this 10-year plan. Back in Berkshire County, his uncle was rezoning his property in Clarksburg preparing it for retail and cultivation. Cellana said he soon after met with Clarksburg officials to get the process underway. He said they were immediately onboard and signed off on the host community agreement in 2020. "When I first pitched it to the Select Board, the Council on Aging was there," he said. "It felt like I had my toughest demographic right there. And at the end of the meeting, they were like applauding me." Then he started the long state licensure process. But Cellana knew what he was getting into. Although it was an often-difficult process, he said he made sure he had his business in order. He received a provisional cultivation license in 2021 and provisional retail in May 2022. He opened a year later. During this time, Cellana built out the actual storefront and renovated the former sawmill office. He said he wanted to do things differently. "I know a lot of dispensaries you move through like it's almost a prison. Buzz into this door, go through the next door, check IDs," he said. "And we do all that, but we want to know your name when you walk in." He said NERD is an open concept that is less invasive than other shops. He also wanted his store to fit in and maintained the wooded, natural feel of the area in branding and in the store itself. He also maintained elements of the sawmill. "I didn't want to just like strip the total history of the building," he said. "I kept it like the sawmill office, and this was my first design building. I planned it, designed it. Yeah, I might be tooting my own horn a bit, but it came out all right." Cellana's family is from the area, and he wants the community to be part of his business. He said many dispensaries come in from the outside while he is quite the opposite. "I want to work with local people, and I have pledged to buy local products and ancillary products," he said. "I even hang work from local artists in the store. I wanted to try to bring everybody up." Cellana continues this phased vision of his business with plans to build a cultivation facility when the time is right. "We have the licenses and once we get the right cash flow we will look towards cultivation," he said. "We will pull the trigger when we get the money together I have learned that everything takes more time than you think. What I thought would take six months takes a year. What I thought would take a year takes three. But just the milestone of breaking into the industry is huge." Cellana added that he is in talks with another community about opening up a second dispensary and he lit up when he said some financial experts believe his business could become a nationwide franchise. But Cellana knows he has to take his time as he has done the last decade. "I'm setting realistic goals, achievable goals, and I always try to do that," he said. "It's hard to eat the whole bowl of soup in one sitting you just have to keep churning and just never stand still." Fire Officials Emphasize Safety for Incoming College Student STOW As thousands of young adults make their way to Massachusetts colleges and universities, fire service leaders are reminding students and parents to be sure their living spaces have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, and that they know two ways out in an emergency. "In the weeks and months ahead, many young people will be living away from home here for the first time," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. "We're particularly concerned about off-campus housing because that's where the data shows the greatest loss of life, but fire safety is vitally important whether you live in a dorm, apartment, single-family home, multifamily dwelling, sorority, or fraternity. Everyone should have working smoke and CO alarms on every level of their residence and know two ways out in an emergency." Hyannis Fire Chief Peter J. Burke, Jr, who serves as president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, echoed that message. "If your rental doesn't have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, insist on them," Burke said. "Landlords are required to provide them, but don't spend a single night unprotected in the meantime. For the price of a pizza, you can go to a hardware store and pick up smoke and CO alarms that could save your life. "Choose photoelectric smoke alarms with sealed, long-life batteries, and test them once a month to be sure you're protected. And if you hear that alarm, leave everything and get out right away. Waiting to evacuate or stopping to retrieve personal items increases your chances of being trapped." Davine said 2,608 fires occurred in student dormitories, fraternities, and sororities in Massachusetts between 2018 and 2022, causing six civilian injuries, 11 fire service injuries, and more than $3 million in damages. He also noted that fire safety precautions should remain in place all through the year. Windows, doors, and stairways should always be clear of boxes, furniture, bicycles, and anything else that might hinder an escape. Fire doors should never be blocked or chocked open. And smoke and carbon monoxide alarms must remain operational all year long, as required by law. "Never, ever disable a smoke alarm," said Burke. "Modern fires burn and spread faster than they did in past decades, and we have less time than ever before to escape a fire at home. Smoke alarms give you the warning you need to get out, stay out, and call 911." Working alarms, clear exit routes, and practicing a plan for using them are crucial for when a fire breaks out, but students can also take steps to prevent them from starting in the first place: Smoking: There is no safe way to smoke, but if you must smoke then do it responsibly. Don't flick them on the ground, where they can smolder and ignite debris, or grind them out on porches or steps. Use a heavy ashtray on a sturdy surface and put it out, all the way, every time. Electrical: Always plug appliances such as air conditioners and space heaters into wall sockets that can handle the current, not power strips or extension cords. Don't overload outlets with multiple devices. Heating: Turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to sleep. Never leave a space heater unattended. Cooking: Stand by your pan! Don't leave pots and pans unattended on a lit stovetop, and keep flammable items away from burners. In the event of a grease fire, smother the flames with a lid and then turn off the heat. Cook only when you're alert, not when you're drowsy or impaired. Candles: Never leave candles burning unattended. Extinguish them before leaving the room. Even better, switch to battery-powered candles. Lithium-Ion Batteries: Use the charging equipment provided by the manufacturer and disconnect it when the device is charged. Charge phones, laptops, e-cigarettes, e-bike batteries, and other devices on a hard and stable surface never a bed, couch, or pillow. If you notice an unusual odor, change in color, change in shape, leaking, or odd noises, stop using the device right away. If you can do so safely, move it away from anything that can burn and call your local fire department. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Paul Feig and Jamie Lee Curtis have reacted after a woman was shot dead outside her clothing shop in Cedar Glen, California. Laura Ann Carleton, 66, who was married with nine children, was killed after the gunman reportedly took issue with a large LGBT+ Pride flag that was hanging outside her shop, according to police. The alleged shooter, a 27-year-old man, was subsequently shot dead by law enforcement. Feig, the director of 2016s Ghostbusters and the hit comedy Bridesmaids, shared a photo of himself and Carlton on Instagram, alongside a written tribute. Our wonderful friend Lauri Carleton (seen in this picture) was murdered yesterday in her store @magpi_shop in Lake Arrowhead by a 27 year old man who didnt like that she had a large pride flag hanging outside of her shop, he wrote. He ripped it down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her. We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally. Her alleged murderer was later shot and killed by the San Bernardino police and so no longer poses a threat to the community. But this intolerance has to end. He continued: Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realise their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Lets all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Lets not let Lauris tragic death be in vain. Many of Feigs celebrity friends and followers also paid tribute in the comments under his post. Hollywood star Charlize Theron said Carletons death was heartbreaking, while The Office star Kate Flannery wrote: Paul! Im so sorry for your loss. And Im sorry for the state of the world. Truly heartbreaking, wrote One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush. US actor Timothy Omundson wrote: It is so horrific that an expression of love and support for a marginalised community, should lead to such radicalized hatred and violence every shop in Arrowhead village should hang a pride flag to honor this brave wife and mother. In her own Instagram tribute, Curtis wrote: My hand in yours @alokvmenon. I feel deeply saddened by this, the caption continued. This is our country now and we cant look away. Rest in peace Laura Ann Carleton, a mother of nine. Thank you for your allyship. Thank you for your love. Ill never forget you. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up The Oscar-winning actor, 64, has been a fierce supporter of transgender rights ever since her daughter Ruby came out as trans in 2020. Comedian Bridget Everett noted that Carleton and her shop had been harassed over the Pride flag before, but had refused to be cowed and would always replace it whenever someone tried to tear it down. She recalled how the last time she saw Carleton was at Lake Arrowheads Pride parade. All that anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has a price she said. Now, Lauris husband Bort, her daughter, friends, and community are devastated. And for what? Comedian and writer Mae Martin, US journalist Katie Couric, Andy Cohen and comedian Abbi Jacobson were among those to express their heartbreak and distress in the comments under Everetts post. The investgation into the shooting is still ongoing. Police revealed in a statment that the suspect, a 27-year-old man, had fled the crime scene on foot, before being found by authorities in a nearby location. After refusing to lay down his handgun in a confrontation with sheriffs deputies, the suspect was fatally shot. When deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased, a sheriffs office statement reported. Through further investigation, detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton. The killing was condemneed by a local LGBT+ organisation for the Lake Arrowhead area, where the Ceder Glen community is situated. The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ group shared a message on Facebook page praising Carleton and her support for LGBT+ rights. Today was a very sad day for Lake Arrowhead and for the LGBTQ community, they wrote. Our friend and supporter Lauri Carleton... was murdered defending her lgbtq+ Pride flags in front of her store in Cedar Glen, California. Lauri did not identify as LGBTQ+ but spent her time helping & advocating for everyone in the community. She will be truly missed. The killing was also addressed in a statement from San Bernardino county supervisor Dawn Rowe, who said: This senseless act of hate and violence is unthinkable. I stand with my mountain communities as we mourn this incredible loss. Everyone deserves to live free of hate and discrimination and practice their constitutional right of freedom of speech. Lauri was a remarkable member of the community and I send my deepest condolences to her family in this time of grief. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Charles Martinet, the voice actor behind Nintendos video game character Super Mario, is retiring after 27 years. The American voice actor, 67, first appeared in the role of the plucky Italian plumber in the 1996 instalment Super Mario 64, and also provided the voices for Marios twin brother Luigi and villain Wario. Nintendo said in a statement: Charles is now moving into the brand-new role of Mario ambassador. With this transition, he will be stepping back from recording character voices for our games, but hell continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario and interacting with you all! It has been an honour working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years and we want to thank and celebrate him. Please keep an eye out for a special video message from (video game designer and Mario creator) Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles himself, which we will post at a future date. Martinet reshared the post, adding: My new Adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart! woohoo !!!!!!! In the replies, fans shared their gratitude for the actors long service to the genre. Your work has inspired me since I was a child, wrote fellow voice actor Gianni Matragrano. As a kid I was inspired by Marios fun loving and determined adventures, and as an adult youve inspired me in what it means to be a voice actor, and more importantly, a good person. Thank you. And enjoy this new adventure! You know, there's something kind of beautiful about @CharlesMartinet concluding his time as Mario's voice actor with his final performance literally being the FATHER of Mario, wrote another, referencing Martinets role in the recent animated film adaptation, The Super Mario Bros Movie. Guardians Of The Galaxy star Chris Pratt voiced the title character in the film opposite Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia actor Charlie Day as Luigi. However, Martinet did play Luigi and Marios father Giuseppe in the Universal Pictures movie, which grossed more than $1bn (795m), according to studio estimates. The next game in the series from Nintendo is set to be Super Mario Bros Wonder. Martinet has also appeared in games The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time, as well as the film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Additional reporting from the Press Association For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Beijing is investigating a Chinese national for allegedly spying for the US, the second such case in less than a month as it intensified a crackdown on espionage. The Chinese Ministry of State Security on Monday said it was investigating a 39-year-old official surnamed Hao for providing the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) intelligence in exchange for money. The ministry said Hao was recruited by a US embassy staff known as Ted during study in Japan and the two became acquainted while sorting out a visa application. Haos gender was not revealed. He invited Hao for dinners, presented gifts and sought help with writing a paper for which Ted promised to pay, the ministry said. Ted then introduced Hao to his colleague Li Jun, who worked for the CIA's Tokyo office, according to Beijing. Before Hao completed his studies, Li Jun "instigated Hao into rebelling", urging Hao to return to China to work for a "core and critical unit". Hao signed an espionage agreement, accepting assessment and training from the US, the ministry added. After returning to China, Hao began working at a government ministry and repeatedly met an alleged CIA agent to provide "intelligence and collect espionage funds". The ministry's statement comes just a week after it claimed to have uncovered another Chinese national spying for the CIA. The suspect surnamed Zang allegedly developed a close relationship with an American embassy official in Italy named Seth. Seth was working for the CIA in Rome and asked Zeng to provide "core information" in exchange for payment, Beijing claimed. Beijing's public announcement of cases of alleged espionage comes weeks after CIA director William Burns said the US agency has made progress in rebuilding the spy network in China. China, meanwhile, has called on its citizens to participate in counter-espionage work, after expanding its anti-spying law in July. It also offered rewards and protection for those who provided information. Relations between the US and China have soured in recent years over a range of issues, including national security. Washington has accused Beijing of espionage and cyberattacks, charges China has rejected. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A senior Indian government official accused of raping his deceased friends teenage daughter over several months has been suspended from his post and detained for questioning after the allegations surfaced. Premoday Khakha, a deputy director at the Women and Child Development department in national capital Delhis government, had taken over the 14-year-old girls informal guardianship after her father passed away in October 2020. The senior official allegedly raped the girl on multiple occasions between November 2020 and January 2021, the Delhi police said. The teen survivor said she had also become pregnant. She said, according to a police complaint, that she was still mourning her fathers death when the crimes occurred. The Delhi government official was detained from his residence in northern Delhis Burari area on Monday. His wife has also been charged for being complicit as she allegedly helped the official in terminating the minors pregnancy. When the teenager informed the accuseds wife, the woman threatened her and attempted the abortion at home, the police said in a statement. The woman used her sons help and asked him to buy medicines to abort the pregnancy and gave it to the minor, the police said. This came to light after the girl, a Class 12 student, spoke about the incidents to a counsellor at St Stephens hospital in Delhi, where she was admitted for an anxiety attack this month. She has been under stress and tension. She also suffered panic attacks after the incident. During her treatment and mediation, the incidents came to light. The doctors have advised that the girl is not fit to give a statement, said Sagar Singh Kalsi, deputy commissioner of police for North district. The girl returned to her mothers house in January 2021. The Delhi government issued a statement on the matter, calling for the sternest possible action and said officials will wait for the law to take its course as the initial complaint has been filed. The Delhi government is sensitive in regard to such serious matters of womens safety and child abuse. If he has committed any such reprehensible act, the sternest possible action should be taken against him, the Delhi government said in a statement. Swati Maliwal, chief of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), called the officer a predator and went on Monday to the hospital where the minor is reportedly admitted. Ms Maliwal also began a sit-in protest outside the hospital as she said she was not allowed to meet the survivor by Delhi police officials. In Delhi, a government officer sitting on the post of deputy director in the Women and Child Development Department has been accused of sexually abusing a girl child. The police havent arrested him yet, she said in a social media post. Issuing notice to Delhi Police. If the one whose job was to protect the daughters turns into a predator, then where will the girls go. When religious riots broke out in his town last month, Muslim father-of-three Anees Khan did something unexpected: he opened up his home to offer shelter to a group of Hindu men fleeing for their lives. Yet far from being rewarded for this act of compassion, Khan says he was instead punished. When local authorities in Nuh, Haryana, declared a demolition drive targeting the area where the violence started, the same home that had been a refuge during the riots was bulldozed. The clashes on 31 July began when a religious procession organised by a hardline Hindu organisation passed through a neighbourhood in Nuh, where many Muslims live. Fighting broke out and vehicles, shops and mosques were set on fire as the violence spread to the major city of Gurugram, which neighbours Delhi. By the end of the night, six people had been killed. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Pakistans president Arif Alvi refused to sign into law two bills that would allow authorities more power to prosecute people for acts against the state and military, flagged as unconstitutional by the countrys ministry of law. Dr Alvi, a member of former prime minister Imran Khans political party Pakistans Tehreek-e-Insaf, has said he disagreed with the laws passed by the current coalition administration of political rival and prime minister Shahbaz Sharif, sparking a constitutional crisis. "As God is my witness, I did not sign [the] Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws," Dr Alvi said in a social media post. The bills, granting more power of prosecution to the administration, have already been cleared by both houses of Pakistans parliament. However, the president has asked his staff to send back the bills without his signature to the legislature, marking his dissent, and within the stipulated period of 10 days to render them ineffective but it did not happen. I asked my staff to return the bills unsigned within stipulated time to make them ineffective. I confirmed from them many times that they have been returned and was assured that they were. However I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command. As Allah knows all, He will forgive IA. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be affected (sic)," the president said. Under Pakistans Constitution, if the draft bill remains unsigned by the president or is returned along with his observations and objections within 10 days after already being cleared by the two houses, it will become a law. The move has sparked political back and forth between the administrations Ministry of Law and Justice and the presidential office, as the former flagged grave concern. "The President has two options: either give assent, or refer the matter to the parliament with specific observations" the ministry said in a statement, adding that the president had not fulfilled either option, resulting in the bills becoming laws. "Such a course of action is against the letter and spirit of the constitution," it said. This comes as the countrys Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Mr Khans close associate and PTIs vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday and booked him under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 over his involvement in a diplomatic cypher. Mr Khan is also among those named in the First Information Report (FIR) by the FIA for sharing the information contained in the cipher by twisting the facts to achieve their ulterior motives and personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security. Saturdays arrest marks the latest development in the prolonged standoff between the administration of outgoing prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and his predecessor Mr Khan, who was jailed earlier this month on graft charges. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The once-colourful homes along the coast of historic Maui town of Lahaina are now mostly obliterated, leaving a series of ruins covered in a layer of grey soot and ash from the devastating wildfires that ravaged the area. Except for one. Aerial photos of destroyed properties show a red-roofed home with a pristine white facade and red roof still standing, seemingly untouched by the blazes. A photo of the scene immediately went viral, with some wondering if it could be Photoshopped or if it was part of a larger conspiracy, like many images that have circulated online in the wake of the disaster. The simple truth, though, is that the homeowners, Dora Atwater Millikin and her husband made relatively minor adjustments that helped save their property. Part of that included replacing the asphalt roof with a heavy-gauge metal one and cutting down the foliage surrounding the home, Ms Atwater Millikin told The Los Angeles Times. She went on to say that the couple had no intention of making adjustments that would protect it from fire when they began to renovate it. Its a 100 per cent wood house so its not like we fireproofed it or anything, she said. But rather than restoring the 100-year-old home to some of its original features, like changing the roof to either a wooden shake or a thinner tin material, they chose a tough steel roofing. They also placed stones around the home that line up to the drip line of the roof. Then, she told the Los Angeles Times, they removed foliage around the house because they wanted to take preventative action against termites spreading to the houses wood frame. We love old buildings, so we just wanted to honour the building, Ms Atwater Millikin said. Dora Atwater Millikin and her husband own the red-roofed home that was spared from the fires (AFP via Getty Images) The changes, while minor, ended up being critical to keeping the home from catching ablaze. When this was all happening, there were pieces of wood six, 12 inches long that were on fire and just almost floating through the air with the wind and everything, the homeowner said. They would hit peoples roofs, and if it was an asphalt roof, it would catch on fire. And otherwise, they would fall off the roof and then ignite the foliage around the house. Ms Atwater Millikin said theyve lost some of their neighbours to the wildfires. Many people have died, she told the Los Angeles Times. So many people have lost everything, and we need to look out for each other and rebuild. Everybody needs to help rebuild. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Canada is deploying its military to battle raging wildfires in British Columbia as more than 35,000 people were evacuated in the western province. Some 1,038 fires were burning across Canada on Monday with more than half raging out of control. At least a third of those blazes had ignited in British Columbia which includes the major city of Vancouver and some of Canadas most iconic landscapes. It is an extraordinarily serious situation, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who added that troops would help with evacuations and other logistical tasks. Mr Trudeau also confirmed that British Columbias request for federal assistance had been approved. Well continue to be here with whatever support is needed, he tweeted on Sunday. In Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories, nearly all of its 20,000 residents were forced to flee due to the extreme fires. Yellowknife officials said they were creating wildfire defence lines around the city, using fire breaks, water sprinklers, cannons and aircraft dropping fire retardant, according to a Facebook post. A protective line of 15.5miles (25km) has been established. Shane Thompson, Northwest Territories Environment Minister, said more than 19,000 people had left the remote city in less than 48 hours. About 15,000 went by road and 3,800 boarded flights out of the region. This is an amazing achievement to evacuate so many people safely, he said, according to The Associated Press. Mr Thompson told the Real Talk podcast this weekend that Yellowknife could be fighting its fire for a year. In some areas, there were signs of progress. West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Broland told a news conference on Sunday there was a bit of a glimmer of hope in the Lake Okanagan region, a popular summer vacation spot. The weather has allowed us to make progress, he said. More than 1,000 wildfires are burning from coast to coast in Canada (NASA/USDA Forest Service) It has been an unprecedented summer of wildfires in Canada with a record 5,807 blazes this year so far, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. It has led to the destruction of tens of thousands of hectares, loss of homes, and hazardous levels of smoke which have billowed south into the United States. The climate crisis, caused by the emissions from fossil fuels, is driving larger, more frequent and erratic wildfires around the world. Many countries are becoming hotter and drier, priming more of the landscape to burn. Close President Biden and First Lady arrive in Maui Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A California woman has been named as the first tourist to have died in the devastating Maui wildfires. Officials identified 72-year-old Theresa Cook from Pollock Pines in northern California as among the victims of the deadly blaze in the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina. Some 115 deaths have been confirmed following the deadliest wildfire in more than a century in the United States. The unconfirmed list of missing people currently stands at 1,100 names. Hawaiian officials also pleaded with relatives of those missing to come forward and give DNA samples, saying the low number provided so far threatens to hinder efforts to identify any remains discovered in the ashes. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden met with first responders and survivors on Monday and promised that the federal government would be with them for as long as it takes to rebuild the community. Survivors were also voicing fears of a potential wave of land grabs by realtors and investors that could push Hawaiian locals from the island. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} When Joe Biden announced the federal governments latest aid package to families left homeless by the Maui wildfires on Monday, a seemingly innocuous turn of phrase sent conspiracists into meltdown. Were laser-focused on getting aid to survivors, the president wrote, apparently unaware of the bogus claims circulating on social media of space lasers being used to deliberately start the wildfires that swept through Maui on 8 August. As with nearly every traumatic event, from natural disasters to school shootings, fake theories that sprung up immediately online followed a familiar narrative of climate change denial, government cover-up and in some cases antisemitic tropes. Some suggest the United States military set off the blaze, or that it was part of an elite land grab possibly spearheaded by Oprah Winfrey herself. As far-fetched as they might seem, conspiratorial posts suggesting that the wildfires that have claimed at least 99 lives were started as part of a government-celebrity plot have garnered tens of millions of views on X. The site formerly known as Twitter has become an increasingly fertile ground for misinformation under Elon Musks ownership. The theories also tap into legitimate complaints from the grieving and the displaced about the lack of warning they received, despite the threat from wildfires being well documented by Maui County officials. The cause of Mauis wildfires remains under investigation, but officials say that wind gusts whipped up by Hurricane Dora combined with severe drought conditions on west Maui are to blame. Can anyone confirm? Among the most prominent claims circulating online are that the fires were not a natural disaster fuelled by the climate crisis, but some kind of blast from space lasers or directed energy weapons (DEWS). In one post viewed more than one million times, a verified user with more than 100,000 followers posted an image claiming to show a light beam reminiscent of something out of the movie Independence Day being shot at Hawaii. This photo is circulating social media. Apparently this beam was captured before the Hawaii fires. Can anyone confirm? This image being linked to the Maui wildfires was taken in 2019 at a SpaceX launch at Californias Vandenberg Air Force Base, now known as Space Force Base. (Twitter ) The image in fact depicts a time-lapsed image of a 2019 SpaceX launch at Californias Vandenberg Air Force Base, now known as Space Force Base, as users pointed out. Another video posted to Twitter by a verified user falsely claims to show a massive explosion on Maui just before the fires broke out on 8 August. Disturbing New FOOTAGE from Maui fires shows what allegedly happened, the user wrote. DEWs Terrible Revelation in MAUI, another wrote on Instagram. Prepare to step into a world forever changed by a sinister turn of events. The footage was actually of a transformer explosion in Santiago, Chile, earlier this year, according to fact checkers from the Associated Press. The video went viral on TikTok in May, where it has been viewed nearly 10 million times. Chilevision News later reported that a transformer in the suburb of Macul had exploded in high winds, causing a bright flash of light. No, it wasnt an alien attack or a military attack, reporter Javiera Salazar says in the report. It wasnt even lightning, much less artificial intelligence. In a separate post on X, a verified user with 431,000 followers posted a photo of a light beam and an explosion on 10 August that has been viewed nearly three million times. If the fires in Hawaii were natural, what in the h is this? the user writes. False claims that a directed energy weapon strike caused the Maui wildfires have been attracting millions of eyeballs online (Twitter) In 2018, the fact-checking site Snopesinvestigated the image and found it showed an optical phenomenon known as a light pillar, which is caused by light reflections from tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Another clearly digitally-altered photo claiming to show a laser beam striking the Waiola Church has been viewed more than nine million times since being posted to Xby Matt Wallace, a right-wing influencer, who often interacts with X owner Elon Musk. Directed energy weapons are defined by the US Navys Office of Naval Research as electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy which are shot at the speed of light. The space laser conspiracy theory gained traction in 2018 after Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested on Facebook that the Camp Fire in California was caused by a beam from space solar generators. Can boats catch fire? Some have questioned the authenticity of images showing the spread and reach of the wildfires, which were buffeted by strong gusts and severe drought conditions on western Maui and quickly consumed almost the entire town of Lahaina. Among the images of attracting attention are footage showing boats ablaze purportedly somewhere off the coast of Hawaii. UNEXPLAINED INFERNO: EVERY Boat Aflame! How did this happen? the caption on one such video, posted to X complete with dramatic soundtrack, asks. Footage of boats in fire, claiming to be from the Hawaii wildfires this week, have circulated online (Twitter / The Paradox Files) While impossible to verify where the video was shot, it is entirely plausible that boats could catch fire during wildfires fuelled by hurricane-force winds, according to experts. Glowing red-hot embers can rain down on boats, and intense heat from the shore could also cause water-borne vessels to ignite, University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology director Lee Frelich told The Independent by email. Fires such as the one that hit Lahaina on Maui occur when there is very flammable vegetation (i.e. dense vegetation dry due to drought) right outside a city, the city has closely spaced buildings made of flammable materials, and there is a day with high winds, Mr Frelich said. Joe and Jill Biden to visit Hawaii to survey aftermath of wildfires It is not surprising that boats started on fire with winds gusting to 80 mph blowing offshore, boats would have had thousands of red hot embers falling on them every minute, and those very close to shore would have experienced high levels of radiant heat as well. Fires that spread across a small body of water to ignite in neighbouring islands, boats and inlets is known as spotting, or spot fires, Mr Frelich told The Independent. The phenomenon is common on islands in northern Minnesotan lakes during wildfire season, he added. How did the trees survive? A video posted to X by the Punish Dem 1776 account showing some trees still standing after the Lahaina blaze, while houses and cars surrounding them have been reduced to ash. Everything is burnt but the trees, but dont point that out or (youre) a conspiracy theorist, the caption reads. The video has been viewed nearly 25 million times in four days. Context has been added by Xs crowd-sourced fact checking service community notes showing that many plants and trees have adapted to survive and even flourish in fires. Most Rev. Clarence Larry Silva, the Bishop of Honolulu, greets parishioners after Mass at Sacred Hearts Mission Church on Sunday, after it was spared by wildfires (Associated Press) But the thousands of reposts and comments on the video show that few people have been swayed. Footage showing that the historic Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in downtown Lahaina was spared from the fires set off similar claims that some nefarious hand was at work. The historic church, completed in 1873, was mostly built from stone, and its wooden roof suffered some damage, church officials have said. An elite land grab An offshoot of the directed energy weapons claims is that the Maui wildfires were started deliberately by wealthy landowners to steal land from indigenous populations on the island. The fake claims have fed into very real fears that residents who have called Maui home for centuries could be forced out after losing their homes in the fire. The island has a chronic housing shortage and in recent years has seen a stream of wealthy transplants and second-home buyers move into towns like Lahaina. The wildfires are likely to send the already high cost of living on the island much higher. Among the many celebrity property holders on Maui are Oprah Winfrey, who owns more than 2,000 acres, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, actors Matthew McConaughey and Clint Eastwood, and tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel. Ms Winfrey has been assisting with the humanitarian relief effort, while Mr Bezos and wife Lauren Sanchez have set up a $100m humanitarian relief fund. Oprah Winfrey has been handing out humanitarian aid at emergency shelters (BBC) On Monday night, Governor Josh Green asked the state attorney general to approve a moratorium on property sales to prevent predatory land grabs. The spread of conspiracy theories on the social media platform X has increased since Mr Musk removed the blue check marks of experts, celebrities and government officials, and allowed anyone who paid $8 a month to gain verification. This enables so-called verified users to appear more prominently in mentions and posts due to the sites algorithm. Ben Collins, who covers the dystopia beat for NBC News, wrote on X this week that the Hawaiian fires showed how conspiracy culture cannot and should not be reasoned with. There will be no come-to-Jesus moment on climate change or severe weather. There will just be more people claiming Oprah or Biden used a direct energy weapon. Thats our future. X did not provide a response to questions from The Independent about the spread of conspiracy theories on the platform. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Steve Bannons War Room podcast had an unexpected guest show up mid-broadcast when the former Trump aides interview subject was confronted by a Maui resident who accused him of politically exploiting the islands wildfires. Nick Sortor, an independent journalist who has been featured on Fox News, Newsmax and OAN, has been covering the Maui wildfires. While talking to Bannon, he was interrupted by a man who popped up behind him on camera. Hey, whats up, Nick? Ive been trying to reach out to you, been reaching out to you on X, the man said, referring to the social media site previously known as Twitter. Youre supposed to be meeting with people here. What victims have you been meeting? The journalist appeared confused and stumbled a bit before saying to Bannon, So youre seeing this vibe right now. People actually track me down. Despite Sortor turning back to the camera, the man continues to heckle him, saying, I thought you were staying in a tent? and then accused him of taking up resources. I dont know how you live with yourself, man, the heckler continued. Youve seen the devastation; youve seen the people. Sortor then grabbed the camera and appeared to try to walk away from the man. Bannon asked what was going on, to which Sortor replied: Im getting chased is whats going on. He added that he was being doxxed. The man caught up to Sortor though, and continued to argue with the journalist, who then apologised to Bannon. Bannon asked if he was safe and Sortor replied that he wasnt sure. This is terrifying, he said to camera as he moved to a secluded spot. I dont even wanna go near my vehicle. I dont want them to know what vehicle Im driving either. The journalist recounted the incident in a lengthy post on X. He said the incident began at 5.45am, when he was talking to Bannon and while alone in the rear of my hotel,a stalker aggressively approached me from behind. He added that his hotel is 45 minutes from Lahaina. I dont know who this guy is or why he showed up to my hotel at 5:45 am. He wouldve had NO WAY of knowing I had a live shot scheduled, Sortor wrote. Ive even received SEVERAL death threats from anonymous users (aka cowards) over the past days, and ESPECIALLY the last 12 hours. Although I now have to move hotels, get a new rental car, and possibly even HIRE SECURITY to travel around with me for my own safety,I WILL NOT BE DETERRED, he continued. If anything, I will be MORE vocal. Stalking and harassing me WILL backfireI promise you that. I dont trust the Maui, Hawaii, or US governments. Theyre all lying. They know the truth, but theyre hiding it from the public, the journalist concluded. Despite Sortors claims that he wasnt planning on sleeping in a tent, he previously tweeted on 14 August: This is going to be incredibly expensive (although a few of us will be camping in a tent to ensure we dont take hotel rooms from locals), but if you can afford to support us independent journalists, wed SINCERELY appreciate it. He then posted payment details for the Lahaina Maui Journalism Relief Fund; as of Monday, the fund has raised just over $1,900. In another tweet, he vowed to bring his own tent to Hawaii: Ill literally ship a tent to Maui. I will NOT take a hotel room away from the displaced residents. Ill promise you that. I wish I had the money to help house all of them. A heckler called Nick Sortor out for living in a hotel room instead of a tent, as he had promised to do on social media (Nick Sortor / X) Sortor also previously claimed in a tweet that the fires were not a natural disaster. He wrote, This fire was started by HUMANSwhether accidentally or intentionally. The government LIES are absolutely ENRAGING. Similarly, he also alleged in a separate tweet, This Maui disaster is CRIMINAL. PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO JAIL. Im fired up more now than Ive ever been. WERE GOING TO BLOW THE LID OFF THIS COVERUP. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tropical Storm Hilary is expected to continue to drive in a northeasterly direction through Nevada over the course of Tuesday, having already brought heavy rain and flooding to the deserts of northern Mexico and southern California, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers. Although Hilary has weakened from hurricane status and lost much of its force as it heads towards the Rocky Mountains, millions expect more rain, flooding and mudslides to come, now as far north as southeastern Oregon and the west-central mountains of Idaho, with potential thunderstorms forecast. On Monday, Nevada experienced flooding and power outages and a boil-water order was issued for about 400 households in the Mount Charleston area, where the only road in and out was washed out. The Pacific front had drifted north along the coast of Mexicos arid Baja California Peninsula before it made landfall on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles south of Ensenada. One person drowned in Mugele when their vehicle was swept away and the Mexican military had to step in with bulldozers and dump trucks to help clear tonnes of boulders and earth that clogged streets and roads, as well as downed power lines. The storm then moved through mudslide-prone Tijuana, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the US border. The first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years, Hilary has already dropped more than half an average years worth of rain on some areas, including the desert resort of Palm Springs, which had seen nearly 7.6 centimetres of rain by Sunday evening. Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and fire officials rescued 13 people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water. Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system, said all campuses would be closed on Monday, as did districts across the region, while the Palm Springs Police Department said in a statement on Sunday that 911 lines were down and that in the event of an emergency to text 911 or reach out to the nearest police or fire station. Tropical Storm Hilary is projected to weaken as it continues moving northward over California and into Nevada, but Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said very heavy rain and strong winds are still likely. You can see a map of its anticipated path below. A map to show the anticipated path of Tropical Storm Hilary as it moves inland through California and Nevada (The Independent/Datawrapper) Southern California got another surprise on Sunday afternoon when an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 hit near Ojai, about 80 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, according to the US Geological Survey. It was felt widely and was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury. Hilary is just the latest major climate disaster to wreak havoc across the US, Canada and Mexico. Hawaiis island of Maui is still reeling from a blaze that killed over 100 people and ravaged the historic town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest American wildfire in more than a century. Meanwhile, firefighters in Canada are now battling that nations worst fire season on record. Additional reporting by agencies Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The remnants of Hurricane Hilary made landfall as a major tropical storm in northwestern Mexico on Sunday, bring the risk of heavy rains and flash floods to millions. The storm hit a sparsely populated area about 150 miles norther of Ensenada, Mexico, according to forecasters. Even before the centre of the storm began passing over land, Mexicos Baja peninsula was inundated, with flood waters washing layers of earth over towns like Santa Rosalia. The extreme weather, expected to pass over Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, has claimed at least one fatality already, a man in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur who was swept away in a stream on Saturday as he and his family attempted to cross by car, according to officials from the Mulege township. As of 11am Pacific time, the storm, which was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm on Sunday morning, was about 210 miles south-southeast of San Diego, California, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The centre said in a forecast that the storm means catastrophic and life-threatening flooding [is] likely over Baja California and portions of the Southwestern US through Monday. Intense heavy rainfall associated with Hilary is expected across the Southwestern United States through early Monday morning, it added. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches, are expected across portions of southern California and southern Nevada leading to dangerous to catastrophic flooding. A team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is deployed in California ahead of the arrival of Hilary. "FEMA urges residents in Hilarys path to complete preparation for flooding impacts associated with the storm," the agency said in a statement. "Although Hilary is expected to weaken to a tropical storm before it reaches Southern California, it is forecast to bring dangerous to catastrophic flooding across portions of southern California and southern Nevada." Some areas could see as much of a years normal amount of rain in a single day, while heavy weather is expected as far north as Oregon and Idaho. Ahead of the arrival of the storm, California declared a state of emergency, and evacuations were ordered for communities including Azusa in the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Catalina Island, and towns and cities in the path of potential flooding in San Bernadino County as well as Orange Counties. All beaches were closed in San Diego and Orange County. Rainfall flooding has been the biggest killer in tropical storms and hurricanes in the United States in the past 10 years and you dont want to become a statistic, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said on Sunday in a public briefing. The worst of the storm isnt expected above Los Angeles until late Sunday afternoon, but bands of rain were already causing flooding as of Sunday morning. The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch Warning covering the entirely of Los Angeles on Sunday, an area spanning nine million people in LA and outlying communities including Long Beach, Malibu, and the San Fernando Valley. Cities like San Diego with large homeless populations sought to bring in as many people as possible, establishing emergency shelter beds as the areas over 10,000 unhoused people faced extra risk being outside in the middle of Southern Californias first tropical storm in 8 decades. At major air hubs, numerous flights were cancelled because of the weather, including 185 out of Phoenix, 251 out of San Diego, and Southwest canceling all its flights out of Palm Springs. Hilary is expected to remain a tropical storm then dissipate on Monday as it moves into central Nevada. Close Crews work to clear mud and debris from California roads after Storm Hilary Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tropical Storm Franklin was moving inland from the southern coast of the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, bringing torrential rains to the country and neighboring Haiti. Tropical Storm Harold, which had formed only hours before Franklin, was downgraded to a depression after making landfall in south Texas on Tuesday. The system has since crossed into northern Mexico where it was threatening the region with heavy rains. The cyclones, which scientists say are being supercharged by the impacts of the climate crisis, are part of a record-breaking pattern unfolding in the Atlantic. Aside from Harold and Franklin, two other systems formed in the Atlantic - Emily and Gert - in 39 hours, making it the fastest time on record for four named Atlantic storm formations, according to Philip Klotzbach, a Colorado State University Meteorologist. This weekend, Tropical Storm Hilary wreaked havoc across Mexico, California and Nevada. Hilary, which caused one death in Mexico, was the first tropical storm to hit California in almost a century and deluged cities including Los Angeles and San Diego, leading to widespread flooding and mudslides. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jennifer Lopez has shared a special social media post to mark her one-year wedding anniversary with Ben Affleck. The pop star and actor shared two previously unseen photographs from their wedding day, which took place last summer, alongside a short poem featuring lyrics taken from Lopezs song Dear Ben Part II. In the images, the couple are pictured embracing and kissing with fireworks behind them One year ago today... the caption begins. Dear Ben, sitting here alone looking at my ring ringh feeling overwhelmed, it makes me wanna sing sing, how did we end up here, without a rewind. Oh my, this is my life Jennifer. Lopez and Hollywood actor Affleck first got engaged in 2002 before calling it off in 2004. They rekindled their romance in May 2021 over 17 years after they broke up, and tied the knot in 2022. Both have children with previous partners. Lopez shares her 15-year-old twins, Emme and Max, with ex-husband Marc Anthony. Meanwhile Affleck and his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, share three children: Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11. Since their reunion, Lopez and Affleck have continued to speak publicly about their relationship, including the opportunities theyve had to work together. During a recent appearance on CBS Sunday Mornings Tracy Smith, Affleck raved about working with Lopez on his new movie, Unstoppable, which is about former Arizona State wrestler Anthony Robles. What fun, what a joy to do something with her, see her be great, go to work with your wife, go to work with your best friend, the Good Will Hunting star said. Because ultimately, like, your work becomes the lions share of what defines your life, in terms of the time you spend. Meanwhile, Lopez recently divided opinion on the internet after sharing a shirtless selfie of Affleck in honour of Fathers Day. Lopez captioned it Daddy Appreciation Post, adding: Happy Fathers Day Papa and Happy Fathers Day to all the amazing Papas out there!! We love you and appreciate you more than you will ever know. Lopez has previously praised her husbands parenting skills. Hes an amazing dad. It brings tears to my eyes. He is, honestly, the best dad I have ever seen, she said on an appearance on The View last year. Hes so involved. You know, he teaches me about how to kind of interact with the kids sometimes. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Whoopi Goldberg recently spoke about her experience with marriage during a segment on The View. While discussing the contentious split between Real Housewives of Miami star Lisa Hochstein and ex-husband Lenny Hochstein, the View co-hosts shared their thoughts on divorce. Joy Behar commented that it can someone feel homicidal while Alyssa Farah Griffin - a child of divorce - said: It doesnt go away quickly, at least in my experience, and you cant let that fester and dwell or it can take you from moving on. Goldberg, on the other hand, had an entirely different perspective on divorce. As someone who had gone through three divorces, the actor said: I was dancing and prancing around, I was so glad to get out of there. When Behar asked Goldberg if she had felt the same way after each divorce, she replied: Every time, every time. Because I always knew, I always thought you didnt want to do this, and you knew you didnt want to do it, and you did it anyway, so shut up and move on. The Sister Act star elaborated that she had tried marriage because she felt like she could make a round hole go into a square peg. Goldberg added that she felt like she succumbed to the pressure of getting married at the time, even though she ultimately knew that she was never meant to be married. I kept doing what everyone kept saying I was supposed to do, Goldberg, whose real name is Caryn Elaine Johnson, continued. And then I was like this is getting expensive and boring. The actor, who was the first African-American woman to achieve EGOT status - the winner of an Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Tony Award has largely remained private about her love life. From 1973 to 1979, she was married to Alvin Martin, with whom she shares daughter Alexandrea Martin. Goldberg was also married to David Claessan from 1986 to 1988, and Lyle Trachtenberg from 1994 to 1995. In 2011, she admitted on Piers Morgan Tonight that she wasnt sure she had been in love with any of her husbands. When asked about her remarks in a July 2019 interview with The New York Times, Goldberg said: Look, people expect you to have a boyfriend. They expect you to get married. The New York native continued: So I kept trying to do that, but I didnt want to share information with somebody else. I didnt want anybody asking me why I was doing what I was doing, or to have to make the other person feel better. Goldberg explained that in her past relationships, it was a bit of trial and error to figure out what she wanted out of her romantic relationships. With each marriage, she said that she felt dissatisfied and frustrated that she didnt feel what she was supposed to. One day, Goldberg said she realised: I dont have to do this. I dont have to conform. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tiffany Gomas has returned to Instagram after sharing an apology last week over her tirade on an American Airlines flight. "One moment doesnt define you; but it can define your purpose," the marketing executive wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday. The 38 year old became recognisable after claimimg to see a passenger who was not real while aboard an American Airlines flight. A video of the outburst was uploaded to TikTok in July. Gomas latest social media post showed the marketing executive dolled up for a photoshoot wearing a white T-shirt and wide-legged jeans as she sat barefoot on a kitchen floor. The post has more than 18,000 likes as of 21 August, while the comments have been limtied. The post comes after Gomas released an apology video across her social media platforms last week, in which shed apologised for her meltdown. I apologise and take accountability for my actions, they were uncalled for, the posts caption began. My very worst moment was captured on video. Although the memes have been amusing, the flipside has been cruel. Im thankful for my friends and family for supporting me through this. This experience has been life-altering and I hope to do good from it and promote positive mental health. Stay tuned! As for her recent post, comments are divided, with many curious about what exactly Gomass intention were. Some comments accused her of using the viral video as a means to become internet famous. Since the meltdown went viral, the marketing executive has gained more than 100,000 followers on Twitter and over 75,000 Instagram followers. Using a meltdown to get famous and continuously posting about it, one comment wrote on her recent post. Wait so now she is monetising all this after acting like a victim in her last video? another comment asked. Other commenters questioned whether or not Gomas was in the photo at all. Im telling you right now this isnt the same lady from the plane, one person wrote. Not the same woman another agreed. I dont believe this is the same individual, a third commenter wrote. A third category of comments were fixated on what happened on the plane. Since the original video was posted on 2 July, additional information has come out through bodycam footage. The footage showed Gomas storming off the plane and calling airline employees f***ing delusional as they attempted to ask her for her ID. During the confrontation, Gomas, who was on the phone with her mother, could be heard telling her that the employees were recording her as her mother was heard telling her to calm down. You know me, Mom, that plane is going down, she responded. The two officers told Gomas that they were trying to help as they continued to escort her from Dallas Airports airside area for passengers to board. She proceeded to say that she wants to get the f*** outta here before calling the officers motherf*****s for asking for her boarding pass. Gomas then began to claim the flight wont make it to Orlando and that the flight will f***ing blow up. Comments on the recent post were still looking for an explanation on what made her make this claim. What did you see? No one wanted to hear you say sorry lol, one comment read. WTF WASNT REAL!?!? another comment asked. The Independent has contacted Gomas for comment. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A woman who travelled more than 3,000 miles from Washington DC to Glasgow to attend her friends wedding has gone viral after she shared a video about how she ended up at the wrong reception. Arti Mala posted a TikTok video about the mishap, which showed her standing outside a church in Glasgow with the wrong wedding party because she had misjudged the amount of time she had between the ceremony and the reception. The businesswoman said she attended her friends ceremony, but decided to return to her Airbnb five minutes away to get changed and have a little rest before the reception. However, this turned out to be a huge mistake due to rain and problems with getting a taxi to the reception venue. In the initial video shared by Mala, which garnered more than 430,000 views, she met the bride and groom of the wedding she had mistakenly stumbled into. However, they saw the funny side of things and laughed together about the blunder, before Mala got into an Uber to get to the correct venue. However, she was so late to the wedding she was meant to be at that she had missed the speeches. In a follow-up video, she detailed how she was meant to be the couples unofficial videographer but had missed out on several crucial moments while she was in the wrong place. She spoke of how her friends wedding was a cross-cultural one with a British-Punjabi groom and Scottish bride. The couple had organised for fun surprises to showcase their heritages, including someone playing the bagpipes alongside a dhol drummer. I missed all of it, she told viewers sadly. Mala explained that she went back to her Airbnb right after the ceremony, but did not realise that Uber was running particularly slow that day and that it would take so long to get from Point A to Point B. She also made a mistake when entering the name of the reception venue into the taxi app, because of their similar names. Guests went from Pollok House to Pollokshaws Burgh Hall, just a mile away from each other. But she accidentally typed in the destination as Pollokshields Burgh Hall, which was about two miles away from where she needed to be. I just didnt think about it, I was flustered, I was trying to get out the door, Mala said. Once I got there, I sprinted into the hall because I knew I was running late and immediately, no one looked familiar, which is OK because Im coming from out of town so I didnt know a lot of the wedding guests. But it was only when she spotted a signboard that read Congratulations Caitlyn and Stephen when she realised something was wrong. She initially thought she was at the wrong entrance, but soon realised she was in the completely wrong venue. Mala said she tried calling another Uber immediately, but none were available for some time. Two men walked out of the hall and after she told them what had happened, she discovered they were the groom, Stephen, and the brides brother. They reassured her that they made the same mistake that morning and had initially gone to Pollokshaw instead of Pollokshields, where their wedding was taking place. The bride, Caitlyn, also came to meet Mala and invited her to have a drink and stay at their reception if she wanted to. However, Mala said: I flew all the way for this very specific wedding and Im supposed to be taking videos there. So I finally did get an Uber, showed up to the other event, sprinted inside and by then, their entrance was over, all the wedding speeches were over, appetiser course was well underway. I had missed all of it. She admitted that the grooms father was particularly upset that she hadnt been there on time, but reassured viewers that she made it up to him later in the evening over drinks. The bride and groom were super chilled, they were just happy I made it. It was one of the most fun and thoughtful weddings Ive ever been to, Mala added. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At some point, most older people will need help getting through the day. Someone turning 65 today has a 70% chance of eventually requiring assistance with basic living activities, such as bathing, dressing and using the toilet, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Thats the grim reality. Even grimmer is that Medicare typically doesnt pay for such help. Plus, families often dont try to figure out how to provide this care until there is a health crisis, which can lead to unnecessary stress, conflicts and escalating costs, says certified financial planner and physician Carolyn McClanahan of Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida. Making a care plan well in advance allows families to get organized, locate appropriate resources and figure out ways to pay for care before a crisis hits. A care plan is thinking through the logistics of what youre going to need as you age, so that when the poop hits the fan with aging, then you are prepared, McClanahan says. DEAL WITH DENIAL FIRST The biggest barrier can be our own wishful thinking, says Katy Butler, author of the books The Art of Dying Well and Knocking on Heavens Door. We want to picture a perfectly healthy life followed, if absolutely necessary, by a quick and painless death. The reality may be quite different, and that can be awful to contemplate, Butler acknowledges. One way to cope is to plan for temporary rather than permanent disability. For example, what kind of help might you or your loved one need after a hip or knee replacement? How well is the home set up for recovery? Who would help with household tasks? Contemplating a two- or three-month disability with an eventual return to health is less daunting, but involves much of the same planning as a more lasting decline, says Butler, who lives in Mill Valley, California. I think that really would help people visualize without terrifying them, Butler says. THINK ABOUT WHERE YOULL GET CARE Many people want to remain in their current homes as they age, something called aging in place. That typically means relying on family members for care, or using paid workers, or both. If family members will be tapped, discuss the logistics, including whether and how much they will be paid. If home health aides will be hired, consider who will supervise the process. Costs can mount quickly. Nationally, a full-time home health aide costs an average of $5,148 a month, according to long-term care insurer Genworth. (You can use Genworths cost of care calculator to estimate costs in your area.) EXPLORE WAYS TO COVER COSTS Are there savings that can be tapped? Does the older person have long-term care insurance or can they get a reverse mortgage? Will other family members chip in? Does the older person qualify for government help, such as veterans benefits, Medicaid or state programs? Benefitscheckup.org, a site run by the nonprofit National Council on Aging, can help you search for resources that help people age in place. Families may want to consult an elder law attorney for personalized advice. (You can get a referral from the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys at www.naela.org.) Also consider whether the current home is aging friendly, McClanahan says. An occupational therapist can suggest adaptations that could allow the older person to remain in the home if theyre disabled. Some changes might be simple, such as removing throw rugs that could cause falls, while others like widening doorways or constructing a walk-in shower might be part of a larger remodel. The sooner you get this evaluation, the more time you will have to plan and pay for it, McClanahan says. I recommend everybody do this when they hit their 50s if theyre planning on staying in their home, she says. CONSIDER THE COMMUNITY Even if the home supports aging in place, the neighborhood might not, Butler says. Consider how the older person will socialize, get groceries and make it to health appointments if they can no longer drive. An independent living or senior living facility could provide more amenities, but these typically dont provide long-term care, Butler says. Is the older person OK with moving again later, or should they start with an assisted living or continuing care facility that can provide more help? Once you have a plan, write down the details and consider sharing it with family members or other people who may be involved, McClanahan suggests. Revisit the document periodically as circumstances change. Aging planning is not a one and done thing. Its an ongoing process, she says. __________________________ This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of Your Credit Score. Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lizweston. RELATED LINK: NerdWallet: What If You Cant Afford Long-Term Care? https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-afford-long-term-care METHODOLOGY Genworth Cost of Care Survey From June through November 2021, CareScout, a Genworth company, contacted 67,742 providers by phone to complete 14,698 surveys of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day health facilities and home care providers. Potential respondents were selected randomly from the CareScout nationwide database of providers in each category of long-term care services. Survey respondents represent all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} MacKenzie Scotts quest to give the bulk of her wealth to charity continues. So far this year, 17 nonprofits have announced theyve received unrestricted donations from Scott through her Yield Giving fund, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally. The gifts total $97 million and range from $1 million to $15 million. Nearly half went to charities focused on early-childhood education and early-childhood development. Scott has now given more than $14.1 billion to at least 1,621 charities since 2020. To encourage people to focus on the charities rather than on her, Scott has stopped announcing her donations as she had in the past. Now she leaves it up to the charities to decide whether to publicize her gifts. Given the scale of her giving in previous years, it is likely the 17 announced contributions represent only a portion of what she has actually donated so far this year. Charity leaders say they appreciate Scotts decision to let nonprofits choose whether to publicize the gifts because it lets them decide whats best for the organization. It was in our best interest to announce this donation and to share the victory with our peers in the movement, says Sean McCarthy, who manages donor relations at the National Housing Trust. The affordable housing group landed a $10 million gift from Scott last month, its largest donation to date. We view this gift as a vote of confidence. Still, there were pros and cons to consider. Trust officials wanted to announce the gift to show that a high profile philanthropist like Scott has faith in the trusts mission and its ability to manage a gift of that size. They discussed the potential downsides to publicizing it, too, such as concerns that other donors would think Scotts gift provided the trust with all it needs to carry out its mission. The reality is that this is a very large problem that were trying to solve. Theres a shortage of over 7 million affordable homes here in the United States alone, and so when we decided to publish this, we wanted to ensure that we werent sharing that we now have all the resources we need to pursue our mission, McCarthy says. Were still in need of support from a variety of sources. Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, an early-childhood education advocacy group, had similar reasons for wanting to publicize the $3 million gift the organization received this summer. It was a win for Early Edge to be recognized, and its the first time in our history that we got a gift of this size, Lozano says. It was a recognition of our work and all our successes. Our work is very specifically around advocacy, so we thought it would be a good thing for us to show our funders and possible partners that were trusted and recognized. Scott launched Yield Givings website in December to answer the nonprofit worlds call for more transparency. The site names groups that received gifts and, in some cases, the amount they got. But it hasnt been updated since last year, so its unclear exactly how many gifts she has made this year. That has left the philanthropy world wondering what to make of Scotts latest donations. Philanthropy as a whole would benefit from more knowledge about the organizations getting the grants and why theyre getting them, says Joanne Florino, a Philanthropy Roundtable official who advises donors and foundations. Debate about transparency and privacy in the philanthropy world is nothing new, says Katherina Rosqueta, who leads the University of Pennsylvanias Center for High Impact Philanthropy. Some wealthy donors give anonymously because they want privacy and, like Scott, want people to focus on the work of the nonprofit they support. Others are willing to forgo some privacy because they know attaching their name to a large donation encourages their peers to support that charity. Scotts case is unique because of the size of her wealth, currently estimated at roughly $37 billion, and because her fortune was generated by her stock in Amazon, one of the highest-profile companies in the world, Rosqueta says. There have always been wealthy people who have chosen to be quiet about their giving, who have chosen to give unrestricted gifts to grantees, who have trusted organizations, Rosqueta says. But what we have with MacKenzie Scott is probably the highest-profile version of it, and because of the level of wealth she has, she is able to give at a scale and a pace that those who have adopted the same practices cant. Rosqueta says Scott is just one of many high-profile philanthropists who have attempted over the years to shift attention to the organizations they support. While Scotts attempts to deflect attention havent worked, Rosqueta says, they have generated a healthy debate about where attention should be directed. If you look at the media, if you look at institutions, the focus is on the wealthy individual and always has been, Rosqueta says. It should be no surprise that a wealthy, very high-profile individual who is pushing back against that quite intentionally is making people concerned or feel uncomfortable because it is not the way things have been. In March, Scott announced a $250 million open call to community-focused charities to apply to Yield Giving for grants and plans to give $1 million apiece to 250 charities. Previously, Scott gave only to organizations that she and her advisers selected and researched; the move marked the first time Scott has given nonprofits a chance to apply for grant money. More than 6,000 nonprofits have applied, and winners will be announced early next year. Rosqueta and Florino say the open call shows Scott is broadening her giving practices, but Florino worries about the length of the grantmaking process. This looks like the kind of thing nonprofits complain about, that it takes a year from the time they submit their application until the time they get their money, Florino says. Im not criticizing it. Im just saying its a very big change, and I would love to see more about why certain organizations were selected and what kind of promise they saw in them. _____ This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Maria Di Mento is a senior reporter at the Chronicle. Email: maria.dimento@philanthropy.com. The AP and the Chronicle receive support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP and the Chronicle are solely responsible for all content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} For a mother whose newborn was gravely ill in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, she was a ray of light: a calm, comforting nurse who guided her through her most desperate moments as her child lay listless in his cot. Trust me, Im a nurse, she smiled at her, and the mother did, completely. But within hours, her baby boy was dead, and the nurse in whom she had placed so much trust, who had been by her side through the darkest time of her life, was responsible. The baby, identified only as Child E, was one of the victims of Lucy Letby, who has been found guilty of seven counts of both murder and attempted murder over the course of 12 months, from June 2015 to June 2016. She was found not guilty of two attempted murder charges, and the jury could not reach verdicts on a further six counts of the same charge. Letby, 33, was not in the dock at Manchester Crown Court on Friday when the jury was discharged after deliberating for 22 days in a trial that has lasted 10 months. They found that she had killed or tried to kill the babies she should have been caring for by injecting them with air, poisoning them with insulin, and overfeeding them with milk. But despite a lengthy trial that involved more than 240 witnesses, the families of her victims still have one haunting question left unanswered: why did she do it? Another side that nobody saw Throughout the trial, what has been notable is just how unremarkable Letbys life was: a normal nurse who had a normal upbringing. How I would describe her from my own experience in this investigation is beige, deputy senior investigating officer DCI Nicola Evans said. There isnt anything outstanding or outrageous that we found about her as a person, in that she was an average nurse. She was a normal twentysomething-year-old, doing what she was doing with her career, her friends. But clearly there was another side of that, that nobody saw. Letby was not short of friends, and pictures show a happy young woman enjoying life (Supplied) Letby was brought up in Hereford as the only child of John and Susan Letby. She attended the local comprehensive and the family spent holidays in Devon. Jurors were shown pictures of her childhood bedroom, with two teddy bears placed on a duvet cover bearing the motif Sweet Dreams. Framed pictures containing the slogans Shine bright like a diamond and Leave sparkles wherever you go appear on the bedroom walls, while a fluffy pink and white polkadot dressing gown hangs on the door. The images prompted a rare show of emotion, as Letby broke down in the dock. Moving 100 miles from home to study at the University of Chester, she was seen as a studious type, never staying out late. On qualifying as a registered NHS nurse in 2011, Letby developed a reputation among her colleagues as reliable, hard-working and trustworthy. Letby has a close relationship with her parents, who attended throughout the trial in support of their daughter (PA) Two years later, she became the face of a campaign to raise 3m for the neonatal unit, and was a familiar sight in her neat uniform, her hair scraped back in a ponytail. The unit, and the staff within it, became her world, and she described her colleagues as her family. When asked in court, witnesses agreed that she had appeared professional throughout her time there, using words such as knowledgeable and thorough to describe her approach to work. Not short of friends, pictures of Letby on social media show a happy young woman enjoying life in her mid-twenties. Holidays in Ibiza, sipping prosecco and vodka with friends to celebrate a win at the Grand National, and salsa classes with colleagues filled her social calendar. Shortly before she was moved from frontline duties in 2016, Letby travelled to Ibiza for a holiday with her girlfriends. Messages sent on 13 June showed a young woman groaning about packing and making jokes about Love Island. Pictures of her childhood bedroom show a teddy bear and a poster on the wall with the motif Leave sparkles wherever you go (Cheshire Police) After returning from the Spanish island on 22 June, she murdered two brothers from a set of triplets, Child O and Child P, on successive days. It cant be Lucy Letby had joined her colleagues in appearing horrified at the apparent run of bad luck the neonatal ward was experiencing. In reality, however, the alarm had been raised after the string of inexplicable deaths had caught the attention of consultants. While premature babies are often vulnerable, a number of sudden deteriorations and bizarre skin discolourations had pointed to something far more sinister. Letby operated in plain sight on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital (PA) As early as her third murder in June 2015, Letby was named as the common denominator, having been present at each incident. A senior doctor, Dr Ravi Jayaram, testified that he had raised concerns about Letby to the hospital administration as early as 2015 after connecting her presence with a series of unexpected and inexplicable deaths and incidents. Letby poses with baby clothing (Chester Standard/SWNS) In one instance, he told jurors that he had observed Letby standing over an infant whose breathing tube had been dislodged. Despite the babys oxygen levels dropping, he claimed, Letby did not do anything until he intervened. But others could not believe she might be the perpetrator. It cant be Lucy, not nice Lucy, Dr Stephen Brearey told a fellow consultant during initial discussions about the deaths. Her parents, too, were oblivious. Guess who will be coming home for Christmas xxx, Letby texted to them the day after killing a baby by injecting air into its bloodstream. Her mother replied: Thats fab I could cry x. Text messages revealed the high regard in which she was held by her friends and colleagues, with one doctor writing Youre a fab nurse after a baby suffered two collapses. Another doctor wrote that she was one of the few nurses he would trust with my own children, when it became clear that her actions were under scrutiny. One conversation involved a married male registrar. Letby denied he was her boyfriend, despite the two having travelled to London together and exchanged heart emojis in their text messages. The former nurse has been convicted of seven counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder (Cheshire Constabulary) In texts read out by the prosecutor, Letbys nursing friend teased [I] think he likes u too and said that the registrar was as flirty as u. She replied: Shut up... I dont flirt with him! before adding: Certainly dont fancy him haha just nice guy. When he appeared in the witness box, she attempted to leave the dock in tears. It was suggested that, desperate to gain his approval, she had sabotaged Child O deliberately to attract his attention and cause him to return to the hospital to help. A prison van believed to contain Letby leaves Chester Crown Court on 13 November 2020 (Getty) On a scribbled piece of paper found at his address, she had written a declaration of love next to his name, which cannot be published for legal reasons. Scrawled in black ink were the words I loved you and My best friend. I killed them on purpose The darker side of her character was revealed in a number of scribbled Post-it notes on which she wrote: I AM EVIL I DID THIS. Other notes included the lines: I killed them on purpose because Im not good enough to care for them, and I am a horrible and evil person, and There are no words. I am an awful person. I pay everyday for that. Police also recovered notes that included many protestations of innocence and phrases such as kill myself, No Hope, and HATE written in capital letters. Police discovered notes in Letbys house that included the words I AM EVIL (PA) Becoming emotional in the dock when talking about her forced departure from the neonatal unit, she said: At this point I didnt know what to do. It was having a massive impact on all aspects of my life. It was emotionally very difficult. I was lonely, I was worried, I didnt know what was going on. Her barrister, Benjamin Myers KC, described the notes as the anguished outpouring of a young woman in fear and despair who was facing multiple charges of murdering the babies it had been her duty to protect. When the eight guilty verdicts were returned by the jury on Friday 11 August four of murder and four of attempted murder Letby was unmoved, but her mother Susan cried out: This cant be right, this cant be right. Sobbing uncontrollably, she was escorted from the courtroom by her husband. Now found guilty of a total of seven murders and the attempted murders of six other babies, Letby is one of Britains most prolific serial killers of children, having taken advantage of the position of trust that she held to carry out a horrific campaign of attacks on the most vulnerable. She abused the trust of the people around her, not just the parents who had trusted her with their babies but also the nurses she worked with, the people she regarded as friends, said DCI Evans. Lucy Letby was operating in plain sight. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A mother of a child murdered by Lucy Letby has revealed the serial killer nurse chose the gown that her child was buried in. The families of Letbys many victims are in court as part of her sentencing hearing on Monday, to explain the devastating impact the nurses crimes have had on their lives. Letby was given a whole life order after being convicted on Friday of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more. Lucy Letby did not appear in court for her sentencing hearing (PA Media) The 33-year-old refused to turn up in the dock at Manchester Crown Court, leading to families and prime minister Rishi Sunak branding her a coward. All of the families involved in the case have been granted anonymity, with the babies only identified by a letter. With a shaking voice, the mother of murdered Child E said she had to grieve her childs death in front of Letby and other members of the neonatal unit and was not given privacy. She added that her child was buried in a gown that was given as a gift from the unit, and it was chosen by Letby. We were robbed of precious time with our baby after they died, the mother said. We were denied the opportunity to spend private moments with [the child], having to grieve openly in the presence of Lucy and the neo-natal unit staff in nursery one. Lucy bathed [the child], an action I deeply regret, and dressed [the child] in a woollen gown. [The child] was buried in that gown, a gift from the unit chosen by Lucy. I feel sickened by the choice we made. Not a single day passes without distress over this decision I still struggle to understand why it happened to us. A prison van arrives at at Manchester Crown Court ahead of sentencing (Sky News) She said Letby presented herself as kind and softly spoken but now I know it is an act. The lies that she has told fill me with anger, the mother added. The trial felt like a platform for Lucy to relive her crimes. She has repeatedly disrespected my childs memory. The mother hit out at Letbys refusal to come to court for her sentencing, saying: She has decided she has had enough and stays in her cell. Other parents have been sharing their victim impact statements with the court in agonising detail. The mother of murdered Child C told the court that the shock and pain of the night her baby died would stay with her forever. It was so sudden, so unbelievable, she said. It was a pain for us all that was just too hard to bear. The trauma of that night will live with us all till the day we die. The realisation that the kind nurse who had watched over the family was actually their childs killer was like something out of a horror story, she said. The moment the killer nurse was arrested (PA Media) Her voice cracking, she continued: Lucy Letby, to think that you could get any kind of gratification of inflicting pain on my child and from watching our suffering in the aftermath goes against everything that I believe is to be human. I am horrified that someone so evil exists. To you, our childs life was just collateral damage. There is no sentence that will ever compare to the excruciating agony that we have suffered. At least now there is no debate that - in your own words, you killed them on purpose, you are evil, you did this. In a statement read to the court, the mother of Child A, who was murdered by Letby, and Child B, who she attempted to kill, said: 2015 was going to be the best year of our lives. We were going to become parentsNever could we have imagined that the most precious things in our lives would have been placed in harms way. Our minds are so traumatised that it wont let us remember most of the night when you killed our child. You have been successful in your quest to cause maximum pain. You thought it was your right to play God with our childrens lives. You thought you could enter our lives and turn it upside down, but you will never win. My family will never think of you again from this day. You are nothing. Lucy Letby: Timeline of nurse who murdered seven babies The mother and father of Child O and P, who were also murdered by Letby, spoke to the court via a prerecorded video statement. The mother said the serial killer had been the last person to hold Child P and also dressed him after he died. She described being in a state of shock and continuing to be haunted by vivid images from the time, living in constant fear of anything happening to her children. I now hate that Lucy Letby was the last person to hold [my child], she said. With his head bowed and struggling through the statement, the father told the court that he turned to alcohol after the deaths of his children. As time went on, around a year after [the childrens] first anniversary, I was still struggling to come to terms with their deaths and so I turned to alcohol, I had not really drunk excessively before. I could see how much this was all hurting [my wife]. I hid how much alcohol I was consuming; I was low and disgusted with myself. Wiping tears away, he continued: One day I took the car keys and had thoughts of ending my life. He said he was gobsmacked when police told him they were investigating one of the nurses that had cared for their children. I knew that something was not right, but it never occurred to me that theyd been purposely murdered. Lucy Letby has destroyed our lives, he concluded. The anger and the hatred I have towards her will never go away. It has destroyed me as a man and as a father. The parent of Child M, whose child Letby attempted to kill, said that they were made to feel uneasy during the trial because she kept looking over at them. After describing the impact of the nurses crimes on their life, the parent added: One extra thing I would like to add is that there was a day when I was at the trial and the public gallery was full and I was sat in Lucy Letbys line of view and she kept looking over at me. That made me feel quite uncomfortable and uneasy and I had to move in the afternoon so I was out of her view. Letby was sentenced to life in prison without parole for her crimes. Judge Mr Justice Goss said that the nurse had no remorse and showed a malevolence bordering on sadism. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nurse Lucy Letby could be forced to appear in court for her sentencing as the parents of babies attacked by the serial killer have condemned her as a coward. The 33-year-old was found guilty on Friday of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others when she was working on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. She deliberately injected newborns with air, force-fed others milk, or poisoned them with insulin. The child killer nurse is set to be sentenced on Monday at Manchester Crown Court and could be handed a rare whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss, but she indicated to her legal team last week that she will not take any part in the hearing. Nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital (PA Media) However, prison officers could use lawful enforcement as a last resort to ensure the baby murderer attends her sentencing and faces the families of her victims, a government source told the Press Association, adding that it should be considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate. They said: Lucy Letby should be in court to hear societys condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge. If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can. Currently, judges can order criminals to appear in court, while prison officers are allowed to use reasonable force to take them there - but it is believed some guards are reluctant to do so for fear of legal action if their actions are seen to have overstepped the necessary, reasonable and proportionate criteria. The father of twin boys who Letby tried to murder is among those demanding a change to the law, slamming the current system as a total injustice and branding her cowardly. Letby is questioned by police following her arrest (Getty Images) He told the Mail: I'm so angry that Letby is refusing to come to court to hear her sentence. She is a coward and we feel cheated that she will not be present to hear exactly how her terrible actions have affected our boys and our lives. What gives her the right to refuse to come up from the cells or to tell the judge that she doesn't intend to listen to his sentence? The law must change. The judge should be given the power to summon her into the dock to face myself, my wife and all the other victims who desperately want her to hear our victim impact statements. It is a total injustice and slap in the face for us all. The British justice system needs to change, to ensure that, in the future, all victims' voices are heard by those that perpetrate such horrendous crimes. Labour's shadow prisons minister Ellie Reeves has joined the calls for those guilty of heinous crimes to be dragged to court to face justice in person, saying criminals should be dragged kicking and screaming into court to hear sentencing. The nurse has indicated she wont be attending court (Chester Standard/SWNS) Asked about Letby's apparent refusal to be in the dock, Ms Reeves told BBC Breakfast: During a trial, the victims and their families have to sit and listen to all of the evidence. The sentencing is their opportunity for their voices to be heard. So it is crucial the defendant is there to hear those victim impact statements, to hear about the impact their crimes have had. I really do think they need to be in that courtroom to hear it. It is fundamental to our justice system that justice is not only done, but seen to be done. Childrens minister Claire Coutinho told Times Radio it is "absolutely sickening" that Lucy Letby will not be in court on Monday, adding: Her crimes have been so appalling. The 33-year-old was found guilty on Friday of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others when she was working on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016 (PA Wire) She did speak of commitment across Government to making sure that people who have committed crimes are facing the reality of that. Asked on GB News about Letbys refusal to attend her sentencing, Ms Coutinho said: I know that the Justice Secretary has said hes very committed to making changes that are needed to make sure that people who have committed awful crimes have to go to court so they can hear things like the victims impact statement, which is really their moment to tell that person how this has impacted them. On how it should be done, she said: Im not a justice minister, but what I do know is that the Justice Secretary has talked about his commitment to it. I know that there is commitment across Government to making sure that people who have committed crimes are facing the reality of that so they can hear these things and my understanding is that does mean that a change in the law is needed and the Justice Secretary has said that hes committed to looking at that. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} One by one, the parents stood and described the unimaginable pain that Lucy Letby had inflicted on them. First, they shared the pure joy and outpouring of love they had felt at the birth of their children. Then they spelled out the sheer terror they felt when their babies started to collapse and die seemingly without explanation. But Letby, now one of only three women alive to be given a sentence of life in prison without parole, was not there to hear their heartbreaking testimonies, having refused to come to her sentencing at Manchester Crown Court on Monday; a final act of cowardice from the UKs most prolific child serial killer. Letbys parents, who had supported her throughout the ten-month trial, were also absent from court room 7, but more than a dozen relatives of Letbys victims sat in the packed public gallery. Eight of the jurors, who had sat through ten months of harrowing evidence, also returned, this time looking at an empty dock where the defendant had sat during the trial. The court heard victim impact statements from the parents of a number of the children Letby killed. Some jurors became visibly upset as they listened. Journalists who had covered the trial week in week out also struggled to hold in their emotions. Lucy Letby refused to appear in court for sentencing (PA Media) Prosecuting lawyer Nick Johnson KC read out the statements from those who could not bring themselves to speak publicly. Two parents had recorded video testimonies and tried to keep themselves together as they described how their lives had been destroyed by Letbys calculating crimes. The parents spoke of how 33-year-old Letby had not only killed their babies but been intimately involved in caring for their children in death. With a trembling voice, the mother of Child E told the small court room that she had been forced to grieve her beloved child at the neonatal unit in front of Letby who, unbeknown to her at the time, had just killed her child. Agonisingly, her precious baby had also been buried in a gown that had been chosen by Letby and given to her by the unit. The mother of Child O and P, who were also murdered by Letby, also addressed the court. She described how she has to live with the memory of Letby being the last person to hold her child and dress them before they died. The mother of Child C had debated whether she should speak, scared that details about how her family had been hurt would satisfy the sadistic Letby. But her need to represent her child and showcase her love for them had compelled her to speak, she said. That woman recalled the overwhelming wave of emotion she had felt when she first held her baby in her arms. The immediate love was something she would never forget. But neither would she be able to forget the shock and panic of the night her baby collapsed. The trauma of that night will live with all of us until the day we die, she said. The families of Lucy Letbys victims branded the nurse evil as they gave emotional victim impact statements during her sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court (PA Media) When the time came for Mr Justice Goss to pass sentence, he started by addressing the injustice the families had suffered by not being able to speak to Letby directly. His opening words cut through the courtroom: The defendant, Lucy Letby, has refused to attend court for this sentencing hearing. Accordingly, I have to sentence her in her absence. He went through each death and attempted murder in harrowing detail, showing how Letby had injected the infants with air, force-fed others milk, and poisoned them with insulin. And he illustrated how the nurse had killed the babies in a number of different ways to mislead clinicians. Speaking as if she were present, he continued: You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions. The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving, but in each case you deliberately harmed them intending to kill them. You have shown no remorse. There are no mitigating factors. You will spend the rest of your life in prison. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison after murdering seven newborn babies and trying to kill six more on a neonatal hospital unit where she worked. The 33-year-old, now the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, deliberately injected infants with air, force-fed them with milk or poisoned them with insulin during a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder at the Countess of Chester Hospital. In what one parent described as her final act of wickedness, Letby refused to appear in court for sentencing, where her victims parents described the impact of her crimes in harrowing detail. She was handed a whole-life sentence in her absence making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison. Sentencing her at Manchester Crown Court, Judge Mr Justice Goss said the nurse had shown a deep malevolence bordering on sadism as she targeted the smallest and most vulnerable of children. It came as: Letby joined serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy and late Moors murderer Myra Hindley to become one of only four women given a sentence of life in prison without parole One mother described how her child was buried in a gown that had been chosen by Letby Rishi Sunak came under pressure to give judges power to force criminals to attend sentencing hearings Keir Starmer joined calls for the government to launch a statutory inquiry into NHS failings over the case The judge ordered Letby be sent a transcript of his sentencing remarks and statements read out by the families Addressing the empty dock, the judge told Letby she had acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies. He added: The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving, but in each case you deliberately harmed them intending to kill them. Lucy Letby targeted the babies between June 2015 and June 2016 (Chester Standard/SWNS) The judge described premeditation, calculation and cunning in her actions, adding that her claims to have done her best in caring for babies was one of many lies she told throughout the trial. He continued: You have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing and sought to attribute some fault to others... There is no doubt that you are intelligent and outwardly were a very conscientious, hardworking, knowledgable nurse which enabled you to harm babies for some time. Letby had been convicted by a jury of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more while working in the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. She was found not guilty on two counts of attempted murder and the jury could not reach verdicts on another six counts of the same charge. Her parents, who had attended court throughout the trial, were absent from the court during the sentencing on Monday but more than a dozen relatives of Letbys victims, as well as eight jurors involved in the ten-month trial, sat in the public gallery. The court heard victim impact statements from parents whose children had been killed by Letby, with some of the jurors becoming visibly upset as they heard the testimonies. All of the families involved in the case have been granted anonymity, with the babies only identified by a letter. The mother of murdered Child C told the court that there would be no sentence that will ever compare to the excruciating agony that we have suffered. Letby did not appear in court for her sentencing hearing (PA Media) At least now there is no debate that, in your own words, you killed them on purpose. You are evil. You did this. The realisation that the kind nurse who had watched over the family was actually their childs killer was like something out of a horror story, she said. With a shaking voice, the mother of Child E said that she had had to grieve her childs death in front of Letby and other members of the neonatal unit and was not given privacy. Chillingly, she added that her child, a twin, was buried in a gown that had been chosen by Letby and given as a gift from the unit. Hitting out at Letbys absence, she added: Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is. We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough and stays in her cell just one final act of wickedness from a coward. The mother of Child O and P, who were also murdered by Letby, said the serial killer had been the last person to hold Child P and also dressed him after he died. With his head bowed and struggling to get through the statement, the childrens father said he had considered taking his own life after their deaths. Doctor who helped catch Lucy Letby describes seeing her standing over sick baby Lucy Letby has destroyed our lives, he added. The anger and the hatred I have towards her will never go away. Hospital bosses have come under intense scrutiny over the steps taken to remove Letby from the unit following concerns being raised by consultants. The government has ordered an independent inquiry into the circumstances behind the murders. Some of the grieving families of Letbys victims have said that the investigation should be upgraded to one with statutory powers that would compel witnesses to attend by law. The Independent understands the government is discussing whether to upgrade the inquiry, weighing up whether the speed a non-statutory review may offer would be outweighed by the benefits of a full public inquiry. Mr Sunak has come under pressure to change the law to give judges the power to force criminals to attend a sentencing hearing after Letbys refusal, which follows the non-attendance of the killers of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. No 10 said the law would be changed as soon as possible but rejected the idea of using the Victims and Prisoners Bill currently going through parliament. The prime minister described Letby as cowardly, while justice secretary Alex Chalk said it was the final insult. Mr Chalk who promised action on the issue back in June said: Cases like these make me even more determined to make sure the worst offenders attend court to face justice. A Post-it note found at Letbys home reads: I did this (PA) Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of dragging its heels over changing the law to compel criminals to attend sentencing. I want to see action as quickly as possible, he told reporters on Monday. The Labour leader also added his voice to calls for the inquiry to be put on a statutory footing arguing that it would give a judge the power to order documents and order witnesses to come forward, as well as being what the victims family want. Former Tory justice minister and barrister David Wolfson KC told Times Radio that its very likely it would now be put on a statutory footing, while Steve Brine, Tory chair of the health select committee, told the BBC that a judge-led inquiry would ensure it does not disappear down a rabbit hole. Police detectives are reviewing the care of all babies admitted to hospital while Letby was working as a neonatal nurse. The review will include her time at Liverpool Womens Hospital in 2012 and 2015, when she was on work placements. Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans said Letby was a calculated and dangerous individual, whose sentence reflects the true scale and gravity of her horrific crimes. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Lucy Letby is facing the rest of her life behind bars after being handed a whole-life order, becoming only the fourth woman in UK history to receive such a sentence. Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in the countrys criminal justice system and are reserved for those who commit the most heinous crimes. The 33-year-old nurse has become the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, after being convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to murder six more. During the hearing Nicholas Johnson KC, prosecuting, had told the court Letbys offending was a very, very clear case for a whole-life order to be imposed. She joins a string of the countrys most dangerous offenders who are likely to die behind bars, including Sarah Everards killer Wayne Couzens, necrophiliac David Fuller and homegrown terrorist Ali Harbi Ali who murdered MP Sir David Amess. A total of 70 criminals are serving a whole-life order, four of which are being held in secure hospitals. They will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it. Only three women have previously been handed the sentence: the girlfriend of Moors murderer Ian Brady, Myra Hindley who died in 2002 and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy. Letby also follows in the footsteps of gun fanatic Louis De Zoysa, who was handed such a sentence last month after shooting Metropolitan Police custody sergeant Matt Ratana while handcuffed in a police cell in 2020. Lucy Letby, pictured during her arrest, refused to appear in court for sentencing (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) (PA Media) In December, killer Damien Bendall began serving a whole-life order for murdering his partner Terri Harris, 35, her daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, and Laceys friend Connie Gent, also 11, who was staying for a sleepover. A year earlier Fuller was handed the same sentence for the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in 1987 and the sexual abuse of more than 100 dead women and girls in hospital mortuaries. Milly Dowlers killer Levi Bellfield is serving two whole-life orders for her murder, the killings of Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. Other notorious criminals serving whole-life orders include Michael Adebolajo, one of Fusilier Lee Rigbys killers; Mark Bridger, who murdered five-year-old April Jones in Wales; neo-Nazi Thomas Mair, who killed MP Jo Cox; serial killer Stephen Port and, more recently, the Reading terror attacker Khairi Saadallah, who murdered three men in a park. Before they died, Brady, as well as the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and doctor Harold Shipman thought to be one of Britains most prolific serial killers were also among those serving whole-life orders. In the past, home secretaries could issue whole-life tariffs, as they were previously known, and these are now determined by judges. Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which became law last year, the Government expanded the use of whole-life orders for the premeditated murder of a child. The reforms also allows judges to hand out the maximum sentence to 18 to 20-year-olds in exceptional cases, such as for acts of terrorism leading to mass loss of life. And the act gives judges the discretion, in exceptional circumstances, to impose a whole-life order on offenders aged 18 or over but under 21. Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi, who was convicted of conspiring with his suicide bomber brother Salman Abedi over the 2017 atrocity, avoided a whole-life order because he was 21 at the time. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in a rare case that has shocked the nation. An independent inquiry has been set up to understand how Letby was able to carry out the killings and attempt six others before being reported to the police. For the latest updates, follow The Independents live coverage of Lucy Letbys sentencing The reasons why Letby, a neonatal nurse, committed the murders may never be fully understood, although prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations. Here, The Independent takes a look at some of the main theories discussed in court. To gain attention of doctor colleague she was infatuated with One motivation put forward by the prosecution was that Letby attacked and killed babies in her care to gain the sympathy of a doctor who she had become infatuated with. It was alleged she wanted to make herself the centre of his attention and focus. Throughout the trial, Letby showed no flicker of emotion until 16 February when the medic, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, confirmed his name after he swore on oath. Letby and people in the public gallery could not see the married registrar because he had asked to give his evidence from behind a screen. His voice prompted her to break down in tears as she abruptly left her seat and walked towards the exit door of the dock. When the time came for her to enter the witness box, she said she loved the doctor as a trusted friend but was not in love with him romantically. She denied claims by the prosecution that she was infatuated with the doctor. She enjoyed playing God Lucy Letby is arrested by police (Cheshire Police) Child P, one of the triplets Letby murdered, collapsed on 24 June 2016 and preparations were to move him to another hospital. Shortly before the planned transfer, Letby is said to have told a colleague - the one she was accused of being infatuated with - "hes not leaving here alive, is he?". During Letbys trial, prosecutor Nick Johnson KC said she made the comment because she "knew what was going to happen". He said: "She was controlling things. She was enjoying what was going on and happily predicting something she knew was going to happen. "She, in effect, was playing God." Letby had earlier pumped air into Child Ps stomach as she fed him milk just 13 minutes after murdering Child, one of his brothers. Letby got a thrill from the grief and despair of parents Letby acted unusually when the babies she killed or tried to murder suddenly declined, parents and other nurses on the ward where she worked said. The parents of Child I, who died after repeated attacks by Letby, told police they remembered her smiling and going on about how she was present at [Child Is] first bath and how much she had loved it. Letby has been found guilty of seven murders and six attempted murders (AFP via Getty Images) Mr Johnson KC suggested to Letby that she was getting a thrill out of what you were watching, the grief and despair, in that room. Letby denied the accusation. The serial killer also searched Facebook for the families of her victims on the anniversaries of their deaths and would often look for a number of them within minutes of each other. In one instance she carried out a search on Christmas Day. Letby, giving evidence, said she would search for all sorts of people not just the parents of babies on the unit. She found caring for less sick infants boring Letby is said to have argued with a senior colleague when asked to work in an outside nursery where babies were treated in preparation for going home. The unit was split into four rooms intensive care in nursery one, high dependency care in nursery two and the outside nurseries of rooms three and four, the court was told. Senior nurse Kathryn Percival-Calderbank told jurors that Letby was unhappy if she was allocated shifts in either room three or four. She said: She expressed that she was unhappy at being put in the outside nurseries. She said it was boring and she didnt want to feed babies. She wanted to be in the intensive care. Doctor who helped catch Lucy Letby reveals he was made to apologise to nurse Mrs Percival-Calderbank, who qualified as a nurse in 1988, added: If anything was going on within nursery one you would find she would migrate there, as we would all do to go and help. She would definitely end up in nursery one to assist. It was more that we were worried for Lucys mental heath because it can be upsetting, emotional and sometimes exhausting as well at the end of a shift, if youre constantly put in that stressed situation all the time. Sometimes youve got to come out of that environment and be in an outside nursery. Letby was not good enough to care for them Letby wrote I AM EVIL I DID THIS on a post-it note found by police at her home, in what was the closest the prosecution got to a confession. She also wrote: I dont deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because Im not good enough to care for them. I will never marry or have children. I will never know what its like to have a family. Letby told the court the notes, written after she was suspended from work pending an investigation, showed the ramblings of her mental anguish following the deaths of the babies in her care. The nurse said the notes also contained protestation of innocence and they were never held up in court as concrete proof of her motive. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nurse Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, will die in prison after being sentenced to a whole-life order. Judge Mr Justice Goss handed the baby murderer the rare sentence, which is life imprisonment with no possibility of release, at Manchester Crown Court on Monday. It comes after the serial killer nurse cemented herself as one of Britains worst criminals on Friday when she was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others. Following a nine-month trial and over three weeks of deliberations, a jury found her guilty of 14 of the 22 counts she faced, after she embarked on a campaign of horror at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Lucy Letby was jailed for life, and given a whole life order (PA Media) The jury found her not guilty on two counts of attempted murder and could not reach verdicts on a further six of the same charge. During that period, she deliberately poisoned babies with insulin, overfed them with milk and fatally injected some with air while working as a nurse in the neonatal unit. For such horrific crimes, Letby could only receive a mandatory life sentence. She was remanded in custody over the weekend and sentenced to a whole-life order on Monday, which means she will spend the rest of her life behind bars. While it has not been confirmed, Letby could be placed in HMP Low Newton, a maximum security prison that is home to many of the deadliest female killers in recent history. Letby is likely to be held at maximum security prison HMP Low Newton (Chester Standard/SWNS) HMP Low Newton has housed infamous killers (@HMPLowNewton) The jail, which was opened in 1965, has housed Britains youngest female murderer Sharon Carr, as well as Baby Ps mother Tracey Connelly. Dubbed The Devils Daughter, Carr murdered an 18-year-old woman after picking her out at random when she was just 12 years old. The prisons most infamous inmate was House of Horrors killer Rosemary West, who sexually abused and murdered 10 women and children alongside her husband Fred West. She was eventually moved from HMP Low Newton in 2019, after another vicious killer, Joanna Dennehy, allegedly threatened to kill her. Rosemary West, pictured with husband Fred, was a former inmate of HMP Low Newton (PA) Dennehy remains at the prison, where she is serving a sentence for the murder of three men in a two-week killing spree. She dumped their bodies in ditches outside Peterborough. Located in the village of Brasside near Durham, the prison accepts female inmates from across the north of England and holds a number of lifers and juvenile prisoners. HMP Low Newton, which was opened in 1965, has housed Baby Ps mother Tracey Connelly (PA Wire) An Independent Monitoring Board report, published in 2021, found that lessons and workshops had been axed due to problems with a leaking roof, while an entire block was due for demolition after failing health and safety checks. Not all aspects of prison life were negative, however, with inmates given the chance to have DVD nights and buy clothes from a fashion store. Staff were reported to be friendly. Even the food was reported to be nutritious, well cooked and of good variety, with inmates offered a selection of hot meals and packed lunches. Dubbed The Devils Daughter, Sharon Carr murdered an 18-year-old woman after picking her out at random when she was just 12 years old (PA) Violence occasionally breaks out among prisoners and staff, while the board expressed concern that around 40 per cent of inmates suffered mental health problems. HMP Low Newton is also home to the Primrose Project, which is designed to treat women with dangerous and severe personality disorders, and is the only prison in the UK with such a unit. The service has 12 places for female offenders who are at a high risk of harm in England and Wales but can only accommodate one restricted-status woman at a time. Joanna Dennehy remains at the prison, where she is serving a sentence for the murder of three men in a two-week killing spree (Cambridgeshire Police) Entry criteria include a current offence of violence against the person, presenting a high risk of committing another serious offence, and likelihood of having a severe form of personality disorder. Among the treatment options are sessions with a psychiatrist, art therapy, and acupuncture. The Primrose Service won a World Health Organisation (WHO) award in 2009 for high quality of service provided to female prisoners. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Protesters have organised a sit-down protest in the remains of the Crooked House Pub just before demolition staff and machinery moved on to the site. A lorry owned by Putnam Construction Services was delayed by a protest on the lane leading to the now-demolished pub on Monday, more than two weeks after it was gutted by a suspected arson attack. The burnt-out shell of the landmark pub, famed for its wonky walls and floors due to mining-related subsidence, was demolished within 48 hours of the blaze on Saturday, August 5. Workers at the site told reporters that work had begun to clean and store bricks at the site and assess any asbestos risk from the rubble. South Staffordshire Council is liaising with the contractor after workers moved on to the site in Himley, near Dudley, West Midlands. But more than a dozen campaigners demanded access to the lane leading to the rubble to witness the work taking place. Two of the protesters sat in the path of a lorry and trailer exiting the site and another vehicle attempted to enter Crooked House Lane. Holding a protest banner, Jane Baker, 59, from nearby Halesowen, said: Were doing this, and all the people who have arrived today, because we care very much about our heritage, our history and the Crooked House. Shes always stood there at the bottom of this lane. She means a lot to us all. Whats happened is wrong and we need to make a stand, all of us. We just want her back where she was. Its affected all of us, far and wide. We just want it rebuilt by hook or by crook. Were making a stand for a very iconic building. This is why we are sitting in the road. Famed as Britains wonkiest pub, the Crooked House had fascinated tourists and locals alike since the 18th century. Constructed in 1765 in the Black Country village of Himley, near Dudley, it was originally used as a farmhouse on Oak Farm. Calls have been made to rebuild the pub brick-by-brick (PA) Following a mining subsidence in the 19th century, one side of the building subsequently measured approximately 4ft lower than the other. The modern-day owners used this as an opportunity to create its quirky optical illusions, with pennies and marbles appearing to move uphill along the bar. West Midlands mayor Andy Street called for the pub to be rebuilt brick by brick (using as much original material as possible) in a letter to the council, with fans campaigning for the reconstruction of the landmark building, mobilising to create a Facebook group which now has more than 18,000 members. Dudley North MP Marco Longhi urged anyone with concerns about issues at the site to continue to report them to his office. Staffordshire Police said it received reports that a group of protesters had turned up at the site and officers were in attendance as a precaution and to reassure the community. Pictured, the burnt-out remains of the Crooked House Pub (PA) The force said: We recognise the strength of local feeling following the loss of a significant cultural landmark. Our investigation is live and ongoing. A CCTV trawl, forensics and witness accounts continue to be worked through as we try to piece together the circumstances which led to the fire. A statement from the local authority on Monday read: The council is aware of a contractor onsite and is engaging with the site owners and contractors to investigate what works are taking place. We are still currently ascertaining all the facts so cannot comment any further on this specific matter. The council is still investigating the full incident and formalising next steps and we cannot comment on any element of the ongoing investigation, so that we do not potentially prejudice our enforcement action. We will provide updates on our website as soon as we are able. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Pupils and parents are due for a "shock" this week as 300,000 fewer top GCSE grades could be awarded. Exams regulator Ofqual said a return to pre-pandemic grading means this years national GCSE results in England will be lower than last year and similar to levels in 2019 before the pandamic. An education expert has predicted families may find the substantial drop in top GCSE grades awarded this summer hard to accept, and results day on Thursday will not be as enjoyable as during the pandemic years. It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, suggested there could be around 300,000 fewer entries graded 7 or above compared with 2022 if grading standards return to 2019 levels. Prof Smithers said: The restoration of the 2019 grade pattern in England will result in another record drop in top GCSE grades as the profligacy of teacher assessment is reversed. Although the changes as percentages may not look much, given the huge number of entries, they amount to a substantial drop of some 300,000 top grades. This will come as a shock to the pupils and their parents, who may find the grades that emerge hard to accept given what those in the classes above them had received in the preceding three years. It is necessary because the emergency reliance on teacher assessment raised the number of top awards by 437,964, giving many pupils a false picture of their capabilities. The return to exams in 2022 reduced the excess by 138,597, leaving more than double that distance to go. Last week, some 73,000 fewer top A-level grades were awarded in England, Wales and Northern Ireland than last year as part of efforts to bring results back down to pre-pandemic levels, exam boards said. But there were around 32,000 more top grades awarded than in 2019. Figures covering GCSE entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published by the Joint Council for Qualifications on Thursday. While traditional A*-G grades are used in Northern Ireland and Wales, in England these have been replaced with a 9-1 system, where 9 is the highest. A 4 is broadly equivalent to a C grade, and a 7 is broadly equivalent to an A. In Wales and Northern Ireland, GCSE results are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels next year. The report predicts that girls lead over boys in scoring more top GCSE grades could narrow this year, but female students will still remain far ahead. Prof Smithers said: The under-performance of boys in school examinations tends to be accepted, but it should be treated as a national concern since it indicates that boys are not developing their full potential. This is of national importance, because we are not developing the talents of half the population as fully as we could. This can only lead to a decline in the nations economic competitiveness and ultimately loss of its standing in the world. The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) a Government measure aims to make sure that pupils take English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language at GCSE. The Governments aim is to see 90% of pupils in England studying the EBacc subject combination at GCSE by 2025. But the report by CEER suggests the poor take-up of modern foreign languages has meant the Government is far off its target. It said: If the Government values learning languages, then it should set up an inquiry to clarifying why it is not happening as was hoped. Prof Smithers said: Without radical change, the percentage achieving EBacc will never increase much beyond where it is now. The idea of establishing this particular set of core subjects appears to be beyond its sell-by date. I suspect that the EBacc will be left to quietly fade away. Last week, some 73,000 fewer top A-level grades were awarded in England, Wales and Northern Ireland than last year (PA) In the analysis before GCSE results day, Prof Smithers highlighted the intriguing trend that religious studies is becoming more popular at GCSE. He said: Its popularity could be because the lessons are there, and the exam is there, and it looks like an easy win. Or it could be a consequence of the competition to get into the highly successful faith schools and the importance those schools attach to religious studies. Or it could be that pupils really do see it as an opportunity to grapple with lifes fundamental questions. An Ofqual spokesperson said: This year is the second in the phased return to normal of national exams. This means we expect grades to be similar to those seen in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. Because of the disruption students have faced, there are still grade protections in place which mean a student will be just as likely to achieve a particular grade this year as they would have been before the pandemic. A Department for Education spokesman said: This year, GCSE grading is largely returning to normal in line with plans set out by Ofqual almost two years ago, to ensure qualifications maintain their value and students get the opportunities they deserve. For students collecting their results, those opportunities will be greater than ever before thanks to our brand new T-levels, alongside A-levels and other vocational and technical qualifications. We will also continue to support pupils through initiatives like the National Tutoring Programme, which is benefiting pupils most in need of support, including those in exam cohorts. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The families of the babies murdered by Lucy Letby may receive less than 13,000 in compensation, it has been reported. Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to kill six others while working in the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. The families of her victims may be entitled to the NHS bereavement award. The award is set up for those who lost loved ones due to negligence in the NHS is set by the government and capped in law. In cases that occurred before 2020, such as Letby's, the amount of compensation parents will receive following a successful claim is set at 12,980, Mail Online reported. A solicitor representing families of Letby's victims called for the payout to be increased due to the seriousness of the case. Tamlin Bolton, a senior associate solicitor at Switalskis Solicitors, said: "It is very difficult for anyone to put a finger on how much a bereavement is worth and essentially how we financially value a life. "However, I do think some reflection should be given as to how that set amount aligns with the damages award for other injuries. For example, the bereavement figure is equivalent to someone who receives damages after suffering a short-standing knee injury. How can that be in any way comparable? "Families would maybe get some comfort if the figure was increased to what we would typically consider to be 'significant', so that it could have an impactful impression on their lives. A bigger amount would also not only reflect the seriousness of their loss, but also act as a financial punishment to the organisation at fault. "It is the only mechanism we have to acknowledge the loss in the civil courts." Lucy Letby was sentenced in her absence (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire) Parents may also be entitled to damages for any psychological injuries they suffered but this is usually a relatively small amount, Ms Bolton said. They may also be able to apply for money from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, which handles claims from victims of a violent crime, but the amount for a fatality is also capped at 11,000. But in cases where children have been left with life-long brain damage, which happened to three of the babies attacked by Letby, then compensation could be much higher and run into the millions, the lawyer claimed. Ms Bolton also said she agrees with other solicitors representing families of Letby's victims and senior doctors who tried to raise concerns that there needs to be a full public inquiry. Lucy Letby judge Mr Justice Goss passing sentence (CPS) Letby is now one of the most prolific and notorious serial killers in British history. But she was too cowardly to attend Manchester Crown Court today for her sentencing. Speaking about her absence, Ms Bolton added: "The fact that Letby refused to attend her sentencing hearing is the final insult. "By not facing the consequences of her actions, it speaks of her complete disregard not only for the damage she's caused, but also to our judicial system. "These verdicts don't deliver answers to the further questions people have about what happened at The Countess of Chester NHS Hospital Trust and we're looking to support our families and others who may be affected by the ongoing investigation through the inquiry and through any private civil claims they wish to bring." The father of a child who requires constant care after being attacked by nurse Lucy Letby told a court his baby was saved by God, but found by the Devil (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire) During the investigation into Letby, several doctors who worked on the neonatal ward with the killer claimed that NHS management "ignored" their concerns and "protected" her instead. Alison Kelly, who was the chief nurse at the time Letby killed and attacked babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, has been suspended from Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Salford. Ms Kelly was accused of ignoring concerns raised by doctors from as early as June 2015 and being protective over Letby. She is one of three directors from the Countess of Chester who have been publicly criticised, alongside former medical director Ian Harvey who is retired and living in France, and former chief executive Tony Chamber. Mr Chambers up until this summer worked at a Queen Victoria Hospital in West Sussex. In response to allegations, Ms Kelly said on Friday: It is impossible to imagine the heartache suffered by the families involved and my thoughts are very much with them. These are truly terrible crimes and I am deeply sorry that this happened to them. We owe it to the babies and their families to learn lessons and I will fully cooperate with the independent inquiry announced. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Lucy Letby was branded a coward for refusing to turn up to her sentencing, but she isn't the first killer who has refused to face up to their crimes. Letby, 33, will spend the rest of her life in jail for the "evil" murders and attempted murders of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016 where she worked as a nurse. Now she is the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history and she was convicted by a jury after the longest murder trial in British history. Shockingly, Letby refused to attend court for the rest of her verdicts last Friday, August 18, and she was absent for her sentencing today. Mr Justice Goss handed down a whole-life order at Manchester Crown Court, speaking to the serial killer in her absence: "There was a malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions. Lucy Letby refused to appear in court for her sentencing hearing (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire) "During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing. "You will spend the rest of your life in prison." The mother of Child E, a premature-born boy who died, and Child F, his twin brother who survived, told the court the nurse's refusal to appear was "just one final act of wickedness from a coward". Here are just a few examples of other cowardly murderers who refused to face justice. Thomas Cashman Thomas Cashman refused to turn up for his sentencing (PA Media) Cheryl Korbel, 47, whose child was killed in a shooting in Liverpool last year by killer Thomas Cashman on August 22 said his refusal to attend court was like a "kick in the teeth". She has joined the families of Elle Edwards, Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa to demand a law change to stop offenders from "hiding", Mail Online reported. Earlier this year, Cashman refused to leave his cell for sentencing after murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel. He shot Olivia in her Dovecot home in Liverpool after chasing a convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee who tried to run into the girl's home in a bid to escape. As Ms Korbel tried to keep their door shut on nee, Cashman fired a shot which hit her wrist and also killed her daughter. Cashman complained about his trial becoming a "circus" because the Crown Prosecution officials sang Queen's We Are the Champions following his verdict. The judge blasted his absence as "disrespectful". Hashem Abedi Hashem Abedi was caught smiling on CCTV before launching an attack on a prison officer (PA) (PA Media) The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber Hashem Abedi refused to attend court. Hashem Abedi helped his older sibling Salman to plan the atrocity on 22 May 2017. The court heard during his trial that he was just as guilty as his older brother, who detonated the bomb during the attack. Jordan McSweeney Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Jordan McSweeney (PA) Serial offender Jordan McSweeney sexually assaulted and killed 35-year-old Zara Aleena as she walked home in June 2022. Jordan McSweeney was caught on CCTV drunkenly lurching in the street after being ejected from a pub for pestering a female member of staff. He targeted at least five women before he turned his attention to 35-year-old Ms Aleena, as she walked home from a night out early on Sunday June 26. Ms Aleena, who was training to be a solicitor, was found with severe head injuries and struggling to breathe. He refused to come up from the cells at the Old Bailey to be sentenced saying he did not want to watch footage of what he had done. Koci Selamaj Koci Selamaj murdered Sabina Nessa in 2021 (PA Wire) Koci Selamaj refused to show up in April last year as he was sentenced to 36 years for the murder of Sabina Nessa, 28, in Kidbrooke, South East London, in 2021. CCTV captured the moment he struck Sabina over the head 34 times with a metal traffic triangle. Selamajs wife worked at the Grand Hotel and was living there at the time, after fleeing their home in fear for her life. He asked to meet his wife and tried to convince her to have sex in his car. She refused and so he skulked in the shadows, armed with a metal warning triangle, for over 20 minutes before Ms Nessa walked past him on her way to meet friends shortly after 8.30pm. He did not answer police questions in interviews and has not explained his motive. Emma Tustin Emma Tustin tortured and murdered Arthur Labinjo-Hughes (West Midlands Police) Emma Tustin missed court in December 2021 after being sentenced to a minimum of 29 years for the murder of toddler Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, in June 2020. Arthur, from Solihull in the West Midlands, was poisoned, starved and beaten. Arthurs father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter in December last year. The child suffered an unsurvivable brain injury and faced systematic brutality amounting to torture in the lead up to his death. Daniel White Daniel White admitted to brutally strangling his wife Angie to death (Swansea Police) Last year, Daniel White admitted to brutally strangling his wife Angie to death in their Swansea home in October last year. Police found her dead in the bedroom with sharp force trauma to her neck and a severed jugular vein. Just last month he refused to attend court to be handed down a life sentence with a minimum of 20 years and 10 months. Levi Bellfield Levi Bellfield also refused to attend court for murdering Milly Dowler (PA Media) Another notorious British serial killer, Levi Bellfield, also refused to leave his cell as he was sentenced to life without parole for the murder and abduction of Milly Dowler who was just 13 years old. Bellfield is thought to be the only criminal in UK legal history to be serving two whole-life orders. He was given a whole life term for murdering Marsha McDonnell, 19, in 2003, murdering Amelie Delagrange, 22, and trying to murder Kate Sheedy, 18, in 2004. He was already serving his sentence when he went on trial for killing Milly Dowler in 2002. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Travel companies and a consumer group are urging the Prime Minister to take decisive action on behalf of British holidaymakers by enabling the aviation regulator to fine airlines. In a joint letter to Rishi Sunak, they called for the Kings Speech on 7 November to include a Bill focused on strengthening the Civil Aviation Authoritys (CAA) ability to enforce breaches of consumer rules. Among the signatories were holiday companies loveholidays, On the Beach, Riviera Travel and Thomas Cook, consumer group Which? and travel business organisations the Association of Independent Tour Operators and Advantage Travel Partnership. This summer has seen the all too familiar sight of holidaymakers plans ruined Letter to the Prime Minister Thousands of flights to and from UK airports have been cancelled this summer due to issues such as air traffic control restrictions and wildfires on Rhodes and other Greek islands. Many affected holidaymakers claim airlines have ignored their legal responsibilities during disruption, which can include booking customers a ticket with a rival airline so they reach their destination as quickly as possible, and providing meals and overnight accommodation. The letter to Mr Sunak stated: As a coalition of consumer advocates and travel companies, we urge you to show your support for British holidaymakers affected by this summers air travel disruption by agreeing to strengthen the Civil Aviation Authoritys (CAA) enforcement powers through this autumns Kings Speech. This summer has seen the all too familiar sight of holidaymakers plans ruined by air travel disruption; this time through UK and European strike action, thousands of summer flight cancellations, and the terrible environmental impact of wildfires. While some of these issues are outside of airlines control, they are routinely failing whats in their control: to uphold their customers legal rights to rerouting and refunds, and provide clear and timely passenger information. In July, the Department for Transport said in its response to a consultation that the CAA will be given the power to fine airlines, but gave no timescale for when legislation will be introduced. CAA joint-interim chief executive Paul Smith said: We have long called for a stronger enforcement toolkit to bring us in line with other UK regulators. The plans recently announced by the Government would achieve this and help ensure that the UK Civil Aviation Authority is better equipped to hold the industry to account in meeting their obligations to passengers. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} It is now cheaper to rent a home than to buy one for the first time since 2010 because of the rise in mortgage rates. According to property website Zoopla, the average UK rent is 1,163 per month, while average mortgage repayments are 1,285 for first-time buyers with a 15% deposit. London and the southeast are the worst affected locations for higher mortgage rates than rent but it is still cheaper to buy in areas like northern England and Scotland. Richard Donnell, head of insights at Zoopla, told the BBC: "Around the country, the picture varies as in areas with lower house prices buying is still cheaper than renting. "In southern England where prices are higher, access to homeownership is most out of reach and rents are high as well." he added that it has been much cheaper to buy than rent due to "ultra-cheap mortgage rates". Zoopla based its calculation on the average value of a UK home of 263,000 where a first-time buyer had put down a 15% deposit of 39,500. Then the average monthly mortgage payment was compared to the average rental cost. The biggest difference was in London where the average house price is around 552,000. The average rent is 493 less a month than a mortgage payment. Whereas in Scotland the average home is 127,000 and the average mortgage payment is 128 cheaper than monthly rent. Yet, despite rents being cheaper than mortgages, this year Rightmove found that the average monthly rent being asked of new tenants, excluding London, hit record levels. The average rent is 1,172 while the typical London rent also hit a record high of 2,480 a month. The website predicts average asking rents across Britain for newly available properties will rise a further 5% in 2023, unless there is a significant addition of available homes to rent. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man has appeared in court in Co Antrim charged with two terror offences relating to a major Police Service of Northern Ireland data breach. Christopher Paul OKane, 50, from Main Street, Feeny, has been charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists and possession of two mobile phones for use in terrorism. At Coleraine Magistrates Court sitting in Ballymena on Monday, OKane sat handcuffed between two police officers. He refused to stand when the charges were read to him. The court was told that he was arrested at his home on Friday and two phones were discovered in his bedroom. A PSNI officer told the court that OKane was in possession of a spreadsheet containing names from the data leak on a phone found at his Dungiven home. The court heard that parts were highlighted which included details of sections of officers. The officer also said OKane had registered with a website that could be used to search for addresses using surnames. The officer said police believe OKane was intending to use the data to attempt to identify the home addresses of those named. The second phone contained images of explosive detonators, the court was told. The officer objected to bail based on the current heightened security situation. A defence solicitor said there was no evidence the material had been used for any nefarious purposes or with any intent. Bail was refused and OKane was remanded in custody for four weeks. Personal data on all serving members of the PSNI was mistakenly published earlier this month in response to a Freedom of Information request. Details released included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in. Chief Constable Simon Byrne confirmed last week that dissident republicans had access to the information and he believed it would be used to intimidate and target police. A document posted close to the Sinn Fein office in the Falls Road, Belfast, included information about a substantial number of police officers and staff, although their names had been removed. A number of other data breaches have since come to light, including the loss of a police officers laptop and notebook which contained details of 42 officers and members of staff after the items fell from a moving vehicle last week. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunaks illegal migration bill will make Britains migration crisis significantly worse by the next election and create a permanent backlog of asylum seekers, a leading think tank has warned. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said the Illegal Migration Act 2023 will cast thousands of asylum seekers into permanent limbo, leaving them in need of continual government support such as accommodation and financial assistance. The act, which the prime minister hopes will help the government meet its pledge to stop the boats, prevents those who arrive using irregular routes such as channel crossings from claiming asylum in the UK. Migrants rescued from a boat crossing the English Channel land on Dungeness Beach in Kent, 21 August 2023 (EPA) Instead, arrivals will be detained and removed to either their home country or a third country such as Rwanda. But, in a threat to Mr Sunaks hope that his approach to asylum seekers will deter small boat crossings, the IPPR has warned there is little realistic prospect most of those arriving by irregular routes will be returned home or removed to other countries even if the governments Rwanda policy is deemed lawful. Instead, the bill will mean migrants arriving in the UK are trapped in an indefinite limbo, with no path to asylum but who the government cannot compel to leave. As well as leaving thousands of asylum seekers effectively trapped in the UK and not allowed to work, the IPPR warned the Illegal Migration Act would create huge costs for the government. Even if a high number of migrants were sent from the UK to countries such as Rwanda, the cost of housing those who remain would top 5bn a year. Rishi Sunak has been warned there is little realistic prospect most of those arriving by irregular routes will be returned home or removed to other countries despite his plans (PA Wire) If relatively few were removed, the cost of accommodating those affected by the Illegal Migration Act would be more than 6bn annually. Around 3.6bn was spent on asylum support in 2022-23, according to National Audit Office figures, including around 2.3bn on hotels. And while the government has promised to tackle the current backlog of 130,000 asylum claims, the IPPR is warning the Illegal Migration Act will create a new, permanent backlog. IPPR associate director for migration Marley Morris said ministers have a very narrow window! for success on asylum. A child rescued from a boat crossing the English Channel is taken to a Home Office bus on Dungeness Beach (EPA) She said: Even with the Illegal Migration Act fully implemented, under most plausible scenarios arrivals will still outpace removals. This will mean a growing population of people permanently in limbo, putting huge pressure on Home Office accommodation and support systems plus a risk of thousands of people who vanish from the official system and are at risk of exploitation and destitution. And with a general election expected next year, Ms Morris warned any incoming government will face a dire and increasingly costly challenge it would need to urgently address. Charity Refugee Action said ministers have been repeatedly warned the cruel asylum policy will bring misery to refugees, cost taxpayers billions and force people into the margins of society. Fundraising head Ali Noyce said: Hostile deterrence policies will never work because a tiny minority of people fleeing war and persecution around the world will always want to come to the UK to seek safety. Refugee charity Care4Calais said ministers are choosing to spend money on human misery. Chief executive Steve Smith said an effective and compassionate system would be cheaper than the Tories proxy-war against refugees. Meanwhile the human cost is being felt by the survivors of war, torture and modern slavery whose lives are being left in limbo, he added. And Labours shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said the Illegal Migration Act is a con which will not solve the chaos in the immigration system. He said: It will make it worse, keeping more people locked in limbo waiting for years for asylum decisions and the taxpayer left footing an almighty bill. A Home Office spokesperson said: The Illegal Migration Act will help to clear the asylum backlog by allowing us to detain and swiftly remove those who arrive here illegally. While we operationalise the measures in the Act, we continue to remove those with no right to be here through existing powers. We are also on track to clear the legacy backlog of asylum cases. It has been reduced by a nearly a third since the start of December and we have doubled the number of asylum decision-makers in post over the past two years. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nadine Dorries is facing a fresh push for a Westminster investigation into her failure to quit as an MP despite promising to do so three months ago. The ex-Tory culture minister is under pressure to formally resign having pledged to leave back on 9 June over her failure to gain a peerage in Boris Johnsons resignation honours list. Unlock Democracy has urged the standards commissioner to launch a probe into the senior Tory MP for Mid-Bedfordshire. An Opinium survey commissioned by the campaign group also revealed that 55 per cent of voters believe Ms Dorries had caused significant damage by delaying her exit and failing to turn up in parliament. Standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg had previously rejected the demand for a formal probe saying it was not clear that Ms Dorries actions had caused significant damage to parliaments reputation. But Unlock Democracys director Tom Brake has written to Mr Greenberg with the results of the survey of 2,000 people, which showed the majority of voters think she has damaged parliament, while only 22 per cent say she has not, and 23 per cent say they do not know. Mr Brake said: There is now undisputed evidence that Nadine Dorries, by threatening to stand down and then failing to do so, is causing significant damage to the reputation of the House of Commons. The standards commissioner must now set up an investigation into whether she has breached the code of conduct the public expect nothing less. It comes as a second council in Ms Dorries constituency called for her to immediately step down arguing that she had abandoned the local area. Shefford Town Council has written to the MP and accused her of having scant interest in Mid-Bedfordshire. A similar call to quit came from Flitwick Town Council last month. Nadine Dorries was a staunch backer of Boris Johnson (PA) Ms Dorries last spoke in parliament more than a year ago. Her last written contribution was a ministerial statement almost a year ago, in early September 2022. And she last voted in the Commons in April. Shefford Town Council accused the senior Tory of an aversion to attending local events or services. It also claimed her absence was a direct violation of the seven principles of public life, the rules upon which standards governing MPs behaviour are based. The arch Johnson loyalist was furious at failing to win a peerage in her former boss resignation honours alleging that posh boy Rishi Sunak had blocked it. She warned the PM that she will not formally quit until the government releases documents surrounding the decision to deny her the honour. An online petition calling for Ms Dorries to quit her seat has gained more than 80,000 signatures. Amid frustration in her own party, Tory minister Robert Jenrick has also called on her to get on with her promise to quit parliament Some Tory MPs expect her to quit when parliament returns in September, but others expect her to wait until later in the year before finally exiting parliament. Some fear she could try to cling on all the way to the general election, likely to be in autumn 2024. Ms Dorries also faces a push from MPs to force her removal if she fails to go next month. Labour MP Chris Bryant says an 1801 rule preventing MPs from going out of town without leave of the house should be reinstated. It emerged last month that Ms Dorries book on Mr Johnsons political assassination is to be released just days before the Tory conference in the autumn. The loyal ally of the former PM has announced a deal with HarperCollins to publish in late September threatening to reopen old wounds at the partys October conference in Manchester. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sadiq Khan was forced to distance himself from a claim on his website that a picture of a young white family does not represent real Londoners. The Labour London mayor was criticised over the message, which appeared as part of a guide to his and the Greater London Authoritys (GLA) brand. The guide opened with the words: A City for All Londoners, and promised to appeal to all ages, genders, sexual orientations and family make-ups. But a picture of a couple and their two children walking along the Thames, with parliament in the background, was highlighted as an example of pictures not to use. A label on the picture read: Doesnt represent real Londoners. Mr Khan said the caption was added by a staff member in error, and does not reflect his view or the view of the GLA. The document has now been taken off the GLA website and is being reviewed to ensure the language and guidance is appropriate, a spokesman for the mayor said. Mr Khans rival in next years mayoral race, Tory candidate Suzan Hall, called for the mayor to apologise. She told the Mail on Sunday, which exposed the guidance: All Londoners are real Londoners, no matter their ethnicity, and Sadiq Khan needs to apologise and stop these desperate, politically-motivated attempts to divide people. The row comes as Mr Khan bids to secure a historic third term as London mayor. He has faced significant criticism in recent months over the expansion of the capitals Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), which critics say will add to the financial pressure facing households. He has also faced criticism over the decision to charge drivers for using the Blackwall Tunnel. Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson last week branded Mr Khan Dick Turpin and a modern-day highwayman over the taxes. Mr Khans spokesman fired back at Mr Andersons criticism over the Blackwall tunnel charge pointing out that it was decided by his predecessor Boris Johnson. The introduction of a toll on the Blackwall Tunnel was confirmed by Boris Johnson when he was the mayor in 2012, they said. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A new variant of Covid-19 that now accounts for almost one-fifth of cases in the United States is causing a small rise in hospitalisations, health officials have warned. Officially known as EG5, the strain accounted for 17.3 per cent of American cases as of 5 August, up from 7.5 per cent in the first week of July and surpassing a number of Omicron descendants like XBB.1.16 (15.6 per cent of cases), XBB.2.23 (11.2 per cent) and XBB.1.5 (10.3 per cent). The EG5 strains emergence comes at a time when the US is seeing an increase in hospital admissions with coronavirus, its first significant uptick since December 2022 . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded a rise of 12.5 per cent for the week ending 29 July as 9,056 more people were taken ill with the respiratory disease nationwide, likely the result of increased summer socialising, waning immunity and precautions being allowed to lapse. It is ticking up a little bit, but its not something that we need to raise any alarm bells over, Dr David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told the Associated Press. The next tranche of biweekly figures from the CDC will shed further light on the extent of the spread when they are released in the coming days. However, data is limited as many states stopped reporting positive case rates when the Biden administration ended the Covid public health emergency in May. Around 500 to 600 people in the US have died each week from Covid since June, according to the CDC. A social media thread by Professor T Ryan Gregory of the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, warning about the threat posed by a particular subvariant of the lineage, EG5.1, nicknamed it Eris and prompted a revival of concern about the prospect of a fresh surge in infections. Professor Gregory said that EG5.1 isn't super notable in terms of specific mutations and is not even the fastest new XBB variant, but it is increasing quickly in frequency and is one to watch even if it's not expected to cause a large wave. The World Health Organisation (WHO) only placed the EG5 lineage on its variants under monitoring list on 19 July and dates its earliest documented samples back to 17 February this year, underlining the relative swiftness of its emergence since its discovery in Indonesia that month. Experts have suggested that the lineage is profiting from a slightly beneficial mutation that is giving it an advantage over its competitor variants as it seeks to spread. An electron microscope image from the US National Institutes of Health shows the novel coronavirus emerging from the surface of cells (AP) They also suggest there is little difference in symptoms and severity between the various strains currently doing the rounds while conceding that it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish subtle deviations because surveillance of the virus is so much less thorough than it was at the height of the pandemic. In the UK, where Eris has also made ground, the Zoe Health Study has indicated its symptoms are similar to those of Omicron, which include a runny or stuffy nose, headaches, fatigue, sneezing, sore throats, coughing and changes in the patients sense of smell. The CDCs advice on what to do if you should return a positive result on a lateral flow test has not changed, with citizens instructed to stay at home and isolate from others in a well-ventilated space, wear a mask when encountering others, practice good hygiene, get plenty of rest and seek out over-the-counter pharmaceutical treatments to help manage the symptoms. It is also recommended that you keep up to date with vaccine and booster shots, which are again being modified to counteract the latest strains in time for the fall flu season. While the emergency of Covid has been lifted and were no longer in a crisis phase, the threat of Covid is not gone. So, keeping up with surveillance and sequencing remains absolutely critical, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHOs technical lead for the virus, said in a press conference on 26 July, a timely reminder that it still poses a danger, however much we might prefer to forget about it. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store, Laura Ann Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up. Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City. And, throughout it all, the 66-year-old mother-of-nine remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBT+ community. This weekend, it happened once again. California shop owner Lauri Carleton killed over Pride flag Except this time, the flag removal ended with her murder with the perpetrator shooting her in cold blood in the street. On Friday, police said that the gunman began complaining about the Pride flag hanging outside of the store on Hook Creek Road. He then pulled out a gun, fatally shooting Carleton. The killer, who was named by authorities as Travis Ikeguchi, 27, then fled the scene before being tracked down and killed in an encounter with law enforcement. Hollywood stars and LGBT+ community members are now speaking out about Carletons horrific murder, condemning the senseless killing and paying tribute to the 66-year-old while warning that her shocking murder is a sign of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment and hate spreading across the US. Murder over a rainbow flag On Friday, 18 August at 5pm officers from the Twin Peaks Sheriffs Station responded to a report of a person who had been shot at the Mag Pi clothing store. When police arrived on the scene, they saw that Carleton was suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials from the San Bernardino County sheriffs office said that there was an initial altercation that took place at Carletons clothing store over an LGBT+ pride flag that the owner has displayed outside of her store. The suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton, police said. Laura Carleton was killed by a gunman outside her store (Provided) The suspect then fled the scene and was later located near Torrey Road and Rause Rancho Road, armed with a handgun. Police said in a statement when officials attempted to contact the suspect a lethal force encounter occurred, and the suspect was pronounced deceased. The investigation into Carletons death is ongoing and police said no further details are being released. Residents are urged to contact the homicide department with any information about the incident. A true ally and fashion leader Carleton, 66, also known as Lauri was the owner of Mag Pi clothing in California. She started her career in fashion during her teenage years and worked in the family business at Fred Segal Feet in Los Angeles, while attending the Art Centre School of Design, according to the Mag Pi store website. Carleton then began running the top fashion show floor in the US at Joseph Magnin Century City. She then joined Kenneth Cole and remained there for over 15 years, where she worked with factories and design teams in Italy and Spain. The designer travelled with her husband across the US, Europe and South America, which fuelled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture among other things. Her clothing store, Mag Pi, is all about tackling everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream, the website reads. Carletons daughter, Ari, posted a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram, remembering her mother as a fearless, cool and compassionate human being and describing her death as a hate crime. Mourners left flowers outside Laura Carletons Mag.Pi store in Lake Arrowhead, California, after she was shot dead on Friday (Mountain Provisions Cooperative) The caption said: As most of you know our beautiful mommy was taken from us in a senseless act of violence on Friday August 18th. She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime. Her flags had been torn down before and she always responded by putting up a bigger one. Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch. The post continued: We find peace in knowing she passed quickly in a place she cherished, doing what she loved while fiercely defending something she believed in. She was fearless, cool and compassionate always putting others first. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that our family has received from loved ones and strangers alike, it has provided hope and light in our darkest days. We will continue to advocate for love, equality and acceptance in everything that we do. Love will always triumph over hate. This intolerance has to end Tributes are now pouring in for the beloved mother of nine and business owner who was known to be a supporter and advocate of the LGBT+ community. The death of Carleton has led to outrage across the country, with family, friends and famous figures sharing their grief on social media. Actor George Takei , posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that her death was a result of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment coming from the right. This is the result of the hate they spew. An innocent woman, a gentle and loving soul, has lost her life he said. My heart aches for her family in the wake of this horrific murder. Those responsible go beyond the murderer. Every anti-LGBTQ politician, bigoted pundit, and right-wing hate monger has Laura Carletons blood on their hands. Close friend and Hollywood director Paul Feig, whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute on Sunday, calling Carleton his wonderful friend. The post, captioned with a photo of Carleton and him said: We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally. This intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Lets all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Lets not let Lauris tragic death be in vain, he added. Laura Ann Carleton was shot dead at her business Mag Pi clothing in California (Screengrab/ ABC 7) The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ community also described Carleton as a "friend and supporter and said that although she did not identify as LGBTQ+, she spent her time helping and advocating for everyone in the community. Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis also posted a tribute and said Carleton was a strong ally within the community. Daviss caption said: I had the pleasure of meeting Lauri and shopping in her charming store over the summer. I cannot comprehend what has happened and I can only imagine what her family and close friends are going through. We cannot rest in our work towards love and understanding and equality for every person. It is abundantly clear that divisive senseless hate is the only motive for this hate crime. Lauri was a strong ally, when her Pride flags were stolen she quickly replaced them. To think that she was murdered for her support of our LQBTQ+ family tears my heart into pieces. I want Lauri to be known as the HERO she was and is. I want her family to know we are thinking of them and for everyone to know that we must continue to stand up for what is right! #lovewins. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 27-year-old man was gunned down by the police after he killed a beloved store owner in California following a dispute over a Pride flag outside her clothing store. The shooter, identified as Travis Ikeguchi, killed 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton at her clothing store Mag Pi at Hook Creek Road in Cedar Glen after he made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store, authorities in San Bernardino County said. The mother-of-nine and a true LGBTQ+ ally was pronounced dead on the spot. Ikeguchi fled the crime scene on foot but was intercepted by deputies a mile from the store on Friday. The suspect opened fire with an unregistered Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol, striking multiple squad cars, sheriff Shannon Dicus told reporters. The deputies returned fire and shot Ikeguchi, who died at the scene, the sheriff added. Before fatally shooting Carleton, the suspect tore down the LGBTQ+ Pride flag that was hanging in front of the store and yelled homophobic slurs toward the woman. Ikeguchi lived in Cedar Glen and his family had reported him missing to the sheriffs department one day before the murder, officials said. According to authorities, the semiautomatic handgun used by Ikeguchi was not registered to him, and he did not have a license to carry a concealed weapon. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said that Ikeguchi from Cedar Glen, California had a history of anti-LGBT+ posts, anti-police content along with conspiracy theories on social media. Public information officer Mara Rodriguez said that the posts were made on multiple different social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, and the far-right platform Gab. The content of Ikeguchis social media posts contained posts critical to the LGBTQIA community, said the officer. Burning Pride flag seen on Travis Ikeguchis X / Twitter account (X / Twitter) Accounts on X and Gab under Ikeguchis name, reviewed by The Independent, appear to match the hateful posts referred to by authorities. In one post, dated 13 June and pinned to the top of the X account, Ikeguchi appeared to post an image of a burning rainbow flag. What to do with the LGBTQP flag? the chilling post was captioned. In another post on 28 June, the user took aim at same-sex marriage and abortion. Abortion and same-sex marriage are both immoral and are design to destroy humanity one by one, the tweet read. So if someone is pro-abortion and pro-LGBTQP, they are at war against the foundation of family values. Travis Ikeguchi 6/23/2023 6:39am. In a post the same day, he revealed a deep-rooted paranoia and dislike for law enforcment. Do not follow their traps they want to know everything about you to catch you and used against you in court and lie about you. Watch out their sociopathic schemes, the post read. Over on Gab the site popular with extreme right-wing figures the account believed to belong to Ikeguchi regularly shared anti-LGBT+ and anti-law enforcement rhetoric. In another post on 28 June, the user took aim at same-sex marriage and abortion A makeshift memorial is seen outside the Mag.Pi clothing store (AFP via Getty Images) One harrowing post shared on Friday the day of Carletons murder read: America must repent for a lot of things we allow; abortion/baby killing, sexual immortality, pornography, same-sex marriages, LGBTQP/pedophilia, freemasonry, religiosity, politics, wars, colonialism, the federal reserve. The anti-LGBT+ content went back as far as two years, with a 2021 post reading: We need to STOP COMPROMISING on this LGBT dictatorship and not let them take over our lives! In another violent post also from 2021, the user spoke of killing police officers. I know its controversial for me to mention the option to kill a police officer, but these police officers are not the servants for the people they are the servants for the laws, the post read. The Independent has reached out to San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department for comment on the accounts. A sheriffs spokesperson told NBC News that Carletons murder is now being investigated as a hate crime. Meanwhile, tributes poured in for Carleton, who remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBTQ+ community. When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her store, Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up. A resident leaves flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the Mag.Pi clothing store (AFP via Getty Images) Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City. The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ described her as a remarkable figure, whose "unwavering support" for the community and dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space within her shop touched the lives of many. There was an outpouring of support on social media as well, with commenters expressing shock and sadness on the stores accounts. Hollywood director Paul Feig, whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute saying that Carleton, who he called his wonderful friend, had been killed by a young man. Her alleged murderer was later shot and killed by the San Bernardino police and so no longer poses a threat to the community, Feig continued. But this intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Lets all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Lets not let Lauris tragic death be in vain. The shooting comes about one month after the Anti-Defamation League and the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD released a report indicating a recent rise in anti-LGBTQ harassment, vandalism or assault in the United States. This is absolutely horrific. This disgusting hate has no place in CA, California governor Gavin Newsom wrote in a social media post on Saturday. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A California clothing store owner who was shot dead during an argument over a Pride flag was described as fearless, cool and compassionate in a moving tribute by two of her daughters. Laura Ann Carleton, 66, was shot dead on Friday outside her Mag.Pi store in Lake Arrowhead, 86 miles east of Los Angeles, by a gunman who had made disparaging remarks about an LGBT+ flag outside the store, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. The armed suspect was shot dead by deputies near Torrey Rd and Rause Rancho Rd, authorities said. He has not been identified. Ari and Kelsey Carleton, two of the shop owners nine children, wrote on Instagram that their beautiful mommy had been taken in a senseless act of violence. She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime, the daughters wrote. Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch. Carleton opened her first Mag.Pi clothing store in Studio City, Los Angeles, in 2013, selling ethically sourced clothing including some of Carletons designs. Ari and Kelsey Carleton said that in the two years since her mother opened her second Cedar Glen, vandals had on several occasions ripped down Pride flags hanging outside. Each time, her mother would replace them with bigger ones, they said. We find peace in knowing she passed quickly in a place she cherished, doing what she loved while fiercely defending something she believed in. She was fearless, cool and compassionate always putting others first. The grieving daughters said that the family would continue to advocate for love, equality and acceptance in everything they do. Love will always triumph hate. In February, when a winter blizzard dumped up to four feet of snow on the San Bernardino Mountains, Ms Carleton turned her store into an emergency relief center and handed out supplies to local residents with her husband Bort. That really sums up who she was as a person, Ari Carleton told the New York Times in an interview. Hollywood stars and members of the LGBT+ community have expressed their shock at Carletons homicide. Writer Alok Vaid-Menon wrote in a social media post that they were deeply saddened by her death. This is our country now and we cant look away, the author said. Thank you for your allyship. Thank you for your love. Ill never forget you. Director Paul Feig described Carleton as his wonderful friend, telling the Times that he would regularly have dinner with her in Lake Arrowhead. The Lake Arrowhead LGBT+ community group is planning to hold a vigil for Carleton once Tropical Storm Hilary passes. We as a community will stand against hate crimes against anybody, the group wrote. San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department have not yet confirmed if Carletons death is being treated as a hate crime. In July, GLAAD warned that hate and extremism spiked during the annual Pride celebrations, with at least 356 incidents reported between June 2022 and April 2023. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Travis Ikeguchi appeared to flinch before fatally shooting Laura Carleton during a heated dispute over a Pride flag, surveillance footage shows. Authorities say Ikeguchi hurled homophobic slurs at Carleton over a rainbow flag flying from her Mag.Pi store in Cedar Glen, California, before firing a single shot that killed the 66-year-old mother of nine on 18 August. The fatal shooting was captured on the stores closed-circuit cameras, according to the Los Angeles Times. An acquaintance who viewed the disturbing footage told the Times that Ikeguchi momentarily paused before opening fire. He then almost flinched as if thinking twice but then went for it, grabbed the gun and then aimed it and shot Lauri, the acquaintance told the Times. Meanwhile, public records reviewed by The Independent have revealed that Ikeguchis father is a decorated Florida Highway Patrol state trooper and a firearms and active shooter instructor. The police link comes after officials said that Ikeguchis social media accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, and far-right site Gab were filled with bigoted anti-LGBTQ+ posts and posts showing an intense hatred for law enforcement long before he murdered Carleton. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A California business owner was shot to death by a suspect who complained about an LGBTQ flag hanging at the store. The San Bernardino Sheriffs Office said that the unnamed individual killed 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton at her business Mag Pi clothing store after making several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store. Deputies responded to the incident around 5pm on Friday following reports of shots being fired. Carleton was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriffs office said in a statement. The shooter fled the scene on foot but was later located by authorities near Torrey Road and Rause Rancho Road. The armed suspect, who has not been identified, was killed during a lethal force encounter with police. The identity of the gunman is yet to be released. Carleton was a mother of nine and had been married for 28 years, according to her stores website. Her daughter Ari paid tribute to her mother as a fearless, cool and compassionate human being in a heartbreaking Instagram post where she described her murder as a hate crime. As most of you know our beautiful mommy was taken from us in a senseless act of violence on Friday August 18th. She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime. Her flags had been torn down before and she always responded by putting up a bigger one. Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch, she wrote. We find peace in knowing she passed quickly in a place she cherished, doing what she loved while fiercely defending something she believed in. She was fearless, cool and compassionate always putting others first. Tributes pour in for Laura Ann Carleton (Screengrab/ABC7) We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that our family has received from loved ones and strangers alike, it has provided hope and light in our darkest days. We will continue to advocate for love, equality and acceptance in everything that we do. Love will always triumph hate. Hollywood stars and LGBT+ community members have also spoken out about Carletons horrific murder, condemning the senseless killing and paying tribute to the 66-year-old while warning that her shocking murder is a sign of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment and hate spreading across the US. Hollywood director Paul Feig, whose works includes Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute on Sunday, saying that Carleton, who he called his wonderful friend, had been killed by a young man. [Carleton was killed] by a 27-year-old who didnt like that she had a large pride flag hanging outside of her shop. He ripped it down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her, Mr Feig wrote on Instagram. He continued: ... this intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Actor George Takei , also tweeted that her killing was a result of anti-LGBT+ sentiment. This is the result of the hate they spew. An innocent woman, a gentle and loving soul, has lost her life he said. My heart aches for her family in the wake of this horrific murder. Those responsible go beyond the murderer. Every anti-LGBTQ politician, bigoted pundit, and right-wing hate monger has Laura Carletons blood on their hands. The nonprofit Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ said in a statement that Carleton was an ally for the community. Mourners left flowers outside Laura Carletons Mag.Pi store in Lake Arrowhead, California, after she was shot dead on Friday (Mountain Provisions Cooperative) Lauri did not identify as LGBTQ+, but spent her time helping & advocating for everyone in the community. She will be truly missed, the organisation said, adding that a vigil will be held at a later time. Carleton and her family had lived in Studio City for the last 30 years, according to her stores website. She began working in fashion when she was a teenager and had dedicated her recent years to travelling the world with her husband. Her clothing store, Mag Pi, is all about tackling everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream, the website reads. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An Ohio teenager has been jailed for between 15 years and life in prison for a deliberate 100mph hell on wheels crash that killed her boyfriend and friend. Mackenzie Shirilla, 19, was found guilty on multiple counts of murder for the incident that killed Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19, last year. Shirilla sobbed in court as the verdict was delivered, according to Fox News. She read a statement saying: Im so deeply sorry. I hope one day you can see I would never let this happen or do it on purpose. However, her trial heard that her actions were deliberate and that after the fatal crash she had tried to get a modelling job, gone to a concert in a wheelchair, and asked police: Cant you just take my licence away for 10 years or something like that? Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, who held the trial without a jury, said: She had a mission, and she executed it with precision. The decision was death. Her actions were controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional and purposeful. This was not reckless driving. This was murder. The court was told that the crash took place at around 5.30am on 31 July 2022 at a building in a business park. Investigators say that Shirilla drove her 2018 Toyota Camry down a three-quarter mile road until it hit a speed of 100mph. Data from the cars computer and surveillance video showed that the steering wheel jerked to the right and then left before the vehicle left the road and crashed into the business. The wreck was found by a passerby around 45 minutes later. When police arrived they found Russo and Flanagan dead, and Shrilla trapped in the drivers seat with a fuzzy Prada slipper stuck to the accelerator. The judge told the court that the final seconds of the incident proved that Shirilla acted with purpose. She morphs from responsible driver to literal hell on wheels, she said. Prosecutors showed a video taken weeks before the crash which showed Shrilla arguing with Russo and in which she threatened to key his car. Following the crash, doctors stated that Shiilla expressed grief, guilt and shame about the crash, with prosecutors saying that she had demonstrated consciousness of guilt. Her lawyers argued that feeling bad after a fatal crash did not make the driver a murderer and said that prosecutors had not proved she had not just lost control while driving recklessly. She will be eligible for parole in 15 years. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Seven pedestrians have been injured after a car ploughed into a crowd of people in the heart of Manhattan. The shocking incident unfolded on Sunday night when a 29-year-old woman, who has not been named, went on a car crash rampage across New York City, according to the NYPD. Police said that the woman first drove her Honda Accord through a red light on East 36th Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan just before midnight, slamming into a group of people who were walking along the crosswalk at the time. Six men aged 24 to 61 and one 34-year-old woman were struck and wounded, with their injuries ranging from stable to critical. Six of the victims were rushed to hospital while the seventh refused treatment. Following the crash, the driver allegedly fled the scene in her car, driving through the Midtown Tunnel and into Queens. Sometime later after leaving the tunnel, she was involved in a three-car crash on the Long Island Expressway, police said. No one was injured in this crash and the drivers of the two other vehicles were able to drive off in the aftermath. Police said that the woman from Belle Mead, New Jersey was arrested and taken to the North Shore University Hospital. She is currently undergoing a mental health evaluation with police saying she did not appear to be under the influence at the time. Her identity is currently unknown. Aftermath of the moment a car rammed a group of people in Midtown Manhattan (CBS New York) It is also unclear what charges she may face and what events may have led up to the incident. Witnesses of the Midtown Manhattan crash described a chaotic scene where they initially thought there had been a shooting. I came into the scene, there was people strung out. I thought there was a shooting, filmmaker Connor Hopkins told CBS New York. One of the people on our team was a medic, thank God, and was one of the first people there. Did triage until the medics got there. The Independent has reached out to the NYPD for further treatment. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police bodycam footage has been released that captured the moment a gunman ambushed and fired on North Dakota police officers, killing one and injuring two others before a fourth fatally downed him with a hail of bullets. On 14 July, police in Fargo were responding to a routine traffic accident when a man began firing at them with an AK-47. In recently released body camera footage, Officer Zach Robinson can be heard yelling "We've got a man with an AK-47, he's shooting at us," into his radio as the gunfire erupts in the background. The gunman, Mohamad Barakat, shot and killed officer Jake Wallin and wounded fellow cops Andrew Dotas and Tyler Haws as well as bystander Karlee Koswick. Meanwhile, Mr Robinson ducked behind the crashed vehicle and began firing back at Barakat while continuing to call for help. He eventually hits the gunman, downing him, and advances across a street towards the killers position. As he does so he passes between his three colleagues, who are laying mostly motionless on the grass. "Send everybody," he calls into his radio. As he approaches the car, the gunman, who had fallen to the ground, begins moving and reaching for his weapon. Mr Robinson calls out for him to put his hands up multiple times, but Barakat continues to struggle into a seated position with his gun. Mr Robinson fires on the man again, eventually moving around behind Barakat while continuing to call on him to surrender. When the shooter does not, the officer eventually fires into several shots toward his head and chest. North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley told reporters during a press conference that Mr Robinson fired 31 shots at Barakat and hit him 21 times, adding that the attack was an "absolute, complete ambush." Photos of Fargo, N.D., police officers involved in a shooting are displayed during a news conference (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Police say they learned that Barakat a Syrian national who traveled to the US seeking asylum in 2012 and became a US citizen in 2019 had spent the last five years making troubling internet searches, including "mass shooting events", "explosive ammo, and "area events where there are crowds." That last search brought up a news article titled "Thousands enjoy first day of Downtown Fargo Street Fair." Barakat had accessed the page a day before he attacked the officers. He was not completely unknown to police officers visited Barakat at least twice in the last several years regarding his collection of guns. There was little police could the weapons had been obtained legally. After the shooting, investigators located numerous guns, a homemade grenade, other explosives and 1,800 rounds of ammunition in the gunmans vehicle. The two wounded officers and the injured bystander survived their injuries and were eventually released from hospital. Mr Wrigley said Mr Hawes, one of the injured officers, "was literally crawling to get to [Officer] Dotas' side." "To be at his side, to be holding his hand, to be willing him to live," the attorney general said, choking back tears. The city's police chief, David Zibolski, said Mr Robinson had shown "extreme courage and valour," and praised his "extreme restraint" by giving Barakat numerous opportunities to surrender. "Just a tremendous job on his part," Mr Zibolski said. Mr Robinson underwent a mandatory psychological evaluation after the shooting and has since returned to work. Close Rachel Morin: Maryland police release CCTV of suspect Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rachel Morins family are pleading for information that leads to an arrest more than a month after her body was found on the Ma & Pa Trail after she failed to return home from an evening hike. Authorities in Harford County, Maryland, continue to hunt for Morins killer amid fears that the suspect could strike again. Police previously released footage from the scene of a home invasion and assault in Los Angeles, where DNA found matched DNA at the Morin crime scene. But despite the developments, investigators have yet to make any arrests in the case. Morins brother Michael Morin told NewsNation on Wednesday that his family was hopeful somebody would provide the key piece of information needed to bring the suspect to justice. We only need one lead. We need a last name, we already have DNA and video, Mr Morin said. Last week, Morins sister Rebekah Morin shared a behavioural profile built by a volunteer criminal profiler. It suggested that the killer has psychopathic traits and may have travelled to Bel Air because he knew someone in the tight-knit community. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice A pilot who was at breaking point has been arrested after attacking a car park barrier with an axe at a busy US airport. Kenneth Henderson Jones can be seen in a video making his way to the exit gates before swinging the axe, hitting the barrier 23 times. Two employees at Denver International Airport can be seen getting into an altercation with the 63-year-old, during which the United Airlines pilot relinquished the weapon before being arrested by police. Mr Jones told officers that he just hit his breaking point and he wanted to get rid of issues for everyone waiting by retrieving the axe from his parked car, reports CBS. According to the police report, Mr Jones was trying to leave the car park but was stuck behind lines of six vehicles at each of the three exits. Reports suggest that there have been issues with this car park, with many people there parking without the correct permits. The amount of damage caused is estimated to be $700. Mr Jones has been charged with misdemeanour criminal mischief, and he was released from custody later that same day. He is due to appear in court on 25 September. A spokesperson for United Airlines told The Independent that the pilot has been removed from the schedule and is on leave while United conducts an internal investigation. Denver International Airport has also been approached for comment. Last month, a United Airlines pilot was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence after he showed up to fly staggering drunk, despite claiming he had only had two glasses of wine the night before. The American pilot turned up to Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, France for a transatlantic journey. He was staggering slightly, his eyes were glassy, and his mouth pasty, a police officer told a Paris court. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Three people have died and six others have been hospitalised after eating ice cream from Listeria-contaminated machines in Tacoma, Washington. The outbreak has been linked to ice cream machines that were not cleaned properly at a Frugals restaurant in Tacoma, according to the Washington Department of Health. The health agency released a statement on 18 August, noting that while the restaurant stopped using the machines on 8 August, Listeria can sicken people up to 70 days later. While most people who eat food contaminated with Listeria will not get seriously sick, immunocompromised individuals as well as those who are pregnant or aged 65 or older should call their health care provider if they ate a Frugals Tacoma milkshake between May 29 and Aug. 7, 2023, the statement added. No other Frugals restaurants have been affected by the outbreak, according to the states department of health. Genetic fingerprinting of the bacteria in the milkshakes has indicated that it is the same Listeria strain which led to six people being hospitalised between 27 February and 22 July, the health agency said. Three of the six people infected during that time period also died. All six had conditions that made their immune systems less able to fight disease, the agency said. The hospital patients were between the ages of 40 and 70. According to the Center for Disease Control, an estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die from it. The infection is usually caused by eating contaminated food. The Washington Department of Health also said that listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics. Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to be infected by Listeria, while pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more likely, according to the CDC. Meanwhile, more than half of all Listeria infections occur in people 65 and older. Frugals has halted all milkshake machines after a Listeria outbreak at its Tacoma location (Frugals Tacoma / Instagram) The invasive illness aspect of the infection after the bacteria spreads beyond ones intestines can be treated with antibiotics, the CDC explained. In a statement posted on social media, Frugals said that it has and will continue to fully cooperate with and support this ongoing investigation. The restaurant chain added that it has followed Pierce County Health Departments (PCHD) recommendations, like halting all milkshake sales at its Tacoma location. The company said that out of an abundance of caution, the milkshake machines at other locations have also been suspended and sent out for testing. It added that PCHD is confident that this contamination is isolated to the Tacoma milkshake machine. The Independent has reached out to Frugals for comment. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Officials have confirmed a case of locally acquired case of malaria in Maryland, Washington DC, despite the patient not having recently travelled out of the country or to states where malaria has been found, Marylands Department of Health said on Friday. The infection is the first of its kind in the state in decades and the individual who contracted the disease is said to have been hospitalised and is now recovering. Malaria was once common in the United States, including in Maryland, but we have not seen a case in Maryland that was not related to travel in over 40 years, said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott. We are taking this very seriously and will work with local and federal health officials to investigate this case. There have been more than 2,000 cases reported annually of the mosquito-borne disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of these cases occur in people returning from international travel. The state Department of Health said, Maryland typically reports around 200 travel-related malaria cases each year, and the Maryland Department of Health investigates each case for cause and risk. Malaria can be very dangerous and even fatal if it is not treated, but early treatment reduces the chances of complications, said Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr Nilesh Kalyanaraman. We urge the public to take precautions against mosquito bites, and if you develop symptoms after travelling abroad, seek urgent medical care. Symptoms of malaria usually appear seven to 30 days after an infective bite and include high fever, chills, body aches, diarrhea and vomiting. Heres what we know about the infection: What is malaria? World Health Organization (WHO) describes malaria as a life-threatening disease spread to humans by a certain type of mosquito. The infection is caused by a parasite that typically infects a certain type of mosquito which then feeds on humans. How is malaria transmitted? Malaria is spread through a certain type of mosquito, known as the Anopheles mosquito. Only this female insect can transmit malaria. The CDC has said the mosquitos must have been infected through a previous blood meal taken from an infected person. When the insect bites the infected person, a small amount of blood is taken, which contains microscopic malaria parasites known as plasmodium. About one week later, when the mosquito takes its next blood meal, these parasites mix with the mosquitos saliva and are injected into the person being bitten, the CDC website added. Is malaria contagious? The disease is not spread from person to person like a cold and flu and is not sexually transmitted. Therefore, the disease is not contagious. What are the symptoms? (Getty Images) According to the NHS, the infection can be hard to spot after you have been bitten by the infected mosquito. Some of these symptoms include: A high temperature, sweating and chills Headaches and feeling confused Feeling very tired and sleepy (especially in children) Feeling and being sick, tummy pain and diarrhea Loss of appetite Muscle pains yellow skin or whites of the eyes A sore throat, cough and difficulty breathing What are some of the precautions I can take to avoid getting bitten? (Getty Images) The risk to the public for locally acquired mosquito-transmitted malaria remains very low, according to the CDC. However, here are some precautions to prevent mosquito bites or travel-related malaria: Use insect repelling that contains DEET this chemical is the most effective way of keeping mosquitos away. Try to wear loose-fitting and long-sleeved clothing if you can. Keep windows and doors closed or covered this will prevent insects from entering your home. Empty standing water at least once a week to prevent mosquitos from laying eggs. Be sure to check where you are travelling to see the risk for diseases. This will allow you to prepare and take precautions. If you travelled to an area and believe you have contracted the disease, you should seek urgent medical care. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Among the 114 victims of the devastating wildfires in Maui is Kenyero Fuentes, whose family was getting ready to celebrate his birthday before the fire engulfed his home. Fuentes was relaxing at his familys home with their dog in Lahaina on 8 August. He was getting ready for classes to start at Lahainaluna High School the next day, his mother, Luz Vargas, told NPR. Ms Vargas, her husband Andres and their eldest son Josue were at work at the time. They operate a local cleaning business in Honokowai. Before the fires, Ms Vargas was planning Fuentes 15th birthday party for the coming Sunday. She said planned to include a vanilla cake and pork tacos. But when they heard and saw wildfires quickly heading toward their home and son they rushed to save Fuentes. Everyone was running away from the flames, but we were all running toward them, Ms Vargas, who only speaks Spanish, told NPR. The three got in their car and went as far as they could until local authorities stopped them. Then, they began running on foot in the hopes to find Fuentes. The family split up to cover more ground but at multiple points, Ms Vargas was stopped by residents and officers who warned her not to go any further. Ms Vargas ignored the warnings and frantically continued toward her home to try and save her son. I told [police] my son is still in our house. I said hes at this house on this street, she recalled. She then got on her knees and pleaded with them to allow her through but the police did not speak Spanish. She eventually broke through the barrier and ran. Kenyero Fuente (Family) Ms Vargas said the fire was so hot that the soles of her flip-flops began melting. A man on a motorbike offered to drive her a few blocks toward the edge of the fire where her home and her son were. She said she recited prayers the entire time, hoping Fuentes was OK. When she reached the edge of the fire, firefighters and emergency responders had to stop Ms Vargas and hold her back. She was told to look for her son away from the fire. For two days, Ms Vargas and her husband searched for their 14-year-old son at shelters, calling friends to find any sign of him. But on 10 August, two friends delivered the tragic news that Fuentes was dead. The two had snuck into Ms Vargas and her husbands home and found the boy lying face-down with the family dog nearby in his bedroom. Ms Vargas went to see her sons remains and described a horrific scene furniture completely burnt down to ash and her sons charred body on top of a pile of debris. She recalled a grief-stricken wail she let out: "Please God, hold him for me. Wait for me there, mijo. Wait for me because one day, I, too, will leave this Earth." The family prayed over their sons body and then brought his remains back to authorities. Now, Ms Vargas is planning a memorial birthday party for her son. She asked a friend to pick up a cake and said she wants to have white balloons. I want to honor my son and have his birthday party, she told NPR. Authorities in the County of Maui have not officially named Fuentes among the deceased. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Four Mexicans fell to their deaths while climbing the Pico de Orizaba the country's tallest mountain, officials said on Sunday. The climbers reportedly fell while scaling the southern slope of the 5,675-metre-tall mountain located in south-central Mexico. The mountain is also known by its indigenous name Citlaltepetl. Two of the climbers were from the neighbouring state of Veracruz, and one from Puebla and Orizaba each, the civil defence office of Puebla said. The fourth body was recovered on Monday. Photos distributed by the office showed rescue workers trying to recover the bodies down from a loose, rocky apron below an even steeper slope above the snow line. "The mountain search and rescue group and the support of the Red Cross were used for the recovery of the bodies and their descent," the authorities wrote on X, previously known as Twitter. Puebla governor Sergio Salomon offered his condolences to the families of the climbers. People from the civil defence office are coordinating with the municipality and the Red Cross, he said. Pico de Orizaba is the highest mountain in the country and the tallest volcano in North America where accidents at peak are not uncommon. In 2015, two mummified bodies of mountaineers were found, who were reportedly buried by an avalache in 1958, while trying to ascend the north face of Pico de Orizaba. A member of the US diplomatic mission died while climbing the mountain in 2018, the embassy in Mexico said. In November 2017, another American climber died and seven others were rescued on the mountain. Meanwhile, a Mexican climber named Perla Tijerina spent 32 days at the top of the mountain earlier this year as part of a dare. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The woman who was attacked by a shark at a beach in New York City earlier this month has already endured five surgeries and will require more. Tatyana Koltunyuk, 65, was bitten on 7 August, an incident that will require years of intense physical therapy and close medical monitoring, during which time she will have significantly limited mobility, her daughter Darya Koltunyuk wrote on a GoFundMe page. She added that the injury has left her with a permanent disability. The page, Tatyana Koltunyuks Shark Attack Recovery, has since raised over $72,000 as of 21 August. Ms Koltunyuk was swimming alone in the ocean at Rockaway Beach when a shark bit her left leg, the city parks department said in a statement. The bite left a gaping wound several inches wide and deep. Two lifeguards fashioned together a tourniquet, using sweatpants and rope from an orange rescue float, to stop the bleeding. She was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where she was listed in stable condition, a hospital spokesperson previously told The Independent. The GoFundMe page said that the shark bite victim emigrated to the United States from Ukraine with her husband and then-three3-year-old daughter in the 1990s. Tragically, Ms Koltunyuks husband died of a heart attack only a few weeks after arriving, her daughter wrote. The language barrier prevented my mom from continuing her career as a marine engineer, but she worked tirelessly to support our family, her daughter wrote, adding that Ms Koltunyuk made sure that I could take ballet lessons and piano lessons and have the best possible education. Tatyana Koltunyuk will need more surgeries and physical therapy following a gruesome shark bite in Rockaway Beach (GoFundMe) When she was bitten by the shark, she was eagerly anticipating her retirement, when she could for the first time in her life take a break. The daughter continued, She talked about swimming in the ocean every day. My husband and I will do everything in our power to make her retirement as comfortable and enjoyable as we possibly can, but the road ahead will be extremely challenging for her and for our family, Darya Koltunyuk said. Ms Koltunyuks bite appeared to be the most serious shark attack in New York waters since at least the 1950s, Gavin Naylor, the program director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida, told the Associated Press. This is a very severe injury from something thats powerful and unambiguous, he added. Its very deliberate. Shark sightings and minor bites have become more frequent in the states waters. In a statement following the incident, NYC Parks Department wrote: We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer. Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare. We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spotted Prior to today, we have no reports of shark bites on Rockaway Beach in recent memory. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Joe Bidens personal tragedies have shaped his career, from policy to politicking, learning to mourn as a public figure and relying on his history of loss to reach out to voters, including during his successful 2020 campaign for president. In December 1972, the former vice president then a 30-year-old senator-elect from Delaware, weeks away from being sworn into office lost his first wife Neilia and 13-month-old daughter Naomi in a car accident. Joseph Beau Biden III, an Iraq War veteran and Delaware attorney general, died following a brain cancer diagnosis in 2015. He was 46. In a statement following his death, his father wrote: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known. Beau experienced a stroke in 2010, but three years later he was treated at MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, Texas, where doctors removed a lesion from his brain. His cancer returned two years later when he received aggressive treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland. He is survived by his wife Hallie and his two children Natalie and Hunter. Beau was only 3 years old when his mother was killed in the crash that also took the life of his little sister. Beau and his brother Hunter, then 2, were also in the car. Their father was sworn into the US Senate at their hospital beds. During his 2012 speech at the Democratic National Convention, he moved his father to tears while nominating him for vice president. One of my earliest memories was being in that hospital, dad always at our side. ... He decided not to take the oath of office. He said, Delaware can get another senator, but my boys cant get another father. However, great men like Ted Kennedy, Mike Mansfield, Hubert Humphrey men who had been tested themselves convinced him to serve. So he was sworn in, in the hospital, at my bedside, Beau said. Beau Biden and Joe Biden are pictured together at the 2008 DNC (AFP/Getty Images) In 1977, Joe Biden married Jill Jacobs, who became the boys stepmother and helped rebuild the family, Beau later said in 2012. I have two moms now. Beau studied at the University of Pennsylvania and attended law school at Syracuse University, where his father also attended. He served as a prosecutor in the US attorneys office in Philadelphia before running for attorney general in 2006. He won by 13,000 votes. In his reelection in 2010, he won by more than 149,000 votes. In 2008, as a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, Beau was deployed to Iraq during a war effort that then-senator Mr Biden had previously voted to support. Beau briefly returned to the US for his fathers vice-presidential swearing-in ceremony in January 2009, then was shipped out to complete his yearlong service. As Delawares chief law enforcement official, Beau didnt seek a third term, as he planned to run for governor in 2016, before his health began to rapidly decline. In a statement following his death, then-president Barack Obama cited a poem by William Butler Yeats, adding: Beau Biden believed the best of us all ... For him, and for his family, we swing our lanterns higher. President Barack Obama hugs Vice President Joe Biden during funeral services for Biden's son, Beau Biden, June 6, 2015 During an appearance on MSNBCs Morning Joe in the lead-up to the 2020 election, then-candidate Mr Biden said, Beau should be the one running for president, not me. Mr Biden recalled Beaus support on previous campaign trails when his son told him: Look at me, dad. Remember: home base. Just remember who you are. Hed grab me by the lapel, Mr Biden said. He still grabs me by the lapel. Mr Biden said: Every morning I get up, Joe, not a joke, I think to myself, Is he proud of me? Because hes the one who wanted me to stay engaged ... He walks with me. I know that sounds to some people kind of silly, but he really, honest to God, does. I know hes in me. Beau was laid to rest at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Wilmington, Delaware, where Mr Bidens late wife Neilia and daughter Naomi are also buried. This was initially published in 2020 Ariana Baio contributed to this report Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two US servicemen were arrested after a man was fatally stabbed during an argument at a carnival in Germany, according to police and the US Air Force. Officials say that the 28-year-old victim was killed during the confrontation at the Saubrenner fair in the small town of Wittlich on Saturday night. The suspects have only been identified as aged 25 and 26 and stationed at the US Air Forces Spangdahlem Air Base, which is close to the town. German police and the US Air Force have not yet released the names of the suspect, and the name of the victim, who is a German national, has also not been made public. Police say that the two men were arrested after witnesses identified a group of four people who had been seen near the crime scene. Both suspects have been handed over to US authorities who will now take over the investigation in accordance with the NATO troop statute. This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community, Col. Kevin Crofton, commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing stationed at the base, said in a statement. We thank the local Polizei and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course. The mayor of Wittlich, Joachim Rodenkirch, said in a statement that he was shocked at the killing, which took place at around 2.4am. I am horrified and terribly sad that a young man died in such a brutal way at the Saubrenner fair, where many people come together to celebrate peacefully. My deepest sympathy goes to the parents and family of the deceased, he said. Spangdahlem Air Base is home to the US Air Forces 52nd Fighter Wing, which states that it provides Airpower options to deter and combat aggression in NATO territory. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} One summer night a decade ago, the al-Shami family was woken up by a roaring sound or rockets but it wasn't followed by the usual explosions. Instead, the family members started having difficulty breathing. Ghiad al-Shami, 26, remembers how everyone tried to run to the rooftop of their apartment building in eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb that at the time was held by opposition fighters trying to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. Al-Shami's mother, three sisters and two brothers died that night victims of the Aug. 21, 2013 sarin gas attack that killed hundreds and left thousands of others hurt. Ten years on, al-Shami and other survivors say there has been no accountability for the attack and for the other atrocities committed in Syria during the country's brutal civil war, now in its 13th year. Over the past year, Assad's government accused by the United Nations of repeated chemical weapons attacks on Syrian civilians has been able to break out of its political isolation. Assad was welcomed back to the Arab League, which had suspended Syrias membership in 2011 following a crackdown on anti-government protests. With the help of top allies Russia and Iran, Assad also recaptured large swaths of territory he initially lost to opposition groups. Today, instead of holding perpetrators accountable, Assad is being welcomed back into the Arab League and invited to international conferences, cementing impunity for the most heinous of crimes, said Laila Kiki, executive director of The Syria Campaign advocacy group. To all those who seek to shake hands with Assad, this anniversary should serve as a clear reminder of the atrocities his regime has committed, she said in a statement. In 2013, Assad was widely held responsible for the eastern Ghouta attack weapons specialists said the rocket systems involved were in the Syrian armys arsenal. The Syrian government has denied ever using chemical weapons. Russia, Syrias prime ally, claims the Ghouta attack was carried out by opposition forces trying to push for foreign military intervention. The United States threatened military retaliation in the aftermath of the attack, with then-President Barack Obama saying Assads use of chemical weapons would be Washingtons red line. However, the U.S. public and Congress were wary of a new war, as invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq had turned into quagmires. In the end, Washington settled for a deal with Moscow for Assad to give up his chemical weapons' stockpile. Syria says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under the 2013 agreement. It also joined a global chemical weapons watchdog based in The Hague, Netherlands, as global pressure mounted on Damascus. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has blamed the Syrian government for several deadly chemical attacks, most recently for a 2018 chlorine gas attack over Douma, another Damascus suburb, that killed 43 people. Syrian authorities refused to allow investigation teams access to the site of the attack, and had their voting rights within the OPCW suspended in 2021 as punishment for the repeated use of toxic gas. Damascus has accused the watchdog of bias in favor of the West and has not recognized its authority. Western countries say that Syria has not fully declared its chemical weapons stockpile to the OPCW to be destroyed. The Syrian government and its allies reclaimed eastern Ghouta in 2018, with most of its residents fleeing to the last rebel-held enclave in Syria's northwest. Abdel Rahman Sabhia, a nurse and former resident of the suburb, has since moved to the town of Afrin in the northern Aleppo province, now under Turkish-backed groups. We lost hope in the international community, said Sabhia, who worked at a voluntary field hospital in Ghouta at the time of the gas attack. Why should we trust in them if we still havent seen any accountability for all the children who lost their families? Sabhia says he had gotten used to airstrikes and shelling, but the aftermath of the 2013 attack was different. The streets were eerily quiet, like a ghost town, he recalled. We broke into a house and saw a baby, just months old, lying dead in bed with his parents." At the time, dozens of bodies were laid out in hospitals with families looking to identify their loved ones. Some families were buried together in large graves. Al-Shami, who now lives in Istanbul recalls regaining consciousness a day after the attack. I felt helpless, he said. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tributes have poured in for the two men who died competing in an ironman contest in Ireland on Sunday. The men have been named locally as Ivan Chittenden, in his 60s and from Toronto in Canada, and Brendan Wall who was in his 40s and living in the UK but originally from Co Meath. They died in the swimming segment of the triathlon in Youghal, Co Cork. In a statement on social media the organisers of the event, Ironman Ireland, said they were saddened by the deaths. The statement added: We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of two race participants at the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023. During the swim portion of Sundays race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance. We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance. Phil Harris, a competitor from Co Down, said his thoughts and prayers were with the families of the men. The weather conditions changed quite quickly whenever we were getting into the water. It wasnt so bad once you got through the waves, he added. Cork County Council extended sympathies to the families. Cork County Council is deeply saddened over the tragic loss of two race participants during the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023 event in Youghal today, they said. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the athletes at this incredibly difficult time. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we are currently offering every assistance required to the Ironman Group and all those impacted. We wish to express our gratitude to the response agencies involved, including our dedicated fire and emergency personnel, for their unwavering efforts during this difficult time. The men had been competing in the half Ironman, a 70.3 mile half triathlon, which had been moved from Saturday to Sunday as a result of Storm Betty. The event continued with a 90km cycle and a long-distance run. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A leading physicist and astronomer who served as a key consultant in Vladimir Putins moon mission was hospitalised in Moscow after Russias first lunar expedition in 47 years failed. Mikhail Marov, 90, was rushed to hospital following a sharp deterioration in his health after Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the moon. "It is so sad that it was not possible to land the apparatus," he said after the failure of Luna-25 was announced. Russias state space corporation Roskosmos said it lost contact with the craft at 11.57am (GMT) on Saturday after a problem as the craft was shunted into pre-landing orbit. A soft landing had been planned for Monday. "The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon," Roskosmos said in a statement. It said a special inter-departmental commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the loss of the Luna-25 craft, whose mission had raised hopes in Moscow that Russia was returning to the big power moon race. Mr Marov told the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper that he hoped the reasons behind the crash would be discussed and examined rigorously. "This was perhaps the last hope for me to see a revival of our lunar programme," he said, according to Reuters. There was a mistake in the algorithms for launching into near-lunar orbit, he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. It must be found. A picture taken from the camera of the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 during its flight to the moon (Reuters) For the specialists who will be involved in the work of the commission, this will not be a big problem. I think the answer will be found in the foreseeable future. Sharing details on his medical condition, he told the outlet that he is currently under observation as he shared his exasperation over the failure of the mission. How can I not worry? This has been very much a matter of my life. Its all very hard. The failure of Luna-25 underscored the decline of Russias space power since the glory days of Cold War competition when Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth Sputnik 1, in 1957 and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage and the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 blasts off from a launchpad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia (Reuters) It also comes as Russias $2 trillion economy faces its biggest external challenge for decades: the pressure of both Western sanctions and fighting the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two. Though moon missions are fiendishly difficult, and many US and Soviet attempts have failed, Russia had not attempted a moon mission since Luna-24 in 1976, when Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev ruled the Kremlin. Russia has been racing against India, whose Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land on the moons south pole this week, and more broadly against China and the United States which both have advanced lunar ambitions. Russian officials had hoped that the Luna-25 mission would show Russia can compete with the superpowers in space despite its post-Soviet decline and the vast cost of the Ukraine war. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A raging wildfire that has torn through Tenerife was started deliberately, officials have now confirmed. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes as the devastating blaze obliterated about 13,400 hectares (33,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland. Locals have been fleeing in horror against of background of towering flames and smoke as the fire spread after it was first sparked last Tuesday. Local residents try to clean the forest to prevent it from flames as fire advances in La Orotava in Tenerife on Saturday (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Fernando Clavijo, regional president of Canary Islands, said police suspected arson and have opened three lines of investigation. It has not been revealed if any arrests were made. The fire began in the Arafo mountains around the Mount Teide volcano - Spains highest peak- expanding to a raging perimeter of 84 kilometers as it ravaged the north of the island over the last six days. The municipalities of Arafo, Candelaria, El Rosario, La Orotava, Santa Ursula, La Victoria, El Sauzal and Tacoronte have been the most severely impacted. But today, Mr Clavijo told Spains Cadena SER radio the worst is over, adding that the hundreds of firefighters deployed had made some progress for the second night in a row. Local residents try to reach their houses in Benijos village as police block the area as fire advances in La Orotava (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Fire advances through the forest in La Orotava in Tenerife (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Today, we will keep on working, consolidating perimeters. We cannot talk about control yet, well see if we can stabilise all the fronts, he added. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the fire area would be declared a catastrophe zone, entitling the island to funds to help with reforestation and compensation for people affected. Below is a map of the areas impacted by the wildfire: View more Authorities on Sunday allowed some of the 12,000 people evacuated from the villages of Arafo and Candelaria to return to their homes and the remaining evacuees could receive more good news on Monday, Clavijo said. However, emergency services recommended residents in the area around the fire, which includes the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife, to close windows and to stay indoors. It recommended wearing face masks if they need to go outside, as the air quality was very unfavourable due to smoke. A raging wildfire that has torn through Tenerife was started deliberately, officials said (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Flares are seen on the horizon as the fire advances through the forest toward the town of La Laguna and Los Rodeos airport in Tenerife on Saturday (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Popular tourist areas on Tenerife, part of the Canaries archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, have so far been unaffected and its two airports have been operating normally. Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa. The islands tourism office stressed in a statement Thursday afternoon that the main tourist areas and cities of the island were away from the fire. Close Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Ukraine mail depot that killed six For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Russia and Ukraine war is now seriously stalemate Alexander Lukashenko has warned as he urged the two sides to come to an agreement. The Belarus leader and Vladimir Putin ally, who has provided his countrys territory as a launch pad for Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said that Ukraines demands for Russia to quit its territory needs to be resolved at the negotiating table so nobody dies. He said: There are enough problems on both sides and in general the situation is now seriously stalemate: no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position, Lukashenko said. Theyre there head-to-head, to the death, entrenched. People are dying. Speaking in a question and answer video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA, he added: We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement. As I once said: no preconditions are needed. The main thing is that the stop command is given. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to Danish people outside the parliament in Copenhagen on Monday, 21 August, after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in what he called a "historic" pledge. Denmark will deliver 19 jets, with the first six due to be shipped around New Year, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. A further eight will be sent in 2024 and five in 2025. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands has 42 jets but some will be needed for training purposes. It is not confirmed when the Netherlands will send the aircraft. Recommended The US has given approval to both countries to provide the jets. Denmark and the Netherlands both have F-16s available as their armed forces are transitioning to newer F-35 jets. Zelensky spoke in the Danish parliament on Monday, with his address watched by first lady Olena Zelenska, where he thanked lawmakers for the F-16 jets pledge. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Danish parliament on Monday, 21 August, after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in what he called a "historic" pledge. Denmark will deliver 19 jets, with the first six due to be shipped around New Year, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. A further eight will be sent in 2024 and five in 2025. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands has 42 jets but some will be needed for training purposes. It is not confirmed when the Netherlands will send the aircraft. Recommended The US has given approval to both countries to provide the jets. Denmark and the Netherlands both have F-16s available as their armed forces are transitioning to newer F-35 jets. Speaking at an air force base in Eindhoven on Sunday after inspecting F-16 jets parked in a hangar, Zelensky hailed the decision was "absolutely historic, powerful, and inspiring for us". Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Elon Musk, the owner of X the company formerly known as Twitter said on Saturday that the social media platform may fail as a new glitch wiped out most pictures tweeted before December 2014. The sad truth is that there are no great social networks right now. We may fail, as so many have predicted, but we will try our best to make there be at least one, Mr Musk posted on X. Since his take-over of the company for $44bn, the multibillionaire has tried to shake things up, introducing radical new changes to the platform, from laying off over three-fourths of Twitters workforce to his latest statement that the platforms feature to block other user profiles would be removed. The platform, being rebranded as X, has also suffered blackouts and glitches in recent times with the latest one appearing to affect tweets with pictures and links published prior to December 2014. X appeared to have problems displaying old posts that came with attached images or hyperlinks converted using Twitters built-in web link shortener. Among the images initially lost was the famous most retweeted selfie from the 2014 Oscars by the events host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. This image has since been restored, but most old tweets before December 2014 have broken short links instead of the actual media or links. More vandalism from Elon Musk. Twitter has now removed all media posted before 2014. Thats - so far - almost a decade of pictures and videos from the early 2000s removed from the service, Brazilian YouTuber Tom Coates posted on Twitter. The glitch comes after Mr Musks X intentionally slowed down access to the sites of rival social media platforms such as Threads, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as those of news organisations like New York Times last week. X seemed to add a delay of about five seconds when people clicked on links to go elsewhere on the web. There are speculations that the latest glitch preventing access to old images could be due to X trying to recover more server space, but this might also not be an intentional move carried out for cost-cutting purposes. Some people also appear to be able to view their old images back again, but it remains unclear why the glitch occurred in the first place. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice The idyllic beaches found on Greek islands have become a battleground between locals and beachfront businesses which have planted pricey sun-loungers on the shore, leaving some residents pushed out by the expensive seating. A campaign, nicknamed the Towel Movement, has seen people marching along Greek beaches protesting the pay-per-use sunbeds taking over public sands, with many holding signs decrying the situation. Last week, hundreds of locals staged a sit-in on the beach to draw attention to their cause. The movement began on Paros and has now spread to Naxos, with more than 5,000 in the Facebook group Save the Beaches of Naxos NOW!. Beaches are public spaces in Greece, but businesses such as restaurants, hotels and bars can lease areas for customers to sit in. Some locals have argued that not only are businesses spreading out further than they are allowed, they are taking advantage with incredibly high prices. The Save Paros Beaches group shared one image on Facebook showing an umbrella and two sunbeds to rent for 60 a day. To soak up the sunshine in the VIP area, the cost was 120 per day. We claim our right to public space, our right to enjoy our beaches that are encroached upon by greedy, socially irresponsible businessmen who occupy beaches in their entirety or exceed their limits by up to 100 times the area they legally lease, the Save Paros Beaches group said in a statement to Metro. Nicolas Stephanou, a 70-year-old who lives on Paros, told The New York Times that locals feel were being pushed off the island. He claimed that there are massive discrepancies over the area businesses should be taking up and how far they have spread, with the NYT reporting that 7,186 square metres were officially leased last year but 18,800 square metres of beach space was taken up. Even five years ago, I could go to any beach and just go and enjoy nature, enjoy the sand, enjoy the water, the silence, Ronit Nesher, who permanently relocated to Paros several years ago, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Now its packed with loungers and umbrellas and there is not even a space to put a towel or chair or just to come and sit on the sand. Is that what you guys want to turn Paros in to? With no considerations of the locals and of nature? The Independent has contacted the Paros Municipality for comment, and has reached out to the Paros and Naxos campaign groups. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice A 700 bill for four drinks and some seafood has thrust a notorious restaurant on the Greek island of Mykonos back into the spotlight. A group of Italian tourists has branded DK Oyster, which is on Mykonos Platis Gialos beach and describes itself as where luxury and style finally find their most deserving destination, as thieves following an expensive visit. Sharing a picture of the receipt on reviews website Tripadvisor, the poster claimed they ordered three orange juices, one Aperol spritz and a medium portion of squids and shrimp with the price seen in the image totalling 711.41. They were enticed into the infamous eatery by the offer of sitting there for free, with free umbrellas and sunbeds stamped on the receipt. A snack that breaks the bank (Tripadvisor/Explorer25213609890) open image in gallery They are the biggest cheaters and thieves of Mykonos. They offer the food not explaining the details. They transformed our experience in a horrible one. They damage the image of Mykonos, the review stated. The customers said they would have called the police over the charge but had no time as they needed to get back to their ship though they advised other visitors that there were much cheaper options on the island. Since the review was posted this week, there have been a string of similar reports from unhappy customers. An Australia-based visitor alleged that the restaurant cons people, enticing them in with the offer a free chair and umbrella, targeting unsuspecting visitors to the beach. They claimed that one portion of calamari cost 157, and uploaded a picture of the receipt. The most recent review blasts DK Oyster as a really bad look for Mykonos. In February, Tripadvisor took the rare step of adding a safety alert to the restaurants review page, which warns potential customers that they may wish to perform additional research for information about this property when making your travel plans. The page was flagged after an American couple reported that they had been charged 800 for a plate of crabs legs at the venue. Jessica Yarnall and Adam Hagaun, from Montana, said they had ordered drinks advertised as 25 which then appeared on their bill as 100, with staff saying the advertised price was for small servings and they had had large servings. Ms Yarnall documented the horrible experience last May on her TikTok channel, saying touts for the restaurant had told the couple they could enjoy a free beach cabana if they ordered 50-worth of drinks. In 2022, two other American tourists said they were taking legal action against DK Oyster after it charged them more than 500 for two drinks and a plate of crab legs. Brenda Moulton and her then 19-year-old daughter, Kaylea, alleged that after refusing to pay the bill, an employee of the restaurant began to threaten her, saying she would not be able to fly back to the US if she didnt pay. Four years ago, the owner of DK Oyster insisted the food it served represented value for money after claims that it was a rip off for charging 98.50 per plate of squid, 25 per drink and 19.80 for each chicken Caesar salad. The Independent has contacted DK Oyster for comment. Meanwhile, there have been a spate of surprise charges added to restaurant bills in Italy recently. Diners were left shocked when an eatery in Sicily charged them 17 to slice a cake they had brought in for birthday celebrations. The additional charge reportedly worked out as 86p per attendee, despite the group spending 103.49 on pizza and drinks. In early August, a British tourist was left gobsmacked after a 2 charge was added to his bill for cutting a sandwich in half at Bar Pace in Gera Lario, beside Lake Como. The controversial sandwich-cutting fee cost more than a cup of espresso, according to the receipt, and raised the total cost of the sandwich from 7.50 to 9.50. The prosecutions lead medical expert in the Lucy Letby trial has called for the hospital managers who ignored consultants concerns about the killer nurse to stand trial for gross negligent manslaughter. Doctor Dewi Evans said warning signs were missed, despite four consultants raising concerns about Letby. She has now been found guilty of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, De Evans said: It is astonishing. You can not make this up. He added: They should have their collars felt. Five suspects were detained after almost 450kg of methamphetamine was seized by Turkish anti-narcotics police in Istanbul, officials said on 21 August. Acting on a tip-off, the police began tracking the suspects involved in drug trafficking and stopped a car and two trucks in Istanbul's Tuzla district, the governor's office said. During the search, the police found 447.5kg of liquid narcotics in 20 drums. Turkish security forces are frequently launching operations against drug dealers as part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown. Last month, the Istanbul governor's office announced that a total of 8.5 tons of narcotic substances and more than 2.5 million illicit pills had been seized in operations throughout the city since January. Part of a road in Santa Clarita, California, collapsed into storm water after Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in the state on Sunday, 20 August. Santa Clarita City officials posted footage on Twitter/X showing part of the concrete crumbling as water gushes. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Santa Clarita, Los Angeles, and Glendale until at least 3am on Monday. Residents were urged to move to higher ground immediately and to avoid walking or driving through floodwaters. An IT error discovered at the Central Bank means that 20,500 borrowers may have had incorrect credit risks applied to their accounts More than 20,000 borrowers may have been unfairly assessed for loans or credit assessments because of an IT error at the Central Bank. The error, discovered by the Central Bank when a member of the public complained earlier this month, is being described by the Central Bank as a data breach and has also been reported to the Data Protection Commissioner. As a consequence of this error, certain borrower information was retained on the Central Credit Register [CCR] for up to an additional three months, and included in credit reports, when it should not have been retained or included, the bank said in a statement today. The institution says that the mishap is the consequence of an archiving error. The IT error comes at an embarrassing time for the Central Bank, as it begins to look into a major IT failure at Bank Of Ireland that caused havoc with online bank accounts and ATMs last week. The Central Bank says that it has notified other banks of the error. The Central Banks investigation so far has determined that, of the approximately 476,000 total enquiries made by lenders or borrowers for information held on the CCR over the period between 1 June and 7 August 2023, the records of around 20,500 borrowers contained performance data pointing to repayment difficulties in May, June or July 2018, the bank added. This could have negatively impacted those borrowers ability to access finance. This could be the case where the records pointed to repayment difficulties during the additional, outdated, three months or [where] lenders or borrowers had sought to access those records over the period between 1 June and 7 August 2023, the Central Bank said. However, the institution says that there is no security risk to the personal data. We wish to state clearly that borrowers data has not been compromised or accessed by any unauthorised third parties as a consequence of this error, it said. The issue came to light, the bank said, after a member of the public brought it to the banks attention earlier this month. As a result of this error, additional, outdated information relating to these three months was available on the CCR database for inclusion in credit reports issued to borrowers and lenders in the period 1 June to 7 August 2023. While this information was accurate, the additional three months of information should not have been made available, and constitutes a data breach under data protection legislation. The glitch happened due to a technical error that affected the automated deletion process of historical records in the CCR, the bank added. It is important to note that the information held on the CCR is one of many factors that lenders use to determine whether a loan is approved or not, the Central Bank said. In addition, the fact that lenders made a request for information on the CCR does not mean that those specific pieces of information were used by lenders in their credit decisions. For example, the Central Banks analysis so far has determined that the records of a significant proportion of the 20,500 borrowers continued to point to performance difficulties in the months following May, June and July 2018. At this stage, therefore, the Central Bank is not in a position to determine with accuracy the extent to which credit applications were adversely affected by this incident. Art student invites good fortune with lucky door mural (People's Daily App) 15:22, August 21, 2023 Over her summer vacation, this university art student painted five traditional Chinese figures outside her door in Zhoukou, Henan Province. Taking about eight hours to finish, the mural represents the five blessings that Chinese families hope will visit their homes. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Yuno Energy is promising it could save customers more than 500 There are hopes that consumers could see their energy bills fall in coming months as the market gets a shake-up from a new entrant today. It comes as households grapple with a cost-of-living crisis that could be further exacerbated as autumn and winter approach and their electricity and gas bills soar after a summer lull. Newcomer Yuno Energy is promising it could save customers more than 500 a year on their electricity bills by closely monitoring their energy usage at home. Consumer groups are hoping it will force rivals to cut their prices, providing some respite for hard-pressed consumers struggling with higher bills for everything from energy to food. Daragh Cassidy, head of communications with price comparison site bonkers.ie, said the launch of a new energy provider was good news for consumers. He said he hoped the fresh competition would force other providers to cut their prices in coming weeks. Most households should be able to save a few hundred euro on their annual electricity bill with Yuno, he said. An Electric Ireland customer on standard rates with a 24-hour meter and who uses an average amount of electricity would save around 260 over the year by moving to Yunos fixed tariff for example. Bord Gais Energys customers would save even more. Yuno Energy customers receive a bill at the start of the month for their expected usage over the coming month. The predicted bill is based on their previous energy usage. As the month progresses, customers with a smart meter can accurately determine through a Yuno Energy app how much electricity theyre using and adjust their energy consumption accordingly to try to ensure they dont spend more than what their predicted energy bill was for the month. Yuno Energy has insisted that the unit rate its offering for its electricity is the cheapest in the market, at 38.04 cents per kilowatt hour, including VAT. It also says that customers without a smart meter can still sign up for the service and that the firm will then contact ESB to request a smart meter for their home. The new provider is part of the same group that owns Prepaypower, which operates a different service model. It was launched in 2010. Prepaypower allows customers to buy electricity credit at any time. That credit is then used to pay for their electricity as they consume it. Prepaypower has more than 175,000 electricity customers and about 60,000 gas customers. It employs more than 400 people. Prepaypower founder and chief executive Cathal Fay told the Irish Independent that Yuno Energy is being backed with a multi-million euro investment, including a major publicity campaign. Its operating as a standalone business from Prepaypower and has its own initial team of 20 staff. Its going to be the cheapest rate on the market, he said. The 38.04 cent per unit is inclusive of VAT. It beats everybody else right across the board. If you compare our rate to the standard rates [of competitors], were 508 cheaper than the average of those standard unit rates per year. Mr Fay said people are much more conscious of their energy usage and bills as a result of the cost of living crisis. Russias invasion of Ukraine was a major catalyst for higher energy costs. Renewable energy firm Statkraft has purchased a portfolio of operating wind farms from The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG), a London-listed investment firm. The wind farms, some of which began operating in 2000, have a total capacity of 35 megawatts. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Today's News in 90 seconds - August 21st Statkraft anticipates that these assets could provide repowering opportunities here in the future. Repowering a wind farm refers to the process of replacing old turbines with newer and more powerful equipment. Statkraft would be among the first renewable energy companies in Ireland to complete this work in Ireland. The Norwegian energy giant, which is Europes largest generator of renewable energy, first entered the Irish market in 2018. It now employs a total of 5,300 people in 21 countries. We see that onshore wind farms are already making a significant reduction to the cost of the current high electricity prices and reducing Irelands greenhouse gas emissions, Statkrafts Irish managing director Kevin ODonovan said. "Expanding our portfolio in Ireland is a key part of our strategy to develop, own and operate renewable energy projects, so we look forward to operating these assets in the future, he added. The deal forms part of the companys strategy to grow its presence in Europe. In 2021, Statkraft added 43 operational wind farms in Germany and France to its onshore wind portfolio. Clark Hill has acquired Dublin-based HBMO Solicitors as the US law firm continues to expand its presence in Ireland. HBMO Solicitors, which was formerly known as Noel Smyth and Partners, was founded in 1978. The Irish commercial law firm specialises in commercial property, litigation, corporate, banking, private client services, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Following the deal, ten solicitors and support staff will join Clark Hills existing team here, bringing the number of lawyers in the firms Irish office in Dublin city to 31. Being part of an international law firm in an increasingly amalgamated global economy has incredible benefit to our clients, HBMO solicitor Ronan Hannigan said. Clark Hill chief executive John Hensien said that the expansion in Ireland remains a key priority for the firm. "Ireland's significance as a strategic location for international business, and its position in terms of two-way transatlantic economic investment, continues to reinforce the importance of our Irish presence, and our ability to provide seamless, full-service legal support on both sides of the Atlantic, he said. Clark Hill now has 27 locations, with 700 lawyers in the US, Ireland and Mexico. Last year, the firm merged with Eames Solicitors, adding four lawyers to its team. In 2019, it also merged with Irish law firm OGradys Solicitors. Prior to this merger, Clark Hill had already established a small office in Dublin in 2017. Over half of Irish workers say they would change jobs for a more compressed work schedule, according a Hays survey Three-quarters of Irish professionals would consider changing jobs in exchange for a nine-day working fortnight, a new study has found. The survey, from recruitment firm Hays Ireland, also claims that 51pc would look at moving company in return for a compressed schedule. The study, which polled almost 1,600 employers and employees between April and May, also found there is still uncertainty over the degree of flexibility workers will be offered in the future. It found more than half, or some 56pc of employers polled, anticipate that their staff will be required back in the office more frequently in the next 12 months. Some 34pc of businesses said they expected in-office requirements for workers to remain unchanged, while just 10pc said their staff will be required less in the office. Maureen Lynch, the managing director at Hays Ireland, said the findings show there are still difficulties with implementing a four-day week, something which has gained increasing attention in recent years. The concept of a four-day working week has gained momentum in the last 12 months, she said. The latest iteration of this concept is the nine-day working fortnight, which would allow employees to take off every second Friday. Ms Lynch said this would be an exciting prospect for many professionals and may be more palatable to employers than a four-day week. However, our research suggests employers and employees are still grappling with what this would look like in practice, and which sectors would be most suited to this new way of working, she said. Either way, it is positive that these questions are being asked and that old ways of working are now being challenged. In May, the Four Day Week Ireland campaign launched a second four-day week pilot programme in conjunction with Four Day Week Global. The trial was based on the 100-80-100 model where workers get 100pc of their pay, for 80pc of the time, in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100pc of output. Last year, 12 Irish companies completed the programme, with none returning to five days post-trial. On a scale of 1-10, from very negative to very positive, the companies average rating for the trial was 9.2. Results from a UK pilot programme of over 60 firms and 3,500 workers found 71pc of staff felt less burned out while working a four-day week, and 39pc said they were less stressed. John Deere tractors are seen for sale at a dealer in Longmont, Colorado, U.S.. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo Deere & Co. shares slipped Friday as investors questioned how much longer the boom in sales of tractors and other farm machinery can last amid slumping crop prices. The world's top agricultural equipment producer lifted its profit outlook for the year and its third-quarter earnings results surpassed analyst estimates, according to a statement Friday. Still, farmers are likely to slow machinery purchases as soon as grain markets normalize. Deere shares fell as much as 5.5%, the most since April. Farmers have been paying up for machinery in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which sent global crop prices surging. Deere's net sales and revenues jumped by 12% in quarter ended July 30, with gains driven by higher prices. Deere's earnings beat "suggests a higher earnings ceiling this cycle," said Bloomberg Intelligence senior industry analyst Christopher Ciolino. "Yet we believe the better-than-expected results are likely to exacerbate concerns around a peak" in the agriculture cycle. Deere's reported adjusted earnings per share of $10.20 beat estimates of $8.19. The Moline, Illinois-based company now expects net income for fiscal 2023 between $9.75 billion and $10 billion. That's above its outlook in May for $9.25 billion to $9.5 billion. "Fundamentals are expected to continue fueling solid demand for our equipment," Chief Executive Officer John May said in the statement. However, cracks are starting to show. Expanding harvests in the US, Brazil and Russia are cooling crop markets, leaving farmers with less money to spend on machinery. Futures for corn, the most widely sown US crop, slumped to the lowest since 2020 this week. Deere said it was trimming production in Brazil, where political uncertainty and lower-than-expected farmer income weighed on sentiment. The company said it expects South American tractor and combine demand to be to flat to down 5%, compared to an earlier outlook for flat demand. Deere rival CNH Industrial NV which manufactures popular New Holland and Case brands last month said it's limiting how much it's raising prices for machines with farmer incomes coming down. Bloomberg. Crime No questions asked: how I found it was too easy to buy fireworks illegally in the North Defence Forces members as they set out on their march this morning. Seven members of the Defence Forces have started a march of over 200km from Dublin to Galway today in aid of ONE and the Irish Cancer Society. The trek will see the group march 216km across the country over four days to raise awareness and essential funds. The group are well on their way to reaching a donation target of 6,000 just hours after the march began. Irish Army personnel Martin Moules, David Bates, Darren McCarthy, Jonathan Santamaria, Peter Scully, Fran Fitzhenry, and Peter McCardle set off from Dublin at 6am on Monday morning. The team marching from Dublin will be supported on the way by their fellow members of the Defence Forces. Members and volunteers from ONE will greet the group in Dublin, Mullingar, Athlone and Galway. Defence Forces members as they set out on their march this morning. Their route will take them through Blanchardstown, Leixlip, Maynooth, Kilcock and Enfield before moving through Mullingar, Mote, Athlone and over the hills of Athenry. They are expected to arrive at the Renmore Barracks in Galway on Thursday evening. ONE is an Irish veterans charity offering support to ex-service personnel including housing, professional counselling and services for homeless and struggling veterans. The Irish Cancer Society works to transform the lives of people affected by cancer through advocacy, support and research. ONE CEO and Defence Forces veteran Cormac Kirwan said: We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as one of this years charities. All in ONE have a huge admiration and respect for the group to undertake such a challenge. We wish each and every one of them the greatest success and thank them for all their efforts. Without the continued support of all of our donors, we would not be able to fund our vital services for struggling veterans in need, he said. Members of the public are encouraged to make donations online while the participants make their journey along the route. All proceeds will be divided evenly between the two charities. RTE will not receive further major funding from the Irish taxpayer until the State broadcaster shows progress has been made on a required culture change and the restoration of trust in its management operations. Finance Minister Michael McGrath vowed that the Government will support and defend public service broadcasting in Ireland - but warned that RTE needs to show progress is being made on both culture reform and confidence rebuilding in the wake of the secret payment scandal before it can make major demands of the taxpayer. "I think before we commit additional taxpayer money it is only legitimate that we ensure progress is being made and that the culture of the organisation has improved and, quite frankly, that it is being run in a better way," he warned. Multiple reviews have been carried out into the secret payment scandal which revolved around the understatement of earnings of former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy. Who will replace Ryan Tubridy as the Radio One 9am presenter? Last week, new RTE director-general Kevin Bakhurst ended contract talks with Mr Tubridy over a return to his RTE Radio One programme after he said trust had broken down between the parties in the wake of a statement released by the star about the Grant Thornton report into the controversy. RTE sources indicated that station bosses were furious at a statement Mr Tubridy released in the wake of the report being released - and with one official saying the statement was "tone deaf." Mr Tubridy's return was then vetoed despite the fact that talks on a new contract and a 170,000-a-year salary had been virtually agreed. Mr McGrath - speaking as he opened a new 22 million 30-bed, two theatre development at Mercy University Hospital Cork (MUHC) - said the Government will not shirk from tough decisions about a new funding model for public service broadcasting in Ireland. His comments came amid concern that TV licence fee payments have collapsed - with a 37pc drop in renewals over August 1-8 compared to the same period in 2022. "I think this can be broken into two parts," he said. "The immediate issue that arises in the context of Budget '24 relates to interim funding and the need to ensure that RTE's core work can be sustained as a public service broadcaster." "(Arts & Media) Minister Catherine Martin, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe will be in discussions and negotiations in relation to that." "They will now have the benefit of advice from NewERA because I extended the remit of New Era to cover RTE in recent weeks." NewERA, Ireland's new Economy and Recovery Authority, had both RTE and TG4 designated under its remit by Mr McGrath last month. "The second part does relate to the longer term need for a sustainable funding model for RTE and for public service broadcasting generally," he added. "Taoiseach (Leo Varadkar) has made it clear the Government will not shirk that decision - a decision will be made in the coming months." "But I think it is important that we see the work through of the various investigations that are underway - the two external reviews that Minister Martin has commissioned." "We want to see a culture change, we want to see the leadership of RTE rebuild trust and confidence in the organisation." Government officials stressed that trusted public service broadcasting has never been more important in Ireland given the way information has been weaponised by some groups for their own ends. Meanwhile, the chair of the Public Accounts Committee has said RTE need to get their act together in order to restore the publics trust in the broadcaster. Speaking to RTEs News at One, Brian Stanley TD said trust and transparency needs to be restored before Government provides money to the broadcaster to make up for shortfalls from a drop in TV licence fee revenue. Last year RTE had to get a bailout in the region of 15 and 16 million. This year obviously with the crisis in public confidence and the falloff in revenue from licence fees theres going to be a need to fill a gap, he said. Theres about 200 million that is brought into RTE by way of licence fee and other public funding. The Sinn Fein TD for Laois-Offaly suggested bringing in a register of interests for senior RTE staff, presenters and management. Theres obviously cost-cutting measures that need to happen, theres huge interest in terms of the lack of transparency that has been there in RTE. Theres a model there, its the model that I and every other public representative around the country fill in a form for every January. He said a register of interests should be brought in along with implementing the reforms that will come on the back of the review of corporate governance at RTE. Deputy Stanley described the flow of information to the appointed board headed by RTE chairperson Siun Ni Raghallaigh as clearly deficient and probably non-existent in some cases. That needs to end and there needs to be a full flow of information there on any significant information, particularly in relation to corporate governance and financial matters, he said. He called for Government TDs to support a bill drafted by Sinn Fein that would bring RTE back under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General. A man has been rushed to hospital after being stabbed multiple times in Dublins city centre. The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents on the capital's streets in recent weeks. The victim, aged in his mid 30s, was set upon on Grafton Street shortly after 9am this morning. It's understood the male, who is from south Dublin, was stabbed a number of times in the back during the violent assault. Emergency services were alerted to the incident and he was rushed to St Jamess Hospital where he is being treated for serious injuries. Gardai from Pearse Street Garda Station are investigating the attack and have arrested a suspect as part of the inquiry. The man, who is also aged in his 30s, is currently being quizzed on suspicion of assault. One source said: "This was an extremely violent attack and this man has been left with very serious injuries. "It seems the men were socialising earlier on in the morning but were not known to each other previously." Gardai are continuing to appeal for anyone with information in relation to the incident to contact them. In a statement, gardai said they are "investigating an incident of assault which occurred on Grafton Street, Dublin 2, this morning, Sunday 20th August 2023. Upon receiving report of this incident, gardai attended the scene and arrested a man aged in his 30s. He was taken to a garda station in Dublin City Centre where he is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. Another man aged in his 30s was taken to St James Hospital to be treated for serious injuries. Investigations are ongoing, the statement said. Meanwhile, in a statement, a spokesperson for Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: "Minister McEntee strongly condemns this assault and believes such violence has no place in our society. She urges anyone with information to contact An Garda Siochana to help ensure those responsible are punished and face the consequences of their actions. The Minister is committed to ensuring Dubliners working and living in our capital, and those who visit the city, are safe and feel safe. The Minister is in regular contact with the Garda Commissioner on policing in Dublin, including how her recent allocation of an additional 10 million in overtime for An Garda Siochana is being used, and will be used, to provide consistent high visibility policing on the streets of the capital, the statement added. It is the latest in a number of violent attacks in Dublin city centre in recent weeks. Last week a man aged in his early 30s was hospitalised with serious but non-life-threatening injuries after being slashed in the face on Talbot Street. Gardai have identified a suspect as part of that inquiry but no arrests have yet been made. It was the same area where US tourist Stephen Termini was assaulted and left with significant injuries last month. Three juveniles are currently before the courts in relation to the incident. Three UK tourists were also hospitalised following an attack in Temple Bar earlier this month and a juvenile is currently before the courts in relation to that attack. Sinn Fein TD Louise OReilly previously said that Justice Minister Helen McEntee needs to get real about keeping communities safe. "Dubliners, those who call this city home, tourists and Gardai, all deserve to be safe but have all been failed by Fine Gael being in government, and being in charge of the Department of Justice, for 12 years," she said last week. The Department of Justice said last week that the Minister recently announced a series of measures that reflect the commitment, including the allocation of over 2 billion to An Garda Siochana this year. The introduction of a further 10 million for Garda overtime in Dublin until the end of the year is expected to provide for 240,000 extra Garda hours, or 20,000 extra Garda shifts in the city to the end of the year, they said. DUPs hardliner stance shores up support... for both them and Sinn Fein, as Michelle ONeill remains the most popular party leader Sinn Fein and the DUP are pulling further ahead of their political rivals as support for the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and TUV falls, according to a new LucidTalk poll for the Belfast Telegraph. The Alliance Party is also on the rise. Meanwhile, two thirds of unionist voters believe the DUP is right to stay out of Stormont until the Northern Ireland Protocol is scrapped. On 31pc, support for Sinn Fein is up two points from the last poll in April and comfortably remains Northern Irelands largest party. The DUP is up one point to 26pc, with Alliance up two points to take third spot on 15pc. The UUP is down one point to 10pc, while the SDLP is also down one point to an all-time low of 6pc. On 5pc, the TUV is down two points, indicating that hardline unionists are drifting back to Sir Jeffrey Donaldsons party. The Greens and Aontu are unchanged on 2pc, as is People Before Profit on 1pc. Some 2,950 people took part in our online poll conducted from August 11-14. The sample was scientifically weighted to reflect the Northern Ireland population. Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party at the Assembly and council elections over the past 15 months and it is continuing to perform strongly, the poll suggests. Michelle ONeill remains the most popular political leader in Northern Ireland, with 43pc of people saying she is doing a good or great job. Naomi Long is in second place (38pc), with Doug Beattie in third (34pc) and Colum Eastwood in fourth (26pc). The SDLP leaders score has fallen nine points since April, as has Mr Beatties. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (24pc) just comes in ahead of Jim Allister (23pc), who takes the bottom spot. Almost twice as many people believe the DUP is doing a bad or awful job (66pc) as say the same of Ms ONeill (37pc). However, Mr Donaldson will be happy with his personal score among unionists: 56pc give him a good or great rating, beating Mr Allister into second spot on 51pc. Mr Beattie remains significantly better liked by Alliance voters and nationalists, 46pc and 36pc of whom view him positively; however, only 28pc of unionists see him in the same light. Ms ONeill remains hugely popular with nationalists: 80pc believe she is doing a good or great job, with 56pc saying the same of Mrs Long but only 40pc of Mr Eastwood. The Alliance leader is almost as unpopular with unionists as the Sinn Fein vice-president. Some 71pc of unionist voters rate her poorly, with 72pc saying the same of Ms ONeill and 70pc of Mr Eastwood. The DUP leader is nearly universally viewed in a negative light by nationalists and Alliance/Green supporters, with 94pc and 93pc respectively saying he is doing a bad or awful job. Neither the British Prime Minister nor the Secretary of State impress Northern Ireland voters. Just 7pc rate Rishi Sunak positively, while Chris Heaton-Harris is viewed even more negatively, with a mere 4pc of people seeing him in a good light. Some 73pc of people believe Mr Sunak is doing a poor job, with 82pc saying the same of Mr Heaton-Harris. Mr Sunaks personal score is down 26 points and Mr Heaton-Harriss score is down 27 points since the April poll. Unionist feeling on the Northern Ireland Protocol has hardened over the summer, with two-thirds saying the DUP shouldnt return to Stormont until it is scrapped. As talks between Mr Donaldsons party and the British government continue ahead of an autumn push to restore devolution, unionist voters seem in no mood to compromise. Jeffrey Donaldson has said Taoiseach's powersharing remarks 'unhelpful' Some 64pc believe that Mr Donaldsons party must maintain its boycott of the institutions until the protocol is removed completely, even if that means Stormonts permanent closure. It represents a two-point rise from our previous LucidTalk poll in April. The view that Mr Donaldson shouldnt lead his party back into the Executive until the protocol is totally gone is held by 76pc of DUP, 95pc of TUV, but just 22pc of UUP voters. The Windsor Framework was agreed between the UK and EU in February and seeks to cut the bureaucracy on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland created by the protocol. However, the DUP has indicated the framework does not go far enough to address its concerns. The DUP had collapsed the Stormont power-sharing institutions in February 2022 in protest at the protocol. Only 34pc of unionists want the DUP to return to government under existing political circumstances, compared to 37pc who supported that stance in the spring. Three per cent of unionists think the DUP should re-enter Stormont even if it means accepting the Windsor Framework down six points from April. Just 2pc of DUP, zero TUV and 8pc of UUP supporters say they support such a compromise. Almost a third of unionists (31pc, up three points since the spring) believe that Stormont is a priority and that Mr Donaldson should lead his party back and operate the institutions while trying to renegotiate the Windsor Framework, even if he is unsuccessful. That view is held by 66pc of UUP voters, but only 19pc of DUP and 4pc of TUV supporters. Women and young people are less hardline than men and the older generation. Over two-thirds (68pc) of men believe Sir Jeffrey should maintain his boycott until the protocol is binned, compared to 56pc of women. The favoured option among 18-to-24-year-old unionists is for the DUP to return to government while trying to renegotiate the protocol (58pc). Some 41pc back remaining out of the Executive until the protocol is scrapped the only age group in which there isnt a majority for doing so. Support for the hardline position is actually strongest among those in late middle age: 73pc of 55- to 64-year-olds are behind it compared to 60pc of the over-65s. Meanwhile, just 2pc of non-unionist voters believe the protocol is the only reason for the DUPs Stormont boycott. Two-thirds believe that reluctance to serve under a Sinn Fein first minister is the sole or main reason behind the refusal of Sir Jeffrey Donaldsons party to enter government. This view is held by 81pc of Sinn Fein and 58pc of Alliance supporters. However, SDLP voters are much more generous in their interpretation of the DUPs boycott: just over a third (35pc) believe the DUP is motivated by Michelle ONeill being in line for Stormonts top job. Some 65pc of SDLP supporters think that the protocol is the only or main reason for Mr Donaldsons party staying out of government. Methodology Polling was carried out online from 1pm on August 11 to 10pm on August 14, using the established LucidTalk Northern Ireland online opinion panel (15,676 members). This is balanced to be demographically representative. Some 2,950 full responses were received, which were authenticated, audited, weighted and modelled into a 1,047 NI-representative data-set used for analysis for the final results. All results are accurate in terms of being NI representative to within an error of +/-2.3pc at 95pc confidence. LucidTalk is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its regulations. LucidTalk is the only NI and Ireland-based polling and market research company which is a member of the council. President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to a young, talented piano player who died in the Slovenian city of Bled. Sean Shannon (18) from Ennis, Co Clare, once performed for President Higgins. Concern grew for Mr Shannon when he went missing in Bled and his phone, wallet, passport and clothes were discovered. He was travelling alone. He was described as a remarkably talented pianist and a member of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, having just completed his first year at the prestigious music college. Mr Higgins issued a statement this evening and said all who heard Sean perform, recognised the unique and extraordinary talent that he possessed. May I join with all those who have expressed their shock at the death of the hugely talented pianist Sean Shannon while travelling in Slovenia, he said. While still only 18, Sean had already exhibited a fantastic musical ability, having commenced his learning of the piano as a self-taught pianist. Indeed, I remember meeting Sean in September 2018 when he performed at an event which I attended at Glor Theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of ClareCare. At the time, Sean was a second-year student in Ennis Community College and was already distinguishing himself with his abilities. I extend my deepest sympathies to Seans parents, Cecilia and Frank, to his siblings, and to all his friends and fellow performers. Suaimhneas siorai da anam. Glor, a music venue based in Ennis, paid tribute to Sean in a social media post over the weekend. Sean Shannon was glors Young Associate Artist from 2022 and began practising on the Baby Grand from age just 14, they said. Sean was not only a graceful and finely talented pianist, but a kind and beautiful colleague. Our thoughts are with Seans parents, family and all his friends at this heartbreaking time. Suaimhneas Siorai Air. Sean and his rare talents were featured on Face The Music, a three-part RTE One documentary series that followed students and teachers at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He also appeared on a 2021 episode of RTEs Nationwide. The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the department does not comment on the details of individual cases, a spokesperson said. THE Ironman endurance race in Cork where two competitors died went ahead after Triathlon Ireland warned organisers they could not sanction the event given the weather conditions. The revelation came as Triathlon Ireland (TI) chief executive Darren Coombes issued a statement which confirmed their association was reeling from the news of the two deaths. Finance Minister Michael McGrath and Cork County Mayor Councillor Frank OFlynn said it was clear that all the circumstances in which the two athletes, Brendan Wall (44) and Ivan Chittenden (65), lost their lives last Sunday in Youghal now need to be examined. Post mortem examinations were conducted on both men at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on Monday. Files will now be prepared for the Cork Coroner for inquests to be held next year as Gardai confirmed both deaths are being treated as tragedies. Mr Coombes said the tragedy was devastating for the entire triathlon community. Brendan Wall. Photo: RIP.ie Triathlon Ireland (TI) is reeling from the news that Ivan Chittenden and Brendan Wall, athletes in the Ironman Cork event in Youghal, tragically died yesterday morning while participating in the race. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ivans and Brendans loved ones. The triathlon community is a very close community and this loss has had a devastating effect on all of us. TI is the national governing body for triathlon in Ireland, a role which includes providing sanction for club and commercial races to proceed. In our almost 40 year history, the sport in Ireland has an impeccable safety record. For the Ironman Cork event, in line with normal practice, TI technical officials attended before the start of the race to review the conditions and carry out a water safety assessment. Due to adverse conditions on the day, TI technical officials confirmed to the race organisers that it was not possible to sanction the race. TI said it could not comment further at this stage. As there is an investigation ongoing, at this stage it would not be appropriate for us to make any further comment only to state that TI will provide any assistance that the authorities require. However, Ironman Cork organisers insisted our utmost priority is the safety of our athletes and all others involved in the event. The weather conditions were monitored carefully over the weekend with the Ironman triathlon 70.3 being rescheduled to take place on Sunday, alongside Ironman Ireland to provide a safer race for athletes, an Ironman Cork statement said. On Sunday morning, Ironman Ireland officials and the specific on-swim safety team carried out all standard safety protocol checks that are completed at every race and determined water conditions were safe for the swim to take place. Due to the prevailing weather conditions, a decision was made, however, to shorten the distance of the swim as a further precaution to ensure that the significant water safety assets such as kayaks, lifeguards and medical boats could be concentrated over a smaller area while also allowing swimmers the ability to swim with the help of a more favourable current and incoming tide after the first 100m. Our thoughts continue to be with the family and friends of the two athletes who passed. We are providing ongoing assistance to their families and we will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. Mr McGrath - speaking as he opened a new 22m 30-bed, two theatre development at Mercy University Hospital Cork (MUHC) - said it was important questions that are being asked are comprehensively answered. Both competitors got into difficulty during the initial 1.9km sea swim element of the Ironman event. Despite desperate efforts by paramedics and doctors to save them, both men were pronounced dead at the scene in Youghal before they could be transferred to a Cork hospital. The sea swim course had been shortened to 1.9km because of difficult conditions in the wake of Storm Betty. However, competitors found the first 200m of the swim very challenging - with many struggling to cope with a heavy swell, crashing waves and strong currents as they entered the water. Youghal locals have now questioned whether the sea swim should have gone ahead given the conditions and whether, in the wake of the double tragedy early on Sunday morning, the entire Ironman event itself should have been suspended. Mr McGrath said it was critical all the circumstances involved are now comprehensively reviewed. It is a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to the families of the two persons who tragically lost their lives in Youghal yesterday, he said. I know that Ironman Ireland will, of course, be carrying out their own investigation to establish the full circumstances of what happened and, of course, the post mortems will take place and that will feed into the coroners court hearing eventually into this. With friends and family who came to celebrate their golden anniversary Syd and Liz on the day they got engaged Liz and Syd on their wedding day in Ohio, August 18, 1973 With friends and family who came to celebrate their golden anniversary Syd and Liz Doyle visit Cornmarket in Belfast to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary (Photo by Kevin Scott) Its not quite the first date story most couples can reflect on going for coffee in Belfast on what would turn out to be one of the most notorious days in the Troubles. Half a century after meeting on the streets of Belfast, Syd and Liz Doyle made an emotional return to the spot where they first set eyes on each other. They happy couple flew in from the US to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary back where it all began at Cornmarket in the heart of Belfast city centre. Family and friends joined them for Saturdays trip down memory lane. 50 years of love: NI man and US wife who had first date on Bloody Friday back in Belfast It was 1972 the worst year for casualties during the Troubles and Syd, from Crumlin, west of Belfast, made his way into the city centre to do some shopping. Thats where he spotted Liz, who was 18 and had come straight out of high school in Ohio and jumped on a plane to Northern Ireland. With friends and family who came to celebrate their golden anniversary She wanted to spread the word of God, and despite her young age, wasnt scared about venturing to a city in the grip of violence. Liz even joked that if she did die, she wanted it to be in the most dangerous place in the world to make the front page of all the newspapers and bring attention to the need for peace. One morning that July, she said she wanted to take her guitar into Belfast and start singing about Jesus. She recalled: I came in by myself on the bus, I went through the checkpoints and asked a policeman where was the best place to play. He said, theres a place thats been bombed out and pedestrianised, called Cornmarket. I thought she was wacky So, I came and I was a bit nervous, there were soldiers about and I started playing, hoping I wouldnt start a riot. There werent many people around to begin with because they were frightened, but they came when I started to play. Then I looked and there was this handsome, young man with red hair and I felt the Lord say, Youre going to marry him and he was there listening for a while, but he left. A short time later, Liz heard a voice behind her say: Sister, youre doing a great job. Syd and Liz on the day they got engaged It was Syd, who recalled that Liz grabbed his attention because it was unusual at the time to hear an American singing in the middle of a bomb-battered Belfast. I thought she was wacky, he laughed. Syd asked her to go for coffee, and soon after, they went on their first official date on July 21, Bloody Friday. We had been walking through the town and there was shrapnel, glass and dust in the air, he explained. It was awful. We could have been hit by those bombs at any stage His sister was a nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital, and it was only later that evening when the pair were at her house that they realised what had happened that day. Liz added: It was awful. We could have been hit by those bombs at any stage. At that point, everything was bombed out, it was so sad. The beautiful buildings were wrecked and people were traumatised. They were frightened to come into the town because they didnt know what was going to happen. Knowing that Liz would be returning to the States at the end of summer, Syd asked her five or six times to marry me before she finally said yes during a trip to Randalstown. They tied the knot the following year on August 18 in the US, and now work in reconciliation as Christian missionaries. Liz and Syd on their wedding day in Ohio, August 18, 1973 They first lived in south-east England for 25 years, where they helped build three churches, and then settled in America in 1998, starting Nations Light Ministries to train leaders globally. Standing beside the Spirit of Belfast sculpture adjacent to a busy Victoria Square over the weekend, the couple, surrounded by friends and family that they had brought over for their golden anniversary trip, reflected on how much has changed since their first meeting. I think the noticeable thing about Belfast between now and then is that there was a domination of fear in 1972, said Syd. There were always tanks, youd be searched, and there was an immediate feeling of threat and fear in the air. With friends and family who came to celebrate their golden anniversary A tear formed in his eye as he added: Now, theres a lightness. Folks in Northern Ireland have always been friendly, but theyre more free to be friendly. Liz said: Its so wonderful now to see everybody living together. Its good to see what has happened over the years, and how its gone forward, not backwards. Looking back on their relationship, Syd noted: I think our message is that out of all the disaster, the hell and killing, something good can come out of it, and our meeting was it for us. Soccer loving man was riding his e-scooter when in collision with car Scene of fatal collision after car and e-scooters' crash in Dundalk A talented 26-year-old soccer player who had fled to Ireland for safety just a year ago has been named as the man who died tragically in a crash involving two e-scooters and a car. The young Algerian man, named locally as Sifee Dine Boudissa, also known as Seif, was a former player with the CR Belouzidad club in his native country. He died as a result of injuries suffered during a collision on Armagh Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, on Saturday about 11.45pm. It is understood he recently played in a refugee soccer tournament in Dublin, was a skilled forward and spent his days playing soccer, or riding his e-scooter. These were two pastimes that allowed him freedom in a world that often felt so uncertain, one friend said. The young man was on his e-scooter while his friend, another young refugee, was riding another e-scooter, when the collision with the car took place. Garda crash investigators at the scene of the fatal accident on the Armagh Road in Dundalk. Photo: Frank McGrath Sifee was a lovely lad, his grieving friend said. He was part of a team in Dundalk, who entered into a refugee soccer tournament recently and played in Dublin. Sifee was just a lovely guy. He was always friendly and he got on with everyone. He was polite and just an all round good lad. I knew Sifee and wanted to speak about him because he was a good human being, the friend said. Refugees who come here are troubled with trauma, after fleeing their home countries. But Sifee did his best not to let that get to him. He seemed as happy as he could be and he wanted to build a future but he had not got a chance yet. A garda closes off the road leading to the accident scene. Photo: Ciara Wilkinson Hed only been in Ireland for around a year and he was just starting to settle in. Sifee just wanted to feel safe in Ireland. He had not got to the point of thinking about what he wanted to do with regards to getting a job one day because he was still trying to find his feet here. But he was settling well into Dundalk. Everyone who knew him or saw him about, we are all shocked about it. Most nights Sifee would be out playing football and if he wasnt doing that, hed take a ride on his e-scooter because those were the two things that brought him freedom in a world that had been so uncertain. Sifee Dine Boudissa The young man was a regular sight at astro pitches in Dundalk and he was popular with others who trying to make a new life in the town. Its just a sad, sad loss, the friend added. Gardai and emergency services attended the scene of the fatal collision. Sifee, who died at the scene, was identified by someone who knew him. His body was removed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. His friend, who is also in his 20s, was treated for his injuries, as was the driver of the car. Gardai are appealing for information on what took place as the Dundalk refugee and asylum seeker community tries to come to terms with the death. It is understood Sifees friends will be offered counselling to deal with their grief. It is not known whether the young man has any family in Ireland. You could happily spend all day eating and drinking wherever you are in Spain, and I frequently do. One thing just sort of slides into the next if youre doing it right. Be warned though, this means resetting your eating routine and having your lunch and dinner at least an hour or two later than you might be used to. It means lunch sometime after 2pm and dinner at 9pm at the very earliest, although after 10pm is much more the norm. But why do the Spanish eat so late? Youre actually asking the wrong question. When the sun is highest in the sky in Spain, it is not noon but 1.30pm. If you measure mealtimes according to the position of the sun, rather than what it is says on the clock, Spaniards are having their lunch at more or less the same times as the rest of Europe. Dinner, about seven hours later, matches their European counterparts too. So the query should be: why are the clocks out of sync? Well, until 1942, Spain was on Greenwich Mean Time, the same as the UK. But then General Franco, in his dubious wisdom, decided to put the countrys clocks forward an hour in line with Germany, Central European Time (CET), or GMT+1. After the end of Second World War, Spain stayed on CET. If you look at its geographic location, Spain is in the GMT zone. The Greenwich meridian passes through Castellon, on the east coast, so the vast majority of the country is west of it as is Portugal, the Canary Islands and the UK, which are of course all on GMT. Galicia, in the northwestern corner of Spain, is so far west that really it should be in the next timezone, GMT-1. Another factor influencing the late eating times is that in the years of poverty that followed the Spanish Civil War in the 1940s and 1950s, a lot of people had two jobs: one from early morning until two oclock, and another from late afternoon until late evening, so they had to fit their meals in around their long working hours. There is an increasing demand to get Spain back on GMT, but the shift in routine would require other changes too. The main news bulletins, for example, are at nine in the evening and popular programmes such as soaps and reality shows, dont even start until about 10.15pm and go on until at least 11.30pm. Shops are open until at least 8pm and so are a lot of museums. Although some businesses, particularly multinational companies, now only give an hour or less for lunch, many others allow two hours or more and many people in all sorts of occupations then have to go back to work until 7pm at least. Nevertheless, whatever their working hours or daily routines, the Spanish people can always find time to eat. Of course, they are not all eating all day, every day, but sometimes it certainly looks that way. Wine at 11am? How to eat and drink like the Spanish El Arca de Noe, Gijon. Photo: Pol O Conghaile To get straight into the gastronomic swing in Spain, swerve breakfast at your hotel and head to a bar. The nearest will do, the first on the left is usually perfectly adequate look for one with waiters dashing around and saucers lined up on the counter to speed up coffee delivery. Elbow your way to a stool and order a croissant or toast, either with butter and jam or olive oil and tomato. Or go for the full calorific combo of churros and chocolate. On a chilly morning, it is perfectly acceptable to order a carajillo coffee with a slug of brandy. After a little light sightseeing, its time to join the local population back in the bar for elevenses, perhaps a wedge of tortilla or a toasted sandwich. Although this happens all over the country, they take it particularly seriously in the Valencia region, where it is called esmorzaret and often takes the form of a massive baguette stuffed with some sort of gooey mix morcilla sausage, egg and peppers perhaps. You could have more coffee but a beer or a glass of wine tends to go down rather well at this point. This takes us nicely to the very civilised hora del aperitivo (aperitif hour), around oneish. You want a traditional tiled bar or a terrace table for this. A small beer is a safe bet and is not even considered to be an alcoholic drink, just a light refreshment. You could also have a glass of wine, but to do things properly, order a locally-made vermouth with a splash of soda water. If youre in Andalucia, go for a sherry. Some olives, a bit of cheese, few slivers of jamon iberico and some boquerones (anchovies) will be enough to get you thinking about lunch. You can embark on a tapas crawl but the sit-down lunch is an important part of the day in Spain. It is normal for people to leave the office (again) for a three-course menu del dia (fixed-price lunch) plus wine or whatever they want to drink for around a tenner. Allow time for coffee and maybe a copita (the diminutive could not be more inappropriate) of orujo (similar to grappa) or pacharan, a punchy concoction made from sloes and anisette. Following a leisurely afternoon stroll or more likely a siesta in summer it is time for merienda, when you restore your energy levels with more caffeine, sugar and stodge. Toast, sandwiches, cakes, churros or pancakes are all typical choices. Churros and chocolate... a Spanish treat. Photo: Pol O Conghaile Around eightish, everyone drifts back into the bars for more beer, sherry, vermouth or wine, perhaps accompanied by a few squidgy croquetas or a dish of sizzling gambas al ajillo. You can carry on all evening with tapas if you like, as long as you visit at least three and ideally half a dozen places. Or, around ten oclock, you can go to a proper restaurant for dinner, preferably somewhere with lots of chatter and clatter. If youve been baffled by why people eat so late, you can probably see by now that it makes perfect sense when you just fall into the Spanish rhythm. Were talking three courses again, but it is usual to share a few things to start with and the main dish is often meat or fish without much else on the plate, so it should be easily manageable, so long as youre not wearing anything too restrictive. When you leave the restaurant sometime after midnight, someone will suggest having the penultima (it is very bad form to talk of the last drink) so off you go to another bar or terrace for an enormous gin and tonic, a cubata (rum or whisky with coke) or a cocktail. It almost certainly wont be just the one either and before you know it, dawn is breaking and youre starving again. This is the perfect moment for another round of churros and chocolate, which also happens to be an excellent way to stave of a hangover. According to Beijing, and some Taiwanese opposition figures, the potential election of current Taiwanese vice president Lai Ching-te as president in January could spark the biggest crisis yet in cross-strait relations and potentially lead to war. But Lais recent visit to the US showed that these warnings are overblown. China is attacking Lai because he is reasonable, not because hes a hothead. That makes him much harder for Beijing to undermine. This summer has been one of the worst ever for RTEs reputation. So it is more than a little ironic that a fear of bad publicity seems to have been one of the main reasons that the broadcaster found itself in this mess in the first place. This episode of the Indo Daily was released on the 14th of April 2023, before Gerry Hutch was acquitted of the murder of David Byrne at Dublins Regency Hotel in 2016. Stealing lemonade at the age of 9, being locked up in Mountjoy prison at the age of 15, to masterminding some of the countrys biggest heists in his twenties we look at the life and crimes of Gerry The Monk Hutch. Host: Fionnan Sheahan Guest: Paul Williams. The Gangland Trial of the Century is a three-part special series from the Indo Daily that explores the people and events that led to Gerry The Monk Hutch facing a murder charge for the death of David Byrne at the infamous Regency Hotel Shooting in 2016. But what do we know of the illusive man who goes by the name of The Monk? Fionnan Sheahan is joined by the author of the book The Monk: The Life and Crimes of Ireland's Most Enigmatic Gang Boss, Irish Independent special correspondent Paul Williams, to trace the rise of Gerry Hutch from inner city poverty to wealthy property developer and ask how he masterminded some of the most notorious heists in Irish history until being embroiled in the deadly Kinahan-Hutch feud that has seen 18 people murdered. This episode of the Indo Daily was released on the 14th of April 2023, before Gerry Hutch was acquitted of the murder of David Byrne at Dublins Regency Hotel in 2016 National Dairy Show back for its 41st outing at Millstreets Green Glens Arena in October. Pictured t the launch of the 41st annual National Dairy Show, which will take place at the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet on October 13/14 were: (L-R):- assistant show director, Philip Whitley; Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) chief executive, Laurence Feeney; Tom McCarthy of title sponsor AXA Insurance show director, Denis Kiely. Photo: Maria Kelly. THE National Dairy show is set to make a welcome return to its spiritual home at the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet on the October 13/14. Sponsored by AXA and organised by the Cork Holstein Friesian Breeders Club in association with the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) , the popular event has been running at the north Cork venue for the past four decades, in the process becoming the largest and longest ruining dairy show in the country The seeds of the shown were sown during the late 1970s, when the club organised an annual trip to the UK visiting a number of high-profile herds and agricultural shows and events. Having visited the hugely successful North West Dairy Show at Bingley Hall in Staffordshire, on two occasions, club members wondered if a similar type of event could be staged in Cork. Three committee members, Bryan OConnor, Bob Troy and John OSullivan were tasked with looking into the possibility, concluding the interest was there but it would need to be held in October or November and indoors in a suitable venue. It was deemed that equestrian centre in Millstreet recently built by the Duggan family would be ideal location for such an event and the rest, as they say, is history. Since its first outing in 1982, the National Dairy Show has gone from strength to strength and is widely regarded as being one of the premier events of its kind on the European circuit. This years event will once again feature a large trade show and dairy cattle classes taking place across both days. Show director Denis Kiely said organisers were anticipating a repeat of the large crowds that visited last years show and the electric atmosphere that was generated throughout the venue. The annual event has become the meeting place of the dairy industry and will once again include the largest specialised dairy trade exhibition in Ireland with major exhibitors in the areas of AI, animal health, breeding & dairy agri-tech, milking equipment, robotics, livestock machinery, finance, dairy services, nutrition, soil and land management, dairy inputs and much more, said Mr Kiely. The show takes great pride in promoting all the latest in dairy technology and research, including the National Dairy Innovation Awards and, of course, the best dairy cattle battling for the most prestigious dairy showing competition in Ireland. If you want to keep up with the latest in the dairy world this is the place to be, he added. IHFA chief executive Laurence Feeney said he had been blown away by the demand for trade stand space at the show. We always knew the popularity of the National Dairy Show was exceptional but after last years success the demand has been unprecedented it is the event every industry member wants to attend, said Mr Feeney. They know it is the most important show to meet with customers and do business for the year, he added. The agri-regional development manager for AXA, Tom McCarthy said they were delighted to continue their strong association with the show as its title sponsor. Last years show was second to none in terms of dairy stock quality as well as diversity and innovation across the trade show it is without a doubt the major dairy event of the year, said Mr McCarthy. Valerie Fahy is a single mother of two children and the family is now living in emergency accommodation in Cork City. A SINGLE mother living in Ballyhea in north Cork who was made homeless on Thursday is now living in emergency homeless accommodation in Cork City with her two children. Valerie Fahy together with her 15 year old son and five year old daughter presented as homeless at the authoritys base in Mallow when she became homeless on Thursday. She had been living in a rented house in Ballyhea but her landlord had given her notice to quit six months previously as the house was required for a family member. Ms. Fahy, who hails from Galway originally, told The Corkman, on Monday that she was now living in bedsit-type accommodation in Cork City. Read more Single mum of two faces homelessness in north Cork this weekend "It has two beds, I sleep in one with my five year old daughter and my teenage son is in the other. She said she was concerned as her children were returning to school next week. She told The Corkman she had no family in the north Cork area and was desperate to find a home in or around Charleville as her children had all their friends there and were attending school in the town. Councillor John Paul OShea reached out to Ms Fahy at the weekend. He said that he was making every effort to make sure that all the options were available to her. "Its a complex housing situation, he said. Ms. Fahy had been living in a rented house for the past three years. She had previously lived in a Cork County Council house in Charleville but had left it. Since her notice to quit was given earlier this year, she said she had made efforts to secure alternative accommodation. Ive tried in vain over the past few months to find another house. Its now almost the 11th hour and still nothing, she said before last Thursday. Today's News in 90 seconds - August 16th The Corkman sent a query to Cork County Council seeking responses to query what a person in the position of Ms Fahy should do on being made homeless in north Cork last week. We still await a response. In the meantime, a visit to Air BnB and a search for properties in the Charleville area yielded more than 120 properties which were available in the region which stretches from Adare to Doneraile. The Corkman understands that there are a number of council properties in the Charleville area that are vacant at present but that the process of allocating these properties to people on the housing list is ongoing. While builders, working for the Office of Public Works, recently moved on to a site to the rear of the Charleville Park Hotel on the outskirts of the town to start work on building 68 modular housing units, these are intended for Ukrainian refugees and while the land belongs to Cork County Council, the authority will not be involved in the allocation of the housing. Planning permission is not required for modular housing as it is viewed as temporary accommodation for the specific purpose of accommodating refugees. Photo of drugs seized in Kerry as part of Operation Tara. Photo courtesy of An Garda Siochana. The Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit have seized drugs with an estimated street value of over 100,000 in several searches in recent days. As part of Operation Tara Gardai attached to Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit conducted a number of searches in locations in Kerry. During the course of these searches suspected cannabis, cocaine and tablets, with an estimated street value of over 100,000 were discovered. These substances will now be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for examination. Investigations are currently ongoing with files being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. No arrest have been made Operation Tara focuses on tackling street level dealing in cities, towns and villages across the country in turn keeping people safe, the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit said and this work will continue. The importance of the Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue service to the locality of North Kerry and beyond cannot be understated and now, after witnessing the group in action last year, one Ballybunion woman is aiming to raise as much money as possible to ensure the groups vital work can continue. Lisa OMahony, has gone to Spain for the start of her week long 115km trek along a leg of the Camino de Santiago for what is sure to an adventure of a lifetime, one that shes certainly been putting in the hours of training for in the build up to it. Speaking to The Kerryman this week, Lisa said that doing the Camino is something shes been looking to do for years, jokingly adding that she hopes shell survive the heat over there. "I was going to do it before COVID. I had it in my head but then obviously COVID hit and I couldnt go anywhere. I said when this is over, Id go off and do it so here we are, she said, adding that she did get to do the Kerry Camino during COVID at least which no doubt only whetted her appetite even further for the real deal in Spain. "The walk that Ive signed up to do, Roz Purcell is leading it. I was following her on The Hike Life website and I saw it come up and I thought it would be a bit of craic to do. I was checking them [the temperatures] today and they seem to say that its going to be between 23 and 30 degrees. Its going to be 115km over five days so I hope I make it to the end!" she laughed. Theyll be getting us out walking early in the mornings so hopefully well miss the worst of the heat. They did tell us to bring high factor sun cream and like we know were Irish but we think can take the sun but really we cant, she added with a laugh. As for how the training has been going in the build up to the start date, Lisa said that she hasnt quite managed to hit the 115km mark in a week just yet but that she has been putting in the hours. "They gave us a training plan so Ive been doing that over the last couple of months. I get out Tuesdays and Thursdays and get two hours done on both those days. The weekends then, we have been doing longer walks where youd want to be getting up to three to five hours of walking in. Ive done the Gap of Dunloe, I was up in Galway and did Diamond Hill and I did a few walks out in Howth too, she said. As for why she chose the Sea and Cliff Rescue Service, she said that just being from Ballybunion and it being a local service was a big factor but it was seeing them in action first-hand last year that really cemented the decision for her to support them. "Partly its just because I know the group and I know theyre all volunteers and equipment costs a lot of money and things like that. But, it was last summer, two people drowned here in Ballybunion, we actually saw a lot of that. Myself and my mom, we were out for a walk and we were there when it was all kicking off and we saw the group get into action with boats launching and helicopters overhead. To see them all launch into action so quick, it was just a re-emphasis of the good work that they do, she said. Lisas fundraising page has already raised an impressive 780 of her 500 target a fact which Lisa said she is understandably thrilled by with her workplace already pledging another 500 on top of this. Milan born Giovanni Molinari has spent the last 23 years working in Sligo and has and met various people interested in knowing more about Italy Currently, he is running a business solutions company Algol Ireland which provides solutions and expert advice on various business related issues and is based at the Innovation Cetre at ATU, Sligo. Before starting his own business he was working as a buyer/planner for Eaton and along with part time teaching at ATU. It was while teaching Italian at the ATU and being part of the Italian Society Amicizia in Sligo that he noticed an increasing interest among people towards Italy. So, he came up with the idea of twinning the cities that will make it easier for people of both countries to have collaborations on common interests like culture, economy, politics etc. He said, In the last few months we put together some friends who like and have an interest in Italy and prepared a list of a few cities in Italy where we can see if there is any interest in from the people of Sligo and those from the Italian cities. If we see an interest then we can go ahead to talk to the authorities and beging the process of twinning. The possible cities similar in size to Sligo that have been selected on a shortlist by Giovanni are Porto Torres and Budoni in Sardinia region, Sorrento in the Campania region which is also close to Naples, Cefalu in Sicily, Desenzano del Garda in Lombardy and Follonica in the Tuscany region of Italy. He said, Sligo has good potential to carry out this project as Knock airport has direct flights to some cities in Italy and we have some geographical similarities as well. Now what happens is that we go one by one and check if the local authorities are happy to do this collaboration. I already have one positive response from the Mayor of Porto Torres. I met them personally and they are very much interested in the idea. Twinning of two cities generally brings a mutual benefit for both parties as it helps encourage business, trade, educational and cultural exchanges and projects between the twin cities. The concept has been used widely after World War II. Ireland has some of its towns twinned with French and German cities. Sligo is twinned with Crozon in France, Kempten in Germany and Tallahassee in Florida and Everett, Washington, USA. Giovanni Said, A similar approach was initiated in 2008 when a committee from Montespertoli in Florence, Italy visited Sligo and met with the County Council. But nothing came out of it. Now I think its a good time to take this approach especially after COVID as we can see there is a return to normality and travel. COVID had blocked all normal communication and relationship worldwide. It looks like people are a little bit more prepared to take on board this kind of project now. As the proposal can be complex it will take lots of time and effort, Giovanni wants to have as much support locally as he can get. He wants people to come forward and volunteer for the project. He is looking to form a twinning committee who would volunteer their time and skills in carrying forward the project. Anyone who might be interested in taking part can contact Giovanni Molinari on his e-mail: giomolhfi@yahoo.com. The search for a missing man in the centre of Sligo had to be called off on Saturday evening after drones were spotted flying in an area where the Rescue 118 helicopter was flying. Sligo Fire Service were tasked to assist in searching the Garavogue River for a missing person and Rescue 118, the search and rescue helicopter, based at Sligo Airport, was also assisting with the search but had to stand down and return to base as two drones were launched in the area. Sligo Fire Service in a statement said: The dangers of the use of drones around airborne aircraft has been well documented lately so there is no excuse for doing this. You are hampering the rescue services in doing their jobs and preventing them from helping someone in need. Please keep your drones on the ground when you see or hear an aircraft. Following the discovery of a body on Sunday afternoon at Rosses Point in Sligo, the missing person appeal for Paul Carthy was stood down. Gardai in Sligo have thanked the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the Irish Coast Guard and Sligo Fire Services as well as the media and members of the public for their assistance in this matter. 52-year-old Mr Carthy, from Scramogue, Co. Roscommon was reported missing on Thursday 17th August 2023 at 2pm. He was last seen at 9pm on Wednesday 16th August at Sligo University Hospital. 30,000 people attended the shows over five nights in France The New Ross and District Pipe Band has just returned from an amazing ten days at the famous Inter-Celtic Festival in Lorient in France. The Inter-Celtic festival is in its 52nd year and is a celebration and a gathering of all the Celtic nations of Europe: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Asturias and Galicia in Spain and from the Isle of Man and Cornwall in England. These countries and regions all have a Celtic heritage as well as native Celtic languages. Blessed with beautiful weather for most of the ten days, the band appeared in five night-time spectacular shows (similar to the well-known Edinburgh Tattoo but less military in nature) as part of the Irish delegation which also included the Queensland Irish Pipe Band from Brisbane, Australia , Rinceoiri Cois Laoi from Cork and the Planxty ORourke Dance group from Limerick. Approximately 30,000 people attended the shows over five nights. Five young members of the band were in Lorient for their first visits this year and this group was interviewed by French television before one of the shows and will be included in the recorded show at some point in the next month. The band made a live appearance on French TV during the Grand Parade of the Celtic Nations which took place on Sunday, August 6. This parade consisted of 140 bands and dance groups representing all the Celtic nations. During the week, the band also performed at a number of small street parades and gave a very appreciated recital in a local retirement home in Lorient. The final weekend of the concert saw the band take joint third prize at the Inter-Celtic Pipe Band Championships in Lorient and their talented young drum corps taking fourth prize in the drum corps competition. TV recordings of the Grand Parade and the Celtic Horizon night-time spectacular show will be uploaded to YouTube in the near future and the band will add the links to both its Facebook Page and its website : www.newrosspb.com A highlight of the week for the band was its Celtic Weave concert which they performed to an enthusiastic audience of 600 people, following which the band were complimented on the variety and professionalism of their show. The band are looking forward to performing the concert again in the Library Park in New Ross on Saturday, August 26, at 7 p.m. If the weather is inclement , the concert will move to St. Michaels Theatre. Entry to the concert is free. The band were accompanied on their travels by local traditional musician Theresa Shalloe who spent the week teaching traditional Irish music to festival attendees and by local resident Eamon Gaffney who is a member of the Queensland Irish Pipe Band and whose wife Eileen has family connections in the New Ross area. Gardai have charged a teenager in connection with an assault on a woman in Greystones on Friday, August 18. Gardai arrested the man following the assault which occurred at a domestic residence in what is believed to be in the Charlesland area of the town. It is understood gardai forced entry as the attack was under way. A woman aged in her 40s was taken to St Vincents Hospital, Dublin, to be treated for serious injuries. The man, who was aged in his late teens, has since been charged and appeared before a sitting of Bray District Court at approximately 10:30am, on Sunday, August 21. Greystones Councillor Stephen Stokes, who is a resident nearby in Charlesland, was surprised by the news of the incident. Cllr Stokes said: "Like many people in the community, I was shocked to hear the news. I would urge anyone with additional information to contact Greystones Garda Station. The Ballinacarrig road which was closed on Saturday following a fatal collision Tributes have been paid to the young Wicklow father, Gearoid Nicholl, who died aged just 25 in a tragic road traffic accident last weekend. The incident took place at Ballinacarrig Lower between the Meetings of the Water and Ballinaclash, close to Rathdrum, at around 1 a.m. on Saturday morning, while Storm Betty was still raging, leaving driving conditions poor at the time of the accident. Gearoid was in the passenger seat of the vehicle when the fatal single-vehicle road collision took place. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to Loughlinstown mortuary for a post-mortem examination. The driver of the car, a man aged in his late teens, was taken to St Vincents Hospital in Dublin for treatment for injuries that arent believed to be life-threatening. Gearoid was a father-of-one who used to play hurling with Avondale GAA Club, where he was highly thought of amongst his fellow players, members and selectors. In paying tribute to the deceased, Jimmy OShaughnessy of Avondale GAA Club said: Everyone is in complete shock at Gearoids tragic passing. We just cant believe it. He was such a nice young man and played hurling with Avondale at junior level and also at juvenile. He was a very talented player and also used to attend Avondale Community college during his school days. The whole community is still reeling in shock at the news and we pass on our deepest and most sincere sympathies to Gearoids family and loved ones at this most difficult of times. Funeral details have still to be confirmed. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact them. In a statement gardai said: Any road users who may have camera footage, including dashcam, and were travelling in the Ballinacarrig Lower area on Saturday morning, between 12.30 a.m. and 1.30 a.m., are asked to make this footage available to gardai. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Wicklow Garda Station on 0404 60140, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. Elon Musk, owner of X platform which was formerly named Twitter, suggested the block feature is going to be removed (PA) Elon Musk, the owner of X the company formerly known as Twitter said on Saturday that the social media platform may fail as a new glitch wiped out most pictures tweeted before December 2014. The sad truth is that there are no great social networks right now. We may fail, as so many have predicted, but we will try our best to make there be at least one, Mr Musk posted on X. An Iranian estate agent has been arrested and had his business shut down after brokering a deal in which a couple signed over the deeds of their house to their dog. Border guards in Saudi Arabia have fired machine guns and launched mortars at Ethiopians trying to cross into the kingdom from Yemen, likely killing hundreds of the unarmed migrants in recent years, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Monday. Republican candidate vows to pardon Donald Trump and run country like Elon Musk if he becomes president Vivek Ramaswamy (38) dismissed suggestions that he is too young to run for the White House Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Photo: Reuters/File photo David Millward Telegraph.co.uk Mon 21 Aug 2023 at 03:30 A biotech entrepreneur who has vowed to run the US government like Elon Musk has surged into joint second place in the race to win the Republican nomination. Meet the firm behind our content. Visit their website to see how their services can help your business succeed. Bengaluru: Two Karnataka State bodies charged with skill development and digital economy--Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) and the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) -- have partnered with SaaS-based skilling platform HireMee to help identify hidden talent in the state with a view to enhance their employability. As part of its MoU with KSDC, signed in presence of KSDC MD Mr Aswin Gowda and Executive Director Krishna Kumar, HireMee will conduct a 100-minute assessment of all candidates registering on the Karnataka Skill Connect portal. The assessment test for the registered job aspirants will cover seven parameters Verbal, Logic, Quantitative, Personality, Communication, Computers, and a Core technical subject. As part of the Future Digital Jobs initiative of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) 1,000 candidates will get assessed on the HireMee platform, according to Mr Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, KDEM. A Karnataka Government initiative, KDEM, acts as the knowledge bridge between the State Government and the industry to accelerate growth and investments in the Information Technology, Biotechnology and the Science & Technology sectors. The assessment test is made available on HireMees AI-enabled mobile application at no cost to the candidates. The assessment score of test takers will be shared with companies looking to hire skilled candidates. Each assessment test taker will also receive her assessment score to work on improvement areas. HireMee platforms unique video resume feature lets career aspirants upload three 20-second videos to articulate their technical skills, career aspirations and demonstrate communication skills. The aspirants also get to scan through suitable job openings on the HireMee platform. HireMees association with the digital bellwether state of Karnataka acknowledges the value that the new age digital platform brings in. The HireMee team is proud to deploy its capability to offer assessments and insights to enhance the employability of the youth in the State, says Venkatraman Umakanth, Business Head and Sr Vice President, HireMee. HireMee is driven by its mission to enhance employability using technology and help companies discover hidden diamonds from all corners of the country. We continue to partner with forward-looking states to help youth enhance their skills using HireMees platform and AI-based insights, says Chocko Valliappa, Founder of HireMee. The assessments include cognitive, behavioural and chosen domain areas in the traditional as well as emerging areas. The students will be able to build digital skills using HireMees micro-learning modules. HireMee will also collaborate with KDEM to organize job fairs in various clusters. HireMee has an ongoing partnership with the states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh to offer assessment of youth at no cost. In an epoch defined by global collaboration and technological advancements, the G20 Health Ministers meeting commenced on August 17, 2023, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. With over 70 delegates from diverse nations of the G20 participating, this event carried immense significance. Four parallel side events, encompassing Advantage Health Care India 2023, WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit, India MedTech Expo 2023, and Sustain, Accelerate and Innovate to End TB in South-East Asia Region Conference, further amplify its impact. A pivotal Joint Finance-Health Ministers Meeting on August 19 added gravitas to the proceedings. Indias holistic healthcare model garners admiration as it addresses health and well-being cohesively. At the core of the G20 Health Ministers meeting lied an intense dedication to proactive healthcare management. This event organised discussions that span a wide range, from preventing health crises to fostering collaborations within the pharmaceutical sector to ensure widespread access to medical solutions. Moreover, the meeting drove the conversation towards harnessing digital health mechanisms for achieving universal coverage. This dynamic discourse represents a harmonious blend of innovative advancement and equitable healthcare distribution. Continuing this narrative, the G20 Deputies Meeting on August 17 was followed by the G20 Health Ministers Meeting, spanning August 18-19. This fluid progression beautifully echoes Indias rise as a burgeoning global medical hub, where the fusion of ideas and collective efforts resonates with the nations remarkable strides in healthcare excellence. The backdrop of the G20 India Presidency resonated with Indias dynamic strides in healthcare. This juxtaposition not only underlines Indias leadership but also offers an academic platform to contemplate the transformative journey that has propelled India as a pioneering force in the medical domain. The Traditional Medicine Global Summit, hosted by WHO on August 17 and 18, delved into the role of traditional and integrative medicine in global health evolution. In a video message to the G20 Health Ministers Meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the pivotal role of health in decision-making, emphasizing international cooperations value during the pandemic. Stressing resilience, he urged proactive preparedness to prevent, confront, and counter future health emergencies. He elucidated Indias holistic approach, extending health infrastructure, championing traditional medicine, and ensuring accessible healthcare. Applauding the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine and the Climate and Health Initiative, PM Modis clarion call for open innovation, eliminating redundant funding, and bolstering equitable technology dissemination advanced the journey towards Universal Health Coverage. At the heart of this remarkable narrative lies the realm of traditional medicine, a domain that embodies the harmonious integration of Indias ancient wisdom and contemporary healthcare imperatives. In a mere span of nine years, Indias progress in traditional medicine has expanded exponentially, growing by an impressive eight-fold magnitude. The insightful observations of the Union AYUSH Secretary, Rajesh Kotecha, bear witness to this resounding progress. The nations robust commitment to healthcare is further exemplified through the establishment of over 12,500 Ayush-based Health and wellness centres, a tangible manifestation of Indias efforts to provide accessible healthcare to its citizens. The G20 Health Ministers meeting under the G20 India Presidency transcends being a mere event, it embodies the convergence of visionary ideas and ambitious aspirations. As India assumes the mantle of G20 Presidency, the symbolism resonates powerfully, marking a historic juncture where the troika is formed by emerging and developing economies -India, Indonesia, and Brazil. This unique configuration lends a powerful voice to the Global South, emphasizing its growing prominence as a significant contributor to the global healthcare dialogue. In this context, the G20 Health Ministers Meeting assumes profound significance, with its key pillars built upon three core priorities that encapsulate the essence of contemporary healthcare dynamics. These priorities encompass prevention, preparedness, and response to health emergencies, with a specialized focus on combating anti-microbial resistance and implementing the innovative One Health framework. Moreover, the strengthening of cooperation within the pharmaceutical sector takes centre stage, emphasizing the vital aspects of ensuring accessibility, availability, and affordability of medical countermeasures such as Vaccines, Therapeutics, and Diagnostics. Notably, the third imperative underscores the pivotal role of Digital Health innovations and solutions as vehicles to augment universal health coverage and improve the delivery of healthcare services. The G20 Health Ministers Meeting brings together various discussions and deliberations, includes not just the main event, but also a harmonious arrangement of side events that coalesce to enrich the discourse. The canvas of discussions is painted with events such as the One Earth One Health Advantage Health Care India 2023, which exemplifies the resonance of global collaborations in building healthcare systems that can endure. Simultaneously, the India MedTech Expo 2023 serves as a quintessential platform to harness Indias prowess in the Medical Devices sector, poised to redefine the nation as a global MedTech epicentre. In this dynamic setting, the Ministerial Meeting on Sustain, Accelerate and Innovate to End TB in the South-East Asia Region stands as a testament to Indias commitment to tackling formidable health challenges. This initiative, born out of the G20 framework, underscores the urgency of accelerating the fight against Tuberculosis, a persistent global health concern. The thematic thread that unites these endeavours is the philosophical ethos enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi One Earth, One Family, One Future. This theme, intricately interwoven with Indias principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is One Family), is not just a platitude but a guiding principle shaping Indias vision for a healthier post-pandemic world. The Prime Ministers words resonate as a clarion call for inclusive, action-oriented, and decisive efforts in the realm of global healthcare. Embedded within the G20 India Presidency is Indias enduring commitment to amplify the voices of the Global South. This advocacy, infused with the essence of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, echoes the nations determination to channel its influence for collective progress, transcending geographical boundaries. This commitment resonates with the spirit of inclusivity and collaboration that lies at the heart of Indias diplomatic endeavours. The resonance of G20 India Presidency is further enriched by Indias multifaceted and transformative journey in the medical sector. The meteoric rise of India as a global medical hub cannot be encapsulated in mere statistics; it is an ode to perseverance, innovation, and comprehensive planning. The healthcare industrys growth trajectory serves as a testament to Indias aspirations. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 per cent propels the industrys valuation to an astonishing USD 372 billion in 2022. This exponential growth trajectory is poised to elevate Indias global market share from a modest 1.5 per cent to an anticipated 10-12 per cent over the ensuing 25 years, heralding Indias emergence as a pivotal global healthcare player. In the realm of medical devices, the sectors anticipated growth to USD 50 billion by 2025 is a direct result of multifaceted initiatives, including the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme and the establishment of the National Medical Devices Export Promotion Council. These strategic interventions not only galvanize indigenous production but also bolster Indias potential to become a leading hub for medical device manufacturing, consequently reducing dependency on imports. A distinctive hallmark of Indias healthcare domain is the symbiotic coexistence of ancient traditions and modern innovation. Traditional medicine is an integral facet of Indias healthcare ecosystem that complements modern practices, forming a comprehensive bouquet of healthcare offerings. The significance of this endeavour finds profound expression in the Traditional Medicine Global Summit, co-hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The summit is poised to become a watershed event, convening experts to deliberate on evidence-based knowledge and recent scientific developments in the realm of traditional medicine. The summits objective is to bridge the chasm between conventional practices and contemporary advancements through the prism of digital health infrastructure. Parallel to these transformative strides, Indias burgeoning startup ecosystem in the healthcare sector showcases the fusion of innovation and entrepreneurship. Noteworthy names such as Endimension, Healthium Medtech, Ykrita Life Sciences, Axio Biosolutions, and Scanray Technologies are illustrative of Indias capacity to cultivate disruptive technologies that hold the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery. Indias prowess extends beyond its borders, as it emerges as a preferred destination for medical tourism. Ranked 10th among 46 medical tourism destinations in the Medical Tourism Index of 2021, Indias medical tourism industry is buoyed by its age-old practices of Ayurveda and Yoga. However, the allure transcends ancient traditions; it is the amalgamation of high-quality healthcare, advanced technology, and affordability that places India at the forefront of medical tourism. A poignant illustration lies in the stark contrast between the cost of a heart bypass surgery in the USA, priced at USD 120,000, whereas in India the same procedure costs a fraction a mere USD 10,000. The pharmaceutical sector stands as an indomitable pillar in Indias global ascendancy. Termed as the pharmacy of the world, Indias annual turnover of USD 42 billion underscores its role as the largest producer and exporter of generic drugs. The nations contribution to global health extends beyond economics; Indian vaccines serve over two-thirds of the worlds children, particularly those from developing and least developed nations. Indias aspirations are encapsulated in its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3). As it strives towards universal health coverage by 2030, Indias ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam threads through its endeavours. This ethos propels Indias ambition to transform into a global medical hub, rendering healthcare facilities accessible and affordable to all, irrespective of socioeconomic background. In summation, the G20 India Presidency and Indias emergence as a global medical powerhouse combine to create a complex and intricate narrative. This narrative is built upon the foundations of strong leadership, innovative approaches, and unwavering commitment. The G20 Health Ministers meeting seamlessly aligns with Indias ongoing journey of transformation, offering a fertile ground for the exchange of diverse ideas and experiences. This fusion, guided by the cherished ideals of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, fosters an environment where global collaboration goes beyond mere words and actively catalyses the healthcare revolution. As Indias prominence in the medical field continues to rise, it becomes intricately woven into the narrative of the G20 India Presidency, resulting in a harmonious symphony resonating with inclusivity and global advancement. The sentiment, May all be happy, may all be free from illness, reaffirms Prime Minister Modis vision. (This article is written by Dr Maheep, a leading analyst of Indias Foreign Policy. He is the Principal investigator of a National Project on Indias Soft Power Diplomacy) Photo Courtesy: UNI Dehradun: At least 7 people died when a bus carrying pilgrims from Gujarat fell into a gorge in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on Sunday. As per the details shared by the Disaster Management Center in-charge of Uttarkashi district, DS Patwal, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Vineet Kumar, the tragic incident took place on the Gangotri National Highway. A bus, with the registration number UK 07 PA 8585, was carrying passengers from Gujarat when it lost control near Gangnani and plunged into a deep gorge of approximately 50 meters, officials to UNI. Led by SDRF Inspector Jagdamba Prasad, the rescue team promptly rescued 28 out of the 35 passengers and rushed them to the hospital for treatment. The said bus was carrying devotees who were returning from Gangotri Dham under the leadership of Ashwini L. Johny, Manager of Shree Travel Company of Bhavnagar (Gujarat). (With UNI inputs) Photo courtesy: UNI Bengaluru/UNI: The CID has detained two officials of the Agriculture Department from Mysuru district over the alleged fake letter written to Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot alleging corruption against Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy. Assistant Agriculture Director Gurudatt and Agriculture Officer Shivaprasad, are being interrogated by the police. The detainees were allegedly involved in writing a letter in the name of seven agriculture officials from Mandya, alleging that Chaluvarayaswamy through joint director had demanded graft for postings. In a followup action, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered a CID probe into the fakery after the Opposition questioned the state government. During the investigation, the CID ascertained that the letter was sent through Saraswathipuram Post Office in Mysuru. After an enquiry, two officials were detained. However, the dilemma still persists over their role in sending letters to the Governor. The police are making efforts to find out who wrote the letter to the Governor. Minister Chaluvarayaswamy had alleged that the letter was fake. Interestingly, the Mandya Joint Director had revealed to the police that there were only four officers in the office, but the letter to the Governor had seven signatures. Photo Courtesy: Tripura Govt. Itanagar/IBNS: The highly anticipated India-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge, affectionately known as "Maitri Setu," is set to usher in new avenues for trade and communication, as it prepares for its grand inauguration on September 1. A crucial meeting held on Wednesday at 11:30 am in the conference hall of Sabroom Nagar Panchayat marked a significant step forward in this historic endeavor, stated Northeast Today. Led by Saju Waheed A, the District Magistrate of the southern district, the meeting saw the convergence of key stakeholders including Sub-Divisional Magistrate Bidhanchandra Roy, Commandant Raspal Singh of BSF No. 96 Battalion, Land Ports Authority of India Manager Debasish Nandi, Customs Superintendent Pranesh Dhar, and Sabroom Nagar Panchayat Chairperson Rama Poddar Dey, along with other dignitaries from the Sub-Divisional Administration of Sabroom. During the half-hour deliberation, several pertinent issues took precedence. Notably, discussions focused on resolving drainage challenges faced by flood-prone areas during the monsoon due to the integrated check post, the establishment of a drinking water pump house, and enhancement of the electrical infrastructure within the integrated check post's premises. Of paramount importance, District Magistrate Saju Waheed A emphasized the imminent inauguration of the long-awaited "Maitri Setu," poised to serve as the gateway to South Asia. The ceremonial unveiling of the bridge on the 1st of the upcoming month represents a historic milestone, with expectations of fostering robust trade and connectivity between the two nations. Addressing security considerations, the vicinity adjacent to the integrated check post will witness the deployment of valiant personnel from the 126 Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF), alongside soldiers from the 96th Battalion of the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB). District Magistrate Saju Waheed A, a prominent advocate of this monumental development, candidly addressed the media, sharing insights into the day's proceedings. The eagerly awaited inauguration of the "Maitri Setu" has stirred palpable excitement within the public domain, heralding a new era of cross-border cooperation and opportunity. The 'Maitri Setu' is a 1.9-kilometer-long bridge linking Sabroom (India) and Chittagong Port (Bangladesh), located approximately 80 kilometers away. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Maitri Setu' between India and Bangladesh, alongside his counterpart, Bangladesh's PM Sheikh Hasina, in March 2021. Photo Courtesy: India In Kuwait X page Indian naval ship INS Visakhapatnam, which is on a three-day state visit to Kuwait, recently docked at Al-Shuwaikh Port. The ship was warmly received by Kuwait Naval Forces, Border Guards, Indian Embassy members. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait tweeted: "Amb @AdarshSwaika1 was received onboard the ship by Rear Admiral McCarthy and Captain Rao of INS Vishakapatnam. Ambassador was given a briefing of the ship operations and its advanced systems. Bilateral naval cooperation continues to be the main facet of defence cooperation." "INS Visakhapatnam opens doors to Indian Community in Kuwait. Ship tours and crew interactions spread positivity during three-day stay at Shuwaikh port," read another tweet. A Yoga session was also hosted by the Indian embassy for the crew members of INS Visakhapatnam. Image Credit: Press Information Bureau New Delhi/IBNS/UNI: Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's visit to Greece would help in further deepening the relationship between the two nations. In a special briefing ahead of Modis trip to South Africa and Greece, Kwatra said: "The visit (to Greece) would give both sides an opportunity to discuss the regional and global issues of mutual interest and help broaden and deepen our bilateral engagements." He said both India and Greece will look forward to expanding and diversifying cooperation in the areas of trade and investment. defence and security partnership, as well as infrastructure cooperation. Calling Greece one of Indias "important European partners", the Foreign Secretary said it was the gateway to Europe and also to the EU market. He said both India and Greece are not just modern democracies but also share historical and cultural relations and pointed out that it has been a supporter of India's permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. "During his visit, he (PM Modi) will hold a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and discuss ways to further deepen the ties between the two nations. He will also interact with business leaders from both countries. He will also have an interaction with the Indian community in Greece," he said. Kwatra said after completing his engagements in Johannesburg, the PM will travel to Greece for an official visit on August 25 at the invitation of his Greek counterpart. The last Prime Ministerial visit from India to Greece was in 1983 when Indira Gandhi went to the European nation. On Modi's trip to South Africa, the Foreign Secretary said the Prime Minister would depart on Monday morning for Johannesburg, where he will participate in the 15th BRICS Summit from August 22-24. He said on August 22 evening, PM Modi will participate in the BRICS Leaders' Retreat where discussions are expected to be held on global developments of concern. On August 23, the Prime Minister will participate in the BRICS Summit which will focus on Intra BRICS Cooperation, reform of the multilateral system, and counter-terrorism. The theme of the BRICS summit this year is "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development, and inclusive multilateralism." On the last day of his stay (August 24) the Prime Minister will attend BRICS Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue. Image Credit: Mamata Banerjee speaking at a conference of Muslim religious leaders/ courtesy: Facebook page Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday warned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he has just six months left as the ruling Trinamool Congress looks to consolidate its vote share among minority populations in the state ahead of the 2024 general election. The BJP has said it expects to win at least 35 of Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha seats, which is a big jump from the 18 seats it bagged in 2019. Speaking at a conference of Muslim religious leaders in Kolkata, Banerjee highlighted schemes and programmes rolled out by her administration for the benefit of Muslims in the state and announced a hike of Rs. 500 in monthly allowance for imams. She also announced a similar increase for Hindu priests. The Muslim vote plays an important role in Bengal elections as they form a significant 27.01 percent of the state's total population, according to data from the 2011 census. "When I participated in breaking roza (fast) during the month of Ramadan, a lot of people ridiculed me and the BJP even changed my name. I have nothing to lose from it. What I will do is my personal choice. I will ensure no religion fights another religion. People are one and humanity is one," she said. "However... when I participate in adivasi dances, they have nothing to say. They are only angry about the minority population. They suffer ant bites when it comes to minorities," Banerjee said. The BJP has accused the Bengal CM of practicing appeasement politics for political gains given the electoral importance of the Muslim population in the state. "Nowadays, some BJP leaders are paying some people in cash to divide the minority community so they are divided among themselves... eventually they (the BJP) gain. The CPIM is shameless... they form alliances at the panchayat level, where they, the BJP and Congress come together. This is not hidden. It is out in the open. They have found a new leader they promote with money and they run false campaigns and start riots. They are doing this," she said. "I have but one objective; @BJP4India hatao, India bachao!" Smt @MamataOfficial's words have erupted like a thunderclap, echoing with the promise of imminent change. This isn't just a political statement; it's a battle cry that resonates with those who yearn for a different pic.twitter.com/1ArGzSNUOH All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) August 21, 2023 "And Modiji has only six months left. After that Modiji will not be in power. Whatever needs to be done to defeat Modiji we will do. But I am their target. You know why? They want to divide votes in Bengal and make up for the seats that they are losing elsewhere in the country. Don't make that mistake," the Bengal CM said. Meanwhile, the BJP has accused Mamata Banerjee of squeezing minorities for profit. Suvendu Adhikari, a BJP MLA and the Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, slammed the 'so-called Secular Party' in power in the state and thanked union minister Smriti Irani for initiating a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into an alleged scam involving scholarships for minority communities. "This is how minority communities are squeezed for profit in a state governed by a 'so-called secular party'... almost 830 institutions involved with this scholarship programme have been found to be 'fake'... leading to a scam of 144.83 crore in the past 5 years," Adhikari declared. Jammu and Kashmir, a region steeped in history, has been witness to the profound impact of Sikhism dating back to the era of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The journey of Guru Nanak Dev Ji across the region left an indelible mark on its people, a legacy that persists to this day. Through Guru Nanak Dev Jis teachings and the tireless efforts of his followers, Sikhism found fertile ground in Jammu and Kashmir, firmly taking root in its cultural and social fabric. The historical accounts of the Sikhs in this region reveal a multi-phased narrative of settlement and influence. During Guru Nanak Dev Jis extensive travels, emissaries were dispatched to Kashmir to propagate the teachings of Sikhism. The forefathers of the Sikhs in the valley migrated from places like Mathura during the time of Mohammad Ghaznavi, establishing themselves in regions like Kashmir, Pothohar, and Rawalpindi. Drawn from diverse castes, including Dutts, Sasan, Soodan, Sadiwal, Raina, Reen, and Lou, these ancestors formed the foundation of the Sikh presence in the region. The subsequent phases unfolded with more Sikhs converging on Jammu and Kashmir. During the reign of the Afghan Governor Sehajdhari Sikh Raja Sukh Jiwan Mal (1753-62), hundreds of Sikhs were brought from Pothohar, Rawalpindi, Hazara, and Punjab to the valley. Their settlement was solidified after the demise of Raja Sukh Jiwan Mal. This era also witnessed the restoration and enhancement of Gurdwaras in places like Mattan, Anantnag, Bij Behara, and Sri Chand. Under the Khalsa rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Sikhs were further integrated into Jammu and Kashmir. Settlers from Punjab, Pothohar, and Rawalpindi played crucial roles during this period. A notable event occurred during the tenure of Governor Kashmir, S. Hari Singh Nalwa, where a Shuddhi Movement led to conversions to Hinduism and Sikhism among around 50,000 Brahmins. The Sikhs, known for their courage and valor, have historically been associated with the armed forces and agriculture. Inhabitants of remote and challenging terrains, they initially faced agricultural hardships, which they overcame with dedication and tenacity, transforming into successful agriculturists. The martial spirit within the Sikh community led them to make immense sacrifices for their homeland. Notable figures like Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Santu Singh Rance, and decorated generals such as Bikram Singh and R.S. Reen exemplify this commitment. Guru Hargobind Sahibs doctrine of Miri Piri, seamlessly intertwining spiritual and temporal authority, has deeply influenced the Sikhs in the region. Many Sikh politicians, across different party affiliations, have ardently championed the communitys causes. Figures like Sardar Dayian Singh, Attar Singh Governor, and Bhai Kanhiya Singh have made significant contributions, bridging the worlds of politics and Sikh values. Despite their relatively small numbers, Sikhs have left an indelible mark on the cultural, educational, political, religious, and social landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. The community played pivotal roles during the Sikh rule under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Khalsa army, leaving a legacy of bravery and dedication. However, challenges arose during the Dogra rule and the tumultuous events of the Kabali attacks in 1947, which took a toll on the Sikh populace. An estimated 33,000-35,000 Sikhs, including Nanak Naam Leva, made the ultimate sacrifice for the region. Through adversity and triumphs, the Sikh communitys resilience shines. Despite facing hardships, they have contributed immensely to various spheres, producing professionals and leaders in education and public service. The Sikhs legacy endures as a testament to their enduring spirit and unwavering commitment to Jammu and Kashmirs rich tapestry of history. (Photo and Text credit Khalsavox.com) Photo Courtesy: Pixabay On August 13, 2023, two terrorists were killed by Security Forces (SFs) after they attacked a convoy of vehicles belonging to Chinese engineers and SFs near Faqir Colony Bridge in Gwadar city (Gwadar District), Balochistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) disclosed that the terrorists carried out the attack using small arms and hand grenades but "due to the efficient and swift response, two terrorists were sent to hell with no harm to any military or civil persons". A statement on the website of the Chinese consulate noted, A Chinese convoy from the Gwadar port project was hit by roadside bombs and gunfire on its way back to the port area from Gwadar. No Chinese citizens were killed or injured. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which took responsibility of the attack, however claimed that 11 SF personnel and four Chinese nationals were killed in the attack. In a media statement, the BLA 'spokesman' Jeeyand Baloch declared that BLA's Majeed Brigade, the BLA's 'suicide bomber squad', was behind the attack and identified the attackers as Naveed Baloch alias Aslam of Nigewar Dasht in Kech District and Maqbool Baloch alias Qaim of Awaran District. It also shared the photographs of the two attackers. The BLA's statement read, further, We have cautioned China repeatedly to reconsider its activities in Balochistan. BLA views such endeavours as acts of exploitation Any foreign investments in the region should only proceed after Balochistan achieves independence. The statement added that BLA had issued China a 90-day ultimatum to withdraw from Balochistan, or prepare for intensified attacks on its "key interests" in the region. The previous recorded incident against a Chinese target in Pakistan was on April 26, 2022, when at least five persons, including three Chinese nationals, their Pakistani driver and a security guard, were killed when a women suicide bomber blew herself up near a van transporting Chinese nationals from a Karachi University (KU) hostel to the Confucius Institute in Karachi. The three deceased Chinese nationals were identified as Confucius Institute Director Huang Guiping and staffers Ding Mupeng and Chen Sa. The BLA had claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter, releasing the image and name of the attacker, Fidayeen (suicide cadre) Shaari Baloch (30) aka Bramsh, of the Majeed Brigade. Shaari Baloch was the first Baloch woman suicide bomber. According to partial data compiled by SATP, since July 19, 2007, at least 14 attacks directly targeting Chinese nationals have been recorded in Pakistan (12 in Balochistan and two in Sindh), resulting in 79 deaths (data till August 20, 2023). The dead included 10 Chinese nationals, 13 Pakistani SF personnel, 41 Pakistani civilians and 12 attackers. Another, 53 persons, including six Chinese nationals, were injured in these attacks. Some of the other prominent incidents targeting Chinese nationals include: August 20, 2021: A BLA suicide bomber attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers in the Nagori ward area of the Gwadar Expressway in Gwadar District, Balochistan, in which at least three persons, including two children, were killed and three persons, including a Chinese national, sustained injuries. BLA claimed responsibility for the attack. "BLA carried out a 'self-sacrificing' attack against a convoy of Chinese engineers," the groups statement asserted. April 21, 2021: At least five persons, including four Pakistani civilians and a police official, were killed and another 12 sustained injuries, when a bomb exploded in the parking lot of the Serena Hotel located on the Shahrah-e-Zarghun Road in Quetta, Balochistan. No Chinese national was injured. It was a suicide car bombing, but the terrorists could not enter the main hotel building where a Chinese delegation was staying. The explosion occurred before Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong, who was in Quetta on that day, was to arrive at the hotel. Nong Rong was the apparent target of the attack. May 11, 2019: Four terrorists stormed the luxury Zaver Pearl-Continental Hotel, in Gwadar, Balochistan. The Hotel had around 70 guests at the time, including 40 Chinese nationals. Nine persons, including four hotel employees, one Pakistan Navy sailor and all four attackers, were killed during the eight-hour long siege. BLAs Majeed Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it was aimed at the Chinese and other foreign investors. November 23, 2018: BLA fidayeen (suicide squad) Majeed Brigade militants attacked the Chinese Consulate in Block 4 of the Clifton area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, leaving at least six people dead. However, no Chinese national was hurt in the attack. Three militants were killed in the operation by SFs. BLA claimed that the attackers had been assigned the task of targeting the Consulate. August 11, 2018: At least six persons among them three Chinese engineers were injured in a suicide attack on a bus in the Dalbandin area of the Chagai District of Balochistan. The bus carrying Chinese engineers was being escorted by the Frontier Corps to the Dalbandin Airport from the Saindaik Cooper and Gold Mines, when the bomber tried to drive his explosives-laden vehicle in to the bus. BLA claimed responsibility for the attack. The suicide bomber, the first for the Baloch, was Rehan Aslam Baloch, the eldest son of Aslam Baloch, the brigades founder and BLAs then-chief. February 5, 2018: A Chinese national, Chen Zhu (46), who was a top official at a shipping firm, was shot dead by unknown armed assailants in a targeted attack at Zamzama Park in Clifton, Karachi. The first and also the worst attack targeting Chinese nationals was, however, recorded on July 19, 2007, when a suicide bomber tried to ram his explosive laden vehicle into a van taking Chinese engineers to Karachi from Hub town, at the Gadani Bus Stop in the industrial town of Hub in Balochistan. The attacker missed the target when a Police van blocked its way. At least 30 people, including seven Policemen, were killed and 28 were injured. All seven Chinese engineers, including a woman, remained unhurt. This was also the first attack directly targeting Chinese nationals. In another attack, not directly targeting Chinese nationals, but intended to hurt Chinese economic interests in Pakistan, at least 11 persons were killed when four terrorists attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Chundrigar Road, Karachi, on June 29, 2020. Those killed included four private security guards, one Policeman, two bystanders and all the four attackers. All the persons killed were Pakistani nationals. Significantly, after this attack BLA 'spokesperson' Jeeyand Baloch declared, China holds about 40% equity in the Pakistan Stock Exchange through the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Shenzhen Stock Exchange and China Financial Future Exchange. That is why the attack was not only aimed at Pakistan's but also an attack on Chinese economic interests and if China continues to take part in Balochistan's exploitation they will face more attacks. Baloch groups have carried out attacks directly targeting Chinese nationals engaged in economic activities, as they believe that China, in connivance with Islamabad, is exploiting the province. Their resentment towards the Chinese has grown stronger since the start of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in 2013, as both the civilian population and insurgents believe that CPEC is part of a 'strategic design' by China to loot resources and eliminate Pakistani, particularly Baloch, culture and identity. The USD 62 billion CPEC is a massive series of projects that includes a network of highways, railways and energy infrastructure, spanning the entire country. CPEC is a flagship project in China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Significantly, the BLA and other Baloch groups are increasingly targeting Chinese nationals after the inception of CPEC-related projects in 2013. Out of 14 attacks directly targeting Chinese nationals, 13 have been reported after the inception of CPEC (11 in Balochistan, two in Sindh). These attacks continue despite Pakistans best efforts and assurances to China that all such attacks would be thwarted. The News reported on March 5, 2018, that by March 2018, Pakistan deputed an estimated 37,000 security personnel to guard Chinese workers engaged in some 22 projects directly associated with CPEC and another 214 related small and mega projects in Pakistan. These include 15,780 military personnel trained under the Special Security Division (SSD) and the Maritime Security Force (MSF). Current force deployment estimates, however, are not publicly available. On February 12, 2023, the then Federal Minister of Interior Rana Sanaullah, while visiting Gwadar, announced that foolproof security would be provided to Chinese nationals in Gwadar Port. Not surprisingly, China has started taking direct measures to secure its national and vital installations. Faiz M. Baloch, editor of the online news website Balochwarna and the UK-based treasurer of the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) claimed on March 23, 2022, China is assisting Pakistan in many ways. It provides technology to Pakistan. We believe that China is assisting Pakistan in tracing the locations of the Baloch fighters. China is complicit in the Baloch genocide. In February [2022], at least ten Baloch fighters were killed in a drone attack in Hoshab, Turbat, in the Makran region. We strongly believe that China assisted Pakistan in the drone attack as it (Pakistan) is not that capable. Inputs now indicate that China continues to increase pressure on the Pakistan Government to permit deployment of Chinese security companies to guard its citizens and assets in Pakistan. Though the Pakistani Government have so far been successful in cajoling China to hold off its demand, assuring Beijing of 'foolproof security', with every fresh attack on Chinese nationals and projects in Pakistan, China's scepticism about Pakistan's capabilities is likely to grow. There is, consequently, a growing likelihood of the presence of Chinese military boots on Baloch lands in the foreseeable future. A file image of Pamela Anderson from her Instagram page. Photo Courtesy: Pamela Anderson Instagram page Actress Pamela Anderson, who is best remembered for her performance in the 90s American TV series Baywatch, has revealed that she found quitting makeup was a 'fun and a little rebellious' experience for her. Speaking to Elle, Pamela Anderson said she abandoned her signature look ever since her makeup artist Alexis Vogel died in 2019 after battling breast cancer. She said: "She was the best. And since then, I just felt, without Alexis, its just better for me not to wear makeup. The 56-year-old Hollywood beauty said her new look has been 'freeing, and fun, and a little rebellious too'. "I did notice that there were all these people doing big makeup looks, and its just like me to go against the grain and do the opposite what everyones doing," the 'Barb Wire' actor said. She said: "I think we all start looking a little funny when we get older. And Im kind of laughing at myself when I look at the mirror. I go, Wow, this is really...whats happening to me? Its a journey. Apart from Baywatch, Anderson played Vallery Irons on the syndicated series V.I.P. (19982002) and starred as Skyler Dayton on the Fox sitcom Stacked (20052006). Her film credits include Raw Justice (1994), Barb Wire (1996), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Borat (2006), Superhero Movie, Blonde and Blonder (both 2008), The Institute, Baywatch (both 2017), and City Hunter (2018). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Sunday. Photo Courtesy: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Twitter page Hague: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Sunday confirmed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Netherlands will deliver F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Zelensky visited the Netherlands on Sunday. He met with Rutte at Eindhoven airbase, where they held a joint press conference. It is unclear how many F-16 fighter jets will go to Ukraine. Mark Rutte wrote on X: "In May the Netherlands announced that it would train Ukrainian military personnel for the deployment of F-16 aircraft. Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer those F-16s to Ukraine as soon as the necessary conditions have been met. We are working in close cooperation with the US and our other international partners." In May the Netherlands announced that it would train Ukrainian military personnel for the deployment of F-16 aircraft. Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer those F-16s to Ukraine as soon as the necessary conditions have been met. We are pic.twitter.com/2XeBlCFJR9 Mark Rutte (@MinPres) August 20, 2023 "This is a next step in our support for Ukraine. A long-term step, which sends a clear signal: that we will continue supporting Ukraine. With whatever it takes, for as long as it takes: military support, humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts," he said. "Many thanks to President @ZelenskyyUa for visiting the Netherlands today. It was good to speak in person with him and foreign minister @DmytroKuleba at Eindhoven Air Base, together with foreign minister @WBHoekstra, @DefensieMin Kajsa Ollongren and foreign trade and development minister @LSchreinemacher," he said. F-16s will instill fresh confidence and motivation in both warriors and ordinary citizens. They will produce fresh results for Ukraine and the rest of Europe. I thank you once again, dear @MinPres Mark, @Statsmin Mette, your teams, and the peoples of the Netherlands and Denmark. pic.twitter.com/ffSdtMHkfI (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2023 Zelensky said the F-16s will instil fresh confidence and motivation in both warriors and ordinary citizens. "F-16s will instill fresh confidence and motivation in both warriors and ordinary citizens. They will produce fresh results for Ukraine and the rest of Europe," Zelensky tweeted. Zelensky later stated on the social media platform X that he expects the support of 42 Dutch F-16 fighter jets. The Ukrainian leader said: "I thank you once again, dear @MinPres Mark, @Statsmin Mette, your teams, and the peoples of the Netherlands and Denmark." Twin Brooklyn fires leave three children and 10 firefighters injured. Photo Courtesy: FDNY Twitter page video grab Three children, who were left alone in a Brooklyn apartment in New York, were hurt as a fire broke out inside the home on Sunday. The children ages four, five and eight were hospitalized in stable-but-critical condition after the blaze that broke out at about 11 a.m. on the 11th floor of an apartment building on Livonia Avenue near Sackman Street in Brownsville, FDNY officials told New York Post. Authorities found the parents and arrested the father, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at an afternoon press briefing. The circumstances are under investigation as to why they were home alone, she was quoted as saying by the newspaper, noting that the apartment had no smoke alarms. FDNY members are currently operating at a 3-alarm fire at 106 Lee Avenue in Brooklyn. Use caution in the area. pic.twitter.com/IvGu1s8cd1 FDNY (@FDNY) August 20, 2023 The father, later identified as 37-year-old Anthony Halliburton, was charged with three counts each of abandonment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child, law enforcement sources told New York Post. New York City Fire Department tweeted: "A little after 11am, #FDNY responded to 383 Livonia Ave in Bkn. The fire was on 11th floor. Firefighters forced the door and found heavy fire conditions inside. They rescued 3 pediatric victims and brought them to EMS and paramedics who administered advanced lifesaving care." FDNY units are continuing to operate at 106 Lee Avenue in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/XKvuzpdG0j FDNY (@FDNY) August 20, 2023 In another fire incident, at least 10 firefighters were injured as a blaze broke out in a cluster of nine stores on Lee Avenue in Williamsburg. New York City Councilmember Lincoln Restler shared a video on his X page which showed the extent of damage caused due to the fire. "Tragic day in the heart of South Williamsburg. 5 alarm fire has destroyed several beloved local businesses on Lee Ave. Spoke to 3 of the business owners & property owner and we will do everything we can to help each and every business and their workers get back on their feet," he posted on X. Both fires were later brought under control. August 21/22, 2023 - Information Clearing House - JOHANNESBURG Leaders of the Brics emerging economies, which account for about a quarter of the worlds wealth, meet in Johannesburg this week looking to widen the blocs influence and push for a shift in global geopolitics. South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to host Chinas President Xi Jinping, Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for the annual three-day summit starting on Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin also will join remotely. Mr Putin decided against attending in person, as he is the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant that South Africa is in theory bound to enforce if he sets foot in the country. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will travel to Johannesburg instead. Representing billions of people across three continents, with economies undergoing varying levels of growth, Brics countries share one thing in common disdain for a world order they see as serving the interests of rich Western powers. The grouping comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Click Here To Get Our FREE Newsletter The traditional global governing system has become dysfunctional, deficient and missing in action, Mr Chen Xiaodong, the Chinese ambassador to Pretoria, said at a briefing on Friday, adding that Brics is increasingly becoming a staunch force in defending international justice. There is growing interest in the bloc at least 40 countries have expressed interest in joining, and 23 of those have formally submitted applications to become Brics members. Polarised world Mr Anil Sooklal, South Africas ambassador-at-large for Asia and Brics, told AFP on Friday that one of the reasons countries are lining up to join is the very polarised world we live in, that has been further polarised by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and where countries are being forced to take sides. Countries in the South dont want to be told who to support, how to behave and how to conduct their sovereign affairs. They are strong enough now to assert their respective positions, added Mr Sooklal. Brics has raised hope for countries looking to restructure the global architecture, he said. The major markets are now in the Global South... but we are still on the margins in terms of global decision-making. Dr Lebogang Legodi, international politics lecturer at the University of Limpopo, agrees that many states keen on joining the group are seeing Brics as an alternative to the current hegemony in world affairs. Around 50 other leaders will attend a friends of Brics programme during the summit, which will be held at a convention centre in the heart of Johannesburgs Sandton, historically referred to as the richest square mile on the continent. This years gathering is themed Brics and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism. " August 21/22, 2023 - Information Clearing House - " The Intercept --- Not long ago, President Joe Biden vowed that the U.S. would counter democratic backsliding by imposing costs for coups in Africa. But three weeks after a military mutiny in Africa involving U.S.-trained officers , the Pentagon refuses to call the takeover in Niger a coup detat. After a Nigerien junta, which calls itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland, seized power on July 26 and detained the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, France and the European Union immediately called it a coup. But weeks later, in public statements and responses to The Intercept, Pentagon officials have repeatedly stopped short of using that word. Not calling a coup a coup not only undermines our credibility but harms our long-term interests in these states, said Elizabeth Shackelford, a senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and lead author on a forthcoming report on U.S. military aid in Africa. We have legal prohibitions on providing security assistance to juntas for a reason. Its not in our long-term national interest to do so. U.S. coup legislation, specifically Section 7008 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, specifies that any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by a military coup detat or decree will be automatically prohibited from receiving a broad package of congressionally appropriated foreign assistance. The Pentagons reluctance to call a coup a coup may be aimed at preserving the ability to continue providing security assistance to military-ruled Niger. Click Here To Get Our FREE Newsletter Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh was pressed earlier this week about why the United States has not called the takeover a coup. It certainly looks like an attempted coup here, she said. We have assets and interests in the region, and our main priority is protecting those interests and protecting those of our allies. So a designation like what youre suggesting certainly changes what wed be able to do in the region and how wed be able to partner with Nigerien military. While calling a three-week-old coup no more than an attempt, Singh was clear about why the U.S. might be reticent to sever relations with the junta. Niger is a partner and we dont want to see that partnership go, she said. Weve invested, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars into bases there, trained with the military there. Since 2012, U.S. taxpayers have spent more than $500 million on that partnership, making it one of the largest security assistance programs in sub-Saharan Africa. Niger hosts one of the largest and most expensive drone bases run by the U.S. military. Built in the northern city of Agadez at a price tag of more than $110 million and maintained to the tune of $20 to $30 million each year, Air Base 201 is a surveillance hub and the linchpin of an archipelago of U.S. outposts in West Africa. It is home to Space Force personnel, a Joint Special Operations Air Detachment, and a fleet of drones, including armed MQ-9 Reapers. In the month prior to the coup, the drone outpost was the site of a meeting between Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the U.S.-trained chief of Nigerien Special Forces and Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, head of U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Within weeks, Barmou helped topple Bazoum and, according to a U.S. government official, conveyed a threat to Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland to execute the deposed president if neighboring countries attempted a military intervention. When asked if Singh was equivocating to avoid calling Bazoums overthrow a coup, a Pentagon spokesperson passed the buck to the State Department. The DoD does not make the determination whether the situation in Niger is a coup, Maj. Pete Nguyen told The Intercept. The State Department will make the determination as to whether the situation in Niger is a coup. Sarah Harrison, who served four years as an associate general counsel in the Pentagons Office of General Counsel, including providing guidance on U.S. activities in Africa, says that there is a popular misunderstanding that failing to call a military takeover a coup means that the U.S. government does not have to restrict access. The Biden administration handwringing over saying coup is absurd. The law requires no formal designation and is in force regardless of what officials choose to label events, says Harrison. Elias Yousif, a research analyst with the Stimson Centers Conventional Defense Program, sees the Pentagon equivocations as a political gesture of dubious use. By calling it an attempted coup, it implicitly suggests that there is going to be a reversal of it and denies the facts on the ground that the president is under strict house arrest and the military junta is running the show, he told The Intercept. There has been a coup in Niger. This is the reality. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. government is pausing certain foreign assistance programs benefiting the government of Niger. But the State Department did not respond to The Intercepts questions about exactly which programs have been paused and if security aid continues to flow to the junta. Just prior to Blinkens declaration, a State Department spokesperson told The Intercept that there had been no determination on security assistance at this time. U.S. coup restrictions were first imposed in 1984 when the Reagan White House and Congress battled over military assistance to El Salvador. The next year, Congress passed a law that applied the coup restriction to all other countries. Similar restrictions have been included in every State Department annual appropriations bill since. The U.S. has, however, often employed loopholes, workarounds, and exceptionally strict or selective readings of the law to keep military aid flowing when heads of state are deposed, including in Egypt in 2013, Burkina Faso in 2014, and Chad in 2021. Even when aid has been restricted following coups, alternate funding channels have kept U.S. tax dollars trickling into the coffers of juntas. According to State Department responses to questions from The Intercept, security assistance also continues to fund juntas in Mali, which had coups in 2020 and 2021, Guinea (2021), and Burkina Faso (two in 2022). We have laws in place to ensure we dont help prop up those who undermine democracy, says Shackelford, who formerly served as a foreign service officer in multiple posts in Africa. When we find ways around enforcing those laws whenever its inconvenient, we undermine our own influence and the stability those laws are meant to promote. Indeed, Biden has decried Russias creation of a propaganda ecosystem that creates and spreads false narratives to strategically advance the Kremlins policy goals. He added, There is truth and there are lies. And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation to defend the truth and to defeat the lies. By Jonathan Turley August 21/22, 2023 - Information Clearing House - Below is my column in USA Today on the growing excitement among pundits on the prospect that former President Donald Trump could be going to jail. The celebration is a tad premature. Indeed, Trump could be convicted before the election and not be sent to prison for years, if ever. The prospect of prison depends on the specific conviction, long appellate challenges, and pardons. Here is the column: With the indictment of Donald Trump, there is a palpable sense among many on the left that surely these indictments will bring about the long-desired incarceration of the former president. For some pundits and politicians, it is an anticipation that borders on obsession. The Georgia indictment is a serious threat for Trump as is the Florida case. However, multiplying the indictments does not necessarily increase the chances of imprisonment before the election, or even during a second Trump term. However, the Georgia case does present a clear context for considering the prospect of prison for Trump. The sense of anticipation was captured Monday on MSNBC, where Rachel Maddow and Hillary Clinton were shown laughing joyfully on the night of the Georgia indictment. The left is experiencing their own version of chanting Lock him up, with a boom business for merchandise celebrating the expected incarceration. Yet, there is still a great deal of runway between the arraignments and any incarceration. Click Here To Get Our FREE Newsletter Lets quickly review the four cases against Trump. The New York indictment, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is the weakest. It is based on a thin legal theory pushed by a prosecutor determined to charge Trump for something anything. The first federal indictment is the strongest of the four. The charges over the mishandling of classified documents are based on established law and firm evidence. The second federal indictment is similar to the Georgia case in terms of the underlying acts. Both the Georgia case and the federal indictment surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol are based on the view that Trump and his associates knew that there was no reasonable basis to challenge the 2020 election. However, Georgia adds state charges that could not only be difficult to challenge before trial but also are not subject to a federal pardon. The 98-page indictment contains 13 counts against Trump. The state charges include mandatory minimum sentences of five years in prison, with no leeway for the sentencing judge. Even five years in prison for a man who is 77 years old (and who never has been previously incarcerated) could be a terminal sentence. As a threshold matter, a quick resolution of the Georgia case or the others is unlikely. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis demand to try all 19 defendants together in six months is wildly unrealistic. Given the competing criminal and civil proceedings previously scheduled around the country, the Georgia trial may have to wait until after next years election. There are also likely to be motions to remove the entire case to federal court. Even if it were held in the midst of the election, a conviction would not bar Trump from appearing on the ballot or taking the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2025. During the pendency of these prosecutions, Trump can continue to run for office. Indeed, even a conviction would not prevent him from running for president or serving if elected. There is even precedent for running for the presidency from prison. That distinction belongs to socialist Eugene Debs, who was on the ballot in 1920 while he served time in federal prison. If Trump is convicted, most courts would allow him to remain free pending appeals on the weighty constitutional and evidentiary issues raised by the Georgia case. That process could easily take a couple of years. And if Trump were to win in 2024 and a judge were to order his incarceration during his presidency, there would be an immediate challenge. While state offenses are not subject to the federal pardon authority, Trumps counsel (and likely the Justice Department) would argue that incarcerating a sitting president conflicts with carrying out his federal duties. Even if Trump were to be sent to prison, he would not likely be thrown into general pop with a bar of soap and a weekly call. He currently has a federal security detail and, if elected, he would have presidential duties to perform. The state may have to yield to federal authority in how Trump is held to allow him to carry out his duties and to accommodate his security detail. That challenge would take time, and the federal courts could balance the state and federal interests by delaying any incarceration until after the term. The courts also could effectively achieve that same result by extending the appellate process past the end of a second term. During this time, there may also be a move to change the Georgia pardon law. Under the Georgia constitution, a five-member board (not the governor) grants pardons. Trump would have to wait five years to be eligible under the current provisions. Georgia is only one of nine states with such a system, and there could be a push to give the governor more traditional clemency power. However, that constitutional amendment process is very demanding and Trump has hardly ingratiated himself with the current governor. None of this is likely to quash the anticipation of Trump going to prison. Indeed, memes of a jailed Trump continue to be the rage online. However, a review of the legal proceedings ahead is a buzz kill for the lockhimup crowd. Despite the proliferation of charges against Trump, there is nothing that guarantees that he will be sent to the big house instead of the White House, if elected. Jonathan Turley, a member of USA TODAYs Board of Contributors, is the Shapiro professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanTurley By John Pilger August 20/21, 2023 - Information Clearing House - In the 1970s, I met one of Hitlers leading propagandists, Leni Riefenstahl, whose epic films glorified the Nazis. We happened to be staying at the same lodge in Kenya, where she was on a photography assignment, having escaped the fate of other friends of the Fuhrer. She told me that the patriotic messages of her films were dependent not on orders from above but on what she called the submissive void of the German public. Did that include the liberal, educated bourgeoisie? I asked. Yes, especially them, she said. I think of this as I look around at the propaganda now consuming Western societies. Of course, we are very different from Germany in the 1930s. We live in information societies. We are globalists. We have never been more aware, more in touch and better connected. Are we? Or do we live in a media society where brainwashing is insidious and relentless, and perception is filtered according to the needs and lies of state and corporate power? The United States dominates the Western worlds media. All but one of the top ten media companies is based in North America. The internet and social media Google, Twitter, Facebook are mostly American-owned and controlled. In my lifetime, the United States has overthrown or attempted to overthrow more than 50 governments, mostly democracies. It has interfered in democratic elections in 30 countries. It has dropped bombs on the people of 30 countries, most of them poor and defenceless. It has attempted to murder the leaders of 50 countries. It has fought to suppress liberation movements in 20 countries. Click Here To Get Our FREE Newsletter The extent and scale of this carnage are largely unreported, and unrecognised; and those responsible continue to dominate Anglo-American political life. In the years before he died in 2008, the playwright Harold Pinter made two extraordinary speeches, which broke a silence. US foreign policy, he said, is best defined as follows: kiss my arse or Ill kick your head in. It is as simple and as crude as that. What is interesting about it is that its so incredibly successful. It possesses the structures of disinformation, use of rhetoric, distortion of language, which are very persuasive, but are actually a pack of lies. It is very successful propaganda. They have the money, they have the technology, they have all the means to get away with it, and they do. In accepting the Nobel prize for literature, Pinter said this: The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them. You have to hand it to America. It has exercised a quite clinical manipulation of power worldwide while masquerading as a force for universal good. Its a brilliant, even witty, highly successful act of hypnosis. Pinter was a friend of mine and possibly the last great political sage that is, before dissenting politics were gentrified. I asked him if the hypnosis he referred to was the submissive void described by Leni Riefenstahl. Its the same, he replied. It means the brainwashing is so thorough we are programmed to swallow a pack of lies. If we dont recognise propaganda, we may accept it as normal and believe it. Thats the submissive void. In our systems of corporate democracy, war is an economic necessity, the perfect marriage of public subsidy and private profit: socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor. The day after 9/11 the stock prices of the war industry soared. More bloodshed was coming, which is great for business. Today, the most profitable wars have their own brand. They are called forever wars: Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and now Ukraine. All are based on a pack of lies. Iraq is the most infamous, with its weapons of mass destruction that didnt exist. Natos destruction of Libya in 2011 was justified by a massacre in Benghazi that didnt happen. Afghanistan was a convenient revenge war for 9/11, which had nothing to do with the people of Afghanistan. Today, the news from Afghanistan is how evil the Taliban are not that President Joe Bidens theft of $7-billion of the countrys bank reserves is causing widespread suffering. Recently, National Public Radio in Washington devoted two hours to Afghanistan and 30 seconds to its starving people. At its summit in Madrid in June, Nato, which is controlled by the United States, adopted a strategy document that militarises the European continent and escalates the prospect of war with Russia and China. It proposes multi-domain warfighting against nuclear-armed peer-competitors. In other words, nuclear war. It says: Natos enlargement has been a historic success. I read that in disbelief. A measure of this historic success is the war in Ukraine, news of which is mostly not news, but a one-sided litany of jingoism, distortion, and omission. I have reported a number of wars and have never known such blanket propaganda. In February, Russia invaded Ukraine as a response to almost eight years of killing and criminal destruction in the Russian-speaking region of Donbass on their border. In 2014, the United States sponsored a coup in Kyiv that got rid of Ukraines democratically elected, Russian-friendly president and installed a successor who the Americans made clear was their man. In recent years, American defender missiles have been installed in eastern Europe, Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, almost certainly aimed at Russia, accompanied by false assurances all the way back to James Bakers promise to Gorbachev in February 1990 that Nato would never expand beyond Germany. Ukraine is the frontline. Nato has effectively reached the very borderland through which Hitlers army stormed in 1941, leaving more than 23-million people dead in the Soviet Union. Last December, Russia proposed a far-reaching security plan for Europe. This was dismissed, derided or suppressed in the Western media. Who read its step-by-step proposals? On 24 February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy threatened to develop nuclear weapons unless America armed and protected Ukraine. This was the final straw. On the same day, Russia invaded according to the Western media, an unprovoked act of congenital infamy. The history, the lies, the peace proposals, the solemn agreements on Donbass at Minsk counted for nothing. On 25 April, the US defence secretary, General Lloyd Austin, flew into Kyiv and confirmed that Americas aim was to destroy the Russian Federation the word he used was weaken. America had got the war it wanted, waged by an American bankrolled and armed proxy and expendable pawn. Almost none of this was explained to Western audiences. Russias invasion of Ukraine is wanton and inexcusable. It is a crime to invade a sovereign country. There are no buts except one. When did the present war in Ukraine begin and who started it? According to the United Nations, between 2014 and this year, some 14 000 people have been killed in the Kyiv regimes civil war on the Donbass. Many of the attacks were carried out by neo-Nazis. Watch an ITV news report from May 2014, by the veteran reporter James Mates, who is shelled, along with civilians in the city of Mariupol, by Ukraines Azov (neo-Nazi) battalion. In the same month, dozens of Russian-speaking people were burned alive or suffocated in a trade union building in Odessa besieged by fascist thugs, the followers of the Nazi collaborator and anti-Semitic fanatic Stephen Bandera. The New York Times called the thugs nationalists. The historic mission of our nation in this critical moment, said Andreiy Biletsky, founder of the Azov Battalion, is to lead the white races of the world in a final crusade for their survival, a crusade against the Semite-led Untermenschen. Since February, a campaign of self-appointed news monitors (mostly funded by the Americans and British with links to governments) have sought to maintain the absurdity that Ukraines neo-Nazis dont exist. Airbrushing, a term once associated with Stalins purges, has become a tool of mainstream journalism. In less than a decade, a good China has been airbrushed and a bad China has replaced it: from the worlds workshop to a budding new Satan. Much of this propaganda originates in the US, and is transmitted through proxies and think tanks, such as the notorious Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the voice of the arms industry, and by zealous journalists such as Peter Hartcher of the Sydney Morning Herald, who labelled those spreading Chinese influence as rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows and called for these pests to be eradicated. News about China in the West is almost entirely about the threat from Beijing. Airbrushed are the 400 American military bases that surround most of China, an armed necklace that reaches from Australia to the Pacific and Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea. The Japanese island of Okinawa and the Korean island of Jeju are loaded guns aimed point-blank at the industrial heart of China. A Pentagon official described this as a noose. Palestine has been misreported for as long as I can remember. To the BBC, there is the conflict of two narratives. The longest, most brutal, lawless military occupation in modern times is unmentionable. The stricken people of Yemen barely exist. They are media unpeople. While the Saudis rain down their American cluster bombs with British advisers working alongside the Saudi targeting officers, more than half a million children face starvation. This brainwashing by omission has a long history. The slaughter of World War I was suppressed by reporters who were knighted for their compliance and confessed in their memoirs. In 1917, the editor of the Manchester Guardian, CP Scott, confided to Prime Minister Lloyd George: If people really knew [the truth], the war would be stopped tomorrow, but they dont know and cant know. The refusal to see people and events as those in other countries see them is a media virus in the West, as debilitating as Covid. It is as if we see the world through a one-way mirror, in which we are moral and benign and they are not. It is a profoundly imperial view. The history that is a living presence in China and Russia is rarely explained and rarely understood. Vladimir Putin is Adolf Hitler. Xi Jinping is Fu Man Chu. Epic achievements, such as the eradication of abject poverty in China, are barely known. How perverse and squalid this is. When will we allow ourselves to understand? Training journalists factory-style is not the answer. Neither is the wondrous digital tool, which is a means, not an end, like the one-finger typewriter and the linotype machine. In recent years, some of the best journalists have been eased out of the mainstream. Defenestrated is the word used. The spaces once open to mavericks, to journalists who went against the grain, truth-tellers, have closed. The case of Julian Assange is the most shocking. When Assange and WikiLeaks could win readers and prizes for the Guardian, the New York Times and other self-important papers of record, he was celebrated. When the dark state objected and demanded the destruction of hard drives and the assassination of Assanges character, he was made a public enemy. Then vice-president Biden called him a hi-tech terrorist. Hillary Clinton asked, Cant we just drone this guy? The ensuing campaign of abuse and vilification against Assange the UN Rapporteur on Torture called it mobbing brought the liberal press to its lowest ebb. We know who they are. I think of them as collaborators: as Vichy journalists. When will real journalists stand up? An inspirational samizdat already exists on the internet: Consortium News, founded by the great reporter Robert Parry, Max Blumenthals Grayzone, Mint Press News, Media Lens, Declassified UK, Alborada, Electronic Intifada, WSWS, ZNet, ICH, CounterPunch, Independent Australia, Globetrotter, the work of Chris Hedges, Patrick Lawrence, Jonathan Cook, Diana Johnstone, Caitlin Johnstone and others who will forgive me for not mentioning them here. And when will writers stand up, as they did against the rise of fascism in the 1930s? When will filmmakers stand up, as they did against the Cold War in the 1940s? When will satirists stand up, as they did a generation ago? Having soaked for 82 years in a deep bath of righteousness that is the official version of the last world war, isnt it time those who are meant to keep the record straight declared their independence and decoded the propaganda? The urgency is greater than ever. JohnPilger is an Australian journalist, writer, scholar, and documentary filmmaker. He has mainly been based in Britain since 1962. He was also visiting professor at Cornell University in New York. Crisis has continues to rock Stamford bridge as West Ham United claimed a deserving 3-1 London derby win against big-spending Chelsea despite playing almost 30 minutes with 10 men. The Hammers were 2-1 ahead when defender Nayef Aguerd, who opened the scoring with an early header, was sent off in the 67th minute for his second bookable offence. However, Chelsea could not make an equaliser with their advantage and then conceded a late third through Lucas Paquetas penalty in the fifth minute of added time. Teenager Carney Chukwuemeka scored his first goal for the Blues to make it 1-1 but Enzo Fernandez wasted a chance to put them ahead when his penalty was saved by Alphonse Areola. Michail Antonio fired West Ham back in front with a powerful angled strike in the 53rd minute, before the hosts were reduced to 10 men. READ MORE: Chelsea Fight Back Liverpool To Earn Point However, Mauricio Pochettinos side were unable to capitalise on Aguerds dismissal to force a second leveller despite a second-half debut for Moises Caicedo, who joined from Brighton in a deal that could become a British record. The Ecuador midfielder, who signed for an initial 100m fee which could rise to 115m, had a chance to make it level but shot over from the edge of the penalty area. Caicedo, after two months without a game, then conceded a penalty for a foul on Hammers left-back Emerson and Paqueta made no mistake from the spot to seal West Hams victory. President Bola Tinubu and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, have been issued warning to be watchful and careful in their dealings with the flag bearer of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso. It was gathered that the warning was made available to the public by the State Chairmens Forum of the NNPP on Sunday. According to the chairmen, Kwankwasos recent meetings with bigwigs in Nigerias politics were part of his plan to remain relevant after losing grip of NNPPs structure across the country. The NNPP chairmen described the recent meeting between Kwankwaso and Atiku as distasteful and disgraceful while admonishing President Tinubu and Atiku to boycott any dealings with him. The Ogun NNPP Chairman and Leader of the Forum, Olaposi Oginni, in a statement at the weekend, said the Department of State Services (DSS) should keep an eye on Kwankwasos political desperation, which may constitute a security risk. Oginni expressed displeasure at how the former NNPP presidential candidate had allegedly betrayed the founder of the party, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, by breaking the Memorandum of Understanding signed before the 2023 presidential election. READ MORE: Police Arrest Ex-Ogun NNPP Chair, Oginni Over Alleged Fraud, Money Laundering The NNPP chairmen noted that Dr Aniebonam gave him the platform without taking a dime to enable him contest the 2023 presidential election. It is saddening that Kwankwaso is shamelessly trying all possible means to hijack the party from the original owner. In the same vein, Kwankwaso, without recourse to the states chairmen and the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), unilaterally started and concluded negotiation with Tinubu on the recent presidential election. This anti-party activity was confirmed by Kwankwasos spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson when he appeared on Channels Television last week to respond to various allegations by Oginni. Warning the PDP flag bearer, the NNPP chairmen said, Atiku and PDPs preemptive measures on likely presidential election rerun shall be counter-productive with the likes of Kwankwaso, who can never be trusted. What else can a Kwankwaso, who ensured that Atiku did not emerge as the sole candidate from the North, ready to offer after the colossal damages of Atikus and PDPs chance of winning the presidential election? All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, has knocked Lloyd Ikechukwu Ekweremadu, the son of convicted Nigerian senator, Ike Ekweremadu, for holding an elaborate wedding ceremony despite his parent being in prison. INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that Lloyd on Saturday, tied the knot with his lover, Tiffany Adaobi Obinna-Uzor. However, the wedding ceremony, which was held at the Basilica of Grace, Anglican Communion, Gudu District Abuja, had in attendance of dignitaries such as the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi and other top politicians. Recall that the former deputy Senate President on the 23rd of June 2022, was charged with conspiracy to arrange the travel of a 21-year-old boy, David Ukpo, from Lagos into the UK to harvest his organs. READ MORE: Organ Harvesting: Ohanaeze Meets British Envoy, Pleads Leniency For Ekweremadus Meanwhile, on the 23rd of March, 2023, Ekweremadu, his wife, and Dr Obeta were convicted by UKs court of conspiring to exploit the boy for his kidney. Reacting to Ekweremadus sons wedding ceremony, Igbokwe, in a post on his Facebook page, said the event would have been held on a low-key, considering the predicament of the parents. According to the APC chieftain, Llody would have waited till his parents regained freedom before organising such an event. He wrote: If I were to be Ekweremmadus son I would not have staged this elaborate wedding ceremony with my father and mother in prison. I would have done a low key marriage ceremony and wait till my parents are free. This generation scares me stiff. Responding to his post, a Facebook user, Yarima Buhariijama wrote Hmmmm.. Egbon Joe Igbokwe, I understand your point. But for the Status of Ekweremadu, this wedding is NOT Elaborate. Replying the FB user, Igbokwe wrote It could have been done at all. The wedding could not have been planned at all. It does not make sense to me. May my Children not do this to me. One million well to do big men I noticed in this photo can never, never, never take the place of a father who is in custody for trying to save the life of a daughter . This generation? May God help us. Muhammed Idris, newly-inaugurated Minister of Information and National orientation, has promised that the ministry wont need to tell lies to defend the government. Maintaining that the ministry and the government will be transparent and truthful while giving out information, Idris said we will always say it as it is. According to him, the government would own up where it errs and try to adjust where necessary. National orientation, he said, would be a core aspect of the government, hence in a matter of days we would roll out our plans to Nigerians. He further urged Nigerians to shun fake news and always clarify issues before taking it out to the public Idris however pledged that the ministry would be accountable and open to Nigerians. Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative economy, on her part said the ministry would export Nigeria to the world and would also make money for Nigeria. READ ALSO: Tinubus Govt. A Joke, Cabinet Reshuffling Is Clear Sign Of Unpreparedness Kenneth Okonkwo She said the ministry would also do all it has to do to change the negative narrative which the country has across the world. Musawa furthered that it was also important to restore the unity of the country which was the wish of the founding fathers of Nigeria. Meanwhile, journalists covering newly sworn-in Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, were shut out following his inauguration. Tunji-Ojo, who was initially assigned to the new ministry of Blue Economy, arrived at the Area-one federal secretariat in a carnival procession hour after his inauguration. Invited correspondents who had been waiting for hours before the ministers arrival at 2:20 pm, were denied entrance into the hall where the programme was holding. While some journalists were rough-handled by some paramilitary officers at the ministry, others were forcefully asked to go. One of the senior Ministrys official who ordered security to deny newsmen access to the venue, said the meeting is a family affair. So only the ministers guests should be allowed in. Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South- South Leader, Pa Edwin Clark has accused Governors of using the position to acquire wealth overnight, says many of them are wealthier than their states. He said people should concentrate more on what the governors are doing rather than the federal government, noting that the states are more critical in socioeconomic development of the people. He added that despite the 13 per cent allocation to the Niger-Delta region from the oil revenue, the states are still backward primarily due to the refusal of the governors to utilize the funds for the benefits of the states. Its too early for me to comment on President Tinubu administration. But its true that the Niger-Delta people produce almost all the oil resources in this country. But we havent seen a change in our own homes. We are poorer than we were when our forefathers were alive because they were wealthy traders. But today, everything has gone down. Our schools arent well equipped. There are no teachers in some of them. We dont have proper development in our area. A series of inquiries were set up in 1998, but now, where are they? Nothing has happened. We are suffering. We have no light, we have no water. Fishes are dying in our rivers. READ MORE: Release Nnamdi Kanu Now Edwin Clark Tells Buhari People like the late General Yaradua felt that there was a need to compensate the Niger-Delta who are the people that produce the oil of the country. And we were around lobbying when 13 per cent was drafted from the oil revenue for the development of our region. If that money was properly spent, our people wouldnt have been agitating. But we are now facing the federal government and not the governors who have been stealing the money. What are our governors doing with the 13 per cent? No wonder governors are now richer than their states, he said. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Sunday, said the three-year power transition plan proposed by Niger Republics military junta will not stand. ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, spoke on Sunday in an interview with British Broadcasting Corporation. Recall that in a national broadcast on Saturday night, Abdourahmane Tiani, Niger Republics self-acclaimed head of state, said the country will return to civilian rule within three years. The coup leader gave no details of the plan, noting that only the principles for the transition would be decided within 30 days at a dialogue to be hosted by the junta. Our ambition is not to confiscate power. Transition period will not exceed three years; meanwhile, political parties are urged to submit their vision for the transition within 30 days, Tiani had said. READ ALSO: Well Hand Over In Three Years Niger Republic Junta Leader, General Tchiani Shuns ECOWAS Dialogue The junta leader spoke after meeting with an ECOWAS delegation led by Abdulsalami Abubakar, Nigerias former head of state. However, Musah, in reaction to Tianis proposal, said ECOWAS would no longer accept prolonged transition periods in the region. ECOWAS is not accepting any prolonged transition again in the region. They just have to get ready to hand over in the shortest possible time. The earlier they give power back to civilians and concentrate on their primary responsibility that is defending the territorial integrity of Niger, the better for them, he said. Musah also added that the military aspect is very much on. The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said that the manufacturing sector has been at the receiving end of Nigerias debt crisis which has seen the nations debt profile rise by 410 percent over the last 8 years. They also warned that the N77 trillion inherited by the administration of President Bola Tinubu is bound to limit the achievements of the government if urgent critical steps are not taken. The MAN made this assertion in its Manufacturers CEO Confidence Index (MCCI) for Q1 2023 that was titled, Special Focus: MAN at the Receiving End of National Debt Crisis. The report stated, The domino effects of escalating public debt on the manufacturing sector are endless. To start with, rising domestic debt is highly crowding out private investment in the manufacturing sector by reducing credit availability and forcing hike in lending rates. External debts are mostly serviced in foreign currencies, hence high demand for foreign currencies further depreciates the naira and makes importation of non-locally produced critical inputs highly expensive for manufacturers. READ ALSO: Well Fund Manufacturers With N75bn Between July And March Tinubu Moreover, higher debt servicing is consuming greater volume of forex and worsening the forex scarcity that has plagued the manufacturing sector for many years. Higher debt repayment requires increased revenue. The Nigerian government has continued to breed a harsh business environment by its indiscriminate imposition of high and multiple taxes on manufacturers all in a bid to generate revenue. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has accused Nigerias Supreme Court of subverting the course of justice against its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu. According to IPOB, the Supreme Court is using the instrumentality of adjournment against Kanu. Emma Powerful, IPOBs spokesman, says the separatist group is disappointed and bewildered over the decision of the Supreme Court to cancel the earlier date for the hearing of Kanus appeal. IPOB maintained that the decision of the Supreme Court was the worst form of travesty of justice and violent destruction of the rule of law. Powerful stated that, We the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the great and indefatigable liberator Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu KANU condemn the continuous adjournment of our Leaders case by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in their efforts for our Leader to remain in the DSS solitary confinement in Abuja. The afterthought and flimsy reason being that the 14th of September 2023, earlier scheduled for the hearing of the case, has caught up with the Supreme Courts Annual vacation. To say the least, this is the worst form of travesty of justice and violent destruction of the rule of law. If we may ask, was it not in an open Court that the Justices of the Supreme Court that sat on the Appeal on the 11th day of May 2023, adjourned the matter to the 14th day of September 2023? READ ALSO: Remand Order Has Expired Falana Demands Immediate Release Of Suspended EFCC Chair, Bawa It is also our understanding that the 14th day of September 2023 adjournment was not granted as a matter of course; the adjournment date was carefully considered against the background of the Federal Governments deliberate ploy to thwart the proceedings of that day by applying for time to file their papers even when they were clearly out of time, and the Appeal was consequently, adjourned to the 14th day of September, 2023, for Definite Hearing. The groups statement queried that, If the present intention of the Apex Court is not a rape of democracy and clear subversion of the course of justice, how could they have adjourned to the 14th day of September, 2023, without being guided by their diary, which contains the entire schedule of activities and holidays of the Supreme Court for the entire year? The cancellation of this date on the frivolous ground that the scheduled date is caught up with the Apex Court annual vacation is against the Supreme Courts own rules governing criminal trials that are subject to accelerated hearing. It is to be observed that the unfolding events go to demonstrate that the Supreme Court of Nigeria is not abiding with their own rules by constantly adjourning the case of our Leader. They further urged the international communities to prevail on the Supreme Court to hear Kanus appeal so that this case will be promptly determined. The group wondered how the Nigerian government would justify the failure to release Kanu despite the Appeal Court discharging and acquitting him. If the Federal Government of Nigeria is no longer interested in prosecuting their Appeal, our Leader should be immediately released in line with the Order of the Penultimate Court made on the 13th day of October 2022, he added. House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on Malaria, describing it as a deadly parasite with potential to inflict woes on Nigerians. Amobi Ogah, Chairman, House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, made the call in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja on the occasion of the 2023 World Mosquito Day themed Fighting the Worlds Deadliest killer -the Mosquito. Note that the World Mosquito Day which is globally commemorated August 20, aims to raise awareness about the causes of malaria, its prevention, the danger posed by mosquitoes, mosquito-borne diseases as well as the ongoing global efforts towards combating the worlds deadliest creature. The Committee chairman, who is representing Isuiwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House, said considering the threat malaria poses to humanity, every effort must be geared towards eradicating the deadly killer mosquitoes. According to Ogah, the 10th House will ensure adequate implementation of legislations geared towards the eradication of malaria in the country. READ ALSO: Tinubu Reshuffles Portfolios Of Ministers-Designate His words: The House Committee on HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control is not unmindful of the challenges being faced by Nigerians in the fight against these ailments especially in the fight against the control of Malaria in the country which appear to defile solutions. The committee will work with relevant stakeholders in the fight against malaria in ensuring that monies budgeted for are used for the purpose for which they are made. According to the World Health Organization, four African countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths worldwide. Nigeria tops this list with 31.3 per cent, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo with 12.6 per cent, Tanzania (4.1per cent) and Niger (3.9per cent). I am aware that the WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 20162030, which was updated in 2021, provides a technical framework for all malaria-endemic countries, including Nigeria. This document is expected to guide and support regional and country programmes on malaria control as they work towards control and elimination of malaria. Bola Babarinde, former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in South Africa, on Sunday, said President Bola Tinubu must be ready to step on toes in order to achieve his administrations Renewed Hope agenda. In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, Babajide added that hard decisions must be made to get Nigerians out of the current economic hardship. The member of APC National Advisory Council, South Africa Chapter, also said that Tinubu should be ready to fight corruption so as to get the country on the right path and be respected in the comity of nations. He opined that any nation that treats corruption with kid gloves is on the way to obliteration and perdition. READ ALSO: Niger Rep. Has To Handover In Shortest Possible Time ECOWAS Rejects Tianis Three-Year Transition Plan For the present government to succeed, President Bola Tinubu should be ready to steps on toes of enemies of the people to make Nigeria better and a proud country for all of us. Corruption should be the aberration and should not be a case where the corrupt are the favoured while honest ones are the outcasts. A nation that treat corruption with kid gloves is on the way to obliteration, Babarinde said. The diaspora leader who furthered that Nigerias present system of government is too expensive in relation to the level of poverty index, added that it will be a miracle to actualise good governance with the way the countrys system is currently structured, which negates growth and development. Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the reassigned portfolios of minister-designates, barely 24 hours to their swearing-in. Recall that Tinubu on Sunday, approved the redeployment of Engr. Abubakar Momoh from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development and also directed all minor amendments to ministry nomenclature and portfolio allocation. According to Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President, the Federal Ministry of Youth is to be re-assigned to a Minister-Designate soon. In the reshufflement, former Governor of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola has been redeployed as the Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, while Bunmi Tunji-Ojo has been redeployed as the Minister of Interior. Also, Saidu Alkali has been redeployed as the Minister of Transportation. Ngelale added that both Ministers of State in the Oil & Gas sector are now domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. READ ALSO: Tinubu Reshuffles Portfolios Of Ministers-Designate He said Heineken Lokpobiri is the Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources, while Ekperipe Ekpo is the Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources. The President approves the renaming of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management as the Federal Ministry of Environment. All aforementioned changes take immediate effect by these directives of the President, he said. Reacting via X, Okonkwo described the administration of Tinubu as a joke. According to the Nollywood actor, reshuffling a cabinet within three days of assigning portfolios, even before swearing-in, was a clear sign of confusion and unpreparedness on the part of the president. This government is a joke. Reshuffling a cabinet formed in 77 days, instead of 60, within 72 hours of assigning portfolios, and even before swearing in is a clear sign of confusion and unpreparedness. This is not what Nigeria needs now. May God help us, he wrote. Socio-political commentator, Reno Omokri has reacted to the plot of Niger Republics junta to hand over to civilian government in three years. Recall that the leader of the junta, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, stated the update in a televised broadcast on Saturday night. Reacting to Tchanis promise via X, Omokri stated that such an undertaking was worthless. According to the former presidential aide, the coup plotters were simply looking for relief from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He pointed out that Nigerias former military leader, late Sani Abacha also made the same promise. Omokri who urged ECOWAS to apply more pressure in their sanctions and also shut down the embattled countrys internet, insisted that the bloc must make the junta a scapegoat or the effect of the coup will spread to other West African countries. The so-called promise by the coup leader, General Tchiani, to hand over to civilians in three years is worthless. It is not even worth the value of the paper from which he read it. READ ALSO: Niger Rep. Has To Handover In Shortest Possible Time ECOWAS Rejects Tianis Three-Year Transition Plan The man is just looking for relief from the ECOWAS, and if ECOWAS leaders give in, he will consolidate himself until another strongman removes him. Didnt Abacha promise that his administration would be brief? Power corrupts, and absolute power, such as the type currently being wielded by Tchiani, corrupts absolutely. ECOWAS should continue with the squeeze in Niger. Why do they still have GSM and Internet data? They depend on the French-based Eutelsat. Shut it down. Shut them out of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. Nobody should be rattled by Wagner forces in Niger. Wagner are merciless mercenaries. They fight for money. Without money, their appetite for Niger will soon dim. And Russia is not in a position to financially support Niger for a sustained period. It has its domestic issues to contend with. Consign Niger back to the Stone Age, and his own soldiers and people will eventually turn against him, and General Tchiani will be forced to flee to either Russia or their client states like Mali or Burkina Faso. If General Tchiani is allowed to trick ECOWAS and get them to accept his Taqiyya promise, the domino effect of coup will continue to other West African nations. This is beyond Niger. Make Tchiani a scapegoat! he wrote. President Bola Tinubu has charged the newly appointed ministers to collaborate with him and each other to restore the public faith in government through their work. President Tinubu made this known during his address to the ministers at the Conference Centre of the State House, Abuja. He said, I know you and I delegate this authority, but the greatest number of Nigerians are highly expectant of delivery, accountability, and transparency. Nigerians expect that you will act with integrity, dignity, and deliver. I will hold you to that standard we all promised Nigerians. Its all about a great team, and I believe we have them here. It is a high honour to be chosen to serve as a minister in the Federal Executive Council of our beloved republic, and with such a high honour comes tremendous responsibility. In this moment of abundant promise and peril in equal measure, all of you who have been sworn in have been called to distinguish yourselves. READ MORE: Tinubu Reshuffles Portfolios Of Ministers-Designate Your assignment begins immediately. As your country honours you today with this call to service, you must each work to make your self worthy in the eyes of God and all our nations people. Your highest obligation is to restore public faith in government so that our people can once again believe that the right hands in government can be a positive force for transformation and a vehicle for the collective progress of this country. Earlier, 45 ministers were sworn into his cabinet, which had former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Festus Keyamo as Minister of Aviation. Other ministers include Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy), Adegboyega Oyetola (Transportation), David Umahi (Works), Festus Keyamo (Aviation and Aerospace Development), and Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), amongst others. Most people can sing Happy Birthday by heart. But do you know how you learned it? Who first shared it with you? Who wrote it? You have the lyrics and the melody, and can teach others, but you probably have no idea where it came from. That effectively describes the rub with generative AI, and its a problem for the individuals and organizations that use it. Much like the early days of open source, and software licensing in general, generative AI is uncharted territory, its exciting, and theres a lot to learn. Even between deciding to develop this column and sitting down to actually write it, dozens and dozens of news stories distracted meand further confused the AI issues I was contemplatingnot least a story about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman telling the Senate that, yes, there should be a regulatory agency in place in the likely instance that the technology goes haywire. In other words, generative AI is messy. The Harvard Business Review notes that generative AI has an intellectual property problem that spans a complex set of questions: How should existing laws apply? What should we do about infringement? What rights do AI users have? What rights do content creators have? Who owns AI-generated works? Should unlicensed content be used for training? Should users be able to prompt AI models to cite the licensed and unlicensed works they were trained on? How did we get to this point so quickly? Part of the confusion lies in the opacity of the generative AI model. The GPT in ChatGPT It all goes back to the GPT in ChatGPT. GPT stands for generative pre-trained transformer. A transformer is not that bigabout 2,000 lines of code. Its basically the equivalent of an egg cartonits main purpose is to hold the eggs, or the things that really have value to consumers. In the case of generative AI, the eggs are variables or weights. Sometimes humans forget where they learned something, but often they can remember and can cite sources. Unlike a human, ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms cant actually remember any of the information they have ingested, nor can they cite it. There may be a log that exists somewhere, but it's not in the model itself. Users cant write a prompt to cite training data. The model just has a bunch of numbers and variables. Its akin to a bunch of neurons, and fake neurons at that. These models just statistically predict the next word based on a bunch of content. So, how are we going to solve the problem? Numerous mechanisms are being explored to control the use of AI models, generated content, and weights: Regulation. The government can make laws to control how AI can be used and prescribe punishments for breaking those laws. Licensing. This is a scalable legal agreement between creators and consumers of a software, prose, images, video, etc. Open source was founded on the pillars of rights and freedoms enabled by licensing, but AI is forcing us to take a hard look (Llama and ChatGPT are not open source) at whether ultimate freedom is really the best solution. Contracts. Content creators and those who pay for its creation often have contracts when they do business. For example, the Writers Guild of America West proposed a poison pill in the contract that would prevent any AI-generated content from being copyrighted. The studios business models rely on copyrighted material so this would make it quite difficult to use AI-generated content instead of human writers. Technical controls: Much like in security, there is a difference between policy and technical controls. For example, theres a major difference between mandating that people must change their password every 90 days and forcing them to change their password when they try to log in. Similarly, many AI companies and researchers are attempting to control what an AI model or service will and wont do, but users are finding all kinds of creative ways to coax AI into doing prohibited things using prompt injection attacks. Im skeptical that any of the four methods above will actually control what people can do and cant do with AI. Though, as with open source, I do think consistent and well-understood licensing will be key to widespread adoption by businesses. The HBR article I referenced earlier agrees, noting that licensing will be key to protecting both AI creators and consumers. But how is that going to happen? The AI Wild West The excitement and turmoil surrounding generative AI is not unlike the early days of open source. And, the early days of open source were like the Wild West. Licenses were being created and used with no oversight, causing uncertainty and confusion, which is the opposite of what licensing is supposed to do. In the late-90s, the Open Source Initiative (OSI) took over and basically said, Were the keepers of everything that is open source. Today, both the OSI and the Free Software Foundation publish open source definitions, which are used to determine the conformance of open source licenses. And for about 25 years we kinda thought we were done with open source licensing. But because of AI (and other things like cloud providers), were going to need to rethink licensing schemes, or maybe generate totally new ones. The weights, the models, and the training data all likely need licenses because, without all the inputs and the outputs being well understood, it will make it difficult for businesses to adopt. AI blurs these lines. When humans generate knowledge, its easy to understand the source and the ethics behind ownership of the knowledge. But when you start to get into AI models, its like, OK, who owns that stuff, anyway? Because, lets be honest, it stands to reason that not all models are being trained on content that was approved for use in that way. In fact, I think its pretty safe to say that many of these models are violating copyright and license agreements. But, how do you prove it? Its just a bunch of numbers in a model. How can you sue somebody in court over that? Just as the OSI did with open source, the OSI is stepping in to try and put some guardrails around all of this. The OSIs Deep Dive project posits that the traditional view of open source code implementing AI algorithms may not be sufficient to guarantee inspectability and replicability of the AI systems. The OSI has put out a series of podcasts on the subject, and it is conducting four virtual seminars designed to frame a conversation to discover whats acceptable for AI systems to be Open Source. The OSI even has a blog about the outcome from the first face-to-face community discussion: Takeaways from the Defining Open AI community workshop. If all of this sounds really confusing, thats because it is. And the landscape is changing by the day. It will be really important for organizations to stay abreast of all of the news, and to do the best they can to avoid hype and fearmongering and focus instead on what can be donenowto balance the benefits of AI with governance and guardrails. I highly recommend paying close attention to the OSIs work and to push the vendors you work with to explain what they are doing (and will do) to ensure the effective and ethical use of AI in an open source context. The goal is to deliver AI-powered applications with trusted provenance. (And, for the record, Happy Birthday, which dates back to the late-1800s, was derived from a song written by schoolteacher Patty Hill and her sister, Mildred. Over the years, it has been at the center of many copyright battles and millions of dollars of licensing fees. It is currently in the public domain.) At Red Hat, Scott McCarty is senior principal product manager for RHEL Server, arguably the largest open source software business in the world. Scott is a social media startup veteran, an e-commerce old timer, and a weathered government research technologist, with experience across a variety of companies and organizations, from seven person startups to 12,000 employee technology companies. This has culminated in a unique perspective on open source software development, delivery, and maintenance. Generative AI Insights provides a venue for technology leadersincluding vendors and other third partiesto explore and discuss the challenges and opportunities of generative artificial intelligence. The selection is wide-ranging, from technology deep dives to case studies to expert opinion, but also subjective, based on our judgment of which topics and treatments will best serve InfoWorlds technically sophisticated audience. InfoWorld does not accept marketing collateral for publication and reserves the right to edit all contributed content. Contact doug_dineley@foundryco.com. I think its fair to say that when Oracle joins a group that promises free lunch, its someone elses lunch that Oracle is hoping to eat. How else to explain the Open Enterprise Linux Association (OpenELA)? This trade association formed by Oracle, SUSE, and CIQ declares freeloaders welcome as it tries to build a free clone of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). None of these companies is in the business of giving away their own products for free, yet they dearly hope youll look to them to get free RHELand stick around to pay them for their services. As companies that have never successfully competed individually against Red Hat, they can be forgiven for assuming a collective effort will make a difference. It wont, but hope and industry associations spring eternal. However, rather than kick OpenELA for being a tired resurrection of UnitedLinux, its worth looking deeper into when collective open source efforts do work. Why will OpenELA fail but Kubernetes didnt? What about OpenTF, an effort to reverse HashiCorps decision to change its license for Terraform to the Business Software License (BSL)? The key in each case is to follow the money, especially the cloud money. Where are the clouds? For me, the clearest indication that OpenELA will fail is that the initiative couldnt attract a single significant cloud vendor. SUSE has long made a reasonable business of being the Avis to Red Hats Hertz, developing its own distribution. But Oracle and CIQ? Their Linux businesses are just we try to give you RHELfor less! If Im an enterprise that is serious about infrastructure, why would I ever want to buy a RHEL clone from a Red Hat competitor rather than Red Hat itself? How would it ever be smart IT policy to bet big on companies that are in a poor position to improve or alter a product that they dont own? This is probably one big reason we dont see any of the clouds jumping on the OpenELA train. Each of them already has compelling Linux distributions that are valuable in their own right for customers, not as pale imitations of RHEL. Given how much of the world is now buying software through the major cloud vendors, this is a clear indicator that OpenELA isnt going to work. The same may be true of the signatories to the OpenTF effort. They propose to fork Terraform and create (or join) a foundation, with development that is truly open source, community-driven, [and] impartial. The idealism is palpable. Its also wholly impractical. Its easy to look at Kubernetes or Linux and imagine that it must be easy to tap into the collective genius of developers, but anyone actually involved in the setup and ongoing management of such efforts knows how incredibly hard and messy such things are. Sure, Im on the record of saying HashiCorp was within its rights to change its license. But this isnt about personal opinion; its about history. Look at Kubernetes, rightly lauded as a community success. But consider its origin: Kubernetes didnt start because a bunch of developers were wondering how to spawn a collective effort around container management. Rather, as I wrote in August 2022, Kubernetes was Googles long-game strategy of enabling multicloud portability, the perfect approach for a cloud provider trying to make up lost ground against a dominant incumbent (AWS) and a strong second (Microsoft Azure) that boasts a much stronger enterprise position. Kumbaya, anyone? Forget the origin story, what about ongoing development? That, too, is driven by a few hegemons, not by a scrappy collective of earnest startups. Google employees have contributed roughly one-third of all Kubernetes code since it was founded. The next biggest corporate contributor, Red Hat, accounts for 12%. In third, VMware generated 8%. After that, everyone else is basically a rounding error. Its hard to see how OpenTF can thrive without the scale and resources (people) that big companies bring, especially the cloud vendors. Not a single cloud vendor signed up to help OpenTF. Follow the cloud money The list goes on. The biggest open source successesat least those used in the enterprisetend to have significant corporate backing, though even that doesnt guarantee success. OpenStack, for example, promised to be an open source alternative to AWS and the clouds at a time when most companies (outside the telcos) didnt actually want an alternative. They wanted AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google, not a way to roll their own. OpenStack remains, but it is not a wildly popular project. OpenStack is mostly still around because Red Hat finds it a useful way to serve some of its customers and contributes accordingly. In like manner, AWS launched OpenSearch as a way to ward off Elastics control over Elasticsearch. It has started to have some significant success, but only because AWS continues to plow resources into it. There is no free lunch in open source. It costs real money to fund developers to contribute to open source projects, and that money increasingly comes from the cloud companies, the biggest contributors to open source by far. So although its not a guarantee an industry collective will fail if the cloud vendors arent on board, its an inauspicious sign. The cloud vendors tend to be pretty focused on customers, and they wont show up if their customers arent asking for an OpenELA or OpenStack or OpenWhatever. Thats not a recipe for open source success. "Of Thee We Sing," a sculpture by vanessa german, depicts Philadelphia-raised opera star Marian Anderson, referencing her legendary 1939 performance at the Lincoln Memorial. It is one of six artworks on the National Mall in Washington, part of the exhibit "Beyond Granite: Pulling Together," curated by Monument Lab, running through Sept. 18. Read more In 1939, Philadelphia-raised opera legend Marian Anderson was supposed to play D.C.s Constitution Hall, but the venues owners, the Daughters of the American Revolution, refused to let a Black woman perform. Instead, she sang for 75,000 people in a concert at the Lincoln Memorial, opening with the patriotic song My Country, Tis of Thee. Now, more than 80 years later, Anderson has returned to the National Mall as a sculpture, in a new exhibit curated by Phillys Monument Lab, the nonprofit studio for public art and history based in Center City. The larger-than-life Of Thee We Sing is one of six works in Beyond Granite: Pulling Together, the first multi-artist exhibit held on the National Mall, running through Sept. 18. The work is by vanessa german, a North Carolina-based artist who spent her formative years in Pittsburgh, where she taught art and was an artist-in-residence at the Frick Pittsburgh. The title references a tweak Anderson made to the lyrics of her opening song, to sing of thee we sing instead of of thee I sing. The artist used a collage of materials to depict a towering Anderson standing atop a platform of black-and-white photographs of the multigenerational crowd that gathered at the Mall in 1939. Blue bottles representing those used by enslaved Africans in the Gullah region to capture evil spirits comprise the sculptures skirt and headpiece. Lilies and cutouts of outstretched hands rise from beneath her. Paul Farber, cofounder of the Monument Lab, worked with Salamishah Tillet, a professor of African American studies and creative writing at Rutgers University, to curate the exhibit in partnership with the Trust for the National Mall, the National Park Service, and the National Capital Planning Commission. The guiding question for the exhibit was What stories remain untold on the National Mall? Advertisement There is no granite or bronze monument to her on the Mall, but her name is spoken here every day, by scores of visitors, tour guides, and we wanted to bring her to the foreground, said Farber, who once lived blocks from Phillys Union Baptist Church (formerly at 12th and Bainbridge Streets) where Anderson sang as a child. The exhibition is funded by the Mellon Foundation, which also gave a $4 million grant to Monument Lab in 2021 to diversify and reimagine public monuments in Philly and beyond. Beyond Granite also features Paul Ramirez Jonas bell sculpture, Let Freedom Ring. The work, Farber says, was partially inspired by the Liberty Bell. We heard a comment from one of our advisers that one of the most challenging aspects of the Liberty Bell, despite its aspiration of freedom through time, is that you cant ring it, he said. In Ramirez Jonass sculpture, visitors can play the final note in My Country Tis of Thee referencing the same song Anderson performed in 1939 on a 600-pound bell. Other installations in the exhibit are work from Derrick Adams, who created a playground reflecting desegregation; Tiffany Chung, who uses colorful rope to trace the routes of Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees following the Vietnam War; Ashon Crawley, whose audiovisual work about the impact of HIV honors Black queer church musicians; and Wendy Red Star, who used her own fingerprint to create a large red thumb print containing the names of the Apsaalooke (Crow) Nation chiefs who signed treaties with the U.S. government. Beyond Granite: Pulling Together runs through Sept. 18 on the National Mall in Washington. A triple shooting in North Philadelphia left a 17-year-old girl in critical condition on Aug. 21, 2023. Read more A party in North Philadelphia was coming to a close as three people were shot early Monday morning, Philadelphia police said. The shooting happened just before 1 a.m. on the 1300 block of North 10th Street, when officers patrolling the area heard gunfire and saw dozens of young people fleeing the property. Officers said they found two of the shooting victims a 17-year-old girl and a 23-year-old man taking shelter inside a different house on the same block of North 10th. It is believed they ran there after being shot. Advertisement Both were transported to Temple University Hospital, police said, where the 17-year-old was in critical condition after being shot in the chest and the 23-year-old was listed as stable with graze wounds on his leg. A third victim, a 31-year-old man who was shot in the buttocks, was also transported to Temple University Hospital separately, police said. He was in stable condition. Police discovered 11 shell casings scattered across the property where the party and shooting occurred, as well as at another house across the street. It is unclear if there was more than one shooter, and no arrests have been made. Police are investigating. The three finalist chip flavors in the Herr's contest: Johns Roast Pork Sandwich, Mikes Korean BBQ Wings, and Corropoleses Tomato Pie. Read more Theres a winner in Herrs Flavored by Philly contest, and if you act now, you may be able to sample it. The tomato pie-flavored chips inspired by Corropolese Italian Bakerys signature product a blast of tomatoes with whiffs of sweetness and garlic outpolled the Korean barbecue-inspired chips based on Mikes BBQs wing recipe and the roast pork chips reflecting the flavor of Johns Roast Pork. The three finalists, submitted by fans, were announced in June. More than 17,600 votes were recorded. A Herrs representative said there were no current plans to reissue the winning chips, but there are some bags still out there in local stores. Advertisement Corropolese gets a $10,000 fund for its win, and David Gilmartin of Royersford, a longtime bakery customer, will get a $5,000 finders fee. As the runners-up, Mikes and Johns will receive $2,500 each, while their nominators will be awarded $1,000. In last years contest, Herrs went in-house to create three Philly-centric flavors, and Long Hots with Sharp Provolone beat out Special Sauce and Wiz Wit. Herrs chairman and chief executive Ed Herr said the company cast a wider net this year because we love being a local family business and we love the idea of working with other local family businesses. Herrs said the tomato pie prevailed because I think that consumers like the flavor combination of tomato and potato, he said. Theres something about it. He said potato-based and bread-based products have similar qualities. Whats tomato pie? Ask for a tomato pie around the country, and you may get a layer of sliced tomatoes swiped from the sub counter atop a red-sauced pizza dough. In Trenton and central New Jersey, youll get a thin-crust upside-down pizza, with cheese baked directly atop the bottom crust and sauce spread on top. READ MORE: The search for the perfect tomato pie Around here particularly in South Philadelphia and a swath of the region running mainly from Manayunk to Norristown, as well as in Utica, N.Y. tomato pie is an entirely different thing. It started out a century ago in Italian American bakeries, which make them in large rectangular or square sheet pans, like focaccia. Some have raised crusts; others are flat. The tomato sauce typically is thick and slightly oily, just a notch thinner than tomato paste. Some shops dust the finished tops with just a rumor of grated parmesan and / or romano, almost as decoration. Others avoid cheese entirely, a boon to vegans. Herrs history Ed Herrs father, James Stauffer Herr, was 21 and working on his fathers chicken farm when he read in a newspaper that a Lancaster potato chip company was for sale. In 1946, he paid $1,750 for it, and began making chips and selling them door to door in tins. (He died in 2012 at 87, on the 65th anniversary of his marriage to his wife, Miriam.) The company now makes over 300 different products at its factory in Nottingham, Chester County. READ MORE: Take a factory tour of Herr's Asked what flavors would not make a tasty chip, Ed Herr was stumped. People have submitted such ideas as cannoli, doughnut, pierogi, and tacos. Potatoes are such a neutral base. Its hard to find flavors that dont taste good on potato chips, Herr said. Truffle oil, mustard, just about any condiment works. Corropoleses backstory Joe Corropolese, the fourth generation, is a son of Guilio Butch Corropolese, whose father, an immigrant from Naples named Joe, founded the bakery in Norristown in 1924. Since the mid-1980s, Corropoleses home base has been in East Norriton, which has a well-stocked deli. You can find the tomato pies in some supermarkets, but its best to go to one of the Corropolese locations (Limerick, Audubon, or East Norriton). How to pronounce Corropolese The Corropoleses say it CORE-po-lease. Click here to hear Joe Corropolese say it. Crozer Healths computer system that handles patient records has been restored and is fully operational again, multiple sources said Tuesday. A ransomware attack on Aug. 3 had knocked the system offline, forcing doctors and nurses to use paper medical records, handle actual x-ray film and read it in special monitors, and walk to get lab results on paper all things that are handled electronically in a modern hospital. The restoration of the computer systems is good news for patients such as Edith Gavin, 63, whose family doctor at Crozer canceled an Aug. 15 appointment because the office couldnt access records. Gavin, a Skippack resident, said Monday that she was worried about getting a referral in time for a Sept. 1 appointment with a specialist. Financial impact on Crozer The ransomware attack also dealt at least a short-term financial blow to Crozer, which has been struggling to claw its way back to profitability after a private-equity firm sold Crozers real estate for cash. The for-profit health system had reported making progress after ending acute-care services at two of its four hospitals. Those hospitals are Springfield and Delaware County Memorial Hospital. Crozer also owns Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland and Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park. Advertisement Health systems typically recover financially from cyber attacks, said Kevin Holloran, senior director for nonprofit health care at Fitch Ratings. There is a very deep, very steep, short term pain point that takes place when this happens, but if the organizations got a large enough balance sheet and a good enough team, so far weve seen that they ultimately end up okay from a ratings standpoint, Holloran said. Health systems typically have insurance that reimburses them for losses during the early stages of recovery from an attack, he said. Fitch does not rate Crozer because it is a for-profit system, owned by Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. Prospect, when it was controlled by a private-equity firm, in 2019 sold the real estate at Crozer and certain other hospitals, which then had to lease the properties back from the new owner, effectively saddling the hospitals with debt. In Crozers case, that debt amounted to $420 million. The landlord has since slashed the value of the Crozer properties to $155 million and in May announced its intention to replace the lease on the Crozer buildings with a mortgage. Under that scenario, Crozer would again own the properties. But in a sign of Crozers financial challenges, the system was not required to make payments on that mortgage for two years. Its not clear if that new arrangement took effect. Editors note: This story was updated to reflect the restoration of the health systems online operations. Firefighters work to contain a wildfire in Wharton State Forest near the border of Camden and Burlington Counties in New Jersey on Monday. Read more Firefighters late Monday were making significant progress to contain a growing wildfire in Wharton State Forest that swelled in size on the border of Camden and Burlington Counties. The blaze, dubbed the Dragway Wildfire by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, grew to encompass 1,500 acres of woodland near the shuttered Atco Dragway in Waterford Township. It was spotted near Jackson Road on Sunday, and as of Monday night, 75% of the fire was contained. Crews built containment lines Monday to keep the fire from spreading farther, officials said. Jackson Road in Waterford has closed from Atsion Road to Tremont Avenue. Advertisement Officials have stressed the fire poses no threat to nearby structures. No injures have been reported, and there have been no evacuations. Assistant State Fire Warden Bill Donnelly said because the fire started in a remote area of the woods, crews are expected to be on the scene for days. Our apparatus could not make access to the fire, Donnelly told reporters late Monday morning. We made access to the fire on foot, but because we cant get any bulldozers or any fire apparatus to the fire, we have to bring it out to a safe place to contain it. Wharton State Forest spans more than 110,000 acres across Atlantic, Burlington, and Camden Counties. Its the largest single tract of land within New Jerseys state park system. This is the 13th wildfire New Jersey has experienced this season, and the fire service says blazes that exceed 100 acres are considered major wildfires. Last year, a wildfire in Wharton State Forest swelled into New Jerseys largest blaze in 15 years, burning about 15,000 acres before it was fully contained. The cause of the wildfire remains under investigation. Here are more photos of the fire: One man was killed and three others were injured in a shooting Monday evening in Upper Darby at a funeral luncheon for another man killed late last week, police said. Police responded to the shooting around 5:15 p.m. on the 600 block of Long Lane, said Upper Darby Superintendent Timothy M. Bernhardt. Surveillance video shows at least one shooter exiting a dark-colored Chevrolet Impala and firing into a small venue where a funeral luncheon attended by 50 to 100 people was being held for James Ford, 39, who was fatally shot late Thursday afternoon in Clifton Heights. One man was struck in the head by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene. Philadelphia police found a second man in a car at 58th Street and Baltimore Avenue and transported him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition but was expected to survive, Bernhardt said. Advertisement Two other men with graze wounds were taken to one or more hospitals in Philadelphia by private vehicles, Bernhardt said. Shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, the Clifton Heights Borough Police Department announced that Birchett Lamont King, 25, was in custody for the homicide of Ford. According to 6ABC, King is Fords nephew and allegedly shot his uncle during an argument over a car. CBS3 showed a helicopter view of the scene outside a small commercial storefront on Long Lane with numerous evidence markers on the sidewalk and in the street. The front windows of the business appeared to be shattered. No arrests were reported. Anyone with information helpful to the investigation can call Upper Darby police at 610-734-7693. Attorney Bethany Nikitenko (left) and Angel Davis are shown at a July 25 news conference announcing Davis' suit after she was shot in the head during an eviction from her Philadelphia apartment. Read more Philadelphias landlord-tenant office has scheduled a string of tenant lockouts to resume on Tuesday, ending a monthlong hiatus of the citys for-profit eviction system following several evictions in which tenants were shot. Court officials had ordered the citys landlord-tenant officer, Marisa Shuter, to pause evictions in late July after one of her officers shot Kensington resident Latese Bethea in the leg during an attempted lockout. It was the second time in four months that a tenant was shot by one of Shuters officers, who are private contractors typically drawn from the ranks of retired police, as opposed to sworn members of law enforcement. As calls from housing advocates grew to reform the office or eliminate it entirely the landlord-tenant office announced last week that it had introduced new guidelines for lockouts that would address use-of-force and de-escalation tactics to eliminate violence. A spokesperson for Philadelphias Municipal Court, which oversees the office, confirmed that its president judge had approved Shuters revamped lockout guidelines. Advertisement On Monday, court docket entries showed around a dozen landlord-tenant complaints with evictions scheduled for the next day. In meetings with an advisory group, Shuter has promised more transparency about the dates and times of its planned lockouts, pledging to make information available upon request to tenants or advocates, and enter scheduled evictions into the court record. Additionally, lockouts will now be conducted by teams of two officers, at least one of whom is a constable, who are sworn law enforcement officers elected to municipal posts outside Philadelphia. Landlords filing to evict a tenant will also be asked to fill out a safety affidavit beforehand, and include details about the tenants home life, including information about children, pets, and firearms on the property, and whether the tenant has a known mental or physical disability. READ MORE: Second tenant shot during Philly eviction sues, as landlord-tenant officer moves to resume lockouts The questions spring from the circumstances surrounding several landlord-tenant officer shootings this year, including a June incident where an officer fired at a tenants dog. Tensions between tenant advocates and the LTO roiled in July, when a contractor shot 33-year-old Bethea in the leg. She has since filed a lawsuit against Shuter, accusing her office of negligence. That suit followed one filed on behalf of 35-year-old Angel Davis after she was shot in the head by a contractor this spring. In all three shootings, Shuters office has maintained its officers were acting in self-defense, claiming tenants had been wielding knives. Per the new guidelines, landlord fees for the LTO to conduct lockouts will more than double, from $145 to $350, to accommodate staffing, training, and insurance costs, according to the office. That puts fees on par with what the Philadelphia sheriffs department charges for similar services. Landlords have hailed the resumption of Shuters operation which is generally viewed as a cheaper and more expedient alternative to the sheriffs office. Others, like Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, expressed dismay that the monthlong advisory process had not resulted in more changes. Outsourcing the responsibility for evictions to out-of-county constables acting as private contractors does not make the system accountable to Philadelphians, she said last week in a joint statement with Councilmember Kendra Brooks. While constables are elected officials, they are not elected by or beholden to Philadelphians. Oversight and accountability for this public responsibility must reside within Philadelphia and be led by Philadelphians. Drew Murray is one of the two Republicans seeking an at-large seat on Philadelphia City Council. He was photographed this month at his home in Logan Square. Read more Drew Murray says that people called him a DINO when he was a Democrat, and now his critics say hes a RINO as a Republican. Whether hes actually a Republican In Name Only or not, he likes that he doesnt pass an ideological purity test on either side. It means I can think for myself, he said. Murray, 50, a Center City civic leader who became a Republican in 2018, is running for Philadelphia City Council and hoping to win one of seven at-large seats for members who represent the entire city. Voters in November can select up to five candidates, meaning the five Democrats on the ballot are considered all-but-certain to win given the partys enormous voter registration advantage in the city. That leaves Republicans fighting the progressive Working Families Party for the final two seats. The GOP held both for decades until 2019, when Working Families Party candidate Kendra Brooks won a seat on Council. Shes up for reelection this year and running alongside pastor Nicolas ORourke. Advertisement Murrays running mate is Jim Hasher, a real estate broker and restaurant owner. Heres what to know about Murray: Why does Drew Murray want to be on Council? Murray said a large swath of residents are frustrated with the state of the city and are craving more balance on Council, saying that as a self-described moderate, he is exactly what the city wants right now. READ MORE: Republicans are appealing a ruling keeping Working Families Party candidates on the Philly City Council ballot He also said that as a former Center City neighborhood association leader, hes well-versed in housing, development, business growth, and the delivery of city services. On the campaign trail, Murray is emphasizing quality-of-life issues and public safety. This years race is Murrays third run for Council. He ran unsuccessfully in 2019, and then again in a special election last fall alongside Hasher a race both considered to be something of a dress rehearsal for this years general election. What are Murrays top priorities? Murray said the top three issues facing the city are crime, crime, and crime. Everyone is feeling this crime wave all around the city, he said. Whether its people stealing from Rite Aid, or illegal ATVs going up and down the Parkway, or our murder totals are still very high. He said while its challenging to legislate yourself out of crime, he intends to work closely with law enforcement leaders to have culpability in this city again. Murray, like many Republicans, has been critical of progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner, but he vowed hed aim to find compromise with the DA if elected to Council. Whether I agree with the DA or not, I need to work with him, he said. He wants to reduce crime. We both want the same thing, we just have vastly different ideas on how to get here. Im not going to put all the blame on one person. Whats he like as a person? A native of Villanova, Murray has lived in Center City for nearly two decades. He lives with his wife and two teenage daughters, and he works in sales at a Conshohocken-based storage firm. Hes the ex-president of the Logan Square Neighborhood, and he formerly led the Crosstown Coalition, a conglomerate of community and neighborhood associations. Fun fact: He and his wife, Kristy, both drive Mini Coopers. His is red; hers is blue. Where does Murray stand on issues? Murray said he considers himself pro-business and pro-development. He said he sees development as paramount to the future of Philadelphia and thinks the city needs to more aggressively promote business growth. Taxes: He favors continued reductions of the wage and business taxes. He believes the city should reduce and, over time, eliminate taxes on sweetened beverages and the gross revenue portion of the citys business tax structure. He would also support waiving the real estate transfer tax for first-time home buyers. Murray said he believes a more pro-business posture would result in a larger tax base over years and that service cuts would not be necessary to fund tax reductions. Public safety: Murray said he is pro law enforcement and would focus his efforts legislatively on recruiting and retaining officers to fill hundreds of open positions in the department. READ MORE: The future of a new Sixers arena shifts to City Hall after a year of contention Proposed arena: He is leaning toward being in favor of the proposal to build a new Sixers arena in Center City, but Murray said he is awaiting the results of a forthcoming community impact study. Sometimes what is best for the city might not be best for the neighbors, and you have to weigh that carefully, he said. Lets find ways to make it work that is going to benefit everyone across the board. What else should I know about him? Murray said he considers himself to be pro-labor and expects to announce endorsements from a handful of unions after Labor Day, once full-time campaigning gets underway. He said while he left the Democratic Party in 2018 because it felt like the party was no longer for the middle class, he doesnt necessarily align ideologically with the national Republican Party or former President Donald Trump, who is running for president while facing four separate indictments. Still, Murray said he voted for Trump in the 2020 general election because hes a Republican ward leader, so I do support the ticket. I dont tie myself directly to President Trump or his policies, Murray said. I tell people mostly to look at who I am and what Ive done. U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, a York County Republican, rents two district offices in central Pennsylvania from a developer who was charged with attacking police officers with a flagpole during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Lowell Gates, 63, has an extensive portfolio of properties, including buildings in office parks in Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg where Perry has offices and is also a lawyer. A listing for Gates in the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania said he was admitted to practice law in 1986 but does not currently have private clients. Gates was charged two weeks ago with six felony and misdemeanor counts, including assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon. Jay Ostrich, Perrys district director and spokesperson, did not respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Perry led the charge on the House floor on Jan. 6 in an attempt to throw out Pennsylvanias electoral votes while echoing then-President Donald Trumps lies about election fraud in the state. FBI agents used a search warrant last year to seize his cell phone as part of a wide-ranging investigation into Trumps efforts to stay in office after losing the 2020 election. That investigation became the basis for one of the four criminal indictments now filed against Trump. Perry uses public funds to rent property from Gates Gates connection to Perrys offices was first reported Thursday by The Keystone. Gates, who runs Linlo Properties with his wife, Linda, also did not respond to requests for comment. The couple have given Perrys campaign $17,050 since 2014. Perry has rented office space from Linlo near Harrisburg since January 2019 and added a Linlo-owned office near Mechanicsburg this year. The Harrisburg rent is $3,925 per month, while the rent in Mechanicsburg is $1,714 per month, according to the U.S. House quarterly statement of disbursements. Perry will spend nearly $68,000 in public funds this year to rent property controlled by Gates. Gates accused of striking officers with flagpole Federal officials said two videos, including one from a law enforcement officers body-worn camera, captured images of Gates waving a flag in support of Trump, attached to a long pole, which he used to hit police officers in the Capitols West Plaza. Gates stooped down to pick up something, which he then threw at the group of police officers, the criminal complaint filed against Gates said. Shortly thereafter, Gates raised his flagpole like a spear and lunged at the officers, striking them three times. Gates, who was wearing a brown jacket that day, became known as the #brownjacketjabber in social media circles where online sleuths tried to identify Jan. 6 participants. FBI agents who interviewed Gates at his company office in Camp Hill in October 2022 reported that he said he watched part of Trumps Jan. 6 speech before walking to the Capitol, where he was exposed to chemical spray during the melee that ensued. But Gates told the FBI he generally had a lot of fun that day, the complaint said. Gates had another run-in with law enforcement in April 2020, when he was arrested about five miles from his home in Mechanicsburg for disorderly conduct. A summary citation said Gates did create a physically offensive condition by exposing his genitals in public, which serves no legitimate purpose. Court records show Gates pleaded guilty two months later and paid $192 in fines and court fees. Gates ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the State House in 2008. He and his wife regularly make donations to Republican candidates and organizations. In 2022, they gave state political action committees $30,000, including $20,000 to State Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County for his unsuccessful bid for governor. Mastriano also attended Trumps speech on Jan. 6 while busing in a group of his supporters. He walked to the Capitol after the speech and was photographed beyond the boundaries set up by police that day. Mastriano insisted he did nothing wrong that day but resisted being interviewed by the congressional committee that examined the Capitol riot. He met with the committee in a teleconference for less than 15 minutes in August 2020 while refusing to answer questions. nib Group (nib), the Trans-Tasman private health fund and travel insurer, has announced its FY23 results. According to an ASX announcement, Net profit after tax (NPAT) was up more than 40% to $191.8 million. Revenue, said the announcement, was up by nearly 11% to more than $3 billion. Our job is to make completely sure that when it starts to plateau - and its not going to start in the next 12 months or two years, I can tell you, theres still a long way to go - but when it starts, we want to make sure that organic growth that weve been able to take out of the capital that weve deployed makes up for that difference, said Kelly. This transaction is good news for both our clients and colleagues who will benefit from the combination of our experience with Marshs global resources and solutions, commented Fluitsma. It is also significant recognition for the hard work and dedication of the entire Honan team, which has helped us create a valuable proposition for clients. A federal appeals court has clarified, at least under the realm of Texas law, when an insurer has a duty to indemnify even if it has no duty to defend a tort action against the insured thanks to an unambiguous pollution exclusion. While the duty to defend is determined solely by the facts alleged in the petition and the terms of the policy, the duty to indemnify generally cannot be ascertained until the completion of litigation, when liability is established, if at all,' a panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in a Liberty Mutual Insurance case decision handed down this week. In overruling part of a lower courts decision and questioning other recent court actions, the appellate judges concluded that the assumption that the duty to indemnify cannot exist where there is no duty to defend is faulty.' The decision could complicate some litigation for insurers, or perhaps lead some to further tweak the wording of exclusions. The case began in 2016 in South Carolina, where Copart Inc. operates a sprawling automobile salvage yard near Columbia, readying cars for dealer auction. Eight property owners near the operation filed suit in 2016 in South Carolina, charging that the operation was damaging their bucolic properties by polluting a creek system with alarming levels of petroleum chemicals and other hazardous fluids that leaked from the cars. That litigation settled in 2022. But the insurance coverage issue continued: Copart, a publicly traded company with operations in 11 countries, held commercial general liability and umbrella policies with Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance and its sister firm, Liberty Insurance Co. Liberty asked the court to declare that it had no duty to defend or indemnify Copart in the tort action. Copart is headquartered in Dallas, and the insurance duty case was heard in Texas federal court. Both sides agreed that the policies exclusions clearly barred coverage for damages caused by pollution from the Copart operations. But at the district court and in the appeal, Coparts attorneys argued that the exclusions referred only to actual pollutants, such as chemicals, contaminants and waste. The underlying lawsuit brought by the nearby property owners also mentioned non-pollutants, such as water, sediment and soil, as damaging their land. Those were not excluded, Copart said, thus requiring coverage by the insurer. The district court and the appellate judges did not buy it. None of Coparts arguments is persuasive, reads July 31st 5th Circuit opinion, written by Judge Stephen Higginson. It exceeds the bounds of plausibility to interpret the complaint as alleging independent harm by the non-pollutant substances, Higginson noted, upholding the lower courts finding that Liberty Mutual had no duty to defend. Despite that, the 5th Circuit found that the lower court misinterpreted Texas case law by concluding that no duty to defend automatically means no duty to indemnify. The district judge relied on a 1998 federal appeals court decision, finding that logic and common sense dictate that assertion. But the appellate panel noted that a later 5th Circuit decision, in Colony Insurance vs. Peachtree Construction, held that a duty to defend is determined by the terms used in the underlying lawsuit and by the policy; but the litigation must be concluded to determine if indemnity is due. The judges remanded that part of the case back to the district court to determine Liberty Mutuals indemnity obligation, if any. The court acknowledged that the underlying suit has been settled. But it did not explain how the lower court might now determine if the evidence reflects damage from non-pollutants. Topics Texas Recently, a carriers representatives walked into one of my clients offices. This carrier announced they needed a 25% rate increase because of the carriers poor loss ratios. My top clients are well informed about their carriers profitability thanks to my consulting with them, so my client showed the carrier their five-year average loss ratio of 40% in that state and asked, Why in the world do you so desperately need a 25% rate increase? Are your expenses so high that your loss ratio cant exceed 15% (40% minus 25%)? Facts were not those marketing reps friends. Marketing reps never research their own companies results. They simply repeat whatever message their boss told them to deliver and odds are high their boss did not research the results either. Ive seen many instances where CFOs did not understand their own results either. This industry runs by myth, assumption, hope, and tremendous amounts of wishful thinking, but rarely quality thinking. I read an excerpt from the most recent Berkshire-Hathaway shareholders meeting where Charlie Munger was asked if he and Warren Buffet ever make bad decisions. His response is something every business leader should live by. He said that of course they sometimes make bad decisions, but they never make emotional decisions. Frequently, when I show an agency owner the extremely weak financial facts of some carrier, they will continue to place business with that carrier because they like them. I have seen carriers bald face lie and the agency owner continue to trust the carrier more than the facts. Many a carrier depends heavily on agents not knowing the facts, not making decisions based on facts, and playing the ostrich by putting their head in the sand so they dont hear the facts. Most agents are being taken advantage of, quite purposely. And with your head in the sand, another part of your anatomy is ripe for a whipping. A Universal Bad Market? Many carriers are trying to sell agents, consumers, and insurance commissioners on how horrible the market is. Indeed, this is an awful market, but the reason it is bad and how universal the bad is a different matter. A key reason the market is bad for many carriers is because they lost so much money in their investments, not their claims. Ive yet to read this in a press release and I actually check press releases against carrier financials. Facts are interesting. Another blame is reinsurance, reinsurance, reinsurance. Well, reinsurance is an issue if the company is purchasing a lot of third-party reinsurance. However, many quality carriers buy little reinsurance. They might reinsure 5% or even as little as 2% of their premiums. Even if reinsurance prices increase significantly on 5% of their premiums, the increase in the overall scheme is minor and sometimes not even material. The increase might be less than one tenth of one percent of the carriers premiums. When a carrier blames reinsurance, one of three factors is happening. The first is they are too dependent on reinsurance to begin with. That should be a red flag anyway. In this case, they want everyone to believe every carrier is too dependent on reinsurance and they hope no one checks. The second is they have no idea what theyre saying, and they are simply parroting what theyve heard. They are effectively clueless. Third, they know what theyre saying and they are not dependent on reinsurance, and they also know everyone is too lazy to check the facts. Another consideration exists and that is where the carrier buys reinsurance from themselves. If the price of reinsurance is increasing significantly, but the carrier is buying reinsurance from themselves, what difference does the price make? Some carriers buy the vast majority of their reinsurance from themselves. (I know this sounds oxymoronic.) Get the Facts and Move Forward Whether I am consulting for insurance carriers or agents, my clients who deal with facts best (and not by their own judgment because the most emotional ones always think theyre the most logical ones), achieve greater success. Hands down they achieve more success if for no other reason than that they get to the point 10 times more quickly. Carriers have a fairly logical decision to make relative to agent and network compensation. Currently, they are paying most agents too much money and their best distributors too little. This is what you get in a socialistic compensation system, considerable inefficiency because merit is not rewarded. Emotion is all that is truly holding carrier executives from making the decision to reward distributors more efficiently on merit. The two carriers, and one in particular, that made that decision several years ago is outperforming most every company and never looking back. Take Charlie Mungers advice and quit making emotional decisions, because even when you dont make any decision, youre making an emotional decision. Facts vs. Emotions Here is a really, really good example of how facts tell a different story than emotions. This is an insurance company story showing how carriers narratives dont match the facts (because I have audited facts for carriers whereas with agencies and distributors, this level of detail on an audited basis does not exist). The narrative is that homeowners loss ratios are horrible, awful, no one can make money, so on and so forth. The five-year unweighted average loss ratio for homeowners in the U.S. is 67.4% per AM Best. Carriers wont make much money at a 67.4% loss ratio, but if the carrier is well managed, it wont go broke either. A carrier that advises theyll go broke at a 69% loss ratio is a poorly managed carrier fact. But the results really are not even that bad. There are two states with five-year averages exceeding 100% (Iowa and Louisiana). Carriers are racing to the exits in Florida and California, but Floridas five-year loss ratio is only 86.5%, still horrible but almost 27 percentage points better than Iowas! Californias loss ratio is just barely higher than the national average. (Louisiana, unfortunately, probably needs a wholesale innovative approach to homeowners involving the coverage forms to fix their truly severe problem.) Carriers are not exiting Iowa in droves, so the issue is not being driven by a profit analysis. Take it further and the states with loss ratios exceeding 80% over the last five years include Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon and South Dakota. Notice that California is not on the list? Most of these states have bad results almost every year (Oregon is the exception). Treating all states equal, meaning taking an unweighted average and eliminating U.S. territories, the average five-year loss ratio of any given state is 65.0%. Removing those states with loss ratios exceeding 80%, the average loss ratio of any given state is a very respectful and profitable 58.9%. The industry does not have a homeowners loss ratio problem. To get into a tiny bit of statistical detail, this is a great example of how this industry is run by people that know nothing about statistics. If you map out the loss ratios by state relative to how many states have good or bad loss ratios, the result is not a normal curve. The narrative the carriers are telling about homeowners assumes a normal distribution of loss ratios. As with almost everything in this industry except maybe to actuaries, is that normal distribution curves have no application. Catastrophes cannot by definition be catastrophes unless they are exceptions and exceptions dont fit normal frequency curves (this is actually a huge problem for actuarial analysis and property claims). The majority of states have good loss ratios. The issue is that a few states have really horrible loss ratios. Therefore, the solution lies in fixing those states loss ratios specifically. The industry does not have a homeowners loss ratio problem. It has seven states with severe loss ratio problems. Taking actions by restricting writing in the other 43 states is not the solution. Taking severe actions in states with okay loss ratios like Texas, a state with the most average loss ratios of any state, makes little sense. If a carrier or agency was to deal with the facts, they would take advantage of those carriers incapable of making logical decisions, who believe their own stories. There is a lot of money to be made in these situations where the results are so skewed but the carrier executives will not deal with the actual data. Take Charlie Mungers advice and make fully considered decisions, but do not make emotional decisions and absolutely quit believing the narrative without checking the facts. Topics California Florida Iowa Recently introduced federal legislation that would require insurance companies with more than $100 million in annual premiums to disclose investments and underwritings related to coal, oil and gas projects, and fossil fuels is already required at the state level and would increase costs for consumers, said industry trade associations. State regulators have been examining the impact of climate change on insurers and the insurance marketplace for years, and disclosure has long been a part of that, said Jimi Grande, senior vice president of federal and political affairs for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC). Federal calls for insurers to publicly disclose investments is a red herring designed to score political points and does nothing to help consumers. Moreover, said Nat Wienecke, the American Property Casualty Insurer Associations (APCIA) senior vice president of federal government relations: Insurers play an important role in helping protect families, businesses, and communities as our economy transitions to a greener energy future. The call for an immediate end to insurance services for certain fossil fuel activities and producers ignores the importance of providing an effective energy transition to renewable sources. On July 25, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) introduced the Polluter Portfolio Disclosure Act. The U.S. representatives said the legislation would shed light on how big insurance companies are profiting from the climate crisis and, at the same time, failing to provide the necessary coverage to communities in need. The bill calls for annual disclosures of climate-related investments to the Federal Insurance Office, the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and the Office of Financial Research and for the information to be made public and searchable online. NAMIC said the measure scapegoats the insurance industry, which is greatly affected by and is sympathetic to the victims of the increasing natural disasters. Americas insurers pay billions of dollars every year to help their policyholders recover from extreme weather, and they will be there for policyholders when the next disaster strikes, Grande said. We also continue to press Congress to fund more mitigation projects to reduce risk and better protect Americas communities from future extreme weather events. Climate change is a problem that affects everyone; needless legislation and political grandstanding arent part of the solution. Insurers play an active role in facilitating a more resilient economy through their investment strategies and by closely partnering with policyholders and creating products that support their own transition pathways, added Wienecke. Hard exits prevent insurers from contributing what they do best helping consumers and businesses understand physical and transition risk and operationalize their plans. Hard exits may also contribute to negative, global economic impacts, as we remain in a period where traditional fossil fuels are still very much in need and a hard exit would disproportionately impact marginalized communities and developing economies. Public Citizen, one of a group of organizations endorsing the bill, said reducing climate risks requires reducing the insurance industrys financing and insurance of the fossil fuel industry. While insurance companies flee states that face the most harm from the climate crisis, they continue to hold tight to their investments in fossil fuels, said Carly Fabian, climate insurance advocate with Public Citizen. The combination of a planet on fire and an insurance industry underwriting and investing in the accelerant is not sustainable. Ukraine is considering using its newly tested wartime Black Sea export corridor for grain shipments after the first successful evacuation of a vessel along the route last week, a senior agricultural official said on Monday. Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since it invaded its neighbor in February 2022, and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of a U.N.-backed safe-passage deal for Black Sea grain exports last month. In response, Ukraine announced a humanitarian corridor hugging the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria. A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in Odesa port since the invasion traveled the route last week without being fired upon. Ukraine Announces Humanitarian Corridor for Ships Stuck in Black Sea Ports Only one commercial vessel has passed through so far, (and this) has shown readiness to move by alternative routes, Denys Marchuk, deputy head of the Agrarian Council, Ukraines largest agribusiness group, told national television. Further, there should be a movement of potentially 7-8 more ships then perhaps in the future these alternative routes will become a corridor for the movement of ships that are traveling with cargoes of grain and oilseeds, he said. Britains Financial Times newspaper said Kyiv was finalizing a scheme with global insurers to cover grain ships traveling to and from its Black Sea ports, citing Ukrainian Deputy Economy Minister Oleksandr Gryban. Ukraine is a major global grain grower and exporter and normally ships millions of metric tons of food from its deep-water Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv. But Ukraine has had to rely on its Danube River delta ports in the countrys southwest corner since Russia abandoned its part in the year-old, safe-passage deal. To attract ship owners to Ukrainian ports that have come under fire from Russian forces, Marchuk said Ukraine had already allocated 20 billion hryvnias ($547 million) for ship insurance. However, Mykola Gorbachov, head of Ukrainian grain traders union UGA, said that despite the mechanism of compensation for possible losses, he doubted that many ship owners were ready to ply the temporary corridors. In particular, it takes at least two to three days to load a ship in the ports of Greater Odesa. If during this time the port infrastructure is hit again by enemy attacks, there is a risk of damage to ships and cargo, he said in a statement. Gorbachov said it would be advisable to find a mechanism to ensure the security of civilian ships in the temporary corridors by providing, for example, military escorts. NATO ships will be able to respond to threats, including missile attacks on port infrastructure, he said. ($1 = 36.5600 hryvnias) (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Mark Heinrich) Photograph: In this photo provided by Ukraines Infrastructure Ministry Press Office, container ship Joseph Schulte (Hong Kong flag) leaves the port of Odesa to proceed through the temporary corridor established for merchant vessels from Ukraines Black Sea ports in Odesa, Ukraine, on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. The ship carrying over 30 thousand tons of cargo, including food products, which had been in the port of Odesa since last February because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, left Odessa under an agreement between Ukraine and the International Maritime Organisation. (Ukraines Infrastructure Ministry Press Office via AP) Related: Topics Ukraine Firefighters kept wildfires at bay near the capital of Canada`s Northwest Territories as well as a threatened city in British Columbia, though no one claimed victory as forecasters warned that drier and windier weather was coming. For Saturday at least, the weather was milder, providing some help for fire teams battling to contain the flames of Canada`s worst fire season on record that destroyed structures, fouled the air with thick smoke and prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents. Officials said a huge wildfire again had been kept from advancing closer than 15 kilometers (9 miles) to Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories that was left virtually empty when nearly all of its 20,000 residents fled for safety. Raging Wildfires Prompt Evacuation of Northern Canadian City, Yellowknife Were by no means out of the woods yet, Mike Westwick, wildfire information officer for the city, told The Associated Press. We still have a serious situation. Its not safe to return. To the south, in British Columbia, raging flames were also kept away from Kelowna, a city of 30,000 people about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of the United States border. The Kelowna fire is among more than 380 blazes across the province, with 150 burning out of control. The blaze near Yellowknife is one of 237 wildfires burning in the Northwest Territories. At a Saturday evening news conference, Shane Thompson, the minister of environment and climate change for the Northwest Territories, said the fires near Yellowknife had not grown very much in the past few days thanks to breaks in the weather. But I want to be clear, a little bit of rain doesnt mean its safe to come back home, he said. Others warned that incoming hot weather would make the battle more challenging. Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty encouraged residents to stay away to ensure their safety and help with firefighting efforts. She assured people that patrols were monitoring streets and homes to protect against looting. The city has become a virtual ghost town since residents fled following an evacuation order issued Wednesday evening. Long caravans of cars choked the main highway and people lined up for emergency flights to escape the blaze. The last 39 hospital patients were flown out Friday night on a Canadian Forces plane, officials said. On Saturday, officials said the escape route out of Yellowknife was safe, for the time being. About 2,600 people remained in town, including emergency teams, firefighters, utility workers and police officers, along with some residents who refused to leave. Charlotte Morritt was among those who left Thursday, reaching that decision because of the unbearable smoke that she feared would be unhealthy for her 4-month-old son. Morritt, a journalist with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and her son took an evacuation flight some 1,500 kilometers (950 miles) west to safety in Whitehorse, Yukon, while her partner stayed behind to monitor their property and help create firebreaks and fight fires. We knew it was only a matter of time, said Morritt, who had been following media updates and satellite images of the approaching wildfires. Air tankers dropped water and fire retardant to keep the flames from Yellowknife. A 10-kilometer (6-mile) fire line was dug, and firefighters deployed 20 kilometers (12 miles) of hose and a plethora of pumps. Canada has seen a record number of wildfires this year that have caused choking smoke in parts of the U.S. All told, there have been more than 5,700 fires, which have burned more than 137,000 square kilometers (53,000 square miles) from one end of Canada to the other, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. All of British Columbia was under a state of emergency Saturday. About 35,000 people had been ordered to evacuate wildfire zones across the province and an additional 30,000 people were under an evacuation alert, meaning they should be prepared to leave, Premier David Eby announced. Eby told reporters Saturday that the situation was grim and warned that the situation changes very quickly. He said he was restricting non-essential travel to fire-affected areas to free up accommodations such as hotels, motels and campgrounds for displaced residents and firefighters. Ian Stewart and his wife made the anxiety-producing decision Friday to evacuate Kelowna with their 4-year-old border collie and drive 335 kilometers (210 miles) to the British Columbia town of Clearwater. The smoke was really oppressive and there were big chunks of ash falling everywhere, he said Saturday. They packed a couple of suitcases, passports, laptop computers and dog food, and drove in bumper-to-bumper traffic to escape. A shift in the wind carried smoke and haze from British Columbia into the Seattle area on Saturday, said Dustin Guy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The Puget Sound region was just recovering from record heat, and air quality could reach unhealthy levels Saturday night through Monday, Guy said. ___ Sharp reported from Portland, Maine, and Bellisle reported from Seattle. Associated Press journalist Andrea Thomas in Chicago contributed to this report. Photograph: The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above houses in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. Thousands have fled, driving hundreds of kilometers (miles) to safety or waiting in long lines for emergency flights, as the worst fire season on record in Canada showed no signs of easing. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Canada When to harvest is one of the most crucial decisions a winemaker can make. Too early, and the result is bitter. Too late, and its overly sweet. Its a delicate balanceone thats increasingly being upended by the climate crisis. In France, global warming has been wreaking havoc on this ancient equation for some time. Wine-growing regions across the country have seen seasons truncatedthe harvest date in the Chateauneuf-de-Pape appellation, one of the most prized, has moved up almost three weeks since 1960. Simultaneously, plant diseases are appearing in regions that have never seen them before, rain patterns are changing and the heat that helped speed the harvest in some places is now drying out vines in others. To acclimate, the old ways are increasingly being replaced by the new. In this case, granular data aimed at tracking the progress and health of vines in a fast-warming environment. Satellite technology, according to startups such as Ticinum Aerospace and TerraNIS, is being used by vintners to harvest the right grapes at the right moment. Sometimes producers dont collect data on grapes, or they do but its not stored in an easy way, or they dont know which plots they collected samples from, said Daniele De Vecchi, project manager at Ticinum Aerospace for Saturnalia, a data platform for evaluating vintner crops. Now the wine industry can make decisions based on data. Its not so romantic, but I think its the only way to move forward. Marc Tondriaux added that more French growers are joining in. Hes president and founder of TerraNIS, a company that provides agricultural data based on satellite and drone imagery. Just ten years ago, the key customers for these applications were mostly in Bordeaux, Tondriaux said. Now were seeing it more in southern regions. But while this technology is already being brought to bear for winemaking, soon it may serve a more critical role in helping adapt agriculture in general. After decades of progress, the number of people suffering from malnutrition has started to move in the wrong direction. Global warming, supply chain disruptions tied to extreme weather and even declines in nutrients due to additional atmospheric carbon dioxide are driving a global food crisis. These trends are particularly dire in areas most susceptible to crop-killing heat, with many countries teetering on the brink of famine. In ten climate hotspots from Guatemala to Afghanistan, acute hunger has more than doubled in six years, according to UK charity Oxfam. But cutting-edge satellite sensor technology could play a big role in slowing that down. Experts envision a future in which farmers can manage fields based on mostly free Earth-observation data about crop disease, pest infestation, nutrient needs, water stress, ideal harvest time and quality evaluation. Tondriaux said combining recommendations based on orbital or drone data with GPS-driven farm machinery could transform farming. In the process, it might just stave off the worst global warming has in store for farmers. And as a bonus, such technology has the potential to cut the agriculture sectors greenhouse gas emissions by 13%, according to an April report from the World Economic Forum. The report sees the market for satellite data in agriculture nearly doubling by 2030 to almost $1 billion. It calculates the value of crop-loss prevention by using satellites to detect pests and pathogens at $400 million, and envisions an almost 10% drop in water use by leveraging space-borne insights. Satellite technology has long been used to help governments and futures markets make scale-level assessments, like the size of a coming harvest of corn in the US or wheat in Ukraine. But newer tech has the capacity to help individual farmers measure and expand their own yield potential. Satellites from NASA, the European Space Agency and private companies such as San Francisco-based Planet provide ground images from a range of bands on the electromagnetic spectrum. When sunlight hits the planets surface, certain wavelengths are reflected back based on the material the light hits and its physical condition. Chlorophyll, which plants use to make their food, absorbs much visible light while a leafs cell structure reflects near-infrared wavelengths (NIR). Sensors and cameras measure the intensity of the waves reflected back from Earth. High levels of reflected NIR light coupled with low reflectivity in the visible range indicate dense vegetation, such as forest or healthy crops. Little difference in reflectivity of the two spectral bands would point to sparse vegetation, such as desert or bare soil. The nuances of these relationships have proven to be reliable indicators of levels of nitrogen, a key plant nutrient, as well as plant biomass, leaf area and chlorophyll contentall connected to soil water content. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), one of the satellite-based measurements most commonly used in agriculture, is their measure. Scientists at TerraNIS and Ecole dIngenieurs de PURPAN, a research institute in Toulouse, France, supported the datas accuracy, showing a strong correlation between levels of nitrogen taken from leaf samples and the analyses derived from satellite imagery. With each pixel of an image representing an area as small as half a square meter, this satellite data can be overlaid on a map of a field, allowing fertilizer to be applied only where its needed. A low NDVI as a crop approaches harvest time, for example, would indicate a need for nitrogen fertilizer. Weve been treating crop fields like all of that ground is exactly the same, when we know for sure this is not the case, said Misty Tucker, industry principal for agriculture at Planet. Satellite data helps us to micromanage our fields at a much more granular level. If such technology became widely available, the resources saved, emissions avoided and crops preserved in the face of a shifting climate landscape could have a significant impact on both the fight to slow global warming and protect the food supply. Policymakers are beginning to see the light. The European Union is changing its Common Agricultural Policy with satellite monitoring in mind to reduce GHG emissions, fertilizer use and oceanic dead zones. In the US, the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act forces the Federal Communications Commission to consider whether changes to satellite communications rules could help precision agriculture, and develop recommendations for Congress if so. It passed the House in April. NASAs suite of earth-observing instruments already help provide both global and local predictions of water availability, crop health and rates of production, said Karen St. Germain, NASAs director of earth science. Its planned SBG instrument may advance the ball further. The ESAs Sentinel satellites meanwhile have a combination of spatial and temporal resolution, along with a broad bandwidth thats proven particularly useful to providers of satellite data to the agriculture industry. The crop is always changing, said Sara Antognelli, research and development manager at Agricolus, an Italian satellite-data company that said it can work with 140 cropsfrom grapes to grains. So you have to be quick in detecting problems. Sentinels different bands to detect both soil moisture and vegetation health is very rare. The TerraNIS-E.I.P. study found Sentinels freely available data to be more accurate in assessing nitrogen status than even higher-resolution data from satellites that charge for access. And new instruments may bring even greater insights. Satellites cant do everything, of course. Findings often need to be confirmed on the ground, and over-reliance on orbital data can lead to sloppiness, warns Jose Manuel Amigo, an expert in hyper-spectral imaging and chemical analytics at the Basque Foundation for Science in Bilbao, Spain. Remote sensing is a wonderful discipline that helps farmers in many situations, he said. Still, assumptions too often are baked in and limitations dismissed. Treating the data is not easy, and correlating parameters with actual issues can be a leap too far. Researchers forget that the answers they give to farmers must be followed by intensive validation and a sound chemical explanation. Still, Kaitlyn Gold, a professor of plant pathology at Cornell University in Geneva, New York, said shes excited about the potential to detect crop disease early enough to do something about it. A changing climate will expand the suitable range for invasive pathogens, she said, while heat and drought-stress on a plant will leave it far more vulnerable to opportunistic diseases. Satellites will allow high-quality assessments of risk that allow for successful early intervention, Gold said. Photograph: Farms like this one in Pasaquina, El Salvador, have had to weather years of drought. With the arrival of the El Nino system, the effects may deepen. Proponents of expanding the use of satellites to help farmers make timely decisions on water use, fertilizer and harvesting contend new technology may help mitigate the damage. Photo credit: Camilo Freedman/Bloomberg Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. Topics Agribusiness Aston Lark Ireland, a Howden company, announced it has agreed terms to acquire Kegra Ltd., (trading as Finance Solutions), a Dublin-based mortgage broking specialist. Terms of the acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, were not disclosed. Founded in 2011 by Ken Murray, Finance Solutions is an owner-managed financial services intermediary that specializes in mortgage broking, as well as tailored financial solutions such as life cover, income protection, investments, and pensions. With 40 members of staff, the business serves approximately 7,000 clients and has won multiple awards, having scooped the Brokers Ireland Mortgage Broker Expert award for the last three years in a row. Howden, the international insurance broker, acquired SPF Private Clients (SPF), one of the UKs leading mortgage brokers, in 2023. While Finance Solutions will sit within the Howden Ireland structure, the brokers will work closely with SPF to develop their offering. Im delighted to welcome Ken and all the team at Finance Solutions on board. Finance Solutions is a stand-out business in its sector, highly regarded as one of the best mortgage brokers in Ireland, and passionate about delivering the very best outcomes for clients, commented Robert Kennedy, Aston Lark Ireland CEO. Their reputation and shared value of care, for their clients and their people, make them a fantastic addition to the Aston Lark and Howden business. Our growth over the past 12 years has exceeded expectations, and this acquisition allows us to further accelerate that growth. It is a significant milestone for Finance Solutions and will cement our position as one of Irelands leading mortgage brokers, according to Ken Murray, founder and managing director of Finance Solutions. Source: Aston Lark Ireland Topics Mergers & Acquisitions This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Allianz Commercial and Chubb. A summary of the new hires follows here. Allianz Commercial Promotes Warren-Upham to Lead London Mkt Distribution Allianz announced Alastair Warren-Upham has been appointed head of Distribution, London, Allianz Commercial in the UK, effective Sept. 1. The newly created role will assume responsibility for both the large-corporate & specialty, and the mid-corp distribution teams in London providing simplicity for clients and brokers with a single point of contact across these segments. It will be an essential part of the wider distribution function that sits across all the trading elements of the newly integrated Allianz Commercial, which encompasses large-corp, specialty, mid-corp, digital/SME and engineering inspection. Warren-Upham first joined Allianz on the graduate management program in 2009. Since then, he has held various roles in underwriting, sales and market management. Most notably he was a key account manager in London, a strategic account manager, and London market manager (commercial branch manager) since 2019. *** Chubb Appoints Kopp to Lead Far East Region, Mo for Korea Chubb Ltd. announced that Edward Kopp has been appointed regional president, Far East. Currently, Kopp serves as country president of Chubb Korea. In his new role, Kopp will have overall responsibility for the management and business results for all of Chubbs general insurance operations in Japan. Kopp will be succeeded as country president of Chubb Korea by Janice (Jae-Kyung) Mo, who currently serves as senior vice president for Property & Casualty, Claims and Corporate Strategy, for the business. Mo will have responsibility for the overall performance of Chubb in Korea. Kopp will report to Juan Luis Ortega, executive vice president, Chubb Group, and president, Overseas General Insurance, the companys general insurance operations in 51 countries and territories outside North America. Kopp succeeds Diego Sosa who, as previously announced, was named country president, Chubb Mexico, and general manager, Chubb Seguros Mexico. Mo will succeed Kopp and report to Paul McNamee, regional president, Asia Pacific. Both appointments, which are subject to notification to local regulatory authorities, are expected to be effective on Sept. 1. Biographies Edward Kopp has more than 25 years of experience in insurance and finance. Prior to serving as country president of Korea, he was senior vice president, head of Accident & Health, Asia Pacific. Since joining Chubb in 2012, he also has served as deputy country president & chief operating officer for Chubb in Korea and country president for Chubb in Thailand. Before joining Chubb, he was deputy president and chief operations officer, Korea, for HSBC Insurance at Hana HSBC Life Insurance, a joint venture between HSBC Insurance and Hana Financial Group. He has also held senior management positions for Cigna in Hong Kong and Korea. He began his career at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in the U.S. Kopp holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pa. Janice (Jae-Kyung) Mo has more than 30 years of experience in financial services. She joined Chubb in 2014 as head of Property & Casualty and Agency Distribution Management. Earlier in her career, she worked at AIG for 10 years, most recently as head of Commercial Insurance for Korea. Her banking experience includes a decade at Deutsche Bank, most recently as vice president, Global Banking in Korea. Mo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Southern California. Topics Commercial Lines Chubb London Allianz When flames ripped through the drought-parched town of Paradise in 2018, destroying homes and killing 85 in Californias deadliest-ever wildfire, it was a wake-up call to power companies across the country. Electric lines would ultimately be blamed for the blaze, and the states largest utility was driven into bankruptcy. Its clear that officials at Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. were taking note. Almost exactly 12 months later, the company publicly vowed to fly drones to identify areas vulnerable to fire. But then it took the utility roughly another three years until the summer of 2022 before it would finally submit a public action plan to address the threats. In it, the company cited the devastation in California and highlighted Lahaina, the historic seaside town that was burned to ash by this months blaze, as one of the priority areas for prevention and mitigation. The request remains pending with the regulator. The Lahaina blaze killed more than 100 people, making it the deadliest US fire in more than a century. While investigations into the cause of the wildfire are still ongoing and its not clear if the blame lies with Hawaiian Electric, emerging details indicate that the states main utility was slow to respond to the rapidly increasing risks that were made worse by climate change. Related: Hawaii Wildfires Killed at Least 111, Burned 2K-Plus Homes and Businesses This isnt just a problem for Hawaii. Across the country, Americas power companies have been sluggish at a time when urgency is growing. Risk Doubles The number of people in the US exposed to wildfire risk has doubled in just two decades. But rather than taking decisive steps, utilities are often slow to react by taking their time filing for approvals to recover their costs, as was the case for Hawaiian Electric. What I see the utilities doing is they are asking for a repayment from regulators to hedge an existential company risk, instead of taking action, said Michael Wara, a wildfire expert and director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University. The risk of utility-caused wildfires has been increasing rapidly. In its funding request, Hawaiian Electric, which supplies roughly 95% of the states residents with power, proposed a nearly $190 million plan to fortify the grid from severe weather events, citing increasing risks from climate change. The proposal included about $6 million earmarked for wildfire prevention and mitigation in Maui. The filing specifically cited the Paradise tragedy, known as the Camp Fire, and said: The risk of a utility system causing a wildfire ignition is significant. The entire five-year action plan to harden the grid against the threat of severe weather, including steps to strengthen lines and deploy devices to help prevent and respond to wildfires, would cost consumers less than $1 a month, the company estimated. Responding to a request for comment, Hawaiian Electric didnt address an inquiry over whether any of the wildfire mitigation work identified in its June 30, 2022, application with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission had started. The company has said in filings it was doing preliminary engineering work on the plan before regulatory approval. Hawaiian Electric employs a wildfire mitigation and grid resilience program with a focus on vegetation management, grid hardening and pole replacement and routine line and equipment inspections, the company said in an emailed statement, adding that since 2018 it has spent about $84 million on maintenance and vegetation management in Maui County. Shares Tumble Shares of Hawaiian Electric plunged 58% last week, the steepest decline in data going back to 1980, amid increasing investor concern that the utility could be held responsible for the fires that ravaged Maui. The potential liabilities could reach almost $4 billion if the utility is deemed negligent, according to investment research firm Capstone LLC. Liabilities of that size would dwarf the companys current market capitalization and exceed its existing debt load. In a regulatory filing, Hawaiian Electric said that its goal isnt to restructure, but to endure as a financially strong utility that Maui and the state needs. Scientists warn that as the planet heats up, it will lead to longer and more active wildfire seasons. Utilities operating aging grids in parched lands, particularly in the US West, will have little room for error. But the threat isnt limited only to areas that have faced the risk of fire for decades. Climate change coupled with development and the spread of non-native plant species is making for increasingly rapid transformations across the globe. That will increase the vulnerability of places like Maui, where wildfire hasnt been at the top of the risk list until more recently. Traditionally, utilities, which are heavily regulated by the government, have been a plodding, cautious group that has mainly focused on reliably keeping the lights on while meeting energy policy mandates. The business model for investor-owned utilities is based on a system that rewards state-approved new capital spending with profits, but considers the maintenance work needed to make sure power lines are in good condition and clear of trees and brush as an operating cost that can eat into earnings. Highly-Regulated Monopoly The industry is a essentially a highly-regulated monopoly business, and that doesnt lend itself to a highly nimble culture, said Paul Patterson, a utility analyst for Glenrock Associates. Wildfires are growing in intensity and frequency, Those changes are happening far faster than even many scientists were predicting. And its not just utilities that been slow to respond, regulators and governments have also failed to keep up with the rapidly evolving conditions. After San Diego Gas & Electrics downed power lines sparked three major fires in 2007, California regulators initiated an effort in 2008 to map power lines to identify those strung through areas at high risk of fires but it wasnt completed until a decade later. In 2021, a report by the county of Maui on fire prevention warned of increasing risk on the island, including threats to citizens, properties and sacred sites. It also said its current budgets were inadequate for an effective fire prevention and mitigation program. All it takes is a spark to come off a line or other power equipment to cause the initial flame. Once vegetation dries out, it can easily ignite. PG&E Corp. was driven into bankruptcy in 2019 after its poorly-maintained equipment failed during a series of windstorms that sparked some of the worst fires in state history, including the 2018 Camp Fire. The blazes came after a crippling drought in California that left more than 100 million trees dead and severely parched landscapes. Southern California Edisons equipment was also blamed for large wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that leveled more than 2,000 homes and structures and killed four people. Grass Fires The calamities forced both utilities to step up their efforts to harden their grids against fire risk. The companies are spending billions of dollars to trim vegetation away from their lines, install covered conductors, bury lines and set up fire weather monitoring systems. In addition, PG&E and Edison started to pro-actively shut off power lines in advance of high winds during dry conditions, a controversial practice that has angered customers but prevents fires. The need for utilities to do more extends beyond California. PacifiCorp, a utility owned by Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc., lost a lawsuit this summer over a 2020 Oregon wildfire, where a jury found the company was grossly negligent for not cutting power during high, dry winds. It could face billions of dollars of claims. Colorado utility Xcel Energy Inc. is also facing lawsuits that its equipment caused the most destructive fire in that states history that burned more than 1,000 homes in late 2021. A sheriffs report found power lines were partly to blame for the conflagration. Xcel has called the reports analyses flawed and conclusions incorrect. There are echoes of the Colorado devastation in Mauis tragedy. Both involved grass fires that spread quickly amid extremely strong winds. Its mind boggling that the people who are holding the loaded revolver with the safety off arent learning that when there is a major wind blowing, that there is going to be power lines falling, said Robert Julian, a partner at BakerHostetler who was the lead attorney for wildfire victims committee in the PG&E bankruptcy and is representing victims in the 2020 Oregon fires. And thats going to start fires. Photo: A destroyed neighborhood in Lahaina on Aug. 18. (Bloomberg) Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. A little more than a year ago, the Demotech financial rating firm ignited a storm of controversy in Florida when it sent letters to a reported 16 insurance carriers, warning that the companies were about to have their financial stability ratings downgraded. It was arguably the height of the property insurance crisis in Florida, with one insolvency after another, and tensions were high across the state. Florida regulators and the Florida Association of Insurance Agents soon fired off sharply worded letters of their own, questioning Demotechs methodology and motives. Others in the industry wondered how those carriers could go from years of exceptional ratings to suddenly having poor ratings or none at all. Some carriers vowed to drop Demotech and seek a new rating firm, and state officials hired a consultant to explore new options. A year later, Demotech has posted new ratings for most Florida-admitted carriers, based on financial information for the first quarter of 2023. Late last week, the firms ratings web page shows that almost all of the ratings for Floridas 50 largest insurers have remained unchanged from the previous quarter, and all of the ratings were among the highest that Demotech assigns A Exceptional or A Unsurpassed. See the Top 27 P/C Insurers Latest Financial Ratings Here And the Next 23 Here Those sterling marks have led to more questions, with some in the industry wondering how carriers in Floridas distressed market could maintain such financial strength in early 2023, long before recent legislative reforms have had an impact, and just months after being warned about a potential downgrade. Leaders at Demotech have offered little communication about what has happened in the last 14 months. Floridas insurance commissioner, some insurance executives and the FAIA all said theyve heard little from Demotech since the uproar last summer. And Demotech President Joe Petrelli isnt saying much. I will not and did not comment on your inquiry related to rating issues of carriers rated and reviewed by Demotech, Petrelli said in an early August email to Insurance Journal. Petrelli did seem to suggest, however, that all is not well in the Florida market: He referred to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulations July 1 stability report, which stated that 18 insurers had been referred for enhanced monitoring due to financial concerns or significant pullbacks in renewals or new business. Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky said last week that only two of those 18 referred carriers were actually placed into enhanced monitoring, after OIR actuaries reviewed their information. The office, by law, is barred from naming the insurers. The triggers and mechanisms may or may not be the same triggers that Demotech has, Yaworsky said. I dont know if [Petrellis comment] is a signal that Mr. Petrelli is somewhat mirroring our process. Yaworsky, who took office in February after previous Commissioner David Altmaier stepped down, said that in the year since Altmaier penned his letter to Demotech, OIR has had scant communication from Petrelli, other than a July 2022 reply. We havent really gotten a ton of substantive feedback on Demotechs process, since Mr. Petrellis letter, Yaworsky said. In his July 26, 2022 communication to Altmaier, Petrelli did not directly address all of the commissioners and the industrys concerns about its rating process. But he noted that the firm provides insurers with opportunities to address and improve their financial stability ratings, known as FSRs. Despite multiple opportunities and remedies to sustain an FSR, some insurers are unable to do so (often due to reasons comparable to those OIR referred for enhanced monitoring, as referenced in the OIR Property Insurance Stability Report dated July 1, 2022), Petrelli wrote, parentheses his. Its unclear how many Florida insurers were able to salvage their ratings through further information to Demotech or with infusions of capital. But the latest round of ratings suggest that most, if not all, are now in stellar financial shape. None were downgraded from previous reviews. After the controversy broke last year, a few carriers vowed to drop Demotech and seek review by other rating firms, such as AM Best or KBRA, formerly Kroll Bond Rating Agency. In the last year, though, only three insurers, First Protective Insurance, part of Frontline Insurance; Olympus Insurance; and First Community Insurance have done that. None of those have achieved a top rating from KBRA or AM Best in the last several months. Some carriers are rated by more than one rating firm. Most of those appear to have a slightly lower rating with KBRA or AM Best than they have with Demotech. One insurance company, Auto Club Insurance Co. of Florida, left Demotech in 2019, but has continued to subscribe to AM Bests services. Former President Peter Corrigan, now retired, said his company dropped out of Demotech mostly because of the six-figure price to be rated. Demotechs service was slightly more expensive than AM Best at the time, he said. Corrigan credited Demotech with providing a vital service in the years after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 tore through the Florida insurance industry, prompting some larger carriers to leave the state. Few of the smaller carriers left standing had the financials or claims history needed to be rated by AM Best. The domestic insurance industry in Florida would not exist without Demotech, Corrigan said. Others, including former Florida Commissioner Kevin McCarty, last year urged insurers and regulators not to shoot the messenger, arguing that Demotechs 2022 warning letter to carriers was simply a reflection of the dire state of many companies in the Florida market. Still, some in the insurance business have continued to raise questions about Demotechs standards and methodology in the last 12 months. In a Q2 earnings call in late July, the head of reinsurance at Everest Re Group, Jim Williamson, noted that the company had adjusted its portfolio, shedding some Florida carriers, despite their strong Demotech reviews. A number of the Demotech-rated Florida specialists, frankly, did not pass our financial underwriting standards, and we moved away from them and redeployed the capital elsewhere, Williamson said. The Florida market may have more to go on come September. Thats when Demotech is expected to release new ratings based on second quarter financial reporting from insurers. Chart at top: Click here to see the top 27 Florida insurers ratings. Click here to see the next tier. Topics Florida GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) Victims of a deadly 2016 wildfire that began in Great Smoky Mountains National Park before it burned through a Tennessee tourist town will have another chance to seek compensation from the federal government. Several lawsuits claim park employees failed to warn the city of Gatlinburg and its residents of the danger until it was too late. A federal judge last year dismissed the lawsuits, ruling that the plaintiffs were not specific enough in pre-lawsuit claims about what they were alleging. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated that ruling, sending the case back to the lower court. The fire killed 14 people and caused an estimated $2 billion in losses, including about 2,500 buildings that were damaged or destroyed. The fire began on less than half an acre in a remote section of the park during the Thanksgiving holidays, when the park was minimally staffed. Photo: The aftermath of the fire in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. (Michael Patrick/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP, File) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits The warehouse club model employed by Costco (COST) has proved to be extremely popular in the U.S. As of 2023, the company was operating 857 stores, mostly in North America, and had 124.7 million members. It's safe to say that the vast majority of those dues-paying members are regular buyers of Costco's jumbo-sized merchandise. What's the secret to Costco's success? Here are three factors that make Costco a great company. Key Takeaways Costco makes some of its profits from its merchandise, but the bulk of its profits come from membership dues. Only members can shop at Costco. The membership business model allows Costco to undersell the competition by offering products in bulk at lower prices to ensure customer loyalty. Costco's advertising budget is zero, as it counts on customers to keep coming back to get full advantage of their membership dues. Costco pays its employees well, with hourly wages above those of many other retailers. Though Costco has many positives, the stock is relatively expensive given its high price-to-earnings ratio. Costco Makes a Profit Before Selling a Thing In fiscal 2022, net sales totaled $222.7 billion, up 16% from the previous year. The company noted in its annual report that the business benefited from the relative return to normalcy after the worst of the Covid pandemic. Its gross margin, excluding membership fees, was 12.05%, far lower than the margin enjoyed by some traditional retailers. Walmart, for example, managed to reach 24.4% in 2022. But Costco also charges its members an annual fee for shopping at its stores, and these fees represent a large portion of Costco's operating profit. In 2022, Costco's revenue from membership fees alone increased 9% to $4.2 billion. The company's total gross profit for 2022 was about $27.6 billion. Other retailers need to worry that a decline in same-store sales will lead to collapsing profits. Not Costco. Its profits rest on its ability to persuade people to shell out $60 per year for its everyday Gold Star membership or $120 to upgrade to its Executive status. A High Retention Rate With prices often far lower than at competing retailers, it's not difficult to make the case to consumers, especially since the average Costco member has a household income of nearly $93,000. This leads to an extremely stable base of members, with retention rates in excess of 91.3%. It's no surprise, then, that Costco's profitability has been so consistent over the years. No Advertising? No Problem Most retailers spend huge sums of money on marketing to bring customers into their stores. Walmart alone spent about $3.9 billion on advertising in 2022. Costco spends essentially zero. It has no advertising budget, though it does spring for mailers targeted to prospective members and coupons sent to existing members. The Argument Against Advertising How can Costco manage to completely shun traditional advertising? There are two reasons. First, Costco has a product that sells itself. The membership offers a great value to those who shop regularly at Costco, and traditional retailers simply can't match Costco on price. Costco operates in 14 countries and has 304,000 employees worldwide. Second, driving existing members to the store more often through marketing wouldn't really help the bottom line, since membership fees are the real driver of profits and spending heavily to gain more members doesn't make much sense. Costco pays its employees unusually well in comparison with other retailers. It has been steadily raising its pay rates since 2019. As of mid-2023, its average hourly base wage for U.S. workers was $18.24. Walmart comes in at about $13.50 per hour. For Costco, the result is a highly motivated workforce. Here's how Costco's revenue per employee stacks up against other retailers: High Wages and High Productivity COST Revenue Per Employee (Annual) data by YCharts. The average Costco employee generates nearly triple the revenue produced by the average Walmart and Target employee. Now, part of this is due to Costco's business model. Its spartan warehouse stores require far fewer employees than the typical big-box store. But what keeps customers coming back, and keeps members renewing their memberships, is a consistently good shopping experience. With highly paid, happy employees, Costco delivers better than its retail rivals. Great Company, Expensive Stock Costco is a wonderful company but that doesn't mean it's a great stock. As of March 28, 2022, Costco had a price/earnings ratio of 37.89 as of the end of May 2023. The historical average for the S&P 500 is 21.92. The average for department and discount retailers is 11.46 and for grocery stores it's 6.56. It's certainly reasonable to pay a high price for quality, but there is a limit. Costco is a stock that should be on every investor's radar, and if it ever falls back down to more reasonable levels, it should be snapped up in a heartbeat. What Is Costco's Competitive Advantage? When compared to other similar retailers, Costco's competitive advantage lies in its own private label, its discount prices, and its membership dues. This has provided customers with a product that they can rely on at low prices. It is also the kind of stable business model that investors seek. Does Costco Offer Free or Discounted Memberships? Costco does not offer any free or discounted memberships. It believes that consumers quickly recover their annual membership costs through its low prices on a wide range of products. Who Owns Kirkland? Kirkland Signature is a private-label brand owned by Costco. Kirkland products sell for about 20% less than national brand name competitors, making both Costco and Kirkland an attractive choice for consumers. The Bottom Line Costco has created a business model that works well. The company offers bulk items at discount prices and requires payment of an annual membership to take advantage of those low prices. The company doesn't spend on advertising. The membership system brings customers back to the stores, thereby saving a significant amount of money that is passed on to consumers in the form of low prices. Costco also pays its employees well with hourly wages above that of many comparable retailers. Though the company has many great aspects about it, the stock can be seen as overvalued and expensive at this time. Source: Scott Henry August 21, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Reliq Health Technologies Inc. has launched a new post-discharge program for acute care hospitals on its iUGO platform and signed contracts in California, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Telehealth company Reliq Health Technologies Inc. (RHT:TSX.V; RQHTF:OTCQB; A2AJTB:WKN) has launched a new post-discharge program for acute care hospitals on its iUGO platform. The new program, called iUGO Care, supports patients being discharged from an acute care hospital to their homes, inpatient rehabilitation, assisted living, or skilled nursing facilities. "Patients receive targeted monitoring for the first 30 days after discharge to specifically prevent readmission to hospital and are then followed long-term using the iUGO Care remote patient monitoring (RPM), transitional care management (TCM), and behavioral health integration (BHI) modules to improve long-term health outcomes and prevent complications that could lead to future hospitalizations," Reliq Chief Executive Officer Lisa Crossley said. The company also announced it had signed contracts with new hospital clients in California, Florida, and Puerto Rico. The new contracts are expected to add more than 5,000 new patients per month to iUGO by the end of 2024, generating a revenue of about US$65 per patient per month at a 75% gross margin. The Catalyst: Profitability, Larger Contracts Reliq had its first profitable quarter during the three months ending March 31 with a gain from operations of CA$731,017 YoY. It also has started scoring larger contracts for iUGO, including one with a U.S. health plan that operates in five states with more than 3,000 doctors and 1 million patients. The company will not release its final results for fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30, until October. But Crossley recently told analysts and shareholders that according to estimates, revenues more than doubled from fiscal year 2022. Maxim Group analyst Allen Klee, who has rated the stock a Buy with a CA$1.75 per share target price, wrote in a recent research note that Reliq's larger contracts signaled growing momentum. "We believe a discount to the peer group average is warranted based on the company being at an early stage of execution," wrote Klee. "We project that Reliq will have a primarily recurring, high-margin business model going forward." iUGO is a "compelling offer for practitioners," Klee wrote. "A typical practice can bring in more than US$1 million in Medicare and Medicaid payments implementing it." "We project FY23 revenue of CA$17.1M, up 101% (YoY), in line with management's expectations for revenue to double in FY23 and implying F4Q23 revenue of CA$4.8M, up 110% (YoY)," Klee wrote. "For FY24, we project revenue of CA$34.2M, +99% (YoY), roughly in line with management's expectations for revenue doubling in F2024." Program Could Save Millions in Lost Revenue Hospitals can be assessed penalties of up to 3% of total Medicare reimbursement for the following year if they don't meet targets reducing readmissions, which could mean millions of dollars in lost revenue, Reliq said. More than 96% of all hospitals in Florida were assessed financial penalties in 2021 because of the issue. Over 2,300 U.S. hospitals will pay more than US$320 million in such penalties in 2023, according to Kaiser Health News. "Our clients' data show that health care organizations using Reliq's iUGO Care platform have been able to drastically reduce their readmissions rates by over 90%, avoiding financial penalties and improving patient health outcomes and quality of life," Crossley said. "This program is a win-win for hospitals, clinicians, patients, and their families." The iUGO platform helps manage diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, and others. Patients get audible reminders to step on a scale, take their blood pressure, or prick their fingers for glucose monitoring. The information is automatically uploaded to the cloud. Drawing on data from fall detection devices, medication tracking, and vital signs, the platform flags patients at home or in facilities who need additional monitoring. 'Virtual Consultations' Boom The telehealth market was valued at US$128.12 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to US$504.24 billion by 2030, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.7%, according to Fortune Business Insights. "The market is getting a significant boom with the rising start-up funding and launch of products, especially for virtual consultations," researchers wrote. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill and put many burdens on healthcare workers. "This has opened new market opportunities for digital health platforms," according to the report. "The demand for virtual consultations increased by many folds amid the crisis, Crossley said she expects those conditions are contributing to the company's great growth. "We're certainly in a period of rapid growth," Crossley said. "And I would say that growth is going to accelerate significantly over the second half of the (calendar) year and into 2024." The company is gathering "continuing momentum," Maxim analyst Klee wrote. "We believe the company has hit an inflection point of accelerating revenue and EBITDA profitability. Tailwinds include a significant number of larger contracts that have been won." Klee said he generally agreed with Crossley's revenue predictions. "We also believe our revenue could prove conservative if the company is successful in onboarding some of the larger contracts that have been announced," he wrote. Ownership and Share Structure About 8% of Reliq's shares are owned by insiders, including Crossley, with 1.6% or 3.22 million shares. About 0.3% of the company is owned by institutional investors, including FNB Wealth Management, with 0.01% or 0.03 million shares, according to Reuters. Other top investors include Eugene Beukman, who owns 0.11% or 0.23 million shares, and Brian Storseth, who owns 0.07% or 0.14 million shares, Reuters said. Crossley said 91.7% of the company is retail. The company has 203 million shares outstanding, with about 200 million free-floating. It has a market cap of CA$101.45 million and trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.76 and CA$0.46. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Get Great Trading Ideas and News Alerts Guest posts and sponsored content - Got $100? That's all it takes to get an article published on Investor Ideas - Learn More Source: Streetwise Reports August 21, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Recently, Soma Gold Corp. reported gold production results for the year. Read to see why the company is confident and what its plans are for the next couple of years. Soma Gold Corp. (SMAGF:OTCMKTS;SOMA:TSXV) has announced gold production results for the year. With a production total of 3,031 gold-equivalent (AuEq) ounces in July, the company has now produced 18,723 AuEq ounces this year. In July last year, Soma Gold produced 2,061 AuEq ounces, meaning this year's yield is 47% higher. The company's production target for this year was 18,562 AuEq ounces. President and CEO of Soma, Javier Cordova Unda, explained: "Although the team in Colombia faced a development phase with grades slightly below the projected yearly average, they continued to deliver on our operational goals. We anticipate an improvement in the average grade over the remainder of the year and are confident in our ability to continue to meet our aggressive production forecast." Soma Gold Corp. is a mining company focused on exploration and gold production. It owns two mines in Antioquia, Colombia, which have a combined milling capacity of 675 tonnes per day. Its El Bagre mining complex produced 23,115 ounces of gold in 2022, and the company has forecast total output in 2023 at 35,500 ounces. Additionally, the company's Limon Mill, although on care and maintenance since 2020, is available to restart production when production from its Cordero Mine (part of the El Bagre mining complex) reaches capacity. Soma Gold's other project, Nechi, consists of the El Catorce, Santa Elena, and Santa Maria deposits. Soma Rated a Strong Buy In a July report, Sadif Investment Analytics gave Soma an Above Average score and rated it a Strong Buy, with a target price of CA$0.743. It noted the company's management as "efficient" and described Soma as having "attractive performance but a risky financial position." In the report, Sadif also reiterated the declining gold prices of the last quarter. It rated Soma as "safe," with "small market risk but high operational risk." Soma recently acquired 11,000 Ha of mineral concessions, which increases their land package there to around 41,000 Ha, stretching 100km along the OTU fault system in Antioquia, which accounts for 56% of all annual gold production in Colombia. According to the company, its properties have multiple unexplored targets and are in a "prolific jurisdiction." The Antioquia jurisdiction is home to over 100 million ounces of potential discoveries. "Informal mining" in the Otu fault has resulted in a yield of 17 million ounces of gold. Upcoming Catalysts: 47,000 Ounces in 2024 The company was 5% ahead of its plan for 2023 as of the end of 2022. Its target for Q3 is 9000 ounces and 10,500 ounces for Q4. It plans to yield 47,000 ounces in 2024. It also has a number of exploration goals set out for 2024 and 2025. The company plans to increase its resource at the Cordero Mine, including 10,000m of underground and surface drilling. Soma also plans to evaluate and rank regional targets with diamond drill programs and complete regional airborne geophysical surveys, including its recently acquired properties. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-10919] It will also carry out geochemical surveys, which will include stream sediment and soil sampling. Ownership and Share Structure Soma Gold Corp. is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It has a market cap of US$39.2 million and an enterprise value of US$57 million. It trades at a 52-week range of CA$0.21 and CA$0.72. According to Reuters, 19.74% of the company is held by management and insiders. Executive Chairman Geoffery Hampson has 18.81%, with 17.18 million shares. Vice President Jean-Francois Meilleur has 0.45%, with 0.41 million. Director Glenn Walsh has 0.31%, with 0.29 million, and CFO Greg Hayes has 0.12%, with 0.11 million. 46.33% is with strategic investors. Conex Services Inc. has the most at 44.07%, with 40.26 million shares. Lake Fores Development Corp. has 2.25%, with 2.06 million. 0.71% is with institutions. Palos Management Inc. has 0.38%, with 0.35 million shares, and Marmite Capital AG has 0.33%, with 0.30 million. The rest is with retail investors. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Get Great Trading Ideas and News Alerts Guest posts and sponsored content - Got $100? That's all it takes to get an article published on Investor Ideas - Learn More August 21, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire)It appears that Dolly Varden Silver Corp. (TSXV: DV) (OTC: DOLLF) could see a repeat of last year's exploration success at its Kitsault Valley project in British Columbia. The company is already off to a flying start in its 2023 campaign, with initial drilling from the key two key areas (Kitsol and Torbrit) returning high-grade silver mineralization over wide intervals. Highlighted results from the Kitsol vein in the Torbrit deposit area include the following (Intervals are core length; true widths vary from 64 to 87% of core length interval): DV23-334: 297 g/t Ag over 8.32 metres including 1,090 g/t Ag over 0.90 metres at Kitsol; DV23-336: 342 g/t Ag over 18.00 metres including 2,270 g/t Ag over 0.50 metres and 995 g/t Ag with 3.6% Pb over 0.60 metres at Kitsol; DV23-337: 496 g/t Ag over 9.57 metres including 1,100 g/t Ag over 0.73 metres at Kitsol; DV23-348: 334 g/t Ag over 3.50 metres including 672 g/t Ag over 1.34 metres at Torbrit Main, south extension. Kitsol Vein Extended Closer to Surface As disclosed in Dolly Varden's August 8th news release, holes DV23-334 and 336 extended the plunge extent of the wide, high-grade silver mineralization at the Kitsol Vein for an additional 40 metres towards surface. The plunge direction has been extended to over 250 metres from the furthest southwest intercept, down plunge in drill hole DV22-323, as shown in the below figure. Kitsol Vein longitudinal section with plunge of high-grade silver shoot and 2023 results Drilling has identified a consistent, high-grade interval within the wide vein interval, associated with multiple phases of brecciation (such as holes DV23-334 and DV23-336), the company said. Drill hole DV22-336 (74.00m to 85.55m) from the Kitsol Vein deposit showing breccia vein style mineralization with argentite, native silver in a dark silica matrix and vein breccia fragments Meanwhile, drill holes DV23-335, 337, 341 and 343 tested the high-grade shoot along strike; hole DV23-337 was a 41-metre step-out, up plunge from DV18-131, confirming the consistent vertical dimension of the shoot to be of 50-75 metres, along the length of the plunge. The remaining holes intersected the Kitsol Vein, either above or below the higher-grade mineralized shoot. Exploration holes to the west, testing for new structures in the hanging wall of the Moose Lamb fault, encountered a block of the Kitsol Vein in drill hole DV23-338 within a fault splay. The Dolly Varden team believes that further modelling with the new oriented core data will guide targeting of the possible offset of the Kitsol Vein across the Moose Lamb fault. At the southern end of the Torbrit Main deposit, drill holes DV23-348 and 350 were collared as a 31-metre step-outs testing for the mineralized horizon. DV23-348 intersected mineralization consistent with the lower sequence of the basin fill-style silver zone at Torbrit, within potassic and chlorite altered volcanic tuff. Expanded Drilling Program In the same news release, the company also announced that due to drilling success and efficiencies, a fifth drill has been mobilized to site, and the 2023 program has been expanded by approximately 10,000 metres to 55,000 metres of drilling. Over 70 drill holes have been completed to date this season. According to DV, the 15 km long extent of the prospective Hazelton rocks on the property is host to numerous surface occurrences of alteration and silver mineralization that have been prioritized for drill testing. With the addition of approximately 10,000 metres to the initial 45,000-metre planned program, the extra drilling will be allocated to discovery-focused exploration targets. Efficiencies and excellent drill production have allowed for the additional drilling within the current budget, the company said. Kitsol Vein plan view showing drill hole locations with lithology In addition, an MT geophysical survey conducted by Simcoe Geoscience has commenced. The ground survey will be run over post-mineralization sedimentary rocks over the centre of the valley. Additional surveys will be performed to the area west and north of the company's Homestake Ridge property, where extensive gold in soil anomalies coincident with strong quartz-sericite-pyrite (QSP) alteration in interpreted to suggest a possible source at depth for the structurally-controlled gold-silver mineralization at Homestake Main and Homestake Silver deposits. Kitsault Valley Project Overview Located in the prolific Golden Triangle region of northwestern British Columbia, the Kitsault Valley project represents the amalgamation of Dolly Varden's original namesake silver property and its newly acquired Homestake Ridge gold-silver property. This 163-square-kilometre land package is said to host one of the largest undeveloped high-grade precious metals projects in all of Western Canada. Its combined mineral resource is estimated at 34.7 million oz of silver and 166,000 oz of gold in the indicated category and 29.3 million oz of silver and 817,000 oz of gold in the inferred category (see table below). While the resource is already impressive at this stage, the more fascinating aspect of the project is its rich history, which can be traced back to the early 20th century when Scandinavian prospectors first made the silver discovery in what is now the Stewart Complex. Within the boundaries of the company's original property are two past-producing silver mines: Dolly Varden and Torbrit, which formed a prolific silver mine camp starting in 1919 that produced more than 20 million ounces in the span of 40 years, with assays as high as 2,200 ounces per tonne. It should be noted that Dolly Varden was among the most important silver mines in the British Empire during its heyday. Other historically active mines in the area include North Star and Wolf, which remain underexplored to this day. Together, the four deposits comprise about 90 square kilometres within the Stewart Complex. While these deposits were already enough to work with, DV always believed that the Kitsault Valley property is prospective for hosting further precious metal deposits, being on the same structural and stratigraphic belts that host numerous other high-grade deposits on the same trend such as Eskay Creek and Brucejack (see map below). Towards the end of 2021, the company further consolidated its position with the acquisition of Homestake Ridge, which occupies the northern half (~75 sq km) of Kitsault Valley. This project features a high-grade gold and silver resource from three known deposits that the company believes can be converted into higher-confidence categories. Jewerly Box-Style Mineralization Last year, DV embarked on a comprehensive drill program at Kitsault Valley, specifically aimed to expand the wide, high-grade silver mineralization at Wolf Vein, step out and infill at Torbrit and the nearby Kitsol Vein, and test several other nearby exploration targets on the property. Results of that program, totalling 37,000 metres of drilling in 108 holes, split equally between resource expansion at Homestake and Torbrit deposits and looking for discoveries along the Kitsault Valley trend, were indeed eye-catching. In summary, the grade and consistency of silver mineralization from both the Kitsol and Wolf veins indicated the potential for an underground bulk-mineable deposit. Specifically, the Wolf vein area is emerging as a large system that is rivaling the Torbrit deposit, the company said at the time. Additionally, drilling from the newly acquired Homestake Ridge property also demonstrated the strong continuity of mineralization over wide intervals similar to that of Kitsol and Wolf. According to the company, not only were the reported gold and silver grades some of the highest from the property to date, but they were also up there with the best of the entire Golden Triangle region during the 2022 drilling season. Earlier this year, DV saved its best for last, reporting the highest silver assay received to date from the Dolly Varden property. Drilling during the 2022 season at the northern limits of the Wolf deposit returned an 8.77-metre intercept of 1,499 g/t silver, 1.89% lead and 0.46% zinc. Within that intercept was what the company called a "jewelry-box-style" mineralization, grading 23,997 g/t silver, 1.24% lead and 0.34% zinc over a true width of 0.19 metre. Towards the southern limits of the Wolf vein, drilling in 2022 also encountered 321 g/t silver, 0.84% lead and 0.84% zinc over 12.85 metres, including 664 g/t silver, 1.24% lead and 3.54% zinc over 1.63 metres. Conclusion Following a breakthrough year of exploration at the Kitsault Valley project, Dolly Varden is well on its way to another successful drilling season, with initial results already showing high-grade mineralization and extending the Kitsol Vein closer to surface. The fact the company has added another drill rig to what was already a bigger drill program this year should give shareholders plenty of excitement for the rest of 2023. More encouraging assays, perhaps exceeding those from last year, along with new discoveries should no longer be a surprise. A report by Haywood Capital Markets noted that under the current precious metals price environment, there is "real value in the non-producers" which are being ignored by the general market. Dolly Varden, interestingly, sits near the top of all exploration companies listed by Haywood. Haywood's analysts say the company is in the best position with integrated and collective geological knowledge of the trend to truly test for growth and discovery at a scale. DV currently has over $20 million in cash, which should be more than enough to deploy into its exploration programs. Also bullish on the company is Research Capital Corp., which reiterated its Speculative Buy rating and a price target of $1.35 per share for Dolly Varden, more than double its current stock price. Dolly Varden Silver Corp. TSXV:DV, OTC:DOLLF Cdn$0.67, 2023.08.17 Shares Outstanding 254.6m Market cap Cdn$170.2m DV website Richard (Rick) Mills aheadoftheherd.com subscribe to my free newsletter Legal Notice / Disclaimer Ahead of the Herd newsletter, aheadoftheherd.com, hereafter known as AOTH. Please read the entire Disclaimer carefully before you use this website or read the newsletter. 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More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. 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That's all it takes to get an article published on Investor Ideas - Learn More The requirement for farmers to register online for the National Fertiliser Database is a "major issue for many", the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has said. The association's vice-president John Joe Fitzgerald has hit out at "ever-increasing levels of red tape and bureaucracy" farmers are dealing with. The National Fertiliser Database is now live and open for registration. The database has been developed with the aim of recording fertiliser sales along the supply chain, and achieving better compliance with water quality and environmental ambitions. From September 1, anyone wishing to sell or purchase fertiliser, including lime, must be registered. FREE Irish Examiner gilet with an annual digital subscription Subscribe for 1.54/week Billed as 80 for first year. Ts&Cs apply Farmers must register as professional fertiliser end users, while importers and merchants must register as fertiliser economic operators. Registration must be done using agfood.ie. 'Last straw' Speaking on this, Mr Fitzgerald detailed how the "last straw" for many farmers came in a letter from the Department of Agriculture last week in relation to the database. "The letter issued came as a major surprise to a lot of farmers. However, what has really annoyed most farmers is the short timeline for registration and the fact that it must be done online," he said. The online registration will be a major issue for many farmers, especially those that are not IT savvy. "These farmers will now have to chase down their farm advisors who are already under enormous pressure with a very complicated ACRES scheme and then pay them to do the online registration." Different options needed The INHFA said there must be "different options for registration" for farmers. "It is now vital that the department immediately review the online registration requirement and the September 1 date," Mr Fitzgerald continued. "In this review, they must provide farmers with a phone-in option where they can register across the phone or, if required, have a hard copy sent out to them that they can fill in and return." Tirlan has confirmed it will pay 35.58c per litre including Vat for July creamery milk supplies at 3.6% butterfat and 3.3% protein. This price is down 2.5c per litre from June and consists of a base price of 31.58c per litre; a support payment of 3.5c per litre; and a sustainability action payment of 0.5c per litre to all qualifying suppliers. The base price, support payment and sustainability payment will be adjusted to reflect the actual constituents of milk delivered by suppliers. The Tirlan total price for July creamery milk, based on LTO constituents of 4.2% butterfat and 3.4% protein, is 38.70c per litre. Challenges FREE Irish Examiner gilet with an annual digital subscription Subscribe for 1.54/week Billed as 80 for first year. Ts&Cs apply Tirlan chairman John Murphy commented that global dairy markets continue to weaken, "which regrettably has necessitated reductions in base price". "We recognise the challenges of the current high-cost operating environment at farm level and significant supports have been provided to assist farmers as the market moved sharply downwards from historical highs," he said. "The board has agreed to provide a further 3.5c per litre to support our farmers milk price for the month of July. "The overall outlook for the global marketplace remains challenging and the board will keep a close watch on developments on a monthly basis." Carbery Carbery has reduced its base milk price for July by 2c per litre, it confirmed in recent days. Carbery is continuing to support milk price from its stability fund and is allocating 3c per litre support for July milk. If this decision is replicated across the four West Cork co-ops of Bandon, Barryroe, Drinagh and Lisavaird, this will result in an average price for July of 38.05c per litre, inclusive of Vat and 0.5c per litre somatic cell count bonus. A spokesperson for Carbery said that milk price "continues to be impacted by poorly performing dairy markets, and expected demand recovery has not yet materialised". Other reductions Dairygold recently also confirmed its price for July milk supplies, reducing it by 2c per litre. Its quoted price is 36c per litre, based on standard constituents of 3.3% protein and 3.6% butterfat, inclusive of sustainability and quality bonuses and Vat. The July milk price equates to an average July farm gate milk price of 40.3c per litre, based on average July milk solids achieved by Dairygold suppliers. Kerry Group confirmed its price for July milk supplies of 37c per litre, Vat included at 3.3% protein and 3.6% butterfat. The July figure consists of a base price of 34c per litre, and a milk contract payment of 3c per litre on all qualifying milk volumes in the month. Lakeland Dairies was the first processor to announce its price for July milk, with the board deciding "on a price which represents market conditions", of 35.5c per litre in the Republic of Ireland. This represents a reduction of 1.85c per litre on the June price. For people of a certain age, crossing the Irish Sea is synonymous with emigration. In recent years, the passage has become more associated with tourism, while historically it has always facilitated trade. Constant traffic between Britain and Ireland led to the establishment of a number of major port settlements in Wales and the east coast of Ireland, five of which - Dublin Port, Fishguard, Holyhead, Pembroke Dock and Rosslare Harbour are now being celebrated in a multi-media project, Ports, Past and Present. Initiated and led by Claire Connolly, Professor of Modern English at UCC, Ports, Past and Present features books, photographs, films and artworks, as well as a website and app. I lived in Wales for twenty years, so the project partly came from personal interest, says Connolly. When I moved back to UCC in 2012, I began looking for an opportunity to do Irish/Welsh comparative research. I had a long-term interest in the sea crossings, not least because in the years I spent living in Wales, I was a very regular passenger on the route between Fishguard and Rosslare. There was a scheme, sponsored by the European Regional Development Fund, called the Ireland Wales EU programme. The programme gave funding for projects relating to areas that connect to one another within the EU. I worked with colleagues in Aberystwyth University, and the University of Wales Trinity St. David, and also with Wexford County Council, to put this project together. I think, even at that stage, we knew that this would be the last iteration of those funds. Sadly, because of Brexit, the programme no longer exists. Connolly and her team focused on the ports because the scheme we were applying for had to do with maximising the natural and cultural heritage of Ireland and Wales. The ports are not always thought of as an exciting topic. People pass through and they don't stop and think about them. But of course, we were all aware - from our own travels and histories and areas of research - of how rich in heritage the ports and their hinterlands actually are. The Port of Cork was dismissed for inclusion because the Cork/Swansea ferry is no longer running, and we were aiming to capture the attention of passengers travelling on the ferries that are currently operating. When the project was approved for funding, Connollys team divvied up the different areas of responsibility. So Aberystwyth, for example, commissioned the filmmakers, and Trinity St David did the creative commissions. In Cork we did a lot of the digital storytelling, along with creating the website, and we were also in charge of the governance and the practicalities of running the project. John Gower in conversation with Professor Mary-Ann Constantine at West Wales Arts Centre, Fishguard, March 2023. Picture: Vince Jones The greatest obstacle the project faced was the arrival of covid and its lockdowns. We had our first public event in March 2020, says Connolly, a celebration of St Davids Day held by the Welsh Council at the Epic Museum in Dublin. It was a lovely reception celebrating all kinds of Irish/Welsh connections. But covid was already a talking point. There was a huge tray of Welsh cheese, and nobody would touch it. And the next day, when I was on the train home, they announced the closures of the schools and universities for two weeks. We had all these in-person events and activities planned, and of course we then had to change. We focused our attention on the digital aspect after that, and worked very hard to move the whole project online. Some of those invited to produce work under the scheme had to wait until the covid restrictions were lifted. Others adapted. Jon Gower, a former BBC Wales arts and media correspondent, and the author of forty books, including The Story of Wales, which accompanied the BBC television series of 2012, was commissioned to write a book he has recently published as The Turning Tide: A Biography of the Irish Sea. What I intended writing was a travel book, says Gower. But when covid happened, I decided the best thing to do was to read my way into the subject while I was stuck at home in lockdown. When I started looking at the five ports, I realised they were all near really good wildlife sites. Our Ladys Island, for instance, is an easy cycle ride from Rosslare, and its home to one of the rarest seabirds in Europe, the roseate tern. And then, the Greenland white-fronted goose - the rarest goose in Europe - flies into the Wexford slobs in winter. The case is easily made that, in terms of green tourism, even an old guy could get to these places on his pushbike. Gowers books also cover a number of significant historical and mythological links between Wales and Ireland. The Norman invasion of Ireland, for instance, was led by Richard de Clare, or Strongbow, the Earl of Pembroke in West Wales. And we exported a couple of saints from Wales, the best known being Patrick. One of my favourite stories is that of St Modomnoc, a disciple of St David, who is said to have brought bees to Ireland. As someone once said, myth is just very old gossip; you can almost believe it happened. But its true that, in the age of the saints, the Irish Sea was a sort of Celtic superhighway. Gowers book is available through the Ports, Past and Present website and app, where the films, creative projects and hundreds of stories collected for the project may also be accessed. If youre sitting in your car, as a lot of people do in ferry ports, you can download the app and explore all around you, says Connolly. The website is active at the moment, but in time it will become more like a museum. Our funding finished on July 31, but weve committed to maintaining the site for the next ten years. Wed love to do more work with Wales in the future. After Brexit, obviously, the EU funding situation is very uncertain. But there are some Irish/Welsh bilateral commitments to sustaining connections, so were looking for more opportunities in that area. Meet the Cork actor whos landed a leading role in hit fantasy series The Wheel of Time. Donal Finn will soon be on our screens in the second series of the show, the latest in a number of roles that mark him as a talent to watch out for. From the village of Dromina in north Cork, Finn studied at a prestigious London drama school and has been notching up the roles steadily ever since. A childhood passion for drama and musical theatre has developed into a growing career, and Finn is grateful to his family - including parents Donal and Maureen - for fostering his interest throughout. I think a goal of mine would be to repay my mother for every ounce of petrol that she ever put in the car to drive me to Mallow, Charleville, Cork, Kanturk, he said, in an interview which took place before the SAG-AFTRA actors strike. Pantos in Fermoy, musicals in the Opera House, drama lessons out in Ballincollig. If I could go as far as to repay her for all the hours and the miles that she put in that Mitsubishi Space Wagon. I'm eternally grateful to both my parents, for such wild and almost I would say daft support! Because nobody knew where it would go, what it would foster and ideas of going to London (where he is currently based) seem so alien and kind of ambitious. I will always be really grateful to them. It makes me quite emotional. The first season of the fantasy series was a global hit and centred on Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of a magical organisation who takes five young people on a journey. She believed that one of them might be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful individual prophesied to save the world or destroy it. The Irish actor joins season two as Mat Cauthon, a character many fans of the books the show is based on feel connected to. Donal Finn, right, will star as Mat Cauthon in the second season of The Wheel of Time, alongside Kae Alexander as bartender Min Farshaw. Something that's in the show and in the books as well is that maybe Mat can offer an element of levity and lightness within something that has the potential to explore such depths of darkness, and the challenges of the struggle between good and evil, says Finn. I feel he is doing a lot of covering. Something that helped me as an in to the character was seeing him a little bit as a sad clown - using their humour to bring joy to those around him while also having a lot of inner turmoil in facing challenges of regret, of cowardice, and investigating the theme that comes in The Wheel of Time a lot, of predetermination and predestiny. Whether the choices that Mat makes as a person will influence who he is to become or whether, because of the nature of the Wheel of Time, there's a set pattern, and these are the choices he would always make. Growing up in a farming family as one of eight children in Dromina, Finn would entertain his siblings and parents by doing impressions. As a teenager, he would regularly attend musical societies and drama groups, but that seemed distant from being able to pursue acting professionally as a career. With the encouragement and support of family and teachers, the young actor applied himself to the audition process and was accepted into several UK drama schools - including the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art - after being awarded a scholarship. He considers being accepted into LAMDA and later being cast in hit TV series SAS Rogue Heroes as major turning points in his career. On graduating, other early screen credits have included How to Build a Girl and Netflix series The Witcher. Theatre remains a passion, too - last year he completed a theatre run of Sing Street in New York, where he played Brendan, the character played by Jack Reynor in director John Carneys original film. Scenes from both SAS Rogue Heroes and The Wheel of Time were shot in the Moroccan city of Essaouira, and by an uncanny coincidence, he filmed scenes for the latter in the exact same spot (to the nth degree, to the metre squared) where he took a call from his agent about the role a year earlier. Donal Finn. Picture: Stephen S T Bradley His busy career path means a lot of travel - but Finn returns to his homeplace regularly, and is keen to take on more Irish as well as international roles in a vibrant time for Irish storytelling. I do try to balance this job as much as I can with time in Cork and time with my family. I'm massively proud of coming from Cork and having this experience, he said. I feel that I was able to kind of cut out a bit of a path that I didn't know was possible to me from when I was starting out in drama school or doing drama lessons in North Cork. I feel massively proud to come from where I come from and to be playing a part that is on a big project. I'm playing someone who is English, and to be given the opportunity to stretch myself in those ways, I really hope that is a continuation in my career. I'd love to represent people from Cork and Cork stories and Cork lives onscreen. That would be a massive privilege. I feel really honoured to be given these opportunities also to stretch myself away from the town that I know and love so well. Other streaming shows to watch out for this autumn The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC, September 10) The hit series mutates into a new spin-off featuring the character of Dixon, who washes ashore in France and struggles to remember how or why he got there. Norman Reedus reprises his role from the original series and is joined by cast including In Bruges Clemence Poesy. Neighbours (Prime Video, September 18) The continuation of the long-running show about the lives and loves of the residents of Ramsay Street in Melbourne picks up a year after the 2022 finale. As well as returning cast, former Neighbours stars Guy Pearce, Melissa Bell and Mischa Barton return as guest stars. The Lovers (Sky Atlantic and Now, September TBC) The Drys Roisin Gallagher and Johnny Flynn co-star in this comedy series set in Belfast. Gallagher is Janet, a supermarket worker who crosses paths with Seamus, a handsome but self-centred Londoner. Lessons in Chemistry (Disney+, October 13) Brie Larson ( Room) plays a talented young scientist up against a patriarchal society in 1950s America. Fired from her job, she takes on a job hosting a TV cooking show, with unexpected results. All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix, November 2) Adapted from Anthony Doerrs Pulitzer prize-winning novel, this limited series follows the stories of a blind French teenager and a German soldier, whose paths cross in WW2-occupied France. Mark Ruffalo stars. The new academic year is looming and young people all across the country will be preparing to head back to school. But as tens of thousands will be gearing up for the Leaving Cert cycle, two teenagers from Cork are among three successful applicants who will be heading to foreign shores to complete their secondary school education. Traolach Dawson (17) from Glanmire and Kai Kane (16) from Cork City, along with Luke Carroll from Portlaoise, were chosen by United World Colleges (UWC) to receive a scholarship to travel to partner colleges in Europe and Africa where they will undertake the esteemed International Baccalaureate (IB) programme from 2023 to 2025. Each year, UWC Ireland selects three students from a diverse pool of applicants and this year marks the 60th anniversary of the scholarship programme, with 180 students, to date, having participated in the scheme. Fully or partly funded scholarships are offered to ensure that scholars can immerse themselves in the cultural exchange without any academic constraints and UWC has committed over 130,000 in scholarship funding over the next two years. Traolach Dawson (17) from Glanmire, Co. Cork, will travel to United World Colleges East Africa in Tanzania, to study the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme from 2023 2025. Traolach Dawson, who previously attended Colaiste an Chroi Naofa Cork, will be studying at UWC East Africa in Tanzania for the next two years. And having played volleyball internationally in the AMB Youth Volleyball tournament with Cork Volleyball Academy, he has some experience of being overseas. But although, heading to Africa on his own is a much bigger step, it is one he is really looking forward to. After hearing about UWC from family members, I took straight to researching it, and the results had me amazed - it grabbed me immediately, he says. The prospect of going to another country, surrounded by different cultures, and by people who have ambition, sounded like a dream. I was hooked instantly and spent a whole day applying with hopes of making it through.. The 17-year-old's dream did come true and he was selected to join the programme, which, he says, is a really exciting prospect and he is looking forward to getting started. Being surrounded by diversity and a complete change of the environment, will certainly affect how I view the world and should broaden my horizons hugely, he says. Although Im currently undecided on what I want to do in work, I know that whatever path I choose, helping people will be a big part of it. So, my hope is that being in a UWC will increase my understanding of different cultures and people and will impact my views on how I want to change the world. Kai Kane (16) from Cork City, will attend United World Colleges Maastricht in the Netherlands, to study the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme from 2023 2025. Although not travelling quite so far, Kai Kane is also heading abroad to participate in the UWC programme. Having previously attended Colaiste Eamann Ris in Cork City, he will be attending UWC Maastricht in the Netherlands for the next two years. With a keen interest in technology policies, particularly AI, the 16-year-old, applied for the scholarship as he wanted to broaden his worldview. I wanted to see more of the world and experience different cultures in an international school with a geographically diverse student body, he says. So I hope that after my two-year experience of boarding in a UWC campus, I will have become a more open-minded person who can see things from a completely different perspective. Aerin Hogan (18) from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, currently studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme in United World Colleges Maastricht in the Netherlands Aerin Hogan from Mullingar is already studying at UWC Maastricht and she says that although there have been some challenges, it has been an amazing experience so far. Adapting to the different lifestyle has been challenging, and the programme is quite demanding, especially trying to manage my time between academics and the extracurricular activities, says the 18-year-old. Being away from home was also a bit challenging at the start, but that has become easier over time. But seeing all new cultures has been amazing, and having a full immersion in such diversity has been terrific. Overall it has given me a much broader perspective as I come from a small town with little diversity - so Im looking forward to my second year. Applications for the September 2024 entry will open later this year for eligible students aged between 16 and 19 years old, who have completed their Junior Certificate and Kai Kane would encourage others to consider applying. To anyone who is likes the idea of applying to UWC, but feels that it is too big of a step, I would say apply anyway, he says. The application process in itself is a learning experience, so even if you dont get in, you wont have wasted your time. Put your best efforts into the application and interviews, and be a complete optimist going into it. Whether or not youd be suitable or ready for UWC is not something I think you should be worried about. As long as you put your best effort into the application and portray the truest form of yourself, leave the rest to UWC and they will know whether you are ready or not. For more information about the 2024 United World Colleges Scholarship programme and the application process, please visit https://www.ie.uwc.org/ Full text of Xi's signed article on S. African media Xinhua) 15:53, August 21, 2023 BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A signed article by Chinese President Xi Jinping titled "Sailing the Giant Ship of China-South Africa Friendship and Cooperation Toward Greater Success" was published Monday on South African media as he is going to attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg and pay a state visit to South Africa. An English version of the article, carried by The Star, Cape Times, The Mercury as well as Independent Online, is as follows: Sailing the Giant Ship of China-South Africa Friendship and Cooperation Toward Greater Success Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China At the invitation of President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, I will soon make a state visit to the Republic of South Africa and attend the 15th BRICS Summit. It will be my sixth visit to the promising land of the "rainbow nation". South Africa is home to the great statesman Nelson Mandela, and it boasts the richest tourist resources, the longest road network, the biggest securities exchange, and the busiest airports and harbors in Africa. The country exudes unique charm with the perfect amalgam of the ancient and the modern, and of nature and culture. Each of my visits to South Africa gave me new impressions. But the deepest is invariably the brotherly sentiments we have toward each other. Our friendship has traversed a long span of time. As early as in the mid-20th century, the newly founded People's Republic of China lent firm support to the South African people in fighting apartheid, and stood with the African National Congress as comrades and friends. Our friendship has defied the obstacles of mountains and oceans. Facing the sudden onslaught of COVID-19, China was among the first to provide anti-pandemic supplies to South Africa, reaffirming our special brotherhood. More recently, China also provided to the country emergency power equipment. Over the past 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, our relationship has achieved leapfrog development--from a partnership to a strategic partnership, and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership. It is one of the most vibrant bilateral relations in the developing world. Our relationship has entered a "golden era", enjoying broad prospects and a promising future. In recent years, President Ramaphosa and I have maintained close communication through visits, meetings, phone calls and letters. We jointly explore cooperation opportunities, pursue development, and stand up to common challenges. Our strategic mutual trust has been deepening steadily. We give each other firm support on issues involving our respective core interests and major concerns, and maintain coordination on major international and regional issues. We work together to practice true multilateralism and push for the building of a more just and equitable international order. South Africa was the first African country to sign the Belt and Road cooperation document with China. It has been China's biggest trading partner in Africa for 13 years in a row, as well as one of the African countries with the largest stock of Chinese investment. The pie of bilateral cooperation is getting bigger. South Africa's wines, rooibos tea, and aloe vera gels are trending products in China. Many Chinese companies are expanding their operation and at the same time taking more social responsibilities in South Africa. Automobiles and home appliances with Chinese brands yet made in South Africa are very popular among local consumers, and are now owned by numerous South African households. South African companies are also racing to invest in the Chinese market to seize the abundant business opportunities, and they have made important contribution to China's economic growth. South Africa's Ubuntu philosophy advocates compassion and sharing. It resonates well with the values of Confucianism--"love the people and all beings and seek harmony among all nations". In 2015, I participated in the Year of China activities in South Africa, and witnessed the gratifying achievements of our Year of China/South Africa programs. Last April, the faculty and students of the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology wrote me a letter in Chinese, expressing their fondness for the Chinese culture and thanking China for the valuable opportunities provided to young Africans chasing their dreams. I find it very heart-warming. Indeed, these vibrant people-to-people exchanges enhance the empathy between our peoples, and enable our friendship to be passed down from generation to generation. The China-South Africa relationship is standing at a new historical starting point. It has gone beyond the bilateral scope and carries increasingly important global influence. During my forthcoming visit, I look forward to working with President Ramaphosa to chart the plan for a new chapter of our comprehensive strategic partnership. China and South Africa should be fellow companions sharing the same ideals. As an ancient Chinese saying goes, "A partnership forged with the right approach defies distance; it is thicker than glue and stronger than metal and rock." We need to increase our experience sharing on governance, and firmly support each other in independently exploring a path to modernization that suits our respective national conditions. We should fear no hegemony, and work with each other as real partners to push forward our relations amid the changing international landscape. China and South Africa should be pacesetters for solidarity and cooperation. We will succeed because of our biggest strengths in high economic complementarity and the solid foundation for cooperation. We need to further synergize development strategies, promote stronger cooperation in infrastructure, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation and energy transition, and ensure that more people of our two countries will benefit from the development outcomes. China welcomes more South African products to its market, and encourages more Chinese companies to invest and do business in South Africa as an effort of support for South Africa's target to double its inbound investment over the next five-year period. China and South Africa should be inheritors of China-Africa friendship. We need to leverage the all-round, multi-tiered and institutionalized mechanisms for people-to-people exchanges between our two countries, and continue to advance exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, education, sports, media, universities, sub-national governments and the youth. We must keep the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation as alive and strong as ever across the vast lands of China and Africa. China and South Africa should be champions of our common interests. What the world needs today is peace, not conflict; what the world wants is coordination, not confrontation. China and South Africa, as natural members of the Global South, should all the more work together to appeal for greater voice and influence of developing countries in international affairs, promote accelerated reform of international financial institutions, and oppose unilateral sanctions and the "small yard, high fence" approach. We should jointly safeguard our common interests. The BRICS Summit is another important agenda during my visit to South Africa. This is the third time for the Summit to take place on this continent brimming with vibrancy and hope. I still have vivid memories of the Summit in the picturesque Sanya, China's Hainan Province, when South Africa made the formal debut as a member of the BRICS family. Over the past 12 years, South Africa has made important contributions to the development of BRICS cooperation mechanism, further substantiating BRICS cooperation and extending its influence. Now more and more countries are knocking on the door of BRICS, aspiring to join our cooperation. This is a testament to the vitality and influence of the BRICS cooperation mechanism. China is ready to work with fellow BRICS partners to act on the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, build consensus on important issues, carry forward our tradition of independent diplomacy, and resolutely uphold international equity and justice. We will urge the international community to refocus on development issues, promote a greater role by the BRICS cooperation mechanism in global governance, and make the voice of BRICS stronger. It has been ten years since I put forth "sincerity, real results, amity and good faith" as the principles for China to develop its relations with Africa. The past decade has witnessed our joint pursuit of a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, and the completion and handover of a host of projects including the Africa CDC Headquarters, the Foundiougne Bridge in Senegal, the Nairobi Expressway and the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, renewing China-Africa friendship across the vast lands of China and Africa. In face of the profound changes unseen in a century, a strong China-Africa relationship and productive China-Africa cooperation will provide more fresh impetus to global development and ensure greater stability of the world. This is an international responsibility and historical mission entrusted to the 2.8 billion Chinese and African peoples. We will convene a China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue. I will work with African leaders to bring more active, effective and sustainable development initiatives to Africa, expand cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, new energy and digital economy, and facilitate Africa's economic integration, industrialization and agricultural modernization. China will continue to work for substantive progress in African Union's joining of the G20 this year, and looks forward to a greater role by African countries and the AU in international and regional affairs. As an ancient Chinese poem goes, "With high tide and tailwind, it is time to sail a smooth ride." Looking ahead into the next 25 years, the giant ship of China-South Africa friendship and cooperation will sail forward, and we will make even greater progress in the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era as well as the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Nurses with long covid who were infected while at work have been quickly demoted by the Government from a round of applause to a kick in the teeth one of those badly affected by the virus has said. An estimated 250 nurses who caught the virus while at work went on to develop long covid symptoms, leaving them unable to return to high-pressure workplaces. A temporary scheme to protect their salary payments is due to end in October, with no agreement yet on what will replace this. Unions, including the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, have sought the introduction of an Injury at Work Scheme. One senior HSE staff nurse said: I contracted covid-19 in my workplace in January 2021, working on the frontline with no adequate PPE and no vaccine. Their team were issued with blue surgical masks at the time, not the protective FFP2 masks. Getting those masks was kind of a lottery; it depends where you were working, they said. Ive heard in some care-of-the-elderly services, which were hit really badly, there were managers locking masks up and telling nurses to re-use masks, to re-use aprons. People havent heard the half of what went on. Uncertain future More than two years later, they described a shopping list of symptoms leaving them with an uncertain future before turning 50. I have been suffering from long-covid symptoms, extreme chronic fatigue, brain fog, neuropathic aches and pains, insomnia, tinnitus, blurred vision, loss of smell and taste, breathlessness, anxiety, and have been unable to return to work for 21 months now, the nurse said. This nurse, who does not wish to be identified, said while brain fog is the term often used, they feel cognitive impairment is more accurate. I wouldnt feel safe going back to work unless I was licking stamps, they said. This nurse is married with children and faces all usual bills, so if the salary scheme ends in October, this will have an immediate financial impact. If this isnt resolved in the Labour Court, we are being told we can go on sick leave, which is three months full pay, then three months half-pay, and then goodbye. Details of the scheme are determined by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in consultation with the Department of Health, a HSE spokesman said. He highlighted a Healthcare Worker Access to Assessment and Treatment Scheme, to help with referring staff to long-covid clinics and the national neurocognitive clinic. However this nurse, who is part of a group of 15 other nurses in a similar situation, said none of them have heard of this before. In November the European Commission recommended member states recognise covid-19 as an occupational disease under certain circumstances, including for healthcare workers, which had given the nurses hope. A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Protection said they are aware of this. The recommendation from the European Commission concerns covid-19 and not long-covid, she said. The decision on whether or not to recognise an illness as an occupational illness is a decision for each member state. The department has consulted other relevant departments on the matter and the responses received are currently under consideration. In general, she said: There are 342 people in receipt of a weekly illness benefit payment who certified with covid for more than 10 weeks as of 10 August 2023. We are unable to state that they are long-covid cases. Andrea Clarke suffered multiple pulmonary embolisms on both lungs after catching covid in 2021. Picture: Karen Cox Meanwhile, in Mayo, when Andrea Clarke caught covid around December 6, 2021, she did not expect the after-effects to last for almost two years and is only now starting to see improvement. Its all about hope and giving people a bit of hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but its a long old journey, she said, explaining why she wants to discuss this publicly. She was 41 and working in retail banking but since then her life has been changed completely, sometimes unable to work at all and now working two days remotely. It got worse as opposed to better, she said of the first weeks. I was getting worse as it went along, that was the scary thing about it. She tried to return to work in late December but became so ill her GP advised attending Mayo University Hospital, which identified she was infected with the virulent Delta variant. Then shortness of breath, palpitations started, she said. You were sitting on the couch and your heart was racing, absolutely racing, so it was frightening enough. In early March she risked going on a long-postponed trip to New York with her partner. However, the breathlessness worsened, and after returning she developed new pains along her left side. She sought emergency hospital help and was diagnosed with multiple pulmonary embolisms on both lungs. Im incredibly thankful to the nurses I met in that initial acute A&E unit, to my cardiologist, and my wonderful GP, who remained in contact throughout, she said. The mother of two was placed on waiting lists for long-covid clinics and other help, but these only trickled through this year. In February, she saw a wonderful HSE haematologist. She said the clots were an unfortunate piece of the covid jigsaw. What she had said was yes, they are seeing this, and the research is there to suggest it is part and parcel of it, she said. While waiting, she had gone to see Professor Jack Lambert for private treatment in Dublin and said he also linked the clots with long covid. She is continuing treatment with him. I got covid in December 21 and I didnt get an appointment in a [HSE] long covid clinic until February 23, so it was much too late, she said. Ms Clarke said a booklet given to her at that appointment was wonderful but she was disappointed not to be offered treatment. There was a Living Well [online] programme as well from the HSE. I did that in February and March this year, she said, describing this as great. Much of her support has come from other patients. She is a member of Thrombosis Ireland, Long Covid Ireland, and Long Covid Advocacy Ireland. Looking forward, she said her concentration is much sharper and her energy is returning. So compared to this time last year, I can park and reverse-park and do all these things I couldnt do. Obviously I havent climbed Croagh Patrick again, but I can now walk and talk, which is a big thing and Im not getting breathless. I can mange a 5km walk now, but its taken that time to build myself back up, she said. The brother of a well-known politician has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage to property belonging to a fishermens organisation in Co Waterford. The mans family has political affiliations at national and local level. Gardai say the arrests follow investigations into "an incident of alleged criminal damage that reportedly occurred at Tramore Pier, Co Waterford between the 24th and the 26th of March 2023". It is understood to relate to claims by the Tramore Pier Association, which represents fishermen, that their property had been targeted by a person or persons unknown for some time. Camera surveillance was set up by the association around a rudimentary recreation unit that had been constructed by Pier Association co-founder and treasurer Seamus Lenihan from two converted storage sheds. The unit includes rest facilities, solar-powered lighting, a cooker, and television. The surveillance camera captured two men approaching the area. One of the men appears intent on blocking an outfall pipe with material, including rags and dog excrement, which caused flooding of the units interior. The footage was submitted to Gardai along with a formal complaint. The Pier Association represents about 70 fishermen and was established through the Public Participation Network (PPN) under affiliation with Waterford City and County Council. A Garda spokesperson says an individual had been arrested and was released without charge. A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions and investigations are ongoing, said the spokesperson. Mr Lenihan says he and his Pier Association colleagues are more than happy with the arrests. He said: "For years people have been victimised down there by acts of malicious and criminal damage and no-one has ever got to the bottom of it. We may finally get answers now." An accountant from Canada and a Meath native living in the UK lost their lives during the swim stage of the Ironman event in Youghal on Sunday morning. Ivan Chittenden from Toronto in Canada, who was in his 60s, and Brendan Wall from Solihull in England, who was in his 40s, died in separate medical emergencies during the event. The men were both attended to by emergency personnel but were pronounced dead at different scenes on Youghal's sea front. The remains of the two men were initially removed to a makeshift morgue in the town, before being transferred to the Cork City Morgue. The office of the State Pathologist was informed and post mortem examinations will be conducted today to determine the cause of the mens deaths. The Ironman event continued and up to 2,000 athletes crossed the finish line to discover that two of their fellow participants had lost their lives. Thousands of spectators lined the streets to cheer on the endeavors of family and friends at the end of the course in the east Cork town. Saturday's Ironman half triathlon had been postponed until Sunday due to flooding and debris on the cycle course through east Cork as a result of Storm Betty overnight on Friday and into Saturday morning. As a result, both the full and half events took place yesterday. While those who completed the swim, run and cycle were basking in their achievement, many spoke of the difficult sea conditions for the swim part of the event. A Kildare participant said he heard people shouting for help in the water, and that some others didnt feel safe and had turned around. Read More Politician's brother arrested over probe into Waterford pier damage Killian Vigna from Nass said he found out after the event about the two deaths when he had completed the half Ironman. Participants lining up at the start of the event on Sunday. He said swimmers were battered by the high sea swells, adding that it was tough. Robert Larkin from Dublin described the sea as scary during the swim part of the event. He said: When we got in there, the waves were smacking us. He added: The waves were coming up over my head. But once you got to the buoy and turned your head and saw the lighthouse, it was grand. He said he knew people who got back out of the water because they were getting nowhere because of the strength of the current. His mother Jackie said she was proud of her son for competing the half Ironman but admitted she was particularly worried for him while he was doing the swim leg. She pointed out that it was impossible to know how he was getting on as she could not pick out her son in the water amongst all the swimmers. She said: It was very frightening actually, looking at it. You just wanted them all to be finished. Glanmire man Matthew Browne of the East Cork Tribe described the sea conditions as the worst I have ever been in. He continued: Getting out to the first marker was insane because you were going backwards you were being blown back. He said it was a day of personal joy for his family as his wife Leona completed the Ironman 70.3 despite having sustained a broken ankle two weeks ago. Ironman, who have responsibility for staging the event, issued a statement after the deaths, saying: We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of two race participants at the IRONMAN 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023. During the swim portion of Sundays race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance. We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance. In respect of the families and athletes privacy, we will have no further comment. However, Ironmen did not respond to questions posed in relation to the safety concerns raised by participants, including who made the final decision to allow the event to go ahead. In a statement, Cork County Council offered deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the dead men. It said: Our thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we are currently offering every assistance required to the IRONMAN GROUP and all those impacted. We wish to express our gratitude to the response agencies involved, including our dedicated Fire and Emergency personnel, for their unwavering efforts during this difficult time." A man charged with possessing documents following a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach will appear in court on Monday. PSNI said the 50-year-old, who has been charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists and possession of articles for use in terrorism, will appear at Coleraine Magistrates Court. A migrant rights group in Northern Ireland has called on the UK and Irish Governments to extend Common Travel Area rights to non-nationals who are suffering disproportionate discrimination. The North West Migrants Forum, in conjunction with the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR), said the lack of free movement for non-British and non-Irish citizens between both sides of the border is intentional discrimination. Currently, non-British and non-Irish citizens married to British or Irish nationals, international students and those granted refugee status to remain in Britain cannot travel across the border without a visa. The forum said the restrictions were disproportionately discriminating against minority ethnic groups who cannot travel short distances to visit friends without going through a lengthy and costly visa process. CAJ director Daniel Holder said despite many Irish and Northern Irish people living daily cross-border lives, the border isnt open to everyone who lives here. There is a technical fix to this that is within the gift of the Irish Government and we really want to see progress on that, he said. Mr Holder said there was also a selective passport control on the open border leading to blatant racial discrimination which must be addressed. INAR director Shane Curry said the Good Friday agreement enshrines the principles of parity, equal treatment, and human rights for all on our shared island. A border regime which discriminates disproportionately against our minority ethnic friends, neighbours, and colleagues amounts to institutional racism and runs directly counter to these principles and to those in the Irish constitution. It is time to do away with a regime which creates a two-tier system of rights and restricts some while allowing others to pass freely, he said. Innocent Ike from Nigeria, a representative of international students at Ulster University in Derry, said his visa allows him to study, live and work in Britain yet said it was surprising students like him cannot even visit Buncrana in Donegal without going through an expensive and very tedious visa application process which can take up to a month before being approved. The border is just minutes away, I dont see any reason why some people would be given this free right to move freely, while some other people are not, he said. Its a form of discrimination. We are very limited in terms of exploring the Republic of Ireland, It has a hugely negative impact. Mr Ike, a 41-year-old postgraduate student studying international business with data analytics arrived in Northern Ireland in 2022 and has not been able to visit his younger brother in Dublin since arriving. So many of us who have family in the Republic, who are their support system. The visa process is not flexible at all, he said. Even with a visa to visit next month, Mr Ike said he was nervous about crossing the border, worrying he will be denied access. Up to 4,000 pupils in Dublin alone will potentially have no class teacher in place by next week when schools return, as the supply of teachers seems to be reaching crisis levels, principals have warned. The Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN), which represents primary school principals, said on Monday it is acutely aware of and concerned about the challenges schools are facing when it comes to recruiting for the new school year. The IPPN has been highlighting the issues around substitute cover for a number of years, securing a number of measures to help to alleviate issues, it told members in a statement. "This year, however, the issue of teacher supply seems to be reaching crisis level, especially in urban areas, it said. It comes as almost 155 advertised mainstream class teacher jobs in Dublin remained unfilled last week, compared to 38 such posts advertised on the same date last year. The IPPN said this means thousands of students will have no teacher standing in front of them next week or whose class will have to be taught by a redeployed special education teacher (SET). It added that schools have been engaged in recruitment campaigns since May in an effort to fill teaching posts, with large numbers of schools reporting that they still have unfilled posts. The shortfall in the number of teachers will compromise the ability of schools to meet the needs of all pupils, as school leaders will be forced to ensure that they have teachers for all mainstream classes, meaning they will have a reduced cohort of SETs, if any, to work with children with additional needs. While it is common for schools to still be recruiting at this time of year, the numbers of unfilled posts, particularly in specific areas of the country, are significantly higher than they were this time last year. This is despite the much-earlier release of teacher allocation information to schools this year. Call for solutions The group has called for a range of immediate, shorter-term, and longer-term solutions to address the issues. This includes attracting Irish-qualified teachers to return from overseas by offering increments and pension contributions, as well as establishing teaching job fairs in Britain, the Netherlands, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Australia, and New Zealand. It has also called for schools to be allowed to create full-time fixed-term posts from maternity, paternity, parental, and parents leave posts. Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has been accused of showing a lack of leadership over a potential move that could see farms becoming unviable and jobs being lost in rural Ireland. Fine Gael politicians have called on the Fianna Fail minister to stand up to the European Commission over a pending reduction in Irelands nitrates derogation which will lead to farmers reducing their herd with knock-on effects to communities and businesses. The minister has informed the Oireachtas agriculture committee that he has agreed to appear before it on October 4. However, politicians have said this is too late as the commission is due to make its final decision the same month. Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard said the economic cost of a cut to derogation to the wider rural communities is estimated at 236m. He said it is unbelievable that Mr McConalogue is appearing before the committee 11 weeks after he received the invitation at a time when agriculture is facing its most crucial and significant issue in years". He accused the minister of being missing in action when leadership is needed". FREE Irish Examiner gilet with an annual digital subscription Subscribe for 1.54/week Billed as 80 for first year. Ts&Cs apply The minister needs to show that he does actually understand the urgency around this and the implications if our derogation is reduced," said Mr Lombard. Under the nitrates derogation and Ireland's Nitrates Action Plan, almost 7,000 Irish farmers are allowed higher than average limits of organic livestock manure per hectare. However, the agreement with the commission also stipulated that a water quality review is required and if water quality worsens, the upper limits would be reduced from the beginning of next year. A recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency showed overall water quality is in decline, stating nitrates "remain too high in rivers, groundwater, and estuaries in the south-east, south-west and midlands and eastern regions". The report outlines the regions that could be required to reduce their organic nitrogen stocking rate to 220kg per hectare from 250kg in 2024 under the derogation and the report has been sent to the commission. Irish Farmers Association president Tim Cullinan said it is important that a rash decision is not made that will have a serious impact on the sector. He said farmers have adopted 30 measures since 2018 and weve always said it was going to take time for this to happen and theres no point in just measuring water quality in one year". Whats key in all of this is the minister shows his teeth in Brussels and ensures he maintains this derogation going forward. Job losses Mr Cullinan said a cut in the derogation will lead to people losing their jobs in rural Ireland, with farmers having invested substantial money in their businesses with knock-on effects. Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president Pat McCormack accused the minister of fighting from behind in the battle to maintain the derogation. Hes talking the talk but we havent seen too many scars and its certainly a battlefield to maintain our derogation." The minister previously told the Dail his officials are engaging with the commission to try and get extra time and to keep the derogation. Mr Lombard said commission officials need to meet directly with stakeholders here to see the commitment by farmers to improve water quality and get an appreciation of the implications of any decision to reduce derogation levels". The Department of Agriculture was asked for comment. Strategies to tackle HPV should include men and teenage boys, an Irish advocate has urged following new international research indicating high rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) among men. While HPV is more commonly associated with cervical cancer, it can also less commonly cause cancer of the penis, throat, and anus. It is transmitted through sexual contact and can affect anyone. Kim Hanly, founder of support network Cervical Cancer Awareness Ireland, said in her experience men are often not aware that HPV can affect them directly, as well as potentially infecting a partner. 'Understanding not there' Its misinformation or misunderstanding, she said. Ive seen it way too many times to count, even the whole understanding of what HPV is and that it can affect men is not there. "That needs to be highlighted more. If that became a talking point, people would realise, oh wait, its not just women, it can actually affect me'. She called for strategies at State level to take into account research published last week, describing the findings as frightening. A large-scale worldwide study, published in the Lancet Global Health journal, found almost one in three men over the age of 15 is infected with at least one genital HPV and one in five is infected with one or more high-risk HPV types. This is the barrier you have; how do you get young men, who are not vaccinated in school and not aware of what HPV is and what it can cause, to information so they are actually going to read it and digest it, said Ms Hanly. Thats the real question here, how do you do that? She highlighted the growing movement of male sports stars discussing their mental health publicly and using sports media to share a serious health message. She suggested a similar movement could work for HPV awareness also. Ms Hanly is involved with a number of national campaigns, including a HPV vaccine catch-up campaign, and she said there is a huge amount of work behind each development. Its great to see how much has been done over the last number of years, she said. But this report just shows while we are making great strides in a lot of aspects, there is this cohort where we need to know what to do about them. The World Health Organization said the study, 'Global and regional estimates of genital human papillomavirus prevalence among men: a systematic review and meta-analysis', shows the importance of including men in efforts to tackle HPV. In Ireland, the HPV vaccine has been available to boys since September 2019 and to girls since 2010. The catch-up programme, named in honour of advocate Laura Brennan who died at the age of 26 with cervical cancer, offers young people who may have missed the vaccine the chance to catch up now. Not returning home after taking part in an Ironman is not something athletes consider when undertaking one, one of the competitors in yesterdays event in Cork says. Matthew Browne from Glanmire is a member of the East Cork Tribe group and took part in the 70.3 half Ironman event with his wife Leona yesterday. He said conditions in the sea were tough for the swim element of the event. He continued: I wouldnt be a super strong swimmer but I was okay. Speed and all that went out the window and it was just (about) breathing. But he recalled: Some people were panicking and out of breath. He said the tragic deaths tainted the event, adding: Broadly speaking, I had a great day, as in I had a good time and all that. But the most of us are just amateurs and you want to go home to your kids or whatever. You dont usually consider that you are not going home, although obviously you do consider the dangers. He said there were safety boats and kayaks everywhere to help the swimmers and commended that. He found out about the deaths in the tent at the finish line, like the majority of participants. While one athlete, who didnt want to be named, said he felt the event should have been called off after the deaths, Mr Browne said: It would have been very hard to call it off I dont even know logistically how they would do it. I cant imagine how they would even get the word out. Riders being cheered on as they cycle up teh steep Windmill Hill during the Ironman event in Youghal. Picture: Howard Crowdy He said that it had been a great weekend personally for him and his family, as his three daughters took part in the Ironkids event on Friday night, while Leona did the half Ironman event despite breaking her ankle just two weeks ago. Robert Larkin from the Pulse triathlon club in Dublin said that while on the course, he heard nothing about the deaths. But despite the news, and it being his first Ironman, he is hoping to do another one in the future. He travelled to Youghal on Friday with his parents to take part in the half Ironman which had initially been scheduled to take place on Saturday. It was postponed until yesterday because of flooding and debris on the bicycle course as a result of Storm Betty. Killian Vigna from Kildare said that despite the tragedy, there was huge support shown to the participants along the route. He said: Windmill Hill was an incredible experience. It felt something like the Tour de France Cork really got out there and got people up that hill. It was incredible, fair play to them. He continued: I only found about the deaths after, just when I met up with my club members. It was tough, and it was tough out there. Prior to the start of the event yesterday morning, Ironman Ireland posted an update to social media, outlining changes to the swim course because of the current conditions of the water at the swim start. The change meant the course for both the full distance Ironman and the Ironman 70.3 event was 1.9km. An estimated 2,000-plus spectators travelled to Youghal yesterday to cheer on an equal number of athletes attempting the half and full triathlons, which were timed to start consecutively. This year the two races were combined on Sunday, August 20th, as the half IRONMAN race on Saturday had to be cancelled due to storm Betty. Picture: John Hennessy Participants had an early start gathering on the front strand from 5.30am. The day began with blustery conditions, with waves reaching an estimated 1.52m in a large swell. The advancing tide was breaking heavily on the rock armour that lines the shore as the first competitors took to the sea.. The start was delayed by about 40 minutes, partly to allow all athletes to reach the front strand and also because of an apparent malfunction with the timer mechanism in the starting mat. The swimmers were meant to turn towards the right to circumnavigate an orange buoy before turning parallel to the shore, towards the harbour entrance and upriver, parallel to the Lighthouse Hill, and on to the bike transition at Green Park. However many swimmers, despite repeated calls from the race director to veer right, seemed either to swim or to drift to the left and had to exert extra effort to correct their direction. The orange buoy was disused for the full triathlon swimmers who were instructed to swim in a straight line to a large yellow triangle inflatable instead. Some participants were seen abandoning the swim soon after entering the water and were either picked up by water rescue craft or swam back to shore. Several were helped ashore by stewards but, in some, were also carried onto the rocks by the breaking waves. By 8am the public were three deep along the Lighthouse Hill and beyond, cheering the cyclists as they headed towards the east Cork byroads on the second leg of their challenge. Spectators turned out in force in equal numbers as the cyclists twice powered up the 21% incline of Windmill Hill. Huge numbers remained on the town's streets late into the night applauding the athletes ten hours after their first step into water. Business owners and residents opposing the proposed use of a building in Limerick city centre for homeless services have claimed the citys Georgian Quarter is reaching saturation point for providing social services. The group has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanala against the recent decision of Limerick City and County Council to grant planning permission to the Society of the St Vincent de Paul for a change of use of the Mechanics Institute, a listed building on Hartstonge Street. The SVP wants to use it to provide community support services for homeless people. Its existing drop-in centre in Limerick is just a short distance away on the same street. SVP said it intends to provide food, shower and laundering facilities as well as counselling and housing services in the building. In planning files, the group of business owners and residents stress they fully support and appreciate the great work the charity does. However, they claim there has been a marked increase in the provision of social support services in the immediate area of Pery Square in recent years from a number of organisations including Focus Ireland, Novas, St Vincent de Paul, the Simon Communities, the council and others. While the group says such development is to be welcomed generally, it says it needs to be balanced in order to represent a true cross-section of society in one concentrated urban area". It is currently felt by many that we are reaching a saturation point of social services in the Georgian Quarter which is significantly altering the residential environment, the group says. It also notes there has been a stark rise in anti-social problems including aggressive interactions with some users of those services. Residents claim to have witnessed numerous incidents of open substance abuse, intimidatory begging and criminal activity in the area which they said creates real fear and daily unease particularly among older citizens. They also express concern about the safety of young children attending a local national school and visiting the nearby Peoples Park. They claim the concentration of social services in a small area runs contrary to the strategic vision of the Limerick City and County Development Plan 2023-2028. If the existing fabric, unique character and long-term future of the Georgian neighbourhood is to be safeguarded, the residential community must be maintained and balanced with the more transient nature of temporary support service users, the group said. They point out that many new residents in the area have invested heavily in renovating and saving period homes in the Georgian quarter, with some having reported burglaries, criminal damage and harassment. If this trend is to continue, it will actively discourage new residents in the area, they added. The group says Limericks Georgian Quarter has been revitalised in recent years through the tireless efforts of long-term residents, the council and private businesses to build a valuable tourist attraction. They claim such hard-won improvements and historic investment risk being wasted if we do not counter the rapid rise of anti-social behaviour in the area which is already adversely affecting tourist numbers, bedroom occupancy and investor interest". A separate appeal against the grant of planning permission by the owners of an adjoining building claims the proposed use of the Mechanics Institute by St Vincent de Paul could disincentive further housing and employment development in the area. They claim it would not be unreasonable for the charity to develop a new, purpose-built facility as a better alternative than shoehorning for emotional, historic reasons into the existing premises". However, SVP said the growing demand for its services mean its existing premises in Limerick city are inadequate with many service users being forced to queue in a public lane. The charity said it was very important to preserve the dignity of service users and the use of the Mechanics Institute building would allow its services to be provided in modern facilities. A ruling by An Bord Pleanala on the appeals is due shortly before Christmas this year. When I woke up, I was wringing. As in wet, wet, wet. Now, control your nasty ageist imagination. I was wet only across the shoulders. I reached for the light switch. Nothing happened. Wet and in the dark, I was. I patted the bed, to discover the damp was all down one side. The window side. It was logical to assume that Storm Betty, which could be heard doing a departing bluster outside, had something to do with this, so I got carefully out of bed, which was just as well the careful bit, I mean because I stepped into a puddle. Turned out the windowsill was awash. The rain was coming in at the top, bouncing off the sill and progressing in an efficient arc to land on me in the bed. Our columnist's workstation during Storm Betty. It was only then I realised what had woken me. The burglar alarm, which was giving out, on the wall, about a mains fault. I pacified it with its password and assessed the situation. Essentially, it seemed, Storm Betty had returned me to the 19th century. No heat. No light. No wifi. No water, which was puzzling. Other than the water in the wall and window leaks, which were many. Now, this offers me the chance to let readers of the Irish Examiner in on a hidden strength of one of their columnists. I am always prepared for power cuts. Always. Every room, every drawer has torches, candles, and matches. If a burglar ever God between us and all harm got past my super modern alarm, that burglar is going to be mystified when they find torches nestling in my lingerie. (Thats knickers, to you.) Lighting a torch, I draped myself in a models coat. Thats what you call a light summer dressing gown bought 10 years ago in New York. The bathroom offered just enough of a water dribble for teeth cleaning. Grand. The lift was out of commission, so, phone in one hand, torch in the other, I climbed down the spiral staircase. (The spiral staircase is a consequence of living in a Martello tower completed in 1806.) After clean teeth, the next step in civilised pre-dawn living is coffee. Which requires water. Fortunately, the water filter jug had more than enough, and if I couldnt boil it in the kettle, sure I could use the microwave, right? Wrong, my brain pointed out. Microwaves are just as dependent on electricity as are kettles. Gotcha. Next task, therefore, after lighting a million candles and battery lanterns, to the mystification of the borrowed dog and the intense irritation of the cats, who are resistant to change and believe the bloody dog is enough of a new factor for them to be coping with, was to clear out, set and light the fire in the Ecce Ironheart stove in the main room. The stove has a political frame of mind. It offers promise, rather than immediate gratification. In other words, you light it and its 13 minutes before one of the top hob plates gets hot enough to boil an open saucepan of water for coffee, which disadvantageously then takes another 13 minutes to get really hot. On the other hand, coffee freshly made using water boiled in this way is especially delicious, particularly when drunk in front of blazing flames and surrounded by candles and torches. The good news that offered itself at this point was that the tower did, actually, have water. It just didnt have HOT water, which was fine, really. Not fine was the realisation that, with no internet, I could not do the task I get up every morning at 4am to do. I could not access the newspapers that are fundamental to that task. Nor could I get out to a shop to buy physical newspapers instead, because the gate, when theres a power cut, decides to repel borders by locking up, trapping me inside. Even if I could find a way around the newspaper problem, I couldnt communicate with anybody signed up to iMessage, although old 20th-century text was fine. Heres my situation, I told the borrowed dog. (No point in telling the cats. The mission statement of cats is Dont give a sugar.) I am now faced with the inevitability of offending a couple of dozen clients and friends in one go and damn all I can do about it. The dog gave a snuffling supportive sigh. And you know what? I went on. Its oddly calming, the realisation that youre going to screw with other peoples lives without meaning to and without any way of notifying them. Oddly calming, it is. The dogs gaze was filled with that profound empathic understanding they convey when they dont know the hell what youre on about. I could, I thought, the first beaker of coffee re-igniting optimism, I could ring one of my staff and ask them to do the task. This proposition died on the vine. Staff, I figured, have an unwritten right to be forgotten during sleep. Might need to be re-negotiated, but maybe not starting that early on a Saturday morning. Then it struck me. I could write my Examiner column. This cunning plan immediately ran into the problem of the iPad not being able to save anything because of not having access to the internet. As Tom Hanks would point out, when you use a typewriter, you end up with this marvellous thing: a faithful paper record of your keystrokes. Modern technology doesnt do anything as simply smart as that. Glad not to be an airline pilot finding herself in a parallel situation, I took screenshots of each section as I wrote on the basis that I could reconstruct this column subsequently using those shots. Editor-terror God be with the days when typewriters ruled journalism. This is because I suffer acute editor-terror, which is odd, because, with one notable exception, my instructing editors, over 50 years, have been dotes. Dotes, I tell you. The one notable exception, a volatile misogynistic bullying turd, is long dead and I could name him, but he may have surviving relatives he fooled about his true nature, so well leave him be. Dawn began to break through, as it always does, with its quiet luminous declaration of inchoate hope, and the phone rang. The caller was from the alarm company, which had noted my lack of protection. I dont tell him I was perfectly safe because the dog would terrify any intruder with the wildly enthusiastic welcome it would give them. As the day brightened, candles were blown out, lanterns turned off, torches ditto, and restored to their hiding place. Of course, this created the illusion that normality had returned, but it hadnt. I couldnt go online to ask Eirgrid when they thought they could resume sending me electricity. Nothing for it but another cup of coffee and reading by the brightest window. Mopping the leaks and changing the bed could wait. The Barbie Doll. She was my idol. She was the toy everyone brought to school, she was what everyone got for their birthdays. She was everyones best friend. I was a young South Asian girl that looked at Barbie and thought, she has got to be the most beautiful doll in the world. She is white, she has blonde hair, she has a stable house to live in, she most likely has a lot of money, and she always has great outfits. I am brown, I have thick black curly hair that needs to be brushed several times before the knots are fully undone, I did not have a stable home, nor a lot of money, and sometimes had okay outfits. But I desperately wanted to become her, to look like her. As I grew older and into my late teens, I would straighten my hair, bleach it to make it lighter and wear foundation that was lighter than my skin. As a South Asian, you were always told, if you have darker skin, you are not pretty, so use some Fair and Lovely Cream and you will become fairer. Western beauty standard I was raised to aspire to a Western beauty standard. I idolised the original Barbie doll. After all, since I was five years' old, she lived in the back of my mind as the picture of perfect beauty. My mother could never afford to buy the doll. She was expensive and it was difficult to find them in stores where we lived. I would get Barbies as a Christmas present from the white women who my mother cleaned houses for, and they usually would get them when they went to Europe for holidays. And whenever I opened the neatly wrapped presents, and looked at the pristine packaging that the doll was in, she was always white, and blonde but this time had a different sparkly dress. Barbie reminded me that being white was a privilege. She would not experience racism, she would not be asked how she speaks English so well, she would not be on the receiving end of micro-aggressions. She would not be told she did not belong here, she would not be told to go back to where she came from. Picture: Mattel/PA. In the Middle East, where I grew up, Fulla was a Muslim Arab doll that was very popular with younger Arab girls. My Fulla doll wore an abaya and a hijab and had a darker complexion, but I did not relate to Fulla as she did not look exactly like me either. But I took her in and sat her down with my other Barbie dolls, who were having tea at their pink table, and I sat next to them and pretended that I was having a conversation with my best friends. As I grew older, and less removed from reality, I realised that maybe Barbie was not everything I wanted to be. She was too perfect. I realised that maybe playing with Barbie had not prepared me for the real world not the real world I lived in, anyway. Barbie made me feel like I was not enough in this world because I was not fair-skinned. Because I was not middle class, and because I did not have my perfect stable dream house growing up. Being white was a privilege She reminded me that being white was a privilege. She would not experience racism, she would not be asked how she speaks English so well, she would not be on the receiving end of micro-aggressions. She would not be told she did not belong here, she would not be told to go back to where she came from. Instead, she would be welcomed because she was the perfection of Western beauty. Being brown-skinned was different. But in 2022, Mattel launched the first ever South Asian-American Barbie. She was a CEO. She wore a power suit, she wore jhumkas and bangles. Her skin was brown, her eyes were big, and her brows were bold. The doll is based on Deepica Mutyala, South Asian beauty entrepreneur and CEO and founder of Live Tinted, a community and brand that makes brown-skinned makeup. I did not even know she existed, but I am glad she does. It might be too late for me but there is some comfort to be gained from knowing South Asian Barbie is taking her place around pink tables with all the other Barbies in children's bedrooms across the globe. It goes far beyond childish games and make-believe tea-parties, because visibility and representation matter. South Asian Barbie is now seen. And so are we. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles, state media reported. The test came as the US and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills which the North views as an invasion rehearsal. The Norths report on missile tests came three days after the leaders of the US, South Korea and Japan held their first stand-alone trilateral summit and agreed to increase their cooperation on their ballistic missile defences to counter North Koreas evolving nuclear and missile threats. During an inspection of a navy flotilla on an unspecified date, Mr Kim boarded a patrol ship to review its weapons and preparations for combat, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The move comes as the US and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal (AP) It said Mr Kim later watched the ships personnel conduct a drill of launching strategic cruise missiles a word implying the weapons were developed to carry nuclear warheads. A state media photo showed him watching a soaring missile from the patrol ship from another place, not on the vessel. KCNA said the missiles hit designated targets without any errors, demonstrating the ships readiness and attack capability. Mr Kim said he would bolster efforts to build powerful warships and modernise shipboard and underwater weapons systems for the Norths navy. Mr Kim visited a navy flotilla in North Korea (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) He called for the countrys sailors to build overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength, saying that is more important than numerical or technical superiority of weapons, according to KCNA. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement North Koreas report on its cruise missile tests contained an exaggeration and was not consistent with the facts. It said South Koreas military will maintain firm readiness based on its capacity to overwhelmingly defeat potential North Korean provocations. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said: North Koreas naval cruise missile may appear technologically behind but is still a real threat. The latest test shows Pyongyangs intention of attacking South Korea from many angles if it believes the Kim regime is at risk. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Launches from North Koreas huge stockpile of ballistic missiles are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions. Its cruise missile tests are not banned, but they still pose a threat because they fly at a lower altitude to avoid radar detection. Analysts say North Korea aims to use cruise missiles to strike incoming U.S. warships and aircraft carriers in the event of conflict. North Korea was widely expected to resume weapons tests in reaction to the US-South Korean military training that began Monday for an 11-day run. The Ulchi Freedom Shield training is a computer-simulated command post exercise. The US and South Korean militaries said they also plan conduct large-scale field exercises as well. North Korea in past years has slammed major US-South Korean drills as practice for an invasion and has responded to them with missile tests. American and South Korean officials maintain the exercises are defensive in nature and they have no intention of attacking the North. A suspected Palestinian gunman has killed an Israeli woman and seriously wounded a man in the south of the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities said, as violence continued to flare in the territory shortly after another shooting killed two Israelis. The latest attack is part of a sharp escalation in the region in recent months involving Palestinian militants, Israeli security forces and radical Jewish settlers. It took place as Israeli forces were already on high alert and searching for the gunman who had killed the two Israelis in the northern West Bank on Saturday. The combustible mix of armed Palestinians carrying out shooting attacks against Israelis as well as near-nightly and often deadly raids by the Israeli army to arrest militants has fuelled the worst fighting between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank in nearly two decades. An Israeli soldier guards the site of the shooting (AP) Reprisals by fanatic Jewish settlers against Palestinians have also heightened tensions in the territory. On Sunday, Israeli settlers threw stones and firebombs at a Palestinian home south of Nablus near the site of Saturdays deadly attack, local officials reported, causing damage but no injuries. Israeli security forces said the suspected Palestinian gunman opened fire at an Israeli car on Route 60, the main north-south road in the West Bank, near the major city of Hebron. The army said the apparent drive-by shooting killed an Israeli woman and seriously wounded a man as the two were travelling. The Israeli rescue service reported the two victims were in their 40s and that a six-year-old girl who was also in the car was unharmed. The man, it said, was found semi-conscious and taken to hospital. Authorities say that a suspected Palestinian attacker opened fire (AP) Images from the scene showed the victims shattered sedan riddled with bullet holes. The gunman fled, prompting Israeli security forces to embark on their second manhunt in three days. The military shut down all entrances to the Palestinian city of Hebron along with other towns to the south and east. The Hamas militant group and Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised the attack as a response to Israels expanding settlement enterprise in the West Bank, but stopped short of claiming responsibility. The deadly shooting came just days after another Palestinian attack killed an Israeli father and son who were washing their car in the northern Palestinian town of Hawara, putting the West Bank on edge. Nearly 180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the start of this year, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Israel says most of the Palestinians killed were militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting against the incursions and those not involved in the confrontations have also been killed. Some 30 people have been killed by Palestinian attacks against Israelis during that time. Israel says the raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks. Palestinians say the raids undermine their security forces, inspire more militancy and entrench Israeli control over lands they seek for a hoped-for future state. Tom Tugendhat has pledged more UK support for Iraq to help combat drug production and trafficking. In a visit to Baghdad on Monday, the Security Minister said British officials want to build on our strong counter-terrorism co-operation and expand the countries security relationship to identify and address shared serious organised crime threats including human smuggling, trafficking, narcotics and money laundering that work together as a criminal network that undermines the entire state of Iraq. While Iraq has in recent years primarily served as a transit country for drugs particularly the amphetamine Captagon, which is largely produced in neighbouring Syria there have been some indications that Iraq is also moving into production. Mr Tugendhat pointed to the discovery by Iraqi authorities last month of a factory that was producing Captagon in Iraq, in a province bordering Saudi Arabia. The Gulf country is a major market for the pills. There is always an overlap between drugs, human trafficking, terrorism and violence, Mr Tugendhat told the Associated Press. We are seeing criminal groups, human trafficking and drugs affecting not just Iraq, but the whole region and many of our friends and allies in the region. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement that his country has made significant efforts to combat drugs and human trafficking. Mr Sudani said the Iraqi and British interior ministries were preparing to sign a agreements outlining their co-operation on these issues. A British official said the agreements would focus on information sharing to support counter terrorism and on serious organised crime. BANGKOKThailands divisive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to return to the kingdom from exile on Tuesday, threatening fresh instability on the day parliament votes for a new prime minister after three months of political deadlock. Thaksin, 74, is the most influential and controversial politician in recent Thai history, loathed by the pro-military and royalist elites but adored by many in rural areas whose lives were changed by his policies in the early 2000s. His return from 15 years of self-imposed exilewhich his daughter announced would be at 9 a.m. on Tuesdaycomes at a politically charged moment in the kingdom. Thailand has been without a prime minister for three months after the youthful Move Forward Party (MFP) stormed to a shock success in May elections, only to be stymied by the conservative establishment opposed to its promise of change. The Pheu Thai party, the election runners-up headed by Thaksins daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, then broke with MFP to create a new coalition with army-backed candidates despite a campaign pledge never to do so. On Saturday, days after announcing a deal with the ex-party of outgoing Prime Minster Prayut Chan-o-chawho came to power in a coup in 2014Paetongtarn said her father would return home just hours before parliament votes for a premier. Thaksin, who confirmed his daughters announcement, went into self-exile in 2008 over decades-old criminal charges he claims are politically motivated, and still faces the possibility of jail time. He will have to gain some security from his people being the government, political analyst Jade Donavanik told AFP. While hatred of Thaksin runs deep in establishment circles, the unexpected success of MFP and its charismatic young leader Pita Limjaroenrat may have provoked a rethink. If they have to choose between these two evils, they will be choosing the lesser of the two, Jade said. Outside elite circles, Pheu Thais deal with the army-backed United Thai Nation Party has dismayed many supporters and progressives who voted overwhelmingly against military-backed parties in May. Old versus new An ex-policeman, Thaksin made billions after founding the telecoms firm Shin Corp and then turned to politics. A populist movement, then unprecedented, catapulted him to power and he served as prime minister between 2001 and 2006. Thaksin commands loyalty in many rural areas, where Pheu Thai is seen as inextricably linked with him and his family, and remains a household name. But in Mays elections, his party did not win the popular vote for the first time since 2001. It is a fight of the old and the new, political activist Thida Thavornseth told AFP. Thai people change. They love Thaksin but they love democracy more, she said before the deal was announced. It is unclear how long Thaksin might serve in jail, should he return. His associates hope he may be moved to house arrest after a brief incarceration, although there are no guarantees. Thaksin controls Pheu Thai party but the other power can control Thaksin, Thida said. Many in the pro-democracy Red Shirt movement have reacted furiously to Pheu Thais deal with army-backed groups. Scores of Red Shirt protesters were killed by the military in 2010 demonstrations in Thaksins name. Most Red Shirts loved Thaksin, because under him everything was better, but now they have changed: they want to change the country, Thida said. Moving forward Young progressives were emboldened by unprecedented calls in 2020 to amend Thailands lese-majeste laws, backing MFP as a result, and the royal issue remains central to the Thaksin question. As he returns to his country, Thaksin may require the support of both the military and the monarchy, Korakot Sangyenpan, a Democracy Restoration Group campaigner, told AFP. Pheu Thais decision to work with once-reviled conservative blocs has made Thaksin far more palatable to establishment figures, he said. Thaksin for the new generation is quite an old story, but for the conservatives its quite a new hope for them, he said. But the question of Thaksins return was no more than a distraction, said a member of protest group Thaluwang, who gave only her nickname Bung. People will not focus on the real problem, which is the Thai monarchy, and they will think that Thaksin will help and everything will get better, she told AFP. It would probably be a step back for Thai democracy protests. Myanmars military junta has publicly declared support for the military coup in Niger, and even compared the two countries coups. August 6 issues of junta newspapers carried a propaganda article arguing that the Niger and Myanmar armed forces had staged coups not because of their thirst for power, but to protect sovereignty. The article argues that the military takeover was necessary in Niger because its former colonial ruler France still wields both political and economic influence over the African country. Niger gained independence from France in 1960. The op-ed stretches the comparison even further by describing the now ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government as colonial rule. It also steals former US President Donald Trumps slogan, American First, saying when it comes to national interests, it must always be Myanmar First and Niger First. Some seasoned diplomats from the juntas Foreign Ministry are disappointed about the support for Nigers putsch expressed in the article. But they dare not complain openly for fear of reprisal from their boss, Min Aung Hlaing. Such support blatantly violates Myanmars independent, active and non-aligned policy, they say. However, this is not the first time the junta has violated the countrys long-standing foreign policy. The regime abandoned non-alignment when it backed Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In attempting to justify its coup, the regime used the article to paint Australian economist Sean Turnell, who served as economic advisor to the now jailed civilian leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as a villian. The article cites the appointment of over 90 foreigner advisors including Turnell as evidence of external influence on the NLD government. It adds that Turnell was often seen together with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and his position as an economic advisor gave him access to confidential information about the state. Turnell was also a member of the Myanmar Development Institute (MDI), an economic think tank established by the NLD government in 2017, with the stated purpose of supporting the government in the formulating economic policies through robust and reliable policy research. The article argues that the MDI was partly financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), while personnel from American business magnate George Soros Open Society Foundation and US-based advocacy group National Endowment for Democracy were always around Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. It claims this shows that Myanmars political mechanism was under the indirect control of the US State Department. The article adds that as economic advisor to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Turnell had unrestricted access to information about Myanmars economy for five years. These accusations are not new, having been made previously in books written by fake reformist Soe Thane, a minister in U Thein Seins military-proxy administration who fooled the world into thinking that Myanmars transition to democracy was irreversible. Turnell was released in November last year after 21 months in junta detention and now serves as an advisor to the central bank of the parallel civilian National Unity Government (NUG). The article says the NUG has taken on Turnell because the economics professor has in-depth knowledge about key economic sectors as well as the major sources of foreign currency income for Myanmar. The junta prosecuted and jailed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, former finance and planning ministers U Kyaw Win, U Soe Win, and deputy minister U Hset Aung along with Turnell for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by appointing Turnell as a government advisor. The regime has released all of the accused except Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The juntas new home affairs minister Lieutenant-General Yar Pyae is attending the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, the current chair of ASEAN. This is Yar Pyaes second ASEAN visit after being appointed home affairs minister when Min Aung Hlaings regime was reshuffled following the extension of emergency rule for six more months. Yar Paye, who was a classmate of deputy junta chief Soe Win in the Defense Services Academy 22nd intake, also attended the 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters in Vientiane, Laos on August 10. Laos is set to take over the ASEAN chair from Indonesia next month. The 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime is being held from August 20-23. ASEAN + 3 (China, Japan and South Korea) meetings will also be held separately. The meeting is being attended by 275 delegates. ASEAN has barred the junta from attending top-level ASEAN summits and foreign ministers meetings after it failed to implement the regional blocs peace plan for Myanmar, known as the Five-Point Consensus, which includes an immediate end to violence in the country. Min Aung Hlaing has not only ignored the five-point consensus but also called on ASEAN partners to respect the blocs principle of non-interference in members domestic affairs. Despite the exclusion of junta representatives from ASEAN Summits, Thailand last month sponsored an informal meeting on Myanmars crisis that was attended by junta officials, while outgoing Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai also met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) issued a statement on August 17 urging Indonesia to use the time it has left as chair of ASEAN to leave a lasting legacy for Myanmars pro-democracy movement. Two days later, foreign ministers of Thailand and China also called for political solutions to Myanmars crisis. At least 15 Myanmar junta forces were killed in the last four days as Peoples Defense Force groups (PDFs) and some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) continued to attack regime targets across the country. Incidents were reported in Naypyitaw, Bago, Tanintharyi, Sagaing and Mandalay regions and Shan and Kachin states. The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs. Some military casualties could not be independently verified. Clash erupts near juntas administrative capital Naypyitaw Four regime forces suffered injuries on the border of Magwe Regions Myo Thit Township and Naypyitaws Tatkon Township on Sunday when the Oppressed Peoples Revolutionary Force attacked a military unit that was traveling on motorbikes, the resistance group said. The junta troops were attacked while arriving in the area to extort money from local businesses. After the shootout, three military motorbikes and many rounds were seized, said the resistance group. Military unit flees resistance attack in Bago White Peacock Column (WPC) claimed a military unit fled after facing losses in a series of attacks by WPC in Pyuu Township, Bago Region on Friday and Saturday. Last Friday, a military logistics train overturned in a mine ambush between two towns in Pyuu while it was traveling from Naypyitaw to Yangon. On that night, WPC fighters continued to attack a base of regime reinforcements in a village beside the Yangon-Mandalay highway, said the WPC. The junta forces were assigned to perform security for the railway. In the raid, many regime forces were reportedly killed or injured. The resistance groups also used drones to drop 60-mm mortar bombs on another military unit planning to scour the area for resistance forces, while stationed at a monastery in Taw Kywal Inn Town. The bombs killed two soldiers including the head of the unit and injured two others. The military unit fled when the combined resistance forces raided them at the monastery, the resistance group said. The resistance group continued to conduct drone strikes on a military unit stationed in a village in Phyuu on Sunday, killing two more soldiers and injuring two others. Clashes continue in northern Shan Three clashes broke out in Lashio and Kutkai townships, northern Shan State on Saturday when the junta conducted offensives against bases of the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), said the ethnic rebel group. In one case, TNLA troops attacked a military convoy of 21 vehicles in Kutkai. A total of 16 clashes between the junta and the TNLA broke out from July 23 to Aug. 20, in which 25 regime forces were killed. Three junta troops killed in Kachin At least three regime forces were killed in Mogaung town, Kachin State on Saturday when a local PDF group attacked a military vehicle in a residential ward, according to reports from Kachin media outlets. After the ambush, pro-junta militias randomly opened fire in the town while a military base shelled a location outside the town. Junta troops killed in daring urban attack in Sagaing Anti-regime fighters on a truck attack junta troops at very close range in Monywa town on Saturday. / Brother Revolution Force (Monywa) Four regime forces were killed and another escaped in the town of Monywa, Sagaing Region on Saturday when a joint unit of resistance forces conducted a surprise attack on regime forces extorting money from vehicles on a road, according to Brothers Revolution Force (Monywa), which took part in the attack. The resistance video shows anti-regime fighters, who had been secretly positioned in a truck, conducting surprise attacks on regime forces from a distance of less than 3 meters. The resistance groups said they seized only one military weapon, as the soldier who escaped returned fire after taking cover. Junta bases bombed in Sagaing Resistance forces conduct drone strikes on regime targets in Shwebo Township on Saturday. / Wild Tiger PDF Wild Tiger Local PDF said it and other resistance groups conducted drone strikes using improvised 60-mm bombs on regime bases in the pro-junta village of Tal Thee Taw, a base for pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia groups, in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Saturday night. Details of damages and casualties were unknown. Military units attacked in Sagaing Black Wolf Army claimed to have killed three junta soldiers and injured eight others when it and other resistance groups attacked two military units in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region last Friday and Wednesday. Pro-junta militia group attacked in Sagaing Combined resistance forces attack a pro-junta militia base in Shwebo Township on Saturday. / SBFA Shwebo Federal Army said it and other resistance groups attacked pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia forces in the pro-military village of Thee Lone in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region at 1 a.m. last Friday. The militia forces were raided while having drinks at a monastery in the village. Militia casualties were unknown. Military unit bombed in Sagaing Many regime forces are believed to have been killed or injured in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region on Saturday when Ghost Team Ranger (Myinmu) and other resistance groups conducted drone strikes on a junta unit of 100 troops raiding and looting houses in Paukcar Village, said the resistance group. The resistance groups continued to use drones to drop bombs on Nyaung Pin Wun police station in the township on the same day. Military checkpoint ambushed in Tanintharyi A junta soldier was killed in Dawei Township, Tanintharyi Region last Friday when resistance snipers ambushed regime forces at a military checkpoint near Phayar Mae Village, reported Dawei Information Center, a local revolutionary media outlet. Junta forces bombed while looting houses in Magwe Resistance drones drop bombs on junta troops looting houses in Myaing Township last Friday. / MRTF The Middle Revolution Task Force said it believed regime forces were killed or injured when it conducted drone strikes on junta troops occupying Kun Taw Village in Myaing Township last Friday. The junta troops were bombed while looting houses in the village. Myanmars resistance groups have stepped up attacks near the capital Naypyitaw, directly threatening the military regime. Resistance attacks have been reported within an hours drive of the regimes nerve center. On Sunday, a clash broke out on the border of Myothit Township in Magwe Region and Tatkon Township in Naypyitaw when groups attacked troops on motorbikes traveling to extort money from businesses, said the Oppressed Peoples Revolutionary Force that conducted the attack. Four junta soldiers were injured and three motorbikes, arms and ammunition were seized by the resistance group in the north of Naypyitaw. Clashes broke out between junta forces and resistance groups on a mountain in Pyinmana Township, Naypyitaw, about 70km from the city center from August 10 to 14. Clashes started after resistance groups from Pekon Township, southern Shan State and neighboring Thandaunggyi Township in Karen State, led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the countrys oldest ethnic rebel group, the Karen National Union (KNU), attacked and seized a junta base on the mountain, according to the Northern Thanddaung Defense Force, which took part in the attack. An estimated 50 regime troops and three resistance fighters were killed and the junta conducted airstrikes in response. The attacks on regime bases and targets aim to penetrate Naypyitaw, the resistance groups say. On July 7, a special commando unit from the Taungoo District Peoples Defense Force under the command of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG), ambushed a military convoy of 10 vehicles reportedly carrying the juntas quartermaster general, about 50km south of Naypyitaw on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway. Clashes were also reported in Yedashe Township, Bago Region, about 90km south of the capital. After taking control of ground in Karen and Mon states and Tanintharyi Region, the KNU and NUG say they have been escalating joint operations in Bago Region, which is adjacent to Naypyitaw. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports. The KNU recently claimed the group is conducting more offensives to the west of the Sittaung River in Bago Region. Brigadier General Saw Tamlar Thaw of the KNLA told the media on August 10 that the junta is increasingly focused on defense rather than attack amid growing armed resistance. The junta is unable to conduct offensives now. Instead, it conducts shelling and airstrikes on civilian targets, he said. Last Friday, a military logistics train overturned after an ambush in Phyu Township, Bago Region, while traveling from Naypyitaw to Yangon. Resistance groups say they have been attacking military units assigned to provide rail security and junta troops fled after suffering losses in resistance drone strikes and a raid on Saturday, according to the White Peacock Column that conducted the attacks. 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. 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Mr. Takht-Ravanchi Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations 622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10017, USA Email: iran@un.int Fax: +1 (212) 867-7086 Your Excellencies, We write on behalf of the Committee on Academic Freedom of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) of North America to protest the heightened pressures and crackdowns on university womens dress, negatively impacting their rights to education. We are particularly concerned about the various types of harassment and unjust punishment that female university students have been subjected to since the eruption of the woman, life, freedom protests across Iran in September 2022. Such harassment has included suspension or expulsion from university, arrest or threats of lengthy prison sentences for students who defy the countrys hijab laws or show solidarity with the protesters. Barring students from university campuses or expunging their grades and university credits for lawful acts of civil disobedience violates their right to education, a fundamental right that is protected under Iranian law. We therefore call for the immediate reversal of such mistreatment. We demand that Iranian officials protect rather than restrict womens access to education and academic freedom. MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. The preeminent organization in the field, MESA publishes the International Journal of Middle East Studies and has close to 2800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region in North America and elsewhere. MESAs Committee on Academic Freedom has repeatedly condemned violations of academic freedom that have occurred on university campuses throughout Iran. In our most recent letters, we protested the violent attacks on academic institutions, teachers and students who joined the demonstrations following the death in custody of Mahsa (Jhina) Amini ( October 2022 ) and condemned Iranian authorities inadequate efforts at finding and punishing the perpetrators of mass poisoning of female students at various institutions across the country ( March 2023 ). We are concerned that instead of working to foster a safe academic environment conducive to education, the government is engaged in intensified efforts to securitize Iranian universities and subject students and faculty to greater surveillance, pressure, and harassment. We condemn the April 2023 statement by Irans Education Ministry that threatened banning educational services to students who do not follow dress codes, including the restrictive form of hijab. Since the issuance of that statement, repeated reports have revealed that authorities have in fact threatened female students with suspension, expulsion, and arrest for defying the countrys head-covering laws. In recent weeks, at least 60 female students have been barred from university, while many more face expulsion or the erasure of their grades and university credits for having resisted mandatory veiling. Such rulings are handed down to students at hearings organized by university disciplinary committees which provide no opportunity for the accused to contest the accusations or appeal. Other recent reports document university security teams violently raiding dormitories and harassing and arresting students either for sharing social media posts in support of the protesters or womens right to freedom of dress, or for participating in student sit-ins or strikes. We are further concerned that the hijab and chastity bill currently under consideration by the Iranian parliament as introduced by the Judicial and Legal Committee mandates harsher punishments for those with a bad hijab, ranging from sizable fines to several years in prison. The bill also expands the authority of Irans police apparatuses to empower university security teams to surveil and deal with women with bad hijab. This includes the surveillance of students social media activity that demonstrates opposition to the hijab, as well as the use of artificial intelligence to identify women in breach of the dress code. This bill further mandates gender segregation at universities alongside other spaces that until now were co-ed, such as hospitals and offices. Gender segregation at institutions of higher education can greatly undermine the quality of education received and expertise gained, limiting opportunities for important exchange and dialogue across genders, perspectives, and experiences. Access to education free from violence and intimidation is a fundamental human right for all individuals regardless of gender. Iran has committed to the protection of this right, both in its national laws and in ratifying relevant international treaties, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The violent crackdowns on female students as they exercise their right to freedom of expression contradict such commitments. In addition, limiting womens access to education will negatively impact progress and development in Iran, a country that depends on the expertise and contributions of all its citizens. The Committee on Academic Freedom of the Middle East Studies Association thus requests the immediate reversal of any suspension or expulsion decisions that have been handed down to university students, and the end to such unjust treatment. We also demand that Iranian authorities cease the securitization of universities and end all forms of surveillance, harassment, or pressure of students and faculty, including those who are engaging in peaceful protests and exercising their basic right to freedom of expression. We urge the state and university officials to protect students and faculty and safeguard their rights on university campuses and beyond. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Eve M. Troutt Powell MESA President Professor, University of Pennsylvania Laurie A. Brand Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom Professor Emerita, University of Southern California cc: His Excellency Ebrahim Raisi, President The Honorable Mahmoud Alavi, Minister of Intelligence The Honorable Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs The Honorable Takht-Ravanchi, Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations The Honorable Volker Turk , UN High Commissioner for Human Rights The Honorable Javaid Rehman, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran The Honorable Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders The Honorable Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Physical and Mental Health The Honorable Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Maria Arena, Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Viktor Almqvist, Press Officer for the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) of the European Parliament Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Fiona Knab-Lunny, Member of Cabinet of Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Hannah Neumann, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Raphael Glucksmann, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Bernard Guetta, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Christian Sagartz, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Kati Piri, Member of the Dutch Parliament (The House of Representatives) David McAllister, Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament Reddit Email 34 Shares By Andrew Weaver, University of Victoria | = (The Conversation) The devastating wildfire that destroyed the historic Maui town of Lahaina in Hawaii was still making headlines when the Northwest Territories issued an evacuation order for Yellowknife and British Columbia declared a provincewide state of emergency. All 22,000 residents of Yellowknife are being evacuated in advance of a wall of flame from out-of-control wildfires converging on the capital city. Yet this isnt the first time an entire Canadian town has been cleared. In May 2016, all 90,000 residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., were evacuated shortly before wildfires engulfed 2,400 homes and businesses with a total cost of more than $4 billion. In 2017 in British Columbia, the wildfire season led to the evacuation of more than 65,000 residents across numerous communities, costing $130 million in insured damages and $568 million in firefighting costs. Lets not forget the June 2021 heat dome resulting in temperature records being broken across British Columbia three days in a row. The heat wave culminated in Lytton, a village in the southern part of the province, recording 49.6 C on June 29, the hottest temperature ever observed anywhere in Canada and breaking the previous record by five degrees. The next day, wildfires engulfed Lytton, destroying more than 90 per cent of the town. Long, hot summer The summer of 2023 is one for the record books. June and July were the warmest months ever recorded, and extreme temperature records were broken around the world. By mid-July, Canada had already recorded the worst forest fire season on record. And British Columbia broke its previous 2018 record for worst recorded forest fire season. With several weeks to go in the 2023 forest fire season, more than six times the 10-year average area has already been consumed by wildfires. And yet, this pales in comparison to what we can expect in the years ahead from ongoing global warming arising from greenhouse gas emissions released through the combustion of fossil fuels. Predicted outcomes This years fire season record will be broken in the near future as warming continues. And once again, its not as if whats happening is a surprise. Almost 20 years ago, my colleagues and I showed that there already was a detectable human influence on the observed increasing area burned from Canadian wildfires. We wrote: The area burned by forest fires in Canada has increased over the past four decades, at the same time as summer season temperatures have warmed. Here we use output from a coupled climate model to demonstrate that human emissions of greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosol have made a detectable contribution to this warming. We further show that human-induced climate change has had a detectable influence on the area burned by forest fire in Canada over recent decades. It appears little has been done to prepare rural Canada for whats in store as governments deal with immediate, rather than transformational approaches to wildfire management. This, despite the existence of the national FireSmart program designed to assist homeowners, neighbourhoods and communities decrease their vulnerability to wildfires and increase their resilience to their negative impacts. Forest management practices including forest fire prevention, monoculture reforestation and the use of glyphosate to actively kill off broadleaf plant species, will all have to be reassessed from a science- and risk-based perspective. Growing number of court cases Pressure is certainly mounting on decision-makers to become more proactive in both mitigating and preparing for the impacts of climate change. An Aug. 14 pivotal ruling from the Montana First Judicial District Court sided with a group of youth who claimed that the State of Montana violated their right to a healthy environment. A similar case brought by seven youth against the Ontario government after the province reduced its greenhouse gas reduction targets has also been heralded as groundbreaking. As the number of such court cases grow, governments and corporations will need to do more to both protect their citizens from the impacts of climate change, and to aggressively decarbonize energy systems. I wouldnt be surprised if the Alberta government is next to be taken to court by youth after Premier Danielle Smiths outrageous economic and environmental decision to put a moratorium on renewable energy projects. States of emergency While attention is currently turned to the evacuation of Yellowknife, its sobering to remind ourselves that they are not alone. The village of Lytton, burnt to the ground just two years ago, has been put on evacuation alert as wildfires approach. Kelowna has just declared a state of emergency as the McDougall Creek fire starts consuming homes in the region. And this, coming on the heels of the 20th anniversary of the Okanagan Mountain Park fire, when more than 27,000 people had to be evacuated and 239 Kelowna homes were lost. Article continues after bonus IC video TRT World: Over 50,000 ordered to evacuate as fires intensify across Canada Canadians will take solace as summer turns into winter and the immediacy of our 2023 wildfire situation wanes. Unfortunately, it will be Australias turn next to experience the burning wrath of nature in response to human-caused global warming and the 2023 El Nino. Rather than waiting to respond reactively to the next fire season, proactive preparation is the appropriate way forward. For as the old adage states: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Andrew Weaver, Professor, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. ( Middle East Monitor ) The Israeli General Security Agency, Shin Bet, has recently issued a document in which it accuses Jewish settlers of carrying out terrorist attacks against the Palestinians, leading to an increase in resistance against the occupation. This document has angered many members in the ruling extreme right-wing coalition. Members of the right-wing coalition attacked pillars of the State, mainly the security and military institutions, claiming that they adopt left-wing ideas, and can no longer distinguish between the Palestinian enemy and the Israeli people, particularly the settlers residing in the West Bank. They believe that these ideas have reached the depth of the State, strongly affecting security and army chiefs, and they claim that the timing of the Shin Bet chiefs announcement is outrageous. Head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, presented an assessment of the security situation, to the effect that Jewish terrorism is capable of fuelling the Palestinian resistance, adding to the attacks a whole new group of Palestinians who were not there to begin with. He explains that the harm and suffering inflicted on Palestinians and the severe damage to their property, lead to revenge attacks and the bloodshed of Jews, as in what happened after the settlers killed the Dawabsha family in the village of Duma. As for the Commander of the occupation army, Harzi Halevy, he stressed that practices of the settlers increase the motivation for Palestinian resistance. General Gadi Shamni, former Commander of the West Bank, indicated that we are faced with a policy that has contributed over the years to the creation of savage people. We are not facing hilltop boys, but rather a group that has representatives in the government who support these extremist elements, thus causing more friction. What is new is that these settlers now have a Minister of National Security who supports settler terrorist organisations, and that this government has trained the political arm of their most violent groups, not to mention that the political level grants these criminals immunity. It is no secret that the recent Jewish settlement crimes in the towns of Huwara, Turmusaya and Urif can push the Palestinian public toward further supporting the resistance and giving it the popular incubator it needs. This is recognised by the occupation itself, which does not hide the fact that it is annoyed by the growing threats made by settlers, and the prevailing feeling that the army and police are afraid of getting involved in such types of crimes, and that they are doing their best to evade the consequences of any crime the settlers may commit at any moment against the Palestinians. The attack launched by extremist settlers against a number of senior army and Shin Bet leaders has caused angry Israeli reactions. Israelis are accusing ministers of the right-wing government of encouraging the actions of settlers armed militias. They also consider this attack on the leaders of the security system very dangerous, which means that the Third Intifada, which is supposed to be started by Palestinians, might rather be caused by the practices of these settlers, this time. They are talking about some hilltop boys who are sponsored by hardened settlers, and it is not clear how many there are. They may not exceed 120 boys who wear kippahs on their heads and are trying to get the army involved in the political sedition sweeping the country, although they live under its protection. What they are doing is very serious and can harm them, and thus calls for their deterrence. Israelis are worried that the criticism of the army and security leaders is taking the Israelis to the brink of chaos, as if it were a deliberate strategy. This will result in the loss of the already shaky and disgraceful security balance the Israelis are witnessing in the face of the polarised and heated internal situation. At the same time, the Israelis have become frighteningly convinced that they are headed toward a point of no return. Settlers ongoing abuse of the security services will weaken security and get it in a state of neglect and deficiency. It will shake the confidence of the Israeli society in it and incite people against the military and security agencies. These heavy blows will weaken security, and then all Israelis will lose because, with the introduction of political polarisation into the military and security units, the settlers are driving a wedge between them. About 250 former senior security and military officials participated in a conference in which they accused the existing government of harming the army, because it operates as a mafia gang. They believe that passing the legal coup causes harm to army soldiers and national security. As the government abandons soldiers in international courts, including members of the army, Shin Bet, Mossad and the police for committing war crimes, they can be tried anywhere. Article continues after bonus IC video i24 News: IDF and Shin Bet slam Israeli settler attacks as terrorism' Not only this but, in an unprecedented Israeli step, prominent Israeli politicians directed an official written letter to the US administration asking it to intervene in the right-wing governments procedures for judicial amendments, claiming that Israel is on the brink of dictatorship, and that the Israelis cannot confront it alone. This prompted them to demand that American pressure be like what happened with the apartheid regime in South Africa, which ended through a combination of external international pressure and rebellion from within. Israelis, angry at the right-wing government, are calling on Congress to do the same, because Israels security is in danger, and crucial reserve units in the army warn that they will stop volunteering for service if the countrys Jewish path is halted. Israeli political forums have often expressed concern about the expected consequences of human rights organisations referring to Israel as an apartheid regime, because it will encourage other international human rights organisations to adopt the same characterisation, bringing Israel closer to the model of the apartheid regime in former South Africa. However, adoption of the same term by the Israelis themselves means that the Israeli concern has doubled, and is becoming more dangerous, because it means giving this description legitimacy and legality, and that it is no longer limited to legal human rights organisations but, rather, has extended to political and diplomatic circles. In conclusion, these current facts make every Israeli feel ashamed of what this government has done in the past weeks. When the Prime Minister and his imaginary government decide not to obey the law, by doing so they blackmail the judicial institutions through threats. They are deliberately pushing the country into a state of chaos, leading to the worst period for Israel in 75 years. Via Middle East Monitor Reddit Email 364 Shares Belfast (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) It was a normal warm summer evening in the Palestinian village of Burqa in Ramallah district until the village was attacked by armed Israeli settlers who came to steal a land in order to create another illegal outpost. As unarmed Palestinians came out to defend their village, they came under fire from the Israeli settlers who killed a Palestinian teenager called Qosai Mitan and wounded two others. After the killing, two suspects were arrested but released soon after. It turned out one of them was a member of the extremist party Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) which is a major coalition partner in the Israeli government. This party is led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is a lawyer and serves as the National Security Minister in the Israeli government. Instead of condemning the killing or at least offer his condolences to the Palestinian victims family, he described the killers as heroes who will get his backing. Ben-Gvirs statement sent shock waves through occupied Palestine and beyond. Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Hussein Alsheikh called on the international community and international organizations to designate Ben Gvirs party as a terrorist organization. Many Palestinians, however, still criticize the Palestinian Authority for its lack of action when it comes to Israel crimes against the Palestinians. Even in Israel, opposition Labor Party leader, Merav Michaeli criticized Ben-Gvirs visit to the settlers accused of the killing while they were in jail by posting on her X account The political wing comes to visit the military wing. She also said This is how the organization works. A party of terror-supporters in Netanyahus coalition. While it is becoming increasingly common in Israel to describe settlers violence towards the Palestinians as terror, its worth pointing out that it was the center-left Labor Party and its allies that started building the illegal Israeli settlements immediately after the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank in 1967. Article continues after bonus IC video AP: Funeral for Palestinian teen killed by settlers In response to the recent killing, the US State Department said, We strongly condemn yesterdays terror attack by Israeli extremist settlers that killed a 19-year-old Palestinian. Its highly unlikely that the statement is a turning point in Americas foreign policy, but this announcement differs from the traditional State Department boilerplate expressing the cliche of Israel has the right to defend itself or at best equating between the Palestinian victims and their Israeli oppressors. The Jewish Power party was dismissive of the State Departments remarks. This dismissal reflects the confidence Israelis in general feel that no action will be taken against them by any Western power no matter what. Historically, any action against Israeli crimes against the Palestinians didnt go beyond criticism, and the US has for the most part ensured this impunity by using its veto in the UN in order to block any practical punishment of Israel. If there is a genuine desire to end to the suffering of the Palestinians and the ongoing ethnic cleansing carried out by Israel, the UN Security Council and other authorities have to take concrete action. Clearly there is a lack of desire to do so. The least that can be done is to designate the Jewish Power Party as a terrorist organization. Other actions can be freezing their financial assets or banning supremacists like Ben-Gvir from entering the US and other countries. An example of that was in 2008 when the British Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, banned the Israeli politician Moshe Feiglin, who was the leader of the Jewish Leadership faction in the Likud Party and later became deputy speaker of the Knesset, from entering UK due to his extremist views. Feiglin was quoted by the website Mondoweiss praising Hitler. The double standard foreign policy which involves turning a blind eye when it comes to Israel is evident in the way western countries dealt with Russia invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions were imposed on Russia immediately and military aid to Ukraine to defend itself hasnt stopped. In fact what Israel is doing to the Palestinians is worse than Russias invasion of Ukraine. Israel has been carrying out ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians before its official establishment on Palestinian land in 1948 with a number of western countries supporting the ethnic cleansing by different means including arming and financing Israel. Speaking of Russia, it hasnt taken any action to help the Palestinians either. Putins Russia has allowed Israel to bomb Syria with stunning silence from those who are duped with Putin assuming that he is anti-imperialist. At the same time, despite Israel being heavily reliant on American military and financial aid, it has been reluctant to help Ukraine, desiring to keep its good relations with Russia, which decided recently to open a new consulate in Jerusalem. Clearly ending the inhumane situation in Palestine might start by calling things with their real names. Treating Ben-Gvirs party as a terrorist organization with all the implications that come with it would be a good start. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - FE Battery Metals Ltd. (CSE: FE) (OTCQB: FEMFF) (WKN: A2JC89) ("FE Battery Metals" or the "Company) is pleased to announce that it has successfully exposed a part of the main Augustus Prospect lithium pegmatite system through stripping and channel sampling. Outcrop #26 was discovered on the east side of main Augustus Prospect area where a lithium rich pegmatite cuts 14.7 metres at 1.15 percent lithium oxide (Li2O). The main Augustus pegmatite is mainly a blind lithium deposit with very few surface exposures. This newly exposed Outcrop #26 will help the Company to understand geology, structure and trend of the main potential deposit area to develop further drill targets. To date the Company has drilled 68 drill holes with over 15,000 metres of NQ size diamond drilling on the Property and has intercepted multiple lithium pegmatite dykes of variable lengths, widths and lateral continuity. The Company has further explored the newly discovered lithium pegmatite zones in two areas to the southeast of the Augustus Prospect which are located near the North American Lithium Mine (see Company's news release dated August 15, 2023). A part of the current prospecting and sampling work included other lithium prospects on the Augustus Property which included Lac Fiedmont, Vallee prospect, and Duval lithium with an aim to find more exploration targets for future work. Assay Highlights: Outcrop #26 which is a part of the Augustus Prospect cuts 14.7 m at 1.15% Li2O (0.535% Li). There are anomalous values of other rare metals such as beryllium (Be) 181 parts per million or ppm, cesium (Cs) 41.69 ppm, niobium (Nb) 75.76 ppm, rubidium (Rb) 1,413 ppm, and tantalum (Ta) 49.33 ppm. One grab sample from Outcrop #26 returned 1.92% Li2O (0.895% Li). at 1.15% Li2O (0.535% Li). There are anomalous values of other rare metals such as beryllium (Be) 181 parts per million or ppm, cesium (Cs) 41.69 ppm, niobium (Nb) 75.76 ppm, rubidium (Rb) 1,413 ppm, and tantalum (Ta) 49.33 ppm. One grab sample from Outcrop #26 returned 1.92% Li2O (0.895% Li). Outcrop #900 near North American Lithium Mine (NAL) cuts 10 m at 0.52% Li2O (0.24% Li) with other rare metals including Be 139.3 ppm, Cs 74.41 ppm, Nb 57.02 ppm, Rb 1932 ppm, and Ta 37.57 ppm. Nine grab samples from this outcrop returned lithium values in the range of 0.004% to 1.18% Li2O. The Company has planned to drill this zone during the current drilling program after finishing the targeted drilling work at the main Augustus Prospect. at 0.52% Li2O (0.24% Li) with other rare metals including Be 139.3 ppm, Cs 74.41 ppm, Nb 57.02 ppm, Rb 1932 ppm, and Ta 37.57 ppm. Nine grab samples from this outcrop returned lithium values in the range of 0.004% to 1.18% Li2O. The Company has planned to drill this zone during the current drilling program after finishing the targeted drilling work at the main Augustus Prospect. Four grab samples collected from Lac Fiedmont area returned low lithium values. Six grab samples collected from Duval Lithium prospect returned high lithium values in the range of 0.004% to 2.15% Li2O with average 1.14% Li2O. The Company will expand its exploration efforts on this higher lithium value area. Nineteen grab samples from Bella Prospect near NAL mine returned lithium values in the range of 0.005% to 1.26% Li2O with anomalous values of other rare metals. This zone will also be drilled during the current drilling program. For a detailed summary of assay highlights from our surface sample program please visit https://febatterymetals.com/en/news/2023/. Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., Geological Consultant of the Company, and a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF FE BATTERY METALS CORP. "Gurminder Sangha" Gurminder Sangha CEO & Director Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Forward-looking Information Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. "Forward-looking information" in this news release includes information about the Company's information concerning the intentions, plans and future actions of the parties to the transactions described herein and the terms thereon.The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made assumptions about the Company's ability to obtain required approvals. The Company has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of the Company's normal course of business. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Orla Mining Ltd. (TSX: OLA) (NYSE: ORLA) ("Orla" or the "Company") is pleased to release its inaugural Sustainability Report, highlighting the Company's approach and performance on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. Orla operates the Camino Rojo mine in Mexico and is developing projects in Nevada and Panama. The 2022 Sustainability Report enhances Orla's ESG disclosure and also introduces a long-term roadmap through the Company's "Towards 2030 Sustainability Strategy". This strategy is grounded in Orla's objective of transforming mineral resources into a net-positive benefit for its stakeholders. These stakeholders include employees, shareholders, suppliers, nations and communities where we operate, among others. The strategy sets clear priorities, key performance indicators, action plans and timelines to drive progress in areas such as health and safety, climate change mitigation, water stewardship, biodiversity, community impact management, workforce diversity, equity and inclusion. "I am very excited to launch our inaugural sustainability report, an important milestone for Orla," said Jason Simpson, Orla President and CEO. "This report outlines our impact beyond financial performance and integrates our responses on the material ESG challenges across our business. As an emerging gold producer with a focus on responsible mining, it is a natural time to amplify our communication and commitments". For Orla's 2022 Sustainability Report, please click here. 2022 Sustainability Performance Highlights: 25% of Orla's corporate goals were ESG-linked, all of which were achieved. 100% of Orla executives and managerial-level employees were evaluated against ESG performance. Achieved a respectable health and safety record, with a lost time injury frequency rate of 1.49 across our sites. Generated US$5.8 million in community economic contributions at Camino Rojo, including salaries, local procurement, land leases and investments in local infrastructure. in community economic contributions at Camino Rojo, including salaries, local procurement, land leases and investments in local infrastructure. Achieved an emissions level of 0.19 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per ounce of gold equivalent produced at Camino Rojo, establishing the operation as a global leader on this metric. equivalent per ounce of gold equivalent produced at Camino Rojo, establishing the operation as a global leader on this metric. Achieved 0.15 m 3 /t of processed ore water intensity, with zero water discharge (100% of water reused and recycled), at Camino Rojo, Mexico . /t of processed ore water intensity, with zero water discharge (100% of water reused and recycled), at Camino Rojo, . Developed the "Towards 2030 Sustainability Strategy" and set ESG targets to build a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive business, anchored around the goal of accelerating value creation and net-positive benefits for stakeholders. "Transparent reporting on our performance is a core Company tenet and underpins our 'Towards 2030 Sustainability Strategy'", stated Chafika Eddine, Orla's Chief Sustainability Officer. "Through our sustainability report and other disclosures, we will keep stakeholders informed of our progress, hold ourselves accountable against our stated commitments, and gain insights on how to sharpen our future efforts." Orla's Sustainability Report is guided by material topics, defined by the Company's latest materiality assessments. Report disclosures are aligned with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standard and the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. Orla also supports and contributes to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). About Orla Mining Ltd. Orla's corporate strategy is to acquire, develop, and operate mineral properties where the Company's expertise can substantially increase stakeholder value. The Company has three material gold projects: (1) Camino Rojo, located in Zacatecas State, Mexico, (2) South Railroad, located in Nevada, United States, and (3) Cerro Quema, located in Los Santos Province, Panama. Orla is operating the Camino Rojo Oxide Gold Mine, a gold and silver open-pit and heap leach mine. The property is 100% owned by Orla and covers over 160,000 hectares which contains a large oxide and sulphide mineral resource. Orla also owns 100% of Cerro Quema located in Panama which includes a pre-feasibility-stage, open-pit, heap leach gold project, a copper-gold sulphide resource, and various exploration targets. Orla also owns 100% of the South Railroad Project, a feasibility-stage, open pit, heap leach gold project located on the Carlin trend in Nevada. The technical reports for the Company's material projects are available on Orla's website at www.orlamining.com, and on SEDAR+ and EDGAR under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov, respectively. Forward-looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time to time, including statements regarding the Company's sustainability strategy and goals, including the anticipated benefits thereof. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements were made. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements also involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis, as well as its annual information form dated March 20, 2023, which are available on www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Vuoma Discovery of gold mineralization 2.7 km south of Helmi Helmi Mineralization extended towards East Kutuvuoma New zones of gold mineralization Expanded drill program with 4,500 m planned for second half of 2023 ST. JOHN'S, NL, Aug. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Aurion Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AU) (OTCQX: AIRRF) ("Aurion" or the "Company") reports results for 22 holes from the 2023 drilling program on the Aurion-B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO) ("B2Gold") Joint Venture ("JV"), operated by B2Gold, in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in northern Finland. Summary Vuoma Discovery of gold mineralization 2.7 km south of Helmi 1.33 g/t Au over 8.30 m from 133.60 m (VUO23007) Mineralization proximal to mainly untested 20+ km southern domain boundary 15 km along strike from the Kaaresselka Prospect (Aurion 100%) Helmi Mineralization extended towards East 1.21 g/t Au over 9.20 m from 392.00 m (IKK23045) Identification of additional mineralized shoots Kutuvuoma New zones of gold mineralization 1.43 g/t Au over 10.45 m from 261.70 m (KU23011) New zones south of historic mineralization Expanded drill program with 4,500 m planned for second half of 2023 Total 2023 drill program increased to 12,500 m Drilling to commence in September Comments "The discovery of new gold mineralization on the southern domain boundary and the identification of additional gold mineralized zones at Kutuvuoma and Helmi represent significant results from the recent drilling program," commented Aurion CEO Matti Talikka. "The discoveries of Helmi and Ikkari (Rupert Resources) in proximity to the northern domain boundary suggest that these major structures are prospective for the deposition of gold. The new discovery further supports the gold prospectivity of the 20+ km long, mainly untested, southern domain boundary that also hosts Aurion's Kaaresselka Prospect." Figures associated with this release can be found at the following link: https://aurionresources.com/site/assets/files/1506/nr23-17figures.pdf. 2023 drill program A total of 8,156.10 m of diamond core drilling has been completed to date on the JV properties in 2023. The drill program was designed to test several new target areas and for the existence of additional mineralized zones or extensions to known mineralization at Helmi and Kutuvuoma. This press release contains results for 22, mainly scout, holes (5,964.10 m) drilled at Helmi (3 holes), Kutuvuoma (4 holes), Kutuvuoma East (7 holes), Vuoma (6 holes) and 2 regional holes (2.6 km SSE of Kutuvuoma). Table 1: Aurion-B2Gold JV Drilling Result Summary Aurion-B2Gold JV Drilling Result Summary Hole ID Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) Cu (%) Target Area / Notes KU23010 30.0 -50.0 351.60 364.40 12.80 0.26 Scout incl. 351.60 353.70 2.10 0.97 and 430.20 447.00 16.80 0.30 incl. 440.30 443.30 3.00 0.98 KU23011 30.0 -50.0 258.20 274.55 16.35 0.99 Scout (abandoned) incl. 261.70 272.15 10.45 1.43 KU23012 30.0 -50.0 231.20 234.00 2.80 0.83 Scout and 244.60 245.80 1.20 1.89 and 299.00 302.30 3.30 0.52 KU23013 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout (abandoned) VUO23004 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout VUO23005 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout VUO23006 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout VUO23007 30.0 -50.0 65.70 68.40 2.70 0.73 Scout and 78.50 94.00 15.50 0.37 incl. 81.20 91.20 10.00 0.49 and 133.60 141.90 8.30 1.33 and 171.40 172.75 1.35 1.33 VUO23008 30.0 -55.0 NSV Scout VUO22009 30.0 -50.0 NSV Scout IKK23044 340.0 -50.0 197.60 198.40 0.80 0.39 Helmi and 201.80 205.75 3.95 0.40 IKK23045 160.0 -75.0 80.00 85.00 5.00 1.00 1.18 Helmi and 112.00 117.05 5.05 0.37 0.30 and 220.55 225.75 5.20 1.04 and 308.70 310.10 1.40 1.76 and 392.00 401.20 9.20 1.21 and 409.50 410.50 1.00 7.73 IKK23046 160.0 -68.0 161.40 165.85 4.45 1.24 0.62 Helmi (abandoned) KUE23040 340.0 -50.0 31.00 32.40 1.40 2.02 Scout and 44.40 45.55 1.15 1.17 and 72.80 77.00 4.20 0.60 KUE23041 340.0 -50.0 216.60 217.40 0.80 0.32 3.13 Scout KUE23042 330.0 -50.0 88.00 90.40 2.40 0.21 0.26 Scout KUE23043 340.0 -50.0 NSV Scout KUE23044 340.0 -50.0 44.10 53.05 8.95 1.65 Scout incl. 52.35 53.05 0.70 16.00 and 69.85 71.00 1.15 1.48 KUE23045 340.0 -50.0 NSV Scout KUE23046 340.0 -50.0 NSV Scout TEP23007 30.0 -55.0 NSV Scout TEP23008 30.0 -55.0 NSV Scout All widths are core widths. True width is not known at this time. All assay values are uncut. NSV - no significant values Vuoma Six scout drill holes (1,205.85 m) were completed in the Vuoma permit area in the southeastern part of the JV property. The holes were planned to test the southern side of the Kumpu basin with the aim of finding a prospective volcano-sedimentary package of rocks along the main Savukoski/Kumpu contact (the equivalent package which hosts Helmi). Drill holes VUO23004, VUO23005 and VUO23006 were collared approximately 2.7 km south-southwest of Helmi and drilled to the northeast. All three holes intersected anomalous gold (0.1 g/t) values hosted by various lithologies. The best individual sample was from hole VUO23004 where 0.72 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 132.40 m was returned from sediments. Drill hole VUO23007 was collared 2.7 km south of Helmi and drilled to the northeast. Several mineralized intervals were intersected in strongly deformed, sericite-chlorite-albite/K-feldspar altered Kumpu sandstone with local trace sulphides. These intervals lie within ~60 m of the Savukoski/Kumpu contact. Intercepts include 0.73 g/t Au over 2.70 m from 65.70 m, 0.37 g/t Au over 15.50 m from 78.50 m including 0.49 g/t Au over 10.00 m from 81.20 m, 1.33 g/t Au over 8.30 m from 133.60 m and 1.33 g/t Au over 1.35 m from 171.40 m. This mineralization is a new discovery along the Savukoski/Kumpu contact on the southern margin of the basin. Notably, the hole also intersected ultramafic rocks containing magnetite-pyrite veinlets like those observed at Helmi where they carry gold. Drill holes VUO23008 and VUO23009 were collared approximately 3.6 km southwest of Helmi and drilled to the northeast. The holes did not intersect any significant mineralization. Helmi Three drill holes (1,034.20 m) were completed to the east of the Helmi prospect. The holes were planned to test the eastern part of the Helmi corridor prospective package and the possibility of a mineralized shoot under the main Helmi mineralization. Drill hole IKK23044 was collared as the easternmost hole along the Helmi corridor and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected low grade mineralization at the bottom of the hole close to the tenement boundary with Rupert Resources Ltd. The mineralization is hosted in metasedimentary intervals within an ultramafic volcanic package, bracketed by brecciation. The hole returned 0.39 g/t Au over 0.80 m from 197.60 m and 0.40 g/t Au over 3.95 m from 201.80 m. Drill hole IKK23045 was collared to the east of Helmi, 292 m west-northwest of IKK23044 and drilled to the southeast. The hole intersected several mineralized intervals including 1.00 g/t Au and 1.18% Cu over 5.00 m from 80.00 m, 0.37 g/t Au and 0.30% Cu over 5.05 m from 112.00 m, 1.04 g/t Au over 5.20 m from 220.55 m, 1.76 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 308.70 m, 1.21 g/t Au over 9.20 m from 392.00 m and 7.73 g/t Au over 1.00 m from 409.50m. The mineralized zones may represent the identification of additional mineralized shoots along the Helmi corridor. Drill hole IKK23046 was collared to the east of Helmi, 177 m west-northwest of IKK23045 and drilled to the southeast. The hole intersected 1.24 g/t Au and 0.62% Cu over 4.45 m from 161.40 m. Due to technical difficulties the hole was abandoned short of the planned target depth, notably where signs of Helmi-style alteration and strain began increasing within the ultramafic host package. Kutuvuoma Four scout drill holes (1,457.25 m) were completed to the south and west of the test pit area of the Kutuvuoma prospect. The holes were planned to test targets outside of the known mineralized zones at depth and beyond the plunge to the west. The holes also aimed to test geophysical anomalies and discontinuities visible in the ground magnetics outside of the immediate test pit area, as well as at the contact with the gabbro body south of the pit. Drill hole KU23010 was collared 450 m south of the test pit and drilled to the northeast. The hole intersected low grade mineralization in pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite enriched metasediments in contact with ultramafic rocks returning 0.26 g/t Au over 12.80 m from 351.60 m including 0.97 g/t Au over 2.10 m from 351.60 m. A second low grade mineralized interval was intersected in pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pyrite enriched ultramafic rocks returning 0.30 g/t Au over 16.80 m from 430.20 m including 0.98 g/t Au over 3.00 m from 440.30 m. These intercepts represent identification of new mineralized zones or shoots to the south of the previously identified mineralization. Drill hole KU23011 was collared 400 m southwest of the test pit and drilled to the northeast. The hole intersected mineralization hosted by mixed ultramafic rocks and metasediments with blebby pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite. Higher grades in the interval are associated with quartz veining. The interval returned 0.99 g/t Au over 16.35 m from 258.20 m including 1.43 g/t Au over 10.45 m from 261.70 m. This intercept represents identification of a new mineralized zone or shoot to the south of the previously identified mineralization. Hole KU23011 became stuck in a graphitic fault and was abandoned prior to target depth. Drill hole KU23012 was collared 425 m west-southwest of the test pit and drilled to the northeast. The hole intersected mineralization hosted by talc-chlorite schist returning 0.83 g/t Au over 2.80 m from 231.20 m and 1.89 g/t Au over 1.20 m from 244.60 m. Low grade mineralization was intersected in ultramafic rocks returning up to 0.52 g/t Au over 3.30 m from 299.00 m. Drill hole KU23013 was collared 300 m west of the test pit and drilled to the northeast as a 180 m overcut to hole KU23012. The hole appears to have either drilled over or stopped short of the mineralization as it became stuck in a graphitic fault and was abandoned prior to target depth. One anomalous gold (0.1 g/t) value was returned from the end of the hole. Kutuvuoma East Seven scout drill holes (1,695.00 m) were completed at several areas between the Helmi and Kutuvuoma prospects and were planned to test various geophysical and geochemical targets. Drill hole KUE23040 was collared approximately 2.7 km west of Helmi, designed as a scissor hole to KUE20001, and drilled to the northwest. Similar to KUE20001, the hole intersected mineralization in graphitic mudstone and mafic graphite tuff within ultramafic volcanics returning intervals of 2.02 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 31.00 m, 1.17 g/t Au over 1.15 m from 44.40 m and 0.60 g/t Au over 4.20 m from 72.80 m. Drill hole KUE23041 was collared approximately 3.0 km west of Helmi, designed to test an interpreted ultramafic-mafic tuff package proximal to gabbro, and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected 0.32 g/t Au and 3.13% Cu over 0.80 m from 216.60 m at the contact between talc-chlorite schist and graphitic mudstone. Drill hole KUE23042 was collared 180 m northwest of hole KUE21009 to the west of Helmi, designed to test an interpreted structural zone, and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected 0.21 g/t Au and 0.26% Cu over 2.40 m from 88.00 m within talc-chlorite schist. Drill hole KUE23043 was collared approximately 2.2 km northwest of Helmi, designed to test a magnetic high/low transition coincident with anomalous base of till geochemistry, and drilled to the northwest. The hole returned a few anomalous gold (0.1 g/t) values up to 0.15 g/t Au. Drill hole KUE23044 was collared approximately 2.5 km west of Helmi, designed to test for mineralization between holes KUE22028 (6.25 g/t Au over 6.00 m from 222.60 m) and KUE22035 (2.61 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 228.80 m), and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected mineralization hosted in ultramafics and metasediments, returning intervals of 1.65 g/t Au over 8.95 m from 44.10 m, including 16.00 g/t Au over 0.70 m from 52.35 m and 1.48 g/t Au over 1.15 m from 69.85 m. The mineralization in KUE22028 is interpreted to be extended 80 m to the west with these new intersections. Drill holes KUE23045 and KUE23046 were collared approximately 1.8 km east-northeast of Kutuvuoma, designed to test a zone of disruption related to interpreted northeast structures, and drilled on section to the northwest. The holes did not intersect any significant mineralization. Regional (2.6 km south of Kutuvuoma) Two scout drill holes (571.80 m) were completed in the southeastern part of the JV property, proximal to the interpreted domain boundary. The holes were planned to test for the possible existence of the Savukoski Group volcano-sedimentary package rocks between gabbros and Kumpu Group sediments. Drill hole TEP23007 was collared approximately 2.6 km south-southeast of Kutuvuoma and drilled to the northeast. One anomalous gold (0.1 g/t) value of 0.43 g/t Au over 1.40 m from 51.90 m was returned. Drill hole TEP23008 was collared approximately 2.6 km south-southeast of Kutuvuoma and drilled to the northeast as an undercut to TEP23007. One anomalous gold (0.1 g/t) value of 0.13 g/t Au over 0.90 m from 239.00 m was returned. Exploration plans for 2023 A total of 4,500 m of drilling is planned for the second half of 2023, increasing the total drilling to over 12,500 m from the initially planned 10,500 m. The plan will include follow up drilling on the newly identified mineralized zones, as well as scout drill holes testing additional targets on the JV properties. In addition, generative work including base of till sampling, top of bedrock sampling and geophysical surveys continue during 2023. The budget for 2023 is unchanged at CAN$10.4 million. Aurion is fully financed to contribute its 30% share of the planned expenditure. Background The JV (30% Aurion/70% B2Gold) covers approximately 347 km2 along the major crustal scale Sirkka Shear Zone in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt and includes a number of discoveries such as Helmi (2.05 g/t Au over 77.50 m), Kutuvuoma (16.47 g/t Au over 11.0 m), Soretiavuoma (48 g/t Au over 1.1 m), Sinerma (0.54 g/t Au over 40.2 m), Kiekeromaa (5.8 g/t Au over 5.0 m) and Kettukuusikko (4.33 g/t Au over 20.4 m). B2Gold is the operator of the JV. Quality Assurance and Quality Control All samples were delivered to ALS preparation facility in Sodankyla, Finland where sample preparation work was completed. Analytical work for these samples was completed at ALS facilities in Loughrea, Co. Galway, Ireland and Rosia Montana, Romania. ALS is an internationally accredited lab and are ISO compliant (ISO 9001:2008, ISO/IEC 17025:2017). Samples were analyzed for gold using the Au-AA26 procedure (50 g fire assay with AAS finish: Lower Detection Limit ("LDL") 0.01 g/t gold; Upper Detection Limit ("UDL") 100 g/t gold). B2Gold has an internal QA/QC program involving the insertion of certified standards and blanks into the sample stream. ALS has its own QA/QC protocol using standards, blanks and duplicates. This news release has been reviewed by Andrew Hussey, P.Geo., GIS Geologist and Database Manager for Aurion Resources, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. For more information on these projects please visit our website at www.aurionresources.com. About Aurion Resources Ltd. Aurion Resources Ltd. (Aurion) is a well-funded, Canadian exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: AU) and the OTCQX Best Market (OTCQX: AIRRF). Aurion's strategy is to generate or acquire early-stage precious metals exploration opportunities and advance them through direct exploration by our experienced team or by business partnerships and joint venture arrangements. Aurion's current focus is exploring on its fully owned Risti and Launi projects, as well as advancing joint venture properties with B2Gold and Kinross in northern Finland. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Matti Talikka, CEO 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. DENVER, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR | ADRs - OTCQX: AMRRY | Common Shares - OTCQB: ARRNF) | FSE:1BHA) (ARR or the Company) is pleased to announce John G. Mansanti has joined the Board of the Company. As part of building its presence in the United States, ARR is adding new highly skilled American professionals to its Board. Mr. Mansanti is an experienced mining leader who creates shareholder value by leading and managing operational, technical and capital projects. John G. Mansanti has more than 45 years of experience leading successful teams in mining and is currently a consultant to the minerals industry. Those teams were successful in project development, engineering, project financing, capital execution, and operations. Mr. Mansanti led several teams in the successful procurement of project permits and subsequent compliance. In addition to 30 years of leading precious metals projects and operations, his multi-commodity background includes leading the development and operation of conventional mined, solution mined, and solar evaporated potash production, base metals operations, and trona solution mine development. We are very excited to have John join our board as he has significant operating and management experience, says Creagh OConnor, Chairman, American Rare Earths. His noteworthy capability in leading successful teams in mining and the minerals industry will enhance our ability to grow our promising rare earth projects in the US. ARRs commitment to strengthening its position in the rare earths industry and expanding its presence in the United States has led to the decision to appoint three highly skilled and accomplished American based directors to its board. Mr. Mansanti is the second of the new appointments. I am excited to join the Board of American Rare Earths. I look forward to working with fellow board members and the management team in the development of viable American based rare earth projects, says John Mansanti. Mr. Mansanti was CEO of Pacific Soda, CEO and President of Crystal Peak Minerals, and Senior VP of Operations for Intrepid Potash. He served as a director for Rye Patch Gold and Alio Gold. He was General Manager for Barricks Goldstrike, Barrick/Placer Domes Cortez/Cortez Hills, Turquoise Ridge, and Bald Mountain, leading successful restarts for the latter two. Mr. Mansanti served in multiple operational and project roles for Newmont, Getchell Gold, Santa Fe Pacific Gold, Gold Fields Operating Company, Freeport McMoRan, and Kennecott. He received a BS in Chemistry, a MS in Mineral Processing Engineering, and an Honorary PhD from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology. Mr. Mansanti was the 2017 president of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME). He has served and continues to serve on several university advisory boards, educational boards, and foundations. Throughout his career, he has received multiple honors and awards for his technical and leadership skills, including recognition by the Department of the Interior for support of a new Secretarial Order in 2012. This announcement has been authorized for release by the Board of American Rare Earths. About American Rare Earths Limited American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR | ADRs - OTCQX: AMRRY | Common Shares - OTCQB: ARRNF| FSE:1BHA) is committed to becoming a top supplier of critical minerals. The company is a leading explorer of rare earth projects with a strong focus on developing sustainable and cost-effective extraction and processing methods. To meet the rapidly increasing demand for resources essential to the clean energy transition and US national security, American Rare Earths is engaged in advanced study and continued exploration of its 100% owned rare earth element projects rich in magnet elements of neodymium and praseodymium at Halleck Creek in Albany County, Wyoming and La Paz, Arizona. Both projects have the potential to be among North Americas largest rare earth deposits. ARRs Halleck Creek deposit was recently identified by Mining.com as fifth in the worlds top rare earth projects. A recently released maiden JORC Resource report for Halleck Creek shows 1.43 billion tonnes of in place TREO, 4.73 million tonnes TREO containing approximately 1.05 million tonnes of the highly desirable magnet metals neodymium and praseodymium oxide. The Halleck Creek deposit is located approximately 70km north-east of Laramie encompassing portions of Albany and Platte Counties in Wyoming. The Company continues to evaluate other exploration opportunities and is collaborating with US Government supported R&D to develop efficient processing and separation techniques of rare earth elements to help ensure a renewable future. Head Office Suite 706 Level 7, 89 York St. Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel 612 8054 9779 GPO Box 1546 Sydney NSW 2001 US Mail c/o Western Rare Earths 514 Grand Avenue #371 Laramie, WY 82070 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.americanrareearths.com.au For media inquiries, please contact: Susan Assadi, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 347 977 7125 High levels of platinum group metals present, which is a key input for multiple clean energy systems Tamarack, Minnesota--(Newsfile Corp. - August 21, 2023) - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) ("Talon" or the "Company") has successfully drilled 101.71 meters (333 feet) of high-grade nickel-copper mineralization at the Tamarack Nickel Project, grading 1.94% Ni,1.84% Cu, 0.35 g/t Pd, 0.64 g/t Pt and 0.62 g/t Au (1.61 g/t PGEt + Au) (3.04% NiEq) (see Table 1). Highlights Drill intercept of 101.71 meters grading 1.94% Ni, 1.84% Cu and 0.35 g/t Pd, 0.64 g/t Pt and 0.62 g/t Au (1.61 g/t PGEt + Au) (3.04% NiEq); Drill hole was completed in partnership with a research team from Columbia University that is funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resource Recovery (MINER) program that funds novel approaches to enhanced metal recoveries within the mining industry (see Columbia University | arpa-e.energy.gov). Figure 1: Portion of Drill Hole 23TK0473 that forms part of 101.71 meters (333 feet) of high-grade nickel-copper mineralization, grading 1.94% Ni, 1.84% Cu and 0.35 g/t Pd, 0.64 g/t Pt and 0.62 g/t Au (1.61 g/t PGEt + Au) (3.04% NiEq) Table 1: Assay Results from Drill Hole 23TK0473 (see Table 3 for further technical details). Drill Hole From To Length Assay NiEq (%) (#) (m) (m) (m) Ni (%) Cu (%) Co (%) Pd (g/t) Pt (g/t) Au (g/t) 23TK0473 332.79 434.5 101.71 1.94 1.84 0.04 0.35 0.64 0.62 3.04 Including 381.02 392.89 11.87 2.36 1.26 0.06 0.21 0.30 0.15 3.09 Including 409.38 421.78 12.4 2.98 3.84 0.06 1.38 2.79 2.68 5.76 A team from Columbia University has partnered with Talon to use critical mineral concentrates from the Tamarack Nickel Project to conduct lab studies that will explore potential novel processing technologies that lower the CO 2 footprint of mining operations, while increasing the amount of nickel and copper extracted from ore (beyond the high metallurgical recoveries already achievable at the Tamarack Nickel Project). These R&D programs aim to increase US nickel production and lower the overall cost of nickel extraction compared to standard industry practices. Using funds from Columbia's ARPA-E grant, Talon successfully drilled 101.71 meters (333 feet) of high-grade nickel-copper mineralization (3.04% NiEq) at the Tamarack Nickel Project. This drill hole is located within the Tamarack Resource Area (see Figure 2). The drill hole was part of Talon's approved annual drill program with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (an approval process that includes input from proximate tribal sovereign governments). Talon and the State of Minnesota gain additional geological knowledge with respect to the Tamarack Nickel Project through the Columbia funded drilling, while Columbia will obtain material to utilize in their lab experiments to test novel approaches to enhanced metal recoveries within the mining industry. The combination of Columbia University's initiatives, along with Talon's ongoing exploration and innovation programs, are part of Talon's "full value mining" strategy to ensure that society is able to utilize the maximum amount of critical minerals in the ore that is extracted. "Intercepting 101.71 meters (333 feet) of high-grade nickel-copper mineralization is a reminder of the uniqueness of the Tamarack Nickel Project's US nickel resources," said Henri van Rooyen, CEO of Talon. "Most projects aspire to intercept just 2 meters (6.6 feet) of high-grade nickel. The goal of this Columbia collaboration is to both add to our understanding of the ore body, while also supporting research aimed at recovering additional nickel, copper and other critical minerals used in clean energy systems." "One exciting aspect of this drill hole is that the copper and PGE grades are much higher than anticipated compared to the nickel grades, especially in the lower zone of mineralization where 12.4 meters assayed at 2.98% Ni, 3.84% Cu, 1.38 g/t Pd, 2.79 g/t Pt, and 2.68 g/t Au (6.85 g/t PGEt+Au)," said Brian Goldner, Chief Exploration Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Talon. "The exploration team is working to model this unusual area of fractionated mineralization to identify other areas within the resource it may be residing." Alan West, Professor of Chemical Engineering in Columbia's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the project's Principal Investigator, remarked: "The Columbia Engineering team is very excited to partner with Talon and ARPA-e. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate and scale our processes aimed at improving the recovery of the critical materials that we need to transition energy systems and manufacturing to sustainable technologies, while also minimizing local environmental impacts of metals production." Talon's CEO, Henri van Rooyen concluded: "Talon is taking a "full value mining" approach and harnessing innovation to understand how we can do mineral extraction in a better way. By working with top-notch US research and development institutions like Columbia University, we are hoping to deliver better outcomes that help the United States create secure domestic supplies of critical minerals for clean energy systems." Figure 2: Map of the Tamarack Resource Area with approximate location of drill hole 23TK0473 Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Qualified Persons Please see the technical report entitled "November 2022 National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report of the Tamarack North Project - Tamarack, Minnesota" with an effective date of November 2, 2022 ("November 2022 Technical Report") prepared by independent "Qualified Persons" (as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101")) Brian Thomas (P. Geo), Roger Jackson (P. Geo), Oliver Peters (P. Eng) and Christine Pint (P.G) for information on the QA/QC, data verification, analytical and testing procedures at the Tamarack Nickel Project. Copies are available on the Company's website (www.talonmetals.com) or on SEDAR at (www.sedar.com). The laboratory used is ALS Minerals who is independent of the Company. Lengths are drill intersections and not necessarily true widths. True widths cannot be consistently calculated for comparison purposes between holes because of the irregular shapes of the mineralized zones. Drill intersections have been independently selected by Talon. Drill composites have been independently calculated by Talon. The geological interpretations in this news release are solely those of the Company. The locations and distances highlighted on all maps in this news release are approximate. Dr. Etienne Dinel, Vice President, Geology of Talon, is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Dr. Dinel is satisfied that the analytical and testing procedures used are standard industry operating procedures and methodologies, and he has reviewed, approved and verified the technical information disclosed in this news release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the technical information. Where used in this news release: NiEq% = Ni% + Cu% x $3.75/$9.50 x Cu Recovery/Ni Recovery + Co% x $25.00/$9.50 x Co Recovery/Ni Recovery + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,000/$9.50/22.04 x Pt Recovery/Ni Recovery + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $1,000/$9.50/22.04 x Pd Recovery/Ni Recovery + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,400/$9.50/22.04 x Au Recovery/Ni Recovery For Ni and Cu recoveries, please refer to the formulae in the November 2022 Technical Report. Recovery of Ni to the Cu concentrate was excluded from the NiEq calculation. The following recoveries were used for the other metals: 64.1% for Co, 82.5% for Pt, 69.3% for Pd and 72.6% for Au. ABOUT TALON Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in central Minnesota. Talon's shares are also traded in the US over the OTC market under the symbol TLOFF. The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises a large land position (18km of strike length) with additional high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon has an earn-in right to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Nickel Project, and currently owns 51%. Talon is focused on (i) expanding and infilling its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 to shape a mine plan for submission to Minnesota regulators, and (ii) following up on additional high-grade nickel mineralization in the Tamarack Intrusive Complex. Talon has an agreement with Tesla Inc. to supply it with 75,000 metric tonnes (165 million lbs) of nickel in concentrate (and certain by-products, including cobalt and iron) from the Tamarack Nickel Project over an estimated six-year period once commercial production is achieved. Talon has a neutrality and workforce development agreement in place with the United Steelworkers union. Talon's Battery Mineral Processing Facility in Mercer County was selected by the US Department of Energy for US$114m funding grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Talon has well-qualified experienced exploration, mine development, external affairs and mine permitting teams. For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at www.talonmetals.com Media Contact: Todd Malan 1-(202)-714-8187 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Investor Contact: Sean Werger 1-(416)-500-9891 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to future exploration, drilling, and the results thereof; the results and potential utilization/commercialization of the Columbia and Talon R&D initiatives; the Company's "full value mining" strategy whereby Talon intends utilize as much of the ore that it extracts to provide valuable materials. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Table 2: Collar Locations of Drill Hole 23TK0473 Drill Hole Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (masl) Azimuth Dip End Depth (m) 23TK0473 490722.7 5168791.3 388.0 110.0 -84.3 735.0 Collar coordinates are UTM Zone 15N, NAD83 Azimuths and dips are taken from survey record at collar unless otherwise noted Table 3: Assay Results of Drill Hole 23TK0473 Drill Hole From To Length Assay NiEq (%) (#) (m) (m) (m) Ni (%) Cu (%) Co (%) Pd (g/t) Pt (g/t) Au (g/t) 23TK0473 332.79 434.5 101.71 1.94 1.84 0.04 0.35 0.64 0.62 3.04 including 381.02 392.89 11.87 2.36 1.26 0.06 0.21 0.30 0.15 3.09 including 409.38 421.78 12.4 2.98 3.84 0.06 1.38 2.79 2.68 5.76 Length refers to drill hole length and not True Width. True Width is unknown at the time of publication. All samples were analysed by ALS Minerals. Nickel, copper, and cobalt grades were first analysed by a 4-acid digestion and ICP AES (ME-MS61). Grades reporting greater than 0.25% Ni and/or 0.1% Cu, using ME-MS61, trigger a sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES finish (ICP81). Platinum, palladium and gold are initially analyzed by a 50g fire assay with an ICP-MS finish (PGM-MS24). Any samples reporting >1g/t Pt or Pd trigger an over-limit analysis by ICP-AES finish (PGM-ICP27) and any samples reporting >1g/t Au trigger an over-limit analysis by AAS (Au-AA26). NiEq% = Ni% + Cu% x $3.75/$9.50 x Cu Recovery/Ni Recovery + Co% x $25.00/$9.50 x Co Recovery/Ni Recovery + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,000/$9.50/22.04 x Pt Recovery/Ni Recovery + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $1,000/$9.50/22.04 x Pd Recovery/Ni Recovery + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,400/$9.50/22.04 x Au Recovery/Ni Recovery For Ni and Cu recoveries, please refer to the formulae in the November 2022 Technical Report. Recovery of Ni to the Cu concentrate was excluded from the NiEq calculation. The following recoveries were used for the other metals: 64.1% for Co, 82.5% for Pt, 69.3% for Pd and 72.6% for Au. In the early 90s, Pierre Basabose was known for the foreign exchange bureau he ran opposite the main market in the Rwandan capital. Everyone in Kigali came to "Chez Basabose" to exchange currency. After his early retirement from the army, Basabose went into business and enjoyed dazzling prosperity, thanks to the presidential familys support. Indeed, he was chauffeur to Colonel Elie Sagatwa, brother-in-law and private secretary of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, whose assassination on April 6, 1994 triggered the Tutsi genocide. In September 2020, Basabose was arrested in Belgium at the same time as Seraphin Twahirwa, an alleged former militia leader also said to have been close to the ex-presidential family. Both are to be tried for genocide under the principle of universal jurisdiction. Nearly 30 years after the crime, in mid-June 2023, there are not many people in the dark courtroom of the Brussels Assize Court. Yet the court president is about to rule on an essential question, given that suspects in the 1994 genocide are getting old and a dozen cases are still in the federal prosecutor's pipeline. This mass crime that shook the world no longer draws the media. But on this hot day at the end of the judicial year, the court president must decide if Basabose is mentally fit for two months of trial scheduled to start on October 9. Prosecutor accepts experts report The Rwandan is accused of genocide and war crimes in connection with events that took place notably in Kigali prefecture between January and June 1994. The issue of his mental health has been raised for two years now after the court received on September 6, 2021, a medical report ordered by the investigating magistrate from two psychiatrists and a neurologist. "Our medico-psychiatric examination of Mr. Pierre Basabose revealed the definite presence of significant cognitive disorders, with memory disorders, anterograde amnesia, temporal disorientation, judgment disorders, behavioural disorders, attention disorders in particular," reads the report conclusion of psychiatrists Pierre Oswald and Johan Kalonji, to which Justice Info has gained access. "This serious deterioration is of a degenerative dementia type [...], rendering Mr Basabose incapable of discernment or control of his actions, his capacities having been reduced. The neurological examination also confirmed "the presence of memory difficulties, particularly long-term memory". "Mr. Basabose's cognitive performance is reduced by a significant slowdown in information processing speed [...]. These elements confirm the presence of cognitive deterioration, particularly in the memory and executive/attention areas," states the report. This syndrome is "a priori irreversible and progressive", and there is "an unfortunate likelihood that the evolution of the disorder will eventually lead to his institutionalization [in a medical establishment]". He is mentally absent, does not understand anything Based on this grave medical report, federal prosecutor in charge of the case Kathleen Grosjean issued a recommendation on August 29, 2022 for Basabose to be put in a medical establishment. In this document, which Justice Info was also able to consult, the magistrate noted that "the accused does indeed present a mental disorder in the form of neuropsychiatric dementia". "In his current state he is mentally absent, does not understand anything -, what sense does it make to have him appear before a court and attend hearings every day for some two months? she asks. Institutionalization is a measure that should enable him to receive supervised care. It is a measure for the protection of society, but also for him. In her conclusion, the prosecutor asked the Brussels Chamber of Indictments "to order the placement of Pierre Basabose in care". However, the chamber did not agree and, in a ruling dated September 19, 2022, referred the accused to the Assize Court. Nine months later, at a preliminary hearing, the issue came up again, this time in public before the Assize Court. On June 12, Basabose's lawyer Jean Flamme argued that the proceedings were inadmissible on the grounds of his client's health. President imposes trial The president of the Assize Court ruled swiftly on the matter on June 21. She decided that the trial would go ahead, despite Basabose's fragile mental health. In her ruling, the court president reiterated the arguments of the Indictments Chamber. "Pierre Basabose's memory problems concern mainly recent or very recent events, whereas given the dates when he is accused, his memory does not appear to have been affected to such an extent that he cannot be tried," she writes. The oral hearings at the Assize Court will likely enable Pierre Basabose to recall the facts in question, understand what he is accused of, and defend himself." The Assize Court's ruling, which omits that the medical report says Basabose's long-term memory is also affected, seems to show its determination to conduct the trial at all costs even though the prosecutor has said she will ask at the end of the trial for him to be put in a medical establishment in any case. In Brussels as in The Hague, both national and international justice are struggling with the challenge of certain genocide suspects mental health. When facing criminal accusations and contemplating pleading guilty, a Dallas criminal defense attorney advises hiring a criminal defense lawyer to protect the rights of the accused. Even if the defendants want to plead guilty, defending themselves may result in unfavorable plea bargains because prosecutors may exploit their lack of legal knowledge. A competent attorney can spot faults in the governments case, such as evidence that should be withheld, which could result in dropped charges or better negotiating outcomes. An attorney with former prosecutor experience can provide invaluable assistance in defending the defendants rights, examining their choices, and negotiating with prosecutors for the best possible conclusion. When seeking an appeals lawyer, attorney Helms emphasizes that appeals differ significantly from trial cases. While trial lawyers may be convincing or threatening in front of a jury, these skills are less critical in an appeals lawyer. Appeals are resolved by a three-judge panel that relies heavily on written arguments rather than courtroom persuasion. Unlike the drama and emotional fights witnessed in televised trials, appeals work generally entails written papers intended for legal specialists rather than television audiences. Appeals lawyers write extensively and offer arguments tailored to judges, who are also legal professionals. While compelling speeches and emotional witnesses are essential in trial cases, well-crafted written arguments that address the legal complexities of the issue are necessary for appeals. As a result, a competent appeals lawyer specializes in legal research, writing, and presenting arguments to judges, emphasizing their ability to communicate effectively through writing rather than their theatrical abilities. Understanding these distinctions is critical when selecting the best counsel for a defendants appeals case. Source: Do I need to hire an attorney if I plan on pleading guilty? This content was first Fans are in for a treat this August as the legendary idol-actress Nana is coming back to the television scene. The actress, alongside Go Hyun Jung, headlines "Mask Girl," the new Netflix thriller series. To know more about Nana, keep on reading. Nana's First & Latest Dating Rumors Since Debut Since her debut as a model and an idol, Nana has amassed millions of loyal fans from all around the world. Even at 30, she's still a headturner who captures the attention of new audiences. She has a natural charm and sex appeal that will entice anyone. With that said, Nana certainly had her fair share of dating rumors, particularly with fellow actor Hong Jong Hyun. In 2015, the two were reported to be dating after co-hosting a lifestyle show called "Style Log." In the reports, Nana and Hong Jong Hyun fell in love with each other after seven months dating. The two were spotted on multiple dates and were even seen at the actor's childhood home. However, both sides refuted the reports and clarified that the two were just close friends who happened to enjoy the same things. Nana was also linked to Jang Ki Yong whom she worked with in the thriller drama "Kill It" but both companies, PLEDIS and YG, denied the rumors. At the moment, there's no news about Nana's dating life. She isn't seeing anyone publicly and is more focused on her flourishing acting career. Nana's Dating Style & Ideal Type Revealed Because many viewers were curious about her ideal type in men, the "Mask Girl" star told Esquire Korea that she's not a "superficial woman." Contrary to netizens' belief, Nana is drawn more towards one's personality and insights rather than the looks. "I like men who are caring and considerate of me," Nana said. "I don't really care about how you look. The real deal is how you treat me." Nana To Play Show Girl In 'Mask Girl' In the forthcoming series "Mask Girl," Nana is transforming into a show girl named Ah Reum much to fans' delight. "Mask Girl" follows the life of Kim Mo Mi, a broadcast jockey hiding behind a mask while offering adult fun online. Her life takes a darker turn when she gets involved in a murder case. Nana plays the role of Kim Mo Mi who dances and sings live for the audiences in return for money and fame. According to her, the role itself was a challenge. Through "Mask Girl," Nana plans to prove herself as an actress and diversify her acting spectrum with a thriller drama that has an unconventional premise which fans will surely love. Furthermore, "Mask Girl" airs on August 18 on Netflix so don't miss it. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Disney+ teases fans with intriguing scenes for the highly anticipated "Moving" episodes 10 and 11. As seen in the trailer, it will feature Ryu Seung Ryong's romance with Kwak Sun Yang. In addition, the streaming platform also drops hints at his past life as an agent with extraordinary powers. 'Moving' Episodes 10 & 11 Narrate Background of Jang Joo Won Ryu Seung Ryong takes on the role of Jang Joo Won, a former secret agent who works alongside black ops agent Kim Doo Shik (Jo In Sung). In the previous episode, Mr. Min was hunting down Doo Shik and Joo Won after they were accused of being involved with the death of the North Korean president. While the 9th episode focuses on Doo Shik and Lee Mi Hyun (Han Hyo Joo), the upcoming episode will showcase the story of Joo Won and his romance with Hwang Ji Hee (Kwak Sun Yang). Disney+ illustrates the dark past of Joo Won before meeting his sunbae, Kim Doo Shik. In the trailer, he used to be a member of a gang that utilized his superpowers. With this, he was labeled as the "monster." Interestingly, things turned upside down after he unexpectedly met Hwang Ji Hee, who eventually turned out to be each other's savior. Besides the intriguing trailer, Disney+ also dropped the new official poster of Ryu Seung Ryong for "Moving" episodes 10 and 11. "I've been called a monster. The fierce survival of Joo Won, who was more innocent than anyone else," the caption reads. As usual, fans can't wait for the official release as they gush over the teaser for the upcoming episode. Some also speculate that Jang Hee Soo's mother, Hwang Ji Hee, also has superpowers like his father. Unfortunately, she died in a car crash, leaving Hee Soo to grow up alone with her dad. Fans also look forward to the heartbreaking story of Joo Won and how he coped after his wife's death. Ryu Seung Ryong Compares 'Moving' Characters to 'Avengers' During the press conference for "Moving," Ryu Seung Ryong talks about the cast lineup and the characters in the Disney+ series. "I think we're kind of like the Avengers team, we have a truly star-studded cast, and we have a wonderful crew," he said, as obtained by a news outlet. In addition, the veteran actor said that they "wanted to create this masterpiece together and then show it to the audience," and so they did, as viewers were hooked on every episode of "Moving." Interestingly, "Moving" episodes 10 and 11 will simultaneously broadcast on August 23, as the show airs every Wednesday. Viewers will get to watch this through Disney+ and Hulu. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Wills "Behind Your Touch" actress Han Ji Min revealed a heartwarming and sweet gesture she made with this special person as they traveled the world together. Curious about who this person is? Then read on. Han Ji Min Makes Appearance in W Korea's YouTube Channel Han Ji Min made her drama comeback through JTBC's "Behind Your Touch." On August 20, W Korea uploaded an interview video with the Hallyu star on its official YouTube channel, titled "200% practical items recommended by Han Ji Min, who is serious in taking care of inner beauty." The "Our Blues" lead star introduced her cloth bag saying that she doesn't usually carry a bag, but it's different when she's filming as she puts various things in the shown small bag and carries it as an eco bag. According to her, she bought the bag during her trip to Greece with her mom. Han Ji Min also named some of her go-to makeup. Han Ji Min Shares Overseas Trip Stories With Her Mom As the interview continued, she was asked by the staff if there was any trouble during her trip with her mom, and she responded, "Honestly, my mom is more flexible than me so we don't really argue at all. People often worry that they might fight when traveling with their moms, but I got along well with her." Han Ji Min revealed that she traveled with her mother to various countries such as France, Switzerland, and Japan. "We even bought a couple slippers during our trip. Moms never let us buy anything for them right? Of course, I paid for the trip expenses and bought her a massage chair," these kind gestures proved that the actress is a good and loving daughter. Where to Watch Han Ji Min Meanwhile, Han Ji Min currently stars as Bong Ye Bun in the newly premiered fantasy-romance series "Behind Your Touch." After accidentally acquiring psychic power, she can see the animals and humans' memories which will help her and Detective Moon Jang Yeol (Lee Min Ki) in solving the cases in the small village of Mujin. She also meets the nice and handsome guy Kim Sun Woo (Suho), who she already became friends with. As the story progresses, fans and viewers are looking forward to the series every week. The new K-drama releases episodes every Saturday and Sunday on JTBC and Netflix at 10:30 p.m. (KST) What can you say about the news? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article. Shai Collins wrote this. The Friends of Canadian Broadcasting group is asking people to stop posting content on Meta's platforms on Aug. 23 and 24. The Facebook logo is seen on a mobile phone, Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Dwyer A now-iconic photo shows local residents watching the inferno across the lake on Aug. 22, 2003, commonly known as Firestorm Friday. Inset photo: The McDougall Creek wildfire burns down the side of the mountain in West Kelowna on August 17, 2023 Trevor Manzuik, who was evacuated from his home due to the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire, sprays down the brush on the road in front of his property after returning home by boat, in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Colton Sisco, 6, was among the four people who died in Nova Scotia flooding northwest of Halifax on the night of July 22. His parents, Tera and Chris Sisco, say they believe quicker public alerting might have saved the lives of those wo died. Theyre pressing for improvements in the provinces flooding preparedness and response. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michael Tutton China's furnishing industry shows new lease of life People's Daily Online) 16:04, August 21, 2023 China's furnishing industry is showing great vitality as consumption potential in this area is further unleashed. The National Bureau of Statistics of China revealed that the furniture sector contributed 68.5 billion yuan (about $9.37 billion) to total retail sales of consumer goods in the first half of the year, up by 3.8 percent year on year, while household appliances and audio-video equipment contributed 427 billion yuan, up by 1 percent year on year. A furniture industrial park called Hongbang in Nanchong city, southwest China's Sichuan Province, for example, is the first park dedicated to redwood furniture and culturally creative home furnishing products in western China. The industrial park closely follows market trends, adopts an innovative business model featuring the furniture industry plus tourism, and sales plus experience, actively promoting the integrated development of the furniture, home textiles, home appliances and sanitary ware industries. Last year, the park's economic benefits exceeded 50 million yuan, a 400 percent increase compared to 2020. The furniture industry also integrated online and offline channels to provide consumers with more choices. Data from Pinduoduo, a major Chinese e-commerce platform, shows that smart home appliances have caught the attention of a growing number of consumers. Many e-commerce platforms have boosted the sales of such products through live streaming and short videos. They have also encouraged buyers to share feedback and comments on their personal experience and feelings of using the products, and launched virtual displays of model rooms. Meanwhile, furniture brands have also opened brick-and-mortar stores for customers to try their products as well as model rooms renovated from old houses in an effort to create immersive and interactive consumption scenarios that will provide consumers with greater choice and a better shopping experience. Zhang Yan, owner of a homestay, arranges new furniture at her homestay in the Heqiao ancient town in Lin'an District of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Songlin township in Linqing city, east China's Shandong Province adopted an "e-commerce +" strategy to fully integrate the furniture and e-commerce industries. At present, more than 300 businesses in the township sell Chinese classical furniture on e-commerce channels, employing more than 3,000 people and generating annual online sales of 500 million yuan. A furniture company in Linqing city has promoted its products through livestreaming sessions. According to Zhang Junhe, executive of the company, the company sells its furniture products on multiple e-commerce platforms, with its online annual sales volume exceeding 10 million yuan. China recently issued a guideline to promote the consumption of green and smart home appliances. The relevant departments have accelerated efforts to improve standards, certification, and labeling systems for green products, and expanded the scope of green home product certification. These departments have released four batches of unified standards evaluation catalogs and certification directories covering 18 types of products, including green building materials, furniture, refrigerators, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, among other home products. Over 23,000 unified green product certificates have been issued to over 4,600 certified enterprises. "Our company is innovating so as to adapt to new consumption trends featuring healthy and smart home furnishing that can be applied to multiple scenarios, and works to improve quality and services to provide consumers a better experience," said Sun Liming, vice president of FOTILE Group, a Chinese manufacturer of high-end kitchen appliances. In addition, the country has also boosted county-level business system development in order to unleash greater market potential. China's rural consumption growth has outpaced urban consumption in recent years. With nearly 500 million people, rural areas constitute an enormous market with huge potential for home furnishings. In the first half of this year, online sales of green and smart home appliances in rural areas on major e-commerce platforms grew 12.7 percent year-on-year. The furniture industry in Nankang district, Ganzhou city in east China's Jiangxi Province has thrived over the last few years, and is now home to over 10,000 furniture and relevant enterprises, thanks to an improved logistics network which involves over 630 logistics companies. Statistics from Full Truck Alliance, a leading digital freight platform in China, show that the volume of furniture shipments of Nankang in the first six months of the year went up by 17.8 percent compared to the second half of last year, with June seeing a month-on-month increase of 56.4 percent. Hong Ling, chairman of Nankang logistics association, said that with the continuous release of favorable policies, Nankang's furniture market will experience more positive development. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Dennis Hursh, an attorney with over 40 years of experience in health law. We explore the complex decisions physicians face when considering leaving a position without proper notice. Discover the legal, financial, and reputational consequences that can arise, along with practical advice for navigating these challenging situations. Tune in for valuable insights into safeguarding your career and making informed choices in the world of health care employment. Dennis Hursh is a veteran attorney with over 40 years of experience in health law. He is founder, Physician Agreements Health Law, which offers a fixed fee review of physician employment agreements to protect physicians in one of the biggest transactions of their careers. He can also be reached on Facebook and LinkedIn. He discusses the KevinMD article, What happens if I dont give the notice required under my physician employment agreement? The Podcast by KevinMD is brought to you by the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience. With a growing physician shortage, increasing burnout, and declining patient satisfaction, a dramatic change is needed to make health care more efficient and effective and bring back the joy of practicing medicine. AI-driven ambient clinical intelligence promises to help by revolutionizing patient and provider experiences with clinical documentation that writes itself. The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, is a voice-enabled, ambient clinical intelligence solution that automatically captures patient encounters securely and accurately at the point of care. Physicians who use DAX have reported a 50 percent decrease in documentation time and a 70 percent reduction in feelings of burnout, and 83 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational. Rediscover the joy of medicine with clinical documentation that writes itself, all within the EHR. VISIT SPONSOR https://nuance.com/daxinaction SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE https://earnc.me/93Wxxr Powered by CMEfy. By Tausi Nakato Four people are being detained at Njeru Police Station in Buikwe district following a raid on a massage parlor that is alleged to be offering gay and lesbian sex services. Ms. Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa region police spokesperson, says all the suspects are employees of Cloud 9 Massage and Chill outs in Bukaya West Zone, Njeru municipality in Buikwe district. Ms Butoto said the quartet was arrested following a tip-off to the area defense secretary by a worker at the massage parlor-turned informant, who was concerned by the alleged illegal activities at the facility. A female informant tipped the area defense secretary that suspected acts of homosexuality were being carried out, especially with Indian clients as their most-preferred clients, Ms Butoto said. This sparked off a misunderstanding between the informant and her boss, who later ordered men to undress her, after which she was reportedly thrown outside the gate, naked, she added. According to Ms Butoto, the informant told authorities that her boss has an artificial phallus, which she has allegedly been using on female workers, and later posts recordings on Tiktok and other social media platforms. The informant told police that she was trafficked from Mbarara to Buikwe district three months ago after being promised Shs500,000 to work in a massage, sauna, and salon, but she wasallegedly lured into lesbianism and prostitution. The informant claims she has not received her salary for the past three months despite allegedly serving over five clients a day, according to Butoto. Locals, however, want police to close the facility on grounds that it is in a residential area. Although they paid the license and all revenue, we ask police to shut the place because residents had first complained about the workers indecent dress code, Ms Patricia Dorothy Chandiru, a councillor at Njeru Municipality said. Mr Jimmy Okee, the Bukaya West Village chairperson, says when the place opened early this year, it was inspected and the proprietor convinced authorities that it was for massage, but he is surprised to hear about the illicit activities that have allegedly been taking place inside. Mr Michael Odeba, the chairperson of Njeru Central Division, says the license which was issued to the place was to operate a massage and a bar. Their arrest follows the signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill by President Museveni, which has since triggered a backlash from the Western allies, including the United States and the World Bank, which has since suspended new funding to Uganda in retaliation. The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) Beti Kamya will this morning hold a boardroom meeting at Mityana hospital to discuss matters related to the alleged mismanagement of the facility. The meeting will be attended by the District Health Officer Mityana district and members of the hospital administration including the hospital administrator and the hospital management committee. According to Micheal Tumukurate, the head of Kampala regional office, any other officer deemed relevant, will be allowed in this meeting. Previously, Mityana hospital has been in the spotlight over a number of equipment meant for the hospital that got lost under unclear circumstances. More updates to follow The Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, has urged the government to consider agriculture as a strong pillar for the countrys development. He made the remarks on Monday morning while opening the 31st Buganda Parliament at Bulange-Mengo. The Kabaka demands that government makes agriculture a compulsory subject up at secondary level in order to equip learners with the necessary knowledge about farming. He also urged farmers to continue engaging in agriculture despite the current price fluctuations in the market. Meanwhile, the Kabaka is concerned about the continued land grabbing that has greatly affected the poor citizens, leaving majority dead while others injured and homeless, urging the judiciary to quicken the process of proving justice to land grabbing victims. Police say road crashes on Ugandan roads have claimed 87 lives in just a week from 12th to 19th August 2023. Most fatalities registered, involved motorcycles, leaving 430 other people nursing injuries. While addressing journalists at the police head offices in Naguru, Michael Kananura the spokesperson for the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety attributed the fatalities to speeding and driving beyond the prescribed speed limit. A total number 437 of accidents were registered, out of these 74 were fatal, 224 were serious and 124 were minor. Victims were 428 out of these 87 people died and 341 sustained injuries, Kananura said in a statement. He says in an effort to reduce road crashes, they are conducting a joint operation with the Uganda National Roads Authoritytogether with the health ministry dubbed Fika Salama Extra. Yesterday, road safety activists under their umbrella body, The Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda commended police for resuming operations against drink driving using breathalyzers. A ban on operations against drink driving was lifted last week and 38 drunk drivers have since been issued with Express Penality Tickets (EPS). The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FADRC) say they have rescued nineteen people in the ongoing operation against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels. According to a statement issued by Major Bilal Katamba, the Mountain Division/Operation Shujaa spokesperson, the Saturday operation saw eight children, nine women, and two men rescued. He explains that the group was reported to the joint base at Bwakadde in Ituri province after the soldiers attacked an ADF camp in Tingwe hills, North East of Erengeti Town. The 19 were airlifted by the UPDF and are receiving medical care from the UPDF medical team, Katamba said in a statement. Among the nine women include, a mother who delivered two months ago and was left in the bush by her colleagues after failing to keep pace with her group, the statement reads further. Katamba says the forces recovered a gun after killing one ADF fighter on Saturday. This was during the Commander Land Forces, Lt Gen Kayanja Muhangas courtesy call to chiefs in Ituri as he toured the different bases of the joint forces in the province, the statement adds. Recently, UPDF revealed that they have so far killed over 540 ADF rebels, captured 50 alive, while 31 have surrendered to the joint forces in DRC since 30th November 2021. 1 of 1 Social Media Icons 2023: New Delhi to Host Celebrations of the Unsung Heroes of Digital Influence from North India on August 27 khaskhabar.com : Mon, 21 Aug 2023 2:24 PM New Delhi At a launch ceremony on Wednesday late evening Social Media Icons (SMI) announced an unprecedented initiative- Social Media Icons 2023 Awards- to recognize and celebrate the influential trailblazers who shape the modern digital landscape. Social Media Icons 2023 Awards - North Edition is set to take place on August 27, 2023, at the prestigious venue- The Park in New Delhi. Nearly 250 influencers from several different segments, with their Reach going up to 25 lakhs, attended the SMI launch ceremony. The event aims to recognize unsung heroes and celebrate their success. In an era where social media dominates brand endorsements and content creation, SMI acknowledges the pivotal role played by influencers. The Awards event is an ode to these unsung heroes, who create meaningful engagements, foster societal change, and inspire innovation. It's a celebration of their tireless efforts and a platform to showcase their exceptional work. "We are thrilled to unveil the Social Media Icons 2023 Awards Show to begin with, North Indiaan initiative that goes beyond recognizing influencers. We aim to create an ecosystem that fosters meaningful connections between influencers, audiences, and brands," said . Baldev Raj, Founder and Managing Director of Prius Communications- the Creator of SMI. Prius Communications has conceptualized the SMI and has been spearheading the mega event as the PR and Digital Partner too. "Our vision is to empower influencers, amplify their voices, and provide them the recognition they truly deserve," added Baldev Raj. The SMI 2023 boasts a diverse array of categories, including Fashion, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Food Bloggers, Travel, Lifestyle influencers, Luxury, Beauty, and more. Influencers will be selected through an online voting process, ensuring that the winners are truly celebrated by their peers and audiences. Each award- The Most Promising, Influencer of the Year, and Hall of Fame, in each category, serves as a mark of authenticity, validated by an esteemed jury after meticulous analysis of engagements and conversions. "We invite all stakeholders to join us on this transformative journey. The Social Media Icons 2023 Awards Show is more than an event; it's a step towards empowering influencers, fostering connections, and driving digital transformation," said Saumya Singhal, Co-creator of SMI. India is witnessing the dawn of a new digital revolution and as a powerful catalyst, SMI 2023 is all set to create a new ecosystem for influencers engagement by empowering them with new branding techniques that would finally lead to a higher stage of advancement for all stakeholders including audiences. By providing a platform for cohesive collaborations, SMI 2023 will construct bridges, amplify voices, and unveil a future where the synergy between Influencers, audiences, and brands ushers in a new era of shared growth and empowerment. In the inaugural edition, influencers from North India will be invited not only for recognition but also to share a common platform and share their experience under one roof to celebrate their hard work. The New Delhi event would be followed by SMI 2023 (West) in Goa and SMI 2023 (East) in Kolkata this year. The celebrations would culminate in a mega event in New Delhi in early 2024. Nomination for the North Edition of SMI 2023 in New Delhi on August 27 is open now and influencers can register/nominate themselves at Website About SMI SMI aims to revolutionize the digital landscape, leveraging influencers for global content delivery. Our seasoned team with 100+ years of collective experience manages prestigious brands and events such as UP Summit, Dubai Expo, Delhi Times Fashion Week (DTFW), Prestigious launch events for reputed brands like Budweiser, Grants, Skyy Vodka, and Guess, Auto Expo, Advertising, APREE Event, Health Conclaves & Summits, ESG Global Conference- Prithvi Awards 2023, among others. Our vision transforms digital engagement by uniting influencers, audiences, and brands, elevating excellence, fostering partnerships, and inspiring thought leadership. 1 of 1 - khaskhabar.com : , 21 2023 11:02 AM The work of local writers was celebrated recently in the publication of the 23rd issue of the ever-popular Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet. The aim of the publication is to give local writers a platform for their work. Being published since 2002, it continues to be a much sought after and well-loved platform for writers to expose their work to the public. The Broadsheet was successfully launched during the Arts Festival, in the Parade Tower by Poet in Residence for the Kilkenny Arts Festival, Kwame Dawes, Broadsheet editor and poet, Afric McGlinchey and Arts Officer, Mary Butler. This year over one hundred poems were submitted by fifty-eight poets for consideration, with twelve poems by twelve poets selected. Poets selected for publication included: Noel Howley, Canice Kenealy, Mia King, Alice Bennett, Darren Caffrey, Nuala Roche, Mike Watss, Breda Joyce, Anne Mac Darby Beck, Paddy Doyle, Eamonn Donovan and Emily Murtagh. Poet Afric McGlinchey was this years editor and she had the tough yet enjoyable task of selecting poems for publication. Afric stated that, each of the 105 poems she received offered its own unique expression of the human spirit. There were poems about the small things that make life magical: trees and pigs and birds and flowers and bogs, about individual moments. She was heart-warmed by poems describing familial relationships, particularly elegies to fathers and grandfathers and she was glad to see poems written in the Irish language too. Mary Butler, Arts Officer was delighted with the launch of the Broadsheet and it continues to be a beloved annual event by participants and audiences alike. We were delighted to have Kwame Dawes and Afric with us to launch the publication and its always a pleasure to hear each poet recite their poem The Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet Issue 23 is available free of charge from the libraries across the county and you can also call the Poetry Phone on FREE PHONE 1800 272 994 to hear the poems recited. For further information on this or other Arts Office projects contact the Arts Office on 056-7794547 or email deirdre.southey@kilkennycoco.ie Mourners from near and far gathered at Duiske Abbey in Graignamanagh earlier today for the funeral mass of Danny O'Brien. A single bell tolled across the town as mourners gathered, many wearing bright clothing to celebrate the colourful life that was lived by Danny. The opening speech, made on behalf of the family, noted that Danny's life was 'a life very well lived'. It was mentioned that through his exploits and adventures over the years, Danny had amassed friends from all over the world. Members of the Air Corps, where Danny had served, were also in attendance, as well as members of other groups that he had been involved with over the years. Mourners were told that Danny himself would be embarrassed by his achievements being celebrated, as he never sought recognition. He was described as kind, thoughtful, considerate with a definite 'sense of divilment'. Some of the gifts brought up to celebrate Danny's life included a passport; representing his love for travel, a throw-rope; representing his commitment to safety, a rubber duck; signifying his love for water, and a dog lead; as he was an animal-lover who loved walking his dog down by the river. Danny's family gave thanks to the emergency services in Bergen in Norway, The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, and everyone who had come to their support in recent days. Fr Mark Townsend, who led the funeral mass, stated that Danny 'will enter the history book of a select few whose lives were so remarkable and will go down in history here, in this special place and in this parish'. Ar dheis De go raibh a h'anam dilis. Strengths Of the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap, the best performer for the week was SEI, rising 1,890.71%. Jada AI, an artificial intelligence project that harnesses blockchain technology, has raised $25 million from alternative investment group LDA Capital. The project aims to offer AI services that aid decision-making for organizations and scale up their operations, according to Bloomberg. Investors added $49.3 million to crypto-focused exchange traded products (ETPs) during the past month and $232.9 million in the past year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Weaknesses Of the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap, the worst performer for the week was CFX, down 28.40%. Dubai authorities fined the co-founders of failed crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital in their latest enforcement action against the duos new digital-asset exchange OPNX. The virtual assets regulatory authority said it had issued the company a fine of 10 million dirhams ($2.7 million) in May that remains unpaid, writes Bloomberg. Bitcoin reached an almost two-month low as risk aversion weighs on the cryptocurrency market, with global government bond yields climbing to the highest in about 15 years, writes Bloomberg. Opportunities Coinbase Global Inc. has gained approval to sell cryptocurrency derivatives directly to retail consumers in the U.S. A subsidiary of the U.S.s biggest crypto exchange, has secured approval from the National Futures Association to operate a Futures Commission Merchant and offer access to crypto futures, writes Bloomberg. Traders on Coinbases new Base chain have piled over $450,000 into an NFT offering from brand giant Coca-Cola. This is a strong showing despite the fact that major brand NFT launches have consistently demonstrated a lackluster history on secondary markets, writes Bloomberg. The U.S. SEC is poised to allow the first exchange-traded funds based on Ether futures, a major win for several firms that long have sought to offer the products, writes Bloomberg. Threats PayPal Holdings wont allow UK users to buy cryptocurrencies on its platform from October, saying it needs time to ensure compliance with new local rules, writes Bloomberg. SwirlLend, a lending project operating on the Ethereum Layer 2 networks Base and Linea, has seemingly executed an exit scam, making off with an estimated $460,000 in user deposits. According to on-chain analysis from security firm PeckShield, the SwirlLend team drained $290,000 in crypto assets from Base and $170,000 from Linea. Chinese authorities have charged a Filecoin mining company with running an $83 million pyramid scheme. The local court in Pingnan county in the Guanxi region has announced that criminal proceedings have commenced against Shenzhen Shikongyun Tech, one of Chinas largest Filecoin mining companies and its four executives, writes Bloomberg. By Frank E. Holmes Contributing to kitco.com Follow @bulldogholmes www.goldnewsletter.com Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) It is essential to have exposure to real assets in this uncertain macro environment, according to Hugh Hendry, Founder of Eclectica Macro. But Hendry still prefers to hold four times more Bitcoin than gold, and here's why. From real assets Hendry's top pick is gold. "I would have 5% of my portfolio [in gold]," Hendry told Michelle Makori, Lead Anchor and Editor-in-Chief at Kitco News. "Why gold? Because for the last 12 years, gold has kept hitting this $2,000. It feels like there's a price barrier, and a lot of people want to own gold, but there's not enough economic stimulus or data to sponsor a consistently higher gold price." In the months and years ahead, gold will move above this $2,000 an ounce resistance, which is when Hendry will start increasing his 5% position. "When it gets to $2,000, it fades, and it falls away. But one of these days, maybe, it is going to go $2,100, $2,200, $2,300," he said. "When it breaks the barrier to the upside, I'm buying it." At the time of writing, December Comex gold futures were trading at $1,923 an ounce and spot prices were at $1,894,50 an ounce. Despite Hendry's positive outlook on gold, he is more bullish on Bitcoin with a 20% allocation. "I've got 20% of my portfolio in Bitcoin. Not crypto, Bitcoin," he said. "The reason being Bitcoin is the new kid on the block and it's shown a proof of concept." After correcting from a record of nearly $70,000 in 2021 to under $30,000, there is a lot of upside potential in Bitcoin. For a full breakdown of how Hendry would invest $1 million, watch the video above. Bitcoin below $30k vs. Gold below $2k For Hendry, it all comes down to market capitalization. He compared Bitcoin's total market cap of $500 billion to gold's market capitalization of $12.6 trillion, stating that Bitcoin has a much higher chance to triple in price than gold. "Can gold triple in price? Let's say gold is at $2,000. Can gold trade at $6,000? I don't know. I can't imagine. At $6,000, gold would [have a] $30-$50 trillion [market cap]. So gold would be valued more than all United States equities. And that's a really hard one for me to imagine," he noted. "Whereas if Bitcoin tripled, it'd be the size of one large U.S. stock it'd be the size of Meta. That can happen." Even if Bitcoin's market cap reaches $1.5 trillion, it is still a fairly "small" market, Hendry said. For Bitcoin to triple, all it needs is the right catalyst, which could be the approval of several spot Bitcoin ETFs, Hendry pointed out, including BlackRock's application. "The house always wins BlackRock always wins. They see a gigantic opportunity to launch ETFs. And so the more that Bitcoin can go from half a trillion dollars to one trillion, to two trillion, to three trillion, the more that the system of Wall Street, the casino, will make money. If you're taking a bet as an investor, I want to say, I've got BlackRock, I've got Fidelity, Wall Street has got my back. They want Bitcoin to be higher," he explained. Hendry highlighted that he is against allocating more than 20-25% of his portfolio to equities. Watch the video above to get his outlook on the U.S. stock market and how to play it this year. Henry also weighed on whether more investors will opt for Bitcoin and gold as hedges against risks such as growing geopolitical tensions and new fears surrounding central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). When addressing the accelerating de-dollarization trend, with the BRICS summit kicking off in South Africa this week, Hendry criticized those blindly believing the narrative. For more on why Hendry believes de-dollarization is "detached from economic logic and reason," watch the video above. To get a list of Hendry's top three people when it comes to understanding money, watch the video above. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) cleared Newmont's proposed acquisition of Newcrest Mining (ASX: NCM). Newmont, which announced the news today, said the ACCC is expected to convey its clearance of the transaction to Australias Foreign Investment Review Board for consideration. Earlier this month, Koreas Fair Trade Commission and Papua New Guineas (PNG) Independent Consumer & Competition Commission cleared the proposed acquisition. In July the Canadian Competition Bureau issued a no action letter also clearing the transaction. Other regulatory approvals to be secured for Newmonts proposed acquisition of Newcrest include the Australia Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC). Newmont and Newcrest also continue engaging with the PNG Government and regulators about other approvals and clearances for the transaction. On May 14, Newmont announced its definitive agreement to acquire Newcrest. According to Newmont, the combined business is anticipated to generate annual pre-tax synergies of $500 million, expected to be achieved within the first 24 months, while also targeting at least $2 billion in the first two years after closing through portfolio optimization. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Gold producer Victoria Gold (TSX: VGCX) announced on Monday that operations have returned to normal at its Eagle gold mine in Yukon, Canada. The company said that following the second evacuation of Eagle on August 4, 2023, due to the proximity of the East McQuesten wildfire, favorable conditions allowed for the return of employees to site on August 10th. Full production rates at the operation were resumed on August 11th. Separately, the evacuation order for the village of Mayo was lifted on August 13th and the company has re-established its normal supply chain and crew change logistics. Importantly, the company said that rainy conditions over the past week have significantly reduced the wildfire risk near Eagle. President and CEO John McConnell commented, We are pleased that operations have returned to normal. Rainy conditions over the past week have significantly reduced the wildfire risk near Eagle. We would like to thank our employees and contractors for their excellent response to this situation, which allowed a smooth restart of production. The Yukon Wildland Fire Management team provided a comprehensive, professional response to the East McQuesten wildfire for which we are grateful. We are also pleased to see the evacuation order lifted for the residents of Mayo. Our thoughts are with the residents of Yellowknife, Kelowna and the many other communities across Canada and internationally who continue to be affected by wildfires, he added. Victoria Gold's 100%-owned Dublin Gulch gold property is situated in central Yukon Territory, Canada, approximately 375 kilometers north of the capital city of Whitehorse, and approximately 85 kilometers from the town of Mayo. The property covers an area of approximately 555 square kilometers, and is the site of the company's Eagle and Olive gold deposits. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Snow showers this evening. Becoming clear later. Low 21F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%.. Tonight Snow showers this evening. Becoming clear later. Low 21F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 25 expected. * WHERE...Portions of south central, southwest, and west central Illinois. Portions of central, east central, northeast, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From 10 PM this evening to 10 AM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && MORGAN COUNTY An Otterville man died Saturday afternoon after a three-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 50. Kurt Nulf, 71, was driving a 2011 Jeep Wrangler east when he slowed to "turn possibly on Morgan County Drive," according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. An Olean man, driving a 2018 Ford F250, failed to see the Jeep slow and struck the rear of the Jeep, the report said. After impact, the Jeep and Ford traveled off the left side of the road, and the Jeep struck a tree. Debris from the impact struck a third vehicle, a 2021 Dodge Ram 1500, driven by a Warsaw man. 1:46 VIDEO: Helicopter lands on U.S. 50 in Morgan County A Lake Regional Hospital helicopter landed on U.S. Highway 50 Saturday afternoon after a three-vehicle crash. A Lake Regional Hospital helicopter landed on U.S. 50 to transport Nulf to University Hospital in Columbia, where he was pronounced dead, MSHP said. The crash report did not indicate whether the other drivers were injured. The report says Nulf was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. U.S. 50 was closed for 30 minutes while the scene was cleared, according to a Facebook post from the the Otterville Fire Protection District. STAG Industrial, Inc. is a leading real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in acquiring, owning, and operating industrial properties across the United States. The company has become a key player in the industrial real estate market with a robust portfolio of strategically located assets. STAG Industrial identifies industrial properties with relative value across various locations, property types, and tenants. Its mission is to be a disciplined, relative value investor and a leading owner and operator of industrial properties in the United States. The company operates under the REIT structure, which provides tax advantages and requires it to distribute a significant portion of its income to shareholders. STAG Industrial owns a diversified portfolio of 562 buildings in 41 states, with approximately 111.7 million rentable square feet. Its portfolio consists primarily of warehouse/distribution buildings, light manufacturing buildings, flex/office buildings, and value-add portfolio buildings. With a high occupancy rate of approximately 98.5% as of December 31, 2022, the company has effectively leased its properties to a mix of single and multi-tenant tenants, ensuring a balanced revenue stream. A highly experienced management team leads STAG Industrial with a deep understanding of the industrial real estate market. Benjamin S. Butcher is the Executive Chairman, providing strategic guidance and industry expertise. William R. Crooker, the Chief Executive Officer and President, brings strong leadership and a track record of success in the industrial property sector. STAG Industrial has demonstrated consistent growth and financial strength. In recent years, the company has achieved impressive revenue and earnings figures. Furthermore, STAG Industrial maintains a healthy profit margin, indicating efficient property management and operational excellence. The company's prudent capital structure, with a low debt-to-equity ratio, demonstrates a balanced approach to financing its operations. The industrial real estate market is vital to the broader commercial real estate sector, and STAG Industrial operates within a highly competitive landscape. The demand for industrial properties has increased, driven by factors such as e-commerce growth, supply chain optimization, and the expansion of logistics and distribution networks. As companies strive to meet the evolving needs of consumers, the demand for strategically located warehouses and distribution centers has increased significantly. STAG Industrial is well-positioned in this dynamic market, with its diverse portfolio of industrial properties spread across key locations throughout the United States. The company's focus on acquiring properties offering relative value allows it to capitalize on market opportunities and enhance its competitive advantage. By maintaining a solid tenant mix and avoiding dependence on any single tenant or industry, STAG Industrial mitigates risks associated with tenant turnover or industry-specific downturns. STAG Industrial has identified several growth opportunities that can fuel its future success. The company aims to leverage its expertise and market knowledge to identify and acquire industrial properties with strong income-generating potential. The ongoing expansion of e-commerce and the increasing demand for last-mile delivery facilities present significant growth prospects. STAG Industrial can seize these opportunities by strategically acquiring properties near densely populated areas or regions with robust logistics and distribution networks. Additionally, the company can pursue growth through portfolio optimization and value-add initiatives. By re-leasing single-tenant properties to multiple tenants or implementing property improvements, STAG Industrial can enhance rental income and property value. The company's fully-integrated acquisition, leasing, and asset management platform and experienced management team provide a solid foundation for executing these growth strategies. While STAG Industrial has demonstrated resilience and growth potential, it is not immune to risks and challenges inherent in the industry. Changes in economic conditions, including recessions or slowdowns, could impact the demand for industrial properties and potentially affect the company's rental income and occupancy rates. Moreover, regulatory changes, environmental regulations, or zoning restrictions could create hurdles in property acquisitions and operations. Additionally, STAG Industrial faces competition from other REITs, institutional investors, and private equity firms active in the industrial real estate market. Intense competition could impact property acquisition opportunities and potentially affect rental rates. The company must continue to identify and acquire properties that offer value and maintain a disciplined approach to portfolio management. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. For the month of August, the Korean Business Research Institute has officially announced their brand rankings for individual boy group members. This chart is comprised of data derived from numerous aspects. These include factors such as the participation of consumers, their coverage within the media, and overall exposure that can lead to buzz. According to the result, the institute covered 716 male idols and having collected data from July 19 to August 19. Here are the 10 most popular boy group members in August 2023! 1. BTS Jungkook On the first place, Jungkook claimed the No. 1 spot with a brand reputation index of 6,992,686. This is also due to a 50.79 percent score rise. As for his positivity-negativity analysis, Jungkook also gained a total of 93.08 percent positive reactions. 2. BTS Jimin Jimin made it on the second place with a brand reputation index of 4,429,960. This is also because of his score rise of 5.11 percent. 3. ASTRO Cha Eun Woo Cha Eun Woo of ASTRO secured the third place with a brand reputation index of 4,120,171. For the month of August, Cha Eun Woo managed to collect an overwhelming score rise of 120.68 percent, proving his increasing popularity. 4. BTS V BTS V also made waves in August for his upcoming solo career. The idol made it on the No. 4 spot with a 55.96 percent score increase and a brand reputation index of 3,909,040. 5. Former Wanna One Kang Daniel Rounding the top five, former Wanna One member Kang Daniel garnered a brand reputation index of 3,598,242. 6. Former NU'EST & Wanna One Hwang Minhyun On sixth place, Hwang Minhyun gained an index of 3,558,135. 7. EXO Baekhyun With an index of 3,398,854, Baekhyun ended up on seventh place. 8. THE BOYZ Juyeon Juyeon went on No. 8 with a total score of 2,971,607. 9. BIGBANG G-Dragon G-Dragon made it on ninth place with a brand index of 2,354,782. 10. Former Wanna One Park Jihoon Park Jihoon completed the top 10 with an index of 1,953,355. Here's the full list for August 2023 K-pop male idol brand rankings below: 1. BTS Jungkook 2. BTS Jimin 3. ASTRO Cha Eun Woo 4. BTS V 5. Former Wanna One Kang Daniel 6. Former NU'EST & Wanna One Hwang Minhyun 7. EXO Baekhyun 8. THE BOYZ Juyeon 9. BIGBANG G-Dragon 10. Former Wanna One Park Jihoon 11. SEVENTEEN Joshua 12. BTS Suga 13. BTS Jin 14. THE BOYZ Hyunjae 15. Super Junior Kyuhyun 16. BTS RM 17. BTS J-Hope 18. Former Wanna One Kim Jaehwan 19. INFINITE Sungkyu 20. NCT Mark 21. INFINITE Sungyeol 22. NU'EST Ren 23. SEVENTEEN Jun 24. INFINITE Woohyun 25. TVXQ Yunho 26. ZEROBASEONE Sung Han Bin 27. SHINee Key 28. SEVENTEEN Mingyu 29. INFINITE Dongwoo 30. SHINee Onew Which K-pop boy group member on the list are you currently stanning? Let us know in the comments below! Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news. KpopStarz owns this article Written by Riely Miller FLORIEN, La. - A fire in Sabine Parish is contained, but crews are still monitoring the area in case of flare-ups. Also, Negreet High School w Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. SABINE PARISH, La. - Wildfires are still burning out of control in areas of the ArkLaTex. SHREVEPORT, La. - This Sunday is Clean Out Your Freezer Day. But in Northwest Louisiana, it is this week through Friday. Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 10667016205047468554490011834529712090 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 84054432059103536181711695945603118499 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 171029536161199831782789920925010266657 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 219250497010863672615468218574108552380 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 651751253764163770611751580702046422543 Reviving countryside with blend of culture and tourism Xinhua) 16:05, August 21, 2023 XI'AN, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The clear sound of a whistle instantly captured the attention of curious onlookers, as they turned their gaze toward the small object in Yang Fan's hand. This is a clay whistle, said Yang, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, explaining the history of the art of "fish-shaped clay whistling" to the visitors at the 10th West China Culture Industries Expo that concluded Sunday in Xi'an in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. In the winter of 2019, Yang relocated his urban workshop to Xiaoyukou Village in Xi'an, nestled at the foot of the Qinling Mountains. He skillfully shaped clay into various objects in the quaint courtyard to pass on the craft. Since opening its doors to visitors, Yang's workshop has welcomed hundreds of tourists almost every day eager to experience the immersive craft of making clay whistles. This influx of visitors has further boosted the income of the villagers in Xiaoyukou. "Villages are fertile ground for intangible heritage, and the fusion of culture and tourism propels rural prosperity," Yang said. Through his participation in the expo, Yang shone a spotlight on how cultural industry can drive rural revitalization. Beyond the echoes of the clay whistle, the exquisite tea gifts from Fujian Province and the insights into the region's famed tea culture also garnered considerable attention during the expo. "In Fujian's Chixi Village, visitors can not only engage in tea picking and tasting but they can also enjoy various immersive activities including cultural workshops," said Yu Lihui, a tea brand owner from Chixi. "In the past, the goal behind learning a craft was to escape from the mountains, but today, the purpose of mastering a craft is to return to my hometown in the mountains," said Wang Xingbi, a craftsman from Sichuan's Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County dedicated to preserving the art of grass weaving. Wang, who was also a participant in the expo, recounted how a childhood accident left her with a disabled leg and plunged her into poverty. With the support of local disability organizations, she began to learn grass weaving in 2013. Over the past decade, Wang not only mastered this craft but also emerged as a mentor, imparting her skills to more than 20 apprentices in her hometown. In recent years, many grass and bamboo weaving workshops have been set up in the county. To date, these initiatives have benefitted more than 5,000 residents through vocational training, and over 200 left-behind women and people with disabilities have secured flexible and home-based employment. Wang's story was among the myriad of examples showcased at the expo, all of which emphasized the vital role of advancing rural development. Numerous institutions are also broadening their range of tourism offerings by providing technical training, immersive learning experiences, and integrated online and offline marketing strategies to boost the cultural and tourism industry networks. The rural landscape, with thriving industries, harmonious ecosystems, effective governance and flourishing livelihoods, is increasingly drawing people who seek to experience its charm and embrace a more poetic way of life, according to experts. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 82804102004110985529951772753282002103 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 36237677337031354179413580690264786197 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 71345340494825693122054397977135633490 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 68048733722184197957806976690285931949 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 1319674342676622931616064038486179441178 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 13629934605324708055447553178089706391 Validating your browser . . . Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Please enable cookies and reload the page. This may take up to 5 seconds Event ID: 205945767546228938516160601548117856826 Zoe Saldana has come a long way since growing up in the Dominican Republic as she is now one of Hollywood's most in-demand movie stars. Just how much is her net worth these days, though? Born as Zoe Yadira Saldana Nazario in New Jersey on June 19, 1978, her name reflects both her Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage. Raised in Jackson Heights, New York, Saldana moved to the Dominican Republic at the age of nine with her two sisters and their mother. While growing up in the Dominican Republic, she took up dancing. According to CA Knowledge, she pursued a career in dance at the ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy. While she practiced many genres, Saldana has admitted that ballet is her true passion but abandoned it because she didn't "have the feet" to pursue being a professional ballerina. When she finally moved back to New York, though, she took up theater in high school, appearing in a production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." This would kick off her road to superstardom. Zoe Saldana's Acting Career Zoe Saldana landed her first big role in 1999 in an appearance in the show, "Law & Order." However, it was her dance background that led her to her first lead role in the 2000 dance film "Center Stage." She then got to star alongside Britney Spears in the film, "Crossroads" in 2002, and then with Nick Cannon on "Drumline" that same year. She was not the bonafide superstar we have today yet at that time, but things changed when she landed a role in 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl." Her role was not as big, but it was important. This opened some doors and her career soon took off. READ MORE: Zoe Saldana Movies: 5 of Her Most Iconic Roles Soon, she landed a role in "The Terminal" alongside Tom Hanks, playing an immigration officer and Star Trek fan. She was not very familiar with Star Trek but got some help from none other than Steven Spielberg himself, to tutor her to understand the Star Trek universe and even the Vulcan salute. This came in very handy, as she would soon appear in that very same franchise itself, playing Nyota Uhura in the reboot. She continued to appear in more films, but her superstar status was cemented when she played the big blue alien, Neytiri in James Cameron's "Avatar." It became the highest-grossing movie of all time when it was released and proved that Saldana was a star. However, her biggest role came later, as she played Gamora in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy." Zoe Saldana Net Worth Zoe Saldana has certainly earned millions in her many film appearances, so this begs the question: how much is Zoe Saldana net worth? Celebrity Net Worth lists her net worth to be around $40 million. Most of these come from her acting jobs, but she also has several producing credits as well. According to Stylecaster, she earned $2 million for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" alone. READ MORE: Zoe Saldana Ethnicity: Here's Everything You Need to Know This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Zoe Saldana Gets Scorched By Spicy Wings | Hot Ones - First We Feast Donald Trump is skipping the big Republican debate this week and is already explaining his reasons why he would not be present at all while his GOP opponents bare their policies. When the first GOP debate begins, Trump is considered the frontrunner and is projected to win against his many opponents in various states despite getting indicted four times. This means that when the debate happens, he will have a big target on his back, and the other Republican candidates are expected to gang up on him, target his weakness on policy, and of course, point out his legal troubles. However, Trump has an excuse why he is skipping, saying that the public already "knows who I am" on Truth Social, adding, "I will therefore not be doing the debates!" A Trump adviser also spoke with CNN and revealed that while he is skipping the first Republican debate, he could still decide to participate in a later primary debate despite saying he would not be planning on entering one. Reports also indicate that Trump might not enter the second debate as well as he has been telling allies that he does not want to participate in the debate at the Reagan Library. Trump had been complaining that he has never been invited to speak at the venue and he is blaming this at the library's chairman of the board of trustees, the former CEO of the Washington Post, which he has attacked in his rants multiple times. Trump has been floating that he would skip the debates for weeks. Instead, sources familiar with the situation have told CNN that he plans to have a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson instead. Donald Trump's 'Election Lies' in Georgia Have Long Been Debunked by State's Republican Officials As he skips the first Republican debate, Donald Trump is facing his fourth major indictment in Georgia, which is based on his attempts to overturn the election results in the state. His GOP debate opponents were expected to gang up on him and point out that he really lost should he have been present during the debate. However, Georgia's own Republican-led government has long debunked the claims, as pointed out by ABC News. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp recently emphasized after the 4th indictment was announced that the "2020 election in Georgia was not stolen." READ MORE: Donald Trump Indicted Along With 18 Allies in Georgia Election Probe Meanwhile. Gabriel Sterling, who works for the Georgia secretary of state's office, debunked Trump's claims, saying, "One of the things that we've learned and public reporting on this, is he requested there were two independent audits and verifications by outside groups. And both -- each paid $600,000 -- and both of them said there was no fraud, you lost the state." He added, "We've been saying this over and over again, we counted the ballots three times. He lost this state and he continues to say he didn't lose it and it's just creating a lot of tension and a lot of chaos. It's completely unnecessary." Donald Trump Reacts to Gov. Brian Kemp Meeting With Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis As Trump skips the first GOP debate, Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis met with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in Georgia on Friday. They were in the state to discuss this week's Republican debate, according to the Daily Mail. However, Trump reacted to the two separate meetings, posting on Truth Social, "How nice, a really beautiful reunion! Three people that I indisputably got Elected, two Governors and a V.P., Brian Kemp of Georgia, Mike Pence of Indiana, & Ron DeSanctimonious of Florida." The ex-POTUS added that his Republican opponents "most likely to talk about the 'weather,' or perhaps to discuss how they can stop the Weaponization of Georgia Law, working with the DOJ and others, against their absolutely, all time favorite President, ME." Trump then sarcastically concluded, "All three have been just wonderful, so loyal and nice. It's great to have friends like this!" READ MORE: Donald Trump Election Interference Co-Conspirators Turning on Each Other This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Trump will skip first GOP debate and talk with Tucker Carlson instead - NBC News Former Hurricane Hillary, now downgraded to a tropical storm, is causing significant concerns as it moves northward along Mexico's Baja California peninsula, AP reports. While no longer a hurricane, the storm continues to carry substantial amounts of rain, prompting forecasters to warn of "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding across the southwestern United States. As of 8 am Pacific time, Tropical Storm Hillary was situated approximately 220 miles south-southeast of San Diego, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm preserved maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and traveled northwest at 25 mph. Meteorologists have emphasized that the storm remains hazardous, and despite its diminished intensity, it can still trigger significant impacts. Downgraded Hurricane Hillary has already resulted in tragedy. In the Mexican town of Santa Rosalia, situated on the peninsula's eastern coast, one individual drowned as a vehicle was swept away in an overflowing stream. Emergency responders saved four other people, highlighting the dangerous conditions and the need for caution. Forecasters anticipate that Tropical Storm Hillary will be the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years. This unprecedented event is expected to bring a range of adverse weather conditions, including flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds, and potential power outages. The authorities issued an evacuation advisory for Santa Catalina Island, urging residents and tourists to leave the area, which is located 23 miles off the coast. According to Elizabeth Adams, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service San Diego office, Southern California could experience rainfall rates of up to 3 inches per hour. This intense downpour is expected across the region's mountains and deserts from late Sunday morning to afternoon. The substantial rainfall during these hours can trigger widespread and life-threatening flash floods. READ NEXT: Hurricane Hilary Threatens California, Nevada, and Arizona with Massive Rain Schools Will Be Closed Monday as Tropical Storm Hillary Hits The second-largest school district in the nation, Los Angeles Unified School District, will remain closed on Monday due to the presence of Tropical Storm Hilary, formerly Hurricane Hillary, per CNN. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho explained that the decision was to ensure the safety of students and staff. The Los Angeles Unified School District encompasses an expansive area of around 700 square miles, leading to diverse conditions in various neighborhood schools. Similarly, the San Diego Unified School District delayed the start of its school year by a day to assess the storm's impact and prepare for the new academic term. The San Diego Unified School District serves a student population exceeding 121,000 from preschool through 12th grade. Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake Rocks Southern California as Tropical Storm Hillary Hits A magnitude 5.1 earthquake jolted Southern California on a Sunday afternoon, coinciding with the region's experience of Tropical Storm Hilary's effects, according to Fox News. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) determined that the earthquake's epicenter was approximately 4 miles southeast of Ojai, California, around 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The magnitude of the 5.1 event occurred at 2:41 pm PT and was followed by several smaller aftershocks spanning magnitudes from 2.6 to 4.0. Despite the upgraded magnitude to 5.1, the City of Calabasas reported no damage caused by the earthquake. Moments before the seismic activity, residents received alerts via the USGS Shake Alert system, advising them to adopt protective measures: "Earthquake detected! Drop, cover, hold on. Protect yourself." This earthquake event transpired as the tropical storm, formerly Hurricane Hillary, hovered less than 100 miles from San Diego, California, as reported by Fox Weather. READ MORE: Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Shakes Bogota This is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Hurricane Hilary has been downgraded to Tropical Storm Hilary before making landfall in San Diego - From CBS 8 San Diego A significant magnitude 5.1 earthquake rocked the vicinity of Ojai on Sunday, creating tremors that reverberated across the wider Southern California region, according to LA Times. This seismic event coincided with the presence of Tropical Storm Hilary, which had already brought heavy rains to the area. The California earthquake struck precisely at 2:41 p.m., adding a layer of complexity to an already challenging weather scenario. Upon feeling the tremors, Ventura County Fire took swift action, executing their earthquake response plan, which involved promptly moving trucks out of firehouses. Scott Thomsen, Director of Communications with Ventura County Fire, reported that while no damage reports had surfaced at the time, diligent assessments were underway to ensure public safety. Mayor Betsy Stix of Ojai confirmed that although a power line was down and a cellphone tower sustained damage, the overall impact appeared relatively minimal. Mayor Stix shared her experience during the earthquake, recounting the rattling frames and quivering floor in her home office, prompting even the cats to scatter in alarm. She remarked that this day, marked by both the tropical storm and the earthquake, would likely find its place in the annals of history. READ NEXT: Downgraded Hurricane Hillary Can Still Be 'Catastrophic' Several Aftershocks Follow California Earthquake In the aftermath of the initial earthquake, a series of aftershocks rippled through the region, some reaching magnitudes of nearly 4, as reported by the USGS, per USA TODAY. Thankfully, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center ruled out any potential tsunamis resulting from seismic activity. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services confirmed that no major damage or injuries had been immediately reported, and assessments were conducted across various cities and counties. Governor Gavin Newsom's office remained vigilant, closely monitoring Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Residents were advised to stay prepared for potential aftershocks, recognizing the need for continued vigilance. Is Tropical Storm Hilary and California Earthquake Related? Rumors of a possible connection between the earthquake and Tropical Storm Hilary led to questions about the relationship between these two natural events. Dr. Lucy Jones explained that while there is no direct connection between underground plate activity and above-ground weather, substantial rainfall could potentially trigger seismic disturbances, NBC Los Angeles noted. She pointed out that changes in water pressure in the ground can influence faults, particularly with the creation of large reservoirs that elevate pore pressure. However, the occurrence of rain significantly altering underground pressure is reliant on a substantial shift in the water table, which hasn't been consistently observed. Dr. Jones emphasized the human inclination to seek patterns to feel safer, but no definitive evidence has supported such a connection. Dr. Jones dismissed any correlation between the recent earthquake near Ojai, California, and Tropical Storm Hilary. She noted that a similarly sized earthquake occurred in the exact same location in 1932, along with another 5.1-magnitude earthquake west of Ojai in 1941. Additionally, aftershocks from the 1994 Northridge earthquake were also experienced in the area. READ MORE: Hurricane Hilary Update This is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Earthquake rocks Southern California amid Tropical Storm Hilary - From Fox 11 Los Angeles Guatemala's voters were angry, and so angry that they voted a relative underdog to win the presidency despite government meddling in the Guatemala elections, as Bernardo Arevalo defeated establishment candidate Sandra Torres by a landslide. According to the Associated Press, Arevalo is the "virtual winner" of Sunday's Guatemala presidential election despite the government under President Alejandro Giammattei constantly harassing him and his party, the Seed Movement. Arevalo is now president-elect of Guatemala and his victory is distressing many of the country's "politicians who have been enjoying impunity for corruption, along with some members of the monied elite and their allies in organized crime." With over 98% of the vote counted, the political outsider and anti-corruption crusader for the Seed Movement leads former first lady Sandra Torres by 58% to 36%. Supreme Electoral Tribunal Magistrate Blanca Alfaro has already called Bernardo Arevalo, who is also the son of former president Juan Jose Arevalo, the "virtual winner: of the Guatemala election and called for "an immediate national dialogue to begin to reconcile the country's deep political divides." Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei Congratulates President-Elect Bernardo Arevalo Arevalo had been a staunch anti-corruption activist and was a big critic of current President Alejandro Giammattei. It was also the under the Giammattei administration that Guatemalan authorities constantly harassed Arevalo and his party after his surprise primary election win. Despite this, the sitting president took to X, formerly Twitter, to congratulate his soon-to-be successor and even invited the man who was one of his biggest critics to begin an orderly transition after the results are certified, according to CNN. READ MORE: Guatemala Elections: Observers Say Political Parties and Justice System Interfered Seed Movement party members and Arevalo supporters then gathered at a plaza in downtown Guatemala City to celebrate their candidate's victory. They were seen waving flags and blowing horns, with some supporters being seen crying tears of joy. Bernardo Arevalo himself celebrated his "virtual" victory, tweeting, "Long live Guatemala!" However, the fight seems far from over as losing parties in the first round of votes have launched a complaint against the Seed Movement. Fight Not Yet Over For Bernardo Arevalo The Guatemala elections, both the primary and the run-off, were heavily watched by international observers, from human rights groups to the UN and the United States. This was all because the campaigning for the run-off election was "marred by attempts by some officials to remove Arevalo and his Semilla party from the race." according to Reuters. The first round of the elections is yet to be certified as it might take two weeks to sort things out after several losing parties had the country's court system intervene. many have complained that the Seed Movement may have falsified the number of its members, though Arevalo called the allegations false. Arevalo rode a wave of popular resentment against the elites of Guatemala on his way to qualify for the run-off against Sandra Torres, an ally of the deeply unpopular Giammattei. Before his rise, he was below the radar of many, making his win all the more surprising. READ MORE: Guatemala Elections: Former First Lady Sandra Torres Vs. Center-Leftist Bernardo Arevalo This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Guatemala election: Bernardo Arevalo elected president - Al Jazeera English Ecuador citizens have participated in presidential and congressional elections amid the backdrop of violence, per BBC. To ensure security, approximately 100,000 police and soldiers were mobilized to safeguard polling stations. Preliminary Ecuador election results are anticipated to trickle in on the same night, while the final tally is projected to be finalized within ten days. In addition to selecting the president, voters will vote to elect representatives for the 137-seat parliament. The decision to hold these elections was prompted by President Guillermo Lasso's dissolution of the opposition-led Congress in May, a move aimed at averting an impeachment trial just two years following his initial election. To win in the first round, a candidate must secure 40 percent of the votes or maintain a 10-point lead over their closest contender. Should a runoff election be necessary, it is scheduled for October 15. The incoming president will officially assume office on October 26, serving the remaining term of President Lasso, which amounts to approximately a year and a half. READ NEXT: Ecuador: Presidential Election Candidate Shot Dead Ecuador Election's Early Results Shows Possible Match Between Luisa Gonzalez and Daniel Noboa With over 75% of votes counted by late Sunday, leftist Luisa Gonzalez led with approximately 33% support, followed by former lawmaker Daniel Noboa, son of banana tycoon, Alvaro Noboa, with around 24%. To win the election outright, a candidate needed either 50% of the vote or a minimum of 40% with a 10-point lead over the nearest competitor. Christian Zurita claimed the third spot with 16%, although his name wasn't originally on the ballot. He stood in for Fernando Villavicencio, whose recent murder exposed the nation's worries about the surge in violence over the past three years. Luisa Gonzalez, a lawyer, and former lawmaker emerged as the front-runner in opinion polls. Her campaign emphasized her affiliation with the party of former president Correa, who, despite being found guilty of corruption in 2020, still wields significant influence from his exile in Belgium since 2017. Among the candidates, 40-year-old right-wing businessman Jan Topic has experienced a notable surge in popularity. Dubbed "Rambo," he's a former paratrooper and sniper with the French Foreign Legion, pledging to combat criminal gangs and increase prison infrastructure, mirroring the approach of El Salvador's Nayib Bukele. Additional, prominent contenders include former right-wing Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner and left-wing Indigenous lawyer Yaku Perez. Ecuador Presidential Candidates Promise to Fight Organized Crimes The eight presidential candidates have been campaigning while wearing bulletproof vests, focusing their pledges on combatting organized crime, Al Jazeera noted. Ecuador, a small South American nation, has increasingly become a target for foreign drug cartels seeking to traffic cocaine, leading to a violent clash among local gangs. In the lead-up to the Ecuador election, the country's political landscape has been marred by several political assassinations, including the killing of a prominent presidential contender, Fernando Villavicencio, just 11 days before the vote. Political scientist Anamaria Correa Crespo characterizes the elections as highly unusual, occurring within a backdrop of distress and horror brought on by the escalating violence within Ecuador. The murder of Villavicencio further intensified the gravity of the situation. In 2022, Ecuador recorded a record high of 26 homicides per 100,000 residents, surpassing the rates observed in Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil. The surge in violence has cast a shadow over the nation, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these security concerns. READ MORE: Ecuador: Gang Leader Moved to Maximum Security Following Presidential Candidate Assassination This is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Political violence plaguing Ecuador's presidential election - From News Australia Police in Pasadena, Texas have arrested an 18-year-old Texas teen after an 11-year-old girl was found dead under a bed. She was sexually assaulted and then strangled to death before her body was stuffed under the bed. The Texas teen strangler was identified as Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, whom authorities narrowed down on the day that the victim's body was found, which was on August 12. Pasadena police officers reportedly interviewed and collected DNA evidence from Garcia-Rodriguez after the victim, 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez, was found dead. According to CBS News, he was initially not on the radar of investigators but was soon identified as a person of interest on Friday. he was soon located in Shreveport, Louisiana where he was taken into custody and is now awaiting extradition back to Texas. Gonzalez reportedly lived in the same apartment complex as the alleged killer. Her father left for work on the day she died and even called her on her cell phone that same day. She also messaged her father and told him someone was knocking at the door. He then told her not to open it and she assured him that she would not. This was the last time her father heard from her. When he arrived home on October 12, he found his daughter underneath a bed and was not breathing. She was reportedly placed inside a plastic trash bag that was stuffed inside a laundry basket before being concealed under a bed. As investigators searched the Gonzalez apartment for clues, they found a key. This led them to the apartment where Garcia-Rodriguez lived where they managed to open the door using that key. The teen had reportedly been living with others and his roommates had their respective keys with them. READ MORE: Guatemala Elections: Observers Say Political Parties and Justice System Interfered Family of Murdered Texas Girl Releases Statement After Texas Strangling Suspect Was Arrested With his arrest in Louisiana, Maria's family released a statement thanking the Pasadena Police Department and the Louisiana police who helped in Garcia-Rodriguez's capture. "This arrest has brought the family and community some peace. We are extremely thankful that he cannot cause this type of pain to anybody again," the statement read. "I ask for those who are in charge to give us justice. May he be burdened with the full weight of the law, for what he has done to my daughter." According to KHOU-11, a picture of the suspected teen strangler was shared by police. It was taken from an officer's body camera on the day he was interviewed by investigators. Who is Texas Teen Suspect Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez? Carlos Garcia Rodriguez had a $5,000 reward for his arrest before he was captured by local police in Louisiana. Prior to this, he was reportedly an immigrant who entered the United States back in January, according to Sportskeeda. He was originally from Guatemala. He reportedly entered the United States through El Paso and lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for a while. he was reportedly sponsored to live in the US and was released by immigration before moving to Pasadena, Texas. READ NEXT: Top Philadelphia Attorney Shocked To Find Out Son Is a Suspected Terrorist Wanted by the FBI This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: LIVE UPDATE: Police identify person interest in murder of 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez - FOX 26 Houston Coverage of this Article 1.G20 Introduction G20 formed in 1999 for global economic collaboration. 19 countries + EU, 85% global GDP, addresses stability, climate, health. 2. Origins and Goals Formed due to 1990s financial crises. Started finance-focused, expanded after 2008 crisis. 3. G20 Objectives Stable growth, policy coordination, financial rules, global governance. 4. Significance Diverse economies, effective problem-solving, premier cooperation. 5. G20 History Overview Formed due to late 1990s crises. Started informally, transitioned to summit meetings. 6. Global Financial Crisis Crisis boosted G20's role. Leaders' Summit started in response.Focus on reforms, financial rules. 7. Economic and Financial Reforms G20 shaped international policies. Basel III Framework for stable banking. Introduction Governments and governors of central banks from 19 nations and the European Union meet in the Group of Twenty, or G20, popularly abbreviated. In reaction to the financial crises of the late 1990s, it was founded in 1999 to bring together the main advanced and emerging nations to discuss and collaborate on matters relating to global economic stability and growth. In addition to two-thirds of the world's population, the G20 accounts for around 85% of the global GDP. Including the European Union (EU), the G20 consists of 19 distinct nations. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom are among the individual nations. Together, these member nations represent a varied mixture of developed economies and growing markets from different parts of the world. The G20 coordinated efforts to fight tax evasion and advance climate action and served as a platform for international collaboration in the field of health during times of crisis. It generated collaborations and conversations that resulted in actual results since it was able to bring together leaders from various backgrounds. The G20's transition from a meeting with a financial focus to one that serves as a forum for discussing a wide range of international issues is generally seen as what defines the organisation's economic and political history. Due to its ability to bring together a diverse range of economies, it has been able to profoundly impact political and economic agendas on a worldwide basis. Origins and Establishment The G20 initially concentrated on economic and financial matters, but after the 20082009 global financial crisis, it began to play a far larger role. The G20 leaders started hosting yearly meetings at the level of heads of state and government as the crisis deepened and challenged the sustainability of the global financial system. These summits gave world leaders a forum for cooperation in addressing the crisis, putting in place stimulus measures, and organising initiatives to change the global financial system. Objectives The primary objectives of the G20 include: - Global Economic Stability, Growth, and Development : The G20 aims to improve coordination and collaboration among the major economies of the globe. : The G20 aims to improve coordination and collaboration among the major economies of the globe. Policy Coordination : Member countries use the G20 as a platform to coordinate their actions on a variety of economic issues, such as financial crises, trade disputes, and exchange rate fluctuations. : Member countries use the G20 as a platform to coordinate their actions on a variety of economic issues, such as financial crises, trade disputes, and exchange rate fluctuations. Financial Regulation and Reform : The G20 has played a critical role in promoting and implementing regulatory measures that will strengthen the global financial system. These modifications are meant to increase the resilience of financial institutions and stop forthcoming financial disasters. : The G20 has played a critical role in promoting and implementing regulatory measures that will strengthen the global financial system. These modifications are meant to increase the resilience of financial institutions and stop forthcoming financial disasters. Global Governance: The G20 offers a forum for major economies to examine and reshape the global governance landscape. Significance The G20 is significant because it brings together a wide range of economies that together make up a significant portion of the global population and output. A more representative and effective way to address global issues is made possible by this openness. The G20 high-level conferences offer direct communication between world leaders, facilitating swift policy solutions to urgent issues. The G20 has evolved from its inception as a response to financial crises to become a premier worldwide forum for economic and political cooperation. It is an important venue for addressing the complex concerns of the interconnected global economy due to its diversified makeup and comprehensive agenda. Overview of the economic and political history of the G20 Formation and Early Years (1999-2008): To address the financial crises of the late 1990s, particularly the Asian financial crisis of 19971998 and their aftermath, the G20 was first formed in 1999. Its original goal was to offer a forum for the heads of the central banks and finance ministries of the main nations to communicate and cooperate on matters about global financial stability. The necessity to address the issues brought on by the financial crises of the late 1990swith a particular emphasis on the Asian financial crisis of 19971998had an impact on the founding and early years of the G20. Background and Need for Cooperation: A variety of currency devaluations, stock market meltdowns, and economic downturns occurred in several Asian countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, and Malaysia, as a result of the Asian financial crisis, which began in 1997. The global financial system's weaknesses were made apparent by the crisis, which also showed the potential for financial instability to spread quickly across national boundaries. It became clear that the current structure of international finance was insufficient to foresee and manage such crises. Formation of the G20: As a result, the idea of creating a new forum that would include emerging countries in addition to advanced economies attracted more interest. The G20 was formally created in 1999. In contrast to the Group of Seven (G7), which mostly included the major developed economies of the globe, the G20 brought together a greater variety of developed and developing nations. The objective was to create a forum that would be more receptive to all viewpoints while debating issues about the global economy. The G20 was established to give central bank governors and finance ministers of significant economies a forum for discussion and coordination on issues relevant to global financial stability. It aimed to promote conversation, information exchange, and policy coordination among its members to better foresee and handle financial crises. Informal Nature and Collaborative Spirit: The G20 initially operated more casually and adaptively than more established international organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank. Member countries were able to collaborate and have open talks due to the laid-back atmosphere. Representatives had the opportunity to convey their opinions and lessons learned during the Asian financial crisis at the G20 conferences. The G20 initially focused on financial and economic issues, but it quickly expanded its agenda to include more urgent topics that were significant to the entire world. The G20 recognised the interdependence of social, environmental, and geopolitical factors and economic stability. The G20's decision to broaden its agenda made it possible for it to discuss concerns other than financial crises, such as climate change, development, and trade. Transition to Summits: The G20 changed from being a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors to hosting annual meetings at the level of heads of state and government as it gained relevance and influence. This development occurred because high-level collaboration was required to stabilise the global economy amid the 20082009 global financial crisis. In conclusion, the financial crises of the late 1990s, notably the Asian financial crisis, were a major factor in the formation of the G20 in 1999. With its establishment, a shift towards a more accepting and team-based approach to resolving economic issues worldwide was established. The G20's informality, emphasis on financial stability, and development into a forum for high-level conversations and coordination among the member countries were all characteristics of the group's early years. Global Financial Crisis (2008-2009): The global financial crisis of 20082009 significantly increased the G20's visibility. The G20 leaders started hosting yearly summits at the level of heads of state and government as the crisis worsened and jeopardised the stability of the global financial system. In response to the crisis, the G20 Leaders' Summit was held for the first time in 2008, and succeeding conferences were vital in coordinating worldwide efforts to reform international financial institutions, stabilise the financial system, and spur economic growth. One of the worst financial and economic crises to ever affect the world was the one that occurred between 2008 and 2009. It started as a result of the collapse of the U.S. subprime mortgage market and swiftly expanded to become a global credit crunch, which resulted in the failure or verge of failure of major financial institutions and a severe recession in many economies. The first-ever summit of chiefs of state and government of the G20 countries was held on November 1516, 2008, in Washington, D.C., in response to the crisis' rising intensity. The summit aimed to improve global coordination and collaboration in crisis management. The decision-makers understood that a coordinated effort was required to calm down the financial system, boost economic activity, and avert a worsening of the world economic crisis. Economic and Financial Reforms: The G20 continued to be a key player in shaping international economic policies after the global financial crisis. Among the subjects on which G20 leaders focused were the International Monetary Fund (IMF), financial regulation, and proposals to reorganise international financial organisations. One of the fundamental lessons from the global financial crisis is the need for stronger and more effective financial regulations to prevent excessive risk-taking, maintain transparency, and enhance the stability of the financial system. The G20 leaders realised how important it was to make regulatory measures to avert another tragedy. A few of the measures were: The Basel III Framework: The framework imposed higher capital and liquidity requirements for banks, was supported by the G20. These actions attempted to make banks better able to withstand financial shocks and lessen the possibility of a systemic disaster. Derivatives Regulation: The G20 backed initiatives to improve governance and transparency in the derivatives market, which had a substantial impact on the financial crisis. Enhancing the standardisation and clearing of derivatives contracts was the emphasis of the reforms. Strengthened Supervision: G20 participants stressed the significance of efficient supervision of financial institutions to identify and resolve emerging risks before they materialise into crises. This included making national regulatory authorities' coordination amongst one another better. Fiscal Stimulus and Economic Recovery: G20 leaders realised the need for concerted fiscal stimulus measures in the immediate wake of the crisis to fend off the catastrophic economic collapse. These actions attempted to increase overall demand and support economic recovery. Even if the specifics of the stimulus packages varied per country, the G20's united commitment to stimulus helped prevent a more severe global slump. The G20's agenda has evolved throughout time to cover a variety of global topics, including trade, development, geopolitical tensions, and climate change, in addition to financial and economic concerns. It was possible to address global challenges more inclusively and thoroughly because of the G20's ability to bring together leaders from both developed and emerging economies. The G20 was able to reflect a diverse range of viewpoints and interests because of its open membership, which increased its effectiveness in tackling difficult global issues. The G20 promoted a feeling of shared accountability for global stability and growth by bringing together both established economic powers and rising economies. The development of consensus and cooperative effortsboth of which are necessary for efficient global governancewere facilitated by this inclusive approach. Political History of G20 The beginnings and development of the G20's economy are strongly related to its political history. As a global meeting for central bankers and finance ministers to debate economic and financial concerns, the G20 was initially founded. However, it has evolved through time to serve as a forum for more in-depth discussions, including those on political topics that have a significant impact on the global economy. The G20 was established in 1999 as a reaction to the financial crisis of the late 1990s. The key area of worry was the stability of the economy and finances. The primary subjects of discussion at the forum's initial gatherings included financial regulations, currency exchange rates, and international financial organisations. The worldwide financial crisis of 20082009 helped the G20 become more well-known. The crisis served as a reminder that global economic difficulties require coordinated answers. For a coordinated response to the crisis, the inaugural G20 Leaders' Summit was organised in November 2008. It was at this point that the G20 began to evolve into a venue for important political discourse. G20 leaders kept holding meetings following the crisis to talk about ways to stabilise the world economy. But as it became clear that geopolitical and social considerations are entwined with economic stability on a global scale, the agenda started to stray from traditional economic concerns and include broader political ones. Geopolitical Tensions: Since it brought together leaders from large economies with a diversity of geopolitical interests, the G20 became a forum for addressing and trying to resolve geopolitical tensions. Conflicts, regional security, and international relations were all on the G20 agenda. One significant growth of the agenda was the G20's interest in environmental issues, particularly climate change. As world leaders have come to recognise the economic importance of environmental challenges, sustainable development, the shift to a clean energy future, and environmental protection have all been hot subjects of discussion at G20 meetings. Humanitarian Crises: Humanitarian crises, such as those brought on by calamities and disease pandemics, were also discussed at the G20. The G20's function in organising international aid and exchanging best practises was highlighted by the global response to incidents like the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the COVID-19 pandemic. The G20 has also tackled issues about social welfare, poverty alleviation, inequality, and development. The connection between economic development and social advancement is highlighted by this. Trade and Economic Governance: The G20 agenda frequently includes issues relating to trade tensions and conflicts between major economies. Given the importance of trade to the world economy, the G20 debates have aimed to advance free markets, lessen protectionism, and rectify trade imbalances. Bilateral encounters between leaders are frequently possible at G20 summits in addition to the official summit sessions. Through these contacts, leaders can improve diplomatic ties and solve urgent political issues. The political history of the G20 has developed alongside its economic emphasis, to sum up. The G20 has expanded the scope of its agenda since it was established as a response to financial crises to cover discussions on a range of political issues that affect the global economy. The event has developed into an important venue for addressing both economic difficulties and more general global challenges because of its ability to bring together leaders from different geopolitical backgrounds. Achievements of G20: Financial Regulatory Measures: In reaction to the world financial crisis, the G20 was instrumental in promoting and putting into effect regulatory measures aimed at bolstering the international financial system. The Basel III framework and other measures contributed to the improvement of risk management procedures and bank resilience. Money Laundering and Tax Evasion: The G20 has collaborated on projects like the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) to tackle money laundering and tax evasion. To combat tax avoidance, member nations communicate bank account information automatically. Sustainable Development and Climate Change: The G20's emphasis on these issues has sparked talks and agreements to solve environmental issues. Despite uneven progress, the G20 has given world leaders a forum to discuss climate change and promote the switch to cleaner energy sources. Global Health Cooperation: The COVID-19 epidemic brought attention to the significance of such cooperation. The G20 participated in discussions on fair vaccination distribution, exchanging top tips for responding to pandemics, and tackling the socioeconomic effects of the crisis. Trade facilitation: The G20 has aided in talks about trade regulations and obstacles. While obstacles still exist, the G20's efforts to promote free markets and reduce protectionism have made the world trading environment more transparent and linked. Reforms to the International Monetary Fund (IMF): The G20 campaigned for changes to international financial institutions, such as IMF quota and governance reforms, to ensure more fair representation and take into account the shifting nature of the world economy. Conclusion The economic and political development of the G20 is evidence of the growth of a group that rose from the ashes of financial crises to play a key role in determining the direction of global economic policy and tackling complex problems. The G20's history, which began with its formation in 1999 in reaction to the Asian financial crisis, has been characterised by transformational stages that reflect the shifting nature of global politics, economics, and geopolitical forces. Focusing on financial and economic stability during the G20's early years gave it its name. The forum initially had the goal of bringing together central bankers and finance ministers from major nations to prevent and manage financial crises. But the 20082009 global financial crisis was when its true potential was realised. The G20 being elevated to a venue for high-level leaders' summits at a time when the globe was experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis was a watershed. A commitment to strengthen international financial institutions as well as coordinated fiscal stimulus policies, thorough financial regulation changes, and other prompt responses were all made necessary. The significance of the G20, however, went beyond these quick reactions. As time went on, it changed into a venue for discussion of a broad range of issues, recognising the complex interactions between politics, economics, and global issues. The G20 was able to address a variety of topics, from climate change and sustainable development to trade tensions and geopolitical conflicts, thanks to its distinctive makeup of large industrialised nations and emerging markets. The economic and political history of the G20 is one of evolution, adaptability, and collaboration, to sum up. From its beginnings as a reaction to financial crises, the G20 evolved into a forum that addressed a variety of global concerns, encouraging discussion, agreement, and teamwork. Its voyage highlights the critical importance of international collaboration by illuminating how powerful economies can overcome their differences and collaborate to create a more stable, inclusive, and sustainable global economic system. The G20's legacy as it continues to adapt resides in its ability to manage complexity, spur innovation, and create a brighter future for a connected world. Laurel, MS (39440) Today Some clouds. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Lower Saucon Township residents have filed a lawsuit challenging a proposal to rezone hundreds of acres that would allow the potential expansion of the Bethlehem Landfill. They argue the land is protected by conservation easements put in place nearly 30 years ago by the township and the City of Bethlehem. No one including the township has the unilateral ability to just simply say, No, were going to let the landfill use it. No, it can be a pile of trash, said Easton-based attorney Gary Asteak, who filed the suit on behalf of eight residents opposed to the landfill expanding. Under the Pennsylvania Donated or Dedicated Property Act, removing the protection to permit waste disposal on the protected land would require approval from Northampton County Orphans Court, according to the suit. No one can take it away, and the Donated or Dedicated Proprty Act is a specific statute that addresses this issue, Asteak continued. Lower Saucons solicitor, B. Lincoln Treadwell Jr., did not respond to a message seeking comment on the suit. Maryanne Starr Garber, attorney for the Bethlehem Landfill Co. that is part of Texas-based Waste Connections, provided a comment on the suit stating: We are confident that at the end of the day, we will prevail in this litigation. It is important to note that with an expansion of the Bethlehem Landfill, 157 acres of land will be permanently preserved so that it can never be developed for any use. Plus, without our facility, taxes would significantly increase and services would be cut. We contribute a quarter of the towns tax revenue and support local charities. We are proud of the role we play in Lower Saucon. We are confident that the proposed expansion will result in long-lasting advantages for Lower Saucon Township and its residents for many years ahead. The township council has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed rezoning for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the Se-Wy-Co Fire Hall, 3621 Old Philadelphia Pike. The 275.7 acres being considered for rezoning from Rural Agriculture to Light Industrial extend east of the 2335 Applebutter Road landfill and north to along the Lehigh River. This legal ad published at classifieds.lehighvalleylive.com details Lower Saucon Township Council's public hearing scheduled at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, at the Se-Wy-Co Fire Hall, 3621 Old Philadelphia Pike, to consider rezoning from Rural Agriculture to Light Industrial 275.7 acres extending east of the Bethlehem Landfill at 2335 Applebutter Road and north to along the Lehigh River.classifieds.lehighvalleylive.com Council members last December rezoned the same land to permit waste disposal and other industrial uses on the land. At that time, the council gave itself the power to approve a landfill use on the acreage as a conditional use, rather than as a special exception that would go before the townships zoning hearing board. Northampton County Judge Abraham Kassis in May overturned the December rezoning on procedural issues after residents sued, and the township council voted against appealing the decision. Under the current proposal, rather than requiring conditional use approval, waste disposal would be permitted by-right without further township council or zoning approval for this land use. Expanding the landfill would still have to pass through the townships land development process and obtain additional approvals, including from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Treadwell, the townships attorney, said last month. Decembers vote set in motion a conditional use hearing that opened Feb. 27 and ran through May 5, costing the township $200 per hour for a special hearing officer who was to bring back a recommendation on approval or denial for councils consideration. Council President Jason Banonis introduced the new rezoning effort last month. A separate rezoning proposal discussed by council in June would rezone 848.47 acres of the township beside the landfill and well beyond from Rural Agriculture to Light Industrial, and declare waste disposal a permitted use across the entirety of that land. The landfill owns or has control over all of the land currently up for rezoning, including acreage protected under the conservation easements. Under expansion plans revealed as part of the December rezoning, Bethlehem Landfill Co. said this latest expansion, termed Phase V, would add 117.4 acres of new disposal area laterally and add new disposal vertically atop 26.74 acres of previously permitted disposal area. Ultimately, the company planned at the time to consolidate the rezoned acreage with its other landfill property into a 505.17-acre parcel. Bethlehem sold the landfill to then-Eastern Waste of Bethlehem Inc. for $26.4 million, under an agreement dated July 17, 1998. Included in that sale was the option for the new landfill owner or its successor companies to buy 201.7 acres next door for $10,000. Bethlehem Landfill Co. exercised its option under a purchase recorded last Sept. 30. The 201.7 acres had been purchased by the city as a buffer around the landfill, extending down to the riverside along which runs D&L Trail public parkland maintained by the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor based in Easton. Bethlehem had purchased 140.3 of the acres in 1991 for $250,000 from the Bethlehem Steel Corp., known as the Redington Parcel, and 61.4 acres in 1992 for $110,000 from the family of Samuel Helms, just east of the Bushkill Valley Motorcycle Club land where the Freemansburg Hill Climb is held twice a year in Lower Saucons Steel City. The 201.7-acre buffer land sold by the city to the landfill company in September remains protected under Scenic and Conservation Easements for the Helms and former Bethlehem Steel properties. The city and township agreed to the protections March 16, 1994, approved by then-Bethlehem Mayor Ken Smith and Lower Saucon Township Council then-President Priscilla deLeon, who remains on council. According to the residents lawsuit filed Aug. 14 in Northampton County Court, about eight acres of the property eyed for rezoning are subject to a separate woodlands protection easement. The Conservation Easements, as well as the Woodland Easement, which is incorporated into Easement 1, run with the land and have been serving their intended purpose and benefiting the public since 1994, the suit states. The suit asks the county Court of Common Pleas to declare that: the landfill may not be expanded onto the protected land without Orphans Court approval; that the township is a trustee on the easement with a fiduciary responsibility for the land; and that the township cannot unilaterally terminate the protections. An injunction blocking the adoption and enforcement of the rezoning ordinance is requested. In announcing the lawsuit filed by residents Bruce and Ginger Petrie, Andrew and Tina-Louise Krasnansky, Robert and Elizabeth Blasko, and Robert and Cynthia McKellin, the grassroots group Citizens for Responsible Development-LST said the township and landfill are trying to buzzsaw these easements, in violation of state law. Separate from this lawsuit, Hellertown Borough Council in a special meeting Tuesday voted without dissent to authorize the borough solicitor to take legal action if Lower Saucon Township votes to adopt the proposed rezoning that violates the easements. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission at its July meeting reviewed the proposed rezoning, commenting that the proposal does not align with the regions comprehensive plan called FutureLV: The Regional Plan or the townships own comprehensive plan: The proposal to rezone the northernmost parcels as LI District does not align with the Future Land Use Plan of FutureLV. Overall, the proposed zoning ordinance amendments and zoning map amendments do not align with the goals outlined in the Townships recently updated comprehensive plan or the intent, purpose and scope of the Townships Zoning Ordinance. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. A Warren County diner made famous for its multiple scenes shot for the 1980 slasher film Friday the 13th has gone onto the sales block. Blairstown Diner, 53 Route 94, is being listed for $675,000, according to LoopNet, which handles commercial real estate. The one-story, 1,368-square-foot building initially was constructed in 1949 and received a renovation in 2019. It sits on .65 acres in the heart of the northwest Jersey township, according to the listing. Ravi Romano of RE/MAX Ridge Real Estate, whos listing the property, told lehighvalleylive.com diner owner, Gary Wishnia, hopes to retire. Wishnia took over the site about four years ago. He recently performed about $200,000 worth of utility upgrades, including new heating and cooling; upgraded coolers; and additional equipment, to the building, Romano said. Additionally, a large cold-storage shed, as well as a new outdoor patio, has been constructed on the property. Prior, the diner was owned and operated by Panagioti Pete Apostolou, who died in 2018 after owning the building since 1990, according to his obituary. Wishnia in 2019 took over the diner from Apostolous son, Romano said. Wishnia didnt immediately return a request by lehighvalleylive.com Monday morning for comment. The diner is known for its old-fashioned food and following of regular patrons in a tight-knit community. Menu offerings include all the breakfast staples of eggs and omelettes, pancakes, waffles and french toast, alongside home fried potatoes and breakfast meats. For lunch, theres always been a variety of burgers, sandwiches and wraps, cheesesteaks, chicken dishes and hot or cold platters. Dinners always included Italian specialties or turkey, meatloaf or roast beef platters, complete with mashed potatoes, vegetables and soup or salad. The diner also has an extensive catering menu for small and large events, and offered delivery service for locals within a 10-mile radius. The diners booth and chairs seat 63 folks at capacity, according to the listing. But perhaps, Jason Voorhees is Blairstowns most famous resident. Sections of Blairstown appear early in the original Friday the 13th. A cult following of fans worldwide will travel to the township for movie-related events. There are several videos on YouTube where travelers visit some of the local landmarks, including Blairstown Diner. The diner sees a spike in business when the date rolls around, particularly among visitors driving out to see the movie at nearby Roys Hall, workers have told lehighvalleylive.com. Any potential buyers, however, will need to be particularly savvy in their offers. The owner is willing to discuss any REALISTIC creative options ... from cash to partial financing of the property only, the listing states of Wishnia. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. THE LATEST: Confrontation during carjacking led to shooting of ex-Nazareth wrestling star Sammy Sasso, cops say Former Nazareth Area High School star wrestler Sammy Sasso is connecting with supporters just days after being shot and injured in Columbus, Ohio, telling them he is steadily improving. Sasso, now a wrestler at Ohio State University, took to his X account, the website formerly known as Twitter, Sunday evening to tell supporters he cant thank them enough. god bless everyone for their support during this time. its been tough as hell but we are steadily improving. I cant thank everyone enough for being in my corner, Sasso posted. Sasso went on to repost several other postings and words from supporters, including encouragement by the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. Several of the posts end with the hash tag SassoStrong. Our prayers are with @sammysasso and his family as he recovers from this horrible incident Please show your support for Sammy and the @wrestlingbucks + @OhioRTC community during this difficult time, the Titan Mercury Wrestling Clubs posting stated. Sasso also responded to Pat Mineo, founder of The Wrestling Room, on X, stating, Thank you mineo, it means Alot. That posting by Mineo stated, Wrestling community, lets rally around him!, followed by a prayer emoji. A two-time NCAA wrestling runner-up for Ohio State, Sasso was shot shortly after 8:30 p.m. Friday near campus in Columbus. He was the victim of a carjacking, The Columbus Dispatch reported on Monday, citing witness statements to police. It was previously reported he was the victim of a robbery. Sasso was found in an alley near the campus, shot in the stomach, according to reports. He underwent surgery after the shooting and again on Saturday at Ohio State Universitys Wexner Medical Center (WMC). Sassos surgeon Saturday morning expected Sasso to make a full recovery and be able to wrestle again, according to a source close to the Sasso family. Injuries were listed as stable Saturday afternoon, Ohio State University Wrestling posted on its Facebook page. Eileen Scahill, who handles public relations at WMC, referred questions about Sassos condition Monday to Jerry Emig, associate athletics director for the Communications Department of Athletics at Ohio State. Emig didnt immediately return a request by lehighvalleylive.com for more information Monday morning. Scahill later Monday afternoon told lehighvalleylive.com that Sasso is no longer listed at the hospital, but would not confirm if he has been discharged. Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan in a statement Saturday called the act a senseless shooting incident. Sasso was transported to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (WMC), where he is continuing to be cared for and monitored, Ryan added. Our coaching staff, along with members of the wrestling program and Athletics administrators, are grateful for the caregivers at WMC, thankful Sassos injuries are not life-threatening, and are supporting Sasso and his family. Ryan said college and local police are conducting an ongoing investigation. Sasso, a fifth-year senior at the university, was the runner-up at the 2023 NCAA tournament at 149 pounds and was planning to wrestle at 157 pounds this season, his last year of collegiate eligibility. He is a two-time Big Ten wrestling champion and, during his time at Nazareth, a two-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association champion. Nazareth Blue Eagle Wrestling posted early Monday to Facebook of Sasso taking to X: Great news from Sammy Sasso himself! Our hearts are with you, our prayers are endless for you, & and our strength will help lift you up! Get well soon Sammy! We (heart emoji) you! As of Monday morning, no arrests have been reported and Columbus police have not provided an update on the investigation. A representative of the Columbus Polices Detective Bureau also didnt immediately return a request by lehighvalleylive.com for more information Monday morning. EDITORs NOTE: This story has been updated with new details from an official at Ohio State Universitys Wexner Medical Center. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Hardwick Township is sprawling and sparsely populated, home to about 1,500 people and a chunk of Delaware Water Gap national parklands. But it is from this corner of northwest New Jersey that longtime elected leader James J. Perry became known statewide, particularly for his personal crusade against opioids after a family tragedy. Perry, a former mayor and committee member in the Warren County township, and a past president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, died of natural causes on Aug. 18 at his home in Florida, according to statements from the township and the League. He was a good man, who did all he could to turn around the personal tragedy of losing his son to raise attention and find resources to address addiction, said Michael Cerra, a spokesperson for the League, which provides assistance and coordination to all of New Jerseys 564 municipalities, and which Perry led in a year-long tenure as president ending in November 2020. He made a difference, Cerra added. When he spoke of his personal tragedy to other elected officials, they heard him and took it seriously. Its in all our communities and we cant look the other way. Perrys son Jesse died in 2015 at age 23. Perry is survived by his adult daughter, Alyssa. Among other places, Perry shared his story at Gov. Phil Murphys 2020 roundtable on opioids held in Warren County. The League said Perry helped coordinate with the governor and attorney generals offices to make sure every eligible town got a piece of opioid settlements. Hardwick Townships statement says Perrys efforts even reached the White House, and he worked for legislation that expanded rehabilitation. I know through his advocacy, lives were saved, Warren County Commissioner James Kern III said on social media. Perry was a 36-year-old computer consultant when he was first appointed by Gov. Christie Whitman to fill a vacancy on the Hardwick Township Committee in 2000. The Republican was still running two decades later. He also spent four years with The League, as an officer, vice president, and president. In its statement, the township credits Perry with coining the term Hardwickian. Jim was always one of the first to welcome people to Hardwick, the statement says. He was extremely proud to live in and represent a small town and made sure people felt welcomed when they arrived from outside towns. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Irish Rail has officially begun exploring the plan to double production at its sleeper production plant in Portlaoise but the move could result in job losses. Iarnod Eireann has launched what's called a market consultation that could culminate in the appointment of a company to design, supply, install and maintain a new concrete sleeper production facility at its Sleeper Depot on the town's Old Knockmay Road. The State-owned company aims to obtain market reaction or market soundings from participants in the relevant market to the proposal. The company says the existing facility has an annual output of approximately 85,000 concrete sleepers and is operated by a total of 41 staff. It says sleepers of bespoke design to suit Irish rails track gauge. The method of making the sleeper is briefly outlined in documents seen by the Leinster Express / Laois Live which also outline the change planned. It is proposed to construct a new concrete sleeper production facility at Portlaoise Rail and Sleeper Depot. The new facility will automate a number of the production processes, reducing manual labour input by 50% and increasing annual production to 165,000 per year. The design of the new plant layout will be key to achieving our objectives, said the invite to companies. While Irish Rail says the successful bidder shall supply a detailed design for the factory building and IE may choose to launch a separate tender to construct the building using a construction company. More below tweet. The Portlaoise sleeper plant team stressing concrete sleepers today #24HRSinIE #epic pic.twitter.com/NxQQ5mPhAb Iarnrod Eireann (@IrishRail) February 2, 2017 The company says the key objective will be ensuring optimal flow from start to finish. It says the selection of the proposed machinery, automated motion management systems and the general architecture and internal layout must be optimally adopted to the manufacturing process to guarantee, standardisation, product quality and operational efficiency in the production of sleepers. Last summer Irish Rail held an infrastructure showcase at the Depot that was attended by Laois Offaly TD and Minister of State Sean Fleming. He hailed its importance in job provision over many years. Generations of local people have worked in the sleeper plant and it is a key anchor employer in Laois, he said. He said it would also be fundamental to the future of rail transport in Ireland. In January 2022, Irish Rail asked companies to bid for the contract of designing, supplying and commissioning of two new gantry cranes at the plant. It said they would operate outdoors and require a lifting capacity of 25 tonnes each. The Depot opened in the Conniberry area of the town in September 1973. Irish Rail also operates a train maintenance facility in the town built in in 2008 for the company's fleet. Two Laois lads are at the heart of the excitement at the 2023 International Rose of Tralee, with hopes one could bring home at least one festival title to the county for the first time ever. As well as lovely Laois Rose Sinead Dowd who takes to the Dome stage live on RTE television tonight, the county has Mark Dunne, 27, from Portlaoise and Colin Palmer, 25, from Camross. Coolrain Sawmills supervisor Colin is escort to the Meath Rose Lane Galvin, and teacher Mark is escorting the South Australia Rose Charlotte Burton. They took a moment out of their busy day to tell the Leinster Express / Laois Live how it's all going. "My Rose Lane is absolutely beautiful and sound. It has been busy but it's been great. The highlight so far is the parade on Friday night. It was amazing. We all walked along the street by the floats and the sky was lit up with fireworks. "All of us as escorts are helping each other out, but it's all for them, the Roses. We are looking forward to the Escort of the Year final too, it's exciting," Colin said. Mark could barely speak at all, with his voice hoarse from all the activities. "It's all going great, my Rose Charlotte is doing really well. The experience here is brilliant, the craic. And hopefully we can bring home a win for Laois," he said. The Rose of Tralee will be broadcast live at 8pm on Monday and Tuesday evening, hosted by Daithi O Se and Kathryn Thomas, with 32 Roses from all over the world hoping to win the coveted title. Seven serving Irish Defence Forces personnel are, today, beginning their arduous march from Dublin to Galway, to raise much-needed funds for two renowned Irish charities. Taking place across four days, the 216km route aims to raise awareness and essential funds for veterans charity ONE and the Irish Cancer Society. Donations can be made online, with members of the public encouraged to donate as participants make their way along the route, with all monies raised divided evenly between the charities. The march will commence at 6am this morning from the back gate of McKee Barracks to Ashtown Gate on the Royal Canal in Dublin, with the team expected to arrive at Renmore Barracks in Galway on Thursday evening. ONE (Oglaigh Naisiunta Na hEireann, the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel) is an Irish veterans charity that was established to support ex-service personnel. The organisation offers housing, professional counselling, and support services to homeless and struggling veterans. The Irish Cancer Society aims to transform the experiences and outcomes of people affected by cancer through advocacy, support services and research. Primarily stationed in the greater Dublin region, the energetic team is made up of Coy Sgt Martin Moules, CQMS David Bates, CQMS Darren McCarthy, Sgt Jonathan Santamaria, CQMS Peter Scully, Cpl Fran Firzhenry, and Cpl Peter McCardle. They will be supported along the way by a number of their Defence Forces colleagues who are set to turn out to cheer on their colleagues. Over the four days, the group will follow a set route, travelling through Blanchardstown, Leixlip, Maynooth, Kilcock, Enfield, Mullingar, Mote, Athlone, and over the hills of Athenry, before concluding the challenge in Galway. Members and volunteers from the veterans charity will greet the participants on route at Dublin, Mullingar, Athlone, and Galway. ONE was founded in March 1951 with the aim of supporting former members of the Defence Forces as they make the difficult transition into civilian life. The charity organises year-round events to raise money and awareness around issues involving Irish Veterans and currently has 38 branches, 15 veteran centres, and four residential homes across the country. To date, the charity has helped more than 1,000 veterans out of homelessness and provides 18,615 bed nights a year, between its homes in Athlone, Cobh, Dublin, and Letterkenny. Speaking ahead of the event, Defence Forces Veteran and CEO of ONE, Cormac Kirwan, said: We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as one of this years charities. All in ONE have a huge admiration and respect for the group to undertake such a challenge. We wish each and every one of them the greatest success and thank them for all their efforts. Without the continued support of all of our donors, we would not be able to fund our vital services for struggling veterans in need. About ONE Oglaigh Naisiunta Na hEireann, the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE) is a Veterans Organisation, a Registered Charity, a Company Limited by Guarantee, an Approved Housing Body, and a Sustainable Energy Community. The role of ONE can be summarised in four words Support, Comradeship, Advocacy and Remembrance. ONEs services are available to all veterans of the Defence Forces, while also facilitating homeless veterans from other countries living in Ireland, from time to time. ONE currently provides accommodation (board and lodging) in its four residential homes in Athlone, Cobh, Dublin, and Letterkenny. A fifth home is currently being developed in Cork City and there are plans for further homes to address the increasing challenge of homelessness among veterans. ONE has developed a nationwide network of 38 Branches and 15 Veteran Support Centres, and is continuing to develop its professional Veteran Mental Health Support Services, all in support of struggling veterans of the Defence Forces. A Social Democrats councillor has called on Kildare County Council (KCC) to purchase the former Ulster Bank building in Newbridge. Earlier this year, Ulster Bank said that all of its branches in the Republic of Ireland would close by April. Now, Newbridge Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender has sent a letter to KCC, calling on the council to purchase the property. Explaining his point, Cllr Pender said: "As Newbridge continually evolves, becoming a hub for culture, arts, and community engagement, a new opportunity has surfaced. "Located in close proximity to Newbridge's notable landmarks such as the County Library and the Riverbank Arts Centre, the building's potential transformation offers more than just a physical space." Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender. Drawing from local insights, Cllr Pender envisions artist studios, a lively youth cafe, and dynamic hot-desking spaces all under one roof. He continued: "Conversations with local artists illuminated a pressing need: a dedicated space to create, innovate, and collaborate, And while some feel that places like the Riverbank Arts Centre could fill this gap, it's evident that our artists yearn for something more spaces to practice, meeting rooms, and studios. "This isn't about putting a definitive plan into motion but sowing the seeds for discussion and collective envisioning. "This isn't about purchasing yet another building without purpose; it's about strategic investment in our town's future, acknowledging both our artistic community and the broader needs of our residents." Furthermore, he added that the former Ulster Bank building's optimal location and structure 'would allow for varied use, including youth initiatives, which can play a pivotal role in addressing broader community challenges, such as anti-social behaviour.' "We're not just considering a building, but the very essence of Newbridge our aspirations, dreams, and the vibrant tapestry of our community," Cllr Pender said: "I invite everyone to join this conversation, to shape a vision that truly encapsulates the spirit of our town." "Residents, artists, and all interested parties are encouraged to share their feedback, thoughts, and suggestions," he concluded. For more details, or to read the full letter to KCC, contact Cllr Chris Pender directly or click here. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A clear indication of just how much of a washout our July was can be found in the drop of spend on ice cream by 2.5m for the month and a surge in soup sales. Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Kantar, said hopes of a sunny July were dampened with widespread downpours across Ireland impacting sales of the usual summer favourites. Kantar figures revealed that barbeques were kept under wraps as Irish shoppers spent 493k less on chilled burgers and grills and 1.3m less on chilled prepared salads year-on-year. With no need for a summer cool down, shoppers also spent 2.5m less on ice cream and a combined 2.3m less on fruit squash and mineral water. With Irish consumers spending more time indoors, sales of take-home confectionery and take-home savouries rose 4.7m and 2.6m respectively. Unseasonal weather also meant consumers looked for warmers, spending an additional 2.8m on soup and hot beverages. Cooler temperatures and a wetter than average month may have also put people off from venturing the shops. Footfall was down for the fifth month in a row with people making 882,000 fewer trips than last month. Online sales remained strong over the 12-week period, according to Kantar, up 11.2% year-on-year, with shoppers spending an additional 16.6m online, a significant boost when compared with last months 6% increase (9m). More frequent trips online boosted performance by 12.6%. Citizen Revolution Movement candidate Luisa Gonzalez celebrates her victory in the first round of Ecuador's presidential election in Quito, August 20, 2023. RODRIGO BUENDIA / AFP Two heirs will meet in the second round of Ecuador's presidential election. The candidate of the Citizen Revolution Movement, Luisa Gonzalez, 45, is the designated heir to former socialist president Rafael Correa. She came out on top in the first round of voting on Sunday, August 20, with 33.3% of the vote. Meanwhile, Daniel Noboa, 35, the son of millionaire banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, who has himself been a candidate several times, won 23.7% of the vote. With 50% of voters saying they were undecided with ten days to go, the televised debate on August 14 in which Noboa's performance was praised seems to have weighed heavily in their choice. The elections were held peacefully, after an election campaign marked by the assassination of one of the eight candidates running, Fernando Villavicencio. The second round will take place on October 15. The winner will remain in office for just 18 months, until the outgoing president Guillermo Lasso (right) finishes his term. Highly unpopular and threatened with impeachment, Lasso chose in May to dissolve the assembly and resign himself, triggering general, legislative and presidential elections. According to preliminary results, the Citizen Revolution Movement, which is expected to win almost a third of the seats, remains the leading parliamentary force. Green victory Ecuadorians were also asked to vote in a referendum on oil exploitation in the Yasuni Amazon Park in the northeast of the country. Asked whether the government should leave the oil "indefinitely underground," 58.9% of Ecuadorians answered "yes." Ecologists and other environmentalists celebrated a historic victory "for Ecuador and for the whole world." Read more Ecuador votes to stop oil drilling in Amazon reserve More than 100,000 soldiers and police had been deployed in the country, faced with a rise in violence attributed to the growing presence of drug trafficking. According to the CNE, 81% of the 13.4 million voters turned out at the polls (voting is compulsory in Ecuador). Some 300,000 Ecuadorians living abroad were also able to vote via Internet. But failures in the platform, attributed by the president of the CNE to "attacks" from Russia and India in particular, prevented thousands of voters from exercising their right to vote. The question of whether the vote of Ecuadorians abroad should be canceled and rescheduled has been raised. The name and photo of Fernando Villavicencio, the candidate assassinated on August 9 in Quito, appeared on a ballot paper. Authorized to replace him at the last moment by the CNE, Christian Zurita, his friend and colleague, came third, with 16.5% of the vote. You have 55% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Bernardo Arevalo, at a press conference after the preliminary results of the second round of the presidential election, in Guatemala City, August 20, 2023. MOISES CASTILLO / AP After a campaign disrupted by various legal proceedings against him, center-left candidate Bernardo Arevalo was elected president of Guatemala with 59% of the vote on Sunday, August 20, ending 12 years of right-wing rule. Following a second round of voting that took place without "significant incident," the Supreme Electoral Tribunal noted a "historic percentage of participation." Arevalo's victory was declared even though not all the votes had yet been counted, with an "extremely important trend" emerging from the first partial results. Arevalo follows in the footsteps of his father, Juan Jose Arevalo, Guatemala's first democratically elected president, in office between 1945 and 1951. Arevalo senior was forced into exile after the coup organized by the CIA in 1954. As a result, his son was born in Uruguay, not Guatemala, which was one of the reasons for the many attacks against him during the campaign. At 64, this sociologist and former diplomat represented hope in the face of the corruption that plagues the country, with 59% of the Guatemalan population living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. During his campaign, Arevalo had called for this corruption to be "defeated" using chess as a model. "The corrupt are no fools (...) They have learned so well how to place their pawns that they have managed to control all the institutions of the state," he commented. The outgoing president, Alejandro Giammattei (right), has largely contributed to the deterioration of the situation. Some magistrates are still in office today, even though they should have left office four years ago. Supporters of Bernardo Arevalo celebrate their victory in the second round of the presidential election, Guatemala City, August 20, 2023. JOHAN ORDONEZ / AFP Legal proceedings Arevalo had surprised in the first round of voting by clinching second place, behind another candidate from the center-left but who campaigned with conservative proposals, Sandra Torres, even though the polls had him in eighth place. The right then lined up behind Torres, leader of the National Unity of Hope party. The ex-wife of former president Alvaro Colom (2008-2012) is an experienced politician and unsuccessful finalist in 2015 and 2019. She had been prosecuted for illegal financing of her 2015 campaign, before having the proceedings annulled. While focusing her election rhetoric on the fight against criminal gangs, she stepped up her attacks on her opponent, his place of birth and his supposed "radicalism." Between the two rounds, Arevalo's party was the object of legal proceedings. A judge ordered the suspension of its Semilla ("seed") movement, citing irregularities in its creation in 2017. The Constitutional Court and then the Supreme Court overturned this decision. You have 15% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sit in a F-16 fighter jet in the hangar at Skrydstrup air base in Vojens, northern Denmark, August 20, 2023. MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN / AFP The rumor mill had been churning ever since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video message published two days earlier, spoke of "major decisions" to come. On Sunday, August 20, the Netherlands and Denmark formalized the supply of American F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. This is a first since the start of the "special operation" launched by Russia in February 2022, and a relief for the Ukrainians, who have been calling for months for the delivery of Western aircraft to resist the invasion of Moscow's forces. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes War in Ukraine: Sending fighter jets no longer 'taboo' for some Kyiv allies "The Netherlands and Denmark commit to the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine and the Ukrainian air force," announced outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Sunday afternoon, during a surprise visit with Zelensky to a military airbase near Eindhoven. "Today, we took another step to strengthen Ukraine's air shield," said the Ukrainian president, adding that "this is just the beginning." In a message posted on Telegram during his visit, Zelensky referred to the delivery of 42 F-16 aircraft, but the Netherlands did not specify exactly how many it intended to hand over. While the Dutch army officially has 42 of these fighters, 18 of them have been decommissioned and are being used for replacement parts, according to specialists. Rutte did not say when the aircraft would be delivered. The Dutch Ministry of Defense said in a statement that certain preconditions would have to be met, including the adaptation of Ukraine's airfield infrastructure, and the training of the Ukrainians to operate the F-16s. First delivery around the New Year Denmark, which Zelensky visited late Sunday afternoon after his visit to the Netherlands, was more specific, promising to send 19 of its 44 F-16 fighters only 30 are said to be operational, according to the British think-tank International Institute for Strategic Studies. The first six will be delivered around the New Year, eight more in 2024 and the last five in 2025, said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at a press conference with the Ukrainian president at Skrydstrup air base. This timetable takes into account the training time required for a former Soviet aircraft pilot to master a Western aircraft. According to Western military sources, it takes an experienced aviator a minimum of four to six months' training to master a so-called fourth-generation fighter like the American F-16. "Even then, they'll only be able to carry out the simplest missions," a French pilot asserted. Operating a Western aircraft also requires the presence of no fewer than a dozen specialists on the ground, specifically trained in aircraft maintenance and the handling of on-board weapons. You have 40% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. The President of Chad's Transitional Council, Mahamat Idriss Deby (right), with the Chadian Army Chief of Staff, General Abakar Abdelkerim Daoud, during independence celebrations in N'Djamena, August 11, 2023. DENIS SASSOU GUEIPEUR / AFP The main arteries of the Chadian capital were blocked by the military on Tuesday, August 15, for an arriving VIP, forcing motorists to be patient. It was red carpet time in N'Djamena. At the airport, a Nigerien military plane landed, carrying Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine. Newly appointed by the ruling junta in Niamey, Prime Minister Zeine chose Chad for his first trip abroad. He was received by his counterpart, Saleh Kebzabo, before heading to the presidential palace for talks with transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno. "We noted Chad's strong commitment to supporting Niger in this particular phase," Zeine said at the end of the meeting, while the military in Niamey is determined to stay in power. Abdourahmane Tiani, head of the junta, promised on Saturday, August 19, that the transition would not go "beyond three years," and called for a national dialogue. He warned against a military operation. "If there is aggression against us, it would not be the walk in the park that some people imagine," he asserted, as the chiefs of staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met again on Thursday and Friday to draw up the outlines of an armed intervention to dislodge the putschists. Chad does not support this operation. Although on July 30, the Chadian transitional president, mandated as mediator by ECOWAS, was the first to travel to Niamey, he has now distanced himself from the positions of the sub-regional organization, which his country does not belong to. 'We are a landlocked country' N'Djamena has made it clear "Chad will never intervene militarily" in Niger, declared Defense Minister Daoud Yaya Brahim on August 4. "It would have been a very unpopular measure, economic and political suicide," explained a Chadian diplomatic source. Niger is one of Chad's vital supply corridors. "We are a landlocked country," Acheikh ibn Oumar, a presidential advisor noted, adding "We've already lost our access to Asia and the Middle East with the closure of the Sudanese border, we can't afford to close a gateway to the Atlantic." N'Djamena has a privileged diplomatic channel with Niamey. "Military men understand each other. Let's not forget that in Chad, the putsch has already taken place," added a specialist in Central Africa, referring to Itno's accession to power outside any constitutional framework, following the death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, during fighting in the north of the country on April 20, 2021. "One junta is not going to oppose another junta," argued opposition politician Yaya Dillo Djerou. "If the international community demands the reinstatement of Mohamed Bazoum, it must also demand the departure of Mahamat Idriss Deby." You have 65% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. The exhumation of bodies buried in the gigantic Shakahola forest, near Malindi, a Kenyan seaside resort on the Indian Ocean, began on April 25, 2023. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP LETTER FROM NAIROBI Paul Mackenzie predicted the world would come to an end in June. His own world collapsed at the end of April, when he was arrested by Kenyan police following the discovery of a hundred decomposing bodies in the Shakahola forest, near the coastal town of Malindi on the Indian Ocean. The Apocalypse never happened. And the now tragically famous preacher is languishing in prison in Mombasa, awaiting trial. After the guru's first court appearance and three months of searching the 300 hectares of land that served as the headquarters of his evangelical sect, the "Shakahola massacre" continues to grow in scale. For weeks, rescue teams have been digging up new graves in the sandy undergrowth. In all, 425 bodies have been found and 95 people rescued. "This is the biggest act of peacetime barbarism in Kenya since decolonization," said Amnesty International's Kenya director, Irungu Houghton. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Kenyan cult massacre: Paul Mackenzie, the cab driver turned evangelical guru The victims, all followers of Mackenzie, had slowly starved themselves to death since January, when the preacher had ordered them to begin an extreme fast to "meet Jesus." According to the Red Cross, some 600 people are still unaccounted for. But more than three months after the event, investigations are stalling. Worse still, the sect's activities may still be continuing out of sight. 'A former soldier is still operating' Bodies exhumed in early July were newly buried, a member of the excavation team confided, who wished to remain anonymous. But who could still be burying the Shakahola victims, three months after the sect leader's arrest and with the forest cordoned off by police? "Mackenzie was arrested along with some of his lieutenants, but that doesn't mean they're all behind bars," said Victor Kaudo, head of the Malindi Social Justice Center. "Other leaders of his sect are continuing the macabre enterprise, and I can tell you that one of them, a former soldier, is still operating in the forest," he asserted. The 320 hectares of woodland are only controlled by a handful of police and military officers: an "impossible" task, according to Kaudo. "There's no transparency and no information on the progress of operations," he said warily. This is especially so, given that the media and civil society organizations are systematically being kept out of both the forest and the morgue. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Kenya faces calls for religious regulation after Shakahola cult massacre Mackenzie, who is due to go on trial this fall, has been charged with "murder, aiding suicide, kidnapping, radicalization, crimes against humanity, cruelty to children, fraud and money laundering." But in the mean time, it is the Kenyan state that is taking the blame. Several civil society organizations suspect the government of negligence, even complicity. You have 45% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. THE HEARTBROKEN Calvert family will gather on Tuesday in Limerick city to say a final farewell to their beautiful Savannah, aged 14, after a road traffic collision, and just months after they buried her mum Jacqueline. The mother and daughter will be reunited in Mount St Oliver Cemetery following funeral Mass in St John's Cathedral at 11am. Her remains will repose at Griffins Funeral Home, Johns Gate this Monday from 2pm to 4pm. The tightly-knit family from Fairview Crescent, Garryowen only buried Savannah's mum Jacqueline in December. Tragically, the Calverts have also said sad farewells to two of Savannah's sisters - Katie, 8, in 2014 and Sophie in 2011. It is understood that Savannah was walking in the vicinity of Bank Place in the city on Wednesday night, at approximately 11.40pm when the collision occurred. Savannah was brought to University Hospital Limerick where she passed away. There have been countless tributes paid to the daughter of Dermot and the late Jacqueline. Savannah's beloved sister Denika said they had the strongest bond ever, in a Facebook post. The closest to me you always were. I know you'll still be my shadow. If there was anything I could have done, I would have done it. It's something I'll never, ever get over, wrote Denika, who added that she has memories that will last a lifetime, in the emotional post. A large crowd of mourners gathered outside Denika's home on Friday to release red and white balloons in memory of Savannah. They are red and white because she loved Liverpool, wrote Denika. The bereft sister said Savannah is watching over us all. A photo of Savannah in her Reds jersey has been shared around Liverpool supporters social media pages to honour her. In a moving post, brother Richard said Savannah is with Sophie, Katie and mammy now. Ill always love you, my baby sister. Ill never forget you, you were so innocent. Im actually lost without you, he wrote. Gardai are continuing to investigate the incident. DEVELOPERS have signalled their intention to seek permission to open a medical centre in a Limerick building out of use for almost 20 years. Thanos Securities lodged an application with Limerick City and County Council to open a medical centre on land once home to Desmond Arms and Nightclub. According to documents lodged with council planners, the medical facility will be built on the first three floors at the building which stretches from Catherine Street to its junction with Mallow Street in the city centre. The area, which also contained the former Limerick Leader printing press, has been out of use since the early 2000s. In November 2020, Thanos Securities received planning permission to develop a six-storey residential and office complex. Almost three years on, the same company is seeking permission to change the use of the previously granted offices on the first three floors. Apartments would be maintained at the upper levels. In supporting documentation, agents for the developer said this change is sought in response to the rise of remote working. This sudden shift resulted in a reduced demand for physical office space as organisations explored alternative working models, such as remote work or hybrid setups, agents wrote. The development of the space for healthcare purposes appeals to a wider range of potential occupants and the nature of the healthcare sector is that their property needs are often fixed. Staff are unaffected by preference for home or flexible working options given the need for face-to-face presence, they added. The developers agents did add, however, that if market conditions did change again, the original planning permission of offices and residential space may be implemented in full. As it stands, council planners have deemed the new application incomplete. It is up to the developer now to lodge a fresh application providing the extra information council seeks. It appears this will happen with a fresh planning notice in today's Limerick Leader. TVS Motor Company has released a teaser video on its social media platform, hinting at an upcoming mystery motorcycle. Speculations suggest that this teaser might be a sneak peek at the forthcoming Apache RTR 310, which is expected to be a naked streetfighter version of the existing TVS Apache RR 310, reported HT Auto. Once launched, this new model is poised to become a significant addition to the Indian premium motorcycle market from the indigenous two-wheeler manufacturer. Reportedly, the video provides limited details, but it does tease features such as the split seat design, a sleek and narrow tail section, and a stepped-up pillion seat. The highly anticipated TVS Apache RTR 310 is generating significant interest in the Indian motorcycle market. It's scheduled for a global debut in Thailand on September 6, 2023. Upon its release, this motorcycle will be available alongside the fully-faired TVS Apache RR 310, sharing the same chassis and several essential components with the BMW Motorrad G 310 RR. In terms of looks, it is anticipated that the TVS Apache RTR 310 will share its chassis with the Apache RR 310, while sporting distinctive styling elements that embrace a naked streetfighter appearance without the side fairings. Expect a sharper and more sculpted front cowl with a distinctive headlamp panel compared to the RR 310. Notable design features will include a muscular and sculpted fuel tank, a fully digital instrument cluster, an LED lighting system, and more. Additionally, it's likely to incorporate hardware such as USD front forks, a rear monoshock, disc brakes both front and rear, and a dual-channel ABS system. Speaking of powertrain, the upcoming TVS Apache RTR 310 is likely to share the same 313 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled reverse-inclined engine that produces 33 bhp of peak power and 27.3 Nm of maximum torque in the Apache RR 310. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Intel reportedly planslayoffs in the US, cutting 89 jobs in Folsom and 51 in San Jose, as part of cost reduction efforts following previous losses. The layoffs, affecting various engineering and software roles, are set to take effect by month-end. The company aims to navigate economic challenges, preserving core investments while treating affected employees respectfully. Additionally, Intel is optimizing workspace utilization and considering consolidating offices in Bengaluru while maintaining its importance as a design and engineering hub, as as per a media report. A report by Sacramento suggests that the job cuts at Intel are scheduled for the month-end, impacting various roles including 10 GPU software engineers, eight system software development engineers, six cloud software engineers, six product marketing engineers, and six system-on-chip design engineers. Intel's Folsom campus houses R&D divisions for SSDs, graphics processors, software, and chipsets. Reportedly, Intel planned its cost-cutting layoffs strategy in response to a challenging macroeconomic climate. However, the company did not disclose the specific number of employees to be affected at that time. According to Business Today, Intel is working to accelerate its strategy while navigating a challenging macro-economic environment. We are focused on identifying cost reductions and efficiency gains through multiple initiatives, including some business and function-specific workforce reductions in areas across the company. We continue to invest in areas core to our business to ensure we are well-positioned for long-term growth. These are difficult decisions, and we are committed to treating impacted employees with dignity and respect." Previously, there were rumors that Intel intended to sell its Bengaluru office as part of its commitment to a "Hybrid-first" approach. The company reportedly planned to engage in a lease arrangement with the prospective new owners. As per a media report, as a hybrid-first organization, they are actively evaluating and enhancing their space utilization to cultivate more dynamic work environments for their employees during on-site periods, all while achieving cost efficiencies. Consequently, the company would be consolidating specific offices in Bengaluru. Despite this, Bengaluru retains its significance as a crucial hub for Intel's design and engineering efforts, boasting around 14,000 employees stationed in the area. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! New York-headquartered WeWork Inc recently cautioned that it may be unable to remain in business thanks to financial losses and increased member churn amid prolonged weakness in the commercial real estate market. While this is not the first time the global provider of shared working spaces has signaled uncertainty, it has led to obvious questions about the impact on its Indian affiliate. Will WeWorks troubles affect WeWork Indias growth plans? WeWork vs WeWork India Six years since its launch, WeWork India, in which WeWork Inc owns about 27%, has been one of the companys fastest growing affiliates outside the US. The remaining 73% is owned by an entity of Embassy Group, one of the country's top office developers. Despite the troubles of the parent entity, including co-founder Adam Neumanns unceremonious exit, its turbulent stock market listing and investor concerns about governance, WeWork India has continued to expand in a measured way. While the India affiliate works as an independent entity, it received support at the peak of covid in 2020, when WeWork invested $100 million in it. Will WeWork India be affected? Analysts said the liquidity issues of WeWork in the US, where 40-45% of its business comes from, may make it hard for the company to offer financial support in the short to medium term to its affiliates in other countries, including India. WeWork India, however, has no immediate plans to raise funds after mopping up 550 crore from BPEA Credit, a private credit platform, last December. WeWork India chief executive Karan Virwani said WeWork continues to be a category-defining brand. The recent news of WeWork globally did stir up questions among tenants and members in India, but Virwani said the management has explained to them that business in the country will continue as usual. People know we are a separate entity, and we want to build on that. But the brand carries tremendous value and matters even today," he added. How has WeWork India fared so far? Even as profitability remains elusive for WeWork Inc, WeWork India clocked revenues of 1,400 crore in 2022-23 and EBITDA of 250 crore. EBITDA is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Amid speculation that WeWork will file for bankruptcy in the US, Virwani said the April-June quarter of FY24 has seen big growth in WeWork Indias revenue, with sales of 12,000 desks across cities. It has added 14,000 desks since April and is present in seven cities. Its portfolio comprises 90,000 desks and 70,000 members. The company, which saw a slowdown before and during the pandemic as it focused on turning profitable, has returned to the growth track in the past two years. However, it plans to continue operating in the top cities and has not ventured into tier-2 markets like some of its peers. WeWork India, which opened its 50th workspace in Delhis Eldeco Centre, with 700 desks and 54,000 sq ft of space, remains one of the largest operators in the flexible workspace sector. The future of WeWork and co-working in India Indias flexible workspace market is expected to hit 126 million sq ft by 2027 from the current 46.7 million sq ft, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22%, according to a May report by IndiQube-CRE Matrix. The demand for flexible workspaces, particularly since the pandemic, has caused a shift towards remote and hybrid working. An array of digital products that WeWork India introduced during covid to bring members back, has seen good demand and continues to grow. For instance, the on-demand pass, which did about 20 crore of sales last year, is expected to double this year. It offers day passes, hot desks, dedicated desks, ready-to-move-in private offices, managed offices and virtual offices. It plans to add roughly 20,000 desks every year to address the demand for both flexible and managed workspaces. The flexible workspace industry has been seeing consolidation since 2019. WeWork Indias rivals include Table Space, Smartworks, IndiQube, Awfis, Simpliwork Offices and CoWrks. However, Virwani said while most operators are focused on enterprise managed solutions, WeWork India will stick to its policy of offering space to both companies and individuals on a co-working and managed office-led model. Adani CBI investigation: It was reported by PTI that the CBI has concluded its investigation into allegations of irregularities in the contract awarding process for the supply of imported coal to the Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation, which involved Adani Enterprises and a former chairman of the National Cooperative Consumer Federation. The central agency has filed the closure report for the 2020 case, which also included bookings for senior adviser S C Singhal and then-NCCF managing director G P Gupta, before a special CBI court, according to PTI report. Following the case registration in 2020, the federal agency booked G P Gupta, the then NCCF managing director, and S C Singhal, the senior adviser. The closure report for the case was filed before a special CBI court. Following a three-year preliminary investigation, the CBI filed a case against Adani Enterprises, former NCCF chairman Virender Singh, and others in 2020. The investigation was prompted by a complaint filed by Premraj Kuar, the deputy secretary of the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution at the time, as per PTI report. The Special Court has been informed by the CBI that Kuar has voluntarily retired from his position. As a result, letters have been given to both the retired officer and the current incumbent asking them to attend the hearing on the following day, said the PTI news report. Based on the investigation's conclusions, the CBI filed a case of cheating and corruption against Adani Enterprises and the previous NCCF chairman of the multi-state cooperative for allegedly manipulating the process of choosing a supplier for Andhra Pradesh's power plants' coal supplies. The Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO) had, according to the CBI FIR, issued a limited tender enquiry on June 29, 2010, for the supply of six lakh metric tonnes (MT) of imported coal via seaports to the Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant (RTPP) in Kadapa and the Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Plant (Vijayawada). "The agency had alleged that senior officers of the NCCF did post tender negotiations with Adani Enterprises to give it undue benefits even though the company did not qualify," PTI said in its report. It had lodged a complaint against the company and its officials for allegedly engaging in criminal conspiracy and deception, as well as for potentially benefiting the Ahmedabad-based company and breaching tender process norms under the terms of the Prevention of Corruption Act. ADANI ENTERPRISES More Information "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The occupiers of the corner office at the countrys biggest blue-chip companies have a reason to cheer even as firms grapple with slowdown in the global markets and high inflation that has impeded demand. The median pay for Sensex companies leaders jumped 31.2% to at least a five-year high of 17 crore in 2022-23, showed a Mint analysis of data from the annual reports of these 30 firms. This was despite a mere 9.1% growth in the aggregate net profit of the 30 firms. The compensation here refers to that of the executive head in each company, which could be the chief executive, chairperson or managing director. The compensation has risen from a low base as 2021-22 was a muted year from a growth perspective and shareholders were also not comfortable with CEOs taking large compensations [during the pandemic]," said Shriram Subramanian, the founder and managing director of corporate governance advisory firm InGovern Research Services. In comparison to the pre-covid period, the median remuneration of executive heads has shot up from 11.8 crore in 2018-19, recording a 44.2% growth. All this while, workers' pay trailed. The average increase in the median employee remuneration in these companies (where data was available) was around 9.7%. There were a few outliers like Larsen & Toubro Ltd and Tech Mahindra Ltd that saw a rise in employees compensation notwithstanding a pay cut at the top level. Meanwhile, the total costs on employees other than executive heads increased 14.8% (note that this doesnt reflect salary changes as it also depends on changes in workforce size). Head Honchos The typical remuneration of executive heads steering the firms includes components such as salary, bonus, perquisites and stock options. While the overall compensation structure has largely remained stable for some years, top bosses have pocketed big pay packages through employee stock options (ESOPs) with a run-up in stock prices. Among the leaders running the major Indian firms, Thierry Delaporte, the managing director and CEO of Wipro Ltd, earned the heftiest pay cheque of 82.4 crore in 2022-23, which included a salary of 9.6 crore, allowances amounting to 3.6 crore and a variable pay of 10.7 crore. This was followed by another IT peer, Salil Parekh, the managing director and CEO of Infosys Ltd, who took home 56.5 crore: he earned a fixed salary of 7.1 crore, while perquisites on account of stock options exercised totalled 30.6 crore. Companies should reward their CEOs more for growth and as long as it is performance-linked, it is fine," Subramanian said. The compensation levels in the higher echelons of public-sector firms trail those at their private peers: The heads of state-run firms such as NTPC Ltd and Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd earned just a notch above 1 crore, while the chairman of State Bank of India, Indias largest lender, drew 37 lakh in 2022-23. Bridging the Gap? Meanwhile, there were some encouraging trends as the average wage gap between top executives and employees in many companies came downin some cases substantially. Out of the 23 Sensex companies with data available for both 2021-22 and 2022-23 (this excludes Reliance Industries Ltd and Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, where the executive heads didnt draw a salary), 12 saw a decline in their head-to-median-employee pay ratios. This includes JSW Steel Ltd, whose chairperson earned 629 times the median employeecompared to 1,859 times in 2021-22. At Tech Mahindra, the ratio declined from 1,189 times to 467 times, while this ratio came down from 670 times to 378.5 times at Larsen & Toubro. MINT SPECIALS No Network Server Issue Internet Not Available Mithun Sacheti, cofounder of the online jewellery marketplace CaratLane comes from a family of jewellers and is a certified gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America. He set up Jaipur Gems in Chennai in 2000. CaratLane was started as a purely online brand in 2008, looking at the fast-growing affordable and accessible jewellery market. In an interview with Mint in August 2015, Sacheti said that he decided he had to do something differently, and the best way was to use the internet. Look, a regular jewellery store can open a 10,000 sq. ft shop but it only has one door. On the Internet, people can discover a gamut of products sitting in their own homes. We dont market crazily or advertise wildly but the traction is built because they have seen it online. And the more they see, the more they buy," Sacheti had said. How the Big Bull Of India Rakesh Jhunjhunwala influenced Mithun Sacheti In a Youtube show (Neon) in February 2023, Mithun shared how a dinner with Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, the Big Bull of India, convinced him to buy out his co-founder. And this business strategy helped CaratLane grow its business by 100x!, the cofounder had explained on the show. Mithun Sacheti Education He did his graduation from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics. As per his LinkedIn profile, he also studied at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore from 2009-10. Tata Group's watch and jewellery retailing arm, Titan, has announced it would buy a 27.18 percent stake in Mithun Sacheti's CaratLane. The family has earned 4621 crore in cash from the deal. This is possibly the second-largest exit for a founder after Flipkart's Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal. CaratLane Founder and Managing Director Mithun Sacheti said: "Looking into the future, there couldn't be a more ideal destination for CaratLane than Titan and the esteemed Tata Group who will provide the perfect opportunities for CaratLane to continue to grow from strength to strength." Titan CaratLane deal acquisition completion Titan expects the acquisition to be completed by October 31, 2023, subject to the timely receipt of requisite regulatory approvals from the Competition Commission of India (CCI). BINNY More Information "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! America's top trustbusters mean to make their policing presence felt. Lawyers, bankers and financiers now recognise that there are cops on the beatthat were vigorously looking to protect the American public from illegal mergers," says Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces consumer-protection and competition laws. Whether Ms Khan, who became the youngest-ever chair of the FTC two years ago this month (she is 34), is a good or bad cop is a matter of fierce debate. Progressives applaud the greater scrutiny she has brought to companies conductincluding her latest lawsuit, announced on June 21st, against Amazon, for alleged deception involving its Prime subscription service. Corporate America loathes her more partisan, boisterous approach to merger enforcement. Others accuse her of treating all big firms as criminals and most mergers as offences. David Gelfand, a lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb who worked on antitrust in the Obama administration, compares the approach to going into a neighbourhood and saying you have a crime problem, so youre going to stop-and-frisk everybody". Joe Bidens appointment of Ms Khan was a signal of seriousness about fighting corporate concentration. In 2021 the White House issued an executive order calling on agencies across government to focus on competition. It reckoned the dominance of a small number of firms in many markets meant higher prices and lower wages. Ms Khan was a surprising pick, given her lack of experience as a legal practitioner. (She rose to prominence as a law student in 2017 thanks to an article arguing that Amazon was a monopolist, and later worked for Congress, as a law professor and at a think-tank.) Mr Biden also appointed Jonathan Kanter, a lawyer who had worked against Google, to lead the antitrust division at the Department of Justice (DoJ). The two have spearheaded a campaign to reboot trustbusting. They are pushing beyond the consumer-welfare" standard (examining consumer prices) to encourage a broader look at other harms, including to labour and small businesses. How successful have they been? They have certainly reframed public thinking about trustbusting. Six years ago, if you didnt buy into the consumer-welfare standard, you werent a serious person. Now thats completely gone," says Luigi Zingales, a finance professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. View Full Image (Graphic: The Economist) Through the threat of lawsuits and requests for information, which boost legal bills and the uncertainty of closing mergers, the trustbusters have also deterred some splashy dealmaking. So far this year there have been 4,955 deals in America, according to Dealogic, a data firm, only 3% fewer than the average for the same period over the five years before. But the total value is down some 40% on the previous average, suggesting firms are avoiding larger acquisitions (see chart). Target companies are insisting on bigger break-up fees should an acquisition not fly. For example, Figma, a software company, will get $1bn in cash from Adobe, its potential acquirer, if the $20bn deal is scuttled. (The DoJ is said to be considering suing to block it.) But on the legal front the trustbusters, especially at the FTC, have notched up plenty of losses. The most significant court victory has been the Justice Departments challenge to Penguin Random Houses proposed $2.1bn takeover of a rival publisher, Simon & Schuster. In October a judge concurred that the deal would hand the publisher more pricing control over authors earnings, and blocked it. High-profile lawsuits are still winding their way through the courts, including two against Google (one initiated during the Trump administration, one by Mr Kanters office, which is seeking to break up Googles advertising business). That one will be heard by a jury, instead of a judge, next year, in an effort to bring antitrust back to the people. Its been at least 50 years, if not longer, since weve done a case like this in front of a jury," says Mr Kanter. Another big lawsuit against Amazon, possibly over giving preferential treatment to its own goods and services, is in the offing this year, predicts Konstantin Medvedovsky, an antitrust-watcher who works for a fund betting on merger outcomes. Ms Khan has taken a more speculative approach. Having argued that enforcers of yore were too timid to fight tech deals that snuffed out competition, such as past acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram by Facebook (now Meta), she challenged Metas deal for Within, a fledgling maker of virtual-reality fitness apps. But a judge rejected the FTCs request for an injunction. More recently the FTC sued a second time to block Microsofts $69bn acquisition of Activision, a gaming firm, arguing it could suppress competition in the video-game market. A hearing was set to begin on June 22nda very public test of whether Ms Khan is choosing the right deals to contest. Lacking a federal privacy law or new antitrust legislation, which Congress has not approved, Ms Khan has persevered alone. But in some instances she has sued on the grounds not of whats currently illegal but whats undesirable", says Matt Perault, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That could backfire. When you start losing cases, you set back the cause," says Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary. The administrations mixed record reveals three things it missed as it set out to attack corporate concentration. First, there is a problem of competing goals. The court is extraordinarily friendly to large corporate interest", points out Nancy Rose of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, yet Mr Biden has not made it a priority to appoint judges with expertise in antitrust, pushing instead to diversify the bench by race and background. It mystifies me that there hasnt been more effort to go to school on a strategy that [President Ronald] Reagan used very successfully," which was nominating like-minded judges on antitrust, says Bill Kovacic of George Washington University Law School, a former FTC chair. To shore up the stability of the financial system, meanwhile, big banks have been allowed to merge with smaller, failed ones: an administration that has tried to fight consolidation has thus enabled it. Busting trust The second problem is that the person with vision for a movement may not be the best person to lead it. The arguments they used to achieve power have gotten in the way of exercising it," says Mr Kovacic. Ms Khan took command after saying that the agencies had been failing for decades to do proper policing. That has dented morale, especially at the FTC. A poll last year of employees found that 49% said they trusted senior leadership, down from 80% in 2019. (Some observe that Mr Kanter has been more diplomatic in his criticism of staffs past work than Ms Khan, and also more strategic in the cases he has brought.) The administration has also underestimated unintended consequences. Ms Khan has pushed the FTC to try to accomplish a lot through new rules, including banning non-competes" (which bar employees from working for a competitor) and asserting its authority to pursue privacy violations. In many ways, I view my tenure as a conservative one," says Ms Khan. Were really going back to the original vision of the FTC as Congress envisioned it." But the courts and Congress may not see it that way. The Supreme Court could ultimately take up the question of the FTCs authority and circumscribe it. Still, antitrust is a long game. It took 12 years for the Reagan administration"eight under Reagan, four under his successor, George H.W. Bushto get where they wanted on antitrust doctrine. Were in year two," says Tim Wu of Columbia Law School, who worked in the White House on competition policy. Technology, including the rise of AI, will surely affect competition, but it is too early to say how, says Mark Warner, a Democratic senator. Some wonder how much of Mr Bidens policy will outlast him if he does not win a second term, given his limited victories so far in court and the threat that some of the signature policies will be challenged there, including the ban on non-competes. Others are more optimistic. Bashing big business has become more common among populist Republicans, including a prominent presidential aspirant, Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida. The politics of this have changed, and no one wants to be on the other side of it," insists Mr Wu. Look out for Republican presidential hopefuls competing on competition policy. Correction (June 21st): A previous version of the chart in this story incorrectly valued the total of American mergers and acquisitions. This has been fixed. Stay on top of American politics with Checks and Balance, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter, which examines the state of American democracy and the issues that matter to voters. For more coverage of Joe Bidens presidency, visit our dedicated hub and follow along as we track shifts in his approval rating. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Tamil superstar Rajinikanth Saturday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence in Lucknow. Before the meeting, Rajinikanth touched Yogi Adityanaths feet. Soon after the video of Tamil superstars exchange with Yogi Adityanath went viral, it has caused a furore amongst Tamil movie fans. The actor has received criticism and as well as appreciation from people of various political leanings for his act. Monday night, the 'Jailer' star arrived back in Chennai and briefly interacted with media persons who were stationed outside the airport. On being asked about his reaction to the controversy around touching the feet of UP CM, Thalaivar said that he did that gesture out of respect." It is my habit to touch the feet of Yogis or Sanyasis and take their blessings, even if they are younger to me, I have done that only." YOGI More Information During his visit to Uttar Pradesh, Rajinikanth also organised a special screening of his film 'Jailer' which was attended by UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. He met Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav at his residence as well. He also paid a visit to Surya Command and interacted with all ranks and families. He expressed deep gratitude and appreciation for Indian Army's service to the nation. While a section criticised him for showing reverence to UP Chief Minister, another section appreciated him for showing respect towards a Hindu saint. Auser by nameChaitanya said, The biggest facepalm and cringefest video of the month, Yash Raj Films has announced a new movie titled The Great Indian Family starring Vicky Kaushal directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya that will release in cinemas on 22 September. Acharya has directed films like Dhoom 3 and Thugs of Hindostan in the past. Founded by filmmaker Yash Chopra in 1970 and now led by his son Aditya, YRF is known for films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, Mohabbatein, Ek Tha Tiger, War and Pathaan, among many others. The kind of content you put out will define the success or failure of films. For us, the story has become the star of all future content. Its something that we all have to take seriously. We took a lot for granted and, as a nation, we are very loving of our stars. So, when they do their best work, they get love. But sometimes they have gotten away without doing their best work also. Now, the stars also have to do their best work. I think if 2022 has taught us anything, its primarily that a huge star needs a very good story for a successful film. And its worldwide, not just in India," Akshaye Widhani, chief executive, Yash Raj Films had said in a recent interview to Mint. Widhani had added that the company hasnt announced any releases yet for 2024, so it could be a leaner year than 2022 or 2023 in terms of releases. It has scheduled Salman Khan-starrer Tiger 3 for this Diwali. The strategy is we must put out the best version of a film, and our audiences demand and expect that from us. Today, they consume a lot of Hollywood content, and when a consumer gets certain technical effects, VFX or action design from one industry, they are right to expect it from other industries as well. So, we have to work harder with much smaller budgets and more limited resources," he had said. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Small-cap stock below 5: Vikas Ecotech Ltd has declared to become a debt-free company by the end of current financial year 2023-24. In its latest exchange filing, the small-cap company has informed Indian stock market that it has paid up to 101.20 crore band debt from its peak and now just 60 crore band debt now left to be repaid. The company went on to add that it would repay an additional 10 crore by end of second quarter of the current financial year. Informing Indian bourses about the debt repayment, the small-cap stock below 5 said, In terms of Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, we would like to update you on the captioned subject that the Company has paid back another Rs. 50 Million Approx. ( 5 crore), taking the total amount of bank-debt down to Rs. 600 Million Approx. ( 60 crore) and the overall bank-debt reduction of Rs. 1012 Million ( 101.20 crore) till date from the peak." Mauritius-based FII backed company went on to add, It may please further be noted that post the current Repayment, the Company intends to payback additional Rs. 100 Million ( 10 crore) before the close of this quarter, bringing down the debt levels to 500 Million Approx. ( 50 crore), paving the way towards becoming a 'ZERO Debt Company' within F.Y.2023-24." VIKAS ECOTECH More Information The penny stock below 5 has set a goal for becoming a 100 per cent Debt Free entity within FY 2023-2024 under Debt Reduction Program, on persistence and support extended by the promoters of the Company. You are requested to take the information on record and oblige. FII-backed company Recently, Mauritius-based foreign institutional investor AG Dynamic Funds Limited bought stake in this small-cap company. The stake buy was in line with the fund raise drive of Vikas Ecotech Ltd where the small-cap company allotted fresh equities to AG Dynamic Funds Limited and two other FIIs. Other two FIIs were Vikasa Global Fund PCC- Eubilia Capital Partners Fund I and Calypso Global Investment Fund. The small-cap company had informed BSE that fund raise committee of the company approved 8,04,00,000 company shares to the Mauritius-headquartered FII whereas 8,03,00,000 shares were allotted to Vikasa Global Fund PCC- Eubilia Capital Partners Fund I. The fund raise committee allotted 1,78,00,000 shares to Calypso Global Investment Fund. These shares were allotted at a price of 2.80 apiece. This means net fund raised from these FII investment in the company was 49.98 crore. Out of these 49.98 crore, AG Dynamics Funds Limited bought this penny stock worth 22,51,20,000 or around 22.51 crore. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Union Bank of India 's board has approved raising of up to 5,000 crore through qualified institutional placement (QIP) and set a floor price of 91.10 per share, according to a regulatory filing today. The committee of directors of the public sector bank made the decision to raise capital funds during their meeting earlier in the day. We wish to inform you that the Committee of Directors on for Raising Capital Funds has at its meeting held today i.e. August 21, 2023, inter alia: approved the raising of funds for an amount not exceeding 5,000 crore through issue of equity shares through QIP subject to the requisite regulatory /statutory approvals, as applicable," the bank said in an exchange filing today. Additionally, the public sector bank stated in an exchange filing that the Committee of Directors for Raising Capital Funds will meet on August 24, to discuss and approve the issue price, along with any applicable discount allowed by the SEBI ICDR Regulations, for the equity shares that will be distributed to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with the issue. the Bank may offer a discount of not more than 5% on the Floor Price so calculated for the Issue," the bank said in an exchange filing. The Bank will decide the Issue Price after consulting with the Book Running Lead Managers (BRLM) assigned to the QIP Issue. Union Bank of India announced its April-June quarter results for fiscal 2023-24 (Q1FY24) on July 20, reporting a surge of 107 per cent in net profit to 3,236 crore on a standalone basis, compared to 1,558.5 crore in the corresponding period last year. The profit after tax has almost doubled in the June quarter driven by a higher core income and significantly lower provisions reported by the state-owned lender. The bank's net interest income - the difference between interest earned and interest expended, grew 16.6 per cent to 8,839.7 crore in the first quarter of current fiscal, compared to 7,581.7 crore in the year-ago period. Also Read: Union Bank Q1 Results: PAT surges 107% to 3,236 crore on higher income, NII up 16%; asset quality improves On Monday, Union Bank of India share price closed 2.81% lower at 91.80 apiece on BSE. UNION BANK OF INDIA More Information "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport became the first airport in the northeast to get Digi Yatra facility. The Digi Yatra service will be available in three major areas of the airport, namely - first entrance, check-in and boarding areas. Assam Industries & Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary while speaking on the occasion said (as quoted by PTI), "Earlier, people needed to wait in long queues at Guwahati airport. This will be a thing of the past from now," Meanwhile, Union Civil Aviation Secretary Rajeev Bansal while noting that Digi Yatra is a new initiative and more progress will be made in the future said, Passengers will be able to register their documents on the Digi Yatra app and enter the airport by scanning their faces. The gate will open as soon as the face will be recognised on the camera," Utpal Baruah, Chief Airport Officer, LBBI, noted that the facility will make air travel hassle-free and hoped that a majority of passengers in the North East will use this facility in future. He added that the Digi Yatra facility is currently available only for Indigo and Akasa passengers at Guwahati airport, but added that it will soon be offered by other airlines as well. What is Digi Yatra initiative? According to a release from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Digi Yatra uses facial recognition technology to provide a seamless and hassle-free experience to passengers at airports. The aim of Digi Yatra facility is to eliminate the need for verification of tickets and IDs at various touch points. The ministry noted that no personally identifiable information (PII) of passengers is stored during the Digi Yatra process and all passenger data is encrypted and stored in their smartphone wallet. (With inputs from PTI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The BRICS group of major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - will hold its 15th heads of state and government summit in Johannesburg between August 22 and August 24. Regarding the chances of a bilateral meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has said that the Prime Minister's schedule is still being developed. Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to South Africa and Greece, Kwatra, in a special press briefing said, "As I mentioned in my remarks, the host country South Africa has invited a large number of guest countries, besides of course the BRICS members who would be present there." "The Prime Minister's schedule in terms of bilateral meetings with those leaders who would be present in South Africa is still being developed," Kwatra said. Notably, Prime Minister Modi will depart for the BRICS Summit tomorrow morning to join the leaders of Brazil, China and South Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa. "Prime Minister will depart tomorrow morning for Johannesburg where he would be participating in the 15th BRICS Summit that starts tomorrow and concludes on 24th August...," the Foreign Secretary informed during the special presser today. It was in November last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali, Indonesia. India and China have been in a stand-off situation for the last three years and relations at all levels have deteriorated due to the tensions on borders. The two sides have held 19 rounds of talks so far to address the boundary issues in Eastern Ladakh since 2020 post-Chinese aggression there. oreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Monday said that India has a really positive intent for the expansion of BRICS and supports it with an open mind. In a special briefing ahead the Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to South Africa for the BRICS meeting, he said, "In so far as BRICS expansion is concerned, we have been clear from the start that we have positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. Those are the subject matters of ongoing current discussion between the Sherpas of the BRICS in South Africa and I would not want to prejudge the outcome of the discussions." Kwatra added, There is considerable interest in many countries to become part of BRICS and to associate themselves with BRICS to leverage various opportunities that the alliance presents for itself." *With inputs from agencies "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday ordered the suspension of the government official rape accused who has been booked for allegedly raping his friend's daughter several times and impregnating her. He also sought a report from the chief secretary by 5 pm today, according to ANI reports. The official belongs to the Delhi government's Women and Child Development department. Police informed that the girl was staying with the accused a deputy director in the WCD department and his family at their house after her father passed away on October 1, 2020, PTI reported. The government officer had allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021, said a senior police officer, adding that his wife has also been charged with giving her medicine to terminate the pregnancy. In an official statement, the government said, He (the accused) is a deputy director in the WCD Department. Since an FIR has been lodged in the alleged matter, the law should take its course." "The Delhi government is sensitive in regard to such serious matters of women's safety and child abuse. If he has committed any such reprehensible act, the sternest possible action should be taken against him," the statement added. The matter came to light when the girl who is now in Class 12, recently narrated the incident to a counselor at a hospital where she was admitted following an anxiety attack, police said as quoted by PTI. The officer said that when the minor allegedly became pregnant, she informed the wife of the accused who later asked her son to get medicines for pregnancy termination and gave them to the girl. In January 2021, the girl returned home with her mother when she came to meet her. She had an anxiety attack in August this year and her mother admitted her to St Stephen's hospital, where the girl narrated the whole incident during the counseling session, the officer added. After this, the hospital informed the Burari police station here and a case was registered against the accused under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police said. Police registered the case under Indian Penal Code sections 376(2)(f), 509, 506, 323, 313, 120B, and provisions of the POCSO Act. The officer said that the victim's statement is yet to be recorded before the magistrate. Also, an inquiry is being conducted into the matter. They added the survivor is still recovering and is under care. DCW chief Swati Maliwal condemned the rape case and demanded his arrest at the earliest. In Delhi, a government officer sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department has been accused of sexually abusing a girl child. The police haven't arrested him yet. Issuing notice to Delhi Police. If the one whose job was to protect the daughters turns into a predator, then where will the girls go! Must be arrested soon," Swait Maliwal tweeted. Speaking to ANI, Maliwal said, A government officer who was sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department for so long, has been accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl and when she got pregnant, he and his wife tried to abort the pregnancy." We have issued notice to Delhi Police, why is he not arrested yet, we are also issuing a notice to Delhi govt because we want to know what are the complaints against him and what actions have been taken against him..," she added. AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also condemned the case and called it a horrific incident. "This is a horrific incident...This incident has shamed humanity. Action should have been taken by now. Since action was not taken, CM Arvind Kejriwal has himself ordered the suspension of the official," the minister told ANI. (With inputs from agencies) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Delhi Police on Monday detained the now-suspended rape-accused Delhi government official Premoday Khakha. He has been booked for allegedly raping his deceased friend's minor daughter for several months. The Delhi government official has been booked for allegedly raping his friend's minor daughter several times and impregnating her, police had said on Sunday. The girl was staying with the accused and his family at their house after her father passed away on October 1, 2020. The accused deputy director and his wife are being interrogated. Any other witnesses or accused will be made a part of the investigation," said DCP North District Sagar Singh Kalsi on Delhi govt official accused of raping a minor girl On rape accused Delhi govt official, DCP North District Sagar Singh Kalsi says "The accused has been detained and we are interrogating him. His statement is being recorded". DCP North District Sagar Singh Kalsi says " A case was registered in Burari PS of North District. The 17-year-old girl lost her father in Oct 2020. Later, the girl was sent to the residence of her deceased father's family friend who is the accused (Delhi govt official) in the case now. She submitted that in Nov-Dec 2020 and Jan 2021 she was raped by her local guardian. When she told this to the accused's wife, the woman threatened her and also made her undergo an abortion. The girl has been under stress and tension. She also suffered panic attacks after the incident. During her treatment & mediation, the incidents came to light. The doctors have advised that the girl is not fit to give a statement. Action will be taken after recording the girl's statement" "He (the accused) is a deputy director in the WCD Department. Since an FIR has been lodged in the alleged matter, the law should take its course. The Delhi government is sensitive in regard to such serious matters of women's safety and child abuse. If he has committed any such reprehensible act, the sternest possible action should be taken against him," the Delhi government said in a statement. Police said the case was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 376(2)(f)(being a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on such woman), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 313 (causing miscarriage without women's consent), 120B ( (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the POCSO Act. The girl's statement is yet to be recorded before the magistrate, the police officer said, adding that an inquiry is being conducted into the matter. *with inputs from agencies "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Delhi Police home guard lost his life when he was allegedly stabbed by a father-son duo in a village in Faridabad. The altercation that led to the brutal act occurred following a dispute over bathing in the open in the evening of August 19, reported Times of India. The a 50-year-old victim, Dharampal Kashyap, had returned home from work when he was approached by Pawan Kaushik and his son Ajay outside his residence in Garkheda village at around 7 pm. An argument ensued, and one of them produced a small sword, stabbing Dharampal in the chest. As he fell to the ground, the assailants fled the scene. Dipanshu, Dharampal's 14-year-old son, described the incident, saying, My father parked his bike outside and called me and my brother to help him carry some construction material." He added, "Pawan and Ajay approached my father and started arguing with himthey had a sword.. hid it under the shirt. In a couple of minutes, they whipped it out and stabbed my father in the chest." Also read: Independence Day 2023: Delhi Police on high alert, issues advisory, warns about potential impersonation The injured home guard was initially taken to Civil Hospital in Dayalpur and subsequently referred to Badshah Khan Hospital. He was declared dead on arrival. According to Bharat Kaushik, Dharampal's 25-year-old nephew, the two families were engaged in a longstanding dispute. He explained, Their kids would bathe in the open despite repeated objections by my uncle." He added, "This would cause waterlogging in the area and cause inconvenience to anyone who passed the stretch. Around 15 days ago, my uncle had asked them to stop the kids from bathing in the open. But they abused him." Also read: Delhi police trains 19 women commandos as Markswomen for G20 summit Family members claim that Dharampal was constructing a bathroom within his property, and the neighbour's children bathing in the open disrupted his construction work, reported Times of India. Dharampal leaves behind two sons and two daughters, all aged between 12 and 16. His wife passed away 12 years ago. "His children were his life. When he wasn't at work, he would spend time with them," said Bharat. As of now, the accused individuals have not been arrested, despite 24 hours passing since the alleged murder. Surendra Kumar, the SHO of Chhainsa police station, confirmed that a case has been registered against the two suspects under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intentions) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Arms Act. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! 10 people, including five forest department officials, have been stuck in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district. Reportedly, the situation isn't life-threatening and authorities are working on getting the trapped people rescued soon. Here are 10 updates on Himachal Pradesh rains: 1) Around 17 bodies have been recovered after a landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Summer Hill region on August 14. Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh Prabodh Saxena has said two bodies from a family are yet to be recovered. 2) One rescue operation is going on in the Shiv Mandir and so far 17 bodies have been recovered. Two bodies of a family of seven are still to be recovered. It seems that there are three more bodies. I had a word with the district authorities and I think they will be able to recover these bodies in another 2-3 days," Saxena told ANI. 3) According to latest figures by the Himachal Pradesh government, monetary loss owing to natural calamities in the state since June 24 has gone over 8,000 crore. 4) Ten people, including five forest officials were stuck in Mandi's Koldam area owing to rising water levels and incessant rainfall on Sunday. 5) NDRF Deputy Commissioner of Mandi Arindam Chaudhary told ANI, Ten people, including five forest department officials and five locals, got stuck in a boat at Kol Dam reservoir due to a rise in water level. NDRF and local administration teams are present on the spot. Rescue operation underway," 6) India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh from August 22-24 and also issued an Orange alert. Meanwhile, a Yellow alert has been issued for heavy rainfall in the state on August 21, reported PTI. 7) The weather department has also warned about moderate risk of flash floods in catchment areas of Mandi and Chambal districts along with a wet spell till August 26. 8) IMD says heavy rains in the state can lead to landslides, flash floods, increased water levels in rivers and drains while also causing damage to standing crops, fruit plants and young seedlings. 9) According to the latest information provided by the state government, the total monetary loss in Himachal has reached 8014.61 crore since June 24. 10) Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said that the central government has released 662 crores for Himachal Pradesh. He told ANI, "A total of 662 crores have been given by the Central Govt to the Himachal Pradesh Govt. Even today, PM Modi has announced to provide additional 200 crores to the state". "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorm accompanied by lightning or very intense to extremely intense spell of rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Uttarakhand's Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat and Bageshwar districts in the next 24 hours, ANI reported The weather department has issued an orange alert for Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat and Bageshwar districts while a yellow alert has been issued for Haridwar, Tehri, Chamoli, Udham Singh Nagar and Pithoragarh districts. Heavy rains in Uttarakhand had triggered landslides and flash floods in several places, officials said. Even today, a part of the famous Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple in Dehradun has collapsed following incessant rain. Devotees faced problems as the way leading to the temple's entrance was partially blocked due to the falling of trees. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand police today urged people to not venture near banks of rivers in view of the continuous heavy rainfall in the State. Chamoli police took to microblogging site 'X', formerly known as Twitter, to state Due to the rains in the mountains, the water level of the rivers has increased continuously, due to which frequent landslides are happening at the places along the banks of the river. Chamoli police request you to avoid such places and people living on the banks of the river should be alert." The official Twitter handle of Chamoli police also tweeted a video of a person falling into the river due to a landslide to warn people. Jadavpur University ragging case: Expressing concern on the recent death of a college student due to ragging in Jadavpur University, the University Grants Commission Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said that the university failed to explain the case to the UGC and the actions taken by it in the case. He also said that the UGC will write again to the university for a detailed explanation and action. He reaffirmed that ragging is a serious issue, and like any other university, UGC must follow UGC regulations in letter and spirit for students safety. Recently, a student died after allegedly being ragged and sexually harassed by fellow college students. Similar words were said by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. On Sunday, he said that the report to the UGC by Jadavpur University was not satisfactory". He also said that the TMC government in West Bengal "cannot evade responsibility" for the incident. After the incident, the UGC has made certain suggestions on the anti-ragging system, the minister said. The UGC has suggested the installation of CCTV cameras, a separate cell to deal with ragging cases, and a communication facility. "The University Grants Commission has sought a response from the university on what steps it has taken to implement these suggestions. The UGC has taken the matter seriously, and we have also taken it seriously," Pradhan said on the sidelines of a programme here. The minister expressed concern on the death of the student due to ragging. He said that the UGC will increase surveillance in the matter. On August 9, the 17-year-old died after he fell from a second-floor balcony of the main boy's hostel. His family alleged that the student was constantly ragged by his college seniors. Amid the ongoing row around the death of a first-year-student due to ragging, its science faculty dean resigned from the post, said varsity students. In his resignation letter, Professor Subenoy Chakraborty mentioned personal reason for resignation. A day ahead, Buddhadeb Sau, the head of mathematics department at JU, was appointed interim vice-chancellor by Governor CV Ananda Bose, the ex-officio chancellor of the university. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! NEET row: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) youth wing state secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday slammed Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi over his opposition to the Bill seeking NEET exam abolition in the state, according to a report published by the news agency ANI. Addressing a valedictory function at the one-day hunger strike staged by the DMK youth wing and doctors over the demand seeking exemption of the state from the central exam, Stalin questioned the Governors authority in the matter. Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has got so much arrogance. Who are u, Governor? What authority do you have? He is not RN Ravi, he is RSS Ravi. The Governor has no role other than that of a postman", who should forward all matters approved by the state Assembly to the President," Udhayanidhi Stalin said. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday assured all efforts to ensure NEET exemption for the state. However, Udhayanidhi said DMK won't stop with today's agitation and that it would even stage a protest in Delhi over the issue. He said that the DMK will not stop till Tamil Nadu gets an exemption from the central qualifying test for medical courses, however, the opposition BJP slammed the ruling party in the state for 'politicizing' NEET. Meanwhile, a man in Chennai ended his life by hanging after his 19-year-old son died by suicide on August 13 due to failure in clearing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam twice. Police informed that the deceased has been identified as S Jegadeeswaran (19) who was a NEET aspirant. Udhayanidhi further reacted to the suicide case and held the Central government responsible for it, ANI reported. It's not suicide it is murder, Central Government is responsible for this and AIADMK is joining hands with them. I did not participate in this protest as a minister or MLA. I have participated here as the brother of the student who died while preparing for NEET," Udhayanidhi said. DMK's student wing and the medical wing began a state-wide hunger strike demanding the abolition of the NEET exam in Chennai on Sunday. Udhayanidhi Stalin also participated in the one-day hunger strike. (With ANI inputs) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday allowed a rape victim from Gujarat to terminate her pregnancy. It observed that in Indian society, within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a source of joy for a couple and society. However, outside marriage, it has effects on the mental health of a woman when it is unwanted. The apex court further lashed out the the Gujarat High Court for rejecting the plea earlier saying any HC passing an order against a superior court's ruling is against constitutional philosophy. It cited, What is happening in Gujarat High Court? No court in India can pass an order against a superior court order. It is against constitutional philosophy." Last week, the bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan in a special sitting heard the plea of a rape victim to terminate her pregnancy. It orders her to take a fresh medical examination and seeks the report from the hospital by August 20. On Saturday, The apex court also came down heavily on Gujarat HC saying, "there should be a sense of urgency" and not a "lackadaisical attitude treating it as a normal matter". During the hearing, the apex court was informed by the counsel for the petitioner that the 25-year-old woman had approached the high court on August 7 and the matter was taken up the next day. He said the high court had on August 8 issued a direction for the constitution of a medical board to ascertain the status of pregnancy as well as the health status of the petitioner. The report was submitted on August 10 by the medical college where she was examined, the counsel said. The top court noted that the report was taken on record by the high court on August 11 but "strangely", the matter was listed 12 days later i.e. on August 23 "losing sight of the fact that every day's delay was crucial and of great significance having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case". (With inputs from agencies) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Sonia Gandhi, former Congress President and wife of the late Rajiv Gandhi, spoke at the 25th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award ceremony on Sunday, where she reflected on the numerous achievements of her late husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, during his short but impactful political career. She emphasised that his career was cut short in a very brutal manner," reported ANI. Sonia Gandhi highlighted Rajiv Gandhi's sensitivity to the country's diversity and his dedication to women's empowerment. She said, He was very sensitive towards the diversity of the country. Whatever time he got to serve the nation, he accomplished uncountable achievements." She credited him with pioneering the 1/3 reservation for women in Panchayat and Municipals, a move that led to over 15 lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban bodies today. She also noted that his government lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years. Rajiv Gandhi became India's youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40 in 1984 after the assassination of his mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He served as Prime Minister until December 1989. Also read: Sadbhavana Diwas 2023: 8 interesting facts about former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary Rajiv Gandhi, born on August 20, 1944, was tragically assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. At the event, former Vice President M Hamid Ansari presented the 25th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award for 2020-21 to Banasthali Vidyapith, a women's residential institution in Rajasthan, in the presence of Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The award was handed over to Siddhartha Shastri of the institution. Sonia Gandhi also highlighted the significance of communal harmony, peace, and national unity, particularly in today's climate when the forces giving rise to hatred, division in society, bigotry and politics of bias are gaining momentum, often with the support of those in power. Also read: Rajiv Gandhi birth anniversary: Son Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to father at 14,270 feet today She further added that Rajiv Gandhi was a supporter of the protection and conservation of polymorphism present in India. She praised Rajiv Gandhi's commitment to preserving India's rich diversity, emphasising that unity can only be strengthened by celebrating religious, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural differences. The event, attended by Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and other party leaders, took place at Jawahar Bhawan in Delhi on what would have been Rajiv Gandhi's 79th birth anniversary. Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Robert Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge, paid floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi at his memorial, 'Veer Bhumi,' in Delhi. (With inputs from ANI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Uttar Pradesh's director general of police (DGP) Vijaya Kumar has issued an internal circular in which the police officials were directed to use the Hindu panchang in which it was asked to assess the period. The circular stated that period when the gangs are most likely to commit crime in the state.The panchang is a lunisolar calendar that uses standard Hindu timekeeping units and displays important dates and periods, according to Hindustan Times. The circular which was issued on August 14 has a copy of of the 'panchang'with it and also a directive to police officials across the state to intensify night patrolling during darker nights. The DGP also asked the police officials to do crime mapping of such incidents and identify hot spots. The circular also directs cops to remain alert on Amavasya (no moon day and the darkest night of the lunar month) and even states that the no moon day would happen on August 16, September 14 and October 14. The DGP has directed officials to remain alert a week before and after these dates. On DGPs push, an alert has been raised, especially for dark nights as the criminal gangs are most dangerous during this period. All criminal gangs mostly follow the basic trend of striking during dark nights," explained a police inspector to Hindustan Times, who has studied the modus-operandi of such criminal gangs. Each month has about 15 nights when there is little or no moonlight. This is known as Krishna Paksh in Hindu mythology and this is the time when these gangs generally strike after having studied their victims during brighter nights (Shukla Paksh)," the inspector explained. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Ayodhya's Ram Temple sanctum sanctorum's construction is complete, and the consecration of Ram Lalla is scheduled between January 16 and 24, following Makar Sankranti, as announced by a top official from the temple trust on Sunday, PTI reported. The consecration of Ram Lalla will occur after the completion of the first floor of the temple, according to Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust. Rai, who arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday, met with saints and seers to update them on the temple's construction progress. He also extended an invitation to them to participate in the 10-day Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. Also read: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath inspects Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya Rai expressed that the dreams of millions of Ram devotees will soon come true, and after years of controversy, Ram Lalla will finally be enshrined in his grand temple in Ayodhya. "The consecration of the idol of Ram Lalla in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple will take place on any date between January 16 and 24, 2024, after Makar Sankranti," said Rai. He also noted that 80 percent of the work on the roof of the first floor of the two-story temple is completed. The temple's consecration will take place after the first-floor construction is finished. Rai added that construction activities will continue amid devotees' darshan at the temple, and added that this will not cause any hindrance. Also read: Ayodhya: Ram Temples ground floor in final construction phase Currently, formal invitations to saints and seers are being issued verbally, with official invitations set to be sent out in November. The Pran Pratishtha ceremony will invite seers from all traditions across the country, emphasised Mahant Ravindra Puri, President of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad, who urged all saints, seers, and Lord Ram's devotees to attend the consecration ceremony. Puri also said that he hoped Narendra Modi would secure victory in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections and continue as Prime Minister to lead India's development journey. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an inspection of the ongoing construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 19. (With inputs from PTI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! US President Joe Biden plans to urge all Americans to get a Covid-19 booster shot this autumn to counter a new wave of infections reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a White House official on Sunday as quoted by the news agency Reuters. Moderna on Thursday said that initial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the "Eris" and "Fornax" subvariants in humans. Moderna and other Covid-19 vaccine makers Novavax, Pfizer, and German partner BioNTech SE have created versions of their shots aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant. Pending approval from health regulators in the United States and Europe, the companies expect the updated shots to be available in the coming weeks for the autumn vaccination season. Referring to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus, the official said, We will be encouraging all Americans to get those boosters in addition to flu shots and RSV shots", as per Reuters reports. Earlier on August 17, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that they are tracking a newly identified lineage of the Covid-19 virus. This lineage has been designated as BA.2.86 and has been identified in the United States, Denmark, and Israel. The CDC emphasized that while they continue to gather information about the BA.2.86 lineage, their guidance for protecting oneself from Covid-19 remains unchanged. The CDC shared this information through a post on the messaging platform X. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) also discussed BA.2.86 in a post on X, classifying it as a "variant under monitoring" due to the numerous mutations it carries. WHO reported that only a few sequences of this variant have been identified in a limited number of countries so far. It also they are currently monitoring three variants of interest and seven variants under monitoring. It further emphasized the ongoing need for improved surveillance, sequencing, and reporting of Covid-19, as the virus continues to circulate and undergo changes. (With Reuters inputs) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Pakistans President Arif Alvi sparked a political crisis on Sunday when he claimed he had not signed two crucial bills the Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023. Mint breaks down whats happening. On 9 August, the scourge of ragging claimed its latest victim when a minor student, barely a few weeks into his new campus life at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, ended it by jumping from his hostel building after harassment, torture and sexual debasement. About a dozen seniors prevented the administration and police from entering the campus while trying to ham-handedly doctor the crime scene to make it appear that the victim had committed suicide with no role played by others. Despite ragging (or hazing) being a criminal and a non-bailable offence, over 80% of Indias 20 million students experience some form of it, ranging from mild embarrassment to severe degradation, every year. While day scholars have it easier, those who need to stay in hostels are traumatized for almost a year until they earn their right to subject the next lot of freshers to the same criminal conduct. Professor Raj Kachroo, whose only son Aman was beaten to death in 2009 by four seniors in a government medical college, has been a champion of sensitizing people to a depravity which kills dozens of students and emotionally and physically ravages countless others. His efforts resulted in a landmark judgement by the Supreme Court which expressed dismay at how actions punishable under the Indian Penal Code were so prevalent within the walls of 50,000 odd campuses. An educator himself, Professor Kachroo considers ragging the worst bane of the Indian education system. Its an issue that society and businesses that recruit alumni should deeply be concerned about. Our universities are not only responsible for imparting academic knowledge. They are also accountable for producing well-rounded, emotionally balanced, curious, confident and empathic leaders. It is no small irony that the four who bashed Amans head against a wall until he haemorrhaged to death were studying to be doctors. What kind of doctors can we expect such students to make? The murderers were imprisoned for a mere four years. What, then, is the message sent about the heinousness of such crimes? Those proudly touting Indias youth dividend or deriving inexplicable surrogate pleasure when foreign citizens of Indian origin become heads of (mostly) American companies seem unaware that barring a handful, most higher education establishments in India churn out mediocre talent at best. Almost all organizations invest considerable amounts on training to make these graduates employable. Declarations of a global guru ambition cannot be based on a broken education system that is rife with bullying and sadistic campus rituals year after year. If India hopes to claim its rightful position in the world, it is essential that our next generation is known globally for innovation, creativity, research and a scientific temperament. Ragging or any violent behaviour is an antithesis to that for four reasons. First, victims of ragging are being taught that blind obedience to unsavoury, immoral and illegal instructions is the norm if these come from someone senior. Second, it suffocates core values like empathy, intelligent dissent and an attitude of questioning the status quo, the very values needed for collaboration, innovation and creativity. Third, condoning ragging teaches students that it is okay to break the law because it will not be reported. And even if it is reported, the establishment will likely tolerate it, and even if the guilty are convicted, the punishment will be lenient. Such subliminal tutelage could create a generation of citizens for whom law and rules dont have sanctity. A person who is willing and allowed to break the law while he is a student is hardly likely to uphold it as a professional. An individual who is taught cruelty as a student is unlikely to develop into an empathetic leader. However, the fourth and perhaps most dangerous implication of such barbaric practices is the corrosive impact it has on our society. Ground-breaking work by Murray Bowens, an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, introduced the concept of the multigenerational transmission process, which suggests that patterns of behaviour, emotions and relationships are transmitted across generations. He propounded that individuals inherit not only genetic traits, but also emotional and relational patterns from their parents and experiences. And these patterns influence how individuals respond to stress, form relationships and manage conflicts. We are all victims of victims of victims," held Bowens, emphasizing that every generation imbibes and passes on the value systems and bad behaviours that it collectively experienced to the next. If Indian society and the potential employers of our 20 odd million students dont break this vicious cycle at the earliest possible stage, then we will all have to pay a price for the toxicity it perpetuates. Corporates not only have a responsibility but also the locus standi to insist on that. After all, if they have a say as potential employers in what disciplines and skill-sets students must be taught, then they surely also have the right to demand mindsets that are free of violent behaviour. As Frederick Douglass pointed out, it is easier to bring up strong children than to repair broken men. Raghu Raman is former CEO of the National Intelligence Grid, distinguished fellow at Observer Research Foundation and author of Everymans War. Maharashtra minister for tribal development, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijaykumar Gavit invited trouble for himself within his own ranks, when on Monday he was heard saying that daily consumption of fish would enable one to get eyes as beautiful as former Miss World and Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. A video of the remarks by state tribal minister Vijaykumar Gavit, made at a public function in north Maharashtras Nandurbar district, has gone viral on social media. People who consume fish on a daily basis develop smooth skin and their eyes sparkle. If anyone looks at you, the person will get attracted (towards you). Did I tell you about Aishwarya Rai? She lived near the seashore in Mangaluru. She would consume fish daily. Have you seen her eyes? You will also have eyes like her," the minister is heard saying. The fish contain some oils, it makes your skin smooth," added the 68-year-old minister, whose daughter Heena Gavit is BJPs Lok Sabha member. The comments from Gavit invited scorn from a fellow BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, who said, I eat fish daily. My eyes should have become like that (like those of Aishwarya Rai). I will ask Gavit sahib if there is any research on this." Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Amol Mitkari said the minister should focus on issues faced by tribals, instead of making such "frivolous" comments. Notably, this comment by Gavit comes only weeks after MLA Sanjay Shirsat stated that Aaditya Thackeray sent Priyanka Chaturvedi to the Rajya Sabha after seeing her beauty. The Shinde camp MLA, however, attributed the statement to Maharashtra politician Chadrakant Khaire and said Khaire once told him this about Priyanka Chaturvedi and Aaditya Thackeray. The comments arose when Priyanka Chaturvedi called Shirsat a traitor. The latter Eknath Shinde Camp MLA came back at Chaturvedi saying the the Rajya Sabha MP had also joined Shiv Sena (UBT) after quitting Congress. Priyanka Chaturvedi joined Shiv Sena in 2019 leaving the Congress where she was a national spokesperson. She was unhappy with the reinstatement of some party workers in Congress who had misbehaved with him. In her resignation letter, she wrote that she felt she reached the end of the road and her services were not valued at the party any more. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to land on the South Pole of Earth's satellite Moon on Wednesday, 23 August. 140.76 crore Indians and the world waits with bated breath to see Indian Space Research Oganisation (ISRO)'s spacecraft Chndrayaan-3's lander module make a safe soft landing successfully. The South Pole of the Moon has a rather rough terrain which makes it difficult for spacecrafts to make a soft landing. This, has also increased the mystery around the south pole of the Moon. NASA has described this area as full of mystery, science and intrigue In these regions of the Moon, temperatures plummet to astonishing lows of -414F (-248C) - because the Moon has no atmosphere to warm up the surface. No human has set foot in this completely unexplored world. Then why is the world running to explore the "the dark side of the Moon"? Scientists and expert have attributed this to -WATER. Water on the Moon! Data gathered by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a Nasa spacecraft that has been orbiting the Moon for 14 years, suggests water ice is present in some of the large permanently shadowed craters that could potentially sustain humanity. The region's water ice could supply fuel, oxygen and drinking water for future missions, says Reuters. Water exists as a solid or vapour on the Moon because of the vacuum - the Moon doesn't have enough gravity to hold an atmosphere. The frozen water untainted by the Sun's radiation might have accumulated in cold polar regions over millions of years, leading to the accumulation of ice on or near the surface. This provides a unique sample for scientists to analyse and understand the history of water in our solar system, reads a BBC report. Many countries are planning new human missions to the Moon, and the astronauts will need water for drinking and sanitation. Therefore lunar ice could be the alternative locally sourced option for them. DID YOU KNOW? India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission was the first to find evidence of water on the Moon in 2008. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Russia's Luna-25 crashed on the lunar surface on Sunday, creating a momentary atmosphere of tense if Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO)'s Chandryaan-3 would also see a similar fate. Chandrayaan-3 mission's lander module with a rover in its belly is expected to touch down on the surface of the Moon around 6.04 pm on Wednesday, ISRO had said on Sunday. Live actions will be available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV from 17:27 IST on Aug 23, 2023. The Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after it spun into an uncontrolled orbit, Russia's Roscosmos space agency said on August 20. Communication with Luna-25 was lost at 2:57 pm (1157 GMT) on Saturday, Roscosmos said. According to preliminary findings, the lander "has ceased to exist following a collision with the Moon's surface". "Measures taken on August 19 and 20 to locate the craft and make contact with it were unsuccessful," the space agency added. However, Indian top scientists are confident that India's CHandrayaan-3 would reach the lunar surface carefully and successfully. Is south pole of Moon a tricky landing surface? The lunar far side is the side that faces away from the Earth and is sometimes also called "the dark side of the Moon" because so little is known about it. Scientists say landing there can be a tricky affair. Rough terrain makes a south pole landing difficult for Chandrayaan-3 , but making a first landing would be historic, says Reuters. ISRO said on Sunday that the lander module had been successfully lowered into an orbit closer to the Moon (of 25km by 134km) and is now waiting for the lunar Sun-rise to land. If Chandrayaan-3 is successful, India will be first to land on the lunar south pole. It will also be only the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon after the US, the former Soviet Union and China. Can Chandrayaan-3 land on Moon? Scientists at ISRO have said they learned from the earlier moon mission's failure and made changes to Chandrayaan-3 that would make a successful landing more likely, including making it possible to touch down safely anywhere within an expanded landing zone in adverse conditions. It has also been equipped with more fuel, more solar panels and sturdier legs. On Monday, ISRO said the lander from Chandrayaan-3 has been mapping the landing area and taking images with its "hazard detection and avoidance" camera. ISRO said that the black-and-white images sent by this camera will assist them "in locating a safe landing area - without boulders or deep trenches". What does South Pole of Moon have? There's a lot of interest in the south pole of the Moon which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements. It is sometimes also called "the dark side of the Moon" because so little is known about it. According to several media reports, citing experts, the region's water ice could supply fuel, oxygen and drinking water for future missions. Primary objectives of Chandrayaan-3 The primary objectives of Chandrayaan-3 mission are threefold -- to demonstrate safe and soft landing on lunar surface; to demonstrate rover roving on the moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments. Bonus Trivia on Chandrayaan-3 "If Chandrayaan-3 succeeds, it will boost India's space agency's reputation worldwide. It will show that India is becoming a key player in space exploration," said Manish Purohit, a former ISRO scientist. It would also boost India's reputation for cost-competitive space engineering. The Chandrayaan-3 was launched with a budget of about 6.15 billion rupees ($74 million), less than the cost to produce the 2013 Hollywood space thriller Gravity", according to a Reuters report. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Russia's Luna 25 crashed into the Moon on Sunday, ending the country's dream of being the first to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole. Luna 25 was Russia's first lunar mission in 47 years, since the launch of the Soviet Union's Phobos 2 probe in 198 We take a look at some of the previous lunar missions that failed. Here are top moon missions that failed: Pioneer O: According to The Planetary Society, the world's first lunar mission, led by the United States, failed just 77 seconds after lift-off owing to the rocket's first stage exploding. Luna 1958A, Luna 1958B, Luna 1958C, Luna 1959A, Luna 1960A, Luna 1960B and Luna 1963B: Launched in the years after which they are named, these lunar missions by the former Soviet Union were unsuccessful due to rocket failures at various stages after launch. Longjiang 1: According to Gizmodo, China's Longjiang-1 and Longjiang-2 microsatellites were sent to the Moon in 2018 to conduct ultra-long wavelength astronomical observations in lunar orbit. However, the Longjiang-1 mission failed due to technical problems that prevented it from leaving Earth's orbit. Beresheet: Israel's Beresheet, launched in 2019, was the first privately funded lunar mission. It was also the first attempt by Israel to join the ranks of countries such as the US, Russia and China by landing on the surface of the moon. However, technical failures during the spacecraft's soft landing prevented it from slowing down and subsequently crashing on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-2: ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 Mission failed in its lunar phase because its lander 'Vikram' crashed into the surface of the moon following anomalies in the braking system in the lander while attempting a soft landing on September 7, 2019. Luna-25: Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon on Sunday, leaving the race to first land at the unchartered south pole which the scientists believe contains important reserves of frozen water and precious elements. Luna-25, according to Russias Roscosmos space agency, spun into an uncontrolled orbit before crashing into the Moons surface. Luna-25 was supposed to land on the south pole of the Moon on Monday, August 21. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Hurricanes and floods wreak havoc on the Southern and Eastern coasts in the summer and fall, wildfire season ramps up in the West and heat waves stretch from one side of the country to the other. The devastating fire on the Hawaiian island of Maui earlier this month became the countrys deadliest wildfire in more than a century. And Hurricane Hilary posed a rare threat to Southern California. Scientists believe climate change will make extreme weather events occur more often. When they do, power and cellphone service often fail. But that doesnt mean your tech wont be important or useful. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your tech is ready before an extreme weather eventincluding ways to get in touch with emergency services when you dont have a wireless signal. Juice up your devices The basics are important during a disaster. Include spare batteries, flashlights and hand-cranked radios in your emergency kit, says the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Keep your devices plugged in during bad weather so they will be fully charged if the electricity fails. Top up any power banks you own as a backup. Some newer products from companies such as Anker can juice up your smartphone and laptop at the same time. If you want to go bigger than the pocketable battery packs, WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen recommends buying a portable power station. They are typically the size of a boombox, are cheaper than generators and can be safely operated indoors. They likely wont power your refrigerator for days but can keep your smartphone charged. Solar-powered batteries can be helpful backups, but clouds and thick smoke can block the rays needed to charge them. They also tend to drain quickly when out of direct sunlight, which means they shouldnt be the primary batteries you use, said Tim Frazier, faculty director of the emergency and disaster management program at Georgetown University. To extend the battery life of your devices themselves, turn on the low power modes offered on iPhones and Android phones. That typically dims the screen and limits other functions to consume less energy. And keep your devices away from heat as much as possible, as WSJ senior personal tech columnist Joanna Stern reported. Stay connected If cellphone service and power are down during or after a storm, there is a chance you could still access your home Wi-Fi to text and call others. Just make sure your modem and router are plugged into an external backup battery. The type of internet you have can make a difference, too. Fiber-optic internet can be more reliable than cable internet during storms since it is less vulnerable to outages, said Dane Jasper, chief executive of Sonic, a fiber-optic internet-service provider based in Santa Rosa, Calif. An ISP that has its system running on backup power from generators could also give you internet access, but it isnt guaranteed, he added. Last week, Comcast launched a storm-ready device designed to keep Xfinity customers online by using backup power and cellular connectivity during network and power outages. iPhone 14 users can take advantage of Apples Emergency SOS via Satellite service to contact emergency services when out of cellular range in supported countries. (Older iPhones dont have the necessary hardware, and mainstream Android phones dont yet have satellite connectivity.) You need to be outdoors with a clear view of the sky to connect with the satellites. Prepare to use this service by updating your Medical IDa page in the Health app with your allergies, medications and other informationand by assigning your emergency contacts ahead of time. (You should set those up even if you dont have an iPhone 14. More on that below.) Run a test of the satellite emergency service to familiarize yourself with the process. Open Settings on your iPhone 14 and select Emergency SOS. Under Emergency SOS via satellite, tap Try Demo and follow the instructions. If you are in a real emergency, first try calling 911. If it wont connect, tap the button that says Emergency Text via Satellite. Then fill out a multiple-choice questionnaire about the emergency and who needs help. It can send an alert to your emergency contacts. People who spend a lot of time in remote locations or want to always have backup satellite communication abilities can consider a specialized satellite-messaging device. Garmin and Motorola make such devices, which typically cost $400 or less, plus monthly service fees. Keep tabs on your surroundings Even if you are stuck indoors while the world is raging outside, it is important to stay informed about what is happening around youespecially when circumstances can change quickly. Maui officials said the fire was 100% contained in the morning, only for it to flare up and spread rapidly by the afternoon. The National Weather Service and FEMA send wireless emergency alerts directly to smartphones over cellular networks. These alerts are turned on by default, but you can check in your phones settings to see if you have turned them off accidentally. You can also sign up for power-outage text alerts by following setup instructions from your electric company. You may miss alerts if you dont have cell service, so it is important to have a hand-cranked or battery-powered emergency radio just in case. You can notify friends and family when you call emergency services by setting them as emergency contacts. On iPhones, open the Health app, tap your profile picture, then tap Medical ID. Tap Edit, then scroll to where it says Emergency Contacts and tap the green plus button to add someone new. Choose who you want to add from your Contacts, specify the persons relationship to you, then tap Done to save your changes. Android users can set this up using Googles Personal Safety app, though it might not be available on all Android devices. There are several free tools available to check the air quality in your neighborhood, including Google Maps and Apples built-in Weather app. If smoke from a wildfire seeps into a home, an air-quality monitor that measures pollution can tell you just how bad the air is inside, while an air purifier can help you get rid of it. Look for an air purifier with a faster fan speed and a high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filter to clean larger rooms thoroughly. WSJ reviewers like air purifiers from companies such as Coway. And remember: The most expensive tools arent always essential to survive a disaster. Test your devices regularly, make sure your personal information is up-to-date, and get a head start on charging to make sure they are ready to go when needed. Elon Musks X is reportedly developing identity verification features to combat impersonation. Users will need to upload their government ID and take a selfie with an uncovered camera, says the report. The process, taking around five minutes, involves collaboration with third-party company Au10tix. Users must upload a government ID copy and take a selfie, as per an independent app researcher, namely Nima Owji. According to him, identity verification on the platform owned by Elon Musk demands a functional, exposed camera. Based on a shared screenshot as per Owji, the ID verification process is estimated to last around five minutes, with an option to conceal the verification badge. The disclosure indicates a partnership between X and Israeli firm Au10tix for this verification functionality. Reportedly, X will retain user ID images and biometric data on its servers for a maximum of 30 days, utilizing this data primarily for safety and security, particularly in the prevention of impersonation. Additionally, this information will be shared with Au10tix to validate user identity. Meanwhile, a glitch on the Elon Musk led social media platform has also led to the disappearance of photos and other media posted before 2014. Some angry users on X claimed that the recent glitch on X could be part of the cost-cutting measures enacted by Elon Musk's company. According to a report published in The Verge, the glitch seems to be only affecting posts prior to December 2014 with attached photos and hyperlinks that were converted using the company's built-in URL shortener. The glitch on X also affected one of the most famous tweets on the social media platform by 2014 Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres. Taken after the Oscars, the famous tweet included a selfie featuring celebrities like Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep among others. The comedian had posted the 2014 selfies with the caption, If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever." "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The upcoming 2023 BRICS summit logo features a sun that beams light in five colors: green, blue, orange, red and yellow, representing the current five members of the group. This years summit, to be held in South Africa from Aug. 22 to 24, champions the theme Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism. That spirit, BRICS officials say, has sparked the interest of some 40 countries from the Global South in joining the group. GROWING INTEREST At the forthcoming summit, leaders are expected to discuss the BRICS groups expansion, including the admission criteria and the guiding principles, Carlos Maria Correa, executive director of the South Center, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Twenty-two countries have formally approached BRICS countries to become full members. Theres an equal number of countries that have been informally asking about becoming BRICS members, said Anil Sooklal, South Africas BRICS ambassador. Algeria is among the latest countries to show their interest. We officially applied to join the BRICS group, and we sent a letter asking to be shareholder members in the bank (New Development Bank), Ennahar TV, an Arabic broadcaster, quoted Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as saying on July 22. According to Mainichi Shimbun, a Japanese daily, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and other oil-producing countries have also made applications. Once approved, the BRICS members will cover over half of the worlds oil and gas resources. Many countries in the Global South have sought to come together in order to work towards a more just and inclusive world order BRICS inspires many countries to come together again in order to advance this vision, said Kenneth Creamer, a senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, during a recent interview with Xinhua. CHARM OF BRICS In June this year, French President Emmanuel Macron once voiced his intention to attend the upcoming summit following his talks with South Africas International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor. This is where the charm of BRICS lies. The bloc has become a positive, stable and constructive force in international affairs. Several emerging economies, for instance, are financially distressed due to the IMFs stringent economic policies, said Deutsche Welle, Germanys state-owned broadcaster. It noted that the New Development Bank and the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement could support economies with payment difficulties. The New Development Bank is the most prominent achievement. Its also led to some increased trade between the countries, and won some international attention, said Daniel Bradlow, a University of Pretoria professor who has studied the group. Above all, BRICS defends multipolarity and multilateralism, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said. By doing so, BRICS countries are countering the concept of the Cold War and opening up the possibility of a more equitable and just international order that benefits the world. In an increasingly polarised world, BRICS is creating an enabling avenue for countries to fashion a more inclusive political and economic order, said Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan international relations scholar. Many countries are tired of the United States virtual domination of the global economy for decades, the Spanish website Rebelion said. Failure to comply with Washingtons directives results in sanctions and financial blackmail. BROADER PROSPECTS With potential members down the road, cross-border trade within the group would become more efficient and catch the eye of more investors. The prospect of a BRICS-issued currency is a possibility. Its members would likely be able to produce a wider range of goods than any existing monetary union, said Foreign Policy, an American news publication, while remarking on the prospective currency. Because each member of the BRICS grouping is an economic heavyweight in its own region, countries around the world would likely be willing to do business in the hypothetical money. As Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay were added as new members of the BRICS New Development Bank, theres bound to be even fairer and more accessible international trade as the four countries lie on three continents. For new entrants, being part of BRICS could expand their diplomatic influence and open up lucrative trade and investment opportunities, the Washington Post said in a recent article. In an interview with the TASS news agency, Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, South Africas permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, said BRICS is happy to accept new members who express interest in joining. BRICS is committed to upholding multilateralism, reforming the global governance system and has consistently advocated for the developing countries to be fairly treated in the international arena, Gerald Mbanda, an Africa-China cooperation expert, told Xinhua. This is the reason I believe that the BRICS is undoubtedly an avenue for accelerated growth with increased trade and investment opportunities, Mbanda said. Chinas trade with the other four BRICS countries maintained rapid expansion in the first seven months of the year, official data showed Monday. Chinas imports and exports with other BRICS members expanded 19.1 percent year on year to 2.38 trillion yuan (about 330.62 billion U.S. dollars) during the January-July period, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. Exports grew 23.9 percent year on year to 1.23 trillion yuan while imports rose 14.3 percent from a year ago to 1.15 trillion yuan, the data showed. Trade with these countries accounted for 10.1 percent of Chinas total foreign trade in the first seven months. The figure was up 1.6 percentage points from a year ago, according to the customs authorities. Chinas trade with other BRICS countries grew 17 percent year on year to 3.69 trillion yuan in 2022, customs data showed. Chinas private enterprises were the main contributor to its trade expansion with other BRICS countries. Imports and exports of these enterprises increased 29.4 percent year on year to 1.36 trillion yuan in the first seven months, accounting for 57.1 percent of the countrys total. Major export growth drivers were labor-intensive goods, and mechanical and electrical products, according to the customs authorities. Exports of mechanical and electrical products rose 38 percent year on year during the January-July period, while that of labor-intensive goods went up 20.5 percent from a year ago, the data showed. In particular, exports of lithium batteries and electric passenger vehicles logged a year-on-year growth of 129.5 percent and 601.3 percent, respectively. Boosted by close cooperation, Chinas imports of energy products and agricultural produce saw a steady increase. The country purchased a total of 422.78 billion yuan of energy products from other BRICS members in the first seven months, up 17.3 percent from a year ago. 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Gardai in Sligo would like to thank the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the Irish Coast Guard and Sligo Fire Services as well as the media and members of the public for their assistance in this matter. ORIGINAL STORY: Gardai are appealing to the public for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 52-year-old Paul Carthy who was reported missing from his home in Scramogue, Co Roscommon on Thursday, August 17 at 2pm. Paul is described as being around 6 foot in height, of thin build, with brown and grey hair and blue eyes. Paul was last seen at 9pm on Wednesday, August 16 at Sligo University Hospital. When last seen, Paul was wearing a navy t-shirt, dark blue jeans and a black jacket. He was carrying a navy rucksack and a plastic snickers bag. Gardai and Pauls family are concerned for his welfare. Anyone with information on Pauls whereabouts is asked to contact Sligo Garda Station on 071 915 7000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station. IN A PARLIAMENTARY session, Violet-Anne Wynne TD has raised concerns over the stark underrepresentation of women in the Irish Defence Forces, as only seven out of 617 applicants were accepted. The Tanaiste and Minister for Defence addressed this issue, shedding light on the factors contributing to the low number of successful female applicants. As of May 31, 2023, the Irish Defence Forces admitted just seven women into their ranks, a number that has sparked criticism due to the overwhelming number of applications received. Of the 617 applications submitted, 552 were deemed viable, but the acceptance rate for women remained notably low. This data was revealed in response to a parliamentary question, prompting the Tanaiste and Minister for Defence to elaborate on the circumstances surrounding this discrepancy. The Minister disclosed that of the 617 viable applications, 63 are currently in progress, indicating a possible increase in the number of successful female recruits. Additionally, eight applicants withdrew their applications, further affecting the final count. The Minister provided a detailed breakdown of the reasons behind the rejection of the remaining 480 applications: Did not attend Psychometric Testing: 246 applicants Failed Psychometric Test / Verification: 151 applicants Did not attend Fitness Test and Interview: 45 applicants Failed Medical / Fitness Test: 15 applicants Duplicate Application: 1 applicant Does not meet Criteria / Educational Requirements: 9 applicants Unsuccessful as Outside of the Order of Merit for Cadet Competition: 12 applicants No Contact After Multiple Attempts: 1 applicant The most glaring reasons for the decreasing rate among female applicants included a significant percentage that did not attend various stages of the induction process or failed essential assessments such as psychometric, fitness, or medical tests. To mitigate non-attendance issues, the Defence Forces have made efforts to reschedule these stages according to the availability of the applicants. In response, and while acknowledging the concerning pattern, the military authorities affirmed their commitment to an ongoing review of psychometric testing and other recruitment aspects to ensure their effectiveness in assessing suitability for entry into the Defence Forces. In an effort to address the imbalance, psychometric testing within the Naval Service General Service recruitment has been temporarily suspended as part of a six-month pilot program. This approach is intended to provide insight into potential improvements for future decisions on the recruitment process. The Irish government are said to have taken steps to address the underrepresentation of women in the Defence Forces. A High Level Action Plan, formed as a result of recommendations from the Commission on the Defence Forces, is geared towards increasing female participation. Press Releases By Long Island Published: August 21 2023 Governor Hochul announces a $20 million investment to streamline casework filing for 30,000+ asylum seekers, aiming to accelerate their transition to work authorization and independent living while continuing New York State's commitment to addressing the ... Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a $20 million investment to speed the casework filing process for more than 30,000 asylum seekers. This investment, which is in addition to the $1.5 billion the State has already allocated to addressing this crisis, will help connect asylum seekers with case management services to speed the process of exiting shelter and, when necessary, filing asylum claims. The ultimate goal of these social services is to support asylum seekers as they attain legal work status, exit the shelter system and begin independent living. The path out of this crisis is work authorization, Governor Hochul said. New York has always welcomed immigrants and new arrivals and getting asylum seekers on track to work authorization will help them become self-sufficient and come out of the shadows. New York State has provided significant humanitarian aid for more than a year, and were committed to continuing to support the City in managing this ongoing crisis. This new effort will engage at least 30,000 asylum seekers being sheltered by NYC Health + Hospitals, NYC Emergency Management, and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development with proactive exit-support case management services. The program is designed to immediately engage asylum seekers upon their arrival and continue the engagement throughout their stay in shelter, connecting them with social services that will help them make plans to exit shelter. These social service providers will include the Asylum Application Center, which is also funded by the State of New York. Utilizing a framework developed by the International Rescue Committee, the internationally recognized NGO, asylum seekers in the Citys shelters will be triaged using a new color-coded scale: green indicates no significant barriers to exiting shelter; yellow indicates barriers to exit that have a path to resolution; and red indicates more complex barriers to exit that require extensive resources. This triage method will speed exit from shelter, facilitate the connection to services or resources required to exit shelter, and put families on the path to independent living. Individuals and families will be engaged on arrival at the Citys arrival center and on an ongoing basis throughout their time in shelter. This funding is in addition to $10 million that the state provided in the FY24 budget to help the City of New York offer legal services to migrants, which was used to establish the citys Asylum Application Center. It also builds on existing efforts from the State to shelter unprecedented numbers of asylum seekers, most recently including State-funded Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRCs) opened on Randalls Island and at Creedmoor Psychiatric Facility. The State has also committed $1.5 billion to support the Citys efforts to shelter asylum seekers and has deployed more than 1,800 members of the New York National Guard to provide logistical and operational support at City-run shelters. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: August 21 2023 A credit card that was stolen from a vehicle in Centereach was used at 7-Eleven, Michaels and Walgreens in Medford on July 22. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are seeking the publics help to locate a woman who used a stolen credit card at multiple Medford stores. A credit card that was stolen from a vehicle in Centereach was used at 7-Eleven, Michaels and Walgreens in Medford on July 22. Luxembourg may see temperatures that could top 30 degrees in the south of the country A man rides along the docks at sunrise to avoid the heat, in Bordeaux, southwestern France, on 21 August A man rides along the docks at sunrise to avoid the heat, in Bordeaux, southwestern France, on 21 August Photo credit: AFP A man rides along the docks at sunrise to avoid the heat, in Bordeaux, southwestern France, on 21 August Photo credit: AFP Parts of Europe will remain much hotter than normal this week as wild fires destroy homes and forests in parts of Greece. Madrid will for the next few days get temperatures of just below 40C, or more than 6C above normal for the time of year, according to Maxar Technologies Inc. Red and Orange heat warnings remained in place for parts of Germany and France, respectively. Luxembourg may also see temperatures from Monday until Wednesday that could reach 30 degrees, national weather service MeteoLux said, though a cool down is expected from Thursday. Its been a summer with plenty of extreme weather, ranging from wild fires to flooding and violent storms across the Northern Hemisphere. The worlds hottest month ever was recorded in July and the extreme weather increases the intensity of such events. Fires are still raging across parts of southeast Europe as dry, hot weather provides perfect conditions for blazes to start. A wildfire that began on Saturday morning in the Alexandroupolis in northeast Greece is still burning, according to authorities. An aerial view shows smoke billowing in background of Kiotari village, on the island of Rhodes on July 24, 2023. Tens of thousands of people had to flee parts of the island as wildfires got out of control Photo credit: AFP Temperatures in the nation will approach 40C this week at the same time as strong winds are expected, which will make it even more difficult to combat the flames. Three areas, including the greater capital Athens region, are under extreme fire danger alert on Monday and 10 more on high alert. At the other end of the continent, the danger of rural fires is at very high to maximum level in inland areas of northern and central Portugal, as well as in the tourist hot spot of Algarve, according to the nations National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection. Temperatures could soar to as high as 44C, according to The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere. Next week though, temperatures are forecast to ease with some major cities getting cooler than normal levels and it will be more than 2C below normal in London, Berlin and Rome as well as other cities, Maxar said. 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The government is asking the general public to chip in and gather data on the hazard Luxembourg is asking members of the public to join the fight against blue algae, a hazard for humans and animals, just as temperatures are tempting residents of the Grand Duchy to take a dip in a lake. Swimmers or hikers can now report confirmed or suspected manifestations of the bacteria via an app called "Bloomin Algae", which the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (List) designed together with the water management agency, both organisations said in a joint press release. Onlookers can send photos of the bacteria, which sit on top of the water and shine in a green-blue colour, and their precise location via the app. Researchers will then validate the sighting and load the data on an interactive map which the general public can consult. That way, researchers are hoping to gather more data on blue algae, which also threaten the environment, the press release. The water management agency and List are particularly interested in the Upper Sure lake, Luxembourg's largest freshwater reservoir, the Weiswampach lakes and the Moselle river. Blue algae, scientifically known as cyanobacteria, grow between August and October and re-produce best in calm and nutrient-rich waters, like lakes, ponds and rivers. "To grow, cyanobacteria need high concentrations of nutrients, especially phosphorus, which can come from many sources: livestock effluents, compost, fertilisers spread on the soil, inadequately treated wastewater discharges, soil leaching during heavy rainfall," the release said. "Reducing phosphorus and nitrogen inputs into surface waters remains the only sustainable way of protecting and/or restoring these ecosystems from planktonic cyanobacteria blooms," it added. Lawmakers in 2016 agreed on a minimum quota of 40% of women on all executive boards in public sector establishments Luxembourg has seen a steady increase in the representation of women on the boards of public bodies, the ministry of equality said on Friday, as government efforts to implement a gender quota show results. The proportion of women on the boards of public institutions in Luxembourg stood at 36% at the end of 2022, up from 34% in 2018 and 27% in 2015, Luxembourgs minister of gender equality, Taina Bofferding, said in response to a parliamentary question. The rate of women representing the state on the boards of public companies that the government has a stake in, increased only slightly at 41% in 2022, from 40% in 2018, the minister said. Luxembourgs lawmakers in 2016 agreed on a minimum quota of 40% of women on all executive boards in public establishments. Unlike its neighbours Belgium, France or Germany Luxembourg has no diversity requirements for private companies specific to the country, nor is it considering introducing one, the ministry's spokesperson said three years ago. However, the EU adopted a directive implementing gender quotas for the boards of private companies in November last year. As per the directive, 40% of non-executive directors or 33% of all directors in listed EU companies employing over 250 workers will have to be women by 2026. "Social partners have received encouragement from the government through a letter urging them to appoint more women to the boards of directors," Bofferding said. Earlier this year, a Luxembourg Times analysis of the 50 largest listed companies registered in Luxembourg showed only 22% of executive positions are held by women. Separately, data from the Gender Equality Observatory showed just 4% of management positions in companies are held by women. The EU's statistics agency Eurostat in March reported that women's hourly pay in Luxembourg overtook that of men by 0.2% in 2021, a feat previously only marked in the EU by Slovenia in 2009. Luxembourg has had the lowest gender pay gap in the bloc since 2015, according to Eurostat. Meanwhile, in the political world, Luxembourg introduced a law in 2016 which states 40% of politicians on lists for legislative and European elections should be women. S. Koreans rally against joint military drill with U.S. Xinhua) 16:08, August 21, 2023 SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A group of South Korean peace activists on Monday held a rally against the joint military drill with the United States that kicked off earlier in the day. The activists from the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) gathered near the presidential office in central Seoul, where the defense ministry is also headquartered, to call for peace on the Korean Peninsula. The protesters shouted slogan of "Stop war exercise" and lifted the placards of "Stop South Korea-U.S. war exercise" and "No to South Korea-Japan alliance." The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise between South Korea and the U.S., a summertime joint military exercise involving large-scale field maneuvers, was scheduled to continue until Aug. 31, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The annually-held military drill this year will reportedly involve about 30 field maneuvers, compared to 13 conducted last year. The SPARK said in a statement that the UFS exercise is a war exercise, which can turn into a nuclear war at any time, as it is the large-scale preemptive strike drill involving nuclear and advanced conventional forces from the two allies. The civic group urged Seoul and Washington to immediately stop and abolish the UFS exercise, which can intensify the nuclear confrontation on the peninsula. It added that the efforts for the trilateral military cooperation among the U.S., Japan and South Korea should be stopped as it can escalate regional tensions. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) The Gendarmerie nationale have arrested two men wanted by the Spanish authorities in connection with the alleged gang rape of an 18-year-old British woman in Magalluf. The arrests were made on Sunday, the two having left Mallorca after six men - five French and one Swiss - were detained by the Guardia Civil. The woman had told the Guardia that eight men were involved in the incident at a Magalluf hotel last Monday. The two had flown to Baden-Baden in Germany before crossing the border. The Guardia had identified the two and had requested European arrest warrants. The GoFundMe made to help a Massachusetts native and his family after they lost their home from the recent deadly fires in Maui reached its limit and has continued to accrue donations. As of this writing, the fundraiser has blown past its $15,000 limit and has received $20,218 out of 192 donations since the page was set up on Aug. 11. Debbie F. Weisman Clasie set up the GoFundMe to help Max Tornai, his wife Mary and their son Ollie. Clasie and Tornai worked together at Circles, a Waltham-based consumer services company thats now Aspire Lifestyles, she said to MassLive. Clasie and Tornai have known each other for 20 years. Clasie is from Quincy, while Tornai is from Groton. I am beyond grateful and awed and moved by the generosity of so many people, whether you donated $10 or $600, it has been awe-inspiring and Im just humbled and grateful, Clasie said on Monday. So many people deserve help. Max and Mary have devoted so much to their community that to see the community devote back is so moving. One donor turned in $600 on Sunday, while six donors gave $500, two turned in $300 and 11 donors submitted $200, according to the GoFundMe pages top donors. Once the fundraiser reached $15,000, Clasie said Tornai was shocked. Then money kept pouring in. All I did was put up a fundraiser, Clasie said. Every time I see the amount raised, I cry. Its helping them get back on their feet. Thank you to everyone who shared. To everyone who cared, really. At the bottom of the GoFundMe page, Clasie shared a picture of the family, captioned with: Heres a picture of Max, Mary, and Ollie in happier, more carefree times. Clasie said she will keep the fundraiser up for as long as its allowed to be up, continuing to receive money from donors who want to send money to help Tornai and his family. Its about people you want to help, she said on Monday. To help Tornai and his family, head over to GoFundMe at the link found here. Looking for the best all-around college experience in 2023? WalletHub did its best to break it down for you. To help prospective college students narrow down their school choices and to follow up our report on 2023s College & University Rankings, WalletHub explains on its 2023s Best College Towns & Cities in America article. The website compared more than 400 U.S. cities of varying sizes based on 32 key indicators of academic, social and economic opportunities for students. Our data set ranges from the cost of living to the quality of higher education to the crime rate. Austin, Texas, came in at No. 1, followed by Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Orlando, Florida. In fact, four Florida cities cracked the Top 10. The first Massachusetts city to crack the list of 415 cities was Cambridge, Mass., all the way down at No. 27. Five Connecticut cities made the list: Storrs, New Haven, Stamford, Hartford and Bridgeport. Burlington, VT, Manchester, NH, Providence, RI and Durham, NH were the only other New England cities to catch votes. No Maine town or city made the list. WalletHub examined 415 cities of varying sizes across three key dimensions: 1) Wallet Friendliness, 2) Social Environment and 3) Academic & Economic Opportunities. Check out the methodology they used here. Check out all 12 Mass. cities that made the list: 27. Cambridge, Mass. 172. Boston, Mass. 178. Medford, Mass. 214. Amherst, Mass. 256. Lowell, Mass. 272. Worcester, Mass. 286. Somerville, Mass. 301. Waltham, Mass 338. Quincy, Mass. 371. Brookline, Mass. 398. Springfield, Mass. 406. Newton, Mass. HATFIELD Myers Produce has purchased a Hatfield warehouse from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts as the nonprofit prepares to move to a new distribution facility in Chicopee by months end. Women-owned Myers Produce will move its Hadley fruit-and-vegetable distribution operation into the Hatfield warehouse in October. A car slammed into a house in Belmont after it crashed into another car at a nearby intersection on Sunday, a statement on Monday said. At around 11:25 p.m., Belmont police and firefighters started investigating the crash at the intersection of Belmont and White streets. Early findings indicate that a BMW and a Toyota collided in the intersection before the BMW careened toward the house while the Toyota struck a utility pole. The drivers were able to step out of their cars on their own. The BMWs driver, a 33-year-old Plymouth man, was taken to Mount Auburn Hospital. The driver of the Toyota, a 28-year-old Allston man, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. The condition of both drivers and any injuries were not made clear by Belmont police. No one in the home was hurt, police said. The house was damaged, requiring a Building Department official to be contacted to assess its structural integrity. Belmont police continue to investigate the crash. Police were able to successfully arrest a 35-year-old Worcester bank robber after he threatened to shoot officers and a K9 on Friday, Aug. 18, the Worcester Police Department reported. Christopher Grannis, of King Street, was charged with unarmed robbery, larceny over $1,200, and an outstanding warrant in connection with the robbery that happened at the Santander Bank at 507 Main St. around 4:20 p.m. on Friday, Worcester police said. Responding officers learned that Grannis went into the bank, said it was a robbery and demanded money. Officers were able to find Grannis in a nearby alley after sending a photo of him to the department. The photo showed Grannis wearing a jacket that officers found in the alley across the street from the bank, police said. Read More: Teen driver dead in airborne Belchertown crash that left holes in buildings Sunday A K9 was called to the scene and tracked Grannis to the alley where officers started negotiating with him and asked Grannis to surrender. He refused and threatened to shoot police and the K9, police said. According to police, Grannis was in a recessed area that was 15 feet below ground. The Worcester Fire Department were called to the scene to help and Grannis was eventually taken into custody, police said. A 37-year-old Massachusetts father drowned after trying to help his wife and child who got caught in a current while the family was swimming in a New Hampshire river over the weekend, according to authorities. Police got a call about a possible drowning in the Swift River in Albany, N.H. just after 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20, New Hampshire State Police reported. Read More: Water main break in Boston closes several Chinatown streets Monday morning The family was swimming on the Passaconaway roadside of the river, east of the Albany Covered Bridge, when the mother and child got stuck in an area of fast moving water, police said. The father jumped in to save them, but got caught in the same current. The mother and child eventually got to shore while bystanders pulled the father from the river, according to police. Despite giving him CPR, the father died. Police identified him as Vincent Parr, of Lawrence. This incident comes five days after a mother from Lynn died while saving her son from drowning at Fraconia Falls in Lincoln, N.H. She was identified as 44-year-old Melissa Bagley, the wife of Everett Police Lt. Sean Bagley. This is also the third drowning to happen in New Hampshire within a week as another man drowned while he and his fiance were canoeing on Crane Neck Pond in Canterbury, N.H., on Saturday, according to state police. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol Lieutenant Crystal McLain at (603) 227-2113 or Crystal.H.McLain@dos.nh.gov. A teenager who struck a Massachusetts State Police trooper on Friday appeared at the Cohasset Police Station the next day to surrender, state police announced in a statement on Monday. At around 11:48 p.m. on Friday, a state trooper pulled over a gray Dodge Durango traveling southbound on Route 3 in Norwell. State police said the Durango drove up to the troopers cruisers back bumper in the left lane at a high rate of speed, then slowed and pulled around and in front of her. The trooper found that the Durangos license plate inspection sticker was expired, state police said. She was notified over radio that the 17-year-old associated with the plate had a known violent history toward police. She looked at the Registry of Motor Vehicles database and saw he was the subject of three active arrest warrants, including a probation violation that he incurred by not charging an ankle bracelet monitor he was ordered to wear due to a previous incident. The Durango exited on Route 228 and stopped in front of an Audi dealership on Pond Street in Norwell, state police said. With her lights on, the trooper pulled over and approached the Durango. She noticed the passenger slip into the back passenger seat. She saw that it was the same 17-year-old, and his mother was driving. The trooper asked the teen to step out and started to escort him when he started to run to the dealership, state police said. She pulled him toward her when he turned around and punched her in the face, shoving her while shouting a vulgarity at her, state police said. He bolted across the road into a wooded area, which ended the foot pursuit. The trooper broadcasted a description of the teen and was tended to by EMS to treat her face. She was hospitalized but was then released. State police K9 and Norwell police searched for the teen. While it was unsuccessful on Friday, state police issued an arrest warrant, charging the teen with assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. On Saturday morning, the Cohasset teen appeared outside the Cohasset police station and surrendered, state police said. He is expected to be arraigned at Hingham District Court for the new charges, but he will also answer to the underlying charges from three prior warrants, state police added. Authorities have identified a man who was found dead inside a crashed vehicle on Route 1 in Topsfield last week as 63-year-old Ronald Ivanoskos, of Topsfield, the Essex County District Attorneys Office said. Another driver spotted the crashed vehicle on Route 1 at around 7:30 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 17, the office said in statement. Read more: Harborside Inn on Block Island likely to be torn down after destructive weekend fire The unidentified vehicle was believed to be traveling north when it crossed the southbound lane to stop on the west side of the road in the area of 15 Boston St. Topsfield firefighters found the driver dead, the office said. No other vehicles are believed to be involved. An investigation into the crash is being led by the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the Topsfield Police Department. The trouble started at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Mount Washington State Park staff were notified by a group of hikers that two people that had been with them had slowed down and might need help. Rescuers werent done until well after 1 in the morning as 1-and-a-half inches of rain fell. Winds were gusting at 58 mph, the wind chill was 29 degrees and the weather conditions were continuing to deteriorate, according to a Facebook post by the New Hampshire Fish and Game department. A staff member hiked down and found Phaneendra Uppalapati, 44, and Shirisha Mallala, 41, both from Nashua, N.H., just below the Lion Head Trail junction. Both were extremely wet and cold, according to the post. It was just before 10 a.m. on a May morning, two years ago, when Springfield police drove to Armory Street and stopped near a green, two-story house with white-trimmed windows. Inside, they took into custody a man who had managed, for 39 years, to evade detection as the assailant who kidnapped, beat and sexually assaulted a woman in Avon, Connecticut in 1984. It took a long time, but George E. Legere, 75, is now paying for the terror he visited upon that woman, thanks to the Combined DNA Index System. Prosecutors are bringing more and more convictions in cold cases like this. People who thought they got away with murder need to think again. This year, authorities used DNA evidence to identify the late Patricia Ann Tucker, the woman found dead in 1978 who had long been known only as the Granby girl. Her adult son, Matthew Dale, provided his own DNA profile, hoping it would help identify his mother. It proved to be a breakthrough. DNA phenotyping, in which genetic material is used to produce a sketch of a suspect, was employed by the Hampden District Attorneys Office late last year in an attempt to solve a 1990 cold case in Springfield involving the death of Shana B. Price, 17. Let me be clear to the person responsible for Shanas death, DA Anthony Gulluni said at the time. (We) have your DNA. Justice is coming for you. In 2021, prosecutors pulled a DNA sample from deep inside the conch shell used to bludgeon Rose Marie Moniz 20 years before in New Bedford. The sample matched her half-brother. Just this year, a suspect was charged in the 2011 Hyannis murder of Todd Lampley based on DNA retrieved from a sweet potato found at the crime scene. As ordinary people opt for genetic tests to learn about their ancestry, the pool of information available to law enforcement deepens. In Legeres case, his DNA was routinely entered into the national database in 2019 after he began a short prison sentence for assault. The sample linked Legere to DNA collected in the 1984 kidnapping. When Springfield police arrived at his apartment May 20, 2021, he knew the drill, having been arrested more than 30 times. DNA evidence got Legere into the courtroom in Hartford this year. Prosecutors relied as well on the courage of the woman who survived the assault nearly four decades ago. After a long wait for this case to be solved, the jurys deliberation, the Hartford States Attorney noted, was brief. The Healey administration said Monday that its submitted applications for more than $2 billion in federal funding for a quartet of infrastructure projects stretching from Cape Cod to Williamsburg. From day one, we said our administration was going to compete for the unprecedented level of federal funding opportunities available to support infrastructure projects across our state that are crucial to our communities, economies, and environment, Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. These ambitious applications represent an important step forward toward delivering on that promise. Funding for the projects will come from a trio of federal grant programs administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to Healeys office. The administration had until Monday to submit its applications. Heres a look at those projects, and some of their details. Cape Cod Bridges: The application the Democratic administration submitted Monday seeks $1.45 billion in federal aid that would allow the commonwealth to immediately begin work on the replacement of the Sagamore Bridge and lay the groundwork for the rebuilding of the Bourne Bridge. In its statement, Healeys office said it continues to advance the permitting and design of both bridges. Healeys office announced last week that it was pivoting away from seeking funding for both bridge projects to just the Sagamore Bridge, State House News Service reported. The cost of the project has soared from $1.5 billion in 2019 to more than $4.5 billion today. In an interview with the Boston Globe, which first reported the change in approach, Healey said last years failed grant application under former Gov. Charlie Baker was dead on arrival, State House News Service reported. The administration earmarked $262 million for the bridge replacements in its 2024-2028 Capital Investment Plan, with the goal of eventually dedicating $700 million in funding. Allston I-90 Multimodal Project: The administration said Monday that it, in collaboration with Boston city officials, is seeking $200 million in federal assistance to make improvements along Interstate 90 that will meet the needs of motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit riders, while supporting the growth of the local economy. The project, as its currently envisioned, will reconnect Allston to the Charles River Waterfront, will improve pedestrian and biker access to the Paul Dudley White Path, and reduce the number of crashes along the corridor, the administration said. Also, as a part of the project, a planned MBTA West Station would provide connections to commuter rail, buses, shuttles, and bikshares. The project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the lives and livelihoods of families all across our city and region with safer roads, access to jobs, and new parks and housing, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in the statement. In restoring the neighborhood connections lost to hulking highway infrastructure decades ago, Allston will be home to new spaces for community and access to the Charles River, along with a transit hub to serve the entire region. Read More: Worcester commuter rail service could get a boost after MBTA finalizes land deal North Station Renovation and Draw 1 Bridge Replacement: The MBTA is seeking $672 million in grant funding for the construction phase of the North Station Renovation and Draw 1 Bridge Replacement Project, according to the administration. The bridge carries all of the Ts commuter rail traffic on Bostons North Side across the Fitchburg, Lowell, Haverhill, and Gloucester/ Newburyport Lines, according to the administration. Its the last crossing before the trains terminate at North Station. And its a critical asset for Amtraks Downeaster service, the administration said. The project to replace the North Station drawbridge is crucial to ensuring that we can safely and reliably provide train service in and out of North Station. It will allow us to operate trains more efficiently as we expand the number of tracks across a new bridge, MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said. Williamsburg Route 9 Reconstruction: Finally, the administration said its seeking $44 million in funding for the reconstruction of Route 9 in Williamsburg. The money will allow the commonwealth to provide critical upgrades to the highway, which the administration describes as a critical freight route linking eastern and western Massachusetts. This grant application is an example of the Healey-Driscoll Administrations commitment to strengthening connectivity between rural communities and the rest of the state, as well as improving safety and supporting economic growth for Western Mass, state Rural Affairs Director Anne Gobi said In a move that one Massachusetts social worker described as an answered prayer, the state will repay more than $140 million in student loans for almost 3,000 health care providers who serve communities in need. An estimated 2,935 primary care and behavioral health providers will receive loan repayment awards in exchange for committing to work with eligible providers, such as community health centers and acute care hospitals, for four or five years. The awards, which range between $12,500 and $300,000, are the first in the MA Repay program that former Gov. Charlie Bakers administration launched in November, funded by federal pandemic relief money as well as opioid lawsuit settlements. Theyre also just the start: officials said Monday that another $120 million more will flow in the coming months thanks to funding lawmakers included in the new state budget. The next round of awards will be targeted toward home and human services providers, continuous skilled nursing providers, and Department of Mental Health employees providing clinical care or case management, according to the Mass. League of Community Health Centers. How much an individual provider received this round depends on their qualifications, work setting and hours worked, according to the Healey administration. A spokesperson said 39 people are set to receive $300,000 awards, all of whom are either full-time psychiatrists or child and adolescent psychiatrists. In Brockton, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll pitched the MA Repay program as a lifeline that will help more providers overcome barriers and put down roots in areas with some of the most potent staffing shortages. she said every single applicant can receive a repayment award. She contrasted the awards from a Publishers Clearing House moment, referencing the sweepstakes in which winners are greeted with an oversized check. Its not a random knock on the door. Were reinvesting in all of you who are helping care for neighbors, Driscoll said, flanked by state officials and community health center leaders at an event in Brockton. Were reinvesting in the individuals who are helping us heal. Were reinvesting in strengthening our communities by providing the type of health care we need on the ground every single day. I cant think of a better way to utilize public funding than to reinvest in ourselves. A majority of the recipients work in historically underserved areas, many of which are Gateway Cities, according to the Healey administration. Close to half of the recipients are people of color, 70 percent are women, and 47 percent are younger than 35, which Driscoll said is especially important at a time when we want to make sure our young adults, this next generation, can launch. Health care providers across Massachusetts have been struggling with staffing shortages for years, particularly during and in the wake of the COVID-19 emergency, that spill over into impacts on patient care and costs. Many, many people in health care have crushing debt, said Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh. The debt that young residents face or a social worker faces, particularly against their earning potential, is really staggering, so this loan repayment not only helps people stabilize their lives, stabilize their families, maybe they can buy a house some day, but it also keeps them working in the communities theyve come to love with the patients theyve come to love and respect. Awardees became emotional when discussing the impact the loan repayment would have on their careers and their personal lives. Linda Alvarez, a behavioral health clinician at the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center that hosted the event, said she will now be able to truly focus on supporting historically underserved patients. It is because of this opportunity that I find this to be more than a dream come true, Alvarez said, appearing to fight back tears. For me, this is an answered prayer that opens so many opportunities to expand my love of helping as many people in need and gives my wonderful family and I the opportunity to dream and accomplish other goals we previously placed on hold. Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers President and CEO Michael Curry said the funding will provide a boon for community health centers, which serve more than 1 million patients per year across the state. As we speak, health centers in Massachusetts are dealing with an unprecedented workforce crisis at a time when pent-up demand for care and services is at an all-time peak. This is constraining access to essential preventive services, Curry said. He added, This will actually make a difference. This program will keep desperately needed providers in communities that need them most. The debt relief comes at a time when many other Americans with student loan debt are preparing to resume monthly payments. A pandemic-era pause on student loans is about to expire and the U.S. Supreme Court in June rejected President Joe Bidens plan to wipe away about $430 billion in student loan debt. Brockton Neighborhood Health Center CEO Susan Joss, whose facility employs 10 recipients of loan repayment awards, praised the program as a way to keep workers employed at community health centers, which often do not pay as much as other health care facilities. A lot of health centers, including ours, in Massachusetts are struggling financially. We had money to support us through COVID. At BNHC, were estimating it was about $42 million in COVID funds came in. Now, thats gone, Joss said. Sign up for Reckons latest weekly newsletter covering the three topics never to be discussed at the dinner table. Enter your email to subscribe to Matter of Faith. On May 11 less than a year after the JYNNEOS vaccine was approved for prevention of the virus that causes smallpox (to which mpox is related) WHO declared the mpox outbreak officially over. And we all have queer folks to thank for it. Monkeypoxs disproportionate effect on men who have sex with men reminded many people in the community of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s which led to the deaths of over 100,000 people from 1981 to 1990, according to the CDC. Darian Aaron, News Director for the LGBTQ advocacy nonprofit GLAAD, has conducted interviews and written news stories about how mpox has affected his community, especially Southern, queer men of color. He spoke with Reckon about his experience as a storyteller for an advocacy organization and as a gay Black man when fears around mpox arose last summer. It was a scary time. It was hard to get appointments to get vaccines. A lot of queer men were very scared and very angry, Aaron said. It reminded us of old scars. The Centers for Disease Control had some concerns about mpox spreading again this summer as health officials are still learning how long protection lasts with the new mpox vaccine. The outbreak was affecting a different group of people in America compared to Africa, where the virus is endemic. Finding cases outside in Europe or North America was far more unlikely, which triggered panic among Americans, especially men who have sex with men. So far, there have been no reports of mpox outbreaks associated with Pride Month events or other queer social events, said Darian Aaron, News Director for the media monitoring organization GLAAD. Many men took to the internet to share their experiences with HIV in the 90s felt uncomfortably similar to the language surrounding the mpox outbreak. Aaron said he got the two-dose regimen of the JYNNEOS vaccine and has avoided mpox, but even the small scar left behind by the vaccine wound serves as a reminder. The scar on my forearm was a reminder of how I was othered. I specifically was given a vaccine that not everyone was given because of who I ama gay man, Aaron said. Meeting the community where they are When the news of the mpox started to spread , the queer community came together to support each other and get vaccines to those most at risk. That meant taking the shots to places like the gay club. LGBTQ+ community is no stranger to mobilizing their own communities to meet people where they are. In New York City, thousands of people received the mpox vaccine from vans that were were strategically parked outside gay clubs and sex parties. ONYX Midwestan organization for Black queer men in the leather communityset out to vaccinate every attendee at its annual Mr. Leather Convention in Chicago. Workers from Howard Brown Health manned a booth at the entrance to the conventions market and offered condoms, lube and asked attendees if they had their mpox vaccine. Surprisingly, it was hard to find an attendee who wasnt vaxxed, the Washington Post reported in June. There is this preconceived notion that most people that belong to this sort of community dont really take too much caution when it comes to sex, Ivan Capifali-Cartagena, a bilingual outreach health educator at Howard Brown, told The Washington Post in June 2023. That camaraderie, looking out for one another, that in and of itself was pretty satisfying to me. The Georgia Dept. of Public Health participated in President Bidens mpox vaccine initiative and was able to vaccinate more than 4,000 people during Atlanta Black Pride, said Nancy Nydam, director of communications for the government organization. Some community organizations were also able to organize their own vaccination events so they could provide services directly in non-health department settings, Nydam said. Even the name of the decades-old diseasemonkeypoxoffered reminders of past medical trauma, especially for queer people of color. Historically, access to healthcare and disproportionately high rates of poverty have affected non-white folks ability to address their health conditions, Aaron explained. One way health officials addressed some of the complaints about the messaging around mpox is changing the term they used to refer to the disease from monkeypox to mpox in November 2022. WHO made the change in response to concerns about racism. The Journal of Medical Internet Research looked at all mpox related Tweets posted between May 7 and July 23, 2022, found that tweets containing misinformation started early and spread faster than tweets containing trusted public health guidance. The facts about mpox Men who have sex with men still comprise the majority of mpox cases in the United States, but Aaron said he thinks its important to differentiate between identity and behavior. The behavior most likely most likely to cause viral transmission is close skin-to-skin contact. In the most recent outbreak, mpox was spread primarily through skin-to-skin contact during sex, but it can also be transmitted by nonsexual skin-to-skin or close contact and from infected linens, said Andrew Brouwer, Assistant Research Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan. The vaccine is still only recommended for people who have been exposed or at a higher risk of exposure to mpox. Men who have sex with men and people whove recently had multiple or anonymous sexual partners are specifically recommended to get the vaccine. The general public is not advised to get vaccinated against mpox unless they are at risk of exposure. In 2022, more than 30,000 people contracted mpox, causing 45 deaths, according to the CDC. While mpox is not as deadly as AIDS, the outbreak among gay and bisexual men felt all-too-familiar for many. Longtime AIDS activist Eric Sawyer told The Washington Post WHEN the anxiety around gay and bisexual men and Mpox opened up raw wounds and a new wave of grief from seeing so many of his friends die from AIDS in the 80s and 90s. For Aaron, a Black gay man from the South, the disparities that exist when it comes to race and queerness are front and center. In Southern cities like Atlanta, Black queer folks initially struggled to get appointments for the mpox vaccine when it was made available in August 2022. Everyone was scared, Aaron said. There was also a lot of angeranger of having yet another disease associated with gay men. We still have not overcome the stigma associated with gay men and HIV. HIV is another factor in the mpox equation. CDC data connecting HIV, mpox and homelessness released late last year revealed most severe cases of mpox were documented in homeless men living with untreated HIV. Housing equals better health outcomes, period. There are all these great medical interventions available, but if someone is experiencing housing instability, they dont benefit from that. They usually cannot focus on the medical resources available because theyre focused on where they will lay their head tonight, Rita Harcrow, Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Housing for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development told GLAAD. What can we learn from the queer community? Because of the swift rollout of the vaccine and peoples focus on protecting themselves and their community has kept transmission levels low, he said. The LGBTQ community knew what to do and who to focus onand the proof is in the metaphorical pudding. In building off of lessons of the COVID-19, the deployment of vaccines prioritizing at-risk individuals in the mpox outbreak helped to control the outbreak quickly, Brouwer said. He also described the mortality from mpox as extremely low with 152 deaths out of more than 88,000 cases globally, according to data from WHO. Researchers are trying to determine how long protection from mpox will last. Studies have found the two-dose regimen of the vaccine is 86 percent effective at preventing mpox and still the best defense against infection. The question of whether or not you need a booster is what experts are trying to answer now, but there is currently no recommendation for additional doses after the initial series, Daskalakis said. Queer-led community organizations are still recommending people get the mpox vaccine and working to ensure those who need it have access. For more information about mpox, go here. The National Weather Service is asking residents who live in the parts of New England affected by tornadoes last Friday to fill out their severe weather survey. The survey was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday morning. Did you experience the August 18 tornadoes in southern New England? If so, please fill out this short survey:https://t.co/1k1MwtlcR3 pic.twitter.com/F8b41m0dXS NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) August 21, 2023 We are working to understand public response to hazardous weather events in order to improve how weather information is delivered to you, the weather service said in its description of the survey. Your participation in this study is voluntary and you may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. Those who choose not to fill out the survey will not be penalized, nor will any personal information be made public, the weather service said. Identities will be kept anonymous and no form of financial compensation will be offered to those who take the survey. Four tornadoes struck parts of southern New England on Friday. The strongest traveled through three towns outside of Providence, where it lifted a vehicle into the air before dropping it back onto the highway, meteorologists at the National Weather Services regional Boston office wrote in a report released Friday night. This twister was rated an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale based on its wind speed and the damage caused. Weather service officials said this tornados winds likely hit 115 mph, the strongest tornado to strike Rhode Island since 1986. Two EF-1 tornados landed in Massachusetts, one in North Attleborough where it snapped or uprooted many trees near the intersection of Mendon Road and Monticello Drive. The other struck Weymouth near the intersection of Pleasant and Torrey streets, which tore about 20 roof shingles from one home, meteorologists said. The fourth tornado hit the ground in Stoughton on Eighth Street and Corbett Street. The weather service scaled it at an EF-0. The weather service and Connecticut officials are also investigating damage from a potential tornado in the town of Scotland. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is funding this survey. Those who have questions are asked to contact Brenda Philips at bphilips@ecs.umass.edu, or Cedar League at cedarleague@gmail.com. Any questions about your rights as a participant in this study can be directed to the University of Massachusetts Institutional Review Board at 413-545-3428. Jersey Mikes is about to get much closer to Worcester. On Wednesday, Jersey Mikes at Kelley Square is scheduled to open its doors, according to the fast food chains website. It will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Construction over what was once a gas station slowly shaped up into a standard Jersey Mikes storefront for passersby driving along Madison Street. The new Jersey Mikes will be located on 187 Madison St. As well as opening on Wednesday, the store will kick it off with a fundraiser for Special Olympics Massachusetts, according to the organizations Facebook page. Once inside the restaurant, let your server know you want to donate to Special Olympics Massachusetts. Those who donate a minimum of $3 gets a free regular sub sandwich. This offer is valid beginning Wednesday and lasts until Sunday, Aug. 27. Jersey Mikes Subs has more than 2,500 locations nationwide, according to a press release. Their business began in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Prior to the new locations opening, the Jersey Mikes nearest to Worcester was located on 120 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury. Global neostigmine methylsulfate injection market Description: Neostigmine methylsulfate injection is a prefilled syringe form of a synthetic anticholinesterase drug. It is advised to use it after surgery to undo the effects of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking medications, maybe in conjunction with a peripheral nerve stimulator. It is intended to be administered by qualified healthcare professionals who are familiar with the behaviors, characteristics, and potential issues of the NMBAs that are being treated, as well as the appropriate uses and dose ranges of the medicine to treat its reversal. A pharmaceutical product with neostigmine methylsulfate as its active ingredient is referred to as Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection. The Global neostigmine methylsulfate injection market size was valued at US$ 156.75 million in 2023 and is projected to reach US$ 213.32 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period (2023-2030). Ask Us to Get Your Sample Copy Of The Report, Covering TOC and Regional Analysis @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/6033 Top Companies Associated With The Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market Report Are: Company Profiles : Baxter International Inc. Pfizer Inc. Fresenius Kabi AG Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH Mylan N.V. Novartis International AG Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC GlaxoSmithKline plc Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Sandoz (a division of Novartis) Accord Healthcare Inc. Lannett Company, Inc. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Lupin Limited : Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market Drivers: Neurological Disorders: Myasthenia gravis and postoperative urinary retention are two neurological illnesses that are commonly treated with neostigmine methylsulfate injection as a cholinesterase inhibitor. The need for neostigmine methylsulfate injections is driven by the rising prevalence of these disorders. Growing Geriatric Population: Myasthenia gravis, which frequently needs to be treated with injections of neostigmine methylsulfate, is more common in the old population since they are more prone to neurological problems. The need for drugs that treat age-related illnesses, such as neostigmine methylsulfate injections, is rising as the worlds elderly population keeps expanding. Surgical Procedures: During surgical procedures, neostigmine methylsulfate injection is employed, especially to reverse neuromuscular blockade brought on by non-depolarizing muscle relaxants. The demand for neostigmine methylsulfate injections is anticipated to rise along with the global growth in surgical procedures. Rising Healthcare Expenditure: The market for neostigmine methylsulfate injection is expanding as a result of rising healthcare spending in both developed and developing nations. The availability and use of neostigmine methylsulfate injections are projected to rise as healthcare infrastructure is improved and access to medical services increases. Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market Report Coverage Report Attribute Details The market size value in 2023 USD 156.75 Million The revenue forecast in 2030 USD 213.32 Million Growth Rate CAGR of 4.5% The base year for estimation 2022 Historical data 2017 2021 Forecast period 2023 2030 Growth Drivers: Neurological Disorders Growing Geriatric Population Surgical Procedures Increasing Healthcare Expenditure Restraints & Challenges: Side Effects and Safety Concerns Availability of Alternative Treatment Options Cost Constraints and Pricing Pressures Lack of Awareness and Diagnosis Detailed Segmentation: Global Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market, By Application : Myasthenia Gravis Reversal of Neuromuscular Blockade Global Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market, By Distribution Channel: Hospital Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Online Pharmacies Global Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market, By End User : Hospitals Specialty Clinics Ambulatory Surgical Centers Purchase This Premium Report And Get Up To 25 % Off @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/6033 Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market Trends Increasing Generic Competition: The market for neostigmine methylsulfate injections is seeing an increase in competition from producers of generic medications. Neostigmine methylsulfate injections generic counterparts hit the market once branded drugs patent protection ends, increasing price competition and encouraging consumers to look for more affordable options. Patient Safety: The healthcare sector is very concerned about patient safety. With regard to neostigmine methylsulfate injections, there is an increasing focus on safe treatment procedures, such as precise dose, appropriate administration methods, and enough patient monitoring. In order to reduce the hazards connected with neostigmine methylsulfate injections, regulatory agencies and healthcare professionals are increasingly focusing on promoting safe procedures. Regulatory Updates: Regulatory bodies are essential in maintaining the efficacy, safety, and quality of pharmaceutical products, such as injections of neostigmine methylsulfate. Market dynamics may be impacted by ongoing regulatory updates and changing regulations, notably with regard to product approvals, labeling specifications, and production standards. Market participants must follow regulatory compliance requirements if they want to keep and grow their market presence. Shift towards Combination Therapies: Combination therapy using neostigmine methylsulfate injections are becoming more popular in the treatment of a variety of neurological conditions. For instance, employing adjuvant therapy or combining neostigmine methylsulfate with other drugs that target various elements of the illness process can improve the effectiveness of treatment. This pattern presents chances for new combination therapy research and development as well as possible pharmaceutical company collaborations. Table of Contents with Major Points: Executive Summary Introduction Key Findings Recommendations Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Overview Definition of Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market Market Dynamics Drivers Restraints Opportunities Trends and Developments Key Insights Key Emerging Trends Key Developments Mergers and Acquisition New Product Launches and Collaboration Partnership and Joint Venture Latest Technological Advancements Insights on Regulatory Scenario Porters Five Forces Analysis Qualitative Insights Impact of COVID-19 on Global Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market Supply Chain Challenges Steps taken by Government/Companies to overcome this impact Potential opportunities due to COVID-19 outbreak Conclusion Appendix Data Sources Abbreviations Disclaimer TOC Continued! We Offer Customized Report, Click @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/6033 Why Choose Coherent Market Insights? Identified business opportunities Our market research report can be used to analyze potential markets and new products. It can give information about customer needs, preferences, and attitudes. Also, it compare products and services. A clear understanding of your customers A market report gives companys marketing department an in-depth picture about customers needs and wants. This knowledge can be used to improve products, prices, and advertising. Clear data-driven insights Our Market research encompasses a wide range of activities, from determining market size and segment to forecasting demand, and from identifying competitors to monitoring pricing. All of these are quantified and measurable which means that gives you a clear path for building unique decisions based on numbers. Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection Market Opportunities Emerging nations: Due to the growing healthcare infrastructure and accessibility of important pharmaceuticals in emerging nations, there is a substantial market opportunity for neostigmine methylsulfate injections. The focus on enhancing healthcare infrastructure in nations throughout Asia, Latin America, and Africa is encouraging market expansion. Product Innovation: There is room for the creation of cutting-edge neostigmine methylsulfate injection formulations. This includes the creation of better medication delivery methods, which can increase patient comfort and compliance. Examples include sustained-release formulations and innovative administration routes. Combination Therapies: Researching treatment plans that incorporate injections of neostigmine methylsulfate may present a viable prospect. For instance, combining neostigmine methylsulfate with additional medications that target similar or related mechanisms of action may have additive effects or lead to better therapeutic results. It is possible to investigate such combinations for the treatment of different neurological illnesses. Expansion in Veterinary Medicine: The use of neostigmine methylsulfate injections in veterinary medicine has grown, particularly in the management of a few neuromuscular diseases in animals. Additional business potential may arise from increasing the use and accessibility of neostigmine methylsulfate injections in the veterinary industry. Explore More Related Insights: Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Analysis U.S. Contract Research Organization (CROs) Market Elastomeric Infusion Pumps Market Prosthetic Heart Valves Market Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment Market Viscosupplementation Market Electrosurgical Devices Market Medical Sensors Market Drug Eluting Stents Market Lidocaine Ointment Market Mechanical Ventilators Market Respiratory Devices Market Calcium Pantothenate Market Memory Enhancement Drugs Market Diabetes Nutrition Market Eye Inflammation Treatment Market Microneedle Flu Vaccine Market Medical Equipment Rental Market About Us: The global X-ray machine manufacturing market was valued at US$ 15.23 Billion in 2022 and is forecast to reach a value of US$ 23.82 Billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 5.8% between 2023 and 2030. X-ray refers to an imaging test that can detect bone deformities and eliminate cancerous cells in radiation therapy by generating images of structures and tissues in the body. X-ray machines are made from two main components, which include an image detection system and X-ray generator. Amongst these, an X-ray generator is made from a tube, high voltage generator, control console, and cooling system. The manufacturing of these machines involves the use several high-precision components, such as rotors and anode cans. Producers mainly use the deep drawing process, which begins by pressing of a standard metal sheet into a cup of die with a high-pressure pressing machine. Other than the healthcare industry, x-ray machines are largely used in security applications across airports, financial institutes, and train stations. Get a Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/6028 X-ray Machine Manufacturing Market Trends: The global x-ray machine manufacturing market is expanding primarily due to the rising prevalence of respiratory, genitourinary, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal illnesses, particularly in the ageing population. The market is expanding as a result of increased spending in the research and development (R&D) of sophisticated diagnostic tools. As an illustration, industry participants are creating 3-D colour x-rays to produce clearer and more accurate images for improved diagnosis. In addition to this, the market is expanding due to a major surge in security concerns brought on by threats and criminal operations including drug trafficking and the illegal shipment of weapons. Additionally, governments from different countries have launched a number of initiatives to upgrade the healthcare system ever since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak began. As a result, the market for making x-ray machines is seeing a bright future. X-ray Machine Manufacturing Market Opportunities: Due to an increase in terrorist attacks and illegal smuggling operations worldwide, there will be a rise in the deployment of highly effective security solutions, which will present participants in the global X-ray machine manufacturing market with considerable potential prospects. For instance, the majority of fentanyl, heroin, and/or methamphetamine transported into the United States occurs over the Southwest border, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Over 90% of the heroin consumed in the United States, according to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), originates in Mexico. Therefore, at the border, all private passenger vehicles and business vehicles are scanned. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Siemens AG, Canon Inc., Hologic Inc., Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Shimadzu Corporation, Hitachi Medical Corporation, and Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, among others. Detailed Segmentation: Global X-ray Machine Manufacturing Market, By Product Type: Stationary Portable Global X-ray Machine Manufacturing Market, By Technology: Analog Digital Global X-ray Machine Manufacturing Market, By End User: Healthcare Transportation and Logistics Government Other End Users Global X-ray Machine Manufacturing Market, By Geography: North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East Africa Get Exclusive Purchase Now to Access @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/6028 Report Coverage: Report Features Details Base Year of the Analysis 2022 Historical Period 2017-2021 Forecast Period 2023-2030 Segment Coverage Product Type, Technology, End User, Region Growth Drivers: Increasing prevalence of chronic/orthopedic diseases Increasing adoption of digital X-ray systems/devices Restraints & Challenges: High cost of equipment and installation Rise in use of refurbished X-ray devices Report Price and Purchase Option Single User License: US$ 3,500 Multi User License: US$ 5,500 Corporate License: US$ 7,500 Global X-ray Machine Manufacturing Market: Key Developments In August 2022, GE Healthcare launched the digital AI-enabled x-ray system. The Definium 656 HD platform includes artificial intelligence (AI) to provide enhanced anatomic detail and clarity through the use of Helix 2.2 advanced image processing and 100 um FlashPad HD detectors. In September 2021, GE Healthcare introduced the AMX Navigate, a new portable, digital X-ray system designed with a first-of-its-kind power-assisted Free Motion telescoping coluBn that aims to reduce lift force by up to 70 percent and decrease technologist injury. In September 2021, Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital & Research Institute launched a digital radiography machine FDR SMART F, Fujifilms latest high-quality and cost-effective x-ray system for its cancer patients. Reasons to Purchase this Report: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market based on segmentation involving both economic as well as non-economic factors Provision of market value (USD Billion) data for each segment and sub-segment Analysis by geography highlighting the consumption of the product/service in the region as well as indicating the factors that are affecting the market within each region Extensive company profiles comprising of company overview, company insights, product benchmarking and SWOT analysis for the major market players The current as well as future market outlook of the industry with respect to recent developments (which involve growth opportunities and drivers as well as challenges and restraints of both emerging as well as developed regions Includes an in-depth analysis of the market of various perspectives through Porters five forces analysis Market dynamics scenario, along with growth opportunities of the market in the years to come. Ask Here for Customization Report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/6028 Check Out More Report: Colon hydrotherapy machine market Us hearing protection devices market Biopharmaceutical cmo and cro market Healthcare additive manufacturing market Health all in one machine market Central fill pharmacy automation market Physiotherapy equipment market Cardiac autonomic control market Automated cpr devices market Blood pressure monitoring devices market Neurovascular devices market 3d printing in healthcare market Medical device connectivity market Rfid in healthcare market by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 21, 2023 YouTube has launched the YouTube Music AI Incubator program with artists, songwriters and producers from Universal Music Group, which supported the creation of three music principles based on generative artificial intelligence (GAI). The program combines some of todays most innovative artists, songwriters, and producers to help inform YouTubes approach to GAI in music. The incubator will kick off with a genre-spanning cohort of creatives from Universal Music Group that includes Anitta, Bjorn Ulvaeus, d4vd, Don Was, Juanes, Louis Bell, Max Richter, Rodney Jerkins, Rosanne Cash, Ryan Tedder, Yo Gotti, and the Estate of Frank Sinatra, among others. Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge helped shape the principles. He shared his vision for an artists approach to AI and how partnering with YouTube would best position the music industry for success as the technology continues to develop. We are working hand-in-hand with YouTube to launch their Music AI Incubator, which is first bringing together a working group of leading UMG artists, songwriters and producers in multiple genres, Grainge wrote in a blog post, emphasizing that from Mozart to The Beatles to Taylor Swift, genius is never random. The challenge and opportunity for the industry is to create effective tools, incentives, rewards, and rules. Those rules aim to limit AIs potential downside while creating a promising upside. If we strike the right balance, I believe AI will amplify human imagination and enrich musical creativity in extraordinary new ways, he wrote. The commitment to collaborate and form the three principles was also embraced by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Mohan shared the AI music principles and his vision for how the framework will enhance creative expression and protect artists on the platform. "As generative AI unlocks ambitious new forms of creativity, YouTube and our partners across the music industry agree to build on our long collaborative history and responsibly embrace this rapidly advancing field," Mohan wrote in a blog post. "Our goal is to partner with the music industry to empower creativity in a way that enhances our joint pursuit of responsible innovation. The three principles include: Principle #1: AI is here, and YouTube will embrace it responsibly with its music partners. As GAI unlocks ambitious new forms of creativity, YouTube and our partners across the music industry agree to build on our long collaborative history and responsibly embrace this rapidly advancing field. YouTube's goal is to partner with the music industry to empower creativity in a way that enhances our joint pursuit of responsible innovation. Principle #2: AI is ushering in a new age of creative expression, but it must include appropriate protections and unlock opportunities for music partners who decide to participate. YouTube will continue to protect the creative work of artists on its platform. The company made massive investments over the years in the systems that help balance the interests of copyright holders with those of the creative community on YouTube. by Teresa Buyikian , August 21, 2023 Today Sweetgreen announced additions to its leadership team, appointing Michael Kotick vice president and head of marketing, and Chad Brauze head of culinary. Both executives formerly worked for Chipotle. Jonathan Neman, Sweetgreens co-founder and chief executive officer, commented that the executives were hired for their deep experience in menu innovation and marketing, combined with scaling businesses and pushing boundaries. Kotick most recently served as Chipotles senior director of brand marketing. In that role he was responsible for purpose-driven marketing through national campaigns, brand and sustainability actions, menu and product innovation, digital marketing, loyalty program growth and in-restaurant experience. Prior to Chipotle, Kotik spent eight years as an executive at Nestle, working on Nestle's natural food brands along with Purina and as global head of digital and social media of PetCare. advertisement advertisement Kotick will report to Sweetgreen co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Nathaniel Ru. Brauze joined Sweetgreen after serving as senior director of culinary innovation and sustainability at Burger King, where he was primarily in charge of overseeing the core menu and limited-time food programs. Previously, he worked as director of culinary and menu development at Chipotle. The Los Angeles-based fast-casual chain Sweetgreen specializes in whole, local ingredients in its healthy bowls and salads. The chains new hires come on the heels of several announced new Midwest and East Coast locations such as: Bloomington, Indiana; Long Island, NY and Morristown, New Jersey. Los Angeles-based fast-casual Sweetgreen currently has over 200 locations in the U.S. The chain also recently announced its expansion into the snacking arena with a new collab with Siete Foods for its first chip flavor, Green Goddess Ranch Potato Chips with a Hint of Poblano. The chips are sold in Sweetgreen locations nationwide. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that "potentially millions" more veterans or their survivors could be eligible to receive health care or financial compensation for toxic exposure-related medical conditions newly considered presumptive under the PACT Act, said Steve Miska, PACT Act transitional executive director. The law's presumptive aspect "gives us the opportunity to automatically assume, that by virtue of a veteran having this condition, it must be due to their service," Miska told Military.com. "That is a game changer in terms of how veterans historically have had to file a claim" for PACT Act conditions: "Not only did they have to prove that those conditions were manifesting, but they also had to prove the service connection." The law added what Miska described as 23 new "buckets of conditions," amounting to more than 330 medical conditions altogether. Some of the buckets contain, for example, a number of types of cancers. Whereas in the past, the VA approved about 25% of claims related to burn pit exposures, the rate was about 78.6% for PACT Act claims in the first year, Miska said. The PACT Act presumes a service connection -- provided the veteran served in a certain place at a certain time -- for the following conditions related to toxic exposures from burn pits, contaminated water at Marine Corps bases in North Carolina, and the Vietnam-era chemical defoliant, Agent Orange. Burn Pit Presumptive Conditions To be eligible for PACT Act compensation for exposure to burn pits or other toxins, veterans must have served at some point since Aug. 2, 1990, on the ground or in the airspace above Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf or the Red Sea; or since Sept. 11, 2001, on the ground or in the airspace above Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan or Yemen. If the veteran has, or has had, one of these conditions, the PACT Act assumes it is connected to burn pits: Brain cancer Gastrointestinal cancer of any type Glioblastoma Head cancer of any type Kidney cancer Lymphoma of any type Melanoma Neck cancer of any type Pancreatic cancer Reproductive cancer of any type Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type Asthma that was diagnosed after service Chronic bronchitis Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Chronic rhinitis Chronic sinusitis Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis Emphysema Granulomatous disease Interstitial lung disease (ILD) Pleuritis Pulmonary fibrosis Sarcoidosis Contaminated Water Presumptive Conditions To be eligible for PACT Act benefits for exposure to contaminated water in North Carolina, veterans must have served at either Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987. If the veteran has, or has had, one of these conditions, the PACT Act assumes it is connected to contaminated water: Adult leukemia Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes Bladder cancer Kidney cancer Liver cancer Multiple myeloma Non-Hodgkin lymphoma Parkinson's disease Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions The PACT Act added five new locations where it presumes conditions are related to exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange: military bases in Thailand, Jan. 9, 1962-June 30, 1976; Laos, Dec. 1, 1965-Sept. 30, 1969; locations in Cambodia, April 16-30, 1969; Guam or American Samoa or territorial waters off either location, Jan. 6, 1962-July 31, 1980; and Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called there, Jan. 1, 1972, through Sept. 30, 1977. If the veteran has, or has had, one of these conditions, the PACT Act assumes it is connected to Agent Orange: High blood pressure (also called hypertension) Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) The VA already presumed a service connection to Agent Orange for a number of other conditions at additional locations. More Exposure-Related Presumptive Conditions The PACT Act only added new presumptive service connections. The VA already covered conditions presumed to be from exposure to asbestos, mustard gas, chemical testing and more circumstances of military service. Just because the PACT Act hasn't declared a condition presumptive yet doesn't mean it never will, Miska said. The law requires the VA to examine evidence of service connection to "future potential conditions" to recommend for inclusion. -- Amanda Miller can be reached at amanda.miller@military.com. Keep Up with the Ins and Outs of Military Life For the latest military news and tips on military family benefits and more, subscribe to Military.com and have the information you need delivered directly to your inbox. Trier, Germany -- A 28-year-old man who died on Saturday after an altercation with two U.S. soldiers at a local amusement fair in western Germany had been fatally stabbed multiple times, according to autopsy results released on Monday. Authorities say the man got into a scuffle during an argument in the early hours of Saturday morning at a fair in Wittlich, a town located about halfway between the city of Trier and the border with Luxembourg. The victim was allegedly attacked by two off-duty United States soldiers during the scuffle, according to German police. The autopsy found multiple knife wounds in his upper body. He ultimately bled to death, senior prosecutor Manfred Stemper said on Monday. The two suspects in the attack, ages 25 and 26, were handed over to U.S. military law enforcement authorities following their arrest, as called for under agreements that regulate NATO troop deployments in allied countries. Both suspects will remain jailed in U.S. custody until the investigation is complete, according to a statement from the U.S. Spangdahlem Air Base, located about 20 kilometers from Wittlich. The Office of Special Investigations (OSI), the airbase's investigative agency, has taken over the investigation, according to local police. Stemper, the prosecutor, said the motive behind the attack, as well as what sparked the initial quarrel, remained completely unclear. Neither suspect had admitted to the crime and one of the men claimed not to remember the incident, Stemper said. Both soldiers had visited the fair with friends. Stemper said investigators are still trying to determine whether a knife found in the nearby Lieser river was used in the stabbing. According to police, forensic analysis of several pieces of potential evidence remains ongoing. This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community, Col. Kevin Crofton, the commander of the U.S. 52nd Fighter Wing, said in a statement, according to the U.S. military newspaper Stars & Stripes. We thank the local police and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course, Crofton said. The fatal stabbing cast a dark shadow over the town's traditional Saubrennerkirmes fair, whose name references folk tales surrounding a medieval siege of the town. The fair attracts visitors from around Germany, with up to 100,000 people expected to attend this year's event. 2023 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Air Force officials are considering allowing families and dependents to join airmen on tours to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. If finalized, that move would reverse a seven-year policy that established the location as an unaccompanied tour. A project task force team with U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa met at Incirlik Air Base last week to "assess the feasibility" of returning to standard tours, according to a Monday press release. If any such change is approved, officials said it would likely happen gradually. "We are not considering a full-scale, unconditional return of dependents immediately," Lt. Col. Charles Setzer, the 39 Mission Support Group deputy commander, said in the press release. "It will take a phased approach based on the [courses of action] we are presented." Read Next: Marine Corps Identifies Lance Corporal Killed During Night Training in California Almost seven years ago, on Sept. 29, 2016, the Air Force announced that deployments to Turkey were going to be unaccompanied 12-month tours "taking into account the region's current security environment and in consultation with the State Department and Turkish government," according to a 2016 press release. Prior to that announcement, it was a 24-month accompanied tour option or a 15-month unaccompanied tour for airmen. Turkey has been a NATO ally since the 1950s and has played a key military role for the U.S. in fighting the Islamic State in the neighboring countries of Syria and Iraq. Frequent terrorist attacks in 2016 and an attempted coup that same year prompted the Air Force's policy change. Earlier in 2016, prior to the policy change, military families were ordered to evacuate bases in the country to keep them safe from possible attacks, Military.com reported at the time. But Monday's press release from the Air Force acknowledged that the threat levels have changed since that time. "According to local and international security experts, the threats which inspired standing short tour policy no longer exist," Monday's press release said. "While the task force from USAFE considers feasibility of unconditional return of dependents, security conditions at Incirlik AB, Izmir, and Ankara support a return of standard OCONUS tours today." The task force at Incirlik is gathering data with an "assessment that will be made later this fall" and a final report "expected this winter." "We want to make sure we are working together to reach this milestone in returning to standard OCONUS tours for our airmen," Col. Kevin Lord, 39th Air Base Wing commander, said in the press release. "Once policy allows, our team at the 39th ABW plans to support standard-length tours for key personnel, accompanied or not, as soon as possible." -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: US Military Families Ordered to Evacuate Turkey Ever since reports surfaced that the Pentagon was considering putting Marines on commercial vessels to thwart Iranian influence in the Persian Gulf, questions and speculation have swirled around the topic. One thing that hasn't materialized is a clear sign from the Pentagon that the plan is moving closer to reality. "Marines are not boarding commercial ships, and I don't have anything additional to provide at this time," Sabrina Singh, a spokesperson for the Defense Department, told Military.com on Thursday when asked about reports of troops embarking on civilian ships in a "zone defense" against Iran. Read Next: 'Looking for a Husband, Boyfriend, Attention': Study Reveals Sexism Faced by Women in Army Special Operations While the questions over the plan and its details continue to go unanswered, some within the defense apparatus have been willing to come out and say that the capability to pull off such a mission not only exists, but Marines and sailors are ready to execute it. The U.S. Naval Institute, or USNI, reported Aug. 11 that the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit -- stationed aboard ships in the Middle East right now -- has received training in Bahrain that enables some members to work as "ship security teams." What the Pentagon is signaling publicly and what is leaking to the press makes it unclear when -- or even if -- the capability would be used. It appears that the Marine Corps and Navy have the capability and recently trained specialized units to execute it, if ordered. Pentagon leaders, for their part, do not appear ready to give that order or message it publicly -- a directive that would require more coordination than having the right troops in the right region. One of the last times the U.S. military played a large, direct role in protecting tankers was during the late 1980s, when it helped escort Kuwaiti ships through the Straits of Hormuz. That mission -- Operation Earnest Will -- required not only a government request for aid but also a scheme of re-flagging the ships to temporarily fly the U.S. flag. Despite all this, the operation didn't involve troops actually boarding any merchant ships. As of today, it does not appear that any such requests or arrangements have been made. However, what the military is not denying is that troops with the 26th MEU and Bataan Amphibious Ready Group have been training and are deployed to the Gulf of Oman to "help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region," according to public press releases from the military. "We've continued to see Iran or IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] disrupting the free flow of commerce within the region, which is why the defense secretary made the decision that he did to deploy capabilities and more forces into the region to disrupt the IRGC from continuing its activity within the Strait of Hormuz," Singh told reporters earlier this month. Then, Singh declined to directly comment on whether troops would be boarding civilian vessels, saying, "I'm not getting ahead of any decision that has been made or not been made by this department." Marines and sailors arrived in the area in response to increased harassment and seizure of commercial ships by the Iranian Navy. Iranian harassment has been escalating in the region for more than four years, including a suspected 2019 attack on two oil tankers that spurred additional tensions between Washington and Tehran. A series of attacks or attempted seizures continued. The latest known confrontation came in early July when the Navy said that U.S. forces prevented two seizures of commercial tankers by the Iranian Navy "after the Iranians had opened fire in one of the incidents near the coast of Oman." On Monday, the Navy told Military.com that it would not go into specifics when asked about the training that 100 Marines and sailors reportedly went through in preparation for providing security on commercial ships. It did appear to acknowledge the larger contingent sent to the region and its purpose. "The added forces provide significant operational flexibility and capability as we work alongside international partners to deter destabilizing activity and deescalate regional tensions caused by Iran's harassment and seizures of merchant vessels earlier this year," Cmdr. Rick Chernitzer, a spokesperson for the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and 5th Fleet, told Military.com via email. U.S. Central Command said that it had "seen the reporting" but similarly declined to confirm publicly whether troops would be placed on civilian ships. U.S. Marine Central Forces Command declined to comment. The 26th MEU focuses on deterrence and access to open waters as its strategic concerns, according to the unit's website. The unit includes combat aviation, ground combat and logistics elements. Its deployment to Middle East waters follows a recent re-designation as "special operation capable," or SOC, in July after an "enhanced, nine-month pre-deployment training program." It was the first time in more than a decade that a MEU was assigned the special designation to its moniker, according to the Corps. That same month, the 26th MEU and Bataan Amphibious Ready Group prepared for their deployment to the Middle East by "cross-decking," a task meant to distribute equipment and personnel across different ships -- in this case, three ships. By the beginning of August, more than 3,000 Marines and sailors entered the Red Sea. -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Runs Drill on Disputed Islands as US Military Presence in Region Grows The Marine Corps has identified the service member killed during a live-fire training event at Camp Pendleton, California, on Thursday. Lance Cpl. Joseph D. Whaley, of Maury County, Tennessee, was roughly four weeks into a 13-week reconnaissance course when he was killed last week during a nighttime exercise at the Marine Corps School of Infantry-West, according to a service statement. "The family and loved ones have our deepest condolences as we continue to work with them during this difficult time," Maj. Joshua Pena, a spokesperson for Marine Corps Training Command, said in an emailed statement. Read Next: Pentagon Set to Allow Calculator Use on Military Entrance Exam as Recruiting Slumps The Basic Reconnaissance Course, or BRC, is an entry-level school that trains Marines in amphibious reconnaissance. According to the Marine Corps' website, the course is three phases long and includes individual reconnaissance skills, team "open-ocean" amphibious training, and patrolling and communication. Pena, the spokesperson, said Friday that Whaley's death is under investigation and that the command is cooperating with the efforts. He did not say during which specific event the Marine's death occurred, only that it happened during the night live-fire portion. "There is no additional information available, pending the conclusion of the investigation," Pena said. Whaley's family was notified of the Marine's death on Friday. Whaley's military occupational specialty at the time of his death was 0300, infantry student. Prior to Whaley's arrival at BRC, he attended rifleman training at the School of Infantry's eastern course at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He attended recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina. His awards include the National Defense Medal, which was awarded to service members during the Global War on Terror until last year. Tributes for Whaley were expressed over social media in the days following his death. "My deepest condolences are with the friends and family of Joseph Whaley," Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said on Facebook, "a Marine from Columbia, Tennessee, who tragically passed while on base." Gabe Howard, the commissioner for Whaley's district in Tennessee, wrote on social media: "I am saddened to hear of the loss of one of our own here in our community. Joseph Whaley was not only one of our own but a Marine brother. I ask OUR community to lift Lance Corporal Joseph Whaley and his family up in prayer tonight." -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Related: Marine Killed During Night Infantry School Exercise at Camp Pendleton The Navy has fired the commanding officer of the Japan-based destroyer USS Howard, according to a statement released Sunday. "Cmdr. Kenji Igawa was relieved of command Aug. 19, 2023, by Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, due to loss of confidence in his ability to command," the Navy said in its statement. The Navy said that Capt. Edward Angelinas will take over as the Howard's commander until permanent relief arrives. In the meantime, Igawa is being reassigned to the staff of Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. Read Next: Marine Corps Identifies Lance Corporal Killed During Night Training in California It does not appear that either the ship's executive officer or its top enlisted adviser were relieved. Igawa took command of the Howard in December. Although the Navy's statement did not go into why Igawa was relieved, he was being praised by the sea service only months prior in a story written by the staff of the commander of Naval Surface Forces. In the story, which was published in July but since taken down, Igawa was described as one of only a few Japanese-American commissioned officers who was commanding a ship in "a region of high strategic importance to the U.S. and the world." Military.com reviewed a version of the story that was captured by the Internet Archive the day the relief was announced. The piece said that Igawa was a Naval Academy graduate who spent much of his naval career working in or around Japan. He served as a junior officer aboard another Japanese-based destroyer, the USS Stethem. He would also go on to work as the Japan Desk Chief for the Strategy Plans and Policy Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "It is an honor of a lifetime to be Howard's commanding officer," said Igawa about serving as the commanding officer in the piece. Igawa is at least the fifth ship commander to be relieved this year by the Navy. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: Navy Relieves USS Stout Skipper, Making at Least 4 CO Firings So Far This Year Multiple studies are linking a group of toxic chemicals to health conditions that former military and civilian firefighters may have developed after exposure to firefighting foam they used decades ago. "It's a shame that my firefighter friends, when they were diagnosed with cancer, didn't know about the risk of the foam," said Les Pomerville, a Navy veteran and Beavercreek resident. "I've lost a lot of people, who also served, to all different kinds of cancer." Officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base say they are taking multiple steps to prevent harm from exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of powerful, toxic chemicals used in firefighting foam for decades. More than 700 military installations are likely contaminated with PFAS, according to the Environmental Working Group, an organization that studies health and the environment. Research about PFAS and Service Members Although research of PFAS is ongoing, the National Cancer Institute is studying PFAS' links to thyroid, kidney, ovarian and prostate cancer. More recently, a new federal study by the National Cancer Institute shows a strong connection between (PFOS), a type of PFAS chemical, and testicular cancer. The study shows evidence that U.S. Air Force service workers who were firefighters had elevated levels of PFAS in their bloodstreams and less risk for those who lived on installations with high levels of PFAS in the drinking water. Military members with testicular cancer had higher blood levels of PFOS than those who had not been diagnosed with cancer, the study found. Research through the National Institute of Health that points to PFAS' impact on lung function and its accumulation in lung tissue is also ongoing. Pomerville said he can't help but wonder if longtime exposure to PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam led to his health conditions and was tied in any way to deaths of some of his fellow firefighters. Toxic Firefighting Foam Pomerville served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years, and one of his duties was to protect his ship from fire. It's a role he took pride in, as his father was a firefighter. Training to fight fires for the military in 1965 was a different challenge than it is today, said Pomerville, who was stationed in Virginia at the time. Uniforms were lighter and equipment was less extensive, to start. "The firefighting foam of yesteryear and the foam of today are also definitely different," he said. Producers of PFAS in the 1940s created the persistent group of chemicals to extinguish flames, particularly fire sparked by fuel. Firefighting foam with PFAS became a common element at airports and military bases throughout the country. Locally, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base began using this firefighting foam in the 1970s. The U.S. Air Force began phasing out the use of firefighting foam that contained the most common types of PFAS -- PFOS and PFOA -- from 2015 to 2017, replacing it with a foam that was more "environmentally responsible," according to a spokesperson. But this updated kind of firefighting foam contains other kinds of PFAS -- newer versions that are more difficult to filter out of water treatment facilities due to their shorter chain molecules. "The Air Force is continuing to aggressively pursue PFAS-free firefighting technologies in anticipation of the impending ban on use of PFAS-containing foams," according to a statement provided by the U.S. Air Force. "None of the commercially available PFAS-free foams meet (Department of Defense)'s strict safety standards to rapidly extinguish dangerous fuel fires." When this foam must be used for emergencies, the Air Force treats each use as a spill response to limit PFAS releases to the environment, according to the military branch. Pomerville said his life is currently filled with doctor's appointments for issues he has related to breathing. But the 77-year-old isn't sure if PFAS in firefighting foam is related to his health conditions in any way, and he's not sure he'll ever know. Blood tests that show PFAS levels in the body exist, but they are not routine tests offered by most doctor's offices and health departments, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. PFAS blood tests also cost hundreds of dollars to perform. A doctor once told Pomerville that his family may know PFAS' impact on him after he dies and an autopsy is performed. "Not knowing is awful," he said. Prevention Efforts at Military Bases Departments that oversee the Dayton-area military base have also in recent years invested in big-dollar changes to address PFAS. Its two water systems that tested higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed maximum contamination limit (MCL) of four parts per trillion (PPT) for PFOS and PFOA were in Areas A and B of the base. Water from those systems is used in on-base dormitories, fitness centers and hundreds of other housing units used by base employees. Since 2015, the Department of the Air Force has provided $44 million dollars to address PFAS at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In 2017, the Air Force installed a PFAS treatment system consisting of granular activated carbon at the base, according to the spokesperson. The Department of the Air Force also committed another $6 million in 2020 to conduct a remedial investigation at 26 foam release sites across the base. Another $29 million was committed to the construction of PFAS treatment systems at the base in 2024, and a Department of Air Force-wide project at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is being conducted to evaluate potential sources of PFAS that are not related to firefighting foam. Some Help Available for Veterans The Department of Veterans Affairs does not recommend blood testing for PFAS, saying on its website that "blood tests cannot be linked to current or future health conditions or guide medical treatment decisions." But that could soon change. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., co-chair of the congressional PFAS Task Force, in June introduced the Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS Act, which would require the VA to treat conditions linked to exposure and provide disability benefits for those affected, including for testicular cancer, Kaiser Health News reported. "The last thing [veterans] and their families need to go through is to fight with the VA to get access to benefits we promised them when they put that uniform on," Kildee told Kaiser Health News. More than 3,300 lawsuits have been filed over firefighting foam and PFAS contamination; beyond 3M's massive settlement, DuPont and other manufacturers reached a nearly $1.2 billion agreement with water utility companies in June, according to Kaiser Health News. The Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission invites veterans who believe they have been impacted by PFAS exposure while serving to call its office for more guidance regarding Veterans Affairs compensation claims. The county's veterans service commission has seen fewer than a dozen veterans file a claim for compensation due to health issues believed to be related to long term PFAS exposure, like firefighting foam, during their military service, according to Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission administrative officer Bryan Suddith. "Cases like these are decided by the VA on a case-by-case basis and can take months to adjudicate," Suddith said. Ohio's Veterans Affairs office did not return a request for comment in regard to the number of claims related to firefighting foam that have been filed in the state. Pomerville said he's unsure what can be done for veterans who served decades ago, but he hopes veterans and active servicemembers and firefighters are aware of the risks of firefighting foam. "Whether it was firefighting foam that caused my problems ... we can't tell," he said. "But if they can pinpoint things, then maybe some of the firefighters and Navy personnel who were involved in the foam could get action going with the VA." (c) 2023 Springfield News-Sun, Ohio Visit Springfield News-Sun, Ohio at www.springfieldnewssun.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image) Controls - all media types Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device. Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen. < and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys. < and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys. > in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys. ? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key. Other keyboard shortcuts: 1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons Scalebar If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular. Controls - Video Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key. Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation) Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys. The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types. The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control. Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways: - without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method - with stereoscope - with anaglyph glasses. - on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system) For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them. Controls - photo comparison mode If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu. Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder. Summary of all keyboard shortcuts Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh was activated from the 10-day injured list earlier today, prior to the clubs appearance against Washington in tonights Little League Classic. Marshs return to the lineup is excellent news for Philadelphia, as the 25-year-old has slashed an excellent .281/.367/.460 (122 wRC+) in 361 trips to the plate while playing strong defense in center field this season. While Marsh was on the shelf, he was filled in for in center field admirably by youngster Johan Rojas, who has slashed a roughly league average .286/.337/.390 in 86 plate appearances while playing excellent defense in center. With Marsh back on the roster, he figures to return to the everyday role he occupied prior to his injury. That leaves Rojas set to spend more time on the Phillies bench going forward, though manager Rob Thomson has indicated previously that using both Marsh and Rojas in the outfield could be on the table as a way to get both players bats into the lineup while also greatly improving the clubs overall outfield defense. Such an arrangement would likely come at the expense of at-bats for Jake Cave, but Cave hasnt made things easy for Thomson himself, posting a superb .333/.359/.639 slash line in August while splitting time between the outfield and first base. Further complicating the clubs logjam is the eventual return of Cristian Pache, who boasts elite outfield defense and showed flashes of the offensive potential that once made him a top prospect in 53 trips to the plate for the Phillies prior to going on the injured list last month. While rostering all three of Pache, Cave, and Rojas simultaneously would be all but impossible for the Phillies to manage, that eventuality has seemingly been put off, at least for the time being. As noted by the Philadelphia Inquirers Alex Coffey, Thomson told reporters that Pache is dealing with hip tightness, and the 24-year-old former top prospects timetable for return is currently unclear. While Pache appears to be out of commission for the foreseeable future, the club offered better news on the pitching side of things, as MLB.com notes that left-hander Jose Alvarado is expected to rejoin the club tomorrow. Alvarado has been on the injured list since early July with left elbow inflammation, his second IL stint this season for the ailment. Despite the nagging injury, Alvarado has been nothing short of dominant when healthy enough to take the mound, with a 1.38 ERA, 2.30 FIP, and a 36.4% strikeout rate in 26 innings of work this season. In returning, Alvarado seems poised to join the late-inning mix for the Phillies ahead of closer Craig Kimbrel. Rockies right-hander Tyler Kinley was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation earlier today, as noted by Luke Zahlmann of the Denver Gazette. While additional details of Kinleys injury and his timetable for return are currently unclear, its a devastating blow for the 32-year-old righty, who made just seven appearances this season after working his way back from elbow surgery, which he underwent last June. Prior to his surgery, Kinley appeared to be something of a revelation out of the Rockies bullpen last year, with a dazzling 0.75 ERA, 1.74 FIP, and a 27% strikeout rate in 25 appearances with Colorado in 2022. That strong showing led the club to extend Kinley last November with a contract that guaranteed him $6.25MM over the 2023-25 seasons. Now, it seems likely that the first of those seasons, at least, will bear little fruit. In his seven trips to the mound this season, Kinley struggled badly to a 9.53 ERA with two home runs allowed in 5 1/3 innings, though that of course is a small sample size immediately following a significant layoff from big league action. With the 2023 campaign already essentially lost for the 48-75 Rockies, the clubs top priority regarding Kinley seems likely to be ensuring hes fully healthy and ready to go for the 2024 campaign. More from around MLBs West divisions ROCKFORD, MI -- The drop-off line wrapped around the corner and dozens of students unloaded off school buses as students headed back to the classroom on Monday. Lakes Elementary Principal Mindy McGinn was outside the school on Aug. 21, greeting the 500-plus students and keeping order with the morning rush of students. Hours and hours of work go into the first day, from where do teachers live in the building, to whos on the class list, to materials and supplies that they need, how parents are dropping off kids and picking them up at the end of the day. Whats for lunch? Everything you can imagine and things you cant imagine go into preparation, McGinn remarked on how the faculty prepares for a new school year. The students started lining up around 8:15 a.m. and by 8:35 a.m., the students were in the building and ready to start the 2023-24 school year. At 10 a.m. students in first through fifth grade gathered outside the school at the flag pole for a ceremonial raising of the American flag to mark the students being back at school. Lakes Elementary is one of eight, K-5 buildings in the district with a ninth one currently under construction. The elementary school has serviced the Rockford community for 74 years. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. Also on MLive: Rockford football preview: New-look passing game leads Rams into tough 2023 schedule Got school supplies? Help Grand Rapids teachers stock their classrooms in annual donation drive Holland Public Schools hires retired police officer as new safety, security director Ferris State University joins Detroit Promise program, offering free tuition to citys teens See inside Grandvilles new $57 million middle school building NEW HUDSON, MI - His wife says she just wanted her kitchen back and now shes got it after Mike Skyring opened his first cookie shop, Men Bake Cookies, which just held its grand opening over the weekend. The cookie shop is located at 56849 Grand River Avenue in New Hudson. Skyring, who is a Navy veteran, says it all started three years ago when he made some sugar cookies for his daughters birthday. I had never actually made cookies before, Skyring told MLive. They turned out pretty good and it kind of grew from there. I had been baking them out of our house since then and selling them at a local farmers market. Eventually, I outgrew that and decided to open this shop. Skyring makes a standard six flavors along with a couple of monthly rotating flavors, Each cookie weighs more than a quarter pound. Chocolate chip is a solid favorite, he added. Lemon meringue is a really big one, too. Its kind of a sleeper. No one knows about it and then they try it and tell me its really good. One long-time customer we ran into at the grand opening raves about Skyrings cookies. Ive been buying them since he first started coming to the South Lyon Farmers Market a couple of years ago and believe me, these cookies are delicious and when he runs out, it upsets me, Mike Markiewycz said. Im a cookie connoisseur. I expect anyone who likes cookies to come here because theyre great. Each cookie is $5 to $6. Men Bake Cookies is now open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Fridays from 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Its closed Tuesdays and Saturdays. MORE FROM MLIVE: Historic Michigan hotel just named as one of the top 10 in the entire U.S. You will soon be able to board the Boblo Boat again These 4 legendary bands are about to perform one last concert in Michigan OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- The people who live in Jamestown Township love their bike paths. They said so in a township recreation survey done 23 years ago. They said it again in 2018. The township is a mix of farm fields and subdivisions southwest of Grand Rapids. It doesnt have much in the way of sidewalks. The bike paths are one of the few ways to get around without a car. When the township crafted a five-year recreation plan in 2019, building more of them was goal number one. BELLAIRE, MI -- The last of three trials for 14 men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in order to spark a civil war in 2020 was scheduled to begin with jury selection Monday, Aug. 21. Opening statements are expected Wednesday, Aug. 23. The defendants, Michael Null, 41, Plainville, twin brother William Null, 41, of Shelbyville, and Eric Molitor, 39, are each charged with providing material support for terrorist acts, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, punishable by two years in prison in addition to any other sentence. All three men are accused of participating in surveillance trips conducted near the governors lake house in Elk Rapids, one a daytime trip on Aug. 29 that Molitor attended and the other between Sept. 12 and Sept. 13 that the Null brothers participated in. William Null and Michael Null have provided assistance for a nighttime physical surveillance operation of the governors vacation home by acting as lookouts ... " the charging affidavit said. Molitor, along with others, on August 29, 2020 conducted surveillance of Governor Whitmers vacation home and used his cell phone to find the location and took photographs. He further discussed with others about conducting surveillance from water at a later date ... " The FBI made a sweep arresting 13 of the accused conspirators on Oct. 8, as some of the men were attempting to make arrangements to purchase explosives, according to court testimony at a previous federal trial. Of the 11 other charged defendants, two were convicted by a jury, two accepted plea deals and two were acquitted in federal court; three were convicted in Jackson County, two others have accepted plea deals in Antrim County. Heres the breakdown: Barry Croft Jr. of Bear, Delaware, following a mistrial, was retried and in August 2022 convicted by a jury in federal court for conspiracy to kidnap the governor, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and knowingly possessing an unregistered destructive device. He was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison. Adam Fox of Wyoming, Michigan, following a mistrial, was retried and in August 2022 convicted by a jury in federal court for conspiracy to kidnap the governor and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Brandon Michael-Ray Caserta of Canton in April 2022 was found not guilty by a jury in federal court on charges of conspiracy to kidnap the governor and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. After spending nearly 18 months in pretrial jail detention, Caserta was released. Daniel Harris of Lake Orion in April 2022 was found not guilty by a jury in federal court on charges of conspiracy to kidnap the governor and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. After spending nearly 18 months in pretrial jail detention, Harris was released. Ty Garbin of Hartland accepted a deal in January 2021, agreed to testify against codefendants at the federal trials and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap the governor. He was originally sentenced to six years and three months in prison, but the U.S. District Court later reduced the sentence to two years and six months in prison. Kaleb Franks of Waterford accepted a deal in February 2022, agreed to testify against codefendants at the federal trials and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap the governor. He was sentenced to four years in prison. Pete Musico of Munith was found guilty in October 2022 by a jury in Jackson County of providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Joseph Morrison of Milford was found guilty in October 2022 by a jury in Jackson County of providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Paul Bellar of Milford was found guilty in October 2022 by a jury in Jackson County of providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. Brian Higgins of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, accepted a deal in March of this year and pleaded guilty to providing material support for a terrorist in Antrim County. He is expected to be sentenced upon completion of the trial for Molitor and the Null brothers. The crime is punishable by up to five years in prison. Shawn Fix of Belleville accepted a deal in June of this year and pleaded guilty to providing material support for a terrorist in Antrim County. He is expected to be sentenced upon completion of the trial for Molitor and the Null brothers. The crime is punishable by up to five years in prison. More on MLive: Michigan AG asks judge to forbid FBI entrapment accusations at upcoming Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trial Michigan AGs interference with witness reveals big flaw in system, kidnap plot attorney says FBI informant, others fear charges and refuse to testify in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trial Five accused Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plotters to face joint trial, judge rules Michigan AG wants to seal evidence defendant in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot threatened to expose Kidnap plotter receives nearly 20-year sentence Editors note: This story has been updated with preliminary information from police and will be updated as more information is released. LIVONIA, MI -- Police have successfully recovered Matthew and Montana Bridges, the two-week-old twins boys who were allegedly abducted Monday morning. Michigan State Police announced the safe recovery of the boys on social media nearly five hours after an Amber Alert was issued. Details on the alleged abduction remain limited, but police confirmed the twins were dropped off at 9:30 a.m. at the Detroit Police Departments 9th precinct. The babies were given to officers on duty and taken to a local hospital for observation. During a press conference Monday, Detroit Police Chief James White said the children are safe and in good condition with no obvious injuries. However, he declined to say who dropped off the twins and said that no one is in custody in connection with the alleged abduction. The search for the babies began Sunday according to Livonia Police Department Captain Gregory Yon who said his department received a call at 10:10 p.m. from a woman who said her children had been taken from a hotel room. The lady left (the twins) with two friends and when she came back they were gone, Yon said. Yon called the alleged abductors friendly acquaintances when asked again about the relationship between the mother and the suspects. When asked if the case is being investigated as an abduction, Yon confirmed that status for now. It was reported as an abduction and thats how we took it and thats how were treating it at this point, Yon said. The mother of the twins was with Livonia police according to Yon, and is not under arrest as the investigation continues. Yon said the hope is to reunite the children with their mother as police continue to investigate. The Amber Alert was issued around 5:54 a.m. and police were asking for the publics help in finding a black Jeep Cherokee that was last seen near the Quality Inn on Plymouth Road, between Merriman and Middlebelt roads. Yon said the Jeep has not yet been recovered and declined to elaborate on the search for the vehicle or the suspects. READ MORE: Michigan man killed after being hit by 3 vehicles, ignored dont walk sign, police say Missing Michigan teen found dead after being hit by car on freeway entrance ramp MSP searching for Flint-area referee last seen Sunday morning ARCADIA, MI This boardwalk in Northern Michigan offers a glimpse into a rare jewel coastal marsh thats home to several endangered and threatened birds, uncommon wildflowers and fish. Arcadia Marsh is a 305-acre nature preserve in northern Manistee County. Its one of only 16 remaining coastal marshes on the Lake Michigan coast of the states Lower Peninsula. A three-quarter mile, universally accessible boardwalk through the marsh opened in 2019. Its known as one of the Top 10 birdwatching sites in Michigan. Observant visitors will see a variety of flora and fauna, from belted kingfishers to northern harriers, marsh wrens and great egrets, and cattails, bonesets, great water docks and swamp milkweed. As one of the last remaining Great Lakes coastal marshes along the Lake Michigan coast, Arcadia Marsh is a rare jewel brimming with biodiversity and ecological significance, according to the field guide by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, which manages the marsh. A monarch butterfly sits on a boneset flower on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, at Arcadia Marsh in Arcadia, Mich. The rare coastal marsh is a 305-acre nature preserve managed by the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy in northern Manistee County, Mich.Justine Lofton | jlofton@mlive.com Getting there There are two trailheads with access to the Arcadia Marsh boardwalk: St. Pierre Road and M-22. Find directions here. Users will walk from one end to the other and then back to their starting point. Pack a small backpack with the necessities: water, binoculars, sunglasses and a camera. Hiking shoes arent necessary but go for practicality over fashion. Some visitors may also want to download the field guide, available here. Strollers, wheelchairs and other mobility devices are welcome. No bikes. No dogs. There are no restrooms at the trailheads or along the boardwalk, so plan accordingly. Visitors use binoculars to get the best views of wildlife at Arcadia Marsh on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, in Arcadia, Mich. The rare coastal marsh is a 305-acre nature preserve managed by the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy in northern Manistee County, Mich.Justine Lofton | jlofton@mlive.com The trail This trail is not a loop and theres no destination. Its simply about looking around and seeing 360-degrees of natural beauty. Starting from the M-22 trailhead, a short gravel pathway lined with wildflowers leads out to the universally accessible boardwalk. Stepping out onto the walk reveals a panoramic view of the marsh with its waterways, plants, trees and scrub. While its only three-quarters of a mile a mile and a half round trip dont mistake this for a quick walk. Those who take time to slow down, take in the views, observe wildlife and read the interpretive signage will take an hour or more to traverse the marsh. Arcadia Marsh is seen here, looking west from a viewing platform along the boardwalk on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, in Arcadia, Mich. The rare coastal marsh is a 305-acre nature preserve managed by the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy in northern Manistee County, Mich.Justine Lofton | jlofton@mlive.com Tread lightly and slowly to see as much as possible. The marsh is home to around 250 bird species - including 17 that are endangered, threatened or of special concern - more than 200 plant species and about 28 species of fish. Interpretive signage, including photos and identification, along the boardwalk helps walkers discern what theyre seeing. Progressing east, the marsh gets thicker and thicker around the boardwalk. Plants and bushes overhang, and stinging nettles (they really do sting) reach out over the walkway. At the east end near the St. Pierre Road trailhead, there are tall trees and the environment begins to change, becoming more forest-like. This reporter observed belted kingfishers, several great egrets and northern harriers, lots of small birds that were too quick to be identified, a monarch butterfly pollinating a boneset, and much more. It took about 90 minutes. Belted kingfishers are seen here on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, at Arcadia Marsh in Arcadia, Mich. The rare coastal marsh is a 305-acre nature preserve managed by the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy in northern Manistee County, Mich.Justine Lofton | jlofton@mlive.com The preserve Approximately 80% of Michigans coastal marsh habitats have been destroyed. That makes Arcadia Marsh a rare ecosystem. Of those that remain, many are plagued by invasive species and other problems, according to the field guide. A great egret flies low above the water on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, at Arcadia Marsh in Arcadia, Mich. The rare coastal marsh is a 305-acre nature preserve managed by the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy in northern Manistee County, Mich.Justine Lofton | jlofton@mlive.com The effort to restore Arcadia Marsh took years of intensive efforts, including rerouting Bowen Creek to its original bed, removing invasive species and planting native seeds. Maintenance by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and its partners is ongoing. Hunting and fishing are allowed on the preserve, following rules set by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Michigan State Universitys interim president, Teresa Woodruff, announced Sunday that she will not seek the presidency on a longer-term basis. As the third interim president of MSU in the last five years, I wish for a period of stability for the university, she wrote in a statement published on the universitys website. Thus, and to enable that goal, I do not seek the full-time presidency but will support the individual selected for this role as they assume the helm. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- A Chelsea-area home is a total loss after an overnight fire, officials said. Chelsea Area Fire Authority crews were called out to the 9900 block of Trinkle Road in Lima Township for a report of a structure fire at a two-story home around 2:40 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20, said Chief Robert Arbini. When crews arrived, they found a fire coming through the roof of a home, the majority of which was burning. The fire was called in by a passerby, Arbini said. By the time someone saw fire from the road, this thing was going, Arbini said. You dont even know theres a house back there. No one was home at the time. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but is not being considered suspicious, Arbini said. The house will most likely be declared a total loss by the insurance company, he added. The fire was under control by roughly 3:40 a.m., although crews were on scene until around 4:30 a.m. Chelsea fire crews were aided by crews from Grass Lake, Scio Township, Dexter, Ann Arbor Township, city of Ann Arbor, Pittsfield Township and Superior Township. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: DTE tells Ann Arbor to expect a dramatically different power grid in 10-15 years Driver flees after crashing into downtown Ypsilanti building Kiteboarder airlifted from Lake Michigan off Sleeping Bear Dunes GRAND RAPIDS, MI A man convicted of killing one of two men in a Grand Rapids home more than 18 years ago was sentenced to prison for his role in the slayings. Ricardo Fabela, 37, stood emotionless before Kent County Circuit Judge George Quist on Monday, Aug. 21, as he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Edgar Lopez. The case started in February 2005 when Grand Rapids police found Lopez and another man, Dipakkumar Patel, dead inside a residence on Buchanan Avenue SW. RELATED: Suspect extradited from Mexico for 2005 homicides in Grand Rapids At that time, police issued arrest warrants for Fabela and codefendant Miguel Vidana, but they both fled the area. Vidana was eventually arrested in November 2007 in Texas. He told police Fabela was last seen in Zacatecas, Mexico. An arrest warrant for Fabela was granted in Mexico in August 2013. Fabela was arrested in Mexico six years later in April 2019. Fabela was extradited to the United States in April 2022 to face charges for Lopezs killing. A jury found Fabela guilty at trial in July of felony murder and felony firearms. In court on Monday, Ramon Flores described the grief his family has been put through with the loss of his brother, Lopez. Flores then read from a statement on his phone that was prepared by his mother, Maria Elena Esparza. With the loss of my son, not only did he kill (Edgar) but he killed me too, Flores said on his mothers behalf. " Where youre going, youre going to need Gods help because I will never forgive you. Fabela, who maintained his innocence, told the judge, I have nothing to say your honor, when given an opportunity to speak. On top of the felony murder conviction, Fabela was also sentenced to two years in prison for a felony firearms charge. For his role in the homicides, Vidana was found guilty of second-degree murder and felony firearms. Hes currently serving a 23-year prison sentence for the two charges, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. Read more on MLive: Man killed in shootout with police in Muskegon County identified Video shows police, drone track down car-theft suspects Dam removal to improve fishing at unique trout creek in West Michigan OTTAWA COUNTY, MI The wait is over as Hudsonville students arrived for the first day of school at the new 5/6 Building @ Georgetown on Monday, Aug. 21. Our students have been waiting a year and-a-half planning and preparing, said Principal Melanie McClure. They got to have a say in furniture and different things, so were excited to have them be a part of this building and help build the culture from the ground up. Hudsonvilles $36 million intermediate and upper elementary school building, at 8175 36th Avenue, was buzzing with excitement for the first day of the 2023-24 school year. The new 112,000-square-foot facility is for grades 5 and 6 in the Hudsonville school district. Related: Parents, students get first look at new Hudsonville school before classes start The building features state-of-the-art technology, ample natural lighting, open spaces for student collaboration, and breakout rooms for small group instruction. Roughly 625 students enrolled this year, McClure previously told MLive/The Grand Rapids PRess, but the building will be able to accommodate up to 725 students as it grows. Today is the day, were super excited, she said. You can order prints of any of these back-to-school photos by clicking the Buy photo button in the caption of every photo. Subscribers click the Get photo link to download high-resolution images right to their device for free as part of their subscription. To subscribe, click this link. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. Read more on MLive: A Michigan township wanted more bike paths, so it required developers to pay. Now its being sued. Boat owner suffers serious burns in explosion How to do a sunset sail aboard the Schooner Serenity at this Lake Michigan beach town OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Ottawa County leaders on Tuesday will consider recommending the countys public health department change how it talks about vaccines. County commissioners at the Tuesday, Aug. 22, meeting will take up a resolution titled Resolution on Childhood Vaccine Waivers for School and Childcare put before them by Ottawa County Board Chair Joe Moss, who also leads the far right majority faction on the board called Ottawa Impact. The resolution recommends that Ottawa County promotions of vaccinations for children in school and licensed childcare programs also include information about how parents can opt their children out of vaccinations via waiver. Vaccination waivers are allowed under state law for medical, ethical and religious reasons. The resolution comes about a week after the Ottawa County Department of Public Health sent out a press release Aug. 14 on the importance and benefits of childhood vaccinations ahead of the new school year. The communication didnt mention waivers. Information on vaccination waivers is featured prominently on the departments immunization webpage. Under state law, medical waivers are provided by a physician. For nonmedical waivers, parents are required by state law to attend a waiver session by their local county health department. The sessions are informational, and local health departments are not tasked with judging a persons reasons for the waiver. The resolution recommends that those waiver sessions through the Ottawa County Department of Public Health include information on the risks and benefits of vaccines as well as a copy of vaccine package inserts, vaccine ingredients and a link to the federal governments online data page for adverse vaccination incidents. County health department officials say information about the benefits and risks of vaccination is already provided to parents during waiver sessions. Other information being recommended in the resolution is also provided, depending on the specific needs and concerns of the family. In the resolution, Moss wrote that the board respects the rights of parents to choose whether to vaccinate their children. Moss went on to say that the board acknowledges differing conclusions and practices exist within the medical community regarding the risk-benefit assessment of vaccines and communicable diseases. He didnt detail the differing conclusions and practices in the resolution. Opposition to state and county mask mandates and concerns about a potential COVID-19 vaccine mandate were some of the driving forces which propelled Ottawa Impact Republicans to oust a majority of the county boards incumbents in the August 2022 primaries. The new board, led by Ottawa Impact, was seated in January. Ottawa County Department of Public Health Medical Director Dr. Gwendolyn Unzicker said vaccines are a safe and effective way to prevent the spread of multiple communicable diseases and that they also provide people protection from the most serious outcomes of those vaccine-preventable diseases. This is one reason why Michigan state law requires that children receive certain vaccinations before entering a group setting, such as a childcare facility or school, Unzicker said. Unzicker said people have the right to make healthcare decisions for themselves and their families. But particularly when those decisions affect an entire community, its important that those decisions are informed by evidence, she said. Informed consent is one of the foundations of healthcare decision-making, Unzicker said. A conversation with a healthcare provider is one of the best ways to obtain evidence-based information for parents and families considering their options. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. Read more on MLive: 5 significant cases were tracking in Grand Rapids-area courts this week Grand Rapids to consider $100K police drones purchase A Michigan township wanted more bike paths, so it required developers to pay. Now its being sued. GRAND HAVEN, MI -- An Ottawa County man has been sentenced to decades in prison for killing his wife with a kitchen knife while children were in the home. Matthew Hallacy, 46, was sentenced Monday, Aug. 21 in Ottawa County Circuit Court to a minimum 36 years in prison on a charge of second-degree murder. Hallacy killed his wife, 32-year-old Quinn Hallacy, at their home on July 11, 2022. Deputies responded to the house, in the 6200 block of 120th Avenue, and found Hallacy face down with a large kitchen knife nearby. There were three children in the home at the time. Ottawa County sheriffs Capt. Jake Sparks earlier said the three children were ages 10, 10 and 7. Two of them ran to a neighbors house for help when the assault was happening and the neighbor called 911. A detectives testimony to obtain a warrant showed that the two children, as they sought help, made comments that their father had just killed their mother. Matthew Hallacy was credited with already serving 406 days. More from MLive Freighter spilled 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel, Coast Guard says Man sentenced to prison 18 years after Grand Rapids murder KALAMAZOO, MI -- Nearly two years after she was arrested at a police sweep of a homeless encampment, Monica Washington-Padula was handed a sentence for her actions. Though she still thinks about what could have happened if she didnt intervene. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI A boat owner suffered serious injuries in an explosion on his sailboat while docked at a White Lake marina. The victim suffered second- and third-degree burns Sunday, Aug. 20, in the explosion near Crosswinds Marine Service. The man was taken to Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital then airlifted to a hospital in Grand Rapids. The explosion was reported just before 3 p.m., said Keith Heidelberg, fire marshal for White Lake Fire Authority. The boat owner was in the 34-foot Baba sailboat when it exploded. A good Samaritan helped the man from his boat. Firefighters extinguished a small fire when they reached the scene. The cause of the explosion is under investigation but Heidelberg suspected that a propane leak led to the blast. The sailboat, which was tied up to the dock, sustained significant damage and is a total loss, he said. Read more: Amber Alert issued for missing 2-week-old twin babies abducted by 2 women in Michigan Benny the Beard Fisher is the U.P.s new resident riverside troll Michigan marijuana sales likely to surpass $3 billion, helped by record-breaking July MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI The removal of a dam on a very unique creek known for its trout and salmon east of Muskegon could improve fishing opportunities. Work recently began to remove the dam on the Little Rio Grande Creek at Patterson Park in Ravenna. MIDLAND, MI A mid-Michigan tradition continues this month when the Midland County Fairgrounds hosts the 2023 Midland Folk Music Festival. The four-day event spans Thursday to Sunday, Aug. 24-27, although organizers say visitors are welcome to set up camp at the fairgrounds earlier in the week. As is tradition, the 2023 festival will include stage shows, sing-a-longs as well as music-themed workshops at the fairgrounds, 6905 Eastman Ave. in Midland. The festival is organized by the Folk Music Society of Midland, a nonprofit featuring enthusiasts of music played using instruments such as fiddles, guitars and dulcimers. Entrance fee is $10 for the general public or $5 for members of the Midland Folk Music Society. For more information about the festival, visit the music societys website. Read more from MLive: Tour Michigans Thumbcoast with this travel site-recommended 140-mile lakeside trip A throwback experience with 2023 films awaits at this Michigan drive-in theater Bay City State Parks new nature-inspired playground now open by the Saginaw Bay Michigans Dow Gardens offers 110 acres of beautiful flowers, towering pines in Midland No pool? No problem. How to cool off this summer in Great Lakes Bay Region FORT COLLINS, CO Marilyn McKinnons next visit to Barbieland will be in style thanks to a Michigan business. The 76-year-old Fort Collins, Colorado woman last week received her new Amigo mobility scooter, produced by Bridgeport Township-based Amigo Mobility International. Its not McKinnons first Amigo. The difference this time: The scooter is painted hot-pink, as part of the companys new line of premium vehicles that feature 10 new color options. Traditionally, the 55-year-old company has offered red-, blue- or black-colored scooters. I love it, McKinnon said of her new ride. In summer 2022, Amigo Mobility International debuted the 10 new colors, naming them after popular Michigan communities and landmarks. The pink on McKinnons Amigo, for example, was branded Sunset at Sleeping Bear Dunes. Now a summer 2023 pop culture hit the Hollywood blockbuster, Barbie has Amigo Mobility representatives hoping for a bump in sales for the pink scooters. McKinnons latest purchase could prove a sign of at least a minor trend. McKinnon, who began riding Amigo scooters after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 15 years ago, earlier this year ordered one of the companys new green scooters labeled as Spartan green by the company to replace her aging Amigo. Before the new unit was shipped, though, McKinnon had a change of heart. Her husband reached out to me and said, She changed her mind; she really wants that Barbie pink, said Trish Borch, an account manager with Amigo Mobility. She 100% was driven to that because of the movie. McKinnon hoped to receive the new scooter in time for her planned viewing of Barbie in movie theaters earlier this month. The Amigo arrived too late for that first outing, but McKinnon said she may schedule a second viewing now that her Amigo matches the Mattel characters famously pink color scheme. I might even go as Barbie for Halloween, McKinnon said. With McKinnon as inspiration, Amigo Mobility representatives latched on to the Barbie marketing machine. The companys Facebook page two weeks ago uploaded a post featuring a popular Barbie meme that allows social media users to insert personal photos into the films online marketing. The Facebook post featured an image of a pink Sunset in Sleeping Bear Dunes scooter above the Barbie-themed tagline, This Amigo has a premium color. Luckily, we werent affected by a shortage of pink, the post read, referencing a worldwide shortage of pink paint created by the production of the Barbieland film set showcased in the Margot Robbie-starring movie. The homepage of Amigo Mobilitys website also features the Barbie-themed meme. Jennifer Kehres, director of marketing at Amigo Mobility, said the company sold two pink scooters since then. So, we could be experiencing a Barbie effect, Kehres said. Along with Sunset in Sleeping Bear Dunes pink and Spartan green, the companys new premium-colored scooters are Isle Royale Greenstone green, Lake Michigan blue, Mackinac Island Fudge brown, Sandy Shores of Tawas beige, Traverse City Cherry red, Detroit Steel grey, Polar Plunge grey and Snowfest white. Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw. Read more from MLive: Man injured, vehicle riddled with bullets after Saturday afternoon shooting Get folksy with this 4-day Michigan music festival Search for Saginaw Countys next administrator to mirror SVSU model LANSING, MI Michigans top elections panel on Monday greenlit a recall petition against a Democratic lawmaker but sent five others back to the drawing board some of them for the second time. The Board of State Canvassers approved a recall petition against state Rep. Sharon MacDonell, D-Troy, filed by Troy resident Michael T. Ross. He took issue with her voting for House Bill 4145, which sought to create an extreme risk protection order law (also known as a red flag law). Although it passed the House, the bills twin in the Senate was the one signed into law in May. When it takes effect next year, gun owners can have their firearms temporarily removed if someone close to them successfully petitions a court that the gun owner is reasonably expected to do harm. I know I did the right thing, MacDonell told MLive in an interview after the petition was approved. She said shes not worried about being recalled. When the first-term lawmaker was campaigning last year, she said gun reform was among the top three issues her constituents mentioned. And in her fairly blue district, she said people come up to her in public and thank her for the job shes doing. Recalls are about egregious behavior, MacDonell said. Recalls are not generally about voting the way your constituents want you to vote. Canvassers duty regarding recall petitions is to determine whether the reasoning described at the top of the form that citizens would sign is sufficiently clear and accurate. They rejected multiple petitions three weeks ago because the reasoning only listed bill numbers, not descriptions of what the bills do. One recall petition moved forward last time: An attempt to remove Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, for ceremoniously voting for Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, to be House speaker. Flashback: 7 ghost recall petitions against Michigan lawmakers rejected; 1 approved Recalling a lawmaker in Michigan is a tall task, however. No recall has been successful since the states law tightened a decade ago, and only one such petition drive has even submitted signatures. Each recall effort will need to collect a number of signatures equal to 25% of the votes in that district in last years governor race. MacDonell won her race last November by 16 percentage points. Cavitt won his by 30 points. The MacDonell petition and three others that appeared before the canvassing board on Monday were refilings of petitions from last time. Those other three, plus two new ones, included more than the bill number this time, but failed on other grounds. A petition to recall Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City, for the same reason as MacDonell was rejected because it described the bill as an extreme risk protection order and not an act, making it insufficiently clear. Petitions against Democratic Reps. Noah Arbit of West Bloomfield, Kelly Breen of Novi, Jennifer Conlin of Ann Arbor and Denise Mentzer of Mt. Clemens noted their votes on HB 4474, which would expand Michigans hate crime law. But the petitions werent clear enough, the board ruled. A yes vote could have indicated you are either for or against ethnic intimidation, Republican canvasser Richard Houskamp argued about the faulty wording. It was the second time the petitions against Arbit and Conlin failed. A seventh petition seeking to recall Rep. Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township was withdrawn before Mondays hearing. Mark Brewer, a lawyer hired by the House Democratic caucus to represent the lawmakers facing recall, accused the batch of petitioners to be part of a concerted statewide effort that is not forthcoming in its identity. He showed canvassers a mailer, a newsletter and printed text messages that show organized efforts and meetings connected to the recalls of at least Arbit and Breen. On the mailer against Arbit, a political action committee in Tennessee is listed. Its bank account, Brewer said, is based in Virginia. These are not spontaneous, grassroots efforts at all, he said. They are being organized and coordinated statewide with the involvement of at least one out-of-state PAC and a number of other individuals inside the state. Related: Recall for ceremonial vote is frivolous, says targeted GOP lawmaker Houskamp also took a shot at cloudy groups behind the recalls. The reality is that theres someone, some organization or multiple organizations who remain anonymous who are behind the scenes, he said. It just seems like thats so against anything ethical. Brewer also argued every petition should be thrown out because no filer included the required campaign finance disclosure on the bottom. But any violation, the boards legal counsel concluded, is for the secretary of states office to deal with when signatures are submitted. Brewer told reporters he will appeal the MacDonell decision and file a campaign finance complaint against every petition. Upon filing an appeal, there is an automatic 40-day stay on collecting signatures. Republican canvasser Tony Daunt told reporters he expects the petitioners who were denied Monday to continue making attempts until theyre approved. But, he added, the idea of trying a recall lawmakers just over a year before an election is kind of silly. Read more from MLive: Fifteen months out, Trump vs. Biden is again ultra-competitive in Michigan How experienced are the teachers in your school district? See the data here. Freighter spilled 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel, Coast Guard says Michigan marijuana sales likely to surpass $3 billion, helped by record-breaking July GERMFASK, MI It turns out there is a troll that lives in Michigans Upper Peninsula, after all. Benny the Beard Fisher is a new art installation on the banks of the Manistique River at Northland Outfitters in Germfask. He is a troll character in a coming childrens book by Danish artist Thomas Dambo and the latest up north attraction to open to the public. The 14-foot-tall wooden troll is already delighting visitors. Kim Bayer of Ann Arbor snapped photos of the sculpture on Thursday, Aug. 17, as her partner Glen Greenlee stood nearby. She said she follows the recycled-materials artist on Instagram and wanted to see his new sculpture in Michigan. Were camping up here and just seemed like a good day to come over, Kim Bayer said, while a handful of other visitors walked past. Campground and livery owners Levi and Durea Brady said they purchased the business last year and initially planned to rent out snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. Realizing the liability risk of that element, they changed their business plan to instead pay for the popular artist to create a troll installation at Northland Outfitters. He wanted it next to the river to go with the story, Levi Brady said. Dambo is on an ongoing trip across the United States, building a series of large troll sculptures. He traveled to Colorado and Portland after Michigan. Northland Outfitters will offer the coming childrens book for sale in their gift shop when it publishes. They already have an idea of the storyline and it is a slightly dark narrative. Its the story of a troll that travels from Denmark, and its about water conservation, Durea Brady said. Benny is a character in the book. There are a couple bad trolls but Bennys a good one. The giant troll sculpture is made from leftover cedar plank pieces from a nearby Amish lumber mill, as well as branches and saplings collected from the local landscape. Levi Brady said in the few weeks since the sculpture was completed, its already proven popular with visitors on both land and water. Many paddlers on the Manistique River float around the bend and find the troll sculpture quite surprising, he said. The kids lose their frickin minds, so I want to get a reaction video on the backside of the tree right here because if they dont know about it, they scream and laugh, Levi Brady said. And floating past the troll is a fun experience, he said. I had to go clear the river, and we came by, and I got to see him and yeah, his eyes like follow you as you are drifting by him. Michigan state environmental regulators granted the business a permit to construct the troll sculpture alongside the river. Levi Brady said it seemed helpful the part of the troll designed to hang over the wetland is made of natural materials. The couple said they are creating a parking lot and gift shop alongside state highway M-77, along with a wooden boardwalk leading to the troll sculpture. That coming feature is meant to minimize vehicle traffic inside the existing campground and livery parking lot. Northland Outfitters is at 8174 M-77 in Germfask, not far from Seney National Wildlife Refuge. More information can be found at www.northlandoutfittersup.com or by calling 906-586-9801. Read more of MLives environment and climate news here. Sign up to receive MLive's free new environment and climate newsletter, "Lake Effect." Enter your email here: Related articles: Portlands giant troll sculpture completes construction heres how to see it Wetlands and water quality: Beaver Island is a science hub Historic Upper Peninsula theater gets $3M in state budget for restoration Its that time of week once again, Wallet Watchers. This week in economy news, were bringing you headlines about how Michigan residents with credit card debt are managing as the national record reaches $1 trillion, why the states affordable housing stock could get worse in the years to come, a look at what one Northern Michigan community is doing to increase its own housing supply and the economic impact of a possible UAW strike. Without further ado, lets dive right into it: Michiganders lean on credit cards as Americans reach record $1 trillion in debt Americans are increasingly leaning on credit cards to pay for things, and those in Michigan are no different. Total credit card debt reached over $1 trillion for the first time this summer, according to an August report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which uses national data from its Consumer Credit Panel. Credit card balances rose by $144 billion from June 2022 to the same time this year. The number of people failing to make their minimum payments within 90 days of the due date is returning back to pre-pandemic levels, the New York Fed reported. It grew from about 3% to around 5% in the same year period. Compared to other debt categories tracked by the New York Fed, like mortgages and auto loans, credit card balances worsened the most in the second quarter of this year. The current state of credit card indebtedness among Americans is, in large part, because of changes to household finances following the COVID-19 pandemic, said Nick Juhle, chief investment officer at Kalamazoo-based financial management firm Greenleaf Trust. More: Michiganders lean on credit cards as Americans reach record $1 trillion in debt Why Michigan could lose thousands of affordable housing units over a decade A major funding stream has added roughly 90,000 affordable housing units to Michigan, but the program isnt permanent meaning rents restrictions could evaporate for thousands of units over the next decade. Most affordable housing in Michigan is built using the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, awarded last week to 10 projects and adding 543 units across the state. As the biggest source of new affordable housing in the country, LIHTC invests $250 million into Michigans housing stock each year. The federal program, established in 1986, provides tax credits to developers in exchange for keeping rents low. But those rules have expiration dates. In some states its longer, but the federal requirement is 30 years. And given the age of the program, some of those units a growing number of units are going to lose their affordability restrictions in the coming years, said Andrew Aurand, Senior Vice President for Research at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The exact tally in Michigan is unclear but thousands are at stake. More: Why Michigan could lose thousands of affordable housing units over a decade Turning a lumber yard into housing, a Northern Michigan town tackles a crisis A $16.6 million development will create 60 units of affordable housing at a vacant, former lumber yard in Petoskey. The Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation fundraised and purchased the property last year to preserve it for housing. (Photo by Rose White | MLive) Northern Michigan, with its bustling tourism industry and seasonal population swings, has an acute housing shortage. But Petoskey, as it finds unique ways to unlock affordable housing by targeting vacant spaces like a former lumber yard, could become a model for other communities. City Manager Shane Horn says a concerted effort will help fill some gaps. Itll be a nice shot in the arm that well be able to support and provide those opportunities for small business owners and others in the region that are really hurting for housing for their employees, he said. By 2027, its estimated that Emmet County will be short 865 rental units and 2,505 for-sale units for those who are low- and middle-income, a 2023 housing needs assessment from Housing North found. Thats anyone earning between 50% and 120% of the area median income or between $41,600 and $99,840 a year for a family or four. In the past decade, the number of available units on the market has dropped from over 1,500 to 319, according to the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. More: Turning a lumber yard into housing, a Northern Michigan town tackles a crisis UAW strike against Big Three could cause over $5B in economic losses, report finds A United Auto Workers strike against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis could result in an economic loss of more than $5 billion after 10 days, according to analysis by Anderson Economic Group. As the UAW and the three Detroit-based automakers continue contract negotiations, the East Lansing consulting firm crunched the numbers on what that could mean for UAW workers, manufacturers and the auto industry overall. If a strike by 143,000 UAW members were to happen, wage losses would reach $859 million and manufacturers would take a hit of $989 million after 10 days, the firm reported. Consultants estimate if only one of the automakers experienced a strike-related shutdown, it could cause approximately $665 million in losses, both in direct wages and company-wide, during that same period. More: UAW strike against Big Three could cause over $5B in economic losses, report finds Interested in more economy news? Check out all our coverage of how the economy impacts people in Michigan here. The man thats been famously known to live in a Volkswagen van is on the move once again. Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris, who still keeps his offseason footprint low by living in his 1978 Volkswagen during the MLB offseason, cleared waivers and elected free agency on Monday morning. Norris just recently inked a minor league deal with the Cleveland Guardians late last month, but was designated for assignment earlier this week to make room for catcher Zach Collins on their 40-man roster. Thus, Norris will aim to land a spot with his sixth major league club and perhaps, bolster a bullpen looking to make that final push toward the postseason. A veteran left-hander, Norris has pitched just once in the major-leagues this season a two inning stint of relief back on June 18 in a 12-3 Guardians win over Arizona. Norris allowed no runs and no hits, but allowed three walks in his appearance, and otherwise has spent 2023 in Triple-A Columbus, pitching 53 innings good for a 4-4 record with a 5.60 ERA and a 1.604 WHIP. Norris, a 30-year-old 2011 second round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays, has spent 10 seasons in the major leagues, and spent his first several years of his career as a starting pitcher. The Johnson City, Tennessee native was considered Torontos No. 1 prospect in the middle of the 2014 season, and made his MLB debut on Sept. 1 of that year against the Boston Red Sox, striking out David Ortiz. Not long after, Norris was traded to Detroit along with Matthew Boyd and Jairo Labourt in exchange for David Price ahead of the 2015 MLB trade deadline. Hed go on to spend his next four-plus seasons with the Tigers, making his transition into the bullpen as a long reliever during the 2018 season. Over his eight-year tenure in Detroit, Norris holds a 20-33 record, a 4.52 ERA with 451 strikeouts and a 1.369 WHIP. Hes also pitched for the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers over his career, and more recently, has struggled in both 2021 and 2022 hes combined for a 5.68 ERA in 97 appearances for the Cubs, Tigers and Brewers. Thats resulted in Norris signing a minor league deal with the Guardians, where hes performed acceptably in limited chances. That should, at the very least, allow Norris an opportunity to find a role with another big-league club, especially in the pitching departing, and with the days leading up to September, where players added to an organization are no longer eligible to participate in the postseason. In Norris career, he holds a 22-38 record and has a 4.69 ERA and a 1.389 WHIP in 571.2 innings pitched. Dilayla Martinez. Molly Spaak. Dilayla Martinez and Molly Spaak. Mr. Benjamin Kofi Quashie, South Africa NDC Council of Elders Chairman has questioned the competence of Nana Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government regarding what he described as unconscionable expenditure and the GHS60.8billion losses incurred by the Bank of Ghana. According to him, if the President and his Vice can superintend over such inconsiderate and reckless expenditure of the Bank of Ghana, "Then how do we describe them? Super incompetent?" In a telephone interview on CTV's "Dwabremu" Political Show, he averred that, if the competent pair can allow the BoG to print money in excess of 40 billion in 2022, which far exceeds the percentage of revenue accrued in the preceding year, "It tells you these are people who have no regard for laid down procedure and a time would come that our kids, grandkids and great, great grandkids would come to realise that Ghana retrogressed under Nana Addo/Bawumia government." He indicated that the actions of the "President have been supported by a super incompetent Vice President. The Vice President has become walking illegality, the Vice President has made a mockery of economics and has become a comedian of the people." Explaining further what he meant by the Vice President being a comedian, he argued that, he has heard Dr. Bawumia on the NPP campaign trail averring that he can fix the economy when given the opportunity to rule as president. In the view of the SA Council Chair, "if as the head of the current NPP government's Economic Management Team, you have not been successful, then it stands to reason that it's for comic purposes for the same person to promise to do something worthwhile when given the opportunity to lead as president." He continued, "The Nana Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has terribly disappointed Ghanaians and Bawumia cannot be absolved from blame and claim to do better when he becomes president. That isn't possible and it's a ploy to deceive Ghanaians." 18.08.2023 LISTEN Mr Fredrick Kwadwo Nkansah, Member of Parliament hopeful for Amansie West constituency on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party has appealed to the constituents to have faith in the ruling government as it is putting measures in place to fix all the developmental challenges in the area. According to him, though those in Manso enclave are deprived of development, all is not lost as NPP thinks about the welfare of the less privileged than any party. "Our challenges will be a thing of the past soon with the next NPP government and me as the next MP. I'm poised to bring changes as far as Manso development is concerned. I know we've been in difficulties for long and I believe these could be attributed to the inability of our representatives to lobby for our fair share of the distribution of the national cake," he said in an interview with Kumasi-based Kesben TV today as monitored by this reporter. Hon Yentumi, affectionately called, doubling as the Assembly member for Mpatuam electoral area is optimistic about the development of Mansoman with him as the next Member of Parliament. "Never give up hope because there is still a brighter future for you. We ought to be guided by the strong foundations of our people in the constituency and forge partnership that will raise the hopes and aspirations of the ordinary people in our district," he stated. He said, although the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo has done alot for the people of Amansie West he called on him to help construct major roads linking to various communities in the area. "To whom much is given much is expected. Manso enclave has never voted for any political party in the history of Ghana than the NPP so we expect the NPP to furnish our communities with alot of developmental projects," he maintained. He added, "My constituents deserve better from the votes they cast every four years, hence my decision to rescue the electorates from abject poverty some selfish politicians have subjected them into." Young Female Influencers (YFI), a young women-led network of change makers, has offered digital literacy training for women in Mangu, a suburb of Wa in the Wa Municipality to help them embrace digital technologies for enhanced growth and development. The training was also to enlighten the women to encourage and support their children, especially girls to take up courses and other learnings in information technology (IT) and digital technologies. It formed part of the YFI's SecureTechsiStars project, aimed at empowering girls and young women and promoting girls' inclusion in IT, being implemented in partnership with Plan International Ghana. Administrative Secretary of the YFI, Miss Linda Dassah said the world was fast globalizing with the advancement in technology which must be embraced for the improvement in the livelihoods and economic fortunes of the people. She observed that women in the Mangu community and in general, were lagging behind when it came to keeping up with emerging, digital technologies for improving their living standards. Miss Linda, therefore, indicated that that the training was designed to introduce the women to available digital tools and technologies which they could leverage to promote their business activities. She urged the women to offer supportive growth environments for their girl children to take active part in learning information and digital technologies in order to stand competitive in the digital skills market. Miss Winifred Zoyaar, the facilitator of the training, said there were a plethora of job opportunities in the IT sector and encouraged the women to inspire their girl children to take studies in IT in the Senior High Schools and Universities. She noted that basic level learners of IT could even utilize their skills in rendering digital technology, branding and marketing services for clients to earn some money while in school or learning. She intimated that being able to start earning money while being a learner is an unparalleled opportunity that IT offers which girls must be supported to take advantage of. "One can learn basic skills like graphic designing, UX/UI designs, basic content creation and start to make money from them in the meantime, even before immigrating into software development, et cetera," she said. She observed that girls shun away from IT for fear that they might not excel in the field overly seen as a preserve for boys. She added that social and gender biases were also adversely affecting girls and women's participation in IT as the field is generally seen as men's and unladylike. "If a girl is set out to learn ICT and asked her parents to get her a laptop or smartphone, she's likely to face resistance or hesitation as compared to if she were a boy," Miss Winifred observed. Some participants at the training said the training offered them valuable insights into IT and its potentials for girls which they did not know at first. They promised that they were going to encourage and support their girl children to venture into the field of ICT. Ive learnt that I can do shopping right from phone, and I now know the importance of ICT for my girl, Ill buy her a laptop to start learning, Madam Ayishatu Issah, a participant, said. Another participant, Miss Faizatu Alhassan said Im very impressed with program because sometime past, we were made know that girls should not be in school but today that has changed, so Im hopeful that girls would be supported to learn ICT in school and at home. AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, Obuasi Mine has once again demonstrated its commitment towards educational improvement in Obuasi by cutting sod to construct an ultramodern Examination printing center in the Obuasi East District. The purpose of the project according to the Senior Manager Sustainability Emmanuel Baidoo was to contribute to improving Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) pass rates in their host communities under its 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan, launched in 2022. Speaking at a short ceremony to commence the construction of the project, Mr. Baidoo said when completed, the newly established Examination Printing Centre will play a pivotal role in assisting the Education Directorate of the Obuasi East District Assembly with the necessary resources to print and administer Mock Exam materials to help better prepare candidates for the BECE. He emphasized that establishing an Examination Printing Centre aligns with AGAG's broader Community Investment goals under the 10-year socio-economic development plan, which focuses on various initiatives aimed at enhancing education, promoting sustainability, and fostering socio-economic development. To be completed and furnished at the cost of Ghc800,000, Mr. Baidoo intimated that the project was borne out of series of engagements with stakeholders on how to sustain the periodic mock examinations geared towards preparing BECE candidates towards their main examination. "AngloGold Ashanti has been supporting the GES to conduct series of mock exams but we realized that to sustain it, there was the need to meet stakeholders to deliberate on it. We decided that building an examination printing center was the most prudent way to sustain the mock exams," he stated. The Chief Executive for the Obuasi East District Hon. Faustina Amissah described the project as a welcome relief for the Assembly stressing that the Assembly has over the years sunk much funds into the conduct of mock exams. "We are grateful to AngloGold Ashanti for this project. The money invested in mock exams here can be channeled into other important ventures," he stated. The DCE assured that her office will see to it that the examination printing center would serve the purpose for which it was established. Local content To further promote and empower local businesses, AngloGold Ashanti contracted Bachor Construction's Limited for the project. The Managing Director of Bachor constructions Limited Jonas Davoro said the project will be completed in the next three months. He explained that the project will consist of a storage area, office, production and printing area as well as a borehole. "We will do a quality job to justify the confidence AngloGold Ashanti has reposed in local contractors from Obuasi", Mr. Davoro assured. AngloGold Ashanti in the coming days again cut sod for the construction of similar project in the Obuasi Municipality. 21.08.2023 LISTEN Founder and Leader of Faith Outreach Ministries Rev J.K Appiah has cautioned President Akufo-Addo on his plans to deploy Ghanaian soldiers as part of ECOWAS' military intervention in troubled Niger. He has admonished President to abort any plan, warning that the proposed intervention by ECOWAS may escalate the situation. In a press statement copied to ModernGhana dated 19th August 2023, the Kumasi-based clergy said President Akufo-Addo must be extremely careful of what he described as an " America-France led war." He noted that "America and France have quickly come together to push West African leaders to go to war in Niger. Don't forget that Russia has also promised to stand with Burkina, Niger and those French-speaking nations." "I believe America and France have an agenda; two fold, A. To depopulate Africa. B. Sell their military weapons. If ECOWAS makes a mistake by going to war, the war will escalate to all the countries which will participate. This is the reason why Ghana must be extremely careful. "These two nations have the power to go to Niger themselves to overthrow the new government. I wonder why African leaders are quickly jumping into war. The war in Nigeria will fail miserably, so President Akuffo-Addo must be careful. "People are not happy about Ghana joining this unnecessary war. Ghana has been very peaceful over the years. Ghana will not know peace if we involve the soldiers," he emphasised. Kennedy Agyapong, an aspirant in the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Presidential candidate race has donated a motorbike to Mr Mohammed Issah, the sole founding member of the party in the Savannah region. The act of kindness was prompted by the founder's need for assistance in attending his Friday (Jumah) prayers and party activities/events due to lack of transportation means. Mr. Agyapong, known for his philanthropic gestures and commitment to the NPP, took notice of the predicament faced by the elderly founding member. Mr. Issaah, who had been an instrumental figure in the party's inception, had been facing difficulties in attending his Friday (Jumah) prayers and party activities due to the lack of a suitable mode of transportation. Recognizing the significance of the Friday (Jumah) prayers in his life and his dedication to the party, Agyapong swiftly acted to alleviate his mobility challenges. The donation of a motorbike to the NPP founding member is seen as a gesture of immense respect and appreciation for his staunch dedication to the party's ideals. Presenting the motorbike to the Founding Member in the Salaga South Constituency through the constituency executives, the Savannah Region Campaign Coordinator for Mr. Agyapong, Hon. Mayoyo Amin Sulemana emphasized the importance of honoring those who have laid the foundation for the party's success. He stated, "The sacrifices made by our founding members cannot be overlooked. This motorbike donation is a small token of our gratitude for his immense contribution to the party's growth. It's vital that we stand by our party members and offer support when they are in need." Mr. Mayoyo stated that Hon. Agyapong's willingness to step in and offer assistance underscores the sense of responsiveness, unity and camaraderie that characterizes the NPP. Mohammed Issah who is the sole founding member of the party in the Savannah region, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the generous gift. He conveyed his joy at being able to attend his Friday (Jumah) prayers and interact with fellow party members more frequently. "I am deeply touched by Hon. Kennedy Agyapong's gesture. This motorbike will enable me to participate in religious activities and stay connected with the party I helped establish. It's heartwarming to see that the NPP remains a family that cares for its members and Hon Agyapong is an exceptional breed of a politician among our fraternity," he shared. This act of compassion by Mr. Agyapong has garnered praise from across the political spectrum and within the NPP itself. It serves as a reminder of the values that the party was built upon thus unity, empathy, and mutual respect. Some members of the Savannah region's NPP community who witnessed the event, paid a glowing homage to both the founding member and Mr. Agyapong for their shared commitment to the party's principles. Other party executives also expressed their appreciation for the aspirant's generous act, highlighting how it exemplified the spirit of unity that has characterized the NPP since its inception. Mr. Agyeapong over the years have been noticed by many for his philanthropic works not only in the political space but in all spheres of life in a bid to help uplift the livelihoods of Ghanaians. In 2012, he donated a 110 KV standby power generator to the Tamale Teaching Hospital valued at about Fifty-eight Thousand Ghana cedis (GH 58,000.00). The donation was to assist the facility in the provision of efficient surgical services to patients to boost healthcare delivery at the peak of the power crisis in the country. He also donated Ten Thousand Ghana cedis (Gh 10,000) annually into the Dapkema Education Endowment Fund which seeks to assist brilliant but needy children in the Northern Region to help them access Education. As the 2024 general elections draw closer, Kennedy Agyapong's commitment to both the NPP and the well-being of its members continues to shine through. His recent gesture has not only assisted an elderly founding member but has also reaffirmed the spirit of camaraderie and shared purpose that drives the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Kennedy Agyapong is a prominent figure within the New Patriotic Party, known for his dedication to the party's principles, outspoken, championing the cause of the grassroot coupled with his immense philanthropic works across the country. His commitment to supporting party members and honoring its founding members has earned him respect from all corners of the political landscape. Effiduase Traditional Council of the Sekyere East District has honoured the National Director of World Vision Ghana, Laura DelValle. The former through the Benkumhene for Effiduase Nana Adu Ameyaw presented an artistically made Kente cloth (a Ghanaian textile, made of handwoven cloth, strips of silk and cotton) to the Director at a durbar which was held to celebrate 23 years of World Vision's quality service to the people of Sekyere East. In addition to the item was a female footwear called "ahenema" (a typical native slipper). The durbar also marked the official closure of the Sekyere East District Area Programme of World Vision Ghana. Doing her the honour, Nana Adu Ameyaw who doubles as the Chief for Nsutem said the gesture was in recognition of the litany of interventions and developmental projects put up in the traditional area and the district by World Vision Ghana. He remarked that, since World Vision came to the area 23 years ago, the range of technical projects covering areas such as WASH, Primary Health Care, Nutrition, Education, and Community engagement among others have been highly impactful. The Chief thanked officials of the organization for their support and the good work done. At the event, the organization also presented a plaque to the traditional council for their immense contributions which enabled them to make a remarkable impact. Other partners that were awarded by Officials of World Vision Ghana were the District Assembly, District Health Directorate, Council of Local Churches, Center for Community Livelihood Development, District Education Directorate, etc. Former Managers of World Vision Ghana were also honoured. The National Director Laura DelValle said in her address that the Sekyere East Area Programme was established to contribute to improving the lives and well-being of all children, their families and their communities. Throughout the 23 years, she mentioned that the organization reached out and impacted over 60,000 beneficiaries' lives, comprising 42,000 boys and girls, with interventions in key sectors such as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), primary health care and nutrition, education, community and child-led advocacy, and child protection and sponsorship. She mentioned that the foregoing interventions helped improve sustainable access to safe drinking water, basic education for all children, sanitation and hygiene services, household food and nutrition security, enhanced maternal and infant healthcare delivery, and significantly contributed to healthcare outcomes for mothers and babies. The fourth season of the Presidential Pitch competition, a special entrepreneurship initiative designed and organized by the Ministry of Business Development in conjunction with the National Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programme (NEIP) was held in Accra on 18th August 2023 with Caleb Edem Mantey CEO of Relu Interactives emerging the overall winner out of 30 finalists. The overall winner of the presidential pitch will receive GHc150,000 and an additional GH 50,000 from President Nana Addo after an impressive pitch. President Nana Akufo-Addo speaking at the pitch indicated that the government had set aside GHc 2.5 million for disbursement to the thirty (30) participants of the 2023 presidential pitch series season 4. Those between the 11th and 30th positions received between GH30,000 and GH50,000 while the 1st to 10th received between GH70,000 and GH150,000. According to H.E Nana Akufo Addo, since the onset of the Presidential Pitch in 2017, three (3) editions have been held, with 30 young entrepreneurs awarded cash prizes to help set up and scale up their enterprises. "Entrepreneurship is a vital component of economic growth and development and has been embraced globally as an important driver of economic transformation. I believe firmly that the fastest way to deal with the challenges confronting our economy and the unacceptable rate of unemployment is the fusion of technology, entrepreneurship, and business. Governments, the world over, recognize youth entrepreneurship as the appropriate tool to address the unemployment challenges of our times," he stated. He underscored that since the commencement of the Presidential Pitch, 702 direct and thousands of indirect jobs have been created by our winners, with the majority of these jobs being established in rural communities. "I want to single out the Chief Executive Officer of Pizzaman Chickenman, Christian Boakye Yiadom, the tenth-place winner from Season Two for special mention. He started his pizza business on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He received GH25,000, which he used to scale up his business. It eventually led to the opening of the first Pizzaman Chickenman branch on the KNUST campus on 17th January 2020, some six months after the competition. Today, Pizzaman Chickenman has become a household name and a favorite bite for many," President Akufo Addo noted. The Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programme, Kofi Ofosu Nkansah emphasized that government is committed to equipping young and innovative entrepreneurs to scale up their businesses. He added that the money given to these entrepreneurs are grants. He assured the 30 participants that they will continue to receive support from NEIP despite the conclusion of the competition. The Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) has procedures that business owners must follow to renew their businesses and file annual returns in Ghana. Established by an Act of Parliament under Section 351 of the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992), the ORC is mandated to register and regulate business entities in Ghana. Businesses and companies are also obliged to renew and file their annual returns. Renewing and filing annual returns keep business entities in good standing and prevent businesses from being taken out from the ORC's Register. Business entities that come under the regulation of the ORC include Business Names (Sole Proprietorships), Subsidiary Business Names (Sole Proprietorships owned by corporate bodies other than individuals), Partnerships, Companies Limited by Shares (for-profit and include private and public), Companies Limited by Guarantee (not-for-profit, including schools, churches, associations, unions, and NGOs), and External Companies (Foreign companies with branch offices in Ghana). Sole proprietorships, subsidiary business names, and partnerships renew their businesses whilst companies file annual returns. Thus, sole proprietorships, subsidiary business names, and partnerships have to complete the Annual Renewal Form whilst companies complete the Annual Returns Form. All the business types have to make payment at the ORC's in-house Fidelity Bank. According to the ORC, as of now, only the sole proprietor has the other option of renewing online by dialing *222# and making payment with Mobile Money Wallet through the ghana.gov.gh platform. Sole proprietor and subsidiary business names pay GHC60 cedis each, whilst a partnership pays GHC90 cedis for renewals. For filing of annual returns, a company limited by shares pays GHC90 and a company limited by guarantee also pays GHC90. The company must, in addition, submit audited financial statement signed by the company directors and the secretary. An external company files annual returns by submitting the annual returns form together with the financial statement of the Mother Company and pays $ 690. Business entities that fail to renew or file annual returns are made to pay penalties. A sole proprietorship does not attract penalty, likewise a subsidiary business name. But partnerships, companies limited by shares, and companies limited by guarantee will pay a flat penalty rate of GHC600. Foreign companies pay a penalty of $ 750. GNA Several thousand people demonstrated in the capital of Niger on Sunday in support of last month's military coup, whose leader has warned against outside intervention and proposed a three-year transition of power. The demonstrators chanted slogans hostile to former colonial power France and West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which is considering a potential military operation to reinstate elected president Mohamed Bazoum if ongoing negotiations with coup leaders fail. The Sahel state's new military leaders have officially banned demonstrations but in practice, those in support of the coup are allowed to go ahead. The demonstrators waved placards saying "Stop the military intervention" and "No to sanctions", in reference to the financial and trade restrictions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) four days after the coup on July 26. Sunday's pro-coup rally was accompanied by musicians praising the new military regime, AFP journalists reported. The latest in a string of pro-coup rallies came a day after the new military ruler in Niamey warned that an attack on Niger would not be a "walk in the park". General Abdourahamane Tiani also said in a televised address on Saturday that he did not wish to "confiscate" power and a transition of power back to civilian rule would not go beyond three years. Niger's new leaders have accused France, a close Bazoum ally, of being behind the anti-coup stance taken by ECOWAS, which on Saturday made a fresh push for a diplomatic solution. After ECOWAS chiefs of staff met in the Ghanaian capital Accra on Friday, the 17-nation bloc said it had agreed on a date for a potential intervention. Diplomatic push It nonetheless sent a diplomatic delegation to Niamey on Saturday, led by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar. Niger television showed delegation members shaking hands with Bazoum, who remains in detention. It also broadcast footage of Abubakar speaking to Tiani but the content of the exchange has not been made public. Niger's new military ruler warned on Saturday against outside intervention. By - (ORTN - TAlA Sahel/AFP) In his televised address on Saturday, Tiani alleged that ECOWAS was "getting ready to attack Niger by setting up an occupying army in collaboration with a foreign army", without saying which country he meant. But he added: "If an attack were to be undertaken against us, it will not be the walk in the park some people seem to think." Tiani also announced a 30-day period of "national dialogue" to draw up "concrete proposals" to lay the foundations of "a new constitutional life". ECOWAS leaders say they have to act now that Niger has become the fourth West African nation since 2020 to suffer a coup, following Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali. The bloc has agreed to activate a "standby force" as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger. The Sahel region is struggling with growing jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Those behind the military takeovers have pointed to frustration over the violence to justify seizing power. The CEO of SEDAT Consult Ltd, Mrs. Patricia Abena Kissi has officially launched the much-anticipated SEDAT HR Conference 2023. The grand unveiling took place during the prestigious SEDAT HR Digest on Sunday, the 13th of August 2023, marking a pivotal moment in the journey towards HR innovation and transformation in Kumasi and beyond. A Visionary Launch With unwavering determination and a visionary spirit, Mrs Patricia Abena Kissi unveiled the eminent guests of honour and distinguished speakers who will grace the SEDAT HR Conference 2023 with their presence. The illustrious guests of honour are Hon. Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, Member of Parliament for the Kwadaso Constituency, and Hon. Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Member of Parliament for the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. Their association with the conference not only reflects the significance of the conference but also emphasizes the commitment to shaping the future of the HR profession in Kumasi and beyond. The line-up of speakers for the conference reads like a "Who is who in HR and leadership development. The speakers include Dr. (Mrs.) Irene Stella Agyenim-Boateng, renowned Consultant in HR and Leadership Development; Mr. Kojo Amissah, Principal Consultant of CITAM and SHRM Ghana; Madam Cynthia Mawulawoe Kodowu, Country Manager, BTL Marketing Solutions and Founder of the HR Network Africa; Dr. Ebenezer Ofori Agbettor, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management The rest are Mrs. Yvonne Wiredu-Akpabli, Trainer and Lead Consultant at H4 Factor; Dr. Alexander Kwadwo Asmah, CEO of Amenfiman Rural Bank Ltd; Mrs. Matilda Adukuma Adomolga-Adageba, General Manager, RUMA Fertility and Specialist Hospital Ltd; and Alhaji Abubakar Kwame Essuman, Director of Human Resources and Administration, VALCO. A Vision of Purpose Mrs. Patricia Abena Kissi, in her unveiling speech, emphasized that the main purpose of the SEDAT HR Conference 2023 is to offer HR professionals and industry leaders the opportunity for knowledge sharing, professional development and networking. She underscored her desire for the SEDAT HR Conference 2023 to inspire, encourage innovation, and drive transformation within the HR industry in Kumasi and beyond. With a theme centred around "Innovation, Technology, and Future Trends," the conference is poised to provide HR professionals, students, and industry leaders with a platform to appreciate and navigate the rapidly evolving HR landscape. The event according to Mrs. Kissi promises to equip participants with the knowledge, insights, and connections needed to overcome the challenges and embrace the opportunities presented by the digital age. A Call for Partnership Mrs. Patricia Abena Kissi emphasized that the SEDAT HR Conference 2023 is open to all participants free of charge. This underscores the commitment of SEDAT Consult to empowering HR professionals in Kumasi and beyond in their professional journeys. Furthermore, the CEO extended an invitation to corporate organizations and individuals to partner with SEDAT Consult in the form of sponsorship to contribute to the success of the conference towards strengthening the HR community in Kumasi and beyond. Looking Forward The official launch of the SEDAT HR Conference 2023 has set the stage for a groundbreaking event that has captured the attention of HR enthusiasts across Ghana in general, and the Ashanti Region in particular. As the anticipation and the momentum builds towards the conference, all stakeholders are looking forward to transformative insights, engaging discussions, and networking opportunities that the conference promises to deliver. Mrs. Patricia Abena Kissi's visionary leadership and dedication to fostering HR excellence have not only paved the way for this remarkable event but has also underscored the importance of empowering the HR community in a shared mission of growth and innovation. "As we eagerly await the conference, one thing is certain, the SEDAT HR Conference 2023 is poised to be a defining moment in the journey towards elevating the HR profession and shaping the future of organizations across industries in Kumasi and beyond," she emphasized. A sermon delivered by Reverend Patrick Biney on August 20 at the Crystal Grace Chapel International in Sarpeiman, Accra, was a profound exploration of revelation, value and productivity. Reverend Biney explained these three intertwined concepts, highlighting their deep implications on the spiritual and daily lives of Christians. Revelation, according to Reverend Biney, is about "unfolding a hidden, covered or encoded truth by reason of exposing it to light." It is about reaching into the heart of God's Word to unravel the divine secrets within, he stressed. He averred that the power of revelation can expel the darkest corners of Christians understanding, transforming them from ignorance to enlightenment. Without revelation, the revered preacher noted that even the most dedicated Christian remains in darkness. Rev Biney further stated that value is not merely about material worth but the "weight and price added to an image that makes it attractive and sought for by people who see it." "When you add value to our God-given image, you become more desirable, more sought after. Value, in essence, elevates Christians in the eyes of others," explained the Reverend. Productivity in Reverend Biney's sermon refers to "maximizing output through added value to yield multiple results." He explained that It is the result of adding value and using the light of revelation, which allows followers of God to surpass competitors and excel in their circles. In the context of these three concepts, Reverend Biney emphasizes the necessity of the light of God's Word. "Until you receive the light by knowing the hidden truth through the son of God who has in him the life, your struggle remain unfruitful," he asserts. He further posited that light is the antidote to the darkness that pervades the world and also the key to decoding the hidden mysteries of life, leading Christians to spiritual and material fruitfulness. Reverend Biney also reminds the congregation that the "life of Christ Jesus in us has the potency to produce light," reinforcing the importance of maintaining a strong, personal connection with Christ. He affirms that "The light of God makes one resistant to ignorance," illustrating the transformative power of divine light in the lives of Christians. Several thousand people demonstrated in the capital of Niger on Sunday in support of last month's military coup, whose leader has warned against outside intervention while proposing a three-year transition of power. The demonstrators chanted slogans hostile to former colonial power France and the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which is considering a potential military operation to reinstate president Mohamed Bazoum if negotiations with coup leaders fail. The Sahel state's new military leaders have officially banned demonstrations but in practice, those in support of the coup are permitted. The demonstrators waved placards saying "Stop the military intervention" and "No to sanctions", a reference to cuts in financial aid and trade restrictions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since the July 26 coup. Sunday's rally was accompanied by musicians endorsing the new military regime, AFP journalists reported. The latest in a string of pro-coup rallies came a day after the new ruler in Niamey, General Abdourahamane Tiani, warned that a foreign military incursion into Niger would not be a "walk in the park". In a televised address late Saturday, Tiani also said he did not want to "confiscate" power and promised a return to civilian rule within three years. Niger's new leaders have accused France, a close Bazoum ally, of being behind the anti-coup stance taken by ECOWAS, which on Saturday made a fresh push for a diplomatic solution by sending to Niamey a delegation led by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar. Unlike a previous mission in early August, this time the delegation held talks with Tiani and also met Bazoum, who is being held with his family at the presidential palace and could be facing treason charges. Images on Niger television showed Bazoum smiling and shaking hands with members of the delegation. "There is still hope," Abubakar said in televised comments, saying the visit had resulted in finding "a key for pursuing talks until an outcome for this difficult situation". An ECOWAS source confirmed that the delegation had returned to the Nigerian capital Abuja on Sunday. Diplomatic push General Abdourahamane Tiani warned against outside intervention in Niger. By - (ORTN - TAlA Sahel/AFP) In his televised address on Saturday, Tiani alleged that ECOWAS was "getting ready to attack Niger by setting up an occupying army in collaboration with a foreign army", without saying which country he meant. But he added: "If an attack were to be undertaken against us, it will not be the walk in the park some people seem to think." Tiani also announced a 30-day period of "national dialogue" to draw up "concrete proposals" to lay the foundations of "a new constitutional life". ECOWAS leaders say they have to act now that Niger has become the fourth West African nation since 2020 to suffer a coup, following Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali. The bloc has agreed to activate a "standby force" as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger. The Sahel region is struggling with growing jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Those behind the military takeovers have pointed to frustration over the violence to justify seizing power. On Sunday, Pope Francis urged a diplomatic solution to a political crisis in Niger and its potential impact on stability in the region. "I join with prayer the efforts of the international community to find a peaceful solution as soon as possible for the good of everyone," Francis said in an address after his Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square in Rome. Trades Union Congress (TUC) has condemned the resolve of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deploy a Standby Force to Niger to restore democracy. We hold a strong view that any attempt to remove the Tchiani-led military junta in Niger by force will further escalate the tension and the insecurity in the region, Dr Yaw Baah, Secretary General of TUC, said in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency. This follows a meeting held by the TUC on August 18, 2023, in Accra to discuss the situation in Niger. According to the TUC, there was simply no reason for ECOWAS to wage a war in Niger, more so when there was no consensus among ECOWAS members. A war in Niger or anywhere in the region has a very great potential to create the environment for more insurgents and even more coup detats in the region, which may lead to further instability and insecurity. None can impose democracy on any country until and unless the people themselves are ready for it, the statement added. The TUC noted that it believed that through diplomacy, constitutional order could be re-established in the Republic of Niger if ECOWAS leaders engaged the military junta in good faith, with clean hearts and clear minds. It urged the military junta to return Niger to constitutional rule immediately to preempt any senseless war in our region. The leadership condemned the coup and said any act that disturbed the constitutional order in any country needed to be condemned because it took that society back to the old order where a few people illegally took and usurped power that belonged to the people. The TUC will always support democracy because that is the only way to ensure respect for constitutional order, respect for rule of law, respect for human rights, including the rights of workers, separation of powers and respect for the rights of women and men as groups and as individuals, the statement added. The TUC said all efforts should, therefore, be made to deepen and sustain democracy on the continent by creating and strengthening democratic institutions. GNA The outgoing moderator of the Presbyterian church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Prof. Obiri Yeboah Mante, at a Sunday church service on 20th August, 2023 extolled the religious unifying character of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, describing him as a Muslim Christian. Addressing the closing session of the 23rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian church of Ghana at the Ramseyer congregation at Abetifi Kwahu, Rev. Prof. Mante said the nation Ghana is grateful to God for gifting the nation with Vice President Bawumia. He described the Vice President as someone who has embraced religious diversity and feels so comfortable worshipping with Christians, although he is a Muslim. He narrated that "one day at one of our events like this i was standing by the Vice President Bawumia and surprisingly he sung all the lines of a hymn we were singing. So I asked him how did you learn all of these, and he responded that I used to be a member of the Methodist Boys" Brigade" when I was young. I don't know if he finally became an officer, but I think he is more than a Muslim. I think Vice President Bawumia is a Muslim Christian. " The closing session of the 23rd General Assembly was attended by many high profile personalities from academia, politics, traditional rulers, and clergymen from the Presbyterian church from across the continent. At this year's Assembly, Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye was elected as the new moderator of the church. Source: Classfmonline.com 21.08.2023 LISTEN Presidential aspirant hopeful Kwabena Agyei Agyepong is set to conclude his nationwide tour in the Ashanti Region on Tuesday, August 22 where he will meet with Super Delegates in Kumasi. Over the course of nine days, Mr Agyepong has covered a sweeping journey that spanned Accra, Dambai, Ho, Takoradi, Cape Coast, Techiman, Sunyani, and Goaso. This extensive tour provided him with the opportunity to engage with party delegates in preparation for the upcoming NPP Super Delegates Conference scheduled for Saturday, August 26. Throughout his tour, Mr Agyepong has consistently emphasised his commitment to leading a more streamlined government if elected as the President of the country. He has outlined a six-point plan that includes strategies to reduce wasteful spending in public procurement, ensuring better value for money. He firmly believes that certain government ministries, such as the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Chieftaincy, could be eliminated to streamline operations and set an example of fiscal responsibility during challenging economic times. Mr Agyepong emphasises that this approach isn't just about saving money, but also about sending a strong moral message to the nation about the government's commitment to prudent financial management. Addressing delegates in different regions, the flagbearer hopeful has urged them to prioritize values, principles, and dedicated service to the party over material gains and the monetization of politics. He stresses the importance of delivering a brighter future to future generations and assures that if elected as President, he will provide exemplary leadership as the country implements austerity measures to revive the economy. Mr Agyepong also highlighted the need for a fresh approach within the party, emphasising the importance of selecting a flagbearer who embodies a "new dawn" to increase the NPP's chances of securing a third consecutive term in the 2024 general elections. Drawing from his experience as Press Secretary to President JA Kufuor and a former NPP General Secretary, he believes he possesses the skills and relevant experience to effectively retain power for the party. In his closing remarks during his tour, Mr Agyepong underscored the necessity of an energetic and decisive leader who can reconnect with the party's base and regain the trust of the Ghanaian people. He presented himself as the beacon of hope for a fresh start in Ghana's leadership. 21.08.2023 LISTEN A 2022 study has uncovered that health professionals in Ghana are hiding large breast lumps and refusing various treatment options, especially chemotherapy and mastectomy. The study, titled Knowledge, Attitude and Breast Cancer Screening Practices among Female Nurses in a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana, found that 60% of nurses admitted they would refuse a mastectomy if they were diagnosed with breast cancer. The study also found that despite the nurses adequate knowledge of the disease, only 67% of them regularly practiced breast self-examination (BSE), 39% had previously had a clinical breast examination (CBE), and 85% of those under 40 years old had never had a mammogram. Dr. Afua Commeh, the Programme Manager of the Non-Communicable Diseases Control Programme at the Ghana Health Service, described the situation as unfortunate, saying nurses are supposed to educate the public about breast screening practices. She was speaking at the fourth annual general and scientific meeting of the Breast Society of Ghana (BSOG) on the theme, Improving Breast Disease Outcomes: The Role of the Breast Society of Ghana. Dr. Commeh said it was important for nurses to know that they could also be sick and must take advantage of healthcare interventions. She said this was crucial because Ghana was losing too many women to breast cancer. Dr. Commey said data from 2022 estimated that over 4,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in Ghana, out of which over 2,000 died of the disease due to late presentation. Over 50% of women diagnosed dying of breast cancer is unacceptable and I believe there is more because some of the cases were not picked up, she stated. Dr. Commeh called for strategic partnerships across all sectors to improve breast cancer outcomes. Dr. Hannah Ayettey Anie, the President of the BSOG, said breast cancer remained the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of mortality among Ghanaian women. She said the meeting was intended to showcase the activities of the Society throughout the year, present research conducted over the period, and discuss the outcomes. The aim is to help understand the disease dynamics in Ghana and to know how to reduce the incidence and mortality of breast cancer effectively. Mr. Charles Fordjour Agyemang, Council Chair of the Breast Society of Ghana, said Ghana remained behind the developed world in access to newer technologies and innovative therapies. He said it was the responsibility of generations and bodies like the BSOG to close the gaps. This means we have to evolve BSOG into an association that will be the only umbrella body that hosts all critical stakeholders needed in creating these solutions. It will extend radiotherapy and its free access beyond Accra and Kumasi, diagnostics, and innovative therapies under NHIS, and strong survivor groups to advocate and motivate patients, he added. Mr. Agyeman urged the media to destigmatize breast cancer. The meeting saw scientific presentations on breast cancer, breast cancer management, and engagement with survivors, among others. Source: GNA students of free SHS 21.08.2023 LISTEN The Education Ministry is actively working to increase the number of students pursuing science-related courses in Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country. To achieve this goal, the Free Senior High School Secretariat is leading an initiative known as 'Operation Double Science Enrolment' to educate and sensitize the public about the benefits of pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related courses. This initiative is designed to educate, raise awareness, and demystify science education, ultimately leading to higher enrolment rates in respective SHSs across the country in the upcoming Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS). Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Education Minister, who disclosed this enumerates some interventions and plans that have been put in place to ensure that this year's CSSPS records at least 25 per cent Science enrolment, as opposed to the current 12 per cent at the SHS level. He also mentioned the comprehensive nationwide radio sensitization campaign by various stakeholders as well as the sensitization of Junior High School teachers and candidates about the emerging job market opportunities that strongly advocate for learners to select science during the school selection exercise. The Education Minister hinted at the introduction of Virtual Laboratories in certain SHSs by the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS) to allow schools to conduct laboratory practicals without physical lab equipment. Dr Adutwum further emphasized that in addition to expanding the number of science labs, efforts have been made to enhance the capabilities of science teachers and lab technicians, enabling them to effectively teach science in their respective schools. Dr Adutwum appealed to various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and institutions, to dispel the misconception that the study of science is exclusively for academically-briliant students. According to him, to ensure that Senior High Schools are prepared to accommodate increased enrolment in the sciences, several initiatives have been launched, including the construction of 300 new laboratories and the renovation of existing laboratories in selected SHSs nationwide. A Deputy National Coordinator for the Free Senior High School Secretariat, Miss Vera Asantewaa Andoh, who is leading the project, hinted at an upcoming broadcast of a video documentary highlighting the importance of science. This documentary which will soon be aired on television stations across the country will also provide information to parents, candidates, and other stakeholders about the school selection process set to begin soon. Background A perception exists regarding who qualifies to pursue Science/STEM programs, along with a stigma associated with it, implying that these programs are only suitable for the 'sharp-minded,' disregarding the importance of science/STEM education in light of emerging global job market trends. It is against this backdrop that the Ministry of Education is launching the 'Science/STEM Enrolment Drive Initiative,' aiming to achieve the 60/40 Science/STEM-Arts ratio as outlined in the Education Strategic Plan 2018-2030. Hundreds of traders in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region have threatened to vote against the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming 2024 general lessons over stalled works on the second phase of the Kejetia-Central Market Redevelopment project. The 248-million Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment project which commenced in 2021 has been abandoned since January 2023. The site is getting weedy and reptiles taken over the project situated at the heart of the regional capital. The traders who are not happy with the current state of the project say they are organizing themselves to hit the streets with the biggest ever protest in the region, against the government and all Members of Parliament. According to the traders, despite the ruling governments claim of the Ashanti Region being its stronghold, it continues to deny the region of major development projects. The aggrieved traders say despite promises by the government to ensure work resumes after several petitions, work is yet to resume. Director of Operations for the Combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union, Mr Daniel Otuo Acheampong, in an interview with this reporter on Sunday August 20 said they were livid with governments failure to complete the project as promised. He noted that, the traders will force their way through the uncompleted facility and begin trading activities there if the government show no commitment of coming back to site again. Pictures from the 248-million Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment project which commenced in 2021, shows part of the site looking bushy after work on the project stalled for some months now. Being constructed by Messrs Contracta Construction Limited, UK, the monumental project has been at a standstill since January 2023 causing the traders to express their hard feelings towards government. Hon Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed 21.08.2023 LISTEN Member of Parliament for Asawase Constituency, Hon Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed has narrated how the Majority Leader Hon Osei Kyei Mensah and his members bullied the Minority with their numbers in the 7th Parliament. The MP who served as the Minority Chief Whip in the 7th Parliament revealed that, the huge Majority numbers enjoyed by the ruling government gave the NPP the power to bully the Minority MPs. The voiceferous MP said this in an exclusive interview with Prince Ade (D. O. K Cash) on the Kumasi based OTEC 102.9 FM's afternoon political show 'Dwabrem' on Friday August 19. According to him, the governing New Patriotic Party NPP had 169 members in the 7th Parliament gaving them excessive power, which allowed them to do anything they wanted including approving some unpopular loans and bills. "That 169 members they had in the 7th Parliament was a serious problem to Ghana's development, they enjoyed excessive comfort doing everything they want without effective checks from us the Minority because we couldn't face them with our 106 members. "Because they needed only 139 members to form a quorum, the Majority Leader and his colleague call for a sitting on odd hours including Sundays to take any decision they want. "Our numbers then, was so useless to the point that, they wouldn't even care whether or not minority members will show up or not, that was when I realized the NPP government was going to fail," he emphasized. The Minister of Education Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum has revealed that Afia Kobi Ampem Girls SHS in the Ashanti Region will be one of the few schools to start studying Aerospace engineering courses in the country. The Minister has noted that government has adopted the school as pioneers to study aerospace engineering course in Ghana beginning next academic year. The Bosomtwe MP further revealed that, the school will be transformed into a fully integrated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics institution to help train innovative youth. Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum said this when he paid a one day working visit to the school on Sunday August 20, 2023. Speaking to this reporter after the visit, the Minister expressed his satisfaction to the management, teachers and students of the school for building and flying a brand new Aeroplane. "The school is going to be transformed into a STEM facility, students are doing some great things in the field of aviation and aerospace and in their case, there will be no engineering Club, as Students will be allowed to take courses in addition to physics, chemistry, advance mathematics some we got inspiration to do due to what students here are doing," he stated. Infrastructure Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum said infrastructure in the school will be expanded to meet the needs of the student. He added that new science laboratories, ultramodern libraries, toilet facilities, dining halls will be provided for the school to help improve teaching and learning. "We have already provided the school with science labs, and I am assuring them that, additional infrastructure will be provided to the school to compliment the good works they are doing," he noted. Introduction of STEM Courses Dr Adutwum again revealed that, Government, as part of its educational reforms, will introduce aeronautics and aerospace engineering courses in some twelve secondary schools beginning next academic year to develop the creative ability of students and improve on the science to humanities ratio. He observed that, other courses such as environmental science, computer science, manufacturing, biomedical sciences, agricultural sciences, global studies and creative arts will also be integrated at the Senior high school level going forward. This he emphasized is part of the new secondary career pathway for the country. The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mining, Mr George Mireku Duker, has called on top gold-producing countries in Africa to have a direct vote to determine the price of the commodity. He made the call on Thursday in Accra when he received a delegation from Burkina Fasos Ministry of Mines and Quarry, who is in the country to inform and invite Ghana to an upcoming mining programme dubbed, West African Mining Activity Week slated for the 28th to 30th of September, 2023. According to the Deputy Minister, the current situation where Ghana, Burkina Faso, South Africa and other countries do not have a spot at the table where such critical decisions are taken was an abnormality that requires urgent rectification. He outlined how the government was attempting to modernize the mining sector through innovative initiatives and policies. The Minister explained that the governments plans for the mining sector were anchored on two things; value addition and overhauling of the small-scale mining sector from an industry dominated by illegal mining activities to a responsible and sustainable industry that contributes to national development through the empowerment of Ghanaian local industries. Mr Duker emphasized the establishment of GIADEC and GISDEC, as well as the government's commitment to transitioning Ghana from a mineral-producing to a mineral-processing nation as some of the innovations Ghana was making. He, therefore, appealed to leading gold producers in the continent to come together and seek direct representation at the global table where they would directly influence decisions on the commodities produced by their countries. On his part, the Minister for Mines and Quarries of Burkina Faso, Mr Simon Pierre Boussim, who led the delegation disclosed that his country faces similar mining challenges as Ghana but was impressed with the initiatives implemented by Ghana and is prepared to tap from Ghanas rich experience. He said the West African Mining Activity Week to happen in September 2023, was another opportunity for African countries to share ideas on growing the mining industry and that Ghana, as a leader in the production of gold and other minerals should be an active participant. Israeli Companies will be in Ghana next week to engage partners to discuss new technologies in the area of security. Seminars and roundtable discussions will be held during the visit with the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, National Disaster Management Organisation, Ghana National Fire Service and the private sector, among others. The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Shlomit Sufa, disclosed this when she called on the Minister for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery in Accra. Mr Dery assured the Ambassador that the necessary arrangements would be made to meet the companies for partnership and technology transfer to help improve the existing security systems. The Minister commended Israel for advancing in technology and called on the Western World to support less technological advanced countries with new technologies. Mr Dery, who touched on issues of refugees, stated that Ghana is committed to hosting refugees when the need arises but would do so in an acceptable manner that would not compromise the peace and security of Ghana. County in S China's Hainan thrives on Zamioculcas Zamiifolia People's Daily Online) 16:28, August 21, 2023 Ledong Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province has blazed a trail to prosperity through planting Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, bringing wealth to local people. Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, a decorative plant, has become a major industry of Foluo township of Ledong. While expanding the planting area, the township has fostered a comprehensive industrial cluster covering production, supply and marketing of the plant, as well as sales of pesticides and fertilizers. Now, the industry in Foluo, whose annual output value of the industry has hit 1.28 billion yuan ($175.55 million), provides 30,000 flexible jobs for the local people. Photo shows Zamioculcas Zamiifolia growing in a greenhouse of a planting base in Foluo township, Ledong Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province. (Photo/Chen Yingqing) The Zamioculcas Zamiifolia has high ornamental value and carries auspicious meaning, and is therefore well-liked by consumers, said Yang Fu, deputy general manager of a local horticulture company. Yang added that Ledong boasts a favorable geographic location, a good soil condition and sufficient light and heat for cultivating the plant. "Our company has 9,785 mu (652.33 hectares) of Zamioculcas Zamiifolia fields in 187 planting bases. And the output value per mu varies from 130,000 to more than 200,000 yuan," said Yang, who also said that the plant is sold in some major provinces in China as well as exported to Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North America. A worker waters Zamioculcas Zamiifolia in a greenhouse of a planting base in Foluo township, Ledong Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province. (Photo/Chen Yingqing) Ledong has built a big data platform for the plant, digital demonstration bases where insect, soil and weather conditions can be monitored, and online e-commerce and supervision platforms. These systems can gather extensive information from all links of the production chain and realizing data sharing among them. Yang said that the data provided by the platform can help growers predict the amount of water needed and soil condition in advance, therefore improving the quality of the plant. Photo shows potted Zamioculcas Zamiifolia in a greenhouse of a planting base in Foluo township, Ledong Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province. (Photo/Chen Yingqing) (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, the Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has called on all the Alumni members to be more committed to the development of the University. According to her, out of the 16 public universities in Ghana, the KNUST continues to be the most preferred and most attractive learning institution to the majority of Ghanaians and foreign students. Addressing a meeting with the Tema branch of the KNUST Alumni held in Tema, Community 6, Prof. Akosua Dickson said that the University in the 2022-2023 academic year admitted over 27,000 new students which brings to the number of students of the university now to about 89,000. She expressed the need for the University Alumni members across the globe to help improve its infrastructural development to enhance teaching and learning. The Vice Chancellor also officially announced 6th October, 2023 as the "KNUST Day of Giving" which is an initiative to raise at least GHC200 million to build a 2,000-bed capacity hostel to reduce the accommodation deficit facing the University. She encouraged all Ghanaians especially past and present students of the University to contribute to the project via a short code *887*551#. Prof Akosua Dickson pleaded with the KNUST Alumni members who are 'captains' of industries in Ghana to create more opportunities for continuous and graduating students to get spaces for internships and National Service. Alhaji Alhassan Mahama Sani, President of the Tema Branch of the KNUST Alumni applauded the Vice Chancellor for her vision to take the University to the next level. He said it was a great vision wisdom for Prof. Akosua Dickson to bring all the relevant stakeholders together especially the Alumni, many of whom are the movers and shakers of Ghana's economy, adding, "The Vice Chancellor has now made us feel that we are indeed a part of our University and we are ever ready to support her vision". The Vice Chancellor took time out of her engagement with the Alumni to visit some key industries within the Industrial Hub of the Tema Metropolitan Area such as Volta Aluminium Company, Ghana Grid Company, Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Cocoa Processing Company and the Tema Development Corporation to foster partnership and opportunities for the University. The Tema Branch members of the Alumni presented a citation in honour of the Vice Chancellor. 21.08.2023 LISTEN Mr (former) president, give me your ears, hear the voice of wisdom. Don't allow yourself to be led astray by those who now goads you on into the darkest tunnel of unreasonable war. Sir, what at all do you gain when you are made a king over people that you want to return to power at all cost? Now listen to me with rapt attention. I come from Bono's Goka in Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana. Where I'm from, our folks say: hene ntemtam nnye n'ahenky. To wit: a king does not wrestle for his due crown/inheritance. And it so happened in a much reported political life of Ghana and Africa's independence hero, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. In his book, Dark Days in Ghana, Dr. Nkrumah wrote that when the military junta deposed him through a coup detat when he was on his way to Hanoi, Vietnam; there came many allies who advised him to stage a comeback coup in Ghana. Yes, Dr. Nkrumah was by then living in Conakry, Guinea, granted asylum by his friend, President Sekou Toure, the Guinean leader then. He gave a graphical reportage of how political allies within Africa and beyond promised him their unflinching support to invade Ghana. As wise as he was, the very reason for which we Ghanaians say: Kwame Nkrumah never dies; Africa's Man Of The Millennium answered the warmongers and the merchants of war as follows: "Why should I fight against the very people I only led to serve and protect? Why should I kill the innocent boy who is capable to grow up one day to finish the business I started? Why should Ghana burn because Kwame Nkrumah is out of its shores?" (sic). Behold, Mr. Bazoum, the warpreneurs retreated. They saw wisdom speaking. They saw a true leader speaking. And his words thrust him onto the pantheon of a Paragon of Leadership. In return, the people of Guinea, in semblance of the biblical Joseph who was made a deputy king to Pharaoh in Egypt, Nkrumah was crowned a co-president to President Sekou Toure. The Guineans saw in Kwame Nkrumah a man of peace. So when he died, his remains became a tussle between his kinsmen in Ghana who earlier rejected him, and his host country, Guinea Conakry. Don't be lazy to read to the last word this my long letter, Mr. Bazoum, least you'll make a fool out of yourself. Don't be foolhardy Mr. Former President. Your abductors say when the power drunk leaders of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) invade your country with their artillery, you will be the first casualty. You will be the first to be killed. When the head of the snake is cut off, the rest becomes a rope, so goes the timeless Bono Adonteng Warriors war strategy. Today, because of you, your country has literally been besieged by weapons of mass destruction. Because of you your country is now a turf war where strangers are battling for their interests at the expense of the vulnerable - women and children, the hungry, and the sick. Denounce this ominous catastrophe. Stand against this unsolicited for assistance so the people of Niger will accept you that indeed you are one of their own. You know they never endorsed your nationality. On the eve of your investiture, there was a putsch coup detat. The rebels claimed you're from Libya, and you are falsely imposed on them to serve foreign interest. Now is the time to wash yourself clean of this accusation. A king does not wrestle for his due crown or inheritance. When the tree does not allow itself to be toyed by the wind, it breaks. As said of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, his wise decisions has earned him a place in our hearts. Today, his resting place is a shrine for political pilgrimage, otherwise known as a mausoleum. Mr. Bazoum, let posterity remember you for good reasons, and you'll be worshipped, and live forever. War is out of the question now. By Charles Yeboah (Sir Lord) +233(0)249542111 [email protected] 21.08.2023 LISTEN Acknowledging the multifaceted factors that have contributed to the propagation of monogamous norms in the Western world is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of this topic. While biblical and theological considerations are significant, historical, cultural, economic, and legal factors have played an integral role in shaping Western societal attitudes toward monogamy. Monogamy's historical roots extend back to ancient Greece and Rome, long before Christianity. In these advanced societies, monogamy became a prevailing social ideal, particularly among the upper echelons of society. Philosophers of great renown, including Plato and Aristotle, deliberated extensively on monogamy's virtues. They also discussed its role in establishing stable families and cohesive social structures. In his philosophical treatise "The Republic," Plato envisioned an ideal society where individuals were united in harmonious partnerships based on compatibility rather than mere desire. Meanwhile, Aristotle's political work explored monogamy's benefits for cultivating virtuous citizens within the state. Their musings on monogamy's positive impact on familial stability and broader social cohesion planted the seeds of this principle in the collective consciousness. This helped shape its incorporation into Western societal norms. The foundational groundwork laid by these ancient thinkers catalyzed monogamy's trajectory, paving the way for its enduring relevance in the Western world. Economic and social considerations also play a crucial role in shaping monogamous societies. In agrarian societies, the division of labor and the need to pass down property and inheritance created incentives for stable family units. Monogamy was a practical arrangement for managing resources and keeping property within a nuclear family. This economic dimension of monogamy transcended religious influence and contributed to its perpetuation. The legal and political frameworks of Western societies have historically reinforced monogamous relationships. Laws surrounding marriage, inheritance, and family rights have often favored monogamous unions, as they aligned with the interests of those in power. These structures upheld monogamy based on religious doctrines and as a means of maintaining societal stability and preserving the status quo. Cultural values surrounding romantic love and companionship have also played a pivotal role in shaping monogamous relationships. The emergence of courtly love during the Middle Ages emphasized the ideal of devoting oneself to a single beloved. This cultural shift towards valuing emotional intimacy contributed to monogamy's romanticization. This fostered an environment where exclusivity and fidelity were upheld as symbols of true love. The Enlightenment era further catalyzed monogamous relationships by championing individual rights, autonomy, and reason. Philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau advocated for personal freedoms within relationships, emphasizing mutual consent and equality between partners. These Enlightenment ideals aligned with monogamy principles, encouraging partnerships based on mutual respect and shared values. Gender roles evolved, primarily through the women's rights movement, significantly shaped monogamous societies. Relationship dynamics shifted as women gained more agency and opportunities in education and the workforce. Monogamy, seen as a way to ensure mutual respect and equality between partners, resonated with changing gender dynamics and aspirations for balanced partnerships. Economic prosperity and increased social mobility in the modern era have also shaped monogamous societies. As societies became more affluent and education became accessible to broader populations, individuals sought partners who shared their values, interests, and aspirations. Monogamy aligns with the desire for companionship, emotional fulfillment, and long-term stability in a rapidly changing world. Contemporary perspectives on love and relationships value open communication, emotional intimacy, and consent. These values, often influenced by psychological and sociological studies, align with monogamy principles as a consensual and mutual commitment between partners. Healthy relationships contribute to the persistence of monogamous marriages. While Christianity undoubtedly contributed to the propagation of monogamous norms in the Western world, it is essential to recognize the many historical, cultural, economic, and social factors that have worked together to produce monogamous societies. From ancient civilizations and economic considerations to legal frameworks, cultural values, and contemporary perspectives on love, the development of monogamy in the West is a nuanced result of the interplay of various forces. By acknowledging these multifaceted influences, we gain a more comprehensive understanding of the origins and persistence of monogamous relationships in Western societies. Addis Ababa, 17 August 2023, (ECA) - Africa should harness its vast mineral reserves to drive economic transformation and accelerate sustainable development on the back of power poverty, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Antonio Pedro has urged, highlighting that the continent is well position to spearhead clean energy transition. The top priority for Africa is to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic transformation that delivers tangible impacts on job creation and poverty eradication while addressing the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, Mr. Pedro, said in a video address at the 17th August opening of the 19th Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Ministerial Segment of the 19th Ordinary Session of AMCEN was held under the theme: Seizing opportunities and enhancing collaboration to address environmental challenges in Africa. Mr. Pedro reiterated that Africa was in the spotlight because of its rich mineral reserves which it must harness to tackle its development challenges. Africa therefore needs a deep rethink on how it addresses its vast development challenges if it is to meet the goals of Agenda 2063, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and various national development goals, while positioning itself at the center of the global clean energy transition agenda, Mr. Pedro said. Home to up to one-third of global mineral reserves, Africa currently produces over half of the worlds platinum group metals, manganese, cobalt, and others. With the global demand for wind turbines, electric vehicles and other products that can generate electricity and transport people and goods without emitting C02, there is a projected huge increase in demand for lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, and copper by 2040. Mr. Pedro said the Continent was uniquely placed to translate its mineral and metal endowments into tools for industrialization, economic transformation, job creation and electrification but cautioned that political will was needed to realize the Africa Mining Vision. ECA has been working closely with member states and other stakeholders to assist countries maximize benefits from the green minerals boom. For example, ECA and its partners are currently supporting the building of a regional Battery and Electric Vehicle Value Chain in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. Africa has the opportunity to shape itself for a compelling energy transition agenda, premised on its industrialization priorities, while positioning itself at the center of global decarbonization by harnessing its abundant clean energy resources to transform its critical minerals for regional and global electric batteries value chains, he said. A green energy transition is essential for Africa, a region accounting for 80% of the 733 million people globally without access to electricity and 39% of the 2.4 billion people without access to clean cooking. Highlighting the huge opportunity for Africa to tap into the carbon markets to drive investments to benefit local communities, promote energy transition and attain national commitments on climate change and sustainable development, Mr. Pedro lamented the continents low participation in the carbon markets. It has not harnessed the full potential of its resources, especially the largest carbon sinks in the Congo Basin, including the peatlands and rain forest. This was a result of the lack of efficient carbon market instruments, unfair and unreasonable carbon prices, limited or absent legal and regulatory frameworks, and limited technical capacities, Mr. Pedro said. The ECA has assisted the 16 member countries of the Congo-Basin Climate Commission (CBCC) to develop a regional carbon registry that allows the fast-tracking of relevant credits as well as the projects from which the credits have been generated. Lusaka, Zambia, 17 August 2023 (ECA) The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its Sub-regional office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA) in partnership with the Fifth African Youth Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit and AfriLabs held a side event on August 17th on the margins of the Fifth Africa Youth SDGs Summit that took place in Lusaka. The objective of the side event was to present the six winners of the Africa Youth SDGs Innovation Award to a target audience of public and private stakeholders with an aim to share their experiences and innovation journeys with other young Africans and inspire African youth to embrace innovative and high-growth entrepreneurship that can impact on African societies and the achievement of the SDGs. Ms. Bolaky Bineswaree, ECA Economic Affairs Officer indicated that the Africa Youth SDGs Innovation Contest was a planned deliverable of the United Nations Development Account (UNDA)13th tranche project titled Innovative approaches for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to promote trade and inclusive industrialization in Southern Africa in the Post-COVID context. She further indicated that the contest was a collaboration between ECA SRO-SA, Afrilabs and the organisers of the Summit and thanked the members of the jury for their dedication, including the Embassy of Finland in Zambia. The award was open to any individual of African nationality between the age of 18 to 35 years, who has designed an innovative product or process to resolve a specific development problem for society, and with a demonstrated impact on the achievement of the SDGs. The awards to the six winners were presented by Ms. Isatou Gaye, Chief, Sub-Regional Initiatives Section on behalf of Ms. Eunice Kamwendo, Director, ECA-SRO-SA, who noted that Africa needs a new breed of African entrepreneurs to allow the continent to overcome its challenges through Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). She further added that, "the youth bulge in Africa provides an opportunity to harness demographic dividend and bolster the role of young people in leveraging STI to accelerate progress towards SDGs; to resolve energy issues with solar powered solutions; to enhance access to medical services through telemedicine and new devices; and to use new and sustainable materials to support expansion of markets as varied as construction, footwear, and personal hygiene. In her statement Ms. Nanko Madu, Director of Programmes, AfriLabs concurred that the top six winners of the African Youth SDGs Innovation Award represented the embodiment of innovation-driven solutions that can impact not only individual lives but entire communities, industries, and nations. The three partners ECA, Afrilabs and the African Youth SDG Summit presented the winners of the African Youth SDGs Innovation to participants, media and partners, calling for a new era in Africa, driven by Science, Technology and Innovation as pathways towards enhanced structural transformation and realization of the SDGs. The six young winners are: Mr. Brett Eagle of Gdome Ltd, South Africa which has developed the worlds first range of universal, semi-rigid, underwater housings. Mr. Jeffrey Appiagyei of SAYeTECH Ltd, based in Ghana, represented by Ms Gifty Ama Opoku. SAYeTECH locally manufactures smart agricultural machines to empower smallholder farmers and agribusinesses. Mr. Oluwatomisin Kolawole, of Vinsighte Ltd, from Nigeria, represented by Mr. Ayokunle Adesanya; Visis AI, addresses the persistent educational challenges faced by visually impaired individuals in Africa. By harnessing artificial intelligence, Visis empowers them to read printed books and educational materials independently, thus providing them access to quality education and increased job opportunities. Mr Habtamu Abafoge of Simbona Ltd, from Ethiopia which is a medical device firm with a healthcare technology that includes an affordable infant radiant warmer for low-resource settings. Mr Saif Eddine Laalej and Ms Houda Mirouche of Zelij Invent, from Morocco- ZELIJ INVENT is an African social enterprise that has developed a hollow recycled block from new formula based on 50% of plastic waste and a whole new cost-effective production process. Ms. Olivia Awuor of Pine Kazi Ltd, from Kenya- PineKazi is a new and innovative social business venture that is reimagining how footwear products are made using the efficiencies of nature by using locally sourced pineapple fibers to make a sustainable fabric which is used to make shoes. The United Nations notes that Africa has the worlds youngest population, with 70 per cent of Sub-Saharas population below the age of 30. The inclusion of the young people in the sustainable industrialization and sustainable structural transformation processes of the continent is critical to ensure that Africa builds the productive, green and innovative capacities it needs to compete regionally and globally on industrial markets. In order to harness its demographic dividend, it is imperative for the continent to empower its youth to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship. 21.08.2023 LISTEN The Founding President and chief executive officer of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe has taken to his social media to shade the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and government. In a post on Facebook on Monday, August 21, he prayed that Ghanaians will not be as broke as the Central Bank and government. This week, may you never be broke as our central bank and government. May all who owe you pay up. 5 months on, I'm still waiting for the gentleman who told me he was by the ATM cashing out to pay back a loan, Franklin Cudjoe said in his Facebook post. The Bank of Ghana has been lambasted this month, especially by the Minority in Parliament after it released its 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statement. The statement revealed that the Central Bank incurred a loss of GHS60 billion. In the report, it was also disclosed that the Central Bank recorded negative equity of over GHS55.1 billion. Using these, the Minority has argued that the Bank of Ghana is broke and will need years to get back on its feet. Despite admitting the losses, the Bank of Ghana in a reply to the Minority said it is impossible for the Central Bank to go bankrupt. Technically, Central Banks cannot be insolvent or bankrupt.It is important to put the Bank of Ghanas 2022 financial results in proper context with a clear statement of the problem that Ghana faced and the chronology of events in Ghana since 2019. There was a clear mismatch between revenue inflows and expenditure financed in 2020 by exceptional support from the IMF and World Bank resources, and in addition to financing from the Bank of Ghana through the issuance of the GHS10 billion Covid-19 bond, BoG explained in a press release. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) branch in Germany has applauded government for the inauguration of the Elmina Fishing Port. The 84 million Elmina Fishing Port in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region was inaugurated in May 2023 after it was touted as a 419 Scam. Now in operation, the Elmina Fishing Port has become a very essential infrastructure supporting the livelihoods of fishermen, enhancing the quality of seafood products, and contributing to the overall fishing industry. In a press release from NPP Germany dated Sunday, August 20, it said the new Fishing Port has silenced the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). NPP Germany in lauding government has appealed to Ghanaians to trust President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his administration to address all the challenges of the country. The group is confident that better days are ahead. NPP Germany continues to be amazed by the massive development interventions being undertaken by Nana Akufo-Addo and his super-hyper-competent team. We continue to plead with Ghanaians that the existing challenges they are facing continue to cut across the world and the NPP Government remains committed to giving them the best of governance, definitely, better days are coming should the NPP remain in power beyond 2024, parts of the NPP Germany release signed by Communications Director Nana Osei Boateng said. Read the full release below: NPP GERMANY PRESS RELEASE 20082023 AKUFO-ADDO SILENCES OPPOSITION NDC AS ELMINA FISHING PORT COMES ALIVE NPP Germany laments and has sadly observed that the media and the main opposition NDC have ignored to talk about the significant 84 million Elmina Fishing Port in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region which was inaugurated in May 2023 after the NDC and their seemingly whining and biting arsenals touted it as a 419 Scam. Since Elmina is a mainstream fishing population, Nana Kodwo Conduah VI, the chief of Elmina has been super excited that the facility would go a long way to reduce unemployment and enhance the economic situation of the 138 coastal communities. This landmark industry port is also supporting related industries like seafood processing, packaging, and transportation, creating jobs and fostering economic growth in the Central region. They also play a role in promoting tourism and cultural heritage, as fishing communities often have unique traditions and experiences to offer. Nana Conduah thanked the government for concluding the project on schedule. At the commissioning, Nana Kodwo Conduah VI was trending on social media for weeping. According to some critics, his behavior reeked of hypocrisy and double standards. The Chief feels more honoured to see such a massive project constructed in his town, particularly during his time as the Paramount Chief. According to the Chief, the project has been realised and actualised under Nana Akufo-Addo and it is a rare fulfillment of many promises made by successive administrations but to no avail. This massive fishing intervention now serves as a hub for the fishing industry, where fishermen can dock their boats, unload their catch, and prepare for their next trip. The NPP Government has ensured the construction of the Elmina Fishing Port that is facilitating the processing, packaging, and distribution of seafood and contributing to strengthening our local economies. We would like to use this opportunity to educate Ghanaians and the public as well as Ghanaians abroad to know and appreciate the importance of the Elmina Fishing Port Facility. The Elmina Fishing Port provides a safe and secure place for fishing boats to anchor and dock, protecting them from adverse weather conditions, rough seas, and potential damage. The project offers facilities such as piers, docks, jetties, and berths for boats to load and unload their catches, as well as for maintenance, repairs, and refueling. The Elmina Port Project comes with an equipped necessary infrastructure to ensure easy access and proximity to markets that allow fishermen to quickly deliver their catch to markets and buyers, reducing the time between catching the fish and getting it to consumers, which maintains the quality of the seafood. The Elmina Fishing Port will also provide support services like navigation assistance and guidance on fishing regulations, ensuring safer and more efficient fishing operations. The Elmina Fishing Port is meant to often connect fishermen to transportation networks, making it easier to distribute seafood to various locations, both domestically and internationally. This would also serve as a Fishing Port where fishermen can interact with one another, exchange knowledge and experiences, and collaborate on issues related to the industry. In essence, the Elmina Fishing Port has now become a very essential infrastructure and supporting the livelihoods of fishermen, enhancing the quality of seafood products, and contributing to the overall fishing industry. NPP Germany continues to be amazed by the massive development interventions being undertaken by Nana Akufo-Addo and his super-hyper-competent team. We continue to plead with Ghanaians that the existing challenges they are facing continue to cut across the world and the NPP Government remains committed to giving them the best of governance, definitely, better days are coming should the NPP remain in power beyond 2024. Ghanaians should not be cajoled by the NDC into staging a mass rejection of the Elephant Family NPP at next Years 2024 General Elections. Let The Truth Confound The Wise Long Live Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo!! God Bless Our Homeland Ghana!!! Long Live the Elephant Party!!!! Kukruduuuu Eeeessshiii!!!! Signed: Nana Osei Boateng NPP Germany Branch Communications Director Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has said he has absolutely nothing to do with the removal of a billboard advert of New Patriotic Party flag bearer aspirant Kennedy Agyapong contrary to the avalanche of social media accusations levelled against him as the brain behind it. He told the parliamentary press corps that he first heard of the accusation while in the United States for a pre-arranged conference. He said following the mudslinging and sullying of his name visavis the removal of the advert, he made a few calls in an attempt to get to the bottom of the issue only to find out that a third party, who did not own the advertising space in question, had given the go-ahead to a staunch supporter of Mr Agyapong to post the advert after making some payment to that person. He said his investigations revealed that the real owner of the advertising space later expressed his reservations to the use of gis property without recourse to him and so had the advert removed. Mr Annoh-Dompreh said this is the third fracas he has had with Mr Agyapong's team, saying: "I think it's a rehearsed strategy, not by himself [Mr Agyapong] but people around him who are fronting his campaign". He said this latest accusation about his alleged involvement in the destruction of Mr Agyapongs billboard advert, has "taken me by surprise" "I was in the US when I heard about this news of me supposedly having destroyed his billboards. I was alarmed", he told journalists. Mr Annoh-Dompreh said: "I feel a lot of pain about this becuase it's something that I don't know anything about". He said he does not support Mr Agyapong's candidature nor believe in him and warned his supportedrs to stop defaming him. "I feel very slighted, I feel very pained", he stressed, adding that he does not even engage in such tactics against the NPP's rivals, the NDC least of all a fellow NPP MP just because of an internal competition and his decision to back Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia in the internal race. "I'm not a violent man", he said and urged Mr Agyapong to rein in his NET2 TV station that has been hurling invectives at him over the allegation. Source: classfmonline.com The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, to contribute to the governments digitisation efforts to enhance the countrys digital advancement. Speaking at a graduation ceremony of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College in Accra last Friday, Dr Bawumia acknowledged the historic contributions of the Armed Forces to the advancement of technology, urging the Ghana Armed Forces to be on board the digitisation drive, because of the link between the military and technology. "It has been acknowledged, the world over, that the military and technology are inseparable," Dr. Bawumia said. "Indeed, many technologies that we are enjoying today are the product of military research. Examples include microwave ovens, computers, GPS technology, the internet, nuclear energy, walkie-talkies, etc. "Therefore I look forward to the Ghana Armed Forces, particularly GAFCSC, to help with strategies that will contribute to the governments digitisation agenda," the Vice President added. He continued, "As I requested at last years graduation, the government is looking forward to GAFCSC developing modules and programmes that will challenge the ingenuity of the youth, particularly in digitalisation awareness and Cyber security issues." Dr Bawumia commended the significant impact the GAFCSC is making as a citadel of knowledge, not only on Ghanaians but also serving nationals of other African countries. "I have repeatedly referred to GAFCSC, as a prime national asset with a place of pride in Ghana and the entire continent as it continues to serve as a citadel of knowledge for our military and that of allied countries," he said. "Over time, GAFCSC has convincingly carved a niche for itself as the destination of choice for Allied officers and countries who have a desire to achieve professional excellence in their respective Armed Forces." With the College's growing reputation, Dr Bawumia further urged the Staff College Control Board and the Military High Command to leverage its enhanced status to work towards sustaining the gains already achieved and possibly venture into other unexplored areas necessary for national development. "The increased demand for vacancies on your programmes should serve as a motivation to explore and tap into other areas of study that are necessary for the socio-economic development of our dear nation and by extension the continent. "With the status of the College as a tertiary institution and her flagship integrated programme, namely the Passed Staff College (psc) and the Master of Science in Defense and International Politics, GAFCSC has assumed an even greater role in shaping the leadership and managerial skills of many professionals from Ghana and other sister African countries," he stated. Dr Bawumia also assured the Armed Forces of the governments continuous support for the military, including the expansion of its infrastructure as it has always done. The joint graduation ceremony was for the 2023-year group of the College for Senior Command and Staff Course 44, as well as the Master of Science in Defense and International Politics Class of 2023. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said entrepreneurship, an important component of Ghanas economic growth, should be combined with technology and business to create sustainable jobs, particularly for the youth. Globally, the President said, entrepreneurship has been embraced as an important driver of economic transformation and job creation. Speaking at the fourth season of the Presidential Pitch held in Accra last Friday, President Akufo-Addo said the fastest way to confront the countrys economy and the unacceptable rate of unemployment was to fuse technology, entrepreneurship and business. This year's event on the theme: "Building a sustainable entrepreneurial nation; the role of our future Unicorns" saw Jennifer Kwakwa Sarpong, Bidigreen Ghana Limited, Ike Agyei Mensah, Deafcantalk, Bismark Etornam Mensah, Fetuli, Aphraim Bukari Adombila, Hatiah Organics Africa and Kwabena Tuffour, Prosect Feed Limited as part of the ten finalists. The rest are Adriana Appiagyei Nsiah Nimo, Reecoplast, Kwaku Ansu Aforo, Recco Solutions, Daniel Amaza Philips, Scibble Works, Georgina Odom, Useful Waste Limited and Caleb Edem Martey, Relu Interactions. According to the President, youth entrepreneurship is an appropriate tool for addressing youth unemployment challenges in this dispensation. He said 702 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs had been created by the past winners of seasons one, two and three with the majority being created in rural areas. "I Want to single out the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pizza Pizzaman Chicken, Christian Boakye Yiadom the tenth place winner from season two for his success thus far," he stressed. President Akufo-Addo explained that the National Entrepreneurship Programme, which was established in 2017 with a seed fund of $ 10 million and the NEIP as a special purpose vehicle, had continued to champion the agenda of job creation, innovation and business development in the country's entrepreneurial ecosystem. He said under the government's flagship programmes, such as the Presidential Start-ups Support Programme, Presidential Empowerment for Male Entrepreneurs with Disability, Student Entrepreneurship Initiative and Campus Business Pitch had created 75,000 entrepreneurs and built their capacities to enhance their businesses. The President said all these initiatives were in tandem with the New Patriotic Party, which exists on the premise that development of the economy was important. He assured that the NEIP would continue to serve as the catalyst that integrates innovation and creates access to market linkages for beneficiaries. The government earmarked GHC2.5million for this year's pitch and the overall winner would receive GHC150,000 as prize money from the previous GHC100,000. In addition, President Akufo-Addo gave the overall winner personal money of GHC50,000 an increase from the GHC25,000 of the previous sum. The Deputy Minister for Education, Mrs Gifty Twum Ampofo has urged parents to instil discipline in their children, saying that it has a place in the academic progress of the child. Speaking at the 5th Annual National Education Consultation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Koforidua, she observed that education is very critical in the development of every nation and must therefore be given the needed attention. Mrs Twum Ampofo appealed to the Presbyterian Church to continue promoting quality teaching and learning in their schools with effective supervision. The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rt. Rev Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mantey, on his part, stated that the church would not compromise on discipline in its schools. He noted that discipline has been the hallmark of schools run by churches and no amount of pressure would stop it. For his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Seth Kwame Frimpong, acknowledged the Presby Church for its role in promoting quality education in the country as evidenced in the great schools it has established. He also stated that good Christian schools are necessary because they produce morally conscious adults, which is a necessary ingredient for national development. The Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, lauded the Presbyterian Church for its contribution to promoting quality education and urged it to do more for the progress of the region and the nation as a whole. The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong, has underscored the need for citizens to pay their taxes. Addressing Customs Officers at their second National Delegates Congress in Koforidua, he said taxes would enable the government to embark on development projects. Mr Acheampong admonished the Customs Officers to uphold their professional ethics in the course of performing their duties. That, he said, any act of unprofessionalism would tarnish their image and undermine their work. The minister also said the nature of the work of the Customs Officers requires that they collaborate with their counterparts in other border towns. That, he said, would promote the sharing of information, as captured in the theme of the Congress, "Promoting the culture of knowledge sharing to enhance border security and revenue collection: the role of Customs Staff Association and Management. On her part, the Commander for Koforidua Collections, Madam Mary Ann Okunnor, noted that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Customs have been merged to make revenue generation more effective. She pledged that the two institutions would discharge their mandate without fear or favour. Nsinnea Hene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Yaw Annor Boateng II, urged citizens to pay their taxes gladly to enable the government to give them the development they have been demanding for. The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (CPAPS) for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Dr Abdel-Fatau Musa, has said ECWOAS has thought of the possible impact of sending troops to Niger on foreign nationals in that country. He recognized that there are several foreign nationals including refugees in Niger. Dr Musa assured that the regional bloc is going waging war against Niger. He said they are rather warring against the junta that organized the coup. Recently, the President of Ghanaians Resident in Niger Seidu Abudu expressed fears that foreigners domiciled in Niger would be attacked if the ECOWAS sends troops to that country to fight the coup makers. Seidu Abudu raised concern against any move by ECOWAS to deploy troops to Niger. We have so many foreigners here so if ECOWAS is going to use force, I think the foreigners who are living in this country are going to have a big problem because they are going to attack us, that one is for sure, he said on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Wednesday August 16. Asked whether ECOWAS has thought about the possible implications of deploying troops to Niger as part of moves to restore constitutional democracy, Dr Musa said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, August 19 that In the planning of this mission, all those factors have been taken into account. We are talking about the Ghanaian citizens who are there, there are other nationals of West Africa, there are about 700,000 Nigerian citizens and refugees in Niger and we are very much aware of that. We have also taken into account the possibility of reverse refugee flows out of the country. But let me assure you, in planning, we are not going to war against Niger, we are going to war against the CNSP junta. The CNSP junta is the one and we are making that very clear. Dr Abdel-Fatau Musa further said the sub-regional bloc has always maintained that military intervention will be the last option. It is you the media who are actually beating the drums of war, he said. Right from the beginning of this crisis, Ecowas has always said we are going to exhaust all our tools, the array of tools that we have. We condemn the coup, we ask for the release of President Bazoum and his family, we ask the junta CNSP to restore constitutional order [but] all that have been on deaf ears. He said if the junta is willing to engage the bloc on dialogue, military intervention will not be an option. On Thursday, August 10 in Abuja, Nigeria, the Authority of Heads of State and Government of Ecowas urged member states to mobilise a stand-by force in order to restore constitutional order in Niger. The decision, according to Dr Musa, comes after two missions of Ecowas were turned down by the CNSP led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani. He said Ecowas has always made overtures for dialogue but the junta has rejected all that. All these steps are there and we are still asking them to give peace a chance by opening up the diplomatic channel. We are not the one shutting the door on them. It is rather they shutting the door on us. He said the junta has finally agreed to receive an Ecowas mission on Saturday for peace talks to begin. The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (CPAPS), for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Dr Abdel-Fatau Musa, has said the body is not going to war against Niger. He said they are rather warring against the junta that organized the coup. Asked whether ECOWAS has thought about the possible implications of deploying troops to Niger as part of moves to restore constitutional democracy, Dr Abdel-Fatau Musa said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, August 19 that In the planning of this mission, all those factors have been taken into account. We are talking about the Ghanaian citizens who are there, there are other nationals of West Africa, there are about 700,000 Nigerian citizens and refugees in Niger and we are very much aware of that. We have also taken into account the possibility of reverse refugee flows out of the country. But let me assure you, in planning, we are not going to war against Niger, we are going to war against the CNSP junta. The CNSP junta is the one and we are making that very clear. Dr Abdel-Fatau Musa further said ECOWAS has always maintained that military intervention will be the last option. It is you the media who are actually beating the drums of war, he said. Right from the beginning of this crisis, Ecowas has always said we are going to exhaust all our tools, the array of tools that we have. We condemn the coup, we ask for the release of President Bazoum and his family, we ask the junta CNSP to restore constitutional order [but] all that have been on deaf ears. He said if the junta is willing to engage the bloc on dialogue, military intervention will not be an option. On Thursday, August 10 in Abuja, Nigeria, the Authority of Heads of State and Government of Ecowas urged member states to mobilise a stand-by force in order to restore constitutional order in Niger. The decision, according to Dr Musa, comes after two missions of Ecowas were turned down by the CNSP led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani. He said Ecowas has always made overtures for dialogue but the junta has rejected all that. All these steps are there and we are still asking them to give peace a chance by opening up the diplomatic channel. We are not the one shutting the door on them. It is rather they shutting the door on us. He said the junta has finally agreed to receive an Ecowas mission on Saturday for peace talks to begin. -www.3news.com President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commended Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi ll, the Paramount Chief of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area in the Western North Region, for promoting girl child education in the area. He said educating the girl child was one of the panacea to achieving sustainable development in the country, hence, commended the Ogyeahoho Gybei II, who is also the President of National House of Chiefs, for championing that course. The President gave the commendation when he addressed the 10th Anniversary and prize giving day celebration of the Queens Girls Senior High School (SHS), at Sefwi Anhwiaso under the theme: A decade of impactful girl child education in Western North Region. President Akufo-Addo who was the guest of honour indicated that access to quality education for all could not be overlooked, particularly for the girl child in the 21st century educational system, hence the decision to introduce the Free SHS policy by his government. He encouraged the students to take their studies seriously to justify the introduction of the Free SHS policy, while maintaining the high standards set by their predecessors in the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE). He also advised them to abide by the rules and regulations governing the school so as to grow and become law abiding citizens. Mrs Evelyn Doris Acquah, the Headmistress of the School, expressed gratitude to Ogyeahoho Gyebi ll for his contributions in lobbying for infrastructural development for the school. According to her, the school which was established by the Paramount Chief of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area as a private day school with a total students of five in 2013, now has a students population of 1,000 students. She mentioned some of the major challenges confronting the school, including an assembly hall, staff bungalows, dormitories, classroom blocks, administration block among others, and appealed to the President to help to resolve such issues to promote smooth teaching and learning. For his part, Ogyeahoho Gyebi ll, expressed appreciation to President Akufo-Addo for recognizing his efforts in promoting girl child education in his paramountcy, and also for initiating some development projects in Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipality. He mentioned the construction of science laboratory at Queen SHS, on-going construction of Astro Turf at Anhwiaso, and the construction of Sefwi Anhwiaso town roads. Others were Bibiani College of Health and Allied Sciences, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) School at Awaso and the establishment of University of Science and Technology (UMaT) and Bibiani Study Centre as some of the development projects that had been initiated by the government to benefit the people of Sefwi Anhwiaso. Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), who chaired the occasion, pledged to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to institute measures to address some of the school's challenges to ensure conducive environment for teaching and learning. GNA The Lamido of Adamawa, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustafa, has commended the management of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) over its successes in the registration of Nigerians for the National Identity Number (NIN). The monarch, who gave the commendation while receiving a delegation of the Commission at the Lamidos Palace, Yola, recently, pledged his support to NIMC towards the implementation of its mandate. According to a Press Release jointly signed by NIMCs Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke and Nigeria Digital ID4D Communications Manager, Dr. Walter Duru, the Lamido, represented by the Galadima Adamawa, Alhaji Mustafa Aminu, urged the delegation to take steps towards ensuring that NIN enrolment in rural areas was seamless. It is our collective desire that the NIN enrolment process is seamless. Lamido, His Royal Highness has asked me to extend his cooperation and support so that together, we move the country forward. Earlier in his remarks, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz Abubakar commended the monarch for his role in keeping Adamawa state safe. He informed the Lamido that the Commission had taken deliberate steps to ensure the registration of children and women for the National Identity Number. Our focus now is on the issuance of the unique National Identity Number. Developed countries of the world do not issue Identity cards, but numbers. For instance, we have the Social Security Number in the United States and the National Insurance Number in the United Kingdom. It is the number that matters to us currently. We have enrolled over one hundred million Nigerians and issued them with the NIN. We are in Yola to re-strategize to achieve more. Statistics show that we have enrolled about 90 percent of adults and only 10 percent of children. Now, we are focusing on the children, going to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to enrol those in rural and hard-to-reach areas, women, children, and the vulnerable. When the government knows who and where those living in Nigeria are, the government will be able to make adequate provisions for them. The NIMC Chief Executive used the occasion to invite the monarch to the 2023 edition of the annual World Identity Day, scheduled to be held on the 16th of September 2023. On the NIMC DGs delegation was the Project Coordinator, Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project, Musa Odole Solomon, Directors, and other top management staff of the NIMC and Nigeria Digital ID4D Project. Those on the Lamidos team were Alhaji Mustafa Aminu - Galadima Adamawa, who represented the Lamido of Adamawa; Justice Nathan Musa - Wakilin Alkalai Adamawa (Retired Chief Judge); Alhaji Ahamdu Bobboi - Chief Imam, Modibbo Adama Central Mosque; Alhaji Kabiru Bakari - Tariya Adamawa, Secretary, Adamawa Emirate Council and Prof. Abubakar Abba Tahir, Kakaki Adamawa. The visit to Lamidos Palace was one of the highlights of the NIMC/Nigeria Digital ID4D Management Workshop, held in Jimeta Yola, Adamawa State, recently. The event was supported by the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) Project. In another development, Project Coordinator, Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, Musa Odole Solomon said the NIMC/Nigeria Digital ID4D Management Workshop was an invaluable opportunity to engage in conversations that would provide solutions to the challenges facing the Commission. Highlights of the event were paper presentations, a review of existing implementation plans, interactive sessions, visitations, agreement on the next steps, among others. Kayode Adegoke Head, Corporate Communications, NIMC August 21, 2023 Walter Duru, Ph.D Manager, Communications Nigeria Digital ID4D Project August 21, 2023 Ugandan police on Monday arrested four people for allegedly engaging in same-sex activity following a raid on a massage parlour. The arrests come three months after the introduction of repressive anti-gay legislation triggered an international backlash. Police authorities said two men and two women aged between 20 and 27 were taken into custody on Saturday in the eastern district of Buikwe. "The police operation was carried out following a tip-off by a female informant to the area security that acts of homosexuality were being carried out at the massage parlour," police spokeswoman Hellen Butoto said. Condemnation The United Nations, foreign governments and global rights groups have condemned the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in May. The World Bank this month suspended new loans to Uganda in retaliation, saying the law "fundamentally contradicted" its values. In May France expressed "deepest concern" over the law. "France reiterates its call for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality and its opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances," the government said on its official website. "It calls on the Ugandan authorities to renounce this law and expresses its support for all LGBT+ people in Uganda." Among the world's harshest, the law contains provisions making "aggravated homosexuality" a potentially capital offence and penalties for consensual same-sex relations of up to life in prison. However the legislation has broad support in the conservative, predominantly Christian East African country, where lawmakers have defended it as a necessary bulwark against perceived Western immorality. Museveni accused the World Bank of using money to try to "coerce" his government to drop the legislation. 'Grave risk' Frank Mugisha, executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, a leading gay rights organisation whose operations were suspended by the authorities last year, said the passage of the bill posed a grave risk to LGBTQI+ people. "There's a contradiction because the legislation says you can be gay but you shouldn't say anything about it," he told AFP. Furthermore, the near-unanimous approval of the bill by lawmakers "shows you how extreme and homophobic the MPs are and puts LGBTQI+ people in even more danger." (with AFP) The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has assured Ghanaians that the Central Bank is keen on delivering its mandate. At a special press briefing on Monday, August 21, the Governor defended the GHS60 billion losses recorded in the Banks 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statement. He argued that BoG and all Central Banks around the world do not exist for profits and these technical losses do not affect the delivery of their mandate. Dr. Ernest Addison told journalists that instead, the BoG's credibility depends on its ability to achieve its mandate. Let me end by reassuring the public on the policy solvency of the Bank of Ghana to achieve its statutory mandate going forward. Every central banks credibility depends on its ability to achieve its mandate. These technical losses do not jeopardize that ability and are sometimes the price to pay for achieving those aims. It is important that we place the central banks policy mandate ahead of profits, Dr. Ernest Addison shared. The BoG Governor continued, We must recognize the special character of Central Banks and the role they play in an economy. Central Banks are institutions of public policy and do not exist for profits but for national welfare and as such could have a negative equity position and continue to be policy effective. Speaking on the negative equity of over GHS55.1 billion recorded in the 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statement, Dr. Ernest Addison assured Ghanaians that very clear policies have been put in place to return to positive equity in the medium term. He said BoG will continue to rebuild its policy buffers to continue to provide the necessary assurance of policy support as it rebuilds a stronger and more resilient and inclusive economic post-pandemic. Meanwhile, the Minority is still demanding the resignation of Dr. Ernest Addison. The Minority has today notified the Ghana Police Service of its impending demonstration on September 5 to march to the Bank of Ghana head office to demand that the BoG Governor leaves his role. Central African Republic's top court on Monday approved the outcome of a referendum which found that 95 percent of voters backed constitutional changes that will enable President Faustin Archange Touadera to seek a third term. The changes, fiercely criticised by the opposition, will scrap the CAR's two-term limit and extend the presidential mandate from five to seven years. The Constitutional Court "validates and announces the definitive results of the constitutional referendum of July 30", its president, Jean-Pierre Waboe, declared at a court session. The final results made only minor changes to the provisional results announced by the National Election Authority on August 7. The Yes vote was officially given as 95.03 percent, compared with 95.27 percent earlier, while turnout was reduced to 57.23 percent, against 61.10 percent announced previously. The country's main opposition parties and civil society groups had urged a boycott. One of the poorest and most troubled countries in the world, the landlocked CAR nation has been gripped by conflict and political turmoil for most of its history since independence from France in 1960. Touadera, 66, was first elected president in 2016, after French military intervention, followed by deployment of UN peacekeepers, ended a bloody civil war that flared along sectarian lines. Central African Republic. By Sylvie HUSSON, Anibal MAIZ CACERES (AFP) In 2020 he won a second term but the ballot had a turnout of only a third of the electorate as rebel groups who controlled swathes of the country intimated voters. The Constitutional Court last September dealt a humiliating blow to the proposed constitutional change, scrapping the establishment of a committee tasked with drafting the new charter. The court's president, Daniele Darlan, was then targeted in violent verbal attacks by Touadera supporters and in January this year was forcibly retired. Breast Care International (BCI) Ghana has educated the students of Jachie Pramso SHS in the Bosomtwe district of the Ashanti region on breast cancer. The students were also taken through breast cancer screening by the nurses of Peace and Love Hospitals after the students had the opportunity to ask pertinent questions about the disease. The exercises were part of BCIs efforts to increase breast cancer awareness among secondary school students in Ghana, whom they consider as agents of change. The program was in partnership with Black Women Rising (BWR) UK, led by Leanne Pero, and sponsored by Provident Insurance Limited Company. The President of Breast Care International Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai said the students who the future belongs to need to be integrated in the fight against the dreadful disease. In view of that, the students were enlightened on the risk factors, signs, symptoms and above all the controls and treatments of breast cancer. Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospital demonstrated to the students to perform the Breast Self-Examination (BSE) to locate lumps. As the countrys future, you must be educated on breast cancer so that you will potent agents to change the perception narration about breast cancer, Dr Wiafe Addai told the students. She also made them believe that the disease is not caused by witchcraft that needs spiritual attention, but rather must be treated medically. So as potential agents, you must educate your families on the disease. To reduce premature deaths among women, Dr Wiafe Addai said the best antidote is to report to the hospital quickly if they notice any unusual thing in and around the breasts for medical screening. Dr Wiafe Addai noted that late-stage presentation of breast cancer conditions may have negative consequences but assured that early reporting and detection is equally key to surviving. The leader of Black Women Rising (BWR) UK, Leanne Pero, who is a breast cancer survivor, in her speech, made the students understand that contracting the disease is not a death sentence. In reference to her, Leanne Pero said breast cancer is treatable, curable and survivable if you report early to the hospital for diagnoses and proper treatment. "As future leaders, you must equip yourselves with all the necessary information about the disease that is killing our women needlessly. This will help you to educate your people about the disease, Leanne Pero added. Leanne Pero on behalf of Black Women Rising pledged her support to Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai and her team in the quest to reduce breast cancer deaths in Ghana and Africa. Libyan authorities on Monday repatriated 161 Nigerians, officials said, part of a UN-backed voluntary return scheme as some North African countries see a spike in irregular migration. The group, including 75 women and six children, received food and drinks from International Organization for Migration staff at Mitiga airport in Tripoli before boarding the plane, AFP correspondents said. Interior Minister Imed Trabelsi, of the UN-recognised government based in the war-torn country's west, met the migrants before their departure. "We cannot bear the burden of clandestine migration alone" without international support, he told reporters at the airport. He said that out of the group, "102 were intercepted at the border as they were trying to" cross between Libya and Tunisia. The North African neighbours on August 10 agreed to share responsibility for providing shelter for hundreds of migrants stranded at their border, ending a month-long crisis triggered by mass expulsions of migrants by Tunis. Some 2,000 migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, had been driven to the remote desert area of Ras Jedir by Tunisian authorities and left there to fend for themselves, according to witnesses, rights groups and UN agencies. Since the start of July, at least 27 have been found dead in the border area and another 73 were missing, a humanitarian source told AFP earlier this month. An official with Nigeria's embassy in Tripoli said the group of 161 was "not forced back" home. "We spoke to (them) and explained that migration is not bad... but you have to follow due process," said embassy adviser Samuel Okeri. "They are going back willingly. And as you can see, they are not sad but happy to go back to Nigeria. There is no place like home." A group of 165 Nigerians including 90 women and nine children was repatriated on June 20 under the same scheme. Libya is a major gateway for migrants and asylum seekers attempting perilous sea voyages in often rickety boats in the hope of a better life in Europe. An estimated 600,000 migrants live in the war-scarred country, which has seen 12 years of stop-start conflict since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled strongman Moamer Kadhafi. Libyan authorities have come under sharp criticism from the United Nations and rights groups over reported violence against migrants. 21.08.2023 LISTEN The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga has fired back at the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Ernest Addison. The Governor on Monday, August 21, addressed a press conference in Accra and defended the decision by the Central Bank to put up a new head office building. Among issues of safety raised, Governor Dr. Ernest Addison said the decision was taken after taking into consideration the need to ensure BoG has an office that meets all the requirements of a modern central bank of international standards similar to central bank head office buildings in Abuja and Dakar. Speaking to Citi News this evening, Mahama Ayariga indicated that the argument by the BoG Governor does not carry weight. According to him, the Central Bank is a mere regulator and does not need a huge edifice to operate. If he [Dr. Ernest Addison] really has the welfare of Ghanaians at heart he wont be doing what he is doing. This is a regulator. This is not a commercial Bank. He doesnt need all that space. He doesnt need to put up that show because he has a mere regulator. He is not in the market competing with anybody, the Bawku Central MP said. Mahama Ayariga is of the view that the building of the new BoG office is to satisfy the luxurious taste of Governor Dr. Ernest Addison, insisting that it is baffling that this project is being undertaken at a time Ghanaians are suffering. It is in the context of the suffering of the ordinary Ghanaian for you to want to create such luxury for yourself when it is your responsibility to create a financial system that helps lift poor Ghanaians out of their poverty. And you choose to use the money to create luxury for yourself and create space that in my opinion if we really do analysis for personnel to space we will see that the Governor of the Bank of Ghana doesnt need all that space that this building is going to create, the Minority MP opined. The Bawku Central MP believes that Ghanaians must not allow BoG Governor Dr. Ernest Addison to have his way. He said the Minority will go ahead with its planned protest to the head office of BoG on September 5 to demand his resignation. Three groups - the Sunyani Youth Development Association, Sunyani for Development Association and Bonoman Institute have raised grave concerns about the circumstances surrounding the appointment of a new principal for Berekum College of Education in the Bono region. They have therefore petitioned the Bono Regional Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for redress. The spokesperson for these three groups, Mr. Atta Akoto Senior, told the media in Sunyani that the Governing Council of the Berekum College of Education was discriminatory and unfair toward Dr. Mrs. Vida Korang, one of the applicants for the position of principal. He wondered why Dr. Mrs Vida Korang, a Senior Lecturer at the Catholic University of Ghana, who scored the highest marks in the interview process, had been denied the opportunity to head the only public college of education in the region. Gender equality We have petitioned Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the matter as the decision by the Governing Council not to appoint Dr Mrs Vida Korang is an affront to fairness and a heavy dent on Ghanas quest to achieve Gender Equality (Goal 5), and Inequality (Goal 10) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he stated. According to him, the action by the Governing Council also breached some relevant provisions of the 1992 constitution of Ghana pursuant to Article 17 (1) (2) (3) and 296. The petitioners therefore want CHRAJ to declare the action of the Council discriminatory and unfair, and erred in its decision not to give the position to Dr. Mrs. Vida Korang. They also want an order to the Council to review its decision for the appointment of the current principal and appoint a new one based on merit, non-discriminatory, fairness and non-subjective in accordance with the laws and the development agenda of Ghana. Mr. Atta Akoto believes that elevating Dr. Mrs. Korang to that high office will go a long way to motivate more females to aspire to greater heights, and therefore called on the Bono Regional Minister, Madam Justina Owusu Banahene, to step into the issue and ensure that the right things are done. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday said his government has decided to spend more than Rs 2,000 crore to create disaster-resilient infrastructure in various parts of the state. Addressing a gathering virtually at a function at Rabindra Mandap here on the occasion of Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day 2023, he said the government was giving priority to resilient infrastructure and state-wide risk mapping would be undertaken for various disasters. Today, we assemble here to deliberate on our disaster preparedness. We remember the valuable human lives lost during the super cyclone 1999. Since then, we have made significant strides in making Odisha safer during disasters. Today, we are a model for other states and countries to follow, Patnaik said. Noting that the state's efforts for effective disaster management have received wide acclaim, the chief minister said Odisha has been bestowed with the prestigious 'Nataji Subash Chandra Bose Apadaa Prabandhan Puraskar' for 2023 by the Centre. Recalling the train accident at Bahanaga in Balasore that took place on June 2 this year, he said, Altogether 288 people died on the spot, and hundreds of passengers were injured. The state responded quickly. All emergency services were made ready almost instantly. We could save many lives despite serious injuries. The CM said the state was able to save so many lives due to the immediate intervention of local communities, volunteers, members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and specialised responders like Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), fire services and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and of course, the tireless efforts of doctors. "The government has now decided to create four regional disaster response hubs at Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rayagada to reduce the response time to any disaster," he said. This year's theme for the Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day' is Empowering Community for Resilient Odisha. As communities are the first responders to any disaster situation, amendments to Panchayat Acts have been made to ensure disaster management planning at the level of PRIs, the chief minister said. "To make the communities resilient, disaster management plans will be prepared in more than 10,000 vulnerable villages," he said. On the occasion, Patnaik called upon all stakeholders and citizens to join hands to strengthen the state's disaster risk reduction initiatives and make Odisha disaster-resilient. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the chief minister said, Odisha's disaster management model has been lauded all over the world for its highest degree of preparedness, efficient response and zero casualty approach during calamities. On #OdishaDisasterPreparednessDay, pledge to further bolster our disaster resilient infrastructure and readiness to protect every precious life. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi said Odisha became the number one state in the country in disaster management. Due to the active participation of local people, the state was able to save many lives in the Bahanaga train tragedy, he said. Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said automated weather forecasting and rain gauge stations will be set up in all panchayats of the state. About 3,000 such stations will be set up with funding from the World Bank, and the remaining will be done by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC). SRC Satyabrata Sahu said, We are prepared for natural disasters like cyclones, floods etc. However, many people have lost lives in other disasters like lightning, drowning, snake bites, etc. So, we will create awareness among people to tackle such incidents. We will create one man in every household, who can tackle all kinds of disasters. Disaster management has been included in school and college curriculums and the government has decided to train all persons working at the grassroots level, Sahu said. Further, the state government has decided to deploy an ODRAF team in every district. Now, 20 ODRAF units are there in Odisha, he said. Earlier in the day, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) in association with the the Department of Sports and Youth Services organised a mini-marathon here to mark the day. Hong Kong: Housing subsidy trial to go ahead The Housing Bureau will launch a trial scheme tomorrow to provide assistance to households in transitional housing projects in the form of a one-off special allowance. The trial scheme is targeted at households who have moved into transitional housing units under the Funding Scheme to Support Transitional Housing Projects by Non-government Organisations on or after June 16 this year. It is intended to help qualifying households move home and adapt to living in a new community. Households receiving the allowance will have to stay in their new unit for at least one year, and will not be granted the allowance for a second time thereafter. Noting that many of the households moving into transitional housing are on low incomes and may not be able to afford relocation expenses, the bureau said it had successfully applied to the Commission on Poverty for $85.2 million in funding from the Community Care Fund to support the two-year trial scheme. It is estimated that as many as 35,000 people will benefit. The amount of money disbursed depends on the size of each household and the region they are moving to. There are no stipulations as to how the subsidy must be spent. Households can submit an application for the subsidy when completing the procedures to take up an allocated transitional housing unit. Operating organisations will disburse allowances within 20 working days of receiving an application. If an approved applicant has not yet moved into the project in that time, the allowance will be disbursed within 10 working days of them formally moving in. Application forms and details will be available online starting from tomorrow. Call 3579 5549 for enquiries. This story has been published on: 2023-08-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Department of Revenue and Taxation building is seen March 1, 2023, in Barrigada Heights. Reporter Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post. Ashley Pascua, left, attends a Liguan Elementary School orientation with her children Vance Toves, 5, center, and Alessandra Toves, 9, at the Micronesia Mall in Dededo on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. Del. James Moylan, right, is the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Guam meeting Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Guam in Tumon. A sign at the site of the destroyed Pioneer Hotel and Pioneer Theater is seen after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources/Handout via REUTERS Tuolumne County Power Outage View Photo Update at 10:50 am: All but 31 PG&E customers impacted by an outage in the Lambert Lake area have now been restored. PG&E says it was weather-related and it is unclear when the remaining customers will have power back on. There is also a new outage impacting 67 customers in the Hathaway Pines community in Calaveras County. PG&E reports that the outage was planned ahead of time and is due to needed maintenance work. Full restoration should come by 4:30 pm. Update at 9:57 am: While a majority of the PG&E customers impacted by an earlier outage in Murphys have been restored, a new outage has occurred in the area around Tuolumne Road and Lambert Lake. 686 customers are without electricity, and PG&E reports that the preliminary determination is that it is weather related. It is unclear when the power will be restored. On a related note, Interfaith Social Services will be closed today due to the outage. Original story posted at 6:46 am: Sonora, CA Hurricane Hilary arrived in southern California over the weekend bringing heavy flooding, mudslides, and power outages. Governor Gavin Newsom commented last night from a State Office of Emergency Services meeting in San Bernardino County, It is certainly interesting times with tornados and lightning strikes. I have CAL Fire worried about wildfires because of the winds. Newsom urged everyone to take precautions and stressed that state leaders were mobilized to meet storm-related demands. There were also periods of heavy rain in many parts of the state, including the Mother Lode. There is one power outage in the Tuolumne-Calaveras region this morning. There are 278 PG&E customers who lost power east of Murphys last night. Full restoration is anticipated by 2pm. PG&E has determined that weather was the cause. Widespread power outages in the Mother Lode stemming from a significant storm system on Saturday evening, bringing heavy lightning and thunder, have been restored, according to PG&E. $17,000 In Local Donations To Help Maui Rebuild From Wildfires Rescue efforts in Maui after wildfires View Photo Sonora, CA The Sonora Area Foundation reports that many in the community are helping Maui rebuild after being devastated by recent wildfires. Community members with donor funds at the Sonora Area Foundation have collectively sent $17,000 to the Hawaii Community Foundation for their Maui Strong Fund. SAF reports that the Hawaii Community Foundation has staff familiar with the changing needs who are in constant contact with organizations that are providing direct relief. SAF adds that anyone can support the effort by making a donation with the wording Maui Strong Fund in the memo. 100% of the donations collected in Tuolumne County will be sent to the Hawaii Community Foundation for fire relief/recovery efforts. The Maui Strong Fund has been donating money in recent weeks to programs like local food banks, a healthy babies coalition, the Aloha Diaper Bank, the American Red Cross, the Humane Society, and the Ka Hale Ake Ola Homeless Resource Center. Contact information for the Sonora Area Foundation can be found by clicking here. Washington, DC In an effort to expand broadband internet to additional rural areas, the White House announced $700 million in new grants and loans today through a federal ReConnect Program. 37 entities across 22 states will receive a share of the most recent funding allocation. Included, is a $15 million loan to the Calaveras Telephone Company. The USDA reports, This Rural Development investment will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high speed internet. This network will benefit 2,496 people, 13 businesses, three farms, and one educational facility in Calaveras County in California. Calaveras Telephone Company will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program. It is one of two projects in California included in the latest allocation, the other being a $21-million grant and loan to the Ponderosa Telephone Company in Fresno County. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says in a statement, Keeping the people of rural America connected with reliable, high-speed internet brings new and innovative ideas to the rest of our country and creates good-paying jobs along the way. The Calaveras Telephone Company has offices in both Copperopolis and Jenny Lind. CITIZENS Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said he was in Bulawayo to seek the indulgence of kings before becoming Zimbabwes next President. Chamisa, who will come head-to-head with Zanu PF leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday, addressed thousands of supporters at the White City Stadium where he promised to bring development to the city and the nation at large. Many are asking why I had a rally here two days before the elections. I have come here to seek the indulgence of kings. Everywhere I go people are saying enough is enough, Chamisa said. People of Matabeleland are saying the issue of Gukurahundi is a chapter that has to be revisited so that we close it on truth-telling, visiting all places that have been affected and building memorial sites. Zanu PF has perennially been accused of victimising Ndebele chiefs suspected of supporting the opposition. He said the region was neglected considering the state of roads in areas such as Nkayi and Tsholotsho. We will restore the traditions of our institutions without interference in the conferment of chiefs. My government will be based on competent people, including those from Zanu PF, Chamisa said, promising to elevate people of Matabeleland to positions of authority. We will have a commissioner and even an army commander who is Ndebele and on the legacy of my government I want to see a person coming from Matabeleland becoming the President of Zimbabwe, he added. He also promised to remove Continuous Learning Assessment in the education system and the local currency until the economy is revived to enable workers to earn salaries with value. Earlier on, Chamisa revealed that his party is locally funded without any foreign donors, adding that the ruling Zanu PF is a puppet of foreign nations. NewsDay Breaking News via Email The government is set to implement a new remuneration package that includes an increment in the United States dollar component to cushion them from the rising cost of living. According to Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima, the new pay offer, which will also include a Zimbabwe dollar salary bump, could be tabled during this weeks National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting. Our workers are important to us, stated Prof Mavima, adding that the government is looking at all possibilities of cushioning public workers as Treasury finalizes the new package. The pay rise is reportedly imminent and will be effected within a day once internal government consultations have been concluded. Negotiations with the government will resume shortly, said Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions president Mrs Cecilia Alexander. Workers are eagerly anticipating the new package, which is expected to cater to their needs and prevent them from engaging in corruption and hustling. The government is alive to the urgent need for a cost of living adjustment and is set to effectuate it as quickly as possible. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story! Breaking News via Email The big announcement that emerged from the NATO Summit in Vilnius last month was that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had agreed to drop his opposition to Sweden joining the military alliance. The Turkish parliament would still have to approve such a move, but it was believed that was more of a formality after US President Joe Biden reportedly promised to sell F-16 fighter bombers to Turkiye and/or an $11-13 billion line of credit from the IMF. The supposed deal allowed the summit to avoid being labeled as much a failure as the collective Wests proxy war effort in Ukraine. And yet, ever since the agreement was announced there has been virtually no movement towards Swedish accession. In fact, in some ways it looks like the sides are even further apart. Its never a good sign in the West when the Russia blame cannons are deployed to explain away complicated situations, but thats now happening. Stockholm is claiming that Moscow is poisoning minds by spreading false claims about the recent Quran burning incidents in Sweden in order to harm its NATO bid. From The Guardian: The Swedish authorities have accused Russia of trying to influence how Quran burnings are viewed around the world through disinformation campaigns written in Arabic. It is believed to be part of an attempt to disrupt Swedens Nato membership process, which is still waiting for approval by Turkiye and Hungary. Swedens psychological defence agency, part of the Ministry of Defence, said that the Russian state-controlled media outlets RT and Sputnik had published a series of articles in Arabic, falsely claiming that the Swedish government supported Quran burning. Since the end of June, the authorities have logged about a million similar posts in Arabic and other languages. The warning from the agency a cold war-era body brought back last year to fight foreign disinformation as tensions with Russia escalated follows another burning in a spate of such desecrations in Sweden. Its hard to draw anything from this except that talks remain at a standstill, and a frustrated Sweden is lashing out. For one, Turkiye is not an Arab country, and just around one percent of Turkish citizens speak Arabic. Second, there are no Arab countries holding up Swedens accession. Maybe there are some Arabic speakers who could comment on the content of the articles from RT and Sputnik, but the English versions dont read as anything out of the ordinary. This one from RT, for example, actually provides the Swedish declaration that the protests are not formally approved by the government. Nonetheless, two leaders of Turkish parties in Erdogans ruling coalition have already come out and declared they are now wholly opposed to supporting Swedens NATO bid, which would make Erdogans job of getting approval through the Turkish parliament harder. And on Wednesday, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc reaffirmed that Ankara is still waiting for Sweden to extradite individuals Turkiye accuses of terrorism. He added ominously that Stockholms decisions will weigh heavily on the Turkish Parliaments discussions in the autumn.While the Quran burnings certainly arent lowering Turkiyes asking price for its accession approval, they are playing into the main issue holding up progress. Selim Koru makes the strong argument at War on the Rocks that the Turkish leadership is determined to escape the prodigal son parable in which Turkiye is the son who strays from the rich father (the West led by the US). What does that mean in concrete terms? Well it could mean anything and everything from F-16s (and most importantly military technology transfers) to economic aid, support for Turkish claims in the Mediterranean, an end to US support for the Kurdistan Workers Party in Syria, and more. In other words: start viewing Turkiye as a regional player rather than just a broken cog in the Nato machine. Ultimately, that is where Turkiye wants to go. How do the Quran burnings play into this? Koru writes: Against this backdrop, Erdogans political project aspires to turn the East-West relationship upside-down. In other words, he wants Turkiye to set standards for Western countries, judge them on the execution, and reward or punish them accordingly. Swedens application to NATO was just such an opportunity. Anyone following the narrative in Turkiye understood that it was now Turkiyes turn to wave the stick and dangle the carrot, and for Stockholm to act more like Ankara. Hilal Kaplan, a senior journalist who accompanied Erdogan to Madrid in 2022, wrote then that two powerful European countries like Sweden and Finland have agreed to adjust their terrorism laws in a way that will please Turkiye. The European Union had once tried to make Turkiye change its anti-terror laws, but today the shoe was on the other foot. Now we are going to set up a Permanent Joint Mechanism between the three countries to evaluate the changes they are going to make to their terrorism laws, their extradition of terrorists, as well as whether they will continue their informal support to terrorists. Sweden tried to play along and make the right noises, but only to a point. It reformed its anti-terror lawsin a way that made life a little more difficult for supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party. But Turkiye wanted to see execution and particularly, it seems, Turkish-style crackdowns on street protests, which Sweden wasnt prepared to do. That is also why the Quran burning became a sticking point. The Madrid agreement didnt exactly stipulate that the two European countries wouldnt allow the desecration of holy texts on their territories, but Erdogan probably felt that it was a symbol of Swedens insincerity in the whole roleplay. Its possible that Turkiye could completely readjust its national priorities. Maybe all it takes is getting Erdogan out of power as the West seems to believe, but that is unlikely. Turkish nationalists were the biggest winners in the recent elections. Its possible the West begins to accept Ankaras demand to be treated as more of an equal and give Turkiye more of what it wants, but are there any indications the West is willing to do that or is even capable of considering it? Exactly. So the tense relationship is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately for Turkiye, while helping Russia evade sanctions has boosted its economy, the new Cold War is also helping to create major headaches in all directions. The US just sanctioned Turkish-backed militias in Syria which fight under the banner of the Syrian National Army (SNA). As The Cradle recalls: The SNA is a coalition of Salafist armed groups formerly known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA). The FSA worked closely with various Al-Qaeda affiliated groups and enjoyed strong support from the US and other allied countries starting in 2011 as part of the covert CIA effort to topple the Syrian government. The US Treasury is now sanctioning a group the US once strongly supported. To Turkiyes East, the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan threatens to inflame the region. The US has ramped up military support for Greece since the beginning of the Ukraine war, causing anxiety in Ankara about a potential disadvantage. Things arent looking much better in Cyprus, which is split between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish Republic of Cyprus in the north, which is recognized only by Ankara. The Biden administration, which lifted the 35-year-old ban on the sale of US arms to Cyprus last year, on Friday issued an extension for the upcoming fiscal year. (Cyprus is required to block Russian naval vessels from accessing its ports in order to keep the US arms sale ban lifted.) Turkiye, however, is afraid it will upset the status quo on the island, which is more hotly contested than ever due to offshore claims for oil and natural gas. On Friday Turkish Cypriots tried to construct a road to the village of Pyla located within the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone. UN forces tried to stop them, and clashes ensued. The UK, France, the US, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen all quickly condemned the Turkish Cypriots while Ankara condemned the UN forces. Russia vetoed an official statement at the UN. The situation in the Black Sea is also quickly escalating and drawing Turkiye into deeper waters. Russian forces have relentlessly attacked Ukrainian Black Sea ports since exiting the grain deal in July. They also stopped and inspected a Palau-flagged Turkish freighter that was sailing to the Ukraine port of Izmail, creating a major headache for Erdogan. After a few days of silence, his office released a statement saying that Russia has been warned to avoid such attempts that escalate tensions in the Black Sea and that Palau should really be the one to respond to the incident. This was likely a mistake by Erdogan in the long run, according to Fatih Yurtsever, a former naval officer in the Turkish Armed Forces: Russias current actions appear to treat the Black Sea as though it were exclusively its own domain. Asserting the right to halt all commercial vessels bound for Ukrainian ports in the Black Seas international waters, ostensibly in order to block the shipment of arms to Ukrainian ports, undermines fundamental tenets of international maritime law, most notably the principle of freedom of navigation. Turkish merchant shipping is also affected by this situation. Some commercial ships in the Turkish Merchant Marine fleet fly the flags of other countries to benefit from certain tax benefits. Therefore, Turkiye took the wrong approach by not reacting immediately to Russias boarding of a merchant ship operated by a Turkish company and whose crew is Turkish, in violation of international maritime law, saying that the ship carries the flag of Palau and therefore Palau should react to the unlawfulness first. Another prominent aspect of the Sukru Okan incident is that it reveals that the cooperation mechanisms established between Turkiye and Russia within the scope of Operation Black Sea Harmony, a maritime security operation conducted by the Turkish Navy in the Black Sea, have lost their functionality. The operation began in March 2004 in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1373, 1540 and 1566, which aim to deter terrorism and asymmetric threats in the Black Sea region. Black Sea Harmony is a multinational operation, and the navies of Russia, Ukraine and Romania have joined it. The Turkish Navy coordinates the operation, which is conducted according to international law, and it has been credited with disrupting a number of illegal activities in the Black Sea, such as arms smuggling, human trafficking and drug trafficking. Therefore, if Russia had intended to prevent illegal arms smuggling or terrorism in the Black Sea, it should have done the following: Before the Russian Navy boarded the Sukru Okan, it could have obtained information about the ships cargo and activities from the Operation Black Sea Harmony Coordination Center and informed the Turkish Navy about the boarding operation. At the same time, Duvar is now reporting that there are two US warships docked in Turkish waters. They have not passed the Turkish Straits into the Black Sea, which Erdogan has refused to do under the 1936 Montreux Convention since the Ukraine war began. It would appear Erdogan is once again trying to use each side to his advantage. Purely in economic terms Turkiye needs to nimbly extract concessions from wherever it can in order to climb out of its economic mess. As frustrating as it is for the West (as well as Russia), theres no reason for Erdogan to stop playing both sides. Its the most profitable role for Turkiye, which desperately needs all the financial assistance it can find, but Erdogan might soon start pushing up against the law of diminishing returns if he isnt already. Mapping Arctic Foxes Spectacular Solo Journeys Scientific American Using home lampshades to turn pollutants into purified air Interesting Engineering Climate/Environment Water Quarter of global population faces extremely high water stress each year Down to Earth #COVID-19 Its been described as the most deadly Covid strain since Omicron. By whom?? No one who is tracking it, thats for sure. https://t.co/eHFHNtRo7t T. Ryan Gregory (@TRyanGregory) August 20, 2023 This is eye opening But before the reveal, some background From 2000-2020 the median death rate from cardiovascular disease in those aged 20-49 (young people) in Nov-Feb of each year was 4.55 per 100K (black line) With a high in 2004 of 4.93/100K (yellow bar) pic.twitter.com/WjfF8bLyCz Gregory Travis. Make schools #DavosSafe (@greg_travis) August 19, 2023 Maryland reports first locally acquired malaria case in 40 years NBC News The Sahel Pro-coup rally in Niger after threat of military intervention Al Jazeera India China? European Disunion New Not-So-Cold War The air defense systems of Ukraine cannot intercept the Iskander missile due to the fact that it is not detected by either satellites or drones. The #Iskander missile system is mobile, fast and accurate. Missiles hit right on target. For the air defense, these missiles go pic.twitter.com/yMNjhsh4hq Mats Nilsson (@mazzenilsson) August 20, 2023 Syraqistan South of the Border US sanctions 100 Nicaraguan municipal officials over rights abuses Reuters There is a lot of absurd propaganda in foreign corporate media outlets about the cancellation of the registration of Nicaraguas former elite private university UCA. The university was not closed; it was nationalized, made PUBLIC and FREE, and renamed. Educational services are https://t.co/go1JLXn8sK pic.twitter.com/nL0LUpEaMv Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) August 19, 2023 ..servitude of slaves to imperial masters, doesnt cover up its own evils, social disintegration, narco-politics, chronic corruption, deceit, embezzlement, swindling, and the unforgivable squandering of the trust and hopes of a people. https://t.co/e0AHKCjzZi Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) August 20, 2023 Biden Administration 2024 Democrats en deshabille Imperial Collapse Watch Every Empire Falls Consortium News Supply Chain Does Indias disruption of the global rice market pose new threat to food security? East Asia Forum Groves of Academe Class Warfare Tech The Bezzle Antidote du jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Yves here. The post below on intellectually dishonest behavior by the University of Chicago Stigler Centers ProMarket publication and three academics is more important than it seems at first blush. As we will discuss, it shows that what looked like a to put a kinder, gentler face on neoclassical economics, which in layperson terms is strong-form neoliberalism, is a sham, an exercise in econowashing. ProMkarket published, then retracted an analysis that disproved the economic logic of the current anti-trust standard, that the only basis for backing anti-trust measures if if they will increase output. That finding should not even be controversial. Yet the shifting and nonsensical excuses for yanking the piece strongly suggest the real reason was that it bucked party line. The Stigler Center, created in 1977, kicked into a higher gear of activity a few years ago, by among other things sponsoring a series of fellows, many of whom were not card-carrying neoliberals, and hosting conferences that again looked intended to go beyond the University of Chicago faithful. The Stigler Center website depicts it as wanting to promote competitive markets to benefit general welfare. While its not hard to see that as anti-labor, it should also entail opposition to rentier activities and monopolization. One of its publications, ProMarket, has similarly encouraged economists who are well outside the neoclassical/neoliberal fold to contribute pieces. But now that anti-trust is a hot topic thanks to Lina Khan at the FTC. And now that the Department of Justice and the FTC have published draft merger guidelines, we are seeing the Stigler Center and ProMarkets true colors. By Darren Bush, Professor, The University of Houston Law Center Faculty; Mark Glick, Professor, University of Utah; and Gabriel Lozada, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Utah. Originally published at the Institute for New Economic Thinking website A central aim of Neoliberalism was to dismantle the antitrust regime put in place after World War II whose central goal was to protect democracy, small business, local control, and to prevent transfers of income from labor to large corporations with market power. The principal mechanism for limiting antitrust enforcement was the Consumer Welfare Standard popularized by Judge Bork and University of Chicago economists. The Consumer Welfare Standard restricts antitrust goals to preventing decreases in consumer surplus. In practice, this means the goal of antitrust is solely to increase output. The justification rested on an outdated and flawed theory that human welfare was advanced by more output alone, a theory that virtually every welfare economist has since abandoned, and one that only survives in some dusty industrial organization textbooks. The theory is defective because it ignores distribution: in the antitrust world, a dollar transferred from labor to a monopolist has no welfare implications. We have written several papers published by INET and professional journals about how fallacious this approach is.1The response from Chicago partisans, not surprisingly, has been to ignore the issue. Then we submitted a two-page blog to ProMarket, a publication of the University of Chicagos Stigler Center, housed in the Booth School of Business. Our two-page blog demonstrated that even in the most general neoclassical model, an output increase is not sufficient to increase welfare. Allocationhow goods are distributedmatters. Our original post started with a production possibility frontier (PPF) and a social welfare function. The figure showed an outward shift of the PPF, an output increase. If there is no additional step of optimizing allocation, points below B or to the left of A would represent a decrease of social welfare. We next offered an Edgeworth Box example, which makes the same point if no social welfare function is defined. The point of this figure is to show that an increase in output can decrease the individual utility of every person if output is allocated in certain ways. ProMarket accepted the post and published it. But then something strange happened. An anonymous board member demanded to Editorial Board member Professor Luigi Zingales that it be retracted. At first, we were told our proof was wrong because if you fully optimize and welfare only depends on consumption and all the Arrow-Debreu assumptions are in place, then welfare increases. That one can pile assumptions on top of each other enough to increase welfare is obviously true but beside the point. The response actually implicitly proves our point that output alone is insufficient. We responded that whoever had complained should write a signed blog post critiquing our post. We also offered another version of the graphs in which there was no optimizing in the initial position, together with corresponding textual revisions; the conclusions were unchanged. ProMarket staff informed us that while they were prepared to post it as an update to our piece, alas Professor Zingales still felt it was not enough to have a proof that simply shows a possibility.2 Staff asked if we would like to withdraw the piece despite it being already published. We declined. We then received an email from Professor Zingales. It stated that the original graphs didnt have an equilibrium and that if the social welfare function is maximized then the proof doesnt hold. Done right, output alone does increase welfare. Therefore, the proof is wrong. What followed was a phone call with Professor Zingales and two of the authors. Zingales conceded that the point was in fact a correct description of the feasible set, but insisted that a description of the feasible set, without a full-fledged behavioral model that would specify exactly where on the feasible set the economy would end up, was not worth publishing. The retraction was carried out with the following unsigned note to readers. We agreed to the language, as we were concerned that ProMarket would put a retraction notice out there that would injure our reputation. That would cause us to pursue litigation. The language reads: ProMarket published the article The Antitrust Output Goal Cannot Measure Welfare. The main claim of the article was that a shift out in a production possibility frontier does not necessarily increase welfare, as assessed by a social welfare function. The published version was unclear on whether the theorem contained in the article was a statement about an equilibrium outcome or a mere existence claim, regardless of the possibility that this outcome might occur in equilibrium. When we asked the authors to clarify, they stated that their claim regarded only the existence of such points, not their occurrence in equilibrium. After this clarification, ProMarket decided that the article was uninteresting and withdrew its publication. A recognition that output increases alone do not increase welfare is interesting, outside of the University of Chicago. It reveals that the opposite contention, which is a central tenet of the Consumer Welfare Standard, crucially depends on very particular modeling and equilibrium assumptions, because without those assumptions, increasing output may fail to raise welfare. The Consumer Welfare Standard is an important obstacle holding back antitrust policy from progressive reform. Many progressive economists have made the case that increased market power has caused irreputable harm to the economy and to the social fabric of the United States. For example, Professor Joseph Stiglitz has written on the importance of allocation. He states: A closer look at those at the top reveals a disproportionate role for rent-seeking: some have obtained their wealth by exercising monopoly power Similarly, Thomas Philippon has demonstrated that increasing wealth inequality decreases reinvestment. Among non-mainstream economists that Chicago routinely ignores, Brett Christophers has documented an increased concentration of assets into the hands of a few, the rentier class. Some ProMarket contributors have questioned the removal of our piece. Professor Herbert Hovenkamp questioned why the piece was removed when others have made similar points. As Professor Steve Salop noted, the second set of graphs we submitted should have taken care of any problem ProMarket had with the piece. All of us know from Carl Sandberg that Chicago is a city of big shoulders. Its eponymous economics school has no business shrugging off so central a point. Of course, our conclusion is important, which is why ProMarket initially published it. The claim that it is of no interest is transparently a desperate effort to shore up a doctrine that is now collapsing. The full piece is available at The Sling. Notes I am fascinated by this game of chicken being played right now between Republican state legislators and Republican women. Of course its not just Republican women who want to see some actual gun control reforms passed at this week's special session, but the rest of us arent getting huge pieces in The Washington Post about our activism and our frustrations with state legislators lying to us. And the rest of us are accustomed to the blatant disrespect, lying, and utter lack of meaningful reforms the Tennessee General Assembly calls legislating. We all know nothing good is going to come out of this special session. Well, no good bills are going to come out of this special session. But a lot of Republican voters are going to learn some stuff about how our state works, and that may ultimately be good. In the Washington Post piece, Covenant School mom Melissa Alexander talks about her political life before the March 27 killings: She said she was raised to believe that talking about politics is impolite. Public policy was far from her world. She didnt know citizens could enter the state capitol or request meetings with legislators. I think this is how most Tennesseans live. Unless and until something directly affects them, they just assume things are working OK and that the people in charge know what theyre doing and anyone who complains is, at the least, impolite and, at the most, some kind of unhinged leftist who ought to be utterly disregarded. What this means in practice is that, as long as the Republican supermajority looks like they know what theyre doing when Republican voters pop their heads up to actually look around and see whats happening, Republican voters will then put their heads back in the sand. Except that right now, Republican politicians dont look like they know what theyre doing. Did yall take the time to actually read Gov. Bill Lee's proclamation calling for a special session? No, no, wait. First, did you read the governor's press release about the proclamation? I give his comms person, Casey Sellers, a lot of well-deserved shit, but this is a great press release. The governors positions sound well-considered and meaningful. I might disagree with them, but in the press release, Lee's agenda is clear and specific. He sounds like a leader. Now go look at the actual proclamation. What is this garbage? The press release: TennCare Mental Health Coverage Waiver: Directs TennCare to seek a waiver from the federal government to allow federal matching funds for Medicaid to cover services for mental illness and substance use disorders at institutions of mental diseases The proclamation: Mental health resources, providers, commitments, or services The press release: Promoting Safe Storage: Eliminates taxes on firearm safes and safety devices, provides free gun locks, expands safe storage training in state-approved safety courses, and creates a public service announcement to promote safe storage The proclamation: Measures encouraging the safe storage of firearms, which do not include the creation of penalties for failing to safely store firearms Want another one just for shits and giggles? Sure. The press release: Strengthening the Identification of Individuals Arrested for Felonies: Provides for the collection of DNA at the time of an arrest for all felonies The proclamation: <> Nothing! Theres nothing about DNA collection in the proclamation. Did the person who wrote the press release work off of some better draft of the proclamation? Because the distance between what the press release says the governor is asking the legislature for compared to what the governor is actually asking for is similar to the distance between Johnson City and Memphis. You cant even see where the proclamation ended up from where the press release is. Now, now I know some of you are about to tell me that the proclamation is more vague than the governors actual goals and hopes for the session because it is unconstitutional for the governor to dictate to the legislature what must go into the legislation they write. He can want everyone arrested for a felony to have their DNA tested, and he can suggest it, but he cant require it, because that violates the separation of powers in the state constitution. And normally I would agree with you, but lets go back to the proclamation (emphasis on the "musts" is mine): Temporary mental health orders of protection, which must be initiated by law enforcement, must require a due process hearing, must require the respondent to undergo an assessment for suicidal or homicidal ideation, must require law enforcement to prove its case by clear and convincing evidence, must require that an order of protection be reevaluated at least every one-hundred eighty (180) days, and must not permit ex parte orders. A governor can shall and maybe even should, but a governor cant must at the legislature. Except here he is, doing just that. So, he could be this specific on all his goals for the special session. In the two weeks since this clause full of musts was released to the public, it has become the focal point of some of the best gossip and most amusing speculation I can remember. Everyone Ive talked to agrees that this is unconstitutional. But some folks take this as evidence that our governor is an idiot who doesnt understand his constitutionally designated responsibilities and thinks he actually can give orders to the General Assembly. Others have told me that this is a poison pill specifically designed to tank the special session on a technicality. Sure, they would love to have a special session, but gosh darn it, the proclamation calling the session is unconstitutional, so it would be unconstitutional for them to hold the special session, and even if they did hold it, any legislation passed out of it would be unconstitutional fruit of the poisonous tree or something. Post-Covenant Special Session Begins With Little Hope for Gun Restrictions We have to ask ourselves, what kind of state do we want to raise our children in? I kind of wish the second scenario was true, but if theres one thing you can say about Bill Lee, its that hes not devious. When I brought this up to one person, they argued back that Bill Lee didnt put this clause in the proclamation, some devious legislator did and Bill Lee is just the patsy. The patsy?! This is hilarious. I love it so much. You thought you knew about the threat of the Deep State well, here in Tennessee, its the Shallow State trying to make nefarious moves, but clearly having no idea how to cover their tracks. Im trying to imagine being someone like Melissa Alexander or the other Covenant parents, and how terrible it must be to realize that the people who could help them arent going to and that theyre going to come up with literally the most vacuous reasons to fail these parents and kids, because they are utterly certain that most voters wont care. And what over the past 20 years would make them think differently? If they can hold the line, they think people will eventually forget about all this gun-reform nonsense and move on. No Shallow State conspiracy necessary. I also talked to a couple of lawyers about whether this clause could actually derail the whole special session. They said it shouldnt. The governors only constitutional power in this scenario is to call a special session. Any wording he uses to call that session is basically extraneous. He cant dictate what goes into a piece of legislation, and lawmakers dont have to pay any attention to it if he tries. When I asked one of the lawyers what he made of all this, he said its confusing. Which, honestly? Fair. But what isnt confusing is the truth: If parents like Melissa Alexander want change and want meaningful gun regulations, then they need to run for office and win. Because this batch of legislators is not going to do it. Chicago mayor mulls sending ILLEGALS to suburbs in other counties Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who oversees the self-proclaimed "sanctuary city," has considered sending illegal border crosses to suburbs in other counties The Center Square reported that Johnson, a Democrat, is working with officials from Cook County and others to coordinate a plan to bus migrants out of the Windy City. "We see some real support on the horizon," he said. Weve had conversations with mayors across not just Cook County but the surrounding counties, and we have had tremendous feedback." About 12,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago from the southern U.S. border in the past year, mainly due to busing efforts by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Despite this, Johnson said he is "looking forward in the days to come that these collaborative efforts that we have been organizing will begin to see some dynamic come to fruition." Johnson earlier said the Windy City would remain open for those wanting to come, affirming its stance as a "sanctuary city." He remarked: "Here's what I am committed to doing: Honoring the law of being a sanctuary city, and building systems of care that provide a pathway with dignity for individuals who are seeking refuge here in the city of Chicago." City and state taxpayers have earmarked $94 million for migrant housing as of writing. Illinois' budget has also allocated $550 million in taxpayer subsidies for the health care of migrants aged 65 and up. However, officials in the Windy City have come under fire for refusing to disclose a full accounting of more than $120 million previously allocated to illegals arriving in the city. (Related: Chicago officials refuse to disclose how they spent $120M in taxpayer money on ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.) Johnson's plan would likely mimic what New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams has done. Under the Democratic mayor's purview, thousands of border crossers and illegal aliens in the Big Apple have been bused to upstate New York often without any coordination with local officials. Johnson's predecessor begs Texas to STOP busing illegals It is worth noting that in May, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot begged Texas to stop busing illegals as the city has no more resources to sustain them. Lightfoot later stepped down during the same month to make way for her successor Johnson, who was elected to replace her. "We have not heard anything back. Frankly, I didnt expect to hear anything back, but I felt like it was important to once again try to engage the governor, but also let him know what his policies and practices are doing in cities like Chicago," Lightfoot said. "We are completely tapped out. We have no more space. No more resources. And frankly, we're already in a surge. We've been seeing [more than] 200 people coming to Chicago every single day. We call them walk-ins because they're not coming on buses, but they are coming on planes from San Antonio. We're very concerned because they don't seem like they're getting screened at the border. We've seen people coming with serious medical issues." "Whats getting lost in what the governor is doing is the fact that these are human beings. In any other emergency, you would be coordinating; you would be collaborating; you would be talking about specifically what the needs of the people are," the former Chicago mayor continued. "You don't solve that problem by simply sticking people on buses to a city that they didn't ask to, for an uncertain future, and now we are literally full." Ultimately, the problem boils down to the Biden administration's refusal to take border security seriously. It appears that Abbott is the only official interested in securing the southern border, and his busing of illegals to sanctuary cities like Chicago only serves as a reminder of the repercussions of an open borders policy. Visit Migrants.news for more stories about sanctuary cities. Watch this video of Chicagoans expressing frustration with the illegals in their city. This video is from the WhatsInRoom101 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Parents infuriated as illegal migrants enroll at Chicago schools without health records (while vaccine mandates are forced on American kids.) Outgoing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot pleads with Texas Gov. Abbott to stop sending illegal migrants to her sanctuary city. New York City suburbs rebel against Mayor Adams' plan to ship illegal migrants to their neighborhoods. Chicago's Black community slams city officials over $51 million fund for migrants. Texas BUSES first batch of illegals to self-proclaimed "sanctuary city" Chicago. Sources include: Breitbart.com 1 TheCenterSquare.com Breitbart.com 2 Brighteon.com Appeals court okays pro-lifers lawsuit against D.C. governments viewpoint discrimination On August 15, an appeals court greenlit a lawsuit filed by pro-lifers against Washington, D.C.' after its law enforcers arrested the activists for chalking a sidewalk with "Black Pre-Born Lives Matter." The Frederick Douglass Foundation (FDF) and Students for Life of America (SLA) sued the city after pro-lifers Warner DePriest and Erica Caporaletti were arrested on Aug. 1, 2020, for writing their "battlecry" on a public sidewalk outside a Planned Parenthood facility. The complainants were pointing out that while they were arrested for temporarily letting out their protests in chalk, the local law enforcement allowed permanently painted Black Lives Matter graffiti across the city. The student leaders claimed that they informed police and city officials during the permit process that they would be painting the message on the 1200 block of 4th Street NE, citing the precedent of the protesters who painted "Defund the Police" in June on 16th Street NW. "We were told verbally that we would not be prevented from painting and what kind of paint to buy," said Students for Life spokesperson Kristi Hamrick in an email, adding that the group was told to use non-permanent tempera paint. WATCH NOW: We are in front of Planned Parenthood right now rallying with Black pro-life leaders to decry Planned Parenthood's past and present racism. Some of us were arrested as we attempted to paint and chalk "Black Preborn Lives Matter." ?https://t.co/KMneo26NLv pic.twitter.com/1H5ZiI6S5t Students for Life of America (@StudentsforLife) August 1, 2020 Alaina Gertz, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), meanwhile insisted that the group had obtained a permit to hold a rally in front of the Planned Parenthood facility, but not to paint the street. Gertz said in an email that MPD issues permit to assemble and markings on the street would have to be permitted by the D.C. Department of Transportation. However, as per the lawsuit, Washington, D.C. violated their First Amendment rights through "viewpoint discrimination" since the city police arrested them for writing a temporary pro-life message but it is fine with them that the city has been widely vandalized in permanent paint with BLM messages prior to the incident. The appeals court ruling overturned a dismissal of the lawsuit by a lower district court, agreeing with the plaintiff's complaint that Washington, D.C. committed viewpoint discrimination. "The First Amendment prohibits discrimination on the basis of viewpoint irrespective of the government's motive. We hold the foundation has plausibly alleged the district discriminated on the basis of viewpoint in the selective enforcement of its defacement ordinance," the court decision read. The released ruling also noted that after the highly publicized death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, Washington, D.C. "all but abandoned enforcement of the defacement ordinance during the Black Lives Matter protests, creating a de facto categorical exemption for individuals who marked 'Black Lives Matter' messages on public and private property." "Over several weeks, the protesters covered streets, sidewalks, and storefronts with paint and chalk. The markings were ubiquitous and in open violation of the District's defacement ordinance, yet none of the protesters were arrested," the court decision observed. The court also cited the painting of the "street mural" reading "Black Lives Matter = Defund the Police," during which "police officers watched as the alteration took place and did nothing to stop it," despite the fact that the BLM activists had not obtained a permit or consent otherwise to do so. (Related: Kanye West Says 'everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam.') D.C. mayor believes only "SOME" black lives matter, "SOME" slogans are okay to be painted on streets The "discriminative" actions of the local government did not sit well with these pro-life organizations. In a statement, SLA President Kristan Hawkins said Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser apparently only thinks that "SOME Black Lives Matter and that only SOME slogans are allowed to be painted on streets." "After applying and receiving our permit for this event today, after being told by the Metropolitan police that the Mayor has 'opened Pandora's box' by painting public streets, we arrived to find six police cars threatening to arrest our team and students, if they painted, even using the tempura [sic], paint we bought that the police department specifically requested," said Hawkins. "When we asked if we could at least use sidewalk chalk to chalk our anti-violence message on the streets, the police threatened to arrest us." During the arrest, FDF's Dean Nelson and participants of the protest told police that activists show up every Saturday to chalk their slogan: "Black Preborn Lives Matter" on the public sidewalk. "Every Saturday people are here chalking and you're taking young people and arresting them simply because they're putting 'Black preborn lies matter'?" Nelson directly addressed the cops using a megaphone. "You've got to be joking!" Last month, Judicial Watch, a conservative activist group that files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits to investigate claimed misconduct by government officials, sued Bowser and district officials after they failed to give a "substantive response" to the group's request to paint on the street in front of its headquarters, "Because Nobody is Above the Law!" CultureWars.news has more stories related to BLM supremacy and discrimination. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com WashingtonTimes.com Escalating tensions could spark Russia-NATO war at sea Tensions in the Black Sea have been escalating between Russia and Ukraine , which could potentially lead to a larger conflict. Just recently, Russian servicemen fired warning shots and boarded a Palau-flagged ship after it failed to respond to a demand for it to stop. Carrying automatic weapons, the Russians entered the vessels bridge and confronted the ships captain while crew members were made to put their hands on their heads and kneel. After carrying out the inspection, the ship was allowed to continue its journey to the port of Izmail in southwestern Ukraine. Incidents like this could force Kyiv's partners to intervene and prevent Ukraine's economy from being crippled, warned Ex-U.S. Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Stavridis led the alliance's forces on the continent between 2009 and 2013. "Russia's actions in the international waters of the Black Sea create a real risk of escalating this to a war at sea between NATO and the Russian Federation," said Stavridis. "NATO is not going to provide all the weapons and money for Ukraine, only to watch Russia strangle their economy with an illegal blockade." The latest incident took place just off the coast of Turkey, a NATO heavyweight. "If Russia starts seizing vessels or seeks to scare them away, I think it likely NATO will respond by supporting a humanitarian corridor for shipping," Stavridis said. The alliance could protect vessels going to and from the Ukrainian port of Odesa "with NATO combat aircraft overhead and possibly NATO warships in escort." Ukraine declares Russia's Black Sea ports a "war risk area" After unilaterally withdrawing from a UN grain deal in July, Russia warned that ships traveling to Ukrainian ports could be seen as military targets. (Related: US condemns Russia for conducting US-style 'shock and awe' bombing of Ukraine.) Ukraine responded in kind, attacking a Russian tanker with a drone. It declared the waters around Russia's Black Sea ports to be a "war risk area" beginning Aug. 23. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia of "dangerous and escalatory actions in the Black Sea," partly also about Russia's bombardment of Ukrainian ports. He added that NATO was "stepping up surveillance and reconnaissance in the Black Sea region, including with maritime patrol aircraft and drones." Against NATO members Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria which border the Black Sea, "the Russian Black Sea fleet would be militarily overmatched," according to Stoltenberg. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an is reportedly set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of the month, with the cereals trade likely to be on the agenda. Until Russia's withdrawal, the UN-brokered grain deal was credited with ensuring that 32.9 million tons of crops safely left Ukraine's Black Sea ports, averting the risk of famine in poorer nations. Putin said his government would "refuse to extend" that agreement, instead electing to provide grain for free to certain African countries on a case-by-case basis. Following the move, Moscow's armed forces struck Ukrainian grain depots along the Black Sea coast, destroying a reported 60,000 tons of food. On July 21, Russian missile strikes set grain storage facilities in the Odesa region on fire and destroyed a huge amount of food stored for export. Moscow's defense ministry warned that "all vessels sailing in the waters of the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports will be regarded as potential carriers of military cargo." Kyiv has created a "temporary corridor" for maritime traffic from its southern ports, allowing ships that have been confined to harbor for weeks to enter international waters. On Wednesday, Aug. 16, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov announced that the first vessel, a container ship under the flag of Hong Kong, had set sail despite the threat from Moscow. Visit WWIII.news for more stories related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Watch this video where Col. Douglas Macgregor says Russia will beat NATO if they go toe-to-toe. This video is from the Russia Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: US condemns Russia for conducting US-style 'shock and awe' bombing of Ukraine. Z-DAY APPROACHES as Russia prepares massive assault wave against Ukraine and NATO. Russia claims U.S. moving bioweapons research facilities out of Ukraine. Sources include: Express.co.uk Politico.eu NATO.int Brighteon.com SupPRESSed: Kansas cops raid newspaper office and publishers home, seize gadgets and records A central Kansas police department raided a local newspaper 's office as well as its owner's house, confiscating computers, cellphones, and other journalistic materials on Friday, August 11. The entirety of Marion Police Department's five-member police force and two sheriff deputies invaded the Marion County Record's office and, in its publisher Eric Meyer's view, this unanticipated blitz stressed his 98-year-old mother enough to cause her death the day after the raid. "She had not been able to eat after police showed up at the door of her home Friday with a search warrant in hand," Meyer wrote in a story posted Saturday. "Neither was she able to sleep Friday night." He worked with his staff Sunday to reconstruct stories, ads, and other materials for its next edition Wednesday, even as he took time on Monday to provide a local funeral home with information about his mother and the papers co-owner, Joan. This "assault" has chillingly been called a clear attack on the free press, lending a profound sense of foreboding to the future of investigative journalism, Reclaim the Net wrote. As per Meyer, who is a veteran journalist with an experience of two decades at the Milwaukee Journal and 26 years as a journalism professor at the University of Illinois, the local law enforcement's message was clear: "Abide by our rules, or face the muzzling consequences." The surprise incursion was reported to be due to the newspaper's story that came out detailing local restaurateur Kari Newell chasing reporters from a meeting featuring U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner. The paper also exposed Newell for driving without a license and a history of driving under the influence (DUI). A search warrant issued by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar tied Friday morning raids, led by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody, to a dispute between the newspaper and Newell. She is accusing the newspaper of invading her privacy and illegally accessing information about her and her driving record. The restauranter suggested that the newspaper targeted her after she threw its owner and a reporter out of the restaurant during a political event. Meyer denied Newell's complaints. The former thinks the paper's aggressive coverage of local politics and issues makes his publication a "hot target." He said the newspaper was examining Cody's past work with the Kansas City, Missouri, police, too. "This is the type of stuff that, you know, that Vladimir Putin does, that Third World dictators do," Meyer said during an interview in his office. "This is Gestapo tactics from World War II." According to reports, a Record reporter suffered an injury to a finger when Cody wrested her cell phone out of her hand. A surveillance video showed officers reading that reporter her rights while Cody watched, though she wasn't arrested or detained. Newspaper employees were hustled out of the building while the search continued for more than 90 minutes, according to the footage. "I fully believe that the intent was to do harm and merely tarnish my reputation, and I think if had it been left at that, I don't think that it would have blown up as big as it was," Newell said in a separate telephone interview. Meanwhile, the police chief insisted that the raid was legal and is tied to an investigation. Local newspapers, press associations call out police for violation First Amendment Concerning the unfortunate events, the Kansas Press Association's (KPA's) Executive Director Emily Bradbury defended the sanctity of journalism as a cornerstone of democracy and public awareness. She told USA Today: "This has never happened in Kansas, so this has a chilling effect and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that this kind of practice is not encouraged and people are held accountable." (Related: Censorship defenders finally admit they hate First Amendment, want free speech curtailed as policy of "national interest.") Other local newspapers are helping so Meyer's newspaper can publish this week. KPA has also heard from several First Amendment organizations, to whom Bradbury said: "If you want to unite journalists, this is the way to do it." Meanwhile, another group, the National Newspaper Association (NNA) called on authorities to return any property seized so "the newspaper can proceed with its work," NNA chairperson John Galer posted on Facebook and in a statement on the association site. Reports reveal that Newell continues to propel accusatory narratives of biased journalism, describing the entire situation as a ploy to tarnish her reputation and impede her business. Also, Cody, who is the only one who can comment on the incident from an institutional perspective, frustratingly remained unavailable. Similarly, the office of Attorney General Kris Kobach fell silent on commenting on the controversy. Meanwhile, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation has confirmed it was brought in to investigate criminal allegations, on request from the local police department. Follow PoliceState.news to read more about how U.S. law enforcement suppresses freedom of the press. Sources for this article include: ReclaimTheNet.org APNews.com USAToday.com Ugly truth about Maui fires now emerging: government deprived Lahaina of water and emergency resources, resulting in TOTAL LOSS As if things were not already bad enough in Maui, we have now learned that Hawaiian law enforcement is stopping locals from donating supplies to the victims of this horrific disaster The following video clip shows a police officer in Hawaii yelling through a loudspeaker from his police vehicle that a makeshift, citizen-led donation event was set up on what appears to be public property to help those in need following the fires: ? THIS IS PURE EVIL!!! I Have Obtained New Footage From Maui Fire Ground Zero That Shows Hawaii Police Officer SHUTTING DOWN A CITIZEN DONATION CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF THE FIRES ? ?? The Officer Says (Not Knowing He is Being Recorded) THAT THE POWERS THAT BE ARE RESPONSIBLE ?? pic.twitter.com/h90WAQle8d Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) August 17, 2023 Matt Wallace, the account that posted this disturbing video, is of the persuasion that the reason why Hawaii officials deprived Lahaina of much-needed water to put out the fires, and why Hawaii officials are now ordering good Samaritans not to help those in need, is a sign that "they" want all the poor people to be removed from Maui. "Maui is a small series of islands with a population of only about 165,000 people," Wallace writes. "Of those individuals, most of them are very wealthy, and a lot of them are celebrities." "THEY DO NOT WANT ANY 'POOR PEOPLE' OR LOCALS LIVING THERE ANYMORE IT'S OBVIOUS THEY ARE TRYING TO DRIVE THEM OUT WITH CRAZY INSURANCE RATES, POOR TREATMENT, AND TARGETED DISASTERS! The Woke-Elite Class Has No Souls ... They Are Shameless Demons." (Related: Check out these nine questions that people are asking about the Maui fires that deserve honest answers because the whole thing does not add up as being just a natural and tragic occurrence.) Consensus is growing that the Maui fires were INTENTIONAL to facilitate a government "land grab" The excuse given by Twitter's (now "X") "Readers added context" section below the tweet containing the above video about why the police officer ordered the do-gooders to leave the limited access area is supposedly because "unqualified" individuals were trying to obtain placards to enter. Whether this is actually true or not is unknown, but it is obvious that government officials in Hawaii are not all that interested in helping the surviving victims of the disaster, which appear to be completely on their own. A growing number of people believe that the reason for all these anomalies is that these fires were intentional and aimed at driving out the poor in order to facilitate a massive, government-led land grab in one of the most desirable tropical destinations in the world. We also now know that Hawaiian Electric, Hawaii's largest power supplier, failed to invest in addressing the fire risk around its power lines, instead choosing to invest in "renewable" energy sources that the powers that be claim will stop global warming and climate change. "Hawaiian Electric had plans to spend nearly $200 million on wildfire mitigation measures but only spent a fraction of that amount, as the company focused more on complying with state renewable energy mandates," Ground News reported. John Podesta, fake president Joe Biden's advisor on clean energy, has since come forward to blame climate change for the devastation, rather than the government's "green" energy policies that allowed it to happen in the first place. "The Maui tragedy serves as yet another stark reminder of the devastating and deadly consequences of left-wing policies and agendas that threaten people, the environment, and even the planet," warns Revolver. "And after their dangerous policies epically fail, the left shamelessly lies to cover it up so they can fundraise more money to bankroll future failed policies." The latest news about the Maui fires can be found at FalseFlag.news. Sources for this article include: Revolver.news NaturalNews.com New York City BANS TikTok on govt devices over security concerns Breitbart reported that the Big Apple "has taken a decisive step" in the debate surrounding the app. This step came in the form of a directive issued by the city that mandated all NYC agencies to remove TikTok from city-owned devices within the next 30 days. The decision followed a review by the NYC Cyber Command, which deemed TikTok a security threat to the Big Apple's technical networks. "NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers' data safe," a City Hall spokesperson said in a statement. "While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner." (Related: Taiwan bans TikTok from government devices, mulls nationwide prohibition.) Back in 2020, a ban on TikTok was quietly implemented at the state level via an internal policy with employees being prohibited from using and downloading it on government-owned devices. However, exceptions were made for a few public relations (PR) platforms that use the app for marketing and promotional purposes. Scott Reif, a spokesman for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services, confirmed both the state-level prohibition and the exceptions for PR platforms to the Times Union. The exceptions were made as the PR firms running these platforms use TikTok "to communicate with New Yorkers." "We seek to meet people where they are, and remain vigilant in protecting critical state assets," he stressed. "[We also] urge New Yorkers to use caution when using TikTok and all social media platforms to protect their privacy and security. The Big Apple's ban on TikTok follows guidelines from the Office of Management and Budget, which discourages the use of the app on government devices. It also follows federal legislation banning TikTok from government devices, which was passed earlier in 2023. Other states have also banned TikTok The security concerns surrounding TikTok have been a topic of discussion for several years. Congress has been attempting to push through legislation banning TikTok nationwide for more than three years. They allege that its owner ByteDance can use the data it collects to spy on Americans at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Meanwhile, other U.S. states have taken action and banned TikTok from government-owned devices. South Dakota was one of those, by means of an executive order (EO) signed by Gov. Kristi Noem. The EO, which took effect immediately after signing, prohibited state employees and contractors from accessing the app via state-owned devices. Alabama also followed suit, with Gov. Kay Ivey announcing a directive to ban the app. Her mandate prohibited TikTok on state-owned devices and urged the state's executive branch to prevent the app from accessing state data. According to Ivey, "[the] use of TikTok involving state IT infrastructure thus creates an unacceptable vulnerability to Chinese infiltration operations." Utah joined in on the ban wave, with Gov. Spencer Cox announcing a similar prohibition against TikTok. Under his edict, state employees may not download or use the TikTok app, or visit any TikTok website, on any state-owned devices. The prohibition applies to all executive branch agencies in the Beehive State. Aside from these three, Texas and Maryland also implemented similar bans on TikTok from public sector devices over the same concerns. Meanwhile, TikTok spokesman Jamal Brown decried the states' actions against the app. "We're disappointed that so many states are jumping on the bandwagon to enact policies based on unfounded, politically charged falsehoods about TikTok," he said. Visit BigTech.news for more stories about TikTok. Watch this NBC News report about TikTok being banned on all mobile devices issued by the House of Representatives. This video is from the In Search Of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: US lawmakers unveil bipartisan bill to ban TikTok. UT Austin bans TikTok on campus, citing security concerns. Alabama, Utah ban TikTok on state-owned devices over security concerns. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem bans TikTok on state-owned devices, citing app's intelligence gathering operations. TikTok ban in many US states is just gas-lighting about spying app "concerns" while every other app and social media platform spies on us 24/7/365. Sources include: Breitbart.com TimesUnion.com BusinessInsider.com Reuters.com MSN.com Brighteon.com Around 34,000 residences in British Columbia are placed under evacuation alert as wildfires threaten the area. Fire authorities said nearly 400 wildfires bring risk to residents over Canada's province. Over the weekend, at least 30,000 homes in the area have already received evacuation orders. Fire situation Due to fire threats, the BC Wildfire Service has already enforced an Area Restriction Order for the vicinity of the Raymond Peak wildfire (N12589), which originated approximately 15 kilometers southeast of Elko. Officials said that the imposed area restriction has reflected the need to protect the public from places where fire suppression and containment activities are taking place. The said restriction took effect immediately and will remain in effect until noon of October 15, or until rescinded, authorities said. At present, the BC Wildfire Service as well as other multiple structural fire departments have remained engaged in active and critical firefighting operations against the blaze happening in North Shuswap area. The Wildfire Service also said that the Columbia Shuswap Regional District has been exhausting all measures to keep the evacuated facilities and other areas safe. However, officials warned that "we need the public's help in not creating opportunities for theft." "The Columbia Shuswap Regional District, the RCMP, the BC Wildfire Service, and the community members of North Shuswap are all in this together," it said in an advisory. "We appreciate the level of community support on the ground. Please work together as a community to ensure all response is coordinated, safe, and effective," it added. Meanwhile, firefighting personnel also continue to respond to the Bush Creek East wildfire (K21633), which presently also encompasses the Adams Lake wildfire (previously K21620). Authorities said that the incident remains a dynamic situation, noting that they are working with their partners to manage multiple complexities associated with the massive flames. Further, the situation in large areas of the scenic Okanagan Valley, including the city of Kelowna, was considered as "highly dynamic." Due to these, disaster management officials deemed it critical for affected residents to flee. Read Also: Canada's Wildfires Expose People To Secondhand Smoke; Experts To Check Content of Fumes Fire equipment, gear being moved First responders and community members have worked tirelessly to extend assistance to various communities that need aid as well as essential equipment on the ground. They urged residents not to move or take any of this firefighting equipment. The call came after a number of pumps, sprinklers, hoses, and ATVs have supposedly been taken, which later on impacts the effectiveness of structural protection. Officials said that the pieces of gear, which are expected to protect dozens of homes, were being transferred to the areas that are ineffective. Some of the gear has completely disappeared, and authorities alleged that they could be stolen. The BC Wildfire Service further said that it understands the frustration and fear among residents, but the professionals relying on this equipment need it to continue to fight these fires. The Government of Canada has since vowed to continue supporting Canadians as all departments of government work together during the 2023 wildfire season. So far, the Government Operations Centre coordinates the federal response to the wildfire situation across the country. Officials are also working closely with federal and provincial partners to coordinate the disbursement of assistance. Related Article: Over 100 Wildfires in Western Canada Forces Evacuation of Nearly 25,000 People Related Video: Hurricane Hilary is expected to bring catastrophic floods in California after making a powerful landfall in Mexico over the weekend. According to the National Weather Service, flash floods have been issued in Los Angeles, Glendale, as well as in Santa Clarita. Flash Flood Warning including Los Angeles CA, Glendale CA and Santa Clarita CA until 3:00 AM PDT pic.twitter.com/9YdBMEBpT2 NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) August 21, 2023 This despite that Hilary had already weakened to tropical storm. Weather experts warned that Hilary was still packing winds of 80mph while approaching the southwestern United States. So far, moderate to heavy rain continue to batter the eastern Santa Barbara county and Los Angeles county. Evacuations Authorities are already implementing evacuation measures, including residents from Baja California and in the mountains and foothills of San Bernardino county. They warned that floods and landslides due to Hilary could be life-threatening, with the possibility that some desert regions could experience two to three years' worth of rain in the next three days. Residents of affected places are advised to move to higher areas to ensure safety. The Federal Emergency Management Agency advised the public to take the storm seriously and listen to the reminders of local officials. It said that Hilary would have serious impact and threats. So far, more than nine million individuals, including those in downtown Los Angeles, have been place under flash flood warnings and these are expected to last through the late evening. Weather analysts said that parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties could encounter up to 1.5 inches of rain dumped per hour. Further, the storm is forecasted to dump three to six inches of rain, or even ten inches in some places. The weather disturbance can also bring powerful and damaging winds that can cut off power supply for many residents. Experts said that Hilary is considered as the first tropical storm to hit the south of the state in the last 84 years. This phenomenon had extended a summer of extreme weather that experts are relating to the impacts of climate crisis. Read Also: Hilary Strengthens to Hurricane: Major Flash Flooding Likely in Southwestern U.S., California State of emergency Governor Gavin Newsom already proclaimed a state of emergency for a large part of Southern California to support Hurricane Hilary response and recovery efforts. Authorities continue to mobilize and coordinate resources in line with the storm's forecasted impacts. "Hurricane Hilary is expected to prompt widespread evacuations and shelter-in-place orders; to threaten, damage, or destroy homes and critical infrastructure, including power and water lines, businesses, and roads; and to necessitate the deployment of search and rescue teams in areas impacted by significant debris flow," the declaration read. Newsom said that all agencies of the state government shall utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan. Further, the governor advised all individuals to obey the direction of emergency officials as regards to this emergency in order to protect their safety. Newsome also said that the California National Guard may be mobilized under Military and Veterans Code section 146 so that they can support disaster response and relief efforts, as directed by the Office of Emergency Services. The personnel will also coordinate with all relevant state agencies and state and local emergency responders and law enforcement situated in the impacted areas. Related Article: Final Storm in California Will Move Into the Four Corners Region [NWS] Related Video: Around 3,000 minks in Wisconsin have been recently released in the wild, with animal activists assuming responsibility over the action. Thousands of minks from Olsen Fur Farm in Independence, Wisconsin, were released through a hole that was cut in a chain-link fence and also via opened cages. The owner of the farm only discovered the incident the morning after. Beneficial to minks In their statement, the activists expressed belief that there is benefit to releasing several hundred minks as they have nothing to eat in the farms. "We hope many of the minks enjoy their freedom in the wild and that this farm will be unable to breed thousands upon thousands of them in future years. They have an opportunity now to cut their losses and leave the fur industry forever," the group said. The animal activists pointed out that fur farms only exist for fashion and profit. They noted that although the industry had significantly declined in the past decades, hundreds of thousands of animals are still being bred and murdered for their fur every year. They believed that the farm would have undoubtedly slaughtered the minks even if the animals are already living in the wild. While others believed that their freeing minks are dangerous for them, animal activists said that they had felt real joy in witnessing the freedom attained by these animals. "We hope this action inspires others to take similar action for animals near them. With a little planning and a few cheap tools, you too can liberate hundreds of creatures in a few short hours. Until all cages are empty, for humans and non-human animals alike. Free them all," the activists said. The Wisconsin State Journal already stated that the incident is being investigated. According to Detective Erica Koxlien of the Sheriff's Office, there have been similar incidents in the area before, however, it has been a while since the last. Authorities said that workers at the farm have been using traps and fishing nets in order to recapture the minks. Still, no exact figure has been provided if there are minks that were already recaptured. Read Also: Minks Regrow Their Brains, Recover from Brain-Eating Infection, Reversing Effects of Domestication What are minks The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources described mink as a semi-aquatic furbearer that is common throughout the state. These carnivores have short, dense, chocolate-colored fur and could also have white patches on their chest and belly. A mink usually weighs 1.5 to 2 pounds, with males being larger than females. Scientists said that minks have delayed implantation, meaning the fertilized egg does not implant to the uterine wall immediately. They give birth in late spring after five to six ears. They usually feed on muskrats, fish, reptiles, amphibians, waterfowl, eggs and small mammals like mice. While they prefer to hunt around water bodies, they are observed to travel and forage for food in upland habitats. Experts observed that minks are also very active and inquisitive animals as they possess a keen sense of smell and sight. They are most active at night as well as in early morning. When they are on land, minks move with a quick, bounding lope, which they can continue for miles. Related Article: 10,000 Minks Escape Ohio Farm After Breaking-Entering Incident, Threats to Poultry and Koi Ponds Ensue Related Video: Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. Sachin Kumar By Express News Service MUMBAI: In a significant initiative aimed at assisting bank customers, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced a web portal designed to aid individuals in locating and retrieving unclaimed deposits with various banks. Its common for individuals to overlook modest amounts left in their old accounts while moving forward by opening new bank accounts. Yet, over time, these forgotten funds have substantially accumulated, resulting in banks now holding over R35,000 crore in unclaimed deposits. A centralised portal for unclaimed deposits Aiming to return these unclaimed deposits to the rightful owners, the central bank on Thursday launched a centralised web portal UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits - Gateway to Access information). The portal, launched by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, has been developed by the central bank to help the public to facilitate and make it easier for them to search their unclaimed deposits across multiple banks in one place. Presently unclaimed deposits from seven banks - State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Central Bank of India, Dhanlaxmi Bank, South Indian Bank, DBS Bank India and Citibank - are available on the portal. The search facility for remaining banks on the portal would be made available in a phased manner by October 15. Balances in savings or current accounts which are not operated for 10 years, or term deposits not claimed within 10 years from date of maturity are classified as Unclaimed Deposits. These amounts are transferred by banks to the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund maintained by the RBI. This is a unique opportunity that will enable individual customers to access a common pool of databases that will facilitate them to search and extract details of their unclaimed deposits lying with various banks. Customers tend to leave small amounts in their bank accounts that remain unclaimed and are converted to inoperative accounts, Jyoti Prakash Gadia, Managing Director at Resurgent India. Over the period, the customer either forgets about the same or loses interest in searching for the same on account of the amount being small. However, considering the whopping number of such accounts, the aggregate amount has become so large, prompting RBI as a regulator to take a proactive step in the form of starting this portal to claim the inoperative deposits by individuals, he added. State Bank of India (SBI) tops the chart of unclaimed deposits worth R8,086 crore, followed by Punjab National Bank R5,340 crore, Canara Bank R 4,558 crore and Bank of Baroda R3,904 crore. UDGAM portal has provided a streamlined and easy-to-use platform for account holders and the general public to search for their old accounts lying inactive or dormant for many years. This is a follow up to the 100 days 100 pays campaign launched earlier in May whereby banks were directed to find out top 100 unclaimed account holders in their respective districts and assist them in reclaiming such amounts, said Sanchit Garg, CEO & Co-Founder GLC Wealth. How to find your forgotten money? To use UDGAM, individuals are required to register using their mobile number, name, and password on the portal (https://udgam.rbi.org.in/unclaimed-deposits/#/register). After completing registration, the individual can log in using their registered mobile number and password. An OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number for verification. After successful login, users are prompted to provide the account holders and banks names. They then can select from five identification inputs: PAN number, Voter ID number, driving license number, or date of birth. Following this, users can input the relevant information and designate the desired bank for their search. If the search criteria match unclaimed deposits, the portal will display the account details. If no unclaimed deposits are found, the result will indicate none. The UDGAM portal launched by RBI for unclaimed deposits is certainly a step in the right direction albeit a bit delayed in our opinion. Estimates of Rs 35,000 crore in unclaimed deposits can definitely be put to better use if these remain unclaimed and this effort by RBI can put a closure on the ownership of these funds, Manu Rishi Guptha Founder and CEO of MRG Capital, told TNIE. Artificial intelligence tools have equipped different government departments like Income tax to get better compliance. Efforts like interlinking of Aadhaar, PAN, mobile numbers with a bank account has made this possible and RBIs one portal to claim the funds is a good initiative for the benefit of individuals, he said. There are several reasons behind deposits turning into unclaimed deposits. One of the main reasons is the depositors death without leaving a nomination. Also having a meagre balance in the account or change of name or shifting of residence to another city or country are also other factors behind the rise in unclaimed deposits. Steps to find unclaimed deposits Register at UDGAM portal (https://udgam.rbi.org.in/unclaimed-deposits/#/register) Provide necessary details, including name, mobile number, password Verify your registration through an OTP sent to your mobile number Use your UDGAM account after logging in by using OTP Once you enter details, you must again enter OTP to proceed further You can now search for unclaimed deposits by entering the account holders name You will be asked to provide one of the five identification inputs: PAN number, Voter ID number, Passport number, driving license number, or date of birth Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: In a significant initiative aimed at assisting bank customers, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced a web portal designed to aid individuals in locating and retrieving unclaimed deposits with various banks. Its common for individuals to overlook modest amounts left in their old accounts while moving forward by opening new bank accounts. Yet, over time, these forgotten funds have substantially accumulated, resulting in banks now holding over R35,000 crore in unclaimed deposits. A centralised portal for unclaimed deposits Aiming to return these unclaimed deposits to the rightful owners, the central bank on Thursday launched a centralised web portal UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits - Gateway to Access information).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The portal, launched by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, has been developed by the central bank to help the public to facilitate and make it easier for them to search their unclaimed deposits across multiple banks in one place. Presently unclaimed deposits from seven banks - State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Central Bank of India, Dhanlaxmi Bank, South Indian Bank, DBS Bank India and Citibank - are available on the portal. The search facility for remaining banks on the portal would be made available in a phased manner by October 15. Balances in savings or current accounts which are not operated for 10 years, or term deposits not claimed within 10 years from date of maturity are classified as Unclaimed Deposits. These amounts are transferred by banks to the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund maintained by the RBI. This is a unique opportunity that will enable individual customers to access a common pool of databases that will facilitate them to search and extract details of their unclaimed deposits lying with various banks. Customers tend to leave small amounts in their bank accounts that remain unclaimed and are converted to inoperative accounts, Jyoti Prakash Gadia, Managing Director at Resurgent India. Over the period, the customer either forgets about the same or loses interest in searching for the same on account of the amount being small. However, considering the whopping number of such accounts, the aggregate amount has become so large, prompting RBI as a regulator to take a proactive step in the form of starting this portal to claim the inoperative deposits by individuals, he added. State Bank of India (SBI) tops the chart of unclaimed deposits worth R8,086 crore, followed by Punjab National Bank R5,340 crore, Canara Bank R 4,558 crore and Bank of Baroda R3,904 crore. UDGAM portal has provided a streamlined and easy-to-use platform for account holders and the general public to search for their old accounts lying inactive or dormant for many years. This is a follow up to the 100 days 100 pays campaign launched earlier in May whereby banks were directed to find out top 100 unclaimed account holders in their respective districts and assist them in reclaiming such amounts, said Sanchit Garg, CEO & Co-Founder GLC Wealth. How to find your forgotten money? To use UDGAM, individuals are required to register using their mobile number, name, and password on the portal (https://udgam.rbi.org.in/unclaimed-deposits/#/register). After completing registration, the individual can log in using their registered mobile number and password. An OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number for verification. After successful login, users are prompted to provide the account holders and banks names. They then can select from five identification inputs: PAN number, Voter ID number, driving license number, or date of birth. Following this, users can input the relevant information and designate the desired bank for their search. If the search criteria match unclaimed deposits, the portal will display the account details. If no unclaimed deposits are found, the result will indicate none. The UDGAM portal launched by RBI for unclaimed deposits is certainly a step in the right direction albeit a bit delayed in our opinion. Estimates of Rs 35,000 crore in unclaimed deposits can definitely be put to better use if these remain unclaimed and this effort by RBI can put a closure on the ownership of these funds, Manu Rishi Guptha Founder and CEO of MRG Capital, told TNIE. Artificial intelligence tools have equipped different government departments like Income tax to get better compliance. Efforts like interlinking of Aadhaar, PAN, mobile numbers with a bank account has made this possible and RBIs one portal to claim the funds is a good initiative for the benefit of individuals, he said. There are several reasons behind deposits turning into unclaimed deposits. One of the main reasons is the depositors death without leaving a nomination. Also having a meagre balance in the account or change of name or shifting of residence to another city or country are also other factors behind the rise in unclaimed deposits. Steps to find unclaimed deposits Register at UDGAM portal (https://udgam.rbi.org.in/unclaimed-deposits/#/register) Provide necessary details, including name, mobile number, password Verify your registration through an OTP sent to your mobile number Use your UDGAM account after logging in by using OTP Once you enter details, you must again enter OTP to proceed further You can now search for unclaimed deposits by entering the account holders name You will be asked to provide one of the five identification inputs: PAN number, Voter ID number, Passport number, driving license number, or date of birth Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service NEW DELHI: At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi misses no opportunity to attack corruption, alleged embezzlement of funds running into Rs 114.83 crore has reportedly been detected with the scholarship program of the Ministry of Minority Affairs. According to a media report, around 53% of institutions that availed of the scholarship benefits have been found to be 'fake'. The disclosure has surfaced across the country after a report, quoting the internal inquiry of the ministry was carried in a monthly magazine. The report said that embezzlement of funds meant for scholarships for minority youths was suspected to have occurred between 2007 and 2022. The BJP was not in power when the scheme was introduced in 2007-08, but it allegedly continued till 2022. The media report quoting an internal inquiry of the Ministry of Minority Affairs has stated that the embezzlement was routed to 830 institutions. Union minister Smriti Irani immediately referred the case for further investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation on July 10. Sources, quoted by a media report said that the inquiry was reportedly conducted in 100 districts in 34 states. As many as 830 out of 1,572 institutions looked into were reportedly found to be involved in it. The accounts of the accused institutions have also reportedly been frozen. The scholarship program in the Ministry of Minority Affairs was started in 2007-08 for the minority students in the country. The institutions found that non-existent and non-operational bodies availed benefits of the scheme fraudulently. The reports said 62 institutions registered under the Ministry of Minority Affairs were detected as non-operational in Chhattisgarh while in poll-bound Rajasthan 99 institutions were found to be non-operational. In Assam, according to a media report, 68% of institutions were found to be either fake or non-existent. Such irregularities have been found in other states, including UP and Karnataka too. According to a report, one bank branch in Kerala also disbursed 66,000 scholarships, exceeding the registered number of minority students for scholarships. As a report further claimed, the alleged irregularities have also been detected in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJPs national information and technology department and a member of the partys national executive, said on Sunday, The scholarship schemes, namely Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship, and Merit-Cum-Means were introduced by the erstwhile UPA in the year of 2007-8. Prior to 2014-15, funds were released directly to the state governments/UTs without any mechanism to verify the applications and map the rightful use of funds. He also said that in 2014-15, a fundamental change was introduced in disbursal of funds and the scheme was implemented on DBT via existing software based out of Hyderabad. It was in 2016-17 that the scheme was shifted to the National Scholarship Portal and implemented on DBT developed in Delhi. Thus began the process of digitization of scholarships, Malviya said. He said as the digitization progressed, it was observed that INO, DNO and SNO ecosystem carried forward from the UPA era misused their authority and kept compromising on the veracity mechanism established through the NSP. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi misses no opportunity to attack corruption, alleged embezzlement of funds running into Rs 114.83 crore has reportedly been detected with the scholarship program of the Ministry of Minority Affairs. According to a media report, around 53% of institutions that availed of the scholarship benefits have been found to be 'fake'. The disclosure has surfaced across the country after a report, quoting the internal inquiry of the ministry was carried in a monthly magazine. The report said that embezzlement of funds meant for scholarships for minority youths was suspected to have occurred between 2007 and 2022. The BJP was not in power when the scheme was introduced in 2007-08, but it allegedly continued till 2022.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The media report quoting an internal inquiry of the Ministry of Minority Affairs has stated that the embezzlement was routed to 830 institutions. Union minister Smriti Irani immediately referred the case for further investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation on July 10. Sources, quoted by a media report said that the inquiry was reportedly conducted in 100 districts in 34 states. As many as 830 out of 1,572 institutions looked into were reportedly found to be involved in it. The accounts of the accused institutions have also reportedly been frozen. The scholarship program in the Ministry of Minority Affairs was started in 2007-08 for the minority students in the country. The institutions found that non-existent and non-operational bodies availed benefits of the scheme fraudulently. The reports said 62 institutions registered under the Ministry of Minority Affairs were detected as non-operational in Chhattisgarh while in poll-bound Rajasthan 99 institutions were found to be non-operational. In Assam, according to a media report, 68% of institutions were found to be either fake or non-existent. Such irregularities have been found in other states, including UP and Karnataka too. According to a report, one bank branch in Kerala also disbursed 66,000 scholarships, exceeding the registered number of minority students for scholarships. As a report further claimed, the alleged irregularities have also been detected in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJPs national information and technology department and a member of the partys national executive, said on Sunday, The scholarship schemes, namely Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship, and Merit-Cum-Means were introduced by the erstwhile UPA in the year of 2007-8. Prior to 2014-15, funds were released directly to the state governments/UTs without any mechanism to verify the applications and map the rightful use of funds. He also said that in 2014-15, a fundamental change was introduced in disbursal of funds and the scheme was implemented on DBT via existing software based out of Hyderabad. It was in 2016-17 that the scheme was shifted to the National Scholarship Portal and implemented on DBT developed in Delhi. Thus began the process of digitization of scholarships, Malviya said. He said as the digitization progressed, it was observed that INO, DNO and SNO ecosystem carried forward from the UPA era misused their authority and kept compromising on the veracity mechanism established through the NSP. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Online Desk A student from Jadavpur University in West Bengal reportedly tried to end his life owing to 'alleged' harassment by the police probing the death of first-year undergraduate student Swapnadeep Kundu. India Today reported that a hostel resident who had been allegedly traumatized by the police probe attempted to take his own life. Sources said after the police seized his phone for forensic examination to get any electronic evidence related to the alleged ragging of the deceased student, the panicked student attempted to die by suicide. University authorities have arranged counseling for the affected student. The matter was later reported to the Jadavpur police station. The police have been probing the death of the student after his parents filed a case saying he was a victim of ragging. During the investigation, 12 individuals, including current students and alumni, have been arrested in connection with the students death. Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp A student from Jadavpur University in West Bengal reportedly tried to end his life owing to 'alleged' harassment by the police probing the death of first-year undergraduate student Swapnadeep Kundu. India Today reported that a hostel resident who had been allegedly traumatized by the police probe attempted to take his own life. Sources said after the police seized his phone for forensic examination to get any electronic evidence related to the alleged ragging of the deceased student, the panicked student attempted to die by suicide.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); University authorities have arranged counseling for the affected student. The matter was later reported to the Jadavpur police station. The police have been probing the death of the student after his parents filed a case saying he was a victim of ragging. During the investigation, 12 individuals, including current students and alumni, have been arrested in connection with the students death. Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The Manipur Assembly session was not held on Monday despite the state cabinets recommendation on this matter to Governor Anusuiya Uikey. The state cabinet has recommended to the Honble Governor of Manipur for summoning the 4th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on August, 21, 2023, an official statement had stated on August 4. But the session was not held. This comes after 10 Kuki MLAs, including seven from ruling BJP, had expressed their inability to attend the assembly session as violence in the northeastern state, which broke out on May 3, continued. Official sources said the office of the Governor did not issue any notification summoning the session of the House. The notification is required to be issued 15 days ahead of a session. After a cabinet meeting held earlier this month, the state government had recommended the House session. The last session of the House was adjourned sine die in March. Article 174 of the Constitution says: The House or Houses of the Legislature of the State shall be summoned to meet twice at least in every year, and six months shall not intervene between their last sitting in one session and the date appointed for their first sitting in the next session. The Congress said the fact that the session was not held despite the state cabinets recommendation proved Constitutional machinery has simply broken down in Manipur. On July 27th, the state government requests Governor of Manipur to convene special session of Assembly in the third week of August. On August 4th, Governor is requested once again to convene special session, but this time on a specific date, namely August 21st, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, previously Twitter. Today is August 21st and the special session has NOT been called. There has been no Monsoon session of the Assembly either, he further wrote on the microblogging site. The Congress leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was preoccupied with refurbishing his self-styled Vishwaguru role and the home minister was busy electioneering. The agony of the people of Manipur continues unabated, he added. Over 180 people were killed and thousands displaced in the ongoing violence in the state. Meanwhile, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), Kangpokpi reimposed an indefinite blockade on two national highways in Kangpokpi district, in protest against the failure of the Centre to protect the Kuki-Zo community and its failure to ensure free movement of essential commodities to Kuki-Zo communities in hill areas of the state. The NH 2 connects Imphal with Nagalands Dimapur and NH 37 which links Imphal with Assams Silchar. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp GUWAHATI: The Manipur Assembly session was not held on Monday despite the state cabinets recommendation on this matter to Governor Anusuiya Uikey. The state cabinet has recommended to the Honble Governor of Manipur for summoning the 4th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on August, 21, 2023, an official statement had stated on August 4. But the session was not held. This comes after 10 Kuki MLAs, including seven from ruling BJP, had expressed their inability to attend the assembly session as violence in the northeastern state, which broke out on May 3, continued. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Official sources said the office of the Governor did not issue any notification summoning the session of the House. The notification is required to be issued 15 days ahead of a session. After a cabinet meeting held earlier this month, the state government had recommended the House session. The last session of the House was adjourned sine die in March. Article 174 of the Constitution says: The House or Houses of the Legislature of the State shall be summoned to meet twice at least in every year, and six months shall not intervene between their last sitting in one session and the date appointed for their first sitting in the next session. The Congress said the fact that the session was not held despite the state cabinets recommendation proved Constitutional machinery has simply broken down in Manipur. On July 27th, the state government requests Governor of Manipur to convene special session of Assembly in the third week of August. On August 4th, Governor is requested once again to convene special session, but this time on a specific date, namely August 21st, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, previously Twitter. Today is August 21st and the special session has NOT been called. There has been no Monsoon session of the Assembly either, he further wrote on the microblogging site. The Congress leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was preoccupied with refurbishing his self-styled Vishwaguru role and the home minister was busy electioneering. The agony of the people of Manipur continues unabated, he added. Over 180 people were killed and thousands displaced in the ongoing violence in the state. Meanwhile, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), Kangpokpi reimposed an indefinite blockade on two national highways in Kangpokpi district, in protest against the failure of the Centre to protect the Kuki-Zo community and its failure to ensure free movement of essential commodities to Kuki-Zo communities in hill areas of the state. The NH 2 connects Imphal with Nagalands Dimapur and NH 37 which links Imphal with Assams Silchar. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: The Union government approved Rs 200 crore as advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Himachal Pradesh to help it with relief measures for the rain-affected people. However, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the current relief manual of the Centres financial provisions is inadequate to compensate for the loss to the hill state. He called for a specially tailored relief package considering the states geographical conditions and the severity of the disaster. Sukhu called for financial aid akin to that provided during the Kedarnath and Bhuj tragedies. BJP chief JP Nadda said his home state has suffered huge losses due to heavy rains and that the Centre would make all efforts to rehabilitate the displaced in the state. Sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the Rs 200-crore aid. In an official statement, MHA said, The government is monitoring the situation in HP around the clock, and providing necessary logistics and financial help to the state government to deal with the situation efficiently. So far 20 NDRF (HQ) teams, nine columns of the Indian Army, 3 teams of Indian Air Force helicopters are deployed in Himachal for rescue and relief work. It said the Centre, without waiting for a memorandum, has also deputed inter-ministerial Central teams, to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and relief work being carried out by the HP government, which visited affected areas from July 19 to 21. Nadda visited the damaged Shiv Mandir at Summer Hill in Shimla. The area suffered a massive landslide on August 14. The landslip also damaged Krishnanagar, destroying several houses and a slaughterhouse. In Shimla, 17 people have died at Shiv Mandir, five in Fagli, and two in Krishnanagar. Nadda said three senior BJP leaders are touring the state to take stock of the situation. The three leaders are Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, former CM Jairam Thakur and HP BJP chief Rajiv Bindal. Nadda, who began his tour of rains-hit Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur said, I am pained to see the devastation and loss of human lives. I promise all help for the rehabilitation of the displaced people. Efforts are afoot by the state to provide relief and take up restoration and rehabilitation works. Central help would continue and all those displaced would be rehabilitated. 21 of 23 hydel projects fail dam safety norms Himachal Pradesh government will soon prepare a detailed report on rain-related damages and probe how negligence by dam authorities caused devastation in the state. Authorities in fault will also face legal action. A total of 21 out of the 23 operational hydel projects in the hill state with did not comply with the dam safety norms and the Central Water Commission guidelines. Recently, Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena chaired a meeting on safety issues Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp CHANDIGARH: The Union government approved Rs 200 crore as advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Himachal Pradesh to help it with relief measures for the rain-affected people. However, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the current relief manual of the Centres financial provisions is inadequate to compensate for the loss to the hill state. He called for a specially tailored relief package considering the states geographical conditions and the severity of the disaster. Sukhu called for financial aid akin to that provided during the Kedarnath and Bhuj tragedies.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); BJP chief JP Nadda said his home state has suffered huge losses due to heavy rains and that the Centre would make all efforts to rehabilitate the displaced in the state. Sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the Rs 200-crore aid. In an official statement, MHA said, The government is monitoring the situation in HP around the clock, and providing necessary logistics and financial help to the state government to deal with the situation efficiently. So far 20 NDRF (HQ) teams, nine columns of the Indian Army, 3 teams of Indian Air Force helicopters are deployed in Himachal for rescue and relief work. It said the Centre, without waiting for a memorandum, has also deputed inter-ministerial Central teams, to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and relief work being carried out by the HP government, which visited affected areas from July 19 to 21. Nadda visited the damaged Shiv Mandir at Summer Hill in Shimla. The area suffered a massive landslide on August 14. The landslip also damaged Krishnanagar, destroying several houses and a slaughterhouse. In Shimla, 17 people have died at Shiv Mandir, five in Fagli, and two in Krishnanagar. Nadda said three senior BJP leaders are touring the state to take stock of the situation. The three leaders are Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, former CM Jairam Thakur and HP BJP chief Rajiv Bindal. Nadda, who began his tour of rains-hit Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur said, I am pained to see the devastation and loss of human lives. I promise all help for the rehabilitation of the displaced people. Efforts are afoot by the state to provide relief and take up restoration and rehabilitation works. Central help would continue and all those displaced would be rehabilitated. 21 of 23 hydel projects fail dam safety norms Himachal Pradesh government will soon prepare a detailed report on rain-related damages and probe how negligence by dam authorities caused devastation in the state. Authorities in fault will also face legal action. A total of 21 out of the 23 operational hydel projects in the hill state with did not comply with the dam safety norms and the Central Water Commission guidelines. Recently, Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena chaired a meeting on safety issues Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Ujwal Jalali By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The senior Women and Child Development officer, who was booked by the Delhi Police nine days ago in a case of sexual assault of a minor girl, was arrested on Monday along with his wife. The officer has been suspended by the Delhi government. The accused, identified as Pramoday Khakha (51), who was serving as a deputy director in the WCD department, had allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021. His 50-year-old wife, identified as Seema Rani, has also been charged with giving the girl medication to terminate pregnancy. "We have arrested both husband and wife. The interrogation is underway. It is a sensitive matter and we are investigating it with utmost sincerity. Recording of statement of the victim under CrPC 164 with the magistrate is underway," Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said. The matter came to light when the 16-year-old girl, who is now in Class 12, recently narrated her ordeal to a counsellor at St Stephen's Hospital where she was admitted following an anxiety attack. The counsellor then informed the police. According to the police, the minor girl started living with a family friend, her guardian-turned-accused, in Burari after the death of her father two years ago. ALSO READ | Delhi CM orders suspension of officer accused of raping and impregnating minor After extensive psychological counselling, she opened up to the doctors, counsellors and police officers. She was sexually harassed, physically molestated and repeatedly raped by the officer under whose care and guardianship she was staying at his house, the DCP said. When the minor allegedly became pregnant, she informed the wife of the accused who later asked her son to get medicines for pregnancy termination and gave them to the girl. The police then, based on her complaint, had registered a case under relevant sections of IPC and the POCSO Act on August 13. The officer was arrested after nine days of investigation. The girl is still admitted to a hospital where she is recovering from the trauma. Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal went to meet the 16-year-old rape survivor, but was not allowed to do so by the police. "The (accused) Delhi government official has exerted clout. That's why he was not arrested for 10 days by Delhi Police. We have come here to meet the victim but we are not allowed by police to do so," Maliwal said as she sat outside the hospital in protest. The commission, in a statement, said the director of the hospital came to meet Maliwal and informed her that the DCP and ACP of Delhi Police are inside the hospital and had asked the hospital not to allow her to meet the survivor. It is very unfortunate that an officer working in the Women and Child Development department had been raping a minor. It is shocking that even after registration of an FIR eight days ago, the accused was not arrested by Delhi Police," Maliwal said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The senior Women and Child Development officer, who was booked by the Delhi Police nine days ago in a case of sexual assault of a minor girl, was arrested on Monday along with his wife. The officer has been suspended by the Delhi government. The accused, identified as Pramoday Khakha (51), who was serving as a deputy director in the WCD department, had allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021. His 50-year-old wife, identified as Seema Rani, has also been charged with giving the girl medication to terminate pregnancy. "We have arrested both husband and wife. The interrogation is underway. It is a sensitive matter and we are investigating it with utmost sincerity. Recording of statement of the victim under CrPC 164 with the magistrate is underway," Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The matter came to light when the 16-year-old girl, who is now in Class 12, recently narrated her ordeal to a counsellor at St Stephen's Hospital where she was admitted following an anxiety attack. The counsellor then informed the police. According to the police, the minor girl started living with a family friend, her guardian-turned-accused, in Burari after the death of her father two years ago. ALSO READ | Delhi CM orders suspension of officer accused of raping and impregnating minor After extensive psychological counselling, she opened up to the doctors, counsellors and police officers. She was sexually harassed, physically molestated and repeatedly raped by the officer under whose care and guardianship she was staying at his house, the DCP said. When the minor allegedly became pregnant, she informed the wife of the accused who later asked her son to get medicines for pregnancy termination and gave them to the girl. The police then, based on her complaint, had registered a case under relevant sections of IPC and the POCSO Act on August 13. The officer was arrested after nine days of investigation. The girl is still admitted to a hospital where she is recovering from the trauma. Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal went to meet the 16-year-old rape survivor, but was not allowed to do so by the police. "The (accused) Delhi government official has exerted clout. That's why he was not arrested for 10 days by Delhi Police. We have come here to meet the victim but we are not allowed by police to do so," Maliwal said as she sat outside the hospital in protest. The commission, in a statement, said the director of the hospital came to meet Maliwal and informed her that the DCP and ACP of Delhi Police are inside the hospital and had asked the hospital not to allow her to meet the survivor. It is very unfortunate that an officer working in the Women and Child Development department had been raping a minor. It is shocking that even after registration of an FIR eight days ago, the accused was not arrested by Delhi Police," Maliwal said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: The upper caste Bhumihar leader Ajay Rai taking over as Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president last week is not to the liking of a section within the party. The murmurings are too loud to be ignored. The outgoing president, Brijlal Khabri, a Dalit, has revealed his displeasure over the party leadership's decision to remove him from the post. Khabri has decided to meet Waynad MP Rahul Gandhi to ascertain the reason for his removal from the top post. The party's central election committee member and former Varanasi MP, Rajesh Mishra felt that the Congress leadership ignored equitableness by appointing a Bhumihar as the new chief of the state unit. Khabri, who was appointed party chief on October 2022, has lately fallen out of favour, particularly with Priyanka Gandhis team working in UP, a report said. During an interaction with media persons, Khabri said he was hurt by the way he was removed from the post of state party chief, which he claimed, happened behind his back. I am hurt, but not angry..., claimed Khabri who held the office for barely 10 months. Khabri said that it is important to meet Rahul Gandhi. He is reflecting on whether or not the Wayanad MP was aware of the move to kick him out. I would like to know the conditions that led to my removal, said Khabri while claiming that he had accepted it as it was the partys decision. He said that since he shared his purpose to save the Constitution and democracy with Rahul Gandhi, he would continue to work in Congress tirelessly. Post and position hardly matter in such a mission, he said. Dalits and Muslims have started moving towards the Congress. I carried out Samvidhaan Bachao Sankalp Sabha from July 9 to August 13 and covered almost all the districts of the state. UP Congress meetings had started drawing crowds of 10,000 comprising Dalits, Muslims and deprived people, he said. On the other, former MP and senior Congress leader, Rajesh Mishra felt that at a time when the party was making every effort to project Rahul Gandhi as future PM, partys decision to handover UP leadership to a Bhumihar (landowner caste) was beyond the level of understanding. The focus should have been on winning over the core voters Dalits, Brahmins and Muslims who kept the Congress in power for 70 years, Mishra noted. While talking to media persons in Varanasi, Mishra sought to compare the contribution of Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims together to vote percentage which he claimed was over 15% each in the total population while Bhumihars comprised less than 1% in total population. They have a sway on just 4-5 assembly seats of the state. The fact that BJP has already obliged the Bhumihars community by according the posts of prestige to leaders like J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, UP Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi and Power and Urban Development Minister AK Sharma, appointing a leader from the same caste as UPCC chief is a decision which is difficult to understand, Mishra said. He added that it was high time to develop a mechanism to think about ways to bring Congresss core voters back to the party in UP. ALSO READ | 2024 elections: Congress rejigs UP team, names Ajai Rai as party chief Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims are dissatisfied with BJP, SP and BSP. Despite knowing this fact, this decision was taken. The integrity of those people, who were instrumental in Rais appointment, is doubtful. Congress never believed in caste politics but it maintains social balance perfectly due to which people from all sections of society voted it to power for decades, Mishra added. Who is Ajay Rai? Ajay Rai, a five-time MLA from Varanasi, started his career with the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and later on participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Rai contested unsuccessfully against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections. He joined the Samajwadi Party in 2009 before he switched over to the Congress and won from the Pindra assembly seat in 2012. He lost from Pindra in 2017 and 2022. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: The upper caste Bhumihar leader Ajay Rai taking over as Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president last week is not to the liking of a section within the party. The murmurings are too loud to be ignored. The outgoing president, Brijlal Khabri, a Dalit, has revealed his displeasure over the party leadership's decision to remove him from the post. Khabri has decided to meet Waynad MP Rahul Gandhi to ascertain the reason for his removal from the top post. The party's central election committee member and former Varanasi MP, Rajesh Mishra felt that the Congress leadership ignored equitableness by appointing a Bhumihar as the new chief of the state unit. Khabri, who was appointed party chief on October 2022, has lately fallen out of favour, particularly with Priyanka Gandhis team working in UP, a report said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); During an interaction with media persons, Khabri said he was hurt by the way he was removed from the post of state party chief, which he claimed, happened behind his back. I am hurt, but not angry..., claimed Khabri who held the office for barely 10 months. Khabri said that it is important to meet Rahul Gandhi. He is reflecting on whether or not the Wayanad MP was aware of the move to kick him out. I would like to know the conditions that led to my removal, said Khabri while claiming that he had accepted it as it was the partys decision. He said that since he shared his purpose to save the Constitution and democracy with Rahul Gandhi, he would continue to work in Congress tirelessly. Post and position hardly matter in such a mission, he said. Dalits and Muslims have started moving towards the Congress. I carried out Samvidhaan Bachao Sankalp Sabha from July 9 to August 13 and covered almost all the districts of the state. UP Congress meetings had started drawing crowds of 10,000 comprising Dalits, Muslims and deprived people, he said. On the other, former MP and senior Congress leader, Rajesh Mishra felt that at a time when the party was making every effort to project Rahul Gandhi as future PM, partys decision to handover UP leadership to a Bhumihar (landowner caste) was beyond the level of understanding. The focus should have been on winning over the core voters Dalits, Brahmins and Muslims who kept the Congress in power for 70 years, Mishra noted. While talking to media persons in Varanasi, Mishra sought to compare the contribution of Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims together to vote percentage which he claimed was over 15% each in the total population while Bhumihars comprised less than 1% in total population. They have a sway on just 4-5 assembly seats of the state. The fact that BJP has already obliged the Bhumihars community by according the posts of prestige to leaders like J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, UP Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi and Power and Urban Development Minister AK Sharma, appointing a leader from the same caste as UPCC chief is a decision which is difficult to understand, Mishra said. He added that it was high time to develop a mechanism to think about ways to bring Congresss core voters back to the party in UP. ALSO READ | 2024 elections: Congress rejigs UP team, names Ajai Rai as party chief Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims are dissatisfied with BJP, SP and BSP. Despite knowing this fact, this decision was taken. The integrity of those people, who were instrumental in Rais appointment, is doubtful. Congress never believed in caste politics but it maintains social balance perfectly due to which people from all sections of society voted it to power for decades, Mishra added. Who is Ajay Rai? Ajay Rai, a five-time MLA from Varanasi, started his career with the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and later on participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Rai contested unsuccessfully against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections. He joined the Samajwadi Party in 2009 before he switched over to the Congress and won from the Pindra assembly seat in 2012. He lost from Pindra in 2017 and 2022. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By AFP GENEVA: A United Nations rights expert on Monday slammed India's years-long detention of a rights activist with disabilities as "inhumane", citing grave concerns for his health and demanding his immediate release. Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, raised the alarm about the nearly decade-long detention of Gokarakonda Naga "GN" Saibaba, a long-standing defender of the rights of minorities in India. "India's persistent detention of human rights defender GN Saibaba is an inhumane and senseless act," the independent expert's statement said. "His continued detention is shameful. It bears all the hallmarks of a State seeking to silence a critical voice," she said. Saibaba, a former English professor at Delhi University who is bound to a wheelchair after suffering from a spinal disorder and polio as a child, was arrested in 2014. He was sentenced to life in prison three years later for multiple offences under India's Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, although various UN rights experts have raised grave concerns about his prosecution, Lawlor pointed out. ALSO READ | My husband will be out of jail soon: Ex-DU Prof GN Saibaba's wife She and other UN rights experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations. Lawlor pointed out that apart from two short periods on bail, Saibaba had been held in Nagpur Central Jail since his initial arrest, adding that his condition in prison "is a matter of serious concern". "Mr. Saibaba has been detained in a high security 'anda barracks' in conditions incompatible with his status as a wheelchair user," she said. She highlighted that his small cell had no window and a wall made of iron bars, "exposing him to extreme weather, especially in the scorching summer heat." Lawlor, who said she was in contact with the Indian government regarding the case, stressed that countries have an obligation to uphold prisoners' right to health and dignity. "Prison authorities must ensure that prisoners with disabilities are not discriminated against, including by ensuring accessibility and providing reasonable accommodation," she said. The expert warned that Saibaba's health "has severely deteriorated in detention." "He should be released." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp GENEVA: A United Nations rights expert on Monday slammed India's years-long detention of a rights activist with disabilities as "inhumane", citing grave concerns for his health and demanding his immediate release. Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, raised the alarm about the nearly decade-long detention of Gokarakonda Naga "GN" Saibaba, a long-standing defender of the rights of minorities in India. "India's persistent detention of human rights defender GN Saibaba is an inhumane and senseless act," the independent expert's statement said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "His continued detention is shameful. It bears all the hallmarks of a State seeking to silence a critical voice," she said. Saibaba, a former English professor at Delhi University who is bound to a wheelchair after suffering from a spinal disorder and polio as a child, was arrested in 2014. He was sentenced to life in prison three years later for multiple offences under India's Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, although various UN rights experts have raised grave concerns about his prosecution, Lawlor pointed out. ALSO READ | My husband will be out of jail soon: Ex-DU Prof GN Saibaba's wife She and other UN rights experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations. Lawlor pointed out that apart from two short periods on bail, Saibaba had been held in Nagpur Central Jail since his initial arrest, adding that his condition in prison "is a matter of serious concern". "Mr. Saibaba has been detained in a high security 'anda barracks' in conditions incompatible with his status as a wheelchair user," she said. She highlighted that his small cell had no window and a wall made of iron bars, "exposing him to extreme weather, especially in the scorching summer heat." Lawlor, who said she was in contact with the Indian government regarding the case, stressed that countries have an obligation to uphold prisoners' right to health and dignity. "Prison authorities must ensure that prisoners with disabilities are not discriminated against, including by ensuring accessibility and providing reasonable accommodation," she said. The expert warned that Saibaba's health "has severely deteriorated in detention." "He should be released." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Seventeen youths from Punjab and Haryana who got duped by unscrupulous agents in India on the pretext of getting a job in Italy in February this year landed back in Delhi last night. Each of them paid Rs 13 lakh and was taken to Dubai and Egypt where they landed under the captivity of armed mafia in Zuwara City of Libya. The whole rescue operation and process of repatriation was coordinated and facilitated by Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha from Punjab. Sahney said, "We received a panic call from these boys on May 28 in which they informed us that they are stranded in Libya and were being physically tortured and were made to do unpaid labour for months. We even spoke to them on video calls in which we can see that they were living in unimaginable conditions without proper meals. "India does not have any diplomatic mission in Libya so we were helpless in that manner. We tried an immediate intervention by booking a hotel and arranging two taxis for these boys so that they can run from the captivity and get rescued. On June 13, we initiated this rescue operation and we were able to successfully pull it off. We were on constant call with these boys throughout that night until they reached the hotel booked by us, he said. Sahney further stated that destiny was testing us as after two days of stay at the hotel, the hotel owner duped us. The boys were arrested from the hotel and sent to a jail in Tripoli. "With the help of the nearest Indian embassy in Tunisia, we contacted United Nations for help. We requested these boys be released on humanitarian grounds from Libyan prison and repatriated to India", he said. After weeks of correspondence and persistent requests, on July 30, Tunisia was able to access through United Nations and get these boys released from jail and sent to the Port of Illegal Immigrants in Tripoli, Libya. Finally, on August 19, all the paperwork and other formalities were done and the boys boarded a flight to Delhi. Sahney said, "The plane landing in Delhi was not merely a plane, it was a mother's hope, a sister's affection and a father's love that was coming along with it." "I interacted with each of these boys yesterday. They consider it as a rebirth, the emotions which were pouring at the airport by their parents and family members was inexpressible, he said. Sahney stated that now he is concentrating on the legal action to be taken against the unscrupulous agents who duped these boys. "I am in constant touch with the SIT of Punjab Police against Human Trafficking and officials of Haryana and Delhi Police. We will ensure strict action against the guilty, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp CHANDIGARH: Seventeen youths from Punjab and Haryana who got duped by unscrupulous agents in India on the pretext of getting a job in Italy in February this year landed back in Delhi last night. Each of them paid Rs 13 lakh and was taken to Dubai and Egypt where they landed under the captivity of armed mafia in Zuwara City of Libya. The whole rescue operation and process of repatriation was coordinated and facilitated by Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha from Punjab.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sahney said, "We received a panic call from these boys on May 28 in which they informed us that they are stranded in Libya and were being physically tortured and were made to do unpaid labour for months. We even spoke to them on video calls in which we can see that they were living in unimaginable conditions without proper meals. "India does not have any diplomatic mission in Libya so we were helpless in that manner. We tried an immediate intervention by booking a hotel and arranging two taxis for these boys so that they can run from the captivity and get rescued. On June 13, we initiated this rescue operation and we were able to successfully pull it off. We were on constant call with these boys throughout that night until they reached the hotel booked by us, he said. Sahney further stated that destiny was testing us as after two days of stay at the hotel, the hotel owner duped us. The boys were arrested from the hotel and sent to a jail in Tripoli. "With the help of the nearest Indian embassy in Tunisia, we contacted United Nations for help. We requested these boys be released on humanitarian grounds from Libyan prison and repatriated to India", he said. After weeks of correspondence and persistent requests, on July 30, Tunisia was able to access through United Nations and get these boys released from jail and sent to the Port of Illegal Immigrants in Tripoli, Libya. Finally, on August 19, all the paperwork and other formalities were done and the boys boarded a flight to Delhi. Sahney said, "The plane landing in Delhi was not merely a plane, it was a mother's hope, a sister's affection and a father's love that was coming along with it." "I interacted with each of these boys yesterday. They consider it as a rebirth, the emotions which were pouring at the airport by their parents and family members was inexpressible, he said. Sahney stated that now he is concentrating on the legal action to be taken against the unscrupulous agents who duped these boys. "I am in constant touch with the SIT of Punjab Police against Human Trafficking and officials of Haryana and Delhi Police. We will ensure strict action against the guilty, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI MUMBAI: An examination to recruit talathis (revenue department employees) in Maharashtra scheduled on Monday was delayed due to technical reasons, prompting the opposition Congress to criticise the state government over it. Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said such "irresponsible behaviour" of the state government cannot be tolerated. The Congress leader further said the state government would be responsible if a candidate gets frustrated and takes an extreme step. A statement issued by the TCS, which is responsible for conducting the exam, said, "As per the technical team, there was a central hardware issue which has impacted the exam start time in all the exam centres for Talathi recruitment exam 2023 today." Wadettiwar later said the state government should have opened examination centres in every district. Instead, it set up only four centres, forcing aspirants to travel long distances to appear for the exam. "The candidates, who took so much effort and spent sleepless nights and arrived in cities where the exam centres are located, today morning found their exam was on hold," he said. "Such irresponsible behaviour of the state government cannot be tolerated. If a candidate gets frustrated and ends his or her life, the state government will be responsible for it. The government has not even made any alternate provision for conducting the exam," the Congress leader claimed. Wadettiwar further said the state government has charged Rs 1,000 per candidate as exam fee. "What will happen to them (candidates) now. If the government decides to hold the talathi recruitment exam on some other day, it should not charge the exam fee again," he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: An examination to recruit talathis (revenue department employees) in Maharashtra scheduled on Monday was delayed due to technical reasons, prompting the opposition Congress to criticise the state government over it. Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said such "irresponsible behaviour" of the state government cannot be tolerated. The Congress leader further said the state government would be responsible if a candidate gets frustrated and takes an extreme step.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A statement issued by the TCS, which is responsible for conducting the exam, said, "As per the technical team, there was a central hardware issue which has impacted the exam start time in all the exam centres for Talathi recruitment exam 2023 today." Wadettiwar later said the state government should have opened examination centres in every district. Instead, it set up only four centres, forcing aspirants to travel long distances to appear for the exam. "The candidates, who took so much effort and spent sleepless nights and arrived in cities where the exam centres are located, today morning found their exam was on hold," he said. "Such irresponsible behaviour of the state government cannot be tolerated. If a candidate gets frustrated and ends his or her life, the state government will be responsible for it. The government has not even made any alternate provision for conducting the exam," the Congress leader claimed. Wadettiwar further said the state government has charged Rs 1,000 per candidate as exam fee. "What will happen to them (candidates) now. If the government decides to hold the talathi recruitment exam on some other day, it should not charge the exam fee again," he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The Nagas, who remained silent all along on the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, came down heavily on the Kuki-Zo community on Monday for allegedly distorting the history of Manipur. The United Naga Council (UNC), Manipurs apex Naga organisation, said the name Kuki was first heard sometime between 1830-1840. Historically, the advent of British in the history of Manipur has brought about many unwanted changes. One of the many problems that we inherit from the British colonial rule is the issue of the planting of the Kuki tribe in the Naga hills, the UNC said in a statement. It said as a mercenary tribe, the British found the Kukis quite useful. Their total lack of attachment to any land and landscape was immediately recognised by the British, thus making them instrumental to crushing the indigenous communities of Manipur. The UNC would like to set the record straight that the recent blatant attempt of Kukis at distorting history of Kuki rebellion of 1917-1919 as Anglo-Kuki War to legitimize their imagined Kuki homeland within Naga ancestral homeland is one of the classic examples of their habitual lies, the UNC said. It said the Kuki rebellion of 1917-1919 was a savage episode of murdering, torching houses, plundering and enslaving women and children of indigenous Naga community in Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong in Manipur. ALSO READ | Tribal body imposes blockade on two highways in Manipur, cops say will ensure movement of vehicles Thus, it was never a war but a mere rebellion with the colonial power as there is no record of Anglo-Kuki War in the history of India (MHA), the UNC said. It also said that the Nagas were taken aback by the blatant lies, lopsided history and fabricated information contained in every statement and memos issued by the Kuki-Zo community which was tantamount to distortion of Naga history and insult to the Nagas. The UNC opposed the demand of Kuki-Zo community for separate administration incorporating two new districts carved out of Senapati and Chandel districts. It said the two districts were created by the then Congress government as part of its appeasement policy. The Kuki-Zo peoples representation to the Union government, Israels Prime Minister, European Parliament, UNO, etc. is on false territorial foundation and an attempt to befool those authorities because in the context of Manipur, the name Kuki was first heard sometime between 1830-1840 and therefore, Kuki hills that appear in the fourth para of the mentioned memo to the Prime Minister of Israel is a non-existent and Utopian concoction, the UNC said. It said the memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the 10 Kuki MLAs demanding the creation of the posts of chief secretary and director general of police or equivalents, other posts in Kuki-Zo areas was nothing but a mere different tune sung out of the same lyrics separate administration. The UNC claimed Manipur was now flooded with illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh. It said villages were expanding and new villages were being built at a rapid pace. Columns of illegal camps are being built in alarming rate near the town of Moreh and its surrounding areas to facilitate the settlement of those intruding Kukis from Myanmar. If the flow of illegal immigrants is not stopped by the Government of India and the Government of Manipur, the day will not be long when the Indigenous population will be reduced to a minority, it warned. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp GUWAHATI: The Nagas, who remained silent all along on the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, came down heavily on the Kuki-Zo community on Monday for allegedly distorting the history of Manipur. The United Naga Council (UNC), Manipurs apex Naga organisation, said the name Kuki was first heard sometime between 1830-1840. Historically, the advent of British in the history of Manipur has brought about many unwanted changes. One of the many problems that we inherit from the British colonial rule is the issue of the planting of the Kuki tribe in the Naga hills, the UNC said in a statement.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It said as a mercenary tribe, the British found the Kukis quite useful. Their total lack of attachment to any land and landscape was immediately recognised by the British, thus making them instrumental to crushing the indigenous communities of Manipur. The UNC would like to set the record straight that the recent blatant attempt of Kukis at distorting history of Kuki rebellion of 1917-1919 as Anglo-Kuki War to legitimize their imagined Kuki homeland within Naga ancestral homeland is one of the classic examples of their habitual lies, the UNC said. It said the Kuki rebellion of 1917-1919 was a savage episode of murdering, torching houses, plundering and enslaving women and children of indigenous Naga community in Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong in Manipur. ALSO READ | Tribal body imposes blockade on two highways in Manipur, cops say will ensure movement of vehicles Thus, it was never a war but a mere rebellion with the colonial power as there is no record of Anglo-Kuki War in the history of India (MHA), the UNC said. It also said that the Nagas were taken aback by the blatant lies, lopsided history and fabricated information contained in every statement and memos issued by the Kuki-Zo community which was tantamount to distortion of Naga history and insult to the Nagas. The UNC opposed the demand of Kuki-Zo community for separate administration incorporating two new districts carved out of Senapati and Chandel districts. It said the two districts were created by the then Congress government as part of its appeasement policy. The Kuki-Zo peoples representation to the Union government, Israels Prime Minister, European Parliament, UNO, etc. is on false territorial foundation and an attempt to befool those authorities because in the context of Manipur, the name Kuki was first heard sometime between 1830-1840 and therefore, Kuki hills that appear in the fourth para of the mentioned memo to the Prime Minister of Israel is a non-existent and Utopian concoction, the UNC said. It said the memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the 10 Kuki MLAs demanding the creation of the posts of chief secretary and director general of police or equivalents, other posts in Kuki-Zo areas was nothing but a mere different tune sung out of the same lyrics separate administration. The UNC claimed Manipur was now flooded with illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh. It said villages were expanding and new villages were being built at a rapid pace. Columns of illegal camps are being built in alarming rate near the town of Moreh and its surrounding areas to facilitate the settlement of those intruding Kukis from Myanmar. If the flow of illegal immigrants is not stopped by the Government of India and the Government of Manipur, the day will not be long when the Indigenous population will be reduced to a minority, it warned. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: A panel headed by former judge Gita Mittal to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of victims of violence in Manipur on Monday submitted three reports to the Supreme Court, including one on the need to upgrade the compensation scheme for the strife-torn people of the state. The Supreme Court said it will pass orders on Friday to facilitate the functioning of the three-member panel. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said a copy of the three reports be given to all lawyers concerned and directed advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for one of the victims, to collate suggestions for the panel. The bench said the Justice Mittal-led committee has filed three reports on issues such as the loss of documents and the need for upgrade the Manipur compensation scheme on the lines of the National Legal Services Authority policy. "The reports submitted by the Justice Mittal-led committee show essential documents need to be re-issued and the Manipur victim compensation scheme needs an upgrade and a nodal administration expert be appointed," the bench said. On August 7, the top court ordered the setting up of a committee of three former women high court judges to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of victims and compensation to them besides asking former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar to monitor the probe in criminal cases. The court said the panel will be submitting reports to it directly. A bench said the committee will be headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mittal and include Justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi, a former judge of the Bombay High Court, and Asha Menon, an ex-judge of the Delhi High Court. The bench is hearing around 10 petitions related to the spiralling violence, including those seeking court-monitored probes into cases, besides measures for relief and rehabilitation. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: A panel headed by former judge Gita Mittal to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of victims of violence in Manipur on Monday submitted three reports to the Supreme Court, including one on the need to upgrade the compensation scheme for the strife-torn people of the state. The Supreme Court said it will pass orders on Friday to facilitate the functioning of the three-member panel. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said a copy of the three reports be given to all lawyers concerned and directed advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for one of the victims, to collate suggestions for the panel.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The bench said the Justice Mittal-led committee has filed three reports on issues such as the loss of documents and the need for upgrade the Manipur compensation scheme on the lines of the National Legal Services Authority policy. "The reports submitted by the Justice Mittal-led committee show essential documents need to be re-issued and the Manipur victim compensation scheme needs an upgrade and a nodal administration expert be appointed," the bench said. On August 7, the top court ordered the setting up of a committee of three former women high court judges to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of victims and compensation to them besides asking former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar to monitor the probe in criminal cases. The court said the panel will be submitting reports to it directly. A bench said the committee will be headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mittal and include Justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi, a former judge of the Bombay High Court, and Asha Menon, an ex-judge of the Delhi High Court. The bench is hearing around 10 petitions related to the spiralling violence, including those seeking court-monitored probes into cases, besides measures for relief and rehabilitation. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Shahid Faridi By Express News Service Poll Preparations Bihar moves first to stitch Team India seat pact The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is started talking about seat-sharing. Sources said a broad understanding has emerged among the opposition alliances main constituents in Bihar over the seats they would contest. However, there is some friction over three or four Lok Sabha seats out of total 40. The two main constituents of INDIA in the state chief minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) and Lalu Yadavs RJD will contest 15 seats each, leaving the remaining 10 seats for the Congress and the Left parties. The Congress wants to contest eight seats. It has laid claim to Navada, Madhubani, Katihar, Aurangabad, Kishanganj, Sasaram, Supaul and Begusarai. The CPI(ML), which has emerged as the largest Left party in Bihar, wants two seats Arrah and Siwan. But sources said it may get only one. One will go to CPI. The CPI wants Begusarai, but Congress has claimed the seat for Kanhaiya Kumar, president of Youth Congress and previously president of the JNU students union. The JD(U) has 16 sitting MPs from Bihar, and the RJD has none. The RJD, however, has more MLAs than the JD(U). The two parties have, therefore, decided to contest an equal number of seats. Election 2024 BJP may put UCC on the back-burner, play up IPC, CrPC Union home minister Amit Shah met BJP members of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs last Thursday and asked them to thoroughly study the three new bills he brought to replace the IPC, CrPC and the Indian Evidence Act. The BJP MPs were told to widely publicise the provisions of the new bills, besides expediting the finalisation of the committee report for passage in the winter session of Parliament. The bills were tabled in Parliament in the monsoon session and referred to the Standing Committee. Sources said the BJP MPs were informed that the stringent provisions in the new bills would rein in the tukde tukde gang and the love jehadis and give wide-ranging powers to the police, including extended custody of arrested persons, seizure of electronic and digital devices and evidence, attachment of perceived proceeds of crime, etc to deal with anti-national elements. In this context, their attention was drawn to the new provision to criminalise the sexual exploitation of women by hiding identity and broadening the definition of sedition. The IPC Section 124A, dealing with sedition, stands repealed. Instead, a new Section 150 is being introduced. Section 150 reads as follows: Whoever, purposely or knowingly, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or by electronic communication, or by use of financial means, or otherwise, excites or attempts to excite, secession or armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourages feelings of separatist activities or endangers sovereignty or unity and integrity of India; or indulges in or commits any such act shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine. The use of open-ended terms such as excites, attempts to excite, (encourages) feelings (of separatist activities) and subversive activities gives the new law more teeth than the previous one. Sources said the BJP leadership is contemplating putting the Uniform Civil Code on the backburner and using the bills to bring the issue of national security to the centre stage. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Poll Preparations Bihar moves first to stitch Team India seat pact The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is started talking about seat-sharing. Sources said a broad understanding has emerged among the opposition alliances main constituents in Bihar over the seats they would contest. However, there is some friction over three or four Lok Sabha seats out of total 40. The two main constituents of INDIA in the state chief minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) and Lalu Yadavs RJD will contest 15 seats each, leaving the remaining 10 seats for the Congress and the Left parties. The Congress wants to contest eight seats. It has laid claim to Navada, Madhubani, Katihar, Aurangabad, Kishanganj, Sasaram, Supaul and Begusarai.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The CPI(ML), which has emerged as the largest Left party in Bihar, wants two seats Arrah and Siwan. But sources said it may get only one. One will go to CPI. The CPI wants Begusarai, but Congress has claimed the seat for Kanhaiya Kumar, president of Youth Congress and previously president of the JNU students union. The JD(U) has 16 sitting MPs from Bihar, and the RJD has none. The RJD, however, has more MLAs than the JD(U). The two parties have, therefore, decided to contest an equal number of seats. Election 2024 BJP may put UCC on the back-burner, play up IPC, CrPC Union home minister Amit Shah met BJP members of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs last Thursday and asked them to thoroughly study the three new bills he brought to replace the IPC, CrPC and the Indian Evidence Act. The BJP MPs were told to widely publicise the provisions of the new bills, besides expediting the finalisation of the committee report for passage in the winter session of Parliament. The bills were tabled in Parliament in the monsoon session and referred to the Standing Committee. Sources said the BJP MPs were informed that the stringent provisions in the new bills would rein in the tukde tukde gang and the love jehadis and give wide-ranging powers to the police, including extended custody of arrested persons, seizure of electronic and digital devices and evidence, attachment of perceived proceeds of crime, etc to deal with anti-national elements. In this context, their attention was drawn to the new provision to criminalise the sexual exploitation of women by hiding identity and broadening the definition of sedition. The IPC Section 124A, dealing with sedition, stands repealed. Instead, a new Section 150 is being introduced. Section 150 reads as follows: Whoever, purposely or knowingly, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or by electronic communication, or by use of financial means, or otherwise, excites or attempts to excite, secession or armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourages feelings of separatist activities or endangers sovereignty or unity and integrity of India; or indulges in or commits any such act shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine. The use of open-ended terms such as excites, attempts to excite, (encourages) feelings (of separatist activities) and subversive activities gives the new law more teeth than the previous one. Sources said the BJP leadership is contemplating putting the Uniform Civil Code on the backburner and using the bills to bring the issue of national security to the centre stage. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Ramashankar By Express News Service PATNA: Less than a week after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar paid his tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi, RJD leader and state forest minister Tej Pratap Yadav has renamed Atal Park in the state capital as 'Coconut Park', raising speculation on whether everything was alright in the grand alliance. Nitish, who was a minister in the former Vajpayee government, had always fondly remembered the former PM, recalling how the veteran BJP leader used to shower affection on him and how strong their personal bond was. In such a situation, Yadav's order to rename Atal Park as Coconut Park has come as a surprise, suggesting that the relationship between the two major allies of the ruling grand alliance in the state--RJD and JD (U)-- may be under strain. Yadav, the eldest son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, inaugurated the renamed park in the Kankarbagh locality of the state capital on Monday. Departmental secretary Vandana Preyashi said that the name of the park was Coconut Park when the urban development department transferred it to the forest department. BJP MLA Arun Kumar Sinha was also invited to the function for being the local people's representative. Sinha had, however, distanced himself from the function citing personal reasons. Reacting sharply to the renaming of Atal Park, BJP leader and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said it was extremely disappointing. Meanwhile, state BJP president Samrat Chaudhary said that the park was named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee years ago. Nitish ji says he has respect for Atal ji, but his words and deeds do not match," he remarked. Sources in the forest and climate change department said that the renaming of the park has been put on hold for the time being and the minister asked to maintain restraint due to the controversy. A group of local residents had named the park after Atal Bihari Vajpayee after his demise as a mark of respect for the department leader. Even a statue of the former Prime Minister was installed inside the park. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PATNA: Less than a week after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar paid his tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi, RJD leader and state forest minister Tej Pratap Yadav has renamed Atal Park in the state capital as 'Coconut Park', raising speculation on whether everything was alright in the grand alliance. Nitish, who was a minister in the former Vajpayee government, had always fondly remembered the former PM, recalling how the veteran BJP leader used to shower affection on him and how strong their personal bond was. In such a situation, Yadav's order to rename Atal Park as Coconut Park has come as a surprise, suggesting that the relationship between the two major allies of the ruling grand alliance in the state--RJD and JD (U)-- may be under strain. Yadav, the eldest son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, inaugurated the renamed park in the Kankarbagh locality of the state capital on Monday. Departmental secretary Vandana Preyashi said that the name of the park was Coconut Park when the urban development department transferred it to the forest department.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); BJP MLA Arun Kumar Sinha was also invited to the function for being the local people's representative. Sinha had, however, distanced himself from the function citing personal reasons. Reacting sharply to the renaming of Atal Park, BJP leader and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said it was extremely disappointing. Meanwhile, state BJP president Samrat Chaudhary said that the park was named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee years ago. Nitish ji says he has respect for Atal ji, but his words and deeds do not match," he remarked. Sources in the forest and climate change department said that the renaming of the park has been put on hold for the time being and the minister asked to maintain restraint due to the controversy. A group of local residents had named the park after Atal Bihari Vajpayee after his demise as a mark of respect for the department leader. Even a statue of the former Prime Minister was installed inside the park. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: Observing that pregnancy outside marriage is injurious and a cause of stress, the Supreme Court on Monday allowed a rape survivor to undergo medical termination of her over 27-week pregnancy. Taking note of the survivor's medical report, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said the Gujarat High Court was not right in rejecting the prayer for termination of pregnancy. The top court said in Indian society within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a reason for joy and celebration not only for the couple but for the family and friends. "In contrast, pregnancy outside marriage is injurious, particularly in cases of sexual assault or abuse and is a cause of stress and trauma affecting the physical and mental health of pregnant women. Sexual assault of a woman is itself distressing and sexual abuse resulting in pregnancy compounds the injury. This is because such a pregnancy is not voluntary or mindful. In view of the above discussion and the medical report, we permit the appellant to terminate her pregnancy. We direct her to be present in hospital tomorrow so that procedure for termination of pregnancy can be carried out," the bench said. The apex court said if the foetus is found to be alive, the hospital shall give all necessary assistance, including incubation to ensure the foetus survives. If it survives, the State shall take steps to ensure the child is adopted in accordance with the law, it said. In a special sitting, the top court on Saturday expressed displeasure over the Gujarat High Court adjourning the survivor's plea for medical termination of her pregnancy, and said "valuable time" has been lost during the pendency of the matter. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, the upper limit for the termination of pregnancy is 24 weeks for married women, special categories including survivors of rape and other vulnerable women such as the differently-abled and minors. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Observing that pregnancy outside marriage is injurious and a cause of stress, the Supreme Court on Monday allowed a rape survivor to undergo medical termination of her over 27-week pregnancy. Taking note of the survivor's medical report, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said the Gujarat High Court was not right in rejecting the prayer for termination of pregnancy. The top court said in Indian society within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a reason for joy and celebration not only for the couple but for the family and friends.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "In contrast, pregnancy outside marriage is injurious, particularly in cases of sexual assault or abuse and is a cause of stress and trauma affecting the physical and mental health of pregnant women. Sexual assault of a woman is itself distressing and sexual abuse resulting in pregnancy compounds the injury. This is because such a pregnancy is not voluntary or mindful. In view of the above discussion and the medical report, we permit the appellant to terminate her pregnancy. We direct her to be present in hospital tomorrow so that procedure for termination of pregnancy can be carried out," the bench said. The apex court said if the foetus is found to be alive, the hospital shall give all necessary assistance, including incubation to ensure the foetus survives. If it survives, the State shall take steps to ensure the child is adopted in accordance with the law, it said. In a special sitting, the top court on Saturday expressed displeasure over the Gujarat High Court adjourning the survivor's plea for medical termination of her pregnancy, and said "valuable time" has been lost during the pendency of the matter. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, the upper limit for the termination of pregnancy is 24 weeks for married women, special categories including survivors of rape and other vulnerable women such as the differently-abled and minors. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Online Desk On August 19, 2023, the journalists at the independent news outlet 'The Kashmir Walla' woke up to find their website and its social media accounts blocked and unreachable. A few frantic phone calls later, the journalists realized that their independent news website was blocked in India by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the IT Act, 2000. "We discovered that our Facebook page, with nearly half a million followers, had been removed. As had our Twitter account, in response to a legal demand, " a statement issued by 'The Kashmir Walla' said. Statement: When we contacted The Kashmir Walla's server provider to ask why https://t.co/zniqt5p3zU was inaccessible, they informed us that our website has been blocked in India by the MEITY under the IT Act, 2000. pic.twitter.com/3FOwFEJwVU yashraj sharma (@yashjournals) August 20, 2023 The website is no stranger to run-ins with the law. Editor Fahad Shah was arrested in February last year under various charges, such as "glorifying terrorism" and for "sharing fake news" on social media. Despite securing bail twice, he was rearrested by the J&K police and eventually booked under the Public Safety Act, which allows imprisonment without a trial for up to a year. Shah was then arrested five times in four months in what the publication described as "a saga of revolving door arrests". In January 2022, a trainee reporter with the website, Sajad Gul, was arrested and charged with 'criminal conspiracy'. The statement said Gul remains in prison in Uttar Pradesh under the Public Safety Act. This opaque censorship is gut-wrenching. There isnt a lot left for us to say anymore, the statement said. Since 2011, 'The Kashmir Walla' has strived to remain an independent, credible, and courageous voice of the region in the face of unimaginable pressure from the authorities while we watched our being ripped apart, bit by bit. 'The Kashmir Walla's story is the tale of the rise and fall of press freedom in the region. 'The Kashmir Walla' further said that they were not aware of the specifics of why the website has been blocked in India; why its Facebook page has been removed; and why its Twitter account has been withheld. "We have not been served any notice nor is there any official order regarding these actions that is in the public domain so far," read the statement. This is not the first time that a media outlet in the valley has felt the heavy arm of the government. On October 19, 2020, one of the offices of 'The Kashmir Times -- office located among several other newspaper offices in Srinagars Press Enclave -- was sealed by the union territory's estates department. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp On August 19, 2023, the journalists at the independent news outlet 'The Kashmir Walla' woke up to find their website and its social media accounts blocked and unreachable. A few frantic phone calls later, the journalists realized that their independent news website was blocked in India by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the IT Act, 2000. "We discovered that our Facebook page, with nearly half a million followers, had been removed. As had our Twitter account, in response to a legal demand, " a statement issued by 'The Kashmir Walla' said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Statement: When we contacted The Kashmir Walla's server provider to ask why https://t.co/zniqt5p3zU was inaccessible, they informed us that our website has been blocked in India by the MEITY under the IT Act, 2000. pic.twitter.com/3FOwFEJwVU yashraj sharma (@yashjournals) August 20, 2023 The website is no stranger to run-ins with the law. Editor Fahad Shah was arrested in February last year under various charges, such as "glorifying terrorism" and for "sharing fake news" on social media. Despite securing bail twice, he was rearrested by the J&K police and eventually booked under the Public Safety Act, which allows imprisonment without a trial for up to a year. Shah was then arrested five times in four months in what the publication described as "a saga of revolving door arrests". In January 2022, a trainee reporter with the website, Sajad Gul, was arrested and charged with 'criminal conspiracy'. The statement said Gul remains in prison in Uttar Pradesh under the Public Safety Act. This opaque censorship is gut-wrenching. There isnt a lot left for us to say anymore, the statement said. Since 2011, 'The Kashmir Walla' has strived to remain an independent, credible, and courageous voice of the region in the face of unimaginable pressure from the authorities while we watched our being ripped apart, bit by bit. 'The Kashmir Walla's story is the tale of the rise and fall of press freedom in the region. 'The Kashmir Walla' further said that they were not aware of the specifics of why the website has been blocked in India; why its Facebook page has been removed; and why its Twitter account has been withheld. "We have not been served any notice nor is there any official order regarding these actions that is in the public domain so far," read the statement. This is not the first time that a media outlet in the valley has felt the heavy arm of the government. On October 19, 2020, one of the offices of 'The Kashmir Times -- office located among several other newspaper offices in Srinagars Press Enclave -- was sealed by the union territory's estates department. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: A tribal organisation in strife-torn Manipur has reimposed an economic blockade on two National Highways for an indefinite period as the Centre failed to act against a selective blockade allegedly imposed by Meitei mobs in the Imphal valley targeting Kukis. According to reports reaching here, the volunteers of Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) were out on National Highways 2 and 37 the lifelines of the state on Monday to ensure that the blockade is strictly enforced. NH 2 enters Manipur from Nagaland and is a shorter route while NH 37 snakes into the state from Assam and is a longer route. Both highways pass through the Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district before entering the Imphal valley. The Manipur Police said all measures were being taken for the movement of goods-laden vehicles. ALSO READ | 212 Meiteis who found shelter at a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar return to strife-torn Manipur Movement of 163 vehicles along NH-2 with essential items have been ensured. Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations and security convoy is provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles, the Manipur Police tweeted on Sunday evening. On August 17, the CoTU had set a three-day deadline, asking the Centre to ensure the free movement of supplies to some Kuki-majority hill districts or it would be compelled to enforce a similar blockade on the two highways. It is disheartening to learn that the supply chain of essential commodities from the Imphal valley to the hill areas, particularly Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Tengnoupal districts, has been stalled by Meitei mobs, led by Meira Paibis (Meitei women torchbearers), Ng. Lun Kipgen, who is CoTUs media cell coordinator, had alleged. Therefore, the public will be compelled to impose a highway blockade if the Government of India fails to check the selective blockade imposed by the valley Meiteis within three days with effect from August 17, he had warned. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp GUWAHATI: A tribal organisation in strife-torn Manipur has reimposed an economic blockade on two National Highways for an indefinite period as the Centre failed to act against a selective blockade allegedly imposed by Meitei mobs in the Imphal valley targeting Kukis. According to reports reaching here, the volunteers of Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) were out on National Highways 2 and 37 the lifelines of the state on Monday to ensure that the blockade is strictly enforced. NH 2 enters Manipur from Nagaland and is a shorter route while NH 37 snakes into the state from Assam and is a longer route. Both highways pass through the Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district before entering the Imphal valley.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Manipur Police said all measures were being taken for the movement of goods-laden vehicles. ALSO READ | 212 Meiteis who found shelter at a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar return to strife-torn Manipur Movement of 163 vehicles along NH-2 with essential items have been ensured. Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations and security convoy is provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles, the Manipur Police tweeted on Sunday evening. On August 17, the CoTU had set a three-day deadline, asking the Centre to ensure the free movement of supplies to some Kuki-majority hill districts or it would be compelled to enforce a similar blockade on the two highways. It is disheartening to learn that the supply chain of essential commodities from the Imphal valley to the hill areas, particularly Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Tengnoupal districts, has been stalled by Meitei mobs, led by Meira Paibis (Meitei women torchbearers), Ng. Lun Kipgen, who is CoTUs media cell coordinator, had alleged. Therefore, the public will be compelled to impose a highway blockade if the Government of India fails to check the selective blockade imposed by the valley Meiteis within three days with effect from August 17, he had warned. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Shruti Kakkar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Criticising the Supreme Courts ruling of upholding wide investigative powers of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), former top court judge Justice Deepak Gupta said ED officials "have been given every police power but they are held to be not police officers". Delivering a lecture in a series organized by a media house, he said, PMLA judgment is, in my opinion, even a bigger blow than the Watali judgment. It turns the criminal law on its head. Even if we presume that the material placed by the police is right and accepted as gospel truth, why cannot the court see all the material which has been collected and decide whether the same show the prima facie case or not? The officials of the ED have been given every police power, but they are held to be not police officers. The top court in NIA vs Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali case had barred dissecting of prosecution materials at the stage of bail. Justice Gupta said that the judgment was a 'death knell' to personal liberty as the ruling made it impossible to get bail. "We live in a country which is governed by the Constitution and we cannot be deprived of our liberty except in accordance with the procedure established by law, he said. Terming court observations in the Zakia Jafris ruling regarding human rights activist Teesta Setalvad that resulted in her arrest the next day 'as uncalled for', Gupta said a constitutional court must be careful while making such observations. Observations which affect the liberty of the citizen. Can a court make such observations without even giving notice to the person against whom such observations are being made? Does not this go against the very principle of fair hearing? he asked. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Criticising the Supreme Courts ruling of upholding wide investigative powers of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), former top court judge Justice Deepak Gupta said ED officials "have been given every police power but they are held to be not police officers". Delivering a lecture in a series organized by a media house, he said, PMLA judgment is, in my opinion, even a bigger blow than the Watali judgment. It turns the criminal law on its head. Even if we presume that the material placed by the police is right and accepted as gospel truth, why cannot the court see all the material which has been collected and decide whether the same show the prima facie case or not? The officials of the ED have been given every police power, but they are held to be not police officers. The top court in NIA vs Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali case had barred dissecting of prosecution materials at the stage of bail. Justice Gupta said that the judgment was a 'death knell' to personal liberty as the ruling made it impossible to get bail.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "We live in a country which is governed by the Constitution and we cannot be deprived of our liberty except in accordance with the procedure established by law, he said. Terming court observations in the Zakia Jafris ruling regarding human rights activist Teesta Setalvad that resulted in her arrest the next day 'as uncalled for', Gupta said a constitutional court must be careful while making such observations. Observations which affect the liberty of the citizen. Can a court make such observations without even giving notice to the person against whom such observations are being made? Does not this go against the very principle of fair hearing? he asked. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Narendra Sethi By Express News Service DEHRADUN: Scientists believe that the weak geological condition in Uttarakhand is the biggest cause of the disaster that happening in the state. According to official government sources, The disaster in Uttarakhand has caused a loss of Rs 1,000 crore and 85 people have died till Sunday. Geologists and meteorologists are considering this as a far-reaching effect of climate change, but in the present context, it is the normal pattern of rainfall. Scientists say that the weak mountains in the state are unable to withstand the heavy rains and there are frequent landslides. ALSO READ | Uttarakhand breaks 72-year rain record, IMD warns of more showers in August Excessive rainfall accounted for 43.3 percent of the total monsoon in the decade 2011-2020. Surprisingly, this was the highest recorded in all 12 decades since 1901-1910, before the share of such rainfall increased to 43.4 percent in the decade 2013-2022, which has raised the concern of scientists. The government may have constraints on development in the mountains, but roads can also be developed on the lines of the way railway tracks are being laid by making tunnels between the mountains for the Karnaprayag rail project, which will help a lot in preventing landslides on the mountains, said Prof Rakesh Kumar Maikhuri, the head of the Department of Environmental Sciences, at Garhwal University. Dr. Vikram Gupta, the senior scientist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, told TNIE that there has been a change in rainfall patterns across the world as an impact of climate change. Sometimes, it is raining at a very fast pace, though for a short time, and at the same time, extreme rainfall events are also increasing. Nainital, Mussoorie region, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Yamuna valley, Alaknanda valley, Mandakini, Bhagirathi river area, Tehri (Budhakedar), Neelkanth Mahadev area (Pauri) are more vulnerable to landslides, said Dr Vikram Gupta. Well-known environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt told The New Indian Express, The mountains were not so crowded earlier, so even steep slopes did not pose as much danger as it currently is, now indiscriminate and unplanned construction on the mountains has shaken the geographical load capacity of the mountains." Dev Raghvendra, an environmentalist and researcher of environmental science said, Undoubtedly, development is necessary for the mountains and border areas, but the rapid increase in anthropogenic activities in the Himalayan region is a sign of a very big threat. According to Bikram Singh, director of the State Meteorological Centre, Uttarakhand has been recording excessive rainfall in the foothills for the past few years. READ MORE| Rain and landslides: Centre mulls concrete roads in Himachal, Uttarakhand, say reports Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp DEHRADUN: Scientists believe that the weak geological condition in Uttarakhand is the biggest cause of the disaster that happening in the state. According to official government sources, The disaster in Uttarakhand has caused a loss of Rs 1,000 crore and 85 people have died till Sunday. Geologists and meteorologists are considering this as a far-reaching effect of climate change, but in the present context, it is the normal pattern of rainfall. Scientists say that the weak mountains in the state are unable to withstand the heavy rains and there are frequent landslides.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Uttarakhand breaks 72-year rain record, IMD warns of more showers in August Excessive rainfall accounted for 43.3 percent of the total monsoon in the decade 2011-2020. Surprisingly, this was the highest recorded in all 12 decades since 1901-1910, before the share of such rainfall increased to 43.4 percent in the decade 2013-2022, which has raised the concern of scientists. The government may have constraints on development in the mountains, but roads can also be developed on the lines of the way railway tracks are being laid by making tunnels between the mountains for the Karnaprayag rail project, which will help a lot in preventing landslides on the mountains, said Prof Rakesh Kumar Maikhuri, the head of the Department of Environmental Sciences, at Garhwal University. Dr. Vikram Gupta, the senior scientist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, told TNIE that there has been a change in rainfall patterns across the world as an impact of climate change. Sometimes, it is raining at a very fast pace, though for a short time, and at the same time, extreme rainfall events are also increasing. Nainital, Mussoorie region, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Yamuna valley, Alaknanda valley, Mandakini, Bhagirathi river area, Tehri (Budhakedar), Neelkanth Mahadev area (Pauri) are more vulnerable to landslides, said Dr Vikram Gupta. Well-known environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt told The New Indian Express, The mountains were not so crowded earlier, so even steep slopes did not pose as much danger as it currently is, now indiscriminate and unplanned construction on the mountains has shaken the geographical load capacity of the mountains." Dev Raghvendra, an environmentalist and researcher of environmental science said, Undoubtedly, development is necessary for the mountains and border areas, but the rapid increase in anthropogenic activities in the Himalayan region is a sign of a very big threat. According to Bikram Singh, director of the State Meteorological Centre, Uttarakhand has been recording excessive rainfall in the foothills for the past few years. READ MORE| Rain and landslides: Centre mulls concrete roads in Himachal, Uttarakhand, say reports Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said he will attend the meeting of the opposition alliance scheduled to be held by the end of this month in Mumbai. "Will go to Mumbai. Will share with you the outcome," Kejriwal told reporters on the sidelines of an event when asked if he would join the upcoming meeting of the opposition parties in Mumbai. The meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA is scheduled to be held on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai. This will be the third meeting of the bloc forged to take on the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming general election. According to sources, the Mumbai meeting would be held in the format of the Bengaluru meeting with leaders first conversing in an informal setting on August 31 before the main meeting the next day. During the meeting, the parties are expected to iron out their differences as much as possible, especially in states where they are in a direct poll battle. The meeting is being hosted jointly by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction, with support from the Congress -- the three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. The INDIA bloc's first meeting was held in Patna in June and the second one in Bengaluru last month. At the Bengaluru meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had announced the name of the opposition bloc -- Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) -- after a nearly four-hour-long meeting of the 26 parties. He had said an 11-member committee will be set up for coordination, and a convenor will be selected, at the next meeting in Mumbai. The 26 opposition parties which are part of the opposition alliance are: the Congress, TMC, DMK, AAP, JD(U), RJD, JMM, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), SP, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RLD, MDMK, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), VCK, RSP, CPI-ML (Liberation), Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK). Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said he will attend the meeting of the opposition alliance scheduled to be held by the end of this month in Mumbai. "Will go to Mumbai. Will share with you the outcome," Kejriwal told reporters on the sidelines of an event when asked if he would join the upcoming meeting of the opposition parties in Mumbai. The meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA is scheduled to be held on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This will be the third meeting of the bloc forged to take on the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming general election. According to sources, the Mumbai meeting would be held in the format of the Bengaluru meeting with leaders first conversing in an informal setting on August 31 before the main meeting the next day. During the meeting, the parties are expected to iron out their differences as much as possible, especially in states where they are in a direct poll battle. The meeting is being hosted jointly by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction, with support from the Congress -- the three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. The INDIA bloc's first meeting was held in Patna in June and the second one in Bengaluru last month. At the Bengaluru meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had announced the name of the opposition bloc -- Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) -- after a nearly four-hour-long meeting of the 26 parties. He had said an 11-member committee will be set up for coordination, and a convenor will be selected, at the next meeting in Mumbai. The 26 opposition parties which are part of the opposition alliance are: the Congress, TMC, DMK, AAP, JD(U), RJD, JMM, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), SP, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RLD, MDMK, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), VCK, RSP, CPI-ML (Liberation), Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK). Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads out to Johannesburg to attend the 15th BRICS Summit, speculation is rife on whether he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Though there is no official word on whether PM Modi and President Xi Jinping will have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit, chances of their shaking hands and striking a conversation are strong as they would be in the same venue for nearly two days. Besides, with the G20 Summit around the corner, some pleasantries will be exchanged based on which Xi Jinping will come for the summit in September, says a source. The upcoming BRICS Summit (22nd to 24th August) will be the first in-person summit after 2019. "Schedules of PM Modis bilateral meetings in Johannesburg are still being finalised," said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday. India and Chinas standoff has continued since the Galwan clashes in 2020. PM Modi and Xi Jinping did have a conversation during the G20 Summit in Bali in November 2022, where the duo discussed stabilising ties. ALSO READ | As BRICS cooperation accelerates, is it time for the US to develop a BRICS policy? Since Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the meeting virtually, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to have a meeting with PM Modi, according to a source. Meanwhile, a business delegation will be accompanying PM Modi and he would also be addressing the Indian diaspora. "There could be conversations regarding trade in local currencies amongst partner nations as there are many countries with which India has begun trade in national currencies. The most recent addition is the Rupee-Dirham trade that was launced in the UAE recently," said Kwatra. Rubbishing rumours of the possibility of a common currency for BRICS, Kwatra said that having a single currency is a long and arduous process. The EU took nearly five decades to arrive at it, besides countries need to be at the same level of development, he said. Another major development that is being awaited at the BRICS meet is the inclusion of more members. It is reported that nearly 23 applications have been submitted from different countries to become members while in all over 40 have shown interest. Amongst those likely to be considered are Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Formally launched in 2009, the BRICS now accounts for 23 per cent of the global GDP and 42 per cent of the world's population. The combined bloc represents more than 16 per cent of the world's trade. Meanwhile, after attending the BRICS Summit, PM Modi will leave for Athens on an official visit. "The visit to Greece would give both sides an opportunity to discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest and help broaden and deepen our bilateral engagements," said Kwatra. Greece is an important partner for India in the EU as it was also a gateway to the EU market. Defence and security partnership will be the core of discussions. "Greece has amongst the best navies in Europe and we will be looking at partnerships in defence and even co-production. Migration and mobility partnership is also on the cards," said Kwatra. This will be the first visit of an Indian PM to Greece since 1983. "PM Modi will have a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsokais and discuss ways to strengthen the ties between both nations," he added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads out to Johannesburg to attend the 15th BRICS Summit, speculation is rife on whether he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Though there is no official word on whether PM Modi and President Xi Jinping will have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit, chances of their shaking hands and striking a conversation are strong as they would be in the same venue for nearly two days. Besides, with the G20 Summit around the corner, some pleasantries will be exchanged based on which Xi Jinping will come for the summit in September, says a source. The upcoming BRICS Summit (22nd to 24th August) will be the first in-person summit after 2019.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Schedules of PM Modis bilateral meetings in Johannesburg are still being finalised," said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday. India and Chinas standoff has continued since the Galwan clashes in 2020. PM Modi and Xi Jinping did have a conversation during the G20 Summit in Bali in November 2022, where the duo discussed stabilising ties. ALSO READ | As BRICS cooperation accelerates, is it time for the US to develop a BRICS policy? Since Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the meeting virtually, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to have a meeting with PM Modi, according to a source. Meanwhile, a business delegation will be accompanying PM Modi and he would also be addressing the Indian diaspora. "There could be conversations regarding trade in local currencies amongst partner nations as there are many countries with which India has begun trade in national currencies. The most recent addition is the Rupee-Dirham trade that was launced in the UAE recently," said Kwatra. Rubbishing rumours of the possibility of a common currency for BRICS, Kwatra said that having a single currency is a long and arduous process. The EU took nearly five decades to arrive at it, besides countries need to be at the same level of development, he said. Another major development that is being awaited at the BRICS meet is the inclusion of more members. It is reported that nearly 23 applications have been submitted from different countries to become members while in all over 40 have shown interest. Amongst those likely to be considered are Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Formally launched in 2009, the BRICS now accounts for 23 per cent of the global GDP and 42 per cent of the world's population. The combined bloc represents more than 16 per cent of the world's trade. Meanwhile, after attending the BRICS Summit, PM Modi will leave for Athens on an official visit. "The visit to Greece would give both sides an opportunity to discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest and help broaden and deepen our bilateral engagements," said Kwatra. Greece is an important partner for India in the EU as it was also a gateway to the EU market. Defence and security partnership will be the core of discussions. "Greece has amongst the best navies in Europe and we will be looking at partnerships in defence and even co-production. Migration and mobility partnership is also on the cards," said Kwatra. This will be the first visit of an Indian PM to Greece since 1983. "PM Modi will have a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsokais and discuss ways to strengthen the ties between both nations," he added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Shankari Sundararaman By Last months general elections in Cambodia did little to secure the countrys domestic political processes, leaving the country open to international criticism even as the mantle of political leadership passed from the hands of Prime Minister Hun Sen to his son Hun Manet, keeping the family firmly in control of the countrys political fortunes. The recent elections are also significant as three decades have passed following the UN-sponsored electoral process which ended the Cambodian conflict, ushering in what was believed to be a period of democratic reforms. However, in less than five years after the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) mission ended in Cambodia, the country has literally reverted to a one-party rule under the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP). The recent elections have further highlighted how the CPP has remained in control and there have been few efforts to allow for opposition voices and members to participate in the electoral process. The two main opponents of Hun Sens political leadershipSam Rainsy and Kem Sokhahave been politically marginalised to such an extent that Rainsy has lived in exile since 2005, with only brief interludes in the country. Meanwhile, Sokha is under a 27-year house arrest after he was found guilty of treason in March 2023. This brings to light a more generic problem: Southeast Asias democracy deficit. This actually makes the region more vulnerable to major power rivalry; where internal cohesion remains weak, external factors will have the capacity to drive wedges between states, pulling them further away from each other. The ASEAN as a regional grouping has often underscored the need for democratic transition in the region, and while some countries like Indonesia and the Philippines have shown a greater commitment towards democracy, the challenges even in these have been evident. Over the last year, there have been elections in four ASEAN countries, all of which have indicated that there is no consensus within. In the case of the Philippines, the elections in May 2022 saw a shift from the Duterte groups rule to the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., popularly known as Bongbong Marcos. The recent political fortunes of the Marcos family in the Philippines reflect the electorates remarkably short memory of how the family lost its position during a democratic shift in 1986. Less than four decades after its downfall, the Marcos family is back again at the helm of affairs, albeit through an electoral process. The period of the Marcos familys authoritarian military rule has not been completely forgotten, but the capacity to move towards a genuine form of democracy through significant changes in governance processes and power-sharing remains weak in the highly centralised presidency. In November 2022, the electoral process in Malaysia ushered in a new government, but the preceding two years had witnessed severe domestic political turmoil. Following what was popularly known as the Sheraton Movewhen Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad stepped down after just 22 months in officeMalaysia had a tumultuous period of uncertainty, with three prime ministers over the course of four years, and all three led very tenuous coalitions which threatened to rock domestic stability. In recent times, the breaking of the coalitions and formations of newer groups have been dominated by the need to keep the Malay-Muslim vote share, which has crucially affected the agenda of governance within the country. Even the electoral victory of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, while a welcome shift, still remains dependent on coalition groups, which may very well affect the agenda-setting in terms of concrete reforms in the political system. Then there is Thailand. In May 2023, the country went into general elections after the king dissolved Parliament in March. While the electoral victory of the Move Forward Party (MFP) under Pita Limjaroenrat was critical, his suspension from Thailands Parliament in line with the ruling of the Thai Constitutional Court raises a serious question on respecting the electoral verdict. In the two preceding general elections in 2011 and 2019, the stage had been set for the clash between those who were seeking genuine democratic reforms and those who suppported the monarchy-military leadership. The military has been in power since 1932 with the support and backing of the royal family. The democratic shift in 1992 was short-lived and by 2006, the country slid back into military rule and this has continued almost uninterrupted. Protests have literally brought the country to a standstill on several occasions, and have been met with firm resistance from the government each time. ALSO READ | Papua New Guinea: A new stage for the US-China rivalry The coup detat of 2014under the military leadership of General Prayut Chan-o-chaended months of a political standoff between pro- and anti-government protesters, and resulted in the installation of the National Council for Peace and Order. This was almost on the same lines of the State Peace and Development Council in Myanmar, which was a military organisation that had power over the government. The Thai Constitution of 2017 also provides for the military to have a continued role in the government and does little to bring about genuine democratic reforms in the country. While these four countries are clear indicators of the degree of democratic deficit in the region, none is as brazenly apparent as the Myanmar case, where the continued violence between the State Administration Council (Myanmars junta) and the Peoples Defence Forces and ethnic armed groups has continued unabated for over two years now. While the ASEAN charter of 2008 indicated the need for democratic transition in the region, the recent political developments in Southeast Asia do not seem to give any such assurance. Shankari Sundararaman Professor at School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi (shankari@mail.jnu.ac.in) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Last months general elections in Cambodia did little to secure the countrys domestic political processes, leaving the country open to international criticism even as the mantle of political leadership passed from the hands of Prime Minister Hun Sen to his son Hun Manet, keeping the family firmly in control of the countrys political fortunes. The recent elections are also significant as three decades have passed following the UN-sponsored electoral process which ended the Cambodian conflict, ushering in what was believed to be a period of democratic reforms. However, in less than five years after the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) mission ended in Cambodia, the country has literally reverted to a one-party rule under the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP). The recent elections have further highlighted how the CPP has remained in control and there have been few efforts to allow for opposition voices and members to participate in the electoral process. The two main opponents of Hun Sens political leadershipSam Rainsy and Kem Sokhahave been politically marginalised to such an extent that Rainsy has lived in exile since 2005, with only brief interludes in the country. Meanwhile, Sokha is under a 27-year house arrest after he was found guilty of treason in March 2023. This brings to light a more generic problem: Southeast Asias democracy deficit. This actually makes the region more vulnerable to major power rivalry; where internal cohesion remains weak, external factors will have the capacity to drive wedges between states, pulling them further away from each other. The ASEAN as a regional grouping has often underscored the need for democratic transition in the region, and while some countries like Indonesia and the Philippines have shown a greater commitment towards democracy, the challenges even in these have been evident.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Over the last year, there have been elections in four ASEAN countries, all of which have indicated that there is no consensus within. In the case of the Philippines, the elections in May 2022 saw a shift from the Duterte groups rule to the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., popularly known as Bongbong Marcos. The recent political fortunes of the Marcos family in the Philippines reflect the electorates remarkably short memory of how the family lost its position during a democratic shift in 1986. Less than four decades after its downfall, the Marcos family is back again at the helm of affairs, albeit through an electoral process. The period of the Marcos familys authoritarian military rule has not been completely forgotten, but the capacity to move towards a genuine form of democracy through significant changes in governance processes and power-sharing remains weak in the highly centralised presidency. In November 2022, the electoral process in Malaysia ushered in a new government, but the preceding two years had witnessed severe domestic political turmoil. Following what was popularly known as the Sheraton Movewhen Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad stepped down after just 22 months in officeMalaysia had a tumultuous period of uncertainty, with three prime ministers over the course of four years, and all three led very tenuous coalitions which threatened to rock domestic stability. In recent times, the breaking of the coalitions and formations of newer groups have been dominated by the need to keep the Malay-Muslim vote share, which has crucially affected the agenda of governance within the country. Even the electoral victory of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, while a welcome shift, still remains dependent on coalition groups, which may very well affect the agenda-setting in terms of concrete reforms in the political system. Then there is Thailand. In May 2023, the country went into general elections after the king dissolved Parliament in March. While the electoral victory of the Move Forward Party (MFP) under Pita Limjaroenrat was critical, his suspension from Thailands Parliament in line with the ruling of the Thai Constitutional Court raises a serious question on respecting the electoral verdict. In the two preceding general elections in 2011 and 2019, the stage had been set for the clash between those who were seeking genuine democratic reforms and those who suppported the monarchy-military leadership. The military has been in power since 1932 with the support and backing of the royal family. The democratic shift in 1992 was short-lived and by 2006, the country slid back into military rule and this has continued almost uninterrupted. Protests have literally brought the country to a standstill on several occasions, and have been met with firm resistance from the government each time. ALSO READ | Papua New Guinea: A new stage for the US-China rivalry The coup detat of 2014under the military leadership of General Prayut Chan-o-chaended months of a political standoff between pro- and anti-government protesters, and resulted in the installation of the National Council for Peace and Order. This was almost on the same lines of the State Peace and Development Council in Myanmar, which was a military organisation that had power over the government. The Thai Constitution of 2017 also provides for the military to have a continued role in the government and does little to bring about genuine democratic reforms in the country. While these four countries are clear indicators of the degree of democratic deficit in the region, none is as brazenly apparent as the Myanmar case, where the continued violence between the State Administration Council (Myanmars junta) and the Peoples Defence Forces and ethnic armed groups has continued unabated for over two years now. While the ASEAN charter of 2008 indicated the need for democratic transition in the region, the recent political developments in Southeast Asia do not seem to give any such assurance. Shankari Sundararaman Professor at School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi (shankari@mail.jnu.ac.in) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Some of us in India have a Pakistan obsession; we love to keep our eyes on that nation and analyse its every development. Personally, I do not profess to do that but I do think Pakistan is one nation which gives enough opportunity to analysts to continually test their wares. Its one of those nations where if you do not follow the happenings, you are outdated in two days. Things go wrong in India, too, just as they would in a nation of 1.4 billion: communal riots, agitations and ethnic instability. Yet, from a geopolitical angle, much of this gets subsumed under Indias economic success, political stability and rising stature in the world order. There was a time when Pakistan, too, was feted and cultivated for a variety of reasons, none of which are valid today. Though not really a basket case, Pakistan has been off the rails for long and its current dynamics give no respite, be it internal politics, economy, sectarianism, radicalism, regional issues or foreign policy. A temporary reprieve seems to have come its way in the last few weeksin the economic domain. Most analysts always felt that with a degree of brinkmanship, Pakistan would not be allowed to go under. It did display remarkable ability to survive even in the face of an existential crisis. That was an achievement of sorts for former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Pakistan Army is determined to ensure elections, which could take place in November this year. The Army does not wish to rule, since most of the power is already in its hands; it is far more prudent to hold that power from behind rather than directly. That probably has the approval of the Pakistan Armys biggest sponsor, the US. The latter is acutely aware of the dangers of letting things go adrift in Pakistans political scene. It contended with Imran Khans maverick attitude while he was the prime minister and even witnessed the rise of his street popularity. The symbolism of Imran Khans presence in Moscow on the day the Ukraine War commenced is not something the US will forget in a hurry. Reports are indicating that Imran Khans constant reference to the foreign hand against him is a finger pointed at the US, which wanted him removed at any cost; the issue has yet to die down. So, the election is likely to take place, as per the Constitution, with caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, a known Army supporter, in the seat. His job will be to keep the nation on the rails in terms of both political and economic stabilisation for the next few months, with the $350-billion economy on survival mode after getting a last-minute $3-billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), averting a sovereign debt default. In the next four to five years, Pakistan is due to service loans of almost $80bn. However, almost every step will have to cater to the directions of foreign funders and neutralizing all those internal forces who threaten to bring about an implosion of catastrophic proportions. There is, of course, a contingency that could see Kakars interim stewardship extended. The outgoing government had approved the results of Pakistans latest census, which took place in May 2023. Pakistans Constitution needs elections to take place within 90 days after the Assembly is dissolved. It also lays down that polls must take place as per constituency delimitation, which must be marked according to the latest census. The Election Commission of Pakistan needs at least four months to complete new delimitations. So, elections may not be held this year. Was all this contrived to give the constituents of the Pakistan Democratic Movement more time? This is something they have been demanding so as to allow the disastrous economic situation to stabilise, which anyway is highly unlikely. All the above will perhaps lead to Pakistans politics being controlled for many years by the Army as proxy of the US, but with a selected government. With China reportedly seeing early signs of economic decline, a decrease in assistance could be on the cards. It does not necessarily mean a reduction of influence but a short-term standstill; the balance may thus once again tilt towards the US. The US-Pak relationship is perennial and this only recently saw reinforcement with the supply of ammunition to Ukraine from the Pakistan ammunition factories at Wah. The Twitter handle Ukraine Weapons Tracker said that Pakistan was part of an air bridge for supplying weapons to Ukraine. All this while, Pakistan has been sourcing wheat from Russia and a first consignment of Russian discounted oil has also been supplied to it, with the US turning a blind eye. A policy of higher tolerance seems to be followed by the US to allow Pakistan greater flexibility in foreign policy. In this context, Pakistans relationship with Saudi Arabia may not be as warm as it has historically been. Its refusal to join the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen some years ago led to some cooling which is yet on recovery mode, and there is considerable recovery to be made. ALSO READ | Article 370 abrogation: Four years on, a cautious elation So, what can we expect in the run up to the elections if they are to be held in November or delayed by a few weeks? There are indicators of the return of former PM Nawaz Sharif, and there is a broad understanding within his Pakistan Muslim League (N) that he would be PM. The question one asks is whether the Pakistan Peoples Party with the Zardari-Bilawal element is seeking to be so easily subsumed. Bilawal is maturing, his articulation is excellent, and he is obviously ambitious. Is the PDM, therefore, likely to return, or will the elections be fought on individual manifestoswith a consensus after the polls if they do not achieve clear results? Much will depend on how the political scenario unfolds with reference to Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He is serving jail time for three years and is banned from elections for five. If the PTI without Imran can garner large-scale public support, it would be a different story, with the PDM coming back together, in a hurry. What does this augur for us in India, with Pakistan at a low? If reports are true that General Asim Munir is working hard to make Pakistans governance more effectiveand foreign policy is at a lower priority except in the economic domainthere should be a period of relative calm on the western borders and efforts towards J&K will remain low-key. Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Now Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir (atahasnain@gmail.com) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Some of us in India have a Pakistan obsession; we love to keep our eyes on that nation and analyse its every development. Personally, I do not profess to do that but I do think Pakistan is one nation which gives enough opportunity to analysts to continually test their wares. Its one of those nations where if you do not follow the happenings, you are outdated in two days. Things go wrong in India, too, just as they would in a nation of 1.4 billion: communal riots, agitations and ethnic instability. Yet, from a geopolitical angle, much of this gets subsumed under Indias economic success, political stability and rising stature in the world order. There was a time when Pakistan, too, was feted and cultivated for a variety of reasons, none of which are valid today. Though not really a basket case, Pakistan has been off the rails for long and its current dynamics give no respite, be it internal politics, economy, sectarianism, radicalism, regional issues or foreign policy. A temporary reprieve seems to have come its way in the last few weeksin the economic domain. Most analysts always felt that with a degree of brinkmanship, Pakistan would not be allowed to go under. It did display remarkable ability to survive even in the face of an existential crisis. That was an achievement of sorts for former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Pakistan Army is determined to ensure elections, which could take place in November this year. The Army does not wish to rule, since most of the power is already in its hands; it is far more prudent to hold that power from behind rather than directly. That probably has the approval of the Pakistan Armys biggest sponsor, the US. The latter is acutely aware of the dangers of letting things go adrift in Pakistans political scene. It contended with Imran Khans maverick attitude while he was the prime minister and even witnessed the rise of his street popularity. The symbolism of Imran Khans presence in Moscow on the day the Ukraine War commenced is not something the US will forget in a hurry. Reports are indicating that Imran Khans constant reference to the foreign hand against him is a finger pointed at the US, which wanted him removed at any cost; the issue has yet to die down. So, the election is likely to take place, as per the Constitution, with caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, a known Army supporter, in the seat. His job will be to keep the nation on the rails in terms of both political and economic stabilisation for the next few months, with the $350-billion economy on survival mode after getting a last-minute $3-billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), averting a sovereign debt default. In the next four to five years, Pakistan is due to service loans of almost $80bn. However, almost every step will have to cater to the directions of foreign funders and neutralizing all those internal forces who threaten to bring about an implosion of catastrophic proportions. There is, of course, a contingency that could see Kakars interim stewardship extended. The outgoing government had approved the results of Pakistans latest census, which took place in May 2023. Pakistans Constitution needs elections to take place within 90 days after the Assembly is dissolved. It also lays down that polls must take place as per constituency delimitation, which must be marked according to the latest census. The Election Commission of Pakistan needs at least four months to complete new delimitations. So, elections may not be held this year. Was all this contrived to give the constituents of the Pakistan Democratic Movement more time? This is something they have been demanding so as to allow the disastrous economic situation to stabilise, which anyway is highly unlikely. All the above will perhaps lead to Pakistans politics being controlled for many years by the Army as proxy of the US, but with a selected government. With China reportedly seeing early signs of economic decline, a decrease in assistance could be on the cards. It does not necessarily mean a reduction of influence but a short-term standstill; the balance may thus once again tilt towards the US. The US-Pak relationship is perennial and this only recently saw reinforcement with the supply of ammunition to Ukraine from the Pakistan ammunition factories at Wah. The Twitter handle Ukraine Weapons Tracker said that Pakistan was part of an air bridge for supplying weapons to Ukraine. All this while, Pakistan has been sourcing wheat from Russia and a first consignment of Russian discounted oil has also been supplied to it, with the US turning a blind eye. A policy of higher tolerance seems to be followed by the US to allow Pakistan greater flexibility in foreign policy. In this context, Pakistans relationship with Saudi Arabia may not be as warm as it has historically been. Its refusal to join the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen some years ago led to some cooling which is yet on recovery mode, and there is considerable recovery to be made. ALSO READ | Article 370 abrogation: Four years on, a cautious elation So, what can we expect in the run up to the elections if they are to be held in November or delayed by a few weeks? There are indicators of the return of former PM Nawaz Sharif, and there is a broad understanding within his Pakistan Muslim League (N) that he would be PM. The question one asks is whether the Pakistan Peoples Party with the Zardari-Bilawal element is seeking to be so easily subsumed. Bilawal is maturing, his articulation is excellent, and he is obviously ambitious. Is the PDM, therefore, likely to return, or will the elections be fought on individual manifestoswith a consensus after the polls if they do not achieve clear results? Much will depend on how the political scenario unfolds with reference to Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He is serving jail time for three years and is banned from elections for five. If the PTI without Imran can garner large-scale public support, it would be a different story, with the PDM coming back together, in a hurry. What does this augur for us in India, with Pakistan at a low? If reports are true that General Asim Munir is working hard to make Pakistans governance more effectiveand foreign policy is at a lower priority except in the economic domainthere should be a period of relative calm on the western borders and efforts towards J&K will remain low-key. Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Now Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir (atahasnain@gmail.com) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp S Lalitha By Express News Service BENGALURU: A 51-year-old Maldives resident molested an air hostess who came to serve him and behaved obscenely with two other women cabin crew members on an IndiGo flight from Male to Bengaluru on Friday evening (August 18). After landing at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), he was arrested and sent to jail, the police said. Akram Ahmed, who is from Male in Maldives, has been booked under Sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman intending to outrage her modesty) and 409 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC. The incident occurred on board flight No. 6E 1128 after the flight departed at 3.48 pm from the Velana International Airport in Male. Ahmed, seated in 38D, asked for a glass of beer and cashew nuts, states the FIR copy. A flight attendant brought them over to him. The complaint states that when taking them from her, the flyer is reported to have remarked, I have been looking for a girl like you for the last 51 years. How much do you charge for service and when will you be free? Ahmed also allegedly handed over a $100 bill to her and told her to pay $10 for what he had ordered and to keep the rest. He also allegedly touched her inappropriately. IndiGo confirms incident, terms passenger unruly Later, when another flight attendant went to ask him to pay up for what he had ordered, Ahmed put his hands inside his pockets as if to take out cash and made an obscene gesture, the FIR states. The flight reached Terminal 1 of KIA at 6.15 pm. Ahmed got up hurriedly to alight when yet another woman flight attendant asked him to remain seated for some time. He, however, misbehaved with her too. Before landing, the cabin crew had alerted the Central Industrial Security Force personnel about the incident. They were waiting for his arrival and took him into custody as soon as he stepped out of the flight, the police said. Ahmed was taken to the police station and an FIR was filed against him on Friday night. The complaint was filed by an official of IndiGo. IndiGo confirmed that an incident occurred on board its flight. A statement from the carrier read: An IndiGo crew member on flight 6E1128 from Maldives to Bengaluru on August 18, 2023, was the victim of inappropriate behaviour by a passenger. As per protocol, the passenger was declared unruly, and handed over to the airport security on arrival. An FIR has been filed against the passenger with local police and the matter was referred to the authorities for further action. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BENGALURU: A 51-year-old Maldives resident molested an air hostess who came to serve him and behaved obscenely with two other women cabin crew members on an IndiGo flight from Male to Bengaluru on Friday evening (August 18). After landing at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), he was arrested and sent to jail, the police said. Akram Ahmed, who is from Male in Maldives, has been booked under Sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman intending to outrage her modesty) and 409 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC. The incident occurred on board flight No. 6E 1128 after the flight departed at 3.48 pm from the Velana International Airport in Male. Ahmed, seated in 38D, asked for a glass of beer and cashew nuts, states the FIR copy. A flight attendant brought them over to him. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The complaint states that when taking them from her, the flyer is reported to have remarked, I have been looking for a girl like you for the last 51 years. How much do you charge for service and when will you be free? Ahmed also allegedly handed over a $100 bill to her and told her to pay $10 for what he had ordered and to keep the rest. He also allegedly touched her inappropriately. IndiGo confirms incident, terms passenger unruly Later, when another flight attendant went to ask him to pay up for what he had ordered, Ahmed put his hands inside his pockets as if to take out cash and made an obscene gesture, the FIR states. The flight reached Terminal 1 of KIA at 6.15 pm. Ahmed got up hurriedly to alight when yet another woman flight attendant asked him to remain seated for some time. He, however, misbehaved with her too. Before landing, the cabin crew had alerted the Central Industrial Security Force personnel about the incident. They were waiting for his arrival and took him into custody as soon as he stepped out of the flight, the police said. Ahmed was taken to the police station and an FIR was filed against him on Friday night. The complaint was filed by an official of IndiGo. IndiGo confirmed that an incident occurred on board its flight. A statement from the carrier read: An IndiGo crew member on flight 6E1128 from Maldives to Bengaluru on August 18, 2023, was the victim of inappropriate behaviour by a passenger. As per protocol, the passenger was declared unruly, and handed over to the airport security on arrival. An FIR has been filed against the passenger with local police and the matter was referred to the authorities for further action. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Shruti Kakkar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to constitute a bench for hearing the Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking to direct the Karnataka government to forthwith release from its reservoirs 24000 cusecs of water, commencing from August 14, 2023, to meet the pressing demands of standing crops. The plea was mentioned by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi before a bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud. Urging the court to list its plea in the Cauvery water dispute row, Rohatgi said that the standing crops in delta districts need water urgently. Considering the counsels request, the bench agreed to constitute a bench. Ill constitute a bench today, the CJI said. TN Government in its plea argued that Water Management Authority (CWMA) had on August 11, 2023, reduced the cusecs from 15000 to 10000 (0.864 TMC per day) which was to be released by Karnataka for the next 15 days from KRS and Kabini reservoirs. But, even this has not been complied with by the Karnataka government. The actual flow recorded at Billigundulu on 11.08.2023; 12.08.2023; 13.08.2023 and 14.08.2023 were 6148, 4852, 4453 and about 4000 cusecs, respectively, the plea states. Highlighting the efforts that have been undertaken by the Tamil Nadu government to get its due of water from Karnataka, the plea states that Karnataka is duty-bound to release the water as per the orders passed by the top court. 14.913 lakh acres (net area) are dependent on Mettur reservoir for irrigation, which in turn depends on the flows realized at Billigundulu, based on the flows released by Karnataka from KRS and Kabini reservoirs, which gets a major portion of inflows during South West Monsoon. During this monsoon period, both Kuruvai and Samba crops are sown and transplanted in the Cauvery Delta. Hence, the release of water from Mettur during South West Monsoon is crucial. About 4 million farmers and about 10 million labourers both directly and indirectly depend on Mettur water for their livelihood. The agricultural operations in the Cauvery delta are suffering for want of adequate water and the crops are facing water stress, which would affect the agricultural production. Against this backdrop, Tamil Nadu has sought implementation of the top courts February 16, 2018, ruling directing the Karnataka government to deliver Cauvery waters to the state at the designated point as per the monthly schedule. MK Stalin-led government has also prayed for directing Karnataka government to ensure the stipulated release of water for September to compensate for the shortfall of 28.849 TMC during the current irrigation year and also direct CWMA to ensure implementation of directions issued to Karnataka and give effect to the stipulated monthly releases during the remaining period of the current water year. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to constitute a bench for hearing the Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking to direct the Karnataka government to forthwith release from its reservoirs 24000 cusecs of water, commencing from August 14, 2023, to meet the pressing demands of standing crops. The plea was mentioned by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi before a bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud. Urging the court to list its plea in the Cauvery water dispute row, Rohatgi said that the standing crops in delta districts need water urgently. Considering the counsels request, the bench agreed to constitute a bench. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Ill constitute a bench today, the CJI said. TN Government in its plea argued that Water Management Authority (CWMA) had on August 11, 2023, reduced the cusecs from 15000 to 10000 (0.864 TMC per day) which was to be released by Karnataka for the next 15 days from KRS and Kabini reservoirs. But, even this has not been complied with by the Karnataka government. The actual flow recorded at Billigundulu on 11.08.2023; 12.08.2023; 13.08.2023 and 14.08.2023 were 6148, 4852, 4453 and about 4000 cusecs, respectively, the plea states. Highlighting the efforts that have been undertaken by the Tamil Nadu government to get its due of water from Karnataka, the plea states that Karnataka is duty-bound to release the water as per the orders passed by the top court. 14.913 lakh acres (net area) are dependent on Mettur reservoir for irrigation, which in turn depends on the flows realized at Billigundulu, based on the flows released by Karnataka from KRS and Kabini reservoirs, which gets a major portion of inflows during South West Monsoon. During this monsoon period, both Kuruvai and Samba crops are sown and transplanted in the Cauvery Delta. Hence, the release of water from Mettur during South West Monsoon is crucial. About 4 million farmers and about 10 million labourers both directly and indirectly depend on Mettur water for their livelihood. The agricultural operations in the Cauvery delta are suffering for want of adequate water and the crops are facing water stress, which would affect the agricultural production. Against this backdrop, Tamil Nadu has sought implementation of the top courts February 16, 2018, ruling directing the Karnataka government to deliver Cauvery waters to the state at the designated point as per the monthly schedule. MK Stalin-led government has also prayed for directing Karnataka government to ensure the stipulated release of water for September to compensate for the shortfall of 28.849 TMC during the current irrigation year and also direct CWMA to ensure implementation of directions issued to Karnataka and give effect to the stipulated monthly releases during the remaining period of the current water year. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By AFP WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden heads to Hawaii on Monday to view the widespread damage from the recent Maui wildfires, meet with survivors and fend off criticism that his government was too slow to respond to the disaster. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will arrive nearly two weeks after ferocious, wind-whipped blazes ripped through the historic town of Lahaina, claiming at least 114 lives -- and likely many more as over 1,000 people are still missing. After an aerial tour of the damage and a briefing by local officials, Biden plans to announce the appointment of a chief federal response coordinator to oversee the recovery effort, according to a White House official. Bob Fenton of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is "one of the nation's most experienced disaster response-and-recovery officials who has been on the ground in Hawaii from the day the wildfires started," the official said. Biden will also announce a $3 million "quick release" emergency fund requested by Hawaii's Department of Transportation "to offset costs associated with traffic management services and repairs to infrastructure." Biden issued a major-disaster declaration on August 10, two days after the devastating fires, to expedite federal funding and assistance to the area. But some critics, including disgruntled survivors in Hawaii and some Republicans hoping to face Biden in next year's presidential election, say federal aid has been inadequate and poorly organized. ALSO READ | Maui fires: Immigrant workers' incalculable loss; rebuilding lives together Former president Donald Trump said it was "disgraceful" that his successor had not responded more quickly, though White House spokesmen have said Biden delayed his trip so as not to distract officials and rescuers on the ground from recovery efforts. By visiting Hawaii, Biden "is going to be able to see what I saw when I went to Maui last week, and just really experience the complete and utter devastation that this town had experienced," Deanne Criswell, a FEMA administrator said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "He's also going to be able to talk with people and hear their stories and provide a sense of hope and assurance that the federal government is going to be with them," she said. In a statement Sunday, Biden said, "I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy." Agonizingly slow Criswell, defending the government's response during appearances on Sunday talk shows, said Biden's presence on Monday should underscore his commitment to ensuring Hawaii's recovery. She said more than 1,000 federal responders were now on the ground in Hawaii -- and added that none of them would have to be moved to the US Southwest, which is contending with Tropical Storm Hilary. Maui residents say the process of recovering lost loved ones -- and identifying bodies -- has been agonizingly slow. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Sunday that more than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for, and that the number probably includes many children. ALSO READ | Maui emergency manager resigns after wildfire warning criticism While search teams have covered 85 percent of the search zone, the remaining 15 percent could take weeks, Green said on CBS's "Face the Nation." The fire's extreme heat meant it might be impossible to recover some remains "meaningfully." Criswell acknowledged that the process could be frustratingly slow, but said the federal government had sent experts from the FBI, the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services to help with the slow and painstaking identification process. Presidential visits to major disaster zones, while viewed as almost politically mandatory, can carry risks. When President George W. Bush traveled to Louisiana in 2005 to witness the historic devastation of Hurricane Katrina, critics seized on pictures of him looking out the window of Air Force One while flying over New Orleans to say his arms-length visit lacked empathy. And when then-president Donald Trump casually tossed rolls of paper towels into a crowd in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico in 2017, critics called his gesture cavalier and insensitive. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden heads to Hawaii on Monday to view the widespread damage from the recent Maui wildfires, meet with survivors and fend off criticism that his government was too slow to respond to the disaster. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will arrive nearly two weeks after ferocious, wind-whipped blazes ripped through the historic town of Lahaina, claiming at least 114 lives -- and likely many more as over 1,000 people are still missing. After an aerial tour of the damage and a briefing by local officials, Biden plans to announce the appointment of a chief federal response coordinator to oversee the recovery effort, according to a White House official.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Bob Fenton of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is "one of the nation's most experienced disaster response-and-recovery officials who has been on the ground in Hawaii from the day the wildfires started," the official said. Biden will also announce a $3 million "quick release" emergency fund requested by Hawaii's Department of Transportation "to offset costs associated with traffic management services and repairs to infrastructure." Biden issued a major-disaster declaration on August 10, two days after the devastating fires, to expedite federal funding and assistance to the area. But some critics, including disgruntled survivors in Hawaii and some Republicans hoping to face Biden in next year's presidential election, say federal aid has been inadequate and poorly organized. ALSO READ | Maui fires: Immigrant workers' incalculable loss; rebuilding lives together Former president Donald Trump said it was "disgraceful" that his successor had not responded more quickly, though White House spokesmen have said Biden delayed his trip so as not to distract officials and rescuers on the ground from recovery efforts. By visiting Hawaii, Biden "is going to be able to see what I saw when I went to Maui last week, and just really experience the complete and utter devastation that this town had experienced," Deanne Criswell, a FEMA administrator said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "He's also going to be able to talk with people and hear their stories and provide a sense of hope and assurance that the federal government is going to be with them," she said. In a statement Sunday, Biden said, "I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy." Agonizingly slow Criswell, defending the government's response during appearances on Sunday talk shows, said Biden's presence on Monday should underscore his commitment to ensuring Hawaii's recovery. She said more than 1,000 federal responders were now on the ground in Hawaii -- and added that none of them would have to be moved to the US Southwest, which is contending with Tropical Storm Hilary. Maui residents say the process of recovering lost loved ones -- and identifying bodies -- has been agonizingly slow. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Sunday that more than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for, and that the number probably includes many children. ALSO READ | Maui emergency manager resigns after wildfire warning criticism While search teams have covered 85 percent of the search zone, the remaining 15 percent could take weeks, Green said on CBS's "Face the Nation." The fire's extreme heat meant it might be impossible to recover some remains "meaningfully." Criswell acknowledged that the process could be frustratingly slow, but said the federal government had sent experts from the FBI, the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services to help with the slow and painstaking identification process. Presidential visits to major disaster zones, while viewed as almost politically mandatory, can carry risks. When President George W. Bush traveled to Louisiana in 2005 to witness the historic devastation of Hurricane Katrina, critics seized on pictures of him looking out the window of Air Force One while flying over New Orleans to say his arms-length visit lacked empathy. And when then-president Donald Trump casually tossed rolls of paper towels into a crowd in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico in 2017, critics called his gesture cavalier and insensitive. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Nikita Dutta's mantra is 'life is always better watching sunsets on a beach' New Delhi, Aug 20 K nown for her roles in 'Lust Stories', 'Kabir Singh', 'The Big Bull' and 'Gold' among others, actress Nikita Dutta has set the Instagram on fire with her stunning beach pictures. Taking to photo-sharing app, Nikita shared a string of throwback photos from her Maldives vacation. In the pictures, she can be seen in black sleeveless bodycon swimsuit, and her hair let open. In one photo, she is posing while sitting inside a pool. Another picture features her posing on the beach, with a picturesque view of the sea as the backdrop. One photo shows her happily playing with water. She captioned the post, "Life is always better watching sunsets on a beach, while also sitting in a pool #Throwback #Maldives #IndianOcean". Fans went into a frenzy after seeing the smoking hot pictures of Nikita. They wrote "hotness explosion", "lovely pictures", "amazing", "gorgeous", "fire h tu", "hot black pepper", and "kaatil". On the film front, she was last seen as Tania, in musical supernatural comedy drama 'Rocket Gang'. The flick starred Aditya Seal as Amarbir, and Jason Tham. The film also featured Ranbir Kapoor as an Angel in a special appearance in the song "Har Bachcha Hai Rocket". Nikita was also seen in web series 'Khakee The Bihar Chapter' created by Neeraj Pandey. It starred Karan Tacker (as IPS Amit Lodha) in the lead. She played the character of Tanu Lodha, wife of Amit in the crime thriller series. She will be next making Marathi debut with 'Gharat Ganpati'. Nikita also has 'Dangey' in her kitty. Nikita Dutta's mantra is 'life is always better watching sunsets on a beach' Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Surat, Aug 20 I n a historic milestone for Diamond Hospital in Surat, a remarkable record of 31 deliveries in a single day has been achieved, marking a momentous day for both the hospital and the local community. Amid the joyous celebrations, the hospital resonated with the cries of 17 girls and 14 boys. Renowned for its commitment to promoting gender equality and health, Diamond Hospital has gained prominence for its unique initiative that strikes at the heart of societal norms. The hospital extends its generosity by refraining from charging parents a single rupee if a daughter is born, thereby challenging conventional notions and fostering a spirit of inclusivity. Besides, the hospital maintains that its steadfast dedication to maternal and infant well-being remains unwavering. The cost for a normal delivery stands at Rs 1,800 while a cesarean delivery is priced at Rs 5,000, enabling access to quality healthcare for all. A hospital official said that "a defining aspect of Diamond Hospital's mission lies in its determination to address the issue of gender bias head-on". For every couple blessed with more than one daughter, the hospital presents a bond of Rs 1 lakh to each daughter, marking a commitment to a future of equal opportunities. A staggering Rs 20 crore worth of bonds have already been bestowed upon 2,000 daughters, further solidifying the hospital's pledge towards creating a more equitable society. Dinesh Navadia, the Trustee of Diamond Hospital, expressed his elation at the jubilant atmosphere that enveloped the hospital on this monumental day. The hospital management said that the birth of these 31 babies, all hale and hearty, stands as a testament to the dedication and hard work of the hospital's medical team. Out of the 31 newborns who graced the world today, 17 are daughters and 14 are sons, underscoring a commendable gender ratio that aligns seamlessly with the 'Beti Bachao' (Save the Daughter) campaign, a hospital official said. Surat hospital records 31 births in 24 hours Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Washington, Aug 21 F ormer US Vice President Mike Pence, humiliated by former President Donald Trump as a "wimp" for not invoking the 25th amendment to keep him in office and oust Joe Biden, is seeking to exact revenge next week in the widely publicised TV debate of republican hopefuls by denying the 2020 election was stolen and that he had no part in the conspiracy and that he upheld the constitution and knew his limits of power. Pence is preparing for a mighty showdown with his former boss Trump in the first Republican debate where eight candidates have qualified for crossing the threshold limits, even if Trump doesn't show up. Pence said he would sign the loyalty pledge which under the RNC convention requires every candidate to support the eventual nominee picked by the GOP for presidency, multiple media reports said. In a Fox News interview at the Iowa state fair, Mike Pence appeared ready to face off with his former boss at next week's first Republican presidential nomination debate -- whether his former running mate is on the stage or not. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to be on that stage," Pence had told Fox News Digital in an interview in New Hampshire. For four years in the White House and on the campaign trail, Pence was the then-president's loyal co-pilot. But that all ended on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the US capitol. The attack temporarily disrupted congressional certification of President Biden's 2020 Electoral College victory over Trump, the subject of the four indictments handed down to Trump by juries at the federal and state level (Atlanta in Georgia) . Pence, who was at the Capitol at the time it was attacked, overseeing the joint session of Congress was forced, along with members of Congress to temporarily flee to safety as the rioters -- some chanting that the then-vice president should be hanged -- stormed the building, Politico reported. After witnessing the unprecedented scene, Pence endured the wrath of the former president and plenty of Trump's most devout loyalists and supporters. Now, in the wake of Trump's back-to-back indictments in connection with the attack on the Capitol and his alleged efforts to try and overturn the 2020 election, Pence is raising the pitch about his role in not listening to Trump's legal counsels on the 25th amendment and doing the right thing in calling the national guard to quell the mob. Though initially Pence was proud of Trump's record in administration, he said, the president and I took a different path in the end, and sadly, in the last two and a half years, the former president has continued to maintain that I had the right to overturn the election. I had no right to overturn the election. "If the American people hear us out, they know that we kept our oath to the Constitution. I'm confident more and more Americans every day are understanding the stand that we took and appreciating our commitment to keep the oath that we made to them and to almighty God." Pence had said "my differences with him go far beyond that fateful day (January 6, 2021)". ash/pgh Pence well prepared to derail Trump in presidential debate Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Srinagar, August 20 I n the picturesque setting of the world-renowned Dal Lake in Srinagar, Aryans Group of Colleges near Chandigarh successfully hosted the 3rd edition of the Shikara Race. The event garnered the presence of both locals and tourists, drawing a significant crowd. The Shikara Race was organized in collaboration with the Indian Army and the White Globe organization based in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chief Guest of the event was Anshu Kataria, Chairman of Aryans Group of Colleges, while the roles of Guests of Honour were fulfilled by Advocate Sheikh Saba and Advocate Syed Junaid Sadaat, Chairpersons of White Globe. Colonel Manoj Dobriyal from the 20 Rashtriya Rifles also graced the occasion as a special guest. The race kicked off with the official flagging by Anshu Kataria, Chairman of Aryans Group. During the subsequent felicitation ceremony, the top performers were acknowledged, with Abdul Majeed clinching the 1st position, followed by Mehraj Hussain in 2nd place, and Gulzar Akhoon securing the 3rd spot. Ghulam Hassan Moti and Imtiyaz Akhoon took the 4th and 5th positions respectively. Addressing the gathering and extending his congratulations to the winners, Kataria expressed his belief in the immense potential possessed by today's youth in various domains, indicating their ability to steer the nation forward. He took pride in the versatile talents exhibited by Aryans' students, highlighting their prowess not only in academics but also in innovative endeavours. Kataria further commended the noteworthy recognition received by Aryans for the copyright of the Shikara app, granted by the central government. Kataria also recalled that Aryans students had orchestrated a successful Shikara race last year, drawing participation from numerous tourists. He recounted the history of Aryans' contributions to innovation, which included projects like the "Shikara App," "Solar Boat," "Ramadhan App," "Android App," "eMunshi App," "Safety Helmet," "Save Kashmir," and the "Life Saving Glove" designed for the Valley. Shikara Race on Dal Lake draws large number of locals, tourists Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Tesla Cybertruck spotted on glacier in Iceland for filming launch promo video London, Aug 21 T he Tesla Cybertruck has been spotted on a glacier in Iceland, possibly for making a promo video before the electric truck's official launch. Videos that the company was seen making with the electric truck will probably be the promotional material that will be utilised during the launch event or media material for the PR campaign that generally comes with a vehicle launch, reports Electrek. The Elon Musk-owned automaker is yet to announce a date for the Cybertruck launch, but he mentioned having a delivery event around the end of September, which is the end of the third quarter. As there are no final specs or pricing yet, this event will most likely only be going to involve deliveries to employees and company insiders. Earlier this month, a leaked video had revealed multiple Tesla Cybertrucks parked inside the plant at Gigafactory Texas with their frunks open. Last month, a Cybertruck was spotted fitted with calibration equipment. The pickup truck was also seen being transported on a truck in Livermore, California, with a wrap that made it look like a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Another Cybertruck was spotted with a new darker camouflage wrap which was better at hiding the electric pickup truck's design features. Also, in June, the electric pickup truck's prototype was seen arriving in New Zealand by plane, possibly for its last winter testing. Earlier, a prototype of the truck was spotted going through a drive-through in California and it was equipped with camouflage. Another Cybertruck prototype was spotted stuck in a field in rural Texas in May. The company had claimed that the electric pickup truck would hit the market by the end of 2021 when it first announced the Cybertruck in 2019. Tesla Cybertruck spotted on glacier in Iceland for filming launch promo video Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! MMA fighters offer to train Musk for cage fight as they 'don't like Zuckerberg' San Francisco, Aug 21 S everal current and former MMA fighters have offered to train tech billionaire Elon Musk for the much-anticipated cage fight with Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. About eight UFC fighters, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions, and more, led by former MMA champ Chad Robichaux have offered to train Musk because they "don't like Zuckerberg", reports New York Post. "No one likes Zuckerberg because he's a communist that's suppressing our speech, and ruining most of our businesses. We feel like he needs his a-beat," Robichaux, who runs the Mighty Oaks Foundation, a veterans group, was quoted as saying. "I've been a victim of having my First Amendment rights violated by Zuckerberg. Every Monday I have to have a staff meeting and we have to figure out what we can and can't say so we don't get suppressed," he added. Moreover, a slew of other fighters shared their disdain for the Meta CEO, including UFC fighter Jalen Turner, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson, Strikeforce Champion and UFC title contender Nate Marquardt, current UFC contender Alex Morono, and others. "I have to side with Elon Musk (because) of free speech. Zuckerberg is kind of taking away free speech on his platforms, Musk is more of a stand-up guy," Jackson said. According to the report, the trained fighters see 52-year-old Musk as their chance for revenge -- even as Musk and Zuck have lately jabs on social media over a possible cage fight. Most recently, Musk mocked Zuckerberg by calling him "chicken". When an X (formerly Twitter) user posted Zuckerberg's statement that Musk "isn't serious" about the cage match and "it's time to move on", the tech billionaire replied "Zuck is a chicken." Meanwhile, Musk mentioned that he has been in contact with the Italian prime minister and minister of culture about hosting the event. However, Zuckerberg, who holds a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and recently won gold and silver medals in a tournament, said no date has been agreed. MMA fighters offer to train Musk for cage fight as they 'don't like Zuckerberg' Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Champaign, IL (61820) Today Rain diminishing to a few showers by morning. Low around 30F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Rain diminishing to a few showers by morning. Low around 30F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Exposure to common cold-causing coronaviruses may contribute to pre-existing immunity to COVID-19, according to a new study involving a Rutgers research scientist. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Virology Plus, examined the immune responses in two categories of individuals in Lagos, Nigeria: health care workers in a teaching hospital and members of the general population residing in five localities. "Of the 83 percent of individuals in our study who had common cold coronavirus exposure, we found that their T cells cross-reacted to SARS-CoV-2, hinting at the fact that people who have been exposed to these genetically related coronaviruses have immune responses that may be protecting them from future SARS-CoV-2 infections," said Bobby Brooke Herrera, an assistant professor of global health at Rutgers Global Health Institute and a lead author of the study along with Sulaimon Akanmu of Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. The researchers' findings provide insights about factors that may influence global infectious disease outbreak preparedness and responses, such as vaccine development. Herrera leads a research laboratory that is studying the intricacies of humans' immune responses to microbial pathogens, especially viruses, that cause lethal human disease and for which there are limited options for treatment or vaccination. Topics addressed in the study include: Associations between immunity and the Africa paradox of high SARS-CoV-2 infection with low mortality High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Lagos health care workers and in the community, indicating potentially greater infection rates than reported Laboratory techniques to examine characteristics of pre-existing coronavirus immunity, such as antibodies directed against only the more conserved SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein as compared to antibodies against both the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike proteins Dynamics associated with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and a boosted antibody response to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine Detecting viral exposure by examining T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein using a novel whole blood test The results of this study are unique because data was collected at a critical period during the pandemic. Researchers looked at antibody and T cell immune responses of people before and after they were vaccinated. Most people have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 antigens by either infection or vaccination, Herrera said. This type of baseline data is now difficult to achieve. However, there are still a lot of unknowns related to COVID-19, and the more we can understand, the better equipped we are to develop improved diagnostics and vaccines for this disease and other infectious diseases." Bobby Brooke Herrera, assistant professor of global health, Rutgers Global Health Institute Herrera's leadership of this study is an outgrowth of research he was involved with during his time as a visiting scientist at Harvard University in the laboratory of virologist Phyllis J. Kanki, a professor of health sciences at Harvard's public health school and the study's senior author. Herrera is continuing to collaborate with Akanmu, Kanki and others to home in on the mechanisms by which antibodies and T cells may offer protection against future infections by SARS-CoV-2, including its variants. He also is developing T cell-based vaccines. "I am going to be testing whether the T cell-based vaccines we have developed in my lab and in collaboration with my biotechnology company can protect against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as some of the genetically similar coronaviruses," said Herrera, who also is an assistant professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a co-founder of the company Mir Biosciences. "We're trying to understand if T cell-based vaccines truly cross-protect," he said. "We know that they can cross-recognize other coronaviruses, but not whether cross-recognition actually means cross-protection. If it does, that potentially leads to a novel strategy for coronavirus vaccine development." A team led by researchers from Mass Eye and Ear, a member of Mass General Brigham, reports the results of a phase I trial of a revolutionary stem cell treatment called cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cell transplantation (CALEC), which was found to be safe and well-tolerated over the short term in four patients with significant chemical burns in one eye. According to the study published August 18 in Science Advances, the patients who were followed for 12 months experienced restored cornea surfaces -; two were able to undergo a corneal transplant and two reported significant improvements in vision without additional treatment. While the phase I study was designed to determine preliminary safety and feasibility before advancing to a second phase of the trial, the researchers consider the early findings promising. Our early results suggest that CALEC might offer hope to patients who had been left with untreatable vision loss and pain associated with major cornea injuries. Cornea specialists have been hindered by a lack of treatment options with a high safety profile to help our patients with chemical burns and injuries that render them unable to get an artificial cornea transplant. We are hopeful with further study, CALEC can one day fill this crucially needed treatment gap." Ula Jurkunas, MD, principal investigator and lead study author, associate director of the Cornea Service at Mass Eye and Ear and an associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School In CALEC, stem cells from a patient's healthy eye are removed via a small biopsy and then expanded and grown on a graft via an innovative manufacturing process at the Connell and O'Reilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. After two to three weeks, the CALEC graft is sent back to Mass Eye and Ear and transplanted into the eye with corneal damage. The CALEC project is a collaboration between Jurkunas and colleagues in the Cornea Service at Mass Eye and Ear, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, led by Jerome Ritz, MD, Boston Children's Hospital, led by Myriam Armant, PhD, and the JAEB Center for Health Research. The clinical trial represents the first human study of a stem cell therapy to be funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Expanding one's own stem cells to address limitations in existing treatments People who experience chemical burns and other eye injuries may develop limbal stem cell deficiency, an irreversible loss of cells on the tissue surrounding the cornea. These patients experience permanent vision loss, pain and discomfort in the affected eye. Without limbal cells and a healthy eye surface, patients are unable to undergo artificial cornea transplants, the current standard of vision rehabilitation. Existing treatment strategies have limitations and associated risks the CALEC procedure aims to address through its unique approach of using a small amount of a patient's own stem cells that can then be grown and expanded to create a sheet of cells that serves as a surface for normal tissue to grow back. According to the authors, despite landmark studies describing an autologous stem cell approach over the past 25 years and similar methods being utilized in Europe, no U.S. research team had successfully developed a manufacturing process and quality control tests that met U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements or showed any clinical benefit. "It was challenging to develop a process for creating limbal stem cell grafts that would meet the FDA's strict regulatory requirements for tissue engineering," said Ritz, executive director of the Connell and O'Reilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility at Dana-Farber and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Having developed and implemented this process, it was very gratifying to see encouraging clinical outcomes in the first cohort of patients enrolled on this clinical trial." Studies like this show the promise of cell therapy for treating incurable conditions. Mass General Brigham's Gene and Cell Therapy Institute is helping to translate scientific discoveries made by researchers into first-in-human clinical trials and, ultimately, life-changing treatments for patients. The Institute's multidisciplinary approach sets it apart from others in the space, helping researchers to rapidly advance new therapies and pushing the technological and clinical boundaries of this new frontier. Case studies hold early promise as clinical trial advances In the phase I study, five patients with chemical burns to one eye were enrolled and biopsied. Four received CALEC; a series of quality control tests determined the cells in the fifth patient were unable to adequately expand. The CALEC patients were tracked for 12 months. The first patient treated, a 46-year-old male, experienced a resolution of his eye surface defect, which primed him to undergo an artificial cornea transplant for vision rehabilitation. The second, a 31-year-old male, experienced a complete resolution of symptoms with vision improving from 20/40 to 20/30. The third, a 36-year-old male, had his corneal defect resolved and his vision improved from hand motion only being able to see broad movements like waving to 20/30 vision. The fourth, a 52-year-old male, initially did not have a successful biopsy that resulted in a viable stem cell graft. After re-attempting CALEC three years later, he underwent a successful transplant and his vision improved from hand motion to being able to count fingers. He then received an artificial cornea. The researchers are finalizing the next phase of the clinical trial in 15 CALEC patients they are tracking for 18 months to better determine the procedure's overall efficacy. Their hope is that CALEC can one day become a treatment option for patients who previously had to endure long-term deficits when existing treatment options were not an option given the severity of their injuries. This study was funded by NEI/NIH grants UG1EY026508 [Massachusetts Eye and Ear], UG1EY027726 [Cell Manipulation Core Facility at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute], UG1EY027725 [Coordinating Center at the Jaeb Center for Health Research]. Pre-trial work (Boston Children's Hospital) was also funded by PACT, an initiative of the of the NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. In addition to Drs. Jurkunas, Ritz, and Armant, additional investigators include Jia Yin, MD, PhD,MPH, Reza Dana, MD, Lynette Johns, OD, Sanming Li, PhD, Ahmad Kheirkhah, MD, Kishore Katikireddy, PhD, Alex Gauthier, PhD, Stephan Ong Tone, MD, PhD and Stacey Ellender, PhD of Mass Eye and Ear, Helene Negre, PharmD, PhD, Kit L. Shaw, PhD, Diego E. Hernandez Rodriguez, PhD, Heather Daley, BS, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Allison Ayala, MS, Maureen Maguire, PhD and Lassana Samarakoon, MPH, of Jaeb Center for Health Research. The CALEC procedure is patent pending. Jurkunas and Dana also disclose equity in Ocucell, a company interested in developing cell-based therapies for the eye. Medical students who reported a disability to their school increased by more than 25% during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study shows. The proportion of students reporting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or chronic health and/or psychological disabilities has increased between 2015 and 2021. Despite the increase in medical students reporting these conditions, the requests for more inclusive preclinical testing accommodations, like extra time for test completion or a less distracting environment, decreased during the pandemic between 2019 and 2021. According to authors of the new research letter in JAMA Network Open, the remote curriculum delivery during the pandemic may have allowed students to create an optimal learning and testing environment, decreasing the need for accommodation. Medical education was at its most flexible during COVID." Lisa Meeks, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of learning health sciences and family medicine, University of Michigan Medical School She adds that this could have reduced the need for testing accommodations, but it is unclear whether the need for accommodations will rise again after the recent return to in-person lectures and testing. Documenting the rise The study results are part of a long-term research project led by Meeks that follows the prevalence of medical students in the United States who disclose disabilities to their respective schools. This study on disability disclosure in medicine was the first large scale study of its kind, encompassing all types of disability, including psychological, learning, sensory, physical and chronic health conditions. Since 2015, researchers have seen an increase of medical students reporting a disability to their institution from 2.8% in 2015 to 4.7% in 2019, and to 5.9% in 2021. When asked to describe why we see such large increases in the population of medical students with disabilities, Meeks posited that "growth in this population could mean that we are reducing bias and stigma, and therefore people who were already in medicine are more willing to disclose." "It could also mean that our research sparked a conversation to change policies, which then led to individuals with disabilities who didn't think they could make it in medical school choosing to apply to these schools." Doctors with disabilities improve patient care According to Meeks, there is still significant work to be done to increase the representation of doctors with disabilities in medicine. Only 5.9% of medical school students report a disability, but 27% of adults in the U.S. currently live with some type of disability. As the population ages, this number is expected to increase. "Physicians in the U.S. and many other countries report that they do not feel confident in their ability to provide equal quality of care to patients with disabilities as they provide to patients without disabilities," said Karina Pereira-Lima, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Michigan Medicine neurology department. "The inclusion of professionals with disabilities in medicine can greatly improve the care for patients with disabilities and the health of the population overall." Retaining medical trainees with disabilities Increasing the number of physicians with disabilities requires both the recruitment and retention of medical trainees. "Anonymous research with medical trainees with disability shows that about one in every five medical students and more than half of resident physicians do not request accommodations when they need them," said Pereira-Lima. The two main reasons for not requesting needed accommodation were fear of stigma or bias and lack of a clear institutional process. "Program access, or simply having the ability to access accommodations should they need them, improves medical trainees with disabilities performance in relation to testing and patient care. It also reduces the likelihood of reporting depressive symptoms or burnout," added Pereira-Lima. Meeks advocated for "standardization in support for students with disabilities in medical education." "Medical education strives for parity and continuity between medical schools, but when it comes to disability services and reasonable accommodations, there's no standardization whatsoever," said Meeks. "One school could have an incredible specialized disability support services with a qualified disability resource professional running the office, while another school does not have a specialized disability support service at all." 'A wave of change' The team notes that addressing the second common barrier to attaining needed disability accommodations and fear of stigma or bias requires a continued culture shift in medicine. "Disability is still incredibly stigmatized, and ableism is rampant in medicine and medical education. At the same time, I think the work from our lab, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and others in medicine started a wave of change that is extraordinarily strong," said Meeks. This work is bolstered by the matriculation of individuals that Meeks calls the post Americans with Disabilities Act generation into medical school. "This generation has a lot of disability pride. They've had accommodations their entire lives, they know the law, they know their rights and they're not ashamed of being disabled," said Meeks. Next steps As this long term study continues, the research team plans to assess how other identities interact with the disability identity. "People with disabilities have different racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and socio-economic statuses. We want to learn more about how the interaction between these different identities impacts the performance and mental health of medical students with disabilities," said Pereira-Lima. Meeks adds that thanks to new funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation the DocsWithDisabilities team is doing just that. "We're also developing methods to measure the efficacy of accommodations. We need to do more research on the quality of received accommodations and how easy the process was for them to receive the accommodations they needed" added Pereira-Lima. "Investing in a culture that acknowledges disability as a valuable form of diversity will improve patient care." A study of 14 astronauts suggests that while space travel depletes red blood cells and bone, the body can eventually replenish them back on Earth with the help of fat stored in the bone marrow. The study, published in Nature Communications, has important implications for health in space and on Earth. We found that astronauts had significantly less fat in their bone marrow about a month after returning to Earth. We think the body is using this fat to help replace red blood cells and rebuild bone that has been lost during space travel." Dr. Guy Trudel, senior study author, rehabilitation physician and researcher at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa This study builds on Dr. Trudel's previous research which showed that during space travel, astronauts' bodies destroyed 54 percent more red blood cells than they normally would on Earth, resulting in what is known as "space anemia." This research is part of MARROW, a made-in-Ottawa experiment looking at bone marrow health and blood production in space, with funding from the Canadian Space Agency. "Thankfully, anemia isn't a problem in space when your body is weightless, but when landing on Earth and potentially on other planets or moons with gravity, anemia would affect energy, endurance, and strength and could threaten mission objectives," said Dr. Trudel. "If we can find out exactly what's controlling this anemia, we might be able to improve prevention and treatment." The new study involved MRI scans of the astronauts' bone marrow at multiple time points before and after a six-month mission at the International Space Station. The researchers found a 4.2 percent decrease in bone marrow fat about a month after returning to Earth. This gradually returned to normal levels and was closely associated with increased production of red blood cells and restoration of bone. "Since red blood cells are made in the bone marrow and bone cells surround the bone marrow, it makes sense that the body would use up the local bone marrow fat as a source of energy to fuel red blood cell and bone production," said Dr. Trudel. "We look forward to investigating this further in various clinical conditions on Earth." The research also suggests that younger astronauts may have an increased ability to harness the energy from bone marrow fat, and that female astronauts' bone marrow fat increased more than expected after a year. As a rehabilitation physician, most of Dr. Trudel's patients are anemic and have lost muscle and bone mass after being ill for a long time with limited mobility. Anemia hinders their ability to exercise and recover muscle and bone mass. "I'm hopeful that this research will help people recover from immobility on Earth as well as in space," said Dr. Trudel. "Our research could also shed light on diseases such as osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, aging and cancer, which are associated with increases in bone marrow fat." Dr. Trudel recently received the 2023 Compelling Results Award for Human Health in Space for his research on space anemia, jointly presented by NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space and the American Astronautical Society. A recent study published in eClinicalMedicine reports that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can increase the risk of various autoimmune diseases; however, this risk appears to be mitigated by vaccination against COVID-19. Study: Risk of autoimmune diseases following COVID-19 and the potential protective effect from vaccination: a population-based cohort study. Image Credit: sdecoret / Shutterstock.com Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has caused over 768 million infections and 6.9 million deaths worldwide. Previous studies have reported that a diagnosis of COVID-19 increases the risk of new-onset autoimmune diseases that affect the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, and endocrine system. Many autoantibodies, including those targeting cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) the nucleus, have been detected in COVID-19 patients. These autoantibodies are known biomarkers for several autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis, inflammatory arthritis, Grave's disease, and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). During SARS-CoV-2 infection, an aberrant production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially interleukins (ILs) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), often occurs. These cytokines disrupt the innate and acquired immune responses, thereby leading to the induction of autoimmunity. Likewise, virus-induced cytokines can also increase the risk of autoimmune responses by activating self-reactive T-cells without antigen recognition. COVID-19 increases risk of autoimmunity The current observational retrospective cohort study was conducted between April 2020 and November 2022. Herein, researchers analyzed electronic health records of Hong Kong residents, COVID-19 testing results, and COVID-19 vaccination data, all of which were obtained from concerned health authorities. Based on COVID-19 testing results, the study population was categorized into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups. Appropriate statistical analyses were performed to estimate the risk of new-onset autoimmune diseases following COVID-19. Moreover, COVID-19 vaccinated participants were compared with unvaccinated participants to assess the protective efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against autoimmune diseases. Important observations A total of 1,028,721 COVID-19 and 3,168,467 non-COVID-19 individuals were identified from the dataset. The most prevalent comorbidities in the study population included diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and malignancy. A higher incidence rate of autoimmune diseases was observed in the COVID-19 group as compared to that in the non-COVID group. The median duration between COVID-19 diagnosis and new-onset autoimmune disease varied from 41 to 246 days. COVID-19 patients were associated with an increased risk of developing pernicious anemia, spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune arthritis, psoriasis, pemphigoid, Graves' disease, anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome, immune mediated thrombocytopenia, multiple sclerosis, and vasculitis as compared to those without a history of COVID-19. Overall, the impact of COVID-19 on autoimmune disease risk remained the same across gender. However, a significantly higher risk of spondyloarthritis and Graves' disease was observed in male and female participants, respectively. The highest risk of COVID-related autoimmune arthritis, pemphigoid, and anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome was observed among older adults 65 years and older. Similarly, the highest risk of spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis was observed in individuals between 41-64 years of age. Moreover, an increased risk of Graves' disease was observed in those between 18-40 years of age. Among severe COVID-19 patients who required hospitalization, a higher risk of transverse myelitis and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) was observed. However, non-hospitalized patients did not exhibit a similar increased risk of these condition. Regarding COVID-19 vaccination, a lower risk of developing autoimmune arthritis, pemphigoid, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, Graves' disease, anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus was observed among vaccinated patients as compared to unvaccinated individuals. Considering the site of infection, an increased trend was observed in organ-specific autoimmune disease and systemic autoimmune disease. Some studies have reported newly diagnosed autoimmune disorders such as autoimmune liver diseases, GBS, and immunoglobulin A (IgA) as potentially rare side effects of COVID-19 vaccination. Importantly, the current study findings confirm the general consensus that COVID-19 vaccination is safe and does not increase the risk of incident autoimmune disorders among vaccinated individuals within 28 days of receiving the second vaccine dose. Study significance SARS-CoV-2 infection was found to increase the risk of developing a wide range of autoimmune diseases; however, this risk can be reduced by two doses of COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines. Given these findings, scientists advise physicians to consider examining the autoimmunity status in COVID-19 patients for an early diagnosis and better management of new-onset autoimmune diseases. Moreover, the study findings can be presented in public awareness campaigns to encourage vaccine uptake. In a recent study published in the BMJ, researchers investigated whether a 12-month app intervention could effectively reduce alcohol consumption in university students with self-reported unhealthy drinking habits, emphasizing the method's efficiency and scalability compared to traditional interventions. Study: Effect of a smartphone intervention as a secondary prevention for use among university students with unhealthy alcohol use: randomised controlled trial. Image Credit: Akhenaton Images/Shutterstock.com Background Unhealthy alcohol use is a significant public health issue, particularly among people aged 15-49. Students, due to social and academic pressures, are prone to this. In 2019, 33% of United States (US) students reported heavy episodic drinking, and 30-60% of European students reported unhealthy alcohol consumption. Over 50% of US students aged 19-20 faced alcohol-related consequences, resulting in physical, emotional, and academic repercussions. Addressing this requires strategic interventions, with screening followed by brief interventions recommended. With limited people seeking treatment, technology, especially smartphones increasingly integrated into healthcare, offers a solution to manage health conditions. However, while online tools have shown promise, their smartphone app counterparts require rigorous evaluation for effectiveness in addressing alcohol misuse. About the study In the present study, the research protocol for this randomized controlled trial was pre-registered, and no deviations were made. Conducted at Lausanne University Hospital, the study aimed at secondary prevention of unhealthy alcohol use. Students from four major institutions in Lausanne, including the University of Lausanne and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, were recruited between April 26-28, 2021. Multiple channels, such as emails, posters, and websites, advertised the study, and the content was available in both French and English. Students interested were screened via an online questionnaire, which assessed criteria like age, unhealthy alcohol use, smartphone ownership, and willingness to participate. Those fitting the criteria underwent the informed consent procedure, post which they were randomized into intervention or control groups. The study focused on evaluating alcohol consumption among students. The intervention group was prompted to download an app related to alcohol consumption and received participation incentives. This app was based on norms perception and risk perception theories. Conversely, the control group did not receive the app but had a similar incentive structure to ensure consistency. Follow-ups were done online, with reminders for all the non-respondents, and monetary incentives were given for completed follow-ups. The primary outcome was the weekly volume of alcohol consumption, with secondary products related to the frequency and effects of heavy drinking. Statistical analysis was robust, using various models to estimate the effect of the intervention, and special consideration was given to handling non-normally distributed data. Subgroup analyses were pre-registered and targeted students indicating potential alcohol use disorders. Students involved in the app's prior development were not eligible for the study. Feedback from students with unhealthy alcohol use played a role in app development and study design. Study results In the study conducted from 26 April 2021 to 30 May 2022, 72.5% of 3714 students indicated unhealthy alcohol consumption. Out of these, 87.8% were eligible, with 65.7% completing the initial assessment. Follow-up rates at three, six, and twelve months were 96.4%, 95.9%, and 93.8%, respectively. Four withdrew for reasons such as lack of interest and relocation overseas. The average age was 22.4 years, with 54.1% females, and most were pursuing a bachelor's degree. The initial average weekly drink count was 8.59, with an average of 3.53 heavy drinking days in the past month. Of those assigned the intervention app, 83.5% downloaded it, and control group compliance was 95.5%. App users, on average, accessed 2.0 of its modules and used it 21.2 times. Outcome assessments revealed the intervention group consumed less alcohol than the control group. No significant difference was observed in intervention effects between the follow-ups. However, both groups displayed increased drinking at three months and reduced consumption by the sixth and twelfth months. The intervention displayed initial effectiveness for heavy drinking days and maximum drinks per occasion, but the effects diminished over time. The intervention showed no impact on alcohol-related consequences or academic performance. Supplementary analyses, including subgroup evaluations, supported these findings. Discussions The present research, targeting university students with unhealthy alcohol habits, revealed a smartphone app could reduce weekly alcohol consumption and heavy drinking days over a year. However, no significant impacts were seen on alcohol-related consequences or academic performance. Interestingly, drinking increased at the three-month mark, possibly due to the easing of Corona disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions and the onset of summer vacations. This study's strengths included diverse participant sources and high follow-up rates; conducting the entire study online minimized biases. When contextualizing the results, it was clear that even slight reductions in alcohol consumption can have significant public health implications. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development suggests that even a modest decrease in alcohol intake can reduce premature death risks. Considering the health risks associated with alcohol, the intervention's benefits in decreasing consumption hold substantial potential for improving public health outcomes. A recent Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study analyzes the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on childbearing rates in the United States. Study: The COVID-19 baby bump in the United States. Image Credit: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock.com Background Total fertility rate (TFR) is a measure of the expected number of children throughout a womans lifetime. Between 2007 and 2020, a significant reduction in the U.S. TFR from 2.1 to 1.6 was observed, which raised concerns regarding the strength of the future labor force and solvency of public programs that is dependent on younger generations. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and rise in unemployment rates are associated with a significant decrease in TFR. Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers predicted that if unemployment remained high, there would be as many as 300,000-500,000 fewer births in 2021. Consistent with this hypothesis, Wilde estimated a decrease in childbearing by 15% in 2021. This estimated decline was almost twice as large as estimates from the Great Recession. There has been speculation that these values may not be accurate due to missing data and a surge in mortality rates in regions with greater economic stress due to pandemic lockdowns. About the study The current study used natality microdata and population estimates to generate seasonally adjusted assessments of childbearing for the U.S. between 2015 and 2021, as well as California between 2015 and February 2023. This study examined changes in fertility rates for different demographic groups in the study period. Natality data was obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics and California Department of Health. Notably, California mothers were marginally older and more educated than average U.S. mothers. Study findings In 2020, the nine-month unemployment was found to decrease birth counts, which continued at a faster rate in 2021. However, the reduction in fertility rates in 2020 was considerably less than what was predicted by standard statistical models. A disproportionally larger birth rate decline was observed among foreign-born mothers. Comparatively, an unexpected increase in childbearing was observed in 2021 among U.S.-born women. Interestingly, a differential timing in baby births was found for foreign- and U.S.-born mothers. The number of births started to decline for foreign-born mothers in January 2020; however, this type of decline was not observed for U.S.-born women. The COVID-19 recession did not follow the pattern of previous recessions with respect to a baby bust. In fact, the 2020 COVID-19 recession was followed by a surge in births. Similar surges in fertility rates were observed in Finland and South Korea. Nevertheless, many Mediterranean and East Asian countries reported decreased fertility rates after the pandemic. Based on the analysis of California data, higher fertility rates were observed in U.S. births as compared to those only from U.S.-born women through February 2023. This increase in birth rates resulted in a net increase of 40,000 births between 2020-2021, with a possibility for an additional 134,000 births from January 2022 to February 2023. The change in the trend of reduced birth rates during unemployment associated with the COVID-19 recession could be due to the significant support provided by the federal government, which included $650 billion in federal pandemic unemployment benefits between March 2020 and September 2021. Additionally, the increase in unemployment due to the COVID-19 recession was short-lived as compared to previous recessions. During the pandemic, reduced employment, increased work-from-home opportunities, and pandemic aid may have increased childbearing in some groups. Many women experienced little income loss during the pandemic with economic gains due to pandemic support programs, which might have influenced fertility rates. Several other factors, such as changes in pregnancy desires, intimacy patterns, the use of contraception, maternal stress, and relationship status, altered childbearing patterns during the pandemic. In fact, the pandemic led some women to start their families earlier. This observation was based on the fact that the baby bump was more pronounced for women between 25 and 34 years of age and those with a college education. However, a significant decline in childbearing was observed among Black women, who were considerably affected by the recession and pandemic. COVID-19 led to a significant rise in remote work, mostly for educated workers, which could be have contributed to an increase in baby bumps among college-educated women. One reason for the decline in births to foreign-born mothers could be that some pregnant women who are typically U.S. residents returned to their native country during lockdowns to be with their families. Conclusions As compared to previous recessions, the COVID-19 recession did not affect birth rates in similar intensity, except for certain groups within the U.S. This could be due to increased economic support from the federal government during the pandemic and improved opportunities for remote working. Brazils NHS equivalent, the SUS, is the largest Government-run public healthcare system in the world. Its free at the point of access but faces strong demand and increasing wait times. London Medical Laboratory is now in talks about sharing some of the knowledge behind its revolutionary blood testing technology, to help the SUS identify health issues early and dramatically reduce future demand. Flavia AraujoRankin (left), the founder and CoCEO of London Medical Laboratory, meets with two representatives from Brazils Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA): Pedro Miranda, IPEAs Deputy Director of Sectoral Policies and Studies, Innovation and Infrastructure and Priscila Koeller, researcher at IPEAs Centre for Research on Science, Technology and Society. Image Credit: London Medical Laboratory London Medical Laboratory, the UKs first omnichannel blood testing, diagnostic and health check business, is in talks with the worlds largest Government-run public healthcare system, to help slash Brazils patient waiting lists. Brazils NHS equivalent, the Unified Health System (in Portuguese the Sistema Unico de Saude or SUS) offers free care at the point of delivery. The SUS offers generally high-quality services but has growing concerns around patient access due to high demand and long wait times. London Medical Laboratory (LML) is now discussing sharing some of the knowledge behind its revolutionary blood testing technology, to help the SUS transform into a preventative healthcare system. Using methods originally developed by LML and its partners, the SUS would be able to identify problems before patients even show symptoms. This could dramatically reduce future demand by diagnosing early some of Brazils most common health issues. The founder and CoCEO of London Medical Laboratory, Flavia AraujoRankin, was born in Brazil and is very familiar with the countrys healthcare system. She met with two representatives from Brazils Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA): Pedro Miranda, IPEAs Deputy Director of Sectoral Policies and Studies, Innovation and Infrastructure and Priscila Koeller, who is a researcher at IPEAs Centre for Research on Science, Technology and Society. The IPEA is responsible for investigating public policies and one of its projects is now focused on technological development and technology transfer in the health sector and for Brazils health care system. Says Flavia: This is a wonderful opportunity for LML to share its knowledge to help reduce the burdens on Brazils amazing but incredibly hard-pressed health service. There are currently around 618,593 doctors registered in Brazil; thats an increase of around 70% over 2010. However, the total population is around 217 million and everyone is entitled to use SUS services (although 23% of Brazilians have private healthcare plans). That show the scale of the potential demand on Brazils public healthcare. Another challenge is that Brazil has some 50,000 clinics but, largely, these cover more urban areas, whereas its landmass is some 3.3 million square miles. With that in mind, LMLs blood testing technology could transform Brazils health care by preventing many cases of the most common conditions before they ever develop. For example, we were able to introduce LMLs tests for diabetes and high cholesterol to IPEA representatives. Its thought at least 8 million Brazilians are suffering from undiagnosed diabetes. The disease leads to almost 55,000 leg or foot amputations every year. By identifying it at an early stage, through simple, fingerprick blood tests, the SUS could save both lives and money. Similarly, more than 4 in 10 Brazilians are likely to have high cholesterol, which puts them at significant health risk. It can lead to heart attacks, strokes, dementia and other cardiovascular problems. Early diagnosis will dramatically impact outcomes and help decrease the strain on local services. Here is how the blood testing system could work, helping to transform local healthcare: A patient attends their local health center, such as a UPA (Unidade de Pronto Atendimento) clinic, to pick up a fingerprick blood testing kit. They take the test at home and drop the sample back at the clinic. The sample is delivered to a local SUS public laboratory, where it is processed. Using integrated technology, the results are assessed by healthcare professionals, with the potential assistance of AI. The results are sent to the patient and they and their clinic will be alerted if a health problem is identified. The patient can then be reviewed at their local clinic if needed, the diagnosis confirmed and any necessary treatment started. In Britain, LMLs blood testing services are only directly accessible privately. Brazil could point the way forward, by being the first country to embrace a national policy of blood testing to pre-empt many conditions before they ever develop. Prevention is always better than cure, no matter where in the world you are. We are very excited to see how LMLs knowledge and experience can be shared with Brazils IPEA representatives and its wider healthcare system to help further improve the success of its ambitious public healthcare services. Here in the UK, London Medical Laboratorys wide range of fingerprick tests can be taken at home through the post, or at one of the many drop-in clinics that offer these tests across London and nationwide in over 95 selected pharmacies and health stores. Patients with melanoma, the most concerning form of skin cancer in which pigment-producing cells start to grow out of control, can benefit from existing immunotherapies, but by far not all of them do. More than 50% of patients do not respond to current immunotherapy drugs and among those that initially respond, many become resistant to the drugs' effects. Thus, besides developing more effective immunotherapies, doctors need to be able to determine which patients respond well at the start of treatments and, which ones keep or stop responding in order to make the best treatment decisions. Because cancerous skin lesions of melanoma patients are easily accessible, an effective way to eradicate them could be to apply immunotherapies locally, instead of systemically infusing them into the blood circulation. Also, monitoring the immune system's reaction to the therapy right at the tumor site, by sensitively and continuously measuring different biomarkers that signal the intended immune cell activation and a desirable inflammatory response, could enable better and more personalized patient care. Now, a research team at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, MIT, and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston has developed a new approach that integrates a minimally invasive, painless microneedle platform capable of absorbing the cell-surrounding, biomarker-containing fluid from deeper layers of the skin with an ultra-sensitive, single-molecule detection method (Simoa) that detects often rare, yet relevant biomarkers with higher sensitivity than conventional methods. The researchers provided proof-of-concept for their approach in a mouse melanoma model in which they treated cancerous lesions with a novel therapy. The therapy acts locally on tumor lesions in that it combines non-invasive focused ultrasound (FUS), which generates heat at the tumor site to instantly kill tumor cells, with the delivery of a previously developed nanoparticle-bound activator of an inflammation-inducing protein known as stimulator of interferon genes (STING). The findings are reported in Advanced Functional Materials. "Rapid readout of the responses to melanoma therapy using microneedles may enable effective drug screening and patient stratification to maximize therapeutic benefits," said Wyss Associate Faculty member Natalie Artzi, Ph.D., who led the study. Artzi is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a Principal Research Scientist at the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science at MIT. Immunotherapy made local Artzi and her group first developed a locally applied immunotherapy for melanoma that leveraged some of their previously pioneered methods and expertise. In a recent publication, which built on the known fact that activation of the inflammation-inducing STING protein contributes to tumor cell killing, they reported a significantly more effective way to activate the protein in immune cells. Natural activators (agonists) of STING are not sufficiently stable in the body and need to be given in high doses that also can produce side effects. The group's solution was to deliver multiple copies of a synthetic STING agonist, called a synthetic cyclic dinucleotide (CDN), via nanoparticles (NP) that easily traverse the plasma membrane and, with the help of an engineered enzymatic reaction, release their cargo inside cells. This CDN-NP therapeutic can be directly injected in or close to cancerous skin lesions to additionally increase the drug concentration in tumors. "Here, we chose to boost the processing of antigens from dying tumor cells following focused ultrasound together with STING-agonist delivery in the tumor microenvironment to coordinate a broader immune response," said first-author Daniel Dahis, Ph.D. Dahis, is a Research Scientist at the BioDevek startup, and performed his graduate work on the study with Artzi while being co-supervised by co-author Haim Azhari, Ph.D., a Professor at Technion Israel Institute of Technology and an expert in medical imaging. The team first showed that the focused ultrasound (FUS) treatment, which transiently and in small areas increases the temperature up to 60C, potentiated the effects of CDN-NP treatment in co-cultures of immune and cancer cells in a dish, and in melanoma tumors in mice, that they treated with the combination. Importantly, 60 days following the treatment, all animals that received only FUS therapy had died, while 75% of animals receiving only the CDN-NP therapy were still alive the combination treatment allowed 100% of animals in their group to survive. Tapping deep into skin biomarkers To investigate if the survival benefits of the combination therapy are mirrored in the levels of biomarkers at the tumor site, which in the future could translate to the monitoring of responses in human patients treated with immunotherapy, Artzi's group had previously developed a novel type of minimally invasive microneedles that are made of hyaluronic acid and, in principle, can be used to simultaneously deliver drugs and detect biomarkers. These devices reach into the lower (dermal) layers of the skin where the polymer encounters the fluid surrounding skin cells, the so-called interstitial skin fluid (ISF), and, like a sponge, takes up tiny amounts of it. "Merely a few microliters of ISF obtained with microneedles provide a wealth of biomarker information as normal skin cells, local immune cells, and cancer cells constantly secrete diverse signaling molecules and metabolites," said Dahis. "After the microneedles are retrieved, their tips can be simply dissolved to release the captured molecules into a test tube for us to start the biomarker analysis." However, while the researchers saw FUS clearly added to the immune response evoked by CDN-NP in tumors, many biomarkers of interest, including genes that are switched on by the activated STING protein, were barely detectable or not detectable at all using conventional methods. To overcome this bottleneck, Artzi's team joined forces with that of Wyss Core Faculty member David Walt, Ph.D., who had previously developed the Simoa technology, which has ultrasensitive biomarker detection abilities. Simoa essentially allows researchers to capture a biomarker protein of interest with a specific antibody molecule that is linked to a magnetic bead much larger in size than the antibody itself. The bound protein is then "sandwiched" with the help of a second detector antibody in individual wells of a multi-well plate that each can only fit one magnetic bead. The detector antibody is labeled with an enzyme that generates a fluorescent signal in the well. Thus, Simoa enables the digital counting of individual biomarker proteins at a single-molecule level, which far surpasses the sensitivity of commonly used detection assays. Co-author Tal Gilboa, Ph.D. on Walt's team developed four Simoa assays to detect molecules whose expression is activated by STING: interferon-b (IFN-b), MCP-1 and KC, which both attract immune cells to tumors, as well as the general inflammation marker interleukin-6 (IL-6). Indeed, this enabled the researchers to detect these biomarkers in microneedle-extracted ISF samples with 100 to 1000-fold increased sensitivities compared to commonly used assays, and the measurements mirrored parallel Simoa measurements of the same biomarkers in blood samples. "It was striking to see that animals with the most pronounced pro-inflammatory response were also those that survived the longest," said Dahis. "The Artzi lab's remarkable microneedle technology containing engineered nanostructures, in principle, enables both, drug delivery and microsampling a completely new concept for a theranostic, which provides an ideal, non-invasive and comprehensive solution to melanoma treatment," said Walt, who also is the Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School (HMS), Professor of Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professor. Walt, together with co-author Rushdy Ahmad, Ph.D., leads the Wyss Diagnostic Accelerator, which aims to shorten the time frame for urgently needed diagnostics in multiple disease areas, including cancer. This work is a beautiful example of interdisciplinary collaboration and convergence of cutting-edge technologies that we strive for at the Wyss Institute. This new advance has the potential to raise the quality of cancer immunotherapy to the next level by directly assessing therapeutic efficacy in individual patients." Donald Ingber,M.D., Ph.D., Wyss Founding Director Donald Ingber,M.D., Ph.D., is also the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, and the Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Bioinspired Engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Other authors on the study are Michelle Dion, Alexander Cryer, Pere Dosta, Mariana Alonso, Michael Lewandowski, Nuria Puigmal, Gonzalo Munos Taboada, and Haim Azhari. The study was supported by the Technion Institute of Technology, the MIT-Israel Zuckerman STEM Fund (under award# 2214110), the Technion Integrated Cancer Center, the Wyss Institute's Diagnostic Accelerator (DxA), and a Binational Science FundProf. Rahamimoff Travel grant, as well as a Weizmann Institute of Science Women's Development Award. Periodontitis, a common oral health problem that involves infected gums, is linked to cardiovascular disease. Scientists studying the inflammation that precedes periodontitis have found that higher inflammation, reflected by higher levels of white blood cells in saliva, is linked to less healthy arteries and a potentially higher risk of cardiovascular disease even in young, apparently healthy people. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com What if we could identify the earliest warning signs of cardiovascular disease from a simple saliva sample? Scientists think they have found a way to do so. Gum inflammation leads to periodontitis, which is linked with cardiovascular disease. The team used a simple oral rinse to see if levels of white blood cells an indicator of gum inflammation in the saliva of healthy adults could be linked to warning signs for cardiovascular disease. They found that high levels correlated with compromised flow-mediated dilation, an early indicator of poor arterial health. Even in young healthy adults, low levels of oral inflammatory load may have an impact on cardiovascular health one of the leading causes of death in North America, said Dr Trevor King of Mount Royal University, corresponding author of the study published in Frontiers in Oral Health. Tooth care for heart health Periodontitis is a common infection of the gums which has previously been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease: scientists suspect that inflammatory factors may enter the bloodstream through the gums and damage the vascular system. King and his colleagues set out to study currently healthy young people without diagnosed periodontal issues to determine whether lower levels of oral inflammation can be clinically relevant to cardiovascular health. We are starting to see more relationships between oral health and risk of cardiovascular disease, said Ker-Yung Hong, first author of the study, now studying dentristry at the University of Western Ontario. If we are seeing that oral health may have an impact on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease even in young healthy individuals, this holistic approach can be implemented earlier on. The team chose pulse-wave velocity, which can measure the stiffness of arteries, and flow-mediated dilation, a measure of how well arteries can dilate to allow for higher blood flow, as key indicators of cardiovascular risk. These measure arterial health directly: stiff and poorly functioning arteries raise patients risk of cardiovascular disease. The scientists recruited 28 non-smokers between 18 and 30, with no comorbidities or medications that could affect cardiovascular risk and no reported history of periodontal disease. They were asked to fast for six hours, except for drinking water, prior to visiting the lab. At the lab, participants rinsed their mouths with water before rinsing their mouths with saline which was collected for analysis. Participants then laid down for 10 minutes for an electrocardiogram, and stayed lying down for another 10 minutes so that the scientists could take their blood pressure, flow-mediated dilation, and pulse-wave velocity. The mouth rinse test could be used at your annual checkup at the family doctors or the dentist, said Dr Michael Glogauer of the University of Toronto, a co-author of the study. It is easy to implement as an oral inflammation measuring tool in any clinic. The heart of the matter The scientists found that high white blood cells in saliva had a significant relationship to poor flow-mediated dilation, suggesting these people may be at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. However, there was no relationship between white blood cells and pulse wave velocity, so longer-term impacts on the health of the arteries had not yet taken place. The scientists hypothesized that inflammation from the mouth, leaking into the vascular system, impacts the ability of arteries to produce the nitric oxide that allows them to respond to changes in blood flow. Higher levels of white blood cells could have a greater impact on vascular dysfunction; the levels found in the participants are usually not considered clinically significant. A recent study published in the BMJ evaluated the effects of long-term exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation on cancer mortality. Study: Cancer mortality after low dose exposure to ionising radiation in workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (INWORKS): cohort study. Image Credit: Allexxandar/Shutterstock.com Background Public exposure to ionizing radiation has increased over the past decades. For instance, in the United States (US), the annual effective dose for an average person has doubled from 1985 to 2006, mainly due to increased exposure to radiation from medical imaging. On the other hand, the annual occupational dose for an average radiation worker has been constant over the same period. Understanding the association between low-dose radiation exposure and cancer can help inform decisions about the commercial or medical use of ionizing radiation and exposure limits for those working with ionizing radiation. The international nuclear worker's study (INWORKS) was initiated to assess mortality risks from long-term exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation, encompassing nuclear workers from the US, the United Kingdom (UK), and France. About the study The present study evaluated the association between radiation dose and cancer mortality. INWORKS was established to provide quantitative estimates for the association between exposure to ionizing radiation and mortality, building upon the work of an international study on cancer risk among nuclear industry workers. Data were obtained from the UK National Registry for Radiation Workers, three French employers, and the US Department of Energys Savannah River site, Hanford site, Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The team derived annual individual-level estimates of whole-body dose due to external exposure to penetrating radiation. Measures of incorporated radionuclides were indications of confirmed uptake, assigned committed dose, and bioassay results. The researchers categorized workers based on signs of suspected or known internal contamination. Workers vital status was ascertained by linking death registries and social security administration, tax, and employers records. The cause of death was abstracted from death certificates. The team analyzed all cancer-related deaths, with solid cancer as the primary outcome. They also investigated the association of radiation dose with solid cancer, excluding lung cancer and various cancers associated with smoking and asbestos exposure. Stratum-specific model for mortality rates was used to quantify the associations between radiation dose and mortality. Poison regression was used to fit models to analyze mortality rates. The estimates were adjusted for multiple relevant covariates. Cumulative doses were lagged by 10 years, allowing minimal induction and latency between exposure and death. The team performed sensitivity analyses with cumulative doses restricted to a lower dose range or with alternative lags (5, 15, or 20 years) and by excluding workers with a positive neutron dose or internal contamination. Findings Overall, 309,932 workers were included, with 10.7 million person-years follow-up. An average worker was followed up for about 70 years of age. About 103,553 deaths were observed, which included 31,009 cancer-related deaths; 28,089 deaths were from solid cancer. The excess relative rate was 0.53/gray (Gy) for cancer mortality and 0.52/Gy for solid cancer mortality under the 10-year lag assumption. The estimated association of radiation dose with solid cancer was smaller, larger, and similar in magnitude, with five-, 15, and 20-year lags, respectively, relative to the 10-year lag assumption. The excess relative rates for solid cancer mortality were 0.47/Gy, 0.41/Gy, and 0.66/Gy when France, the UK, and the US were excluded, respectively. The estimates were almost double when restricted to low cumulative dose ranges. When lung cancer was excluded to address potential confounding by smoking, the excess relative rate was 0.46/Gy. Similarly, the excess relative rate was 0.52/Gy when broader smoking-related cancers were excluded. It was 0.43 when lung and pleural cancers were excluded to address confounding by exposure to asbestos. The estimates were much larger in magnitude when analyses were restricted to workers hired in more recent years. Conclusions The findings reveal an increase in the relative rate of solid cancer mortality among French, US, and UK nuclear workers exposed to low-dose ionizing radiation. Specifically, a linear association was evident between protracted exposure to low-dose penetrating radiation and mortality due to solid cancers. Although the current estimates are similar to those previously reported, the present analysis encompassed over 50% more solid cancer deaths, offering improved precision. The findings may inform deliberations about risk assessment, especially in contemporary medical, environmental, and occupational settings of low-dose exposure to radiation. insights from industry Richard Hammond Chief Technical Officer, Sphere Fluidics In this interview conducted at SLAS EU 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, we spoke to Richard Hammond, Chief Technical Officer at Sphere Fluidics, about Sphere Fluidics' microfluidic picodroplet technology and more. Please could you introduce yourself and Sphere Fluidics as a company and your current role at Sphere Fluidics? I am Richard Hammond, and I am the Chief Technical Officer at Sphere Fluidics. I joined the company six months ago, but before this, I worked in product development within life sciences and healthcare for 25 years. I am trained as an engineer, and I have been applying this across various technologies for many years. Sphere Fluidics was founded 13 years ago. The idea to take small water-in-oil droplets and use them for life sciences research originally came from the University of Cambridge. Sphere was set up as the company to exploit and commercialize this, which has been successful. At the end of last year, you were appointed Chief Technical Officer at Sphere Fluidics. What did this appointment mean to you, and how have the last 6 months been in your new position? On a personal level, it is essentially the accumulation of a career. I always wanted to create great science and technology, and I learned that part of that was being able to lead and inspire others and grow teams. I always thought getting to that level in the company would be a good way to make a difference. The last six months have been extremely busy. We have a fantastic product, but there is much work to do. We need to get the product out there and continue to work on its manufacture robustness and usability to ensure it is good value for our users. We always need to bring the next idea, product, or application forward too. It is an interesting balance between working on what we already have and advancing our technology to where it needs to be. Image Credit: CHAILUK CHALATHAI/Shutterstock.com Joining any organization involves learning about the culture, the people, the way things are done, as well as the science, technology, and products. It has been busy, but great fun. Here at SLAS EU 2023, Sphere Fluidics will share the latest updates on your microfluidic picodroplet technology. What is this technology, and what are its applications? The basis is making tiny droplets of water in oil. Each one of these is essentially a reaction chamber, a tiny test tube. You can make many of these very quickly, such as a million reaction chambers, in a few minutes. This provides a way of conducting big experiments quickly. You can put a cell inside the droplet and interrogate it to understand what the cell is doing, and then make decisions such as whether to continue with the cell or discard it if it is not behaving as expected. We can build these rapid, automated systems for studying and making decisions about cells, which is a fundamental need within many parts of life sciences. It also enables desired cells to be identified within huge populations. What are the latest developments regarding your microfluidic picodroplet technology, and how do these developments influence the use of your technology? One particular area is functional assays. Much of our work has concerned a single cell secreting or expressing a desired molecule. We are now moving towards co-encapsulation, where instead of having a single cell, you deliberately put two different cells into a droplet and observe the interactions. This includes how the cells work together, communicate, and influence each other. For applications such as cell therapy, which involves engineering a cell to impact another cell, you can begin to study those interactions. We are also starting to bring gene editing technologies into the droplets, which means the editing process takes place inside the droplet. We have been considering both transduction and transfection methods, which have yielded interesting results. You can put a cell in a droplet, make genetic changes to that cell, and then study the consequences and decide if it is useful. This provides a new way of potentially screening extensive libraries or performing genetic modifications on cells. Your cutting-edge Cyto-Mine platform utilizes picodroplet technology. Tell us about the platform. How does this platform revolutionize workflows? What are its applications? What are its key advantages? Cyto-Mine provides a way for others to utilize this droplet technology. The reason we call these picodroplets is that they are at picoliter volumes. The Cyto-Mine enables the use of picodroplets for applications such as antibody discovery and cell line development. Firstly, you input cells, and the platform encapsulates those cells with a single cell per droplet. It then incubates these cells to allow them to express. For example, if it is an antibody, they will begin to express the antibody. The Cyto-Mine lasers and optics enable the observation of fluorescent signals for sorting. They identify which cells are expressing and thus which to hold on to. After sorting these cells, it dispenses them back into the traditional well plate format, which is extremely useful for progressing to the next step of the process. Sphere Fluidics. We work small so you can think big. Play The platform brings all these process parts into one box with a consumable cartridge. It provides the technology in a more usable, automated way, enabling millions of cells to be screened in a day with minimal effort from the user. It is also cheaper than traditional methods as it uses a smaller volume of consumables such as reagents. Cyto-Mine allows users to conduct excellent science and product development and be confident in the outcomes. At SLAS EU 2023, you will give a talk entitled "High-Throughput Cell Engineering in Microfluidic Picodroplets". Could you tell us about what you spoke about, as well as the importance of communicating through talks at conferences such as SLAS EU? The talk discusses several future applications of picodroplets with real data, as well as our work to integrate mass spectrometry into droplets, which is both fun and technically challenging. Conferences such as SLAS EU are very important. A significant challenge of bringing any new approaches or technologies to the market is communication telling people it exists and getting them to understand its capabilities. It is difficult to do this without these forums where you can meet people, spend some time explaining it to them, and be there for questions. This kind of event is a great way to drive the business forward and build communication channels. Following COVID, it is great to be back meeting people in person. I find it extremely helpful because you can fully engage with others and learn so much more in a shorter time. Why is it so important for SLAS EU to recognize the quantity and quality of businesses here in Europe? I have done a lot of work both in Europe and the US. The US is a massive market, and there can be a belief that they have all the technology and funding, but I do not agree. There is a lot of high-quality life sciences work conducted in Europe, but it often does not receive the same attention, which is why I was pleased that we could be here in a European context talking about this because it is an important part of Europe and its economy. I am very glad to be here and that Europe is playing a big part in this and making significant contributions. With partnerships being fundamental to accelerating scientific research, how important are in-person conferences such as SLAS in nurturing relationships between sectors, especially between academia and industry? It is extremely important because creating new technology and getting it out worldwide is about collaboration and partnership. Industry and academia have widely different goals; some may believe they are in conflict. We must recognize they are different but bring them together to achieve less-constrained thinking. Working together facilitates new technology. For example, as biological systems are so complex, academic rigor and insight are required to understand and advance them. Meanwhile, the commercial industry takes this out of the research laboratory and into a usable context. Sphere Fluidics has a lot of academic collaborations. We need the two different sets of skills to move forward in a meaningful way, both commercially and scientifically. What can you tell us about the future of Sphere Fluidics? The company received a big investment about a year ago, and in the shorter term, we are focusing on growing the business. We have brilliant technology that clearly works, with some of our customers achieving fantastic results as well as step changes in their capabilities. We need to build on this by increasing the number of people working with us and getting people to use the products. Sphere Fluidics at SLAS EU Europe 2023 Play Beyond this, the picodroplet technology has a lot of potential. Cyto-Mine focuses on antibodies and cell lines, but we want to develop products for non-mammalian systems, yeasts, bacteria, and the whole growing world of industrial biotech and synthetic biology. Some cell types are more naturally comfortable in the picodroplet environment than others, so there is much work to do, but you can see how the underlying technology could be applied to many of these areas, which may be research today, but in the coming years they will be on the market as new products and capabilities. About Richard Hammond Richard has held numerous senior positions responsible for product and technology development. At Alere Inc., he led major cross-company R&D programs including the Alere i platform, the worlds first CLIA-waived point-of-care molecular infectious disease diagnostic device. Richard founded Cambridge Consultants Bioinnovation group, providing biotechnical consultancy services, and recently was VP of Technology at DNA Electronics developing sequence-based diagnostics. Richard has MA and MEng degrees from Kings College, University of Cambridge. Ultraviolette Automotive has launched the F77 Space Edition at an introductory price of Rs 5.60 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The exclusive aerospace-inspired electric motorcycle will be limited to merely 10 units while bookings for it begin from 6PM on August 22 at the brands official website. Terming the Space Edition as the most advanced electric motorcycle variant of the F77, Ultraviolette has equipped it with aerospace grade aluminium and advanced aircraft electronics based technology. The limited-edition model flaunts aerospace grade paint which comes with corrosion protection, UV and fade resistance, chemical resistance, and thermal stability. The F77 Space Edition is offered with a aerospace grade aluminium key which is created out of a single piece of metal. As for features, the electric motorcycle boasts of advanced aircraft electronics-based technology which can measure Roll, Pitch and Yaw through a 9-axis IMU. Announcing the launch of the Ultraviolette F77 Space Edition, Narayan Subramaniam, Co-Founder and CEO, Ultraviolette Automotive said, We are excited to bring to you our latest creation the F77 Space Edition and cant wait to hand over the keys to 10 special riders. Ultraviolette aims to constantly push the boundaries of science and technology and the Space Edition is the best way to celebrate this commitment. As the aerospace industry is where the pinnacles of technology are achieved, the F77 Space Edition proudly commemorates Indias celestial journey. The very same DNA is clearly reflected in the Ultraviolette F77 Space edition." Mechaincally, Ultraviolette F77 Space Edition has top power of 40 bhp and peak torque of 100 Nm while having a range of 307 km on a single charge. It does a 0-60kmph sprint in just 2.9 seconds while clocking a top speed of 152 kmph. Whenever a cash transaction takes place, many times you come across damaged or torn notes. When you try to use notes to purchase something, shopkeepers refuse to accept the damaged currency notes. Reportedly, there are some people who may seek commission from you in exchange for new notes. However, it is important to remember that you can easily get these notes exchanged without paying extra money, by just going to the bank. You can visit any public or private sector bank and get your old and damaged currency notes exchanged as no bank can refuse to exchange the notes. However, there are certain guidelines the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has laid down for the exchange of such notes. What Are the Rules for Changing Notes? RBI has laid down a fixed limit of a maximum of 20 notes for exchange at a time for a person. This means, in one go, you can get not more than 20 notes changed. RBI has also put a limit on the value as well. So in one go, you can get 20 notes exchanged whose value should not exceed Rs 5,000. The bank will immediately accept the damaged notes and give you new notes in their place of the same value. If you have more notes, then the bank will not offer you the exchange immediately. Instead, they will accept the damaged notes and will return the money to you later by depositing it in your bank account. Security Sign It should be noted that any bank will exchange only those currency notes which has security sign like serial numbers, the watermark of Mahatma Gandhi and the Governors signature, to name a few. If these are not present on your notes, banks will refuse to accept them. Remember, banks will not charge any kind of commission for replacing the damaged notes. It is also not necessary for you to have a bank account in the particular branch from where you want to get the notes exchanged. How Damaged Is Too Damaged Currency? If the currency note you give to the bank is too damaged that is, it is cut too much, or torn up too bad, then there are chances that you will not get the full money for the notes value. Take for example you have Rs 200 note which is torn. If 78 sq cm of the note is intact, then you will get full money. But, if 39 sq cm of the note is damaged, then you will get just half the money. The same applies to other currency notes. Jio Financial Services Listing BSE, NSE: Shares of Mukesh Ambanis Jio Financial Services or JFSL will list on stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Monday. Ahead of the listing, the shares of the digital-first NBFC were trading at around Rs 300 apiece in the grey market, higher than the pre-listing price of Rs 261.85. Jio Financial Services, earlier known as Reliance Strategic Ventures will be listing today and at current levels, the stock is valued at Rs 1.66 lakh crore, making it the second largest NBFC in the country after Bajaj Finance. A special one-hour price discovery session valued the demerged entity at Rs 261.85, well ahead of street expectations, which were pegged anywhere between Rs 120 Rs 150 per share. Investors have been allotted one share of JFS for every one share of Reliance Industries held by them. After spending a month as a dummy stock following demerger from the parent, the JFS shares will finally become tradeable. However, the scrip will be in trade-to-trade segment for the next 10 trading days. While veteran banker KV Kamath will be the non-executive chairman at Jio Financial Services, Isha Ambani has been appointed as a non-executive director on the board of JFS. Hitesh Sethia, a former ICICI executive, will take on the role of the new CEO and MD. Also, Charanjit Singh Attra, who recently resigned as Chief Financial Officer of the State Bank of India (SBI), has taken up the position of Chief Operating Officer at Jio Financial Services. Trade-to-Trade Segment In this segment, shares can be traded only for compulsory delivery basis. Intraday trades are not possible. If an investor buys shares of JFS and tries to sell it on the same day, or before the shares are credited to the demat account, then the order will be rejected. The stock will be in this segment for 10 days. Tax Calculation Before the demerger, the company apportioned 95.32 percent as RILs cost of acquisition and 4.68 percent for Jio Financial Services. This will help investors calculate their capital gains tax at the time of sale of shares. This means an investor who bought RIL shares on July 19, a day before the demerger, is deemed to have paid Rs 133 (or, 4.68 percent of Rs 2,853 closing price) for Jio Financial Services. What Analysts Say? Sriram Velayudhan of IIFL Securities told CNBC-TV18 on July 19 that he is valuing Jio Financial Services between Rs 205 Rs 210 per share. This was before the price discovery session. He further said that there will be decent unlocking of value in Jio Financial Services. He assigned a 20 percent holding company discount to Reliance Industries investment in Jio Financial Services. While some analysts are optimistic due to the strong demand for financial services in India and the companys robust parentage, others are more cautious. Their reservations stem from the fact that Jio Financial is still in its nascent stages and hasnt yet achieved profitability, said Sonam Srivastava, Founder and Fund Manager at Wright Research. She suggests that RIL shareholders who have acquired Jio Financial shares due to the demerger should consider retaining them for an extended period. Jio Financial boasts a promising business model and is poised to leverage the escalating demand for financial services in India. However, potential investors should be aware that the stock might be somewhat illiquid at present, which could lead to short-term volatility, the fund manager said. For the last two years, the world has been restricted to homes. Daily activities that couldnt be managed without stepping out, came indoors all at once from office to grocery shopping and schools. As the world accepts the new normal, News18 launches weekly classes for school children, explaining key chapters with examples from happenings around the world. While we try to simplify your subjects, a request to break down a topic can be tweeted @news18dotcom Markets have a significant impact on how commodities and services are traded between buyers and sellers in the domain of world economics. The dynamics of these interactions are shaped by various market structures each with its own set of features and influence on price setting. These market structures are critical in influencing business practices, shaping pricing, and eventually determining customer choices. When supply and demand are balanced, markets attempt to achieve a certain level of price equilibrium. However, variables other than price can throw off that equilibrium, such as income, expectations, technology, manufacturing costs, and the number of consumers and sellers participating. Hence, lets delve into the exciting world of economics to understand the forms of markets and how prices are determined within them in this weeks Classes With News18. 1. Perfect Competition Market: Where Many Compete Perfect competition is equivalent to an idealistic market environment in which there are multiple consumers and vendors engaging in the sale of similar commodities. In such a situation, no single entity has the ability to affect market prices. Each entity is a price taker, which means that the market price is decided by the cumulative dynamic between supply and demand. The agricultural industry is a great example of a market that is perfectly competitive, where farmers produce identical commodities and the prevailing market price applies to everyone. The equilibrium price is governed by the forces of demand and supply, guaranteeing that no business may stray from it without losing consumers. 2. Monopoly Market: The Power of One A monopoly is a market arrangement that is controlled by a single seller or producer, in contrast to perfect competition. The price and supply of the product are significantly within the monopoly firms control in this case. Since they are the only providers of the commodity or service, they can regulate the price at which goods are sold to maximise their profits. The Indian Railways, which is the sole operator of rail travel across the country, is a classic example of a monopoly market in India. The railroads are controlled and operated by the government of India, with no other private players. Another example of a monopoly is Microsofts position in the operating system industry in the late 1990s when it had a stronghold on the Windows operating system. 3. Oligopoly Market: Few Players, Big Impact An oligopoly market is characterised by a limited number of firms dominating the market, striking a balance between perfect competition and monopoly. These firms are interdependent, which means that every choice taken by one firm has an immediate impact on the others. Oligopolistic marketplaces frequently witness severe rivalry and smart measures to obtain an advantage, such as price schemes and product diversification. With major firms like Apple, Samsung, and Google, the smartphone market serves as a good illustration of an oligopolistic market. Oligopolistic markets are characterised by strategic pricing. Firms actively watch each others operations and prices are adjusted appropriately. 4. Monopolistic Competition: Differentiation Matters The monopolistic competition market consists of a large number of enterprises selling similar but distinct products. Due to the apparent disparities in each firms services, each has a limited amount of power on the market pricing. Advertising and branding are important in monopolistic competition because businesses want to build a distinct identity for their products. Monopolistic competition is evident in the fast-food business, where companies such as McDonalds and Burger King provide diverse menus. Firms in a monopolistic market entail a tug-of-war between product differentiation and price competitiveness. Firms establish pricing depending on their products perceived distinctiveness and consumer preferences. Price determination Commodity prices in all of these marketplaces are determined by a careful balance of supply and demand. When supply and demand intersect, an equilibrium price is established, which is the price at which the quantity supplied equals the quantity demanded. The market automatically settles at this equilibrium price, and firms base their pricing decisions on it. To learn about other topics taught in school, explained by News18, here is a list of other Classes With News18: Queries Related to Chapters on Elections | Sex Versus Gender | Cryptocurrencies | Economy & Banks | How to Become President of India | Post Independence Struggle | How India Adopted Its Flag | Formation of States & United India | Tipu Sultan | Indian Teachers Day Different from Rest of the World |Queen Elizabeth & Colonialism | Law of Demand and Supply | Chandrayaan 3 | Article 370 | In order to keep the roads less crowded for the visiting G 20 dignitaries, authorities in Delhi, which is hosting the G20 summit, may ask residents to limit their movement around the major event, officials in government agencies said. They also added that a suggestion to declare September 8 a public holiday is also under consideration. The Department of Education of the Delhi government has already urged schools to observe September 8 as a holiday for both students and employees. G20 summit attendees are anticipated to begin arriving far earlier than the official supper and main summit, which are set for September 9 at Pragati Maidan along with a cultural program. The National Gallery for Modern Art and Pusa Road were the initial destinations for the spouses of the leaders, according to officials, who also said that they might be given guided tours of the rest of the city. As reported in the Sunday Guardian Live, on September 8, 9, and 10, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) sections of central Delhi would see several roads closed and public movement restricted in order to ensure smooth traffic flow during the summit. During the first week of September, offices may continue to be closed, and Jantar Mantar will prohibit protests claims the report. High security is probably going to be present in places like Dilli Haat, Chandni Chowk, Khan Market, Connaught Place, and Malcha Marg Market. However, no official alert has yet been released. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has scheduled a special effort to clear up 26 major roadways in the city beginning on August 16. The MCD statement lists 26 routes that will receive special attention, including Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg, Sachivalaya Road, Purana Quila Road, Lodhi Road, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Marg, Suraj Kund Road, and Mahatma Gandhi Road. A total of 35 hotels have been reserved for the visiting visitors by various missions and the MEA informs the report. The senior dignitaries will likely stay in the Taj Palace, Maurya Sheraton, Le Meridien, Shangri-La, Imperial, Oberoi, and Leela, which are the major five-star hotels. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has found that the second reply sent by Jadavpur University unsatisfactory. Ragging is a serious issue, and JU must follow UGC regulations in letter and spirit to provide a safe environment for our students, chairman M Jagadesh Kumar told News18.com. He further added that the UGC will soon be writing to JU again for a detailed explanation and action. A total of 13 people have been arrested so far in connection with the death of a first-year undergraduate student of Jadavpur University. On Sunday, a city court remanded a former student of varsity to police custody till August 24. This was the 13th arrest made in the JU ragging case. The Kolkata police filed a case under Section 353 (use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the IPC against the accused. Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the UGC had made certain suggestions on the anti-ragging system which includes the installation of CCTV cameras, a separate cell to deal with ragging cases, and a communication facility among others. The University Grants Commission has sought a response from the university on what steps it has taken to implement these suggestions. The UGC has taken the matter seriously, and we have also taken it seriously. The universitys report to the commission was not satisfactory, Pradhan said, adding that there is no place for ragging in our educational institutions. The anti-ragging committee of Jadavpur University had earlier submitted a report to UGC after it held talks with the hostel, university authorities, and students before compiling the report. Another internal inquiry committee, formed by the university, also recorded the statements of all stakeholders. After the first letter written by JU to UGC, the commission had said the first response was generic and did not have specific details on the preventive measures the varsity will be taking. We have asked JU to inform us if the provisions of UGC regulation on curbing the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions, 2009 are implemented in the university, it stated. with PTI inputs The Rajasthan Education Department has released the BSTC admit card. The hall ticket can be accessed at panjiyakpredeled.in by entering application number and password, students can download it. On August 28, a pre-DElEd exam will be administered. To the exam site, candidates must bring their Rajasthan BSTC admit card. Without a hall ticket, it is impossible to take the Pre DElEd exam. Rajasthan BSTC Admit Card 2023: Steps To Download Step 1: Visit panjiyakpredeled.in, the Pre DElEd exams official website. Step 2: Open the Rajasthan BSTC admit card website. Step 3: To log in, enter your application number and password. Step 4: A screen will display the Rajasthan BSTC admission card. Step 5 : Download the Pre DElEd test admission card. Step 6: Print your Pre DElEd exam admit card and bring it with you on test day. The Rajasthan BSTC admit card will provide participants with information about their exam, including the location, date, and time. Additionally, it will contain crucial instructions for the exam day that each candidate must follow. They can prevent last-minute snarl-ups at the testing facility. To finish the pre-exam procedures on time, candidates should be at the exam site at least 45 minutes before the exam. A candidate will not be permitted to take the exam if they arrive at the testing location after the reporting time. Candidates should start reviewing their material now because the exam is only one week away. In order to effectively manage time in the exam, they should also practice mock examinations. Students will gain an understanding of the difficulty of the exams problems by resolving those from prior years. For the recent updates, applicants should regularly check the exams official website. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court affirmed the Rajasthan High Courts verdict in the BSTC versus B.Ed. issue. Only those with a BSTC Diploma are now qualified to take the Level-1 (Third Grade Teacher Recruitment) exam, under the Supreme Courts Friday ruling. Candidates for the B.Ed. degree will no longer be allowed to apply for teaching positions in the first through fifth grades. Supreme Court has refused to intervene in the admission process of Delhi Universitys St Stephen College. The top court ruled that any interferences will lead to confusion among students especially when the admission process is already started. The bench headed by Justices AS Bopanna and PS Narasimha, directed Delhi High Court to expedite the process to create certainty related to admission process among students. The alteration occurred as St. Stephens College contested the University of Delhis ruling that the Christian quota seats must be filled solely on the basis of CUET results and without the need for an interview. The Delhi High Courts two-judge bench ruled that the state has the authority to create rules for the management of minority institutions. However, the rules must serve to advance the interests of the minority community. As reported by The Hindu, the order stated, However, it is for the minority institution to decide what is best for the minority community. The court order further stated that the executive committees decision to insist on 100% weighting for CUET scores prima facie shows a complete lack of reasoning as to why the ruling of this court has been given a go-by by DU and demonstrates non-application of mind on their part while making the disputed decision. The High Court was informed that DUs notification was against a ruling made by the High Court in September 2022. According to that ruling from the High Court, interviews for admission through non-reserved categories cannot be given weightage by the college. Tushar Mehta, the solicitor general for Delhi University, emphasized the subjective nature of the interview process. He noted that allowing the same would result in payment seats. The High Court had made it plain that college admissions would be dependent to the resolution of the dispute, thus the Supreme Court declined to reverse the interim ruling. Studying abroad can be financially challenging for many meritorious students who often opt out due to the expensive course fee, visa charges, accommodation and food expenses. Therefore, scholarships help many to pursue their dreams. News18 Scholarship Guide brings the best and most prestigious grants for Indian students to study abroad, with most of them covering flight tickets, accommodation and course fee; and some also providing stipend. Studying at an international university without paying a fee is a dream, but how many can fulfil it? Shaurya Kansal from Delhi is one of the few lucky students to have received 100% scholarship to study in Australias University of Wollongong. Elated that he will not have to invest his parents savings in fulfilling his dream of studying abroad, the 18-year-old said its his time to learn and explore but he cannot wait to support his parents and make them proud. Indian students, especially those hailing from humble backgrounds, should not let their finances define them. If you think that there is no possible way to study at a top university without having the money, then you are yet to do your research. The Ivy League colleges in the US are free of charge for students from low-income background, if they manage to get an admission. If you are ready to put in work, then many universities will offer you scholarships across levels, he said. One must be ready to put in work; get exceptional grades, be amazing at extra-curricular. Just believe in yourself and work hard for your ambitions. He started the first-year of his undergraduate degree in computer science at the varsity this year. I chose computer science because I am a technocrat and am really passionate about changing the world using technology, says Kansal. ALSO READ: Scholarship Guide | Shah Rukh Khan, JN Tatas Among Top 8 Grants to Study in Australia He is considering having a multidisciplinary degree and study computer science with economics. I love reading autobiographies of tech icons such as Steve Jobs and always fashioned myself as an entrepreneur. Here we can easily do a double degree and choose majors and minors. Perhaps, I will choose to learn a little finance with computer science! Scholarship Journey He had used IDP for his college admission process which also helped him in applying for several scholarships including the Vice-Chancellors Leadership scholarship, which offers 100% concession on tuition fee. To be eligible for the scholarship, the 18-year-old had to first secure an admission, then fill in an application form and submit a resume and a 500-word essay. The shortlisted candidates were called for an interview and Kansal finally bagged the scholarship. Scholarship committees look at your profile holistically and search for dynamic individuals who are passionate about something and care for their community. During one of the interview questions, I remember presenting my idea on how to tackle malaria in rural India and Africa. Frankly, getting the grades, winning competitions, and doing volunteer work is not that challenging, developing a great thought process and then conveying the same to the universities is. If you can show that you are a competent young leader and problem solver who will provide high value to the world under the name of the university, then you are a very promising candidate for any scholarship. ALSO READ: Scholarship Guide | Top 8 Govt & University Grants That Will Help Fulfil Your Dream to Study in US Olympiad, Diverse Cultural Experiences Helped Taking multiple national and international Indian exams including the highly competitive JEE and NEET go a long way not just in Indian colleges but abroad as well, said Kansal. Kansal appeared for multiple international exams including SAT, IELTS, as well as an international English Olympiad. I would highly recommend everyone to take a lot of exams, especially the JEE and NEET if you hail from a STEM background. Cracking these exams gives you an edge internationally, and even if you could not pass, the preparation would help later. He also said it is not just the academics that help. In your journey of higher education, remember that success is not solely confined to textbook knowledge. Instead, strive to create a dynamic profile that showcases your unique talents and passions. Never underestimate the impact of extracurricular activities; they can breathe life into your application, presenting a holistic image of your capabilities. ALSO READ: Scholarship Guide | Studying in UK Can Be Affordable, Less Daunting; News18 Brings You Top 10 Grants Having both his parents working as IT professionals, Kansal had an experience of living in different states across India. This not only inculcated a love to explore different cultures in him but he believes it also helped him in securing the scholarship as he could write an essay which could cover different perspectives. I also moved a lot within India and internationally, so I could speak from a wide range of experiences. Immersing myself in both the North Indian culture of Delhi and the South Indian culture from Hyderabad, helped me a great deal. To write fantastic essays, I read a lot. I believe reading and learning math go a long way not just for exams but also helps in different aspects of life, he said. After joining the university, Kansal is ready to explore his interest. I am just starting, but hope to join some really cool clubs where students make things. Like at university, there is an F1 racing club, where students work together and make an F1 car, and then drive it in international races. You are only limited by your imagination once you come here because the labs and the resources are almost unlimited. ALSO READ: Scholarship Guide | Based on Your Needs & Merit, Top 10 Grants in Canada with Lowest Spending The future belongs to Gen Z and theirs are the voices that need to be heard. Through the Teen Talk platform, News18 is proud to amplify the views of young authors on topics at the intersection of culture, politics, society and tech. All of historys events have perpetually been shrouded in grey. The 20th century saw multiple hues of the uncertain colour, cloaking mankind in our choices and our actions; it is our reasons that remain habitually unrevealed. When the atomic bomb was detonated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, the blast rippled in all directions, creating a thunder that would reverberate for decades to come. While the bomb instantaneously devastated Japan, and spearheaded the cause of their surrender, every country in the world was shadowed by this fatal invention, resulting in a race the world struggles to keep up with. Oppenheimer, an epic biographical thriller, chronicles the career and choices of J Robert Oppenheimer, a Jewish-American physicist, and is directed by Christopher Nolan, who is renowned for films like Dunkirk and Inception. The nucleus of the film is largely Oppenheimers studies, and his orchestration of the Manhattan Project the research project that developed the first nuclear weapons as we know them. The film elucidates on Oppenheimers reputation as a venerable scientist, and his eventual recidivation in 1954, when he was looked into. The movie has received an 8.6 out of 10 rating on IMDb and scored 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, two of the upper echelons of critics of the cinema. Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, is a scientist who seems to be constantly traversing his own mind, pursued by the foundations of the universe that beckon him, and his visions of what harnessing that power could be. He is predominantly an anxious person, almost held captive by his ingenuity, but in contrast, unperceptive to the material world around him, unsuspecting of the consequences his actions have on others. Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh play parallel and cogent roles, characters who contribute largely to Oppenheimers reasons for doing what he does. Moreover, we see his guilt for the bombings play out larger than life, and his own internal contradictions and suffering for existing as a linchpin in the American governments tapestry of planning. The movie travels through a time where society is primarily dissolving between right and wrong, and the horror of fighting a second world war. Christopher Nolan artfully directs the film partly in black and white and partly in colour the significance of this is that the scenes in colour are Oppenheimers subjective perspectives, whilst the black and white depicts the world as it is objectively happening, years after Oppenheimers inquisition. This brings in Lewis Strauss, another compelling character that tells the story as unheard before. The structure of the movie, with long, detailed scenes, arrests audience attention. However, the movies length of just over three hours may seem sedate to few who are not riveted by biographic thrillers. Nolan manoeuvres cinematic devices by re-enacting the explosions with little to no computer-generated imagery. The cuts between scenes are sharp and easily differentiate between storylines involving communism and familial loyalties. It also deals with more delicate topics like depression, but masterfully rendered. Watchers will be enveloped into the world of the atomic bomb, and shaken by the cinematic effects that Nolan plays out. Of course, a movie as historically and emotionally intense as Oppenheimer requires a serious and invested audience that is willing to venture into this universe and experience the metaphysical as Oppenheimer once did. The cleverly orchestrated dichotomy of emotion and science is practically a religion dictated by every actor in this movie, delineating equal importance for both, for this shattering event that toppled the world. I watched the movie twice myself, which speaks to how much it means for those interested in this particular sect of history. Oppenheimer is an indelible portrait of the watcher, and can indeed be considered Christopher Nolans magnum opus. Aanya Thakur is a 14-year-old, Class 9 student of Dhirubhai Ambani International School. She is a voracious reader of varied genres and has a penchant for writing. The message from the BJP is loud and clear after union home minister Amit Shahs mega press conference on Sunday the face of the Madhya Pradesh assembly election is not Shivraj Singh Chouhan, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Asked who will be the next chief minister, Shah said, Why are you getting into what the job of the party is? Thats the job of our party, we will decide. In fact, Chouhans name was hardly mentioned and, that too, only while giving a historical perspective of the states polity or at the very beginning of the speech. The stage from which Shah presented the BJPs report card did not have faces of any other leader but the rather large press conference hall had a number of standees with the prime ministers face. Apart from Chouhan, Shah also shared the stage with state unit president VD Sharma the chief ministers arch rival till a few weeks back and state home minister Narottam Mishra, another new power centre in Madhya Pradesh. Usually, the BJP goes into assembly elections with the face of its incumbent chief minister in this case, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. But News18 has learnt that the decision not to go with him as the campaign face even though Shah used adjectives such as lokpriya and mehnati for him was taken at the highest level. In fact, campaign songs with Modis name are already out and merchandise will follow soon. Four reasons why its Modi and not Shivraj One of the main reasons for the decision is said to be the factionalism within the Madhya Pradesh BJP unit, where there are different camps belonging to Chouhan, Sharma, union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia among others. Modi is one face that unifies the Centre-state unit, and everyone will be happy to work for him, said a BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh on condition of anonymity. Though in early July, during his sudden evening visit to Bhopal, Shah had made it clear that the party has to fight as one unit and launch its Vijay Sankalp Abhiyan, he does not seem too eager to be taking any risks. The result of the MP assembly election will directly have a bearing on next years Lok Sabha, for which the BJP has already sounded the poll bugle. The prime minister will increasingly be addressing more political rallies in the months to come. So him being the face of the Madhya Pradesh election will complement the BJPs Lok Sabha poll campaign warm-up, said the same BJP leader. Even Shahs report card speech was peppered with numbers articulating how much the prime minister has given to the people of Madhya Pradesh. Third, the BJP is facing anti-incumbency in the state due to its 17-year rule. In fact, riding on similar sentiments, Kamal Nath had come to power (in 2018). But when it comes to Prime Minister Modi, he still enjoys record approval ratings across India. And the BJP wishes to use Modis pro-incumbency to curb Chouhans anti-incumbency. Last, the BJP wishes to give a chance to a number of younger leaders and party cadres this time. Sources said a record number of existing MLAs will not get tickets this time. And so, if PM Modi remains the face of the assembly election, chances of a revolt will almost be non-existent. But, on the other hand, Chouhan leading the poll campaign may allow dissidents to thwart the partys chances in their former constituencies. Quite predictably, the Congress is in no mood to let it pass. When asked about Amit Shahs statement that the BJP would take a call on next MP Chief Minister in due course, Congress leader Jitu Patwari said: Its a clear message that even the BJP is not relying on Shivraj Singh Chouhans face as its damaged in public perception. Modi jaisa bhakt hai aaya: In songs Already an array of musicals are out, where the lyrics revolve around the PM. Mahakal is a famous deity of the state and, in one such song, Modi is portrayed as a Shiva bhakt. It goes like this: Mahakal lok ka lokarpar Bhole baba ke man bah, Modi jaisa bhakt hai aaya. The song also has a music video format where Modi is the sole focus. Another song is targeted at tribal communities, which highlights how the Modi-led central governments free ration packages have helped the poor survive the toughest of times. Though none of these songs are part of the official BJP campaign, those who know about them said they were released at the behest of the party with the intention of mounting a Modi-centric campaign. Sources said next in line is Modi merchandise that will make its way to the state and be distributed among cadres and targeted segments. In one of the first meetings held by him, Shah had praised election incharge Bhupendra Yadav, who in his earlier role as election incharge of Gujarat had run some successful campaigns. Yadavs campaigns during the Gujarat election the PMs home turf were entirely Modi-centric. If Yadav has to repeat his Gujarat magic, he will have to lean on the tried and tested formula. No international leader has been showered with the kind of respect like Narendra Modi has by 14 countries, which have conferred on him their highest civilian awards. This is a record. Its a matter of pride for us, Shah said during the press conference earlier, blending Garib Kalyan the name of BJPs report card on MP with national pride. Even as Shah leaves the decision for future, party insiders cautioned that making Modi the face of the MP election does not mean that the party is second-guessing who to make its chief minister after results but a mere pre-poll strategy. That is pre-decided. The party wont deviate from its norm of going ahead with the incumbent CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said the BJP source. Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday asserted his party BJP will secure a clear majority in the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and form the next government. Scindia, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after quitting the Congress in March 2020, however, refrained from predicting the number of seats the saffron outfit will win in the year-end polls to the 230-member assembly. I am not an astrologer to tell the number of seats (that BJP will win). But we will form a full majority government in the state, he told reporters here during his visit to the Gwalior-Chambal division which accounts for 34 assembly segments. The Rajya Sabha member said party workers feel energized after the visit of Union Home Minister and BJP strategist Amit Shah to Gwalior on Sunday and they will now work for the polls with a renewed vigour. Reacting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal projecting himself as chacha (uncle) to voters during his visit to the BJP-ruled state, Scindia said everybody knows how he has treated Delhi, where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in power.AAP convenor Kejriwal on Sunday addressed a campaign rally in Satna and assured various guarantees, including free power, medical treatment and construction of quality schools besides a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 to unemployed youths in Madhya Pradesh. He also projected himself as chacha (paternal uncle) to state voters while taking a veiled dig at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is popularly known as mama (maternal uncle). The ruling BJP has already declared its first list 39 candidates for the assembly polls whose schedule is yet to be announced. Union Home Minister Shah has set the target of winning more than 150 seats out of the total 230 in the state. In the 2018 polls, the saffron party had won 109 seats, short of the simple majority mark of 116. BRS Chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday announced the candidate list for 115 seats for the upcoming assembly polls on Monday and said he will contest from Gajwel and Kamareddy constituencies. Providing further insights into the partys strategies for the approaching elections, the chief minister said that the incumbent ministers would maintain their current seats. Ninety-five per cent of MLAs will retain seats, he said. BRS Working President KT Rama Rao will be seeking re-election from Sircilla, while Harish Rao is set to do the same from Siddipet. Among the notable developments, seven new faces are set to join the electoral fray as seven sitting MLAs have been dropped. However, the candidates for four seats, namely Nampally, Goshamahal, Jangaon and Narsapur, are yet to be officially declared. KCR has announced that there will be no alliance with any party or opposition front. The chief minister stated that the focus will also be on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. There is a need for an alternative approach, he added. However, he asserted that the camaraderie between BRS and Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM would continue. AIMIM party is our friendly party and our friendship will continue even in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, KCR said. Expressing confidence, the party chief said, BRS will win between 95-105 seats out of the total of 119 in the upcoming assembly polls. On his decision to contest from two seats, KCR said, I am contesting from the two seats according to a decision taken by the party. The local MLA requested me to contest from Kamareddy. Shifting from one constituency to the other is a regular phenomenon for me where in the past I contested from Karimnagar, Mahabubabad, and Siddipet and even now contesting from Gajwel and Kamareddy. Wherever I contest from, I won the seat with a huge majority. KCR said the BRS will announce the party manifesto at a massive rally scheduled at Warangal on October 16. About his role in national politics, he said, I will become free after the Assembly elections are over and then the people of the country will witness what KCR can do in national politics. Shortly after the announcement, BRS MLC K Kavitha, who is the daughter of Chandrasekhar Rao, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, said the list reflected the peoples faith in the chief ministers leadership and the BRSs governance. Our leader KCR Garu announced 115 exceptional candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections out of 119 seats. It truly is a testament to the peoples faith in CM KCR Garus courageous leadership and the impactful governance of the @BRSparty. We humbly seek the blessings of people of Telangana!!, the post read. I congratulate all the nominees of the @BRSparty for ensuing assembly electionsAlso thank the Honble Party President Sri KCR Garu for renominating me as a candidate from Siricilla Disappointments are to be taken in stride in public life. Unfortunately some very deserving, KTR (@KTRBRS) August 21, 2023 Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao in a post congratulated all the nominees and thanked the chief minister for renominating him as a candidate from Siricilla. Disappointments are to be taken in stride in public life. Unfortunately some very deserving, capable leaders like @Krishank_BRS & a few others could not be accommodated. Will ensure he and some others who have been denied an opportunity to contest get their chance In another form to serve the people, he said. With the Legislative Assembly elections just a few months away, prominent figures like Union Home Minister Amit Shah and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge are anticipated to visit Telangana this month. Shah is set to address a public gathering in Khammam on August 27, as per BJP sources. Similarly, Kharge is slated to unveil the partys SC, ST Declaration during a public meeting near Chevella on August 26. The SC, ST Declaration marks Congresss third significant proclamation, following Rahul Gandhis farmers declaration in Warangal last year and Priyanka Gandhi Vadras youth declaration in Hyderabad this May. Notably, Congress in Telangana is contemplating an invitation for top leader Sonia Gandhi to visit the state in September. From reviving the party in Uttar Pradesh to chalking out a strategy for Lok Sabha elections 2024, Ajay Rai will be welcomed by a heavy in-tray when he takes charge as Congresss UP chief on August 24. But for the Purvanchal strongman and five-time Varanasi MLA who contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice in General Elections, the to-do list is topped by the need to expand the partys base in UPs rural pockets. In an exclusive interview to News18, Ajay Rai assured he would bring about the revival of the UP Congress within three months and clarified on his purported statements that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest Lok Sabha elections next year from Amethi and Varanasi, respectively. Edited excerpts: You have been appointed the Congress chief for UP where the party has been out of form for quite some time. How do you see this responsibility? Its a big responsibility indeed. I am grateful to my leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul (Gandhi) ji and Priyanka (Gandhi Vadra) ji for showing faith in me. This has also reminded me of the 1996 Assembly elections when I entered politics and was fielded from Kolasla Assembly constituency against nine-time MLA Uday ji of the CPM. It was pure hardwork and sincere efforts that made me win. With the same zeal and hardwork, I assure the revival of the party in UP within three months. The BJP has opted for Tiffin Pe Charcha, whereas the Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced Har Ghar Dastak to drum up support. What will be the Congress equivalent of this ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections? We would start from the rural pockets of UP. Expanding the partys base in the rural areas would be my priority as its the farmers who are in great pain and have been awaiting development. Recently, Rahul Gandhi, too, stepped into the fields of Haryana and assisted farmers working there. The idea was to interact with the farmers and lend an ear to their problems. I can assure good results from Chandauli to Ghaziabad. In a recent statement soon after becoming UP Congress chief, you were quoted by the media as saying that Rahul Gandhi is being fielded from Amethi. Is it true? I was misquoted by the media. I meant that the people of Amethi feel cheated and are waiting for false promises to be fulfilled, including the one made by (Amethi MP) Smriti Irani that sugar will be available at Rs 13 per kg. Rahul ji hasnt made any such false promises and people want him to contest from Amethi. However, the final say is with the party or Rahul ji himself. In another statement, you were quoted as saying that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may contest from Varanasi from where you were elected as MLA for five terms. Is that true? Again, I was misquoted by the media. Priyanka ji is my sister, and being in-charge of UP, she can contest from any seat, be it Varanasi or any other. However, if she wants to contest from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I will leave my seat for my sister and would help ensure her victory. Since Mallikarjun Kharge is the Dalit face of the Congress and you are Bhumihar, political buzz says your appointment as UP Congress chief is just an attempt to balance caste dynamics in the state to secure more votes. I believe that the wrong perception. I think my appointment goes much beyond caste politics and it has been done not on the basis of my caste, but on merit. If we talk about Bhumihars, the land holding community of UP, its only 2%. I am thankful to the people of my community for supporting me throughout. I think its my never-say-die spirit for which the party leaders have shown faith in me and nominated me for such a crucial role before Lok Sabha polls. The Tamil Nadu government has moved Supreme Court last week seeking the apex courts direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of Cauvery water from its reservoirs to support standing crops. It also urged the court to direct Karnataka to ensure the stipulated release of 36.76 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) for the month of September 2023 as per the Cauvery Tribunal award as modified by the Supreme Court in 2018. The Karnataka government also filed an appeal in the top court following Tamil Nadus plea. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to constitute a bench to hear the Cauvery River water-sharing dispute. What is the Current Dispute? While Tamil Nadu demanded release of 24,000 cusecs of water, Karnataka has been maintaining that it will be able to release water to Tamil Nadu taking into account its needs like drinking water and standing crops in the Cauvery basin areas citing scarcity due to deficit monsoon rains. Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who is also in-charge of Water Resources department, following Tamil Nadu approaching the SC, said Karnataka would release 10 tmc ft of water from the Cauvery basin to the neighbouring state. He added that the state doesnt have sufficient water in dams to meet its requirements like drinking water and agriculture due to deficit monsoon. The ruling Congress government in Karnataka is convening an all-party meeting on August 23 to discuss the Cauvery water sharing issue. Long Dispute The Cauvery water sharing is a long dispute between the two southern states- Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The conflict traces its roots to two agreements in 1892 and 1924 between the Madras Presidency and Kingdom of Mysore. The Centre established the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in June 1990 to address disagreements concerning water sharing capacities among Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry. The Supreme Court a 2018 ruling decident how much water should be allotted to Tamil Nadu and how much should be kept by Karnataka. Karnataka is supposed to make available 177.25 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu in a normal water year, between June to May. According to a report in The Hindu, Karnataka has to make available a total of 123.14 TMC from June to September, a period when the Cauvery issue gets flared up as the monsoon yields lower rainfall. This year, Tamil Nadu had given a direction to Karnataka on August 10 to release 15,000 cusecs of water on August 11 for 15 days. But the amount of water was reduced to 10,000 cusecs by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on August 11. However, even the 10,000 cusecs were not released by Karnataka, the Tamil Nadu government alleged. According to reports, if the Cauvery basin fails to receive rain in the next couple of weeks and inflow into reservoirs does not improve, it could intensify conflict between the states. The dry spell and drought-like situation will also lead to political turmoil as the opposition parties in both the states are attacking the ruling governments over the issue. A British nurse is being called the worst child serial killer in modern British history. Lucy Letby, a neonatal nurse in a British hospital, attacked and killed the most vulnerable infants in her care for at least a year. Letby was convicted of the persistent, calculated and cold-blooded murder of five premature boys and two newborn girls while she worked at the Countess of Chester hospital in northwest England between June 2015 and June 2016. UKs Worst Serial Killers Lucy Letby during her mid-20s preyed on highly vulnerable babies between 2015 and 2016 and attacked them moments after their parents or nurses had left their side. UK Police were finally contacted in 2017 and she was arrested in 2018. She used a variety of methods including injecting air into babies feeding tubes or adding insulin which would poison them or deliberately overfeeding. She has been convicted of killing two identical triplet brothers, murdered within 24 hours of each other, a newborn weighing less than 1 kg who was fatally injected with air and a girl born 10 weeks premature who was murdered on the fourth attempt, a report in The Guardian said. Letby is expected to become only the third woman alive in the UK to be handed a whole-life term, where she will never be released from prison. However, the police suspect that she might have harmed more babies during her six-year career as a childrens nurse. The police have launched a helpline for parents to call to report concerns. How Did She Killed Infants Police are already investigating her crime and have asked specialists to examine the records of more than 4,000 infants born at the two hospitals where Letby worked between 2010 and 2016. According to a mother, Letby attacked her newborn after she made a complaint about an inappropriate comment by the nurse. Lynsey Artell, a nurse who worked with Letby, claimed that she heard the serial killed talking about the progress of her son by saying, I dont like parents getting their hopes up because we never know what could happen at this stage. The next day, her sons condition deteriorated and his insulin level spiked, just like in the cases of two babies Letby was convicted of poisoning. According to Pascale Jones, a senior prosecutor, Letby had perverted her learning and weaponised her craft to inflict harm, grief and death. The court was told how the nurse injected the newborns by injecting air into their tiny bodies shattering their diaphragms. In other cases, she pushed a tube down an infants throat. She also tried kill two babies by lacing their feeding bags with insulin. In one of cases, where a baby was born 15 weeks premature had 5% chance of survival. Letby tried to kill the girl twice, the first attempt just hours after she and the family had marked her 100th day of life with a celebratory cake and the second on what would have been her due date two weeks later. Letby was found not guilty of a third count of attempted murder against her. After the death of two triplet brothers within 24 hours of each other in June 2016, Letby was removed from the neonatal unit and placed on clerical duties. In total, Letby was found guilty of seven counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder. The attempted murders relate to six babies as multiple counts apply to some of the infants. Why Did She Kill Newborns Lucy Letby was finally arrested two years after was removed from the front-line nursing duties and placed in a non-clinical role in July 2018. She was questioned for hours and denied everything. During the trial, the prosecution described Letby as a calculating woman, who gaslighted her colleagues into believing the rise in baby deaths was just a run of bad luck. The jury was told that Letby was on shift when each of the babies collapsed. Some of the newborns were attacked just as their parents left their cots. The court heard that Letby took an unusual interest in the families of her victims, making searches for them on social media. The police found rambling from her home that helped police to figure out that she was guilty. I am evil I did this, one note read. Another note said, I dont deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because Im not good enough to care for them. Letby repeatedly denied harming the babies and her motives remain unclear. She was charged with eight murders and 10 attempted murders in November 2020. But one of the murder chargers were later dropped. According to prosecutor Nick Johnson KC, Letby liked playing God by attacking babies and then being the first to alert her colleagues about their decline. She knew what was going to happen. She was controlling things. She was enjoying what was going on. She was predicting things that she knew was going to happen. She, in effect, was playing God, Johnson reportedly told the court. According to some reports, Letbys motive to kill newborns might have come from a pathological desire for attention and sympathy. Professor Yorker, who studied more than 130 cases of health professionals who kill, said that the murders might be an act of covert violence or sadism as the perpetrators found themselves in a position of power. Seventeen Indian men, recently released from Tripoli Jail in Libya, arrived in Delhi on Sunday night. The group had been stranded in Libya for six months after falling victim to deceitful travel agents who promised jobs in Italy. The Indian youths, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, had been stranded in Libya and were released from jail in Tripoli last month. Vikramjit Singh Sahney, a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, who reportedly played a significant role in their release, said that these youths had fallen victim to unscrupulous travel agents promising lucrative jobs in Italy. Safely evacuated 17 youths of #punjab & #haryana from Libya after a great deal of ordeal of 3 months who just got saved their lives, duped by illegal #immigrationagents charging 13 Lakhs each. Request @CMOPb @mlkhattar @DGPPunjabPolice to register FIRs against culprits who committed this heinous crime, Sahney wrote on social media platform X. Sordid tale of youth what ordeal they went through and how managed to return safely from gallows of torture & death #humantraffiking https://t.co/gj4PPXfxuk pic.twitter.com/pQUDY7AB6a Vikramjit Singh MP (@vikramsahney) August 20, 2023 In one of the videos posted on social media platforms, the men can be seen sobbing after embracing their families at the airport. Long before their rescue, the harrowing journey of the Indian men took them through Dubai and Egypt before landing them in Libya, where they endured harsh conditions and even physical assaults. VIDEO | 17 Indian youths, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, who were released from Tripoli Jail in Libya last month, returned to Delhi on Sunday night. They were in Libya for the past six months because of unscrupulous travel agents who duped them on the pretext of sending them to pic.twitter.com/BhoXOJibrQ Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 21, 2023 The Story Behind the Rescue According to government sources, the case was brought to the attention of the Embassy in Tunis on May 26 by the family members of the stranded Indian nationals. The Indians were being held captive by an armed group in Zwara City in Libya after they were trafficked from India. Sources said that the Indian embassy regularly pursued the matter with Libyan authorities throughout May and June, as well as through informal channels. On June 13, the Libyan authorities were able to rescue the Indian nationals, but kept them in their custody given that they had illegally entered the country, they said. Subsequent legal procedures secured their consular access, leading to their eventual release from detention. They were then kept in Tripoli until arrangements were made for their travel documents, particularly Emergency Certificates for repatriation to India. Following high-level intervention by our Ambassador in Tunis and senior MEA officials from New Delhi, Libyan authorities agreed to release them, sources said. During their stay in Libya, the Indian embassy looked after the needs of the recused men, including providing essential food items, medicines and clothes. Tickets for return to India were also provided and paid for by the Indian embassy. (With inputs from Shalinder Wangu) The Assam government has sought public opinion on a proposed law to end polygamy in the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. Sharing a government public notice on X, formerly Twitter, Sarma appealed to the people to send their suggestions on the proposed law to ban polygamy in Assam. The notice published by the Principal Secretary of the Home and Political Department requested the people to send their opinion by August 30 through email or by post. It mentioned that the Assam government had formed an expert committee to study the legislative competence of the Assembly to enact a law banning polygamy, and the report stated that the state legislature is competent to enact a law to ban the marital practice. Sharing the executive summary of the report, the public notice stated that marriage falls under the Concurrent List, enabling both the Centre and states to pass laws on it. The Doctrine of Repugnancy (Article 254) stipulates that if a state legislation contradicts a central legislation, the state law will be overridden unless it received the prior assent of the President of India, it added. Quoting the report, the notice mentioned that freedom of conscience and the right to practice religion under Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution are not absolute and are subject to public order, morality, health and legislative provisions for social welfare and reform. The courts have clarified that religious practices must be essential and integral to the religion to receive protection, it added. With respect to Islam, the courts have held that having more than one wife is not an essential part of the religion. Legislation limiting the number of wives does not interfere with the right to practice religion and is within the scope of social welfare and reform. Hence, laws favouring monogamy do not violate Article 25, said the notice, which referred to the expert committees report. Considering these principles, the State of Assam would have the legislative competence to enact a state legislature to end polygamy, it added. On August 6, the expert committee formed by the Assam government to examine the legislative competence of the state legislature to enact a law to end polygamy had submitted its report to the Chief Minister, who immediately announced that a legislation on the subject will be introduced within this financial year. He had also claimed the committee unanimously agreed that the state can frame its own laws to end polygamy. Hoisting the National Flag on the occasion of 77th Independence Day on August 15, Sarma in his official address said that a strict act will be brought soon to end polygamy in Assam. On May 12, Sarma had announced the formation of the four-member expert committee headed by Justice (Retd) Rumi Kumari Phukan. Besides Phukan, the other members of the committee are the states Advocate General Devajit Saikia, Senior Additional Advocate General Nalin Kohli and senior Advocate Nekibur Zaman. It was tasked to scrutinise the provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act, 1937 along with Article 25 of the Constitution in relation to the Directive Principles of State Policy for a Uniform Civil Code. On July 13, Sarma had said the Assam government conveyed to the authorities concerned that it was in support of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and wanted to ban polygamy immediately in the state. The opposition parties had earlier slammed the decision of the government to enact a law on polygamy as diversionary and communal, especially at a time when suggestions on the UCC are being received by the Law Commission. A senior official in the Delhi governments Women and Child Development department, who is accused of raping his friends minor daughter repeatedly for months, has been suspended and arrested. The action came after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to suspend the officer. The CM has also sought a report in the case from Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar latest by 5 pm today. The accused, Premoday Khakha and his wife were detained by the Delhi Police earlier before arrest. #WATCH | The now-suspended rape-accused Delhi government official and his wife have been detained by Police.The official has been booked for allegedly raping his deceased friends minor daughter for several months. pic.twitter.com/WN7YSqEi5E ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 Delhi Minister Atishi said it is a shocking case as the accused was working in the Department of Women & Child Development. Delhi Police must take strict action, the accused never worked as my OSD, she added. #BreakingNews |Delhi govt reacts to minor rape case; Minister #AtishiMarlena says it is a shocking case as the accused was working in the Department of Women & Child Development, Delhi Police must take strict action; the accused never worked as my OSD@_anshuls | @ridhimb pic.twitter.com/YjD76QZvhl News18 (@CNNnews18) August 21, 2023 On the other hand, Delhi Commission for Women chairperson, Swati Maliwal- alleged that she was not allowed to meet the minor victim at the hospital. For half an hour the hospital administration is preventing me from meeting the minor victim. The guards are saying that the police have forbidden it. What is going on? First of all, you are not arresting the accused and on top of that you are preventing me from meeting the girl. What does Delhi Police want to hide? she said. ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/tZItxZy8Cr Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 21, 2023 Maliwal earlier said the panel has issued a notice to the Delhi Police asking why the accused has not been arrested yet. A government officer who was sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department for so long has been accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl and when she got pregnant, he and his wife tried to abort the pregnancy. We have issued notice to Delhi Police, why is he not arrested yet, we are also issuing a notice to Delhi govt because we want to know what are the complaints against him and what actions have been taken against him, she said. #WATCH | A government officer who was sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department for so long, has been accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl and when she got pregnant, he and his wife tried to abort the pregnancy. We have issued pic.twitter.com/3KbgNWICeF ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 An FIR against the senior official has been registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the POCSO Act. News18 has learnt that the officer was a family friend of the minor, said to be between 17 years of age and a student of Class 12. After her father passed away in 2020, the accused brought her to his home. The victim lived in the accuseds house from October 2020 to February 2021 during which, she was sexually harassed and physically molested and repeatedly raped by her uncle. According to shocking details that emerged in the case earlier today, when the minor became pregnant after months of abuse, she was forced to terminate her pregnancy by the wife of the accused. Procedural Lapse NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo on Monday highlighted a procedural lapse in this matter. If a childs father or mother died in the period starting April 2020 or the child became an orphan and they need guardianship, then as per the Supreme Court order all their details have to be registered on NCPCRs Baalswaraj Portal. Delhi Government had said that it has registered the details of all such children. But we have not found her details so far, Kanoongo said. The official further mentioned they have asked the officers of the Delhi government, the name of the child and entry for her in Baalswaraj Portal. The role of the Church seems suspicious too. The child is yet to give a statement before Child Welfare Committee. We are trying to contact the chief of the Committee since morning but she is not receiving the call. We are monitoring this matter and after collecting this information, we will direct the Delhi Govt to take appropriate action. We are also sending a team to the hospital where the girl is admitted, he added. BJP Slams Delhi Govt For Not Taking Action Against Accused BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj asked when the FIR was registered against the accused on August 13 why the Delhi government did not take action against him sooner. She said DCW chief Swati Maliwal is doing politics over it. Mahila Congress President Netta DSouza said it is unfortunate that such a person is in the Woman and Child Development ministry that speaks volumes about sensitivity towards the cause of women and child development. If hes involved in such a grievous crime, such a person should be terminated and imprisoned. The police must take immediate action. We request the Delhi CM (Arvind Kejriwal) to ensure that the strictest of actions should be taken against such officers, she said. A massive fire broke out at two factories in Delhis Nilothi village on Monday. Information about the incident was received at 8.52 am, Delhi Fire Services said, adding that 20 fire tenders have been deployed. No casualties have been reported so far. More details are awaited. #WATCH | Delhi: Fire breaks out in a factory in Nilothi village, 10 fire tenders rushed to the spot. No injuries to anyone so far: Delhi Fire Service(Video source Delhi Fire Service) pic.twitter.com/dm3jX4KWvZ ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 More details are awaited. Earlier this month, the emergency ward of Delhi AIIMS was temporarily shut after a fire broke out on the second floor of the hospital building on August 7. All the people in the vicinity were immediately evacuated after a fire call was received from the emergency ward of AIIMS at 11:54 am. As about 50 special aircraft are expected to land at the two Delhi airports Indira Gandhi International Airport and the IAF base in Palam for the G20 summit next month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is exploring options to direct them to other cities due to scarcity of parking space. The two aforementioned airports currently have a parking space for about 40 airplanes, and therefore MEA is mulling sending the rest to Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow and Indore. At a recent coordination meeting chaired by the chief of protocol from the MEA, it was discussed that 50 VVIP aircrafts are set to land and 13 heads of states or delegates are expected to come in commercial flights, according to The Indian Express. Special details of these aircraft, including their configuration, date, time etc will be known later. The special airplanes will be parked in Bay-1 and Bay-3, which are very close to the ceremonial lounge, sources told IE. The meeting was attending by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Indian Air Force (IAF), Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Intelligence Bureau and Customs. A suggestion to close one of the runways of IGI, and use it as a parking space was also put on the table. However, the representatives of the Delhi airport said that all runways needed to be free for landings during the summit, IE said. After considering multiple possibilities, the four cities of Amritsar, Indore, Jaipur and Lucknow airports were shortlisted. The civil aviation ministry since the beginning of this month has been in discussions with all the stakeholders to relocated the grounded aircrafts from Delhi to nearby airport. To accommodate the aircrafts, the civil aviation ministry has been proactively addressing the parking concerns at the Delhi airport, news agency ANI said. Approximately 70-80 aircraft are currently parked at the Delhi airport due to various reasons such as engine replacements, technical issues among others, a government official told news agency ANI. G20 summit The G20 Leaders Summit will be held on September 9-10 at the Bharat Mandapam convention centre, previously Pragati Maidan, and some other vital locations. With less than a month to go for it, security agencies have finalized convoy details and movement drills for visiting heads of states. #WATCH | Delhi Polices traffic unit conducts rehearsal from various hotels to Pragati Maidan ahead of the upcoming G20 summit pic.twitter.com/LV2zzBOOAS ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 According to sources, the outer security will be provided by the Delhi Police and involve security and movement from the hotel to the venue and back to the hotel. The security drills will cover VVIP movement from the airport to the hotel, hotel to the venue, back to the hotel and finally to the airport. Delhi Police has already started its work to ensure the global summit is held in a conducive environment. Deputy Commissioners of Police of all districts in Delhi have been given the responsibility to maintain peace and harmony in their areas and also to keep an eye on anti-social elements as well. India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, and since then a large number of meetings under different tracks of the bloc have been hosted across the country, which will culminate in the September 9-10 Summit in New Delhi. Incessant rains leading to landslides and flood-like situation continued to affect daily life in Himachal Pradesh, even as more heavy showers are predicted from Monday. The Met office in Shimla issued a yellow alert for heavy rain today and an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain from August 22 to 24. At least 330 people have lost their lives due to rains and floods in this years monsoon, as per home ministry data. Last week, the state was hit by at least 25 landslides and one cloudburst. Here are the latest updates from the state We all know that IAS officers are in charge of the administration in a district. They review the progress of the respective departments and share the necessary feedback with lower-level officers and employees. Apart from this, they are also involved in the implementation of the welfare development programs of the government, which keeps them engaged in meeting the targets. Sometimes they also conduct field trips to identify the problems. Similarly, two IAS officers recently visited schools in their respective Adilabad district areas. The two officials, who have a special interest in the education sector, visited government schools and inquired about the teaching methods and facilities provided to the students. They are Chahat Baj Pai, a project officer for the Integrated Tribal Development Organisation in Utnur, Adilabad District, and K Varun Reddy, the Nirmal District Collector. They are both husband and wife. Coincidentally, continuing their tours, the two visited educational institutions and inquired about the facilities and curriculum of the schools. IAS Reddy reportedly visited the Social Welfare Gurukula College and School. Visiting there, he also, took the mathematics class of the tenth-grade students. He also shared many tips for students to excel in mathematics. Students liked his session very much and they reportedly interacted with him and shared their problems with him. On the other hand, his wife paid a surprise inspection visit to the Tribal Girls Ashram schools in Bejjur Mandal village of Asifabad district, Telangana. There, she first interacted with the students and then she asked the teachers about attendance, pass percentage and educational facilities. She also took classes with some students. After this, inventory and records of goods in the storeroom were also examined. Students were personally asked about the meals given to them. IAS Chahat Baj Pai recently said during a media interview that specific classes for students in every tribal school should be set up in order to raise the pass percentage. She added that the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) will provide encouragement to students pursuing higher studies. She further instructed the teachers to keep the school and dormitory grounds tidy every day during the rainy season to prevent the spread of seasonal illnesses. Two terrorists were killed after an encounter broke out between the terrorists and the security forces in Jammu Kashmirs Pulwama on Sunday. One of the militants killed is believed to be a Lashkar-e-Taibas top commander. According to an India Today report encounter took place in the Larrow Parigam area. Forces received intelligence about militants movement in the Parigam village, following which the forces launched this operation. The Kashmir Zone Police posted on X, Encounter has started in Larrow Parigam area of Pulwama. Police and Security Forces are on the job. Details shall follow. Previously, on August 5, a terrorist was killed in an encounter with the security forces in J&Ks Rajouri district. Officials had said that the encounter started during a cordon and search operation by the Army and the police at Gundha-Khawa village in the Budhal area following the intelligence about terrorists being present in the area. A day before, on August 4, three Indian Army personnel were killed in an encounter with terrorists in J&Ks Kulgam. This incident took place after a cordon and search operation was launched by the security forces in the higher reaches of the Halan forest area in the Kulgam district. Officials said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists fired at the security forces, who then retaliated. A Hyderabad techie who is living in London hatched a conspiracy to kill his wife and in-laws in Hyderabad using poisonous masala powder. The mans mother-in-law died while his wife and other family members fell sick. According to Miyapur circle inspector Prem Kumar, Sirisha, daughter of Hanumantha Rao and his wife Uma Maheswari who are staying at an apartment in Miyapur, tied the knot with software engineer M Ajith Kumar in 2018. The couple started living together in London and was blessed with a baby girl. After some time, the couple started having fights. Sirisha approached the police in London and the couple started living separately. The police said Ajith Kumar forced a man named Vinod Kumar, who has been working with him, to be a part of this conspiracy along with Ajiths friends Bhavani Shankar, Ashok, Gopinath and Poorneder Rao, a relative to Sirisha, all of whom stay in Hyderabad. When Sirisha with her daughter visited Hyderabad to attend her brothers marriage, Ajith paid money amount to Ramesh, son of the watchman of the apartment, to keep an eye on his mother-in-laws house. Ajiths first plan failed when three persons with poison injections went to the house of Sirishas parents in the early hours of June 25, the police said. The police said Ajith then changed his plan and asked his friends to mix poison in the sample packets of masala powder, turmeric powder and chilli powder and handed over the packets to the family members in the guise of a delivery boy. As many as six members of the family severely fell ill after consuming the powders. Sirishas mother Uma Maheswari died on July 5. The family members thought that she passed away due to ill health. They were suspicious so they sent blood samples of Sirisha, her father, her brother, cuisine, and one more female relative for tests, who lost the sense of their hands and legs for a long time and was unable to recover. The tests found poisonous substances in the blood samples, the police added. Based on the finding Sirisha lodged a complaint with the police on Thursday, Madhapur zone DCP Sandeep Rao formed a special team to nab the accused. The team took the watchmans son Ramesh into their custody after verifying the CCTV footage of the apartment. During the interrogation, Ramesh revealed about one of the conspirators Poorender Rao, who have been staying in a flat in the same apartment above Sirishas flat. With this, the entire conspiracy came to light, the police said. The special police team arrested six persons, who helped Ajith from various localities on Friday. The main accused Ajith Kumar, who has been residing in London, is yet to be arrested. At least two were killed and four others injured in a road accident as a container travelling on the Mumbai-Pune expressway overturned and caused damage to around five cars. The accident led to a disruption on the lane heading to Pune. Currently, traffic movement on both the lines is slow. In a separate accident, two persons were injured after a teen rammed a Mercedes, which he was driving into another car on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai, on Sunday morning. Police officials said that the accused, identified as Jay Bansode was arrested. The 19-year-old college student a resident of Thanes Bhayander was driving his relatives car. Bansode fled from the scene after ramming into the other car, but the police caught him using the cars registration number. However, police said that Bansode wasnt drunk at the time of the incident and that the offending car has been brought in. Based on preliminary probe, Bansode was arrested under the charges of rash driving, negligent driving and other legal provisions, a PTI report said. The injured persons were admitted to a hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Both of them are out of danger, police said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a four-day visit to South Africa and Greece from Tuesday. During his three-day visit to Johannesburg, Prime Minister Modi will attend the 15th BRICS Summit at the invitation of President of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. The summit will be held from August 22 to August 24. This is the first in-person BRICS summit to be held since 2019. The BRICS grouping consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. PM Modis Aug 22 Schedule The Prime Minister will arrive at Waterkloof Air Force Base around 5.15 pm. Two hours later, he will attend BRICS Business Forum Leaders Dialogue. At 9:30 pm, he will participate in BRICS Leaders Retreat. The BRICS nations represent 42% of the worlds population along with a significant 27% of the global GDP. The theme of the summit this year is BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism. The summit will provide an opportunity to review progress of the initiatives launched by the grouping and identify future areas of activity, the external affairs ministry said in a press release. PM Modi will also take part in the special event BRICS Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue which are being organised after the BRICS leadership summit. This will include other nations invited by South Africa. PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders who will be present in Johannesburg. The MEA said that the itinerary of bilateral meetings is still evolving. A business delegation will travel with PM Modi to South Africa. They will attend BRICS business track meetings and also the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum meetings. Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping will also attend the BRICS Summit in person and will also undertake a state visit. This is the second time Xi Jinping is stepping outside China this year after his cross border trip to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be present in Johannesburg due to the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin in March this year, linking him to the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children. BRICS Expansion The external affairs ministry during a special briefing on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Modis departure said India has positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. There is considerable interest among many nations to join BRICS. As far as BRICS expansion is concerned, we are clear, we have a positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. Discussions are ongoing between Sherpas of BRICS nations regarding expansion and to reach a consensus, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said. Greece Visit PM Modi will also visit Greece on August 25 at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This is the first time in 40 years an Indian Prime Minister is embarking on an official visit to Athens. Both leaders will discuss ways to further deepen the relationship and PM Modi will also interact with business leaders from both countries, as well as with the Indian community in Greece. India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties, the external affairs ministry said in a press release. In what could explode into a major confrontation for the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab, a farmer was killed in a violent clash with police at Longowal in Sangrur during a protest demonstration against a crackdown by authorities against leaders of 16 farmer unions, led by Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Monday morning. As 13 leaders of these unions were taken into preventive custody across the state, protests broke out in different parts of Punjab, with farmer unions laying siege near toll plazas in parts of Doaba, Malwa, and Majha regions. The police crackdown was launched to prevent these 16 farmer unionsthat are not part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)from starting an indefinite protest in Chandigarh from Tuesday. The call for protests has been given against the central government for its alleged failure to adequately compensate farmers for losses suffered by them due to the floods that have ravaged northern India since July. They are demanding a special package of Rs 50,000 crore for north India from the Centre for flood-affected farmers. Among the demands raised by the protesters are increasing the compensation for the death of cattle to Rs 1 lakh, making arrangements for sand mining in their fields to clear silt, compensation for damaged borewells, and waiving of loans and interest, etc. Though the SKM has not participated in the protests planned by these unions, many leaders from the morcha including Dr Darshan Pal, and other breakaway groups of five unions led by Balbir Singh Rajewal, have condemned the arrest and repression of farmer leaders. Those detained include Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee state president Sarvan Singh Pandher, BKU Krantikaris press secretary Jarnail Singh Kaleke, as well as Balwant Mehraj, Kuldeep Gurdaspur, Balwant Singh Behramke, Chamkaur Singh Usmanwala, Satnam Singh Bhura, Jaswant Singh Gatta, Chanan Singh, Jagtar Singh Jalle, Gurdeep Singh Bairoke, Jaswinder Singh Longowal, and Ranjit Singh Raju of Kisan Sabha, Rajasthan. Raju had come from Rajasthan to demand the release of more water in the Gang Canal. Despite police action, the farmer union leaders have threatened to go ahead with their march to Chandigarh on Tuesday to start their protest. They have said that a large number of farmers will gather at the Shambhu border on Tuesday morning and begin their protest march to Chandigarh. The farmers have decided to go ahead with the march after their talks which state police officials failed late on Monday night. The construction of the sanctum sanctorum of Ayodhyas Ram Temple is ready and Ram Lalla will be consecrated between January 16 and 24 after Makar Sankranti, a top official of the temple trust said on Sunday. The consecration of Ram Lalla will be carried out after the construction of the first floor of the temple, Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai said. Rai, who arrived here on Sunday, met saints and seers and informed them about the progress of the temples construction. He also invited them to attend the 10-day Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. The dream of crores of Ram devotees will soon be fulfilled and after years of controversy, Ram Lalla is now going to be seated in his grand temple in Ayodhya, Rai said. The idol of Ram Lalla will be consecrated in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple on any date between January 16 and 24, 2024 after Makar Sankranti, Rai said. He added that 80 per cent work of the roof of the first floor of the two-storey temple has been completed. The temples consecration will be carried out after the construction of the first floor, he said. Rai said that construction activities will continue amid devotees darshan at the temple, and added that this will not cause any hindrance. He said that, currently, saints and seers are being invited verbally, and added that formal invitations will be sent out in November. Seers from all traditions of the country would be invited for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, he added. President of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad Mahant Ravindra Puri said that all saints, seers and devotees of Lord Ram should attend the consecration ceremony. Puri said he hoped that Narendra Modi would emerge victorious in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and become the Prime Minister again so that India could continue on its path of development. Coming down heavily on the Gujarat High Court, the Supreme Court on Monday said no court in the country can pass an order against a superior one and doing this is against constitutional philosophy. The apex court was referring to a petition filed by a rape survivor, asking permission to terminate her pregnancy. Even though, this particular matter was listed in the Supreme Court today, the Gujarat High Court passed an order on it Saturday. What is happening in Gujarat High Court, the apex court bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said, adding that no court in India can pass an order against a superior court order. This comes as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the Gujarat government, said that the order was passed to fix a clerical error. Mehta said there was a clerical error in the previous order and a new one was taken out to fix it. Before this, the supreme court had on Saturday flagged the high courts delay in announcing an order on the rape survivors petition. The top court had also issued notices to the Gujarat government among others seeking a response to the womans plea. The Supreme court also noted that the matter was such that every days delay was crucial and of great significance. In such cases, the SC adds, there must be at least a sense of urgency and not a lackadaisical attitude of treating it as any normal case. We are sorry to say and make this remark, the bench added. Amid this, it announced its verdict and allowed the rape victim from Gujarat to terminate her pregnancy. It observed that in the Indian society, within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a source of joy for a couple and society. However, outside marriage, it has effects on the mental health of a woman when it is unwanted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday will embark on a visit to South Africa where he will attend the 15th BRICS Summit. Leaders of the BRICS Group Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africaare likely to be present at the first in-person BRICS summit since 2019. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Monday addressed a press conference on PM Modis visit. When asked if there is a chance regarding a bilateral meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Modi on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, the Foreign Secretary said that the Prime Ministers schedule is still being developed. The host country South Africa has invited a large number of guest countries, besides BRICS members. PMs schedule, in terms of bilateral meetings with those leaders who would be present in South Africa, is still being developed, he said. #WATCH | When asked about the chances of a bilateral meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra says, The host country South Africa has invited large number of guest countries, pic.twitter.com/2jK53rFjJr ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 The relations between India and China have taken a hit after the Galwan Valley clash in 2020 in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. During the Bali G20 Summit last year, PM Modi and Xi Jinping exchanged courtesies and spoke of the need to stabilise bilateral relations. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since the Galwan Valley clash. PM Modi to Attend 15th BRICS Summit in South Africas Johannesburg. Check Full Itinerary The summit will be held from August 22 to August 24. During his three-day visit to Johannesburg, Prime Minister Modi will attend the 15th BRICS Summit at the invitation of President of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. A business delegation will travel with PM Modi to South Africa. They will attend BRICS business track meetings and also the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum meetings. The external affairs ministry during a special briefing on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Modis departure said India has positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. There is considerable interest among many nations to join BRICS. As far as BRICS expansion is concerned, we are clear, we have a positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. Discussions are ongoing between Sherpas of BRICS nations regarding expansion and to reach a consensus, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said. GANESH CHATURTHI 2023: Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most important festivals in Hinduism, celebrated all over India and in other parts of the world with great pomp and gaiety. It is a 10-day festival that marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. This year the celebration will start on Tuesday, September 19 and end on Thursday, September 28. The festival begins on the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. According to Drikpanchang, the Chaturthi Tithi begins at 12:39 PM on September 18 and ends at 01:43 PM on September 19. WATCH: 10 Dos, Donts for Welcoming Lord Ganesha TABLE OF CONTENTS Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 Date Wishes and Greetings to share History Significance Shubh Muhurat Mantras How to Celebrate Anant Chaturdashi 2023 Date GANESH CHATURTHI 2023 DATE The Ganeshotsav usually falls in the months of August or September. This year, it will be celebrated on September 19, and Ganesh Visarjan (Anant Chaturdashi) is on September 28, according to the Hindu calendar. GANESH CHATURTHI 2023 WISHES May Lord Ganesha bless you with wisdom, prosperity, and happiness on this Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganpati Bappa Morya! Wishing you a joyous and blessed Ganesh Chaturthi! May Lord Ganesha remove all obstacles from your path. May the divine blessings of Lord Ganesha bring you eternal joy and fulfillment. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! On this auspicious day, may Lord Ganesha shower his blessings upon you and your loved ones. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! May the Lord of wisdom and success bless you with all the happiness and prosperity in life. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Sending you warm wishes for a blessed and joyous Ganesh Chaturthi. May your life be filled with love and laughter. As you celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, may your heart be filled with devotion and your home be filled with happiness. Ganpati Bappa Moraya! May Lord Ganeshas presence enrich your life and bless you with new beginnings. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! On this holy occasion, may Lord Ganesha remove all obstacles and pave the way for success and happiness in your life. Ganpati Bappa Moraya! Wishing you a peaceful and prosperous Ganesh Chaturthi. May Lord Ganesha fill your life with joy and contentment. May the blessings of Lord Ganesha fill your life with happiness, success, and prosperity. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! May the divine grace of Lord Ganesha be with you today and always. Ganpati Bappa Moraya! As you welcome Lord Ganesha into your home and heart, may all your wishes come true. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! On this auspicious day, may Lord Ganesha bless you with good health, wealth, and happiness. Ganpati Bappa Moraya! May the festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi bring joy and harmony to your life. Wishing you a blessed celebration! GANESH CHATURTHI 2023: HISTORY According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Parvati used sandalwood paste to create Ganesha in absence of Lord Shiva to guard her while she takes a bath. When Lord Shiva tried to enter the hall where she was bathing, he was stopped by Ganesha and they both got into an argument. Being an obedient son, Ganesha respected his mothers orders and didnt allow Lord Shiva to enter the hall. This enraged Lord Shiva and he separated Ganeshas head from his body. After seeing this, Goddess Parvati transformed into her Kali avatar and threatened to destroy the universe in anger. To calm her rage, Lord Shiva then ordered his followers to find a head of a sleeping child but on one condition the mother of the child should have her back towards him. The first head that was found by Lord Shivas followers belonged to a baby elephant. Lord Shiva attached the head to Ganeshas body and gave him another life. That day is annually celebrated as Ganesh Chaturthi since then, as per mythology. GANESH CHATURTHI 2023: SIGNIFICANCE Ganesh Chaturthi is a time for Hindus to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesha, and to seek his blessings for wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. The festival is also a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate. GANESH CHATURTHI 2023: TIME FOR VINAYAKA STHAPANA According to Drikpanchang, the Chaturthi Tithi begins at 12:39 PM on September 18 and ends at 01:43 PM on September 19. The auspicious time to install the Lord Ganesha idol is during the Madhyahna Muhurat, which is from 11:01 AM to 01:28 PM on September 19. However, it is important to avoid moon sighting before the Ganesha Chaturthi, so the prohibited time for moon sighting is from 09:45 AM to 08:44 PM on September 18. GANESH CHATURTHI 2023: MANTRAS This mantra is said to help remove obstacles and bring good fortune. Vakratunda Mahakaya, Surya Koti Samaprabaha, Nirvighnam Kurumedeva Sarva Karyeshu Sarvada Om Shreem Gam Saubhagya Ganpataye Varvarda Sarvajanma Mein Vashamanya Namah Om Ekadantaya Viddhamahe, Vakratundaya Dhimahi, Tanno Danti Prachodaya GANESH CHATURTHI 2023: RITUALS Ganesh Chaturthi puja ritual involves bathing the idol, offering prayers, and making offerings of food and flowers. The puja is usually performed by a priest, but it can also be performed by devotees themselves. The main part of the puja is the aarti, which is a fire ritual performed to honour the gods. During the aarti, the idol of Ganesha is circled with a lamp and prayers are chanted. The puja is concluded with the offering of prasad, which is a sweet dish that has been blessed by the gods. GANESH CHATURTHI 2023: HOW TO CELEBRATE Install the Ganesha idolThe first step is to install the Ganesha idol in your home or in a public place. The idol can be made of clay, wood, or metal. The auspicious time to install the idol is during the Madhyahna Muhurat, which is from 11:01 AM to 01:28 PM on September 19. Perform the pujaOnce the idol is installed, you can perform the puja. The puja is a ritual that involves bathing the idol, offering prayers, and making offerings of food and flowers. The puja can be performed by a priest or by yourself. Sing bhajans and kirtansGanesh Chaturthi is a time to sing bhajans and kirtans in praise of Lord Ganesha. You can find bhajans and kirtans online or in a Hindu temple. Visit a Ganesha pandalGanesha pandals are temporary structures that are set up during Ganesh Chaturthi. They are decorated with flowers, lights, and other festive items. You can visit a Ganesha pandal to offer your prayers to Lord Ganesha and to enjoy the festivities. Make offerings to Lord GaneshaYou can offer Lord Ganesha a variety of offerings, such as flowers, fruits, sweets, and modaks. Modaks are a type of sweet dumpling that is said to be Lord Ganeshas favorite food. Immerse the Ganesha idolAfter 10 days of celebration, the Ganesha idol is immersed in a river or lake. This is known as Vinayaka Visarjan. The immersion is a symbolic way of thanking Lord Ganesha for his blessings. ANANT CHATURDASHI 2023 DATE After 10 days of celebration, the Ganesha idol is immersed in a river or lake. This is known as Vinayaka Visarjan. This year it falls on September 28. The immersion is a symbolic way of thanking Lord Ganesha for his blessings. Theres no stopping the 87-year-old ace conductor extraordinaire, Zubin Mehta, who still loves being on stage. He is back in Mumbai to flick his baton with the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), the countrys first and only professional orchestra. The Padma Vibhushan recipient, who has led some of the worlds most prestigious orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic for 50 years till 2019, will debut with the SOI in its 17th year, marking a homecoming of sorts who left the city in 1954 to go to Vienna to study music. The two concerts, both sold out, will be performed at the NCPA in association with the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation (MMMF), a premier music education school named after his father. In an exclusive conversation with News18, the maestro speaks about making his debut with SOI, throws light on his seven-decade-long career, and hopes that Western classical music keeps evolving in India. You are conducting three classics- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts Overture to The Marriage Of Figaro and Franz Schuberts Eighth (Unfinished) Symphony and Symphony of Mahlers Titan. Was there anything specific that you chose as your debut with the Symphony Orchestra of India? Well, no. I spoke about the repertoire with Mehroo Jeejeebhoy, (founder and trustee, Mehli Mehta Music Foundation) and Khushroo N. Suntook (Chairman, Symphony Orchestra of India) and we agreed upon these three classics. I was a little skeptical in the beginning as the Mahler Symphony is very difficult but the orchestra is prepared well. They are technically wonderful with good sound and have been very enthusiastic during the rehearsals. Where do you think the Symphony Orchestra of India stands when you compare it to any other place in the world? I was pleasantly surprised by the standards of the orchestra. For example, I was very pleased with the soloists in the orchestra. I hope that other cities in India take an example and take inspiration from whats happening in Mumbai. You spoke about the challenges that come along with Symphony of Mahler, especially the Titan which is the second original that you are going to play. What are the challenges that you face as a conductor? The challenges are the interpretation. Gustav Mahler was not very successful as a conductor when he wrote the symphony as a young man. But he was the music director of the Budapest Opera. So he had knowledge about orchestras and at that age, he composed this symphony which ended with a blaze of victory and he achieved what he was aiming for. Good musicians can sense the victory or pathos during Symphonys different movements. And Mahlers Jewish background comes out evidently in the third number, especially a song about a lime tree that is not Jewish which he has incorporated. As a conductor, you have to recognise that and bring out. In your seven-decade-long career, you have conducted many classics but one thing that is missing from your repertoire is German composer Richard Wagners Parsifal. Any reason for that? I am a young man and it can still happen (laughs). I still feel young and will continue as long as I can and then I think this one might also happen. Also, there is always new interpretation of the old standard works and you will always find something new in masterpieces whether it is Mozart or Johannes Brahms. When you conduct them after a few years of absence, you tend to discover new aspects. These masterpieces are like old paintings and you always discover new things and that happens with music also. Growing up, you chose to study medicine but today, you are one of the finest conductors in the world. Looking back (Interrupts). Growing up in a Parsi household, your parents choose your profession so I might have played with the thermometer as a child, so my mother must have said that he has to be a doctor (laughs). I completed two semesters at St Xaviers College and I realised this wasnt for me. I spoke to my father who agreed and later I went to Vienna to study. Did you ever imagine that your career would be an inspiration for so many generations? Never. I always wanted to make music. I grew up listening to the records at my fathers home and helped him with the orchestra in Bombay. As a young man, I always wanted to do something with the orchestra, but I never thought that it would come this far. Your repertoire consists of many landmark performances including the one in Kashmir (in 2013) or during the Gulf of War (in 1991). Can you pick one of your best performances? No, I really cant pick one. I cant forget the first concert that I did in Vienna, Berlin, or Los Angeles. As a young man, I had no idea how the audience will respond to me, and thank god things happened positively. Western classical music is still a niche in India. Do you feel that the audience has evolved? In Bombay, I am certain they have. Maybe we will call it the Mumbai Orchestra one day. I hope cities like Chennai, Delhi, and even Kolkata which used to have an orchestra earlier also evolve with time. I remember my father used to visit Kolkata and play there. There used to be an orchestra in Hyderabad also. The Nizam had an orchestra that played once a year on his birthday but he paid those musicians for 12 months (laughs). Those were different times but they were really good as they had a conductor from Germany who used to train them. I believe things will change for good. A lot of technical aspects have come along in orchestra as well as composing music. As a maestro what kind of influence do you think it has on a symphony orchestra? An orchestra is an amalgamation of different ideas coming together. For example, we have many violinists and each of them has come from different schools, some from Germany or America and there are a few who are from India. All of them coming together and playing in complete harmony is probably the secret. So that is why conducting and building an orchestra is a very mystical experience. You lift your arm and you dont know what will happen and you hope for the best. The festival of Nag Panchami is celebrated by devotees of Lord Shiva across many states. This year, the festival will be celebrated on August 21. According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Nag Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of the Sawan month. The puja muhurat is between 5:53 am to 8:30 am, as per the Drikpanchang. Primarily, people in the state of Maharashtra celebrate Nag Panchami. Battis Shirala town, situated in the district of Sangli, is known for its iconic style of Naga Panchami celebrations. It is believed that Nag devta, along with lord Shiva, take away pessimism and gloominess from a persons life. Those suffering from Kaal Sarp Dosh can also free themselves from negative effects by worshipping the Nag devta on this day. It is celebrated two days after Hariyali Teej. Women perform puja on this day. In some places, snakes are offered milk as part of the rituals on Nag Panchami. Here are few wishes, Quotes and Greeting to share with your family and friends on this occasion. Wishes, Quotes and Greeting 1. May this day bring you good fortune, success, and courage. Pray to Shiva and your prayers will come true; you will receive more than you give. Happy Nag Panchami. 2. May Nag Devta bestow all wealth and pleasure onto you. Subh Nag Panchami to you and your entire family. 3. On this auspicious festival of Nag Panchami, may Lord Shiva bless us all. Panchami Shubh Nag. 4. Luck, accomplishment, and bravery are all important. May this day bring you good fortune. 5. Pray to Shiva and your requests will be granted. You will get more than you give. Have a blessed Nag Panchami. 6. May Nag devata bless you with money, happiness, strength, and good health. These are my wishes and blessings to you on this Nag Panchami. 7. May Lord Shiva bless you and your loved ones with happiness and success. Best wishes for Nag Panchami. 8. I wish you a wonderful Happy Nag Panchami. May the joy and happiness of this event flood your heart and home forever. 9. May Nag Devta always bless you, protect you from the evil and direct you to the good. I wish you a wonderful Happy Nag Panchami. 10. On this auspicious day of Nag Panchami, may Lord Shiva grant all your wishes. With his best wishes, may you follow the path of success and growth. WORLD SENIOR CITIZEN DAY 2023: World Senior Citizen Day is an important occasion to acknowledge the challenges faced by the elderly population across the globe. As we celebrate their contributions, let us also strive to ensure that they reap the benefits of technological advancements and help them to navigate the complexities of modern life with confidence. ALSO READ: Senior Citizen Day 2023: Wishes, Messages, Images, Quotes and Greetings to Share Societies continue to age and it becomes essential to address the unique challenges senior citizens encounter and explore how technology can play a pivotal role in enhancing their quality of life. With the power of technology, we can address the multifaceted challenges faced by senior citizens and empower them to lead fulfilling lives. Challenges Faced by Senior Citizens Healthcare and Well-beingWith advancing age, senior citizens often grapple with a range of health issues that require regular medical attention. Mobility concerns, chronic illnesses, and cognitive decline can make it challenging for seniors to access healthcare facilities, manage medications, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, the fear of venturing out in times of pandemic adds to their vulnerability. Social IsolationMany senior citizens experience social isolation due to the loss of friends and loved ones, as well as physical limitations that make it difficult to engage in social activities. Loneliness can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, impacting their overall well-being. Financial InsecurityA significant number of seniors rely on small fixed incomes, pensions, or savings. The fluctuating economy, rising costs of living, and increasing healthcare expenses can threaten their financial security, leading to concerns about their future. Technological DivideWhile technology has become an integral part of modern life, many senior citizens struggle to adapt to new devices and digital platforms. This technological divide can lead to feelings of exclusion and hinder their ability to access essential services, information, and opportunities. Role of Technology in Senior Citizens Lives Healthcare SolutionsTechnology offers remote monitoring devices and wearable sensors that help seniors manage their health conditions from the comfort of their homes. Telemedicine allows them to consult doctors without needing to travel, enhancing accessibility to medical care and reducing the risks associated with in-person visits. Social ConnectivitySocial media platforms, video conferencing tools, and messaging apps enable senior citizens to connect with friends, family, and support groups regardless of physical distance. These tools help reduce feelings of isolation and promote mental well-being by fostering meaningful connections. Assistive DevicesSmart home devices, such as voice-controlled assistants and home automation systems, can assist seniors in performing daily tasks. These technologies improve their independence and safety, allowing them to control lighting, and temperature, and even call for help with voice commands. E-LearningOnline courses and tutorials catered to seniors enable them to learn new skills, pursue hobbies, and stay mentally engaged. E-learning platforms provide a flexible and convenient way for seniors to explore subjects of interest, promoting lifelong learning. Financial ManagementDigital banking, budgeting apps, and online payment systems simplify financial transactions for seniors. These tools enable them to manage their finances efficiently, monitor expenses, and conduct transactions without the need to visit physical bank branches. Emergency ResponseWearable devices equipped with built-in emergency buttons can connect seniors to immediate help in case of falls or health emergencies. These devices provide a sense of security and peace of mind for both seniors and their caregivers. Memory AidApps and reminders can help seniors keep track of medications, appointments, and other important tasks, compensating for memory lapses that can come with age. World Senior Citizen Day serves as a reminder that our ageing population deserves recognition, respect, and support. From innovative healthcare solutions to enhanced social connectivity, assistive devices to e-learning opportunities, technology has the potential to create a world where senior citizens are valued members of society, living their golden years with vibrancy, dignity, and a strong sense of belonging. Ananya Panday suffered a huge debacle with Puri Jagannadhs pan-India film Liger but the actress is determined to turn things around with a fresh slate of exciting films including a cyber thriller flick helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane, that she wrapped earlier this year as well as Dream Girl 2 with Ayushmann Khurrana. But prior to the release of her film, Ananya Panday is dishing out major fashion goals on her Instagram handle. Sharing a slew of pictures from her latest photoshoot on Monday, Ananya Panday was a sight to behold as she posed gracefully in a white Lehenga set, that she accentuated with stunning accessories like a diamond neck-piece and earrings. Not only that, her make-up was precise and rightly complimented her overall persona. For the caption, she wrote, Feeeling dreeaaaamy #DreamGirl2 25th August . Take a look: Several fans took to the comment section to shower the actress with compliments. One of them wrote,looking gorgeous. Another one commented, Breathtakingly Gorgeous . Someone else said, Looking dreamy!!! A fan also stated, Wow u r looking so pretty cutiie beauty@ananyapanday. Time and again, Ananya Panday has opened up about facing trolling and criticism on social media. The actress who made her debut with Karan Johars Student Of The Year often gets mired in the nepotism debate too. Recently in an interview, the actress reflected on these things and shared that the trolling does bother her. In an interview with Indian Express, she shared, When someone says you can do this or do this in a different way, then I always accept it. I dont ever want to stop learning and growing. You have to be malleable as an actor but when it comes to trolling, I try not to pay too much heed to it. She further added, People forget that actors are also people. So, it does affect me but I think it would affect anyone. But I am not going to sit and say poor me. Ananya Panday will soon be seen in Dream Girl 2. She would be seen sharing screen space with Ayushmann Khurrana for the same. In a recent interview, Ayushmann talked about his initial uncertainty regarding whether Ananya would fit into the world of Dream Girl 2. He felt that the story required a female lead who would understand and is fluent in the local tone and linguistics of Uttar Pradesh, where the story unfolds. Crafted under Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoors production house, Balaji Motion Pictures, the comedy-drama film is directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa. It also stars a talented supporting cast including Paresh Rawal, Vijay Raaz, Annu Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Manjot Singh, and more. Ayushmann plays the lead and takes on the roles of two contrasting characters, Karam and Pooja. While fans eagerly wait for the critically acclaimed Kalki Koechlin starrer Goldfish, Splendid Films announced the new date of release for the film. Set in London, this heart touching movie captures the relationship between a daughter and her mother who is enduring in agony caused by dementia. The movie widely dwells deep into music, health and an emotional ride that a daughter goes through while seeing her mother in distress. The month of September is considered as the World Alzheimers Month to spread awareness about the disease and demystify it. Contributing to the noble campaign, Splendid Films has decided to release the movie on September 1st, 2023. Goldfish marks the accomplished actor Kalki Koechlins return to theatres after 4 years. Ahead of the release, the makers released the trail of the film, which will tug at your heart strings. At a first glance, the movie offers everything from drama and high intensity emotions, to sweet and warm moments. The trailer gives you a look into the world of Anamika (Kalki Koechlin) and Sadhana (Deepti Naval) and how they navigate through their bitter-sweet relationship. With ace actors such as Kalki Koechlin, Deepti Naval and Rajit Kapur gracing the screen, Goldfish promises to be a captivating watch. Speaking about his directorial venture, Pushan Kripalani said, Goldfish began as a film about dementia, identity and diaspora but once the cast got involved and the ideas progressed, it soon became a movie about much more. At its core, Goldfish is a story about forgiveness and about retaining humanity in the face of the inevitable; it is about love. Deepti Naval and Kalki Koechlin breathed life into their characters and made their essence come true. The team is thrilled to have the film release in India and we are excited to see how the Indian audiences react. Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin and Rajit Kapur with some extraordinary actors from the United Kingdom Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community. Away from the chaos of hectic shoots and projects, Kareena Kapoor Khan spend some quality time with her kids Taimur and Jen. On Sunday, the actress took her kids to explore the galleries at Mumbais NMACC, and it was all things fun and memorable for the trio. Several photos and videos from the place has gone viral now. In one of the pictures, shared by the official handle of NMACC, Kareema along with her kids sat on a bench donning their brightest smiles. They sat against the backdrop of a huge spaghetti picture. While Kareena kept it comfy and casual in a yellow shirt teamed with black pants and boots, Taimur looked cute in a blue checkered shirt and jeans. Jeh on the other hand, donned a light yellow shirt. In another photo, while Taimur was seen posing on a bed, baby Jen looked distracted. Have a look at the video : In another clip, Kareena also spoke about her experience at the exhibition. She said, My two boys Taimur and Jeh love coming here. They feel they get transported to another world The caption of the post read, We were transported to Milan instantly and what was amazing was that the kids had a blast and they actually thought they are in the spaghetti world, which is a unique kind of experience. Kareena also shared a bunch of happy moments on her Instagram stories as well. Kareena is one such actress, who balances her work and life with perfection. Earlier in a conversation with Variety, Kareena was asked about how she maintains her work-life balance, to which she shared, Its literally like standing on one leg, but Im pretty good at yoga. Im also very lucky to have a husband who works in the same profession. We take turns as to when we have to travel. She added that their staff also help them a lot. On the work front, Kareena Kapoor Khan recently began shooting for The Crew, along with Tabu and Kriti Sanon. The film, back by Rhea Kapoor and directed by Rajesh Krishnan, revolves around the lives of three women and their struggles in the aviation industry. Besides this, Kareena also has Sujoy Ghoshs The Devotion of Suspect X with Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma in her pipeline. Actress Kriti Kharbanda has shared a frightening experience involving a hidden camera found in her hotel room. She shared during a chat with Hauterrfly that she and her team always check for such things, and they noticed the camera because it wasnt hidden well. Kriti shared, There was this one incident which I remember when I was shooting for one of my Kannada films. This boy, who used to work at the hotel, actually left a camera in my room. Me and my staff have this habit of checking around to make sure nothing is popping out from anywhere. He was obviously not a pro because it was kept so badly. I could see it, he had kept it behind the set-top box. It is scary, the kind of stuff you have to be careful about. Actors Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathis OMG 2 released in theatres on August 11 with an A certification and modifications made by the CBFC. Director Amit Rai recently said that wanted everyone to watch the film and was heartbroken over the censor boards decision to make it an adults-only film. The much-awaited sequel of the 2012 film delves into the issues pertaining to teenagers, including sex education; and faced some trouble finding producers to fund it. Amit told PTI, We were heartbroken because we made the film for everyone to watch, now that cannot happen. We begged them (the censor board) to give us a U/A certificate (children below 12 years of age can watch a film under parental guidance) but they didnt. We tried to convince them till the very end But then they walked some distance, we walked some distance. The film has been released with modifications. We are happy people have loved the film. The intent of the film was pure. Nobody wanted to titillate the audience, hence they liked it. We have dealt with it (the story) in a way that doesnt sound vulgar. We talk about the reality, but in a sweet and humorous way, he said. Amit now has plans to make the film available on OTT for free to fulfill his vision. He said, We have decided that we will show the original film (on streaming), a film that the censor never wanted people to see, but The public has seen the film and given their verdict. If the censor board doesnt understand it, what do we say? Amit also recalled facing trouble while trying to find a producer for the film. He said, I went to almost nine production houses and the majority of them rejected the script on the basis of its boldness. Somebody even said, It is crass and gross. It was surprising for me. I was wondering how we will make this film. Luckily, someone introduced me to Ashwin Varde, Vipul Shah, and Rajesh Behl. They took me to Akshay Kumar, who told me, It is an interesting and important subject. I believe if you have a producer like Akshay Kumar, things become easy, he said. OMG 2 is produced by Cape of Good Films and Wakaoo Films. It is presented by Viacom18 Studios. Kantara was the recent cinematic phenomenon to have come out from the realms of Kannada cinema. The action-thriller film written and directed by Rishab Shetty, and produced by Vijay Kiragandur, under Hombale Films starred Shetty as a Kambala champion, who comes to loggerheads with an upright DRFO officer, Murali (Kishore). Buzz is that, Rishabh Shetty is begin shooting for the sequel from November 2023. A source close to Pinkvilla informed that, the makers have locked in the shooting timelines and will begin the first leg of shoot from November 1. The makers shared, Rishab Shetty and his team have finished the writing and are currently immersed in pre-production. While the first part was shot in Shettys hometown in Kandapura, Kantara 2 will prominently be shot in Mangalore. This location encompasses the required elements of jungle, land, and water as dictated by the script. The film has got bigger in budget and cast this time and will be filmed on a larger scale over a four-month schedule. The source also added that the makers are keen on finishing the shoot by the first quarter of next year, and are eyeing for a theatrical release in late 2024. The actor also demonstrated the power of good content that can transcend everyone and is always adored by the audience by bringing a narrative from the heartlands of India. He is looking forward to taking the audience back to the roots with the prequel in line with Kantara. Back in March this year, on the auspicious occasion of Ugadi, Rishabh Shetty and the production house Hombale Films took to their social media handle to share that the writing for the second part of Kantara has begun. The production house wrote, On this auspicious occasion of Ugadi & New Year, we are delighted to announce that the writing for the second part of #Kantara has begun. We cant wait to bring you another captivating story that showcases our relationship with nature. Stay tuned for more updates. Kantara also stars Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar and Pramod Shetty among others. The film was one of the biggest blockbusters and gained love from both critics and cine-goers. Kantara also broke numerous records as it paved the way for its global recognition. The film was screened at the United Nations office in Geneva, Switzerland. And now, Kantara is gearing up for its theatrical release in Italian and Spanish. Rishab also gave a speech at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) where he threw some light on the role of Indian cinema in fostering discussions on the environment, climate and conversation. Speaking of Kantara, the film is narrated around a human and nature conflict where Shiva is the rebel who works against nature. The film is set and shot in Keradi in coastal Karnataka which involves the cultures of Kambla and Bhootha Kola. Samantha Ruth Prabhu has been on acting break for a year. Since her announcement, the actress has been traveling and she is currently in New York. Well, on Monday, Samantha shared a series of photos giving her fans an update on her New York stop. From building to the gym, the actress has shared glimpses that left her fans in awe. Taking to her official Instagram handle, Samantha wrote, Something in the Newyork air. In the first photo, we can see buildings, second, she is seen sipping coffee, and she is also sweating in the gym. In one of the photos, she is also seen posing in front of the Statue of Liberty. As soon as she shared the photos, fans were seen commenting. One of the fans wrote, My happy girl is winning hearts all over the world Proud of you my Super Women Keep rocking. Another wrote, The 6th slide has my WHOLE HEART oh Sam!! and this trip seems more like a family time. Take a look at the photos here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) On Sunday, Samantha Ruth Prabhu took to her Instagram stories to drop a couple of pictures. The first snap showed a concrete jungle of looming skyscrapers all around, with clear blue skies. She captioned the picture that was supposedly clicked in New York, Ive missed you (with a white heart emoji). In the next slide, she gave a glimpse of a glass filled with crystal clear water. She can be seen holding it against the backdrop of a television set. For this one, Samantha wrote, New found love for sparkling waterWith new restrictions comes new discoveries. Samantha will soon be seen in the film Kushi opposite Vijay Deverakonda. The makers dropped the films trailer recently and it has since gained a positive response from the audience. Kushi marks Vijay and Samanthas second film together. The two previously worked together in the 2018 film Mahanati. Directed by Shiva Nirvana, Kushi is bankrolled under the banner of Mythri Movie Makers. Besides Samantha and Vijay, the movie features Sachin Khedekar, Rahul Ramakrishna, Murali Sharma, and Vennela Kishore in crucial roles. The film set to arrive in theatres on September 1, will be released in multiple languages including Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi. Shah Rukh Khans fans have strongly expressed their disappointment over Ranveer Singh replacing him as the next Don. However, some netizens pointed out that when Shah Rukh had replaced Amitabh Bachchan earlier, many had doubted if he could portray the role with the same flair. A video has now resurfaced on the internet wherein Shah Rukh addresses the controversy surrounding his reboot of Don. In an old episode of Karan Johars talk show Koffee With Karan, the host asked Shah Rukh, If you woke up one morning and realized that you had gone back to the 70s, you would Shah Rukh, who is known for his wit and sharp sense of humor, quickly replied, I would make Don with Chandra Barot and quell all the controversies that happen now. Chandra Barot created the 1978 cult film Don with Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman as the leading pair. The film was later given a new life by Farhan Akhtar when he cast Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra as Don and Roma. For the latest installment of the franchise, Farhan has roped in Ranveer Singh for the iconic role. This has irked many Shah Rukh Khan fans who said that there could be no Don without SRK. Ranveer then took to Instagram to address the great responsibility he had been given. He wrote, Gosh! Ive been dreaming about doing this for a very, very long time! As a child I fell in love with the movies, and like the rest of us, watching and worshipping Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan the two G.O.A.Ts of Hindi Cinema . I dreamed of growing up to be like them. They are the very reason I wanted to become an actor and a hindi film hero. Their impact and influence on my life cannot be overstated. Theyve shaped the person and actor that I am. Taking their legacy forward is a manifestation of my childhood dream. He continued, I understand what a great responsibility it is to be a part of the Don dynasty. I hope the audience gives me a chance and showers me with love, the way they have for numerous characters over the past so many years. Thank you Farhan and Ritesh for entrusting me with this honourable mantle and believing in me. I hope I can deliver on your faith and conviction. My two supernovas, The Big B and SRK, I hope I can make you proud. And my beloved audience, as always, I promise youthat I will do my very best to entertain youin and asDon. Thank you for your love, he added. Fans of the franchise are now eagerly anticipating who Farhan will cast as Roma to replace Priyanka Chopra. It was rumored earlier that Kiara Advani had been roped in to play the cop. However, recent reports claim that Kriti Sanon might land the role. Ashoka University has been much in the news lately, mostly for the wrong reasons. Serving in another university, far more infamous in this regard, I must say that I am neither surprised nor overly concerned. I am speaking of Jawaharlal Nehru University in the national capital, considered preeminent in social sciences since its very inception, where I have been a professor for over two decades. I will not speak of parallels because Ashoka is a private university, but later bring in certain similarities, which could be learning experiences. As to Ashoka, the storm has been brewing for long. I am sure the university authorities must have been preparing for it, even if not exactly now or under the present circumstances. But this is the time that they must show decisiveness and strength of character. Can any university allow itself to be dictated to, bullied, blackmailed, or diverted from its primary purpose by agitational politics? Even if those carrying it out are its own teachers? Of course, dialogue, compromise, and consensus are the preferred modes of conflict resolution in a university setting. But, beyond a point, no university should allow itself to be held hostage by a small but belligerent section of its stakeholders. That would set a very bad precedent, leading to loss of both credibility and control. Having stated the obvious, let us look a little more closely at the problem at hand. Dr Sabyasachi Das, a former assistant professor of Economics at Ashoka, posted a paper on an online portal called Social Science Research Network. Titled Democratic Backsliding in the Worlds Largest Democracy, this was actually a pre-publication paper, not yet submitted, let alone peer reviewed or published in any established journal. The paper made the claim that there could have been electoral manipulation, even fraud, in closely contested constituencies in the 2019 general elections in India. Especially those which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won with very narrow margins. Furthermore, Das alleged that the BJPs Manipulation appears to take the form of targeted electoral discrimination against Indias largest minority group Muslims, partly facilitated by weak monitoring by election observers. The results present a worrying development for the future of democracy. The paper, as might be expected, was immediately politicised with several members of the opposition and the treasury benches weighing in for or against it. Ashoka University also stepped in, issuing a clarification: To the best of our knowledge, the paper in question has not yet completed a critical review process and has not been published in an academic journal Social media activity or public activism by Ashoka faculty, students or staff in their individual capacity does not reflect the stand of the University. On Monday, August 14th, Ashoka also put out a statement that it had accepted Das resignation. When exactly Das resigned or why was not clear, Das himself having made no public statement about it. Before proceeding, let it be said that no academic should be terminated or made to resign on account of their views or research outputs. In fact, the Ashoka Vice-Chancellors statement indicated that Dass resignation was not accepted for several days. The university actually tried to retain his services. Since Das resignation, however, the matter has escalated. Another faculty member from Economics has also resigned. In addition to Economics, the faculty of English and Creative Writing, and Political Science, have also issued statements condemning the Governing Body and asking for the unconditional reinstation of Das. The English and Creative Writing faculty even issued an ultimatum to the university: We urge the governing body to address this immediately, but no later than August 23, 2023. Failure to do so will systematically wreck the largest academic department at Ashoka and the very viability of the Ashoka vision. They have threatened the university that if the issue before the start of the Monsoon 2023 semester, they would not no longer be able to work properly: Unless these questions regarding basic academic freedoms are resolved before the start of the Monsoon 2023 semester, faculty members of the department will find themselves unable to carry forward their teaching obligations in the spirit of critical enquiry and the fearless pursuit of truth that characterise our classrooms. Several academics, both from India and overseas, have also writing or circulating letters of support for Das, asking the university to give him back his job. What is noteworthy in the strange and still unfolding case of Dr Sabyasachi Das and Ashoka University is that the focus has shifted completely from the formers controversial, but now somewhat discredited unpublished paper, to his erstwhile university. The paper itself has not fared well. Apart from my own responses to it, there have been several others take-downs. I argued that Dass paper actually proves the opposite of what it sets out tothat the incidence of possible manipulation is so low as to be next to negligible. I also question Dass methodology and possible politics in putting such a paper into the public domain without having it published in a reputed journal. Other critiques have been harsher. An article by Yajnavalkya accuses Das of possibly fudging or hiding data and codes. Nalin Mehta dubs Dass paper clickbait headline-hunting or ideological pamphleteering rather than robust academic research . Mudit Kapoor, Associate Professor, Indian Statistical Institute, has also challenged Dass conclusion: the statistical findings of the paper do not support the claims in the paper. In fact, there is not a single technical endorsement of the paper that I know of. Ironically, the Congress partys leading intellectual and economist, Praveen Chakravarty himself discredits the paper, But the analysis revealed nothing new or substantive, let alone evidence of manipulation in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Anyone with reasonable knowledge of election data and research methods could have easily surmised that the young professor got carried away with analysis, losing the larger picture. Now, the question, is what should the university do? How should it salvage the situation, preventing it from turning into a major crisis? [To be concluded] The writer is an author, columnist, and professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Now that the Parliaments Monsoon Session has ended in the old building while the new one awaits use after its inauguration; we could talk about the A.L.L.I.A.N.C.E coming-out party. It took the form of a farcical no-confidence motion that was a damp squib. The ostensible reason was to force the prime minister to speak out on the troubles in Manipur. What the Opposition alliance, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A), did not bargain for is that the treasury benches would wipe the floor with them on matters including Manipur, but much more in an adverse vein particularly against the Congress. Home Minister Amit Shahs two-hour explanation with detailed facts and figures on what is being done by the government in Manipur gave a comprehensive report not only to the Opposition, but the nation at large. Much hysteria was displayed by the Opposition with its single-point agenda, including some trademark childishness from Rahul Gandhi, and a banshee-like performance by Mohua Moitra from the TMC. There was another bull-in-a-china shop effort by Derek OBrien from the self-same party also, but this was in the Rajya Sabha. The prime minister spoke last in reply and rendered a masterful and magisterial speech of over one-and-a-half hours on parliamentary history, the shameless projection of the parivaar over every other contributor towards nation-building, the consistent shortcomings of the Congress party in its handling of the Northeast, the accomplishments of his own government in nine years, the naked power-hungriness of the Opposition alliance, and Manipur, specifically. It was so searing in its content that the Opposition alliance walked out of the Lok Sabha. They came back for the voting, but they might as well not have bothered. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, once a fiery street speaker cum rabble-rouser from West Bengal, and a prominent leader in the Lok Sabha for the Congress, was suspended from the membership of Lok Sabha pending a report from the Privileges Committee. Likewise, AAPs Raghav Chadha, who apparently forged the signatures of four MPs from other parties for an intended Select Committee that never took off, was suspended too, from Rajya Sabha. Derek OBrien was suspended as well, but was allowed back by Rajya Sabha Chairman. Jagdeep Dhankar. The entire three-day tamasha was televised on most Indian news channels and analysed every evening by expert panellists and anchors who might have hoped for a less unequal fight. As usual, the vitriol continued through the wounded Congress spokespersons. Opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A is scheduled to meet again in Mumbai at the end of August, but it is likely the AAP will skip it. What did this no-confidence vote exercise achieve? It certainly made the government and the treasury benches look much better than their accusers. Will it contribute towards the winnability of the alliance in the forthcoming assembly elections and the general elections in 2024? Doubtful. It was, in fact, a disastrous first outing. The return of Rahul Gandhi to the parliament, as a for-the-time-being restored MP, complicates the pitch for other prime ministerial aspirants in the Opposition alliance. Nitish Kumar has reportedly managed to secure the post of Convenor as a stepping stone for his own bid. There are doubts being expressed by some analysts on the cohesion of I.N.D.I.A till the general elections. In Bihar, the JDU/JDS combine may not sustain in one piece. Will both bits stick with the Opposition alliance if a break-up does occur? The Congress needs to up its Lok Sabha seat tally to at least 100 MPs in order to become the undeniable anchor. While it is the only party with pan-India recognition in the combine, its electoral prospects are not inspiring. Rahul Gandhis visibility may have increased since the Bharat Jodo Yatra but his vision for India is a retrograde one. He merely wants to preserve the Nehruvian idea of India. His own contribution seems to be a sharp tilt towards the minorities, including the extremists amongst them. The Congress partys links with China and Pakistan are also exposed and fairly obvious. Rahul Gandhi is travelling to Europe once again in September to drum up support from more anti-Modi forces. He will, no doubt, also describe conditions in Indian democracy in the most dire terms. It is unlikely that the Indian voter, beyond the Congress fairly narrow supporter base, will take kindly to this strategy. More so, when it is contrasted with Prime Minister Narendra Modis highly effective global diplomatic outreach, supported ably by the External Affairs Minister, and increasingly, the National Security Advisor. Indias continued rise as an economic power and reliable partner is being seen as an alternative to a declining China, for trade, manufacturing, and defence purposes. Even the leadership of BRICS, which started originally alongside China, Russia and Brazil are turning more towards India for its future direction and induction of likely additional members, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia. BRICS is no longer keen to push the Chinese agenda, if it ever was, with its aim to dominate America, while others in the combine were expected to fall in with it. The lack of a national and global vision in the Opposition alliance beyond the overthrow of the BJP and NDA is going to hurt its prospects. It sometimes talks of unemployment, price rise, per capita income, and cronyism, but does not sustain it. Neither does it have any solutions. It bases its campaigns on AAP-style freebies, which resonate with the poor in the voting public. But they invariably have trouble fulfilling promises and sustaining development if voted to power. However, ten years in power at the Centre is bound to throw up a certain amount of anti-incumbency for the ruling NDA. On the plus side, Narendra Modis personal popularity, charisma, and commitment to the nation will counterbalance this. Prime Minister Modi, who will be 75 in 2025, is in good health and likely to complete another five-year term in office to execute his vision. He has repeatedly pledged that India will be the number three economy in the world by 2028, and he will do everything possible to keep the momentum towards this objective. At present, the chances of a third consecutive term with a majority in favour of the BJP and the NDA seem very bright. The writer is a Delhi-based political commentator. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Azad, recently gave a statement that the majority of Indian Muslims have converted to Islam from Hinduism. This is what Azad said: In the parliament, once some BJP leader said some (Muslims) have come from outside and some have not. I said no one has come from outside. Islam came into existence just 1,500 years ago. The Hindu religion is very old. Around 10-20 of them (Muslims) might have come from outside. Some were there in the Mughal army. The rest of them converted from Hinduism in India. Kashmir is an example of it. Who were the Muslims in Kashmir some 600 years ago? All were Kashmiri Pandits. They converted to Islam. I am saying all were born in this (Hindu) dharma only. Azads statement attracted strong reactions from a section of Indian politicians sparking a debate. This isnt a new debate, it gets re-ignited now and then, in both the domestic and global arenas. The issue at the core of this debate is: Who is a Hindu? Who is a Hindu? There have been many definitions of the term Hindu. But the most commonly accepted definition is that it was a term used to denote a civilisation that carried certain cultural values that were imbibed in the concept of dharma. There is no equivalent term in English for dharma, though the closest is righteousness, perhaps. Most of the fallacies in understanding Hindu Dharma has emerged due to the misinterpretation of the term dharma as religion. Dharma is a Sanskrit term and it means a way of life whereas religion denotes a way of worship. Dharma in practice comprises the unchanging, eternal, universal laws and the ever-changing socio-economic order in the light of these laws. Perceived oneness in the midst of all diversities (Avibhaktam Vibhakteshu) has been the eternal message of Sanatana Dharma or Hindu Dharma. In the early years of the 20th century, religion was used interchangeably with the word dharma due to impact of the British colonialism on Indian public discourse. Similarly, many philosophers used the word Hinduism also, including Swami Vivekananda. However, ism also denotes a dogma such as capitalism, socialism etc. When we talk about ism, we are talking about a certain set of rigid rules that create an ideological framework. But Hindu Dharma isnt a dogmatic framework. Hence, many Indian philosophers also used these terms interchangeably while writing in English on Hindu philosophy, history, culture and civilisation in the 19th and 20th centuries due to the constraints of colonialism. It is most evident from the writings of Sri Aurobindo, who initially talked about the Hindu religion in his famous Uttarpara Speech. But in his later works, he elaborated upon Hindu Dharma. Dr S Radhakrishnan and Radha Kumud Mookerji also followed the same path. So, as we move ahead, the word religion used by the Indian philosophers and ideologues may be read as dharma as that was their intent. The word Sanatana means eternal and as Hindu Dharma is considered to be eternal so Sanatana Dharma, Hinduism, Hindu religion and Hindu Dharma had been used interchangeably. But the true essence of Hindu civilisation can be explained by the words Hindu Dharma and Sanatana Dharma. It would help the readers to read the word religion as dharma whenever used in the quotes of the early 19th and 20th century Indian philosophers. In his famous speech delivered at Uttarpara Jaikrishna library on May 30, 1909, Sri Aurobindo said, What is the Hindu religion? What is this religion which we call Sanatana, eternal? It is the Hindu religion only because the Hindu nation has kept it, because in this Peninsula, it grew up in the seclusion of the sea and the Himalayas because in this sacred and ancient land, it was given as a charge to the Aryan race to preserve through the ages. But it is not circumscribed by the confines of a single country, it does not belong peculiarly and forever to a bounded part of the world. That which we call the Hindu religion is really the eternal religion because it is the universal religion which embraces all others. If a religion is not universal, it cannot be eternal. A narrow religion, a sectarian religion, or an exclusive religion can live only for a limited time and a limited purpose. This is the one religion that can triumph over materialism by including and anticipating the discoveries of science and the speculations of philosophy. It is the one religion which impresses on mankind the closeness of God to us and embraces in its compass all the possible means by which man can approach God. It is the one religion which insists every moment on the truth which all religions acknowledge that He is in all men and all things and that in Him we move and have our being. It is the one religion which enables us not only to understand and believe this truth but to realise it with every part of our being. It is the one religion which shows the world what the world is, that it is the Lila of Vasudeva. It is the one religion which shows us how we can best play our part in that Lila, its subtlest laws and its noblest rules. It is the one religion which does not separate life in any smallest detail from religion, which knows what immortality is and has utterly removed from us the reality of death, he further said. One of the most commonly acceptable viewpoints is that in addition to the civilisational value system, the word Hindu was also rooted in certain geographical contexts. Dr S Radhakrishnan, a renowned philosopher who also became the President of India, delivered four lectures in 1926 at Manchester College, Oxford where he dwelt upon Hindu Dharma in detail. According to him, the Hindu civilisation is so called, since its original founders or earliest followers occupied the territory drained by Sindhu (the Indus) river system corresponding to the North-West Frontier Province and Punjab. This is recorded in the Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures which gave their name to this period of Indian history. The people on the Indian side of the Sindhu were called Hindu by the Persians and the later Western invaders. According to Dr Radhakrishnan, The Hindu philosophy of religion starts from and returns to an experimental basis. Only this basis is as wide as human nature itself. Other religious systems start with this or that particular experimental datum. Christian theology, for example, takes its stand on the immediate certitude of Jesus as one whose absolute authority over conscience is self-certifying and whose ability and willingness to save the soul is impossible not to trust. Christian theology becomes relevant only for those who share or accept a particular kind of spiritual experience, and these are tempted to dismiss other experiences as illusory and other scriptures as imperfect. Hinduism was not betrayed in this situation on account of its adherence to fact. The Hindu thinker readily admits other points of view than his own and considers them to be just as worthy of attention. If the whole race of man, in every land, of every colour, and every stage of culture, is the offspring of God, then we must admit that, in the vast compass of his providence, all are being trained by his wisdom and supported by his love to reach within the limits of their powers a knowledge of the Supreme. When the Hindu found that different people aimed at and achieved God-Realization in different ways, he generously recognised them all and justified their place in the course of history. He used the distinctive scriptures of the different groups for their uplift since they remain the source, almost the only source, for the development of their tastes and talents, for the enrichment of thought and life, for the appeal to their emotions and the inspiration of their efforts. Hinduism is the religion not only of the Vedas but of the Epics and the Puranas. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar tried to answer this question (Who is a Hindu?) in his treatise Essentials of Hindutva in the early 1920s. Savarkar put it aptly: The enemies hated us as Hindus and the whole family of peoples and races, of sects and creeds that flourished from Attock to Cuttack was suddenly individualised into a single being. We cannot help dropping the remark that no one has up to this time taken the whole field of Hindu activities from A.D. 1300 to 1800 into survey from this point of view, mastering the details of the various now parallel, now correlated movements from Kashmir to Ceylon and from Sindh to Bengal and yet rising higher above them all to visualise the whole scene in its proportion as an integral whole. For it was the one great issue to defend the honour and independence of Hindustan and maintain the cultural unity and civic life of Hindutva and not Hinduism alone, but Hindutva, i.e. Hindu dharma that was being fought out on the hundred fields of battle as well as on the floor of the chambers of diplomacy. This one word, Hindutva, ran like a vital spinal cord through our whole body politic and made the Nayars of Malabar weep over the sufferings of the Brahmins of Kashmir. Our bards bewailed the fall of Hindus, our seers roused the feelings of Hindus, our heroes fought the battles of Hindus, our saints blessed the efforts of Hindus, our statesmen moulded the fate of Hindus, our mothers wept over the wounds and gloried over the triumphs of Hindus, Savarkar further said. Conclusion Our seers, intellectuals, leaders and ideologues have answered the question: Who is a Hindu? The writings and speeches of Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Chandranath Basu, Radha Kumud Mookerji defined Hindu and Hinduness quite clearly in the contemporary context in 19th and early years of 20th century. These answers are relevant more than ever and would help to clear the confusion deliberately created by the intellectuals representing Marxist and Colonial schools of thought. The writer, an author and columnist has written several books. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. AAPs national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Monday that the Aam Aadmi Party will attend the INDIA opposition alliance meeting scheduled to be held at the end of the month in Mumbai amid strained ties with Congress. Will go to Mumbai. Will share with you the outcome, Kejriwal told reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi. #WATCH | "We will go to Mumbai and will let you know whatever the strategy is", says AAP Convener & Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on the upcoming INDIA alliance meeting pic.twitter.com/1eXVBwmdUJ ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023 The opposition coalition INDIA has scheduled its third meeting on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai. The bloc was formed to challenge the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming general election. Kejriwals confirmation comes amid a tussle between the two allies as AAP attempted to make inroads into Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where assembly polls are scheduled to be held later this year. The Delhi Chief Minister had ruffled the feathers of Congress leaders after he attacked the terrible condition of schools in Chhattisgarh. In response, the Congress hit back and challenged him to compare the performance of the previous Sheila Dikshit government with his current administration in the national capital. A day later, during a campaign in Madhya Pradesh, he stated, Enough opportunities have been given to Congress and BJP over the last 75 years, and in a veiled statement said, Many political parties tend to make promises in their manifestos but often fail to follow through on them. Releasing Kejriwal ki Guarantee, the AAP chief vowed to guarantee 24-hour electricity in the state. The people of the state have tried these two parties (Congress and BJP) for the last 75 years, but neither of them provided electricity in the state, he said. Referring to the provision of free power supply and the lack of six-hour long power cuts in Delhi and Punjab due to active engagements by the AAP-led state governments, Kejriwal said, If you want a power supply, vote for AAP, and if you want a power cut, vote for these two parties. You have tried both parties, its been 75 years and trying for another 75 years wont bring any change. Only AAP will provide electricity, he added. AAPs Strained Ties with Cong AAP and the Congress are both members of the INDIA alliance. Kejriwals remarks coincided with the potential discussions between AAP and Congress about the seat-sharing arrangement in Delhi during the INDIA bloc gathering in Mumbai. AAP is a part of the INDIA alliance and the partys strategy is now linked to the strategy of the alliance. There have been two meetings. In the next meeting in Mumbai, I feel seat-sharing talks, and the other agenda will be held, AAP leader and Delhi minister Gopal Rai said last week. In recent months, a persistent dispute has arisen within the Congress leadership concerning an alliance with AAP. Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa recently made it clear that there will be no alliance between Congress and AAP in Punjab. Reacting to the statement, Rai has said, If somebody has a personal opinion, the solution to it has to be found by the party and it is an internal matter of the Congress. INDIA Meetings The INDIA bloc meeting will follow the format of the Bengaluru meeting, with leaders engaging in informal discussions on August 31 before the main meeting the next day. During the gathering, the parties are expected to address differences, especially in states where they are in direct poll competition. Jointly hosted by Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCPs Sharad Pawar faction, with Congress support, the meeting represents the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. Previous meetings were held in Patna in June and Bengaluru last month. In Bengaluru, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge introduced the opposition bloc as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and announced plans for an 11-member coordination committee and the selection of a convenor at the upcoming Mumbai meeting. The coalition comprises 26 opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, AAP, JD(U), RJD, JMM, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), SP, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RLD, MDMK, KMDK, VCK, RSP, CPI-ML (Liberation), Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK). (With inputs from PTI) The Congress-led Karnataka government will scrap the NEP adopted by the previous BJP government and will be introducing a new state education policy that ensures quality education, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced on Monday. Speaking to the media, Shivakumar said, the Karnataka government recently conducted a meeting with Vice Chancellors and various academicians, along with government officials. Despite the introduction of NEP (National Education Policy) in 2021, its worth noting that none of the states ruled by the BJP have shown significant interest in it or adopted it. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have outright rejected the NEP, he said. Shivakumar said the matter is a state subject. Karnataka has a very significant strength in educational policies. We have a strong presence in terms of human resources, being a knowledge capital. We have the highest number of international schools, regular schools, engineering colleges, medical colleges and nursing colleges. We have developed our own system of providing quality education. We have stood out across the entire country. So, today, we examined all these aspects and have decided that we will scrap the National Education Policy (NEP) adopted by the BJP government. From the next year, we will introduce a new Karnataka Education Policy, he announced. A committee will be formed in the next one week to move this forward, he added. Karnatakas Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar stated that the NEP has not been implemented in primary and secondary education. Its implementation commenced only in higher education after its introduction in 2021, he said. Infrastructure is not there. Not a single rupee was allocated when they introduced NEP in 2021. Even faculty issue is there. So, the state government has decided to bring in a new education policy from next year, Sudhakar said. He further stated Topics have been twisted to cater to their (BJPs) ideology. Its not just about assessment or the mode of teaching. We will also be making announcements regarding students who are already studying under NEP. We will be curtailing four-year courses to three years. An expert committee will decide on all of this, he added. Grants from the Union Government have already decreased for higher education. Even BJP-ruled states have not implemented the NEP, he noted. The BJP has criticised the move, stating that the statements by the Congress government are ridiculous. Joint Spokesperson of BJP Karnataka, S Prakash, told CNN-News18 the state government have decided to play with the future of the students and that ridiculous statements are being made. Ahead of the parliamentary elections next year, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will organise a conference in Meerut next month with the aim to bring together farmers and other sections of society, a party leader said on Sunday. RLD president Jayant Chaudhary will attend the conference, party national general secretary Trilok Tyagi told reporters. More such conferences will be organised subsequently, he said. The RLD is an alliance partner of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. It is also part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) formed by several opposition parties to take on the BJP-led NDA unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. To a question on rumours about Chaudhary joining the NDA, Tyagi said, He is with INDIA (bloc) and will contest the elections as part of the alliance. Tyagi hit out at the BJP-led central and state governments, saying they have failed to clear the dues of sugarcane farmers and provide jobs to the youth. They (BJP) have nothing to do with the issues of farmers, women or the youth, he alleged. Referring to the violence in Manipur and Nuh in Haryana, he alleged that it shows that the BJP wants to return to power by spreading communalism. The people of the country have understood that these people (BJP) have no work other than spreading communal hatred. He said people will vote out the BJP in 2024 and install a government of the INDIA bloc. Dilip Walse-Patil, a leader of Nationalist Congress Partys Ajit Pawar faction and now a state cabinet minister, is at the centre of controversy over his latest statement against NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. ALSO READ | Meeting with Ajit Not Secret; Will Stay with INDIA: Sharad Pawar A video clip of his speech, which has gone viral on social media, shows Walse-Patil saying: We have always maintained that Pawar saheb is the tallest leader in the country, but under his leadership, we have never come to power in the state on our own. Not once was Pawar made the chief minister of Maharashtra." He goes on to give examples of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati and other regional parties who formed state governments on their own. The NCPs strength is to get 60-70 MLAs elected and form a government in alliance with other parties," said Walse-Patil, at a function in Amebegaon constituency in Pune district on Sunday. NO ED NOTICES Once considered a close aide of Sharad Pawar, Walse-Patil has worked with him from his Congress days, but recently joined his nephew Ajits faction. He also questioned Pawars claims that NCP leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government because they got notices from the central agencies. If anyone finds such a notice, I will resign as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). Under the leadership of Ajit Pawar, a few NCP leaders and I have joined this government. It doesnt mean that we have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We all are in the NCP. Saying that we have got notices of the ED or other agencies is not true." THE CLARIFICATION Later Walse-Patil issued a video statement on his Instagram handle and X, saying he has not criticism Pawar. ALSO READ | The Maha Picture: Pa-War or Power Struggle? Uncle, Nephew Ajit Keep MVA, BJP Guessing I had not criticised Sharad Pawar in my speech or didnt make any statement against him. If you hear my entire speech, you will come to know that I was speaking that Maharashtra never gave full support to a tall leader like him. I had spoken about this in many internal party meetings, too, and in party functions too. I cant speak against Pawar saheb. I tender my apology as confusion was created due to my statement. I am of this opinion that the media showed this issue in a wrong way without understanding the meaning of my statement," he said. What a Fall from Grace of a man whose political existence was created by Sharad Pawar Saheb.Fear and Lust for Power has turned Dilip Walse Patil into an Ungrateful man.Do these kinds of people have a conscience? Clyde Crasto (@Clyde_Crasto) August 21, 2023 Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson, NCP (Pawar faction), posted on X: What a fall from grace of a man whose political existence was created by Sharad Pawar saheb. Fear and lust for power has turned Dilip Walse-Patil into an ungrateful man. Do these kind of people have a conscience?" A month after Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Revanth Reddy dared Telangana chief minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) to seek re-election from Gajwel, the CM seems to have taken up the challenge. ALSO READ | Telangana Assembly Polls: BRS Releases List of 115 Candidates, KCR to Contest from Gajwel & Kamareddy The BRS released its list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections on Monday, with two seats for the CM Gajwel and Kamareddy. He said that as he received requests to contest from several seats, he chose these two. Barring four seats Nampally, Narsapur, Goshamahal and Jangaon the names for the rest of the 115 constituencies have been announced. The party manifesto would be released on October 16 in Warangal. CHANGE IN 7 SEATS Most of the sitting MLAs have retained their seats and the candidates for only seven seats have been changed. Vemulawada sitting MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh was not picked due to the case pertaining to his nationality pending in court. Station Ghanpur MLA T Rajaiah was not picked this time. He was in the news earlier this year after a woman sarpanch accused him of sexually harassment. This might be a reason behind the change. ONLY 7 WOMEN CANDIDATES; 39 from REDDY COMMUNITY Despite BRS MLC fighting for reservation for women, the partys list has only seven women. A total of 39 members from the 115 hail from the Reddy community. With two Reddys leading the opposition parties (Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress), this might be the partys strategy not to lose out on votes of one of the most influential communities in the state. ALSO READ | Full list HERE NO NAME FOR GOSHAMAHAL YET The BRS has announced a candidate for Goshamahal seat, which was won by Raja Singh from the BJP. Raja Singh, who has been in controversy for his anti-Muslim remarks, had recently said that he might not get a ticket from the saffron party this time. MISSION TO CHANGE INDIA The chief minister reiterated that they are going to fight all elections alone state and national. When asked why the party is not joining the opposition bloc, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), for the Lok Sabha elections next year, Telangana CM KCR said: We are on a mission to change India and we are not in a hurry." ALSO READ | Want to Ask Revanth Ab Tera Kya Hoga, Kalia? as Congress Now KCRs B-team: BJP Telangana Incharge to News18 It is sad that even after 77 years of independence, all citizens do not have basic amenities such as regular water and electricity supply. All advanced countries in the world have reached that stage by offering out-of-the-box solutions, a strategy that we have applied in Telangana. That is why, it is the numero uno state in the country. After the Assembly elections are over, I am going to tour many places in India and continue my mission to make India progressive," KCR said. He added that the BJP saying that they will win the elections is the joke of the century." Even though part of Opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee targeted the Left and Congress at the All India Imam-Muazzin Social and Welfare Organisation event in Kolkata on Monday. ALSO READ | Opinion | Mamata Banerjee Walks Back Into Muslim Appeasement Trap, But Can BJP Gain? She announced a Rs-500 raise in stipend for Imams, muezzins and purohits. Now, Imams will get Rs 3,000, muezzins will get Rs 1,500 and purohits will get Rs 1,500 per month. No INDIA Effect? At the TMC Martyrs Day meet on July 21, Banerjee had refrained from targeting the Congress and Left, leaving the political circles abuzz about her ties especially with the Congress, after a dinner with Sonia Gandhi. On Monday, however, Banerjee was fierce in her attack. I am with INDIA nationally, but here in Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Congress are together. They also formed a board together for the panchayat polls. Banerjees messaging was clear, say experts. She told that the minorities that support for the Congress and CPM would ultimately help the BJP, they said. GoWB does not discriminate based on religion!For the development of Minority community: Scholarships to 3.63 crore minority studentsGranted educational loans to 36,000 minority studentsRecommended recruitment of 6,152 teachers & 433 non-teaching staff across 614 pic.twitter.com/VOEZNyThBN All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) August 21, 2023 SAGARDIGHI BYPOLLS IMPACT According to experts, the attack could be an effect of the Sagardighi bypolls. In the assembly constituency, which has more than 40% Muslim voters, the Congress defeated the TMC. Although later, Congress MLA Byron Biswas switched over, not winning the minority votes was seen as a concern by the TMC. If minorities are upset with the TMC, they could turn to the Congress or CPM. Banerjee does not want the minorities vote to be divided, they said. PANCHAYAT POLLS In the recent panchayat polls, the TMC won with a thumping majority, but violence and conflict were seen in the minority belts of Bhangar and Murshidabad. In Bhangar, the Indian Secular Front (ISF), a minority dominated party, gave a tough fight to the TMC. Banerjee clearly doesnt want the Left or Congress to get any share of the minority votes, experts said. BJP REACTS BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari said Banerjee was indulging in communal politics. Purohits dont need her Rs 500. She is playing the communal card before the Lok Sabha polls. CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said, Here in Tamaulipas, the BJP and TMC had formed a board together for panchayat polls, what is she saying? Banerjee had first announced the stipend in 2012. The raise after 11 years is leading to the question if it is part of the strategy to woo voters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In India, we are no stranger to diarrhoeal disease. Escalating climate change is strengthening Indias monsoons, which brings increased flood risks to our cities, which bring increased incidences of waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea. For most adults, a bout of diarrhoea is nothing to worry about. For younger children and vulnerable adults though, diarrhoea can take on more serious hues. According to the WHO, we lose 525,000 children under the age of five, to diarrhoea each year. What makes this doubly tragic is that these deaths are almost entirely preventable. The most severe threat posed by diarrhoea is dehydration. If we tackle dehydration appropriately, we improve outcomes dramatically. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this mortality rate can be brought down to less than one per cent by simple interventions like effective and timely case management. In simple terms, this involves administering an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS). ORS has reliably shown life-saving effects in conditions involving dehydration since it was discovered in the 1960s. WHO, through various studies over the years, has refined and perfected the formula for rehydration: the perfect ratio of salts, minerals and electrolytes our bodies need to recover from dehydration. In India, this formulation has been available since 1972, in the form of Electral. Network 18 & ELECTRAL have joined hands to increase awareness on this very issue of Diarrhoeal Dehydration. The Hydration for Health campaign aims to sensitise the common man by building necessary communication around everyday hydration, hydration myths and common missteps, and what to do when dehydration strikes. On the occasion of World ORS Day on July 29th, Network18s Mughda Kaira spoke with Dr. Indu Khosla, MD, DCH, RCPCH Fellow in Pediatric Pulmonology, Dr. Raj Tilak, MBBS, MD (Pediatrics), Consultant Paediatrician & Pulmonologist, Dr. Hemant Jain, Ex-Professor and Head of Pediatrics, MGM Medical College, Indore about the various aspects of dehydration in children, and how to recognise and administer WHO ORS effectively. What Causes Dehydration? According to Dr Jain, the most common cause of dehydration is diarrhoea, which in turn, is one of the most common causes of mortality in India, for children under the age of 5. The second most common cause he sees in his daily practice is high-grade fever. Each degree of fever over 38 degrees needs to be compensated with 10% more fluid intake something that most of us dont realise. The third most common condition is vomiting, where we lose a lot of fluid and electrolytes, and often, do so very quickly. The fourth are burns, which again, cause loss of fluid from the body. Dr Tilak also talked about other causes like sweating due to heat stress or hyperthermia, which is common during our summer season. He also drew attention to Dengue fever, which can cause fluid to shift to other parts of the body where it is not required. In this context, Dr Khosla spoke about how avoidable diarrhoeal deaths amongst children are. She quoted from a survey that showed that only 40-50% of children who have diarrhoea actually consume ORS. Considering that 10% of children who develop diarrhoea die, addressing the awareness gap around ORS role takes on paramount importance. What is WHO ORS, and how is it different from other drinks? Hydration isnt just about how much water one drinks. It is about maintaining fluid balance the right amount of electrolytes that help keep the body running efficiently. As Dr Khosla explains, when we lose water from our bodies, we also lose essential salts like sodium, potassium, and chloride, making the body acidic. ORS is a solution that contains these electrolytes like sodium, potassium, chloride along with glucose and sodium citrate to restore the bodys acidic balance. Dr Tilak notes that the key to an effective ORS is the right concentration of every single ingredient. The WHO has spent decades researching the right combination of ingredients in the right proportion, and that formulation is labelled as WHO ORS. Giving a child fizzy or carbonated drinks instead of a WHO ORS can be detrimental because of the high sugar content in these drinks. This sugar content puts an enormous load on the intestines of the dehydrated child, often causing even more dehydration. Dr Tilak sums it up perfectly when he says, The replacement for WHO ORS is only WHO ORS and nothing else." How can we administer ORS effectively? Dr Tilak reiterates the importance of administering and preparing the correct dose. It is imperative that we follow the specific proportions mentioned on the packet, as these are defined by the WHO. At the moment, WHO ORS like Electral is available in two sizes the large packet is meant to be dissolved in one litre of water, and the small packet is meant to be dissolved in 200ml, or one cup of water. It is important to note that it is only the correct proportion of these salts and the right dilution that gives us the results we want. Adding more or less Electral to water lowers its efficacy. This is why the third option exists Ready to Drink Electral that is available in tetra pak form. Dr Khosla recommends administering ORS in mild to moderate dehydration, but cautions that if the child is vomiting, or unable (or unwilling) to drink, it might be time to take the child to the doctor. Giving ORS to an unconscious child is not recommended, as it can lead to more vomiting and aspiration, making the situation worse. Dr Jain also pointed out that while their conversation has centred around children, ORS is equally effective for adults with dehydration. WHO ORS, properly prepared and taken at the right time can stave off dehydration in its early stages, preventing the need for IV fluids and hospitalisation. The myth that WHO ORS is only for children often keeps adults from taking ORS themselves. This is patently wrong WHO ORS is extremely helpful for battling dehydration across all ages, and is particularly useful for vulnerable elders who face similar risks of death through dehydration, as children do. Conclusion Dehydration, whether from diarrhoea or other causes is treatable, and deaths from dehydration are absolutely preventable through timely administration of WHO ORS. In India, WHO ORS has been available to us since 1972 in the form of Electral, and has saved countless lives of children and adults. However, the awareness gap still exists. You can watch the full panel discussion here (link). For more details on diarrhoeal dehydration, and to learn how to recognise and prevent dehydration in yourself and your loved ones, visit https://www.news18.com/electralhydrationforhealth/ This is a partnered post. Google recently sent emails to its users to remind them to review the companys Account Inactivity Policy, which states that Google may delete an inactive Google Account if it remains without any activity for a period of two years. Google first conveyed in May that it would begin purging inactive accounts in December, and now, as that time draws near, Google is starting to remind users of what may happen. Ergo, per Google, all inactive accounts that have not been used for the last two years will qualify as eligible to be purged from December 1. The search giant also said that it is taking steps to ensure that users are aware that their account is inactive and what will happen to it by sending them email notifications to their Google Account and even to their recovery email address, giving them the opportunity to take action. Keeping Your Google Account Active To keep your Google account active, Google notes that you must accomplish one of the following activities: Reading or sending an email. Using Google Drive. Watching a YouTube video. Sharing a photo. Downloading an app. Using Google Search. Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service. What Called For The Policy Change Google says that this move is primary for security reasons and to safeguard users. We want to protect your private information and prevent any unauthorized access to your account even if youre no longer using our services, Google said in the email sent to users. Accounts With YouTube Videos Wont Be Deleted There are some exceptions to this policy, one of which is uploading YouTube videos from your Google account. There are other exceptions as well, such as having gift card balance in your account, accounts with digital purchases, Google accounts with publicly published apps, and if that account manages a minor. Amit Tandon aka The Married Guy," stands as a prominent and accomplished comedian originating from India. His stand-up acts have achieved significant acclaim and resonated with audiences throughout the country. With a knack for humour, Amit possesses the ability to forge an instant connection with his audience through related topics. Let us know more about the MBA turned stand-up comedian: About Amit Tandon: Born on December 14, 1975, Amit Tandon spent his early years in Patiala before shifting to Chandigarh. He eventually made his way to Delhi for his education. His journey included dedicated efforts to secure admission into IIT for his engineering studies, followed by MBA. Transforming from an engineer-MBA hybrid, he embarked on an entrepreneurial path, establishing his own venture. However, when he ran out of financial resources, he started doing a corporate job. In 2006, Amit, along with his wife, started an HR consulting firm that lasted until 2017. Family: Amit Tandon is married to Sonal Tandon, and the couple is blessed with a son and a daughter. Comedy career: Amits love for comedy didnt start overnight. In fact, he achieved his initial breakthrough through corporate performance. At the age of 47, Amit has amassed an impressive tally of over 1,400 shows under his belt. This includes a remarkable 200 shows across 25 diverse countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Dubai, and Singapore. His viral videos collectively boast a staggering 100 million views across various social media platforms. While he identifies more as a writer than solely a stand-up comedian, Amits versatility is evident. A notable milestone in Amits career was his inclusion as one of the pioneering three Indian comedians on Netflix. He burst onto the global stage with an impactful appearance in the highly successful comedy event series Comedians of the World," which premiered on Netflix in January 2019. This internationally acclaimed platform featured a curated group of 47 comedians from around the globe. Amits comedic prowess transcended boundaries, resonating on a global scale with over 200 international shows spanning 25 countries, encompassing the likes of the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Dubai, and Singapore. Also read: Meet Abhishek Upmanyu, Indian Comedian Who Has Mastered Art of Being Effortlessly Funny A true testament to his dedication to comedy, Amits accomplishments extended to the establishment of Grandmasters of Comedy." Additionally, Amit played a pivotal role in introducing Fight Comic" to Indiaan acclaimed comedy face-off show originating from Singapore. Most popular videos: Among the collection of videos on his YouTube channel, the following have garnered significant popularity: 1) Leading the pack is the video titled First Drinking Experience," which premiered on December 31, 2019. Since its release, it has amassed an impressive count of more than 7.3 million views. 2) Following closely is the video Indian Middle Class Symbols," a relatable depiction of middle-class Indian families. This particular video was shared on September 2, 2016, and its view count now surpasses 6.6 million. 3) Another engaging entry is the video Women are more Intelligent," which made its debut on February 10, 2017. This video secures the position of the third most watched video on his channel, having attracted over 6.5 million views. Social media presence: Amit Tandon became a part of the YouTube community on August 21, 2006. However, it wasnt until April 18, 2016, that he aired his very first video on his channel. Presently, his official YouTube channel boasts a substantial following of over 7,54,000 subscribers. Talking about his Instagram presence, Amit commands a notable audience of over 178k followers. His profile serves as a platform for sharing short clips from his stand-up performances. His Twitter engagement is also noteworthy, as he actively employs the platform to share updates about his upcoming shows. With a following of around 46.5k on Twitter, Amit engages with his fans through his timely tweets. Additionally, on Facebook, his popularity remains evident with approximately 687K followers, making his presence felt across multiple social media platforms. The tropical savannah around Brazils ultra-modernist capital is not exactly known as wine country, but French enologist Jean-Michel Barcelo gushes as he plucks a ruby-red grape and pops it in his mouth. This terroir has real potential, says the 52-year-old wine consultant, who is in the high plateau of central Brazil making his annual visit to Villa Triacca, a vineyard located a 50-minute drive from the sweeping white buildings of the seat of power in Brasilia. With its predominantly tropical climate, Brazil is far less known for wine than fellow South American producers Argentina and Chile never mind France. But a new production technique developed by Brazilian researchers in the 2000s has helped winemakers in the Brasilia region hack the local climate to harvest in the winter, producing better-quality grapes and wines that are starting to make a splash. The technique theyre using here is different from what you see anywhere else in the world, says Barcelo, a silver-haired Frenchman who takes his wine very seriously. He lavishes praise on the freshness and complexity of Brazilian highlands wines, and the exceptional conditions at Villa Triacca: an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level, a dry climate and a difference of up to 15 degrees Celsius between daytime and nighttime temperatures in winter perfect for ripening grapes. Visitors on a wine tasting at the vineyard are also impressed. I was surprised by the quality, says Luciano Weber, a 45-year-old Brasilia resident. I had no idea they were making something so good here. Unusual technique But it was not an obvious choice to grow grapes in central-western Brazil, the heart of the countrys powerful soybean, corn and beef industries. The key is a technique called double pruning, in which producers prune their vines twice a year, once in winter and once in summer. Also read: This Country Tops The List Of Alcohol Consumption In The World, India On Number That enables them to push their grape-picking season back from autumn, the usual time when the regions heavy rains would threaten the harvest to July and August, the heart of winter in the southern hemisphere. The technique also involves using a synthetic hormone that regulates the vines growth and keep them dormant so the grapes will be ready at the right time. Producers say the hormone leaves no trace in the final product. But some wine lovers are dubious. We dont know what the effects are. Ive never seen a study on it, says Suzana Barelli, resident wine expert at newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo. Still, she is impressed by the regions wines, praising their very high quality. Dream come true The Brasilia region, known as the Federal District (DF), has just 10 vineyards, all opened in recent years. But the industry is growing. Farmland devoted to wine production leapt from 45 hectares (111 acres) in 2018 to 88 (217) last year. Ronaldo Triacca, owner of the namesake vineyard, launched it six years ago. I had always dreamed of making wine, but I thought I could only make table wine until I learned about inverted pruning, says the 57-year-old farmer, sitting amid his prized vines, his denim shirt rolled up at the sleeves. Thats when I realized it was possible to make high-quality wine. He started planting grapes Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc on six hectares of land, alongside his existing corn and soy fields. Now, he sells 15,000 bottles a year, and is part of a collective of regional producers called Vinicola Brasilia. For now, most of their production is sold to specialty stores and restaurants in the capital. But they are starting to get noticed. A lot of people still think if a wine isnt Argentine, Portuguese or French, its no good, says Felipe Camargo of regional agricultural agency Emater. Were going to change that fast. Wary of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and continuing with its interest in Afghanistan, China is now wooing the governor of Badakshan, according to a top diplomatic source. The Chinese are keen to control the ETIM. They plan to offer a lucrative deal to the governor. As the governor is in Turkey, his deputy is expected to attend the meeting," he added. ALSO READ | Is Profiling Chinas New Game Plan in Afghanistan? Huawei to Install CCTVs in All Provinces | Exclusive The ETIM is a separatist militant outfit in Xinjiang which allegedly has links with radical outfits such as al Qaeda and Islamic State (IS or ISIS). News18 had previously reported on Chinas demand that Taliban crack down on the ETIM. Kabul has, however, so far rebuffed the demand, saying the activists have been our guests for a very long period of time". CCTVs, BELT & ROAD INTITIATIVE Recently, there were reports that Chinese telecom giant Huawei has got sanctions from the top levels of the Haqqani Network in Afghanistan to install CCTV cameras across provinces, which had led to concerns that Beijing is advancing towards profiling Afghans to increase its influence in the country. According to sources, China managed the deal with the top leadership of the Haqqani Network, a faction of the ruling Taliban. The cameras are going to be installed ostensibly to fight the ISIS, sources added. Security experts say having Chinese-installed CCTVs in Afghanistan will help Beijing profile the Afghan people as well as protect its own nationals working in the war-torn country on projects. China has made halting efforts to extend its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to Afghanistan that could see construction of railways and bridges, but is chiefly concerned with the country harboring separatists opposed to Chinese control in its northwestern region of Xinjiang. CPEC Recently, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to forge closer economic ties by extending the Beijing-backed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan. ALSO READ | Taliban, Chinese Firm to Sign Deal to Extract Oil from Afghanistan The $60-billion CPEC aims to connect Pakistans Gwadar port in Balochistan with Chinas Xinjiang province. India has objected to the CPEC as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The CPEC is officially regarded as the flagship project of Chinas multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) the pet project of President Xi Jinping. Chinese President Xi Jinping headed to South Africa on Monday, state media reported, where he will attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. The state visit will be Xis second international trip of 2023, after making an official trip to Russia in March. Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Monday for the 15th BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a state visit to South Africa, Xinhua news agency reported. The heads of Brazil, China, India and South Africa plus Russias top diplomat will gather from Tuesday to Thursday this week under the theme BRICS and Africa, South Africas Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said this month. Questions had swirled over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin who is sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his role in the Ukraine war would attend this years BRICS conference in South Africa, which is a signatory of the ICC. The Chinese leader previously visited South Africa in 2018 as he sought to enhance his countrys diplomatic and economic ties with the continent. On the agenda at this years summit will be the possible future expansion of BRICS membership, which the bloc has previously indicated it is open to. Several African countries have previously expressed a desire to join the bloc, including Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia. A total of 69 countries have been invited to the summit, including all African states. BRICS, a loosely-defined group that sees itself as a counterweight to Western economic domination, derives its name from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group represents 23 percent of the worlds gross domestic product and 42 percent of the worlds population. Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is not being treated well in Attock Jail, a report by an additional sessions judge accessed by CNN-News18 reveals. The report says a team visited the jail and everyone was found to be happy. There were women, juveniles, and other civil prisoners. The cell where Imran Khan was confined was also visited. The former PM expressed grave concern about the placement of CCTV cameras. According to the report, a camera has been installed right in front of Khans cell, just 5-6 feet away from his room. The CCTV covers his every activity including toilet use and there is no privacy while defecating or bathing, says the report. The concern expressed by the prisoner is a genuine one and is also a violation of Rules 257 and 771 of Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978, it says. However, the superintendent present there has given assurance to redress this grievance of the prisoner. Imran Khan also complained that his wife and lawyers have no easy access to him. The superintendent has also assured that the prisoner shall be given access to his wife and lawyers as per prevailing rules. Pakistans interim law minister Irfan Aslam and information minister Murtaza Solangi rejected Pakistan President Arif Alvis stance that he was unaware of the bills being returned to them. Aslam said that the government did not receive any bill from the presidency referring to the Official Secrets Amendment Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill, 2023. A clash between the interim government and the Pakistan President erupted last week after the former claimed that the President approved changes to the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act. Under Article 75 of the Constitution, the president only has two options: either to sign a bill or reject it; in case of rejection, he has to give reasons for returning the bills unsigned, Aslam was quoted as saying by Pakistan-based newspaper the Dawn. Aslam highlighted the legal and constitutional position on the two bills and said the interim set up did not receive any of the two bills from Alvis office due to which both bills have now become law. The interim law minister pointed out that Pakistan President Alvi did not exercise the options available to him and kept the bills pending at the Presidency which means that after the passage of 10 days they automatically became laws. The information minister Solangi said that they will not take any action against the president. The sanctity and respect of the presidents office do not allow us to make any such move. No action can be taken against him till he is in his office, Solangi was quoted as saying by the Dawn. Aslam pointed out that the returning of the bills without any observations or assent is not allowed under the Pakistan Constitution. Such a course of action is against the letter and spirit of the Constitution, he said. Pakistan President Alvi claims he asked his staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to render them ineffective, but on August 19, Pakistan media outlets reported Alvi on Saturday gave his assent to the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2023. As God is my witness, I did not sign the Official Secrets Amendment Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill, 2023 as I disagreed with these laws. confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned and was assured that they were. However, I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command, Alvi said on Sunday. Section 6-A of the Official Secrets (Amendment) Act, 2023 says that revealing identities of intelligence agency members, informants, or sources without permission will lead to a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of up to PKR 10 million. The amended Army Act will subject individuals found guilty of disclosing any sensitive information obtained officially to five-year rigorous imprisonment. South Africa supports increasing the number of members of the BRICS bloc, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a nationally broadcast address to the nation on Sunday evening. This issue of applications by 22 countries to become members of BRICS is on the agenda for the leaders of the five BRICS nations, who will meet in Johannesburg on Wednesday this week for the 15th edition of the BRICS Summit. South Africa supports the expansion of the membership of BRICS. The value of BRICS extends beyond the interests of its current members. For its efforts to be more effective, BRICS needs to build partnerships with other countries that share its aspirations and perspectives, Ramaphosa said. BRICS is a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. An expanded BRICS will represent a diverse group of nations with different political systems that share a common desire to have a more balanced global order, Ramaphosa said as he welcomed the participation in the Summit of a host of other leaders from Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the Middle East, West Asia, South Asia and South-East Asia. Ramaphosa said this BRICS Summit was particularly important because it is being held while the world is confronted by fundamental challenges that are bound to determine the course of international events for years to come. Our world has become increasingly complex and fractured as it is increasingly polarised into competing camps. Multilateralism is being replaced by the actions of different power blocs, all of which we trade with, invest with, and whose technology we use, he said. Ramaphosa reaffirmed that South Africa continues to advocate for an open and rules-based global governance, trade, financial and investment system. It must be a system that does not depend on the exercise of power or unilateralism, but by the advancement of the interests of the peoples of the world, the President said as he explained how South Africas post-apartheid foreign policy stance has positioned South Africa as a reliable and influential partner on the African continent and in the world. We have resisted pressure to align ourselves with any one of the global powers or with influential blocs of nations. While some of our detractors prefer overt support for their political and ideological choices, we will not be drawn into a contest between global powers, Ramaphosa said, in a hint to the pressure that had earlier been exerted on South Africa to decry the Russian invasion of Ukraine. South Africa abstained from a vote on this at the UN, and later also publicly stated that it would not be bullied into taking sides in the war. Our country is committed to a policy of non-alignment (and) strives to work with all countries for global peace and development. This has enabled our country to have friendly and valuable relations with countries around the world at political, diplomatic, trade, investment, sporting, social and many other levels. It is these principles that guide our participation in BRICS, Ramaphosa said. He also highlighted the benefits that BRICS through its influence on global affairs. BRICS as a formation plays an important role in the world due to its economic power, market potential, political influence and development cooperation. Yet the value of BRICS extends beyond its sheer size. BRICS countries can collectively shape global dynamics, and acting together, have the potential to drive significant changes in the world economy and international relations, Ramaphosa said. Together, the BRICS members have used their collective voice to call for a world that is more equitable, balanced and governed by an inclusive system of global governance, he added. Ramaphosa said that being a BRICS member has created positive opportunities for not only South Africa, but for the African continent at large. South Africa has always championed the interests of Africa within BRICS. We want to build a partnership between BRICS and Africa so that our continent can unlock opportunities for increased trade, investment and infrastructure development. There are great opportunities for other BRICS countries to participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area by locating production and services in various countries on the African continent, including our own, by partnering with local companies and entrepreneurs, Ramaphosa said. The Philippine military said that it will dispatch another resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre a World War II-era ship in a South China Sea shoal which Manila is using as a tool to stake its claim in a territorial dispute with China. China earlier this month tried to block a similar operation spurring a war of words between Beijing and Manila and reigniting the territorial dispute over South China Sea which China wants under its sphere of influence. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Medel Aguilar said the resupply mission is Manilas display of resolve to stand up against threats and coercion and upholding the rule of law. We, therefore, call on all relevant parties to abide by their obligations under international law and respect the Philippines sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over its maritime zones, Aguilar was quoted as saying by news outlet Bloomberg. China has demanded that Philippines tow away the vessel and on August 5 attacked a Philippine resupply vessel with water cannons to deter it, leading to war of words between Philippines and Beijing and reigniting the debate around jurisdiction of the South China Sea. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has doubled down and said that he will not pull out the ship that Manila placed in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 in retaliation to China forcibly occupying the Mischief Reef in 1995. Beijing also claims the shoal in South China Sea and has named it Renai Jiao. The Spirit of Camp David US President Joe Biden met counterparts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David last week and their joint statement titled The Spirit of Camp David may have emboldened the stance taken by the Philippines. The three world leaders said they support the ruling against Chinas expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea by an international tribunal in The Hague in 2016. [W]e strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific. (The ruling by the) tribunal sets out the legal basis for the peaceful resolution of maritime conflicts between the parties to that proceeding, the statement said. Together, were going to stand up for international law, freedom of navigation and the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, Biden said, with South Korean President Yoon also urging all parties to respect international order, showing support for the Philippines without naming China. It should be noted that India also backed Philippines and called for upholding the rule of law when Philippines foreign affairs secretary Enrique A. Manalo met Dr S Jaishankar in June. They underlined the need for peaceful settlement of disputes and for adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea in this regard, a press release from the external affairs ministry said. UK killer nurse Lucy Letby, who has been convicted of murdering seven babies, may have harmed dozens more infants at two hospitals in the north-west of England, British newspaper The Guardian was informed by the police. Letby, possibly the most prolific child serial killer in the countrys modern history, was found guilty of murdering babies on Friday that her colleagues were unaware there was a murderer in their midst. The baby killer, who described herself as a horrible evil person in one of her handwritten notes, was convicted of killing five baby boys and two baby girls, and attempted murder of six others at the Countess of Chester hospital, often while working night shifts, in 2015 and 2016. British investigative officers identified about 30 babies who suffered suspicious incidents at the Countess of Chester hospital where she worked, the report said. Letby, who was in her 20s at the time of the murders, has been found to be on duty for each of these unexplained collapses, it is understood. Police are also examining the medical records of babies born at Liverpool Womens Hospital where Letby also worked. These 30 babies, who all survived, are in addition to the 17 infants who featured in the nurses 10-month trial at Manchester crown court. Additionally, authorities have engaged experts to scrutinize the medical histories of over 4,000 babies born at Liverpool Womens Hospital and the Countess of Chester between 2012 and 2015. The recent trial showcased 17 infants, an initial phase in the ongoing Operation Hummingbird, the police investigations code name. This investigation unearthed an additional 40 infants who experienced suspicious incidents during Letbys shifts at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Subsequent inquiries led to the re-prioritisation of certain cases without entirely dismissing them. As of April this year, investigative efforts have pinpointed approximately 30 suspicious cases at the Chester Hospital. Concurrently, probes continue at Liverpool Womens Hospital, where Letby was placed in 2012 and 2016. Remarkably, a family was apprised by the police earlier this year that their childs birth was within the scope of this inquiry. The report said the magnitude of the investigation, involving 60 to 70 detectives, has made it impossible for Cheshire Constabulary to assign an exact numerical figure to the cases under review. The Guardian reported that Letby is expected to become only the third British woman alive to be handed a whole-life tariff meaning she will never be released from prison when she is sentenced on Monday. The other two women serving whole-life terms are Rose West, who tortured and killed at least nine young women in the 1970s and 1980s, and Joanna Dennehy, who murdered three men in what came to be known as the Peterborough Ditch Murders in 2013. A store owner in California was shot and killed Friday by a man who made derogatory comments about rainbow Pride flags erected outside the store, according to investigators. Laura "Lauri" Ann Carleton, 66, was shot outside her Mag Pi clothing store in Cedar Glen, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, and died at the scene, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department. It said the suspect "made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton," per KABC . The shooter, still unidentified, was located a short distance away. Officials said he was carrying a handgun, which he refused to drop, per ABC News . "When deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased," the department said, adding no deputies were injured. San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe described Carleton's death as a "senseless act of hate and violence." A local LGBTQ+ organization said Carleton was an ally of the LGBTQ+ community who "was murdered defending her lgbtq+ Pride flags in front of her store." Actor Bridget Everett, who shared a photo of her and Carleton together, said people had removed or vandalized Carleton's Pride flags in the past, but "she'd put up another one," per ABC. Film director Paul Feig said Carleton was a friend "who did so much for the LGBTQ+ community as well as the community at large." She worked for Kenneth Cole Productions for more than 15 years before opening her own clothing store, according to her website. "She has been married to the same man for 28 years and is the mother of a blended family of nine children," it adds, per ABC. (Read more murder stories.) Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to inland mountains and deserts Sunday evening, prompting rescues from swollen rivers and forcing some of the nation's largest school districts to cancel Monday classes. Millions braced for more flooding and mudslides, even as the storm began to weaken, the AP reports. The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary brought intensifying rain to the region, with some mountain and desert areas seeing more than half an average year's worth of rain come down in just one day, including the desert resort city of Palm Springs, which saw nearly 3 inches of rain by Sunday evening. Southern California got another unwelcome surprise in the afternoon as an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 hit near Ojai, about 80 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, according to the US Geological Survey. It was felt widely and was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury, according to a dispatcher with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. Meanwhile, forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties due to the tropical storm, which made landfall in Mexico's arid Baja California Peninsula earlier Sunday, and fire officials rescued a dozen people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. In Ventura County, authorities were searching for a person believed to be in the Santa Clara River, NBC News reports. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water. Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. A state of emergency has also been declared in Nevada, where the storm is heading, the Hill reports. Some school districts there have also canceled classes. (Read more California stories.) A new Human Rights Watch report makes for grim reading about the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The organization accuses Saudi soldiers of raping, torturing, and killing African migrants trying to enter the oil-rich country, reports the BBC . HRW interviewed dozens of migrants from Ethiopia and examined photos and videos taken by them for its investigation. It alleges that the Saudi soldiers routinely fire rifles and artillery into large groups of people. Victims described how soldiers beat them and shoot them in the limbs after asking where they would prefer to take the bullet. One young man described how he and another were forced to rape women in their group while the soldiers watched, and that one man who refused to participate was shot. As the New York Times explains, the alleged atrocities are occurring "along one of the world's most dangerous smuggling routes, a patch of isolated, war-ravaged territory rarely visited by journalists, aid workers or other international observers." Impoverished people fleeing Ethiopia first make their way to Yemen, and then to the border with Saudi Arabia while shepherded by smugglers. The AP estimates that 750,000 Ethiopians live in Saudi Arabia, most of them having entered illegally. The government has been sending thousands back home, and if the HRW allegations are shown to be true and sanctioned by the government, it would amount to a crime against humanity, per the Times. HRW called its report "They Fired on Us Like Rain," and Saudi Arabia is already disputing it. "The allegations included in the Human Rights Watch report about Saudi border guards shooting Ethiopians while they were crossing the Saudi-Yemeni border are unfounded and not based on reliable sources," says a government statement. (Read more Saudi Arabia stories.) UPDATE Aug 23, 2023 8:02 AM CDT Officials on Tuesday upped the number of people who have not been accounted for following the Maui wildfires. Two days after putting the figure at 850, officials put the number in the 1,000 to 1,100 range. "That doesn't mean necessarily ... that these people are, in fact, missing," Steven Merrill with the FBI said. "We're considering everybody on that list until we can prove they shouldn't be on that list." NBC News reports that Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said there were challenges with the list: Some of the names on it are first name only, and others don't have a gender noted. But the New York Times reports there are no minors on the list, which is expected to be released to the public sometime soon. Aug 21, 2023 1:34 PM CDT Almost two weeks after wildfires swept through Maui, some 850 people are listed as missinga horrifically high figure, but down significantly from earlier estimates. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the FBI "combined and refined" different lists of missing people, NBC News reports. "We are both saddened and relieved about these numbers," Bissen said in a video posted on Facebook. "There is positive news in this number, because when this process began, the missing person list contained over 2,000 names," he said. The mayor said more than 1,285 previously listed as missing have been found. UPDATE Aug 21, 2023 7:41 PM CDT Former President Donald Trump posted Monday night that he'll surrender to authorities on Thursday to be processed in connection with the election subversion charges he faces. "Can you believe it? I'll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be arrested," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Hours after an order limiting what he can say on social media was imposed, Trump called the prosecutor in the case, Fani Willis, a "radical left district attorney." The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said earlier in the day that when Trump arrives, the area around the county jail will go into lockdown, the AP reports. Aug 21, 2023 4:41 PM CDT Donald Trump's bond in Georgia has been set at $200,000$80,000 for the racketeering charge and $10,000 for each of the other counts he has been charged with. The former president's lawyers agreed to the bond after meeting with the Fulton County District Attorney's office on Monday, CNN reports. The bond order filed in court Monday afternoon states that Trump "shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a co-defendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice," per NBC News. Sorry! This content is not available in your region AFP | | Kyiv The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday hailed on a visit to the Netherlands a historic decision to supply F-16 fighter jets to strengthen Ukraines Soviet-era air force. It came two days after the United States approved the transfer to Ukraine of Dutch as well as Danish US-made warplanes, a key demand by Kyiv as it seeks greater firepower from allies during a grinding counteroffensive against Russia. Zelensky landed at a Dutch airforce base in Eindhoven at around midday (1000 GMT), a Dutch government spokesperson told AFP, and inspected the aircraft shortly after. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte rubber-stamped the deliveries, saying: The Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer F-16s to Ukraine once the conditions for such a transfer have been met. The decision is absolutely historic, powerful and inspiring for us, Zelensky said at a press conference with Rutte. This is another step towards strengthening Ukraines air shield. Details of the aircraft delivery to Ukraine have not been unveiled. The Dutch and the Danes are leading a plan to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the US-made aircraft as part of an 11-nation coalition, with training potentially complete by early 2024. Washington has strict rules on the sale or transfer of US military equipment by its allies. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow will regard Western F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine as a nuclear threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons. Zelensky was in Sweden on Saturday, finalising with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson the production of CV90 armoured vehicles in Ukraine and Ukrainian pilots participating in test trials of Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Russia said it thwarted Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and its region on Sunday, the second such incident in two days. TOKYO, Aug 22 ( Kyodo ) - Japan plans to require day nurseries, kindergartens and schools to use a government system to confirm that those applying to work there are not convicted sex offenders, sources close to the matter said Monday. The system, similar to Britain's Disclosure and Barring Service certificate, is now being discussed by a panel of experts at the Children and Families Agency in response to a series of sexual abuse cases by teachers and babysitters in Japan. In Japan, the licensing for teachers and childcare workers is overseen by different government offices, making it difficult for authorities to prevent a person with a history of sex crimes from switching between professions involving children. ... continue reading The limited-edition Tim Hortons dog toys are not available for sale Tims fans can only get their paws on them by entering a contest on select Tim Hortons social media channels for a chance to win the ulti-mutt prize for their furry friends. TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Canadian pups love a Tims Runs as much anyone, so to honour our furry friends this coming National Dog Day, Tim Hortons is giving guests the chance to win a set of paws-itively adorable limited-edition Tims-themed dog toys* a plushy and squeaky Tims Cup and Timbits Box! Tim Hortons celebrates National Dog Day with paws-itively adorable limited-edition Tims Cup and Timbits Box dog toys* and Tims fans can enter a contest for a chance to win a set for their best fur-iend! (CNW Group/Tim Hortons) Tim Hortons celebrates National Dog Day with paws-itively adorable limited-edition Tims Cup and Timbits Box dog toys* and Tims fans can enter a contest for a chance to win a set for their best fur-iend! (CNW Group/Tim Hortons) Join us in celebrating some of our biggest Old Fashioned Plain Timbits fans by heading to Tim Hortons TikTok, Instagram or Facebook pages from Aug. 21 to Aug. 26 to enter for a chance to win. For more information on how to enter the contest along with the full rules, visit news.timhortons.ca/contest. The limited-edition Tim Hortons-themed dog toys are not for sale or re-sale. "We hear from guests all the time how much their furry friends love jumping in the car to join a Tims Run and how they can't wait to poke their heads out the window as they're in a Tims drive-thru," says Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer at Tim Hortons. "We thought what better way to celebrate some of our most loyal fans than by creating limited-edition Tims dog toys* for National Dog Day so they can share their love for Tims while snuggled up at home, too!" *The limited-edition Tim Hortons themed dog toys are not for sale or re-sale. No purchase necessary. Rules apply. Canada only. See here for full contest details. About Tim Hortons In 1964, the first Tim Hortons restaurant in Hamilton, Ontario opened its doors and Canadians have been ordering Tim Hortons iconic Original Blend coffee, Double-Double coffees, Donuts and Timbits in the years since. Over the last 55 years, Tim Hortons has captured the hearts and taste buds of Canadians and has become synonymous with serving Canada's favourite coffee. Tim Hortons is Canada's largest restaurant chain operating in the quick service industry with nearly 4,000 restaurants across the country. More than a coffee and bake shop, Tim Hortons is part of the Canadian fabric and guests can enjoy hot and cold specialty beverages including lattes, cappuccinos and espressos, teas and our famous Iced Capps alongside delicious breakfast, sandwiches, wraps, soups and more. Tim Hortons has more than 5,400 restaurants in Canada, the United States and around the world. For more information on Tim Hortons visit TimHortons.ca. SOURCE Tim Hortons For further information: [email protected] The Nigerian Army says it has commenced an investigation into the alleged killing of a Lagos commercial driver by persons in military uniform on August 17. Olabisi Ayeni, acting deputy director of army public relations, 81 Division, said in a statement on Sunday, that the investigation is being conducted in collaboration with the police. It is appropriate to bring the occurrence to public notice and the steps taken to identify the alleged persons in military uniform believed to be soldiers, and bring them to justice if truly they are serving soldiers, the statement reads. The Division is currently carrying out an investigation in conjunction with the Nigerian Police Lagos State Command to unravel the identity of the alleged suspects and the circumstances surrounding the alleged unfortunate incident. He assured that the suspects will be made to face the full wrath of both military and civil laws if they are identified as serving soldiers. Ayeni added that the Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for troops misconduct or involvement of its personnel in any form of criminality. Ayeni said MT Usman, the commanding officer of the division, commiserated with the family of the deceased commercial driver, insisting that the perpetrators will not go unpunished. Susan Waya, the mother of Big Brother Naija All Stars housemate, Kiddwaya, has reacted to her sons eviction from the reality show. Recall that Kiddwaya was evicted on Sunday for having the least vote last week. Reacting on her Instagram, Susan said she was happy he was evicted on Sunday. After yesterdays threats, I couldnt be happier with my sons sanity intact! Thank you all for the overwhelming support. Kidd your crew is waiting for you! Lots of love, she said. Seyi had on Saturday night threatened Kiddwaya to apologize to Ike after an alteration with Doyin. The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, DSVA, has strongly condemned the comments of Big Brother Naija All Stars housemate, Seyi Awolowo. Recall that Seyi had, during a conversation with Whitemoney after the Saturday night party, claimed he had opened a miscellaneous account for his son to enable him to have sex with peoples daughters. Im giving birth to boys so they can run trains on peoples daughters. Ive opened a miscellaneous account to use and have sex with peoples daughters, he said. His comment generated controversy on social media. Also, reacting in a post on its official X, formerly known as Twitter, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency wrote: We strongly condemn the comments made by Seyi Awolowo in the disturbing video that has surfaced. Such remarks perpetuate harmful attitudes and contribute to a culture of violence and abuse. Niger Delta ex-agitators have hailed the reported decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to return the supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to the Presidency. The National Secretary of the First Phase Ex-agitators, Mr. Nature Dumale, in a statement in Port Harcourt, said it was heart-warming to hear the NDDC would henceforth report directly to the President like the North East Development Commission (NEDC). He said the development was like a prayer answered and recalled that he had previously led a campaign for the commission to be directly supervised by the President. Dumale, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Strategic Communication Committee, SCC, said Tinubu had, by the singular act, demonstrated his genuine intention to turn around the fortunes of the NDDC. He insisted that the Niger Delta had suffered a lack of development over the years because greedy individuals were allowed to convert many interventions by the Federal Government for the region into their estates. We want to use this opportunity to appreciate Mr. President, for the wisdom in returning the NDDC to the Presidency. We believe that this will speed up the development of the region, and stem the culture of turning the Commission into a cash cow. For us, it is a sign that the President has good intentions for the Niger Delta region for summoning the political will to move the interventionist agency back to the Presidency. This means that he wants proper supervision of the NDDC. As ex-agitators, we can boldly say that the Niger Delta has been suffering because of mismanagement. This move will engender accountability, transparency and the much-touted development of the Niger Delta, would become a reality. This is one step Mr. President has taken to give us hope as leaders in the region. We believe that the NDDC, under the supervision of the Presidency, would facilitate meaningful development. The only time we experienced some development was when NDDC was under the direct supervision of the Presidency. As soon as it was moved to the Ministry of Niger Delta, it became a cash cow, for the Niger Delta Cartel, whose only agenda, is to keep the Niger Delta underdeveloped, he said. Dumale said they discovered that apart from the NDDC and the PAP, there was a Niger Delta Recovery Plan (NDRP), which mandated the ministries of petroleum, environment and Niger Delta affairs to work in synergy in articulating the regions development. He continued: We live in an environment where a lot is taken away on a daily basis by the federal government, yet there is little to show for it. The condition of Ogoni-Onne-Eleme Road, which is part of the East-West road, comes to mind. The road has remained a death trap making it impossible for free movement of goods. We are standing behind President Tinubu and we await, with great enthusiasm and renewed vigour, the speedy development of our homeland. He warned that the ex-agitators were empowered with education and strategies to hold their leaders accountable and would no longer tolerate mismanagement of their commonwealth. He added: We have been empowered, and we wont engage anybody with arms. We have been trained to communicate positively and to make our case known even to the United Nations. So, we will diplomatically and strategically confront our leaders and ask questions. There is no accountability because people divert funds meant for our region without being held to account for these resources. As youths of Niger Delta are getting exposed and uncovering financial crimes against them, on a daily basis, it is not going to be business as usual. Dumale called on President Tinubu to compel the NDDC to make public the forensic audit report on the commission, insisting that persons responsible for diverting the commissions resources must be held accountable. The federal lawmaker representing Akoko North-East/North-West Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House of Representatives, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has officially resigned from his position in the National Assembly. The resignation of the lawmaker who will serve as Minister of Interior was conveyed through a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Tajudeen Abbas. The spokesperson for Tunji-Ojo, Mr. Babatunde Alao made a copy of the resignation letter available to DAILY POST on Sunday night. In the letter, Tunji-Ojo confirmed that his resignation was prompted by his appointment to serve as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in President Bola Tinubus administration. He expressed his acknowledgement of the critical need for technocrats to contribute their expertise to the advancement and economic development of the nation at this time. While appreciating President Tinubu for finding him worthy to serve the country in his new role as a Minister, Tunji-Ojo said he is prepared to give his best for the renewed hope and agenda of the present administration. The letter read in parts, Our dear country is in dire need of collaborative and concerted efforts that would engender the much-needed advancement to greater heights and I have been appointed to contribute my quota to achieve that enviable objective as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Tunji-Ojo, popularly known as BTO within the political circle, is among the 48 ministers appointed by President Tinubu and who will be sworn in today, Monday, in Abuja. Vice President Kashim Shettima will today depart Abuja for Johannesburg, South Africa, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 15th BRICS Summit of Heads of State and Government. Shettima will be joining other business and political leaders across the world at the Summit scheduled for the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from August 22 to 24. This was disclosed in a statement by Mr Olusola Abiola, Director, Information, Office of the Vice President, on Monday. Notable leaders expected to attend the event include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Xi Jinping of China, Brazils President Luiz Lula da Silva, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other dignitaries invited to the summit include the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, and the President of the New Development Bank. The summit is expected to deliberate on issues of trade and investment facilitation, sustainable development, innovation, and global governance reform. It will also continue its outreach to leaders from Africa and the global South as it focuses on global geopolitics, trade, and infrastructure development. BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is a group of five major emerging and developing economies. Meanwhile, Shettima is accompanied on the trip by some senior government officials. The wife of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu and the indigenes of the Odigbo community are on collision course over the appoint of a caretaker chairman for the newly established Odigbo Local Council Development Area, LCDA. According to sources, the First Lady had allegedly proposed Eucharia Nwamara, the councillor representing Ore Ward, as the new caretaker chairman. However, this decision has been met with strong opposition from the indigenous people of Odigbo, who said such would never be allowed in their territory. The residents expressed their vehement objection to the appointment of Nwamara, stating that it is inappropriate for the First Lady to impose a politician of Igbo extraction as the Caretaker Chairman of Odigbo LCDA. They called for a reconsideration of the appointment, urging the government to prioritise the appointment of a caretaker chairman who is not only familiar with the needs of the community but also respects its cultural values and traditions. In a gathering held at the palace of the Orunja of Odigbo kingdom, Oba Rufus Adegboyega Akinrinmade, Adebusoye 1, and the Odigbo residents, who voiced their concerns, argued that it would be an aberration for their traditional rulers to take directives from a non-indigene appointed as the Caretaker Chairman of the Council. A former lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Mayowa Akinfolarin had this to say: We have this historic antecedent of ensuring peace in our domain. We have told our youth to be peaceful. We are doing many things to ensure peace. We are telling the First Lady that we love her and our neighbours. We are saying no to anything that will tamper with the peace of this locality. On his part, the organising secretary of Ondo APC, Dr. Tunji Moyero, said: Our king cannot go to council to take orders from someone who is not from here. If we refuse to fight, our children will fight. Everybody must rise to this. We are begging the wife of the governor that if there is anything in that regard, we have no other way, our youth are prepared. We are fighting for what is legitimate. A community leader, Femi Olafumiloye, said the action of the First Lady would disturb peace in the community. How can we start an LCDA with a total stranger as the first caretaker chairman? It is a passionate plea. She can rescind this decision. We cannot take it. Let our people be the chairman. How can an Igbo woman communicate with us? He queried. Oba Akinrinmade advised his subjects to allow peace to reign and also appealed to the First Lady not to jeopardise the peace in the community. He stated that Nwamara visited him two weeks ago and claimed she was in support of another person emerging as Caretaker Chairman, adding that she told him she declined the offer when she was called. When contacted, Nwamara said she had lived in Odigbo for over 38 years and had helped to develop the community. I am a politician. Everything in life is an opportunity. I did not know about any protest. I have lived in Odigbo for over 35 years. I have helped with community development. I am also hearing rumours, she stated. The Kano State governorship election petition tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, challenging the victory of Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP. Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, the chairman of the three-man panel, who had promised on behalf of the panel to be fair to all parties, said the judgment would come earlier than the 180 days allowed by the law. The adjournment followed the final addresses by both parties. While making a final address to the court, the APC urged the tribunal to uphold its petition and return Nasir Gawuna as the winner of the election. While INEC, NNPP and Yusuf urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition. Meanwhile, the Police Command in Kano State has banned protests by political parties and their supporters. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Usuani Gumel, announced the ban at a news conference in Kano while addressing newsmen at the commands headquarters on Monday in Kano. Nyesom Wike, immediate past governor of Rivers state, received the loudest ovation during the swearing-in of ministers-designate at the banquet hall of the presidential villa. It all began when event compere Ajuri Ngelale, who is the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, introduced Wike as minister-designate from the great Rivers state. A loud ovation and raucous laughter erupted in the hall afterwards, as Wike tried to suppress a smile. Behind Wike, Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, led the cheerleaders as the minister-designate took a bow with his citation being read. Wikes reaction after taking his oath of office elicited more laughter from the audience. He shook and held President Bola Tinubus hand for longer, as both men grinned and laughed into the cameras. There was even more laughter as Wike walked to his seat in a somewhat cocky and unusual manner. It took Ngelales baritone voice to restore sanity to the hall. I will now request that we keep the noise down a bit, Ngelale bellowed into the microphone. President Tinubu has named Wike, a politician from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as minister of the federal capital territory (FCT). Wike was one of 48 ministerial nominees screened by the senate. BACKGROUND The Rivers-born politician reportedly worked against Atiku Abubakar, his partys standard bearer in the February 25 election. Wike was among the group of five or G5 governors who insisted that the presidency must return to the south after former President Muhammadu Buharis eight-year tenure elapsed. They announced that their decision was based on equity, justice, fairness and a gentlemans rotational arrangement. Wike would go on to hobnob with Tinubu and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the buildup to the general election and after a winner was declared by the electoral umpire. Wike thereafter invited then President-elect Tinubu to Rivers state to inaugurate infrastructure projects. He was also in and around the presidential villa for meetings with the president and members of his kitchen cabinet as Tinubu set out his stall for governance. Wike is a member of the PDP campaign council ahead of off-cycle elections in Imo, Rivers and Kogi. President Bola Tinubu has been commended for the redeployment of some ministers. Deji Adeyanju, a socio-political commentator said the next Minister of Youth should be less than 35 years old. Tinubu had appointed Abubakar Momoh as the Minister of Youths but he has been redeployed to the Ministry of Niger Delta Development. Momoh was redeployed following outcry by Nigerians who pointed out that he was not a youth. Tweeting, Adeyanju wrote: I commend President Bola Tinubu for removing the 64-year-old Minister of Youth & redeploying him elsewhere. It shows he is not tone deaf to criticism like Buhari. The President should now appoint a YOUNG person as the minister of youth. The minister of youth should be someone less than 35 not any old man or woman. It is extremely annoying to see old men like me as minister for youth. Nobody even in my age bracket should be called a youth. UPDATE: N.J. wildfire grows to 600 acres, is 10% contained The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is trying to contain a wildfire in Wharton State Forest in Camden County, the agency said on social media Sunday evening. The fire is burning in the area of the former Atco Dragway and Jackson Road in Waterford Township, the forest service said. The service reported it shortly before 5 p.m. and advised people to avoid the area. The blaze, which the forest fire service named the Dragway Wildfire, was 200 acres in size and and 5% contained shortly after 10 p.m. No structures are threatened and no roads are closed, the service said. (The Atco Dragway abruptly closed earlier this year after 63 years of racing.) Forest fire crews were working on fire containment lines and backfiring operations to burn fuel ahead of the main body of fire, the service tweeted. Personnel at the Medford Firetower spotted the blaze and they triangulated it with the Apple Pie Hill Fire Tower. The Wharton State Forest is the largest single tract of land in New Jerseys park system. It spans more 110,000 acres in Atlantic, Burlington and Camden counties. In early June, Forest Fire Service Chief Greg McLaughlin was already describing this as an unusually busy wildfire season. At that point, New Jersey had seen its largest wildfire this year, which consumed 5,475 acres in Bass River State Forest over four days. A pair of wildfires began June 9 and burned through the weekend in Burlington County. One grew to 700 acres in the area of Kettle Run Road in Evesham and another, in the area of City Line Road and Butler Place Road in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Brown Mills grew to 850 acres. Another fire broke out June 19 in Woodland Township at Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Burlington County. It consumed 246 acres. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital is warning patients that it may have been the victim of a data breach. Jefferson Health began mailing letters last week to patients whose information may have been involved in a recent privacy incident, the health system said in a statement. A worker conducting maintenance discovered on June 15 that a portable backup device was missing, Jefferson Health said. Through this process, Jefferson has determined that the protected health information found on this drive that may be viewable could include names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, the date of studies, and, in some cases, mailing addresses, the statement said. Diagnosis, phone numbers, social security numbers, insurance or drivers license numbers and the actual scans are not viewable without the appropriate credentials, exact system software and additional technology, the statement added. Cyberattacks on the health care sector nearly doubled between 2020 and 2021, according to a report by Sophos, a British-based IT security company. Operators have targeted U.S. hospitals with even more frequency since then, experts say. CentraState Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health are among the New Jersey-based health care providers that have been attacked since 2019. Jefferson Cherry Hill patients are encouraged to monitor their credit reports and to contact any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on their credit report, according to the statement. Anyone with questions can call a toll-free dedicated call center at 833-627-2796. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Two people were shot in the parking lot of a Jersey City pharmacy early Monday morning, capping a violent weekend in the city that included at least five people shot in four separate incidents. Police responded to the Walgreens on Kennedy Boulevard and Communipaw Avenue at approximately 1:40 a.m. Monday and found that two people were shot, one in the arm and leg; and the other in the arm, police said in radio transmissions. Tourniquets were immediately applied and the pair were taken to the Jersey City Medical Center. The pharmacy parking lot is the same location that Detective Melvin Santiago was shot dead in an ambush more than nine years ago. A West New York motorcyclist died Saturday evening when he crashed into a concrete barrier on a ramp of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus, New Jersey State Police said. The incident marks the third motorcycle fatality in Hudson County in a seven-day span. Edwin A. Castaneda, 32, died in the crash that occurred at 7:32 p.m. at milepost 112.4 in Secaucus, a State Police spokesman said. East Brunswick police are asking for the pubics help as they try to identify a man who robbed a bank on Route 18 on Friday morning. The robber fled in a gray Honda Odyssey minivan parked on West Ferris Street after robbing the Columbia Bank at 11:05 a.m. Friday, East Brunswick police said. He was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, a medical mask, blue sunglasses, dark sweats, and white shoes. He carried a black Acme bag with red handles. Police declined to release additional information about the robbery. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Chris Williams at 732-390-6990 or email cwilliams@ebpd.net. Anonymous confidential tips are accepted by dialing 732-4EBTIPS (328477) or emailing tips@ebpd.net. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. A registered nurse has been sentenced to 11 years in state prison for a drunken driving crash on Thanksgiving night two years ago that killed her 9-year-old son, her nephew and injured two police officers. Yokauri Batista-Alcantara, 33, was sentenced Wednesday for the Nov. 25, 2021 crash, the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office said Monday. She pleaded guilty in February of two counts of vehicular homicide for the deaths of the two children in her vehicle as well as three counts of third-degree assault by auto for causing a crash shortly before midnight on Route 130 in North Brunswick. Her plea deal called for 20 years in state prison, but Judge Benjamin S. Bucca, Jr. decided on a concurrent six-year prison term for the two counts of vehicular homicide in addition to five years for the assault by auto counts. Batista-Alcantara will also permanently forfeit her license to practice as a licensed nurse. Her drivers license will be suspended for five years after she is released from prison. Yokauri Batista-Alcantara was using her cell phone and turned the wrong-way down an off-ramp and struck an Old Bridge police vehicle transporting a person in custody to the Middlesex County jail in North Brunswick, authorities said One officer and the detainee sustained serious injuries that required several surgeries. The crash took place in the southbound lane of Route 130 near the on-ramp to Route 1, officials said. Batista-Alcantara told police she drank a glass of wine at dinner earlier. Blood testing done at the hospital showed Batista-Alcantaras blood alcohol content of twice the legal limit, prosecutors said. Both children were brought to an area hospital, where they died of their injuries. Batista-Alcantara, of New Brunswick, sustained a broken wrist and an injury that required an air cast to her ankle. She was originally charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of fourth-degree assault by auto. Batista-Alcantara was arrested a day after the crash but allowed to attend her sons funeral. NJ Advance Media staff writers Katie Kausch and Chris Sheldon contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Multiple Jersey Shore communities either established or re-instituted curfews for minors this summer in an effort to curb large gatherings of drunken teens and other disruptive incidents. Two months later, township officials and police departments say the curfews have largely been successful, working as a deterrent to teens gathering in large rowdy groups. Theyve led to fewer curbside warnings, some officials said, which are face-to-face warnings issued to juveniles for minor offenses, including underage drinking. In Ocean City, officials instituted a beach curfew at 8 p.m., a general minors curfew at 11 p.m. and a backpack ban, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the boardwalk. The rules have been extremely effective in diminishing the large gatherings of teens that had become increasingly unruly over the past few summers, said Doug Bergen, a spokesman for the Cape May County city, who added residents, visitors and business owners have had overwhelmingly positive reactions. Last year, through July 18, there were nearly 17,000 curbside warnings issued, he said. During the same time period this year, there have been roughly 7,000 warnings. Bergen did not respond to an inquiry about the specific number of juvenile complaints. In Long Branch, there were seven juvenile complaints signed last year. As of mid-August, there has been only one, said William Broughton, the director of public safety. Curbside warnings have also gone down there. From April through Sept. 2022, officials issued 40 warnings. As of this year, 15 warnings have been issued since April, he said. Toms River Police Department Chief Mitchell Little said the summer 10 p.m. curfew for minors without an adult on the townships barrier islands has also been effective. The curfew has given us a great tool to address large groups of juveniles and even those smaller ones causing havoc in our beach communities, he wrote in an email. Last summer, the townships police officers issued 54 such warnings to minors. As of early August, only seven were issued, said Little. Officers are focusing on larger groups at the beach and after 10 p.m. they can move them along and disperse them before there are actual other offenses committed, he said. So in short, it has dramatically helped the quality of life for our residents in the beach communities. No complaints were signed against any minors for curfew violations both last year and this year, Little said. Toms River officials first implemented a curfew in 2020 and brought it back for 2021 and 2022. In August 2022, officials moved the curfew back an hour from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wildwood police officers issued dozens of juvenile complaints over the summer both in 2022 and 2023 so far, but the city does not track the number of curbside warnings issued, said Capt. John Flanigan. In June, officials in Lavallette joined neighboring towns in instituting a curfew for minors after a vandalism incident over Memorial Day weekend, police chief Christian LaCicero said. But no curbside warnings were given to minors and no complaints were issued both last summer and this summer, LaCicero said Its a deterrent, he said of the curfew. It just gives us the upper hand to control these large gatherings. It seems thats where the problem comes in. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Editors Note: This story has been updated with new information from the state forest fire service. A wildfire that ignited Sunday in Wharton State Forest in Camden County has grown to 1,500 acres. The fire is 75% contained as of about 9:30 p.m., the state forest fire service said. No one has been evacuated and no structures are threatened in the area of Jackson Road in Waterford. The fires containment area includes land in Medford and Shamong in Burlington County, the agency said. Officials said Sunday the fire broke out around 5 p.m. and grew to about 200 acres by 10 p.m. It was 5% contained at the time. By 10 a.m. on Monday, the blaze had grown to 600 acres and was 10% percent contained. In another update shortly after 4 p.m., it had reached 1,200 acres and was 40% contained, the forest fire service said. Jackson Road has been closed from Atsion Road to Tremont Avenue since 11:30 a.m. Monday as firefighters work to contain the fire. Forest fire crews were working on fire containment lines and backfire operations to burn fuel ahead of the main body of fire, the service tweeted Sunday. Personnel at the Medford Firetower spotted the blaze and they triangulated it with the Apple Pie Hill Fire Tower. The Wharton State Forest is the largest single tract of land in New Jerseys park system. It spans more 110,000 acres in Atlantic, Burlington and Camden counties. Peak wildfire season in New Jersey is from mid-March to mid-May but officials have said fires can still break out at other times of year. Conditions in New Jersey were dry and sunny. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. NJ Advance Media staff writers Allison Pries and Nicolas Fernandes contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. At a demonstration outside of the Elizabeth Police Department, Deiby Salcedos voice is nearly drowned out by yells for Justice for Stiven blasted through a bullhorn directly behind him. But a few feet away from the gathering, the hurt in his voice is loud and clear: They killed him, Deiby, whos from Colombia, tells me in Spanish. They killed my brother. Just weeks ago, his brother, Estiben Alegria-Hurtado, was fatally shot by an Elizabeth police officer who was responding to a 911 call reporting a dispute and an unwanted individual at the Amity Street home where he lived. He and Deibys former partner, who also lived there, had gotten into a heated scuffle. When police arrived at the residence on the morning of July 29, a little after 8 a.m., they found Estiben erratically lunging towards her with a large kitchen knife. My brother arrived at the home upset, he had been drinking and was acting somewhat aggressively, says Deiby, who wasnt there at the time. She surely didnt like that and thats where the problem began. But it was a family problem, he says. It couldve and shouldve been resolved as such, he tells me. He sighs and shakes his head. He says his brother was not a bad man. He was a great brother. And a great father. Hardworking. He only acted up when he drank. He says he still cant believe what happened, happened. He wishes the police hadnt been called at all. And wishes the officers who were had handled things differently. But instead of making things better, he says. All police did was make things worse. Footage from the officers body-worn cameras show they entered the home through an unlocked front door and into a hectic scene: A woman yelling, two men desperately trying to apprehend a third, and that third man Estiben flailing a large kitchen knife at the woman, who was fearfully crouching down in a nearby stairwell. And then came the fateful single shot, at close range. Immediately after, the woman is heard frantically repeating, he tried to kill me, he was trying to kill me. Undoubtedly, the struggle was brief and frenzied. And deeply unfortunate because it resulted in the incredibly devastating and irrevocable loss of Estibens life. But was the officer in the wrong? Was his shooting of Estiben one that can be deemed justifiable? And could there possibly have been a different no, a better outcome? Deiby Salcedo (in center), brother of Estiben Alegria-Hurtado, holds a sign at a balloon releasing ceremony for Estiben. Estiben was killed on July 29 by an Elizabeth police officer who was responding to a 911 call of a domestic dispute at his home. Friends and family gathered at Elizabeth Police Department to release balloons in memory of Estiben on Friday, August 11, 2023. Jeff Rhode | For NJ Advance Media Deiby says he likes to think so. There are many ways to stop someone [from hurting someone else], he says in Spanish. It didnt have to come to this. They didnt have to kill him. Now, all I have left is my suffering. I wasnt prepared for this kind of pain. Social justice advocates in Elizabeth, who rushed to the familys side in support, are vehement in their criticism of police. And so is Sanford Rubenstein, an attorney for the family. At a press conference at the Attorney Generals satellite office in Cedar Knolls after the release of the body-cam footage, both the advocates and the attorney excoriated police for what they view as excessive force. Rubenstein told reporters it was a case of shoot first, ask questions later. No attempt to de-escalate a man with a knife, he said. No attempt to use a Taser. Hes not wrong. I watched the footage nearly two dozen times. Pausing. Rewinding. Trying to make sense of what happened during the minute-and-a-half encounter and of what didnt. There was no drop the weapon, no de-escalation. But its hard to say there also wasnt something else: imminent danger. Not for the officers, but for that woman who was on the other side of Estibens knife. And isnt that the threshold for justified police force as outlined in New Jerseys Use of Force Policy? That it prevents bodily harm to the officer or to another person and protects the officer or a third party from unlawful force. The policy also stipulates that officers have a duty to de-escalate, stating force should only be used as a last resort when lawful objectives cannot reasonably be achieved through verbal commands or other means. Wasnt this incident one of those times in which it couldnt reasonably be achieved otherwise? Since the day of the shooting, much has been said about what the officer couldve or shouldve done. Three experts, who have studied police shootings and who saw footage of the incident, explained that for officers, making tough calls is sometimes inevitable. The extremely chaotic, fast-moving and confusing situation the Elizabeth officers walked into, says Jacinta Gau, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Central Florida, is highly indicative of the stressful, unpredictable scenarios police regularly encounter on the job. They come into a residence like this, someones made a 911 call, things are frantic. They dont know whats happening, they dont have anybodys mental health or behavioral history. They dont have the luxury of knowing everything about the parties involved or the relationships between them, she says. All they have is the facts in front of them and are often forced to make quick on-the-spot decisions. In this situation, she says, what was in front of them was a man wielding a knife. Gau says issuing commands, trying to start off with a less lethal weapon, these are all things officers do when time is on their side, when theres an opportunity for them to intervene before things get worse. She adds: My take on this scenario is that that opportunity was likely not present. Jason M. Williams, a professor of justice studies at Montclair State University, disagrees. There needs to be room for de-escalatory tactics even in situations in which officers are within their rights to use force to stop a felonious act, he says. What if they had asked [Estiben] to drop the knife? He probably wouldve. But Gau says playing the what if game here is tricky. What if the officers had shown up a minute later and those two men had subdued the man and taken the knife away from him? she asks. But what if they had shown up a minute later and that man had already killed that woman? Or what if the officer didnt shoot and Estiben killed her right in front of them? In short, says Richard Berk, a professor of criminology and statistics at the University of Pennsylvania, this is a case where 20-20 hindsight can be pretty myopic. In the end, the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, tasked with investigating all fatal encounters between police and the public, may well find the shooting legal and justified. And if thats the case, then what? Who do we blame? And what do we do with all this hurt and heartbreak over the painful loss of yet another one of our own? We come to terms with the fact that not every man of color killed by police is George Floyd. We come to terms with the sad, hard realization that weve been wounded and wronged for so long by those who are supposed to protect us, and that because of it our trust in them is so eroded, that even in instances in which theyre likely in the right we cant see it. We come to terms with the fact that justified or not, a beloved father and brother is no longer with us in this world. And that we wont stop, even for a second, wishing with all our hearts that he were. We cry. We curse. We pray. We grieve. And hopefully in time and with Gods almighty grace, we heal. Estibens family has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds to cover his funeral expenses. If youd like to donate, you can do so here. Daysi Calavia-Robertson may be reached at dcalavia-robertson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Instagram at @presspassdaysi or Twitter @presspassdaysi. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Join hundreds of Cougs and kick off your away game experience at The PreGame, WSU's official tailgate party at select away games. Registration is still open for this year's PreGame at Cal on November 11! He wasnt answering any questions. Pulled over by a cop in Westfield earlier this month, the driver declined to say where he was coming from or where he was headed. When he asked why he was being stopped, the officer told the man he clocked him driving 48 in a 35 mph zone. But in a video thats gone viral on YouTube, the driver identified only as Nathan told Officer Ayad Taha his dashboard camera was recording his speed. The video suggests another reason for the stop. Just before he was pulled over, Nathan gave the cop the one-finger New Jersey salute. Now the Westfield Police Department has launched an internal investigation into whether the officer cooked up a bogus charge in retaliation for the driver flipping him the middle finger. The allegations made in this video will be thoroughly and completely investigated, this to determine if the officers actions were lawful and proper, Westfield Chief Christopher Battiloro said in a statement. The video was posted last week by LackLuster, a YouTube channel that styles itself as a police accountability organization. In almost forensic detail, the video compares footage from both the officers and drivers cameras to rebut the officers claim that Nathan was speeding. Its a genre of video thats growing increasingly common on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram with self-proclaimed police auditors acting either on their own or as part of a government accountability group testing officers knowledge of the law and their patience. So this is what were going to do, were just going to play games? the officer asks Nathan after he places his license, registration and insurance information against the window instead of handing them over. The law says I just have to present it to you, Nathan says, according to the video, explaining its for my safety. Another officer arrives at the scene and the driver once again says, I dont answer questions. After a third officer arrives, police issue Nathan a citation for careless driving. Taha tells the driver hes giving him a break for not citing him for speeding. If you consider this a break, sure, the man replies. After the video went viral last week, Chief Battiloro issued a statement saying an internal investigation had been opened. He did not immediately respond to a message from NJ Advance Media seeking comment Monday. A recent traffic stop conducted by one of our officers and posted to social media has been brought to my attention and was referred to our Internal Affairs/Professional Standards Unit, the chief wrote. The Westfield Police Department has worked hard to earn your faith, trust, and confidence and strives to do its best every day. We hold our officers to the highest of standards and nothing less than that shall ever be accepted. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @spsullivan. A former student-athlete at Phillipsburg High School is charged with sexually assaulting and choking a woman in a Dartmouth College fraternity house, according to court records and police. Kyle Clampitt, 25, a former resident of Greenwich Township, Warren County, was indicted in June by a grand jury in New Hampshire for attacking the then 18-year-old woman on April 23 leading into April 24, 2022, court records say. Three tropical storms have formed in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea with two more disturbances set to grow into tropical depressions or storms in the coming days, forecasters say. None of the tropical storms are expected to threaten the mainland U.S., the National Hurricane Center said Monday. A tropical wave with showers and thunderstorms that formed off the Cabo Verde Islands off the African coast is still in its infancy and might bear watching in the coming days, however. It has a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next seven days as it continues to move west-northwest across the Atlantic Ocean, the hurricane center said. Tropical Storm Franklin is expected bring heavy rain to Puerto Rico as it travels over the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Tuesday and Wednesday before turning northeast into the open waters of the Atlantic by the end of the week. Franklin was 235 miles south of Santo Domino in the Dominican Republic Monday morning with top winds of 50 mph on Monday morning as it moves west at 12 mph. Tropical Storm Gert is expected be a short-lived storm that will not threaten land, according to the National Hurricane Center. Its 455 miles east-south east of the Northern Leeward Islands and is likely to dissipate Tuesday as its 40 mph winds weaken. The third tropical storm Emily is also over open waters in the Atlantic and similarly wont be around for long. The storm is 1,165 miles west northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands moving west-northwest at 12 mph. Emily has maximum winds speeds of 40 mph and should weaken to a post-tropical cyclone as soon as Monday evening. In addition, showers and thunderstorms in the central Gulf Of Mexico might grow into a tropical depression or tropical storm as it moves toward the coastline of Mexico on Tuesday. Tropical storm watches or warnings are likely in southern Texas and northern Mexico later Monday. The forecast for New Jersey on Monday calls for a warm, dry day with inland highs reaching about 90, the National Weather Service said. Highs on Tuesday and should be in the 80s with the next legitimate rain threat on Thursday. On the west coast, Tropical Storm Hilary deluged arid parts of Mexico and then drenched Southern California from the coast to the desert resort city of Palm Springs and inland mountains, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers. Even as the storm subsides across the coast, flooding and mudslides were expected across the parts of the southwestern U.S. The storm first made landfall in Mexicos arid Baja California Peninsula on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles south of Ensenada. One person drowned. It then moved through mudslide-prone Tijuana, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the U.S. border. The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary dropped more than half an average years worth of rain on some areas, including Palm Springs, which saw nearly 3.18 inches of rain by Sunday evening. The National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical storm in its early Monday advisory, and warned that continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding was expected over portions of the southwestern U.S. on Monday. All coastal warnings were discontinued. Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, and fire officials rescued 13 people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water. Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. "Hace unos anos, por el lamentable derribo de una avioneta con misioneros de EEUU, se nos puso un veto, no podiamos tener el sostenimiento de todo el sistema radarico. La interdiccion es todo un sistema que mapea y determina desde que una nave cruza nuestro limite fronterizo". Sugar cane growing in a field at Alton Landry Inc., seen at a meeting between Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., Gov. John Bel Edwards and area sugar cane farmers, Thursday, July 19, 2018. The visit was a continuation of the listening tour held last November when Strain and Edwards visited farms across the state covering the state's major commodities. YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has again falsely accused the Armenian Armed Forces of opening fire across the border, the Ministry of Defense warned Monday. The statement disseminated by the MoD of Azerbaijan that allegedly on August 21, between 10:25 a.m and 10:30 a.m., the units of the Armenian Armed Forces fired against the Azerbaijani combat outposts located in the eastern part of the border, does not correspond to reality, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Facebook. India has had Muslim Presidents but unlike Pakistan, Indias Presidents are figureheads with no real authority. New laws amending the Indian Penal Code should alert us to where we have come from and where we are headed. Pakistan wanted to be constitutionally communal, but in some ways has begun to secularise. India wanted to be secular but is communalising itself now. Both nations share a penal code given to them by Macaulay a century and a half ago. But they have amended some aspects to enable the State to target minorities. This is happening in India today and is something that Pakistan went through and is now exiting. At Independence, Pakistan integrated religion into law because it felt it would lend a positive impulse. Pakistans first PM Liaquat Ali Khan said material and scientific development had leapt ahead of the development of the human individual. The result was that man was able to produce inventions that could destroy the world and society. This happened only because man chose to ignore his spiritual side, and if he retained more faith in God, this problem wouldnt have come up. It was religion, he said, that tempered the dangers of science and as Muslims, Pakistanis would adhere to Islams ideals and contribute to the world. The States enabling of Muslims to lead their lives in alignment with Islam didnt concern non-Muslims, so they shouldnt have a problem with the reference to that, he said. What happened instead was that laws concerning Pakistans Muslims fell away in time. Early Islam existed when there were no jails. Punishment for criminal offences was usually corporal, instead of detention. Pakistan introduced amputation of limbs as a punishment for theft and trained some terrified doctors to carry these out. But Pakistans judges, trained in common law like Indias, were reluctant to pass these sentences and so the laws remained frozen and unused. Pakistan introduced stoning as a punishment for adultery, but nobody was stoned to death. A brief period of enthusiasm for lashing those accused of drinking alcohol ended, and, in 2009, the Federal Shariat Court read down the lashing punishment, with the judges saying drinking was a lesser crime. Under President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan changed the punishment for rape which was conflated with fornication if the survivor couldnt produce witnesses to the act from the Shariah back to the penal code. The law enforcing zakat by debiting 2.5 per cent from the bank accounts of Pakistans Sunnis failed as people withdrew their money just before it was due to happen. The Shia, who have a hierarchical clergy to whom they give the money directly, had earlier objected and were exempted. The law enforcing fasting in Ramzan quite needless because most subcontinental Muslims observe the fast anyway ran into opposition after Muslim restaurant owners and multiplex owners complained. A Shariat court order demanding a ban on interest in the banking system has been ignored by successive governments. The last major attempt to Islamise Pakistan was over two decades ago under Nawaz Sharif: The so-called 15th Amendment, which was defeated in the Senate. Pakistan remains insufficiently Islamic and, with no hierarchical clergy like Irans, can never become theocratic. Unlike Saudi Arabia, it has never had a morality police as Pakistanis are culturally South Asians with local practices. As Pakistan moved towards secularism, India has moved substantially in the other direction. Since 2014, laws have been introduced which have gone after Indias minorities. In 2015, the BJP-ruled states began criminalising the possession of beef, triggering a series of beef lynchings. In 2019, Indias Parliament criminalised the utterance of triple talaq in one sitting, punishing Muslim men for a non-event (as the Supreme Court had already invalidated triple talaq earlier). After 2018, BJP states criminalised inter-faith marriage by disallowing conversions and invalidating such marriages, including those which had children. Conversions to Hinduism defined as ancestral religion are exempt and not counted as conversions in BJP-run states of Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. The Citizenship Amendment Act excluded Muslims in 2019. Under the BJP, Karnataka went after Christians through an anti-conversion bill. Nobody has ever been convicted of forced conversion so this law was not required, but the intent is to harass. In 2019 and 2020, Gujarat tightened a law that keeps Muslims ghettoised by denying them access to purchase and lease of properties from Hindus. In effect, foreigners can buy and rent properties in Gujarat that Gujarati Muslims cannot. We need not get into the treatment of Kashmiris here because the collective punishment imposed on them no longer arouses interest in us. The one thing India can claim is that it does not prevent Muslims from holding high office. Pakistan constitutionally restricts minorities from becoming President or Prime Minister. India has had Muslim Presidents but unlike Pakistan, Indias Presidents are figureheads with no real authority. If they had the power to dismiss Parliament, such as Pakistans Presidents had, it would be interesting to see how many Muslims India would have elevated. Today, and we must keep repeating this, there is no Muslim chief minister in India, no Muslim minister in 15 states, in 10 states there is only one Muslim minister (usually in minority affairs) and of the majority 303 Lok Sabha MPs of the ruling party, none is a Muslim. There was no Muslim in the previous 282 Lok Sabha majority either. Whether the exclusion is through law or through practice, the exclusion is real. In effect there is no real difference between India and Pakistan as they move towards each other from two sides. One began at the communal end but has edged towards secularism. The other began at the secular end and has now slipped into communalism. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Speeding through mountains and valleys, trains are carrying a rising volume of freight and passengers on the China-Laos Railway, a travel option that is cost and time effective. Since its launch in December 2021, the 1,035 km rail line, which links the Lao capital Vientiane with Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, has generated benefits more than just at local levels. With 19 million passengers and 24 million tonnes of freight delivered and its cross-border cargo transport covering over 10 countries and regions, the railway has become a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub in the Indo-China Peninsula, benefiting both countries and beyond. GAME-CHANGER With only a 3.5 km-long railroad to Thailand, the economic development of Laos, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, had long been restricted. The China-Laos Railway has become a game changer for the country, opening it up to greater economic opportunities, boosting its connectivity with other parts of the region, and facilitating economic and trade cooperation, analysts said. In northern Laos' Luang Prabang province, Yang Shixian's company has switched to the railway from road transport and seen its freight costs fall. Since the railway was put into service, the company has turned to the railway to handle all its shipments to China, about 3,000 tonnes of rubber products every month. "It helps us lower costs, and enables us to offer higher salary to our employees," Yang said. The railway has also put the tourism sector on a fast track. Thanks to the launch of the China-Laos Railway cross-border passenger train service in April this year, tourism got revived in Laos, a top priority amid the Lao government's efforts to revitalize the economy this year. In the first half of the year, the country welcomed more than 1.6 million foreign tourists, compared with only 42,197 a year ago, according to data from the Tourism Marketing Department of the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism. The Lao authorities estimated that around 368,000 Chinese travelers will visit Laos in 2023, up 21 percent from last year. FROM "HARD LINK" TO "HEART LINK" "The railway marks a milestone of the two countries' friendship in a new era," said Manila Sombandith, the consul general of Laos in Kunming. For many, like Silivong Phouthachack, a Lao teacher, the railway is more than just a physical infrastructure of connectivity. It's a project that is set to boost people-to-people bonds. Silivong and 39 others just finished their 18-month-long study at the Kunming Railway Vocational and Technical College, where they were taught how to teach railway-related technology. They will be the first teachers in Laos' first railway vocational and technical college, which China assisted in building. "After I return, I will teach what I've learned in China to others," said Silivong. The China-Laos Railway has turned the "hard link" between the two countries into a "heart link" between the two peoples, said Ma Yong, head of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies under the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences. FROM LANDLOCKED TO LAND-LINKED Pannaros Boonserm, a 33-year-old Thai, was impressed by how the China-Laos Railway has changed people's lives in Laos. Working as a translator at the China-Thailand railway construction project, she hoped the China-Thailand railway would be completed and start operation as soon as possible. Having studied at Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have improved local residents' living standards. "I'm expecting the connectivity of the China-Laos-Thailand railway. By then, I can take a train trip all the way northward from Bangkok to Kunming in China's Yunnan Province," she said. When the China-Thailand Railway is completed, it will take trains from the Thai capital of Bangkok to the country's northeastern border town of Nong Khai, where a bridge will connect it with the southern end of the China-Laos Railway. Analysts said the connection will not only inject vitality into the economy along the line but strengthen the trans-Asian railway network and promote regional connectivity. An artery running through the Indo-China Peninsula will be formed, which will further promote economy, trade, and investment and boost common prosperity when linked to the China-Europe freight train network and with closer cooperation under the BRI, said Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative, who has been to Laos several times to conduct research into the China-Laos Railway. According to the travel industry, leisure travel is officially back to pre-pandemic levels. If you, like many fellow Canadians, were on the go this summer this means you were likely juggling bookings for flights, hotels, car rentals, local outings, and not to mention travel documents, for what was likely a multi-stop - but a much needed - getaway. And did I mention the bookings for the children, spouse, parents and other accompanying parties? If it isnt clear already, before one can snap and post that picture-perfect dream vacay sunset to their social feed, there are a myriad of routes, room rates, car agreements, cancellation terms and more to be researched, reviewed, price-compared, and finally cobbled together to set that stage. This is where online booking platforms like CheapOair.ca enter the story. Founded in 2005, CheapOAir has grown to become one of Canadas largest online travel agencies as it does much of this heavy lifting for its customers. And because the platform maintains direct relationships with over 500 airlines across the world, CheapOair.ca - true to its handle - has a well-earned reputation among frequent travelers for providing the lowest cost flights for domestic and international travel bookings. But what truly sets the company apart in the travel industry, especially when compared to the numerous US-based techcentric travel aggregators crowding the sector, is its traditional travel agency approach to customer service. While CheapOair.ca provides the advantages of low cost fares thanks to its large consumer base, it distinguishes itself by coupling that with the personal touches of an traditional high-street agency where one sits across from their personal travel agent to build out an itinerary. We operate a dedicated 24-hour call centre that is available 24 hours every day for our English customers as well as a French call centre during regular business hours, explained Daniel Hayter, the Senior Product Manager for CheapOair.ca. A lot of customers appreciate this service for more complicated bookings. Our service reps are experienced travel experts. They work with our customers to not only find the best deals but also suggest other proposals, for example with different days, airports, and more, to obtain the best prices and plans. Another way CheapOair.ca is helping Canadians save is by revealing and bringing awareness to ideal booking and travel periods, and in particular to National Cheap Flight Day coming up on August 23rd this year. National Cheap Flight Day originated from the industry trend where airfares tend to drop in price following the higher-priced summer travel season. Historically, late August is the time of year when the summer travel rush has ended and airlines are looking to attract travelers with reduced fall and holiday fares. Its important to note that National Cheap Flight Day goes beyond just the day and marks the start of the off-peak season, added Hayter. With cost-of-living increases, any chance we can help Canadians save their hard-earned money is important to us. CheapOair.ca data shows that the average cost of a domestic airline ticket in the period following August 23rd, 2023 drop by 17% compared to peak airfares during June & July 2023. International flight fares decrease on average by 21%. For more information about CheapOair.ca or to review additional destinations to book for this National Cheap Flight Day please visit CheapOair.ca. Vaping has become more prevalent in society, especially among youth. Vapes, also known as e-cigarettes, vape pens, e-hookahs or mods come in many shapes and sizes, but all are used to inhale an aerosol thats created in the device. The U.S. Surgeon Generals Office indicted that during 2011 and 2015, e-cigarette use increased 900% among U.S. middle and high school students. More than 3.6 million U.S. youth reportedly used e-cigarettes in 2018. The office also indicated that high school students use vapes more than lit cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes is higher among high school students than adults, the office reported. Vaping can be dangerous, especially for young people, because the products typically contain a variety of substances, including nicotine, which is highly addictive. Because addiction is a form of learning, adolescents can get addicted more easily than adults, according to the Surgeon General. The nicotine in e-cigarettes and other tobacco products can also prime the adolescent brain for addiction to other drugs such as cocaine. Dr. Brian Dickover, a pulmonologist with the Franciscan Physician Network, said there is a misconception that it can be healthier to use vapes instead of lit cigarettes. Whatever vape companies say, theyre not your friends. They dont have your best interests at heart. Theyre there to sell a product, Dickover said. He said there are nicotine-free vapes, but it doesnt make them completely safe. Aerosol from e-cigarettes can contain harmful chemicals such as ultrafine particles, heavy metals and volatile organic compounds, according to the Surgeon Generals Office. Scientists are still working to understand more fully the health effects and harmful doses of e-cigarette contents when they are heated and turned into an aerosol, both for active users who inhale from a device and for those who are exposed to the aerosol secondhand, the office reported. Dickover said e-cigarette and vaping associated lung injuries are among the most severe medical risks of using the devices. And that can be a pretty serious thing, he said. People will get very short of breath and have abnormalities on their CAT scans that reflect the lung injury. Some people have ended up on ventilators, and some people have done very poorly. Dickover said the devices can malfunction, causing injuries or burns and adding that he has not had a patient who experienced that. Still, vaping is prevalent among teens. Youth can start using the devices if they see their family or friends using them. Vapes can also have different flavors such as fruit, chocolate, candy, alcohol and menthol, which can appeal to youth. In 2018, more than 6 of 10 high school students who use e-cigarettes said they use flavored e-cigarettes, according to the Surgeon Generals Office. Bright color options in marketing for vapes can also be attractive to youth, and teens also can gravitate toward vaping out of curiosity. Kids are always kind of looking for something to do thats a little naughty, Dickover said. Vaping doesnt produce the same smell as lit cigarettes, making it easier to hide from parents. Many organizations understand the risks with e-cigarettes, and there are a variety of programs geared toward preventing vaping among youth. Franciscan Alliance has one such a program, using grant money from Indiana Tobacco Prevention & Cessation, part of the Department of Health. The funding will help continue and expand partnerships with middle and high schools in Lake County. The partnerships will focus on reducing e-cigarette use, youth empowerment efforts, point of sale efforts, Smoke-Free Communities outreach, Quit Now Indiana secondhand smoke multiunit housing programs, coalition marketing and recruitment, trainings and Tobacco-Free Families programs. Dickover said parents can also play a key role in helping their children avoid vaping and tobacco products. It starts with setting a good example by not using those products. Its also important for parents to talk with their children about vaping and smoking. Communicate in a way thats authentic and that isnt based in shame and thats collaborative, Dickover said. For tips on that visit www.tobaccofreekids.org/protectkids/resources-for-parents/tips-on-talking-to-your-kids for guidance on how to talk to you children about vaping. VALPARAISO Police say a 30-year-old man walked into the Portage Walmart armed with a syringe containing seminal fluid and lotion, which he proceeded to squirt on to the backside of a female shopper. Dontrell Morris of Three Rivers, Michigan, was nabbed and faces a felony count of sexual battery and misdemeanor battery with bodily fluid, records show. The alleged incident occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at the store located at 6087 U.S. 6, according to police. UPDATE: Porter County woman guilty of lover's 'execution style' murder Karen Sons is charged with murder on allegations of shooting and killing 54-year-old Robert Head on Dec. 8, 2017. Morris admitted to creating the mixture, placing it in a syringe without the needle and squirting it onto the alleged victim's buttocks while she shopped, according to police. Morris has since bonded out of the Porter County Jail and was ordered by Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish to have no contact with the alleged victim, records show. LYNWOOD An Illinois village adjacent to Northwest Indiana is among five Cook County communities recently selected to share in a total of $16 million in climate resiliency planning grants. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, D-Chicago, said she selected Lynwood, along with Bellwood, Franklin Park, Justice and Markham, because none of the municipalities have an updated climate resiliency plan, and each lack the technical know-how, funding or staff to prepare one. "Recent extreme weather events have again reminded us that the climate is changing quickly and communities must act now to be prepared. Resiliency plans help ensure residents and businesses can thrive in the face of these changes," Preckwinkle said. The initial phase of the grant program features a community-driven planning and prioritization process for residents to set goals and identify projects to bolster resiliency. In the second phase, money will be provided to implement at least a portion of the plans, which are likely to include green infrastructure improvements, storm water management initiatives and renewable energy installations. "The plans will be developed through engagement with residents and community leaders and designed with an equity lens to ensure the most vulnerable populations are not left behind," Preckwinkle said. Altogether, 26 Cook County communities sought to participate in the three-year program. The five grant recipients, including Lynwood, were selected following a written application process, formal interviews, and an assessment of each community's financial need, tree canopy coverage, flooding risk, number of impervious surfaces and other factors. "There is a clear need for this work across Cook County, as demonstrated by the interest in applications. Were thrilled to play a role in providing resources and expertise to support these five communities in building resiliency," said Deborah Stone, Cook County's chief sustainability officer. "After the plans are completed, the department will work with local partners to support initial implementation through nature-based solutions and other resiliency measures in each of the communities." Cook County is funding the community resiliency grants using a portion of the $100 million the county allocated from its federal American Rescue Plan Act aid to support a clean environment for all and to fight climate change. Get to know Illinois: 15 state symbols Snack food Popcorn Amphibian Eastern tiger salamander Reptile Painted turtle Flower Violet Tree White Oak Bird Cardinal Insect Monarch butterfly Fish Bluegill Mineral Fluorite Animal White-tailed deer Fossil The Tully Monster Dance Square dance Prairie grass Big Bluestem Fruit Gold Rush Apple Soil Drummer silty clay loam TikToks algorithm shows you videos based on other videos youve interacted with. So this week, after I watched a video or two about the fires sweeping through Maui, my For You Page was nearly all content from creators in Hawaii. One central topic kept coming up: Should tourists stay away from the island of Maui after last weeks deadly fires? Was it OK to travel to places on Maui that were not hit directly? What about the whole archipelago of Hawaii? Would traveling put added strain on limited resources during the crisis? Kate Ducheneau, a TikTok creator from Lahaina whose family evacuated during the fires, told me it had been hard seeing tourists around the area. Her house is still standing, she said, but it suffered extensive damage. The day after the fire, she went to Target to buy clothing for her family. I was in line, just trying to get a Starbucks coffee, she said, when she spotted a couple who appeared to be tourists. They were wearing puka shell necklaces. They had their key to their rental car. They were joking about how theyre going to load up all their supplies and go have a staycation. She burst into tears in line, she said. By her own admission, the actor Anastasia Graff is a maximalist who loves girlie things, so its not altogether surprising that she wanted a periwinkle kitchen for her 1930s-era West Hollywood home. Still, such a bold choice could send some interior designers into a tailspin. Its rare, admits Frances Merrill, who Graff enlisted to refurbish the 2,600-square-foot house, that you have a client pushing you to be more colorful. Since founding her firm, Reath Design, in 2009, she has become known for her elegant use of unexpected palettes and patterns. And so, when she said purple, Merrill continues, I was like, Hell yeah. From the outside, the two-story three-bedroom house, set in the hills just above Sunset Boulevard, is more restrained than flamboyant. Clad in white-painted wood siding with a wide porch, it had appealed to Graff because it reminded her of the traditional wooden homes on the East Coast, where she grew up. But it didnt hurt that the place is part of local lore: It once belonged to the Russian-born composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky, who lived in Los Angeles from 1940 to 1969, while he conducted the L.A. Philharmonic both downtown and at the Hollywood Bowl. During that time, he also made inroads in the film industry, notably allowing his 1913 masterpiece, The Rite of Spring, to be used in the 1940 animated Disney feature Fantasia a history that inspired Merrill to decorate the home with alternating notes of gravitas and whimsy. You realize in Los Angeles, theres a story behind every house, says Graff. Thats how they sell you. Theyre like, Marilyn Monroes ghost walks the property! Three children who had been left home alone were in extremely critical condition and 10 firefighters were injured after two fires tore through an apartment building and several businesses in Brooklyn on Sunday, officials said. All 13 patients were in stable condition on Sunday afternoon, but the three children ages 4, 5 and 8 were hospitalized with severe injuries. One firefighters condition was considered critical, but he responded well to treatment and was alert on Sunday afternoon, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said during a news conference. The three children were injured when fire broke out just after 11 a.m. in an 11th-floor apartment on Livonia Avenue in the Brownsville section, the Fire Department chief of department, John Hodgens, said during the news conference. The apartment had no working smoke alarms, Commissioner Kavanaugh said. The news conference was held in Williamsburg, where firefighters were still working to extinguish the second blaze, on Williamsburg Street East, which ripped through nine businesses and left the 10 firefighters injured. The air still smelled of smoke. Every time someone ripped down the rainbow Pride flag from the Mag.Pi clothing store in the San Bernardino mountains in California, the stores owner, Laura Ann Carleton, responded by putting up a bigger one. Ms. Carleton, 66, did not waver in her support of L.G.B.T.Q. people. Around 5 p.m. on Friday, she was fatally shot by a man who made disparaging remarks about the shops Pride flag, the authorities said. The man, whom the police on Monday identified as Travis Ikeguchi, 27, ran off. Deputies found him with a handgun, and he was killed in an encounter with law enforcement, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said in a statement. The department said that detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton. In a measure of the storms feared effects, the U.S. Navy ordered ships and submarines to leave naval bases in San Diego, Coronado and Point Loma. Downgraded to a tropical storm from a Category 1 hurricane earlier on Sunday, Hilary could have been far more punishing it was classified as an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane (defined by winds of at least 130 miles per hour) on Friday before weakening as it traveled northward. Meteorologists said the main threat from Hilary was the prodigious rainfall. Some locations in Nevada and the arid portions of California were forecast to receive one or two years worth of rain in one day, according to calculations by the National Weather Service. In Death Valley, normally one of the driest places in North America, flooding closed the main highway on Sunday. California is inured to the firestorms and mudslides that have been especially devastating in recent years. But tropical storms do not often figure on the list of the states disasters. Meteorologists have said the last tropical storm to make landfall in Southern California was at the outset of World War II, in September 1939. That storm, which tore through Los Angeles County, destroyed coastal homes, sank boats and flooded mountain resorts, killing nearly 100 people. An anticorruption crusader won a runoff election for Guatemalas presidency on Sunday, handing a stunning rebuke to the conservative political establishment in Central Americas most populous nation. Bernardo Arevalo, a polyglot sociologist from an upstart party made up largely of urban professionals, took 58 percent of the vote with 98 percent of votes counted on Sunday, the electoral authority said. His opponent, Sandra Torres, a former first lady, got 37 percent. Alejandro Giammattei, the current president, who is prohibited by law from seeking re-election, congratulated Mr. Arevalo and extended an invitation to organize an orderly transition of power. Full official results are expected within the coming days. Mr. Arevalos win is a watershed moment in Guatemala, one of Washingtons longtime allies in the region and a leading source of migration to the United States. Until he squeaked into the runoff with a surprise showing in the first round in June, it was the barring by judicial leaders of several other candidates seen as threats to the countrys ruling elites that had shaped the tumultuous campaign. An establishment leftist and a newcomer businessman captured the top two spots in Ecuadors presidential election on Sunday in a campaign cycle that has centered on voters frustration with the countrys soaring gang and drug cartel violence. Luisa Gonzalez, who was backed by a former socialist president, and the political outsider Daniel Noboa received the highest percentage of ballots with 84 percent of the vote counted. They will compete in a runoff election on Oct. 15. The economy and security are likely to be the leading issues going into the runoff, as local prison and street gangs, along with foreign drug mafias, have unleashed a wave of violence unlike anything in the countrys recent history, sending homicide rates to record levels and hurting the vital tourism industry. Concerns over the declining security were amplified earlier this month when the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated on the campaign trail. A federal judge rejected an attempt to copyright an artwork generated by artificial intelligence in a decision last week that provided insight into the broader legal war over authorship and intellectual property. The case was unique because an inventor named Stephen Thaler listed his computer system as the artworks creator, arguing that a copyright should be issued and transferred to him as the machines owner. After the U.S. Copyright Office repeatedly rejected his request, Thaler sued the agencys director. Plaintiff can point to no case in which a court has recognized copyright in a work originating with a nonhuman, Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia wrote in her decision on Friday, adding that we are approaching new frontiers in copyright as artists put A.I. in their toolbox. Similar rules about human authorship have been used in deciding who owned a monkeys selfie. Thaler created the artwork in question A Recent Entrance to Paradise, a lush but pixelated scene of train tracks running through the countryside in 2012, by asking his generator to produce an image. Howard S. Becker, an eminent American sociologist who brought his wide-ranging curiosity, sharp observation and dry wit to subjects as diverse as the art world, marijuana use and the meaning of deviance, died on Wednesday at his home in San Francisco. He was 95. The death was confirmed by his wife, Dianne Hagaman. Dr. Becker was probably best known for Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, a groundbreaking book published in 1963. The central fact about deviance: It is created by society, he wrote, arguing that deviance is inherent not in certain behaviors but in the way those behaviors are viewed by others. The book presents two deviant groups, marijuana smokers and dance musicians, and examines their cultures and careers. It is rich with the language of its subjects. The notion that deviance is a label applied by the larger society gave rise to what is called labeling theory. Dr. Becker was one of its pioneers, and the books perspective was especially innovative, appearing at the end of the conformist and moralistic 1950s. Profiling Dr. Becker in The New Yorker in 2015, Adam Gopnik was fascinated by the strange second act of Dr. Beckers career: renown in France. Outsiders became a staple of the French social science curriculum, and he became a force in French sociology. He spent several months a year in France, and Alain Pessin wrote two biographies and a sociological work about him (translated into English as The Sociology of Howard Becker, published in 2017). Collections of Dr. Beckers articles were also published there. Jewish food? You might think latkes or bagels. But in Rome its artichokes. Fried artichokes Roman-style are called carciofi alla Giudia, and the best place to enjoy them, crispy leaf by crispy leaf, is in restaurants in the ancient Jewish quarter lining the Via del Portico dOttavia. Jewish settlement and cooking in Rome dates back 2,000 years, when the first Jews arrived. Sephardim from Spain followed later, and in more modern times, Libyan Jews from a country once occupied by Italy. In her well-researched cookbook, Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Romes Jewish Kitchen, Leah Koenig, a food writer, shares recipes from these groups. Liven up the table at Rosh Hashana, which starts the evening of Sept. 15, with tastes like braised chicken with velvet peppers and tomatoes, and for break-the-fast after Yom Kippur, a lemony almond cake with caramelized fruit. Ms. Koenig will be interviewed by Deb Perelman on Sept. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Powerhouse Arena, 28 Adams Street (Water Street), Dumbo, Brooklyn, followed by a tasting in a program for the Neighborhood: An Urban Center for Jewish Life. Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Romes Jewish Kitchen by Leah Koenig (WW Norton); $7.18 for the talk, $44.52 with the book, powerhousearena.com. The word laureate has appeared in 156 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Feb. 15 in Who Was Pablo Neruda and Why Is His Death a Mystery? by Flavia Milhorance: Fifty years on, the true cause of death of the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, in the wake of the countrys 1973 coup detat, has remained in doubt across the world. The Nobel laureate was not only one of the worlds most celebrated poets but also one of Chiles most influential political activists. An outspoken communist, he supported Salvador Allende, Chiles leftist president from 1970 to 1973, and worked in his administration. Can you correctly use the word laureate in a sentence? Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using todays Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the words definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun. Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the Recommend button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you. If you want a better idea of how laureate can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. On Monday, Mr. Adams attended a rooftop soiree in Jerusalem with Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders and spoke about the importance of his faith. The mayor called on people of faith to help address global problems, such as migrant crises and wars. We have an awesome responsibility and obligation to heal our nations, he said. We will be held accountable those of us of faith. The mayor, who is known to enjoy nightlife, was later spotted at an outdoor market, Machane Yehuda, that was filled with revelers. A trip to Israel is a rite of passage for mayors of New York City, which has the largest Jewish population in the world outside Israel. But the political crisis in Israel could make the trip more difficult to navigate. Earlier this month, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader who is from Brooklyn, traveled to Israel with House Democrats and was criticized by supporters of pro-democracy protests for meeting with Mr. Netanyahu. When Bill de Blasio, the left-leaning former mayor, visited Israel in 2015, he said he wanted to meet with Palestinians but scrapped a plan to visit the West Bank over security concerns. A medical services company enlisted to help New York City manage an influx of thousands of immigrants is now under investigation by the states attorney general for possible violations of state or federal laws over the treatment of people in its care, according to correspondence obtained by The New York Times. New York officials raised eyebrows when the city first turned to the company, DocGo, for help in sheltering and providing other services to homeless migrants. Until last year, the company had mostly focused on providing Covid tests and vaccinations under contracts with the city and its public hospital system. Its new responsibilities included helping provide housing for migrants, busing some upstate and helping them settle into their new lives. Instead, some migrants said they were deceived and threatened. Now, the office of the New York State attorney general, Letitia James, is looking into allegations that the company gave inaccurate information to migrants about employment opportunities, made explicit or implicit threats, and took other actions that may jeopardize migrants ability to obtain asylum. They are also looking into reports that DocGo enrolled migrants in a healthcare plan for which they are not eligible, the correspondence states. Depending on their status, migrants face restrictions on what government-provided health care they can receive. This week, Republican primary candidates for president will have a chance to make their case before a national audience with or without Donald Trump on the debate stage. To win, they must break free of Mr. Trumps drama, step out of his shadow, go on offense, attack and present their case. Then they need to see if they can catch fire this fall and if they cant, they need to step aside, because winnowing the field of candidates is the single best chance to stop Mr. Trump. Too much is at stake for us to have wishful candidacies. While the other Republican candidates are running to save America, Mr. Trump is running to save himself. Candidates on the debate stage should not be afraid to attack Donald Trump. While its true that Mr. Trump has an iron grip on more than 30 percent of the electorate, the other 60 percent or so is open to moving forward with a new nominee. Mr. Trumps shortcomings hardly need reciting. Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy candidates with compelling stories, records and polling must show voters they are willing to take on Mr. Trump, show a spark and not just defend him in absentia. Chris Christie, who has done great work exposing Mr. Trumps weaknesses, must broaden his message and show voters that he is more than the anti-Trump candidate. If Mr. Trump is the Republican nominee for president in 2024, Republicans will lose up and down the ballot. According to a recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans say they would likely not support Mr. Trump in 2024 not even Jimmy Carter had re-election numbers that bleak. Every candidate with an R next to his or her name, from school board to the statehouse, will be left to answer for the electoral albatross at the top of the ticket. Instead of going on offense and offering an alternative to Joe Bidens failing leadership, Republicans will continue to be consumed with responding to Mr. Trumps constant grievances and lies, turning off every independent suburban voter in America. And Mr. Trump, ever the narcissist, will spend the entire campaign whining about his legal troubles and bilking his supporters of their retirement savings to pay for his lawyers. Donald Trump is beatable, and it starts in Iowa and New Hampshire. Ignore the national polls that show he is leading; they are meaningless. Its a reflection of the national conversation, name ID and who is top of mind, not where the momentum is headed. Hawkins: I think that when you look back at the history of social reformers across our country, theres always varying tactics and strategies within those social reform movements. But I think our role as a social movement is not to be simply a wing of the Republican Party. Many of our young people dont even consider themselves to be Republicans. Many of them consider themselves to be independent. We dont consider ourselves that extension. Our job is to be that standard-bearer of holding that North Star up, saying this is where were going. I had a funny situation happen to me at a conservative conference a couple of months ago. I had some student interns who Id been mentoring there and meeting folks, and at the end of the night I said to one of the students, How did it go today? And she told me that she had this conversation with this person who works in the conservative movement who said, Oh yeah, you work for Kristan Hawkins, that girl whos never satisfied. At first, I was like: Who said that? Who said that? But then it became so funny because that is what were doing. We are never satisfied. I will be that person whos never satisfied until we reach that day where no woman feels she has to choose the violence of abortion in order to be a free, equal member of our society, in order to complete her education or reach her career goals. Coaston: Do you think that the way that pro-life groups try to persuade voters needs to change? Hawkins: I think we need to be careful about listening to inside-the-Beltway consultants when were talking about how to speak with the voters on this issue, because I think we need to be very real with them about the abortion extremism thats really at stake here, because this is an 80 percent issue for us. Eighty percent of Americans disagree with the notion that abortion should be legal up until the moment of birth. That is an easy issue. Im talking to a student on campus. Ill say, Look, you may not agree that all abortions are wrong, that all abortions need to be stopped and need to be prevented. But your position on abortion is probably a lot closer to my position on abortion than it certainly is with the Democratic National Committees platform or Planned Parenthood. [According to Gallup, 34 percent of Americans believe that abortion should be legal under any circumstance, while 51 percent of Americans believe that abortion should be legal under some circumstances. Thirteen percent of Americans believe abortion should be illegal under all circumstances. Sixty-nine percent of Americans believe that abortion should be legal within the first three months of pregnancy, a record high for the polling organization.] To the Editor: Re Inside a Dementia Unit in a Federal Prison (Opinion guest essay, Aug. 13): Katie Engelhart vividly describes the absurdity and cruelty of incarcerating frail elders with debilitating dementia. It would be a mistake, though, to conclude simply that expanding compassionate release is the answer. Certainly, thats warranted, but policymakers should be proactive, not just reactive. As a former parole commissioner, I know that dementia is just the tip of the iceberg of the problem of mass aging behind bars. Countless people (not just men) effectively face a slow death penalty behind bars because of extreme sentences or repeated denials of parole release despite these individuals complete transformations. Far from being helpless, many are violence interrupters, mentors, scholars and artists, including people previously convicted of causing serious harm. They have changed. Enacting elder parole bills, which do not guarantee release based on age but rather allow older adults to be individually considered for release by a parole board, can help resolve the crisis of aging behind bars, save substantial money, and return people to the community to repair the harm they long ago caused before they are on deaths doorstep. Bret Stephens: Before we get to Donald Trumps indictment in Georgia or the upcoming G.O.P. debate, I want to take note of the appalling tragedy in Hawaii. The images from Maui are just heartbreaking. But I also get a sense that heartbreak will soon turn to outrage as we learn more about the cascade of policy failures that led to the disaster. Gail Collins: Maui is going to be hard for any of us to forget. Or, in some cases, forgive. There are certainly a heck of a lot of serious questions about whether the folks who were supposed to be responsible did their jobs. Bret: Theres a story in The Wall Street Journal that made me want to scream. It seems Hawaiian Electric knew four years ago that it needed to do more to keep power lines from emitting sparks, but it invested only $245,000 to try to do something about it. The state and private owners let old dams fall into disrepair and then allowed for them to be destroyed rather than restoring them, leading to less stored water and more dry land. And then there was the emergency chief who decided not to sound warning sirens. At least he had the good sense to resign. Gail: But lets look at the way bigger issue, Bret. The weathers been awful in all sorts of scary ways this summer, all around the planet. Pretty clear its because of global warming. You ready to rally around a big push toward environmental revolution? The broad education and targeted skills that college graduates usually obtain prepare them for career success. That includes analytical and communications abilities, tailored preparation in popular subjects like business, nursing and computer science, or liberal arts majors that have significant long-term benefits. When undergrads are also able to develop their social capital to build professional networks, so much the better. Its a category error to treat college degrees like dubious occupational licenses that have become barriers to entry in certain fields. College degree alternatives may still play a worthwhile role for some students. For all the benefits that accrue to earning traditional two- and four-year degrees, large populations of learners need something different. Tailored, short-term, skills-based programs and credentials in everything from data science to graphic design should be widely accessible and they should be simple to acquire and reacquire over a lifetime, to meet changing needs. Whenever possible, students should be able to combine them, over time, into two- or four-year degrees. Remember, much of the growth in skills-based credentials seems to be coming from people who already have degrees and want to supplement them with additional skills. Theyre taking a both/and approach to get ahead, not giving up on degrees altogether. We often hear that the strong preference for degrees isnt fair to the majority of Americans who didnt go to college. But that majority is falling fast, and the percentage of college-educated American adults is pushing 50 percent when associate degrees are included. And while the percentage of Black and Latino college graduates is significantly lower, it is far higher than a few decades earlier. In fact, in 1960, only 41 percent of Americans had completed high school. It might have been plausible then to argue that plenty of dropouts had great talents and were unfairly penalized by high school diploma requirements. But it would have been badly misguided to oppose efforts to vastly improve high school graduation rates, which stand at 91 percent today. College degree requirements arent sacred. But they reflect the unmistakable reality that higher education helps people do well. In the context of a Republican supermajority state, these efforts reflect genuine political courage. Tennessee legislators arent obliged to do their governors bidding or even work with him to reach a compromise, because they have the numbers to override his veto. They are not accustomed to being called on their pious declamations of thoughts and prayers, and the unusual way the aftermath of this particular mass shooting unfolded with great swaths of Tennesseans ceaselessly demanding gun reform, week after week after week apparently caught them off guard. Republican legislators seemed genuinely shocked at finding themselves the targets of overwhelming national opprobrium after they ejected Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, two Black members of the Tennessee House, for joining protesters in demanding gun reform. They surely did not enjoy having to fend off gun reform efforts from their governor, too, and they did not react well to being summoned back to Nashville to pass legislation they had already rejected. It was time to move on. This is a country that always moves on after children are slaughtered in their classrooms. State Republican leaders called for the governor to drop his plans for a special legislative session. Former allies like the Tennessee Firearms Association followed suit. Dudley Brown, the president of the National Association for Gun Rights, said, It is clear that Gov. Bill Lee is blatantly flaunting his power to call a special session while ignoring his constituents and the voices of those they chose to represent them. None of this is at all surprising. When an elected official throws in his lot with the gun lobby and then dares to diverge from its talking points, he should not be startled when it takes aim at him. Governor Lee made the call anyway, perhaps because he understands what his right-wing critics and legislative colleagues do not: Hes not the one whos ignoring the voices of his constituents. Once in office, Trumps power to deceive grew and his fear of exposure diminished. His attempted strong-arming of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in 2019 dangling security assistance and a possible White House visit in exchange for a favor was in keeping with his actions during the 2016 race, just more daring. He was still trying to improve his electoral prospects. But instead of using his own money to suppress negative stories, Trump was now withholding congressionally appropriated funds from Ukraine in order to generate negative stories about his potential 2020 general-election opponent, Joe Biden, and to feed the notion that Ukraine, not Russia, had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. The first article of impeachment in the Ukraine affair asserts that Trump engaged in this scheme theres that word again for corrupt purposes in pursuit of personal political benefit. Another scheme, a bigger lie. This time, Trump didnt just hide the truth; he sought to distort it. And even when faced with the public revelation of his actions, the articles of impeachment note, the president continued to openly and corruptly urge Ukraine to open investigations that would help Trump politically. Such shamelessness is possible only from a president confident that enough voters will share it. The recent indictment by the district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., covers a multitude of alleged crimes like issuing false statements and filing false documents, forgery, conspiracy to defraud the state, solicitation of the violation of an oath by a public officer but it comes down to a single corrupt purpose: Once Trump lost the 2020 election, the outgoing president sought to reverse or at least delegitimize the outcome. We experience Trumps impeachments and indictments only in the order in which they came out, a sequence that does not neatly track the chronology or intensity of his misdeeds. Trump progressed from hiding reality with the hush-money payments (indictment No. 1), to remaking reality with the attempted shakedown of Ukraine (impeachment No. 1), to ignoring reality with his insistence that he had won re-election and that other officials should affirm that belief (indictment Nos. 3 and 4). The next step was obvious to change reality by force. So came Jan. 6 (addressed in impeachment No. 2 as well as indictment Nos. 3 and 4, for those keeping score at home). Trumps mendacity about the 2020 election was legal; as Jack Smith, the latest special counsel appointed by the Justice Department to investigate him, put it, the defendant had a right, like every American, to speak publicly about the election and even to claim, falsely, that there had been outcome-determinative fraud. His alleged actions and conspiracies in furtherance of those lies pushing officials to ignore the popular vote in their states, disenfranchising voters, encouraging fake slates of electors were not, according to the indictment. And once the attempts to claim a counterfactual victory were rejected in the courts, in the states and by his own vice president, the call for violence was all that was left. If you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore, Trump declared on Jan. 6. Dr. Cerf says that research is relevant to scenarios of high risk and low probability like starting nuclear war which often have numerous sources of uncertainty. A nuclear decision maker might be unsure of whether a missile is really in the air, how high a nukes yield is, why the missile was launched or whether more missiles will follow. Another of Dr. Cerfs studies involves climate change. It found that when people were asked to stake money on climate outcomes, they would bet that global warming was happening, and they were more concerned about its impact, more supportive of action and more knowledgeable about relevant issues even if they began as skeptics. You basically change your own brain without anyone telling you anything, Dr. Cerf said. He thinks the results could be applied to nuclear scenarios because you could use bets to make people care about nuclear risk and support changes to policy. The findings could also be used to evaluate the thinking and prediction of aides who advise the president. Some scholars of decision science dont agree on such extrapolations. To go from there to giving advice on the fate of the world I dont think so, said Baruch Fischhoff, a psychologist who studies decision making at Carnegie Mellon University. Paul Slovic, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon and president of the nonprofit Decision Research, said that no psychological inquiry can stop at the experiment. How does having a career that requires hypervisibility online public relations, influencing, vlogging affect a womans dating life? Is there a certain kind of man who is turned off by hustle, who finds a follower count in the thousands to be a deal breaker? Having a sizable following on Instagram or TikTok can come with perks: internet fame, free products, sponsored trips. Its little wonder that in 2019, about 54 percent of young Americans said they would become an influencer if given the opportunity, and nearly 90 percent said they would be willing to post sponsored content for money, according to a report by Morning Consult. Much as the idea of dating a podcast bro can be a turnoff for some women, the prejudice can work against women who also have public online platforms. Among men who have described such feelings online, the reasons vary: Some are insecure, worried that she might have other suitors in her DMs. Others enjoy their privacy and would rather not have their lives be mined for content. Tyrese Dominique, a social media manager in Boston, said that although he would have no issue dating a woman with a lot of social media followers, he sympathized with many of his friends who would. I understand it, because if they have their own insecurity and they know that they cant stop themselves from having that insecurity and having it affect their relationship with that person, its best that they dont even try to force themselves, he said. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Dive into hometown history With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Everybody builds on Nvidia first, Mr. Rao said. If you come out with a new piece of hardware, youre racing to catch up. Over more than 10 years, Nvidia has built a nearly impregnable lead in producing chips that can perform complex A.I. tasks like image, facial and speech recognition, as well as generating text for chatbots like ChatGPT. The onetime industry upstart achieved that dominance by recognizing the A.I. trend early, tailoring its chips to those tasks and then developing key pieces of software that aid in A.I. development. Jensen Huang, Nvidias co-founder and chief executive, has since kept raising the bar. To maintain its leading position, his company has also offered customers access to specialized computers, computing services and other tools of their emerging trade. That has turned Nvidia, for all intents and purposes, into a one-stop shop for A.I. development. While Google, Amazon, Meta, IBM and others have also produced A.I. chips, Nvidia today accounts for more than 70 percent of A.I. chip sales and holds an even bigger position in training generative A.I. models, according to the research firm Omdia. In May, the companys status as the most visible winner of the A.I. revolution became clear when it projected a 64 percent leap in quarterly revenue, far more than Wall Street had expected. On Wednesday, Nvidia which has surged past $1 trillion in market capitalization to become the worlds most valuable chip maker is expected to confirm those record results and provide more signals about booming A.I. demand. For six weeks each year, the Ruhrtriennale festival transforms the economically depressed Ruhr region of northwest of Germany into ground zero for cutting edge art and performance. Since 2002, this lavishly funded event, which puts on roughly 30 productions each summer, has lured artists and audiences to Germanys rust belt with its robust and unexpected programming. And whereas many of Europes summer arts festivals can feel interchangeable, the Ruhrtriennale is devoted to works that cant be experienced the same way anywhere else. Many have been created specifically for the postindustrial sites that dot the region. Earlier this month, the Ruhrtriennales artistic director Barbara Frey inaugurated her third and final festival program with her own staging of A Midsummer Nights Dream, presented in the Kraftzentrale, the cavernous former power station of a disused steel and coal plant. It was the opening salvo in an interdisciplinary program, running through Sept. 23, that includes an immersive production of a Janacek opera and an art installation in a Brutalist church. Why It Matters: The law would force people on puberty blockers to make a tough choice The Georgia law, Senate Bill 140, prohibits doctors in the state from providing gender transition surgery and hormone therapy for the treatment of gender dysphoria in people under the age of 18. The law does allow minors who were already receiving hormone therapy to continue their treatment, and it allows doctors to prescribe puberty blocking medications to minors. On June 29, the families of four transgender children filed an emergency request asking the federal court in Georgia to block the law from taking effect. The plaintiffs said the ban violated the rights of parents to make medical decisions regarding their children; they also said it violated the guarantees of equal protection by denying transgender youth essential, and often lifesaving, medical treatment based on their sex and on their transgender status. In the filing, the plaintiffs also stated that while puberty blockers were not being banned under the law, it is not medically recommended that minors stay on puberty blockers for an extended period of time before transitioning to hormone therapy, which the law bans doctors from giving them until the patient turns 18. Puberty blockers dont cause permanent physical changes but rather temporarily put off puberty. If someone decides to continue transitioning, they will probably consider hormone therapy and gender transition surgery. Medical providers generally aim to limit the number of years of treatment with puberty blockers due to the risk of lower bone mineral density and vitamin D deficiency, the plaintiffs wrote, adding that the ban on hormone therapy will force young people to make a choice between the potential negative consequences of prolonged puberty-blocking therapy, or stopping the medication and going through puberty. It was the firestorm that wildfire experts and residents on Maui had warned about for years a blaze fueled by hurricane winds roaring through untamed grasses and into a 13,000-person coastal town with few ways in or out. Local officials had released plan after plan acknowledging that wildfire was all but certain. But when the nightmare fire erupted across Lahaina on Aug. 8, killing at least 114 people and possibly scores more, systems that had been put in place to sound the alarm and bring people to safety collapsed, residents and experts said. Cellphone sites were burned and lost power, leaving people unable to communicate or receive emergency alerts. Two main roads providing escape routes out of town were closed because of flames and downed power lines, funneling evacuees into an inferno of gridlock along a coastal road where many burned inside their cars. Powerful emergency sirens never made a sound. Fire hoses almost ran dry. And while fire departments and wildfire-preparedness groups have long urged people in fire-prone areas like West Maui to be ready and leave early, other advice from the authorities was far less concrete. The state of Hawaiis own guide for how people should respond to hurricanes, tsunamis and other disasters does not include any direction on what to do in a wildfire. President Biden toured the scorched remains of Lahaina, a coastal town on the Hawaiian island of Maui, on Monday in his first visit since devastating wildfires killed more than 100 people and left behind scenes of twisted metal and hollowed-out homes. Mr. Biden, who broke away from his summer vacation on Lake Tahoe in Nevada, met with survivors of the fires and with emergency workers and state and local officials. The president hugged Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, and walked arm in arm with him to Marine One for a 20-minute aerial tour of the wreckage. Sporting a green and yellow lei, he told community members, the entire country is here for you. The devastation is overwhelming, Mr. Biden said as he stood near a 150-year-old banyan tree, a cherished landmark in Lahaina. He said the tree symbolized the resilience of the Maui community. The president, who was joined by Jill Biden, the first lady, also sought to assure residents of Maui that they would be involved in the recovery process. We will be respectful of the sacred grounds and the traditions, he said, and rebuild the way the people of Maui want to build, not the way others want to build. The laws being proposed or enacted by states would go far beyond that, preventing China and in some cases other countries of concern from buying farmland or property near what is broadly defined as critical infrastructure. The restrictions coincide with a resurgence of anti-China sentiment, inflamed in part by a Chinese spy balloon that traveled across the United States this year and by heated political rhetoric ahead of the 2024 election. They are likely to pose another challenge for the administration, which has dispatched several top officials to China in recent weeks to try to stabilize economic ties. But while Washington may see a relationship with China as a necessary evil, officials at the state and local levels appear determined to try to sever their economic relationship with Americas third-largest trading partner. The federal government in the United States, across branches with strong bipartisan support, has been quite forceful in sharpening its China strategy, and regulating investments is only one piece, said Mario Mancuso, a lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis focusing on international trade and national security issues. The shift that we have seen to the states is relatively recent, but its gaining strength. One of the biggest targets has been Chinese landownership, despite the fact that China owns less than 400,000 acres in the United States, according to the Agriculture Department. That is less than 1 percent of all foreign-owned land. Such restrictions have been gathering momentum since 2021 after Fufeng USA, the American subsidiary of a Chinese company that makes components for animal feed, faced backlash over plans to build a corn mill in Grand Forks, N.D. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a powerful interagency group known as CFIUS that can halt international business transactions, reviewed the proposal but ultimately decided that it did not have the jurisdiction to block the plan. However, the Air Force, citing the mills proximity to a U.S. military base, said this year that Chinas involvement was a national security risk, and local officials scuttled the project. If Mr. DeSantis ends up doing so, Mr. Christie said he had one piece of advice: Get the hell out of the race. In an interview this month during his surprise visit to Ukraine, Mr. Christie said he was not particularly bothered by the prospect of a debate without Mr. Trump. It doesnt change my perspective or my tactical approach, he said. Because if hes not there, it just means two things. One, hes afraid to be on the same debate stage and defend his record. And two, you know, this is a guy who, by not showing up, just gives me more time. So its OK. Either way, I win. Mr. Christie and his advisers see the debate as a forum built to the former governors strengths. Comfortable in unscripted moments in front of cameras, Mr. Christie has a confrontational style, hewed from years in the trenches of New Jersey politics, that has served him well in past debates, and he has over a decade of experience participating in them through two campaigns for governor and his 2016 run for president. To prepare for Wednesday, he has been huddling with close advisers to go over topics at the heart of the campaign and anticipate different scenarios that may arise as he navigates the chaos of an eight-lectern stage. He has been heavily focused on the debate, bringing it up in casual conversations with both advisers and political acquaintances as he takes the temperature of the race. At the Capitol, Mr. Green was neither part of his partys progressive wing nor a player in the mainstream party apparatus, Professor Moore said. After focusing on homelessness and public health as a legislator, Mr. Green ran for lieutenant governor in 2018 and won again. He received key support from a political action committee tied to the carpenters union, which was seeking to block Jill Tokuda, a progressive state senator who was then the front-runner and was later elected to Congress. When Covid hit in 2020, David Ige, who was then the governor, informally made Mr. Green the administrations pandemic point man. But their relationship was not always harmonious, and the early call on the cruise lines fed perceptions that Mr. Green was prematurely campaigning to succeed Mr. Ige, who was prevented by term limits from running for re-election in 2022. Eventually, the governor formalized Mr. Greens role as Covid liaison. Armed with a whiteboard and raw data, he reestablished himself as the face of Hawaiis response to the pandemic, pushing mandatory vaccines for public sector employees, indoor masking for businesses, and quarantines or proof of vaccination for travel among the islands. Aside from a few small protests outside his home, there was little of the public unrest that roiled other states. In the spring of 2021, as infection rates dropped, a poll conducted by two local news organizations found that the lieutenant governor had a 63 percent approval rating, nearly three times that of Mr. Ige. A year later, Mr. Green defeated six other Democrats in the primary and won the general election easily. As governor, he has stopped practicing medicine except as a volunteer; a state law that took effect in 2022 forbids governors from holding second jobs while in office. But he has made headlines several times for rendering care in emergencies. In July, Morning Consult reported that only two other governors had higher approval ratings from their constituents. In the latest challenge to the role race may play in school admissions, a legal activist group asked the Supreme Court on Monday to hear a case on how students are selected at one of the countrys top high schools, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in May that Thomas Jefferson, a public school in Alexandria, Va., did not discriminate in its admissions. The Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian law group, wants the Supreme Court to overturn that decision, arguing that the schools new admissions policies disadvantaged Asian American applicants. At issue is the use of what the school board said were race-neutral criteria to achieve a diverse student body. The constitutionality of such practices was left open in the Supreme Courts decision in June against Harvard and the University of North Carolina, effectively banning the use of race-conscious admissions practices by colleges, though the majority opinion said, quoting an earlier decision, that what cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly. Although the new case involves a prestigious magnet high school, the decision could ultimately affect colleges, which are implementing new admissions criteria after the June decision. This is the next frontier, Joshua P. Thompson, a lawyer with the Pacific Legal Foundation, has said of the litigation. When Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee began a push in April to address public safety, his family was grieving the loss of two close friends, both educators killed in a mass shooting at a Nashville Christian school. His call for millions of dollars to harden school security was embraced by Republicans in the legislature, who flanked him during a formal announcement. But days later, when Mr. Lee, a Republican, decided to go further and ask for an order of protection law that could temporarily restrict an individuals access to firearms, he stood alone for the announcement. The legislature would wrap up its work by the end of the month without taking a vote to pass it. Now, Mr. Lee has summoned lawmakers back to Nashville on Monday for a special session on public safety that could include consideration of a limited version of the law. But without the support of most in his own party, that measure appears, once again, destined for failure, underscoring the power dynamics of a Republican supermajority driven by a right-wing base hardened against any potential infringement on gun ownership. A year ago, Cortland police visited five stores in the city and warned them that the Delta 8 and Delta 10 products they sold were against state law and to stop selling them. But beyond that, city officials acknowledged then, there was little they could do. Identifying the two cannabis products that remain illegal as the Delta 9 compound in cannabis the naturally occurring marijuana becomes legal is difficult. One cant tell without testing them. However, as New York prepares for large-scale recreational cannabis sales with regional operations allowed to open in December many municipalities including Cortland have begun to crack down on the unlicensed sale of cannabis and illegal analogs including Delta 8 and Delta 10 THC. Cortland police announced last week that it arrested three men and confiscated counterfeit U.S. currency, more than 140 fraudulent cigarette tax stamps and illegal marijuana products from the smoke shop Daily Grind South, located at 180 Main St. in Cortland after the department received numerous reports that the shop was selling unregulated cannabis products to minors. The OCM (state Office of Cannabis Management) is trying to keep the illegal market from happening and obviously underage sales are a huge concern, but one of the processes were working on now is controlling the number of smoke shops in the city, Mayor Scott Steve said. One law we can enact involves the number of smoke shops and where theyre located. Were looking at the proper language for that and I will push that to the alderperson once we get that finalized with the legal counsel. NEW TOOLS, NEW TOKES Steve said the pending law would allow city officials to control and delineate areas in the city for the sale of cannabis, tobacco and related paraphernalia, allowing for a faster license revocation process, should a business sell cannabis products illegally. While paraphernalia can be sold in many places, cannabis sales are limited to a zone that includes only a small section near Interstate 81s Exit 11, including Riverside Plaza. We made some calls (to the Office of Cannabis Management) for some advice on some of the areas that were working on, Steve said Friday. We recently sent out code notices to businesses in the city that are not in the GI (general industrial) district where anything related to vape, cannabis, or supported paraphernalia is supposed to be sold. Weve ordered them to cease and desist and will follow up with arrest and seizure of property if needed. The state also adopted a cluster of laws last spring to help communities regulate cannabis sales to limit the sales to the legal Delta and ban Delta 8 and Delta 10 products. Unlicensed dispensaries violate our laws, put public health at risk, and undermine the legal cannabis market, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced when she signed the bill into law. With these enforcement tools, were paving the way for safer products, reinvestment in communities that endured years of disproportionate enforcement, and greater opportunities for New Yorkers. Among the tools: The Office of Cannabis Management and the Department of Taxation and Finance can limit the sale or gifting of cannabis from unlicensed storefronts and trucks. Violations can bring a $20,000 fine per day. The Office of Cannabis Management can conduct regulatory inspections and seize untested cannabis products from businesses that sell and give away cannabis and cannabis products in indirect ways, such as so-called sticker shops. The Department of Taxation and Finance will now be able to conduct regulatory inspections of businesses selling cannabis to determine if appropriate taxes have been paid and fine those that havent paid. WEEDING OUT UNREGULATED STUFF Lab testing and careful examination of product packaging are the only real ways to differentiate a legal cannabis product from an illegal derivative and to provide proof of illegal sale for prosecution, Cortland Police Chief Paul Sandy said. We did extensive research about the topic, and then we looked at the packaging and had some local experts come in, look at the packaging and make arrangements to send it to a private lab to have it tested, Sandy said Friday. The state announced last week that Attorney General Letitia James and the state Office of Cannabis Management shut down a chain of seven unlicensed cannabis stores branded Im Stuck, which operated in Wayne, Cayuga, Seneca, Oswego and Monroe counties. The chain was owned by David Tulley of Wayne County. Beginning in June, inspections conducted by the Office of Cannabis Management seized more than 47 pounds of cannabis flower, 244 pounds of cannabis edibles, and 89 pounds of cannabis concentrate, all of which Tulley sold without proper licensing. Legalizing cannabis in New York was a historic milestone to correct the harms of the past, but there are laws that must be followed to ensure cannabis products are safe and kept out of the hands of minors, James said in a release. David Tulley brazenly violated our laws, cheated taxpayers, and endangered our kids by selling unregulated cannabis to underage customers. PIPING UP AGAINST PARAPHERNALIA The state decriminalized marijuana statewide in 2019 and legalized adult recreational marijuana use in March 2021. However, the state regulates sales under the Office of Cannabis Managements Conditional Adult Use Dispensary Program. The office can prohibit specific ingredients in products, processes or even entire products to protect public health. And that includes Delta 8 and Delta 10, two man-made forms of THC, the compound that creates the psychoactive effect. Steve said that the city is continuing to monitor and interrupt illegal cannabis and derivative sales, with a particular focus on Delta 8 and 10 and ensuring that cannabis stays out of the hands of minors. What were learning is that a lot of the packaging is counterfeit, Sandy said. We actually confiscated some packages that were supposed to be gummies and when we opened them up there were cannabis buds in there. Thats the problem with selling paraphernalia, Steve said. It quickly draws into other areas that are illegal, and weve been more proactive in going into these and sending undercover teams in at different times to check on this so we feel like weve got a good handle on it now. WRAPPING UP The Office of Cannabis Management issued a release in April saying Delta 8 and Delta 10 products present a health risk because they lack the safeguards that the legal, Delta 9, products must have. However, the rollout of legal dispensaries has been slowed because a recent state Supreme Court lawsuit has barred further applications to the program, McCabe said. New York has this whole thing more screwed up than a soup sandwich, thats for certain, McCabe said. CLOUDED FUTURE What effect cracking down on Delta 8 and Delta 10 will have on the larger, legal market is difficult to tell without more legal dispensaries opening, McCabe said. Its too early to say because there are only about 20 legal stores open (in New York), and by the OCMs own admission, of the 300,000 pounds of weed grown last year, only about 15,000 to 18,000 pounds of it have been sold, he said. A legal dispensary Lakeside Cannabis developed by Matthew and Paul Suits Jr. remains under construction at the Riverside Plaza in Cortland, but Steve and Sandy said they expect illegal sales will continue even once the legal store opens. If you look out in the western states that have legalized cannabis, the black market has exploded, and thats likely to continue here, Sandy said. I think illegal sales will continue, people will try to do it that way because it will be less expensive, Steve said. I think well have to be even more on watch than we are now, but it gives us a bit better enforcement to get on top of the illegal ones. Federal prosecutors pushed back on Monday against former President Donald J. Trumps request to postpone his election interference trial in Washington until well into 2026, asserting that his main reason for the delay the amount of evidence his lawyers have to sort through was vastly overstated. Mr. Trumps lawyers, in an extremely aggressive move last week, asked Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, to put the trial off until at least April 2026. That schedule would call for a jury to be seated nearly a year and a half after the 2024 election and almost three years after the charges against Mr. Trump were originally filed. The lawyers said they needed so much time because the amount of discovery evidence they expect to receive from the government was enormous as much as 8.5 terabytes of materials, they told Judge Chutkan, totaling over 11.5 million pages. As part of their filing to the judge, the lawyers included a graph that purported to show how a stack of 11.5 million pages would result in a tower of paper stretching nearly 5,000 feet into the sky. That, the lawyers pointed out, was taller than the Washington Monument, stacked on top of itself eight times, with nearly a million pages to spare. Former President Donald J. Trump leads his closest rival by double digits in a poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers released Monday, a showing that demonstrates both his continued political dominance and the remarkable stability of the Republican race. The survey, conducted by The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom before and after Mr. Trumps latest indictment in Georgia, found that 42 percent of Republican voters in the state planned to support Mr. Trump, who held a lead of 23 percentage points over Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, with 19 percent support. In third place was Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, with 9 percent. The findings, which come as Mr. Trumps rivals have poured significantly more time and money into the state, were consistent with the results of a poll by The New York Times and Siena College released this month. That survey found Mr. Trump with 44 percent support among likely Iowa G.O.P. caucusgoers, Mr. DeSantis with 20 percent support and Mr. Scott with 9 percent. Other rivals who showed single-digit support in the Times/Siena poll have been unable to improve their positions, according to the poll released Monday. The first-in-the-nation caucuses will take place on Jan. 15, 2024, the earliest nominating contest in Iowa since 2012, when it held the caucuses the first week of January. This years contest is seen as the best chance for Republicans to slow Mr. Trump on his way to the nomination. Mr. Ramaswamy, who has never held elected office or worked in government, expresses supreme confidence in his foreign policy views. He has cited as his models George F. Kennan, the architect of Americas Cold War global reach, and James A. Baker III, the American diplomat most credited for transitioning the world beyond the Cold War. He has vowed as president to go to Moscow the way Richard M. Nixon went to China. But in a political campaign, his positions may come off as naive or bizarre and easy to exploit. His tendency to answer any question posed to him has sent him down a rabbit hole of conspiratorial innuendo on Sept. 11. First, he told an interviewer, I dont believe the government has told us the truth about the attacks. In a lengthy post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he subsequently explained that he was suggesting a deeper involvement in the attack by Saudi Arabias government. Then in an interview posted Monday in The Atlantic, he plunged deeper, asking, how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers? His rivals criticisms in some cases have disregarded the broader context of Mr. Ramaswamys statements. His pledge to pull back military aid to Israel, made last week in an interview with the actor Russell Brand on the video platform Rumble thats popular on the right, were part of a larger conversation on expanding Israels bilateral peace agreements with its neighbors that would make military aid less necessary. But caveats and context are often sacrificed on the campaign trail, and Mr. Ramaswamy said on Monday that he expected further foreign policy attacks on the debate stage Wednesday night in Milwaukee. Follow live updates on Donald Trumps expected surrender at a jail in Georgia. A judge in Atlanta set bail for former President Donald J. Trump at $200,000 on Monday in the new election interference case against him, warning Mr. Trump not to intimidate or threaten witnesses or any of his 18 co-defendants as a condition of the bond agreement. Mr. Trump, who posted on Truth Social that he would surrender to the authorities in Atlanta on Thursday, is also sorting out logistical details in three other criminal cases that have been filed against him this year. Earlier in the day, federal prosecutors pushed back on a request from his lawyers to postpone a separate election interference trial in Washington, D.C., until at least April 2026. Under his bond agreement in Georgia, Mr. Trump cannot communicate with any co-defendants in the case except through his lawyers. He was also directed to make no direct or indirect threat of any nature against the community, including posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual. The terms were more extensive than those set for other defendants in the case so far, which did not specifically mention social media. In the past, Mr. Trump has made inflammatory and sometimes false personal attacks on Fani T. Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, who is leading the case. Thick smoke blanketed much of the Pacific Northwest on Monday as numerous wildfires in Canada, Washington and Oregon continued to burn, killing at least one person, destroying scores of buildings and threatening dozens more. At least six large fires were burning in Washington State, including the Gray Fire, which was discovered around noon on Friday and was only 10 percent contained as of Monday morning, and the Oregon Road fire, which had burned more than 10,000 acres and was also only 10 percent contained, according to a state fire tracking agency. In Oregon, another four large fires were burning, three of which were just outside of Eugene. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources said at least one person had died in the Gray fire and another death in connection with the Oregon Road fire was under investigation, but that the cause had not been determined. At least 265 structures were destroyed by the Gray and Oregon Road fires. Egyptian media outlets reported that several members of Egypts military and security services appeared to be among those arrested. Egyptian authorities seemed eager to play down the planes seizure: Two journalists covering the episode were detained in Cairo without charge on Saturday, then released on Sunday. They were the latest of at least 200 journalists to be arrested under the decade-long rule of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whose government and security services own or control most of the Egyptian press. Mr. el-Sisis government, which has attempted to polish the countrys human rights record recently with overtures toward its political opposition and releases of several high-profile political prisoners, has not commented on the events of the last week. Zambia and Egypt have close ties, even though Zambia is often celebrated for its democratic governance and Egypt is often criticized as repressive. In June, Mr. el-Sisi visited Zambia to strengthen regional trade between northern and southern Africa. The seized jet, a Bombardier Global Express that can seat up to 16 passengers, was carrying nearly $5.7 million in U.S. currency, 602 bars of the fake gold, five pistols and 126 rounds of ammunition. Zambian officials also seized a second, smaller passenger aircraft owned by a Zambian operator, which was believed to be linked to the first plane, Mr. Banda said. In Zambia, the ballooning scandal has become a test of the countrys resolve to crack down on corruption and the impunity of the political elite. The authorities led news tours of the seized planes and offered public assurances that the cash would not go missing, in a show of the countrys push under President Hakainde Hichilema to root out corruption. The Steepest Hill Leer en espanol When I first met Mr. Arias, something extraordinary was happening. Venezuelans in never-before-seen numbers had given up on their country, an economic basket case, and were heading north. By the end of that year, more than 150,000 of them had arrived at the border between Mexico and the United States. Mr. Arias, 27, was traveling not just with his daughter, who was on his shoulders much of the time, but with his wife, Desyree, and 7-year-old son, Luis Breyner. His mother-in-law and brother-in-law were also with them. It was still early in the morning when I took this photo. A long day of travel lay ahead of the family, and more long days after that. A strong hiker might make the end of the Gap in four or five days. For travelers with young children, it could easily be double that. But Mr. Arias had a more immediate problem: a hill. When he came to it, he just stopped, put down his pack, and sat. It was not clear if he could go on, but after about 15 minutes, he did. Later, he told me that back in Venezuela, he studied industrial mechanics and worked at his fathers auto repair shop. He and his wife also had a food stall. But struggling to feed their family, they decided to try their luck elsewhere. In 2019, they went to Colombia, where they opened another food stall and Mr. Arias also drove a motorcycle taxi and did some construction. But again it was not enough. It was time to move again. As we made our way through the Gap in September, I saw the family from time to time, but eventually our ways parted. Later, as they crossed Central America, we kept in touch through social media. In mid-March, I heard from them again: They had just made into the U.S., applying for asylum as they crossed through border control in Texas in March. Nearly a year later, Mr. Arias remembers the day he came to a halt on the Darien Gap. It was all very sudden, he recalled. He said: I felt like my stomach was empty. I started to vomit, and I felt very bad. Because those hills are very bad. The family is living in Palo Alto, Calif., now. Mr. Arias is waiting for a work permit, and his wife is occasionally doing manicures. Their son will enter fourth grade in the fall, and their daughter will start kindergarten. Mr. Arias remembers something else about the moment the photo was taken: how ashamed he felt of his weakness, with his children looking on. But that feeling seems lost to the past now. I took a risk but I made it, he says. I risked it for them. For me its an achievement because of that, because I managed to bring my whole family. Ecuador and Guatemala held elections on Sunday that shed light on crucial trends throughout Latin America, including anticorruption drives, the growing importance of young voters and calls to emulate El Salvadors crackdown on crime. In Ecuador, where the assassination this month of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio cast a pall over campaigning, an establishment leftist, Luisa Gonzalez, will head into a runoff against Daniel Noboa, the scion of a well-heeled family known for its banana empire. And in Guatemala, the progressive anti-graft crusader Bernardo Arevalo won in a landslide over a former first lady, Sandra Torres, dealing a blow to the countrys conservative political establishment. As concerns simmer over the erosion of the rule of law and the expanding sway of drug gangs in different parts of Latin America, the voting was watched closely for signs of what the outcomes could mean. At a busy intersection in Seoul this summer, a banner from the main opposition Democratic Party barked No! to Japans plan to dump treated radioactive water from its destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific. Across the street, a placard from the governing People Power Party said the real threat was the opposition spreading conspiracy theories that would scare people away from seafood: The Democratic Party is killing the livelihoods of our fishermen! Japans imminent decision to release more than 1.3 million tons of treated water at Fukushima Daiichi, the power plant that was destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, has raised alarms across the Pacific. But in South Korea, it has triggered a particularly raucous political debate, with the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol and its enemies slugging it out through banners, YouTube videos, news conferences and protests. What sets South Korea apart from other critics in the region is that its government has endorsed Japans discharge plan despite widespread public misgiving, only asking Japan to provide transparency to ensure the water is discharged properly. The authorities are running online advertisements and holding daily news briefings to dispel what they call fear-mongering by the opposition and to convince the people that the water will do no harm. On a drizzly August morning, Caroline Kennedy waded into the turquoise waters between two deserted islands in the South Pacific, trying not to scratch her feet on sprouts of coral. Look how beautiful this is, she said. Your father did this swim, said her son, Jack Schlossberg. Together they stood in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, facing a mile-long jaunt to an islet called Olasana a place John F. Kennedy, Carolines father, landed almost exactly 80 years earlier as a junior Navy officer. He crossed the same waters to save himself and 10 members of his crew after a Japanese destroyer split their torpedo boat, PT-109, in the predawn darkness of Aug. 2, 1943. Ms. Kennedy knew her swim offered just a glimpse of that ordeal. She was there on a short official visit as the U.S. ambassador to Australia. J.F.K. had survived for nearly a week, swimming many miles between three islands with the enemy all around, dragging an injured comrade to land and, eventually, being rescued thanks to a message he carved on a coconut and the bravery of Solomon Islanders and Australians who helped them reach an allied base. For the 2022 New York State Fair, Sean Hennessey was the interim director. Two days before the start of the 2023 fair, the "interim" is gone from his title. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that Hennessey has been appointed state fair director. "Since his appointment as interim director of the Great New York State Fair in 2022, Sean has proven himself to be an innovative and capable leader," Hochul said. "I am proud to officially welcome him as director and look forward to working with him to ensure the growth and vitality of this unique New York tradition, our Great New York State Fair." Hennessey was named interim director after Troy Waffner's departure in May 2022. Waffner spent nearly 10 years leading the fair, first as acting director and then, in 2018, he was named director by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. A New York City native, Hennessey moved upstate when he attended SUNY Canton. He met his wife at the college and they settled in Black River, a village in Jefferson County. After working an industrial engineer in the private sector, Hennessey joined the Jefferson County Board of Elections, first as deputy elections commissioner and, later, as elections commissioner. His first job in state government was with the Office of General Services, an agency that oversees state properties. He was the superintendent of the state government building in Watertown before becoming a regional superintendent who managed state-owned facilities in other upstate cities, including Syracuse. Hennessey was an assistant commissioner of operations with the state Department of Transportation before joining the fair. He was hired by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, which oversees the fair, as an assistant fair director. But with Waffner's departure, he was elevated to interim director. As an interim director, Hennessey ran the 2022 fair. During his short tenure as the fair's leader, he has emphasized quality over quantity. While the fair hopes to attract a lot of visitors, breaking all-time attendance records isn't as high a priority as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. "I am privileged to be part of the Great New York State Fair, a true tradition and cultural institution in New York state," Hennessey said. "I am grateful and humbled by Governor Hochul's appointment of me as director and look forward to opening the 2023 fair as director alongside the fair team." The fair opens Wednesday and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 4. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Denmark for its support in an address to the countrys Parliament on Monday, a day after it became one of the first nations to pledge F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The Netherlands and Denmark said Sunday that they would donate dozens of F-16s to Ukraine in what Mr. Zelensky called a breakthrough in his countrys longstanding quest to acquire the aircraft, which it considers imperative in the war against Russia. When you defend peoples right to life, you are joined by others who value life, Mr. Zelensky said Monday during the address in Copenhagen. And this makes you together invincible! I thank you, Denmark, for helping Ukraine to become invincible! The procurement of American-made F-16s to supplement a fleet of Soviet-era jets has been a priority for Mr. Zelenskys government for months as it seeks an advantage over Russias air force and to improve its own air defenses. Ukrainian officials acknowledged last week, however, that NATO countries would not donate the planes before next year, which is too late for use in a counteroffensive the government in Kyiv launched this summer. The diplomatic ripple effects of Russias invasion of Ukraine played out on Monday from the Middle East to the Baltics and northern Europe as leaders jockeyed to cement new alliances in a scrambled world. On the fourth stop of a tour aimed at securing more weaponry to repel Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine arrived in Athens for meetings with the leaders of Greece and other Balkan nations to discuss common security concerns and better integration with Europe. Thank you for your readiness to help us fight for our freedom, Mr. Zelensky told Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis after the two men met privately. As Mr. Zelensky was making his way to Athens after securing commitments of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands, an Iranian military delegation was visiting Russia, a sign of how deep ties between Moscow and Tehran have become since the war began. Lawyers for a Palestinian man who was arrested by the Israeli police said officers beat him and imprinted his face with a Star of David, and they have demanded an investigation. The police denied the accusation, saying it was misleading. The man, Arwa Sheikh Ali, 22, was arrested on Wednesday as part of an investigation into drug dealing in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem, where Mr. Sheikh Ali lives. Rights advocates said Mr. Sheikh Alis injuries were indicative of a broader problem of brutality by Israeli forces, especially against Palestinians. Vadim Shub, head of the Jerusalem public defenders office, which is representing Mr. Sheikh Ali, said in an interview on Sunday, The mark on his face is the tip of the iceberg, adding, We want to raise the issue of police violence. Border guards in Saudi Arabia have regularly opened fire on African migrants seeking to cross into the kingdom from Yemen, killing hundreds of men, women and children in a recent 15-month period, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Monday. The guards have beaten the migrants with rocks and bars, forced male migrants to rape women while guards watched and shot detained migrants in their limbs, leading to permanent injuries and amputations, the report said. The shooting of migrants is widespread and systematic, it said, adding that if killing them were Saudi government policy, it would constitute a crime against humanity. A Saudi government statement dismissed the report as inaccurate. The allegations included in the Human Rights Watch report about Saudi border guards shooting Ethiopians while they were crossing the Saudi-Yemeni border are unfounded and not based on reliable sources, the statement said. Flight Risks Airline Close Calls Happen Far More Often Than Previously Known On the afternoon of July 2, a Southwest Airlines pilot had to abort a landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. A Delta Air Lines 737 was preparing to take off on the same runway. The sudden maneuver avoided a possible collision by seconds. Near miss New Orleans Airport Mississippi R. Near miss New Orleans Airport Mississippi R. New Orleans Near miss Airport Near miss Airport Note: Animation is sped up 20x. Vertical height and planes are not shown to scale. Source: Flightradar24; OpenStreetMap Nine days later, in San Francisco, an American Airlines jet was accelerating down the runway at more than 160 miles per hour when it narrowly missed a Frontier Airlines plane whose nose had almost jutted into its path. Moments later, the same thing happened as a German airliner was taking off. In both cases, the planes came so close to hitting the Frontier aircraft that the Federal Aviation Administration, in internal records reviewed by The New York Times, described the encounters as skin to skin. Near misses Airport Near misses Airport Near misses Airport Near misses Airport Note: Animation is sped up 15x. Plane size is approximate. Source: Flightradar24; OpenStreetMap And two and a half weeks after that, an American flight to Dallas was traveling at more than 500 m.p.h. when a collision warning blared in the cockpit. An air traffic controller had mistakenly directed a United Airlines plane to fly dangerously close. The American pilot had to abruptly yank the Airbus A321 up 700 feet. Near miss louisiana Magnolia Minden arkansas Near miss louisiana Magnolia Minden arkansas Near miss Minden louisiana Near miss Minden louisiana Note: Animation is sped up 30x. Vertical height and planes are not shown to scale. Source: Flightradar24; OpenStreetMap The incidents highlighted in preliminary F.A.A. safety reports but not publicly disclosed were among a flurry of at least 46 close calls involving commercial airlines last month alone. They were part of an alarming pattern of safety lapses and near misses in the skies and on the runways of the United States, a Times investigation found. While there have been no major U.S. plane crashes in more than a decade, potentially dangerous incidents are occurring far more frequently than almost anyone realizes a sign of what many insiders describe as a safety net under mounting stress. So far this year, close calls involving commercial airlines have been happening, on average, multiple times a week, according to a Times analysis of internal F.A.A. records, as well as thousands of pages of federal safety reports and interviews with more than 50 current and former pilots, air traffic controllers and federal officials. The incidents often occur at or near airports and are the result of human error, the agencys internal records show. Mistakes by air traffic controllers stretched thin by a nationwide staffing shortage have been one major factor. The close calls have involved all major U.S. airlines and have happened nationwide. Some have made headlines, including one in San Diego on Aug. 11, when a private plane almost landed on top of a Southwest flight. But most, including a close call between two planes in Phoenix four days earlier, have not been disclosed to the public. Phoenix Aug. 7, 2023 Southwest 2286 American 1388 Near miss An American flight turned left instead of right, putting it on a collision course with a Southwest plane. The aircraft came within a third of a mile horizontally and 300 feet vertically. Source: Flightradar24 In addition to the F.A.A. records, The Times analyzed a database maintained by NASA that contains confidential safety reports filed by pilots, air traffic controllers and others in aviation. The analysis identified a similar phenomenon: In the most recent 12-month period for which data was available, there were about 300 accounts of near collisions involving commercial airlines. The number of such near misses in the NASA database which is based on voluntary submissions that are not independently corroborated has more than doubled over the past decade, though it is unclear whether that reflects worsening safety conditions or simply increased reporting. Aviation authorities say that the U.S. air travel system, which transports nearly three million passengers a day, is the safest in the world. But current and former air traffic controllers said in interviews that close calls were happening so frequently that they feared it was only a matter of time until a deadly crash occurred. Honestly, this stuff scares the crap out of me, a longtime airline captain, who previously was a carrier fighter pilot, reported to NASA in November. An air traffic controller had cleared the pilots flight to land on what looked like a collision course with another passenger plane. (NASA redacts entries identifying details, such as the airlines and pilots names.) This has really opened my eyes to how the next aviation accident may play out, another pilot wrote to NASA after a close call on a runway in January. Is it going to take people dying for something to move forward? a controller wrote the same month after barely preventing a midair collision. The U.S. aviation network has long been protected by an extensive system of overlapping technological and human safeguards. Pilots undergo rigorous training. So do the air traffic controllers who scour the skies and manage takeoffs and landings. Technology alerts pilots and controllers to possible dangers and directs them to steer planes away from peril. The safety regime, with its built-in redundancies, is known in aviation circles as the Swiss cheese model: If a problem slips through a hole in one layer, it will be caught by another. The results are undeniable. There has not been a fatal crash involving a major U.S. airline since February 2009, when a Continental flight crashed into a house near Buffalo, killing all 49 people on board. The 14-year streak is the longest in the history of U.S. aviation. Yet that enviable record masks what pilots, air traffic controllers and others say are growing holes in the layers of the safety system especially as the volume of air travel returns to its levels from before the Covid-19 pandemic. The result, they said, was an increasing risk of disaster. One problem is that despite repeated recommendations from safety authorities, the vast majority of U.S. airports have not installed warning systems to help prevent collisions on runways. But the most acute challenge, The Times found, is that the nations air traffic control facilities are chronically understaffed. While the lack of controllers is no secret the Biden administration is seeking funding to hire and train more the shortages are more severe and are leading to more dangerous situations than previously known. As of May, only three of the 313 air traffic facilities nationwide had enough controllers to meet targets set by the F.A.A. and the union representing controllers, The Times found. Many controllers are required to work six-day weeks and a schedule so fatiguing that multiple federal agencies have warned that it can impede controllers abilities to do their jobs properly. Representatives of American, United, Delta, Southwest and other airlines emphasized their commitment to safety. Airlines said they invested heavily in training and sophisticated safety technology and that they worked closely with the F.A.A. to improve best practices. They said the lack of crashes showed the systems effectiveness. A United spokesman said the situation in July in which its plane came too close to the American flight was resolved while the two aircraft were more than three miles apart. Spirit representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Matthew Lehner, an F.A.A. spokesman, said the agencys multilayered approach to safety has virtually eliminated the risk of fatalities aboard U.S. commercial airlines. The goal now, he said, was to reduce the number of close calls to zero. One close call is one too many, he said in a statement. The F.A.A. maintains extremely conservative standards for keeping aircraft safely separated, Mr. Lehner added. Safety experts follow up on all events even those in which no collision was imminent or even possible and evaluate them for safety risks. Mr. Lehner did not dispute that serious incidents were happening frequently. He shared data that showed that the rate of so-called runway incursions such as when planes get too close to one another at airports was nearly 25 percent higher now than a decade ago, though the rate has improved since 2018. The F.A.A. discloses such incidents in an online database months after they take place, often with only limited details. Mr. Lehner said the F.A.A. lacked the funding to install more runway warning systems. But he said the agency was taking other steps to improve safety, including by upgrading taxiways and runways and hiring more air traffic controllers. Yet controllers around the country said they did not think the F.A.A. was doing enough. They said they had voiced concerns through official channels, including the agencys internal hotline. Frustrated with what they saw as a lack of action, controllers said, they decided to speak to The Times, on the condition of anonymity to protect their jobs. The staffing shortage is beyond unsustainable. It has now moved into a phase of JUST PLAIN DANGEROUS, one controller wrote to the F.A.A. last year in a confidential safety report that The Times reviewed. Controllers are making mistakes left and right. Fatigue is extreme, the report continued. The margin for safety has eroded tenfold. Morale is rock bottom. I catch myself taking risks and shortcuts I normally would never take. The controller concluded, It is only a matter of time before something catastrophic happens. In a Word, Disturbing The air traffic control tower at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, where a plane was cleared to land on the same runway as a departing flight. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times For planes that can move at hundreds of miles per hour, distances that seem substantial can vanish in seconds. The F.A.A. therefore requires planes to maintain large buffers between one another. (The size of the buffers varies depending on factors like flight conditions and the type of plane.) The F.A.A. and NASA records that The Times reviewed, as well as interviews with controllers and pilots, indicate that those standards are routinely breached. Only some of those violations are regarded as significant but they are happening with regularity. They included a series of incidents that became public early this year. At Kennedy International Airport in New York in January, an American Airlines flight crossed into the path of a Delta flight that was accelerating for takeoff. The Delta pilot slammed on the brakes, barely avoiding a crash. Three weeks later, on a foggy morning in Austin, Texas, an air traffic controller cleared a FedEx plane to land on the same runway as a departing Southwest flight. The planes, both moving at more than 150 m.p.h., came within less than 100 feet of colliding. Over the next few weeks, there were similar incidents in Sarasota, Fla.; Burbank, Calif.; and Boston, where a JetBlue Airways flight aborted its landing to avoid colliding with a charter plane that was taking off without clearance from air traffic control. New York City (Kennedy) Jan. 13, 2023 American Airlines 106 Delta 1943 Near miss Austin, Texas Feb. 4, 2023 Near miss Southwest 708 FedEx 1432 Boston Feb. 27, 2023 JetBlue 206 Hop-a-Jet 280 Near miss Source: Flightradar24 In an attempt to improve safety and restore public confidence, federal officials opened investigations into the incidents, urged the aviation community to exercise continued vigilance and convened a safety summit. The absence of a fatality or an accident doesnt mean the presence of safety, Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at the summit, in March. She added, These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call for every single one of us before something more catastrophic occurs, before lives are lost. While the string of headline-grabbing incidents was unnerving, there were other significant ones that have not been publicly reported. Preliminary descriptions were included in what are known as the Administrators Daily Alert Bulletins, which are distributed to a select group of F.A.A. employees and which The Times reviewed. Mistakes by air traffic controllers caused some of the close calls. Others were pilots fault. Some incidents involved errors by both. Among the previously undisclosed safety lapses and near misses: Miami Feb. 12, 2023 Near miss Spirit Airlines 3167 Amerijet International 8741 A mistake by an air traffic controller caused a Spirit Airlines flight to come within about 200 feet vertically and 700 feet horizontally of a cargo plane. Fort Lauderdale May 8, 2023 Delta 1043 Near miss Spirit 210 A controller cleared a Delta jet to approach the airport, putting it on a path to collide with a Spirit flight that also had been told to approach. An F.A.A. safety manager told a group of colleagues that the controllers actions were in a word, disturbing. Salt Lake City June 24, 2023 Near miss Delta 2024 SkyWest 4065 A pilot for SkyWest, a regional airline, failed to fly the correct path into Salt Lake Citys airport, veering within 100 feet vertically and less than a mile horizontally of a Delta flight coming from Ontario, Calif. Denver July 9, 2023 Southwest 1227 Near miss Frontier 768 The pilot navigating a Frontier flight from Las Vegas flew the wrong path into the Denver airport and came within 100 feet vertically and 0.65 miles horizontally of a Southwest flight from Portland, Ore. Source: Flightradar24 And on Aug. 11, collision alarms went off in the Baltimore control tower when a Southwest flight taxied across a runway at the same time that an F.A.A. plane, which was conducting safety tests, flew low over the same runway. Air traffic controllers did not warn either plane, and the government aircraft passed 181 feet above the Southwest flight, in what the F.A.A. regarded as a significant safety breach. The Rattler The control tower in Miami. The number of fully trained air traffic controllers nationwide has fallen 10 percent in the past decade. Joe Raedle/Getty Images When back-to-back planes nearly smashed into the Frontier jet whose nose was edging onto the San Francisco runway in July, one of the underlying problems was the shortage of air traffic controllers. The F.A.A.s internal reports into the incident found that the Frontier pilot made a mistake. But the controller monitoring the runway didnt do enough to mitigate the pilots error. Staffing during the incident was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic, the F.A.A. wrote. The controller who was supposed to be supervising colleagues was busy marshaling planes. Officials at the F.A.A. already knew that San Franciscos air traffic control tower was understaffed. As of May, it had 20 fully certified controllers, according to data that The Times obtained from the agency via a public records request. That was 33 percent below the target set by a group of officials from the F.A.A. and the controllers union. The situation in San Francisco was common. Ninety-nine percent of the nations air traffic control facilities 310 out of 313 had fewer fully certified controllers than the groups target levels, according to a Times analysis of the F.A.A. data and the agencys most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan. Nearly all U.S. air traffic control facilities are understaffed Circles represent 313 air traffic facilities in the United States, including airport towers and larger regional centers. They are sized by the recommended number of air traffic controllers for each facility and arranged according to the share of the recommended number that are actually on staff at each. Recommended number of air traffic controllers 50 100 300 200 Peoria, Ill., tower Overstaffed 100% staffed Understaffed The Fort Worth regional facility has 82% of 295 recommended air traffic controllers Jacksonville, Fla., tower 80% Phoenix tower Miami regional facility New York regional facility 60% Philadelphia tower 40% Casper, Wyo., tower Peoria, Ill., tower Overstaffed 100% staffed Understaffed The Fort Worth regional facility has 82% of 295 recommended air traffic controllers Jacksonville, Fla., tower 80% Phoenix tower Miami regional facility New York regional facility 60% Philadelphia tower Recommended number of air traffic controllers 50 100 200 300 40% Casper, Wyo., tower Sources: Federal Aviation Administration Notes: Staffing data as of May 2023. The target number of air traffic controllers for each facility was determined by a group of officials from the F.A.A. and the union representing controllers. The roots of the current staffing shortage date to the early 1980s, when the Reagan administration replaced thousands of controllers who were on strike. Since then, there have been waves of departures as controllers become eligible for retirement. The F.A.A. has struggled to keep pace. During the pandemic, many controllers left, and the F.A.A. slowed the pace of training new ones because of health restrictions. The staffing shortage became a crisis. In the past decade, the number of fully trained controllers has fallen 10 percent, while airport traffic has increased 5 percent. The Department of Transportations inspector general recently found that the F.A.A. lacks a plan to address staffing shortages. The F.A.A. has required many controllers to work six days a week. Halfway through 2023, some controllers had already clocked more than 400 hours of overtime, according to schedules reviewed by The Times. On top of that, many controllers work a schedule where the starting time for their shifts rotates over the course of a week. On the first day, a controller might work an afternoon shift. From there, the shifts start progressively earlier, culminating with a 24-hour period in which the controller works both an early morning shift and, as few as eight hours later, overnight duty. Many controllers call the schedule the rattler because like the snake, it has a nasty bite. The Rattler An example of a weekly schedule for air traffic controllers. DAY 1 3 p.m. 11 p.m. DAY 2 15 hours off 2 p.m. 10 p.m. 9 hours off DAY 3 7 a.m. 3 p.m. 15 hours off DAY 4 6 a.m. 2 p.m. 8 hours off 10 p.m. 6 a.m. DAY 5 Overtime shift DAY 6 Controllers are often required to work an additional overtime shift. DAY 7 DAY 1 3 p.m. 11 p.m. DAY 2 15 hours off 2 p.m. 10 p.m. 9 hours off DAY 3 7 a.m. 3 p.m. 15 hours off DAY 4 6 a.m. 2 p.m. 8 hours off 10 p.m. 6 a.m. DAY 5 Overtime shift DAY 6 Controllers are often required to work an additional overtime shift. DAY 7 Sources: NASA; FAA employees The F.A.A. and the controllers union approved the schedule, which is designed in part to spread busy shifts across employees. But many controllers said that, coupled with mandatory overtime, it has pushed them to the physical and psychological brink. Some said they hadnt sought medical or mental health care because they were afraid of jeopardizing the medical clearances they needed to remain in their jobs. Instead, they self-medicated with banned sleeping pills and alcohol. The result, they said in interviews and internal safety complaints, was potentially hazardous mistakes. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Department of Transportations inspector general have found that the rattler increased the risk of controller errors. Since then, the F.A.A. has modified the schedule to address some concerns, but controllers said it remained grueling. On a Sunday in late July, an Allegiant Air flight was cruising at 23,000 feet from Fort Lauderdale to Lexington, Ky. An air traffic controller in Miami who was overseeing the airspace instructed the pilot to turn east directly into the path of a private Gulfstream jet. A collision alert sounded, and both planes took evasive action. The Allegiant plane climbed so sharply that a flight attendant fell and suffered a wrist injury. The plane returned to Fort Lauderdale, where an emergency medical crew took the flight attendant to the hospital. The close call made headlines. An internal F.A.A. document about the incident said that staffing at the Miami air traffic center was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic. There was no supervisor on duty covering the airspace in which the incident occurred. The Miami facility, which handles more than two million aircraft a year, faces chronic staff shortages. As of May, it had 201 certified controllers, far below the recommended level of at least 298. If there is a shortage of controllers for a shift, we slow traffic to match the level of staff and to maintain safety, said Mr. Lehner, the F.A.A. spokesman. Yelling Stop Only 43 of the nations more than 500 airports serving commercial flights have runway collision-avoidance systems. Desiree Rios for The New York Times Pilots, air traffic controllers and federal investigators have warned repeatedly that Americas air safety system is fraying. In 2013, for example, the Department of Transportations inspector general wrote that so-called losses of separation which occur when aircraft get too close to each other continue to be a major air safety concern, particularly in light of dramatic increases in their occurrence. Five years later, the inspector general issued a similar warning about close calls on runways. In 2017, after an increase in such incidents, the National Transportation Safety Board called for the F.A.A. to install more systems that alert air traffic controllers to imminent collisions on runways. Since then, the F.A.A. has not installed a single new surface detection system. Only 43 of the nations more than 500 airports serving commercial flights have such systems, according to the F.A.A. Mr. Lehner said the agency did not have the funding for new systems but was looking for more affordable options. NASAs database is also filled with warnings. Hundreds of entries detail how factors like workload, time pressure, fatigue, technological problems and communication breakdowns led to terrifying situations. I saw the nose of the jet with his lights illuminated at a close range. It looked like a cover photo from Flying Magazine, a commercial airline pilot wrote in March, after coming within 200 feet of crashing into another aircraft in the skies around Jacksonville, Fla. This conflict was too close to risk any single life we had on board, much less the 198 souls traveling collectively on us. In another report this year, a pilot narrated nearly colliding with two separate passenger planes after landing in Tampa on a foggy morning. I noticed a dark silhouette of an aircraft that appeared to be moving directly at us. It was extremely difficult to see, but I yelled STOP to the captain, The aircraft is going to hit us, the pilot wrote. The other aircraft never slowed down, and if we would have noticed it a second later we would have collided. There was a second aircraft following the first, and it did not slow down either, and it passed our wingtips within ft. The captain called the air traffic control facility. They stated that the two aircraft that almost hit us were not supposed to be there, the pilot wrote. Collisions on the ground can be deadly if the aircraft are moving at high speeds, as they often are on runways. The F.A.A. said it was trying to address the controller shortage. In its most recent budget request, it sought $117 million to train controllers and hire 1,800 new ones in the 2024 fiscal year, which begins in October. (The F.A.A. also requested more funding for technology and safety measures.) The extra funding would not be a panacea. The F.A.A. expects to lose more than 1,400 controllers next year because of retirements and other departures. And new controllers must undergo years of training. In the meantime, near misses continue to occur regularly. Just after 5 p.m. on Aug. 7, a controller at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport cleared American Flight 1388 for takeoff to New York. The controller instructed it to turn right after departing the airport, but the American pilot incorrectly repeated the directions back to the controller, according to F.A.A. safety reports. The controller didnt catch the mistake. After the plane took off, it banked left instead of right, directly into the path of a Southwest flight en route to Austin. A different air traffic controller realized the planes were on a collision course. He radioed in urgent tones to the American pilot that the other flight was just to its left a Boeing 737 sitting right there. The two planes came within a third of a mile horizontally and 300 feet vertically of each other before pulling apart. A midair catastrophe had been averted by seconds. The ARCHAX is a real-life 4.5-meter-tall mecha robot created by Japanese company Tsubame Industry that can be yours for the low price of 400 million yen ($2.75 million). If, like me, you grew up watching Gundam anime and playing video games like Armored Core or Titanfall, you probably imagined yourself piloting a giant mecha at least once in your life. Well, thanks to a company called Tsubame Industry, that dream is about to become reality. Well, if you can afford it, of course. The small Japanese startup recently showcased its newest product, dubbed ARCHAX, a pilotable robot inspired by Japanese mecha culture. Standing a whopping 4.5 meters tall and weighing around 3.5 tons, this real-life mecha is powered by a 300V battery and can switch from a standing mode to drivable mode, attaining a top speed of 10 kilometers per hour. However, in order to experience the thrill of piloting the ARCHAX, youll have to pay an estimated 400 million yen ($2.75 million) for one. The ARCHAX a name inspired by that of the flying dinosaur Archeopteryx was recently showcased in a series of videos posted by Tsubame Industry, and the Japanese startup announced that a working version will be presented at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 (formerly the Tokyo Motor Show) in November. As for when the mecha will hit the market, a Tsubame spokesperson said that it is expected to be available in about a year. However, considering the high price tag, the company is targeting wealthy foreign billionaires as potential clients. The main chassis of the ARCHAX is made of iron and aluminum alloy, while the outer shell consists mainly of FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic). Although the head appears to feature a large camera, it is only for show. In reality, the pilot maneuvering the ARCHAX will have footage captured by 26 different cameras mounted all over the mecha fed into a number of monitors inside the cockpit. The control panel is reportedly similar to that of construction machinery, consisting of two joysticks, a number of pedals, and a touchscreen. Interestingly, the ARCHAX can also be remote-operated. While in stand-up mode, the ARCHAX mecha can move at a speed of 2 km/h, and in drive mode that speed is increased to 10 km/h. Its not exactly soaring through the air like in video games, but its better than just standing still. It can tilt forward a maximum of 20 degrees in stand-up mode and 30 degrees in drive mode, to ensure that it doesnt fall over. If these values are exceeded, the system shuts down to prevent serious accidents. The mecha is subject to risk assessment in accordance with the safety regulations of construction machinery and robots. The fingers of the ARCHAXs mechanical arms have 5 movable fingers, and it can grab a variety of things, but the weight of them is limited to 15 kilograms, for safety reasons. Trying to lift something heavy could cause the mecha to topple, putting the pilot at risk and damaging it. This isnt the first functional mecha to come out of Japan, but its definitely one of the most advanced-looking. And, if $2.75 is a little over your budget, you might want to settle for this lightweight-yet-functional mecha suit. United Help Ukraine Seeks Pro Bono PR Tue., Oct. 24, 2023 United Help Ukraine, which was formed in DC in 2014, is seeking pro bono support to build a national PR plan to increase awareness and donations to support the people of Ukraine since the invasion by Russia. Connor Austin S2 Capital, a vertically integrated residential investment manager, hires Connor Austin as VP of capital formation and investor relations. Austin was most recently an assistant VP at iCapital Network, managing relationships with registered investment advisors, regional and independent broker dealers and bank trust clients. In his new position, he will be tasked with building investor relationships with institutions and wealth management firms in the Western U.S. He will be based in Los Angeles. "His track record of raising capital and talent for building relationships with wealth management firms will help us strategically scale for new opportunities and expand our investor base, said S2 Capital head of capital formation and investor relations Patrick Connell. Mary Kate Gulick FiComm Partners, which specializes in wealth management and financial services, hires Mary Kate Gulick as EVP of marketing. Gulick most recently served as CMO at Carson Group, a financial advisory services company. She previously held senior marketing posts at companies including TV Ameritrade Institutional and IBM. "Mary Kate is a widely respected people leader and proven industry marketer," said FiComm CEO and co-founder Meg Carpenter. "The addition of Mary Kate will significantly expand our platform and bring a unique skill set to helping our clients grow, compete and succeed." Tomoko Yamagishi-Dressler Evolus, a beauty company that works in the aesthetic neurotoxin market, names Tomoko Yamagishi-Dressler as CMO. Yamagishi-Dressler was most recently CMO at Beautyblender, a company that produces a line of makeup sponges. She previously worked at Shiseido for over two decades, ultimately serving as senior VP, marketing and sales. Tomoko brings incredible expertise in the beauty business, as well as deep global and omnichannel marketing experience for prominent cosmetic brands, said David Moatazedi, President and CEO at Evolus. Nissan trucks are renowned for their impressive power and performance, making them capable of towing trailers, boats, and other large recreational items. The Nissan Titan and Nissan Frontier stand out for their towing abilities, with the Frontier offering a best-in-class standard 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque from its 3.8-liter V6 engine. Among these, the Nissan truck lineup offers a variety of options to suit your needs. Now, lets take a closer look at these powerful Nissan trucks and their towing capacities. Advertisement 2023 Nissan TITAN The 2023 Nissan Titan offers a maximum towing capacity of 9,323 lbs, making it a reliable choice for heavy-duty towing needs. This powerful truck is available in two different bed lengths: the King cab with a 6-foot-7-inch bed and the Crew cab with a 5-foot bed, providing flexibility in cargo space depending on your requirements. In addition to its impressive towing capacity, the Titan also boasts a powerful engine and cutting-edge technology, ensuring a smooth and efficient towing experience. No matter the adventure you have planned, the 2023 Nissan Titan is ready to tackle it with ease. 2023 Nissan TITAN XD The 2023 Nissan Titan XD is a full-size pickup truck that boasts a robust engine, cutting-edge technology, and a maximum towing capacity of 11,033 lbs. This powerful truck is designed to handle even the most demanding towing jobs, ensuring you can haul your cargo without any worry. The Titan XDs impressive capabilities make it an excellent choice for those who need a reliable and powerful truck for towing. With the 2023 Nissan Titan XD, youre guaranteed a smooth and efficient towing experience, perfect for any adventure you have in mind. 2023 Nissan Frontier The 2023 Nissan Frontier is a midsize truck with a retro-cool style, offering the following features: Maximum towing capacity of 6,720 lbs Equipped with a 3.8-liter V-6 engine, delivering 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque Available in rear-wheel or four-wheel drive Two different cab sizes: four-door crew-cab style or extended King Cab Both cabs available with a 5 or 6 feet bed length In addition to its towing capacity, the 2023 Nissan Frontier features improved steering for better responsiveness. With its combination of power, performance, and style, the 2023 Nissan Frontier is an excellent choice for those seeking a versatile truck capable of handling various towing needs. If Ramanagara District Is Renamed As Bangalore South, Property Prices May Soar In The Area Devotees Pray For Success Of Chandrayaan-3 At Kukke Subramanya Temple Bengaluru oi-Madhuri Adnal Nagapanchami is being celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout Karnataka today. This festival is dedicated to snakes, which are revered as sacred creatures in Hinduism. In the southern district of Dakshina Kannada, special worship was performed at the Kukke Subramanya temple to commemorate the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission. The Kukke Subramanya temple is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Karnataka. It is dedicated to Lord Subramanya, a Hindu deity who is often depicted with a serpent around his neck. On Nagapanchami, devotees from all over the state flock to the temple to offer prayers to Lord Subramanya and to seek his blessings. This year, the festival took on added significance as it coincided with the launch of Chandrayaan-3. The mission is a major milestone in India's space exploration program, and it is seen as a symbol of the country's growing technological prowess. In a special ceremony at the Kukke Subramanya temple, prayers were offered for the success of Chandrayaan-3. Devotees also offered milk and flowers to the temple's serpent deity, seeking his blessings for the mission. The success of Chandrayaan-3 is a major boost for India's space program. It is also a source of pride for the nation, and it has been celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country. Chandrayaan 3 Prediction: Will India's Moon Mission Be A Success? Here's What Kodi Mutt Seer Said In addition to the celebrations at the Kukke Subramanya temple, there were also special events held at other temples and religious sites across Karnataka. In Bengaluru, for example, a large gathering was held at the Kapaleeshwarar Temple. Devotees prayed for the success of Chandrayaan-3 and for the well-being of the nation. The celebrations for Nagapanchami are a reminder of the importance of snakes in Hindu mythology. Snakes are often seen as symbols of wisdom and power, and they are also associated with fertility and prosperity. The festival is a way for Hindus to express their reverence for these creatures and to seek their blessings. The success of Chandrayaan-3 is also a reminder of India's growing technological prowess. The mission is a major milestone in the country's space exploration program, and it has the potential to make significant contributions to our understanding of the moon. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 12:57 [IST] Beijing (Gasgoo)- On August 19, Dongfeng Motors premium new energy vehicle brand VOYAH saw the newly refreshed VOYAH FREE model officially hit the market, pricing at 266,900 yuan. Photo credit: VOYAH The new VOYAH FREE introduces new exterior and interior designs, updated powertrain options, and advanced intelligent driving features. Positioned as a large smart five-seater SUV, it comes equipped with the Baidu Apollo Highway Driving Pro system, providing users with state-of-the-art assistance in navigation and driving. The model features a standard all-wheel-drive system and air suspension. Its powertrain is powered by a 1.5-liter deep Miller cycle range extender, achieving an impressive comprehensive range of 1,201 km and a range of 210 km on battery power alone. This marks the model's comprehensive upgrade since its initial launch. Notably, the VOYAH FREE offers a single variant, the VOYAH FREE Extended Range Intelligent Driving Edition, eliminating the hassle of multiple choices for customers and showcasing VOYAH's innovative approach. An essential enhancement of the VOYAH FREE is the optional Baidu Apollo Highway Driving Pro package, priced at 25,000 yuan. Customers who purchase the package simultaneously with the vehicle before December 31 can opt for a discounted price of 10,000 yuan, meanwhile, those who choose not to purchase the package can enjoy a four-month free trial, followed by a monthly subscription fee of 600 yuan or an annual subscription fee of 6,000 yuan. The Baidu Apollo Highway Driving Pro, offering users integrated driving and parking assistance, as well as advanced autonomous driving experiences. With features like NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) and human-machine cooperative maps, the system ensures safety through more than 60 million kilometers of testing. In highway scenarios, the VOYAH FREE's Highway Driving Pro provides efficient lane changes, automatic recognition of ramps, large vehicle avoidance, and the world's first intelligent service area assistance function. The success rate of autonomous lane changes exceeds 99%, with fewer than 1 human intervention per 100 kilometers, while ramp success rates surpass 95%, said Baidu. In congested urban areas, the vehicle's adaptive cruise control enables automatic acceleration and deceleration, intelligent following, and lane changes after signaling. By preemptively sensing road conditions, the system helps the vehicle choose the optimal route in real-time. Parking features include comprehensive intelligent parking capabilities such as efficient automatic parking in all orientations, one-key remote parking, memory parking, and remote summoning. These functionalities address common parking challenges such as difficulty finding parking spots and inconvenient parking maneuvers. 'If You Don't Get A Joke Then The Joke Is On You': Prakash Raj On Chandrayaan 3 Controversy Actor Prakash Raj Mocks Ex-ISRO Chief K Sivan Ahead of Chandrayaan-3 Landing, Faces Backlash India oi-Madhuri Adnal Controversial actor-politician Prakash Raj has ignited a fresh wave of criticism through a recent tweet, raising eyebrows for his mocking stance regarding India's forthcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission. The tweet has emerged at a time when the nation is brimming with anticipation for a historic moment, as the countdown for the mission remains in progress. The tweet featured a cartoon illustration portraying an individual in a lungi, playfully conjuring a tea splash in the air. The accompanying caption read, "First picture coming from the moon by Vikram Lander. Just asking." While the exact intention behind the image remained unclear, social media quickly erupted with a barrage of criticism against Raj, accusing him of displaying contempt for the ruling BJP and showcasing a perceived anti-India sentiment. As the nation engages in special prayers and rituals to ensure the secure landing of the Vikram lander on the moon's surface, Prakash Raj took to the platform formerly known as Twitter, now called X, to share a post featuring a caricature of Ex-ISRO Chief K Sivan pouring tea. The caption humorously stated, "BREAKING NEWS: First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander. Wowww #justasking." Recommended Video Actor Prakash Raj mocks Indias moon mission, Twitter calls it 'blind hatred' | Oneindia News Chandrayaan-3's Boulder Challenge: ISRO Shares Images Of Collision Avoidance Tactics However, Raj's post has attracted substantial trolling. One user expressed, "Never allow hate to consume you to the point where you start hating your country's progress, achievements, and endeavors. This is a tragic waste of a life." 1 Repost = Salute to ISRO 1 Like = Slap to people like Prakash Raj who are ridiculing Chandayan 3 cuz they hate Modi. pic.twitter.com/vJfz3yqcCA Krishna (@Atheist_Krishna) August 21, 2023 I pity you, Mr Prakash Raj. You should consult a psychiatrist. https://t.co/jTZoMU8UD2 Pramod Kumar Singh (@SinghPramod2784) August 20, 2023 Every Indian to Prakash Raj: pic.twitter.com/bGs9E8IZZP madr (@madr_in) August 20, 2023 #VikramLander Only in India jokers like Prakash Raj can mock Indian Army, insult the efforts of our scientists & can get away easily pic.twitter.com/kf66FopevU Kadak (@kadak_chai_) August 21, 2023 Prakash Raj ko gaali nahi dega koi pic.twitter.com/qnDQTAgiwl rae (@ChillamChilli) August 20, 2023 Hating Modi is one thing, but hating Indias development is something disgusting and only low life creatures like Prakash Raj can do! The moon mission is Indias pride, and the whole country is behind the project, except for such desh drohis who dont want India to prosper! https://t.co/nuztWUHkME Arun Vishwanathan (@arunv2808) August 20, 2023 ISRO, a representation of India's best attributes, achieved remarkable feats despite limited resources and a pessimistic environment. Now, ISRO ranks among the world's finest, attempting what only a few nations have accomplished. In contrast, Prakash Raj's actions represent a darker facet of India, displaying animosity toward the very nation that has bestowed him with much. Beyond his presence in the showbiz arena, Prakash Raj initiated his political journey with the hashtag #justasking following the assassination of his friend Gauri Lankesh in September 2017. He also contested the 2019 Indian general election as an independent candidate for the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency; however, his campaign ended in defeat. Chandrayaan-3 Landing Date And Time Officially Announced: Details Inside Scheduled to touch down on August 23, 2023 (Wednesday) around 18:04 IST, Chandrayaan-3 aims for a successful soft landing on the moon. This achievement would place India as the fourth country worldwide to accomplish such a feat, joining the ranks of the United States, Russia, and China. The mission's lander, named after Vikram Sarabhai (1919-1971), widely hailed as the father of India's space program, commemorates his legacy. Prakash Raj boasts an array of awards, including five National Film Awards, eight Nandi Awards, eight Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, five Filmfare Awards South, four SIIMA Awards, three CineMAA Awards, and three Vijay Awards. Kejriwal Welcomes CBI Probe Into Bungalow Renovation, Says Nothing Will Come Out Of It Arvind Kejriwal To Attend Third Meeting Of INDIA Alliance India oi-Sushmita Halder Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday confirmed that he will attend the third meeting of the INDIA Alliance in Mumbai amid the ongoing tensions between the Congress Party and AAP. While addressing the media over the issue, CM Kejriwal asserted, "We will go to Mumbai, and will let you know about our strategy." This comes after Congress leader Alka Lamba surfaced in headlines for her remarks "preparing on all seven Delhi seats". Recently Lamba was heard saying, "No decision has been taken on whether to have an alliance, but we have been asked to prepare ourselves on all seven seats. We will go to the people strongly after preparing ourselves properly in all seven seats." AAP Supremo who was perturbed by Lamba's statement took a dig at the Congress Party in his election speeches in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. "The people of the state have tried these two parties (Congress and BJP) for the last 75 years, but none of them provided electricity in the state. If you want power supply, vote for AAP, and if you want power cut vote for these two parties," the Delhi CM was heard saying while addressing a rally in MP. Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Friday claimed that there is no controversy over the alliance. He was quoted saying as, "There might be two reasons for AAP getting jumpy in this case. One is that they might have got an indication from Amit Shah's speech where he said 'AAP will quit INDIA' and they often listen to the BJP. Secondly, AAP might be missing out on being a party that is talked about." Reportedly, the logo of the opposition INDIA alliance is likely to be unveiled during the front's meeting in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. 80 leaders from more than 26 political parties are expected to attend the meeting in the country's financial capital. At present, 26 parties are part of the grouping, and a few more are set to join the alliance during the two-day meeting. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 17:33 [IST] Cauvery Water Dispute: SC To Hear Petitions From Karnataka, Tamil Nadu India oi-Madhuri Adnal The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to constitute a panel for the purpose of addressing the Cauvery River water-sharing dispute case. The Tamil Nadu government is requesting new directives concerning the release of water. Earlier, Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Minister, Duraimurugan, stated that the state had strongly presented its requirements. Despite this, Karnataka altered its stance, indicating their intention to release only 8,000 cusecs of water until August 22. The minister mentioned that earlier, on August 10, during a meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee, it was unanimously decided that Karnataka would release 15,000 cusecs of water daily for 15 days. "In light of this, the Tamil Nadu government is left with no alternative but to approach the Supreme Court. We will soon file a case in the apex court. Justice will prevail, and we are resolute in obtaining water under the leadership of Chief Minister MK Stalin," Minister Duraimurugan was quoted as saying by PTI. Flood alert in Cauvery river banks in Salem The minister further added, as per the report, that the collective storage capacity of the four dams in Karnataka is 114.571 tmc ft, with a current storage of 93.535 tmc ft, which equates to approximately 82 percent. Accusing Karnataka of lacking the willingness to share water with Tamil Nadu, Duraimurugan stated that this stance has persisted in the Karnataka government since the inception of the Cauvery dispute decades ago. He remarked, "Karnataka appears indifferent even to the potential loss of standing crops (such as Kuruvai, a short-term paddy crop)." Notably, the decision of the Tamil Nadu government comes shortly after CM Stalin wrote to PM Narendra Modi, urging his intervention to compel Karnataka to promptly release Cauvery water for Kuruvai cultivation. "The Supreme Court has defined the share of water to be provided to Tamil Nadu at Billigundulu, following a monthly schedule. Regrettably, Karnataka is not upholding the said order in both words and spirit, and they are also not adhering to the directives of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)," he said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 12:00 [IST] CHANDRAYAAN 3 Highlights: Rover Pragyan Rolls Out Of Lander Near Moon's South Pole India oi-Madhuri Adnal Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-3 moon mission successfully soft-landed today at 6.04 PM. India scripted history by becoming the first nation to land the Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the Moon's south pole, days after a Russian probe Luna-25 crashed in the same region. India scripted history as ISRO's ambitious third Moon mission Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM) touched down on the lunar surface on Wednesday, making it only the fourth country to accomplish the feat and the first to reach the uncharted south pole of Earth's only natural satellite. Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 and its objectives are to demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, roving on the Moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments. Chandrayaan-2 had failed in its lunar phase when its lander 'Vikram' crashed into the surface of the Moon minutes before the touchdown following anomalies in the braking system in the lander while attempting a landing on September 7, 2019. Chandrayaan's maiden mission was in 2008. The Rs 600 crore Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14 onboard Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM-3) rocket, for a 41-day voyage to reach near the lunar south pole. The soft landing took place days after Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control. The lander and the six-wheeled rover (with total mass of 1,752 kg) are designed to operate for one lunar daylight period (about 14 Earth days) The lander with four legs, had multiple sensors to ensure a safe touchdown, including an accelerometer, altimeters, Doppler velocimeter, inclinometer, touchdown sensor, and a suite of cameras for hazard avoidance and positional knowledge. The lander carries the rover in a compartment with a ramp for deployment onto the surface. "We are witness to the new flight of new India. A new history has been written," PM Modi said while addressing ISRO scientists virtually from Johannesburg, and described the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the moon as the "first light of 'Amrit Kaal' and the 'Amrit Varsha' of success". "This is a moment to cherish forever," Modi said, noting that India has reached the South Pole of the moon where no country has ventured so far and congratulated scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the historic feat. Stay tuned for LIVE updates: Delhi Govt Officer Accused Of Raping Minor Arrested Along With Wife India pti-PTI Police on Monday arrested a Delhi government officer, who allegedly raped a minor several times and impregnated her, and his wife after questioning them and recording the statement of the victim, officials said. Shortly before he was arrested in the case which was registered on August 13, Premoday Khakha was suspended from his post as deputy director in Women and Child Development (WCD) Department following a direction from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Khakha and his wife Seema Rani are residents of Shakti Enclave in the Burari area, the police said, adding the girl was staying at the residence of the accused, a family friend whom she calls 'mama', after her father passed away on October 1, 2020, the police said. The accused, an ex-cadre officer, had allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021. His wife has also been charged with giving the girl medicine to terminate her pregnancy, they said. "Both Khakha and his wife have been arrested in connection with the case. The case was registered on August 13," Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi. The couple was detained for questioning earlier in the day. They were arrested after the victim recorded her statement before a magistrate at a hospital. During the day, a police team visited the house of the accused. While Seema Rani was produced in court after her arrest, Khakha will be produced on Tuesday, the police said. WCD Minister Atishi told PTI that the charges against the officer were "worrisome and shocking" because he had the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of women and children. "I want to request the Delhi police and the judiciary to take the strictest action against the accused as soon as possible," she said. The police said the case was registered under provisions of the POCSO Act and Indian Penal Code sections 376(2)(f) (being a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on such woman) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman). IPC sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) have also been invoked. When the minor allegedly became pregnant, she informed the wife of the accused who later asked her son to get medicines for pregnancy termination and gave them to the girl. The girl returned home with her mother in January 2021 when she came to meet her. The matter involving the official and his wife came to light when the girl, who is now in Class 12, recently narrated the incident to a counsellor at a hospital where she was admitted following an anxiety attack, the police officer said. The accused allegedly sexually assault her several times, the officer said. Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP leaders attacked the AAP government over the incident and demanded the resignation of minister Kailash Gahlot, claiming the accused worked as his OSD when he was heading the department. No immediate reaction was available from the ruling AAP or Gahlot over the issue. "The officer charged with raping a minor was serving as the OSD to the Minister of Women and Child Development. "He was one of the favourites of the Kejriwal administration and was handpicked. The Kejriwal government must answer!" Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva posted on microblogging platform X. In a media interaction, Delhi BJP secretary Bansuri Swaraj claimed that the accused officer was a "handpicked" officer on special duty (OSD) to the then Women and Child Development (WCD) minister Kailash Gahlot. "The accused officer exploited the girl while being OSD, therefore Gahlot should take moral responsibility and resign," Bansuri said showing a purported government order. Swaraj also questioned the "silence" of the present WCD minister Atishi. Atishi demanded that a probe from all angles should be held and added the accused officer was suspended soon after the Kejriwal government got information about the incident. She also said that the case against the accused should be fast-tracked by the police and the courts. Swaraj, however, hit out at the Kejriwal government saying the FIR against the accused officer was filed by the police on August 13, yet it took seven days to order his suspension. A Delhi government order dated March 13, 2023 said that the accused officer Premoday Khakha, deputy director (WCD) who was deployed to then WCD minister Kailash Gahlot, on March 29, 2022, was relieved from his duties with effect from March 10, 2023. Atishi was appointed as minister of the WCD department through a notification on March 9, 2023. However, sources claimed that Khakha was not repatriated and he continued to be OSD. But after Atishi took charge, he stopped working on the post. Khakha has also been associated with Juvenile Justice Board. Earlier in the day, DCW chief Swati Maliwal sat on a dharna at a hospital on Monday, claiming that she was prevented from meeting the victim. "The director of the hospital came to meet the DCW chief and informed her that the DCP (deputy commissioner of police) and ACP (assistant commissioner of police) of the Delhi Police are inside the hospital and had asked them to not allow her to meet the victim," the women's panel said in a statement. The commission also sent a notice to the Delhi Police and the city government's women and child development and services departments, seeking action in the matter. Maliwal said it was "shocking" that the Delhi police did not arrest the accused even eight days after the registration of the FIR. "Even I was not allowed to meet the survivor at the behest of the Delhi Police. I will meet the survivor and provide all possible support," she said. Responding to National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma's statement on X alleging that the DCW's "own officer has been raping a girl since the last two years", Maliwal said legal action will be taken in the matter for "false accusations and defaming the commission". "Strongly object to the lies being spread by the NCW chairperson and some BJP politicians, stating that the accused is an employee of the DCW. "The statement is fake propaganda. Legal action will be taken against spreading of such fake news and defaming the commission," Maliwal said. 'If You Don't Get A Joke Then The Joke Is On You': Prakash Raj On Chandrayaan 3 Controversy India oi-Prakash KL Multilingual actor Prakash Raj has given a clarification on his tweet mocking India's ambitious moon mission Chandrayaan 3. Prakash Raj has said that he was referring to a joke about Neil Armstrong (the first person to walk on the Moon) times. "Hate sees only Hate.. i was referring to a joke of #Armstrong times .. celebrating our kerala Chaiwala .. which Chaiwala did the TROLLS see ?? .. if you dont get a joke then the joke is on you .. GROW UP #justasking," he tweeted. The actor was trolled for a post, viewed by many as mocking India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3. On Sunday, Raj shared a cartoon showing a man in a shirt and sarong pouring tea. He captioned the cartoon in Kannada, writing, "Latest news: First view just arrived from the Chandrayaan #VikramLander #justasking". While the actor did not specify the man in the cartoon, many social media users slammed the actor for making fun of former ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) chief K Sivan. Chandrayaan-3, launched on July 14, is ready to touch down on the Moon's south pole on August 23. It will be the first to land on the lunar south pole. It is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. His post did not go well with many. People urged him to keep out ISRO's achievements out of politics. "Prakashji, this Chandrayan mission is from ISRO not BJP. If it gets succeed, it's for India not for any party (sic). Why you want this mission to fail? BJP is just a ruling party. It will go one day. But ISRO will remain for years and will make us proud (sic)," he said. "He is making fun of an achievement that the world considers a milestone," another user added. "You have stooped so low.. feel ashamed that you are a fellow countryman !! I am proud of ISRO !! Jai Hind," a netizen said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 20:38 [IST] Did You Know, The Cost Of ISRO's Aditya L1 Is Lesser Than 'Jailer', 'Gaddar 2' Collection? It Is My Habit To Touch The Feet Of Yogis: Rajinikanth Breaks Silence On The Controversy India oi-Prakash KL Rajinikanth has broken his silence on the controversy around touching the feet of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He said that it is his habit to touch the feet of yogis or sanyasis even if they are younger to him. "It is my habit to touch the feet of Yogis or Sanyasis and take their blessings, even if they are younger to me, I have done that only," Rajinikanth said on Monday. Rajinikanth was criticised by a section of netizens for touching the feet of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. In the viral clip doing rounds on social media sites, the Tamil superstar is seen touching the feet of Yogi as he arrives at his residence in Lucknow. This gesture has left netizens, his fans and Tamils divided. It is because Rajinikanth is younger to Yogi. Those who have found no fault in Rajinikanth's gesture say that it is common for Hindus to touch a spiritual leader's feet. "In Hindu culture, touching someone's feet is a gesture of respect and humility. While it embodies deep values, it might seem misunderstood by others. Let's embrace diverse traditions with open hearts," a user said on Twitter. However, another section of people are not happy with Rajinikanth's gesture of touching Yogi's feet as he is a politician. Many accused the UP CM of targeting another community through bulldozer action. Hence, they questioned why the Tamil actor touched the controversial Chief Minister's feet. Nonetheless, this was a major issue in the Tamil media. On being asked if it was a political visit to Uttar Pradesh, Rajinikanth said, "I went there to meet my friends, it was a wonderful visit." Earlier in the day, Rajinikanth met with Raja Bhaiyya, the President of the Jansatta Dal and an elected representative. The meeting took place at Singh's residence in Uttar Pradesh. Raja Bhaiyya welcomed Rajinikanth with warm hospitality and showered him with praise for his contributions to the film industry and his spiritual standing. He also presented Rajinikanth with a gift of holy water from the Ganges and sacred ash from Baba Viswanath. Major Challenges Faced By Chandrayaan-3 While Landing On Moon India oi-Sushmita Halder After Russia's Luna-25 crash, all eyes are on successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 which is in the final process of landing. Notably, there are some major challenges for the Indian spacecraft ahead of its landing on the moon. Speed And Direction According to ISRO, the most important thing in the landing of Vikram Lander is to get the spacecraft from a horizontal to a vertical position. Currently, it is travelling around 1.68 km per second, which should be reduced to at least 2 meters per second. If the speed is high, then it may cause harm to Chandrayaan-3. Identifying The Right Landing Site It is very important to identify the right landing site for Chandrayaan-3. Last time the landing site for Chandrayaan 2 was kept at 500 m x 500 m, but this time it has been increased to 2.5 km x 4 km so that Vikram Lander does not face any problem. Maintain Communication Another major challenge before Chandrayaan's Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover is to maintain contact with ISRO's control center. Luna-25 lost contact at the last moment. According to ISRO, the propulsion module of Chandrayaan is working well. Apart from this, the orbiter of Chandrayaan-2 is also active. It will also decode Vikram's message and send it to the command center. What Was The Reason For Luna's Crash? According to the Russian Space Agency, Luna-25 had gone into an unexpected orbit. It released the thrust to send it into orbit for pre-landing, but then an emergency situation arose at the automatic station due to which the spacecraft crashed. Will Land Even If The Engine Fails According to ISRO Chief Somnath, this time Chandrayaan has been designed in such a way that even if everything fails, it will land. Even if the sensors fail or the engine fails, Vikram will land on the lunar surface, just its propulsion system should work well. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 19:54 [IST] INDIA Bloc Resolves To Fight 2024 LS Polls Together 'As Far As Possible' Opposition Questions Bank's Withdrawal Of Auction Notice For Sunny Deol's Bungalow India oi-Madhuri Adnal The Opposition, including the Congress, on Monday questioned the Bank of Baroda's (BoB) decision to withdraw the e-auction notice for the Juhu bungalow of actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sunny Deol. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to X (formerly Twitter) and stated, "Yesterday afternoon, the nation learned that Bank of Baroda had listed BJP MP Sunny Deol's Juhu residence for e-auction due to his outstanding Rs 56 crore debt to the Bank. This morning, within less than 24 hours, the nation was informed that the Bank of Baroda has retracted the auction notice citing 'technical reasons'. I wonder who triggered these 'technical reasons'?" The state-owned Bank of Baroda had announced an e-auction for a property owned by the actor, aiming to recover Rs 56 crore, with the auction scheduled for August 25. The Gurdaspur MP, also known as Ajay Singh Dharmendra Deol, has found success with his latest movie "Gadar 2," which has already grossed over Rs 370 crore since its release last week. However, the bank revealed in a public tender on Sunday that he has defaulted on a Rs 55.99 crore loan, along with interest and penalties, since December 2022. Yesterday afternoon the nation got to know that Bank of Baroda had put up the Juhu residence of BJP MP Sunny Deol for e-auction since he has not paid up Rs 56 crore owed to the Bank. This morning, in less than 24 hours, the nation has got to know that the Bank of Baroda has Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 21, 2023 Despite this, reports on Monday suggest that the auction notice for the bungalow has been withdrawn. Bank Of Baroda Withdraws Auction Notice For Sunny Deol's Juhu Bungalow Y Sathish Reddy, the BRS leader and Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) chairman, also commented on the bank's actions. He tweeted, "In less than 24 hours: - Bank of Baroda issued an auction notice against BJP MP #SunnyDeol's bungalow, alleging non-payment of dues worth Rs 55 Cr - Astonishingly, the bank promptly retracted the notice, conveniently attributing it to 'Technical Reasons'." Sunny Deol, officially known as Ajay Singh Dharmendra Deol, has been representing the ruling BJP in the Punjab seat since 2019. He won the seat by a significant margin, defeating the then Congress member Sunil Jhakar. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 11:43 [IST] PM Modi-China's Xi Meeting In Johannesburg? No Official Word Yet India pti-PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg are being finalised, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Monday but did not give a direct reply on the possibility of a meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Prime Minister Modi is leaving for the South African city on Tuesday on a three-day visit to attend the first in-person summit of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) since the COVID-19 pandemic. Asked at a media briefing whether Modi and Xi will hold talks on the sidelines of the summit, Foreign Secretary Kwatra said that the schedule of the prime minister's bilateral meetings is being finalised. If the bilateral meeting takes place, it will be their first since the eastern border standoff began in May 2020. PM Modi and Xi had a brief encounter at a dinner during the G-20 summit in Bali in November last year. China has already announced that Xi is travelling to South Africa to attend the summit. Meanwhile, talks among local commanders of the Indian Army and Chinese PLA for confidence-building measures in Eastern Ladakh's Depsang and Demchok continued. The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. India and China held the 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks on August 13 and 14 with a focus on resolving pending issues at the standoff areas of Depsang and Demchok. A joint statement described the talks as "positive, constructive and in-depth" and that both sides agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner. Days after the fresh round of high-level talks, the local commanders of the two militaries held a series of negotiations in two separate locations to resolve issues in Depsang Plains and Demchok. It is learnt that the Major General-level talks that began on Friday primarily focused on confidence-building measures. The talks between the local commanders were held on the next couple of days as well as on Monday to firm up confidence-building measures, according to the people in the know of developments. However, there is no official word on the negotiations. The 19th round of Corps Commander-level dialogue took place at the Chushul-Moldo border point on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the region. On July 24, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of a meeting of the BRICS in Johannesburg. In its statement on the meeting, the MEA said Doval conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 had "eroded strategic trust" and the public and political basis of the relationship. It said the NSA emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquility in the border areas so as to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral ties. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also held talks with Wang on the sidelines of a meeting of the East Asia Summit in Jakarta last month. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.The ties between the two countries nosedived following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area. In July 2023, Japanese auto brands suffered a 34.6% year-on-year plummet in sedan sales in China, which stood at roughly 135,000 vehicles compared to the 489,000 vehicles sold by Chinese indigenous brands, according to data compiled by the China Passenger Car Association. Meanwhile, sales of Japanese-branded SUVs amounted to 130,000 units in July, dropping 17.4% from the previous year in the worlds largest auto market, which was also one-third of the amount sold by Chinese indigenous brands. In the past month, the three major Japanese automakers, namely Toyota Motor, Honda Motor, and Nissan Motor, all encountered a double-digit fall in monthly China sales year-over-year, with Nissan Motor witnessing the most severe change. Aside from the expiration of certain automotive tax incentives at the end of 2022, which some companies still claimed as a continuous impact that affects their sales in the country, Japanese automakers lagging behind in the deployment of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China was also one of the major reasons for the bleak sales. As NEVs gaining more and more popularity in the Chinese market, in contrast, Chinese NEV giant BYD boasted a 61.3% year-on-year surge in July sales, which came in at 262,161 vehicles. In terms of the performance of each company, during the past month, Toyota saw its monthly sales fall 15.4% year over year and 12.49% month on month to 152,700 vehicles in China, according to data provided by Japanese media Kyodo. Among the automakers two joint ventures in China, GAC Toyota and FAW-Toyota posted a respective 13% and 17.2% decline in July sales compared to a year ago. According to Kyodo, monthly sales of Toyotas luxury brand, Lexus, dropped 13.7% year over year in China. In the first seven months of this year, Toyotas year-to-date China sales summed up to 1,032,000 vehicles, slipping 4.86% from the previous year. In the past month, Honda Motor sold 89,691 vehicles in China, representing a 32.8% plunge compared to the 133,556 vehicles sold in the same month last year. In the Jan.-Jul. period, Hondas cumulative China sales amounted to 619,382 vehicles, with 132,896 units being electrified vehicles, said the automaker. Note that Honda categorized all pure-electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and vehicles equipped with Hondas high-performance dual-electric motor hybrid system as electrified vehicles. Finally, as to Nissan Motor, with 59,507 vehicles sold in China last month, the company faced a 33.6% year-on-year dip. For the first seven months of the year, Nissan Motors cumulative sales volume amounted to 418,016 vehicles in the worlds largest auto market, declining 23.5% from a year ago. In July, Dongfeng Nissan (including Nissan, Venucia, and INFINITI brands) saw its monthly sales reach 56,495 vehicles, indicating a 12.81% downturn from that of a month ago. ALTIMA; photo credit: Dongfeng Nissan In an interview in July, Nissan Motor disclosed that it has lowered its sales expectations in China and is now considering the possibility of exporting China-made cars. The CEO of Nissan Motor, Makoto Uchida, mentioned that the company hasn't yet finalized any export plans or target markets for Chinese-produced vehicles. However, Uchida emphasized the need for Nissan to explore new measures to support its operations in China, where last quarter's sales declined by 46% from a year ago. He stated, "In the future, we will change our operational approach in China." Political Parties That Call Themselves Secular Should Join Hands To Frame Laws Against Mob Lynching: Jamiat India oi-PTI Prominent Muslim organization Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Monday said all political parties, especially those who call themselves secular, should come forward and make laws against mob lynching. The Muslim organization made the assertion after its delegation visited the house of Wasim Khan, who was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people in Rajasthan. Wasim's family alleged that forest department personnel thrashed him and two others in Narol village on Thursday. Kotputli-Behror Superintendent of Police Ranjita Sharma denied it to be a case of mob lynching, stating that the injury marks on the body did not suggest so. In his message, Jamiat president Maulana Arshad Madani expressed his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the family of Wasim Khan. He said the Jamiat will take all responsibility for the education and sponsorship of the orphaned children of Khan. It will also provide legal assistance to bring the criminals involved in this heinous murder to justice, Madani said. The Jamiat president said it is a pity that despite the strict directives of the Supreme Court, this brutality is not stopping. Mob violence is not a community-specific issue but a political issue. It can only be solved politically, so all political parties, especially those who call themselves secular, should come forward and take practical steps to legislate against it, Madani said. Mere statement of condemnation is not enough, he added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 23:50 [IST] Did You Know, The Cost Of ISRO's Aditya L1 Is Lesser Than 'Jailer', 'Gaddar 2' Collection? Rajinikanth Meets Raja Bhaiyya, Receives Gift Of Holy Water India oi-Madhuri Adnal Renowned film actor Rajinikanth met with Raja Bhaiyya, the President of the Jansatta Dal and an elected representative from Kunda, on Monday. The meeting took place at Singh's residence in Uttar Pradesh. Raja Bhaiyya welcomed Rajinikanth with warm hospitality and showered him with praise for his contributions to the film industry and his spiritual standing. He also presented Rajinikanth with a gift of holy water from the Ganges and sacred ash from Baba Viswanath. The two leaders discussed a range of issues, including the current political situation in India and the need for social and religious harmony. They also talked about Rajinikanth's upcoming film, "Jailer." Rajinikanth To Watch 'Jailer' With CM Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow Rajinikanth expressed his gratitude to Singh for the warm reception and the gift. He said that he was impressed by Raja Bhaiyya's commitment to social welfare and his dedication to serving the people of Uttar Pradesh. The meeting was seen as a significant gesture of goodwill between the two leaders. It is likely to further strengthen the ties between the film industry and the political establishment in Uttar Pradesh. Maurya who quit BJP not to conest from 2017 seat Shoe Hurled At SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya During Party Event In Lucknow India oi-Madhuri Adnal A shoe was thrown at senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya during a party event here on Monday. The shoe did not reach up to Maurya. Party workers overpowered the alleged assailant and thrashed him. ''The accused has been taken to a hospital and further details will be known after questioning him,'' Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lucknow) Aniandy Vikram Singh told PTI. The alleged assailant, Akash Saini, was dressed as a lawyer, the officer said. VIDEO | A man dressed up as an advocate hurls shoe at Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya in Lucknow. The attacker was later roughed up by Maurya's supporters. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/OQCU5G3xVE Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 21, 2023 He was taken into custody by the Vibhuti Khand police. YS Sharmila, Telangana's X-factor, dares KCR to join her in padayatra; 'gifts' shoe box, leaves bill inside The incident took place at the SP's one-day 'mahasammelan' at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. Party president Akhilesh Yadav was scheduled to address the event. He had not reached the venue at the time of the incident. Maurya, a prominent OBC leader in Uttar Pradesh who had defected to the SP from the BJP just before the 2022 assembly elections, has been in the thick of a controversy over his remarks on the Ramcharitmanas and Hindu temples. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 14:11 [IST] Welcome, Buddy! Communication Established Between Chandrayaan 2 Obiter & Chandrayaan 3 Lander Module India oi-Madhuri Adnal India's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, exchanged greetings with its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2, just hours before its scheduled landing on the Moon on August 23. The exchange of greetings confirmed that the communication systems of Chandrayaan-3 are in perfect order, a critical milestone for the mission. Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to land on the Moon's South Pole at 6.01 PM on August 23. The lander, Vikram, will separate from the orbiter, Chandrayaan-3, and make a soft landing on the lunar surface. The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 will be a major achievement for India's space program. It will be the first time that India has soft-landed a spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole. The mission will also pave the way for future Indian lunar missions, such as Chandrayaan-4, which is planned to launch in 2024. The tweet from Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said, "Chandrayaan-3 exchanges greetings with Chandrayaan-2. That confirms, the communication systems are in perfect order.. close to the hour of landing. #ISRO." #Chandrayaan3 exchanges greetings with #Chandrayaan2. That confirms, the communication systems are in perfect order.. close to the hour of landing. #ISRO pic.twitter.com/jcOF5mp2vK Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) August 21, 2023 The tweet was met with widespread excitement and anticipation from the Indian public. Many people took to social media to express their support for the mission and to wish the ISRO team good luck. The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 would be a major boost for India's space program and would put the country in the forefront of lunar exploration. It would also be a source of pride for the Indian people, who have long been fascinated by the Moon. Chandrayaan-3 Mission update : Welcome, buddy! Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed Ch-3 LM. Two-way communication between the two is established. MOX has now more routes to reach the LM. Update: Live telecast of Landing event begins at 17:20 Hrs. IST.#Chandrayaan_3 LVM3-M4/CHANDRAYAAN-3 MISSION (@chandrayaan_3) August 21, 2023 The ISRO team has been working hard to ensure the success of Chandrayaan-3. They have conducted extensive tests and simulations to prepare for the landing. The team is confident that Chandrayaan-3 will be a success and that it will help India to achieve its goals in space exploration. The landing of Chandrayaan-3 will be a historic moment for India and for the world. Why Is The Cauvery Water Dispute Flaring Up Again? India oi-Madhuri Adnal The longstanding Cauvery water-sharing dispute has reignited tensions between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as the DMK-led government under MK Stalin approaches the Supreme Court, urging the neighboring state to release 24,000 cusecs of water. Accusing Karnataka of withholding river water, the Tamil Nadu government contends that a unanimous decision was reached during a Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee meeting, mandating Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu. However, Karnataka allegedly provided only a reduced amount of 8,000 cusecs, according to Tamil Nadu's claims. Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Minister, Duraimuruga, remarked that Karnataka's reluctance to share water with the state reflects their stance since the dispute's inception decades ago, as reported by PTI. The Cauvery water-sharing dispute has a history of contention between the two southern states. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) was established by the Centre on June 2, 1990, to address disagreements concerning water-sharing capacities among Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry. In a 2018 ruling, the Supreme Court allotted 419 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of the Cauvery river's total 740 TMC water to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka received 270 TMC, Kerala 30 TMC, Puducherry 7 TMC, and 10 TMC was reserved for environmental protection. During a "normal" water year spanning from June to May, Karnataka is required to supply 177.25 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu at Biligundlu according to a monthly release schedule, as per The Hindu. Of this, 123.14 TMC must be released between June and September, coinciding with the southwest monsoon period. Instances of water scarcity arise when monsoon rainfall falls short of expectations. Cauvery Water Dispute: SC To Hear Petitions From Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Karnataka's position on the matter stems from deficient rainfall in the Cauvery catchment area. The state's government has advised farmers to halt their sowing activities due to insufficient water storage for irrigation, as reported by the News Minute. Despite significant rainfall in July, the region is grappling with a water crisis. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has emphasized Karnataka's inability to release additional water. Divergent stances between the two states have sparked protests in certain parts of Karnataka. On August 16, farmers in Srirangapatna urgently called for the cessation of water release. Earlier on July 19, farmers associated with the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha had blocked the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, seeking water release to the Visvesvaraya canal, crucial for irrigation in Mysuru and Mandya districts. A similar situation occurred in 2016, leading to widespread protests across Karnataka. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 12:13 [IST] Fukushima Water Release: Japan Govt Makes Last-Ditch Effort To Win Over Fishermen International oi-PTI Japanese government officials sought understanding from fisheries groups on Monday for the impending release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea and pledged to support their livelihoods throughout the process that will take decades. Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura met with the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and promised that the government is doing everything it can to ensure the safety of the release and prepared measures to protect the fisheries industry's reputation. Nishimura told the fisheries official, Masanobu Sakamoto, that the water release is essential for the plant decommissioning and Fukushima's recovery and can't be postponed. He also said the government will stand by the concerns and needs of the fisheries community until the release ends decades later. Sakamoto, at the outset, stressed that his organization as a whole remains opposed to the release, but he said members of the fishing community have gained some confidence about the safety following recognition by the International Atomic Energy Agency report and explanations by government officials in recent weeks, signalling easing of their position. Taiwan ends Fukushima food import ban after 11 years Their meeting paves the way for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's planned meeting later Monday with Sakamoto, a crucial step in which Kishida is to convey his government's commitment to carry out the release safely and to support the livelihoods of the fishing communities. The government announced the release plan two years ago and has since faced strong opposition from Japanese fishing organizations, which worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it into a political and diplomatic issue. The date when the water release will start is expected to be decided at a meeting of key Cabinet ministers as early as Tuesday. It is widely expected to start at the end of August. The government and TEPCO say the water must be removed to make room for the plant's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks because much of the water is still contaminated and needs further treatment. Japan has obtained support from the IAEA to improve transparency and credibility and to ensure the plan by TEPCO meets international safety standards. The government has also stepped up a campaign promoting the plan's safety at home and through diplomatic channels. The IAEA, in a final report in July, concluded that the TEPCO plan, if conducted strictly as designed, will cause negligible impact on the environment and human health, encouraging Japan to proceed. While seeking understanding from the fishing community, the government has also worked to explain the plan to neighboring countries, especially South Korea, to keep the issue from interfering with their relationship. 7.1-magnitude earthquake jolts Japans Fukushima; no tsunami alert A massive March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant's cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and contaminating their cooling water. The water is collected, filtered and stored in around 1,000 tanks, which will reach their capacity in early 2024. The water is being treated with what's called an Advanced Liquid Processing System, which can reduce the amounts of more than 60 selected radionuclides to government-set releasable levels, except for tritium, which the government and TEPCO say is safe for humans if consumed in small amounts. Scientists generally agree that the environmental impact of the treated wastewater would be negligible, but some call for more attention to dozens of low-dose radionuclides that remain in it. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, August 21, 2023, 13:56 [IST] Riyadh: Here is good news for air passengers. Saudi Airlines has come out with a 50 per cent discount offer for international passengers. The discount will be available on tickets purchased till August 30, 2023. The discount is given to tickets that are used between September and November to travel both in business class and economy class. Saudi Arabia's national carrier has announced this amazing offer on ticket prices as part of its efforts to increase the flow of tourists to the kingdom. Fujairah Airport beckons airlines for services In yet another international development offering hope for Kerala expats worried about flight charges, Fujairah International Airport is now welcoming airlines to start flights to and from Indian cities. Ismail Al Balushi, General Manager of Fujairah International Airport, told Manorama recently that the airport is ready to join hands with Kerala in its effort to make available low-cost flight services to Kerala expatriates living in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Umm al-Quwain Emirates. Chartered services In addition to the regular service, the airport will also be available for conducting chartered services. The new offer is one of the alternative ways to address the acute travel woes of Indian expatriates. The invite to the companies to start flights has been made after ensuring the transport facility to reach any emirate in the UAE from Fujairah airport. At present, only Oman-owned Salam Air is taking advantage of the opportunity to operate low-cost flights to Kerala via Fujairah Airport. Upon booking tickets two weeks in advance, one can fly to Thiruvananthapuram for 450 dirhams (approximately Rs 10,000). Salam Air also operates flights to Indian cities like Lucknow and Jaipur. The flight leaves for Thiruvananthapuram after an hour's layover in Muscat. The total travel time is six hours. If booked in advance, you can return to the UAE at the same rate. Flights via Muscat have 100 per cent patronage from Fujairah itself. Discussions completed Given the situation, if direct flights to Kerala are operated from Fujairah, they can easily get enough and more passengers, the official said. Fujairah airport authorities have already completed discussions with Air India Express, IndiGo, Akasha, and SpiceJet. Air India officials visited the airport as well. Purushothaman Vaidyanathan, Operations Manager at Fujairah airport, said all the companies have expressed interest in starting the service. The promise made to the companies is that the costs at the airport will be reduced as much as possible. Flights from India reach Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi airports flying over Fujairah. Planes can reduce the distance by landing at Fujairah and save on fuel also. The first six hours of parking in Fujairah are free for flights. An opportunity for fixing a fee acceptable to the airlines for parking beyond six hours is also available. Eight planes can be parked in standard parking. 18 non-standard parking slots are also available. A total of 1250 passengers can be handled simultaneously at the passenger gates. Those who land on the plane need a maximum of seven minutes to get out with the baggage, Purushothaman said. Passengers who are scheduled to depart will also be able to do city check-in at home or in the emirate where they live and hand over the luggage 24 hours in advance. No parking fee is charged for vehicles inside the airport, Business Division Officer Mohamed Shinaz said. The Fujairah Airport, which started operations in 1988, was opened for passenger service last month after a long period of renovation work. The re-carpeting works on the runway have been completed. Two more new runways will come up at the airport. A new Air Traffic Control (ATC) will be opened in September instead of the existing one. Shinaz said the companies could save on the rent of aerobridges as passengers can board the aircraft directly from the passenger gate. "We will provide all possible assistance to airlines to minimize the costs incurred at airports," he said. Those interested in conducting Kerala services can contact the numbers +971 9 205 5529, +971 50 211 3003, or email at marketing@fia.ae, shinas@fia.ae and visit www.fujairah-airport.ae. Fujairah also has the facility to operate cargo services. Available facilities: Abu Dhabi: Airfares from Kerala to the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries have gone through the roof, creating a crisis for families planning a return to the Gulf after the summer vacations. Schools will reopen in the Gulf after the vacation in a week. The crisis is so severe that no seats are available on direct flights, compelling many expatriates to book tickets on connecting flights through various sectors, paying huge amounts. For instance, the lowest fare on a flight from Kochi to Dubai on Monday was Rs 40,000, which would force a four-member family to shell out Rs 1.6 lakh for a one-way journey. Incidentally, a one-way ticket cost only a maximum of Rs 19,500 till a week ago. Authorities at travel agencies said that the fares would still go up in the coming days as demand rises. Airlines such as Air India, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways are already charging Rs 60,000-90,000 as one-way fares. Most families prefer to book tickets on direct flights even though the fares are high as connection flights with little children could be strenuous with long delays at intermediate airports. However, the lack of seats on direct flights has jeopardized their travel plans. Families reached Kerala in July after schools closed in the Gulf countries for summer vacations and they are now searching for ways to return. However, they now have to pay around Rs 3 lakh for the tickets, said Asha Rajesh Lal, from Kollam. With no seats available on direct flights, most of such families have postponed their trip to the Gulf by two weeks. Their present plan is to return to the Gulf after celebrating Onam in Kerala. This has resulted in high demand for tickets till September 15 and steep ticket fares till then. In fact, there is a dip in ticket fares only for travel from the third week of September. At the same time, parents of children studying in the Gulf are concerned that the delay in rejoining classes would affect the studies of the students. A section of the parents has also demanded more flights to the Gulf in view of the school reopening there. Airline companies should be allowed to operate more flights from all airports in Kerala, including Kannur, said these expatriates. Brown with students of the Oakland Military Institute, the controversial charter school he founded. (Image by Jerry Brown) Details DMCA As the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) Board of Trustees met two days before the school was scheduled to appear on the agenda of a Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) board meeting, they seemed surprisingly combative. Paperwork had been released prior to the meeting stating that LACOE staff had found that the charter school had not complied with the requirements outlined the previous week and that on August 15, 2023, the LACOE board would vote on revocation. While a conciliatory tone seemed necessary for any chance at survival, NVMI's "Superintendent" referred to LACOE's actions to fulfill its obligations as a regulator as "illegal and immoral". Perhaps the source of NVMI's bravado was the knowledge that former Governor Jerry Brown was about to once again ride to their rescue. Reports are now surfacing that Brown has called several Los Angeles County officials to tell them to stop scrutinizing NVMI. It is said that in at least one call, Brown bragged that some county officials were already expressing a willingness to bend to his request. It is unclear at this point if Brown is ignorant of the accusations made against the school, including "fraud, misappropriation of funds, or other illegal fiscal practices" and allowing the "abhorrent child sex abuse" of students. Does it not bother him that a member of the school's Board of Trustees advocated being more selective about the students who are allowed to remain at the school or that "Superintendent" Mark Ryan threatened to eliminate special day classes for children with moderate to severe disabilities if enough students did not enroll to make them financially "viable"? Brown did nothing to remove the charter school industry's exemption from laws ensuring the safety of students during earthquakes, so it is not surprising that he is advocating for NVMI despite the fact that the building they are planning to use does not have the certificate of occupancy needed for a school. (Image by Ref Rodriguez for LAUSD) Details DMCA Brown's bullying of county officials appears to have worked in the short term as the item was pulled from the August 8, 2023, meeting. However, the revocation is still set to be heard next week, at least for now. You can make your opinion known by reaching out to your Los Angeles County Supervisor using the following contact information: Hilda Solis 1st District: firstdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov Holly Mitchell 2nd District itchell|AT|bos.lacounty.gov">HollyJMitchell@bos.lacounty.gov Lindsey Horvath 3rd District thirddistrict@bos.lacounty.gov Janice Hahn 4th District istrict|AT|bos.lacounty.gov">FourthDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov Kathryn Barger 5th District athryn|AT|bos.lacounty.gov">Kathryn@bos.lacounty.gov Information about your Supervisor, along with other vital neighborhood information, can be found on the Los Angeles City website. Before the item had been pulled from the agenda, I sent the following email to the LACOE Board. It emphasizes that the failure of NVMI to secure a campus for the upcoming school year by the published deadline is enough to revoke the school's charter. It also details yet another operational failure by NVMI's Board of Trustees: While all of the other evidence presented against the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) is damning and helps prove the case that it is failing operationally, it is all just noise when it comes to the decision you must make at the meeting on August 8, 2023. The rules published by LACOE are clear: "The charter must secure a facility 60 days prior to the start of school and provide LACOE with a signed lease agreement by July 3, 2023, for the 2023-2024 school year." It cannot be denied that the leadership of NVMI missed that established deadline putting the ability to start the school year as scheduled which threatened to interrupt the education of its students. This board must make it clear to the families at this school that the charter will be revoked and they should immediately begin finding a new school. While the leadership of NVMI and their apologists on this Board complained last week that the charter school was only given two days to correct the conditions outlined by LACOE, this ignored the fact that in compliance with the Brown Act, these requirements were publicly released days before the meeting was held. Additionally, the charter school has been continuously warned by LACOE staff that it was not in compliance. None of the required actions should have been a surprise. Since this Board voted down an effort to extend the deadline for compliance, it should have been clear to the charter school that August 3, 2023, was a hard deadline. Instead of ensuring compliance, NVMI's Board of Trustees waited until August 6, 2023, to hold a meeting to rectify board-related issues. The agenda for this meeting was not publicly released until August 5, 2023, in an email. In this meeting that "Superintendent" Mark Ryan described as "being held to combat the illegal and immoral effort by LACOE's Charter Office and Board to revoke the NVMI charter", its Board of Trustees attempted to hold the votes required to bring it into compliance. However, errors in the construction of the agenda void the legitimacy of these votes: On June 30, 2023, the terms of Matthew K. Smith, John Pruit, John Martinez, Rocky Huynh, Cesley Frost, and Julie Ward expired. Additionally, the minutes of the May 10, 2023, meeting indicate that Dr. Daniel Villanueva resigned as of June 30, 2023. Despite their terms having expired, all seven of these former Trustees are listed on the July 16, 2023, agenda, and their presence counted towards establishing a quorum. The fourth item on this agenda proposes "Extending terms of board members Smith, Pruitt, Martinez, Huynh, Frost, and Ward through June 30, 2025," but it was moved by Smith and seconded by Ward, two members of the public who had no standing on the Board. The votes of Smith, Huynh, Frost, Ward, and Villanueva were recorded even though their terms had already expired on June 30th. The only member of the Board in good standing who voted to approve the measure was Lanny West. It should have been recorded as a "fail." With the LACOE staff having flagged the July 16 meeting for violations of the Brown Act, the NVMI Board was forced to vote again on any item considered during that meeting, including the faulty vote to "extend" the terms of the board members whose terms had expired. However, this was scheduled as the seventh item on the agenda, invalidating any vote taken before this action including the approval of the Facilities Lease. Once again, former members with no official standing were counted toward the establishment of a quorum and were allowed to vote on the "extension" of their already expired terms. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Beijing (Gasgoo)- On August 20, ORA, the electric vehicle brand under Great Wall Motor, commemorated a significant achievement as it witnessed its 400,000th vehicle roll off the assembly line. This milestone was reached at the Great Wall Motor's intelligent factory in Taizhou city, Jiangsu province. Milestone vehicle; photo credit: ORA The Taizhou factory is Great Wall Motor's eighth major vehicle production base in China and serves as a strategic hub for the East China market. Recognized as the new engine of Great Wall Motor's new energy strategy, the factory employs high standards of production. Leveraging this, ORA consistently delivers high-quality, high-value automobile products to its users. The brand's product lineup spans from A0 to B segments, not only pioneering a new category of vehicles for women but also redefining automobiles from a fresh perspective, enriching women's lives through enhanced travel experiences. Good Cat GT; photo credit: ORA Coinciding with this achievement, the brand also launched its latest collaboration with users, the 2023 Good Cat & Good Cat GT Mulan Edition Zunrong model, available at a starting price of 129,800 yuan after cash discounts. Supported by Great Wall Motor's R&D system, the Good Cat and Good Cat GT Mulan Edition Zunrong model are equipped with self-developed high-performance permanent magnet synchronous motors, delivering superior performance in terms of power, speed, and silence. While retaining the signature attributes of the Good Cat models, this iteration boasts overall enhanced performance. It achieves a maximum power of 135 kW, peak torque of 232 Nm, and accelerates from 0 to 50 km/h in just 3.5 seconds. This translates to quicker acceleration, better mid-range power, and a more capable uphill climb of up to 38%, facilitating smooth uphill and downhill journeys. Addressing user feedback, the new model also excels in Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) performance, ensuring a quieter and more comfortable driving experience. DecenterAds company is attending Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February, 24-27. During these days our representatives will be glad to say "Hello!" to our partners and make some photos with them. Those who are interested in our business and partnership with us are also welcome to grab a coffee and discuss the details in person. As these 4 days will be quite busy, we ask you to schedule a SOUTHBOUND is a contemporary Southern Gospel Trio that will be performing at the Odell Williams Auditorium in Bolivia, NC 28422 Join Bishop Clint Brown, Seth J. Elbe, and Jody Braselton as they travel toward their roots of Southern Gospel music, with its powerful lyrics and harmonies! They are bringing a brand new sound to some old classics and a soulful feel to some new songs! Tickets on Sale Now!!! Dear Annie: About 25 years ago, my dental hygienist may have been thinking the same thoughts as Wishing I Could Talk to Him, the woman whose husband has bad breath, while she talked about my teeth rather than telling me the truth -- namely, that she was smelling the rotting bacteria that gave me very offensive breath. Had she been upfront about what she was detecting, I would have been aghast and immediately started using a mouthwash. Thankfully, another hygienist later clued me in. Subsequently, I dated a woman whose breath was always fresh for the first year and then turned horrid, making being close unpleasant. She insisted that I was hypersensitive to smells. Nonsense, I thought, and then I remembered my experience, told her about that and convinced her to use a mouthwash. Her friends and relatives were too polite to tell her. In a related story, one that occurred 40 years ago, I was working on a tenants apartment after we both had finished our day jobs. I discovered that this man, who was a professional in his occupation, had an offensive body odor. We werent friends but were mutually respectful. After a couple of brief conversations, I told him that Id like to tell him what most people wouldnt for fear of offending him. I let that sink in, and he was listening, so I continued and told him that he, being accustomed to it, couldnt smell his own body odor, which surely hurt his social life. I suggested that he wash everything he had, take at least a daily shower, use a deodorant and put on fresh clothes every day. I told him that if he wanted more honest feedback, he could just ask me. He thanked me and followed my recommendations. We both felt good about the communication. -- Telling It Like It Is Dear Telling It Like It Is: You sound like a great friend. And yes, you are correct that sometimes telling someone the truth hurts in the moment but can save years of small hurts. Its like ripping off a Band-Aid quickly as opposed to slowly peeling it. Dear Annie: Recently, my husband and I met a group of co-workers for a late lunch after a function we had all attended. We arrived before the others, procured a table for the group, sat down, and ordered an appetizer and a pitcher of margaritas. Everyone arrived and we invited them to share our appetizer and pitcher, which some did. When it came time to order entrees, my boss generously announced the lunch would be her treat and she insisted she was paying. My question is, who is responsible for paying for the appetizer and pitcher? -- Lunching in Illinois Dear Lunching in Illinois: I think the boss is, if she offered. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM DEAR PEOPLES PHARMACY: I have tested positive for alpha-gal syndrome. I recently developed elevated blood pressure and I have had an allergic reaction to every blood pressure medication that my doctor has prescribed. One drug gave me a red rash over my entire body. The physician who diagnosed alpha-gal, Dr. Commins, suggested having a compounding pharmacy make my blood pressure meds. He thinks, that way, I can avoid the fillers that may be causing the hives and swelling. People should know that alpha-gal may trigger a reaction to chemicals in many medications. A. Thank you for the warning. You are in good hands for alpha-gal syndrome, since Dr. Scott Commins of the University of North Carolina is one of the worlds experts on this condition. He helped with the discovery of this potentially life-threatening reaction to mammalian meat (beef, pork, lamb, rabbit, goat, etc.). The reaction begins with the bite of a lone star tick. After that, exposure to red meat can cause a delayed allergic reaction that could range from hives or digestive distress to trouble breathing. The diagnosis can be confirmed with a blood test. Prevention is the only available treatment: avoid eating meat. Some people must also avoid milk, cheese and yogurt. Highly sensitive individuals may be vulnerable to smoke from a barbecue. Your note on medications is important. Few people react to pills, but medicines or vaccines that contain gelatin, glycerin, magnesium stearate or bovine extract can cause trouble for highly sensitive individuals. Heparin, heart valves from pigs or cows, and monoclonal antibodies may also trigger an allergic response. You may want to listen to our recent interview with Dr. Commins and his colleague, gastroenterologist Dr. Sarah McGill. It is Show 1344: Managing Meat Allergy and Other Tick-Borne Diseases at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. DEAR PEOPLES PHARMACY: I have a friend who came in contact with Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. As a result, he now has diabetes. At 73, he is active working as a handyman. His doctor put him on Jardiance about four months ago. He is complaining about muscle and joint aches and thinks that Jardiance is causing his pain. Could it be? A. Jardiance (empagliflozin) helps control blood sugar and reduces the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks. According to the prescribing information, nearly as many people on placebo had joint pain as those on Jardiance. Muscle pain is not listed as an adverse reaction. On the other hand, doctors in Australia have described the case of a 69-year-old man who developed muscle pain, weakness and wasting while on empagliflozin (Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports, April 12, 2020). His symptoms disappeared within weeks of stopping the drug, and the doctors could find no other explanation. Although it appears to be rare, this type of reaction is possible. Your friend can learn about other types of diabetes drugs to discuss with his doctor in our eGuide to Preventing & Treating Diabetes. This online resource is available under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. DEAR PEOPLES PHARMACY: How long does it take after stopping a sulfa antibiotic for sun sensitivity to wear off? A. Several antibiotics such as tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones as well as co-trimoxazole can cause increased sun sensitivity (phototoxicity). Exaggerated sunburn or skin darkening may occur with modest sun exposure. The case reports we found do not answer your question. Experiment cautiously! * * * In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them. (c) 2023 King Features Syndicate, Inc. Oregon State guard Nate Meithof had successful surgery Monday to repair a torn ACL and will be lost for the 2023-24 season.south The 6-foot-5 junior, who transferred from College of Southern Idaho during the offseason, sustained the injury during a workout this summer. Meithof, a graduate of McNary High in Keizer, was expected to be in the mix to start this season. Meithof led CSI, the No. 1-ranked JC team for most of the 2022-23 season, in scoring at 16.5 points a game. A woman was stabbed multiple times in Beaverton Sunday morning, and her ex-husband, who she claimed attacked her, has been arrested in the case. Beaverton police officers found Julie Ann Frazier-Merritt, 48, lying on the grass outside Springbrook Apartments with multiple stab wounds, the Beaverton Police Department said Monday. Her attacker was already gone, allegedly driving off in a 2002 Toyota Camry after an armed neighbor confronted him. Frazier-Merritt told police her ex-husband, Terrell Merritt, had attacked her and that she had a restraining order against him, police said. She was taken to a hospital, where she is in critical condition. About three hours after the attack, Oregon State Police arrested Merritt at a rest area off of Interstate 84, near Hermiston. He was jailed in Umatilla County Jail on charges that include first-degree assault, attempted murder and unlawful use of a weapon. Fedor Zarkhin Office: 503-294-7674; Cell: 971-373-2905; fzarkhin@oregonian.com Portland-area colleges topped the Princeton Review charts for amount of pot consumed, LGBTQ acceptance and overall classroom experience, according to rankings that the college prep company released last week. Lewis & Clark College ranked top in the country for reefer madness out of nearly 400 schools considered by the Princeton Review. Reed College topped the charts for LGBTQ friendliness and best classroom experience. And both schools ranked in the top five for having the least religious students among the 165,000 students surveyed. Lewis & Clark snagged the top spot for pot consumption from Skidmore College in New York, which ranked highest for reefer madness in 2023 based on student answers to the question: How widely is marijuana used at your school? Oregon students, of course, can be somewhat candid with their answers since state law allows anyone over 21 to buy or use marijuana. Perhaps unsurprisingly, students at the United States Naval Academy in Maryland reported the least marijuana consumption, followed by students at Californias private Thomas Aquinas College, which also ranked No. 1 for most conservative students. Here are other noteworthy Oregon outcomes in the rankings: Lewis & Clark: Ranked No. 4 for most liberal students and most beautiful campus and ranked No. 21 for best college newspaper. Reed College: Continues its streak of positive academic reviews. In last years rankings, Reed students said their school had the best professors in the country. This year it had several distinctions, including: Best classroom experience, based on professor ratings, the percent of classes students attend and how students feel about the amount of class discussion time. Named the top school for LGBTQ friendliness. Ranked No. 2 for most liberal students, behind Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Ranked No. 2 for least religious students, behind Grinnell College in Iowa. Ranked No. 3 for best college radio station and high professor ratings. Ranked No. 6 for reefer madness. University of Oregon: Ranked No. 20 for lots of beer. Oregon State University ranked No. 21 for least religious students. Students also ranked it No. 22 for worst for financial aid and No. 25 on the list of bad college dorms. Portland State University and the University of Portland were among the top 389 colleges where the Princeton Review surveyed students, but did not snag any noteworthy rankings. A dispute over an LGBTQ+ pride flag at a California clothing store spiraled into deadly violence this weekend when a man shot and killed the 66-year-old business owner right in front of her shop, authorities said. The man ran away from the store after the shooting Friday night but was later found and killed in a confrontation with officers from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. The agency said Laura Ann Carleton was pronounced dead at Mag.Pi, the store she owned and operated in Cedar Glen. The small community in the San Bernadino Mountains is roughly 60 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Before the shooting, the man made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store, sheriffs officials said. It was not immediately clear what happened when officers confronted the man, whose identity hadnt been released as of Sunday. Carleton, who preferred to be called Lauri, is survived by her husband and nine children in a blended family. An LGBTQ group in nearby Lake Arrowhead said Carleton didnt identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. But she spent time helping and advocating for everyone, and was defending her Pride flags placed in front of her shop on the night of the shooting, the group said. There was an outpouring of support on social media over the weekend, with commenters expressing shock and sadness on the stores accounts. Many included rainbow flag emojis. Law enforcement agencies in several states have investigated the destruction of rainbow Pride flags as potential hate crimes in recent years. The Associated Press Hilary, the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, swept people into swollen rivers, toppled trees onto homes and flooded roadways as the massive system marched northward Monday, prompting flood watches and warnings in more than a half dozen states. The National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical storm Monday morning, but warned that continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding was expected over portions of the southwestern U.S., along with record-breaking rainfall. There was the potential of flooding in states as far north as Oregon and Idaho. Remnants of the storm were expected to linger at least through Tuesday morning. Hilary, which first slammed into Mexicos arid Baja California Peninsula, causing one death and widespread flooding, was one of several potentially catastrophic natural events affecting California on Sunday. Besides the tropical storm, which produced tornado warnings, there were wildfires and an earthquake. So far, no deaths, serious injuries or extreme damages have been reported in the state, though officials warned the risks remain, especially in the desert and mountainous regions because of swollen waterways and the wet hillsides that could unleash mudslides. Winding roads in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles were blocked by mud and debris flows. A stretch of the I-10 freeway near Palm Springs was also shut to traffic due to pooling water from the storm. Along the coast, a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway in surf-friendly Huntington Beach was also flooded. Terry and Jack Flanigan walk their dogs past a eucalyptus tree that fell on a house Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Palm Desert, Calif. Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to the desert resort city of Palm Springs, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers, before heading east and flooding a county about 40 miles outside of Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)AP Terry Flanigan was inside her home in Palm Desert after taking pictures of the unusual rainfall when she heard a huge crash and then a deafening thud. Then she got a text from a neighbor who said a Eucalyptus tree, more than 100 feet (30 meters) tall, had just fallen onto a condo across the street. Flanigan, who called 911, later learned it landed on the bed of her neighbors 11-year-old son, who luckily was in another room. Im sure theyre still terrified, Flanigan said, adding that the mom and boy had gone to stay with relatives. Removal crews came this morning and took off the branches, and it was very unnerving. Oh my gosh, what could have happened. Maura Taura felt a similar relief after a three-story-tall tree crashed down on her daughters two cars but missed the familys house in the Sun Valley area of Los Angeles. Thank God my family is OK, she said. Warned about the potential dangers by emergency authorities, many residents hunkered down in their homes, leaving most freeways unusually clear of traffic jams Monday. Hilary is just the latest major weather or climate disaster to wreak havoc across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Hawaiis island of Maui is still reeling from a blaze that killed more than 100 people and ravaged the historic town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Firefighters in Canada are battling that nations worst fire season on record. Dorian Padilla sits in his car as he waits for a tow after it got stuck in the mud on a street Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Cathedral City, Calif. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)AP The storm dropped more than half an average years worth of rain on some areas, including Palm Springs, which saw more than 3 inches (8 centimeters) of rain by Sunday evening, shattering the previous record of 0.21 inches. Sunday was the wettest day on record in San Diego, with 1.82 inches (4.6 centimeters), the NWS said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The previous record was on Aug. 17, 1977, when 1.8 inches (4.5 centimeters) of rain fell in the area post-Hurricane Doreen. We basically blew all of our previous rainfall records out of the water, National Weather Service meteorologist Elizabeth Adams in San Diego told The Associated Press. The water rose knee-high in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River where fire officials rescued 13 people. Farther north, crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. In the mountain community of Oak Glen, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, Brooke Horspool worked to free a couple, including an elderly man with medical issues, from a house surrounded by about 4 feet (1.2 meters) of mud since a slide on Sunday. We have shovels and were going to go try and find a friend that has a Bobcat, he said, referring to a brand of small earth-moving machines. In the San Bernardino Mountains, about 800 residents were ordered to shelter in place Monday in the communities of Forest Falls, Oak Glen, Angelus Oaks and Seven Oaks because of mud blocking roads and driveways, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Alison Hesterly. Work to clear the roads has been underway since late Sunday afternoon. The center of Hilary passed over downtown Los Angeles at 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the regional weather office, which called it a day for the ages in Southern California. A person sits with umbrellas while watching surfers at Venice Beach, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Los Angeles. Tropical Storm Hilary swirled northward Sunday just off the coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, no longer a hurricane but still carrying so much rain that forecasters said "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding is likely across a broad region of the southwestern U.S. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)AP Los Angeles was tested but we came through it, and we came through it with minimal impacts considering what we endured, City Council President Paul Krekorian said. A tropical storm last roared into California in September 1939, ripping apart train tracks, tearing houses from their foundations and capsizing many boats. Nearly 100 people were killed on land and at sea. As Hilary moved east into the neighboring state of Nevada, flooding was reported, power was out and a boil-water order for about 400 households was issued in the Mount Charleston area, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Las Vegas. The only road in and out of Mount Charleston was washed out, and Nevada National Guard troops were sent into the area with trucks after a disaster declaration by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo on Sunday. A shelter was opened for residents. Forecasters said the threat for flooding in states farther north on Monday was highest across much of southeastern Oregon into the west-central mountains of Idaho. The forecast calls for potential thunderstorms and localized torrential rains on Tuesday, said Jackson Macfarlane, a meteorologist with the weather service in Boise, Idaho. In the Caribbean, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Franklin churned on Monday near Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where authorities warned residents to prepare for floods and landslides. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are also watching a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that now has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical disturbance or tropical storm before reaching the western Gulf coastline on Tuesday. By MARK J. TERRILL, JOHN ANTCZAK and JULIE WATSON Associated Press Antczak reported from Los Angeles and Watson from San Diego. Associated Press reporters Ken Ritter in Las Vegas; Will Weissert in Washington; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida; Eugene Garcia in San Diego; Ryan Sun and Walter Berry in Phoenix, contributed to this report. A political nonprofit long led by Oregons powerful public employee unions filed two ballot measure proposals last week that contain an end-run strategy aimed at killing a proposal that campaign finance reformers have been working to qualify for the ballot for more than a year to cap contributions and shed light on dark money. The two measures that Our Oregon filed to get on the ballot in 2024 would similarly cap the size of political donations, but they would allow unions, business associations and other membership organizations to continue sending hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars to candidates. Kate Titus, executive director of good government group Common Cause Oregon, said that Our Oregons initiatives are clearly an effort to try to derail (the proposal for stricter limits) and offer a different alternative. Im pleased that theres a proactive movement toward campaign finance reform and more players are looking for ways to do this, said Titus, who gave input on the development of the reform advocates proposal but whose organization has yet to endorse any measure for 2024. Unfortunately, some of the changes that theyve made do appear on the surface to be highly problematic. Oregon is one of five states without any limits on political donations and the state is awash in campaign cash, with unions, wealthy donors and other interests spending more than $70 million on the governors race last year. Advocates for campaign finance reform have been trying for years to set statewide limits and theyre currently on track to qualify an initiative for the ballot in 2024. They received a final ballot title in April after a lengthy challenge process that went all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court, and the campaign is now cleared to collect the 120,413 voter signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. The deadline to turn in signatures is July 5, 2024. Our Oregon is seeking to circumvent that effort, by making its own proposals to voters for comparatively looser spending limits and tucking in a provision that would nullify all of the campaign finance advocates contribution limits and dark money transparency requirements, in the event that voters approve two or more proposals next year and Our Oregons plan prevails by as little as one vote. That competing measure shall be deemed repealed in its entirety by passage of this act, the language filed by union-backed Our Oregon reads. Michele Ruffin, executive director of Our Oregon, wrote in an email that If there is more than one proposal on the ballot next year, the one that Oregon voters prefer is what will ultimately become law, as it should be. Beyond that, Ruffin, a former lobbyist for teachers union Oregon Education Association, declined to answer specific questions emailed to her by The Oregonian/OregonLive, including why Our Oregon members believe that voters who might end up passing the Our Oregon and campaign finance reform advocates proposals next year would want to wipe out one of the measures for which they just voted. Ruffin also declined to answer why Our Oregon believes a competing ballot measure, with comparatively looser limits on contributions, is necessary. Dan Meek, an elections lawyer in Portland who has drafted multiple campaign finance laws and is part of the campaign finance advocacy group pushing for more stringent reforms, said there is no precedent for Our Oregons strategy to wipe out the proposal from Honest Elections Oregon and the League of Women Voters of Oregon, Initiative Petition 9. Under current Oregon constitutional law doctrine, the measure with more votes does not cancel out the other measure, Meek wrote in an email. Instead, the court examines only places where the two measures conflict, and the measure with the most votes prevails only as to that conflict. For example, the proposal from Meeks group would require specific disclosures on political ads for and against ballot measures. Our Oregons proposals contain no such requirement, so if voters approved both proposals, the mandate for ad disclosures would still take effect, Meek said. One of Our Oregons proposals, Initiative Petition 42, would also supersede existing contribution limits in Portland and Multnomah County, effectively doubling the amounts donors could give to candidates, according to Meek, an architect of those local limits. Honest Elections is the group behind those contribution limits that voters passed in Multnomah County in 2016 and Portland in 2018. Jason Kafoury, a member of Honest Elections and a chief petitioner on Initiative Petition 9, said that he and others involved in the effort worked for years with lots of national experts on campaign finance reform. Supporters believe the donor disclosure requirements for political ads would be the strongest in the nation. Kafoury described Our Oregons nullification provisions as a poison pill aimed at Initiative Petition 9. Members of Our Oregon have a lot at stake in what types of campaign contribution limits and political ad disclosures voters might approve next year. Oregons deep-pocketed public employee unions founded the political nonprofit more than a decade ago and while the organization has added representatives from other groups that tend to support Democrats in recent years, such as Planned Parenthood, farmworker union PCUN and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, union representatives have continued to dominate its board, according to nonprofit filings. As a 501(c)4 nonprofit, a type of entity often referred to as a dark money group, Our Oregon does not have to disclose its donors. Its current board membership is not listed on its website and Ruffin did not respond on Friday to a request for an updated board membership list. One longtime member, SEIU 503, boasts 72,000 union members including roughly half of state government employees, and is a major political donor in the state. It spent more than $3 million to elect Democrat Tina Kotek as governor last year, according to state records. Notable proposals in Our Oregons Initiative Petition 42 and Initiative Petition 43 would: Allow a type of political action committee called a small donor committee to give potentially hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to a candidate, by setting its contribution limit at $50 multiplied by the number of people who donated to the committee. So a small donor committee that received donations from 10,000 people could give $500,000 to a candidate. Allow membership organizations, such as unions, business groups and the National Rifle Association, to fund the equivalent of three full-time staff on every statewide candidates campaign for one year. Establish a state-level public match for campaigns that meet thresholds for small donor fundraising, including up to $8 million per candidate for governor, $1 million per candidate for all other statewide offices, such as treasurer and labor commissioner, and $500,000 per candidate for state senator and representative. It would be paid for out of the state general fund, which is largely income taxes. The campaign finance advocates plan would also allow certain entities to donate staff time to candidates campaigns and it would allow small donor committees to give larger amounts than individuals, but the plan would set much lower limits. For example, the donation cap for a small donor committee would be $20,000 for candidates for statewide office. The only state that currently allows small donor committees is Colorado, Kafoury and Meek said. In Colorado, those committees can donate up to only $7,825 to candidates for governor. Our Oregons proposals contain the same limits for individuals $2,000 to a candidate for statewide office as the campaign finance advocates plan, a nod to Democrats frustration in recent years at the huge donations by Nike co-founder Phil Knight to Republican candidates for governor and legislative seats. However, Meek noted that Our Oregons proposals could actually be business friendly, as they do not contain the prohibition on political donations by foreign nationals and corporations contained in Initiative Petition 9 and they offer opportunities for continued big spending by entities other than just unions. Ruffin, with Our Oregon, suggested that The Oregonian/OregonLive contact supporters of the groups two initiative proposals to answer the questions emailed to Ruffin. A spokesperson for Oregons largest farmworker union, PCUN, did not respond to the emailed questions. But the groups field director, April Alvarez, a chief petitioner on the two proposed initiatives, said in a written statement that the proposals will end the corrupting influence of secret money and bring transparency to political spending in Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive attempted to reach another group listed as a supporter of the proposals, the Ebony Collective Coalition. But a phone number listed on the groups website had been disconnected and corporation records at the Secretary of States office showed that the entity was dissolved on Aug. 10. A spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Justice confirmed the group is not registered as a charity in the state. The Oregonian/OregonLive called two people listed in corporation records for the coalition but did not hear back regarding the organizations status and its reasons for supporting Our Oregons contribution limits proposals. Oregon lawmakers have repeatedly failed to pass contribution limits, most recently earlier this year. Even when they did spend time seriously considering contribution caps, top legislators allowed political interests to extensively shape the proposals. Advocates for limits tried to get an initiative on the ballot last year, but their proposals were invalidated by former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, a Democrat who narrowly won her 2020 primary on a huge wave of public employee union spending. Fagan cited a 2004 Oregon Court of Appeals ruling that initiatives must include the complete text of the law at issue, not just the sections that would be changed by the initiative. Previous secretaries of state had only required ballot initiatives to include the word-for-word portion of a law that would be amended, not the sections of it that would be left unchanged. Oregon voters have repeatedly approved contribution limits, most recently in 2006. However, courts ruled the limits could not take effect because they violated the state constitution. The Oregon Supreme Court reversed that precedent in 2020 but Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and three secretaries of state, including current Secretary LaVonne Griffin-Valade, concluded that the high courts ruling did not revive the 2006 voter-approved limits, for reasons those officials have refused to describe publicly. Titus, with Common Cause, said she looks forward to voters weighing in. The thing to remember is a loophole for one is a loophole for all, said Titus. Letting money rule the day is never going to get us to the type of governing we need, and we should all have a stake in that. Correction: This article has been updated to correct the number of signatures required for a statutory initiative to quality for the Oregon ballot in 2024. An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the number of required signatures, based on incorrect information that was published on the Oregon Secretary of States Elections Division website as recently as Aug. 21, 2023. Hillary Borrud; hborrud@oregonian.com; 503-294-4034; @hborrud BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's water and soil erosion area decreased last year amid the country's efforts to restore the ecological environment, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. The country's water and soil erosion area stood at 2.65 million square km in 2022, down 20,800 square km, or 0.78 percent, compared with 2021, according to the results of national monitoring of soil and water loss. Of the total, the area of hydraulic erosion is 1.09 million square km, down 1.38 percent year on year. There is also a wind erosion area of 1.56 million square km, down 0.36 percent from a year earlier. The ministry said that it will continue to tackle water and soil erosion in the future. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On August 15, AutoChips, the automotive chip arm of NavInfo, joined hands with InteDrive, a player in the automotive control domain field, to unveil a strategic collaboration aimed at driving innovation in the realm of automotive control systems. Photo credit: NavInfo This partnership seeks to establish a benchmark for on-road application of vehicle-grade chips and control solutions. InteDrive boasts a robust technological foundation and a wealth of market experience in the automotive control sector. On the other hand, AutoChips, as a Chinese automotive chip design service provider, brings to the table profound technical expertise and innovation capabilities, bolstered by its underlying hardware support. Together, the two companies plan to fortify their efforts in market promotion, new product introduction, and customer support, culminating in a synergistic ecosystem that invigorates the entire intelligent automotive industry. COO of NavInfo, Liang Yongjie stated, "AutoChips, as an integral part of NavInfo's automotive intelligence strategy, has cultivated extensive and profound collaborations with global Tier 1 suppliers and leading automakers. We look forward to collaborating with InteDrive, a homegrown leader in automotive sensing services, to expedite the implementation of this agreement. Together, we will expand the circle of automotive intelligence and contribute to the advancement of the industry." Meanwhile, General Manager of InteDrive, Ni Siqiao commented, "InteDrive is committed to becoming a premier value-added provider of sensing and control system services in the industry. We anticipate resource sharing and complementarity with AutoChips, a domestic frontrunner in automotive chip manufacturing. Our combined efforts will undoubtedly usher in greater possibilities for future automotive applications, crafting a more competitive landscape for intelligent automotive hardware solutions." The Portland Thorns (7-4-4, 25 points) are back, hosting the North Carolina Courage (8-5-2, 26 points) in a battle for first place in the NWSL standings. The match begins Sunday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET with a live broadcast streaming on Paramount+. ODDS (via DraftKings): Portland Thorns (-120) | Draw (+300) | North Carolina Courage (+295) HOW TO WATCH What: Portland Thorns FC face the North Carolina Courage in a 2023 NWSL regular season matchup When: 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 20 Where: Providence Park | Portland, OR TV channel: None How to watch live stream online: You can stream this match live on Paramount+. LATEST LIVE UPDATES & VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS -- Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke Those exploring the John Day Fossil Beds have a lot of incredible sights to see: the Painted Hills, Painted Cove, Cant Ranch, Blue Basin, and the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, for starters. HERE IS OREGON: HereisOregon.com | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok All of those sites are found at either the Painted Hills Unit or the Sheep Rock Unit, two neighboring sections of the sprawling national monument in central Oregon. Together, the two units account for the virtually all the traffic and attention. Far fewer people make it out to Clarno. A picnic shelter is one of several amenities offered near the Clarno Unit parking lot.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The Clarno Arch is found at the end of the Clarno Arch Trail.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian A rock spire in the Palisades rises above the Geologic Time Trail.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The Clarno Unit is about a 90-minute drive from either of the other two Fossil Beds areas, located down a pair of winding state highways that run through a series of small towns. For comparison, it takes about 50 minutes to drive between Painted Hills and Sheep Rock, an almost straight shot down U.S. 26. And while the Painted Hills and Sheep Rock units each feature a collection of good hikes and sights to see, Clarno has, well, Clarno. But those who shrug away this section of the John Day Fossil Beds are truly missing out. What Clarno lacks in breadth it makes up for in magnitude. This is a place where towering cathedrals of volcanic rock, known as The Palisades, rise dramatically out of the desert floor. Look closely and youll see fossils embedded into boulders and high up in the cliffs. Signs tell a colorful story about all the prehistoric creatures who once roamed this land: tiny four-toed horses, the rhino-esque brontotheres and prowling creodonts. A pair of fossilized logs are embedded into the cliffs near Clarno Arch.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian A bus drives along Oregon 218 past the Clarno Unit.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian A juniper tree grows along the Clarno Arch TrailJamie Hale/The Oregonian The whole area can be seen on a relatively easy 1.5-mile out-and-back hike. There are technically three short trails here the Geologic Time Trail, Trail of Fossils and Clarno Arch Trail but all three meld together seamlessly as you go. The reward at the end of the hike would seem to be Clarno Arch itself, a natural ring at the top of the cliffs, but look up just before you get there to see something better: two fossilized logs embedded high into the rock. Perhaps understanding that the drive to get to Clarno is much longer than the hike you can do once youre there, the National Park Service has added a number of nice amenities for travelers at the site: a restroom, drinking water and several shaded picnic tables. Whether you choose to spend an afternoon at the remote natural attraction or make it yet another stop on your whirlwind tour of the Fossil Beds, Clarno is definitely worth your time. A walk beneath the Palisades is an experience that will stick with you a long time even if theres nothing else there. The Clarno Unit is located on Oregon 218, about 16 miles southwest of the town of Fossil. Jamie Hale 503-294-4077; jhale@oregonian.com; @HaleJamesB Portland will see minimal impacts from former hurricane Hilary as it moves northward through the central and far eastern parts of Oregon and into Idaho on Monday. The National Weather Service says the storms track will help lock in onshore flow in western Oregon and leave Portland with cooler than average temperatures through the middle of the week. Portlands air quality started Monday in the moderate-to-unhealthy for sensitive group range. Smoke may continue to move through the metro area and sometimes increase in intensity. Those with health issues that can be exacerbated by smoke should follow airnow.gov for the latest readings in their location. Conditions as of 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Map courtesy of AirNow.gov Skies will be hazy through the morning, and then some clearing is expected. The high will be near 80 degrees. The weather service says the smoke, from wildfires burning across southern British Columbia and eastern Washington, was dragged into the region by offshore winds that followed a thermal trough west of the Cascades. Mondays transition to onshore flow will eventually push smoke east of the Cascades, likely by Tuesday. Hilarys impact may be felt to the east as parts of northeastern and central Oregon are under flood watches through Tuesday. If youre planning to travel through these areas Monday, check with TripCheck.com on any road closures or other hazards. Portland should have a mostly sunny day Tuesday with highs well below average, around 75 degrees. Wednesday will be another mostly sunny day, with temperatures warming up a few degrees to about 80. Extended forecasts are showing a return to warmer weather beginning Thursday and heading into the weekend. Under sunny skies, Portland will likely heat up to about 91 degrees. Forecasters are expecting highs in the lower 90s across the Willamette Valley and into the Portland/Vancouver area heading into the weekend. Photo: (Photo : on Unsplash) In an unsettling development, Maryland health officials announced on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, the state's first case of "locally acquired" malaria in 40 years. This incident has ignited public health concerns as it follows a series of similar cases recorded in the United States since May, specifically in Florida and Texas. The patient, whose identity is being kept confidential for privacy reasons, had not traveled outside the United States recently, the Maryland Health Department revealed in an official statement. The individual experienced symptoms like fever and sweating before being admitted to a hospital, where they are currently recovering. Officials Take the Case Seriously Dr. David Blythe, Director of the Maryland Health Department's Infectious Disease Division, disclosed that the patient resides in the Washington, D.C., area. "The individual experienced symptoms that are consistent with malaria and did the right thing by seeking medical attention promptly," said Dr. Blythe. Laura Herrera Scott, Maryland's State Health Secretary, acknowledged the significance of the case, stating, "It's been four decades since we last had a case of malaria originating within Maryland's boundaries. We are taking this very seriously and will be collaborating with both local and federal health officials to investigate this case thoroughly." While over 2,000 cases of malaria are reported in the U.S. each year, almost all involve individuals who acquired the infection while traveling abroad. In fact, malaria was declared almost completely eradicated in the United States by the year 1951, thanks to extensive mosquito control efforts. However, the recent string of locally acquired cases in Florida, Texas, and now Maryland is rekindling focus and concern regarding the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed earlier that there was no linkage between the Florida and Texas cases. In a similar vein, Maryland health officials clarified that the patient in question had not traveled to either of these states recently. Malaria, commonly seen in developing countries, is transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Although the disease is relatively rare in the United States, it's crucial to note that timely treatment is almost always successful in preventing death, according to the CDC. Read Also: Malaria Cases in Florida Raise Concerns: Reports Seven Local Infections Heightened Vigilance and Next Steps Dr. Blythe proposed a possible explanation for the Maryland case: "It's feasible that the patient was bitten by a mosquito that had previously fed on an infected traveler from a region where malaria is endemic. While this is purely speculative at this stage, we can't rule out any possibilities." This alarming revelation has heightened the vigilance of health authorities and underscored the need for reinforcing mosquito control measures and ramping up public health awareness campaigns. "Understanding this isolated incident is a top priority, not just for the sake of the patient but for the ongoing health and safety of the Maryland community," emphasized Herrera Scott. As investigations commence, spearheaded by the Maryland Health Department in collaboration with the CDC, the situation is being closely monitored by health experts and the public alike. Identifying the root cause is viewed as a critical step toward preventing the potential spread of this once-eradicated disease and thus maintaining public health and safety in the region. Related Article: CDC Issues Health Alert: Local Malaria Cases Detected in Florida, Texas Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese power battery giant CATL and Shaanxi Automobile Holding Group Co., Ltd. ("Shaanxi Automobile") joined forces on August 17 as they inked a ten-year strategic cooperation agreement in Ningde city, Fujian province, marking a significant move towards driving innovation in the electric commercial vehicle sector. Photo credit: NIO Serving as a positive advocate and driving force for the green, low-carbon transformation of China's automotive industry, Shaanxi Automobile has established itself as a prominent frontrunner in the fields of new energy and intelligent connected commercial vehicles. This collaboration marks a heavyweight alliance aimed at advancing commercial vehicle battery technology across a wide spectrum of applications. CATL said it has been maintaining a close working relationship with Shaanxi Automobile, aligned in their strong commitment to driving the electrification of commercial vehicles. The recent signing of this agreement signifies the formal initiation of comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two parties. As outlined in the agreement, CATL and Shaanxi Automobile will leverage their respective strengths to foster all-encompassing collaboration in areas spanning product development, technological innovation, resource allocation, market promotion, and after-sales service. The fruition of this strategic partnership is poised to synergize the strengths of both parties, refining commercial vehicle battery technology standards. By further streamlining the industrial chain and amalgamating upstream R&D capabilities with downstream market demands, this collaboration aims to offer globally competitive and quality-assured products to commercial vehicle clients, thereby propelling the realization of comprehensive electrification and dual-carbon objectives. Photo: (Photo : Lama Roscu on Unsplash) A harrowing outbreak of Listeria has caused three deaths and sent three others to the hospital in Tacoma, Washington, shaking the community to its core. Health officials have identified poorly cleaned ice cream machines at a local Frugals restaurant as the source of the contamination, as revealed in an official announcement from the Washington State Department of Health. Investigators determined that the ice cream machines at the Frugals restaurant, which were in operation until August 7, were the source of the bacterial outbreak. Listeria can affect individuals for a protracted period-up to 70 days after exposure-making it crucial for patrons who visited the restaurant between May 29 and August 7 to be on high alert for symptoms and to consult healthcare providers urgently if symptoms are observed. Scope of Exposure and High Risk CNN reached out to the Frugals restaurant chain for a statement, but no response has been received as of yet. However, according to the health department, no other locations of the Frugals chain are currently implicated in the ongoing Listeria outbreak. Six individuals were initially hospitalized for Listeria exposure after consuming milkshakes at the Tacoma Frugals between February 27 and July 22. Genetic tests confirmed that the Listeria strain found in the milkshakes matched the strain responsible for the hospitalizations and tragic fatalities. Two of the survivors specifically recalled consuming milkshakes at the implicated Frugals outlet before falling seriously ill. Symptoms of Listeria infection are diverse but often include fever, muscle aches, and various gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea. More severe symptoms can manifest as headaches, mental confusion, and even convulsions. In response to this grave situation, the health department is urgently calling on anyone who dined at the Tacoma restaurant between May 29 and August 7 to seek immediate medical advice if they are experiencing any symptoms of a Listeria infection. Vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, older adults, infants, and those with compromised immune systems, should exercise heightened caution. Read Also: Fatal Listeria Outbreak Claims 3 Lives in Washington State Public Health Warning and High-Risk Groups According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for about 1,600 cases of listeriosis in the United States annually. Of those, approximately 260 result in death. The CDC further indicates that pregnant women are 10 times more likely to contract listeriosis, and among pregnant Hispanic women, the risk is an astounding 24 times higher. This deeply unsettling event highlights the absolute necessity for rigorous food safety measures across all food service establishments. Negligence in adhering to these protocols can result in severe consequences, impacting not just individual lives but also public confidence in food safety. While the health department has not found evidence of contamination at other Frugals locations, the incident serves as a grim cautionary tale for all eateries and their customers. As the situation continues to unfold, the community is fervently praying for the recovery of the hospitalized victims and awaits further updates from the health authorities. In the interim, the key to managing this public health crisis lies in heightened vigilance and immediate medical intervention, particularly for those who might have been exposed to the dangerous bacteria at the Tacoma Frugals restaurant. Related Article: Fear Of Listeria Outbreak Prompted Country Fresh To Recall Pre-Cut Vegetables The Malta Airport Foundation has announced it will support an embellishment project inside the Parish Church of Saint Leonard in Kirkop, with an investment in works of art that have been commissioned for the south transept dedicated to the Holy Crucifix. Local artist Anthony Spagnol will execute these works, which are envisaged to be an extension of the churchs existing decorative scheme with a contemporary twist. The existing paintings date back to the 1960s and are the work of Giuseppe Briffa, who is considered one of the Maltese Islands foremost exponents of sacred art. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> The project is set to commence with works on the south transept once the bozzetti that have been prepared by the artist are approved by the Commission for Sacred Art within the Archbishops Curia. The bozzetti was also presented to the parishioners of Kirkop during the Solemn Mass for the feast of Saint Leonard, which was celebrated on August 20, 2023. The choice of the artist for the current project was followed by studies and consultations with experts in sacred art, which led to the choice of a contemporary overarching theme for the project. On an artistic level, this is intended to further embellish the Church of Saint Leonard, and on a more spiritual level, encourage reflection and spiritual growth. Between 2021 and 2022, the Malta Airport Foundation worked with Spagnol, who is also a paintings conservator, on the conservation and restoration of a Mattia Preti painting inside the Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria in Zurrieq. Josef Formosa Gauci, chairman of the Malta Airport Foundation, said, Kirkop is one of the airports neighboring villages, and we felt that our involvement in this project would be in line with the Malta Airport Foundations pledge to support nearby communities. The thoroughness with which the background work was conducted and the thought that went into the choice of the themes, two aspects that were also praised by the Commission for Sacred Art within the Archbishops Curia, provided us with the reassurance that the final product will further enrich our islands artistic heritage. Spagnol said, This project presents me with an opportunity to create figurative sacred art. However, I am aware that my artistic expression must complement the style adopted by Giuseppe Briffa in the art that already adorns this church. Another important factor that comes into play is the need for themes and an execution that resonates with todays churchgoers. Beyond artistic skill, this project requires solid literature-based research and the depiction of events and characters that are in tune with the times. In order for the works of art to serve as a reminder that the exemplary life led by Saint Leonard in the Middle Ages still bears relevance today, a number of contemporary saints and blesseds, including Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962) and Christian de Cherge (1937-1996), who lived by the teachings of the Church even when extraordinarily difficult decisions had to be made, will be portrayed in the ceiling pendants. The lunette, on the other hand, will depict representations of the acts of mercy, where one transept will be dedicated to the seven spiritual acts and the other transept to the corporal acts. The corporal act visit the imprisoned will be a reminder of Saint Leonards great compassion toward these members of society. To find out more about Malta Airports latest developments, click here. For whatever little it may be worth, a video recording of the talk that I recently delivered at the 2023 FAIR LDS conference under the title of Understanding History Backwards is now available online under the title of, well, Understanding History Backwards. Watch the video at your own risk. Also: Paul Wuthrich, who plays Joseph Smith in the Interpreter Foundations theatrical film Witnesses and who is the host and narrator for the Foundations docudrama Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, gave an interesting podcast interview a few days ago. Enjoy it here: Delving into the Divine: Actor Paul Wuthrich Unveils Spiritual Insights as Joseph Smith. Threats to Religious Freedom in Australia: Recent legislation and several troubling incidents have challenged freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and even property rights in Australia. Many traditional Christians are extremely concerned about their status within an otherwise tolerant nation. Whats next? China makes it harder for its Muslim citizens to go to Mecca, or anywhere else We were scheduled to fly down late this afternoon from Provo (!) to John Wayne Airport, in Santa Ana, California. Right into the heart of Tropical Storm (formerly Hurricane) Hilary. I was far from sure that we would make it. I kept expecting our flight to be cancelled. But it wasnt. Even so, though, we werent certain that we would reach Santa Ana until our plane actually touched down. When the pilot came on the speaker shortly before takeoff, he expressed his hope that we would be able to land at John Wayne, but said that, if we couldnt, we would return to Provo. This didnt exactly thrill me, since, just slightly more than a year ago, I had tried to fly from Salt Lake City down to Santa Ana for a fireside, got as far as the skies over Las Vegas, and ended up turning around and landing in . . . Salt Lake City. (See In which I try again.) And, the last time that I tried flying a commercial airliner out of Provo (which was also my first time), our flight was cancelled at the last minute and we had to drive down to Las Vegas in a rental car in order to meet with a group down there. Ive grown pretty skeptical of late about airline schedules. And while we were sitting at the Provo Airport waiting for our flight, we heard further news from near the place to which we were hoping to fly: Earthquake shakes Southern California as Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall. It was almost funny. By that point, I halfway expected somebody to tell me that Californias state government and all of its largest cities are entirely dominated by progressive Democrats! I probably would have believed it. Happily, the flight down to Santa Ana today not only managed to go the distance but was far less turbulent than I had expected it to be. Its been raining steadily outside here, and its been a bit gusty, but, altogether, things are better than I had anticipated. Of course, the storm seems to have traveled up a bit more to the east of the cone of uncertainty than it might have, according to most meteorologists. I hope that the folks to the east of us are doing alright. But I have to say that I love flying out of Provo! The destinations are severely limited, but the Provo Airport is just a few minutes from my home on surface streets, no less and it certainly offers some advantages over driving up to the Salt Lake Airport every time. Moreover, I dont know when it happened, but the Provo Airport building is new and small. The four gates are very near the entrance and, unlike Salt Lakes terminals, the trek to the airplanes doesnt make one want to break out in the Primary hymn Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked and Walked and Walked and Walked. I dont do politics any more. Im not permitted to have public political opinions. Heck, I dont even know whether the White House is currently held by a Whig prime minister or a Federalist one. So, even though this man is reputed to hold some kind of position in the national government of the United States of America, Im linking to this article about him only because I admire him very deeply and because Im willing to say so openly: Mitt Romneys Political Journey Reaches a Crossroads: Republican senator from Utah, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, would face a tough fight if he seeks re-election And no, that doesnt make me a Marxist or even a libtard. But it does make me someone who respects people of good character and who wants to see more of them, not less of them, in public life, But now its high time for some richly anger-nourishing fare from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File. I owe it to my public: Church Leaders Visit Scene of Maui Wildfires: Hawaii Lt. Governor expresses gratitude for relief efforts Church of Jesus Christ Donates US$1 Million to American Red Cross For Maui Wildfire Relief: Hawaii governor sees Churchs efforts first hand And, although the title gives little or no hint of it, this piece too comes from the Hitchens File. And, accordingly, it contains dreadful comments that will make certain folks yearn even more than they already do for the demise and absolute disappearance of religion: Brazil Honors the Church of Jesus Christ: Elder Soares and other Latter-day Saint leaders are recognized at a special session of Congress Posted from Newport Beach, California Ghana will require about $522.3 billion to finance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. To this end, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has called on the private sector and donors to support the implementation of the SDGs. He made the call in Accra yesterday during the launch of the Ghana 2022 SDGs Budget and Expenditure Report. The Budget Report provides a comprehensive overview of progress, challenges, and the steps being taken to address them and areas which need re-prioritisation in terms of attention and budgetary allocation. Mr Ofori-Atta who stated this in a speech read on his behalf by Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, said Ghana had seven years to reach the deadline of the SDGs and government alone could not bear the cost of funding the SDGs. Achieving the 17 targets of the SDGs which include education, health, eradicating poverty, promoting gender parity by 20230 will be a collective responsibility, Mr Ofori-Atta, stated. Mr Ofori-Atta said SDGs served as a roadmap for the countrys journey towards sustainable development, outlining the achievements, setbacks, and the actions required to accelerate progress, adding that government had aligned its policies and budgetary allocations with the SDGs. He said the 2022 SDGs Budget Report showed that government increased allocations for industry and agriculture, GH216, 296,000.00 and GH514, 000,000.00 respectively. The Finance Minister also indicated that there was also an increase in allocation for the key government flagship programmes GH5, 053,726,913.20 such as Planting for Food and Jobs as compared to the 2021 allocation of GH2, 853,052,197.06. Mr Ofori-Atta said the government was spending more on health, gender, education in efforts to mitigate the negative effects of the global economic situation on the local economy. Our commitment to the SDGs remains resolute, and the 2022 Budget and Expenditure Report demonstrates the measures we are taking to counter the effects of the global crisis and accelerate our progress, he stated. The Country Representative of UNICEF, Osama Makkawi, said the launch of the report was in the right direction. He said the development of the report was important as it highlights the goals government was doing well and the one which needed attention. Mr Makkawi commended the government for the efforts being made to achieve the targets in the SDGs. The Country Representative of UNICEF pledged his outfits commitment to support Ghana in the implementation of the SDGs as well as develop annual reports for the programme. The Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance, Eva Esselba Mends, said the 2022 SDG Report was the fourth to be conducted by Ghana and said the country was also among the few countries which had developed SDG Report. She said the report indicated that there was the need for the government to increase funding in promoting food security, health, education and gender parity. The Chief Director said government would leverage private sector funds, donor support and the countrys own resources to finance the SDGs. Source: Ghanaiantimes.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The SDGs Advisory Unit in the Office of the President in partnership with Fidelity Bank on 16 August 2023 organised an MOU Signing Ceremony to officially solidify their collaboration to drive sustainable development and advance the United Nations 2030 Agenda. This partnership signifies a pivotal step towards fostering a future that is both sustainable and inclusive, contributing to progress both within the local community and on the global stage. As part of this agreement: Fidelity Bank is set to become a key partner in the local and international Sustainability knowledge management, networking, and engagement efforts led by the SDGs Advisory Unit. The Bank's wealth of expertise and resources will play a substantial role in driving the adoption of sustainable practices across diverse sectors. Fidelity Bank will take an active role in engaging in policy discussions initiated by the SDGs Advisory Unit. Through these dialogues, the Bank will leverage its financial insights and expertise to influence the formulation of sustainable development policies, making a meaningful impact at both the local and global levels. The SDGs Unit is committed to promoting the Bank as a Sustainability Champion throughout its interactions with local and global communities. This collaboration will bolster efforts to advocate for sustainable practices across sectors. Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Julian Opuni, Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited, expressed enthusiasm for the joint efforts, stating, As a financial institution, we are acutely aware of our critical role in ensuring a sustainable future for our planet, communities, and the economy. In line with this, we have begun integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concepts into all aspects of our operations and continue to make significant strides in our sustainability journey. We have also ensured that, our strategy aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals. He added, This alliance with the SDGs Advisory Unit will further strengthen the inroads we are making on our key sustainability pillars of Sustainable Finance, Sustainable Operations and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In collaboration with the SDGs Advisory Unit, we are confident of attaining our SDG goals and more importantly supporting and inspiring others to do likewise." Dr. Eugene Owusu, Presidential Advisor on the SDGs, shared a similar sentiment, saying "At the SDGs Advisory Unit, we are delighted to note that Fidelity Bank has fully embraced the principles of sustainability and is committed to supporting the SDGs. Additionally, he commented that The interest of investors and other corporate stakeholders in Environmental Social Governance (ESG) matters has surged in recent years and it is increasingly clear that for businesses to prosper over time, they must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how they make a positive contribution to society and derive benefits for all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, and the communities in which they operate. The first corporate sponsorship of an event by the SDGs Advisory Unit was done in partnership with Fidelity Bank. This was the Royal Dialogue on the SDGs in Kumasi, graciously hosted by His Majesty the Asantehene Otumfour Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace. Fidelity Bank was also a major sponsor of the National Blue Economy Summit, which was recently organised by the SDGs Advisory Unit and held under the auspices of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who serves as a member of the High Level Panel on the Ocean Economy, as well as the Co-chair of the Emeritus Group of SDGs Advocates. Together, Fidelity Bank and the SDGs Advisory Unit have structured this MOU to drive positive change in areas such as entrepreneurship, sustainable finance, education, environmental protection, financial inclusion, food security, and gender equity. These collaborative initiatives will amplify the impact of their shared commitment to a greener, more equitable, and sustainable world. For more information about Fidelity Bank and SDGs Advisory Unit's partnership, please contact [email protected] or [email protected] Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The evolving trade dynamics between China and Africa have set the stage for burgeoning opportunities. Within the expansive landscape of the Chinese economy, the export sector has emerged as a pivotal arena for engagement. Notably, a substantial portionapproximately 40%of China's agribusiness consumables are imported, underscoring a robust market. Of particular significance is the creation of a streamlined pathway, known as the green lane, facilitating swift and hassle-free exports from Africa to China. This development, especially in the realm of agribusiness, is of paramount importance to Ghana, given the significant contribution of its agriculture sector to the national GDP. Embracing this momentous occasion, Stanbic Bank Ghana has partnered with its parent institution, Standard Bank, to elevate Africa's export capabilities, channeling the potential of Ghanaian entrepreneurs into the heart of this year's China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) held in Changsha, China. As a proactive measure, the bank empowered its clients from Ghana to partake in the event, a platform tailored for the display of their products and offerings. An integral component of the expo was a series of matchmaking endeavors, enabling direct engagement with prospective Chinese buyers and collaborative partners. Freda Gezel [AGNN1] Sekyiwaa, the CEO of Parin Africa Limited, commended Stanbic Bank Ghana's instrumental role in fostering her business growth. She expressed her satisfaction, stating, "Our experience at the trade expo, facilitated by Stanbic Bank Ghana, was truly remarkable. The opportunity to engage in matchmaking with numerous potential business partners allowed us to showcase our diverse productsranging from cashew nuts to sesame and soybeans. For businesses seeking expansion, Stanbic Bank is an invaluable partner, adept at facilitating growth and aiding in the realization of business aspirations, particularly within the agriculture sector. I extend heartfelt gratitude to the Stanbic Bank group for their pivotal role in this endeavor, benefiting both myself and the entire Parin Africa team." Similarly, Mr. George [AGNN2] Adjei-Bekoe, the CEO of Gablin Foods, shared his perspective on the trade expo experience. "As an SME primarily focused on producing natural cocoa powder, chocolate bars, and spreads, our collaboration with Stanbic Bank has been transformative. They efficiently supported our export venture to Taiwan last year. This year, as part of Ghana's delegation to the Changsha trade expo, my expectations were modest due to past challenges in China. To my astonishment, Goblin Chocolates, our brand, quickly garnered attention and was in high demand. This underscored a latent market for cocoa products. Our interactions with various businesses are promising, and we anticipate that Stanbic Bank will continue to aid our expansion efforts, thus enhancing our presence in the Chinese market. I firmly advocate for other companies to consider partnering with Stanbic Bank, as the remarkable trade prospects between China and Africa, especially within the agriculture sector, are undeniable." Reflecting on the event's significance, Aurelia Baaba Ofori Odame, Head of Africa-China Trade Banking at Stanbic Bank Ghana, elucidated the bank's pivotal role. "At Stanbic Bank, we are steadfast in our commitment to nurture Africa's growth, making it a thriving home. Consequently, we have embraced this pivotal growth catalyst for our economy, motivating an array of export-oriented businesses to collaborate with us, as we prepare them to access the Chinese market via CAETE. Our objective as a bank is not only to seize this opportunity but also to bridge the trade surplus gap within the Ghanaian economy. By supporting exporters of both traditional and non-traditional commodities to venture into the Chinese market, we aim to bolster our local economy through the injection of crucial foreign exchange." CAETE stands as a biennial event, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and the People's Government of Hunan Province. Originating in 2019, CAETE embodies the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation's (FOCAC) commitment to rectify the trade balance between Africa and China. The expo operates as a platform to amplify the import of African goods and services, constructing novel avenues for direct business collaborations at the sub-national level. The preceding 2019 and 2021 editions have borne fruit, culminating in the endorsement of 216 projects, contributing to a cumulative trade value exceeding US$43 billion between Africa and China. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has revealed that the Northern region emerged the top performing region in the students' standardised test conducted by the Ghana Education Service (GES) for primary four students. Last year when we assessed students across the country, the Northern region emerged as the best-performing region in both English and mathematics in the primary four-level, he said. This was made known when the minister addressed journalists in Tamale about the assessment conducted by the Ghana education service (GES) regarding the students standardised test for primary four students. According to him, the various interventions by the government have been the reason for the high-level performance of students in northern Ghana. The Minister congratulated chiefs, teachers, NGOs and all the stakeholders for their hard work and encouraged them to continue to do more for the development of the north. He called for the support of the good people of the north to help sustain the achievement in the educational sector in the region. The Northern sector of yesterday is not the same as today and the government will do every possible to support your effort to improve education in the north, he said. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, has announced that the West African bloc is prepared to fund a possible military operation in Niger to restore constitutional order. Briefing the media about the outcome of a two-day meeting of army chiefs of the ECOWAS member states in Accra yesterday, he indicated that the planning mission which started on August 3, 2023 had come to an end. We have already agreed and fine-tuned what will be required for the intervention. The strategy, capacity, and the strategic objective, equipment needed, commitment of member states are very encouraging, he stated. According to him, the ECOWAS member states present at the meeting have all committed elements, equipment, and resources to carry out the mission in Niger. I tell you, we are ready to go anytime the order is given. The D-day is also silent. There will be no more meetings of the Chiefs of Defence Staff. If there will be, it will probably be in the course of the operation, if there is the need to adjust the operation, he posited. Ambassador Musah added, As soon as our Heads of State and Government are satisfied with the report to be presented, our troops across the region are ready to respond to the call of duty in Niger. He noted that they were not against the Republic of Niger, and that the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government had put all the options on the table, pointing out that they would be sending a mediation mission into the country. We have not shut any door at all. The sanctions are also on the table, and if they respond favourably to the request of the authorities of ECOWAS Heads of State, we are ready to accept, the ECOWAS Commissioner intimated. However, he stated that they would not engage in an endless discussion, and that any dialogue and its conclusion must be truthful, with the goal of restoring constitutional order in the shortest possible time. We are also calling for the release of the legitimate President of the Republic of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum and his family as well as members of his government who are being held hostage by the regime in Niger. This is our message to them that our doors are open, but we are not going to engage in endless dialogue, Dr. Musah stressed. He stated that if the military junta chooses a peaceful path to restore constitutional order in the country, ECOWAS is willing to abandon the military option because it is not our preferred option. We are being obliged to do it because of the intransigence of the regime and the obstacles they have been putting in the way of a negotiated settlement to the restoration of constitutional order, the Commissioner asserted. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Surgeons in the United States have announced that a pig kidney they transplanted into the body of a brain-dead human patient has functioned normally for more than a month, a promising sign in the effort to address widespread organ donation needs. Surgeons at the New York University Langone Transplant Institute said on Wednesday that the milestone is the longest a pig kidney had functioned in a person, albeit a deceased one. We have a genetically edited pig kidney surviving for over a month in a human, institute director Robert Montgomery told reporters. He said the results provide further assurances for any future studies in living patients. The pig kidney had been genetically modified to omit a gene that produces biomolecules that human immune systems attack and reject. Weve now gathered more evidence to show that, at least in kidneys, just eliminating the gene that triggers a hyperacute rejection may be enough along with clinically approved immunosuppressive drugs to successfully manage the transplant in a human for optimal performance, potentially in the long-term, Montgomery said. Scientists hope that cross-species transplants could help deliver assistance to the many people who are waiting for potentially life-saving organs. More than 103,000 people in the US currently need organ transplants, 88,000 of whom require kidneys. Thousands of people die each year while waiting. Wednesdays breakthrough began with the transfer of a pig kidney into the body of Maurice Mo Miller, a man who had died suddenly at the age of 57 and whose body was donated to science by his family. Researchers say that they will continue to monitor the experiment as it enters its second month. Scientists hope to eventually progress far enough to use animal organs to save living humans, and cadavers donated for scientific research play an important role in research and experimentation. I struggled with it, the sister of the deceased man, Mary Miller-Duffy, told The Associated Press about her decision to participate in the experiment. I think this is what my brother would want. So I offered my brother to them. Hes going to be in the medical books, and he will live on forever, she said. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is mulling whether to allow small, selective studies of pig hearts and kidneys transferred into volunteer patients. Successes like the NYU experiment could help move such efforts forward. On Wednesday, the University of Alabama at Birmingham also reported that a pair of pig kidneys had functioned without issue in another donated body for seven days. Source: Aljazeera Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Shanghai (Gasgoo)- XPeng Inc., a prominent Chinese smart electric vehicle company, revealed its unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2023 (Q2 2023). The company reported total revenues of 5.06 billion yuan (US$0.70 billion) for Q2 2023, marking a 31.9% decrease from the 7.44 billion yuan recorded in the same period of 2022. However, it also represents a notable 25.5% rise from Q1 2023's 4.03 billion yuan. Photo credit: XPeng Vehicle sales generated revenues of 4.42 billion yuan (US$0.61 billion) for Q2 2023, signifying a 36.2% year-on-year decrease from the corresponding period in 2022, yet still reflecting a 25.9% increase from Q1 2023. The decline in the year-over-year comparison primarily owes itself to decreased vehicle deliveries and the discontinued new energy vehicle subsidies. Conversely, the quarter-over-quarter growth stems mainly from elevated vehicle deliveries of the P7i model. XPeng recorded a delivery volume of 23,205 vehicles in Q2 2023, representing a 27.3% quarter-on-quarter jump, but facing a 32.6% year-on-year decline. The gross margin for Q2 2023 was less favorable, standing at a negative 3.9%, compared to the 10.9% in the same period of 2022 and the 1.7% in Q1 2023. The company's vehicle margin, indicating profit from vehicle sales, came in at negative 8.6% for Q2 2023. This contrasts with the 9.1% in Q2 2022 and the negative 2.5% in Q1 2023. The decline was attributed to inventory write-downs and losses on inventory purchase commitments related to the G3i, which negatively impacted vehicle margin by 4.5 percentage points. Moreover, increased sales promotions and the expiry of new energy vehicle subsidies also led to the decrease. Despite these challenges, XPengs R&D expenses increased by 8.1% to 1.37 billion yuan (US$0.19 billion) for Q2 2023, reflecting the company's commitment to enhancing its product competitiveness for future growth. XPeng also reported a loss from operations of 3.09 billion yuan (US$0.43 billion) for Q2 2023, a rise from the 2.09 billion yuan in Q2 2022 and the 2.59 billion yuan in Q1 2023. The companys net loss for Q2 2023 reached 2.80 billion yuan (US$0.39 billion), compared to the 2.70 billion yuan in Q2 2022 and the 2.34 billion yuan in Q1 2023. Looking ahead, XPeng anticipates its vehicle deliveries range between 39,000 and 41,000 units for Q3 2023, marking a year-over-year increase of approximately 31.9% to 38.7%. Its Q3 revenues are expected to fall in the range of 8.5 billion yuan and 9.0 billion yuan, reflecting a year-over-year increase of around 24.6% to 31.9%. Nigers coup leader has proposed a three-year transition of power after meeting a delegation of West African leaders and warned that any attack on the country would not be a walk in the park for those involved. General Abdourahmane Tchiani, speaking on national television late on Saturday, gave no details on the potential transition, saying only that the principles for the move would be decided within 30 days at a dialogue to be hosted by the ruling military council. Neither the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland nor the people of Niger want war, and remain open to dialogue, he said after his first meeting with delegates from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Nigerien capital, Niamey. But let us be clear: If an attack were to be undertaken against us, it will not be the walk in the park some people seem to think, he said. ECOWAS has imposed severe sanctions on Niger following the July 26 coup and has ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional rule in the country. The bloc said on Friday that an undisclosed D-Day had been agreed for possible military intervention and that 11 of its 15 member states had agreed to commit troops to the operation. In his 12-minute speech, Tchiani claimed ECOWAS was getting ready to attack Niger by setting up an occupying army in collaboration with a foreign army and denounced what he called illegal and inhuman sanctions imposed by the regional bloc. I reaffirm here that our ambition is not to confiscate power. I also reaffirm our readiness to engage in any dialogue, as long as it takes into account the orientations desired by the proud and resilient people of Niger, he added. ECOWAS has taken a harder stance on Nigers July 26 coup, the regions seventh in three years, than it has on previous ones in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. The bloc despite threatening military intervention is also pursuing diplomatic ways to reverse the power grab in Niger, a country that has strategic importance for regional and global powers because of its uranium and oil reserves as well as its role as a hub for foreign troops involved in the fight against armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). ECOWAS meets Bazoum While Nigers coup leaders have rebuffed previous missions, Saturdays delegation, headed by former Nigerian head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was met at the airport by the military-appointed prime minister, according to the Reuters news agency. After meeting Tchiani, the bloc also met separately with toppled President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held under house arrest in Niamey since the military takeover. We met Bazoum, we heard from him what was done to him. He told us about the problems hes facing. Well take it to the leaders who sent us here, said Abubakar. Without doubt, the meeting has opened discussions to lead to a way to resolve this crisis. The ECOWAS delegations arrival in Niamey followed that of the new United States ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon. A spokesman for the US State Department said the new envoys diplomatic focus will be to advocate for a diplomatic solution that preserves the constitutional order and the immediate release of Bazoum, his family and all those unlawfully detained. The United Nations has also joined the reconciliation efforts, sending its special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, to Niamey on a mission to facilitate a swift and peaceful resolution to Nigers crisis. Source: Aljazeera Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nigers de facto president, Abdourahamane Tchiani, wants to create a transitional government that would remain in power for no longer than three years, he said on state television, while warning against intervention from abroad. Before that, he wants to hold a comprehensive national dialogue within 30 days and consult all Nigeriens, Tchiani said on Saturday evening. Tchiani became Nigers leader last month in a shock coup, when the presidential guard detained the president and seize power. The national dialogue would provide the basis to create a new constitution, Tchiani said, underscoring that the decisions would be made without outside interference. His comments came after the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) said its defence chiefs were drafting a plan to intervene if constitutional order is not restored. A potential date for an intervention had been set, but was not mentioned publicly, the group said. Nigers new leaders responded by saying they had developed a defence strategy with concrete measures together with Mali and Burkina Faso if ECOWAS decides to go to war. Mali and Burkina Faso are also ruled by the military following coups. Following Nigers coup on July 26, ECOWAS called for the reinstatement of the constitution and of Bazoum, who is under house arrest. However, ECOWAS stressed that a peaceful solution should remain a priority and that military intervention would only be necessary if this failed. Pope Francis also said on Sunday that he hopes for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Niger. I join the bishops appeal for peace in the country and stability in the Sahel region, the Catholic Church leader said in St Peters Square in Rome after the Angelus prayer. The Argentinean said he was following the events in Niger with concern. In prayer, I accompany the efforts of the international community to find a peaceful solution as soon as possible for the good of all. Niger, a Sahel state with around 26 million inhabitants, is one of the poorest populations in the world. Up until the coup, it was one of the last democratic partners of the United States and Europe in the Sahel region on the southern edge of the Sahara. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr. Gideon Boako has expressed disgust over the Niger coup d'etat that occurred in July this year. A military junta seized power in Niger and ousted the President, however ECOWAS has asked the coup orchestrators to restore the President. ECOWAS says it will be compelled to send a "standby" force to intervene in the situation if the Nigerien military fails to reinstall the President. The Spokesperson for the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Gideon Boako wondered why almost every coup d'etat happens in Africa. Commenting on the Niger coup during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' show, he regrettably noted that "it's so bad . . . It delays our progress" and emphasized "it doesn't help anybody". He cautioned military leaders who overthrow a government to desist from it and asked them to follow the "democratic process to elect our leaders and when we don't like them, we should use the same democratic process to vote against them to make way for a new person". He also prayed Ghana never descends into a coup state, stressing "you don't have to dream it at all in Ghana and within the neighbouring countries, we don't need 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. Featured Video ORBETELLO, Italy Italians are fighting an invasion of predatory blue crabs with an attitude borne of centuries of culinary making do: If you cant beat them, eat them. Fishermen, lobbying groups and environmentalists have sounded the alarm about the risks from a summer surge in the population of the fast-reproducing invasive species. The crabs are devouring stocks of eels, clams and mussels and wreaking havoc on fishing nets. But since the crabs are here to stay, farm lobby group Coldiretti and fishing associations have been behind a series of events this summer trying to introduce a staple of American summertime fare to Italian palates. Witness the menu at one Veneto agriturismo farm-hotel that hosted a Coldiretti event this summer: rosemary crab salad; crab Venetian style (with onion and vinegar sour); and pasta with garlic-tossed crab. We usually do crab on the grill or, as in this case, with linguine, said Davide Sergio, chef at the restaurant of La Peschereccia, a fishermens cooperative in Orbetello, on the Tuscan coast. The new menu items, however, are evidence of a potentially devastating threat to Italys marine ecosystem and fishing, particularly its prized clam harvests that provide a key ingredient to another Italian culinary staple, spaghetti alle vongole. Italy is the largest producer of clams in Europe and the third largest in the world after China and South Korea, according to U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization data from 2021. But the blue crab a strong and fast swimmer and a voracious and aggressive eater with no natural predators here other than fishermen has put Italys clam and mussel producers in crisis. Fishing industry group Federagripesca estimates that over 50% of the shellfish production this year has been damaged. Pasta with blue crabs is prepared at a restaurant kitchen in Orbetello, Italy, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. If fishing is for now the only way to stop these hordes of blue crabs that are spreading along the coasts of all Italian regions, restaurant kitchens have begun to change their menus, introducing linguine with blue crab or grilled blue crab alongside the more traditional dishes. (AP Photo/Luigi Navarra)AP The Italian government has allocated 2.9 million euros ($3.1 million) to fight the invasion devastating shellfish harvests, but the problem now also concerns other types of fish farms in various parts of Italy. In the lagoon of the Orbetello nature reserve, blue crabs are gorging on seabream and eels, which are a prized wintertime catch that has sustained the local economy for centuries and stars in many traditional dishes. Now, eels are found without heads or torn to pieces. Fishermen often find ripped nets from which all the fish have escaped, evidence of the crabs strong claws that can tear through the netting. He is aggressive, he is fast, he is an animal of unacceptable intelligence. We fight this blue crab, but he is stronger than us because there are so many of them, said Marco Giudici, who has been fishing in the Orbetello lagoon for more than 40 years. He even has a battle scar: On one thumb he has the marks of a crab that almost broke his nail with a claw. From the American coasts, the Callinectes Sapidus has spread all over the world, probably transported in ballast water from ships, and has thrived in the Mediterranean Sea, not only in Italy, but also in Albania, Spain and France. On the Tuscan coast as recently as last year the crabs were still a rarity. Now, hardly a wooden fishing boat returns to the dock without dozens of blue crabs on board. From an environmental point of view, blue crabs are a real problem because they attack the juvenile fish, the eels, and they interrupt the food cycle of the fish because they eat clams, mussels, and oysters, said Pierluigi Piro, president of La Peschereccia cooperative. Unfortunately, they are growing exponentially because they seem to have found their ideal habitat in the Orbetello lagoon, Piro said. Adding to the fishermens woes: A female blue crab produces about half a million eggs a year, and by some estimates up to 2 million. Marine biologists believe rising sea temperatures might be helping them spread and multiply. Usually, at certain times of the year, when the water drops below 10 degrees (Celsius), this crab does not live well, but now finds the ideal temperature 12 months of the year, said Enrica Franchi, a marine biologist at the University of Siena. Pasta with blue crabs is prepared at a restaurant kitchen in Orbetello, Italy, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. If fishing is for now the only way to stop these hordes of blue crabs that are spreading along the coasts of all Italian regions, restaurant kitchens have begun to change their menus, introducing linguine with blue crab or grilled blue crab alongside the more traditional dishes. (AP Photo/Luigi Navarra)AP Unlike in northeastern Italy, where so many crabs are caught that most cannot be sold, in Tuscany for now almost all crabs are resold to restaurants or supermarkets, which started displaying them on their fish counters a few weeks ago. The Orbetello cooperative sells the crabs at 8 euros per kilogram ($4 per pound) to private individuals or supermarkets. At the restaurant, 10 euros ($11) buys four grilled crabs or linguine tossed with crabs, tomato, onion, basil and chili pepper sauce. Its very popular with people and runs out in the first half hour, said chef Sergio at La Peschereccia. Francesco Sportelli of The Associated Press wrote this story. Heres something that doesnt happen at a Disney theme park every day. A Disneyland Paris employee was reportedly fired after refusing a request to add whipped cream and Nutella to a customers waffles, media sources have reported. The strange incident took place on June 26, when the employee, 20-year-old Loris Taboureau, was working at a food stand called Les Chariots Gourmands, which sells waffles that offer a multitude of toppings. That day, guests reportedly requested both whipped cream and Nutella to be added to the desert, but the employee informed them that they had to decide between Nutella or whipped cream. This according to Taboureau was standard policy. Due to the policy, Taboureau told Le Parisien newspaper that if he had given the one customer both toppings, everyone else wouldve expected the same special treatment and that wouldve resulted in getting into trouble. The guest also complained to the theme park about Taboureaus tone, claiming he was nonchalant. As a result, Taboureau was fired from Disneyland Paris several weeks later, on Aug. 14, The Sunday Times and The Messenger reported. Taboureau told Le Parisien he believes his participation in strikes against Disney in May and June contributed, at least in part, to his termination. He was featured in photos of the strike published by Le Monde earlier this summer. Im upset. Its a company in which I liked to work and to which I dedicated my days for a year, Taboureau told Le Parisien, according to a translation by WDW News Today. The only time I failed to bring the magic to life, I was immediately fired, he added. A Disneyland Paris spokesperson told The Sunday Times, We do not comment on internal procedures related to individual situations. Read More: A Great Horned Owl is currently in recovery at a wildlife enter in Pennsylvania. The owl had been found injured in a manure pit, and after further examination was confirmed to have been shot by a BB gun. People reports how a State Game Warden discovered the owl last month after being stuck in a manure pit for a least two days, and was weak from a combination of severe dehydration and eye trauma. The warden promptly called the Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in Washington Boro, Lancaster County, where the Great Horned Owl is still on the mend. We were able to bathe the owl very carefully, start fluids and eye treatment, reads a post published to the centers Facebook. It will take several baths to get the caked on [sic] manure off of his body and feathers. The right eye is filled with blood from a trauma, it will take time to clear up so we can see how much damage the eye sustained. The Dodo elaborates how said eye trauma from the aforementioned BB gun, which Raven Ridge employee, Tracie Young, later found stuck within the owls eye socket. However, the Dodo confirms that the owl first called Stinky due to the place he was rescued from, then named Lucky is on the mend, eye included. To look at this owl now, today, Young tells The Dodo. You would never know it was the same owl. Whoever shot the owl a federal offense remains unknown. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tennessee lawmakers gaveled in Monday for a special session stemming from a shooting at a Nashville elementary school that left six dead, including three young children. However, even after hundreds of community organizers, families, protesters and many more spent months asking lawmakers to consider passing gun control measures in response to the shooting, the GOP-dominated Statehouse is unexpected to do so. Early into the floor session, a Republican senator made a pass at ending the session immediately before any bills were officially taken up, but she was told she needed to file her request in a resolution and try again. Over in the House, an already deeply split chamber appeared to further fracture. The Republican supermajority attempted to jam through new rules that would place strict penalties on lawmakers deemed out of order that included banning a member from speaking on the House floor for the rest of the year if they go off-topic during debate or if they impugn the reputation of another member. Democratic lawmakers also raised concerns about public access, saying fewer people were allowed into areas outside the chambers and in House and Senate galleries. While protesters flocked to the Capitol, the building was noticeably more blocked off by state troopers who limited people from milling about in the public areas of the building ahead of Mondays floor sessions. Yet when lawmakers began trickling in, many protesters began screaming and chanting -- urging lawmakers to pass gun control and to hear their voices. Shelby Slowey raises her hand during a prayer session before a special session of the state legislature on public safety Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)AP Republican leaders have focused on advancing proposals that would toughen penalties for violent criminals, arguing that placing limitations on weapons would do very little to deter those who want to cause harm. Other GOP members have introduced proposals to boost mental health resources and school security measures. On March 27, a 27-year-old shooter opened fire at a Nashville Christian elementary school and killed six people, including three young students. The shooting contributed to a record pace for mass killings in the U.S. this year and renewed scrutiny over Tennessees relaxed gun laws. Republican Gov. Bill Lee initially pushed lawmakers to pass legislation that would temporarily remove guns from people showing signs of potentially violent behavior. But despite holding hundreds of meetings with lawmakers and policy experts over the summer, Lee recently conceded that he didnt have the necessary sponsors to introduce the proposal for the special session. Sen. Janice Bowling, a Tullahoma Republican, quickly moved to adjourn the session Monday, arguing it wasnt addressing a danger to public safety, but may lessen or abridge the rights of every Tennessean. Members of the Proud Boys walk around the State Capitol before a special session of the state legislature on public safety Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)AP People in my district have spoken loudly on this issue, and the overwhelming consensus is that we face no emergency or immediate danger, Bowling said. And I must be honest with this chamber, I echo their sentiments. Bowling was told she would need to formally file a resolution. Earlier Monday, at a news conference with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, actor Melissa Joan Hart detailed how she helped a class of kindergartners fleeing The Covenant School shooting across a highway. Hart said that she had moved to Nashville from Connecticut and that her children had attended a school near Sandy Hook Elementary when 26 children were shot and killed there in 2012. She has said her children attend a school next to the private Christian Covenant School. Im standing here before you today, 11 years later, almost a thousand miles away from Fairfield County (in Connecticut). And yet were having the same conversation that we did on December 14, 2012, and every day since. Our cries arent being heard, and our kids are bearing the burden, Hart said. Some opposing changes to gun laws also were holding demonstrations Monday. Britt Winston was among the speakers at a news conference held by the DC Project-Women for Gun Rights along with her husband, Taylor Winston, a survivor of the 2017 Las Vegas concert shooting that killed 58 people. He has been praised for helping transport victims to the hospital. Demonstrators march to the Capitol for a prayer vigil before a special session of the state legislature on public safety Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)AP Momma bears out there listening: I urge you, dont fall for it. Dont fall for it. Dont do it, said Britt Winston. Dont let them take your very valid feelings of fear those emotions are real dont let them twist them into legislation that does more harm than good in protecting our children. There also was a brief appearance of members of the Proud Boys, the neo-fascist group of self-described Western chauvinists. The group unfurled their flag while pro-gun control supporters held a prayer outside the Tennessee Capitol before leaving. State troopers had a heavy presence through the Capitol complex. On Monday afternoon, officials with the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told Senate Republicans that they were not aware of any threats to public safety. Kimberlee Kruesi and Jonathan Mattise of The Associated Press wrote this story. More: Pa. trooper charged with vehicular manslaughter in crash that killed teacher: AG Man on parole for attempted homicide shot 4 people in Harrisburg: police Central Pennsylvania residents will have the opportunity to be a part of a rally that will celebrate one of Ukraines main national holidays, Independence Day. Hosted by Central PA Supports Ukraine, an initiative for Ukrainian American activists, the event will take place on Thursday, Aug. 24, (the day of Independence Day in Ukraine) starting at 6 p.m. located on the front steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg. The hour-long event will feature the unveiling of an 18-foot-long Ukrainian flag on the steps, up to 500 paper angel wings to symbolize the loss of childrens lives, remarks by several speakers, and a minute of silence and a prayer for peace from Slavic Baptist Church of Harrisburg followed by Ukrainian songs. Ukrainian and American anthems will be performed live by the Shippensburg University choir. Feel free to bring an American, Ukrainian or any other ally nation flag, banners, posters to show your support. Please RSVP on their Facebook event page to stay tuned for any other event details. The Pa. Capitol in Harrisburg is lit up in blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine, Feb. 27, 2022. Vicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLiveVicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive READ MORE: Uniforms no longer required for Harrisburg school students PennDOT puts large rocks at former site of Harrisburg homeless encampment A 45-year-old woman died Sunday evening in Lancaster County when the car she was riding in ran a stop sign and was hit by oncoming traffic, authorities said. Gregory Parsells, 47, of Salisbury, Maryland, was driving east on Friends Road when the crash happened around 8:17 p.m. at the Little Britain Road intersection, Pennsylvania State Police said. State police said Arthur Morris, 21, of Peach Bottom, crashed into the side of Parsells car after Parsells ran the stop sign. Danielle Sandul, 45, of Salisbury, Maryland, was a passenger in Parsells vehicle and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Lancaster General Hospital, state police said. Its unclear if anyone else was hurt in the crash. READ MORE: She said she was afraid of her husband. Less than 2 months later, she was dead 1 dead after crossover crash on I-81 in Dauphin County: state police A senior manager within The Hershey Company who refused to be vaccinated at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is now suing the company for laying him off despite applying for a religious exemption. Thomas Szeltner, a nearly 30-year veteran of the company, said he should have been given a religious exemption to the companys vaccine mandate because he is a devout Catholic, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court last week. He did not want the vaccine because it was tested using lab-grown cells that originated from aborted fetuses in the 1970s. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On August 21, a fleet of 100 AION Y Plus vehicles stood poised for departure at the Nansha Port in Guangzhou, ready to sail towards Thailand's Laem Chabang Port. This marks the debut of GAC AION's inaugural shipment of complete vehicles to overseas markets, a significant milestone in its global expansion journey. Photo credit: GAC AION The lead ship-off of the AION Y Plus model, a tailor-made right-hand-drive overseas edition for the Thai market, has already obtained certification from Thailand's Department of Land Transport (DLT). As a sought-after battery electric vehicle (BEV) model in China, the AION Y series, renowned for its spaciousness and impressive range promises to offer Thai consumers a fresh driving experience. Back in June this year, GAC AION inked a collaboration memorandum with its first Thai dealership, thus heralding its entry into the Thai market. Within this year, GAC AION will establish its Southeast Asian headquarters in Thailand, with preparations for local production already in full swing. The Chinese carmaker said it will remain steadfast in its commitment to becoming a global leader and trusted creator of green and intelligent mobility value in the future. Jackson is just 3 years old but he has had a job since 2021. The German shorthaired pointer also hates vacuum cleaners but he loves helping his partner, Officer Ryan Stover, keep the Carlisle community safe. Jackson, the Carlisle Police Departments first explosive detection dog, is a semifinalist in the American Humane Hero Dog Awards in the law enforcement and first responder category. He is one of five semifinalists in the category. The public can vote through Thursday, Aug. 24, for Jackson to win. Stover previously said Jackson began working with the police department in October 2021. A dispatcher at the Carlisle PD nominated Jackson due to the work and efforts he provides to the community, Stover said. The Hero Dog Awards recognize Americas standout dogs in five categories - therapy, military, service, law enforcement and emerging hero. American Humane said the awards are often referred to as the Oscars for dogs. Winners will be recognized at a gala to be broadcast nationwide. Jacksons bio on the American Humane website says, His presence brings immeasurable value to the community, as he fulfills a variety of essential roles. Equipped with specialized training and certification, Jackson excels in detecting explosive materials and devices, ensuring the safety and security of our surroundings. Additionally, his remarkable tracking skills aid in locating individuals who may be lost or missing, offering support during critical moments. Beyond his operational duties, K9 Jackson also serves as a beloved community relations dog, actively engaging with our residents during local events. Through his interactions, Jackson fosters a sense of connection and bridges the gap between law enforcement and the community. The Carlisle Police Department, with Jacksons assistance, has forged meaningful relationships and strengthened community bonds. Cherished by all those he encounters, Jackson carries himself with an air of superhero confidence, radiating a sense of pride in his essential work. During his leisure time, Jackson delights in the simple joys of playing fetch, immersing himself in the thrill of the chase. Additionally, he finds solace in observing the graceful flight of birds, captivating his attention when off-duty. However, it is worth mentioning that Jackson harbors an intense dislike for the vacuum cleaner, an adversary he boldly confronts. Vote for Jackson here. READ MORE COMMUNITY NEWS: $1 million in improvements underway at one of Lower Paxton Twp.s jewels Pennsylvania has a unique opportunity to become a trailblazer in the hydrogen revolution, thanks to three compelling hydrogen hub proposals. Decarbonization Network of Appalachia, Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2), and Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) highlight our states commitment to embracing clean energy and positioning ourselves as an energy leader. The impending decisions by the U.S. Department of Energy carry significant weight, and Pennsylvanias proposals have a strong chance of securing funding due to their economic and environmental potential, as well as our well-developed energy infrastructure. Our states robust energy infrastructure and skilled workforce are key advantages in realizing the vision of hydrogen hubs. With a comprehensive network of pipelines, storage facilities, and distribution systems, Pennsylvania has the foundation to efficiently transport and deliver hydrogen. By strategically expanding and optimizing this infrastructure, we can accelerate the growth and adoption of hydrogen technology. The benefits of Pennsylvanias hydrogen hub initiatives extend far beyond our borders. By incorporating hydrogen as a clean energy source, we can significantly reduce emissions, improve air quality, and contribute to decarbonization efforts. This effort will create new jobs, attract private investment, and stimulate economic growth, benefiting communities across the commonwealth. Lets hope we can seize this opportunity to lead the way in clean energy innovation and build a sustainable future for our state and our nation. Mike Butler, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Consumer Energy Alliance By Chad Dion Lassiter Sixty years ago, on the day before the March of Washington for Jobs and Freedom, W.E.B DuBois died. He was 95 and had moved to Ghana several years earlier to create an African diaspora encyclopedia. Upon his death, Maya Angelou led a march to the U.S. embassy in Accra. One placard read America, a White Mans Heaven and a Black Mans Hell. That simple angry slogan captured the disparity between Black and White lives in America which civil rights leaders of the March on Washington hoped to make visible on August 28, 1963. The hell Angelou was referring to was the dire economic conditions to which so many of the 250,000 African Americans, who had come to the Lincoln Memorial, were returning. Kings dream that day included decent housing, quality education, and full employment. But that economic dream for Black America has been quietly lost in our remembrances of one of the 20th centurys largest protests. There is a significant price we pay for this forgetting. America has chosen to remember Kings most famous line from that hot summer day, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. We have chosen to forget his description of Black economic life. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. We have forgotten that The March on Washington marked 100 years since the Emancipation Proclamation had freed some slaves. We have forgotten DuBoiss death and that Roy Wilkens said to the throng gathered on the Mall, If you want to read something that applies to 1963 go back and get a volume of The Souls of Black Folk by DuBois, published in 1903. According to Pew Research Center, six out of ten White adults believe today that there has been a great deal or a fair amount of progress on racial equality in the last 60 years. Only 30 percent of Black adults feel this way. This is one of the costs of forgetting. The inability of those who remember and those who forget to have a shared vision. Instead, we dont know what is happening with the other, especially the most marginalized. And we dont want to know. Throughout the ages, Black leadership, including DuBois and Martin Luther King, Jr., have been embroiled by the question of how to advocate for change in the midst of two Americas with vastly different outlooks. Over a seventy-year career, Du Bois took every conceivable approach to the race problem. He was a provocative propagandist and measured scholar. He was for integration and then for separation. He believed in the American dream and disdained it. He believed in the power of politics and the ambiguity of culture. He brawled and he stood aloof. He embraced indigenous liberation and global communism, Wilkens said. After the March on Washington, after receiving his Nobel Peace Prize the following year, King too took a different approach and began to pursue a socioeconomic agenda. He linked the escalation of the Vietnam War to the deteriorating conditions of the poor in the United States. At his most controversial speech at Riverside Church in New York exactly one year before he was assassinated, King thundered. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, we shouldnt forget that by 1968, the audience that had praised King had turned against him. His approval rating plummeted. Black civil rights leaders disagreed with his tactics. The media denounced his anti-war stance. President Lyndon Baines Johnson who had fought for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 stopped taking his calls. Even the ancients knew the power of remembering our triumphs and our struggles. Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons sons . it reads in Deuteronomy. Remember is a tribute to those who fought battles we no longer have to fight. Remembering is inspiration for those whose courage we admire. Remember teaches the values of persistence and resilience that are needed to make change. Most importantly, remembrance reminds us that in every generation there has been powerful political forces who seek to control memory by imposing superficial narratives devoid of content to facilitate forgetting. Seven out of ten respondents told Pew Research Center that they approve of marches and demonstrations that dont disrupt everyday life are always or often acceptable ways to protest racial inequality. They have forgotten that social justice will always demand creative disruption of todays status quo. It will always demand that we trouble the waters. Scott Perry, we see and understand you by the company you keep. You proudly helped Jeffrey Clark connect with then-president Donald Trump. They worked together to commit racketeering in an attempt to defraud America and overturn an election. They are both now indicted as criminal defendants. You chose Lowell Gates for your congressional offices landlord, a financial supporter of your campaign. One hand feeds the other? And one of two offices you lease with his Linlo company is less accessible to your public, making you less responsive to your constituents questions or concerns. Worse, recently Gates was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges including: entering restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct and violent conduct on Capitol grounds; and assaulting law enforcement with a deadly weapon. The company you keep has defrauded America to undermine faith in our democracy. And instead of backing the blue they assaulted members of law enforcement by stabbing them with the end of a flagpole. So, Congressman Perry, to what ends will you continue to defend your support for anti-American rhetoric and actions? Such is NOT the attitude, heart, or work of a true patriot. Liz Reilly, Camp Hill, Pa. State Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward on Monday said the chamber will hold an unusual August voting session next week to deal with unfinished pieces of the fiscal 2024 state budget. Gov. Josh Shapiro on Aug. 3 signed a $45.45 billion spending bill that put in place mechanisms to carry out the vast majority of state spending. But because of partisan disagreements, the General Assembly did not pass accompanying legislation required to release the spending for a number of high-profile programs. Ms. Ward, R- Westmoreland and bearer of the responsibility for calling senators back to Harrisburg, said in a statement Monday that the Senate would return Aug. 30 for advancing the next steps in the 2023-2024 budget process. These next steps will include funding for emergency medical services and hospital and health system relief, Ms. Ward said. Other matters will continue to be negotiated with our counterparts in good faith and in the best interests of Pennsylvanians. In a typical year in which a budget is completed on or close to schedule, lawmakers leave Harrisburg by early July and do not return until September. Other items in this fiscal years spending plan that require further action by lawmakers include $10 million for a student teacher stipend program intended to help ease the teacher shortage. On Monday, Sen. Vincent Hughes, D- Philadelphia and sponsor of a bill that would set up the stipend program, said he believed it was still possible to get it going this school year if lawmakers act on the necessary legislation soon. He cited the reopening of I-95 in Philadelphia in June, less 2 weeks after a section of it collapsed in a fatal accident that led some to speculate the highway would be closed for months. It is clearly a crisis, Mr. Hughes said of the teacher shortage. I think it is certainly possible this year. This is a developing story and will be updated. Ford Turner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote this story. Ford Turner: fturner@post-gazette.com (c)2023 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. More: Pa. will track voting machine malfunctions under new settlement with election security groups President Joe Biden stops in Pa. to pay respects to late first lady Sign up to get positive Black news stories, words of affirmation and weekly curated playlists delivered to your inbox twice a week: Enter your email to subscribe to Black Joy. Capt. Black Cap. Aquamayne. Unc About That Action. The Chair. These were nicknames given to some of the participants in the viral brawl that took place along the riverfront in Montgomery, Ala. The Alabama Sweet Tea Uprising unified Black people who came to the aid of a Black co-captain of the Harriott II riverboat after he was attacked by multiple white boaters who refused to move their pontoon, which was illegally parked at the dock. Montgomery Police have since charged three white men and one white woman with third-degree assault. But the untold story behind that day are the Black women who honored their enslaved ancestors about two hours before the brawl occurred at the same riverfront on Aug. 5. Dressed in white, pink and yellow, the women saged the air and prayed while sprinkling brightly-colored rose petals into the Alabama River, where enslavement ships once roamed. This commemoration was part of a closing ceremony for the inaugural Feminine Flow Experience, a womens health and wellness conference founded by Montgomery therapist Candyce Anderson. As funny memes and videos flooded social media following the brawl, Anderson went to Instagram to add context to the situation. In a city that was once the capital of the Confederacy, Montgomery is cloaked with ancestral energy. This is the city where the enslaved were paraded in shackles down Commerce Street before they were sold at the citys enslavement markets. This is the city of Anarcha, Betsy, Lucy and other enslaved women whose bodies were experimented on without consent or anesthesia in the name of gynecology. This is the city where a boycott initially planned by Black women not only desegregated public transportation, but set the foundation for nonviolent mass protests during the Civil Rights Movement. This is the city where Black women who purged themselves of their traumas during the Feminine Flow Experience marched along Commerce Street back towards the river with smiles on their faces, roses in their arms and Beyonce's Find Your Way Back bumping in the background. Anderson stressed the importance of using joy to pay homage to the ancestors and how it prepares liberators for the fight for social change. We draw on the strength and resilience they displayed during difficult times, Anderson said. We would not be alive had they given up and given in to oppression. Andersons healing ceremony adds another level of historical context to a brawl that captured the attention of a nation. Not only did the melee on the riverfront happen during Black August, an annual commemoration of Black resistance that started in the prison abolition movement, it also highlights the role radical healers play in the fight toward racial freedom. This isnt the first time a ceremony where Black people connecting with the ancestors led to an eruption of liberative energy far from it. On the night of Aug. 14, 1791, shortly before the enslaved initiated a series of uprisings during the Haitian Revolution, enslaved rebels held a ceremony centering African spiritual traditions in a forest called Bois Caiman. While accounts of what happened vary, multiple witnesses place Dutty Boukman, an enslaved Jamaican man who led the revolution, at the center of the ceremony as a Vodou priest. During the ceremony, it is believed Boukman said a prayer to empower and inspire his fellow enslaved revolutionaries. His words became known as Boukmans Prayer. Ancestral healing ceremonies illustrate how racial revolution doesnt just occur on the front lines of freedom. Anderson said healers model to liberators the vulnerability, self care and community care needed to sustain the movement. The inner revolution is connected to the outer revolution, she said. Space is made for suffering so joy can also flourish. Healers remind activists of humanity and prevent burnout. Care for the spirit nurtures empathy, even for opponents. Anderson became a therapist to heal communities harmed by oppression. She created the Feminine Flow Experience after noticing a pattern of her Black women clients begging for a space to just be and breathe. Anderson said she envisioned creating a soft, luxurious space for melanated women. The river is one of many places where Anderson honors her ancestors and prays. So, the vision clearly showed the women walking toward the water. Anderson kept this in mind as she created the Feminine Flow Experience, which was held the day of and the day before the brawl in Montgomery. Many nutritionists, yoga instructors, breathwork practitioners and other healers stepped into the space to give Black women the tools to support their emotional, physical and mental wellbeing. Anderson pointed out multiple reasons why these tools are needed. During the conference, she referenced the words of Zora Neale Hurston who said that Black women were the mules of the world And Anderson has seen the consequences. Heart disease is the leading cause of death of Black women, who are also three times more likely to die during childbirth and experience fibroids. All of this is happening on top of the regular racial and gender microaggression Black women endure. This is why mental health and social justice must intersect, Anderson said. Overall, social justice for black womens mental health means building an equitable society, dismantling barriers to wellness, and embracing the richness of their identities. Advocacy, access, trauma healing, community strength and holistic care are key intersections. Specifically, strength and resilience in the face of injustice are part of black womens identities. Anderson has been flooded with texts, emails and messages ever since a video showing the ceremony started circulating on social media. Those who are interested in joining the next Feminine Flow Experience can check out her website. Shes doing an Instagram live about what the brawl taught her about Black women Monday, Aug. 21, at 6 p.m. central. Whether online, on the streets or in sessions, Anderson is following the footsteps of her favorite revolutionaries: Author and playwright James Baldwin, social justice leader Tamika Mallory and maternal health advocate Angelina Spicer. I am constantly reminded that revolution happens on multiple layers and across genres that produce holistic impact, Anderson said. Unions representing Quebec teachers and school support staff are calling on the government to improve working conditions to address staff shortages in the province's education system. Josee Scalabrini, president of a federation of 34 teachers unions, responds to a question during a news conference in Montreal, on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson Q: We went camping in the forest, and my dog ate something off the ground. I didnt think anything of it, as this is a common occurrence when we go camping. However, about 2-3 hours later, my dog fell over and acted drunk! I took him to an emergency veterinarian that diagnosed marijuana toxicity! How in the world did this happen? A: Arizona legalized recreational marijuana in Arizona in 2020. Since then, we have had an increase in marijuana toxicity in our pets. The most common reason a dog will get into marijuana is because it is contained in an edible substance such as chocolate or gummies, which can be very tempting to a dog. Dogs cannot differentiate between an edible containing marijuana and any other treat they might find so ingestion can be common. Unfortunately, not only are dogs much more sensitive to marijuana they also can get toxic from the substance that the marijuana is in, such as chocolate. In those cases where a dog eats a large amount of chocolate edibles that contain marijuana, we must not only worry about the marijuana toxicity but also the chocolate toxicity. Interestingly, in your case, this might have been an edible that someone dropped in the forest that your dog picked up and ate. Still, another explanation is a bit more stinky. It has been found that if someone ingests an edible containing THC (the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana), there can be enough THC in that person's stool to cause intoxication if ingested by an animal. So, if someone eats an edible and then defecates in the forest, that stool can cause THC intoxication if ingested by your dog. Since defecating in the forest is a common occurrence for humans and stool eating is a typical behavior of dogs, THC toxicity while camping occurs much more frequently than you would ever expect! The best advice for you is not to allow your dog to pick up items in the forest and eat them because you do not know what will happen! Q: I am a student, and I'm thinking of getting a dog. I grew up with dogs and know that I can give any dog a good home, but I am worried about my schedule, and I live in an apartment. Am I making the right choice? A: The school year is about to start, and many students are looking forward to a new year and exciting new experiences. Most students' days are filled with classes, homework, friends, and jobs. The life of a student can be hectic and unpredictable. Dogs are social animals that need companionship, stimulation, and constant exercise to live their best lives. A student's typical life does not accommodate most dogs' needs because there is not enough time in the day to give the dog the attention and exercise they so desperately need. Keeping a dog in a crate or apartment all day, by itself, can be very harmful to the mental well-being of a dog, as it encourages boredom and bad behavior. Boredom usually leads to destructive behavior that can lead to costly damage and repairs to furniture and houses. All dogs need social interactions every day, including going to dog parks, playing with other dogs, or even just being with their humans during the day. Every dog also needs daily aerobic activity for as long as they can tolerate to make them tired. This can mean 2-3 hours of aerobic activity for a very young and highly motivated dog to a 30-minute walk for a much older dog. If you are a student considering getting a dog, I strongly discourage you from this decision. I prefer you volunteer at the animal shelter and help walk the adoptable dogs, as this is a great way to interact with dogs at your convenience rather than be stuck with the daily responsibility of caring for your dog. (Baonghean.vn) - On August 20, in Vinh City, Mr. Nguyen Van Thong - Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee welcomed and held discussions with the working delegation from the Party Committee of Vientiane Capital... The overall view of the meeting. Photo: TL The delegation was led by Mr. Anouphap Tounalom - Central Committee Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Vientianes Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council, Head of the Delegation to National Assembly in Region I. The Secretary of the Party Committee of Vientiane, Anouphap Tounalom, expressed his gratitude for the warm, respectful, and attentive reception by the leadership of Nghe An Province. He also emphasized that this visit aims to further strengthen the bonds of solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the two localities. Additionally, he expressed a desire to exchange and learn from Nghe An Province's experiences in various fields. Expressing joy at welcoming Mr. Anouphap Tounalom, the Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Nghe Ans Provincial Party Committee, Nguyen Van Thong, highlighted some outstanding features regarding the characteristics, socio-economic development, Party building, and the political system of the province. Notably, the province's economic scale ranks 10th nationwide, with a GDP growth rate of 9.08% in 2022 and 5.79% in the first 6 months of 2023. Budget revenue reached VND 21,805 billion (equivalent to approximately USD 919 million) in 2022 and is projected to reach nearly VND 8,500 billion (equivalent to approximately USD 358 million) in the first 6 months of 2023. Leaders of Nghe An Province present a gift to the working delegation from Vientian, Laos. Photo: T.L Positive results have been achieved in attracting investments. In 2022, FDI inflow reached approximately USD 1 billion, ranking among the top 10 provinces nationwide. In the first 6 months of 2023, it reached over USD 725 million, ranking 8th out of 63 provinces and cities in the country. The new style rural area development program has yielded positive outcomes, transforming the face of rural areas and improving people's lives. Currently, 309 out of 411 communes, accounting for 75% of communes, have achieved the new style rural standards. Nine district-level units have completed the mission of building and achieving the new style rural standards. Infrastructure to serve socio-economic development has been relatively systematically invested in, with education, healthcare, finance and banking considered to have converged, confirming the central factor of the North Central region. Party building and the political system building receive attentive care, and national defense and security are firmly maintained. Especially, on July 18, 2023, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW on building and developing Nghe An Province until 2030, with a vision toward 2045. This serves as the foundation for Nghe An Province to have additional motivation, resources, mechanisms and supplementary policies to accelerate development in the coming phase. The Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Nghe Ans Provincial Party Committee emphasized that foreign affairs are a key task for Nghe An, especially enhancing friendly and cooperative relations with Laotian localities. This is evidenced by specific actions in safeguarding border security between the two countries, particularly the three provinces of the Lao PDR that share a border with Nghe An. Concerning economic development, the province consistently provides favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises, individuals and organizations to work, invest, produce and conduct business in Laos, and vice versa. Mr. Anouphap Tounalom presents a gift to the leaders of Nghe An Province. Photo: T.L Additionally, the province collaborates and shares with Laotian provinces, especially those with shared borders, in areas such as economic and social infrastructure, healthcare and education. Currently, over 600 Lao students are studying in Nghe An. Mr. Nguyen Van Thong also highlighted that Nghe An is highly evaluated by the Central Government of Vietnam in executing foreign affairs with Laos. The province will formulate specific cooperation programs each year, directing levels and sectors to implement them. This includes selecting suitable content and forms to maximize advantages and traditions in cooperative relations with Laotian localities. During the meeting, the Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Nghe An Province hopes for increasingly close and firm cooperation between the two sides, mutual experience sharing to develop in various fields, including Party building, cadre training, urban development, investment, tourism, etc. Mr. Anouphap Tounalom respectfully sent the best wishes to the leadership of Nghe An Province, expressing appreciation for the attentive and warm reception given to the delegation. He congratulated the province on its new development steps and thanked for the sharing and support Nghe An has provided to Vientiane Capital and Laotian localities across various areas. At the meeting, both sides also exchanged experiences in Party building work, building the governmental apparatus, thereby making shared contributions to the political, economic and social development of both localities in particular and the two countries of Vietnam and Laos in general. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson tried to have it both ways on Trump, but MSNBCs Nicolle Wallace and David Jolly were not having it. Wallace asked, If you are not the Republican nominee, will you vote for Donald Trump as president? Hutchinson answered, Well, I dont expect him to be the nominee, so Wallace said, Hes ahead 30 points in the latest polls. Its certainly a possibility. Hutchinson continued, Well, I understand that, and Im sure that will come up on the debate stage, but of course, if you believe hes not qualified under our constitution, the 14th amendment, then hes not going to even be in the picture. Nicolle Wallace politely tried to get clarity, Well, I agree with you, but did you sign the pledge as a condition of being in the debate that youll support the eventual nominee? Im just trying to find the consistency with your stated positions. I admire some of them but some of them dont add up. Video: Hutchinson tried to parse the situation, You got to think a little bit lawyerly here that I signed it saying Im going to support the nominee of the party. I do not believe that Donald Trump will be the nominee of the party, so I can feel comfortable in signing that pledge. Now youre asking me questions of whats going to happen down the road? Im sticking with that statement. That gets me on the debate stage, and its important for me to be there and my voice. And well see what the future holds after that. Former Rep. Jolly went the more direct route, If I may, if Donald Trumps name appears as the Republican nominee whether hes qualified or not, are you going to vote for Donald Trump next November if hes the nominee of the Republican Party? Hutchinson with the dodge, I dont expect to be the nominee of the party Jolly pressed, Thats not what I said, governor. I support your spirit but are you going to vote for Donald Trump as the Republican nominee if indeed hes on the ballot in Arkansas where youre registered to vote? Hutchinson stuck to his answer, And I hear you very clearly exactly what youre asking me and I just gave you the answer that I am providing in signing that pledge based upon. You dont have to accept it. I just gave you the answer. Asa Hutchinson Got Exposed All of the Republicans running for the partys presidential nomination can do the math. The solidly never-Trumpers are maybe 15%+ of the primary electorate, so someone like Hutchinson who is running as an alternative to Trump cant win anything with just the never-Trump vote. Hutchinson needs some people in his camp who voted for Donald Trump, so he cant rule out voting for Trump. Hutchinson illustrated why much of the anti-Trump posturing in the Republican primary is for show. Both Hutchinson and Chris Christie get an outsized amount of cable news coverage because they are willing to criticize Trump and sound like more traditional Republicans. It is a great way to get free media for a campaign, but there is an inconsistency in the rhetoric. If Asa Hutchinson believes that Trump should be disqualified, it should be easy to say that he will not vote for him. The problem with trying to depose a cult leader and take over the cult is that the person also has to be in the cult. They might have one foot in and one foot out, but at some level, they are there. Asa Hutchinson got pressed, and when push came to shove, his hypocrisy was exposed. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The House Freedom Caucus is threatening to shut down the government unless Congress stops the federal cases against Donald Trump and cuts off funding for Ukraine. The Freedom Caucus posted their demand letter: Today the House Freedom Caucus took an official position on a continuing resolution to fund the government if the appropriations process is not complete by September 30th: pic.twitter.com/j6KRTLPUBq House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) August 21, 2023 The House Republicans listed saving Trump in their demands: By address, the Freedom Caucus means end the cases against Trump or defund the DOJ. The Senate and President Biden will never agree to the list of demands. Democrats wont pass a racist border bill, cut off funding to Ukraine, or get the DOJ to back off of Trump. None of those demands will ever be met, so House Republicans are going to have to decide whether they will shut down the government or cater to the whims of Trump. The government shutdown card is the last one that House Republicans have left to play to save Trump. If the government does shut down, I cant wait for the GOP to explain to members of the military and people on Social Security that they wont be getting their checks because Donald Trump has ordered a government shutdown. The Freedom Caucus ransom note makes it clear that it is Donald Trump, not Kevin McCarthy, who is running the Republican House majority. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Reps. James Comer and Jim Jordan have been leading the push to impeach President Joe Biden, but House Republicans still have no clear path on impeachment. The Messenger reported: Their razor-thin majority and competing factions within the conference have made it hard for House Republicans to chart a coherent impeachment blueprint. Some have already lined up to get rid of: Joe Biden, Garland, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and FBI director Christopher Wray. Others, however, argue its best left alone since House Democrats cheapened the impeachment process by piling on Trump in the last session, so whats even the point anymore. When an Aug. 14 House GOP conference call turned to an impeachment inquiry update, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska reportedly warned leaders about getting ahead of themselves. Comer, Jordan and Kevin McCarthy can talk about impeachment all that they want, but there is still zero evidence that they have the votes in hand to impeach anyone. The other issue that the group demanding impeachment faces is time. If Republicans are going to move forward with impeachment, it has to happen before the end of the year. In 2024, the House will be on an election-year calendar, which means more time on the campaign trail and fewer days in session. The ticking clock is why some Republicans are floating the idea of skipping an impeachment inquiry and going straight to holding an impeachment vote on the House floor, which is a terrible idea. There are 18 House Republicans that represent districts that President Biden won. The 18 endangered representatives dont need to vote against impeaching Biden. If they dont support a vote coming to the House floor, Comer, Jordan, Greene, and other MAGAs will be trapped in impeachment limbo. Republicans are warning Trumps minions against impeachment, and the behind-the-scenes battle within the House caucus is why the impeachment push is stuck in neutral. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print As Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is reportedly trying to get other defendants to flip, Donald Trump is leaving many of his top 2020 election theft defenders vulnerable. RICO trials are expensive to litigate and yet former president Donald Trump is refusing to fund the legal fees of Jenna Ellis and other Georgia co-defendants. This decision could be consequential, as some may feel compelled to cooperate or plea, Georgia legal expert Anna Bower wrote. Trumps apparent decision not to fund the legal fees of any Fulton County co-defendants may be consequential. RICO trials are extraordinarily expensive to litigate. Some of the defendants have deep pockets & can afford it. Those who cant may feel compelled to cooperate or plea, the Courts Correspondent for Lawfare wrote above Jenna Ellis announcement that she had been reliably informed that Donald Trump would not fund her legal feels. I was reliably informed Trump isnt funding any of us who are indicted. Would this change if he becomes the nominee? Why then, not now? I totally agree this has become a bigger principle than just one man. So why isnt MAGA, Inc. funding everyones defense? Ellis asked, seeming to push for Trumps financial support amidst her crowd-funding efforts. Her public request for help can also be read as a potential flipped witness pressuring the head fish for cash. Ellis is a former attorney for Donald Trump, who has now been reduced to crowdfunding her defense fees after being indicted along with the former president and 17 others in Georgia, even as Trump wields his tremendous power over the base and donors by pushing for their to help with his legal fees. While crowdfunding might work for higher-profile people like Ellis, Bower pointed out that its been less successful for little known defendants. She named, Cathy Latham, a retired teacher indicted for her role as fake elector & Coffee County breach, has only raised $3,545 out of $500,000 goal. Ellis has supported Trumps top primary opponent, Ron DeSantis, in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, but Trump is also not funding Rudy Giulianis bills, which is both peak Trump cheapness and pettiness but is also a departure from his method of maintaining control over potential witnesses by paying for their legal defense. The Georgia Republican Party has paid more than half a million dollars in legal expenses in the first half of 2023. More than $340,000 of that went to defend Trumps fake electors and about $220,000 went to law firms that represented many of the GOP electors in 2022, according to the Atlantic Journal-Constitution. Donald Trump has become a very costly investment for the Republican Party and many of his devoted followers, many of whom continue to fund his alleged crime sprees all the while leaving the national Republican Party stuck with a four-times indicted criminal defendant as their front-runner for the Republican Presidential nomination. Trumps decision not to fund the legal fees of people who cant afford their own defense as the DA is looking to flip defendants raises even more questions about his motives and methods. A Democratic presidential candidate is set to visit Aiken on Monday. Marianne Williamson tweeted that she would hold at event at 11 a.m. Monday Aug. 28 at New Moon Cafe located at 116 Laurens St. S.W. Williamson filed to run for the Democratic nomination March 4. Other Democrats confirmed to be running include incumbent Joe Biden and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Betting markets and polls consider Biden to be a large favorite to win the nomination. Williamson also ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020. She announced her campaign Jan. 28, 2019. Williamson ended her presidential campaign Jan. 10, 2020 before any primaries were held. She also ran for a California U.S. House seat in 2014. The seat was ultimately won by Democrat Ted Lieu. Williamson has authored 14 self-help books and is known for her appearances on Oprah Winfrey's show. She has one daughter and one grandchild. Her stop in Aiken will make Williamson the second presidential candidate to visit Aiken County during the 2024 campaign. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited North Augusta on June 22. The 2024 Democratic primary will be held Feb. 3. Maharashtra Govt Jobs 2023 MPSC Recruitment Notification Online Application Form: Maharastra State Government and Maharashtra Public Service Commission are responsible for filling the empty posts in state and central government-associated departments in the state of Maharashtra. Every year an enormous number of unemployed contenders will get placements through Maharashtra Govt Jobs 2023 based on their eligibility and skills. The majority part of Maharastra latest Govt employment notifications will be announced through the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MAHADISCOM), Maharashtra Agricultural Dept Recruitment, Maharashtra TET, Maharashtra Postal Circle, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MAHATRANSCO), Maharashtra Revenue Dept Recruitment, Maharashtra Police Recruitment (Police and SI Jobs ), Electrical Recruitment Maharashtra Commissioner Recruitment and even some are from private and software organizations. MPPSC Recruitment 2023 presents an enormous number of the latest jobs opportunities in government sectors. Maharastra MPPSC Recruitment Board will organize the written exams and personal interviews for the required posts to select the efficient job seekers for Maharashtra Govt Jobs 2023. Maharashtra Rojgar Samachar 2023 / Maharashtra Govt Jobs 2023 MPSC Admit Card, MPSC Result Maharastra Public Service Commission which is known as MPSC was formed to recruit capable contenders for the Maharastra District Gov Jobs 2023 based on merit and reservation. The head office of the organization was located in Maharashtras capital city Mumbai. Every MPSC offers numerous job opportunities in Teaching, Non-Teaching, Maharashtra District Court Jobs 2023, Multi Tasking Staff (MTS) Junior Operator, Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (FDCM), City & Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO), Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF), Directorate of Social Welfare (DSW) in Maharashtra. The New India Assurance Co. Ltd (NIACL), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES) Maharashtra, Maharashtra Land Recore, Posts like Specialist Officer, Medical Officers, Technician, Assistant, Senior Medical Officer, Store Keeper, Maharashtra Forest, Postal, Fire Department Jobs, Senior Manager and others. Job seekers who are interested in Maharashtra District Govt Jobs Recruitment 2023 may get in touch with the official page to get updated data about this. Government Jobs in Maharashtra 2023 / Maha District Govt Jobs Maharashtra District Jobs 2023: The state government of Maharashtra will release employment notifications for the many districts like districts Akola, Hingoli, Ahmednagar, Bhandara, Maharastra Beed, Amravati, Aurangabad, Dhule, Jalna, Mumbai City, Nagpur, Osmanabad, Raigad, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Jalgaon, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Gondia, Latur, Kolhapur, Nashik, Mumbai Suburban, Nanded, Nandurbar, Parbhani, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Satara, Wardha, Sindhudurg, Thane, Solapur, Palghar. Job seekers who are searching for the latest Govt Jobs in Maharashtra state can check all types of employment notifications on our web portal. Hopefuls will be appointed in the Maharashtra State Gov Jobs 2023 based on eligibility for the recruitment. Here we will provide detailed data regarding the same. Complete information about the Selection Procedure, Educational Qualification, and Number of vacancies for Govt Jobs in Maharashtra state. Eligible and enthusiastic job seekers can check out the login page to know the Application process, Age limit, and Important Dates for the Particular recruitment. Latest MPSC Notification 2023 The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) stands as a beacon of opportunities for individuals seeking government jobs in Maharashtra. As 2023 unfolds, MPSC recruitment notifications continue to pave the way for aspirants to secure positions across various administrative, technical, and specialized domains. This article delves into the essence of MPSC recruitment in 2023, shedding light on the significance of notifications and guiding candidates on how to navigate the application process effectively. MPSC Recruitment Notifications: Gateway to Opportunities MPSCs recruitment notifications serve as gateways to a wide array of government job opportunities. These notifications outline the positions available, eligibility criteria, application deadlines, selection procedures, and other vital information. The diverse categories covered under MPSC recruitment include administrative services, engineering services, police services, medical and health services, teaching, and more. Understanding the Application Process: 1. Stay Updated: Keeping abreast of the latest MPSC recruitment notifications is vital. Monitor the official MPSC website, newspapers, and relevant employment news sources for timely updates. 2. Read the Notification: Once a recruitment notification is released, carefully read through it. Understand the job profile, eligibility criteria, age limits, educational qualifications, experience requirements, and application deadlines. 3. Online Registration: Visit the official MPSC website and navigate to the Recruitment or Notification section. Create a user account if youre a first-time user, or log in if you already have an account. 4. Fill Out Application Form: Complete the online application form with accurate personal details, educational qualifications, employment history, and other required information. 5. Upload Documents: Attach scanned copies of essential documents, such as educational certificates, age proof, domicile proof, and any other documents as specified in the notification. 6. Pay Application Fee: Pay the prescribed application fee through the available online payment options. The fee amount varies based on the category you belong to and the job youre applying for. 7. Review and Submit: Before final submission, review the filled application form and uploaded documents to ensure accuracy. Any mistakes at this stage can lead to disqualification. 8. Print Application Receipt: After successful submission, download and print the application receipt or confirmation for future reference. 9. Admit Card Download: MPSC will release admit cards for eligible candidates to appear in the preliminary and main examinations. Download the admit card from the official website within the specified timeframe. 10. Prepare for Exams: Based on the recruitment notification, prepare for the preliminary and main exams. Gather study materials, syllabus, and previous years question papers for effective preparation. 11. Appear for Examinations: Attend the preliminary and main exams as per the schedule mentioned on the admit card. Follow the examination instructions carefully. 12. Await Results: After the examinations, await the announcement of the results. The results will be published on the MPSC website along with cutoff marks and merit lists. 13. Interview and Selection: If you qualify in the written examinations, you will be called for an interview or personality test. The final selection is based on your combined performance in written exams and interviews. 14. Document Verification: If selected, attend the document verification process as instructed. Ensure you have all original documents and photocopies ready for verification. 15. Joining and Training: Upon successful verification, you will receive an appointment letter. Attend the induction and training programs as required before joining your designated post. MPSC recruitment in 2023 brings with it a host of opportunities for aspiring candidates to embark on a rewarding journey in various government sectors. Navigating the application process efficiently ensures that you stand a chance to secure your dream job. By staying informed about recruitment notifications, understanding eligibility criteria, and following the application guidelines meticulously, you increase your chances of success in the competitive realm of government job opportunities offered by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. A Barnwell County man will spend more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty in a human trafficking case. Ryan Darian Grover, 29, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. to serve 41 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to human trafficking conspiracy, according to a media release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of South Carolina. Grovers co-defendant, 51-year-old Brian Leroy "Lil B" Watson, of Blythewood, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to attempted sex trafficking of a minor and the distribution of heroin. Court evidence said that between 2016-20, Watson trafficked at least nine victims, eight adults and one minor into the commercial sex trade, while distributing heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and crack cocaine. Prosecutors said Watson targeted victims with vulnerabilities such as drug addiction and mental impairments. Investigators said Grover lived with Watson and aided him by driving victims to perform sex acts, negotiating with customers and distributing drugs. Upon Grovers release, he will have lifetime supervision by the court and register as a sex offender. Watson will also have a lifetime term of court supervision, pay $45,000 in restitution to nine victims and register as a sex offender. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. The FBI, Richland County Sheriffs Department and Kershaw County Sheriffs Office investigated the case, while it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels. Voting will begin at 7 a.m. Tuesday and continue through 7 p.m. in the Aiken Republican mayoral primary runoff between incumbent Rick Osbon and restaurateur Teddy Milner. How did we get here? Osbon and Milner advanced to the runoff Aug. 8. Osbon received around 43 percent of the vote and Milner received around 29 percent. Third-place finisher Kathryn Wade received around 28 percent of the vote. Who are the candidates? Osbon, the owner of Osbon's Laundry and Cleaners, has been Aiken's mayor since 2015. He did not face opposition in 2019. Milner is the owner and operator of It's All Good, a restaurant and catering business on Hayne Avenue. She also previously owned and operated the Stoplight Deli. The candidates have addressed several issues at four forums hosted throughout the city, including: Traffic and downtown redevelopment at the Aiken County Republican Party Forum on July 23; Hotel Aiken plans at an Aiken Republican Club forum on July 25; Real estate issues at a forum hosted the week of July 23 by the Aiken Association of Realtors; and Northside issues at a forum hosted by the Schofield Community Association on Aug. 17. Who can vote? All registered voters who reside in the city of Aiken can vote regardless of political party. Even people who did not vote in the primary can vote in the runoff. Where to vote? There are 25 precincts involved in the election. The precincts included in the election are Aiken 1, Aiken 2, Aiken 3, Aiken 4, Aiken 5, Aiken 6, Aiken 47, Anderson Pond 69, China Springs 11, College Acres 13, Gem Lakes 60, Gem Lakes 77, Hitchcock 68, Hollow Creek 53, Levels 52, Levels 72, Levels 83, Millbrook 20, Montmorenci 22, Redds Branch 57, Sandstone 70, Sandstone 79, Six Points 36, Six Points 46 and South Aiken 76. It is possible some precincts listed include voters inside and outside the city limits. The voter registration information page provides a municipality listing and if that's blank, a voter is not in the city and, therefore, cannot vote in the primary. A person wishing to vote can find their precinct on their voter registration card or on the South Carolina Election Commission's website, scvotes.gov. To find a precinct on the website, click "Check My Registration" under the "Voter" tab at the top of the page. A link is also available further down the page under "mySCvotes" written in gold. A person wishing to vote will need to provide their county of residence, their first and last name, their date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number on the next screen. There also may be a need to take a robot test. The next screen provides the person wishing to vote's registration information including their precinct and polling location. Directions to the polling location are available by clicking the address. Where the precincts located? The precincts will vote in the same locations as the Aug. 8 primary. For the runoff, Aiken 1, Aiken 4, Six Points 36 and Six Points 46 will join Aiken 2 to vote at the Lessie B. Price Aiken Senior and Youth Center located at 841 Edgefield Ave. N.W. Aiken 3, China Springs 11 and Redds Branch 57 will join Aiken 5 to vote at St. Mary's Smith Hall located at 125 Park Ave. S.E. Montmorenci 22, Levels 52, Hitchcock 66 and Levels 72 will join Aiken 6 and Aiken 47 to vote at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center located at 1700 Whiskey Road. Sandstone 70 will join College Acres 13 and Hollow Creek 53 to vote at Mercy Church located at 2700 Whiskey Road. Millbrook 20 and Levels 83 will vote at St. Paul Lutheran Church located at 961 Trail Ridge Road. Gem Lakes 60, Gem Lakes 77 and Sandstone 79 will join Anderson Pond 69 in voting at Millbrook Baptist Church located at 223 Whiskey Road. South Aiken 76 will continue to vote at Living Hope located at 2550 Old Dominion Road. Why should I vote? For Aiken residents, the election is likely to be the only time they get a choice for mayor. There are no Democrats running. So, the winner of the Republican nomination is very likely to win the Nov. 7 general election. How do I vote? People wishing to vote will need to bring one of four forms of identification to their polling place. Accepted IDs are South Carolina driver's license, South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles identify card, U.S. Passport or federal military identification. Once a person arrives, they will need to sign in to vote and be escorted to a voting machine. From there, it's as simple as pressing a couple of buttons on a touchscreen. Voters will also be asked to insert their physical ballot into a counting machine after voting. Residents looking to learn more about Central Electric Power Cooperative's plan to build a power line south of Aiken have a chance to do so Tuesday evening. Central's Vice President of Engineering Chris Ware is expected to present information about Central's proposal during a meeting of the Aiken County Legislative Delegation scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the USC Aiken's Etherredge Center, 471 University Parkway. The delegation includes members of the South Carolina General Assembly whose districts include part of Aiken County. The delegation includes three senators: Tom Young (delegation chair), Shane Massey and Nikki Setzler; and five representatives: Bill Clyburn (vice chairman), Bill Hixon, Bill Taylor, Bart Blackwell and Melissa Oremus. The 20 electric cooperatives serving South Carolina own Central Electric Power Cooperative. Central serves as a connection between power plants owned by Duke Energy Carolinas (serving the Upstate) and Santee Cooper. Basically, Central's lines transmit power between the power plants and substations owned by the 20 electric cooperatives. The electric cooperatives, including Aiken Electric, then transmit the power from the substations to people's homes and businesses. Central announced earlier this year it planned to build a 115-kilovolt power line from a substation northwest of Windsor to a substation located northwest of Whiskey Road's intersection with Medwell Hill Road. Central's website does not specify a route for the new power line. It provides 44 segments of routes the cooperative can pick from. On maps, the cooperative labels the segments by letter from "A" to "TT." Five of these potential segments, Z, AA, II, KK and JJ, run adjacent or near five equestrian neighborhoods south of Aiken: Bridle Creek, Three Runs Plantation, Cedar Meadows Equestrian, Cedar Creek and The Paddocks. Specifically, Z and AA both run north of Bridle Creek but AA is further north. JJ would connect with either Z or AA, run between Cedar Meadows Equestrian and Bridle Creek, go across the confluence of Cedar Creek and Upper Three Runs, follow Three Runs Plantation Drive to Eagle Road then follow Eagle Road past the Cedar Creek neighborhood before cutting northwest. KK and II run northwest of the Cedar Creek neighborhood. II would cut through the northernmost portion of Cedar Creek. Another potential segment, DD, would follow most of Old Dibble Road to its intersection with Banks Mill Road. Potential route CC would be further west and potential route W would cross Old Dibble Road. Residents of the equestrian neighborhoods and Old Dibble Road gathered July 29 to discuss their options to oppose these route segments. Central is expected to determine the final route in October. After that, Central will begin meeting with affected property owners to determine a price for the land needed for the route (Central has eminent domain powers.) in the winter and spring 2024. Vegetation management is set to begin in spring 2024. Construction will begin in winter 2025 and could continue for a year. At Tuesday's meeting, the delegation is also expected to receive presentations from: Aiken County School District Superintendent King Laurence; Dru Gregory on the school district redistricting; the South Carolina Department of Transportation; Will Williams of the Economic Development Partnership; and Maj. Dwight Bradham, director of the Aiken County Veterans Affairs Office. The meeting will be livestream online at youtube.com/watch?v=mLlcpCbjngg. For more information about the meeting, call the delegation at 803-642-1694. Want to go? Who? Central Electric Power Cooperative will present its plan to build a new powerline south of Aiken to the Aiken County legislative delegation. What? Several proposed route segments of the powerline run through or beside five equestrian neighborhoods south of Aiken. Two more segments run beside or across Old Dibble Road. When? The presentation will take place at a delegation meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Where? The meeting will take place at the Etherredge Center located at 471 University Pkwy. There are two parking lots on either side of the building. Additional parking is available across University Parkway at the Convocation Center. A pedestrian bridge is available to help cross the road. As we slowly emerge from Augusts formidable heat, Charlestons fall cultural scene is heating up. Back on the beam from a woeful pandemic wobble, there are now robust, at times riotous, and just as often probing works that come together to illustrate just how vibrant and varied our Charleston arts community is ranging from the poignantly local to the widely-roaming global. The collective fall roster is sufficiently meaty that a comprehensive roundup would well surpass my allotted column inches. Instead, Ill point you toward a few standouts in the months to come that promise to engage and enthrall. Music Im keen to head for Chamber Music Charlestons celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, featuring events including the Sept. 15 Fiesta on the Square event in Summerville and the Sept. 17 concert at Sottile Theatre in downtown Charleston that combines Argentinian bandoneon music with traditional chamber music. For more information visit chambermusiccharleston.org. With a similarly wandering eye, Charleston Symphony continues to scour the classical music world, folding in guest conductors from afar for its Masterworks concerts. That all starts off auspiciously on Sept. 22 and 23 with Maestro Thomas Wilkins, principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl (who is also the subject of the documentary Behind the Baton: A Conductors Journey, which examines his experience as a Black conductor). Wilkins leads the orchestra and guest pianist Michelle Cann in a program including Maurice Ravels Le tombeau de couperin; Florence Prices Piano Concerto in One Movement; and Edward Elgars Variations on an Original Theme (Enigma), Op. 36. For more, visit charlestonsymphony.org. These days Charleston lays claim to two professional opera companies, and both are set for full-scale productions this fall. On Oct. 6 and 8, Charleston Opera Theater takes over the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre to present Donizettis antic Lelisir damore, directed by Saundra DeAthos-Meers and conducted by Wojciech Milewski. For tickets, visit charlestonoperatheater.org. Then on Nov. 1, 3 and 5, Holy City Arts & Lyric Opera goes for high drama with Verdis tragic Rigoletto, with tickets on sale Sept. 15. Visit holycityarts.org. Undocumented spending Lexington-Richland Five first hired a contractor and architect for the Piney Woods school in 2018, and it opened the campus north of Lake Murray amid a 2021 boom in the area's population. That contracting work by Contract Construction, a Ballentine-based firm, cost the district roughly $26.2 million. But according to the Inspector General's report, about $38,362 of that spending did not have proper documentation, such as travel expense reports and invoice documentation, or was for another construction project and thus should not have been included in the cost of the elementary school. District officials "did not verify" that pay application amounts were supported by the appropriate documentation, according to the report, which concluded that the district "failed to provide proper contract management and oversight of the payment process." However, the Inspector General's report noted that the questioned costs which accounted for about 0.14 percent of the contractual maximum price were not themselves "indicative of fraud or illegitimate reimbursements." "Rather, they point to weaknesses in the Districts internal controls over contract management," the report reads. Since 2021, though, the district has made a series of changes related to internal financial controls and oversight, including adopting new board policies governing construction projects, a new procurement code and the in-progress process of hiring an internal auditor. Those changes have addressed the internal control issues raised by the Piney Woods project, according to the report, which concluded that "no further action is required" regarding its findings of the in-question spending. In an Aug. 14 letter to Inspector General Brian Lamkin, Superintendent Akil Ross said the district "look(s) forward to using this report to further guide our practices." ELGIN An off-duty Richland County deputy was injured in a late-night shooting outside his home northeast of Columbia near Elgin. Around 11:40 p.m. on Aug. 20, the deputy was with another person outside his home when shots were fired, according to the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Neighbors on Crusader Court in the Jacobs Creek subdivision said they heard about a dozen gunshots. Bullets struck both the deputy and the other person in the lower extremities, the sheriff's department said. Both were sent to a local hospital. The injuries are not life-threatening, according to the department. Three men were seen walking in the neighborhood before the shooting, according to the department, but no suspects have been publicly identified. The sheriff's department has not released additional information or the incident report. In a home nearby, Courtney Minger and her boyfriend were asleep with their 2-year-old daughter when they were woken up by at least a dozen rounds of shots outside their house. "The gunshots were super loud," Minger told The Post and Courier. "You would have thought they were shooting at your house. I didn't know what was going on." When she peeked out her bedroom window she saw at least three Richland County deputy cruisers "flying" down the residential street, she said. She watched as one screeched to a halt just outside her house, and another two stopped in the pocket of the cul-de-sac. The officers jumped out of the cars, she said, guns drawn. More deputies followed. At one point, there were so many patrol vehicles that residents could not leave the cul-de-sac. "You couldn't even get out of the neighborhood, it was like ambulances it was just a mess out here," she said. Deputies were still parked at Crusader Court well into the afternoon Aug. 21. Crime scene tape blocked off the front yard of the home. The injured deputy's marked patrol SUV was still parked in the driveway. There was no visible damage to the home or vehicles in the driveway. COLUMBIA The state's largest university has renamed its office of vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. Julian Williams will now be the University of South Carolina's vice president of Access, Civil Rights and Community Engagement, USC announced in a email newsletter Aug. 21. The university has not updated its website to reflect the new office title. "His division will now align ongoing efforts to ensure access and opportunity to members of the campus community, compliance with federal civil rights and Title IX requirements, and foster partnerships with public and private sector entities to share university knowledge in support of local communities," the newsletter read. USC made the change to "better align existing areas," USC spokesperson Jeff Stensland wrote. This title change comes after the phrase "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" has come under political attacks at the national and state levels. In Florida, among other states, the political powers have successfully banned "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" language from public institutions, including universities. In the last budget cycle of the South Carolina Legislature, ultra-conservatives attempted to pull state funding from salaries or programs that support DEI, but failed. A prominent win came for them in June when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the consideration of race in college admissions, or affirmative action. Despite efforts to increase diversity, USC has remained a primarily White institution. In 2022, almost 70 percent of the student population on USC's Columbia campus was White. These students attended a campus with 75 percent White instructors and 63 percent White staff members. By comparison, the general population of South Carolina is slightly less at 68 percent White. The sunflower is one of the more interesting, and important, plants native to North America. Found in the Asteraceae (the aster or daisy) family, this group of plants is found throughout North and Central America with a few species in South America. Read moreGardening column: The Lowcountry loves sunflowers Bill Briggman stared at his computer screen displaying the number of open teacher positions in Charleston County and tried not to panic. It was the middle of summer, about a month before the 2021-22 school year was set to begin, and over 100 positions were vacant. Briggman was no stranger to the teacher shortage crisis. He had worked for the district since the late 1990s as a guidance counselor and later as the human resources director overseeing teacher recruitment. Low pay and long hours had always plagued the education field. But post-pandemic, the applicant pool dried up. Fewer people were graduating with degrees in education, and teachers were leaving the profession in historic numbers. Starting salaries, which hover around $40,000 for a recent college graduate in South Carolina, were the top reason why. Briggman felt he needed to act. He was close to retirement and wanted to substantially increase teachers salaries before he left. He went home that night, opened a blank document on his laptop and began to write. The first couple of paragraphs were a collection of his experiences recruiting teachers and the struggles he encountered. A clear thesis began to emerge: Charleston needed to raise salaries and it needed to happen immediately. Briggman, a humble man well-liked by his employees, kept his office door open at work and encouraged members of his staff from any rank to chat with him whenever they had questions or concerns. He was also famous for his tenacity. He continued typing at his kitchen table in the evening, unaware that the words he put to paper would one day spawn a task force that increased Charleston teacher salaries by an unprecedented amount. It quickly ballooned to a group of several dozen educators and community members fighting to give teachers a comfortable life. In a single year, the task force managed to raise teacher salaries by $5,000 across the board and secure them a $5,000 bonus. They also extended the number of years teachers were eligible for a raise from 30 to 40 years in the field. This helped reduce vacancies going into the upcoming school year, with classes starting Aug. 23, by about 44 percent compared to last year. The task force did this by presenting district leaders with data about how it's near-impossible to live in most Charleston neighborhoods on a teachers salary. They combined this data-driven approach with an aggressive, emotional lobbying campaign. The inside story of Charlestons teacher pay hike provides a detailed roadmap for educators and community members in other South Carolina school districts to follow. But back in the summer of 2022 Briggman didnt know how successful his movement would be. He fleshed out his thesis over several weeks, emailing drafts back and forth with colleagues in the human resource division. They gathered in his office at district headquarters on Calhoun Street and marked up Briggmans words during their lunch breaks, pausing occasionally to look out the window as the sweltering summer days cooled in early fall. When Briggman was finished, he got the districts blessing. Its communication department sent his letter to The Post and Couriers editorial team. It was published in October. Responses poured into his inbox and filled his voicemail from people asking how they could help. Stage one was a success. Now, Briggman needed to make some calls. A housing crisis Jody Stallings agreed to join Briggman's task force to raise teacher pay after getting a call from him that fall. Stallings was a high-ranking member of one of Charlestons top teacher associations and traveled in the same circles as Briggman for years. He was impressed by Briggmans letter in the newspaper, where Briggman wrote that the cost of living in Charleston was high and said that teachers needed to be paid at a level that enables them to live comfortably in the communities they serve. But he also had low expectations going into his first task force meeting. Stallings had seen his fair share of task forces come and go. At best, task forces offered Band-Aid solutions to the teacher shortage problem. At worst, they were public relations ploys that got little to nothing accomplished. Stallings describes himself as the proverbial teacher: He typically wears tweed jackets and sweater vests. He had a dry sense of humor and was a straight shooter who wasnt afraid to speak up when something was wrong. He considered his biggest flaw his impatience. If something was broken, he wanted it to be fixed right away, and he believed South Carolinas teacher pay system had been flawed for years. When he found the building where the task force meeting was held, he stopped short. Stallings was standing outside the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, an immense brick building in North Charleston. He raised his eyebrows: none of the other task forces he served on had meetings in buildings as official as this. For years, the gatherings he attended were at schools and occasionally teachers' homes. Members of the task force were in the front lobby, ready to greet him when he walked inside. The stage was set to make you think this was something that could have potential, he said. In the conference room, people sat in rows of chairs and filled the space. He didnt recognize many attendees, which was unusual in Charlestons tight-knit education community. When the meeting began, it became clear why. Briggman created the task force to amplify the voices of Charlestons educators. But he also included people from other professions, including a member of the chamber of commerce who studied housing. The man gave a Powerpoint presentation showing that it was difficult to live in Charleston on a teachers salary. Stallings leaned forward in his seat. The man said that the median home sale price in Charleston increased by 17 percent from January to September 2021 and averaged around $505,000. He showed that it was a struggle for a teacher with the district's $43,146 starting salary to rent a two-bedroom apartment with a roommate in the Charleston area. He performed similar calculations to illustrate how a teacher with a masters degree making $64,016 would struggle to pay for a mortgage. Under the current CCSD pay scale, teachers with a bachelors degree would need 22 years of experience each to be able to afford a home in Charleston County, he said. The base salary needed to be raised to $77,880 for teachers to rent an average apartment in the Charleston metro area. Stallings and several others stayed behind after the meeting ended. Theyd anecdotally known that housing was a problem for teachers in Charleston and heard horror stories of all the extra jobs first-year teachers needed to take to make rent. But the task force members had never seen the situation in such blunt, data-driven terms. They met twice a month, either in person or on Zoom, and refined their asks. They knew it was unlikely the district would raise salaries to $77,880, so they asked for a starting salary of $58,000. Stallings and the other members scoured every Powerpoint slide. The task force created a video of teachers sharing their personal struggles with affordable housing in Charleston. In the video, a teacher sat in a classroom with students work displayed on the walls and spoke about how he became a teacher because he wanted to inspire others. Another said she fractured her skull in a bike accident, and it made her want to be an exceptional educator to give back to those who helped her re-learn how to talk and write and see in the past. Yet one teacher also spoke about how she had to live at home with her parents to save money. Another said he had to work three part-time gigs in addition to his teaching job to make rent, and a third said both she and her husband had second jobs to make ends meet. When they felt like their presentation was finally complete, they made a plan of who to target to make the pay raise a reality. First, they needed the districts approval. Then they needed to approach the school board. Wins and setbacks Shortly after their presentation was finalized, they met with Don Kennedy, CCSDs superintendent at the time. Kennedy was a former CFO who several district employees who Stallings described as someone who held tight to the purse strings. During his first meeting with the task force, he grilled members about the details of their presentation, according to two people at the meeting. He was noncommittal about the salary hike but never explicitly said no. It was still in the fall; the budget process hadnt begun, Briggman said. We definitely wanted it on his radar before we got into the first of the year. Next, the task force needed to approach the board. CCSD got an almost entirely new school board in November after Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill requiring board members to be elected in single-member districts rather than at-large. This put every seat on Charleston Countys school board up for grabs. Only one member of the previous board was re-elected. Briggman watched the campaigns and knew all the board members ran platforms that advocated teacher pay. The task force invited a couple of board members to their meetings. They also began a pseudo-grassroots lobbying effort aimed at letting board members know how much teachers needed their help. Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! Stallings and a teacher he was close to at school started to meet in his classroom during their planning period. Stallings taught eighth-grade English, which included coursework on Greek mythology. He liked to compare Greek heroes to modern-day superheroes and decorated his classroom with giant images of characters from Marvel movies and the DC Comics universe. They worked under the shadows of these heroes, emailing teachers their news about the task force and encouraging them to message their school board representatives about raising teacher salaries. Stallings colleague was a math teacher. They quickly fell into the roles of communicator and data wiz. Rather than feeling like work, the strategies they came up with during the planning periods about how to connect with board members were fun, like a puzzle-solving game. They felt like their lobbying efforts were working. School board members said teachers plights moved them. Kennedy published his own editorial in the winter, saying that raising teacher salaries was one of his administrations top priorities. But the task force wouldnt know if their efforts swayed board members until a March 2023 board meeting. Stallings always felt a bit disoriented at school board meetings. They had been held in the same drab auditorium at the Calhoun Street building for decades. The board members changed, but the fluorescent lighting, uncomfortable plastic folding chairs, and bleakly neutral decor remained the same. The board members sat at a long wooden desk shaped like a half circle. They had their grey laptops open, and their names were displayed on dark brown plaques. The only spots of color were the pastel notebooks board members brought that were scattered across the desk. Teachers filled the room. Stallings took his seat and waited for the task forces presentation to begin. They went through the slides sharing the data on the rising housing costs in the area and how that was impacting teachers. Briggman wasnt nervous, hed gotten used to presenting over the years. The task force told the board they needed to increase teacher pay to $58,000. They also highlighted the need to retain experienced teachers, saying they needed to be eligible for salary increases longer into their careers. (Teacher pay increases are typically capped after a certain amount of years of experience.) Briggman wasnt expecting the board to commit to anything. Even if the task force didnt get the funding they asked for, he felt like it was important to show a united front to the board and let them know where teachers were as a community. Yet when the presentation was done, the board pledged to increase the number of years teachers were eligible for pay raises from 30 to 40 years and make that retroactive for the previous school year. Briggman felt this was an incredible victory that showed experienced educators their district valued them. The task force believed they could finally make a difference in teachers lives. The task force was confident that the school board would raise teacher salaries, but they didnt know how much that would be. Months passed, and the board kept delaying their vote on the districts budget, which would include the pay raise. Task force members said their anxiety began to rise. They couldnt fight this battle alone. They needed all the help from teachers they could get, which they received when a teacher advocacy Facebook group stepped in to assist. The Facebook Group Patrick Martin knew firsthand how difficult it was to live in Charleston on a teachers salary. He worked as a teacher since 1998 and spent nine years as a Charleston County educator. He taught at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, one of Charlestons wealthiest suburbs. He commuted there every weekday from Johns Island because he couldnt afford to live in the neighborhood. The morning drive didnt bother him, but afternoon traffic got steadily worse over the years. His commute after work began taking anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours. He watched many colleagues leave the profession for other, higher-paying jobs. Martin remarried, and he and his new wife wanted to live closer to Wando. They looked for homes in Mount Pleasant, but the only thing they could find in their price range was a townhouse that needed extensive repair. They bought a place in North Charleston, and Martin tried traveling from there. The commute was still a problem. They had a young baby, and Martin missed the infants bedtime many nights. Martin was voted Wandos teacher of the year in 2018 but had to move to a teaching job in North Charleston because he couldnt live in Mount Pleasant. The task forces message about the need to raise teacher pay so they could afford to live in Charleston deeply resonated with him. In 2017, Martin started a Facebook group for teachers in Charleston and surrounding districts called Lowcountry Teacher Advocates, which shared news stories about events that impacted teachers in the area. In January, Martin created a short Google form survey asking teachers and community members what they thought about the task forces mission. The respondents had the option to share their emails address. The survey was widely circulated. Martin received around 2,000 email addresses. He began sending out emails asking people to speak about teacher pay issues during the public comments sessions at board meetings. He sent out information telling them how to comment remotely and personally email board members. He was amazed by how quickly teachers mobilized and were willing to share personal stories about their struggles living in Charleston with the board. He felt his group helped keep the boards attention on the pay issue as the budget vote was repeatedly pushed back. Teachers in South Carolina typically sign their contracts for the upcoming school year in May. But CCSDs school board still hadnt voted on their final budget by then. Recruiters for the district told teachers that the board indicated they wanted to raise teacher salaries, but they didnt know how much that increase would be. Teachers had to sign contracts without knowing their final salary. Weeks passed, and recruiters were scrambling. The task force and the advocacy group kept asking teachers to speak at board meetings and email board members. But it was summer. Many teachers were working other jobs to make rent, and they didnt have their in-school network pushing them to advocate for higher pay. The movements momentum was faltering. Time was running out. A year-long journey Stallings wanted to teach since he was 10 years old. He remembers arranging his Star Wars action figures in rows and lecturing them about various things he learned that day. When Stallings was in middle school, he lost his mother. He credits his community for helping him through that tough time. Its one of the reasons why he enjoys being a middle school teacher. He sees himself in the children going through rough experiences and wants to help them. Stallings knew he was lucky housing-wise. He grew up in Mount Pleasant back when it was a middle-class town. When Stallings was young, there were few two-story houses. The area was filled with massive oak trees, and people spent lazy afternoons relaxing on their porch swings. When his father retired, he sold Stallings his house for $67,000. Stallings looked up his home on Zillow while working on the task force and saw it was valued at over $600,000. He never considered leaving the profession, even during the pandemic. It breaks his heart whenever he hears of a teacher quitting because of money. He became the director of the Charleston Teacher Association because he wanted everyone to have a work experience similar to his. Hes able to walk to work at Moultrie Middle School every day, and has always had supportive colleagues and principals. One day, when Stallings was doing task force work during his planning period, a young teacher came into his classroom. Her eyes were red like shed been crying all day. He asked her what was wrong, and she told him that she had pink eye in both eyes. I said, you need to got to the doctor and get eyedrops. But she told me she couldnt go because the drops cost $80, he said. If she gave the doctor $80, she wouldnt have enough to cover her rent. In June, members of the task force gathered in the conference room on Calhoun Street, where CCSDs school board meetings were held. The board was voting on whether or not to raise teacher pay. Task force members sat in the audience, anxiously awaiting the decision in the drab room. When the board voted in favor of the $10,000 across-the-board raise, the mood was jubilant. People broke out in applause. One of Briggmans employees rang a cowbell in the office to celebrate. The next stage On Aug. 17, 2023, the task force held its meeting to lay out plans for the new school year. Twenty attendees gathered on Zoom, where small squares displayed close-up video feeds of their faces. Some were in classrooms where students brightly colored artwork decorated the walls. Others were in gray cubicles or sterile conference rooms. Briggman started the meeting by saying that housing is becoming an even bigger issue in the Charleston area. I looked at the very first home I owned in the late 1990s, and sold in 2003, he said. Its valued at $850,000, and I think I paid $145,000 for it. I couldnt afford it now, it's insane. Several task force members shook their heads. They spoke about how the housing crisis was spreading from downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant to places like West Ashley. One members talked about a new apartment complex that opened behind a Publix in West Ashley. A one-bedroom apartment was going for $2,400 a month. I scares me a lot with how much it costs to live in Charleston, the man said. People are like, it's a bubble, it will pop, but it's Charleston. The team discussed ways the district could help teachers afford homes: such as subsidized housing or homebuyer classes. They talked about how to get teachers in adjacent districts involved. One thing from the meeting was clear: the task forces work was far from over. United States President Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea at Camp David on Friday. [Photo/Agencies] United States President Joe Biden met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea at Camp David on Friday, in what was the first ever stand-alone meeting between the leaders of the three countries. In his speech, Biden said the meeting made history. And that it did, as the leaders of Japan and the ROK explicitly clarified their countries are to be accomplices of Washington in its geopolitical strategy to assert and extend its influence in East Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Not only did the three leaders reach a deal to launch annual multi-domain military exercises, they also explicitly highlighted Beijing's "dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims" and expressed their shared commitment to maintaining "peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait and addressing economic coercion; all of which is Washington-speak for containing China. China, Japan and the ROK are major countries in the region and their neighborly ties, economic and trade cooperation are the mainstays of regional peace and development. China will continue its cooperation and exchanges with Japan and the ROK knowing doing so helps promote peace and development in the region. But the summit, with its joint statement highlighting the three countries' malignant intentions toward China, shows its two major neighbors with their inferiority complexes are willing to sacrifice both for a seat at the Western table. Political parties and people in Japan and the ROK should be on the alert about what their leaders are doing with Washington. Countries in Asia should also be aware that the three countries are up to no good. They should bear in mind that whenever Washington is pulling the strings behind the political scenes, it results in military conflicts or political turmoil, which is verified by the sufferings of people in various parts of the world. No one should believe that the ROK and Japan playing the role of henchmen of Washington in its geopolitical schemes in Asia will help promote regional peace and development. Nor should Seoul and Tokyo fool themselves by thinking that enhancing their countries' military cooperation with the US is a smart move that will bolster their presence in the region. As far as Washington is concerned, it is inevitable and necessary that some mistakes are made or some sacrifices must occur for it to achieve its objective. Japan and the ROK are simply to be the proxies for the US for whatever price or sacrifice must be paid for the US to maintain its regional dominance. By ill-judiciously allowing themselves to be the wrecking balls for Washington to dismantle the hard-built architecture of cooperation that serves all countries in the region well, Seoul and Tokyo will ultimately find no favor in the region. Editors note: Candidates running opposed races for Summerville mayor and the Summerville Town Council District 2 seat were all asked to respond to the following questions. All candidates received the same set of questions and were asked to limit their responses to around 1,000 words total. Read moreQUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES: Tiffany Johnson-Wilson On August 29, 2023, Williamsburg County Sheriffs Office deputies responded to Black River Medical Center for a gunshot wound victim. When they arrived, deputies were advised the shooting took place at an establishment on McCullough Loop in Kingstree. Read moreWilliamsburg County Sheriffs Office investigates late night shooting I stumbled upon this story a while back that has been retold many times, and as I read it again recently, it caused me to think about Gods love which cannot be measured or fully comprehended, and I wanted to share it with you today. Its listed as an allegorical short story called, To Sacr Read moreThe greatest love ever known Paintings from local artists hangs on the walls of Town Hall. The CAP Commission recommended on Aug. 8 that an artistic director should be hired to oversee a future community arts center project. Our society is facing many challenges, but one that seems to lie just beneath the surface is a decline in empathy. We don't understand one another. We just aren't able (as the saying goes) to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. We can't see what motivates others, what makes them tick. As sy Read moreStevens: We need more empathy, and reading more can help NORTH CHARLESTON A diverse group of 10 candidates is vying to be the city's fourth mayor after Mayor Keith Summey's 30-year leadership ends later this year. All 10 City Council seats are up for reelection as well, with 35 candidates in total declaring their bids when the city's filing period ended Aug. 21 at noon. Summey, who was first elected in 1994, announced in March he would not seek another term, setting the stage for an expansive field of candidates to lead the state's third-largest city. For the city council races, there are five incumbents who are not seeking reelection, which means at least half of the council will be entirely new after the Nov. 7 race. North Charleston's election results are determined by plurality, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins, setting the stage for the next mayor to be elected without winning a majority of the electorate. The last day to register to vote is October 8. Early voting runs from October 23 to November 3. Election Day is November 7. Candidates for mayor Reggie Burgess Former Police Chief Reggie Burgess served as the head of the police department since 2018 until he announced his retirement to run for mayor in the spring. Burgess was the city's first Black police chief and worked to build community trust through various initiatives, such as participating in the Stop the Violence walk. Russ Coletti Navy and Air Force veteran Russ Coletti worked as a FedEx operations manager for 30 years overseeing daily operations and managing over 200 employees. He previously served as the president for the Northwood Estates neighborhood for three years and ran for City Council District 3 the past three elections, but did not win the races. Stephanie Ganaway-Pasley Stephanie Ganaway-Pasley, a retired summary court judge of over 12 years, has experience as a business owner, educator and civil mediator. She ran for Charleston County Probate Judge in 2018 and 2021 and lost both races to longstanding Probate Judge Irv Condon. We were all appalled to hear in June that Hunter Biden had received a sweetheart plea deal from U.S. Attorney David Weiss. Under that agreement, Hunter would plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of tax evasion and enter into a pretrial diversion agreement on a felony charge of possession of a firearm by a user of illegal drugs. As we know, the deal fell apart in spectacular fashion at the hands of Judge Maryellen Noreika on July 26. In particular, she took issue with the constitutionality of the diversion clause and the broad immunity the agreement provided to him. Hours later, Hunter pleaded not guilty to all charges and left the courthouse. What we did not know was that a prior agreement had been reached between Weiss office and Hunters attorneys in May that was even more advantageous. On Saturday, Politico reported they had reviewed a 32-page letter from Hunters attorney Chris Clark to Weiss office and obtained more than 300 pages of previously unreported emails and documents exchanged between Hunter Bidens legal team and prosecutors. According to Politico, after much back and forth between Bidens attorneys and Weiss office, they agreed on: [T]he first draft of a proposed deal, structured so it wouldnt need a judges sign-off and wouldnt require a guilty plea from Biden. As part of the deal, Biden would admit he was late filing his taxes for 2017 and 2018, and that he owned a gun while he was using drugs. He would promise to pay any taxes he still owed, to pay his taxes on time for the next five years, and to never own a gun again. The deal would be made public, and it would also cover three corporate entities affiliated with him. If he upheld his end of the bargain through January 2025, the Justice Department would promise not to prosecute him for anything theyd investigated thus far. The draft wording of that promise was clear and broad: The Department of Justice agrees not to criminally prosecute Robert Hunter Biden and the affiliated businesses (namely: Owasco P.C.; Owasco LLC; and Skaneateles LLC): (a) for any federal crimes arising from the conduct generally described in the attached Statement of Facts (Attachment A); or (b) for any other federal crimes relating to matters investigated by the United States. Weiss team of prosecutors seemed pleased. That evening, Wolf sent the Biden team a list of must-haves for a potential deal, noting that many of them were already in the first draft. That evening, one of Bidens lawyers sent another draft pretrial diversion agreement addressing both the gun and tax issues. It was still quite similar to their first. It also incorporated Wolfs must-haves, and it guaranteed Biden the same broad protection from prosecution for anything the Justice Department had investigated up to that point. It also guaranteed that the department would move to dismiss all charges if Biden upheld his end of the deal no guilty plea necessary. Unfortunately for Hunter, a May 24 CBS News interview of IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley changed everything. Weiss was willing to keep the pretrial diversion agreement in place for the gun charge, but insisted on guilty pleas for the tax charges. Clearly, none of us is surprised by this development. What is surprising is that Politico and The New York Times covered this story in such detail. If youre still mourning the loss of Popeyes in Billings, the Los Angeles-based Daves Hot Chicken is on the way. The popular hot wings and chicken sliders franchise is soon opening several locations in Montana, including one at Shiloh Crossing. Other franchise stores will open in Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, and Kalispell. The Billings restaurant will be at 1020 Shiloh Crossing Blvd, Suite #1, near Scheels, the company said in a press release. Were thrilled to introduce such an accomplished entrepreneurial group to Dave's Hot Chicken in Montana. Drawing from their past accomplishments in Massachusetts, Montana Chicken Company stands out as the perfect choice to guide our brand's progression into uncharted territory," said Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken. Montana Chicken Company is comprised of Benjamin and Bob Quinlan, Wyatt and Luke Prime, and Al Graziano. Before Daves Hot Chicken, the group owned and operated several Jersey Mikes Subs in Massachusetts. Upon hearing about Daves Hot Chicken in early 2021, the group became the first to open locations on the East Coast in 2022. Now, they plan on bringing the Nashville-hot chicken brand all the way to the foothills of Montana through the multi-unit deal. Weve had proven success in previous markets, so we want to bring that momentum into new territory. Daves Hot Chicken is the hottest brand in the country, and Im not just talking about the spice, so we know there is a great opportunity to grow in Montana, said Bob. Founded by Arman Oganesyan and classically trained chef Dave Kopushyan, along with brothers, Tommy, and Gary Rubenyan in early 2017, Daves Hot Chicken initially opened as a parking lot pop-up, with lines quickly wrapping around the block. Since then, the brand has exploded in popularity and now has over 120 locations in the United States and Canada. Specializing in hot chicken tenders and sliders, with spice levels ranging from No Spice to Reaper, each restaurant also serves sides of house-made Kale Slaw, creamy Mac & Cheese and crispy Fries or Cheese Fries. Tristan Leavitt is president of Empower America and an attorney representing the whistleblowers in the matter of Hunter Biden. He commented on the leaked emails and resulting stories in Politico and the New York Times over the weekend in a long Twitter thread which I have embedded below. The thread is unrolled and posted for easy reading in the Thread Reader app here. Leavitt explains in his first two tweets: Having read the Politico and NYT stories that came out tonight thanks to Hunter Bidens legal team handing all their emails over to the press, I have several thoughts. First and foremost, its shocking on its face that prosecutors were willing to let Hunter Biden off scot free. But piecing together the two stories with what we already know, they raise even more alarm bells about how this case was handled. He follows up these introductory remarks with substantive notes and comments. The upshot is that the Department of Justice is protecting Hunter Biden and the Biden family business. Attorney General Garland is a bald-faced liar. David Weiss is a patsy. The whistleblowers are genuine heroes. The fix was in. They threw a monkey wrench into it. At RedState, the pseudonymous Mr. Bonchie posts the thread and inserts his own commentary in New Emails Provide Stunning Evidence of DOJ and Hunter Biden Corruption. His commentary seems to me to take an indirect route to the conclusions stated above. The Politico article doesn't reference the fact that the case had been presented to U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matt Graves in Mar. 2022or that the same day Hunter's team was meeting with prosecutors (April 26, 2022), Attorney General Merrick Garland was on Capitol Hill testifying Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) August 20, 2023 If DOJ Tax had approved the charges, Weiss would have the full backing of Main DOJ (a situation AG Garland would later imply existed). Instead, DOJ Tax merely granted discretion, which is why Weiss's team had to go hat-in-hand to the relevant venues to ask them to partner. /6 pic.twitter.com/Vt83fdsCpm Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) August 20, 2023 But in addition to the conflict of Delaware having to work through other Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys (hardly the independence Garland implied), Hunter's team was working ALL the refsand making everything about Hunter Biden's tax crimes a political issue re: Donald Trump. /8 Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) August 20, 2023 Prosecutors waited for Biden appointee Martin Estrada to be confirmed as U.S. Atty for the Central District of CA in September before presenting the 2016-2019 charges there. But early the next month Weiss told investigators DC wasn't partnering and CA might not either. /10 pic.twitter.com/8gxbw8pzwZ Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) August 20, 2023 In case the letter to Weiss wasn't enough, Clark starts requesting in-person meetings. He gets one with Weiss in Jan. 2023, where the lawyer for the son of the most powerful man in the world tries to gaslight Weiss about where the true pressure to succumb was coming from. /12 pic.twitter.com/4GZOMwAILn Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) August 20, 2023 But back to Delawareaside from the bullying from Hunter Biden's legal team, why would Weiss go to AG Garland for special charging authority after Estrada rejected partnering in the CDCA when he's now been told the President might testify to undermine any case he brought? /14 Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) August 20, 2023 But then on Apr. 19 we sent the IRS whistleblower letter to Congress, and my co-counsel Mark Lytle went on various news outlets to share the allegations of preferential treatment and unmitigated conflicts of interest. https://t.co/WVeGzjM9Y0 /16 Tristan Leavitt (@tristanleavitt) August 20, 2023 Aclidinium Bromide Market PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 12:48:38 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 669 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 The global aclidinium bromide market report is a comprehensive report that provides a detailed analysis of the current status and future trends of the aclidinium bromide market worldwide. 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This analysis provides valuable insights for market stakeholders to understand the intensity of competition in the market and gain an insightful view of the strategies adopted by major market players to maintain their position.Some of the major companies in the Aclidinium Bromide market are as follows: Almirall, AstraZeneca, Berlin Chemie, Boc Sciences, Circassia Pharmaceuticals, Menarini, Teva, Yuhao ChemicalBy segmenting the market, the report provides a detailed understanding of each segment by analyzing market size, growth potential, and key trends within each segment. Through this detailed analysis, industry participants can identify profitable opportunities, develop strategies tailored to specific customer segments, and allocate resources effectively.Market Segmentation:Type: 322Ag, 340Ag, 400AgApplication: Hospital, Drug StoreIdentifying growth opportunities is crucial for companies operating in the aclidinium bromide market. This report focuses on highlighting these opportunities by analyzing emerging technologies, market trends, and changing customer needs that have the potential to shape the future of the market. By identifying untapped market segments, geographies with high growth potential, and innovative product development strategies, this report supports stakeholders in harnessing these opportunities and leading business growth.In addition, this report addresses the key challenges faced by industry participants. It provides insightful information on challenges such as intense market competition, price pressure, regulatory compliance, and technological confusion. By understanding these challenges, companies can develop effective mitigation strategies and adapt to a constantly changing market environment. This enables them to ensure sustainable growth.The regional analysis section of the global aclidinium bromide market report thoroughly evaluates the market in various regions, including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. This section provides valuable information on market size, growth potential, and key market trends specific to each region.Market by Regions:North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.FranceItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaThis report provides a comprehensive assessment of the aclidinium bromide market in these specific regions, enabling stakeholders to understand regional differences, market potential, and growth prospects. This provides valuable insights that help make informed decisions related to market entry, expansion strategies, and resource allocation. Additionally, understanding the regulatory landscape and market dynamics in each region is useful for companies to comply with regulatory requirements and adjust their business strategies to fit specific markets.Overall, the global aclidinium bromide market report strives to provide comprehensive and practical information to industry stakeholders. By offering a deep understanding of market trends, competitive dynamics, growth opportunities, and potential risks, this report plays a valuable role as a tool for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors. Through this information, they are able to make informed business decisions and execute successful strategies in the dynamic and evolving aclidinium bromide market. PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 11:50:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 464 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 In financial year 2022/2023, the lifting of restrictions affecting Borussia Dortmund's business model that had been imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an improvement in Borussia Dortmund's consolidated total operating proceeds by EUR 58.5 million (+12.8%) to EUR 515.4 million and its consolidated revenue by EUR 66.6 million (+18.9%) to EUR 418.2 million. In financial year 2022/2023, consolidated net profit/loss improved by EUR 41.5 million to EUR 9.6 million.DORTMUND, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / In the 2022/2023 financial year (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023), Borussia Dortmund generated consolidated revenue of EUR 418.2 million (previous year: EUR 351.6 million). Consolidated total operating proceeds (consolidated revenue plus gross transfer proceeds generated) amounted to EUR 515.4 million (previous year: EUR 456.9 million).In the financial year ended, the consolidated net profit amounted to EUR 9.6 million (previous year: loss of EUR 31.9 million). Consolidated earnings before taxes (EBT) amounted to EUR 10.8 million (previous year: EUR -30.2 million); consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to EUR 123.2 million (previous year: EUR 83.8 million).Consolidated revenue amounted to EUR 418.2 million (previous year: EUR 351.6 million), of which EUR 43.5 million (previous year: EUR 22.7 million) in income from match operations, EUR 157.5 million (previous year: EUR 145.1 million) in income from TV marketing, EUR 142.3 million (previous year: EUR 126.1 million) in advertising income, EUR 41.5 million (previous year: EUR 26.0 million) in conference, catering and miscellaneous income, and EUR 33.4 million (previous year: EUR 31.8 million) in merchandising income.Net transfer income, which comprises gross transfer proceeds less residual carrying amounts, other derecognised items and transfer costs, amounted to EUR 72.5 million (previous year: EUR 62.9 million).The Group's personnel expenses increased by EUR 5.0 million from EUR 231.2 million to EUR 236.2 million in the financial year ended. Depreciation, amortisation and write-downs within the Group declined by EUR 3.5 million from EUR 109.8 million to EUR 106.3 million. The Group's other operating expenses were up EUR 11.6 million year on year from EUR 102.4 million to EUR 114.0 million.The consolidated financial result declined by EUR 1.9 million from EUR -4.2 million to EUR -6.1 million.The above information relates to key figures from the consolidated financial statements of Borussia Dortmund calculated in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).In the separate financial statements of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA prepared in accordance with the German Commercial Code (HGB), the Company reported a net profit for the year of EUR 9.1 million. In light of the losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and the earnings situation, it is not possible to propose a dividend distribution to the Annual General Meeting.Dortmund, 21 August 2023Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaABorussia Dortmund Geschaftsfuhrungs-GmbHAt 11:30 a.m. today in Dortmund, Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA will hold an annual press conference on the preliminary figures for the 2022/2023 financial year, which can be live-streamed online at https://aktie.bvb.de/eng Contact:Dr. Robin StedenInhouse Counsel / Investor RelationsSOURCE: Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 14:01:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 397 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 BPO and lending authority will offer insights on boosting efficiency through intelligent smart sourcing servicesBURNABY, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / Integrated Financial Technologies (IFT), the leading business process outsourcing company for lenders, announced that its president, Tod Chisholm, will join a lending-oriented panel at the Mobile Payments Conference. The event is being held August 23-25 at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Chisholm will offer his expertise in the panel session "Next Gen Lending and Payments," which is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. on August 24.In addition to the panel, IFT will conduct demos of its IFT Ignite business process outsourcing (BPO) management platform at the event. The demos will illustrate how IFT provides experienced agents with industry-leading insights to deliver sophisticated services to lenders, including marketing campaigns, fulfillment, collections, and sales activities. Onstage demos will take place throughout the event during exhibition hours.IFT's BPO service delivers smart sourcing, the next-generation of outsourcing capabilities where experienced agents utilize state-of-the-art technology to perform mission-critical tasks for lenders. All smart sourcing services carry the lender's brand, adhere to all organizational and regulatory mandates, and enable lenders to reallocate their in-house personnel to other roles within the organization."We're delighted to participate in the Mobile Payments Conference and educate attendees on new strategies that can create a foundation for success," said Chisholm. "This event provides a prime opportunity to explore how financial services companies, retailers, and lenders can best utilize both technology and human capital to build a competitive edge." For more information on IFT and the capabilities of its intelligent outsourcing solutions, visit www.iftsolutions.com About Integrated Financial TechnologiesIntegrated Financial Technologies (IFT) is a market leader in delivering efficient, reliable, and secure back-office solutions to lenders across North America. Based in Vancouver, IFT's unique combination of deep lending expertise and robust technology enables the company to provide a multitude of services in sales, collections, reporting, and customer care. IFT's highly trained North American-based agents are fully trained in all lending and financial services processes, and adhere to strict data privacy and security mandates. IFT's services enable lenders to increase revenue, lower operating costs, and improve customer service-without incurring added overhead. For more information, please visit www.iftsolutions.com PR Contact:Suzanne MattaboniParallel Communications Group, Inc.610-737-2140X: @Parallel_PRsmattaboni@ parallelpr.com SOURCE: IFT PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 14:45:37 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1030 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 GOTHENBURG, SE / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / IRLAB Therapeutics (STO:IRLAB-A)(FRA:6IRA), a company discovering and developing novel treatments for Parkinson's disease, today announced further information on the results from mesdopetam's clinical Phase IIb study in Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesias (PD-LIDs) and Phase III preparatory Phase I studies performed by Ipsen. The results indicate that mesdopetam has dose-dependent anti-dyskinetic and anti-parkinsonian effects combined with a tolerability and safety profile not different from placebo, giving mesdopetam a unique position in the competitive landscape. The comprehensive data package developed by IRLAB and Ipsen provides a solid foundation for continuing the development of mesdopetam to Phase III. IRLAB now proceeds with preparations for Phase III, requesting an end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the US FDA to define the Phase III study program. A webcast in conjunction with the announcement will be held on August 22, 2023, at 10:00 CEST, access details below.In-depth analyses of the Phase IIb study data have now been completed confirming the great potential of mesdopetam in people living with PD-LIDs. The objectives of the study were to investigate the efficacy and safety of three doses of mesdopetam (2.5, 5, and 7.5 mg twice daily (b.i.d.)), as compared to placebo, in people living with PD-LIDs to guide dose selection for Phase III. Top-line results from the Phase IIb study of mesdopetam in PD-LIDs were communicated in January 2023.In the in-depth evaluation of the Phase IIb study data the effects in subjects based both on their randomized dose (FAS population) and based on the actual dose received in subjects compliant with the protocol (PS population), were analyzed. Since dose adjustment was allowed at one time during this study, analyses based on the actual dose received are important to get a full understanding of the dose dependency and the treatment effects. These analyses provide the basis for dose selection for Phase III."We are pleased to see clear and clinically meaningful anti-dyskinetic effects of mesdopetam in the analyses of the Phase IIb study data. Consistent dose-response patterns were observed across the key efficacy endpoints assessing dyskinesia: "good ON"-time, UDysRS, UDysRS subscales. This, in combination with unchanged MDS-UPDRS part 2 scores demonstrates that mesdopetam shows anti-dyskinetic efficacy without affecting normal motor function, or negatively impacting the anti-parkinsonian treatment effect of levodopa. The reduced OFF-time even indicates that mesdopetam has anti-parkinsonian effects," said Nicholas Waters, EVP and Head of R&D, IRLAB. "The dose-dependent effects make it possible to select dose for Phase III." In the FAS, mesdopetam's treatment effect on Hauser diary "good ON" (ON-time without troublesome dyskinesia) did not reach statistical significance, whereas in the PS, among subjects taking the 7.5 mg b.i.d. dose of mesdopetam, a significant and clinically meaningful increase in "good ON"-time of 1.75 hours vs placebo ("good ON" scaled to 16 hours awake time, p=0.050) was observed.In the FAS, mesdopetam demonstrated significant anti-dyskinetic effects, as measured by UDysRS, sum of parts 1, 3 and 4, with a reduction of 6.2 points vs. placebo (p=0.026) at 7.5 mg b.i.d. In the PS, the effect on UDysRS was dose-dependent and a reduction of 9.2 points vs. placebo (p=0.011) was observed at 7.5 mg b.i.d. In the UDysRS disability score parts 1b+4, assessing the degree of disability caused by dyskinesia, there was a reduction of 3.5 points vs. placebo (p=0.062) in the FAS and, in the PS a reduction of 5.5 points vs placebo (p=0.019) was observed at 7.5 mg b.i.d.This means that both patients and physicians report reduced disability related to dyskinesia during mesdopetam treatment. Further, the daily time spent in OFF showed a clear dose-dependent pattern and a decrease compared to placebo in both FAS and PS, reaching 1.27 hours (p=0.051) at the 7.5 mg b.i.d. dose in the PS, indicating a direct anti-parkinsonian effect of mesdopetam in subjects treated with levodopa. Mesdopetam was well tolerated with an adverse event and safety profile on par with placebo."I think the mesdopetam data package is one of the most compelling available in the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson's. Mesdopetam has the rare ability to both improve dyskinesias and improve parkinsonism and, at the same time, appears to be well tolerated. I expect it will have both clinical utility and commercial success," said Karl Kieburtz, MD, MPH, Professor in Neurology, Former chairman of the Peripheral and Central Nervous System US FDA Advisory Committee; chairman of the Scientific Evaluation Committee for the Cooperative Studies Program, Veterans Administration, and the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke.The Phase I clinical studies performed by Ipsen to prepare for Phase III were successfully completed and showed favorable results. One study evaluated pharmacokinetics (PK) in different populations showing that mesdopetam has similar PK in Asian and Non-Asian populations. A second study evaluated the potential for PK drug-drug interactions, via key drug metabolizing enzymes, showing a low risk of drug-drug interaction, suggesting that neither additional clinical drug-drug interaction studies nor restrictions on future patient enrolment would be required in future clinical studies. A third study investigated elimination routes of mesdopetam showing no risk of accumulation of mesdopetam in the body. Safety data from all three studies did not reveal any new safety signals and thus, was consistent with the current knowledge of the safety profile for mesdopetam."The data from the three Phase I studies performed by Ipsen are encouraging as they suggest that treatment with mesdopetam will be predictable and with little variability. This will most likely result in a simple uniform dosing of the drug, which minimizes the risk of dosing errors and is an advantage for mesdopetam over current alternatives in the management of dyskinesia in Parkinson's," commented Joakim Tedroff, CMO, IRLAB."I am excited by the potential of mesdopetam both commercially and how it truly can benefit people living with Parkinson's. The aging global population driving the increased prevalence of Parkinson's and people developing levodopa-induced dyskinesia suggest that mesdopetam could play an important role in this large and growing unmet clinical need. I will focus on leading the continued work toward Phase III together with our regulatory, clinical, and financial advisors. We anticipate that this strengthening of our portfolio with the Phase III ready mes Ketotifen Fumarate Market PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 12:47:30 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 674 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 The global ketotifen fumarate market report is a comprehensive report that provides a detailed analysis of the current status and future trends of the ketotifen fumarate market worldwide. This report provides valuable information to industry stakeholders by offering an in-depth perspective on market dynamics, competitive landscape, growth opportunities, and key challenges faced by industry participants.From the perspective of market dynamics, this report explores the factors driving the growth of the ketotifen fumarate market. This includes the increasing demand for ketotifen fumarate products due to changes in consumer preferences, technological advancements, and the demand for more efficient and sustainable solutions. Additionally, government regulations and initiatives to promote the adoption of ketotifen fumarate products also contribute to market growth. On the other hand, this report identifies and analyzes factors that may hinder market growth, such as economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and intense competition in the market.Request for Sample Report:The competitive landscape section of the report provides a comprehensive analysis of the leading companies operating in the ketotifen fumarate market. It introduces the major companies, their business strategy, product portfolio, recent trends, and financial performance. This analysis provides valuable insights for market stakeholders to understand the intensity of competition in the market and gain an insightful view of the strategies adopted by major market players to maintain their position.Some of the major companies in the Ketotifen Fumarate market are as follows: Akorn, Amerisource Health, Apotex, CVS Pharmacy, Kaiser Foundation, Novartis, Proficient Rx, Remedyrepack, Rugby Laboratories, WalgreensBy segmenting the market, the report provides a detailed understanding of each segment by analyzing market size, growth potential, and key trends within each segment. Through this detailed analysis, industry participants can identify profitable opportunities, develop strategies tailored to specific customer segments, and allocate resources effectively.Market Segmentation:Type: 0.25mg, 0.35mgApplication: Anti-Allergic Agents, Histamine H1 Antagonists, AntipruriticsIdentifying growth opportunities is crucial for companies operating in the ketotifen fumarate market. This report focuses on highlighting these opportunities by analyzing emerging technologies, market trends, and changing customer needs that have the potential to shape the future of the market. By identifying untapped market segments, geographies with high growth potential, and innovative product development strategies, this report supports stakeholders in harnessing these opportunities and leading business growth.In addition, this report addresses the key challenges faced by industry participants. It provides insightful information on challenges such as intense market competition, price pressure, regulatory compliance, and technological confusion. By understanding these challenges, companies can develop effective mitigation strategies and adapt to a constantly changing market environment. This enables them to ensure sustainable growth.The regional analysis section of the global ketotifen fumarate market report thoroughly evaluates the market in various regions, including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. This section provides valuable information on market size, growth potential, and key market trends specific to each region.Market by Regions:North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.FranceItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaThis report provides a comprehensive assessment of the ketotifen fumarate market in these specific regions, enabling stakeholders to understand regional differences, market potential, and growth prospects. This provides valuable insights that help make informed decisions related to market entry, expansion strategies, and resource allocation. Additionally, understanding the regulatory landscape and market dynamics in each region is useful for companies to comply with regulatory requirements and adjust their business strategies to fit specific markets.Overall, the global ketotifen fumarate market report strives to provide comprehensive and practical information to industry stakeholders. By offering a deep understanding of market trends, competitive dynamics, growth opportunities, and potential risks, this report plays a valuable role as a tool for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors. Through this information, they are able to make informed business decisions and execute successful strategies in the dynamic and evolving ketotifen fumarate market. PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 15:11:24 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 817 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TARRYTOWN NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / KeyBank and the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley announce a two-year grant from KeyBank Foundation, the non-profit charitable foundation of KeyBank, that will purchase and distribute 44,910 pounds of food per year to Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Middletown NY residents. This equates to 37,000 healthy meals per year for needy individuals and families. KeyBank's donation will help the Food Bank and their partner agencies address a 23% increase in the need for food since prior to the pandemic and an 11% since June of 2020."With this funding commitment KeyBank will make a very direct impact on feeding people in need and alleviating hunger in Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Middletown. This is a tremendously thoughtful and meaningful contribution that will fill the shelves of food pantries and soup kitchens and go directly to children, families and others in need," said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York "We are incredibly grateful for KeyBank's long support and for this generous contribution." Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and the Regional Food Bank of Northeast New York work in partnership to alleviate hunger and prevent food waste by collecting large donations of edible but unmarketable food from the food industry and distributing it to 1,000 food pantries, soup kitchens and other charitable agencies in 23 counties of northeastern New York. Each year the Food Bank provides this network of agencies with more than 36 million pounds of food and other basic need items and helps feed 300,000 different people. KeyBank Foundation's grant is directed to help feed food-insecure residents in the Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Middletown communities served by KeyBank."At KeyBank, supporting the communities where we do business is at the core of our company's culture," said John Manginelli, KeyBank Hudson Valley/Metro New York Market President. "We are proud to support Food Bank of Hudson Valley and their partner agencies in their work to eliminate hunger and help provide basic needs to our most vulnerable neighbors." KeyBank Foundation grants are part of a $40 billion commitment for lending and investments across Key's national footprint established in 2017 and supporting affordable housing and community development projects, home, and small business lending in low- and-moderate income communities, and philanthropic efforts targeted toward education, workforce development, and safe, vital neighborhoods.KeyBank has 42 branches throughout the Hudson Valley, including branches in Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Middletown.About the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New YorkThe Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that collects donated food from the food industry and distributes it to nearly 900 charitable agencies feeding the hungry in 23 counties of northeastern New York. The food provided by the Regional Food Bank helps to feed over 350,000 people each month. In 2022, the organization distributed 47 million pounds of food to our neighbors in need. The Regional Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks. The organization is supported by foundations, private contributions, and fundraising events. For information on services offered by the Regional Food Bank, call (518) 786-3691 or visit www.regionalfoodbank.net About KeyBank Foundation:KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank's purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation's mission is advanced through three funding priorities - neighbors, education, and workforce - and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.About KeyCorpKeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $195 billion as of June 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/ . KeyBank is Member FDIC.Note to Editors: For up-to-date company information, media contacts and facts and figures about Key lines of business, visit our Media Newsroom at Key.com/newsroom From left: KeyBank Area Retail Leader Matthew Lake; Chester Branch Manager Denise Moderno-May; Food Bank of the Hudson Valley Director Sara Gunn: Director of Warehouse Operations John Lubbers; and KeyBank Market President John Manginelli. Photo credit: KeyBankView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from KeyBank on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: KeyBankWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/keybank Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: KeyBank PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 09:05:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 989 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / (TSX:NANO)(OTC PINK:NNOMF)(Frankfurt:LBMB)Highlights:Nano One successfully completes its second SDTC funded project.Initiated in May 2019, a final contribution of $803K was recently awarded, totalling $8.25M.Proceeds were focused on scaling Nano One's One-Pot process technology and team, for the production of LFP and NMC materials.Funding also accelerated Nano One's acquisition of critical equipment, advanced its M2CAM technology development and validated the cost-competitiveness of its process technologies.Nano One Materials Corp. ("Nano One" or the "Company") is a clean technology company with patented processes for the production of lithium-ion battery cathode active materials ("CAM") that enable secure and resilient supply chains by driving down cost, complexity, energy intensity, and environmental footprint. The Company is pleased to report that it has received the final contribution of $803,300 from Sustainable Development Technology Canada ("SDTC") and the Government of British Columbia's Innovative Clean Energy ("ICE") Fund. This completes the Company's second SDTC project and its success led to a third SDTC funded project that was previously announced in February 2023 which is expected to provide an additional $10 million in non-dilutive funding.Support for Nano One's Scaling of Advanced Battery Materials Project was awarded by SDTC in May 2019 and completed in January 2023 with total government contributions of $8.25M, with $5.25M from SDTC and $3M from the ICE Fund, respectively. This final contribution of $803,300 represents a 10% holdback that is awarded once all successful commitments and reporting requirements have been achieved."SDTC has been an important contributor to Nano One over the years and has been instrumental in propelling us to where we are today," stated Nano One's CEO Mr. Dan Blondal. "Their funding for this project provided the means to execute our business plans and aided in securing additional support from the capital markets and from various strategically interested parties. With SDTC and ICE Fund support, we grew our team, added to our portfolio of intellectual property and optimized our processing technology and know-how. We believe we can be cleaner, greener and leaner than the methods used in Asia, while being cost competitive in Canada, North America, Europe and the Indo-Pacific region." Advancing the Scale of the One-Pot ProcessThe funded project helped Nano One accelerate significant advances in scaling of its One-Pot process for lithium iron phosphate ("LFP"), specifically in preparation for pilot and industrial scale production at its recently acquired facilities in Candiac, Quebec. The project enabled 10 kg batches of One-Pot LFP and greater for third party evaluation that have since led to trials in the company's Candiac facility that are exceeding 1000 kg (1 tonne).Through the course of the project, the team was able to reduce reaction times resulting in cost reduction and improved yield. The team also reduced CAPEX and OPEX associated with the One-Pot process for LFP as compared to existing LFP methods and they developed a comprehensive techno-economic model for LFP, providing confidence for large scale piloting and production activities at its Candiac facility.The project also supported the development of Nano One's innovative metal-to-cathode-active-materials ("M2CAM") technology, that simplifies the supply chain and enables the use of metal powders instead of environmentally problematic metal sulphates. M2CAM aims to eliminate wastewater and waste sulphate, cost effectively, and this is of increasing strategic interest in North America, Europe and other regions where there are environmental standards coupled with the need for tens of millions of tonnes of CAM production.Kelli Forster, Senior Vice President of People and Culture stated, "The financial support from SDTC and the ICE Fund has enabled us to further attract and retain industry leading experts with science, engineering and business backgrounds. We have the most experienced LFP production team in North America and by pairing this with our innovative culture, we are setting the stage to change how the world makes battery materials. I am proud of our team, and I look forward to its continued growth." ###About Sustainable Development Technology CanadaAt SDTC, we support companies attempting to do extraordinary things.From initial funding to educational support and peer learning to market integration, we are invested in helping our small and medium-sized businesses grow into successful companies that employ Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are relentlessly focused on supporting our companies to grow and scale in an increasingly competitive marketplace.The innovations we fund help solve some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges: climate change, regeneration through the circular economy, and the well-being of humans in the communities they live in and the natural environment they interact with.About Innovative Clean Energy FundThe Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund is a Special Account, funded through a levy on certain energy sales, designed to support the Province's energy, economic, environmental and greenhouse gas reduction priorities, and to advance B.C.'s clean energy sector. Since 2008, the ICE Fund has committed approximately $110 million to support pre-commercial clean energy technology projects, clean energy vehicles, research and development, and energy efficiency programs. On March 13, 2017, the Province announced a joint call partnership with Sustainable Development Technology Canada to support the development of pre-commercial clean energy projects and technologies.About Nano OneNano One Materials Corp. (Nano One) is a clean technology company with a patented, scalable and low carbon intensity industrial process for the low-cost production of high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials. With strategic collaborations and partnerships, including automotive OEMs and strategic industry supply chain companies like BASF, Umicore and Rio Tinto. Nano One's technology is applicable to electric vehicles, energy storage, and consumer electronics, reducing costs and carbon intensity while improving environmental impact. The Company aims to pilot and demonstrate its technology as turn-key production solutions for license, joint venture, and independent production opportunities, leveraging Canadian talent and critical minerals for emerging markets in North America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region. Nano One has receiv PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 15:00:57 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 503 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PPC Flex, a trailblazer in the flexible packaging industry, proudly announces a significant milestone following years of remarkable growth and strategic acquisitions.BUFFALO GROVE, IL / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / PPC Flex, a trailblazer in the flexible packaging industry, proudly announces a significant milestone following years of remarkable growth and strategic acquisitions. After solidifying its status as a leading player through 10 successful acquisitions and notable organic expansion within six years, PPC Flex has established itself as a distinguished force within the flexible packaging sector.With a steadfast commitment to excellence, PPC Flex has demonstrated its leadership across many domains, including its extensive capabilities, customer-centric service model, diversified product range, and an exceptional team. This success is highlighted by the company's prominent position as one of the top flexible packaging companies in its markets. This achievement has garnered not only the recognition of its esteemed customers but also the respect of industry peers.The culmination of these achievements has prompted PPC Flex to embark on a thoughtful journey of introspection, aimed at aligning its Purpose, Strategy, Vision, and Core Values with its history of success and its aspirations for future growth. The company remains dedicated to its enduring vision of perfecting packaging solutions for every product, while adhering to its newly refined Key Values, including doing what's right, acting as one, playing to win, making it better, preserving the planet and caring for people.In the spirit of progress and growth, PPC Flex has embraced a unified approach with its cross-functional team known as ONE PPC. This collaborative effort has been focused on charting a path toward a vibrant organizational culture that encapsulates dynamism and growth, further reinforcing PPC Flex's stature as an employer of choice within the industry.In an eagerly awaited revelation, PPC Flex is thrilled to present its revitalized branding and visual identity to its valued customers and partners. The newly abbreviated name, "PPC Flex," reflects the company's agility and adaptability in the flexible packaging realm. Accompanied by the resonant tagline "Purposeful. Powerful. Packaging," the reimagined brand reflects the company's commitment to delivering packaging solutions that combine functionality with a sense of purpose and strength.As PPC Flex continues its journey of innovation and growth, the company's invigorated culture, strategic vision, and refreshed branding are set to solidify its position as a dynamic industry leader. For further information and inquiries, please visit www.ppcflex.com Headquartered in Buffalo Grove, IL, and fueled by GTCR, a Chicago, IL-based growth equity partner, PPC Flexible Packaging has steadily grown and evolved, both organically and through acquisition, into a premier North American flexible packaging manufacturer. PPC is a dynamic team of design and packaging professionals dedicated to providing creative packaging solutions incorporating the latest technologies. PPC's people, along with its capabilities and speed-to-market service, have always been its greatest strengths - establishing it as a trusted leader within the consumer and cleanroom markets.Contact InformationTatiana CastroVP Sales & Marketing305.500.9292 ext 503Related FilesPPCFLEX-Brand RefreshPR.docx SOURCE: PPC Flexible Packaging PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 15:17:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 748 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Bitunix embarks on a strategic expansion into Asian markets. Slater, Co-founder & Head of Asia, focuses on fostering compliance and educating users.DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / The top crypto derivatives exchange Bitunix announced a collaboration with the cryptocurrency payment company Coinify to support payments using credit cards, bank cards, and Apple Pay. Following that, Bitunix continues to evolve and capture global attention, which is now strategically expanding its reach across Asia. Slater, Co-founder & Head of Asian Market at Bitunix, says that:"As a matter of fact, Bitunix currently supports over 20 fiat currencies, which also include TWD, AED, HKD, JPY, and VND. This reflects our strong focus on the Asian market. By endorsing national currencies for transactions, we emphasize the significant presence of Asian currencies, accounting for over 50% of our supported options. This approach demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity and strategically positions us to meet the unique needs and preferences of the Asian crypto community." Bitunix focus on Compliance and user educationAs we know, the Asian crypto landscape is more than just a market; it's an expansive realm of potential. Recognizing this, Bitunix has strategically expanded its team to include individuals who possess deep-rooted industry insights. It's here that Slater, who is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in forex, Hong Kong stock, and Taiwan local securities trading, came into the picture. Slater's journey began during his university years when he immersed himself in forex trading research, sparking a keen interest in revolutionary market concepts.Consequently, this led him down a path of early involvement with blockchain and cryptocurrency, stepping confidently into the crypto market in 2018, which eventually made him invest in and join Bitunix as Co-founder & Head of Asia Marketing last December from Taiwan. As Bitunix advances into Asia, Slater's extensive expertise not only bolsters Bitunix's market presence but also elevates its mission to empower users through education and strategic insights.One of Bitunix's core principles is user empowerment. In a market as intricate as the cryptocurrency domain, knowledge is key. Bitunix understands this and places a strong emphasis on educating its users about the intricacies of cryptocurrency trading, risk management, and investment strategies.Continuing this commitment, Slater has become a pivotal figure in our efforts to educate and empower our users. With over a decade of financial experience under his belt, he is passionate about organizing events and initiatives aimed at guiding individuals in solidifying effective investment strategies. He also stated that:"Whether it's forex or cryptocurrencies, risk cannot be entirely avoided, but accurate understanding can help users reduce risk and enhance profitability." Slater's decision to join Bitunix was influenced by his strong connections with the founding team, particularly Arron, Co-founder of Bitunix. Arron's entrepreneurial track record left an impression on Slater since their early interactions.In addition to emphasizing education, Bitunix's journey into the Asian market is grounded in a commitment to regulatory compliance from the very beginning. Recognizing the importance of adhering to established regulations, Bitunix has taken definitive steps to secure licenses and permissions required to operate seamlessly within the jurisdictions it serves.Slater mentioned that, in a significant milestone, Bitunix is in progress in obtaining the Philippines VASP (Virtual Asset Service Providers) License, signifying a firm dedication to conducting operations in line with industry regulations.The momentum for blockchain applications and cryptocurrency assets in Asia is further amplified by the unwavering support extended by governments across various countries and regions. Noteworthy backers such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Dubai continue to fuel the advancement and maturation of these technologies within the continent. Thus, recognizing the effectiveness and opportunities across the Asian market, Bitunix's Head of Asia, Slater initiates proactive steps to deliver a strong presence in the region by expanding momentum to drive strategic growth.About BitunixBitunix, a top crypto derivatives exchange, established in November 2021 is rapidly evolving in the cryptocurrency landscape. With a steadily increasing trading volume and a rapidly growing user base across regions, Bitunix has firmly established itself as a significant player in the industry. In 2022, Bitunix achieved registration as a U.S. Money Services Business (MSB), and in February 2023, SEC compliance licensing in the Philippines is in progress.However, backed by substantial $10 million funding, Bitunix has successfully expanded its global market presence and set up operational offices in Dubai. Our commitment to user security and seamless trading experience drives us to continuously enhance our platform.Website | Twitter | RegisterCompany: BitunixContact Person: KX WuEmail: kx.wu@bitunix.io SOURCE: Bitunix All charges against a woman accused of trying to kill a motorcyclist on U.S. Highway 83 north of Bismarck four years ago have been dismissed. Court documents indicate the moves came after suspect Dazechnae Willis underwent a mental health evaluation that Burleigh County State's Attorney Julie Lawyer said determined Willis was "actively mentally ill at the time of the offenses suffering from bipolar disorder with psychosis to an extent that her mental illness interfered with her ability to understand the harmful nature of her conduct." Willis had faced felony charges of intentional murder, aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, and reckless endangerment. She could have faced up to 20 years in prison on the attempted murder charge, and up to 40 years if convicted on all three counts. Authorities alleged that Willis on Aug. 28, 2019, was driving an SUV with her two young children in the vehicle when she struck a motorcycle from the rear about 4 miles north of Baldwin. Motorcycle rider Kelsey Schaefer, then 42, of Wilton, and the bike were thrown under the tandem axles of a semitrailer. He suffered a serious brain injury and multiple other injuries that required months of hospitalization and physical therapy, the Highway Patrol said in an affidavit. Willis and her children were not injured. The 28-year-old Willis was living in Minot at the time but later moved to Denver. She wasn't charged until more than two years after the crash "due to the complex nature of the investigation and getting records to determine appropriate charges," Lawyer told the Tribune in late 2021. Data downloaded from Willis vehicle showed she was going 107 mph and accelerating just before the crash, and there were no signs that she hit her brakes, Trooper Robert Moyle testified at Willis preliminary hearing in January 2022. Lawyer at that hearing said the evidence showed the crash was "an intentional act," though she did not offer a possible motive. She said in a later court filing that "From the evidence, it appeared the defendant intentionally ran down Schaefer, although there is no evidence that the defendant even know who Schaefer was." South Central District Judge Bonnie Storbakken in June 2022 ordered Willis to undergo a psychological evaluation. Lawyer this past March moved to dismiss the attempted murder charge against Willis "for the reason that due to the information provided in the mental health evaluation, the state does not believe it would be able to prove intent." Willis in March changed her plea on the two lesser felonies to not guilty due to lack of criminal responsibility. Storbakken three days later found Willis not guilty on those charges for that reason. The judge ordered Willis committed to a treatment facility and said the court would retain jurisdiction for up to five years. Court documents show the two lesser charges against Willis were formally dismissed earlier this month, following a conference involving the judge and attorneys regarding the status of the case. Willis' status is unclear. Storbakken's order dismissing the charges does not list any conditions. Willis is not listed as being in any facility in North Dakota under the control of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Neither Lawyer nor defense attorneys Robert Quick and Kyle Weinberger responded to Tribune requests for comment. Schaefer suffered permanent brain damage and "can no longer work in the capacity he did before the crash," Lawyer said in a court document. PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 22:01:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 959 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / South Star Battery Metals Corp. ("South Star" or the "Company") (TSXV:STS)(OTCQB:STSBF), is pleased to announce that Roger Mortimer, an experienced capital-markets executive and global climate/energy-transition fund manager, has joined the board of directors and will serve as an advisor to the Company. In addition, Ty Dinwoodie, a graphite-industry veteran, senior corporate advisor and specialist in Li-ion battery materials, has joined the executive team as a senior technical/commercial advisor.Richard Pearce, CEO of South Star, said, "We are excited to welcome Roger and Ty to our team, and I look forward to working closely with both as we scale our operations and ramp up our production in quality graphite concentrates as well as midstream and downstream products. Roger brings a wealth of capital markets experience and extensive industry relationships as a global climate/energy transition fund manager and CIO for over 20 years. He will strengthen our board and play a key role in helping us increase our presence and investor awareness in the United States and globally." Mr. Mortimer has a BA in Economics and MBA degrees from the Western University. He has managed public equities globally for more than 20 years and has considerable experience in resource sectors, including energy and mining. He has held oversight positions as a Senior Vice President at both Aim Funds (now Invesco) and at CI Funds, and was a portfolio manager and partner at Capital Group Companies. He has won multiple awards as a portfolio manager brings extensive capital markets experience as an investor, issuer and banker.For more than a decade, Mr. Dinwoodie has specialized in Li-ion battery-ready graphite materials with specific expertise in active battery-ready anode products, and the associated downstream transformational technologies and processes. He has served as an executive officer and senior strategic advisor for several private and public technology, advanced-materials, and mining and exploration companies in North America, Europe, and Australia, including governments, US Department of Defense contractors, universities, institutional investors, and leading multinational corporations. While Mr. Dinwoodie's work encompasses the global Li-ion battery-supply chains, he is most passionate about battery-grade graphite with a particular focus on North American security of supply and downstream transformational commercial capacity. Mr. Dinwoodie studied economics at McMaster University and physics at Laurentian University.Mr. Pearce continued, "We are very lucky to have Ty join our team. Ty will help us design and implement our battery-material testing programs and flowsheet development so that we can quickly advance South Star's strategic plan of vertically integrated our graphite operations by 2027."About South Star Battery Metals CorpSouth Star Battery Metals Corp. is a Canadian battery metals project developer focused on the selective acquisition and development of near-term production projects in the Americas. South Star's Santa Cruz Graphite Project, located in Southern Bahia, Brazil is the first of a series of industrial and battery metals projects that will be put into production. Brazil is the second-largest graphite-producing region in the world with more than 80 years of continuous mining. Santa Cruz has at-surface mineralization in friable materials, and successful large-scale pilot-plant testing (> 30t) has been completed. The results of the testing show that approximately 65% of Cg concentrate is +80 mesh with good recoveries and 95%-99% Cg. With excellent infrastructure and logistics, South Star is fully funded for Phase 1, and the 12-month construction and commissioning are underway. Santa Cruz will be the first new graphite production in the Americas since 1996 with Phase 1 commercial production projected in Q4 2023. Phase 2 production (25,000 tpy) is partially funded and planned for 2026, while Phase 3 (50,000 tpy) is scheduled for 2028.South Star's second project in the development pipeline is strategically located in Alabama in the center of a developing electric vehicle, aerospace, and defense hub in the southeastern United States. The BamaStar Project is a historic mine active during World Wars I & II. A NI43-101 technical report with the maiden resource estimate has been filed on SEDAR. Trenching, phase 1 drilling, sampling, analysis, and preliminary metallurgical testing have been completed. The testing indicates a traditional crush/grind/flotation concentration circuit that achieved grades of approximately 94-97% Cg with approximately 86% recoveries. South Star is executing on its plan to create a multi-asset, diversified battery metals company with near-term operations in strategic jurisdictions. South Star trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol STS, and on the OTCQB under the symbol STSBF.South Star is committed to a corporate culture, project execution plan and safe operations that embrace the highest standards of ESG principles based on transparency, stakeholder engagement, ongoing education, and stewardship. To learn more, please visit the Company website at http://www.southstarbatterymetals.com This news release has been reviewed and approved by Richard Pearce, P.E., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of South Star Battery Metals Corp.On behalf of the Board,MR. RICHARD PEARCEChief Executive OfficerFor additional information, please contact:South Star Investor RelationsEmail: invest@ southstarbatterymetals.com +1 (604) 706-0212Twitter: https://twitter.com/southstarbm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southstarbatterymetals LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southstarbatterymetals/ YouTube: South Star Battery Metals - YouTubeCAUTIONARY STATEMENTNeither 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 press release.Forward-Looking InformationThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statemen PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 08:00:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 989 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Acquisition of Major Gold Exploration Royalty Potential Near-Term ProductionLONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / Trident Royalties Plc (AIM:TRR)(OTCQX:TDTRF), the diversified mining royalty company, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding acquisition agreement ("Agreement") with a group of private royalty holders ("Sellers") to acquire a 50% interest in a 2% net smelter royalty (the "Royalty") over the Dandoko Gold Project permit area in western Mali ("Dandoko" or the "Project"), owned by B2Gold Corporation Limited ("B2Gold", TSX: BTO, NYSE: BTG, market capitalisation of approximately US$3.9 billion).HIGHLIGHTSAttractive exploration tenure, with potential for near-term production, operated by a senior gold producer. Dandoko was the flagship asset of ASX-listed Oklo Resources. Oklo was acquired by B2Gold in September 2022 for A$91.3 million. Dandoko is located 25km from B2Gold's operating Fekola Mill ("Fekola"). Fekola is B2Gold's largest asset, targeting production of 580-610 Koz at US$565-$625/oz cash cost for FY2023.1 B2Gold has stated that it believes the metallurgical characteristics of mineralisation at Dandoko are similar to Fekola and will be amenable to processing at Fekola.1 B2Gold has completed a study confirming the potential for near-term production by trucking saprolite material to Fekola. The company has budgeted US$79 million to facilitate Phase 1 saprolite mining from the Anaconda and Dandoko areas.3,4 Of the budgeted US$79 million, $16 million has been allocated for haul road construction to Fekola from the Anaconda and Dandoko projects. B2Gold is also currently advancing an engineering study of the 'Fekola Regional Development Plan' to assess the potential for a new, standalone 4Mtpa processing facility located at Anaconda, with Resources from Anaconda and Dandoko forming the basis for the engineering study. Fulfilment of this plan will permit more substantial production in the medium term.6 B2Gold spent US$6.6 million in H1 2023 alone on exploration within the Dandoko permit, with this licence area being a stated focus of its 2023 exploration program.3Adam Davidson, Chief Executive Officer of Trident commented:"The acquisition of the Dandoko Royalty again demonstrates Trident's ability to identify undervalued royalties covering high-quality assets and delivering significant shareholder value. Dandoko is a highly attractive royalty on an asset operated by a senior producer, close to existing processing infrastructure, with a demonstrated pathway to production and significant exploration upside. The potential for nearterm production, alongside the conservative structure of the transaction, which defers 40% of the consideration until meaningful milestones are achieved at the Project, provides a compelling exposure for Trident."We look forward to regular news flow from B2Gold as it continues to advance Dandoko toward production. Given current weakness in the traditional capital markets, Trident continues to see elevated deal flow and looks forward to updating the market on further opportunities." The TransactionPursuant to the Agreement, Trident will pay US$3,000,000 in cash and issue US$750,000 in ordinary shares in Trident to the Sellers, to be priced at the 10-day VWAP five days prior to Completion ("Upfront Payment"). The Sellers have agreed to an equity lock-in period of nine months from the date of Completion.In addition to the Upfront Payment, in consideration of the acquisition, Trident shall pay: US$1.25 million in cash on first royalty receipt from the royalty area, and US$1.25 million in cash on receipt of payment on 500,000 ounces gold sold from the royalty area.The Transaction remains subject to the receipt of consent to the transaction from Africa Mining sarl, the subsidiary of B2Gold which holds the Dandoko License. Completion shall occur within three days of receipt of consent from B2Gold.A further announcement will be made on Completion.Dandoko Gold ProjectThe Project, an advanced stage exploration project located in western Mali, is 90% owned and is operated by B2Gold. B2Gold currently operates the Fekola mine and mill, located 25km from Dandoko.Fekola produced almost 600 Koz of gold in 2022, contributing more than 50% of B2Gold's 1.03 million ounce global gold production in 2022. 7Figure 1. B2Gold Licenses in Mali showing location of Dandoko Project and Permit area relative to Fekola (B2Gold Announcement., April 2023) 4Dandoko was acquired by B2Gold in September 2022 in a combined cash and equity deal valuing Oklo at A$91.3 million. At the time of the acquisition, B2Gold noted "The acquisition of Oklo is expected to provide B2Gold with an additional landholding of 1,405 km2 covering highly prospective greenstone belts in Mali, West Africa, including Oklo's flagship Dandoko Project". B2Gold also noted "Significantly, B2Gold believes that approximately 65% of the resource is contained in soft oxidized material, which would be amenable to processing at B2Gold's Fekola mill." B2Gold announced significant anticipated investment in Dandoko associated with its 2023 CapitalInvestment Program, which included: 7 $63 million to develop and equip the Anaconda and Dandoko projects; and $16 million for haul road construction to Anaconda and Dandoko projects.B2Gold has recently noted the potential for Fekola Regional (consisting of the Anaconda Area, Bakolobi and the Dandoko Permit) to support a standalone mill and oxide processing facility to be located at Anaconda. B2Gold has commenced an engineering study which will be underpinned by Mineral Resources at Anaconda and Dandoko, contemplating processing of 4 million tonne per annum of oxide resources, which together with the existing Fekola Mine, could increase production to more than 800,000 ounces of gold per year from the combined complex, subject to delineation of additional MineralResources and development, completion of feasibility studies, and the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and permits. Additionally, B2Gold has previously noted the potential for high grade material to be trucked from Fekola Regional and processed at the existing Fekola Mill.Since the acquisition of Oklo Resource, B2Gold has released a restated Mineral Resource estimate("MRE") for Dandoko, dated 17 February 2023, totalling 423 Koz gold (Inferred and Indicated). TheMRE comprises a total Indicated Mineral Resource of 8.19Mt @ PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-21 11:00:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 297 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / As Hurricane Hilary leaves its mark on Southern California, Tucson Rubberized Coatings, and through its Everlast Coating line, is stepping up to assist the affected community in rebuilding and restoring their homes.Understanding the extensive damage that such natural calamities can inflict, especially to roofs, our company is offering significant discounts on a range of roofing materials shipped to California specifically for repairs related to Hurricane Hilary.Our available materials for immediate shipping include:Acrylic & Silicone roof coatingsUnderlayments (including felt paper, synthetic, and peel and stick)Built-Up Roofing Systems (comprising base, plys, and the hot asphalt products)Various repair products, including plastic roof cement, and acrylic and silicone patching compoundsReinforcement Polyester Fabrics available in all widthsAdditionally, to further our commitment to swift and effective relief, we are actively seeking partnerships with a select group of contractors in Southern California. Our aim is to become their preferred supplier of materials, facilitating the rapid restoration of homes and businesses in the region.Contractors or those seeking roofing materials for California repairs are urged to connect with us via email at: california@ rubberized.com Contact Details:Tucson Rubberized Coatings6351 S. Tucson BlvdTucson, AZ 85706In these trying times, Tucson Rubberized Coatings stands shoulder to shoulder with the Southern California community. Our combined efforts will ensure homes are repaired swiftly, and lives are returned to normalcy as soon as possible.6351 S. Tucson Blvd.Tucson, Az 85706Based in Tucson, AZ, Tucson Rubberized Coatings is a fast-growing Paint & Coatings manufacturer and retailer. Known for our commitment to quality and excellence, we have quickly become a trusted name in roofing solutions in the Southwest. For more information about our products and services, please visit our website at www.rubberized.com Related ImagesSOURCE: Tucson Rubberized Coatings President Bola Tinubu will today swear in the 45 ministers confirmed by the Senate on 7 August out of the 48 he had sent to the lawmakers in three batches for screening. Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, former deputy and acting governor of Taraba State, Abubakar Danladi, and Stella Okete from Delta State were the three who did not scale through the confirmation process with the Senate stating that the nominees had not secured security clearance. The president had last week allocated portfolios to the 45 nominees but on Sunday made a minor reshuffle that included the redesignation of some ministries. When he inaugurates the ministers, Mr Tinubu will have the largest Federal Executive Council since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999. The Council usually includes special advisers, 20 of whom the Senate had earlier approved for the president to appoint. The size of the cabinet has drawn criticism from some Nigerians who are concerned by the high cost of governance. Many of them expect the president to look at the report of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies constituted by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. The committee, headed by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaiye, submitted an 800-page report on 16 April 2012, recommending the abolition or merger of 102 government agencies and parastatals. It also recommended that some others be made self-funding. Mr Tinubus incoming large cabinet indicates the President does not see the need to trim the federal bureaucracy. Anyway, with each of the 36 states entitled to a ministerial position, Nigeria will always have a large federal cabinet. In the 48 he nominated for screening, the president had added 12 to the 36 he is mandated by the constitution to appoint. However, the immediate concern that arose was over geo-political representation in the list. From the 12 extra slots, he gave the North-west and South-west three each but overlooked the South-wast entirely. The North Central, North East and South South got two each from the remaining slots. So what are the factors that influenced Mr Tinubus choices? Politics appears to be the dominant consideration, notwithstanding the fact that many of the nominees have glittering academic and professional records that ordinarily qualify them for high public offices. But the heavy weight of politics on his mind is not altogether surprising, given the political environment. While a government is elected to govern, politics always determines whether it gets into or remains in power. President Tinubu won a narrow victory in a three-way electoral fight only five months ago and his victory is still being challenged by the opposition in court. His 37 per cent is the lowest share of the vote that has put a Nigerian president in office since Shehu Shagari in 1979. Although his All Progressives Congress (APC) has a majority in the Senate, it does not in the House of Representatives. And the nerve-wracking contest for the senate presidency must also have reminded the president that he cannot take the support of his party members for granted even in that chamber. What we see in Mr Tinubus picks is an effort to build his government on the political coalition that helped him into office. That coalition excludes the PDP and LP, the two major opposition parties whose combined votes in the 25 February presidential election constitute over 54 per cent of the total. Pillars: Northern APC Governors The pillars of that coalition are mainly loyalists of the president in the ruling party and his sympathisers outside it. The most prominent of the pillars is the 2015-2023 class of northern APC governors. The class has the largest group representation in the ministerial list. The list has nine former governors overall. Five of them Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Bello Matawalle (he served only one term 2019-23) and Simon Lalong were in the northern governors caucus that forced the APC to cede its presidential ticket to the southern zones. The caucus foiled a convention-eve ambush by the partys former national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu suspected to be acting the script of some shadowy figures around the president to foist former Senate President Ahmad Lawan on the party as its presidential candidate. Most of the governors worked for Mr Tinubu in the primary and in the general election. And when it appeared to them that the CBN policy on naira redesign was designed to frustrate Mr Tinubu at the poll, the governments of Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara, Kogi and Niger ran to the Supreme Court to challenge it. Messrs El-Rufai and Matawalle had difficulties in the elections, which they later attributed to intra-party sabotage at the highest levels, as punishment for the role they played in fighting the CBN and the president over naira banknotes. In Kaduna, the APC led by Mr El-Rufai had a bloody nose from the first day of the election. It lost the presidential and National Assembly polls to the PDP before bouncing back to narrowly rescue the governorship seat two weeks later. Amazingly, Mr El-Rufai, who hinted to senators at his screening that the president wanted to assign him the task of reforming the energy sector, is one of the three nominees not cleared for appointment. The former governor posted a tweet on Sunday with a cryptic message indicative of a sense of betrayal. In Zamfara, Mr Matawalle helped Mr Tinubu and the APC to prevail on 25 February but suffered a devastating personal reversal two weeks later when he lost his second term bid. Mr Bagudu was the chairman of the APC governors forum. The party was beaten in the presidential poll by the PDP in Kebbi and the governor also lost his bid for the Senate. Mr Badaru led the party to victory in Jigawa and had given up his senatorial ticket to cement party unity in the state. He, like his four other colleague former governors, appear to have been compensated with ministerial positions. In Plateau, the APC lost in the presidential poll to the LP and to the PDP in the other polls, with Mr Lalong also failing in his senatorial bid. Although Mr Lalong supported Rotimi Amaechi in the APC presidential primary, he accepted the appointment as the director-general of the Tinubu campaign organisation, a role proposed for him by his colleague northern governors in the party. The former governor was also the chairman of the bi-partisan Northern Governors Forum at the time. After being overlooked for the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (which went to former governor George Akume from the neighbouring Benue State) and APC national chairman (now taken by former Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje), it would be a shock had Mr Lalong also missed the ministerial appointment. Wike and the G5 Mr Wikes nomination drew mixed reactions. But it would also have been widely discussed had he not been invited by the president. Any proper review of the 2023 presidential election will locate the significant influence that Mr Wike in particular and his group of dissident PDP governors had on the outcome. Long before 2023, the election had shaped up as one for the opposition to lose, due to the poor states of security and the economy. The PDP alone was the opposition and was expected to go a step further than it did in 2019 when it gave President Buhari a good fight. However, the scent of victory catalysed dynamics that forced the PDP to abandon power rotation, perhaps the main glue that had kept the party together since its formation in 1998. It is debatable which between that development and his denial of the vice presidential ticket angered Mr Wike more, resulting in his implacable rebellion against the party and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Had the PDP ceded its ticket to the south as the APC did, Peter Obi would probably not have fled the party to run as a virtual independent candidate. The partys southern candidate would certainly have been a southern Christian, which would have removed a major plank on which Mr Obi stood in the election. It might also have discouraged Mr Tinubu from picking a fellow Muslim as running mate probabilities that might have altogether reshaped the contest. Mr Wikes contribution to Mr Tinubus election went beyond his tossing Rivers State into his column. Through their demand for the reconstitution of the PDP leadership to hand over the chairmanship to the South, Mr Wike and his G5 unsettled the major opposition party and kept it divided. Eventually, the rebellion and the Obi phenomenal seizure of PDP southern and northern Christian voters undid Atiku and helped Mr Tinubu to snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat. The president has gone on to award Mr Wike the high-profile Federal Capital Territory ministerial portfolio, making him the first Southerner to head the ministry since 1979. So why are the other members of the G5 missing in the ministerial frame? Mr Tinubu won in two of the other four states that Mr Wike and his friends governed Oyo and Benue. While Governor Seyi Makinde might have helped Mr Tinubu by merely staying out of his way in Oyo, the victory of the APC in Benue was in spite of Governor Samuel Ortom. He campaigned for Mr Obi, but it was the combination of forces by Mr Akume and new Governor Hyacinth Alia that triumphed, such that Mr Ortom also lost his senatorial bid. Mr Akume is believed to have nominated Joseph Utsev in Benue while Mr Tinubu himself picked Adebayo Adelabu, a former CBN deputy governor who was the APC governorship candidate defeated by Mr Makinde in 2019 and again beaten in 2023 as the candidate of the Accord Party. Oyo APC leaders are not happy with Mr Tinubu for picking a party deserter. South-east In the South-east, Mr Wikes allies in Enugu and Abia were helpless against the Obi Tsunami in the region. Governor Okezie Ikpeazus camp lost all the elections in Abia, including the governorship to the LP. In Enugu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi fared better only because he narrowly salvaged the governorship for his anointed PDP candidate. The president largely picked his partys defeated candidates from the zone. But in Abia, Nkiru Onyejiocha has a reputation as a strong politician, having been elected to the House of Representatives four consecutive times from 2007 to 2019. David Umahi is the only governor in the region to deliver most of APCs candidates in his state. But even he could not repeat the feat in the presidential election. He is the only election winner from the South-east on the list, having been elected to the Senate. The former Ebonyi governor in fact had his eyes on the Senate presidency but deferred to the choice of the president for the position Mr Akpabio. His ministerial nomination is probably what he asked for in compensation. The former governor, a civil engineer, has been given the key Ministry of Works portfolio. But Mr Umahi would also have been disappointed that the president isolated his region from the allocation of extra ministerial slots. No other party has as many governors as the APC in the South East, a fact that suggests that the perception of the region as hostile to the APC may be slightly exaggerated. However, President Tinubu may be justified in thinking he can never win over the voters in the region, no matter his gesture. He is widely seen there as the enabler of Mr Buhari in denying President Goodluck Jonathan a reelection in 2015. Whether or not they have evidence for it, many voters there also believe that he stole Mr Obis mandate in 2023. Mr Tinubu does not appear to be loved even among APC leaders in the region. He did not campaign much in the South-east for the APC primary and most of the party delegates from the zone were believed to have voted for other candidates at the partys national convention. It is safe to say his ministerial list will not encourage many of them to warm up to the president unless something different drops from under his sleeves along the way. South-west This is the presidents home zone, where he has been the leader of his own political group since 2003. He has since remained at the centre of the regions politics and got 26 per cent of his votes from the South West. He picked three extra nominees from the zone, the same as from the North-west where he received 30 per cent of his votes in February. Ogun alone produced three of the nine nominees from the six states in the zone, with Lagos producing two. However, none of the nominees is a political heavyweight. The only name close to that is Gboyega Oyetola, who last year lost a second-term governorship bid in Osun. The APC was virtually obliterated in Osun this year, despite Mr Tinubu being long associated with the state. The president ignored his old close associate, former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and Iyiola Omisore, who just lost his position as APC national scribe. There had been speculation that prominent figures like former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti; and former Minister of State for Works Adedayo Adeyeye, who led a support group for the president in the region, would be appointed as ministers. But the president did not look their way. Local politicians in the zone are not happy with the development. One of the nominees, Bosun Tijanni from Ogun, immediately came under fire after some of his old social media posts bashing the APC federal government and proclaiming support for an opposition presidential candidate, were recirculated. Kwankwaso vs Ganduje Rabiu Kwankwaso, one of Mr Tinubus opponents in the election, was also speculated to have been offered a ministerial slot. But he is locked in fierce political combat with Mr Ganduje, the presidents ally who is leading the APC forces in the state. The president has apparently decided to take sides rather than seek a reconciliation of the two adversaries. Mariya Mahmud, who made a last-minute appearance on the list as a replacement for Maryam Shettima, was recommended by the new APC national chairman under whom she served as commissioner for four years. Once his ministers have taken their offices, President Tinubu will be forced to pay more attention to governance with the ministers in the critical sectors expected to be welcomed to their ministries by overflowing in-trays. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has appointed 131 women to various political positions. In a statement released by his chief press secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, the governor said the appointments were in fulfilment of his promise to appoint more women in his government. The appointments were for the positions of coordinators and senior special assistants (SSAs). The governor appointed 41 women as coordinators, and 90 assistant SSAs. While congratulating the appointees, the governor called on them to be dedicated and contribute their quota to the success of his administration. He emphasised that the appointments of the women to the positions were based on merit, proven credentials, personal integrity, and outstanding records of performance in their previous assignments. Mr Bago said the appointees were expected to bring their knowledge, skills, and wealth of experience to bear in the performance of their new assignment by working assiduously to justify the confidence reposed in them. On 19 July, during a visit by the executive members of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) led by the organisations chairperson, Bola Jibogun in Minna, the governor pledged to appoint a record number of women in his administration. There are a lot of women initiatives, we are creating a lot of desks to address affirmative actions and also gender-related issues in this government and we hope the collaboration will meet the yearnings and aspirations of women , he told the executives of FIDA. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Naija Times Journalism Foundation (NTJF), the nonprofit arm of Naija Times, an online newspaper, has called for strong media oversight in order to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of the N5 billion per state and the FCT palliative fund recently announced by the Federal Government. The frontline journalism foundation, which promotes a vibrant media ecosystem capable of holding government to account in a democracy, noted that past attempts by government to directly touch the lives of poor and vulnerable Nigerians, were undermined as a result of weak media oversight. Chairman of the Foundation, Ehi Braimah, gave the charge in Lagos, while assessing the possible impact of the palliative on the lives of ordinary citizens. Mr Braimah, who is also the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Naija Times, noted that previous facilities such as the Paris Club Refund and other initiatives that the government tried to implement through the state governors failed woefully. He stressed that those interventions, which failed to make the desired impact on the lives and fortunes of ordinary Nigerians, should provide enough lessons for the federal government and citizens across the states. He said: If this palliative being released is to make any impact, there is need for serious planning and monitoring of how the funds will be spent. In the aspect of monitoring, the media and journalists should show more interest in reporting whether the benefits of these funds are reaching the ordinary people or not. Without such media oversight, the disbursements we are talking about will simply go the way of similar interventions in the past. The Naija Times helmsman noted that given the level of poverty and destitution currently affecting Nigerians, governors and other political leaders could not afford to again bungle current efforts to bring reprieve to the people. As things stand, the level of hunger in the land has become deeply troubling, while the hardships have become unbearable. To avoid hunger-induced protests, the deprivation across the country must be addressed urgently and purposefully, Mr Braimah advised. The media is critical in ensuring that the quest for transparent and accountable governance is realised across all the three tiers of government. The recently announced palliatives should be closely monitored by the media and reported regularly in the public interest. Signed: By the Board of Naija Times Journalism Foundation Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gender Advocates have tasked the new Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Ohaneye, and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Florence Obi, to ensure the varsitys Dean, Faculty of Law, Cyril Ndifon, is brought to book over allegations of sexual harassment. On 14 August, female students of the law faculty held a peaceful rally against the professor whom they accused of harassing them, an allegation he denied when he told PREMIUM TIMES that the protest was sponsored by lecturers in the faculty who did not like his style of leadership, although the varsity had suspended him. The VC told PREMIUM TIMES that the university management would investigate the allegations but that the students would be required to provide evidence to back up their complaints. Reacting to the ensuing development, the Executive Director, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, lamented the recurring trend of sexual harassment over the years and in Nigerian universities. Sadly, what has become obvious is that Prof. Cyril Osim Ndifon is not alone. Indeed, there are many NDIFONS in the Faculty of Law, in other department and faculties in UNICAL; and even in other universities in the country. University of Calabar is not alone in this sexual rot in our universities. In truth, NO UNIVERSITY or TERTIARY INSTITUTION is exempted. Years ago, it happened at Obafemi Awolowo University. It also happened at University of Lagos etc. Sexual predators are all over our campuses. Sexual harassment and sex for grades have become normalized and lecturers, Head of Departments, Deans all engage in these illicit, unprofessional, criminal and despicable acts. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, she said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday. According to her, these atrocities damage the psyche of children especially girls as it affects the quality of graduates being churned out yearly. She further expressed concern that a law professor, instead of teaching law, is cheating the law. While he is supposed to teach students how to uphold the law, he is teaching them criminal conduct and how to get away with it. He has gotten away with it for decades and has proven to be the ultimate professor of crimes. Similarly, the Executive Director of Adinya Arise Foundation, Mabel Ade, condemned the lecturers reported actions. I dont think as a lawyer anybody who is called a lawyer should have this kind of trait especially a lawyer who is training lawyers. We dont need such a role model in our country, she said to PREMIUM TIMES. Way forward The Project Alert boss, Ms Effah-Chukwuma whose platform encourages survivors to speak up and hold perpetrators accountable in one of its projects, KASA meaning Speak UP and conducted in tertiary institions in Cross River and Akwa-Ibom states, urged the Vice Chancellor to set up an investigative panel of credible persons to wade into the matter. We also call on her to ensure that NONE OF THE STUDENTS who participated in the protest is VICTIMISED in any way by the lecturers in the faculty. Special attention should be paid to their tests and exam scripts, she said. The gender advocate also called on the police to arrest, investigate and prosecute Mr Ndifon and any other lecturer mentioned in this criminal act. We encourage the police to be more detailed and professional in carrying out their investigations this time, leaving no stone unturned. Impunity should not be encouraged or tolerated by the police, with a call from above from the police hierarchy, corrupt family members and friends of Prof Ndifon in politics, governance or otherwise sufficient to subvert justice, she added. Mrs Ade also called on the new Women Affairs Minister to take this situation as her first duty and make sure she joins in the work that all the activists are doing to ensure that this man is brought to book. She also told the political appointee to ensure that every girl that has been violated and is bold enough to testify should be protected and given a space and voice to speak up so that this m*d man is brought to book. Repeated action Meanwhile, this is not the first time Mr Ndifon will be in the news for sexual harassment and demand for sex in exchange for grades. He was previously suspended by the school authority in 2015, a move upheld by the Industrial court, when the graduating law class of 2004 petitioned the then Cross River State Commissioner of Police alleging that the lecturer raped a 20-year-old law student in his office, which he challenged in court. His suspension was lifted about a year later under unclear circumstances. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The House of Representatives Committee on HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control has called for tough action against the prevalence of fake malaria drugs to curb the high rate of mortality due to malaria. The committees position was contained in a statement issued by its Chairman, Amobi Ogah (LP, Abia), on Sunday to commemorate World Mosquito Day. World Mosquito Day is observed annually on 20 August to celebrate British doctor Ronald Rosss discovery in 1897 that female anopheline mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. The theme for 2023 is Fighting the Worlds Deadliest Killerthe Mosquito. Mr Ogah stated that the federal government must declare a state of emergency on the disease because Nigeria still accounts for the highest number of malaria-related deaths worldwide. The prevalence of fake malaria drugs will be looked into to avoid further deaths recorded. We will carry out our oversight functions to ascertain the role of primary health care in the Roll Back Malaria Programme. Nigeria is a country in need of protection from malaria. Its death toll from the disease makes up nearly a third of the worlds 619,000 malaria deaths a year. He stated that his committee is committed to fighting the deadly disease by engaging relevant people and organisations in the fight. The committee is not unmindful of the challenges being faced by Nigerians in the fight against these ailments, especially in the fight against the control of Malaria in the country, which appears to defile solutions. The committee will work with relevant stakeholders in the fight against malaria in ensuring that monies budgeted for are used for the purpose for which they are made, he said. Mr Ogah added that the 10th House would ensure adequate implementation of legislation to eradicate malaria in the country. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The federal government has expressed its willingness to address the new National Minimum Wage and other palliatives arising from the removal of fuel subsidies. Simon Lalong, the new minister of Labour and Employment, made the pledge during his assumption of office with the Minister of State for Labour and Employment on Monday in Abuja. Mr Lalong said that this was imperative in order to boost the relationship with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). According to him, the government through the ministry shall work closely with the NLC, TUC and their affiliates towards not only ensuring that all pending industrial disputes are settled amicably. But also addressing with strong determination the new minimum wage and other palliatives arising from the removal of fuel subsidies. I use this opportunity to specially convey the appreciation of President Bola Tinubu to the organised labour and Nigerian workers in general for exercising tremendous understanding and patience with the current situation. The government does not take this for granted and Mr President has directed that we move on with negotiations to arrive at amicable resolutions that will make our workers overcome the current pains, he said. He said the president had mandated them to handle the very important aspects of Labour and Employment that were critical to national development and prosperity. Mr Lalong said that the tasks were certainly enormous but achievable, especially with the abundant human resources Nigeria was endowed with. The minister also said that under his stewardship, the Ministry of Labour and Employment would fulfil its mandate to ensure decent work for all Nigerians. According to him, this is making sure that Nigerians particularly the youth and women get the opportunity to deploy their energy, creativity, talent and gifts to the development of the nation. Our workers must get value for their labour and operate in safe and conducive environment because of the level of unemployment, underemployment, and challenges associated with the work environment. We have been mandated by Mr President to ensure that Nigerians get decent employment and are adequately remunerated for their labour both in the public and private sectors. We shall not spare any effort to protect the Nigerian worker and guarantee his dignity at all times, he said. Mr Lalong also said that this administration would therefore escalate the relations with the private sector, development partners, international agencies, and NGOs among others. He said that this would ensure that unemployment and underemployment were reduced to the barest minimum according to the plan of the President Tinubu administration. He added that, overall, the ministry shall leverage technology, skill acquisition, entrepreneurship, and agriculture among others to open up more employment opportunities for all Nigerians. This is in addition to current Safety Net Jobs and new ones that this government will initiate within the coming weeks and months, he said. He, however, commended President Tinubu for the appointment while pledging to do all within his power to assist the president to fulfil his Renewed Hope Agenda for a better Nigeria. Also, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the minister of state for Labour and Employment commended Mr President for the appointment. Mrs Onyejeocha urged all to join hands and support President Bola Tinubus administration in conducting the affairs of the country to ensure development and prosperity. Our youths are on the streets and as a ministry, we must take them out of the streets, it is our mandate and we must make that change. It is a call to service and we asked God to enable us achieve the purpose, she said. Juliana Adebambo, the director of Productivity Measurement in the ministry and also the acting Permanent Secretary pledged support to their tenure. Mrs Adebambo while handing a brief of the ministrys mandates and activities to the ministers, said she was hopeful they would deliver on their mandate. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, will Monday depart Abuja for Johannesburg, South Africa to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 15th BRICS Summit of Heads of State and Government. Vice President Shettima will join other businesses and political leaders worldwide at the Summit scheduled for the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg from August 22 to 24. Notable leaders expected to attend the event include South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa; President Xi Jinping of China; Brazils President, Luiz da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Seven-three dignitaries including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the chairperson of the African Union Commission and the President of the New Development Bank have also been invited. The summit is expected to deliberate on issues of trade and investment facilitation, sustainable development, innovation, and global governance reform. It will also continue its outreach to leaders from Africa and the global South; as it focuses on global geopolitics, trade and infrastructure development BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is a group of five major emerging and developing economies. The BRICS group accounts for more than 42 per cent of the worlds population, 30 per cent of the worlds territory, 23 per cent of the global economy and 18 per cent of global trade. One of its founding values is a shared commitment to restructuring the global political, economic and financial architecture to be fair, balanced and representative resting on pillars of multilateralism and international law. The vice president will be accompanied on the trip by some senior government officials and he is expected back in the country at the end of the week. Olusola Abiola Director Information Office of the Vice President Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Anhui project joins two major rivers, improves shipping efficiency A milestone was reached in Anhui on Wednesday, as trial operations started on the Yangtze-Huaihe Grand Canal, a significant undertaking by authorities in the eastern province that is expected to increase the efficiency of shipping on the two major rivers. Veteran sailor Li Shuqing arrived at a wharf in Hefei, capital of Anhui, aboard his cargo ship on Wednesday after traveling through the new canal. His ship was carrying about 1,000 metric tons of wheat from Huaian, a city in neighboring Jiangsu province. "With this section starting trial operations, it will be much more convenient for my business in the future," he said. The canal connects China's longest river, the Yangtze, which flows through southern Anhui for 400 kilometers, and the Huaihe River, which runs through the north of the province. An extra 355 km of shipping lane has been added to existing watercourses and the main construction was completed last year. In terms of length, it is second only to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, according to provincial authorities. The section inaugurated on Wednesday connects Huaihe River and Chaohu Lake, the country's fifth largest freshwater lake, located in Hefei. Before the canal's trial opening, Li had to sail east along the Huaihe River to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, turn south to the Yangtze River, then head west into Yuxi River, a natural tributary of the Yangtze, before turning north to finally reach Chaohu Lake. "The new canal helped me save two days of shipping time and more than 400 liters of diesel," Li said. The Yangtze-Huaihe Grand Canal is part of the Yangtze-to-Huaihe water diversion project. The Huaihe River and the Qinling Mountains form the geographical dividing line that separates China's south and north. The water diversion project was initiated in 2016 with the aim of not only bringing water from the Yangtze River to the country's comparatively drier northern parts, but also facilitating the passage of shipping vessels to improve logistics efficiency. "This project reduces the water transportation distance between the Huaihe River and Yangtze River by 200 km to 600 km, making water transportation more convenient, economical and eco-friendly," said Chen Xi, general manager of the Anhui Provincial Group for Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion. With a total length of 723 km, the project passes through 12 cities in Anhui and two more in Henan province and will benefit more than 50 million people. It will see an investment of nearly 91.3 billion yuan ($12.5 billion), with projects worth 83.6 billion yuan completed by the end of July, according to Chen's company. The project will also be used for agricultural irrigation and help improve the ecology of both Huaihe River and Chaohu Lake. Chen said the project will enhance the integrated development of transportation in the Yangtze River Delta region. He estimated it will save more than 6 billion yuan in annual bulk cargo freight and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 1.8 million tons a year. Engineers from China Railway No 10 Engineering Group, which participated in the construction, said they were excited to contribute to the project, with multiple technical difficulties overcome during construction. In the early third century, Cao Cao, a powerful minister and warlord who laid the foundation for the future Wei Dynasty (220-265), tried to connect the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers. He gave up due to extreme difficulties, according to an article in Guangming Daily. In the 1950s, Chairman Mao Zedong also proposed connecting the two rivers during a visit to the Yangtze. However, the idea was not followed up until 2013, when the Anhui provincial government formally began preparation to start construction. Ground was broken for the start of the project in December 2016. North Dakota Supreme Court justices will hear arguments Monday over whether state officials erred in allowing the pending replacement of the 140-year-old Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri River. The preservation nonprofit Friends of the Rail Bridge is trying to save the historic structure so it can be converted into a walking bridge tourist attraction, and has brought two separate but related actions to the high court. The group's underlying argument is that the state owns the bridge and has not asserted its role under the law in deciding whether the structure stays or goes. The bridge gets its day in court, FORB attorney Bill Delmore said in a statement. This is a big deal. For years the fundamental question is who owns the bridge, and it needs to be decided in court. Now it will be heard by the highest court in North Dakota. The state maintains that BNSF Railway owns the bridge, and that a North Dakota law that would require state historical officials to sign off on the destruction of a state-owned bridge doesn't apply. Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Verleger also argues in court documents that FORB is not properly following the process for challenging the state permits, and is now attempting a legal maneuver that she says "the court should not reward." Jurisdiction question BNSF Railway began work this summer to replace the aging bridge with a modern structure for safety and efficiency, following years of work to secure the necessary federal and state permits. That effort culminated in April when the state Department of Water Resources granted BNSF two sovereign lands permits -- the final permissions the railroad needed to launch construction. Sovereign lands of North Dakota are defined as areas lying within the ordinary high-water marks of navigable lakes and streams. The two permits approve construction of a new bridge and removal of the old. FORB maintains the state owns not just the riverbed but also any permanent fixtures that were attached at the time of statehood, which would include the rail bridge. The group cites the Public Trust and Equal Footing doctrines, which include in part the principle that the government owns and protects certain natural resources for public use. The group argues in court documents that under North Dakota law, state property deemed significant by the State Historical Society director can't be destroyed without approval of the State Historical Board. FORB attorneys Delmore and Lyle Witham say in court documents that then-Society Director Claudia Berg in 2017 stated the bridge was an important historical structure "eligible for the National Register of Historic Places." The attorneys also say that current Society Director Bill Peterson last February determined the bridge is a "significant" historical resource. The State Historical Board during a March meeting discussed whether it had the authority to block destruction of the bridge under state law. Attorney General Drew Wrigley informed the group that it did not have that authority, since the bridge is privately owned. The board then passed a resolution expressing support for preserving the bridge but noting that it does not have authority or expertise to determine ownership. BNSF maintains it hold clears title to the bridge and has called FORBs state-ownership argument legally absurd. Special Assistant Attorney General David Phillips is representing the Historical Board and Peterson in the dispute. He said in court documents that under the FORB theory of ownership, "all bridges in the United States over navigable rivers built prior to statehood become owned by the respective state upon statehood, with state responsibility for maintenance. If this were established law in the United States, petitioners would have cited legal authority." Tangled tactics The route the dispute has taken to reach the Supreme Court is complex; there are two intertwined cases proceeding before the high court. FORB in May appealed in state district court the issuance of the two permits. South Central District Judge Jackson Lofgren in June dismissed the appeal on technical grounds without ruling on any of the appeal's claims. The preservation group in mid-July appealed Lofgren's ruling to the Supreme Court. FORB in late July in a separate action asked the high court to take "original jurisdiction" in the matter, meaning the justices would decide ownership of the bridge rather than potentially sending the matter back to Lofgren to decide. The nonprofit wants the court to concur with its position on ownership, and order state officials to follow the law that applies to destruction of state-owned historical properties. Verleger is urging the justices to reject FORB's request. She maintains that the appeal is the proper route, and that the nonprofit with its second action is "perhaps recognizing the eventual fatality of their initial appeal." Should the Supreme Court reject FORB's request to take original jurisdiction, the group's appeal would still move forward. FORB in its appeal argues in part that Water Resources didn't adequately consider the possible impacts of the bridge project. The group has long touted the historical, cultural and aesthetic attributes of the existing bridge, which is part of the congressionally designated Northern Plains National Heritage Area. Lofgren in dismissing the appeal said the group couldn't bring the matter to court because it failed to comply with state law when it did not request an administrative hearing with Water Resources after the permits were issued. FORB had maintained that a hearing request it made last December, along with public meetings that were held earlier this year before the permits were issued, fulfilled that requirement, but Lofgren disagreed. Work underway Federal officials determined the best alternative for the railroad is to build a new bridge about 20 feet upstream of the existing one, and remove the current structure because side-by-side bridges in the river channel would result in a floodplain rise. FORB believes a studied-but-rejected alternative -- building a new bridge 92.5 feet upstream -- would have been feasible. The railroad disputes that, saying financial, logistical and environmental reasons precluded that option. FORB has said it does not oppose a new bridge -- it wants to see the existing one turned into a pedestrian bridge tourist attraction. A 2019 feasibility study conducted by North Dakota State University estimated the cost of turning the existing rail bridge into a pedestrian bridge at just under $7 million. FORB has said it has not raised any money for that purpose because obtaining donations is difficult when the matter of bridge ownership isn't settled. BNSF in June began preliminary work for construction of the new bridge, which the railroad expects will cost $100 million and take three years to build. The existing bridge will remain in service until the new one is operational. Removal of the old bridge will take about a year. More information on the process is at www.bnsfbismarckbridge.com. The wife of the Ondo State Governor, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has been accused of imposition of a caretaker chairperson on the newly created Odigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA). The state House of Assembly recently passed a bill creating 33 LCDAs from the existing 18 local government areas in the state. Caretaker committees will be appointed to run the LCDAs pending council elections. However, community leaders in Odigbo LCDA have said Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu has handpicked one Eucharia Nwamara as the caretaker chairperson of the new council. Ms Nwamara is the current councillor representing Ore Ward, the largest and most cosmopolitan town in the old Odigbo LGA. Ms Nwamara is an Igbo like the governors wife. A former lawmaker who represented the area at the House of Representatives said the plan is an affront on the indigenes of the area. We are saying no to anything that will tamper with the peace of this locality, said the former federal lawmaker who does not want his name mentioned for fear of victimisation. The organising secretary of the ruling APC in the state, Tunji Moyero, is also unhappy about the development. He recalled that Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu cried against injustice when she lost the APC senatorial primary in Imo State last year. Mr Moyero, who is from Odigbo LCDA, said it is improper to appoint a non-indigene as the first chairperson of the council. Our king cannot go to council to take orders from someone who is not from here. If we refuse to fight, our children will fight, he said. Everybody must rise up to this. We are begging the wife of the governor that if there is any pronouncement to that regard, we have no other way. Our youths are prepared. We are fighting for what is legitimate. A community leader, Femi Olafumiloye, said the alleged action of Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu would disturb the peace of the community. How can we start an LCDA with a total stranger as the first caretaker chairman? It is a passionate plea. She can rescind this decision. We cannot take it. Let our people be the chairman. How can an Ibo woman communicate to us? Mr Olafumiloye said. When contacted, Mrs Nwamara said she has lived in Odigbo for over 35 years and has been contributing to the development of the community. I am a politician. Everything in life is opportunity. I did not know about any protest, she said. I have lived in Odigbo for over 35 years. I have helped in community development. I am also hearing rumour. However, the spokesperson of the governors wife, Tobiloba Fadeyi, said the allegations against Mrs Akeredolu were unfounded. She is in Germany right now attending to her husband, that is what she is focused on and she does not have the time to be involved in who becomes LCDA chairman, she said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On the morning of 25 February, a Nigerian journalist, Dayo Aiyetan, was attacked in Abuja while covering the 2023 presidential election. Mr Aiyetan, the Executive Director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), was beaten, his clothes torn and his phone, car key, purse and a pouch containing his debit cards were taken away by thugs. His offence was recording a disturbance at the election field. On that same day, Haruna Muhammed, the publisher of Wikki Times, was also harassed while videotaping people protesting against Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State. For several days, Mr Muhammad was detained by the police on the order of the governor. Mr Muhammad was later released on bail. These incidents are among the latest in a series of attacks against journalists and media workers in Nigeria as violence against the press escalated to an unprecedented level. Between January and August, 74 press attacks were recorded, according to data from Press Tracker a record high that overtakes the 2019 record of 72 and marks another grim milestone in a deteriorating media landscape. This is the highest number of recorded attacks against journalists since 1987. The first quarter of 2023 proved to be particularly concerning when the Press Attack Tracker documented 45 tracked and verified attacks on journalists and media organisations. These attacks undermined press freedom and demonstrate impunity, said Stephanie Douglas, deputy manager of the Media Freedom project at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). To address this culture of impunity, Ms Douglas said there is a need for unwavering countermeasures and legal provisions that will help in protecting journalists. She called for the initiation of change through the amendment of restrictive laws and regulations that hinder media freedom. In addition, Ms Douglas emphasised the importance of establishing an independent commission to prevent governmental interference and allow the media to operate without stifling constraints. Globally, the number of journalists behind bars reached a record high in 2022, according to a report from the non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which says that 363 journalists were imprisoned worldwide as of 1 December 2022. The monthly data on the Press Attack Tracker shows that February and March, the months when Nigeria conducted its general elections, witnessed the highest number of attacks this year. In January, the tracker recorded and verified two attacks on the press. By February, the month of the presidential election, there were 42 recorded incidents. In March, when state elections were held, the tracker recorded 27 incidents. The number of attacks dropped sharply after the elections with no other month recording up to five incidents. CATEGORIES OF ATTACK The most common threat to press freedom was by the broadcast regulator, NBC, through its controversial sanctions, according to the Press Attack Tracker. The regulator accounted for about 36.5 per cent of the attacks which include fines, suspensions, or closures imposed on media outlets. Next to sanctions by NBC were physical attacks on journalists which accounted for 27 per cent of the total attacks. Most of these physical attacks, like others, occurred in March and April. Denial of access accounted for 12.2 per cent of the total attacks. This refers to situations where journalists are prevented from reaching certain places or events. Meanwhile, unlawful arrests of journalists constituted 10.8 per cent of the total attacks. This category signifies instances where journalists are detained without proper legal grounds, infringing upon their rights and ability to report freely. Of the eight categories of violations, legal imprisonment had the lowest occurrence with only one case recorded in the first half of the year. Perpetrators of Attacks Individuals accounted for 10.8 per cent of the attacks on journalists. These incidents involve personal disputes, grievances, or targeted attempts to silence specific reporters. Such attacks highlight the challenges individual journalists face in the course of their work. On the other hand, 18.9 per cent of the attacks were attributed to political thugs. These actors are often affiliated with political groups and may resort to violence to suppress unfavourable coverage or dissenting voices. About 41.9 per cent of the attacks were linked to regulatory bodies. This category indicates instances where institutions responsible for media oversight may engage in actions that curtail press freedom, such as imposing fines or restrictions on media outlets. Security personnel, comprising law enforcement or military personnel, were responsible for 21.6 per cent of the attacks. These incidents could involve excessive use of force, arrests, or intimidation, undermining the crucial role of journalists as watchdogs. State actors, including government officials or agencies, accounted for 6.8 per cent of the attacks. Such incidents may signal a broader systemic issue that requires attention, as attacks involving state actors can have far-reaching implications for press freedom. Geographical insights All of Nigerias six regions experienced at least one attack on journalists. The highest number of attacks occurred in Nigerias north-central region with 36.5 per cent. This was followed by the South-south with 14.9 per cent of the attacks. The North-west and South-east regions recorded the least attacks with each having 4.1 per cent of the attacks. Reacting to the data, Lanre Arogundade, the executive director of the International Press Centre (IPC) said the findings from Press Attack Tracker are deeply concerning. He added that this is an escalating trend of threats against journalists and media outlets in Nigeria, a phenomenon that often goes unreported. Mr Arogundade said there is also a threat faced by journalists working outside major media outlets, which often leads them to maintain silence in the interest of personal safety. He urged journalists to raise their voices, noting that a louder outcry will underline the urgency for substantial action. The continuous assault on journalists not only obstructs their essential work but also erodes citizens ability to make informed decisions and keep those in power in check, Mr Arogundade said. Addressing these issues is a collective responsibility of the society. Also, collaborative efforts should focus on safeguarding journalists, upholding transparency, and staunchly defending the fundamental principles of a free press, he said. This commitment will ensure that the truth remains a guiding beacon, even in the most challenging times, thereby preserving the very essence of democracy. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Oji, has resigned from his membership of the House of Representatives. Until his appointment as minister by President Bola Tinubu, Mr Tunji Ojo represented Akoko Northeast and Northwest Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House. President Tinubu initially slated him to head the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy but on Sunday reassigned him to the Ministry of Interior. Mr Tunji-Ojos resignation was contained in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Friday. A copy of the resignation letter was made available to journalists In Akure on Sunday by his spokesperson, Babatunde Alao. In the letter, Mr Tunji-Ojo said his resignation was necessitated by his appointment as a minister. He said he had been chosen at a time when the country was in dire need of technocrats to lead its advancement and economic growth. While appreciating President Tinubu for finding him worthy to serve the country in his new role as a minister, Mr Tunji-Ojo said he would give his best for the Renewed Hope agenda of the Tinubu administration. Our dear country is in dire need of collaborative and concerted efforts that would engender the much-needed advancement to greater heights, and I have been appointed to contribute my quota to achieve that enviable objective as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he said. Mr Tunji-Ojo and 44 others were sworn in as ministers on Monday in Abuja. He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2019, where he served as the Chairman, House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the 9th National Assembly. He was reelected to a second term in the 2023 election. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The new Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has assumed his office. Mr Fagbemi reported at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja on Monday after he was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. The senior lawyer, who is the 24th person to hold the office, arrived at the ministry at 3:10 p.m. and was received by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jeddy-Agba; directors and heads of agencies and parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Justice. Notable among the heads of agencies under the ministry are: Buba Marwa, Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Mrs Jeddy-Agba conducted Mr Fagbemi around his office, introducing the new AGF to directors and heads of agencies under the ministry. Mr Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), assumes office as Nigerias 24th Attorney-General, succeeding Abubakar Malami, who served in President Muhammadu Buharis regime for nearly eight years. AGF asks staff members to redouble their efforts In his maiden address to staff members, Mr Fagbemi noted that expectations are high for the Ministry of Justice to deliver on its mandate of providing the legal framework for the governments policies. Recalling the congratulatory messages that trailed his appointment, the new AGF said the enormity of the responsibilities on his shoulders was not lost. When this appointment came, I received congratulatory messages from critics. I didnt just savour the encomium; expectations are high. I will rely on you colleagues here, Mr Fagbemi said. Speaking extempore, Mr Fagbemi said his private sector background had positioned him to take suggestions and criticisms, adding that criticisms should be constructive. I come from the private sector, we may disagree on issues, but it should not be borne out of malice. He expressed joy at the array of heads of parastatals and directors at the ministry, saying he was so happy to see the array of people from the parastatals under the ministry. The AGF promised to work with the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mrs Jeddy-Agba, to deliver on President Tinubus electoral promises on justice reform. I am happy to be with the Solicitor-General. The Ministry of justice holds a very strategic position in this country. We have to issue legal advice on criminal and civil matters. Let us redouble our efforts. I follow the rules, but I can ask a director to come to me straight. We should not unnecessarily delay files but be thorough. Let us do our work guided by our conscience and oath of office, Mr Fagbemi advised. During his ministerial screening as Nigerias Chief Law Officer, Mr Fagbemi, an accomplished lawyer with a legal career spanning four decades, hinted at merging the countrys anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and the ICPC. He berated law enforcement agencies for arresting crime suspects before the conclusion of an investigation. Mr Fagbemi also criticised law enforcement institutions for flouting court orders. Solicitor-General pledges support Earlier in her welcome address, the Solicitor-General, Mrs Jeddy-Agba, said the Justice Ministry was lucky to have Mr Fagbemi as the Attorney-General of the Federation. We will deploy all human and material resources of the ministry and its parastatals to support and assist you in realising your set objectives, the Solicitor-General assured Mr Fagbemi. She intimated the minister of the enormous constitutional and statutory mandates and responsibilities vested in the Federal Ministry of Justice. Mrs Jeddy-Agba lauded Mr Fagbemi for his strong family and community values, describing him as urbane and self-effacing. The high point of the event was the presentation of handover notes from the immediate-past AGF, Abubakar Malami, to Mr Fagbemi. The Solicitor-General said the handover notes cover activities of parastatals and agencies during Mr Malamis tenure, which lasted nearly eight years. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he will demolish all illegal buildings and structures in the territory as part of efforts to restore the Abuja Master Plan. Mr Wike stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Monday to announce the short, medium, and long-term plans to overhaul the FCT and reposition it among the best cities in the world. As the new sheriff in town, he said: It is not going to be business as usual. Those distorting Abuja Master Plan: if you build where you are not supposed to, the building will go down. If you build on a green area, sorry, it will go down. Those who were allocated land and refused to develop them, we will revoke such lands and re-allocate them to those who are ready to develop them. Those who dont pay ground rent, we will not notify them to do so, but I will not be tired of signing revocation notices. Uncompleted buildings that have become a haven for criminals will be reclaimed by the government and put them to good use. READ ALSO: The minister added that the government would no longer tolerate the indiscriminate operation of markets and motor parks by the roadside. He said people selling goods and wares under the umbrella by roadside, illegal motor parks and bus stops would no longer be tolerated, adding that they constitute part of the security challenge in the FCT. If you have a brother, sister, or uncle involved in any of these, please tell him that the time is up. The goal is to sanitise Abuja and make it safe for everyone, he said. He also said efforts would be made to strengthen waste management and restore all traffic lights to keep the city clean. He added that motorcycle and tricycle operators would be banned from the city and put an end to open grazing within the capital city. We will consult with stakeholders, the natives, and herdsmen to address some of these problems, including open grazing. We will provide alternatives to reduce the suffering of the people, particularly those without private vehicles. We will bring back mass transit to improve access to public transportation, and therefore, the person in charge of transportation must keep his record clean, he said. He said that emphasis would be placed on infrastructural development, taking one project at a time to restore the city to its glory. The minister said that development would also be extended to the six Area Councils as part of strategies to decongest the city. He also said that all revenue leakages would be blocked to mobilise the needed resources for infrastructural development in the FCT. On security, Mr Wike said he would work with all security agencies in the FCT and provide them with the necessary tools and logistics to rid the city of all criminals. According to him, FCT is supposed to be the safest city in the country, adding, however, that the city is no longer safe. We will provide security agencies with the necessary tools and logistics, and after that, we will not want to hear any excuses. What we want to see is results. Mr Wike also promised to consider the natives in political appointments to carry everyone along. He solicited the support of all stakeholders, including the media, to restore the confidence of the people in President Bola Tinubu-led administrations drive to give people hope. Mr Wike was accompanied to the briefing by the Minister of State, FCT, Mariya Mahmoud; Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Adesola Olusade. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Archbishop of Enugu Province, Anglican Communion, Emmanuel Chukwuma, has warned the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to halt any planned military action in the Niger Republic. Mr Chukwuma stated this during a chat with reporters on Sunday in Enugu. Nigerien President, Mohamed Bazoum, was deposed on 26 July in a coup led by General Abdourahamane Tichiani. ECOWAS, headed by Nigerias President, Bola Tinubu, has asked Mr Tichiani to hand over power to President Bazoun, but he declined. Mr Tichiani subsequently refused to meet with the ECOWAS delegation led by Nigerias former military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar since the regional body-imposed sanctions on Niger following the coup. The coup leader also declined to meet with the US Acting Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland. Frustrated, the ECOWAS, on 10 August, ordered the deployment of soldiers to sack the recalcitrant junta. The Cleric reacts But speaking to reporters, Mr Chukwuma, the Anglican bishop, said such military action in Niger would backfire on Nigeria and other West African countries because ECOWAS failed to consult with the people of Niger before issuing threats to sack the junta. It is also unfortunate that the present government is not consulting enough; hence, they have led ECOWAS to misfire. Right now, its an absolute shame on our President Tinubu who wants to go to war with Niger, he said. The bishop claimed that the coup happened because of corruption and hardship in the Niger Republic and that Nigeriens rejoiced when it happened. READ ALSO: Now, rather than fighting corruption and condemning the evil act of the Niger president, they (ECOWAS) are fighting the coup detat. It is wrong. I think this has shown that ECOWAS leaders themselves are corrupt, and they dont see anything wrong with corruption, Mr Chukwuma stated. He said worse things were happening in many ECOWAS countries, including Nigeria, but the Nigerian military did not intervene because of corruption within its fold. Nigerians today are passing through a difficult time. They are suffering, but they have enough patience. I think the time has come for us to say enough is enough, he said. I am very happy that many people are condemning going to Niger for war. Nigeria at this time needs intervention to bring succour in this country because people are suffering. If the government cant do that, God will come down one day and intervene on our behalf, and there will be confusion, Mr Chukwuma said. There is a need for a revolution in Nigeria. Nigeria is due for a revolution for things to go better because things are becoming worse. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, assured on Monday in Abuja that he would work toward ending medical tourism in Nigeria. He gave the assurance at his maiden meeting with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Kachollom Daju, and the directors upon assumption of office. He noted that there was a gap in health outcomes that needed to be improved upon. When you fly from Addis Ababa to New Delhi you see a lot of people going for medical tourism and it is not a thing we in the health sector should rest on our oars and regard as normal. We should do something about it and improve our health outcomes. It is important that we deal with the issues of governance to improve the governance of health. The Federal Government, states and local governments and other stakeholders will work together, including those who may be differently abled in the construct of health policy and implementation, he said. Mr Pate said the economic value chain existing in the health sector should be harnessed. He noted that the role was for the private sector, though the mission was a core public one. On social welfare The minister also said that the agenda to harness the economic value chain in the health sector has to be carefully crafted with every stakeholder being a part of the conversation. He said his team will place Nigerians at the centre of policies and implementation to ensure that health indices of the country improves, noting that this is in line with the renewed hope mandate and vision of President Bola Tinubu. He said: There is an important signal in the choice of those assigned the health portfolio, and we are very excited about that. I think the fact that the president also included Social Welfare in the health portfolio indicates he also considers the people as the basis; the foundational element for what his administration tries to do. This is because the welfare of the people is linked to their health; their health and well-being are interconnected right from gestation to childhood, to adulthood to elderly, and all across the life cycle. We need to grow our economy, but we also need to attend to the people and health is an important component of that and I think that is one signal that is important. The president is the driver and we will follow and we will work hard to ensure that our driver takes us to the desired destination; the vision that he has of transforming this country, the minister said. The minister stressed that the main responsibility of his ministry was to save lives and reduce pain. The president realises that Nigerians are eager to feel the impact of government so that people feel the difference that his Renewed Hope agenda actually begins to touch the lives of people and we are right where it can be done, he said. Minister of state speaks In his remarks, the Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, said he would work with Mr Pate to ensure that Nigerians appreciated the impact of healthcare delivery. He said; Our people deserve basic, comprehensive, internationally-acceptable level of healthcare and we will start thinking of healthcare as a human right issue. Lack of basic healthcare to any Nigerian from now on will be considered as a violation of the human right of that Nigerian. We are going to latch onto the staff of the ministry to ensure that we deliver. Permanent secretary welcomes ministers Earlier, Ms Daju said the statutory function of the ministry was to ensure the development and implementation of national health policies; collaborate with states and local governments and provide specialised healthcare services amongst others. She said; Everything that the Ministry of Health does is guided by the National Health Act (2014). The Act actually spells out the functions of the ministry; emphasises its role in health policy; resource allocation and healthcare service delivery, she said. Mr Pate, a professor of Public Health, served as Minister of State for Health from July 2011 to July 2013 under the administration of Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. He was the Chief Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency from 2008 to 2011. Mr Pate also served as the Global Director for Health, Nutrition, and Population, and Director of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents at the World Bank Group. President Bola Tinubu swore in Messrs Pate and Alausa alongside 43 others, either as ministers or ministers of state, on Monday in Abuja. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has reduced tuition in the state-owned tertiary institutions. The governor announced the cuts during an interactive session with reporters in Kaduna on Monday. The immediate past administration of Nasir El-Rufai had increased school fees for tertiary institutions. Mr El-Rufai had argued that due to constraints on the resources of the state, his government could no longer subsidise education. Despite the outcry of students and parents, he did not reverse the governments decision on the increase. Mr Sani, however, decided to cut tuition in response to the outcry of the public and the effect of the increased tuition on enrollment and retention. He said the N150,000 tuition paid by students at the Kaduna State University has now been reduced by 30 per cent. The students will henceforth pay N105,000. The tuition of students of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic was reduced from N100,000 to N50,000. For the College of Education, Gidan Waya, the tuition was reduced from N75,000 to N37,500. The fees charged by the Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences and Technology, Makarfi for Higher National Diploma courses were reviewed from N100,000 to N70,000. In a similar vein, the fee for National Diploma courses in the same institution was reduced from N75,000 to N52,000. For Kaduna State College of Nursing, the fee was reviewed from N100,000 to N70,000. The governor described the measure as his governments palliatives to cushion the effect of the petroleum subsidy removal and its harsh economic impact on the people. He said that the heads of tertiary institutions, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, obtained relevant information on the extant fee regime in state-owned tertiary institutions and recommended a reduction of the tuition. That the extant fee regime in the state-owned tertiary institutions is burdensome and has led to a significant decline in student enrollment. That the extant fees have made many students either abandon the pursuit of tertiary education or move to alternative institutions, he said. Mr Sani then reaffirmed his administrations commitment to the welfare of the people. My administration will continue to take all the necessary measures to ensure access to free and quality education for every child in the state from primary to secondary school, he said. He said that expanding access to higher education, enhancing teachers welfare and teaching standards as well as improving school infrastructure had built ICT competence in students from the basic education level. Residents rejoice Many residents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES about the reduction applauded the governor for looking into the matter and acting according to the yearning of the people. I am a parent, and this is quite an interesting development. Even if it is one naira that is reduced, it will go a long way. Many students had to stop schooling when the former governor increased the tuition fees. Now we have a governor that is reasoning with the poor people, Hajia Halima said. Istifanus Malam, a father, also told PREMIUM TIMES that he was happy with the development. I have two children currently studying in two of the state-owned institutions. This review is a good one at the right time. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Newly-appointed Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he sought the permission of some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before accepting the ministerial offer from President Bola Tinubu. Mr Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State and a member of the PDP, was sworn in as minister of FCT on Monday alongside other ministers in the Bola Tinubu administration. His appointment was greeted by criticisms from the public because he is a member of the PDP and also because he had once said he wont serve as minister after serving as governor. Mr Wike who responded to the criticisms at his first press briefing as a minister explained that before accepting the ministerial appointment, he wrote letters to Acting National Chairman of PDP, Umar Damagun, incumbent governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara and Minority Leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives, seeking their permission to accept the offer. He said all the leaders of the PDP which he sought their permission responded by granting him the permission to accept the ministerial offer. Can you even mention who is my enemy? Can you even mention one person that is my enemy? See, people carry propaganda. Let me use this opportunity to tell you that I dont like people who dont tell the truth. They said theyre going to sanction me because I accepted the appointment. I dont have any clause. The president wrote to the 36 state governors to bring names of people to appoint, didnt PDP governors submit names? Every PDP governor wrote a letter and nominated ten persons to be appointed by this government. But the one they talk about is Wike. Before this appointment came, I wrote to the national chairman. I wrote to the minority leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate. I wrote to the zonal chairman of the party and my state chairman. I wrote to my governor and all of them wrote me back and said accept. I have my evidence documented. Forget these reggae dancers. I call them reggae dancers because when youve lost your opportunity, youve lost your opportunity because of arrogance and impunity, Mr Wike said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print the FCT ministerial portfolio had been in the hands of appointees from a section of the country for so long, to the extent that it was almost becoming the normative culture that only persons from that part of the country could be appointed to the position. It took President Tinubus will power to break that unhealthy jinx by appointing Wike as the FCT Minister. By that singular action, he has exterminated the assumption that the FCT Ministerial seat is the birthright of a particular section of the country There are reasons why President Bola Ahmed Tinubus appointment of Mr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is significant and can be considered as a vital point scored by the new administration. First, by his appointment, Wike, who is the immediate past governor of Rivers State, has become the second person from Southern Nigeria to be appointed to administer the FCT since its creation 47 years ago in 1976. His appointment, therefore, invokes the notion of inclusion that rekindles faith in the nations capital as a home for all Nigerians. Secondly, judging by Wikes antecedents, particularly from his scorecard as the governor of Rivers State, he can be described as a project-oriented leader, and probably the kind of administrator that Abuja needs at a time like this. In January, he claimed to have built or was building 12 flyovers in the state, beginning from 2015. And thirdly, Wike radiates the impression of a no-nonsense and strong-willed leader. He may be of the genre of ministers required to rein in the flaws and gaps in the FCT bureaucracy, while also curtailing the reign of impunity by some residents and private sector operators who are adroit at circumventing guidelines and rules in the FCT. He would need to grow the requisite third eye to identify some committed civil servants who will offer genuine advice and guide, for him to push through his key programmes. I will now proceed to adduce reasons for my standpoint, starting from the first, which is faith in the renewal of Abuja. Renewed Faith in Abuja as a Genuine Symbol of National Unity In a certain way, Wikes appointment automatically transmitted positive signals for the FCT and the socio-political health of the country at large. Abuja being a successor to Lagos as Nigerias capital was envisioned to serve as an authentic symbol of Nigerias aspiration for unity and greatness. That is why whatever happens there has a way of rippling down the country. One of the factors that make the FCT different from the states is the fact that it is the only territory in Nigeria that is equilaterally owned by all Nigerians, irrespective of their geographical or social backgrounds. This is by virtue of a clear and unambiguous constitutional provision vesting the ownership of the entire 8,000 square kilometre of the FCT in the Federal Government of Nigeria. Chapter 8, Part 1, Section 297 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that (1) There shall be a Federal Capital Territory, Abuja the boundaries of which are as defined in Part II of the First Schedule of this Constitution. (2) The ownership of all lands comprised in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja shall vest in the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There are other parts of the Constitution that reinforce the place of Abuja as the soul and heart of Nigeria which unites it without bias or prejudice. This definition makes the FCT unique by virtue of the ownership of all the land therein by all Nigerians (through the government of the federation). What these provisions imply is that no section or group can monopolise any position in the administration of the FCT, to the exclusion of any other part or section of Nigeria. The FCT scenario differs from what obtains in each of the 36 states of Nigeria, where particular ethnic, religious or cultural groups lay claim to ownership, control or dominance of the state, to the disadvantage or exclusion of other Nigerians. This explains why it was considered a contravention of the vision and well intended purpose of the FCT for the territorys ministers to have been inadvertently or deliberately appointed successively from only one section of the country for nearly half a century. From Ajose Adeogun to Nyesom Wike When Mr Mobolaji Ajose Adeogun from Isale-Eko, Lagos State (who died two months ago), who served as the Administrative Secretary of the newly created Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) between 1976 and 1979, was handing over to his successor, he certainly had no premonition whatsoever that there would be no other minister of the FCT from his own section of the country for the remaining 44 years of his life. After Adeogun, 15 persons were appointed substantive ministers of FCT under civilian and military administrations between 1979 and 2023. Mr John Jatau Kadiya, from Plateau State, who served between 1979 and 1982; Mr Iro Abubakar Dan Musa from Katsina State (1982-1983); and Mr Haliru Dantoro, who later became the Emir of Borgu in Niger State (serving from October 1983 to December, 1983) were appointed ministers of the FCT by President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic. During the military regimes of Muhammadu Buhari, a Major-General; Ibrahim Babangida, a General; Sani Abacha, a General; and Abdulsalam Abubakar, a Lt-General, the following persons were appointed as FCT minister: Mamman Jiya Vatsa, a Major-General and poet from Niger State (1984-1985); and Hamza Abdullahi, a Major-General from Jigawa State (1986-1989). Also, Muhammad Gado Nasko, a Major-General from Sokoto State (1989-1993); Jeremiah Timbut Useni, a Lt General from Plateau State (1993-1998); and Mamman Tsofo Kontagora, a retired Major-General from Niger State (1998-1999). Under the current democratic dispensation, those appointed as FCT minister by President Olusegun Obasanjo have included Mr Ibrahim Bunu, an architect from Borno State (1999-2001); Mr. Muhammed Abba Gana, an electrical engineer also from Borno State (2001-2003); and Mr. Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, a quantity surveyor from Kaduna State (2003-2007). Obasanjos successor, President Umaru Musa YarAdua appointed Dr Aliyu Umar Modibbo, a university lecturer from Gombe State (20072008) and Mr Muhammad Adamu Aliero, a former governor of Kebbi State (2008-2010), while Mr Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, a former senator and the incumbent governor of Bauchi State (2010-2015) was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan. The longest serving of them all and the immediate past FCT minister, Mr Muhammad Musa Bello, an ex-banker from Adamawa State (2015-2023) was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari. The foregoing shows that the FCT ministerial portfolio had been in the hands of appointees from a section of the country for so long, to the extent that it was almost becoming the normative culture that only persons from that part of the country could be appointed to the position. It took President Tinubus will power to break that unhealthy jinx by appointing Wike as the FCT Minister. By that singular action, he has exterminated the assumption that the FCT Ministerial seat is the birthright of a particular section of the country, and has thereby renewed the collective faith of Nigerians in Abuja. Tinubu has also restored the Abuja dream to the original path intended by its founding fathers and the constitution of Nigeria. It is worthy of note that many ministers of the FCT since 1979 have contributed greatly to the development of the territory. Their individual abilities might not be in doubt. Many of them substantially kept faith with the vision and mission of Abuja by implementing several developmental and administrative programmes that have made the FCT what it is today. However, upholding the spirit behind the creation of the FCT as a centre of unity makes it imperative to always cast the net wider across the entire country when head hunting for competent persons for appointment as the FCT minister. That way, the unsavoury situation of one section seemingly monopolising the position for over four unbroken decades will not be witnessed again. Wikes Projects Savviness and Ruggedness The second reason why Wike will expectedly be a square peg in a square hole as the FCT minister is his track record as a pragmatic projects initiator and executor. The FCT, perhaps, has one of the largest numbers of uncompleted, abandoned and un-awarded road projects that are begging for attention in the country. Added to the list are the many aging roads that require maintenance, expansion or outright reconstruction. This is where the shrewdness of projects-savvy Wike will come handy. He did it in Rivers State, notwithstanding the difficult deltaic terrain, and he can do far better in the FCT, which has a more project-friendly terrain. Critical infrastructure, majorly inter- and intra-district connecting roads, need urgent attention. The Abuja light rail project, which has been has ongoing for over a decade appears to have gotten stuck on the way and would need Wikes quick steely intervention to be completed and come alive. The opening of more districts by servicing them with critical infrastructure, like underground sewerage for liquid and solid wastes, an electricity power grid, access roads, pipe-borne water and other facilities, is one sure measure of reducing the population pressure on the city centre. Again, a carefully worked out private-public partnership, which leverages Abujas high land value, will work in this aspect and others, such as the development of the Abuja Town Centre and the Central Business District (CBD) corridor. Wikes Stern Stuff, Law and Order in the Nations Capital The FCT is not just the heart but also the face of Nigeria. Abuja doubles as the capity of Nigeria and the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It is a choice destination for many Nigerians and West Africans. And it is debatably so for many other Africans and black people elsewhere. Years ago, Abuja was widely recognised as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Expectedly, Wikes forceful disposition and firmness will come in handy in the enforcement of compliance with the Abuja Master Plan, to curb illegalities and impunity, particularly in land administration and development. Abuja should not be allowed to derail from a mega city to a mega slum. As minister, not a few Nigerians have confidence in Wike to arrest the drift and restore FCT to the path of orderly and steady development. Immediately after his swearing in, it is hoped that Wike will hit the ground running to prove to all that his appointment was not a fluke. He should build a strong partnership with credible private sector operators, especially construction and real estate developers, if he must make meaningful impact. The private operators will help his administration to maintain standards, provide qualitative roads, bridges, housing and other critical infrastructure for residents across Abujas social strata. Wike as the Presidents Eye in the Capital The president of the country is the constitutionally recognised administrator of the FCT. However, he administers the territory through a proxy, which is the minister of the FCT. With Abuja as the seat of the presidency, Wike, like his predecessors, will be the presidents host and eye in the capital. He will coordinate and incentivise the various security agencies in the territory and report to his boss almost on a daily basis. Wike, with his vibrancy and activism, appears primed to fit that bill. For President Tinubu, the most daunting teething days of his ascension appears to be ebbing as he is steadily overawing the early headwinds, with his administration journeying towards a cruising level. The deployment of Wike to the strategic FCT ministry may pass as a masterstroke by the president, which further attests to his prowess as a successful head-hunter. Why Wike Should Be Tactfully Pragmatic As Wike resumes, he should bear in mind that he is in Kapital Street Area 11 in the nations capital and not in Brick House, Rivers State. The swaggers which hugged applauds in Port Harcourt may not yield the same response in Abuja which hosts the Presidency, National Assembly, the Diplomatic Community, ECOWAS leadership and the apex judicial authorities. With the eyes of the entire country and the international community riveted on it, the FCT is a far more complex entity to administer than the oil bearing Rivers State. Apart from being the cynosure of all eyes, Abujas complexities span its multi-pronged administrative prongs the FCTA, FCDA, STDA, Area Councils all of which are quasi-autonomous and yet beholden to the FCT minister as the chief driver. Wike should also bear in mind that unlike the states, the FCT does not have a State House of Assembly and he must devise a working relationship with the sometimes overreaching National Assembly. Not to side step, the tact needed in dealing with the autochthonous population of FCT that have their own set of complaints and challenges. In all, Wike is expected to muster the will to push through his own style and reforms in the FCT, the same way the likes of Mr Nasir E-Rufai left their peculiar imprints on the sands of the territorys evolution. Nosike Ogbuenyi writes for Premium Times. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Friends of the Rail Bridge went to the North Dakota Supreme Court on Monday in a bid to prove the state owns a Missouri River rail bridge that's set to be replaced and to try to halt construction of the bridge's replacement. The local preservation nonprofit has advocated for preserving the 140-year-old Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge after BNSF Railway determined the bridge is reaching the end of its useful life and needs replacing. FORBs underlying argument is that the state owns the bridge and has not asserted its role under the law in deciding whether the structure is torn down. Justices during Monday's oral arguments peppered FORB attorney Bill Delmore with questions related to that stance. Delmore laid out the group's case and said FORB is representing "the public interest" in trying to save a historic structure. Under questioning by justices he said that when it comes to previous court cases that might set precedent, "there are cases both ways." Attorneys for state agencies and BNSF argued against state ownership and decried what they consider to be an improper legal process used by FORB. Justices will rule later. Attorney arguments The state Department of Water Resources granted BNSF two sovereign lands permits in April -- the final permits the railroad needed to launch construction. Sovereign lands of North Dakota are defined as areas lying within the ordinary high-water marks of navigable lakes and streams. The two permits approve construction of a new bridge and removal of the old. FORB in May appealed in state district court the issuance of the two permits. South Central District Judge Jackson Lofgren in June dismissed the appeal on technical grounds without ruling on any of the appeal's claims. The preservation group in mid-July appealed Lofgren's ruling to the Supreme Court. The high court on Monday heard oral arguments on a separate FORB request for justices to take "original jurisdiction" in the matter and essentially decide the matter of bridge ownership. Delmore argued that the state owns not just the riverbed but also any permanent fixtures that were attached at the time of statehood, which would include the rail bridge. He also cited a state law he said requires the approval of the State Historical Board to destroy state property deemed historically significant by the State Historical Society director, and said both the current director and a past one have reached that conclusion. Justice Daniel Crothers questioned Delmore about what the law's trigger was; Delmore said it was "the words historical and iconic." The State Historical Board during a March meeting discussed whether it had the authority to block destruction of the bridge under state law. Attorney General Drew Wrigley informed the group that it did not have that authority, since the bridge is privately owned. The board then passed a resolution expressing support for preserving the bridge but noting that it does not have authority or expertise to determine ownership. BNSF has a clear right of way and a clear ability to construct, but they were not granted the bridge. The bridge belongs to the state of North Dakota, Delmore told the justices. FORB has maintained that it is not against the building of a new bridge, it is against the removal of the existing one, which it wants to see turned into a pedestrian tourism attraction. Justice Lisa Fair McEvers asked Delmore if state ownership could "cause a great burden on the state" should the railroad leave it in disrepair and "walk away." Crothers at one point asked Delmore if FORB was prepared to post a bond if the state claimed ownership; Delmore said that would be "a very difficult undertaking for us." Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Verleger, representing the Department of Water Resources, in her argument said that We shouldnt even be here -- that it would be improper to circumvent the FORB appeal that is already underway. She also said that Water Resources "is not subservient to the Historical Society or the Historical Board." Verleger also told the justices that the issue of bridge ownership does not need to be addressed at this time. BNSF has applied for and has valid permits -- at least for the time being -- so its unnecessary for the court to address the (ownership) issue, she said. FORB is asking that the court issue a stay while the matter is reviewed. That would halt the bridge construction BNSF commenced in June. Delmore maintained that if the state is the rightful owner of the bridge, then the railroad was not the rightful entity to obtain federal permission for a new bridge. BNSF has steadfastly maintained it owns the bridge. Railroad attorney Jason Lien told justices that BNSF would be seriously harmed if a stay is put in place, even if only for a few months. He also noted that the existing bridge will stay in use for the next three years during construction of the new bridge. Razing of the existing structure would take another year. BNSF expects the project will cost $100 million. More information on the process is at www.bnsfbismarckbridge.com. In She Gave Me Roots, Funso Adegbola pays Justice Atinuke Ige and her husband a glowing tribute for impacting her life and the lives of her siblings so deeply at all the crucial periods in their growth and development. Among other things, she writes: My parents were so loving that I grew up surrounded by love, which has helped me greatly in life. I never witnessed my parents fighting. I am sure they must have had their disagreements, but my brothers and I never had to listen to them arguing behind closed doors. It was Mother Teresa who once said that one powerful way of promoting world peace is to learn how and when to go home and love ones family family as a genetic inheritance and family as a set of emotional and social bonds. Funso Adegbolas memoirs, He Gave Me Wings, and its sequel, She Gave Me Roots, are subtle and profound affirmations and celebrations of both senses of this concept of family. The two books explore, in a personal way, the nature, the meaning and the importance of family. To be sure, she is not preachy in the books. Yet, in telling the stories of her life-long relationship with her dad and mum, she is inspiring in her intent and enlightening in her purpose. The two books are lean in size but fat in their significance. They brim with compassion, kindness, love, intelligence, dignity, fear, sorrow and pain. Here the personal is connected to the public, and this public is invariably political. With anecdotes, reminiscences, family pictures, spiritual, biblical passages and reflections, Funso Adegbola renders a moving and brilliant account of Chief Bola and Justice Atinuke Ige as responsible parents who believed and demonstrated that solid family blocks are essential if we are serious about building a good society, a great country and a peaceful world. Most public figures, in their private domains, are lousy in the way they neglect their parental duties or just unlucky to have bad children, in spite of their best efforts to raise good children and wards. How did these two amazing public figures manage to plant and nurture a lovely family tree? How did they shape the lives of their children in the glow of Gods light and in the radiance of His grace? How did they get inside the minds of people who admired them hugely during their lifetimes and remember them fondly after their demise? Were there things in their backgrounds that taught them to take care of their children and others in their private and public lives? We know from reading Funso Adegbolas books and Bola Iges autobiography, Kaduna Boy, alongside his prison memoir, Detainees Diary, that Chief Bola Ige was born into a working class Ijesha stock and had a hardscrabble life. But he grew up among siblings who loved each other dearly. He was not a genius but he was super-smart. Despite all his trouble making in his junior years at Ibadan Grammar School, he was still chosen as the Senior Prefect of that elite school in his senior year. With that post, he became a subject of admiration and pride not only to the school authority but also to some members of the Ibadan elite, which included the Oloko family. He then went on to study Classics as the first University Scholar in the Arts at the University College, Ibadan. This was where he consolidated his relationship with Miss Atinuke Oloko, whom he had met earlier as a teacher of Latin at CMS Girls School, Lagos, which was later relocated to St Annes School, Ibadan. At the university, he was a campus journalist. He, along with the likes of Akin Mabogunje, was an active member of the youth wing of the Action Group, the then dominant party in the Western Region led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He was also an active member of the Student Christian Movement that represented Nigeria at the World Christian Student Federation Conference. He later went to the University College, London, to study law. After he was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1961, he returned to Nigeria to practice law and continue his full participation in politics. He was elected at the Jos Congress of the Action Group in February 1962 as the Federal Publicity Secretary of the party. And he wrote a weekly column in the Nigerian Tribune, which was very critical of the government of Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. Apparently for those reasons, on 29 May 1962, while he was addressing a Chief Magistrate in a court at Ibadan, he was served with a Restriction Order signed by Dr Koye Majekodunmi, who had been made the Administrator of Western Region in the wake of the escalating political crisis in the West. He was ordered to report to the police at Ubiaja, a community in the Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State, where he spent over six months. Ubiaja in those days had no pipe borne water, no electricity. But he was allowed to listen to the radio and read newspapers. He was later made a commissioner in the Western State by the military regime of Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo. In 1979, when the military lifted the ban on partisan politics, he went into it in full force. He competed against his former principal at Ibadan Grammar School, Chief Emmanuel Alayande, to win the governorship primary of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and thereafter he won the election with a landslide, which made him the first Governor of Oyo State in the Second Republic. The military soon truncated that republic and put him and other prominent politicians in jail between 1983 and 1986, when the regime of Major-Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Babatunde Idiagbon ruled the country through draconian decrees. He was moved from Agodi Prison to Bonny Camp, then Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Zaria Prison and Ikoyi Prison. He spent most of his time reading and writing in jail. While the then governors of Ondo and Ogun states, Chiefs Michael Adekunle Ajasin and Bisi Onabanjo read non-fiction works voraciously in jail, Chief Ige read fiction and non-fiction books. In order to prevent Ige from stealing his books, Bisi Onabanjo, the distinguished journalist, most famous for his well-informed, witty and carefully crafted Aiyekooto column, always wrote on the first pages of his books in all caps: Stolen from Bisi Onabanjo! Bola Ige kept a detailed diary in jail, which he published as Detainees Diary. This prison memoir does not contain all the charges against him and his trials by the military tribunal because he set aside the material for a different book titled, The Brigadier Lied. He also wrote in prison, People, Politics and Politicians of Nigeria (1940-1979). Upon his release, he returned to his legal profession and continued to hold clandestine political meetings with political associates, as the military regimes kept gambling with the lives of Nigerians. At the height of the banning and unbanning of politicians by General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, whose regime established and funded two political parties the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC), Chief Bola Ige wrote a very popular piece in The Guardian newspaper titled Siddon Look. The main thrust of his argument was that he had arrived at a stage in his political career where he had decided to just sit down and watch the military as they did their thing. But that was a deliberate decoy, for he never stopped holding talks and planning with his political family. He also paid serious attention to his legal profession and rose to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The ban on the old breed politicians led to the emergence of a new crop of politicians, many of whom were arse lickers of the soldiers in power. His death was a national tragedy, with grief and anger enveloping the nation at the time, for many people knew that Chief Bola Ige belonged to a rare breed of politicians who saw politics as a means of rendering public service. His political vision was clearly egalitarian. Not for him the platitudes and chicaneries for which despicable politicians are most notoriously known. He just did not know how to suffer fools gladly. As a sharp shooter, he could win arguments so easily because of his logical mind. In 1993, Chief MKO Abiola of the SDP won the presidential election, beating his rival, Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the NRC, even in the latters own state, Kano. General Babangida, who organised that presidential election, obviously did not want to leave power. He cancelled the results of the June 12 election. What followed in many parts of Nigeria was mayhem. Nigerians, at home and in the diaspora, were so incensed. They poured to the streets like angry bees, protesting that injustice. Many protesters were killed, many more were maimed and more fierce decrees were rolled out. But Nigerians, particularly in the media and civil society groups, were more determined to fight the fascists in the military. To pacify the Yoruba, as if the June 12 mandate was not given by all Nigerians, Babangida put in place an Interim National Government and asked Chief Ernest Shonekan, a Yoruba man, to head it. The erstwhile UAC boss became an object of ridicule among his people, and remained so till death. As a way of flushing out the critical officers in the military, phantom coups were arranged and announced, and many officers were found guilty and dismissed. Still, Nigerians did not relent. They kept calling for the restoration of democracy and insisting that Abiola, who had been detained, should be released and his mandate actualised. Chief Bola Ige was one of these people at the barricades. On 1 May 1998, he participated in a peaceful protest in Ibadan. That protest was hijacked by some thugs who unleased violence on that city. As a result, the then military administrator of Oyo State, Colonel Ahmed Usman, ordered that all the organisers and prominent participants in the protest, like Alhaji Lam Adesina, should be arrested and detained. He immediately declared them prisoners of war. So, on 28 May 1998, Chief Ige was brought to Makurdi prison, where I was serving a 15-year sentence because TheNEWS magazine had done an investigative story that exonerated Generals Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Musa YarAdua and all the officers who were arrested, tried and found guilty of the 1995 phantom coup. Ige was not released until General Sani Abacha died on 8 June 1998 and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, in 1999, once again lifted the ban on partisan politics. Chief Bola Ige became a rallying force for other politicians. He was a co-founder of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Peoples Party (APP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD). He wrote the manifestoes and the constitutions of these parties. He eventually settled for AD and contested for its presidential primaries but lost to Chief Olu Falae. This inevitably led to unresolved animosity between him and some members of the Afenifere, a social, cultural and political group, of which he was deputy leader under the leadership of Chief Abraham Adesanya. General Olusegun Obasanjo, who had contested as the presidential flagbearer of PDP upon his release from jail, had won the general election without the votes of his Yoruba base. Sensing an opportunity to further divide and conquer the Yoruba political elite who were up in arms against him, he asked Chief Bola Ige to join his government, which he did. Some of his close associates still believe that that move was a strategic political error. He was made the Minister of Power and Steel. In no time, he was frustrated out of that office and was then made the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, a position he held when he was assassinated in his bedroom on Sunday, 23 December 2001, by people suspected to be his political enemies. He had just been made a member of the United Nations International Law Commission about a week before he was killed. His death was a national tragedy, with grief and anger enveloping the nation at the time, for many people knew that Chief Bola Ige belonged to a rare breed of politicians who saw politics as a means of rendering public service. His political vision was clearly egalitarian. Not for him the platitudes and chicaneries for which despicable politicians are most notoriously known. He just did not know how to suffer fools gladly. As a sharp shooter, he could win arguments so easily because of his logical mind. He had a facility with words. He spoke English, Yoruba and Hausa fluently. It was not for nothing that Demosthenes was one of his popular sobriquets, because he too, like that Greek statesman, that champion of democracy, could rouse people to frenzy with his eloquence. He was always at ease among intellectuals because he was one of them. He always loved to have serious and politically savvy younger people around him largely to update his own ideas and generally to motivate them. As a peoples person, his children had to bear the burden of sharing him with a lot of others. More than the rest of us, his immediate family bore the pains of his years of imprisonment for political reasons, both as a young man and as a senior citizen. His wife, Justice Atinuke was of Ibadan ancestry, whose prosperity cut across two generations of the Oloko and Okeowo families. She was the first child of Chief Samuel Oloko, MBE, the Otun Are of Ibadan. After her Secondary School education at CMS Girls School, Lagos, she attended University College Ibadan, where she studied Liberal Arts briefly on a Western Region Scholarship, before she went to England to study Law at Kennington College of Commerce and Law Studies, having being encouraged to do so by her uncle, Chief Samuel Olasupo Moroundiya. In 1959, she was called to the bar at Lincolns Inn and became the first female lawyer in Western Region. She had a stint in active private legal practice with her uncle and guardian, Chief Moroundiya, in their jointly owned firm. She was a wonderful mother-in-law to the spouses of her children: Gbenro, Tokunbo and Oyinda. Indeed, she always prayed not see the weaknesses in the spouses of her children, only their strengths. Gbenro Adegbola describes her as gorgeous in bearing. Thats very true. She could also be called Madam Temperance, for she remained a simple, serene and elegant matriarch till 10 April 2003 when she died, a day after the star witness withdrew his testimony at the trial of the suspected killers of her husband. She got married to Chief Bola Ige on 17 April 1960. She was an exemplary role model to her five equally high-achieving sisters from her mother and other children in her fathers large family. She later moved to the bench and rose through the ranks from a Magistrate to a Senior Magistrate, Chief Magistrate and Chief Registrar. On 1 June 1977, she was appointed a High Court Judge in Oyo State. And then in 1979, her husband became the first Governor of Oyo State. But playing the role of First Lady never became her main job. She simply devoted much of her time to her official duties as a judge. Funso Adegbola writes in She Gave Me Roots: My mother was a woman of remarkable professionalism, always exuding an air of sophistication with her impeccable attire and punctuality at work. As a lawyer, she conducted herself with utmost diligence. As a Judge, she ensured prompt sittings in her court. Yet, her admirable qualities extended far beyond her career. She possessed an insatiable thirst for knowledge, constantly engrossed in reading, writing and seeking intellectual growth. It was as if her mind knew no bounds. As a judge she never went to any social gatherings where lawyers who had cases in her court were present. If her husband was more of an idealist, a dreamer, even a romantic and a diehard optimist, she was the more practical person in the union. She was the treasurer and the financial strategist in the house. She loved investing in properties. To quote Funso Adegbola again: She worked as judge during the week and supervised her construction projects on weekends. She knew the exact number of blocks that could be made from a bag of cement, gravel, and sand. She always had a block maker on hand when building her properties. She, in fact, supervised the office building of the Bola Ige & Co in Adamasingba in Ibadan. Quite often, she would take the kids out on inspections of her sites. That must have been partly responsible for the interest of Muyiwa Ige, her most beloved son, whom she had after a couple of miscarriages, in studying Architecture. In September 1993, she was sworn in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal the same day as Justice Morenikeji Omotayo Onalaja, a very good friend of the Ige family, who, as a lawyer, defended Wole Soyinka in the tape robbery case at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Ibadan, before Justice Kayode Esho. The appointment of Justice Atinuke Ige as a Judge of the Court of Appeal came at a time when she had been denied the Chief Judge position in Oyo State, which she was entitled to as the most senior judge in the state. Having been sidelined, the position was then given to her junior by politicians, whose specious argument was that she should go to Osun, her husbands state, for that post. On 18 December 2001, she was honoured by the Federal Government of Nigeria with the award of Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR), for her meritorious contributions to the Nigerian judiciary. In spite of all her commendable accomplishments, she was never arrogant. She was a wonderful mother-in-law to the spouses of her children: Gbenro, Tokunbo and Oyinda. Indeed, she always prayed not see the weaknesses in the spouses of her children, only their strengths. Gbenro Adegbola describes her as gorgeous in bearing. Thats very true. She could also be called Madam Temperance, for she remained a simple, serene and elegant matriarch till 10 April 2003 when she died, a day after the star witness withdrew his testimony at the trial of the suspected killers of her husband. It was a heartbreaking moment for her. She just couldnt bear the injustice of it all. She was shattered. According to Funso Adegbola, the bond between her father and mother was so profound that it seemed inconceivable for one to exist without the other. At the passing of her husband, forty-one years into her marriage, Funso and Gbenro Adegbola wanted her to come over and stay with them in their Bodija home or to move into her own property, not far from them also in the Bodija neighbourhood, but she bluntly refused. In She Gave Me Roots, Funso Adegbola pays Justice Atinuke Ige and her husband a glowing tribute for impacting her life and the lives of her siblings so deeply at all the crucial periods in their growth and development. Among other things, she writes: My parents were so loving that I grew up surrounded by love, which has helped me greatly in life. I never witnessed my parents fighting. I am sure they must have had their disagreements, but my brothers and I never had to listen to them arguing behind closed doors. She says that their approval, their moral support, their prayers and financial assistance encouraged her every inch of the way. They did not leave their imprints on their children by precepts, but by their own concrete examples and carefully measured involvements in the affairs of their children and those of their spouses. Funso Adegbola in He Gave Me Wings and She Gave Me Roots shares fond memories of their teachable examples. They showed true love in the way they related to one another. They made a lot of sacrifices for their children. They also extended their love to the needy and the vulnerable. The admonition of Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians meant so much to them: Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope and patience never fail Unconditional love was so cardinal in their household. Believing that communication and trust are fundamental in any meaningful relationship, they encouraged arguments and constructive criticisms in their home. Although Chief Bola Ige was unavoidably absent at the births of his three children, he was present in London on Sunday, 30 September 1990 when Kayode Adegbola, his first grandchild, was born. And when Ayotunde arrived on 15 December 1993, Justice Atinuke Ige was there to welcome her. The family spirit or what Funso Adegbola calls the value of family permeates He Gave Me Wings and She Gave Me Roots. In He Gave Me Wings, Funso Adegbola recounts the first and the last time her father ever beat her. She was a day student in Form 3 at St Annes School, Molete, Ibadan. The school had closed for the day and her fathers driver had come to pick her up, but Funso told the man she was not ready. She did not tell the driver she was following her schoolmates to buy a special St Annes delicacy that students called 4:2 (40 kobo worth of rice and 20 kobo worth of dodo). But the driver knew, so he went back home to tell his boss, who was then a commissioner in the government of Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo. The father, who thought that his daughter was in danger, panicked, left everything he was doing and came to the school with the driver. As soon as Funso saw her angry father, she knew she was in big trouble. When they got home, she was given twelve strokes of the cane. It is amusing that as Funso was crying, her father was also weeping because of the strong bond of love between them. Justice Atinuke Ige and her husband were protective of their children, but they were not helicopter parents. They were not tiger parents either. They managed to strike a balance between protecting their children and giving them space to realise their own dreams, their own aspirations. That was why they were overjoyed when on 7 November 1994, The Vale College, after eight years of planning opened its gates to its first set of students. Justice Atinuke Ige donated her house in Bodija as her own contribution to the school. Funso Adegbola turned the house into a hostel in 1994. The Vale Tutorial College occupies the building now called Atinuke Court. A Girls hostel is also named after her at the permanent site of The Vale College: the Atinuke Ige Hall. The feasibility study of the school was done by the first son of the family, Babatunde, who, unfortunately, died in his sleep on Thursday 22 April 1993 aged 30. Education was the first priority of these parents. The early fond memories that Funso Adegbola shares in He Gave Me Wings include being taught at 18 months how to read stories and plays. When she read newspaper headlines at 4, her dad was extremely happy. Their parents did not only take them out on weekends for swimming lessons, mum and dad took turns to read them bedtime stories. They taught them Yoruba culture, making sure the children learnt how to speak the language fluently, which they all do now, how to greet elders properly, and other proper ways of being Yoruba. Outside of Nigeria, they took them to theatres, galleries and museums, and bookstores. The father particularly lectured them on Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter; Peter Paul Reuben, the Flemish artist; and other artists on display. He also shared his love of popular and classical music with them. Despite her busy schedules, Justice Atinuke Ige never missed a Parents-Teachers Association meeting of her childrens schools. She also trained the children of her loyal driver and cook, and several other people. Funso Adegbola tells us in the two books how both parents left no stone unturned just to give her and her siblings the best education in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and America. After her first degree in Modern Languages at Essex University, Funso then studied Law at Bristol University. Just like her father, she thereafter registered at the Inner Temple. And Babatunde Ige, who had graduated with high distinction (magna cum laude) in Economics at the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle, also went to Essex University to study Law and, like his mother whom he resembled facially and temperamentally, registered at the Lincoln Inn. Muyiwa Ige studied Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago. Their parents taught them to be independent. Justice Atinuke Ige always insisted that her children must do their own share of house chores. A terrific cook, she wanted Funso Adegbola to learn how to cook but instead, Funso only learnt how to perfectly arrange for the best caterer in town to do her cooking. Maybe, one day, Mrs Ayotunde Salami, her daughter, who derives a lot of pleasure in cooking, will be kind enough to teach her the art of good cooking. For both parents, caring for and relating to extended family members is a necessary obligation. Growing up, Funso Adegbola and her siblings were well looked after by her maternal grandmother, Mrs Abiade Oloko. It was in her fabric shop at old Gbagi market that Funso learnt how to measure the yards of fabric with precision. In the absence of Chief Bola Ige, it was Funso Adegbolas maternal grandfather, Chief Samuel Oloko, who accompanied Justice Atinuke Ige to the hospital when it was time to give birth to her three children. In her old age, Mrs Abiade Oloko lived with her first daughter, Justice Atinuke Ige. Kunle Oloko, the last born of her father, a step-brother, started living with her when he was about four years old. He studied Architectural Technology in America. Although Chief Bola Ige was unavoidably absent at the births of his three children, he was present in London on Sunday, 30 September 1990 when Kayode Adegbola, his first grandchild, was born. And when Ayotunde arrived on 15 December 1993, Justice Atinuke Ige was there to welcome her. The family spirit or what Funso Adegbola calls the value of family permeates He Gave Me Wings and She Gave Me Roots. In Funso Adegbolas words: My dad, driven by his unique love of giving, was always eager to provide us with an abundance of whatever we desired. He truly enjoyed spoiling us. On the other hand, my mother staunchly rejected such notions, resolute in her determination not to raise children who were materially spoilt, oblivious to the value of money. She always insisted on the necessity of prudent decisions, calculated risks, and the difference between need and want. In her memory, The Vale College has instituted the Atinuke Ige Scholarship for brilliant public school students in Oyo and Osun states. Many of the beneficiaries, such as Dr Mariam Adeyanju of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, have become accomplished individuals. To conclude: while they were growing up, Funso Adegbola and her siblings were taught the importance of sharing their possessions with the less privileged. They were always encouraged to visit the Ibadan Home for Motherless Babies and donate gifts. The Ibadan Home for Motherless Babies was founded in 1960 by Mrs Rachel Olubukola Solanke who lost her husband after only four years of marriage. Mrs Solanke, who died in 1998, is described in He Gave Me Wings as the Mother Teresa of Nigeria, an ordinary woman who did extraordinary things. Funso Adegbola, who once served as the chairperson of the Management Committee of the Home, is now the Chairperson of the Board of the Ibadan Home for Motherless Babies. Her parents were very proud that she had chosen to continue with the good work of Mrs Rachel Olubukola Solanke. Even though Chief Bola and Justice Atinuke Ige celebrated in He Gave Me Wings and He Gave Me Roots are dead, the love they shared generously and the impact they made on their children and many people have created their immortality, for they now dwell in the hearts and minds of those who love them. Kunle Ajibade is the executive editor/director of TheNEWS/P.M.NEWS This is the text of a review read at The Vale College, Ibadan, on 19 August. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers attacked some villages in the Ningi and Toro Local Governments in Bauchi State and kidnapped 12 people, including a nursing mother. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the kidnappers invaded the villages in the two local government areas in separate attacks on Saturday night. The kidnapped nursing mother, Adama Abdulsalam, is a businessmans wife in Yadagungume, a town in Ningi. In Toro Local Government, a resident of Gumau, Musa Adamu, disclosed that the recent activities of bandits in the area are a source of concern to residents. Mr Adamu said the gunmen attacked their community and kidnapped one Babangida Danrimi and Saleh Jange. Business activities in the communities had already been crippled by the fear of bandits, Mr Illiya said. READ ALSO: In Ningi local government area, residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the residents of the towns and villages around the nearby Bura forest need urgent security intervention to curb the menace of bandits. Bandits have returned in different areas of Ningi local Government area and kidnapped six persons including a 20-year-old nursing mother and her baby, a community leader, Manu Garba, said. The bandits have reappeared again and are terrorising residents of Ningi 16 days after the security operatives from the state dealt with some of them. This time, they invaded and attacked three communities in the area within three days, abducting four persons in the process, Mr Garba stated. Another resident who does not want his name in print told PREMIUM TIMES that on Thursday night, gunmen attacked Sanger, a community in Kwangoro village, abducted one person and later called to ask for ransom. He said on the same night, gunmen also attacked Billiri Gorore Village in Lumbu and kidnapped two residents, Chibi Lumbu and Siba Lumbu. In another attack, bandits attacked Yadagungume town on Saturday night and abducted the wife of a businessman based in the town. When contacted, the Caretaker Chairman of Ningi local government area, Ibrahim Zubairu, confirmed the incidents and described them as terrible. Mr Zubairu said on receiving the report; he immediately mobilised the security personnel to the affected communities for rescue. We are putting efforts towards arresting the insecurity issues bedevilling the peace and tranquillity of the area. We have recorded great success in the fight against insecurity; before the recent attacks, communities within the local government lived in harmony for 16 days without any report of kidnapping activities, the chairman said. However, the spokesperson of the Bauchi state police command, Ahmed Wakili, could not be reached for comment. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Not many ministerial appointments have generated curiosity and reactions like that of the immediate past Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who President Bola Tinubu is giving the responsibility of running the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as minister from today (Monday). Reason: Mr Wike is a member of Nigerias main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The controversial former governor controls a major part of the PDP with many governors and lawmakers loyal to him. Mr Tinubu on Monday inaugurated Mr Wike and 44 others recently cleared by the Senate for appointment as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As FCT minister, Mr Wike can be considered to be equivalent to the governor of a state in the country. The capital city, with a population of over three million, more than those of some states, hosts the federal government and many strategic establishments and institutions. Mr Wike becomes the first southern Nigerian to occupy that position since 1979. The only other Southerner to have occupied the position, Ajose Adeogun, did so between 1976 and 1979 when the new capital city was still a project on paper. Mr Adeogun supervised the project from Lagos, the former federal capital. While the concept of a capital city in a no mans land was conceived with national unity in mind, successive administrations since 1979 had picked the ministers of the FCT from the North-west and North-east regions of the country. While his geopolitical alignment and party affiliation remain subjects of discourse, Mr Wike will be facing enormous challenges ranging from infrastructure, transportation, security and administration of the city and the satellite towns as he assumes duty. Many residents believe that the capital city experienced stagnation under his predecessor, Muhammed Bello, the longest-serving minister of the FCT. He held the position throughout the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023. Under Mr Bello, who is from Adamawa State, the territory struggled to keep street lights on, traffic lights barely worked, urban mass transit was nonexistent, and slums grew while abandoned projects littered the territory. Everything practically came to a standstill. The territory, many say, had its glorious days under Nasir El-Rufai who was minister between 2003 and 2007. Mr El-Rufai, who later became the governor of Kaduna State, brought sanity to physical development and transportation in Abuja. Mr Wike comes with a strong resume following his exploits as governor of oil-rich Rivers, where he was hailed for the infrastructural renewal of Port Harcourt, the state capital. However, being governor of a state and serving as a political appointee of the president pose different challenges. PREMIUM TIMES highlights some of the key tasks before Mr Wike as FCT minister and what he can do to address them. Administration of the FCT Abuja as the federal capital territory is a creation of Section 297 of the Nigerian constitution, which states that there shall be a Federal Capital Territory Abuja The constitution further states that the capital territory shall be treated as if it were a state. Therefore, the president and vice president shall be seen as the governor and deputy governor, the National Assembly has legislative power over the FCT, while the Federal Executive Council (FEC) serves as its State Executive Council (SEC). Section 302 of the constitution gives the president the prerogative to appoint anyone as the minister of the FCT if he so chooses, or act as the minister if he prefers not to delegate the role. 302. The President may, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 147 of this Constitution, appoint for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja a Minister who shall exercise such powers and perform such functions as may be delegated to him by the President, from time to time, the constitution reads. Mr Wike will face some administrative restraints in administering the city. Unlike the state House of Assembly which is largely under the control of state governors, the FCT committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate will have oversight over the new minister. The budget of the territory is approved by the two chambers of the National Assembly. Similarly, Mr Wike will be administering the FCT at the pleasure of the president, who has the power to sack any minister. During his tenure as governor of Rivers State, Mr Wike was known for his hard stance and straight talking. He was accused of demolishing buildings belonging to his political opponents. He will now need the support of the president to be able to take drastic actions. But Mr Wike is not new to the politics of the federal cabinet. He served as minister of state for education under President Goodluck Jonathan. Finance should not be a challenge for Mr Wike because the financial status of Rivers and FCT are similar. The last budget he signed as governor was N555. 66 billion while the 2023 budget of the FCT is N579. 69 billion. The dark streets of Abuja In the past couple of years, the city of Abuja has become darker as street lights stopped working and in some places, there are no street lights. The Umar Yaradua Road, popularly known as Airport Road, is the international gateway to the capital. Unfortunately, a large portion of the road is often dark at night. The City Gate, which is very close to the Mooshod Abiola Stadium, is unlit. Within the city, the entire stretch of Games Village-Galadimawa-Lokogoma-Kabusa road is always in total darkness at night. In some of these places, there are no street lights. In most places where road construction is ongoing in the city, there are no functioning street lights. Lighting up the city is low-hanging fruit for Mr Wike. Funding should not be an issue. In the 2023 FCT Appropriation Act, N12.3 billion was allocated for capital projects for facility maintenance and management and an additional N7.2 billion was allocated for overheads. Taming perennial flooding Some parts of the territory are prone to flooding yearly. It is therefore another challenge for Mr Wike. For instance, last year, FCTA marked over 100 houses for demolition at the Trademore Estate in Lugbe. The government demolished some of the buildings to end perennial floods that kept claiming lives and destroying properties. However, despite the demolitions, the flood again claimed one life this year at the estate. Experts believe that the reckless allocation of land, including wetlands and waterways, is responsible for the floods. Poor maintenance of the drainage system is another factor. Today we have houses built on spaces earmarked for roads, natural waterways, public utility lines and so on. We are grappling with a situation where plots were allocated in a manner that outstripped the capacity of the administration to provide infrastructure, the former minister said in 2017. Addressing the issue of flood will require drastic measures, including the demolition of structures built on waterways and wetlands. However, there is a court order restraining the FCTA from taking such action. Mass transportation and Abuja light rail In 2018, when former President Buhari commissioned the Abuja Light Rail project, residents were excited that the train service would reduce the cost of transportation in the city. Five years later, the train service has yet to commence operation. The former FCT minister promised that the train service will, at full operation, link most of the satellite towns to the city centre but that is yet to happen. On the watch of the former minister, the Bus Rapid System collapsed, and in the absence of a proper transport system, movement within the FCT became difficult. Some of the high-power buses bought with Sure-P intervention funds have disappeared from the roads. Due to the cost of accommodation in the city centre, most workers live in satellite towns. Some workers commute to the city centre daily from places like Abaji, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Zuba and Bwari. Some even live in neighbouring states like Niger and Nasarawa. Despite this reality, the FCT has no functioning mass transport system. The lack of mass transit is contributing to the high number of private vehicles and commercial taxis which in turn increases air and noise pollution. There is also the traffic gridlock along the Nyanya-Mararaba axis, the Gwarimpa-Kubwa axis and the Airport Road axis. The recent hike in the price of petrol due to subsidy removal has further increased the hardship workers are facing in the FCT. Transportation from Gwagwalada to the city centre is now about N1,000 while Lugbe to the city centre is N400, an over 100 per cent increase. Mr Wike must revive and expand the Abuja Light Rail System and also develop a robust bus transport (BRT) system that will address transportation problems in the FCT. Coincidentally, President Tinubu established the Lagos BRT system while he was governor of the state, hence, there is optimism on that front. To revive the Abuja Railway, Mr Wike may have to seek funding for the supply of rolling stocks and deport equipment. The federal government had in 2018 reached an agreement with the Chinese Exim Bank for a $157 million loan. However, according to the Debt Management Office, the Chinese authorities are yet to provide the fund. Kashim Ali, a former director of transportation at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), said the failure of the railway and mass transit is due to human factors, mainly poor management. It is poor management. Even people with small fleets are running it successfully. Our roads are good, so what is stopping people from running them successfully? Investors have not seen reasons to invest. What we have are individuals with bad vehicles. That is not what Abuja was designed for it is a modern city modelled after other big cities like New York and London. We have the urban transit routes, although some of them have not been developed but we have the corridors., he said. On the light rail, Mr Ali said the FCTA failed to order the rolling stock at the appropriate time but used the facilities of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to do the test run. He blamed the political leaders for the failure of the Abuja light rail. The permanent way was developed and completed. They needed the rolling stock. Unfortunately, due to human error, the rolling stock was not ordered as of when due. When they did that temporary running, it was done using the Nigerian Railway Corporation facilities and they have recovered their facilities and moved on. Then shortly, COVID came and the whole thing was shut down. After COVID-19, there was a discovery that the lines had been vandalised. The vandalism was extensive and you need to get everything in order before you can operate. And also, funding issues came in, he said. Abuja Water Board The territory continues to expand but the water infrastructure remains stagnant. While some parts of the FCT have pipe-borne water from the Abuja Water Board, a public utility company, a larger part does not have water. In the 2023 budget, FCT plans to spend N5.6 billion as recurrent expenditure on the Abuja Water Board with an additional N3.01 billion on capital expenditure, yet fast-growing places along Airport Road have no access to the services of the Abuja Water Board. Millions of residents depend on personal boreholes for their water, although FCT has been pursuing a Chinese loan for the Greater Abuja Water Supply which the former FCT minister said will cover 26 districts in the FCT. However, there is a problem with the funding of that project. In 2018, the federal government reached an agreement with China EXIM Bank for a $381.09 million loan for the budget, but according to DMO, the fund has not been released. There are also questions about the efficiency of the Water Board, which is one of the assets the Buhari administration tried to sell to finance the budget. Since it has not been privatised, making the agency efficient, by the incoming minister, will go a long way in ensuring access to water for the residents. Deteriorating security situation Despite hosting all headquarters of Nigerias security agencies, Abuja remains a place of security concerns. The capital city appears to have put the days of bomb blasts behind it. However, the territory recorded some daring raids under the last administration. There were reported cases of kidnapping in the satellite towns and villages. Also, black spots around the city centre have become a safe haven for hoodlums and petty thieves. Often, motorists are robbed during traffic light stops at night. The lack of proper mass transit provides the perfect opportunity for thieves who disguise themselves as taxi drivers (known as one chance) to rob people. Addressing the lighting of the city, comprehensive commercial vehicle registrations and provision of CCTV cameras could help. Although residents would be sceptical of another loan for the CCTV project as the country is still repaying the $484 million loan that was used to install CCTV cameras. Slow pace of projects During his Senate screening, Mr Wike talked about constructing 12 flyover bridges in four years in Rivers State this is one feat the people of Abuja will be glad to experience. The city was a giant construction site in the past eight years but residents will find it difficult to point to one delivered project. From Apo to AYA to Wuye, there are dozens of uncompleted bridges and roads causing avoidable hardship for the residents. Some of these projects have been going on for years. Completion of these projects remains a top priority for the residents. Growth of slums Behind the fancy buildings in Jabi exist massive slums. Same thing in the highbrow areas of Guzape and Jahi. The shanties are expanding as the city cannot provide affordable housing, not even for civil servants. To rent a single-room apartment within the Abuja metropolis costs an average of N500,000. Rent for a two-bedroom apartment starts from around N1.5 million in a city where minimum wage workers still earn N30,000 monthly. This high cost of rent is driving the expansion of slums within the city. Despite the fear of demolition and lack of basic amenities, thousands of people are living in these slums called villages because they cannot afford the rent in the metropolis and their income cannot support transportation to satellite towns. Mr Wike will have to consider means of dealing with these slums. These slums are symptoms of other underlying issues like widening inequality, a dearth of affordable housing, artificially induced high rents and an inefficient mortgage system. Fixing mass transit, building more affordable housing, and providing infrastructure in satellite towns are some of the measures that are available to the minister to stem the growth of slums. Satellite towns and bad roads As stated earlier, a large portion of FCT residents live outside the Abuja metropolis, and most of these satellite towns are struggling with dilapidating infrastructure as the towns are expanding faster than investments in infrastructure. For instance, because of proximity to the metropolis, estates are springing up daily along the airport road and other places, but the government has not been able to provide roads and other facilities in these new towns. The efficient utilisation of funds earmarked for the development of satellite towns will help with this. In the 2023 FCT budget, N74.7 billion was allocated to the department in the FCT that handles such. Better oversight of the six area councils of the territory may also help in addressing the development of satellite towns. Corruption in the allocation of lands and high cost of rents The former minister, Mr Bello, had in January described allocation of land as the most difficult task for the FCT minister, noting that land is becoming scarce in the territory. Secondary markets have become the major source of land. However, that market offers exorbitant rates. The failure of the allocation system has created a distortion in the housing market and consequently impacted rents within the city and other satellite towns. Even the allocation to developers for low-cost housing has failed to address the problem. Allocation of FCT lands has been the subject of several legislative investigations without any significant change. In the last assembly, Smart Adeyemi, a senator from Kogi State and chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, sponsored a bill to regulate rent in the capital city. Mr Adeyemis bill sought to end the annual rent and proposed monthly rent. But the bill did not make it through before the end of the 9th Assembly. Mr Wike may have to review the land allocation process and remove the corruption in the system. Emphasis has to be placed on low-income housing development through the use of cooperative societies. Park and Pay Policy The FCTA is set to resume the controversial park and pay policy in September following the recent signing of a partnership agreement with a private company, NAJEC Nigeria Limited. The policy, which requires payment for parking at designated places in the metropolis, was suspended in 2014 following the order of the FCT High Court in a case instituted by some residents of the FCT. Two weeks ago, the FCTA announced a new agreement that will revive the policy. Opinions are divided on the policy. Some argue that it will return sanity to roads in Abuja by stopping motorists from parking indiscriminately. Also, it is believed that the policy may end the activities of hoodlums that are creating parks and garages on roadsides. However, critics of the policy say it will bring further hardship from exploitation by the revenue collectors. All eyes will be on the new minister for the implementation of this policy. Across the board, two things are clear. The city needs revamping and Mr Wikes impressive resume recommends him for the task. But can he do it without political distractions? Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Kano State, North-west Nigeria, on Monday, banned protests allegedly being planned by the members of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) in preparation for the governorship election tribunal judgement in the state. Tension is high in the state over the planned outcome of the governorship election tribunal judgement as both the members of the ruling NNPP and opposition APC are optimistic about their candidates chances at the tribunal. The representatives of the NNPP and APC submitted their final address at the court on Monday, while the tribunal chairperson, Flora Azinge, failed to announce the date of the final judgement day as expected. Mrs Azinge had earlier accused an unnamed Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) of attempting to bribe her with N10 billion. READ ALSO: A Senior Advocate of Nigeria who has a pending case before me is attempting to bribe me. Money has been flying in this tribunal since yesterday. Whoever collects money on my behalf, God will punish that person and his generation yet unborn to the fourth generation. They keep abusing judges, insulting us every day in the papers, in the media that we are taking bribes. Let me repeat that nobody should approach me with money again. Im contented with what God has given me, and I have a roof over my head, Mrs Azinge announced in open court. Ban on the planned protests The police accused both the NNPP and APC of deliberate plans to foment trouble by sponsoring protests The police commissioner in the state, Muhammad Gumel, in a statement, said the command had banned all forms of protest to prevent possible clashes and uprisings. In consideration of the confirmatory intelligence products at the disposal of this police command, all forms of street protests are hereby banned across all parts of the state. Members of the public should therefore note that it has come to our knowledge that both the APC and the NNPP members are currently mobilising rented crowds in the guise of a Civil Society Coalition and without clearance from the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and prior approval from the security agencies in the state. Both organisers as well as the umbrella body should note that any attempt to disrespect NLC and the Security Agencies in the state by playing around with the fragile security situation, which the combined security agencies have been managing, is not only uncivil, criminal but also an offence against National Security. Checks have so far been conducted by this Police Command, and its revealing that some members of both two political parties are influencing the members of the Civil Society to embark on this decision merely as a result of their apprehensions and to pre-empt the judgement of the election Tribunal. Finally, this police command is ever grateful for the enormous support and cooperation it has been enjoying from the good people of the state for peace, security, stability and the overall interest of all residents, the police statement warned. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen, on Saturday, abducted eight members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) along a highway in Zamfara State, Nigerias North-west region. All the corps members were traveling inside AKTC bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to Sokoto State en route Zamfara State, to take part in the mandatory national service when their vehicle was intercepted along a highway in Zamfara, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. A source in the transport company confirmed the incident to our reporter, Monday morning. The source, who did not want his name mentioned in the report because he was not authorised to speak on the incident, said the corps members were 11 in number but that three escaped from the gunmen. Apart from the eight corps members, the driver of the bus was also abducted, he said. The corps members were offloaded (from the bus) and taken into the bush, he said. The police have recovered the bus. They left here (Uyo) on Friday, and slept over in Abuja. It was when they were proceeding to Sokoto that they were kidnapped, he said. He said the incident had been reported to government authorities and security agencies. A Facebook user, Malachy Blessed, at about 9:14 a.m. on Sunday disclosed in a Facebook post the identity of one of the abducted corps members as Emmanuel Esudue, a graduate of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Akwa Ibom State University. He said the corps members phone number has been unreachable since Thursday. Another victim has been identified as Betty Udofia. A Facebook user, Edidiong Richard, said the kidnappers have contacted Ms Udofias parents, and that they were demanding N4 million ransom. When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the police spokesperson in Zamfara, Yazid Abubakar, Monday morning, he said was going to verify the incident and get back to our reporter. This newspaper could not immediately reach the NYSC authorities for their comment as its spokesperson, Eddy Megwa, did not respond to calls made to his phone line. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen, on Sunday night, killed a retired police officer and his wife in Owerri, Imo State, Nigerias south-east. The man, identified as Sampson Owobo, and his wife, were shot dead by the hoodlums when they attempted to dispossess the couple of their bag which contained some amount of money, Punch reported. But when the gunmen, numbering about three, failed to snatch the bag, they shot the retired officer at his forehead. The attackers also shot the wife at her left-hand side, close to her chest. The incident happened at about 8 p.m. near the Owerri Area Police Command Office which also houses the Owerri Urban Police Divisional Headquarters. The couple owned a POS business in the area. Mr Owobo, a retired assistant superintendent of police, hailed from Edo State, South-south Nigeria. While the retired officer died on the spot, his wife was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, by some officers, but was confirmed dead by doctors at the facility. The attack forced many business owners in the area to close shop abruptly. The armed robbers fled and havent been caught. This is so bad, the paper quoted an unnamed source as saying. The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, has confirmed the incident, the newspaper reported. Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the police in the state had launched an operation to track down the killers. The commissioner of police (in the state) frowns at the killing of the couple and he has immediately ordered an investigation into their killings with the mandate to apprehend the fleeing criminals, he said. Worsening insecurity Like other states in Nigerias South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities. Some gunmen, in February 2022, abducted and then beheaded a retired police officer, Chris Kpatuma in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State. A suspect arrested in connection with the killing, would later confess that he and his gang members killed the retired officer because they saw him as a threat to their Biafra agitation in the South-east. Several persons, mainly security operatives and government officials, have been abducted or killed during some deadly attacks in the South-east, which have been attributed to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The group has, however, repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks. IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Nigerian government of using the Supreme Court to subvert justice for its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. The group disclosed this in a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, on Monday, which was forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES. Background Mr Kanu was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. The IPOB leader was later granted bail in April 2017. He fled the country after an invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the Nigerian military in September of that year. He was re-arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria in June 2021, about four years after he fled the country. The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on 13 October 2022, held that the IPOB leader was extra-ordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and that the action was a flagrant violation of the countrys extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights. The court, therefore, struck out the terrorism charges filed against Mr Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja. But the government refused to release the IPOB leader, insisting that he (Kanu) could be unavailable in subsequent court proceedings if released and that his release would cause insecurity in the South-east, where he comes from. The government, through the Attorney-General of the Federation, later appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order staying its execution at the Supreme Court. Mr Kanu, on 3 November 2022, through one of his lawyers, Mike Ozekhome, filed an appeal against the stay of execution order at the Supreme Court. But the court is yet to resume hearing on the appeal following repeated adjournments. IPOB kicks In the statement, Mr Powerful said the continuous adjournments by the court were stage-managed by the Nigerian government to keep Mr Kanu in the SSS custody and undermine justice. The spokesperson said the group received another information from Mr Ozekhome, SAN, that the court has again cancelled the earlier scheduled hearing on 14 September due to the courts annual holiday. He argued that the recent adjournment was against the Supreme Courts rules governing criminal trials. If the present intention of the apex court is not a rape of democracy and clear subversion of the course of justice, how could they have adjourned to 14 September 2023 without being guided by their diary, which contains the entire schedule of activities and holidays of the Supreme Court for the entire year? Mr Powerful said. The spokesperson argued that the stay of execution order in a criminal trial is both criminal and unconstitutional. He alleged that the Nigerian government colluded with some judicial officers in the Court of Appeal to reverse the court order which earlier freed Mr Kanu. READ ALSO: The style of successive adjournment basically at the instance of the Federal Government of Nigeria is to justify the illegal detention of our leader, which is clearly an abuse of judicial process. Our leader has been in detention for one year since he was discharged by the Court of Appeal. Yet, the government that appealed the decision discharging our leader is not interested in prosecuting the matter because they are aware that they will still lose at the Supreme Court, he said. He stressed that the IPOB leader was still being detained without any pending charge, which he contended, was against the Nigerian Constitution. Mr Powerful called on international governments and institutions to immediately prevail on the Nigerian government and the Supreme Court to hear and determine Mr Kanus appeal. If the Federal Government of Nigeria is no longer interested in prosecuting their appeal, our leader should be immediately released in line with the order of the penultimate court made on the 13 day of October 2022, he stated. IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A 27-year old kidnapping suspect has relieved the experience that led him into kidnapping for ransom. Abdullahi Adamu was paraded by officials of the Ondo State Security Network (Amotekun) on Monday in Akure. He said he was arrested during his first kidnapping attempt. Mr Adamu joined eight others to allegedly kidnap two farmers in Akunu Akoko, in Akoko North West LGA of Ondo State. The suspects were captured while allegedly trying to collect ransom from officials of Amotekun disguised as members of the victims families. I am fatherless; my father was killed by armed robbers, Mr Adamu said in Hausa through an interpreter. READ ALSO: He blamed his ordeal on destiny when asked why he took to kidnapping. The suspect said he is from Katsina State and joined a gang of kidnappers led by one Dogo, who is now at large. He said their last weeks attempt at making money from kidnapping was his first. The Corps Commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, narrated how the suslects were arrested. He said his officials arrested three of the suspects while disguised as family members going to pay ransom to the kidnappers. The three suspects arrested later led us to the others where they were holding their victims, and the kidnapping was foiled, Mr Adeleye said. The commander also said the agency, in collaboration with other security agencies, is working to flush out criminal elements from forest reserves in the state. One of the victims, Bello Audu, said he was in his house penultimate Friday evening when the kidnappers struck. Six of them came into my house, ordered me out of the house and walked me into the bush, he said They were also beating me as they were leading me away. He said he spent five days in the forest with them and was given no food during the period. The Amotekun commander said the suspects would soon be arraigned in court. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ogun West senator, Solomon Adeola, says he has identified the killers of his senior aide, Adeniyi Sanni, who was shot dead in Lagos in the early hours of Saturday, 5 August. Mr Sanni was shot dead while he was on his way home, and his corpse was later dumped close to a military barrack around the Toyota bus-stop, Oshodi. Mr Adeola, chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, said an investigation of the incident revealed that the deceased was shot by some yet-to-be-identified officers of the Nigerian Army monitoring checkpoints around the Ikeja axis of Lagos State. The senator made the allegation in a statement he personally signed on Monday and made available to the press. Mr Adeola said an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of his aide revealed that the soldiers stopped the deceaseds car at a military checkpoint around the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos and asked him to provide documents of ownership of the car he was driving. READ ALSO: The senator explained further that, at the time, Mr Sanni was not with the ownership documents of the car and therefore had to call his wife on the phone to send the documents to his phone through WhatsApp. Information available to him on the circumstances indicates that Mr Sanni was stopped at a checking point around Ojodu- Berger Area of Lagos on his way to his home at Isheri by security agents who asked him to provide the documents of the car he was driving, which he did through a call to his wife who sent all the documents to his phone WhatsApp. It was gathered that the wife called a while later, and the late Mr Sanni told him soldiers were still checking the vehicles paper. That was the last she heard from her husband, and the body of Mr Sanni, riddled with bullets, was later discovered at Toyota Bus Stop area of Oshodi, close to a military barrack, the statement reads. The senator called on the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, to direct an immediate investigation into the killing and prosecute any of its officers found guilty of the crime on the ground that killings and armed robberies have repeatedly been established against soldiers mounting late-night checkpoints around Ikeja. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The 2023 North Dakota Private Land Open To Sportsmen Guide is now available online at the state Game and Fish Department's website. Free printed PLOTS guides will be available late this month at most license vendors and other sites. The guides are not available by mail. The PLOTS program pays landowners who agree to keep their property open to public hunting. PLOTS land is marked by yellow inverted triangular signs. License fees paid by hunters fund the program. This year's guide features about 800,000 PLOTS acres, which are subject to change. Game and Fish will update PLOTS map sheets weekly on its website, at gf.nd.gov. CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten Oaks Group, a leading player in corporate carve-out and private equity services, is proud to announce the addition of seasoned professionals, Joseph "J.R." Mauricio, Jim Riley, and Vincent Celestino to its team. With expertise in M&A consulting, performance improvement, and technology & application modernization, these individuals bring an expansive range of transaction capabilities to Ten Oaks Group, further solidifying its position as a trusted partner in the corporate carve-out process. Joseph 'J.R.' Mauricio joins Ten Oaks Group with a decade of specialization in technology modernization, having notably contributed to the M&A field as a Senior Associate. Before joining the team, J.R. played an instrumental role in defining and delivering technology modernization initiatives across various sectors as part of Deloitte Consulting's Application Modernization practice. His expertise in streamlining processes, enhancing operational efficiency, and leveraging technology solutions will greatly contribute to Ten Oaks Group's offerings. J.R. holds an Undergraduate Degree from Texas A&M University. Accomplished M&A Professionals join Ten Oaks Group, Further Bolstering Transaction Prowess Post this Jim Riley joins Ten Oaks Group as a Senior Associate and Operating Partner, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the M&A field. Prior to joining Ten Oaks, Jim held pivotal roles at Alvarez & Marsal and West Monroe Partners, where he specialized in performance improvement, carve-outs, synergy assessments, and post-acquisition integration services for Private Equity clients. His comprehensive knowledge of navigating complex transactions and his strategic insights have earned him a reputation as a go-to expert in the industry. Jim holds an Undergraduate Degree from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Vincent Celestino joins Ten Oaks Group from Bain Capital, where he played a pivotal role in Corporate Development & Strategy for a portfolio company in the software sector. Vincent's refined strategic skillset, cultivated through his extensive experience as a management consultant at prestigious firms PwC and KPMG, where he specialized in M&A, uniquely positions him for his new role as Operating Partner. He holds an Undergraduate degree from the University of Buffalo and an MBA from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. "We are thrilled to welcome Jim, J.R., and Vincent to the Ten Oaks Group family. Their diverse skill sets and exceptional track records in their respective fields will undoubtedly enhance our expertise in navigating the intricate corporate carve-out transaction process," said Andrew Lovrovich, Partner and Director of Separation & Value Creation at Ten Oaks Group. "As we persistently concentrate on delivering innovative and strategic solutions through our carve-out process, their insights and experience will play an invaluable role in our pursuit of excellence." Ten Oaks Group has consistently demonstrated its commitment to delivering exceptional results for corporate players seeking to optimize their corporate carve-out strategies and enhance their business operations. With its latest additions, the firm is poised to further elevate its industry-leading position, solidifying its reputation as a trusted partner in complex transactions. About Ten Oaks Group: Ten Oaks Group is a family office focused exclusively on investing in corporate divestitures. It brings speed, flexibility and certainty to divestitures of non-core businesses that no longer fit their parent company's corporate strategy. Following acquisition, Ten Oaks Group leverages its experienced team of Operating Partners to manage the transition and separation process and implement operational strategies that reveal and optimize the underlying potential of each business. Each company within Ten Oaks Group operates independently under its own dedicated management team and receives management support services from Ten Oaks Management, LLC. Ten Oaks Group was founded by Matt Magan and Mike Hahn and has closed 25 carve-out transactions across 10 countries since inception. To learn more about Ten Oaks Group's unique approach to corporate divestitures, please visit www.tenoaksgroup.com. SOURCE Ten Oaks Group SUZHOU, China and ROCKVILLE, Md. , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and age-related diseases, today announced its 2023 interim results. During the reporting period, Ascentage Pharma remained steadfastly committed to its strategy of original innovation and global innovation, having achieved multiple milestones in key aspects of its business including commercialization and global clinical development. During the reporting period, Ascentage Pharma's revenue substantially increased by 49% from the same period last year to RMB143 million, with most of the revenue generated through product sales and commercial partnerships. The sales of the company's first approved product, olverembatinib (HQP1351), for the first half of this year, has substantially increased by 37% from the same period last year to RMB108 million, following the inclusion into the 2022 China National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) in January 2023. Also in January 2023, Ascentage Pharma successfully raised HK$550 million from an equity placing that helped strengthen the overall health of the company's cashflow. As of June 30, 2023, the company's cash balances were RMB1,580 million. Validating the global best-in-class potential of olverembatinib while boosting the drug's sales and exploring its therapeutic potential in additional indications Olverembatinib, a novel drug developed by Ascentage Pharma, is the first and only China-approved third-generation BCL-ABL inhibitor that has effectively filled the treatment gap in patients with T315I-mutant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Since receiving the approval for olverembatinib, Ascentage Pharma stepped up its effort to commercialize the drug and has since achieved a number of milestones. In January 2023, as a novel therapeutic supported by the National Major New Drug Discovery and Manufacturing Program, olverembatinib was included into the newly updated NDRL in China, thus greatly improving the drug's accessibility and affordability in the country. Olverembatinib recorded a total sales revenue of RMB108 million during the reporting period, representing an increase of 37% from the same period last year. Particularly in the second quarter of 2023, olverembatinib recorded a year-on-year growth of 153% in revenue and 560% in volume, a clear result of the booster effect from the NRDL inclusion. Furthermore, the company expects to receive the marketing authorization for olverembatinib in patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant chronic-phase CML (CML-CP) in the near future. Once approved, a broader population of patients with CML will be able to benefit from olverembatinib. Beside CML, olverembatinib is being evaluated in a range of additional indications. During the reporting period, the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved a registrational Phase III study designed to evaluate olverembatinib plus chemotherapy versus imatinib plus chemotherapy in patients with treatment-naive Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). This approval marks another important milestone in the development of olverembatinib as it could potentially pave the way for the drug to become the first TKI approved for the first-line treatment of patients with Ph+ ALL in China. At the 2023 European Hematology Association (EHA) Hybrid Congress, poster presentations featuring the latest results from two clinical study of olverembatinib for the treatment of patients with Ph+ ALL showed promising efficacy and favorable safety. Meanwhile, the clinical data of olverembatinib in pediatric patients with Ph+ ALL were published in a renowned international scientific journal for the first time. These results demonstrated favorable efficacy and safety olverembatinib in the studied patients. In addition to its broad portfolio in hematologic malignancies, Ascentage Pharma is also actively advancing the clinical development of olverembatinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). During the reporting period, olverembatinib was granted a Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the China CDE for the treatment of patients with succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who had received first-line treatment. During the same period, the clinical results of olverembatinib in patients with GIST was selected for presentations at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting for the second consecutive year. Results presented at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting showed impressive efficacy and manageable safety, including a clinical benefit rate (BCR) of 93.8%, in patients with TKI-resistant SDH-deficient GIST. Building a solid moat around hematologic malignancies as core drug candidate gets cleared to enter a global registrational Phase III trial While olverembatinib, the company's first approved product, begins to generate growing cash flow for the company, Ascentage Pharma is deepening its pipeline development in hematologic malignancies to build a robust moat around the therapeutic area. During the reporting period, another one of the company's core drug candidates, the Bcl-2 inhibitor lisaftoclax (APG-2575), was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enter a global registrational Phase III study in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), marking another major milestone in the global clinical development of lisaftoclax. In the backdrop of NDA approval and NRDL inclusion of olverembatinib in China, this milestone in the development of lisaftoclax underscores the drug's emergence as a strong contender in the global market capitalizing on the drug's global best-in-class potential, and highlights Ascentage Pharma's formidable competitive edge in the hematology field and excellence in global innovation. In the first half of 2023, Ascentage Pharma released the first batch of preliminary data from the Phase Ib/II study of lisaftoclax as a monotherapy or combined with ibrutinib or rituximab in patients with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting. These results showed an impressive overall response rate (ORR) of 100%, as well as favorable tolerability and manageable safety of lisaftoclax combined with ibrutinib in treatment-naive patients with WM, thus further validating the drug's therapeutic potential in hematologic malignancies. Deepening global innovations with rising global status As an innovative biopharmaceutical company anchored around original and global innovation, Ascentage Pharma has built a competitive pipeline of innovative assets with first-in-class and best-in-class potentials and is currently conducting more than 40 clinical studies in China, the United States, Australia, Europe, and Canada. To date, Ascentage Pharma has obtained a total of 16 Orphan Drug Designations (ODDs), two Fast-Track Designations (FTDs), and one Rare Pediatric Disease Designation from the US FDA, as well as one Orphan Designation from the EMA of the EU, for four of the company's investigational drug candidates, setting a record for any Chinese pharmaceutical company. Meanwhile, the company has further strengthened its intellectual property portfolio. As of June 30, 2023, Ascentage Pharma holds 468 issued patents globally, among of which 336 patents were issued overseas. Yielding from the company's global innovation strategy, several Ascentage Pharma's core assets are showing first-in-class and best-in-class potentials in clinical development and their clinical results have been selected by a series of major international medical congresses, an indication of the global research community's growing recognition of Ascentage Pharma's robust capabilities in innovation and clinical development. For six consecutive years, Ascentage Pharma has presented clinical results at the ASCO Annual Meeting. In 2023, the company presented results from four clinical studies of olverembatinib, lisaftoclax, the MDM-p53 inhibitor alrizomadlin, and the FAK/ALK/ROS1 inhibitor APG-2449. In addition to olverembatinib and lisaftoclax, the data of alrizomadlin were presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting for the third consecutive year. In 2023, the announced results of alrizomadlin further demonstrated the drug's clinical potential in patients with cutaneous melanoma that had failed immuno-oncology (IO) drugs. Furthermore, results of APG-2449 were presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting for the second consecutive year in 2023, revealing the drug's potential therapeutic value for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Additionally, results from three preclinical studies of olverembatinib, lisaftoclax, and alrizomadlin were released at the 2023 American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting and provided strong rationale for the future clinical investigation of those drug candidates. Steadily evolving into an innovative global biopharmaceutical company with solidifying leadership position During the reporting period, Ascentage Pharma continued to make major strides in its transition towards an innovative global biopharmaceutical company. After obtaining the Drug Manufacturing License (Certificate A) in 2022, Ascentage Pharma received a zero-deficiency report from the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance audit by a Qualified Person (QP) of the European Union (EU) in April 2023, which indicates that the company's Global Manufacturing Center and its quality management system are now fully compliant with the GMP standards of the EU. This is a big step in Ascentage Pharma's global expansion as it will propel the company further into its transition into an enterprise with vertically integrated capabilities spanning the entire value chain. In capital markets, Ascentage Pharma continued to garner broad interest and support. In January 2023, the company successfully raised approximately HK$550 million through a placing of additional shares that signified investors' recognition of the company's value for investment. On March 13, 2023, Ascentage Pharma was selected by the Shanghai Stock Exchange for the first group of new additions to the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, thereby making Ascentage Pharma a company included in both Shenzhen-Hong Kong and Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs. This inclusion further improves the liquidity and trading volume of the company's stocks. Dr. Dajun Yang, Chairman & CEO of Ascentage Pharma, said, "In the first half of 2023, Ascentage Pharma achieved multiple milestones and showcased its innovative prowess as our global innovation strategy continues to deliver results. The most encouraging one of those achievements is the inclusion of olverembatinib, a frontrunner among drugs supported by the National Major New Drug Discovery and Manufacturing Program, into the 2022 China NRDL and the significant increase in product sales that followed the inclusion. The steady growth of olverembatinib provides an important cornerstone to our commercialization efforts and another booster to our confidence. During the reporting period, olverembatinib was granted a clinical trial approval by the CDE, in a move that could potentially pave the way for the drug to become the world's first TKI approved for the first-line treatment of Ph+ ALL and allow the drug to benefit a broader population of patients. While expeditiously advancing our commercialization programs, we have made important progress in global clinical development. As the first Bcl-2 inhibitor that has showed clear efficacy and entered pivotal registrational studies in China and the second anywhere globally, our core drug candidate lisaftoclax was cleared by the US FDA to enter a global pivotal registrational Phase III study, taking another big step forward in the drug's accelerating global clinical development. This achievement highlights Ascentage Pharma's strength in hematology and our efforts to lead the way for fellow Chinese companies that are aspiring to expand their clinical development to the global arena. As a company focused on original and global innovation, we have presented research results and clinical data of multiple drug candidates at major international scientific congresses, wining broad recognition of our robust research and clinical development capabilities. We will continue to evaluate olverembatinib in additional indications and forge ahead with its global clinical development to allow patients worldwide to benefit from the drug as soon as possible. Meanwhile, we will accelerate the global clinical development of other investigational assets, including lisaftoclax, to fulfill our mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world, bring hope to more patients, and create additional value for our investors." About Ascentage Pharma Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK) is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B, and age-related diseases. On October 28, 2019, Ascentage Pharma was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code 6855.HK. Ascentage Pharma focuses on developing therapeutics that inhibit protein-protein interactions to restore apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The company has built a pipeline of 9 clinical drug candidates, including novel, highly potent Bcl-2, and dual Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitors, as well as candidates aimed at IAP and MDM2-p53 pathways, and next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Ascentage Pharma is also the only company in the world with active clinical programs targeting all three known classes of key apoptosis regulators. The company is conducting more than 40 Phase I/II clinical trials in the US, Australia, Europe, and China. Ascentage Pharma has been designated for multiple Major National R&D Projects, including five Major New Drug Projects, one New Drug Incubator status, four Innovative Drug Programs, and one Major Project for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases. Olverembatinib, the company's core drug candidate developed for the treatment of drug-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the company's first approved product, has been granted Priority Review Designations and Breakthrough Therapy Designations by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). To date, the drug had been included into the China 2022 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Furthermore, olverembatinib has been granted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and a Fast Track Designation (FTD) by the US FDA, and an Orphan Designation by the EMA of the EU. To date, Ascentage Pharma has obtained a total of 16 ODDs from the US FDA and 1 Orphan Designation from the EMA of the EU for 4 of the company's investigational drug candidates. Leveraging its robust R&D capabilities, Ascentage Pharma has built a portfolio of global intellectual property rights and entered into global partnerships with numerous renowned biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and research institutes such as UNITY Biotechnology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MSD, and AstraZeneca. The company has built a talented team with global experience in the discovery and development of innovative drugs and is setting up its world-class commercial manufacturing and Sales & Marketing teams. One pivotal aim of Ascentage Pharma is to continuously strengthen its R&D capabilities and accelerate its clinical development programs, in order to fulfil its mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world for the benefit of more patients. Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, Ascentage Pharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development. SOURCE Ascentage Pharma HANGZHOU, China, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At One Planet Foundation (OPF) and NIO's calling and participation, 75 pieces of Astronergy n-type TOPCon PV modules were sent to Qilian Mountain National Park to support the completion of the world's first photovoltaic self-consumption system with a V2G charger, commencing the third phase of the Clean Parks and WWF ecological co-conservation program after the system's operation since August 20th. An aerial photo captures the world's first EV PV self-consumption system with V2G chargers at Qilian Mountain National Park. Astronergy n-type PV modules generating green power at the world's first photovoltaic self-consumption system in Qilian Mountain National Park. Clean Parks is an ecosystem co-construction initiative advocated by NIO to support more nature reserves across the world in adopting smart EVs. As for now, NIO has helped construct clean energy infrastructure and formulate clean and low-carbon energy circulation to protect the authenticity and integrity of ecosystems under the initiative. With the support of ASTRO N TOPCon PV modules from Astronergy, the world's first photovoltaic self-consumption system at Qilian Mountain National Park could have an annual average clean power generation of about 670,000 kWh, which could 100% satisfy the electric vehicle usage within the protected area and simultaneously offering powers for 50% of other needs. All these green power outputs result in an estimated annual carbon reduction of around 53 tons. The V2G self-consumption station is now operational within Qilian Mountain National Park's long-term national research base, providing continuous support for ecological patrols and clean, low-carbon energy utilization within the park. Said Samuel Zhang, CMO at Astronergy, at an inauguration ceremony for the PV self-consumption system that Astronergy is working on to practice the slogan For A Greener World, biodiversity is one of the core insists of the company to help generate greener powers, to operate businesses and to support economic and social developments. Astronergy is happy and strives to continuously promote PV technology innovation to better serve power stations, promote biological sustainability, promote the establishment of a pollution-free, zero-emission, and high-efficiency new energy development society, and support green and low-carbon transformation, provide strong support for the development of biodiversity conservation, added Zhang. As a fresh new try of Astronergy for protecting biodiversity through green PV products, the project will be a new start for the company to cooperate will all possible parties to create a sustainable and net-zero carbon world. SOURCE Astronergy SEATTLE, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- After landing stateside two years ago with its US ecommerce platform, Australian, science-backed, fashionable women's footwear brand, FRANKiE4, is amplifying its presence in North America. The brand just rolled out wholesale partnerships with Nordstrom and J.Jill this month. Additionally, the FRANKIE4 US flagship store location will be opening in Bellevue just outside of Seattle, WA. this September, 2023. This will be a permanent location following the success of its Bellevue Square pop-up location which launched this past April. Since its inception in 2010 by podiatrist Caroline McCulloch, the award-winning Australian footwear brand has gained a cult following with its winning combination of patented, customized comfort and beautifully crafted (with LWG-certified leathers), stylish shoes. The brand has amassed almost 100K 5-star reviews, proving that customers' testimonies are intrinsically linked to a brand's global success. "We are so excited to announce our US wholesale partnerships. We know the customer experience is not exclusively online, especially when searching for the best, most comfortable footwear, and we want to make sure that we work with the most trusted North American retailers to provide additional touchpoints for discovery; we believe this step is essential for the brand's continued global growth," Cathy Barnett, CEO. The brand's upcoming Seattle store opening which will be located at The Bellevue Collection ; a 1,300-square-foot store that will showcase the brand's footwearsneakers, dress flats, sandals, heels and boots. Private, expert fittings are always offered for customers to have a customized experience. The location will also serve as a community hub for events including customer-led gatherings, beauty and fashion activations, philanthropic initiatives, private shopping nights, and more. FRANKIE4 on Nordstrom: https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/women/shoes?filterByBrand=frankie4 ABOUT FRANKIE4: Founded in 2010 by Australian podiatrist, Caroline McCulloch, FRANKIE4 has perfected patented technology and implemented it seamlessly into a stylish, well made shoe. McCulloch created the Sole Hero Footbeds which lifts, cradles and cushions the heel, while its arch support goal is to help with better lower limb alignment. Cleverly hidden in the design are two-zones of cushioning with the aim to prevent pain points. McCulloch also understood that no two feet are created equally and felt it was essential to develop customization so she designed the brand's proprietary Sole Saver Pack . It's a genius solution to help customers to mix-and-match according to their needs; whether that's for a narrow, regular, or wide fit. FRANKIE4 is also serious about responsible production. The unique forefront foam lining featured in some shoes is a special re-engineered textile made from recycled water bottles and the footbeds in most slides are cleverly crafted with rice husk (which is an agricultural byproduct that can create disposal issues). The brand also uses LWG-certified leathers, recycled cotton in shoe laces and recycled packaging. FRANKIE4 has been worn by Nina Dobrev, Jennifer Garner, Aubrey Plaza, Emma Roberts, Naomi Watts and others. Media Contact: Liz Zelkowitz, liz@house-of.com SOURCE Frankie4 ZURICH and OSLO, Norway, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Reltime, a leading Web 3.0 fintech specialising in cutting-edge payment technologies is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with GNB Swiss Investments AG, a pioneering financial institution known for its innovative solutions, Together, the companies are aiming to revolutionise the financial landscape by unveiling a world's first cost-effective and unrestricted Cross-border Payments with Global Impact. The collaboration between GNB Swiss and Reltime signifies a significant leap forward in the realm of international transactions. The underlying platform transcends traditional barriers, empowering individuals and businesses to execute cross-border payments seamlessly, efficiently, and without the constraints of geographic limitations. Established in 2013, GNB Swiss Investments AG is a renowned private equity investment and project finance firm based in Zurich. The company collaborates with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) regulated financial service providers, major telecom operators, and banks in 30 countries across the MENASA (Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia) region. Serving a vast network of over 2 billion users through its global customer network, GNB Swiss has solidified its technology reputation through the acquisition of patents, licenses, and cutting-edge technologies. "At GNB Swiss, we have always been committed to pushing the boundaries of financial innovation. Teaming up with Reltime to introduce a highly Economic & Geographically Unrestricted Cross-Border Payments is a testament to our shared dedication to providing transformative solutions," said Hani Salem, Chairman and CEO at GNB Swiss Investments AG. "This revolutionary milestone will reshape the way global transactions are conducted, fostering economic growth and financial inclusion on a global scale." Reltime's expertise in developing cutting-edge Web3 SuperApp and innovative services complement GNB Swiss' commitment to excellence, making this collaboration a natural fit. By harnessing the power of technology, the partnership aims to redefine the future of cross-border payments, addressing the challenges that have historically hindered swift and cost-effective international transactions. "We are excited to join forces with GNB Swiss Investments AG to introduce a solution that will change the dynamics of cross-border payments," said Marlene Julo, Co-founder and Chair of Board at Reltime. "Our combined efforts will unlock new opportunities for businesses and individuals, fostering stronger global connections and driving economic progress." Press Contact Reltime: Bishwajit Choudhary, [email protected] Press Contact GNB Swiss Investments AG: [email protected] About GNB Investments AG The private equity company GNB Swiss Investments was founded in August 2013. Our goal is to guide, structure and expand investors' access to different industries and to create a safe and trustworthy environment for professional investors. We are aware of the world trends in all sectors we operate at, hence providing clients with innovative Up-To-Date advice. We specialize in growth equity investments, project development and financing in a variety of sectors. As a sustainability-focused company, we invest in excellently managed, growing companies with proven business models and solid management. For more information, visit: https://gnbswiss.com/ About Reltime AS Reltime is revolutionizing the financial and digital services industry with its advanced patented Web3 platform. Reltime has developed its own Layer-1 Proof of Authority Blockchain with zero transaction and gas fees. The platform includes a range of applications such as non-custodian wallets, SuperApp, loyalty programs, payment solutions, lending services, QR codes, CBDCs and digital fiats, and utility tokens. Additionally, the Reltime platform provides customer administration features like eKYC, identity management, SLA, and reporting. By incorporating a decentralized identity, Reltime is driving the next generation of digitization in supply chain management, tokenization, asset ownership, and global trade. For more information about Reltime AS, visit www.reltime.com The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/reltime-as/i/reltime-gnb-pr,c3207380 reltime gnb pr SOURCE Reltime AS BTQ Technologies Corp. announces the launch of "The Quantum State" podcast, a deep dive into the latest in quantum computing led by renowned researcher Anastasia Marchenkova. The series, further bolstered by experts Professor Gavin Brennen and Peter Rohde , aims to make quantum concepts accessible, spotlighting cutting-edge research and innovations. and , aims to make quantum concepts accessible, spotlighting cutting-edge research and innovations. Available bi-weekly on major platforms and BTQ's official website, the podcast invites listeners to explore the transformative potential of quantum technology. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - BTQ Technologies Corp. (the "Company" or "BTQ") (NEO: BTQ) (FSE: NG3) (OTCQX: BTQQF), a global quantum technology company focused on securing mission-critical networks, is thrilled to announce the launch of its brand-new podcast, "The Quantum State." This podcast serves as BTQ's dedicated platform for exploring the latest insights, trends, and groundbreaking advancements in the world of quantum computing. Anastasia Marchenkova serves as the host of the series. A seasoned researcher, she boasts distinguished tenures at the quantum telecommunications and optics lab at Georgia Tech and the University of Maryland Joint Quantum Institute. Currently, she's deeply immersed in the realm of superconducting qubits. Joined by prominent quantum luminaries, Professor Gavin Brennen of Macquarie University, Sydney and a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre for Excellence in Engineered Quantum Systems, along with Peter Rohde, Honorary Senior Lecturer at Macquarie University, and the author of "The Quantum Internet" this podcast promises to be a nexus of quantum expertise. Each episode features enlightening discussions with regular guest experts from the quantum technology community, shedding light on the mysteries and possibilities of this burgeoning field. "Quantum computing is not just a trend; it's the next frontier in technological innovation. With 'The Quantum State', we hope to provide a space for enthusiasts, experts, and the general public to understand and appreciate the revolutionary potential of quantum technology," says Anastasia Marchenkova. Listeners can also look forward to exclusive updates from BTQ, as the podcast will regularly spotlight the company's own groundbreaking research and the latest in quantum product innovations. The world of quantum computing holds untapped potential, promising advancements that can change the way we perceive and interact with technology. "The Quantum State" promises to be an exciting and enlightening journey into this realm, making the complex world of quantum more accessible to all. Join the hosts and a panel of industry experts in a bi-weekly dive into the quantum realm. "The Quantum State" is available on major podcast platforms and the official BTQ website. For media inquiries or guest opportunities, please contact [email protected] Embark on a quantum journey with us by subscribing to The Quantum State Podcast: Website: quantumstate.media YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheQuantumState Spotify: The Quantum State Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheQuantumState About The Quantum State "The Quantum State," is a podcast exploring the latest research and innovation in quantum computing. Join us as we dive into groundbreaking breakthroughs, trends, and news shaping the quantum landscape. Discover the cutting-edge developments pushing the boundaries of computing technology. Through insightful discussions, expert interviews, and in-depth analysis, we unravel the intricate theories and real-world applications driving this transformative field. "The Quantum State" also offers updates from BTQ, sharing the company's research progress and innovative products at the forefront of quantum computing. Embark on this mind-bending journey with us as we navigate the realm of quantum computing, witnessing its potential to revolutionize our world. Website: quantumstate.media YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheQuantumState About BTQ BTQ was founded by a group of post-quantum cryptographers with an interest in addressing the urgent security threat posed by large-scale universal quantum computers. With the support of leading research institutes and universities, BTQ is combining software and hardware to safeguard critical networks using unique post-quantum services and solutions. Connect with BTQ: Website | LinkedIn ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Olivier Roussy Newton CEO, Director Neither the NEO nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. Forward Looking Information Certain statements herein contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to the business plans of the Company, including with respect to its research partnerships, and anticipated markets in which the Company may be listing its common shares. Forward-looking statements or information often can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan" or "may" and the variations of these words are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the development of post-quantum algorithms and quantum vulnerabilities, and the quantum computing industry generally. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks which may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, expressed or implied, by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include risks relating to: the availability of financing for the Company; business and economic conditions in the post-quantum and encryption computing industries generally; the speculative nature of the Company's research and development programs; the supply and demand for labour and technological post-quantum and encryption technology; unanticipated events related to regulatory and licensing matters and environmental matters; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws (including regulations respecting blockchains); risks related to the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 including, but not limited to, its impact on general economic conditions, the ability to obtain financing as required, and causing potential delays to research and development activities; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE BTQ Technologies Corp. CHICAGO, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CareerBuilder, a global leader in human resources solutions, is proud to announce the launch of Pay Per Resume, a groundbreaking offering that transforms the recruitment landscape. This innovative solution is set to revolutionize recruitment by providing an affordable and flexible alternative to traditional recruitment fees, making the hiring process more efficient and cost-effective than ever before. Pay Per Resume revolutionizes recruitment by allowing companies to pay only for the resumes they use, eliminating the responsibility of traditional recruitment fees and license costs. With this flexible approach, businesses have complete control over their hiring expenses, empowering them to make more efficient and cost-effective hiring decisions. Perks of CareerBuilder's Pay Per Resume: Affordable and Flexible: Employers can now optimize their budget by paying only for the resumes they actively search for and review, eliminating wasted costs. Employers can now optimize their budget by paying only for the resumes they actively search for and review, eliminating wasted costs. Faster Hiring: With access to CareerBuilder's resume database for all recruiters without license costs and limitations, companies can expedite their hiring process and gain a competitive edge in securing the best candidates. With access to CareerBuilder's resume database for all recruiters without license costs and limitations, companies can expedite their hiring process and gain a competitive edge in securing the best candidates. Access to a Diverse Talent Pool: Gain unparalleled access to tens of millions of talented professionals eager to join your team. With CareerBuilder's extensive network, businesses can tap into a pool of top-notch candidates who are ready to contribute to their success. Gain unparalleled access to tens of millions of talented professionals eager to join your team. With CareerBuilder's extensive network, businesses can tap into a pool of top-notch candidates who are ready to contribute to their success. User-Friendly Platforms: CareerBuilder's intuitive platforms simplify the process of browsing, reviewing, and shortlisting resumes. With user-friendly functionality, finding the right candidates becomes streamlined. "Pay Per Resume is a game-changer for the recruitment industry," said Jeff Furman, Chief Executive Officer at CareerBuilder. "We understand the challenges businesses face when it comes to finding the right talent while managing their budget. With Pay Per Resume, we have reimagined the hiring process, allowing businesses to find their ideal candidates with confidence and embrace a more cost-effective approach to recruitment." CareerBuilder has long been recognized as a leader in HR solutions and continues to innovate to meet the evolving needs of businesses. With Pay Per Resume, businesses of all sizes can now take the first step toward smarter hiring. About CareerBuilder CareerBuilder is a global talent marketplace that provides talent acquisition solutions to help employers find, hire and onboard great talent, and helps job seekers build new skills and progressive careers as the modern world of work changes. CareerBuilder has over 25 years of experience as a talent company using technology to place people in jobs, and it is the only company with both the technology, through its online platform, and the candidates via its job site, to create a connected end-to-end experience. CareerBuilder is majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. For more information, visit careerbuilder.com, and to learn more about our solutions for employers, visit hiring.careerbuilder.com. SOURCE CareerBuilder Summary Professor Pat Price is an academic clinical oncologist specialising in PET based molecular imaging, advanced radiotherapy techniques, translational research in oncology and medical legal issues in cancer. She is currently active in enhancing the uses of radiotherapy in cancer treatment both within the UK with advocacy through her Chairmanship of the charity Radiotherapy UK and its secretariat of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Radiotherapy (APPG-RT) and internationally through her role in establishing a Global Coalition for Radiotherapy. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Professor Price pioneered the use of PET molecular imaging for micro-dosing pharmacokinetic and pharmacokinetic studies of new cancer agents and developed one of the best insights into the potential of the application of this technology for oncology drug development. Professor Price established the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Functional Imaging group, developing strategic links between oncologists and imagers and guidelines for PET in clinical trials, raising more than 20M in funding and co-founded the PET based Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre with Professor Terry Jones at the University of Manchester. Now, in collaboration with the University of California, Davis, Professor Price is advising on the projected oncology and other clinical research applications of the Worlds first Total Body PET Scanner-EXPLORER Total-body imaging: Transforming the role of positron emission tomography. She was the clinical lead on the world's first study of in vivo PET study trafficking of T cells in Covid recovered patients and is now developing a radiation/immunotherapy based PET programme. Through the PET Research Advisory Company, she provides advice to organisations on current and projected future investments in PET. Cancer Radiotherapy She established the first Academic Department of Radiation Oncology at the Christie Hospital, University of Manchester in 2000, and in 2005 she founded the UK Academic Clinical Oncology and Radiobiology Research Network (ACORRN). This was re-launched in 2010 as the charity Action Radiotherapy, rebranding as Radiotherapy UK in 2021. It is the UK's only charity dedicated to improving radiotherapy treatment. She is Chair of the Trustees and the charity provides the secretariat for the UK government APPG for radiotherapy APPG | All Party Parliamentary Group for Radiotherapy. She also founded the Radiotherapy4Life campaign which was launched at a parliamentary event in February 2019 to fight for a world-class radiotherapy service in the UK, this campaign is supported by a coalition of UK stakeholders. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Price co-founded the Global Coalition for Radiotherapy (GCR). Initially, this provided an international focus on sharing the challenges and opportunities facing radiotherapy delivery during the radical disruption of cancer services worldwide caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and has resulted in a group of multidisciplinary international radiotherapy professionals, industry and the wider cancer community collaborating to find short- and long-term solutions for patients during in the Covid-19 emergency and continuing through the recovery. A GCR task force has supported radiotherapy in Ukraine and advised the WHO on a post war recovery programme. Currently the GCR is working on a radiotherapy essentials document for implementation within national cancer control plans. In July 2020, Professor Price co-founded the #CatchupWithCancer Campaign to urge the Government to catch up with the cancer backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. A petition with over 377,000 signatories was delivered to 10 Downing Street and the campaign has received almost weekly press coverage as well as being featured on BBC Panorama and Newsnight. In 2021 Professor Price was invited to join the Imperial College High Energy Physics department research programme LhARA (Laser-hybrid Accelerator for Radiobiological Applications) to support the radiation biology and clinical direction. She has been appointed Programme manager for clinical and industry impact. LhARA | Research groups | Imperial College London is a revolutionary, internationally leading system that uses a laser to produce high energy protons and ions. If successful this new technique will stimulate new research directions in fundamental physics, material science and radiotherapy enhanced immune therapy. Teaching and research activities Professor Price has trained 22 clinical research fellows in experimental medicine to research degree level (including 8 international awards). She lectures to the legal community and NHSLA on oncology aspects of litigation. She is the co-editor of the standard UK oncology textbook 'Treatment of Cancer', now in its 8th edition. Professor Price has more than 400 scientific publications and an H- index of 63. OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) is proud to announce the highly anticipated 3RD ANNUAL BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY on Saturday, August 26, 2023. This vibrant community event celebrates UNITY, liberation, and the rich history of Black resistance against systemic oppression. BOSS Bay Area 3rd Annual BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY this Saturday, August 26th from 11 am-3 pm @ Oakland City Hall! Post this The BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY is a free, family-friendly, celebratory event that brings together artists, service providers, and change-makers to commemorate the countless organizers, activists, and freedom fighters who have sacrificed so much in the struggle for Black liberation. With the theme of "UNITY," this year's event aims to inspire solidarity and collective action in our ongoing fight for social justice. Attendees can expect an exhilarating lineup of live performances, captivating art installations, delicious food from local vendors, and a Black Market showcasing the talent and creativity of Black entrepreneurs. The event will also feature resource booths providing information on crucial community services and opportunities for engagement. "We are thrilled to host our 3rd Annual BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY and create a space where the community can come together, celebrate the power of UNITY, and be inspired to continue the fight for liberation," said Satia E. Frazier-North, Communications Manager at BOSS. "This event is a testament to our commitment to uplift and empower our community, promoting UNITY and fostering positive change." BOSS invites media outlets, community leaders, and the public to join us at the BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY and help amplify the voices of those advocating for justice and equality. Together, we can build a future where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. Event Details: Date: Saturday, August 26, 2023 Time:11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Location: 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza - Oakland Admission: Free and open to the public More information: BLACK AUGUST PAGE For media inquiries, interviews, or further information, please contact: Satia Frazier-North, BOSS Marketing & Communications Manager [email protected] 510.925.5477 Follow us!! Watch Virtual Unveiling Here Instagram @BOSSBayArea Facebook @BOSSBayArea Twitter @BOSSBayArea About BOSS. The mission of BOSS is to help homeless, poor, and disabled people achieve health and self-sufficiency, and to fight against the root causes of poverty and homelessness. BOSS develops solutions to mass homelessness, mass incarceration and community violence and is dedicated to the inclusion of people marginalized by addiction, trauma, criminality, incarceration, poverty, racism, sexism, homelessness and violence. BOSS serves over 4,000 families and individuals every year at programs in Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward. For more information on BOSS visit www.self-sufficiency.org. SOURCE Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) SINGAPORE, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ChainUp, a leading global blockchain solutions provider, has been awarded three internationally recognised security accreditations - ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 and 27018 certifications. Following their announcement of the SOC 2 Type 1 achievement last week, attaining these highly-acclaimed certifications underscores ChainUp's dedication to maintaining stringent global security standards. ChainUp is now an ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 & 27018 Certified Blockchain Solutions Provider As regulations tighten, the demand for secure and compliant infrastructure continues to grow in the blockchain and Web3 industry. With an unwavering pursuit of excellence, ChainUp has meticulously designed a sophisticated framework focusing on information security, cloud computing security and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) protection, thereby recognized for achieving the international standards in managing information security. These international standards are published jointly by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The achievement of ISO/IEC 27001 signifies that ChainUp has put in place a system to manage risks related to the security of data owned or handled, and respects all the best practices and principles enshrined in this International Standard. Attaining ISO/IEC 27017 demonstrates that ChainUp is adhering to the most stringent cloud services security standards and has appropriate processes in place to manage any unforeseen challenges. ISO/IEC 27018 certification implies that ChainUp has met specific requirements, controls, guidelines, and code of practice to protect their customers' PII. These esteemed accreditations reinforces that ChainUp's cutting-edge blockchain solutions are ready for the customers' trust internationally. Sailor Zhong, Founder and CEO of ChainUp, said, "We are delighted and proud to achieve ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 and 27018 certifications. This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to meet the evolving security needs of our clients. ChainUp is dedicated to upholding international security standards, providing compliant and assured solutions. We will continue to empower businesses around the world to thrive in a secure Web3 ecosystem, contributing to the advancement of the blockchain industry." About ChainUp Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Singapore, ChainUp is a global leading end-to-end blockchain technology solutions provider covering infrastructure development and ecosystem support. We provide a complete suite of secure and compliant blockchain solutions including digital asset exchange, NFT trading, wallet, liquidity, Web3 infrastructure, digital asset custody, security token offerings and more. ChainUp currently serves more than 1,000 customers across 30 countries, reaching more than 60 million end-users. Find out more about ChainUp: chainup.com SOURCE ChainUp HOUSTON, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Commonwealth LNG announced today that it has signed a strategic agreement with Baker Hughes related to Commonwealth LNG's liquefied natural gas facility under development in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Baker Hughes will work with Commonwealth LNG on maximizing the project's output and minimizing emissions through the use of Baker Hughes' LM9000 aeroderivative gas turbine technology - the most efficient in the 65+ MW power range. The LM9000 equipment order is expected to be granted in conjunction with financial close of the Commonwealth LNG project, which is expected in the first quarter of 2024. The collaboration will also feature other key Baker Hughes equipment, services and software in support of the project, including its proven compressor technology, spare parts, maintenance services and Cordant Asset Performance Management suite. Commonwealth LNG views its relationship with Baker Hughes as vital to ensuring that Commonwealth LNG commences production in early 2027. About Commonwealth LNG Commonwealth LNG is an 9.3 MTPA liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal project located on the Calcasieu River at the Gulf of Mexico near Cameron, Louisiana. The project's leadership team is committed to building a world-class LNG facility by staying relentlessly focused on managing risk and lowering capital cost. Website: www.CommonwealthLNG.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonwealth-lng/ Media Inquiries : Commonwealth LNG Lyle Hanna Vice President, Corporate Communications Office: 346-352-4436 Direct: 281-794-9606 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Commonwealth LNG ATLANTA, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Diablo/Freud Tools, which offers a solution-oriented range of best-in-the-world, best-for-our-world products for the professional user, woodworker, and industrialist, announced that Russell Kohl, President and CEO, has been named a 2023 Most Admired CEO by Atlanta Business Chronicle. Through its annual Most Admired CEO Awards, Atlanta Business Chronicle recognizes Metro Atlanta CEOs with strong innovation in their fields, commitment to diversity, and significant contributions to the workplace and the Metro Atlanta community. DIABLO/FREUD TOOLS CEO RUSSELL KOHL NAMED TO ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE MOST ADMIRED CEO LIST Kohl joined Diablo/Freud Tools in 2000 and has since engineered the company's North America strategic division through outstanding operational performance, superior brand recognition, and an impressive rise in stakeholder value. Kohl's leadership stems from a "People First" motto, and by doing so, Kohl has formed a beloved culture and workplace. Kohl is an active participant on several boards and organizations including the Young President's Organization, Children Helping Children, Mount Vernon Presbyterian School board in Atlanta, Ga., and Metro Atlanta's Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors. Additionally, Kohl serves on Florida State University's Board of Governors (College of Business) and the Foundation Board and is a member of the College of Business Hall of Fame. "I am honored to be named a 2023 Most Admired CEO by Atlanta Business Chronicle," said Russell Kohl, President and CEO of Diablo/Freud Tools. "I am fortunate to lead such a strong and amazing team at Diablo/Freud Tools and couldn't be prouder to be surrounded by the best people and product innovation daily. This award means so much to me because of the love I have for my company and the Atlanta community. I am honored for this recognition and will use it as motivation to always keep the people of Diablo/Freud Tools first." About Diablo/Freud Tools Diablo/Freud Tools are the industry-leading manufacturers of premium cutting tools, abrasives and power tool accessories. Diablo Tools leads the way in the making of technologically advanced power tool accessories for the professional contractor, remodeler and other like-minded experts in its field, enhancing both quality and proficiency of the users craft; while Freud Tools is specialized for the elite woodworker and industrialist, continuing to break barriers in the creation of high-quality tools for precision, safety and user enhancement. Diablo/Freud Tools are the only manufacturers of cutting tools in the world that produces their own MicroGrain Carbide with titanium, called TiCo, a high-density combination of titanium and cobalt, and Cermet II, a ceramic and metallic tooth blend for extreme, cool cuts in metal applications. By producing their own carbide and Cermet, Diablo/Freud Tools has the unique ability to design each product to deliver maximum results in specific applications, thereby maximizing the cutting life and performance of the tool. Diablo/Freud's full line of high-quality tools includes saw blades, reciprocating saw blades, SDS-Plus and SDS-Max hammer drill bits, hole saws, self-feed bits, impact step bits, spade and auger bits, router bits, forstner bits, hole saws, bonded and coated abrasives, shaper cutters and more. For more information on Diablo Tools, visit www.diablotools.com. Connect with Diablo on Facebook (www.facebook.com/diablotools), Instagram (www.instagram.com/diablo_tools), Twitter (www.twitter.com/diablotools), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/diablo-freud-tools/), TikTok ( www.tiktok.com/@diablotools ), and YouTube (www.youtube.com/diablotools). For more information on Freud Tools, visit www.freudtools.com. Connect with Freud on Facebook (www.facebook.com/freudtools), Instagram (www.instagram.com/freudtools), Twitter (www.twitter.com/freudtools), (www.linkedin.com/company/diablo-freud-tools/), TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@freudtools), and LinkedIn (and YouTube (www.youtube.com/freudtools). Media contact: Leslie Agee [email protected] 404-217-2853 SOURCE Diablo Tools Urges U.S. Supreme Court to overturn dangerous and misguided ruling allowing abusers to own guns WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One survivor had a gun held to her head until she swore she would never leave him. Another abuser shot and killed his domestic partner with her five young children nearby. Still, another survivor was savagely assaulted by her son's father and hospitalized for a month, suffering from multiple brain hematomas, teeth knocked out and severe facial fractures. These are only some of the stories supporting an amicus brief filed today by nearly 60 domestic violence advocacy organizations from across the country asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that struck down three decades of federal law banning abusers under a domestic violence protective order from owning a gun. "We urge the higher court to overturn this misguided decision that prioritizes a dangerous abuser's access to firearms over the safety of another human life,"said Dawn Dalton, executive director of the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "The lethality of abusive relationships is best told by those who have experienced it. The stories in this brief are the experiences of survivors who collectively make up the fabric of our societyfamily members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. The Court must make safety its priority as the lives of survivors and the community are at stake." At issue is a ruling from a three-judge panel of the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in February that found the federal prohibition on gun possession for people subject to domestic violence civil protective orders is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. The 34-page amicus brief argues that removing that protection is tantamount to handing a gun to an abuser as it would eliminate the most tailored protection a survivor can seeka protective order. The brief focuses on the challenges of trying to survive an abusive relationship when the chances that the relationship will turn deadly increase when an abuser owns or has access to firearms. This first-hand telling of experiences from survivors of domestic violence collectively demonstrates that domestic violence abusers frequently engage in a pattern of abusive conduct that includes the use of firearms to control and terrorize their victims. Zackey Rahimi, a drug dealer and a suspect in multiple shootings with a history of violence toward the mother of his child, "is not a responsible, law-abiding" citizen and should be disarmed consistent with the Second Amendment's text, historical foundation, and legal precedent, the domestic violence advocates argue. His dangerous choices are "not uncommon amongst those subject to domestic violence orders." "Prohibiting abusers who are under civil domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms saves lives," said Melina Milazzo, deputy director of Public Policy at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). "When a male abuser has access to a firearm, the risk he will shoot and kill a female partner increases by 1,000%. The Fifth Circuit took away this lifesaving protection, putting millions of victims, their families, and their communities in danger. The bottom line: guns don't belong in the hands of abusers." Statistics show that prohibitions on people who have abused their intimate partners and family members make society safer. One survivor tells how her former partner used guns to control her. During their relationship, he frequently held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her if she left him and he threatened to kill their son if she reported him. "Over the years, the abuse became so bad that I did not want to live anymore," a survivor shared. "This is the only way I escaped. I realized nothing I did was going to save me. Either I was going to end my life or he was going to end it for me. He told me he would bury my body under one of his construction sites and that no one would find me. I believe he will try to kill me one day. I've had to accept this and try to live with this reality. The hyper vigilance and pain this has caused me is significant. I stopped long distance running which was a hobby I had since the second grade. I avoid going out at night or in the early morning, in general. I live in an almost constant state of fear." "What the lower court decision misunderstands is that this prohibition is not a removal of a right historically protected in this country," said Jason Stiehl, who is leading legal team from Crowell & Moring. "To the contrary, it reflects the historical preference of Americans to protect both individuals and society from further violence and harms to individuals judicially determined to be a dangerous risk. Nothing can make that clearer than the stories of survivors and their family members who liveor have lost their lives tothe daily reality of that risk." Another story demonstrates why survivors may not be comfortable seeking help from law enforcement. This woman's abuser was an auxiliary police officer himself. On one occasion the officer drove his wife to a deserted parking lot, held a gun to her head and made her promise to never leave. All the problems in their marriage were her fault. Or, so he said. The woman moved out and sought an order of protection, but the abuse didn't stop. Her husband kicked in the front door of the house, held a gun to her head, and told her to call 911 because after he shot her, he was going to shoot himself and "someone needed to come get their eighteen-month-old baby." When the abuser violated the order of protection, the woman informed the police department that he had access to a weapon, but the gun was never taken from him. Her abuser had no respect for the order of protection, telling her it "was just a piece of paper that he would leave on my dead body for them to identify me with." Domestic violence is not just an issue for individuals, the brief argues. It is a broad societal issue that affects every American from every socioeconomic class. As of 2022, approximately one in three women and one in four men report having experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. An average of three women are killed by a current or former partner every day. When looking at who commits mass shootings in the United States , between 2014-19, more than two thirds of the mass shootings in the nation were carried out by a shooter with a history of domestic violence or killed at least one dating partner or family member during the mass shooting. "Disarming dangerous individuals like the abusers in the stories told by these brave victims falls squarely within our nation's history and tradition of firearms regulation. The Supreme Court should do what is right and reverse the lower court's decision and uphold this nation's tradition of protecting its citizens," said Lyndsay A. Gorton, counsel and member of the Crowell legal team. The Crowell team included: Jason Steihl, a partner based in Chicago; Lyndsay A. Gorton, counsel based in Washington, D.C.; Eli L. Berns-Zieve and Idris Motiwala, associates based in Washington, D.C.; and Kevin D. Cacabelos, an associate based in San Francisco. "Research has demonstrated time and again the deadly intersection of domestic violence and firearms," said Gloria Aguilera Terry, chief executive officer of the Texas Council on Family Violence. "Over the past 10 years, the number of women murdered by an intimate partner with a firearm in Texas has nearly doubled. We fear for the many survivors at a terrifyingly high risk of being killed by a violent abuser with a firearm." About Crowell & Moring LLP Crowell & Moring is an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, and corporate and transactional issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service as well as its programs and initiatives to advance diversity, equity and inclusion. About the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence The DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCCADV) is the federally-recognized statewide coalition of domestic violence programs, organizations, and individuals organized to ensure the elimination of domestic violence in the District of Columbia. About the National Network to End Domestic Violence The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is a leading national voice for domestic violence victims and their advocates, representing the 56 state and U.S. territorial coalitions against domestic violence. NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority; change the way communities respond to domestic violence; and strengthen efforts against intimate partner violence at every level of government. About the Texas Council on Family Violence Texas Council on Family Violence is the only 501(c) 3 nonprofit coalition in Texas dedicated solely to creating safer communities and freedom from family violence. With a state-wide reach and direct local impact, TCFV, with the collective strength of more than 1300 members, shapes public policy, equips service providers, and initiates strategic prevention efforts. Media Contact: Dawn Dalton: [email protected] Lisa Winjum: [email protected] Rebecca Carr: [email protected] SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP HONG KONG, Aug. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DPC Dash Ltd ("DPC Dash", the "Group", or the "Company") (1405.HK), Domino's Pizza's exclusive master franchisee in Mainland China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China and Macau Special Administrative Region of China, is pleased to announce that it has been selected to be a constituent stock for the Hong Kong Hang Seng Composite Index, effective 4 September Launched in 2001, Hang Seng Composite Index, or "HSCI", is a stock market index of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. HSCI offers an equivalent of Hong Kong market benchmark that covers around the top 95th percentile of the total market capitalization of companies listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. The Index inclusion is expected to be a positive catalyst for the Group to further broaden its shareholder base. COMPANY STATEMENT Ms. Aileen Wang, CEO & Executive Director of DPC Dash commented, "We are very pleased to be one of the new additions to the Hang Seng Composite Index." Ms. Wang added, "to be recognized by the market and by the Hang Seng Index is yet another major milestone for DPC Dash and we will continue to build on this momentum." Ms. Wang further added, "We believe inclusion into the index would further enhance the group's brand and reputation with added appeal to investors worldwide." About DPC Dash Ltd DPC Dash Ltd is Domino's Pizza's exclusive master franchisee in the China mainland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China and the Macau Special Administrative Region of China. Domino's Pizza, Inc., DPC Dash Ltd's global franchisor, is one of the most widely recognized global consumer brands and the world's largest pizza company. Led by a seasoned and visionary management team, DPC Dash Ltd is a market leader that differentiates from competitors with, among others, a continually developed and localized pizza-focused menu, unique expertise and leadership in delivery, technology focus and scalable and replicable store economic model. DPC Dash Ltd directly operates 672 stores across 20 cities in China mainland as of June 30, 2023. The Company is the fastest growing among China's top-five pizza brands, as well as the third largest in terms of 2022 revenue, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan in March 2023. For more information, please visit www.dpcdash.com CONTACTS DPC Dash Ltd Investor Relations: ICR, LLC [email protected] DPC Dash Ltd Media Relations: ICR, LLC [email protected] SOURCE DPC Dash Ltd CHENGDU, China, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EaseUS, a leading provider of data recovery, file backup, and disk management solutions, discovers that many users find it challenging to make an informed decision while choosing a hard drive as the market is constantly evolving and introducing new hard drives. Additionally, these users usually struggle to allocate and manage their hard drive space properly. EaseUS Disk& Drives& Usage& Stats& Report With this background, EaseUS surveyed 207,797 users and 754,142 hard drives, including 346,477 SSDs, 200,818 HDDs, and 206,847 USB drives, on disk selection and usage preferences and obtained two industry data reports - EaseUS Disk Drives Stats 1 and EaseUS Disk Drives Stats 2, which aims to provide guidance or conduct thorough research to teach users how to select an adequate hard drive that meets their growing demands. In the investigation process, we first thoroughly analyzes the size, BUS type, brand, and speed of hard drives, SSDs, and USBs. And then we further explored how users utilize their hard drives and allocate the space, including the average number of hard drives owned by users, system disk type and C partition size, partition type, and Windows system that applies. Users can refer to these details in the report to gain insights into the technical specifications, usage patterns, and trends related to hard drives. EaseUS Disk Drives Stats 1 (Size/Brands/Type) for 2023 The first report reveals that Kingston and Samsung are the most popular brands for SSDs, Seagate and Toshiba for HDDs, and Kingston and SanDisk for USB disks. SSDs were found to have the fastest speed, and the report recommends using HDDs for data storage, SSDs for systems and games, and USB disks for data backup. About 40.67% HDD users choose a capacity of 512GB - 1 TB, while 28.96% of the total SSD users prefer the capacity between 256GB and 512GB. For high hard disk speed, we recommend TOSHIBA - KXG6AZNV1T02 - $199(1TB) and Crucial - CT2000T700SSD3 -$235(1TB) after running the disk speed test. EaseUS Disk Drives Stats 2 (Disk Number/Disk Types/C Drive Size) for 2023 The second report shows that over 60% of computer users use multiple hard disks, with most reserving 64GB to 512GB for the C drive. Over 70% choose SSD as their system disk, and over 50% prefer GPT for partitioning. The report suggests allocating sufficient space for the C drive, using an SSD for better performance, switching to GPT, and ensuring compatibility when upgrading to Windows 11. A hard drive is like a computer's warehouse, commonly used as the primary storage media to store various data such as systems, games, software, and photos. Having a high-quality hard drive can significantly improve system performance, offer bigger storage capacity, and enhance data security. These benefits can contribute to a smoother and more efficient computing experience. For additional information on disk selection, performance, and maintenance, you can visit the EaseUS website: https://www.easeus.com; SOURCE EaseUS Software BATON ROUGE, La., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EFCU Financial is pleased to announce the selection of Tom Kuslikis as the Credit Union's new Chief Executive Officer. Kuslikis will be joining the Credit Union in September. Tom Kuslikis "We are excited at EFCU Financial to welcome Tom to our wonderful Credit Union and continue growing the value we deliver to our members who trust us every day," said Darrell Langlois, Board Chair. "Tom was selected because of his strong career in the financial sector, and we believe with his leadership, EFCU Financial will continue to grow and serve our members with the best products in the market." Kuslikis has spent the last ten years with the University of Michigan Credit Union (UMCU), most recently as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). UMCU is a $1.4 billion credit union that serves over 114 thousand members. He is a dedicated member of the community, serving on multiple boards and industry-related committees, including the Michigan Credit Union League and Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan. Kuslikis holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. His extensive experience will serve the members of EFCU Financial well. When asked about his new position, Tom said, "I am thrilled to have been selected as the next President and Chief Executive Officer of EFCU Financial. This Credit Union has an amazing board and team, and I believe that together we can build on an already great Credit Union. I am looking forward to serving EFCU Financial's members, team members and the Greater Baton Rouge community." Tom is the latest CEO in EFCU Financials' 88 Years of operation, succeeding Tyler Grodi, who served as Chief Executive Officer for the past 11 years. About EFCU Financial In the midst of the Great Depression in the 1930s, people sought relief from economic devastation. Credit unions began to develop across the U.S. with a shared motto of "People Helping People." In response to this effort, Congress passed the Federal Credit Union Act in 1934. After, EFCU Financial was established in Baton Rouge, Louisiana as only the 13th chartered credit union in the entire country. One hundred seventy-eight original members invested a total of $941.70 to get the credit union off the ground. Our original name, Stanocola Processing Employee's Federal Credit Union, reflected our charter's sponsor and our mission - to manage the banking needs of our community's new and growing middle class by providing financial services to the employees of Stanocola Processing Plant (now Exxon). For More Information Visit: https://www.efcufinancial.org/about-us/. For More Information, Contact: Sarah Hilton, SVP of D. Hilton Associates 800.367.0433 x 133 SOURCE EFCU Financial Epsilor's COMBATT NATO 6T type Li-Ion vehicle battery to be integrated in HDA's $1 billion contract with the Australian Government acquiring self-propelled artillery systems for the Land 8116 Phase 1 program BEIT SHEMESH, Israel, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Epsilor, a world-recognized developer and manufacturer of smart batteries, charging systems, wearable power and communication systems for high-reliability applications, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA) for the supply of NATO 6T type Li-Ion vehicle batteries for LAND 8116 Phase 1 Protected Mobile Fires program, Huntsman vehicles over the next several years. Epsilor's COMBATT line of vehicle batteries provides the highest energy density in the market. Epsilor offers 2 types of 6T batteries: Li-Ion and LiFePO 4 . Epsilor provides modern combat vehicle batteries with sufficient energy and high-power rates while operating numerous onboard electronic systems that require extensive and continuous electric power, including manned and unmanned turrets, missile launchers, radars and active protection systems, jammers, situational awareness and C3 systems, air conditioning and other power consumers. "Epsilor is pleased to mark another strategic milestone in this cooperation with Hanwha Defense Australia, which not only equips modern combat vehicles with sufficient energy and high-power rates but also showcases Epsilor's cutting-edge developments, extending its already well-known capabilities," said Epsilor's President Ronen Badichi. "Epsilor's 6T batteries were chosen to be integrated into this momentous project based on our proven technological and engineering capabilities as well as our industry leading battery capacity." "The Australian Market has become more and more significant to Epsilor's global marketing activities" said Hagai Shmuel, Epsilor VP of Marketing. About Epsilor Epsilor is a globally recognized developer and manufacturer of custom and standard batteries, chargers and mobile power systems for the defense, medical, aerospace, industrial and marine markets. The company offers a wide variety of electro-chemistries, smart electronics and sophisticated battery management systems (BMS). The company's products have won several awards for their innovation and smart operational approach. About Hanwha Defense Australia Hanwha Defense Australia is a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, a division of the vast Republic of Korea Fortune 500 conglomerate Hanwha Corporation. Hanwha Corporation has been operating in Australia since 2005 in areas including mining equipment, logistics and sustainable energy. Headquartered in Melbourne, Hanwha Defense Australia was established in 2019 with an initial focus on Land Systems. The company signed a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia to supply self-propelled artillery systems under LAND 8116, a $0.9 billion to $1.3 billion project. The company was also recently announced as the preferred tenderer for LAND 400 Phase 3 to supply the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) to the Australian Army. These vehicles will be manufactured in the Greater Geelong area of Victoria at the HDA Armoured vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE), Avalon, now under construction. Epsilor will showcase it's COMBATT 6T product line at DSEI during September 12-14 come meet us at booth H4-701 and book a meeting with us there. To learn more, visit Epsilor at www.epsilor.com or follow Epsilor on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Contact Person Merav Kolody Shubeli Director, Sales and Marketing Epsilor [email protected] +972-528600364 Schedule a meeting with Merav Shubeli at DSEI 2023 SOURCE Epsilor How MyntExchange Can Revolutionize Micro Investing REYKJAVIK, Iceland, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Exploring the Rise of Micro-Investing Micro-investing apps have revolutionized the world of investing, making it more accessible and inclusive to a wider audience. These innovative platforms allow everyday individuals to enter the world of investing with minimal barriers. This article explores the concept of micro-investing, delving into its benefits, popular apps available, considerations for choosing the right platform, potential risks, and future implications for traditional investing. 1. Introduction: The Growing Popularity of Micro-Investing Apps With the rise of technology, investing is no longer just for the privileged few who have deep pockets or a background in finance. Micro-investing apps have made investing more accessible, affordable, and user-friendly than ever before. They allow individuals to start investing with small amounts of money, often as little as a few dollars. Micro-investing apps have leveled the playing field and opened up investing to all. 2. Understanding Micro-Investing: A Revolution in Investment Accessibility Micro-investing refers to the practice of investing small amounts of money into various assets such as stocks, bonds, or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It allows individuals to gradually build their investment portfolio over time, even if they can only spare a few dollars each month. 3. The Benefits of Micro-Investing: Empowering Individuals to Start Investing Low Barrier of Entry Micro-investing has a low barrier of entry, allowing individuals to start investing with as little as a few dollars. This makes investing accessible to individuals of all income levels and encourages a savings habit, even if it's on a small scale. Fractional Shares and Diversification Fractional shares enable you to diversify your investments more easily by spreading your money across multiple stocks or funds, reducing the risk associated with investing in a single asset. Automating Investments and the Power of Compound Interest Micro-investing apps often offer features that allow you to automate your investments, helping you build your investment over time without having to actively monitor the market. Additionally, by investing regularly, you tap into the power of compound interest, where your earnings generate even more earnings. 4. Exploring Popular Micro-Investing Apps: Features and Benefits Micro-investing apps like App A, B, and C offer a user-friendly interface and investment options like stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrency. They also allow you to set up automatic investments and enjoy the benefits of fractional shares. 5. Considerations for Choosing a Micro-Investing App: Security and Fees When choosing a micro-investing app, consider the security measures and account protection they offer. Additionally, be cautious of any hidden costs that may eat into your returns. 6. Challenges and Risks of Micro-Investing Market volatility and risk management, lack of personalized guidance and financial education, and regulatory challenges and legal considerations are some of the challenges and risks of micro-investing. 7. The Future of Micro-Investing: Trends and Potential Impact on Traditional Investing Micro-investing is expected to become even more mainstream as technology advances and financial services become increasingly digitized. Traditional financial institutions are being challenged to adapt to the changing preferences and demands of younger, tech-savvy investors. Additionally, financial advisors must adapt their approach to accommodate clients who may have started their investment journey through micro-investing apps. MyntExchange is a revolutionary investment platform that is democratizing access to investment opportunities and changing the way people think about micro investing. Built on Blockchain Technology MyntExchange is built on blockchain technology, which provides increased security and transparency for investors. It also allows for fractional ownership, meaning that investors can buy and sell small portions of assets, rather than having to buy the entire asset. Low Fees One of the key benefits of MyntExchange is its low fees. Traditional investment platforms often charge high fees for transactions and management, which can eat into the profits of small investors. MyntExchange, on the other hand, charges minimal fees, making it accessible to investors of all sizes. Diverse Investment Opportunities Perhaps most importantly, MyntExchange provides access to a diverse range of investment opportunities. This includes traditional assets such as stocks and bonds, as well as alternative investments like real estate and private equity. By offering a wide range of investment options, MyntExchange empowers investors to create diversified portfolios that can help to mitigate risk and maximize returns. Conclusion In conclusion, MyntExchange is a game-changing platform that is opening up the world of investing to a new generation of investors. By providing low fees, fractional ownership, a user-friendly interface, and access to a diverse range of investment opportunities, MyntExchange is revolutionizing the way people think about micro investing. Whether you are a seasoned investor or just starting out, MyntExchange is a platform worth exploring. CONTACT: MyntExchange Get in touch Listing Your Company The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Public/22698/3820275/945398a20d701b11_org.png Micro investing with MyntExchange SOURCE Myntexchange Heist flicks are a dime a dozen in Hollywood, but it takes plenty of imagination, smarts, and talent to make a good one. For every classic like The Asphalt Jungle, The Killing, Reservoir Dogs, and even the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven, there are three or four or more mediocre heist films that follow the formula but lack the goods to make them great. Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round is a prime example. Writer-director Bernard Girard's hip, very '60s-ish caper movie walks the walk, but too much style, not enough substance, and a very convoluted plot wind up sabotaging this slick but sluggish crime yarn. The film follows the escapades of Eli Kotch (James Coburn), a lovable con man who changes guises as often as he changes clothes. We first meet him in jail, charming a gorgeous prison psychologist with bogus stories about his tortured youth. The tall tales work their magic and he seduces the doctor, body and soul, to win parole. Yet after a night or two of passion on the outside, Eli leaves the shapely shrink for his one and only true love - money - and though he pursues plenty of other warm-blooded, voluptuous females during the course of Bernard Girard's comically-tinged caper (including one who tries her breathy best to sound like Marilyn Monroe), it's the pursuit of cold hard cash that really fuels Eli's inner engine. Eli may act like Don Juan, but for him, women are merely rungs on a ladder that he hopes will lead to a big ol' pot of gold. The particular pot that obsesses Eli doesn't lie at the end of a rainbow, but rather deep inside a bank vault at the Los Angeles airport...and like Frank Sinatra in the original Ocean's Eleven, he enlists the services of every friend and associate he can scrounge to help him knock it off. Trouble, however, threatens the mission's success. A visiting Soviet dignitary is scheduled to arrive at the airport the same day as the planned heist, so security is airtight. Or is it? Eli, of course, has a master plan and won't let anything as trivial as Cold War politics interfere. He might even use the international summit to his advantage... All this sounds exciting, but Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round never reaches the dizzying speed necessary to make it work. Director Girard (who also wrote the script) tries hard to make Eli a blue-collar, rogue James Bond, but the character remains too low-key to capture our fancy. Ditto the complex, maddeningly oblique plot, which demands attention while dulling our senses with its painstaking pace. The sketchy details make motivations difficult to discern and the story tough to follow, and while I certainly enjoy a challenging cinematic jigsaw puzzle, when all was said and done, this particular brainteaser didn't seem to merit my effort. Girard's light touch and subtle, sardonic comedy add a refreshing spin to Eli's shenanigans, but still don't provide the necessary zip to propel the narrative. Coburn puts his considerable talents to good use, striking just the right casual tone and spicing his character with an intriguing duplicity that keeps the viewer off-guard - although how he could find money more attractive than Camilla Sparv is beyond my comprehension. (Sparv would win the 1967 Golden Globe Award as Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in this film, but despite a couple of notable credits, including starring opposite Robert Redford in Downhill Racer, her career never really took off.) Coburn can't save Dead Heat by himself, but his finely tuned performance adds interest to the film. Aldo Ray and Robert Webber lend solid support and The Dick Van Dyke Show's Rose Marie crops up briefly as a rich socialite who falls prey to one of Eli's scams. The film's biggest surprise is the debut of Harrison Ford in a bit part as a bellhop. Looking surprisingly skinny and baby-faced, the 24-year-old actor winningly flaunts the half-cocked grin and twinkling eyes that would one day make him a star. Despite its amiable premise and early promise, Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round never involved me like I thought and hoped it would. Throughout the film I felt I was riding a trance-inducing carousel instead of the far more thrilling roller coaster I anticipated. And while a clever and ironic twist ending provides a potent finish, I found the payoff to be too little too late. Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case inside a matte-finish sleeve. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it. Inaugural Denver metro area conference urges firefighters of all career levels to take charge of their well-being DENVER, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Firepower X ( https://www.firepowerx.com/ ) organizers are pleased to announce its world-class speaker lineup and event details for the upcoming conference on October 6th at Rockleys Event Center. As Denver's first fire conference dedicated solely to preventative mental health, Firepower X is a rebellion against dry clinical advice, depressing PTSD statistics, and career burnout. "Firepower X breaks free from traditional norms by embracing a bold and unapologetically badass new era of wellness called 'self-command' to foster a culture of well-being within the fire service," said Jess Ward, founder of Firepower X and CEO of Athinka. "Developing a sense of inner authority is crucial when handling such high levels of stress." Key highlights of the Firepower X conference include: Impactful sessions that challenge conventional thinking: Renowned speakers and industry pioneers will share unconventional approaches and disruptive strategies that have the power to transform the way firefighters approach their well-being. Confirmed speakers include: Aaron Fields , head instructor for the Nozzle Forward program. , head instructor for the Nozzle Forward program. Jason Patton , creator of social media series, Fire Department Chronicles. , creator of social media series, Fire Department Chronicles. Greg Pixley , director of the Denver Fire Department peer support team. , director of the Fire Department peer support team. Tim Sendelbach , fire chief for Loveland Fire Rescue Authority. , fire chief for Fire Rescue Authority. Diane Schroeder , national speaker and podcast host of The Fire Inside Her. , national speaker and podcast host of The Fire Inside Her. Michael West , fire chief for Front Range Fire Rescue. , fire chief for Front Range Fire Rescue. Ben O'Brien , firefighter and peer support team training coordinator. , firefighter and peer support team training coordinator. Megan Grimes , board member for Front Range Rescue Dogs. Biergarten social: Break away from traditional networking events with dynamic interactions and engaging conversations. Firepower X's biergarten social will ignite connections and spark collaborations among like-minded firefighters who are unafraid to break the mold. Find your tribe beyond your department. First responder support: A portion of proceeds from the conference will be allocated to building a virtual portal for firefighters to access ongoing self-command content and wellness resources. Community members are welcome to get involved by sponsoring a firefighter, with all donations earmarked as scholarships for firefighters to attend the event at reduced cost. Registration is now open, but space is limited: Early bird tickets are available until September 4, 2023. The conference also offers group discounts for departments who purchase four or more tickets. Volunteer opportunities are available for those looking to attend the event for free. To learn more, please visit: https://www.firepowerx.com/ . "People should always look to add new skills, ideas and resources to their repertoires, particularly when trying to get to that next level of leadership," said Greg Pixley, director of the Denver Fire Department peer support team. "Firepower X is a great opportunity for us, as a group of like minded individuals, to discover those nuggets of information aimed at behavioral health strategies, tactics, and leadership." About Firepower X Hosted by Athinka, Firepower X is not just a conference. It's a rebellion against dry clinical advice, depressing PTSD statistics, and career burnout. Founded by Jess Ward, the mission of Firepower X is to promote wellness in the fire service as powerfully as possible. Join the movement of industry pioneers and fire service renegades by visiting https://www.firepowerx.com/ . For media inquiries, please contact: Jeremy Douglas, [email protected] , 303-589-1941 SOURCE Firepower X Daycare injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm allege Children's Learning Adventure Childcare Center-Willow Bend violated multiple childcare laws DALLAS, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Five families are suing Children's Learning Adventure Childcare Center's Willow Bend location, claiming the North Texas daycare center violated multiple laws including a teacher using an inappropriate discipline tactic of "popping" 3- and 4-year-old children with a wooden spoon. The suit also alleges that the teacher threatened the group of 15 toddlers that she was charged with, using fear and intimidation tactics when they misbehaved. The complaint continues that the Children's Learning Adventure Childcare Center-Willow Bend director and other employees reported hearing the teacher's screams from other areas of the daycare center and did nothing about it. Five families are suing Childrens Learning Adventure Childcare Centers Willow Bend location, claiming the Dallas-area daycare center violated multiple laws including a teacher using an inappropriate discipline tactic of popping 3- and 4-year-old children with a wooden spoon. The suit also alleges that the teacher threatened the group of 15 toddlers that she was charged with when they misbehaved. Daycare injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm one of the lawyers representing the families. Families finally learned about the shocking behavior when one 4-year-old finally told his mother in March 2022. Children's Learning Adventure Childcare Center advertised being the first early childcare provider with a dedicated teacher training and success staff. However, Tonya Rush, the teacher named in the suit, had no childcare certification or formal training from the facility for her job as the single caregiver for a large group of toddlers, according to the complaint. Without proper training, including how to properly redirect a child's misbehavior, Rush failed on multiple occasions. She would become overwhelmed and seek help to control and supervise the toddlers in her classroom at Children's Learning Adventure Childcare Center-Willow Bend, the suit states. The complaint continues that Rush's requests were met with laughs by the other caregivers. Rush struggled with her mental health, reaching out to religious advisers and help hotlines during her lunch break at Children's Learning Adventure Childcare Center. "Children's Learning Adventure Child Care Center acted in the interest of profits over the well-being of a classroom of toddlers," says Russell Button, founder of The Button Law Firm and one of the daycare injury lawyers representing the five families in the case. "But more importantly, the daycare center did not take enough action in removing the caregiver, who was clearly unprepared and unfit for the job." An investigation from the state of Texas substantiated the multiple complaints from parents regarding Rush using illegal discipline tactics, according to the lawsuit. The case is Adrienne Brewer, Individually and as Next Friend of M.B.Z., a minor child; Britney Torres, Individually and as Next Friend of E.T., a minor child; Courtney Cross, Individually and as Next Friend of M.S., a minor child; Ekaterina Jones, Individually and as Next Friend of R.J. and Z.J., minor children; and Janet Gonzalez, Individually and as Next Friend of J.M.L.G., a minor child, vs. Children's Learning Adventure of Texas LLC d/b/a Children's Learning Adventure Child Care Center; and Tonya Rush, Cause No. CC-23-05293-B in Dallas County, Texas. A copy of the complaint can be accessed here. About the Button Law Firm The Button Law Firm (buttonlawfirm.com) is a Texas-based personal injury law firm that advocates for children and their families in meaningful litigation to make local communities safer. The firm focuses on daycare and child-related injuries such as abuse and neglect cases, finger injuries, toy-related injuries, and catastrophic injuries. With attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, The Button Law Firm helps families across the Lone Star State. SOURCE The Button Law Firm Heeth Varnedoe , chief operating officer at Flowers, will begin serving as president and chief operating officer of the company. Varnedoe has held a number of key management roles at Flowers, including chief transformation officer, senior vice president of DSD Regions/Sales, and president of the Phoenix bakery. , chief operating officer at Flowers, will begin serving as president and chief operating officer of the company. Varnedoe has held a number of key management roles at Flowers, including chief transformation officer, senior vice president of DSD Regions/Sales, and president of the bakery. Terry S. Thomas , currently a member of the board of directors of Flowers Foods, will resign as a member of the board and join the company as chief growth officer, reporting to Ryals McMullian, chairman, chief executive officer, and president. A new position at Flowers, the chief growth officer is responsible for leading and managing growth initiatives, product development and innovation, marketing, and customer partnerships. Thomas has extensive experience working globally in the consumer goods industry, most recently as global chief customer officer at Unilever. Previously, he has held executive and management positions at PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Clorox, and Procter & Gamble . Thomas holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University . "Congratulations to Heeth on his well-deserved promotion," commented McMullian. "Over the last few years, Heeth has overseen a number of transformative initiatives at Flowers and has proven himself to be an extremely capable senior executive. Going forward, Heeth will be taking on a number of additional responsibilities and I am supremely confident that he will continue to make significant contributions to our success. "I'm looking forward to working directly with Terry to uncover new revenue streams for the company, one of the key responsibilities of his role," McMullian continued. "Terry's global experience working at a senior level for some of the most respected CPG companies in the world will be invaluable to us as we continue to transform Flowers into a consumer and brand-centric company." The Flowers Foods board of directors has elected two new independent directors, effective October 1, 2023: Brigitte King is the global chief digital officer at Colgate-Palmolive Company, where she oversees digital commerce, digital marketing and omnichannel brand strategies. King has extensive digital and consumer marketing experience, and held senior roles at PVH Corp. and at L'Oreal, serving as their Chief Consumer Officer, prior to joining Colgate. King holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Clark University . She will serve on the audit committee and finance committee of the board. is the global chief digital officer at Colgate-Palmolive Company, where she oversees digital commerce, digital marketing and omnichannel brand strategies. King has extensive digital and consumer marketing experience, and held senior roles at PVH Corp. and at L'Oreal, serving as their Chief Consumer Officer, prior to joining Colgate. King holds a bachelor's degree in political science from . She will serve on the audit committee and finance committee of the board. Joanne Smith is executive vice president and chief people officer at Delta Air Lines, where she oversees talent management and development, recruitment, HR service delivery, diversity and inclusion, and HR policies and programs. While at Delta, she has also held product development and marketing roles. Smith holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from California Polytechnic State University. She will serve on the audit committee and finance committee of the board. "On behalf of the entire board of directors, I'd like to welcome Brigitte and Joanne as the newest Flowers board members," said McMullian. "The expertise and perspective they bring will add significant support for two of our four strategic priorities: focusing on our brands and developing our team. Their guidance will be a great benefit to the board and the more than 9,000 Flowers employees as we work to become a more agile and innovative company." About Flowers Foods Headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States with 2022 sales of $4.8 billion. Flowers operates bakeries across the country that produce a wide range of bakery products. Among the company's top brands are Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, and Tastykake. Learn more at www.flowersfoods.com. FLO-CORP FLO-IR Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release and certain other written or oral statements made from time to time by Flowers Foods, Inc. (the "company", "Flowers Foods", "Flowers", "us", "we", or "our") and its representatives that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to current expectations regarding our business and our future financial condition and results of operations and are often identified by the use of words and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would," "is likely to," "is expected to" or "will continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions we believe are reasonable. Forward-looking statements are based on current information and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected. Certain factors that may cause actual results, performance, liquidity, and achievements to differ materially from those projected are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "Form 10-K") and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and may include, but are not limited to, (a) unexpected changes in any of the following: (1) general economic and business conditions; (2) the competitive setting in which we operate, including advertising or promotional strategies by us or our competitors, as well as changes in consumer demand; (3) interest rates and other terms available to us on our borrowings; (4) supply chain conditions and any related impact on energy and raw materials costs and availability and hedging counter-party risks; (5) relationships with or increased costs related to our employees and third-party service providers; (6) laws and regulations (including environmental and health-related issues); and (7) accounting standards or tax rates in the markets in which we operate, (b) the loss or financial instability of any significant customer(s), including as a result of product recalls or safety concerns related to our products, (c) changes in consumer behavior, trends and preferences, including health and whole grain trends, and the movement toward less expensive store branded products, (d) the level of success we achieve in developing and introducing new products and entering new markets, (e) our ability to implement new technology and customer requirements as required, (f) our ability to operate existing, and any new, manufacturing lines according to schedule, (g) our ability to implement and achieve our environmental, social, and governance goals in accordance with regulatory requirements and expectations of stakeholders, suppliers, and customers; (h) our ability to execute our business strategies which may involve, among other things, (1) the ability to realize the intended benefits of completed, planned or contemplated acquisitions, dispositions or joint ventures, (2) the deployment of new systems (e.g., our enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system), distribution channels and technology, and (3) an enhanced organizational structure (e.g., our sales and supply chain reorganization), (i) consolidation within the baking industry and related industries, (j) changes in pricing, customer and consumer reaction to pricing actions (including decreased volumes), and the pricing environment among competitors within the industry, (k) our ability to adjust pricing to offset, or partially offset, inflationary pressure on the cost of our products, including ingredient and packaging costs; (l) disruptions in our direct-store-delivery distribution model, including litigation or an adverse ruling by a court or regulatory or governmental body that could affect the independent contractor classifications of the independent distributor partners, (m) increasing legal complexity and legal proceedings that we are or may become subject to, (n) labor shortages and turnover or increases in employee and employee-related costs, (o) the credit, business, and legal risks associated with independent distributor partners and customers, which operate in the highly competitive retail food and foodservice industries, (p) any business disruptions due to political instability, pandemics, armed hostilities (including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine), incidents of terrorism, natural disasters, labor strikes or work stoppages, technological breakdowns, product contamination, product recalls or safety concerns related to our products, or the responses to or repercussions from any of these or similar events or conditions and our ability to insure against such events, (q) the failure of our information technology systems to perform adequately, including any interruptions, intrusions, cyber-attacks or security breaches of such systems or risks associated with the implementation of the upgrade of our ERP system; and (r) the potential impact of climate change on the company, including physical and transition risks, availability or restriction of resources, higher regulatory and compliance costs, reputational risks, and availability of capital on attractive terms. The foregoing list of important factors does not include all such factors, nor does it necessarily present them in order of importance. In addition, you should consult other disclosures made by the company (such as in our other filings with the SEC or in company press releases) for other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected by the company. Refer to Part I, Item 1A., Risk Factors, of the Form 10-K, Part II, Item 1A., Risk Factors, of the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 15, 2023 and subsequent filings with the SEC for additional information regarding factors that could affect the company's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date made and are inherently uncertain. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update such statements, except as required by law. You are advised, however, to consult any further public disclosures by the company (such as in our filings with the SEC or in company press releases) on related subjects. SOURCE Flowers Foods, Inc. Modal title PRN Top Stories Newsletters Sign up to get PRNs top stories and curated news delivered to your inbox weekly! Enter Your Email Select Country Select Country Submit Thank you for subscribing! Our newsletters contain tracking pixels to help us deliver unique content based on each subscriber's engagement and interests. For more information on how we will use your data to ensure we send you relevant content please visit our By signing up you agree to receive content from us.Our newsletters contain tracking pixels to help us deliver unique content based on each subscriber's engagement and interests. For more information on how we will use your data to ensure we send you relevant content please visit our PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . 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BEIJING, Aug. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Malaysia, with next year witnessing the 50th anniversary of establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reached a consensus on building a community of shared future for China and Malaysia, after Anwar's successful visit to China in late March. How have China and Malaysia maintained strong cooperation momentum? What practical benefits will the "Twin Parks" and the East Coast Rail Link project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework deliver to local people? What are the points of convergence between China's and Malaysia's development concepts? GT reporters Hu Yuwei, Li Xuanmin, Hao Shuangyan and Zhao Juecheng (GT) recently interviewed Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing (Ouyang) in Kuala Lumpur to hear his insights on the current state of bilateral relations and cooperation. GTHow do you evaluate the current China-Malaysia relationship? Ouyang: China and Malaysia are good neighbors with a thousand years of close ties, good friends who share a deep bond, and good partners focusing on win-win cooperation. The relationship between the two countries has always been at the forefront of China-ASEAN relations. It can be said that the China-Malaysia relationship is enduring and has broad prospects. The first reason behind the booming relations is the clear navigation of high-level exchanges. As you know, in March of this year, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Anwar reached an important consensus on building a China-Malaysia community of shared future during Anwar's visit to China. This is a milestone event in the history of bilateral relations and has opened a new chapter in China-Malaysia relations. The second reason is strong economic and trade cooperation. Last year, the bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia reached $203.6 billion. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. The cooperation in jointly building the BRI between China and Malaysia has steadily advanced, continuously delivering development dividends. During PM Anwar's visit to China, 300 Malaysian entrepreneurs were part of an accompanying delegation, and the two countries signed 19 memorandums of understanding with a total value of 170 billion Malaysian ringgit ($37 billion), setting a new record. The third is heightened people-to-people exchanges. Cooperation in culture, tourism, education, science and technology, and other fields between China and Malaysia has yielded remarkable results. Taking tourism as an example. Since 2012, China has been Malaysia's largest source of tourists from outside ASEAN member countries, local spending generated by Chinese tourists accounting for 17.8 percent of Malaysia's total tourism revenue. With the COVID-19 pandemic now over, Chinese tourists have been flocking to Malaysia, and the recovery of the tourism industry is expected to provide strong impetus for Malaysia's economic growth. GT: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI. How do you evaluate cooperation between China and Malaysia under the BRI framework in the past decade? Looking ahead to the next decade, what are your expectations for high-quality BRI cooperation? Ouyang: Malaysia is one of the earliest countries to support and participate in the BRI. With the care and support of the leaders of both countries, high-quality construction of the BRI between China and Malaysia has achieved fruitful results. According to Malaysian data, China's direct investment in Malaysia reached $12.5 billion in 2022, accounting for one-third of Malaysia's foreign direct investment. Flagship projects such as the "Two Countries, Twin Parks" and the East Coast Rail Link are progressing as planned, providing strong impetus for China-Malaysia economic and trade cooperation. We hope both sides can upgrade cooperation in a more innovative, intelligent, digitized and sustainable way. It is believed that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, we will see more achievements and better benefits for the people of both countries. GT: In January this year, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar proposed a new concept called "Malaysia Madani (Civil Malaysia)." How do you view the integration between the concept of "a global community of shared future" and the concept of "Malaysia Madani"? Ouyang: During Prime Minister Anwar's visit to China, he stated that the vision of building "a global community of shared future" is highly aligned with the "Malaysia Madani" initiative proposed by the Malaysian government. The alignment between the two concepts is being both high-level and specific. First, we should follow the principle of "building a community of shared future between China and Malaysia," and promote our cooperation in various fields toward higher level of quality development. Second, we should deepen alignment of development strategies, promote deep integration of industrial chains, supply chains, data chains, and talent chains between the two countries. Third, we should continuously cultivate growth points for cooperation in areas such as electronics, digital economy, green development, new energy, high-end manufacturing, and modern agriculture, benefiting both countries and their people. Fourth, we should further promote people-to-people connectivity, strengthen cultural exchanges, and enhance mutual understanding between the people of the two countries, especially for younger generation. GT: Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar inaugurated the first station for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project in May. How do you evaluate the significance of the ECRL project for the local economic development, transportation connectivity, and people's well-being in Malaysia? Ouyang: The ECRL project is the largest economic and trade cooperation project between China and Malaysia, as well as the largest single construction project undertaken by Chinese companies overseas. The ECRL spans a total length of 665 kilometers, crossing the Malay Peninsula and connecting the north and south of Malaysia. I have visited the construction site of the ECRL project in Malaysia on several occasions. From a macro perspective, the ECRL project fully embodies the friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Malaysia. Specifically, the ECRL plays an important role in promoting local economic development, accelerating infrastructure connectivity, and improving people's well-being. First, it promotes the overall economic development of Malaysia. According to research and statistics, during the construction phase alone, the ECRL will drive a 2.7 percent growth in the Malaysian economy and bring business opportunities to over 3,000 Malaysian companies. Second, it promotes coordinated development between the East Coast and West Coast [of Malaysia], facilitating the transportation of people and goods. Third it creates job opportunities and cultivates local talent. Currently, the ECRL project has employed over 21,549 workers, creating more than 5,000 jobs in Malaysia. In addition, the project has implemented a training program to train 5,000 rail workers in Malaysia. Currently, 1,052 people have completed their training under this program. Fourth, it promotes people-to-people connectivity. For example, the Chinese project contractor has extended assistance to flood-affected areas in Malaysia, supported local orphanages, participated in community rebuilding, and strengthened people-to-people friendship between China and Malaysia. GT: The South China Sea issue has always been an important topic between China and ASEAN member countries. You were incharge of China's border and maritime diplomacy at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs before serving as China's ambassador to Malaysia. What observations and feelings do you have regarding China's cooperation with regional countries in handling disputes and maintaining regional peace and stability? Ouyang: The South China Sea is a common home for regional countries. Peace and stability in the South China Sea are in the interests of regional countries. Any attempt by any country to provoke relations between regional countries and create tension in the region through the South China Sea issue is futile. I am pleased to see that, with the joint efforts of regional countries, the overall situation in the South China Sea remains stable. China and relevant parties have worked together to properly manage differences through dialogue and consultation, continue to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, vigorously promote practical maritime cooperation, accelerate the consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region. Since I became ambassador to Malaysia, my main perception of the South China Sea issue is that although China and Malaysia have different positions and views on the issue, we always prioritize bilateral relations and regional peace and stability, and seek to handle differences through dialogue and consultation in a friendly spirit. This fully demonstrates that as long as regional countries adhere to mutual trust and cooperation, they can take the initiative in handling disputes. GT: In recent years, the US has been increasing its influence in Southeast Asia, intensifying its contacts with Southeast Asian countries in various channels. Some analysis suggests that there is a growing trend of competition and confrontation between the US and China in Southeast Asia. What is your view on this? Ouyang: President Xi Jinping pointed out that the vast expanse of the Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of China and the US. Great power competition is not in line with the trend of the times. We always hope that China and the US can find the right way to coexist with mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, which is also of great significance to Southeast Asia. China and Malaysia both belong to the Asian civilization, and they are both developing countries, important emerging economies, and progressive forces on the international stage. They are beneficiaries, contributors, and defenders of economic globalization and multilateralism. We are ready to work with Malaysia to promote Asian civilization, uphold strategic autonomy, strengthen strategic cooperation, support ASEAN's central role, firmly resist any Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and adhere to open regionalism. SOURCE Global Times BEIJING, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ni Hao (Hello), welcome to Thailand!" Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech, a "senior student" at the Confucius Institute of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, greets visiting journalist from the Global Times in Chinese. This 71-year-old former minister of education in Thailand eagerly showcases the progress of his 11 years of Chinese study - as part of the results of his long-term campaign to promote Chinese language education in Thailand. In his eyes, China's rapid economic development and proximity to Thailand keep motivating more Thai people to learn Chinese and understand the real China. During his tenure as minister of education, Suchart promoted the teaching of the Chinese language, attempting to enhance the country's educational revolution, and achieve the goal that Thai students will be able to speak both English and Chinese as early as possible. Suchart believes that in the future, Thai government officials should be proficient in two foreign languages: English and Chinese. "Because one-fifth of the world's population speaks Chinese. It is very important. I hope that in the future, we [China and Thailand] can communicate with each other using Chinese." Han Shenglong, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at Chulalongkorn University, told the Global Times that in Thailand, Chinese has gradually replaced Japanese as the second-largest foreign language after English. Currently, there are 17 Confucius Institutes in Thailand. At its peak, there were over 2,000 Chinese teachers and volunteers teaching Chinese in Thailand, according to Han. The institute was established in 2007 through an educational collaboration between Peking University and Chulalongkorn University, with the facilitation of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand who has had a great friendship with China for about four decades. In fact, the Thai government has also recognized the importance of promoting Chinese education, said Han, as all officially registered educational institutions under the Thai Ministry of Education are required to offer Chinese classes. Chinese has entered Thailand's national education system. Suchart admitted that learning Chinese is indeed difficult. "Many characters look different but have the same pronunciation, and many characters have different pronunciations in different places." However, for Suchart, whose ancestral roots are in Chaozhou-Shantou region, southern China, learning Chinese is not just driven by an interest in his ancestral culture and civilization, but is also inspired by Chinese philosophy and thousands of years of wisdom that can be used in his work. After retirement, Suchart is still involved in Thai government's strategic consulting work, and woks of traditional Chinese literatures such as The Art of War and The Analects have provided him with new ideas. "I believe that when governing a country, we can learn from the thoughts provided in The Analects, while when competing with others, The Art of War is more instructive," Suchart told the Global Times. Suchart regards the rapid development of the Chinese economy as another impetus for Thai people to learn Chinese. "Over 30 years ago, when I first went to Beijing, the airport was very small, and it took 2-3 hours to drive to the city center," Suchart recalled, but when he traveled to China again in 2018, "Beijing had changed so much. China now has convenient transportation, complete infrastructure, and cities like Beijing are filled with high-rise buildings." "More and more Thai people are realizing that the Chinese economy has been rapidly and comprehensively developing since the reform and opening up," said the former government official. In recent years, with the deepening integration of China-Thailand economic strategies, educational exchanges between the two countries have entered a new phase. Han said that Chinese language teaching in Thailand has now become more practical, with the aim to cultivate Chinese language talents who can work in industries such as high-speed rail, logistics, tourism, and e-commerce. China's National Press and Publication Administration in March signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Thailand's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation on translating and publishing classic works from the two countries, the Xinhua News Agency reported. According to the MOU, 50 classic works from these countries will be translated and published within the next five years, in a bid to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and Thai people through the provision of more translated works. Deemed a landmark achievement in exchanges and cooperation in publication between China and Thailand, the signing of the MOU is expected to generate new opportunities and serve as a driving force to deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and mutual learning between the two countries, according to the report. Suchart told the Global Times that during his tenure as the education minister in Thailand, he expressed his hopes that Chinese educational institutions would send 10,000 Chinese language teachers to Thailand to provide Chinese language education. Today, he still hopes to see more Chinese language teachers and students in Thailand. SOURCE Global Times WASHINGTON, Ind., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Children and adults in Daviess County will benefit from a $50,000 contribution from the KENT Charitable Foundation. Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) is a subsidiary of the family-owned KENT Corporation and has a strong affiliation with the Daviess County YMCA. The Daviess County YMCA's Improve, Invest, Impact pool remediation project will serve over 1,800 community members a month in Washington, Indiana. GPC's Washington team presented this platinum-level gift to the Daviess County YMCA during a ceremony Friday morning. GPC Washington presented the $50,000.00 platinum gift to Daviess County YMCA staff on Friday. Left to right: Jessika Henning, Aquatic Director; Paula Van Tyle-Smith, YMCA CEO; Shannon Dalton, GPC Plant Manager; Lisa Klopfenstein GPC HR Manager. "Employee health, safety and wellbeing is a priority for the KENT family of companies," said Jimmy Kent, President of GPC. "We are committed to bettering the communities in which we operate so it is natural for us to contribute to the positive mission of the Daviess County YMCA." The pool remediation project includes a new heat recovery unit for improved air quality, new ductwork to aid in ventilation, the repainting of multiple areas, and a new family bathroom HVAC unit. "GPC's contribution to the Daviess County YMCA is a symbol of the mutually beneficial relationship between our company and the surrounding community," said GPC Washington's plant manager Shannon Dalton. "We are proud to support the YMCA in their work to improve the lives of Washington residents." The Daviess County YMCA and GPC have a strong relationship, and GPC employees receive discounts on memberships and programs. About Grain Processing Corporation GPC's primary products include high-purity alcohols, corn starches, maltodextrins, and corn syrup solids. GPC sells to customers that use GPC ingredients for beverage alcohol, food products, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and industrial starch applications. About KENT Corporation With origins in the livestock feed business, today KENT Corporation is a diversified, family-owned company headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa (USA), with operating subsidiaries involved in corn wet milling, the production of animal feeds, and the manufacture of food, beverage, and pet products. KENT is led by third generation family member, Gage A. Kent. KENT serves customers across the world and employs approximately two thousand people in 40 locations across 20 states and seven countries. Media Contact: Carol Reynolds Corporate Spokesperson (563) 264-4532 [email protected] SOURCE Grain Processing Corporation KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenlight ("the Company''), a leading, vertically-integrated, multi-state operator, announced today that it has executed definitive agreements to acquire an operating adult-use dispensary in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a cultivation facility in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Upon approval by the regulatory bodies, Greenlight will have 30 operating dispensaries and over 200,000 sq. ft. of cultivation and manufacturing space in 6 states. Greenlight has also issued a third seven-figure dividend to its shareholders, following the first-ever issuance of a dividend by an MSO in April of this year. In 2023, Greenlight has returned consecutive dividends that amount to over 13% of the total invested capital in the Company. Greenlight continues its strategic growth and expands its footprint in limited license markets with the pending acquisition of an operating recreational and medical dispensary in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition, the Company has acquired a new cultivation facility in Buckhannon, West Virginia, vertically integrating Greenlight's operations in the state. Highlights include: Greenlight Las Vegas, Nevada Greenlight's co-founders, who oversaw the scale and sale of Nevada -based company Acres Cannabis, are back to their roots with the acquisition of a Las Vegas dispensary. Greenlight's co-founders, who oversaw the scale and sale of -based company Acres Cannabis, are back to their roots with the acquisition of a dispensary. Greenlight Buckhannon, West Virginia The launch of Greenlight's newest 18,000 sq. ft. cultivation facility in Buckhannon, West Virginia officially marks vertical integration of the Company's operations in West Virginia . In addition, Greenlight's newest dispensary location, Greenlight Elkins, will mark its 6th dispensary location in the state. The launch of Greenlight's newest 18,000 sq. ft. cultivation facility in officially marks vertical integration of the Company's operations in . In addition, Greenlight's newest dispensary location, Greenlight Elkins, will mark its 6th dispensary location in the state. Shareholders Dividend - Leading the industry in cost controls and prudent expansion, the issuance of a third consecutive quarterly dividend separates Greenlight from other leading cannabis operations. John Mueller, co-founder & CEO, Greenlight said, "With more than 580 dedicated employees and exceeding $200 million in annualized revenue, we continue to focus on strategically growing as a debt-free and profitable organization. Our strategic approach and disciplined business model have allowed us to pursue our growth initiatives in the face of challenging regulatory and economic conditions affecting the broader cannabis industry. This significant milestone for Greenlight reflects our dedication to leading the industry through prudent financial management and strategic expansion." Greenlight continues to expand its vertically integrated operations and dominate in limited license states including Missouri, Arkansas, West Virginia, Illinois, Nevada, and South Dakota and is on the trajectory to have 35 dispensaries operational by Q1 of 2024. About Greenlight Greenlight is a vertically integrated multi-state operator in the U.S., with 36 retail licenses, 30 dispensaries, and 4 cultivation facilities in Missouri, Arkansas, West Virginia, Illinois, Nevada, and South Dakota. Greenlight specializes in cultivating, manufacturing, and distributing high-quality cannabis products for medical and adult use, under its consumer brands: Greenlight, Core, Rogue, and Cowboy. Greenlight is the first known large MSO to issue a quarterly dividend to its shareholders. Dedicated to its mission of serving "Cannabis with Culture," Greenlight launched the world's first known cannabis farmers market, called "The Underground." Learn more at www.greenlightdispensary.com SOURCE Greenlight STOCKHOLM, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Happy Socks, the original colorful sock brand, is delighted to announce the appointment of Alexander Meyer as its new Chief Executive Officer. With a successful track record as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in multiple consumer brands and fashion retailers, Meyer brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to lead Happy Socks through their next phase of growth. HAPPY SOCKS WELCOMES& ALEXANDER& MEYER AS NEW CEO Meyer joins Happy Socks most recently from The Bay, Canada's largest Omni-retailer and North America's oldest brand. As the newly appointed CEO, Meyer will be responsible for driving the overall strategic vision and growth of Happy Socks. With a diverse career that spans multiple international brands, with equal expertise in Brand, Digital, and International go-to-market execution, Meyer has a proven ability to build powerful connections between brands and consumers, driving innovation and transforming brands for sustainable growth. "I am thrilled and honored to be joining Happy Socks as its new CEO," said Meyer. "This iconic brand has always been at the forefront of fashion innovation, and I am excited to lead the talented team as we continue to spread happiness, creativity, and freedom of self-expression to every corner of the world." "We are delighted to welcome Alexander to the Happy Socks family," said Christian Beck, Chairman of the Board at Happy Socks. "His impressive track record in the consumer and fashion industries make him an ideal fit for Happy Socks. I am really looking forward to working with him and am confident his experience and leadership will be invaluable as we continue our growth journey." For media inquiries or more information, please contact: Aida Vrazalica Global Head of Communications & PR aida.vrazalica@happysocks.com +46 (0)70 241 1613 Happy Socks is the original colorful sock brand. In 2008, Mikael Soderlindh and Viktor Tell had a vision: bring happiness and color to every corner of the world by turning an overlooked everyday essential into an outstanding design piece that combines quality, craftsmanship, and creativity. In short, Happy Socks. While all Happy Socks are still designed in the Stockholm-based atelier, they are now sold in over 95 countries through Happy Socks' Concept Stores, at selected retailers, and via www.happysocks.com. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happysocks/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happysocks?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happysocks/ SOURCE Happy Socks First Step in Building Satellite Constellation Contributing to National Development in Remote Sensing Technology HONG KONG, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) announced today that it will launch a multispectral optical satellite at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu with Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Ltd (Chang Guang) this Friday (August 25). The satellite "HKUST-FYBB#1" will be used for tracking remote sensing data related to global environment, disaster and sustainable development. As the first university in Hong Kong to initiate a satellite mission, the launch also marks HKUST's first step towards building a remote sensing satellite constellation and a comprehensive environmental monitoring and disaster forecasting system. The multispectral optical satellite set to be launched on August 25 for research purposes is the most advanced type in the realm of civilian satellites. The spatial resolution of the remote sensing images it collects is 0.5 meters, which is 20 times higher than the openly accessible data of images taken from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 optical satellite. Its swath of image is over 150 kilometers, comparable to those of the latest generation of the United States' land satellites. As an expression of gratitude to Mr. Francis YIP Chi-Hung and his wife, Mrs. Catherine YIP NG Bun-Bun, for their generous donation and support for the launch, the satellite is named "HKUST-FYBB#1". HKUST will first use the data collected by the satellite to establish a digital twin system that covers all slopes in Hong Kong for the monitoring of their surface conditions, as well as the simulation and showing of the process of landslide disasters and societal responses to emergencies. This is done in the hope of enhancing coordination and decision-making in disaster response and management. HKUST signed an agreement earlier with Chang Guang, the first commercial remote sensing satellite company in Mainland China. Apart from the launching of "HKUST-FYBB#1", HKUST and Chang Guang will venture into a long-term, extensive and multi-facet collaboration in satellite research and development for carbon emission and its data application. Combining HKUST's scientific research capability and achievements in meteorology, oceanography and environmental protection, as well as remote sensing data obtained from Chang Guang's 108 orbiting satellites, which form the world's largest sub-meter level commercial remote sensing satellite constellation "JiLin-1", the parties are set to build a comprehensive environmental monitoring and disaster forecasting system. The system aims to provide scientific data in support of the nation's dual carbon policy goals, namely peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. It also seeks to enhance the country's remote sensing technology a cutting-edge technique involving the collection of electromagnetic radiation information from space or higher altitude on Earth's surface, as well as the processing and imaging of such data for the identification and understanding of the Earth's environment and resources. Rendering their full support to the satellite launch, Mr. Francis YIP and Mrs. Catherine YIP said they were delighted to facilitate the strategic cooperation between HKUST and Chang Guang. They stated, "We have seen HKUST's indefatigable effort and determination in promoting the development of aerospace technology in Hong Kong. We will continue to support HKUST and the innovation and technology development in Hong Kong. This project marks an important milestone in Hong Kong's aerospace development. As Hongkongers, we feel proud of our city's progress and are deeply honored to contribute to this project. We would also like to express our gratitude to Prof. LIU Yuyi for inscribing the name of the satellite in calligraphy." HKUST Council Chairman Prof. Harry SHUM said, "HKUST is a staunch supporter of sustainable development and has always been active in exploring and finding solutions to global carbon emissions problems. In the face of pressing challenge of climate change, we are deeply thankful to Mr. and Mrs. Yip for their support, which allows us to commence on our remote sensing satellite program. We look forward to cooperation with the government, research institutes, enterprises and different sectors for wider application of the data we will obtain through our cooperation with Chang Guang. Together, we can make contributions to the nation's dual carbon policy goals, our government's carbon emissions targets, and the easing of global climate change to demonstrate our commitment in sustainable development." HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP also expressed her gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Yip. She said, "HKUST strongly encourages our researchers to engage in exploratory, socially impactful frontier research projects, and to actively work with industry partners to actualize scientific discoveries to address global challenges such as natural disasters and climate change. We are excited to partner with Chang Guang to drive aerospace innovation and contribute to the national development strategy. HKUST will fully leverage its research capabilities and continue to promote cooperation among various academic, research, and industry sectors to strengthen our aerospace industry and achieve the nation's dual carbon policy goals." Chang Guang Deputy General Manager Mr. CHEN Maosheng said, "The strategic cooperation agreement signed between HKUST and us aims to foster deep collaboration in the fields of scientific satellite development and remote sensing data application. Leveraging our research and development ability in satellite manufacturing and combining it with the remote sensing application expertise of HKUST, the two parties will jointly develop greenhouse gas remote sensing monitoring satellites. We will continue to engage in extensive cooperation in the field of new remote sensing satellites, promoting the joint development of the aerospace industry in Mainland and Hong Kong, and enhancing the remote sensing data service capabilities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area." HKUST Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Prof. WANG Yang, the driving force behind the plan, emphasized, "This satellite launch marks the initial step towards HKUST's ambitious goal of building a comprehensive remote sensing satellite constellation. Our aim is to develop cutting-edge multimodal spatial remote sensing technologies, including novel carbon monitoring techniques and data analysis tools. With comprehensive sensing capabilities, we envision providing services for disaster management, smart city development, and sustainable resource management. This initiative will benefit the Greater Bay Area and the nation, aligning with the national dual-carbon strategic goal and leading the development of environmental monitoring satellite remote sensing technology. Our ultimate aim is to contribute to sustainable development domestically and globally." The HKUST research team is led by Prof. Su Hui, who joined the University last year through the Global STEM Professorship Scheme, and Prof. ZHANG Limin, Head and Chair Professor of HKUST's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The team will work with their counterparts at Chang Guang to develop high-resolution optical satellites and key technologies for monitoring carbon emissions. The two teams will lead the development of remote sensing technology in environmental monitoring satellites, providing scientific data for macro-level decision-making on areas such as energy conservation, emission reduction and achieving the national dual-carbon strategic goal. For photos, please visit: https://hkust.edu.hk/news/announcements/hkust-launches-hong-kongs-first-higher-ed-satellite CONTACT: PR & Media Team, Public Affairs Office, HKUST email: media@ust.hk About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (https://hkust.edu.hk/) is a world-class research intensive university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. Over 80% of our research work were rated "Internationally excellent" or "world leading" in the Research Assessment Exercise 2020 of Hong Kong's University Grants Committee. We were ranked 2nd in Times Higher Education's Young University Rankings 2023, and our graduates were ranked 30th worldwide and among the best from universities from Asia in Global Employability University Ranking and Survey 2022. As of early 2023, HKUST members have founded 1,645 active start-ups, including 9 Unicorns and 11 exits (IPO or M&A), generating economic impact worth over HK$400billion. InvestHK cited QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 to demonstrate the performance of five world's top 100 local universities in several innovation-centric areas, among which HKUST ranked top in four engineering and materials science subjects. About Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. (CGSTL), founded in December 1st, 2014, it is the first commercial remote sensing satellite company in China, with the total registered capital of 1.97 billion yuan. Jilin -1 satellite constellation is the core project under construction by CGSTL. The phase I of the project consists of 138 high - performance optical remote sensing satellites. covering video, high resolution, wide band, infrared, multispectral and other series. At present, CGSTL has successfully realized 108" Jilin -1" satellites in orbit through 21 successful launches. Up to now, CGSTL has built the world ' s largest sub meter commercial remote sensing satellite constellation, occupying a dominant position in remote sensing information services, it has gradually become - an important global source of space remote sensing information. According to the calculation of the existing satellites in orbit, the Jilin -1 satellite constellation can visit anywhere in the world 35 to 37 times a day, with the ability to photograph a global three times a year and a national nine times a year. It provides high - quality remote - sensing information and product services for land security, geographic mapping, land planning, agricultural and forestry production, ecological environmental protection, smart cities and other fields, which is of great significance to the construction of digital China. Relying on the Jilin-1 remote sensing satellite data, CGSTL can provide customers with high time resolution, high spatial resolution, high spectral resolution, fast wide area coverage of satellite remote sensing data and comprehensive application services of spatial information based on satellite remote sensing data. At the same time, with its core technology accumulation in satellite platforms and space optical payloads, CGSTL is able to provide customers with customized satellite manufacturing and related services, including satellite whole and part components, test and test services, on-board services. SOURCE The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology BOSTON, Mass., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Running in the background to the more visible, very real wars occurring around the world at present, there is another, economic and industrial in nature. This is a trade war between two principals: the USA and China. The potential consequences of this trade war are incredibly significant to global geopolitics, as how the interaction between the two parties is handled will determine a basis for any future cooperation between the two principals as well as their respective allies. This trade war is over the production of semiconductor chips, those small pieces of (mainly) electronic circuitry that are found in many modern-day devices, from smartphones to televisions, cars to computers. In IDTechEx's recent report "AI Chips 2023-2033", the market research company highlights the part that artificial intelligence (AI) plays in this trade war, where the race for AI supremacy has become a national concern. The tiered restrictions placed on China by the US, where semiconductor design, manufacture, and imports are concerned. Source: IDTechEx The Shortage, Where Demand Exceeds Supply But before discussing the role of AI, it is more instructive to start at the beginning or thereabouts. This does not require going so far back in time only five years, in fact, to 2018. From January of that year, under the presidency of Donald Trump formerly and now President Joe Biden, the US has enforced several layers of restrictions and barriers to trade on China where semiconductors are concerned, each successive layer aiming to plug a hole that the previous layer(s) had left. These restrictions are shown below. The tiered restrictions placed on China by the US, where semiconductor design, manufacture, and imports are concerned. Source: IDTechEx The reasons for these restrictions are multiple, starting with simple economics (where the US wishes to halt China's growing market share in the semiconductor supply chain) before moving onto interwoven concerns such as risk exposure and the use of semiconductors for militaristic purposes. With regards to geographic risk exposure, since 2020, there has been a global chip shortage, where demand for semiconductor chips has exceeded supply. This shortage exposed US design companies to the risk of relying upon South-East Asia manufacturing capabilities, as lead times elongated to upwards of 3 months by the beginning of the crisis. A number of complementing factors caused the global chip shortage. Principle among them is the COVID-19 Pandemic, which saw a rise in demand (due to more people working from home and so in need of personal computers) and a fall in supply (due to lockdowns across Asia resulting in plants being shut down). Other factors include the rise of data mining (where GPUs are needed, thus once again increasing demand); a drought that hit Taiwan in 2021, resulting in problems with producing ultra-pure water to clean factories and wafers; fires at several fabrication facilities owned by Asahi Kaseri, Renesas and ASML; and difficulties procuring neon (used for lasers in chip manufacture) due to the Russia-Ukraine War, as Ukraine was responsible for providing more than 90% of the US semiconductor-grade neon. These events combined would likely be enough for a country such as the US to consider investing in their own production capabilities (where the US Chips and Science Act of 2022 is discussed in more detail in the aforementioned IDTechEx report). But the level of spending on semiconductor imports by China, as well as the blurred line between commercial and military ventures in the country, has led the US to become wary of outfitting a rival economy with the tools to surpass them in key technology areas. This is where AI comes into play. AI as a Motivator In addition to the restrictions presented above, on August 26th, 2022, the US government placed a ban on AMD and Nvidia from exporting chips that can be used to support AI workloads to China. According to an August SEC Filing made by Nvidia, this comes in the form of a license agreement, effective immediately, for any future export to China (including Hong Kong) and Russia of Nvidia's A100 and forthcoming H100 integrated circuits. Any systems that incorporate the A100 and H100 ICs are also covered by the new license requirement, as well as any future integrated circuits that are roughly as advanced as the A100. The filing asserts that the US government has indicated that the new license requirement will address the risk that the covered products may be used in a military capacity by China or Russia. In a similar fashion, a spokesperson for AMD speaking with Reuters said that the company had received new license requirements that effectively put a stop on exports of AMD's MI250 AI chips to China. This information alludes to the fact that the restrictions imposed upon Chinese companies by the US government are not simply a matter of trying to take some control of the supply chain from the APAC region but also a matter of national security. The measures are an attempt by the US to arrest China's AI surge by preventing the type of advanced technologies that are needed for China to realize AI supremacy (a not unfounded concern, as by 2018, China had filed 2.5X more patents in AI technologies than the US). Such is the interwoven aspect of commercial and military endeavors in China that the Biden administration has effectively stopped trying to block military-affiliated exports while retaining commercial exports and the revenue that generates. As such, to quote the Center for Strategic & International Studies, "High-end AI chips can no longer be sold to any entity operating in China, whether that is the Chinese military, a Chinese tech company, or even a US company operating a data center in China". AI not only promises to be one of the biggest drivers of economic advances within the next quarter century, but for China, AI mastery represents the ability to perfect a model of governance in keeping with existing architectures. The effectiveness of AI models comes largely down to the quality and breadth of the training data set provided. Given that China can collect significant volumes of citizen data, the country is poised to reap the benefits of widespread AI usage. China's Response China has until recently been rather quiet in the face of these restrictions, although some displeasure was expressed when TSMC (a Taiwanese semiconductor fabricator that accounts for the vast majority of leading-edge node manufacture globally) announced plans to build new fabrication facilities in Arizona, USA, last year. But in July 2023, China struck back, with restrictions placed on the export of Gallium and Germanium, materials that are used in certain semiconductor chip manufacture. Germanium is used in applications such as thermal imaging cameras, solar panels, and telecommunications, where germanium can be used in photodiodes to convert light signals to electrical ones. Gallium is often paired with arsenic to form gallium arsenide, a compound semiconductor that can operate at higher temperatures and frequencies than silicon. At present, China produces around 98% of the world's gallium and controls around 68% of global refined germanium production in various countries, according to the US Geological Survey. The impact that restrictions on these material exports have on the US and allied countries is not to be downplayed. Outlook Both European and Asian delegates alike have warned against these ongoing restrictions by both principals, given that the onus on the shoring up of national interests currently involves punishing the other party concurrently. And the harder that the US pushes against China, the harder that China will lean into plugging money into their own domestic supply chain (and given that in 2021 China spent the equivalent of USD$432 billion on imported microprocessors, money that they may no longer be able to be spend on imports, China is certainly not short of funding). As with most countries, China has not looked to develop an isolated, front-to-back domestic semiconductor supply chain to date, as they have had the option to work with superior foreign partners rather than domestic firms that do not meet the same standards; design companies could work with established fabs in Taiwan rather than inferior domestic fabs, and Chinese fabs could buy foreign semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME) with proven quality. Now that they are cut off from these possibilities, China must look to growing domestic capabilities. In the short term, this will prove to be very difficult for China. While the country has been stockpiling chips and SMEs in anticipation of these imposed controls (the 7 nm chip produced by SMIC was produced using existing deep ultraviolet (DUV) machines), these resources will eventually run out, and so China must look to develop domestic capabilities if their semiconductor industry isn't to completely dry out, at least in terms of the more advanced node processes. It seems likely that, for the next few years, China will have to rely on more mature node processes in the creation of new chips. This being said, it is unlikely that China will have no foreign support at all, at least in terms of SME and components supply. Companies that have a large stake in the Chinese market such as Zeiss, a German company that supplies mirrors to ASML for their extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic machines, and where China is their fastest growing market may be unwilling to relinquish revenues generated from China. In an effort to abide by the US export controls, companies may engineer out the US inputs or components in their products such that they can sell these without repercussions in China. In the longer term, there is cause for cautious optimism for China. Forced to work together in a way that they have not done previously, China's fabs, design companies, and SME firms may form an ecosystem that is not only stronger from the forced collaboration but also more thoroughly isolated from global supply chain disruptions than most other countries (and, in addition, free from US controls). This comes with significant hurdles, but these may be removed or at the least lessened should other countries feel the adverse economic effects of being unable to bolster their raw material supply. The story is far from being finished, but with a projected growth of US$257.6 billion by 2033 for AI chips alone, there is much to be gained and lost over the next ten years. Report Coverage IDTechEx forecasts that the global AI chips market will grow to US$257.6 billion by 2033. The report covers the global AI Chips market across eight industry verticals, with 10-year granular forecasts in seven different categories (such as by geography, by chip architecture, and by application). In addition to the revenue forecasts for AI chips, costs at each stage of the supply chain (design, manufacture, assembly, test & packaging, and operation) are quantified for a leading-edge AI chip. Rigorous calculations and a customizable template for customer use are provided, and analyses of comparative costs between leading and trailing edge node chips. IDTechEx's latest report, "AI Chips 2023-2033", answers the major questions, challenges and opportunities faced by the AI chip value chain. For further understanding of the markets, players, technologies, opportunities, and challenges, please refer to it. To find out more about this IDTechEx report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/AIChips. 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/scl/fo/63i7nel94h4hccarolv6o/h?rlkey=molaciuw43vrcfavx3kr38z3d&dl=0 Media Contact: Lucy Rogers Sales and Marketing Administrator [email protected] +44(0)1223 812300 Social Media Links: Twitter: www.twitter.com/IDTechEx LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/IDTechEx SOURCE IDTechEx LUGANO, Switzerland, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Inhalis Therapeutics SA, a pioneering privately-held company specializing in advanced inhaled treatments for life-threatening diseases, proudly reveals a significant stride forward as it submits a new patent application on INHAL-101, its lead asset. This strategic move strengthens the company's positioning and enriches its intellectual property portfolio. Dr. Silvia Panigone, CEO of Inhalis Therapeutics, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "The achievement of this pivotal milestone marks a moment of great pride for Inhalis. Our dedicated team has been steadfastly committed to developing INHAL-101, a unique small-molecule PI3K/mTOR/BRD4 tri-specific inhibitor. This ground-breaking formulation employs proprietary mSAS supercritical fluid technology, demonstrating a compelling profile for addressing the complex challenges of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). By selectively inhibiting the key IPF-driven pathogenic elements through a single inhalable medication, with excellent safety potential, INHAL-101 offers an opportunity to harness its full pharmacological power to be an efficacious and well-tolerated drug. This recent patent application strengthens our competitive positioning and provides additional value for Inhalis. We remain dedicated to our journey, and most importantly, to those people afflicted by IPF who stand to benefit from our unwavering commitment." About Inhalis Therapeutics SA Inhalis Therapeutics SA is committed to develop breakthrough inhaled treatments for life-threatening disorders. Solid science and industry-leading delivery technology are combined with an experienced management team to research and develop new inhaled treatments for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and other diseases. The lead asset, INHAL-101, a ground-breaking solution for IPF, is poised to initiate clinical trials in Q4/2024. The company's pipeline also includes INHAL-102, tailored for lung cancer, and additional assets in late-preclinical proof-of-concept stages for oncology, fibrotic diseases and pulmonary infections. For further information, please contact: Silvia Panigone, PhD, EMBA Chief Executive Officer Inhalis Therapeutics SA Phone: +41 78 89 89 644 Email: [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2189259/Inhalis_Therapeutics_Logo.jpg SOURCE Inhalis Therapeutics SA ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), an international organization with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health, and the Madagascar Institute for Vaccine Research (MIVR) at the University of Antanararivo held a ceremony today to launch a mass vaccination campaign against typhoid in the Arivonimamo and Antananarivo-Atsimondrano districts of Madagascar. Prof. Raphael Rakotozandrindrainy, Head of the Madagascar Institute for Vaccine Research and Site Principal Investigator for the TyMA project, receives the first vaccine during the launch ceremony for the TyMA typhoid conjugate vaccine campaign in Antananarivo on August 21, 2023. Credit: Aerie Em/IVI This campaign is a component of the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine Introduction in Madagascar (TyMA) project, which seeks to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of Vi-CRM 197 (trade name TYPHIBEV, manufactured by Biologicals E Limited), a typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) pre-qualified by the World Health Organization, in a high-burden setting as a step toward integrating the vaccine into routine vaccination programs in Madagascar. The campaign aims to provide a single dose of Vi-CRM 197 to approximately 60,000 children between 9 months and 16 years of age. Dr. Florian Marks, Deputy Director General at IVI and Principal Investigator of the TyMA project, said: "We are thrilled to launch this vaccination campaign to protect children against typhoid with our long-time collaborators at the University of Antanararivo, a pivotal step in our work with the Government of Madagascar to introduce typhoid conjugate vaccine into the national immunization program. IVI's multinational typhoid fever surveillance studies have shown high rates of typhoid in pre-school children in sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar, and we strongly believe preventive vaccination will have a significant impact in reducing this burden, especially with the rise of antimicrobial resistance." Prof. Raphael Rakotozandrindrainy, Head of MIVR, University of Antananarivo, and Site Principal Investigator, said: "This typhoid conjugate vaccine campaign is the culmination of a 12-year research collaboration between IVI and MIVR to understand the burden of typhoid fever in Madagascar and bolster clinical surveillance. The campaign will not only protect nearly 60,000 children in Arivonimamo and Antananarivo-Atsimondrano districts but help build an evidence-based case to register TCV in Madagascar. We are grateful for the support of the Ministry of Health in the effort to introduce TCV and look forward to the day all Malagasy infants and children are protected against typhoid." The TyMA TCV campaign follows more than a decade of typhoid fever surveillance in Madagascar and other sub-Saharan African countries through IVI's Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa (TSAP) and Severe Typhoid in Africa (SETA) programs, which yielded unprecedented data on the burden of disease in the region. In 2019, Prof. Young-Chul Sung of Pohang University of Science and Technology made a personal donation to IVI through the Korea Support Committee for IVI earmarked to fund vaccination projects in low-income countries. This donation funds the TyMA project, and Prof. Sung attended the campaign launch in Antananarivo. Prof. Young-Chul Sung said, "It has always been my intention that my contribution to IVI would advance efforts to protect children around the world from vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. I am truly honored to attend today's ceremony and witness years of scientific research and collaboration come together to launch a vaccination campaign that will impact the lives of an entire generation of children in Madagascar. I congratulate colleagues at IVI and the University of Antananarivo on reaching this milestone." In addition to generating safety and effectiveness data of Vi-CRM 197 specific to a defined population and setting, the TyMA study aims to assess the impact of vaccination on antibiotic use (AMU) and consumption between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. With AMU driving the development and spread of bacterial infections resistant to antimicrobial treatmentsor, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), this study posits that disease prevention through vaccination may be a safe and effective measure to reduce AMU and AMR. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2190043/TyMA_Vaccination_Launch_Pr SOURCE International Vaccine Institute SHANGRAO, China, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company") (NYSE: JKS), one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced JinkoSolar has been appointed a co-chair of the Tech, Innovation, and R&D Taskforce of B20 India, which has commenced work on a series of discussions and recommendation proposals related to, among others, policy recommendations and interventions required to promote and accelerate technology, innovation and R&D across all industry sectors and identify strategies for mass adoption. The B20 India Summit will be held on August 25 - 27, 2023 in New Delhi, India. Technology, innovation, and R&D in global economic decision-making have never been more critical. The low carbon economy has become more prominent in global markets, as the world has been accelerating towards a sustainable clean future as a result of technological disruption, especially solar, storage, and digital technologies. A renewed strategy for technology development to strengthen global collaboration will foster economic stability, progress, and growth that is inclusive and sustainable. The policy recommendations of the Tech, Innovation, and R&D Taskforce will be submitted to the G20 leaders and will be crucial to achieving significant improvements in the digitalized and greened era empowered by scientific methods. Ms. Dany Qian, VP of JinkoSolar, commented, "I believe the policy recommendations of our taskforce will bring tremendous contribution to the world today and in the future. Throughout the six month process, the preparation of these policy recommendations saw healthy debates over conflicting arguments that served to encourage a diversity of thoughts and aspirations under different circumstances and capabilities." About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions. JinkoSolar had 14 productions facilities globally, 24 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Indonesia, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, and global sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Vietnam and India, as of June 30, 2023. To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "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 as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company's operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: Ms. Stella Wang JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806 Email: [email protected] SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. New Exciting Flavors from America's #1 Popcorn Seasoning RICHMOND, Va. , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kernel Season's, a part of the Sauer Brands, Inc. portfolio of brands, is excited to expand its product line with the introduction of 5 new popcorn seasoning flavors! As America's #1 Popcorn Seasoning brand, Kernel Seasons is set to add interesting to popcorn nationwide with these delectable additions. We've been hard at work in the lab, eating popcorn and doing science and stuff, to ensure each flavor is going to upgrade your popcorn in just the right way. Find out more about each of these flavors below. Sorry if you get hungry. Kernel Season's is excited to expand its product line with the introduction of 5 new popcorn seasoning flavors! Post this Kernel Season's Five New Flavors Cinnamon Roll: Mmmm cinnamon and icing and dough This guy packs all the flavor of oven-fresh cinnamon rolls in one convenient bottle. How is this possible, you ask? Magic, my dearest friend! Magic and also the real cinnamon and brown sugar we use! Okay, it might be mostly the cinnamon and sugar, but you can't prove there isn't magic too! Roasted Garlic Butter: You could say this is a culinary masterpiece, Gordan Ramsay certainly did. Well, not publicly, and probably not privately, and also not certainly, but we can dream, can't we?! So, we aren't sure what Mr. Ramsay thinks of this flavor, but we do know that it's made with real butter and will bring a whole new level of delicious sophistication to your popcorn. Churro: We came up with this one while waiting in line for popcorn at the county fair. The next cart over was selling churros, and while we were waiting, a bronco escaped from the rodeo, bucking both the popcorn cart and the churro cart high into the air! Popcorn went flying, churros went flying, people screamed, babies laughed, and the bronco ran off into the sunset. Anywho, real cinnamon shines in this one and reminds us of that wonderful night.* Salt & Pepper: Simon and Garfunkel, bacon and eggs, popcorn and movies! Need we say more? We do? That didn't make any sense? How about this, SALT & PEPPER BABY! That's right, this iconic duo joins our roster at last. Made with real cracked pepper, we wanted to give popcorn lovers an easy way to enjoy this classic combo. Salt & Vinegar: If you thought we forgot about the other legendary salt pairing, you messed up BIG TIME. A real crowd-pleaser amongst pirates and the English alike, Salt & Vinegar provides a tangy, salty kick to your popcorn. Made with real vinegar, it'll have you saying, "ARRRR, now this is a swashbucklin' popcorn for an ol' scoundrel like me, matey!" Maybe. In addition to each of these new flavors' natural ingredients, they are also all Kosher Certified and Gluten-free! A healthy and tasty addition to one of the most popular snacks! "We love pushing the envelope on flavor pairings with popcorn and are thrilled to be rolling out what I think could be our best tasting flavors ever. Innovation is in our DNA it keeps things interesting." Alina Allen, Brand Manager, Kernel Season's. These new flavors are slated to make their grocery debut beginning October 2023 and will be available on Amazon as well. About Kernel Season's Kernel Season's, a brand in the Sauer Brands, Inc. portfolio, is the nation's leading popcorn seasoning brand. Started by a college student from the University of Michigan, Brian Taylor, who was looking for a way to bring more flavor to his favorite snack, popcorn. Upon his graduation in 1999, Kernel Season's began its official journey through sampling in Movie Theaters for patrons looking for something more fun and adventurous than butter and salt. Today, the company has grown into the #1 popcorn seasoning brand in America, available in over 36,000 stores nationwide! About Sauer Brands Sauer Brands is the manufacturer of beloved products such as Duke's Mayonnaise, Kernel Season's, Spice Hunter, Mateo's Salsa, and Sauer's. Sauer Brands produces a broad line of flavor-enhancing products for the retail and food service channels, including condiments, sauces, spices, toppings, and more to surprise, delight and inspire legions of loyal customers. Sauer Brands is Headquartered in Richmond, VA, and has manufacturing plants in Richmond, VA, Greenville, SC, New Century, KS, and San Luis Obispo, CA. *This is advertising copy, and the events listed did not actually happen. SOURCE Kernel Seasons Highlights: Luminex participated in a mediated negotiation process with 19 mining operators, most of whom hold historical operating permits granted by the Ministry of Energy and Mines within the Condor project. The agreement resolves outstanding issues with a critical mass of local miners through a newly constituted local entity, Minera La Pangui S.A.S . The 53-hectare area that will be transferred to Minera La Pangui S.A.S. is not of interest to Luminex for integration into the Condor North mine plan. Once they become mineral concession owners, the mining operators will assume responsibility for all legal and regulatory obligations arising from their current and historic operations, as well as collaborate with Luminex to facilitate the Condor project's peaceful development. This agreement is unprecedented in Ecuador and will serve as a model to be replicated in other projects facing development challenges from artisanal mining operations. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Luminex Resources Corp. (TSXV: LR) (OTCQX: LUMIF) (the "Company" or "Luminex") is pleased to announce that it has reached a historic and unprecedented mediated agreement with informal miners in the Condor North portion of its Condor gold project in southeast Ecuador (the "Condor Project"). The Ecuadorian counterparty is Minera La Pangui S.A.S. (the "Local Entity"), which incorporated members of Asolapanguina and Asopromidiche, neighbouring associations of informal miners. The Agreement enables the Company to secure areas in strategic proximity to the Condor North portion of its Condor Project and, at the same time, satisfies the decades-long desire of these informal artisanal miners to gain legal mineral concession rights over informal mining properties in the Company's Chinapintza area (see Figure 1, La Pangui area). The Local Entity has 19 shareholders (all operators), and the Agreement is expected to benefit a large number of additional individuals within the area of influence of the Condor Project. Figure 1: Planned concession areas to be transferred within the Chinapintza area (CNW Group/Luminex Resources Corp.) The majority of the shareholders of the Local Entity were granted artisanal mining permits to work within the Chinapintza mineral concession area following the Government of Ecuador's 2010 Artisanal Mining Census, which registered a number of artisanal miners with long-term operations in the area of the Condor Project. These artisanal mining permits are approaching expiration, a condition which generated concern among the shareholders of the Local Entity regarding their future prospects. Over the past decade, Luminex has improved its understanding of the areas that might be necessary for mine development, as well as identified areas of mineral value that, owing to economic and technical reasons, will not be incorporated into the Condor North mine plan. In order for the Condor Project to advance successfully towards production, a sustainable solution to the issues with the informal miners had to be found; the mediation process and ensuing agreement provided a forum that enabled both parties to build trust and negotiate positive outcomes that ensure their long-term economic and technical viability. The Agreement is the result of a series of negotiations that commenced in February 2022, under the leadership of a highly regarded professional mediator, who promoted transparency and good faith to build trust between the parties. The process enabled the parties to discuss their critical needs and find long-term solutions to the benefit of all those involved. Throughout the negotiation process, as well as in the drafting and finalization of the terms, each of the parties were supported by independent legal, financial and tax advisors. Pursuant to Article 47 of the Ecuadorean Law on Arbitration and Mediation, the mediation act has the effect of a legal judgment and executed sentence, effectively making the agreement between the Company and the Local Entity final and legally binding. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company agrees to execute a material division of its Chinapintza concession in order to create four new mining titles, one of which will be transferred to the Local Entity. The transfer of this title (La Pangui, 53 hectares) will ensure that the Local Entity has legally secure and long-term mineral concessions, along with the obligation to obtain all the regulatory and environmental permits and licenses necessary for the mining operations. This was possible, because, based on past exploration and technical studies, the Company determined that these areas were not required for the development of the Condor Project now or in the future. The Local Entity agrees that, once the transfer of the mining title has been completed, it will grant the Company a voluntary mining easement (see Figure 1, Industrial Protection area) for the duration of said mining title and its renewals and extensions. This easement will cover a portion of the Local Entity's concession that, due to technical and industrial safety considerations, the Company may require when the Condor Project is at a more advanced stage. As part of the agreement, the Local Entity and the five directly affected shareholders agree that they will over time abandon certain current operations located in this area, which will be necessary for industrial safety. In addition to relinquishing their permits and committing to not request any new rights or undertake operations in any areas where the Company has mining rights, the shareholders of the Local Entity collectively and individually agree to collaborate with the Company to help restrict the entrance of illegal miners to the concessions of the Condor Project. The Local Entity and their shareholders also commit to conduct environmental audits that may be requested by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of its operations, as well as to remediate any environmental impacts their operations may have caused and assume responsibility for any environmental liability that may arise as a result of their past activities. They also grant the Company a right of first refusal over any future sale of the mining title, and commit that if this right is not exercised, any future purchaser of the mining title will commit to abiding by the terms of the Agreement. The parties are bound to make their best efforts to execute their respective commitments, staggered across three defined phases. The process of implementing the Agreement is expected to take approximately two years in total to complete, depending on regulatory approvals. The Company will continue working to resolve issues with other smaller groups of long-established miners within the Condor Project through a similar mediation approach. About Luminex Resources Luminex Resources Corp. (TSXV:LR, OTCQX:LUMIF) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on gold and copper projects in Ecuador. Luminex's inferred and indicated mineral resources are located at the Condor Gold-Copper project in Zamora-Chinchipe Province, southeast Ecuador. Luminex also holds a large and highly prospective land package in Ecuador, including the Pegasus and Orquideas projects, which are being co-developed with Anglo American and JOGMEC respectively. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminexresources.com/. To receive news releases please sign up at https://www.luminexresources.com/contact/contact-us/. Follow us on: Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook. LUMINEX RESOURCES CORP. Signed: "Marshall Koval" Marshall Koval, CEO and Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future mining at Condor and transfer of concessions to the Local Entity. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws (including regulations respecting mining concessions); and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE Luminex Resources Corp. Mayor Johnson Passed Out First Pizzas to Robinson Elementary School Students Chicago Police and Fire Personnel Delivered Free Pizzas to Students at 25 South and West Side Elementary Schools CHICAGO, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomed the new school year on Monday, August 21 when Home Run Inn sent thousands of CPS students home on the first day of school with one of their favorite treats - a pizza. Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department members distributed 6000 pizzas to students at 25 elementary schools on the South and West sides with support from this popular 76-year-old Chicago business, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, and CPS. Pictured from left to right: Gina Bolger, Gretta Ellis, Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson, Brandie Knazze HOME RUN INN PIZZA (PRNewsfoto/Home Run Inn Pizza) Mayor Johnson personally handed out the first batch of pizzas, along with the Chicago Police Department, to students at Robinson Elementary School, 4225 S. Lake Park Ave., upon dismissal at 3:00 p.m. "Our children are our future, and I cherish the opportunity to start the school year off right by handing out one of Chicago's signature dishes to thousands of our youth," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Thank you to CPD, CFD, DFSS, CPS, and Home Run Inn for making this event possible and making our kids' first day a little brighter." The massive food distribution event was held from 1:30 3:00 p.m. at two Chicago Department of Family and Support Services locations: Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center , 4314 S Cottage Grove Ave.; and Garfield Community Service Center , 10 South Kedzie Avenue. A Home Run Inn frozen truck was parked at each location to house more than 3,000 pizzas for the Chicago Police and Fire Departments to pick up and deliver to children at the neighborhood elementary schools. Every student received one HRI cheese pizza. "We are so excited to continue our partnership with Home Run Inn, Chicago Public Schools, CPD, and CFD to begin the new school year with such a big celebration," said DFSS Commissioner Brandie Knazze. "DFSS supports children and families throughout the duration of their school-aged experience and beyond. We know that they need to be supported and nourished in many different ways, and this event contributes to that effort. We wish every student a wonderful and productive school year." Also, every staff member at the receiving schools was recognized for their dedication with a personal invitation for a free pizza at any Home Run Inn location. An additional 1000 pizzas were given to police and fire personnel on hand as well as 500 pizzas to area residents that day at the DFSS Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center . "We're grateful to Home Run Inn and all our City partners for joining us as we welcome back our families, staff and importantly, our amazing scholars," said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. "Starting the year off strong depends on our schools as well as our parents and community members, as exemplified in this generous gift and partnership." Home Run Inn , (HRI) is proud to join the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in addition to the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Chicago Fire Department (CFD). "Home Run Inn is thrilled to play a part in brightening the lives of students as they gear up for an exciting new school year," said Gina (Perrino) Bolger, Senior Vice President and fourth-generation family member of Home Run Inn. About Department of Support and Family Services (DFSS) DFSS works with community partners to connect Chicago residents and families to resources that build stability, support their well-being, and empower them to thrive. As the 5th largest City agency and one of the largest social service funders in Chicago, DFSS provides direct services at six Community Service Centers, six Regional Senior Centers, and through partnerships with 350 community-based organizations across the city. In total, DFSS services and funding supports over 400,000 vulnerable Chicagoans each year. Connect with DFSS on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn Learn more about DFSS at www.chicago.gov/fss About Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is dedicated to providing a high-quality education to all students, beginning with the District's free full-day preschool programming for four-year-old scholars and continuing through neighborhood, magnet and selective-enrollment elementary schools that provide a rigorous K-8 education with schools that specialize in the fine arts, world language and culture, dual language, STEM, International Baccalaureate (IB), classical programs, and more. The rising District-wide freshmen-on-track and high school graduation rates reflect the hard work of the CPS community, including families, staff, and students across 635 schools. CPS celebrates the diversity of its more than 322,000 students who cite 182 home languages. Learn more about CPS at www.cps.edu and connect with CPS on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn . About Home Run Inn (HRI) Home Run Inn is considered Chicago's very own thin crust pizza known for its irresistible flavor, hand-pinched buttery crust, zesty sauce, plentiful cheese and homemade sausage. The small tavern of the 1920's was named Home Run Inn in 1947. Now, the company has 9 pizzerias throughout the Chicagoland area and frozen pizza is sold across the country. Home Run Inn also is currently the official pizza of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and sold at Chicago's Midway International Airport. Still family-owned and operated, Home Run Inn ranks among the top 10 in pizza brands sold nationally and number one in the Chicagoland area. For further information, visit www.homeruninnpizza.com . CONTACTS: Hannah Fierle / Janie Goldberg-Dicks City of Chicago / Margie Korshak Inc. [email protected] / [email protected] 12-718-2631 / (847) 922-9494 SOURCE Home Run Inn Pizza The Planned Logistics Distribution Center is More Than Five Times as Large as the Warehouse Development Rejected by the Arvada City Council ARVADA, Colo., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At a Tuesday, August 22nd Town Hall meeting an official from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is slated to present information on the historical contamination and mitigation at the planned site for a huge, proposed warehouse development in the heart of a residential area just outside of the Arvada city limits. The discussion will be important since the proposed site for the warehouse development at 60th and McIntyre Street is known to have been contaminated with radioactive and other hazardous materials previously. The 6:30 pm Town Hall meeting will be at the Storyline Church Sanctuary at 14605 West 64th Avenue in Arvada. The meeting is free, and all interested residents are invited to attend. To watch a live stream of the meeting, go to: https://vimeo.com/event/3645586/ea70a0dd15. The Town Hall speaker is scheduled to be Fonda Apostolopoulos with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Apostolopoulos has worked for CDPHE for over 22 years and has worked as an On-Scene Coordinator and Project Manager on various Superfund Sites. A similar warehouse development, approximately one mile from the new development's site, was earlier rejected by the Arvada City Council. The planned, new warehouse development just outside Arvada city lines is more than 500 percent larger than the previously rejected development. The proposed development will be roughly the size of the Jefferson County Government Center, known by residents as the Taj Mahal because of its enormity. The Town Hall meeting is being hosted by the scrappy citizens group, McIntyre Neighbors United. "We are very interested to hear from Mr. Apostolopoulos because we are worried about the possible consequences of stirring up radioactive and other hazardous materials that were deposited on this site decades ago," said Anne Laffoon, a spokesperson for the MNU. The formal site development application for the warehouse development, known technically as a logistics distribution center, reflects that the project includes three, forty-four-foot-high warehouses with more than 140 truck bays. Earlier more than 4,000 residents of Jefferson County requested a moratorium on the proposed project by signing a petition. The petition stated that new site development applications should be paused on land zoned I-3 (light industrial) and located within 500 feet of homes until the county's land use regulations could be revised. The Jefferson County commissioners denied the request July 1lth, though they acknowledged that the industrial zoning regulations are outdated and are scheduled to be revised in the next 18-24 months. The proposed project is to be constructed on roughly 40 acres of previously contaminated land that has been largely vacant for decades adjacent to Hyatt Lake in an environmentally sensitive habitat area. Preparing the site for construction of the warehouses will mean disturbing soils that have been in various clean-up programs for decades. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is considering whether the Farmers Highline Canal and Hyatt Lake waters may be contaminated during the construction and later with water runoff from the warehouse project. The coalition has asked that an Environmental Assessment be done since there is such a long history of contamination from uranium and other contaminants on the site. The site development application can be viewed on the Jefferson County website under planning and zoning "active cases" under the 5950 McIntyre address. McIntyre Neighbors United has information on its website, www.mcintyreneighborsunited.org. About McIntyre Neighbors United McIntyre Neighbors United includes 18 homeowner associations (HOAs) that have communicated on behalf of the community with the Jefferson County Commissioners, City Council of Arvada, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and several open space/conservation groups about the community-led effort to examine the impacts of the proposed warehouse site adjacent to Hyatt Lake. The coalition is not anti-development; it simply wants a planning and approval process that supports sustainable and compatible development. Contact: Erich Kirshner, Lasso Digital [email protected] 303.921.6733 SOURCE McIntyre Neighbors United SEATTLE, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, has released the MARA SDXPLN, a Social Deprivation Indicator model that can be used to better understand the impact of community conditions on population health. MARA SDXPLN is available in the Milliman Advanced Risk Adjusters (MARA) software, a platform-independent product that fuels population health analytics. As healthcare continues to evolve, it is important for healthcare decision makers to have a baseline understanding of the community conditions that explain social deprivation. MARA leverages the Social Deprivation Index[1] (SDI) from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), which provides information on the level of disadvantage for areas across the United States of America. Leveraging the SDI, the SDXPLN model provides a Social Deprivation Score (SD Score) and contributing risk factors based on where a member lives and is intended to be applied at the population level. Community-based SD factors can also lend useful information at the individual level, particularly when medical and/or pharmacy data isn't available. "Incorporating social factors can help payers and providers better understand these related risks and adds value for many population-level decisions," said Diane Laurent, a Milliman principal and managing director of MARA. "MARA SDXPLN is a cost-effective model to promote understanding of risks related to social factors within communities." Community-related information provided by SDXPLN is easy to access within the MARA software platform and is well-documented. To learn more about all of the models and features of the MARA software, including SDXPLN, please contact [email protected] or visit Milliman Advanced Risk Adjusters (MARA) | Milliman | Worldwide. About Milliman Milliman is among the world's largest providers of actuarial and related products and services. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com. [1] See Social Deprivation Index (SDI) | Robert Graham Center (graham-center.org) for more information. Data used with permission from the American Academy of Family Physicians SOURCE Milliman, Inc. SHANGHAI, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Montage Technology recently achieved a significant milestone with its CXL Memory eXpander Controller (MXC), which successfully passed the rigorous CXL 1.1 compliance testing sponsored by the CXL Consortium. This remarkable accomplishment earned Montage a coveted spot on the CXL Integrators List, making it the first among its competitors to achieve this recognition. Montage's MXC Chip on the CXL Integrators List (Link to https://www.computeexpresslink.org/integrators-list) Montage Technology's CXL Memory eXpander Controller Compute Express Link (CXL) emerges as an innovative and high-speed Cache-Coherent Interconnect that aims to bolster data transmission and processing performance, especially for memory-intensive workloads like artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data. The CXL Consortium's compliance testing holds paramount importance in verifying the adherence of diverse devices within the CXL ecosystem, including CPUs, CXL-based devices, and accelerators, to the stringent CXL specifications. This testing also serves as a prerequisite for ensuring seamless interoperability among these devices. Montage's trailblazing journey began in May 2022 when it introduced the world's first CXL Memory eXpander Controller (MXC). This innovative product facilitates a high-bandwidth, low-latency interconnect between the CPU and CXL-based devices, effectively enabling memory expansion. As a result, it translates to elevated system performance and reduced Total Cost Ownership (TCO) within data centers. The advantages of Montage's MXC becomes even more evident when considering that it emerged triumphant from more than 10 products in numerous exacting tests to become the world's first CXL 1.1 compliant memory expander controller endorsed by the CXL Consortium. The inclusion of MXC on the CXL website, side by side with other CXL-compliant offerings from prominent CPU and memory manufacturers, demonstrates the industry's recognition of Montage's pioneering CXL technology. Montage remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering collaborations with leading CPU, storage, cloud service, and server OEMs. Staying at the forefront of technology, the company is dedicated to driving iterative product enhancements that contribute to the evolution of the CXL ecosystem and the widespread adoption of CXL technology. SOURCE Montage Technology - Oteseconazole Capsules were statistically superior to fluconazole, the current standard-of-care, in treating women with severe VVC - Oteseconazole Capsules were found to be safe and more effective than fluconazole - China commercial launch of Oteseconazole Capsules expected in late 2023 DURHAM, N.C., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mycovia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Mycovia"), an emerging biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd ("Hengrui") received approval in June from the National Medical Products Administration for Oteseconazole Capsules, an azole antifungal, indicated for the treatment of severe vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Oteseconazole Capsules is contraindicated for females of reproductive potential, pregnant and lactating women, patients with known hypersensitivity to active ingredients, excipients and azoles. The approval of Oteseconazole Capsules for the treatment of severe VVC in China is an important milestone under Mycovia's exclusive agreement with Hengrui to develop and commercialize oteseconazole in China, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, for the treatment or prevention of a range of fungal conditions. The approval of Oteseconazole Capsules was based on a Phase 3 study with 322 patients at 27 sites. The primary study endpoint was the proportion of subjects with therapeutic cure (defined as the absence of symptoms and signs of VVC with negative fungal culture candidiasis) at Day 28. In a randomized Phase 3 clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a two-day dosing regimen of SHR8008 (oteseconazole capsules) versus the current standard-of-care fluconazole in patients with severe VVC, therapeutic cure at Day 28 was significantly higher in the SHR8008 group than in the fluconazole group (66.88% vs 45.91%), p = 0.0002. Mycological cure at Day 28 was higher in the SHR8008 group than in the fluconazole group (82.50% vs 59.12%), p < 0.0001. Therapeutic cure and mycological cure at Day 14 were also statistically superior for subjects receiving SHR8008 compared to those receiving fluconazole. Reported adverse events were similar between treatment groups. "We celebrate and congratulate our partner, Hengrui, on receiving its approval for Oteseconazole Capsules for the treatment of severe VVC," said Patrick Jordan, CEO of Mycovia and Managing Partner at NovaQuest Capital Management. "The disease burden in China is significant and the approval of Oteseconazole Capsules gives another treatment option for those women suffering with VVC." Vulvovaginal candidiasis is an exceedingly common mucosal infection usually caused by Candida albicans but can occasionally be caused by other Candida species or yeasts. Typical symptoms include vulvovaginal itching, irritation, burning, soreness, fissuring, redness, vaginal discharge, and dyspareunia. Approximately 70% to 75% of women in all strata of the society will experience at least one episode during their lifetime. Oteseconazole is designed to selectively inhibit fungal CYP51, which is required for fungal cell wall integrity, and this interaction is also toxic to fungi, resulting in the inhibition of fungal growth. Due to its chemical structure, oteseconazole has a lower affinity for human CYP enzymes as compared to fungal CYP enzymes. In April 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved VIVJOA (oteseconazole) Capsules, as the first medication for Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (chronic yeast infection). About Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis RVVC is a debilitating, chronic infectious condition that affects 138 million women worldwide each year. RVVC, also known as chronic yeast infection, is a distinct condition from vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as three or more symptomatic acute episodes of yeast infection in 12 months. Primary symptoms include vaginal itching, burning, irritation and inflammation. Some women may experience abnormal vaginal discharge and painful sexual intercourse or urination, causing variable but often severe discomfort and pain. About VIVJOA VIVJOA (oteseconazole) is an azole antifungal indicated to reduce the incidence of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) in females with a history of RVVC who are NOT of reproductive potential. VIVJOA is the first FDA-approved medication that provides sustained efficacy demonstrated by significant long-term reduction of RVVC recurrence through 50 weeks versus comparators. Oteseconazole is designed to inhibit fungal CYP51, which is required for fungal cell wall integrity, and this selective interaction is also toxic to fungi, resulting in the inhibition of fungal growth. Due to its chemical structure, oteseconazole has a lower affinity for human CYP enzymes as compared to fungal CYP enzymes. The FDA approved VIVJOA based upon the positive results from three phase 3 clinical trials of oteseconazole two global VIOLET studies and one U.S.-focused ultraVIOLET study, including 875 patients at 232 sites across 11 countries. Please click here for full Prescribing Information. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CONTRAINDICATIONS VIVJOA is contraindicated in females of reproductive potential. Females who are NOT of reproductive potential are defined as: persons who are biological females who are postmenopausal or have another reason for permanent infertility (e.g., tubal ligation, hysterectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy). VIVJOA is contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women. VIVJOA is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to oteseconazole. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Based on animal studies, VIVJOA may cause fetal harm. The drug exposure window of approximately 690 days (based on 5 times the half-life of oteseconazole) precludes adequate mitigation of the embryo-fetal toxicity risks. Advise patients that VIVJOA is contraindicated in females of reproductive potential, and in pregnant and lactating women because of potential risks to a fetus or breastfed infant. ADVERSE REACTIONS The most frequently reported adverse reactions among VIVJOA-treated patients in clinical studies included headache (7.4%) and nausea (3.6%). DRUG INTERACTIONS VIVJOA is a Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP) inhibitor. Concomitant use of VIVJOA with BCRP substrates (e.g., rosuvastatin) may increase the exposure of BCRP substrates, which may increase the risk of adverse reactions associated with these drugs. Please see full Prescribing Information and Patient Information . To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Mycovia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-855-299-0637 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . About Mycovia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mycovia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging biopharmaceutical company dedicated to recognizing and empowering those living with unmet medical needs by developing novel therapies. VIVJOA (oteseconazole) capsules, the first FDA-approved product for Mycovia, is an azole antifungal indicated to reduce the incidence of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) in females with a history of RVVC who are NOT of reproductive potential. Oteseconazole received FDA Qualified Infectious Disease Product and Fast-Track designations to become the first FDA-approved therapy for RVVC. In 2019, Mycovia licensed oteseconazole to Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., to develop and commercialize oteseconazole in China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Mycovia also recognizes a tremendous potential for its oral fungal inhibitors and a growing need to treat a range of multi-drug resistant fungal pathogens. For more information, please visit www.mycovia.com . About Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Hengrui Pharma is a leading global pharmaceutical company headquartered in China with a focus on research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative and high-quality healthcare products. Innovation is the core development strategy. Hengrui Pharma ranked 21st among the top 1,000 global pharmaceutical companies in 2021.1 Hengrui Pharma has been on the Pharma Exec's annual listing of the top global pharmaceutical companies for the fourth consecutive year, rising from the 47th in 2019 to the 32nd in 2021.2 1. https://torreya.com/publications/pharma-1000-report-torreya-2021-11-08.pdf ; page 49 and 56. 2. https://www.pharmexec.com/view/2022-pharm-exec-top-50-companies ; page 24 About NovaQuest Capital Management Founded by a team of accomplished industry professionals in 2010, NovaQuest Capital Management is a premier biopharma and life sciences investment firm. NovaQuest pioneered a Product Finance solution for the industry, providing at-risk, nondilutive funding that enables partner companies to advance pivotal clinical trials, launch new brands, license products, and acquire accretive products or companies. NovaQuest has invested in scores of biopharmaceutical assets across therapeutic areas with a clinical success rate significantly higher than the industry average. NovaQuest is actively evaluating and investing into global opportunities with financing needs that range from $30-100 million. For more information, please visit www.novaquest.com. SOURCE Mycovia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new six-month science expedition in low Earth orbit (LEO) begins when four astronauts launch to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission. While onboard the space station, the Crew-7 astronauts, who will be part of Expeditions 69 and 70, will perform a variety of investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory. This 7th rotational crewed mission from SpaceX, which is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, is scheduled to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than August 25, 2023, at 3:49 a.m. EDT. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli (commander) joins European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen (pilot), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (mission specialist), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov (mission specialist) onboard SpaceX's "Endurance" spacecraft. In the coming months, a variety of visiting vehicles will launch to the space station. These vehicles will bring critical cargo and research for the crew to perform, including ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations in the areas of life and physical sciences, in-space production applications, advanced materials, and technology development. These endeavors will bring value to humanity through space-based inquiry, further our ability to explore, and enable a robust LEO market. Below are a few of the ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations that will be supported by the Crew-7 astronauts during their mission: Researchers from ISS National Lab Commercial Service Provider Rhodium Scientific and the University of Florida will continue their investigation of microbes that could help make products needed for living and working in space. This project, supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of its Biomanufacturing: Survival, Utility, and Reliability beyond Earth (B-SURE) program, will continue to examine how gravity affects the capabilities of bacteria and yeast related to biomanufacturing. Microgravity induces changes in microorganisms, including alterations in cellular growth, structure, and metabolic activity, which can affect the biomanufacturing process. will continue their investigation of microbes that could help make products needed for living and working in space. This project, supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of its Biomanufacturing: Survival, Utility, and Reliability beyond Earth (B-SURE) program, will continue to examine how gravity affects the capabilities of bacteria and yeast related to biomanufacturing. Microgravity induces changes in microorganisms, including alterations in cellular growth, structure, and metabolic activity, which can affect the biomanufacturing process. The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) will support multiple investigations in the life and physical sciences over the course of Expedition 70. An investigation from researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara will study the role that the mucus lining in the human airway plays in the transport of liquid plug therapeutics to the lungs. Results could help improve drug delivery models for patient therapies. A team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco has launched multiple tissue chip investigations funded through the National Institutes of Health. Now, the researchers will continue their tissue chip research in an NSF-funded investigation to better understand the relationship between immune aging and liver regeneration. Results could help researchers find new ways to enhance the liver healing process. will study the role that the mucus lining in the human airway plays in the transport of liquid plug therapeutics to the lungs. Results could help improve drug delivery models for patient therapies. A team of researchers from the has launched multiple tissue chip investigations funded through the National Institutes of Health. Now, the researchers will continue their tissue chip research in an NSF-funded investigation to better understand the relationship between immune aging and liver regeneration. Results could help researchers find new ways to enhance the liver healing process. A biotechnology investigation from the Naval Research Laboratory will examine how microgravity and cosmic radiation may lead to new melanin variants that could be used to produce materials with applications both on Earth and in space. Potential applications of melanin-derived biomaterials include drug delivery systems, biological imaging, organic electronics, protective coatings, and energy storage devices. An investigation from Encapsulate aims to validate an automated tumor-on-a-chip system to grow patients' cancer cells outside the human body. These cells could then be used for personalized screening to see how well chemotherapeutic drugs work for an individual patient's cancer, enabling improved decision-making to select a course of treatment. This investigation was awarded through the Technology in Space Prize, funded by Boeing and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS), manager of the ISS National Lab, through the MassChallenge startup accelerator program. An investigation from ISS National Lab Commercial Service Provider Redwire Space aims to validate the in-space production techniques of the company's Manufacturing of Semiconductors and Thin-Film Integrated Coatings (MSTIC) technology. MSTIC could provide an autonomous manufacturing capability to construct semiconductor devices. The system can perform processes like deposition, etching, and cleaning. For this investigation, Redwire will use MSTIC to perform experiments related to semiconductor manufacturing and compare results with the same processes done on Earth. Over the coming weeks, additional information will be made available about ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations launching on future Commercial Resupply Services missions to the space station. To learn more about the research and technology development sponsored by the ISS National Lab, including how to propose concepts for future space-based research, visit our website. To download a high-resolution photo for this release, click here. About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website. Media Contact: Patrick O'Neill 904-806-0035 [email protected] SOURCE International Space Station National Lab Weeklong service event results in thousands of service hours completed across the nation INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OneAmerica continues a 10-year tradition of dedicating a full week of volunteer service to its local communities. From coast to coast, hundreds of associates will assist 29 nonprofits during the 10th annual Week of Caring. Through both in-person and virtual volunteer activities, OneAmerica associates will dedicate their time and talents across several states. "Week of Caring is just one of many ways that OneAmerica invests in and supports the communities where we live, work and play," said Kim Thomas, chief diversity officer and head of community affairs for OneAmerica. "We're exceedingly proud to celebrate our culture of caring for our 10th year, and plan to have many more ahead." While most volunteer opportunities are in communities in which OneAmerica associates live and work, associates nationwide may also volunteer for virtual activities benefitting national organizations. Eighteen volunteer sites are in the Indianapolis area; other communities that will benefit from the investment include Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Portland, Maine; San Diego, California; and Westampton, New Jersey. Week of Caring is conducted in collaboration with many nonprofit organizations, such as Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Second Helpings, Dress for Success, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Oaks Integrated Care, Preble Street, St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, San Diego Rescue Mission and Feeding America. This year, new volunteer opportunities in Indianapolis include those with Firefly Children and Family Alliance, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis Cultural Trail, the Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, Easterseals Crossroads and Little Red Door. Virtual volunteer opportunities are also available through the Red Cross and the Alzheimer's Association. Week of Caring is part of a broader associate-driven philanthropic effort that also includes the company's annual giving campaign. The OneAmerica Cares Giving Campaign starts in September and runs through mid-October. Last year, the campaign raised $739,888 to invest back into communities across the country. In 2014, OneAmerica became the first organization in central Indiana to devote an entire week to volunteer service. Every year associates have the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues in an immersive, community-focused effort that benefits others. About OneAmerica A national provider of insurance and financial services for 145 years, the companies of OneAmerica help customers build and protect their financial futures. OneAmerica offers a variety of products and services to serve the financial needs of their policyholders and customers. These products include retirement plan products and recordkeeping services, individual life insurance, annuities, asset-based long-term care solutions and employee benefit plan products. Products are issued and underwritten by the companies of OneAmerica and distributed through a nationwide network of employees, agents, brokers and other sources who are committed to providing value to our customers. To learn more about our products, services and the companies of OneAmerica, visit oneamerica.com/companies. OneAmerica is the marketing name for the companies of OneAmerica. Contact: Danielle Eagleson Public Relations Manager 317-489-8504 [email protected] SOURCE OneAmerica GOTEBORG, Sweden, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the press release of November 16, 2022 OptiGroup and the Finnish B2B wholesaler Pamark Business Oy announce that they have decided to abandon the proposed transaction. After a full phase 2 investigation to the proposed transaction, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) has concluded that the acquisition will raise competition concerns in the market for cleaning and hygiene products especially to larger customers in Finland. Despite the good faith efforts to develop a remedy commitment package, the parties consider that the receipt of FCCA approvals for the consummation of the transaction on acceptable terms and within short seems unlikely. OptiGroup and Pamark have therefore agreed to terminate the SPA and withdraw from the closing of the transaction. For further information, please contact: Soren Gaardboe, President and CEO, OptiGroup, [email protected] Thomas Eriksson, CFO and SVP Finance, OptiGroup, [email protected] Stefan Sikander, Corporate Communication Director, OptiGroup, [email protected] SOURCE OptiGroup London-based fintech, Paysend launches its first-ever above-the-line advertising campaign in the United States. LONDON, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Paysend, a leading global digital money transfer platform, today announces the launch of its groundbreaking advertising campaign set to hit the United States on August 21st. The comprehensive campaign will target the 60m Hispanic community living in the United States who regularly send money to family across Latin America, representing the largest money transfer corridor in the world. Paysend Launches Breakthrough Advertising Campaign The initial phase of the campaign will include two TV commercials, multiple TV program sponsorships, national and local radio advertising, podcast sponsorship, and extensive social and digital advertising, all in Spanish. With more than 60 TV commercials scheduled to air in the first week across the U.S., this campaign is poised to establish Paysend as a household brand within the Hispanic community. Chief Marketing Officer at Paysend, Rupert Bedell commented "This campaign is a significant milestone for Paysend for us to build the brand in the U.S. and disrupt the market with a competitive alternative. The upbeat campaign centres on the joy of sending money home to loved ones, and we're looking forward to seeing how it performs." The company's entry onto the U.S. financial landscape is poised to revolutionise the way the 60 million strong Hispanic community, representing 20% of the U.S. population, sends money to support their families across Latin America. Paysend enables users to send money directly to Visa and Mastercard debit cards, bank accounts, and for cash pick-up in select countries, providing a fast, low-cost, and safe alternative to traditional remittance methods. For launch, Paysend's money transfer will be fee-free to Latin America. This approach drastically undercuts the market, where transfer fees for competitors typically range between $3 and $10. By removing the transfer fee, Paysend seeks to capture a significant share of the $150 billion annual remittance payments from the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. Backing up the advertising blitz, Paysend has doubled the size of its Spanish-speaking customer service team operating in the region, and significantly increased its Spanish-language paid search investments to cater to the growing demand for their services. To read more about Paysend, visit https://paysend.com. To view the creative for the campaign, go to our Press Kit ABOUT PAYSEND Paysend is a next-generation integrated global payment ecosystem, enabling consumers and businesses to pay and send money online anywhere, anyhow and in any currency. Paysend is UK-based and has global reach having been created in April 2017 with the clear mission to change how money is moved around the world. Paysend currently supports cross-network operability globally across Mastercard, Visa, China UnionPay and local ACH and payment schemes, providing over 40 payment methods for online SMEs. Paysend can send money to over 170 countries worldwide. As a global end-to-end payment platform, Paysend has its own global network of banks and international and local payment systems and has partnerships with the major international card networks Visa, Mastercard and China Union Pay as a principal member and certified processor. Media Contact: Rupert Bedell [email protected] SOURCE Paysend READING, Pa., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Penske Transportation Solutions furthered its ongoing commitment to veteran hiring across its truck rental, truck leasing and logistics businesses in by signing a strategic commitment with the U.S. Army Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) program. "We're honored to begin this important, new relationship with the U.S. Army's PaYS program," said Ron Schwartz, vice president of staffing at Penske Transportation Solutions. "We truly value the service of our armed forces and the incredible diversity, work ethic and contributions they bring to our workforce." The PaYS Program is a strategic partnership between the Army and a cross section of private industry, academia and state and local public institutes. The U.S. Army PaYS Program guarantees soldiers five job interviews and possible employment after their service in the Army. "Joining forces with Penske has allowed us to amplify our impact and create even more opportunities for our veterans to thrive in the civilian world," stated LTC Jesse Ceja, battalion commander of the Dallas Fort-Worth Recruiting Battalion station. "We are proud to work with Penske in bridging the gap between military services and civilian careers, which will ensure a brighter future for those who have greatly served our nation." The PaYS program is designed to help soldiers prepare for a career after the Army by connecting them with employers who understand the skills, discipline, and work ethic that military service members bring to a business. This program is part of a long-term U.S. Army effort to help soldiers forge professional relationships with businesses and encourage business owners to look to the Army as a plentiful and reliable recruiting source. Since PaYS began in 2000, more than 1,000 employers have partnered with the program. Approximately 9% of Penske's annual new hires are veterans and the company has been routinely recognized as a top military friendly employer. The organization offers a wide range of career opportunities including truck fleet maintenance technicians, truck drivers, fleet supervisors, operations management, logistics and supply chain operations, leadership positions and many others. Visit Penske's careers site for more job opportunities for veterans. Penske Transportation Solutions is the over-arching brand for Penske Truck Leasing, Penske Logistics, Epes Transport Systems, Penske Vehicle Services and related businesses. Our businesses provide innovative transportation, supply chain and technology solutions to keep the world moving forward. Visit GoPenske.com to learn more. SOURCE Penske Transportation Solutions DALLAS, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Argent Trust Company, as Trustee of the Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE: PBT) ("Permian") today declared a cash distribution to the holders of its units of beneficial interest of $0.024535 per unit, payable on September 15, 2023, to unit holders of record on August 31, 2023. This month's distribution increased slightly from the previous month primarily due to a decrease in the pricing of both oil and gas offset by an increase in both oil and gas production on the Texas Royalty Properties for this month. The Waddell Ranch Properties did not contribute to the distribution for the month of June. WADDELL RANCH In reporting June production of the Underlying Properties for this month's press release, production for oil volumes was 232,996 (gross) and was priced at about $68.45 per bbl. Production for gas volumes (including gas liquids) was 782,776 Mcf (gross) and was priced at about $1.10 per Mcf, which now includes the value received from plant products and natural gas liquids. Net revenue for the underlying properties of the Waddell ranch was $16,008,164 (gross) for June. Lease Operating Expenses were $4,575,594 (gross) and Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) were $10,081,006 (gross) for June, netting to a positive Net Profit Interest (NPI) of $1,351,564. This would put the trust's proceeds of 75% as a positive $1,013,673 (net), decreasing the cumulative deficit 9to a negative $(1,762,024.69) for the month of June. For the month of June, there was a decrease of CAPEX relating specifically to the 2023 budgeted projects, with fracking costs declining from last month to this month, along with other capital budget items resulted in a decrease to CAPEX. Given that if current oil and gas pricing continues, Waddell Ranch may or may not be able to continue to contribute to the distribution in the foreseeable future, to cover the ongoing CAPEX budget. The Waddell Ranch Properties NPI did not contribute to this month's distribution. First sales received for the month of June 2023 wells were as follows: (all net to the Trust), 2.6 new drill wells, including 1.5 horizontal wells, 3.8 recompleted wells. Waiting on completion, as of 6/30/2023, were 2.6 drill wells, including 0.8 horizontal wells and 6.0 recompletion wells. Also, 0.4 wells, plugged and abandoned, were completed. Blackbeard has provided the projected 2023 capital expenditure budget for the Waddell Ranch Properties to be an estimated $96.8 million (net to the Trust) with a projection of about 30.75 new drill wells and 45 recompletions along with about 37.5 plug and abandoned wells. At this point in time, approximately 42% of that budget has been incurred. TEXAS ROYALTY PROPERTIES Production for the underlying properties at the Texas Royalties was 19,131 barrels of oil and 23,417 Mcf of gas. The production for the Trust's allocated portion of the Texas Royalties was 17,105 barrels of oil and 20,986 Mcf of gas. The average price for oil was $69.48 per bbl and for gas was $3.53 which includes significant NGL pricing per Mcf. This would primarily reflect production and pricing for the month of June for oil and the month of May for gas. These allocated volumes were impacted by the pricing of both oil and gas. This production and pricing for the underlying properties resulted in revenues for the Texas Royalties of $1,411,994. Deducted from these were taxes of $139,675 resulting in a Net Profit of $1,272,319 for the month of June. With the Trust's Net Profit Interest (NPI) of 95% of the Underlying Properties, this would result in net contribution by the Texas Royalties of $1,208,703 to this month's distribution. Underlying Properties Net to Trust Sales Volumes Volumes Average Price Oil (bbls) Gas (Mcf) Oil (bbls) Gas (Mcf) Oil (per bbl) Gas (per Mcf) Current Month Waddell Ranch 232,996 782,776 174,747 587,082* $68.45 $1.10** Texas Royalties 19,131 23,417 17,105 20,986* $69.48 $3.53** Prior Month Waddell Ranch 235,077 839,630 176,308 629,723* $69.38 $0.24** Texas Royalties 15,730 12,872 13,926 11,412* $73.01 $5.79 *These volumes are the net to the trust, after allocation of expenses to Trust's net profit interest, including any prior period adjustments. **This pricing includes sales of gas liquid products. General and Administrative Expenses deducted for the month were $74,344 resulting in a distribution of $1,143,576 to 46,608,796 units outstanding, or $0.024535 per unit. The worldwide market conditions continue to affect the pricing for domestic production. It is difficult to predict what effect these conditions will have on future distributions. The 2022 Annual Report with Form 10-K and the January 1, 2023 Reserve Summary are posted on Permian's website. Permian's cash distribution history, current and prior year financial reports, tax information booklets, and a link to filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all can be found on Permian's website at http://www.pbt-permian.com/. Additionally, printed reports can be requested and are mailed free of charge. Contact: Ron Hooper, Senior Vice President, Argent Trust Company, Trustee, Toll Free 1.855.588.7839 SOURCE Permian Basin Royalty Trust ZURICH, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SDX becomes the first private distributed ledger technology (DLT) based financial market infrastructure to adopt The Digital Token Identifier Foundation (DTIF) managed ISO 24165 DTI standard. The financial industry is increasingly adopting the DTI ISO standard, a unique identifier for digital ledgers, tokens, and cryptocurrencies. Regulators can utilize DTIs to watch digital asset trades, ensure compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements, and monitor risks associated with global stablecoins and other digital assets. Additionally, ESMA has recommended the DTI as a risk management measure within the European Union's DLT Pilot program. SDX integrates digital asset trading, settlement, and custody on a single and secure infrastructure (stock exchange and Central Security Depository). The uniqueness of SDX offering is the "atomic settlement", whereby trade execution, transfer of securities, and payment synchronously take place. This single seamless workflow eliminates any settlement risks for SDX clients. Alex Kech, Head of Digital Securities at SDX, states, "SDX uses DTIs to identify currently crypto currencies and soon digital securities on our platform. The last will be even more critical as we start exploring issuance or administration of digital securities on private and public blockchains". Sassan Danesh, CEO of Etrading Software, said, "We are delighted to issue a DTI to SDX's DL and welcome SDX's adoption of the DTIs in their platform. This is another important landmark for the industry to be able to identify digital assets in a standardized way." Whereas the digital assets industry enters a new chapter of its evolution, one driven by a commitment to excellence, transparency, and accountability, SDX proactively takes innovative steps to meet emerging market standards. As David Newns, Head of SIX Digital Exchange, highlights, "Being a part of SIX, SDX understands the importance of customer protection and a clear governance framework and advocates for transparent market regulations in the digital asset space." About SDX SIX Digital Exchange (SDX) is the first fully regulated financial market infrastructure (FMI) for the issuance, trading, settlement, and custody of digital assets. SDX is a licensed operator of a stock exchange and central security depository (CSD) on distributed ledger technology (DLT). As part of SIX, SDX is subject to the company's high quality and security standards covered under Swiss law. About The Digital Token Identifier Foundation The Digital Token Identifier Foundation (DTIF) is a non-profit division of Etrading Software (ETS), a financial technology firm with a mission of solving market-wide problems by building market infrastructures for the new digital economy. DTIF's mission is to provide the golden source reference data for the unique identification of digital tokens based on ISO's new standard for digital assets, ISO 24165. The DTI Foundation has already issued ISO identification codes for over 1,400 of the most commonly traded digital assets, with more codes being added each day. SOURCE SIX Digital Exchange NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Official Creditors' Committee (" OCC "), the fiduciary for all abuse survivors (" Survivors ") in the chapter 11 case of Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, Inc. (" MSBGC "), is pleased to announce that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved MSBGC's plan of reorganization (the " Plan "), including a settlement of the sexual abuse claims filed against MSBGC. The settlement provides for a projected payment of $22 million to a settlement trust that will be distributed to approximately 149 Survivors in accordance with a Plan and the preservation of insurance rights and claims that may be pursued to increase the payout available to Survivors. The settlement will be funded by the MSBGC only. In exchange for the settlement payment, MSBGC will receive a discharge in bankruptcy. The approved Plan does NOT release any abuse claims against the national Boys & Girls Clubs of America, or its affiliates and insurers. "Through the hard work of the seven members of the Official Creditors' Committee, MSBGC has been held accountable to Survivors. The tenacity and courage of these men empowered us to reach a recommended settlement that begins to address the needs of Survivors on a timely basis. The bankruptcy process was hard fought and, at the end of the day, Survivors will receive fair compensation," said George Daniello, Co-Chair of the OCC. "In the end, the Plan provided a platform for a substantial number of Survivors to reach independent settlements with Rockefeller University Hospital," said Robert Liguori, Co-Chair of the OCC. "The compensation received from MSBGC plus the settlements reached with Rockefeller University Hospital will provide Survivors with meaningful compensation. In addition, Survivors will be free to pursue their claims against the national Boys & Girls Club organization and its insurers, who have yet to take responsibility for their failure to protect a generation of boys against many other sexual predators who shattered young lives," he added. "The OCC always has stood for fair compensation and transparency. The seven OCC members devoted themselves to getting the right result for all Survivors. Importantly, the results were achieved in the short span of one year after MSBGC filed for bankruptcy, signifying quick closure and meaningful compensation for Survivors," said John Lucas of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP, bankruptcy counsel to the OCC. SOURCE Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones MILWAUKEE, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating Earthstone (NYSE: ESTE) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with Permian Resources. Click here to learn how to join the action https://www.ademilaw.com/case/earthstone-energy-inc or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. In the transaction, Earthstone stockholders are expected to receive only 1.446 shares of Permian Resources common stock for each share of Earthstone common stock in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $4.5 billion, inclusive of Earthstone's net debt. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing transactions for Earthstone by imposing a significant penalty if Earthstone accepts a competing bid. Earthstone insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements. We are investigating the conduct of Earthstone's board of directors, and whether they are fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders. If you own Earthstone common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/earthstone-energy-inc We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Ademi LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi LLP MILWAUKEE, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating Holly Energy (NYSE: HEP) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with HF Sinclair. Click here to learn how to join the action https://www.ademilaw.com/case/holly-energy-partners-lp or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. Holly Energy public unitholders are expected to receive only 0.315 shares of Common Stock and $4.00 in cash, without interest, for each publicly held Common Unit. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for Holly Energy by imposing a significant penalty if Holly Energy accepts a superior bid. Holly Energy insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements. We are investigating the conduct of Holly Energy's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for Holly Energy. If you own Holly Energy common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/holly-energy-partners-lp. We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Ademi LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi LLP Founder & CEO Mitsunaga Kikuchi to present keynote at eTail East on how the integration allows advertisers to make better decisions based on LTV of customers for the most value EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Shirofune , the leading digital advertising automation management platform backed by a human intelligence-first approach, today announced its integration with Shopify , a provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, to predict the Lifetime Value (LTV) of online customers and provide advertisers with even greater optimization of their ad campaigns. The Shopify integration, which allows advertisers to make better decisions based on LTV of customers for the most value, will be presented by Shirofune Founder and CEO Mitsunaga Kikuchi at eTail East 2023. (PRNewsfoto/Shirofune) With this announcement, Shirofune will be attending eTail East 2023 from August 21-24 at The Sheraton in Boston. Shirofune Founder and CEO Mitsunaga Kikuchi will be hosting keynote presentations on "Unlocking Advertising Success: Leveraging Shopify's LTV Data for Effective Campaigns" on August 22nd and 23rd. "We are excited to augment our capabilities through this new integration with Shopify," said Shirofune Founder and CEO Mitsunaga Kikuchi. "In this increasingly competitive environment, advertisers who can make better decisions based on the LTV of customers can secure the most value for their clients by allocating ad budgets where they will have the most profitable long-term results." With advertisers, more robust long-term profits are preferable to smaller immediate gains, but until now it's been too complex and difficult to link all the data to view the big picture. Shopify can identify whether customers are new or existing, defining their LTV by previous purchases, and can also track if customers come in organically and when they make return purchases. Shirofune analyzes and comprehends both ad performance data and CRM data from Shopify, allowing it to calculate the lifetime return on advertising spend (ROAS) across channels, ads and campaigns. Shirofune gives advertisers a powerful new tool that automatically allocates and fine-tunes ad budgets in light of LTV, while making predictions based on historical data, helping advertisers see the long-term picture and invest in better performing ads as determined by lifetime ROAS instead of the traditional one-time ROAS. As an omnichannel ad management tool, Shirofune maximizes performance across all platforms such as Google, Microsoft, TikTok, Meta and X (formerly known as Twitter). Its new integration with Shopify, and its unique algorithms, automatically connect all the data to provide better insights while saving time and money. Shirofune was recently named the Best PPC Optimization Platform by the 2023 MarTech Breakthrough Awards. The company launched in North America this February after becoming the #1 digital automated advertising management tool in Japan, where it has captured a 91% market share and is used by leading advertisers and agencies including Rakuten and Dentsu, saving them more than 50% of work hours. To demo the platform and learn more about how Shirofune can help maximize your ROAS, eTail guests are invited to visit Shirofune at booth #514. About Shirofune Founded in 2014, Shirofune is an automated advertising management tool that maximizes the efficiency and productivity of major digital advertising platforms. The Shirofune platform is designed to maximize advertising effectiveness by automating day-to-day digital ad campaigns using a single, easy-to-use interface for management, budgeting, monitoring and analytics. Over 10,000 accounts have been automated using Shirofune, including 300,000 active ad campaigns. Shirofune also has been selected as the only Yahoo! Ads API-certified partner tool in Japan. For more information, please visit https://shirofune.us . Media Contact Chelsea Kershaw Firecracker PR (909) 573-7237 [email protected] SOURCE Shirofune MONTCLAIR, N.J., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sitetracker, the leading deployment operations management software for critical infrastructure providers, will participate in an expert panel and showcase its industry-leading software at Fiber Connect 2023, the annual telecommunications event hosted by the Fiber Broadband Association. In the panel "Fiber Expansion: When Fiber Gets Everywhere, It Means It Can Go Anywhere," Sitetracker's director of telecom industry products, Brant Carter, will discuss critical steps necessary to close the digital equity gap in broadband and digital infrastructure for communities across the country. Later that afternoon, the company will conduct a presentation on boosting fiber deployment efficiency. Panel What: "Fiber Expansion: When Fiber Gets Everywhere, It Means It Can Go Anywhere" Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Time: 1:30 2:20 p.m. ET Where: Lafayette 4/5 Who: Panelists: Brant Carter , Director of Industry Products, Telecom, Sitetracker , Director of Industry Products, Telecom, David Tanis , Senior Product Manager, AFL , Senior Product Manager, Geoff Burke , SVP Product Marketing, DZS , SVP Product Marketing, Evann Freeman , Director of Government Relations, EPB , Director of Government Relations, Derek Kelly , Vice President of Market Development, Lumos , Vice President of Market Development, Jeff Heynen , Vice President, Broadband Access and Home Networking, Dell'Oro (moderator) Expo Presentation What: "Boosting Fiber Deployment Efficiency with Sitetracker" Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Time: 3:40 3:55 p.m. ET Where: Expo Hall Theater Presentation Who: Brant Carter, Director of Industry Products, Telecom, Sitetracker Sitetracker provides fiber companies with cloud-based deployment operations software to efficiently manage high-volume distributed projects, sites, and assets at scale. The company will be exhibiting in booth #1233. About Sitetracker Sitetracker powers the rapid deployment of tomorrow's infrastructure. The global leader in deployment operations management software, Sitetracker helps innovative companies like British Telecom, Zayo, Vantage Towers, Nextera, Dominion Energy, ChargePoint, Honeywell, and Southern Company plan, deploy, and manage millions of sites and assets representing over $150 billion in portfolio holdings. By giving telecommunications, utility, energy, and real estate teams a cloud-based solution that works easily and effectively, Sitetracker accelerates the transition to a fully connected and sustainable future. For more information, visit www.sitetracker.com. SOURCE Sitetracker JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sixth BRICS Media Forum kicked off Saturday here in South Africa, calling for strengthening the voices of developing countries. About 200 deputies from around 100 media outlets, think tanks and international organizations from about 30 countries held discussions under the theme of "BRICS and Africa: Strengthening Media Dialogue for a Shared and Unbiased Future." President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua, also executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum, speaks at the opening ceremony of the Sixth BRICS Media Forum in Johannesburg,South Africa, Aug.19, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Yudong) Media outlets of BRICS countries bear significant responsibilities in this era and enjoy vast room for cooperation, said Fu Hua, executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum, at the opening ceremony of the forum. To advance the high-quality development of cooperation among BRICS media, Fu, also president of Xinhua News Agency, also proposed promoting the shared values of humanity, jointly advancing the building a more just and equitable international order, better narrating BRICS stories in the new era, and jointly promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. Dakota Legoete, member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, spoke at the opening of the forum. "Since its establishment in 2015, the BRICS Media Forum has become an important platform to enhance the voice of BRICS countries," he said. Andrey Kondrashov, director-general of Russia's TASS news agency, said that over the past decade, the forum has become a distinctive and iconic platform for discussing media cooperation among member states. He called on the BRICS media to collaborate in countering disinformation and safeguarding the interests of developing countries. Jose Juan Sanchez, chief of Brazil's financial and agricultural information provider CMA Group, stressed the importance of credible and impartial news information. "Communication among BRICS media is crucial, and the member countries should seek sustainable development in economic, environmental and social areas," he said. The BRICS Media Forum has made significant contributions in amplifying the international voice of member states and promoting globalization, with peace and cooperation remaining its main goals, said Helio Doyle, president of the Brazil Communication Company. The diverse cultures of the BRICS nations enrich the global conversations, and the BRICS media advocate for an inclusive, cooperative and just new world order, said Iqbal Surve, executive chairman of Independent Media of South Africa. The forum sheds light on the challenges faced by developing nations, providing them with a platform to express their perspectives and aspirations, Surve noted. SOURCE Xinhua News Agency Thousands Impacted by Breast Cancer to Gather at Woodland Park Zoo SEATTLE, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Susan G. Komen, the world's leading breast cancer organization, will be hosting the annual 2023 Seattle MORE THAN PINK Walk on Saturday, September 23. The annual Walk will be held for the first time at Woodland Park Zoo. Thousands of individuals including family and friends will come together for the first time at the Zoo to celebrate breast cancer survivors, honor those who have passed away from the disease, and raise critical funds that support research and critical support services for breast cancer patients, including research, financial assistance, screening and diagnostics and patient navigation services. "We are excited to launch the Seattle MORE THAN PINK Walk and welcome walkers to this event to make a difference in our fight against breast cancer in our community," said Tyler Pagel, Development Director, Pacific Northwest for Susan G. Komen. "Continuing to support individuals going through breast cancer in our community is a critical mission and the demand for our services continues to increase." Breast cancer survivors and those living with metastatic disease, caregivers, family members and loved ones will come together at Woodland Park Zoo at 9:30 a.m. for the morning festival and opening ceremony. Survivors and those living with metastatic breast cancer will get the unique opportunity to do a carousel ride at 11:20 a.m. and all participants will get to enjoy a day at the Zoo after Komen's festivities . Sponsors for the event include the Presenting Sponsor, Expedia and local sponsors Olive Healthcare, IntuitiveX, and Swedish Cancer Institute. Walk participants will include breast cancer survivors, metastatic breast cancer thrivers, co-survivors and supporters of Susan G. Komen. What: 2023 Susan G. Komen Seattle MORE THAN PINK Walk When: Saturday, September 23, 2023, 9:30 AM Where: Woodland Park Zoo Details: Register at: www.komen.org/seattlewalk Please contact Deb Song at [email protected] for interviews, photo and interview opportunities or live shots. Interviews with event attendees, Komen staff, and honorees can be granted upon request. About Susan G. Komen Susan G. Komen is the world's leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. Komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. We advocate for patients, drive research breakthroughs, improve access to high-quality care, offer direct patient support and empower people with trustworthy information. Founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy's life, Komen remains committed to supporting those affected by breast cancer today, while tirelessly searching for tomorrow's cures. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at www.komen.org/contact-us/follow-us/. CONTACT: Deb Song Susan G. Komen [email protected] SOURCE Susan G. Komen for the Cure Talking Rain Ranked Fourth by the Puget Sound Business Journal SEATTLE, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Talking Rain Beverage Company, the makers of the bestselling sparkling water brand, Sparkling Ice, has been named one of the Top 5 Places to Work in Washington by the Puget Sound Business Journal, advancing from a Top 10 rank in 2022. The prestigious award recognizes superior organizations where voices are heard, cultures are thriving, and employees are engaged. This accomplishment is a testament to the company's commitment to fostering an inclusive corporate culture and providing a dynamic platform for creativity and learning. Recognized among similar-sized companies in the Extra-Large category, Talking Rain's ranking is reflective of employee-reported feedback measuring culture, benefits, workplace environment, and more. In addition to providing job opportunities in the local Preston area, Talking Rain has remained steadfast in its dedication to employee growth, community building, and the establishment of meaningful connections. "Achieving this recognition for two consecutive years is a testament to the culture we have here at Talking Rain. I am proud and honored to work alongside a team that truly lives our values of inclusivity, curiosity, and accountability," said Ken Sylvia, CEO of Talking Rain. "The acknowledgment of Talking Rain's inclusion among the Top 5 Best Places to Work in Washington by the Puget Sound Business Journal validates our strategy as we position Talking Rain for the future." "The Talking Rain team is thrilled and honored for this recognition," said Veronica Blankenship, EVP of People at Talking Rain. "Our ongoing efforts have always centered around creating an environment where our dedicated Rain Makers can thrive, feel a sense of purpose, feel valued, have access to robust physical and mental health benefits, and have avenues for career growth." Results for the Top 100 Best Places were announced on August 17th at an event hosted by Puget Sound Business Journal at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Talking Rain was recognized within the Top 5 extra-large companies list during the live celebration. About Talking Rain Beverage Company Talking Rain Beverage Company is a Washington-based company that has been an industry leader in the beverage space for 35 years. The company's portfolio of brands includes the bestselling flavored sparkling water, Sparkling Ice, Sparkling Ice +Caffeine, and Talking Rain AQA, all of which offer better-for-you beverage options. In 2023, Talking Rain launched its new innovation program, I.C.E. Labs, bringing new beverage concepts to market through a small scale, test and learn model that allows for an iterative approach to product development. With a commitment to developing best-in-class brands and driving meaningful community engagement, Talking Rain is creating connections with every sip. Talking Rain is building a sustainable future in an ever-changing market space. The company is committed to crafting products and embracing practices that build a better future for business, communities, and the planet. SOURCE Talking Rain Beverage Co DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To help residents stay comfortable in the summer heat, the City of Delray Beach's Development Services Department offers an expedited permit process, called "walk through" permits. Walk through permits are available for emergencies such as air conditioning, roof, and water heater repairs or replacements. "No one should have to live without air conditioning or with a roof in need of repairs, especially in the extreme heat we've been experiencing this summer," said Anthea Gianniotes, the City of Delray Beach's Development Services Director. Walk through permits are in place to prioritize and expedite certain permit approvals and inspections. The City of Delray Beach also allows residents to apply for A/C permits 24-hours after their repairs are complete. The walk through permit application is the same process as standard permit applications, the only difference is a faster turnaround time. Using ePlans, the City's digital plan review system, walk through permits can be found under "Express Permits" in the menu. ePlans launched in November 2022, digitized the City's plan review system, and now allows residents and contractors to submit all permit applications (except for demolition) online. Applicants can also check the status of their application, request inspections, pay, and download their permit without ever having to visit City Hall. For more information on the City of Delray Beach's ePlans digital permit submission platform, please visit https://bit.ly/delraybeacheplans. About The City of Delray Beach The City of Delray Beach is a charming, vibrant city of dynamic and diverse communities. Fostering an authentic and inspiring community that celebrates its history while building toward the future, the City was an All-America City Winner in 1993, 2001, and 2017, the first city in Florida to do so. The City was named the 5th best city for small businesses in the U.S. by Verizon Business and Coastal Living Magazine named the City America's Happiest Seaside Town and one of the 10 Best Little Beach Towns in Florida. USA TODAY also named Atlantic Avenue one of America's 10 Great Shopping Streets. For more information, please visit https://www.delraybeachfl.gov/. CONTACT: Aimee Adler (561) 302-6902 (or) [email protected] SOURCE City of Delray Beach WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Alan Soroka, MD, is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Platinum Healthcare Professional for his contributions to the field of internal medicine. Dr. Soroka pursued higher education at The City College of New York where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He also attended the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and completed his internship, and upon returning to the United States, he finished a residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. A specialist in hypertension, diabetes, and all general internal medicine issues, Dr. Soroka is a founder of HealthCare, PC. He is known for taking time with patients as well as establishing long-term relationships with his patients. Noting that comprehensive care is the primary goal of Prime Healthcare internal medicine practitioners, the doctor and his team treat patients with diseases affecting particular organs or organ systems. This may also include chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, and women's and men's health issues. They provide general health assessments, help patients manage chronic conditions, and provide referrals to specialists when necessary. Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases according to the doctor. Physicians, like Dr. Soroka, who specialize in internal medicine are called internists. They manage and prevent common and complex diseases by providing comprehensive care and promoting overall well-being. Dr. Soroka is a first-choice physician and has been recognized by his patients with numerous awards, including the Patients' Choice Award (2018) and Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2018). He is also a highly sought-after educator. Dedicated to providing the latest innovations in the field, the doctor is a member of the American Medical Association; the Connecticut State Medical Association; and the Hartford County Medical Association. Dr. Soroka has been active with the group Choices, which allows him to work with teenagers in a mentoring capacity; and also provides community service efforts to the elderly. Dr. Soroka would like to dedicate this honor in loving memory of his wife of 48 years, Francoise Soroka. They have three children, Sandra, Peter, and Laura; and nine grandchildren. For more information, visit www.primehc.com. SOURCE The Inner Circle LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Bharat Kothakota is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Professional for his contributions as an Entrepreneur and Emergency Physician. Dr. Kothakota began his educational journey in St. Louis where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance at Washington University in 2001. He then completed a Post Baccalaureate program in Pre-Medicine at the University of Maryland in 2004 and a Master's degree in International Public Health from George Washington in 2005. Bharat Kothakota The doctor continued his education at Howard University College of Medicine where he obtained his Medical Degree in 2009. He then completed his Internship in General Surgery at Howard University Hospital in 2010, and his Residency in Emergency Medicine at Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center in 2014 before moving to Los Angeles. With more than 10 years of experience in his field, Dr. Kothakota, fondly referred to as Dr. K by many of his patients and colleagues, is a Board-Certified Emergency Physician specializing in aesthetic injections and procedures. He is also the owner of Self Care LA, a boutique aesthetics medical spa in Santa Monica and the Medical Director of Harmony Med Spa in Valencia, California. He notes that Emergency Medicine, also known as trauma and emergency medicine, is the medical specialty concerned with the care of life-threatening medical conditions or injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Emergency physicians are trained to care for a wide range of problems that require emergent medical help. These problems are often serious and may be life-threatening. Dedicated to providing the highest quality and latest treatments to patients, Dr. Kothakota and his team at Self Care LA specialize in using the latest energy-based treatments to produce exceptional improvements for the skin and body. They offer options like Clear + Brilliant fractional treatments, EvolveX body contouring, and CoolSculpting. He notes that Self-Care LA on Montana Avenue has a physician focus on aesthetic and injectable services. Adding to his extraordinary experience in the field, Dr. Kothakota has served as the Medical Director of Sollis Health in Beverly Hills, a concierge practice specializing in Emergency care (2021-2022). There, he was committed to accommodating the various unique needs of his members. He also served as the Medical Director of the Emergency Room at Olympia Medical Center (2015-2021). The doctor and his team at Beyond Harmony Med Spa offer numerous treatments to help their patients feel confident, including Botox and fillers; PDO thread lift; body contouring; laser Lipo, CoolSculpting; laser hair removal; laser skin resurfacing; tattoo removal; and more. With skill and precision, the spa's purpose is to enhance each individual's natural beauty and to give them the confidence that they need and deserve. Inspired by his wife who asked him to treat her with Botox injections, Dr. Kothakota started a career in Medical Aesthetics. He has performed hundreds of procedures and has spent countless hours perfecting his craft in Medical Aesthetics. A testament to Dr. Kothakota's commitment to excellence, he is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and is board-certified in Emergency Medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM). The doctor notes that the ABEM certifies Emergency Physicians who meet its educational, professional, and examination standards. In addition to his business and medical success, Dr. Kothakota's case report and literature review of a dissecting thoracic aneurysm in a 16-year-old boy presenting to the Emergency Department is published in the February 2014 Journal of Emergency Medicine. The doctor attributes his success to thinking outside the box and earning best practices from others. In his spare time, Dr. Kothakota enjoys time with his family, outdoors, travel, and dining out. He would like to dedicate this honor to Bhumika and thanks her for her love and support, and also in loving memory of his mother, Rama. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Gary L. Berg is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Healthcare Professional for his contributions to the Pulmonology Field. Dr. Berg pursued higher education at Michigan State University where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Microbiology and Public Health. He then attended Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1983 where he received a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and completed an internship and residency at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital. Gary L. Berg Board-certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine (AOBIM) in pulmonology, the doctor notes that the AOBIM is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) who specialize in the prevention diagnosis and treatment of disease in adults (internists). He currently practices at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital Madison Heights Campus; is also affiliated with Ascension River District Hospital; and explained that his practice is limited to pulmonary medicine, pulmonary allergic disorders; and sleep disorders. Licensed to practice medicine in Michigan, Dr. Berg is an active member of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), which he notes represents more than 178,000 osteopathic physicians and medical students. He noted that the AOA promotes public health and serves as the primary certifying body for Dos and that pulmonology is a medical specialty that deals with diseases involving the respiratory tract. A highly revered pulmonologist, the doctor is an internal medicine physician who specializes in conditions and diseases that affect the lungs and the respiratory system. Dr. Berg has been the recipient of many awards during his illustrious career, including the Patients' Choice Award (2017). Active in his community, he donates to various charitable organizations on a regular basis. The doctor has been married to Mrs. Carolyn Berg for 30 years and they have one daughter, Elizabeth. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, editorial@continentalwhoswho.com SOURCE The Inner Circle Poor Kevin Sorbo. The beloved superstar, who won the hearts of theater-goers with his exemplary acting in movies such as "Poolboy," "Never Cry Werewolf," and "Bernie the Dolphin 2," says he can't get roles anymore because he is a follower of Christ and a conservative. The conspiracy-spreading MAGA man just doesn't understand why Hollywood won't tolerate his intolerance. "It's just too bad," he says. Sorbo's grievances go back to at least 2014, when he told an interviewer, "There's a negativity towards Christians in Hollywood, and a negativity towards people who believe in God." Apparently, Christians like Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Mark Wahlberg, Jane Fonda, and Denzel Washington didn't read the memo, and are having to say no more often than yes to opportunities to star in major motion pictures. Even Mel Gibson gets movie jobs after all the hideous antisemitic crap he's spewed over the years. Could it be possible that Sorbo's acting skills aren't good enough to compensate for the fact that he's an unpleasant person and nobody wants to work with him? Transcript of video below: There'a divide in our country right now and it's perpetuated by the mainstream media. Perpetuated by movies, TV. I don't harbor that kind of anger and hate towards people that have a different point of view, and it was sad to me, you know, my manager, an agent for so many years said "we can't get you jobs anymore [garbled] work with you because people don't you know, because you're being a Christian and being conservative". And I almost have to laugh at that because it's an industry that screams for tolerance and yet it's a one-way street. It screams freedom of speech, but it's Hollywood's one-way street as well. And that's it. This is too bad. OVERLAND PARKS, Kan., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Gayle Faulkner is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Professional for her contributions to the Field of Art. Gayle Faulkner Mrs. Faulkner sought higher education at William Jewell College in Liberty, MO where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in 1969. Passionate about art, she auspiciously ventured into the field and is now renowned for her textural acrylic and landscape art. She opened Gayle Faulkner Fine Arts and has enjoyed great achievement as the professional artist of the gallery where she displays her textured acrylic paintings using a palette knife on canvas along with modeling paste and acrylic gels. A testament to her influence in the art community, Mrs. Faulkner served as a speaker at the Pleasant Valley Art Association and various local and regional venues and has exhibited her artwork at the ArtsKC Gallery in Kansas City; the Las Laguna Art Gallery in California; and the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in New York. Published in numerous magazines, Mrs. Faulkner is particularly proud to be included in the prestigious Art in America Annual Guide; Observica Exhibizone Artistonish; and Gallerium, among other publications. Her work was included in the book Current Masters 6; the soon-to-be-released books ATIM'S Top 60 Masters 2022; and International Contemporary Masters Important World Artists 6. Considered a highlight in her career, Mrs. Faulkner was also the Top Featured Artist in ATIM Magazine. Mrs. Faulkner has won numerous awards for her talent including the Award of Excellence from the Spotlight Foundation and inclusion in their magazine and website. She has participated in various juried exhibitions and her work has been presented all throughout the United States and in private and corporate collections around the world. Among her professional accomplishments, she is honored to have been recognized as a featured and emerging artist by several galleries where her work has been shown. Mrs. Faulkner attributes much of her success to her hard work, the support of her family and friends, and her ability to share her art with the world. The artist aspires to have her work recognized globally and hopes to expand and refine her craft. When not creating art, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Glenn Hamilton, their three children, and four grandchildren. She dedicates this honor to her family and thanks them for their love and support. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle HOUSTON, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Joey Kevin Grochmal is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Life Member for his contributions to the Medical and Educational Fields. Joey Kevin Grochmal, MD, Ph.D, FRCPSC Dr. Grochmal pursued higher education at the University of Alberta in Canada where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. He then attended the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine, earning a medical degree in 2006 and later attended the University of Calgary where he received a Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience in 2015 followed by completing a residency in neurosurgery in 2017. The doctor capped his scholarship by finishing a fellowship in spine surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2018. Dr. Grochmal is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCPSC). He explained that neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain; spinal cord; peripheral nerves; and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system. Neurosurgeons, like Dr. Grochmal, are doctors who diagnose and treat problems with the nervous system often by performing surgery on the brain or spine. They treat strokes; tumors; cervical and lumbar disc disease; infections; and head or spinal cord injuries. Board-certified in neurosurgery, Dr. Grochmal currently serves as a physician and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery with the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas. Baylor College of Medicine, he asserts, is a health sciences university that creates knowledge and applies science and discoveries to further education, healthcare, and community service locally and globally and its vision is to improve health through science scholarship and innovation. Providing the latest medical advancements in his practice, Dr. Grochmal is associated with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons; the American Society of Peripheral Nerves'; and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The doctor would like to thank his mentors, Rajiv Midha, MD, MSc; R. John Hurlbert, MD; and Marjorie Wang, MD. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle TOPEKA, Kan., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Josel Doyle is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Platinum Healthcare Professional for her contributions to the field of Neonatology. Dr. Doyle pursued higher education at St. Georges University School of Medicine where she earned an undergraduate and medical degrees. She completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Winthrop University Hospital. Recognized for her leadership early in her career, she also served as Chief Resident at Stony Brook University Hospital. Josel Avion Akyla Doyle Dr. Doyle currently works at Pediatrix Neonatology of Topeka where she and her team, all board-certified neonatologists and certified neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs), care for premature and critically ill newborns. She explained that they began providing services in the St. Francis Health Level II NICU in Topeka in 2013 and also offer newborn hearing services in several area hospitals. Dr. Doyle explained that neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially ill or premature newborns. It is a hospital-based specialty and is usually practiced in neonatal intensive care units. She said that neonatologists generally diagnose and treat newborns with conditions such as breathing disorders, infections, and birth defects as well as coordinating care and medically managing newborns born prematurely, critically ill, or in need of surgery. Dr. Doyle is dedicated and passionate about providing the latest advancements in her field and her clinical interests include neonatal nutrition; developmental outcomes; and respiratory distress syndrome, which are all essential components of the care of premature and critically ill infants. She is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics; the Kansas Perinatal Collaborative on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS); and Stormont Vail Hospitals NAS task force where she helps to develop policies and practices aimed at improving the care of infants affected by substance use disorders. The doctor is highly sought after for her skills and leadership abilities. As such, she is also on Stormont's Family-Centered Care Committee and serves on the NICU Developmental and Relationship Committee. has also When considering her achievements during her career, Dr. Doyle credits her parents and her faith in God for instilling in her a strong sense of purpose and the values of hard work, compassion, and dedication. She notes that her love for the profession been a driving force in her success. She is deeply committed to providing the best possible care to her patients and is constantly seeking new ways to improve outcomes and enhance the patient's experience. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, editorial@continentalwhoswho.com SOURCE The Inner Circle CHICAGO, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Todd Ochs is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Platinum Healthcare Provider for his contributions to the field of Pediatrics. Dr. Ochs pursued higher education at the University of New Orleans where he earned a Bachelor's degree. He then attended Loyola Stritch School of Medicine where he received an MD degree and completed his residency in pediatrics at Cook County and UIC Hospital. Todd Ochs, M.D., FAAP In private practice, Dr. Ochs is board certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). He asserts that the mission of the ABP is to advance child health by certifying pediatricians who meet standards of excellence and are committed to continuous learning and improvement. Dr. Ochs explained that his practice, Ravenswood Pediatrics, provides comprehensive examinations to foster children after placement and he serves as the pediatrician for an adolescent group home. Ravenswood Pediatrics has been recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Dr. Ochs has been working with adoptive families since 1997 when he adopted his first daughter from China. Considered an expert in adoption medicine, he notes that he has seen over a thousand internationally adopted children in his practice and adoption clinic; has also completed thousands more referral reviews; has spoken to thousands of adoptive parents; and has personally adopted three more special needs Chinese daughters. The doctor is a founding member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Adoption and Foster Care and has served on its executive committee for six years. Having adopted four additional Chinese daughters with two having special needs, the doctor is a founding member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Adoption and Foster Care and has served on its executive committee for six years. He has advocated for adopted and fostered children in public and private schools concerning adoption health and mental health issues, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and is also an advisory board member of Illinois NOFAS. An internationally known specialist in foster care, the doctor has spoken at several conferences and hospital grand rounds on FASD. A respected author and speaker, Dr. Ochs has written articles for several adoption publications, including the AAP Illinois Chapter Newsletter and the Child's Doctor of Children's Memorial Hospital. His international scope includes conferences at the International Pediatric Association in Beijing as well as at numerous adoption conferences and agency educational sessions. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Dr. Ochs notes that his mentors are Dr. Ira Rosenthal and Dr. Andrew Griffin. Aside from his professional pursuits, the doctor enjoys spending time with his family, carpentry, and walking his dog. He would like to dedicate this honor to his wife, five daughters, and grandchildren, and thank them for their love and support. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, editorial@continentalwhoswho.com SOURCE The Inner Circle Parishes, Schools, Cemeteries, and Related Organizations and Ministries are Not Included in the Filing SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco ("RCASF") announced today the filing of a voluntary petition for bankruptcy relief under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The filing is necessary to manage and resolve the more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse brought against RCASF under California Assembly Bill 218, which allowed decades-old claims to be filed by December 31, 2022, that otherwise were time barred. Chapter 11 is a court-supervised process that allows each claim to be evaluated on its merits, provides transparency into the proceedings and into RCASF's finances, and gives claimants a voice in the outcome. The Chapter 11 filing will halt all legal actions against RCASF while the Archdiocese develops a plan of reorganization that is based on assets and insurance coverage available to be used to settle claims with abuse survivors. This is the second time California has allowed time-barred or expired cases of child sexual abuse to be filed by alleged survivors. In 2003, California created a similar window. Since that time, RCASF has paid more than $70 million to survivors in legal settlements by using insurance funds and selling excess property. The 88 parishes within the Archdiocese are independently managed and self-financed and, along with their parochial schools, are not included in the filing. The Real Property Support Corporation, Capital Asset Support Corporation, high schools, Catholic cemeteries, St Patrick's Seminary & University, and Catholic Charities associated with RCASF also are not included in the filing and will continue to operate as usual. Employees of the Archdiocese will be paid as usual, and their benefit programs will continue uninterrupted. Vendors will be paid for all goods and services delivered after the filing. RCASF will continue to serve the 442,000 Catholics in the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin, and its priests and deacons will continue to carry out their missions and ministries within the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The overwhelming majority of the more than 500 claims stem from allegations of sexual abuse that occurred 30 or more years ago involving priests who are no longer active in ministry or are deceased. "The unfortunate reality is that the Archdiocese has neither the financial means nor the practical ability to litigate all of these abuse claims individually, and therefore, after much consideration, concluded that the bankruptcy process was the best solution for providing fair and equitable compensation to the innocent survivors who have been harmed," said The Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco. "It is the best way to bring much-needed resolution to survivors while allowing the Archdiocese to continue its sacred mission to the faithful and those in need. We must seek purification and redemption to heal, especially survivors who have carried the burdens of these sins against them for decades." The Archdiocese of San Francisco has been committed to providing available resources such as counseling and pastoral assistance to survivors of abuse and had established policies and protocols to protect children and address and report incidents of sexual abuse of minors even before the U.S. Bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002. The Archdiocese has taken exhaustive steps to satisfy the Charter by immediately removing from active ministry any person with an allegation of sexual childhood abuse, requiring criminal background checks for clergy, employees, and volunteers who work with youth, and implementing educational programs for both children and adults to prevent abuse. The Archdiocese maintains an Independent Review Board (IRB) as an essential step in its internal procedures for handling allegations of sexual abuse. A qualified investigator conducts investigations into allegations and submits a report to the IRB, whose members include an abuse survivor, psychologist, two physicians, a retired police officer, among others. They judge whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant a canonical trial or if an accusation is manifestly unfounded. The recommendations made to the Archbishop are indispensable, as this independent and expert advice directs whether an accused priest should be out of public ministry while canonical procedures are pending or when, in justice, the Archbishop should remediate damage to the reputation of a priest who has been wrongly accused. A list of priests and deacons who are in good standing and have faculties to minister can be found on the Archdiocese website. Priests or deacons who are under investigation for alleged child sexual abuse are prohibited from exercising public ministry and are removed from the list and can only return to ministry or the list if the allegations are found not to be sustained. The Archdiocese also established an Office of Child and Youth Protection to maintain the highest standards for its preventative Safe Environment Program and address allegations of past and current abuse by any clergy, employee, or volunteer, and has two Safe Environment Coordinators to monitor compliance with the Charter. A Victim Assistance Coordinator maintains a hotline for reporting abuse, provides counseling, and offers other support services. The Office is also responsible for coordinating the fingerprinting of employees, volunteers, and clerics who interact with children, as well as facilitating annual compliance audits conducted by independent auditors to review the implementation of policies and procedures for the protection of children. "Today, occurrences of abuse within the Catholic Church are very rare," said Archbishop Cordileone. "Given the educational and preventative measures now in place, I believe the Church has set the standard for other organizations, showing what can and should be done to protect our children." The Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco Chapter 11 case has been filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California. Additional general information can be found on the Archdiocesan website. SOURCE Archdiocese of San Francisco GODFREY, Ill., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Theresa's Research Foundation is excited to announce a new White Paper titled "Continuing to Improve the Odds Together: Next Steps for Engaging Researchers and Advocates." An appreciation for the value of including the patient advocate voice in cancer research has increased in recent years, however, research scientists and patient advocates are often uncertain about how to establish or maintain relationships with one another. This White Paper highlights Findings from the 2022 Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Conference and is a follow up to our publication in npj Breast Cancer. The White Paper describes how the group at the conference identified solutions to overcome barriers in building bidirectional relationships identified in the npj Breast Cancer manuscript, including short- and long-term goals. "Patient advocates and cancer researchers working together is critical for better research that leads to improved patient outcomes. Theresa's Research Foundation has been a leader in creating a space at the MBCRC conference for connections between these groups and encouraging the broader cancer research community to do so as well." - Hillary Stires, PhD, Director, Regulatory and Research Partnerships at Friends of Cancer Research. 2023 is a significant year for Theresa's Research Foundation as we celebrate 10 years since our Founder Theresa Newby Harpole started the Foundation. It is also the 10-year anniversary of The Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Conference. In 2013, Theresa had been living with Metastatic Breast Cancer for several years and recognized that more needed to be done for people with metastatic breast cancer. This drive epitomized Theresa as she always put others first. With the help of family, friends, and her local community, Theresa's Research Foundation was established. The Foundation got off the ground quickly by establishing a relationship with prominent researchers at Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, where she was treated. With the support from everyone who was involved locally, the first event was a huge success and showed that the Foundation had a bright future. Unfortunately, Theresa became sick later that year and passed away at the age of 46. This tragedy has a triumph as the Foundation moved forward with Theresa's vision of "Working Together to Change the Odds." Theresa was passionate about education so it was fitting that the Foundation started a conference focused on Metastatic Breast Cancer with prominent researchers in 2014. The Foundation also hosted a Gala in 2014 in her honor where the community came out in force to show their support. "The Foundation and Theresa's family are forever grateful beyond words for the tremendous support of friends, family, co-workers, and the many businesses in our community who supported the foundation in its early days and stuck with us. I am blown away each year as I walk into the Conference and see my little sister's face up on the wide screen with the top researchers in the country in attendance learning about the latest in research." - Linda Morrissey, Board President, Theresa's Research Foundation. Since 2014, the Foundation has focused on expanding the conference to bring together a diverse audience, including patients and patient advocates, and create a collaborative research environment with a long-term goal of developing curative approaches for metastatic breast cancer. The conference has been co-hosted at prominent academic institutions including: The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. We are grateful to all the researchers and clinicians who have participated in the conference over the years as well as patient advocates who have contributed so much to this work. "I'm thrilled to welcome so many outstanding breast cancer researchers from across the world to the 10th annual Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Conference. This is a unique meeting that brings together breast cancer clinicians, researchers, trainees, and patient advocates in an intimate forum to discuss the most exciting research advances and pressing issues in metastatic breast cancer." - Alana Welm, PhD, Professor and Senior Director of Basic Science at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. The Foundation will host a celebration to mark its 10-year milestone at this year's Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Conference in Park City, Utah on August 31. We are also launching a 10-year fund to ensure we can continue to facilitate the conference and help patients with metastatic cancer for years to come. About Theresa's Research Foundation The mission of Theresa's Research Foundation is to specifically fund research for metastatic breast cancer that provides better treatment options, improves quality of life for patients and will one day lead to a cure. Each year, the organization hosts the Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Conference in collaboration with Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute. To register for the 2023 event, click here. The conference will also be livestreamed. To learn more about the work of Theresa's Research Foundation, visit http://www.theresasresearch.org. Contact: Josh Newby (618) 580-0908, [email protected] SOURCE Theresa's Research Foundation LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedia Group to highlight why Peter Antico is most qualified candidate running for Secretary-Treasurer of SAG-AFTRA. TransMedia to urge SAG-AFTRA members to "vote for Antico If you value your Pension and Health plan as he is most fiscally responsible, business minded member experienced in working on SAG-AFTRA contracts." "Peter has relevant experience having served loyally on SAG-AFTRA local and national boards for over a decade, which is why we're excited to launch a PR campaign supporting his candidacy for Secretary-Treasurer of the Union," said Tom Madden, TransMedia Group CEO. TransMedia said its PR campaign for Antico will focus on how he spearheaded the Ed Asner et al v SAG Health Plan et alter (Case 2:20-cv-10914-CAS-JEM, US District Court, Central CA) lawsuit that settled for $20.6 million. "We'll underscore how it was a giant win for the senior union members providing monetary renumeration, checks and balances on the trustees, and opened the door to explore lower healthcare costs," said Madden. Madden, once an actor himself who belonged to Actor's Equity when appearing Off Broadway, went on to become the right-hand executive to then NBC CEO Fred Silverman before founding his own PR firm now headquartered in Boca Raton, FL. TransMedia will highlight Antico's successful partnering with unionists David Joliffe & Frances Fisher, who made immense contributions to the resolution of the case won by the legal team of Edward Siedle, Neville Johnson (Johnson & Johnson LLP) and Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP. TransMedia Group President Adrienne Mazzone, who is also a film producer, said publicity will remind SAG-AFTRA members their pension funding ratios have been down between 1/4% and 1 1/2% annually since 2012 with no cost-of-living increase in 14 years. "We will point out that Peter finds many of the recent decisions fiscally irresponsible." Antico cites that after SAG-AFTRA got a $10 million PPP loan, it put member services in financial conservation mode, fired 30% of staff, gave remaining staff over $1 million in raises, then cut member services telling members it can't afford staff for committee meetings. Then SAG-AFTRA "purchases 50-year-old building in L.A. for $49 million with tax assessed value of $23 million." Madden said a Union's funds must be protected and grown while providing maximum service to its members. "That's the Secretary-Treasurer's job, for which Peter is most capable." Media contact: Adrienne Mazzone 561-908-1683; [email protected]. SOURCE TransMedia Group PHOENIX, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) (the "Company"), a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades and healthcare education programs, is scheduled to participate in the 14th Annual Midwest IDEAS Conference, which is being held from August 23-24 at The Gwen in Chicago, IL. The Company's CEO, Jerome Grant, and CFO, Troy Anderson, will present on Wednesday, August 23rd at 4:40 p.m. Central time, with one-on-one investor meetings held throughout that day. The presentation will be webcast and can be accessed through the conference website, as well as through the Events section of the Company's website here. To receive additional information, request an invitation or schedule a one-on-one meeting with UTI management, please contact your IDEAS Conference representative or the Company's investor relations team at [email protected]. The Company's most recent investor presentation can be found here. About Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) (the "Company") was founded in 1965 and is a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades and healthcare education programs, whose mission is to serve students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers across a number of highly-skilled fields. The Company is comprised of two divisions: Universal Technical Institute ("UTI") and Concorde Career Colleges ("Concorde"). UTI operates 16 campuses located in 9 states and offers a wide range of transportation and skilled trades technical training programs under brands such as UTI, MIAT College of Technology, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute and NASCAR Technical Institute. Concorde operates across 17 campuses in 8 states, offering programs in the Allied Health, Dental, Nursing, Patient Care and Diagnostic fields. For more information, visit www.uti.edu or www.concorde.edu, or visit us on LinkedIn at @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and @Concorde Career Colleges or on Twitter @news_UTI or @ConcordeCareer. About IDEAS Investor Conferences The mission of the IDEAS Conferences is to provide independent regional venues for quality companies to present their investment merits to an influential audience of investment professionals. Unlike traditional bank-sponsored events, IDEAS Investor Conferences are "SPONSORED BY INVESTORS. FOR INVESTORS." and for the benefit of regional investment communities. Conference sponsors collectively have more than $200 billion in assets under management and include: 1102 Partners, Adirondack Research and Management, Allianz Global Investors: NFJ Investment Group, Ariel Investments, Aristotle Capital Boston, Ascend Wealth Advisors, Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss, BMO Global Asset Management, Constitution Research & Management, Inc., Diamond Hill, First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc., Granahan Investment Management, Great Lakes Advisors, Greenbrier Partners Capital Management, LLC, Hodges Capital Management, Ironwood Investment Management, Keeley Teton Advisors, Luther King Capital Management, Marble Harbor Investment Counsel, North Star Investment Management, Perritt Capital Management, Punch & Associates, Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk, Westwood Holdings Group, Inc., and William Harris Investors. The IDEAS Investor Conferences are held annually in Boston, Chicago and Dallas and are produced by Three Part Advisors, LLC. Additional information about the events can be located at www.IDEASconferences.com. For more information about the IDEAS conferences, please contact Lacey Wesley at (817) 769 -2373 or [email protected]. Investor Relations Contact: Matt Glover and Jackie Keshner Gateway Group, Inc. (949) 574-3860 [email protected] Media Contact: Alanna Vitucci Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (480) 710-6843 [email protected] SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc. 62 Percent of Workers Indicate Generative Artificial Intelligence Will Not Impact Job Stress ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Employee burnout among the U.S. workforce remains high (45 percent), but continues trending downward according to new Eagle Hill Consulting research. Burnout has dropped during the past year (49 percent in August 2022) and more substantially since the early months of the pandemic (58 percent in August 2020). Younger workers (52 percent) and women (48 percent) continue to report the highest levels of burnout. As for the top sources of burnout, workers who experience burnout say it's their workload (51 percent), staff shortages (45 percent), and juggling personal and professional life (42 percent). A large share of workers (67 percent) say a four-day work week would alleviate stress, followed by a decreased workload and increased flexibility (both at 65 percent), and continuing to work from home (56 percent). Employee burnout among the U.S. workforce remains high (45 percent), but continues trending downward. Post this When asked about Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), most workers (62 percent) indicate they do not expect that the nascent technology will impact their stress levels at the job. Yet, a growing body of research indicates that when properly deployed, AI can help improve worker efficiency and productivity. Millennials (30 percent) and male employees (27 percent) are most likely to say that AI can help reduce job stress. Read The 2023 State of Worker Burnout infographic. These findings are from the 2023 Eagle Hill Consulting Workforce Burnout Survey conducted by Ipsos from August 3-8, 2023. The survey included 1,347 respondents from a random sample of employees across the U.S. "It's good news that worker burnout levels are steadily trending downward since the high stress days of the pandemic," said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. "But employers shouldn't be complacent when it comes to taking action to reduce worker burnout. Burnout levels are still too high and could inch upward as more workers are required to return to in-person work. While employees value in-person work, they have expressed concerns about work-life balance and commute times when they are in the workplace." "And for the first time, we polled workers on the potential impact of AI on their stress levels," Jezior said. "This will be an important issue to watch as more companies rollout Generative AI. Handled well, AI has the potential to help workers get more done in a shorter amount of time while creating more value for their organizations. But handled poorly, it could increase rather than decrease worker stress." Additional survey findings are as follows: Among those who experience burnout due to staff shortages, 84 percent said the impact is covering the workload for unfilled positions. Thirty-nine percent said the impact is helping others learn their job, 36 percent said it's training new hires, and 22 percent said it's recruiting and interviewing new hires. Employees who report burnout signal they are less comfortable telling their manager or employer they feel burnt out as compared to six months ago, with 57 percent of employees saying they're open to the conversation, down five percent from August 2022. When asked how to reduce burnout, 67 percent of workers said a four-day work week would help. Other solutions included increased flexibility (65 percent), decreased workload (65 percent), better health and wellness benefits (60 percent), working from home (56 percent), reduced administrative burdens (53 percent), more on-site amenities (50 percent), and the ability to relocate or work from multiple locations (39 percent). Nearly a third of the workforce (32 percent) plans to leave their job in the next 12 months. Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is a woman-owned business that provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of Strategy & Performance, Talent, and Change. The company's expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges spans across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. A leading authority on employee sentiment, Eagle Hill is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with employees across the U.S. and offices in Boston and Seattle. More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com. SOURCE Eagle Hill Consulting A private equity firm has acquired ABC-Amega, a Buffalo-based collections firm. ABC-Amega was bought by Trivest Partners, which is based in Florida. Trivest said ABC-Amega will continue to operate as its own entity, with almost all of its executive leadership remaining in place. The CEO of ABC-Amega, David Herer, is transitioning his day-to-day duties to John Fisher, the CEO of a Trivest holding company called Bll Services Corp. Herer will serve on Blls strategic advisory board. Trivest did not disclose the purchase price. ABC-Amega is headquartered at 500 Seneca St. in Larkinville. The company has about 90 local employees, plus another 30 outside the region, said Michael Lazzaro, the marketing manager. We do not anticipate any staffing changes as a result of the acquisition; our workforce will remain intact, Lazzaro said. In a statement, Herer said he first met Trivest officials early this year to discuss the future of the commercial collections industry, which eventually set the deal into motion. I was immediately struck by how their business strategy and values paralleled our own, Herer said. The company expanded into international collections in the 1960s. Fisher said that its global reach will now be bolstered by Blls global delivery centers in Latin America, Europe, South Africa, and Asia. ABC-Amega in 2015 moved to 500 Seneca St. in Larkinville from 1100 Main St., near the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, citing a need for more space for its growing operations. The 500 Seneca property was redeveloped by Savarino Cos. ABC-Amega has made some deals of its own over the years. In 2009, ABC-Amega bought a Georgia-based credit data firm. And five years ago, the company bought a Long Island collections firm. Trivest says it focuses exclusively on the support and growth of founder-led and family-owned businesses in the United States and Canada. Herer had served as ABC-Amegas CEO since 2000, after joining the business in 1982. His grandfather had worked for the company, and in 1961, Herers father, along with a business partner, had bought the company. Trivest reports that since it was founded in 1981, the firm has completed more than 500 investments totaling nearly $8 billion in value. HOUSTON, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Legal Support, the nation's premier provider of litigation support services, has completed the acquisition of TrialEx, a leading provider of jury consulting, graphic exhibits, and trial presentation services. The strategic move will enable U.S. Legal Support to further expand its unmatched services in litigation support, leveraging a larger team of Litigation Consultants, Multi-Media Designers, Certified Medical Illustrators, Forensic Animators, and Presentation Specialists to provide outstanding service to clients in all case types, including Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Insurance, Product Liability, Labor & Employment, and Complex Commercial Litigation. With 34 years of experience and more than 18,000 cases served, TrialEx has earned a great reputation for providing persuasive, effective, and high-quality trial services spanning trial exhibits and graphics, jury consulting, and electronic trial presentations. Through this expanded network and the use of unmatched technology and security, U.S. Legal Support is able to assist clients in developing persuasive demonstratives and presentations, crafting case strategies, and presenting clear and concise courtroom presentations that increase jurors' understanding of the case. With a commitment to exceptional client service, U.S. Legal Support is the most sought-after litigation support service provider in the country providing attorneys access to trusted resources in cities big and small. "We are very excited to welcome the TrialEx team of professionals and their clients into the U.S. Legal Support family," said Jimmie Bridwell, CEO, U.S. Legal Support. "This strategic acquisition aligns with our vision for growth and innovation and allows us to expand our level and breadth of service to our clients across the United States. We are committed to helping litigators navigate the complexities of their cases with confidence to achieve their desired results. The TrialEx team brings expertise to almost every specialty area of litigation where presentation is involved. This expertise, combined the with the full suite of court reporting, record retrieval, and additional litigation support services provided by the dedicated teams at U.S. Legal Support, will undoubtedly strengthen our position as the trusted partner legal professionals rely on nationwide." "By joining forces with U.S. Legal Support, we are taking a strategic step to expand and enhance the litigation support available to our clients," said Jack Stein, President & Owner, TrialEx. "This partnership will provide a one-stop shop for trial teams by bringing together industry-leading trial services with professional court reporting, record retrieval, and language support services including interpreting, translations, and transcription. U.S. Legal Support and TrialEx share a common commitment to excellence in service, prioritizing our people, and delivering quality solutions. I look forward to continuing to lead the TrialEx team, collaborating with our clients, and working closely with the U.S. Legal Support team for many years ahead." In addition to the expanded services offered by this acquisition, U.S. Legal Support will continue offering its core services to law firms, insurance carriers, and corporations, including court reporting, record retrieval, interpreting, translations, and transcription services. U.S Legal Support looks forward to continuing its growth through acquisitions that enable them to offer even more comprehensive litigation support solutions for their clients across the country. Bridwell continued, "We are excited about the synergies and opportunities this acquisition brings and are confident that it will drive growth and create long-term value for our clients and our organization." About U.S. Legal Support U.S. Legal Support was founded in 1996 with a single goal: to be the first nationwide, all-inclusive litigation support company. Over the last thirty years, our mission has remained the same: to build lasting relationships with our legal industry partners by delivering exceptional litigation support services. With a full suite of court reporting solutions, record retrieval, interpreting & translations, trial services and transcription services, we serve the legal industry better. To law firms, enterprise legal teams, and insurance carriers across the country, U.S. Legal Support offers on-demand access to 12,000+ offices in more than 2,700 cities with in-person, remote and hybrid service capabilities. For more information about U.S. Legal Support, visit www.uslegalsupport.com. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE U.S. Legal Support, Inc. NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wahed Inc. (Wahed), a global Islamic fintech company, announced today the appointment of Mohsin Siddiqui as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to his appointment at Wahed, Mohsin was with the UKbased RegTech company ComplyAdvantage serving as its Chief Revenue Officer, tasked with leading its revenue growth objectives after its Series-C round of funding. Mohsin started his career at OANDA, a New Yorkbased online trading fintech, where he served as the Chief Customer Officer and Managing Director. At OANDA, Mohsin grew OANDA's core presence in the U.S and Canadian markets and spearheaded its expansion into several APAC markets. Mohsin Siddiqui, Chief Operating Officer, Wahed Mohsin has been brought onboard to lead the company's global business operations and regional expansion. He will oversee the growth objectives of the company, facilitate the expansion of its product suite and focus on building a world-class technology platform in order to power Wahed's mission of developing financial inclusion for members seeking Shari'ah compliant products. The move aims to help Wahed reach a 2+ billion Muslim population worldwide. "I am delighted to welcome Mohsin to the Wahed executive team," said Junaid Wahedna, the Founder and CEO of Wahed. "His expertise and leadership in scaling fintechs with similar growth ambitions to Wahed's will be instrumental as we continue to advance our global growth strategy." In response to his appointment, Mohsin said, "I am confident in Wahed's unique value proposition and its product offering. I look forward to introducing Wahed's technology platform to several key markets where there is a substantial need for riba-free financial solutions for retail investors." About Wahed Wahed is a global Islamic fintech company that aims to reduce financial exclusion by encouraging ethically-focused, shari'ah compliant investing. New York-headquartered, Wahed has built an award-winning digital platform, making it easy for everyone to benefit from investing without compromising their values. Wahed is licensed in 10 jurisdictions through its subsidiaries around the globe, with 11 offices serving over 300,000 customers. For more information on how Wahed is trying to change the world of finance for the better, visit: https://www.wahed.com/ SOURCE Wahed NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The wearable technology market size is to grow by USD 52.4 billion from 2021 to 2026 and register a CAGR of 14.1%, according to Technavio's latest market research report estimates. With a focus on identifying dominant industry influencers, Technavio's reports present a detailed study by the way of synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. This report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The report is segmented by Product and Geography. North America is estimated to contribute 48% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The US and Canada are the key contributors to the market in the region. The popularity of wearable devices as a payment method will facilitate market growth in the region. The presence of some of the biggest crowdfunding platforms, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, which help startups raise funds to develop innovative wearables in the region is also contributing to the growth. In addition, the region is the hub for several international and domestic companies offering wearable devices. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth in the region during the forecast period.- Read our Sample Report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Wearable Technology Market 2023-2027 The report also covers the following areas: Wearable Technology Market 2022-2026: Segmentation Product Smart Watches Wireless Headphones HMDs Smart Bands Others Geography North America APAC Europe South America Middle East and Africa The wearable technology market share growth in the smartwatches segment will be significant during the forecast period. A smartwatch is a digital device that offers many features, including making calls; texting; health monitoring by tracking steps taken, calories burned, and heart rate; and tracking sleep patterns. It provides customers with quick access to a variety of applications on their smartphones. Hence, the various features are expected to drive segment growth during the forecast period. Wearable Technology Market 2022-2026: Company Analysis and Scope The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. To help businesses improve their market position, the wearable technology market provides a detailed analysis of around 15+ companies operating in the market. Some of these companies include AiQ Smart Clothing Inc., Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., ASUSTeK Computer Inc., BAE Systems Plc, CINOPTICS, Citizen Watch Co. Ltd., Fossil Group Inc., Garmin Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., K Wearables Ltd., Kopin Corp., Lenovo Group Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Magic Leap Inc., Polar Electro Oy, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Vuzix Corp., Xiaomi Inc., and Elbit Systems Ltd. Buy now. Company Offering Alphabet Inc. - The company offers wearable devices such as Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Charge 5, Fitbit Luxe, and Fitbit Inspire 2. The company offers wearable devices such as Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Charge 5, Fitbit Luxe, and Fitbit Inspire 2. Apple Inc. - The company offers an Apple watch that provides heart rate notification, mobility, and cardio fitness. The company offers an Apple watch that provides heart rate notification, mobility, and cardio fitness. Garmin Ltd. - The company offers smartwatches such as GEN 6, GEN 5E, GEN 5, and GEN 5 LTE as wearable technology. Wearable Technology Market 2022-2026: Market Dynamics Key Driver- The popularity of wearable devices as payment methods is a key factor driving market growth. Major Trends The development of low-power electronics is a major trend in the market. The increasing use of mobile devices such as head-mounted displays (HMDs) is driving demand for energy-efficient and low-power-consumption electronics. In addition, Manufacturers are integrating low-power-consumption components, including advanced processors and IMUs, to improve wearable performance. By optimizing the processor, battery life is extended, and reliability and usability are improved. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Significant Challenges- The rising penetration of counterfeit products is a significant challenge restricting market growth. Drivers, Trends, and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report! Wearable Technology Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist wearable technology market growth during the next five years. Estimation of the wearable technology market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the wearable technology market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on companies Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of wearable technology market companies. Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The wearable patch market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.02% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 5,653.7 million. This wearable patch market report extensively covers market segmentation by application (clinical and non-clinical), technology (regular and connected), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (ROW)). Increasing demand for cloud-based solutions is a major trend in the market. The wearables market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.09% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 73,631.84 million. This report extensively covers market segmentation by product (smartwatches, wireless headphones, smart bands, and others), distribution channel (online and offline), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and the Middle East and Africa). The growing preference for wearable devices for payment is notably driving market growth. Wearable Technology Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2021 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 14.1% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 52.4 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023(%) 12.88 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 48% Key countries US, Canada, China, Japan, India, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Companies, Market Positioning of Companies, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled AiQ Smart Clothing Inc., Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., ASUSTeK Computer Inc., BAE Systems Plc, CINOPTICS, Citizen Watch Co. Ltd., Fossil Group Inc., Garmin Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., K Wearables Ltd., Kopin Corp., Lenovo Group Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Magic Leap Inc., Polar Electro Oy, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Vuzix Corp., Xiaomi Inc., and Elbit Systems Ltd. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Size Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Material Market Segmentation by Geography Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Drivers, Challenges, and Trends Vendor Landscape Vendor Analysis Appendix 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. 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 The 2nd CCF Quantum Computation Conference and China Quantum Computation Industry Summit, was held in Hefei, China on August 19th. Nearly a hundred quantum computing companies from across the country, along with thousands of experts and scholars, gathered together to explore the prospects of quantum computing technology and industry development. The conference, themed 'Fusion of Quantum Computing and Supercomputers to Enhance Computing Power' featured 10 specialized forums, including quantum computing software, hardware, application ecology, production manufacturing, as well as popularization and education, focusing on specific areas and discussing the development of quantum computing from various dimensions. The convening of this conference signifies a new stage of development for China's quantum computing field. Through this event, domestic and international experts and scholars had the opportunity to engage in in-depth exchanges, share the latest research achievements and technical experiences, and enhance mutual understanding and cooperation. With the joint efforts of the government, academia, and enterprises, quantum computing will become a vital force leading technological advancements and making greater contributions to achieving China's goal of becoming a technological powerhouse. Furthermore, the award ceremony of the 2nd CCF 'Sinan Cup' Quantum Computing Programming Challenge was held in parallel on the evening of August 19th. The competition attracted nearly a thousand teams from 13 countries, with over 1,500 participants representing more than 260 universities. In the end, 217 teams (nearly 400 participants) received awards. Source: Anhui News What criteria would you use to judge food as art? the interviewer asked. Lets start with Waxlight Bar a Vin, I said. Cooking approaches art in dishes that bring something new to the table. Drawing on the usual grocery palette, it offers a new expression of the ingredients possibilities. That glimpse of hidden character prompts a fresh look at aspects of your daily bread you took for granted. Deepen my appreciation of broccoli with a dish that explores its nuances in nonstandard treatments, and you have given me a gift. To learn your broccoli journey has only begun is a micro-awakening to lifes untapped potential. Thats art. The safest way to make restaurants pay is faithfully reproducing dishes night after night. Any dish that doesnt sell is money down the drain. Line cooks are not hired for their creativity. What makes Waxlight an atelier, an artists workshop, is the intent of its founders. In 2019, a squad of restaurant professionals opened a place designed to allow for creativity as a main ingredient, not restricted to the specials card. Jessica Forster is a wine whisperer brimming with the knowledge to guide you to your new favorite glass. Tony Rials is a cocktail adept whose mastery of drinks extends to extraordinary tipples with no alcohol. Both are certified sommeliers. Waxlight was recently honored with a James Beard nomination for its drinks program. In the kitchen, Joseph Fenush and Edward Forster take the best produce and meat they can find, often local, and riffle through their deep wardrobe for an outfit that fits best. Or they run up a new design, to debut on a menu that evolves weekly. Lately, pork rillette on crispy brioche ($3.50) and Spanish oil-cured anchovy toast ($4.50) head the bites section, full of inexpensive bets on hitting pleasure centers. Housemade potato chips ($5) are dusted with roast chicken essence. Summer squash toast ($12), on a banana bread-like base, bears ricotta fortified with squash blossoms and fresh herbs. Oles Farm tomatoes ($12) are framed with preserved blueberry chevre, pistachios and anise hyssop pesto. A bowl of cold beetroot gazpacho ($14) carries accents of cultured creme, watermelon radish, rhubarb and pepitas. Large plates include housemade pastas like pimenton creste di gallo ($28), served with braised duck ragout and apricots. Gnocchi ($30) made of spelt are cozied up in crab carbonara. Tilefish ($46) sees its umami levels rise in roast-chicken-and-oyster butter, served over broken rice, with charred onions. Plato Dale chicken ($30) arrives shaped into a roulade, accompanied by green chile yogurt, charred corn and couscous salad fragrant with lemon balm. Pork bellys richness ($32) gets balancing acid from pickled peas, preserved cherries, and pineapple mustard. Steak lovers need not despair. Mosey over to the dry-aged beef coulotte ($38), and instead of potatoes and asparagus, Waxlight will line up parsley-almond salad and black quinoa as partners. A wide-ranging wine list offers obscure adventures at $12-$14 a go. From the bar, Rials standard and creative cocktails are among the best in Buffalo. Another notable achievement is his lineup of booze-free drinks ($7-$10) that hit the spot without numbing it out. Modern operators have realized that alcohol avoiders spend money, too, and usually strive to offer more than soda pop. At Waxlight, grapefruit whip arrives black as night, thanks to activated charcoal, making its brightness bewilderingly delicious. Pineapple daquiri summons rich caramel notes and tropical refreshment without rum, and the watermelon-jalapeno spritz hits like a sun-ripened melon with a touch of sass. Give serious thought to reserving space for a sweet ending. Paris-Brest ($13) is a stone-cold stunner of a dessert named after a bicycle race, its circle evoking a tire. Pate a choux pastry, filled with minty whipped cream and pistachios, is adorned with chocolate sauce. Arriving to ooohs and aaahs at its finessed glory, the Paris-Brest stars in a performance piece where its demolished in a maelstrom of forks, fury and whipped cream. From the French dessert bible, canele de bordeaux ($4), caramelized custardy-centered pastry, are simply sublime. A peach cake doughnut ($5) and goat milk butterscotch with nectarines ($11) draw on seasonal stone fruit. Regulars include a chocolate gelato with cocoa nib caramel ($11) that yields Marianas-Trench-deep cocoa echoes with Olive & Sinclair chocolate. Basque cheesecake ($9), adored for its brulee-like burnt sugar roof, can be accompanied with espresso or coffee ($5-7) made with Tipico single-origin beans. You may have heard that Buffalos most famous art showcase, the AKG Art Museum, recently reopened after a $195 million expansion. After you have had your fill of the museum, continue the art expedition at Waxlight. In its galleries, you could discover a new favorite artist working in the mixed media of mealtime. Waxlight Bar a Vin 27 Chandler St., waxlightbaravin.com Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday through Tuesday. Prices: small plates, $3.50-$18; large plates, $28-$46. Atmosphere: murmurs of enchantment Parking: lot Wheelchair accessible: yes Gluten-free options: beet gazpacho, coulotte, Arctic char Outdoor dining: yes After a last-minute scramble by Jericho Road Community Health Center, 44 asylum-seekers being housed in dorm rooms at SUNY Buffalo State were being moved off campus late Monday afternoon and into two locations elsewhere. Buffalo State evicts 44 migrants who had been staying in dorm rooms Forty-four migrants who have been staying in dormitory rooms at SUNY Buffalo State will be evicted this weekend after the school abruptly ended an agreement with Jericho Road Community Health Center. The migrants were initially given five days, until the end of last week, to leave the Buffalo State campus. Administrators ultimately allowed them to remain through the weekend and leave Monday, the day before freshmen come onto campus. Everyone will be out by 5 oclock tonight, said Myron Glick, founder and CEO of Jericho Road, which has been playing a lead role in assisting asylum-seekers, both through its Vive shelter and through the New York City busing program, the latter of which is now suspended in Erie County. Our team had to scramble this weekend, but we did find places for everyone, Glick said Monday afternoon. Eight single men were being relocated to a church rectory, he said. The rest of the group primarily made up of families, including 12 children will stay at a hotel, though Glick declined to say where because he wants the move to go smoothly. These people and families will not stay at the same hotels as asylum-seekers who are part of the New York city busing program. Erie County schools preparing to educate 120 asylum-seeker students Education officials in Western New York are working to accommodate around 120 migrant children who will be attending local schools in the fall. Meanwhile, Erie County officials said plans to move more than 200 asylum-seekers out of a Dingens Street hotel in Cheektowaga are in a holding pattern. Officials expect to soon receive a timeline from the New York City-based agency DocGo about when the four busloads of migrants, who arrived at the hotel in July, will be relocated. Affected school districts, along with Jericho Road and the county, are working to ensure all students are registered and immunized, said Peter Anderson, spokesman for the County Executives Office. A more immediate priority for Jericho Road has been asylum-seekers at the Buffalo State dorms. The university and the agency had an original agreement allowing the migrants to stay from May to August because the Vive shelter was over capacity. Since the universitys dorms are underused by students, there had been an expectation that extending the stay of shelter recipients through February would present few logistical issues. However, the two recent felony cases involving sex crimes have led to more public and divisive dialogue about what should happen to the hundreds of new migrants currently living in the county. Buffalo State President Bonita R. Durand did not make any reference to the arrests or to any other concerns. Instead, she released a statement to the college community Sunday, saying, After careful consideration, I made the difficult decision to not enter into an additional revocable permit. I want to assure you this decision was not taken lightly but was reached with the best interests of our students and campus community in mind. I want to reassure you we have taken measures to support the Jericho Road clients affected by this decision. Local leaders grapple with problems, politics and perceptions of asylum-seekers after second felony arrest The asylum-seeker accused of sex abuse and unlawful imprisonment of a human services employee is in the Erie County Holding Center without bail. But concerns linger about how, and to what extent, migrants are being vetted to ensure the safety of residents. Durand also expressed her admiration for the work and mission of Jericho Road. We look forward to finding new ways to collaborate and support each other in our shared mission of service, she said. A college spokesman said Durand was unavailable Monday to comment further. Glick said the migrants staying at Buffalo State arrived on their own and are not connected with those bused to Cheektowaga hotels this summer from New York City. Thirty-two of the 44 migrants at Buffalo State are originally from African countries, including nine from Congo and eight from Nigeria. Since many of them arrived as early as March, they will soon be eligible to work. Asylees are barred from working for the first six months after they arrive and seek asylum in the United States. Glick said he expects that within 25 days, Jericho Road will be able to match these people with jobs and apartments, and transition them into more stable apartment housing. Both monetary and in-kind donations, such as school supplies and furniture, are being accepted by Jericho Road. Glick encouraged anyone interested in contributing to visit the Jericho Road website, jrchc.org, which includes donate now and wishlist tabs. Anyone interested in organizing a donation drive can email Jericho Road at contact@jrchc.org. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New Delhi, Aug 21 : The Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) will begin a 'DUSU in Campus' campaign from Monday, where the office bearers will visit the colleges to know about the problems being faced by the students and try to resolve them. Under the campaign, DUSU office bearers will visit each DU college campus in two groups and meet the students. Besides trying to solve their problems, they will also apprise the students about college campus activism and current schemes of the students union. DUSU President Akshit Dahiya said that the 'DUSU in Campus' campaign will be run in two groups, in which DUSU President in the first group and Vice President and Joint Secretary in the second group, will visit each college campus from August 21 to August 29 and meet the students. He said also that all classes across the university and its colleges have started together after a long gap and the campaign is being run with the aim of knowing the problems of the students and finding solutions. According to the DUSU President, students union elections are also going to be held after a long time, so it is also very important to inform the students about campus activism so that the students can provide or elect a capable leadership. ABVP's Harsh Atri said that through the campaign, students would also be able to know about the work done during the tenure of the ABVP-led DUSU. Nearly 100 wildfires rage in Canadian province, no signs of slowing. Image Source: IANS News Ottawa, Aug 21 : Nearly 400 wildfires raging in Canada's British Columbia (BC) province have prompted the evacuation of at least 30,000 households, while another 36,000 are currently under an evacuation alert, the media reported on Monday. In a statement late Sunday, the provincial Emergency Managaement Minister Bowinn Ma said officials "cannot stress strongly enough how critical it is to follow evacuation orders", reports the BBC. "They are a matter of life and death not only for the people in those properties, but also for the first responders who will often go back to try to implore people to leave," the Minister was quoted as saying. BC Premier David Eby put the total number of people ordered to leave at 35,000, with 30,000 told to be prepared to evacuate. The grim development comes after two massive fires in the province's Shuswap region merged overnight, destroying houses and other buildings. Meanwhile, authorities have also restricted travel to the waterside city of Kelowna and smoke from nearby fires hangs over Lake Okanagan. Fires have also charred homes in West Kelowna, a nearby city of 36,000. The travel restriction around Kelowna is designed to ensure enough accommodation for evacuees and emergency workers. It also applies to the towns of Kamloops, Oliver, Penticton and Vernon and Osoyoos. Hundreds of miles north, a huge fire continues to edge towards the city of Yellowknife, the capital of Northwest Territories, the BBC reported. An official deadline to evacuate the city lapsed on August 18. About 19,000 of the city's 20,000 inhabitants had evacuated, according to officials. Canada is witnessing its worst wildfire season on record, with at least 1,000 fires raging across the country, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). Although no deaths have been reported in the latest fires, at least four firefighters have lost their lives during this record-breaking season. Bank of Baroda puts actor Sunny Deols property on auction for loan dues of Rs 56 cr. Image Source: IANS News Chennai, Aug 21 : The Central government-owned mortgage lender, Bank of Baroda (BOB) laden with Rs.34,832.16 crore of gross non performing loans as on June 30, has decided to withdraw its decision to auction actor Sunny Deol's Mumbai property for non payment of its loan about Rs 56 crore and interest on that. The decision comes a day after Bank of Baroda advertised about e-auctioning of the actor's property. The bank in a newspaper advertisement on Monday said that "the sale notice I respect of Mr. Ajay Sing Deol alias Mr. Sunny Deol stands withdrawn due to Technical Reasons" and listed the description of the property. On Sunday in the newspaper advertisement, that has been widely circulated in the social media, BOB said the borrower, Sunny Deol, owed the bank about Rs 55.99 crore plus interest and cost from December 26, 2022 onwards less recovery upto date. Whether the bank misspelt the actor's name as 'Ajay Sing Deol' instead of 'Ajay Singh Deol' is yet to be ascertained. According to the bank, the property that is put on e-auction measures 599.44 sq. metres and a structure known as Sunny Villa located in Mumbai's Juhu locality. Sunny Deol is described as the borrower/guarantor and the other guarantors are Dharmendra Singh Deol and Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd. The bank is auctioning the property under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2022. The reserve price is about Rs 51.43 crore and the earnest money deposit is fixed as about Rs 5.14 crore. According to BOB, the property can be inspected between 11 a.m and 1 p.m. on September 14 and the status of the possession is symbolic. The bank also said the borrowers/guarantors can redeem the securities by paying the outstanding dues/costs/charges and expenses at any time before the sale is conducted. The auction notice was issued by BOB's Zonal Stressed Asset Recovery Branch, Ballard Estate, Mumbai. Sunny Deol was not available on phone when IANS tried to get his reaction to the BOB e-auction advertisement on Sunday. Buffalo police arrested a man with two loaded handguns after spotting him walking with the weapons near Jersey and Niagara streets on Saturday, a spokesman said. At approximately 9:50 p.m., officers working a Niagara Street detail saw a man walking through traffic who appeared to be armed, said Michael DeGeorge, a police department spokesman. The man immediately fled on foot but after a brief chase was apprehended, and the two weapons were recovered along with two loaded extended magazines with 31 and 23 rounds. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Amid heavy police presence, the Public Works Department (PWD) on Monday launched an anti-encroachment drive in Delhi's Geeta Colony to demolish illegal settlements. According to reports, the dwellers of these settlements will be relocated to shelter camps set up by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). A significant number of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the Geeta Colony area to maintain law and order. The action aims to clear the way for a proposed road-widening project. The police have stated that there were no untoward incidents in the area, and the operation is being conducted peacefully. On Sunday, the PWD demolished a temple and a mosque as part of its anti-encroachment drive on Rani Jhansi Road in the Jhandewalan area. The temple will be relocated to a nearby area. --IANS atk/ksk Chandigarh, Aug 21 : In a joint operation by the BSF and Punjab Police, two Pakistani drug smugglers were apprehended along with 29.26 kg drugs after a brief exchange of fire in Ferozepur, officials said on Monday. One of the smugglers sustained a bullet injury during the encounter and was taken to a nearby hospital. A senior BSF official stated that during the night between Sunday and Monday, based on specific information, a joint operation was conducted by the BSF and Punjab Police (CI Ferozepur) on the banks of the Sutlej River in Ferozepur. "During the operation at approximately 2:45 a.m., troops observed the movement of some Pakistani miscreants cum smugglers coming from Pakistan to the Indian side. "The troops initially issued a challenge to them. In response, upon sensing an imminent threat and to prevent further misadventure, the troops fired upon the smugglers. One smuggler was hit on the hand. Consequently, the troops apprehended two Pakistani smugglers along with 26 packets of narcotics suspected to be Heroin (29.26 Kg). After administering first aid, the injured smuggler was referred to the Civil hospital," said the BSF official. It said the operation is still underway. In a separate post, Director General of Police Guarav Yadav said it was an intelligence-led operation against trans-border drug trafficking networks. He said the FIR was registered at a police station in Fazilka. Investigations are ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages. Vijayanagara : , Aug 21 (IANS) A bike-rider was seriously injured after a leopard attacked him in Hadagali taluk of Karnataka's Vijayanagara district on Monday. The incident took place when the youth,identified as Praveen, was travelling between the Magala-Hirehadagali villages. After hearing the commotion and screams of Praveen, the farmers and passers-by rushed to his help and the leopard escaped from the spot. The injured youth was admitted to a hospital. The incident has raised a concern among the people as most of the villagers travel on bikes, scooters with their family members. A large number of people also walk to the factories from villages. The forest authorities have assured the people of necessary action. The people of the region have demanded that the leopard, which was attacking cattle and livestock, is now targeting humans and the authorities should take action before tragedy occurs. A leopard was also spotted in villages of Hospet taluk of the same district. A recent survey conducted by the authorities has shown that the leopard count in Ballary and Vijayanagara districts has increased. Seoul, Aug 21 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a navy unit and inspected a cruise missile test aboard a warship, as South Korea and the US began their annual joint military drills, Pyongyang's state media reported on Monday. Kim visited the Navy flotilla tasked with defending the east coast and watched the seamen on a patrol ship stage a launching drill of "strategic" cruise missiles, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without disclosing the date of his visit. "At the drill aimed to reconfirm the combat function of the ship and the feature of its missile system and make the seamen skilled at carrying out the attack mission in actual war, the ship rapidly hit target without even an error," Yonhap News Agency quote the KCNA report as saying. Photos carried by the North Korean state media showed a missile firing from Patrol Ship No. 661, with Kim observing the scene aboard a separate vessel. Kim vowed to strengthen the North's navy to make it an "all-round and powerful" service group with improved combat efficiency and modern means of surface and underwater offensive and defensive capabilities, the KCNA said. Meanwhile, South Korea and the US kicked off the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise on Monday, featuring various contingency drills, such as the computer simulation-based command post exercise, concurrent field training and Ulchi civil defense drills. The exercise will run until August 31. Kim's inspection came amid expectations that North Korea could carry out major provocations, such as the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), in a bid to protest the joint military drills. The North has long denounced the Seoul-Washington military exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion. Chennai, Aug 21 : After the Central government-owned mortgage lender, Bank of Baroda (BOB) decided to withdraw its decision to auction BJP MP and actor Sunny Deol's Mumbai property, the major banking sector union has criticised the move. The bank, laden with Rs 34,832.16 crore gross non-performing loans as of June 30,decided to withdraw its decision to auction actor Sunny Deol's Mumbai property for non- payment of a loan amount of about Rs 56 crore and interest on that. "This seems to be BJP's style of phone banking. As to the huge bad loans in government owned banks, the BJP used to allege that Congress party leaders, when their party was in power at the Centre, used to call bankers to sanction loans to their favourites," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) told IANS. The bank in a newspaper advertisement on Monday said that "the sale notice in respect of Mr. Ajay Sing Deol alias Mr. Sunny Deol stands withdrawn due to Technical Reasons" and listed the description of the property. On Sunday in the newspaper advertisement, that has been widely circulated in social media, Bank of Baroda said the borrower, Sunny Deol, owed the bank about Rs 55.99 crore plus interest and cost from December 26, 2022 onwards less recovery up to date. Whether the bank misspelt the actor's name as 'Ajay Sing Deol' instead of 'Ajay Singh Deol' is yet to be ascertained. According to the bank, the property that was put on e-auction measures 599.44 sq. metres and a structure known as Sunny Villa located in Mumbai's Juhu locality. Sunny Deol was described as the borrower/guarantor and the other guarantors are Dharmendra Singh Deol and Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd. The bank decided to auction the property under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2022. The reserve price was fixed at about Rs 51.43 crore and the earnest money deposit was about Rs 5.14 crore. The bank had said, the property can be inspected between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on September 14 and the status of the possession is symbolic. The bank also said the borrowers/guarantors can redeem the securities by paying the outstanding dues/costs/charges and expenses at any time before the sale is conducted. The auction notice was issued by Bank of Baroda's Zonal Stressed Asset Recovery Branch, Ballard Estate, Mumbai. Sunny Deol was not available on phone when IANS tried to get his reaction to the Bank of Baroda's e-auction advertisement on Sunday. Reacting to the withdrawal of the auction notice, AIBEA's Venkatachalam told IANS: "Obviously it is politics. The auction notice was withdrawn due to adverse publicity to the BJP. They are no different. We demand a thorough investigation into this as to who had issued the first advertisement and who had decided to withdraw the same and why. There should be accountability for this." (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted atv.jagannathan@ians.in) Washington, Aug 21 : At least three people were killed and six others injured during a shooting at a hookah lounge in the US city of Seattle, police said. Officers responded to reports of a shooting at Rainier Hookah Lounge just before 4.30 a.m. on Sunday, Xinhua news agency quoted the Seattle Police Department as saying. Police found that two men and a woman had been shot, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said at a news conference on Sunday evening. The two men, aged 22 and 32, died from injuries at the scene. The woman, aged 30, was taken to hospital in critical condition. She died later in the day, Diaz added. The injured were also taken to the hospital. Four men and a woman were in stable condition as of Sunday evening. A 23-year-old man was in critical condition, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said at the news conference. The Department's homicide unit is leading an investigation. It's not clear yet what led to the shooting or how many suspects have been involved. Police confirmed they recovered at least five guns. "It appeared they might have been trying to shut down the place, as well. But when it comes to the community, I believe it's an isolated incident," Diaz said. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement that even as Seattle police "keeps up a rapid and record pace of recovering guns -- 869 through July -- there are still more illegal guns in the wrong hands that could be used to incite another tragedy like this one". New Delhi, Aug 21 : Iran and Saudi Arabia have started a new chapter of cautious and incremental diplomatic exchanges to revive the strained bilateral ties, which broke down in 2016. Saudi Arabiaas Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on August 18 inRiyadh. The meeting was the first in a series of high-level talks since both countries reconciled in March this year, after years of bitter rivalry that destabilised the region, in a peace deal brokered by China. Saudi Arabia broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters attacked its embassy in Tehran in retaliation for Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shia cleric, Nimr Al Nimr. Rivalry between Iran's revolutionary, Shia Muslim leaders and Saudi Arabia's Sunni ruling family dominated the Middle Eastern regional politics for years as they competed for influence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Bahrain. After the meeting, Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported Abdollahian as saying the de facto Saudi ruler had accepted his invitation to visit Tehran. This shows how MBS, as the Crown Prince is popularly know, has pushed to reorient the Saudi foreign policy in recent years amid signs of troubles in its historically close relationship with the US. Earlier, the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal visited Tehran in June and said he hoped Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would visit the kingdom at the "appropriate time". Apparently, after years of rivalry, and with some of the main regional arenas for their competition more stable than in previous years, both sides have reason to change tack. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wants to end political and economic isolation imposed by the US and saw new relations with Saudi Arabia as a way to do so, Iranian officials have been quoted as saying. Saudi Arabia had meanwhile lost confidence in the US commitment to shared regional security concerns and wanted to bolster ties with China, which has also retained good relations with Iran. This month it succeeded in getting China to attend a diplomatic meeting on Ukraine that Beijing had earlier avoided. Iran also hopes that the Houthis in Yemen will be legitimised by the new relationship and that Iranas role in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon will grow. Iran hopes to undermine the US and Israel, through this reconciliation. These strategies are stated openly in Iran where officials boast about the decline of American influence in the region. However, Iran may not be the only one getting what it wants. Saudi Arabia also has an agenda and to achieve it, it has sought to reorient its policies in the region. In addition, Riyadhas independent policy now includes outreach to China and Russia and also an attempt to broker more deals in the region and abroad. This comes with increasing reports about positive development in potential Israel-Saudi ties. Iranas attempts at inroads in Riyadh are not only for Tehranas benefit. Saudi Arabia also has seen how balancing ties with Iran and other countries can increase its clout in the West; this was the method that Qatar and Turkey have used in the past. Therefore, managing expectations is important for Iran and Saudi Arabia, both. Meanwhile, Kuwaitas Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah praised the Iranian visit, according to Arab News. Kuwait has taken a very prudent view of things in the region over the last decades, watching tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, from the periphery. Kuwait also is more hostile to Israel than the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Therefore Kuwait views the reconciliation as a huge potential benefit for the Gulf. However, we cannot ignore Israelas view on the latest developments. In a report published by The Jerusalem Post, the newspaper opined that Iran-Saudi reconciliation could only go so far. There are many different issues in the region and Iranas role in numerous countries continues to destabilise those countries. Iran also seeks to incite others against Israel and create tensions in the West Bank by using groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Iranas hope is to use this road to erode Saudi Arabiaas room for manoeuvre relating to a potential deal with Israel. Riyadh is aware of all these machinations and therefore it is keeping expectations modest in terms of the incremental reconciliation with Tehran. Meanwhile, it also understands that cutting off ties with US in one go may affect its defence preparedness. Meanwhile, Talal Al Otaibi, an aide to the Saudi defence minister, met with Aziz Nasirzadeh, the deputy chief of staff of Iranas armed forces, during the sidelines of the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security, last week, according to a post by the Saudi Defence Ministry. During the meetings, the officials reviewed bilateral relations in the defence and security fields, as well as ways to improve them, the Ministry said. This shows that MBS is adopting prudential approach for the future and not putting all eggs in one basket, instead he is trying to spread the spectrum by easing relations with old rivals and break the U. hegemony in the region, by engaging with Russia and China, along side. This meeting between top defence officials creates an impression that things may move at a fast pace in the near future between the two old regional rivals, but they will be more in tune rather than opposing one another, and the main casualty in this might be the waning of the American influence in the region. (Asad Mirza is a Delhi-based senior political and international affairs commentator.) London, Aug 21 : Nurse Lucy Letby, who has been found guilty of murdering seven babies making her the UK's most prolific child serial killer in modern times, will be sentenced on Monday following a 10-month long trial, deemed to be the longest in the country. The 33-year-old 'killer nurse', who was also convicted of trying to kill six more babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, will not appear in person during the sentencing at the Manchester Crown Court, the BBC reported. Without giving a reason for her non-attendance at the court, her legal team said Letby also does not want to follow proceedings via a videolink from prison. Letby -- who deliberately injected babies with air, force fed others milk and poisoned two of the infants with insulin between June 2015 and June 2016 -- had refused to appear in the dock as the latest verdicts were read out on August 18. They had been delivered over several hearings, but could not be reported until all the verdicts were returned. Originally from Hereford, she broke down in tears as the first guilty verdicts were read out by the jury's foreman on August 8 after 76 hours of deliberations. She cried with her head bowed as the second set of guilty verdicts were returned on August 11. Letby, however, was found not guilty of two attempted murder charges and the jury was undecided on further attempted murder charges relating to four babies, reports the BBC. During the trial, which started in October 2022, the prosecution labelled Letby as a "calculating and devious" opportunist who "gaslighted" colleagues to cover her "murderous assaults". She was convicted following a two-year investigation by Cheshire Police into the alarming and unexplained rise in deaths and near-fatal collapses of premature babies at the hospital. The government has also ordered an independent prove into the circumstances behind the baby murders. Patna, Aug 21 : A Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) president is battling for his life after unidentified bike-borne assailants shot at him in Bihar's Vaishali district on Monday. Lalan Singh was on the morning walk in his native village under Lalganj area the miscreants opened fire on him at Kartaha middle school. He collapsed on the ground and was rescued by the local passersby who rushed him to a private nursing home where he is stated to be critical. According to local police, three persons wearing face masks and helmets opened fire on him. The victim sustained three gunshot injuries. Singh is a PACS president of Dakshin Ghatro Panchayat under Lalganj block in the district. In another incident, a man and his nephew sustained gunshot injuries in the Diyara area of Sonpur district. The incident occurred on Sunday night and a property dispute is being stated as the reason for the crime. One of the victims is undergoing treatment at PMCH Patna. An investigation is underway. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday passed the suspension order of the Deputy Director of Delhi government's Women and Child Development department who has been accused of repeatedly raping his friend's minor daughter. The Chief Minister has also directed the Chief secretary to file a detailed report in this connection by 5 p.m. The sensational rape case was reported from North Delhi's Burari.The accused allegedly repeatedly raped the victim between 2020 and 2021. A police source said that the accused kept on raping the minor daughter of his friend for months, during which his wife also allegedly assisted him. "As his wife also aided him in the act and did not report the matter to the police, we have added Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) in the FIR against his wife," said the police source. The victim studies in Class 12. She met the accused at a church, where he often used to come. In 2020, the father of the victim died, after which she went into depression. As the accused had befriended her, he took her to his house on the pretext of helping her. "The most shocking part is that when the victim got pregnant, she was threatened with dire consequences by the accused. When the victim narrated the whole story to his wife, instead of helping her, she aborted her foetus. The woman sent her son to buy abortion pills, which were given to the victim by her," the source said. The girl is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. The police have recorded her statement, and once she is discharged from the hospital, the police will take her to the local magistrate to get her statement recorded. The police said that they have lodged an FIR under sections 376(2)(f), 506, 509, 323, 313, 120B, and 34 of the IPC and sections 6/21 of the POCSO Act against the accused and his wife. --IANSatk/dpb When students take health classes during the new school year at DYouville University, some of their professors will instruct them to use ChatGPT and other chatbots to simulate interactions with patients who have a variety of medical symptoms. Their professors then will grade them on how well they followed the proper treatment protocols. Student use of artificial intelligence wont stop there, either. We want them to use AI at many levels, because we know that this is going to be a skill that their workforce will reward, said Humberto Hernandez, DYouville director for online learning and instructional design. ChatGPT became the fastest growing application in history this year, and chatbots became one of the most controversial topics in education. Western New York colleges and universities are among those from across the globe changing their academic policies in hopes of preventing students from using AI to cheat. Chatbots are also raising the curiosity of faculty and administrators looking to advance learning in their classrooms with help from the new technology. Cracking down on chatbots Chatbots are computer programs that use artificial intelligence and natural language processing tools that can answer questions and help people complete tasks, including academic assignments, with human-like vocal and text responses. Hernandez, also an economics professor at DYouville, noticed during the start of spring semester earlier this year that students would typically submit one to three paragraphs with some depth for his discussion board assignments. By week four, some of those students were submitting five to six paragraphs of perfectly worded text that was far more thorough. I was like Whoa! Either all of these students are acing my class and theyre doing fantastic and I have to be teaching this extremely well, he said. Or, they are really using a lot of ChatGPT. He started to wonder if DYouvilles academic integrity policy addressed AI and learned that it did not. He was concerned about how it would impact students, teachers and class work across campus. DYouville soon advised those with ties to the university not to put any personal or identifying information into chatbots, but no academic policy is yet set in stone. Its really hard for us to put students through the standardized operating procedure that we have in place for academic integrity when there is not even a way for us to detect it, Hernandez said. AI standards differ It can be difficult to prove that a student used chatbots to cheat on an assignment. A Washington Post columnist found that a popular detection tool, in place at more than 10,000 secondary and higher education institutions, can falsely accuse students of using AI-generated text for their assignments. Several administrators and professors in the region told The Buffalo News that they are skeptical about using AI-detecting software tools. Daniel Higgins, director of journalism programs and an assistant professor at Canisius University, said he has no idea about how to detect AI-generated text when grading student submissions. He knows detection tools can lack reliability, so he doesnt use them, and discourages colleagues from doing so, too. I dont even know if I will try to figure out if students cheated using AI, Higgins said. I dont want to spend a lot of time being a detective. I want to teach, and thats not teaching. At the University of Buffalo, Kelly Ahuna leads such detective work. Ahuna, director of the UB Office of Academic Integrity, and her team have cracked down on misuse of chatbots for cheating on assignments. She finds that faculty members are generally good at detecting AI-generated text in assignments for three reasons: AI chatbots might generate a response that is not related to the specific information teachers gave students in class. Like humans, chatbots also make mistakes, commonly referred to as hallucinations, and will write things that are inaccurate and odd. AI-generated text is formulaic. Cheating with chatbots is not usually charged as plagiarism at UB because plagiarism is when someone uses another persons language or ideas without crediting them, Ahuna said. Rather, students are typically charged with falsifying academic materials or cheating. In hopes of lessening cheating, Ahuna thinks it is important that faculty clearly tell students the learning objectives of their class and explain why students can or cannot use chatbots. The student as a novice doesnt always know (the learning objectives), she said. I think students will be more likely to respect the rules if they see the logic of how it adds up to their learning. We have to embrace this The DYouville AI Learning community, a faculty group that meets monthly to discuss AI topics, is working on a university AI academic policy they hope will be finished by January. In its absence, the learning community has been strategizing how the university can ensure faculty best use AI to complement student learning while keeping curriculum rigorous for the upcoming fall semester. We have to embrace this, Hernandez said. To make that happen, the faculty group suggests assignments using AI should be based on reflection about what a chatbot produced, so students can still analyze and critically talk about the related subject. They also encourage the usage of AI as a role-playing tool to simulate real-life scenarios for assignments. Higgins started using ChatGPT in October, and introduced it to his students before a couple of them even heard about it. Come to the last day of class, he told his his media ethics students, and I will make it worth your while. Students were greeted with an essay five to six pages long that ChatGPT generated and they were tasked with grading. Higgins had a discussion with students about what they thought would happen if ChatGPT did the assignment. Then, Higgins pressed a button and ChatGPT went to work. His students gave an average grade of C-plus on what ChatGPT generated. This being a university, we are here to teach students how to use tools, Higgins said. Now, I have to see how to use these (chatbots) without compromising my values of honesty, integrity and transparency, and then pass those values on to my students. Ahuna said chatbots can be good for cognitive offloading reducing the demands it takes to complete a task like a calculator. By allowing students to complete lower-level tasks that they already know more efficiently, it can provide more time for higher-level thinking. If students dont have the skills to do low-level tasks and offload that work to AI chatbots, however, it threatens learning, she said. Students split on AI use Freshmen starting classes soon will be the first to have easy access to AI throughout their college careers. Many already have dabbled. It helped me pass high school, said Roberto Jimenez, an incoming UB freshman. It was basically my personal writer. In high school, Jimenez used ChatGPT for a last-minute essay in his economics class that he did not want to take the time to type out completely, he said. Instead he typed the essay question into ChatGPT with what he had written so far. The program completed the rest of the essay and he edited the AI-generated text to sound like him before submitting the essay to his teachers. When Jimenez gets writers block, he often turns to ChatGPT for suggestions and ideas. He knows it can hallucinate, so he takes precautions and fact-checks. His friends are critical of chatbots, and they think using them for assignments is morally wrong, Jimenez said. He said he has used it for good reasons, unlike some of his peers, who use it to write essays and turn them in without any editing or revising. Jimenez said he deleted ChatGPT and does not plan to use it at UB to adhere to academic integrity but added hes eager to see what chatbots can do in the future. Just imagine if AI now is like this, he said. Potentially it can write a whole novel, architecture structures. The possibilities are endless. Trey Lohnas, a first-year masters student in education studies at UB, agreed. He remembers when ChatGPT became well-known at UB. Half his professors told students they couldnt use it. The other half told students they would get little out of class subjects if they did. Ive decided to kind of stay away from it, he said. Im paying for my education, and I want to get the most out of it. New Delhi, August 21 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took a review meeting of her Ministry in Gujarat. The meeting on Sunday, which was attended by officials from the Corporate Affairs Department, Income Tax and Ministers of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad and Pankaj Chaudhary, focussed on the role to be played by the Fnance Ministry in the next 24 years leading to 2047. "A free and frank discussion was held with 100+ senior officers of @FinMinIndia and @MCA21India on how to re-orient to achieve the #AmritKaal goals by embracing the #PanchPran as envisioned by the prime minister," the Ministry said in a tweet. --IANS ans/ksk New Delhi, Aug 21 : Actor Naveen Sharma, who is making a comeback to television screens with the show 'Kumkum Bhagya' post his wedding, called it a "surreal" experience as he missed being on sets. 'Kumkum Bhagya' revolves around intriguing twists and turns in Ranbir (Krishna Kaul) and Prachi's (Mugdha Chaphekar) lives. The viewers recently witnessed how Prachi got married to Akshay (Abhishek Malik) for the custody of her daughter Khushi (Trisha Rohatgi), and after that, Ranbir agreed to marry Akshay's sister Mihika (Aafreen Dabestani). And now, seeing Prachi and Ranbir's connection, Akshay is getting jealous. Hence, he wants to expedite the wedding ceremonies of Ranbir with Mihika, so that Ranbir goes away from his life. Now, Naveen has stepped into Aryan's role, replacing Pulkit Bangia. And from the looks of it, maybe he will finally be able to bring in some calm and positivity in Ranbir and Prachi's life. Aryan, who is Aaliya's (Reyhna Pandit) son, is back to help Ranbir and Prachi resolve their issues and convince Ranbir to think about his happiness first, and not do anything just for the sake of his family. Talking about the same, Naveen said: "I am very excited about portraying my character of Aryan on screen. I must say that I am really enjoying working with the whole crew and the team." "This is my first project after my wedding, so I had to contemplate on saying yes for the role, but my wife Roshni, supported me in making this decision. That's how I made it back to Mumbai and we have decided that she will shift here for her further studies after a few months," he shared. He further said: "Shooting with the team of 'Kumkum Bhagya' is a surreal experience and I was literally missing being on sets. So, I am really happy to be back. The whole team is very welcoming and warm, especially Krishna, he made me so comfortable on the very first day that I didn't feel like I am resuming work after so many months." While, the character has been away for the past few months, Aryan's entry into the show has made the audience hoping for some unexpected twists and turns for the reunion of Ranbir and Prachi. 'Kumkum Bhagya' airs on Zee TV. New Delhi, Aug 21 : The Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) on Monday informed the Delhi high court that it has withdrawn its notification making Aadhaar and Voter Identity Card bearing a Delhi-NCR address mandatory for enrollment with it. The high court had, on July 13, said that BCD's notification needs to be annulled with immediate effect while dealing with a Public Interest Litigation filed by lawyer Shannu Baghel to set aside BCD's notification. During the hearing, a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula was informed that the notification has been withdrawn. The court noted: "The notification dated April 13, 2023, by which the Bar Council of Delhi had notified that the person who is not a resident of Delhi/NCR will not be registered as an Advocate by the Bar Council of Delhi. Counsel for the BCD in open court has made a statement that the impugned notification has been withdrawn. In light of the aforesaid, the notification has been withdrawn by BCD. Nothing survives in the present writ petition. The same stands disposed of". The BCD had stated in its notice that it is mandatory for the fresh law graduates seeking to enroll in the national capital to attach their Aadhaar and Voter ID card copies bearing an address in Delhi/NCR and the lack of this will lead to no enrollment. Earlier, a bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad questioned counsel on how people not hailing from Delhi can be barred from seeking enrollment. "How can you restrict persons of Delhi alone to register with the BCD? This notification needs to be struck down straightaway. You cannot restrict BCD membership to Delhi only," the bench had remarked. Delhi is a good place to pursue law practice, which is why people come here, the judge had said. "Suppose I am staying in Ramanathapuram, I stay in Silchar or Kachchh or Mehsana. What will I do? I have to earn my bread, come here and practise." Baghel, a practising advocate in the high court and district courts here, had argued that notification was discriminatory as it bars people from outside Delhi-NCR from enrolling in Delhi and practising here. An advocate and Delhi University alumna had also filed a plea before the high court challenging the BCD's notification. Calling the BCD's decision arbitrary and discriminatory, the petition filed by advocate Rajani Kumari, who is a resident of Bihar, challenges BCD's notice issued on April 13 stating that lawyers proposing to get enrolled with the BCD will have to produce their Aadhaar and Voter ID cards showing Delhi or the NCR as their place of residence. According to Kumari, the council's decision would act like a barrier for law graduates coming from different parts of the country and looking to practise law in the capital for better prospects. "The requirement of Aadhaar Card and Voter ID Card with the address of Delhi or NCR discriminates against those law graduates who do not have an address in Delhi or NCR. This creates an arbitrary classification between law graduates based on their residential address, which is a violation of Article 14," the plea contended. It stated that the blanket restriction on enrollment with BCD lacks intelligible differentia as to how a law graduate belonging to Agra having and graduated from National Law School, Bangalore is unequally placed with one domiciled in Meerut. "The impugned notification is completely silent about the objective it seeks to achieve from the classification stipulated therein," the plea stated. Lucknow, Aug 21 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed the need for proper training of security personnel deployed in the temple town of Ayodhya. According to a state government spokesman, the Chief Minister said that the safety of temple, devotees and tourists is the topmost priority. For this, he instructed officers to take all the necessary steps and prepare a fool-proof system. "Every believer is eager to visit Ayodhya. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the religious city is being developed in accordance with the glory of 'treta yug'. Along with preserving the ancient culture and civilization in Ayodhya, the government is committed to providing state-of-the-art urban facilities for the visitors," he said. The spokesman further said that the entire temple town should be decorated in a grand manner for the inauguration of the temple. "Mutts and temples should be painted. Facade lighting should be done on a similar theme in the entire city. The roads, city streets and by lanes should be improved. There should be no waterlogging anywhere in the city and the drains should be covered." He said that the number of devotees/tourists in Ayodhya these days is 100 times more than its original residents. "Therefore, the urban development department will have to make special arrangements for cleanliness. Additional sanitation workers should be deployed in Ayodhya," Yogi Adityanath said. He said that the multipurpose parking lots and shops should be completed as soon as possible, while arrangements should be made for drinking water, toilets and changing rooms. For the pleasant stay of the devotees/tourists coming from the country and world, he gave instructions to deploy tourist police and traffic police in Ayodhya after conducting their behavioural counselling. Chandigarh, Aug 21 : A day ahead of their protest against non-payment of relief to the flood-affected people, farmer leaders of 16 unions led by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee were detained on Monday in Punjab. The leaders have been identified as Sarvan Singh Pandher, state president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee; Baldeep Singh of the BKU (Krantikari); Kanwardilip Singh of the Kanwardilip Singh; Chamkaur Singh and Borh Singh, both of the of BKU (Behramke). The farmer unions have given a call of protest in Chandigarh from August 22. These unions are not aligned with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha. On Sunday negotiations between the government and farmers led by Pandher reportedly failed. Later, the farmer leaders met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit here who assured them that he would ask officers of both Punjab and Haryana to hear their grievances. --IANS vg/dpb Kolkata, Aug 21 : A team of anti-ragging cell of the University Grants Commission (UGC) is likely to arrive here next week to probe the August 10 ragging-related death at Jadavpur University. Giving a hint on this count on Monday,Union minister of education, skill development and entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan said the state government must take the full responsibility of that unfortunate incident as the state administration had been silent so far in arresting the menace of ragging within the university campuses. "JU did not adopt any step to implement the anti-ragging guidelines set by UGC. The state government remained silent even after clear instructions from the court on this count. How could outsiders have a free entry within the JU campus? Why did not the police take any action on this count? The state government now cannot shy away from its responsibility. There is no requirement for any new anti- ragging law. What is required is the implementation of the existing guidelines on this count," Pradhan said. The UGC team was supposed to come to the university last week only. But it did not happen. In the meantime, the JU authorities have given two reports to the commission on the latter's inquiries on steps taken by the JU authorities to prevent ragging within the campus. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Human Right Commission summoned the dean of students of JU Rajat Roy at the commission office on Monday to question him on actions taken by him after receiving the news of the death of the fresher. The newly-appointed interim vice- chancellor Buddhadeb Sau has also called a meeting of the anti- ragging committee of the university on Monday and asked all departmental heads to be present there. The meeting is scheduled to start at 2 P.M. JU insiders said that the Monday's meeting might discuss the steps needed to be taken to arrest the events of ragging and harassment of the fresher or the first- year students. The progress regarding separating the students' hostel for the fresh or first- year students will also be discussed. Bengaluru, Aug 21 : People of Karnataka celebrated Naga Panchami, also known as Nagara Panchami festival, with religious fervour and devoutness on Monday. Naga Panchami is one of the largely celebrated festivals in the state as an honor to serpent God. Large number of devotees visited temples and offered poojas. In the rural areas of the state, families visited anthills to pour milk into the holes of anthills and carried out special poojas. The festival is celebrated with utmost sanctity by the devotees. Legends have it that the victory of Krishna over King cobra is commemorated on the day, which is popularly known as "Kalinga Mardan" is Hindu scriptures. As this is the day of serpents, devotees pour milk into holes in anthills and ground. Special recipes, especially sesame ladoos, are prepared on the occasion. The newly-married daughters are invited to the parents' house for the celebration in the north Karnataka region. It is also known as the festival of women and in some regions of the state which is celebrated for three days. People in IT city Bengaluru thronged temples and traffic was affected in and around major temples in the city. Greeting the people on the occasion, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "Every creation by nature is a reflection of God. The main objective of Nagara Panchami is to honour and worship nature and maintain the equilibrium in nature. Let the festival Nagara Panchami bring happiness, peace, prosperity. My best wishes on Nagara Panchami to the people of the state," CM Siddaramaiah stated. Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21 : Seems that whispers are turning into loud murmurs in the Kerala unit of CPI(M) -- currently in a spot amid several "corruption" allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family. The focus has been turned on the CM's son-in-law P.A.Mohammed Riyas, who was elevated as the State Minister for Public Works soon after his wedding with Veena Vijayan. Riyas married Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan at the height of Covid in 2020 and since then his stock has had a meteoric rise baffling many in the party. Riyas rose through student politics and was the top youth wing leader when the wedding (second for both) took place. Soon, he was granted a sure seat in the 2021 Assembly polls for the CPI(M) at Beypore in Kozhikode district, which gave him an easy win. The biggest surprise was reserved for him when he, a first time legislator, was given the plum cabinet minister's post handling Public Works and Tourism. The move raised many eyebrows given there were several experienced legislators who were left out. Murmurs began when A.N.Shamseer -- a two-time legislator and also a Muslim -- failed to get a berth and was upset with Riyas getting one. On a few occasions, the former took potshots against Riyas and to cool things, recently Shamseer was made the Speaker. When things appeared to be calmer, out came the Income Tax department report detecting serious flaws in the filings made by a Kochi-based mining company-CMRL about making payments to Veena's IT firm Exalogic. The issue was instantly cashed in on by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnaden, who released figures from statements filed by her company, leaving many bewildered. Though the CPI(M) state secretary M.V.Govindan and a few top brass stoutly defended Veena, the Congress and the BJP has demanded that Vijayan and Riyas or Veena herself explain the I-T statements. Five-time MLA K.B.Ganesh Kumar -- the lone legislator of the party Kerala Congress (B) an ally of the ruling Left-- was the first to fire a salvo at Riyas over his handling of the Public Works department. On Monday it was the turn of Riyas's predecessor - the veteran and popular CPI(M) leader G.Sudhakaran, known for his plain speaking. Perhaps, he is the only one who has taken on Riyas publicly by expressing his displeasure on his Facebook post. Sudhakaran got a rude jolt in 2021 when he, a popular State Minister for Public Works aiming for a fourth straight win from his Ambalapuzha Assembly seat in Alappuzha district, failed to get a seat. After the setback, though he dropped enough hints of his displeasure, in his Facebook post, he pointed out that infrastructure development is a continuous process and what one now sees is when news about it is put out, the efforts of the previous government is not mentioned and it doesn't augur well. Sudhakaran gave a few examples of the various projects he started at his home district and got completed recently. Joining the issue, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Monday slammed Riyas and said it's he who is heading a group in the office of Vijayan and is running the Home department also. And appears to have emerged as the most powerful Minister" said Satheesan. Satheesan also pointed out the biggest success of the Opposition is that they have been able to silence Vijayan who has not spoken a word in the last six months. "We are eagerly waiting to hear his response to the six allegations that have been raised," he said. It remains to be seen on how much Vijayan will react as he is to address an election rally at the Puthupally by-election on Thursday. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya held a meeting with Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler here on Monday. During their meeting, they discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to the health sector. "Wonderful meeting with Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Aged Care, Australia," Mandaviya wrote on X (formerly twitter) along with the photographs of his meeting with the Australian counterpart. Mandaviya added, "Discussed ways to enhance collaboration in digital health, medical education, innovation, research and training and manufacturing and supply of generic medicines." 92% of Indian recruiters expect either new or replacement hiring in next 6 months: Report. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 21 : About 92 per cent of Indian recruiters expected either new or replacement or both hiring forms to happen over the next six months, a new report showed on Monday. According to the report by job platform Naukri, nearly 47 per cent of the recruiters predicted new and replacement hiring, 26 per cent expected only new job creation, and 20 per cent said they would maintain their headcount in the coming six months. Only 4 per cent of recruiters foresee layoffs/downsizing in the July-December period. "With 92 per cent of recruiters forecasting hiring activity, coupled with a return to normalcy in hiring practices anticipated by more than half of the recruiters surveyed, hiring outlook survey manifests an optimistic white-collar hiring landscape in the forthcoming half of 2023," said Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer at Naukri.com. Moreover, the report said that most of the recruiters expected Business Development, Marketing, and Operation roles to be leading hiring in the coming six months. Mid-Experience professionals were expected to remain in demand, followed by entry-level professionals. Nearly 70 per cent of recruiters predicted attrition rates to remain below the 15 per cent level in the coming six months, and only a tiny fraction of them predicted higher attrition rates of 40 per cent or more. These expectations around attrition trends show that employees will look to hold onto their current job profiles amidst current job market uncertainties. The highest attrition rate is expected across Business Development, Marketing, Operations, and HR roles, as well as, mid-level experience professionals, according to the report. The majority of recruiters remained cautious concerning the increments offered by their organisations during the last appraisal cycle, with 42 per cent of recruiters saying that their companies gave less than 10 per cent increment and 31 per cent of recruiters revealing that their organisations gave increments in between 10-15 per cent. Only 6 per cent of recruiters said that over 30 per cent of increments were rolled out in the last appraisal cycle. ALBANY Negotiations over the renewal of a lucrative state gaming agreement have gone backward, according to Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. That was Armstrongs message in a three-minute video where he addressed the status of negotiations with Gov. Kathy Hochuls administration concerning a new Seneca Nation gaming compact. The current, 20-year agreement between the Nation and state expires Dec. 9. Watch President Armstrong's update regarding the gaming compact and the state of negotiations.https://t.co/gbzKnXpbfg The Seneca Nation (@TheSenecaNation) August 11, 2023 Last week, according to Armstrong, the Nation met with the states negotiators. The talks did not go well. Frankly, for New York's negotiators to propose such outrageous terms, especially this far into the negotiation process, is absurd and an insult to the Seneca Nation, Armstrong said in the video posted Aug. 11. Under the original compact struck between the Nation and state in 2002, the Nation has in recent years been paying 25% of revenues on slot machines and other gaming devices in exchange for the exclusive right to offer these devices west of State Route 14. Since the original deal was struck, the Nation has opened three casinos in Western New York. In early June, the Nation and top Hochul administration staff had struck an agreement in principle on a new deal. But it fell apart after a key detail leaked: that the Hochul administration would allow the Senecas to build a fourth casino in the "Rochester market." Rochester Assembly members, stunned to learn of the plan, opposed the deal and the Assembly declined to take up a bill allowing Hochul to enter a deal before the state legislative session ended June 10. The Assembly briefly returned to Albany in late June. Despite the Hochul administration promising that a renegotiated deal with the Senecas would not include a Rochester casino, the Assembly again declined to take up the authorization bill. At some point, the Legislature will have to return to Albany to pass a bill authorizing Hochul to enter a new compact, but this time, lawmakers will likely demand details of a deal be disclosed first. As part of the secretive June agreement that included the Rochester casino, the Senecas had agreed to pay 19.5% of revenue on slot machines to New York State. But without a full-scale Rochester casino, the Nation is likely to pursue a lower rate in negations. In the video posted last week, Armstrong said that earlier this summer, the Nation and Hochul administration had only a percentage point difference in their positions on the revenue sharing rate, but that the states offer had gotten significantly worse since then. Once a deal is struck between the Nation and Hochul, it must also be approved in a referendum of the Nations citizens, as well as by the federal Department of Interior. It appears that the Seneca Nation's hopes to build a full-scale casino in Rochester are likely dead. Armstrong was asked if the Seneca Nation might now seek approval for a "Class II" gaming facility in Rochester, one that has electronic gaming machines, but not live table games. Our ongoing negotiations with the state are focused solely on securing a fair Class III gaming compact," he said, referring to full-service casinos. Emails withheld Meanwhile, Hochuls administration is declining to provide documents that might shed more light on the negotiations. The Buffalo News submitted a Freedom of Information Law request asking for emails between the executive director of the state Gaming Commission, Rob Williams, and the Seneca Nation, or with its lobbying firm, Hinman Straub. In a response this week, the Gaming Commission said it was withholding the records because the communications were subject to attorney client privilege. Its not clear why emails between a government official and parties outside the government would be subject to the exemption, and a Gaming Commission spokesman would not answer questions. In response to another records request by The Buffalo News, the Gaming Commission said it did not have a copy of any study examining the economic viability of a casino in Monroe County, which includes Rochester, or a study examining the value of an exclusivity agreement between the state and Senecas. When the Hochul administration was trying to sell the idea of a casino to Rochester lawmakers, Hochul officials cited a study showing that such a casino would not undercut existing casinos in the region. In June, Hochuls office told The News that the state had commissioned studies to help determine the value of an exclusivity agreement. Hochul recusal Its possible that Hochul herself will now join the negotiations, which up to this point had been handled by senior staff. Hochul had recused herself because Delaware North, the major gaming and hospitality company, had employed her husband as a top executive. Delaware North competes with the Senecas for gambling customers. But on Aug. 3, William Hochul announced he was leaving Delaware North, a departure the company said had been long planned. Hochul's recusals from matters related to Delaware North have now been rescinded. Meanwhile, a member of New Yorks ethics oversight commission disclosed last month that Kathy Hochul had sought an ethics advisory opinion from the body earlier this year a step state employees often take when they have a question about whether an action would violate ethics law. When a state employee has such a question, they can request a written opinion letter from the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. Oftentimes, such opinions concern whether its a conflict of interest to earn outside income. For Hochul, there have been persistent ethics-related questions about overlaps between state government and Delaware Norths business interests, especially pertaining to the Seneca Nation compact. It's not clear why Hochul sought the advisory opinion, and a Hochul spokesman would not say whether the opinion request earlier this year was related to Delaware North or William Hochul. At a July 19 ethics commission meeting, ethics Commissioner Michael Cardozo began discussing the Hochul opinion request during the public portion of the meeting. He stated two meetings prior which would be in May commissioners discussed taking a look at the issue of a state official asking for such an opinion, but the request then becoming moot. He said the issue was related to an opinion request from the governor. Before he could elaborate further, Cardozo was cut off by another attendee, who interjected that the matter should not be discussed in public. An ethics commission spokeswoman declined to comment. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Telehealth market, which saw a slump post Covid-19 pandemic, will stabilise and grow in the next few years, according to a report on Monday. The impact of the pandemic prompted a surge in telehealth development. Telehealth provided valuable help in maintaining social distancing while allowing medical professionals and patients to interact with each other. However, when Covid precautions started to lift in 2021, telehealth saw a decrease in usage. The latest market model by Globaldata, a leading data and analytics company, shows a downturn in the use of telehealth for mental health reasons post-pandemic. But, telehealth is forecast to see an increase in its usage compared to in-person visits in the US market in the near future. Mental healthcare will see the largest increase in the use of telehealth technologies. "Telehealth boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic, as patients and health care professionals sought alternatives to conventional in-person care. In 2020, over half of patients used telehealth for mental health reasons, while over 40 per cent of patients used it for other indications," Thomas Fleming, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, said in a statement. "Telehealth can provide a viable alternative to conventional mental health treatment, where it can be particularly advantageous, as it cuts down on transportation costs, allows patients to be more comfortable in their own homes, and is an inexpensive alternative for outpatient care," Fleming said. GlobalData predicts a 6.5 per cent cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) for the usage of telehealth services for mental health compared to traditional in-person visits in the next few years. "For chronic and other diseases, GlobalData also foresees positive growth for telehealth services in the near future. Although these diseases may require more in-person care, telehealth still provides a valuable service to remote or isolated communities. GlobalData predicts a 4 per cent CAGR for the usage of telehealth services for chronic and other diseases compared to traditional in-person visits in the next few years," Fleming said. --IANS rvt/ksk New Delhi, Aug 21 : Apple shipped over 2.1 billion iPhones in the past decade, almost one billion less than its South Korean competitor Samsung, a new report showed on Monday. However, Samsung's annual shipments have dropped by 18 per cent in 10 years while Apple's shipments surged by 46 per cent, the report noted. Apple and Samsung's corporate battle started 13 years ago. Since then, the two tech giants have been competing for the title of the world's largest smartphone vendor, with each holding roughly a 25 per cent market share. Still, the difference between their total shipments in the past decade is huge, according to data presented by CasinosEnLigne.com. According to Statista and IDC data, between 2013 and 2022, Apple shipped 2.07 billion iPhones worldwide, with 2015 and 2021 as the record years for sales. In the first half of 2023, the US tech giant shipped another 97.7 million of its smartphones, pushing the 10-year iPhone sales to 2.16 billion. Data shows that Samsung shipped 3.08 billion smartphones between Q1 2013 and Q2 2023, or 42 per cent more than Apple. However, the IDC data showed an interesting trend in the annual shipment figures. Although Samsung leads in total shipments, its annual smartphone shipments have dropped by 18 per cent in the past 10 years. In 2022, the company shipped 258.2 million smartphones, down from 316.4 million reported in 2013. On the other hand, Apple's shipments surged by 46 per cent in this period, jumping from 153.4 million to 225.3 million. "Although Apple lost the race with Samsung in total shipments over the past decade, the StatCounter data show the US tech giant overtook its leading position and became the largest player in the global smartphone market," the report mentioned. As of July, Apple's iPhone had a 28.3 per cent share in the global mobile vendor market, up from 27.5 per cent in the same month a year ago. On the other hand, Samsung's market share stood at 24.22 per cent last month, down from 28.17 per cent in July 2022. Xiaomi, Vivo and OPPO followed with 11.21 per cent, 6.06 per cent and 5.53 per cent market shares in July. Bhopal, Aug 20 : As the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are nearly three months away, the main opposition Congress has accused incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of misusing state administration for political gain. The Congress also raised apprehension on the role of Madhya Pradesh chief secretary Iqbal Singh Bains questions that why an officer whose service period was over in November 2022, is being given extension (of service) time and again? "Is there no other IAS officer in Madhya Pradesh who can replace Iqbal Singh Bains," Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha asked. Renowned senior advocate, who is also a member of political affairs committee of state Congress, briefing the press at party headquarters on Sunday asserted that CM Chouhan "is fully dependent on chief secretary Iqbal Singh Bains to set his political agenda." He added, "In such a situation, the officer (CS) applies all his mind to favour the chief minister and the ruling party." Citing the recent observation of the the Supreme Court on Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Mishra's extension, Tankha said, "Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains should resign from the post on moral ground, and if he does not do so till the next Saturday, we will be forced to proceed to challenge his extension in service in legal way." The Congress leader leveled a serious allegation on Bains of "spoiling the CR" of officers who do not follow his "wrong" directions. "You (Iqbal Singh Bains) are the Chief Secretary of MP, not of CM Shivraj or BJP. You have a bad attitude with your colleagues. You are spoiling the CR of those who do not accept your wrong directions," Tankha's social media post read. However, it's not the first time the opposition has questioned the extension of Bains as chief secretary and his role. Recently, a senior Congress MLA Govind Singh, who is also the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) demanding Iqbal Singh Bains' removal from the post. In his letter to CEC, Congress MLA from Lahar Assembly constituency from Bhind district Govind Singh has raised his apprehension over "transparency" during the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. Notably, the incumbent chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh - Iqbal Singh Bains (1985 batch IAS) was due to retire from his service in November 2022, however, the state government with approval of the Centre has extended (two extensions of six months) his service till November 2023. Bengaluru, Aug 21 : A student, who posed as an officer of the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been arrested, police said on Monday. The student was arrested while trying to extract information from senior officers participating in a programme organised to create awareness on drug addiction. The arrested person was identified as 24-year-old Benedict Sabu, a nursing student hailing from Idukki in Kerala. Sabu claimed to be a field officer and Sub-Inspector attached to the RAW. The police have recovered fake IDs, mobile, laptop and are seriously looking into why he was collecting information. Police said the accused was studying at the Unity College in Mangaluru and joined the GNM Course of the Nursing College six months ago. The accused after introducing himself as the RAW field agent interacted with senior police officers and others attached to different investigating agencies. While interacting, the senior officers grew suspicious about him and informed the police. The jurisdictional Urva police took him to the police station and grilled him. In the preliminary investigation, the accused had answered all the questions and when the police grilled him further he was caught. The accused had also possessed another fake ID claiming himself as the Assistant Agriculture Development Officer. The probe revealed that he attended all the government programmes and gathered information. The police are looking into whether the accused was misusing the information. Further investigation is on. Bengaluru, Aug 21 : Special worship was performed at the famous Sri Kukke Shree Subrahmanya temple in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district for the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission on the occasion of Naga Panchami festival celebrated with much fervour on Monday. The prayers were done in the name of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The temple management has offered 'Karthika Puja', 'Maha Puja'. Special 'ksheera abhishekam' (offering milk to deity by pouring it on an idol was carried out for the success of the moon mission. Kukke Subramanya is a famous and much revered Hindu temple dedicated to serpent god. Thousands of devotees visit the pilgrimage center every day. The Indian space agency onlastThursday afternoon successfully detached the moon lander from the main spacecraft Chandrayaan-3. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises a propulsion module (weighing 2,148 kg), a lander (1,723.89 kg) and a rover (26 kg). "Thanks for the ride, mate! " said the Lander Module (LM). LM is successfully separated from the Propulsion Module (PM). LM is set to descend to a slightly lower orbit upon a deboosting planned for tomorrow around 1600 Hrs., IST," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had tweeted. The main purpose of India's third moon mission, costing about Rs 600 crore, is to land the lander softly on the moon. The Chandrayaan-2 mission failed as the lander called 'Vikram' crashed on to the moon. According to the ISRO, the lander is expected to make a soft-landing near the South Pole of the moon on August 23 at 5.47 p.m.The lander will descend to the moon from a height of about 100 km from the moon's surface.The Chandrayaan-3 was put into orbit on July 14 in a copybook style by India's heavy lift rocket LVM3.The spacecraft completed orbiting around the earth and headed towards the moon on August 1. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Bengaluru, Aug 21 : Special worship was performed at the famous Sri Kukke Shree Subrahmanya temple in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district for the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission on the occasion of Naga Panchami festival celebrated with much fervour on Monday. The prayers were done in the name of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The temple management has offered 'Karthika Puja', 'Maha Puja'. Special 'ksheera abhishekam' (offering milk to deity by pouring it on an idol was carried out for the success of the moon mission. Kukke Subramanya is a famous and much revered Hindu temple dedicated to serpent god. Thousands of devotees visit the pilgrimage center every day. The Indian space agency on last Thursday afternoon successfully detached the moon lander from the main spacecraft Chandrayaan-3. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises a propulsion module (weighing 2,148 kg), a lander (1,723.89 kg) and a rover (26 kg). "Thanks for the ride, mate! " said the Lander Module (LM). LM is successfully separated from the Propulsion Module (PM). LM is set to descend to a slightly lower orbit upon a deboosting planned for tomorrow around 1600 Hrs., IST," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had tweeted. The main purpose of India's third moon mission, costing about Rs 600 crore, is to land the lander softly on the moon. The Chandrayaan-2 mission failed as the lander called 'Vikram' crashed on to the moon. According to the ISRO, the lander is expected to make a soft-landing near the South Pole of the moon on August 23 at 5.47 p.m. The lander will descend to the moon from a height of about 100 km from the moon's surface. The Chandrayaan-3 was put into orbit on July 14 in a copybook style by India's heavy lift rocket LVM3. The spacecraft completed orbiting around the earth and headed towards the moon on August 1. --IANS mka/dpb Kolkata, Aug 21 : BJP on Monday filed a PIL at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, seeking NIA probe in the alleged activities of Left wing extremist (LWE) groups, including Maoists, within the campus of Kolkata's iconic Jadavpur University (JU). In the PIL filed at the bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Giranmay Bhattacharya, BJP's state spokesman in West Bengal Rajarshi Lahiri has also mentioned about the recent death of a JU fresher, and claimed that the students having leanings to the LWE groups were behind that alleged ragging- related death. In his PIL, Lahiri has also accused the students with LWE leanings of regularly shouting Maoist and "Azadi" slogans within the university campus. "Recently when the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari reached the JU campus after the fresher's death, his convoy was attacked by these students with LWE leanings. Then also they shouted the 'Azadi' slogans," he said. The division bench of the Chief Justice has admitted the PIL and the matter is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday. This is the third PIL filed at the Calcutta High Court in the matter of the JU fresher's death on August 10. First Calcutta High Court counsel Sayan Banerjee filed a PIL demanding implementation of the anti- ragging guidelines set by University Grants Commission in all state universities in West Bengal, including JU. Then Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member and senior counsel of Calcutta High Court Kalyan Banerjee filed another PIL accusing total mismanagement on part of the JU authorities where the minimum requirement of installation of CCTVs within the university campus was not fulfilled. West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who by virtue of his chair in the chancellor of JU, was also made a party in the second PIL. Mumbai, Aug 21 : Actor Ayush Sharma is currently in Azerbaijan for shooting for the final schedule of his film 'Ruslaan' in Baku. Talking about the country, Ayush said that he was taken aback by the surprising popularity of Indian movies in this distant land. The team will return this month to shoot another 10 day schedule in the country. This schedule will be a wrap on the project. The decision to shoot in Azerbaijan marks a crucial step in Bollywood, introducing audiences to the beauty and charm of this fairly unexplored destination. The film's journey to Azerbaijan began earlier, with a schedule shot in Baku prior to this one. Talking about it, Ayush said: "The experience was truly incredible first time around and the team can't wait to go back. The local residents and the government were exceptionally accommodating and supportive throughout our stay. It was almost as if they had warmly opened their doors to us, allowing us to film wherever the script required. He added: "It is undeniably stunning, and I genuinely believe it's on the cusp of becoming a sought-after destination for filmmakers and tourists alike. Even during my stay, I was taken aback by the surprising popularity of our Indian movies in this distant land. From the inception, our film incorporated a foreign sequence, and the choice to shoot in Azerbaijan was a revelation." He says that this location has not been explored in Hindi cinema. "This location had not yet been explored in Hindi cinema, making it a pristine canvas for our narrative to unfold against. With its distinct topography and cultural richness, Azerbaijan served as the perfect backdrop for the story's progression and now that we are going back, it feels like a journey to our happy space!" New Delhi, Aug 21 : The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the plea filed by Delhi University against an interim order of the Delhi High Court allowing St. Stephen's College to implement 85 per cent of admission weightage based on the CUET score, and remaining 15 per cent for the interview of Christian minority candidates. "If we interfere at this stage, it will create more confusion," said a bench comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and P.S. Narasimha, while dismissing the special leave petition filed against the interim order of the High Court. "Taking note that order impugned herein is an interim order passed in the pending writ petition before the High Court, at this stage, we see no reason to interfere," ordered the bench. St. Stephen's College argued before the Supreme Court that the Delhi University had itself sent emails to the students offering admissions in undergraduate courses. At this, Bench said: "It will be unfair on students. because University itself is sending to students that we have given you admissions now." The Supreme Court noted that admissions made in accordance with the interim order of the High Court will be subjected to the final outcome of the writ petitions. "However, considering that there should be certainty in the matter, we request the High Court to dispose of the writ petition as expeditiously as possible," the apex court said. In an interim direction passed on July 27, the High Court had said that non-minority candidates will be admitted based solely on their Common Undergraduate Entrance Test (CUET) score, which will serve as the sole eligibility criterion. "St. Stephen's College will adopt the marks secured in the CUET with 85 per cent weightage for CUET and the College's interview for shortlisted candidates with a weightage of 15 per cent for Christian minority candidates," added the High Court. The High Court clarified that the above arrangement will be temporary till the plea filed by St. Stephen's College is decided. St Stephen's College had contested a Delhi University notification regarding the admission of undergraduate and graduate students under the minority quota purely based on the results of the CUET for academic year 2023. New Delhi: CCTVs installed on a pole at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, on Jan 20, 2015. 15,000 CCTV cameras have been installed ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to the national capital. . Image Source: IANS News Chennai, Aug 21 : Police in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district have installed CCTV cameras at nine interstate checkposts with Puducherry in an attempt to prevent liquor smuggling. There is a tax structure difference between Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. With liquor prices being much less in Puducherry than in Tamil Nadu due to the different tax structure, liquor is being smuggled into the state causing loss revenue to the union territory. According to the police, the CCTV cameras at the nine check postsare directly connected to the special branch wing and monitored by the District Superintendent of Police. The district police will also randomly change the police personnel deployed at the chec posts to prevent them from getting involved in the smuggling rackets. The checkposts, according to police in Villupuram, will be routinely monitored and action will be taken against those who are selling liquor in wholesale to people in the district. --IANS aal/ksk So far, the Lockport school district has no intention to revisit the notion of facial recognition and, given a recent report, lets hope it stays that way. A New York State report stating that the risks of using facial recognition technology in schools may outweigh the security benefits should be enough of a cautionary flag that any school district would be reluctant to use the system. The risks to privacy, let alone misidentification, are too great. The report cited the potentially higher rate of false positives for people of color, non-binary and transgender people, women, the elderly, and children. This list leaves a razor thin line on who would not be misidentified. To be sure, we are living in a time and nation where attending school has, at times, turned life threatening. There have been 24 school shootings this year that resulted in injuries or deaths according to an Education Week analysis and 168 such shootings since 2018. Some of them have scarred the nation, including last years massacre in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 elementary school children and two teachers were murdered, and the 2018 attack that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. And in 2012, 20 children ages 6 and 7 were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Six adult staff were also murdered. Those are catastrophic events that demanded action, including stronger gun controls, better mental health systems and increased security at schools. But facial recognition quickly devolves into something more discriminatory by virtue of its flaws. It is an unready technology. Jim Schultz, a Lockport parent, justifiably asked questions when he learned that the school district was planning on using the technology. His quote to The News, Youd have to have a hole in your head to think this is a good idea, is putting the matter bluntly. But such frank talk is required when considering the ramifications of new technology. The Lockport City School District turned off its facial recognition program at the end of 2020, as a law prohibiting the technology went into effect. Assemblywoman Monica Wallace, D-Lancaster, sponsored the legislation. It banned biometric identifying technology in schools until the state prepared a report on the issues. The report was released last week, and state Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa is expected to decide in the next few weeks whether to allow the purchase of biometric identifying technology in public schools. She should decline, at least as it applies to facial recognition. Broadly defined, biometric identifying technology can include fingerprints, retina and iris patterns, voice prints, DNA sequence, facial characteristics and handwriting. As the report by the state Office of Information Technology Services acknowledges, the risks of using facial recognition technology in an educational setting outweigh the benefits, at least for now. Much the same could be said for any method that could cause harm or, as the New York Civil Liberties Union concluded, carry the potential for enormous invasion of privacy. Beth Haroules, an attorney with the NYCLU, pointed to the language in the report as a disqualifying factor for use in schools. Certainly, there is enough doubt about the accuracy of this new technology to hold off in schools and, probably, in most public places. There are better ways to protect students. We should use them all. 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. Kolkata, Aug 21 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials probing the multi-crore cash for school job case in West Bengal, are carrying out raids at various places linked to a prime accused Sujay Krishna Bhadra on Monday. In addition to an office, the probe officials are conducting raids at the residential flats of Bhadra and his son-in- law in south Kolkata. Simultaneous raid and search operations are also being conducted at an office at Bishnupur-II block in South 24 Parganas district which had links with Bhadra. Recently, the ED submitted a charge sheet at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata where it claimed that Bhadra used the bank accounts of his daughter and son-in-law for diverting ill-gotten proceeds in the school job case. He also invested around Rs 2.5 crore for purchasing a luxurious flat in the name of his son-in-law Debrub Chattopadhyay at a posh colony in South Kolkata. Bank accounts in the name of Bhadra's daughter Paramita Chattopadhyay have also come under scanner of the central agency sleuths on this count. Sources said that Monday's raids at four places are related to accumulation of more substantive evidence. The raid and search operations are taking place at a time when Bhadra is already admitted to a hospital and under treatment. "The investigating officials have already tracked a number of fake paper documents relating to fake business dealings in the companies having links with Bhadra," a source aware of the development said. A charge sheet filed by the ED earlier claimed thatBhadra, with the help of a reputed city-based chartered accountant, had artificially pumped up the share price of a particular company from the price of Rs 10 a share to that of Rs 440 a share. Bengaluru, Aug 21 : The parents of a techie couple, who were found suspiciously dead along with their child in their residence in the US, on Monday met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here and requested him to help them to bring back the bodies to India. The family also sought technical assistance from the government to bring back the bodies. CM Siddaramaiah after giving them a patient hearing directed the Additional Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel to look into the matter and assist the family. The young couple from Halekallu village of Jagalur taluk in Davanagere settled in Baltimore county of Maryland state in US were found dead along with their six-year-old child at their residence on August 14. Yogesh Honnala Nagarajappa (37) and Prathibha Amarnath (35), both software engineers and their child Yash Honnal were found dead. The family suspects foul play. The bodies were found with gunshot wounds. The local media claimed that the incident is believed to be a double murder suicide case committed by Yogesh. The family has claimed that Yogesh was married to Prathibha nine years ago and soon after the marriage they went to the US. Shobha, deceased Yogeshas mother stated that three days before the incident her son called and spoke to her. She did not notice anything amiss. Tokyp, Aug 21 : The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Monday said that a scorching heatwave continues to push temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius across the country, with heatstroke alerts having been issued for many prefectures. A daytime high of 38 degrees is forecast for Kyoto city, and 37 degrees for the cities of Aizuwakamatsu, Osaka, Tottori and Saga, while the temperature in central Tokyo is expected to hit 35 degrees, Xinhua news agency quoted the JMA as saying. The JMA urged people to check the Heat Stress Index, which is based on temperature, humidity and solar radiation, and take necessary precautions. Weather officials said that warm, damp air and rising temperatures in northern Kyushu and Tohoku are expected to create unstable atmospheric conditions, bringing thunderstorms later on Monday, warning of mudslides, flooding in low-lying areas, swollen rivers, lightning strikes and strong gusts. Kolkata, Aug 21 : The Calcutta High Court on Monday permitted a minor gang-rape victim to get her 24-week pregnancy terminated. A single-judge bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya gave the direction after studying the report of the medical board formed after a directive from the same bench on August 17 to ascertain feasibility for termination of pregnancy. Justice Bhattacharya also said that if the local government hospital at Tamluk in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, where the victim is resident, does not have the adequate facility for the same, the termination of pregnancy should be conducted at the state-run SSKM Medical College & Hospital in South Kolkata at the earliest. As per legal norms, the medical practitioners can take decision of termination of pregnancy if it is 20 weeks or less. So since in this case, the period has passed, the parents of the victim have approached the Calcutta High Court seeking permission for termination of pregnancy. The minor girl was gang-raped in her locality leading to pregnancy. Her parents came to know of it only after the symptoms of pregnancy became evident. But by then a lot of time has passed. Thereafter, they informed the local police, who arrested three accused individuals who were also minors. Currently, the three accused minors are in a juvenile correctional home. Jaipur, Aug 21 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday appeared before the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi in a criminal defamation case filed by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. He appeared before the court through video conferencing from Udaipur. The court has fixed the next hearing of the cases on August 28. Gehlot had appeared in the court on August 7 also through video conferencing. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had claimed defamation by CM Gehlot after he called him and his family accused in the Sanjivani scam. The Rouse Avenue Court had then issued summons against CM Ashok Gehlot on July 6. Gehlot had filed a revision in the sessions court against this, but he did not get relief from there. In the Revision Court, CM Gehlot was allowed to appear through video conferencing. During the hearing in the Revision Court on August 1, it was said on behalf of CM Ashok Gehlot that he also has the Home Department, and being the Home Minister, SOG reports to him. The information that SOG gave them regarding the case, CM Ashok Gehlot shared it with the media. The name of Gajendra Singh's family is also there in the complaint received by SOG, it was mentioned. On the other hand, the advocates of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat argued that they were not named in any of the complaints. After the defamation case was registered, the alleged facts were collected by the SOG, they said. About five months ago, Shekhawat presented the defamation claim against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot based on the CM's claim that his family is accused in the Sanjivani scam. Actually, Gehlot had said after the budget review meeting at the secretariat on February 21 that the entire family, including Gajendra Singh's parents and wife, are involved in the Sanjivani scam. Even before this incident, there has been a continuous war of words between the two leaders. CM Ashok Gehlot also attacked Union Minister Gajendra Singh regarding the defamation case. Gehlot had said that "the entire scam is on paper. The defamation case of Gajendra Singh is welcome. At least on this pretext, the case will move forward." Addressing PM Modi, Gehlot had said that he should remove Gajendra Singh from his cabinet. Wellington, Aug 21 : Following complaints of worker exploitation and breaches of the work visa scheme, the immigration authorities in New Zealand are probing more than 160 accredited employers, according to a media report. As of August 9, five employers have had their accreditation suspended and six revoked for breaching employment standards, false declarations, liquidation and having migrants working for them without valid working rights or in breach of visa conditions, The New Zealand Herald reported. A 27-year-old migrant worker from Punjab told The Herald on condition of anonymity that he was assaulted and left at the airport in the early hours of the morning this month after failing to pay "extortion" money to his employer. A painter by profession, the worker paid a fee of about $20,000 for his initial visa and arrived in New Zealand last month where he stayed with his employer's family and three other colleagues in a two-bedroom house in Auckland. He was not paid any wages for the three weeks that he worked but was instead asked by his employer to pay another $20,000, and was also threatened with deportation. "I begged them to have mercy, but they said if I had no more money to give then they will deport me and ban me from coming back to NZ," the painter told The Herald. Following this, the employer and two of his colleagues assaulted the painter in the early hours on August 9 and drove him to Auckland Airport. According to radio service RNZ, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) general manager Richard Owen said they were aware of migrants being charged between NZ$14,000 to over $30,000 by agents, and some being dismissed before even starting work. The painter is now being helped by a social worker and the Takanini Gurdwara Sahib Sikh temple with accommodation and food. Dalijit Singh, president of The Supreme Sikh Society of NZ, said the Indian painter was one of about 10 exploited migrant workers that are being referred to the temple every week. Apart from India, there are workers from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South America, according to an RNZ report. "This is becoming a real problem since the start of this accredited employer programme," Daljit told The Herald. Steve Watson, Head of Immigration Compliance and Investigation, told The Herald that the agency has received a range of allegations and complaints, including worker exploitation, overstaying or people working or employing workers illegally. However, he added that not all complaints are specific to the AEWV category. "As of August 6, 2023, we are currently investigating 164 accredited employers. These investigations are in a variety of stages and we can't comment on open investigations," Watson said. Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Andrew Little said that the country's Public Service Commission will review the AEWV scheme's processes following complaints. Launched in 2022, the AEWV (Accredited Employer Work Visa) program, encourages businesses in the country to hire, train, and upskill workers. Additionally, it offers qualified employees earning at least the New Zealand median hourly salary of NZD $29.66, a road to residency. To obtain this visa, one needs employer accreditation, an employment check, and a visa application. As per the report, more than 77,000 Accredited Employer Work Visas have been approved since the new visa opened in July 2022, and there are approximately 27,400 accredited employers. New Delhi: Congress Party leader Jairam Ramesh addresses during a press conference at Aicc Headquarter in New Delhi on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (Photo: Anupam Gautam/IANS). Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 21 : Congress on Monday slammed BJP for not convening Special Session of the Legislative Assembly in Manipur saying that it is an evidence of constitutional breakdown in violence hit state. The Congress also taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he is busy with refurbishing his self styled Vishwaguru role while Home Minister Amit Shah is busy in electioneering even as the agony of people of Manipur continues unabated. In a tweet, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "On July 27, the state government requests Governor of Manipur to convene special session of Assembly in the third week of August. On August 4, Governor is requested once again to convene special session, but this time on a specific date, namely August 21. Today is August 21 and the special session has not been called. "There has been no Monsoon session of the Assembly either. This is further evidence that the Constitutional machinery has simply broken down in Manipur. The Prime Minister is preoccupied with refurbishing his self-styled Vishwaguru role and the Home Minister is busy electioneering. The agony of the people of Manipur continues unabated." The Congress has been critical of the Centre as well as the Manipur government for not handling the situation properly. Violence erupted in Manipur on May 3 and since then hundreds of people have died while thousands have been forced to take refuge in the relief camps. The Parliament's Monsoon Session also witnessed ruckus after the opposition demanded a detailed discussion on Manipur situation and also a detailed statement by the Prime Minister in both the Houses. A 21-member delegation of the INDIA alliance had visited Manipur on July 30 and 31, and after returning to Delhi they had apprised President Droupadi Murmu over the situation in the northeastern state. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also visited Manipur on June 29 and 30 and also met the Governor in Imphal. Hyderabad, Aug 21 : Aiming for a hat-trick, the Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday announced candidates for 115 seats for the Assembly elections in Telangana slated to be held towards the end of the year. The candidates for the remaining four seats will be announced later, BRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told a news conference. The BRS has denied tickets to sitting MLAs in eight constituencies, including Kamareddy from where CM KCR will be contesting in addition to Gajwel, which he currently represents. Boath, Khanapur, Wyra, Korutla, Uppal, Asifabad and Metpally are the other constituencies where the ruling party has not given tickets to the sitting legislators. Chief Minister KCR will contest from Gajwel in Siddipet district and Kamareddy in Kamareddy district. Gampa Govardhan was elected from Kamareddy in the 2018 elections. KCR said that he is contesting from Kamareddy at the request of the MLA and other leaders from the district. KCR has not denied tickets to any of the ministers who were elected to Assembly in the last elections. His son and state minister K.T. Rama Rao will once again contest from Sircilla, while his nephew and state minister T. Harish Rao will seek re-election from Siddipet. KCR said the candidates for Narsapur, Jangaon, Nampally and Goshamahal constituencies will be announced in 3-4 days. The BRS chief exuded confidence that the party will retain power by winning 95-105 seats in 119 member Assembly. The BRS had won 88 seats in the 2018 elections. Sixteen MLAs from Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and a couple of Independents had later joined the BRS. New Delhi, Aug 21 : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday said that they have arrested two foreigners, including a Cameroonian national, for allegedly smuggling 2.090 kilograms of Amphetamine worth Rs 16.72 crore. A senior DRI official stated that the accused arrived at IGI from Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on August 17. "Upon examination of their luggage, a packet (gross weight - 2.090 kg) of white powder was found. The packets were tested with a field drug detection kit and tested positive for 'Amphetamine.' We then seized it under the NDPS Act," the DRI said. The official mentioned that during the investigation, a Nigerian national was also apprehended. "Both individuals were arrested under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act," the official added. Further investigations into the matter are ongoing. No substitute for AIIMS in the country, says Vice President Dhankhar. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 21 : Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said there is no substitute for All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the country, adding the premier institute has earned global recognition. "There is no competition for AIIMS. There is no substitute for AIIMs in the country. AIIMS has earned global recognition," Dhankhar said while addressing the 48th Convocation of AIIMS Delhi. Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, AIIMS Director M Srinivas and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. "This is my first visit to AIIMs not as a patient. I have been here as a patient, on I think, on dozens occasions. The kind of dedication the doctors have here is unparalleled. Can you beat their commitment, involvement and dedication with the patient? I have seen it." "The strength of an institution is its faculty and staff. My greetings to all of them and the students who are taking degrees today," the Vice President said. "All of your life you will remember that teacher in the faculty who was taught in the class because he or she shaped and mentored you. I am sure you will never let them down." Referring to the Covid pandemic, the Vice president lauded the healthcare workers. "When everyone was facing pandemic challenges, our health workers fully vindicated our civilizational ethos at the cost of their own lives. They took risks and came to our rescue," the Vice President said. Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Vice President while referring to the Covid lockdown said: "The world never thought of a strategy of mass involvement as the Prime Minister did. The entire nation cooperated. It yielded results on all fronts to contain and combat Covid." Opinion / Columnist AS things stand, it is abundantly clear and an inescapable fact that the battle for State House is squarely between Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa and President Emmerson Mnangagwa, even though I respectfully note the presence of other presidential candidates on the ballot in the 2023 plebiscite.However, it is my well-considered view that the other presidential aspirants are just making presidential numbers with no significant impact on the outcome of the presidential vote.Given the gravity and importance of the harmonised elections in defining the political and development trajectory of the nation, therefore, it is prudent that the people of Zimbabwe must fully comprehend what the two presidential candidates are offering in the event that they are elected to power.Ideally, the electorate would learn about the electoral promises through manifestos, which comprise the political wishlists of the respective parties in order to make informed choices on which party to vote for.Recently, we witnessed CCC's Chamisa launching his party election manifesto, making public his party wishlist at the same time soliciting for support and votes in the August 23, 2023 plebiscite.Of great concern is the delay in making public their political views, policies and programmes, which essentially deprived the public of enough time to read and understand the gist of their manifesto.More time would allow the electorate to internalise the electoral promises and help them make informed choices in the ballot box.Perhaps this is characteristic of a young democracy like ours in which voters are often taken for granted and grossly manipulated.Also, very little is articulated about the system of governance and the nature of government structures envisaged in order to instil confidence and hope that the people's aspirations are going to be fulfilled under their government.Clarity on how people will be governed is of paramount importance before people go to the polls.Ambushing the electorate is undemocratic, unfair and not good, therefore, undesirable in a modern democratic dispensation.People deserve transparency and are entitled to know who will govern them and how, especially when you claim to be the government in waiting.Therefore, pronouncements of substantive policy development alternatives, system of governance and clear vision are desirable. People of Zimbabwe want change with substance, not just mere political change, that will transform their lives for the better.On the contrary, the Zanu-PF presidential candidate Mnangagwa boastfully declared that his party did not need a manifesto, claiming that the work achieved under the so-called second republic spoke volumes of their capabilities.Agreed, we acknowledge that a few isolated development projects and initiatives have been implemented in the last five years. However, the development allegedly achieved is so insignificant to fully compensate for Zanu-PF's misrule and the subsequent run down of the existing infrastructure over 43 years.The uncharacteristic flooding of our streets by vendors in all our cities, towns and growth points signifies a collapsed economy and high unemployment rate. It is not good enough for Zanu-PF to assume that presenting an election manifesto to the electorate is unnecessary because it is in government. The manifesto is meant to articulate the national development plans, national aspirations and implementation strategies.In fact, the new government is obligated to produce and make public its five-year national strategic and development plan and key policy objectives. Therefore, it cannot be politically right and correct to assume that citizens should vote in the dark. People are entitled to know what the Zanu-PF government will do differently in order to improve their livelihoods and achieve sustainable economic growth. They would also want to know how the government plans to deal with corruption, looting and plunder of our national resources. Corruption has become endemic and a threat to national security and the country's stability. Therefore, clear signposts and a road map to eradicate corruption must be articulated.Also, citizens would want to know how the new government would address the perennial problem of corruption-ridden and loss-making parastatals and State enterprises. Furthermore, people want to know what the new government will do to protect mineral resources which are being grabbed and plundered mostly by Chinese companies and those associated with the Zanu-PF regime. The current trend is that communities are totally excluded and are usually intimidated by Chinese miners when they inquire about the mining activities in their motherland.People want to know what the new government will do to stop the new scramble for gold, lithium and other precious minerals by foreigners. Also, people want to know the criteria in the awarding of mining prospecting licences and mineral deals that have become prevalent and fashionable under the second republic.Of great concern is that most mining deals lack transparency and are shrouded in secrecy in the name of the presidential directive and protection. People want to hear how issues of institutionalised marginalisation, inequality and injustice will be addressed. Further, people want to know how the new government would reduce poverty and hunger in the country. Also, citizens want to know how soon they should expect the full implementation of the devolution of power in terms of Chapter 14 of the Constitution and beyond. Unfortunately, the Zanu-PF government has deliberately fronted the so-called devolution funds as devolution of power, yet it's not. Devolution is about the establishment of autonomous political and governance structures with power to govern within legally defined boundaries. The disbursement and accountability mechanisms of the devolution funds are susceptible to political manipulation, bias and corruption. The list of development concerns and governance that need policy directive to redress the anomalies created by unequal development and marginalisation is long.Unfortunately, the two frontrunners have been conspicuous by their silence on critical policy areas that speak to nation building, unity, integrated development strategies, political and economic inclusivity, job creation, reconciliation and peace building. What has been happening in most of their campaigns is political grandstanding and populist politics, which, in essence, does not address the national concerns, national objectives and aspirations of the people. Our people are politically-squeezed between a rock and a hard place as they continue to desperately struggle for freedom, happiness and prosperity in vain.Obviously, it is too late to demand electoral reforms now, though it is clear that the electoral playing ground is glaringly tilted in favour of the incumbent Zanu-PF government. The sad political reality is that the opposition parties slept on the job, especially those represented in Parliament, as they dismally failed to push for electoral reforms during their tenure in Parliament. Without electoral reforms, winning an election in Zimbabwe will be extremely difficult, just like attempting to go through the eye of a needle. I must hasten to say that the opposition under the leadership of the late MDC president Morgan Richard Tsvangirai persistently and consistently campaigned for electoral reforms, resulting in some significant gains being achieved in 2008. Sadly, the current crop of opposition parties has thrown the agenda of electoral and security sector reforms under the bus. Consequently, Zanu-PF has taken advantage of this lapse on call for reforms and fortified its hold over State resources and security which they have effectively and efficiently used to guarantee them victory in August 23, 2023 elections. Why the opposition chose to remain silent about levelling the electoral playing field, nobody knows, and it's mind-boggling. Literally speaking, all State organs, State resources and government institutions have collapsed into electoral campaign machinery to help Zanu-PF retain power.The lack of independence and transparency in the management of national elections by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is of great concern. Further, it compromises and undermines the credibility of the elections locally and internationally. It is undeniable that Zec has always been militarised and captured by the Zanu-PF regime. In this regard, we call upon Zec to rise to the occasion and put the interest of the people first. Indeed, every vote must count and have a say in the 2023 plebiscite outcome. Despite all the myriad of electoral challenges, it is imperative to demand at least a non-violent, peaceful, free, fair and transparent election in order to avoid another disputed electoral outcome.Lovemore Moyo is a former Speaker of the National Assembly. He writes in his capacity. San Francisco, Aug 21 : A software engineer, who recently got a job at Netflix in the US right after college, mysteriously disappeared last week after being last seen getting into an Uber, the media reported. According to his family, 22-year-old Yohanes Kidane was captured on a security camera leaving his apartment building in San Jose before he got into a vehicle that had an Uber sticker, reports New York Post. "Two young colleagues of his saw him and were able to talk to him. He said he was heading to San Francisco to maybe meet a friend. The last footage I've seen of him was leaving his apartment building and getting into a black Toyota Camry," Kidane's brother Yosief was quoted as saying. According to a missing persons poster shared by Yosief on Instagram, Kidane's cell phone, wallet and backpack were found near the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center in San Francisco. His phone's location showed he was at the Golden Gate Bridge for the majority of last week's Monday night. "Someone who was in San Rafael, who was on a commute, saw a phone and wallet sitting on this small grassy hill right between the Welcome Center and coffee shop. Thirty bucks in cash was in his wallet, IDs cards, phone untouched," Kidane's brother was quoted as saying. Moreover, the report mentioned that the backpack was found close to the bridge the next day and contained two of his laptops and personal documents. Missing techie's distraught mother pleaded for her son's return. "We want to take him home. I need my son. I need my son. He's a good man who has a bright future, very loving to his family," Mehret Hana Beyene was quoted as saying. A group of Kidane's friends and family formed a task force to look for him, contacted San Jose Police, and set up a GoFundMe page. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Nifty ended higher on Monday aided by buying across metals, power and IT stocks, Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities, has said. At close, Nifty was up 0.43 per cent or 83.5 points at 19,393.6. Volumes on the NSE fell sharply compared to the recent average. Broad market indices rose more than the Nifty even as the advance decline ratio rose to 1.51:1, he added. Asian stocks stumbled on Monday after China delivered a smaller cut to lending rates than markets had counted on, continuing Beijing's run of disappointingly frugal stimulus steps. European stocks rebounded from a one-month low as higher energy prices buoyed oil producers. Omkar Kamtekar, Research Analyst, Bonanza Portfolio said he market started the new week on a positive note with the Nifty closing higher by 83 points, while the Sensex closed with gains of 267 points. Buying was seen across sectors and in all the broader market indices in general, with Nifty Metal Index witnessing a 1.3 per cent jump, followed by buying in IT stocks. Reliance Industries was the biggest drag on Nifty on Monday, down by 1.44 per cent. Jio Financial Services (JFS), the recently demerged entity from Reliance Industries made its debut on the bourse on Monday at Rs 262 against the discovered price of Rs 261.85. Later, JFS witnessed massive selling pressure with heavy volume to end the day down 5 per cent. JFS will continue to hold its place in several FTSE indices and shall be added in the MSCI Global Standard Index from August 23, he said. The top gainers for Nifty were Bajaj Finance, Powergrid and Adani Ports, while the Top Losers were, Reliance Industries, M&M and Britannia. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Shared office systems provide the perfect blend of community and flexibility for startups and small businesses to thrive. With the availability of hi-tech amenities, coworking spaces are the go-to destination for start-ups, small businesses and entrepreneurs to collaborate and innovate. Such spaces also play a crucial role in the development and success of these businesses by providing a supportive environment to accommodate changing needs. This could result in plenty of new ventures as these businesses, working from a coworking space get to interact with people coming from a variety of backgrounds. Indian start-ups have shown a significant increase in leasing flexible office spaces in the last few years, second only to the technology sector. The small business sector is critical to achieving a $5 trillion economy for India as it employs over 100 million people and accounts for 40 percent of manufacturing output. In this context, it would be appropriate to look at multiple factors that explain why start-ups and small businesses opt to work from shared spaces. Cost-effectiveness and flexibility One of the primary advantages of coworking spaces is their cost-effectiveness and flexibility. For startups and small businesses with limited resources, renting or leasing traditional office spaces can be a significant financial burden. Many start-ups have also resorted to taking up space in coworking spaces rather than conventional offices to save costs and there are early signs of caution among start-ups. Coworking spaces also offer a more affordable alternative, with membership options that cater to different needs and budgets. This affordability allows entrepreneurs to allocate their capital to other critical areas. Enhanced professionalism and credibility Enhanced professionalism and credibility are key benefits of a coworking space for startups and small businesses. These spaces offer a professional environment that can significantly elevate the image and reputation of businesses. Perception plays a vital role in the success of startups and small businesses. Operating out of a professional coworking space can significantly enhance the credibility of a business. Well-equipped spaces convey a sense of professionalism and create a positive impression, increasing the chances of closing deals and attracting investors, thus proving that coworking spaces empower startups and small businesses. Freedom to scale-up and scale-down at ease It might be challenging to find affordable and short-term spaces for small business owners looking for office space. Many businesses cannot meet the commitment required by bulk of commercial leases, which are at least one year long. In case, coworking spaces sign short-term contracts, this enables businesses to scale up or down like many of them do. The majority of coworking spaces provide daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly passes, allowing users to pay for the number of months they need the space. Networking opportunities are plentiful For entrepreneurs who are still finding out how to build their firm, the challenges of starting and expanding a small company can be overwhelming. By providing fantastic networking opportunities, coworking spaces help to alleviate some of the enormous strain that proprietors of small businesses have. Meeting and establishing connections with subject experts can help a start-up grow its business that requires the exposure and familiarity with other entrepreneurs to expand their business. Coworking spaces in short unleashes the creative instincts of professionals. Scaling the brand status in a racy ecosystem Operating from a coworking space, small businesses and start-ups can present a more professional image to their clients and partners. This is because they have a dedicated workspace that can be used for branding, business meetings and other professional activities. Overall, coworking spaces can provide start-ups with a serious work ambience that can help improve their professional image and support their business. Start-ups from diverse sectors, including tech, manufacturing, banking, financial services and consulting amongst others are now embracing flexible office formats in a big way. Getting the best out of work and life Coworking spaces can provide a better work-life balance for the workforce. Because coworking spaces often have flexible hours and a variety of amenities, such as on-site childcare or fitness centers, they can help people better manage time and prioritize well-being. The social aspect of coworking spaces also provides a sense of community and support, which reduces stress and improves mental health. Overall, there are numerous benefits associated with shared spaces, which are drawing the attention of big and small enterprises alike along with startups. By exposing employees to multiple perspectives, coworking environments inspire refreshing creativity and perspectives. All these advantages have lent great value to the coworking industry over traditional offices which indicates a brighter future for this new age asset class. Therefore, it goes without saying that the coworking culture will drive the future of workspaces. (Manas Mehrotra, Founder, 315Work Avenue) (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) --IANS Manas Mehrotra/tb/kvd Agartala, Aug 21 : In one of the largest ever drug seizures in the state, Tripura police on Monday seized 1.3 kg heroin valued at Rs 10 crore and arrested three drug peddlers in this regard, police said. North Tripura district Superintendent of Police Bhanupada Chakraborty said that the drugs contained in many soap cases were carried in a TATA Sumo vehicle, which was coming from southern Assam. "Acting on secret information, we laid a checkpoint at Churaibari in north Tripura district and intercepted the vehicle. The three drug peddlers along with the drugs were travelling in the vehicle," Chakraborty told IANS. The arrested drug peddlers -- Abdul Ali (28), Suman Krishna Das (21) and Prasenjit Das (23) would be produced in a court on Tuesday. Police are now interrogating the detainees. Another police official said that the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar and through Mizoram and southern Assam, these brought to Tripura intending to smuggle to Bangladesh. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha appreciated the police for their success in capturing the drugs. Saha tweeted : "As part of the ongoing special drive against drugs, Tripura police achieved huge success with the seizure of approx. 1.3 kg heroin (worth Rs 10 crore) from Churaibari in North Tripura district today. Three persons have been arrested in this connection. We are committed to building drugs-free Tripura & the state police has been playing a laudable role to achieve the goal." Tripura's 856 km border with Bangladesh and Mizoram's 510 km frontier with Myanmar becomes an easy corridor of drug smuggling in northeast India. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and SFIC (Singapore Furniture Industries Council) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster bilateral trade and improve business ties in the furniture and lifestyle sector. The MoU will further strengthen collaboration between India and Singapore by sharing resources, knowledge, and experiences, and the partnership will open new avenues for business, and create employment opportunities in the furniture sector across both India and Singapore. A trade mission was co-organised by SFIC and Enterprise Singapore that included senior management from nine prominent furniture and lifestyle companies from Singapore. FICCI organised an industry roundtable to provide Singapore furniture companies with opportunities in the Indian furniture sector. A series of B2B meetings between Singaporean and Indian furniture companies were organised to explore potential joint ventures and partnerships between participants from both countries. Rudra Chatterjee, Chairman, of FICCI Furniture Committee; Chairman, Obeetee; and Chairman, Manor & Mews said, "The furniture sector has been identified by the Government of India as one of the focus sectors for further strengthening Indian Industry's competitive edge. The furniture industry in India already has the ecosystem in place with several advantages like a skilled labour force, availability of raw materials, huge demand, and presence of major global buyers. We need to work alongside companies in India and Singapore in creating world-class furniture both for the domestic and the international market." Phua Boon Huat, President, SFIC said, " India presents a variety of opportunities across the furniture value chain, from sourcing, manufacturing, to distribution. With a burgeoning middle-class demographic and rising household incomes, India is in the midst of experiencing strong consumer demand for a wide range of premium goods. Singapore's adept furniture industry is well poised to cater to this surge in demand. SFIC remains committed to supporting efforts by Singapore furniture companies as they chart their course into promising markets like India." Jeannie Lim, Assistant Chief Executive Officer - Lifestyle & Consumer, Enterprise Singapore, said, "When accessing a foreign market, having a trusted and experienced partner can help Singapore companies shorten the learning curve and time taken to navigate the market. Enterprise Singapore has continued to support SFIC in its efforts to deepen the furniture industry's connections with international partners through various means, including this latest mission trip to help Singapore companies engage with players in India and grow new business avenues. We are happy to see SFIC embarking on this partnership with FICCI. We hope that the close collaboration between both organisations will catalyse more trade and business opportunities between furniture players in Singapore and India." FICCI's furniture committee with leading furniture manufacturers, exporters, and retailers, works closely with the government, industry, and other stakeholders with the objective to make India a self-reliant country in terms of furniture industry and a global supplier and exporter of furniture. On the manufacturing and sourcing fronts, the Indian government is implementing a strong reform agenda to make India an attractive manufacturing hub for foreign investors. By tapping into India's robust manufacturing sector, Singapore companies can leverage the competitive advantages of skilled labour, technology, and a growing market. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Chandigarh, Aug 21 : A total of 17 men who got duped by unscrupulous agents in India on pretext of getting a job in Italy in February after paying hefty money and were taken first to Dubai, then Egypt and then they landed under captivity of an armed mafia in Libya, have finally been brought back safely to India. The whole rescue operation and process of repatriation was coordinated and facilitated by Vikramjit Singh Sahney, the AAP Member of Parliament from Punjab. Sahney said a panic call was received from these men on May 28. They informed that they were stranded in Libya and were being physically tortured and also made to do unpaid labour for months there. "We even spoke to them on video calls in which we can see that they were living in unimaginable worse conditions even without appropriate meals," Sahney said, adding India does not have any diplomatic mission in Libya so "we were helpless in that manner". "While they were in terror and anxiety, so on our level itself, we tried an immediate intervention by booking a hotel and arranging two taxis for them so that they can move away from the captivity and get rescued. On June 13, we initiated this rescue operation and we were able to successfully pull it off. I and my office were on constant calls with them throughout that night until they reached the hotel booked by us," Sahney said. He further said the destiny was testing "us as after two days' stay at the hotel as the hotel owner duped us and he made all these men arrested from the hotel and were sent to a jail in Tripoli". "After this, with the help of nearest Indian Embassy which was in Tunisia, we requested their intervention and we also contacted UN that on humanitarian grounds these men should be released from Libyan jail and repatriated to India," the Aam Aadmi Party MP said. Sahney said that after weeks of correspondence and persistent requests at many levels, the Indian High Commission in Tunisia was able to get their counsellor access through UN, and these men were released from the jail and sent to Port of Illegal Immigrants in Tripoli, Libya. Then finally on August 19, all paperwork and other formalities got over and these boys boarded a flight to Delhi. Sahney said "it was not just a plane landing in Delhi... it was a mother's hope, sister's affection and father's love which was coming along in this plane from Libya". "I interacted with each one of them on Sunday... they consider it as a rebirth, the emotions which were pouring at the airport by their parents and family members is inexpressible," Sahney said, adding now he is concentrating on the legal action to be taken against the unscrupulous agents who duped them. "I am in constant touch with the SIT of Punjab Police against human trafficking and officials of Haryana and Delhi Police, we will ensure that the guilty should be booked and strict action is taken," Sahney added. Bangalore, Aug 21 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday asked the vice chancellors of the state universities to equip graduates with a scientific temperament and rational thinking. "What is the use of graduates equipped with ignorance, without scientific temperament and rational thinking, who come out of the universities? What use are they for the country, state and the society," the Chief Minister said while holding a meeting with vice chancellors of public universities and senior officials of Higher Education Department. He said that the universities should equip graduates who will lead the country scientifically, intellectually, economically and in a civilised way. "If they come out of universities filled with ignorance, they will not be useful for the country or state nor will they be useful for their own future," the Chief Minister said. Vice chancellors of 32 public universities and senior officials of the higher education department participated in the meeting. Karnataka State Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) is 36 per cent when compared to National GER which stands at 27.4 per cent. It was also decided, during the meeting, to set the aim to increase GER to 50 per cent by 2030. The male GER stands at 34.8 per cent, female at 37.2 per cent, Scheduled Caste at 25.6 per cent and Scheduled Tribe at 23.4 per cent in Karnataka. Around 1.31 lakh students study in 32 universities in Karnataka. The Chief Minister directed to step up necessary measures and research to increase the enrollment ratio of students and improve the quality of education in districts like Chamarajanagar, Yadgiri, Hassan, Koppala, Kodagu etc. where GER rate is low. The Chief Minister also instructed to improve the quality of education in Mysore University, which is the oldest and the first university of the state. New Delhi, Aug 21 : The internet has been buzzing with questions about identifying and finding one's Kenergy. Bumble's Relationship Expert, Ruchi Ruuh, shares tips on how to identify qualities one should look for in their partner to spot 'Kenergy'. Clear communication: There is no playing games. He's unafraid to express his feelings and be his authentic self. He gives you the space to be and express yourself. Lets you take the centre stage: He's supportive of you and totally cool with the spotlight shining on you. He is confident around you and lends support in meaningful ways. Kindness is sexy: Whatas important above all in relationships is mutual respect and kindness. Not only does he extend kindness to you on a first date, but to anyone else you come into contact witha"whether that be waiters at a restaurant or strangers on the street. He listens: It sounds like a simple one, but showing genuine interest and enthusiasm in getting to know someone means he considers others before himself. Itas important in any healthy relationship to be able to listen and understand your partneras perspectives. Showing up matters: Being there for your partner and having their back is crucial. Flip those old-school gender roles, and watch your relationship evolve. Express love fearlessly. Show your partner just how deeply you can care. Respects boundaries: He prioritises his emotional and physical well-being. Understands and respects boundaries, both emotional and physical in relationships. As Indian society evolves, conversations about gender norms and expectations are coming to the forefront, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Interestingly, 47 per cent of men on Bumble in India have indicated that they are actively challenging stereotypes that suggest that men should not show emotions, for fear of appearing weak. 29 per cent of men on Bumble in India now speak more openly about their emotions with their male friends, and more than half (52 per cent) of Indian men agree that breaking gender roles in dating and relationships is beneficial for them too. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Bengaluru, Aug 21 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah instructed officials to distribute laptops to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students of universities under SCSP/T.S.P. This decision was made in a meeting of Vice Chancellors of universities under the purview of the state government and senior officials of the higher education department. The Chief Minister instructed P. Manivannan, Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Department, over phone during the meeting to provide Rs. 230 crore for this purpose. Laptops should be distributed to every student of all communities in universities. Necessary action will be taken for this in the coming days, he said. There are more than 50 per cent vacancies against sanctioned posts in Universities and only 1,882 posts are filled. The vice chancellors and officers brought to the notice of the Chief Minister that the salaries of 2,865 guest lecturers are being paid from the resources of the universities, which is a financial burden on them. Even though the old universities are divided, only the old universities are disbursing the pension. Due to this, the financial burden of old universities has increased. Rs 5,470 crore budgetary allocation is made in the current budget and there is a shortfall of Rs 2,474 crore for higher education sector, officers explained. The Chief Minister was sceptical about establishing new universities, while budget allocation is decreasing. On the other hand, the recurring cost is increasing. How can we expect quality education from this, he asked. In addition, in the budget of the higher education department, 88 per cent of the grant is used for salaries. The Chief Minister suggested that Visvesvaraya Technical University should develop a curriculum that is in line with the demands of industries and lay emphasis on flexible education to provide more employment opportunities to engineering graduates. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Monday refused to comment on the possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, at sidelines of BRICS summit which will start from Tuesday in Johannesburg, South Africa. "Prime Minister will depart on Tuesday morning for Johannesburg where he will be participating in the 15th BRICS summit. The summit will conclude on August 24," Kwatra told media persons during a briefing on Modi's visit to South Africa and Greece between August 22 and 25. When asked about the chances of a bilateral meeting between Modi and Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, the Foreign Secretary (FS) said: "The host country South Africa has invited a large number of guest countries, besides BRICS members. PM's schedule, in terms of bilateral meetings with those leaders who would be present in South Africa, is still being developed." "In so far as BRICS expansion is concerned, we have been clear from the start that we have positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. Those are the subject matters of ongoing current discussion between the Sherpas of the BRICS in South Africa and I would not want to prejudge the outcome of the discussions," he said. On BRICS currency, FS said: "Common currency discussions have several prerequisites before you can even talk about a common currency framework. The discussion framework in BRICS, the substance of that discussion framework in BRICS has focused on trade within the national currency." He said that for the 15th BRICS summit, a business delegation from India is also travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings and also the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum. Speaking about Modi's day-long visit to Greece on August 25, Kwatra said: "During PM Modi's visit to Greece, both sides will look to expand and diversify trade and investment segment of cooperation, deepen and expand defence and security partnership, infrastructure cooperation, shipbuilding industry." He said that the visit would give both sides an opportunity to discuss also the regional and global issues of mutual interest and help broaden and deepen our bilateral engagement. "Greece is one of India's important European partners. Both India and Greece are not just modern democracies but we also share close and age-old historical and cultural relations," the FS added. Opinion / Columnist EVERY VOTE SHOULD COUNT WHAT TO EXPECT FROM US Electoral violence Voter intimidation Ballot/ballot box tampering Internet restrictions/shutdowns There are just two days to go before voting commences in Zimbabwe's harmonized general elections. Polls open at 07:00 on Wednesday 23 August and close at 19:00. 6.6 million Zimbabweans are expected to cast their votes, with results legally required to be announced within five days of the final ballots being marked.Against a backdrop of high unemployment, a cost-of-living crisis, and rampant corruption by the ruling ZANU-PF, the vast majority of Zimbabweans are now yearning for change. 69.4% told a poll by Elite Africa Research that the country is heading in the wrong direction.The same poll, conducted in June, showed 47.6% of Zimbabweans back CCC leader Nelson Chamisa, compared to 38.7% for President Mnangagwa. This supports research carried out for the Brenthurst Foundation in January, which showed Chamisa would win 53% of the vote.Change is possible with the CCC. But only if these elections are free and fair.As a party the CCC is highly concerned by verified reports of journalist accreditation being denied to international correspondents, without any explanation offered. Once again the government isn't playing by the basic rules of election observation and we call on observer missions to take note and condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.To help ensure that Wednesday's elections are fair and that every vote counts, the CCC is deploying a Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) system. The Citizens DemoVox PVT system ensures that we will not only have access to the real vote count but above all that we have the capacity to provide hard, independently verifiable evidence to back up our victory.For a recap of the Citizens DemoVox PVT system, read our first monitor email here.Throughout election day and the count, we will be receiving and verifying reports of incidents from our polling agents. We will then relay major incidents via our monitor.This includes:We are liaising with internet freedom group Netblocks to report and verify restrictions to internet access, including social media blocks. These will then be published on Netblocks' website and the media will be alerted.Be sure to check our monitor emails to stay up to date throughout polling day and receive updates on the PVT process.Dr. Tapiwa ShumbaExecutive Technical AssistantPresident's Office+263 78 213 8875 Betul : , Aug 21 (101 Reporters/ IANS) On the night of July 19, Ramkali Vadive (45) became dizzy with high fever. As her situation worsened, her husband Surajlal Vadive sought help from acquaintances for a vehicle to take her to a nearby hospital. "None could arrive as there is no road for a four-wheeler to reach our house," recalled Surajlal who stays in Dhobandhana locality of Chira village in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district. The next day, a friend from nearby Bairagarh village brought a car. Ramkali was carried on a cot to reach the vehicle from where she was taken to the nearby hospital for treatment. "My wife is alright now but this is the situation every time somebody falls sick," said Surajlal. Gayatri Kavde (10) has to walk two kilometres from Dhobandhana to her school in Chira every day. She had to cross a nullah to reach school. "Sometimes I walk through knee-deep water. When it rains heavily, there was no option but to miss school," said Kavde. Shivraj Markam (11) goes to a school in Jhirna Batki since the school in Chira is only up to the primary level. "There was no road so I walked through the fields," he said. Chira is 80 km from the district headquarters in Betul. Along with Khurda and Bhatki villages, it is part of the Batki Panchayat. Bhatki has a population of 2,500 people who predominantly belong to the Gond tribe. The area falls within the District Panchayat of Bhimpur in Betul. Around 30 families live in Dhobandhana, a population of about 250. Till now, they are not connected to the main road in Chira and that is the main cause of their woes. On June 5 this year, on the occasion of World Environment Day, the Gram Sabha members of Dhobandhana passed a resolution to carve a path for themselves, literally. "People voluntarily decided to give a part of their land for the carriageway," said Lavkesh Morse (36), who works as a Gram Sabha money mobiliser with Batki Panchayat, under which Chira village falls. While a concrete road will come up only when the district administration officially sanctions it, for now the villagers are happy that there is at least a dedicated carriageway. "It is still a mud path. No vehicles can ply on it. After rainfall, in fact, it is in bad condition but it is still better than nothing. We are all set to officially donate our land. We just want the government to start work on it as soon as possible," said Chagan Marskole, a resident of Dhobandhana. The need for a road from Chira to Dobandhana has been felt for 40 years when houses started coming up in this part of the village. "There would be conflicts when people and cattle crossed through the fields. Many a time, police had to be called to resolve it. Ambulances are not able to reach houses in case of illness. Since childhood, I have been seeing people suffering due to the lack of a proper road here," said Morse. "The only way to go to and fro from Chira was through the nullah or the fields. It is especially difficult to bring pregnant women to the Bhimpur Community Health Centre for child delivery. Extra distance had to be covered to bring vehicles through the good roads. It took a lot of time and was risky as well," said Kalu Marskole (55), Chagan's uncle. People of Chira depend on subsistence farming of maize and paddy during Kharif and collect tendu leaves, mahua and other minor forest produce. Nothing is grown during Rabi as no irrigation facility is available in the village, Chandravati Syamalal Marskole, Sarpanch of Bhatki told 101Reporters. People take up work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme like digging ponds, road construction and making check dams. During summer, they migrate to cities like Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Amravati, Pune and Mumbai for manual labour. Despite minimal financial backup, the people of Chira collected Rs 30,000 to hire an earth mower and contributed voluntary labour to level the path. The total length of the final road till Chira would be two kms. Since there are concrete roads in all other localities of the village, the people of Dhobandhana assumed that road construction and land acquisition are the government's responsibility, said Dhanu Markam (52). "No one explained the process clearly to us till now," said Markam from whose house the carriageway begins. "Morse explained to us that the government does not acquire land for the construction of village roads, but only national and state highways. He said since this road is for the use of villagers only, only we have to get together and find a solution," said Babulal Marskole, also a resident. Eight persons, including Markam, Chagan Marskole, Kalu Marskole and Babulal Marskole, have agreed to donate a part of their lands for the road, though the total amount of land in question can only be finalised once the road is sanctioned and measured. "A village road is only slightly wider than the footpath. I explained to people that if only so much land is needed, what is the use of relying on the administration? It is only in the last six months that people came on the same page. Talking to people helped strengthen the social fabric of the village," said Morse. "As of now, people have donated 3-5 feet on either side and we have a 12 feet wide carriageway now that is actively being used by people," he added. In December 2020, the Panchayat State Directorate of Madhya Pradesh introduced the position of a 'mobiliser' for which Morse is hired with a view to help resolve conflicts and strengthen the Gram Sabha in 89 villages administered under the Panchayat (Extension to Schedule Areas) Act. "Now that people have agreed to donate land for the road, this is our priority. As soon as the monsoon ends, we will ask the Revenue Department to measure the exact amount of land needed. The farmers contributing the land will have to give a formal letter confirming the donation of land for the purpose of the road. After which we will send a proposal to the Bhimpur District Panchayat along with relevant documents and begin work as soon as the proposal is approved. The trouble faced by people is genuine. Higher authorities are already aware of the resolution passed by Gram Sabha and we are sure to get the approval soon," said Sarpanch Chandravati Marskole. (Pooja Yadav is a Madhya Pradesh-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters) Bengaluru, Aug 21 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitaraman to release special grants and state specific grants as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. The letter dated August 19 reads: "The 15th Finance Commission has reduced Karnataka's share in tax devolution to 3.647 per cent of the divisible pool for the term 2020-21 to 2025-26 from 4.71 per cent recommended by the 14th Finance Commission. Karnataka has seen the steepest cut of 23 per cent because of the reduction in the devolution share. "Karnataka has lost out heavily on the Income-Distance criteria adopted by the commission. The introduction of new methodology for compilation of GSDP has dramatically raised State's GSDP in 2011-12 series by over 30 per cent as against average increase of less than nine per cent for all States put together. "The increase in GSDP at absolute level was similarly reflected in a step up in per capita income affecting the standing of State. If affected the share of State in Income-Distance parameter from 4.2 per cent as per the 14th Finance Commission to 1.1 per cent. This alone dragged the devolution share of the State from 4.71 per cent awarded by the 14th Finance Commission to 3.64 per cent awarded by 15th Finance Commission. "Even though the IT related services contribution has increased the GSDP of the State significantly in the 2011-12 series, there is no corresponding contribution of these services to the State taxes as exports of IT services are zero rated. "The decrease in tax devolution share to Karnataka by 15th Finance Commission when compared with 14th Finance Commission recommendation, has decreased the total tax devolution to State by Rs 37,011 crore in past four years, from FY 2020-21 to FY 2023-24." The letter also mentions that the 15th Finance Commission in its report for 2020-21 has recommended Rs 5,495 crore to Karnataka as Special Grants for 2020-21. But the Government of India has not considered the Commission's recommendation. "In the final report for 2021-26, the Commission awarded State Specific grants of Rs 6,000 crores to Karnataka for Holistic Improvement of Water bodies of Bengaluru and for Peripheral Ring Road. However, Government of India in its explanatory memorandum has said that 'keeping in view the united resources with the State governments and the fiscal commitments of the Central Government, due consideration will be given to the recommendation on Special Grants," the letter read. It said that however, no grants have been released so far to the State of Karnataka and this has been a major setback to the State Fiscal Position which is already strained due to severe cut in tax devolution. "Considering the serious fiscal constraints of the State on account of decreased devolution, I request you to kindly accept the recommendation of the Commission on Special Grants and State Specific Grants and release it to the State on utmost priority," reads the letter. --IANS mka/dan San Francisco, Aug 21 : Elon Musk-run Tesla has admitted that a data breach affected more than 75,000 employees was perpetuated by insiders in the company. In a data breach notice filed with attorney general of the US state of Maine, the electric car maker said that an internal investigation revealed that two former employees leaked over 75,000 individuals' personal information to a foreign media outlet. "The investigation revealed that two former Tesla employees misappropriated the information in violation of Tesla's IT security and data protection policies and shared it with the media outlet," said Steven Elentukh, Tesla's data privacy officer. The personal information leaked involved concerns data for certain current and former employees, including name, certain contact information (such as address, phone number, and/or email address), employment-related records, and Social Security numbers belonging to 75,735 current and former employees. According to the company, a foreign media outlet (named Handelsblatt) informed Tesla on May 10, 2023 that it had obtained Tesla confidential information. "The outlet has stated that it does not intend to publish the personal information, and in any event, is legally prohibited from using it inappropriately. Tesla immediately took steps to contain the incident, understand the scope, and protect your information," said the company. Tesla identified and filed lawsuits against the two former employees. These lawsuits resulted in the seizure of the former employees' electronic devices that were believed to have contained the Tesla information. Tesla said it also obtained court orders that prohibit the former employees from further use, access, or dissemination of the data, subject to criminal penalties. Handelsblatt reported in May that Tesla had been hit by a "massive" breach revealing everything from employees' personal information to customer complaints about their cars. The publication obtained more than 23,000 internal documents, dubbed the "Tesla Files," containing 100 gigabytes of confidential data. According to the publication, Musk's Social Security number was also included in the leak. Kareena on working with Alia: 'There are so many great directors; whoever has great script'. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 21 : Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan on Monday opened up on working with Alia Bhatt, saying that she will work if there is a great script. Kareena was present in the national capital for an event. She was wearing an emerald green coloured kaftan style satin dress, with a multicoloured belt and paired it with beige heels. She opted for neutral makeup, nude lips, straight hair and golden earrings. Talking to media persons, Kareena spoke on working with her sister-in-law Alia. Recently, Alia had shared fun pictures with the 'Jab We Met' fame actress, and captioned it as: "Can someone please cast us in a film together." Alia is married to Kareena's cousin and actor Ranbir Kapoor. Speaking on the same, Kareena said: "There are so many great directors out there, whoever has a great script. I think nowadays it's more about the content and script, so I think anyone who has a great script." Kareena also spoke about 'Gadar 2', saying that she hasn't watched the film yet. "I am very happy for the entire cast who worked so hard in 'Gadar 2'. I am a huge fan of the first part of 'Gadar'. I haven't had the opportunity to see the movie, but I would definitely love to see it, and bring back all the memories that the first part had. So congratulations to everyone who is a part of the film," she added. On the work front, Kareena was last seen as Rupa in Aamir Khan starrer aLaal Singh Chaddhaa. She next has aThe Devotion of Suspect Xa, aThe Buckingham Murdersa, and aThe Crewa in the pipeline. Gurugram, Aug 21 : "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one remembers to put on the light" -- this famous quote from a Harry Potter movie is having real-life examples in strife-torn Nuh district of Haryana. Setting an example of harmony, people from the minority community in Marora village are guarding a temple and gaushala in Nuh district, which witnessed communal violence on July 31. Around 30-40 youths from the Muslim community can be seen guarding a temple and a gaushala from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. to maintain communal harmony in the area. The decision was taken after the sarpanch of Marora village held a meeting on August 1 (a day after the communal violence broke out in Nuh) and asked the youths and elderly people of the area to keep the temple safe. The sarpanch has also barred entry of outsiders into the village. Mustaq Khan, the sarpanch, told IANS, "What happened in Nuh city did not affect the cordial relationship between people from different communities in our village, which has about 10,000 residents with over 3,500 voters." He also said that a day after the communal clashes in Nuh, people from the Hindu community in the village were scared. "I immediately called a meeting of 'chattis biradari' (36 communities) and directed people from the Muslim community to guard the temple and gaushala in the village until everything is sorted out. We also barred the entry of outsiders into our village so that no one could disturb law and order or create any kind of nuisance."At the meeting, it was unanimously decided that 20-40 youths from the minority community will guard the village from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. till further orders. We have also asked people to organise 'thikri pehra' so that no outsiders can disturb harmony. "People are creating a wrong perception of Nuh. We have been staying peacefully in this village for years," Khan said, adding that the police had arrested two youths from the village who were sent to jail. Ved Prakash, care-taker and priest of Maharishi Dayanand Arsh temple and gaushala, confirmed that youths from the minority are guarding the temple since August 1. "We were deeply concerned after clashes broke out in Nuh. We were about to seek help from the police. But the villagers decided to help us by asking the youths to guard the temple. The villagers did not allow any outsiders to come near the temple," Ved Prakash said.A police spokesperson also confirmed that youths from the minority community are guarding temples in Nuh district. "We have also asked the residents of different villages to take care of their neighbours if they are from different communities. Sarpanches of the villages are playing an important role in bridging the gap between communities," the spokesperson said.Meanwhile, Nuh Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarnia said that the search operation to arrest the accused persons in connection with the communal clashes that broke out in Nuh during a Braj Mandal Yatra is underway. "We had already announced that those who are innocent need not fear the police. The police will only arrest the guilty. So far, eight teams have been formed under the leadership of senior police officers which are raiding places linked to the accused persons. An SIT has also been formed under the leadership of three DSPs. "So far, 60 FIRs have been lodged and 264 people have been arrested in different cases. A total of 88 persons, including police personnel, were injured in the clashes. The local administration has relaxed the curfew timing from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. In order to maintain law and order in the district, 1,900 additional policemen have been deployed. Flag marches are being taken out regularly," Bijarnia said. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Claiming that over 16 districts are facing a drought-like situation in Karnataka, the BJP on Monday slammed the Congress-led government accusing it of not understanding the pain of farmers, and succumbing to the political pressure. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said: "Over 16 districts in Karnataka face drought-like situation. Around 85 talukas are being marred by a huge rain deficit. Amid these challenging conditions faced by our farmers, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K Shivakumar without court consultation or an all-party meeting, made the decision to release 10 TMC of Cauvery water (to Tamil Nadu). This move can be clearly attributed to pressure from their senior 'Ghamandiya Gathbandhan' (arrogant alliance) with the DMK." He said that the Congress leaders have an illustrious track record of responding to pressures of DMK. "If we delve into history, even during the 2G scam, it was the same issue. Today, the farmers are paying with their lives for this type of Congress politics." He said that there is an agricultural distress in many districts and none of the top government officials including the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the Agriculture Minister have visited the drought-affected areas. "Their travel was confined to Delhi and Bangalore, without stepping out to understand the crisis or understand the pain of the farmers," the Minister said. He said that rather than addressing the farmers' problems, the Agriculture Minister of Karnataka has become embroiled in a corruption scam. "His own staff within the agriculture ministry has accused him of corruption." He said that the Karnataka government is characterised by misgovernance, lies and apathy towards the farmers and other communities. (FOR BHUPI SIR) Dalit man dies in police custody in J'khand; family alleges he was beaten to death. Image Source: IANS News Ranchi, Aug 21 : A Dalit man has allegedly died in police custody in Giridih district of Jharkhand. The family of the deceased claimed that he died due to police beating, and are demanding action against the officers responsible for the crime. However, the police say that the man, identified as Nago Pasi, died of a heart attack. Pasi was brought to Bengabad police station in Giridih district for questioning in connection with the murder of his mother.The body of Pasias 80-year-old mother, Anpi Devi, was found near a school in in Chattabad village on Sunday. As soon as the news of Nago Pasi's death spread on Monday morning, a large number of people gathered near the police station. The villagers are planning to stage a demonstration with his body. The deceased belonged to a Dalit community, called Pasi. The family members of Nago say that when they reached the police station on Sunday evening, they were not allowed to meet him. When they went to the police station again on Monday morning, they were informed about his death. The family alleged that he was brutally beaten to death in the police station. The police are lying that he died due to illness to shield themselves. The family is demanding that a high-level inquiry should be conducted and action should be taken against the guilty policemen. On the other hand, the police say that during interrogation, Nago Pasi suffered a heart attack and was taken to Giridih Sadar Hospital, where he died. After getting information about the incident, the villagers gathered at Giridih Sadar Hospital and are planning to gherao the police station. Additional police force has been deployed at the Bengabad police station. MMA fighters offer to train Musk for cage fight as they 'don't like Zuckerberg'. Image Source: IANS News San Francisco, Aug 21 : Several current and former MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighters have offered to train tech billionaire Elon Musk for the much-anticipated cage fight with Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. About eight UFC fighters, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions, and more, led by former MMA champ Chad Robichaux have offered to train Musk because they "don't like Zuckerberg", reports New York Post. "No one likes Zuckerberg because he's a communist that's suppressing our speech, and ruining most of our businesses. We feel like he needs his a-beat," Robichaux, who runs the Mighty Oaks Foundation, a veterans group, was quoted as saying. "I've been a victim of having my First Amendment rights violated by Zuckerberg. Every Monday I have to have a staff meeting and we have to figure out what we can and can't say so we don't get suppressed," he added. Moreover, a slew of other fighters shared their disdain for the Meta CEO, including UFC fighter Jalen Turner, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson, Strikeforce Champion and UFC title contender Nate Marquardt, current UFC contender Alex Morono, and others. "I have to side with Elon Muska (because) of free speech. Zuckerberg is kind of taking away free speech on his platforms, Musk is more of a stand-up guy," Jackson said. According to the report, the trained fighters see 52-year-old Musk as their chance for revenge -- even as Musk and Zuck have lately jabs on social media over a possible cage fight. Most recently, Musk mocked Zuckerberg by calling him "chicken". When an X (formerly Twitter) user posted Zuckerberg's statement that Musk "isn't serious" about the cage match and "it's time to move on", the tech billionaire replied: "Zuck is a chicken." Meanwhile, Musk mentioned that he has been in contact with the Italian prime minister and minister of culture about hosting the event. However, Zuckerberg, who holds a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and recently won gold and silver medals in a tournament, said no date has been agreed. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Power Minister RK Singh will hold a meeting on August 22 to review the availability of coal for thermal power plants, especially in view of the ongoing monsoon season, even as coal ministry has said that 77 million tonnes of dry fuel is currently available, which is more than sufficient to meet the requirement of power sector, highly placed sources said. The meeting comes just days after Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi had last week reviewed the availability of coal, where it was informed that there is adequate supply of dry fuel to meet the requirements of coal-based power plants. Meanwhile, in Tuesday's meeting, where coal ministry officials will also be present, Singh is likely to review the stock situation of dry fuel available with various subsidiaries. At the same time sources informed that while 40 days are left for the monsoon season to end (till September 30), there is adequate supply of coal in the country, as 30 million tonnes is there in thermal power plants, while 47 million tonnes is available in coal mines. So a total of 77 million tonnes of dry fuel is currently available to meet requirements of thermal power plants. In 40 days, even after maximum depletion of coal stocks, at least 1.5 million tonnes of dry fuel will remain, as it cannot go below that level, a coal ministry source told IANS. So considering the fact that 40 days are still left for the monsoon season to end, at least 6 million tonnes of coal will be available at any cost despite maximum depletion of stock, the source said, adding that whereas 77 million tonnes of coal is currently there, which is much more than the requirement of coal-based power plants. On August 17, coal and mines minister Pralhad Joshi had undertaken a review of availability of dry fuel during the ongoing monsoon season. During the meeting with senior officials of Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) as well as other entities, it was informed during the meeting that both CIL and SCCL have adequate supplies of coal to meet the demand of coal-based power plants during the rainy season. CIL has clocked highest-ever dispatch to non-power sector, at 3.68 lakh tonnes per day during the current fiscal, sources said. Overall offtake of CIL stood at 85.2 million tonnes, a growth of almost 10 per cent over last year, whereas after dispatching 25.1 million tonnes of coal, SCCL has achieved 12.6 per cent growth in the current financial year over last year. CIL has shown a growth of 11 per cent over last year to register 75.7 million tonnes production in the second quarter of current fiscal (up to August 14), recording 100.6 per cent achievement of target. Similarly, SCCL has produced 23.6 million tonnes coal, thus achieving 101.5 per cent of target. At 40 million tonnes, growth from captive and commercial blocks has increased by 8 per cent in 2023-24 over 2022-23, sources further said. Chandrayaan-3's lander and Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter starts talking to each other. Image Source: IANS News Chennai, Aug 21 : India's latest moon lander has established communication links with the Chandrayaan-2 mission's orbiter that is circling the moon since 2019, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "Welcome, buddy!" said the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter to the lander that was carried by the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft this year. "Two-way communication between the two is established," ISRO tweeted on Monday. The space agency also said the Mission Operations Complex had now more routes to communicate with the lander. In other words, the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter will be the backup communication channel for ISRO with the lander. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises a propulsion module (weighing 2,148 kg), a lander (1,723.89 kg) and a rover (26 kg). Recently, the lander module got detached from the propulsion module and the latter is also circling the moon at an altitude of 25 km x 134 km. The systems of the propulsion module is being checked and would await the sunrise at the designated landing site. The powered descent is expected to commence on August 23, 2023, around 1745 Hrs. IST," ISRO had said. The lander carries the rover inside it and after landing on the moon, the rover is expected to roll down and do the scientific experiments assigned to it. The primary communication channel will be the Mission Operations Complex at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru to Chandrayaan-3 Propulsion Module which in turn would talk to the lander and the rover. According to ISRO, the lander is expected to set its foot near the South Pole of the moon on August 23, 2023 at around 6.04 p.m. The lander will descend to the moon from a height of about 100 km from the moon's surface. The main purpose of India's third moon mission costing about Rs 600 crore is to land the lander softly on the moon. The Chandrayaan-2 mission failed as the lander called 'Vikram' crashed on to the moon. The soft landing is a tricky issue as it involves a series of complex manoeuvres consisting of rough and fine braking. Imaging of the landing site region prior to landing will be done for finding safe and hazard-free zones. Subsequent to the soft landing, the six-wheeled rover will roll out and carry out experiments on the lunar surface for a period of one lunar day which is equal to 14 earth days. Meanwhile, the propulsion module will go around the moon for some more period with its payload Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planetary Earth (SHAPE) doing its job. The Chandrayaan-3 was put into orbit on July 14 in a copybook style by India's heavy lift rocket LVM3. The spacecraft completed orbiting around the earth and headed towards the moon on August 1. On that day a successful perigee-firing performed at ISTRAC, the ISRO had injected the spacecraft into the translunar orbit. Opinion / Columnist As I sit down to reflect on the political landscape and social justice issues that plague our beloved Zimbabwe, a whirlwind of emotions overwhelms me. It is on this Reflection Sunday that I delve deep into the well of personal experiences and insights, acquired through relentless reading and writing about the very fabric of our nation's realities. The stories of courage and hope that emerge from our social justice movement inspire me, but they also force me to confront my hopes, dreams, fears, and frustrations about the future of our nation.Zimbabwe, the land that has witnessed the rise and fall of political regimes, has become a battleground for the pursuit of justice. As an observer and participant in this tumultuous journey, my own experiences of witnessing the perseverance of activists, the resilience of ordinary citizens, and the indomitable spirit that runs through our veins have left an indelible mark on my soul.One cannot discuss the social justice movement in Zimbabwe without acknowledging the countless stories of courage that have emerged from the shadows. It is here that we encounter men and women who have risked their lives to stand up against the injustices that permeate our society.I recall the story of Tendai Mbofana, a young activist who, despite facing countless threats and obstacles, continues to rally for change. His unwavering dedication to the cause serves as a glimmer of hope in the darkest of times. Tendai's story reminds me that even in the face of adversity, it is possible to summon the strength needed to challenge the status quo.The social justice movement has also provided a platform for those whose voices have long been silenced. It is through the stories of these marginalized individuals that we gain insights into the complexity of the struggles they endure daily. Their narratives illuminate the deep-rooted disparities that plague our society and compel us to confront the uncomfortable reality that not everyone has had the privilege of freedom and justice.These stories stir within me a mix of hope and frustration. Hope, because they demonstrate the indomitable spirit of our people, their yearning for a fair and just society. Frustration, because despite the tireless efforts of activists, progress often feels agonizingly slow. We are confronted with the reality that the road to social justice is fraught with obstacles, many of which seem insurmountable.The dreams and hopes I carry for this nation are intertwined with the aspirations of countless Zimbabweans who yearn for a brighter future. I dream of a society where the rule of law is not a mere illusion, where corruption is fiercely challenged, and where the voices of the marginalized are not only heard but amplified.Yet, my fears arise from the lingering doubts that cloud this vision of the future. I fear that our struggle for social justice may be overshadowed by apathy or disillusionment. I fear that our united spirit may falter under the weight of complacency or fear of retribution.This reflection, though imbued with contemplation and introspection, is ultimately a reminder of the pivotal role we all play in shaping our nation's destiny. It is a call to action, a plea to remain resilient in the face of chaos. We must draw strength from the stories of courage and hope that abound within our social justice movement, using them as beacons to guide us forward.In closing, as I share these personal musings on this Reflection Sunday, I urge you, my fellow Zimbabweans, to join me in this collective striving for a just society. Let us build on the resilience that has carried us through the darkest of times. Together, we can nurture the sparks of hope and transform them into a roaring flame that illuminates our path towards a brighter future, where justice, equality, and social harmony prevail.Kumbirai Thierry Nhamo |Writer, Blogger, Poet and ResearcherCall/WhatsApp: +263780022343 | +263716984317Email: kumbiraithierryn@gmail.comWebsite(s): https://zealousthierry.art.blog/ | https://www.poemhunter.com/kumbirai-thierry-nhamo/ New Delhi, Aug 21 : Doctors here successfully performed a complex surgery to remove a tumour from the kidney and uterus of a breast cancer survivor. The patient, Beena Agarwal from Ghaziabad was diagnosed with breast cancer 18 years ago, and was successfully treated by doctors at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. During her recent follow-up visit, an ultrasound examination raised concerns, and the doctor suspected different tumours, one in the upper abdomen, that is the kidney, and one in the lower abdomen that is the uterus. Both were looking cancerous, hence part of the kidney and uterus with ovaries and another tumour found near the uterus but not attached to it were removed. Dr. Praveen Garg, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology at the hospital, who performed the surgery, emphasised the need for cancer patients to be consistent in follow-up visits as "there is a potential for cancer recurrence in different locations for patients with a history of cancer". "Cancer recurrence refers to the return of cancer cells after a period of remission or successful treatment. These recurrent cancer cells can sometimes appear in different parts of the body from where the original cancer was located. This phenomenon is known as metastasis, where cancer cells spread from the primary tumour site to other areas through the bloodstream or lymphatic system," Dr. Garg told IANS. "Therefore, individuals who have had cancer in the past should remain vigilant about regular medical check-ups and screenings to detect any signs of recurrence or metastasis early," he added. The doctor said that the patient Beena has been discharged and does not have any further complications. "We are immensely thankful to Dr. Praveen Garg and his team for their dedication and skill in guiding us through this challenging journey. Their unwavering support and expertise have truly made a difference in our lives," said the patient's family expressing their gratitude. Kolkata, Aug 21 : Not satisfied with the second round of clarification from Jadavpur University (JU) relating to the death of a fresher of the university on August 10, the University Grants Commission (UGCC) has decided to seek another round of clarification from the varsity authorities in this matter. The first year student of Bengali honours died under mysterious circumstances after falling from the balcony of a studentsa hostel on August 10. It is suspected that he became a victim of ragging. The UGC has already communicated to JU authorities about the fresh clarification and a detailed mail in this regard will be sent shortly. JU had sent two rounds of clarification to the commission last week on the steps adopted by the university authorities to prevent incidents of ragging and harassment of first year students on the university campus. The first reply was sent at the beginning of last week. However, after the commission expressed dissatisfaction over the first report and sought clarifications on 12 specific points, the JU authorities had given its second reply attaching 31 files in it. Now, the JU authorities are ready to send the third reply with a team of the anti-ragging cell of the commission scheduled to visit the university campus next week for a on ground investigation. Meanwhile, at a meeting convened by newly-appointed interim vice-chancellor of Buddhadeb Sau on Monday, it has been decided to set up a quick response team to address cases of ragging, be it within the campus or in the studentsa hostels. The quick response team will operate within a 2 km radius area of the university campus. However, no final decision was taken about installing CCTV camera within the university campus at the meeting. Chennai, Aug 21 : In a damage control exercise after it withdrew the auctioning of BJP's Member of Parliament (MP) and actor Sunny Deol, Bank of Baroda has tweeted the technical reasons for its decision. On Monday, the Bank of Baroda had advertised in the newspapers that it is withdrawing the decision on 'technical reasons' to auction the MP and actor's Mumbai property for non-payment of its loan of about Rs 56 crore and interest on that. Only on the previous day, Bank of Baroda had advertised auctioning of Sunny Deol's villa as he owed the bank about Rs 55.99 crore plus interest and cost from December 26, 2022 onwards less recovery up to date. While the major banking union All India Bank Employees' Association's (AIBEA) General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam termed the decision as the ruling BJP's style of phone banking, the opposition Congress party too questioned the bankas decision. Faced with the backlash, Bank of Baroda in a tweet decided to explain the 'technical reasons'. The bank said the total dues do not specify the exact quantum of dues to be recovered. Secondly, the sale notice was based on the symbolic possession of the property as per Rule 8(6) of The Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules 2002. According to the bank, an application for the physical possession of the property has been made on 1.8.2023 with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, which is pending. The bank further said, Sunny Deol had conveyed that the unit is still running, the sale action will be initiated once physical possession is taken as per the SARFAESI Act. The bank also said following the advertisement, the BJP MP-cum-actor had approached it for settling the dues and hence the sale notice was withdrawn as per normal industry practice. The bank in its first advertisement had said the borrowers/guarantors can redeem the securities by paying the outstanding dues/costs/charges and expenses at any time before the sale is conducted. Sunny Deol was described as the borrower/guarantor and the other guarantors are Dharmendra Singh Deol and Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd. The auction notice was issued by Bank of Barodaas Zonal Stressed Asset Recovery Branch, Ballard Estate, Mumbai. Be that as it may, the question that pops up is that can a government owned bank advertise a sale notice of a pledged property with various technical infirmities? Given the profile of the borrower a" BJP MP and an actor - the bank would have been doubly careful while issuing the sale notice. The logical conclusion is that the bank has been issuing such notice for other borrowers as well with technical infirmities. AIBEA's Venkatachalam told IANS: "Obviously it is politics. The auction notice was withdrawn due to adverse publicity to the BJP. They are no different. We demand a thorough investigation into this as to who had issued the first advertisement and who had decided to withdraw the same and why. There should be accountability for this." Chennai, Aug 21 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday rolled out the Green Fellowship programme. Forty meritorious fellows, four research associates and one programme lead were selected under the programme by the Directorate of Climate Change and The Institute of Energy Studies (IES), Anna University. Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to Government in Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department said that the programme gives importance to the role youth can play in shaping policy and driving changes. She said that this also underscores the commitment of the Government of Tamil Nadu for environmental protection and it will secure the environmental future of the state. The selected green fellows will have a term of two years and they will get a stipend of Rs 60,000 per month as also Rs 15000 as travel expenses. They will also receive a laptop. The selected green fellows will be given access to training programmes, workshops and also networking opportunities. The Green Fellows will also have opportunity to receive a Post Graduate Diploma in Climate Change and Sustainability from Anna University after successful completion of the programme. Supriya Sahu said that the Green Fellows will play a vital role in supporting the district administration's environmental projects in the state of Tamil Nadu. The green fellows will also be involved in the efficient delivery of environmental services and promoting eco-friendly initiatives like aMeendum Manjappia. The Green Fellows will also be involved in creating process for environmental management and setting benchmarks worthy of emulating in other regions. Noida, Aug 21 : Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Parishad clashed with the police in Noida on Monday. The farmers had reached the office of Noida MLA Pankaj Singh to 'gherao' his office over their demands. A scuffle broke out after the cops deployed at the MLAas office tried to stop the farmers. However, MLA Pankaj Singh met the farmers and gave assurances to them over their demands. He said, aThe chairman of the Noida Authority, who is also the Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC), should not sit in Lucknow and watch the drama. I am giving 15 days time. I am also giving this time to the Industries Minister. Solve the problem quickly." After the assurance of the MLA, the farmers calmed down. The farmers have been demonstrating at the Noida Authority for the last one month. On Monday, the farmers gathered at the Authority's office located in Sector-6. Later, they marched to the MLA's house in Noida Sector-26 in the afternoon. The police had erected barricades there. The farmers said that they have to meet the MLA, and raised slogans. They became furious when they were stopped from going ahead. During this, there was a scuffle between the police and the farmers. Meanwhile, a team of Authority officials reached there. After the assurance of meeting with the MLA, the farmers sat there. The farmers have been demanding that they should be given compensation at an increased rate against the land acquired for industrial development. They are also demanding residential plots, jobs for their children, etc. Hyderabad, Aug 21 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Mynampally Hanumanth Rao triggered a storm in the party by launching a bitter attack on state Finance and Health Minister T. Harish Rao, alleging that he spoiled the political career of many leaders. The MLA from Malkajgiri constituency lashed out at the minister a few hours before the announcement of 115 BRS candidates by party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for the upcoming Assembly elections. Hanumantha Rao's name figured in the list of candidates but the party has denied ticket to his son Rohith Reddy. The MLA, who along with his son offered worship at Tirumala temple, vowed to defeat Harish Rao. His attack on the minister and top BRS leader, who is nephew of CM KCR, stunned the party circles. The MLA had threatened that he will contest the election as an independent candidate if his son Rohith Rao was not given ticket from Medak constituency. The BRS has decided to once again field sitting MLA Padma Devender Reddy from Medak. It was immediately not known what will be Hanumantha Rao's next course of action but he is reported to be planning to join the Congress party. The MLA believes that Harish Rao is behind the denial of the party ticket to his son. Alleging that Harish Rao spoiled the political career of many, Hanumantha Rao vowed to politically finish him off. He blamed the minister for the lack of development in Medak. In a scathing attack on Harish Rao, Hanumantha Rao asked how a man who came to Hyderabad with rubber slippers and a trunk box today has amassed huge wealth. Hanumanth Rao, who had represented Medak for one term but was elected from Malkajgiri in Greater Hyderabad in 2018, is attempting to regain his foothold in the Medak constituency. After a decade of being limited to Hyderabad, where he has been carrying out various social service activities through the Mynampally Foundation, Hanumantha Rao wanted to field his son from Medak. At the press conference addressed by KCR, he was asked about Hanumantha Rao's threat. "If he abides by the party, it's okay. I he is not going to abide, that is his choice," KCR said. Meanwhile, KCR's son and Minister for Industries and Information Technology K.T. Rama Rao has come to the defence of Harish Rao. KTR, who is also working president of BRS, condemned the MLA's behaviour. He said one of the MLAs made some derogatory comments on Harish Rao. "I not only strongly condemn the MLA's behaviour and also want to make it clear that we all stand with Harish Rao. He has been an integral founding member of the BRS party since its inception and will continue to remain an important pillar of the party as we move forward," said KTR. Several BRS leaders have also reacted strongly to Hanumantha Rao's attack on Harish Rao. New Delhi, Aug 21 : The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will lay down broad parameters in the form of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) relating to summoning of government officials in contempt or other court proceedings. At the outset, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it has gone through the draft SOP submitted by the Centre in this regard and remarked that "some parts of the SOP are really more on how judicial review should be exercised". "We ask the court to frame some guidelines. We have proposed an SOP," said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while pointing out that the main matter was filed after two officials from Uttar Pradesh were taken into custody for non-compliance of an order of the Allahabad High Court, who were later released on directions of the Supreme Court. The bench while reserving the judgment, stressed that in pending cases, where an affidavit filed by an official may serve the purpose must be distinguished with cases of non-compliance of final judgements, where the presence of government officials concerned may be necessary. Recently, the Central government submitted a draft SOP for the consideration of the Supreme Court, saying that personal presence of government officials in courts should only be called for in exceptional cases and not as a matter of routine. "Howsoever, in exceptional cases too wherein in-person appearance of government official is still called for by the court, the court should allow as a first option, to appear before it through VC (video conference)," the SOP suggested. The SOP placed reliance upon the earlier judgments of the Supreme Court providing that courts should practice necessary restraint while summoning the government officials during hearing of cases like writs, PILs and contempt cases. Referring to an instance, where Patna High Court reprimanded the Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development of the Bihar government for "inappropriate attire" though he was dressed in a formal white shirt and trousers, the Centre said that courts should refrain commenting on dress or physical appearance of government officials. Further, the judge of the Patna HC had asked if the officer had attended the civil service training institute in Mussoorie and if they had not told him "how to appear in court". "Government officials are not officers of the court and there should be no objection to their appearing in a decent work dress unless such appearance is unprofessional or unbecoming of her/his position," the SOP said. It said that no contempt should be initiated based on statements made by government counsels that is contrary to the stand of the government affirmed through affidavit or written statement or reply submitted before the court. "Compliance should not be insisted upon by court directing a particular outcome, especially on matters in the executive domain," read the SOP. In case, timeframe stated in the judicial order is requested to be revised on behalf of the government, the court may allow for a revised reasonable timeframe for compliance, it added. Patna, Aug 21 : After facing much criticism, the Bihar government on Monday evening rolled back the decision to change the name of Atal Bihari Vajpayee park in Kankarbagh locality of Patna. The park was renamed by Bihar's environment, forest and climate change minister Tej Pratap Yadav by renaming the Atal Bihari Vajpayee park as Coconut Park on Monday. The ministry of environment on Sunday announced that Tej Pratap Yadav will rename the Atal Bihari Vajpayee park as Coconut Park on Monday. This led to a huge uproar in political circles with BJP leaders like Union MoS home Nityanand Rai, BJP state president Samrat Chaudhary and others heavily criticising Nitish Kumar, saying that he is exposed now. This is the real face of Nitish Kumar who always says 'Respected Atal Ji' and admires him personally on the one hand and tries to break his image on the other hand. Nitish Kumar went to Delhi to offer prayers at the samadhi of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his fifth death anniversary, a few days ago. Following the criticism, he reportedly discussed the matter with deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav during the review meeting of the health department and directed the environment ministry to roll back the decision. After Nitish Kumar's initiative, the environment ministry issued a clarification stating that the original name of the park was Coconut Park but in 2018, a private institution named The Situation and Development Foundation had renamed it as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park and had also erected his statue. New Delhi, Aug 21 : National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday said that it has arrested the fourth accused in ISIS Jabalpur module case. A senior NIA official said that the accused was identified as Kasif Khan, a resident of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The official said that he had been inspired and motivated by the ideology of the banned terrorist organisation ISIS. He had been working closely with his three associates, Syed Mamoor Ali, Mohammad Adil Khan and Mohammad Shahid, who were arrested by the NIA earlier, in May this year. "Kasif, along with the others, was involved in organising Dawah programs to brainwash and radicalise gullible Muslim youth to work for the ISIS, a transnational militant Islamist group, which has been involved in carrying out major terror attacks across the world," said the NIA. The NIA had registered the ISIS Jabalpur module case on May 24, after it learnt that the accused persons were actively disseminating ISIS propaganda through the social media and on-ground Dawah activities. The accused had conspired to carry out violent terror attacks in India on behalf of the ISIS with the ultimate aim of establishing an Islamic State. The NIA investigations had revealed that the module had been conducting meetings to plan terror attacks. They had also been engaged in motivating and recruiting youth, procuring deadly weapons, collecting funds and disseminating ISIS propaganda material. The conspiracy was being planned and ISIS propaganda was being spread by the accused through various social media platforms, the investigations have further revealed. "ISIS has been trying to spread its wings across India by establishing localised terror modules. The NIA has been carrying out extensive investigations to dismantle the terror modules and thwart ISISas nefarious designs," added the official. New Delhi, Aug 21 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Monday that it recently conducted search operations on bank lockers belonging to Cherukuri Sridhar and his family members in connection with a bank fraud case against Transstroy India Limited. Sridhar is the former CMD of Transstroy India Limited. The operations resulted in the recovery and seizure of 9.34 kg jewellery worth Rs 6.98 crore, and 2.27 kg of gold coins and bars worth Rs 1.37 crore. The total seizure is valued at Rs 8.35 crore. The ED had initiated a money laundering investigation based on an FIR registered by the CBI, alleging bank fraud, cheating, and criminal breach of trust by Transstroy India Ltd, its directors and others. Transstroy India had been enjoying credit facilities under a multi-banking system, availing various credit facilities from more than 10 banks. The ED's investigation revealed that the directors of Transstroy India conspired with others, misused loan funds, and diverted the same through various methods, such as accommodated Letters of Credit (LC) transactions, diverting funds to accounts maintained outside the consortium, and engaging in multilayered transactions with the help of entry providers. Earlier, the ED had conducted search operations at nine locations in Hyderabad and Guntur, including the premises of Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, ex-MP, and Cherukuri Sridhar, ex-CMD of Transstroy India Limited. Announcing Corporate Acquisition of BNI Sweden, BNI Norway & BNI Finland Franchises CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 21, 2023 /CNW/ -- BNI Global, the world's largest business networking organization, is thrilled to announce its acquisition of BNI Sweden, BNI Norway, and BNI Finland to help foster greater success and growth for the vibrant small business community in Scandinavia. BNI New Logo (PRNewsfoto/BNI) According to the latest data from the European Union (source: europa.eu), small-medium enterprises (SMEs) make up 99.8% of Sweden, Norway, and Finland's total enterprises, with approximately 1.2 million SME businesses across Scandinavia. BNI provides these small businesses with structured weekly meetings, leadership and professional development, and technology to generate revenue, build strategic relationships, and find fresh capital sources to grow their businesses. With a strong and diverse BNI Membership base of over 3,000 entrepreneurs and business owners across Sweden, Norway, and Finland, BNI Scandinavia has become a thriving hub for business connections, referrals, and growth. Over the past 12 months alone, this vibrant community has generated $147 million USD in revenue1 for Member businesses. Pasi Pasanen, Country Manager of BNI Finland, says about the acquisition, "I am excited that BNI, which operates globally, also brings significant benefits to local companies." Through this acquisition, BNI Global expects to contribute enhanced resources, expertise, and global connectivity to the entrepreneurs and professionals in Scandinavia. Leveraging BNI's extensive global network of over 300,000 Members across the world, individuals in Sweden, Norway, and Finland can tap into these resources for faster access to global systems. By harnessing these systems, they can enhance their connections, extend their reach beyond local markets, and unlock new opportunities for growth. Kare Morten Sundby, Country Manager of BNI Norway, says, "It's a big milestone for BNI Norway to have BNI as a global organization, so close to our partners and local market. I'm really excited for the future growth for our partners." Story continues "The direct support from BNI Global is an exciting opportunity for us, as well as for small businesses in Scandinavia," says Patrik Wilen, Country Manager of BNI Sweden. "Members using BNI's concept at its full potential has always been a catalyst for success, and this new chapter in our collaboration will empower our Members to thrive in an increasingly interconnected global economy, all while reshaping the business landscape in Scandinavia." About BNI BNI (Business Network International) is the world's largest and most successful business networking organization. Today, BNI has over 300,000+ Member-businesses participating in over 10,900+ BNI Chapters that meet in-person, online, or in a hybrid format each week in 77+ countries around the globe. Since inception in 1985, BNI has proudly helped 1.9 million businesses garner over $164 billion USD in revenue2. To learn more about BNI and how you can visit a chapter, go to www.bni.com. BNI's philosophy is centered on Givers Gain and BNI's motto is Changing the Way the World Does Business. To learn more about how BNI works, watch this short video here. If you are interested in learning how you can visit a BNI Chapter for free, please reach out to our Support Team at (800)-825-8286 (USA) or support@bni.com (internationally). 1.This information is based on historical BNI Member self-reported data as of June 21, 2023, and represents collective results from BNI Members in Sweden, Norway, and Finland over the last 12 months. 2.This information is based on historical BNI Member self-reported data and represents collective results from BNI Members worldwide from 1985 to 2023. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bni-global-to-bolster-small-business-growth-in-scandinavia-301904731.html SOURCE BNI Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2023/21/c4687.html Bengaluru, Aug 21 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday said that the state was directed to release 10,000 cusecs of water from Cauvery till August 31. "Our requirement is 124 TMC of water. However, only 55 TMC of water is available. The Mekedatu project is the only solution for the present water scarcity," he said. Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar explained that Bengaluru city requires 24 TMC for drinking water. Mysuru, Mandya and Ramanagara require 20 TMC of water. The state reservoirs KRS has 22 TMC, Kabini 6.5 TMC, Harangi 7 TMC and Hemavathi 20 TMC of water storage. He said that there is no water available with the state to release for Tamil Nadu. For the sake of standing crops and the benefit of farmers the water has been released two times. "We have requested the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) to reconsider its decision. Once the all party meeting is held, a decision to make an appeal in the Supreme Court will be made," he said. He said that some want politics and controversy to be created around the issue however the people already know the role of such people. He said that the all party meeting has been called under the chairmanship of Chief Minister on August 23 over the matters of Cauvery, Mahadayi and Mekedatu projects issues. "Former chief ministers and members of parliament have also been invited. If the opposition is willing to take an all party delegation to the union government over the Cauvery issue, the Congress government will welcome it," the Deputy Chief Minister said. "We are adopting a wait and watch policy. The Supreme Court had directed to release 10,000 cusecs till August 31. The opposition is criticising it. I know how water was released to Tamil Nadu during their tenure," he said. He said that the Tamil Nadu government has gone against the CWDT and not against Karnataka. The central government should have filed a petition against Tamil Nadu's submission, why have they not done so, he asked. Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that Tamil Nadu has utilised 64 TMC of water. "Can we stop them from using their share of water? They can use their share of water as per their wishes. We don't have the right to question them. We release water with meticulous calculations counting every drop. We have not released additional water," he said. New Delhi, Aug 21 : With Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge constituting the new Congress Working Committee (CWC) -- party's highest decision making body on Sunday, now all eyes are set on the reshuffle in the general secretary in-charges of the states, party sources said on Monday. On Sunday, with just roughly eight months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kharge announced a new CWC, which includes senior leaders like Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several others. The inclusion of Pilot came just months ahead of the crucial Assembly polls in Rajasthan. While the panel includes 39 general members, it has 32 permanent invitees, including some in-charges of state and 13 special invitees. The list also includes presidents of the Youth Congress, the National Studentsa Union of India, the Mahila Congress and the Seva Dal as ex-officio members. A party source here said that the Congress is all set to make changes in the general secretary in-charges of several states, barring the election-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. The source said that the changes are planned and very soon several general secretaries will be changed for more results in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year. The source said that like the CWC list, there will once again many surprises in the changes. Earlier this month, Congress has replaced the in-charge of Gujarat Raghu Sharma with Mukul Wanik and replaced Madhya Pradesh in-charge JP Agarwal with Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is also the in-charge of Karnataka. In June this year, the Congress had replaced Shaktisinh Gohil as the incharge of Delhi and Haryana with Deepak Babaria. New Delhi, Aug 21 : The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday formed a four-member team, which visited the hospital where a minor girl who was raped has been admitted. "The NCW inquiry committee went to meet the victim at the hospital. The victim's mother had submitted a written request to the police stating their preference for privacy. We unequivocally respect the decision and their right to privacy during this challenging time," NCW posted in their X handle. Earlier, the NCW chairperson had directed the Commissioner of Police for a swift inquiry into the allegations of sexual assault on the minor by an official of the Women and Child Development departmentand present a report within five days. "NCW is deeply disturbed by a recent media report concerning allegations of sexual assault on a minor levelled against a Delhi government official, along with disturbing details of the victim's ordeal. "This heinous crime happened repeatedly with the victim and it is shocking that the perpetrator was working right under the nose of the Delhi government. The accused has been suspended, but not arrested. NCW chairperson has directed the Commissioner of Police and the Secretary in the Women and Child Development department to conduct a swift inquiry and present a report within five days," NCW said. Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Monday conducted a raid at the residence of the senior government official who has been booked on charges of raping the minor girl. The victim is still under trauma and stress and is currently under medical observation. As per sources, the accused official worked as the deputy director in the Women and Child Development department while the victim was a Class XII student. The accused allegedly repeatedly raped the victim between 2020 and 2021. She had met the accused at a church. In 2020, the victim's father had died, after which she got into depression. The accused, who had already befriended her, took her to his house on the pretext of helping her. The girl told the police that between October 2020 and February 2021, when she was with her "guardian" who lived in Burari, she was raped several times. New Delhi, Aug 21 : The Delhi Commission for Women Chief has issued notices to police and Delhi government in the matter of sexual assault with a 16-year-old girl by an government official in the national Capital. DCW said that the accused, who is a Deputy Director in the Department of Women and Child Development, sexually assaulted the girl for several months. "The girl was living in the house of the accused after the death of her father in October, 2020, as the accused was her father's family friend. The girl has alleged that the officer raped her multiple times from November-2020 to January-2021," it said. "She has stated that when she informed the same to the wife of the officer, she blamed the girl. She has alleged that when she became pregnant after the rape, the accused wife administered her contraceptive pills which resulted in her abortion. The girl has stated that she came back to her home after January 2021, but whenever the accused met her, he molested her," it further said. The matter came into light after the girl was admitted in a city hospital due to an anxiety attack. "The girl has been going through a severe mental trauma and is presently admitted in a hospital," said a senior DCW official. The official further said that Maliwal has issued notices to Delhi Police and WCD and Services Department of Delhi Government seeking action in the matter. "The Commission has asked the Delhi Police to provide a copy of the FIR along with details of arrest made in the matter. The Commission has also sought the details of action taken against the officer by the Delhi Government. "The Commission has sought details of any complaint made against the officer in the past along with details of action taken thereon. The Commission has asked the Delhi Police and Delhi Government to provide an action taken report to the Commission latest by 05.00 p.m on August 23," said the official. Maliwal also went to meet the survivor in the hospital. "However, she was not allowed to meet the girl by the hospital authorities. She then was forced to sit on a dharna outside the hospital to meet the survivor. "Further, the Director of the hospital came to meet DCW Chief and informed her that DCP and ACP of Delhi Police are inside the hospital and had asked the hospital to not allow the meeting of DCW Chief with the survivor. DCW Chief at the time of this release is continuing with the dharna," said the official. Washington, Aug 21 : Donald Trump has to surrender by Friday next (August 25) before Fulton County Judge Robert C.I. McBurney to answer DA Willis' 41-count charges of criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 presidential election verdict and poll interference in Georgia under the omnibus RICO Act, and the former US President is leveraging the event of fingerprinting and mug shot to advance his fortunes in the 2024 race by projecting himself as a martyr. One of the main reasons for Trump skipping the Milwaukee Republican sponsored debate on Wednesday is to avoid taking any risks where he would have to defend himself against eight contestants led by his arch enemy former VP Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and instead give his side of the story face-to-face with Tucker Carlson on Fox TV. That works better for him, media reports said. Even as the IOWA caucus was a huge success for Trump as majority of his supporters in the state rejected the charges levelled against him and donat strongly believe that the 4th indictment at Georgia and the ones before it could have their larger than life figure doing anything wrong. Yet, Trump has the ignominy of being the first US President in American history to be tried for criminal conspiracy, tax evasion, tax fraud, and paying hush money to an adult porn star, being involved in a Ponzi scheme and being labelled as a misogynist by a woman who has sued him for $10 million for defamation. Even as Trump's popularity grows among his 'blind' supporters rejecting the indictments, there is as yet no proof or evidence that he would get the RNC or GOP's nominee status as senior party leaders would weigh in the advantages and disadvantages of fielding a candidate with legal woes rather than a Trumpian mould DeSantis who could be a sure shot. Even as Trump thinks he is growing stronger by the day, inching closer toward a GOP nomination, his legal woes spill over to as long as May 2024. Here is the calendar of trials he faces: Four criminal trials and two civil trials. While some trials have been scheduled already, some others only have proposed trial dates. Trump is the only President to be charged on 100 counts of felony by various courts. The Calendar of Trials: October 2, 2023 a" scheduled start of New York AGas civil trial alleging fraud by Trump and children in Trump business of fraudulently obtaining loans from Deutsche Bank by inflating property values, availing tax concessions illegally and indulging in a 15-year tax fraud for which he has been sued for $250 million by DA Letitia James. January 2, 2024 a" Department of Justice's proposed start of federal criminal trial over 2020 election subversion by trying to stop the electoral process of confirming Joe Biden as the newly-elected President, culminating in the infamous attack on Capitol Hill by a violent mob of supporters endangering the lives of Senators and Vice President Pence who was presiding over the Congress proceedings. January 15, 2024 a" scheduled start of second defamation case brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll who has sued him for $10 million after a $5 million settlement for hauling up Trump for saying things on TV and media defaming her character and integrity. March 4, 2024 a" Fulton County district attorney's proposed state criminal trial in Georgia over 2020 election subversion where Trump's call to state official Raffensperger to find 11,000 votes to undo the win of Joe Biden. Trump and 18 of his colleagues, including chief counsel Rudy Guliani, have been charged paradoxically under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, never used against politicians before but only against racketeers, mobsters and narcos. March 25, 2024 a" scheduled start of state criminal trial in New York over the 2016 hush money scheme where he tried to hide an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels with money through his legal counsel Michel Cohen. May 20 or 27, 2024 a" scheduled start of federal criminal trial in the Mar-a-Lago documents case where Trump spirited away classified documents from the White House at the end of his presidency that contained sensitive information collated by the CIA, National Intelligence Agency and FBI on Iran and North Korea's nuclear ambitions, instead of returning them to the National Archives. Some of these dates were scheduled by a judge while the others were proposed by a prosecutor, so they could change eventually, reports said. Trumps' surrender at the Fulton County Jail in Georgia will work differently from the normal cases because of his status as a former President. It would not follow the normal procedure where police make an arrest, the person arrested is booked into jail and that person must appear before a magistrate judge within 72 hours. But this process for Trump and his 18 co-defendants facing grand jury arrest warrants will play entirely differently. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis gave the 19 defendants until noon on August 25 to surrender voluntarily. The grand juryas arrest warrants don't become effective; until they are entered into the Georgia Crime Information Centre by the DA, in this case Fan Willis. Meanwhile, Trumpsa attorneys are expected to negotiate with the DAsa office to work out the terms of release and bond for their clients a" better known as a Consent Bond. The judge who considers the bond agreement, in this case McBurney, has to consider four factors when deciding whether to approve them, attorneys told the CNN network. The judge has to determine the defendant is not a flight risk, is not likely to commit other felonies pending trial, does not present a danger to the community and is not likely to intimidate witnesses or take other steps to interfere with the case. As per the protocols of the Fulton County Sheriffas office, all the defendants in this case are to be booked at the Rice Street Jail. Once a defendant enters the jail and is taken into custody, he/she is technically aunder arrest". They are not expected to be handcuffed. Once the defendants are taken into custody, they are expected to be fingerprinted and have their mug shot taken, according to Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat. Normally, the procedures of medical screening and frisking take hours. But attorneys told CNN the process could move more swiftly for VIP defendants in the Trump case. They could be processed within 15 minutes if officials at the jail are to swiftly move them in and get them out, NBC reported. If the defendants have a bond agreement in place, they will be processed and then released. If the defendants do not have a bond agreement in place, they will be kept in custody. The jail is open 24x7 and the defendants can turn themselves in at any time. Some may try to coordinate with the Sheriffas office before they arrive in order to expedite the process. In Trumpas case, one can expect the Secret Service to coordinate with the Sheriffas office ahead of time. Once bonded, a typical defendant exits through the front door. High-profile defendants in the past have been allowed to exit through an alternate intake entrance a" one that is less accessible to the public and media once driven beyond the gate. Srinagar, Aug 21 : Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday inaugurated the international buyer-seller meet at University of Kashmir. As many 24 International and many domestic buyers are participating in the two-day buyer-seller meet. L-G appreciated the J&K Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) and Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC) for their endeavor to promote the export of handloom and handicraft products of J&K. "The handloom and handicraft sector of J&K is ageless cultural asset of India, carrying a strong influence of our rich cultural diversity and spiritual traditions. It is the source of socio-economic growth to a large section of society and creating a rich pool of artisans," he said. L-G said that the growth potential of handloom and handicraft sector and the increasing demand for local products in global market. "I see Jammu Kashmir as the principal handicraft, handloom market of the future. The creativity of our craftspeople, weavers, artisans and the indigenous skills is being recognized and admired by the world," the L-G said. He said that export is biggest source of revenue for handloom, handicraft and both Global North and Global South are major destinations to our handmade products. "Our aim is to create a strong edifice of trade relationship to give a much-needed boost to our handloom and handicraft sector," he said. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Aam Aadmi Party will participate in the third meeting of INDIA which is scheduled to be held in Mumbai at the end of this month. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal confirmed the participation while talking to reporters saying that they will participate in the meeting. Earlier, the INDIA organised two meetings first in Bihar and second in Karnataka, AAP participated in both the meetings. AAP was not happy with Congress leader Alka Lamba's remarks about Congress contesting all seven Delhi Lok Sabha independently. Some of AAP leaders had indicated that AAP will not attend crucial INDIA meeting in Mumbai. However, after Congress clarified that Alka Lamba's statement wasn't an official statement, AAP leaders said that final decision will be taken by the party senior leaders. AAP had sought Congress's help to oppose the Delhi Services Bill in the Rajya Sabha and Congress had fully supported AAP. New Delhi, Aug 21 : In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken action by attaching movable and immovable assets worth Rs 3.11 Crore belonging to several individuals, including Babulal Katara, Suresh Kumar alias Suresh Bishnoi, Suresh Dhaka, Bhupendra Saran, Anil Meena alias Sher Singh Meena, and others. ED said that the assets were attached in connection with the paper leak case which has rocked Rajasthan recently. ED said that the action was taken following the initiation of a PMLA investigation prompted by FIRs lodged by the Rajasthan Police. These FIRs were registered under various sections of the IPC against Suresh Kumar alias Suresh Bishnoi, Suresh Dhaka, Bhupendra Saran, and other individuals believed to be connected to the case. ED said that the accused individuals were responsible for leaking the question paper for the General Knowledge section of the Senior Teacher Grade II Competitive Examination 2022. The examination was scheduled to be conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) at multiple venues across the state. ED said that Babulal Katara, a member of RPSC, played a role in leaking the aforementioned question paper. The leaked paper was allegedly sold to Anil Meena alias Sher Singh Meena, who subsequently supplied it to Bhupendra Saran, Suresh Dhaka, and other agents. These leaked papers were then provided to aspiring candidates in exchange for a fee ranging between Rs 8 to 10 lakh per candidate. ED said that approximately 150 candidates in Udaipur and 30 candidates in Jaipur were reported to have received the leaked paper. ED said that these accused individuals were involved in a range of malpractices, including operating a paper leak racket and arranging dummy candidates for competitive exams. ED said that the investigation into the matter is ongoing. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Against the backdrop of the recent land cracking and sinking issues in Joshimath, the Supreme Court on Monday indicated that it could form an expert committee to assess the "carrying capacity or bearing capacity" of the ecological fragile Indian Himalayan region. A bench comprising CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra mooted formation of an expert panel to carry out a comprehensive study and asked the counsel appearing for petitioner to suggest the broad terms of reference for such a panel. The petitioner pointed out that the "carrying capacity" template was formed by the government in the past and there is a need to undertake a comprehensive study by expert institutions. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, who was appearing for the Centre, referred to an order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and told the bench that such a template was formulated. She said that the Union government has already addressed a communication to states and UTs in this regard. The court has posted the matter for hearing on August 28, while seeking response of the states and UTs concerned in the matter. The plea claimed the Indian Himalayan Region, spread across 13 states/Union Territories (UTs), is facing issues of unsustainable and hydrologically disastrous constructions -- home stays, hotels, and commercial accommodations -- hydropower projects and unregulated tourism, which has allegedly collapsed the drainage and waste management system. The plea filed by Ashok Kumar Raghav said these governments have failed in preparing and implementing the master plans, tourism plans, lay-out, area development or zonal plans. It added that due to non-existent carrying or bearing capacity studies, grave geological hazards in the form of landslides, land subsidence, land cracking and sinking issues such as that in Joshimath and previously as flash floods or glacial bursts in Kedarnath (2013) and Chamoli (2021), are being witnessed and serious ecological and environmental depredation is taking place in the hills. New Delhi, Aug 21 : National M.Sc Medical Teachers' Association (NMMTA) held a demonstration against the National Medical Commission (NMC) at Jantar Mantar on Monday. "The rally unfolds against the backdrop of a series of policy shifts and amendments enacted by NMC subsequent to its assumption of responsibilities from the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI). Of particular contention are the revised proportions delineating the permissible presence of non-medical educators," the NMMTA said in a statement. "The NMC, under its revised guidelines, curtailed the allowed percentage of non-medical educators. Moreover, the NMC introduced a range of regulations that adversely impact non-medical educators." ""The presence of non-medical educators in medical education is not an anomaly unique to India, it is a globally accepted practice. In medical institutions in the United States, for instance, only 8-11 per cent of educators in these subjects are medical professionals, while the rest are non-medical educators," said Tukaram Prabhu, president of NMMTA. Dr Ayan Das, Secretary of NMMTA, said: "The crux of the matter lies in the symbiotic relationship between non-clinical and clinical disciplines within the realm of medical education. Both disciplines contribute to a comprehensive education, with non-clinical subjects often being taught by both medical and non-medical educators, while clinical subjects are exclusively handled by medical educators possessing MBBS and MD/MS qualifications." He said that the role of non-medical educators, particularly in addressing the shortage of medical teachers in non-clinical specialties, dates back to the 1960s. Samsung launched new 83-inch OLED TVs in Korea last week using archrival LG's display panels for the first time in the history of Korea's jealous chaebol or family-owned conglomerates. Top-ranked Samsung and second-ranked LG historically use their own screens and made sure the specs are slightly different from their rivals' so that customers have to stick with one or the other. But that unspoken rule was broken by Samsung in order to avoid being overtaken by Chinese rivals in the global TV market slump. Samsung has been peevishly silent about the use of LG Display's panels and the new model, although it was already launched in the U.S. in July and in Korea this month. Japanese business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the move is a tacit recognition of the rival's product quality and "akin to conceding defeat in their technological rivalry." The cast of Derry Girls The cast of Derry Girls Those who missed the third season of Derry Girls while it was airing on Channel 4 last year have been given a second chance to say goodbye to the much-loved characters as the final episodes are now streaming on Netflix. Given that, at the time of writing, its the third most-watched show on the streaming service in the UK, its fair to say therell be a lot of people left wondering what to do with themselves once theyre done with that impactful final episode. Well, if youre missing Derry Girls, we just might have some exciting news for you. On Tuesday morning, Channel 4 announced a new show written by Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee. Billed as a comedy thriller and not so much a whodunit as a what the hell happened, the new series How To Get To Heaven From Belfast focusses on a trio of life-long friends, whose lives are turned upside down when they discover an old friend from school has died. A Channel 4 press release explains: The eight-part comedy series will follow Saoirse, Robyn and Dara who have been friends since school. Now in their late thirties they lead very different lives. Saoirse a successful writer with a compulsion to hit the self-destruct button, Robyn, a sweary, stressed out mother of three young boys, and Dara, a full-time carer of an elderly parent, who hasnt managed to move out of her teenage bedroom. When the women each receive an email informing them of the death of Greta, an old classmate they were once very close with, theres clearly some unspoken, unfinished business. The friends decide to attend Gretas wake and discover all may not be quite as it seems. They soon find themselves embroiled in a dark and twisted mystery. Its absolutely terrifying. But its also.... utterly thrilling. Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee at the 2023 TV Baftas Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee at the 2023 TV Baftas The press release continues: These women are about to embark on the most exciting adventure of their lives. An adventure that will take them from their native Belfast, a city full of ghosts, the pain of the past plastered on every mural, to the mythic wildness of rural Donegal and right across Ireland, as they attempt to put the pieces of the puzzle together and uncover the truth. Even if their own complicated, chaotic and messy lives often get in the way. Story continues Lisa McGee enthused: Ive wanted to make a comedy thriller set in Northern Ireland for such a long time. I cannot wait to share these flawed funny women with everyone. Derry Girls debuted in 2018 to huge critical acclaim, and ran for three seasons. As well as rave reviews, the show pulled in massive viewing figures, with the first series becoming Channel 4s biggest comedy launch since 2004 and the most-watched TV series in North Ireland since modern records began in 2002. Channel 4 has said further announcements about How To Get To Heaven From Belfast including its cast will be announced in due course. READ MORE: Imphal, Aug 21 : United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of the Nagas in Manipur, on Monday objected to the demand of a Kuki organisation for the creation of the posts of Chief Secretary and Director General of Police or equivalents in the Kuki areas. Ten Manipur MLAs belonging to the Kuki-Zo community, including seven from the BJP, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week demanding creation of the posts of DGP and Chief Secretary for the Kuki inhabited hill districts of Manipur. The 10 MLAs and two leading tribal bodies -- Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) and Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) -- have also been demanding separate administrations for the tribals. The demand was opposed by both the Centre and the state government. The UNC said in a statement: "While the Nagas have better sense of hardships, distresses etc. borne by the Kuki-Zo people as the consequence of the present ethnic conflict, it has become all the more inevitable for the Nagas to register our opposition to the issues raised and incorporated in their memorandum submitted to different authorities as it is posing a big threat to the very existence and inalienable rights of the Nagas, particularly in the state of Manipur." The United Naga Council has been putting in all possible efforts to end the ongoing ethnic conflict between the warring communities of Kuki-Zo and Meiteis through dialogue, but unfortunately things are not turning positive as expected, the statement said. It claimed that the Nagas are also taken aback by the blatant lies, lop-sided history and fabricated information contained in every statement and memorandum issued by the Kuki-Zo community, which is tantamount to distortion of Naga history and insult to the Naga people. With regard to land, the Nagas' opposition to the creation of new districts in 2016 remains alive as an unfinished issue, the UNC said, adding that of the districts, the ones carved out from Senapati and Chandel districts are the handiworks of the Congress government's appeasement policy carried out in the name of administrative convenience. "Hence, the demand for separate administration which incorporates the so-called new two districts is necessarily opposed. The Nagas' stand on the opposition remains unchanged. The bifurcation of the so-called two districts is an issue virtually with the Kukis only, not with Zo people," the Naga body said. Columns of illegal camps are being built at an alarming rate near the town of Moreh and its surrounding areas to facilitate the settlement of those intruding Kukis from Myanmar, it said. If the flow of illegal immigrants is not stopped by the Centre and the state government, the day would not be long when the indigenous population would be reduced to a minority, the Naga body claimed. The UNC said the August 16 memorandum sent to the Prime Minister by 10 MLAs demanding the creation of the posts of Chief Secretary and Director General of Police or equivalents, is nothing but a mere different tune sung out of the same lyrics -- the demand for separate administration. In this regard too, the Nagas are not with the Kukis as it involves the problems raised above, it said. Moreover, it is completely uncanny and unfortunate on the part of the Kuki-Zo people to have clubbed Chandel district along with the so-called Tengnoupal district together with Churachandpur district as their land, the Naga organisation said. The Nagas urged the Kukis to show the basis of the inclusion, stating that Nagas will not remain silent over the issue. The Nagas believe that nothing in this regard is too late to set the wrong to right, the UNC statement stated. New Delhi, Aug 21 : Delhi Government on Monday said that the alleged rape accused was never appointed as OSD to Minister Atishi. The Delhi government clarified that when Atishi was given charge of WCD, the accused was removed from OSD post. "The portfolio of Department of Women & Child Development (WCD) has been allocated to the newly appointed Minister Atishi. In view of the above position, Premoday Khakha, Deputy Director (WCD) who had been deployed as OSD to then Minister (WCD), Kailash Gahlot is hereby relieved from his duties with effect from March 10, 2023," read the order copy of the Delhi Government. The order further read that Khakha was directed to report for duties to his parent Department which is Women & Child Development. However, the LG office said that, "No repatriation of Premoday Khakha has been done till date, so he continues to be an OSD. But after the new minister took charge, he wasn't physically attending." Khakha has been accused of repeatedly raping a class XII minor girl for several months. An FIR of rape read with sections of POCSO was lodged against him and his wife with Buraro Police Station and the couple was placed under arrest on Monday. Chennai, Aug 21 : Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to prevent the construction of a dam at Meekdatu by Karnataka. In a statement issued on Monday, the senior leader said that if a dam is constructed across the Cauvery river in Mekedatu, it would render the 90-year-old Mettur dam useless. Ramadoss issued the statement on the 90th anniversary of the Mettur dam, which was opened on August 21, 1934. He said the Mettur dam provides drinking water and is instrumental to the agricultural prosperity of several Tamil Nadu districts. The PMK leader said that the party will be in the forefront to oppose the construction of Mekedatu dam by Karnataka. He also said that the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore had opposed the construction of the Mettur dam for decades, but the dam was constructed overcoming all such hurdles. The PMK founder called upon the state of Tamil Nadu to protest in unison against the construction of the dam in Mekedatu by Karnataka which he claimed would dry up the Mettur dam and thereby lead to loss of water for irrigation in many districts of the state. Imphal, Aug 21 : The combined security forces in Manipur on Monday recovered seven looted arms and 81 different types of ammunition from Imphal East, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts, the police said. The arms and ammunition were looted from various police stations by the attackers during the ethnic clashes which broke out in Manipur on May 3. A police officer said on Monday night that on the intervening night of Sunday-Monday, unidentified attackers set on fire four abandoned houses, one kuccha hut and one community hall at Langol in Imphal West district. The district police and fire service personnel rushed to the spot and controlled the fire. Six persons have been arrested in connection with the arson. New Delhi, Aug 22 : Ahmedabad-based asset reconstruction company (ARC), CFM, one of the four ARCs that were searched by the Income Tax department in December 2021, has been handed a 600 MW plant of Vidarbha Industries Power Ltd (VIPL), without any challenge from any other bidder, for Rs 1,265 crore, a media report said. The report highlighted that the amount is just Rs 5 crore more than Reliance's OTS (one time settlement) offer price of Rs 1,260 crore. As per the Swiss Challenge process, the lenders were supposed to determine the starting price between 5 per cent minimum and 15 per cent maximum of the base price of Rs 1,220 crore that was initially offered by CFM.This would mean Rs 1,281 crore to Rs 1,403 crore. Notably, after the Income Tax department searches, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had also carried out a special audit of these ARCs and based on the outcomes, it had issued them show-cause notices in May 2023. However, despite serious charges, CFM Asset Reconstruction Pvt. Ltd. has been handed over the 600 MW VIPL, the report said. The report also claimed that for the Swiss Challenge process, SBI Caps had shortlisted Aditya Birla ARC, Reliance ARC and Asset Reconstruction Company India Ltd (ARCIL). "But, Swiss Challenge did not happen because two companies finally did not turn up, while Reliance ARC was kept in the dark even while the lenders finalised the deal with CFM, accepted its offer, and received the entire payment in a matter of few hours on the same day," it said. The sequence of events was executed on August 17, and the details leave no doubt that favouritism and not due process ruled the day, it said. The report further highlighted how VIPL called a joint lenders' meeting (JLM) to review and for the selection of qualified bidder for the sale of VIPL's debt. It said that two bidders, namely Aditya Birla ARC and ARCIL, did not submit the required documents post Eol application for the purpose of participating in Swiss Challenge. During the first meeting on August 17, the lenders decided to call for legal opinion on the eligibility of Reliance ARC, it said. Meanwhile, the anchor bidder CFM was called to increase its bid more than the VIPL'S OTS amount of Rs 1,260 crore, it said. The lenders again called a JLM during the day wherein CFM informed that it can increase its bid amount to Rs 1,265 crore, i.e., just Rs 5 crore above the VIPL OTS amount. The lenders accepted the CFM offer and closed the process. They asked CFM to deposit the amount the very same day, on August 17. CFM, within two hours, deposited the entire amount in three tranches in the lenders' account after taking it from Dickey Alternative Investment Trust having its office at 1106, Indra Prakash Building, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi, the report highlighted. It also said that while CFM was completing the process quietly, Reliance ARC was chasing them to know at what time the bidding will start on August 18. Instead of informing the exact timing of the bidding, Reliance ARC was informed at 6:50 p.m. of its disqualification on grounds of Section 29A of IBC and others. It appears that the lenders put up a pretence of following the Swiss Challenge, but actually no other bidder participated. The process was aimed to achieve the predetermined goal of selecting CFM. VIPL has a 600 MW power generation unit at Butibori, Nagpur. New Delhi, Aug 22 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has filed a charge sheet against ARSS Damoh-Hirapur Tolls Pvt. Ltd. (ARSSDHTPL), ARSS Infrastructure Projects Ltd. (ARSSIPL), Anil Contractors Pvt. Ltd. (ACPL) and its CMD, and directors in connection with a PMLA case pertaining to Rs 22.42 crore loan fraud. "The charge sheet was filed before the special PMLA court in Bhubaneswar with prayer for conviction of the accused and confiscation of properties worth Rs 21.19 crore," said an ED official. The ED initiated an investigation under the PMLA based on an FIR and chargesheet filed by the CBI. The ED investigation revealed that the term loan amount of Rs 56.29 crore disbursed to ARSSDHTPL was diverted to regularise irregular cash credit loan account of ARSSIPL. The loan amounts were then diverted for expenditure which were not related to Damoh-Hirapur Road project and also to a sister concern named ACPL which had no involvement in Damoh-Hirapur Road project. Earlier, the ED had attached assets worth Rs 21.19 crore belonging to the accused. New Delhi, Aug 22 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has filed charge sheet against Abhay Kant Pathak, a former Indian Forest Services (IFoS) officer who previously served as Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Plan, Programme & Afforestation in Bhubaneswar, and his son Akash Kumar Pathak in connection with a disproportionate assets (DA) case. The charge sheet was submitted at a Special PMLA court in Bhubaneswar, and the court has taken cognizance of the matter. The ED initiated a PMLA investigation based on an FIR registered by the Vigilance Cell P.S., Vigilance Directorate, Odisha Police, under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Abhay Kant Pathak and his son Akash Kumar Pathak. The investigation revealed possession of assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, amounting to Rs 9.35 crore by Abhay Kant Pathak. Throughout the investigation, several other FIRs and chargesheets registered by the Odisha Police against Akash Kumar Pathak and Abhay Kant Pathak were obtained. These pertained to the criminal activities of Akash Kumar Pathak, who deceived unsuspecting individuals with promises of jobs at Tata Motors. Earlier, the ED conducted two search operations and subsequently seized a BMW car. New Delhi, Aug 22 : Mutually agreeing that no new posts are constructed in close proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and identifying specific limits of patrolling, were some of the issues discussed in the Major General-level talks held between India and China at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and Chushul, as per media sources. The discussions also included not increasing troops by both countries along the LAC. Sources said that both the countries have agreed to refrain from violating any airspace by drones, defining 'boundaries' of patrolling, exchanging prior information about each other's patrols, strictly following border protocols and where troops from both sides have been reduced since maintaining the integrity of such buffer zones. The meeting between India and China took place at the Chushul-Moldo border point on the Indian side of the LAC. Since the border standoff started in May 2020, the armies of both countries have disengaged from the northern and southern flanks of the Pangong Tso, Gogra and Hot Springs area, though tensions remain in the Depsang plains and Demchok region. With respect to Depsang and Demchok, both sides have failed to make any significant progress. The Indian side is looking for a solution to resolve the boundary issues at Depsang Point and CNN Junction. The talks were held to resolve the standoff in eastern Ladakh, in which India was represented by Major General PK Mishra and Major General Hariharan. The talks were held to resolve the ongoing deadlock in Ladakh's Depsang ground and Demchok area. Army said that the talks took place in a clear and practical environment. Both sides held positive, constructive and in-depth discussions on resolution of outstanding issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. In line with the guidance provided by the leadership, the Indian and Chinese army exchanged views in an open and forward-looking manner. On August 14, 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks were held between the Indian Army and the China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). During the talks, the withdrawal of troops in the tense area in eastern Ladakh and reducing the tension were discussed. The Depsang and Demchok areas were discussed by the Indian side. Significantly, BRICS summit will also take place from Tuesday in South Africa. Defence experts believe that the conversation between the two armies is of special importance in view of the BRICS summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping may meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. There is a standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers at certain places in eastern Ladakh. For the last three years, there is confrontation between the armies of India and China. However, during this time both sides have ensured withdrawal of troops from many areas after extensive diplomatic and military talks. Despite this, tension still persists in Depsang and Demchok. The Corps Commander-level talks were initiated in 2020 after China's PLA raised tensions in eastern Ladakh after the latter violated agreements at several places and violated the LAC. India has sought de-escalation, which includes withdrawal of all additional troops and equipment in the forward areas of the LAC to its pre-April 2020 position. However, no inclination has been shown so far from the Chinese side. China wants to consider the current holding position as the new status quo. New Delhi, Aug 22 : Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday met with sanitation workers and awarded certificates of permanence to 317 employees at an event held at the Thyagaraj Stadium. During the event, Kejriwal said that after 13 years, employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) received their salaries on the first date of the month. "I met with all the employees and everyone is extremely happy. Prior to this, in 2010, the employees were given salaries on a particular date. We will also make sure that the remaining employees are made permanent. "This is my guarantee. We will fulfil every promise. Together, we will make Delhi not only the cleanest city in the country, but also in the world. We will involve the people of Delhi in this initiative," Kejriwal said. Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi, and senior officials of the municipal corporation were present at the event. Kejriwal started his address with the slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram'. "Today, seeing you so happy fills me with joy. I want to congratulate the 317 workers who are getting certificates of regularisation. The rest of the MCD employees will also get their permanent appointment letters... This process has just started and it's a rigorous process. Before the elections, I gave you the guarantee of making MCD employees permanent, and I will fulfil it at any cost. "It may take some time, but everyone will get their permanent appointment letters. I'm extremely happy to know that for the last two months, you are receiving your salaries on the first day of the month. "The last time it happened was in 2010 when all the A, B, C, and D department staff received their salaries on time. After 13 long years, all the employees have received their salaries on time now," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal also said that it was the same MCD, same employees, and same officials, but AAP has reformed it. "I'm hopeful that within a few months, we will make Delhi a neat and tidy city. I was hopeful that revenue of the MCD will rise and you will start receiving your salaries on the first day of month, but I didn't expect that to happen so soon," Kejriwal said. Patna, Aug 22 : Bihar Police has said that it has arrested four cattle smugglers in SHO Nand Kishore Yadav murder case, who was killed during firing by the smugglers. Samastipur SP Vinay Tiwari said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested four accused, who are part of an organised syndicate of the Nalanda district. He said that Mohanpur Outpost incharge Nand Kishore Yadav had arrested two persons earlier and was working on the lead to identify the gang. He identified the accused as Rohit Kumar of Hilsa block, Dhananjay Kumar, Parsu Rai and Ravi Kumar. He said that SIT has also seized one country-made pistol -- which was used to kill the SHO Nand Kishore Yadav -- two pistols, six mobile phones and a truck. "We have detected the gang. They belong to Jharapur, Bhawani Bigha, Shan Bigha and adjoining villages under Karaiparsurai police station in Nalanda district. They are running an organised gang. "Around three to four villages in Nalanda district have a cattle thief gang which has 35 members. Out of these, ten gang members are notorious criminals. They keep one truck, two pickup vans, two Scorpio SUVs and Bolero SUVs. They first do the recce of the place where cows or buffalos are in large numbers and then accordingly steal them," Tiwari said. He said that in the last six months, the gang has struck in Jahanabad, Gaya, Motihari, Sitamarhi districts. "As per the modus operandi, they first place the truck at a deserted place of sand or clay and load the stolen cattle in it. After committing the crime, they send the truck and follow it in other vehicles," Tiwari said. He said that the gang has the backup plan to fire in the air indiscriminately to create terror and allow its members a safe passage in case villagers chase them. "Nanad Kishore Yadav was part of the drive against cattle smugglers. He had arrested three accused on August 14 and had specific inputs about the cattle smugglers. On August 15 around 5 am, he chased this gang but they opened fire and shot him in the head. He died on the spot," Tiwari said. European diplomats are not overlooking the possibility that Donald Trump might secure a second term in the Oval Office if he is re-elected in 2024, and are actively formulating back-up strategies in case this scenario materialises, according to a report. The prospect of Mr Trump returning to the White House has become an important topic of discussion in private conversations, with some calling it terrifying, The New York Times reported. Steven Everts, a European Union diplomat who is set to become the director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies, told the outlet that his colleagues were relieved at US president Joe Bidens response to the Ukraine war. But they are now being forced to confront the Trump question again. Its slightly terrifying, its fair to say, he said. He noted that the US plays an important role in European security, and said that diplomats will now have to think again about what this means for our own politics, for European defence and for Ukraine itself. The discussions around the potential fallout if Mr Trump returns to power are intensifying as the former president is emerging as a strong challenger for the Republican presidential nomination, tying up with his popularity in opinion polls despite a slew of indictments against him. Fresh polling conducted by the Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research revealed that almost two-thirds of Republicans, specifically 63 per cent, are now expressing their desire that the former president run for office again. This marks a marginal increase from Aprils figure of 55 per cent, which was recorded when Mr Trump was beginning to confront a string of criminal allegations. Additionally, Mr Trumps favourability rating among Republicans has climbed, with seven in 10 respondents holding a positive opinion of him, up from the 60 per cent reported two months earlier. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets supporters during a visit to the Iowa State Fair on 12 August (AP) The possibility that the former president could secure a second term has not escaped the attention of Western Europeans especially in Germany, given the notable animosity Mr Trump appears to harbour towards the country. Story continues A second term as president would be different from the first, and much worse, Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, a former official in the German government, told the Times. Trump has experience now and knows what levers to pull, and hes angry, he said. He added that the former chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, had known how to deal with Mr Trump and had talked about managing the man. One of the primary concerns of US allies pertains to the potential impact of a Trump comeback on Russias invasion of Ukraine, a situation in which many European countries have significant involvement. During his presidency, Mr Trump threatened to withdraw Washington from Nato, and withheld assistance from Ukraine as it grappled with a Russian-supported rebellion a matter that contributed to his first impeachment. He also gave the order to withdraw thousands of US troops from Germany, in a decision that was subsequently reversed by Mr Biden. If Mr Trump returned to power following the 2024 election, it is possible that Ukraine will still be in deep conflict with Russia, a country that has continued to make subtle and even direct threats to use nuclear weapons in the region. Mr Trump has said he would end the war in a day, which analysts have said suggests that he would force Ukraine to cede territory to Russia. Jerusalem, Aug 22 : An Israeli woman was killed, and a man was badly injured by a Palestinian gunman in a drive-by attack in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. The couple was fatally shot by the gunman from a passing vehicle while driving a car outside the Jewish settlement of Beit Hagai, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, the military said on Monday in a statement. The woman in her 40s died shortly after sustaining deadly gunshot wounds, and the injured man in his 40s was taken to a hospital in serious condition, Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said in a statement. A six-year-old girl was also in the car but sustained no injuries, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported. The military said a manhunt for the suspect is underway, and "blockades have been set up in the area". The incident occurred amid a flare-up of tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, Xinhua news agency reported. On Saturday, an Israeli father and his son were shot dead in a carwash near the Palestinian town of Hawara. The killing followed an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday, during which Israeli forces killed a Palestinian militant and shot a health worker. United Nations, Aug 22 : The UN peacekeeping chief has urged the mission in Mali to speedily transfer tasks to authorities and partners for a safe withdrawal from the country, a UN spokesman said. "Jean-Pierre Lacroix has concluded his visit to the country, after a series of meetings with senior officials from the transitional government, including Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga," said Stephane Dujarric, Chief Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Monday, at the end of Lacroix's two-day visit. Dujarric said Lacroix discussed lessons learned during the first phase of the mission's withdrawal, expected to be completed by month's end, Xinhua news agency reported. Last week, members of the mission, known as MINUSMA, pulled back from a few of their smaller bases in the northern Timbuktu region, peacekeepers reported. The target is for the entire mission to be out of the country by December 31, following a June UN Security Council resolution honouring Bamoko's request for the mission's standdown. The UN spokesman said Lacroix thanked authorities for their cooperation, adding that it "is critical to ensuring a safe and orderly withdrawal in a tight timeframe and challenging environment". The peacekeeping chief urged continued progress on the transfer of tasks from the mission not only to the Malian authorities but also to the UN country team and other partners. The Security Council mandated MINUSMA in 2013, which has proved to be one of the deadliest UN missions, with more than 300 peacekeepers killed in the line of duty as of June 30 this year. Mitiska REIM has today announced on behalf of the MEREP 3 fund the acquisition of a retail park in the Slovakian city of Skalica and the development of a new retail park in Sladkovicovo. In a new joint venture partnership with OPC Group, Mitiska REIM plans to expand its retail [] Pope Francis meets with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley at the Vatican Pope Francis meets with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley at the Vatican By Philip Pullella (Reuters) - Pope Francis and General Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the war in Ukraine and hopes for peace there during a private audience at the Vatican on Monday. Milley, who is Catholic, afterwards told reporters travelling with him that the visit meant a great deal to him, according to Milley's spokesperson, Colonel Dave Butler. The general, who is visiting several European countries, said the pope was deeply concerned about the loss of life in Ukraine, particularly of civilians, since Russia invaded in February 2022. Milley has sharply criticized Moscow as mounting "a campaign of terror" against civilians in Ukraine, including by targeting civilian infrastructure as part of its war strategy. A strong advocate for Ukraine's defence against Russian forces, Milley, 65, has championed sending billions of dollars in arms to Kyiv. Francis has condemned the international arms trade in general but said last year that it is morally legitimate for nations to supply weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russian aggression. As is customary with private papal audiences, the Vatican listed the meeting on the pope's schedule but gave no details of the discussions. The four-star Army general, who retires later this year, made headlines in November by cautioning against the likelihood of an outright Ukrainian military victory in the near term while highlighting the possibility of a political solution to end the fighting. Francis has asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to be open to dialogue with Russia but Zelenskiy wants the Vatican to back Kyiv's peace plan, which calls for restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, and the restoration of Ukraine's state borders. The 86-year-old pope, meanwhile, has sent his own peace envoy, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Kyiv, Moscow and Washington, primarily to discuss humanitarian aid and the repatriation of Ukrainian children. Story continues Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since February 2022, in what it condemns as illegal deportations. Vatican officials say Zuppi will soon go to Beijing to try to enlist China's support. (Additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) This is the moment a drunk driver crashes into a train speeding through a level crossing in Taiwan. Police say the driver had been drinking the night before and woke up to go out and buy breakfast in Hualien County on 21 August He did not see the oncoming passenger train as it thundered along the tracks through the village of Jiamin. CCTV captured the car smashing through the barrier before driving straight into a carriage on Taroko train 401. His car was flung to the side of the tracks and he suffered minor injuries. All of the passengers onboard the train were uninjured. On August 18, Federal Judge Alan D. Albright heard the first round of oral arguments in Austin, Tex., on a motion to block HB 900, Texass controversial new book rating law. But with Texas attorneys filing a motion to dismiss the case just days earlier, on August 16, Albright said he would need more time before ruling on either motion. The judge has set a second hearing for August 28, adding that he intended to rule before the law is set to take effect on September 1. The plaintiffs in the case fighting HB 900 include two Texas bookstoresAustins BookPeople and Houstons Blue Willow Bookshoptogether with the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Dubbed the READER Act by supporters (an acronym for Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resource), the bill was signed by Texas governor Greg Abbott on June 12. Among its provisions, the law requires book vendors to review booksincluding both new books and books it has previously soldand to rate them for sexual content under a vaguely articulated standard. Books rated sexually explicit (if the book includes material deemed patently offensive by unspecified community standards) would be banned from Texas schools. Books rated sexually relevant, (if the books portrays any kind of sexual conduct) would be available only with written parental consent. As articulated in their July 25 complaint, the plaintiffs argued that the law is an unconstitutional restraint on the freedom to read and that the law imposes an untenable burden on the book vendors tasked with rating millions of books. As evidence of this, the plaintiffs said that a survey of six school districts in Texas revealed more than six million books and items in circulation that would require rating. Texas has more than 1,250 independent school districts; Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston determined that the process for the district to review a single book required 220 staff hours and cost a total of $30,000. Texas attorneys opened the August 18 arguments by reiterating their argument that the plaintiffs lack standing to challenge the law, asserting that there was no economic injury to the plaintiffs, who feared too many things." The harm was purely speculative," said the attorneys. Furthermore, the state argued that any prospective injury would be attributable to the individual school districts deciding which books to purchase, not the state. And finally, the state argued that the law does not compel or restrict speech as the plaintiffs argue. If this bill didnt exist," state attorneys argued, "you cannot sue the school district to force them to buy books from the vendor." Furthermore, they argued that there is no impact on the constitutional rights of the vendors and publishers rating the books; that, in essence, providing ratings is a commercial transaction, and is the cost of doing business with Texas schools. With the standing question looming large, Albright appeared skeptical of the state's claims that the harm alleged by the plaintiffs was too "speculative" and pointed out that the law as currently written is vague and unclear, focusing on the state's claim that there is no way for the plaintiffs to get relief from the state or from individual school districts for their alleged injury. Albright also offered several other implied criticisms of the law in the course of seeking clarification. He questioned whether or not John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men would be deemed obscene because it contains a rape, or how E. Annie Proulxs Brokeback Mountain and the Bible would be rated, both of which have explicit sexual references. He also asked after the fate of books depicting paintings by Caravaggio (the judges favorite painter, he said) and Michelangelo. Albright also acknowledged that having publishers and vendors decide what was "sexually explicit" according to "community standards" was problematic. "Texas has a whole a lot of counties, right? I think 252. Community standards in Austin, Texas are very different than the community standards in Pecan Gap," Albright said, echoing a point often made by opponents of the law. "So what community standards are these vendors supposed to apply?" In response, the state countered that since the first ratings were not due to be submitted until April of next year, the question of harm was not ripe, but argued there were clear guidelines in the statute as to what is considered sexual content. But Albright pushed back, pointing out that the law's broadly articulated standard is essentially cut-and-pasted from the state's obscenity law, noting, for example, that anything depicting a female breast below the top of the areolae is considered sexual: You just excluded Caravaggio and Michelangelo, the judge told attorneys. At one point, state attorneys suggested plaintiffs could simply decide to submit no rating" for their books, which would in turn compel the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to review and rate them. Some $2.6 million was allocated as part of HB 900 to pay for the implementation of a system to review and rate books, plaintiff attorneys noted at one point in the hearing. While that appeared to be affirmed by Albright as a possible course of action for vendors, it would come with a severe penalty, attorneys for the plaintiffs explained, noting that under the law vendors who do not submit ratings, which are ultimately subject to review by the TEA, could be blocked from selling books to Texas schools. Albright then seized on a key point: If the "backstop" for the law is the TEA, which can ultimately change any ratings submitted by vendors, then why does the initial burden fall on publishers and booksellers? he asked. "If X book comes in and is rated as sexually explicit, I'm not sure who's motivated to ask the TEA to re-rate it," the judge asked. "I mean, how does it work that they would come and change the rating? Why would the TEA take Lonesome Dove that's been rated with no rating and change it to sexually explicit, or vice versa? What would cause that to happen?" Texas attorneys could not answer. "You know, your honor, we haven't, I haven't thought that through yet," the state replied. "I think this is still being worked out because this is a new bill." The hearing drew several interested observers, including Wendy Woodland, director of advocacy and communication for the Texas Library Association; several residents of Llano, Tex., who last year filed one of the first lawsuits fighting efforts to purge books from Texas libraries; Darryl Tocker, executive director of the Tocker Foundation, which offers grants that fund the development of libraries in rural Texas; and authors including novelist and historian Stephen Harrigan and childrens book writer Chris Barton. Speaking to PW, Barton summarized what many in the room felt: Between the state's attempts to articulate a defense of the book ban and the plaintiffs' attorneys many well reasoned and clearly conveyed arguments against it, both sides managed to make the law seem worse to me than it already did. This article has been updated for clarity. With the 20222023 school year in the rearview mirror, students have been soaking up the sun and enjoying the long days of summer. Teachers and librarians summers are a different story, as a lot of them have been spending their precious vacation days preparing for the upcoming school year in a variety of ways. Whether theyve been mindfully recharging their batteries, eagerly revamping or creating lessons, activities, and programs, or setting up their classrooms and libraries, the educators we spoke with know that the new school year is a whole lot closer than it appears, and that theres no time to waste. Still, they spared a few moments to share about their summer vacations. Deborah Zemans summer started with getaways to Las Vegas and to the beach. But thats not where it ended. As the library media and instructional design specialist at Hedrick Middle School in Lewisville, Tex., Zeman spent the majority of her summer updating her lessons, programs, and collections. Then, it was time to hit the booksand she read a great deal of them as a member of the ALA Core Committee Recognizing Excellence in Childrens and Young Adult Science Fiction and the TxLA Spirit of Texas Reading Committee. Zeman also attended the ALA Conference in Chicago. Zeman said she thrives on all of this activity. To be honest, other than getting away and staying off of social media for a little while, the way I truly recharge is by learning new things! she said. She used what she learned at ALA and from her own reading to develop new lessons and programs, spruce up past lesson plans, and reflect on her teaching to raise it to a higher level. I asked myself questions including, What worked? Which lessons need to be adjusted? Are there some new things I can do? Zeman said. She asks additional questions of her personal learning network. I do this to learn about innovative things that other librarians and educational technology leaders are doing, and I incorporate them into my instruction if theyre a good fit. Zeman also managed to get her Minecraft certification, a program that focuses on using Minecraft Education as a teaching and learning tool; updated her Level 2 Google Educator certification; and mastered some other ed-tech tools. In addition, she is partnering with the schools robotics teacher on a future student book group, which will focus on a STEM book that was nominated for the Spirit of Texas Reading list. She also helped design an area of her library that will highlight Texas authors and their titles. At the same time, Zeman is bracing herself for possible changes due to the passing of House Bill 900. All the while, she will be curating book lists and ordering books to meet the ever-changing needs and interests of her schools community of readers. My job has always been to promote the love of reading and books, and to let my students know that they have a voiceand the right to read whatever they want to read, Zeman said. And thats what I did this summer and will do throughout the upcoming school year to help my students become lifelong readers. Victoria Gomez is a K1 teacher at Herrera Elementary School, a year-round school, in El Paso, Tex. Heading into her fourth year of teaching, shell have a laser focus on her kindergarteners and first graders from the first bell to the last. But before she headed back into the class after a four-week break, she concentrated on herself and her self-care. The main thing that I did was work out a whole lot more and dedicate my summer vacation to a mental reset, Gomez said. She explained that this reset is necessary after a full year of tending to the academic and social-emotional needs of her young students. This was her time. For me, it was probably one of the best feelings. And, just after a full week of workouts, it felt amazing. Working on her physical and emotional health energized Gomez, allowing her to do more with her family; she believes that energy will benefit her future students, too. She also made time for family activities and read outside of her usual picture book and professional development picks. Her summer reading choices may come as a surprise. I love reading Stephen King novels. I especially enjoy the suspense, Gomez said, but I havent had time to read any during the school year. Gomez firmly believes its importantand necessaryfor all teachers and librarians to find what they need to do for themselves. This time to recharge reminds us why we do what we do, helps us to not burn out, and to never forget that were teaching children who deserve our absolute best! she said. Gomez admits that the school year can be overwhelming. Thats why she takes the time for herself over summer break and during school vacations. She also tries to take at least an hour for herself each day and encourages other teachers and librarians to join her. You really need to take care of yourself so you can take care of the children, Gomez said. Walk, journal, or do whatever self-care works for you! As a 17-year veteran youth librarian, Ednita Kelly is no stranger to seeing lines of patrons out the door at the San Pedro Regional Library in Los Angeles, for their childrens programs. This summer, however, she has overhauled, and even simplified, her programs with a different focus in mind. Before, I was ordering all kinds of supplies, and doing a big setup the day before, but we dont have the time or the staff to do this now, Kelly said. Today, we use the supplies we have and no longer promote the programs to the point where they [attract] large groups. We dont want 100 kids. Instead, Kelly uses her enthusiasm and her clerk Albert Greens creative ideas to bring in kids in manageable numbers and to fulfill her programming goals. The point of our programming is to get the kids into the library, Kelly said, but not with a big performance. Theyre about having opportunities to talk to the kids and ask them what they are reading, and getting a real sense of who they are and what they are interested in. With more time for conversation, Kelly fostered those all-important relationships with kids and gained valuable information that will help inform reader advisory and future book buying. I want to know what they are obsessed withand when their interests change, Kelly said. This way we can make sure to have the things that they want on the shelves. Kelly observed encouraging signs from her scaled-back programs, which helped get kids and their parents to put down their devices and pick up books. She was equally excited that parents were also joining the summer reading program in record numbers. She said that it may have been the wildly popular reading programs canvas bag they gave away for joining or the buzz that summer always brings to the library. Summer is theoretically a time to slow down and enjoy a slower pace, where you have more time to come to the library. Its also a time of reconnection, discovery, and the chance to experience the vibrancy of the library, Kelly said. For us, its the opportunity to get to know our younger readers when there arent assignments to complete, and theyre here to see friendly faces and to explore new things. A compilation of PW's coverage of Hachette v. Internet Archive, the closely watched copyright case over the scanning and lending of print library books, with the most recent coverage up top. This list will be updated as needed. Judge Approves Final Injunction in Publishers, Internet Archive Copyright Case: After more than three years of litigation, it took judge John G. Koeltl just hours to sign off on the parties negotiated consent judgmentbut not without a final twist. Publishers, Internet Archive Submit Proposed Judgment in Copyright Case: More than four months after a federal judge found the Internet Archive liable for copyright infringement for its program to scan and lend library books, the parties have delivered a negotiated agreement for a judgment to be entered in the case. But a final resolution in the case could still be many months, if not years, away, as Internet Archive officials have vowed to appeal. Judgment Phase of Internet Archive Copyright Case Appears Imminent: After numoerous delays, Koeltl gave the parties until August 11 to deliver their recommendations for a final judgment, adding "no more extensions." Judgment Entered in Publishers, Internet Archive Copyright Case: More than four months after a federal judge found the Internet Archive liable for copyright infringement, the parties have delivered a negotiated agreement for a judgment to be entered in the case. But a final resolution could still be years away. Judgment Phase of Internet Archive Copyright Case Appears Imminent More than four months after finding the Internet Archive liable for copyright infringement, the next phase in the litigation appears to be close. In a Swift Decision, Judge Eviscerates Internet Archives Scanning and Lending Program: In an emphatic opinion, federal judge John G. Koeltl found the Internet Archive infringed the copyrights of four plaintiff publishers by scanning and lending their books under a legally contested practice known as controlled digital lending. After three years of contentious legal wrangling, the case wasnt even close. Is Controlled Digital Lending on Borrowed Time?: At a long-awaited hearing last week, a federal judge sounded skeptical of the Internet Archives program to scan and lend library books. At Hearing, Judge Appears Skeptical of Internet Archives Scanning and Lending Program: Over the course of the 90-minute hearing on March 20, 2023 Judge John G. Koeltl appeared unmoved by the IA's fair use claims and unconvinced that the publishers market for library e-books was not impacted by the practice known as "controlled digital lending." Oral Argument Set in Internet Archive Copyright Case: Some four months after final reply briefs were filed (and after more than two years since the case was filed) Judge John G. Koeltl is ready to hear oral arguments. Publishers, Internet Archive Ready for Summary Judgment Hearing in Book Scanning Case: In a final round of briefs filed on October 7, attorneys for the publishers say the undisputed facts and settled law lead to the inexorable conclusion that IAs scanning and lending of library books is copyright infringement on a massive scale. But attorneys for the Internet Archive insist their program is legal and that no reasonable jury could conclude that the IAs controlled scanning and lending of library books harms the publishers market. Authors, Advocacy Group Pen Open Letter Urging Publishers to Support Libraries: In an open letter organized by advocacy group Fight for the Future, a group of authors demanded that publishers and their trade organizations cease efforts the signatories say are undermining libraries. The Association of American Publishers labeled the campaign "disinformation." Soapbox: In Defense of Library Lending: Kyle Courtney, chair of advocacy group Library Futures defends controlled digital lending, the practice at issue in Hachette v. Internet Archive. Supporters, Opponents Weigh in on Internet Archive Copyright Battle: Is the Internet Archive's program to scan and lend copies of print library books under an untested legal theory known as controlled digital lending (CDL) wholesale piracy? Or is it a carefully considered and legal effort to preserve the mission of libraries in a digital world that is moving away from ownership to licensed access? Stakeholders on both sides of the case are weigh in with amicus briefs. Publishers, Internet Archive Trade Reply Briefs in Book Scanning Case: In a reply filing, four major publishers further detailed their claims that the Internet Archives long-running program to scan and lend physical library books is blatant copyright infringement. And in a reply filing of their own, lawyers for the Internet Archive argue that the publishers are improperly conflating the market for licensed e-book access with the IAs efforts to facilitate traditional library lending. Soapbox: Standing Up for Copyright: Keith Kupferschmid, CEO of the Copyright Alliance argues that the the Internet Archive's program to scan and lend library books is "theft, plain and simple." Internet Archive, Publishers to Seek Summary Judgment in Book Scanning Lawsuit: In a June 10 order, Judge John G. Koeltl granted the parties request to proceed with summary judgment motions. Publishers, Internet Archive File Dueling Summary Judgment Motions: The battle lines are drawn: In their motion for summary judgment Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House argue that the Internet Archive's program to scan and lend books is a massive piracy operation "masquerading as a not-for-profit library." The Internet Archive counters that its scanning and lending program does not harm authors and publishers and is a public good protected by fair use. Judge Hears Discovery Disputes in Internet Archive Book Scanning Suit: At a December 2 pre-motion conference, magistrate judge Ona T. Wang told the parties to continue discussions regarding three ongoing discovery disputes. Internet Archive Rejects Publishers Stonewalling Claim in Scanning Lawsuit: The Internet Archive rejected accusations in a November 19 accusing them of seeking to run out the clock on discovery. In New Filing, Publishers Accuse Internet Archive of Stonewalling Discovery in Scanning Lawsuit: Lawyers for the plaintiff publishers claim the Internet Archive is withholding documents from discovery. Publishers, AAP Hit Back in Internet Archive Discovery Dispute: Lawyers for the Association of American Publishers and a group of publisher plaintiffs push back against the Internet Archive's bid to obtain a range of the AAP's internal communications and documents for its defense against copyright infringement charges. Internet Archive Seeking AAP, Publisher Communications in Book Scanning Lawsuit: Lawyers for the Internet Archive told a federal judge that the plaintiff publishers and the Association of American Publishers are refusing to properly comply with discovery requests. Discovery Extension Requested in Internet Archive Book Scanning Suit: There has been extensive progress on discovery, wrote Elizabeth McNamara, lawyer for four plaintiff publishers. But looking ahead, it has become clear that more time is required to process the voluminous documentary evidence produced in this case." Publishers Blast Internet Archives Extraordinary Demand for Sales Data: Lawyers for four plaintiff publishers this week filed a blistering response to the Internet Archives demand for a decades worth of the plaintiff publishers monthly sales data to use in its defense. Internet Archive Seeking 10 Years of Publisher Sales Data for Its Fair Use Defense: IA attorneys told the court it is seeking monthly sales data for all books in print by the four plaintiff publishers (Hachette, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Wiley) dating back to 2011. But the publishers, IA lawyers told the court, have balked at the sweeping request reportedly countering that the request is well beyond what the case calls for. Judge Sets Tentative Schedule for Internet Archive Copyright Case: Federal judge John G. Koeltl orders the parties in a copyright infringement case filed by four major publishers against the Internet Archive be ready for trial by November, 2021. Publishers, Internet Archive Propose Yearlong Discovery Plan for Copyright Case: In a joint filing, attorneys for the Internet Archive and four publishers suing for copyright infringement proposed a discovery plan for the case that would extend for more than a year. Internet Archive Answers Publishers' Copyright Lawsuit: In their answer to a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by four major publishers, the Internet Archive insists that its long-running book scanning and lending program is protected by fair use. "Contrary to the publishers accusations, the Internet Archive, and the hundreds of libraries and archives that support it, are not pirates or thieves," the filing states. "They are librarians, striving to serve their patrons online just as they have done for centuries in the brick-and-mortar world. Copyright law does not stand in the way of libraries right to lend, and patrons right to borrow, the books that libraries own." Internet Archive to Publishers: Drop Needless Copyright Lawsuit and Work with Us: During a 30-minute Zoom press conference on July 22, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle urged the four major publishers suing over the organizations book scanning efforts to consider settling the dispute in the boardroom rather than the courtroom. Internet Archive to End 'National Emergency Library' Initiative: Citing a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by publishers, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle announced that the IAs National Emergency Library initiative will cease operating on June 16, 2020, two weeks earlier than its previously announced June 30 closing date. Publishers Charge the Internet Archive with Copyright Infringement: Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House file suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York charging the Internet Archive with copyright infringement. In its suit, the publishers make clear it is not suing the IA over the occasional transmission of a title under appropriately limited circumstances, nor about anything permissioned or in the public domain, but rather over the IA's purposeful collection of truckloads of in-copyright books to scan, reproduce, and then distribute digital bootleg versions online. Before the Lawsuit UNC Press, Duke Reach Cooperation Agreement with National Emergency Library: The University of North Carolina Press and Duke University Press announce a formal cooperation agreement in support of the Internet Archive's National Emergency Library initiative. We agree that in this extraordinary moment, an unprecedented level of cooperation is required to address this crisis in order to meet the dire needs of readersespecially students and other readers who are at risk for losing access to their traditional sources of books, reads the text of the statement. Internet Archive Responds to Senators Concern Over National Emergency Library: In a three-page response IA founder Brewster Kahle responded to the Senator's criticisms. Your constituents have paid for millions of books they currently cannot access, Kahle explained, adding that North Carolinas public libraries house more than 15 million print book volumes in 323 library branches across the state. Fortunately, we do not need an emergency copyright act because the fair use doctrine, codified in the Copyright Act, provides flexibility to libraries and others to adjust to changing circumstances. U.S. Senator Thom Tillis Questions the Internet Archive's 'National Emergency Library': In an April 8 letter to Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, questioned the legal basis for the Archive's National Emergency Library initiative. "I am not aware of any measure under copyright law that permits a user of copyrighted works to unilaterally create an emergency copyright act. Indeed, I am deeply concerned that your 'Library' is operating outside the boundaries of the copyright law that Congress has enacted and alone has jurisdiction to amend." Internet Archive Responds, Says National Emergency Library Is Legal After a week of intense criticism, the Internet Archive yesterday posted an FAQ in response to concerns raised over its National Emergency Library, claiming the effort has a basis in law, and reiterating that the program was undertaken in response to what IA officials see as a national crisis. Authors Guild, AAP Outraged by IA's 'National Emergency Library': The outcry from publisher and author groups has been swift and furious after the Internet Archive announced the launch of its National Emergency Library, which has removed access restrictions for some 1.4 million scans of mostly 20th century books in the IA's Open Library initiative, making them available for unlimited borrowing during the Covid-19 Outbreak. We are stunned by the Internet Archives aggressive, unlawful, and opportunistic attack on the rights of authors and publishers in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic," reads a March 27 statement from Association of American Publishers president and CEO Maria Pallante. More Background Could Library Book Scanning Be Headed Back to Court?: If you thought the controversy over library book scanning ended with the Google case, think again. The National Writers Union is the latest organization to join the outcry over a practice known as controlled digital lending (CDL), by which a library (or a nonprofit, like the Internet Archive) scans a print copy of a book they have legally acquired, then makes the scan available to be borrowed in lieu of the print book. The Business of Making E-books Free: When Amy Brand took the helm at the MIT Press in 2015, she was prepared to budget hundreds of thousands of dollars to begin the difficult process of digitizing thousands of backlist titles. As she planned the digitization program, she put in a call to Brewster Kahle, a former member of the press management board, who she hoped might rejoin the press family. Two years later, the result of their conversation is a partnership to digitize many important books from the presss backlist and make them available to libraries for free. Brewster's Millions: ALA Preview 2011: In a Q&A with PW, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle says he wants to see millions of library e-books, millions of readersand millions of dollars paid to publishers and authors. Open Library Launches New Digitize and Lend E-Book Lending Program: Moving from a system where libraries buy books and curate collections for the public to a system where libraries simply serve as access points when permitted by rightsholders, argues Brewster Kahle, is a major shift in the way libraries work, with significant cultural implications. Acclaimed independent publisher Hardie Grant, best known for food, design, and lifestyle titles that stimulate the minds and hearts of readers, is taking North America by storm. From the companys first headquarters in Melbourneand with offices now in Sydney and Londonthe publisher recently launched Hardie Grant North America, an imprint based in Berkeley, Calif., featuring substantive, boutique cooking and lifestyle titles. For Jenny Wapner, publisher of Hardie Grant North America, the expansion is not only an opportunity to reach new readers but also an exciting moment for independent publishing in North America. With so much consolidation in the industry, having a new independent publisher on the scene is greatly needed, says Wapner, who is looking to publish beautiful, trendsetting, and inspiring books. I want Hardie Grant North America to become the destination for new and emerging voices and trusted authorities in the field. I want to make sure our authors feel nurtured and valued and to fill some of the many holes in the market with books that tell previously untold stories. With its inaugural list, Hardie Grant North America is well on its way to doing just that. The publishers five lead titles speak to its commitment to showcasing the work of passionate and seasoned professionals in their fields. Our inaugural list is small but mighty! Wapner says. These five books represent years, careers, and lifetimes of work and expertise. Among these is Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California by Sylvan Mishima Brackett with Jessica Battilana, a cookbook that highlights traditional Japanese dishes with a California twist, as served at the acclaimed San Francisco restaurant of the same name. Rintaro includes recipes for curry rice, yakitori, tonkatsu, sashimi, fresh bamboo shoots, and many other dishes. Sohn-mat, which translates to hand taste, is a Japanese cookbook from chef Monica Lee with Tien Nguyen that centers on intuitive cooking as prepared at the renowned L.A. Koreatown restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu. Featured dishes include the restaurants signature soon tofu soup, banchan, kimchi, and bibimbap. Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More was created by ethnobotanist and bartender Danny Childs. Divided by season, the book offers recipes for readers to make country wines, meads, sodas, beers, tinctures, shrubs, and more and provides guidance for finding and collecting fresh ingredients. Also on the inaugural list are the first two books in Hardie Grants Preserved series, Preserved: Fruit and Preserved: Condiments, both by Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, and Richard Martin. The books each include 25 recipes for jams, syrups, pickles, sauces, chutneys, and other preserved dishes, ranging from pomegranate molasses to a Haitian pickled vegetable relish called pikliz. In each of the five books, recipes are complemented by historical and cultural insights and uplifted by the experiences of the authors and chefs sharing their knowledge. The life stories of the authors are what make them who they are and inform their cooking, Wapner says. They are as fundamental to the book as the recipes. In addition to the delicious foods, dishes, and culinary traditions, each title is beautifully designed with striking photography and inviting layouts. Whether displayed on a coffee table or thumbed through in a home kitchen, these books will resonate with food and drink enthusiasts everywhere. The future is bright at Hardie Grant North America. I want books on the list, Wapner says, that are surprising, idiosyncratic, and deeply researched and that add something new to the cultural conversation. Hardie Grant North America is actively seeking titles that embody its long-established values and traditions of presenting vivid voices, candid perspectives, and eye-opening content. See hardiegrantusa.com. Kicking off the new academic year, Northwestern University in Qatar welcomed the newest batch of incoming students, the Class of 2027, at its annual convocation ceremony, attended by students, staff, faculty, and distinguished guests from Northwestern University and the Qatar Foundation. The Class of 2027 is the school's 16th incoming class comprising a group of approximately 125 vibrant and talented students from across Qatar and the international community, selected from a highly competitive applicant pool. The annual convocation ceremony served as a celebration of their accomplishments and indicated the beginning of their undergraduate journey at Northwestern Qatar. In welcoming the new class, Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar, recognized their academic achievements and the diversity of their experiences. "Chosen from a remarkable pool of more than 1,300 applicants, the largest in the schools history, you all form one of our most selective classes, said Kraidy. You embody the richness of our world. You represent more than 30 nationalities and even more cultures and languages. Like the classes before you, you all contribute to nurturing and cultivating the community that makes Northwestern Qatar what it is. He went on to emphasize the distinctive value of Northwestern Qatar's education, urging the students to seize every opportunity to learn and grow.As you embark on your university career, I challenge each one of you to ask yourself: What am I uniquely good at? Or better yet, what can I be good at? said Kraidy. He added: Then ask yourselves another question: How can Northwestern take what is special about me, make it grow, make it shine, make it so I can have an impact on the world? As you grapple with that, seek mentors and experiences that set your imagination on fire. A woman known as @skywardsfreak on Instagram was flying from Doha, Qatar to Perth, Australia. While at the airport lounge in Qatar, she was given a rose. Yes, a literal rose flower. The woman dressed as Barbie, was flying from Doha, Qatar to Perth, Australia. She was given a rose at the airport lounge in Qatar. However, she failed to declare the rose to Australian authorities. As you know, some authorities can be very strict about bringing in plants from other countries. The woman was escorted by officials to an immigration security office. The woman was escorted to the x-ray machine, where her bag was inspected item by item. She was not nervous, as she had nothing to hide. She had gotten off the plane with a rose in her hand that she had received at the Qatar Airways lounge in Doha. She loves airlines and often keeps mementos from them, such as dried flowers. She stressed that she made the decision to take the rose with her and that it was not the airline's fault. The officials accused her of knowingly providing false or misleading information on the biosecurity form, which is a violation of the biosecurity law. She was given a document stating that she had committed a civil offense and would be fined 1,878 AUD (about $1,200) which she had to pay before she was allowed to leave the country. Property details: INVESTMENT PROPERTYCIBOLA COUNTY, NEW MEXICOI own a nice 10 acre lot in the Tierra Verde private community in Cibola County, New Mexico. This area is called the Land of Fire and Ice because of its volcanic landscape and ice caves. The property is in an excellent location with close access to Highway 53, about 30 miles southwest of Grants, New Mexico. Its west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, off Interstate 40. Local pick up for this sale is not necessary despite it saying so in the shipping ... Price: $ 5 Seller State of Residence: Illinois Type: Homesite, Lot Zip/Postal Code: 87321 Zoning: Residential City: Ramah State/Province: New Mexico Location: 873**, Ramah, New Mexico You will be redirected to eBay Nearby New Mexico Property details: Enjoy Life in the Alps of Southern California Mountain Resort Destination. NO RESERVE, NO MONTHLY PAYMENTS, HIGH BID OWNS LOT Nestled in the magnificent San Bernardino National Forest, surrounded by pine, cedar, and dogwood, an area described as the "Alps of Southern California", and known as "the best kept secret on the West Coast, is a stunningly beautiful, cozy and quaint mountain resort paradise called Lake Arrowhead. Our community features countless outdoor recreational activities such as h... Price: $ 1,500 Seller State of Residence: California Type: Homesite, Lot Zoning: Residential State/Province: California Location: 928**, Anaheim, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby California Property details: this lot its salle directly by owner so no bla bla location adresse ;4400 carver ave sw , birmingham AL 35221you can check it directly on google mapnice lot with quiet people arround no clissing fee just buy it now and your best offer... Price: $ 2,900 Seller State of Residence: Washington Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: 4400 carver ave sw , birmingham AL Zip/Postal Code: 35021 Zoning: Residential City: Birmingham State/Province: Alabama Location: 980**, Federal Way, Washington You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Alabama While Jio MF will undoubtedly grow in size, it will have to cross multiple hurdles even to emerge as the market leader, observes Debashis Basu. Mukesh Ambani's newly demerged entity Jio Financial Services, about which hardly anything is known, is widely expected to disrupt the $540 billion Indian mutual fund business. It has formed a 50:50 joint venture with giant US fund house BlackRock to 'transform India's asset management industry' and 'democratise access' to options for Indians by delivering 'affordable and innovative investment solutions'. Analysts and commentators are excited by how Jio will exploit Reliance Retail's huge footprint of 18,500 stores and Reliance Jio's 448.5 million-strong phone subscriber base. Can Jio MF really disrupt the MF business? The word 'disruption' comes to mind because we see a pattern even in a sample of one. Hasn't Reliance disrupted the telecom business? So, it will disrupt any consumer business it gets into. But has Reliance Retail disrupted the retail business? It is just one more retail chain. Other online and offline businesses and even kirana stores are thriving. Its last innovation to stitch together kirana stores through JioMart does not seem to have delivered the much-touted disruption. Disruption, the much-abused word: 'Disruption' was coined by the late professor Clayton Christensen and means a very specific outcome of a very well-defined trend in a specific industry context. It went like this. One, the industry is dominated by a few players when a small new player comes in with a low-tech product with low margins, but serving a new but narrow market segment. Two, the dominant player is unconcerned because it is at the 'low end' of the business serving a fringe market. Three, the challenger keeps growing fast because it is serving a new, unmet need which turns out to be large, making more and more cash profits, with which it ultimately challenges the core business of the dominator. None of these conditions apply to the MF business of Jio. Constraints of demand creation: Forget about disruption, even fast growth is impossible in MFs because of three reasons that come in the way of higher demand. One, MFs are highly regulated and cannot create much demand on their own. MF cannot offer radically different products or make false promises (puffery) that consumer companies can. They cannot launch marketing gimmicks or use celebrity endorsements. Second, there is no natural demand pull for mutual funds, either. Like insurance, MF are sold, not bought. MFs are always fighting investor inertia. Three, MFs by definition are market-linked products and so their performance moves up and down with market cycles and, along with it, investors' interest in MF. If the market is in a prolonged lull, there is nothing a fund company can do but wait for the cycle to turn. In a country where fixed deposits are the number one investment choice, there is an instant disappointment when funds underperform bank deposit rates over a year or two. Four, demand for MFs is generated by large mutual fund distributors (MFDs) such as banks, where bank-sponsored funds have the edge. This is why the three biggest funds are bank-sponsored. The incentives for MFDs are regulated; no one can throw money and buy loyalty. Hence, the cross-selling opportunity of Jio (using Reliance's retail customer data and phone subscriber base), is over-rated, apart from the fact that Reliance customers will have a million different influences going into the decision to buy or not buy Jio funds. The supply side: No doubt Jio mutual fund will take off with a bang and gather a large amount of assets initially. The total pie is expected to grow too as the financialisation of India picks up pace. The ratio of mutual fund assets under management (AUM) to India's gross domestic product is 16 per cent, which is pretty low compared to the global average of 63 per cent. But this pie has to be sliced among the existing 45 players and the three savvy new players coming in (Zerodha, Bajaj Finserv and Jio). More big players will no doubt enter the space. Any investing edge? Jio MF will supposedly harness big data, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) and, of course, Aladdin, the tech platform of BlackRock. All this sounds like so much mumbo-jumbo. The key issue to pull in money over the long term is investment performance. While MFs are hard to sell, one of the positive aspects of the investment sphere is that performance is transparent and in black and white. No technology, ML or AI is useful unless the fund performance is top-notch. While the press release about the joint venture talks of BlackRock's 'deep expertise and talent in investment management, risk management, product excellence, access to technology...', BlackRock's funds are not decidedly the top performers in the US. I am waiting to see how Jio Funds buck the market trends and deliver much higher risk-adjusted returns. If they had known how to do this, it would have been proprietary and secret; super profits would not have been handed over to retail investors for a fee of just 1 per cent. Passive vs active: Of course, there is a lot of speculation that Jio, like Zerodha, will launch passive fund products (that follow an index) such as exchange traded funds (ETFs), but these are low-cost products and require massive volumes to break even. In many other countries, passive products have become more popular than active funds, but not so in India because MFDs have little incentive to sell them. In short, while Jio MF will undoubtedly grow in size, it will have to cross multiple hurdles even to emerge as the market leader, far from 'disrupting' the MF business. Debashis Basu is editor of moneylife.in and a trustee of the Moneylife Foundation. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com 'The space required for wild cheetah populations to thrive was grossly under-estimated.' 'Cheetahs, because of their social system and ecologically fragile nature, live at only 1 cheetah per 100 sq kms even in the best habitats of Africa.' IMAGE: A cheetah at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Photograph: Press Information Bureau Bringing eight cheetahs from Namibia under Project Cheetah was highly publicised. It was the prime minister who opened the crates and released the first two cheetahs into the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The prime minister described Project Cheetah as India's 'endeavour towards environment and wildlife conservation' and painted a portrait of how this project will lead to the establishment of free-ranging wild cheetah population. Almost a year later, out of the 20 cheetahs that arrived in India, six of them have died. What went wrong ? Dr Ullas Karanth, a wildlife ecologist who has conducted long-term research on the ecology of tigers, other predators and their prey in India and other parts of Asia, analyses Project Cheetah. Dr Karanth is the Emeritus Director of the Centre for Wildlife Studies, which he founded in 1984. "If you are thinking of a reasonable population of cheetahs surviving on wild prey and increasing its numbers gradually, you need 10,000-15,000 sq kms of habitat space to start off. Kuno National Park is 800 sq kms," Dr Karanth explains to Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier in the first of a two-part interview. IMAGE: The entrance to the Kuno National Park. Photograph: PTI Photo from the Rediff Archives Project Cheetah was launched with a lot of fanfare. When six of the 20 cheetahs that had come from Africa died, many people started saying that the project was ill-conceived. Do you feel no proper study or thought went behind the relocation of them? First, none of the media reports mention that the project was planned in 2010 by the UPA government under Dr Manmohan Singh. The idea, planning and key scientific modelling were all done by the same scientists of WII (Wildlife Institute of India) and forest managers of the NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) with active encouragement from minister Jairam Ramesh. The problem was, there was an obstacle in the Supreme Court and there was not much money. All this happened before the NDA government came to power. What the present government did was, they simply took the same plan and pumped in a massive funding of over Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) and rushed into implementation without any re-examination of the flawed project proposal. The fanfare and publicity made people think it is a new project, and this aspect needs to be made clear, which no one seems to bother about. Ironically, the same government scientists and officials who hatched the plan were entrusted with its implementation. So clearly the failure is theirs as much as of the political forces who empowered them. Now, to the question whether the Cheetah plan was well thought through. I don't think it was. The plan is inadequate and has fundamental scientific deficiencies. For example, the space required for wild cheetah populations to thrive was grossly under-estimated. Cheetahs live at very low population densities unlike leopards and tigers which attain population densities of 6-7 animals per 100 sq.kms or even higher. Cheetahs, because of their social system and ecologically fragile nature, live at only 1 cheetah per 100 square kilometres even in the best habitats of Africa. Where there is enough prey to support 10 or more tigers or leopards, you can have only one cheetah. This is an inherent characteristic of the species, which cannot be ignored. Next issue is, the survival rates of cheetahs are naturally very low. When there are other predators like lions, leopards, tigers, etc., it comes down even further. Of all the cheetahs born, only 5% grow to adult stage and breed in good habitats in Africa. In an introduced population, this survival rate is even likely to be lower. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi releases cheetahs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, September 17, 2022. Photograph: Press Information Bureau What could be the reason for their survival rate being so low? The reason is, it is a fragile species. There is very high cub mortality. As adults, cheetahs find it difficult to obtain enough prey as they have to dodge other predators constantly. They are very often harassed and even killed by other bigger predators like lions, leopards in Africa, and tigers and leopards in India. Because of this reason, they require very large spaces with high densities of wild prey animals and relatively low densities of dominant predators. So, if you are thinking of a reasonable population of cheetahs surviving on wild prey and increasing its numbers gradually, you need 10,000-15,000 sq kms of habitat space to start off. Kuno National Park is 800 sq kms. Even if you take the surrounding areas of highly disturbed and fragmented forest patches, there is not more than 3,000 sq kms. In Africa, the human population density is very low, and you don't have hundreds of feral dogs roaming in rural landscapes like in India. Plus, we have a very high density of leopards and a few tigers at the Kuno National Park. For all these reasons, the Kuno project was doomed to fail as I had said a long time ago. In 2010, conservationist Valmik Thapar and I opposed this project when it was proposed by Mr Jairam Ramesh. But the NTCA and WII ignored our criticism, and went ahead with the project. They have to take the responsibility, not just their political bosses. Ironically, the same set of people are calling the shots even 13 years later. IMAGE: Dr Ullas Karanth. Photograph: Courtesy Dr Ullas Karanth Is it not unfair to the cheetahs to put them in such a small area when they need more open space? I would say it is unscientific. I am not a judge to say whether it is fair or not. It is not good use of public funds. The Kuno project is doomed to fail. Even now, best cheetah ecologists from Africa like Gus Mills, Sarah Durant, Bettina Watcher have cautioned us about the same issues and suggested that what India is doing is not correct. The project needs a different approach. Yes, they have some other experts from Africa as advisors, but these are by and large managers of captive and semi-captive cheetah populations. They had no clue about how our society and government function, and are now complaining. Unfortunately, both the UPA and the NDA overnments were very poorly advised by NTCA bureaucrats and WII government scientists for 13 long years. There is no accountability at all. Part II of the Interview: 'Project Cheetah is a failure' Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com A man died after being run over by a tractor-trolley and at least five policemen were injured as farmers clashed with them in Sangrur district in Punjab on Monday over the "detention" of some farm leaders. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo The victim was a farmer apparently taking part in the protest in the district's Longowal area, where police were trying to stop protesters from blocking a national highway and a toll plaza, officials said. The farmers were protesting a day ahead of a planned demonstration in Chandigarh by 16 farm bodies, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Karanti kari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Aazaad Kisan Committee, Doaba, BKU (Behramke) and the Bhoomi Bachao Mohim, to seek compensation for losses caused by floods. Sangrur senior superintendent of police Surendra Lamba said the members of the farmer union wanted to block the Sangrur-Barnala national highway and also the Badbar toll plaza but police refused to let them. The farmers, however, forced their way through barricades using tractor-trolleys and buses, he said, adding some people drove their tractors into the barricades. An inspector escaped being crushed under a tractor-trolley but was severely injured, police said, adding that another policeman sustained injuries to his face and three more were hurt as well. The officials said a farmer identified as Pritam Singh came under a tractor-trolley belonging to one of the protesters and sustained severe injuries. He later died during treatment, they added. A video purportedly showing the elderly farmer coming under the rear tyres of the trolley surfaced on social media. Some farmers could be seen asking the vehicle's driver to stop but he did not. The police said the incident took place because of the irresponsible behaviour of a few tractor and bus drivers during the protest. The SSP said some protesters hit policemen with their sticks as the protest turned violent. He added that said the situation was now peaceful and police used the highest level of restraint. Early in the day, farmers claimed that several of their leaders, including Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee president Sarwan Singh Pandher, Satkar Singh Kotli of the KMSC, Bohr Singh of the BKU (Behramke), had been "detained" by the Punjab police. A farmer leader in Tarn Taran district said police allegedly conducted raids at the residences of farm leaders and detained them. Farmers had said they wanted to hold a protest on the parade ground in Sector 17 of Chandigarh but the UT administration wanted them to demonstrate at a designated place in Sector 25. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government for the death of the farmer in Sangrur. "Horrendous broad daylight murder of a beleaguered and peacefully protesting farmer Pritam Singh at Longowal (in CM's home district Sangrur) has sent shock waves throughout the state especially among the farmers. A murder case should be registered against the Chief Minister @BhagwantMann as it was done on his orders. The senior police officers, who executed this, should also be booked," Badal said on 'X'. Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa condemned the police action against farmer leaders in different parts of the state. "The @AAPPunjab govt in Punjab has unleashed its draconian agendas. Several farmers' union leaders have been arrested and raids are still going on to arrest some other farmer leader," he tweeted. Meanwhile, farmer leaders from Haryana too claimed that some people associated with the Bharatiya Kisan Union have been detained by the police. The Haryana police has detained BKU leader Amarjit Singh Mohari and some others in Ambala, they claimed, adding that Sandeep Singh has been detained in Kurukshetra. The Ambala Police deployed personnel along the Haryana-Punjab border to maintain law and order in the area. The farmers are all set to protest in Chandigarh on August 22 seeking compensation for the flood-hit farmers. Instead of complying with the genuine demands of the farmers, the so-called Badlav govt has adopted this harsh stance. The lies of the Punjab CM @BhagwantMann about providing relief to the farmers have been exposed, Bajwa said on 'X'. The Assam government has sought public opinion on a proposed law to end polygamy in the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. IMAGE: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the inauguration of Na-Ali Railway over Bridge, in Jorhat, August 17, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Sharing a government public notice on 'X', formerly Twitter, Sarma appealed to the people to send their suggestions on the proposed law to ban polygamy in Assam. The notice published by the Principal Secretary of the Home and Political Department requested the people to send their opinion by August 30 through email or by post. It mentioned that the Assam government had formed an expert committee to study the legislative competence of the Assembly to enact a law banning polygamy, and the report stated that the state legislature is competent to enact a law to ban the marital practice. Sharing the executive summary of the report, the public notice stated that marriage falls under the Concurrent List, enabling both the Centre and states to pass laws on it. "The Doctrine of Repugnancy (Article 254) stipulates that if a state legislation contradicts a central legislation, the state law will be overridden unless it received the prior assent of the President of India," it added. Quoting the report, the notice mentioned that freedom of conscience and the right to practice religion under Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution are "not absolute and are subject to public order, morality, health and legislative provisions for social welfare and reform". The courts have clarified that religious practices must be essential and integral to the religion to receive protection, it added. "With respect to Islam, the courts have held that having more than one wife is not an essential part of the religion. Legislation limiting the number of wives does not interfere with the right to practice religion and is within the scope of 'social welfare and reform'. Hence, laws favouring monogamy do not violate Article 25," said the notice, which referred to the expert committee's report. "Considering these principles, the State of Assam would have the legislative competence to enact a state legislature to end polygamy," it added. On August 6, the expert committee formed by the Assam government to examine the legislative competence of the state legislature to enact a law to end polygamy had submitted its report to the chief minister, who immediately announced that a legislation on the subject will be introduced within this financial year. He had also claimed the committee unanimously agreed that the state can frame its own laws to end polygamy. Hoisting the National Flag on the occasion of 77th Independence Day on August 15, Sarma in his official address said that a "strict act" will be brought soon to end polygamy in Assam. On May 12, Sarma had announced the formation of the four-member expert committee headed by Justice (Retd) Rumi Kumari Phukan. Besides Phukan, the other members of the committee are the state's Advocate General Devajit Saikia, Senior Additional Advocate General Nalin Kohli and senior Advocate Nekibur Zaman. It was tasked to scrutinise the provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act, 1937 along with Article 25 of the Constitution in relation to the Directive Principles of State Policy for a Uniform Civil Code. On July 13, Sarma had said the Assam government conveyed to the authorities concerned that it was in support of the Uniform Civil Code and wanted to ban polygamy immediately in the state. The opposition parties had earlier slammed the decision of the government to enact a law on polygamy as diversionary and communal, especially at a time when suggestions on the UCC are being received by the Law Commission. The India Club in London, with its early roots in the Indian independence movement as a hub for nationalists, is to shut down next month after losing a protracted battle against closure, it emerged on Monday. IMAGE: A view of the India Club in London. Photograph: Courtesy India Club/Facebook The historic meeting venue and eatery, which had won its battle to prevent the building in the heart of London's Strand from demolition a few years ago, was served a notice by the landlords to make way for a more modernised hotel. Proprietors Yadgar Marker and his daughter Phiroza launched a Save India Club appeal as they fought to keep it going but have now announced its impending closure. It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the closure of the India Club, with our last day open to the public on September 17, they said. The India Club has its roots in the India League, which campaigned for Indian independence in Britain, with its founding members including Krishna Menon who went on to become the first Indian High Commissioner to the UK. As well as housing one of the UK's early Indian restaurants, the Club quickly transformed into a hub for a rapidly growing British South Asian community in the aftermath of Indian independence and Partition. Since its opening over 70 years ago, the India Club has been a home-away-from-home for 1st generation immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, as well as a community space for Indo-British groups, said Phiroza, who has been helping out her father at the Club since childhood. Menon intended the India Club to be a place where young Indian professionals living on a shoestring could afford to eat, discuss politics, and plan their futures, noted Parvathi Raman, founding chair of the Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, when she worked on the exhibition A Home Away from Away: The India Club in 2019, curated by the UK's conservation charity National Trust. The Club, which has functioned as an Indian restaurant on the Strand near the Indian High Commission since 1946, is located on the first floor of the 26-room Strand Continental Hotel. The freeholder of the building, Marston Properties, had earlier put in an application with Westminster City Council for a partial demolition" to create a new hotel. The application was unanimously turned down by the Council in August 2018, noting the venue's importance as a cultural institution in the heart of London. Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took to social media to lament the closure announcement, given his journalist father Chandran Tharoor's connection with the historic venue. As the son of one of its founders, I lament the passing of an institution that served so many Indians (and not only Indians) for nearly three-quarters of a century. For many students, journalists and travellers, it was a home away from home, offering simple and good quality Indian food at affordable prices as well as a convivial atmosphere to meet and maintain friendships, he posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. It triggered a flood of responses from people expressing their sadness at the loss of a slice of British Indian history in London. If any factor regarding the lander module appears unfavourable, then the landing will be shifted to August 27, said the Space Applications Centre-ISRO about Chandrayaan-3 on Monday. IMAGE: Images of the Moon's far side sent by Chandayaan-3. Photograph: Courtesy, ISRO Nilesh M Desai, director of Space Applications Centre-ISRO, Ahmedabad, said that the decision regarding the landing will be taken based on the health of the lander module and the conditions on the Moon. "On August 23, two hours before Chandrayaan-3 lands on the Moon, we will decide whether or not it will be appropriate to land it at that time based on the health of the lander module and the conditions on the Moon. In case if any factor appears to be not favourable, then we will land the module on the Moon on August 27. No problem should occur and we will be able to land the module on August 23, Director Desai said. ISRO chairman and secretary, department of space, S Somanath, called on Union Minister of State (independent charge) Science and Technology, Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh in New Delhi on Monday and apprised him of the status and readiness of Chandrayaan-3 for the Moon landing scheduled on August 23. The ISRO chairman briefed the minister on the health of Chandrayaan-3 and said that all systems are working perfectly and no contingencies are anticipated on Wednesday. In the next two days, the health of Chandrayaan-3 will be continuously monitored. The final sequence of landing will be loaded two days ahead and tested out, he said. During the meeting, Minister Jitendra Singh expressed his confidence in Chandrayaan-3 making a soft landing this time and hoped that it will script a new history of planetary exploration under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ISRO said Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 hours IST. Live telecast can be had on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV from 17:27 IST on August 23, 2023. While the Chandrayaan-2 mission was only partially successful since the lander lost contact after a hard landing, ISRO successfully established two-way communication between the Chandrayaan-3 lander module and the still-orbiting Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. If the landing goes off smoothly, India will become only the fourth country in the world to achieve this feat after the United States, Russia, and China, but India will be the only country in the world to land on the lunar south pole. The primary objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 mission are threefold -- to demonstrate safe and soft landing on lunar surface; to demonstrate roving on the moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments. Chandrayaan-3s development phase commenced in January 2020 with the launch planned some time in 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought an unforeseen delay to the mission's progress. Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14 via the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced a hike in the monthly allowance of Muslim clerics and Hindu priests by Rs 500. IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greets as she arrives for a meeting with imams, and muezzins (persons who give azan call to people for prayers in a mosque), across West Bengal, in Kolkata, August 21, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist dubbed it a "cheap poll gimmick" to woo minority votes. While addressing a conference of imams and muezzins in Kolkata's Netaji Indoor stadium, Banerjee announced a hike of Rs 500 in the monthly allowance of Muslims Imams and Hindu priests. "People have maligned me for my beliefs. When I attend Iftar during Ramzan, my photographs are ridiculed. BJP had even attempted to change my name. However, I don't care about it because it is my duty to see that people of different religions don't fight with one another," she said. Accusing the BJP of making it an issue every time she participates in the programmes of minorities, Banerjee said she would continue to work for all communities throughout her life. "Whenever I attend any programme of the minorities, I am accused of appeasing the minorities. I believe in love and respect for all. We have decided to hike the ongoing allowance of Imams and Muzzaeims and Hindu priests by Rs 500," she said. Banerjee, who has been often criticised for pursuing appeasement politics to woo the thirty per cent minority electorate of the state, said the TMC government doesn't believe in discrimination. "We don't do any discrimination; BJP does. They let go of convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. Everyone is witnessing the atrocities on minorities and tribalsWe have given recognition to 307 unaided madrasahs; 700 more will be recognized this year," she said. The imams (Muslim clerics) receive a monthly allowance of Rs 2,500, whereas muezzins receive a stipend of Rs 1,000 since 2012. In 2012, a year after coming to power, the TMC government announced the monthly honorarium to imams and muezzins in the state. After the court rejected the allowance announced by the West Bengal government for Imams and Muezzins as unconstitutional and against the public interest, the state government then routed it through the Wakf Board of West Bengal. In 2020, just months ahead of the 2021 assembly polls, when the BJP was breathing down the neck with allegations of minority appeasement, the TMC government had announced monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 and free housing for over 8,000 priests of the state. Banerjee's Monday announcement also attracted brickbats from the BJP and the CPI-M, which accused her of using dole politics to buy votes. "Are Hindu priests at the mercy of Mamata Banerjee? The announcement aims to buy minority votes in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. We condemn such politics," BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said. CPI-M leader Shamik Lahiri said the announcement aims to sharpen the state's communal divide. "The TMC wants to flare up communal issues to help BJP gain ground as such divisive policies and politics only help the BJP. The TMC has done it with an eye on Lok Sabha polls," he said. The Supreme Court-appointed Justice Gita Mittal committee, set up to oversee relief and rehabilitation of the victims of ethnic violence in Manipur, on Monday submitted three reports highlighting the need for reconstruction of identity documents, upgradation of compensation and appointment of domain experts to facilitate its functioning. IMAGE: Paramilitary personnel fire tear gas shells to disperse members of the Lamlai Kendra village volunteer force and displaced villagers from Gwaltabi, who are demanding the withdrawal of central security forces and the right to access their homes in Gwaltabi, which were burned during the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, at Yaingangpokpi, Imphal East, August 16, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The top court, while taking note of the three reports, said it will pass certain procedural directions on August 25 to facilitate the functioning of the Justice Mittal panel and to deal with issues pertaining to administrative requisitions, funding to meet administrative and other expenses, and setting up a web portal to provide necessary publicity to the work being done by the panel. On August 7, the bench, comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, had ordered setting up of the committee of three former women high court judges to oversee relief and rehabilitation of victims and compensation to them besides asking former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar to monitor the probe in criminal cases. In a brief hearing, the top court said on Monday the copies of the three reports be given to all lawyers concerned and the counsel assisting Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Manipur government. It also said the suggestions will be collated by lawyer Vrinda Grover in due consultation with the committee and which shall be shared with the advocate general of Manipur, preferably by 10 am on Thursday, and fixed the pleas for passing of necessary orders on August 25. At this moment we will say that the expert committee constituted by this court has filed three reports namely: (1) A report highlighting the fact that several residents of Manipur may have lost their essential documentations which need to be re-constructed; (2) the Manipur victims compensation scheme needs to be upgraded to bring it in conformity with the scheme propounded by NALSA (National Legal Services Authority); 3) The proposal of the committee for the appointment of domain experts to facilitate its work. The bench said the committee, in one of the three reports, has raised the issue of loss of ID proof including Aadhaar cards of several victims and they needed to be reconstructed. Certain procedural directions will be required to facilitate the work of the committee including: (1) Requisite administrative requisitions, (2) Funding to meet the administrative and other expenses of the committee and (3) Necessary publicity to the work that is being done by the committee by setting up a web portal and, (4) other infrastructural requirements, the order said. On logistical issues, the CJI said he will talk to Justice Mittal, the former chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir high court, and the chief justice of the Delhi high court on providing office space to the panel. Otherwise we will request the Union ministry of home affairs to identify a place for the panel, the bench said, adding at the last hearing, it deliberately did not pass directions on these issues as it wanted the committee to raise the necessary points. The CJI said Justice Mittal was also dealing with another issue relating to setting up of vulnerable witness deposition centres across India and is currently operating from the Delhi high court premises. The committee of three former women high court judges was authorised to submit their reports directly to the top court which is monitoring the cases related to ethnic strife. The top court had said the committee will be headed by former Jammu and Kashmir high court chief justice Mittal and include justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi, a former judge of the Bombay high court, and Asha Menon, an ex-judge of the Delhi high court. The bench had said its effort was to restore people's faith in the rule of law in the strife-torn state. The three-member panel of former women judges was constituted days after the apex court had termed as "deeply disturbing" the video of women being paraded naked in the state. The bench had said the committee of judges will visit the relief camps and assess the living conditions there. The top court had ordered 11 FIRs to be transferred to the CBI for investigation. The bench is hearing around 10 petitions related to the spiralling violence, including those seeking court-monitored probe into cases, besides measures for relief and rehabilitation. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg are being finalised, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Monday but did not give a direct reply on the possibility of a meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Benaulim, Goa, in October 2016. Photograph: PTI Photo. Prime Minister Modi is leaving for the South African city on Tuesday on a three-day visit to attend the first in-person summit of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) since the Covid-19 pandemic. Asked at a media briefing whether Modi and Xi will hold talks on the sidelines of the summit, Foreign Secretary Kwatra said that the schedule of the prime minister's bilateral meetings is being finalised. If the bilateral meeting takes place, it will be their first since the eastern border standoff began in May 2020. Modi and Xi had a brief encounter at a dinner during the G-20 summit in Bali in November last year. China has already announced that Xi is travelling to South Africa to attend the summit. Meanwhile, talks among local commanders of the Indian Army and Chinese PLA for confidence-building measures in Eastern Ladakh's Depsang and Demchok continued. Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. India and China held the 19th round of corps commander-level talks on August 13 and 14 with a focus on resolving pending issues at the standoff areas of Depsang and Demchok. A joint statement described the talks as "positive, constructive and in-depth" and that both sides agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner. Days after the fresh round of high-level talks, the local commanders of the two militaries held a series of negotiations in two separate locations to resolve issues in Depsang Plains and Demchok. It is learnt that the major general-level talks that began on Friday primarily focused on confidence-building measures. The talks between the local commanders were held on the next couple of days as well as on Monday to firm up confidence-building measures, according to the people in the know of developments. However, there is no official word on the negotiations. The 19th round of corps commander-level dialogue took place at the Chushul-Moldo border point on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the region. On July 24, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of a meeting of the BRICS in Johannesburg. In its statement on the meeting, the MEA said Doval conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 had "eroded strategic trust" and the public and political basis of the relationship. It said the NSA emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquility in the border areas so as to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral ties. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also held talks with Wang on the sidelines of a meeting of the East Asia Summit in Jakarta last month. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area. The ties between the two countries nosedived following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area. Observing that pregnancy in cases of sexual assault is a cause of stress and trauma to the victims, the Supreme Court on Monday allowed a rape survivor to undergo medical termination of her over 27-week foetus after noting that she is clinically fit for the procedure which will not adversely affect her child-bearing capacity. IMAGE: The Supreme Court of India. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, the upper limit for termination of pregnancy is 24 weeks for married women, special categories including survivors of rape and other vulnerable women such as those differently-abled and minors. Taking note of the survivor's medical report, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said the Gujarat high court was not right in rejecting her prayer for MTP. The top court said in Indian society within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a reason for joy and celebration not only for the couple but also for their family and friends. "In contrast, pregnancy outside marriage is injurious, particularly in cases of sexual assault or abuse and is a cause of stress and trauma affecting the physical and mental health of pregnant women. Sexual assault of a woman is itself distressing and sexual abuse resulting in pregnancy compounds the injury. This is because such a pregnancy is not voluntary or mindful. "In view of the above discussion and the medical report, we permit the appellant to terminate her pregnancy. We direct her to be present in hospital tomorrow so that procedure for termination of pregnancy can be carried out," the bench said. The apex court said if the foetus is found to be alive, the hospital shall extend all necessary medical assistance, including incubation, to ensure the foetus survives. If it survives, the State shall take steps to ensure the child is adopted in accordance with the law, it said. In a special sitting, the top court had on Saturday expressed displeasure over the Gujarat high court adjourning the survivor's plea for medical termination of her pregnancy, and said "valuable time" has been lost during the pendency of the matter. Later on Saturday, the single bench of the high court rejected the plea for abortion. Responding to the HC order, the apex court on Monday said, "We do not appreciate the high court passing an order as a counterblast to SC order. Thank you for bringing it to our notice, but are you supporting? What is happening in high court of Gujarat ? Do judges retort like this to a superior court order? The top court wanted to know what was the need for the high court to pass an order in a matter disposed of by a superior court. "These kinds of attempts are being made by the high courts to circumvent our order. No court in India can pass an order like this on a Saturday against a superior court order without giving notice to the other side, the bench said, adding the view taken by the high court is against the constitutional philosophy. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat government, said there may be some confusion on assisting the court and requested the bench not to pass any adverse observations against the HC order. Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for the victim, urged the bench for preservation of tissue drawn from the foetus which may be used as evidence in the trial. The bench said the court is not a medical expert and can only direct the medical experts concerned to have regard to feasibility of such a procedure being done. Needless to observe that it (tissue) will be handed over to the investigating agency for the purpose of DNA test by the hospital concerned, the bench said. The top court had, while voicing displeasure over the delay by the Gujarat high court in deciding the rape survivor's plea, observed that there should be a sense of urgency in such cases, and slammed the "lackadaisical attitude" of the HC in treating it as any normal case and adjourning the hearing. During the hearing on Saturday, the apex court was informed by the counsel for the 25-year-old woman that she had approached the high court on August 7 and the matter was taken up the next day. He said the high court had on August 8 issued a direction for constitution of a medical board to ascertain the status of pregnancy as well as the condition of the petitioner. The report was submitted by the medical college concerned on August 10, the counsel said. The top court noted that the report was taken on record by the high court on August 11 but, "strangely", the matter was listed 12 days later on August 23, "losing sight of the fact that every day's delay was crucial and of great significance having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case." The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a declaration that abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which bestowed special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was constitutionally valid. Photograph: From Rediff.com archives, by Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo IMAGE: Activists of various organisations in Bengaluru display placards during a protest against the government's move to revoke Article 370 in Jammu Kashmir. Terming the plea as "misconceived", a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the issue of constitutional validity of abrogation of Article 370 is already pending before a Constitution bench of the apex court. "What kind of a petition is this? You are now seeking a declaration by this court that the abrogation of Article 370 is valid. Why should we issue that declaration on your petition? Who has set your client up?" the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, asked the counsel appearing for the petitioner. The bench noted that the petitioner has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a declaration to the effect that abrogation of Article 370 (1) of the Constitution and the deletion of Article 35-A were constitutionally valid. "A declaration cannot be issued by this court with regard to the constitutional validity of the action of the Union Government. In any event, the issue of constitutional validity is pending before the constitution bench," it said. "The present petition is misconceived and is accordingly dismissed," the top court said. Article 35-A, which was incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, accorded special rights and privileges to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and barred people from outside the state from acquiring any immovable property in the state. It also denied property rights to a woman who married a person from outside the state. On August 5, 2019, the Centre decided to strip the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir of special status and bifurcate it into two union territories. By abrogating Article 370, the central government had revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by the CJI is hearing arguments on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which split the erstwhile state into two Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. A 'technical glitch' in the Tata Consultancy Services data centre server caused a two-hour delay in start of the online recruitment examination for talathis (revenue department officials) on Monday in Maharashtra, a senior bureaucrat said, prompting the state government to order a probe. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo Anand Rayate, senior IAS officer and state coordinator for the Talathi Recruitment Exam-2023, said the statewide test conducted with the help of IT major TCS started at 11 am, instead of 9 am scheduled originally, after the fault was rectified. In a statement in Mumbai, he said, The TCS company informed the government today (Monday) that there has been some technical problem in its data centre server. Due to it, the morning session for the talathi recruitment exam could not start at 9 am. After the problem was fixed, the first session started at 11 am across the state. The exam was conducted with the help of TCS at 115 centres in 30 districts. Candidates were informed about the delay via resident collectors in the districts where the test was scheduled, Rayate said. The IAS officer expressed regret over inconvenience caused to the candidates who appeared for the exam. TCS, in a statement in the morning, said, As per the technical team, there was a central hardware issue which has impacted the exam start time in all the exam centres for talathi (revenue department officials) recruitment exam 2023 today. Maharashtra Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil announced a high-level probe into the matter and expressed regret over inconvenience caused to candidates appearing for the exam. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, he said, The additional chief secretary of the revenue department will conduct an inquiry into the reason behind the Tata Consultancy Services' server developing a technical glitch that caused major inconvenience to candidates appearing for talathi recruitment examination. The state government expresses regrets to candidates who faced inconvenience due to a delay in start of the exam. He wondered how a technical glitch can occur in the TCS server given the infotech giant has experience in conducting such examinations in the state. The company has informed the state government that a technical glitch in its data centre caused the problem. I wonder how such a technical glitch can develop in a company like TCS. The company has conducted recruitment exams for other state departments as well, said the minister. The exam's first session, which was supposed to start at 9 am, began at 11 am. Since then, the remaining sessions of the exam have been organised to avoid any further inconvenience, Vikhe Patil said. Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress said the state government has been "irresponsible" in handling the entire examination issue. Wadettiwar said the state government should have opened examination centres in every district of the state. "Candidates spent sleepless nights and arrived in cities, where the exam centres are located, today morning and found their exam was on hold, he said. Meanwhile, according to a government resolution, 32 per cent posts of talathis are currently vacant in the state. The GR dated August 18 said of the total sanctioned posts of 15,744 talathis, who are Class C employees, 5,038 positions are lying vacant and the process to fill them was underway. A talathi is a revenue department official whose job is to maintain village accounts relating to the demand and collection of land revenue, records of rights, inspect crops and boundary marks, and prepare agricultural statistics, among other duties. The father of Sharddha Walkar told a Delhi court on Monday that his daughter never spoke to him about her "serious anger issues" or getting "abusive first" with Aaftab Amin Poonawala, her live-in partner, accused of killing her and chopping the body into pieces. IMAGE: Shraddha Walkar. Photograph: PTI Photo He also denied having been told by her daughter that she felt guilty about not defending her mother properly against her father's aggressive or abusive behaviour. Vikas Madan Walkar was being cross-examined as a prosecution witness by Poonawala's counsel before additional sessions judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar. Poonawala is accused of killing Shraddha Walkar on May 18 last year. Defence counsel Akshay Bhandari posed several questions to Vikas Madan Walkar after playing some video clips where the deceased was speaking to a psychologist or counsellor. "Is it correct that in the said videos your daughter is telling the counsellor that you used to beat your wife? Is it correct that your daughter is also saying that she feels guilty that she did not defend her mother properly against your aggressive, abusive behaviour? Is it correct what your daughter is saying that (when) she tried to defend her mother once you scared her off?" Bhandari asked. "It is correct that she has stated so in the videos. However, she never said the same to me," Walkar responded. After a few other clips were played in the open court, Bhandari resumed the cross-examination. "Is it correct that in the video your daughter is stating she has anger issues and she gets abusive first (with Poonawala)?" the defence counsel asked Walkar. "Is it correct that your daughter is stating that the accused used to be very supportive of her and never stopped her from doing anything? Is it correct that the counsellor is heard saying that the deceased has very serious anger issues?" Bhandari continued with a flurry of questions. Walkar's response to every question was his daughter never told him about any of these issues. Special public prosecutor Amit Prasad objected to the questions on the ground that the video clips did not pertain to Walkar's examination-in-chief and that the alleged victim's father was not present when the videos were made. Examination-in-chief is the first questioning of a witness by the party which has called that witness to give evidence in support of the case being made. "Further, the questions are intended to annoy and insult the witness, therefore the questions should be disallowed," he said. Walkar's cross-examination got over on Monday, following which the court has posted the matter for examining further prosecution witnesses on Tuesday. After allegedly strangling Sharddha Walkar, Poonawala was claimed to have sawed her body into pieces and kept them in a fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in south Delhi's Mehrauli. He later threw the pieces at different places in the national capital to avoid getting caught. Some members left the Nationalist Congress as the Centre had launched an inquiry against them through the Enforcement Directorate (ED), party chief Sharad Pawar said in Pune on Sunday. IMAGE: NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Photograph: @PawarSpeaks/Twitter Without taking the name of his nephew Ajit Pawar who led the group of rebel MLAs to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government last month, Pawar said their claim that they wanted to be a part of the government for the cause of development was not true. "There were some changes in the past. Some of our members left us. They (the Ajit Pawar faction) say they went for development but this is not at all true. The Centre had launched an ED inquiry against them and they have left the NCP. Some members (from the Ajit Pawar faction) were told to join them (BJP) or they will be sent somewhere else," Pawar claimed. He was addressing NCP workers at a social media meeting organised by the party. "However, some members were ready to face the inquiry. (Ex-home minister) Anil Deshmukh was in jail for 14 months. Even Deshmukh was asked to change his role (loyalty) but he stood firm on his decision (to not quit NCP)," Pawar said. While Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister, eight other MLAs of NCP were sworn in as ministers in July. The Pawar senior said the state government should pay attention to the problems being faced by common people in Maharashtra. "The state is facing issues such as unemployment, farmers are also suffering," he added. It sent shock waves in the party -- a political greenhorn had taken on Modi in his home turf of Gujarat. Smriti had clearly tried to choose sides, in this case Vajpayee's camp. Many felt that this would end Irani's career. A revealing excerpt from Nidhi Sharma's new book She, The Leader: Women in Indian Politics. IMAGE: Union Minister Smriti Irani speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament, August 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo/Sansad TV Smriti was expecting her daughter Zoish and wanted to complete shooting for as many episodes of Kyunki (Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, the Star Plus soap opera which made Smriti Irani a star) before she took some time off. She invited her cast and crew to her husband's farmhouse in Dahanu outside Mumbai so she could wrap up her schedule. Word travelled fast across Dahanu, and soon, excited residents gathered to watch the shoot. Among those who dropped by at the mansion was Manisha Chaudhari, a member of the BJP's Maharashtra wing and currently the MLA from Dahisar. Recounting the 2003 shoot in Dahanu, Chaudhari said, 'I decided I will go invite her into the BJP,' Chaudhari said. She gathered a group of women, and went to the Irani house. 'I just introduced myself and told her about our party. Smriti said she liked the work of Atalji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee).' She joined the BJP in 2003 in the presence of Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde, and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Almost two decades later, Smriti would replace Naqvi as minority affairs minister in Modi's second Cabinet in 2022. When Smriti joined the BJP, the party was in power at the Centre and was eyeing to wrest power from the Congress in several states. Her first big assignment was the Rajasthan assembly elections. In the run-up to the 2003 assembly elections, the BJP had decided to bring Vasundhara Raje into state politics and make her the state unit chief. IMAGE: Smriti Irani and (to her right) husband Zubin Irani with other dignitaries at the Red Fort on Independence Day 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Mahajan had foreseen a rebellion within the state unit and flew down about hundred young BJP activists from his home state Maharashtra to micromanage Raje's campaign and election. Smriti was one of these activists. Mahajan was hesitant in drafting in Smriti as her daughter Zoish was just two months old. But an eager Smriti decided to work for the party. She was still an actor and actively shooting for her serials. 'I would shoot through the night. Come home in the early hours of morning, feed my baby, align everything at home and be at the airport by 8.30 am to take the plane assigned by the party and then campaign the whole day. I would return at 6-6.30 pm, bathe and feed my little one, and go back to my shoots,' she says remembering how she got into the habit of catching up on her sleep on flights -- something she still does. Did she ever feel stressed? Smriti says, 'Life does not give everyone opportunities. It was giving me opportunities. How could I have refused or complained?' This balancing act caught the eye of the BJP seniors. Within a year she was made vice-president of the BJP's Maharashtra youth wing. IMAGE: Smriti Irani greets Prime Minister Narendra D Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan, May 2014, before she was sworn in as a minister in the first Modi government. Photograph: R Raveendran/ANI Photo In December 2004, Smriti took a political misstep. In Surat to inaugurate a jewellery store, she linked the party's Lok Sabha defeat to the 2002 Gujarat riots and said, 'If Narendra Bhai gives up the post of the chief minister of Gujarat, it would prove that the BJP is a party with a difference.' She went on to announce a fast unto death on Vajpayee's birthday if Modi did not step down. It sent shock waves in the party -- a political greenhorn had taken on Modi in his home turf of Gujarat. Smriti had clearly tried to choose sides, in this case Vajpayee's camp. However, by later that evening Smriti had to retract her statement. Two months later, L K Advani hosted a screening of a documentary at his home and Smriti bent down to touch Modi's feet, who accepted the gesture and blessed her by calling her 'Gujarat ki beti'. Many felt that this would end Irani's career, some said that she was made to give that statement, others said she clearly tried to choose a camp. IMAGE: Smriti Irani garlanded by Bharatiya Janata Party supporters at a meeting in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo In a 2016 interview with the well-known television journalist Barkha Dutt, Smriti cleared the air, 'At that time, I was just a young kid,' she said, while Mr Modi was 'a star of the BJP'. 'He could very well have told the organisation that this upstart of a girl has said something, kindly have her sacked, or kindly put her in a place from where she never politically rises,' she said. Instead, Irani recalled, 'He sat down with me, he said, "Tell me how you reached this conclusion".' When she replied that she had been influenced by what was reported in the media, she says Mr Modi replied, "Don't judge me by editorials" and then advised her, "You ensure you see me by the programs that I roll out, see me by the effectiveness, or if there is a gap, tell me what the gap in that program is, help me work so that I can deliver on the promise of development."' Irani said that the PM advised her, 'I am not looking for apologies, explanations. If you can apply yourself to any one program and help me make it a success, that is something you should do for the party.' IMAGE: Smriti Irani with author Nidhi Sharma at the book launch of She, The Leader in New Delhi, August 11, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Within eight years of joining the party, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in 2011. The nomination had Modi's blessings -- he was present when Smriti filed her nomination papers. Her spectacular rise through the echelons of the saffron party, which is perceived as patriarchal, started rumours objectifying Smriti as yet another actor charming her way into power. She had attracted the ire of the entrenched old guard. There were ludicrous claims of a tunnel running between Smriti's and a senior leader's home in New Delhi. But Smriti is never known to have bothered. 'The problem is that when a woman gets attacked, she gets attacked for her character but never for her policymaking. Have you ever seen any criticism of a woman in politics about her policies?' she asks. IMAGE: Smriti Irani and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari campaign in Amethi for the Uttar Pradesh assembly election. Photograph: R Raveendran/ANI Photo In the 2014 parliamentary elections, Smriti was pitted against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. With barely twenty days to plan her entire campaign, Smriti managed to narrow Rahul's victory margin and polled over 3 lakh votes -- the highest a BJP candidate had ever got in Amethi. Smriti vividly remembers how she was told that she could be shot during the campaign. 'I never conveyed it to the party but Zubin knew,' she says. Zubin charted out an elaborate plan in consultation with doctors at Gurugram's Medanta hospital on how to get Smriti to a hospital in case she was shot at. It involved finding the shortest route from Amethi to Lucknow airport and then flying out to Gurugram. Smriti says she was shocked when she saw the state of the parliamentary constituency of the Gandhis. 'There is a halo around the family which is absolutely unnecessary. I was shocked to see how the family has not worked for the constituency they represent,' she says. Though she lost, Smriti did not give up on Amethi. 'I had promised the people of Amethi that I will return and work for their constituency no matter I win or lose. They told me to my face that nobody returns after losing an election. I did not know whether the party would field me in 2019 but I had given my word and my word should mean something,' says Smriti. From Smritiji she gradually became Amethi's didi. Excerpted from She, The Leader: Women in Indian Politics by Nidhi Sharma with the kind permission of the publishers, Aleph Book Company. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Firma Biznes Terg SA extends lease agreement at Gdansk Logistic I Zobacz wiecej zdjec Terg SA (joint-stock Company) has extended the lease of warehouse and office space at Gdansk Logistic I in Poland. As a result of the agreements renegotiation, the owner of the Media Expert brand will be renting a total of 1,800 sqm in the complex managed by White Star Real Estate and Generali Real Estate for the next few years. Przeczytaj rowniez Podstawowe informacje o CentrumPR.pl Gdansk Logistic I include three warehouse halls of the highest standard confirmed by BREEAM certification. The investment, with a total leasable area of more than 50,000 sqm, includes warehouse and office space. One of the tenants is Terg SA (joint-stock Company), a leader in the Polish consumer electronics and household appliances market, which occupies a total of 1,800 sqm as of 2021. A renegotiation of the lease resulted in an extension in May 2023. The asset is owned by the pan-European fund Generali Real Estate Logistics Fund (GRELF) managed by Generali Real Estate S.p.A SGR. PM and leasing managed by White Star Real Estate. Strategic location, urban and modern warehouse space and consistent development are the main factors that distinguish the Gdansk Logistic I investment. The growing demand for logistics space, combined with the potential of the region, means that we can offer tenants something more than a distribution center. It is the excellent location, supported by numerous investments in infrastructure or expansion of existing transshipment ports, which translates into reducing delivery times or increasing its reliability, and thus building a thriving business. We firmly believe that the long-term cooperation with Terg SA will result in even better results for the leader of the Polish consumer electronics and household appliances market, says Miroslav Nutil (Asset Manager) at Generali Real Estate, owner of Gdansk Logistic I. Long-term cooperation is the best confirmation that the business decisions we make in terms of raising the standard of services offered and comfort for our contractors are the right ones. We know that our tenants appreciate the combination of location and operational capabilities that affect the expansion of their business. We are even more pleased with the outcome of the renegotiation of the agreement with Terg SA, owner of the Media Expert brand, which will use the space in Gdansk Logistic I for warehouse and office purposes for the next few years, says Urszula Rasmussen, Head of Industrial Leasing at White Star Real Estate, the manager and commercializing part of the transaction. We are actively implementing an omnichannel strategy that ensures convenience, shopping security and short delivery times for all buyers. The successful execution of these initiatives has been directly influenced by investments made in modern warehouse facilities in key locations within the country in recent years, as well as efficient management of the existing infrastructure. The formal extension of our presence in Gdansk Logistic I aligns perfectly with these efforts, and the effectiveness of our strategy is evidenced by, among other things, Media Expert's victory in the first Polish edition of the international Best Brands Awards program in the category of Best Omnichannel Brand, says Micha Mystkowski, Media Expert's spokesperson. Gdansk Logistic I is a complex of three modern buildings, located in Kowale, on Magnacka Street, right next to the Szadoki transport hub and the Tri-City (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot) Ring Road, just a few kilometers from the A1 Motorway and the S7 southern ring road. The close proximity to the center of Gdansk and Gdynia, as well as the international airport in Gdansk guarantee efficient distribution in all directions. The location within the boundaries of the agglomeration provides access to appropriate infrastructure and public transport, which is also an additional convenience for employees. About investors and tenants White Star Real Estate is a well-known, international real estate company with a first-class track record. Its team has been active in Central and Eastern Europe since 1997, leading the completion of over 50 development projects throughout the region. These projects include a large portfolio of landmark office buildings, as well as warehouse, retail, leisure and residential properties. White Star Real Estate is also an experienced asset and property manager, providing services to its clients for over 1.6 million square meters of commercial properties. White Star Real Estate is part of White Star Group, a holding company established to provide real estate management services and to make real estate and private equity investments primarily in Central and Eastern Europe. Generali Real Estate is one of the worlds leading real estate asset managers with 38.6 billion of assets under management (as of March 30th, 2023). It leverages the expertise of more than 370 professionals, with operating units located in the main European cities. The companys integrated business model covers the full scope of asset management activities and the entire real estate value chain. A series of cross-border investment vehicles, managed by the specialized asset manager Generali Real Estate S.p.A. Societa di gestione del risparmio, aims to create long-term value for investors with a core/core +profile by investing in assets characterized by good locations, high liquidity and strong underlying leasing dynamics. The portfolio under management comprises a unique mix of historical and modern properties, ranging from landmark buildings to new architectural masterpieces, which has enabled the company to develop best-in-class skills in the fields of technological innovation, sustainability and urban development. Generali Real Estate is part of the Generali Investments ecosystem of asset management firms. Terg SA specializes in the trade of electrical and electronic goods. The company owns the Media Expert shop chain and the Avans and Electro online shops. The company operates for more than 20 years and is a leader in the RTV and AGD market in Poland. TERG SA employs over 11,000 people and has a network of over 550 shops, in almost 440 cities across the country. Redakcja CentrumPR informuje, ze artykuy, fotografie i komentarze publikowane sa przez uzytkownikow "Serwisow skupionych w Grupie Kafito". Publikowane materiay i wypowiedzi sa ich wasnoscia i ich prywatnymi opiniami. Redakcja CentrumPR nie ponosi odpowiedzialnosci za ich tresc. BRICS Digital Currency Could Launch in 5-10 Years, Experts Claim Source: Bjorn Wylezich/Adobe Experts in Brazil think BRICS leaders will agree to launch a digital fiat for the bloc at a summit next week. The experts said the coin could debut in the next five to 10 years. Per CNN Brasil and Tass, Evandro Caciano, the head of foreign exchange at Trace Finance, claimed that the nations should leave the meeting with working groups established on the matter. Caciano said: The conversation should move toward smaller and more technical groups that should tackle the subject. We need countries to be on the same page. Milena Araujo, an analyst at the investment service provider Nexgen, was also upbeat about a BRICS-issued digital fiat. She said that she expected that the event, which takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 22 to 24, to initiate discussions about a shared digital coin. Araujo said she expected officials to start with a concrete feasibility plan for the proposal. Caciano opined: A single digital currency for the bloc is possible if the BRICS bank issued it and became its regulator. He added that the process of issuance could be implemented in stages and might take five to 10 years to complete. BRICS Digital Coin: Why Are Member States Keen? The Trace Finance executive added that the current global economic climate favors the creation of BRICS coin, particularly with the United States now experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has this year stated that he supports the notion of creating a common currency that would facilitate trade between BRICS countries. Lula said in April that the coin could replace the US dollar in trade deals between the nations. BRICS Digital Currency Will Progress Be Made This Month? BRICS nations have been discussing the launch of a digital token since 2019, and have revised plans as the nations have stepped up their de-dollarization efforts in recent years. Member nations, such as China, Brazil, and Russia have also made rapid progress with their own CBDCs, respectively the digital yuan, the DREX, and the digital ruble. All three countries have spoken about the possibility of conducting cross-border trade with their CBDCs, as have key Moscow allies like Belarus. Russia and would-be BRICS member Iran have also discussed the co-launch of a gold-pegged stablecoin. BRICS leaders during a 2019 summit. (Source: Palacio do Planalto [CC BY 2.0]) Could BRICS Really Launch a CBDC-type Digital Currency? Lord Jim ONeill, the former Goldman Sachs economist who coined the BRICS name in a 2001 research paper, this month called the idea of a common currency for the bloc just ridiculous. He mused: They are going to create a BRICS central bank? How would you do that? Its embarrassing, almost. Brics creator slams ridiculous idea for common currency https://t.co/KC1xKPaNDn Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) August 15, 2023 The latest BRICS summit will be the 15th of its kind. South African officials have denied that a common BRICS currency is on the agenda, but officials have repeatedly debated the issue at previous summits. The BRICS leaders will also speak about whether they wish to accept membership applications from other countries. Thus far, almost two dozen countries have expressed a desire to join the group, the Washington Post reported last week. The list includes Venezuela, Vietnam, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Argentina, Cuba, Nigeria, and Thailand. Crypto Debt Drove South Korean College Student to Armed Robbery Source: mehaniq41/Adobe A South Korean man has been handed a suspended jail term of almost three years after he was found guilty of armed robbery to clear a crypto debt. According to the South Korean media outlet WowTV, the unnamed criminal was 22 years old and had amassed debts of over $37,000 due to failed cryptoasset investments. The man, described as a college student, was sentenced at a branch of the Gwangju District Court, where he was found guilty of robbery, threats of violence, and theft. The court heard that the man entered a convenience store in the Dong-gu region of Gwangju on June 11 this year, armed with a weapon. The court also heard that the man then proceeded to threaten a store employee with the weapon. The man then went on to steal over $425 in cash. And he stole a number of items from the store before leaving, including Google Play gift cards. He then went to a number of other stores in the city, where he stole similar items. The presiding judge Koh Sang-young sentenced the man to two years and six months in prison, as well as three years of probation, and 200 hours of community service. But Judge Koh decided to suspend the jail sentence after ruling that the man had acted out of desperation and that he had even contemplated taking his own life. The man was also described as a first-time offender, News1 reported. Crypto and Extreme Choices Drove S Korean Man to Armed Robbery Judge Koh said that the man had committed the case with extreme choices in mind due to the pile of debt he had amassed. And the court added that the mans family had pledged to actively help with the mans rehabilitation a factor that led the judge to suspend the jail term. But the judge added that the crime was not light in nature and that the store clerk had felt fear for [their] life. South Korea was rocked by a number of apparent crypto-related suicides in 2021, with investors seemingly taking their lives after losing enormous sums of money on the crypto market. And the nation was stunned last year by the case of a married couple and their 10-year-old child who were found dead after driving their car into the sea. The couple had amassed enormous crypto investment-related debts. Investigators found the couple had made numerous Bitcoin (BTC) purchases shortly before their bodies were recovered off the coast of Wando, South Jeolla Province, in the Southwest of South Korea. An image comparing literacy rates between the United States and China has been shared repeatedly in Chinese-language social media posts that claim the level of literacy in the U.S has noticeably declined between 1950 and 2022, while the level in China has seen a remarkable increase. The posts cited the U.S. Census Bureau and Chinas Ministry of Education as sources. But the claim is misleading. The U.S. Census Bureau did not gather literacy statistics for 2022, and AFCL found the numbers mentioned in the image come from surveys with varying definitions and methodologies for measuring literacy. The image was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Aug. 7 by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, showing that literacy in China last year was 97% while in the United States it was 79%. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying posted a chart comparing literacy rates between the U.S. and China. (Screenshot taken from X) The image was also shared in many Chinese-language posts, with several influential users claiming that the image was proof that in recent years China has progressed rapidly while the U.S. has regressed. While numbers for China cited in the image are accurate, those for the U.S. are misleading. Below is what AFCL found. Are numbers cited in the image all correct? No. Keyword searches found that a 1950 U.S. Census Bureau report estimated state illiteracy rates for those aged 14 and older to be under 10% in every state, with a national average of less than 4%. However, AFCL discovered that the bureau did not conduct or release the same survey in 2022. Kristina Barrett of the bureaus Public Information Office told AFCL that the bureau no longer tracks the literacy rate in the U.S., and that literacy statistics are now overseen by the U.S. Department of Educations National Center for Education Statistics. The center did publish a report in 2022 examining American adults with low English literacy and numeracy skills, but the report is based on data collected in 2012, 2014, and 2017 by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). According to the 2012 data, 21% of people surveyed had low English literacy skills. The number of 79% of literacy in 2022 in the U.S. cited in the misleading image appears to have originated from it. The center told AFCL that data released by the bureau in 1950 and numbers collected by the PIAAC in the 2010s are not directly comparable due to differences in definitions and data sources. For instance, the bureau surveyed people aged 14 and older, while the PIAAC assessed adults aged between 16 and 65. Are literacy rates conducted in China and the U.S. directly comparable? No. Literacy in China and the U.S. is defined and measured differently. Chinas Ministry of Education defines literacy as being able to read a set amount of Chinese characters. Farmers need to recognize 1,500 characters while urban residents and employees of public institutions need to recognize 2,000. Ability to understand simple and popular newspapers and articles, keep simple accounts, and write simple practical texts. The 1950 U.S. Census Bureau report defined literacy as the ability to read and write in English or in any other language, while the PIAAC defined literacy as the ability to understand, evaluate, use, and process written texts to participate in society, achieve personal goals, and develop an individual's knowledge and potential. In response to questions about the misleading image, Barrett from the U.S. Census Bureau said: Ideally, youd want to compare similar reports but thats sometimes difficult with historic records. You would need a statistician to look at each report and compare the methodology and note any differences between the reports and account for those differences. Translated by Shen Ke. Additional reporting by Dong Zhe. Edited by Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) is a new branch of RFA established to counter disinformation in todays complex media environment. Our journalists publish both daily and special reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers understanding of public issues. After 38 years, Cambodias leader is handing his son the keys to the family business. Can it survive without him? After nearly four decades in office, Hun Sen this week steps down as Cambodias prime minister. The National Assembly sat for the first time Monday, one day before the new premier is set to be sworn in. On Aug. 22, he will hand power over to his eldest son, Hun Manet, who was just 8 years old when his father took charge of a communist regime embroiled in a civil war and held afloat, barely, by foreign aid. The 71-year-old strongman prime minister is bequeathing his son a country that has changed considerably over the course of his reign. Cambodia is on track, by World Bank estimates, to reach upper-middle income status by 2030, but inequality is rampant and poverty remains widespread. The government Hun Manet, 45, inherits is one where it pays to have powerful parents. His incoming defense minister, Tea Seiha, is the son of his fathers long-serving defense minister, Tea Banh, who was appointed in 1989. His new interior minister, Sar Sokha, too, is taking over from his own father, Sar Kheng, who has held the top security position for 31 years. Its a generational change of government taken to its most literal extreme. The new minister of commerce, Cham Nimol, is the daughter of Cham Prasidh, who ran the ministry from 1994 to 2013. The minister in charge of the civil service, meanwhile, is Hun Manets younger brother, Hun Many. Control of Cambodias central bank is passing from Chea Chanto, in charge since 1998, to his daughter, Chea Serey. In fact, almost a quarter of the 125 ruling party candidates who ran in the July 2023 national election are related, according to a recent analysis by the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association. The newest government reflects the Cambodia that Hun Sen has built through decades of political violence and institutional control. It is one where absolute poverty has fallen, but where an idealistic system of electoral government created by the United Nations in the 1990s has been transformed into a constellation of family fiefdoms, glued together only by a knack for corruption. It is a clanic succession; it is a whole clan renewing itself, Sam Rainsy, Cambodias longtime opposition leader, told Radio Free Asia this month. The regime has become a hereditary dictatorship. Then-Foreign Affairs Minister Hun Sen holds a press conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 31, 1983. Credit: Francis Deron/AFP Young reformist A low-level Khmer Rouge military commander who turned on Pol Pots regime two years before its 1979 fall, Hun Sen rapidly rose to power in Cambodias Hanoi-backed revolutionary regime. In 1985, at the age of 33, he became the worlds youngest head of government and set about negotiating an end to the civil war with then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk, the father of Cambodias independence. Viewed as a reformist at the time, Hun Sen bucked the older conservative wing of the regime to reach an agreement with Sihanouks shadow government that resulted in the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement and the U.N.-run elections. The globally funded nation-building exercise, estimated to have cost in the end more than $20 billion, was meant to instill in Cambodia a vibrant multi-party democratic system, complete with an independent media and a professional civil service. Instead, a series of power grabs by Hun Sen particularly a coup detat in July 1997 and the crackdown that followed the rise of Cambodias united opposition in 2013 mean those who openly oppose his rule could at best hope for prison or exile overseas. Smoke from a burning fuel station billows into the sky as a Cambodian family makes its way out of Phnom Penh amid fighting between forces loyal to the two prime ministers, July 6, 1997. Credit: David van der Veen/AFP After the 1997 coup, U.N. investigators found evidence that at least 40 of Hun Sens political rivals had been executed. In ousting his co-prime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, he effectively overturned the results of the 1993 U.N.-run elections that the latter had won. It would not be until the 2013 election that a viable challenge to his rule would re-emerge, when two long-bickering opposition parties merged into the Cambodia National Rescue Party and almost came to power in an election they said they only lost due to voter fraud. Months of demonstrations calling for a new vote followed. When the protests later dovetailed with a nationwide strike of garment workers calling for an increase in their $80 minimum monthly wage, the government responded with violence. Military police shot dead at least five of the workers, injuring and jailing dozens more. Hun Sen was once a hope for change but has become the one who destroyed the political system in Cambodia, said But Buntenh, a monk who helped lead protests after the disputed 2013 election before fleeing in 2017 amid a crackdown on regime critics. I recognize that he contributed to the rebuilding of Cambodia after the genocide, even though that had included him as a commander of the genocide, But Buntenh, who now lives in Massachussets, told RFA. Hun Sen also was instrumental in the development of the Paris Peace Agreement. That I accept and I appreciate, he said. But the people hate him because he took full control and ruled the country with his entire family, and takes Cambodia, as a nation, to belong to his family. An injured Cambodian garment worker escapes from riot police in the compound of a Buddhist pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 12, 2013. Police fired live ammunition during clashes with protesting garment workers. Credit: AP Succession, HBO-style Maintaining power has required more than just the violent vanquishment of foes. Hun Sen has also had to keep his own party behind him, even when not everybody has seemed on board. In the end, Hun Sens own succession plan required him to cut similar handover deals with Interior Minister Sar Kheng and Defense Minister Tea Banh. Such an across-the-board generational transfer is necessary, explained Sam Rainsy, given the dangerous and sensitive situation of Hun Sen standing down while two powerful ministers with large security forces behind them could still loom over his son. Politically speaking, and psychologically speaking, those older officials cannot work under Hun Manet, so they all have to go, Sam Rainsy said. And Hun Sen has to find compensation for his colleagues, so he promised they will be replaced by their sons as well. Hun Sens plan for his son to be his successor required him to cut deals with Interior Minister Sar Kheng and Defense Minister Tea Banh [pictured], who both have large security forces at their disposal. Credit: Heng Sinith/AP file photo But it also speaks to the fragmented nature of the government Hun Manet is taking over, one in which he lacks even the power to select his own most important cabinet ministers. It all resembles a kind of dynastic, corporate handoff, Sophal Ear, a Cambodia expert at Arizona State University, told RFA. Its Succession HBO-style, except within a government. The state is me Though hes standing down as prime minister, Hun Sen will hold plenty of prime positions, including Senate president, a role that will make him the acting head of state when King Norodom Sihamoni is out of the country. Im not going anywhere, Hun Sen noted in an Aug. 3 speech, in which he also warned he could return as prime minister if Hun Manet is endangered. Im just not going to be prime minister anymore but I will still have power, as the president of the ruling party. The role of CPP president may have newfound prominence in Cambodia. As the government-aligned Khmer Times noted in its report on his speech, Hun Sen pledged to respect the independence of the new government but noted their decisions must not be different from the policy of the party that has made a promise to the electorate. In some ways, its a reversion to Hun Sens roots, as a young revolutionary trained by political minders from Vietnam, where the Communist Party secretary-general runs the show, and the prime minister, as head of government, implements party edicts. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen takes a selfie with a fan during an inauguration ceremony for a Phnom Penh road project, August 3, 2023. Credit: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP Stability, but for how long At the very least, Hun Sen will be able to say he left behind a system of government that has lasted, said Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor at the Australian Defense Force Academy in Canberra and an election observer during the 1993 U.N.-run elections. Hun Sen will bequeath to Cambodia the longest-serving and most stable regime since Cambodia attained independence in November 1953, Thayer said, even if the outgoing premier also will go down in history as the destroyer of multiparty democracy in Cambodia. Hun Manets government, he added, will have a chance to overcome baggage from the past and forge new policy paths, as it searches for legitimacy. Hun Manet, son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun, shows his inked finger after voting in Cambodia's general election, in Phnom Penh, July 23, 2023. Credit: Cindy Liu/Reuters One of the weaknesses of a personalist authoritarian regime is its reliance, at the end of the day, on its central persona. Rainsy, the opposition leader, said that while the passing of ministerial fiefdoms from parent to child across the regime this week was meant to shore-up Manets position, there are no long-term guarantees. As long as Hun Sen is in good health, as long as he can show authority and threaten everybody, then this can last, he said. But the very day Hun Sen shows a sign of weakness, the day that his health deteriorates to the point that his authority is not as it is now, Hun Manet will not be able to hold onto his position. But analysts and opposition figures doubt they will heed his advice. Cambodias King Norodom Sihamoni (C) leaves the National Assembly building in Phnom Penh after the opening ceremony of the parliament, Aug. 21, 2023. In an opening speech to Cambodias newly elected parliament on Monday, King Norodom Sihamoni called on lawmakers and the government to reconcile their deep divisions, though political commentators and opposition officials say the effort will amount to naught. The July 23 elections, won by the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party in a landslide, have been widely criticized by Western governments and opposition activists within the country because authorities kept the main opposition Candlelight Party from participating on a technicality. Three days after the election, Prime Minister Hun Sen who has ruled the country since 1985 announced he would step down and hand power to his eldest son, army chief Hun Manet. The king, who has served as the head of the countrys constitutional monarchy since October 2004, issued a royal message calling on members of the National Assembly and the government to forge national reconciliation and adhere to the four Brahmanical principles of Buddhism. Norodom Sihamoni said he expected the new government to win the trust of the National Assembly to develop and strengthen the comprehensive social protection system for Cambodian citizens. A high degree of unity and solidarity would ensure the strong existence of national identity, promote socioeconomic development and boost morality for the harmony of society, the king said. On this great occasion, I wish the 7th National Assembly to run smoothly and carry out its role with a responsible conscience in order to achieve new successes for the common good of the motherland, the king told the 125 lawmakers, all of whom except five were from the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, or CCP. The others were from Funcinpec led by Prince Norodom Chakravuth, the kings nephew. Hun Sen, former National Assembly President Heng Samrin, and Interior Minister Sar Kheng also were in attendance. Fake election Political analysts and opposition officials said the kings speech reflected his view that the countrys political divisions would harm the nation, though the situation would not likely change. Um Sam An, a senior official from the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, or CNRP, said the kings remarks were intended to guide the new government and lawmakers back onto a democratic path for the benefit of society following what he called fake elections. The CNRP official also said that the king was likely dissatisfied with the leadership of the previous one-party government, which often persecuted dissidents and opposition groups. He warned the deputies to be kind and treat the people well, Um Sam An said, adding that the political crisis in Cambodia has gotten worse with the holding of fake elections this year and in 2018. So, he understands that democracy and respect for human rights will only get worse in Cambodia, said Um Sam An. Hun Sen dissolved the opposition CNRP in 2017 and later prevented the partys leader, Sam Rainsy, from returning to Cambodia to stand trial on charges that rights groups said were politically motivated. Political commentator Kim Sok condemned the new government, saying it was born of the fraudulent elections. This illegitimate government and parliament face a huge reaction from the international community, the reaction of the people who will protest around the world, he said. And in the face of both economic and social crises, poverty and unemployment will occur. All these crises weaken our country. Knowing these prospects, the king has called for national unity, and that is all his authority allows him to do, Kim Sok added. CCP spokesman Sok Eysan told Radio Free Asia that the king's statement was a general message to people from all walks of life, and not a reference to the new government or the National Assembly. He also said that national unity depended on the attitude of the opposition. Patrick Murphy, the U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, who attended the opening of the National Assembly, sent a positive message to the newly elected lawmakers. As the new govt. begins its tenure, it can restore multi-party democracy, end political convictions, and allow independent media to reopen & function without interference, he tweeted. Translated by Sokry Sum for RFA Khmer. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. Democrats say there is now scant difference between Hong Kong's judicial system and that of mainland China Pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai walks through the Stanley prison in Hong Kong, on July 28, 2023. His national security trial has been delayed for a second time. A Hong Kong court has once more postponed the national security trial of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai for several months, while police questioned a woman with ties to exiled former lawmaker Nathan Law. A panel of three High Court judges delayed Lai's trial until Dec. 18, the second delay since the original trial date was set for December 2022. Lai, who founded the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, faces two counts of "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" and one count of "collusion with foreign forces" under a draconian security law imposed by Beijing in the wake of the 2019 protest movement, along with a charge relating to "seditious" publications. He was first arrested in August 2020 and is currently serving time for fraud in connection with the lease on his Next Digital media empire's headquarters. Meanwhile, Hong Kong National Security Police questioned a woman with reported links to Law, one of the eight activists in exile with arrest warrants and bounties on their heads, the London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch reported. The move comes after police detained and questioned the parents of fellow overseas activist Anna Kwok, who heads the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a U.S.-based lobby group. Hong Kong activist Nathan Law [center] takes part in a protest during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 1, 2020. Credit: Markus Schreiber/AP Kwok and Law are among eight prominent overseas Hong Kongers wanted by the authorities for "collusion with foreign forces" under the national security law, with a HK$1 million bounty on each of their heads, as the city authorities claim the right to "long-arm" enforcement of the law anywhere in the world. Hong Kong leader John Lee has vowed to pursue the eight activists for the rest of their lives. "This was the latest escalation in the application of the Hong Kong National Security Law against opposition figures, in particular since the announcement of arrest warrants and bounties against the eight activists in exile," Hong Kong Watch said in a brief statement. Looking like the mainland Former pro-democracy district councilor Sam Yip, who is currently studying in Tokyo, said Hong Kong's judicial system is looking increasingly like that of mainland China. "It's very similar to the Chinese courts, where the prosecution and courts can extend an arrested person's time in detention at will," Yip said. "The courts and the entire judicial system in Hong Kong are nearly identical with those in mainland China, particularly where national security law cases are concerned." "Those cases no longer follow the common law system, but instead follow the Chinese legal system." He said the common law system once ensured a fair trial in Hong Kong, but no longer. Hong Kong's judicial system is looking increasingly like that of mainland China, says former pro-democracy district councilor Sam Yip, who is studying in Tokyo. Credit: Richard A. Brooks/AFP file photo A former adviser to the Chinese Communist Party government in Beijing last week criticized the Hong Kong government over its plan to allow extradition to mainland China, which sparked the mass protests of 2019 and the ensuing crackdown on public dissent. Former Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference standing committee member Charles Ho said he had tried to dissuade the city's current and former leaders from pressing ahead with the plans, which sparked months of mass popular protest that broadened from an anti-extradition campaign to include demands for fully democratic elections. Ho told a radio show last week that then Chief Executive Carrie Lam's handling of the protest was "a man-made disaster." "I explained to her that if she went ahead and implemented the amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, it would lead to U.S. sanctions on Hong Kong," Ho said, adding that he had issued the same warning to then security chief and current chief executive John Lee. "I was in the Jockey Club coffee shop with John Lee, and I told him I had advised Lam not to do this, because it would affect Hong Kong's [trading status] with the United States," he said. Then-U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act into law in November 2019 after months of pro-democracy protests, targeting officials responsible for the erosion of the city's promised freedoms and prompting mass celebrations by protesters. When Beijing imposed the National Security Law on Hong Kong from July 1, 2020, Washington responded by declaring an end to the city's status as a separate trading entity from mainland China. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. UPDATED at 8:47 a.m. EDT on 2023-08-23 The low-lying Pacific islands face severe threats due to rising sea levels, which are increasing quicker than anticipated, while heightened temperatures impact marine habitats, according to a new U.N. meteorological body report. The Pacific region is experiencing an approximate increase of 4 millimeters of sea level rise annually in certain regions, which is higher than the worldwide average of 3.4 mm per year, the World Meteorological Organization, or WMO, said in its 2022 State of the Climate report released on Friday. The Pacific islands most vulnerable to this rising sea level include nations such as Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. These low-lying nations, often no more than a few meters above sea level, are alarmingly at the forefront of this crisis. Their unique geographies and limited land mass make them especially susceptible to even the slightest increase in sea level, threatening their very existence and the livelihoods of their residents. Separately, the report added that ocean heat and acidification threaten vulnerable marine ecosystems and their way of life. It said that weather-related disasters and climate change impacts are posing socio-economic risks and effects on key sectors like agriculture in the South-West Pacific region, which comprises all countries between Malaysia and Kiribati. The ocean absorbs over 90% of the surplus heat in our climate system, the WMO said, as the warming is responsible for about 40% of the average global sea-level increase due to the thermal expansion of seawater. It also impacts ocean currents and storm patterns. In 2022, the South-West Pacific experienced 35 recorded natural disasters that killed more than 700 people, with floods accounting for over 70% of these incidents, according to the report. These events impacted over 8 million individuals, inflicting an economic toll nearing U.S.$9 billion. In the Philippines and Fiji, storms were the predominant reason for the high death toll and the many affected individuals. A woman walks past a flooded market caused by monsoon rains and the recent typhoon Doksuri, in Balagtas, Bulacan province, Philippines, July 29, 2023. Credit: Reuters Even though the number of reported disaster events decreased in 2022, economic losses increased mainly due to a series of flooding events in Australia. Last years flood damage of U.S.$8.5 billion was over four times the 20-year average from 2002 to 2021. Early warning is one of the most effective ways of reducing damage from disasters, as it empowers people to make risk-informed decisions for food security, as well as other sectors, said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. Despite continuous efforts to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems, the present report clearly shows that there are still significant gaps to be addressed to strengthen these systems to reduce the adverse impacts of hydrometeorological hazards in the region. El Nino this year might make it worse The WMO said the three-year-long La Nina event, from 2020 to the start of 2023, had a temporary cooling influence, though 2022 still ranks within the top ten warmest years for the region, with the mean temperature of 0.2 to 0.3 degrees Celsius higher than during the last intense La Nina event in 2011. The report said that prominent marine heatwaves persisted for over six months in a vast region northeast of Australia and south of Papua New Guinea, specifically in the Solomon and Coral Seas. The region has now entered El Nino, which means drier and hotter weather. This will have a big impact on the South-West Pacific region as it is frequently associated with higher temperatures, disruptive weather patterns and more marine heatwaves and coral bleaching, said Taalas. According to the WMO, the upper ocean (between zero and 700 meters below the surface) has warmed since 1993 in most of the Pacifics South-West region. The report said that many regions in the Pacific region, including the Solomon Sea, Banda and Timor Seas, and regions east of the Philippines and the southern shoreline of Indonesia, have experienced significant warming, with the rates two to three times higher than the global average. The WMO said the glacier size in the western part of the Indonesian island of New Guinea decreased by 15% from 0.27 to 0.23 square kilometers between July 2021 and April 2022, while ice thickness dropped 24 meters from June 2010 to early 2021, with only 6 meters remaining in December 2022. July had warmest ocean temperature Earlier this month, another report from the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service, or C3S, said the global average sea surface temperatures continued to rise after a long period of unusually high temperatures since April 2023, reaching a new high of 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit) in July. Global ocean temperatures are usually warmest in March, so scientists say the record will likely keep increasing. Overall, the global mean sea surface temperature for the month surpassed the 1991-2020 average by 0.51 degrees Celsius, Copernicus said in its report on July 8. For July, the North Atlantic recorded temperatures of 1.05 C higher than usual, while marine heatwaves were observed south of Greenland, in the Labrador Sea, within the Caribbean region, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. These records have dire consequences for both people and the planet exposed to ever more frequent and intense extreme events, said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the C3S. 2023 is currently the third warmest year to date at 0.43C above the recent average, with the average global temperature in July at 1.5C above pre industrial levels. Even if this is only temporary, it shows the urgency for ambitious efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main driver behind these records, she said. July also had the warmest global air temperature, according to the WMO. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. This update corrects an earlier version that listed the Maldives among island countries in the Pacific. Another 12 were injured in attacks on an area controlled by a powerful ethnic army. Villagers who fled Kyaukkyi township take shelter on June 7, 2023. Five civilians were killed and 12 were injured in a week due to junta airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling in Bago region's Nyaunglebin district, according to the Karen National Union. The area is controlled by the ethnic armys Brigade 5 which has been fighting junta troops who are trying to take control of the area. The union said Saturday that fighting broke out on Aug. 13 in Shwegyin, Kyaukkyi and Mone townships and continued until last Friday, bringing civilian casualties. It added the junta had launched four airstrikes and fired 36 heavy artillery shells in the district that contains the two townships. Airstrikes on Friday killed a 75-year-old woman and injured two teenagers and a three-year-old girl in Mone township, locals said. On the same day, Infantry Battalion 439, based in Mone township, fired heavy artillery on another village, injuring four people aged between 17 and 75, according to locals. A resident of Nga Toe Khin village, who declined to be named for security reasons, told RFA this is the first time the village has been shelled. We are still living in the village, he said. There are no plans to move at the moment. If the situation gets worse, the village leaders have told us to move. On the morning of Aug. 16, artillery shells killed two people in Mone townships Za Lote Gyi village. Three days earlier, two teenagers were killed and two other youngsters injured by a heavy artillery bombardment of Pe Thauk village, residents said. Shwegyin township was also targeted by junta heavy artillery. On Aug. 14, a school was hit, injuring two students and a female teacher according to locals. RFA called the Bago regions junta spokesperson but nobody answered. The military council is attacking seven Karen National Union-controlled areas in Kayin and Mon states, Bago and Tanintharyi regions using more than 10,000 junta troops in a combination of ground and air attacks according to the ethnic armys officials. The union is Myanmars oldest armed ethnic group, and the strongest since the Feb. 2021 coup. According to figures by the union, more than 10,000 battles have broken out between the military council army and the groups joint forces since the coup. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. Swedish clothing firm says it will withdraw from contested garment sector as more labor abuse allegations surface. The logo of fashion retailer H&M on display outside a store in Stockholm, Sweden, July 17, 2023. The worlds second-biggest fashion retailer H&M has decided to gradually stop sourcing from Myanmar amid an upsurge in allegations of labor violations in the countrys garment factories. The Swedish retailer told Radio Free Asia on Aug. 18 that the company has been monitoring the latest developments in Myanmar very closely and we see increased challenges to conduct our operations according to our standards and requirements. After careful consideration we have now taken the decision to gradually phase out our operations in Myanmar. The company declined to give an exact exit date. H&M follows other European brands, including Tesco, Primark, Mango, Marks & Spencer, and C&A, all of which have been accused of labor and human rights violations in their supplying factories in Myanmar. H&M also leaves on the heels of labor rights accusations, which allege the company was complicit in 20 cases of abuse. Workers from Fu Yuen Garment Co Ltd protest in front of the Yangon Region Parliament, in Yangon, Myanmar, October 29, 2018. Credit: Ann Wang/Reuters According to a report published last week by the Business and Human Rights Resource Center, workers at supplying factories were reportedly forced to walk on their knees if they did not meet production goals, suffered from physical abuse from employers, experienced discrimination due to pregnancy, and faced wage theft. Many factory employees also faced excessive overtime and an inability to bargain with management for higher wages, said Thurein Aung, who helped represent workers facing labor violations at some H&M supplying factories. In response to allegations, H&M used online platforms to give workers a place to address misconduct on a factory level, but Thurein Aung says workers faced intimidation and misinformation from their bosses when trying to set up the applications. [We] never told them to exit from Myanmar, but if a brand does not have the ability to solve the labor rights violations in their supplying factories they should exit from Myanmar," he told RFA. Possible large loss of jobs Those hoping to keep business in the country responsibly, including supporters of the Multi-stakeholder Alliance for Decent Employment in Myanmar (MADE), point to the potential large loss of jobs. I regret H&Ms decision, as it will have a negative impact on thousands of women workers in Myanmar, said Vicky Bowman, the director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business. But I am not surprised by it, given the recent arrests by the military of trade unionists and human rights defenders, including four members of Action Labor Rights, who have made a valuable input into the heightened human rights due diligence for both H&M and others. Thurein Aung also estimates 30,000 jobs could depend on H&Ms orders at their 40 supplying factories in the country. If the brands like H&M and Primark exit from Myanmar, they [others] will also leave from Myanmar. That's why I think not only H&M, the other brands will exit. Laborers work at a garment factory in Yangon on November 1, 2018. Credit: Ye Aung Thu/AFP One worker whos been at an H&M supplying factory for five years says his two sisters and mother depend on his salary. While his factory, Myanmar York Garment 3, also supplies Danish brand Bestseller, he hopes the factory will try to find other investors so he and the other 2,000 employees dont lose their jobs. All the workers are feeling worried about this, he said, declining to be named for security reasons. If he must search for work, he claims his minimum wage will not be sufficient to cover his expenses. These days, brands are withdrawing from our country. This is not the solution to our countrys problems. If the brands are going outside, the people are the ones facing most of the difficulties in our country. Other large retailers remaining in-country include Bestseller, Adidas, Lidl and Carhartt. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn. One film, posted on YouTube last month, emphasized the importance of Buddhas teachings over images and pagodas. The Myanmar junta released this image of Swiss filmmaker Didier Nusbaumer [center, top] and members of the cast of the film Dont Expect Anything. Myanmar junta officials arrested a Swiss filmmaker and 13 cast members, accusing them of defaming Buddhism in informational videos posted on YouTube, according to a statement published by junta-controlled state media. The Swiss Embassy in Yangon told Radio Free Asia on Monday that it has asked Myanmar authorities to clarify the current status of filmmaker Didier Nusbaumer. Junta Capt. Than Naing Kyaw and other military security members arrested Nusbaumer and 13 others including a 12-year-old girl on Aug. 7, two weeks after a video they produced appeared on YouTube. It was first reported in state media last week. Nusbaumer, 52, is associated with the Phaung Daw Oo Integrated Monastic Education School in Mandalay, authorities said. He wrote the screenplay while the 12-year-old girl played the main character in the story. The other cast members also came from the school. They are accused of insulting Buddhist cultural traditions and the morals of Buddhist monks, according to state media. Authorities havent specified under which law they would be prosecuted. Sensitive subject The film, titled Dont Expect Anything, portrays the message that it is meaningless to worship Buddha images or pagodas, and instead its important to follow Buddhas teachings. The 12-year-old main character uses harsh words in the film to describe how the monks enjoy the food donated by lay people every day. The film portrays her as a reincarnation of a hermit who practiced Buddhist teaching in a previous life. The film was posted on YouTube and other social media on July 24. On Aug. 15, after the 14 people were arrested, the school and charity group wrote to junta officials and the Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee established by the government in 1980 to oversee the Buddhist clergy asking for their release. The school wrote that Nusbaumer is a former Buddhist monk at the Phaung Daw Oo monastery, a true believer in Buddhism and did not intend to offend the religion. About 90 percent of people in Myanmar follow Buddhism. Junta-controlled newspapers first reported the arrests on Aug. 18. When contacted by telephone by RFA, a monk at the monastery answered that all the monks have been saddened by the arrests and cannot respond at the moment. Because of how sensitive religion can be, its best to avoid any kind of filming that might mislead people, said Ashin Thabarwa Nadi, the secretary of the Arakan Monks' Association. In this country, such a thing could easily cause religious or ethnic riots as a political trick, he said. The junta as Buddhism protector A Mandalay resident who has watched the film said on the condition of anonymity that arresting multiple people for criticizing Buddhism should not happen. In the film, he gave the message that we should live according to the teachings of Buddha, the resident said. The little girl sending alms to the monastery in the film said some words to the monks, but that is nothing more than just a scene in the movie. But the authorities just pinpointed that scene and arrested and detained all of them under the pretext that they have defamed Buddhism, the resident said. I think that should not have happened. When RFA contacted Aung San Win, director of the juntas Ministry of Religion and Culture, he said he was unaware of the case. RFA attempted to contact the junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun and the juntas spokesman for the Mandalay region, Thein Htay, but they could not be reached. Its possible that the junta made the arrests to make itself appear to be the protector of the people and religion, said Min Thae, a political author. The military leaders have always tried to appear to be protecting Buddhism, trying to imply that it should be in the political arena in Myanmar, he said. The junta wants to create a public opinion that it is protecting the national religion, especially among its pro-military people." Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Matt Reed. Federal Court Supports Sanctions on Tornado Cash Crypto Mixer Despite User Protest Source: Pixabay / Sergei Tokmakov A federal court has backed the US Treasury Departments right to impose sanctions on the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, dismissing a lawsuit filed by six users. Last year, the US Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accused Tornado Cash of laundering more than $7 billion of cryptocurrencies since its inception in 2019. The Department further alleged that Tornado Cash was a key tool used by malicious actors like North Koreas Lazarus Group to launder crypto funds that were stolen from exchanges and games like Axie Infinity. The ruling came from U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, simultaneously denying the summary judgment requested by six plaintiffs, including two Coinbase employees. On Aug 17, Pitman concluded the agencys determinations on Tornado Cash are valid, and affirmed that the OFAC is entitled to frame Tornado Cash under sanction statutes. The record sufficiently supports OFACs determination that the founders, the developers, and the Tornado Cash DAO have acted jointly to promote and govern Tornado Cash and to profit from these activities. The six plaintiffs noted that the governments actions on the crypto mixer were unlawful and it violated the First Amendment. The users further argued that they were denied the ability to engage in socially valuable speech through donations to political and social causes. Pitman disagreed with the claims saying users have not shown that the governments action in any way implicates the First Amendment. Paul Grewal, chief officer of crypto exchange giant Coinbase, which backs the lawsuit, noted that Coinbase continues to believe Plaintiffs challenge to OFACs Tornado Cash action is right. Rights are rarely secured on a path that is always and . We continue to believe Plaintiffs' challenge to OFAC's Tornado Cash action is right. Weve always known that Fifth Circuit review is required to resolve these issues, and we continue to support them on appeal. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/Tz8FkFCSf2 paulgrewal.eth (@iampaulgrewal) August 17, 2023 In a statement to CoinDesk, a Treasury spokesperson noted that the Department is pleased with the Texas District Courts opinion upholding Treasurys work in protecting US clients. At a time when North Korea is increasing its reliance on virtual currency heists and other cybercrime, its critical to continue disrupting the regimes ability to generate revenue for its ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction programs, the government spokesperson for the Department of Treasury, added. Why Sanctions Now? The sanction comes at a time when 2022 saw an increase in money moving to crypto mixers from addresses associated with illicit activities. Per a report by Chainalysis last year, illicit addresses account for 23% of funds sent to mixers in 2022, which is up from 12% in 2021. This has triggered government agencies to take immediate action against non-compliant mixers or impose more sanctions. Last year, the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) was calling for the mixers to implement know-your-customer (KYC) checks as well as keep track of the audit trails of the tokens that cross their protocols. The NCA noted at the time that the regulation would mandate crypto mixers to comply with money laundering laws, customer checks and audit trails. Armita Garavand, the 17-year-old girl fatally injured in an alleged confrontation with Iran's morality police over a head-scarf violation, was buried amid tight security in Tehran on October 29. Unconfirmed reports say several people, including two of Garavands relatives, were arrested during the ceremony at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran. Civil rights activist Reza Khandan told RFE/RLs Radio Farda that his wife, prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, was beaten and detained at the funeral. "A number of participants were arrested and beaten up. Nasrin was among them," Khandan said by phone from Tehran. WATCH: Scores of mourners attended the burial of Iranian teenager Armita Garavand on October 29 in Tehran. Amateur video obtained by RFE/RL shows raw emotions on display at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery and at a separate funeral ceremony in the Jaberi mosque. A heavy police presence was observed at both places. He added that a number of those detained had been released, although others, including Sotoudeh, remained in detention. He said he hasn't been able to contact her. Irans semiofficial Fars news agency later confirmed that Sotoudeh had been detained, charged with violating the conservative Islamic nation's head-scarf law. Sotoudeh has previously been arrested and jailed after representing opposition activists, including women prosecuted for removing their mandatory headscarves. Video clips published on social media showed a large crowds of people -- both men and women -- attending the burial ceremony. Irans state media had reported Garavands death on October 28, nearly a month after she fell and went into a coma in the Tehran subway. Garavand was reportedly confronted by the morality police in the subway at the start of October for failing to wear a hijab. The news of Garavand's death came just over a year after the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest by Irans morality police for an alleged head-scarf violation sparked nationwide protests and international condemnation. A relative told Radio Farda that security agents had told the family they would be given Garavand's body under the condition that the burial be held in Tehran and not in their native village in the western province of Kermanshah. "We live in Tehran, but we don't bury our dead [here]. We hope to receive Armita's body, the family member had said. Shortly after the subway incident, authorities isolated Garavand family members and attempted to prevent journalists from reaching them. Security measures were still being enforced as of October 28, fueling speculation that authorities were worried about renewed protests in the country. Rights groups and journalists say Garavand and two of her friends were confronted on October 1 by police officers for not wearing the mandatory hijab as they tried to enter a Tehran subway station. One of the friends has said the officers physically assaulted Garavand, who later fell unconscious after entering a subway carriage. Officials have said Garavand suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure, fainted, and fell to the floor, hitting her head. A source at Fajr Hospital, who spoke to Radio Farda on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, said shortly after the incident that Garavand suffered internal bleeding in the brain. "Unfortunately, she went into a coma for some time after suffering from brain damage. She died a few minutes ago," the official government news agency IRNA said on October 28. Garavand's condition triggered concerns in the West and among international rights groups after a purported video of the incident circulated on social media. The video shows Garavand entering the subway car, but it does not show what exactly transpired in the seconds before her body is shown being carried back out of it. Amnesty International has issued a statement saying authorities should allow an independent international delegation, including UN experts, to investigate the circumstances leading up to Garavand's hospitalization. Tehran has left the request unanswered. The United States on October 29 said it was deeply saddened by the death of Garavand after she was beaten by Iran's morality police for not wearing a hijab in public." Iran's state-sponsored violence against its own people is appalling and underscores the fragility of the regime, White House national-security adviser Jake Sullivan wrote on social media. Garavands case, and suggestions of a cover-up by the authorities, has drawn parallels with the events leading up to the death of 22-year-old Amini last year. Aminis death soon after she was arrested for allegedly violating Irans hijab law triggered the greatest threat to the Islamic republic's leadership since the 1979 revolution. State media has shown Garavand's parents speaking of various potential causes for their daughter's fall and injury. It is not clear if the statements were made under duress, but the Hengaw human rights group, which first reported the incident, said on October 5 that Garavand's mother, Shahin Ahmadi, had been detained temporarily by Iranian government security forces. Earlier this month, Amini and the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran that was triggered by her death were awarded this year's Sakharov Prize, the European Parliaments top rights award, the second honor bestowed upon Iranian women this month for their sometimes deadly struggle for human rights after activist Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize. With reporting by dpa A mob of hundreds of people shouting anti-Jewish epithets stormed and shut down the airport in the Russian city of Makhachkala in the predominantly Muslim region of Daghestan after a flight arrived from Israel on October 29. Riot police arrived at the airport after the disturbances, while the Interior Ministry office in Makhachkala said reinforcements, including National Guard units, were being sent to ensure the safety of arriving passengers, according to the Baza Telegram channel. Without being specific, Daghestani officials later said that "several people" had been injured in the incident and were being treated. Russia's aviation authority later said the airport would remain closed until November 6. Anti-Jewish protests have broken out in several cities in the region in the face of Israels war with Hamas, rulers of the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip. The Israeli Foreign Ministry on October 29 demanded that Russia protect Israelis and Jews and that anyone threatening them be apprehended. "Israel expects the Russian authorities to protect all Israeli citizens and all Jews, and to act decisively against the rioters and against incitement to violence against Jews and Israelis," a statement said. Late on October 29, videos and photos from the scene published by RFE/RL's Caucaus.Realities indicated that protesters had stormed onto the Makhachkala runway and attempted to gain entry to the incoming plane. Authorities said the airport was immediately closed for incoming and outgoing flights, while police reportedly began jamming communications in the airport area to prevent the crowd from coordinating further actions. A local news Telegram channel reported that protesters were trying to check the identities of arriving passengers, attempting to prevent Jews from leaving the airport, including searching police vehicles. A protester was seen in one unconfirmed video carrying a sign saying, "Child killers have no place in Daghestan." Daghestani officials accused "enemies of Russia" of instigating the anti-Semitic sentiments after the Coordination Center of Muslims of the North Caucasus called on authorities to prevent refugees from Israel from entering the republic, according to the Caucasian Knot publication. The Internal Affairs Ministry said that "against the background of the situation in Makhachkala, the identities of all those who take part in the riots will be established, since video surveillance works at the airport." "We recommend that all persons who have violated the operating procedures of the [airport] to cease the illegal actions and to not interfere with the work of airport employees," a Telegram statement said. "It is not easy for each of us to stand and watch the inhumane massacre of a civilian population -- the Palestinian people, the government statement said. "Still, we urge residents of the republic not to succumb to provocations of destructive groups and not to create panic in society." Anti-Semitic rallies took place over the weekend in other cities of the North Caucasus protesting against Israels military campaign. The Middle East conflict broke out after Hamas militants stormed Israel on October 7, killing hundreds of people and taking more than 200 hostage. Israel retaliated with a military campaign against Gaza that is believed to have killed some 8,000 people and destroyed much of Gaza City. On October 28, a rally was held in Cherkessk, the capital of the Karachayevo-Cherkessia Republic, demanding that residents of Israel not be allowed into the republic. On the night of October 29, residents of Derbent in Daghestan protested after false reports of the settling of refugees from Israel in local hotels. With reporting by AFP On August 18, 1976, a 4-meter-high spacecraft called the Luna-24 touched down on the Mare Crisium, a flat plain in the moons northern hemisphere. Four days later, the Soviet-built vehicle returned to Earth, carrying a valuable sample of lunar soil, a portion of which Soviet scientists later swapped with colleagues at NASA in the name of international scientific cooperation. Almost 47 years later to the day, Russian engineers tried a near-repeat of that feat, seeking to land a craft packed with scientific instruments on the moons southern hemisphere, with the goal of spending a year surveying the lunar surface. The mission, Luna-25, failed spectacularly nine days after launch, on August 20, when the craft ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface, according to the Russian space agency, Roskosmos. The mishap was the latest in a string of embarrassments, failures, and scandals that have plagued Roskosmos over the past decade, highlighting the decline of a storied space industry whose pioneering achievements in the 1950s and 1960s are now distant memories. Bygone Successes Those bygone successes include the first man-made object to fly by, the first object to crash-land, and finally, in 1966, the first object to land on the moon all part of the Luna project missions. The last such mission, Luna-24, returned to Earth with lunar soil samples on August 22, 1976. This is another indicator of how the Soviet/Russian space program has deteriorated over the years, said Leroy Chiao, a former NASA astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station. He also drew a parallel with the problems Russias military has struggled with in its war against Ukraine. They have had a few close calls and failures with their Soyuz and Progress vehicles lately, and the world saw the many issues with their military, highlighted with the problems they are having in their war on Ukraine, Chiao said in an e-mail. The fact that they cannot mount a mission to the Moon like they did in 1976 speaks volumes about the state of their aerospace industry today. Following the end of the Cold War, the U.S.-Soviet space race gave way to more cooperation between Moscow and Washington -- and later, more competition among other nations to get back to the moon. Russia has wanted to return to the lunar surface since the 2000s, and more recently pushed to join forces to build a joint lunar base with China, whose space program has leapt forward in recent years. Beijing successfully landed a probe on the moon for the first time in January 2019. India, meanwhile, plans to land its unmanned Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft at the moons south pole on August 23 -- its third such mission. And the United States is leading an international effort to return humans to the moon by 2025, a program called the Artemis Accords. 'Not The Best' Decision Luna-25 would have been Russias first probe on the moons surface since the Soviet collapse -- and the first since 1976. Roskomos convened an investigative panel to try and pinpoint the cause of the failure. The agency's director, Yury Borisov, said on state TV on August 21 that the "main cause" was that the engines that were to put the spacecraft in a pre-landing orbit fired for 127 seconds instead of the required 84 seconds. One Russian scientist suggested in an interview with the state news agency RIA Novosti that engineers had recorded problems with the mission but that they were not considered major. There were problems. They were not that significant, but the signs were, so to speak, disturbing, but everyone hoped that they would somehow be able to sort it out, Natan Eismont, a space researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences, was quoted as saying. If we have a deviation slightly higher than expected, this is an alarming fact, but apparently it was not alarming enough to make a radical decision to delay or call off the landing. It is sad that there was time and, apparently, the decision on how to proceed was not the best, he told RIA-Novosti. 'We Have Somewhat Lost Our Competence' Aleksandr Zheleznyakov, a rocket designer and engineer, also said it was unclear what caused the failure, but suggested that Russias space industry was not keeping up with new technologies. Science has gone ahead, and technology has gone ahead -- unfortunately, over the years we have somewhat lost our competence, both in interplanetary flights and in landings on other planets, he told the media outlet RBK. For longtime observers of Russias space endeavors -- manned and unmanned -- the crash of Luna-25 had echoes of another ambitious effort more than a decade earlier. In 2011, Russian engineers launched an unmanned probe called Fobos-Grunt from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on a two-year journey to Mars. But the crafts boosters misfired shortly after launch, and it orbited the Earth for two months before crashing and burning into the Pacific Ocean. After Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, Western countries, including the United States, began placing sanctions on Russian companies and top officials. Still, NASA managed to continue to partnership with Russia, jointly operating the International Space Station and contracting to fly astronauts and cargo back and forth to the station. The U.S. space agency is now less reliant on Russian spacecraft, due to the successes of private companies like SpaceX, which are getting an increasing number of contracts for supply and transport. In more recent years, Roskosmos has been battered by a succession of mishaps and scandals. That includes a still-unexplained man-made hole found on a Russian-built module at the station, a harrowing emergency landing of crew members returning to Earth, and a scandal involving the demotion of a respected cosmonaut. In 2021, a Russian military test of an anti-satellite weapon spewed debris into a high-velocity orbit around Earth, potentially endangering the station. Though blame fell on Moscows aerospace forces, the incident further undermined faith in Russias space industry. After Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, international cooperation and business deals -- for example for revenue-generating commercial satellite launches -- all but evaporated. The cascade of scandals, which included very public reports of rampant corruption at a new cosmodrome called Vostochny, occurred under the leadership of Dmitry Rogozin, a nationalist politician and former ambassador to NATO whose often bombastic public statements strained relations with NASA. In July 2022, five months after the Ukraine invasion, President Vladimir Putin fired Rogozin, replacing him with Borisov, a technocrat who was a deputy prime minister at the time. More recently, Roskosmos has found itself in a thorny contract dispute with Kazakhstan over operations at Baikonur and a proposed new facility for launching a next-generation rocket -- without which Russias efforts at generating more revenue from commercial satellite launches will be in jeopardy. For veteran scientists like Mikhail Marov, who worked for decades on Soviet and Russian space exploration programs, the Luna-25 crash was heartbreaking. Its sad that we werent successful in landing the craft, he told the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets. For me, perhaps, this was the last hope of seeing the revival of our lunar program. Residents of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv gathered at makeshift memorials on August 20 to honor those killed a day earlier in a Russian missile strike. At least seven people died, including 22-year-old Nazar Yushchenko and a 6-year-old girl named Sofia. Her mother, Olha Holynska, explained how she comforted her wounded daughter until the end. Greece's prime minister pledged on August 21 after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to help train Ukrainian F-16 warplane pilots and assist in the reconstruction of Ukraine, particularly the port city of Odesa. Zelenskiy, speaking at a news conference in Athens on August 21 alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, called the promise "an important result for the air coalition" and thanked Greece for the offer. Training by an 11-nation coalition is to begin this month, and officials hope pilots will be ready by early 2024. Mitsotakis said Greece would "be present" in the effort to reconstruct and rebuild Ukraine with "particular emphasis on Odesa." Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. Greece has already joined its NATO and EU partners in strongly backing Ukraine against the Russian invasion. It has also provided material military assistance in the form of armored personnel carriers and ammunition. Zelenskiy is in the Greek capital for talks with the country's leaders and to attend an informal meeting of representatives of Balkan countries and top European Union officials. He was to join in an informal dinner organized by Mitsotakis for top officials from nine Balkan nations as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel to discuss the Western Balkans future in the EU, Mitsotakis's office said. Earlier on August 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked Danish lawmakers for their support in helping Kyiv fight off Russia's invasion, while Moscow said that the decision by Denmark and the Netherlands to send F-16 jet fighters to Ukraine would escalate the war. Zelenskiy's comments in Copenhagen on August 21 came a day after he announced that Denmark had approved sending 19 of the advanced warplanes to Ukraine. Zelenskiy also said that the Netherlands had agreed to send 42 F-16s, although Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that while his country has 42 of the planes available, it has yet to decide whether all of them will be donated. Ukraine has repeatedly requested F-16 fighters from its Western partners, and Denmark and the Netherlands are the first to answer the call. Kyiv has said it needs the planes to bolster its dwindling fleet of Soviet-era jets as it carries on with a counteroffensive in the face of a significant Russian advantage in the skies over Ukraine. On August 20, Zelenskiy thanked the Netherlands and Denmark for their pledges to deliver the F-16s, saying: "We are working, making Ukraine stronger, and the Ukrainian air defenses more secure!" Addressing Danish lawmakers, Zelenskiy said on August 21 that "all of Russias neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail in the now 18-month-long war launched by Moscow. Zelenskiy later told a large outdoor crowd in Copenhagen that "we are confident that Russia will lose this war." Denmark and the Netherlands, both NATO members, announced their decisions to donate the F-16s to Ukraine in a joint statement on August 20, but did not specify the number of aircraft. Denmark has suggested that its F-16s could be delivered by the end of the year after four to six months of training. WATCH: Residents of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv gathered at makeshift memorials on August 20 to honor those killed a day earlier in a Russian missile strike. At least seven people died, including 22-year-old Nazar Yushchenko and a 6-year-old girl named Sofia. Rutte did not provide a number or a time frame for deliveries, indicating that some of the 42 aircraft that the Netherlands has available would be needed for training purposes and that timing depended on the readiness of Ukrainian crews and infrastructure. The F-16s will not help immediately now with the war effort. It is anyway a long-term commitment from the Netherlands, Rutte said. We want them to be active and operational as soon as possible. Not for the next month, thats impossible, but hopefully soon afterward. Both the Netherlands and Denmark are members of a Western coalition that is training Ukrainian pilots -- first in Denmark and then in Romania -- to fly the sophisticated F-16. While Zelenskiy declined while in the Netherlands to say how many Ukrainian pilots would be trained, Denmark said last week that training would begin this month. The United States last week authorized Denmark and the Netherlands to deliver the American-made F-16s to Ukraine. On August 21, Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen told the Ritzau news agency that Kyiv may only use the Danish and Dutch F-16s within Ukrainian territory. "We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that," Ellemann-Jensen was quoted as saying. "Those are the conditions, whether it's tanks, fighter planes, or something else." Russia on August 21 condemned the decisions by Denmark and the Netherlands to provide the aircraft. "The fact that Denmark has now decided to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict," Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said in a statement cited by the Ritzau news agency on August 21. "By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its actions and words to leave Ukraine with no other choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia," Barbin said. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters Nothing Bundt Cakes opens in Camp Hill Camp Hill got a little sweeter June 1 after the ribbon cutting and grand opening of Nothing Bundt Cakes at 3548 Gettysburg Road. The business offers bundt cakes in 40 unique designs and 10 flavors. Karyn Reber-Hummer, who attended Central Dauphin High School and later Shippensburg University, is the owner of the new business and runs it with her soon-to-be son-in-law who is the bakerys manager. The grand opening weekend included a benefit day for Pink Hands of Hope on June 2 as well as free confetti bundtlets for the first 300 guests on June 3. Four UPMC hospitals earn award Four UPMC in Central Pa. hospitals received the American College of Cardiologys NCDR Chest PainMI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2023. The four hospitals are UPMC West Shore, UPMC Harrisburg, UPMC Hanover and UPMC Memorial and were among 262 hospitals nationwide, and the only ones in the region, to receive the honor. The award recognizes UPMCs success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients, as well as recognizes that the hospitals have reached a goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the college and American Heart Association. To receive the award, hospitals are required to demonstrate sustained achievement in chest pain for two consecutive years and perform at the highest level for specific performance measures. WellSpan implements $17 minimum wage WellSpan Health on July 7 announced it has implemented a new organizational minimum wage of $17 per hour and will begin paying a weekend differential of 10% starting July 30 to team members in hourly roles who choose to work weekends in support of patient care and operational needs. WellSpan previously raised its minimum wage in 2021 and also invested more than $245 million toward merit increases, Working as One rewards and other support over the last two years. Our newly implemented organizational minimum wage and our weekend differential are part of our ongoing commitment to being the healthcare employer of choice in South Central Pennsylvania, said Bob Batory, senior vice president and chief human resources officer with WellSpan Health. [L-R] Dean of Pharmacy, Professor Sandile Khamanga; Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research Innovation and Partnerships, Dr Kwezi Mzilakazi; Dr Ntethelelo Sibiya; Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Student Affairs, Professor Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela; Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela. [PIC: Unarine Mugogovhali] By Siviwe Mxuma In a grand celebration of educational distinction and pedagogical innovation, Rhodes University once again demonstrated its commitment to exceptional teaching by hosting the 2022 Vice-Chancellors Distinguished Teaching Award Lecture - a testament to the Universitys dedication to recognising and celebrating outstanding educators. Attendees included Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research Innovation and Partnerships, Dr Kwezi Mzilakazi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Student Affairs, Professor Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, the Dean of Pharmacy, Professor Sandile Khamanga, and the Rhodes University community. The highlight of the evening was the introduction of the recipient of the 2022 Vice-Chancellors Distinguished Teaching Award, Dr Ntethelelo Sibiya. Dr Sibiyas educational path began at Noodsberg Primary School and Siyaphumula High School, where his passion for learning was ignited. After graduating, he embarked on his higher education journey at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he obtained a Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree with a specialisation in physiology. His dedication led him to pursue further studies, culminating in a Bachelor of Medical Sciences Honours Degree, a Masters in Medical Sciences, and a PhD in Health Sciences. His doctoral research focused on human physiology, encompassing a range of fields, including pharmacology, and biochemistrya testament to his multidisciplinary approach to learning and teaching. His professional trajectory led him to the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he assumed the role of Academic Development Mentor in 2017. This pivotal position laid the groundwork for his future in academia, providing a platform to refine his teaching philosophy and engage with educational practices at a fundamental level. His dedication to advancing knowledge also saw him as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Human Physiology department of the same institution. In 2018, Dr Sibiya joined the Rhodes University family as a lecturer in the Faculty of Pharmacy. His dedication and impact were quickly recognised, resulting in a well-deserved promotion to senior lecturer within two years. At present, Dr Sibiya imparts his knowledge and enthusiasm to first- and second-year students, teaching human anatomy and physiology. Dr Sibiyas academic journey was enriched by his pursuit of knowledge in higher education pedagogy. He obtained a postgraduate diploma in Higher Education from Rhodes University in 2022, demonstrating his commitment to honing his teaching skills and fostering effective learning environments. Dr Sibiyas lecture, A stride aiming to improve students educational experience: Reflecting on my teaching approaches in Pharmacy Anatomy and Physiology course, commenced with an expression of gratitude that resonated deeply with the audience. He began by extending heartfelt thanks to his family and friends, with his wife sitting amongst the audience, acknowledging their unwavering support throughout his journey in academia. His gratitude extended to his former teachers, whose guidance and mentorship had paved the way for his success. Notably, he appreciated the Rhodes University governing body for recognising and honouring his dedication to teaching. With an endearing charm and infectious enthusiasm, Dr Sibiya embarked on a journey through the intricacies of human anatomy and blood pressure regulation. What stood out immediately was his ability to simplify a subject that often intimidates even the most determined learners. He had a unique knack for breaking complex concepts into digestible morsels of knowledge, ensuring every student in the room could grasp the essentials. It was not just the content that left a lasting impression but Dr Sibiyas teaching style. He seamlessly blended humour, relatable examples, and real-world applications, making the lecture informative and enjoyable. One of the most remarkable aspects of Dr Sibiyas teaching approach was his incredible ability to remember each student. In an age where large university classes can sometimes blur the individual faces in the crowd, Dr Sibiya defied this trend. He personalised the learning experience by addressing students by name, fostering a sense of connection and inclusivity that resonated deeply. This personal touch showcased his commitment to the growth and success of every individual under his guidance. As the lecture concluded, the resounding applause from the audience was a testament to Dr Sibiyas remarkable teaching abilities. Dr Sibiyas lecture celebrated an educator who goes above and beyond to simplify the complex, cherish the student-teacher relationship, and embody the spirit of educational excellence. Dr Sibiyas lecture served as a reminder that exceptional teaching is not just about imparting information but about igniting a lifelong love for learning and empowering the next generation of scholars. What sets Dr Sibiya apart is the seamless integration of his teaching and research endeavours. His innovative teaching methods are closely intertwined with his research interests, particularly metabolism. His research focuses on understanding the development of diabetes mellitus and evaluating novel strategies to manage this prevalent disease. This approach enriches his students educational experience and contributes to the broader scientific communitys understanding of metabolic disorders. As the 2022 Vice-Chancellors Distinguished Teaching Award recipient, Dr Sibiya encapsulates the spirit of excellence, innovation, and dedication the award embodies. His journey from a curious student to a dynamic educator and researcher inspires his colleagues, students, and the entire Rhodes University community. Innovative approach to education: The ArtMathsScienceTech Project. By Bukamuso Sebata Rhodes University has joined the ground-breaking ArtMathsScienceTech project, a unique initiative that seeks to revolutionise how mathematics and science are taught at schools. Through the fusion of theatre, music, dance, and crafts, this innovative approach aims to create engaging and playful environments, transforming traditional subjects into captivating learning experiences. Funded by the National Arts Council, this project was founded by the Sisonke National Art Education Centre. It is facilitated in collaboration with Rhodes Universitys students doing their Honours in Applied Theatre at the universitys Drama Department. It is driven by a shared commitment to enhancing education through artistic mediums. Forum Theatre is at the heart of the ArtMathsScienceTech project, an approach derived from the Theatre of the Oppressed methodology. Forum Theatre encourages interactive and participatory learning, enabling learners to become active agents in their education. This methodology involves the creation of thought-provoking scripts that present real-life challenges or dilemmas. These scenarios invite the audience, in this case, learners, to engage with the content, propose solutions, and even step into the roles of the characters to enact alternative outcomes. This dynamic interaction fosters critical thinking, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. The collaboration between Rhodes University Drama Department and Sisonke National Art Education Centre has facilitated the integration of Forum Theatre into the Grade 6 Mathematics curriculum. South Africa has long grappled with challenges in mathematics and science education. According to Businesstechs report in 2019, a significant percentage of learners struggled to acquire essential skills in these subjects. Recognising this issue, Mr Luyolo Mapekula from Sisonke envisioned a program to bridge this gap by using art and culture as educational tools. This vision led to the collaboration between Sisonke and the Universitys Drama Department, where the potential of theatre in teaching mathematics and science was explored. Through the ArtMathsScienceTech project, the goal is to enhance learners literacy in mathematics and science while simultaneously enriching their artistic engagement. The recent play Mess or Mass?, which took place last week at Samuel Ntsiko Primary School, exemplifies this approach, utilising Forum Theatre techniques to explore the challenging topic of units of measurement. The plays interactive nature, infused with music, dance, and IsiXhosa dialogue, allowed learners to participate in the learning process actively, turning abstract concepts into tangible experiences. The success of the recent play Mess or Mass? reflects the projects positive impact. The play involved Grade six learners from Ntsiko Primary School, Fikizolo Primary School, and Tantyi Primary School. The play engaged the learners and encouraged them to contribute to their education actively. Mess or Mass? underscored the potential of Forum Theatre to bring abstract concepts to life, making them accessible and relevant to young minds. The ArtMathsScienceTech project exemplifies Rhodes Universitys commitment to innovative education. Through collaboration, creativity, and the fusion of art and academia, this initiative paves the way for a transformative approach to teaching and learning. Some Carlisle residents may need flood insurance for the first time while others who already had insurance could soon be off the hook, according to updated Federal Emergency Management Agency maps in the pipeline. Cumberland Countys flood insurance rate maps are anticipated to be updated Sept. 7 to reflect special flood hazard areas in the community, the agency said. Carlisle Director of Sustainable Community & Economic Planning Jared Woolston said the borough participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, which allows residents within floodplains to get insurance policies and make claims for flood damages. To maintain program participation, he said Carlisle needs to update its flood map ordinances and regulations to reflect the new FEMA maps, an action that will likely receive the councils approval during the Sept. 6 workshop meeting. Woolston said Carlisles floodplain exists almost exclusively around LeTort Spring Run, which extends along south and eastern parts of the borough. I want to say that the land area that is in the flood zone has been reduced with the new map, but I dont want to give the impression that everybodys out of the floodplain, he said. Residents, landlords or business owners can examine their areas flood zone, request floodplain map revisions or purchase flood insurance on FEMAs website. Photos: Scenes from Carlisle Borough and North Middleton Township's National Night Out Rhodes University partners with NRF to form pathways for postgraduate students. In a bold move to articulate its ambition in postgraduate education, Rhodes University hosted an event to encourage third-year students to apply for Honours studies. The event was held at the Barrat Lecture Theatre on 18 August 2023 and was hosted by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor responsible for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Dr Kwezi Mzilikazi. This was a partnership between the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Rhodes University Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Centre for Postgraduate Studies. Dr Mzilikazi said the fundamental behind partnering with NRF was because it is the largest funder of postgraduate studies. Academic departments also attended and displayed their postgraduate offerings to prospective postgraduate students. The cocktail event was themed Path to Postgrad and was targeted at third-year students in good academic standing (65% and above) who are most likely to qualify for entry in Honours and eligibility for NRF postgraduate bursaries. The attendance was exceptional, with third-year students filling up the 400-seater Barrat Complex Lecture venue, said Dr Mzilikazi. She highlighted the importance of higher education studies to train graduates with high-end skills for the labour market, a tool for social mobility and, therefore, social justice and knowledge production. Postgraduate students are usually termed the next generation of academics and are a critical component of the sustainability of the South African National System of Innovation. This event was therefore important for us as the University to create clear pathways for our prospective postgraduate students, she added. At the event, the Rhodes University postgraduate funding office shared information on different internal and external funding opportunities available for postgraduate studies, many of which are currently open for studies commencing in 2024. The NRF Acting Executive Director for Human and Infrastructure and Capacity Development, Mbulelo Ngcango, shared the NRF approach to funding postgraduate studies and the key criteria that may enhance the likelihood of success in postgraduate applications for funding. He indicated that the NRF is keen on funding students placed at rural universities, of which Rhodes University is one. Centre for Postgraduate Studies Director, Professor Sioux McKenna, provided information on the research development support available to all postgraduate students enrolled at Rhodes University. Dr Mzilikazi emphasised that growing the postgraduate numbers at Rhodes University would be collaborative between students, faculties, academic departments, the University support divisions, and external funding agencies. The collaboration we envisage was on display at the event on Friday. We can only build and strengthen from there to ensure that we create a conducive environment and raise the appetite for our students not to get lost in the postgraduate pipeline. The University commits itself to growing funding in support of postgraduate studies, concluded Dr Mzilikazi. As of now, Citroen eC3 variant lineup tops out at Feel trim with Vibe Pack New Shine trim will be more feature loaded Citroen, the iconic French automaker, has been making waves in the electric vehicle (EV) market with its Citroen eC3 model. As the sole EV in Citroens Indian portfolio, the eC3 has garnered attention for its impressive features and eco-friendly performance. However, the company isnt content with just that. Citroen has now launched a new top-spec trim for the eC3 in Indonesia, aptly named the Shine, which promises to elevate the driving experience to new heights. Citroen C3 Electric Shine Variant Launched In India, the Citroen eC3 Feel trim with the Vibe Pack already offers a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. However, the new Shine trim takes things up a notch, providing an array of enhancements that significantly enhance the overall ownership experience. One of the standout features of the Shine trim is the electrically adjustable Outside Rear View Mirrors (ORVMs) and a manually dimmable Inside Rear View Mirror (IRVM). While the ORVMs dont fold automatically, these adjustments add convenience and flexibility to the drivers experience. Safety also gets a boost with the addition of a rear defogger and a rear washer and wiper. The aesthetics of the Citroen eC3 Shine are further improved with its 15-inch alloy wheels, fitted with 195-section tires. These wheels not only enhance the cars appearance but also contribute to its overall performance and handling. In Indonesia, the launch price for the Citroen eC3 Shine trim is set at 395 million IDR (approximately Rs. 21.4 lakh). Interestingly, this particular eC3 is manufactured in India and then exported to Indonesia, showcasing the global potential of Indian automotive manufacturing. Unchanged Powertrain Despite the addition of these enticing features, the powertrain of the Citroen eC3 Shine remains unchanged. It continues to be powered by a 29.2 kWh battery pack paired with a single electric motor that drives the front wheels. This Permanent Magnet Synchronous (PMS) motor delivers a respectable 57 bhp of power and 143 Nm of torque. Drivers will have the choice of two driving modes: Standard and Eco. Citroen claims that a single charge of the eC3 Shine can provide an impressive 320 km of range. The car can accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h in just 6.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 107 km/h, making it a zippy and practical urban commuter. Charging times remain consistent with the existing eC3 model. Using an onboard 3.3 kW AC charger, it takes approximately 10 hours and 30 minutes to charge the battery from 10% to 100% state of charge (SOC). Alternatively, a DC fast charger can achieve a 10% to 80% SOC charge in just 50 minutes. India Launch? While Citroen India has not yet announced the launch of eC3 Shine trim in India, it could be launched soon maybe around the festive season. Expect price to be increased by about Rs 50k over the current top variant, thanks to the addition of new features. Citroen eC3 is currently priced in the range of Rs 11.5 lakh to Rs 12.68 lakh, ex-sh. In conclusion, Citroens introduction of the eC3 Shine trim is an exciting development for EV enthusiasts and those looking to make the switch to electric vehicles. With its enhanced features, improved comfort, and stylish design, the Citroen eC3 Shine is poised to make a significant impact in the Indian EV market. As the electric vehicle landscape continues to evolve, Citroens commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction is clearly on display with the eC3 Shine trim, setting the stage for even more electrifying offerings in the future. Priced at Rs 5,321, the 10 year warranty is free for first 10k buyers of the Honda CB350 and CB350 RS Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has once again asserted its pioneering spirit by introducing groundbreaking Extended Warranty and Extended Warranty Plus programs for its Big Wing customers. This move not only redefines the premium motorcycle segment but also establishes new industry standards that guarantee unparalleled benefits and ultimate peace of mind for customers. Zero Cost Enrollment for First 10,000 New Motorcycle Customers As part of its introductory offer, the first 10,000 customers who purchase new Hness CB350 or CB350RS motorcycles will be automatically enrolled in the Extended Warranty program at no cost. This remarkable initiative, effective from 8th August 2023 onwards, operates on a first-come, first-served basis. It demonstrates Hondas commitment to delivering exceptional value to its customers. Under the Extended Warranty Plus program, customers can opt for a comprehensive 10-year warranty coverage. This program offers flexibility, allowing customers to choose a coverage window ranging from 91 days to the 9th year from the date of vehicle purchase. Remarkably, this warranty remains transferable even in the event of a change in ownership. Hondas goal is to ensure cost-effective ownership experiences, vehicle longevity through regular maintenance, and unparalleled customer satisfaction. The heart of the Extended Warranty Plus program lies in its comprehensive coverage. It safeguards critical high-value engine components and essential mechanical and electrical parts. Customers can select from three tailored options: a 3-year policy for vehicles up to the 7th year, a 2-year policy for vehicles in their 8th year, and a 1-year policy for those in their 9th year. These options extend coverage up to an impressive 1,30,000 kilometers for all Hness and CB350RS motorcycles. Affordable and Accessible Accessing these programs is both convenient and affordable. Customers can avail the service at their nearest authorized Honda BigWing dealership, with prices starting from just Rs. 5,321. The pricing structure is designed to accommodate customers based on the year of their vehicle purchase, ensuring that these benefits are accessible to a wide range of riders. Customer Benefits Complete Peace of Mind: These programs offer customers unparalleled peace of mind, knowing that their investments are protected. Coverage for Manufacturing Defects: The warranty covers failures caused by manufacturing defects, ensuring a reliable ride. Warranty Coverage for up to 10 Years: This initiative sets a new standard in the premium two-wheeler industry, offering extended coverage like never before. Longer Vehicle Life: Regular maintenance under this program leads to higher resale values and longer vehicle life, enhancing the overall ownership experience. Renewal Options: Customers can renew their coverage for up to 9 years from the vehicles purchase date, providing long-term security. All India Applicability: This program is available to customers across the country, ensuring that everyone can benefit from it. Transferable Policy: The warranty remains transferable, allowing it to be passed on to new owners, further increasing the resale value of the vehicle. Mr. Yogesh Mathur, the Director of Sales & Marketing at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India expressed, At HMSI, our unwavering commitment to delivering an unmatched ownership experience stands as our highest priority. The Extended Warranty & Extended Warranty Plus programs naturally evolves as a seamless extension of our commitment. Witnessing the overwhelming response from our Red Wing customers, we are extending this unique initiative further for our popular CB350 motorcycles. Celebrating 1,00,000 customers milestone, we are confident that this program will set new satisfaction standards. With its unique features and warranty coverage of up to 10 years, inclusive of high-value parts, customers can enjoy complete peace of mind and Hondas assurance across the country. We firmly believe that this program will further strengthen the unwavering trust and reliability bestowed upon us by our valuable customers. Nearly two decades after he admittedly took advantage of his position of youth counselor and repeatedly had sex with a teenage girl in his care, 52-year-old Darren Wade Powell was confronted by his victim in court. I was raped by him, testified the victim, named only in the indictment as S.T. I hate Mr. Powell, and I hate myself for being so stupid. Powell was initially charged by a grand jury with two felony counts of indecent acts with a custodial child. He pleaded guilty on Thursday to two misdemeanor counts fo sexual battery. That guilty plea will net him a year of detention, a ban from ever counseling again and a place on the sex offender registry. Prosecutor Alicia Milligan told the Albemarle County Circuit Court that the resolution resulted from lengthy discussions with the victim who reached out to authorities a little over a year ago. Her main objective was accountability, said Milligan. The case began in 2004, when the then 14-year-old S.T. was having trouble in school, said Milligan, noting that the girl had been suspended from school several times and had a public intoxication arrest the following year. By age 15, the girl was referred to Powell, she said, for professional counseling. They initially met at places like parks and Starbucks, said Milligan. Powell then played some sort of game that resulted in kisses and began buying cigarettes and alcohol for the girl, Milligan said. After that, she said, they began to meet at his apartment. That apartment figured into S.T.s tearful testimony. I remember your apartment and the utter lack of furniture and the mattress on the floor, S.T. testified. There, sexual encounters between the counselor and the student occurred over the course of several months in 2005. I spent nearly two decades in this hellhole apartment, S.T. testified. You affected every relationship Ive ever had. Just when I think my rage is at an apex it mutates, she continued. I hate how his abuse has tyrannized over half of my life. Retired forensic psychologist Jeffrey Fracher, who is not connected to the case, said boundaries are crucial in counseling. Therapy is a very intimate experience, and someone who is needy can exploit that, Fracher told The Daily Progress. He offered the analogy of a parent-child relationship due to the vulnerability of the person getting the counseling and the trust invested in the caregiver. You violate that boundary, and people might never again feel safe with someone, said Fracher. Thats why its so destructive. In court Thursday, Judge Cheryl Higgins accepted the plea agreement whose terms call for a pair of 12-month sentences with one of them suspended. The plea demands that Powell relinquish his counseling license and never again work with minors in a one-on-one basis. Additionally, he must register as a sex offender and never seek expungement of the initial felony charges. Testimony in a prior hearing indicated that Powell was a social worker at Tularosa High School in New Mexico when Albemarle County authorities sought his arrest in late February. He was extradited to Virginia in early March to face the charges. Freed from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail under an electronic monitoring system after an April bail hearing, Powell is not barred by his plea from serving the remainder of his sentence remotely. And the victim noted in court that she has no objection to his departure to Indiana to live with his sister. I want him gone, she said. He is evil incarnate. Dressed in a dark business suit in contrast to the striped jail jumpsuit that characterized previous court appearances, Powell did not speak at his sentencing beyond answering the judges yes-or-no questions. We agree that finality and closure are important to everyone involved, his attorney Rhonda Quagliana told the court. Quagliana noted that, since Powells arrest and extradition, no additional charges or complaints about her client have been made. These events were widely publicized, Quagliana said. One person who helped publicize the charges was the father of the victim, who posted flyers of Powells face on Charlottesville utility poles and magazine boxes. Quagliana asked the judge that she and her client be allowed to walk back to her office without any contact from the victims family. It is so noted, and the bailiffs are so alerted, said Higgins. The only person who agreed to speak after the hearing was the victim. Sitting on a bench with her neon aqua-dyed hair flowing in a light breeze, the 34-year-old graphic artist said she recently moved to upstate New York with her husband and son. I feel like I could have pushed it further, she told The Daily Progress. But I needed it to be behind me. She said that she came forward to protect others, something she she said is particularly important now that her son is approaching the age she was when her ordeal began. Its really rough to watch my family go through this, because I know it breaks them, she said. To think that that could ever happen to him in any capacity would just break me. San Diego is one seriously book-loving town. How do we know? Its full of charming, local bookstores whose shelves sag under the weight of literary treasures new and used. Stephen King nailed it when he said that Books are a uniquely portable magic. Whether youre headed to the airport, your couch, or the beach, stop by at one of these bookshops and pick up a bit of magic. Just make sure to pack extra sunscreen if youre beach boundtheres no telling how long you might be under the spell of a good read. Courtesy of Bluestocking Books Bluestocking Books This funky Hillcrest establishment covers all your used book needs from Shakespeare, Atwood, and childrens books to newer titles like The Sentence and Be My Baby. Bluestocking also allows you to trade in your old books for store credit to spend on your yearly reading list. Start rummaging! Hours: Mon. & Tues., 11 a.m. 6 p.m.; Wed. Closed, Thurs. 11 a.m -6 a.m., Fri. and Sat., 10 a.m. 7 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m. 6 p.m. 3817 Fifth Ave, Hillcrest La Playa Books Nestled in Point Loma, La Playa Books has been a thriving outpost for bookworms since 2016, offering a trove of new, used, and antique books. Beyond curating an impressive selection of titles, La Playa hosts community events such as the Wine and Conversation Book Club, a Young Adult Book Club and the dynamic New and Noteworthy Book Club, where caffeinated discussions unfold via Zoom. Hours: Tues.-Sun., 10 a.m. 5 p.m. 1026 Rosecrans St, Point Loma Verbatim Books Located in the heart of North Park, Verbatim Books is the local epicenter for book-lovers and is marked by an eye-catching mural of the shops name spelled in worn volumes. Stepping inside, youll encounter a trove of used titles, aside from a handful of local authors looking to build a readership. Stop by for open mics hosted by the Verbatim Poetry Society, held at least monthly. Looking for like-minded readers to converse with? Join the Verbatim community for their Books in the Park til Dark meetup every third Thursday of the month from 5:30 7:30 p.m. at Morley Field. They also buy used books, so consider trading in those tattered Stephen King editions forsome more Stephen King? Hours: Sun. -Mon. 10 a.m. -6 p.m.; Wed. & Thurs. 10 a.m. -6 p.m.; Fri. -Sat. 10 a.m. -7 p.m.; Closed Tuesdays 3793 30 St, North Park Warwicks One of San Diegos oldest family-owned bookshops, Warwicks deserves its own history volume: It debuted in Minnesota in 1896; reopened in Waterloo, Iowa in 1916; and finally made its way to La Jolla in 1939. Today, upcoming and well-known authors grace the shop to speak about their work. The shop has hosted a variety of guests including presidents, senators, Pulitzer-Prize winners, best-sellers for author lunches, and provides discounts to local book clubs sourcing their books. Hours: Mon.Sat., 9 a.m. 6 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. 5:30 p.m. 7812 Girard Ave, La Jolla Courtesy of The Book Catapult The Book Catapult Few bookstores can say they started off as a book lovers blog, as this South Park shop did. Owner Seth Marko went from chronicling 117 days of reading James Patterson on his site, now titled The Old School Book Catapult, to launching a bookstore seven years later. The Book Catapult slings a variety of new titles like The Last Ranger and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. The shop also partners with businesses like Communal Coffee to host informal Java-fueled book discussions. Hours: Mon.Thurs., 10 a.m. 6 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. 5 p.m.; Closed Mon. 3010-B Juniper St, South Park Libelula Books & Co Located in Barrio Logan, Libelula Books & Co stands as an independent bastion, dedicated to fostering representation, accessibility, and empowerment through literature. Owners Jesi and Celi have curated a collection of new and used books in both English and Spanish, echoing the vibrant diversity of their community. Peruse an array of books, graphic novels, and social justice literature that reaches for the ceiling, all accompanied by the charming presence of their feline shop Billi Books. In an era where giants like Barnes & Noble and Borders have faded, Libelula shines as a refreshing beacon, giving voice and power to local communities, indigenous stories, LGBTQ voices, and independent writers. Hours: Mon. -Sun. 11 a.m. -6 p.m. 950 S 26th St, Barrio Logan Meet Cute Romance Bookshop Featured in our 2023 Best of San Diego Retail, Meet Cute graces North Park as the latest literary gem on the block. The Queer owned, feminist bookstore specializes in romance novels from independent writers including recent favorites from Gabrielle Zevin, Rebecca Yarros, and Bonnie Garmus. Beyond its extensive collection of new books, the shop offers an array of chic notebooks, totes, mugs, and greeting cards, in a variety of pastel colors. For a literary surprise, explore the mystery book specials or their surprise care package tailored to your reading interests. And thats not allthe shop boasts its own podcast, the Meet Cute BookPod, featuring in-store interviews and panels with like-minded authors and editors. Hours: Wed. -Sat. 11 a.m. -7 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. -5 p.m.; Closed Mon. & Tues. 4048 30th St Diesel, A Bookstore Standing strong since 1989, DIESEL, A Bookstore originated in Northern California and has brought their love of reading to Brentwood Los Angeles and Del Mar. A sanctuary for readers of all ages, the store features an expansive childrens section, inviting young minds to immerse themselves in the world of literature. With an extensive collection of genres, including a captivating selection of signed books, DIESEL hosts notable author meet-and-greets, participates in various book fairs around San Diego, and even orchestrates virtual events for the wider audience. Hours: Sun. 10 a.m -6 p.m.; Mon. and Tues., 10am -7 p.m.; Wed. -Sat., 10 a.m. -8 p.m. 12843 El Camino Real Bay Books Located on Orange Avenue, the main street of Coronado, this island staple ought to be on your book crawl itinerary. With a giant array of books, plus journals, greeting cards, and magazines, youll find plenty more than beach reads to stuff into your bag. If your hands arent completely occupied with reading material on the way out, grab an iced coffee or a tea latte from their hole-in-the-wall cafe next door. Island residents, youre in luck: Bay Books shop provides free shipping to your door. Hours: Mon.Sat., 9 a.m. -7 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. -6 p.m. 1029 Orange Ave, Coronado Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore Lose yourself in a galaxy far, far away as far as Clairemont Mesa, anyway. Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore transports you to worlds of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, young adult, romance, horror novels. Pick your poison! Delve further into these fictional worlds with the shops monthly Young Adult, General Book Discussion, or Romance Book clubs. Hours: Mon. Fri., 10 a.m. 7 p.m.; Sat. -Sun. 10 a.m. 6 p.m. 5943 Balboa Ave, Clairemont This post contains affiliate links to products and services. We may receive compensation when you click on links. Teledyne Instruments has signed a $22 million, 10-year lease for 124,828 square feet in Scripps, according to CBRE brokerage. The companys Teledyne Impulse unit, which designs and manufactures electrical and optical interconnection systems and other devices, will continue to occupy space at 9855 Carroll Canyon Road. Teledyne Advanced Pollution Instrumentation, which specializes in air quality monitoring equipment, is relocating from Sorrento Mesa to 9970 Carroll Canyon Road. Advertisement CBRE broker Bill Dolan said the deal was the largest industrial lease in central San Diego in the past 12 months and the largest new research-and-development deal since 2013. CBRE Chris Pascale who represented the landlord, Gateway Colorado Properties, along with Dolan said the expansion will make Teledyne one of the biggest tenants in Scripps Ranch. Craig Estey of Cushman & Wakefield represented Teledyne Instruments. They were trying to consolidate the groups into one building and werent able to get an economic alternative in that regard, he said. But we were able to give them an alternative that meets their physical needs and budget. He said the significance lies in the retention of a major manufacturer and research company in San Diego. The great news is that a manufacturer is in San Diego and expanding, he said. Teledynes presence in San Diego goes back to 1968, when it acquired Ryan Aeronautical, the company that built the Spirit of St. Louis plane that Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in 1927. Claude Ryan was one of the early aerospace pioneers in San Diego and contributed to the citys reputation as the Air Capital of the West. Teledyne Ryan was sold to Northrop Grumman in 1999. Teledyne was founded in 1960 and grew into a major conglomerate with numerous defense contracts that acquired and spun off dozens of companies over the next 40 years. Based in Thousand Oaks, it reported income of $2.3 billion in 2015. It employs about 9,800. Lance Cummings hikes with his dog, Buddy, on Thursday in San Elijo Hills area of San Marcos. Cummings is training for a fundraising trek across Greece in May that will re-create the epic journey of the Spartan army in 480 BC. This time next month, retired Navy SEAL Lance Cummings of Cardiff will be leading a troupe of real and weekend warriors on an arduous trek across Greece, retracing the epic journey of ancient Spartas 300 soldiers to face the invading army of Persia in 480 BC. This time, the goal wont be combat but charity. The 21 athletes a mix of active-duty and retired SEALS and other service members, wounded warriors and ultra athletes are on track to raise $300,000 for three nonprofit groups: CharityVision, the Navy SEAL Foundation and the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation. Doherty, an Encinitas resident and former Navy SEAL, was one of the American CIA workers killed in the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya. He and Cummings were good friends. Advertisement Cummings, 57, said he came up with the idea to create the Sparta300 For Charity event after watching the movie The 300 and reading books and historical accounts of the incredible training, endurance and bravery of Spartas King Leonidas and his 300-man army. Those men, each carrying fighting equipment weighing more than 60 pounds, ran more than 250 miles in six days to meet the much-larger Persian army that was preparing to invade their homeland. The Spartans were slaughtered but they died fighting in such heroic and strategic fashion that their story has been the subject of countless legends, poems, songs, books and films. Now theyve also inspired what could be the first cross-country re-creation of their journey. Cummings knows a little something about the Spartans training and dedication. During his long career in Navy special operations, he deployed overseas 16 times to the Middle East, Asia and South America. Since his retirement in 2011, hes been working part-time training athletes in SEAL-style fitness skills and as a chiropractor for both people and animals. Through their bravery, the Spartans changed the course of human history, Cummings said. When they went to battle that day, there was no exit strategy. Unless you really love your country, youre not going to fight for it. Thats what the Spartans and the SEALs have in common. I feel a kinship with that story. Born and raised in Macon, Ga., Cummings joined the SEALS at age 22 after a year of Navy fleet service in Connecticut. He served on active duty until 1995, then joined the reserves for five years while he earned his chiropractic degree and started a practice in Georgia. He was reactivated after 9/11 and sent to Afghanistan for a year. Then he became a private contractor, working first for Blackwater and then, after moving to San Diego in 2004, for the Navy, setting up its human performance initiative program for soon-to-deploy SEAL teams. The program assesses potential health problems and does preventive therapy to reduce the risk of injuries in the field. Lance Cummings, 57, of Cardiff hikes with his dog, Buddy, on Thursday in San Elijo Hills area of San Marcos. Hes in training for a Spartan-inspired rucking (hiking with a weighted pack) trip across Greece in May that will cover 250 miles in eight days. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune) Cummings started doing charitable work in 2015 when he and his wife, Michele Grad, signed up for an arthritis charity event where they pedaled 525 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a tandem bicycle. Grad said that her husband found the fund-raising experience so addicting, hes been looking for ways to do more ever since. The idea for Sparta300 for Charity was conceived in early 2016. A friend told Cummings about a Greek special-events company that was organizing a staged foot race that would follow the Spartans journey. The company wasnt able to recruit enough endurance runners, so it canceled the race but it agreed to serve as the on-the-ground organizer for the Sparta300 in May. The Sparta300 will cover the same ground as the Spartans, but the requirements are less extreme. Each participant will carry a 25-30 pound pack as well as a PVC pipe to represent a sword. They can wear running shoes rather than sandals, and they will spend their nights in hotels. Theyll also be walking and climbing, rather than running the whole time. Theyll cover the distance in eight days, rather than six, with a goal of finishing 30 miles every day. The participants will start at 6 a.m. May 5 in what was once Sparta and will finish May 14 in Thermopylae, site of the epic battle. The entry fee for each participant is 1,300 Euros (about $1,383), which covers all ground expenses except air travel. Theyre also encouraged to raise $10,000 for charity. Cummings is also raising donations through corporate sponsorships and an online auction of items that range from a beach cruiser to cases of wine to a personal handgun safety class that hes teaching. The unusual nature of the Sparta300 has attracted a wide variety of participants. All are Americans and all but one are men (the lone woman is in the Army Reserves in Idaho). Besides a number of SEALs and other servicemen, there are a few celebrity ultra-athletes. They include James Lawrence, whos know as the Iron Cowboy, for setting the Guinness World Record in 2015 for competing in 50 Ironman events on 50 consecutive days in all 50 U.S. states. Theres a wounded warrior with a prosthetic leg and Graham Dessert, a Kansas athlete whos been posting his training videos for the team on the Sparta 300 for charity Facebook page. Also new to the team is athlete Kyle Maynard, a quadruple amputee whos competed as a mixed martial artist and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro without the use of prosthetics. Maynard will use prosthetic legs for part of the journey and will also ride in a specially designed backpack worn by one of the other team members the rest of the time. Cummings said he plans to lead the team through Greece, so hes been doing his own rucking (walking while carrying weight) to prepare for the trip. He spends at least three hours a day, five days a week walking, hiking and climbing in parks around North County with his 7-year-old German shepherd, Buddy. He anticipates the highlight of the trip will be when the group arrives at their destination at the battlefield of Thermopylae, where he said he has a surprised planned for the team. Hes hoping to plan a similar charity event like Sparta300 every year, but they wont be the same course. He would like to find a similar adventure trip to an iconic location that re-creates a famous journey that had history-changing importance. Some of the projects will re-create battles, but others might be something endurance-oriented, like a swim across the English Channel. Cummings and his wife have twin 9-year-olds whove had a little less time with their dad lately because of his training and event preparation. He said he hopes that this project will be an example to them as well as the children of others on the trip. The Spartans traveled with a support team who did everything to take care of the men so they could focus on their job, Cummings said. Everyone on this trip has their own support team at home and theyve made their own sacrifices. Were hoping that these children will see how hard their dads are working to give back to someone else and hopefully it will balance out the scales. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com After two months of outreach on a proposed reconfiguration of Del Mar Union School District schools, Superintendent Holly McClurg recommended that the board not pursue the option to close Del Mar Hills Academy and build a new Del Mar West campus. At the May 23 meeting, the board was scheduled to vote on a revised facilities master plan that included the reconfiguration and a new East Pacific Highlands Ranch school to address enrollment shifts and student residency. A Del Mar Hills student holds a sign at the board meeting. (Karen Billing) At a series of town halls over the week before the meeting, McClurg said they heard input that the timeline was too fast, that fewer people residing west of I-5 supported the reconfiguration idea and many had concerns about the size of a new Del Mar school and how it would impact traffic. Over 360 people had signed a petition against the closure of Del Mar Hills and the Del Mar City Council also wrote a letter asking the district to delay. The majority of the community members responding and participating supported the components of the 2018 facilities master plan, however, some have raised concerns about closing one of the schools on the west. These concerns, without consensus, compromise the facilities master plan and it is staffs recommendation that you not approve the facilities master plan at this time. It is also staffs recommendation that we not go forward with a bond measure for 2018. We need to know that the community wants us to move forward with a general obligation bond, McClurg said, to the applause of a multi-use room packed with parents at Del Mar Hills. In order to address our significant facilities needs and issues with enrollment we must seriously look at how to move forward with what is most urgent. We cannot go forward with a facilities master plan until our community can agree upon a consensus solution to our facilities challenges, McClurg said. I am ready to work with whoever is willing to continue the conversation in pursuit of a consensus solution because that is what is required to move forward. During the two hours of public comment, a group of young Del Mar Hills students spoke in favor of saving their school where they attend with their best friends. To some school is just a school but to us, its another home from home, the girls said, holding signs. Del Mar parents who had come to the meeting armed with barn burner speeches against any closures issued words of appreciation instead. I want to thank you guys for listeningwhat you guys did took courage, said parent Tom Sohn. I encourage all of us now to fulfill the obligation that we all just put on ourselves, to not just point out the problem but to be part of the solution. One thing heard during the outreach process and during the meeting was that parents do not want the district to miss the opportunity to purchase land in Pacific Highlands Ranch. Parents there are pleading for a neighborhood schooldue to traffic congestion on Carmel Valley Road, many students have over 35-minute commutes to travel the three-some miles to Ashley Falls or Sycamore Ridge School where they attend class in portables. Pacific Highlands Ranch residents have now gathered 449 signatures on a petition to urge the district to move forward toward a ninth district school. Im very disappointed in the decision youve made, said parent Fuxiao Xin. Im here tonight to ask for help. Help, help, please help. We need a neighborhood school35 minutes to go to a portable classroom, thats not the education we chose when we bought our houses in Carmel Valley. Parents like Makoto Ferguson said they were envious of the Del Mar Hills children and how much they treasure going to school with their best friends and neighbors, when in their community, students must travel to go wherever there is capacity, sometimes not at the same school. I was really moved by the little ones, talking about how much they love their school, said Gee Wah Mok. I just want the same for my child. I think its only fair that we have something in our community. Residents posted their own signage at the proposed site of the PHR school on Solterra Vista Parkway. (Courtesy) After the meeting, a sign popped up on the signage marking the future school site on Solterra Vista Parkway reading: Dont be fooled, DMUSD hasnt purchased the land yet. The district has a school facilities mitigation agreement with Pardee Homes to purchase the 10-acre lot once the number of permits issued reaches 1,565 units, a number that may be met in the coming months. A new Pacific Highlands Ranch school would cost about $10 million for the land and $44.5 million for construction Mello Roos covers just half of that cost. McClurg said the district will continue to research options regarding the land acquisition and school construction. If a bond is not on the ballot this year it doesnt mean we arent going to pursue that other property, said trustee Doug Rafner. Were keeping our eye on the ball. The eight school option did make sense but there are other plans that make sense too and were here as a board to find something that works for the whole community, trustee Scott Wooden said. Wooden said he would recommend that the district pursue a nine school option, not losing the option to purchase the land in Pacific Highlands Ranch. Trustee Erica Halpern noted that time is running out on a 2018 bond and the next opportunity to pursue bond funding would be in 2020. I am very sad that we are missing this window and Im worried about what it will mean for our kids, Halpern said. Halpern said there are still serious concerns about the districts facilities expenses impacting the districts educational program, which includes preserving low class sizes and keeping teachers and staff which makes up 88 percent of the budget. Already the district is facing losing four STEAM + teachers next year due to shortfalls in fundraising. We know that facilities expenses are mounting as our buildings age and deteriorate and we have very limited resources to address them. The problem gets worse as we continue kicking the can down the road, said Halpern, who is a parent to three district children in Del Mar. Im happy that so many people are here now and are engaged in a dialogue on this issue because it desperately needs a solution. This is an issue that should engage the entire community not only because it's the right thing to do for our children but because having top-notch schools with low class sizes is a big part of what makes this a community where people want to live. Another thing parents stressed during public comment was that the efforts to save Del Mar Hills were never about not supporting a ninth school in Pacific Highlands Ranch. Several parents spoke about not wanting the district to pit parents against each other in an east vs. west battle. I want there to be a ninth school, said Allison Fomon, a Del Mar Hills parent. We all have a common interest. Together we can support each other. Parent Jeannie Thomas, who served on the superintendents advisory committee, said it was great to see the community engaged and the room full. She noted that when McClurg started holding face-to-face meetings on the facilities plans, the rooms were empty. From his home on the shore of the Rappahannock River where the parking lot for City Dock is now Presley Thornton could see clearly down the river, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay and then the Atlantic Ocean. He could see up the river to French Johns Wharf, where the free Black DeBaptiste family operated a ferry that crossed from Fredericksburg to Stafford. He could see north up Sophia Street to where Adolph and Maria Richards owned a home near the Old Stone Warehouse, the four-story waterfront building with tiny barred windows that housed merchandise arriving and leaving the city in the 1800s a property that was also visible from buildings at the corner of Caroline and William streets owned by Alexander Duncan. Presley Thornton could also see up the hill behind his property to Charles and Prince Edward streets, where Dr. Anthony Monroe, Sadie and John Hamm, James Ferguson, Stephen Young and James Mundowney all free Blacks owned lots abutting each other. The position and sight line between these properties, combined with historic court records of microaggressive acts of resistance on the part of these families to a society that permitted the ownership of people, suggests to historians Paula Royster and Sarah Blunkosky the existence of a local Liberty Line, or Underground Railroad. These families leveraged existing laws to get around their activities, said Royster, a scholar of the African diaspora and founder of the Center for African American Genealogical Research, a nonprofit whose mission is to reunite African-descended Americans with their distant African relatives. Adding the layer of home locations creates an environment that allowed for safe passage with some staying behind to ensure that others could get out. This interpretive view of the cultural landscape of what was going on and who was doing what allows us to see things differently, more aligned with the way things really were. Royster and Blunkosky have spent about a year researching the Thornton, Cary, Richards, Mundowney, Young, Hamm, Monroe and Duncan families in Fredericksburgs historic court and property records. They obtained a $14,500 grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to hire an architectural historian, Laura Purvis, who visited in May to assess the 23 properties they believe were part of a network facilitating the escape of enslaved people or prisoners, to use the term Royster prefers. Their next step is to apply for state historic markers. This is about restoring the agency of African American abolitionists, Blunkosky said. The recent research grew out of Roysters Reclaiming Our Time project, for which she worked with representatives from 10 of Fredericksburgs oldest Black families to trace their genealogies and answer questions about their family histories. Royster presented the results of that project last fall, but she wanted to find out more about the connections between some of the names she encountered over and over while perusing historic court records. She enlisted the help of Blunkosky, whose thesis for her masters degree from Virginia Commonwealth University was on the subject of Unlawful Assembly and the Fredericksburg Mayors Court Order Books, 1821-1834. Many of the families Royster was interested in DeBaptiste, Ferguson, Richards, Hamm and Young were charged multiple times with unlawful assemblage, or illegal gatherings of free people of color and slaves. Laws against unlawful assemblage became stricter following insurrections, such as Gabriels Rebellion in 1800 and Nat Turners Rebellion in 1831. Blunkosky wrote in her thesis that Fredericksburg authorities were most concerned with the intermingling of free blacks, persons of mixed race, and slave persons. The citys unlawful assembly records show free and enslaved Blacks did gather for what ostensibly were social events to white authorities and these social events, often gambling, drinking or dancing, could have been cover for more subversive activities. That gambling party might have been something completely different, an event possibly that was used to transmit valuable information, goods, or even people on the run in need of aid, Blunkosky wrote. Another likely possibility, Royster said, is these families organized unlawful assemblies to attract the attention of the Fredericksburg patrols away from a planned escape across the river. These free Black families subverted the law in other, subtle ways. They used the apprenticeship system to assist imprisoned Blacks by apprenticing them and then allowing them to hire themselves out, something Edward DeBaptiste was fined for doing on at least three occasions between 1829 and 1832. They routinely provided surety bonds, or bail, for Blacks who were charged with various crimes. In 1833, Adolph Richards paid $100 for the release from custody of Elijah and Salley Rawlins, who were charged with receiving stolen wheat. Thomas Cary in 1819 posted a surety bond for Polly Truxton, who was being sued by Maria Washington, and George DeBaptiste in 1829 paid a bond for Joseph Stonnell, who had been found guilty of illicit traffic in buying corn and other articles from slaves. And they were involved in the purchase and emancipation of the people they purchased, historic court records show. In 1818, Thomas Cary purchased 38-year-old James Doors from Daniel Withers of Fauquier County. Ownership of Doors passed to Presley Thornton, who emancipated Doors shortly thereafter. Thomas Carys son, Isaac, in 1835 purchased Eliza Evans and her son and emancipated them two years later. Edward DeBaptiste, in 1844, emancipated Virginia and Frances Duncan, the 7- and 3-year-old daughters of Alexander Duncan. Some of the properties owned by these families still stand, or the buildings there now retain their original foundation or stone front step. At least three of the properties are now covered over by parking lots or Riverfront Park. But even without physical evidence, the court and property records reveal a group of people who were dedicated to the idea of freedom, Royster said. You cannot find a more patriotic group of people, she stated. They participated in the revolution but never benefited from it. They found a way to get around obstacles placed in their path. They paid taxes and helped each other with debt and in times of illness. They teach us about community, and wherever they went, they built community. This should remain public history. One of the regions largest emitters of airborne pollutants, a specialty metal smelter in Millersburg, is seeking to more than double the tons of carbon monoxide allowed in its major federal air quality permit after limits on the company were set too low. ATI Millersburg applied with Oregons environmental regulator to output up to 3,722 tons of carbon monoxide from its site north of Albany where workers refine extreme heat- and wear-resistant metals like hafnium, niobium, titanium and zirconium. The state set ATIs limit at 1,744 tons each year in 2015 after incorrect testing undercounted carbon monoxide output and led regulators to issue the permit in error, according to an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality report. Before 2015, Oregon allowed ATI to emit more than 9,700 tons of carbon monoxide each year but reduced that figure too low when issuing a permit under Title V of the Clean Air Act. Regulators say they should have set the carbon monoxide limit based on the amount of material converted to gas while refining zirconium, calculating based on how much coke the company uses in a chlorinating process. Instead, the permit is based on three, one-hour tests that attempted to measure carbon monoxide where it was emitted at the source. ATI chlorinates zirconium oxide, converting the material into 15,516 tons each year of zirconium tetrachloride. The company produces up to 2.3 tons of carbon monoxide for each of the 1,596 tons of coke used in the process. In the permit application report, Oregons environment department calls the chlorinating process highly variable. None of the one-hour tests covered an entire chlorination batch, according to the states report. And Oregon reduced the limit of carbon monoxide by about 8,000 tons based on the results. ATI Millersburg applied in 2020 to renew its Title V permit. Tests likely have undercounted emissions for years at the site for years where a sensor on an exhaust system measures how much carbon monoxide is in the air coming off the chlorination process. That monitor continuously measures how much carbon monoxide is in the exhaust but not how much exhaust is flowing past. Since the flow rate is not contemporaneous with the CO concentration measurements, it is not an accurate measure of CO emissions, the department states in its report. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help (copy) Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. A Department of Environmental Quality representative did not answer questions about the test or prolonged permit application process before deadline. Related stories: An Albany man has been indicted for several counts of sex crimes against a Corvallis child. In July, Timothy Lewis Bachmeier, 33, was booked into Benton County Jail on charges of sodomy and sexual abuse. Court documents allege Bachmeier abused an underage person by engaging in oral sexual intercourse and other sexual contact between April 2019 and November 2020. Court documents put the victims age at 5 to 6 years old at the time. Prosecutors further allege Bachmeier knew the victim was vulnerable and note his previous convictions in 2015 for second-degree sexual abuse and 2013 for third-degree rape, both in Linn County. An eight-page indictment filed in Benton County Circuit Court on Monday, Aug. 21, alleges four counts of felony first-degree sodomy and two counts of felony first-degree sexual abuse. Both are Measure 11 crimes carrying mandatory minimum sentences 75 months for sexual abuse and 100 months for sodomy. Bachmeier is currently being held at the Polk County Jail on $250,000 bail, according to the jail website. Bachmeier was serving time in Linn County on a parole violation when he was charged in this case, according to court documents, which state he has 16 prior convictions that include three sexual offenses and a history of failing to appear for court proceedings. Stay up to date on mid-Willamette Valley news, wherever you go Easily access the latest Corvallis, Philomath and Benton County news in an app that lets you select the topics that matter most to you. The alleged sexual abuse took place over several years while the victim lived in Corvallis and other locations around the country, a probable cause affidavit states, noting the allegations surfaced during an October 2022 interview of the child by a clinical social worker at Mid-Valley Childrens Clinic. The victim was then interviewed at the ABC House, where the child described several allegations of sexual abuse occurring in Corvallis, Albany and in Alabama. Editor's note: A previous version of this article should have reported Bachmeier was held at the Polk County Jail. A Scio man was involved in a fatal accident that killed a pedestrian on Highway 22E near Detroit. Authorities dont know why Detroit resident Jimmy Ray Graham, 64, was in the eastbound lane of travel when he was fatally struck, according to a news release from Oregon State Police. Police responded to the crash around 9:27 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, according to the release, which states a Scio man, 52-year-old Douglas Scott Mulvahill was driving a 1995 Dolphin motorhome when he hit Graham near milepost 51 of the highway in Marion County. Graham died at the scene. Mulvahill remained and is cooperating with the investigation, the release states, adding none of the motorhome occupants were injured. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help (copy) Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. The highway was impacted for more than three hours for investigation, which is ongoing. Starting at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, the Interstate 5 southbound Exit 234B off-ramp to Highway 99E and the I-5 northbound on-ramp from Highway 99E will be intermittently closed for paving between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The Oregon Department of Transportation expects the work to be completed by Monday, Aug. 28. During the closures, there will be signs nothing detours ahead of the closed ramps. ODOT suggests drivers and freight haulers plan ahead, expecting delays and giving themselves extra time to make the trip. Travelers can visit tripcheck.com for the most up-to-date information on traffic impacts. Drivers are asked to pay attention in the work zone, slowing down and moving over. Watch for construction signs and workers. Travelers are reminded that fines double in all Oregon work zones. Jubilee Metals Group reported on the latest advancements at its chrome joint venture in South Africa on Monday, as well as the expansion of the Roan Concentrator in Zambia. The AIM-traded firm announced the completion of the successful upgrade and commissioning of an existing brownfield processing facility on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex, which had achieved its targeted operational output. Following an on 6 June, the long-term chrome processing partnership was expected to provide a potential surge in chrome processing capacity. The increase was aimed at 360,000 tonnes per annum, targeting an additional 200,000 tonnes of chrome concentrate. Additionally, that would enhance Inyoni's profile by adding an extra 10,000 platinum group metals (PGM) ounces annually. Given the favourable chrome prices and robust market support, the expansion of chrome operations was described as timely. The company reported a trade of 24,500 tonnes of the newly-produced final chrome product, and anticipated trading an additional 17,000 tonnes of metallurgical grade each month. That was forecast to contribute an extra 60,000 tonnes of chrome concentrate and 4,000 PGM ounces by the half-year ending December. Additionally, Jubilee said it was currently in the advanced stages of discussions to finalise another partnership agreement. The new partnership would target an increase in processing capacity by 600,000 tonnes per annum. Jubilee meanwhile said it had made significant strides in its copper expansion strategy, with progress ahead of its initial schedule. All the essential long-lead items required for the Roan upgrade had been secured, and the equipment delivery and on-site assembly were slated for early September, while commissioning was set to start in October. Once the Roan upgrade was complete, it would have the capability to process a diverse range of run-of-mine and waste sources. Furthermore, Jubilee said it had secured a supplementary six-year copper run-of-mine supply at Roan, given the targeted operational expansion. The supply agreement aimed at a minimum supply of 2% total copper grades of previously-mined material. Jubilee said the freshly-designed modular Roan front-end presented an opportunity to swiftly introduce satellite modular units, which would be designed to enhance remote feed sources for further refining - a business model analogous to the chrome sector. The company also revealed positive outcomes from the Northern refining process trials, which were designed to gauge the potential of waste and non-conventional ore opportunities. It said the trials surpassed the expected copper recoveries from historical tailings materials. As a result, there was an immediate start for the implementation of a semi-commercial pilot facility at the Luanshya tailings facility, which was set for completion within the next 12 weeks. In conclusion, the pilot trials - focussing on feed batches of around 500 tonnes each - would help to validate the design assumptions on the scalability of the process flowsheet. That step would be paramount in finalising the design for a full-scale operational solution, Jubilee explained. Our chrome production units form a vital part of the South African business' profitability and cost competitiveness, especially at a time when chrome prices are particularly strong, and this largely offsets the weakness in the PGM basket price, said chief executive officer Leon Coetzer. The strength and robustness of our diversified metal focus is best demonstrated during such volatility in metal prices where both chrome and copper are seeing strong price support, offsetting the weakness in both PGMs and cobalt. The expansion of our chrome operations intends to take advantage of price support in the market for chrome, coupled with our continued strong operational performance. Coetzer said the upgrade of the Roan concentrator formed a vital link to the processing solution for the much larger Northern Refining solution, and would set a new standard in the processing of mixed copper ores in Zambia. The upgrade incorporates both the technical developments and lessons learnt from our South African operations as well as key breakthroughs in the processing of these weathered ores that many regard as too complex and reject the material as waste. I am particularly excited by the results achieved from our Northern Refinery trials. The copper recoveries exceeded our expectations and confirmed the potential of the process route that we are developing. That process solution offered tremendous potential to deploy a low-cost efficient copper processing solution for the vast historical tails in Zambia, Leon Coetzer explained. We have agreed to immediately progress with the implementation of a bulk pilot facility to confirm scaling of the process as a key input into the design of our large-scale process facility. Results from the pilot trials which target feed batches of approximately 500 tonnes at a time will be used to confirm the design assumptions on scalability of the process flowsheet to confirm final plant unit sizes. Jubilee is on an exciting growth path both in South Africa on the back of its proven operational success, as well as in Zambia reaching the completion of the in-depth development work for the design of our copper tailings processing solution. At 0836 BST, shares in Jubilee Metals Group were up 3.53% at 6.57p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. The Peoples Bank of China announced a smaller-than-expected rate cut on Monday. The Bank cut the one-year loan prime rate by 10 basis points to 3.45%, versus consensus expectations of a 15 basis points cut. Meanwhile, the five-year loan prime rate - which affects mortgage prices - was unexpectedly left unchanged at 4.20%. Analysts had been expecting a 15bps cut, especially after the medium-term loan rate was reduced last week. Capital Economics said: "The underwhelming LPR announcement strengthens our view that the PBOC is unlikely to embrace the much larger rates cuts that would be required to revive credit demand. "Hopes for a stimulus-led turnaround in economic activity largely depend on the prospect of greater fiscal support." Danske Bank said the decision to leave the five-year LPR on hold "probably reflects concerns about a weaker yuan, which has had a tough year". Airlines that break the law by not helping customers when flights are delayed or cancelled should be fined, consumer rights groups and online travel agents have said. In a letter to the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, the consumer rights group Which? and leading online travel agents called for the aviation regulator to be given more powers to act amid flight cancellations. Guardian One of Britains most powerful charities, the National Trust, has hit back at pressure to cut ties with Barclays bank over environmental concerns. The trust, which acts to conserve more than 780 miles of coastline and 500 historic properties, claims that it can wield influence within the banking sector as a whole and does not need to ditch the global bank as a supplier. Guardian Buying has become more expensive than renting for the first time in 13 years for would-be homeowners. First-time buyers now have to pay an extra 122 per month on a mortgage compared to if they rented the same property an extra 1,500 per year, analysis shows. Telegraph Listed companies could be allowed to extract as much as 50 billion from their traditional staff pension schemes if the government goes ahead with a radical reform floated in the Mansion House speech last month. The dramatic shift in gilt yields in the past two years has catapulted many traditional workplace pension schemes from serious deficit into healthy surplus, raising hopes among some companies that they might be able to access the excess assets in them. The Times Asking prices on Rightmove are falling at the fastest rate since the summer of 2018 as sellers become more realistic valuing their homes. The average asking price of new properties listed on the online property portal have fallen by 1.9 per cent this month to 364,895 in the biggest monthly fall since August 2018. On average, asking prices on Rightmove are 0.1 per cent lower than they were at this time a year ago, the first annual dip since 2019. The Times Idox, which sells management and regulation software to UK councils and local government, has acquired UK GIS and geospatial data provider Emapsite for 15.8m. The acquisition will expand the company's geospatial business to around 20% of total revenues. Emapsite is based in Farnborough and employs 33 people, providing geospatial and geographic information systems data to UK customers associated with land and property across a number of industrial sectors. It generated 11m in revenues in its most recent financial year, along with a pre-tax profit of 0.5m. Idox chief executive David Meaden said Emapsite is an "important acquisition for Idox and one that strengthens our existing GIS, mapping and data capabilities." He said: "We believe that the combination of Emapsite with our existing Geospatial businesses is very complementary and will allow us to deliver new products and capabilities to the customers of both organisations." The acquisition is being made on a cash-free, debt-free basis, with 14.8m paid upon completion and 1m in cash deferred to a future datee. Big-C mobiles, which currently has 250 outlets across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, in a release, stated it plans to open 150 new outlets in two years with an investment of around Rs 300 crore. Hyderabad-based multi-brand mobiles retail chain Big-C mobiles has set a target of Rs 1,500 crore as turnover in the current financial year, stated the company's founder, chairman, and managing director M Balu Chowdary. The company achieved a Rs 1,000 crore turnover in FY2022-23. Big-C mobiles, which currently has 250 outlets across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, in a release, said it plans to open 150 new outlets in two years with an investment of around Rs 300 crore. "We are aiming at taking the outlet count to 400 by opening 150 new outlets in two years with an investment of around Rs 300 crore. We are also growing our portfolio of products beyond mobiles and introducing more and more electronics and gadgets. We will enter more markets. We have a strong 3 crore customer base," Chowdary said. "Big-C started its operations on December 23, 2002. We have successfully completed two decades by achieving market leadership in mobile retailing in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. We will increase our headcount to 4,000 in two years from the current 2,500," he said. Big-C has the credit of turning mobile handsets retailing into an organized activity in the country. "We are also present online and deliver within two hours if one buys a mobile on the Big-C portal. Sales of TVs have also picked up at Big-C outlets," he said. In financial services, customer data provides the most relevant services and advice. However, people often use different financial institutions according to their needs - their mortgage with one, their credit card with another, their investments, savings, and checking accounts with another. Because the financial industry is so competitive and highly regulated, there hasn't been much incentive for institutions to collaborate and share data. It is impossible for financial institutions to form a precise picture of customer needs due to deterministic customer data (that is, relying on first-person sources), as stated by Amlan Patnaik, Associate Director of Software Development at NTT Data, who is leading the digital transformation for some of the largest financial institutions in the United States. "Fragmented data is detrimental," he said. "How do we solve it as an industry?" He and his team consistently incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) initiatives to optimize operations, streamline services, and enhance customer experiences while advocating for ways to solve this customer data challenge. The hard part is getting a good picture of a customer's needs, Patnaik said. "How do we actually get a full customer profile?" he asked. Financial services initiatives using artificial intelligence As the legacy 100-year-old multinational financial giants are competing in an estimated $22.5 trillion industry representing roughly a quarter of the world economy, Patnaiks team advances efforts around smart technology modernization of online and mobile banking apps, content management, robotics and intelligent automation, distributed ledger technology, advanced artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. In addition, Patnaik leads NTT DATAs partnerships with academia and industry, including California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Cornell University, University of Michigan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Stanford University, Swinburne University of Technology, and quantum computing software company 1QBit. In their work, Amlan Patnaik's team relies on an array of AI and ML tools, including traditional statistical models, deep learning networks, and logistic regression testing (used for classification and predictive analysis). Alongside Google and Azure, they also utilize in-house systems developed based on data locality. Patnaik elaborated on the utilization of long short-term memory (LSTM), a recurrent neural network capable of processing individual data points and complete sequences. This technology finds application in natural language processing (NLP) and spoken language understanding, capturing intent from textual content. An instance lies in complaints management, where LSTM generates "specific targeted summaries" from complaints, expediting appropriate actions. Moreover, NLP techniques extend to website form requests with greater complexity than dropdown menu options. For fundamental image and character recognition, they employ traditional deep learning methods like feedforward neural networks, which propel information forward in a single loop. Conversely, Patnaik notes that deep learning techniques, such as convolutional neural networks, analyze documents based on pixel data. The latter approach validates specific elements of submitted scanned documents and assesses images within them, ensuring completeness and adherence to anticipated attributes, content, and annotations. For instance, if a checking account statement is expected to contain six attributes based on inputs, but only four are detected, the system flags it for attention. In total, this streamlines and accelerates a variety of processes, according to Amlan. The team is also leveraging cloud-native and serverless components for these initiatives, as well as transformer neural network models for processing sequential information, such as natural language text, genome sequences, sound signals, and time series. For classification, regression, and other tasks, Patnaik plans to increasingly use random forest machine learning pipelines, a technique for supervised learning that uses multiple decision trees. This is an area that will push forward majority of financial institutions, Patnaik said. Optimizing and accelerating in the midst of regulations Amlan Patnaik and his team face a significant challenge in deploying AI and ML for their financial clients in a highly regulated industry. Patnaik said it takes only a couple of days to build a model on top of a data set of features, and deploy it into production in a nonregulated industry. A regulated industry requires external risk assessment and internal validation at every stage. "We rely more on statistical models, "Patnaik said," and we thoroughly scrutinize large neural network- based solutions." Three independent groups review and challenge models - a frontline independent risk group, a model risk gover- nance group, and an audit group, he said. These groups build separate models to create independent sources of data; apply post hoc processes to analyze the results of experimental data; verify that data sets and models are within the "right range" and apply techniques to challenge them. In average, Patnaik's team deploys nearly 60 models per year, keeping the champion-challenger framework in mind. During this process, multiple competing strategies are continuously monitored and compared in a production environment and their performance is evaluated over time. The technique helps to identify which model produces the best results (the "champion") and which option produces the runner-up (the "challenger"). His department has already made strides in that direction, having reduced the AI modeling process - discovery to market - from 60 to 15 weeks. It's not about a specific AI model, its a question of How can you optimize that whole end to end flow and automate as much as possible? It's more about how much muscle memory do we have to bring these things to market and add value?" Patnaik said. "The value of ML specifically will be in use cases that we haven't even imagined yet." he said. Dialogue with the financial services industry As a whole, the industry will also benefit from bridging the digital divide between big and small players. Collaboration, Patnaik said, can help foster new insights and enhance customer interaction. Patnaik said such capabilities as secure multiparty computation and zero-knowledge proof platforms could achieve this. It is a cryptographic method for distributing computations among multiple parties without revealing inputs or allowing individual parties to see other parties' data. Cryptographic zero knowledge proofing is a method by which one party can prove to another that a given statement is indeed true, without divulging any additional (potentially sensitive) information. This will enable institutions to collaborate and share information safely without having privacy and data loss concerns, while at the same time competing in an ecosystem appropriately, Patnaik said. The industry will have a firmer hypothesis about collaboration and the use of these advanced tools within five years, Amlan predicted. In a similar manner, Amlan and his team maintains a dialogue with regulators on behalf of his financial clients. A positive sign is the fact that Patnaik has recently received requests from regulators regarding AI/ML processes and techniques - which has never happened before. The problem could be critical, since institutions use a variety of tools to build models, and the process could be industrialized, Patnaik explained. I think there's a lot more interest, motivation and appetite on the part of regulators to understand this a little better so that they can think through this and engage more, Patnaik said. The largest workplace provider in India, WeWork, has leased 54,000 square feet of office space in New Delhi, becoming its 50th workspace in the nation. The new structure also commemorates WeWork India's entry into New Delhi. With 700 desks, the recently opened building provides offices adapted to shifting company needs. WeWork India opens its seventh site in New Delhi with the opening of the Eldeco Centre. Karan Virwani, CEO of WeWork India, said, The launch of our 50th workspace marks a massive milestone for WeWork India and the impact we have made on the flex-space industry. When we opened our first building in 2017, we set out with the objective of revolutionizing the way India works and over the course of these 50 workspaces, we have achieved that goal while being sustainable and profitable. The past few years have clearly highlighted that the future of work is flexible, and India Inc is increasingly adopting flex working as a way of life. This is a thriving time for the workspace industry, with demand at an all-time high, and it was the ideal time for us to enter New Delhi. As we grow, we will continue to provide the finest and most innovative workplaces to businesses of all sizes. The newly built Eldeco Centre is located in close proximity to Malviya Nagar metro station, easily accessible, and offers state-of-the-art infrastructure and F&B experience, marking WeWork Indias entry into New Delhi. With a focus on innovation and custom product solutions, WeWork India is poised to continue its growth trajectory and drive the evolution of the flexible workspace industry in India. Wework India has leased over 3 lakh sq ft office space across three assets in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi to expand its presence amidst a hybrid work model in the last six months. We have sold over 20,000 desks to companies, the highest ever, in the last six months. We plan to sign around 20,000 desks annually to tap on the growing managed and flexible office demand in the country, said Virwani. Some of its top clients include Amdocs, Equinix, 3M, Khaitan & Co., Zepto, RIIV India, Fynd, DocuSign, Mesa School of Business, Vonage and Junglee Games Since entering the Indian market in 2017, WeWork India has been spearheading the concept of flexible workspaces and driving the future of work with over 6.5 million sq. ft of assets signed across 50 locations in 7 cities - New Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad. IT major Wipro appointed Brijesh Singh as senior vice-president and global Artificial Intelligence (AI) head for its Enterprise Futuring division. Singh has over 30 years of experience in technology consultancy and was previously a Senior Partner at Deloitte, where he was responsible for driving AI and data-led transformation. His appointment follows Wipros $1 billion investment in AI and the launch of Wipro ai360 (a comprehensive, AI-first innovation ecosystem). The investment will focus on expanding AI, data, and analytics solutions, developing new R&D and platforms, and enhancing 'FullStride Cloud' and consulting capabilities. Wipro ai360 builds on the company's decade-long investments in artificial intelligence (AI) with the goal of integrating AI into every platform, every tool, and every solution used internally and offered to clients, the company said. Wipro ai360 will also bring together the 30,000 Wipro experts in data analytics and AI with the company's technology and advisory ecosystem from four global business lines. As the global head of AI, Singh will be focused on advancing Wipros ai360 strategy, building capabilities to support and accelerate AI adoption across Wipros entire portfolio, and delivering AI-first solutions to clients. His appointment underscores Wipros commitment to integrating responsible AI into every platform, every tool, and every solution used internally and offered to clients, according to the company. Singh holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Electrical Engineering from BIT Sindri. He will report to Nagendra Bandaru, Managing Partner & President of Enterprise Futuring at Wipro. BITS Pilani has announced the launch of an innovative PhD Programme that would result in creation of a startup based on research done during the PhD. The programme will focus on creation of deep tech and deep science startup ventures, that will solve some of the most critical societal and business challenges. The new programme, to be called as PhD-DRIVE, short for Deep-tech Research, Innovation, Value generation and Entrepreneurship, will admit students with expertise in technology and science, and a clear intent to set up a startup. The programme will include courses in entrepreneurship, incubation programme, funding for building a solution or product, and most of all, access to BITS alumni network for further investments. With this new programme, we want PhD scholars to become an entrepreneur along with becoming an innovator, and not just look at an academic career post their PhDs. Our alumni have created over 7400 startups of value all over the world so far including 13 unicorns and a decacorn, V. Ramgopal Rao, vice chancellor, BITS Pilani, said. The institute aims to incubate 100 startups through this programme by 2030. Our current focus areas include solutions to address issues related to homeland and cyber security, healthcare, environment, agriculture, space and energy. Many sub-domains in these areas related to climate change, industry 4.0, food-technology etc will be of interest. The idea is to make advanced technologies such as quantum science and nanotechnology work for people at the grassroots. The PhD students under this startup track shall join a centre of excellence or a specialied lab at BITS Pilani working in these areas, Roa added. BITS Pilani and its technology business incubators such as DST supported PIEDS, BIRAC supported BGIIES, and the DST NM-ICPS supported BioCyTIH will work with various partners including investment partners, government labs, industry experts, corporates, and BITS alumni to keep the PhD scholars on a path of forming a startup, and also create opportunities for them to seek further investments. Speciale Invest, a venture capital firm with a focus to invest in deep tech startups has expressed their early support to the programme. Academia is a breeding ground for deeptech innovations and as a leading deeptech investor in India. We have partnered with BITS Pilani in an innovative programme to foster the next generation of deep science and deeptech entrepreneurs, Vishesh Rajaram, managing partner, Speciale Invest, said. The scholars will be working in various Centre of Excellences that BITS has already set up in the areas of Semiconductors, Bio-Cyber Physical Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Medical Diagnostics and Infectious Diseases, amongst others. The scholars would be supported through a much higher stipend, and would be provided a prototyping grant during the programme. Suresh Kabra, alumnus of 82-87 batch, under the auspices of Suman Kapoor Memorial Charitable Trust, has decided to sponsor three women Ph.D. Scholars with innovative ideas in the Biological Sciences area, along with the seed funds. BITS Pilani has a strong entrepreneurial culture amongst the undergraduate levels and in the alumni community. With Ph.D. and post-doc scholars being encouraged to set up a venture, it will augur well for the deep science innovation ecosystem on its campuses. The industry needs application of fundamental research being done at Ph.D. level and this is a step in the right direction, Kabra said. Talent acquisition and management startup HireMee, which has partnered several state boards of technical education, universities and colleges in the country to provide AI-proctored assessments, said it has now entered Karnataka to help bridge the skill gap. Two state bodies charged with skill development and digital economy. Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) and the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) partnered with the SaaS-based skilling platform to help identify hidden talent in the state with a view to enhance their employability. As part of its MoU with KSDC, HireMee will conduct a 100-minute assessment of all candidates registering on the Karnataka Skill Connect portal. The assessment test for the registered job aspirants will cover seven parameters verbal, logic, quantitative, personality, communication, computers, and a core technical subject. As part of the Future Digital Jobs initiative of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) 1,000 candidates will get assessed on the HireMee platform, according to Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, KDEM. The assessment test is made available on HireMees AI-enabled mobile application at no cost to the candidates. HireMee is driven by its mission to enhance employability using technology and help companies discover hidden diamonds from all corners of the country. We continue to partner with forward-looking states to help youth enhance their skills using HireMees platform and AI-based insights, said Chocko Valliappa, Founder, HireMee. The assessment score of test takers will be shared with companies looking to hire skilled candidates. Each assessment test taker will also receive her assessment score to work on improvement areas. The aspirants also get to scan through suitable job openings on the HireMee platform. HireMee already has a partnership with the states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh to offer assessment of youth at no cost. A traffic stop in DeKalb County turned up a child reported missing from Pennsylvania. And the officer responsible was the son of TVs Dog the Bounty Hunter, on his first day as a certified patrolman. Thats according to Ider Police Chief Stephen Malone. Being able to make the call to this boys guardian, letting them know hes safe and on his way home, is one the most rewarding parts of this job, Malone said in a statement. Ider police say Amanda Beiland, 37, of Ider, has been charged with interference with child custody. She also has a previous charge for chemical endangerment of a child, Malone said. She was booked into the DeKalb County Jail this morning. Bond has not yet been set. According to Malone, the officer who stopped Beiland found a boy in the car. The officer, Garry Chapman, is the son of Duane Chapman, otherwise known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, who earned fame for an A&E series that chronicled his life as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman. A check uncovered that the boy had been reported missing for more than a week from Scranton, Penn. The child will be transported back to his guardian, Malone said. Cases like these are very serious, and to know that this juvenile was missing from over eight hundred miles and five states away is extremely concerning to me, Malone said. Juveniles are very gullible and thats exactly why there are legal procedures in place to keep this from happening. The safety of children is (of) the utmost importance to us, regardless if they live within the community or even eight hundred miles away. Duane Chapman was in Alabama earlier this month to celebrate Garry Chapmans graduation Aug. 10 from the Northeast Alabama Law Enforcement Academy. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Three car thefts on Staten Island in a 24-hour span last week triggered police responses, a pair of crashes and the arrests of multiple teens, leading one of Staten Islands top law enforcement officials to call for changes in the states Raise the Age law. The reform effectively changed the age a child can be prosecuted as an adult to 18 years old, since New York was one of just two states that previously held 16-year-olds criminally responsible, at the time. The law went into effect for 16-year-olds on Oct. 1, 2018, and 17-year-olds on Oct. 1, 2019. District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, in a statement released on Friday, said the law will disallow his office from pursuing the cases. While those responsible for these unacceptable thefts were apprehended, as a result of Albanys Raise the Age Laws, our office is barred from prosecuting these cases, as each case will be sent to Family Court for prosecution by the Citys Law Department, said McMahon. While we believe in second chances, the current system put in place by misguided Albany legislators does nothing to hold these young people accountable, only teaching the lesson that their terrible conduct goes with limited to no consequences. The first incident, a police chase involving two juvenile suspects early on Aug. 14, 2023, took out a Concord-based firefighter monument honoring those whove died in the line of duty. Two 16-year-old males were arrested at the scene, police said. Later that day, two teens a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy driving a stolen vehicle attempted to flee police Monday in Castleton Corners but instead crashed the car and were arrested with a loaded firearm. A police response in Grasmere around 7 p.m. that night, stemming from the search for individuals sought for questioning in connection with a car stolen in New Jersey, led to several individuals being taken into custody, according to the NYPD. McMahon said individuals under the age of 18 were arrested in each of the three incidents. Research conducted by the New York City Criminal Justice Agency and released last year found nearly half of 16-year-olds arrested after the law went into effect were re-arrested for a different crime shortly afterwards. Some experts, however, expressed criticism over the study and said it does not reliably assess the implementation of the law. Raise the Age was intended to provide young offenders with a less-punitive environment in family court while also attempting to deter recidivism and encourage connection to support services. Violent felony cases are still tried in the courts youth criminal part if prosecutors show enough evidence that the defendant displayed a deadly weapon, seriously injured someone who wasnt engaged in the crime or committed a sexual offense. Staten Island officials previously introduced legislation aimed at adding possession of a loaded firearm or a gun with separate ammunition to the list of crimes that are kept out of family court. Currently, simply possession a loaded weapon would not allow the district attorneys office to retain a teens case. McMahons office said it frequently makes motions based on extraordinary circumstances in an effort to keep the cases but are overwhelmingly denied. These laws also undo the tremendous work of our partners in the NYPD, and fail our children by excusing them of any responsibility or accountability for their criminal actions, said McMahon. Things must change, and office will continue our aggressive advocacy to Governor Hochul and our state legislative leaders to fix this disastrous so-called reform before more Staten Islanders are hurt. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Huguenot resident Dana Barbato and her boyfriend, Irving Robbins, had just set off from the Princess Bay Boatmens Association marina in Robbins boat on Aug. 9 when the pair was forced to turn back: The boats fuel gauge was broken. Turns out, they were out of gas. Using an onboard electric motor, Barbato and Robbins slowly made their way back into the marina, located in Lemon Creek, when Barbato spotted a disturbing sight: A heron struggling to keep its head above the waters surface. It was wrapped in fishing line that was connected to a docked boat. I was like, we have to help that bird. ... [but] how would I get to it? recounted Barbato, who said she considered jumping into the water to save the heron. Im not the greatest swimmer. I can swim, but [I wondered] how Im going to stay afloat. I didnt even know how deep the water was. And how would I untangle [the heron]? Im like, what am I gonna do if I cant get to this bird? I cant watch this thing suffer like this. Dana Barbato, pictured, spotted this heron in distress as she and her boyfriend were returning to a marina in Lemon Creek. (Courtesy of Irving Robbins)(Courtesy of Dana Barbato) After hastily helping Robbins dock in his slip, the retired teacher who had a hip replacement roughly 10 months ago ran to help the distressed animal, scaling a dock fence in the process. She boarded the unoccupied boat from which the tangled fishing line originated and, using a net from Robbins slip neighbor, Joe, was able to scoop the panicked animal out of the water. It was then Barbato could survey the severity of the situation: Fishing line was tight around the herons neck and wings, and lassoed around its legs. It was unclear how long the bird had been suffering in the water. With help from Joe and Robbins, Barbato began to unravel the line, gently using a knife to cut through impossible-to-navigate tangles. Upon freeing the heron, Barbato realized just how bad of shape the bird was in. Unwilling to leave the ailing animal in the marina, Barbato and Robbins drove it to The Raptor Trust, a wild bird rehabilitation center in Millington, New Jersey, at the behest of Lawrence Pugliares, a friend of Barbatos and an administrator on the Facebook page Staten Island Outdoors Nature Only. I was just in awe looking at it, I couldnt believe I was holding a heron, said Barbato, who rode in the back of the car with the heron in her arms in an attempt to warm and comfort the bird. I was just staring at it, and once in a while we would hit a bump and it would open its beautiful eyes. It was a mostly dark pupil, but it was surrounded by yellow, and it was just so beautiful. Dana Barbato, pictured, in a car holding the heron she and her boyfriend rescued. The pair brought the animal to a bird rescue in New Jersey, where it succumbed to its injuries. (Courtesy of Irving Robbins)(Courtesy of Dana Barbato) The heron, unable to recover from its injuries, later died at the center, according to Barbato. At least it had a kind end, said Barbato. It didnt drown. I feel like that would be one of the most horrible deaths. While the animal did not survive, Barbato doesnt regret her rescue endeavor. And given this isnt the first animal she and her naturalist and birding cohorts have seen struggling or killed by human-created products, Barbato a self-described nature enthusiast who posts her photography, including her saga with the heron, on her Instagram page (@nature_lover_nyc) hopes her story motivates Staten Islanders and others to be mindful of picking up trash in areas inhabited by wildlife, and avoid littering. You know, nature is harsh and its really hard for these creatures to just [survive] without man-made obstacles. Thats what really kills me, the fact that we destroy habitats and put animals in harm. Thats very sad to me, because it could be avoided. Thats why I post these photos, because I want people to take stewardship of nature, and realize that even in our urban areas, we have a lot of wildlife and we need to be responsible stewards of our planet. Barbato has a small ask of her fellow borough residents: Help when you can. If anyone sees fishing line out in nature, it would be a great service to wildlife if they would pick it up, and discard it in the trash. I just want people to care for and appreciate nature. This is our home, we should take care of it. Its the only home we have. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A flesh-eating bacteria responsible for the deaths of eight people in the United States has sparked warnings from health officials concerned for swimmers during the summer months. The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, found in brackish water (where freshwater meets saltwater) and raw or undercooked seafood, can cause an illness called vibriosis and lead to life-threatening wound infections. In greater presence during warmer conditions, it can enter the body through an open sore or wound when an individual is swimming in contaminated waters. From there, necrotizing fasciitis can develop killing tissue around a wound. It can also spread quickly into healthy tissue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Five people from Florida have died from the bacterium, said the Florida Department of Health, out of a reported 26 cases. One person on Long Island and two people in Connecticut have also died, the Advance/SILive.com reported. Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents to be aware of the dangers of swimming or consuming food where the bacterium can be present. As we investigate further, it is critical that all New Yorkers stay vigilant and take responsible precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, including protecting open wounds from seawater and for those with compromised immune systems, avoiding raw or undercooked shellfish which may carry the bacteria, said Hochul in a statement. The state Health Department urged residents with compromised immune systems to avoid eating raw or undercooked shellfish, such as oysters. To help prevent vibriosis, people with a wound, such as a cut or scrape, a recent piercing or tattoo, should avoid exposing skin to warm seawater in coastal environments or cover the wound with a waterproof bandage, officials said. Also, wear gloves when handling raw shellfish and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water when finished. The bacterium is not spread from person to person. However, anyone experiencing symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, fever and lesions, should immediately seek medical attention. Last year, Hurricane Ian lead to an increase of vibriosis cases in Florida after the storm system triggered sewage to spill into the ocean, leading to elevated levels of Vibrio vulnificus, according to the CDC. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Guardian Angels founder and former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa and Staten Island artist Scott LoBaido were among several civilians arrested on Sunday during an event protesting a new shelter for asylum seekers in Midland Beach. Island Shores a former assisted living facility located at 1111 Father Capoddano Blvd. will transform into a shelter for migrants in the coming months, according to local officials. The decision has been met with backlash from the community and local elected officials, many of whom rallied against the shelter during a separate event last week. A crowd of several hundred gathered during the protest event hosted by Sliwa, LoBaido, and John Tabacco, who was a candidate for New York City comptroller. The crowd filled the sidewalks, the center road median, and a portion of Father Capodanno Boulevard from Midland to Lincoln avenues, as they listened to speakers make remarks against the shelter. Many carried handmade signs and chanted phrases like Close the borders, Stop the invasion, and USA! USA! A strong police presence was in the area monitoring the scene and providing crowd control on the street to ensure the flow of traffic. - Protest against the Midland Beach migrant shelter held on Sunday, August, 20, 2023. (Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance) Owen ReiterOwen Reiter Ive taken it upon myself to lead this effort with good people all throughout New York state, because they are not going to get away with invading our country with illegal aliens, said Sliwa. He, along with protestors, called for Mayor Eric Adams to open up Gracie Mansion to asylum-seekers, rather than place them in shelters across the five boroughs. Gracie Mansion is the official residence of the citys mayor. After applauding the efforts of the NYPD at the event, Sliwa, LoBaido, and many other civilians gathered to block off the road in front of the facility. Today, this is not Republican versus Democrat versus independents, said Sliwa. Were joined together at the hip in solidarity. Its us and we, not I and me. Its Americans versus those who would destroy the America that we know. - Protest against the Midland Beach migrant shelter held on Sunday, August, 20, 2023. (Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance) Owen ReiterOwen Reiter The New York Police Department warned protesters to leave the roadway and use the available sidewalks, and if they refused, they would be placed under arrest and charged with disorderly conduct. Police officers then moved to arrest LoBaido and Sliwa, followed by the arrests of several other civilians. It marked Sliwas 79th arrest he was recently arrested during a protest against a new tent shelter in Queens that planned to house asylum seekers. Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, who was not in attendance at Sundays protest, called for the charges against those arrested to be dropped. In the summer of 2020, police were told to lay off BLM protestors rioting in our streets, the congresswoman said in a statement. But now citizens peacefully protesting the citys secret deal that led to the eviction of senior citizens at an assisted living facility to house migrants who illegally entered our country at taxpayer expense are being arrested at the direction of our mayor. This is outrageous and I call on our district attorney to drop any and all charges against Curtis Sliwa, Scott Lobaido and the other concerned citizens who were wrongfully arrested. The proposal to convert Island Shores into a migrant shelter is part of an ongoing crisis estimated to cost the city more than $12 billion through July 2025, with the city already having spent $1.45 billion. - Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa is arrested at the protest against the Midland Beach migrant shelter held on Sunday, August, 20, 2023. (Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance) Owen ReiterOwen Reiter More than 50,000 migrants remain in the citys care, prompting 198 emergency shelter sites around the five boroughs, including 13 massive humanitarian emergency relief and response centers, sites at Staten Island hotels and at least one former school building. Mayor Eric Adams administration has not confirmed specific plans for the Midland Beach site, and the institutions owners, a nonprofit organization called Homes for the Homeless, has deferred inquiries to the city. The mayor said earlier this month that officials will need to set up more and more migrant shelters in less than desirable locations if higher levels of government dont step up to address the ongoing crisis. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The NYPD is seeking the publics assistance locating a Meiers Corners teen last seen late last week. Christopher Garcia, 16, was last seen leaving his home on the 400 block of Bradley Avenue at around 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, according to a written statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. Police described Garcia as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds. He has green eyes and blond hair. The 16-year-old was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, purple shorts and black sneakers. The NYPD provided a photo of Garcia. Anyone with information in regard to the whereabouts of this missing person is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. One Staten Island business man is speaking out against a court order that put New Yorks fledgling weed industry on hold. Michael Gertelman, who plans to open the NugHub delivery service in Port Richmond, shared his open letter Friday lamenting Albany Supreme Court Judge Kevin Bryants order blocking any new retail licenses or weed shop openings in New York due to a court claim brought by a group of disabled veterans. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- God Bless America for helping my baby recover. Those were the words of Max Williams as his daughter Mariza was discharged from Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), Northwell Healths Regional Burn Center on Monday following a painstaking three-month treatment and recovery process that unfolded more than 2,500 miles from their home nation of Guyana. This really, to me, is a story of hope. Its a story of resiliency and working together to overcome what was a horrible tragedy and find little glimmers of hope and humanity in that tragedy, said Eric Cioe Pena, vice president for Northwells Center for Global Health. On May 21, a fatal fire in a school dormitory in Mahdia, Guyana claimed 20 lives, with Williams surviving the tragic incident, but suffering severe second and third degree burns to roughly 40% of her body, including her back, legs and arms. In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, Williams received emergency, live-saving care at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in Guyana, but upon assessing the extent of her injuries, local doctors and government officials worked quickly to transfer Williams to SIUH where she would receive comprehensive care at the hospitals acclaimed Regional Burn Center. We realized that it was worse than the original assessment, said Dr. Shilindra Rajkumar, plastic surgeon, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in Guyana. In a matter of hours we arranged passports, visas and evacuation and got her here in a matter of days. Everything worked like clockwork. Upon arrival, she was placed in the care of Dr. Michael Cooper, director of the Regional Burn Center at SIUH, and received skin grafting, wound care and physical rehabilitation, as well as mental health and grief counseling, undergoing more than 10 surgeries during her 92-day stay. We did a combination of her own skin, as well as skin that was donated for temporary coverage. Things like being on a ventilator and having pediatric intensive care manage that. Then after those surgeries, we had our physical therapy and occupational therapy and social care teams. So again, it was a total collaborative effort that led us to today, Dr. Cooper said. During her stay, Williams mother, Marlene, never missed a day at the hospital, accompanying her daughter every step of the way in the recovery process. Im so happy. I had more to say, but I am just so happy, she said, choked up and fighting back tears. On Monday morning, Williams was serenaded with cheers and a thunderous round of applause during her discharge, with the hospital gifting her an open heart necklace for her profound impact on the staff. Its an open heart necklace from the entire hospital community, Northwell community, signifying that youve touched our hearts. Youre a part of the Northwell family now, Pena said. Were very proud to have been part of your journey to recovery and we wish you the best. Williams recovery process will continue when she returns home to Guyana, but shes already made significant progress in relearning to walk with the help of the hospitals physical and occupational therapists. In addition to her ongoing physical therapy, officials spoke to the importance of continued mental health and grief counseling as Williams recovers from the traumatic event. As she returns to Guyana, the government will continue to do its utmost to ensure that she gets the continued treatment that she needs. We know that this is not just a physical recovery, but a psychological one, and we have made arrangements for that and we will continue to support Mariza, said Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyanas Ambassador to the United Nations. She concluded by profusely thanking the hospital for their efforts in this historic, international collaboration. On behalf of the government of Guyana, I want to express from the bottom of my heart a special thanks to all of you at Staten Island University Hospital. This story will not only be a part of your history, but it will be a part of Guyanas history as well, said Rodrigues-Birkett. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! For the 30-odd years that I worked in the translation business, I used to dream about writing a book. It was going to be called You Cant be a Buddhist in Business . I still believe this is true. In just about every occupation, theres something that will try your patience, unsettle or infuriate, and youll be sorely tempted to squash ants in your frustration or tell porkies to save face or swear like King Charles when his fountain pen flips out . I was explaining to a new client what was involved in translating her business card into Chinese. It depends on where its going to be used, I told her. If in mainland China or Singapore, itll be simple form Chinese (Mandarin). If in Taiwan, itll be traditional Chinese. My chat with the Chinese business card lady was a mere blip in the day of a translation service. But it did have me intrigued about what a typical bad day looks like in wildly different workplaces and what people do about it. Like the drummer who forgets his drumsticks before a gig, or the AFL umpire who accidentally squanders a teams finals hopes by calling a goal a behind. I reckon bad days at work fall into three main categories: something you did wrong; something someone else did wrong; and something someone expects you to do right and by yesterday, thanks. Acts of God, like the flash-flooding of a carpet factory, are in another category entirely. (Acts of God are patently not Buddhist if its the big kahuna preventing us from enlightenment in the first place. Youll need to speak to your insurance agent about that.) So what does a bad workday look like for, say, the worlds most famous firm, the royal family? I think we all know its ghastly, my liege, almost all the time. The day the world learnt that Prince Charles wanted to be reborn as Camillas tampon was undoubtedly the nadir (even The Crown wouldnt cover it). Nothing since, not the Fergie toe-sucking nor Meghan Markle nor Squidgygate, has shocked us more. How do you even come back from something like that? Its just a stinking mess that warrants far fruitier swear words than stinking. In occupations like medicine, a bad day can turn out really, really bad, if you get my drift. In his vet days, a friend was called out to a farm to castrate an overly frisky middle-aged pony (already a bad day for the pony). A lot was going on. These kinds of big-animal visits in the country afford no such luxury as a surgeon and an anaesthetist. The vet takes on all the roles. So, hes super busy preparing the pony. The farmers kids are chatting loudly nearby while the farmer puts a cloth over the ponys head to shade it from the sun. Advertisement Review Eating outHaymarket Live seafood tanks are back, but does this restaurant fill the hole left by Golden Century? The Golden Century is over enter the era of the Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant, which is bringing back live seafood tanks, huge banquet tables, two levels of dining, and, yes, even pipis in XO sauce. Terry Durack August 22, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share This venue appears in the Sydney hit list September 2023 See all stories . 1 / 7 The live seafood tanks are glowing again with lobster, crab and coral trout. Edwina Pickles 2 / 7 Pipis in XO sauce with fried vermicelli: the noodles loosen and soften, forming a dish in their own right. Edwina Pickles 3 / 7 The ma po tofu has a good chilli bite and balance of tofu to pork, although the pork feels over-tenderised. Edwina Pickles 4 / 7 Yum cha is packed with diners who look as if they have been there for years. Edwina Pickles 5 / 7 Light and fluffy prawn scrambled eggs is studded with almost translucent steamed prawns. Edwina Pickles 6 / 7 Neatly chopped poached free-range chicken with ginger and shallot. Edwina Pickles 7 / 7 Plump, extra-large steamed oysters with ginger and spring onion. Edwina Pickles Previous Slide Next Slide Good Food hat 15 / 20 How we score Chinese$$$ Ever since the venerable Golden Century closed in 2021, theres been a great big hole in Chinatown and the wider Sydney dining landscape. Its closure signalled the end of a long, proud line of Cantonese seafood restaurants lined with fish tanks and overrun with dim sum trolleys; of round banquet tables so broad you couldnt reach the soy sauce bottle; and of menus so long they would stretch from here to China. It signalled the end, too, of generations of families coming together for celebrations that perpetuated their culture and heritage, keeping it alive for generations to come. Pipis in XO sauce with fried vermicelli. Edwina Pickles Advertisement For all those reasons, and about 8888 more, its great to be able to welcome the Royal Palace to Chinatown. Seating 400 diners over two levels, its the new public-facing restaurant from Ms Sun Wei, who founded the private-room Royal Pavilion in Sussex Street in 2017. While Golden Centurys Eric, Linda and Billy Wong are busy at their Star and Darling Quarter restaurants, Royal Palaces ever-present restaurant manager, John Poh, and many of the staff will be familiar to long-time Chinatown devotees. But first, lets shout from the rooftops. The tanks are back! The tanks are back! Those dark, sadly shuttered windows are glowing again with tanks of lobster, crab and coral trout. Even better, Golden Centurys two dining levels have been refitted and refurbished; polished, painted and table-clothed. Its looking spiffy. Yum cha trolleys deliver the goods. Edwina Pickles Ive inadvertently stumbled across a soft opening period before the official launch, so instead of testing the kitchen too strongly, I keep the order modest. Prawn scrambled eggs are light and fluffy and studded with almost translucent steamed prawns ($48), and gai laan ($29) is bright green and crunchy. Poached free-range chicken ($40) is neatly chopped and the colour of rice wine. It feels unnecessarily chilled, but this is comfort food that presses the buttons of nostalgia for so many. Advertisement Next stop, yum cha, where the focus on seafood plays out across a terrific variety of dim sum, delivered by trolleys and trays every day of the week. Needless to say, the space is packed wall-to-wall with diners who look as if they have been there for years. Har gau prawn dumplings, siu mai, and cheung fun rice roll: all good. Pai gwut chunky, sweet pork studded with black beans very good. Durian puffs, fun. Pork and century egg congee, great, the rice broken down into something gentle and creamy. Dim sum 101: How to order yum cha like a pro The ground-floor dining room opens next, and Im back for the extra-large, plumped-up, steamed oysters with ginger and spring onion ($14 each), and the dish most synonymous with this site: pipis in XO sauce. The waiter goes to the bank of 24 tanks, deftly scoops out half a kilogram of pipis, shakes off the water, weighs them, and brings them over. Prawn scrambled eggs. Edwina Pickles Market price is $138 a kilogram, so my half-kilo is $69. It doesnt look like a lot, so I add fried vermicelli ($25) as well. When it all comes back in one big dish, the shells just steamed open, and the sauce coating the wedges of crisp fried noodles, its more than enough. Advertisement The warm kick of chilli, crunch of spring onion, complexity of the dark, rich, sauce and all 21 pipis (yes, I counted them) combine in a very celebratory way, and the noodles loosen and soften into a dish in their own right. A follow-up ma po tofu ($48) has a good chilli bite and balance of tofu to pork, although the pork feels over-tenderised. By the end of August, Royal Palace will be trading until 3am from Thursdays to Saturdays, with the congee menu kicking in after 10pm. Theres still some refining to be done, but the bones are there. Tables need to be angled so that your legs dont make bruising contact with the steel bars underneath, perhaps, but I wouldnt change much else. Its making a lot of people very happy just by being here. The low-down Vibe: The classic Canto dining palace is back Go-to dish: Pipis with XO sauce and vermicelli (market price) Drinks: Tsingtao beer, a mix of new- and old-world wines, plus specialty teas Cost: About $200 for two, plus drinks Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances? My parents have very different attitudes towards money which have definitely influenced my own. My mum is quite frugal and doesnt make too many unnecessary purchases. When grocery shopping, she often only buys things on sale. However, my dad is quite the opposite. He often makes irrational and impulse purchases which result in small arguments between my parents. My mum is quite knowledgeable about finances and often tries to educate me, but I dont always listen (especially about investing, which just confuses me too much.). However, I have made personal contributions to my super, following my mums instructions. I feel like I have inherited my mums frugalness but I do make quite a few impulsive purchases, which you will see in this weeks diary. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first job was tutoring. I wanted to go on exchange to France at the end of Year 10 and the only way to convince my parents was if I paid for half of it. I definitely did not have enough money at the time, but slowly paid it off through tutoring and my first job after high school. I think I started tutoring at the beginning of Year 10 and got my students through posting a Gumtree ad. I tutored two primary students for an hour each at the library. My first proper job was at Kmart. Did you worry about money growing up? My parents migrated to Australia a few years before my sister and I were born and didnt come from backgrounds with much money. They have always worked extremely hard and as a result, my sister and I have always had what we needed. My sister and I were always quite small growing up so we were always given hand-me-downs (including school uniforms) from family friends and I remember my mum always complaining about the prices of uniforms. My mum never bought us brand-name clothing or shoes so it was always a treat to get given a bag full of secondhand clothes each year. Growing up, I didnt worry too much about money but I remember often comparing myself to others. I went to primary school in an affluent area and towards the end of primary school, became more conscious of how wealthy some other families were (some had mansions). We were, however, also extremely fortunate and privileged to do many extracurriculars and go on an overseas holiday each year, which I am so grateful for. Do you worry about money now? In a sense. I am extremely privileged to still live at home without having to contribute financially, so Im not too worried about money in that aspect. However, I am a little worried about exchange and living out of home for a year. Im paying for it myself (with the exception of the loan) which means paying for flights, accommodation and living expenses. Whilst I am a little worried about spending responsibly and living alone, I do know that if I do need any help, my parents will be willing to give me a little loan as well. I have been saving up for a while and am currently working five days a week in order to support myself for a year of not working! At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I am nowhere near being financially responsible. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. No. Day 1 7:00am Its Monday. I wake up with the help of my alarm. The first thing I do is check my socials, of course. 7:30am I pick up my book and start reading from where I left off last night. Im currently reading Yellowface by R F Kuang and it is so gripping, despite making me feel extremely uncomfortable at times. I finished another book of hers, Babel, two weeks ago and loved it so definitely had to read this. 8:00am I check the time and make the decision to keep reading instead of starting to get ready to leave the house for a 9am lecture. Its recorded anyway so I can always catch up on it later and watch it in 2x speed. 10:00am After spending the past two hours swapping between Yellowface and scrolling on Tiktok, I get out of bed and head downstairs to have breakfast. I go in phases of eating/not eating breakfast but because its a slow morning, I have the time today to do so. I have a bowl of granola with milk and eat it while reading. 10:30am I get back into bed and open my laptop. Every Sunday or Monday, I set myself up for the week and update my Notion and Google Calendar. I get the feeling Im forgetting something so I check the Moodle boards of all my subjects and note down all my assessment deadlines. Oh no! I had mentally prepared for a fairly calm uni week but instead, I notice I have an assignment due on Friday! At least I still have a few days to do it but Im feeling bugged that I didnt know about it sooner. I normally organise all my due dates at the beginning of the term but because Ive been working so much, I must have forgotten. 11:00am I start watching a lecture from last week on 2x speed but stop 20 minutes in as I cant focus (it doesnt help that Im lying in bed). 11:20am I get out of bed (for the second time today) and head to the bathroom to get ready for uni. I jump in the shower, get dressed and do my skincare. 12:30pm Im driving to uni today as Im going to my friends house in the evening and dont want to deal with public transport late at night. Luckily, I only live 15 minutes away from uni by car. 1:00pm After finding parking 10 minutes away from campus, I walk into the library and find an empty cubicle. I open my laptop to my law readings and try and complete them before my class. Im currently doing Criminal Law and were learning about defences this week which is really interesting but sometimes the readings go on for far too long. Fortunately, I have less than 20 pages today! I also message my friend to check if were still on for our Barrys class tomorrow. She replies that she cant make it anymore so I cancel as well. Its always more fun with a friend and I would love the extra time to prepare my pre-work for class tomorrow. 4:00pm After finishing my readings and doing some modules, its time for class. Its a two-hour class but fortunately it goes by quite quickly. Loading 6:00pm Class is finished! I leave the building and its dark and windy outside. I generally try to avoid 4pm to 6pm classes but this term, this was the only option if I wanted to limit my days on campus. Otherwise, I would have uni four days a week which would mean less availability to work! Im trying to work as much as possible before I leave for exchange. I head to a food court and order some dinner. Tonight, I want to try a new place that opened up a few weeks ago. I order one of the deals they have a box of chicken and chips with a soft drink ($13.14). Okay, its not great at all and Im left hungry, wanting something more. I head back to the same store and want to give it another chance so I order a corn dog and mozzarella sticks ($14.97). They are better! But still expensive, so Im not sure if I will go back again. $28.11 7:00pm I walk to my car and drive to my friends house to catch up. Just as I lock my car, I get a notification saying I just got paid for tutoring last week. I havent seen my friend for ages and she recently started a pretty intense internship, so we catch up over snacks and hot chocolate. We also study for a little bit. 10:30pm I say goodnight and head home. For the drive, I listen to the newest Scandal podcast episode by Shameless. I never thought I would be so interested about Sofia Vergara but wow, her story is engaging. 11:00pm I realise its nearly the end of the financial year and I havent made a contribution to my super yet. My mums been telling me to do it for weeks but Ive kept putting it off. I transfer $1,000 (the maximum in order to receive a government co-contribution) to my super fund. I head to the bathroom and do my skincare and brush my teeth before falling asleep to a random YouTube video. $1,000 Daily Total: $1,028.11 Day 2 6:30am I wake up before my alarm and as usual, check Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. I think about booking the Barrys class that I cancelled yesterday but am really feeling too tired to run this morning. 8:00am I head downstairs for breakfast (same thing as yesterday) and eat whilst watching YouTube. 9:00am I head to my desk and do my readings for class. Today, they are case studies on different international companies. Two of my classes this term have class participation marks so I really try to prepare and contribute as this is the easiest way to get marks! 9:45am I get changed and do my skincare before catching the bus to uni. Im working after uni today so its more convenient to get public transport. 11:35am Ahhhh! My bus is running late so I walk into class five minutes late. I try to be punctual, but sometimes public transport is unpredictable. 1:00pm Class goes by so quickly and I still have two hours before I get to work so I head to a new cafe that opened recently. The food is pretty affordable so there are always long lines around peak times. I get a veggie bagel ($5). $5 1:15pm I go to the light rail stop and top up my Opal card ($10). I dont want to use my card as I know I have a big payment coming out of my account this week and dont want to have to transfer from savings, so I use cash. I also notice that a few payments have come out of my account from using my card to tap off ($15.55). I misplaced my Opal card for a few days last week so had to use my debit card instead, which means I didnt get concession fares). $25.55 2:00pm I go into Chemist Warehouse as I know that La Roche Posay Cicaplast is currently on sale ($16.99). Ive been wanting it for ages but have either been not bothered or waiting for it to go on sale before buying it. $16.99 2:10pm I walk over to Hyde Park as I still have about 50 minutes before my shift starts. I sit on the grass and start reading Magnolia Parks. 2:50pm 40 minutes goes by so fast, but I head over to work as my shift is starting soon. 8:00pm Work is over. It was only a short shift but am so glad to head home now. I log into Zoom as I have a Q&A session run by my exchange uni talking about course registration and other administrative details. I listen to it on the bus home. 9:00pm I get home, quickly eat dinner that my mum left out for me and message my group chat if they are ready to FaceTime. Three out of five of us are currently on exchange, so we make an effort to call every few weeks. We all catch up and even plan dates for all of us to meet up in Europe at the end of the year! 11:30pm We end our call as its getting late here but Im not tired yet, so I work a little on my assignment thats due Friday. I get most of my research and scaffolding done! 1:00am I do my nighttime routine and head to bed. Daily Total: $47.54 Day 3 7:00am I wake up to my alarm and continue reading Magnolia Parks. At least Im not scrolling on TikTok. 7:45am I have a meeting at 9, so I start to get ready for the day. Loading 8:15am Oops. I take too long and accidentally miss my bus, meaning that I will be late for the meeting. Maybe I shouldnt have read for that long. I get notifications from the chat that others will be late too so I should be fine, phew! 9:20am I get to uni and head to my meeting. We go over each of our actionables but dont get too much progress done as Taylor Swift tickets are about to release! There are a few diehard Swifties among the group so instead, we give up on our work and instead start waiting in the Ticketek queue whilst listening to Taylor out loud. Im not buying any tickets as Ill be on exchange at the time of the concerts, but its still so exciting seeing everyone so stressed about getting tickets. 11:00am Ahh, none of my friends got through but hope is not lost as there is still Friday for the general sale! I meet up with another friend as we have a group project to work on. However, we barely get anything done as were both so tired. 12:00pm I have work in an hour so I leave my friend and head to the same cafe as yesterday for a quick lunch. I generally pack lunch but I guess I spent too long reading this morning so didnt prepare anything. I get the same bagel as yesterday ($5) and a matcha latte ($4.50). After ordering, I get the light rail to work. I drink my matcha on the light rail and eat my bagel when I get to work. The bagel is great but the matcha is so so average. Ill stick to my usual spots on uni for matcha! $9.50 3:00pm Im halfway through my shift but the lack of sleep is catching up to me. My work friend is heading to Woolies to get something to eat for her break and asks if I need anything. I request some lollies as I am really feeling like I need a sugar hit. She comes back with sour worms and I pay her back ($5). $5 6:00pm I finish work! Im not heading home just yet as I have a dinner later tonight. I have a few hours before the dinner starts, so I head to Mecca to pick up my Beauty Loop box. Im currently a Level 3 but will definitely drop down later this year as I havent bought much recently. I am often the organiser/purchaser of group presents so the points add up! I get an eye cream and a hydrogel eye mask in my box! Then I go to Myer as I have a gift card to spend. I try on a few pairs of Levis but realise I actually left my gift card at home, so I take a photo of the label to remember the style and size for next time. 6:45pm I meet up with my friends who have also just finished work. Were going to Korean Barbecue tonight but two of my friends dont eat meat so they want to get something to eat before. We head to Five Guys and I get a thick shake and some chips to share ($14.90). Ive never gotten a shake from here so I go mad with the toppings. I get Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Bacon, Oreo Cookies and Whipped Cream which makes for a strangely delicious combination. $14.90 8:00pm We head over to the KBBQ restaurant and meet up with other friends. Im so full from my shake (not the wisest decision) so let the others do the ordering. Bad mistake. Do not let the guys order as they will order way too much. The food keeps coming and we all laugh at how packed our table is. 10:15pm We eat until we finally admit defeat. The bill comes to $51 each, which is not terrible considering how much we ordered, but its definitely more than I expected to spend. Oh well, it was fun and it feels like I will be full for days. $51 11:00pm I get home and I go to bed as Im so tired from today. Daily Total: $80.40 Read the rest on Refinery29 Australia here. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald are owned by Nine, which also holds the publishing rights for Refinery29 in Australia. The Pittsburgh dentist convicted of murdering his wife while on a safari in Zambia was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and 20 years for mail fraud. Larry Rudolph was also ordered to pay back the nearly $4.9 million he received from Bianca Rudolph's life insurance policies and an extra at least $2 million in fines. He will also owe millions more in forfeiture fines, but that amount was unclear at his sentencing Monday. Rudolph, 68, had claimed his wife's death was an accident and even took the stand in his defense last summer to bring home that fact to the jury, but the panel didn't buy his testimony. He was convicted of murder and mail fraud Aug. 1, 2023. Rudolph was arrested in Mexico by the FBI December 2021, more than five years after Bianca Rudolph's death. Rudolph, 57, died of a gunshot wound to the heart on Oct. 11, 2016, as she was packing to catch a plane with her husband from a remote area of Zambia back to the United States. At first, Rudolph claimed that her death was suicide and then changed his story, telling investigators that his wife accidentally shot herself as she was loading a four-foot-long rifle into its case. Looking frail a year after his conviction, Rudolph, unshackled, sans handcuffs and dressed in a brown prison outfit, insisted that his wife's death was a tragic accident. "This was not a murder but a horrible moment in time," he said, insisting that he and his wife of three years were happy when she died. Rudolph appeared disoriented during his sentencing and it was relayed to the courtroom that he has been suffering from a heart condition. His attorney, David Markus, had to direct him to turn around when he was being sworn in and Rudolph then appeared confused, addressing the female court clerk as sir. Before his trial, Rudolph claimed to be worth $27 million. Prosecutors said it was all about the money. "Wealth enabled him to commit this crime," said federal prosecutor Bryan Fields. The prosecution's only witness Monday was Tyson Polski, a financial investigator with the U.S. Attorney's office. For hours, Polski explained spread sheets of evidence he compiled showing Rudolph's five-year shell game as he shuffled Bianca Rudolph's life insurance money payed out by five different companies into multiple Vanguard accounts. Part of the insurance money fortune went to pay for a $1.4 million Pittsburgh home for Rudolph's mistress, Lori Milliron. Rudolph and his former office manager had a multi-year affair. They moved in together in an upscale Paradise, Arizona home, which Rudolph bought after his wife died, also in part with the life insurance money. Polski also showed the payout-paper trail which indicated that part of the money went to buy two luxury cars and a condo in Cabo San Luis, Mexico. Milliron also received jail time for her part in the crime. In June, she was sentenced to 17 years in prison for perjury, of being an accessory to a murder after the fact and obstructing a grand jury. U.S. District Judge William Martinez seemed confounded by Rudolph's behavior, calling it "bizarre." "You could have gotten a divorce but you wouldn't have had the insurance proceeds," said Martinez, noting that Rudolph started looking into collecting on his wife's life insurance policies three days after he returned to the United States. He ordered the nearly $4.9 million in restitution to go to the insurance companies which paid out on Bianca Rudolph's multiple life insurance policies. The Rudolph children did not attend the sentencing, bowing out at the last minute. Their uncle, and Bianca Rudolph's older brother, Vincent Finizio, was the only family member in the courtroom and the only one who was present for every day of trial. Overcome with emotion, Finizio directed his court statement to Rudolph, who listened with a grim stare. "You shot my sister in her heart at point blank range," said Finizio, apologizing at times for having to pause in mid-sentence. "None of us want to see you ever again...or breathe the same air." Rudolph was tried in Colorado because the insurance companies involved in the case were mostly headquartered in Colorado. The first major clash came just before 1600 hours when, 11 Platoon was about to cross a clearing, only for all hell to break loose as they were decimated by withering fire. Half a dozen Diggers were killed on the spot. When it quickly became clear that his men were in dire straits, Smith requested that the entirety of Nui Dats artillery be trained on the enemy position, to give 11 Platoon a chance. I want all the guns in support the whole regiment, he roared down the receiver of the field telephone to Colonel Colin Townsend at Nui Dat. Give me all the guns theyve got! Leave the guns to the gunners, Townsend replied crisply, in a voice that reminded Smith he was talking to a superior officer. But the Ratcatcher would not be bowed. Shouting over the roar of gunfire, he barked back: I want the whole regiment now! The line went dead, but only a short time later, all four batteries, all 24 guns were on the job. Meanwhile, the soldiers and officers Smith had so assiduously trained, were performing well. Though only months earlier barely any of them had ever fired a shot in anger, they now fought like tigers, delivering covering fire for each other, and keeping enough fire on the enemy all of it now in pounding tropical rain that they could not be simply overwhelmed. Yet. Smith gave orders for 12 Platoon and 10 Platoon to move forward to give 11 Platoon the covering fire they would need to pull back, while urging the Nui Dat command to send out the squadron of a dozen Armoured Personnel Carriers to get to them. Now. Compounding their problems were that they were running out of ammunition. Smith (right) on the frontline in Vietnam. Credit: Australian Army Smith made his most important decision of the afternoon: He chose to make what risked being their last stand near the top of a gentle slope that faced towards the bulk of the enemy to the east. It offered a natural protection to most of the enemy fire which would fly overhead, while also allowing those on the perimeter at the top of the slope to get clear shots at Charlie. By 1800 hours the survivors of Delta Company had regrouped to form that perimeter when, with extraordinary bravery, the crews of two Australian choppers risked their lives and disobeyed serious protocols, to fly over the battle and drop cases of ammunition bang on their noggins. But things remained grim. As swarms of brave VC soldiers kept getting closer, Smith sent out a famous order through to the Nui Dat artillery Fire Control Centre. Drop fifty, Danger Close, Fire for effect. Did he say Danger close? HQ came back: Negative, unsafe. Over. If you dont send someone out in ten minutes, forget us well be gone. Harry Smith on the phone to Australian headquarters during the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. Yes, Danger Close, the order to drop the shells within a stones throw of them, so that all enemy within coo-ee would be decimated, and all of their own with their heads down should likely survive was a recognised artillery tactic, but it had never been used by the Australians in battle. HQ repeated their signal: Negative, unsafe. Over. Looking out at the human waves of VC soldiers about to engulf them, Smith did not hesitate. Grabbing the transmitter from his signaller, he barked into it: Give us the f******* guns where we want them or you will lose the bloody lot of us. There was a long pause and the answer came back. Acknowledge, Drop fifty, Danger Close, Fire for effect. The enemys own position placed them at a great disadvantage. The VC, Smith noted, were silhouetted against the smoke, mist, rain and cordite and our riflemen and machine-gunners mowed them down. It was like shooting ducks. Still, however, they were nearly engulfed. In extremis, Smith got another message through to Townsend, to get the APCs to hurry: If you dont send someone out in ten minutes, Smith goes on, forget us well be gone! As the Australians of Delta Company continued to take casualties, and wave after wave of VC kept coming, above the chattering roar Smith shouted to his men: Shrink the perimeter, and surround the wounded! The perimeter was shrunk and the wounded, nearly two dozen of them by now, in a ditch being attended to by one frenzied medic, surrounded. Finally, just on dusk at 1900 hours, the APCs arrived like a cavalry force of yore, and the last hope of the VC to overwhelm Delta Company was gone. The Australians lost eighteen men killed in the battle. The estimates for the VC would vary, but it was likely around 250 killed. For most of the rest of Smiths life, and most particularly after he left the Army a decade later, he fought for the bravery of his men to be properly and more widely recognised. It took until the final days of the Howard government in 2007 for some of the awards to be upgraded, but Smith kept going for another decade until the last of the bravery awards hed fought for and originally recommended, came through. A teacher who had recently started at a new school was asked to give one student some improvement strategies. The child went home and complained. The principal asked that teacher to apologise to the parents for making that student feel stressed. Australias classrooms are ranked among the worst in the world when it comes to discipline and the responsibility for that should not fall solely on teachers, education experts have told a federal senate inquiry into disruptive classrooms. Experts say the behaviour of schoolchildren is becoming an increasing problem. Credit: Gabrielle Charotte The story of the teacher asked to apologise was recounted to the inquiry by Dr Paul Kidson, senior lecturer in educational leadership at the Australian Catholic University, who said parents and students had too often been given a free pass in the schooling system. There is no likelihood that there is going to be significant improvement in the achievement of a community where that behaviour is characterised as normal, he said Chrissie Whitlock of Earlwood was gazing into the blue sky last weekend and witnessed a plane skywriting Will You Marry Me? and got to thinking, How do you answer? Does one have to hire another skywriter to reply? I would think its expensive. The last stops of the 387 bus to Vaucluse are a daycare centre, a retirement village and a cemetery. Is there a message here? wonders Irene Thom of Vaucluse. And do other bus routes tell a story? Barry Wooldridge of Harden notes, On Monteagle Street in Binalong stands a pole holding three signs all pointing in the same direction to the Catholic Church, transfer station and cemetery. Sounds like the ultimate package deal. Speaking of cemeteries, while visiting relatives in California, we came to a street where there are multiple cemeteries adjacent to each other in the town of Colma, otherwise known as the City of Souls, writes Gerardo Prietto of Stockton. Directly across the street is an Irish pub called Molloys. They sell Molloys T-shirts with a small stylised cross on the front and words on the back that say: Its Great to be Alive in Colma. We bought two. Andrew Cohen of Glebe has flipped the Morris Cowley (C8) narrative: By 1968, the robust Cowley was cheap, so my late big brother Phil and his teenage friends bought a black one they dubbed The Rolly Machine and delighted in taking turns to spectacularly overturn it umpteen times in otherwise quiet Bungalow Avenue, Pymble, until on the third day of this, it broke when Mark attempted a full 720 degrees. No seatbelts and, miraculously, no injuries. During his university days in the mid-1970s, Michael McFadyen of Kareela worked in a number of Sydney clubs as a barman and claims, It was not uncommon to have a person order a beer and tomato juice (C8). Yes, a very strange combination but not rare. Melbournes iconic Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre has become embroiled in a research misconduct scandal after an investigation discovered experiments in an important cancer study were likely never performed. The centre could now be required to repay taxpayer dollars used to run the melanoma study. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Parkville. Credit: Justin McManus The study was led by Mark Smyth, who was one of Australias foremost cancer researchers until 2021, when his employer, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, in Queensland, reported him over allegations of research misconduct. Before Smyth worked at QIMR, he spent 13 years working at Peter Mac, rising to co-head of the cellular immunity program. He published more than 150 papers while working there. An alleged paedophile accused of abusing 91 girls across childcare centres in Brisbane and Sydney will be remanded in custody for another two months as police await further evidence from overseas witnesses. This month, police revealed they had charged a Gold Coast childcare worker, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in August 2022 with more than 1600 child abuse offences, including rape and indecent treatment of a child. AFP Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough announces police had charged the former childcare worker. Police alleged the offences were committed across 10 Brisbane childcare centres between 2007 and 2013, and from 2018 to 2022, and a centre in Sydney between 2014 and 2017. The case was briefly mentioned in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, where Crown prosecutor Steven Dickson asked for an adjournment to late January, explaining the case was voluminous. Armed with a floor plan of his victims home and violence on his mind, Stuart Lindsay Heron lay in wait for hours for his unwitting target. A willing slave in a dominatrix arrangement, Heron told his lady he would scare away her boyfriend, Nicholas Cameron, 39, and ensure he never returned. Stuart Heron outside the Supreme Court on Monday. Credit: AAP But CCTV footage showed Heron, armed with a knife and a hammer, ran from behind a car park pillar and carried out an 11-minute, ultimately fatal attack on Cameron as he left his Southbank apartment to walk his little dog, Misty. Cameron died at the scene. Heron was arrested nearby still carrying the murder weapons, a dog lead, and the keys to his victims home, in the early hours of July 9, 2021. It was a striking statistic. According to a Victorian chief health officer update in January, almost 47 per cent of Victorians who had recently died from COVID-19 were unvaccinated, despite this group comprising a tiny proportion of the states population. But information obtained by this masthead via freedom of information has revealed this data, covering three months in 2022 and 2023, was incorrect by a large margin. The number of unvaccinated deaths being reported was, at a minimum, inflated by close to double the true rate. Then chief health officer Brett Sutton oversaw much of Victorias COVID-19 response. Credit: Chris Hopkins Victorias Health Department was including the deaths of people whose vaccination status was unknown in its public reporting of unvaccinated COVID-linked deaths, including many vaccinated people whose vaccination status would later be confirmed. Although the revelation does not change the evidence COVID vaccines saved millions of lives globally, and likely many tens of thousands in Australia, experts say the public presentation of this data was misleading and inaccurate. But there is always more that can be done to ensure Australia has an adequate supply of safe health professionals. Why are there major shortages? Peter Breadon, the Grattan Institutes health and aged care program director, said Australias health workforce issues did not stem from the raw numbers. All these problems [with major shortages] are real. But its about the structure of the system and the way you manage it ... rather than how many workers there are, he said. The first major issue is that there are too few clinicians in areas that need them the most. There are big shortages in a lot of rural and remote areas, but also parts of most cities, Breadon said. The second is red tape holding back health practitioners from operating to their capacity. For example, nurses say they could do more to screen patients, conduct health checks, help people manage their care regime and treat issues such as wounds. Were not making the best use of [their skills] compared to other countries. Nurses and pharmacists do less than overseas, and theres not as much administrative support for GPs as in other countries, Breadon said. There is also a mismatch regarding workers required, such as nurse-midwives and psychiatrists, while added complexity comes from the changing burden of disease in Australia. On average, people are expected to live almost one extra year in ill health today, compared to 20 years ago, Breadon said. Chronic disease and ageing mean the health workforce must keep growing faster than the population. Other factors affecting the healthcare workforce include burnout and a long-term trend towards part-time work. The lingering effect of the pandemic from backlogs to delayed care, mental health problems and long-COVID is another. Where are the biggest shortfalls? City centres are generally well served. The latest census data shows there are 5.9 GPs per 1000 people in inner Perth, 4.5 in inner Brisbane, and almost 3.6 in inner Sydney and Melbourne. But in north-west Melbourne, that drops to just 1.2 GPs per 1000 people, while in regional NSW, the Hunter Valley and Murray regions have only 1.3 GPs per 1000 people. There are also four regions across Australia without a single psychiatrist. Northern Sydney has 173 psychiatrists for a population of 424,000. But Blacktown, in Sydneys west, is home to just 16 psychiatrists for more than 400,000 people. That disparity continues for clinical psychologists, creating a major access gap as Australians experience elevated levels of distress. Inner Melbourne has 2.9 clinical psychologists per 1000 people or 1761 professionals for a population of 617,000. Victorias Shepparton, however, has just 0.3 clinical psychologists per 1000 people. How will the problem be solved? Getting more doctors, nurses and psychologists out to places that need them, making sure theyre being fully utilised and ensuring the workforce pipeline remains strong will be some of the governments major challenges. Fletcher said some things were already happening to boost numbers, such as cutting the time it took to assess applications for registration in Australia, boosting exam places for internationally qualified nurses and making English language requirements more flexible. Among those who knew her, however, nobody wanted to believe that a seemingly dedicated, caring and friendly nurse could be responsible for such horrors, deliberately setting off to work each day to inflict unimaginable pain on the helpless infants she was supposed to be caring for. Loading The sense of shock at the arrest and prosecution of the 33-year-old was felt particularly deeply among friends and family in her home town of Hereford who had watched the geeky woman become the first of her family to go to university and begin her career as a nurse. To them she was Lucy, the career-focused girl who only wanted to become a nurse and care for others, choosing her A-levels to maximise her chances of entering the profession. A neighbour of her parents, John and Susan, who had watched Lucy growing up in the same semi-detached house in the suburban cul de sac to which they brought her home from the local hospital as a newborn, said shortly after her arrest: I just truly cant believe it. She was a good little girl. I watched her grow up next door from the moment she was born. She was a delight. The shock extended to her fellow nursing students at the University of Chester, where she spent three years after leaving school, at the same time completing a placement at Liverpool Womens Hospital. Several remembered Letby as part of a group who werent girly girls who always partied, but who were all very focused on their studies and loved it. What she was accused of doing seemed so unbelievable. I would never have had her down as a bad person. A neighbour of Letby By the time she was arrested in a 6am police raid on July 3, 2018, Letby had been working at the Countess Hospital since her graduation in neonatal nursing in 2011. In her spare time, she helped raise funds for the hospitals charity to build a new unit. Its Babygrow Appeal went on to raise more than 2 million and in March 2013 a profile of Letby appeared in the local paper, The Chester & District Standard. She was also pictured smiling and holding up a baby garment in the Countesss internal newsletter, for which she spoke about her work. She said: My role involves caring for a wide range of babies requiring various levels of support. I enjoy seeing them progress and supporting their families. On hearing the news of Letbys arrest, Rebecca Johnson, one of her first-year classmates at university, struggled to believe she could be responsible for harming any babies. I just know she could not do anything like that, said Johnson, from Ellesmere Port. Janet Cox, a colleague of Letbys on the neonatal unit who subsequently attended her trial alongside Letbys parents, was one of many stunned at the charges. A week after the death of Baby I on October 31, 2015, for which the jury found Letby responsible on August 11 although this could not immediately be reported she had posted a photograph of her and Letby laughing and posing for pictures at a wedding. In another, taken in December 2016 shortly after Letby had been removed from clinical duties she and Cox are seen hugging and smiling while wearing Christmas jumpers from Primark. Letbys her best friend, said Coxs partner before the trial began in October 2022. She has known her for years and she knows she is not capable of doing anything like the things she was accused of. Jenny Jones was another friend and colleague who posted photographs of herself with Letby and other nurses at a time when babies were dying in mysterious circumstances. These included one of a smiling Letby with 14 other women at York station, posted on June 8, 2015 the day of the first alleged attempted murder. Nothing about her stands out as unusual in these pictures. Jordan Sands, who knew Letby through a former girlfriend, said: She was quite awkward and geeky, but she seemed like a kind-hearted person. It wasnt just colleagues who were stunned at Letbys arrest. She had told at least one anxious parent: Trust me, Im a nurse. And many of them did. One mother, from Buckley, North Wales, told how Letby had helped her after she gave birth to her premature son. I could not have asked for a more caring and helpful nurse. She helped me give my son his first bath. All I can say from my experience is that she was a great nurse, said the woman, now 34. Letby certainly appeared to care. Following the then still unexplained deaths of babies, and during the months that followed, she would sometimes obsessively search for their families on Facebook and any indication of how they were coping. Ive been following the case and there doesnt seem to have been any explanation given for her motive for doing these terrible, terrible things. Neighbour of Lucy Letby But her behaviour in front of parents still struggling to absorb the horror of their babies deaths went beyond clumsiness into the outright inappropriate such as repeatedly recalling happy memories of Baby Is first bath when her parents were still weeping over her 11-week-old body as they washed her for the last time. The prosecution told the court that she appeared to be relishing the moment. And while she may have given the impression of being quiet, caring and dedicated, Letbys behaviour in the immediate aftermath of some of the deaths or sudden collapses of the babies was questionable, to say the least. The court was told that Letby went salsa dancing with her Countess colleague and friend Minna Lappalainen within hours of, as it later emerged, trying to kill Baby F by injecting him with insulin. This was just 24 hours after she murdered his twin brother Baby E. That evening Letby messaged Lappalainen to ask about going to a salsa dancing event, and that Letby needed to try and find some post nites energy. Letby was at her salsa class when a friend updated her about Baby Fs condition, describing him as a bit more stable, but adding that staff were concerned and doing various tests to try to identify the cause of his hypoglycemia. She replied: Oh dear. Thanks for letting me know. Wonder if he has an endocrine problem then. Hope they can get to bottom of it. On way home from salsa with Minna. Feel better now Ive been out. Letby lived with Lappalainen in Chester between January and June of 2015, before moving back into the hospitals Ash House accommodation block. Her move came shortly before the deaths of babies in the hospitals paediatric unit began. There followed a period between November 27, 2015, and February 17, 2016, where no attempts or murders appear to have taken place. Just over a month after this pause came to an end, Letby bought a three-bedroom semi-detached for 180,000 in Blacon, a suburb on the edge of the city, two miles from the extensive Countess campus, where she held a Prosecco and vodka housewarming party for colleagues. At her new home, the bedroom seemed almost like that of a young teenager, rather than a woman in her early 30s. Photographs taken by police showed a pink and white spotted dressing gown hanging on a door, cuddly toys on the bed, including Winnie-the-Pooh and Eeyore, with a picture saying leave sparkles wherever you go hung on the wall. The upstairs landing had framed pictures of her young godchildren and cousin, while her fridge was decorated with photographs of her parents, as well as a handwritten card describing her as number one godmother. There was also a childs bedroom, which she had not got around to redecorating. Lucy Letby being questioned by police during an interview after her arrest. Credit: Reuters She had two cats, Smudge and Tigger, and had written herself a birthday card from them, reading: Happy Birthday Mummy. In court, she sobbed and wiped away a tear when asked about them by her barrister, Benjamin Myers, KC. There appeared to be an emotional immaturity about Letby. She had no boyfriend at the time of the deaths and none in her recent past, it seemed, but had developed a close friendship with some described it as a crush on a married registrar at some point after she joined the neonatal unit. They would text each other frequently, go on walks together, have coffee and even enjoy day trips to London. More disturbingly, police also found 257 nursing handover sheets in a bin bag in the garage of her Chester home and her parents house. She had even kept one such handover note from June 1, 2010 her first day of work as a student nurse as an apparent souvenir in a box decorated with roses. Letby claimed she had accidentally taken home the documents, which should have been destroyed as confidential waste, in the pocket of her scrubs. Her neighbours in Chester, where she liked to watch Coronation Street, Strictly Come Dancing and Love Island when off-duty, were unable to reconcile the personable young woman next door with the killer she really was. One lady who lived opposite Letbys modern detached red brick house said: She was always so friendly. She always had a smile when she said hello. She seemed like such a nice person. I cant understand at all why she would do something like this. Ive been following the case and there doesnt seem to have been any explanation given for her motive for doing these terrible, terrible things. Another neighbour said: She was always pleasant and always had time to say hello. She came across as a very hard-working girl getting on with her life. What she was accused of doing seemed so unbelievable. I would never have had her down as a bad person. It is a common theme that many of those who studied or worked with Letby are reluctant to talk about her at all. She was an average nurse, a seemingly normal 20-something-year-old doing what she was doing in her career and with her friends. But clearly there was another side that nobody saw. Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans Lappalainen refuses to discuss their friendship or indeed whether she began to have any suspicions about her behaviour at the time. One former nursing colleague said she had been instructed by her current employer not to speak to anyone about the case, while another said: I dont feel comfortable talking about it or making any comment. Back in Hereford, friends of the family said her parents John, 76, and Susan, 62, had been left devastated. After all, they more than anyone were fooled by the public image presented by their daughter of a caring, devoted nurse, whose only concern was her patients welfare. There had been no disguising their pride for their only childs progress as she made her way from student to qualified nurse, fulfilling her schoolgirl ambition. In December 2011, Letby, who had suffered from an overactive thyroid gland since she was 11 with symptoms including anxiety, fatigue and difficulty concentrating gained her BSc in child nursing. Her mother and father, described by neighbours as a modest, professional couple, posted a notice in the Hereford Times, reading: We are so proud of you after all your hard work. Love Mum and Dad. The strong bond between the parents and their daughter, who they had helped move into her new home in Chester, became evident when the jury was read a WhatsApp exchange with Dr Alison Ventress, a work colleague. Ventress was considering relocating to New Zealand and was encouraging Letby to come with her, but she would have none of it, replying: Not brave enough to up and leave everything. I couldnt leave my parents they would be completely devastated. Find it hard enough being away from me now and it is only 100 miles. Letby, who gave evidence for 14 full days dressed in a smart, all-black trouser suit, under the anxious gaze of her parents who had moved to accommodation in Manchester for the duration of the long trial consistently denied ever wanting to harm any babies. No, never, she said repeatedly when confronted with the details of the allegations. I am there to help and care, not to hurt. Many wondered why a woman who had fulfilled her childhood ambition would go on to maim and kill vulnerable babies. Even hardened police officers were unable to explain it, other than attributing it to a thrill and sense of excitement at being at the centre of drama on the ward. Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, one of the senior investigating officers in the case, said: We would like to know that and ultimately the only person who can answer that in respect of why is Lucy Letby. Pascale Jones of the Crown Prosecution Service, Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans and Janet Moore, Police Family Liason officer speak after Lucy Letby was found guilty. Credit: Getty Officers described her as beige, with nothing outstanding or outrageous about her, but, in the words of Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans, there was clearly another side that no one saw and that we have unravelled during this investigation and trial. Evans and her colleagues were not taken in by Letbys wholesome act. Letby was operating in plain sight, she said, adding: She abused the trust of the people around her, not just parents that had trusted her with the care of her babies but also the nurses she worked with and the people she regarded as friends. She was an average nurse, a seemingly normal 20-something-year-old doing what she was doing in her career and with her friends. But clearly there was another side that nobody saw. With their guilty verdict the jury indicated that they had been persuaded by the mass of circumstantial evidence presented to them by the prosecution, enough certainly to overcome the apparent absence of any tangible motive. Loading As prosecuting barrister Johnson told them: While people do forget things in a busy neonatal unit we all make mistakes, but its the timing of the errors, isnt it? Its the pattern of the errors. Its the power of circumstantial evidence. The location of climate tipping elements in the cryosphere (blue), biosphere (green) and ocean/atmosphere (orange), and global warming levels their tipping points will likely be triggered at 1.5C. Researchers see signs of destabilisation already in parts of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, in permafrost regions, the Amazon rainforest, and potentially the Atlantic overturning circulation as well. Graphic: Earth Commission / Globaia By Lois Parshley 20 July 2023 (The Atlantic) Ever since some of the earliest projections of climate change were made back in the 1970s, they have been remarkably accurate at predicting the rate at which global temperatures would rise. For decades, climate change has proceeded at roughly the expected pace, says David Armstrong McKay, a climate scientist at the University of Exeter, in England. Its impacts, however, are acceleratingsometimes far faster than expected. For a while, the consequences werent easily seen. They certainly are today. The Southwest is sweltering under a heat dome. Vermont saw a deluge of rain, its second 100-year storm in roughly a decade. Early July brought the hottest day globally since records begana milestone surpassed again the following day. For a long time, we were within the range of normal. And now were really not, Allegra LeGrande, a physical-research scientist at Columbia University, told me. And it has happened fast enough that people have a memory of it happening. In fact, a growing number of climate scientists now believe we may be careening toward so-called tipping points, where incremental steps along the same trajectory could push Earths systems into abrupt or irreversible changeleading to transformations that cannot be stopped even if emissions were suddenly halted. The Earth may have left a safe climate state beyond 1C global warming, Armstrong McKay and his co-authors concluded in Science last fall. If these thresholds are passed, some of global warmings effectslike the thaw of permafrost or the loss of the worlds coral reefsare likely to happen more quickly than expected. On the whole, however, the implications of blowing past these tipping points remain among climate changes most consequential unknowns: We dont really know when or how fast things will fall apart. Some natural systems, if upended, could herald a restructuring of the world. Take the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica: Its about the size of Florida, with a protruding ice shelf that impedes the glaciers flow into the ocean. Although the ice shelfs overall melt is slower than originally predicted, warm water is now eating away at it from below, causing deep cracks. At a certain point, that melt may progress enough to become self-sustaining, which would guarantee the glaciers eventual collapse. How that plays out will help determine how much sea levels will riseand thus the future of millions of people. The fate of the Thwaites Glacier could be independent of other tipping points, such as those affecting mountain-glacier loss in South America, or the West African monsoon. But some tipping points will interact, worsening one anothers effects. When melt from Greenlands glaciers enters the ocean, for example, it alters an important system of currents called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. The AMOC is like a conveyor belt, drawing warm water from the tropics north. The waters salinity increases as it evaporates, which, among other factors, makes it sink and return south along the ocean floor. As more glacial fresh water enters the system, that conveyor belt will weaken. Right now its the feeblest its been in more than 1,000 years. A shutdown of that ocean current could dramatically alter phenomena as varied as global weather patterns and crop yields. Messing with complex systems is chilling precisely because there are so many levers: If the temperature of the sea surface changes, precipitation over the Amazon might too, contributing to its deforestation, which in turn has been linked to snowfall on the Tibetan plateau. We may not even realize when we start passing points of no returnor if we already have. Its kind of like stepping into a minefield, Armstrong McKay said. We dont want to find out where these things are by triggering them. One grim paper that came out last year, titled Climate End Game, mapped out some of the potential catastrophes that could follow a tipping cascade, and considered the possibility that a sudden shift in climate could trigger systems failures that unravel societies across the globe. Chris Field, the director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and a contributor to several IPCC reports, warned that at some point, the impacts of the climate crisis may become so severe that we lose the ability to work together to deliver solutions. James Hansen, one of the early voices on climate, says that measures to mitigate the crisis may now, ironically, be contributing to it. He published a working paper this spring suggesting that a reduction in sulfate aerosol particlesor the air pollution associated with burning coal and the global shipping industryhas contributed to warmer temperatures. Thats because these particles cause water droplets to multiply, which brightens clouds and reflects solar heat away from the planets surface. Though the paper has not been peer-reviewed, Hansen predicts that environmentally minded policies to reduce these pollutants will likely cause temperatures to rise by 2 degrees Celsius by 2050. Even before the climate gets to that point, we may face a dramatic uptick in climate-related disasters, says William Ripple, a distinguished professor of ecology at Oregon State University and the lead author of a recent commentary on the risky feedback loops connecting climate-driven systems. Theres a sense of awein the original meaning of inspiring terror or dreadat witnessing such sweeping changes play out across the landscape. Many scientists knew these things would happen, but were taken aback by the severity of the major changes were seeing, Ripple said. Armstrong McKay likened the challenge of being a climate scientist in 2023 to that faced by medical professionals: You put a certain emotional distance between you and the work in order to do the work effectively, he said, that can be difficult to maintain. Although it may be too late to avert some changes, others could still be staved off by limiting emissions. LeGrande said she worries that talking about tipping points may encourage people to think that any further action now is futile. In fact, the opposite is true, Ripple said. Scientifically, everything we do to avoid even a tenth of a degree of temperature increase makes a huge difference. Climate Collapse Could Happen Fast Dubai: Russias hopes of once again dominating lunar exploration literally came crashing down into the moon at the weekend, bringing home a bitter truth that its space program is not what it once was. More than 60 years on from its Soviet-era heyday launching the first dog and then the first man into space Russia is lagging old and new global competitors embarking on a new race for the moon. Over the past decade, if not more, they havent been as ambitious, they havent been doing as many missions and theres been a general [loss] of expertise and investment, said Australian National University astrophysicist and cosmologist Brad Tucker. A picture taken from the camera of the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 during its flight to the moon shows the mission emblem and the bucket of the lunar manipulator complex. Credit: Reuters The space race of today, its nothing like in the 60s and 70s. Then, it was a two-horse race with one goal. Now there are multiple horses and multiple races. And if youre not trying to compete ... what are you doing? Conservative hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy rapping at the Iowa State Fair will be remembered as one of the most surreal moments of the presidential campaign. Wearing a red baseball cap, pale polo shirt and pale slacks, the 38-year-old tech tycoon belted out Eminems Lose Yourself with remarkable gusto. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy raps an Eminem song during the Iowa State Fair. Credit: Bloomberg What the largely white and rural audience made of the pounding urban beat at an event dating back to 1854 and best known for cattle and corn dogs is a matter of conjecture. But Ramaswamy is not a typical candidate and perhaps that is why the 38-year-old tech billionaire has started soaring in the polls. PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent Member of Parliament, Akeem E. Arrindell, has called upon the Minister of VROMI, Egbert J. Doran, to prioritize a comprehensive review of road names and directional signs across the island. This move comes as concerns about road safety and navigation have risen among constituents and stakeholders. MP Arrindell's appeal is driven by the growing urgency to address the state of road infrastructure, specifically road names, directional signs, and their impact on public safety. In a recent statement, the Honorable MP emphasized the critical role that road markings and signs play in regulating traffic and ensuring the security of both drivers and pedestrians. The aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which devastated the region six years ago, continues to cast a shadow over the island's road infrastructure. Many road signs, directional indicators, and street names were destroyed or left unrepaired in the wake of the disaster. This situation has raised concerns about emergency response capabilities and overall navigation efficiency. "One of my concerns is whether or not the government is looking into the possibility of digitally assigning street names," MP Arrindell pointed out. He further questioned the accuracy of street names and locations on online maps such as Google Maps, suggesting that physical sign boards could serve as a reliable backup in cases of digital inaccuracies. The need for visible and clear road signage is particularly vital for first responders during emergencies. The MP stressed that properly labelled roads and signs greatly facilitate the swift arrival of emergency services to the correct location, potentially saving lives. The Honorable MP also raised the issue of road congestion, wrong-way driving, and accidents stemming from the lack of proper signage. Tourists unfamiliar with the roads are especially susceptible to these issues. Therefore, ensuring comprehensive and accurate signage is crucial for the local population and the island's tourism sector. Additionally, MP Arrindell highlighted a series of bottlenecks that hinder efficient road navigation. He pressed for prompt attention to the erection, repair, and maintenance of signs and the removal of obstructive vegetation that impairs sign visibility. The MP proposed involving Public Works and the Prison in creating and placing street names and signs to ensure consistent quality and timely implementation. Concluding his appeal, MP Arrindell underlined the importance of adhering to international standards for road signs and signals, as outlined in the 1973 Vienna Convention. By doing so, the country can uphold a uniform and universally understandable system of road markings and signs, contributing to enhanced road safety and traffic flow. As the Minister of VROMI, Egbert J. Doran reviews the concerns raised by MP Akeem E. Arrindell, stakeholders and citizens alike eagerly anticipate a strategic overhaul of the island's road signage and directional indicators. Hopefully, this initiative will ultimately result in safer roads, improved emergency response, and a more efficient navigation experience for both residents and visitors. ~Invitation Open to All Secondary Schools: Dive Deep into the Entreo~ PHILIPSBURG:--- On August 18, 2023, secondary school representatives gathered at the Government Administration Building to glean insights into the 2nd Annual National Youth Pitch Competition. Minister Irion, in his opening address during the meeting, underscored the significance of this initiative. The Ministry of Finance is a key partner, and the Minister has been involved since inception. Minister Irion shared some of the highlights during the project and the entrepreneurial exchange. Ife Badejo, visionary behind Islandpreneur and project coordinator for the National Youth Pitch Competition provided the pertinent details for the teachers and schools to better support them in the process. The National Youth Pitch Competition aims to: Boost financial literacy among students. Sharpen entrepreneurial skills. Foster an innovative mindset. Last year, 70% of secondary schools made it to the finals. The event attracted over 100 attendees and drew an online viewership of more than 3,000 across various platforms. The competition will culminate in the awarding of the grand prize of ANG 10,000 and a 2024 summer entrepreneurial exchange to the winning team. Additionally, the school housing the victorious team will receive a trophy. Audience members and supporters can also cast their votes, with the team accumulating the most votes winning the Crowd Favorite prize of ANG 2,500. To begin this transformative journey, secondary students must complete a digital application form. These applications will undergo assessment based on specific criteria, with the highest-scoring team advancing to the accelerator program. Although participation in the accelerator is optional for all, finalist teams must attend. The Accelerator program will span six weeks. This intensive program equips students with knowledge covering topics such as sales, marketing, finance, and intellectual property. With weekly assignments, participants can put theory into practice, further refining their business ideas and acumen. This meticulously designed program will prime them for the finals on November 19, 2023, during the Global Entrepreneurship Week, where they'll be judged by a diverse panel, including at least two international experts. These details were shared in the meeting that was specifically for the schoolteachers and representatives. Secondary school students are invited to this unparalleled opportunity. Application is now open. The final date for submission is September 10 at 11:59 pm. Late submissions will not be considered. Organizers extend their heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed partners: Ministry of Finance, TelEm Group, Bureau for Intellectual Property of Sint Maarten, and Computech, for making this a reality. To find out more about the National Youth Pitch Competition or how to support the youth in this program, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or whatsapp +1-721-520-0033. ~15 graduates are now better equipped to serve on Supervisory or Managing Boards~ PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Finance, Mr. Ardwell Irion, the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and the Themis Institute for Governance and Leadership celebrated the successful completion of a collaboration towards the Corporate Governance Trainee Program for Young Professionals. The need for a Corporate Governance program for Young Professionals to broaden their opportunities to become members of a Supervisory Board of Directors or Managing Board was recognized by the Council of Ministers, and the execution of this need was initiated and further developed by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Ardwell Irion, who attended every session of the Program. A total of 15 applicants were selected out of the group of over 65 interested young professionals who embarked on a year-long training. The tailor-made program was developed by the Themis Institute for Governance & Leadership and the trainings were led by Professor Dr. Frank Kunneman and Dr. Aubrich Bakhuis with the assistance of Mrs. Joane Dovale-Meit of this same Institute. The certificate ceremony which was held at the Government Administration Building on August 18, marked a significant milestone for these graduates. The ceremony was graced by the presence of distinguished dignitaries, corporate leaders, and supporters, who gathered to honor the graduates' achievements and acknowledge their commitment to elevating the standards of corporate governance in Sint Maarten. Transparency, accountability, and integrity are only words; the effort and desire to work is bringing it to reality. As all the graduates know, corporate governance isn't at all about rules and regulations and policies and structures, it is about people. It's also about the willingness of people to do things the right way. Stated Dr. Frank Kunneman in his speech during the event. Dr. Kunneman also touched on that the instructors were impressed with the enthusiasm, dedication of, and wisdom displayed by the participants. Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Ms. Silveria Jacobs, expressed her pride in the graduates, stating, "Today, we witness a remarkable accomplishment by these individuals who have displayed unwavering dedication and diligence throughout their journey in the Corporate Governance Course. Their commitment to acquiring the skills and knowledge required for effective corporate governance sets a new standard for our nation's business landscape." Minister of Finance, Mr. Ardwell Irion, commended the graduates for their efforts and stated, " The event was a testament to the graduates hard work and the significance of strong corporate governance in ensuring the continued growth and prosperity of Sint Maarten's economy. As these graduates step into leadership roles, they are poised to bring about positive change, fostering an environment of responsible business practices and effective decision-making." The Minister of Finance engaged in every aspect of the Training Program as a leader. That is unusual yet substantial. The Corporate Governance Trainee Program for Young Professionals comprised of comprehensive theoretical sessions and practical exercises, culminating in a final exam that challenged the graduates with a mock board meeting led by experienced Supervisory Board members, enabling them to apply their knowledge in a real-world context. The graduates ability to navigate complex scenarios and demonstrate their grasp of corporate governance principles stood as a testament to their dedication and preparation. The Government of Sint Maarten extends its heartfelt congratulations to the 15 graduates and looks forward to witnessing their impact on the corporate landscape. This program is the first of its kind and sets the framework for such future programs in Aruba and Curacao. A Blue Moon is a rare occurrence that depends on the timings of full moons during the year. When is the next Blue Moon? The next Blue Moon will occur on Aug.19, 2024, at 2:26 p.m. ET (1826 GMT). Related: Last Super Blue Moon until 2037 lights up skies around the world (photos) There are two types of Blue Moons but unfortunately, neither has anything to do with color. A seasonal Blue Moon is the traditional definition of a Blue Moon and refers to the third full moon in a season that has four full moons according to NASA. Whilst the second definition borne out of a misunderstanding of the first is a monthly Blue Moon which refers to the second full moon within a single calendar month. The monthly Blue Moon is nowadays considered the second definition of a Blue Moon rather than a mistake, according to Time and Date. Related: What is a blood moon? What is a Blue Moon? As the cycle of the phases of the moon lasts approximately one month, we typically experience 12 full moons each year. Many cultures have given distinct names to each month's full moon. 12 months, 12 full moons, 12 names. Simple right? Well, not quite. Here's where the Blue Moon comes into the equation. The moon phases actually take 29.5 days to complete which means it takes just 354 days to complete 12 lunar cycles. So every 2.5 years or so a 13th full moon is observed within a calendar year. This 13th full moon doesn't conform to the normal naming scheme and is referred to as the Blue Moon. How often do Blue Moons occur? Contrary to the popular phrase "once in a blue moon", Blue Moons can occur relatively frequently, that is, in astronomical terms. Blue Moons occur once every two to three years, according to NASA. As there are roughly 29.5 days between full moons, February will never experience a monthly Blue Moon as it only has 28 days in a common year and 29 in a leap year. Sometimes February doesn't have a Full Moon at all, this is known as a Black Moon, according to Time and Date. When are the next monthly and seasonal Blue Moons? Blue Moons occur once every two to three years. (Image credit: Andrew Bret Wallis via Getty Images) The next monthly Blue Moon is on Aug. 30/31, 2023 according to Time and Date. The next seasonal Blue Moon will take place on Aug. 19/20, 2024. When was the last Blue Moon? The last Blue Moon was on Aug. 30, 2023. If you're interested in trying to capture an impressive lunar image yourself and want to learn the right techniques and tools, check out our handy how to photograph the moon guide. Can the moon ever turn blue? Yes! But this is an extremely rare event, you could even say it happens "once in a Blue Moon". According to NASA in 1883 an Indonesian volcano called Krakatoa erupted and spread ash as high as 50 miles (80 kilometers) into the atmosphere. The tiny ash particles about one micron in size acted as a filter, scattering red light and turning the moon a distinct blue-green hue. According to NASA Science, other volcanic eruptions have also been known to cause blue moons including the 1983 eruption of El Chichon volcano in Mexico and the eruptions of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and Mount Pinatubo in 1991. Blue Moon FAQs answered by an expert We asked meteorologist Joe Rao, a few commonly asked questions about the Blue Moon. Joe Rao Meteorologist Joe Rao is Space.com's skywatching columnist, as well as a veteran meteorologist and eclipse chaser who also serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. What date is the next Blue Moon? That depends on which definition for a Blue Moon you care to use. It was during the time frame from 1932 through 1957 that the now defunct Maine Farmers Almanac suggested that if one of the four seasons contained four full Moons instead of the usual three, the third should be called a "Blue Moon." If you go by that rule, then the next Blue Moon will occur August 19, 2024. During the summer of 2024 there will be four full moons (June 21, July 21, August 19 and September 18). Since the August full is the third full moon of the summer series, it would get the Blue Moon branding. But thanks to a couple of misinterpretations of this arcane rule, first by Sky & Telescope magazine, then many years later by a syndicated radio program, it now appears that the second full Moon in a month is the one thats now popularly accepted as the definition of a Blue Moon. If you go by the "Two full moon's in one month" rule, then we'll have a Blue Moon on August 30, 2023. What is a Blue Moon? Either a calendrical oddity or the moon actually appearing blue to the eye. This poetic phrase refers to something extremely rare in occurrence. Does the moon ever turn blue? Only under certain atmospheric conditions. In the aftermath of the massive 1884 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa, a tremendous cloud of ash and dust was injected into the stratosphere (5 to 30 miles above the Earth's surface); this aerosol cloud caused both the moon and sun appear blue from many locations in the Northern Hemisphere for many months after the explosion. And on September 24th, 1950, a 200-mile-wide swath of smoke from a series of smoldering fires in the forests of Northern Alberta in Canada cast an awesome pall over the Great Lakes, parts of New York State and Southern New England. The smoke produced an unusual midday darkness and caused the disk of the sun to shine in eerie hues of pink, blue and even purple! How often is a Blue Moon? To see the moon actually turn blue, requires either a massive volcanic eruption or a giant pall of airborne smoke (such as in 1950). But such events are few and far between . . . perhaps occurring only about half a dozen times per century. Calendrical blue moons are much more frequent, occurring (on average) about every 2.5 to nearly 3 years. Additional information Explore Blue Moons in a nutshell with ESA's useful Blue Moon infographic. Check out this cool image of a Blue Moon captured by the European weather satellite MSG-3 just before the moon disappeared out of sight. Discover the difference between types of full moons with NASA. Bibliography Mohon, L. (2021, August 20). Blue Moon Watch the skies. NASA. Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/tag/blue-moon/ NASA. (n.d.). Blue Moon. NASA. Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/07jul_bluemoon Hocken, V., & Kher, A. Look up for a blue moon! What Is a Blue Moon? Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/blue-moon.html#:~:text=The%20next%20monthly%20Blue%20Moon,are%20traditionally%20called%20Sturgeon%20Moons.&text=There%20is%20no%20Blue%20Moon%20in%202022. The deal highlights the scale of opportunities available to businesses seeking to address chronic staffing shortages in the NHS, the UKs single-biggest employer. The shortages, which currently stand at some 154,000, could rise to as many as 570,000 staff by 2036, according to internal NHS documents seen by the Guardian. Although DP Eurasia has not been named by Ukraine as one of the International Sponsors of War a list which includes businesses such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Yves Rocher, and Mondelez it has faced criticism for continuing to do business in Russia. He said: I think its a little bit different here because if you would do that, you would say Im going to use the fuel differently, Im going to just speed up, which is something that doesnt really happen. Anthony Selwyn, a director at property agent Savills, which acted for the landlord on the latest deal said: These are exciting times for the pitch just north of Brook Street with little availability now following the substantial redevelopment of these buildings. This part of New Bond Street will now truly provide the final piece of Londons premier luxury location. We do need to work out which students are suited to go on to do A-levels and which would be better doing T-levels or another qualification leading to a work placement. We dont need the vast panoply of the public examination system to do that, though. Good, continuous internal assessment can do that job. By the time students are 16 many know their own minds and their own aptitudes, in any case. If this years results are anything like previous years, something like a quarter of all children, most of them from working- class backgrounds, will not get a single grade A or B. Its not clear why it makes sense to mark them down as public failures before the next stage of their education. He loved the pictures when he eventually saw them and called the office personally to congratulate us. This was nothing less than surreal, especially as the irony of the exercise appeared to have escaped him. He was charming, though, if slightly unhinged. We even framed some of the pictures and couriered them over to his apartment in New York. For me the whole project was a successful prank, highlighting the ludicrous nature of celebrity culture in the Noughties. Our magazine sold bucketloads in the process (185,000, if I remember correctly, and I do). One of the many lessons I learned from The Inheritance was that the key to universality is specificity, says Lopez. I think audiences genuinely appreciate being invited into a story on the storys terms, and not what the filmmaker or the playwright assumes is the palatable terms for the audience. Audiences are really smart, and they know when they are being condescended to, they know when the filmmaker or the playwright thinks they might be stupid, or overly sensitive. And you can sniff that out. Professionally the move has also been a positive one. In the first year my work kind of exploded, she said. I was just lucky to meet so many amazing people maybe because we were coming out of Covid and people really wanted to connect. But I dont think that I have ever lived anywhere where people want to build you up as much as they do in Ramsgate. It is different in London where everyone is out for themselves. Yet that sort of denial however bewildering it might seem is an instinct we all have, thanks to one of the biggest myths in female friendship. In my book on the subject, I write about the false narrative that young girls are sold, from the moment they start school, about what it means to be a good friend. The message drummed into them is one of best friends forever: that the pinnacle of perfect female friendship is to always have each others back, no matter what. Its this encouragement to be unquestioningly loyal, I think, that stops us from asking hard questions about our friendships particularly in our younger years, when having a BFF is judged to be more important than who that person actually is and whether theyre the right sort of friend for us. Darren Dixon assaulted a police officer and ran away while being detained at around 11.10am on Saturday in the Swanscombe Street area of Kent, Kent Police said. I can only thank her for her strength and bravery. I know sharing the details of her trauma were particularly difficult for her and I am grateful she felt able to be so open with me and trusted me with this crucial part of her healing journey. She imposed an 18-month jail term, suspended for six months, after being told how Mrs Abdul-Sater had not seen sons William, seven, and Alexander, five, and daughter Jazmin, three, since they were taken from their then home in Egham, Surrey, in June 2022. Officers attended. A man, in his 30s, was found with stab wounds. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital. His condition has been assessed as critical but stable. Mr Justice Goss imposed a whole life order on the serial killer, saying to the empty dock: You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies, and in gross breach of the trust all citizens place in those who work in medical and caring professions. Dr Nigel Scawn, medical director at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said on Friday: Since Lucy Letby worked at our hospital, we have made significant changes to our services and I want to provide reassurance to every patient that may access our services that they can have confidence in the care that they will receive. Because I think the thing that we do all feel is that victims should be able to have that moment, they should be able to say to the perpetrator: This is what youve done to me, my family and my life. Scotland Yard said that rather than carrying out an immediate arrest, officers wanted to ensure that they had the best chance of retrieving the stolen vase and returning it to the museum. In particular, officers are keen to hear from anyone who has dash cam footage of the collision or the events leading up to it, said a spokesperson. We tracked it down to a specialist tank experience website called Tanks-A-Lot. Company owner Nick Mead, who owns over 300 tanks, told us the Abbot SPG was hired by the wife of a wealthy foreign businessman for his birthday. The client, who was driven in the tank along central London streets, was keen to see sights including Big Ben and Trafalgar Square. The experience was priced at around 6,000, plus delivery from the Tanks-A-Lot yard in Banbury, Oxfordshire. A Home Office spokesperson said: The Illegal Migration Act will help to clear the asylum backlog by allowing us to detain and swiftly remove those who arrive here illegally. While we operationalise the measures in the Act, we continue to remove those with no right to be here through existing powers. The perpetrator should be in the dock facing the family and listening to what he has put us through and to see the pain and tears, because he has caused this by killing our loved ones, but because of the law he doesnt have to see or hear anything. Pressed again on whether it will be done by the next election, he said: I want it to be done as soon as possible, but I also want to be honest with people that it is a complex problem. There is not one simple solution and it cant be solved overnight and I wouldnt be being straight with people if I said that was possible. David Field, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: We are honoured to host his majesty the kings guard band and drill team of Norway once again as they return to Edinburgh Zoo to bestow this prestigious new title upon our king penguin, Sir Nils Olav. My wife Kate was really supportive, she wants the best for me and my career so she said to push, she wants me to be playing and happy and that is why we made the decision, Kane added. A number of other data breaches have since come to light, including the loss of a police officers laptop and notebook which contained details of 42 officers and members of staff after the items fell from a moving vehicle last week. He said the national Child Safeguarding panel has been notified of the death and a multi-agency rapid review is under way, in line with standard process following the death of a child. They said: Earlier today, we experienced a brief power outage in our terminal and train station. Power has been restored, and we are working hard to get all systems up and running as quickly as possible, but we are experiencing some ongoing disruption and apologise to all those affected. A Metropolitan Police investigation is underway and a man was interviewed under caution on August 23. It is believed sacked senior curator Peter John Higgs, who worked for the museum for more than 30 years, is at the centre of the investigation. However, he has not been arrested and maintains his innocence. The British Museum is home to millions of valuable objects. It has a permanent display of eight million works, which is said to be the largest in the world. Ranked third in the list of most-visited art museums worldwide, the British Museum was established in 1753 and first opened to the public in 1759. Manavgat Dam - with its impressive views - is one of the two built on the river of the same name close to Oymapnar, Guzelyal and Degirmenli villages. On Sunday morning in California, the warnings from officials didnt keep everyone indoors. In coastal Carlsbad, just north of San Diego, 19-year-old Jack Johnson and his friends kept an eye on the huge waves, determined to surf them. Trump, the front runner for the partys nomination, had said for months he saw little upside in joining his rivals on stage when they gather for the first time in Milwaukee on Wednesday, given his commanding lead in the race. The Defence Ministry also reported an attempted attack by an aircraft-type drone on Saturday in the Belgorod region, which now sees such incidents on an almost daily basis. It caused no casualties or damage, the ministry added. "These show dead and wounded migrants on the trails, in camps and in medical facilities, how burial sites near the migrant camps grew in size, the expanding Saudi Arabian border security infrastructure, and the routes currently used by the migrants to attempt border crossings," the report said. Hanna Maliar said more than a square mile had been liberated on the eastern front over the past week and Ukrainian forces were advancing south of Bakhmut, the city occupied by Russian forces in May after months of brutal fighting. However Kyivs counter offensive remains slow in many areas. Russia has been attacking towards Kupiansk, a town in the Kharkiv region and Ms Maliar said the situation in and around there was difficult. On the decks this year will be the likes of CJ Beatz, Snips, Cable, Sarah Harrison and Shorty Bless. And the biggest? That might be the one at Bashment House in Hackney, which starts at 8pm and runs until 5am the next day. Afrobeats, soca, dancehall, R&B and more is on the bill, with Tems, Popcaan, and Wizkid among those set to play. Tickets sell out fast so get in early. This will allow Marstons to run its own hotel from the property. Goldsand is looking for alternative premises to relocate the hotel, club, restaurant and bar and in the meantime wish to thank all their customers for their support and patronage over the years for which they are extremely grateful. Goldsand and Marstons wish each other well for the future. The 60-minute episodes will see the Congo as the home to the second largest rainforest in the world after the Amazon while the Congo Basin has become one of the top destinations in the world for explorers. Professor Glenn Patterson said: It is an enormous pleasure to be able to announce this next stage in the development of the Heaney Centre, further honouring the legacy of Seamus Heaney Nobel Laureate, Queens graduate, honorary graduate, lecturer and one of Irelands greatest poets 20 years after the centre was founded under first director the late Ciaran Carson. But the thing is, when I go out, which I do much more than Giles, people usually come up beaming saying, Are you Mary off Gogglebox? Your husband makes us laugh. Theyre always very pleasant. This is dedicated to the two haters at the front holding signs up saying Im not playing live, Hilton said, which received cheers from the crowd. Cause honey, yes I f***ing am. The National Weather Service in the US, says that the tropical storm - which at one point was a hurricane - could potentially bring with it historic rainfall amounts that could trigger more floods, landslides and debris flows. Hilary weakened as it made landfall in Mexico on Sunday, but it is the first tropical storm California has experienced in 84 years. The sad truth is that there are no great social networks right now, he tweeted. We may fail, as so many have predicted, but we will try our best to make there be at least one. I am no part of this. I'm sitting in the kitchen because no furniture is coming in here. I'm staring at my laptop. They can see that I am of the dilettante class and they are of the class that gets the job done. Also I am old and teeter so they don't want my help, thanks very much. You're bringing in a sofa and suddenly you've got a cardiac situation on your hands. No, these guys are working for my wife; I'm out of the picture. She worries over them, exclaims in wonderment at their finesse, laughs at their jokes, and when the job is done, she presses big bills into their hands. This was the fourth time in one week that I was struck by competence. I met some EMTs on Long Island who attended to me after I had a seizure onstage and stood blank-faced for a couple of minutes. They were cool and asked questions and after ten minutes I remembered what I had blanked on. I saw a waiter in the dining car of the westbound Southwest Chief carry a tray of water glasses past our table as the car lurched and swayed as if an earthquake had hit Kansas and he swayed with it, no problem. He looked at me, he said, "We have magnets on our shoes." Got to Arizona where the Grand Canyon runs a railway line for us tourists and a cowgirl with long blond hair and guitar came in the Vista-Dome car and sang for us Kate Wolf's "Across the Great Divide" and Dylan's "Girl from the North Country," a summer job for her, likely minimum-wage, but she sang them from the heart so kindly, I was moved. I've come across receptionists who made it clear they hated their jobs and others who were receptive. Waiters who wished they were elsewhere, waiters who enjoyed the back and forth. I was on the phone with a woman at one of those reservation agencies that plays robotic music on Hold but there she was, smart, precise, friendly, and I wanted to say, "Of the hundreds of anonymous telephone people I've dealt with lately, you really stand out in the crowd, kid," but I was afraid it'd sound condescending, so I didn't. The world gets smaller as you grow old and lose your ambition to conquer and capture and you notice what's in your immediate vicinity more than you did before. We are surrounded by good workers, most of whom we are hardly aware of. The garbage is collected, some of it is recycled, a high level of decorum is maintained, the trains run in a timely manner. I rode the train out of Chicago, passing a mile-long freight train of containers on flatbeds, the supply line for the city. I have friends who've been hit hard by dreadful circumstances but each of them has competent people at work in their behalf. A brain aneurysm here, Alzheimer's there, a hoarding compulsion, the death of a husband. The press, of course, is fascinated by stories and the best ones are about crime, disaster, downfall, and the steady march of a museum-quality conman to corrupt our country, but the reality is that we're a civil society thanks to the good workers around us. Young people face the challenge young people of all time have faced: Be Good at Something, Make Yourself Useful. My dad was a carpenter and how I wound up in the amusement business is anybody's guess but the night I turned 81 I did a hilarious two hours of stand-up and everyone laughed hard, including a woman 34 weeks pregnant and she went to the hospital and the child was born safely. Score an assist for the old man. A happy summer clears the air The beauty of this blessed summer is our chance to escape the news and devote ourselves to real life. I sat with my love on a hotel balcony overlooking a marina and we renewed our vow to never own a boat. I got up at 5 a.m. to send a niece to the airport and I gave her several coherent sentences of advice, drawing on my own mistakes. My love and I sat in the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station and devoured a dozen Malpeques and a lobster roll and scrod, the lights in the domed ceiling unchanged from when I saw it with my dad in 1953. In the subway heading home, she showed me snapshots of another niece holding her baby boy to her breast, minutes after delivery. The mother looked exhilarated, the babe surprised, the papa stunned. We couldn't stop studying the pictures, the delight of them, which obliterated so much nonsense, the naked lie about the stolen election, the "weaponization" of law enforcement, the banning of books. We were back in the real America. I wish they'd ban my book Cheerfulness so that more people would read it. I wrote it because the America I know and love is upbeat, enterprising, amiable to a fault, partial to jokes, and the mood of fracture and trauma seems fictitious to me, a far cry from the country that attracted our immigrant forebears. They didn't cross the border in the hopes of taking vengeance. Friday afternoon, I boarded the Lake Shore Limited in New York, bound for Chicago and then the Grand Canyon, along with my Londoner stepdaughter and her husband who are ambitious hikers and eager to experience one of nature's great erosion projects. We chugged through tunnels under Manhattan and then emerged along the mighty Hudson, on our way to Schenectady and Syracuse, and along Lake Michigan through Ohio and Indiana, not far from the route my ancestors David and Martha Ann Powell traveled 150 years ago with a milk cow tied to a wagonload of babies, including my great-grandpa James Wesley. David was infected with the westward urge. I have no such urge myself and never did. It's been an accidental life, a twig floating in the stream of life, like the driverless car that Google is developing but one programmed to be directed by gusts of wind. I love trains. The food was bad but the conversation was good. Something about motion stimulates talk. I come from people of few words; they should've gotten on bicycles, it would've loosened them up. The train stopped for maintenance problems, then hit top speed to make up the time, so it was a rough ride, a lot of bucketa-bucketa, which stimulated a wild night of interesting dreams: I was in Reykjavik singing in Icelandic, I spoke with my mother who said she loved me, I was in a dinghy with a sail heading up the river to meet my love, I won the Nobel Prize in literature, I fell into a pit of manure but kept my mouth shut, I was sitting in a city room of a newspaper typing on a Royal typewriter and using carbon paper. I lay awake through Indiana, thinking about my grandfather James, a skilled carpenter who loved books and loved to sing. My dad built our house from the basement to the roof beam. Now I'm eight years older than my grandpa and seven years younger than my father. So much of the world feels alien to the 81-year-old, which relieves me of personal responsibility; I'm a citizen of a country that is disappearing. So be it. My responsibility is to pay attention. I sat in the dining car drinking coffee as we cruised into Chicago and a Mennonite couple sat down, she in a black gown, he wearing a flat-brimmed straw hat. We spoke and I told the joke about the waitress who came to the Lord after she waited on several men a night. They laughed politely. He said, "Thank you for cleaning that up. Usually it's a prostitute." I hesitate to say this because it's something my people never said, never dreamed of saying, maybe it felt like bad luck to their cautious Scots souls, but Chicago is approaching and I need to pack my bag, so here it is: these are the days, the time is now; I have never felt so happy as I do now. This will change. But I accept this beautiful summer, happiness is dominant, it diminishes all the miscellaneous. 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The five fiction feature films that competed this year for the trophy were: Fremont (USA), directed by Babak Jalali, Stella In Love (France) by Sylvie Verheyde, Terrestrial Verses (Iran) by Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami, Legua (Portugal, France, Italy) by Filipa Reis and Joao Miller Guerra, and The Quarrel (India) by Sanal Kumar Sasidharana. The selector for the feature film competition was Ludmila Cvikova, agerpres reports. Antrenamentul de noapte/Night Training by Bogdan Alexandru was chosen the best Romanian short film and was rewarded with a 1,000 euro prize. Amok (Hungary-Romania) by Balazs Turai took home the 1,000 euro prize for best foreign short film.Acolo unde barcile nu ajung/Where the Boats Don't Reach, directed by Vlad Buzaianu, is the short film picked by the Anonimul Foundation for the 1,000 euro Ovidiu Bose Pastina special award.There were 12 titles in the Romanian short film competition, and an equal number of productions in the international short film competition. Film critic Ionut Mares was the selector for both sections.Japanese-born director Naomi Kawase was honored with the Anonimul Trophy for her contribution to the beauty of universal cinema.The 20th edition of the Anonimul International Independent Film Festival, presented by actor Sorin Miron, took place between August 14 and 20 in Sfantu Gheorghe (Danube Delta).Apart from the films in the competitions, the event also included ten Romanian feature films.All the screenings in the Anonimul selection took place at the Green Dolphin campsite."Film, my vocation", the program intended for Danube Delta village teenagers, this year played its second edition between August 15 and 20, as part of the festival. Having an integrative role in the development of the community and, in particular, in the education and development of youth, the workshop offered participants new perspectives in choosing the next stages for their study career. New eco-tourist route Terra Galdica opens in Alba County Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Stefan-Radu Oprea signed on Monday in Alba Iulia a document regarding the opening of the Terra Galdica culture and tourism route that include an eco-museum showcasing the civilisation of water and huts in the Trascau Mountains, told Agerpres. "We signed a document by which we recognise as a cultural eco-tourist route Terra Galdica, an association of three small towns - Intregalde, Galda de Jos and Mogos - together with the Transylvania cluster," said Oprea. He added that, although there is a very large tourist potential in Alba County, statistics show that it is very much underused. "If we look at national studies, we see that there is an average of 2.2 overnights - which is too little, (...), but Alba County has 1.4 overnights, which means that we don't know how to tell the story, that we don't know how to attract tourists and offer them more than the Alba Iulia Citadel. At 1.4 nights, the quick conclusion is that Alba Iulia is a transit destination, that you stop at most for one night, to see the citadel and leave. But there is a huge potential. (...) I signed this document to draw attention to this potential, to the fact that if there is collaboration among the business, local and national administrations, then we can certainly increase this part of the Romanian economy," said Oprea. Oprea was on a two-day working visit to Alba County, Sunday and Monday. Romanian military firefighters join in extinguishing forest fire in France Romanian military firefighters, pre-positioned in France, are currently acting to extinguish a forest fire that broke out in the French town of Chanousse, approximately 200 km away from the base of operations, told Agerpres. Forty Romanian military firefighters are participating in the mission under the coordination of a French liaison officer. "Our colleagues are acting together with their French counterparts to locate and contain the flames that threaten the local communities, using four fire engines and two first response and command vehicles," Romania's General Emergency Management Inspectorate (IGSU) reported on Monday. The missions consist in containing the spread of the fire towards inhabited areas, as well as keeping a line of protection between the fire and the unaffected area. At the same time, in order to make the response mission more efficient, firefighting aircraft are also assigned to the action to perform aerial reconnaissance and optimal coverage of the affected areas. Romania dispatches another specialist module to extinguish forest fires in Greece Romania is dispatching to Greece another specialist module for extinguishing forest fires to carry out missions to locate and extinguish fires that endanger the lives of communities and their property, Romania's General Emergency Management Inspectorate (IGSU) reported on Monday, told Agerpres. According to IGSU, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu convened the National Emergency Management Committee on Monday to approve the dispatch of the special response module from Romania to help extinguish forest fires in Greece. On Monday, 56 firefighters, with ten fire trucks (8 of 3,000 l, 2 of 10,000 l), a first response and command vehicle and a bus started travelling by land from the headquarters of the USISU-Ciolpani Special Emergency Management Response Unit to the destination Alexandroupolis - Feres. The duration of the mission is4 - 10 days. The decision was approved by the National Emergency Management Council (CNSU) taking into account a request from Greece submitted on Sunday via the European Civil Protection Mechanism for the provision of international assistance in the context of forest fires in Greece with the prior information of the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. The intention of support from Romania was submitted on Sunday to the Emergency Response Coordination Centre of the European Commission (ERCC), through CECIS, by the Emergency Management Department via the Emergency Department General Inspectorate in its capacity as the national contact point. Romanian firefighters in Corsica Island participate in extinguishing wildfire near Corte The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) announces that Romanian firefighters in Corsica are involved in extinguishing a wildfire that broke out near Corte, told Agerpres. According to an IGSU press release, this is the first mission of Romanian firefighters in Corsica. "As of 14:15, the national module specialised in extinguishing wildfires was alerted, through the French liaison officer, to extinguish a forest fire that broke out near Corte," the source said. The Romanian firefighters intervened in the firefighting mission alongside the military and civilian firefighting crews of the host country. "At the same time, to carry out reconnaissance from the air and to effectively cover the entire affected area, 2 helicopters with bambi bucket system and 2 Canadair-type firefighting planes were assigned to the intervention. According to the forecast for today, August 21, the risk of wildfires is high. The missions carried out by our colleagues are under the direct coordination of the French liaison officer and will consist of limiting the spread of the fire to inhabited areas, maintaining a protective line between the fire front and the affected area," the press release reads. The IGSU reiterates that on August 15, Romania sent a specialised wildfire-fighting module to Corsica, consisting of 20 soldiers, as part of the pre-positioning programme. Tim Samer's parents live near Frankfurt, Germany. Bethany Foresman's family is more than 4,500 miles away in Jefferson City. The couple lives in Geneva, Switzerland and they've made journeys between the two cities for 15 years. It used to be a hassle. That changed with last summer, when German airline Lufthansa took off for Frankfurt from St. Louis in June 2022, marking the first nonstop flight to mainland Europe since American Airlines bought Trans World Airlines and downsized operations at St. Louis Lambert International Airport in the 2000s, obliterating passenger traffic. "I joke that we could get to Australia from Europe faster than we can get to my parents in Jefferson City, Missouri," Foresman said. "But, that's not true anymore." Between July 1, 2022 and June 30 more than 65,000 passengers flew into and out of St. Louis through the route, according to an airport official. The thrice-weekly outbound flights were around 86% full during their first 11 months, said airport director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge. In July, they were 97.7% full. She credits the high percentage of seats sold to leisure travelers, and the support of area businesses, for the flight's popularity. "I also think it's the fact and this has been proven over and over if a nonstop market is put in and there's demand, your demand is going to grow even above the numbers you think," Hamm-Niebruegge said. It's so popular that Jason Hall, the chief executive officer of Greater St. Louis Inc., a regional booster that pledged half of $5 million in incentives to attract the Lufthansa flight, said he hopes to see the route expand to five or seven days per week. Lufthansa is considering that expansion. The nine-hour flight is well above the financial break-even point, said Don Bunkenburg, Lufthansa's director of sales for the Central and Western United States. Travelers heading to and from Europe for business, fun and family told the Post-Dispatch the flight chopped the length of their voyages by four or five hours and helped them avoid connection pains. "When you have kids, it's incredibly important because you save so much time just managing energy and preventing meltdowns," Foresman said. More than a year ago, Hall, Hamm-Niebruegge and regional leaders had gathered at Lambert to mark the first flight with a celebration. Justyna Pas, of Webster Groves, was on that flight. Every year, she travels to her birth country of Poland and she took the flight again this summer. "Usually you connect in a large city like Chicago," Pas said last week, after arriving at Lambert. "There are huge lines and a lot of stress, a lot of running around. So this is perfect." Heybet Sun, 50, of St. Charles, goes to Turkey for a month each year with family. Return flights would often require them to wait in a line at customs for more than an hour. In St. Louis, he said, it only took 15 minutes. "We need more international flights, not just this one," Sun said. Business class The Frankfurt flight is putting St. Louis on the international map, said Kevin O'Malley, chairman of the St. Louis County Port authority, which also pledged $2.5 million in incentives. "A city the size of St. Louis with the number of international companies that we have here, not to have an international carrier was a negative that we needed to correct," O'Malley said. Bunkenburg said St. Louis had long been on Lufthansa's radar, but conversations about a new route accelerated after the chief executive of Bayer the German pharmaceutical giant with a large plant science operation in the St. Louis region told the airline's CEO to consider the city as a destination more intensely. Nearly 1,500 Bayer employees have taken 5,300 flights in the past 12 months, the company said. "Bayer has been a significant user of these flights and it has benefited not only Bayer and its employees, but also many of those in the region, restoring a direct-to-Europe option from St. Louis," said Jacqueline Applegate, president of Bayer Crop Science, North America, in a statement to the Post-Dispatch. Michael Hilton, a Bayer director from Eureka, was recently traveling to Germany for meetings. He's traveled the new route several times and says it's always packed. "When I get on the plane, I see my colleagues often," he said. The Post-Dispatch reported in 2022 that businesses such as Centene, Emerson and Enterprise Holdings also backed the effort. Hall said in a recent speech that the Frankfurt flight had been a "game changer" for Israeli company ICL Group, which broke ground earlier this month on a $400 million project in the city's Carondelet neighborhood to manufacture a component for electric vehicles. Hall said he'd spoken with ICL CEO Raviv Zoller in 2021, when they and others celebrated the opening of a plant protein production facility the company had constructed in south St. Louis. "We know it was important to you to secure with Lufthansa Group that first nonstop air service from St. Louis to continental Europe in over 20 years," Hall said to Zoller at the recent ICL groundbreaking. "Your team described that to us as a game changer, and if we got that right, more was to come. And you have delivered on that partnership." Victor Stefanescu 314-340-8213 @vic_stef on Twitter vstefansecu@post-dispatch.com Marshall said the evidence at trial showed that on August 28, 2020, the victim drove from Montgomery to Opp to see a woman with whom he shared two children. The victim was apparently upset because his former girlfriend had stopped texting him. When the victim arrived at the residence, he began arguing with his former girlfriend To de-escalate the situation, the victim put his gun into his car and locked it. At this point, Stoutamire began shooting at the victim who ran from the scene but not until he had been shot six times. Police later determined that Stoutamire had fired eight rounds at the victim and his automobile. As long as there have been books, it seems that there have always been those who oppose them or have corralled them to gain the upper hand. The Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered a bonfire of books in 213 B.C. to wipe out any comparisons to previous rulers. Livy's "History of Rome," finished in 1 A.D., details past rulers who outlawed and burned books to prevent foreign ideas from taking root on Roman soil. Throughout history, the types of books targeted by challenges often reflect the fears and politics of a particular moment in time. During the Red Scare in the late 1940s and early 1950s, for instance, censorship pressures on libraries became more overt as fears of communism swept the nation and Sen. Joseph McCarthy's influence grew. Books like John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and even "Robin Hood" came under fire for promoting "un-American" ideas. In 1948, the ALA responded to these pressures by adopting a revisedand more strongly wordedLibrary Bill of Rights, a document that pledges the commitment of libraries to provide access to information regardless of "partisan or doctrinal disapproval." Other moral panics have similarly corresponded with which books are subject to challenges. In the 1970s and '80s, after the Supreme Court handed down its decision on Roe v. Wade, Judy Blume's frank discussion of topics including puberty, menstruation, masturbation, and female sexuality in books like "Forever" and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." made her work a frequent target of bans. In 1982, one year before the founding of the now-discredited drug education program Drug Abuse Resistance Education and amid President Ronald Reagan's expansion of the war on drugs, "Go Ask Alice," a young adult book that explicitly details drug use by a teenager, was the most censored book in the U.S. The novel "Bridge to Terabithia" was frequently challenged in the 1980s and '90s for allusions to witchcraft and the occult as the satanic panic raged across the U.S. Some books and topics have proven to be evergreen targets of attempted bans, cropping up on most-challenged lists year after year. Books by Black authors, or those dealing explicitly with racism, like Toni Morrison's "Beloved" and "The Bluest Eye," Alice Walker's "The Color Purple," and Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," have been repeatedly challenged on charges of being "anti-white," for depicting homosexuality, and for themes of sexual abuse. Books with LGBTQ+ characters or storylines, like "Daddy's Roommate" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray," have also long been singled out by challengers. As attempts to remove certain books from libraries and schools intensify, many of the most frequently challenged stories bear a strong resemblance to those targeted in the past. There are, however, key differences in recent book ban effortsboth in terms of scale and who's behind them. Joe Holleman Metro reporter Follow Joe Holleman 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 Coming soon(ish) to a congressional district near you ... U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is opening a new main congressional office in downtown St. Louis in the Louderman Building at 1100 Locust Street, at its intersection with 11th street. Bushs new digs still are being renovated to accommodate the offices and a congressional spokesperson said Bush hopes to have the office open to constituents by Oct. 1. At this time, the space already has been partitioned off into work spaces and meeting rooms, and a substantial number of computers and office equipment already are on the scene. Were still working on it, said Marina Chafa, Bushs congressional spokesperson, when asked about an opening date. But wed like to have it open by the end of next month. After joining Congress in 2021, Bush operated out of an office at 6724 Page Avenue. That office now is closed and the new Locust Street office is operating on a limited basis. The telephone number for the office is 314-955-9980. The second-term Democratic legislator represents Missouris 1st Congressional District, which covers all of St. Louis city and parts of north and northwest St. Louis County. The space most recently had been home to Roosters, a restaurant that has since moved two blocks north to Washington Avenue. Bushs office will be on the street level of the 12-floor art-deco structure, which was built in 1925. The driving force behind the building was William Louderman, a brick merchant and investor who was president in 1911-12 of the St. Louis Stock Exchange. A hall at Washington University is named in his honor. The building was designed by the architectural firm of La Beaume & Klein, which also designed the downtown YMCA and Kiel Auditorium, according to the Landmarks Association of St. Louis. City property records indicate the building is owned by Biota Properties LLC. Other floors of the building contain condominiums marketed as the Louderman Lofts. Bush also has neighborhood service centers at four libraries in her district which are open on specific weekdays. Two of the centers are in St. Louis and are open on Mondays and Wednesdays: the Carpenter branch at 3309 South Grand Boulevard, and the Walnut Park branch at West Florissant Avenue. And two centers are in St. Louis County and operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays: the Lewis and Clark branch at 9909 Lewis and Clark Boulevard, and the Rock Road Branch at 10267 St Charles Rock Road. In October of 1929, St. Louisan C.L. Grigg introduced his new soft drink to the world. While his timing could have been better, the drink would eventually become one of the most recognized brands in the world. We turned back our archives to 1966 for this profile on the early days of the company. CHARLES LEIPER GRIGG'S birthplace in 1868 actually was one up on a log cabin. It was a rebuilt log storeroom, about 14 by 24 feet, at Prices Branch in Montgomery County, Mo. The merchandising sense that distinguished C. L. Grigg got its start there, with the foundling of a general store, and so, in a sense, did 7-Up. Grigg was staying alive as keeper of a general store but, in looking over catalogues sent out to the rural trade by St. Louis wholesalers, he was moved to wonder how the big-city boys stayed in business. He wrote one such company, pointing out its mistakes, and was invited to come to St. Louis and do better, if he could. He did. His son, H.C. Grigg, would later say that Grigg came here to reform big business in about 1900. C. L.. Grigg's reformings led him through several dry goods firms, then into several advertising agencies, and finally into a soda bottling company. He became a regular at the City Club, lunching with other businessmen. Among his acquaintances were a coal merchant, Edmund Ridgway, and a lawyer, Frank Y. Gladney. One day late in 1919 Ridgway joined Grigg for lunch and asked the usual, casual question: "How's the soda pop business?" "It isn't," said Grigg. "I've been fired." Perhaps he could have said he'd quit, because he once again had better ideas of how to run a business. He persuaded Ridgway, who was a coal merchant, that he did. In January, 1920, Ridgway and Grigg became partners in a soft-drink bottling works, which moved coal merchant Ridgway to wonder about himself. " All my business life," said Ridgway, "I've been hoping for cold weather so I could sell coal, and now I want heat waves." Their first product was an orange drink. They called it "Howdy." That product did fairly well, and there might never have been a 7-Up if the citrus growers had not tried to tell the makers of soda pop how to improve their product. That, obviously, was stealing Grigg's specialty, and he resented it. The citrus growers, faced with more oranges than the country seemed to need, pushed through in some states a requirement that orange soda pop have real orange pulp and orange juice in it. "That was fine for orange juice," said Wells, "but it didn't do much for the taste of orange soda, and C. L. began looking around for another drink." HE DECIDED on a lemon-lime flavor. His decision was distressingly unoriginal. In the late 1920s, when C. L. Grigg began work on a formula for a lemon-lime drink, there were by actual count more than 600 already on the national market. The first artificial soda water in the United States was concocted in 1806 by Benjamin Silliman, a professor of chemistry at Yale. Somebody added a dollop of lime flavor about 1830, and there had been no end to lemon-lime inventiveness ever since. Grigg, however, had no doubts about himself. He tried 11 different formulas, decided that the eleventh was the one the soda-drinking world had been waiting for, and marketed it. His timing was spectacularly bad. He introduced 7-Up in early October, 1929, several weeks before the stock market lost its bubbles. The lawyer, Gladney, stepped in to become the third-man ingredient that the firm needed. "Mr. Gladney was not just a lawyer who latched onto a good thing," Greg Wells, his son-in-law would say. "He tried to sell stock in the company and wound up having to take it all himself. He would stop in at the Seven-Up offices every morning on his way to his law offices downtown. Until he died in 1961, at the age of 83, he came into the office every day. He was always the secretary-treasurer, an old head and a reassurance that the Seven-Up Co. wouldn't go off on a tangent." Wells himself got into the company on a tangent. He had married a Gladney daughter, and was doing better, in salary and security, as a teacher than the soda-pop world had to offer in the 1930s. His father-in-law persuaded him to join the Seven-Up Co. "I'd been doing part-time work for the company," said Wells, "writing advertising copy. I taught English at John Burroughs. My salary was cut in half when I quit teaching to come here." In 1937, Seven-Up was doing well enough to be honored by changing the name of the extract firm from the "Howdy Co." to the "Seven-Up Co." It had been slow, but the very slowness of the company's growth had justified C. L. Grigg's notion that he had a better idea for a lemon-lime drink. He had not, after all, ever claimed it was faster. Only better. Basically, he said, his program was, "Sell an Idea, and the thing itself stays sold." Foremost among the things he sold was quality control. A bottler living in a city that prided itself on the purity of its water could not successfully plead local pride to C. L. Grigg if the equally proud father of 7-Up decided the local waterworks wasn't up to his standard. The water had to be redistilled, Grigg, in fact, was so proud of his drink that when he heard that the Food end Drug Administration in 1937 planned to require soft-drink manufacturers to list their product's contents on the bottle, he complied before the act. C. L. GRIGG DIED in 1940, at the age of 83. The company did not begin national advertising until the early 1940s, during World War II. In 1948 the 7-Up Export Corp. was formed. "It took a long time," said H. C. Grigg, "from 1929 to 1936, to get the company going. In these days of quick promotion, the usual thing is to give a new product two years to go or flop, and usually it flops. We used the reverse system, all the way. We started in the back streets at the mom-and-pop stores, and went last to the country clubs and the hotels. "That was the result of my father's principle, 'Sell the idea and the thing itself stays sold." Iconic products released the year you were born Iconic products released the year you were born 1920: Band-Aid 1921: Wonder Bread 1922: The blender 1923: Crystal Hot Sauce 1924: Kleenex a Modelo 1926: Raisin Bran 1927: Kool-Aid 1928: Chef Boyardee 1929: 7-Up 1930: Twinkies 1931: Bisquick 1932: Fritos 1933: Miracle Whip 1934: Ritz Crackers 1935: Kodachrome color film 1936: Tampax 1937: Old Spice e 1939: Crown Royal 1940: Fanta 1941: Cheerios 1942: Gibson J-45 1943: Uncle Ben's 1944: The Emeco 1006 chair 1945: Wish-Bone salad dressing 1946: Benadryl 1947: Wheat Thins 1948: The Polaroid camera 1949: Junior Mint 1950: Clearasil 1951: Mister Bee Potato Chips 1952: Mr Potato Head 1953: Eggo waffles 1954: The transistor radio 1955: Tylenol 1956: Secret deodorant 1957: Off! insect repellant 1958: Hula-hoop 1959: Spandex 1960: Etch A Sketch 1961: The Ken doll 1962: Strongbow Cider 1963: Easy-Bake Oven 1964: Diet Pepsi 1965: Gatorade 1966: Slurpee 1967: Big Mac 1968: Hot Wheels 1969: Capri-Sun 1970: Otter Pop 1971: Intel 4004 microprocessor 1972: Pong 1973: Dawn dish soap 1974: Meow Mix 1975: Famous Amos 1976: Stretch Armstrong 1977: Cookie Crisp 1978: The LaserDisc 1979: The Walkman 1980: Big League Chew 1981: The IBM Model 5150 1982: CD player 1983: Fruit Roll-Ups 1984: The Air Jordan 1985: New Coke 1986: The Club 1987: Chex Mix 1988: Lunchables 1989: The Game Boy 1990: Beano 1991: Fruit Gushers 1992: FUBU 1993: Beanie Babies 1994: The George Foreman Grill 1995: Proactiv 1996: Nintendo 64 1997: Tamagotchi 1998: Furby 1999: Big Mouth Billy Bass 2000: Playstation 2 2001: iPod 2002: Roomba 2003: McGriddle 2004: 5-Hour Energy 2005: Four Loko 2006: Beats by Dre 2007: iPhone 2008: MacBook Air 2009: Shake Weight 2010: iPad 2011: Reb'l Fleur 2012: Microsoft Surface 2013: Google Glass 2014: Amazon's Alexa 2015: Samsung Gear VR 2016: Spectacles 2017: Unicorn Frappuccino 2018: Facebook Portal 2019: Fitbit Versa 2 ST. LOUIS The region was greeted Monday morning by more than a heat warning. Opaque, gray skies obscured the sun and the tops of tall buildings, and the stench of smoke permeated the air. For some, it prompted a question that has become a sign of the times in 2023: Was it just fog? Or another round of wildfire smoke that has choked much of North America throughout the summer as fires raged across the continent? Turns out that it was both fog and smoke, albeit from a fire closer to home, said the local forecast office of the National Weather Service. A fire that took off Sunday at a sprawling Madison salvage yard, in the Metro East, billowed smoke into the air from tires and cars and even forced the closure of a nearby highway ramp. And the conflagration roughly coincided with a period of stagnant air conditions as well as the formation of fog blanketing the region, said Lydia Jaja, a NWS meteorologist. The air is just so stagnant and trapped near the surface that that smoke doesnt have anywhere to go, she said. Clearer, sunny conditions emerged Monday afternoon. And the fire remained stubbornly difficult to put out: Officials in Madison said the blaze at 111 Salvage which has 10 acres of cars and trucks, according to its website was still burning as of the early afternoon. An air quality alert was in effect for the area Monday, warning of unhealthy conditions for certain groups, including children, the elderly and those with heart or lung problems. Less intense outdoor activities were encouraged, according to the NWS. Air quality wasnt the only threat in play Monday. The area faced a second straight day of dangerous heat and high temperatures soaring around 100 degrees. Meanwhile, the heat index, which takes humidity into account to register how hot it feels, has reached far higher, with Monday approaching Sundays staggering heat index of 117 degrees the fourth-highest ever recorded in St. Louis and the hottest since 1995. The run of scorching temperatures arent just a bad roll of the meteorological dice but an expected consequence as climate change makes heat extremes increasingly likely to occur. The overseer of the regions power grid said Monday that it is bracing for near-record electricity demand. The heat wave has prompted warnings not only for its extreme highs but for its unrelenting persistence, with overnight lows hovering around 80 degrees threatening to deprive the body of breaks from the heat. With similar conditions expected to last until at least Thursday, the St. Louis area could be in for its longest recorded stretch of temperatures that never dip below 80 degrees, Jaja said. Dont underestimate the nighttime temperatures, she warned. Duration is one of the top reasons that heat is a killer. ST. LOUIS The mermaids have come ashore. They spend their days mostly incognito in this landlocked state, working their 9-to-5s at offices, schools and nonprofits. But a keen observer will spot the sea sirens swishing across pools, picnicking in parks and posing for Instagram. Technically, these St. Louisans are fully human, but they bear a deep devotion to the life aquatic. In social media groups and at meetups, Missouris mer-enthusiasts finesse their alter egos, show off maritime accessories and discuss the best swimming options. The mermaids sometimes surface for volunteer visits at childrens hospitals and library story times. For millennials, especially, the fascination fostered by Disneys original Little Mermaid released almost 35 years ago has never waned. This years revival, along with a Netflix documentary on professional mermaiding, has made underwater living seem almost attainable. It all goes back to a childhood dream, said Amanda Perceful of south St. Louis, who co-founded the 200-member Missouri Mermaids Pod in 2019. She set the fantasy aside as she grew up, got married and landed a job at a bank. Then, about five years ago, a YouTube video caught Percefuls eye. Her youthful reveries came rushing back. For a hundred-dollar investment in a Lycra starter tail, she could bring them to life. The form-fitting tails mermaids wear are purely ornamental until a monofin is added. The fin fits inside the tails fluke its bottom lobes. It holds the feet together and works most effectively with a dolphin kick, like doing the worm underwater, said Perceful. Its all core. She now owns about a dozen tails, in shimmery blues and greens, bright pinks and deep purples. Her priciest one cost a thousand dollars. It can be an expensive hobby, Perceful said. High-end tails, which are custom-made of silicone, can top $5,000. Most mermaids recommend specialty retailers, such as Mertailor and Finfolk, over knockoffs that can tear easily or create drag in the water. Sophie Rudder of south St. Louis County, a Renaissance fair regular, has loved mermaids since her mom introduced her favorite movie, Splash, to Rudder when she was a little girl. Rudder hires herself out for birthday parties and other appearances. Mermaids cant walk on dry land, so a mertender rolls her in and out on a chair. Its not for an income, said Rudder, whose day job is in development. Its so I can feed my habit. She buys her tails secondhand, then spruces them up herself. The fanciest one is covered in overlapping rows of golden sewn-on shells. Rudder snagged it off Facebook for $1,800. Finding your inner fish The Missouri mermaids are crafty creatures, crocheting hip scarves, stringing together faux-pearl shoulder wraps and remaking tops into clamshell bikinis. At a recent picnic in Creve Coeur Park, the mermaids ate snacks, lounged under trees and complimented each other on their looks. Some had painted their skin with scales, bedazzled themselves with body glitter or donned long, wavy wigs. They used their own lingo, greeting each other with shello and exclaiming that the day was fin-tastic! That feeling of community was mer-mazing to Allura Hibben, who moved to Overland in May. The Alaska-born preschool teacher couldnt find her pod when she lived up north. Im so excited to have other mermaids to hang out with, said Hibben. I knew they existed in the Lower 48. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors, known as PADI, took notice of the burgeoning trend several years ago in China. The scuba-certification organization piloted a mermaid program there and, soon, those courses were more popular than its regular scuba curriculum. It expanded to the U.S. last year. PADI offers four mermaid levels for students as young as 6. Novices start with basic water skills and progress to making U-shaped turns, gliding on their backs and rolling through somersaults. Then theres the signature move: blowing bubbles. Finding your inner fish can be a challenge, said Julie Andersen, PADIs public relations director. Its really transformational. Stacey Mormol of Creve Coeur signed up for a PADI mermaid course in May of last year, before they were even offered in Missouri. She and her husband were already avid scuba divers, and the challenge of adding an artistic element appealed to Mormol. On vacation in Cozumel, Mexico, she worked her way through each level. In October, she earned her instructor certification and partnered with Y-kiki scuba diving center to schedule her classes. At the beginning, when I talked about it, people looked at me like I was crazy, said Mormol, a nurse. Now she is inundated with interested students. Her first was her husband. The couple has since mermaided off the coast of Fiji, Honduras and Bonaire, near Venezuela. But most of the time, she shimmies into her tail and swims in her backyard pool. Its a great workout, said Mormol, who can hold her breath underwater for 3 minutes. Its empowering. Just put on your tail On the surface, mermaids may embody an archetype: young, slim, white, female. But in reality, mermaids come in all shapes, races, ages and genders. The Afro Mermaid Summit in Miami, one of several mer-cons and pageants held across the country, promotes better racial representation in aquatic sports. Charis Railey of University City attended the annual event in June and returned home energized. We could gain a lot from being comfortable in the water, she said. Railey was motivated to buy her first tail in 2019 when actor Halle Bailey was announced as the new Ariel for The Little Mermaid remake. Railey cheered. But her celebration was quickly tempered by a flood of criticism that a Black woman shouldnt be cast in the role. By the time the movie came out, Railey vowed, there would be at least one Black mermaid in St. Louis. She bought a tail and tested it in her gyms pool. She took to it immediately. Its another source of Black joy, Railey said. Water is healing. Its life-giving. Caroline DeLonga of St. Louis has discovered that, too. As a kid, swimming eased the joint pain she endured from a genetic condition. Today, the mermaid world is an escape: from a bad breakup, work stress or day-to-day annoyances. She doesnt even need to be near water. You just put on your tail, she said. And you feel like a mermaid. The police chief who led the raid of a Kansas newspaper alleged in previously unreleased court documents that a reporter either impersonated someone else or lied about her intentions when she obtained the driving records of a local business owner. However, reporter Phyllis Zorn, Marion County Record Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer and the newspaper's attorney said Sunday that no laws were broken when Zorn accessed a public state website for information on restaurant operator Kari Newell. The raid carried out Aug. 11 and led by Marion police Chief Gideon Cody brought international attention to the small central Kansas town that now finds itself at the center of a debate over press freedoms. Police seized computers, personal cellphones and a router from the newspaper, but all items were released Wednesday after the county prosecutor concluded there wasn't enough evidence to justify the action. Late Saturday, the Record's attorney, Bernie Rhodes, provided copies of the affidavits used in the raid to The Associated Press and other news media. The documents had not previously been released. They showed Zorn's obtaining of Newell's driving record was the driving force behind the raid. The newspaper, acting on a tip, checked the public website of the Kansas Department of Revenue for the status of Newell's driver's license as it related to a 2008 conviction for drunken driving. Cody wrote in the affidavit that the Department of Revenue told him that those who downloaded the information were Record reporter Phyllis Zorn and someone using the name "Kari Newell." Cody wrote that he contacted Newell who said "someone obviously stole her identity." As a result, Cody wrote: "Downloading the document involved either impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought." The license records are normally confidential under state law, but can be accessed under certain circumstances, cited in the affidavit. The online user can request their own records but must provide a driver's license number and date of birth. The records may also be provided in other instances, such as to lawyers for use in a legal matter; for insurance claim investigations; and for research projects about statistical reports with the caveat that the personal information won't be disclosed. Meyer said Zorn contacted the Department of Revenue before her online search and was instructed how to search records. Zorn, asked to respond to the allegations that she used Newell's name to obtain Newell's personal information, said, "My response is I went to a Kansas Department of Revenue website and that's where I got the information." She added, "Not to my knowledge was anything illegal or wrong." Rhodes, the newspaper's attorney, said Zorn's actions were legal under both state and federal laws. Using the subject's name "is not identity theft," Rhodes said. "That's just the way of accessing that person's record." The newspaper had Newell's driver's license number and date of birth because a source provided it, unsolicited, Meyer said. Ultimately, the Record decided not to write about Newell's record. When she revealed at a subsequent City Council meeting that she had driven while her license was suspended, that was reported. The investigation into whether the newspaper broke state laws continues, now led by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. State Attorney General Kris Kobach said he doesn't see the KBI's role as investigating the conduct of the police. Some legal experts believe the Aug. 11 raid violated a federal privacy law that protects journalists from having their newsrooms searched. Some also believe it violated a Kansas law that makes it more difficult to force reporters and editors to disclose their sources or unpublished material. Meyer blamed the stress from the raid for the Aug. 12 death of his 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, the paper's co-owner. Her funeral services were Saturday. The Record received an outpouring of support from other news organizations and media groups after the raid. Meyer said it picked up at least 4,000 additional subscribers, though many of the new subscriptions are digital. Cody did not respond to several requests for comment, including an email request on Sunday. He defended the raid in a Facebook post after it happened, saying the federal law shielding journalists from newsroom searches makes an exception specifically for "when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing." In the aftermath of the deadly Maui wildfires, some social media users are discouraging residents from accepting disaster aid by falsely claiming the Federal Emergency Management Agency could seize their property if they do. If you own land in Lahaina, do not sign anything for FEMA, a woman says on a video circulating widely on social media. That is why theyre holding back all of the donations and saying, Hey, you want food come sign this? But disaster recovery experts and lawyers stress accepting aid doesnt give FEMA any such powers to take private lands and that the posts are misrepresenting federal law. The federal agency says the claims are absolutely false and encourages Hawaiians to visit a website it launched recently to address rumors and frequently asked questions in the aftermath of the fires, which have claimed more than 100 lives. Applying for disaster assistance does not grant FEMA or the federal government authority or ownership of your property or land, the agency writes on the page providing information around the fire. The page then explains that when a person applies for disaster assistance, a FEMA inspector may be sent to verify the damage to their home. This is one of many factors reviewed to determine what kind of disaster assistance you may be eligible for, wrote the agency, which also responded directly to social media users spreading the false claims this week. If the results of the inspection deem your home to be uninhabitable, that information is only used to determine the amount of FEMA assistance you may receive to make your home safe, sanitary and functional. FEMA has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households in Maui as of Friday. The agency is offering a one-time payment of $700 per household for needs like clothing, food or transportation. It will also pay to put survivors up in hotels and motels and has paid out $1.6 million in rental assistance as of Friday. Andrew Rumbach, a senior fellow with the Urban Institute who studies natural hazards, expressed concern that the false claims could prevent a person from getting critical benefits such as temporary housing. One reason that these messages are dangerous and counterproductive is because people may not get access to the benefits they are due by law, FEMA individual assistance programs, he wrote in an email. The video circulating widely cites the Stafford Act, which the narrator claims gives FEMA the power to take private lands. But the federal agency also rejected that notion. FEMA does not have the authority to take land or properties, it said in a statement, pointing to a YouTube video it recently released in which a FEMA official who is also a native Hawaiian urges residents to ignore the misinformation and seek disaster assistance. The clip doesn't provide details from the 1988 federal law, which guides the process of providing federal aid to state and local governments during natural disasters. Instead, it features a screengrab from a 2020 legal analysis examining whether the federal government could take private property in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. But Anthony DellaPelle, the New Jersey property lawyer who wrote the analysis, said his piece is being wrongly applied to the Maui disaster. He maintains that FEMA could, in theory, invoke eminent domain during emergencies, based on his reading of the Stafford Act. But he doesn't see any reason to believe that will happen in Hawaii, as state and local officials are leading the response, not federal authorities. FEMA Press Secretary Jeremy Edwards declined Friday to address the legal argument, but stressed the agency isnt controlling access or taking anyones property. We are however, actively working to get survivors the assistance that they need and deserve, he said. In either case, FEMA would still have to compensate the property owner, it couldnt just take the land outright, as social media users suggest, added Junia Howell, a sociology professor from the University of Illinois Chicago. Through other programs, FEMA provides state and local governments funds to buy out landowners in flood-prone areas. But thats a purely voluntary program and doesnt have anything to do with invoking eminent domain powers, said Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University in New York. "Its a state and local decision on whether to even ask for the money for the program and homeowners volunteer to participate in the program, he explained in an email. There is no one forcing anyone out of their home. Howell, who has studied FEMA aid and housing inequality, noted that those buyouts have faced criticism over the years for disproportionately targeting communities of color and failing to compensate them fairly. But she argued that a more pressing concern for Maui is land speculators trying to turn a quick profit. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has sought to temper those fears by promising to issue a moratorium on the sale of damaged properties as the island rebuilds. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that FEMA is not set up to take your property, Schlegelmilch said. In fact, the federal government in general is ultimately not the decision makers. 10 states where river flooding will cost US homeowners the most 10 states where river flooding will cost US homeowners the most States Where Riverine Flooding Costs Homeowners the Most Flooding Risks and Homeowners Insurance Protecting Your Home and Belongings from Flooding Methodology PALM DESERT, Calif. Hilary, the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, flooded roads, toppled trees and forced a rescue by bulldozer of more than a dozen older residents trapped by mud in a care home Monday as it marched northward, prompting flood watches and warnings in half a dozen states. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hilary had lost much of its steam and only vestiges of the storm were heading over the Rocky Mountains, but it warned that continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding was expected over portions of the southwestern U.S., following record-breaking rainfall. Forecasters said the threat for flooding in states farther north on Monday was highest across much of southeastern Oregon into the west-central mountains of Idaho, with potential thunderstorms and localized torrential rains on Tuesday. Hilary first slammed into Mexicos arid Baja California Peninsula as a hurricane, causing one death and widespread flooding before becoming a tropical storm, one of several potentially catastrophic natural events affecting California on Sunday. Besides the tropical storm, which produced tornado warnings, there were wildfires and a moderate earthquake north of Los Angeles. So far, no deaths, serious injuries or extreme damages have been reported in the state, though officials warned that risks remain, especially in the mountainous regions where the wet hillsides could unleash mudslides. In one dramatic scene, rescue officials in the desert community of Cathedral City, near Palm Springs, drove a bulldozer through mud to the swamped care home and rescued 14 residents by scooping them up and carrying them to safety, Fire Chief Michael Contreras said. They were among 46 rescues the city performed between late Sunday night and the next afternoon from mud and water standing up to 5 feet. We were able to put the patients into the scoop. Its not something that Ive ever done in my 34 years as a firefighter, but disasters like this really cause us to have to look at those means of rescue that arent in the book and that we dont do everyday," he said at a news conference. San Bernardino County first responders also were continuing to rescue some 30 people who became stranded when the Santa Ana River overflowed near the community of Seven Oaks. Authorities said boulders in the flow made it too dangerous to send boats so the people stayed overnight. On Monday, a helicopter rescued one person with a leg injury and efforts to retrieve the others were expected to continue into Tuesday morning, although some people refused to fly out and wanted to wait for the floodwaters to recede, authorities said. To the northwest in the San Bernardino Mountains, crews worked to clear mud that blocked the homes of about 800 residents, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Alison Hesterly. In the mountain community of Oak Glen, Brooke Horspool helped dig out a home surrounded by about 4 feet of mud to free a couple, including an older man with medical issues. Amid the storm Sunday in Palm Desert, Terry Flanigan heard a huge crash and then got a text from a neighbor that a Eucalyptus tree, more than 100 feet tall, fell onto a condo across the street. She later learned it landed on the bed of her neighbors 11-year-old son, who luckily was in another room. It was very unnerving, Flanigan said, adding that the family had gone to stay with relatives while removal crews came Monday morning to remove the branches. Oh my gosh, what could have happened. Hilary is just the latest major weather event to wreak havoc across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Hawaiis island of Maui is still reeling from a blaze that killed more than 100 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Firefighters in Canada are battling that nations worst fire season on record. Hot water and hot air were both crucial factors that enabled Hilary's rapid growth steering it on an unusual but not quite unprecedented path that dumped rain in some normally bone-dry places. It shattered daily rain totals in places and likely dumped the equivalent of a full year's worth on Death Valley National Park, forcing the park to be closed indefinitely and leaving about 400 people sheltering at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs until roads could be made passable, park officials said. Rain came in two bursts on Sunday in the morning and evening totaling 2.2 inches at a National Weather Service rain gauge at Furnace Creek. If verified, it would be the single-rainiest day in the area's history, beating its record of 1.7 inches set Aug. 5, 2022. Park officials responded Monday to sewer line damage releasing raw sewage into the desert below Stovepipe Wells. Sunday was the wettest day on record in San Diego with 1.82 inches, the NWS said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The previous record was on Aug. 17, 1977, when 1.8 inches of rain fell in the area post-Hurricane Doreen. We basically blew all of our previous rainfall records out of the water, National Weather Service meteorologist Elizabeth Adams in San Diego said. Scientists still dont know why some storms, like Hilary, get big and some stay small, said MIT hurricane scientist Kerry Emanuel. In the Coachella Valley city of Desert Hot Springs, Steven Michael Chacon said the roads in the housing development where he and his husband live were impassable due to flooding and he was concerned emergency crews might not be able to reach people. Basically everybodys got to stay put, theres no way in or out, he said Monday morning. The center of Hilary passed over downtown Los Angeles at 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the regional weather office, which called it a day for the ages in Southern California. As Hilary moved east into the neighboring state of Nevada, flooding was reported, power was out and a boil-water order was issued for about 400 households in the Mount Charleston area, where the only road in and out was washed out. The area is about 40 miles west of Las Vegas. FORT NOVOSEL-Learning more about the function of and services offered by the Casualty Assistance Center on post was the program topic at the Military Officers Association of America meeting. Tracy Robinson and Sarah Kelsey from the Casualty Assistance Center at Fort Novosel spoke about the wide variety of actions required when military retirees die. A casualty assistance officer is assigned to assist the primary next of kin. Separate assistance officers will also be assigned to the parents of married service members, who are considered the secondary next of kin. The Fort Novosel office provides assistance to surviving family members upon the death of Army retirees living throughout most of Alabama including Redstone Arsenal. MOAA has a national membership of approximately 350,000 members and is the nations largest and most influential association of military officers. It is an advocate of a strong national defense and represents the interests of military officers and their families at every stage of their careers. Since 1928 MOAAs greatest mission has been to protect military benefits through tireless advocacy. There is great concern over the deaths in the wildfire in Maui, Hawaii. But we need to realize that for all confirmed deaths in Maui, the total has yet to reach that of St. Louis' annual homicide rate. Im sure the citizens of Maui will rebuild and renew their community with the support of their state and national leaders. St. Louis on the other hand will, I fear, continue its violent march unaided and unnoticed except by those who lose children and families to rampant gun violence. Missouris state and national leaders are more concerned about controlling the libraries and bedrooms of their citizens than they are about gun deaths. Russia recently added longtime neighbor Norway to the Russian list of Unfriendly States. The addition of ancient friendly neighbor Norway increases the number of official Unfriendly States to 49. Most nations on the list wonder why they are considered unfriendly to Russia, despite years, or even centuries, of friendly relations. The only nation on the list that has a reason to be unfriendly to Russia is Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, in an effort to absorb Ukraine into Russia. Ukraine prefers to remain independent and points out that, as a member of the UN, Russia agreed, in writing, to respect the independence of other UN members. There are over a dozen other nations on the unfriendly list that used to be part of one Russian empire or another. Russia thinks of these nations as unfriendly just because they openly oppose becoming part of Russia. Ukrainians are less surprised about Russia invading them. Ukrainians have been fighting foreign domination for about 1,500 years, ever since the first Ukrainians appeared. If you define a nationality as a collection of people with common language and cultural customs then that also defines why Ukrainians feel independent of Russia. The Russians disagree, in part because Ukrainians showed up at the same time a unified Russia appeared. Russia was willing and able to expand more rapidly than Ukraine so that today there are six times more people speaking Russian than Ukrainian. Forcing others to adopt your language is a common tool for linguistic expansion. Ukrainians had much less ambition for imperial expansion. This means that the continued existence of the Ukrainian language and nationalism is something of an achievement, one that Russia hoped to eliminate with a successful invasion of Ukraine in 2022. What is now known as Ukraine evolved from a number of Slavic tribes speaking a common language (proto-Ukrainian) who united after Swedish Vikings traded and raided into what is now Russia via major rivers like the Neva and Vistula, both of which allowed Viking longboats to travel deep into Russia. The earliest of these Nordic raiders were known back then as the Rus (old Norse for rowers) and Rus eventually became Russians. This began 1,200 years ago when the Rus captured Kiev and used it as the center of a Rus kingdom that came to include Kiev, portions of modern Belarus and Russia. This was the first Russian state, and after about a century, Swedish influence declined and was replaced by Slavic customs. The locals maintained some Nordic words and customs for centuries after that. The Kievan Rus empire was composed of many distinct Slavic tribes that all recognized the city of Kiev (to northern Slavs) or Kyiv (to the southeastern and southern Slavs) as the cultural and commercial capital of this empire that lasted about three centuries. Russian and Ukrainians differ on the importance of the Kievan Rus empire. Russia sees it as the cultural source of Russian/Ukrainian culture which Russia came to dominate. Ukrainian see the Kievan Rus empire as the origin of modern Ukraine. Russia evolved differently after the devastating Golden Horde (Mongol) invasion in the early 1200s shattered the unity provided by the Kievan Rus. After the Mongols were gone there were separate efforts to reunify what had become two separate states - Russia and Ukraine. In the north a more successful effort was aided by the dominance of Eastern Orthodox Christianity while Ukraine always had a large number of Roman Catholics as well. Russians concentrated on achieving access to the sea, in this case the Baltic Sea. The Ukrainians had to fight various groups of Mongols, Turks and even Italian colonies to gain access to the Black Sea. Mongol power was slowly diminished by local Russian, Lithuanian and Ukrainian princes, who ruled small principalities that sometimes fought as allies of the Mongols. By 1400 Mongol power was in decline and Ukraine and Belarus were a major component of the Polish-Lithuanian confederation, which defeated the Golden Horde as well as Germans advancing from the west. While powerful, the Polish-Lithuanian empire was surrounded by enemies and subject to frequent internal conflicts. Ukrainian history also honors the Ukrainian Cossacks, a frontier mounted militia that first appeared in the 1500s to protect southern borders from Turkic Kazaks and Tatars. The term Cossack came from an ancient Slavic work kozak, which meant a free man or adventurer. The need for kozaks arose when Ukraine established claims on lands in the south and southeast of what is now Ukraine but then was largely controlled by small numbers of mounted Tatars and Kazars. In return for official recognition and support (of individual land claims), bands of Cossacks emerged. Initially anyone could join, including Turks, as long as they swore allegiance to Ukraine and the elected leader (hetman) of each Cossack group (host). Sometimes the Polish nobles tried to renege on their promise of land title, and that led to the Cossack reputation for often being rebels, and effective ones on their own land. This led to a Ukrainian hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky leading a rebellion against oppressive Polish nobles that led to brief (1649-1657) independence from Polish control. Polish and Lithuanian power was reduced in the 1700s by wars with a unified Russian kingdom (tsardom), persistent German attacks from the west and growing Turkish power in the south. Emerging in the early 1300s, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1452, ending the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) empire and giving the Ottomans control over access to the Black Sea from the Mediterranean. That control lasted until 1922, when an international treaty established limits on Turkish control over access to the Black Sea. In Russia, access to the sea (the Baltic Sea) was achieved in 1709. The first (in 1547) tsar of Russia, Ivan Grozny, is known in the west as Ivan the Terrible. In Russian, "Grozny" means fearsome, menacing or, to many Russians, dreaded. Tsar Ivan spent most of his 37 years in power leading his armies against various enemies, as well as reforming the Russian government. He was largely successful against Turkic enemies that occupied what is now much of southern Russia and Ukraine. Ivan was ruthless and went full Grozny against his Turkic foes. Then he sought to take Livonia (Latvia and Estonia) to provide landlocked Russia with access to the Baltic Sea. At first Ivan was successful, but Poland and Sweden intervened and turned Russia back into a landlocked empire until 1709 when tsar Peter the Great finally defeated the Swedes and created his new city on the Baltic, Saint Petersburg, which became the new Russian capital. Earlier (1686) Russia gained control of much of modern Ukraine, including Kyiv, via a treaty with Poland and Lithuania that was mainly about joint operations against the Turks. That campaign lasted until 1774 when Russia took over and the Ottomans renounced their claims to the Crimean Peninsula and a long-alliance with the Turkic Tatars. Earlier the Tatars had allied themselves with the Golden Horde and had long been a problem for Ukrainians. In some respects that is still true because the current Russian claim on Crimea traces back to their victory over the Ottomans and Tatars in 1774. The Cossacks largely disappeared during the two world wars because they were seen as fighting for Nazis (against Russians) or for the Tsar (against rebels in general and communists in particular). Some fought for the Russians during World War II but after that they were outlawed everywhere. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 some Cossack groups reformed, pledging to serve the new Russian government. Some of these fought against Ukrainians in the Donbas. In the 1800s nationalism became a major movement in Europe, with ethnic components of empires and large countries demanding independence. Russia had more of these independence movements than anyone else and Ukrainians demanded autonomy within the Russian empire. During World War I (1914-18) the Russian empire began to fall apart, and by the end of the first World War a civil war was underway in Russia that enabled the Ukrainians to declare independence in 1917 as the UNR (Ukrainian National Republic). Ukraine was a major battlefield for the civil war which the communists (Bolsheviks) won. Sensing that, the UNR allied itself with Poland and because of that Ukraine lost some territory as most of Ukraine became part of Soviet Russia. During World War II many Ukrainians welcomed the invading Germans as liberators. The Germans disagreed and treated the Ukrainians as not worthy of self-rule. In response the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) formed in 1943 to fight both Germans and Soviets. After 1945 the UPA received some recognition, but little support, from the West and ruthless efforts by the Soviets eliminated the UPA by 1955. Russia did manage to convince the new UN (United Nations) that Ukraine was eligible to be a member of the UN. This gave Russia an additional vote in the UN general assembly, much to the disgust of most Ukrainians. This violent history with Russia and the Soviet Union played a major role in Ukraine (and Belarus) insisting on independence when the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991. Many Russians saw this Ukrainian independence as a temporary condition, something they went war over in 2022 and openly declared they will do to other unfriendly nations that were once part of one of the many Russian empires. Several of those unfriendly states are now members of NATO. This organization has 31 members, soon to become 32 when Sweden joins. Ukraine wants to be member 33. The concept of NATO began at the end of World War II in 1945. At that time the United States had the largest and most capable military force in what came to be known as the Western alliance. This group consisted of the industrialized nations of Europe and North America. The United States has always had the largest military and the one with many specialist capabilities European nations lacked. For example, the U.S. had the largest fleet of military air transports and these were backed up by large numbers of cargo and passenger aircraft owned by American airlines and available to the military in an emergency. The American army, navy and air force possessed special aviation capabilities no other NATO nation could muster. For example, when NATO nations were called on to operate in some distant area they depend on the large American fleet of aerial refueling aircraft and specialized aerial surveillance and electronic warfare aircraft. English has become the common language between the air forces of nearly every nation. When a NATO member requires specialized aircraft support, a French, Italian or German pilot can talk to the American aerial tanker or air traffic control aircraft in English and quickly get what they need. This capability has enabled European nations to send aircraft of ground forces long distances on short notice because the specialized American support aircraft are always available. Some European nations have a few of these support aircraft that handle most peacetime needs. But in a military crisis, like supporting Ukraine against the invading Russians, the Americans not only supply most of the military aid, but also make U.S. transportation and communications capabilities available to their NATO allies. Unless there is some major political dispute between the U.S. and European nations, this support is made available quickly and in whatever quantities are required. This makes the military forces of the entire NATO alliance more flexible and effective. In military terms these American logistic and specialist capabilities are a force multiplier for the troops, ships and aircraft of NATO allies. This dependence on American resources has been criticized since NATO was founded, but none of the nations depending on that support have come up with an alternative. There were some efforts in that direction. NATO nations have a joint force of AWACS (air traffic control) aircraft and a pool arrangement for medium range air transports. European nations can gather a larger number of commercial ships for an emergency than the United States itself can. All this complements similar American support and is considered an example of how beneficial NATO cooperation is. Ukraine has benefited from this since 2022 and that is one reason Ukraine wants to join NATO as soon as the war with Russia is over. NATO policy does not allow a new member to join if they are currently involved in a war. Russia claims it invaded Ukraine to prevent the expansion of NATO rather than seeking to rebuild the Russian Empire. The lost empire was a common complaint made by Russian leaders. Ukraine realized NATO membership would keep the Russians out. By invading Ukraine, Russia triggered substantial economic sanctions on Russia and huge NATO support for the Ukrainian military. Russian leader Vladimir Putin insists that Russian forces will keep fighting even if the Ukrainians push all the Russians out of Ukraine. Putin believes NATO countries will soon tire of spending all this money on Ukraine and reduce support. At that point Putin believes Russia will have a better chance of taking Ukraine. This is an endurance contest. Can Russia keep fighting while its economy is starved for resources by the sanctions? Can Putin survive long enough to keep Russia fighting? Will NATO nations keep spending a lot of money on military support for Ukraine? The Ukrainians have made it clear that they will keep fighting because to surrender means the end of Ukraine as an independent country and the return of Russian rule, not to mention suffering all the usual atrocities the Russians inflict on new subject populations, and did in portions of the Ukraine they conquered in this current war. While NATO remains dependent on the Americans when large amounts of military and economic support are needed, the NATO members adjacent to Ukraine or Russia are not without resources and are spending a lot more on weapons and military equipment since the Russians invaded Ukraine. This invasion was a clear example of why NATO was needed. The Russians admit that they dont want to fight NATO directly and are dismayed at how enormous NATO contributions of military material, but not troops, to Ukraine helped cause the Russian invasion to fail with huge military and economic losses for Russia. The NATO alliance worked and Russian aggression was halted without triggering a nuclear war. The NATO alliance worked because its members, collectively, constitute the largest economic and military capabilities on the planet. Russia, especially leader Vladimir Putin, feared that NATO would somehow become a military threat. That was never NATOs intention and the coalition has lasted so long because it stuck to its role as a defensive alliance. Some Russians, like Putin, see NATOs ability to constrain Russian attack options as a form of coercion and hostility towards Russia. Similar misconceptions are common throughout history and often a cause of war. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Russian justification for that is one such example of this perverse logic. The expansion of NATO membership after the Cold War ended was seen as essential for nations near Russia to survive and that assessment proved correct. Thats why long-time neutrals like Sweden and Finland suddenly sought to join NATO. Collectively, NATO is a huge organization in terms of population and military capabilities and becomes more useful the larger it becomes. As a defensive organization it reduces military spending for members and increases national security. The cost of running NATO is miniscule, as is the annual cost to members. Efforts to establish a similar defensive organization in East Asia have increased as the Chinese military threat grows. China is not seen as unstable and prone to aggression as Russia, but neighbors of China detect ominous changing attitudes inside China that warrant considering an Asian version of NATO. ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / Big Green Egg, the world's leading manufacturer of kamado-style grills, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dan Gertsacov in the newly created role of President, reporting directly to Ardy Arani, CEO. Gertsacov joins ahead of Big Green Egg's 50-year anniversary in 2024 and will be focused on continuing to build the marketing, omni-channel, business operations, retail, and IT technologies functions for the brand. Dan Gertsacov Dan Gertsacov, President, Big Green Egg Gertsacov comes to Big Green Egg with a wealth of experience, having served as the Chief Commercial Officer at Focus Brands, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Arcos Dorados, McDonald's largest independent franchisee, and most recently, as Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company. The newly created President role is part of a strategic move to continue to strengthen the company's position as the global leader in kamado-style grills. Gertsacov holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Goldsmith Scholar. A former Fulbright Scholar in Chile, Gertsacov earned his BA with Honors from the University of Richmond, with a double major in Economics (honors) and International Development and a minor in Spanish. Big Green Egg's CEO Ardy Arani voiced his confidence in Gertsacov's ability to drive the company forward, stating, "Dan's professional experience, insights and recommendations will play an important role in shaping our business as we look to the future. He comes into the role with a deep understanding of the market and the brand based on his vast professional experience and personal passion for exploring the live-fire food culture around the world." From humble beginnings in a single storefront on Clairmont Road in Atlanta, Big Green Egg has grown into a worldwide phenomenon available on every continent, save for Antarctica, and adapted to nearly every cooking culture on Earth. Looking ahead to its 50th anniversary, Gertsacov will work to bring the brand to more people around the world, building on the incredible legacy of this iconic brand. Gertsacov expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, stating, "I love this brand, our products and the Egghead lifestyle of live-fire cooking. I believe what millions of Big Green Egg owners around the world believe: cooking outdoors on live-fire brings together friends and family for amazing memories around amazing food." About Big Green Egg Big Green Egg is the world's leading manufacturer of the premier outdoor cooking system, unmatched for its versatility and culinary results. With seven distinct sizes sold in more than 50 countries, the Big Green Egg is ideally suited for the casual backyard griller and culinary aficionado alike, and has become the top choice of leading grillers and chefs around the world. There is only one original Big Green Egg - The Ultimate Cooking Experience! www.BigGreenEgg.com Contact Information Martin Maisonpierre Managing Director, WH inc. [email protected] SOURCE: Big Green Egg View source version on accesswire.com: Maker of ZYMOX Dermatology and Oratene Brushless Oral Care Celebrates Winners of Sponsored Sporting Division AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / Pet King Brands, Inc., the industry leader of enzymatic pet care products ZYMOX Dermatology and Oratene Brushless Oral Care, proudly announces the winners of SuperZoo 2023's Grooming Contest Sporting Group (Spaniels & Setters), which the company has sponsored the past two years. ZYMOX According to the World Pet Association, SuperZoo is North America's most attended pet industry trade show. In addition to the thousands of buyers, exhibitors, specialized booths, and education on its 300,000-square-foot show floor, SuperZoo's grooming contests allow talented pet-styling professionals to showcase their creativity in front of thousands of attendees. "Thanks to the invaluable support of retailers and groomers, we've become a top dog in the pet industry and are dedicated to improving the health and comfort of animals," stated Pamela K. Bosco, President and founder of Pet King Brands. "This year, we're proud to be a repeat sponsor of the grooming contest for this most prestigious event." With over $35,000 in winnings at stake, groomers of all levels competed in different divisions in which each dog must be groomed to breed profile as presented in the conformation show ring. The winners who emerged victorious in their respective divisions in the Sporting Group (Spaniels & Setters) and the overall Group winners are: Sporting Group Winner: First Place: Nadia Bongelli of Doggieland, Brampton, Canada Second Place: Mackensie Murphy of Love Groomers, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Third Place: Susan Hatch of Fancy Paws Pet Salon, Lakeville, Minnesota Open: (open to all stylists, competitors, and professional groomers) First Place: Nadia Bongelli of Doggieland, Brampton, Canada Second Place: Mackensie Murphy of Love Groomers, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Third Place: Susan Hatch of Fancy Paws Pet Salon, Lakeville, Minnesota Best International: Nadia Bongelli of Doggieland, Brampton, Canada Intermediate: (restricted to competitors who have not won) First Place: Katherine Greaney of A Cut Above Grooming Salon, Union City, California Second Place: Maria Gonzales of Feldspar Pet Spa, Modesto, California Entry: (restricted to competitors who have never competed or who have not won) First Place: Braden Jones of Arnie's Pawfect Grooms, Herimann, Utah Second Place: Mara Serpa of Groomswell, Inc., Carlsbad, California Third Place: Luis Garcia of Healthy Spot, Culver City, California Pet King Brands congratulates the winners and their dogs. For detailed information about Pet King Brand's complete line of enzymatic pet health products and where to purchase them, visit zymox.com. About Pet King Brands Pet King Brands, the maker of ZYMOX Ear and Skin products, Oratene Brushless Oral Care, Equine Defense, and ZYLAFEN, is a leader in veterinarian-approved pet products made in the USA. Focused on the health and wellness of small and large animals of all ages, the products utilize the Power of the LP3 Enzyme System and have been Resolving Ear, Skin, and Oral Conditions for Over 25 Years. Led by President and founder Pamela Bosco, who first introduced ZYMOX in 1998 with the help of her bioscientist brother Michael Pellico, Pet King Brands has revolutionized the way people care for animals' ears, skin, and mouth, offering solutions that are gentle to the animal, easy to administer and free of harsh chemicals and antibiotics. Contact Information Debra Decker Director of Marketing [email protected] 8177139200 SOURCE: Pet King Brands View source version on accesswire.com: NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2023 / Suncor Energy Suncor broke new ground when we first began reporting our sustainability performance in the mid-1990s. Twenty-eight years later, the Report on Sustainability and its companion publication, the Climate Report, continue the practice of disclosing our progress in more than a dozen areas of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Suncor's 2023 Climate Report and Report on Sustainability are now available. "We take our performance in environmental, social and governance (ESG) areas seriously. This is why we disclose our sustainability performance every year through these comprehensive reports," says Jon Mitchell, Suncor's Vice President - Sustainability. "The audience continues to grow because a lot of groups important to our company, from Indigenous Peoples to investors to regulators, want to know what we are doing to operate a sustainable business, our efforts to improve and our plans to be successful in a low-carbon future." The Report on Sustainability covers 19 different ESG areas. Some of Suncor's 2022 highlights include: Improving environmental performance in 2022 13% reduction in freshwater withdrawal since 2018 94% water recycle rate for mining and in situ operations 1 million tree and shrub seedlings planted 362 hectares reclaimed at our oil sands operations Creating strong partnerships in 2022 $3.1 billion spent with Indigenous-owned suppliers, which represents 20% of our overall spending on procured goods and services 5.4 per cent of Indigenous employees in our overall workforce Investing in communities and people in 2022 $40 million contributed to community, charitable and non-profit groups in communities where we operated 27% of our employees participated in SunCares, our employee giving program More than 105,000 hours volunteered by employees and $6.2 million employee donations to community organizations The Climate Report charts our progress made on our climate objectives in our strategy. Highlights from this year's report include: A pathway to net zero Achieve net zero GHG emissions in our operations by 2050 and reduce emissions by 10 megatonnes (Mt) across our value chain by 2030. 10 Mt is equivalent to the annual average emissions of 2.3 million Canadian homes. $540M spent on low-carbon projects in 2022, in line with our 10% of capital allocation commitment to low-carbon energy Became Alberta's 4th largest electricity operator in 2022 by generating low-carbon power through our cogeneration fleet Download the 2023 Report on Sustainability and 2023 Climate Report here. Any questions or comments regarding the reports can be sent to [email protected]. Media Contact: [email protected] Read More View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Suncor Energy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Suncor Energy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/suncor-energy Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Suncor Energy View source version on accesswire.com: Bank of America's technical strategist Paul Ciana has suggested that the price of gold could potentially experience a decline before ... I'm a New Customer I'm a Returning Customer E-mail Address (or username, if registered via mobile device) Password KOKOMO, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Brent Owens, President of the CFD companies, recently confirmed that from September 20th to 22nd, the CFD Companies, including cfd Investments, Inc. and Creative Financial Designs, Inc., will be hosting their annual Fall Financial Adviser Conference at Creative Financial Centre in Kokomo. Financial advisers, who are affiliated with the CFD companies, will be flying in from around the country to attend. The annual event has been bringing in big names in finance and marketing for many years, but this year is generating additional interest, and its not just because of the high-profile speakers. CFD leadership has also extended an open invitation, space permitting, for financial advisers affiliated with other firms to register and attend the conference at no charge. Speakers for the conference include well-known marketing consultant and author of Creating Superfans, Brittany Hodak; professor, author and economist, Moshe Milevsky; and author and Fox News anchor, Pete Hegseth. In addition to the aforementioned speakers, the event will include multiple workshops on a variety of topics relevant to owners of financial advisory practices. Representatives from industry product vendors will also be showcasing their offerings. Conference attendees are provided with catered meals and time to collaborate with other professionals, if so desired. Our fall conference has always been a time of collaboration, encouragement and empowerment for the CFD family of advisers, said Owens. We are incredibly blessed this year to have three different New York Times Bestselling authors as keynote speakers, in addition to workshops focused on industry innovation, best practices and next-gen marketing. Normally, conferences like this have thousands of attendees and lack the intimacy that fosters business growth. That is not the case with our conference, and to be able to share this experience with financial advisers from outside of the CFD companies makes it more meaningful, especially when economic uncertainty is on the minds of everyones clients. Owens stated that the CFD companies can offer the financial adviser conference free of charge through the support of sponsors. Registration is filling up; financial advisers interested in attending the conference should avoid delay and register by visiting https://joincfd.com/2023-financial-adviser-conference/. Questions and requests to receive news about future industry events at Creative Financial Centre may be sent to [email protected]. About the CFD companies: The CFD family of companies, founded more than 40 years ago, is best known for their investment management firms, cfd Investments, Inc. and Creative Financial Designs, Inc., but also includes real estate and insurance organizations. Advisory Services are offered through Creative Financial Designs, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser, and Securities are offered through cfd Investments, Inc., a Registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA & SIPC, 2704 S. Goyer Rd., Kokomo, IN 46902. 765-453-9600. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821064527/en/ Zachary Covert cfd Investments, Inc. / Creative Financial Designs (765) 453-9600 [email protected] Source: cfd Investments, Inc. / Creative Financial Designs SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- QuantumShield, a pioneering cryptography and cybersecurity company, announced today that Brigadier General Patrick Huston, U.S. Army (retired) was elected to the Companys Board of Directors. General Huston is a technology lawyer focused on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and privacy. He is a member of the FBIs Scientific Working Group on AI, the American Bar Associations AI Task Force, and the Association of Corporate Counsels Cybersecurity Board. He is also a certified director in the National Association of Corporate Directors, and co-chairs the NACDs AI Cohort. Were thrilled to welcome General Huston on our board, said Sam Lavery, Chairman and CEO of QuantumShield, He brings decades of experience at the highest levels of government, combined with unmatched expertise in cutting-edge technologies. Hes exactly who we need to help guide QuantumShield as we expand our services across the national security and commercial sectors. We are already benefitting from his strategic insights and contributions. General Huston recognized QuantumShields deep commitment to protecting security and privacy against the looming threat of quantum computing: This is an exciting time to join the team. While many great companies are developing quantum-resilient technology, QuantumShield is the only one with a true drop-in replacement for RSA digital signatures, allowing customers to secure data against the quantum threat using existing hardware. This is vital for the defense and intelligence communities, and will also provide tremendous advantages across the commercial sector. General Huston retired from the Pentagon after a 35-year career in uniform. His service includes: Army Ranger; helicopter pilot; prosecutor; five combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan; General Counsel of the 101st Airborne Division, the Joint Special Operations Command, and the U.S. Central Command; and Commanding General. About QuantumShield QuantumShield is headquartered in San Francisco and focused on cryptography, cybersecurity and privacy solutions for the post-quantum world. QuantumShield brings game-changing technology to warfighters and commercial industry to ensure U.S. dominance across the quantum domain. It has created the only quantum-resilient solution that is a drop-in replacement for RSA using existing hardware across a variety of use cases. This security technology will benefit everyone who depends on encryption and privacy. QuantumShields products can secure financial transactions, health data, and other private information and communications to protect personal privacy, state secrets and intellectual property. www.QuantumShield.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821557496/en/ Ron Ziegler: +1 973-891-1261 [email protected] Source: QuantumShield SLOAN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GoNetspeed, a high-speed fiber to the premises internet provider, today announced that service is now available to the Village of Sloan. Through GoNetspeeds $1 million investment, residents and businesses throughout the Village of Sloan can now experience high-speed, symmetrical upload and download internet speeds and voice service directly from their home or business. Once complete, more than 1,100 locations will soon have access to GoNetspeeds fast, reliable 100% fiber internet service. Residents and businesses interested may visit gonetspeed.com to confirm service availability for their location and to sign up for service installation. Digital connectivity is the key to success for businesses and families today. At GoNetspeed, we are focused on providing that key by connecting communities like Sloan to 100% fiber internet designed to scale to faster speeds, said Chris Brooks, Senior Director of New York Operations. As we invest in the Village of Sloan, this new future-proof network infrastructure will better support their growth as a community, bringing more opportunity for residents and businesses. Through their legacy of innovation and commitment to customer service, GoNetspeed is continuing to ensure that more communities throughout New York have access to a high-speed 100% fiber internet infrastructure. Currently, Buffalo, Canandaigua, Cheektowaga, Depew, Geneva, Lancaster, Lockport, Macedon, Newark, Palmyra, Seneca Falls, Waterloo and several more communities throughout the state have access to GoNetspeeds service. GoNetspeed is excited to accelerate the expansion of fiber networks throughout nine states, including New York. GoNetspeed continues to deliver more fiber, more access, more speed and better reliability to residents and businesses throughout our footprint. With access to 100% fiber internet, customers have access to symmetrical upload and download speeds, ranging from 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). About GoNetspeed: GoNetspeed, a high-speed 100% fiber internet provider serving residential and business customers in Maine, Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia, formed a partnership with Oak Hill Capital (Oak Hill) in January 2021, allowing GoNetspeed to accelerate the expansion of its fiber network throughout the Northeastern U.S. Adding thousands of new service areas every year, GoNetspeed is one of the largest independent internet providers in the east. For more information about GoNetspeed, or to inquire about service in your residence, business or community, visit gonetspeed.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821701535/en/ Katherine Yochum 502.963.8409 [email protected] Source: GoNetspeed Hispanic Cheese Makers-Nuestro Quesos quesadilla cheese tops its category KENT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hispanic Cheese Makers-Nuestro Queso, LLC, a Hispanic cheese private brand, co-packing, and ingredient manufacturer in Chicago, IL, took top honors in its category at this years American Cheese Society competition. Its Quesadilla cheese topped all other entries from around the country to take the gold medal in the Hispanic & Portuguese Style Cooking Cheese Category. Winners of the prestigious competition were announced at the ACSs annual conference. Queso Quesadilla also known as "Chihuahua, Mexico-style cheese" is made with a Mennonite-derived recipe from the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. It has extraordinary melting properties made possible with careful aging and the incorporation of unique cultures to deliver uncompromised melting. Our Queso Quesadilla is the perfect melting cheese for queso fundido, quesadillas, burgers, or any other dish that requires melting cheese. Mark Braun, CEO, Hispanic Cheese Makers-Nuestro Queso, LLC, says There is no greater complement to our team than being recognized like this in one of the top cheese industry competitions. The passion of our team is truly inspiring. Hispanic Cheese Makers-Nuestro Queso produces not only the gold medal winner Quesadilla cheese but also the popular Fresco, Panela, Oaxaca, Cotija Mexican style cheeses, the Blanco and Para Freir Caribbean style cheeses at its state-of-the-art SQF Level 3 certified plant. This gold medal recognition serves as an important Illustration of the company's passion for Hispanic Cheesemaking in a unique manufacturing facility focused on sustainability and the environment. About Hispanic Cheese Makers-Nuestro Queso Founded in 2009, we are an Illinois-based private brand, co-packing and ingredient Hispanic cheese manufacturer for national retailers, top brands, distributors and manufacturers. We offer the highest quality & most extensive Mexican, Caribbean and Central American style authentic cheese and creams assortment, crafted with care and a personal sense of ownership using milk free of rBST hormones. We are proud of our State-of-the-Art SQF level 3.0 certified plant with broad production capabilities and our commitment to sustainability and animal welfare. The company continues to invest in its production facility, recently completing a multi-phase plant expansion. This rounds out a $30MM+ expansion and new equipment project that also included new loading docks, coolers and storage, major machinery and cheesemaking equipment, a test kitchen, new offices and employee facilities. Visit us at: www.hcmakers.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230816707185/en/ Arturo Nava, Sr Marketing Director Hispanic Cheese Makers-Nuestro Queso, LLC 847-502-0934 [email protected] Source: Hispanic Cheese Makers-Nuestro Queso, LLC Wallace Community College, in partnership with the Alabama Community College System and the Manufacturing Institute, is introducing an initiative that could hold immense promise for the future of advanced manufacturing in the Wiregrass. WCCD is inviting local manufacturing industry leaders to attend an exploratory meeting on Aug. 23, 2023, from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at the Wallace Campus in Dothan in order to learn more about the Foundation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME). This chapter will lead to the implementation of the FAME institution dedicated to advancing the field of manufacturing in August 2024. We believe that a FAME Institution will serve as a catalyst for innovation, skill development, and industry growth in the realm of advanced manufacturing. It is our vision to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills required to excel in this dynamic field and contribute to its continuous evolution, said WCCD Associate Dean Martha Compton. The FAME Institution would be designed to address these demands by offering comprehensive education and training programs that align with the needs of the industry. A FAME Chapter serves as a platform for industry leaders to collaborate, share insights, and drive initiatives that will shape the future of advanced manufacturing education. By joining together, we can ensure a skilled workforce, promote technological innovation, and elevate the entire manufacturing ecosystem, Compton said. To register and confirm your attendance at the exploratory meeting, RSVP by Tuesday, Aug. 22, by emailing mcompton@wallace.edu. Exploratory Meeting Details Aug. 23, 2023 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wallace Community College-Rane Hall Building #471- Wheelless Auditorium. - CU Relief Fund for Ukraine makes it easy for credit unions and members to provide support BERKELEY, Calif. & KYIV, Ukraine--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Founded by Steven Bugg, CEO of Great Lakes Credit Union; Tim Williams, CEO of Sno Falls Credit Union; and Chris Doner, CEO of Access Softek in late 2022, CU Relief Fund for Ukraine (CU Relief) is now making a positive impact on the lives of those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. By bringing together the resources and expertise of credit unions across the U.S., the organization has provided money and support to: UCAG, a rehabilitation program for the children of fallen heroes https://www.ucadvocacygroup.org/rehabilitation-program https://www.ucadvocacygroup.org/rehabilitation-program ESPER, which provides bionic prosthetics to Ukrainians https://ukraine.esperbionics.com/ and https://ukraine.esperbionics.com/ and GPNow, providing telehealth or virtual care for the most vulnerable https://www.gpnow.net/ Steve Bugg, CEO of Great Lakes Credit Union, said, American credit unions can be a tremendous force for good when they unite for an important cause like helping Ukraine. We have carefully selected these causes to support because the need is great, and the money is desperately short. The organization is seeking more credit union partners and has made it easy for them to participate. U.S. credit unions can execute marketing programs to members to raise money or they can become an advisor or partner to a Ukrainian credit union. Yevhenii Vasilchenko, a resident of Kyiv and managing director of CU Relief, said, Ukraine critically needs and deeply appreciates the generous support we receive from America. The goal of CU Relief Fund for Ukraine is to make it very easy for American credit unions to let their members donate to help Ukraine. I can say first-hand how important the support Ukraine receives from the U.S. is and what a great effect it has on our efforts to defend ourselves. From the CEO of the largest credit union in Ukraine, The war has created great difficulties for Ukrainians and we value any help from American credit unions in this time of great need. About CU Relief Fund for Ukraine CU Relief Fund for Ukraine is a non-political, non-military organization whose purpose is to provide humanitarian aid and support to the citizens of Ukraine during time of war and its aftermath, with a special focus on addressing needs overlooked by larger charitable organizations. Through fundraising efforts, CU Relief is able to support a variety of initiatives, including the provision of food, shelter, and medical care to those in need, as well as the development of sustainable infrastructure and education programs. Website: https://curelieffundforukraine.com LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cu-relief-fund-for-ukraine/ Donate: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/cu-relief-fund-for-ukraine/main CU Relief Fund of Ukraine appreciates the financial and technical support of Access Softek, and digital marketing and communications support from Deep Target and William Mills Agency. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821959124/en/ Yevhenii Vasylchenko (531) 263-8333 [email protected] Scott Mills 678-781-7201 [email protected] Source: CU Relief Fund for Ukraine Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE: ARGO) ("Argo" or the "company") today announced Greg Chilson as president of Argo Surety, effective September 1. Chilson has served as a strategic advisor to the business since May. Greg joins the company with a tremendous amount of industry experience as we look to build on Argo Suretys track record as a very profitable, growth-oriented business, said Argos President of U.S. Insurance, Jessica Snyder. Over the past few months, Greg has assisted us as we worked to implement our strategy to evolve the business, including the evaluation of Argos in-force portfolio, reviewing underwriting guidelines and providing guidance on organizational design. He was very much involved in building this leadership team. The quality of the team and the positive momentum we are seeing in this business is a testament to Gregs leadership and promising future potential for Argo Surety. Chilson will report to Snyder with Williams and Drakontaidis reporting to him. Chilson joins Argo from RLI Insurance Company where he led the surety business and held various roles during his 27-year tenure. He also served as controller at Underwriters Indemnity and in financial reporting at American General. Chilson attended the United States Military Academy West Point and earned a bachelors degree from the University of Texas. This announcement follows the appointment of Rod Williams as head of contract surety and Paul Drakontaidis as the head of commercial surety announced earlier this month. Williams has extensive experience in underwriting, financial analysis, management, strategic planning, training and development. Most recently, he served as vice president and director, Enterprise Risk Management at Markel Surety. Prior to that, he held similar roles at Liberty Mutual Surety, Safeco and Aetna. He earned his bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and his masters in business administration from Middle Tennessee State University. Drakontaidis has more than 17 years of experience in surety underwriting. Most recently, serving as senior regional vice president-commercial surety bonds at Zurich Surety. Prior to that, he held similar roles at Liberty Mutual Surety and Safeco. He earned his bachelors degree from Loyola University of Chicago. The Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a firm-fixed price agreement valued at approximately $816 million to build 36 Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) Beta satellites. T2TL is part of an overarching plan to strengthen deterrence with more resilient space architectures for beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) targeting, data transport, and advanced missile detection and tracking. SDA awarded Lockheed Martin an agreement worth approximately $816 million for 36 Tranche 2 Transport Layer satellites The T2TL Beta variant satellites will work in tandem with SDA's Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 networks. They will advance the initial warfighting capability with targeted technology enhancements, mission-focused payload configurations, and increased integration. "Tranche 2 will significantly enhance our warfighters' capabilities and establish new levels of resiliency, connectivity, and orbital diversity that are necessary for countering future threats," said Joe Rickers , Lockheed Martin's vice president for Protected Communications. "SDA's unique acquisition approach expedites the proliferation of this critical technology, and Lockheed Martin's strategic partnerships with a network of suppliers and small businesses will ensure we're aligned with SDA's strategy for accelerated delivery." T2TL Beta will consist of 72 satellites and will be deployed into orbit over a series of launches beginning in 2026 and will undergo a continuous checkout and commissioning process for acceptance into operations. With this award, Lockheed Martin will deliver at least 88 data communications satellites for SDA's low-Earth orbit military constellation. The company's 10 Tranche 0 Transport Layer (T0TL) satellites will launch in 2023, while its 42 Tranche 1 satellites are in production and on track for a 2024 launch. Lockheed Martin will deliver advanced technology on its T2TL Beta satellites to enable the proliferated global network and maintain the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture's technological and military advantages in space through a hybrid enterprise. To deliver and innovate at speed and scale, Lockheed Martin recently opened a 20,000 square-foot small satellite processing center that is scaled to efficiently assemble, integrate and test smallsats. The facility, which will house Lockheed Martin's T1TL and T2TL Beta satellites, features six parallel assembly lines and dedicated test chambers to deliver 180 satellites or more per year to help enable customers' strategy. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed Monday that the safety regulator has opened an investigation into whether a 2022 Ford (NYSE: F) recall of 49,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles properly addressed safety concerns, and if the recall should be expanded. Ford initiated a recall in June 2022 due to a potential issue with high voltage battery main contactors. These contactors have the potential to overheat as a result of DC fast-charging and repetitive wide-open pedal events. This overheating could lead to an abrupt loss of power for propulsion, thereby elevating the possibility of a collision. Following the recall, the automaker issued a technical service bulletin calling for the replacement of the High Voltage Battery Junction Box on recalled vehicles. The NHTSA reported that they have opened a recall query into 64,000 Mach-E vehicles following the receipt of 12 consumer complaints about vehicles that had already undergone recall repairs. Ford's solution for the recall involved implementing software updates. These updates aimed to keep track of the contactor's temperature, limiting battery power to prevent contactor damage. Additionally, they monitored contactor resistance to detect instances of overheating and subsequently reduced vehicle power to prevent additional harm to the contactor. However, a vehicle owner informed the NHTSA that their vehicle experienced another significant malfunction in its High Voltage Battery Junction Box, two days after the software update was applied. The U.S. regulator received a complaint from a driver in the San Francisco Bay area reporting that he and his family encountered an issue when their vehicle screen panel displayed a "Service Vehicle Soon" warning. Shortly after the warning appeared, the vehicle power was restricted to just 30% of its total capacity until they reached a dealership. In a separate incident, another Mach-E driver from Florida reported to the NHTSA that shortly after using a DC fast charge station, the vehicle's screen panel displayed a "safely stop now" message. Following the message, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop while on a highway on-ramp. Following several hours, the driver managed to restart the vehicle and proceeded to travel three miles before the car experienced another stoppage. Ford said Monday it is "working with NHTSA to support their investigation." Shares of F are up 0.26% in early trading Monday morning. By Michael Elkins | [email protected] Permian Resources Corporation (Permian Resources or the Company) (NYSE: PR) and Earthstone Energy, Inc. (Earthstone Energy or Earthstone) (NYSE: ESTE) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Permian Resources will acquire Earthstone in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $4.5 billion, inclusive of Earthstones net debt. Under the terms of the transaction, each share of Earthstone common stock will be exchanged for a fixed ratio of 1.446 shares of Permian Resources common stock. The transaction strengthens Permian Resources position as a leading Delaware Basin independent E&P with over 400,000 Permian net acres, pro forma production of approximately 300,000 Boe/d1 and an enhanced free cash flow profile to increase returns to shareholders. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821361048/en/ Key Highlights Enhances leading position in the Delaware Basin and increases operating size and scale Adds significant high-quality inventory offset the Companys existing core acreage in New Mexico Highly accretive to key financial metrics before synergies, including operating cash flow, free cash flow and net asset value per share Expected to be accretive to free cash flow per share by an average of >30% per year during the next two years and >25% per year during the next five and ten years Expect to achieve synergies that will drive ~$175 million of annual cash flow improvement Improved free cash flow profile supports 20% increase to base dividend per share and higher future variable shareholder returns Meets and exceeds all of Permian Resources rigorous investment criteria Maintains strong balance sheet with expected leverage2 of less than 1.0x at closing Represents an 8% premium to the exchange ratio based on the 20-day volume weighted average share prices Management Commentary We believe the acquisition of Earthstone represents a compelling value proposition for our shareholders and strengthens our position as a premier Delaware Basin independent E&P. Earthstones Northern Delaware position brings high-quality acreage with core inventory that immediately competes for capital within our portfolio, said Will Hickey, Co-CEO of Permian Resources. Additionally, we have identified numerous ways to leverage our deep Delaware Basin experience and incremental scale to improve upon these assets across the board, including approximately $175 million of annual synergies. Permian Resources has a proven integration track record, and we believe the successful execution of these cost savings will create incremental value for both Permian Resources and Earthstone stakeholders. We are very pleased to announce this transaction with Permian Resources and believe the combination of the two companies top-tier assets and history of success will create an even stronger large-cap E&P company which is uniquely positioned to drive profitable growth and development in the world-class Permian Basin. We believe this all-stock transaction provides Earthstones shareholders with excellent value for their investment now and in the future, said Robert Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Earthstone. In less than three years, we have grown Earthstone from a small-cap E&P company producing approximately 15,000 Boe per day to one with a production base of over 130,000 Boe per day, delivering significant value enhancement for shareholders along the way. Our success directly reflects our outstanding employees dedication, hard work and perseverance. I personally thank each and every one of our employees. I could not be prouder of the Earthstone team and the company we have built together. As significant owners of the business, our primary goal is to drive value for our investors, and the Earthstone transaction is another example of value creation for shareholders. We expect the transaction to be accretive across all key financial metrics before synergies and significantly accretive including synergies, both over the short and long-term, said James Walter, Co-CEO of Permian Resources. After evaluating over $20 billion of potential transactions during the past twelve months, we firmly believe the acquisition of Earthstone represented the best transaction for Permian Resources. It checks all the boxes, enhancing shareholder value while improving upon an already best-in-class company. Strategic and Financial Benefits Accretive to All Key Financial Metrics Over the Long-Term. The transaction is expected to be accretive to all relevant per share metrics before synergies, including operating cash flow, free cash flow and net asset value per share. The Company expects the transaction to deliver accretion to free cash flow per share of over 30% per year during the next two years and over 25% during the next five and ten-year periods. This is consistent with the Companys disciplined acquisition strategy, pursuing transactions which provide significant accretion to all relevant per share metrics over both the short and long-term. The transaction is expected to be accretive to all relevant per share metrics before synergies, including operating cash flow, free cash flow and net asset value per share. The Company expects the transaction to deliver accretion to free cash flow per share of over 30% per year during the next two years and over 25% during the next five and ten-year periods. This is consistent with the Companys disciplined acquisition strategy, pursuing transactions which provide significant accretion to all relevant per share metrics over both the short and long-term. Acceleration of Cash Returns to Shareholders. The accretive nature of this transaction immediately improves Permian Resources current return of capital program. The Company plans to increase its quarterly base dividend by 20% to $0.06 per share beginning with its first quarter 2024 dividend. Permian Resources variable return program remains unchanged, distributing at least 50% of free cash flow after the base dividend through a variable dividend, share repurchases or a combination of both. The accretive nature of this transaction immediately improves Permian Resources current return of capital program. The Company plans to increase its quarterly base dividend by 20% to $0.06 per share beginning with its first quarter 2024 dividend. Permian Resources variable return program remains unchanged, distributing at least 50% of free cash flow after the base dividend through a variable dividend, share repurchases or a combination of both. Extensive, High Rate of Return Combined Inventory. The transaction adds significant core inventory and bolsters Permian Resources position in highly productive areas within the Northern Delaware Basin, characterized by proven stacked-pay intervals and low-cost operating environment. Earthstones New Mexico acreage position is highly complementary to Permian Resources existing high-return asset base, which has generated repeatable strong results. Additionally, this transaction provides the ability to high grade the combined companys capital allocation across a broader asset base, improving capital efficiency. The transaction adds significant core inventory and bolsters Permian Resources position in highly productive areas within the Northern Delaware Basin, characterized by proven stacked-pay intervals and low-cost operating environment. Earthstones New Mexico acreage position is highly complementary to Permian Resources existing high-return asset base, which has generated repeatable strong results. Additionally, this transaction provides the ability to high grade the combined companys capital allocation across a broader asset base, improving capital efficiency. Adds Significant Size and Scale. The transaction increases Permian Resources position in the Permian Basin by approximately 223,000 net acres to over 400,000 net acres with pro forma production of approximately 300,000 Boe/d1. In the Delaware Basin, the acquisition adds approximately 56,000 net acres of high-quality, stacked-pay reservoirs, largely offset to Permian Resources existing acreage in Lea and Eddy Counties. Earthstones remaining acreage is located in the Midland Basin, and the Company expects to primarily harvest free cash flow from this asset at current commodity prices. The transaction increases Permian Resources position in the Permian Basin by approximately 223,000 net acres to over 400,000 net acres with pro forma production of approximately 300,000 Boe/d1. In the Delaware Basin, the acquisition adds approximately 56,000 net acres of high-quality, stacked-pay reservoirs, largely offset to Permian Resources existing acreage in Lea and Eddy Counties. Earthstones remaining acreage is located in the Midland Basin, and the Company expects to primarily harvest free cash flow from this asset at current commodity prices. Strong Balance Sheet. The Company expects to have a net debt-to-LQA EBITDAX2 ratio of less than 1.0x at closing, assuming strip prices. In conjunction with the transaction, the Company has secured a $500 million incremental commitment under its credit facility from Wells Fargo Bank, which will increase aggregate lender commitments thereunder to $2.0 billion. Permian Resources expects to have pro forma liquidity of over $1.0 billion at closing, providing significant financial flexibility. The combined company will also maintain a strong maturity profile, with its first debt maturity occurring in 2026. Lastly, the transaction is expected to enhance Permian Resources credit profile and decrease its overall cost of capital, as larger scale and higher production levels accelerate its path to investment grade. Tangible Operational and Financial Synergies Total synergies resulting from the transaction are expected to drive approximately $175 million in annual cash flow improvements, which include $145 million of operational and G&A synergies expected to be fully realized by year-end 2024. Expected annual operational synergies total $115 million and are primarily associated with reduced drilling, completions and facilities (DC&F), lease operating and midstream costs. Permian Resources expects to realize significant DC&F savings in the Delaware Basin through improved efficiencies and lower cost structure. The Company expects to reduce LOE expense on a per unit basis through personnel and contract services optimization and enhanced production operations. Additionally, the combined company expects to leverage its enhanced size and scale to optimize pricing across completion, production and midstream operations. Permian Resources has identified $30 million of annual general and administrative savings. The combined company is also expected to benefit from a lower overall cost of capital, leading to potential financial synergies of $30 million annually. Permian Resources has proven operational and integration track records and plans to leverage its best practices and lower corporate cost structure to advance cost reductions across all operating expenses and capital expenditures. The all-stock transaction structure allows for shareholders of both Permian Resources and Earthstone to benefit from the cost synergies and significant upside potential of the combined companies. Transaction Details The all-stock transaction will consist of 1.446 shares of Permian Resources common stock for each share of Earthstone common stock, representing an implied value to each Earthstone stockholder of $18.64 per share based on the closing price of Permian Resources common stock on August 18, 2023. Permian Resources will issue approximately 211 million shares of common stock in the transaction. After closing, existing Permian Resources shareholders will own approximately 73% of the combined company and existing Earthstone shareholders will own approximately 27% of the combined company. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both Permian Resources and Earthstone and is expected to close by year-end 2023, subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory approvals and shareholder approvals. Permian Resources and Earthstones largest shareholders, which currently own approximately 49% and 48% of each respective companys outstanding shares, have executed a Voting and Support Agreement in connection with the transaction. Upon closing of the transaction, Permian Resources Board of Directors will be expanded to consist of eleven directors, including the addition of two representatives from Earthstone. Permian Resources executive management team will lead the combined company with the headquarters remaining in Midland, Texas. Preliminary Framework for 2024 Capital Allocation Permian Resources and Earthstone are operating an eleven-rig drilling program in aggregate, primarily focused on the Delaware Basin. The combined company plans to allocate at least one of Earthstones two rigs currently in the Midland Basin to the Delaware Basin. During 2024, the combined company expects to allocate approximately 90% of capital to high rate-of-return projects in the Delaware Basin, predominantly focused on Lea, Eddy, Reeves and Ward Counties. Delaware Basin activity is expected to be weighted slightly more towards New Mexico, as a result of the transaction. The Company expects to maintain optionality from the low decline Midland Basin asset base, while harvesting significant free cash flow. The Company expects to provide detailed forward-looking guidance for the full-year 2024 early next year and in accordance with its annual budgeting cycle. Permian Resources plans to deliver an operational plan that maximizes free cash flow during the near-term, depending on strip commodity prices and expected oilfield service costs. The Company remains committed to returning at least 50% of free cash flow after its base dividend through variable dividends and share repurchases. Advisors Jefferies LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are serving as co-lead financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal advisor to Permian Resources. RBC Capital Markets, LLC and Wells Fargo Securities LLC are serving as financial advisors and Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is serving as legal advisor to Earthstone. Conference Call and Webcast Permian Resources will host an investor conference call on Monday, August 21, 2023 at 7:30 a.m. Central (8:30 a.m. Eastern) to discuss the proposed transaction. Interested parties may join the webcast by visiting Permian Resources website at www.permianres.com and clicking on the webcast link or by dialing (888) 259-6580 (Conference ID: 11042970) at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. A replay of the call will be available on the Companys website or by phone at (877) 674-7070 (Access Code: 042970) for a 14-day period following the call. United Auto Workers (UAW) union Vice President, Rich Boyer revealed Sunday that Dodge-Chrysler parent Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) threatened to relocate production of their Ram 1500 pickup trucks from its location in metro Detroit to a facility in Mexico. The threat comes as contract negotiations for thousands of autoworkers have reached a near boiling point. The UAW will hold a vote this week to award powers to leadership to call a strike in the event contract talks fail to reach an agreement by the time the previous contracts expire on September 14th. Addressing a large gathering of union members at a "Sunday Solidarity" rally, Boyer openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the prospective strategies. He specifically singled out Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, accusing him of showing indifference towards American auto workers. He dont give a s*** about the American auto worker, Boyer said while addressing the crowed. United we stand divided we fall. Stellantis, which already produces some Ram pickups in Mexico, did not confirm nor deny the potential move. Product allocation for our U.S. plants will depend on the outcome of these negotiations as well as a plants ability to meet specific performance metrics including improving quality, reducing absenteeism and addressing overall cost. Stellantis said in a statement. As these decisions are fluid and part of the discussions at the bargaining table, we will not comment further. The automaker added. UAW President Shawn Fain told CNBC that he believes relocating the truck production would be a huge mistake on the part of Stellantis to try it. Those are our jobs and thats our vehicle. We expect to keep that work, he said. Shares of STLA are up 1.51% in afternoon trading Monday. By Michael Elkins | [email protected] The company logo for Financial broker Charles Schwab is displayed at a location in the financial district in New York, U.S., March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/file photo (Reuters) - U.S. brokerage firm Charles Schwab said on Monday it plans to lower its headcount in a bid to counter cost pressures, joining a list of Wall Street firms take a similar path. The company, however, did not disclose the number of employees it was going to lay off. Several companies across corporate America, including Wall Street banks, have trimmed their workforce this year in a bid to rein in costs amid still-high inflation, rising interest rates and higher borrowing costs. Schwab has had to turn to supplementary funding sources to counter an uncertain economic environment. In June, the Westlake, Texas-based company said it was relying on more expensive funding sources, such as borrowing from the Federal Home Loan Bank, to supplement its cash flow. Charles Schwab also said it was currently assessing its real estate footprint, and that it planned to close or downsize certain corporate offices. It expects to realize about $500 million of incremental annual run-rate cost savings by undertaking these actions. The U.S. brokerage firm said it anticipated most costs related to layoffs would be incurred in the second half of 2023. In July, Charles Schwab reported a smaller-than-expected drop in second-quarter profit, as a jump in asset management fees helped soften the hit from a decline in interest revenue. Earlier in the year, the brokerage said it was looking to raise up to $2.5 billion through a debt offering. (Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat and Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Maju Samuel) Almere, The Netherlands August 21, 2023 ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) announces that it purchased a plot of land in Scottsdale, Arizona. ASM announces that last week it closed on the purchase of a plot of land in Scottsdale, Arizona. This purchase is part of ASMs intention to consolidate its multiple sites in Arizona, and for future expansion of R&D and support activities, following the growth in recent years and in line with ASMs Growth through Innovation strategy. No financial details have been disclosed. The acquisition sum is part of the 150-200 million total group capex targeted for 2023, as earlier communicated by the company. About ASM International ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM's website at www.asm.com. Contact Investor and media relations Victor Bareno T: +31 88 100 8500 E: [email protected] Attachment HOUSTON, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Battalion Oil Corporation (NYSE American: BATL, Battalion or the Company) today announced financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2023. Key Highlights Generated second quarter 2023 sales volumes of 14,253 barrels of oil equivalent per day (Boe/d) Continued robust production results from our most recent wells Generated net loss of $4.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $16.8 million in the second quarter of 2023 Management Comments The Company has continued to work with its partner on the previously announced acid gas injection (AGI) project and now expects to have the facility online before year end. Additional compression and well work are underway to maximize the expense savings potential of the project once it is fully online. The latest Monument Draw well continues to outperform offset wells and has produced over 217,000 Boe in its first six months on production while flowing naturally without artificial lift. Matt Steele, Chief Executive Officer, commented, In the second quarter, we prepared to recommence drilling activity in Monument Draw. We also worked diligently with our midstream partner to progress the AGI commissioning. We look forward to our drilling program and increasing EBITDA in the back half of the year. Results of Operations Average daily net production and total operating revenue during the second quarter of 2023 were 14,253 Boe/d (49% oil) and $54.3 million, respectively, as compared to production and revenue of 15,044 Boe/d (49% oil) and $101.5 million, respectively, during the second quarter of 2022. The decrease in revenues in the second quarter of 2023 as compared to the second quarter of 2022 is primarily attributable to an approximate $32.44 decrease in average realized prices (excluding the impact of hedges). Excluding the impact of hedges, Battalion realized 98% of the average NYMEX oil price during the second quarter of 2023. Realized hedge gains totaled approximately $2.1 million during the second quarter 2023. Lease operating and workover expense was $10.79 per Boe in the second quarter of 2023 versus $9.71 per Boe in the second quarter of 2022. The increase in lease operating and workover expense per Boe year-over-year is primarily attributable to a decrease in average daily production as a large portion of our lease operating expenses are fixed costs. Gathering and other expense was $12.97 per Boe in the second quarter of 2023 versus $11.59 per Boe in the second quarter of 2022. The increase was due primarily to cleanout projects on our Valkyrie facility that increased the throughput capacity. General and administrative expense was $4.04 per Boe in the second quarter of 2023 and $3.36 per Boe in the second quarter of 2022. The increase is primarily due to an increase in professional fees. After adjusting for selected items, Adjusted G&A was $4.01 per Boe in the second quarter of 2023 compared to $2.90 per Boe in the second quarter of 2022. The Company reported net loss for the second quarter of 2023 of $4.7 million, or $0.35 per share available to common stockholders. After adjusting for selected items, the Company reported an adjusted net loss available to common stockholders for the second quarter of 2023 of $6.9 million, or $0.42 per common share (see Reconciliation for additional information). Adjusted EBITDA during the quarter ended June 30, 2023 was $16.8 million as compared to $18.2 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2022 (see Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation table for additional information). Liquidity and Balance Sheet As of June 30, 2023, the Company had $220.3 million of indebtedness outstanding and approximately $1.4 million of letters of credit outstanding. Subsequent to June 30, 2023, the letters of credit were cancelled. Total liquidity on June 30, 2023, made up of cash and cash equivalents, was $18.5 million. In August 2023, the Company obtained a commitment letter from its existing equity shareholders to purchase additional preferred equity securities in an amount up to $38 million and provided notice to the investors of its intent to draw the full $38 million with an expected close the third quarter of 2023. For further discussion on our liquidity and balance sheet, as well as recent developments, refer to Managements Discussion and Analysis and Risk Factors in the Companys Form 10-Q. Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements that are not strictly historical statements constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about anticipated production, liquidity, capital spending, drilling and completion plans, and forward guidance. Forward-looking statements may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words such as "expects", "believes", "intends", "anticipates", "plans", "estimates", projects, "potential", "possible", or "probable" or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "will", "should", or "could" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations and involve certain assumptions or estimates that involve various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, those set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, and other filings submitted by the Company to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or through the Company's website at www.battalionoil.com. Readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date hereof. The Company has no duty, and assumes no obligation, to update forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or changes in the Company's expectations. About Battalion Battalion Oil Corporation is an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, production, exploration and development of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States. Contact Matthew B. SteeleChief Executive Officer & Principal Financial Officer832-541-8334 BATTALION OIL CORPORATIONCONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)(In thousands, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Operating revenues: Oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids sales: Oil $ 46,168 $ 73,944 $ 100,383 $ 136,468 Natural gas 2,060 14,759 4,960 23,640 Natural gas liquids 5,657 12,587 12,815 22,590 Total oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids sales 53,885 101,290 118,158 182,698 Other 387 221 1,256 415 Total operating revenues 54,272 101,511 119,414 183,113 Operating expenses: Production: Lease operating 11,365 11,909 23,056 23,433 Workover and other 2,634 1,383 3,969 2,248 Taxes other than income 3,180 5,372 6,370 10,323 Gathering and other 16,828 15,869 33,345 31,124 General and administrative 5,243 4,588 10,380 9,573 Depletion, depreciation and accretion 14,713 12,601 30,861 22,821 Total operating expenses 53,963 51,722 107,981 99,522 Income (loss) from operations 309 49,789 11,433 83,591 Other income (expenses): Net gain (loss) on derivative contracts 4,473 (31,910 ) 23,946 (155,768 ) Interest expense and other (9,530 ) (4,832 ) (17,316 ) (7,520 ) Total other income (expenses) (5,057 ) (36,742 ) 6,630 (163,288 ) Income (loss) before income taxes (4,748 ) 13,047 18,063 (79,697 ) Income tax benefit (provision) Net income (loss) $ (4,748 ) $ 13,047 $ 18,063 $ (79,697 ) Net income (loss) per share of common stock: Basic $ (0.35 ) $ 0.80 $ 0.87 $ (4.88 ) Diluted $ (0.35 ) $ 0.79 $ 0.86 $ (4.88 ) Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic 16,457 16,338 16,425 16,320 Diluted 16,457 16,510 16,520 16,320 BATTALION OIL CORPORATIONCONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)(In thousands, except share and per share amounts) June 30, 2023 December 31, 2022 Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 18,514 $ 32,726 Accounts receivable, net 23,518 37,974 Assets from derivative contracts 9,611 16,244 Restricted cash 90 90 Prepaids and other 1,049 1,131 Total current assets 52,782 88,165 Oil and natural gas properties (full cost method): Evaluated 727,347 713,585 Unevaluated 62,649 62,621 Gross oil and natural gas properties 789,996 776,206 Less - accumulated depletion (420,964 ) (390,796 ) Net oil and natural gas properties 369,032 385,410 Other operating property and equipment: Other operating property and equipment 4,674 4,434 Less - accumulated depreciation (1,486 ) (1,209 ) Net other operating property and equipment 3,188 3,225 Other noncurrent assets: Assets from derivative contracts 5,299 5,379 Operating lease right of use assets 162 352 Other assets 2,778 2,827 Total assets $ 433,241 $ 485,358 Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 48,897 $ 100,095 Liabilities from derivative contracts 15,480 29,286 Current portion of long-term debt 42,606 35,067 Operating lease liabilities 162 352 Asset retirement obligations 111 225 Total current liabilities 107,256 165,025 Long-term debt, net 164,055 182,676 Other noncurrent liabilities: Liabilities from derivative contracts 17,406 33,649 Asset retirement obligations 15,741 15,244 Operating lease liabilities Deferred income taxes Other 3,432 4,136 Commitments and contingencies Temporary equity: Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock: 25,000 shares of $.0001 26,030 par value authorized, issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2023 Stockholders' equity: Common stock: 100,000,000 shares of $0.0001 par value authorized; 16,456,563 and 16,344,815 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively 2 2 Additional paid-in capital 331,201 334,571 Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (231,882 ) (249,945 ) Total stockholders' equity 99,321 84,628 Total liabilities, temporary equity and stockholders' equity $ 433,241 $ 485,358 BATTALION OIL CORPORATIONCONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)(In thousands) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income (loss) $ (4,748 ) $ 13,047 $ 18,063 $ (79,697 ) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depletion, depreciation and accretion 14,713 12,601 30,861 22,821 Stock-based compensation, net (772 ) 473 (545 ) 857 Unrealized loss (gain) on derivative contracts (2,332 ) (12,837 ) (23,336 ) 78,201 Amortization/accretion of financing related costs 2,045 908 3,843 1,807 Reorganization items (744 ) Accrued settlements on derivative contracts (374 ) 1,843 (929 ) 14,652 Change in fair value of embedded derivative liability 358 (563 ) (704 ) (2,595 ) Other income (expense) 42 (96 ) 53 (96 ) Cash flows from operations before changes in working capital 8,932 15,376 27,306 35,206 Changes in working capital 406 910 (18,657 ) (6,873 ) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 9,338 16,286 8,649 28,333 Cash flows from investing activities: Oil and natural gas capital expenditures (4,022 ) (35,693 ) (32,633 ) (51,377 ) Proceeds received from sale of oil and natural gas assets 1,189 Other operating property and equipment capital expenditures (15 ) (545 ) (284 ) (705 ) Proceeds received from sale of other operating property and equipment 96 96 Other (6 ) (11 ) Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (4,043 ) (36,142 ) (31,739 ) (51,986 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from borrowings 20,000 20,000 Repayments of borrowings (10,026 ) (15,043 ) (85 ) Payment of deferred debt financing costs (379 ) Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock 24,375 Other (6 ) (454 ) (467 ) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (10,026 ) 19,994 8,878 19,069 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (4,731 ) 138 (14,212 ) (4,584 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 23,335 43,637 32,816 48,359 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 18,604 $ 43,775 $ 18,604 $ 43,775 BATTALION OIL CORPORATIONSELECTED OPERATING DATA (Unaudited) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Production volumes: Crude oil (MBbls) 636 674 1,366 1,344 Natural gas (MMcf) 2,155 2,355 4,562 4,670 Natural gas liquids (MBbls) 302 303 629 576 Total (MBoe) 1,297 1,369 2,755 2,698 Average daily production (Boe/d) 14,253 15,044 15,221 14,906 Average prices: Crude oil (per Bbl) $ 72.59 $ 109.71 $ 73.49 $ 101.54 Natural gas (per Mcf) 0.96 6.27 1.09 5.06 Natural gas liquids (per Bbl) 18.73 41.54 20.37 39.22 Total per Boe 41.55 73.99 42.89 67.72 Cash effect of derivative contracts: Crude oil (per Bbl) $ (2.68 ) $ (58.03 ) $ (3.92 ) $ (52.35 ) Natural gas (per Mcf) 1.78 (2.39 ) 1.31 (1.54 ) Natural gas liquids (per Bbl) Total per Boe 1.65 (32.69 ) 0.22 (28.75 ) Average prices computed after cash effect of settlement of derivative contracts: Crude oil (per Bbl) $ 69.91 $ 51.68 $ 69.57 $ 49.19 Natural gas (per Mcf) 2.74 3.88 2.40 3.52 Natural gas liquids (per Bbl) 18.73 41.54 20.37 39.22 Total per Boe 43.20 41.30 43.11 38.97 Average cost per Boe: Production: Lease operating $ 8.76 $ 8.70 $ 8.37 $ 8.69 Workover and other 2.03 1.01 1.44 0.83 Taxes other than income 2.45 3.92 2.31 3.83 Gathering and other 12.97 11.59 12.10 11.54 General and administrative, as adjusted (1) 4.01 2.90 3.61 3.09 Depletion 11.07 9.07 10.95 8.33 (1) Represents general and administrative costs per Boe, adjusted for items noted in the reconciliation below: General and administrative: General and administrative, as reported $ 4.04 $ 3.36 $ 3.77 $ 3.55 Stock-based compensation: Non-cash 0.60 (0.35 ) 0.20 (0.32 ) Non-recurring charges and other: Cash (0.63 ) (0.11 ) (0.36 ) (0.14 ) General and administrative, as adjusted(2) $ 4.01 $ 2.90 $ 3.61 $ 3.09 Gathering and other, as reported $ 12.97 $ 11.59 $ 12.10 $ 11.54 Rig termination and stacking charges and other 0.26 0.07 0.12 0.04 Gathering and other, as adjusted(3) $ 13.23 $ 11.66 $ 12.22 $ 11.58 Total operating costs, as reported $ 30.25 $ 28.58 $ 27.99 $ 28.44 Total adjusting items 0.23 (0.39 ) (0.04 ) (0.42 ) Total operating costs, as adjusted(3) $ 30.48 $ 28.19 $ 27.95 $ 28.02 ________________________(2) General and administrative, as adjusted, is a non-GAAP measure that excludes non-cash stock-based compensation charges relating to equity awards under our incentive stock plan, as well as other cash charges associated with non-recurring charges and other. The Company believes that it is useful to understand the effects that these charges have on general and administrative expenses and total operating costs and that exclusion of such charges is useful for comparison to prior periods.(3) Represents lease operating expense, workover and other expense, taxes other than income, gathering and other expense and general and administrative costs per Boe, adjusted for items noted in the reconciliation above. BATTALION OIL CORPORATIONRECONCILIATION (Unaudited)(In thousands, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 As Reported: Net income (loss) available to common stockholders - diluted (1) $ (5,745 ) $ 13,047 $ 14,280 $ (79,697 ) Impact of Selected Items: Unrealized loss (gain) on derivatives contracts: Crude oil $ (10,440 ) $ (11,939 ) $ (30,130 ) $ 70,962 Natural gas 8,108 (898 ) 6,794 7,239 Total mark-to-market non-cash charge (2,332 ) (12,837 ) (23,336 ) 78,201 Change in fair value of embedded derivative liability 358 (562 ) (704 ) (2,594 ) Non-recurring charges 811 149 994 366 Selected items, before income taxes (1,163 ) (13,250 ) (23,046 ) 75,973 Income tax effect of selected items Selected items, net of tax (1,163 ) (13,250 ) (23,046 ) 75,973 Net income (loss) available to common stockholders, as adjusted (2) $ (6,908 ) $ (203 ) $ (8,766 ) $ (3,724 ) Diluted net income (loss) per common share, as reported $ (0.35 ) $ 0.79 $ 0.86 $ (4.88 ) Impact of selected items (0.07 ) (0.80 ) (1.39 ) 4.65 Diluted net income (loss) per common share, excluding selected items (2)(3) $ (0.42 ) $ (0.01 ) $ (0.53 ) $ (0.23 ) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 9,338 $ 16,286 $ 8,649 $ 28,333 Changes in working capital (406 ) (910 ) 18,657 6,873 Cash flows from operations before changes in working capital 8,932 15,376 27,306 35,206 Cash components of selected items 851 (1,694 ) 1,589 (13,542 ) Income tax effect of selected items Cash flows from operations before changes in working capital, adjusted for selected items (1) $ 9,783 $ 13,682 $ 28,895 $ 21,664 ________________________(1) Amount reflects net income (loss) available to common stockholders on a diluted basis for earnings per share purposes as calculated using the two-class method of computing earnings per share which is further described in Note 12, Earnings Per Share in our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023.(2) Net income (loss) earnings per share excluding selected items and cash flows from operations before changes in working capital adjusted for selected items are non-GAAP measures presented based on management's belief that they will enable a user of the financial information to understand the impact of these items on reported results. These financial measures are not measures of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, earnings per share and cash flows from operations, as defined by GAAP. These financial measures may not be comparable to similarly named non-GAAP financial measures that other companies may use and may not be useful in comparing the performance of those companies to Battalion's performance.(3) The impact of selected items for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 were calculated based upon weighted average diluted shares of 16.5 million and 16.4 million shares, respectively, due to the net income (loss) available to common stockholders, excluding selected items. The impact of selected items for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 were calculated based upon weighted average diluted shares of 16.3 million shares, respectively, due to the net income (loss) available to common stockholders, excluding selected items. BATTALION OIL CORPORATIONADJUSTED EBITDA RECONCILIATION (Unaudited)(In thousands) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Net income (loss), as reported $ (4,748 ) $ 13,047 $ 18,063 $ (79,697 ) Impact of adjusting items: Interest expense 9,366 5,394 18,375 10,115 Depletion, depreciation and accretion 14,713 12,601 30,861 22,821 Stock-based compensation (772 ) 473 (545 ) 857 Interest income (234 ) (1 ) (425 ) (1 ) Unrealized loss (gain) on derivatives contracts (2,332 ) (12,837 ) (23,336 ) 78,201 Deferred financing costs expensed - - - Change in fair value of embedded derivative liability 358 (562 ) (704 ) (2,594 ) Rig termination and stacking charges Non-recurring charges and other 477 53 629 270 Adjusted EBITDA(1) $ 16,828 $ 18,168 $ 42,918 $ 29,972 ________________________(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, which is presented based on management's belief that it will enable a user of the financial information to understand the impact of these items on reported results. This financial measure is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP measures, including net income (loss). This financial measure may not be comparable to similarly named non-GAAP financial measures that other companies may use and may not be useful in comparing the performance of those companies to Battalion's performance. BATTALION OIL CORPORATIONADJUSTED EBITDA RECONCILIATION (Unaudited)(In thousands) Three Months Three Months Three Months Three Months Ended Ended Ended Ended June 30, 2023 March 31, 2023 December 31, 2022 September 30, 2022 Net income (loss), as reported $ (4,748 ) $ 22,811 (7,652 ) 105,888 Impact of adjusting items: Interest expense 9,366 9,009 9,378 6,232 Depletion, depreciation and accretion 14,713 16,148 15,479 13,615 Stock-based compensation (772 ) 227 670 683 Interest income (234 ) (191 ) (227 ) (141 ) Unrealized loss (gain) on derivatives contracts (2,332 ) (21,004 ) 3,655 (102,112 ) Change in fair value of embedded derivative liability 358 (1,062 ) 1,224 (449 ) Non-recurring charges (credits) and other 477 152 194 597 Adjusted EBITDA(1) $ 16,828 $ 26,090 $ 22,721 $ 24,313 Adjusted LTM EBITDA(1) $ 89,952 ________________________(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, which is presented based on management's belief that it will enable a user of the financial information to understand the impact of these items on reported results. This financial measure is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP measures, including net income (loss). This financial measure may not be comparable to similarly named non-GAAP financial measures that other companies may use and may not be useful in comparing the performance of those companies to Battalion's performance. BATTALION OIL CORPORATIONADJUSTED EBITDA RECONCILIATION (Unaudited)(In thousands) Three Months Three Months Three Months Three Months Ended Ended Ended Ended June 30, 2022 March 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 September 30, 2021 Net income (loss), as reported $ 13,047 (92,744 ) 25,935 13,052 Impact of adjusting items: Interest expense 5,394 4,721 3,215 1,904 Depletion, depreciation and accretion 12,601 10,220 12,679 10,885 Stock-based compensation 473 384 450 481 Interest income (1 ) (1 ) (3 ) Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt 122 (2,068 ) Unrealized loss (gain) on derivatives contracts (12,837 ) 91,038 (21,332 ) (1,816 ) Change in fair value of embedded derivative liability (562 ) (2,032 ) Non-recurring charges (credits) and other 53 217 (718 ) 559 Adjusted EBITDA(1) $ 18,168 $ 11,804 $ 20,350 $ 22,994 Adjusted LTM EBITDA(1) $ 73,316 ________________________(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, which is presented based on management's belief that it will enable a user of the financial information to understand the impact of these items on reported results. This financial measure is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP measures, including net income (loss). This financial measure may not be comparable to similarly named non-GAAP financial measures that other companies may use and may not be useful in comparing the performance of those companies to Battalion's performance. Source: Battalion Oil Corporation EFECTE PLC PRESS RELEASE -- 21 August 2023 at 17.45 Efecte Plc: Efecte acquires Requeste business from Sysart Oy Efecte helps people to digitalize and automate their work and aims to become the Leading European Alternative in service management. Efecte has today signed a business purchase agreement with Sysart Oy concerning the acquisition of all assets relating to its Requeste business. Requeste is a ticketing, customer service and ITSM solution with strong footprint in Finnish midmarket customers. Requeste business currently has four employees in Oulu, Finland and its net sales in 2022 were approximately 500 thousand euros, over half of which SaaS. The business is profitable and expected to bring positive EBITDA contribution from closing. "We see an increasing trend of consolidation in the service management market. Joining forces with the Requeste team is a natural step in accelerating our growth also through market consolidation. Requeste customers can expect continuing and enhanced support from the whole Efecte team, including the talented Requeste team now joining forces with us. Customers will benefit from the broader set of products and services we can offer, including an opportunity to expand to broader use cases on the Efecte service management platform. Requestes strong customer base in Finland and the teams culture blend well with Efectes, and we see lots of opportunities for working well together. I warmly welcome the Requeste team to Efecte notes Niilo Fredrikson, CEO of Efecte. The acquisition has been signed today 21 August 2023 and is expected to be closed on 1 September 2023 subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by largest customers of the Requeste business. The net purchase price of approximately EUR 360 thousand is payable from the Company's cash assets in two tranches upon closing and in May 2024. Further enquiries: Tatu Paavilainen, Head of Legal and M&A, +358 400 383 064 Efecte Plc Efecte helps people to digitalize and automate their work. Customers across Europe leverage our cloud service to operate with greater agility, to improve the experience of end-users, and to save costs. The use cases for our solutions range from IT service management and ticketing to improving employee experiences, business workflows, and customer service. We are the European Alternative to the global goliaths in our space. Our headquarters is located in Finland and we have regional hubs in Germany, Poland, Spain and Sweden. Efecte is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland marketplace. As the curtain rises on National Skills Week starting August 21, residents across New South Wales are urged to dive into the myriad opportunities that vocational education and training (VET) offer. Under the theme What are you looking for?, the week-long event shines a spotlight on the dynamic educational and career prospects accessible through VET pathways. Murat Dizdar, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, underscores the aim of Skills Week: to dispel outdated misconceptions surrounding vocational education opportunities. In a rapidly evolving job landscape, Dizdar emphasizes the pivotal role VET plays in future-proofing both established and emerging industries. Dizdar emphasizes that while vocational education continues to underpin traditional trades, its significance extends to nascent sectors. He cites the example of the burgeoning clean energy domain, which is poised to generate promising employment prospects rooted in current trades. Moreover, Dizdar notes that the distinction between university education and VET pathways is increasingly blurred. He champions vocational education as an equal partner in the tertiary sector, with a burgeoning future lying in enhanced collaboration between the two realms. Dizdar posits that the road to success is paved with multifaceted skills seamlessly interwoven in innovative ways. Beyond bridging the education gap, Skills Week also serves as a pivotal platform to spotlight the School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs) program within NSW public schools. Dizdar highlights the programs impact in illuminating diverse career avenues for young individuals. The initiatives success is underscored by the 9.5% increase in SBAT participation, defying the national trend. The state of New South Wales stands as a vanguard in vocational education, boasting nearly 113,000 trainees and apprentices in training, surpassing all other states and territories. During this significant week, Dizdar also pays homage to employers who guide students through their training, and the educators who impart world-class learning experiences. Now celebrating its 13th year, Skills Week shines a spotlight on the remarkable skills, talents, and potential career pathways of students, apprentices, trainees, and the extensive array of industries they contribute to. National Skills Week takes place from 21 27 August, with a launch at the Parliament of NSW on 22 August. For more information and examples of Skills initiatives in your area contact: mediaunit@det.nsw.edu.au WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire Ethema Health Corporation (OTCPINK: GRST) (Ethema, GRST or the Company), filed its second quarter 10-Q today and reported strong results for the quarter. Included in the quarter filing was the accounting for the disposition of the Companys wholly-owned subsidiary, Cranberry Cove Holdings Ltd. Effective June 30, 2023, Ethema sold its 100% interest in Cranberry Cove Holdings Ltd (CCH), a Canadian registered Company, to Leonite Capital, LLC (Leonite), the holder of the Series A Preferred Stock in CCH, with a carrying value of $700,000 and Series B Preferred Stock in Ethema, with a carrying value of $400,000, in exchange for the return of the Series B Preferred Stock and the accrued dividends thereon of $61,184. Due to Leonites preferred shareholdings in both Ethema and CCH as well as other convertible note advances and secured promissory note advances, Leonite was considered a related party and as such the gain realized on the transaction of $1,334,885, and the elimination of the minority interest Series A Preferred stock of $700,000 in CCH, was recorded as a capital transaction reflected in the statement of shareholders equity as a deemed contribution to Ethema of $2,034,885, reflected in additional paid-in-capital. The exchange of the Series B Preferred stock for the shares in CCH, is regarded as an extinguishment of a debt with a related party and therefore the elimination of the Series B Preferred Stock and the accrued dividends thereon, totaling $461,184, is recorded as a capital transaction with a credit to additional paid-in-capital of $461,184. The cumulative effect of the above is an increase in additional paid-in-capital of $2,496,069, thereby improving the overall financial position of Ethema by eliminating significant debt, including mortgage debt of $3,525,233, CCH Series A Preferred stock liability of $700,000 and accrued dividends thereon of $184,845 and Series B Preferred Stock liability of $400,000 and accrued dividends thereon of $61,184. The Companys ARIA subsidiary continued to perform well with an EBITDA of $506,310 before intercompany charges. Additionally, tax accruals from previous periods were reversed upon the finalization of prior period tax returns. Other unusual charges in the quarter were extension fees and professional transaction fees paid during the current quarter for the Florida real estate closing that happened after quarter end which will result in a once-off gain in the third quarter. On August 17, 2023, Deal Maker Securities received its clearance from FINRA to proceed with the Reg A financing as the Broker Dealer of record for the Company clearing the way for the commencement of the Reg A marketing. The Company expects the marketing to commence before the end of August 2023. Mr. Shawn Leon, Company CEO, reported, The second quarter was significant in that we delivered great results in the ARIA subsidiary and reduced overall debt significantly. We continue to meet our goals and expect to continue delivering good results in the quarters to come. Ethema is proud of our core mission which centers on delivering compassionate, evidence-based addiction treatment. We operate under stringent ethical standards and maintain a robust admission process driven by patients' individual needs and clinical necessities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to serve those battling addiction. About Ethema Health Corporation Ethema Health Corporation (OTCPINK: GRST) operates in the behavioral healthcare space specifically in the treatment of substance use disorders. Ethema developed a unique style of treatment over the last decade and has had much success with in-patient treatment for adults. Ethema will continue to develop world class programs and techniques for North America. For more information you can visit our website at www.ethemahealth.com . Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. For information please contact: Ethema Health Corporation [email protected] Text to 416-500-0020 Twitter @healthethema Bank also announces new President of Commercial Lending Operations and West Market President LAKEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FirstBank, one of the nations largest privately held banks with a focus on banking for good, recently announced several leadership changes. The new appointments result from FirstBank executives either retiring or being elevated to C-level positions. Former Chief Credit Officer (CCO) Brian Ballard retired after more than 30 years with the company. He started his career with FirstBank in 1992, and held several leadership positions, including West Market President, before being appointed CCO in 2020. Brian was a tremendous contributor and brought immense value to our organization, said Jim Reuter, CEO of FirstBank. He led us through the pandemic and PPP, which helped over 15,000 businesses, and enabled FirstBank to be the states largest originator of economic relief loans. Brian also oversaw the largest years in loan production in our organizations history. John Markovich, former President of Commercial Lending, is taking over as CCO. John started his FirstBank career in 2006, and previously oversaw the companys mortgage and commercial real estate departments. In addition, FirstBank also announced the following Presidents: Tony Giarratano, who served as Executive Vice President in the Southwest Market, will take over as President of Commercial Lending. Tony started his FirstBank career in 2007. Additionally, Patrick Riley, previously the Executive Vice President of the Northwest Market, was named the West Market President. Patrick has been with FirstBank since 2006. "Our employees are our most valuable asset, and we aim to create an environment where they can have fulfilling careers, added Reuter. Weve been steadfast about promoting within and harnessing internal talent, and I think thats why FirstBank has been a strong performing company over the decades. John, Tony, and Patrick have the knowledge, foresight and expertise to carry out the banks strategic vision. We look forward to watching them thrive in their new and well-deserved positions. Over the last 60 years, FirstBank has prioritized doing whats right for customers, communities and employees, including cultivating an award-winning workplace. To learn more about FirstBank, visit www.efirstbank.com. About FirstBankFirstBank began providing banking services in 1963. Today, its known as an industry leader in digital banking. It has grown to be one of the largest privately held banks in the United States, maintaining over $28 billion in assets and 100 branch locations across Colorado, Arizona and California. FirstBank offers a variety of consumer deposit accounts, home equity loans, mortgages, rental property loans, and a full range of commercial banking services, including business financing, commercial real estate loans, treasury management, and more. Since 2000, FirstBank has been recognized as a top corporate philanthropist, contributing more than $85 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. The company is also unique in that a large portion of its stock is owned by management and employees, giving employees a financial stake in the banks success through its Employee Stock Ownership Program. For more information, visit www.efirstbank.com. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/675f7cd5-0447-4a24-8cf5-09cce5eaa7d2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/234e0dbc-7d38-4973-b2a5-87b3beebb17c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/07613796-6bf2-4aab-8d13-096b8a1c6670 Media Contacts Chandra Brin 303.235.1402 [email protected] Tony Giarratano Tony Giarratano, who served as Executive Vice President in the Southwest Market, will take over as President of Commercial Lending. Patrick Riley Patrick Riley, previously the Executive Vice President of the Northwest Market, was named the West Market President. John Markovich John Markovich, former President of Commercial Lending, is taking over as Chief Credit Officer. Source: FirstBank Edmonton, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Invest Alberta released its annual report for the 2022-2023 fiscal year today showing that 2022-23 was transformative for many Alberta communities with investments of nearly $20 billion in major projects and more than 25,000 jobs created since 2020. Invest Albertas success promoting Alberta on a global stage is driving tangible results for Albertas economic growth and diversification. With teams strategically located in Alberta and in offices around the world, Invest Alberta supported twice as many companies in 2022-23 than during the previous year. Communities across the province welcomed a variety of new businesses, expansions, and job opportunities. Wheatland County is now home to a De Havilland aircraft manufacturing plant, Vegreville will be opening a biocomposites manufacturing facility, and PACE Canada is building a new solar power plant in Lacombe County. Two state-of-the-art food processing companies announced growth plans in Edmonton, while Calgarys reputation as an emerging tech hub continues to grow with high profile announcements from IBM, Mphasis, and EY. Companies are choosing Alberta over other jurisdictions based on factors like a young and educated work force, a strong ecosystem of collaborative partnerships, exceptional quality of life, access to global markets, and world-class research and education institutions. For example, Felix Cheung, Founder and CEO, IXON Food Technology said, We ultimately picked Alberta as the home for our first international office due to its tremendous support for start-ups, its outstanding quality meats, especially beef and pork, as well as its wealth of resources, including expertise in food safety, product development, and mechanical engineering. Ashely Marr, Director of the Heartland Petrochemical Complex at Inter Pipeline has said, The diversification, the innovation, the pioneer spirit, the passion for future generation is so present in everything in Alberta. Invest Alberta prioritizes regions and sectors that align with Alberta's increasingly diverse economy. Agriculture, energy and clean technology, technology and innovation, aerospace and aviation, fintech, life sciences, and infrastructure are priority sectors that are benefitting from Invest Albertas efforts. By providing tailored supports to companies, Invest Alberta helps facilitate investment opportunities and position Alberta as a globally competitive investment destination. The complete annual report, including comprehensive operational insights, financial statements, and a look ahead, is now available for download here. QUOTES Alberta is a top destination for global investment. In industries from technology to manufacturing to aviation to agriculture and more, investors are finding a home for their businesses, products, and services right here. We are working to keep Alberta an attractive destination for investment and Invest Alberta continues to play an important role in making sure the world knows about the opportunities available here. - Danielle Smith, Premier Invest Albertas annual report showcases a remarkable year of achievements, highlighting substantial growth and tangible results. Accomplishments from the past year are a solid foundation to launch into a new era of enhanced economic growth and diversification. The team at Invest Alberta, together with partners across the province, are poised to continue driving the ongoing economic success and innovation needed to pave the path toward a prosperous future. - R. Scott Hutcheson, Board Chair, Invest Alberta Through a deliberate international outreach and marketing strategy over the past year, we secured major projects by showcasing Albertas appeal as a premier destination for investors to grow their business and join a vibrant community. Looking ahead, we are laser-focused on leveraging our strengths as collaborators and industry experts to bring more high value, impactful, job-creating investments to communities across the province. - Rick Christiaanse, CEO, Invest Alberta About Invest Alberta: Invest Alberta engages the world and provides high-end tailored support to companies, investors, and major new projects. With team members strategically positioned in key markets around the world, Invest Alberta works to break down barriers so businesses can start up, scale up, and succeed without limits. Since 2020, Invest Alberta has supported the commitment of nearly $20 billion in investment that created more than 25,000 new high-value jobs for Albertans. For more information, visit investalberta.ca. Invest Alberta +1 403 861-9968 [email protected] Source: Invest Alberta Company presents 2022/23 sustainability performance and releases its mid-to-long-term roadmap for ESG management SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NEXEN TIRE, a leading global tire manufacturer, today releases its fourth annual Sustainability Report, detailing progress towards its sustainable management performance and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments. The report highlights the tire makers ESG developments, progress and focus as well as details expanding a mid-to-long-term roadmap for ESG management. The report has been prepared in line with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards content and quality principles to ensure information accuracy, clarity and reliability. These standards enable greater transparency and accountability of organizations, by enhancing global comparability and quality of information around ESG performance. The information covers all our owned manufacturing and research facilities worldwide. The 2023 Report covers numerous topics including accomplishments and goals in the following key areas of environmental, social, and governance (ESG): NEXEN TIREs Central Research Institute is conducting various research and development to minimize the environmental impact throughout the entire process, from raw materials of products to the stages of use and disposal of finished products. NEXEN TIRE showcased its sustainable-material demonstration tire composed of 52% sustainable materials. NEXEN TIRE took part in various environment and society focused activities such as cultivating a forest for biodiversity. NEXEN TIRE will reduce carbon emissions in the overall production process, and in order to achieve the RE100 goal, the company will actively consider the application of renewable energy. NEXEN TIRE established a sustainability management committee led by the companys chief operating officer comprised of senior leadership team in order to achieve systematic and professional ESG management goals. The 2023 report also notes the companys membership to the UNGC to comply with ten sustainability principles. These principles consider business's basic responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. The complete report is available on NEXEN TIREs website at http://www.nexentire.com/international/company/esg_report/. About NEXEN TIRE NEXEN TIRE, established in 1942, is a global tire manufacturer headquartered in South Korea. NEXEN TIRE, one of the worlds fastest growing tire manufacturers, currently interacts with approximately 150 countries around the world and owns four manufacturing plants two in Korea (Yangsan and Changnyeong) and one in Qingdao, China. Another plant in Zatec, the Czech Republic has also begun operation in 2019. NEXEN TIRE produces tires for passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks with advanced technology and excellence in design. NEXEN TIRE supplies OE tires to global car makers in various countries around the world. In 2014, the company achieved a grand slam of the worlds top 4 design awards for the first time amongst the various tire makers in the world. For more information, please visit http://www.nexentire.com/international/ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c4062078-4d25-47a0-b34a-ea17eff35e3e NFTSOSO has achieved 300,000 members milestone. This achievement underscores NFTSOSO's commitment to democratizing NFT investments and revolutionizing the digital asset investment landscape. VANCOUVER, CANADA, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NFTSOSO, the pioneering NFT project investment company, proudly announces a significant milestone with a thriving community of over 300,000 members. This achievement underscores NFTSOSO's commitment to democratizing NFT investments and revolutionizing the digital asset investment landscape. Since its establishment in 2021, NFTSOSO has been at the forefront of the NFT revolution, empowering individuals worldwide to explore the potential of NFT investments. The company's user-friendly platform enables both experienced investors and newcomers to seamlessly navigate the complex world of NFTs, selecting contracts that align with their goals. "We are thrilled to reach this remarkable milestone of 300,000 members," said Sey Kel, Community Manager of NFTSOSO. "This achievement reflects the growing interest and trust in our mission to make NFT investments accessible to everyone. NFTSOSO is more than just a company; it's a movement that aims to reshape the investment landscape." NFTSOSO's advantages lie in its dedication to simplifying NFT investments, its global community that unites diverse individuals, and its commitment to prioritizing investors' interests by curating contracts with potential for steady returns. The platform eliminates the need for specialized NFT knowledge, allowing investors to dive into the NFT market confidently. The advantages of choosing NFTSOSO as an investment partner are numerous: Expertise in Simplification: NFTSOSO's innovative approach demystifies NFT investments, making them clear, approachable, and rewarding. Global Community: With a sprawling network spanning the globe, NFTSOSO brings together individuals with a shared ambition to explore the potential of NFT investments. Investor-Focused: NFTSOSO places its investors' interests at the forefront. The company's commitment to selecting contracts with potential for steady returns ensures members can navigate the NFT market with confidence. Moreover, those who invest in these projects with fixed income can add some introductions. No Prior Knowledge Needed: NFTSOSO's platform eliminates the need for specialized NFT knowledge. Whether you're an experienced investor or new to the world of NFTs, NFTSOSO invites you to join its journey of exploration, innovation, and financial growth. With NFTSOSO as a guide, the NFT revolution becomes an accessible pathway to success in the ever-evolving landscape of digital assets. About NFTSOSO: NFTSOSO is a pioneering NFT project investment company established in 2021. With a thriving community of over 300,000 members, NFTSOSO is committed to democratizing NFT investments by providing a user-friendly platform that simplifies the investment journey in the NFT market. For more information please visit our website https://nftsoso.com/ NFTSOSO contact: Sey Kel Community Manager [email protected] VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blender Bites Ltd. (the Company, Blender Bites or Blender), (CSE: BITE, FWB: JL4, WKN: A3DMEJ), a multi award-winning Canadian company involved in the development and marketing of a line of premium, frozen functional beverages, is thrilled to announce its US subsidiary, Blender Bites US Ltd., is launching at Walmart USA (Walmart), with product now ready to ship to approximately 1,600 Walmart locations across the U.S. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for the Company, catapulting the Blender Bites brand and placing it firmly on the map as a strong player in the frozen beverage category. Blender Bites 1-Step Smoothies are a frozen innovation made to simplify the smoothie process, and are made with organic fruits, greens and functional ingredients such as probiotics and immune supporting vitamins and minerals. They are certified organic, gluten free, dairy free, soy free and contain no added sugars. Blender Bites 1-Step Frappes are a healthier take on the traditional Frappuccino and contain 50% less sugar, calories and carbohydrates. They are also dairy free, gluten free, and contain functional ingredients such as adaptogenic mushrooms and collagen. Both items can be made with the use of a blender or a shaker cup offering customers a convenient option to enjoy at home or on the go. Walmart will carry three of Blender Bites 1-Step Smoothie SKUs including top sellers Liquid Sunshine with a good source of mood boosting Vitamin D, Daily Defen-C with immune supporting probiotics, and Power Berry with 7 organic greens and a good source of energizing B vitamins. Walmart has also listed two of the Companys 1-Step Frappes including Mindful Mocha with cognitive supporting lions mane mushroom and Caramel Collagen with skin, hair and joint supporting collagen. With this launch, Blender Bites has transitioned from a thriving Canadian startup to a prominent household brand across North America. The Companys unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and consumer satisfaction has been instrumental in launching at Walmart. As a female-founded and led company, Blender Bites takes pride in collaborating with Walmart. Julianne Hough, the esteemed celebrity advocate for Blender Bites, has been instrumental in creating a seamless marketing push that perfectly aligns with this launch. The Company has been working with Walmart USA over the past 18 months to ensure that every aspect of the business is meticulously prepared for this major launch. We are thrilled to bring Blender Bites to Walmarts vast network of stores across the U.S., says Chelsie Hodge, Blender Bites CEO and Founder. Walmart has shown incredible support of a diversity founded brand and has shown true collaboration over the past 18 months. This opportunity is by far the most significant in our Companys history, and it represents a transformative step towards our goal of becoming a household name in the frozen food and beverage category. The Blender Bites team has spared no effort in scaling every aspect of the business to ensure a smooth and successful launch in collaboration with Walmart USA. Customers can expect to find Blender Bites products on Walmart shelves in the US starting from August 21st, 2023, as well as on walmart.com. ABOUT BLENDER BITES Blender Bites is a multi award-winning Canadian company involved in the development and marketing of a line of premium, frozen functional food and beverages. Blender Bites products are made with organic ingredients, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free and soy free. Blender Bites was founded in 2016 and first launched to market in Western Canada in 2017 with a pre-portioned 1-Step Smoothie product that is free of any unnecessary inner plastic packaging. Blender Bites products are now distributed internationally across Canada and the US, and are currently sold in over 1000 stores, including Walmart, Sobeys, Loblaws, Safeway, Save on Foods, Real Canadian Superstore, Whole Foods Market, Buy-Low/Nesters, IGA, and Thriftys. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Blender Bites Limited Chelsie Hodge, Chief Executive OfficerEmail [email protected]Telephone 236-521-0626 For further information, contact Blender IR Team at: Email [email protected]Telephone 1-888-997-2055Media Contact [email protected] CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENTThis news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, and uncertain capital markets. Readers are cautioned that 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: Blender Bites Limited Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 21, 2023) - NEWFOUNDLAND DISCOVERY CORP. (CSE: NEWD) (OTC: NEWDF) (FSE: M4K) ("Newfoundland Discovery", "NEWD", or "the Company") proudly announces its 100% acquisition of the "Voltstone Project", an extensive mineral property located in Northwestern Ontario, acquired through strategic internal staking. The Company's cost-efficient approach led to the acquisition of 266 mineral claims. This new project is strategically located less than 10 kilometres from Pegmatite One's (CSE: PGA) Frazer Mound Property, a significant lithium discovery. Geological analysis confirms the Voltstone Project shares the same foundational geological characteristics as the Pegmatite One Frazer Lake Discovery. Satellite imagery-driven preliminary evaluations indicate the presence of promising mineralization within the Voltstone Property. Distinct outcrops and potential mineral trends identified before this acquisition solidified Voltstone's potential. It is now poised to stand alongside the eminent lithium discoveries within Ontario's renowned lithium belt as NEWD has several lithium potential projects. This belt is home to notable lithium-focused companies such as Ultra Lithium, Rock Tech Lithium, Newpath, Imagine Lithium, Clean Air Metals, Brunswick, and most recently, Pegmatite One Lithium. Map 1: Depiction of Ontario's Lithium Belt, highlighting the strategic locations of NEWD's projects. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7129/177915_b48d41f7245638d4_002full.jpg Map 2: Close-up view detailing NEWD's Voltstone Project relative to other lithium explorers like Pegmatite One. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7129/177915_b48d41f7245638d4_003full.jpg CEO Jeremy Prinsen commented, "This isn't merely another acquisition. It's our stake in the rapidly evolving Canadian lithium market. Initial evaluations of the Voltstone Project are promising, and we're preparing for an extensive exploration phase. As the global focus shifts to sustainable energy, the crucial role of lithium becomes undeniably evident." Plans are underway for NEWD's first pass exploration program for Voltstone, targeting potential mineralized zones and setting the stage for more exploratory endeavours. About Newfoundland Discovery Corp. Newfoundland Discovery Corp. (CSE: NEWD) (OTC: NEWDF) is a dynamic Canadian junior mining exploration Company, with a primary focus on the exploration and development of mineral assets in active Canadian mining districts. Our portfolio of projects includes exciting lithium prospects in the Hearst, Ontario district, a robust portfolio of precious and base metal projects in Newfoundland, and a strategic early-mover foothold on projects in the Detour Lake Gold Mine district of Ontario. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, NEWFOUNDLAND DISCOVERY CORP. "Jeremy Prinsen" President, CEO & Director Corporate Communications Phone: +1 (236) 513-4653 Email: [email protected] Website: www.newfoundlanddiscovery.ca 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. Forward-Looking Statement This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's exploration plans, results, and objectives. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, exploration risks, commodity prices, market demand, and other factors beyond the Company's control. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results, or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177915 Key Highlights: Discovery : First-ever lithium mineralization identified in Northwestern Ontario's Frazer Lake Mound Property. : First-ever lithium mineralization identified in Northwestern Ontario's Frazer Lake Mound Property. High-Grade Findings : Identified zone with an average of 6.82% Li 2 O, peaking at 7.26% Li 2 O. : Identified zone with an average of 6.82% Li O, peaking at 7.26% Li O. Promising Potential: 9-kilometre trend of enriched LCT* pegmatite veins and dykes identified. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 21, 2023) - Pegmatite One Lithium and Gold Corp.(CSE:PGA) (formerly Madi Minerals Ltd.) ("Pegmatite One" or the "Company") announces a discovery of high-grade lithium mineralization at the Frazer Lake Mound Property in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. This significant discovery, spearheaded by Planet X Exploration Services Corp. ("Planet X"), is the first of its kind in this region. The exploration program, driven by a skilled team of geologists and explorationists at Planet X, resulted in the collection of 231 rock grab samples across the property. An in-depth analysis confirmed the presence of spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes, reinforcing the monumental nature of this discovery in Northwestern Ontario. Breakdown of the Discovery: Peak Values : In the spodumene-rich pegmatite zone, 6 samples averaged an impressive 6.82% Li 2 O, reaching highs of 7.25% Li2O. : In the spodumene-rich pegmatite zone, 6 samples averaged an impressive 6.82% Li O, reaching highs of 7.25% Li2O. Other Anomalies: 15 samples exhibited readings over 0.02% Li 2 O. Adding to the excitement, an extensive trend, spanning about 9 kilometres and containing anomalous and enriched LCT pegmatite veins and dykes has been mapped out. This discovery emphasizes the regions potential for hosting further high-grade lithium mineralization. The discovery zone contains visual spodumene with an estimated abundance varying between 1-50% within the pegmatite matrix and the extent of the zone is currently open in all directions. Figure 1: Geographical Distribution of Lithium Grades: Spotlight on High-Grade Zones at Frazer Lake Property in Northwestern Ontario, Canada To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9391/177910_c347626784429bf0_002full.jpg Kelly Abbott, CEO of Pegmatite One, stated, "This new data adds to the growing evidence of the exceptional lithium potential of the Frazer Lake Mound Property. We're excited about the implications this has for our future exploration and development strategies moving forward." Anticipated maps detailing the discovery will be shared once received. This announcement fortifies Pegmatite One's commitment to unveiling superior lithium sources pivotal for the evolution of green and sustainable technologies. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Pegmatite One Lithium and Gold Corp. Kelly Abbott CEO Phone: +1 (416) 481-2222 x228 Email: [email protected] Website: www.pegmatiteone.com *LCT pegmatites are a type of rare granitic formation named for their main mineral components: Lithium (L), Cesium (Cs), and Tantalum (Ta). These pegmatites are highly mineralized intrusions, typically characterized by large crystals and are a significant source of rare metals. In geological terms: - LCT: This acronym stands for the three elements - Lithium, Cesium, and Tantalum. The LCT family of pegmatites are a particularly interesting and economically important class because they contain many minerals used in modern technology, including lithium, which is crucial for rechargeable batteries in electric vehicles and various electronic devices. The presence of LCT pegmatite veins and dykes is significant because it indicates the potential presence of valuable minerals, especially lithium, which has growing demand in various industries, particularly in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. Qualified Person Technical information in this news release has been approved by Ryan Versloot, P.Geo., a 'Qualified Person' as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Quality Assurance / Quality Control ("QA/QC") Grab samples were managed by Planet X Exploration Services Ltd. All samples were bagged, sealed, and stored inside a storage locker until delivery to an independent laboratory, ALS Laboratories in Thunder Bay, Ontario (ISO/IEC 17025:2017). The initial batch of samples were analyzed by four acid digestion with ICP-MS finish (ME-MS61) and the over limits were finished by ICP-AES (Li-OG63). One standard (OREAS 750) and one blank were submitted with the shipment to supplement the lab's internal controls. About Pegmatite One Lithium and Gold Corp. Pegmatite One is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange and is focused on the exploration for lithium and gold. The Company is committed to responsible mining practices and operates two mineral exploration properties in Northwestern Ontario and a third mineral exploration property on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The Morrison River property consists of 222 claims and 335 cell claim units in the Morrison River area, Muskrat Dam Lake, Northwestern Ontario. The Morrison River property is Pegmatite One's flagship lithium asset; the Company sees its potential lithium production to be part of the world's continued shift toward electric vehicles and green technologies. The Georgina property, a gold prospect located in the Nanaimo mining division, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, consists of one mineral claim covering an area of 2,069 hectares. Additional information concerning the Company is contained in documents filed by the Company with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The Canadian Securities Exchange and its Regulation Services Provider do not take responsibility for the accuracy of the content of this news release. Forward-Looking Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements as per applicable securities laws. Such statements, not rooted in historical fact, often use terms like "may," "anticipate," "expect," "potential," "believe," "intend," or their negatives. Key anticipations include: the Morrison River property's lithium potential; Georgina property's gold potential; the Company's exploration plans for Frazer Lake Mount Property; the potential of Frazer Mound Property as a high-grade lithium source based on recent analyses; the Company's commitment to updating stakeholders on exploration and to responsible mining at the Morrison River and Georgina properties; and the anticipated global shift to electric vehicles and green technologies. The statements hinge on several assumptions and expected future events: the Company's capability to conduct timely and cost-effective activities; maintenance of mineral tenures and concessions; managing economic and financial conditions; navigating exploration and mining hazards; future metal prices; potential discoveries; obtaining timely exploration permits; monetizing mineral resources; abiding by environmental laws; dependence on key personnel; and competition in the mining sector. However, numerous risks could cause actual outcomes to vary significantly from these predictions. These risks encompass: delays and inflated costs; failure to maintain concessions; inability to address economic downturns; unexpected operational hazards; metal price fluctuations; regulatory changes; failure to obtain required permits promptly; inability to realize property potentials or to uphold commitments; and unforeseen shifts in the global transition to green technologies. Readers should note the inherent risks in forward-looking statements, understanding that plans or expectations might not materialize. While such information is deemed reasonable when created, there's no assurance that the anticipated events will transpire. Changes can occur post the date of this release, and the Company isn't bound to update these statements, barring any legal obligation. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177910 Acquisition of Bird Rock Bio builds Skye's position as a leading endocannabinoid system-focused pharmaceutical company New capital funds anticipated Phase 2a glaucoma clinical trial Nimacimab is a first-in-class peripherally-restricted negative allosteric modulator antibody inhibitor of CB1 signaling Phase 1 results for SBI-100 Ophthalmic Emulsion, a first-in-class CB1 agonist/activator and Skye's lead product candidate, expected by the end of Q3 2023; Phase 2a glaucoma study focused on lowering intraocular pressure expected to start patient dosing in Q4 2023 Please find an on-demand call and related slides available at 5:00 am PT/8:00 am ET on the investor News and Events section of Skye's website San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 21, 2023) - Skye Bioscience, Inc. (OTCQB: SKYE) ("Skye" or the "Company") announced that it has undertaken a strategic initiative that expands the Company's resources and technologies focused on developing therapeutic products focused on the endocannabinoid system ("ECS"). Skye raised $17M in new capital and acquired Bird Rock Bio Inc. ("Bird Rock"). With Bird Rock's lead asset, nimacimab, Skye intends to advance two complementary but distinct Phase 2 first-in-class drug products targeting the cannabinoid 1 receptor ("CB1"), focusing initially on glaucoma and chronic kidney disease. "The endocannabinoid system holds significant promise," said Andy Schwab, Managing Partner, 5AM Ventures, the lead investor in the financing. "We recognized the merit of Skye's CB1 agonist technology focused on glaucoma and saw the fit with Bird Rock's CB1 negative allosteric modulator and are pleased to invest in the advancement of Skye's clinical development plan." "Nimacimab is poised to deliver on the promising potential of safe CB1 inhibition," said Paul Grayson, CEO, Bird Rock. "Prior pre-clinical and clinical data demonstrated positive safety and tolerability of nimacimab. There have been no observed effects on the central nervous system, which has been a challenge with certain other CB1-inhibitors. We look forward to the Skye team moving this program into Phase 2." "Skye plans to move its two first-in-class programs through proof-of-concept clinical trials over the next two years," said Punit Dhillon, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Skye. "We expect Phase 2a data for SBI-100 Ophthalmic Emulsion in glaucoma in the first half of 2024. We also aim to start a Phase 2a chronic kidney disease study for nimacimab in 2024." Financing, Acquisition of Bird Rock, and Reverse Split 5AM Ventures, Versant Ventures and another investor invested an aggregate of $12 million in Skye via a private investment in public equity (PIPE). In connection with the PIPE and the acquisition of Bird Rock Bio, Skye issued 581,383,799 shares of its common stock at a price of approximately $0.021 per share and 557,159,474 common shares to the existing preferred shareholders of Bird Rock that participated in the PIPE. In addition, the PIPE investors were granted 581,383,799 warrants with an exercise price of approximately $0.021. Skye also issued a short-term convertible note with a principal amount of $5 million as well as warrants to another investor. The aggregate of the PIPE financing and convertible note equal a total investment of $17 million, of which approximately $9 million has been used to secure an appellate bond for an existing litigation matter of the Company as the Company appeals the related lawsuit and pursues insurance recovery. Skye also acquired 100% of the outstanding capital stock of Bird Rock for total consideration of approximately $20 million which was payable to Bird Rock stockholders solely in shares of Skye's common stock. Certain newly issued shares and warrants related to both the PIPE, convertible note and acquisition of Bird Rock are subject to a customary lock-up agreement. Skye's cash and cash equivalents are expected to fund its operations into 2024 through its Phase 1 data read-out by the end of Q3 2023 for SBI-100 and its interim Phase 2a data read-out in H1 2024 for SBI-100. Following the closing of the PIPE financing, convertible note financing and the acquisition of Bird Rock, Skye has approximately 3.08 billion shares of common stock outstanding (approximately 4.18 billion shares of common stock outstanding on a fully diluted basis). Immediately following the closing of the PIPE financing, the convertible note financing and the acquisition of Bird Rock, the former equity holders of Bird Rock owned approximately 31.4% of the outstanding shares of common stock, the investors in the PIPE financing owned approximately 37% of the outstanding shares of common stock and the equity holders of Skye immediately prior to the closings of the PIPE financing, the convertible note financing and the acquisition of Bird Rock owned approximately 31.6% of the outstanding shares of common stock. Skye has submitted a notice to FINRA of a proposed 1:250 reverse stock split that would result in 1 share being issued for every 250 outstanding shares of common stock of Skye. Pending the completion of FINRA's review, implementation of the reverse split by Skye and meeting the applicable listing requirements, the Company's goal is to uplist to a national stock exchange. Morrison & Foerster LLP served as legal counsel for Skye, Cooley LLP served as legal counsel to Bird Rock, and Choate Hall & Stewart LLP served as legal counsel to the PIPE investors. No placement agent was involved in facilitating this financing. Skye's management team will continue to lead the combined company following the transactions, with Punit Dhillon as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors. In connection with the closing of the acquisition of Bird Rock, Skye's Board of Directors was expanded from five to seven members. Andy Schwab, Managing Partner of 5AM Ventures, and Paul Grayson, CEO of Tentarix Biotherapeutics and Venture Partner at Versant Ventures, joined the Board of Directors of Skye as new directors. Acquired New Technology: Nimacimab Nimacimab is a first-in-class humanized monoclonal antibody that acts as a negative allosteric modulator inhibiting CB1 signaling in the periphery. Inhibition of CB1 has shown anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic mechanisms of action with significant potential to address a broad range of diseases with notable unmet medical needs such as chronic kidney disease, obesity, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). While small molecule CB1 inhibitors have shown clinical efficacy, these molecules have faced setbacks because they blocked CB1 in the brain, causing serious adverse effects such as anxiety and depression. Nonclinical studies have shown that nimacimab does not accumulate in the brain. A Phase 1 study showed PK of approximately 21 days with no safety concerns after four weeks of dosing, suggesting a favorable potential dosing regimen. Collectively, this data highlights nimacimab's potential as a new class of CB1 inhibitor. SBI-100 Ophthalmic Emulsion ("OE") SBI-100 OE is a first-in-class, topically-administered CB1 agonist focused on reducing intraocular pressure related to glaucoma and ocular hypertension. A Phase 1, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study with single and multiple ascending dose arms in 48 healthy subjects completed enrollment in June and showed a promising safety profile. Skye expects to report preliminary data in Q3 of 2023. Skye is preparing to initiate a Phase 2a study in glaucoma in Q4 2023. Please find an on-demand conference call and related slides available at 5:00 am PT/8:00 am ET on the investor News and Events section of Skye's website About Skye Skye is focused on unlocking the pharmaceutical potential of the endocannabinoid system, initially through modulation of the CB1 receptor, to treat diseases with inflammatory, fibrotic, and metabolic processes. Backed by leading biotechnology venture investors, Skye's strategy leverages biologic targets with substantial human proof of mechanism for the development of first-in-class therapeutics with significant clinical and commercial differentiation. SBI-100 OE is a CB1 agonist that is a potential treatment for glaucoma and will start Phase 2 in Q4 2023. Nimacimab, a negative allosteric modulating antibody, inhibits peripheral CB1 with unprecedented safety and tolerability. A Phase 2 basket study for chronic kidney disease is expected to start in 2024. For more information, please visit: https://www.skyebioscience.com. CONTACT Investor Relations Email: [email protected] Phone: (858) 410-0266 FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Company's cash runway, anticipated timelines and milestones with respect to the Company's product development programs, business strategy, expected plans with respect to clinical trials, including the timing of patient enrollment and clinical trial data updates, the Company's ability to execute its strategies with respect to ongoing litigation matters, commercialization, if ever, of cannabinoid-derived therapeutics, the potential reverse stock split and the Company's efforts to uplist to a national securities exchange. Such statements and other statements in this press release that are not descriptions of historical facts are forward-looking statements that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, our business, operating results, financial condition, and stock price could be materially negatively affected. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology including "anticipated," "plans," "goal," "focus," "aims," "intends," "believes," "can," "could," "challenge," "predictable," "will," "would," "may" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. We operate in a rapidly changing environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. As a result, it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements the Company may make. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, our capital resources, uncertainty regarding the results of future testing and development efforts and other risks that are described in the Risk Factors section of Skye's most recent annual or quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as expressly required by law, Skye disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177895 Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. The Ivy Institute stands firm in its mission: every student possesses unique potential, no matter their background or academic track record. Their goal is to nurture this potential, guiding students to the doors of their dream colleges. With just a quick dive into what they offer, one will observe their unparalleled commitment. Their College Admissions Counseling and Consulting Services clearly showcase this dedication. With consultants from esteemed institutions like Stanford, Harvard, and UC-Berkeley, they provide a vast and varied reservoir of knowledge to those they serve. The College List creation is a particularly noteworthy component of their offerings. The selection of which college to attend can significantly alter one's future. Students receive assistance from the Ivy Institute in compiling a list of schools that correspond to their academic goals and objectives thanks to its extensive knowledge of the many educational establishments. However, their assistance does not stop with the establishment of the list. The Ivy Institute goes above and above, developing a one-of-a-kind application strategy for each individual student. They do this by understanding that each college has its own unique culture and set of requirements. This allows them to guarantee that each application is in line with the school's ethos, which increases the likelihood of admission. Essays, such as those found in the Common App Main Essay and College Personal Statements, give students the opportunity to discuss their personal histories, aspirations, and experiences. Students who take advantage of the College Essay Writing services offered by The Ivy Institute receive professional instruction that enables them to craft emotionally engaging and long-remembered narratives. In addition to this, The Ivy Institute is very prominent in the field of Activity and Honors List Development. They take a comprehensive look at a student's accomplishments and extracurricular activities, ensuring that every aspect of their life is portrayed in the most favorable light possible. Interviews may be nerve-wracking experiences, but by participating in The Ivy Institute's Interview Preparation program, students build self-assurance and receive the insights necessary to easily navigate these important interactions. Their Application Review service guarantees flawless execution. Every aspect, from essays to activity lists, is reviewed to ensure that students present their best selves to the schools of their dreams. The Ivy Institute's Predictive Admissions method is what sets them apart from other college admissions firms in a meaningful way. They have years of practical expertise and help students grasp each college's specific characteristics and requirements. This increases the possibility that the student will find an academic home where they will thrive. The College Admissions Counseling and Consulting Services offered by the Ivy Institute go above and beyond merely gaining acceptance. They are designed to empower students by providing them with the tools and support necessary to fulfill their full potential. The Ivy Institute is not simply another college admissions consulting firm; it is a helping hand and a collaborative partner for students as they progress toward college acceptance. They are helping one student at a time realize their potential by imparting both their knowledge and their commitment. Contact Info: Name: The Ivy Institute Email: Send Email Organization: The Ivy Institute Phone: (404) 939-3767 Website: https://www.theivyinst.org/ Release ID: 89105350 Should you detect any errors, issues, or discrepancies with the content contained within this press release, or if you need assistance with a press release takedown, we kindly request that you inform us immediately by contacting [email protected]. Our expert team will be available to promptly respond and take necessary steps within the next 8 hours to resolve any identified issues or guide you through the removal process. We value the trust placed in us by our readers and remain dedicated to providing accurate and reliable information. PM gives go ahead for new airport in Central Highlands A street that runs along pine forests in Mang Den Town in Kon Tum Province. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Thanh Hang Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has agreed to add Mang Den airport to the national airport construction agenda, as proposed earlier by the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum. The decision was announced during the PMs visit to Kon Tum on Sunday. The province last September asked the Ministry of Transport to have Mang Den airport included in the national aviation development scheme until 2030 and beyond. As proposed, the international airport will cost VND4 trillion ($169.5 million) and be built under the publicprivate partnership mode. The airport is designed at level 4E, which means it can serve wide-body aircraft such as Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. Spanning 350 hectares in Mang Den Town of Kon Plong District, the airport will be able to serve 3 to 5 million passengers each year. Work on the project is expected to be started this year for completion by 2027. At an altitude of 1,200 meters, Mang Den Town has been dubbed the "second Da Lat" for its vast valleys and pine forests. The Central Highlands region currently has three airports, and all are domestic ones. SEATTLE , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- After landing stateside two years ago with its US ecommerce platform, Australian, science-backed, fashionable women's footwear brand, FRANKiE4, is amplifying its presence in North America . The brand just rolled out wholesale partnerships with Nordstrom and J.Jill this month. Additionally, the FRANKIE4 US flagship store location will be opening in Bellevue just outside of Seattle, WA. this September, 2023. This will be a permanent location following the success of its Bellevue Square pop-up location which launched this past April. Since its inception in 2010 by podiatrist Caroline McCulloch , the award-winning Australian footwear brand has gained a cult following with its winning combination of patented, customized comfort and beautifully crafted (with LWG-certified leathers), stylish shoes. The brand has amassed almost 100K 5-star reviews, proving that customers' testimonies are intrinsically linked to a brand's global success. "We are so excited to announce our US wholesale partnerships. We know the customer experience is not exclusively online, especially when searching for the best, most comfortable footwear, and we want to make sure that we work with the most trusted North American retailers to provide additional touchpoints for discovery; we believe this step is essential for the brand's continued global growth," Cathy Barnett , CEO. The brand's upcoming Seattle store opening which will be located at The Bellevue Collection ; a 1,300-square-foot store that will showcase the brand's footwearsneakers, dress flats, sandals, heels and boots. Private, expert fittings are always offered for customers to have a customized experience. The location will also serve as a community hub for events including customer-led gatherings, beauty and fashion activations, philanthropic initiatives, private shopping nights, and more. FRANKIE4 on Nordstrom: https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/women/shoes?filterByBrand=frankie4 ABOUT FRANKIE4: Founded in 2010 by Australian podiatrist, Caroline McCulloch , FRANKIE4 has perfected patented technology and implemented it seamlessly into a stylish, well made shoe. McCulloch created the Sole Hero Footbeds which lifts, cradles and cushions the heel, while its arch support goal is to help with better lower limb alignment. Cleverly hidden in the design are two-zones of cushioning with the aim to prevent pain points. McCulloch also understood that no two feet are created equally and felt it was essential to develop customization so she designed the brand's proprietary Sole Saver Pack . It's a genius solution to help customers to mix-and-match according to their needs; whether that's for a narrow, regular, or wide fit. FRANKIE4 is also serious about responsible production. The unique forefront foam lining featured in some shoes is a special re-engineered textile made from recycled water bottles and the footbeds in most slides are cleverly crafted with rice husk (which is an agricultural byproduct that can create disposal issues). The brand also uses LWG-certified leathers, recycled cotton in shoe laces and recycled packaging. FRANKIE4 has been worn by Nina Dobrev , Jennifer Garner , Aubrey Plaza , Emma Roberts , Naomi Watts and others. Media Contact: Liz Zelkowitz , liz@house-of.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/australian-footwear-brand-frankie4-amplifies-its-us-presence-launches-with-nordstrom-jjill-opens-flagship-seattle-store-301905886.html SOURCE Frankie4 OAKLAND, Calif. , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) is proud to announce the highly anticipated 3RD ANNUAL BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY on Saturday, August 26, 2023 . This vibrant community event celebrates UNITY, liberation, and the rich history of Black resistance against systemic oppression. BOSS Bay Area 3rd Annual BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY this Saturday, August 26th from 11 am-3 pm @ Oakland City Hall! The BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY is a free, family-friendly, celebratory event that brings together artists, service providers, and change-makers to commemorate the countless organizers, activists, and freedom fighters who have sacrificed so much in the struggle for Black liberation. With the theme of "UNITY," this year's event aims to inspire solidarity and collective action in our ongoing fight for social justice. Attendees can expect an exhilarating lineup of live performances, captivating art installations, delicious food from local vendors, and a Black Market showcasing the talent and creativity of Black entrepreneurs. The event will also feature resource booths providing information on crucial community services and opportunities for engagement. "We are thrilled to host our 3rd Annual BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY and create a space where the community can come together, celebrate the power of UNITY, and be inspired to continue the fight for liberation," said Satia E. Frazier-North, Communications Manager at BOSS. "This event is a testament to our commitment to uplift and empower our community, promoting UNITY and fostering positive change." BOSS invites media outlets, community leaders, and the public to join us at the BLACK AUGUST BLOCK PARTY and help amplify the voices of those advocating for justice and equality. Together, we can build a future where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. Event Details: Date: Saturday, August 26, 2023 Time:11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Location: 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza - Oakland Admission: Free and open to the public More information: BLACK AUGUST PAGE For media inquiries, interviews, or further information, please contact: Satia Frazier-North , BOSS Marketing & Communications Manager [email protected] 510.925.5477 Follow us!! Watch Virtual Unveiling Here Instagram @BOSSBayArea Facebook @BOSSBayArea Twitter @BOSSBayArea About BOSS. The mission of BOSS is to help homeless, poor, and disabled people achieve health and self-sufficiency, and to fight against the root causes of poverty and homelessness. BOSS develops solutions to mass homelessness, mass incarceration and community violence and is dedicated to the inclusion of people marginalized by addiction, trauma, criminality, incarceration, poverty, racism, sexism, homelessness and violence. BOSS serves over 4,000 families and individuals every year at programs in Berkeley , Oakland , San Leandro and Hayward . For more information on BOSS visit www.self-sufficiency.org. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/celebrate-unity-and-liberation-at-boss-black-august-block-party-301906086.html GUATEMALA CITY , Aug. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dionisio Gutierrez, President of the Freedom and Development Foundation, is heading the International Observer Group for the electoral process in Guatemala , reaffirming his unwavering commitment to democracy in the region. Distinguished former presidents of Latin America are participating in this electoral observation effort. Among them are Andres Pastrana , former President of Colombia ; Jorge Tuto Quiroga , former President of Bolivia ; and Felipe Calderon, former President of Mexico . Additionally, high-ranking officials from US security agencies have arrived in Guatemala , including George Piro , former Assistant Director of International Operations at the FBI; DC Page, former senior official from Homeland Security; Javier Perez, former Director of the Miami Police; and Erick Hawk , former Chief of Security for the United Nations, among others. Their experience, knowledge, and commitment to democracy and the Rule of Law will strengthen the observation process and contribute to ensuring fair and transparent elections. This Mission underscores the international community's commitment to fostering democratic values and ensuring a peaceful electoral process in Guatemala . The former presidents participating in the Observation Mission led by Dionisio Gutierrez are part of the Freedom and Democracy Group. This recently formed group is the result of an effort led by the International Freedom Foundation, founded by Mario Vargas Llosa , of which Dionisio Gutierrez is a member. The FDG comprises over 20 former presidents from Ibero-America and other notable leaders from the region, with the aim of defending and promoting the values of republican democracy and liberty in Latin America . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dionisio-gutierrez-leads-high-level-international-observer-mission-for-the-elections-in-guatemala-301905101.html Award supports global military communications access and delivers persistent regional encrypted connectivity LITTLETON, Colo. , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a firm-fixed price agreement valued at approximately $816 million to build 36 Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) Beta satellites. T2TL is part of an overarching plan to strengthen deterrence with more resilient space architectures for beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) targeting, data transport, and advanced missile detection and tracking. SDA awarded Lockheed Martin an agreement worth approximately $816 million for 36 Tranche 2 Transport Layer satellites The T2TL Beta variant satellites will work in tandem with SDA's Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 networks. They will advance the initial warfighting capability with targeted technology enhancements, mission-focused payload configurations, and increased integration. "Tranche 2 will significantly enhance our warfighters' capabilities and establish new levels of resiliency, connectivity, and orbital diversity that are necessary for countering future threats," said Joe Rickers , Lockheed Martin's vice president for Protected Communications. "SDA's unique acquisition approach expedites the proliferation of this critical technology, and Lockheed Martin's strategic partnerships with a network of suppliers and small businesses will ensure we're aligned with SDA's strategy for accelerated delivery." T2TL Beta will consist of 72 satellites and will be deployed into orbit over a series of launches beginning in 2026 and will undergo a continuous checkout and commissioning process for acceptance into operations. With this award, Lockheed Martin will deliver at least 88 data communications satellites for SDA's low-Earth orbit military constellation. The company's 10 Tranche 0 Transport Layer (T0TL) satellites will launch in 2023, while its 42 Tranche 1 satellites are in production and on track for a 2024 launch. Lockheed Martin will deliver advanced technology on its T2TL Beta satellites to enable the proliferated global network and maintain the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture's technological and military advantages in space through a hybrid enterprise. To deliver and innovate at speed and scale, Lockheed Martin recently opened a 20,000 square-foot small satellite processing center that is scaled to efficiently assemble, integrate and test smallsats. The facility, which will house Lockheed Martin's T1TL and T2TL Beta satellites, features six parallel assembly lines and dedicated test chambers to deliver 180 satellites or more per year to help enable customers' strategy. For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com . About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland , Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Please follow @LMNews on X for the latest announcements and news across the corporation, and , and @LMSpace to learn more about the latest technologies, missions and people driving the future of space. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lockheed-martin-selected-to-deliver-36-small-satellites-to-advance-space-development-agencys-communications-network-301905681.html SOURCE Lockheed Martin U.S. LawShield Announces Partnership with Mace to Offer Nationwide Self-Defense Courses HOUSTON , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. LawShield, America's premier Legal Defense for Self Defense organization, is pleased to announce a new partnership with MaceSecurity International, Inc. (OTCQB: MACE). As the global pepper spray market is expected to grow to nearly $120 million over the next five years, U.S. LawShield and Mace seek to create, market, and present a series of fee-based online and in-person self-defense training courses that focus on situational awareness and the use of aerosol sprays and other non-lethal devices, as well as the laws regulating the carry, possession, use and transport of self-defense tools, and other key topics. "Mace, the industry leader in personal safety and security products, has known for some time that our customers need access to the training and accurate legal information that we know U.S. LawShield, the recognized leader in self-defense education, offers," said Sanjay Singh, chairman and CEO of Mace Security International, Inc. "This series of self-defense training courses is the first step in our unified journey." The first course, entitled "Mace Civilian Pepper Spray Training," available on Friday, Sept. 1 , is designed for anyone who carries, or has the desire to carry, personal protective sprays like pepper spray. The course will be available in both e-learning and in-person modalities. In-person training will be available throughout the United States through a partnership with Legal Heat, a nationwide training organization. Students will learn about the laws relating to the purchase, possession, and usage of aerosol personal sprays in self-defense. In addition, the concept of situational awareness will be addressed to help with personal safety, and students will learn best practices for how to use defensive sprays effectively. Instructors will discuss how conflicts can escalate and teach de-escalation techniques to curtail the conflict when possible. " U.S. LawShield works diligently to be the leader in self-defense legal education," said Brooksy Smith , CEO of U.S. LawShield. "Partnering with Mace is the perfect way to share the knowledge and experience of U.S. LawShield and our national network of Independent Program Attorneys with Mace customers as they take proactive measures to improve their safety and self-defense preparedness." Three tiers of instructor certification courses will also be offered for those seeking to teach aerosol defense courses, as well as continuing education for law enforcement and security personnel. "Mace is very excited to partner with U.S. LawShield, a company that is exceptional at providing the training and tools needed to prepare for the unexpected," said Singh. "The focus of Mace is to offer its expertise on all matters related to personal safety using non-lethal means. We are proud to be collaborating with U.S. LawShield to bring this much-needed training to the market." "This partnership is yet another way U.S. LawShield can make safety a priority and empower our members," said Smith. For more information on the online and in-person self-defense training courses, visit https://www.uslawshield.com/mace. About U.S. LawShield Founded in 2009, U.S. LawShield, America's premier Legal Defense for Self Defense organization, offers coverage in 46 states and has served more than 2 million members. A network of 300+ Independent Program Attorneys is readily available, plus access to a 24/7/365 hotline and protection for members throughout the legal process after acts of self-defense. Educate. Prepare. Protect. U.S. LawShield is committed to informing and updating you on self-defense laws, providing comprehensive instruction and training, and defending you in your greatest time of need. For more information on U.S. LawShield and its Legal Defense for Self Defense program, visit uslawshield.com. About MaceSecurity International, Inc. MaceSecurity International, Inc. (Mace) is a globally recognized leader in personal safety and security. Based in Cleveland, Ohio , the company has spent more than 40 years designing and manufacturing consumer and tactical products for personal defense and security under its world-renowned Mace Brandthe original trusted brand of defense spray products. The company also offers aerosol defense sprays and tactical products for law enforcement and security professionals worldwide through its Mace Take Down brand, KUROS! personal safety products, Vigilant Personal Protection Systems alarms, and Tornado pepper spray and stun guns. MACE distributes and supports Mace Brand products through mass market retailers, wholesale distributors, independent dealers, Amazon.com, Mace.com, and other channels. For more information, visit mace.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mace-turns-to-us-lawshield-to-provide-its-customers-with-self-defense-training-and-the-answers-they-need-301905025.html SOURCE U.S. LawShield, LLC Mayor Johnson Passed Out First Pizzas to Robinson Elementary School Students Chicago Police and Fire Personnel Delivered Free Pizzas to Students at 25 South and West Side Elementary Schools CHICAGO , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomed the new school year on Monday, August 21 when Home Run Inn sent thousands of CPS students home on the first day of school with one of their favorite treats - a pizza. Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department members distributed 6000 pizzas to students at 25 elementary schools on the South and West sides with support from this popular 76-year-old Chicago business, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, and CPS. Mayor Johnson personally handed out the first batch of pizzas, along with the Chicago Police Department, to students at Robinson Elementary School, 4225 S. Lake Park Ave. , upon dismissal at 3:00 p.m. "Our children are our future, and I cherish the opportunity to start the school year off right by handing out one of Chicago's signature dishes to thousands of our youth," said Mayor Brandon Johnson . "Thank you to CPD, CFD, DFSS, CPS, and Home Run Inn for making this event possible and making our kids' first day a little brighter." The massive food distribution event was held from 1:30 3:00 p.m. at two Chicago Department of Family and Support Services locations: Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center , 4314 S Cottage Grove Ave.; and Garfield Community Service Center , 10 South Kedzie Avenue . A Home Run Inn frozen truck was parked at each location to house more than 3,000 pizzas for the Chicago Police and Fire Departments to pick up and deliver to children at the neighborhood elementary schools. Every student received one HRI cheese pizza. "We are so excited to continue our partnership with Home Run Inn, Chicago Public Schools, CPD, and CFD to begin the new school year with such a big celebration," said DFSS Commissioner Brandie Knazze . "DFSS supports children and families throughout the duration of their school-aged experience and beyond. We know that they need to be supported and nourished in many different ways, and this event contributes to that effort. We wish every student a wonderful and productive school year." Also, every staff member at the receiving schools was recognized for their dedication with a personal invitation for a free pizza at any Home Run Inn location. An additional 1000 pizzas were given to police and fire personnel on hand as well as 500 pizzas to area residents that day at the DFSS Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center . "We're grateful to Home Run Inn and all our City partners for joining us as we welcome back our families, staff and importantly, our amazing scholars," said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez . "Starting the year off strong depends on our schools as well as our parents and community members, as exemplified in this generous gift and partnership." Home Run Inn , (HRI) is proud to join the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in addition to the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Chicago Fire Department (CFD). "Home Run Inn is thrilled to play a part in brightening the lives of students as they gear up for an exciting new school year," said Gina (Perrino) Bolger , Senior Vice President and fourth-generation family member of Home Run Inn. About Department of Support and Family Services (DFSS) DFSS works with community partners to connect Chicago residents and families to resources that build stability, support their well-being, and empower them to thrive. As the 5th largest City agency and one of the largest social service funders in Chicago , DFSS provides direct services at six Community Service Centers, six Regional Senior Centers, and through partnerships with 350 community-based organizations across the city. In total, DFSS services and funding supports over 400,000 vulnerable Chicagoans each year. Connect with DFSS on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn Learn more about DFSS at www.chicago.gov/fss About Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is dedicated to providing a high-quality education to all students, beginning with the District's free full-day preschool programming for four-year-old scholars and continuing through neighborhood, magnet and selective-enrollment elementary schools that provide a rigorous K-8 education with schools that specialize in the fine arts, world language and culture, dual language, STEM, International Baccalaureate (IB), classical programs, and more. The rising District-wide freshmen-on-track and high school graduation rates reflect the hard work of the CPS community, including families, staff, and students across 635 schools. CPS celebrates the diversity of its more than 322,000 students who cite 182 home languages. Learn more about CPS at www.cps.edu and connect with CPS on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn . About Home Run Inn (HRI) Home Run Inn is considered Chicago's very own thin crust pizza known for its irresistible flavor, hand-pinched buttery crust, zesty sauce, plentiful cheese and homemade sausage. The small tavern of the 1920's was named Home Run Inn in 1947. Now, the company has 9 pizzerias throughout the Chicagoland area and frozen pizza is sold across the country. Home Run Inn also is currently the official pizza of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and sold at Chicago's Midway International Airport. Still family-owned and operated, Home Run Inn ranks among the top 10 in pizza brands sold nationally and number one in the Chicagoland area. For further information, visit www.homeruninnpizza.com . CONTACTS: Hannah Fierle / Janie Goldberg-Dicks City of Chicago / Margie Korshak Inc. [email protected] / [email protected] 12-718-2631 / (847) 922-9494 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mayor-of-chicago-brandon-johnson-joined-home-run-inn-chicago-department-of-family-and-support-services-and-chicago-public-schools-to-welcome-the-first-day-of-school-with-6000-free-pizzas-301906071.html SOURCE Home Run Inn Pizza HAIFA, Israel , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical device startup NURAMI MEDICAL has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its electrospun nanofiber-based product, ArtiFascia Dura Substitute, a resorbable Dural repair graft. Sales in the US will begin in the upcoming period. Neurosurgeries require replacing the Dura Mater, which protects the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). ArtiFascia combines two layers of electrospun nanofibers that form biomimetic scaffolds and a non-porous barrier layer. This unique structure is dual functioning: the scaffolds are engineered to promote dural tissue regeneration and rapid healing, whereas the barrier layer is designed to address CSF leakage from suture holes and bacterial penetration. Similar in thickness to native dura, ArtiFascia can be effortlessly sutured, accelerating surgeon workflow and lowering healthcare costs. The implant is strong, pliable, fully absorbable, synthetic, and easy to handle and cut. This FDA clearance builds on Nurami's important randomized clinical trial. That 85-patient study showed excellent performance against primary endpoints of CSF leakage prevention as well as other safety and surgeon preference measures. "This is an important milestone in Nurami's efforts to modernize soft tissue repair," said Hannoch Marksheid, Nurami's Co-CEO. "ArtiFascia is a novel alternative for Dura repair, addressing dangerous CSF leaks and infections at the surgical site, while promoting Dura regeneration." Prof. Andrew Kaye , neurosurgeon at the Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital Jerusalem, and former Professor and Director of neurosurgery at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, adds, "There is a need for a thin, pliable Dural substitute that can be sutured in place, does not leak through the suture holes and that will integrate into the surrounding Dura." With regard to ArtiFascia, "Nurami's ArtiFascia Dura Substitute has exactly these features and showed impressive results in a clinical study. The presence of electropun nanofibers in the implant has the potential to be a game changer in optimizing Dural regeneration after neurosurgery." Dr. Michael Schulder , Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Neurosurgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell has stressed how ArtiFascia addresses the market need: "The necessity to cover the brain with a safe and reliable dural substitute remains a need even after 140 years of neurosurgery. ArtiFascia really looks like the solution we have been waiting for, going back to the days of Harvey Cushing and even earlier. Even for people having posterior fossa surgery, ArtiFascia has shown that it reliably seals Dural gaps and prevents the formation of pseudomeningoceles." About Nurami Medical Nurami Medical is a medical device company co-founded in 2014 by Dr. Amir Bahar and Nora Nseir Manassa , experts in nanofibers and biomaterials. The company develops innovative implants and sealants that are based on electrospun fibers and advanced materials to improve patient outcomes and enhance recovery in soft tissue related surgeries. Nora Nseir Manassa and Hannoch Marksheid are co-CEOs and Dr. Amir Bahar is COO, Clinical Director and a board member. Contact details: Hannoch Marksheid [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nurami-medicals-artifascia-dura-substitute-receives-fda-clearance-301905448.html SOURCE Nurami Medical JOHANNESBURG , Aug. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sixth BRICS Media Forum kicked off Saturday here in South Africa , calling for strengthening the voices of developing countries. About 200 deputies from around 100 media outlets, think tanks and international organizations from about 30 countries held discussions under the theme of "BRICS and Africa : Strengthening Media Dialogue for a Shared and Unbiased Future." Media outlets of BRICS countries bear significant responsibilities in this era and enjoy vast room for cooperation, said Fu Hua, executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum, at the opening ceremony of the forum. To advance the high-quality development of cooperation among BRICS media, Fu, also president of Xinhua News Agency, also proposed promoting the shared values of humanity, jointly advancing the building a more just and equitable international order, better narrating BRICS stories in the new era, and jointly promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. Dakota Legoete, member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, spoke at the opening of the forum. "Since its establishment in 2015, the BRICS Media Forum has become an important platform to enhance the voice of BRICS countries," he said. Andrey Kondrashov , director-general of Russia's TASS news agency, said that over the past decade, the forum has become a distinctive and iconic platform for discussing media cooperation among member states. He called on the BRICS media to collaborate in countering disinformation and safeguarding the interests of developing countries. Jose Juan Sanchez , chief of Brazil's financial and agricultural information provider CMA Group, stressed the importance of credible and impartial news information. "Communication among BRICS media is crucial, and the member countries should seek sustainable development in economic, environmental and social areas," he said. The BRICS Media Forum has made significant contributions in amplifying the international voice of member states and promoting globalization, with peace and cooperation remaining its main goals, said Helio Doyle , president of the Brazil Communication Company. The diverse cultures of the BRICS nations enrich the global conversations, and the BRICS media advocate for an inclusive, cooperative and just new world order, said Iqbal Surve , executive chairman of Independent Media of South Africa . The forum sheds light on the challenges faced by developing nations, providing them with a platform to express their perspectives and aspirations, Surve noted. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sixth-brics-media-forum-calls-for-reinforcing-media-dialogue-for-shared-unbiased-future-301905111.html SOURCE Xinhua News Agency PHOENIX , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) (the "Company"), a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades and healthcare education programs, is scheduled to participate in the 14th Annual Midwest IDEAS Conference, which is being held from August 23-24 at The Gwen in Chicago, IL. The Company's CEO, Jerome Grant , and CFO, Troy Anderson , will present on Wednesday, August 23 rd at 4:40 p.m. Central time , with one-on-one investor meetings held throughout that day. The presentation will be webcast and can be accessed through the conference website, as well as through the Events section of the Company's website here. To receive additional information, request an invitation or schedule a one-on-one meeting with UTI management, please contact your IDEAS Conference representative or the Company's investor relations team at [email protected]. The Company's most recent investor presentation can be found here. About Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) (the "Company") was founded in 1965 and is a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades and healthcare education programs, whose mission is to serve students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers across a number of highly-skilled fields. The Company is comprised of two divisions: Universal Technical Institute ("UTI") and Concorde Career Colleges ("Concorde"). UTI operates 16 campuses located in 9 states and offers a wide range of transportation and skilled trades technical training programs under brands such as UTI, MIAT College of Technology, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute and NASCAR Technical Institute. Concorde operates across 17 campuses in 8 states, offering programs in the Allied Health, Dental, Nursing, Patient Care and Diagnostic fields. For more information, visit www.uti.edu or www.concorde.edu, or visit us on LinkedIn at @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and @Concorde Career Colleges or on Twitter @news_UTI or @ConcordeCareer. About IDEAS Investor Conferences The mission of the IDEAS Conferences is to provide independent regional venues for quality companies to present their investment merits to an influential audience of investment professionals. Unlike traditional bank-sponsored events, IDEAS Investor Conferences are "SPONSORED BY INVESTORS. FOR INVESTORS." and for the benefit of regional investment communities. Conference sponsors collectively have more than $200 billion in assets under management and include: 1102 Partners, Adirondack Research and Management, Allianz Global Investors: NFJ Investment Group, Ariel Investments, Aristotle Capital Boston, Ascend Wealth Advisors, Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss, BMO Global Asset Management, Constitution Research & Management, Inc., Diamond Hill, First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc., Granahan Investment Management, Great Lakes Advisors, Greenbrier Partners Capital Management, LLC, Hodges Capital Management, Ironwood Investment Management, Keeley Teton Advisors, Luther King Capital Management, Marble Harbor Investment Counsel, North Star Investment Management, Perritt Capital Management, Punch & Associates, Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk, Westwood Holdings Group, Inc., and William Harris Investors. The IDEAS Investor Conferences are held annually in Boston , Chicago and Dallas and are produced by Three Part Advisors, LLC. Additional information about the events can be located at www.IDEASconferences.com. For more information about the IDEAS conferences, please contact Lacey Wesley at (817) 769 -2373 or [email protected]. Investor Relations Contact: Matt Glover and Jackie Keshner Gateway Group, Inc. (949) 574-3860 [email protected] Media Contact: Alanna Vitucci Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (480) 710-6843 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universal-technical-institute-to-participate-in-the-14th-annual-midwest-ideas-conference-301906027.html SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc. FILE PHOTO: Former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg speaks during a meeting with Earthshot prize winners and finalists at the Glasgow Science Center during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 2, 2021. Alasta By Helen Coster NEW YORK (Reuters) -Bloomberg LP is naming product head Vlad Kliatchko chief executive and appointing former Bank of England governor Mark Carney as chair of its new board of directors, according to an internal memo sent to employees by founder Michael Bloomberg and seen by Reuters. Online business publication The Information first reported the changes. The companys elevation of the head of product reinforces the foundation that Michael Bloomberg has had for the company since he founded it: he puts the product first, which has been primarily the terminal, said Douglas B. Taylor, analyst at douglasbtaylor International Consulting who covers Bloomberg LP. JP Zammitt will become president and Patti Roskill will be the chief financial officer, the memo said, adding that the company will form a new board. New members will be appointed to the board and existing members will become emeritus, according to the memo. Board chair Carney currently serves as United Nations special envoy on climate action and finance; in his memo Bloomberg said he has worked with Carney on climate finance initiatives. Much of our success stems from internal mobility, giving the next generation a chance to grow and lead, while bringing in the best and brightest to give us a fresh perspective, Bloomberg wrote in the memo. Bloomberg, who does not function as chief executive, said he is not leaving the company. "I'm sure these changes raise questions about me, so let me put them to rest: I'm not going anywhere," he said in the memo. He added: "Ive never used a title in the company, so I wont change what Ill be called just 'Mike.'" Bloomberg, who served as mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, founded Bloomberg LP in 1981. He was a candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president of the United States and is a philanthropist. He returned to Bloomberg in 2014, taking over from chief executive Daniel Doctoroff. The company declined Reuters' request for comment. Thomson Reuters-owned Reuters News competes with Bloomberg News, a unit of Bloomberg LP. (Reporting by Helen Coster in New York and Yuvraj Malik in BengaluruEditing by Arun Koyyur and Matthew Lewis) President Vo Van Thuong chaired an official welcome ceremony for his Kazakh counterpart Kassym - Jomart Tokayev in Hanoi on Aug. 21. The Kazakh president arrived in Hanoi on August 20 for an official visit from Aug. 20-22 at the invitation of President Thuong. The two Presidents held talks right after the welcome ceremony. Before the welcome ceremony, President Tokayev and his entourage laid a wreath at the monument to war martyrs and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum. This is the first visit of a Kazakh president to Vietnam in 12 years, and also the first time Tokayev visits Vietnam in his new position. Vietnam and Kazakhstan set up their diplomatic ties on June 29, 1992. Since then, the bilateral relations have been developing well in various fields. In July 2008, the Vietnamese Embassy in Kazakhstan was put into operation, while the Central Asian country opened its embassy in Hanoi in March 2015. The two countries have maintained regular high-level delegation exchanges as well as collaboration in both the bilateral framework and at multilateral forums. The good political relationship has opened up many opportunities for economic and trade ties. Since the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU - including Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) took effect in 2016, Kazakhstan has become the second biggest trade partner of Vietnam in the EAEU. In 2021, Vietnam-Kazakhstan trade accounted for 10% of total trade between the Vietnam-EAEU. The visit of President Tokayev marks a new chapter in the Vietnam-Kazakhstan economic-trade-tourism cooperation. The two sides are expected to sign over 10 cooperation agreements during the visit. FILE PHOTO: The Citigroup Inc (Citi) logo is seen at the SIBOS banking and financial conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo By Tatiana Bautzer and Saeed Azhar NEW YORK (Reuters) -Citigroup is considering plans to eliminate the role atop the bank's biggest division when its leader, Paco Ybarra, leaves next year and have its three segment chiefs report directly to Citi's CEO, according to a source familiar with the situation. Ybarra, who has been at Citi for 36 years, is head of its Institutional Clients Group (ICG), and that position would no longer exist under the reorganization, the source said on Monday. Instead, the leaders of investment banking, global markets and transaction services would report to CEO Jane Fraser. The plans, reported earlier by the Financial Times, are under consideration and not finalized, the source said. Citigroup declined to comment. Citi has been working to simplify its structure. Analysts debated if such a move would add risk to Citi's revamp, or conversely provide Fraser with more control over the bank's direction. Fraser, who inherited a litany of problems when she took over in 2021, including demands from U.S. regulators to overhaul its risk management systems, has been trying to boost Citi's share price, in part by shedding overseas retail businesses. "It does make you wonder (whether) having that extra layer of management was indeed unnecessary, or it may raise the odds of execution risk if having that extra set of eyes on the whole unit was indeed valuable," said Eric Compton, banking analyst at Morningstar. "It goes to show that Citi is still figuring out pieces of this as they go along." The ICG unit provides financial services to institutional investors and governments. It generated more than half of Citi's $19.4 billion revenue in the second quarter. The division's leaders include Shahmir Khaliq, who runs treasury and trade solutions, Andy Morton, who leads markets, and Tyler Dickson and Manuel Falco, who jointly lead corporate and investment banking. "The possibility of a reorg introduces some uncertainty into what is already a complex turnaround," R. Scott Siefers, an analyst at Piper Sandler, wrote in a note. The change in reporting lines directly to the CEO "would preserve strategic continuity, streamline layers, and presumably eliminate the possibility of a new head who might want to pivot the units direction," he wrote. Ybarra is set to depart in the first half of 2024, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters earlier this month. The company also said at the time it was determining how to pass on his responsibilities while simplifying its organizational structure in the coming months. Its shares fell 0.4% while the broader S&P bank index was largely steady in Monday afternoon trading. Citi trades at 0.41 times 12-month forward price-to-book ratio, below an industry median of 1.77, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. (Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer and Saeed Azhar in New York, Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Lananh Nguyen, Megan Davies, Hugh Lawson, Mark Potter and Cynthia Osterman) By Jonathan Allen NAPILI-HONOKOWAI, Hawaii (Reuters) - Tim Laborte returned to his native Maui on Saturday, bringing a backpack full of posters with pictures of his stepfather and a fragile hope that he might still be found alive after going missing in the wildfires that razed a historic Hawaiian town. "Where can I put up a missing person sign?" Laborte asked at a volunteer-run aid distribution site in a park near Lahaina, which lies in blackened ruins. Hawaiian authorities have confirmed that the Aug. 8 fires killed at least 114 people on the island. But only a few of those have been identified and hundreds more are still unaccounted for as a search for human remains continues, leaving Maui stuck in a limbo of uncertain grief almost two weeks later. A volunteer pointed Laborte to a whiteboard propped against a table and found him a pen so that he could add a name to a list titled "Looking For Someone?" He crouched down, and wrote: Joseph Lara. "We think he got out, we think he just wasn't smart enough to check in," explained Laborte, who said his stepfather lived alone in Lahaina. The county government has taken over a nearby hotel, where relatives can formally report missing loved ones and have their cheeks swabbed for DNA samples to help identify the dead. Some have already resigned themselves to eventually getting a sad phone call or message confirming the worst. Others, like Laborte, prefer to nurture hope. Leslie Hiraga, a volunteer at the aid distribution site in Napili Park, smiled at Laborte's optimism. The two quickly figured out they had both attended the same Lahaina high school. So had another person listed on the whiteboard: Toni Molina, whom Hiraga had known since childhood. "I know she's not alive," Hiraga, 64, said of Molina, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding and decades later remained one of her best friends. "We spent all of our holidays together." The last time anyone heard from Molina, Hiraga said, she was still sheltering at her home in Lahaina on the evening of Aug. 8, probably too late to escape the fast-spreading inferno that consumed the oceanfront town with just three main roads out. As Laborte, 57, filled out a missing-people form with his stepfather's address and other details, Hiraga realized her friend's home had been just a few doors down the street from Lara. "He's about 86," said Laborte, who had flown in from Oahu to join relatives in the search for Lara. "He probably didn't think to contact us." Laborte pulled out one of his posters, emblazoned with 'MISSING' in red letters, and a photo of his smiling stepfather in a blue shirt with a small dog on his lap. "Always with white dog 'Haupia'," the poster read. Hiraga gave him some tape, and he stuck it to a wall. The family had also circulated Lara's pictures online and had heard from someone who said she saw Lara at a market near Lahaina after the fires broke out. Laborte was unsure how much faith to put in the report. "There's a lot of old Filipino guys with dogs," he said. Hiraga told him she had heard some people who managed to drive out of Lahaina in one direction had been sent back the other way, and had not been seen since. This was news to Laborte. His mood dampened. Still, he had plenty of posters in his bag, and nothing was known for certain, so the next morning he got up and headed out to stick up more of them in shop windows. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Clarence Fernandez) By Simon Jessop LONDON (Reuters) - A group of 32 investors managing $7.3 trillion in assets have urged the G20 group of wealthier countries to align agricultural subsidies with their climate and nature goals by the end of the decade, a statement seen by Reuters showed. The group, which includes Britain's biggest asset manager Legal & General Investment Managers and the fund arm of BNP Paribas, issued their first ever call to the countries' finance chiefs ahead of a G20 summit in September in India. The intervention marks the first time investors have grouped together to tackle global subsidies in this way, they said, and follows a narrower 2021 request to the European Union, amid concern about the risks to investment portfolios of inaction. A 2021 United Nations report said around 87% of the $540 billion in total annual subsidies to agricultural producers included measures that were price distorting and potentially harmful to nature and human health. In addition, subsidies caused $4-$6 trillion in damage to nature each year, a landmark 2021 UK report on the economics of biodiversity said. While a global deal to preserve biodiversity, including reform of subsidies, was struck in December in Montreal, it was crucial that richer countries acted quickly, said Helena Wright, policy director at the FAIRR Initiative, a grouping of investors managing $70 trillion focused on farming issues. "Investors are calling on the G20 to lead by example and ensure these commitments are met to the benefit of the climate and nature." To help fix the issue, the investors called for governments to link their financial support to the sector with their environmental obligations, including the Paris Agreement on climate change and the pledge to protect biodiversity. They should also shift incentives to focus on sustainable agriculture; remove subsidies from products with a high impact on climate-damaging emissions, such as dairy or red meat; and increase funding to help workers impacted by the switch. "We need wholesale transformation of the food system, because it's one of the most-damaging systems of all to the climate and nature," Rachel Crossley, head of stewardship for Europe at BNP Paribas Asset Management told Reuters. Launched in 2016, the FAIRR Initiative provides data, research and advocacy initiatives that address the risks and opportunities in the food sector. Among its most high-profile wins was the successful lobbying of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization to create a global roadmap for the food sector out to 2050, with the results due to be released at November's COP28 climate talks in Dubai. A call two years ago for G20 nations to disclose targets to reduce agricultural emissions in their national net-zero plans was also picked up by the COP28 hosts, who are asking governments to sign a declaration that includes such a pledge. (Reporting by Simon Jessop; Editing by Susan Fenton) FILE PHOTO: Incoming Chief of the Haitian National Police Frantz Elbe speaks at a ceremony for his installation after the resignation of former Chief Leon Charles, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti October 21, 2021. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File Photo By Ralph Tedy Erol and Sarah Morland PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) -A Kenyan delegation met with leaders of Haiti's national police on Monday, a day after arriving in the country as it assesses leading a possible United Nations-backed multinational security force to help police fight escalating gang warfare. "We are here to assess the needs of Haiti's national police, better understand the situation and do our best to help the Haitian people," Kenyan ambassador and head of bilateral and political affairs, George Orina, said in a Haitian government statement. The 10-person Kenyan delegation met senior police staff early on Monday, the statement said, and will stay until Wednesday, holding further meetings with national police and Haiti's Prime Minister, Ariel Henry. Henry's government first requested international security assistance last October, but despite repeated calls from the United Nations, the call went unanswered until Kenya said it was prepared to lead such a force last month. A source told Reuters the Kenyan officials, who were at the police headquarters in Port-au-Prince on Monday, had met with police chief Frantz Elbe. With scarce resources, Haiti's police have been battling powerful gangs now estimated to control large parts of the country, where residents grapple with severe food shortages, frequent killings, kidnappings and widespread sexual violence. Since the start of this year, the U.N. estimates at least 2,439 people have been killed and some 200,000 internally displaced amid frequent turf wars and as fighting expands to farmlands north of the capital. After the Kenyan assessment, the plan to send a security force to Haiti will pass to a vote at the U.N. Security Council. The United States has already voiced its support, though the date remains undecided. 'ROBUST USE OF FORCE' In a report last week, Guterres told the Security Council a "robust use of force" by a multinational police deployment and use of military assets were needed to restore order and disarm gangs. Guterres said the support should focus on re-establishing access routes for basic services. Foreign-backed aid groups have been forced to shut down operations in recent days given an escalation in the violence. Human Rights Watch has called for the planned multinational force to include safeguards to prevent abuses. Previous interventions left behind a devastating cholera epidemic, as well as over a hundred allegations of sexual abuse. Countries have also been wary of backing Henry's unelected government. Henry, who is facing international pressure to broaden political consensus and include more people in decision-making, has in turn pledged to hold elections once security is re-established. The government statement said Henry had reiterated the need for establish free movement of people and goods and that lessons had been learned from previous missions in Haiti. "Kenyan troops benefit from much experience, having served in places such as Kosovo, Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Somalia, Sudan and Angola," it said. (Reporting by Ralph Tedy Erol and Sarah Morland; Editing by Isabel Woodford and Rosalba O'Brien) A local resident prepares to remove a car after a landslide as heavy rains hit Chile's central-south areas, in Constitucion, Chile, August 21, 2023. REUTERS/Sebastian Martinez By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Two people are dead from flooding in the central-southern region of Chile on Monday, while thousands others have been evacuated or left homeless from dangerous rains pounding isolated communities. President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe on Monday while visiting one of the worst affected areas, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of the capital Santiago. In late June surrounding areas had experienced some of the heaviest rainfall in three decades, exacerbated by the El Nino weather pattern that has led to rainier winters and springs in the central-southern part of Chile, as well as warmer temperatures. Forecasters expect more rain to fall across this mountainous area, which authorities warn increases the risk of flooding and landslides. More than 26,000 people remain cut off from basic services and almost 34,000 have been evacuated, according to the Chilean disaster agency Senapred. Some 38,000 are without electricity in the affected area that is home to rural farming communities. "There are three vehicles in my window and the furniture is destroyed," Silvia Rojas, whose home had been badly affected, told Reuters. Boric asked Chileans to comply with the evacuation orders, given how much of the region is at risk of rivers bursting their banks. "When these messages are received, it is not a joke, you must evacuate immediately," the president said on Monday. The winter weather season has been eventful in Chile, with unusually high temperatures and the most intense rainstorms in decades leaving thousands homeless and roads blocked in the south-central area of the country. The government had also declared a state of catastrophe in June when severe weather affected the El Teniente mine, the largest copper mine run by state-owned Codelco. There have been no disruptions to mining activity following the storms in recent days, according to the company. (Reporting by Natalia Ramos and Lucinda Elliott; Editing by Josie Kao) Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure. On August 21, 2023, Permian Resources Corporation, a Delaware corporation (Permian Resources) and Earthstone Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Earthstone), issued a joint press release announcing that they have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger pursuant to which Permian Resources will acquire Earthstone (the Merger Agreement). A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference. Attached as Exhibit 99.2 hereto and incorporated herein by reference is an investor presentation relating to the Merger Agreement and related matters. The information contained in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1 and Exhibit 99.2, is being furnished and shall not be deemed filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference to such filing. Forward-Looking Statements and Cautionary Statements The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this communication that address activities, events or developments that Permian Resources and Earthstone expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Words such as estimate, project, predict, believe, expect, anticipate, potential, create, intend, could, would, may, foresee, plan, will, guidance, look, outlook, goal, future, assume, forecast, build, focus, work, strive, allow, continue or the negative of such terms or other variations thereof and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the proposed business combination between Permian Resources and Earthstone pursuant to the Merger Agreement (the Transaction), pro forma descriptions of the combined company and its operations, integration and transition plans, synergies, opportunities and anticipated future performance. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements included in this communication. These include the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the Transaction, including the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the Transaction that could reduce anticipated benefits or cause the parties to abandon the Transaction, the ability to successfully integrate the businesses, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement, the possibility that stockholders of Permian Resources may not approve the issuance of new shares of common stock in the Transaction or that stockholders of Earthstone may not approve the Merger Agreement, the risk that the parties may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the Transaction in a timely manner or at all, risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the Transaction, the risk that any announcements relating to the Transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of Permian Resources common stock or Earthstones common stock, the risk that the Transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of Permian Resources and Earthstone to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their suppliers and customers and on their operating results and businesses generally, the risk the pending Transaction could distract management of both entities and they will incur substantial costs, the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected, the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve synergies or it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. All such factors are difficult to predict and are beyond Permian Resources and Earthstones control, including those detailed in Permian Resources annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K that are available on its website at https://permianres.com and on the Securities Exchange Commissions (the SEC) website at http://www.sec.gov, and those detailed in Earthstones annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K that are available on its website at https://www.earthstoneenergy.com and on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements 2 This screenshot from the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page shows an F-16 Fighting Falcon after a hard landing at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Aug. 17, 2023. (Facebook) TOKYO The Air Force is investigating a hard landing by an F-16 Fighting Falcon in northeast Japan, according to a Misawa Air Base spokesman. Photographs posted Monday by the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook group appear to show the damaged fighter accompanied by emergency vehicles Thursday on Misawas runway. The plane was tilted to its left, its wing almost touching the ground. It was a jet that had a hard landing, a spokesman for Misawas 35th Fighter Wing, Tech. Sgt. Chris Jacobs, said by phone Monday morning. Due to an abundance of caution, we were able to get the jet moved off the runway. Commercial flights at Misawa Airport, which shares the runway with the air base, were unaffected, Jacobs said. There were no delays or cancellations to commercial flights or operations and no injuries were sustained, Jacobs said in an email Monday afternoon. An investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the ground emergency. This screenshot from the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page shows an F-16 Fighting Falcon after a hard landing at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Aug. 17, 2023. (Facebook) The Air Force cant release details about damage to the aircraft during an ongoing investigation of the incident, Jacobs wrote in a follow-up email. Additionally, due to the nature of the investigation, we do not anticipate that the findings will be releasable to the public, he said. The incident came two days after four of the wings Fighting Falcons diverted to Chitose Air Base on Japans northern island of Hokkaido due to weather, Jacobs said. In an abundance of safety, maintenance occurred, and aircraft were cleared to fly, he said. All four aircraft have returned safely to Misawa Air Base. A candle with RIP Micha written on it is part of a memorial in Wittlich, Germany, for a 28-year-old man who was stabbed to death on Saturday. Two American service members are being held on suspicion of the killing. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) WITTLICH, Germany Two American service members are in U.S. military custody on suspicion of stabbing a man to death at a fair near Spangdahlem Air Base over the weekend, according to American and German officials. Authorities in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz arrested the service members Saturday before handing them over to the 52nd Security Forces Squadron the following day, as per NATOs Status of Forces Agreement, the 52nd Fighter Wing said in a statement issued Sunday. The men, ages 25 and 26, fought with the victim at the street fair Saturday in Wittlich, Rheinland-Pfalz police said in a separate statement. The victim, a 28-year-old who managed a security service and was known as a martial artist, died from stab wounds, according to the regional public service broadcaster SWR, which said the stabbing occurred about 2:40 a.m. A knife was found in a nearby river, but as of Sunday, police had not connected it to the killing, SWR reported. Diyar Askan, a bakery owner in Wittlich, said Monday that he was one of the best friends of the victim, whose first name was Michael, he said. He was disciplined and respectful. He was not hot-headed, Askan said. We are all asking why. Thats the biggest question. For what? What was the problem? He said Michael had been born in Kazakhstan and represented Germany in judo. We all loved him, Askan said. He brightened up any room. A memorial in Wittlich, Germany, for a 28-year-old man who was stabbed to death Saturday was steadily growing Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Two American service members are being held on suspicion of the killing. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and) A man walks past a nearly empty ride at the fair in Wittlich, Germany, on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Attendance at the annual event has been low since a man was stabbed to death Saturday, workers say. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and) The Lieser River in Wittlich, Germany, shown Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Local media reported that a knife was found in the river, but as of Sunday, police hadnt connected it to the stabbing of a 28-year-old Saturday. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and) At a makeshift memorial on Trierer Strasse on the spot where the stabbing is believed to have occurred, a plush toy of the Russian cartoon character Cheburashka was accompanied by candles, flowers and martial arts memorabilia, among other mementos. Wittlich resident Andrea Barthen visited the memorial Monday. She said everyone in town was talking about the killing, which she said was so shocking and tragic that she couldnt bring herself to leave her house during the festive weekend. We know the American military people, she said. They are here every year, and its peaceful. Gerhard Knauf, who works in Wittlich, said a colleague of his had known the victim. Knauf added that he was surprised that U.S. service members are the suspects in such a crime. When asked whether he thinks the killing will cause him and others in the area to change their perceptions about the U.S. troops stationed nearby, he said its too early to tell. German authorities identified the service members after witnesses described them being at the crime scene with two other people who were not arrested, the police said. The inquiry is being done by the Office of Special Investigation at Spangdahlem, according to police. The mens names and information about their roles in the military were being withheld because of the ongoing investigation, the wing statement said. They will remain jailed until an investigation is complete, it added. Wittlich is roughly 12 miles east of Spangdahlem Air Base, home to the 52nd Fighter Wing, and about 70 miles northwest of Ramstein Air Base. This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community, 52nd Fighter Wing Commander Col. Kevin Crofton said in the statement. We thank the local polizei and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course. The Combat Aviation Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, formally Fort Polk, La., in February 2021. (Vincent Levelev/U.S. Army) WASHINGTON Two Army brigades are slated for deployments in the fall as part of regular troop rotations, the service has announced. The 82nd Airborne Divisions Combat Aviation Brigade will deploy to U.S. Central Command to replace the 185th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade from the Mississippi Army National Guard. The brigade is based in Fort Liberty, N.C., formerly known as Fort Bragg. CENTCOM covers 21 countries in the Middle East, as well as West and Central Asia. The 1st Infantry Divisions Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Riley, Kan., will deploy to Europe to replace the 3rd Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade as part of a regular rotation of forces to support NATO allies and partners. The brigades most recent deployment was in early 2021 in Eastern Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve in response to Russian operations, Fort Riley said in a statement. The 1st Combat Aviation Brigade has some of the Army's best soldiers and aviators. We have trained diligently over the past year in preparation for our deployment, said Col. Chad Corrigan, the brigades commander. The brigade will be in Europe for nine months, an Army official said. Europe was a focus during summer rotations. The bulk of troops announced in March came from Fort Stewart, Ga., and units from Fort Bliss, Texas, and then-Fort Bragg, N.C., joined rotations to strengthen NATO to deter Russian aggression. The U.S. military has maintained about 100,000 troops on the Continent since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Lance Cpl. Joseph D. Whaley. (Maury County Comm./Facebook) WASHINGTON The Marine killed last week during a live-fire training exercise at Camp Pendleton, Calif., was in the early weeks of a reconnaissance course at the services West Coast infantry school when he died, officials said. Lance Cpl. Joseph D. Whaley, who turned 20 less than two weeks ago, was killed Thursday during a nighttime training session at the Marine Corps base near San Diego, the service said. It wasnt immediately clear, however, what Whaley was doing when he was killed. An investigation remains ongoing into the matter and the command is in full cooperation, the Marine Corps said in a statement. There is no additional information available, pending the conclusion of the investigation. Whaley was from Maury County, Tenn., and in his fourth week of a 13-week basic reconnaissance course at the School of Infantry-West, which is one of two schools where Marines go when they complete recruit training, the service said. The other is the School of Infantry-East at Camp Lejeune, N.C. [The course] is the entry-level course for Marine Corps reconnaissance, the service said. His designated occupation was infantry student. Before Whaley began the reconnaissance course, hed previously trained as a rifleman at Camp Lejeune and attended recruit training at Parris Island, S.C. The Marine Corps said hed earned the National Defense Medal. Whaley joined the service in July 2022, just a few weeks after he graduated from high school in Columbia, Tenn., which is in the central part of the state, the Marines said. Maury County has a population of about 100,000 people. Established in 1942, Camp Pendleton is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States that occupies 125,000 acres about 40 miles northwest of downtown San Diego. In addition to being the home of the School of Infantry-West, the base also headquarters the 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Installations West. Last month, Sgt. Maj. Steven Burkett the top noncommissioned officer at the School of Infantry-West was relieved of duty due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to perform his duties. Vietravel Airlines has operated its first direct flight from Hanoi to China following the launch of the Nha Trang-Macau route in May. The charter flight took off from Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and landed in Sanya Phoenix International Airport in Chinas Hainan province, carrying more than 130 passengers, mostly tourists. Vietravel Airlines general director Vu Duc Bien said that China is a large market in Asia that the airline has targeted right from its establishment. Initially, Vietravel Airlines will continue to operate charter flights to China to prove its capacity and make preparations for the exploitation of regular routes to China, which has added Vietnam into the list of countries to which Chinas group tours can be conducted starting from March 15. In the rest of 2023, Vietravel Airlines aims to expand its aircraft fleet, strengthen human resources training and develop its domestic and international flight network, he added. In the first half of 2023, Vietnam welcomed 557,151 Chinese visitors. Vietnam has been one of the five largest suppliers of tourists to China for many years. USS Mount Whitney, the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship, is anchored in Istanbul on Aug. 18, 2023, during a scheduled visit to Turkey. (Mario Coto/U.S. Navy) The amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney, which once drew the ire of Russian President Vladimir Putin, departed Istanbul on Monday after a weekend visit focused on strengthening ties with key NATO ally Turkey, according to the Navy. The vessel, which is the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship, arrived for a scheduled port call Friday, the Navy said in a statement the same day. The visit appeared to make the Mount Whitney only the second American warship to venture so near the Black Sea since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. In February, the destroyer USS Nitze was the first American warship to travel in proximity to the Black Sea, making a brief stop in Istanbul on its way to Golcuk Naval Base, on the east side of the Sea of Marmara. Istanbul is situated along both sides of the Bosporus near its entrance from the Sea of Marmara. The strait stretches about 19 miles before it reaches the Black Sea. Other U.S. warships, notably destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mitscher, also have visited Turkey since the war started, but none traveled as close to the Black Sea as Mount Whitney and Nitze. Petty Officer 1st Class Donald Cooney and Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Ramirez prepare to raise the ensign aboard the USS Mount Whitney in Istanbul on Aug. 18, 2023. Mount Whitney, the 6th Fleet flagship, homeported in Gaeta, Italy, left Istanbul on Monday. (Mario Coto/U.S. Navy) The destroyer USS Arleigh Burke was the last American warship to transit the Black Sea, leaving in December 2021, according to the ship-watching website turkishnavy.net. Weeks earlier, Putin railed against the U.S. Navys presence in the Black Sea, saying the Russian military had Mount Whitney in the crosshairs as it transited the sea on routine NATO operations. The port call in Istanbul came just days after the first civilian cargo ship carrying grain left the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa on Wednesday in a test of Russias threat to treat commercial vessels transiting the Black Sea as military targets. Last month, Moscow backed out of a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations that had allowed Ukraine to export its grain. The Hong Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte safely traveled through a temporary humanitarian corridor established in the Black Sea, exiting through the Bosporus on Friday, Politico reported the same day. Earlier in the week, Russia said it had fired warning shots at a cargo ship traveling in the southwestern Black Sea on Aug. 13. The Kremlin released video of Russian troops boarding the vessel and interrogating its crew. In an Aug. 16 post to his official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis, a former NATO supreme allied commander in Europe, called the Russian actions piracy, later telling Politico the behavior could force the alliance to intervene. The U.S. is in talks with Turkey, Ukraine and other countries in the region about increasing the use of alternative routes, such as the Danube River, to export Ukrainian grain, The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 15. Turkey closed the Bosporus to most warships shortly after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Only military vessels whose homeport is in the Black Sea those from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine may use the strait to enter or leave the sea, according to Turkish policy invoked at the time. Merchant ships are not restricted. Cmdr. Kenji Igawa, seen here Dec. 1, 2022, was relieved as skipper of the guided-missile destroyer USS Howard due to a "loss of confidence in his ability to command," Thursday, Aug. 19, 2023. (Samantha Oblander/U.S. Navy) YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan The skipper of a guided-missile destroyer based at the home of the U.S. 7th Fleet has been relieved less than a year after taking command, according to the Navy. The head of 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, on Saturday removed Cmdr. Kenji Igawa from his position as commander of the USS Howard due to loss of confidence in his ability to command, Naval Surface Force Pacific said in a Sunday news release. The decision was related to performance of duties, surface force spokesman Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson told Stars and Stripes by email Monday, without elaborating. Navy commanding officers are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct, Naval Surface Force Pacific said in the news release. They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards. Igawa, of Monterey Park, Calif., graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2004 with a degree in electrical engineering and holds a masters in educational leadership from the University of Maryland. He served as the Howards executive officer before taking command of the ship Dec. 1. Thomas reassigned Igawa to a staff position with 7th Fleet, according to the release. Abrahamson did not specify what role Igawa will fill. Capt. Edward Angelinas, the former commander of the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, will take Igawas place on the Howard until a permanent replacement is assigned, according to the news release. The guided-missile destroyer USS Howard passes Iwo Jiam, also known as Iwo To, in the Philippine Sea, June 25, 2023. (Santiago Navarro/U.S. Navy) The Navy has not identified a permanent replacement for Angelinas, Abrahamson said. Igawa is at least the fifth ship commander whos been fired this year over loss of confidence, and at least the second commander of a ship based at Yokosuka. In May, Thomas removed Cmdr. Angela Gonzales from command of the destroyer USS John Finn also homeported in Yokosuka following an investigation, although specifics were not disclosed. Igawas removal was not related to Gonzales investigation, Abrahamson said. Cmdr. Jeffrey Applebaugh, the skipper of the guided-missile destroyer USS Stout at Norfolk, Va., was relieved on June 2 by Capt. Blair Guy, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 28, for loss of confidence. Cmdr. Alexa Jenkins of the Florida-based destroyer USS Carney and Capt. Michael Nordeen of the Virginia-based amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde were relieved in January. (Megan McCloskey/Stars and Stripes) Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Dec. 3, 2006: Pvt. Jordan Skinner, 20, of Cincinnati, washes one of 172nd Stryker Brigades more than 200 Stryker vehicles. After a four-month extension of their Iraq tour in August, the brigade was heading home to Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Skinner and other soldiers were in the middle of a more than weeklong process of cleaning the vehicles before they were shipped back to Alaska. Read the story on the preparations here. Visitors on the Rail Explorers rail bike pedal over train tracks in Versailles, Ky., from the Bluegrass Scenic Railroad and Museum. (Olivia Anderson, Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS) LEXINGTON, Ky. Kentuckians can explore Thoroughbred horse farms, see limestone hills and enjoy views of the Kentucky River from a new perspective: while pedaling on the rails. Rail Explorers in Versailles, Ky., offers the chance to pedal a rail bike for the 10-mile round trip on the Louisville Southern Railroad rail line that dates to the 1880s. The two-hour trip takes you from Versailles to a scenic overlook at Youngs High Bridge, 283 feet above the river. The length of the ride may seem a bit daunting, but each rail car is equipped with electric pedal assist. There is a two-person Tandem Explorer and a four-person Quad Explorer. Each bike will only average about 10 mph on this track but can easily move through the hills, the speed in the hands of the rider controlling the cars individual brake. What is riding the rail bike like? Donna Sue Rowden of Shelbyville, Ky., recently took a rail bike for a spin with her friend, Cheri Newell. There was only one time (Cheri) got a little bit excited because they asked the responsible one to do the brake, and I am the responsible one, and shes taking our picture, so Im looking at her, smiling, and almost hit the car in front of us and shes going Brake! Brake! she said. Rowden and her friends said they saw the new attraction on their local news station and wasted no time reserving their Quad Explorer. Although some of the oldest women on the morning ride, they may have been the most youthful-in-spirit. The group shared plenty of laughs and sang songs on their way back into the Bluegrass Scenic Railroad and Museum. During the first 5 miles heading to the turnaround point, youll be soothed by breathtaking views of rolling hills and captivating greenery. Once at Youngs High Bridge, youll have about a 15-minute break to take photos and sit and enjoy the views, which include the Wild Turkey Distillery across the river in Lawrenceburg. While doing so, workers will be turning the cars to face the other direction so you can begin the 5-mile trek back. Who can ride on the rail bike? All ages are welcome. There are about a dozen cars that can be reserved, so you can go in a small or large group. Younger children and newborns also were seen on the morning ride. Its a great opportunity for families to spend time together and see all sorts of wildlife including horses, said Rail Explorers regional manager Heather Abel. For those under 50 pounds, a child safety harness is given to the rider, although his or her feet still may not reach the pedals even after adjusting the seat. Babies should be safely strapped to the parent. Abel said pets also are welcome, with restrictions: They must be strapped to the person or leashed and dogs must be under 40 pounds. Limit of one per car. We actually had a dragon lizard here on Saturday; it was hilarious, Abel said. Weve had parakeets, parrots, as long as everybodys safely strapped to a person then we encourage it all. So no matter who youd like to experience the ride with, all of your options are open. You can bring snacks as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy. Kentuckians will be able to book their tours through the end of October and witness autumn sunsets and get lost in the fall colors for as long as the weather permits. Walk-ins are also available but not recommended due to a high booking rate. Rail Explorers Bluegrass Division Where: Bluegrass Scenic Railroad and Museum, at 175 Beasley Road in Versailles, Kentucky When: Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Saturday: 4, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. (Many spots are already sold out.) Tickets: The Tandem Explorer seats two people and is $45 per person, totaling $90 for the ride. For larger groups, the Quad Explorer seats up to four people at $40 per person, totaling $160. Groups of 10 or more may receive a 10% discount on their booking. Visit www.railexplorers.net. Students are greeted as they enter Humphreys Central Elementary School at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes) Students at Defense Department schools on U.S. military bases overseas started a fresh school year Monday with a new, gender-neutral dress code and a support system for struggling students. At Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, high school students gathered at 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise from the school parking lot, a new-school-year tradition, according to senior Melia Okamoto. This morning was gorgeous, she said. Approximately 43,500 students down 1,500 from last year were expected to resume classes at 109 Department of Defense Education Activity schools in the Pacific and Europe, DODEA spokesman Will Griffin said by email Thursday. The regions make up about two-thirds of DODEAs 63,000 students. The new dress code does away with standards that sometimes differed between schools on the same base and imposes a uniform code across all DODEA schools. Students now must wear sleeved clothing that covers them fully from armpit to mid-thigh. Sleeveless tops and dresses are permitted for school-sponsored formal events such as prom; open toe shoes with a strap across the heel are allowed. Clothing with language or images that promote violence or advocate the illegal use or sale of drugs, alcohol or tobacco products are not permitted. Neither are obscenities or discriminatory language or imagery. Students head to Zama Middle High School on the first day of classes at Camp Zama, Japan, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) Fourth-grade teacher Jill Turco consoles a crying student at Bob Hope Elementary School prior to the first day of classes at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) This year, DODEA will implement its Multi-tiered System of Support framework, Griffin said. The framework uses data to identify students falling behind academically, socially and emotionally, and to intervene to make sure no student falls behind. DODEA partnered with Penn State to create a program that fits the unique needs of military children, Griffin said. The program allows educators to address social and emotional learning and behavioral practices along with academics, said support system specialist Daniel Petritz by phone Thursday. Because we know that if we want our kids to learn at a high academic level, we need to give them some of the skills they need to learn collaboratively and in a student-centered fashion, he said. Kubasaki High School principal James Strait directs students on the first day of classes at Camp Foster, Okinawa, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (Frank Andrews/Stars and Stripes) Hip-hop opening As doors opened Monday at Yokota High, Lt. Col. Darrick Duran, commander of the 374th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, in his DJ alter ego spun Lovely Day by Bill Withers and Rappers Delight by The Sugarhill Gang. We just want to hype them up for the first day of school, principal Rebecca Villagomez said Monday. I think it is a great way to start a school year. Okamoto said the dress code changes are more accommodating than she expected. I mean, I do feel that it's really hot in Japan, she said. So, it would be nice to wear tank tops, but I will say the dress code is a lot leaner than what I would expect at a military institute, so I do appreciate that. Teachers trained last week for the new multi-tiered systems of support, the principal said. It's a great opportunity to promote the whole student, Villagomez said. Because it's not just focusing on the academic side, but also on the social, emotional, academic and the behavioral support of the students. We want to ensure that students have all the prerequisites in order to be successful, to be prepared for life after high school. At Yokosuka Naval Base south of Tokyo, hundreds of returning students wore cheery faces despite warm morning temperatures. As you can see, as you look around, its shorts and T-shirts for everybody, said assistant principal Angela Langilotti of The Sullivans Elementary School. The new dress code will likely have very little impact on children in grades one through five, she said. For the first day, some crossing guards wore high-visibility vests, but others wore inflatable animal costumes, including a hippo and a koala. Were excited to welcome new families and build on the traditions that weve already established here at The Sullivans traditions like make it bigger and make it better, said assistant principal Bryan English. Instruction begins in Raechel Nelson's first-grade classroom at Bob Hope Elementary School on the first day of classes at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) Okinawa openings At Bob Hope Elementary School on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, students lined up outside the building with their new teachers and classmates before walking inside in single file. Penelope Gonzalez, 10, said she looked forward to the challenges posed by fifth grade, especially math, her toughest subject. To me, its the hardest but I just want to study through it so I can get better, she said. Capt. Mike Lam, a communications officer with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, dropped off his daughter, Adeline Lam, 9, a new fourth-grader. She was excited to see friends and looking forward to math class. Im just ready for them to progress and learn new things, he said. Shes pretty excited about the STEM robotics so Im excited for her. Air Force Tech Sgt. Raymond Drummer smiled as his daughter, Raniyah, 10, entered Bob Hope for her first day of fifth grade. Its always a fun process, he said. First day of school is always a little nervous for the kids but I know theyre going to make new friends and have some fun this school year, so were looking forward to it. Camp Humphreys record At Camp Humphreys, South Korea the largest U.S. military base overseas civilian data analyst Maria Cunha dropped off her daughter, Milo Aptaker, 6, at Humphreys Central Elementary School. During the summer, Milo enjoyed a lot of birthday parties, play dates and a lot of too hot to be outside moments but was super excited to be back in school, Cunha said. The school received 11 new full-time teachers, seven educational aides and nine substitute teachers, said principal Shenae Wiley. Humphreys High School enrolled its largest class ever this year with over 750 students, principal Amanda Schwerdt-Johnson said by email Thursday. Army Master Sgt. Mark Galiza, a senior maintenance supervisor for the 2nd Infantry Divisions Sustainment Brigade, dropped off his daughter Yena Shin to start 10th grade. Galiza said he is more concerned about getting the education portion done than DODEAs new dress code. Stars and Stripes reporters Kelly Agee, Frank Andrews, Matthew M. Burke, David Choi and Alex Wilson contributed to this report. F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters pack the USS America's flight deck in the Coral Sea, July 31, 2023. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes) Flat decks from the United States, Japan and Australia will train together this week off the western coast of the Philippines in the South China Sea, according to Philippine security officials. The exercise involving ships that carry helicopters and F-35 fighters will show the three nations commitment to the rule of law in the region after recent Chinese aggression in disputed waters, two officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press on Sunday. Chinas coast guard on Aug. 5 fired water cannons at civilian vessels taking food, water, fuel and other supplies to Philippine forces stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed feature in the South China Sea. The flat deck drill, planned months ago, will involve the amphibious assault ship USS America, the helicopter destroyer JS Izumo and the helicopter landing dock HMAS Canberra. The warships commanders will meet their Filipino counterparts in Manila after the drills, according to AP. The Philippines is not taking part in the exercise due to logistical limitations but could join future drills, AP reported. The precipitating event for the exercise is the aggressive [Chinese] Coast Guard behavior towards unarmed Filipino boats in close proximity to Philippine territorial waters, Paul Buchanan, a New Zealand-based U.S. security expert, said by email Monday. China coast guard vessels turned high-pressured water hoses on one of two military-chartered civilian vessels, escorted by two Philippine coast guard ships, as they attempted to move supplies to troops on Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Eight Chinese vessels attempted to block their way, according to Philippines authorities. The water cannon incident and similar close encounters are seen as part of an intimidation campaign designed to hinder freedom of navigation by Philippine boats, Buchanan said. The answer to that sort of bullying behavior is to bring a bigger player into the equation, and a US carrier with Japanese and Australian maritime helicopter platforms is a good pick for that role, he said. The drills are a sign of more robust allied support for Southeast Asian friends and a response to Beijing's continuing attempted coercion of the Philippines, in particular, Ross Babbage, a former Australian assistant defense secretary, said by email Monday. Defense ties have strengthened with the U.S., Japan and Australia under the administration of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. The U.S., Australia and Japan are strengthening their own military ties while Japan is becoming increasingly willing to safeguard its interests in the South China Sea, he said by email Monday. Meanwhile, China is making stronger efforts to press its maritime claims from the East China Sea through Taiwan and the South China Sea, Chong said. China is undertaking more frequent and larger scale military exercises, robust patrolling around areas it claims, and what the United States, Philippines, Australia and others have called unsafe and unprofessional conduct in the air and at sea, he said. F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters pack the USS America's flight deck in the Coral Sea, July 31, 2023. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea U.S. and South Korean troops kicked off a semiannual large-scale exercise Monday after the presidents of both countries agreed to expand their alliance during a trilateral summit with Japan. Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day exercise consisting of around 30 separate drills, has been described by U.S. Forces Korea and South Koreas Ministry of National Defense as a routine, defensive exercise on land and in the air and sea. One of the exercises key points is to counter the advancing threats from North Korea, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman army Col. Lee Sung-jun told reporters during a news briefing on Aug. 14. Details, such as the number of troops involved, had not been disclosed by the ministry as of Monday. USFK, which commands roughly 28,500 troops on the peninsula, regularly declines to provide specifics about their large-scale exercises, citing operational security concerns. The training began three days after President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. The leaders reaffirmed their security partnership and said they remained committed to the complete denuclearization of [North Korea], according to a joint statement. We remain committed to dialogue with [North Korea] with no preconditions, the statement said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un directed the firing of strategic cruise missiles from a warship at a simulated target, according to a report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday. The report did not mention the date of the missile launch. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said it tracked the missiles in real time and described KCNAs description of the launches as exaggerated without providing additional details, according to a message to reporters Monday. Yoon presided over a National Security Council meeting Monday and highlighted the importance of the countrys military exercise with the U.S. Peace is protected only by overwhelming power, rather than one side begging or by one sides goodwill, Yoon said at the meeting, according to a news release from the presidential office. North Korea has fired 17 ballistic missiles in 12 separate days of testing so far this year. It last launched two short-range ballistic missiles that flew roughly 340 miles before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, on July 19. On July 26, a military junta calling itself the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, launched a coup detat in Niger and arrested President Mohamed Bazoum. Bazoum and his family have since then been illegally held at the president's official residence in Niamey. Niger, a seemingly stable democracy in the heart of the Sahel, has suffered its own share of coups and take-overs since 1960, when it gained its independence from France. Indeed, the transfer of power after Mohamed Bazoums own electoral victory two years ago was relatively peaceful, with little to indicate the turmoil beneath the surface. The coup prompted the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS to call for the restoration of constitutional order by August 6. When that deadline passed, ECOWAS ordered the activation and deployment of a regional standby force to restore order in Niger. ECOWAS has shown immense leadership throughout this crisis, and the United States has appreciated their work and leadership, said State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel. ECOWAS has been also very clear and very clear publicly that military intervention should be a last resort, something that we agree with. And we continue to be focused on finding a diplomatic solution and are in close contact with ECOWAS and their leadership on this, he said. In response to ECOWAS troop deployment, the coup leaders announced that they planned to prosecute President Bazoum for high treason and undermining Nigers internal and external security. We are dismayed by the reports that President Bazoums unjust detention has gone an even step further, and now that the [National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland] is threatening prosecution, said Deputy Spokesperson Patel. This action is completely unwarranted and unjustified, and candidly, it will not contribute to a peaceful resolution of this crisis. It is a further affront, in our opinion, to democracy and justice and to the respect of the rule of law. And a threat like this underscores the urgency of respecting the constitutional order in Niger, he said. At the end of the day, we are all in alignment that we want a peaceful resolution to this crisis and the preservation of constitutional order in Niger, said Spokesperson Patel. We expect to see President Bazoum and his family unharmed, we expect to see them released, and we expect to see an immediate respect for the constitutional order in Niger. The blaze quickly reached five alarms and spread to several stores along the commercial stretch of road near Williamsburg St. East, New York, on August 20, 2023. (Theodore Parisienne/TNS) NEW YORK (Tribune News Service) Two infernos raged across Brooklyn on Sunday, one of them leaving three children clinging to life after their parents left them unsupervised inside an 11th-floor apartment, authorities said. The first fire broke out inside the Van Dyke Houses on Livonia Ave. near Powell St. in Brownsville around 11 a.m., according to FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens. Firefighters entered the smoldering unit to discover the unconscious bodies of children ages 8, 5 and 4, Hodgens said. Rescuers had to crawl through the smoke-filled apartment to extract the injured kids and immediately attempted to resuscitate them before handing them off to paramedics who performed more advanced, life-saving maneuvers, according to the fire chief. It took smoke-eaters 12 minutes to reach the scene, ascend the tower and pull out the children, said Hodgens, who credited their survival to the rapid response. They had to go to work quickly, get them out, and get them over to EMS and paramedics, he said. Thats why theyre alive today. Police are investigating why the children were left to fend for themselves inside the Brownsville housing complex, and investigators have brought in their father for questioning, according to a spokeswoman. A neighbor said the childrens mother left her kids with their father as she went to work, and that the dad had gone to grab food when the fire broke out. Never leave kids alone. Its terrible. Three kids, one is four years old! said Jose Nieves, who lives in a neighboring building at the Van Dyke Houses. Another resident said he worried that the long minutes that children spent unconscious would lead to brain damage. They were unconscious so long, said Jason Johnson, who lives on the 12th floor of the building where the fire broke out. Brain cells die. Hopefully, that wont happen. They were too young, he added. No charges had been filed as of Sunday evening, the NYPD spokeswoman said. Sundays second fire erupted inside a commercial building on Lee Ave. near Williamsburg St. East shortly before noon, injuring 10 firefighters, according to Hodgens. The inferno spread quickly through an attic shared by nine small businesses, including a chocolate shop and grill, all of which were damaged in the blaze, the chief said. The businesses were closed for the weekend, and an army of 200 firefighters struggled to bust through roll-down gates guarding the sealed shops in order to pour water on the fire within, according to Hodgens. We had to force our way into every store, he said. Nine stores all had closed gates. One of the 10 injured firefighters was listed in critical condition due to his altered mental status, according to FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, who said the smoke eater was given medicine for carbon monoxide poisoning. No civilians were injured in the Williamsburg fire, officials said. 2023 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. In this file photo, concertina wire is seen on the river bank as migrants cross the Rio Grande into the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas, as seen from Piedras Negras, Coahuila state, Mexico, on Aug. 4, 2023. (Guillermo Arias, AFP/Getty Images/TNS) (Tribune News Service) The Justice Department heads to federal court in Texas on Tuesday to challenge the states latest effort to implement its own border security measures, a floating barrier of buoys in the Rio Grande that has raised humanitarian and diplomatic concerns. Judge David A. Ezra of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, a Reagan appointee, will hear arguments in Austin about whether to halt the latest border security initiative in the states immigration enforcement operation at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Justice Department in a lawsuit filed last month asked the court to order the barrier of buoys taken down, arguing that it constitutes an unauthorized and illegal structure obstructing U.S. waters in violation of river protection laws. Texas, however, has countered that the federal government has failed to defend the states southern border, and that it has a federal constitutional right to defend itself against invasion from even non-state actors. The case throws into the spotlight Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts so-called Operation Lone Star, where state officers have been deployed to enforce federal immigration laws at the states shared border with Mexico. Abbott, a frequent court opponent of the Biden administration over its immigration policies, launched the operation in March 2021 in response to record-high migration levels. Abbotts office has described it as an effort to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administrations refusal to secure the border. Operation Lone Star already has grabbed national headlines for bussing migrants to Democratic-run cities, including New York City and Washington, D.C., which critics slammed as a political stunt to protest the administrations migration policies. And in a further effort to deter migration, state authorities announced in June they would begin constructing a floating barrier, made of buoys strung together, to block migrants from crossing the Rio Grande into Texas. Speaking on Fox News last month, Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Christopher Olivarez described the marine barrier as another added layer of defense to what we have in place already with razor wire, boots on the ground, and boats in the water. A group of Democratic members of Congress from Texas slammed the buoy system in a recent letter to administration officials as yet another dangerous stunt that prioritizes political posturing over the safety and well-being of both Texans and migrants. Migrant advocates have also warned the buoys threaten the lives of migrants seeking safety in the U.S. Earlier this month, Mexican officials reported that a dead body was found caught in the Rio Grande buoys. Navigable waters Tuesdays hearing is likely to focus on how the court should interpret a key term in the federal river protection law cited by the Justice Department. The Biden administrations lawsuit focuses on alleged violations of the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act, which requires a federal government permit to construct structures in U.S. waters that are navigable, or able to be traversed by boat. According to the DOJ, Texas did not seek or receive approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before installing the floating barrier earlier this month, which prevented the federal government from having the chance to examine potential environmental or safety risks. Texas has argued that this law does not apply because the portion of the Rio Grande where the buoys were installed are not navigable. And if the court were to find those waters are navigable, the buoy system does not obstruct nor does it count as a banned structure under the law, the state argued. A group of 22 Republican members of Congress filed a brief in the case earlier this month that urged the judge to closely scrutinize arguments about whether the river is navigable. Reps. Jodey C. Arrington of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona and the other Republicans wrote that while they did not take a position on the policy or legal dispute over the buoy barrier, the federal government should have to show its work when defining whether a body of water is considered navigable. Too broad an interpretation of the term could give federal agencies unchecked power to regulate every ditch and stream that once upon a time could have carried a boat, the lawmakers wrote. International implications Government officials have warned that Texas floating barrier could carry international concerns and threaten diplomatic relations with Mexico. According to a declaration, signed by Jennifer T. Pena of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission and filed in the case, 787 feet of the 995-foot floating barrier are located within Mexico, while 208 feet are within the U.S. Hillary Quam, the Department of States U.S.-Mexico border coordinator, said in another filed declaration the floating barrier has become the subject of diplomatic concern between Mexico and the United States. She said Mexico has raised concerns, including that individuals swimming may get caught in the barrier, at the highest diplomatic levels and has made it clear to the United States that it expects the United States to take action to obtain the prompt removal of the floating barriers. If the barrier is not removed expeditiously, its presence will have an adverse impact on U.S. foreign policy, including our relationship with the government of Mexico, Quam wrote. The Mexican government has also said in a news release earlier this month that the placement of chained buoys by Texas authorities is a violation of our sovereignty. In July, Rep. Veronica Escobar and other Texas Democrats wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, warning that the barrier could infringe on several bilateral treaties between the U.S. and Mexico related to boundaries and allocation of waters. By placing buoys in the Rio Grande, Governor Abbott may be interfering with the natural flow of the river, potentially shifting the boundary between Mexico and the United States causing the United States to cede land to Mexico, the lawmakers wrote. In its Aug. 16 reply brief, the DOJ said that removal of the marine barrier has remained a top-priority issue in foreign relations between the U.S. and Mexico. 2023 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The north gate at Laughlin Air Force Base, July 15, 2021. The latest effort to restrict foreign land ownership began in 2019 when Chinese billionaire Sun Guangxin proposed a 46-turbine wind farm in southwest Texas to feed into the states electricity grid. Critics soon raised concerns about Suns ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and lawmakers suggested spying devices could be added to the farms turbines to monitor nearby Laughlin Air Force Base. (Nicholas Larsen/U.S. Air Force) In Washington, the White House and federal lawmakers are pursuing ways to constrain Chinese-owned businesses like TikTok amid a bipartisan push to limit China's reach. Now state legislators have embraced a novel, locally focused tactic aimed at China's domestic investments: restrictions on Chinese land ownership. Lawmakers in 33 states have introduced 81 bills this year that would prohibit the Chinese government, some China-based businesses and many Chinese citizens from buying agricultural land or property near military bases, according to a Washington Post analysis of data compiled by the Asian Pacific American Justice, an advocacy group. A dozen of the bills are now law in states such Alabama, Idaho and Virginia. Most passed in Republican-dominated legislatures, but some found bipartisan support as sponsors argued they address a national security threat. The Chinese government could set up spy operations on land purchased near military bases, the bills' backers say, and the nation's food supply could be threatened if hostile foreign entities acquire too much agricultural land. "This issue has a direct impact on all Ohioans," said Ohio state Rep. Angie King (R) when she introduced a bill in June that would create restrictions on land sales, particularly agricultural property, for some businesses and individuals with ties to countries like China, Russia or North Korea. "Our state has been left vulnerable to attacks by our enemies." But Asian American advocacy groups and legislators have raised alarm that the new bills go beyond national security concerns and could encourage discrimination against Chinese Americans at a time of rising hate crimes harking back to a time when they were openly barred from owning property. "There is ignorance out there that causes people to think that because you are Chinese you are part of the Chinese government," said former Republican Texas state representative Martha Wong, 84. The Chinese Embassy also denounced the legislative movement. "Commercial interactions between China and the U.S. benefit both sides. To politicize trade and investment is at odds with market economy principles and undercuts people's confidence in the U.S. market," said the statement to The Washington Post. "Such restrictions may also fuel Asian hatred in the U.S. and racial discrimination, thus running counter to American values." While most bills like King's also ban land ownership tied to other "foreign adversaries," including Russia, Iran and North Korea, lawmakers' rhetoric has focused almost exclusively on China and some states have gone even further than targeting government entities. A Florida law also restricts land purchases by Chinese citizens with non-tourist visas. The movement represents a surge over the previous two years when less than 30 bills in total were introduced and just two became law. The bills gained traction this year amid rising alarm about a Chinese spy balloon's journey across the United States before the Air Force shot it down in February. "A week after I submitted the bill, the Chinese spy balloon was fired over Montana and that really got everyone in the legislature on board," said Montana state Sen. Ken Bogner (R) of his successful bill. Critics say the movement is also being fueled by growing anti-Asian sentiment in the United States, evidenced by a rise in hate crimes that became particularly acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. "President Trump calling COVID-19 the China Virus and Kung Flu laid the groundwork for people to blame China for their own misfortunes," said Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), who is Chinese American and has introduced a bill that seeks to combat the land ownership restrictions. "Now we see this anti-China fever taking a different route, with politicians trying to gain political points by being more anti-China than the next person." Wong testified against several Texas bills by describing how she lived for years as a child in her family's grocery storage room because no one would rent or sell a home to her Chinese American father. "We do not want backward movement to the type of discrimination my father faced," she said. The push in states to limit Chinese ownership has extended to Congress, where at least 11 bills aiming to restrict land buys by Chinese businesses and citizens have been introduced over the past three years. None have passed, but several are still pending, and the language from one bill was recently inserted into the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the Senate last month. In a social media post last week, Rep. Dan Newhouse, (R-Wash.) argued that China's "pattern of aggression poses immediate risks to our food supply chains & national security," and cited statistics from a U.S. Agriculture Department report. But some experts say national security concerns are inflated because China and Chinese investors own a fraction of U.S. agricultural lands. The USDA report cited by Newhouse shows Chinese investors own about 1 percent of American agricultural land, and only about .03 percent of that is farmland. The rest are agriculturally zoned properties that include rural roads, homesteads and non-farm-related buildings. "For purposes of food security, blocking Chinese or other foreign investors, that argument doesn't hold a lot of water," said Joe Glauber, USDA's chief economist from 2008 to 2014 and now a senior researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute. "We are already exporting a large portion of what we produce, so it is not a question of needing to keep this stuff at home. As far as farmland is concerned, what China owns is literally a drop in the bucket." The bills face an uncertain legal future. The American Civil Liberties Union has challenged the constitutionality of the Florida law, making some of the same arguments that caused several state supreme courts to strike down broad bans on land ownership by foreign citizens of Asian countries decades ago, including a pivotal California Supreme Court decision in 1952. "Banning people from buying a house based on where they are from is blatantly unconstitutional," said Ashley Gorski, a lead attorney in the ACLU case against the state of Florida. "Everyone in the United States is entitled to equal protection under the constitution, including citizens of other countries." Regardless, lawmakers and advocates tracking the legislation say momentum is building for more bills in state houses. "We expect the political rhetoric on this to escalate and also expect more legislation to be introduced and passed," said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, which has been fighting the bills. "Even state legislators want to appear to be tough on China right now, and they are grasping for things that they can control in their own state legislatures to show that they are being tough." A recent boom The United States has a long history of preventing noncitizens and minorities from buying property and establishing businesses, dating to colonial restrictions on British subjects. Enslaved people were not allowed to own property until constitutional amendments passed after the Civil War ending slavery and establishing birthright citizenship. And Asian Americans were often specifically targeted, including with alien land laws in the early 1900s in more than a dozen states. During World War II, Japanese Americans lost homes and businesses when they were sent to prison camps. Alien land laws targeting Asian Americans were largely struck down by state supreme courts or repealed by state legislatures or voters many in the 1940s and 1950s. "This issue goes way back even to before we declared our independence," said Micah Brown, an attorney with the National Agricultural Law Center, adding that the irony is "the founders stated that a reason for declaring our independence was because they were tired of the crown's tyrannical policy on what they defined as aliens or nonresidents owning land." The latest effort to restrict foreign land ownership began in 2019 when Chinese billionaire Sun Guangxin proposed a 46-turbine wind farm in southwest Texas to feed into the state's electricity grid. Critics soon raised concerns about Sun's ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and lawmakers suggested spying devices could be added to the farm's turbines to monitor nearby Laughlin Air Force Base. The project passed a regulatory inspection by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States a federal organization that reviews foreign projects for national security threats and the Defense Department determined the turbines would not interrupt training routes at the Air Force base. But Republican state lawmakers responded by banning any business tied to "hostile nations" from accessing the Texas electricity grid or other "critical infrastructure," effectively killing the project. An installation sign is displayed at the main gate of Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., Oct. 31, 2019. Last year, North Dakota lawmakers raised alarm when a Chinese conglomerate bought agricultural land near Grand Forks Air Force Base with hopes of building a corn mill. (Brody Katka/U.S. Air Force) Last year, North Dakota lawmakers raised similar alarm when a Chinese conglomerate bought agricultural land near Grand Forks Air Force Base with hopes of building a corn mill. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States did not conduct a detailed review, saying the Air Force base was not on a list of "sensitive" military installations. But North Dakota Republican Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer petitioned the U.S. Air Force, which said the project "presents a significant threat to national security." The deal was killed, and the state legislature passed a bill restricting Chinese companies from building similar projects on agricultural land or near military bases. This year, dozens more states have introduced bills, and some have grown in scope to include private citizens from "hostile" nations. Some contain sweeping language, including a bill in Louisiana that would have prohibited a person from a country considered to be a "foreign adversary" to buy or rent property near a military base even those with valid student visas. The bill could have blocked students from attending colleges near military bases, legal experts said. University officials and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association fought the bill, which died in June. "State legislators are trying to get involved in federal areas that are not their expertise," said Edgar Chen, an attorney and policy adviser with the bar association. "A lot of this is because of rushed, inartful drafting of the bills that could sweep up a lot of innocent parties." Among the 14 state bills enacted into law since 2021, all passed Republican supermajorities except for a Virginia bill, which passed the Democratic-controlled state Senate. Most ban the Chinese government and other "adversarial nations" from owning agricultural land or businesses, owning or building on property near military bases, or owning "critical infrastructure" like wastewater treatment plants or the land on or near where they are located. Most also extend some restrictions to businesses based in the these countries. At least three measures set limits on private citizens buying property for a home and boundaries for how close that land can be to military bases. Florida is believed to have the stiffest penalties, including up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, possible deportation and loss of property. The bills have resonated in state houses because land ownership is a rare area where local lawmakers can potentially impact the geopolitical conflict. However, political analysts say the movement has also joined the growing list of culture war issues that have come to dominate state legislative agendas. "In this era of nationally polarized parties, national activist groups, and national media, state level politicians know that playing to these national culture war issues can help them rise in the ranks of their party," said Jake M. Grumbach, a political science associate professor at University of California, Berkeley. The pushback When Texas lawmakers proposed three laws this year to restrict property purchases by Chinese businesses and citizens, Wong, the former Texas state representative, came out of retirement. She met with Asian American activists and encouraged them to flood the Capitol in Austin with residents who would be impacted by the bills, instead of hiring professional lobbyists. She waited through two hours of testimony in a hearing to tell the legislature her family's story. "The power of personal testimony is much better than what a lobbyist can do," Wong said in an interview. "Hundreds of people showed up at the Capitol to tell their stories. It was effective, but I don't think it's over at all." Wong's efforts are emblematic of a growing alarm among Asian American groups and legislators who have mounted campaigns mirrored by a concerted legal pushback. The current legal challenge is focused on Florida's law, which Asian American advocates view as a test case. The lawsuit, filed in May by the ACLU in Tallahassee federal court, asserts the law violates multiple parts of the U.S. Constitution, including "due process" provisions because it argues the language is vague and broad. Florida's law restricts property purchases or business developments near any "military installations." So a condo purchase near a Coast Guard station could be as serious a violation as one bought by an Army base where top-secret overseas military operations are planned, several legal experts said. That law also could also restrict political exiles from China and other nations. "On its face, the law would place restrictions on Kremlin critic [Alexei] Navalny," Chen said in a statement. "If the intent of this law is to undermine authoritarian regimes, it does the opposite by punishing those most opposed to those governments." The Florida law also puts the onus on property buyers to interpret the rules, the ACLU argues, with strict liability if they misread it. "If you are to subject people to strict criminal liability if they purchase property in violation of the law, where it doesn't matter what their intent is, it's especially important that the law is clear," said Gorski, the lead attorney in the ACLU case. "This means knowing exactly what constitutes critical infrastructure or military installations." The lawsuit asserts that the law violates the federal Fair Housing Act and the U.S. Justice Department has submitted an amicus brief in support of this position, saying, "The FHA prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability, and national origin." In legal filings, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) disputes that the law violates the Constitution, argues that the law is "not motivated by racial or national-origin animus," and alleges the plaintiffs have failed to show discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. A dozen other Republican state attorneys general have filed an amicus brief backing Florida's law, saying states "are not required to ensure that foreign governments and principals have unfettered access to the lands within their borders. The U.S. Constitution does not say otherwise." On Thursday, the judge in the case denied the ACLU's request for a preliminary injunction of the law while the court case is pending. Lawmakers are pushing ahead with both state and federal legislation. The latest state bill, in Ohio, which was introduced weeks after the ACLU lawsuit was filed, has not yet had a hearing or come up for a vote. In Congress, other congressional bills are pending that call for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to take a more aggressive stance on national security threats a move that has previously been backed by business organizations including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Stalled legislation by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) was also added to the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the Senate with a 86-11 vote in July. An earlier House version of the defense spending bill did not contain the amendment, which would prohibit China and three other nations from buying U.S. farmland and agricultural companies. The two versions of the bill are now being discussed in conference committee. "Can you think of any reason for why we would allow Red China to buy farmland in the United States?" Rounds said in an interview about his legislative push. "It passed the Senate with a strong bipartisan vote, so I am optimistic, and I have heard no opposition from the House." There is little doubt that the truce in Yemen, which came into effect in early April of last year, significantly improved the conditions in the country. The truce, originally meant to stay in effect for two months, was extended until October 2. But even after the agreement expired, hostilities have not returned to pre-truce levels, and civilian casualties are down. The sides continue to display general willingness to seek solutions, but this still needs to translate into concrete steps, in particular, a clear agreement on the way forward that includes restarting an inclusive Yemeni political process, he said UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg. Nonetheless, despite these hopeful signs, the developments in Yemen are a mixed bag of progress toward a political settlement and a reversion to fighting. On the one hand, Yemen is experiencing the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with some 80 percent of the population in need of humanitarian aid. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has just pledged a 1.2-billion-dollar donation. The United States welcomes Saudi Arabias recent announcement of 1.2 billion dollars in budget support for the Republic of Yemen government, which can help mitigate the worst consequences of the dire economic situation, said United States Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. But more attention and financial support are needed to address Yemens economic and humanitarian crisis especially at a time when the UNs response effort in Yemen remains grossly underfunded, she said. Houthi attacks on maritime shipping are also exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. We strongly condemn these senseless attacks, which impede much-needed oil export avenues that fund basic services. On the one hand, five UN staff members were recently released by an extremist group which had kidnapped them in February 2022. On the other hand, numerous others are still in captivity. The United States welcomes the release of the five UN personnel who were kidnapped in the southern governorate of Abyan last year, said Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Too many innocent people are still in detention, including wrongfully targeted individuals and religious minorities as well as members of the United States Locally Employed Staff, who have been detained in Sanaa for over a year and a half. We call for the release of all those who have been unjustly detained, including 11 Yemeni Bahais and Levi Marhabi. Ultimately, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, only a durable and inclusive political resolution between the parties can ease the suffering of the Yemeni people. The President House has written to the principal secretary to the prime minister surrendering the services of the presidents secretary to the Establishment Division. The letter states that the services of Waqar Ahmed, the secretary to the president, are no more required and surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately. It further suggests that a BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, Humaira Ahmed, may be posted as the secretary to the president. The letter mentions that Waqar Ahmeds services have been surrendered in view of President Arif Alvis statement on Sunday. President Dr Arif Alvi denied that he signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Act 2023 and the Army (Amendment) Act 2023 into law. In view of the definite statement of yesterday, Presidents Secretariat has written a letter to Principal Secretary to Prime Minister that the services of Mr. Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to President, are no more required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately. The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) August 21, 2023 On Saturday, it was reported that the president had assented to the two amendment bills after their approval from the previous National Assembly as well as the Senate. On Sunday, President Alvi took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted that he did not sign the bills, as he disagreed with them. He said he had asked his staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to make them ineffective. However, he claimed, his staff undermined his command and never returned the bills, after which they automatically became laws. As Allah knows all, He will forgive IA. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be effected, he tweeted. Reacting to the presidents denial, former finance minister Ishaq Dar says minimum morality warrants Dr Alvi to resign for failing to run his office effectively. The coroner said that based on the considerable medical evidence furnished to him and the research papers referred to him there was no connection whatsoever between Joseph McGinty getting the Covid-19 vaccine and his subsequent death. A coroner has ruled out any connection between the death of a 14-year-old Co Mayo schoolboy and the Covid-19 vaccine following an inquest. Joseph McGinty, The Valley, Achill Island, collapsed and died at his family home on September 13, 2021, 24 days after getting his first vaccination for Covid-19 in Castlebar. He was due to get a second jab on September 14, 2021, the day after he died. The Coroner for Mayo, Patrick OConnor directed that an inquest should be held into the young students passing on the grounds that the circumstances of his death were of significant public interest. At a hearing lasting three days last month, evidence was taken from a large number of medical and other witnesses including Gillian Ellsbury, Senior Medical Director Vaccines and Antivirals at Pfizer, who testified via video link. Statements were furnished to the coroner by the Health Products Regulatory Authority, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health. Eighteen witnesses, including medical staff at Mayo University Hospital, where Master McGinty was treated on a number of dates in September 2021, testified. Depositions and statements ran to approximately 3,500 pages. Delivering his decision and verdict at Swinford Courthouse today, Coroner OConnor returned an open verdict a decision which means that the evidence does not fully or clearly explain the cause and circumstances of death. The coroner said that based on the considerable medical evidence furnished to him and the research papers referred to him there was no connection whatsoever between Joseph McGinty getting the Covid-19 vaccine and his subsequent death. The coroner reiterated there was no evidence whatsoever that Master McGinty had contracted Covid-19 nor was there any evidence that he died with Covid-19. Mr OConnor said that having considered the medical reports of Dr Fadel Bennani, consultant pathologist at Mayo University Hospital, and Dr Michael McDermott, consultant pathologist at Our Ladys Hospital for Sick Children, Dublin, he found that the medical cause of death was profound adrenal pathology consistent with Addisons Disease. This condition, disorder of the adrenal glands, was described by the coroner as extremely rare in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Coroner OConnor said that while the medical staff at MUH did what they thought was best in the circumstances for Joseph it might, in hindsight, have been appropriate and better not to have discharged him on September 8 so that further tests, examinations and records could be obtained to get to the root of his deteriorating medical condition. Following the delivery of his verdict, the coroner commented that the death of any person, particularly a young person as in Josephs case, is extremely difficult for the immediate family, friends and also the medical staff who have treated that person Stating that lessons should be learnt from Josephs death, Mr OConnor went on to make a number of recommendations including the provision of such resources necessary to provide the full diagnosis, management, treatment and care of persons in the paediatric department of MUH. He also urged that the hospital appoint a bereavement officer in light of the unfortunate manner in which Patricia and Paul McGinty, Josephs parents, had been advised by an undertaker that some of Josephs organs had been retained for examination following his passing and were to be returned to them. Joseph McGintys family were represented at the inquest hearings by Michael OConnor SC, and Rita Kilroy BL, instructed by Jarlath Bourke of Lavelle Bourke Solicitors, Achill. Mayo University Hospital and the Health Service Executive (HSE), its staff and clinicians, were represented by Padraig Brennan, RDJ Solicitors, and Eoin McCullough SC. Pfizer Healthcare Ireland was represented by Roddy Bourke and Daniel Lucey of McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors, and David Boughton BL. Deirdre Regan (46) also admitted shoplifting from the same store and other premises in a spate of four thefts. A trainee beautician threw a sign at a supermarket window and aggressively pushed a doorman when she was asked to leave. Deirdre Regan (46) also admitted shoplifting from the same store and other premises in a spate of four thefts. Regan, of Newtown Court, Belcamp Lane, Coolock, pleaded guilty to theft, assault, criminal damage, possession of drugs and public order offences in several incidents. Judge Joanne Carroll gave her a four-month suspended sentence. She has caused considerable hardship for that supermarket, its no wonder they didnt want her there, the judge said. Dublin District Court heard Regan went to Fresh supermarket at Northern Cross, Malahide Road on May 21. She was asked to leave by security when she became aggressive and threw a sign at the window, cracking it. The damage cost 1,500. A security guard tried to move her out of the shop and she pushed him and tried to grab his badge. When she was arrested and taken to Coolock garda station, a small number of Alprazolam pills were found in her clothing. Regan admitted shoplifting charges, including an incident at the same Fresh supermarket on another date, when she stole 43 of alcohol. She took clothes and food at Tesco in Clarehall and Dunnes Stores at Northside Shopping Centre. She was arrested for acting in a threatening and abusive manner to gardai, who were called to a domestic incident in Darndale on March 1, 2019. Regan had a difficulty with alcohol, but she was no longer drinking and was sorry for what she did, her lawyer said. The accused, with an address at Lower Rathmines Road, is charged with seriously assaulting another man and possession of a knife. A man accused of stabbing another man on Dublin's Grafton Street had blood on his clothing and a blood-stained knife beside him as he left the scene on a Luas tram, it has been alleged. Mohamed Akrouf (30) allegedly told gardai he was "sorry for what happened" after he was arrested. A garda witness told Dublin District Court that Mr Akrouf was captured on CCTV fighting with the alleged injured party, who is also in his 30s, and running away after a stabbing took place. Judge Michele Finan refused bail and remanded Mr Akrouf in custody to appear before another court on Friday. The accused, with an address at Lower Rathmines Road, is charged with seriously assaulting another man and possession of a knife. The alleged assault took place on Dublin's Grafton Street in the early hours of Sunday morning. Garda Martin O'Rourke objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the charge. Outlining the allegation, Gda O'Rourke alleged that Mr Akrouf was arrested on a Luas tram at St Stephen's Green shortly after the alleged assault. Gda O'Rourke alleged there was blood on his clothing, and a blood-stained knife beside him. Gda O'Rourke said that witnesses gave a description of Mr Akrouf to gardai, and he was also identified on CCTV footage. Gda O'Rourke said Mr Akrouf was originally from Algeria and had arrived in Ireland in November 2022. Gda O'Rourke also objected to bail on the ground that Mr Akrouf could be a flight risk, and could apply for a passport without gardai being aware of it. Defence solicitor Danica Kinane said the accused enjoyed the presumption of innocence. She said that her client had a possible defence from "the account I have been given". She also said Mr Akrouf was willing to abide by any bail conditions, including a twice daily sign on condition. Judge Finan refused bail on the seriousness of the charge, and she remanded the accused in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday. The judge also assigned Ms Kinane on free legal aid. I would not have used the word paedophile because I would never (have) thought of it, but subsequently as years have gone on, I realised that is the proper word for what I had done A former pastor who admitted abusing three young boys in a care home in the 1980s will be returned to Northern Ireland from Canada within weeks. Henry Clarke has decided he will no longer try to overturn a court ruling which ordered his extradition. Clarke, now aged in his 80s, previously confessed to abusing three boys at care homes in Northern Ireland in the 1960s and 70s. He moved to Canada in the late 1970s, but later made admissions after being taken in for questioning when he returned here on holiday. Authorities did not charge him at the time as it was thought too much time had elapsed between the offences and the confession. The Canadian authorities were never informed. Clarke admitted the accusations of abuse during an interview with the RUC in Belfast in 1985 and, afterwards, in a letter he wrote from Canada. He confessed to abusing one boy at Bawnmore House care home in Newtownabbey, and another at Firmount Hostel in Antrim. He was allowed to return to Canada, and later wrote to the RUC confessing to the abuse of another boy in Conway House childrens home. In 2012, the inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse was announced. It was headed up by the late Sir Anthony Hart and investigated the abuse of children who lived in institutions in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995. Public hearings began in 2014 and the inquiry concluded hearings in July 2016. A report was published the following January. Clarkes victims gave evidence to the inquiry. Following this, BBC NI produced a television documentary about the allegations. Journalist Kevin Magee travelled to Canada and interviewed the pastor, who admitted that he had indecently assaulted teenage boys in care homes between January 1, 1966, and January 1, 1972. When questioned by the BBC, Clarke admitted abusing three boys in his care in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that time, I would not have used the word paedophile because I would never (have) thought of it, but subsequently as years have gone on, I realised that is the proper word for what I had done, he said. Always in the back of my mind I knew what I was doing was wrong. One of his victims waived his right to anonymity calling Clarke a monster. Following the BBC documentary, which aired five years ago, a fresh investigation into the case was ordered. Clarke fought extradition, citing his advancing years and that he had two disabled sons and was the sole carer for his wife. The case went all the way to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, which upheld a federal decision to surrender him for extradition to Northern Ireland. Clarke, who now lives in Meadow Lake in Canada, is to be surrendered for extradition within 45 days. His lawyer Chris Veeman said he has decided to no longer challenge the appeal courts decision and will return to Northern Ireland to face the charges. The Canadian government will arrange transport for him and then hand him over, he told Canadian broadcaster CBC. Mr Veeman said he did not know how the Northern Ireland authorities intend to proceed once Clarke is in custody. Clarke is expected to appear in court in Belfast as soon as the handover by the Canadian authorities takes place. The 38-year-old was back in court last week to be convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to supply EX-UDA dealer Silly Willy McLaughlin fell out with the terror gang after being blamed for a police raid at a drug flat in Belfasts Shankill area. The 38-year-old, who was back in court last week to be convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to supply, later had his prized Mercedes car and work van burned outside his home on Malvern Way. In another incident cops had to evacuate the whole street after receiving reports a pipe-bomb had been left close to the property. The UDA was furious that McLaughlin, who sold its drugs, continued to work with crime boss Dee Coleman a convicted UDA member who was booted out of the paramilitary group following a row over cash. But it also blamed the 38-year-old, whose criminal record runs to 28 pages and 250 convictions, for a police raid at a drug flat in Belfasts lower Shankill estate. A UDA source revealed: Silly Willy was looking to buy 1kg of benzocaine to mix with cocaine so he could bulk out his stash and have more to sell. So he sent a runner to collect it from a flat on the Shankill where it was being stored. Only Silly Willy, the runner and two other UDA members knew it was there. Later that night the UDA men moved the benzocaine, around 20kg of it, to another safe house. The following day the cops broke down the door of the flat where Silly Willy had sent his runner. They found nothing because the benzo had been moved, but as far as the UDA was concerned it was all Silly Willys fault. It was after that that his car and work van was burned, and then a suspected pipe-bomb was left outside his house on Malvern Way. McLaughlin cut a forlorn figure in Belfast Crown Court last week where he was put on probation for two years for possessing a small amount of cocaine with intent to supply. He was caught with the stash, and a quantity of criminal cash, while driving through the city centre late at night with a friend. Sentencing him, Judge Mark Reel said: It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that this man operated as a street-level drug dealer. McLaughlins recent court appearance is the fourth time he has been convicted of drug dealing offences which have led to three separate jail terms totalling 34 months. A report from probation officers concluded he posed a high risk of reoffending. The court was told that the career criminal suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder relating to a 2007 house fire in Enniskillen which claimed the life of his eight-month old daughter Chelsea Agnew. He was later acquitted in court of accidentally killing the child, as was his then partner Charmaine Agnew, who was also found not guilty of manslaughter due to gross negligence. It was after this that McLaughlin moved to the Shankill Road in Belfast and started dealing drugs for the UDA. Officers moved in to the USA Hand Car Wash & Valeting Centre before lunchtime today PSNI officers inside the business during the operation Armed PSNI officers in Belfast have carried out a raid on premises in the west of the city. The police action this morning centred on a car wash business operating on the Shankill estate. Officers moved in to the USA Hand Car Wash & Valeting Centre before lunchtime today. PSNI officers inside the business during the operation Two police vehicles blocked the entrance and exit to the premises, while other officers detained workers inside the building. It is understood a number of people were detained. And documents seized during the raid were removed from the premises for further investigation. Many of the employees working in the car wash are of Albanian extraction, although the place was previously under the control of well known local people. Judge blasts witnesses who stood by as woman was headbutted on Limerick street Fintan Lynch was sentenced for the attack on his victim Fintan Lynch was sentenced to six and half years for the attack on his victim Fintan Lynch was sentenced to six and half years for the attack on his victim This is the evil gangland criminal who callously strangled a young woman with a phone cord, stabbed her with a key, threw bleach in her face and told her this is where you are going to die. Highly-volatile criminal Fintan Lynch (43), who has a history of violence against women and was once a member of the McCarthy-Dundon gang, carried out the sickening attack which a judge described as savagery in Limerick city last summer. Twisted Lynch initially attacked the woman and headbutted her on Parnell Street in the city before luring her back into his apartment where he viciously tortured her for an hour. I thought I was going to die that night. I begged for my life, the victim, who asked not be named, told the Sunday World. I really thought I was going to die. It changed me as a person. I have PTSD and Im a nervous wreck now. After being subjected to an hour-long assault, the victim managed to escape from his apartment and ran for help but Lynch chased after her and repeatedly stabbed her with car keys. Fintan Lynch was sentenced for the attack on his victim Shockingly, when Lynch initially attacked the woman on the street, passers-by who saw what was unfolding did nothing to help. Nobody even tried to help me. They didnt even say stop. One person was laughing, she said. Judge Tom ODonnell said the ambivalence of people who witnessed the first assault on the street was extraordinary. From the video footage there are a number of witnesses across the road in clear sight. He is punching her. Not one lent assistance or rang gardai. It is a very sad indictment on our society, he said. Lynch, who is originally from Southill but has an address at Parnell Street, Limerick city, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years after he recently pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to false imprisonment, three assaults causing harm and production of a weapon. He has a long history of involvement in serious crime and had once been part of the McCarthy-Dundon gang, but was later a key figure in a split against the Dundon brothers. Lynch was caught in a hotel with an Uzi submachine gun and silencer while wearing a bullet-proof vest just days after being released from prison in 2009. He claimed he had the weapon for his protection after his brother had been shot, but gardai suspected he had been planning to carry out a gang hit for the McCarthy-Dundon gang. At his sentence hearing for the attack on the woman, prosecuting barrister John OSullivan said Lynch and the victim had been seeing each other for nine months prior to the early hours of July 18, 2022. Gardai responded to a 999 call at around 1.30am that a female had been assaulted by a male. Fintan Lynch' victim They spoke to a lady in distress on Davis Street. She had visible injuries. The accused was arrested, said Mr OSullivan. Just over an hour earlier, Lynch had assaulted, beaten and headbutted the victim on Parnell Street. He prevailed upon her to go into his apartment. He punched and beat her, attempted strangulation with a cord of a mobile phone, stuck a tweezers in her and threw bleach in her face. He said he was going to put sugar in Dettol, boil it and throw it at her, said Mr OSullivan. The court heard Lynch also told the victim she doesnt deserve to live and this is where you are going to die. He tortured me. He had me held hostage for an hour in his flat where stabbed me and choked me and threw bleach over my face, the victim told the Sunday World. While Lynch was choking her with the phone cord the victim begged him to stop and said she couldnt breathe. Thats the point, you c***, said Lynch, the court heard. Mr OSullivan said Lynch told her he was going to get her father to give him 10,000 to let her go. The prosecuting barrister said the victims phone was in her car. Lynch was looking for relaxers. She said she might have some in her car. He brought her down to the car. He started looking for tablets. The victim said: The only way I got out was I lied to him and told him I had relaxers in the car so I could get out of the flat. Then, when his back was turned, I ran but he caught me and stabbed me with the keys of my car over 10 times. I really thought I was going to die. He 100 per cent wanted me dead. He kept saying, youre going to die tonight. Thankfully, a man passing by intervened, allowing the woman to get away. She revealed that the attack began just because she told Lynch she was heading home. It was all because I wanted to go home to my kids, she said, adding that she hopes that by coming forward she will help other victims to do the same. I just hope my story will help someone get out before what happened me will happen them. The victim suffered bruising on her face, a fractured nose, ligature marks on her neck from the attempted strangulation, her eyes required a wash-out from the bleach and wounds from the car key, and she has post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health difficulties. She declined to make a victim impact statement but did tell gardai she was terrified and an eyewitness heard her say, Stop, stop youre going to kill me. Lynchs convictions include robbery, arson, assault causing harm and possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances. Det Garda Bryan Guilfoyle told the court there was an element of torture to the attack. Mark Nicholas SC, who represented Lynch, said Lynch was smoking crack cocaine at the time but it doesnt excuse what he did. Judge ODonnell described it as savagery and noted that Lynch has a history of violence. Lynch has been at the centre of numerous incidents while serving other sentences behind bars. He had been a close associate of the Dundon brothers while in Limerick prison and in July 2010 Lynch, Ger Dundon and James Dillon who is serving life for the murder of innocent businessman Roy Collins barricaded themselves into the cell on the D3 landing of Limerick prison. A Control and Restraint (C&R) tactical team in full riot gear was sent in to deal with the disturbance. Market trader Dermot McManus had been arrested as part of Operation Coronation, which was launched by gardai against the citys money-laundering networks. This is the man described as a close confidant of the infamous Limerick gang boss Christy Keane who had almost 50,000 hidden in his house. Market trader Dermot McManus had been arrested as part of Operation Coronation, which was launched by gardai against the citys money-laundering networks. Earlier this summer he admitted to his role in money laundering for the gang at the Special Criminal Court, where his close connections to Keane were revealed. The 52-year-old was described by gardai as a trusted confidant of Keane, the leader of one of the countrys most vicious and ruthless gangs. During one court hearing a garda witness said that at the time of his arrest McManus asked a family member who was there to call Christy Keane and tell him of his arrest. McManuss home in Keating Park in Killalee, Co. Limerick, was targeted in the massive Garda operation with Army search teams called in to assist officers. Officers found 28,550 in socks on top of a wardrobe, while 11,795 was discovered in a jacket pocket at the house. McManuss arrest followed what gardai described as a significant development in Operation Coronation. At a bail hearing in January this year, Det Gda John Sheahan from Henry Street Garda Station gave evidence of McManuss close ties to Keane. Objecting to bail, the officer cited fears that he would commit more offences, that he was a flight risk and was a known close associate of Christy Keane. Det Gda Sheahan said the Keane organised crime group is involved in the distribution of drugs and firearms on both a national and international level. The three-judge panel was also told the gang was involved in a feud with the McCarthy/Dundon crime group since 2000, with feud-related incidents dating as far back as 1993. He added that Mr McManus had family ties to the UK and that a cocaine press was also found at the rear of his property when it was searched in June 2020. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. "If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, Mankind would be no more justified In silencing that one person, Than he, if he had the power, Would be justified in silencing mankind." John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) The world is filled with self-evident truths truisms that philosophers, lawyers and judges know need not be proven. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Two plus two equals four. A cup of hot coffee sitting on a table in a room, the temperature of which is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, will eventually cool down. These examples, of which there are many, are not true because we believe they are true. They are true essentially and substantially. They are true whether we accept their truthfulness or not. Of course, recognizing a universal truth acknowledges the existence of an order of things higher than human reason, certainly higher than government. The generation of Americans that fought the war of secession against England according to Professor Murray Rothbard, the last moral war Americans waged understood the existence of truisms and recognized their origin in nature. The most famous of these recognitions was Thomas Jefferson's iconic line in the Declaration of Independence that self-evident truths come not from persons but from "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's G od." Thus, "All Men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" is a truism. Jefferson's neighbor and colleague, James Madison, understood this as well when he wrote the Bill of Rights so as to reflect that human rights do not come from the government. They come from our individual humanity. Thus, your right to be alive, to think as you wish, to say what you think, to publish what you say, to worship or not, to associate or not, to shake your fist in the tyrant's face by petitioning the government, your right to defend yourself and repel tyrants using and carrying the same weapons as the government does, your right to be left alone, to own property, to travel or to stay put these natural aspects of human existence are natural rights that come from our humanity and for the exercise of which all rational persons yearn. This is the natural rights understanding of Jefferson's Declaration and Madison's Bill of Rights, to the latter of which all in government have sworn allegiance and deference. A right is not a privilege. A right is an indefeasible personal claim against the whole world. It does not require a government permission slip. It does not require preconditions except the ability to reason. It does not require the approval of family or neighbors. A privilege is something the government doles out to suit itself or calm the masses. The government gives those who meet its qualifications the privilege to vote so it can claim a form of Jeffersonian legitimacy. Jefferson argued in the Declaration that no government is morally licit without the consent of the governed. No one alive today has consented to the government, but most accept it. Is acceptance consent? Of course not no more than walking on a government sidewalk is consent to government's lies, theft and killing. Surely, the Germans who voted against the Nazis and could not escape their grasp hardly consented to that horrific form of government. We need to distinguish between privileges that the government doles out and rights that we have by virtue of our humanity, rights so human and natural that they exist in all persons even in the absence of government. Are our rights equal to each other? Some are equal to each other, but one is greater than all, as none of the rights catalogued briefly above can be exercised without it. That is, of course, the right to live. This is the right most challenging to governments that have enslaved masses and gloried in fighting morally illicit wars that kill and thus destroy the right to live. But if a right is a claim against the whole world, how can a government whether popular or totalitarian or both extinguish it by death or slavery? The short answer is no governments, notwithstanding the public oaths their officers take upon assuming office, accept the natural origins of rights. To government, rights are privileges. Stated differently, governments do not take rights seriously. Governments hate and fear the exercise of natural rights. Ludwig von Mises properly called government "the negation of liberty." Freedom is the default position. We are literally born free, naturally free. Government is an artificial creation based on a monopoly of force in a geographical area that could not exist if it did not negate our freedoms. Government denies our rights by punishing the exercise of them and by stealing property from us. Rights are not just claims against the government. They are claims against the whole world. This was best encapsulated by Rothbard's non-aggression principle, which teaches that initiating all real and threatened aggression whether by violence, coercion or deception is morally illicit. That applies to your neighbors as well as to the police. Of course, in Rothbard's world, there would be no government police unless all persons consented and he wouldn't have. A private police entity paid to protect life, liberty and property would be far more efficient and faithful to its job, which it would lose if it failed, than the government's police, which thrives on assaulting life, liberty and property, and keeping their jobs. The exercise of rights requires abandonment of fear, acceptance of truth and rejection of compromise with government. As Ayn Rand famously observed, any compromise between good and evil, natural rights and slavery, food and poison, results in death death of the body, death of liberty, death of both. (COMMENT, PLEASE, BELOW) Andrew P. Napolitano, a former judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, was the senior judicial analyst at Fox News Channel. Judge Napolitano has written seven books on the U.S. Constitution. AES Argentina Generacion S.A. Offer to Exchange Any and All of its Outstanding 7.750% Senior Notes due 2024 (CUSIP Nos.: 00107V AA1 and P1000C AA2; ISIN Nos. US00107VAA17 and USP1000CAA29) On July 13, 2023, AES Argentina Generacion S.A. ("AES Argentina" or the "Company") announced the commencement of its offer to exchange (the "Exchange Offer") any and all of its outstanding 7.750% Senior Notes due 2024 (the "Old Notes") for newly issued 9.50% Notes due 2027 (the "New Notes") and cash consideration, as applicable, each upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the exchange offer memorandum (the "Exchange Offer Memorandum"), dated July 13, 2023, as supplemented and amended by the press release issued by the Company on July 26, 2023 (the "Early Participation Press Release"), extending the Early Participation Date, the supplement to the Exchange Offer Memorandum (the "Supplement") dated August 8, 2023, and the press release issued by the Company on August 10, 2023 (the "Extension Press Release"), extending the expiration date of the Exchange Offer, and the related eligibility letter (the "Eligibility Letter" and, together with the Exchange Offer Memorandum, the Early Participation Press Release, the Supplement and the Extension Press Release, the "Exchange Offer Documents"). Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Exchange Offer Documents. AES Argentina hereby announces that it is extending the period to be eligible to receive the Early Exchange Consideration in respect of the exchange offer and the Expiration Date from 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 17, 2023 (the "Expiration Date"), to 5:00 p.m. New York City time on August 21, 2023 (such time and date, the "Extended Expiration Date"). Morrow Sodali International LLC, acting as information and exchange agent for the Exchange Offer (the "Information and Exchange Agent"), advised AES Argentina that as of the Expiration Date (i) U.S.$40,729,000 in aggregate principal amount of Old Notes, representing approximately 14.84% of the aggregate principal amount of Old Notes outstanding, have been tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in the Exchange Offer under Option A, and (ii) U.S.$99,125,000 in aggregate principal amount of Old Notes, representing approximately 36.11% of the aggregate principal amount of Old Notes outstanding, have been tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in the Exchange Offer under Option B, totaling a participation of U.S.$139,854,000 in aggregate principal amount of Old Notes, representing approximately 50.95% of the aggregate principal amount of Old Notes outstanding. Based on the aggregate principal amount of Old Notes tendered in the Exchange Offer as of the Expiration Date, Eligible Holders that tendered their Old Notes under Option A at or prior to the Expiration Date would receive (assuming no additional participation) an Early A Consideration of approximately U.S.$686.7539 in cash and U.S.$319 in New Notes per U.S.$1,000 of principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered and accepted for exchange. The Exchange Consideration will be determined following the expiration of the Exchange Offer (as extended by this announcement). Eligible Holders who have not already done so may tender their Existing Notes for exchange until the Extended Expiration Date. The Withdrawal Date expired on July 26, 2023, and has not been extended. As a result, any Existing Notes validly tendered on or after the date hereof and prior to the Extended Expiration Date may not be withdrawn. Eligible Holders who validly tender their Old Notes on or before the Extended Expiration Date are eligible to receive the Early Exchange Consideration in connection with any such Old Notes accepted for exchange and there will be no Late Exchange Consideration. Given that AES Argentina has extended the Expiration Date under the Exchange Offer, the settlement date for the Exchange Offer is now expected to be August 25, 2023, in compliance with Argentine Central Bank's requirements to access the foreign exchange market (the "Settlement Date"), and the issue date, interest payment dates, record dates, principal payment dates, optional redemption and other related dates under the New Notes will be adjusted accordingly to reflect the new Settlement Date. The other terms of the Exchange Offer remain unchanged (including the Withdrawal Date). The terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer are described in the Exchange Offer Memorandum, as supplemented and amended by the Early Participation Press Release, the Supplement and the Extension Press Release, as amended by this announcement. AES Argentina's obligations to accept any Old Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and to pay the Exchange Consideration for them and the conditions to such obligations (including but not limited to the Minimum Participation Condition) are set forth in the Exchange Offer Memorandum, as supplemented and amended by the Early Participation Press Release, the Supplement and the Extension Press Release, as amended by this announcement. The Exchange Offer is made by, and pursuant to the terms of, the Exchange Offer Memorandum, and the information in this announcement is qualified by reference to the Exchange Offer Memorandum. Only holders who have electronically submitted a duly completed Eligibility Letter certifying that they are (1) "qualified institutional buyers" ("QIBs") as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or (2) holders of Old Notes other than "U.S. persons" (as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act) who are located outside of the United States, who are qualified offerees in other jurisdictions, are authorized to receive the Exchange Offer Memorandum and to participate in the Exchange Offer (such holders, "Eligible Holders"). Questions or requests for assistance related to the Exchange Offer or for additional copies of the Exchange Offer Documents may be directed to the Information and Exchange Agent at the following email address: AES@investor.morrowsodali.com. You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Exchange Offer. The Exchange Offer Documents are available for Eligible Holders at the following web address: https://projects.morrowsodali.com/AES. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Santander US Capital Markets LLC are acting as dealer managers (the "Dealer Managers") for the Exchange Offer. Banco Santander Argentina S.A., Banco Itau Argentina S.A., Itau Valores S.A. and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Argentina) S.A.U. are acting as local placement agents. Subject to applicable law, the Exchange Offer may be amended in any respect, extended or, upon failure of a condition to be satisfied or waived prior to the Extended Expiration Date or Settlement Date, as the case may be, terminated, at any time and for any reason. Although AES Argentina has no present plans or arrangements to do so, the Company reserves the right to amend, at any time, the terms of the Exchange Offer (including, without limitation, the conditions thereto) in accordance with applicable law. AES Argentina will give Eligible Holders notice of any amendments and will extend the Extended Expiration Date if required by applicable law. Eligible Holders of Old Notes are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Old Notes as to when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from an Eligible Holder in order for that Eligible Holder to be able to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in, the Exchange Offer before the deadlines specified in the Exchange Offer Documents. The deadlines set by any such intermediary for the submission of instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified above. To reimburse the time and cost of processing the tender of Old Notes in the Exchange Offer, AES Argentina will pay a processing fee to brokers in Argentina acting on behalf of certain Eligible Holders. In Argentina, the processing fee will be payable to direct participants in Caja de Valores S.A.'s ("Caja de Valores") depositary system acting on behalf of beneficial owners of Old Notes in Argentina who are individuals tendering, through Caja de Valores, Old Notes for exchange in the Exchange Offer with respect to individual tenders of up to U.S.$250,000 aggregate principal amount of Old Notes per each Eligible Holder that are accepted for exchange and will be in an amount equal to 0.25% of the principal amount of such tendered Old Notes that are accepted for exchange. This processing fee will be payable in Argentine pesos at the Communication "A" 3500 exchange rate published by the BCRA on the Argentine business day prior to the Settlement Date. No such fee shall be payable to brokers outside of Argentina. Important Notice This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and none of the New Notes has been or will be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities law. They may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. This press release does not constitute an offer of the New Notes for sale, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which any offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any person considering making an investment decision relating to any securities must inform itself independently based solely on an offering memorandum to be provided to eligible investors in the future in connection with any such securities before taking any such investment decision. This announcement is directed only to holders of Old Notes who are (1) "qualified institutional buyers" ("QIBs") as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, or (2) other than "U.S. persons" (as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act) who are located outside of the United States, who are qualified offerees in other jurisdictions, are authorized to receive the Exchange Offer Memorandum and to participate in the Exchange Offer. No offer of any kind is being made to any beneficial owner of Old Notes who does not meet the above criteria or any other beneficial owner located in a jurisdiction where the Exchange Offer is not permitted by law. The distribution of materials relating to the Exchange Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Exchange Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the Exchange Offer come into your possession, you are required by the Company to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the Exchange Offer, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the Exchange Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a dealer manager or any affiliate of a dealer manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Exchange Offer shall be deemed to be made by the dealer manager or such affiliate on behalf of the Company in that jurisdiction. Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions on the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, and factors over which the Company has no control. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so, unless otherwise required by law. Notice to Investors in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom The New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area ("EEA"). For these purposes, (a) a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation"); and (b) the expression "offer" includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the New Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to subscribe for the New Notes. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore otherwise offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. The New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom. For these purposes: (a) the expression retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of the following: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the "FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA and (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; and (b) the expression an offer includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the New Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to subscribe for the New Notes. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation. As part of Operation Tara Gardai attached to Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit conducted a number of searches in locations in Kerry Photo of drugs seized in Kerry as part of Operation Tara. Photo courtesy of An Garda Siochana. The Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit have seized drugs with an estimated street value of over 100,000 in several searches in recent days. As part of Operation Tara Gardai attached to Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit conducted a number of searches in locations in Kerry. During the course of these searches suspected cannabis, cocaine and tablets, with an estimated street value of over 100,000 were discovered. These substances will now be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for examination. Investigations are currently ongoing with files being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. No arrest have been made Operation Tara focuses on tackling street level dealing in cities, towns and villages across the country in turn keeping people safe, the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit said and this work will continue. I have been offered security lights and cameras. But how would that look? I might as well come home in my uniform Post data breach cops are afraid and angry; they say they feel exposed and let down by the organisation they chose to represent Under-fire cops are fearful that added security measures will mark them out for attack. Beleaguered police officers say they have been caught in a trap do they or dont they be open about their work? with many living in communities where neighbours dont know their profession. Adding security cameras or lights to homes will simply mark them out as members of the PSNI, they believe. With many living in relative anonymity the arrival of workmen to bolster their homes only draws unwanted attention at a time when tensions are high. The Sunday World spoke to several serving officers across Northern Ireland and their stories are ones of fear and anger, and of being totally exposed and let down by the organisation they chose to represent. One officer told the Sunday World his wife and young family of three children had already moved to a friends house as he works out what to do next. He is too fearful to move them to relatives homes as he is unsure what information is in the hands of dissidents. The west Belfast man told the Sunday World that his life has been turned upside down and he spoke of his worries for himself and his familys future. He also slammed the PSNIs response to the data breach that has exposed him as a serving police officer. It was a big decision to join the police, as a catholic it was a hard decision, but we were told that it was a good career, and it is. But now I think it was the biggest mistake of my life, he said. What is more infuriating is the response or lack of in certain areas. I have been offered cameras and security lights. How is that going to look? My neighbours who think I work in administration at a building company would put two and two together. I would. Anyone who listens to the news knows all about the data breach. If I put up cameras then as far as I am concerned I might as well come home in my uniform. The officer said the events of the past two weeks have caused him both mental and physical sickness. I cant sleep, Im not with my family and I feel sick in my stomach. The main thing is lack of trust. I dont know if my bosses are telling us the full story, what information has been leaked? More than we know? Our addresses etc? Another police officer said he fears the PSNI is at a dangerous tipping point following the latest data breach blunder. On Thursday, a senior police officers laptop and journal fell from the roof of vehicle on the M2 motorway. The officer, who holds the rank of detective chief inspector, is believed to have left the items on the roof and had forgotten about them before drove off. The PSNI said the laptop was recovered and immediately deactivated. While some parts of the journal, an A4 size book used by senior officers to record a wide range of information, were recovered from the roadside, some sections of the book are still missing. Police confirmed yesterday that the details of 42 officers and staff were included in the missing documents. It was the latest in a series of recent data breach incidents involving the PSNI. Last week, details of 11,000 PSNI employees were accidentally included in a Freedom of Information response. In a second incident, a police-issue laptop and radio, as well as a document containing the names of more than 200 staff, were stolen from a private vehicle at a retail park in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, on July 6. A third PSNI officer who spoke to the Sunday World said the service is in trouble. News of this latest incident, instead of being greeted with shock and concern, was greeted with ridicule, he said. Were at a dangerous tipping point where there is so much contempt and so little respect for the leadership. Chief Constable Byrne PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne is due to attend a private meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board on Tuesday. Policing Board member Mark H Durkan yesterday called for the meeting to be held in public. This is a time for confidence-building measures, said the SDLP MLA. One would be for the community to see the PSNI command being held to account for the crisis before us. fallout As the PSNI continues to deal with the fallout from last weeks huge data breach, the officer told the Sunday World that many of his colleagues were struggling. The absence picture is grim. Lots of officers going off and its putting real pressure on those who remain, he said. To be honest its going to be the straw that breaks the camels back for many. I know of people who are putting their old work uniform from different jobs out on the washing line to throw neighbours off the scent. I know of people already looking at house moves. I know of one, and have heard of several others, who are on the verge of breakdown with stress over it. Families who took a lot of winning over to support this career choice are now in fear that their house will be a target. The Sunday World contacted the PSNI but Chief Constable Simon Byrne was unavailable for comment. The PSNI also denied that some officers, from all ranks, had refused to meet him. A spokesperson said: Over the last week Chief Constable Simon Byrne has met and engaged with many officers and staff across the organisation....police are aware of the unhelpful and inaccurate rumours circulating. Contrary to these rumours, the meetings have been challenging yet constructive. The Chief Constable will continue to engage across the whole organisation as his priority is, and remains, the welfare and safety of officers and staff, the spokesperson said. I was writing an Irish part for the final season of Top Boy when Barry Keoghan got in touch to say he was a huge fan of the show and could he be in it? Netflix have released new images of Barry Keoghan and Brian Gleeson in the third and final season of Top Boy. The crime drama will return to the streaming service on September 7 with Irish actors Barry and Brian joining the cast as newbies Jonny and Tadhg, respectively. Speaking about adding Oscar nominee Barry to the series, Top Boys creator Ronan Bennett said: Sometimes you cant believe your luck. I was writing an Irish part for the final season of Top Boy when Barry Keoghan got in touch to say he was a huge fan of the show and could he be in it? Barry Keoghan in Top Boy. Photo: Netflix. I know Barry knocks on doors when theres a project he is passionate about, and I was only too happy to open this one. Barry brings intensity and authenticity to everything he does and we were delighted when he came on board. Continuing, he said that Brian was the perfect partner in crime for the Dubliner. Our next job was to find the right actor to hold his own alongside Barry as his partner in crime. In Brian Gleeson we found that and much, much more. He is a remarkable actor, and, as audiences will see, together he and Barry make a very menacing duo. Top Boy is set in the fictional East London estate of Summerhouse and chronicles the lives of people involved in the criminal underworld of drug dealing. The final season promises to decide who can reign as Top Boy of Summerhouse. An official synopsis of season 3 reads: Sullys actions at the end of the last series have rewritten his business rules with Dushane. As new shared problems arise, everything theyve built comes under threat from forces outside and within their empire. Can they coexist by the rules of the road theyve lived by their whole lives in a world that is changing before them? Or can there only be one Top Boy? Woolworths New Zealand is donating an additional $1.5 million to its food rescue and food welfare partners to support those Kiwis most affected by the cost of living and climate crises. With the demand for food support by Kiwi families at an all time high, Woolworths New Zealand is providing further donations, via its Food for Good Foundation, to its charity partners working on the frontline including KidsCan, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch City Missions and The Salvation Army. It will also give more support to KiwiHarvest and Woolworths other food rescue partners who are dealing with a sharp rise in community need, as well as being impacted by their own funding shortfalls. 2023 has been incredibly tough for many, many New Zealanders, says Woolworths New Zealands managing director Spencer Sonn. The sustained cost of living crisis coupled with the devastating weather impacts to critical food growing regions in the North Island, including many homes and livelihoods mean that more of our communities are in dire need of support. We are therefore immediately investing in hunger relief to boost organisations providing emergency food support. This will deliver thousands of additional meals and food bank items to support those most in need today. In addition, we will invest in our partner food rescue organisations to continue their important work diverting surplus food to those most in need. In the last financial year, Woolworths New Zealand contributed over $12m in food and funds to the food rescue sector and local community organisations. The recent announcement kicks off the new financial year with an extra $1.5m boost to the business community contributions. The Salvation Armys National Director Community Ministries, Jono Bell says this year it is facing an 41% increase of people requiring food support. People are doing it tough in communities around the country. The cost of living increases and utilities costs are all compounding the issue and we know that buying kai is one of the first things people go without. This generous donation from Woolworths New Zealand will go to our frontline centres to purchase kai to pass onto those that need it most. KidsCan CEO and founder Julie Chapman says that the funding has come at a critical time. "The cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on struggling families, so this generous donation from Woolworths New Zealand will make such a difference to the children we support, in particular our under 5s. $75,000 allows us to support 125 preschoolers - around four kindergartens - with food, shoes and clothing for a whole year. Woolworths New Zealand are long-term supporters of our early childhood programme. They recognise the importance of fuelling young children with nutritious food from the beginning of their lives. Their trucks are always a welcome sight at our partner centres as they deliver fresh, healthy food every week. Teachers tell us our meals mean children are happier, more settled, and have more energy for playing and learning. We couldn't deliver this programme without Woolworths New Zealands continued support." Woolworths New Zealands additional donation is a part of Woolworths Groups increased funding for hunger relief across Australia and New Zealand to help meet the growing need on both sides of the Tasman. Gangs have increased control of the methamphetamine market in Northland and the South Island, a new survey has found. New Zealand Drugs Trends Survey was completed by more than 13,000 New Zealanders between August 2022 and February this year. Research leader Chris Wilkins says the highest levels of meth being purchased from a gang member are in Northland, Canterbury, Nelson and Marlborough. He says the high level of gang selling in the South Island may be the result of established North Island gangs reportedly expanding meth markets in the south to take advantage of higher prices. The survey found 41 per cent of respondents in Northland reported buying from a gang member, with 39 per cent in Canterbury and 38 per cent in Tasman/ Nelson and Marborough. Wilkins also says new gangs formed by 501 deportees in the South Island were using international connections to provide new sources of meth supply. The survey found rising drug purchasing from social media and messaging apps. Researcher Robin van der Sanden says these markets were taking advantage of social networking apps that featured self-deleting messages and encryption to organise transactions between buyers and sellers. For cannabis purchasing, the NZDTS showed there were higher levels of people buying from gangs and drug houses in the East Coast and Central North Island. "Cannabis markets are traditionally known for their low social impact, generally involving private transactions among people who know each other," Wilkins says. "In contrast, the sale of cannabis via gang-controlled 'tinny' houses increases the risk of victimisation and inter-gang violence". A significant minority of NZDTS respondents reported experiencing victimisation while purchasing drugs in the past six months, including receiving fake and unsafe drugs. Finally, a small group of repondents reported purchasing drug types like MDMA and psychedelics from encrypted 'darknet' websites with cryptocurrency, like bitcoin. Wilkins told Morning Report social media and encrypted apps were opening up access to younger people. "Inevitably you have to go to the physical location to pick up drugs ... there's opportunities for scams and victimisation, and some people have been victim of that including physical violence." - RNZ. Four young men arrested for knifepoint muggings at Malaga fair One of the victims, in his 20s, was allegedly punched in the face and stabbed after trying to flee Juan Cano Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Police have arrested four youths for allegedly mugging people at knifepoint during the annual Malaga summer fair. Officers were first alerted at 6am on Thursday 17 August when two men in their 20s approached a police patrol to report that they had been robbed by a group of youths at the Cortijo de Torres, the site of the Feria's nighttime festivities. According to the description they gave to the officers, the youths ordered the two men to hand over everything they had on them or risk being stabbed. The victims ran away, but the assailants caught up with them and allegedly punched one of the men in the face, and cut his arm with a knife. It is not known whether they managed to steal something, or whether it was an attempted mugging. Shortly afterwards, Local Police officers then came across another victim. This time it was a man in his 20s who claimed to have been mugged by the same group while he was walking in the same area. They had only taken a few coins from him. Then, another man approached patrols with another attempted mugging claim. Knives handed over After a few minutes, two patrols located the four young men in the area, who had split up when they fled. They are aged between 16 and 22 and were arrested for the alleged violent thefts. Two of them had apparently taken the lead in the and were recognised by the victims who were still at the scene. Two of those arrested confessed and handed over two knives. The four young men, aged between 16 and 22, were arrested and the weapons seized by Local Police officers. Meanwhile, National Police officers were forced to intervene in 98 brawls during the fair, and arrested 38 people. There were also 52 reports for the possession of weapons. In total, National Police filed 664 complaints during the recent festivities in Malaga city, between 12 and 19 August. The two leading energy groups RWE and PPC continue to accelerate the Greek energy transition. Through their joint venture company Meton Energy S.A., RWE Renewables Europe & Australia (51% share) and PPC Renewables (49% share) have taken the final investment decisions for the construction of an additional portfolio of three photovoltaic projects (Amynteo Cluster II). The three solar farms with a total capacity of around 280 MWp (259 MWac) are located in Western Macedonia in Northern Greece, within the boundaries of the former Amynteo open pit lignite mine. Construction work is scheduled to start this autumn. All three projects of Amynteo Cluster II should be fully operational by the end of 2024. The partners are already constructing five large-scale solar projects (Amynteo Cluster I) in the region, with a total of 210 MWp (175 MWac) capacity. Katja Wunschel, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: "In partnership with PPC Renewables we are accelerating the energy transition in Greece. Construction work on our initial five solar farms is well underway and we have made investment decisions to lay the ground for the next three photovoltaic projects. This underpins our strong commitment to the Greek market. And there is more to come from our large-scale development pipeline." Konstantinos Mavros, CEO of PPC Renewables: "The collaboration between RWE and PPC is transforming the country's energy landscape with renewable energy projects that bring its green future closer. The fact that this new major investment in photovoltaics is taking place where lignite used to be produced exemplifies our unwavering commitment to the green transition. Moreover, with completion scheduled for 2024, it showcases our determination to expedite this transformation as rapidly as possible." Through the respective project companies, Meton Energy S.A. has signed 15-year bilateral Power Purchase Agreements with PPC, which will purchase the green electricity produced by the three new solar farms. For the 196 million investment in Amynteo Cluster II, 98 million of European Union - NextGenerationEU funds have been secured via the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) plan "Greece 2.0". The remaining amount is being financed through a 59 million commercial debt financing (co-financing) to be provided pro-rata on a club-deal basis by Alpha Bank S.A., Eurobank S.A. and National Bank of Greece S.A., as well as shareholders' equity of 39 million. The financing is subject to financial close. Including the projects under construction, Meton Energy S.A., the joint venture between RWE Renewables Europe & Australia and PPC Renewables, is developing large-scale solar projects in Greece with a total capacity of up to 2,000 MWp. PPC Renewables has contributed nine solar projects with a combined total capacity of up to 940 MWp (870 MWac) to the joint venture, while RWE Renewables has contributed a Greek photovoltaic project pipeline of similar size. Costas Papamantellos, CEO of RWE Renewables Hellas and CEO of Meton Energy S.A.: "Further to the investment decision earlier this year on the first five projects of our Amynteo pipeline, we have now reached the second major milestone by taking the investment decision for the next photovoltaic plants. Long-term financing agreements are in place, and the route to market has been secured via signed Power Purchase Agreements with PPC. We will continue to develop the rest of our joint solar pipeline at the same fast pace." Tori Spelling hospitalized Former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Tori Spelling has been hospitalized for four days, she revealed on Sunday. 4th day here and Im missing my kiddos so much the 50-year-old actress wrote on Instagram, referencing her five cihldren with estranged husband Dean McDermott. Grateful and so proud of my strong, brave, resilient, and kind to the core children who remain positive no matter what comes our way. Spelling did not share more details about her health issues, but E! News reports she and her children sought medication attention three months ago due to a mold infection in their home. Spelling has since reportedly been living in an RV after splitting with McDermott. Jack Antonoff marries Margaret Qualley Music producer Jack Antonoff married actress Margaret Qualley over the weekend. The 39-year-old Bleachers and fun. musician and 28-year-old Maid star said I do in a star-studded wedding that included Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Channing Tatum, Zoe Kravitz, Cara Delevingne, and Qualleys mother, Andie MacDowell. Photos posted by People show the nuptials went down in Long Beach Island, N.J., at Parkers Garage & Oyster Saloon. Its the first marriage for both Antonoff, who previously dated Scarlett Johansson and Lena Dunham, and Qualley, who was previously linked to Pete Davidson and Shia LaBeouf. MORE BUZZ: Drake catches book thrown at him on stage ( ET Post Malone drops 55 pounds by cutting out soda ( E! Miley Cyrus mom Tish marries Prison Break star Dominic Purcell ( DM Amazon Prime cancels A League of Their Own amid strikes ( SF Shaq is serious about a dubstep revival as DJ Diesel ( RS Chad Michael Murray, wife welcome baby No. 3 ( E! Blake Lively channels Stacys Mom in red bikini photo shoot ( ET Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities. Syracuse, N.Y. A Syracuse man killed in Armory Square was targeted and shot at close range following a fight between him and a rival gang member, according to the Onondaga County District Attorney. Ramal Kearse, 25, died after he was shot four times in the upper torso, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said Monday. An altercation between Kearse and another person led to the shooting, he said. Kearse and the shooter are alleged to be in rival gangs, Fitzpatrick said. Kearse, reported to be a 110 gang member, was in an altercation with the shooter, a possible member of Bricktown, he said. The DA says he is not sure at this time whether the altercation was verbal or physical. Fitzpatrick said video footage from the area is being reviewed to determine what lead to the shooting. Around 12:01 a.m. Sunday, officers working the Armory Square area heard gunfire in the 400 block of South Clinton Street. Kearse was found with gunshot wounds outside a bar on South Clinton Street, , Capt. James Milana, a spokesperson for Syracuse police, said Monday. He was taken to Upstate University Hospital where he later died. Twenty bullet casings were found on scene, Fitzpatrick said. Multiple people were involved with one identifiable shooter, he said. Police have a man in custody for discharging an illegal firearm during the altercation, but he wasnt charged with the homicide, the DA said. Israel Pierce, an alleged 110 gang member, was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm. There was no indication that Kearse had a gun or fired shots during the altercation, Fitzpatrick said. Police are still searching for the person who shot Kearse, he said. Kearse was on parole after he was sentenced to prison for 3 years and 6 months on gun charges. He was released from prison in December 2022. Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com When New York tears down the 1.4-mile elevated Interstate 81 in Syracuse, it will leave behind at least 10 acres of vacant land that could become anything housing, storefronts, parks or a grand welcome-to-Syracuse entrance. City officials, neighborhood activists, housing advocates and union officials for the first time are publicizing their priorities, exploring ideas and revealing their differences about how that land should be controlled and developed. It could forever change the landscape in downtown Syracuse and in the residential neighborhood south of downtown. Mayor Ben Walshs administration sees the vacant land as an opportunity to build desperately needed affordable housing. City officials are strongly considering a new concept that essentially puts the government back in the business of building and operating public housing. This time, however, it relies on a financial model that attracts both low-income and high-income tenants and does not rely so much on government funding. The New York Civil Liberties Union and other neighborhood activists, however, want to remove the city from decision-making. They are asking the state Department of Transportation to sell the land directly to developers, leaving the city in a position to bid on it like anyone else. For now, the state owns the land. State officials say they cannot talk about what happens with it until lawsuits over rebuilding I-81 have ended. They previously said they intend to create a working group that would include the city, the NYCLU and others. Joe Driscoll, who oversees the I-81 project for Walsh, said the city has been slow cooking the idea of using government as the lead developer on the vacant land. They have been consulting for about six months with Paul Williams, director of the Center for Public Enterprise in New York, a new think tank interested in energy and housing. Other U.S. cities are buying into the idea despite skepticism that government can overcome the mistakes of the past and be trusted with managing apartments a kind of socialized housing more popular in Europe. The model mimics private real estate development in that high-end rents subsidize low-income units. Small amounts of public money go into a revolving loan fund that can pay for construction and maintenance costs. Thats different from the current public housing model that relies solely on public money and the whims of Congress and has been criticized for concentrating poverty. Driscoll points to Montgomery County, Maryland as an example. A public housing authority there is set to build about 9,000 new mixed-income apartments. About 30% will be affordable and the rest will be rented at market rates. Community groups on the South Side of Syracuse have been advocating for the state to put the vacant land in some kind of land trust. City officials have also been entertaining this idea for years. The NYCLU says a land trust for the property near Martin Luther King Elementary School should be set up for the Black community living near the viaduct. The value of a land trust is to keep the land affordable for future generations. A trust would own the land and lease it to builders on something like a 99-year-lease. It stops the next generation of political leaders from converting the property to market-rate housing or commercial space as the neighborhood becomes more and more attractive. The NYCLU and eight other groups are planning to rally at noon Tuesday in front of the State Office Building to call on the state Department of Transportation to return the land to the 15th Ward community - the Black community divided by the original construction of the highway in the 1950s and 60s. The groups have grown to distrust city officials after a recent rezoning process they said prioritizes developers over Black Syracuse residents. Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, director of the NYCLUs Racial Justice Center, said she is disappointed the city rezoned some of the residential neighborhoods near the highway to accommodate high-density, multi-story buildings that could have a mix of apartments and commercial space. She said she expects the city will eventually zone the vacant land in the same way to match the rest of the neighborhood. She said that kind of zoning does little to protect residents who need affordable housing. She also said city officials have not demonstrated that current residents will not be displaced. This sentiment goes beyond the 10 or more acres of newly vacant land. As the highway comes down, the Syracuse Housing Authority and the city have a $1 billion plan to rebuild the neighborhood. That includes tearing down outdated public housing and using a private developer to develop mixed-income housing in its place. In addition, the citys Land Bank has also slowly become the largest landowner on the South Side as homes fall into disrepair and tax delinquency. Eventually, whole city blocks will be ready for new development in places that used to be homes and businesses, mostly Black-owned. Weve expressed these concerns for several years in terms of how are we going to ensure residents who live there are not priced out, Owens-Chaplin said. Owens-Chaplin said the groups plan to send a letter to the state DOT, asking them to sell the vacant land to developers and cut out the city. They believe the state is in a better position to require new development to be affordable. This is something thats coming from the ground up, she said. This is something residents have brought to us for several years. Theyre pretty fed up with the city. Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens said city officials have been adamant that the land be transferred to the citys control. Before it is developed, the city would rezone it, go through an environmental review process and community meetings. Thats why, she said, it is important for the city officials to take control of the land. So that we can entertain and go through a public process and look at what development needs to happen, she said. Understanding, without question, that it is an opportunity to restore what was lost, particularly for the southern end. Owens and Driscoll said both a land trust and the so-called public developer concept could happen. Driscoll said city officials and the NYCLU have the same end goal in mind: Create more affordable places for people to live. Our focus when we have meetings every day and when we talk about this project is how do we create this in a way thats equitable and in tune with the neighborhood, Driscoll said. How do we maximize investment with minimizing displacement? The city is suffering from a housing crisis. There are more than 1,000 families on a waiting list for relocation to safe rental housing. In a show of unity, Syracuse common councilors ask the state to give back land that could be developed after the elevated I-81 is removed. Aug. 14, 2023. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com City councilors also feel strongly that the city should control the land. They stood on the steps of City Hall last Monday to demand that the state transfer the land to the city. Helen Hudson said she had not yet heard about the public developer concept Walshs staff is considering. She said she likes the idea of developing a land trust to control it. Hudson was also not clear why the NYCLU was planning a rally. What the controversy is is beyond me, she said. We are looking to recover the land that was taken from us. Land is expected to be freed up in two very different areas. On the north end, near the Erie Canal Museum, are several acres that are now used as parking lots under the elevated highway. The drawings the state submitted as part of the environmental review process are hypothetical. They show a new Canal District near the Erie Canal Museum on what is now a parking lot under the viaduct. The drawings show a park with a pedestrian walkway and a fountain as well as rough sketches of tall buildings. It would be bordered by Salina Street to the west, Water Street to the south and State Street to the East and Willow Street to the north. The mule drivers monument, which is on the historic location of the towpath, would be at the heart of the district. There could be an interpretative towpath leading to Clinton Square, state documents show. The redesign of I-81 in Syracuse will leave vacant land near MLK Elementary School. The state DOT released this drawing. On the southern end, several acres are expected to become vacant near MLK Elementary School, where the states original plans were to build a street roundabout. Neighborhood advocates convinced the state to move the roundabout north, away from the school. The state owns the land. The states hypothetical drawings, for now, show trees and grass in that area. In previous interviews, state officials have said, they intend to transfer the land to the city. They are highway engineers, not developers. In Rochester, the state transferred vacant land freed up by the Inner Loop project to the city and the city chose developers. Read more about I-81 and redeveloping the neighborhood: It is the largest landowner on Syracuses South Side. Whats its plan for that vacant land? $1 billion plan for Syracuse neighborhood near I-81 revealed: housing, high school stadium, other surprises What can Syracuse learn from Rochester about rebuilding a neighborhood split by a highway? 7 tips Black leaders in Syracuse angered and mystified by lawsuit that halts years of work on I-81 A clear direction for the new I-81 in Syracuse: After 15 years of talk, we know where were going Syracuse redefines what makes a home: granny flats, row houses and other affordable housing Contact Michelle Breidenbach | mbreidenbach@syracuse.com | 315-470-3186. Syracuse, N.Y. Walk-in visits are closed this week to city of Syracuse offices housed at the City Hall Commons building because they are relocating. Moving week has begun for the 10 city departments and divisions affected by the citys planned sale of the flatiron-style building at 201 E. Washington St. The city is relocating those offices to leased space in a privately owned building called One Park Place at 300 S. State St. The offices that are moving include the Central Permit Office, Citizen Review Board, Code Enforcement, Mayors Office to Reduce Gun Violence, Neighborhood and Business Development, Neighborhood Watch, Planning and Sustainability, Bureau of Fire Prevention, Ordinance Enforcement and Police Department Office of Internal Affairs. Staff in those offices will be working remotely during the week. City officials recommend residents who need to conduct business with the offices use self-service options available at syr.gov. They also released the following contact information: General building permits: (315) 448-8600 or permits@syr.gov Business licensing: (315) 448-8474 or permits@syr.gov Right-of-way permits: (315) 448-4754 or permits@syr.gov Periodic inspections: (315) 448-4700 or codeenforcement@syr.gov Code enforcement: (315) 448-8695 or codeenforcement@syr.gov Zoning administration: (315) 448-8640 or zoning@syr.gov Bureau of Fire Prevention: (315) 448-4777 or fireprevention@syrgov.net Ordinance enforcement: cromain@syracusepolice.org Police Department Office of Internal Affairs: (315) 442-5200 Syracuse Neighborhood Watch: nwgs@syracuseneighborhoodwatch.org Citizen Review Board: (315) 448-8750 or crb@syr.gov; Citizens Review Board complaints can be filed https://www.syr.gov/Departments/Citizen-Review-Board-CRB/CRB-Officer-Complaint Mayors Office to Reduce Gun Violence: mayor@syr.gov Neighborhood and Business Development: nbd@syr.gov or business@syr.gov Planning and Sustainability: planning@syr.gov The city announced in November that it had reached an agreement to sell City Hall Commons to Hanover Real Estate Development for $850,000. The company said it would invest $13.2 million rehabilitate and redevelop the historic building, which was built in 1869. City officials said the building was too expensive to renovate with city funds, and they touted the benefit of getting the property back on the tax rolls. The sale is expected to be finalized after city offices have moved out. The city expects its affected offices to fully reopen at One Park Place by Tuesday, Aug. 29. According to a resolution approved by the Syracuse Common Council in 2022, the city has a 10-year agreement with the buildings owner, Zamir Equities LLC, to lease 26,500 square feet of office space. The starting annual rent will be $404,125 with increases reaching $463,750 by the final year. Utilities are included with the rent. Signs in a doorway at Syracuse's City Hall Commons building tell visitors on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, that offices have moved. City reporter Jeremy Boyer can be reached at jboyer@syracuse.com, (315) 657-5673, Twitter or Facebook. To the Editor: As we look forward to Labor Day, those of us in organized Labor are saying that this is our moment. The reason for our statement is because for so many years, all workers have seen living standards erode as workforces have struggled to find jobs and get the wages, benefits and workplaces we always deserved. Now, there is a new wave of union organizing and workers claiming their power. How did we get to this moment? Though we are tired of talking about the pandemic, we cannot ignore the aftershocks that are still being felt. Those aftershocks include a tight labor market and workers being told once again to do more with less. Workers are now saying to their employers: Enough! Many are demanding changes in their workplaces or just leaving the workforce altogether. One way to change their workplace is trying to form a union. As a result of this moment, over 1,500 Central New York workers have organized in our area in 2023 alone! That is more newly organized workers than we have seen in decades. These workers come from Starbucks, TCGPlayer and also graduate students at Syracuse University and SUNY ESF. These workers tend to be younger and more diverse than other more traditional unionized workplaces. These young workers will eventually become leaders of the labor movement in Central New York. Just as in the pandemic, the effects of this wave of organizing will be felt for many years to come. And the resurgence of the labor movement isnt just limited to organizing wins. There is a wave of strikes across the country, including Central New York. Last year, we had a very high-profile strike at Sysco Foods by the workforce represented by the Teamsters Local 317. Because of this strike, these workers won a $7-an-hour increase for drivers, and a $6-an-hour increase for warehouse workers over the next five years. Sysco also agreed to offer a return to more weeks with five, 8-hour shifts and it dropped a plan to deny new hires the opportunity to have two consecutive days off. It presaged the historic wins on the national level by the Teamsters at UPS this summer, where workers won wage gains that doubled the increases from the unions previous five-year contract and include a 48% pay raise for part-timers over the life of the contract. As we celebrate Labor Day, let us recommit ourselves in this moment to the ongoing struggle for workers rights. Let us continue to fight for a better future, not just for ourselves, but for generations yet to come. Now is our moment to restore fairness in our workplaces. We will celebrate Labor Day at the New York State Fairgrounds with a parade and rally at 10:30 a.m. on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. We invite you to stop down and talk to a union member about how to organize your workplace and join our growing movement. Mark Spadafore President Greater Syracuse Labor Council, AFL-CIO Syracuse Related: Syracuse unemployment at record low: See fields growing fast Washington Micron Technology has submitted its application to the federal government for potentially billions of dollars in grants for its planned $100 billion complex of computer chip plants in Syracuses northern suburbs. The company disclosed today in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it submitted two separate applications for federal funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. The story of Count Dracula, the most famous vampire of all who feeds on the blood of the living in order to keep himself going, is the main character in Irish writer Bram Stokers 1897 epistolary novel. When first published, the story of Dracula was considered quite frightening for readers of that time and, perhaps, this is what the public wanted because the work was well received. Many readers were charmed by Stokers unique treatment of the vampire myth, where Count Draculas characteristics, powers, abilities, and weaknesses are described by multiple narrators from different perspectives. At this point in time, 126 years later, Dracula is still so popular and has been portrayed by more actors in more visual media adaptations of the novel than any other horror character. The 1972 book In Search of Dracula by Radu Florescu and Raymond McNally claimed that the Count in Stokers novel was based on a Romanian prince Vlad III, Voivode of Wallachia who lived during the 1400s in Transylvania, the Carpathian mountain region of that country. The legendary figure got the nickname Vlad the Impaler because he killed as many as 80,000 people, primarily Muslims, as they made their way into Romania, impaling them on wooden stakes. Although there is nothing in history to suggest that Vlad III was a vampire, he was certainly feared by the locals for his ruthlessness. He was also referred to as Vlad Draculea, translating to the son of the dragon, and this may have inspired the frightening character of the Dracula story. A paper published August 8, 2023, in the American Chemical Societys Analytical Chemistry entitled Count Dracula Resurrected: Proteomic Analysis of Vlad III the Impalers Documents by EVA Technology and Mass Spectrometry details the analysis of the prince even though he has been dead for 500 years. In this study, researchers, including Vincenzo Cunsolo from the University of Catania in Italy, analyzed for the first time, molecules found on letters penned by Vlad himself with the goal of learning more about the princes health as well as the environment he lived in. The researchers claim that the proteins present on the documents could provide a fascinating glimpse into the historical context of his violent life. To gather such information from an ordinary letter written in the 15th century is no simple task. The scientific team used sophisticated and sensitive technologies such as high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with the non-invasive and non-damaging technique, known under the acronym EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate). In their paper they report the MS characterization of the peptides obtained by the EVA technology applied to three letters written in 1457 and 1475 by Vlad III. The characterization of the ancient proteins extracted from these documents allowed them to also explore the environmental conditions in those years as well. Although modern high-performance mass spectrometers require very small amounts of sample, most of the actual procedures of such analyses remain invasive, often requiring the destruction of part of the ancient items under study; a practice that is usually frowned upon by most museums owning the material. You may recall in 1978, with an effort to settle the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, the purported burial cloth of Jesus, the Vatican allowed a small snip of cloth to be removed weighing 28 milligrams, for radiocarbon dating. It took 30 years to get that permission. The EVA procedure to extract the molecules off the surface of the paper consists of a plastic film of ethylene-vinyl acetate studded with strong cation and anion grabbers which, when applied to any type of surface, can lift off the ancient proteins and small molecules that have laid untouched for five centuries. The photos of their work incorporated in their report show several band-aid looking attachments involved in the EVA method. When you remove them the item (letter) is still intact and not damaged in any way. The team analyzed three letters of the 15th century that were written to the burghers of Sibiu (Romania) by a man describing himself as prince of the Transalpine regions who signed the letters as Vlad Dracula. The harvested molecules were then eluted and characterized via MS. In their publication, the scientists describe in minute detail the methods used to characterize the molecules found, relying a great deal on computer analysis comparing the molecules to thousands of known types. Most of the same proteins were identified in all three documents, with only a few differences found among the document of 1457 and the two letters of 1475. Perhaps the prison term he served when held in captivity in Visegrad from 1463 to 1475 affected his molecule output. In the end they were able to characterize about 100 ancient peptides of certainly human origin and around 2000 coming from the environment (bacteria, viruses, insects, fungi, and viridiplantae). They found that Vlad III suffered, at least in the last years of his life, from a pathological condition called hemolacria, that is, he could shed eye tears admixed with blood. Additionally, he also probably suffered from inflammatory processes of the respiratory tract and/or of the skin. zandot BHPian Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Mumbai Posts: 110 Thanked: 292 Times Re: Electricity supply: Want to get load increase for charging my EV Quote: GTO Originally Posted by Or you could just get a simpler 15A plug which I believe suits the needs of 90% EV owners - link to my thread (Why a cheap & simple 15A plug is just fine for home-charging your Electric Car) +1 for this. As someone who has jumped through the hoops to get the official charging "box" installed for the Tata Nexon EV for their the 3kw slow charger in 2021 when I first switched to EVs - which included some very "non negotiable" requests by the installers including the dreaded load increase and having to ugprade my main meter fuse through the electricity dept etc, which turned out to just be a 15amp plug in a waterproof box (I didn't know this back then and was keen to get the charger installed at home). Then followed by more headaches that I had to go through for the MG ZS EV's 7kw charger including digging separate earthing pit only for the charger, when it came time to to install the 11kw 3 phase Ioniq5 charger - I simply decided not to go through with it. Instead I have installed 2 x 15amp plugs in both my parking spots and use these 90% of the time. Unless you are going for a vehicle with a large battery pack over say 70kWh and expect to regularly drive depleting the battery to 15-30% you do not need the fast(ish) chargers and can save yourself the headache. +1 for this.As someone who has jumped through the hoops to get the official charging "box" installed for the Tata Nexon EV for their the 3kw slow charger in 2021 when I first switched to EVs - which included some very "non negotiable" requests by the installers including the dreaded load increase and having to ugprade my main meter fuse through the electricity dept etc, which turned out to just be a 15amp plug in a waterproof box (I didn't know this back then and was keen to get the charger installed at home).Then followed by more headaches that I had to go through for the MG ZS EV's 7kw charger including digging separate earthing pit only for the charger, when it came time to to install the 11kw 3 phase Ioniq5 charger - I simply decided not to go through with it. Instead I have installed 2 x 15amp plugs in both my parking spots and use these 90% of the time.Unless you are going for a vehicle with a large battery pack over say 70kWh and expect to regularly drive depleting the battery to 15-30% you do not need the fast(ish) chargers and can save yourself the headache. Last edited by Axe77 : 20th August 2023 at 17:31 . Reason: Edited thru > through across the post. Please dont use SMS lingo. Thank you. arundeepbv BHPian Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Bangalore Posts: 49 Thanked: 197 Times Monsoon Wanderlust: Chasing Waterfalls and Rainy Adventures in a Toyota Fortuner However, little did I know that this alternative path had its own challenges. The road between Hosapete and Bijapur was dotted with speed breakers, slowing down our journey considerably. The stretch from Bijapur to Satara proved to be a single-lane road under ongoing construction, further adding to our travel time. Despite our initial plan to reach Satara by 6 a.m. On the way To Thoseghar Falls On the way To Thoseghar Falls we found ourselves arriving around 2 p.m., a considerable delay from our intended schedule. Our first stop was the awe-inspiring Thoseghar Falls, where the heavens opened up and the waterfalls danced in jubilation. Thoseghar Falls Thoseghar Falls The captivating sight left us in awe, and with minimal crowds, we relished the serenity of the cascades, grateful for this precious moment in nature. I had expected to encounter leeches during this time of the year, but to my relief, there were none in sight. As we meandered towards our next destination, the enchanting Kas Pathar, I couldn't help but notice the absence of the expected leeches, a delightful surprise indeed. However, our plan to explore the small roads through Godbole Rock en route to Kas Pathar was thwarted by locals' advice, cautioning against their condition amidst the relentless rain. Nevertheless, we embarked on the scenic journey back to Satara and finally arrived at Kas Pathar around 4 PM. Satara City Kas Pathar Satara CityKas Pathar Kas Pathar welcomed us with a mystical embrace, shrouded in mist and gentle drizzles, making it an ethereal experience. The locals shared that the true splendor of this place reveals itself during the Ganesha festival when vibrant flowers bloom in abundance, promising a visit to remember. Our monsoon adventure continued as we set our sights on the majestic Raigad Fort, a route that led us through the picturesque Mahabaleshwar. Initially, we planned to take the scenic route via the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, but we discovered that the Koyna lake had overflowed, closing the road. Adapting to the situation, we embarked on the breathtaking Kaas-Mahabaleshwar Road, surrounded by thousands of enchanting waterfalls cascading down the landscape. The Ekiva waterfall, a hidden gem near the Ekiva village, left us mesmerized as we navigated through the fog with limited visibility. Kaas-Mahabaleshwar Road Kaas-Mahabaleshwar Road The relentless rain and dense fog made driving challenging, prompting us to seek refuge at Hotel Vedanta alongside the road. This impromptu stay turned out to be a delightful surprise, offering much-needed comfort and respite from the captivating yet demanding monsoon adventure. Exploring the Enchanting Landscapes: A Monsoon Journey - Day 2 As the sun began to rise on the second day of our monsoon escapade, our spirits were renewed with anticipation. We set out early and enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Poladpur, a quaint spot to recharge before embarking on our day's adventures. Our drive along the picturesque Savitri river offered glimpses of nature's splendor, setting the tone for what lay ahead. Savitri river Savitri river The highway beckoned, and we merged onto NH 66, the famed Bombay-Goa national highway, en route to our next destination, the illustrious Raigad Fort. However, to our disappointment, we learned upon arrival around 10 AM that the fort's hiking trails were closed due to safety concerns. Additionally, the ropeway system was non-operational due to high winds. Nevertheless, undeterred by this setback, we spent some time around, hoping for a change in conditions that would allow us to explore further. Alas, the winds persisted, and we had to bid adieu to the notion of ascending the fort that day. Raigad Fort Ropeway Raigad Fort Ropeway Our adventurous spirit still burning bright, we set our sights on Kumbhe Waterfalls, a natural wonder located approximately 35 km from Raigad Fort. The drive to the falls was a leisurely one, granting us ample time to soak in the breathtaking beauty of the Sahyadri hills. As we approached Kumbhe Waterfalls around 12 PM, a mystical fog enveloped the surroundings, shrouding the falls from view at the viewpoint. Nonetheless, undeterred by the weather, we explored the charming Kumbhe village and chanced upon a hydroelectric plant, adding a touch of intrigue to our visit. Kumbhe Tunnel Workshop in ruins Gost bridge ? Beautiful Roads Kumbhe TunnelWorkshop in ruinsGost bridge ?Beautiful Roads With cherished memories from Kumbhe, our journey continued towards the enchanting Aare Ware Beach, approximately 230 kilometers away. In Mahad, we indulged in a satisfying lunch before traversing through the towns of Khavati and Khed, each offering unique glimpses of the region's culture and charm. As the day wore on, the clock struck midnight, and we arrived at the serene Aare Ware Beach. We settled into a cozy roadside hotel, embracing the tranquil ambiance of the coastal haven. Despite the long day of travel, our hearts brimmed with joy and gratitude for the remarkable landscapes and experiences that defined our journey thus far. As we drifted into slumber, we eagerly awaited the treasures that awaited us on the next leg of this monsoon odyssey. Journey's End: A Memorable Monsoon Drive - Day 3 As the sun painted the sky with hues of dawn, we rose early to embark on the final leg of our monsoon adventure back to Bangalore. With a captivating waterfall in our sights, our first stop was the mesmerizing Tad Waterfall. En route, we passed through the charming town of Ratnagiri, teeming with attractions that, regrettably, time did not allow us to explore fully. Nonetheless, we made a brief stop at Bhatye Beach, where the ferocious waves put on a captivating display, leaving us in awe of the sea's untamed beauty. Aare Ware Beach Aare Ware Beach Arriving at the Tad Waterfall trek point around 9 AM, we set out on a 3-kilometer trek to witness the spectacle of the waterfall cascading directly into the sea. However, the high tide prevented us from reaching the waterfall itself, yet the experience was nothing short of extraordinary nature in all its breathtaking glory. Along the way to the falls, we encountered the Kasheli Petroglyphs, a site of historical significance, boasting the largest collection of carvings discovered so far. For history buffs, this is an absolute must-visit in the area. Kasheli plateau Delicate blooms Me searching for the path Kasheli plateauDelicate bloomsMe searching for the path After a gratifying time exploring the Laterite plateaux, we began our journey back to Bangalore around 11 AM. With breakfast skipped in favor of an early start, we settled for a quick brunch at a quaint Restaurant hotel in Kasheli village. Small Restaurant in Kasheli Village View From the Restaurant Small Restaurant in Kasheli VillageView From the Restaurant Our route merged back onto the NH-66 at Rajapur, and while we initially intended to drive via Nipanni, we decided to stay on the awe-inspiring NH-66 until Goa. This engineering marvel of a road, juxtaposed against the stunning natural backdrop, made it hard to wish for the journey's end. Taking a brief detour from the NH-66 at Banda, we turned left towards Ramnagar. The time was early evening when we reached Mollem, and though we searched for a proper lunch, we had to settle for snacks. The road from Mollem to Ramnagar maintained decent conditions, yet the stretch between Ramnagar and Hubli left much to be desired. By 10 PM, we merged back onto NH-48 and paused for dinner at one of the hotels near Shiggaon. As we continued towards Bangalore, we encountered a significant increase in traffic after crossing Chitradurga, and the ever-bustling highway accompanied us all the way to Tumkur. The final leg of our journey, from Tumkur to Nelmangala, tested our patience with its dual carriageway bustling with trucks, buses, and impatient cars. Finally, at 4 in the morning, we arrived at the comfort of our own home, capping off an unforgettable journey spanning 2115 kilometers. The cherished memories of our monsoon drive will forever remain etched in our hearts, a testament to the beauty of nature and the thrill of adventure.The monsoon's magic had etched memories in our hearts, a celebration of nature's wonders and the joy of discovery. Our journey was enriched not just by the picturesque landscapes but also by the moments shared and savored along the way. Until our next expedition, may the allure of the open road beckon us, guiding us towards new horizons. Happy travels!" As the allure of the monsoon season beckoned, and with spirits brimming with excitement we set off from Bangalore on a thrilling monsoon drive. We started our journey around 10PM and the initial plan was to reach Satara by 6 AM. Our chosen path took us through the scenic town of Bijapur, a detour from the more conventional route through Belagavi, Kolhapur, and Satara.However, little did I know that this alternative path had its own challenges. The road between Hosapete and Bijapur was dotted with speed breakers, slowing down our journey considerably. The stretch from Bijapur to Satara proved to be a single-lane road under ongoing construction, further adding to our travel time. Despite our initial plan to reach Satara by 6 a.m.we found ourselves arriving around 2 p.m., a considerable delay from our intended schedule. Our first stop was the awe-inspiring Thoseghar Falls, where the heavens opened up and the waterfalls danced in jubilation.The captivating sight left us in awe, and with minimal crowds, we relished the serenity of the cascades, grateful for this precious moment in nature. I had expected to encounter leeches during this time of the year, but to my relief, there were none in sight.As we meandered towards our next destination, the enchanting Kas Pathar, I couldn't help but notice the absence of the expected leeches, a delightful surprise indeed. However, our plan to explore the small roads through Godbole Rock en route to Kas Pathar was thwarted by locals' advice, cautioning against their condition amidst the relentless rain. Nevertheless, we embarked on the scenic journey back to Satara and finally arrived at Kas Pathar around 4 PM.Kas Pathar welcomed us with a mystical embrace, shrouded in mist and gentle drizzles, making it an ethereal experience. The locals shared that the true splendor of this place reveals itself during the Ganesha festival when vibrant flowers bloom in abundance, promising a visit to remember.Our monsoon adventure continued as we set our sights on the majestic Raigad Fort, a route that led us through the picturesque Mahabaleshwar. Initially, we planned to take the scenic route via the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, but we discovered that the Koyna lake had overflowed, closing the road. Adapting to the situation, we embarked on the breathtaking Kaas-Mahabaleshwar Road, surrounded by thousands of enchanting waterfalls cascading down the landscape. The Ekiva waterfall, a hidden gem near the Ekiva village, left us mesmerized as we navigated through the fog with limited visibility.The relentless rain and dense fog made driving challenging, prompting us to seek refuge at Hotel Vedanta alongside the road. This impromptu stay turned out to be a delightful surprise, offering much-needed comfort and respite from the captivating yet demanding monsoon adventure.As the sun began to rise on the second day of our monsoon escapade, our spirits were renewed with anticipation. We set out early and enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Poladpur, a quaint spot to recharge before embarking on our day's adventures. Our drive along the picturesque Savitri river offered glimpses of nature's splendor, setting the tone for what lay ahead.The highway beckoned, and we merged onto NH 66, the famed Bombay-Goa national highway, en route to our next destination, the illustrious Raigad Fort. However, to our disappointment, we learned upon arrival around 10 AM that the fort's hiking trails were closed due to safety concerns. Additionally, the ropeway system was non-operational due to high winds. Nevertheless, undeterred by this setback, we spent some time around, hoping for a change in conditions that would allow us to explore further. Alas, the winds persisted, and we had to bid adieu to the notion of ascending the fort that day.Our adventurous spirit still burning bright, we set our sights on Kumbhe Waterfalls, a natural wonder located approximately 35 km from Raigad Fort. The drive to the falls was a leisurely one, granting us ample time to soak in the breathtaking beauty of the Sahyadri hills. As we approached Kumbhe Waterfalls around 12 PM, a mystical fog enveloped the surroundings, shrouding the falls from view at the viewpoint. Nonetheless, undeterred by the weather, we explored the charming Kumbhe village and chanced upon a hydroelectric plant, adding a touch of intrigue to our visit.With cherished memories from Kumbhe, our journey continued towards the enchanting Aare Ware Beach, approximately 230 kilometers away. In Mahad, we indulged in a satisfying lunch before traversing through the towns of Khavati and Khed, each offering unique glimpses of the region's culture and charm. As the day wore on, the clock struck midnight, and we arrived at the serene Aare Ware Beach.We settled into a cozy roadside hotel, embracing the tranquil ambiance of the coastal haven. Despite the long day of travel, our hearts brimmed with joy and gratitude for the remarkable landscapes and experiences that defined our journey thus far. As we drifted into slumber, we eagerly awaited the treasures that awaited us on the next leg of this monsoon odyssey.As the sun painted the sky with hues of dawn, we rose early to embark on the final leg of our monsoon adventure back to Bangalore. With a captivating waterfall in our sights, our first stop was the mesmerizing Tad Waterfall. En route, we passed through the charming town of Ratnagiri, teeming with attractions that, regrettably, time did not allow us to explore fully. Nonetheless, we made a brief stop at Bhatye Beach, where the ferocious waves put on a captivating display, leaving us in awe of the sea's untamed beauty.Arriving at the Tad Waterfall trek point around 9 AM, we set out on a 3-kilometer trek to witness the spectacle of the waterfall cascading directly into the sea. However, the high tide prevented us from reaching the waterfall itself, yet the experience was nothing short of extraordinary nature in all its breathtaking glory. Along the way to the falls, we encountered the Kasheli Petroglyphs, a site of historical significance, boasting the largest collection of carvings discovered so far. For history buffs, this is an absolute must-visit in the area.After a gratifying time exploring the Laterite plateaux, we began our journey back to Bangalore around 11 AM. With breakfast skipped in favor of an early start, we settled for a quick brunch at a quaint Restaurant hotel in Kasheli village.Our route merged back onto the NH-66 at Rajapur, and while we initially intended to drive via Nipanni, we decided to stay on the awe-inspiring NH-66 until Goa. This engineering marvel of a road, juxtaposed against the stunning natural backdrop, made it hard to wish for the journey's end.Taking a brief detour from the NH-66 at Banda, we turned left towards Ramnagar. The time was early evening when we reached Mollem, and though we searched for a proper lunch, we had to settle for snacks. The road from Mollem to Ramnagar maintained decent conditions, yet the stretch between Ramnagar and Hubli left much to be desired.By 10 PM, we merged back onto NH-48 and paused for dinner at one of the hotels near Shiggaon. As we continued towards Bangalore, we encountered a significant increase in traffic after crossing Chitradurga, and the ever-bustling highway accompanied us all the way to Tumkur. The final leg of our journey, from Tumkur to Nelmangala, tested our patience with its dual carriageway bustling with trucks, buses, and impatient cars.Finally, at 4 in the morning, we arrived at the comfort of our own home, capping off an unforgettable journey spanning 2115 kilometers. The cherished memories of our monsoon drive will forever remain etched in our hearts, a testament to the beauty of nature and the thrill of adventure.The monsoon's magic had etched memories in our hearts, a celebration of nature's wonders and the joy of discovery. Our journey was enriched not just by the picturesque landscapes but also by the moments shared and savored along the way. Until our next expedition, may the allure of the open road beckon us, guiding us towards new horizons. Happy travels!" Why it matters: Over the years, Google has introduced numerous security measures to thwart evolving ever-evolving threats to Android systems. The emerging problem of pre-installed malware has pushed the company to allow users to check their operating systems against verified public records. Pixel phone and tablet owners can now use Google's Pixel Binary Transparency to ensure their firmware matches trusted installation data. The feature comes in response to the rising frequency of hackers tampering with software on Android devices before they reach customers. Security researchers have recently raised alarm bells over malware that can come pre-installed on millions of Android devices worldwide. Vendors offering cheaper phones, tablets, or other products might use Android-based firmware from dubious sources, allowing hackers to sneak malicious code onto factory-sealed devices. Attackers can also compromise the developers of the pre-installed apps that manufacturers often include in their products, eventually stealing users' information or tricking them into expensive purchases. Data suggests the problem primarily affects users in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. Security analysts have observed Android device brands like Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, and Xiaomi practicing insecure firmware policies. One solution from Google is Pixel Binary Transparency, which the company first mentioned in 2021 and has recently described in greater detail. The tool consists of a public cryptographic log containing metadata from official Pixel device factory images, which the company implements as a tile-based Merkel tree. Power users can compare their firmware images with Google's to check for suspicious additions to the code. Furthermore, it should be extremely difficult or impossible for attackers to change the public log to fit their infected builds without being detected because it's cryptographically guaranteed to be append-only. Information can only be added to the record but never changed or deleted. The concept is fundamentally similar to a blockchain. Google plans to improve Pixel Binary Transparency continually, but it's only available for Pixel devices. Hopefully, it or similar tools eventually become available for other Android systems. Currently, the best way to avoid pre-installed malware or compromised Android installs is to purchase hardware from large, established brands like Samsung and Google, which are more likely to enforce stringent security measures. Most pixel owners likely won't need Binary Transparency, as Google designed it for users with coding experience. The feature complements Android Verified Boot, a more accessible security measure that checks whether all executed code on a device comes from trustworthy sources. X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has encountered a significant technical glitch that has led to the deletion of images and links posted on the platform between 2011 and 2014. This incident, discovered by X users Tom Coates and Brazilian vtuber @DaniloTakagi, has raised concerns about the platform's stability and the fate of cherished online memories. X Glitch Affects Popular Tweets The glitch appears to have a widespread impact, affecting tweets created during the specified period. PCMag tells us in a report that notable among these is the disappearance of Ellen DeGeneres' iconic Oscars selfie. This snapshot generated over 2.8 million retweets and earned its place as the most retweeted post in history. If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) March 3, 2014 Alongside this loss, links that were shared using Twitter's link shortener have also been rendered non-functional, adding to user frustration. Although the issue's exact cause remains unknown, The Verge speculates that it might be related to the changes Twitter introduced in 2016. These changes, such as "enhanced URL enrichment" and "native attachments," allowed previews for linked websites and facilitated photo attachments without affecting the 140-character limit that defined the platform. Curiously, the glitch seems to have a cutoff date around December 2014, coinciding with the emergence of metadata associated with these changes. Read Also: 'Block' Feature on X is Going Away Except in DMs, Elon Musk Says X Silently Working on a Fix The restoration efforts have not gone unnoticed, with some images being revived after the glitch struck. A tweet capturing the moment when Barack Obama embraced the First Lady after his 2023 re-election was successfully recovered. This restoration, however, has fueled speculation about the nature of the glitch. Was it an accidental technical error, or could it have been a deliberate cost-cutting measure under Elon Musk's leadership, who assumed control of X in recent times? Musk's Influence on the Matter Elon Musk's perspective on the matter is yet to be revealed, as the X owner or X CEO Linda Yaccarino, has remained silent regarding the issue. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the glitch's cause and the scope of its impact, one thing is clear: X is navigating through a period of transformation - and it is not going smoothly. Previously known as Twitter, the platform underwent a rebranding initiative, aligning with Elon Musk's broader vision for the future. Since Musk's takeover, the company has undergone numerous changes and faced significant challenges, including mass layoffs and structural adjustments. The billionaire even recently suggested removing the blocking feature. For years, Twitter, now X, has been at the forefront of social media, influencing how people communicate and share information online. As users wait for further developments and the platform's response, it remains to be seen how X will address this glitch and whether it will affect its users' confidence in the reimagined platform. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Over 153 Million Followers on Elon Musk's X Are Fake or Inactive-What Does This Mean? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Interior Department has approved a new federal mine plan at the Center Mine in North Dakota, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven announced recently. The plan was needed to allow mining of federal coal under a lease awarded in January 2021, according to Hoeven, R-N.D. His office said Interior in July 2021 required a supplemental environmental assessment that was held up for almost two years "due to additional regulatory hurdles." Center Mine is owned and operated by BNI and supplies coal to the adjacent Milton R. Young Station power plant that provides electricity to customers in North Dakota and Minnesota. Hoeven convened a meeting between Minnkota, BNI and Interior officials in November to move the process along. Without plan approval, BNI would have had to implement contingency plans that could have cost millions and raised electric prices, according to the senator's office. The latest Russian spacecraft, Luna-25, has crashed into the moon after an unknown incident. This mission was initially the country's newest hope to return to the power moon race after 47 years. In its last update via Telegram, Russian officials claimed that Luna-25 spun out of control and crashed into the lunar surface as it was on the verge of preparing for its landing. Luna has been known as Russia's dedicated moon mission since its first launch in the late 1950s. The country is known for being the first to venture out into space. Russia's Luna-25 Crash Into the Moon Digital Trends reported that Russia's Luna-25 mission is now over after the massive crash on Sunday, August 20, resulting in losing the spacecraft ahead of its planned landing. The problem occurred on Saturday, August 19, as the spacecraft was repositioning itself and undergoing a maneuver to adjust for pre-landing orbit. Russian space agency Roscosmos later announced via Telegram that the spacecraft had been lost after it crashed into the Lunar surface, ending the country's supposed return to the moon. Its landing had been planned for Monday. The Luna mission is known for being the pioneer in traveling to the moon, with Russia first launching it in January 1959. However, the Luna-25 spacecraft missed its chance to cling to the lunar orbit and was ultimately a failure. Read Also: US Space Companies Face Increasing Threat of Foreign Cyberattack: FBI, Air Force Warn What Happened to the Luna-25 Spacecraft of Russia? According to reports, it is still unknown what the cause of the crash of Luna-25 is or why it spun in an uncontrolled orbit and crashed into the moon's surface. Roscosmos only said that an "emergency situation" had occurred with the Luna-25 spacecraft before it was able to land on the moon. The agency has already formed a special inter-departmental group to investigate the reasons behind the loss of the uncrewed spacecraft. Russia's Space Missions After 47 years since its first moon mission, Russia has announced its plan to launch the Luna-25 lander, and its mission was to land on the lunar south pole, a region where no spacecraft had landed before. Craters in this area were found with water ice, which would be an important resource for future crewed missions to the moon. Despite Russia's massive problems amid its infamous conflict with Ukraine, which is still ongoing, the Eurasian country was still active in its space ventures. It actively participates in International Space Station (ISS) missions, where Russian cosmonauts are still on active duty. Recently, Russian Sergey Prokopyev, commander of Expedition 69 crew aboard the ISS, made history by becoming the first cosmonaut to travel on a robotic arm while doing a spacewalk at the ISS. The Russian mission is racing against the recently-launched Indian mission Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which also aims to land on the moon's south pole this week. Moscow is also racing against the United States and China, which also have an interest in visiting the moon in recent years. Related Article: Russia Flew to the Moon Amidst Challenges, Hoping for a Smooth Landing by August 21 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Former President Donald Trump's legal defense fund website has reportedly been hacked and defaced over the weekend. The Patriot Legal Defense Fund seeks to gather funds for legal expenses tied to associates and staff involved in Trump's political activities. (Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images) ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at The Rosen Shingle Creek on February 26, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. CPAC, which began in 1974, is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials. Hacking Donald Trump's Legal Defense Fund Website The official website of the legal defense fund established by Donald Trump seems to have fallen victim to a hacking and defacement incident over the weekend. Gizmodo reported that the defaced content remains visible on the site without having been remedied. The Patriot Legal Defense Fund, initiated around a week ago by prominent individuals within the Trump team, aims to raise funds for covering legal expenses incurred by associates and staff members linked to the former president's political endeavors. Many of these associates and staff are currently grappling with multiple ongoing legal inquiries involving Trump, resulting in substantial court-related financial burdens. While the Patriot fund has explicitly stated it will not cover legal costs for Trump or his family, recent observations have highlighted potential ethical concerns related to the group, warranting further investigation. Also Read: Meta: Ex-President Donald Trump's Facebook, Instagram Accounts Now Reinstated-No Posts Yet Extending Beyond Alterations However, the scope of the defacement extends well beyond these alterations. The homepage has been entirely replaced by an essay delving into themes of individual integrity and honesty, accompanied by an extensive rant directed at Donald Trump. Notably, Forbes reported that the donation links located at the page's bottom have undergone a shift from their original purpose to now bolster causes such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Brennan Center for Justice, and Rock the Vote. The website's banner sees a transformation, with Trump's name crossed out, replaced with a spirited "HEY!" accompanied by the tagline "AMERICA IS ALREADY GREAT!" a departure from the familiar MAGA slogan. Below this, a headline urges visitors to withhold support from what the hacker dubs the "fraudulent Patriot Legal Defense Fund" tied to Trump. Launching Funding In July, reports emerged about the creation of the fund as a distinct entity from Donald Trump's Save America leadership PAC. However, a report by The Daily Beast on August 13 revealed that the "Donate Now" link on the original site was directed to Trump's 2024 campaign website. The domain patriotlegaldefensefund.com was registered on July 31, the day after the news broke about the possible establishment of the Patriot Legal Defense Fund. Domain details are shielded by GoDaddy privacy controls, and no valid press contact for the fund is apparent. The timing of the initial reports and the domain registration raises questions about the fund's legitimacy. Related Article: Secret Search Warrant Issued to Investigate Donald Trump's Twitter Data, Unsealed Court Documents Reveal 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Australia is now gearing up to boost its defense capabilities with a massive budget allocated for hi-tech missiles amid growing concerns about the military build-up of its close neighbor, China. With a whopping $1.7 billion budget, the country aims to add a massive number of Tomahawk missiles to the Australian Defence Force. The latest plan is to upgrade the country's defense capabilities by expanding its military and naval forces and looking into manufacturing missiles locally. Australia Gears Up Against China With $1.7 Billion Budget for New Tomahawk Missiles Australia's News.com reported that there are growing concerns over China's increasing military presence in the region. According to Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy, the government is allotting as much as a $1.7 billion budget for the country to buy more missiles. The government plans to purchase hundreds of medium-range advanced and high-speed missiles to expand the strike power of the Australian Defence Force that it would need in terms of hostile situations. Conroy noted that as "we enter what many are calling the missile age," these new weapons will serve as one of Australia's frontline defense "tools" against significant threats that come its way. Read Also: China Unveils ZKZM-500: Revolutionary 'Non-Lethal' Laser Rifle That Could Be a Game-Changer on Battlefield 200 Tomahawk Missiles for Australian Defence Force Missile Threat describes the Tomahawk missiles as long-range artillery originating from the United States, with a deep-strike capability, and carrying either traditional or nuclear payloads. Australia's navy will soon receive more than 200 Tomahawk missiles from the United States that would initially be fitted to the Hobart-class destroyers or later be installed on the Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines that the country also plans to buy from the US and then build itself in the next decade. In March, the US State Department approved the sale of $1.3 billion worth of Tomahawk missiles. Australia will be the third country to use the Tomahawks next to the US and UK. International Defense China is currently one of the strongest and growing countries. Several countries have already expressed concerns regarding the growing military presence of China in the region. There is a plan in the US to control the Chinese drone exports arriving in the country as the tech war between the two nations intensifies. Australia is also growing wary about China's tech. Recently, Australia has banned TikTok on government-issued devices as the famed social media app is highly believed to have a security issue. It followed the ban on WeChat, a renowned Chinese instant messaging app that is highly used in the country. Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles noted that it was important that the country could defend itself in a growingly tumultuous global landscape. "We are investing in the capabilities our Defence Force needs to hold our adversaries at risk further from our shores and keep Australians safe in the complex and uncertain world in which we live today," Marles added. Related Article: Australian Committee Recommends Extending App Ban to WeChat on Government Devices 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla, Elon Musk's electric car company, is facing legal issues over recent automobile mishaps. The corporation is being sued over a car crash that killed one man in New York. Jiyoung Yoon filed a lawsuit against an electric car manufacturer after her husband, Jyung Woo Hahn, tragically died in an accident. The tragedy happened in Rockland County, New York, on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, in March 2022. Yoon contends that her husband's 2020 Tesla Model 3 malfunctioned, hit a tree, and caught fire, according to court papers obtained by TMZ. The documents state that Hahn avoided the first crash but was trapped inside the car and then died from the fire. According to the plaintiff, the Tesla Model 3 was excessively unsafe for its intended uses due to improper manufacturing, design, and warnings. Yoon is suing for damages and has asked for a jury trial to be held. Tesla has not addressed these charges as of the present reporting. Tesla's Troubles Mount In July, US auto safety regulators launched an investigation over a 2013 Subaru Impreza-Tesla Model 3 fatality. In South Lake Tahoe, California, the accident, which allegedly happened while the Tesla car was in self-driving mode, killed the Subaru driver and a three-month-old baby, according to a report from Opoyi. In a separate lawsuit, Tesla owners sued the electric car maker for misrepresenting their products' range. The class-action complaint claims Tesla marketed its SUVs and sedans with exaggerated ranges. The plaintiffs demanded concealed damages and a court order to stop Tesla from misrepresenting vehicle capacity. Read Also: Donald Trump's Patriot Legal Defense Fund Website Appears to Have Been Hacked, Defaced Tech Times recently reported that multiple Tesla owners expressed safety concerns after being stuck inside their cars due to power outages. A Tesla driver said the car's system told him to stop before losing power. The driver's glass broke while physically opening the door, worsening the situation. Some Tesla owners reported typical battery depletion, while others suffered abrupt and unexpected shutdowns, causing them to get trapped inside the electric vehicle. A number of Tesla owners reportedly had trouble finding the manual door release since it is not prominently labeled. Tesla Maintains High-Range Performance Amid Controversies Tesla continues to be considered by automotive professionals as a leader in the electric car driving range despite the legal issues and controversy. According to The Washington Post, four Tesla vehicles were included among the Top 10 longest-range electric cars for 2023 by Car and Driver, demonstrating the company's dedication to advancing electric vehicle technology. The result of these lawsuits and Tesla's image will significantly impact the electric car sector as the legal disputes progress. Related Article: CryptoWatch: Bored Ape NFT Lawsuit, Singapore's Iconic Crypto Regulation, and Latest Prices of Coins 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. CARSON CITY Attorney General Ford has announced a series of listening sessions regarding the pending grocery store merger between Albertsons (Albertsons, Safeway and Vons) and Kroger (Smiths). The proposed merger is being reviewed to determine its impact on Nevada grocery stores and AG Ford wants to hear from the public. It is incumbent upon my office to review a corporate merger of this scale under the unfair trade practices act to determine its impact on trade and Nevada consumers, said AG Ford. Considering the potential implications, it is important for me to hear directly from Nevada consumers to fully understand their concerns about the grocery store merger. The listening sessions are an opportunity for AG Ford to receive public comment and consumer opinion on the merger. The general public is invited to attend and give comment. Updated information including additional dates available on the Nevada Attorney Generals website here. Consumers may also complete a survey found here The listening sessions will be held on the following dates. In addition, further Las Vegas listening sessions and an Elko listening session will be announced at later dates. Members of the press are welcome to attend the listening sessions and are asked to RSVP to jsadler@ag.nv.gov and awhiters@ag.nv.gov. August 22, 2023 (1:00pm) Las Vegas City Hall, 495 S Main St, Las Vegas, NV 89101 August 29, 2023 (11:00am) Boulder City Council Chamber, 401 California Avenue, Boulder City, NV 89005 August 31, 2023 (11:00am) Pahrump and Tonopah Board of County Commission (BOCC) Chambers 2100 E Walt Williams Dr., Pahrump, NV 89048 (This meeting will be conferenced to the Tonopah Justice Court at 101 Radar Road, Tonopah, NV 89049.) September 13, 2023 (10:00am) Henderson City Council Chambers, 240 S. Water Street, Henderson NV 89015 September 13, 2023 (1:00pm)North Las Vegas City Hall, 2250 Las Vegas Blvd N Suite 112, North Las Vegas, NV 89030 The two grocery store giants announced their 24.6 billion merger agreement in October of last year and are expected to finalize the merger in early 2024 if approved by state and federal regulators. Under Nevada law, the Attorney Generals Office has the authority to review the proposed merger to ensure it is proper; does not unfairly disrupt competition; and is fair to local grocery stores, consumers, employees and others. Google paid $24.861 billion in 2021 to be the top search engine on the internet SPIEGEL Survey: One in Two Is in Favor of Special Driver's Licenses for Heavy Cars and SUVs The Week of God the Tweeter: From the 37.5-Hour Workday to the Elections in Argentina "Got rid of attempts of foreign interference": a historian on the process of creating the Republic of Turkey The best burger in Europe is eaten between glazed saloons, has Korean sauce and is made in Valencia Two dead and two seriously injured in a shooting in the Gard The opening ceremony of the final of the 18th "Challenge Cup" National College Students' Extracurricular Academic Science Works Competition was held in Guizhou University "There will be no trace of snow": forecasters reported warming in Moscow in the coming week Experts suggest comprehensively deepening reform and opening up in the new stage: shaping internal advantages and strengthening foreign cooperation-Chinanews.com video Children and Families Agency to continue support at facilities such as orphanages for "specified pregnant women" A lion born at a zoo in Tokushima "Farewell party" at the zoo before moving to Iwate Analysts and researchers: For these reasons, Arab countries have failed the Palestinians in Gaza After the decision to retry Iwao Hakamada nine years ago, the presiding judge of the district court at the time wrote an unusual opinion Henoko construction not approved by Okinawa Prefecture First argument on the 30th for execution on behalf of the national government To encourage working women to have babies, is it enough to rely on child development subsidies? Construction work of the upper Naka River "Kasumi Embankment" begins, and the disaster prevention collective relocation plan is also The two suspects have been absconding for 26 years and were locked and arrested by big data, and the official announced the details of the arrest Mesmerizing "Cleopatra" and the masterpiece "Dorian Gray": what overshadowed the victories of Frolova and Aliyev in Krasnoyarsk The 'load management' or how the rest of the stars can cost the NBA a million To watch.. Morocco's Wydad beat Esperance in the first leg of the CAF League semi-final Marathon battle: Medvedev lost to Sinner in the final of the tournament in Vienna and failed to defend the title Experts: It is very important to boost confidence in the stock market and strengthen financial supervision Analyst: Absence of contract with Naftogaz does not mean termination of transit China Eastern Airlines will resume international flights from Shenzhen to Bangkok and add domestic routes from Guangzhou, Shenzhen to Chongqing How can Asia continue to be an "accelerator" of the global economy? Walk into these construction sites in the Yangtze River Delta and feel the new changes of "infrastructure madness". Zhouning, Fujian: The "high quality" of the economy and the "high value" of the ecology complement each other Guangxi car companies aim at the new energy market segment and take advantage of the "Belt and Road" overseas efforts Twenty or thirty dollars a piece! Why is cheap toothpaste hard to get on supermarket shelves? What is the impact of the normalization of exclusive commercial pension insurance business on old-age security? Approaching the Great Power Heavy Weapon: Seeing the "World's Best" at the Baihetan Hydropower Station "Heroes per mu" is a new breakthrough in improving quality and efficiency in the manufacturing industry Russia: What we know about the closure of an airport in Dagestan The New York Times: Why is Biden now the most popular in Israel? Ex-adviser to Kuchma: Zelensky hides the truth about the failures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the front When you express your love to him. How does your child become emotionally smarter? Katara Award winner Ashraf Al-Ashmawy: I feel helpless in the face of war crimes and the marginalized heroes of my novels Iranian President of Al Jazeera: America's demand for us not to act against Israel is invalid Moldovan TV channel did not allow the candidate for mayor of Chisinau to speak in Russian New Ideas Lead a New JourneyConsolidate the foundation and rejuvenate the new to shape the new advantages of China's economic development Marjam Samadzade: State Secretary in Schleswig-Holstein has to leave early because of mail critical of Israel Altitude record for mammals: mice lived at an altitude of more than 6000 meters in the Andes What is the curse of the "eighth decade" that Ehud Barak feared and Abu Obeida waved? The Intercept reveals the existence of a secret US military base in the Negev desert Scientists engineer a plant that can tell you the quality of the water Mustafa 'El Gitano', recruiter of jihadists: "I'm going to do all the damage I can to Spain and Europe" ABC: U.S. Calls on Israel to Use Transferred Weapons in Accordance with Laws of War ICC prosecutor: The people of Gaza deserve justice and what is happening cannot be tolerated The whole of Uppsala without district heating the heating plant without electricity Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. LAS VEGAS The Nevada State Treasurers Office has announced the recipients of the 2023 Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship awards up to $5,000 each to two students in Northern Nevada and in Southern Nevada respectively, who are majoring in elementary or secondary education with the intent of teaching in Nevada. The selected scholarship recipients include Emily Burton, University of Nevada-Reno; Maddison Mead, Great Basin College; Samuel Self, University of Nevada-Las Vegas; and Monique Raven, UNLV. As a recent graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, scholarship recipient Emily Burton received two Bachelors Degrees in Secondary Education and Spanish. Burton began substitute teaching during her sophomore year for the Washoe County School District, working with students at every grade level. Receiving the Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship has been a profound honor, said Burton. To me this scholarship means hope and will help me smoothly accomplish my goals for language education in Nevada. Madison Mead is a first-generation college graduate from Great Basin College earning her Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education with honors and working towards her Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education and English Language Acquisition and Development. My goals after college include obtaining a kindergarten or first-grade teacher position within an elementary school within my community, said Mead. This scholarship will help me excuse my passion for education. I am eternally grateful to the Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Raised by a family of educators, Samuel Self is a fourth-year student pursuing his Bachelors of Arts in English and Bachelors of Science in Secondary Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Self has completed a fellowship at the Nevada Institute on Teaching and Educator Preparation and a teaching position with Code Ninjas. The impact of the Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship extends beyond its financial impact, stated Self. Like Governor Guinn I aspire to be an advocate for education, inside and outside of my classroom. As a lifelong resident of Southern Nevada, Monique Raven is a first-generation college student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, pursuing her Bachelors in Secondary Education. Raven aims to nourish students with the feeling and knowing of being heard and valued, reinforcing her commitment to providing an equitable quality of education to all. The Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship offers me a chance to invest time into learning how to become a better-equipped teacher, said Raven. Through this scholarship, I will continue to invest in opportunities that create the type of teacher I strive to be. A virtual celebration will be held later this year to further honor the four Memorial Scholarship recipients. Congratulations to the incredible recipients of the Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship, said Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine. By investing in your dreams of becoming educators, youre not only enriching your own lives but also the lives of countless students. Thank you for your commitment to advancing our states educational legacy. For more information on the Memorial Scholarship, please visit nvigate.gov/programs/kenny-c-guinn-memorial-scholarship/ or contact the Millennium Scholarship office at millenniumscholars@nevadatreasurer.gov or call 1-888-477-2667. A signed article by Chinese President Xi Jinping titled "Sailing the Giant Ship of China-South Africa Friendship and Cooperation Toward Greater Success" was published Monday on South African media as he is going to attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg and pay a state visit to South Africa. An English version of the article, carried by The Star, Cape Times, The Mercury as well as Independent Online, is as follows: Sailing the Giant Ship of China-South Africa Friendship and Cooperation Toward Greater Success Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China At the invitation of President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, I will soon make a state visit to the Republic of South Africa and attend the 15th BRICS Summit. It will be my sixth visit to the promising land of the "rainbow nation". South Africa is home to the great statesman Nelson Mandela, and it boasts the richest tourist resources, the longest road network, the biggest securities exchange, and the busiest airports and harbors in Africa. The country exudes unique charm with the perfect amalgam of the ancient and the modern, and of nature and culture. Each of my visits to South Africa gave me new impressions. But the deepest is invariably the brotherly sentiments we have toward each other. Our friendship has traversed a long span of time. As early as in the mid-20th century, the newly founded People's Republic of China lent firm support to the South African people in fighting apartheid, and stood with the African National Congress as comrades and friends. Our friendship has defied the obstacles of mountains and oceans. Facing the sudden onslaught of COVID-19, China was among the first to provide anti-pandemic supplies to South Africa, reaffirming our special brotherhood. More recently, China also provided to the country emergency power equipment. Over the past 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, our relationship has achieved leapfrog development--from a partnership to a strategic partnership, and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership. It is one of the most vibrant bilateral relations in the developing world. Our relationship has entered a "golden era", enjoying broad prospects and a promising future. In recent years, President Ramaphosa and I have maintained close communication through visits, meetings, phone calls and letters. We jointly explore cooperation opportunities, pursue development, and stand up to common challenges. Our strategic mutual trust has been deepening steadily. We give each other firm support on issues involving our respective core interests and major concerns, and maintain coordination on major international and regional issues. We work together to practice true multilateralism and push for the building of a more just and equitable international order. South Africa was the first African country to sign the Belt and Road cooperation document with China. It has been China's biggest trading partner in Africa for 13 years in a row, as well as one of the African countries with the largest stock of Chinese investment. The pie of bilateral cooperation is getting bigger. South Africa's wines, rooibos tea, and aloe vera gels are trending products in China. Many Chinese companies are expanding their operation and at the same time taking more social responsibilities in South Africa. Automobiles and home appliances with Chinese brands yet made in South Africa are very popular among local consumers, and are now owned by numerous South African households. South African companies are also racing to invest in the Chinese market to seize the abundant business opportunities, and they have made important contribution to China's economic growth. South Africa's Ubuntu philosophy advocates compassion and sharing. It resonates well with the values of Confucianism--"love the people and all beings and seek harmony among all nations". In 2015, I participated in the Year of China activities in South Africa, and witnessed the gratifying achievements of our Year of China/South Africa programs. Last April, the faculty and students of the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology wrote me a letter in Chinese, expressing their fondness for the Chinese culture and thanking China for the valuable opportunities provided to young Africans chasing their dreams. I find it very heart-warming. Indeed, these vibrant people-to-people exchanges enhance the empathy between our peoples, and enable our friendship to be passed down from generation to generation. The China-South Africa relationship is standing at a new historical starting point. It has gone beyond the bilateral scope and carries increasingly important global influence. During my forthcoming visit, I look forward to working with President Ramaphosa to chart the plan for a new chapter of our comprehensive strategic partnership. China and South Africa should be fellow companions sharing the same ideals. As an ancient Chinese saying goes, "A partnership forged with the right approach defies distance; it is thicker than glue and stronger than metal and rock." We need to increase our experience sharing on governance, and firmly support each other in independently exploring a path to modernization that suits our respective national conditions. We should fear no hegemony, and work with each other as real partners to push forward our relations amid the changing international landscape. China and South Africa should be pacesetters for solidarity and cooperation. We will succeed because of our biggest strengths in high economic complementarity and the solid foundation for cooperation. We need to further synergize development strategies, promote stronger cooperation in infrastructure, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation and energy transition, and ensure that more people of our two countries will benefit from the development outcomes. China welcomes more South African products to its market, and encourages more Chinese companies to invest and do business in South Africa as an effort of support for South Africa's target to double its inbound investment over the next five-year period. China and South Africa should be inheritors of China-Africa friendship. We need to leverage the all-round, multi-tiered and institutionalized mechanisms for people-to-people exchanges between our two countries, and continue to advance exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, education, sports, media, universities, sub-national governments and the youth. We must keep the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation as alive and strong as ever across the vast lands of China and Africa. China and South Africa should be champions of our common interests. What the world needs today is peace, not conflict; what the world wants is coordination, not confrontation. China and South Africa, as natural members of the Global South, should all the more work together to appeal for greater voice and influence of developing countries in international affairs, promote accelerated reform of international financial institutions, and oppose unilateral sanctions and the "small yard, high fence" approach. We should jointly safeguard our common interests. The BRICS Summit is another important agenda during my visit to South Africa. This is the third time for the Summit to take place on this continent brimming with vibrancy and hope. I still have vivid memories of the Summit in the picturesque Sanya, China's Hainan Province, when South Africa made the formal debut as a member of the BRICS family. Over the past 12 years, South Africa has made important contributions to the development of BRICS cooperation mechanism, further substantiating BRICS cooperation and extending its influence. Now more and more countries are knocking on the door of BRICS, aspiring to join our cooperation. This is a testament to the vitality and influence of the BRICS cooperation mechanism. China is ready to work with fellow BRICS partners to act on the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, build consensus on important issues, carry forward our tradition of independent diplomacy, and resolutely uphold international equity and justice. We will urge the international community to refocus on development issues, promote a greater role by the BRICS cooperation mechanism in global governance, and make the voice of BRICS stronger. It has been ten years since I put forth "sincerity, real results, amity and good faith" as the principles for China to develop its relations with Africa. The past decade has witnessed our joint pursuit of a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, and the completion and handover of a host of projects including the Africa CDC Headquarters, the Foundiougne Bridge in Senegal, the Nairobi Expressway and the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, renewing China-Africa friendship across the vast lands of China and Africa. In face of the profound changes unseen in a century, a strong China-Africa relationship and productive China-Africa cooperation will provide more fresh impetus to global development and ensure greater stability of the world. This is an international responsibility and historical mission entrusted to the 2.8 billion Chinese and African peoples. We will convene a China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue. I will work with African leaders to bring more active, effective and sustainable development initiatives to Africa, expand cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, new energy and digital economy, and facilitate Africa's economic integration, industrialization and agricultural modernization. China will continue to work for substantive progress in African Union's joining of the G20 this year, and looks forward to a greater role by African countries and the AU in international and regional affairs. As an ancient Chinese poem goes, "With high tide and tailwind, it is time to sail a smooth ride." Looking ahead into the next 25 years, the giant ship of China-South Africa friendship and cooperation will sail forward, and we will make even greater progress in the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era as well as the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The Cajun French Music Association held their monthly Le Jam at West Baton Rouge Museum on Sunday in Port Allen. Le Jam is held every third Sunday of the month and features live music and welcomes anyone who plays to join in with the guest musician. This month's guest musician was Reggie Matte. Michael Johnson Follow Michael Johnson 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 Southern Cross Austereo is banking on its digital audio strategy to pay off in the long run, as the companys newly minted CEO John Kelly perseveres with the turnaround of one of Australias best known media companies. Kelly has had a baptism of fire as he fronted his maiden earnings call as CEO last week, announcing underwhelming full-year numbers and cutting dividends. The market wiped 10 per cent off the companys share price on the back of the results. Southern Cross Austereo CEO John Kelly. Credit: SCA ASX-listed Southern Cross, which houses the likes of Triple M and The Hit Network, has endured its most turbulent period under Kellys predecessor, Grant Blackley. However, Kelly has been an integral part of the companys management, spending the last seven years as Blackleys chief operating officer. Clearly Ive been here, and I helped design the strategy, he said. So I believe in the strategy, thats the first thing. Returning to state news for a moment, and the chief of staff to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, James Ashby, has responded to claims he is a con-man, a spiv and a fraudster, made by one of two NSW MPs who quit the party today. Speaking on Sydneys 2GB radio this afternoon, Ashby also said claims the party misused taxpayers funds, made by upper house member Rod Roberts under parliamentary privilege, were completely false and it was the first time he or Hanson had heard them. Mark Latham has accused One Nation of misspending taxpayers dollars. Credit: Joel Carrett / AAP He rejected Roberts personal attack on him and criticised Roberts and fellow departing MP, Mark Latham, of only making the allegations on the floor of parliament in cowards castle. They wouldnt have the courage to come out and say it publicly, he said. Ashby questioned why Roberts, who was a member of the state executive at the time of the alleged impropriety, had failed to report the misconduct before today. Why didnt Rod Roberts as an executive member of NSW [branch], make those allegations to the Electoral Commission, or for that matter, the ICAC? He said. The decision to cut Latham loose had been driven by myriad factors, including the vile slur he made against Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, Ashby said. Read the full story by Max Maddison here. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 6, 2023 shows wildfires near Downton Lake, in the south-central part of British Columbia, Canada. Canada's British Columbia government said Saturday it will implement a restriction on non-essential travel to areas affected by wildfires amid its state of emergency. The government has declared a provincial state of emergency as thousands evacuated from their homes. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) OTTAWA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Canada's British Columbia government said Saturday it will implement a restriction on non-essential travel to areas affected by wildfires amid its state of emergency. David Eby, premier of the province, announced the order at a news conference Saturday afternoon to free up accommodations for evacuees. The government has declared a provincial state of emergency as thousands evacuated from their homes. Under the order, the government is restricting tourist-related, non-essential travel to communities including Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon for anyone planning to stay in temporary accommodation. The government will ensure that sufficient temporary accommodations are available to those evacuating or involved in fighting fires, Eby said, adding that there are some 35,000 people on evacuation orders across the province and another 30,000 on evacuation alert. "We have an urgent need for more accommodation," he said. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, there are 1,039 active forest fires in Canada as of Saturday, around 380 of which are in British Columbia with more than 160 out of control. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 18, 2023 shows wildfires at Upper Park Rill Creek, in the South Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada. Canada's British Columbia government said Saturday it will implement a restriction on non-essential travel to areas affected by wildfires amid its state of emergency. The government has declared a provincial state of emergency as thousands evacuated from their homes. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 1, 2023 shows wildfires near Downton Lake, in the south-central part of British Columbia, Canada. Canada's British Columbia government said Saturday it will implement a restriction on non-essential travel to areas affected by wildfires amid its state of emergency. The government has declared a provincial state of emergency as thousands evacuated from their homes. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 18, 2023 shows wildfires at Upper Park Rill Creek, in the South Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada. Canada's British Columbia government said Saturday it will implement a restriction on non-essential travel to areas affected by wildfires amid its state of emergency. The government has declared a provincial state of emergency as thousands evacuated from their homes. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 12, 2023 shows wildfires near Downton Lake, in the south-central part of British Columbia, Canada. Canada's British Columbia government said Saturday it will implement a restriction on non-essential travel to areas affected by wildfires amid its state of emergency. The government has declared a provincial state of emergency as thousands evacuated from their homes. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) Editor: WXL Evans said the sector was shocked the state government didnt reach out to them after the deaths which caused a public outcry after they happened in quick succession. They must have felt the despair in the community, to see that the two women had been killed in our community, she said. The plans in place Freedom from Fear Action Plan from 2015 Stopping Family and Domestic Violence Policy from 2017 Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Strategy to 2022: Creating Safer Communities Path to Safety: Western Australias strategy to reduce family and domestic violence 2020-2030 from 2020 First Action Plan 2020-2022 which has now been superseded by the First Action Plan 2023-2026. You would have thought they would have been coming knocking on our door, saying, Look, what can we do? What more can we do? Winton said while she welcomed the chance to engage with the sector at the summit, she was in daily contact with those on the ground and actively listening to their feedback. I have spent every single day in the last eight months that Ive been in the portfolio and, prior to that, my predecessor, working very closely with the sector, she said. I have conversations with many, many people who work in this sector every single day in this portfolio. Winton said she was listening to suggestions on what more could be done and ensuring programs were funded. But the rate of domestic violence in WA keeps rising. Last financial year, incidents described by police as family assaults and threatening behaviour within a family context rose by more than 15 per cent, with almost 3000 incidents reported in June. Evans said she was fed up repeatedly watching women die while the government compiled more policies, plans and reports. Its so barbaric. Its unspeakable, really, that were still living with women and children being killed amongst us. Alison Evans, Centre for Womens Safety and Wellbeing We have beautifully written policies and strategies, and they are necessary, she said. Its very important to have a shared understanding of what needs to be done and its so important to stick to those pillars of prevention, early intervention, and crisis response and recovery. Georgia Lyall died in her South Guildford home last month at the hands of her ex-partner Luke Noormets. Credit: Facebook But we need to invest in all of those areas in a meaningful way, and in a way that matches the scale of the problem. On Wednesday, state and federal governments announced two new action plans to chart the path to reducing and ultimately ending the pervasive rates of family, domestic and sexual violence in communities across the nation. Winton backed the state governments approach, saying the plans set out ambitious targets, would hold the state accountable and said there was significant investment involved. About $200 million has been spent on the prevention of family and domestic violence by the WA government since 2017. In comparison, in 2016, the Victorian government announced an immediate injection of $572 million to create new housing and crisis refuges as well as increasing the capacity of specialist services. But Winton said she believed the amount the WA government spent on preventing family and domestic violence was absolutely significant. I think whats not appreciated is the whole-of-government investment thats occurring in a range of areas that indirectly support the work that were doing in prevention of family and domestic violence, she said. I know lots of people like to allocate numbers or dollars spent in terms of a portfolio but I think if we more broadly evaluated the whole-of-government investment in social services that had a direct positive part to play in dealing with the prevalence of family and domestic violence, it is quite significant by this government. Evans said WA needed to look to Victoria which has started to see a decline in domestic violence incidents for inspiration. [Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews] stopped, and he stood with the community, the sector and victim survivors and said, Youre right, were not doing enough, she said. According to the WA Ombudsmans Family and Domestic Violence Fatality Review, there were 154 family and domestic violence fatalities in Western Australia between July 1, 2012 and June 20, 2022. There have been more since then, including the alleged domestic violence deaths of Woodley, Lyall, Emmerich Lasakar in April, and Lynn Cannon in December. Despite the figures going up, we know that every single day, the investments that were making, whether it be around crisis care, or perpetrators, our primary prevention is making a positive difference to women and children in keeping them safe, Winton said. Theres always more to be done on the issue which is insidious in our community. Evans said the state government should take the same approach to the domestic violence crisis as it did to the coronavirus pandemic. Tiffany Woodleys family break down at a candlelit vigil in her memory last week. Credit: Holly Thompson I think what is always disappointing is the dialogue with government always gets reduced to, Look at this significant investment we have made and, Look at what we have done, Evans said. And nobodys saying that they havent done some really good things and made some really good investments, and nobodys saying that this has not made a difference. Western Australias Chief Scientist Professor Peter Klinken has been quoted as saying the states universities have been in constant decline for 20 years, and that there is ferocious warfare between universities the academic equivalent of the Hunger Games. He suggested this could be solved by merging WAs four public universities into a single institution, with different subjects taught on different campuses, and asserted doing this would mean WA would climb up the global rankings and in turn attract more international students and increase revenue. Murdoch University Vice Chancellor Andrew Deeks. This all sounds very dramatic and as if there is an easy fix, but perhaps we should look at the evidence. The assertion of constant decline is based on market share of domestic students, international students, and national research grants. The number of WA students attending local universities has increased over the past 20 years, but it hasnt increased as quickly as student numbers in other states. WA universities are educating more students, but we are apparently in decline. The Minns governments review of the NSW electricity network has recommended the life of Australias largest coal-fired power station be extended by making a deal with operator Origin Energy. After months of speculation over the future of Eraring, the Herald can reveal an Electricity Supply and Reliability Check Up review commissioned by the new Labor government to assess the states transition to renewable energy has recommended the power stations operations should be extended beyond its existing 2025 closure date. A review of the NSW electricity network commissioned by the Minns government has recommended Origin Energys Eraring coal-fired power station remain open beyond 2025. Credit: Brendon Thorne The review recommends the government enter into negotiations with Origin on an extension of the coal plant at Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney. The confidential cabinet document says that a deal with Origin should be temporary and coupled with an exit policy. Industry experts estimate prolonging Erarings operations could cost between $200 million and $400 million a year. The move is likely to be welcomed by industry, but any extension would pose a political risk for Labor because it would require the use of taxpayer funds to support a high-polluting coal plant. The City of Melbourne has renewed its call for the Andrews government to tackle the states housing crisis by mandating all large apartment projects to include a proportion of affordable homes. It comes nearly four years after the council first urged the government to introduce mandatory inclusionary zoning, a system that requires a proportion of social or affordable housing be delivered as a condition of approval for larger housing projects. It is already used in the US, Europe, South Australia, the ACT and parts of NSW. Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece says mandatory inclusionary zoning will help address the citys housing crisis. Credit: Luis Ascui The push was part of the councils 2030 Affordable Housing Strategy, which found that Melbourne was in the midst of an affordability crisis as a result of a rapidly growing population, rents increasing faster than wages, and insufficient investment in social and affordable housing for decades. It was backed by research from consultants SGS Economics and Planning, which found that for every $1 invested in affordable housing, the community benefited by $3 through retention of workers in their jobs, educational benefits, health cost savings, reduced family violence and reduced crime. London: Nurse Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, has been sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of release. The UK government is under mounting pressure to beef up the independent inquiry into how Letby, 33, went undetected for so long. She was convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to kill six others while a neonatal unit nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Serial child killer Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison. Credit: Reuters Following a 10-month trial, Letby was found to have deliberately injected newborns with air, force-fed others milk, or poisoned them with insulin. Justice James Goss on Monday (Tuesday AEST) imposed a whole-life order for each offence, the most severe punishment available in the UK criminal justice system for those who commit the most serious crimes. Its a case that has horrified Britain. The Trident Brand's Milestone Event Convened Maserati Owners and Personal Vehicles at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Honoring the Return of the Revolutionary GranTurismo MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 19, 2023 -- Italian luxury and performance brand Maserati commemorated 75 years of GranTurismo with an exclusive celebration event in partnership with Sotheby's. Held on Friday, August 18 at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as part of the brand's Monterey Car Week, Maserati gathered owners and their personal vehicles for a historic parade lap on the famed track to reflect upon the heritage that built the House of the Trident, while giving a glimpse of the brand's exciting present and bright future. The theory of GranTurismo began with the introduction of the 1947 Maserati A6 1500. This instant icon seamlessly blended a potent racing engine and high performance with the luxuries and long-distance comfort of a sophisticated hand-crafted sedan, complete with an opulent interior. From there, the idea of GranTurismo was born, and its concept became the cornerstone of all future Maserati models. The event coincided with the triumphant return of the all-new 2024 Maserati GranTurismo. Like its predecessors, the latest product range blends the high performance typical of a Maserati super car with comfort-focused features suitable for long-distance driving, now with a dizzying array of new innovative technologies and comfort-focused solutions to keep drivers connected and engaged on any journey. This new generation is a Maserati with a dual soul two internal combustion GranTurismo variants are available and come equipped with the revolutionary MC20-derived V6 Nettuno engine: the Modena features a 490-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 Twin Turbo and the high-performance Trofeo version, based on the same engine, is upgraded to a maximum power output of 550 horsepower. Separately, the GranTurismo Folgore model adopts a 100 percent battery electric-based powertrain, and will serve as Maserati's first ever fully electric "Folgore" sub-brand production vehicle. The Folgore system is based on 800-volt technology and was developed with cutting-edge technical solutions derived from the brand's Formula E racing efforts. It offers superb performance, made possible by three powerful 300-kW permanent magnet motors. Maserati leadership, which included Maserati Americas CEO Bill Peffer, along with Andy Goldberg, SVP, head of collectible cars at Sotheby's Financial Services, joined participating Maserati owners on the track to honor GranTurismo's return. Attendees had the opportunity to experience some of the Brand's rarest vehicles, mingle with fellow owners and enthusiasts, and get an up-close look at the brand's latest models. "MC20 may be our Halo, but GranTurismo has been and will remain our Icon," said Peffer. "Our 75th Anniversary Celebration Event greatly exceeded our expectations. We were moved to see such enthusiastic participation from owners, loyalists and enthusiasts, who gathered to watch this milestone moment, symbolizing the rich heritage of our Brand. As we accelerate into the future with the all-new 2024 GranTurismo, this celebration stands as a testament to our enduring legacy." The event concluded with a special time-capsule moment in Maserati history, which was captured in a memorable group photo line-up on the raceway's famous Corkscrew. Maserati S.p.A. Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars, immediately recognisable for their extraordinary personality. Thanks to their style, technology, and innately exclusive character, they delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and have always been a benchmark for the global automotive industry. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance, and safety, currently available in more than 70 markets internationally. The ambassadors of this heritage are the Quattroporte flagship, the Ghibli sports sedan, the Levante the first SUV made by Maserati, and the Grecale, the all-new "everyday exceptional" SUV, all models characterised by the use of the highest quality materials and excellent technical solutions. A range equipped with 4-cylinder hybrid powertrains available for Ghibli, Grecale and Levante V6 petrol and V8 petrol, with rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, embodying the performance DNA of the Trident Brand, now completed with the Grecale Folgore, Maserati's first full-electric SUV. The top of the range is made up of the MC20 super sports car and the MC20 Cielo spyder, powered by the ground-breaking 100% Maserati Nettuno V6 engine, which incorporates F1-derived technologies into the power unit of a standard production car for the first time. The new GranTurismo is available with both the high-performance V6 petrol engine, derived from the Nettuno, and a 100% electric version: the GranTurismo Folgore, the first car in the Modena-based brand's history to adopt this solution. By 2025, all Maserati models will also be available in a full-electric version, and the entire Maserati range will run on electricity alone by 2030. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 18, 2023 shows a view of Changhua river in Changhua Town of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. The cultural festival, which kicked off Friday in Changhua Town, aimed to boost the nighttime economy by presenting the culture of Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties and promoting local snacks and scenic spots. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) This photo taken on Aug. 18, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of a cultural festival in Changhua Town of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. The cultural festival, which kicked off Friday in Changhua Town, aimed to boost the nighttime economy by presenting the culture of Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties and promoting local snacks and scenic spots. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 18, 2023 shows tourists visiting a street during a cultural festival in Changhua Town of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. The cultural festival, which kicked off Friday in Changhua Town, aimed to boost the nighttime economy by presenting the culture of Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties and promoting local snacks and scenic spots. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Tourists dressed in Chinese traditional clothes visit a street during a cultural festival in Changhua Town of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 18, 2023. The cultural festival, which kicked off Friday in Changhua Town, aimed to boost the nighttime economy by presenting the culture of Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties and promoting local snacks and scenic spots. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Artists perform during a cultural festival in Changhua Town of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 18, 2023. The cultural festival, which kicked off Friday in Changhua Town, aimed to boost the nighttime economy by presenting the culture of Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties and promoting local snacks and scenic spots. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Editor: ZAD A dancer performs during a Chinese cultural tourism promotion activity in Los Angeles, the United States, Aug. 11, 2023. A Chinese cultural tourism promotion activity was held in the western U.S. city of Los Angeles on Friday, aimed at promoting bilateral tourism and cultural exchanges. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua) LOS ANGELES, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese cultural tourism promotion activity was held in the western U.S. city of Los Angeles on Friday, aimed at promoting bilateral tourism and cultural exchanges. The event was held during "Nihao China!," a 2023 Yellow River-themed tourism overseas promotions season, USA special, featuring a photo exhibition and presentation of the glamorous Yellow River culture. During the event, Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Guo Shaochun underscored the significance of exchanges and cooperation in the areas of tourism as an integral part of China-U.S. economic and trade relations and a great opportunity for deeper understanding between the two peoples. Adam Burke, head of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, said tourism is "the bridge that builds up the people-to-people exchanges." "When you think about the shared experiences, it's the people-to-people exchanges that brought our cultures so close together," he said. "You probably all know the quote by the noted American writer Mark Twain who said Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. It's only through people-to-people exchanges, through dialogue, that we understand we have far more in common than anything that may divide us." China on Thursday announced the resumption of group tours to dozens of more overseas destinations, including Japan, Britain, the United States and Australia. This year's Yellow River edition was rolled out as part of an effort to promote cultural exchanges between the provinces and regions along the Yellow River and countries across the world and to boost tourism. Around 200 business leaders, tourism industry executives, and government officials from both countries attended the event. Editor: ZAD The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has launched operations of its newest supercomputer, providing scientists across the country with a major new tool to advance understanding of the atmosphere and other Earth system processes. The supercomputer, named Derecho, is a 19.87-petaflops system, meaning it has the theoretical ability to perform 19.87 quadrillion calculations per second. That is about 3.5 times the speed of scientific computing performed by the previous NCAR supercomputer, Cheyenne, and represents the equivalent of every person on the planet solving one calculation every second for a month. Derecho is also the first NCAR supercomputer to include a significant number of graphics processing units (GPUs), with 382 NVIDIA A100 GPUs providing 20% of its sustained computing capability. Scientists across the country are starting to use Derecho to study phenomena ranging from wildfires and hurricanes to solar storms. Their findings will help better protect society from environmental disasters, lead to more reliable projections of long-term weather patterns, and improve weather and climate predictions that are needed by vulnerable communities and critical sectors of the economy such as agriculture and transportation. Derecho was built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). It was installed earlier this year at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) in Cheyenne, where it has undergone months of testing. The new supercomputer is so energy efficient that it will use only about 40% more electricity than Cheyenne which is itself highly energy efficient despite being 3.5 times faster. This is partly because GPUs can deliver more computing power for less energy than traditional central processing units (CPUs), and they are also particularly effective for newly developed artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. We are very pleased that Derecho has passed through the testing phase and is beginning operations, said Thomas Hauser, interim director of NCARs Computational and Information Systems Laboratory. This new system provides us with a major boost in supercomputing performance and is an invaluable asset as the nations scientists work to better understand the Earth system. Funding for Derecho, which cost about $35 million, came from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The NWSC is funded by NSF and the state of Wyoming through an appropriation to the University of Wyoming. A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE EARTH SYSTEM Derecho will initially be used for a set of 15 projects by scientists at NCAR as well as at universities across the country. These comprise the Accelerated Scientific Discovery (ASD) program, which provides a unique opportunity for large-scale computational projects to have nearly exclusive use of new NCAR high-performance computing systems for a few months. Derecho will be open to additional projects by the scientific community later this summer. Some of the ASD projects include: Climate change in the West and the Arctic. Scientists are applying a technique known as downscaling to create an ensemble of detailed computer simulations showing how climate is likely to change at very fine scales across the western United States. This novel approach, led by Alex Hall of the University of California, Los Angeles, will help reduce uncertainties about future climate and provide researchers with an important data set at a time when the West is contending with unprecedented water shortages, fire weather conditions, and heat extremes. Another team of scientists, led by Keith Musselman of the University of Colorado Boulder, is producing a set of climate simulations to strengthen understanding of changes in Arctic hydrology and potential impacts on rivers, fish, and Indigenous communities in Alaska and the Yukon. That research is being guided by an Advisory Council of Indigenous leaders and representatives, Geoengineering. To potentially offset global warming, scientists are looking into methods such as injecting particles into the stratosphere to reduce incoming solar radiation. Such efforts to artificially cool the planet, however, may have unintended consequences on Earths climate. A team of scientists, led by Kristen Rasmussen of Colorado State University, will run advanced climate models on Derecho to assess the influence of climate change on showers and thunderstorms in South America and determine how stratospheric injection might influence those storms. Hurricanes. As scientists seek to improve hurricane forecasts, a major question is the influence of sea spray droplets on these powerful storms. David Richter of the University of Notre Dame is leading a project that uses Derechos GPUs to better understand the movement of airborne droplets and the extent to which they can be carried aloft in extreme conditions. NCARs Rosimar Rios-Berrios and colleagues will use Derecho to explore a different question about hurricanes: will the warming climate lead to more instances of catastrophic hurricane rainfall? To answer that question, Rios-Berrios will focus on simulations showing interactions between clouds and solar heat and the extent to which those interactions affect hurricanes and precipitation extremes. Wildfires and air quality. Wildfire smoke has a major impact on air quality, both locally and on areas far downwind. NCAR scientist Timothy Juliano is leading a project to simulate the massive 2020 California August Complex fires. By running a specialized, high-resolution computer model capable of capturing wildfire-chemistry-atmosphere interactions on Derecho, the research team will examine emissions and plume rise from the fire, gaining a complete picture of wildfire smoke generation, transport, and evolution. Another project, led by NCARs Louisa Emmons, will examine the impact of long-range transport of pollutants and regional influences on urban air quality worldwide and, in turn, the influence of local air quality on the global atmosphere. Space Weather. Solar storms can have far-reaching impacts on Earth, affecting communications and navigation systems or disrupting the power grid. Major solar eruptions often originate from active regions that are composed of several bipolar sunspot groups that interact with each other. NCAR scientist Matthias Rempel will lead a project using Derechos GPUs to simulate a 2011 event in which opposite polarities collided and formed a powerful solar flare. The investigation will focus on the build-up and release of magnetic energy. Another space weather study, led by Mikhail Sitnov of Johns Hopkins University, will use Derecho to examine magnetotail reconnection on the night side of Earths magnetosphere, a process that injects energy towards Earth and can result in large electromagnetic disturbances. The research, using new empirical models of the magnetosphere based on spacecraft observations, seeks to address two questions: how exactly does the plasma and magnetic field transit from the reconnection site to the inner magnetosphere and how is the site of reconnection determined? Long-range prediction. A pair of studies will use Derecho to enhance long-range predictions of weather and climate. One project, led by Maria Molina of NCAR and the University of Maryland, College Park, will use a data-driven, deep learning approach with Derechos GPUs to create a 100-member ensemble of subseasonal forecasts of global precipitation and temperature. The research can help lead to improved predictions of rainfall patterns and heat waves several weeks in advance. A second study, led by NCARs Ben Johnson, will analyze ocean models used to simulate regions that are important for the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and other ocean-atmosphere phenomena that influence global climate. Such research can enable scientists to better understand these phenomena, which are critical for long term prediction. Insight Black icons are awol on smash-and-grabbers By Michael Reagan Published August 21, 2023 SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. Another week, another lame Trump indictment. Another week, another slimy Hunter Biden report. Another week, another smash-and-grab at a California mall. You can't get away from this crummy stuff unless you turn off the TV, take the alerts off your phone and sleep all day on the beach for a week like Joe Biden. But I'm totally worn out by the never-ending troubles and crimes of Trump and Hunter. Nothing that happens to either of them in a courtroom months or years from now will hurt me, cut high gas prices or make my family safer. What concerns me more than anything now are smash-and-grabs like the one that occurred in Los Angeles last weekend at a Nordstrom store inside Westfield Topanga Mall, which my family goes to all the time. You've no doubt seen the video or one like it a mob-style robbery by about 30 masked young men who smash display cases, grab expensive merchandise and race out the door. Between $60,000 and $100,000 in merchandise reportedly was stolen by the well-organized gang. In case any bleeding heart seriously thinks they were poor, hungry and desperate kids from a ghetto, they jumped into several waiting cars, including a BMW and a Lexus. Police say they're looking for the perps, who reportedly sprayed the unarmed security man with bear spray. Of course, we all know the police will catch only a few robbers at best, and if they do they probably will not be prosecuted. So, let's get some things straight about where I live in California. Los Angeles is already an urban, crime-ridden campground and open-air drug den for about 75,000 unhoused people with mental or drug problems. A small community of tent people lives by the freeway entrance half a mile away. And now I have to worry about my family being safe at the local mall? Great. We know the government people in charge are never going to do what is necessary to end the smash-and-grabs at malls and Beverly Hills jewelry stores. So the other day I humbly tweeted what I'd do if I owned a retail store or a mall hire security guards armed with Glocks. If robbers are going to shoot bear spray at a security guard, I figure a guard needs a Glock to shoot back. I know how hysterical the media and the left would become the first time a robber was killed or seriously wounded by a mall security guard, but the young workers in the smash-and-grab industry would instantly get the message and pursue other careers. Of course, we wouldn't have to resort to shooting robbers with Glocks if the country's Black leaders stood up for whats right. But the Obamas, Oprah, LeBron James, Vice President Harris and dozens of other great Black artists and athletes are AWOL on the subject of smash-and-grabs and spineless. They should be all over the major media scolding and shaming the young Black men whom we all know from the videos we've watched make up the gangs who pull off the smash-and-grabs. Does their silence mean Black leaders support the mob robberies? Of course not. But they certainly must realize that the smash-and-grabbers are doing great harm to every Black person in America. Their brazen and frightening criminality which the chicken media won't point out is committed predominantly by Black males is hurting the country's already strained racial relations and only creating more ill feelings and more white racists. The other day in a tweet I asked if I was a racist because I've noticed the color of the smash-and-grabbers. My conservative Black friends, lawyer Leo Terrell and talk show host David Webb, said no. But I really don't give a damn if anyone thinks I'm a racist for noticing what is so obvious. Maybe the Obamas, LeBron and other Black icons should notice it too and then use their moral authority and media power to tell young Black men and boys to do the right thing. (COMMENT, BELOW) Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution" (St. Martin's Press). He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. The Nova Poshta Group of Companies announced the opening of NovaPost branches in Slovakia in October 2023. "From October, Ukrainians will be able to easily and quickly send documents and parcels weighing up to 100 kg to their relatives in Slovakia and receive from them," the group said in a release on Monday. It is noted that the first branch of Nova Post will be opened in Bratislava and will work from Monday to Saturday. Nova Poshta also noted that the service of targeted delivery and calling a courier to any address for sending will also be available in Slovakia some time after the launch of the first branch. Earlier, Nova Poshta announced that it would also enter the Latvian and Estonian markets in autumn. Currently NovaPost already works in Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Moldova, Romania and Germany. MoU will facilitate placement of youths Business Bureau : The Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA) in association with District Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship Guidance Centre, Nagpur jointly conducted the awareness programme on Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Deptt, GoM on Saturday at VIA Auditorium, Nagpur. Nagpur District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar was the chief guest of the function, who said that the purpose of signing of MoU is to facilitate placement of youth of Maharashtra in various jobs through various modes / schemes of the State of Government like job fairs, campus interviews, interviews at industry campus or any other suitable method of placing the youth in the State or outside Maharashtra. Guest of honour, Prakash Deshmane, Deputy Commissioner of Skill Development Deptt, Nagpur Division spoke about the need for imparting the workforce in the State with industry -relevant and in demand skills. He said creating a common platform for job-seekers as well as for employers to facilitate the procedure of bridging the demand-supply gap. He stressed upon developing an ecosystem to provide necessary support to generate self-employment and nurturing innovative ideas through handholding and capacity building. Sunanda Bajaj, Asst Commissioner, Skill Development Deptt, Nagpur District highlighted the preparation of Vidarbha Industry Meet. It will be the biggest industry meet of Vidarbha region, which is scheduled to be held on September 17 at Nagpur. Manish Kudale, National Fellow, MSDE, Nagpur gave presentation on the MoU. P T Deotale, Joint Director of Vocational Education & Training, Nagpur gave details about the department. Earlier, Vishal Agrawal, President VIA, said, VIA joined hands with District Skill Development, Employment & Entrepreneurship Guidance Centre, Nagpur for promoting the noble cause. He further said this will be good opportunity for industries and they will get a platform to tie-up with the Government of Maharashtra, getting skilled manpower available from the Mahaswayam ePortal. Ashish Doshi, Secretary VIA, proposed a formal vote of thanks. Prominently present were Dr Bhushan Mahajan from RTMNU, Dr Anwar Daud, Prashant Mohota, Dr Anita Rao, Dr Prashant Agrawal, Om Jajodia, representatives from industries and others. Baij claims to win over 75 seats Deepak Baij Staff Reporter : RAIPUR, Deepak Baij, State Congress President highlighting the achievements of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghels Government in Chhattisgarh said that over the past five years, the Congress-led Government has deposited approximately Rs 1.75 lakh crore into the accounts of farmers, women, labourers, and tribals. Baij emphasised that the Congress Governments unwavering dedication to welfare schemes has been pivotal in fostering trust among the public. Riding on this wave of public faith, the administration aims to surpass the 75-seat target in the upcoming assembly elections. The yearning for a Congress victory in the forthcoming elections is widespread among the states citizens. The Government has outlined a comprehensive plan to empower farmers, youth, laborers, women, and tribals, thus promoting self-sufficiency. The implementation of these welfare schemes has been executed with precision, making a tangible impact on the ground. A standout achievement is the significant support provided to farmers through the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, ensuring they receive the highest crop prices in the country. The State Government is offering input subsidies ranging from Rs 9,000 to Rs 10,000, providing a much-needed boost to agricultural sustainability. Youth empowerment has also been a priority, with an unemployment allowance of Rs 2,500 being extended to them. Additionally, the Governments proactive measures have translated into substantial benefits for citizens. The implementation of the electricity bill reduction scheme, which halved bills for 44 lakh citizens, has eased the financial burden on households. An astounding Rs 4,000 crore in electricity bills were waived off under this initiative. Inclusive progress has been a hallmark of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghels administration. The Government has devoted significant efforts to education, employment, health, and legal rights for the tribal community. Noteworthy achievements include the revival of over 300 The solution to the problem of Ukrainian grain should be the extension of the ban on its imports to five European frontline countries until the end of 2023 and transit subsidies from the European Union, European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski told Radio Poland. Wojciechowski proposed that the EU funds, as part of its assistance to Ukraine, the transportation of grain to designated ports, from where the grain would be shipped to Africa and Asia. "My task is to convince the European Commission and member states that, firstly, the EU should subsidize the transit of grain from Ukraine to ports and third countries, and secondly, it should extend the import ban to these five countries, including Poland at least until the end of the year," he said. The EU Commissioner said the import of grain from Ukraine to border countries is also a "harmful decision" for Ukrainian farmers. "This is largely a speculative trade: the fact that prices are low in war-torn Ukraine, and some people are trying to make money on it. () Therefore, it is necessary to block border trade, as it is now, and help Ukraine in transit, because global level, because there are countries that really need Ukrainian grain," Wojciechowski said. The European Commissioner said the transportation of grain from Ukraine through Poland does not pay off. The traditional markets for Ukrainian grain, according to him, were Indonesia, Egypt, and the road to these countries did not run through Poland. If the Black Sea were open, as before the war, there would be no export pressure on Poland. When the Black Sea is blocked, alternative routes must be found, Wojciechowski said. He also said Ukraine should export about 4 million tonnes of grain per month. The EU, he said, is able to transit such a quantity of grain to the ports, but "funds are needed for this." On June 5, the European Commission agreed to extend until September 15 restrictions on the export of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. "Restrictions do not mean a ban on the transit of these goods through Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia," according to the document, signed by Head of the EC Ursula von der Leyen. Gold worth Rs 44 lakh seized at Nagpur Airport Business Bureau : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Nagpur has arrested one person in connection with smuggling gold weighing 743.56 grams worth approximately Rs 44 lakh at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport at 4 am on Friday. DRI has seized the passport of the accused and has handed over the matter to the Customs Department for enquiry. The accused is Sachin Chandoskar, a resident of Ulhasnagar, Thane. He took an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah and arrived at Nagpur. He had hidden the gold in paste form in his underwear. DRI received intelligence that the gold smugglers had arrived from an Air Arabia flight. Officials laid a trap at Nagpur airport to nab the smuggler. The DRI authorities searched him after noticing his suspicious behaviour. During the search, 743.56 grams of gold was found hidden in the passengers underwear. After checking his travel history, it was found that he had visited India several times from Dubai. An official said that he had come to Nagpur for the first time from Sharjah to smuggle gold. There has been an increase in such incidents at Nagpur Airport. A few days ago, a gold smuggler was arrested by the Customs Department. Govt launches wedding tourism campaign NEW DELHI : THE Ministry of Tourism on Saturday launched an ambitious campaign to showcase India as a premier wedding destination globally. Officials on Saturday said the wedding tourism campaign also aims to unlock the potential of Indias huge wedding industry. Building upon the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to developing tourism in a mission mode, the Ministry has unveiled an ambitious campaign aimed at showcasing India as a premier wedding destination on the global stage, according to an official statement. This campaign also envisions to explore avenues of great potential, for scaling tourism in India to new heights, the Ministry said in the statement. It seeks to expand Indias wedding industry, by enticing couples from around the world to embark on a remarkable journey to celebrate their special day in India, it added. Launching the special campaign, G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Tourism, said, Today marks the beginning of a remarkable journey. A mission to position India as the epitome of wedding destinations worldwide. A senior official in the ministry said the campaign was launched in Mumbai. With the launch of this campaign, I invite couples from around the world to explore the enchanting dream wedding destinations across our incredible nation, the Minister said. Reddy said the 360-degree approach of the campaign will ensure that every moment, from the first hello to the final I do is a testament to Indias warm embrace and rich heritage. The campaign begins with profiling about 25 key destinations across the country, exploring how India fits into their wedding aspirations in more than one way. From breathtaking landscapes to sacred traditions, from tantalising culinary delights to cutting-edge infrastructure, this campaign captures the essence of Indias grandeur, inviting couples to say I do against a backdrop that transcends imagination, the Ministry said. Luna-25 spacecraft of Russia crashes on Moon MOSCOW : The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon, read a statement from Roscosmos RUSSIAS robot lander the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after it had spun into uncontrolled orbit, the countrys space agency Roscosmos reported on Sunday. The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon, read a statement from the agency. Roscosmos said it lost contact with the spacecraft on Saturday after it ran into trouble while preparing for its pre-landing orbit after reporting an abnormal situation that its specialists were analysing. During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the maneuver to be performed with the specified parameters, the agency said in a Telegram post. The spacecraft was scheduled to land on the south pole of the Moon on Monday. The lunar south pole is of particular interest to scientists, who believe the permanently shadowed polar craters may contain frozen water in the rocks that future explorers could transform into air and rocket fuel. The Russian lunar lander was racing to land on Earths satellite ahead of an Indian spacecraft, launched on July 14. Both were expected to reach the Moon between August 21-23. Only three Governments have managed successful Moon landings: the Soviet Union, the United States and China, but not on the Moons south pole. India and Russia have been racing to be the first countries to land there. A previous Indian attempt to land at the Moons south pole in 2019 ended when the lander crashed into the Moons surface. Roscosmos said it wanted to show Russia is a state capable of delivering a payload to the Moon, and ensure Russias guaranteed access to the Moons surface. The Luna-25 was initially meant to carry a small Moon rover but that idea was abandoned to reduce the weight of the craft for improved reliability, analysts said. The Luna-25 launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russias Far East on August 10. The spaceport is a pet project of Russian President Vladimir Putin and key to his efforts to make Russia a space superpower. The launch earlier this month was Russias first since 1976 when it was part of the Soviet Union. Minister Sarang flags off 201 buses for Ujjain Mahakal Darshan Yatra Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang flagging off a bus of the second batch for Ujjain on Sunday. Staff Reporter : On the initiative of Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang, free Ujjain Mahakal Darshan Yatra has been started every Sunday for the devotees(Shiv-bhakts) from Narela Assembly. Minister Sarang sent the second batch of more than 11 thousand devotees in about 201 buses to visit Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga. Minister Sarang said that for him Narela is not the Vidhansabha constituency but the Narela family. Every year more than 1 lakh sisters tie rakhi to him which binds the Narela family with an unbreakable thread of faith. He said that before Raksha Bandhan in the month of Shravan, as a gift to the sisters, the mothers and sisters of Narela Vidhansabha as well as thousands of Shiva devotees have started a free journey to see Baba Shri Mahakal in Ujjain. Arrangements for breakfast and food have also been made free of cost right from traveling to and fro. Minister Sarang participated in bhajan-kirtan with the sisters going to visit Mahakal by bus. He sang hymns of Lord Shiva along with his sisters. All the sisters were seen singing bhajans of Lord Shiva while playing Dholak-Manjira. The sisters were overjoyed to see this spontaneous gesture and kind heartedness of Minister Sarang. Devotees will take free darshan of Mahakal every Sunday Minister Sarang informed that door-to-door registration is being done in all the 17 wards of Narela Assembly Constituency for free Mahakal Darshan Yatra. Under this, thousands of devotees will be sent to Ujjain for darshan of Shri Mahakaleshwar every Sunday for two months. He informed that photo IDs have been provided to all the devotees for the Yatra. As many as 3 numbers of ministers office have also been marked on this ID. Who can be contacted in case of any kind of problem. Sisters expressed gratitude to Minister Sarang The sisters of Narela Vidhansabha expressed their gratitude to Minister Sarang for the visit to Ujjain. The sisters going on the yatra said that in the month of Shravan, Minister Sarang has done a pious work by starting the free darshan yatra of Baba Mahakal for the devotees of Shiva. Minister Sarang instructed the workers going along with the yatra to provide all the facilities to the devotees as well as ensure arrangements for their well-organized darshan. Sarang wished all the devotees good luck for the yatra. Mission of Ladli Bahna Yojana is to transform lives: CM Chouhan Staff Reporter : Bhoomipujan of works worth Rs 63.49 crore performed; construction works worth Rs 67.63 crore dedicated Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan the government fulfill the demand of people. Schemes like Ladli Behna Yojana is a mission to transform lives of women. Chief Minister Chouhan was interacting with villagers after dedicating construction works worth Rs 67.63 crore and performing bhoomipujan of works worth Rs 63.49 crore along with dedicating Ram-Laxman Setu which connects Chota Cheepaner to Bada Cheepaner of Sehore district. He also gavecompassionateappointment orders to 7 dependants. Agriculture Development and Farmers Welfare Minister Kamal Patel and other public representatives were also present. Chief Minister Chouhan said that his mission is to change the lives of the people. His life has become fruitful only by working for the welfare of people. What has never been done anywhere in the world for the welfare of women has happened in the form of Ladli Bahna Yojana, in Madhya Pradesh. He told the women that the amount of Rs 1,000 is not just money, it is a symbol of respect and dignity of women in society and family. He has seen the helplessness of his sisters. I will hike the amount of Rs one thousand of the scheme to Rs 3000 per month. He asked the women to join the Raksha-Bandhan programme to be held on 27th. Chief Minister Chouhan said that those poverty-stricken people whose names were not included in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Awas Plus need not worry. No one will be deprived of a pucca house in the state, those who are landless and those have kutcha houses will be given pucca houses. Chief Minister said that pressure pipes would be laid in nearby villages including Chhipaner for irrigation and additional funds would be sanctioned. He said that whether it is for drinking or irrigation, water will be supplied to houses and fields by offering prayers to Maa Narmada. He said that no government buys moong on the support price, but he has bought it at Rs 7,200 per quintal. He told the farmers that they should not worry, as now we have deposited the interest amount of Rs 2200 crores on farmers loans. He said that an amount of Rs 6,000 each from the Prime Ministers Samman Nidhi and the Chief Ministers Kisan Kalyan Nidhi will go a long way in providing assistance to the small scale farmers. Appealing to the children to study hard, the Chief Minister said that he has recently given the amount for purchase of cycles to the children going to other schools in class 6th and 9th. Now on 23rd meritious boys and girls of class 12th will be given Scooters and Scooties respectively. He said that today there are 46 lakh Ladli Lakshmis and they are also being given scholarship from Class 6th. The government will also pay the fees for IIT, medical and other higher education of meritorious children. The Chief Minister said that running the government like a family means standing together in every joy and sorrow. Our governments resolve is development on the one hand and public welfare on the other. He also announced to increase the scope of Ayushman Yojana so that maximum citizens and families can be provided the facility of treatment. Earlier Agriculture Minister Shri Kamal Patel while expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister for inaugurating the Ram-Laxman Setu between Chhoti Cheepaner and Badi Cheepaner, that connects Harda, Sehore and Bhopal, said that this will pave the way of development. Referring to the welfare schemes for the poor of the state, he described the Chief Minister as a peoples hero. Works dedicated by Chief Minister Chouhan The works dedicated by Chief Minister Shri Chouhan include construction of a high-level bridge including access road on the Narmada river between Chhoti Chipaner and Big Chipaner at a cost of Rs. 38 crore 66 lakh 92 thousand, construction of Itarsi to Chipaner road (main district road) of 10.10 km at a cost of Rs. 16 crore 27 lakh, ghat and channel construction work in Chhipaner village at a cost of Rs.8 crore 93 lakh 80 thousand, construction work of retaining wall at Bhomda Nullah, behind Dadaji Dhuni, costing Rs. 3 crore 19 lakh. Bhoomi-pujan of works by CM Shri Chouhan Chief Minister Shri Chouhan performed bhoomi-pujan of construction work of retaining wall and approach road in Chhipaner village (near Ram Mandir) at a cost of Rs 14 crore 41 lakh, Ghat, retaining wall and approach road in Chhipaner village (Nimbark Ashram) at a cost of Rs 3 crore 16 lakh, ghat, retaining wall and CC road construction work in Ranipura at a cost of Rs 4 crore, construction of submersible bridge with access road on Kakedi river on Pipalneriya road at a cost of Rs. 4 crore 97 lakh 31 thousand, construction of submersible bridge including access road on Seep river in Dholpur village to Balagaon Marg at a cost of Rs 9 crore 99 lakh 75 thousand, Ajnal river on Manjakhedi to Bakot road at a cost of Rs 4 crore 38 lakh, construction of submersible bridge with access road on Ajnal river on Manjakhedi to Bakot road at a cost of Rs. 4 crore 38 lakh, construction of submersible bridge with access road on Sip river on Sip river on Gillor to Gorakhpur road at a cost of Rs. 6 crore 60 lakh 83 thousand. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan performed bhoomi-pujan of construction work of new building in Government Unani Dispensary Cheepaner at a cost of Rs 48 lakh, Manglik Bhavan construction work at Nimbark Ashram Cheepaner at a cost of Rs 50 lakh, construction of Manglik Bhavan in Chheepaner village at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh, implementation of additional works of Chheepaner group water supply scheme at a cost of Rs. 3 crore 76 lakh 70 thousand, construction of road including 80 meter submersible bridge from Jamuniakalan to Balagaon at a cost of Rs 10 crore 8 lakh 88 thousand, construction of Gaushala in Gram Panchayat Seegaon at a cost of Rs 42 lakh, Manglik Bhawan in Gram Panchayat Sasli at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, beautification and deepening of pond in Narayanpur village of Gram Panchayat Sasli at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh and construction work of Gram Panchayat building of Sasli at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh. MP Soni levels serious allegations against Chief Electoral Officer Staff Reporter RAIPUR, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) from Raipur, Sunil Soni, leveled serious allegations against the Chief Electoral Officer of Chhattisgarh. Soni claimed that the Chief Electoral Officer has been defying orders issued by the Election Commission of India. He also accused the Congress party of tampering with electoral rolls by adding fake names. Addressing the media on Sunday, MP Sunil Soni called upon the Election Commission to take immediate action. He expressed concern over the alleged laxity exhibited by booth level officers in adding new names and removing incorrect names from the voters list. Soni demanded an extension of the process by 15 days beyond the original deadline of August 31st. Soni revealed that booth-level officers in Chhattisgarh are reportedly on strike in several places, and many employees unions are still protesting against the Government. Despite the Election Commissions orders for booth officers to fulfill their duties, Soni claimed that many officers are not present at their designated booths. The BJP lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officers office, prompting action from the CEOs side. However, Soni expressed surprise at the lack of punitive measures taken against errant booth level officers by both the Election Commission and the local Collectors. Addressing the issue of Form Corruption, MP Soni pointed out that booth-level officers are required to provide citizens with Form No-6 for name addition and Form No-7 for name deletion. However, Soni alleged that these forms are not being provided to citizens free of cost as mandated. He cited a shortage of forms as the reason behind this non-compliance. Furthermore, Soni highlighted technical challenges with the election commissions website, indicating that it is either not functional or lagging in processing name additions to the online system of the Chief Electoral Officer, Chhattisgarh. Soni announced that from August 21 to August 31, 2023, all BJP office bearers will launch a public awareness campaign. The objective of this campaign is to encourage citizens to ensure their names are accurately listed and incorrect names are removed from the electoral rolls. Sextortion racket unearthed in Sana Khan murder case Staff Reporter The gang extorted crores of rupees from hundreds of victims In a shocking revelation, the Sana Khan murder case has taken a dark turn as investigators have uncovered a sextortion racket masterminded by the prime accused, Pappu alias Amit Sahu. It is learnt that Sana Khan, a 34-year-old member of the Bharatiya Janata Partys Minority Cell, was forced into participating in this nefarious operation, Police said. The Mankapur Police have registered a case against Pappu Sahu and his accomplices hailing from Nagpur, Jabalpur, and Seoni. According to the complaint filed by Sanas mother, Pappu Sahu led a gang that manipulated Sana into capturing explicit photographs of various persons. These images were subsequently used to blackmail the victims, extorting crores of rupees from individuals across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar revealed that Sana Khan became part of the racket in March 2021 and continued her involvement until this year. The accused had reportedly amassed substantial wealth through this exploitative scheme, he said. The victims targeted by the racket were selected based on their financial status. After Sana successfully obtained compromising pictures, Pappu and his gang would contact the victims, demanding money under threat of exposing the images. Several victims, including businessmen from the Sitabuldi area, allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to the gang. The case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 384, 386, 389, 354 (d), 120 (b), and 34, as well as relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, including Sections 66 (e), 67, and 67 (a). The grim saga took an even darker turn as Sana Khans life came to a tragic end. She went missing on August 2 following a confrontation with Pappu, her partner-turned-foe. The relationship between the two had soured, reportedly due to Pappus suspicions about Sanas fidelity. The situation escalated during a video call on August 1, leading Sana to travel to Jabalpur. A violent confrontation ensued at Pappus residence, culminating in her murder. Pappu later disposed of her belongings in Dhuma village, located 50 km from Jabalpur. In a recent development, Dharmendra Yadav from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, was apprehended by the police for allegedly disposing of Sana Khans body. Two persons caught red handed by BMC officials for dumping waste fined A civic body employee imposing fine on the person who dumped waste at public place on Sunday. Staff Reporter : The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now secretly identifying such persons who throw domestic waste in open ground. On Sunday two BMC employees waited for offenders near a spot where they had found a pile of garbage a day ago, for nearly four to five hours. BMC officials said that they are now targeting such filthy spots to identify the offenders. They spotted two retired men who were throwing garbage at the spot and then informed their seniors. The two men were then fined for Rs 500, each. The incident occurred near Sarvadharm colony on the day around 12 pm. The two men were returning home after dumping waste when fined. Health officer Madhusudan Tiwari said the two men RK Shukla and SR Chouhan were dumping waste at public place near Sarvadharm colony. He said that they found garbage at the spot on Saturday but who threw the waste was not known. We thus secretly sent our team to the spot who waited for the offenders. They reached there scene at 7 am and around 12 am, the two men were seen dumping waste. The team then informed their seniors and BMC officials collected fine of Rs 500 each from them. Due to large volumes of supplies, the only acceptable route for the export of Ukrainian grain is the Black Sea, alternative directions have infrastructure restrictions and are unprofitable for business, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius said. "Lithuania's position [on the export of Ukrainian grain through Klaipeda and other ports of the Baltic countries] and proposal are very much appreciated as well-intentioned, but the reality is somewhat different. First of all, there is not enough infrastructure to transport these quantities of grain and the only way to do it is through the Black Sea. Everything else is fine, but not enough, plus it is time-consuming because of the different [railway] gauge," Sinkevicius told reporters in Vilnius on Monday following meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. According to him, in the absence of alternative infrastructure, the road through Lithuania will not be enough. Besides, it will not be convenient for business. "Let's add one last component commerce. Grain, its shipment, is also important for the business component, so that it reaches the necessary ports and buyers as quickly as possible, and here, too, transport via Lithuania becomes more difficult, as the cost of shipment also increases," the European Commissioner said. In turn, Ukrainian farmers are asking for help from Lithuania in obtaining EU subsidies for the transportation of exported grain through Klaipeda and other European ports - in their opinion, this is the only way Ukraine will be able to export the accumulated crop without loss. The most important thing for Ukrainian farmers who cannot export grain through the Black Sea is that their products reach European ports, and this is impossible without subsidies, Chair of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council Andriy Dykun said. "The most important thing for us is to get to the sea, because there is the largest throughput. (...) Working with the Baltic countries, and that will be enough. Only if the 'green' corridor works, will transport subsidies work, then the whole system will work, because today, after calculating the losses from the existing logistics, it does not work. It exists, but it is very expensive," Dikun said at a press conference in the Seimas of Lithuania on Monday. It is unprofitable to export Ukrainian goods through European ports without subsidies, Chair of the Seimas Committee on Rural Affairs Viktoras Pranckietis believes. Representatives of Ukrainian agrarians say that grain is currently exported abroad through the Danube ports, but such a route increases the cost of one tonne of grain by $60 to $70, and the losses incurred by the country's agrarians amount to EUR 10 billion. According to Dykun, this year in Ukraine, the surplus of oilseeds and grains may amount to about 30 million tonnes, since the harvest due to good weather will be about 25% to 30% higher than last year. According to Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs Kazys Starkevicius, grain transit through Europe is necessary to support the export of Ukrainian grain. The option of intervention purchases of surplus grains, which have already been used before, is also being considered - if the price of grains falls below EUR 100 per tonne, they can be purchased for storage, thereby supporting market prices. The issue of the need to support the processing industry, in particular biogas producers, was raised by Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solsky at a meeting with Deputy Director of the USAID Mission to Ukraine Theodora Dell, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported. "The parties discussed the implementation of joint projects in the agricultural sector of Ukraine. The minister thanked for the support of the land reclamation reform, as a result of which farmers are actively receiving assistance in restoring irrigation systems. They also discussed the need for additional projects to support the processing industry, in particular biogas producers," the report says. According to Solsky, this promising industry should receive an additional impetus for more active development. Dell, in turn, noted that the USAID mission has been supporting Ukraine since the first days of the Russian full-scale invasion and will definitely continue to do so in the future. Photo: Lower Manhattan from the ferry headed into Pier 11. In the news this past week: Cops pursued two suspects reportedly wanted in an illegal gun investigation, chasing them from Avenue D to the West Village. During the pursuit, one of the suspects struck a woman riding a bike at Sullivan and East Houston streets. She was transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition but is expected to recover. [Daily News] The mayor was apparently on the verge of reopening Park Row for automobile traffic, after years of advocacy from Chinatown community groups. But it hasnt happened yet, according to the mayor, because some elected officials asked him to delay the move until wider community engagement can take place. [Streetsblog] Untitled, a boutique hotel on the Bowery (with a Freeman Alley address), soft opened a few months ago and is ready for an official fall debut. It will try to succeed where the Ace Hotels Sister City failed. [WWD] Coss Marte is getting ready to open a marijuana dispensary in a space once occupied by Moscot Eyewear at Orchard and Delancey streets. [The Village Sun] The Chinatown Y celebrates with a grand reopening in the aftermath of the pandemic. [AM New York] For Natalie Kates and Fabrizio Ferri, life and art (on the Lower East Side) have been inextricably intertwined, and now their art gallery on Grand Street is expanding. [Artsy] The popular Chinatown bakery, Golden Steamer, has opened a second spot on Grand Street. [Eater] The Lower East Sides Scarrs Pizza is opening a location in Los Angeles. [Eater] The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy once again calls to revoke Russia's membership in UNESCO after the shelling of the center of Chernihiv. "As a result of an enemy missile hit, the Chernihiv Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater named after Taras Shevchenko, an architectural monument of local importance, was completely destroyed. The architectural monument of national importance, the Pyatnitska Church, which falls under the responsibility of the National Architectural and Historical Reserve Ancient Chernihiv, was also damaged," the ministry said in a press release. The historic center of Chernihiv is a candidate for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Ukraine has submitted to the Preliminary Nomination List the XI century Transfiguration Cathedral and the XII century Church of Saints Borys and Hlib. The Ministry of Culture said that in 2023, the ministry, together with the regional and city administrations, began work on including the cultural landscape of Chernihiv in the List of Cultural Heritage in Danger. "Russia, as a terrorist country, is systematically destroying Ukraine's cultural heritage, causing irreparable damage not only to Ukrainian but also to world culture. Once again, we call on the international community to isolate the aggressor and finally revoke Russia's membership in UNESCO," the ministry said. KLK Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 12,097 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $634,000. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its stake in Charles Schwab by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 20,822 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,847,000 after acquiring an additional 1,452 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. raised its stake in Charles Schwab by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,263 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $528,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 25.4% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,064 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,101,000 after purchasing an additional 2,648 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,807 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $321,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 16.6% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,239 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.77% of the companys stock. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Charles Schwab news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 75,760 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $5,045,616.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 59,672,778 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,974,207,014.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Charles Schwab news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 75,760 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $5,045,616.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 59,672,778 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,974,207,014.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 72,047 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.66, for a total value of $4,802,653.02. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 59,748,538 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,982,837,543.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock. Charles Schwab Stock Down 1.3 % SCHW traded down $0.76 during trading on Monday, reaching $58.76. 3,999,857 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,602,307. The stock has a market cap of $104.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 0.91. The Charles Schwab Co. has a fifty-two week low of $45.00 and a fifty-two week high of $86.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $60.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.01. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.61 billion. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 27.54% and a net margin of 33.15%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.97 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.27 EPS for the current year. Charles Schwab Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 11th will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 10th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.70%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is currently 29.15%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on SCHW shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Charles Schwab from $64.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. StockNews.com started coverage on Charles Schwab in a research report on Thursday. They set a sell rating on the stock. Wolfe Research lowered their price target on Charles Schwab from $62.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Monday, June 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Charles Schwab from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $72.09. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Charles Schwab About Charles Schwab (Free Report) The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Acme United (NYSE:ACU Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning. The firm issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Acme United Stock Performance Shares of ACU stock opened at $30.46 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $108.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.94 and a beta of 0.89. Acme United has a 52-week low of $21.11 and a 52-week high of $37.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 4.09 and a quick ratio of 1.88. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $27.37. Get Acme United alerts: Acme United (NYSE:ACU Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 21st. The company reported $0.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Acme United had a return on equity of 4.85% and a net margin of 2.02%. The firm had revenue of $53.34 million during the quarter. Acme United Announces Dividend Insider Buying and Selling at Acme United The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 24th. Investors of record on Monday, July 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 30th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.84%. Acme Uniteds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.38%. In related news, COO Brian S. Olschan sold 3,930 shares of Acme United stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.49, for a total value of $104,105.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 41,103 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,088,818.47. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Acme United news, COO Brian S. Olschan sold 3,930 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.49, for a total value of $104,105.70. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 41,103 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,088,818.47. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO Brian S. Olschan sold 7,070 shares of Acme United stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.14, for a total value of $206,019.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 41,103 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,197,741.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,860 shares of company stock worth $358,951. 34.10% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UBS Group AG purchased a new stake in shares of Acme United during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Acme United by 9.4% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,192 shares of the companys stock worth $154,000 after buying an additional 531 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Acme United in the second quarter valued at about $205,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Acme United by 16.6% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,195 shares of the companys stock worth $278,000 after acquiring an additional 1,165 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Acme United by 47.0% in the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 8,654 shares of the companys stock worth $189,000 after acquiring an additional 2,768 shares during the period. 62.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Acme United (Get Free Report) Acme United Corporation supplies first aid and safety, cutting, sharpening, and measuring products to the school, home, office, hardware, sporting goods, and industrial markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company offers scissors, shears, knives, rulers, pencil sharpeners, paper trimmers, safety cutters, lettering products, glue guns, and other craft products under the Westcott brand name; and cutting tools under the Clauss brand. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Acme United Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Acme United and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Altria Group (NYSE:MO Free Report) in a report published on Thursday morning. The firm issued a buy rating on the stock. Altria Group Stock Down 0.5 % Shares of NYSE:MO traded down $0.23 on Thursday, hitting $42.68. 1,426,266 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,687,662. Altria Group has a 52 week low of $40.35 and a 52 week high of $51.57. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $44.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.49. The company has a market cap of $75.74 billion, a PE ratio of 11.26, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.59. Get Altria Group alerts: Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 1st. The company reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.31. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 225.61% and a net margin of 27.40%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.43 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.26 EPS. Altria Groups revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Altria Group Company Profile Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 1.4% in the second quarter. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC now owns 35,280 shares of the companys stock worth $1,598,000 after purchasing an additional 482 shares during the last quarter. Coombe Bender & Co LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Coombe Bender & Co LLC now owns 25,357 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,149,000 after buying an additional 1,156 shares in the last quarter. Vicus Capital lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vicus Capital now owns 5,125 shares of the companys stock valued at $232,000 after buying an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 615.6% during the 2nd quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 195,145 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,840,000 after buying an additional 167,875 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $136,000. 58.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. (Get Free Report) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco products and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; and on! oral nicotine pouches. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN Get Free Report) Director Amy Banse acquired 859 shares of Lennar stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $117.65 per share, for a total transaction of $101,061.35. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 8,972 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,055,555.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Amy Banse also recently made the following trade(s): Get Lennar alerts: On Tuesday, August 15th, Amy Banse acquired 820 shares of Lennar stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $123.06 per share, for a total transaction of $100,909.20. On Friday, July 21st, Amy Banse acquired 790 shares of Lennar stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $126.42 per share, for a total transaction of $99,871.80. On Thursday, June 22nd, Amy Banse acquired 165 shares of Lennar stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $121.29 per share, for a total transaction of $20,012.85. Lennar Stock Down 1.0 % LEN stock traded down $1.17 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $115.83. 1,631,478 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,186,741. Lennar Co. has a 12 month low of $69.90 and a 12 month high of $133.24. The company has a market cap of $33.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.99, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.47. The firms 50-day moving average is $124.22 and its 200-day moving average is $112.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 7.08 and a quick ratio of 1.24. Lennar Announces Dividend Lennar ( NYSE:LEN Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, June 14th. The construction company reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.32 by $0.62. Lennar had a net margin of 12.66% and a return on equity of 18.27%. The business had revenue of $8.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.28 billion. On average, equities research analysts expect that Lennar Co. will post 12.65 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th were given a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.30%. Lennars dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.24%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lennar Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its position in Lennar by 2.3% during the second quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 4,144 shares of the construction companys stock worth $520,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Lennar by 10.6% during the second quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,016 shares of the construction companys stock worth $127,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lennar by 4.4% during the second quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the construction companys stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lennar by 3.0% during the first quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 3,851 shares of the construction companys stock worth $405,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Finally, Cypress Capital Group increased its holdings in shares of Lennar by 1.3% during the second quarter. Cypress Capital Group now owns 8,682 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,088,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. 82.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have issued reports on LEN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Lennar in a report on Wednesday, May 31st. They set a sell rating and a $105.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Lennar from $153.00 to $161.00 in a research report on Friday, June 16th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Lennar from $139.00 to $148.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 5th. Wedbush upped their target price on shares of Lennar from $94.00 to $123.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 15th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Lennar in a research report on Thursday. They set a hold rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $127.20. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Lennar Lennar Company Profile (Get Free Report) Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a homebuilder primarily under the Lennar brand in the United States. It operates through Homebuilding East, Homebuilding Central, Homebuilding Texas, Homebuilding West, Financial Services, Multifamily, and Lennar Other segments. The company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, as well as the purchase, development, and sale of residential land; and development, construction, and management of multifamily rental properties. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Lennar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 3.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 70,208 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,399 shares during the period. Aviance Capital Partners LLCs holdings in Pfizer were worth $2,864,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fayez Sarofim & Co raised its holdings in Pfizer by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 830,730 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $33,894,000 after buying an additional 18,295 shares during the period. Occidental Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Occidental Asset Management LLC now owns 39,513 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,612,000 after buying an additional 3,452 shares during the period. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd increased its position in Pfizer by 20.7% during the 1st quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 204,094 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $8,327,000 after purchasing an additional 34,975 shares during the period. Wallace Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Pfizer by 6.3% during the first quarter. Wallace Advisory Group LLC now owns 8,728 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 521 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diligent Investors LLC boosted its stake in Pfizer by 0.5% in the first quarter. Diligent Investors LLC now owns 56,791 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $2,317,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.80% of the companys stock. Get Pfizer alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts recently issued reports on PFE shares. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Pfizer from $40.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $40.00 to $38.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 11th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $42.00 to $40.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $45.00 to $44.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, HSBC initiated coverage on Pfizer in a research report on Friday, July 14th. They issued a buy rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $46.35. Pfizer Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of NYSE PFE traded up $0.33 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $36.99. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,256,501 shares, compared to its average volume of 24,306,217. The stock has a market cap of $208.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.12 and a quick ratio of 1.82. Pfizer Inc. has a one year low of $34.65 and a one year high of $54.93. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $36.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.02. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 1st. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.10. Pfizer had a net margin of 27.55% and a return on equity of 28.36%. The business had revenue of $12.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.36 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.04 EPS. Pfizers quarterly revenue was down 54.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Pfizer Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 5th. Investors of record on Friday, July 28th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 27th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.43%. Pfizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.62%. Pfizer Company Profile (Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the four research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $61.40. A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Ducommun from $66.00 to $62.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. StockNews.com began coverage on Ducommun in a research report on Thursday. They issued a hold rating for the company. TheStreet lowered shares of Ducommun from a b- rating to a c rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Ducommun in a research report on Monday, August 14th. They issued a neutral rating and a $52.00 price target for the company. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a buy rating and issued a $72.00 price target on shares of Ducommun in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Get Ducommun alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Ducommun Ducommun Stock Performance Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ducommun Shares of DCO stock opened at $43.86 on Monday. Ducommun has a 52 week low of $38.89 and a 52 week high of $58.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 3.16. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $45.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $49.08. The firm has a market cap of $639.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.73 and a beta of 1.35. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Credit Suisse AG lifted its stake in shares of Ducommun by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 7,760 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $307,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC boosted its holdings in Ducommun by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 7,600 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $380,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Ducommun by 45.5% in the 2nd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 809 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp increased its position in shares of Ducommun by 1.5% during the first quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 17,296 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $946,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Ducommun by 116.9% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 655 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 353 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.22% of the companys stock. Ducommun Company Profile (Get Free Report Ducommun Incorporated provides engineering and manufacturing products and services primarily to the aerospace and defense, industrial, medical, and other industries in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Electronic Systems and Structural Systems. The Electronic Systems segment provides cable assemblies and interconnect systems; printed circuit board assemblies; higher-level electronic, electromechanical, and mechanical components and assemblies, as well as lightning diversion systems; and radar enclosures, aircraft avionics racks, shipboard communications and control enclosures, printed circuit board assemblies, cable assemblies, wire harnesses, interconnect systems, lightning diversion strips, surge suppressors, conformal shields, and other assemblies. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ducommun Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ducommun and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Smithfield Trust Co trimmed its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 0.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,167 shares of the companys stock after selling 43 shares during the period. Smithfield Trust Cos holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $3,145,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 4.8% during the first quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 82,966 shares of the companys stock worth $28,449,000 after buying an additional 3,768 shares in the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 28.1% in the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 3,093 shares of the companys stock worth $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares during the period. Cannell & Co. boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Cannell & Co. now owns 2,000 shares of the companys stock worth $732,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Patten & Patten Inc. TN boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 44.2% in the 1st quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN now owns 17,177 shares of the companys stock worth $5,899,000 after purchasing an additional 5,266 shares during the period. Finally, Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $859,000. 87.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock traded up $2.10 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $548.53. 1,265,363 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,061,488. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $296.32 and a 52 week high of $553.50. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $468.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $406.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.13. The company has a market cap of $520.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.35. Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.13. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 22.01% and a return on equity of 65.00%. The business had revenue of $8.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.58 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.25 EPS. Eli Lilly and Companys revenue was up 28.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 9.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is presently 62.87%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $500.00 to $615.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 8th. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $375.00 to $500.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $360.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 26th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $510.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $517.00. Get Our Latest Research Report on LLY Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 164,778 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $539.08, for a total value of $88,828,524.24. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,449,032 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,150,064,170.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 164,778 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $539.08, for a total value of $88,828,524.24. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 100,449,032 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,150,064,170.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Johna Norton sold 1,647 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $444.29, for a total transaction of $731,745.63. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,761 shares in the company, valued at $14,111,094.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 724,841 shares of company stock worth $360,357,419. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders. About Eli Lilly and Company (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Erdene Resource Development Co. (TSE:ERD Get Free Report) rose 6.7% on Monday . The stock traded as high as C$0.32 and last traded at C$0.32. Approximately 521,775 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 308% from the average daily volume of 127,913 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.30. Erdene Resource Development Trading Up 11.7 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.44, a quick ratio of 4.27 and a current ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market capitalization of C$115.37 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.00 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$0.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$0.37. Erdene Resource Development Company Profile (Get Free Report) Erdene Resource Development Corporation focuses on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metal deposits in Mongolia. The company explores for copper, molybdenum, gold, silver, lead, and zinc deposits. Its principal projects are the Bayan Khundii Gold project and the Altan Nar Gold-Polymetallic project located in southwest Mongolia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Erdene Resource Development Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Erdene Resource Development and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fayez Sarofim & Co grew its position in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Free Report) by 41.5% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 866,352 shares of the business services providers stock after buying an additional 253,880 shares during the quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Cos holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions were worth $126,981,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,327 shares of the business services providers stock worth $634,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems grew its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 9,306 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,364,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp grew its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 9,816 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,317,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Lee Financial Co grew its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Lee Financial Co now owns 11,685 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,567,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. Finally, Czech National Bank grew its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 13,865 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,032,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.05% of the companys stock. Get Broadridge Financial Solutions alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $160.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $169.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $183.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $170.00. Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Down 0.3 % Broadridge Financial Solutions stock traded down $0.55 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $178.45. 219,050 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 550,201. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $131.35 and a fifty-two week high of $184.10. The companys fifty day moving average price is $167.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $153.40. The company has a market cap of $21.08 billion, a PE ratio of 33.84 and a beta of 1.02. Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The business services provider reported $3.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.10 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $1.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.87 billion. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 42.09%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.65 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 7.64 EPS for the current fiscal year. Broadridge Financial Solutions Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be given a $0.80 dividend. This is a boost from Broadridge Financial Solutionss previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. Broadridge Financial Solutionss dividend payout ratio is presently 54.82%. Insider Activity In other Broadridge Financial Solutions news, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 6,900 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.98, for a total transaction of $1,027,962.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 59,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,926,285.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 6,900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.98, for a total value of $1,027,962.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 59,916 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,926,285.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.20, for a total transaction of $362,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 72,430 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,124,316. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 68,001 shares of company stock worth $12,082,728 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock. Broadridge Financial Solutions Company Profile (Free Report) Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN Free Report) in a report released on Thursday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the insurance providers stock. Horace Mann Educators Stock Performance HMN opened at $28.50 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.19. Horace Mann Educators has a 52 week low of $28.07 and a 52 week high of $40.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.10 and a quick ratio of 0.10. Get Horace Mann Educators alerts: Horace Mann Educators Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. Horace Mann Educatorss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -488.87%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Horace Mann Educators Company Profile A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 11,540 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $431,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Putnam Investments LLC raised its position in Horace Mann Educators by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 137,515 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $5,139,000 after purchasing an additional 378 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its position in Horace Mann Educators by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 38,359 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,605,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares during the period. North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its position in Horace Mann Educators by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 47,190 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,400,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming raised its position in Horace Mann Educators by 41.0% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,509 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 439 shares during the period. (Get Free Report) Horace Mann Educators Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an insurance holding company in the United States. The company operates through Property & Casualty, Life & Retirement, and Supplemental & Group Benefits segments. Its Property & Casualty segment offers insurance products, including private passenger auto insurance and residential home insurance; and provides auto coverages including liability and collision, and property coverage for homeowners and renters. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Horace Mann Educators Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Horace Mann Educators and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ukrainian pilots of the 2023 and 2016 years of the year of completion are already being trained on F16 fighters in the UK and Sweden, commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Oleschuk said on the air of the United News (Yedyni Novyny) communication telethon. "Young pilots of the 2023 year of completion went to the UK for training [on the F16], as for Sweden, young pilots of the 2016 year of completion with sufficient combat experience went there," Oleschuk said. According to him, the training system in the aforementioned countries is quite flexible. "Each pilot is approached individually. They test everyone what they are capable of," the Commander of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted. In particular, he pointed out that the term of general training of Ukrainian pilots provides for 32 months. However, on the eve of training, two of the pilots were tested by instructors from the United States, and it was decided that they would be able to learn F16 in four months. Polischuk stressed that the knowledge of English was an important factor in the selection for training. "Knowledge of English is key since an interpreter should not work here," he said, noting that this is due to the need for pilots to quickly perform actions during the flight. "Therefore, all pilots have been tested, there is a high level [knowledge of English], there is also an average level, somewhat lower, but wechose pilots who are already studying in the countries," Oleschuk summed up. Shares of Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:PWZ Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Monday . 471,763 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 373% from the previous sessions volume of 99,778 shares.The stock last traded at $24.08 and had previously closed at $24.25. Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF Stock Performance The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $24.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $24.57. Get Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PWZ. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF by 123.8% during the 2nd quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 202,431 shares of the companys stock worth $4,988,000 after buying an additional 111,963 shares during the last quarter. Wealthsource Partners LLC boosted its position in Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF by 1.5% during the second quarter. Wealthsource Partners LLC now owns 89,293 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,200,000 after purchasing an additional 1,343 shares during the last quarter. First Foundation Advisors grew its stake in Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF by 6,180.3% in the second quarter. First Foundation Advisors now owns 650,204 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,021,000 after purchasing an additional 639,851 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF by 106.6% in the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 24,752 shares of the companys stock valued at $610,000 after purchasing an additional 12,772 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. increased its position in shares of Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF by 40.9% during the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 10,856 shares of the companys stock worth $267,000 after purchasing an additional 3,150 shares during the last quarter. Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF Company Profile The Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF (PWZ) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks an index of insured investment-grade, tax-exempt debt issued by California or any US territory with at least 15 years remaining to maturity. PWZ was launched on Oct 11, 2007 and is managed by Invesco. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Katoro Gold plc (LON:KAT Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as GBX 0.08 ($0.00) and last traded at GBX 0.09 ($0.00), with a volume of 49973 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 0.09 ($0.00). Katoro Gold Price Performance The company has a market cap of 569,075.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.42 and a beta of 0.51. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 0.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 0.11. Katoro Gold Company Profile (Get Free Report) Katoro Gold plc operates as a gold and nickel exploration and development company in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, South Africa, and Tanzania. The company primarily explores for nickel, platinum group metals, copper, and gold deposits. It holds 65% interest in the Haneti project covering an area of approximately 5,000 square kilometers located in central Tanzania; and Blyvoor Tailings project located in South Africa. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Katoro Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Katoro Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kidder Stephen W reduced its stake in shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE Free Report) by 5.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,839 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 175 shares during the quarter. Kidder Stephen Ws holdings in General Electric were worth $271,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of GE. Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in General Electric by 10.0% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 305,384 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $27,925,000 after acquiring an additional 27,682 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in General Electric during the first quarter worth $1,518,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in General Electric by 2.9% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,748 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,075,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in General Electric during the first quarter worth $388,000. Finally, West Family Investments Inc. acquired a new position in General Electric during the first quarter worth $230,000. 74.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get General Electric alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades GE has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on General Electric from $100.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Monday, July 10th. Bank of America raised their target price on General Electric from $108.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on General Electric from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on General Electric from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised their price target on General Electric from $107.00 to $125.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $120.00. Insider Activity at General Electric In other news, major shareholder General Electric Pension Trust bought 35,160 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 30th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $995.44 per share, with a total value of $34,999,670.40. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 175,160 shares in the company, valued at $174,361,270.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, major shareholder General Electric Pension Trust bought 35,160 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 30th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $995.44 per share, with a total value of $34,999,670.40. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 175,160 shares in the company, valued at $174,361,270.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Michael J. Holston sold 112,614 shares of General Electric stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total value of $12,973,132.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 57,923 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,672,729.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.67% of the stock is owned by insiders. General Electric Stock Down 0.2 % Shares of NYSE:GE traded down $0.17 during trading on Monday, hitting $111.62. 1,708,770 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,402,805. General Electric has a 52 week low of $48.06 and a 52 week high of $117.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The company has a market cap of $121.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.84 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $110.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $99.76. General Electric (NYSE:GE Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 25th. The conglomerate reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.22. General Electric had a return on equity of 9.30% and a net margin of 13.32%. The business had revenue of $15.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $14.76 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.78 EPS. General Electrics revenue for the quarter was up 18.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that General Electric will post 2.33 EPS for the current fiscal year. General Electric Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 11th were given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.29%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 10th. General Electrics dividend payout ratio is presently 3.80%. About General Electric (Free Report) General Electric Company operates as a high-tech industrial company in Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. It offers gas and steam turbines, full balance of plant, upgrade, and service solutions, as well as data-leveraging software for power generation, industrial, government, and other customers. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Electric (NYSE:GE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Newmont (NYSE:NEM Free Report) in a research report released on Thursday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the basic materials companys stock. Several other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. CIBC lowered shares of Newmont from a sector outperform rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the company from $54.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Friday, July 21st. Argus decreased their target price on shares of Newmont from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on shares of Newmont from $63.00 to $57.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Newmont from $58.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, National Bank Financial upped their price target on shares of Newmont from C$91.00 to C$94.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $59.19. Get Newmont alerts: Get Our Latest Report on NEM Newmont Stock Performance Shares of NEM traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $38.14. 2,453,357 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,808,123. The stocks fifty day moving average is $42.12 and its 200 day moving average is $44.79. The stock has a market cap of $30.31 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.28. Newmont has a 1-year low of $37.45 and a 1-year high of $60.08. Newmont (NYSE:NEM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 20th. The basic materials company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.06). Newmont had a negative net margin of 6.77% and a positive return on equity of 5.74%. The company had revenue of $2.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.46 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Newmont will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Newmont Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 7th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 6th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.20%. Newmonts dividend payout ratio is currently -166.66%. Insider Activity at Newmont In related news, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of Newmont stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.16, for a total value of $463,760.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 267,039 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,258,364.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 33,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,384,350. 0.07% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Newmont Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Newmont in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new stake in Newmont in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Sittner & Nelson LLC lifted its stake in Newmont by 177.5% in the 1st quarter. Sittner & Nelson LLC now owns 555 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Newmont in the 2nd quarter valued at about $112,000. Finally, Caldwell Sutter Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Newmont in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. 77.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Newmont (Get Free Report) Newmont Corporation engages in the production and exploration of gold. It also explores for copper, silver, zinc, and lead. The company has operations and/or assets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Suriname, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and Ghana. As of December 31, 2022, it had proven and probable gold reserves of 96.1 million ounces and land position of 61,500 square kilometers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Newmont Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Newmont and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) in a report released on Thursday morning. The brokerage issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. DNB Markets cut shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, August 11th. HSBC began coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Friday, July 14th. They issued a buy rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $383.33. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Get Our Latest Report on NVO Novo Nordisk A/S Price Performance Shares of Novo Nordisk A/S stock traded up $2.86 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $185.99. The companys stock had a trading volume of 608,024 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,452,624. The stock has a market cap of $417.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.46. Novo Nordisk A/S has a one year low of $95.02 and a one year high of $192.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $163.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $158.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.70. Novo Nordisk A/Ss stock is going to split on the morning of Wednesday, September 20th. The 2-1 split was announced on Wednesday, September 20th. The newly created shares will be issued to shareholders after the market closes on Wednesday, September 20th. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 10th. The company reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a return on equity of 81.09% and a net margin of 33.49%. On average, analysts predict that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 5.2 EPS for the current year. Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 21st will be paid a $0.8836 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 18th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.8%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.86%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novo Nordisk A/S A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 1,514.6% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,785,560 shares of the companys stock valued at $602,435,000 after purchasing an additional 3,551,104 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 199.7% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,308,866 shares of the companys stock worth $271,024,000 after purchasing an additional 3,537,248 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 45.4% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,035,879 shares of the companys stock worth $559,235,000 after buying an additional 1,571,747 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 39.4% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,212,398 shares of the companys stock worth $705,446,000 after purchasing an additional 1,472,550 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the second quarter worth about $188,602,000. 6.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Novo Nordisk A/S (Get Free Report) Novo Nordisk A/S, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products worldwide. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity care, and Rare Disease. The Diabetes and Obesity care segment provides products in the areas of insulins, GLP-1 and related delivery systems, oral antidiabetic products, obesity, glucagon, needles, and other chronic diseases. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (NYSE:PBR Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning. The firm issued a buy rating on the oil and gas exploration companys stock. Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley raised Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and raised their price target for the stock from $12.50 to $16.50 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $15.00 to $14.50 in a research note on Friday, August 4th. HSBC lowered Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $13.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, August 10th. UBS Group raised Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, August 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 20th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $13.78. Get Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras Trading Down 1.2 % Shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras stock traded down $0.17 on Thursday, reaching $13.72. The company had a trading volume of 7,859,854 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,884,104. The firm has a market cap of $89.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The firms 50-day moving average price is $13.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.18. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras has a 1 year low of $8.88 and a 1 year high of $16.32. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (NYSE:PBR Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.97 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $22.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.71 billion. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras had a return on equity of 40.65% and a net margin of 26.86%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.39 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras will post 3.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.2353 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 22nd. This represents a yield of 26.3%. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobrass payout ratio is presently 19.91%. Institutional Trading of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PBR. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD lifted its holdings in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras by 153.2% in the 4th quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 12,777,021 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $136,075,000 after buying an additional 7,730,286 shares during the period. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda lifted its holdings in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras by 109,540.6% in the 2nd quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda now owns 6,964,368 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $96,317,000 after buying an additional 6,958,016 shares during the period. Gemsstock Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,528,000. RWC Asset Advisors US LLC acquired a new position in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,082,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 29,221,292 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $404,130,000 after buying an additional 2,582,327 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.09% of the companys stock. About Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (Get Free Report) Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras explores, produces, and sells oil and gas in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through Exploration and Production; Refining, Transportation and Marketing; and Gas and Power. It also engages in prospecting, drilling, refining, processing, trading, and transporting crude oil from producing onshore and offshore oil fields, and shale or other rocks, as well as oil products, natural gas, and other liquid hydrocarbons. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR Free Report) in a report published on Thursday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the utilities providers stock. POR has been the subject of several other research reports. 58.com reissued a downgrade rating on shares of Portland General Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. Guggenheim lowered their price target on Portland General Electric from $50.00 to $48.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Portland General Electric from $56.00 to $52.00 in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Portland General Electric in a report on Monday, May 8th. They issued an overweight rating and a $56.00 price target for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $50.83. Get Portland General Electric alerts: View Our Latest Report on POR Portland General Electric Stock Down 0.8 % Shares of Portland General Electric stock traded down $0.35 during trading on Thursday, hitting $43.80. 406,917 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 809,499. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $47.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.35. Portland General Electric has a 52-week low of $41.58 and a 52-week high of $55.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market cap of $4.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.55. Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.49 by ($0.05). Portland General Electric had a net margin of 7.82% and a return on equity of 8.03%. The company had revenue of $648.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $571.82 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.72 EPS. Portland General Electrics revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Portland General Electric will post 2.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Portland General Electric Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 16th. Investors of record on Monday, September 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.475 per share. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.34%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 22nd. Portland General Electrics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 79.17%. Insider Activity at Portland General Electric In related news, VP Anne Frances Mersereau sold 1,071 shares of Portland General Electric stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.83, for a total transaction of $50,154.93. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 17,962 shares in the company, valued at $841,160.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.51% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 27.1% in the second quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 872,058 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $40,838,000 after buying an additional 185,912 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 1,022.6% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,105,863 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $145,448,000 after buying an additional 2,829,184 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 5.2% in the second quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 274,608 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $12,860,000 after buying an additional 13,539 shares in the last quarter. IMA Wealth Inc. increased its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 100.0% in the second quarter. IMA Wealth Inc. now owns 786 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 393 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Portland General Electric in the second quarter valued at approximately $199,000. Portland General Electric Company Profile (Get Free Report) Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, three wind farms, and seven hydroelectric facilities. As of December 31, 2022, the company owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,255 circuit miles, including 269 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 413 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 573 miles of 115 kilovolt line; and served 926 thousand retail customers in 51 cities. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Portland General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Portland General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Puzo Michael J lifted its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Free Report) by 2.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 79,761 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 1,962 shares during the period. Novartis accounts for approximately 2.4% of Puzo Michael Js portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Puzo Michael Js holdings in Novartis were worth $7,338,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Allworth Financial LP increased its position in Novartis by 3.6% during the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,242 shares of the companys stock worth $298,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Novartis by 1.4% during the first quarter. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC now owns 16,553 shares of the companys stock worth $1,523,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the last quarter. Resources Investment Advisors LLC. increased its position in Novartis by 252.6% during the first quarter. Resources Investment Advisors LLC. now owns 13,514 shares of the companys stock worth $1,243,000 after purchasing an additional 9,681 shares during the last quarter. Sigma Planning Corp increased its position in Novartis by 19.9% during the first quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 7,726 shares of the companys stock worth $711,000 after purchasing an additional 1,283 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp increased its position in shares of Novartis by 2.7% in the first quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 4,055 shares of the companys stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 8.07% of the companys stock. Get Novartis alerts: Novartis Stock Up 1.7 % Shares of NVS stock traded up $1.69 on Monday, hitting $102.71. The stock had a trading volume of 483,343 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,976,000. The firm has a market capitalization of $217.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.54. The stocks 50 day moving average is $101.21 and its 200-day moving average is $96.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.05. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $74.09 and a 52-week high of $105.61. Analysts Set New Price Targets Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 19th. The company reported $1.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.15. Novartis had a net margin of 14.76% and a return on equity of 25.12%. The business had revenue of $13.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.32 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.56 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 6.92 earnings per share for the current year. Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on NVS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. HSBC started coverage on shares of Novartis in a research report on Friday, July 14th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Novartis in a research report on Thursday. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Novartis currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $82.25. Get Our Latest Report on NVS About Novartis (Free Report) Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company operates through two segments: Innovative Medicines and Sandoz. The Innovative Medicines segment offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It also provides cardiovascular, ophthalmology, neuroscience, immunology, hematology, and solid tumor products. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Novartis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novartis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Hold from the six brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $14.43. Several equities analysts have issued reports on RLJ shares. Oppenheimer downgraded shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $15.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from $10.50 to $11.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 20th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research note on Thursday. They set a sell rating for the company. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Get RLJ Lodging Trust alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on RLJ RLJ Lodging Trust Trading Up 0.8 % RLJ Lodging Trust Increases Dividend NYSE RLJ opened at $9.68 on Monday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $10.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.53. RLJ Lodging Trust has a 12 month low of $9.27 and a 12 month high of $13.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 3.76 and a quick ratio of 3.76. The company has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.73. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 17th. Investors of record on Saturday, September 30th will be given a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.13%. This is a positive change from RLJ Lodging Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 28th. RLJ Lodging Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.00%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On RLJ Lodging Trust A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of RLJ. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 159.2% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,735 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,680 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust by 45.7% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,404 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,067 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in RLJ Lodging Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Point72 Middle East FZE acquired a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 319.5% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,713 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 2,828 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.98% of the companys stock. RLJ Lodging Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report RLJ Lodging Trust is a self-advised, publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns primarily premium-branded, high-margin, focused-service and compact full-service hotels. The Company's portfolio currently consists of 96 hotels with approximately 21,200 rooms, located in 23 states and the District of Columbia and an ownership interest in one unconsolidated hotel with 171 rooms. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for RLJ Lodging Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RLJ Lodging Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Scotia Capital Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC Free Report) (TSE:MFC) by 0.9% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 12,681,394 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 121,074 shares during the period. Manulife Financial makes up approximately 1.7% of Scotia Capital Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Scotia Capital Inc.s holdings in Manulife Financial were worth $232,408,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MFC. Westpac Banking Corp acquired a new position in shares of Manulife Financial during the first quarter valued at approximately $4,447,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 6.2% during the first quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 5,843,418 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $107,163,000 after acquiring an additional 343,132 shares during the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 7.1% during the first quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 307,300 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,642,000 after acquiring an additional 20,500 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 1.4% during the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 74,342 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,365,000 after acquiring an additional 1,011 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 8.7% during the first quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 13,843 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $254,000 after acquiring an additional 1,112 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.71% of the companys stock. Get Manulife Financial alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages have commented on MFC. Barclays increased their target price on Manulife Financial from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 11th. StockNews.com began coverage on Manulife Financial in a research note on Thursday. They set a hold rating on the stock. Manulife Financial Stock Down 0.8 % Shares of Manulife Financial stock traded down $0.15 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $17.89. The stock had a trading volume of 5,203,602 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,275,557. The firm has a market cap of $32.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $19.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.10. Manulife Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $14.92 and a 12-month high of $20.40. Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC Get Free Report) (TSE:MFC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $9 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.31 billion. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 13.53% and a net margin of 11.87%. Sell-side analysts expect that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.44 earnings per share for the current year. Manulife Financial Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.276 per share. This represents a $1.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.17%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 22nd. This is a positive change from Manulife Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. Manulife Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.70%. Manulife Financial Profile (Free Report) Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; and Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment offers investment advice and solutions to retirement, retail, and institutional clients through multiple distribution channels, including agents and brokers affiliated with the company, independent securities brokerage firms and financial advisors pension plan consultants, and banks. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC Free Report) (TSE:MFC). Receive News & Ratings for Manulife Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Manulife Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. If deportation of Ukrainians from Israel does not stop, entry of Israelis into Uman will be prohibited, visa-free regime will be terminated embassy Entry of Israeli citizens to the city of Uman, Cherkasy region will be banned, and Ukraine will term stop visa cancellation agreement with Israel, if the deportation of Ukrainians from Israel does not stop, according to a message published on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel. "The government of Ukraine will not tolerate humiliation of its citizens while entering Israel. We will halt our bilateral visa wavering agreements as its stipulated by Article 7 of the intergovernmental agreement. This option is on the table of our government. It is unthinkable that we will have to go out of our way to host tens of thousands of Israelis in Uman, with a high security risk, and with a huge logistical effort, when on the other hand the Israeli government abuses our citizens who come to Israel within the framework of the treaty between the two countries," Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk said. As noted in the report, the message was conveyed in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent address to the nation and in the words of Korniychuk, who called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reconsider the entrance policy toward Ukrainians and intervene in the issue. "If Israel wants its citizens to be able to come to Ukraine as tourists, including Uman, I believe that the Prime Minister, Netanyahu, should intervene, personally, in finding a solution to the current state of affairs," the ambassador said. The embassy said that earlier Zelenskyy, as part of a weekly briefing, said that he had heard a report from the Border Guard Service, the Foreign Ministry and intelligence on the treatment of Ukrainian citizens abroad, and that those responsible for these issues were given appropriate tasks so that the rights of Ukrainian citizens were guaranteed. Korniychuk later said that Zelenskyy's words were about Israel. As reported, two weeks earlier, the Cherkasy Regional Military Administration recommended that the Hasidim refrain from visiting Uman on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, but began to take measures to strengthen the security measures for guests and local residents. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, which is celebrated two days in a row on the new moon of the autumn month of Tishrei according to the Jewish calendar. From this day begins the countdown of the days of the new Jewish year. Somerville Kurt F lowered its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 2.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,882 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 250 shares during the period. Somerville Kurt Fs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $685,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of BMY. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. purchased a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Live Oak Investment Partners purchased a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, First Personal Financial Services raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 67.8% during the 1st quarter. First Personal Financial Services now owns 495 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.57% of the companys stock. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Up 0.2 % Shares of BMY stock traded up $0.12 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $62.18. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,956,514 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,633,253. The stock has a market capitalization of $129.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.42. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a one year low of $59.71 and a one year high of $81.43. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $63.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $66.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.24). The business had revenue of $11.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.81 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 50.51% and a net margin of 17.62%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs quarterly revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.93 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.48 EPS for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.67%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is presently 60.64%. Insider Activity at Bristol-Myers Squibb In related news, EVP Robert M. Plenge sold 732 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.14, for a total transaction of $44,754.48. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,584 shares in the company, valued at $402,545.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. 51job reissued a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, April 28th. Barclays decreased their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $64.00 to $62.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. HSBC started coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, July 14th. They issued a reduce rating and a $56.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Credit Suisse Group decreased their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $72.00 to $66.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $71.14. View Our Latest Analysis on BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Profile (Free Report) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of MaxLinear (NYSE:MXL Free Report) in a report released on Thursday. The firm issued a hold rating on the semiconductor companys stock. A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on MaxLinear from $48.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. BNP Paribas raised shares of MaxLinear from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $30.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, May 19th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of MaxLinear from $48.00 to $42.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and set a $34.00 price objective on shares of MaxLinear in a research report on Thursday, July 27th. Finally, Susquehanna cut their price objective on MaxLinear from $45.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MaxLinear currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $35.30. Get MaxLinear alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on MaxLinear MaxLinear Stock Performance NYSE MXL traded down $0.04 during trading on Thursday, reaching $22.57. The companys stock had a trading volume of 304,602 shares, compared to its average volume of 885,297. The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 1.87. MaxLinear has a 12 month low of $21.82 and a 12 month high of $43.66. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $28.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $30.72. MaxLinear (NYSE:MXL Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The semiconductor company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.20. The company had revenue of $183.94 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.03 million. MaxLinear had a return on equity of 26.91% and a net margin of 6.41%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that MaxLinear will post 0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of MaxLinear Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in MaxLinear by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 31,854 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $1,081,000 after purchasing an additional 1,683 shares during the period. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp grew its position in MaxLinear by 33.7% in the first quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 64,970 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $2,288,000 after acquiring an additional 16,377 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of MaxLinear by 46.1% in the 1st quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 88,182 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $3,105,000 after purchasing an additional 27,836 shares in the last quarter. Hiddenite Capital Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of MaxLinear in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,412,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of MaxLinear by 55.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 9,886 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $336,000 after acquiring an additional 3,532 shares in the last quarter. 86.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. MaxLinear Company Profile (Get Free Report) MaxLinear, Inc engages in the provision of communications systems-on-chip solutions for the connected home, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multi-market applications worldwide. Its products integrate various portions of a high-speed communication system, including radiofrequency, high-performance analog, mixed-signal, digital signal processing, security engines, data compression and networking layers, and power management. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for MaxLinear Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MaxLinear and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the construction companys stock. Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Advanced Drainage Systems from $114.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Advanced Drainage Systems from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Advanced Drainage Systems in a research report on Monday, July 24th. They set an overweight rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Loop Capital increased their price objective on Advanced Drainage Systems from $115.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Monday, May 22nd. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Advanced Drainage Systems from $138.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $142.14. Get Advanced Drainage Systems alerts: Read Our Latest Report on Advanced Drainage Systems Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance WMS stock opened at $122.25 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $9.62 billion, a PE ratio of 20.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. The business has a 50 day moving average of $119.33 and a 200-day moving average of $99.32. Advanced Drainage Systems has a 12-month low of $75.02 and a 12-month high of $146.51. Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The construction company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.51. Advanced Drainage Systems had a return on equity of 50.53% and a net margin of 16.82%. The company had revenue of $778.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $746.08 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Advanced Drainage Systemss quarterly revenue was down 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Advanced Drainage Systems will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year. Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 1st will be issued a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 31st. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.46%. Advanced Drainage Systemss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.29%. Insider Activity In other news, EVP Darin S. Harvey sold 3,323 shares of Advanced Drainage Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.52, for a total transaction of $447,009.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,171 shares in the company, valued at $561,082.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Darin S. Harvey sold 3,323 shares of Advanced Drainage Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.52, for a total transaction of $447,009.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,171 shares in the company, valued at $561,082.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Darin S. Harvey sold 7,000 shares of Advanced Drainage Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.65, for a total transaction of $718,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,171 shares of the companys stock, valued at $530,803.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,598 shares of company stock worth $3,625,505. Insiders own 3.79% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Advanced Drainage Systems Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA raised its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 94.2% in the 2nd quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA now owns 233 shares of the construction companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 420.7% in the 2nd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 302 shares of the construction companys stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new stake in Advanced Drainage Systems in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. 82.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Advanced Drainage Systems (Get Free Report) Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets thermoplastic corrugated pipes and related water management products, and drainage solutions for use in the construction and agriculture marketplaces in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through Pipe, International, Infiltrator, and Allied Products & Other segments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Advanced Drainage Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Advanced Drainage Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA Free Report) in a report issued on Thursday morning. The brokerage issued a buy rating on the stock. TEVA has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Evercore ISI raised shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from an in-line rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. UBS Group raised shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a sell rating to a neutral rating and upped their price target for the stock from $7.00 to $8.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. They set an equal weight rating and a $10.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $10.14. Get Teva Pharmaceutical Industries alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Trading Up 0.6 % Insider Activity Shares of NYSE:TEVA traded up $0.06 during trading on Thursday, reaching $9.62. The stock had a trading volume of 2,546,671 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,151,416. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $8.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.02. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has a fifty-two week low of $7.09 and a fifty-two week high of $11.44. In other news, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 52,742 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.30, for a total value of $437,758.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 52,742 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.30, for a total value of $437,758.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Eliyahu Sharon Kalif sold 35,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.73, for a total transaction of $341,766.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 99,162 shares in the company, valued at $964,846.26. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 89,848 shares of company stock worth $799,176. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Money Concepts Capital Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries by 85.7% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,962 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,367 shares during the period. Quilter Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 1st quarter worth about $3,103,125,000. Finally, Tobam acquired a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.69% of the companys stock. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic medicines, specialty medicines, and biopharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, Israel, and internationally. The company offers sterile products, hormones, high-potency drugs, and cytotoxic substances in various dosage forms, including tablets, capsules, injectables, inhalants, liquids, transdermal patches, ointments, and creams. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED Free Report) by 16.8% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 66,601 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 9,580 shares during the quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltds holdings in Consolidated Edison were worth $6,372,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fluent Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Consolidated Edison by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Fluent Financial LLC now owns 20,149 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,928,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Consolidated Edison in the first quarter valued at $275,000. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in Consolidated Edison in the first quarter valued at $4,045,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Consolidated Edison by 1.7% during the first quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 23,474 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,246,000 after purchasing an additional 403 shares during the period. Finally, Kentucky Retirement Systems boosted its position in shares of Consolidated Edison by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 28,058 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,684,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. 67.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Consolidated Edison alerts: Consolidated Edison Stock Performance ED stock traded down $1.10 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $88.22. 190,872 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,823,951. Consolidated Edison, Inc. has a 52 week low of $78.10 and a 52 week high of $102.21. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $92.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $93.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.43 billion, a PE ratio of 12.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.16 and a beta of 0.36. Consolidated Edison Announces Dividend Consolidated Edison ( NYSE:ED Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Consolidated Edison had a return on equity of 8.27% and a net margin of 15.84%. The business had revenue of $2.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.64 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Consolidated Edison, Inc. will post 4.88 EPS for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 15th. Consolidated Edisons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.62%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts recently weighed in on ED shares. KeyCorp upped their price target on Consolidated Edison from $70.00 to $77.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Consolidated Edison from $89.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Consolidated Edison from $102.00 to $96.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 4th. StockNews.com began coverage on Consolidated Edison in a report on Thursday. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Consolidated Edison in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. They set a sell rating and a $88.00 price target for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $90.77. View Our Latest Research Report on Consolidated Edison Consolidated Edison Company Profile (Free Report) Consolidated Edison, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.6 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ED? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Consolidated Edison Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Consolidated Edison and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. (NYSE:TIXT Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $8.24 and last traded at $8.26, with a volume of 58530 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $8.45. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth TIXT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. National Bank Financial downgraded TELUS International (Cda) from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $32.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Friday, July 14th. Citigroup reduced their target price on TELUS International (Cda) from $15.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on TELUS International (Cda) from $17.00 to $14.00 in a research report on Friday, July 14th. Bank of America dropped their price target on TELUS International (Cda) from $26.00 to $21.00 in a research report on Sunday, July 16th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on TELUS International (Cda) from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $19.33. Get TELUS International (Cda) alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on TELUS International (Cda) TELUS International (Cda) Trading Down 2.4 % Institutional Trading of TELUS International (Cda) The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.05 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.94. The company has a market capitalization of $602.91 million, a PE ratio of 22.84, a PEG ratio of 6.36 and a beta of 0.57. Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TIXT. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 93.7% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,925,904 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,028,000 after buying an additional 931,866 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 14.5% during the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 5,536,117 shares of the companys stock worth $136,798,000 after purchasing an additional 699,567 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in shares of TELUS International (Cda) during the 2nd quarter worth $10,278,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 11,143,810 shares of the companys stock worth $225,191,000 after purchasing an additional 428,579 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 451.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 458,696 shares of the companys stock worth $9,078,000 after purchasing an additional 375,544 shares during the period. 61.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. TELUS International (Cda) Company Profile (Get Free Report) TELUS International (Cda) Inc design, builds, and delivers digital solutions for customer experience (CX) in Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific, and the Central America. The company provides digital experience solutions, such as AI and bots, omnichannel CX, enterprise mobility solutions, cloud contact center, big data analytics, platform transformation, and UX/UI design; and customer experience solutions, including work anywhere/work from home, contact center outsourcing, technical support, sales growth and customer retention, healthcare/patient experience, and debt collection. Read More Receive News & Ratings for TELUS International (Cda) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS International (Cda) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co raised its holdings in Brookfield Renewable Co. (NYSE:BEPC Free Report) by 17.6% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 9,472 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,419 shares during the quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Cos holdings in Brookfield Renewable were worth $331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Brookfield Renewable by 1.5% in the first quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 72,018 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,517,000 after acquiring an additional 1,074 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its position in Brookfield Renewable by 25.3% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 123,247 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,307,000 after purchasing an additional 24,907 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its position in Brookfield Renewable by 17.3% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 15,118 shares of the companys stock valued at $528,000 after purchasing an additional 2,230 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in Brookfield Renewable by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 20,644 shares of the companys stock valued at $722,000 after purchasing an additional 733 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Brookfield Renewable by 0.8% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,339,486 shares of the companys stock worth $151,665,000 after buying an additional 34,376 shares during the last quarter. 66.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Brookfield Renewable alerts: Brookfield Renewable Price Performance Shares of NYSE BEPC opened at $28.00 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $31.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $31.90. Brookfield Renewable Co. has a 1 year low of $27.19 and a 1 year high of $40.60. Brookfield Renewable Dividend Announcement Brookfield Renewable Profile The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 31st will be given a $0.338 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. This represents a $1.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.83%. Brookfield Renewables payout ratio is -225.00%. (Free Report) Brookfield Renewable Corporation owns and operates a portfolio of renewable power and sustainable solution assets primarily in the United States, Europe, Colombia, and Brazil. It operates hydroelectric, wind, and solar power plants with an installed capacity of approximately 12,857 megawatts. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BEPC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Brookfield Renewable Co. (NYSE:BEPC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Renewable Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Renewable and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Denmark for the military and humanitarian assistance provided. "Thank you, Denmark, for your solidarity. Thank you for all your help to Ukraine. Thank you for the Harpoons. The Russians are afraid of them. Thank you for the Caesars. Thank you for the Leopards, for the Bradleys. And the artillery. And thank you for demining vehicles. All this serves freedom. Everything is already serving right now to protect people's lives," Zelenskyy said, speaking in the Danish parliament on Monday. According to the president, "humanity turned into solidarity. Solidarity turned into leadership. In particular, your leadership, Denmark. And this is leadership that multiplies our common strength." "We trust you, Denmark. Thank you. The full-scale Russian evil is now receding under the blows of those whom Russia has always only despised. And, neglecting, it was wrong. But people are not mistaken now when they despise Russia, which spreads evil," he said. Zelenskyy said "Ukraine believed you and believed in you when this invasion of evil began. And I thank you for believing in us." "I turned to you for support in overcoming this disaster that the war brought, and you support Ukraine with everything we need. I turned to you saying that we need to think not only about the war," he said. "We know that there will be peace. We know that we can return to a normal life. What we loved, how we lived. And I am grateful to you that you are already helping Ukraine with recovery, in particular, our city of Mykolaiv, for which Denmark took patronage," Zelenskyy said. According to Zelenskyy, "now the Russian evil is beating by pain and death in Ukrainian cities and villages, but openly says that it will not be limited to Ukraine. Then, later, after our country, they want to carry this suffering further to Europe and further to the world, and I I'm sure you can hear it." "All of Russia's neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not stand. International law cannot be revived. Democracies of the world, any of them can become a target. Either for missiles, or for mercenaries, or for destabilization. I'm sure you feel it," Zelenskyy said. Dear President Biden, Tchiani Is a Lesser Evil Than Tinubu By SKC Ogbonnia Houston, TX. August 21, 2023 The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr. President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500. Dear President Biden, Let me begin by commending your tireless interest in African affairs, which dates to the time immemorial. We remember your enduring track record on civil rights, as well as broad democratic credentials. We remember your passionate speech against the apartheid South Africa at the U.S. Senate floor in 1986. The world still remembers the instance you charged America not to become part of South Africas problem, but to remain their solution. You implored your people not to impose themselves. You couldnt have been more eloquent when you stated during the speech that the American favourites in South Africa must be the people that are being repressed by an ugly white regime. Mr. President, there is no doubt that your innate knack for democracy prompted you to support President George W. Bush to invade Iraq in 2002. You would later call this move your worst political decision! One can also assume that similar democratic principle is tempting you to align with Bola Tinubu of Nigeria to invade Niger Republic. Dear President Biden, let me appeal for a pause here Staring at you is an avoidable boobytrap to a political infamy of pyrrhic proportion. The gist is that, if your support of Bush to invade Iraq was a monumental mistake, endorsing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under the leadership of Mr. Bola Tinubu to invade Niger Republic begs a mortal sin. To begin with, the apparent embrace of the ECOWAS leader by the West is polar-opposite to everything the United States of America under Joseph R. Biden stands for. As you ought to know, Tinubus path to power is not different from a classic coup detat. A close parrel in the recent American history is the unfortunate event of January 6, 2021, where President Donald Trump attempted to usurp the power of incumbency to cling to power. The world saw it for what it was, prompting me to publish the piece: Coup In America: Why Trump Must Be Impeached Again. Neither you nor the U.S. Congress needed to be told. Not only was Trump impeached for the attempted coup, but the Americans have also continued to prosecute him for the crime. The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, the common optics is that you are caught in a web of double standard in the case of Africas Bola Tinubu. This is a man who, as a sitting national leader of a ruling party, grabbed power by colluding with state agencies in a flawed election. The West is also aware that the said exercise was characterized by Tinubus pattern of violent extremism, including thuggery, and political assassinations. Needless to drum his well-documented shady background, which includes fake biodata, a corruption profile of international dimension, and connections to illicit drug trafficking in the United States of America. These shameless infractions are definitively more immoral and more undemocratic than the shenanigans of Donald J. Trump. Of course, there was a wave of global campaign to place Tinubu squarely where he belongs. In the piece, Why The World Must Resist The Tinubu Coup, published March 3, 2023, I joined to alert the international community that imposing the man against the wishes of a vast majority of the Nigerian people was to smash a Pandora box of an unimaginable crisis. I concluded then that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a threat to world peace and must be stopped. Sir, today, the new Nigerian president has turned his critics into instant prophets. In a blatant attempt to hang onto an office that remains in dispute, Mr. Tinubu is instigating crisis in all fronts. The most hypocritical is the current quagmire in Niger Republic that is indeed threatening the world piece. The issue at stake, remember, is that General Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger Republic seized power through a palace coup detat. Suddenly, Bola Ahmed Tinubuan ageless violent extremist who broke all manners of constitutional order to snatch power and who continues to show no regard for the rule of law while in officewants to lead the world to restore constitutional order in Republic of Niger. Clearly, the world is faced with a case of a brigand posing as a forest guard! Now, consider that leadership is contingent upon the environment. Also consider the objective fact that the antecedents of Tchiani of Niger Republic before gaining power are by far more moral than those of Tinubu of Nigeria. Follow that with the common knowledge why Africans tend to resort to military coups. Combine such implications with a trending reality that, unlike the dictator in Niger Republic, the one grandstanding as a democrat in Nigeria is in a pace for a place in Guinness World Records for assembling the most corrupt regime in the human history. There and then explains some of the factors why Tchiani is popular with his people while Tinubu remains a repugnant pariah, generally seen around Africa as an illegitimate president cum imperial puppet. Mr. President, the gospel truth is that the stout opposition by the Nigerian people to military intervention in Niger Republic is not because of any preference to military rule. Indeed, my people strongly advocate a democratic system. The apparent problem is that Mr. Bola Tinubu, the primary instigator of the conflict, lacks legitimacy and credibility. It is also necessary to state without equivocation that the Nigerian people still treasure our long-standing bilateral ties with Western nations, particularly the United States. But it is equally imperative to remind here that Africa has become very sophisticated. Any perception of exploitation or double standard by the West is an instant boost to the growing popularity of Russia in the continent. The solution is simple. It lies in the genius of your epoch-making speech on the Apartheid South Africa cited at the beginning of this letter. It demands that your favourites in Nigeria are the Nigerian people. These Nigerian people are anxious for a democracy in which their president is truly elected by the people. This explains why all their eyes are on the Nigerian Judiciarynot the Niger Republic. These your very favourites simply want to ensure that the presidential election tribunal can rule in line with the Constitution and the extant electoral laws. They also want those who subverted the will of the people to be held to account, the way the Americans have held Trump to account. The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, the onus is on you to truly stand with these Nigerian masses. I extend my best wishes to you and your family! Sincerely, Dr. SKC Ogbonnia Houston, TX. The Yoruba Referendum Committee acknowledges the Northern Elders Forums intervention in the evolving political and military situation in the Niger Republic, deviating from the general trend anchored on specious reasoning by various leaders and interests, all tending towards providing an excuse for the military coup. Situating the intervention within the context of global politics, its consequences, and Africas capacity and capability to address the problem, the NEF concluded that the military cannot be the answer to Africas search for good leaders that should lead it out of its massive restrictions. The Western world preaches democracy during the day and exploits us in the night. If Africa will develop, it cannot do so the way the Western world, Russia, or China wants it. Africas challenge is to see through the falsehood that we are owed any good by the rest of the world. We can grow and develop, but we have to do it our way. To which the Yoruba Referendum Committee responds as follows: (i) We agree that the military cannot be the answer, not simply because it is the military but because of Africas experience with the military, especially when its colonial origins enabled it to truncate Africas march towards development in the immediate post-colonial period. Looking towards the military in this period will therefore be akin to doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. This is further proven by the military rulers of Burkina Faso, who have begun a process of what they described as depoliticization of governance. This is meant to ensure that government bureaucracy is depoliticized. Yet, in Nigeria, in the First Republic, in the Western Region, the Civil Service was adjudged a shining example and the head of the Civil Service, at the time, Chief Simeon Adebo, was seconded to the UN on the strength of the performance of the Regions civil service, the achievement which was negated by military rule. What the military rulers of Burkina Faso are proposing as revolutionary had been the practice about 60 years ago under a civilian and democratic administration in Nigeria. (ii) With the above, the question to be answered is how to prevent the military from its self-imposed mission as the solution, especially when the military is not an external force but a part of the body politic with a specific mission of defending the territorial integrity of the country. This is the crux of the problem. (iii) If, as NEF says, we cannot do it the way the Western world, Russia, and China want it, it follows that this can be possible and feasible only when we do not define the problem according to their terms. Hence the question of defending the territorial integrity of any country in Africa translates into utilizing the ways of the West because the territory was created by the West and controlled by its Nation-State paradigm. We note that the Nation-State is a Western notion, forged through the various wars against the divine right of kings which led to the abolition of the monarchies and eventually the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 and which brought about the Nation-State paradigm because the emerging States at the time, especially those which eventually became the colonial powers, that is, Netherlands, England, Germany, France, Portugal, and Spain, were made up of people of the same Nationality, hence the State and its apparatus of administration/government reflected the Nation or Nationality. (iv) On the other hand, Russia and China are different because their multinational nature is foundational to their existence, recognized, and constitutionally guaranteed. The Russian Federation is described as consisting of republics, krays, oblasts, cities of federal significance, an autonomous oblast and autonomous okrugs, which shall have equal rights as constituent entities of the Russian Federation whose multinational people are the bearer of sovereignty and the sole source of power in the Russian Federation, China describes itself as a unitary multi-national state built up jointly by the people of all its nationalities, whilst recognizing Regional autonomy in areas where people of minority nationalities live in compact communities; organs of self-government are established for the exercise of the right of autonomy. All the national autonomous areas are inalienable parts of the People's Republic of China . (v) Therefore, grouping Russia, China, and the Western world into a foreign category and in the process making it become the prism of our engagement with them, often lining up behind one or the other as the military regimes in West Africa are doing, without addressing the foundational nature of their State formation but merely reinforcing the Nation-State paradigm, thereby denying the realities of the West African(African) States as Multi-National societies. This shows that, aside from global politics and foreign intervention in African affairs, a major problem in Africa is the denial of our multinationalism, multilingualism, and multiculturalism, which has led to the architecture of the State as a direct competitor of, and in opposition to, the aspirations and expectations of the people/citizens, which flows from and endorses Nation-State paradigm. Nigeria also provides a good example when it describes itself as a Federation consisting of States and a Federal Capital Territory, as if the people occupying the states do not exist. Hence, defending territorial integrity often translates into attempts at suppressing ethno-nationalism by a dominant nationality through the instrumentality of the military. (vi) In 1883/1884, Europeans gathered in Berlin and arbitrarily drew maps that have now become the Nation States in Africa and upon whose existence their sovereignty rests. Therefore, the first step in addressing the preponderance and/or resurgence of military coups lies in correcting the 1883/84 anomaly. If Europeans can carve out territories according to their whims backed by their military forces, nothing should stop Africans from reversing it as a means of addressing the problems caused by Europe. (vii) Hence, NATIONALITY REFERENDUMS in Nigeria as the precursor to the construction of the Federal Multi-National State as proposed by the Yoruba Referendum Committee is also applicable to West Africa because conflicts in West Africa are within the context of the Nation-State which discarded the Nationalities as foundational to State formation because of their inherent cultural and social aspirations play no part in its formation. This has played out over and over, and in the case of current experience in West Africa, these ethnonational conflicts are often tagged as terrorism, jihadism etc. The Tuareg Rebellion in Mali and the resurgence of a similar rebellion in Niger with the new military coup, the crisis in Cameroon, and the Central African Republics experience are prime examples. (viii) It is understood that war and violence have generated their own momentum, becoming the norm; yet we believe a start can be made by and from Nigeria which can also become the beacon for the rest. This is why the Yoruba Referendum Committee is advocating Nationality Referendums in Nigeria as the route toward peaceful and non-violent resolution. As we have noted, the Bill for Yoruba Referendum includes provision for a Division of the Federal Armed Forces in the Region, 90% of which personnel shall be indigenes of the Region. The Divisional commander shall be an indigene of Oduduwa Region. This can be adapted by any Nationality in West Africa, within their own contexts. (ix) The implication of this provision is that a military coup against the Federal Multi-National State will be impossible without the concurrence of all the Divisional Commanders and by extension, the Divisional Army. This will enable the Nationalities to become the primary defenders of their security unlike the current situation where they are helpless against terrorists and jihadists despite the efforts of the National armies. We are convinced that if this is adopted, it would make coup plotting redundant as every Nationality in Nigeria, nay in the African region, would see no reason to take arms up against other nationalities. For, as is well-known, most coups on the continent usually have ethnic coloration in addition to other factors. Otherwise, it will be an unwanted war of all against all. (x) Ethiopia provides an example. The attempt at dissolving its Federal Multi-National State derisively described as Ethnic Federalism and substituting it with Ethiopianism has not only led to the current war situation but has also elevated the atrocities committed by the various parties to the level of terrorism which is experienced as a daily occurrence in West Africa, even if these atrocities are not described as such. The reality on the ground in Ethiopia shows the necessity to address the National Question as was done by the post-military administration, which, again, points to the fact that the prevention of military coups depends on the ability of the various National groups to provide the doctrines and architecture of their own security and therefore their political preferences, all of which point to the architecture of State as a Federal Multi-National State. We also note the current Ethiopianism is a return to Ethiopia Tikdem, the Ethiopian military (the Derg) slogan for its State and from which a coalition of Nationalities in Ethiopia fought a bitter civil war to overthrow the Derg and constitute the Federal Multi-National State. (xi) Doing it our own way, therefore, demands recognition of ourselves as part of a multinational society which must inform on our architecture of State. The Yoruba Referendum Committee has taken the step of providing the Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti State Houses of Assembly with the Bill for a Referendum to be passed into Law as part of their responsibility to conduct the Referendum. It is our hope the Northern Elders Forum will take a cue from this move and apply it to the North, within its context. Editorial Board Yoruba Referendum Committee Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the provision of 19 F-16 fighters to Ukraine. "Today we announce that we will provide 19 F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Together with the Netherlands, we are the first country that can make a serious, unshakable commitment to provide fighter jets. And I hope that other countries will follow this example," he said in Copenhagen after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday. According to her, "we hope and believe that the Danish fighters will help protect your sky, protect the Ukrainian people and help Ukraine regain the lands that rightfully belong to you." "Mr. Zelenskyy, please accept this gift as a sign that the Danes support you in your struggle for freedom. We are on your side both now and in the future." American with weed blower spurs Bangla checks PHUKET: A foreign man offering people to be doused with a cloud a marijuana smoke on Bangla Rd is what prompted the cannabis checks on the popular party street in Patong, Phuket Provincial Police have explained. patongpoliceCannabiscrimetourism By The Phuket News Monday 21 August 2023 11:17 AM Officials learned of the mans antics only after photos were posted on social media, prompting police and officers from the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) to conduct the checks on Bangla Rd on Friday night (Aug 18), Phuket Provincial Police explained in a Facebook post last night (Aug 20). Some 20 officers led by Patong Police Deputy Chief Pol Lt Col Somporn Surin began their checks after 10:30pm. Joining the police contingent was the Kathu District Deputy Chief, Patong Municipality officials and a group of volunteers. Several venues on Bangla Rd were inspected to check for correct licenses to permit the sale of controlled herbs and to ensure that no sales were being made to people under the age of 20, minors or pregnant women. Further checks were made to ensure nobody was smoking maijuana in public spaces, officers confirmed. No violations were found. However, officers failed to find the man wanted for using his weed blower to infuse people with a cloud of cannabis smoke. Officers checked CCTV and later confirmed that the man was American national Angkhan Vorac Chhieng, who arrived in Thailand at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Aug 15. He was staying at a hotel on Bangla Rd. Chhieng confessed that his purpose was to create promotional material for selling marijuana in other countries, and was not aware of the wrongness of his actions, Provincial Police said. He also said he felt sorry for the unintended harm done to Phukets image as a tourist destination, and decided to make a video apology, Provincial Police continued. Patong Police later confirmed that Chhieng left Phuket on Vietjet Flight VZ310 on Saturday (Aug 19). In response to the incident, local authorities have taken steps to ensure proper follow-through. The Patong Police Superintendent issued notifications to both the Immigration Office and Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, directing them to take appropriate actions within their respective spheres of authority, the Provincial Police statement said. Fugitive Australian nabbed for drug rap BANGKOK: Police have arrested an Australian man wanted in his home country on drugs and weapons charges, who was staying in Phuket on a Thai student visa. immigrationcrimedrugs By Bangkok Post Monday 21 August 2023 04:27 PM Image: Immigration Bureau Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat Sajjapan, Immigration Bureau (IB) commissioner, said during a press briefing last Thursday (Aug 17) that Robert Wainwright had been sent to Phuket Immigration Office after his arrest in Rawai. Wainwright was reportedly staying in Phuket with student status through a language school with his Australian girlfriend. Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat said Wainwrights girlfriend handled his affairs to avoid suspicion. Immigration police arrested Wainwright and his girlfriend while leaving a villa in Phuket on Aug 10. Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat said the Royal Thai Police had been informed of Wainwrights presence by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which is targeting a drug-trafficking syndicate of which Wainwright is suspected of being a member. Kusoldharm Phuket hands out more than 3,000 survival bags for Por Tor festival In a heartwarming display of community solidarity, well-known local charitable organisation Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation has distributed more than 3,000 survival bags to individuals and families in need as part of the annual Por Tor Festival celebrations. Communityculture By The Phuket News Monday 21 August 2023 05:06 PM The festival, which pays tribute to ancestors and embodies the values of togetherness and compassion, has been marked by this notable act of support. At this years festival, held in Phuket, a total of 2,200 sets of survival bags were handed out directly in front of the foundations headquarters in Phuket Town. An additional 1,000 sets were thoughtfully designated for the sea gypsy community residing on Koh Siray. Lek Tantiwongphaisan, Chairperson of the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation, led this initiative to aid those in need. The Por Tor Festival, this year being observed in Phuket from Aug 14-24, holds a significant place within the local community, signifying a time to remember and assist those who face challenges. The core teh krajat ceremony symbolises an outreach to individuals who may be undergoing difficulties. This years festival has gained deeper meaning through the distribution of survival bags containing essential items, further reinforcing the communitys support for one another. The festival is also recognised as the Hungry Ghost Festival, a tradition deeply rooted in Phukets cultural heritage. Central to this event is the belief that ancestral spirits visit the living during this period. In response, communities unite to provide offerings, a gesture of respect and appeasement to honour these spirits. The Por Tor Festival is entrenched in tradition and holds spiritual significance, centering around extending merit to departed souls without living family members. The teh krajat ceremony, which acts as an expression of remembrance and reverence, seeks to provide solace to the less fortunate. Additionally, the festival encompasses prayers and merit offerings to souls awaiting rebirth, commonly referred to as unborn spirits. Numerous locations within the community serve as venues for these ceremonies. The vibrant Phuket Fresh Market and Ranong Rd bustle with spiritual activities, while the Bang Neow Shrine resonates with heartfelt rituals. A prominent highlight of the festival, the basket dumping ceremony, takes place at the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation. The Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation, leading this philanthropic initiative year after year, remains dedicated to its mission of alleviating the challenges faced by the underprivileged in the Phuket region. This event exemplifies their steadfast commitment to this noble cause and emphasises the unity and compassion inherent in the Por Tor Festival and the local culture at large. Phuket officials echo alcohol promotion warning PHUKET: The Phuket Info Center, operated under the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, has shared a warning by the Department of Disease Control that promoting alcohol on social media is illegal. alcoholcrime By The Phuket News Monday 21 August 2023 01:28 PM The image that landed Padipat Suntiphada, Deputy House Speaker and the elected MP for Phitsanulok, in hot water. (Can of beer obscured for legal reasons.) Posting pictures of alcoholic beverages on social media constitutes an offense under the Alcohol Control Act B.E. 2551, the warning pointed out. The initial warning, by Dr Niphon Chinanonvech, Director of the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee, under the Ministry of Public Health Department of Disease Control, was branded as a clarification of the case of a famous person sharing information that is trending in the online world. The famous person inferred, but not named, by the warning is Deputy House Speaker Padipat Suntiphada, the elected MP for Phitsanulok and a member of the Move Forward Party. Mr Padipat Suntiphada had posted on his Facebook account a picture of himself with a can of beer. He said in the post that it was an interesting product, the first craft beer brewed in Phitsanulok. In a video posted online, he is seen drinking the beer. Within 48 hours of the post, on Aug 13, activist Srisuwan Janya filed a formal complaint over the post and said he had already asked House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha to launch an ethics investigation into Deputy House Speaker Padipat. Mr Srisuwan alleged that in posting the photograph Mr Padipat had violated Section 32 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which prohibits the advertising of alcoholic beverages. In the warning shared by the Phuket Info Center, which also bore the official logo of the Public Relations Department, Dr Niphon pointed out that any form of promotion of alcohol, especially presenting any images of alcohol products and packaging, were illegal under the Alcohol Control Act B.E. 2551. Section 32, paragraph one, clearly states that such actions are offenses for advertising alcoholic beverages. have the effect of persuading or persuading, whether directly or indirectly, the warning said. Under the Act, the following definitions are understood: Advertising means any act which enables the public to see, hear or know of any information for commercial purpose, including marketing communication; Marketing communication means any activity organised for the selling of goods, providing services, creating images, public relations, distribution of information, sales promotion, product exhibition, organising or providing support to organise any special events and direct marketing; Message includes any act which displays letters, illustrations, films, lights, sounds or symbols or any act which enables an individual to understand the meaning thereof; Label means a picture, artificial mark, paper or any other thing which displays information of goods as affixed to the goods or their container or parcel or inserted in or combined with the goods or their container or parcel, including any document or manual for use with the goods and any tag posted or presented on the goods or their container or parcel. Section 32 of the Act states in full: No person shall advertise or display, directly or indirectly, the name or trademark of any alcoholic beverage in a manner showing the properties thereof or inducing another person to drink. Advertisements or public relations provided by the manufacturer of any kind of alcoholic beverage shall only be made for giving information thereof or giving social creative knowledge without displaying any illustration of such alcoholic beverage or its package, except for the display of a symbol of such alcoholic beverage or that of its manufacturer as prescribed by the Ministerial Regulation. The provisions of paragraph one and paragraph two shall not apply to any advertisement broadcast from outside of the Kingdom. Section 43 of the Act details the penalties for breaching Section 32, as follows: Whoever violates section 32 shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand Baht or both. In addition to the liability under paragraph one, the violator shall be liable to a daily fine not exceeding fifty thousand Baht a day through the period of violation or until acting correctly. Students rescued after PRU elevator fails PHUKET: Sixteen students were rescued after spending an hour and a half stuck in an elevator at Phuket Rajabhat University today (Aug 21). Safety By Eakkapop Thongtub Monday 21 August 2023 06:54 PM Police and emergency services were called to the university, located in Ratsada, north of Phuket Town, at about 1:30pm The students were trapped in the elevator, which had stopped moving on the fourth floor of the Faculty of Management Sciences building. An EMS Advance Unit from Vachira Phuket Hospital and rescue workers from the Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation soon arrived. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew also soon arrived to oversee operations and to provide support for the students. A fan was used to blow air into the elevator. Concerned about the students being unable to breathe properly, an oxygen line was also inserted into the lift. Attempts to get the elevator working again failed, and initial attempts to open the doors also failed. Rescue workers were eventually forced to use hydraulic equipment to force the doors open so the students all first-year students at the Faculty of Science, Management and Health Tourism could climb out. The 10 male and six female students were assessed by medical staff at the scene, with two taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital. The latter twos medical condition was not reported. One student at the scene said it was not the first time there had been problems with the elevator. Occasionally the lift would move up and down without any people pressing buttons to call it, the student said. Zelensky hails historic decision to hand F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday (Aug 20) hailed on a visit to the Netherlands a historic decision to supply F-16 fighter jets to strengthen Ukraines Soviet-era air force. RussianUkraineviolencemilitarypolitics By AFP Monday 21 August 2023 07:17 AM Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky (2nd right) and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (right) standing next to a F-16 fighter jet in the hangar at the Eindhoven Military Air Base in Eindhoven. Photo: Handout / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/ AFP It came two days after the United States approved the transfer to Ukraine of Dutch as well as Danish US-made warplanes, a key demand by Kyiv as it seeks greater firepower from allies during a grinding counteroffensive against Russia. Zelensky landed at a Dutch airforce base in Eindhoven at around 10am GMT (4pm Phket time), a Dutch government spokesperson told AFP, and inspected the aircraft shortly after. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte rubber-stamped the deliveries, saying: The Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer F-16s to Ukraine once the conditions for such a transfer have been met. The decision is absolutely historic, powerful and inspiring for us, Zelensky said at a press conference with Rutte. This is another step towards strengthening Ukraines air shield. Details of the aircraft delivery to Ukraine have not been unveiled. The Dutch and the Danes are leading a plan to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the US-made aircraft as part of an 11-nation coalition, with training potentially complete by early 2024. Washington has strict rules on the sale or transfer of US military equipment by its allies. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow will regard Western F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine as a nuclear threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons. Zelensky was in Sweden on Saturday, finalising with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson the production of V90 armoured vehicles in Ukraine and Ukrainian pilots participating in test trials of Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Drones downed in Russia Russia said it thwarted Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and its region yesterday, the second such incident in two days. Both sides have reported regular drone incursions during the conflict, with strikes on Russian territory becoming increasingly regular. At around 4am (1am GMT), an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack by drone on infrastructure in Moscow and the Moscow region was thwarted, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. The Moscow-bound drone was destroyed by electronic warfare and crashed into an uninhabited area after losing control, the ministry added, reporting no victims or damage. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin thanked Russias military for their work on the Telegram messaging app. Aviation agency Rosaviatsia said flights to the Domodedovo and Vnukovo international airports were temporarily limited at night before returning to normal, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. A Ukrainian drone raid also hit a railway station in the western Russian city of Kursk, injuring five people, the regional governor said early yesterday. In the southern region of Rostov that borders Ukraine, Russian air defence intercepted two Ukrainian drones, the governor said. Heinous attack in Chernihiv Zelensky has vowed a tangible answer to Saturdays attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, which came during the Orthodox holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord as some attended morning church services. Vyacheslav Chaus, governor of the Chernihiv region, announced 7 people dead, 148 people received injuries in an update yesterday. 41 people remain in hospitals. 15 people underwent surgeries, he said in a post on Telegram, adding that more than 500 homes suffered damage. Zelensky had noted the dead included a six-year-old girl and that there were 15 children among the wounded. Denise Brown, UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said it was heinous to attack the main square of a large city, in the morning, while people are out walking, some going to church to celebrate a religious day for many Ukrainians. Chernihiv, 150 kilometres (90 miles) north of Kyiv towards Belarus, had largely been spared from major attacks since the first months of Russias invasion as fierce fighting rages in the east and south. The Russian army marched through the city when it invaded Ukraine through Belarus in February 2022, before being repelled by Kyivs forces. Ukraine launched its widely expected counteroffensive in June but has come up against fierce resistance from entrenched Russian forces. Free medical camp held | BISHNUPUR, Aug 21: A free medical camp was held yesterday for the displaced people who are taking refuge at the relief camp opened at Anita Standard High School, Kwakta. The free medical camp was jointly organised by Bishnupur District United Clubs Organisation under the aegis of All Manipur United Clubs Organization, Meitei Pangal Intellectual Forum, Bishnupur district and JNIMS. A team of JNIMS comprising 10 doctors and other para-medical staff examined the inmates of various health concerns and also provided free medicines. Planned aggression: To what end? | The tragic violent crisis which erupted in the State on May 3, 2023 is, so far, largely a tale of aggression on all fronts and fierce retaliation. The infamous Churachandpur rally of May 3 ignited a vicious cycle of violence. The aggressiveness was visible on the first day itself with many heavily armed combatants marching in the midst of the equally charged civilians. In the name of the so-called Tribal Solidarity Rally, thousands of people, both armed and unarmed, marched all the way from Churachandpur to Torbung Bangla. Within minutes, the marchers from Churachandpur opened indiscriminate fire and thus drove off the unsuspecting villagers before setting ablaze hundreds of houses. The attack at Torbung Bangla turned out to be the beginning of a pre-meditated, pre-planned and well coordinated offensive. Within no time, similar violence erupted in Meitei settlement areas of Kangpokpi, Moreh and other Kuki dominated areas. The attack was so aggressive that the Meiteis, even the most vigilant ones, were caught off guard and found themselves stupefied. In the evening, Meiteis started a fierce retaliation targeting Kuki settlement areas at Imphal. Unlike the offensive, the retaliation, though fierce, was spontaneous, unplanned and disorganised. No doubt, the physical or military offensive was so aggressive that it succeeded in plunging the whole State into a very deep violent crisis on the first day itself. What is more interesting is the fact that the subsequent media campaign was equally or more aggressive. The media campaign was quite aggressive and successful, at least for the first two months that it succeeded in influencing a large section of the media and also in articulating several narratives which projected the offenders as victims and the victims as offenders. The media campaign managers of the offenders deserve accolades and commendation, at least for their highly zealous and aggressive working style. The first narrative said that the violent crisis was a clash between tribals and non-tribals. The second narrative claimed that it was between Christians and Hindus, and the third one ran like it was between the majority and the minority. The media campaign was so successful in the initial phase that even the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the alleged persecution of minority Christians by majority Hindus. The Kuki narrative went on changing as the other party, though belatedly, launched counter narratives, and the narratives started crumbling one after another. The tribal versus non-tribal narrative fell flat after it was highlighted that a large section of the tribal community was not involved in the crisis in any manner. Likewise, the Hindu versus Christian narrative crumbled given the fact that a major Christian community of the State did not see the violence as an attack to their faith. The majority versus minority narrative dissipated into thin air after the Union Home Minister pointed out on the floor of the Parliament that illegal immigrants from Myanmar had a hand in the violent crisis. The demand for separate administration raised by the 10 Kuki MLAs which subsequently became a common slogan for many organisations was also no less aggressive. The violent crisis was not even 10 days old when the 10 MLAs raised the banner of separate administration. Even after the Union Home Minister had rejected the same demand, the exponents of separate administration have been doggedly pursuing the same using different terms like Union Territory, separate State and separate DGP and Chief Secretary. If one juxtaposes this demand for separate administration with the violence, a very clear picture emerges. By launching concerted, well-coordinated and sometimes simultaneous attacks quite aggressively, Kuki militants and their supporters were 100 per cent successful in driving out Meitei people from Kuki dominated areas like Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh and also from many peripheral areas of the valley districts. Not long after, the exponents of separate administration were claiming that population separation of Meitei people and Kuki people had been completed. It looks like the exponents of separate administration had a fair idea in advance of how the Meitei people would react to their offensive. In another word, the months long violent crisis is not any spontaneous outburst of pent up anger or grievances but it has all the elements of a pre-mediated and well-planned politico-military offensive, backed by well-oiled and highly aggressive propaganda machinery. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov announced the next, 15th meeting in the Ramstein format, it will take place from September 17 to September 24 in an offline format. "It will take place offline from September 17 to September 24," Reznikov said in an interview with journalist Andriana Kucher. According to him, the priority issues at the meeting will be the provision of air defense systems, including aviation. "The number one priority is air defense, with all its components ... plus aviation, as part of air defense. The second is artillery and ammunition. The third thing is, as I say, steel fist, armored vehicles of all kinds ... and all kinds of spare parts for it And, of course, the training of our servicemen, the renewal of brigades, the formation of new brigades," Reznikov said. Earlier in the interview, the minister noted that in no case can we talk about reducing the importance of meetings in the Ramstein format. "Why will Ramstein, which will be held in the fall, be important? Because we will communicate our vision of the future for the next years," Reznikov said. Trinamul Congress is gearing up to make the foundation day of the Trinamul Chatra Parishad ( TMCP) a grand success. A meeting will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Mayo Road, which will be addressed by partys chairperson Mamata Banerjee and partys national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. After the formation of Trinamul Congress, 28 August is celebrated as the foundation day of the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad, the partys student wing. Mamata Banerjee started her political career as a worker of the Indian National Congress-affiliated Chhatra Parishad. Miss Banerjee later left the Congress to form the Trinamul Congress. Miss Banerjees and Abhishek Banerjees remarks at the gathering are keenly awaited, particularly in view of the present situation in Jadavpur University where a student died at the main hostel in an incident linked to ragging in the institution. So far nine present and past students have been arrested. Despite repeated requests by the University authoritiesm the students have refused to allow CCTV cameras to be installed in the campus saying that this would mean intrusion of their privacy. Miss Banerjee while addressing a gathering held recently said she did not like to go to Jadavpur University because of some students. TMCP so far has not tried seriously to gain control over JU which is still controlled by the students belonging to Left and ultra Left unions. TMCP leader Rajanya Halder said the task is difficult, but TMCP is determined to break the vested interest of some students. Advertisement Senior Trinamul leaders said Miss Banerjee and bhishek would give instructions to the students regarding JU. A team of TMC leaders comprising ministers and MPs went to the house of the deceased JU student Swapnadip Kundu and talked to his parents. They gave assurance to them that no one involved in the matter will be spared. Miss Banerjee always want students to join politics and as this will one of the last major events before the Lok Sabha election scheduled to be held early next year, it is expected that the partys chairperson and the national general secretary would give instructions to the students as to how they should organise movements to highlight the failure of the BJP and how they are fanning communalism. The city is likely to come to a standstill as rallies from different parts in the city will converge at the Gandhi statue. Elaborate police arrangements will be made to ensure smooth proceedings. The newly built Dwarka Expressway is Indias first eight-lane elevated expressway being built at a cost of Rs 9,000 cr. The 27.6 km long, , elevated, grade-separated expressway, connects Dwarka in Delhi to Kherki Daula toll plaza in Gurgaon in Haryana. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, unveiling the technically modern look of the expressway in a video on X with the caption, Marvel of Engineering: The Dwarka Expressway! A State-of-the-Art Journey into the Future On both sides of the expressway, there are three-lane service roads. To avoid traffic jams, entry points have been made on these service lanes. Many flyovers, tunnels, underpasses, grade roads, elevated roads, and flyovers are a part of the expressway. Advertisement The road starts from Shiv Murti on National Highway 8 and ends at Kherki Daula toll plaza in Gurugram. 18.9 km of the expressway is in Gurugram while 10.1 km of it falls in Delhi. The Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway is likely to experience less traffic as a result of this expressway, which has been proposed as an alternative route between Delhi and Gurgaon. It is the first project in India for which, 1,200 trees were retransplanted. When the project is finished, connectivity between Delhi and Haryana would improve greatly. Additionally, the project will improve Sector 25 of Dwarkas International Convention Centers connectivity. The expressway was built with two lakh tonnes of steel, which is 30 times more than was used to build the Eiffel Tower, according to the video released by the Highways minister. The project needed 20 lakh cubic meters of cement concrete, which is six times more than was used for the Burj Khalifa. The entire $7,500 crore project was planned in 2006, and the contract was signed in 2011. By 2016, 14 km of the original 18-km project had been finished. The projects scope was expanded to include a few additional kilometers of project routes. Due to difficulties with land acquisition and tree transplanting, some project components stayed behind schedule. How much travel time: 15 minutes to travel from Dwarka to Manesar 20 minutes to go from Manesar to the Indira Gandhi International Airport 25 minutes to travel from Dwarka to the Singhu border 45 minutes to travel from Manesar to the Singhu border The Central government-owned mortgage lender, Bank of Baroda (BOB) laden with Rs.34,832.16 crore of gross non performing loans as on June 30, has decided to withdraw its decision to auction actor Sunny Deols Mumbai property for non payment of its loan about Rs 56 crore and interest on that. The decision comes a day after Bank of Baroda advertised about e-auctioning of the actors property. The bank in a newspaper advertisement on Monday said that the sale notice I respect of Mr. Ajay Sing Deol alias Mr. Sunny Deol stands withdrawn due to Technical Reasons and listed the description of the property. Advertisement On Sunday in the newspaper advertisement, that has been widely circulated in the social media, BOB said the borrower, Sunny Deol, owed the bank about Rs 55.99 crore plus interest and cost from December 26, 2022 onwards less recovery upto date. Whether the bank misspelt the actors name as Ajay Sing Deol instead of Ajay Singh Deol is yet to be ascertained. According to the bank, the property that is put on e-auction measures 599.44 sq. metres and a structure known as Sunny Villa located in Mumbais Juhu locality. Sunny Deol is described as the borrower/guarantor and the other guarantors are Dharmendra Singh Deol and Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd. The bank is auctioning the property under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2022. The reserve price is about Rs 51.43 crore and the earnest money deposit is fixed as about Rs 5.14 crore. According to BOB, the property can be inspected between 11 a.m and 1 p.m. on September 14 and the status of the possession is symbolic. The bank also said the borrowers/guarantors can redeem the securities by paying the outstanding dues/costs/charges and expenses at any time before the sale is conducted. The auction notice was issued by BOBs Zonal Stressed Asset Recovery Branch, Ballard Estate, Mumbai. Sunny Deol was not available on phone when IANS tried to get his reaction to the BOB e-auction advertisement on Sunday. During a recent press conference, Adil Khan Durrani, Rakhi Sawants former husband, made several claims, asserting that Rakhi had been unfaithful to him with her ex-husband. Adil, a businessman hailing from Mysore, began by introducing himself and then proceeded to accuse Rakhi of framing him. Adil said, Im a simple businessman from Mysore. While discussing Rakhi Sawants alleged infidelity, he explained, After Rakhi returned from London, I found out that she was in contact with Ritesh. I would see him texting and calling her. I overheard Ritesh saying to Rakhi, The 7 days we spent in the UK were wonderful Then Rakhi went to Bigg Boss Marathi. As for Rakhis stance, she has levied a range of accusations against Adil, which encompass charges such as assault, unauthorized appropriation of money and valuables from her residence without her awareness, involvement in unconventional activities, and subjecting her to dowry-related harassment, among other claims. Advertisement What did Adil Khan Durrani say? Adil went on to reveal that it was during this time that he discovered Rakhi was legally married to Ritesh, and they were not divorced when she married him. He expressed his confusion, stating, Her legal documents stated she was single, how could I doubt that? My biggest mistake was trusting Rakhi. He even presented marriage documents and pictures of Rakhi and Ritesh to support his claims. Adil Khan Durrani, a businessman and Rakhi Sawants former spouse, was recently in Mumbai. He was in Mysuru prison on charges of fraud, theft, and assault, as reported in an FIR filed by Rakhi Sawant. After his release, he returned to Mumbai and decided to hold a press conference to present his perspective on the matter, with the intention of revealing what he believes is the truth about Rakhi Sawant. When asked if he intends to meet Rakhi again, he asserted that he wont engage in the media circus like she has. Instead, he plans to share his side of the story in a dignified manner during the press conference. The renowned figure from the Half CA web series, Gyanendra Tripathi, is currently collaborating on the upcoming series Choona, alongside Jimmy Shergill, Namit Das, and other talented actors. The series is set to premiere on Netflix next month. The TVF-produced Half CA received widespread acclaim from viewers, recognizing Tripathis significant contributions. Originally hailing from Bhopal, he later pursued his passion for filmmaking by joining FTII. However, due to limited financial resources, Tripathi initially couldnt afford FTIIs fees, which led him to work at Infosys BPO for three years before eventually securing admission to FTII. Tripathi noted, FTII taught me the depth of acting beyond just name and fame. While initially facing rejection, he eventually earned a role in Akshay Kumars Gabbar is Back. In the following years, he shared the screen with John Abraham in Romeo Akbar Walter and with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Raat Akeli Hai. Advertisement As an outsider in the industry, he encountered numerous challenges but praised the generosity of the actors he worked with. Recalling a memorable incident from the set of Romeo Akbar Walter, Tripathi shared an accident he experienced during filming, highlighting how, despite their limited familiarity, John Abraham stepped in to offer his support. When offering advice to newcomers, Gyanendra Tripathi emphasized the importance of setting clear goals and seizing acting opportunities without underestimating any role. He said, A newcomer should consistently refine themselves like craftsmen. Gyanendra encouraged aspiring actors to engage in activities such as reading literature, watching movies, and studying interviews during their free time, as these experiences help shape their personalities as actors, and free time becomes scarce as work commitments increase. Tripathi stressed the continuous pursuit of growth opportunities for actors. Alia Bhatt has been showing her support for Elvish Yadav in the second season of Bigg Boss OTT. While he emerged as the victor of the show, his win has garnered mixed reactions. A particular tweet criticized Alia for endorsing Elvish, labelling him as someone without shame, given his history of insulting Swara Bhaskar back in 2021. Alia Bhatt seemed to be part of the massive audience that engaged with Salman Khans second instalment of Bigg Boss OTT. For the actress, this had added significance, given that her half-sister Pooja Bhatt was among the 13 contenders in the competition, eventually making it to the finals. As Alia rooted for Poojas success, she also commended Elvish Yadav and Manisha Rani. The culmination came on August 14, with Elvish prevailing over Abhishek Malhan to secure the coveted trophy. Swara Bhaskar subtly criticized Alia Bhatts endorsement of Bigg Boss OTT 2 victor Elvish Yadav, implying her disapproval. Advertisement Swara shared a retweet that criticized Alia Bhatt for backing the Bigg Boss OTT 2 champion. Although Swara refrained from adding her own commentary, she aligned herself indirectly with the group of individuals who have called out Alia for supporting Elvish Yadav. This is noteworthy because Elvish Yadav has previously sparked controversies through his online statements, some of which have been directed against Swara Bhaskar. Alia Bhatt, who is basking in the success of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, held an interactive session on Instagram where fans could ask her anything. During the session, a fan inquired about her thoughts on the winner of Bigg Boss OTT 2. Alia replied with Systummm. In response, the YouTuber expressed affection by saying, I Love You. However, those who werent supportive of Elvish Yadavs win criticized Alia for backing him. Some people pointed out that he had been disrespectful to Swara Bhasker in the past. They found old tweets from Elvish where he had written unpleasant things about Swara. One user shared these tweets: Hello @aliaa08, This is Elvish Yadav, the person youre showering praise upon. Take a good look at his utterly reprehensible attitude towards women, how he is shamelessly engages in $exual h@rassmnt directed at@ReallySwara. What a downgrade for an actress like you. The user attached screenshots of how insulting Elvish has been towards Swara. Swara responded to the tweet and shared it on her own profile. In 2021, Swara and Elvish got in a heated exchange on Twitter regarding a political issue. When Swara provided evidence to counter Elvishs claims, she tweeted, Liar liar! Chaddhi (underwear) on fire! Elvishs response was, Excessive m@sturb@tion makes you blind was a myth but swara didi isko sahi prove karri hai. GST word use kiya mene swara? Alia has been a consistent supporter of Elvish for quite some time. During a promotional event for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in Kolkata, Alia remarked. Elvish mujhe bohot naughty lagte hai. Unka jaisa woh andaaz hai, jaise woh bolta hai (Elvish seems very naughty to me. The way he carries himself, the way he speaks), its very entertaining. He is very funny. I like him a lot. Are the tides in the northern districts of the state of West Bengal already turning in favoring of the Trinamool Congress, less than a year to go before the Parliamentary elections of 2024? It would seem that way just from the criticism that Trinamools chief political rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is receiving from their traditional supporters in the hills. In fact, they include their own party members and even elected legislators. Take for instance, the recent comments by Neeraj Zimba, the BJPs MLA from the Darjeeling constituency, who is also the general secretary of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF). Taking on his own party, he had said last month that as the ruling party at the Center, it had promises to keep as far as the hills people were concerned. Part of the promise was to arrive at a permanent political solution to the problems of the hills, including that of meeting a demand by certain sections of the hills people for land based on identity and language. Bimal Gurung, chief of the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJM), which had been an ally of the BJP because of the BJPs equivocal stance on the issue of Gorkhaland (as Opposed to the Trinamool governments stance which unequivocally ruled out the division of Bengal and the creation of Gorkhaland) too demanded from the BJP why the promises to the hills people were not yet delivered. Advertisement The hills people disgruntlement with the BJP would obviously work to the advantage of its chief rival, ruling Trinamool. However, it is not just by default that Triamool is winning the trust of the hills people gradually. Slowly and steadily, the Trinamool government has been working on the ground to reclaim lost turf in northern Bengal. In order to reverse the trend over the past decade during which time the Bharatiya Janata Party has been gaining ground in the state it has gone from just one Member of Parliament in 2009 to eighteen in 2019 Didi has introduced a number of schemes targeting the uplift of the people of Darjeeling and the hills or northern Bengal. From creating the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in 2012, a year after she came to power, to introducing languages spoken by the hills people (who have long been disgruntled that their languages do not get adequate representation in formal institutions) into the school syllabuses, the focus, clearly, has been too woo back the people of the northern region. In fact, that Mamata Banerjee is not taking any chances as far as northern districts are concerned, is evident from the way she has been campaigning in the northern districts for every election whether rural, state or general. She has not even let campaigning for the upcoming by-election, scheduled for September 5, slip from her hand. She didnt just go to Dhupguri, the northern constituency going to the polls to campaign, she also took along Abhishek Banerjee, her nephew and Trinamools All India General Secretary. Of course, the Dhupguri constituency is significant because in the last elections it was won by BJP. The seat fell vacant following the death of the BJP MLA. Before the seat was snatched from Trinamool in the Assembly elections of 2016, it was one of Didis turfs. Dominated by the Rajbangshis, another group of people demanding recognition of their identity and language, Trinamools schemes are said to have worked in favor of the community, especially the introduction of their language into the school syllabuses. If the tides are indeed turning in favor of Trinamool, it could not have come at a better time when it is headed for the Parliamentary elections in just a few months. Punjab Polices State Special Operation cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar has arrested a key operative of the Bambiha Gang after recovering one .30 bore pistol along with four live cartridges from his possession. The arrested accused has been identified as Simranjit Singh alias Simmi (25) of village Walio in Samrala, Ludhiana. He has been facing several criminal cases and was also wanted in the murder case registered at Police Station Samrala. Divulging more details about the case, AIG SSOC, SAS Nagar, Ashwani Kapur said following reliable inputs about the movement of the accused, the police teams from SSOC SAS Nagar launched a special operation and arrested the accused Simranjit Simmi from near Dara Studio in Mohali, when he was on his way from Patiala to deliver the weapon consignment to his associate. Advertisement Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused was working on the directions of Jaswinder Singh alias Khattu, who is another leading gang member of the Bambiha group. He said that Jaswinder Khattu, who recently came out on bail and flew from India to a foreign country on a passport using a fake identity and forged documents, has been facing several criminal cases. Further investigations are on, Kapur added. Press Release August 21, 2023 ZUBIRI BATS FOR EXPEDITED PROCUREMENT OF DEFENSE EQUIPMENT "Government procurement reforms should lead to the expedited purchase of defense equipment the country needs to protect its territory, especially from the illegal incursions of China in the West Philippine Sea." Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri issued this statement after calling for the removal of bottlenecks in the government procurement of goods and services and directing it to economic managers who appeared before senators on Wednesday to defend the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024. He said that the acquisition process can still be "stringent but speedy so that recipients will get the right equipment at the right price at the right time." Complementing the passage of amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act is the pending Senate bill on boosting the domestic defense industry, the Senate chief said. Lamenting the state of the country's Navy and Coast Guard, Zubiri said "we need to procure the best and not necessarily the cheapest equipment because in military spending, the cheapest is not the best if it will soon fall apart." "There are several allies who would like to give us slightly used, not necessarily brand new, but good equipment so our law must be able to respond to this reality otherwise the acquisition will not push through for lack of legal basis," he added. "You know, when you buy an aircraft, even a 10-year-old aircraft, as long as it is well maintained, it can still be durable within the next 30 years," Zubiri explained. Being brand new should not always be equated with quality, he said, citing "the purchase of police vehicles from another country which were bugged by breakdowns and lack of spare parts." To complement the amendments to the government procurement law, Zubiri also pushed for the passage of Senate Bill No. 315 or the "Philippine Defense Industry Development Act," a measure envisioned to promote the local production of defense equipment and materiel. It revitalizes the Self Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) Program implemented in the 1970s to support the growing military hardware requirements of the AFP. The measure seeks to strengthen the SRDP Program by incentivizing in-country enterprises to help grow the local defense industry. "By encouraging the growth of local enterprises supplying defense equipment and hardware to our AFP, we become less reliant on other countries to fill out our defense requirements. It will also generate employment for many Filipinos in the long run," Zubiri said. The Senate has taken a more assertive stance against the illegal encroachment of China in the WPS, condemning the recent action of the Chinese Coast Guard to water cannon Philippine vessels making a supply run to Filipino troops onboard the BRP Sierra Madre. It passed a resolution condemning past and recent actions of China against the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard, as well as its harassment of Filipino fishermen trying to earn a living in Philippine territory. Russian officials have developed a plan for a ten-year campaign of ethnic cleansing in the occupied Mariupol, Donetsk region, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) for August 20. Ukrainian partisans gained access to a Russian occupation development document that stipulates a 300,000 increase in Mariupols overall population by 2035 through migration from Russia. The Resistance Center reported that an existing preferential mortgage program for Russians who move to occupied Mariupol is a part of this resettlement effort. Russian occupation officials have engaged in a series of efforts to attract Russian citizens to the occupied territories in Ukraine, the message says. According to analysts, the population of Mariupol before the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation was more than 400,000 people, and as of May 2023, about 120,000 residents remained in the occupied city. The Russian siege of Mariupol during the first phases of the Russian full-scale invasion killed up to 25,000 Ukrainian civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands from the city. Russian officials reportedly deported an additional 50,000 residents from the city to Russia and other occupied territories in the months following its capture, the ISW says. Analysts note that the goals of the aforementioned document indicate that the Russian Federation intends to turn Mariupol into a predominantly ethnic Russian city after systematic and probably deliberate efforts to reduce the number of ethnic Ukrainians in the city. ISW continues to assess that the ongoing Russian efforts to deport Ukrainians and repopulate Ukrainian cities with imported Russian citizens likely amount to a deliberate ethnic cleansing campaign in addition to being apparent violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the report reads. It is also reported that the Russian authorities continue to forcibly take mothers and children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation under the guise of medical measures. The Supreme Court today harshly criticised the Gujarat High Court, stating that any court that issues an order overturning a decision of a higher court is in violation of constitutional principles. It concerns a petition filed by a rape victim asking for authorization to end her pregnancy. The Supreme Court made its pointed comments after the high court issued an order on Saturday, despite the fact that it had already scheduled the case for today. Although the petitioner had been denied relief by the high court, the Supreme Court has now approved the termination of her pregnancy. Whats going on in the Gujarat High Court? In India, no court has the authority to overturn a ruling made by a higher court. After being notified of a decision by the high court on Saturday, the Supreme Court bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said, It is against constitutional principles. Advertisement The Gujarat government was represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who claimed that the Saturday order was only made to correct a clerical error. The earlier order contained a clerical error, which was corrected on Saturday. It was an error, he added, adding that the state government would ask the judge to revoke the ruling. This comes after the Supreme Court raised the issue of the high courts delay in ruling on the petition filed by a rape survivor on Saturday, stating that valuable time had been lost. The SC Bench then announced that the case would be heard today. The Supreme Court on Saturday sent letters to the Gujarat government and other parties, requesting their comments on the lackadaisical attitude of the high court. The 25-year-olds attorney informed the Supreme Court that the case was heard the next day after she appeared before the court on August 7. On August 8, the high court ordered the creation of a medical board to investigate the petitioners pregnancy and general health. On August 10, a medical school conducted an examination of the rape victim and delivered its findings. The petitioners attorney stated that the report had determined that the pregnancy may be ended. The report was taken into consideration by the high court on August 11; however, the subject was strangely listed 12 days later, losing sight of the fact that every days delay was crucial and of great significance having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the Supreme Court stated. In these circumstances, there must be, if not excessive urgency, but at least a sense of urgency in such issues and not a lax attitude of treating it like any other routine case and simply adjourning it. We regret having to express and say this, the bench remarked orally. The bench also took note of the petitioners attorneys statement that the high court had dismissed the petition, according to the cases status. The petitioners attorney then informed the court that the petitioner will soon be in the 28th week of pregnancy and suggested that a new medical report be requested. The petitioner was then ordered by the court to show up once more before the medical board. The Supreme Court today approved pregnancy termination following the new examination. The hospital is required to provide all facilities, including incubation, in the event that the foetus is discovered to be alive following the medical procedure to be performed. The Supreme Court ruled that the State must thereafter take action to guarantee that the kid is adopted in conformity with the law. On the eve of a protest against non-payment of compensation to the flood-hit farmers proposed to be held in Chandigarh on Tuesday, farmer leaders of 16 unions led by Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) were arrested across Punjab. This is fallout of botched negotiations between senior officers of the Chandigarh and Punjab Police with the leaders led by state president of the KMSC, Sarvan Singh Pandher, failed. Among those arrested are Pandher, press secretary, BKU (Krantikari) Kanwardilip Singh, state press secretary, KMSC, Chamkaur Singh and Borh Singh, both leaders of BKU (Behramke). Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) condemned the arrest of several Kisan leaders in different parts of the state to prevent them from staging a dharna in Chandigarh to demand compensation for the victims of the devastating floods in Punjab. Advertisement SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was rubbing salt to the wounds of the peasantry by refusing to release compensation to them and arresting Kisan leaders who wanted to highlight the misery of the farmers, farm labourers and poor sections of society. This is not only dictatorial but inhuman also. SAD demands the immediate release of all arrested farm leaders and also supports their right to protest, he added. Alleging that the AAP government was trying to run away from awarding fair compensation to the farmers, the SAD leader said instead of awarding interim relief of Rs 25,000 per acre immediately after the state was struck by floods in July final award of Rs 75,000 per acre was being demanded by the farm organisations, the government was now trying to run away from giving compensation to farmers. Dr Cheema said farmers were in dire strait as the government was yet to pay the compensation for last years crop damage. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will contest from two seats, his traditional Gajwel seat as well as from Kamareddy constituency as the TRS today released the list of candidates for 115 Assembly seats for the upcoming elections. Confident of winning between 95 and 105 seats out of 119 seats with the support from friendly party AIMIM, Rao said that they renominated most sitting MLAs except in seven seats while keeping four seats pending. Even current Malkajgiri MLA Mynampally Hanumantha Rao, who is seeking a Congress ticket for his son from Medak and slammed senior BRS leader and Finance Minister T Harish Rao, accusing him of stalling development of Medak, was named in the list though KCR warned that those indulging in anti-party activities will be thrown out mercilessly. BRS changed the candidates in seven constituencies including Boath, Khanapur, Wyra, Korutla, Uppal, Asifabad and Vemulawada. Four seats have been kept including Goshamahal and Nampally in the AIMIM dominated old city area of Hyderabad, Narsapur and Jangaon. In Huzurabad, BRS rewarded Padi Kaushik Reddy who had joined the party from the Congress just before the bypoll when the seat went to the BJP while giving ticket to Lasya Nanditha from Secunderabad Cantonment seat which was held by her father till recently before his demise. All the ministers have been renominated. Rao also announced that the party will hold a huge rally in Warangal on 16 October and release the party manifesto on the same day. Rao also iterated that the BRS will not ally with any other party or front. Asked why he was contesting from two seats this time, the Chief Minister said: The party has decided I should contest from two seats adding that the Kamareddy MLA had requested him and so had Nizamabad but he ultimately decided upon Kamareddy. It may be pointed out that both Congress PCC president A Revanth Reddy and BJP leader Etela Rajender have been stating that Gajwel would pose a tough challenge for Rao but KCR dismissed all such talks reminding his audience how he had won Karimnagar MP seat before quitting to contest again from Mahabubnagar seat and won it as well. Ahead of elections, KCR said iterated his friendly relations with Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, saying that the BRS will win 29 Assembly seats in Rangareddy and Hyderabad districts with the support of AIMIM. Last time too Owaisi had campaigned for the BRS, wresting the crucial Muslim votes from the Congress to the BRS. He also added that his partys poll plank will be progress and its continuation in Telangana, which he claimed was the most progressive state in the country. Advertisement Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday ordered the suspension of a Delhi government official, accused of rape and has sought a report from his Chief Secretary by 5 pm today. The order comes after the official was booked for allegedly raping his deceased friends minor daughter for several months, resulting in her pregnancy. The Burari police station registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the official under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on August 13. Advertisement According to Delhi Police, the Delhi government official allegedly sexually harassed, physically molested and repeatedly raped the minor victim for several months between 2020 and 2021. The minor disclosed that she got pregnant and was forced to abort her pregnancy by the wife of the accused, Delhi Police said. Earlier today, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal sent a notice to Delhi Police demanding the arrest of the official who is a Deputy Director of the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department of the Delhi Government. According to police following the death of her father, who was also a Delhi government employee, the minor started living with the accused in Burari from October 2020 to February 2021. The girl started having anxiety bouts and was admitted to a hospital a week back. After extensive psychological counselling, she opened up to the doctors, counsellors and police officers and revealed that she was sexually harassed by the accused, police said. The medico-legal examination of the minor has been conducted and an investigation into the matter is underway. Extending greetings to 5,580 newly-appointed teachers in the primary schools of Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the teachers have the responsibility of shaping the future generation of India, molding them into modernity and giving them a new direction. The PM alao congratulated the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-les BJP Government of MP for the recruitment of about 50,000 teachers in the state in the last three years. He was addressing the newly-appointed teachers by virtually joining the programme organised at the Government Mahatma Gandhi Higher Secondary School for training-cum-orientation and handing over the felicitation letters to the newly recruited teachers. Advertisement CM Chouhan handed the appointment cum felicitation letters to 5580 teachers during the event. PM Modi said that the newly-appointed teachers are going to fulfill the crucial responsibility of implementing the National Education Policy. He said the National Education Policy has an effective contribution in fulfilling the resolution of a developed India. In this, equal importance has been given from traditional knowledge to future technology. He said a new curriculum has also been prepared in the field of primary education. Special efforts have been made regarding education in mother tongue. In order to ensure social justice, arrangements have been made for students who do not know English to study in their mother tongue. There is an emphasis on books in regional languages in the curriculum. This will become the basis of a big change in the education system of the country. He said the union government has prepared the online learning platform IGOT Karmayougi and trachers should try to take maximum advantage of this facility. Mr Modi said that when decisions are taken with positive thinking, right intention, full devotion, the whole atmosphere is filled with positivity. He highlighted that two very positive news have come in the very first year of Amritkal. Elaborating, he said that according to the report of NITI Aayog, 13.5 crore Indians have come above the poverty line within 5 years. He added that the number of income tax returns to be filed this year is also giving another important indication. The PM said that according to ITR data, the average income which was around Rs 4 lakh in the year 2014 has increased to Rs 13 lakh in the year 2023. The PM asserted that the trust of the citizens of the country on their government is continuously increasing. The citizens of the country are coming forward to pay their taxes honestly. The economy, which was at number 10 in the world before the year 2014, has reached at number five today. He maintained that along with boosting enthusiasm, these figures assure that every sector of the country is getting strengthened. Mr Modi said that today all the money entitled to the poor is directly reaching their accounts. The government is able to spend more than before on the welfare of the poor. The PM said employment opportunities have been created in every nook and corner of the country with the investment made on a large scale. Since the year 2014, five lakh new common service centres have been set up in the villages of the country, which are providing employment to many people, the PM said. In the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, a middle-aged Muslim parents have reportedly been fatally assaulted on Friday. The incident appears to stem from the elopement of the couples son with a girl from a different community within the same village. It is alleged that the family members of the girl carried out the attack. Law enforcement has apprehended the girls brother, brother-in-law, and a close family acquaintance thus far. Authorities are actively seeking the girls parents for questioning. The five individuals involved are facing charges including rioting, murder, and assault. The police have taken measures to ensure the safety of the interfaith couple and have chosen not to disclose their current whereabouts. The couple left the village a day before the attack on the young mans parents occurred. According to the authorities, a longstanding feud between the two families was initiated when the grown son of the now-deceased couple eloped with a girl in 2020. During that period, the girl was a minor, and the man faced legal charges including kidnapping, rape, and violations under the Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. Subsequently, after the girl reached the age of 18, they eloped once more, and during this instance, she testified in court that she had willingly left with her partner. Advertisement What does the police say? Addressing the situation, Chakresh Mishra, the Superintendent of Police in Sitapur, commented, We got information that there was a fight between the two sides and two people died. The police reached the spot and found that Muslim parents aged around 50 years had been killed. Their neighbours told us that another family in the neighbourhood attacked the couple with iron rods. The couple died on the spot. We are getting the post-mortem done. A police force has been deployed in the village. Providing information about the incident, a law enforcement official gave a statement. The son, 28, of the deceased couple, was booked in 2020 for eloping with a minor girl. The case was lodged after a complaint was received from the girls family. He was subsequently arrested and spent 13 months in jail. A few months ago, the girl turned 18 and became an adult and the two again ran away. In another lodged case, the girl gave a statement in court in favor of her partner. The man was arrested again around two months ago in connection with a separate case. He was released on bail just a few days back. Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves here tomorrow for South Africa to attend the 15th BRICS Summit amidst intense speculation on whether he will have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the five-nation meet. The host country South Africa has invited a large number of guest countries, besides BRICS members. The PMs schedule, in terms of bilateral meetings with those leaders who would be present in South Africa, is still being developed Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said at a media briefing today when asked about the prospects of a bilateral meeting between the PM and the Chinese leader. This will be the first in-person BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit after three consecutive years of virtual meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kwatra said a business delegation from India will also be travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings and also the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum. Advertisement He said: The theme of the BRICS Summit this year is BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism. This would be the first in-person BRICS Summit after three consecutive years of virtual meetings owing to the COVID-19 pandemic For the 15th BRICS Summit, a business delegation from India is also travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings and also the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum. In response to a question on whether India favoured the expansion of BRICS since many countries have shown interest in their inclusion in the grouping, the foreign secretary said New Delhi has a positive intent and an open mind on the issue. Following his visit to South Africa, Modi will pay an official visit to Greece on 25 August 2023 at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Greece in 40 years. India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties. The PM will hold talks with the Greek leader to discuss ways to further deepen the relationship. He will also interact with business leaders from both countries, as well as with the Indian community in Greece. Kwatra said: During PM Modis visit to Greece, both sides will look to expand and diversify trade and investment segment of cooperation, deepen and expand defence and security partnership, infrastructure cooperation, shipbuilding industryThe visit would give both sides an opportunity to discuss also the regional and global issues of mutual interest and help broaden and deepen our bilateral engagement. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday inspected the ongoing redevelopment work of Gwalior station. Vaishnaw seriously observed all aspects of the station redevelopment work and scrutinised it closely. The railway minister saw the model, layout plan of the redevelopment work of Gwalior railway station and reviewed the future plan through power point presentation. Advertisement Vaishnaw also said since the rail operations will remain uninterrupted during this redevelopment work and the movement of passengers will also continue, it should be ensured that safety norms are followed for ensuring the safety of passengers. In this sequence, he asked the officers to do this work like their household work. Vaishnaw also interacted with the officials of the executing agency and the consultant company of this redevelopment project and asked them to pay attention to safety and quality. During this, General Manager of North Central Railway Satish Kumar made a PowerPoint presentation of the station development work and officials of the construction department informed the Minister about the progress of the project. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to constitute a bench to hear Tamil Nadus plea seeking direction to Karnataka to forthwith release Cauvery River water to realise 24,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water at Billigundulu for the period commencing from August 14, 20233 to August 31, 2023, to meet the urgent irrigation requirement of its standing crop. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud heading a bench also comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra agreed to constitute a bench by evening on a mentioning by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for an urgent listing of Tamil Nadu plea seeking to make good of the defect in the release of water and non-compliance of Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) by Karnataka. This is an urgent plea for the release of Cauvery water for August as per the Cauvery Water Management Authority order. The court has to constitute a bench, Rohatgi said while urging the bench to list it at the earliest for hearing. Advertisement CJI Chandrachud said, Today itself I will constitute a Bench. Besides seeking direction for the release of 24,000 cusecs of water at Billigundulu, Tamil Nadu has sought direction to the Karnataka government to ensure the stipulated releases of 36.76 TMC of water for September 2023 as per the Cauvery Water Tribunal Award as modified by the top court judgment of February 16, 2018. Tamil Nadu has sought further direction to the Karnataka government to make good the shortfall of 28.849 TMC of water for the current irrigation year starting from June 1, 2023 to July 31, 2023. It has further sought direction to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to ensure that the quantum of Cauvery water that Karnataka has to release to Tamil Nadu is fully implemented and the stipulated monthly releases during the remaining period of the current water year are fully given effect. Tamil Nadu in its petition before the top court has said that the deficit in supply at Billigundulu as of 09.08.2023, which was 37.971 TMC has to be ensured in addition to the demand of around 24,000 cusecs, in the month of August 2023, is required to save the standing crops. Pointing out that the CWRC in its 84th meeting on August 10, 2023, had directed Karnataka to release from its reservoirs so that 15,000 cusecs of water is released at Billigundulu from August 11, 2023 f(from 08.00 am) or the next 15 days, Tamil Nadu said that Unfortunately, even this quantum of water was arbitrarily reduced to 10,000 cusecs by the CWMA in its 22nd meeting held on 11.08.2023, at the instance of Karnataka. Regretfully, even this amount of 10,000 cusecs to be ensured at Billigundulu by releasing such quantum of water from the KRS and Kabini reservoirs has not been complied with by the State of Karnataka , says the petition by Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has stated that Karnataka is duty bound to release the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the Final Order passed by the Tribunal as modified by this Honble Court. Karnataka has been directed daily/monthly release during the months of June to January and thereafter from February to May for meeting the environment flows. In the current water year. The Supreme Court by its February 16, 2018, judgment had reduced its share of the Cauvery River water to 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), down from 192 TMC allocated by a Tribunal in 2007. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Amitava Roy and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar (all since retired) had reduced the share of Tamil Nadu as vit had noted that the Cauvery Tribunal had not taken into account the 20 TMC of groundwater available on Tamil Nadus side of the river basin. In totality, we deem it appropriate to award to the State of Karnataka an additional 14.75 TMC of water, i.e., 10 TMC (on account of availability of groundwater in Tamil Nadu) + 4.75 TMC (for drinking and domestic purposes including such need for the whole city of Bengaluru), the court had said in its February 16, 2018 judgment. While allocating an additional 14.75 TMC of water to Karnataka, the top court had said: The State of Karnataka would now be required to release 177.25 TMC of water at the inter-state border with Tamil Nadu, i.e., at Billigundulu. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhanshu Trivedi on Sunday said that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi who praised former Prime Minister of the country Rajiv Gandhi for his innumerable achievements should not hide the truth how the former PMs decisions impacted India adversely. We can also understand the pain of Sonia Gandhiji which she feels about the death of Rajiv Gandhiji. She can praise his legacy but she should not hide the truth. The country saw how Rajiv Gandhis decisions impacted India adversely. It was short-term, but the country faces a lot of problems. Be it- Sikhs killing in Delhi, UP or Tamil Nadu, the BJP leader said while speaking to ANI. Referring to the tenure of former PM Manmohan Singh, Trivedi said, Sonia Gandhi is giving a remark that the politics of division is decreasing the morale of this country. I want to remind her that during her de-facto leadership when the country was under the control of an accidental Prime Minister, there was chaos from Delhi to Mumbai, Gujarat to Guwahati, and Chennai to Hyderabad. Was this not due to politics of division? Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi praised former Prime Minister of the country Rajiv Gandhi for his uncountable achievements during his short political career which was finished in a very brutal manner. Advertisement Addressing an event at the 25th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award ceremony, Sonia Gandhi, the wife of the late Rajiv Gandhi said that the former PMs political career came to an end in a very cruel manner, but he made several achievements in the short time he spent in the service of the country, including towards women empowerment. Rajiv Gandhis political career was finished in a brutal manner but he achieved many milestones in that short time. He was very sensitive towards the diversity of the country. Whatever time he got to serve the nation, he accomplished uncountable achievements. He was dedicated towards womens empowerment. He struggled for the 1/3 reservation of women in Panchayat and Municipals, Sonia said, adding that his government also lowered the age of voting to 18 years from 21 years. Born on August 20 in 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. However, Sonia Gandhi further said that the ideals of communal harmony, peace and national unity have become more significant at a time the forces giving rise to hatred, division in society, bigotry and politics of bias are getting more active. They are also getting the support of the ruling dispensation, she added. The leadership of the Russian Federation, taking into account the regular drone strikes on Moscow and reports of Soviet-style SA-5 GAMMON missile strikes, is beginning to fear an increase in the level of threats expanding to more remote corners of Russia, according to British intelligence. The leadership of Russias Aerospace Forces (VKS) is highly likely under intense pressure to improve air defences over western Russia, the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland said on Twitter on Sunday. The British specialists believe that in recent months, the range of threats penetrating well inside Russia has increased, and strikes deep inside Russia are strategically important because President Putin almost certainly invaded Ukraine on the assumption that it would have little direct effect on Russians. As noted, unmanned aerial vehicles regularly strike Moscow. In addition, there have also been increasing reports of SA-5 GAMMON missiles striking Russia. This Soviet-era 7.5 tonne, 11-metre long weapon is retired from its air defence role in Ukraines inventory. However, it is now apparently being employed as a ground attack ballistic missile, the experts believe. Pressure is likely to particularly fall on VKS Chief of Staff, Colonel-General Viktor Afzalov; VKS Commander-in-Chief General Sergei Surovikin remains absent, suspected to have been detained in relation to the June 2023 Wagner Group mutiny, the British intelligence note. A day after a youth threw ink at BJP candidate Dara Singh Chauhan for the Ghosi assembly by-polls in Mau, another youth hurled a show at Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya at the partys backward class conference. Soon after the incident, SP workers caught hold of the youth dressed as a lawyer and beat him black and blue. The youth has been identified as Ashish Saini who claimed before the media that he committed the act as he was hurt by Mauryas comments about Hinduism and Ramcharitmanas. Advertisement Police arrested Ashish and took him to the Vibhutikhand police station. Commenting on the incident, SP President Akhilesh Yadav alleged that BJP was involved in all such incidents. In the Ghosis case in which ink was thrown on the BJP candidate, it was found that the accused was of the ruling party. People have become aware and have stood up for their rights, so BJP people are diverting attention, Yadav said. He further said that no one knows what the BJP will do before the elections. Anything can happen? This government has hired a company to covert its lies to the truth and the media too is dancing to its tunes. On the other hand, Hindu Mahasabha has announced that it would honour Ashish Saini for his act. We will not tolerate anyone abusing Hindu gods and goddesses or criticising the Hindu religion, said Shishir Chaturvedi, an office bearer of the party in a video message. He added that his party would provide all legal and other assistance to Ashish, a native of Sitapur Road in the state capital. Swami Prasad Maurya has been making controversial remarks about Hinduism for some time, due to which he is the target of many religious leaders including the ruling party BJP. He raised questions and made unrestrained comments on the verses of Ramcharitmanas. Before the UP assembly elections in 2022, he was a minister in the BJP government. However, he had joined the SP before the elections. An archipelagic nation of 7,641 islands, the Philippines has come full circle in more than one way. A bustling nation with a restive populace that has withstood the vicissitudes of populism, dictatorships and alliances has still defied expectations in terms of its sovereign politics and the positions that it takes. Like most democracies in the emerging world, it is given to powerful dynasties, regional identities, clans, elites and to the powerful institutions of the Church and its Military. Corruption is endemic and political clientelism is a sad reality. Having had its own experiences with martial law under the infamously corrupt and authoritarian Ferdinand Marcos ~ people of the Philippines still view the military as the protector of the people and the state for having played a role in ousting the authoritarian government via the People Power Revolution. The collateral damage was the susceptibility of the Philippines to coups and internal instability. Despite such a wounded history of illiberality and concerns of credibility amongst the ruling classes, Philippines still voted in Bongbong Romualdez Marcos Jr (son of the former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos), by a thumping majority. Notorious for political intolerance, financial corruption (estimated plunder of over $10 billion) and personal extravagances (the infamous 3,000 pairs of shoes owned by Imelda Marcos) ~ the populist son with his own list of tax frauds, proven lies and unfulfilled promises was elected by the largest margin since his discredited fathers election in 1981 (when the opposition had boycotted the process). Advertisement With a running mate in Sara Duterte, the daughter of the similarly controversial and populist Rodrigo Duterte, the return to center stage of the Marcos family after the push out in the People Power Revolution, 36 years back, is a full circle. In terms of international relations, the United States has had an intertwined and legacy relationship with the Philippines that entailed strategic military bases which were critical in the Cold War posturing. As the Soviet/Russian threat dimmed post the Cold War and instead the Chinese threat increased ~ the Sino-wariness is particularly strong (if schizophrenic) in Manilla. Many in the Philippines did not want to get caught in the USChina wars, and therefore sought reduced American presence on their soil. Some politicians did not necessarily see the US as allies and frequently posited the Chinese option, as the viable and preferred alternative, hence resenting American military boots on their soil. The last couple of decades saw a resurgent anti-Americanism and that paved the way for Chinese inroads and diplomacy in the region. This even though Chinese belligerence and assertions were at their peak in the vicinity of the South China Sea ~ so much so that there are counterclaims of ownership at the Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands that found their way to the International Court of Justice, Hague. Even though the Philippines won its case at Hague that called the bluff of creative Chinese attempts of expansionism using its nine-dash line approach, to everyones surprise, the Philippine Government under President Rodrigo Duterte chose to play down that legal validation and opted for closer relations with the Chinese. It was an unnatural and unpopular outreach as Pew Research Centre in 2014 showed that an overwhelming 93 per cent of Filipinos believed that China was a threat to their territorial integrity. Still the Philippine government persisted with wooing the Chinese with tactical decisions like signing a joint letter that defended Chinas treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang province. But the process wasnt seamless as occasionally there was talk of going to war with China over disputed territory and resources. All this experimentation was at the cost of the historic USPhilippines relationship, which suffered as Manila toyed with Beijing over its dangled largesse. It was an unnatural idea for any regional alliance that was doomed to fail, given the contradictions and intimidatory tactics of the Chinese. Soon enough, Manilla had had enough, and it actively reembraced the US on the rebound. The alliance too ran its circular course. The Philippines has now announced four more bases for the presence of US forces as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between Manilla and Washington DC. The nationalist backlash that had evicted the US forces from Subic and Clark is but a forgotten footnote in history. In a change of tack, the Philippines is now actively exposing the Chinese behaviour and putting the spotlight on Chinese expansionism that belies its claims of friendly relations with neighbouring countries. A recently released 48-page National Security Policy document noted sharpening strategic competition between the United States and China that contributes to a more tense geopolitical landscape. It tellingly insisted: Major concern is also seen in the Cross-Straits relations that has the potential to be the flashpoint in the region. The accusatory finger is unequivocally pointed at China. The tensions and daily threats to Taiwan and Japan (by China) only add to the sense of vulnerability of the Filipinos. Befittingly it recorded that the Philippines would have to strengthen its Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S., to achieve a credible defence capability. The Chinese governments unofficial mouthpiece, Global Times, slammed the new doctrine from the Philippines as the bridgehead of Americas antiChina push. It slammed the move by saying that, the document signals that the Philippines, encouraged and pressured by the US, would create new rounds of frictions in the South China Sea in other sites such as Zhongye Dao, increasing tensions in the South China Sea and destabilizing the region. It clearly signals that ChinaPhilippines relations are at their lowest ebb, and along with Taiwan and Japan, Philippines has joined the ranks of neighbouring countries that are openly talking of the Chinese threat. For the United States, it is a welcome return of a strategic ally with whom it has had historic ties. There is now a reverse move of Filipino politicians talking about building permanent structures on the contested islands and reef to assert their own sovereignty ~ the battle lines are clearly drawn, even if it is only in the realm of posturing, optics, and words, as yet. These tensions will not go unnoticed in the other regional countries like Malaysia, Indonesia or Vietnam who have their own axe to grind with the Chinese, but had desisted from speaking up openly. By testing the patience of the region, the Chinese have only strengthened the forces against Beijing to be more assertive and reactive. (The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry) Johannesburg, the city of gold in South Africas wealthiest Gauteng province, will hold the 15th BRICS Summit on August 22. The two-day summit will be attended by leaders from top emerging economies and member states Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the summit and leave for South Africa on Tuesday. PM Modi is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit 2023. While there has not been any official confirmation from either side, Chinas ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong indicated direct talks between Modi and Jinping could be a possibility at the BRICS Summit. Modi and Jinping have not held any bilateral meeting since the May 2020 border standoff except for a small exchange during the G20 Summit in Mali, Indonesia last year. If this meeting happens, it would be their first in the last three years. Advertisement And probably this was the idea of BRICS bringing developing countries on a single stage, giving them a chance to resolve their bilateral issues through dialogue and grow together. When the first formal meeting of the grouping took place in 2009, it was just a BRIC Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined in 2010 and it became BRICS. The term BRIC or BRICS, was first coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim ONeill in 2001. He used the term in his paper to describe fast-growing economies and to make a case for changing the framework for global economic governance. The key objectives of the BRICS grouping were economic cooperation, development financing and strengthening political coordination on international issues among others. Fifteen years after its first formal summit, the BRICS grouping now has four of the worlds top ten economies and a combined area of 15,346,100 sq meter. The estimated population of the BRICS grouping is more than 3.2 billion and around 27 per cent of the worlds total land surface. Given the rise of member countries over the last decade, BRICS has now consolidated into a force that can challenge the dominance of developed Western countries at the international level. The 27th edition of Exercise MALABAR involving the four Quad countries (India, Australia, Japan and the United States), concluded on the East Coast of Australia off Sydney today. The exercise saw the participation of ships, submarines and aircraft from the Indian Navy (IN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the US Navy (USN). Exercise MALABAR 23 was conducted in two phases, which included a harbour phase from 11-15 August and a sea phase from 16-21 August. The Indian Navy was represented by indigenously built Destroyer INS Kolkata, Frigate INS Sahyadri and P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Other participating units included RAN ships HMAS Choules and HMAS Brisbane, USS Raphael Peralta, JS Shiranui, along with submarines, fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and shipborne helicopters. Advertisement While the ships sailed out for the sea phase from Sydney harbour, the Air assets operated from RAAF Amberley Brisbane, where the P-8I Dets involving IN, RAAF and US P-8 crew were stationed. The sea phase of Ex Malabar witnessed complex and high intensity exercises in air, surface and undersea domains, weapon firings and cross deck helicopter operations. The joint exercises at sea honed the war-fighting skills and enhanced interoperability between the four navies to undertake advanced maritime operations. The seamless integration of air assets also showcased the exceptional coordination and interoperability between the Indian, Australian and US maritime patrol aircraft units. The exercise not only reaffirmed the ability of the four navies to operate together as an integrated force but also highlighted their shared commitment to maritime security and regional stability through collaborative training and mutual understanding. Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today Cloudy this evening with periods of light rain and snow after midnight. Low 34F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 100%.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with periods of light rain and snow after midnight. Low 34F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 100%. Ukraine may only use donated F-16s within its own territory Danish Defense Minister Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine may only use the donated F-16 fighter jets within its own territory, according to Reuters statement on Monday. "We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that... These are the conditions, whether it's tanks, fighter planes or something else," Ellemann-Jensen said on Monday. Earlier it was reported that Denmark will supply Ukraine with 19 F-16 aircraft. Intentions to transfer such fighters to Ukraine were announced in the Netherlands, but it remains to be decided whether all 42 will be donated. A fallen tree lies outside a house on Cranberry Road in Lindsey Acres in North Attleboro after a tornado touched down Friday morning. During his working visit to Denmark, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Queen Margrethe II and members of the royal family. "Meeting with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and members of the royal family. The statements and actions of the Royal Family of Denmark in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people mean a lot to us. We appreciate the royal family's personal support for the humanitarian efforts of Danish and international organizations operating in Ukraine," he said in the Telegram channel. The head of state also expressed gratitude to the Danish people, government and parliament for the powerful humanitarian, financial and military assistance to Ukraine. "We will always be grateful for the support and mutual understanding that our struggle for life and freedom meets here," the president said. In particular, he noted the activities of Denmark within the Support Fund for Ukraine, aimed at restoring Ukrainian schools, hospitals, bomb shelters, water, heat and energy supply, etc. According to Zelenskyy's press service, he invited members of the royal family Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary to support investment and humanitarian projects that Ukraine and Denmark are jointly implementing. During the audience with the Queen, the first lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska was also present. In its latest guidelines, the National Medical Commission (NMC), a regulatory body stated that as generic medicines are 30 to 80 per cent cheaper than branded drugs, prescribing generic medicines may overtly bring down healthcare costs and improve access to quality care. The NMC defines generic drugs as drug product that is comparable to brand/reference listed product in dosage form, strength, route of administration, quality and performance characteristics, and intended use. On August 2, the NMC imposed a directive mandating doctors to prescribe generic drugs instead of branded equivalents. This means that when a patient approaches a doctor for say fever, he/she can now simply write paracetamol instead of mentioning the brand name of the drug Dolo 650, which is generally consumed in India in cases of fever. Failing to do so could get the doctor penalised, as per the directive. Every RMP (registered medical practitioner) should prescribe drugs using generic names written legibly and prescribe drugs rationally, avoiding unnecessary medications and irrational fixed-dose combination tablets, the regulation stated under Regulations relating to Professional Conduct of Registered Medical Practitioners. But in the last fortnight, numerous doctors, especially those practicing as family physicians, have protested the directive and are trying to get the Union health minister to intervene and rescind the rule. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) too, issued a statement strongly opposing the regulation. The notification is an injustice to doctors who always hold the interest of their patients as non-negotiable. If the government and NMC want all the doctors in the country to prescribe only generic drugs, they should simply order all pharmaceutical companies to manufacture all the drugs without brand names. Then no one has to write the brand name. Let the NMC/GOI ensure quality generic drugs or accept responsibility if patients fail to respond to prescribed generics, the association said in a statement. The point of contention here is that by prescribing generic drugs and not naming the brands, the doctors help in letting the patient decide which brand to go with and the cost of the drug comes down considerably. Many drugs are priced high because of the brand name associated with them. For instance, paracetamol is developed by a number of different companies and Dolo is not the only brand out there. But because doctors prescribe Dolo and not Paracetamol, patients end up buying the Dolo brand and pay the price quoted by it, even when the same paracetamol, developed by other companies might be available at a cheaper price. So, essentially, generic medicine is the same drug minus the brand. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), generic medicines work in the same way and provide the same clinical benefit and risks as their brand-name counterparts. Branded drugs are those which are launched by a pharmaceutical company with a specific name and patent protection often to treat challenging medical conditions. However, after a certain period of time when the patent expires, generic medicines can be launched for these branded drugs. Then why are doctors protesting against prescribing generic drugs? Dr Ramesh Shah, a family physician practicing in Mumbai, said, "The decision to prescribe medicines of any brand is the right of the doctors. We know our patients best and understand their requirements. Branded drugs also come with credibility and a set of norms and practices all of which go a long way in establishing trust with the drugs they make. Hence, this universally binding rule that we must only prescribe generics is not fair at all." Another practicing physician at Nulife hospital in Mumbai's Ghatkopar, Dr Deepak Baid questions the regulation saying that the rule "directly questions the ethics of a medical practitioner." "The NMC is indirectly making an allegation that doctors are prescribing brands out of some motive which is not right. Every doctor has a right to prescribe whichever medicine they want. Also, it is practically difficult for a doctor to write the generics in all cases. So if there is a cough syrup or a vitamin supplement like B-complex to be prescribed, it becomes challenging to write down the generic compositions because there are so many. In fact, the best thing would be for the government to ban the brands altogether across the country so that doctors are forced to only prescribe generics," says Dr Baid, former president of AMC (association of medical consultants). Pharmaceutical companies hold international patent rights which give them the exclusive right to produce a new drug for a specific period, which may run into decades after its development. It is only after the lapse of the patent that generic formulations are allowed into the market according to the current drug production laws. Generic drugs have an important place in healthcare because they are less expensive and mimic the original drug in terms of the active ingredients, dose, dosage form, and bioequivalence. They are copies of the original drugs that have exactly the same intended use, effects and side effects, route of administration, risks, safety, and strength as the original drug. Physicians often refer to original drugs by their brand names, resulting in these drugs being widely prescribed even when less expensive bioequivalent generic alternatives are available. According to the WHO, having Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential drug lists (which includes generic drugs) could promote rational use of medicines and substantially lower health-care costs. The Indian market accounts for 22% of the world market of generic drugs. India is the fourth largest market in terms of production and ranks thirteenth in terms of consumption value of generic drugs. Physicians always have a choice between original and generic drugs while prescribing them to patients and hence, it becomes crucial to know how health-care providers perceive the differences between the two classes of drugs. Accordingly, back in 2016, researchers from Mumbai's BYL Nair Charitable hospital analysed the perceptions, and attitudes of health-care providers in a tertiary-care hospital toward generic and original drugs. They found that one of the reasons for elevated drug expenditures is the rising rate of physicians recommending the more costlier original drugs and fewer generic drugs. Physicians were doubtful about the efficacy of the generic drugs, which in turn shows the lack of confidence for the use of such drugs and lack of knowledge regarding generic drugs. In the study undertaken in 200 participants which included postgraduates and super specialty doctors, about 56% participants perceived that generic drugs are as effective as original drugs. However, interestingly, when they were asked if they ever experienced difference in quality between the two, 56% participants believed that the generic drugs were not as efficacious. Only 49% of the participants agreed that generic drugs are as safe as original drugs. About 38% participants agreed that most of the generic drugs lack the quality of their branded counterparts. A majority of physicians (94%) considered socioeconomic status of the patient while prescribing medicines. If patient could afford, then majority of participants preferred to prescribe original brand drug against those who referred to prescribe generic drug. Medical representatives and drug company leaflets were the most common sources of drug information,' read the report, penned by Kanchan Singh, Abhishek Phatak and Mugdha Sathe, all researchers from BYL Nair hospital in Mumbai. With his inclusion in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is back in the reckoning yet again. Chavan's political career took a massive hit when he had to step down as chief minister following expose of Adarsh Housing Society scam. He had obtained a flat in Adarsh, a residential society in upmarket Colaba in Mumbai meant for defence personnel. After the scam came to light, Chavan had to resign following instructions from party high command in 2010. He was replaced by Prithiviraj Chavan. Since then Chavan's carrer has seen ups and downs and he was out of favour of sorts for Congress's central leadership. In 2014, he was asked to contest Lok Sabha elections from Nanded. He was among the two Congress leaders who won from Maharashtra in what was then worst ever performance by the party. He skilfully used this tenure in national politics make an impression on the decision makers in the party's central leadership. Chavan was then made state Congress president in 2015 in the hope that he will revive party's fortunes in 2019 Lok Sabha and assembly polls. The party's performance in hte LS elections took further hit as only one Congress MP got elected from Maharashtra in 2019. He himself lost his Nanded seat to BJP's Pratap Patil Chikhlikar. However, the party performed fairly well in the 2019 assembly elections and won 44 assembly seats. He was a key minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government but could not leave his mark as intended. His close aides blamed it on the Covid pandemic and the fact that MVA was a three-party alliance. Since the ouster of MVA government, there had been rumours that Chavan could join BJP but he kept denying them and focused on working at the grassroot level. Chavan came under suspicion once again when he missed participating in a vote of confidence on the Eknath Shinde-led government. He claimed that he could not participate in the vote because he got delayed due to traffic in Mumbai. However, he was very active in Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and made sure that the yatra got excellent response in the areas that it covered in Maharashtra. His equation with state president Nana Patole is not great. So the first signal that Chavan's star was on the rise again came with the appointment of Vijay Vadettiwar as Leader of Opposition a couple of weeks ago as Congress bagged the important post following Ajit Pawar's rebellion in the NCP. Vadettiwar is close to Chavan in state politics. Vadettiwar's elevation as Opposition leader was followed by Chavan being added to the CWC, a body which takes crucial decisions for the Congress party. Now Chavan will have a strong say in distribution of party tickets in Maharashtra at the time of elections. While Chavan has been elevated, Balasaheb Thorat, Congress' leader of legislature party in Maharashtra, has been dropped from the CWC. This is seen as the result of Nashik legislative council election fiasco where Thorat's nephew Satyajeet Tambe contested and won as an independent candidate. Thorat's detractors in the Congress had claimed that he had tacitly supported Tambe in the elections. In all, eight Congress leaders from Maharashtra are part of CWC. This is supposed to be one of the biggest contingent from one state in a CWC. Mukul Wasnik, Manikrao Thakre, Chandrakant Handore, Avinash Pande, Rajni Patil, Yashomati Thakur and Praniti Shinde are the other party leaders who were added to the panel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in the same room at the BRICS summit in South Africa this week. The question is whether they will speak. News reports quoting the Chinese ambassador to South Africa, Chen Xiaodong, suggested that a meeting was on the cards. I am confident that as two nations, two countries, we will have direct talks, direct meetings, he has been quoted as telling reporters. The ministry of external affairs, however, did not confirm the meeting. At a special briefing, the foreign secretary said that the bilateral meetings for Modi were still being finalised. If the meeting does materialise, this will certainly be an icebreaker when President Xi comes to Delhi early next month for the G20 meeting. There would be considerable pressure on both leaders domestically for a tangible outcomeespecially as they meet on Indian soil. This is not the first time that the two leaders have come face-to-face after the skirmish in Galwan in 2020. They attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, but did not speak. At the leaders summit in G20 at Bali summit, however, the two leaders did more than just exchanging pleasantries. A read out issued by Wang Yi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, after his meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, claimed that both Modi and Xi had reached a consensus in Bali. The read out suggested that the leaders reached an important consensus on stabilizing the China-India relations. The MEA too, clarified its position. During the Bali G20 meeting, Prime Minister and President Xi, at the conclusion of the dinner hosted, exchanged courtesies and spoke about the need to stabilize bilateral relations, said spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at the weekly press briefing last month. While there is uncertainty about whether the two leaders will meet, there is no ambiguity as to how important India regards BRICS. India considers it an important expression of global multipolarity, said foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra. The prime minister will travel to South Africa on Tuesday. This is the first in-person BRICS summit in the past three years. The summit comes at a time when India has chosen to maintain a tightrope walk between the West and Russia. One of the biggest issues that will be discussed is the expansion of BRICS. But the admission of new members in the BRICS club is complicated. Even as China pushes for expansion, India wants to maintain a delicate balance. While India has supported the expansion, there is concern that China may choose to tilt the balance of the forum in its favour. Among the countries waiting to join are Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iran and Venezuela. We have been clear, we have a positive intent and an open mind, said Kwatra. BRICS works on consensus, he pointed out. The 10 people who were trapped at the Kol Dam Hydel Project in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district on Sunday were rescued after an hours-long mission. The Mandi district administration officials said the people, including five employees of the Forest Department, were stuck after the water level rose. They were finally rescued around 3 am. It was immediately not known how the incident took place. Their plight was revealed to the officials by the locals. Following this, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the spot. The rescue operation was being carried out with the help of a steamer. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh braces for heavy rains from Tuesday after the Met office in the state issued an 'orange alert' for heavy to very-heavy rain from August 22-24. There is also a 'yellow alert' in place (for heavy rain) on Monday, even as the monsoon remained subdued in the state. The Met also warned of a moderate risk of flash floods in catchment areas of Chamba and Mandi districts and predicted a wet spell till August 26. "Heavy rain can result in landslides, flash floods and increased water levels in rivers and drains, besides causing damage to standing crops, fruit plants and young seedlings," the weather office said. Meanwhile, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state was hoping to get the special package proposed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "According to the relief manual of the Central Government, a damaged house will be compensated with Rs 5,000 and a damaged road will receive Rs 1, 25,000 per kilometre. I have demanded a change in the relief manual and BJP National President JP Nadda has talked about a special package. Let us see by when we receive it," Sukhu told reporters on Sunday. During a meeting with BJP president J P Nadda and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur here, Sukhu appealed for financial aid akin to that provided during the Kedarnath and Bhuj tragedies to aid the recovery efforts in Himachal considering the state's geographical conditions, an official statement said. He says the opposition will bring down the BJP in the next elections At a time when the ruling DMK has been fighting against NEET exams, and the state BJP leader K. Annamalai has been on a padayatra to appease people, AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami took the entire state by surprise. The AIADMKs conference at Madurai was a massive show of strength, with over three lakh people from across the state attending the event. Palaniswami used the opportunity to tell the people that he is the sole uncontested leader of the opposition AIADMK and the party stands firmly behind him. Everyone said we are nowhere present in the south. People said the AIADMK has lost its strength after Amma and we are split into splinter groups. But did you see the overwhelming response? We are still the single largest party in the state, said former minister and AIADMK spokesperson D. Jayakumar. Though there have been public rallies and massive meetings organised in the past years, it was for the first time in the last two decades that the AIADMK saw such a huge turnout. There were over 3.5 lakh people at the conference venue, according to AIADMK senior leaders. A special train was organised by senior leaders like S.P. Velumani, P. Thangamani and others to bring partymen from different parts of the state. Former minister and AIADMKs Madurai strongman R.B. Udhayakumar, who was one of the main organisers of the conference, had alone mobilised 70,000 people from in and around Madurai for the conference. At least 6,000 to 7,000 people were brought in from each district in Tamil Nadu for the conference by the respective district secretaries. We thought there will be a floating crowd and the party men will go off after lunch. But everyone stayed till the end, said a party senior. The Madurai conference sent out a message from the AIADMK that the party is still strong in the south like it used to be under MGR and Jayalalithaa. In the last two elections, the party saw a major dent in its vote share in the southern districts, due to the splinter group led by T. T. V. Dhinakaran. After a two-year lull, since the 2021 elections, Palaniswami is back in the saddle, sending a strong message to his opponents in the ruling DMK and the leaders of his own national ally BJP, that the AIADMK is the single largest party in the state with a massive vote share. Whoever comes, he cannot erase the popularity and the space of the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami said while addressing the cadres at the Madurai conference. But more than the DMK, the message was to the BJP. In fact, a few weeks back, when Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai launched his padayatra from Rameswaram, Palaniswami made it a point not to take part in the event despite the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah. He sent his party representative and made it a point to tell the BJP that his party is the largest in the state. Though there have been simmering tensions in the alliance between the AIADMK and the BJP, since 2019, Palaniswami has been wanting to tell the BJP that he is the sole, uncontested leader of the party and there is no space for ousted leaders like O. Panneerselvam or Dhinakaran or V.K. Sasikala. Since the passing away of Jayalalithaa, the rebellion of Panneerselvam and the incarceration of V.K. Sasikala, Palaniswami grabbed the opportunity presented to him and climbed up the ladder of power with his political acumen and instinct. Even when the entire state wrote him off as a man who lacks administrative skills he managed to run the show for more than four years. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine will not be a territory of "disrespect for people, disrespect for life." "We will never allow Ukraine or any other country to become the same territory of disrespect for people, life, and human diversity, as the Russian state has become and wants to make other countries," he said speaking to the Danish and Ukrainian public in Copenhagen on Monday. Zelenskyy said the start of the large-scale war, when "there was a risk that Europe will again lose itself, as it had already happened in our history. It was a risk that tyranny would win again. It was a risk that culture would lose again." "When I spoke to our soldiers on the front lines, they told me about the motivation of Russian occupiers. Russian soldiers are less afraid of being killed in the battle than they are afraid of stopping aggression and returning home. A free person can even hardly imagine that. Imagine what Russia is today, if its people fear their return home more than to be killed at war," he said. Today, Zelenskyy said, "we are confident that Russia will lose this war." "But this is not the only main thing. The main is what we prove with our victory, with our cooperation, what you prove supporting Ukraine. Together we prove that life is a value, that people matter, freedom matters, Europe matters," he said. India is a tall and vibrant democracy, and the Indian Constitution has been recognised as one of the best in the world. This fact, in itself, is enough to swell the chest of every Indian with pride. To be an individual, who is invested with the immeasurable power to be an integral part of the democratic process of electing a person to represent him/her, is unquestionably a matter of great gratification for every citizen. Considering the diversity of India, ideology assumes tremendous significance. Opinions are expected to be expressed as well as honoured. The government is important but the opposition is even more important in a democracy. The Third Schedule of the Indian Constitution describes various oaths and affirmations to be taken by government officials, including ministers. It emphasises the responsibility of the ministers to pledge loyalty to the Constitution of India as per law, to uphold the country's sovereignty and unity, and to do right by the people despite the differences in class, community, faith, and language, in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. However, in present times, a deplorable situation seems to have emerged. Those in positions of authority are resorting to both legitimate and unethical means, including using state machinery, to instill fear or offer incentives to members of the opposition to switch sides. As a result, political defections have become a major problem in Indian politics, posing a significant threat to the integrity of the electoral process and the stability of the democratic system. Especially, against the backdrop of the recent upheaval in Maharashtra politics and in the Congress, there is a need to give adequate consideration to the issues highlighted from my end. Defection, which is colloquially referred to as "Aya Ram Gaya Ram" in Indian politics, is the act of elected representatives changing their political affiliations while still in office. This practice originated in Haryana in 1967 when Gaya Lal, a member of the legislative assembly, switched parties three times in just two weeks, prompting his colleague Rao Birendra Singh to come up with the now-famous term. Since then, this practice has become widespread, affecting the entire political system like a contagion. The problem with defection is that it undermines the electoral mandate of the people. The vibrancy and tallness of democracy and the sacredness of the Constitution are inevitably defiled! When a candidate wins an election under a specific party banner, it is expected that the elected representative would represent the interests, ideologies and beliefs that the political party stands for. However, when sides are changed, the elected representative breaks the trust of his/her voters, deprives the nominating party of its representation, and forgoes the values, principles, and ideologies that he/she had promised to abide by. It is a situation where elected representatives prioritize their personal interests over the interests of their constituents. The former chief election commissioner of India, T.N. Seshan had once emphasised that anti-defection laws are necessary to maintain government stability by preventing frequent party-switching. However, despite the presence of these laws, some defectors remain unconcerned about the ethical and electoral consequences of their actions. To my understanding, there are three pressing issues related to defection that require immediate attention. The first pertains to defining the original party, which becomes complicated in case of a party split. For example, when Shiv Sena split (or was made to split), it resulted in a legal dispute over the party name and symbol. Similarly, in the case of Lok Janshakti Party, the symbol was taken away from the original party, causing confusion among voters. This raises a broader question about who constitutes the partyonly those elected or even those who work behind the scenes to get others elected. There are no easy answers to this offered by the Constitution or any specified piece of legislation. The second issue concerns the role of the chairperson or speaker, who is often a member of the ruling alliance. Although the speaker is expected to act as a neutral arbitrator, in practice, he/she often facilitates defections and mergers that benefit the ruling party, raising questions about his/her impartiality. Additionally, it is unclear what the scope of judicial review is on the speaker's decisions. While the Supreme Court has recently held that speakers should be the first authority to decide on disqualification, an earlier case in 2016 raised questions about a speaker or deputy speaker facing removal over deciding on disqualification proceedings against legislators. The third major issue in Indian politics is the lack of consequences for members who defect, resulting in a loss of mandate and a sudden moral crisis. The Anti-Defection Law, implemented in 1985 to address this issue, has not been successful in preventing defections. One contributing factor is the provision that permits a group of MPs/MLAs to switch to another party without facing any penalty (Section 4 of the Xth Schedule). Furthermore, political parties are not penalised for enticing or accepting defectors, which exacerbates the problem. To tackle these challenges, certain steps must be taken. Firstly, an unbiased tribunal should be established in place of the speaker, who is often partial, to handle defection-related matters. This will ensure a just and unbiased decision-making process. Secondly, a compulsory waiting period for defectors must be introduced. This means that a lawmaker who changes allegiance must wait for a specified time before being eligible to contest for re-election (Even if he/she belongs to the group with 2/3rd of the party members as permissible in the Xth Schedule). This will give voters time to assess the reasons behind the defection and make an informed decision during the subsequent election. Finally, it is crucial to accurately define the original party to distinguish between a few members and the party as a whole. This will prevent the chaos that occurs during party splits and avoid legal disputes over the usage of the party's name and emblem. To sum up, defection in Indian politics poses a significant obstacle that undermines the democratic system and the trustworthiness of elected officials and political parties. The Anti-Defection Act has not been able to address this issue effectively due to its inadequacies and flaws. Strengthening the act to curb defections would require a comprehensive strategy, which involves implementing multiple measures such as setting up an impartial tribunal, enforcing a mandatory waiting period, and precisely defining the original party. It is only through these steps that we can hope to eliminate the problem of defection in Indian politics and reinstate public pride and confidence in democracy. Therefore, it is time that this act is brought into the Parliament for amendment and sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for deliberation at the earliest. (Dr. Fauzia Khan is a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha. She is also the national president of the Nationalist Mahila Congress (NCP's Women's Wing) and has been a former minister for GAD, education, health, and WCD in the government of Maharashtra. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.) As the country waits with bated breath for the forthcoming historic lunar landing, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday released fresh images of the lunar far side area on the moon, as captured by the spacecraft. The images taken by the spacecraft's Vikram lander reveals the potential safe landing area as well. "Here are the images of Lunar far side area captured by the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC). This camera that assists in locating a safe landing area -- without boulders or deep trenches -- during the descent is developed at SAC/ISRO," ISRO said on X. Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Here are the images of Lunar far side area captured by the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC). This camera that assists in locating a safe landing area -- without boulders or deep trenches -- during the descent is developed at pic.twitter.com/hw2ML4xCY5 ISRO (@isro) August 21, 2023 The Lander Module (LM) is expected to touch the Moon's south polar region at 6:04 pm on Wednesday. On Sunday, the LM successfully underwent the final deboosting closing in on moon. ISRO had said that it has successfully reduced the orbit of the Chandrayaan-3 mission's LM to 25 km x 134 km, further bringing it closer to the moon. Chandrayaan-3 entered the lunar orbit on August 5. Orbit reduction manoeuvres were carried out on August 6,9, 14 and 16. The crucial and significant separation of the Lander Module from the propulsion module took place on August 17. The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are to demostrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate rover roving on the moon and also to conduct in-situ scientific experiments. With Russias Luna-25 spacecraft crashed on the Moon on Sunday, all eyes are on the crucial landing of Chandrayaan-3. On August 19, in accordance with the Luna-25 flight programme, an impulse was provided to form its pre-landing elliptical orbit. At about 14:57 Moscow time, communication with the Luna-25 apparatus was interrupted. The measures taken on August 19 and 20 to search for the device and get in contact with it did not produce any results, Roscosmos State Space Corporation said on its official Telegram channel. The space agency launched a probe to analyse the causes of the crash. With the success of Chandrayaan-3, India will join the Soviet Union, the US and China, the countries that managed to make successful moon landings. Russias lunar mission met with a disappointing end on Sunday when its spacecraft, Luna-25, crash-landed on the surface of the moon after losing contact with earth controls. The loss of the lander at a comparatively low-risk stage of the mission will intensify the evaluation of Russias challenges in space exploration. The crash came at a time when Luna-25 was touted to be in the race with India's Chandrayaan-3it was estimated to land ahead of the Indian spacecraft though having launched more than a month after India's lunar mission. Russias Luna-25, the countrys first moon landing attempt since the 1970s, successfully entered the lunar orbit on August 16. It was scheduled to touch down on the moon as early as on Monday. However, at 2.10 pm (Moscow time) on Saturday, an emergency situation developed during an engine firing that was meant to position the spacecraft for landing. On August 20, just 47 minutes after starting the engine firing, Russian space agency Roscosmos reported that they could not communicate with the spacecraft. Efforts to reconnect failed and Luna-25, having strayed from its intended orbit, collided with the moons surface and was lost, in a scene reminiscent of Indias Chandrayaan-2 crash-landing on the moon on September 17, 2019. The Russians said they would create an inter-agency commission to look into the causes of the failure. Russian technology deficient? Developing new space equipment has proved to be challenging for Russia, particularly creating electronics that can consistently function in the harsh environment of outer space, said aerospace expert Girish Linganna. As per Anatoly Zak, founder of RussianSpaceWeb.com which monitors Russias space efforts, one cannot effectively travel in space, especially for extended periods, without improved electronics. He stated that Russian electronics were consistently lagging behind. They were always trailing the West in this field of science and technology. In reality, this problem impacts the entire Russian space programme, according to Zak. Launched on August 11, Luna-25 was attempting to become the first mission in the world to reach the south pole of the moon. Many government space initiatives and private companies worldwide are intrigued by this area of the moon, as they suspect it may have water ice that could be valuable for use by future astronauts. Luna-25s primary objective was to assess moon landing technology. When embarking on lunar surface missions, the two most anxiety-inducing junctures are the rockets launch from earth and the actual landing process. Over the past four years, three separate attempts to land on the Moonundertaken by India, an Israeli non-profit organisation and a Japanese companyall managed to navigate the lunar orbit before encountering failures during the final moments of their descent towards the surface, Linganna added. He further explained: When missions go awry during orbital engine firings, the typical reasons include sub-par manufacturing and insufficient testing. These deficiencies were responsible for the failure of Russias significant interplanetary probe, Phobos-Grunt, in 2011. Another potential factor is human error, which can lead to embarrassing incidents, such as the case of NASAs Mars Climate Orbiter in 1999 which disintegrated in the Martian atmosphere because there was a confusion between metric and imperial units. Natan Eismont, a senior scientist from the Russian Academy of Sciences Space Research Institute who was responsible for Luna-25s scientific activities, has pointed out that the Luna 25's engine did not behave according to its intended design during the manoeuvres to correct the spacecrafts trajectory. He has said that that the course correction appeared to have deviated slightly from the planned parameters. As per Eismont, the mission controllers effectively handled the situation until the final manoeuvre. During the last burn, however, which aimed to position Luna-25 in an orbit preceding the landing and passing within 11 miles of the surface, a substantial push was needed but did not proceed as intended. It is very likely that the braking thrust was either misaligned, or excessive, Eismonth said. Impact on Russia Reports point out that the failure of the mission could impact President Vladimir Putin, as he had relied on Russian space exploits to bolster his political influence. This fits in with the Kremlins story, which many Russians find convincing, that Russia is a powerful nation held back by a West led by the US, which is envious and feels threatened by Russias capabilities. The state-controlled space industry has been especially important in Russias efforts to reshape its global relationships. The media reporting on the Luna-25 mission was subdued and this remained so even after the spacecrafts crash. It was evident that during the 6pm newscast on state-run Channel 1 on Sunday, only 40 seconds were devoted to the early ending of the Luna-25 mission. With the crash of Luna 25, India will now have the opportunity to place the first probe near the lunar south pole. The Chandrayaan-3 mission has chosen a longer yet more fuel-efficient path to the moon. The landing attempt is scheduled for August 23, 2023. ISRO's spokesperson expressed regret about the Luna 25 crash and said that every space mission involves significant risks and advanced technical aspects. An earthquake of 5.1 magnitude rattled California on Sunday, the same day Hilary, the region's first tropical storm in 84 years, unleashed furious flash floods in the US state after barreling through Mexico's Baja California peninsula. The earthquake occurred at 2.42 pm local time near Ojai City, according to US Geological Survey, and it was followed by a dozen aftershocks of magnitudes ranging from 2.6 and 4.0. The US Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of a tsunami from the quake. "There are no immediate reports of damage at this time however the quake was felt extensively throughout Ventura County," read a statement on Ventura County website. Meanwhile, Hilary wreaked havoc in east and west of Los Angeles on Sunday after punishing Mexico's Baja California peninsula with deadly force. One person was killed in Mexico flash flooding. Some roads in the peninsula were swept away and social media showed torrents gushing down city streets. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is on a tour of Southern California, declared a state of emergency for much of region that is more accustomed to drought. The last time a tropical storm made landfall in the region was in Long Beach in 1939. Newsom said Palm Springs, a desert getaway in Riverside County about 160 km east of Los Angeles, was dry when he left on Sunday but an hour later it had received "the most significant rainfall over a 60-minute period any time in the history of Palm Springs. That's how quickly this system is moving. Take nothing for granted," Newsom told a news briefing in Los Angeles after he said he updated U.S. President Joe Biden, who ordered federal agencies to move personnel and supplies into the region. Hilary sparked flooding in the San Gabriel Mountains, east of the city and coastal areas to the northwest in Ventura County, reported Reuters. North America has been plagued by extreme weather and calamities recently. July 2023 was the hottest month, according to Nasa. A deadly wildfire in across Hawaii on August 8 killed at least 111 people and the situation was deteriorated by hurricane winds. Meanwhile, Canada reported widespread wildfires in the British Columbia province, where tens of thousands of people were evacuated from their burning homes. Border guards in Saudi Arabia have fired machine guns and launched mortars at Ethiopians trying to cross into the kingdom from Yemen, likely killing hundreds of the unarmed migrants in recent years, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Monday. The rights group cited eyewitness reports of attacks by troops and images that showed dead bodies and burial sites on migrant routes, saying the death toll could even be possibly thousands. The United Nations has already questioned Saudi Arabia about its troops opening fire on the migrants in an escalating pattern of attacks along its southern border with war-torn Yemen. Saudi officials did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press, but has previously denied its troops killed migrants. Yemen's Houthi rebels, who allegedly make tens of thousands of dollars a week smuggling migrants over the border, also did not respond to requests for comment. Some 750,000 Ethiopians live in Saudi Arabia, with as many as 450,000 likely having entered the kingdom without authorization, according to 2022 statistics from the International Organisation for Migration. The two-year civil war in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region displaced tens of thousands of people. Saudi Arabia, struggling with youth unemployment, has been sending thousands back to Ethiopia in concert with Addis Abba. Human Rights Watch said it spoke to 38 Ethiopian migrants and four relatives of people who attempted to cross the border between March 2022 and June 2023 who said they saw Saudi guards shoot at migrants or launch explosives at groups. The report said the group also analysed over 350 videos and photographs posted to social media or gathered from other sources filmed between May 12, 2021, and July 18, 2023. It also examined several hundred square kilometers (miles) of satellite imagery captured between February 2022 and July 2023. These show dead and wounded migrants on the trails, in camps and in medical facilities, how burial sites near the migrant camps grew in size, the expanding Saudi Arabian border security infrastructure, and the routes currently used by the migrants to attempt border crossings, the report said. An April 27 satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC analysed by the AP showed the same tent structures identified by the rights group near al-Raqw, Yemen, on the Saudi border. Two sets of fence lines could be seen just across the border into Saudi Arabia. The site Human Rights Watch identified as the migrant camp at Al-Thabit also could be seen in satellite images, which corresponded to the group's narrative that the camp largely had been dismantled in early April. Both areas are in northwestern Yemen, the stronghold of the country's Houthi rebels. The UN has said that the Houthi-controlled immigration office collaborates with traffickers to systematically direct migrants to Saudi Arabia, bringing in USD 50,000 a week. The Houthis have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition has battled the Houthis since March 2015, without dislodging them from the capital. Fighting has largely halted between the Saudi-led forces and the Houthis as Riyadh seeks a way to end the war. However, throughout the war years, the Houthis claimed multiple incursions across the Saudi border in this mountainous region. Migrants from Ethiopia have found themselves detained, abused and even killed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen during the war. But in recent months, there has been growing concern from the UN human rights body about Saudi forces attacking migrants coming in from Yemen. An October 3, 2022, letter to the kingdom from the UN said its investigators received concerning allegations of cross-border artillery shelling and small arms fire allegedly by Saudi security forces causing the deaths of up to 430 and injuring 650 migrants. If migrants are captured, they are reportedly oftentimes subjected to torture by being lined up and shot through the side of the leg to see how far the bullet will go or asked if they prefer to be shot in the hand or the leg, the letter from the UN reads. Survivors of such attacks reported having to play dead' for a period of time in order to escape. A letter sent by Saudi Arabia's mission to the UN in Geneva in March said that it categorically refutes allegations that the kingdom carries out any systematic killings on the border. However, it also said the UN provided limited information so it could not confirm or substantiate the allegations. (AP) PY PY 08210943 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday, thanked Danish lawmakers after the country pledged to provide Ukraine with American-made F-16 warplanes to help them fight Russia's invasion. Zelenskyy said that if Russias invasion is successful, other parts of Europe would be at risk from the Kremlins military aggression, AP reported. All of Russias neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail, Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine should be properly assisted to defend itself from Russia's force. Ukraine had been in talks with its Western allies, requesting them to provide the country with F-16s. Its counter-offensive against Russia is advancing without air support. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, which would be delivered around the end of the year post pilot training lasting four to six months. US Air Force General James Hecker, commander of US air forces in Europe and Africa, had said that he did not expect the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. Russian forces, on Monday, said that it foiled two drone attacks by Ukraine. On a trip to Sweden on Saturday, Zelenskyy asked Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Sweden said Ukrainian pilots will be allowed to test the planes but has made no commitments to hand them over. According to the Ukrainian presidential office, at least four civilians were killed and 25 were injured in the most recent attacks by Russia. Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism, Shri Ajay Bhatt unveiled the 4th book of Hindi poems written by Mrs. Devyani Mungali, Founder Director, Sanskriti Group of Schools PUNE, India, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The second edition of the Sanskriti Awards for Outstanding Achievements was held earlier this month in Pune, in the august presence of Shri Ajay Bhatt, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism. Also present were Founder-Director of Sanskriti Group of Schools - Mrs. Devyani Mungali, with Chairman of Sanskriti Group of Schools - Col. (Retd) Dr. G.S Mungali (Retd.) amongst other dignitaries such as Lt. Gen. Ajai Kumar Singh AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM - the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Southern Command of the Indian Army, and Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar - Commandant, NDA. The event was attended by key distinguished guests, teachers and students, as well. The awards were started by the Sanskriti Group of Schools in 2022. These awards acknowledge and felicitate exemplary contributions by people in various industries such as Healthcare, National Service, Education, Media, Sports, Governance, Art and Culture, who have made a positive impact in their respective fields and are truly role models for the future generations. Sanskriti School has been the forerunner to celebrate with gratitude, the role of such heroes who are the perfect role models inspiring others, especially young minds, to follow in their footsteps. The Awards were presented to - Lt. Gen. Rajendra Ramrao Nimbhorkar, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM** (Bar), VSM and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar, Param Veer Chakra for Service to the Nation. For Governance Mr. Mahesh Kisanrao Landge, Bhosari MLA and Mr. Rahul Ranjan Mahiwal, PMRDA Commissioner were felicitated. Mr. Kisan Dattoba Bhujbal, Education Extension Officer of Pune Zilla Parishad bagged the award for Education. For Healthcare Dr. Uma Divate, Consultant Physician and Head of Department of Medicine, Jehangir Hospital, Pune and Dr. Rajendra Patankar, Chief Executive Officer, Jupiter Hospitals, Pune, were awarded. Kavita Kane bagged it for Literature. Mr. Chinmay Patankar, Senior Correspondent won in Media and Journalism category. Mr. Umesh Zirpe, Veteran mountaineer, leading one of the largest civilian expedition of India on the world's highest mountain - The Mount Everest, bagged the award for Sports. The Awards function was followed by the book launch of the 4th book of Hindi poems 'Chatpati Chulbuli Kavitayein' written by Mrs. Devyani Mungali, Founder Director, Sanskriti Group of Schools. A noted educationist, storyteller and author of Hindi poetry books and English story books for children, Mrs. Devyani Mungali, with her 30+ years of rich experience in education and literature, has recently been awarded the 'Indian Education Excellence Award 2022'. Emphasizing on the importance of a sound value system, Shri Ajay Bhatt, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism shared, "A good value system, shaped especially during childhood is critical in determining one's future path. Sanskriti School is nurturing and shaping children the right way, and events like this where inspiring role models are recognized, further encourage the children to aspire to become like them when they grow up." His talk was interspersed with interesting anecdotes and stories of his life and hardships he had faced, in spite of which he had emerged strong and a self-made man today. He also shared examples of real life people who had made it big in life in spite of not having all the opportunities. Concluding the event with her speech, Mrs. Devyani Mungali, shared "We are invested in developing the right kind of young minds for the future. In doing so, while we have been providing holistic development through education, sports, and co-scholastic activities at our schools, we also understand the importance of role models in the lives of these young students. The Sanskriti Awards for Outstanding Achievements recognizes the path-breaking contributions of people who have excelled in their respective fields. It is indeed an honour to have my poetry book launch coincide with these Awards, and amidst these distinguished personalities." About Sanskriti Group of Schools Sanskriti Group of Schools is a chain of CBSE schools in Pune. The first campus in Bhukum, nestled amidst a picturesque hill, sprawls over 22 acres of unpolluted and serene environment, and was inaugurated in 2008 at the hands of former President of India, Hon'ble Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. The mission of the school is to provide holistic development of the child, aligned to its motto of 'Knowledge is Liberation'. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR COIMBATORE, India , Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MulticoreWare Inc., a global technology company offering solutions and products related to Compilers & Frameworks, Machine Learning, AI Analytics, Sensor Fusion Engineering, Autonomous Mobility & Video Encoding Solutions, held its annual R&D meeting at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Marking a significant stride within its MAGIC (MulticoreWare Academia Global Innovation Centre) initiative, designed to cultivate research, innovation, and collaborative ties with academic counterparts, MulticoreWare's R&D symposium welcomed representatives from the MAGIC R&D clusters at IIT Palakkad, Amrita University, and KARE (Kalasalingam Academy of Research & Education). Addressing the occasion, AGK Karunakaran, MulticoreWare's President & CEO, stated, "Our annual R&D meet with academic partners is to take stock of the amazing work we are doing and highlight the pioneering technologies we're propelling at MulticoreWare. Our relentless pursuit of excellence in Artificial Intelligence-driven Algorithm Development for areas such as Pedestrian Behaviour, Prediction & Gesture Recognition, and Multi-Modal Sensor Data Fusion Algorithm Development remains paramount." During the event, the clusters provided insights into their ongoing projects spanning diverse domains such as Compilers & Optimization for Heterogeneous Platforms, Machine Learning & Reconfigurable Computing, and Radars, LiDAR & Signal Processing for remotely sensing human activity. Additionally, they exhibited their capabilities in the energy-efficient mapping of Deep Neural Network (DNN) models onto edge-compute devices, model compression, algorithmic invention to minimise redundant data transfers across computer and memory elements. Kavitha, MulticoreWare's Vice President of Safety, Compliance & Process, articulated, "Over the previous year, our R&D initiatives have achieved significant progress, resulting in tangible outcomes. Our ongoing collaborative interactions with R&D partners at MAGIC labs consistently provide mutually enriching experiences, fostering a continuous stream of high-quality results from our joint endeavours. Our work on energy-efficient edge compute accelerators can be used in applications such as smart manufacturing, computer vision, speech recognition, and medical analysis without having the need to connect to cloud systems. They enable surveillance, vehicle, and person detection in real-time without connecting to the cloud or compromising privacy and security." About MulticoreWare MulticoreWare delivers software IP Solutions and Engineering Services serving a wide group of customers with Compilers & Toolchains, Libraries for SDK, Video codec and AI analytics solutions using various vision & non-vision (Radar, LiDAR, IMU, GPS, etc.) sensors on various heterogeneous computing platforms. Our solutions are used in Automotive (ADAS/AD), Surveillance, Defence, Medical Imaging, IoT, Retail, Logistics, Industrial, Robotics, Smart City. MulticoreWare's industry-leading video codec products (x266/x265/Ultraziq) have been deployed in live streaming or VOD services across many broadcasting customers & OTT platforms. https://multicorewareinc.com/ Photo 1 : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2189942/MulticoreWareandAcademicPartners.jpg Photo 2 : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2189941/RnDMeeting.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1925881/4229637/MulticoreWare_Logo.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Beijing, Aug 21 (AP) An American research firm has been fined USD 1.5 million by China's government in a crackdown on information-gathering that has rattled foreign investors. Mintz Group was one of a series of foreign consultants that were raided starting in April after Chinese leader Xi Jinping's government announced expanded anti-spying rules that left companies unsure what they were allowed to do. Mintz Group illegally engaged in foreign-related statistical investigation activities without obtaining approval, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics said in a notice dated July 14 on its website. It gave no details of the violation but said Mintz Group was fined 10.7 million yuan (USD 1.5 million). Mintz Group does background checks on employees and business partners and gathers other information for corporate clients. Xi's government has tightened the ruling Communist Party's control over the economy and society, including by launching data security crackdowns and expanding restrictions on what information can be moved abroad. That has shaken foreign companies at a time when Xi's government is trying to revive investor interest in China as part of efforts to reverse a deepening economic slump. Mintz Group said in April its Beijing office was raided by police and five employees detained. Bain & Co. said its staff in Shanghai were questioned by police. State media said in May offices of Capvision were raided by the foreign intelligence agency in Beijing, Shanghai and at least two other cities. The British Chamber of Commerce in China said in May a survey found companies want greater clarity about how newly expanded anti-spying and other rules will be enforced before they go ahead with new investments. This month, one of the world's biggest law firms, Dentons, announced it was separating from a Chinese firm that has been part of its global network for eight years due to changes in data protection and cybersecurity rules. Chinese companies have faced bigger penalties for data security violations. In 2020, ride-hailing firm Didi Global was fined more than 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) by the internet regulator on charges of improperly collecting and handling data on millions of users. (AP) MRJ MRJ Mumbai, Aug 21 (PTI) Actor Pankaj Tripathi's father Banaras Tiwari has died. He was 99. The "OMG2" star's representative confirmed the news in a statement. "It's with a heavy heart to confirm that Pankaj Tripathi's father, pandit Banaras Tiwari is no more. He lived a wholesome life of 99 years," the statement read. The last rites will be performed later in the day in the presence of family in Tripathi's Belsand village in Gopalganj, Bihar. The actor has left for his village. In his interviews, Tripathi has often spoken fondly about his parents and his farming roots. Sweden has no plans to transfer Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested during his visit over the weekend, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said. "Sweden is a geographically very large country, we have to defend ourselves, we are not yet a member of NATO," he explained, according to TV4. He said that during Zelenskyy's visit to Sweden, lengthy negotiations were held, culminating in a declaration of intent on the joint production and maintenance of Swedish infantry fighting vehicles. However, during the talks, Zelenskyy voiced Ukraine's need for Western fighters. "We also have to strike a balance between what we can spare for them and what we must have ourselves. Now we are part of the so-called F-16 coalition, where we are partnering with 14 countries to ensure Ukraine's aviation capabilities," Kristersson said. Thus, he said, Denmark and the Netherlands jointly pledged to provide Ukraine with dozens of fighter jets. "We will do our best to support them, including with aircraft. But right now there are no new commitments to supply Swedish aircraft to Ukraine," the Prime Minister said. Columbia (US), Aug 20 (AP) More than a year after the US Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion, the issue has at times dominated the discussion among the Republicans seeking their party's 2024 presidential nomination and is sure to be on display during the first GOP campaign debate Wednesday in Milwaukee. Some of the division among the candidates has come over whether there should be a national ban on the practice - and after how many weeks - now that the justices have returned specific debate over abortion legality to the states. A look at how the issue of abortion is playing out among Republican and Democratic candidates: DONALD TRUMP The former president, the current GOP front-runner, has often sidestepped the issue of abortion, even as Republicans across the country have celebrated the Supreme Court's decision. In April, a major anti-abortion group assailed Trump on the issue, saying his contention that abortion restrictions should be left up to individual states, not the federal government, is a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate. The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group has said it would not support any White House candidate who did not at a minimum support a 15-week federal abortion ban. Trump, who has referred to himself as the most pro-life president in American history, has pointed to his successful nomination of three conservatives justices, a move that tilted the court to the conservative majority that overturned Roe v. Wade. Earlier this year, he characterized as too harsh a measure signed into law by fellow contender Gov. Ron DeSantis that would ban abortions in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy. RON DESANTIS While DeSantis has been governor, Florida passed an abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy. But DeSantis, who says he is pro-life, has suggested that individual states should decide the issue, adding in a recent interview that he is running on doing things that I know I can accomplish. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, criticized DeSantis for not supporting a national ban on the procedure, calling DeSantis' position unacceptable as he runs for president. MIKE PENCE The former vice president supports a federal ban on abortion at six weeks, before many women even know they're pregnant. And he has advocated pulling from the market one of two widely used abortion pills - a medication with a better safety record than Viagra and penicillin. Sensing that such a position may be viewed as too extreme in a general election, no other major presidential candidate has joined his calls. In a recent Associated Press interview, Pence went even further, saying abortion should be banned, even when a pregnancy is deemed nonviable. Such a standard would force women to carry pregnancies to term even when doctors have determined there is no chance a baby will survive outside the womb. Earlier this month while touring the Iowa State Fair, Pence said he was expecting to use the debate as an opportunity to call out Trump and DeSantis for not insisting on a national abortion ban. TIM SCOTT The South Carolina senator has long voiced his opposition to abortion, pledging that as president I would sign the most conservative pro-life legislation you can bring to my desk. He has signaled support for a federal ban on the practice for as early as 12 weeks and also support for a bill sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that would ban abortions nationally after 15 weeks. In 2021, Scott also co-sponsored legislation that would have established a constitutional right to life from the moment of fertilization. NIKKI HALEY Haley, the sole woman in the GOP field, pledged in May that she would sign a federal abortion ban if elected president. But Haley has not specified a time frame for after how many weeks she feels abortion should be outlawed, noting that passing such a measure would be highly unlikely without more Republicans in Congress, and advocating for consensus around the issue. She's said she would absolutely sign a 15-week federal ban. The former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said no one has been honest about how difficult a ban could be to achieve, in a closely divided federal government. Haley campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso said in June that she would "sign pro-life legislation that includes exceptions for rape, incest, and for the life of the mother, suggesting she may be opposed to an exception for non-viable pregnancies - but declining to clarify. As governor, Haley signed an abortion ban after about 20 weeks. That law is still in effect while a six-week ban, passed by state lawmakers, is held up in the courts. VIVEK RAMASWAMY The wealthy biotech entrepreneur and author of Woke, Inc. has said he would not support a federal ban on abortion because the federal government should stay out of it. He has voiced support for states that have passed six-week bans. Like some other hopefuls, he has pushed for more policies that encourage adoption and better child care. CHRIS CHRISTIE The former two-term New Jersey governor has argued that the issue of abortion should be carried out in the states, not at the federal level. In a CNN town hall, Christie said that the federal government should not be involved unless and until there's a consensus around the country from the 50 states making their own decisions about what it should be. Seeking local office in the 1990s, Christie identified himself as pro-choice, saying he changed his position after hearing his daughter's heartbeat at 13 weeks. As governor, he vetoed millions in state funding for Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics. Before the Supreme Court's decision that overturned Roe, Christie joined Dannenfelser in meetings other GOP governors to discuss the issue and how it might play out at the state level. ASA HUTCHINSON The former two-term Arkansas governor has said the issue of abortion should stay in the states without a Republican supermajority in Congress. As governor in 2021, Hutchinson signed a near-total ban on abortions that did not include rape and incest exceptions. DOUG BURGUM In April, the two-term North Dakota governor signed one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country. The measure would allow abortions up to six weeks' gestation in cases of rape or incest, or medical emergencies. After that marker, no exceptions aside from some medical emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies, are allowed at any stage of pregnancy. Burgum has mostly said the issue of abortion should be left to the states and has indicated he would not support a federal ban. LARRY ELDER The conservative talk radio host opposes abortion but has said he would not support a federal ban. PERRY JOHNSON The businessman describes himself as pro-life. When he ran for Michigan governor in 2022, Johnson told reporters two wrongs don't make a right when asked if he would rule out banning abortion in cases of sexual assault. FRANCIS SUAREZ The Miami mayor has said that he would support a national ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions, including rape, incest and the mother's health. (AP) NSA NSA New York, Aug 21 (PTI) A 60-year-old Indian-origin Sikh leader, who was earlier this year arrested for plotting to burn down a prominent Gurdwara in the US state of California has appeared in court to set his preliminary hearing dates. Rajvir Singh Gill, former Bakersfield City Council candidate, on August 17 appeared for his set preliminary hearing after being arrested on March 4 for allegedly targeting one of Bakersfields largest Sikh places of worship, Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji Khalsa Darbar, and burning down the property, 23ABC News reported on Friday. He is accused of attempting to hire people to shoot others and burn down the local Sikh temple. Gill is expected to be back in the Kern County court for a motion on August 31, the report said. He will also be in court for his preliminary hearings on October 5 and 6. Gill had attempted to run for City Council Ward 7 against another Indian-origin candidate, Manpreet Kaur in 2022. Kaur won the election and was the first Sikh Punjabi woman elected to the Bakersfield City Council. Kaur, who won the seat for Ward 7, had then said: "I am aware of the alleged allegations. I am confident the Bakersfield Police Department is working diligently to keep our community safe and will address the matter accordingly. Hearing this news is distressing and frightening. "This is one of our most highly attended Sikh temples locally. To hear of an alleged attempt to destroy a place of worship is heartbreaking and unfathomable," she said in a statement. He hired the people. Those people, whoever he hired, came and told us and they made a report to the police. So, the police called us and they got our information and everything and asked questions and we told them what's going on, and thats when everything happened, said Amrik Singh Athwal, a temple board member. A Bakersfield Police Department spokesman had declined to address what may have prompted Gill to take the actions he is accused of, and he would not elaborate on the case. Another elder, Sukhwinder Singh Ranghi, attributed the repeated confrontations to a dispute over more than USD 800,000, contributed by congregation members, that was supposed to reimburse a corporate entity set up to buy the temple out of foreclosure in July 2020. Ranghi said the temple learned Gill offered USD 10,000 to two Hispanic men to kill certain leaders of the congregation who are involved in the court cases, including Ranghi. He said Gill drove the men around the city pointing out the homes of the temple leaders he wanted to be killed. This information came to temple leadership from an associate of the intended hitmen. With more than 500 members, Shaheed is one of Bakersfields best-attended Sikh temples. It hosts an annual celebration in late October that draws thousands. Kathmandu, Aug 21 (PTI) A 22-year-old Indian national was arrested from the Bara district in southern Nepal on the charges of trafficking two Nepali children, including an infant, to India in a sack, police said on Monday. Tabrez Alam, a resident of Bihar, was nabbed on Sunday by the Armed Police Force when he was taking a nine-month-old girl child and a two-year-old boy, according to Rajendra Khadka, Senior Superintendent of Police, Armed Police Force. Alam was taking the children to India in a sack from the Devtaal Rural Municipality of the district along the Nepal-India border, Khadka said. The Indian national was arrested on the charges of kidnapping the two children from the Amwa village in the rural municipality, Khadka added. The Armed Police Force nabbed Alam and rescued the children after a team of the paramilitary organisation heard their cries from inside the sack. According to Khadka, the children were handed over to their respective families after their rescue. Alam was handed to the Bara district police office for further investigation. Lahore, Aug 21 (PTI) Pakistan's Punjab government on Monday announced a compensation of Rs 2 million for around 100 Christian families whose homes were burnt down by radical Islamists last week over allegations of blasphemy. An enraged mob ransacked and torched 21 churches and several houses of Christians last week over blasphemy allegations in Jaranwala town of Faisalabad district, 130 km from Punjab's provincial capital Lahore. A Christian cemetery and the office of the local assistant commissioner were also vandalised. "At least 94 families will receive compensation of Rs 2 million each by tomorrow (Tuesday). The amount will help them rebuild their houses damaged in the violence," said Punjab's caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The Christian leaders told Naqvi on Monday that at least 200 houses were damaged in the violence, and all should be compensated. According to the police, at least 20 churches and 86 houses of Christians were burnt down by the mob in Jaranwala last Wednesday. The two Christians accused of desecrating the Quran were arrested, police said, adding that 145 suspects have been arrested so far, including a cleric who made announcements from five mosques inciting people to attack Christian homes and churches. The police report also hinted at the presence of radical Islamist Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) elements that spearheaded the mob which unleashed the attack. Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar visited the town on Monday. "Im heading to Jaranwala to meet and empathize with our Christian brethren," he posted on social media platform X. Meanwhile, protests erupted against the Punjab chief minister for ignoring Catholics in Jaranwala. Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad Vicar General Fr Abid Tanveer said that hundreds of Catholic Christians of Jaranwala waited in Christian Colony for the Naqvi, but the chief minister visited an area of a small community and ignored the Christian Colony. Tanveer asserted that the biggest church of Jaranwala, the Catholic Church, located in the Christian Colony, was burnt and demolished in the riots, and 200 houses were damaged in the locality, while their valuables were also looted. He added that by ignoring the locality, Naqvi hurt the sentiments of the Catholics. Tanveer condemned this alleged injustice, claiming that Catholic leadership waited there for the chief minister and staged a protest against his act of ignoring the Christian Colony. He announced that the protest would continue until the chief minister visited the colony of Catholics. On Sunday, the Punjab caretaker cabinet joined the Christian community in Jaranwala and sat among the rubble of a burnt church for the first Sunday mass. Asserting that the restoration of other churches would be completed this week, Naqvi said the rights of individuals with affiliations to various faiths would be safeguarded at all costs, and those who engage in mistreatment would be made an example. Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures can face the death penalty. Often an accusation can cause riots and incite mobs to violence, lynching and killings. According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), till August 16 this year, around 198 persons have been accused of blasphemy, 85 per cent of them Muslims, 9 per cent Ahmadis and 4.4 per cent Christians. It said the Punjab province recorded over 75 per cent of the abuse of blasphemy laws cases in the past 36 years. Minorities, including Christians and Hindus, have been frequently subjected to blasphemy allegations and some tried and even sentenced under blasphemy in Pakistan. Copenhagen, Aug 21 (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Danish lawmakers on Monday for helping his country resist Russia's invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Kyiv with American-made F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year. Zelenskyy told the lawmakers that if Russia's invasion is successful, other parts of Europe would be at risk from the Kremlin's military aggression. All of Russia's neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail, he said in a speech in Copenhagen. Zelenskyy portrays Ukraine as defending Western values of freedom and democracy against tyranny. He has argued that Ukraine needs to be properly provisioned to fend off Russia's much bigger force. Ukraine has been pressing its Western allies for months to give it F-16s. Its armed forces are still using aging Soviet-era combat planes from the 1970s and '80s, and its counteroffensive against Russian positions is advancing without air support, which analysts say is a major handicap. Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Ukraine would get 42 jets. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, which could be delivered around the end of the year when pilot training lasting four to six months is completed. However, getting Ukrainian squadrons battle-ready could take much longer. US Air Force Gen. James Hecker, commander of US air forces in Europe and Africa, said last week that he did not expect the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. Getting F-16 squadrons ready for battle could take four or five years, he said. While some training has already begun for Ukrainian pilots, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Sunday it's just language lessons so far. Training Ukrainian pilots is just one of the challenges in the anticipated deployment of F-16s. Questions also remain over who will carry out crucial aircraft maintenance, the supply of spare parts and what weapons the West will supply to arm the fighter jets. The United States last week announced its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver the F-16s. That is needed because the aircraft are made in the United States. On Sunday, Zelenskyy visited the Netherlands and inspected two gray F-16s parked in a hangar at a Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven together with Rutte. Rutte didn't provide a number or timeframe for deliveries, saying it depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. Zelenskyy started his trip Saturday in Sweden, where he asked Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Sweden has said it will allow Ukrainian pilots to test the planes but has not made any commitments to hand them over. Kristersson said Monday that Sweden needs the Gripen planes for its own defence, noting that the country's bid to join NATO has not been finalised. We don't rule anything out in the future, he told the TV4 channel. We will do everything we can to support them also with aircraft. But right now there are no new commitments to provide Swedish aircraft to Ukraine. On Monday, Russian air defences jammed a Ukrainian drone west of Moscow and shot down another one on the outskirts of the city, Russia's Defence Ministry said. Two people were injured and one of them was hospitalised when drone fragments fell on a private house, Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said. Such drone attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in Russia in recent weeks. Also, Russian rail officials said that a relay cabinet used to run train traffic was set ablaze on the outskirts of Moscow, causing delays, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency. Russian authorities have reported multiple similar incidents across the country, some of which have been blamed on acts of sabotage encouraged by Ukrainian security agencies. In Ukraine, at least four civilians were killed and 25 others wounded by the latest Russian attacks, according to the Ukrainian presidential office. The dead included a 71-year-old man killed by Russian shelling in the northeastern Kharkiv region, near the border with Russia. (AP) GRS GRS Wellington, Aug 21 (PTI) The New Zealand government has launched a comprehensive probe into the alleged case of exploitation of 115 Indian and Bangladeshi nationals who arrived in the country with the promise of employment that did not materialise. These individuals were accommodated in properties that were not fit to house so many people. The conditions of the accommodation were unhygienic, unsanitary, and inappropriate, New Zealand Immigration said in a press release. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has commenced an "in-depth and comprehensive investigation" into the case, it said last week. "Our investigators have spoken with 115 Indian and Bangladeshi nationals who arrived in New Zealand on Accredited Employment Work Visas (AEWV) with the promise of employment when they arrived. Individuals have indicated they paid a substantial amount for the visa and a job, yet most are still waiting for any paid work," the immigration authority said. Despite paying significant sums of money, ranging from USD 15,000 (approx INR 12,46,778) to USD 40,000 (approx INR 33,24,742), to various agents for their visas and related jobs, most of these workers were not provided with any paid employment, news portal rnz.co.nz reported. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a temporary work visa category. Some individuals have been in New Zealand for several months and some have more recently arrived. The Indian High Commission has been engaged to provide support to their nationals, the immigration authority said. The Indian High Commission in a tweet on Friday last week said, "As soon as we were informed regarding Indian workers in distress in Auckland, we reached out to support them. Food & Consular services provided to the workers. We are in touch with all concerned. We are committed to the welfare of the Indian community in NZ." According to a report in The New Zealand Herald newspaper, the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme already has 164 active investigations after complaints of worker exploitation and breaches. The scheme, established in July last year, has approved nearly 81,000 visas among about 27,900 accredited employers. It was meant to counter exploitation by ensuring employers were viable and treated their employees fairly, with pre- and post-accreditation checks, it said. Immigration Minister Andrew Little has ordered an urgent independent review of how the scheme is being operated after serious concerns were raised by a whistleblower on Tuesday last week that checks of potential accredited employers were not being carried out, the report said. Tokyo, Aug 21 (AP) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday promised his government's full support for fishing communities during the decades-long process to release treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. Meeting with fisheries representatives, Kishida promised measures to protect the fishing industry's reputation until the release ends. Masanobu Sakamoto, head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, reiterated his organisation's opposition to the release. He said members of the fishing community have gained some confidence about the safety of the move, but that they still fear damage to their industry, and welcomed the government pledge for support. Scientific safety and the sense of safety are different, Sakamoto said. Even if it's safe, reputational damage occurs." Kishida later told reporters that Sakamoto's response signalled improved understanding and that key Cabinet ministers will meet Tuesday to set a date to start the release. Japan's national broadcaster NHK said the government hopes it could begin as early as Thursday. Sakamoto welcomed the government pledge for its long-term support for the fisheries and sought additional funding as needed. The government has offered funding totalling 80 billion yen ($550 million) for sales promotion and other steps, and for sustainable fishing operations. The easing of opposition from the fishing industry is key to the release because the government promised in 2015 not to start without understanding from fishing groups, after past accidental and unapproved discharges. A massive March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant's cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and contaminating their cooling water. The water is collected, filtered and stored in around 1,000 tanks, which will reach their capacity in early 2024. Scientists generally agree the environmental impact of treated wastewater would be negligible, but some call for more attention to dozens of low-dose radionuclides that remain in it. The government announced the release plan in April 2021 and has since faced strong opposition from Japanese fishing organizations, which worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it into a political and diplomatic issue. The government and the plant operator say the water must be removed to make room for the plant's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks. They say all the treated water will be reprocessed until it meets legally releasable levels and then diluted, making it far safer than international standards. The International Atomic Energy Agency, asked for cooperation from Japan to improve transparency and credibility, and in a final report in July concluded that the plan, if conducted as designed, will cause negligible impact on the environment and human health. The government has also stepped up outreach efforts to explain the plan to neighboring countries, especially South Korea, to keep the issue from interfering with their relationship. (AP) SCY SCY Rajnandgaon, Aug 20 (PTI) A woman Congress MLA suffered injuries after a man allegedly attacked her with a knife in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district on Sunday, police said. The accused, identified as Khileshwar, has been taken into custody, they said. The incident occurred this evening in Jodhara village under the Dongargaon police station limits when MLA Chhanni Chandu Sahu, who represents the Khujji assembly seat in the district, was attending a public function, according to police. As per the preliminary information, Sahu was on the stage when a man, who was allegedly drunk, attacked her with a knife, a senior police official said. Sahu sustained minor injuries on her wrist following which she was shifted to community health centre Chhuria where she was administered first aid, he said. The accused has been taken into custody and further probe is underway, he added. Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has condemned the incident and alleged that the law and order situation has collapsed in Chhattisgarh. When the legislator of the ruling party is not safe, what about the safety of common people? This is the failure of the Bhupesh Baghel government, the BJP said in a statement. Shimla, Aug 20 (PTI) Ten people, including five employees of the forest department, were trapped at the Kol Dam Hydel Project in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district on Sunday, officials said. "The situation is not life threatening and the trapped people would be rescued soon," Mandi Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary said. "The rescue operation has been started by the NDRF in coordination with the local administration and residents," Chaudhary told PTI on Sunday night. It was immediately not known how the incident took place. The locals informed the administration after which a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was rushed to the spot. The officials said five of those stuck at the site are employees of the forest department -- Bhadur Singh, Bhupesh Thakur, Roop singh, Babu Ram and Angad Kumar -- while the other five are local people who were identified as Nain Singh, Dagu Ram, Hem Raj, Bhudhi Singh and Dharmendra. The rescue operation is being carried out with the help of a steamer, the officials said. Pune, Aug 21 (PTI) A senior NCP minister, who joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra along with Ajit Pawar last month, has expressed faith in the leadership of Sharad Pawar, a day after saying that the party founder was unable to muster a "clear majority" to form government during his long political innings. Under fire for his remarks on Sharad Pawar, NCP minister Dilip Walse-Patil on Monday claimed his remarks, made at a public event in Pune district, were misconstrued by media. He said Sharad Pawar will be his leader even in the future and respect for the 82-year-old veteran will remain forever in his mind. Addressing party workers at Manchar in his Assembly constituency Ambegaon on Sunday, Walse-Patil said that the people of Maharashtra never gave Sharad Pawar power on his own or allowed him to single-handedly form the government. Walse-Patil, state cooperation minister and former close aide of Sharad Pawar, said, I feel the media has gotten it wrong. I never spoke ill about Pawar saheb. I was expressing regret that while other regional parties achieved power on their own, the people of Maharashtra did not give it to him. There is no question of demeaning Pawar saheb or questioning his ability, said Walse-Patil. Despite being their tallest leader, the people of Maharashtra did not stand with him with full strength. I expressed my disappointment about this. This is not the first time that I spoke about it. I have said this in the past as well, including in party meetings. It is impossible that I would utter a wrong word or criticise Pawar saheb. I express regret over this misunderstanding, he said. Walse-Patil came under flak from Sharad Pawar loyalist and former minister Jitendra Awhad who called him an ungrateful person. NCP MLA and Pawars grandnephew Rohit Pawar said it was people like Walse-Patil who were around Sharad Pawar during most of his political career. Had these people worked harder, Pawar saheb would have gained power single-handedly, Rohit Pawar said. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Greece to participate in the Ukraine-Balkans summit, he said on his Telegram channel. "We continue our visit to Greece [after visits to Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark]. We have already arrived," Zelenskyy said. In particular, the head of state is scheduled to meet in Greece with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, talks with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Greek delegation. "The agenda is everything we can do together to protect people's lives and freedom in our common European home," he said. In addition, Zelenskyy will take part in the Ukraine-Balkans summit, during which he will hold joint meetings with Balkan leaders on the coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, defense cooperation, security, and separate negotiations on bilateral issues. He is also scheduled to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Mumbai, Aug 21 (PTI) Two persons were injured after a 19-year-old college student allegedly rammed a Mercedes car which he was driving into another car on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai, a police official said on Monday. The incident took place on Sunday morning following which the accused, identified as Jay Bansode, was arrested, the official from Worli police station said. The accused, a resident of Bhayander in neighbouring Thane district, was driving his relative's car, he said. After the incident, Bansode fled from the spot, but the police picked him up with the help of the car's registration number, the official said. The accused was not drunk at the time of incident, the official said, adding the offending car has been seized. On the basis of primary information, Bansode were arrested and booked on charges of rash and negligent driving and other legal provisions, he said. The injured persons, identified as Deepak Kasturi and Anjali Agarwal, were recuperating in a hospital and were out of danger, the official said. Kolkata, Aug 21 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh stirred controversy by claiming that the saffron camp had "taught lessons" to those raising 'Azaadi' slogans on JNU campus and asserted that Jadavpur University here will resonate with cries of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal. While addressing a rally in North 24 Parganas district on Sunday evening, Ghosh criticised Left unions over the death of a first-year student in Jadavpur University a few days back. "We have ensured peace in Kashmir; we will one day bring back normalcy in Jadavpur University as well. Wherever anti-national elements have raised their heads, we have stomped them under our boots. On the JNU campus, some people used to raise 'Azaadi' slogans. We have made them 'azaad' (free)," Ghosh was seen saying in a purported video that went viral on Monday evening. PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Continuing his tirade against Left-aligned student unions, Ghosh said the day Trinamool Congress (TMC) is voted out of power and BJP forms government in the West Bengal, "JU would be freed of radical elements". "The day BJP comes to power in West Bengal, we will free Jadavpur University campus of radicals. A statue of Swami Vivekananda will come up on the campus, and the entire varsity will resonate with slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Bharat Mata ki jai'," he said. Later, when contacted, Ghosh told PTI that the "anarchy unleashed by the 'Tukde Tukde' gang on JU campus has to be stopped." "In JNU, we have stopped this anarchy. In JU too, we will stop the anarchy by these 'Tukde Tukde' gangs. University is a place to study and not to harass students and promote alcoholism, drug and substance abuse," he said. 'Tukde Tukde' gang is a political catchphrase used by the saffron camp against opponents accused of supporting seditious behaviour. Reacting to the BJP leader's allegations, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the former state BJP president is trying to grab the attention of the party hierarchy through such statements. "We condemn such remarks by Dilip Ghosh. Such comments are not only derogatory but also reflect the mindset of the BJP. We all know that Dilip Ghosh was removed as national vice president recently, so he is now trying to get back in the good books of his party bosses through such statements," he said. The police investigation into the death of a first-year undergraduate student, who reportedly suffered ragging and sexual harassment, has led to the arrest of 13 former and current university students. The incident involved the student falling from a second-floor balcony of the main hostel building on August 9. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the CPI(M) and other Left-aligned student unions are responsible for the death of the student, drawing a sharp response from the CPI(M), which accused her of attempting to divert attention from her "administrative failures". Imphal, Aug 21 (PTI) Raising concern over FIRs filed against Kuki academics, the apex body of the community in Manipur wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to take steps to withdraw the cases. In a memorandum to the prime minister, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) alleged that several scholars, writers and leaders of the community are under constant threat and harassment. "The results of research works, academic engagement and exercise of freedom of speech are responded with FIR and cases. Manipur police have booked two Kuki Assistant Professors of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and a retired Colonel for the book they had edited and authored on the Anglo-Kuki War 1917-19," it said. "Initiating legal suit against Kuki scholars is a clear reflection of the bleak state of academic freedom in India. The charges against our scholars are politically motivated, an attempt to erase Kuki history. Besides, other Kuki leaders, social activists, students' organisation and scholars who write and speak for the Kukis on different platforms are being booked in an attempt to gag and stifle any voices from the Kukis," it added. KIM alleged such cases are part of a ploy to keep the Kukis under subjugation. "Things which are purely academics should be responded with the same approach and academic freedom which plays a vital role in strengthening democratic society should be protected," it said. The KIM demanded that the cases filed against writers, scholars, academicians and leaders of the community on the basis of complaints by Meiteis with "malicious intents" be withdrawn immediately. It also urged the prime minister to act against "Valley Based Insurgency Groups (VBIGs)", their frontal organisations and politicians who have nexus with them. Ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities broke out in the state on May 3, and have been continuing for over three months, leading to the deaths of over 160 people. New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency on Monday said another accused in the Jabalpur ISIS terror module case has been held, taking the number of those arrested in the case so far to four. Kasif Khan, a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, was arrested as the NIA successfully untangled more threads in the case, registered on May 24, related to a conspiracy by the global terror group to unleash violence in the country, a spokesperson of the federal agency said. "Khan was motivated by the ideology of the banned terrorist organisation to spread mayhem in the country. He was working closely with his three associates -- Syed Mamoor Ali, Mohammad Adil and Mohammad Shahid -- who were arrested by the NIA in May," the spokesperson said. The official said Khan, along with the others, was involved in organising 'Dawah' programmes to radicalise gullible Muslim youth to work for the ISIS, a transnational militant Islamist group which has been involved in carrying out major terror attacks around the world. The NIA had registered the Jabalpur ISIS mode case after it was learnt that the accused persons were actively disseminating ISIS propaganda through social media and on-ground Dawah activities, the official said. "The accused had conspired to carry out terror attacks in India on behalf of ISIS with the ultimate aim of establishing an Islamic State," the spokesperson said, adding the ISIS has been trying to spread its wings across India by establishing localised terror modules. The NIA said its investigations had revealed that the module had been conducting meetings to plan terror attacks and had also been engaged in motivating and recruiting youth, procuring deadly weapons, collecting funds and disseminating ISIS propaganda material. "The NIA has been carrying out extensive investigations to dismantle the terror modules and thwart ISIS's nefarious designs," the spokesperson said. New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Centre's stand on a petition challenging the inclusion of chartered accountants, company secretaries and cost accountants within the ambit of reporting entities under the anti-money laundering law. A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma granted time to the Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma to seek instructions on the petition by Rajat Mohan, a practising chartered accountant (CA). The court, while listing the case for further hearing on October 4, noted that at this stage, the petitioner was not extending his challenge to the legality of certain provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act with respect to the consequent liabilities imposed upon the professionals. Observing that CAs were the experts in the field of accounting and the enhanced due diligence was with respect to specified transactions only, the bench -- also comprising Justice Sanjeev Narula-- asked the petitioner to state the problem with the new regime. Senior advocate Trideep Pais, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the inclusion is turning professionals into police on vague and subjective basis, which is also in violation of the fiduciary relationship that they share with their clients. Noting that onerous obligations have been put on practising CAs even when the client is not facing any criminal case, the senior lawyer said, I can be prosecuted in PMLA...you are surveying your own client. ASG Sharma urged the court to not issue notice on the petition, and said Any interference would upset the arch for reporting transactions. We just want them to be our eyes and ears (on case to case basis), he said, adding that a mechanism would be put in place in this regard and that the petitioner's prayer to annul the legal provisions under PMLA has to go. ASG Sharma further informed that National Financial Fraud Reporting Authority has also been formed. In the plea, the petitioner has said including CAs and other professionals within the definition of reporting entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), onerous obligations have been put on them with consequences of non-compliance leading to criminal prosecution, and it virtually makes such professionals engage in policing their own clients with whom they interact in fiduciary capacity. The petitioner by way of the present writ petition is challenging the validity of gazette notification No. S.O.2036(E) dated 03.05.2023 passed by the respondents wherein they have read into the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and expanded the definition of the word 'person' used in Section 2(1)(sa)(vi) as well as the definition of the word 'activity' used in PMLA. Specifically, a class of professionals i.e., Chartered Accountants/Company Secretaries/Cost Accountants have been included within the definition of 'Reporting Entities', the petition filed through advocates Shweta Kapoor and RK Kapoor has said. The petition has said the notification violates Articles 14, 19, 20 (3), 21 and 300A of the Constitution as well as other civil and statutory rights, including the right of privacy as well as the protection accorded to professional, privileged, and confidential communications. It has contended that the notification gives unbridled and unlimited, arbitrary, and whimsical power to the authority under the anti-money laundering law and creates the framework for a fishing and roving enquiry into every financial transaction of each individual/citizen of the country. The scope and application of PMLA is extremely rigorous and strict and even a bonafide oversight shall put the life, liberty careers of the reporting entities under threat. A sword of Damocles would always remain hanging on the head of the petitioner, the petition has submitted. It is left to the knowledge, comprehension and thought process of each Chartered Accountant/Company Secretary/Cost Accountant to judge the clients coming to them to understand their transactions from the perspective of money laundering and then increase their vigil on those accounts. This is the function of the state as per law and not of ordinary citizens who are merely professionals in a particular field and not qualified prosecutors, it further said. Kochi, Aug 21 (PTI) Former state finance minister and senior CPI(M) leader T M Thomas Isaac on Monday said that Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan's allegations about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena T and her company engaging in "political funding" are baseless. Referring to the Congress leader's remarks that Veena's company had not paid IGST fully, Isaac claimed that Kuzhalnadan's efforts were aimed at diverting attention from his own alleged wrongdoings, including the amassing of disproportionate wealth. Kuzhalnadan had recently raised allegations against Chief Minister Vijayan and Veena, labelling the financial transactions of her IT company "political funding". He asked whether Veena's IT firm Exalogic Solutions Private Limited had paid the IGST for the amount her company received from private mineral company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd. He was referring to a recent news report that said that CMRL had made illegal payments of Rs 1.72 crore to Veena under the pretext of services rendered, but that her company had not provided any software solutions in exchange for the amount. In a Facebook post, Isaac said both companies (Veena's company and the private mineral company) are legal entities with GST registration, and the payment was made through bank accounts. "Now Kuzhalnadan is claiming that Veena's company has not fully paid the IGST. So it means he is agreeing to the fact that the amount paid by the private company to Veena's company was for the services rendered," Isaac said. He asked whether the Congress MLA would apologise if it is proved that the company did pay the IGST. Earlier, senior CPI(M) leader A K Balan had also asked Kuzhalnadan whether he was ready to apologise and quit his political life if it is proved that Veena's company did pay the tax. Meanwhile, Kuzhalnadan reiterated on Monday that -- as per his understanding -- Veena's company had not paid the IGST in full. "If her company can prove that they have filed the IGST and show the invoice, I am ready to apologise to Veena and the society," Kuzhalnadan said. Isaac alleged that Kuzhalnadan's accusations against the Chief Minister's daughter were a bid to cover up the allegations against him over various issues. "He is accused of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The resort at Chinnakanal, which he acquired, is functioning in an illegal manner. There are also allegations of his not paying the full tax for the land he purchased," Isaac said. On August 19, the Congress MLA had sought an explanation from the ruling CPI(M) about the financial transactions between private mineral company CMRL and Veena's IT firm Exalogic Solutions. Following his allegations against the CM's daughter, Kuzhalnadan has faced pushback from left-wing organisations. The All India Lawyers Union (AILU) recently filed a complaint against Kuzhalnadan, who is also a lawyer, for "professional misconduct", alleging that he owns a business -- which is a violation of the Advocates Act. The CPI(M) has alleged that the Congress MLA bought land in Chinnakanal area to build a resort, claiming that he was a resident of that area and did not have any other residence in the state. But Kuzhalnadan owns several other properties, including a flat in the state, the Left Party claimed. Besides, the CPI(M) also contended that the Congress MLA was not running a guest house in Chinnakanal, but a resort, which was not permitted there under the law. Last week, while denying the allegations of money laundering and stamp duty evasion against him, Kuzhalnadan had said he was ready to face a probe by any agency and disclose all his financial documents, including those of his law firm, for investigation. Evidence has cropped up that shows that Veena's company had dealings with top leaders of both the ruling CPI(M) as well as the opposition Congress-led UDF. The issue came to the fore after a Malayalam daily recently reported that Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd paid a total of Rs 1.72 crore to the CM's daughter between 2017 and 2020. The news report, citing the recent ruling of an interim board for settlement, said that the Kochi-based company previously had an agreement with Veena's IT firm for consultancy and software support services. Despite the fact that no service was rendered by her firm, the amount was paid on a monthly basis "due to her relationship with a prominent person", the report said, citing the deposition of the minerals company authorities before the Income Tax Department. New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) A fire broke out at two factories in Nilothi village here on Monday, officials said. Information about the blaze was received at 8.52 am, they said and added that 20 fire tenders have been deployed. Further details are awaited, the officials said. Radical chareidi extremists have struck again in the heart of Yerushalayim, with a group of the zealots puncturing the wheels of Egged buses and spray-painting them with messages reading, Enough with the non-tznius pictures. All this over modest photos of women on the busses. Israeli police are investigating the incident, which is now the second such occurrence in the last two weeks. Authorities reportedly have surveillance footage of the suspects and are expected to bring charges against them. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A federal appeals court on Friday ordered a new sentence for a North Carolina man who pleaded guilty to a petty offense in the Capitol riot a ruling that could impact dozens of low-level cases in the massive Jan. 6, 2021 prosecution. The appeals court in Washington said James Little was wrongly sentenced for his conviction on a misdemeanor offense to both prison time and probation, which is court-ordered monitoring of defendants who are not behind bars. Little, who entered the Capitol but didnt join in any destruction or violence, pleaded guilty in 2021 to a charge that carries up to six months behind bars. He was sentenced last year to 60 days in prison followed by three years of probation. But the 2-1 opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said that probation and imprisonment may not be imposed as a single sentence for a petty offense, adding there are separate options on the menu. Judge Robert Wilkins, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, dissented. The decision could invalidate the sentences of dozens of Jan. 6 defendants who received what is known as a split sentence for a petty offense. More than 80 other Jan. 6 defendants have been sentenced to both prison time and probation for the same misdemeanor offense as Little, according to an Associated Press analysis. The practical effect, however, may be limited as almost all of them have likely already served their prison terms long ago. Littles attorney had asked the appeals court to simply order an end to his probation monitoring since he already served his 60 days behind bars. An attorney for Little declined to comment on Friday. The Justice Department, which could appeal the decision, also declined to comment. Some judges who have imposed such sentences in misdemeanor cases have stressed the need to keep tabs on Jan. 6 defendants after they serve their time to prevent them from engaging in such conduct during the next election. While on probation, defendants have to check in with a probation officer and follow certain conditions. The Court must not only punish Little for his conduct but also ensure that he will not engage in similar conduct again during the next election, the judge who sentenced Little, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, wrote in a ruling last year. Some term of imprisonment may serve sentencings retributive goals. But only a longer-term period of probation is adequate to ensure that Little will not become an active participant in another riot, he wrote. On Jan. 6, 2021, Little went to President Donald Trumps speech ahead of the riot and then walked to the Capitol, where he fist-bumped other rioters and went into the Senate Gallery, according to court records. After leaving the Capitol, he and others prayed on the Capitol steps and sang Were Not Gonna Take It, by Twisted Sister, according to court documents. More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. More than 600 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted after trials decided by a jury or judge. About 600 have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from three days to 18 years. (AP) Zdorovi national agency donates humanitarian aid to hospitals in Luhansk region that receive IDPs The Zdorovi national humanitarian aid agency has handed over humanitarian aid to hospitals in Luhansk region that receive internally displaced persons from the occupied territories. According to a press release from Zdorovi, medicines and medical devices were provided to the hospitals of the Stanytsia Luhanska territorial community. According to the founder of Zdorovi, Natalia Tulinova, the delivery of humanitarian aid to Luhansk region is one of the most difficult tasks for the Zdorovi logistics center. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Zdorovi team has fulfilled 1,835 requests for assistance from 945 medical institutions from different regions of Ukraine, including frontline and de-occupied territories and war zones. The total volume of transferred medical cargo amounted to 1,007 tonnes. Zdorovi cooperates with international partners, including MedShare, Embrace, Razom for Ukraine, Nova Ukraine, Americares, USAID, Philips and other charitable foundations and organizations. A prosecutor urged a judge Friday to impose a life sentence on the teenager who killed four students at his Michigan school, arguing that his methodical planning and appetite for violence should keep him locked up forever. He only stopped because there was no one left to shoot. Those kids were trained to go into lockdown and they did, Karen McDonald said. There were hundreds of kids in that building who wrote and texted their parents very similar things: Theres a shooter. Im scared. I love you. They were helpless like the birds, McDonald said, referring to evidence that the shooter liked to torture birds. Her final remarks came at the close of a unique four-day hearing that will determine whether Ethan Crumbley, 17, gets a life sentence for the attack at Oxford High School or a shorter term that would some day make him eligible for parole. Because of the shooters age 15 at the time Oakland County Judge Kwame Rowe must consider his maturity, mental health, tumultuous family life and other factors set by the U.S. Supreme Court. Crumbley pleaded guilty to murder, terrorism and other crimes. If Rowe doesnt choose a life sentence, the shooter would face a minimum prison term between 25 years and 40 years. The judge will announce his decision about a life term on Sept. 29, followed by the actual sentencing on Dec. 8. The last witness was Dr. Lisa Anacker, a psychiatrist who evaluates criminal defendants at a state psychiatric hospital. She said the shooter was not mentally ill at the time of the shooting, under a strict standard set in Michigan law. Anacker said he communicated clearly with police after surrendering, followed commands and showed no signs of bizarre behavior. I can absolutely understand how it would be difficult to imagine how a sane person could commit mass murder, she said. But the research does show us that mental illness does not account for most of the violence in our country. Crumbleys lawyers have argued that he was in a devastating spiral by fall 2021 and deeply neglected by his parents, who agreed to buy him a gun and take him to a shooting range. A psychologist, Colin King, testified on Aug. 1 that the teen was like a feral child because of his home life and mentally ill by the time of the shooting. He said rehabilitation in prison was definitely possible. Ethan was at his breaking point and no one stepped in, defense attorney Paulette Michel Loftin told the judge. Ethan had quit the bowling team. He had quit his job. He was failing almost every single subject. He sat alone at lunch. His only and trusted friend left. His dog died, Loftin added. He was hallucinating. He was hearing voices. He was depressed. He was suicidal. She referred to a disturbing drawing discovered by a teacher hours before the shooting. It included a bloody body and a gun pointing at the words, The thoughts wont stop. Help me. The prosecutor was right: He didnt come out and tell the counselor his plan. But did he have to? Wasnt it glaringly obvious? Loftin said. Still, she said, his sick brain can be repaired. The courtroom was full with more than 40 people, including family members of victims who wept as the prosecutor recalled the shooting in great detail and offered the exact time of deaths. McDonald repeatedly quoted passages from the shooters handwritten journal about his desire to watch other students suffer and the likelihood that he would spend his life in prison. She said Crumbley spent much time planning the attack, even sticking toilet paper in his ears to block the sound of 32 gunshots. McDonald noted that he had looked for an online map of the school, learned that Michigan has no death penalty and checked to see which prison is designated for teens. He took pleasure in his appetite for violence, even acknowledging it was wrong by making comments such as, I love the darkness. It feels good,' the prosecutor said. The shooters parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are separately charged with involuntary manslaughter. They are accused of making the gun accessible at home and ignoring his mental health. During earlier days of testimony, the judge listened to eyewitness accounts from four people, including a staff member who was wounded and a student who saved a wounded girl. Besides the deaths of four students, seven other people were shot. (AP) The Biden administration on Friday announced a major expansion of temporary legal status for Ukrainians already living in the United States, granting a reprieve for those who fled Russias invasion. The move is expected to make 166,700 Ukrainians eligible for Temporary Protected Status, up from about 26,000 currently, the Homeland Security Department said. To qualify, Ukrainians must have been in the United States by Aug. 16, two days before the announcement. They are eligible for work authorization. The temporary status was originally scheduled to expire on Oct. 19, 2023 but is being extended 18 months to April 19, 2025. Russias ongoing military invasion of Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis requires that the United States continue to offer safety and protection to Ukrainians who may not be able to return to their country, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Also Friday, Homeland Security expanded Temporary Protected Status for Sudanese who were in the United States by Aug. 16, saying violent clashes in April have fueled instability. It estimated an additional 2,750 Sudanese would be eligible, bringing the total to 3,950. The new expiration date of April 19, 2025 marks the 16th extension since temporary status was first granted to Sudanese in 1997. Since the military takeover of its government and the recent violent clashes, Sudan has experienced political instability and ongoing conflict that has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, Mayorkas said. The expansions come as the administration extends Temporary Protected Status to people from a growing number of countries, including Cameroon, Haiti and Venezuela, as part of a carrot-and-stick approach to immigration that combines more legal entries on humanitarian grounds with more punitive measures against anyone who enters the country illegally. A 1990 law allows the Homeland Security secretary to grant status in increments of up to 18 months to people already in the United States whose countries are struck by civil strife or natural disaster and are considered unsafe for return. Ukrainians first got Temporary Protected Status immediately after Russias invasion. The administration added humanitarian parole for those not in the United States, a move that it considered so successful that it later did the same for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Fridays announcement gives additional time to Ukrainians whose two-year parole was due to expire early next year. Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans face more uncertainty. Texas and other Republican-led states are challenging parole for up to 30,000 people a month from those four countries but is not contesting status for Ukrainians. A trial is scheduled next week in Victoria, Texas. Ukrainian immigrants are dispersed widely across the United States, with the largest concentrations in the New York, Chicago, Seattle and Sacramento, California, metropolitan areas. (AP) A central Kansas police chief was not only on legally shaky ground when he ordered the raid of a weekly newspaper, experts said, but it may have been a criminal violation of civil rights, a former federal prosecutor added, saying: Id probably have the FBI starting to look. Some legal experts believe the Aug. 11 raid on the Marion County Records offices and the home of its publisher violated a federal privacy law that protects journalists from having their newsrooms searched. Some believe it violated a Kansas law that makes it more difficult to force reporters and editors to disclose their sources or unpublished material. Part of the debate centers around Marion Police Chief Gideon Codys reasons for the raid. A warrant suggested that police were looking for evidence that the Records staff broke state laws against identity theft and computer crimes while verifying information about a local restaurant owner. But the police also seized the computer tower and personal cellphone belonging to a reporter who had investigated Codys background. The raid brought international attention to the newspaper and the small town of 1,900 foisted to the center of a debate over press freedoms. Recent events have exposed roiling divisions over local politics and the newspapers aggressive coverage. But it also focused an intense spotlight on Cody in only his third month on the job. The investigation into whether the newspaper broke state laws continues, now led by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. State Attorney General Kris Kobach has said he doesnt see the KBIs role as investigating the polices conduct, and that prompted some to question whether the federal government would get involved. Spokespersons for the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment. Stephen McAllister, a U.S. attorney for Kansas during former President Donald Trumps administration, said the raid opened Cody, the city and others to lawsuits for alleged civil right violations. And, he added, We also have some exposure to federal criminal prosecution. I would be surprised if they are not looking at this, if they havent already been asked by various interests to look at it, and I would think they would take it seriously, McAllister, a University of Kansas law professor who also served as the states solicitor general, said of federal officials. Cody did not respond to an email seeking comment Friday, as he has not responded to other emails. But he did defend the raid in a Facebook post afterward, saying the federal law shielding journalists from newsroom searches makes an exception specifically for when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing. Police seized computers, personal cellphones and a router from the newspaper. All items were released Wednesday to a computer forensics auditing firm hired by the newspapers attorney, after the local prosecutor concluded there wasnt enough evidence to justify their seizure. The firm is examining whether files were accessed or copied. The five-member Marion City Council was scheduled to have its first meeting since the raid Monday afternoon. The agenda says, in red: COUNCIL WILL NOT COMMENT ON THE ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AT THIS MEETING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Record is known for its aggressive coverage of local politics and its community about 150 miles (161 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. It received an outpouring of support from other news organizations and media groups after the raid, and Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer said Friday that it had picked up 4,000 additional subscribers, enough to double the size of its press run, though many of the new subscriptions are digital. But the raids did have some backers in town. Jared Smith blames the newspapers coverage for the demise of his wifes day spa business and believes the newspaper is too negative. I would love to see the paper go down, he said. And Kari Newell, whose allegations that the newspaper violated her privacy have been cited as reasons for the raid, said of the paper, They do twist and contort misquote individuals in our community all the time. Meyer rejects criticism of his newspapers reporting and said critics are upset because its attempting to hold local officials accountable. And he blames the stress from the raid for the Aug. 12 death of his 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, the papers co-owner. Meyer said that after the mayor offered Cody the police chiefs job in late April, the newspaper received anonymous tips on a variety of tales about why Cody gave up a Kansas City position paying $115,848 a year to take a job paying $60,000, according to a sister paper. Meyer said the newspaper could not verify the tips to its satisfaction. Days before Cody was sworn in as chief on May 30, Meyer said that he asked Cody directly about the tips he received and Cody told him: If you print that, I will sue you. We get confidential things from people all the time and we check them out, said Doug Anstaett, a retired Kansas Press Association executive director. And sometimes we know theyre silly, but most of the time we get a tip, we check it out. And thats exactly what theyre doing. Anstaett said he believes the states shield law for journalists, enacted in 2010 by the Republican-controlled Legislature, should have protected the paper. It allows law enforcement agencies to seek subpoenas to obtain confidential information from news organizations, but it requires them to show that they have a compelling interest and cant obtain it in another way. Former Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican who helped write the shield law as a state senator, said the law doesnt contemplate law enforcement using a search warrant to get information without going to court to get a subpoena. Still, he said, The spirit of the law is that it should be broadly applied. Jeffrey Jackson, interim dean of the law school at Washburn University in Topeka, said he recently wrapped up a summer constitutional law course that dealt with press freedoms and the federal privacy law and told his students before the Marion raid that a police search of a newspaper really just never happens. Jackson said whether the raid violated the states shield law would depend on Codys motives, whether he was trying to identify sources. But even if Cody was searching for evidence of a crime by newspaper staff, Jackson believes he likely violated the federal privacy law because it, like the state law, contemplates a law enforcement agency getting a subpoena. Either they violated the shield law or they probably violated the federal law, Jackson said. Either way, its a mess. (AP) It is not often that the YWN Editorial Board opines on communal concerns, and it is only following deep contemplation and discussions with the relevant stakeholders that we weigh in on the following matter and only due to the jarring fact that it is a literal life-and-death issue. As most are already well aware, a group of individuals are launching a new frum EMS squad they have named the Jackson Jewish Volunteer Ambulance Service (JJVAS), after being legally denied the ability to hijack the name Hatzolah. Contrary to its altruistic-sounding name, the terrible facts are that the kehilla it ostensibly serves will pay for it in yiddishe blood. To begin with, the JJVAS is one that was arguably formed out of spite rather than goodwill. Its founder, Yitzchok Birnhack, was rejected from the legitimate Hatzolah branches in Boro Park and Flatbush, and he subsequently laid the plans to open his own emergency service, in what appears to be a swipe at the decades-long establishment that has heroically saved tens of thousands of lives for nearly half a century. Furthermore, Birnhacks organization is unfettered from rabbinical oversight, despite its insistence otherwise. When the rabbanim of Jackson, NJ, gathered in June of 2022 to discuss whether a new Hatzolah-esque organization should be opened to service the burgeoning kehillos that call Jackson home, the result was unequivocal opposition to the launch of a new emergency service. The JJVAS paid no heed to the call of the rabbanim of Jackson, instead relying on the approbations of unnamed and unknown rabbanim whose identities are still a mystery to those who could one day unwittingly rely on them. Moreover, the JJVAS is already notorious for its lackadaisical approach to vetting prospective members. The only qualification that appears to be a requirement is EMT certification integrity, maturity, professionalism and experience isnt on its radar. This will result in prohibitively young and immature hockers responding to deadly serious and intensely personal calls for emergency assistance. Most importantly, and as briefly noted above, the JJVAS poses a very real threat to the lives of frum Jackson residents. Firstly, the JJVAS does not have a Paramedic program, nor is it able to have medics in the state of New Jersey, as it has no affiliation with a medic service. When the JJVAS is confronted with a scenario that immediately requires medics, they will have to await backup from Hatzolah of Central Jersey or EMS, and countless patients will inevitably die. Additionally, Hatzolah of Central Jersey already services the entirety of Jackson. It currently has 30 members including medics and 4 ambulances stationed in Jackson alone, not to mention some 200 additional EMTs, paramedics and doctors nearby, and new prospective Jackson members are being constantly vetted. Opening a second emergency service will do nothing but complicate response times, sow chaos in emergency situations that require order and a chain of command, and as a result, will literally cost someone their life. Also necessary to take into account is the years of groundwork by Central Jersey Hatzolah to become recognized and understood by non-Jewish emergency agencies in Jackson, including the police and fire departments. Having rogue volunteer ambulance service members insert themselves into emergency situations has the potential to undo and destroy the tremendous working relationship Hatzolah of Central Jersey has formed, enabling them and only them to be given priority access to patients in need. The Jackson Jewish Volunteer Ambulance Service is an illustration of individuals placing their egos over others lives, and for the sake of our brethren, it must be swiftly relegated to historys dustbin. The YWN Editorial Board (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a shocking incident that unfolded late Sunday night, a driver careened into a crowd of pedestrians in Midtown, leaving seven people injured and prompting authorities to launch an investigation into the motive behind the disturbing incident. The incident occurred when a 29-year-old woman from New Jersey, traveling eastbound on West 36th Street, allegedly disregarded a red light, resulting in a collision with the unsuspecting pedestrians. The collision left six of the victims with leg injuries, cuts, and various other wounds, necessitating their immediate transfer to Bellevue Hospital. One victim was in critical condition. One individual, remarkably, declined medical treatment. Disturbing footage captured by a cell phone camera depicts the aftermath of the crash, revealing victims bleeding on the sidewalk and personal belongings strewn haphazardly across the scene. Authorities told YWN that the victims, all believed to be adults, are anticipated to recover from their injuries. Despite the grim circumstances, officials are relieved that the individuals are likely to survive this traumatic event. Shockingly, the driver responsible for the collision did not stop at the scene. Following the incident, she proceeded to pilot her Honda Accord through the Midtown Tunnel, heading into Queens. The dangerous escapade came to a halt after the driver was involved in another collision, this time involving three other vehicles on the Long Island Expressway, just east of 188th Street. Emergency responders rushed to the scene of the subsequent crash and transported the driver to North Shore University Hospital for assessment. While authorities are scrutinizing the possibility of any underlying mental health issues, preliminary investigations suggest that intoxication was not a contributing factor. She was taken into custody. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Firefighters reported some progress against blazes in a British Columbia region known for picturesque resort towns, but hundreds more fires raging across Canada have pushed thousands from their homes and threatened a territorial capital hundreds of kilometers (miles) to the north. West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Broland said the effort made Sunday in the Lake Okanagan region offered a bit of a glimmer of hope for the area known as a summer destination for families. More than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away, fire crews fought flames bearing down on Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. The fire remained about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city, which was left virtually empty after nearly all 20,000 residents fled for safety. Even as things dried out and fire behavior picked up, we were able to do some good suppression work from the air and limit the progression, Fire Information Officer Mike Westwick said Sunday at a media briefing. Canada has seen a record number of wildfires this year, and the blazes have sent choking smoke into parts of the U.S. All told, there have been more than 5,700 fires, which have burned more than 137,000 square kilometers (53,000 square miles) from one end of Canada to the other, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. Hundreds of fires continued to rage across British Columbia, and 35,000 people were under evacuation orders Sunday. It is still very much dynamic, said Jerrad Schroeder, a British Columbia Wildfire Service chief. Theres still portions of this fire that we just have not prioritized. When evacuees are allowed to return, Broland said, some of them may be coming back to nothing. Some of you have lost your homes. Theres no question about that, he said. There are lots of backyards where the fire has come right to your patio furniture. And its been stopped there because of the work of the 500 people that are on the ground fighting. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the approval of British Columbias request for federal assistance. People are fleeing for their lives. Theyre worried about their communities, and Canadians from coast to coast to coast are watching in horror the images of apocalyptic devastation, Trudeau said Monday at a news conference in Cornwall on Prince Edward Island. Trudeau planned to meet later in the day with senior cabinet ministers and other officials to discuss the fires. In a Facebook post, Yellowknife officials said they were working to establish wildfire defense lines around the city, creating fire breaks and using water sprinklers, cannons and fire retardant dropped by planes. A protective line of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) has been established. We are not out of the woods yet as many factors can change the status of a fire quickly, the post said. Shane Thompson, the Northwest Territories environment minister, said the fire was unlikely to reach the outskirts of the community today or tomorrow. Still, in Hay River, evacuees could be looking at weeks before they can return home, Mayor Kandis Jameson said Sunday in a statement to the communitys 3,800 residents. Warm, dry weather and steady winds are forecast for the upcoming week, she said. Among those who fled as flames threatened their homes was Todd Ramsay. He recalled sitting on his deck in Kelownas North Clifton area and watching the fire rage on the other side of Lake Okanagan, about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) away. He didnt think it would be possible for the flames to jump the lake, but they did. Sure enough, it started raining pine cones and tree bark, he said. A fire quickly started behind his house, and there were huge plumes of smoke just carrying embers across the lake. Ramsay said he turned on a water sprinkler, and he and his family packed up to flee Thursday night as trees were burning. They wondered if theyd see their home again. By Saturday, Ramsay, his wife, two children, two cats and a dog had driven to North Vancouver to stay with his sister. He heard his house had not burned but didnt know for sure. Theres definitely some anxiety around it, he said. Im an artist. I have a lot of my paintings there. The more important thing obviously is all of us are safe. But weve worked hard our whole lives to have this home. (AP) Major wildfires were burning in Greece and in Spains Canary Islands on Monday, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes. Two of the fires have been burning for several days. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep-pen in an area in the central Viotia region under evacuation as a wildfire approached. Local media reported the man apparently died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his livestock. Two firefighters were being treated in a hospital for injuries sustained in a separate fire in the northern Kavala region, the fire department said. Gale-force winds were fanning the flames of dozens of wildfires in several parts of the country, with the northeast particularly hard-hit. Evacuation orders were issued for villages in the northern regions of Alexandroupolis, Komotini, Kavala and Orestiada, the central region of Viotia and the island of Evia, while fire departments across the country were placed on general alert. The coast guard said 20 people were evacuated by private boats from a fire on the island of Kythnos, while patrol boats and private vessels were on standby for other potential evacuations from fire areas in Viotia and Evia. The last 48 hours, unfortunately like the next 48 hours, are proving exceptionally critical due to the strong winds and high temperatures that are creating extensive fire fronts, said Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias. Since midnight, 53 fires had broken out across the country, including 14 in the northeastern Evros border region alone, he added. The government held an emergency meeting with the heads of the fire department, police, coast guard, armed forces and intelligence services. Authorities banned public access to mountains and forests in several regions until Wednesday morning, and ordered military patrols. The largest active wildfire was ravaging forests and farmland for a third day near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, where 13 villages were evacuated and several homes were destroyed over the weekend. More than 200 firefighters, assisted by 17 water-dropping aircraft, volunteers and the armed forces were battling the fire, said Deputy Fire Chief Ioannis Artopios, a spokesman for the national fire service. Residents in Alexandroupolis were advised to keep their windows shut due to the smoke. Fifty-six firefighters from Romania and two water-dropping aircraft from Cyprus were heading to Alexandroupolis, while 19 French firefighters were helping tackle the Evia fire. Greece suffers destructive wildfires every summer, which officials say have been exacerbated by climate change. Greeces deadliest wildfire killed 104 people in 2018, in a seaside resort near Athens that residents had not been warned to evacuate. Authorities have since erred on the side of caution, issuing swift mass evacuation orders whenever inhabited areas are under threat. Last month, a wildfire on the resort island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on Evia. Another three wildfire-related deaths have been recorded this summer. In Spains Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa, a wildfire that police say was started deliberately last Tuesday on Tenerife continued to burn out of control. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated and about 13,400 hectares (33,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland have burned. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the fire area would be declared a catastrophe zone, entitling the island to funds for reforestation and compensation for people affected. Canary Island regional President Fernando Clavijo told Spains Cadena SER radio the worst is over, adding that the hundreds of firefighters had made progress. The fire in the northeast of the island is not near any of the islands main tourist areas. The blaze has come close to some 10 municipalities, but there have been no injuries or burned homes so far. In Portugal and Italy, two other southern European countries often plagued by summer wildfires, temperatures were predicted to soar this week. Italian authorities issued heat warnings for eight cities from Bolzano in the north to Rome in central Italy on Monday as temperatures were forecast to hit 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). Storm warnings were in effect in the southern regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily. In Portugal, temperatures were forecast to reach 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in some southern parts of the country. (AP) An oil tanker long suspected of carrying sanctioned Iranian crude oil offloaded its cargo near Texas on Sunday, tracking data showed, even as Tehran has threatened to target shipping in the Persian Gulf over it. Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Marshall Islands-flagged Suez Rajan began the hourslong ship-to-ship transfer of its oil to another tanker, the MR Euphrates, near Galveston, some 70 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of Houston. The fate of the cargo aboard the Suez Rajan has become mired in the wider tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic, even as Tehran and Washington work toward a trade of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets in South Korea for the release of five Iranian-Americans held in Tehran. Iran has been trying to evade sanctions and continue selling its oil abroad, while the U.S. and its allies have been seizing cargoes since 2019 after the countrys nuclear deal allowing the trade collapsed. Already, Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has warned that those involved in offloading the Suez Rajans cargo should expect to be struck back. The U.S. Navy has increased its presence steadily in recent weeks in the Mideast, sending the troop-and-aircraft-carrying USS Bataan through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days and considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the strait to stop Iran from seizing additional ships. The Los Angeles-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management, which owned the vessel up until late May, repeatedly declined to comment publicly. Greek firm Empire Navigation, which operates the vessel, did not respond to requests for comment. An email sent to Alma Maritime Ltd., the ships new owner, bounced back and a telephone number listed in its name rang unanswered. The saga over the Suez Rajan began in February 2022, when the group United Against Nuclear Iran said it suspected the tanker carried oil from Irans Khargh Island, its main oil distribution terminal in the Persian Gulf. For months, the ship sat in the South China Sea off the northeast coast of Singapore before suddenly sailing for the Gulf of Mexico without explanation. Analysts believe the vessels cargo likely has been seized by American officials, though there still were no public court documents early Sunday involving the Suez Rajan. In the meantime, Iran has seized two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, including one with cargo for U.S. oil major Chevron Corp. In July, the top commander of the Revolutionary Guards naval arm threatened further action against anyone offloading the Suez Rajan, with state media linking the recent seizures to the cargos fate. We hereby declare that we would hold any oil company that sought to unload our crude from the vessel responsible and we also hold America responsible, Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri said at the time. The era of hit and run is over, and if they hit, they should expect to be struck back. Irans mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment over the offloading of the Suez Rajan. The state-run IRNA news agency acknowledged this AP story, but did not elaborate. Western-backed naval organizations in the Persian Gulf in recent days also warned of an increased risk of ship seizures from Iran around the Strait of Hormuz. Irans 2015 nuclear deal with world powers saw it regain the ability to sell oil openly on the international market. But in 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord and re-imposed American sanctions. That slammed the door on much of Irans lucrative crude oil trade, a major engine for its economy and its government. It also began a cat-and-mouse hunt for Iranian oil cargo as well as series of escalating attacks attributed to Iran since 2019. The delay in offloading the Suez Rajans cargo had become a political issue as well for the Biden administration as the ship had sat for months in the Gulf of Mexico, possibly due to companies being worried about the threat from Iran. In a letter dated Wednesday, a group of Democratic and Republican U.S. senators asked the White House for an update on what was happening with the ships cargo, estimated to be worth some $56 million. They said the money could go toward the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which compensates those affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, the 1979 Iran hostage crisis and other militant assaults. We owe it to these American families to enforce our sanctions, the letter read. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, one of the letters co-signers, said in a statement Sunday that no foreign adversary should question Americas strength. To ensure this never happens again, the Biden administration must enforce our existing sanctions, stop greenlighting the (Guards) terrorism and hostage diplomacy and end this posture of appeasement to a nation that chants death to America, she said. The U.S. Treasury has said Irans oil smuggling revenue supports the Quds Force, the expeditionary unit of the Revolutionary Guard that operates across the Mideast. Claire Jungman, the chief of staff at United Against Nuclear Iran, praised the transfer finally happening. By depriving the (Guard) of crucial resources, we strike a blow against terrorism that targets not only American citizens but also our global allies and partners, Jungman told the AP. On Sunday, Iranian state media released a video dated Thursday that showed the USS Bataan with small Guard fast boats trailing it as it traveled through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the worlds oil passes. One portion appeared to have been taken from a drone above the Bataan, while another claimed that the Guard hailed the Bataan over the radio and threatened to open fire on an American helicopter if it entered Iranian airspace. Cmdr. Rick Chernitzer, a spokesman for the U.S. Navys Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, acknowledged to the AP that the Bataan had transited through the strait in recent days. A photograph earlier released by the Navy showed F-35 fighter jets providing cover for the Bataan and the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship accompanying it. The U.S. Navy will continue to fly and sail where international law allows, Chernitzer said. (AP) Valerie Laveus remembers when she first heard about an immigration program designed to allow people to come to the U.S. from four countries, including her native Haiti. I said, Whoa! This seems like it would work well for bringing my nephew and my brother into the country, said the Florida teacher, who received a WhatsApp message in January and verified with an immigration lawyer that the program was real. After years of trying to get a green card, her brother arrived with her nephew in early August, ready to start a new life. They are two of the roughly 181,000 people who have entered the U.S. under the humanitarian parole program since President Joe Biden launched the initiative. But 21 Republican-leaning states threaten to end the program through a lawsuit to determine its legality, which is set to be heard in a Texas court beginning Thursday, with a decision coming later. If the Biden administration loses, it would undercut a broader policy seeking to encourage migrants to use the administrations preferred pathways into the U.S. or face stiff consequences. The administration has said it had to act in the absence of congressional action to overhaul the nations immigration system. But much of the administrations strategy is just one lawsuit away from collapse. In the Texas trial, Republican states are expected to argue the Biden administration is basically usurping the power of Congress by allowing up to 360,000 people annually into the U.S. from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela under the humanitarian parole program. They say the program is an overreach of a parole power meant to be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. The administration argues it has the power to use humanitarian parole in this way and credits the initiative with drastically reducing illegal border crossings by immigrants from those four countries. Program applicants must pass background checks and have a financial sponsor in the U.S. who vouches for them. If approved, they must fly into a U.S. airport instead of crossing at the southern border. They can then stay in the U.S. for two years and get a work permit. Immigrant rights groups successfully petitioned to join the legal proceedings on behalf of Laveus and six other people who are sponsoring migrants. Esther Sung, an attorney for Justice Action Center, said the groups want to show the real people who have volunteered to be sponsors and how ending the program would affect them. Blas Nunez-Neto, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said in a recent conference call that the government is worried about the upcoming trial and will appeal if the administration loses. The case is scheduled to be heard by Judge Drew Tipton in Victoria, Texas, a Donald Trump appointee who has ruled against the Biden administration on who to prioritize for deportation. The federal government pushed unsuccessfully to have the humanitarian parole case transferred from Tiptons courtroom after suggesting the Republican states filed in Victoria because they were seeking a favorable judge. The U.S. used its humanitarian parole powers to grant entry to tens of thousands of Ukrainians when Russia invaded, but the Republican states lawsuit does not challenge that decision. Just about anyone can be a sponsor provided they fill out the paperwork. Many, like Laveus, are sponsoring relatives who have no other way to come to the U.S. Laveus said her brother was approved for a green card a few years ago, but the immigration systems quotas meant his arrival was estimated to be delayed another six years. In the meantime, she supported relatives from afar as they tried to survive in a country plagued by economic instability and largely controlled by gangs. A former opposition political leader and human rights activist from Nicaragua, who was jailed in his homeland for his activities, was sponsored by his brother, a U.S. citizen living in El Paso, Texas. The man, who wanted his identity withheld to protect his family in Nicaragua, came to the U.S. in July and plans to work in construction. I wanted to take this opportunity to save my life, he said in Spanish. Members of churches, synagogues and mosques have joined to sponsor people they dont know out of religious belief to help others. Eric Sype is sponsoring a member of a family he stayed with when he lived and worked in Nicaragua as a college student in 2014. Sype is one of seven sponsors represented by immigrants rights groups in the legal challenge. The person he is sponsoring plans to work in the U.S. for two years, then return to Nicaragua to be with his wife and two children. Sype said his friend will stay in Sypes childhood home in Washington state, where a cousin has offered him a job at an orchard growing pears, cherries and apples. Sype said he had no hesitation about sponsoring the man, whom he said is part of his chosen family. Sype has spent major holidays including Christmas with the family in Nicaragua and they talk or message weekly. I just cant really imagine how this program is doing anything but benefiting folks, bringing people back together, he said. The Biden administrations program appears to be one of the largest single uses of the humanitarian parole authority, but it is certainly not the only administration to use it. The authority has been used repeatedly in large and small ways including providing entry to Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians in the late 1970s, Iraqi Kurds who helped the U.S. in the 1990s Gulf War and Cubans fleeing their country at various times, according to data from the Cato Institute. The Biden administration started the program for Venezuelans in October 2022 and added Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans in January. Still, some who are generally supportive of the program have concerns. Critics say the need to have a financial sponsor essentially favors more affluent, well-connected migrants, while also fearing the program could be used to exploit migrants. Muriel Saenz, who helps immigrants through Nicaraguans Around the World, a Texas-based group, said it can be difficult to find sponsors for migrants who dont already have family ties in the U.S. She encourages U.S. citizens to sponsor people they dont know, which can be a harder sell. It is too much responsibility, Saenz said. Legally you are adopting people for two years. (AP) John Warnock, who helped invent the PDF and co-founded Adobe Systems, has died. He was 82. The Silicon Valley entrepreneur and computer scientist died Saturday surrounded by family, Adobe said in a statement. The company didnt give a cause of death or say where Warnock died. Johns brilliance and innovations left an indelible mark on Adobe, the technology industry and the world, Adobe said. Warnock worked for Xerox before he and colleague Charles Geschke created a company around a rejected idea in 1982. Nearly a decade later, Warnock outlined an early version of the Portable Document Format, or PDF, transforming the way documents are exchanged. Originally from the Salt Lake City suburb of Holladay, Warnock described himself as an average student who later flourished in mathematics. He earned an undergraduate in math and doctorate in electrical engineering, or computer science, from the University of Utah and maintained close ties with his home state after he retired as CEO of Adobe. Warnock was the son of a prominent local attorney but was an average student until a teacher at Olympus High School took an interest in him, he told the University of Utahs alumni magazine, Continuum, in 2013. I had an amazing teacher in high school who, essentially, completely turned me around, Warnock said. He was really good at getting you to love mathematics, and thats when I got into it. He continued to be a self-described mediocre student as he earned his bachelors degree in mathematics and philosophy, but he made a mark while working on his masters degree. In 1964, he solved the Jacobson radical, an abstract algebra problem that had been a mystery since it was posed eight years before. The following year he met his wife, Marva Mullins, and married her five weeks later. After a summer spent working at a tire shop, he decided the low-paying field of academia wasnt for him and applied to work at IBM, starting his training in computer science. He earned a doctorate at the University of Utah, where he joined a group of cutting-edge researchers working on a Department of Defense-funded precursor to the internet in the 1960s. Even then, Warnock was working on rendering images on computers. In the late 1970s, Warnock moved to Palo Alto, California, to work for Xerox on interactive computer graphics. There, he met Geschke and went to work developing InterPress, a printing and graphics protocol that they were convinced would be the wave of the future. When Xerox balked, they decided to create their own company. They founded Adobe in 1982 and created PostScript, a program that helped make small-scale printing feasible for the first time. The company later created the PDF, which let people create electronic versions of documents that could be preserved and sent it to other users, who could search and review them. With that, Adobe took off, and PDF eventually replaced many paper copies in legal, business and personal communication. Other iconic programs, such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, followed before Warnock stepped down as CEO in 2000. He and Geschke remained as co-chairs of the companys board of directors until 2017, and Warnock remained a board member until his death. John has been widely acknowledged as one of the greatest inventors in our generation with significant impact on how we communicate in words, images and videos, Adobe chair and CEO Shantanu Narayen said in an email to company employees. After his retirement, Warnock and his wife devoted more time to hobbies such as collecting rare books, many of which hes scanned and put online at rarebookroom.org. They also collected Native American art, including moccasins, shirts, and beadwork that has toured the country in exhibitions. Warnock is survived by his wife and their three children. (AP) Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Smyrnov considers irrelevant during Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine the discussion on the advisability of ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Ukraine. "I would not raise the issue of signing the Rome Statute now. Let me explain why. Because not in us, but in the vast majority of our military, someone has planted certain fears that if the Rome Statute is ratified, our military may be prosecuted by International Criminal Court," Smyrnov told journalists on Monday in Kyiv during a break in the international conference "Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine." Smyrnov said, in fact, they could be prosecuted without the ratification of the Rome Statute. "Now we need to approach the ratification of the Rome Statute carefully, clearly answering several questions: why do it now, during the war, without appropriate explanatory work among the military that ratification does not bring any new discoveries for them. The second question is why Ukraine needs it," he said. Smyrnov said a number of countries, including the United States, had not ratified the Rome Statute at all. "I believe that the issue of studying the feasibility of ratifying the Rome Statute should be postponed for a while - after the victory of Ukraine," Smyrnov said. Chagit Rein, the mother of Banaya Rein, Hyd, who was killed by Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, was spat in the face on a Tel Aviv street, Chareidi journalist Sivan Rahav-Meir wrote in her weekly column in Yediot Achranot. I wrote here about a month ago on women with head coverings (scarves) who have turned into targets, Rahav-Meir wrote. I mentioned a number of incidents and I felt pain over every email I received in response. But still these are only the extremists, I said to myself people on the fringes. Its like relating seriously to the bus driver who yelled at the teenage girls. Its chaval to make a big deal out of it. But the responses Im getting arent stopping. Its a phenomenon sad and ugly even if its ignored by the media, even if they choose to only speak about other things. I prefer not to speak about it,' Chagit told me at first. Im the type to appease, I want to lower the flames. Benaya, hyd, was killed in the same tank as Uri Grossman, hyd, the son of David Grossman [a well-known left-wing Israeli author]. Ive been speaking about both of them in my lectures around the country for 17 years, since the war.' In the end, she agreed to tell me. She went to Tel Aviv for a right-wing protest. While she was there, someone passed by and asked her if the protest was for or against reform. Chagit began saying that she came because shes against IDF refusal and the passerby spit in her face and cursed her. I still feel that I havent calmed down from this insult, Chagit said. I feel it until now. I literally froze in place, like a victim of an assault. I was so hurt that at first, I didnt tell anyone about it. I left the event and walked, humiliated, to my car. The way to the car seemed to me like an eternity. And then I sat there and tried to breathe deeply until I calmed down a bit. I remembered how my mother used to tell me that back in Poland, the Poles would regularly spit on her on the streets and shout at her stinking Jewess. And here I am in Eretz Yisrael and a Jew spits on another Jew? (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Israeli security forces rescued an Israeli man who was attacked by an Arab mob after accidentally entering the village of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah on Sunday evening. Local Arabs surrounded the man and threw rocks at him and set fire to his car. Other local Arabs assisted him to escape the area, escorting him out of the village, where he was met by IDF forces. The man was lightly injured by a rock thrown at him. The IDF spokesperson said that an Israeli citizen was rescued from the village by IDF forces. While he was in the village, a number of Palestinians gathered around him, threw stones at him, and set fire to his vehicle. The forces entered the village and took him out. As the forces and the civilian left the village, a riot developed, during which several suspects threw a burning object and stones at them. There were no casualties. The IDF also warned that entry into Area A is prohibited and dangerous for Israelis. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) A 40-year-old Israeli woman was murdered in a shooting attack on Monday morning near the city of Chevron and an Israeli man, 39, was seriously wounded. The woman, later identified as Batsheva Nigri, Hyd, a mother of three from the yishuv of Beit Chagai, had gotten a ride together with her 12-year-old daughter from her neighbor on the yishuv. The attack occurred at about 10:15 a.m. as they were driving on Route 60. The terrorists used their vehicle to cut their car off at an intersection and then opened fire, shooting at least 22 bullets from a submachine gun at the front seat from close range. They then fled the scene. The 12-year-old daughter sitting in the back seat was miraculously uninjured but witnessed her mother being shot to death in cold blood. MDA paramedics and IDF medics provided emergency medical aid to the victims at the scene, carrying out resuscitation techniques on the woman, who was critically injured. Sadly, they were forced to pronounce her death shortly later. The male driver was seriously wounded and evacuated to Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva. A large number of Israeli security forces launched a manhunt for the terrorists, who are believed to have fled into the city of Chevron. The Efrat Regional Council issued a statement mourning the murder of Batsheva Nigri, Hyd, of the Ravid family from Efrat. Batsheva grew up in Efrat. Shes the mother of three daughters and was a known preschool teacher (gannenet) who was beloved by both children and parents. The nifteres worked in Efrat as a gannenet and was on the way to Efrat to organize her classroom for the first day of school. A friend of the family told Ynet, She was a woman with a heart of gold, loving and giving to the children. She had the biggest heart you could ask for. Its a terrible loss and a very difficult day for us. The injured man was later identified as Aryeh Gottlieb, a father of six who was on the way to buy schoolbooks for his children when the attack occurred. The public is asked to daven for the refuah sheleimah of Aryeh Leib ben Ella btoch shaar cholei Yisrael. The murderous attack comes only two days after an Israeli father and son were murdered in Huwara, with the manhunt for the terrorists still ongoing. Pure evil. Palestinians in Gaza already handing out candy, after an Israeli Jewish mother executed in front of her daughter in Hebron drive-by terror shooting! pic.twitter.com/YGn9CC0mMO Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) August 21, 2023 (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) New York City Mayor Eric Adams set off on a journey to Israel early Monday morning, marking his inaugural visit to the country since assuming his mayoral role. During the three-day trip, Mayor Adams intends to engage with political figures and business leaders, discuss strategies to combat antisemitism, and gain insights into Israels advancements in technology. While Adams precise schedule remains undisclosed, it remains uncertain whether the mayor will have an audience with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The prime minister has engaged with several visiting American politicians this year, including a meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in April. Netanyahus association with the Republican Party and his historical differences with the Obama administration have led to diminished popularity among Democrats. In contrast, Adams and the Democratic leadership in New York maintain a strong pro-Israel stance, evident in their support for the local Jewish community. This solidarity was evident during the Celebrate Israel Parade held in June, where Adams joined fellow state and city leaders, as well as members of Netanyahus coalition, though the two groups did not intermingle during the event. Sponsored by the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, the mayors trip seeks to nurture ties between New York City and Israel. With a Jewish community of over one million, New York stands as the largest Jewish enclave outside of Israel. Adams, having referred to New York City as the Tel Aviv of America, says he takes pride in representing the citys Jewish residents. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Im Hanna Trofimova, a 32-year-old Giyoret from Russia. In 2015, I moved to the USA to pursue a better life and continue the medical education I began in Russia. This field means a lot to me, as I am passionate about helping and healing people. I landed in Florida, leaving my parents behind, hoping to reunite one day, and lived there for three years. Unfortunately, I became unhappy and depressed. Some Jewish friends suggested I attend synagogue and pray, hoping it would comfort me. In the Jewish community, I felt safe and began to learn about Judaism, wanting to be part of a meaningful culture. My friends guided me to the Beit Din when I wished to convert. Eventually, I moved to New York to escape Floridas heat and found a new Synagogue that filled me with joy. Four years ago, I made the vital decision to become a Jew. It was a challenging journey, but I overcame it, and I am now proudly part of the Jewish nation. CLICK HERE TO DONATE My parents financially supported me while I took medical courses in Florida, and I dreamed of marrying and building a Jewish home. However, my life changed dramatically a few months ago when I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. I found myself at the Northwell Manhasset Oncology Center on May 21, 2023, undergoing two strenuous chemotherapy courses and spending eight weeks in the hospital. This time has been challenging without my family nearby, although they call daily. I havent seen them in 8 years. I travel to Zuckerberg Cancer Center three times a week for blood transfusions, and doctors have found bacteria in my blood. Facing a bone marrow transplant, I am terrified. My financial situation is now very challenging. Living alone, I take many medications daily and struggle to pay my rent. Im sick and weak, and even walking has become difficult. I have no option but to ask for financial assistance or end up homeless. The road ahead is daunting, and I seek help navigating this challenging life stage. I hope to return to normality, marry, and build my dream Jewish home. I sincerely ask anyone who can assist me to do so during this difficult time. CLICK HERE TO DONATE Sponsored Content In our growing world of tzedakah and chesed, Refuah Helpline has risen to the top and become a prime example of an organization that goes above and beyond on behalf of a fellow Yid in need. The organization, which first became known in the community for medical referrals and advocacy, has over the years grown to become the extended family of every patient, moving heaven and earth to ensure the best available care and standing beside them with diligent case management until their ordeal is complete BEZH. Today, it is hard to imagine a world without Refuah Helpline, as the organization has become an undisputed leader on the chesed scene in America. When a medical crisis strikes, Refuah Helpline is often the first call a family makes, as they seek guidance and support to secure the right path towards a refuah shleimah. This week, Klal Yisroel is stepping up with its annual contribution towards this mission, with a $7,000,000 initiative that will support these vital efforts all year round. The campaign has been appropriately titled All the Way, a nod to Refuah Helplines determination and commitment to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes. Even when things seem bleak and many insist on what cant be done, Refuah Helpline pulls off the impossible whether its a transfer or a transplant, an emergency procedure or an experimental trial, or truly anything a patient may need. The cost of such unyielding devotion is great, and it is wholly dependent on the community contributing their fair share. As one of the leading raisers told us, this isnt just Refuah Helplines mission, it belongs to all of us! Indeed, the community, from major philanthropists to grassroots donors, has already shown its eagerness to do their part during the pre-campaign period with much more yet to come. The All the Way campaign will culminate this Tuesday and Wednesday, (Aug. 22 and 23), with tens of thousands of individual donors helping the organization reach its $7,000,000 goal to meet the annual budget demands. With an impact that will last all year round, the message to Cholei Yisroel is clear: Klal Yisroel is at your side, and will go All the Way to secure a refuah shleimah BEZH! Eighteen local councils have streets that rake in more than 1million a year in motoring fines, it is revealed today. Town halls in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Brighton and Bristol are earning thousands of pounds a day from drivers who often unwittingly move into bus lanes or take a wrong turn. In south-east London 43,108 penalty notices were issued for breaching the traffic restrictions in Dulwich Village, amounting to 2.9million in fines. And the Moor Street scheme in Birmingham's Bull Ring issued 65,755 fines to motorists driving in a bus lane, adding up to almost 10,000 a day. A bus lane in Oxford Street, Manchester, amassed about 1.7million in charges. Traffic restrictions in Dulwich Village led to 43,108 penalty notices worth 2.9million in fines Eighteen local councils have streets that generate more than 1million a year in motoring fines But camera-trap roads in Salford, Gateshead and Walsall are also accused of helping councils behave like 'highwaymen'. Typical fines for traffic offences are around 130 in London and 80 outside the capital, although they are generally reduced by half if paid within 14 days. The figures were released in response to Freedom of Information requests to councils asking which street in their area has produced the highest income from traffic or parking violations in the 2021/2022 financial year. Ian Taylor, director of the Alliance of British Drivers, said cash-strapped councils are looking for 'an excuse to milk the motorist'. He said: 'It's the modern equivalent of the highwaymen, but because councils are doing it it's legal.' The Moor Street scheme in Birmingham's Bull Ring les to 65,755 fines being issued worth almost 10,000 a day Another of the busiest roads for tickets last year was the 'No Through Route' Dermody Road in the London borough of Lewisham, which saw the council demand 2.7million. One driver received seven notices in a fortnight after using the road on the school-run. Karan Singh faced having to pay 910 if he contested the fines and lost the appeals. Councils typically say that the overwhelming majority of road users comply with the restrictions without any issues. But a Department for Transport source said local authorities should review streets where a 'disproportionate number' of Penalty Charge Notices are issued. The National Trust has come under pressure from the grandson of one of its biggest donors over its relationship with Barclays and the bank's links with the fossil fuel industry. Dominic Acland said his grandfather Sir Richard Acland, an environmentalist who gave his 17,000-acre ancestral estates to the charity in 1944, would have been 'horrified that the National Trust is banking with Barclays'. Sir Richard's bequest includes the Killerton estate in Devon. Acland said he had written to the National Trust arguing its stance of engaging with the bank to push for change was not working. 'It seems completely out of kilter to be banking with Barclays... when they [the National Trust] are an organisation that cares so deeply about nature and the environment,' he told The Financial Times. Last month charity Christian Aid said it would stop banking with Barclays over its 'record on fossil fuel finance'. Estate: The 18th-century Killerton house in Devon The National Trust said: 'We are clear that banks, including Barclays, need to do much more to address the financing of the fossil fuel industry.' Barclays said it was 'working with customers and clients as they transition to a low-carbon business model'. 'Jewel in Britain's crown': City minister Andrew Griffith The number of jobs in the UK financial services industry has hit a record high in a sign that much of the gloom about the sector has been misplaced. City minister Andrew Griffith said it showed the industry was 'a jewel in Britain's crown that even the doomsters cannot deny'. Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures last week showed the number of jobs in financial and insurance activities hit 1.235m in the first quarter of the year 34,000 more than at the end of 2022. It was above a previous peak of 1.209m in 2008 and is the highest since comparable ONS figures began in 1978. Jobs in the sector have increased despite gnashing of teeth over the City's future after Brexit. And more recently there has been much soul searching over the UK losing companies such as chip designer Arm to New York prompting reform efforts in Whitehall and the City. Yet the UK continues to more than hold its own against European rivals. Figures from the end of June show the total market value of firms listed in London at 4.7 trillion compared with 3 trillion for rival Paris. And there has been an increase in jobs since the pandemic up by 119,000 since the third quarter of 2020. Britain demonstrated its attractiveness as a global financial centre in June when US venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz said it would open its first international office in the UK. Griffith told the Mail: 'Our vision for Britain as the most open, innovative and competitive financial centre in the world is bearing fruit.' He said the UK had 'seized the opportunities of Brexit' through laws which will help unlock billions in investment. He added: 'Our financial services industry is a jewel in Britain's crown that even the doomsters and armchair generals cannot deny.' Efforts to reinvigorate the City's status as a financial centre have been under way in recent months. Listing regulations are being tweaked while the Government changed rules to unlock more of the trillions of pounds held by UK pensions and insurance firms. City of London figures show financial services produced 193billion in economic output in 2022. The Domino's Pizza franchise operator in Russia will file for bankruptcy for its business in the country amid an 'increasingly challenging environment'. DP Eurasia, which also owns the chain's franchise in Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, said it was abandoning previous plans for a sale of its DPRussia business and would exit the country. In December, the London-listed firm said it was considering pulling out of Russia as it weighed the impact of sanctions, though it continued to keep stores open. DP Eurasia, the owner of Domino's Pizza in Russia, has started bankruptcy proceedings for its subsidiary DPRussia But today it told shareholders: 'With the increasingly challenging environment, DPRussia's immediate holding company is now compelled to take this step, which will bring about the termination of the attempted sale process of DPRussia as a going concern and, inevitably, the group's presence in Russia.' Global companies have incurred huge costs by shutting up shop in Russia. DPRussia is the third-largest pizza delivery company in the country, where it has 142 stores. DP Eurasia said it was too early to determine the financial impact of the bankruptcy of DPRussia on its financial results, and would update shareholders in due course. In March 2022, DP Eurasia cut most investment in Russia, leaving its operation to sustain itself. It also stopped taking royalties from the Russian stores, as did Domino's overall owners in the US. But the group drew criticism for keeping the restaurants open, citing a desire to protect its staff and customers, and was accused of 'delivering very late'. Some global companies are continuing to operate in Russia, despite the war in Ukraine. At the weekend, The Mail on Sunday revealed that Coca-Cola HBC has refused to close its factories in Russia. The business, which is the European bottler for the US soft-drinks giant The Coca-Cola Company, is one of a handful of blue chip UK-listed companies still active in Russia and has defied calls to quit from MPs and campaigners. The format for establishin a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine may be determined by the end of this year, Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Smyrnov has said. "We really want, and we are cautiously optimistic, that by the end of the year we will be able to come to some kind of real finalization of the model of how the tribunal will work," Smyrnov told journalists in Kyiv on Monday during a break in the international conference "International Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine." According to him, Ukraine's position is to move away from political issues to formally legal ones. Smyrnov said the next meeting of the coordination group, which includes 38 countries, is scheduled for September in The Hague. "We want specific finalized decisions so that the entire civilized world receives a proper mechanism for punishing the commission of a crime of aggression," he said. Currently, as Smyrnov said, three different models for the creation of a tribunal are being discussed. "Ukraine insists and believes that the most authoritative, legitimate, internationally recognized model is the creation of a tribunal through a decision of the UN General Assembly," the Deputy Head of the President's Office said. Smyrnov also said: "One should not underestimate the position of our key international partners - the United States, France, Great Britain, Germany - who, for their part, are advocating the possibility of creating a hybrid tribunal as part of the Ukrainian judicial system." "Ukraine is categorically against this model of creating a tribunal for several reasons. The key one is that during martial law, the creation of such a court will require changes to the Constitution. This will be impossible," the deputy head of the President's Office said. As he noted, there is a risk that the legal assessment of the crime of aggression committed by Russia against Ukraine will actually narrow down to the level of an interstate conflict between the two countries. "And third, we don't need a tribunal's decision in the name of Ukraine, we need a decision in the name of the entire civilized world," Smyrnov said. "They are afraid of the possible creation of a precedent, which in the future would lead to an audit, an audit of various military companies in which partner countries took part," the deputy head of the President's Office said. According to him, negotiations on the format of the future tribunal within the framework of the work of the coordination group are at the stage of a "battle of arguments." "We are studying the pros and cons of different models. I can say one thing for sure: we have not supported and will not support the idea of creating a hybrid tribunal precisely as part of the judicial system of Ukraine. There are various other compromise versions that we cannot tell you about now, they are still diplomatic secret, we are discussing them behind closed doors, but we want to go to the finalization of agreements with key partners regarding the model and work of the tribunal," the deputy head of the President's Office said. Smyrnov drew attention to the fact that Ukraine's position is that the decision of the Aggression Tribunal should be internationally recognized. "This requires legitimacy, authority and, in fact, the maximum dissemination of the decision of the tribunal around the world. The Council of Europe is also an interesting model, by the way, we have considered different versions of international tribunals, we have not yet adopted a decision. For example, a tribunal can be established as part of a judicial systems of another developed country, and from above the resolution of the UN General Assembly in support of this tribunal is voted, which opens up the possibility for rapid ratification by all members of the UN in the civilized part of the world," Smyrnov said. GAM has called on a major investor group to 'accept the realities' of its financial position as it reiterated the call for shareholders to back Liontrust's acquisition bid. The Swiss fund manager warned that, should the proposed takeover fail, it will need a cash injection four times greater than what is currently on offer from a rival investor group in order to survive. Last Thursday, Rock Investments wrote to the Swiss asset manager's board with a proposal to provide a 25million Swiss francs (22.3million) convertible bond to GAM. The approach is meant to replace loans made by Liontrust Asset Management to GAM should the London-based firm's takeover approach not succeed. New idea: Last Thursday, Rock Investments wrote to the Swiss asset manager's board with a proposal to provide a 25million Swiss francs (22.3million) convertible bond to GAM But GAM has rejected Rock's plan, saying it would be 'insufficient to maintain GAM as a going concern' in the short term and that a minimum capital injection of at least CHF100million is required. GAM urged Rock to 'acknowledge and accept the realities relating to GAMs financial position, if the Liontrust offer is declared unsuccessful'. The firm said: 'It is essential that Rock acknowledge and accept publicly that the level of funding needed to stabilise GAM is significantly higher than the net proceeds of the Rock proposed convertible bond.' It continues to advise shareholders support the 96million buyout from Liontrust, which would create a business holding 53billion of assets under management. Earlier this month, Liontrust extended its offer period for the third time, giving investors until 4pm on 23 August to approve the deal, almost a month after the original deadline. On Monday, GAM said the proposal was the 'only viable option in the interests of all stakeholders,' adding that the enlarged firm would have a 'strong balance sheet, a broader array of excellent investment products, a global distribution footprint and the capability to deliver synergies and growth'. It told investors that the first tranche of a loan worth CHF10million to fund GAM's losses and UK pension payments during July and August had been drawn down. A second loan will become available should Liontrust's offer be finalised. Rock, which controls a 9.6 per cent stake in GAM, opposes Liontrust's bid, claiming it 'significantly undervalues' the company and is subject to unattractive 'execution contingencies'. The group also believe that Liontrust is an unsuitable owner, given how much the firm's share price has slumped over the past couple of years relative to other fund managers. Liontrust Asset Management shares have almost halved in value this year. They were 0.5 per cent lower at 592.5p on late Monday afternoon. Rock has released a '100-day turnaround plan' for GAM, which would include, aside from the capital investment, appointing a new board and aligning the cost structure with assets under management. Liontrust's chief executive, John Ions, said the blueprint lacked sufficient detail, including about how the necessary restructuring would be funded while keeping GAM a 'growing and profitable' company. S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization Schlumberger is an international oilfield services company with facilities in many countries worldwide. Founded in 1926 in Paris, France, by brothers Conrad and Marcel Schlumberger, it is currently the world's largest offshore drilling company and the most significant offshore drilling contractor in revenue. Schlumberger Limited was incorporated in 1956 as a holding company and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1962. Schlumberger is a Fortune Global 500 company, listed in Forbes Global 2000, and has a 33-acre campus in Sugar Land, Texas. In 1981, Schlumberger became the first international company to link computers with email, and in 1983, the company opened its Cambridge Research Center in Cambridge, England. In 2005, Schlumberger purchased Waterloo Hydrogeologic and relocated its U.S. corporate office from New York to Houston. It has since made numerous acquisitions, including Smith International in 2010, a deal valued at $11.3 billion. In 2010, Schlumberger acquired Geoservices in a deal valued at $1.1 billion. In 2014, Schlumberger purchased the remaining shares of SES Holdings Limited (Saxon). Schlumberger agreed to acquire oilfield equipment manufacturer Cameron International in 2015 for $14.8 billion. As a global provider of technology, integrated project management and information solutions, Schlumberger supplies the petroleum industry with services such as formation evaluation, seismic data processing, well cementing and stimulation, well testing and directional drilling, artificial lift, low assurance and consulting, well completions and software and information management. Schlumberger is at the forefront of the industry with its carbon capture and storage industries and its continued investment in geothermal and hydrogen power. Schlumberger has had environmental and legal issues, including a radioactive canister recovered in the Western Australian outback in 2006. Schlumberger was also a contractor on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite these issues, Newsweek ranked Schlumberger 118 out of 500 in 2009. In 2021, Schlumberger made news with the announcement of pilot project agreements between critical industry leaders and the French state. They also made news headlines due to a report of 21,000 layoffs, accounting for 15% of the company's workforce due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. As an established player in the oilfield services industry, Schlumberger looks poised to continue to expand its presence in the industry and further its mission of providing innovative solutions to the world's energy challenges. On 26th May, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone together with the Chinese Medical team heldWarm Children's Hearts: A China-Africa Joint Action at the Network with children in needOrphanage in Freetown. Ambassador Wang Qing and his wife Mme. Gu Shaohua, Minister of Social Welfare, Hon. Mme. Baindu Dassama Kamara graced the event. Ambassador Wang pointed out that, Mme. Prof. Peng Liyuan, wife of H.E. President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government have always cared for African women, children and youths. On the occasion of the International Children's Day, Prof. Peng has proposed an initiative Warm Children's Hearts: A China-Africa Joint Action together with Organization of African First Ladies for Development, hoping to convey warmth and care to the children, and help them to grow up healthy and happy. He stated that China will continue to uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship, work closely with Sierra Leone, strengthen cooperation in various fields to build an even stronger China-Africa Community with a Shared Future. The Republic of Kosovo has joined the G7 Declaration of Support for Ukraine, adopted on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti has said. "The Republic of Kosova joins the G7 Declaration of Support for Ukraine. Ensuring victory for Ukraine and holding Russia's leaders accountable for their crimes is essential to the preservation of peace and democracy. Kosova stands ready to contribute to these efforts," he said on Twitter. Kosovo Prime Minister said in a statement that Russia's invasion of Ukraine remains a threat to international peace and security, and Ukraine's losses in this war "has been catastrophic." "We salute them [the Ukrainians] for their brave resistance in defending our shared values, including democracy, human rights, and global peace and stability. And we express our deepest sympathy and condolences for their loss and suffering," Kurti said. He also said the consequences of this war have already spread far beyond the borders of Ukraine, because in an attempt to distract from its aggression, Russia is trying to destabilize the Western Balkans "with the help of its main autocratic allies in the region." As it is known, the G7 countries at the NATO summit in Vilnius agreed on a framework document on "security guarantees" for Ukraine. Currently, 25 states have joined the declaration. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to discuss the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, Anadolu said. "In September, India will host a meeting of the G20. A meeting of the UN General Assembly is scheduled in the United States. We will discuss [the grain initiative] with Putin, if such an opportunity arises due to the tight schedule," Erdogan told reporters during the trip to Budapest. The Turkish president also said the first vessel that left the port in Odesa after the termination of the grain initiative was not a grain carrier. "This vessel, which left Ukraine, Odesa, is not a grain carrier - it is a container. Our Ministry of National Defense also made a corresponding statement. Our main goal here is to achieve a positive position of Russia on the grain corridor through phone conversations with Putin," he said. In addition, Erdogan said Turkey "is making efforts to achieve peace talks between Russia and Ukraine." "We are striving for this, this is our desire. We discussed these issues in detail during Zelenskyy's visit [to Turkey], during negotiations with him, as well as meetings on the sidelines of the NATO leaders' summit. I hope that we will achieve results if both leaders (Ukraine and Russia) approve of our mediation," Erdogan said. PRESIDENT Michael D. Higgins has issued his condolences to the family of a talented pianist whose body was found in a Slovenian lake. Sean Shannon in his late teens and from Ennis, Clare was holidaying in Bled, Slovenia when his body was discovered near Lake Bled on Saturday, August 19. Sean was reported missing on the evening of Friday, August 18. Police, firefighters and underwater rescue services attended the scene. According to a spokesperson, divers soon found the body in the depths of Lake Bled, not far from the coast. President Higgins has issued a statement a short time ago, where he recalls meeting Sean in his hometown in Clare in 2018: While still only 18, Sean had already exhibited a fantastic musical ability, having commenced his learning of the piano as a self-taught pianist. Indeed, I remember meeting Sean when he performed at an event which I attended at Glor Theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of ClareCare. At the time, Sean was a second year student in Ennis Community College and was already distinguishing himself with his abilities, which he was sharing with a public that recognised the unique and extraordinary talent that he possessed. I extend my deepest sympathies to Seans parents, Cecilia and Frank, to his siblings, and to all his friends and fellow performers. The tragic news comes as a horrendous shock, as one local councillor says Sean was a child prodigy: Sean was very well liked. He was a very kind, gentle and mild young man, with an amazing talent. His family would be old Ennis stock and well known, said Cllr Mary Howard. He really was a child prodigy. Its a physical pain and feeling for the family. I know his parents and siblings and they were so proud of him. Theyre a really, really close family. Its just devastating for them, Cllr Howard said. Claiming the title of Glors Young Associate Artist of 2022, Sean began playing piano at 14. Sean recently featured on an RTE programme entitled Face the Music, which followed a number of students and teachers at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where he was studying a Bachelor in Music Performance on an entrance scholarship. [August 20, 2023] Historic Finish at Pebble Beach: Student-Restored Mercedes-Benz Captures Second in Class at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Tweet McPherson College's 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300S Cabriolet secured second in class at the 72nd Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The vintage car - entirely restored by the students of the college's Automotive Restoration program - won second in class for the Postwar Luxury category. The victory marks the first time in Concours history that an entirely student-restored car has ranked in the top three in class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230820185060/en/ McPherson College driving across the ramp at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Te entirely student-restored 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300S Cabriolet ranked second in class of the Postwar Luxury category. (Credit: McPherson College) "Many car collectors dream of just competing at Pebble Beach their entire lives, so for our students to earn second in class is truly an exceptional achievement," said McPherson College President Michael Schneider. "This is 10 years in the making, with students, alumni, and faculty pouring their heart and soul into this restoration project of the Mercedes-Benz to make this vision a reality. This accomplishment puts our students on par with the professionals of automotive restoration. As an alumnus and president, I could not be more proud of everyone that had a hand in this historic day for McPherson College. Today is a great day to be a Bulldog." The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is the oldest Concours in the United States and widely considered the most prestigious car show in the world. Thousands of applicants vie for a spot at the Concours, with just 200 cars being invited to compete from around the world. Photo: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pVYUCT2Kb88dPo7wDOBk7Fggnb-r5HrI/ About McPherson College McPherson College offers more than 30 undergraduate degree programs to its more than 800 students, representing 33 states and seven countries. Its nationally renowned Automotive Restoration Technology degree program has earned the support of car collectors, including icon Jay Leno. In August 2023, its students competed and won second in class in the Postwar Luxury category at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, one of the automotive world's signature events. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230820185060/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] Notice of Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting of Eutelsat Shareholders Tweet Regulatory News: Having received all relevant regulatory clearances, the Board of Directors of Eutelsat Communications (ISIN: FR0010221234 - Euronext Paris: ETL "Eutelsat") has convened an Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting of Eutelsat shareholders for the purpose of voting on the proposed combination between Eutelsat Communications and OneWeb in an all-share transaction structured as a non-cash contribution of OneWeb shares1 to Eutelsat. The Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders is to be held on 28 September 2023 at 09:30 AM (Paris time) at the Amphitheatre of Tour Accor, 82 rue Henri Farman, 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux. All documents pertaining to this Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting will be available on https://eutelsat.com/investors as and when required by applicable regulations. Disclaimer NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH ACTION WOULD CONSTITUTE A BREACH OF THE LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION In the context of the proposed combination with OneWeb, Eutelsat Communications intends to publish an information document for the listing of its shares to be issued in exchange for the shares contributed by OneWeb to Eutelsat pursuant to Regulation (UE) 2017/1129 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/528 (the "Exemption Document"), and to file it with the Autorite des Marchs Financiers ("AMF"). Investors are urged to carefully read all relevant documents reported in connection with the proposed combination, including the Exemption Document when it becomes available, as these documents will include important information about the proposed combination. Investors will be able to obtain a copy of the Exemption Document (when available) free of charge from Eutelsat Communications' website (https://eutelsat.com). This announcement is not intended to and does not constitute, represent or form part of any offer or invitation to exchange or sell, or any solicitation of any offer to subscribe for or purchase, or any invitation to exchange, purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Eutelsat Communications, any part of the business or assets of Eutelsat Communications, or any other interest or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction in connection with the proposed combination or otherwise. This announcement should not be construed as a recommendation to anyone reading this communication. There can be no assurance that the proposed combination between Eutelsat Communications and OneWeb will be consummated or that the anticipated benefits will be achieved. About Eutelsat Communications Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across video, fixed connectivity, mobile connectivity and government services markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Around 6,800 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Committed to promoting all facets of sustainable development across its business activities, Eutelsat leverages its in-orbit resources to help bridge the digital divide while maintaining a safe and uncluttered space environment. As an attractive and socially responsible employer, Eutelsat assembles over 1,100 men and women from 50 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service. Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL). For more about Eutelsat go to https://www.eutelsat.com/en/home.html __________________________ 1 Other than the OneWeb shares held by Eutelsat SA and the UK Government's "Special Share" in OneWeb. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230820733593/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] Broad-based ETFs on the Rise as RMB 300 Billion Flowed into Passive Investing Tweet GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the market volatility this year, there remained a core foundation of inflows into equity ETFs. So far this year, equity ETFs took in more than RMB 300 billion (USD 41.4 billion), according to China Galaxy Research Institute. Investors are piling huge amounts of capital into equity ETFs during market decline, while May, June, and July each recorded a net inflow of RMB 75 billion (USD 10.3 billion), RMB 55 billion (USD 7.6 billion), and RMB 61 billion (USD 8.4 billion) respectively, all at historical highs. This prevailing trend has continued as data showed that equity ETFs drew RMB 79 billion (USD 10.9 billion) in the month to August 15th. On August 7th, the daily inflow surpassed RMB 10 billion (USD 1.4 billion) and remained at the similar level for the next two days. Specifically, broad-based strategies attracted the biggest influx of investment with CSI 300 index, STAR 50 index, and ChiNext index topping he year-to-date inflow lists with net inflows of RMB 51 billion (USD 7 billion), RMB 46 billion (USD 6.3 billion), and RMB 28 billion (USD 3.9 billion) respectively, according to Wind data. In terms of individual ETFs, four E Fund offerings, consisting of three broad-based ETFs -- E Fund ChiNext ETF, E Fund SSE Star 50 ETF, E Fund CSI 300 ETF and E Fund CSI 300 Health Care Index ETF, ranked in the top 10 ETFs by net inflow. There are now more than 100 broad-based ETFs, which have garnered more than RMB 64 billion (USD 8.8 billion), contributing to over 80% of all equity ETF net inflows in August. In addition, eight broad-based ETFs are among the top ten ETF products by net inflow. Strong flows into broad-based ETFs suggest that investors' interest in stocks remained resilient. Moreover, the stock valuations have fallen substantially, offering reasonably attractive opportunities. The trailing P/E ratio of CSI All Share was 16.5, at the three-year 19th percentile line and ten-year 34th percentile line, according to data from Wind. Industry insiders expected that market valuations would hit an inflection point given the adequate market correction and the possibility that political incentives could stimulate a resurgence in investor confidence and risk appetite. About E Fund Management Established in 2001, E Fund Management Co., Ltd. ("E Fund") is a leading comprehensive fund manager in China with close to RMB 3 trillion (USD 414 billion) under management. It offers investment solutions to onshore and offshore clients, helping clients achieve long-term sustainable investment performances. E Fund's clients include both individuals and institutions, ranging from central banks, sovereign wealth funds, social security funds, pension funds, insurance, and reinsurance companies, to corporates and banks. Long-term oriented, it has been focusing on the investment management business since inception and believes in the power of in-depth research and time in investing. It is widely recognized as one of the most trusted and outstanding Chinese asset managers. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/broad-based-etfs-on-the-rise-as-rmb-300-billion-flowed-into-passive-investing-301905333.html SOURCE E Fund Management [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] The 24th CEPSI Will Take Place on October 20, 2023 Tweet XIAMEN, China, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 24th Conference on the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI) will take place in Xiamen, a coastal city in southern China, from October 19 to 23, 2023, according to the Organizing Committee for the 2022-2023 AESIEAP Events. The 24th CEPSI is hosted by AESIEAP and China Electricity Council. After nearly 20 years since its 15th edition in Shanghai in 2004, the CEPSI is being hosted for the second time in Mainland China. The CEPSI 2023, to be held in Xiamen, China, will have a variety of sessions and events, including technical visits, sub-forums, paper exchanges, online and offline exhibitions under the theme of "Low Carbon Energy Powering a Green Future". Around 2,500 representatives from government agencies, AESIEAP members, international organizations, embassies and consulates, and enterprises from China and abroad will attend to explore opportunities for cooperation and sustainable development of the energy and power sectors. About AESIEAP and its Events As the most influential international non-governmental organization in the power industry in the East Asia and Western Pacific region, AESIEAP has 70 members from 18 countries and regions. AESIEAP's primary goals are to strengthen communication and cooperation in the power sector in the region by holding conferences and academic seminars around the world. The AESIEAP Events mainly refer to the AESIEAP CEO Conference and the CEPSI. In November 2021, the position of 2022-2023 AESIEAP Chairman was formally assumed by Xin Baoan, President of the China Electricity Council (CEC) and Executive Chairman of the State Grid Corporation of China. CEC took over as the host of the 2022-2023 AESIEAP Events on behalf of China's power industry. Agenda of The 24th Conference on the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI 2023) Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Centre October 2023 Xiamen, China Theme: Low Carbon Energy Powering a Green Future Registration Day 9:00-18:00 Registration 18:00-20:00 Welcome Reception Day 1 Plenary Meeting 9:15-10:00 Welcome Address Congratulatory Address 10:00-12:00 Keynote Speech 12:00-14:00 Lunch 14:00-18:00 Keynote Speech (AESIEAP Council Members and representative of CEPSI 2023 co-hosts) Day 2 Plenary Meeting 9:00-12:00 Keynote Speech (AESIEAP Council Members and representative of CEPSI 2023 co-hosts) 12:00-14:00 Lunch 14:00-18:00 AESIEAP Technical Committee Reports Keynote Speech 16:00-17:30 AESIEAP Executive Committee and 48th Council Meeting (Invitation Only) 18:00-20:00 Cultural Night Day 3 Parallel Sessions 09:00-18:00 Technical Sessions Side Events 18:00-20:00 Closing Ceremony & Farewell Banquet (Handover of AESIEAP Presidency) Day4 Technical Visits View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/the-24th-cepsi-will-take-place-on-october-20-2023-301905501.html SOURCE China Electricity Council [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Russian occupying troops launched two missiles and more than 30 air strikes in a day, carried out 35 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian forces and settlements, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said. "As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are killed and wounded among the civilian population. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure have been destroyed. The likelihood of missile and air strikes throughout Ukraine remains high," the AFU said on Facebook. Over 125 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions were subjected to artillery and mortar shelling during the day. More than 20 clashes took place on the front line in a day. Thus, in Bakhmut direction, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in Klischiivka area of Donetsk region. In Maryinka direction, the defense forces continue to hold back the advance of Russian troops in the area of Maryinka and Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region. At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct an offensive operation in Melitopol direction, consolidate on the achieved lines, and carry out counter-battery measures. [August 21, 2023] US Credit Unions Create Partnership for Ukrainian Humanitarian Aid Tweet Founded by Steven Bugg, CEO of Great Lakes Credit Union; Tim Williams, CEO of Sno Falls Credit Union; and Chris Doner, CEO of Access Softek in late 2022, CU Relief Fund for Ukraine (CU Relief) is now making a positive impact on the lives of those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. By bringing together the resources and expertise of credit unions across the U.S., the organization has provided money and support to: UCAG, a rehabilitation program for the children of fallen heroes https://www.ucadvocacygroup.org/rehabilitation-program https://www.ucadvocacygroup.org/rehabilitation-program ESPER, which provides bionic prosthetics to Ukrainians https://ukraine.esperbionics.com/ and https://ukraine.esperbionics.com/ and GPNow, providing telehealth or virtual care for the most vulnerable https://www.gpnow.net/ Steve Bugg, CEO of Great Lakes Credit Union, said, "American credit unionscan be a tremendous force for good when they unite for an important cause like helping Ukraine. We have carefully selected these causes to support because the need is great, and the money is desperately short." The organization is seeking more credit union partners and has made it easy for them to participate. U.S. credit unions can execute marketing programs to members to raise money or they can become an advisor or partner to a Ukrainian credit union. Yevhenii Vasilchenko, a resident of Kyiv and managing director of CU Relief, said, "Ukraine critically needs and deeply appreciates the generous support we receive from America. The goal of CU Relief Fund for Ukraine is to make it very easy for American credit unions to let their members donate to help Ukraine. I can say first-hand how important the support Ukraine receives from the U.S. is and what a great effect it has on our efforts to defend ourselves." From the CEO of the largest credit union in Ukraine, "The war has created great difficulties for Ukrainians and we value any help from American credit unions in this time of great need." About CU Relief Fund for Ukraine CU Relief Fund for Ukraine is a non-political, non-military organization whose purpose is to provide humanitarian aid and support to the citizens of Ukraine during time of war and its aftermath, with a special focus on addressing needs overlooked by larger charitable organizations. Through fundraising efforts, CU Relief is able to support a variety of initiatives, including the provision of food, shelter, and medical care to those in need, as well as the development of sustainable infrastructure and education programs. Website: https://curelieffundforukraine.com LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cu-relief-fund-for-ukraine/ Donate: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/cu-relief-fund-for-ukraine/main CU Relief Fund of Ukraine appreciates the financial and technical support of Access Softek, and digital marketing and communications support from Deep Target and William Mills Agency. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821959124/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] CyncHealth Partners with Secure Exchange Solutions to Support Statewide Healthcare Connectivity Tweet Collaboration Advances Clinical Data Exchange Across Nebraska and Iowa ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Secure Exchange Solutions (SES), a Centauri Health Solutions company, and a leader in cloud-based clinical data exchange, announces an expanded collaboration with CyncHealth, the leading health data utility (HDU) and designated health information exchange (HIE) serving Nebraska and Iowa. Serving over 5 million lives across 1,135 facilities and growing rapidly, CyncHealth needed a solution that was both scalable and able to meet existing and future industry requirements. By selecting SES Direct, CyncHealth's network can continue to grow while meeting industry requirements for prompt electronic sharing of public health and clinical data exchange. CyncHealth needed a new DirectTrust accredited Health Information Services Provider (HISP) one that offered a HIPAA-compliant solution to satisfy the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule and meet ONC Health Information Technology 21st Century Cures Act requirements. SES Direct aligns with both CMS and ONC requirements, plus the solution enables CyncHealth to support other programs, including the CMS Digital Contact requirement, the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program, Conditions of Participation, and CDC's Electronic Case Reporting (eCR) mandate. "Ensuring the efficient flow of information is fundamental to our mission of advancing interoperability, bringing data democratization, cultivating economic value, and delivering a health data utility," says Scott Alderman, Vice President of Operations, CyncHealth. "As a trusted partner, SES helps us build stronger connections with the healthcare community we serve, ultimately benefiting the health and well-being of the population." As thenation's largest independent HISP, SES supports the CyncHealth mission to break down barriers by delivering the right information at the point of care. The collaboration ensures secure, scalable, and seamless data exchange for all CyncHealth participants, including physicians, healthcare providers, hospitals, rural health, specialty clinics, and long-term post-acute care facilities. "SES is honored to partner with CyncHealth as a recognized leader in healthcare interoperability in Nebraska and now Iowa," said Michele Darnell, President, Secure Exchange Solutions. "Our clinical exchange technologies enable our HIE partners and their participants to deliver exceptional patient-centric care while confidently navigating the complex landscape of connectivity in our healthcare system." About CyncHealth CyncHealth is a health data utility and is the designated health information exchange for Nebraska and western Iowa, connecting over 5 million lives and 1,135 facilities and counting. These cross-connections are community-wide, consisting of hospitals, specialty hospitals, rural health clinics, specialty clinics, long-term post-acute care facilities, and other entities that have valuable data for monitoring the health of populations. CyncHealth participating clinicians can better care for patients by having instant access to comprehensive and longitudinal health history, including patient encounter-level reports, diagnostic history, allergies, immunizations, and laboratory results from participating facilities. For more information, visit https://cynchealth.org/. About Secure Exchange Solutions Secure Exchange Solutions, a Centauri Health Solutions company, sets the standard for seamless, scalable, secure connectivity across organizational boundaries. As an industry-leading provider of interoperable, cloud-based clinical data exchange and AI/NLP-powered clinical data analysis and review technologies, Secure Exchange Solutions protects, streamlines, and delivers sensitive and critical health care information while ensuring compliance and improving efficiency and quality. Hospitals, health systems, physicians, health plans, and application partners rely on Secure Exchange Solutions for integrated secure communications that expand their reach. For more information, please visit www.secureexsolutions.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cynchealth-partners-with-secure-exchange-solutions-to-support-statewide-healthcare-connectivity-301905052.html SOURCE Secure Exchange Solutions [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] Babylist Expands Content Studio to Offer Full-Funnel Marketing Partnerships with Unparalleled Reach to Families Tweet Babylist, the leading digital destination for growing families, announced the expansion of its brand offerings to include full-funnel marketing opportunities that drive awareness, consideration, and purchase goals. This comes on the heels of last year's launch of The Push, Babylist's in house content studio, which helped double the business' media revenue YoY. This new offering further establishes Babylist as the most effective way for brands, both endemic and non-endemic, to connect with expecting parents and the community that supports them. "For the last decade, Babylist has invested in developing thoughtful, informative content that drives organic growth, making us the go-to destination for parents and a valuable audience platform for brands. We created The Push so we could extend this strategy to partner with like-minded brands seeking to meaningfully engage with this vast, diverse, and motivated audience," said Lee Anne Grant, Chief Growth Officer of Babylist. "As we see advertisers moving from programmatic to more efficient, growth-minded spending, we're pleased to see our media business grow, and we're focused on continuing to exceed our partners' measurable performance expectations." Babylist's engaged audience appeals to a diverse range of brands including non-endemic brands like Shipt, the personal shopping and delivery service that lets members order groceries and more from local stores and national giants like Target and Meijer. For the campaign, Babylist developed customized content that featured Shipt across multiple channels including Babylist's editorial guides and Hello Baby newsletters for expecting and new parents. The Shipt campaign was Babylist's highest-performing sponsored piece in 2022 and nearly doubled set impression goals. The campaign, which als extended to influencer, received over 12M views, over 400% higher than the original goal. "We all know it can be overwhelming to be a new parent (I was one myself not too long ago!), and at Shipt, we want to help make our customers' lives easier, so partnering with Babylist was a natural fit," said Allison Stadd, Shipt's SVP of Brand, Culture & Media. "Shipt was able to authentically and impactfully demonstrate our value to growing families through the power of Babylist's audience and customized offering in a way that past ad investments have not. We were impressed with the campaign's performance and look forward to future partnerships with their content studio." Babylist's team has worked with a variety of brands to develop bespoke campaigns that include written content, product and lifestyle videos (web, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram), dedicated emails, social media campaigns, influential partnerships, metaverse integrations, and in-person experiences. After a successful series of pop-ups last year, Babylist recently opened its permanent flagship showroom, Babylist Beverly Hills. The 18,000-square-foot space offers partners the opportunity to bring their brands and products to life with tailored, immersive experiences. Babylist has launched other notable campaigns, including EarlyBird, Trust & Will, and UNest to support new parents with financial and investment management; UrbanSitter and Cooper, to connect parents with childcare providers; Ruth Health and OLLY, for pre- and postpartum care for mothers; as well as partnerships with Nike, FTD, Mixtiles, Ritual Zero, and Wine Access. ABOUT BABYLIST Babylist is the leading digital destination for growing families. For over a decade, Babylist has been the technology solution for expecting parents and the community that supports them, expanding from baby registry into a full-service platform that helps parents make decisions with confidence, stay connected, and build happy and healthy families. Every year Babylist helps over 9M people make purchases through its registry, app, ecommerce shop, and comprehensive product guides. The Babylist ecosystem now includes Babylist Health, which provides access to products and services including insurance-covered breast pumps, Expectful, a new voice in health and wellness for pre-pregnancy through postpartum care, and The Push, a branded content studio that works with the biggest companies in the baby space. With over 55M monthly pageviews and 1.2M TikTok followers, Babylist is a generational brand leading the $88 billion baby product industry. To learn about Babylist's registry options, editorial content, and more, visit www.babylist.com. ABOUT SHIPT Through easy-to-use technology and a network of workers who love to go above and beyond, Shipt connects personal shopping and delivery to 80% of households in more than 5,000 U.S. cities. Shipt's app and website offer consumers access to a variety of stores and product categories including fresh foods, household essentials, wellness products, office and pet supplies. Shipt also helps power deliveries for retailers on orders placed on their own websites by leveraging Shipt Driven, a delivery-only last-mile offering. Shoppers and drivers on the Shipt platform are known for reliability and going above and beyond, including communicating in real time about preferences and substitutions. Shipt is an independently operated, wholly owned subsidiary of Target Corp. Founded and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Shipt also maintains an office in San Francisco. For more information, visit Shipt's Newsroom. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821836795/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] LegalOn Taps Technology Veteran to Lead Multimillion Dollar Investment in AI Tweet LegalOn Technologies, a global leader in contract review software, announced the appointment of Gabor Melli, Ph.D., as the company's first-ever Vice President of Artificial Intelligence. Melli is a technology veteran and research scientist with deep expertise in using AI, data science, and machine learning to build world-class products across consumer and enterprise companies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821979077/en/ Gabor Melli will serve as LegalOn Technologies' first Vice President of Artificial Intelligence. (Photo: Business Wire) As VP of Artificial Intelligence at LegalOn, Melli will steer the company's multi-million dollar Artificial Intelligence development investment in 2023, and support its ambitious product roadmap to transform the contract review process for legal teams in the United States. He joins at an inflection point in LegalOn's growth: in 2022, LegalOn Technologies (Japan) announced a $101 million Series D investment led by SoftBank to fuel its US expansion and development of Artificial Intelligence and legal content. With more than 3,800 customers globally, LegalOn's fast-growing US product offerings now include AI Revise, which can automatically fix contract language in one click, using generative AI enhanced by expert legal knowledge. With 19 peer-reviewed research publications, Gabor Melli brings a scientist's mind to his work in Artificial Intelligence. Having led teams of engineers and data scientists at Sony PlayStation, OpenGov, VigLink, and Microsoft, he has decades of experience in applying cutting edge research in building impactful AI systems and integrating AI into products and professional tools. "I was drawn to LegalOn because of the tremendous opportunity to transform legal through AI. For years, lawyers have been seeking technology that can automate and accelerate tasks, like contract review, and with advances in AI we can now make those possibilities real," Melli said. "LegalOn is a leader in delivering practical AI to enhance contracting and I'm excited to help drive the next generation of AI innovation here." Melli joins LegalOn's US CEO Daniel Lewis in the company's leadership ranks. "There are few who have the level and breadth of experience in AI and engineering that Gabor has. I'm excited for him to keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible and help us continue building world-class products at LegalOn that legal teams can trust," said Lewis. Established by two corporate lawyers in Japan in 2017, LegalOn has 6 years of experience developing large databases of rich legal content authored by seasoned in-house counsel. The LegalOn platform combines this deep library of expert guidance with industry-leading AI to provide a solution that not only harnesses the latest innovations in technology, but combines that with Day-1 functionality and usability so legal professionals can start reviewing contracts right away. About LegalOn Technologies LegalOn Technologies is a leading AI contract review software for legal teams, serving innovative lawyers and legal professionals at over 3,800 companies and firms globally. The company is backed by leading investors and has raised over $130M. Companies and firms interested in our technology can find more information and sign up for a demo at LegalOnTech.com. LegalOn's US headquarters are in San Francisco, and its global headquarters are in Tokyo. Follow LegalOn on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest news and developments. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821979077/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] TextbookRush.com Expands Textbook Inventory Selection by 2.5 million Titles in Time for the 2023 School Year Tweet COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TextbookRush.com, located near the campus of The Ohio State University, announces partnership with SuperBookDeals and Alibris.com to add over 2.5 million books for rent and sale. As over 14 million students return to college, TextbookRush.com continues to gain market share against Chegg as both compete to replace Amazon's book rental service which was closed March 31, 2023. "While Artificial Intelligence (AI) will certainly assist students, people grasp information more effortlessly through visual learning using physical textbooks." says Phil Smyres, CEO of TextbookRush. "The physical book will continue to be central to a student's learning for years to come. These partnerships are part of our ongoing commitment to making college books more affordable for students." Since its early days as an online source for student textbooks, the Columbus based TextbookRush has established itself as the premiere site to meet the textbook needs of all students. These new partnerships will provide students with more affordable rental and purchase options on higher education titles. About Alibris.com Alibris is the prmiere online destination for new and used books, as well as rare and out-of-print books. We connect people who love books, music, and movies to the best independent sellers from 45 countries around the world. Our proprietary technology and advanced logistics allow us to offer more than 70 million used, new, and out-of-print books to consumers, libraries, and retailers, which include Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, and Chapters/Indigo. Founded in 1998, Alibris was named a "Fast 50" and a "Technology Fast 500" growth business by Deloitte in 2005. Alibris is a registered trademark. About TextbookRush.com TextbookRush.com is a premier online retailer that rents, buys, and sells college textbooks. Customers may rent or buy eBooks as well as TV and movie titles and games. Phil Smyres, the founder, started in the college book business in 1994, opening a textbook store at Ohio State University and adding a second 4 years later. In 2001, he began retailing books online. Amazon contracted with his company to operate Amazon's book trade-in program from 2010 to 2019 and Amazon's book rental program from 2012 to 2023. Media Contact: Alison Blankenship TextbookRush.com 614-643-2181 [email protected] https://www.TextbookRush.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/textbookrushcom-expands-textbook-inventory-selection-by-2-5-million-titles-in-time-for-the-2023-school-year-301904683.html SOURCE TextbookRush.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] YouScience Brightpath Empowers Educators and Students for Academic and Career Success Tweet Aptitude-based solution elevates educational relevance by directly helping students find their personalized purpose for increased success in school, careers, and life AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on nationwide research , the majority of high school graduates face a lack of preparedness in making crucial college or career decisions upon graduation, often feeling uncertain about their chosen educational or career paths. Nearly 75% of high school graduates did not feel fully prepared to decide on their future career or education during high school. 37% of high school graduates are not sure they are where they want to be in their education or career path Moreover, the strain on counselors and teachersdue to heavy workloads and limited resourcesexacerbates the issue by creating gaps in essential discussions about postsecondary opportunities. There is an acute need for solutions that bridge this gap, and help students who are struggling to transition from high school to college, trade school, and career. YouScience is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers. Thousands of middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, trade schools, chambers of commerce, and employer partners use various applications from YouScience. The award-winning education technology company recently launched YouScience Brightpath , which supports educators in addressing critical issues facing students in one unified platform. With Brightpath, educators can: Personalize students' education pathways for increased academic and career success. Provide deeper purpose for classwork by supporting real-world career outcomes into every student's educational journey. Connect students to their future by bridging the gap between education and industry in meaningful and personalized ways. Support every student's growth through the major transitions between middle school to high school, high school to post-secondary learning, and from the classroom to careers. "Brightpath has been an incredible tool to measure student growth in the classroom," said Joel Casiday, from Coldspring-Oakhurst High School in Coldspring, Texas. "Our teachers can give their pre-assessment at the beginning of the year and then the certification exam for the course at the end of the year. The student receives real-time certifications and the teacher has valuable data that shows student growth and instructional impact. With the launch of the career research tools and all the full Brightpath suite offers, our students will be poised for success after graduation." YouScience Brightpath makes it easier for educators to help students connect what they are learning in the classroom to real-world applications. This includes career and technical education (CTE) programs, skill certifications and credentials, and resume creation. "Having a comprehensive platform that helps us connect what students are learning in the classroom with real-world career opportunities turns education into a tangible experience," said Thalea Longhurst, State CTE Director for the Utah State Board of Education. "Local employers also like YouScience Brightpath because they can engage with students, who have the aptitudes and certifications they need, to start building a talent pipeline. It opens doors and opportunities for all Utah students to have a successful futurewhether that's 4-year college, trade school, or jumping into a career." Research shows that helping students discover their aptitudes, and building personalized high school and postsecondary pathways, enables student success. In 2022, nearly 80% of high school graduates reported feeling better prepared to choose their educational and/or career pathway based on understanding their natural aptitudes. "Unleashing student potential is at the heart of what we do," said YouScience CEO Edson Barton. "To do that we must empower educators with the best professional tools. Brightpath makes it easier to collaborate across schools and districts, between middle and high schools, and from grade to grade. Brightpath is designed for today's professional educator. Speed, ease of use, scalability, and systems simplicity is top of mind." For more information on YouScience and YouScience Brightpath, please visit www.YouScience.com . About YouScience YouScience is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience Brightpath, connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. YouScience leverages proven research, artificial intelligence, and industry input to help individuals identify their natural talents, validate their skills and knowledge, and get matched with real-world educational and career pathways in high-demand occupations. YouScience is the preferred choice of individuals, parents, educators, and counselors to guide and support educational and career pathways, currently serving more than 7,000 educational institutions and nearly one million users. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/youscience-brightpath-empowers-educators-and-students-for-academic-and-career-success-301904968.html SOURCE YouScience [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] Hexion Associates Celebrate Annual Day of Service Tweet Hexion will hold its annual day of service benefiting a variety of organizations in Columbus as part of the company's annual "Hexion Cares Day" on Thursday, August 24. The event showcases Hexion's ongoing commitment to supporting and making a positive impact in its local communities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230817142905/en/ During this year's Hexion Cares Day, Hexion associates will volunteer at organizations focused on housing, education and food insecurity, including: Habitat for Humanity - MidOhio, LifeCare Alliance, YWCA Columbus Homeless Families Center, Home for Families, and Columbus Early Learning Center. Projects range from painting, building homes, serving meals, and organizing events for children. These nonprofits are all partner agencies with the United Way of Cntral Ohio. "We applaud Hexion's ongoing efforts to build a stronger, more equitable central Ohio," said Lisa Courtice, Ph.D, President and Chief Executive Officer, United Way of Central Ohio. "Every year, the Hexion United Way campaign incorporates many best practices and stellar examples of your generosity as an organization, in addition to year-round volunteer initiatives and opportunities for associates to connect with local nonprofits." (Photo: Business Wire) "Hexion is committed to being a positive influence in its communities and Hexion Cares Day is a highlight of our year-round efforts to support organizations that are making a difference," said Michael Lefenfeld, President and Chief Executive Officer. "While we help our customers address some of the world's most pressing challenges, Hexion Cares Day exemplifies the strength and value of our associates coming together to build connections with one another and our communities." "In addition to Hexion Cares Day in Columbus, our global sites also support a variety of organizations that positively impact their local regions," said Stephanie Couhig, Senior Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety and Chief Sustainability Officer. "For associates in Columbus and around the world, Hexion's commitment to 'Responsible Chemistry' is more than a commitment to operate our plants safely. It is a commitment to engage in our communities, build strong relationships with local non-profits, and offer support to help our communities thrive." During this year's Hexion Cares Day, Hexion associates will volunteer at organizations focused on housing, education and food insecurity, including: Habitat for Humanity - MidOhio, LifeCare Alliance, YWCA Columbus Homeless Families Center, Home for Families, and Columbus Early Learning Center. Projects range from painting, building homes, serving meals, and organizing events for children. These nonprofits are all partner agencies with the United Way of Central Ohio. "We applaud Hexion's ongoing efforts to build a stronger, more equitable central Ohio," said Lisa Courtice, Ph.D, President and Chief Executive Officer, United Way of Central Ohio. "Every year, the Hexion United Way campaign incorporates many best practices and stellar examples of your generosity as an organization, in addition to year-round volunteer initiatives and opportunities for associates to connect with local nonprofits." The United Way of Central Ohio recently recognized Hexion as a recipient of its "2023 United Way Dedicated Supporter Award" at the Columbus Business First Corporate Citizenship Awards. Hexion Cares Day aligns with the company's broader philanthropic pillars, including: Basic Needs, such as housing and food security; Health; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education at all levels; and Social Justice. In 2022, Hexion's corporate charitable contributions totaled more than $480,000, and associates globally logged more than 2,200 volunteer hours. About Hexion Inc. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Hexion is a leading global producer of adhesives and performance materials. Hexion provides specialty products and technical support for customers in a diverse range of applications and industries, such as construction, agriculture, energy, automotive and infrastructure protection. Building on over a century of experience, Hexion is working to preserve the earth's natural resources, meet the needs of growing populations and respond to a changing climate. Learn more about Hexion and its sustainability commitment at www.hexion.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230817142905/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] BURT INTELLIGENCE GEARS UP FOR RAPID EXPANSION - WELCOMES NEW CEO AND ANNOUNCES RELOCATION OF HEADQUARTERS Tweet NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Burt Intelligence, the pioneering provider of Decision Intelligence for digital ad sales, operations and finance, is pleased to announce the appointment of Shay Brog as CEO to drive the company's growth and bolster its position in the media industry. Additionally, Burt will be relocating its headquarters from Stockholm, Sweden to New York City, USA, to further support its growth strategy in the global market. Brog joined Burt Intelligence as SVP of Revenue in late 2022, bringing with him a remarkable 15-year career in revenue management and business development, marked by successful growth initiatives and strategic partnerships across both start-up and corporate environments. Brog has a unique organizational point of view after having served in key roles at internationally distributed companies and teams, as well as having an extensive familiarity with being in the publisher seat, Brog's proven leadership, strategic vision, and deep understanding of the digital advertising industry have already made a significant impact on the company's success during his tenure. As CEO, Brog will continue to drive Burt Intelligence forward, focusing on expanding its customer base, enhancing product offerings, and solidifying its position as a market leader. "I am honored to assume the role of CEO," said Brog. "I am grateful for the trust and confidence that the board and our investors have placed in me. I truly believe that armed with a strong managed service approach as we are, Burt is ahead of the curve compared to our competitors. Our philosophy and attitude is that it does no suffice to simply hand customers a powerful Decision Intelligence platform like ours - instead, we strive to be an extension of their team, and provide them with white-glove service at every touchpoint. With our talented team and the only data intelligence platform tailored specifically for the business of digital advertising, we're well-positioned to accelerate our growth and deliver exceptional value to our customers worldwide." Christer Hellstrom, Chairman of the Board at Burt Intelligence, also expressed his enthusiasm for the appointment of Brog as CEO. "Shay has demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the industry during his time as the SVP of Revenue. His appointment as CEO is a testament to both his exceptional abilities and the significant contributions he has made to the company's success, including overseeing the best performing quarter in the company's history in Q1 2023. We have full confidence in his ability to lead Burt Intelligence to new heights, and we're excited for the road ahead." In addition to the CEO transition, Burt Intelligence will be moving its headquarters from Stockholm, Sweden to New York City, USA. The relocation reflects the company's commitment to expanding its presence in the global market by taking advantage of the vibrant business ecosystem and talent pool in New York City. "Burt Intelligence's relocation to New York City is a strategic decision aimed at further immersing ourselves in the world's most vibrant business environment," added Brog. "New York's rich ecosystem of advertising and tech companies, its vast talent pool, and proximity to key clients and industry influencers, provide an ideal setting for our growth and innovation ambitions. Being able to interface more personally and on an ongoing basis with our publishers and prospective partners is integral to both our approach as well as to how we will shape our product offering moving forward." Brog assumes his new role immediately, while former CEO Carl Leskinen will continue to actively support the company as an advisor. ABOUT BURT Burt Intelligence is the only Decision Intelligence platform specifically built for the business of digital advertising. By combining state-of-the-art AI and industry expertise, Burt empowers advertising sales, operations and finance teams at media companies, including Vox Media, Ziff Davis, and The CW Network, to make data-driven decisions, drive revenue growth and increase operational efficiency in the world's most competitive industry. To learn more about Burt Intelligence and its offerings, please visit www.burtintelligence.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/burt-intelligence-gears-up-for-rapid-expansion---welcomes-new-ceo-and-announces-relocation-of-headquarters-301904787.html SOURCE Burt Intelligence [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] Scale Biosciences and Basepair to Democratize Single Cell Sequencing Data Analysis Tweet Scale Biosciences, a pioneer in single-cell sequencing technology, today announced a new collaboration with Basepair to provide point and click bioinformatic analysis of single-cell data produced with its patented and disruptive combinatorial indexing technology. As a result of this collaboration, scientists will be able to access Scale Biosciences' optimized bioinformatics pipeline through a user-friendly, web-based, graphical user interface (GUI), enabling their organizations to quickly adopt new single-cell protocols, regardless of their in-house bioinformatics capabilities. The initial deployment of the ScaleBio Seq Suite on the Basepair platform will allow researchers to upload both fastq and BCL files and use an intuitive GUI to quickly analyze their data and generate reports for individual samples and entire libraries. These include reports to help researchers assess their data quality and produce a cell-gene matrix compatible with open-source standard single-cell analysis workflows like Seurat and Scanpy. The collaboration will also make it easier for customers to adopt Scale Biosciences technology without investing in additional IT and bioinformatics infrastructure by providing a secure way to upload and store data in the cloud. "Challenges related to analysis and interpretation of sequencing data are still one of the most common bottlenecks that researchers face when adopting new next-generation sequencing applications, especially those that createlarge amounts of data," said Giovanna Prout, CEO of Scale Biosciences. "We want the scientific community to have access to bioinformatics options that fit their budget and help answer their research questions. Through our relationship with Basepair, we are making it easier for organizations with limited resources to quickly and cost effectively go from sample to interpretable data." "At its core, Basepair enables tools manufacturers like Scale Biosciences to better support research scientists with any computational background," said Amit Sinha, PhD, Founder of Basepair. "With our groundbreaking federated approach to analysis, we look forward to helping Scale Biosciences' customers better understand their data and accelerate their research without it ever needing to leave their direct control." Learn more about Scale Biosciences single-cell technology at https://scale.bio/. About Scale Biosciences ScaleBio is a single-cell sequencing solutions company founded by a multidisciplinary team of scientists and technologists with combined expertise in next-generation sequencing, genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics, and a common mission for unlocking the potential of single-cell analysis at scale by eliminating barriers to discovery. ScaleBio is financed by leading life sciences tools investors ARCH Venture Partners, BNG and Tao Capital. ScaleBio has R&D facilities in San Diego and Menlo Park, CA. About Basepair Basepair Inc is a bioinformatics company focused on unlocking the full potential of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology. By empowering more scientists to understand the meaning and value of genomic data while keeping it secure in-place, we help accelerate the scientific and diagnostic breakthroughs that bring lifesaving medicines and treatments to the patients that need them. To learn more, visit www.basepairtech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821017932/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] MEMIC Selects Gradient AI to Gain Competitive Advantage in Its Workers' Compensation Claims Operations Tweet Gradient AI, a leading enterprise software provider of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in the insurance industry, today announced at WCI 2023 Conference an expanded relationship with MEMIC, an A.M. Best "A" (Excellent) rated workers' compensation insurer. Having already harnessed Gradient AI's underwriting solution to enhance risk prediction and capture institutional knowledge, MEMIC has now chosen Gradient AI to enhance its claims management outcomes. Under this expanded agreement, MEMIC will leverage the advanced capabilities of Gradient AI's Claims Benchmarking and Total Incurred Prediction solutions. These innovative tools empower MEMIC to identify trends and outliers, improve the decision-making process and refine its reserve management processes so that sufficient funds are set aside to address anticipated claim costs. MEMIC serves more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees with dedicated safety and injury management service teams from Maine to Florida. With approximately 11,000 open claims at any given time, MEMIC is constantly looking for strategis to improve the efficiency and accuracy of its claims management operations. Recognizing the value of leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, MEMIC sought to gain additional insights to optimize claim outcomes, reduce claim costs, and improve the accuracy of caseload reserves. These needs motivated MEMIC to choose Gradient AI's Benchmarking and Total Incurred Prediction solutions. Gradient AI's benchmarking solution leverages an industry-leading data lake containing tens of millions of claims and policies, enabling users to see how their claims' reserves compare to similar industry claims. Claims managers can then assess whether the reserve for a specific claim is on target or needs attention because it is over- or under-reserved. "Our claim team is excellent but Gradient AI takes our game to a new level," said Matt Harmon, SVP of Claims at MEMIC. "The benchmarking tool compares individual claims to similar industry claims. It highlights those claims deviating from norms, enabling us to decide if reserve levels are adequate. Adequate reserves create greater accuracy when calculating experience modification factors, and in turn better serve the interest of the policyholder and MEMIC alike." The total incurred prediction solution predicts the future cost on a case-by-case basis. This enables MEMIC's claims managers to set future reserves within a certain range of the predicted cost. "We can create guardrails on our reserve levels so that more of our future predictions fall within those parameters, enabling us to be much more consistent than we are today, and delivering more reliable results," Harmon added. "We operate under considerable pressure to ensure the utmost accuracy in our case file reserves. While we have engaged with other AI providers, Gradient AI stands apart by introducing reserve-based solutions that are truly game changers. The inclusion of both benchmarking and predictive tools represents new and exciting territory for us. They are filling a previously unmet need, which holds immense promise." "MEMIC's visionary approach to unleashing the potential of data within its workers' comp claim operations is commendable," said Stan Smith, CEO and founder of Gradient AI. "Through strategic benchmarking against industry-wide data, and leveraging powerful predictive insights, the company is poised to elevate the precision of its case reserves, amplify claims management effectiveness, and enhance its ability to grow profitably. We are proud to provide industry-leading underwriting and claims management solutions and thrilled to continue to support MEMIC on its journey toward greater excellence." About Gradient AI Gradient AI is a leading provider of proven artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for the insurance industry. Its solutions improve loss ratios and profitability by predicting underwriting and claim risks with greater accuracy, as well as reducing quote turnaround times and claim expenses through intelligent automation. Unlike other solutions that use a limited claims and underwriting dataset, Gradient's software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform leverages a vast industry data lake comprising tens of millions of policies and claims. It also incorporates numerous other features including economic, health, geographic, and demographic information. Customers include some of the most recognized insurance carriers, MGAs, MGUs, TPAs, risk pools, PEOs, and large self-insured employers across all major lines of insurance. By using Gradient AI's solutions, insurers of all types achieve a better return on risk. To learn more about Gradient AI, please visit: https://www.gradientai.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821069026/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Greece to take part in training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets Greece will take part in the training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 jets, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Monday. "Today we have an important result for the aviation coalition. Greece will take part in the training of our F-16 pilots," he said. We are grateful that there will be Greek defense support for Ukraine, our teams are working out the relevant details," he also said. [August 21, 2023] JKS Financial Advisors Named Forbes Best-in-State Top Financial Security Professionals Tweet JKS Financial, a financial services and wealth management firm, is pleased to announce Dan Jenkins and Geoffrey Kasse as Forbes Best-in-State Top Financial Security Professionals for the state of Pennsylvania, ranking 29th and 38th respectively. Esteemed professionals on the list demonstrate outstanding expertise, exceptional performance, and dedication in the field of financial securities, making a significant impact on the industry. "The Top Financial Securities Professionals list serves as a testament to the importance of skill, integrity, and acumen in navigating the complexities of the financial world. We are humbled and proud to be recognized for our accomplishments in the financial securities industry," said Dan Jenkins, Wealth Management Advisor and Managing Partner at JKS Financial. The Forbes and SHOOK Research third annual rankings recognize industry professionals from each state in the country with the Top Financial Security Professionals list which features approximately 1,141 experts, all with track records of preserving their clients' wealth over the long term. Each honoree displays exemplary leadership, cutting-edge strategies, and a proven track record of delivering superior results for their clients. "Success comes from those we surround ourselves with. This recognition speaks to the entire team at JKS Financial who set a high standard of excellence and their innovative approaches which help shape the landscape of financial markets for our clients," said Geoff Kasse, Wealth Management Advisor and Managing Partner at JKS Financial. Forbes Best-in-State Top Financial Security Professionals list (July 2023), research and ranking provided by SHOOK Research, LLC. Based upon data as of 12/31/2022. Northwestern Mutual (NM) and its advisors do not pay for placement on 3rd party rating or ranking lists. NM and its advisors do, however, pay marketing fees to these organzations to promote the rating or ranking(s). Rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success. To view the complete list of the Top Financial Securities Professionals for 2023, please visit https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-in-state-financial-security-professionals/ About JKS Financial JKS Financial is a Pittsburgh, PA-based financial planning practice for wealth management advisors. Geoff Kasse and Dan Jenkins have more than 55 years of combined experience and offer wealth accumulation, insurance and risk management, wealth preservation, and wealth distribution services. JKS Financial's mission is to provide sound financial planning for all aspects of your wealth management needs. For more information, visit JKS-Financial.NM.com. About Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a holistic planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With more than $561 billion in combined company and client assets, $34 billion in revenues, and $2.1 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to nearly five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and wealth and investment management services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 97 on the 2022 FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2022. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment advisor, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with "Advisor" in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services. Geoffrey P Kasse and Daniel Keith Jenkins use JKS Financial as a marketing name for doing business as representatives of Northwestern Mutual. JKS Financial is not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, insurance agency or federal savings bank. Note to editors: For more information, news, and perspectives from JKS Financial, journalists and analysts may call 412.561.5153. Weblinks, telephone numbers, and titles were correct at the time of publication. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821735109/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] OneWeb Technologies Awarded U.S. Space Force Contract for Commercial Satellite Communications Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (p-LEO) Tweet OneWeb Technologies Solidifies Position as Trusted U.S. Government Solutions Partner HOUSTON, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OneWeb Technologies, a global provider of high-speed, low latency, secure, multi-orbit satellite network solutions, announced today it was awarded a Commercial Satellite Communications Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (p-LEO) contract from the U.S. Space Force (USSF), Space Systems Command (SSC), Commercial Space Office (CSO), and Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO). The 10-year p-LEO contract was awarded to OneWeb Technologies with a $900 million dollar ceiling. This significant achievement solidifies OneWeb Technologies' position as a trusted government solutions partner, and a leading provider of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite services, in the rapidly evolving field of satellite communications. The DoD's use of commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) bandwidth is managed by SSC's CSCO. Under the DoD's acquisition plan, the CSCO ensures the needs of various U.S. military organizations and DoD customers are met by matching them with COMSATCOM bandwidth and services. OneWeb Technologies is among a limited number of LEO satellite solutions providers selected to receive the p-LEO awardcontract, and one of only two very small aperture terminal (VSAT) data LEO satellite service providers currently offering live services. "This p-LEO opportunity underscores OneWeb Technologies' COMSATCOM capabilities and recognizes the company's exceptional technology offering for the U.S. government," said Sue Gordon, Chairperson of the OneWeb Technologies Proxy Board and former U.S. Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. "Accurate, expeditious information is fundamental for U.S. government decision making, as well as for our friends and allies. OneWeb's constellation helps get the right information to the right people, at the right time." "OneWeb Technologies aims to simplify satellite communications for enterprise and government users by moving their data in bulk more rapidly, reliably, and securely," said Kevin Steen, CEO of OneWeb Technologies. "Our solutions make this possible for our customers by harnessing the powerful OneWeb constellation, enhanced through a diverse portfolio of equipment, like-minded partnerships, and services. Our team couldn't be more excited to support the secure global communications needs of the U.S. Space Force." OneWeb Technologies is committed to transforming the communications landscape and enabling connectivity data security, velocity, and surety solutions that meet the evolving needs of government and enterprise users. OneWeb Technologies is also committed to developing and delivering customized solutions that fit its customers' precise needs. In addition to becoming a prime p-LEO award contractor, OneWeb Technologies is well positioned to collaborate with the many GEO operators that may also be awarded a p-LEO contract. Built on a foundation of agility, responsiveness, and operational relevance, OneWeb Technologies supports operations from its fully manned, 24/7 Managed Services Operations Center in Houston, Texas. About OneWeb Technologies OneWeb Technologies Inc. is customer focused, with access to an operational, robust constellation, providing Committed Information Rates (CIR), with contracted Service Level Agreements (SLAs). OneWeb Technologies offers traffic prioritization through a secure Global Access Network (GAN). Our personnel are highly responsive, working in a 24/7 Managed Service Operation Center (MSOC). As OneWeb's U.S. proxy organization, OneWeb Technologies has access to OneWeb's LEO satellite constellation and takes a consultative and adaptable approach toward its customers. OneWeb Technologies and its partners provide resilient mobile solutions. Learn more at OneWeb Technologies, Inc. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oneweb-technologies-awarded-us-space-force-contract-for-commercial-satellite-communications-proliferated-low-earth-orbit-p-leo-301905185.html SOURCE OneWeb Technologies [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] HFM Now Enables Cent Accounts on Copy Trading Tweet EBENE, Mauritius, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Copy trading has changed the online brokerage landscape, allowing more and more traders to take part and democratizing the sector. Now, it is about to become even more inclusive. HFM (formerly HotForex), the globally acclaimed brokerage brand, has opened up a world of possibilities with its brand new Cent account for copy trading . Now, customers can place or copy smaller orders, mitigating risk while maintaining optionality and promoting responsible trading. "We know that the current financial environment can seem very intimidating," remarked a spokesperson for HFM. "Today's average trader has less available capital, and with the unpredictable volatility that dominates the most popular assets, we understand our clients' need to 'play it safe'. That's why, with the help of this special Cent account on copy trading, we want them to enjoy both worlds - one account that can help them learn from pofessionals on one hand and avoid the need for hefty deposits on the other." Cent trading - a win-win situation As technology progresses and enables a faster and more intuitive trading experience, it is only natural that brokers do all in their power to provide the most up-to-date trading tools and features to their users. In that sense, the HFM Cent account is a perfect fit for today's trader. While deposit requirements are as low as $10 for followers and $25 for strategy providers, leverages are attractive at 1:500, and a no-commission policy remains in place. "We believe that our new Cent account for copy trading is a true win-win situation," added the spokesperson. "Our clients enjoy a trading experience that cannot be matched, while we maintain our status as a top global broker, continuing to benefit from a high level of user satisfaction and trust, day in and day out." About HFM As a veteran and pioneer firm in the online trading industry, HFM has managed to base its status as a key brokerage brand and an industry leader. With over 60 prestigious awards, it is no surprise that HFM is the go-to partner for over 3.5 million active clients worldwide. The brand is multi-regulated globally, and offers the most optimal trading conditions, including tight spreads, flexible leverage, 24/5 customer support and more. To learn more about HFM and its proprietary features, such as the PAMM account, users are invited to visit the brand's website. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hfm-now-enables-cent-accounts-on-copy-trading-301905687.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] Global Aftermarket Car Telematics Report 2023: Smartphone-based Telematics Solutions Compete with Aftermarket Telematics Tweet DUBLIN, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Aftermarket Car Telematics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Total shipments of aftermarket car telematics systems reached 28.0 million units worldwide in 2022. Growing at a compound annual growth rate of 11.1 percent, shipments are expected to reach 47.3 million units in 2027. The aftermarket car telematics applications covered in the report include stolen vehicle tracking, roadside assistance, vehicle diagnostics, Wi-Fi hotspot and various convenience applications. Get up to date with the latest industry trends in this new 200-page strategy report. Telematics is a broad term that may be applied to a wide range of automotive connectivity solutions. The definition of an aftermarket car telematics solution in this report includes telematics devices created by a company other than the carmakers and are retrofitted into cars mainly via OBD-II and blackbox devices based on both cellular/GNSS and RF technology. The connected car is a major trend in the automotive industry and virtually all of the world's leading carmakers have launched mass-market services in key regions. The OEM initiatives can be seen as competition for the aftermarket solutions, but there is still a growing demand for different forms of aftermarket car telematics services. Aftermarket telematics still has a dominant position on the market in many parts of the world. Several categories of aftermarket car telematics applications have become popular including roadside assistance, stolen vehicle tracking (SVT), vehicle diagnostics, usage-based insurance, dealer and inventory management, Wi-Fi hotspot as well as convenience applications targeting consumers. The addressable market for aftermarket car telematics solutions is significant. At the end of 2021, there were an estimated 1.31 billion passenger cars and light trucks registered worldwide. Even though aftermarket car telematics services face competition from smartphone-only solutions and OEM solutions, the report analysts are of the opinion that the aftermarket car telematics market is in a growth phase. The report estimates that total shipments of aftermarket car telematics systems reached 28.0 million units worldwide in 2022. Growing at a compound annual growth rate of 11.1 percent, shipments are expected to reach 47.3 million units in 2027. The number of aftermarket car telematics systems in active use is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.7 percent from 92.2 million in 2022 to 160.7 million worldwide in 2027. The penetration rate will at the same time grow from 6.9 percent in 2022 to 10.7 percent at the end of the forecast period. The market is characterised by a great diversity of players interacting in a complex value chain that spans multiple industries. The car telematics companies targeting the aftermarket car sector include specialists focusing on this application area only as well as general telematics players that serve a broad range of applications including also for example fleet management for commercial vehicles. The leading aftermarket car telematics solution providers have reached installed bases in the millions. Examples of leading car telematics solution vendors include Octo Telematics, Spireon, StarLine, Procon Analytics, Targa Telematics, Vodafone Automotive, Ituran, SareKon, PassTime GPS, SVR Tracking, Mojio, CalAmp (LoJack) and Viasat Group. The most common go-to-market strategy is to partner with insurance companies, dealers, OEMs, MNOs and vehicle finance companies. Leading companies delivering telematics hardware and related services to the aftermarket car telematics market include Danlaw, Sensata Insigts, Gosuncn, Munic, Jimi (Concox), Positioning Universal, Queclink and Teltonika. Stolen vehicle recovery and security-related telematics applications are mature aftermarket car telematics applications whereas other direct-to-consumer car telematics solutions have more recently started to emerge. Regional market conditions such as a high level of vehicle crime influence the demand for stolen vehicle tracking and have made SVT solutions popular in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, China, Israel, Russia and South Africa. Vehicle theft has increased in the past years in many countries. For example, there were thefts of 1 million motor vehicles in the US in 2022 according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The number of dedicated active aftermarket SVT units in use worldwide is forecasted to reach 88.7 million in 2027, up from 55.1 million at year-end 2022. Telematics has become an important part of the aftersales programmes of dealers and vehicle finance companies, enabling remote diagnostics and direct communication with drivers. There is a tremendous opportunity to turn a reactive way of managing customers into a proactive process by integrating CRM solutions, using data from cars intelligently. Collecting data from the fleet on the lot is also valuable for dealers in order to for example collect information about faulty components and software bugs as well as battery status. Direct-to-consumer car telematics offerings are available to a varying degree in many regions by companies such as Bouncie, Mojio, Verizon, CarLock and Net4Things. Many direct-to-consumer car telematics providers have broadened their product portfolios to include additional telematics application areas such as fleet management as well as powering B2B2C telematics services. Key Topics Covered: The Global Passenger Car Market Passenger cars in use by region New passenger car trends Hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and all-electric vehicles Regulatory compliance Vehicle security, safety and emergency call regulations The eCall and ERA-GLONASS initiatives Insurance industry standards for vehicle tracking Vehicle crime Car Telematics Solutions Aftermarket telematics infrastructure Aftermarket car telematics applications eCall and roadside assistance Stolen Vehicle Tracking Motor insurance telematics Dealer lot management Vehicle finance telematics Remote control and convenience services Vehicle Diagnostics and maintenance Electronic toll collection and congestion charging Wi-Fi hotspot Vehicle emission monitoring Market Forecasts and Trends Continued broadening of the aftermarket car telematics concept is expected Privacy concerns are softening Aftermarket SVT/SVR services compete with OEM services in many countries Usage-based insurance to remain an aftermarket service in most countries Insurance companies insource telematics activities in many markets Smartphone-based telematics solutions compete with aftermarket telematics CRM solutions and vehicle diagnostics enable improved customer care Wi-Fi hotspots enable convenient connectivity for passengers Car telematics service providers to use a wide ecosystem of partners Aftermarket telematics solutions help OEMs to manage network shutdowns New IoT technologies to simplify aftermarket car telematics services Consumer car telematics providers now offer fleet management services Niche aftermarket car telematics applications proven to be successful International Car Telematics Service Providers CalAmp (LoJack International) Connected Cars Continental Harman International Haysquare IMS Ituran Mojio Motix Connected Octo Telematics Powerfleet Redtail Telematics Scope Technology Targa Telematics Teletrac Navman Connected Services Verizon Viasat Group Vodafone and Vodafone Automotive Company Profiles and Strategies Providers of SVT/SVR and related services Autoconnex Autolocator Cesar Satellite StarLine Coyote (Traqueur) FairConnect Howden Driving Data (Ingenie Business) Sherlog Technology BrickHouse Security Certified Tracking Solutions Cox Automotive and Cox2M Guidepoint Systems Ikon Technologies IMETRIK Global MasTrack PassTime GPS Procon Analytics SareKon Skypatrol Spireon SVR Tracking Autotrac Car Security (LoJack Argentina) Carsystem CEABS Maxtrack Omnilink (Graber) Positron (Stoneridge) Active Telematics Katsana TPL Trakker Questar Auto Technologies ACM Track Bidtrack (Bidvest Group) Ctrack Cartrack (Karooooo) Digicell Mix Telematics Netstar Tracker Connect AFAQY Consumer telematics solutions providers Air AutoSense Grupo Next Net4Things Protectus Technologies (CarLock) Paydrive The Plan B company (Conneqtech) AutoAid Ryd AccuTracking Autobrain Agnik (Vyncs) LandAirSea Linxup (MOTOsafety) Optimus Tracker Radius Telematics Tail Light (Bouncie) Voyomotive Zubie Comodif Beijing Yesway Information Technology Pateo Minda iConnect (Carot India) Varroc Connect (CarIQ) SenSight Technologies (AutoWiz) Jooycar Technology vendors Danlaw Digital Matter ERM Advanced Telematics Gosafe Gosuncn WeLink Jimi (Concox) Kingwo Meitrack Meta System Munic Neoway Positioning Universal Quartix Queclink Wireless Solutions Sensata Insights (Xirgo Technologies) Sinocastel Teltonika ThinkRace Trakm8 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x89d2s About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-aftermarket-car-telematics-report-2023-smartphone-based-telematics-solutions-compete-with-aftermarket-telematics-301905419.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] CFD Companies' Conference Brings Big Names in Marketing and Finance to Indiana Tweet Brent Owens, President of the CFD companies, recently confirmed that from September 20th to 22nd, the CFD Companies, including cfd Investments, Inc. and Creative Financial Designs, Inc., will be hosting their annual Fall Financial Adviser Conference at Creative Financial Centre in Kokomo. Financial advisers, who are affiliated with the CFD companies, will be flying in from around the country to attend. The annual event has been bringing in big names in finance and marketing for many years, but this year is generating additional interest, and it's not just because of the high-profile speakers. CFD leadership has also extended an open invitation, space permitting, for financial advisers affiliated with other firms to register and attend the conference at no charge. Speakers for the conference include well-known marketing consultant and author of Creating Superfans, Brittany Hodak; professor, author and economist, Moshe Milevsky; and author and Fox News anchor, Pete Hegseth. In addition to the aforementioned speakers, the event will include multiple workshops on a variety of topics relevant to owners of financial advisory practices. Representatives from industry product vendors willalso be showcasing their offerings. Conference attendees are provided with catered meals and time to collaborate with other professionals, if so desired. "Our fall conference has always been a time of collaboration, encouragement and empowerment for the CFD family of advisers," said Owens. "We are incredibly blessed this year to have three different New York Times Bestselling authors as keynote speakers, in addition to workshops focused on industry innovation, best practices and next-gen marketing. Normally, conferences like this have thousands of attendees and lack the intimacy that fosters business growth. That is not the case with our conference, and to be able to share this experience with financial advisers from outside of the CFD companies makes it more meaningful, especially when economic uncertainty is on the minds of everyone's clients." Owens stated that the CFD companies can offer the financial adviser conference free of charge through the support of sponsors. Registration is filling up; financial advisers interested in attending the conference should avoid delay and register by visiting https://joincfd.com/2023-financial-adviser-conference/. Questions and requests to receive news about future industry events at Creative Financial Centre may be sent to [email protected]. About the CFD companies: The CFD family of companies, founded more than 40 years ago, is best known for their investment management firms, cfd Investments, Inc. and Creative Financial Designs, Inc., but also includes real estate and insurance organizations. Advisory Services are offered through Creative Financial Designs, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser, and Securities are offered through cfd Investments, Inc., a Registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA & SIPC, 2704 S. Goyer Rd., Kokomo, IN 46902. 765-453-9600. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821064527/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] GIGABYTE AORUS Invites Gamers to Experience Next-Gen PC Gaming Hardware at Gamescom 2023 Tweet TAIPEI, Aug. 21, 2023 /CNW/ -- GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, is excited to announce its gaming sub-brand AORUS' presence at Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany. Under the exciting theme of AORUSVERSE, AORUS is set to showcase its latest cutting-edge technology, including state-of-the-art motherboards, powerful gaming and creator laptops, PC systems, and stunning 4K gaming monitors. Attendees can expect an immersive journey into the vast gaming world of AORUSVERSE. As a true gaming heaven, the AORUS booth will be brimming with the latest gaming hardware for enthusiasts to explore. The centerpiece of the exhibit will be the highly-anticipated Z790 X series otherboards, with the enthusiast-grade Z790 MASTER X leading the way to power Intel's next-generation processor. Additionally, AORUS will proudly unveil the Red Dot Design Award 2023 award-winning M6 wireless gaming mouse, allowing attendees to get a hands-on experience with this exceptional peripheral. Attendees will also have the opportunity to test-drive the new-gen RTX 40 series laptops, offering unparalleled gaming performance on AORUS 17X/15X or a feast for the eyes with the AERO 16/14 OLED laptops featuring the most color-accurate 4K OLED displays. Moreover, gamers can immerse themselves in the 4K gaming realm with an impressive lineup of 4K gaming monitors of various sizes and features, catering to diverse needs. Another major event highlight will be the exhilarating game challenges AORUS presents. Attendees can participate in immersive gaming experiences, such as engaging in Forza with a triple 4K sim racing setup, powered by the mighty AORUS GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card and a trio of M32UC gaming monitors. Taking gaming experiences to the next level, AORUS is proud to partner with Capcom. Attendees will have the privilege of experiencing one of the most beloved fighting game titles, Street Fighter 6, running on powerful AORUS gaming PCs and laptops. Gamescom 2023 is set to kick off on August 23. Those unable to attend in person can still participate by joining a series of captivating online giveaways running throughout the event. Don't miss the chance to win exciting prizes. Stay updated on the show and thrilling campaigns by following us on GIGABYTE AORUS' social media: https://bit.ly/AORUS_Official_Instagram View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gigabyte-aorus-invites-gamers-to-experience-next-gen-pc-gaming-hardware-at-gamescom-2023-301903356.html SOURCE GIGABYTE [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] Code Ninjas Launches Groundbreaking Prodigy Program with Microsoft MakeCode Tweet Partnership Includes Chance for Students to Win Free Trip to Microsoft Headquarters on Sept. 29 HOUSTON, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Code Ninjas, the world leader in kids' coding education, is excited to announce the launch of the Prodigy Program, a pioneering enrichment education initiative and their first partner in the program, Microsoft MakeCode. As part of the launch of the new program, seven lucky Code Ninjas student will have the chance to embark on an all-expense-paid trip to Seattle, Washington, and enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the renowned Microsoft Headquarters (AKA Minecraft HQ!) on September 29th. The Prodigy Program is a first-of-its-kind in the field of enrichment education and provides a unique opportunity for the students at Code Ninjas, known as Ninjas, to delve behind the scenes of the world's leading technology and gaming companies. This program not only equips these Ninjas with robust coding skills but also offers an in-depth understanding of the real-world tech industry. As part of the launch, Code Ninjas will grant the lucky winners an extraordinary chance to explore Microsoft's Garage, a hub of innovation where tech professionals collaborate on cutting-edge projects, along with visiting Microsoft's Company Store and Visitor Center and enjoying lunch at the Commons. Ninjas will meet the Microsoft Minecraft team, engage n conversations with other tech professionals including the XBOX, Bing and AI teams. "Our partnership with Microsoft MakeCode underscores our commitment to providing our Ninjas with the best resources and experiences," said Navin Gurnaney, CEO of Code Ninjas. "We aim to inspire and prepare our Ninjas for the tech-driven world of tomorrow." As the inaugural partner, Microsoft MakeCode will expose Prodigy Program participants to an enriching curriculum covering various topics from game design to hardware programming. The curriculum ensures that the Ninjas are not only equipped with the technical skills needed to excel but also gain first-hand insight into the workings of a global tech giant. "Partnering with Code Ninjas on the Prodigy Program perfectly aligns with our mission to empower the next generation of technology creators and innovators," said Jaqueline Russell, Program Manager of Microsoft MakeCode. "We're eager to see what these young minds will create and contribute to the world of technology." Applications for the Prodigy Program are now open, and selections will be made by the individual Code Ninjas centers across the nation. All eligible winners must be full-time, active students of Code Ninjas by August 31, 2023. For more information and to apply, visit the Prodigy Program application page at https://forms.codeninjas.com/prodigy. At Code Ninjas kids learn how to code in a fun, safe, and social learning environment where gaming is celebrated, and STEM is cool. Code Ninjas offers kids the opportunity to dive into fun, challenging, and rewarding projects and activities that will engage them with knowledge and bring out skill sets they never knew they had. Everything about Code Ninjas is built around fun, which keeps kids coming back. The curriculum is self-paced, but not self-taught; kids get immediate help and encouragement from Code Senseis and fellow students as they advance from white to black belt, on the nine-belt program that makes up CREATE. Younger kids are able to take part in Code Ninjas JR, and all ages are able to take part in summer camps instilling the problem solving and critical thinking skills into our leaders of the future. About Code Ninjas Code Ninjas is the world's largest and fastest-growing kids' coding franchise with tens of thousands of students at nearly 400 locations in 3 countries. Its game-based curriculum fuels creativity, and critical thinking skills, and prepares children for success and fun in the tech-driven world. About Microsoft MakeCode Microsoft MakeCode brings computer science to life for all students with fun projects, immediate results, and both block and text editors for learners at different levels. Media Contact: Julianne Stevenson, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or (847) 945-1300 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/code-ninjas-launches-groundbreaking-prodigy-program-with-microsoft-makecode-301905690.html SOURCE Code Ninjas [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] Xinhua issues research reports in South Africa on Xi Jinping's economic thought, CPC's "Second Integration" theory JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New China Research (NCR), the think tank of China's Xinhua News Agency, released in Johannesburg of South Africa on Saturday the English and French versions of two research reports on Xi Jinping's economic thought and the Communist Party of China's (CPC) "Second Integration" theory. The two reports, which are entitled "Toward Modernity: The Value of Xi Jinping's Economic Thought" and "The 'Second Integration' that Transforms China -- Theoretical Innovatio and Practice in Building the Modern Civilization of the Chinese Nation," were released by the NCR at the 6th BRICS Media Forum, which began Saturday in Johannesburg. A seminar was also held to mark the release of the two research reports. Xi Jinping's economic thought and Xi's major statements on the "Second Integration" are important parts of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They encapsulate the thoughts resulting from the CPC's tireless exploration of humanity's socioeconomic development and modernization, and its promotion of the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency and executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum, said in his keynote speech that the two reports are Xinhua's innovative achievements in the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. SOURCE Xinhua News Agency [August 21, 2023] Empowering Agriculture and Youth: BigIron's Remarkable Benefit Auction Impact Tweet ST. EDWARD, Neb., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an era where corporate social responsibility holds increasing significance, BigIron, a distinguished online agricultural equipment auction company, stands as a shining example of how businesses can exert a positive influence on their communities. As part of its annual company sales conference, BigIron organizes a charity auction that not only fosters team unity but also directs substantial funds towards advancing local youth through agricultural organizations. This year's benefit auction showcased BigIron's steadfast commitment to community and the future of agriculture. Auctioning for a Cause: Redefining Giving Traditionally, the proceeds from the charity auction were donated to a local chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA) in Nebraska. However, this year, BigIron adopted a fresh approach. Each of the company's eight regional equipment sales teams, accompanied by the dedicated livestock sales team, undertook the task of sourcing items from their local areas to contribute to the auction. The outcome was an impressive collection of items that not only represented their teams but also highlighted the cultural diversity and agricultural richness of their respective regions. With the involvement of the auction committee and conference sponsors, the auction's diversity was further enriched. Every team, individual, and entity went the extra mile to ensure that the auction items genuinely captured the essence of their regions and industries. Raising the Stakes: Impressive Fundraising and Distribution The collective efforts of BigIron's teams and collaborators yielded extraordinary results. The final tally revealed that the benefit auction had raised an astounding sum of over twenty-five thousand dollars. This accomplishment transcends mere financial statistics; it symbolizes the dedication and unity of the extended BigIron family. The raised funds were distributed strtegically. Each sales team received a share of the proceeds generated through their contributed items, in addition to a portion of the proceeds from committee and sponsor-sourced items. This unique distribution model ensures that each team's efforts are acknowledged, and their impact resonates through diverse agricultural youth programs. Cultivating Futures: A Journey Across Regions A closer examination of the way these funds are catalyzing change across different regions reveals the following: Central Plains: The North Dakota FFA Association benefits from the Central Plains team's contribution, supporting state officers' travel and enhancing agricultural leadership. The North Dakota FFA Association benefits from the Central Plains team's contribution, supporting state officers' travel and enhancing agricultural leadership. Livestock Team: In Kansas , the Livestock team's contribution bolsters livestock-related Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs, enriching students' practical knowledge. In , the Livestock team's contribution bolsters livestock-related Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs, enriching students' practical knowledge. Midwest: The Midwest team empowers the Chillicothe, MO FFA chapter through support for Livestock Judging Camps and the D.C Leadership conference, fostering essential leadership skills. The Midwest team empowers the FFA chapter through support for Livestock Judging Camps and the D.C Leadership conference, fostering essential leadership skills. North Central Teams: Minnesota's FFA Association benefits from the North Central #1 team's contribution, aiding new chapter start-up fees. The North Central #2 team supports Wisconsin's State Officer expenses, expanding FFA's reach. FFA Association benefits from the North Central #1 team's contribution, aiding new chapter start-up fees. The North Central #2 team supports State Officer expenses, expanding FFA's reach. Northeast: BigIron's Northeast Regional team extends support to both Virginia and West Virginia FFA Associations, amplifying FFA's impact in these states. BigIron's Northeast Regional team extends support to both and West Virginia FFA Associations, amplifying FFA's impact in these states. Northwest: In Montana , the Northwest team contributes to the Montana 4-H Foundation, nurturing enduring skills that empower youth in alignment with FFA and 4-H values. In , the Northwest team contributes to the 4-H Foundation, nurturing enduring skills that empower youth in alignment with FFA and 4-H values. South Central: The South Central team partners with New Waverly FFA in Texas , enabling excellence in agricultural mechanics and welding, essential skills in the industry. The South Central team partners with New Waverly FFA in , enabling excellence in agricultural mechanics and welding, essential skills in the industry. Southwest Teams: The Southwest #1 and #2 teams fortify FFA chapters in Colorado by providing resources for officer training, travel, and necessary equipment like welders. The Southwest #1 and #2 teams fortify FFA chapters in by providing resources for officer training, travel, and necessary equipment like welders. Southeast: In Georgia , the Southeast team's donation paves the way for Berrien High School FFA members, funding their participation in the National FFA Convention and offering scholarships for their future pursuits. A Legacy of Impact BigIron's dedication to community and the future of agriculture radiates through its benefit auction initiative. By channeling funds into programs that empower agricultural youth, the company nurtures a legacy of growth, innovation, and advancement. The collaborative efforts of teams, partners, and sponsors reflect the spirit of unity and empowerment, demonstrating that collective action for a common cause can generate positive change that extends far beyond the auction floor. "Inspiring our teams to unite for a purpose beyond business is the heart of BigIron's values. Witnessing the impact of this year's benefit auction on local youth and communities reinforces our belief in the power of collective action. The legacy we're building is not just about equipment; it's about cultivating a brighter future for agriculture and our society as a whole," stated Mark Stock, BigIron Co-Founder For those interested in buying or selling farm equipment, construction equipment, transportation equipment, industrial machinery, real estate, livestock, or collector cars, visit BigIron today and register to bid. About BigIron: BigIron is the leading online auction platform connecting buyers and sellers across the United States, specializing in agricultural, construction, industrial and transportation equipment; real estate; livestock; and collector cars. With an unwavering commitment to transparency, trust, and exceptional service, BigIron provides customers nationwide with a seamless and efficient auction experience. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/empowering-agriculture-and-youth-bigirons-remarkable-benefit-auction-impact-301905749.html SOURCE BigIron [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 21, 2023] HiddenLayer Wins 2023 SC Award for Most Promising Early-Stage Start Up Tweet AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HiddenLayer, a Gartner recognized AI Application Security company, announced today that they have won a 2023 SC Award in the Excellence Award category for Most Promising Early-Stage Start Up. The announcement was made Monday, August 21, 2023 as part of SC Media's 2023 SC Awards coverage. The SC Awards program is cybersecurity's most prestigious and competitive program, recognizing the solutions, organizations, and people driving innovation and success in information security. "This recognition serves to validate our team's dedication and hard work in providing a tangible solution to the challenge of securing AI. We are so honored to be recognized by SC Media not only in this way, but also for acknowledging the risk that companies are facing when it comes to AI and the need for an innovative solution." -Chris Sestito, Co-Founder & CEO Winners are featured on SC Media's website today, with a week of editorial coverage that celebrates the innovative technologies and solutions that support the ongoing efforts of the cybersecurity community. "This year's SC Award winners reflected our industry in flux," said Tom Spring, SC Media's editorial director at CyberRisk Alliance. "Winners demonstrated uncanny market agility and brought innovative solutions to help their customers stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated adversaries and emerging threats." View HiddenLayer coverage and the full list of winners here . Now in its 26th year, the 2023 SC Awards are highly coveted and draw a continued record of entries each year. This year, SC Media evolved its recognition program with the introduction of new award categories and several modified categories to the competition. The expanded Excellence Awards included 15 categories and opened participation to cybersecurity startups, investors, and financial partners. Hundreds of entries for the Excellence Awards were judged by a world-class panel of independent industry leaders, from sectors including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, consulting, and education. "The innovative strategies and technologies demonstrated by all our SC Award participants truly encapsulated the remarkable innovation within the cybersecurity industry this year," Spring said. SC Media's coverage includes profiles of each winner across all categories, as well as a series of Winner's Circle video roundtables: candid on-camera conversations between the SC Media editorial team and SC Award recipients. Some of the topics to be discussed are a hype-free talk about artificial intelligence as an offensive and defensive tool, new cloud threats and trends and evolving approaches to better identity management. Content will also include deep-dive feature articles highlighting the accomplishments of this year's winning people, companies and solutions. About CyberRisk Alliance CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) is a business intelligence company serving the high growth, rapidly evolving cybersecurity community with a diversified portfolio of services that inform, educate, build community, and inspire an efficient marketplace. Our trusted information leverages a unique network of journalists, analysts and influencers, policymakers, and practitioners. CRA's brands include SC Media, Security Weekly, ChannelE2E, MSSP Alert, InfoSec World, Identiverse, Cybersecurity Collaboration Forum, its research unit CRA Business Intelligence, the peer-to-peer CISO membership network, Cybersecurity Collaborative, the Official Cyber Security Summit, TECHEXPO Top Secret, and now LaunchTech Communications. Click here to learn more . About HiddenLayer HiddenLayer, a Gartner-recognized AI Application Security company, helps enterprises safeguard the machine learning models behind their most important products with a comprehensive security platform. Only HiddenLayer offers turnkey AI/ML security that does not add unnecessary complexity to models and does not require access to raw data and algorithms. Founded in March of 2022 by experienced security and ML professionals, HiddenLayer is based in Austin, Texas, and is backed by cybersecurity investment specialist firm Ten Eleven Ventures. For additional information, including product and the latest research reports, visit www.hiddenlayer.com . Media Contact: Kristen Tarlecki [email protected] 972-824-1531 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hiddenlayer-wins-2023-sc-award-for-most-promising-early-stage-start-up-301905700.html SOURCE HiddenLayer [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Greece could make a historic contribution to the security of Europe if it helped protect the Black Sea area with air defense systems, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Athens on Monday following talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. "We are doing everything to restore security on the Black Sea coast. Ukraine has created an alternative grain corridor. It can work, but in order for its work to be stable, we need to strengthen the air shield, and this is crucial for the Black Sea region, in particular the city of Odesa," the president said. "This could be a historic contribution from Greece if you help us protect the Black Sea area with air defense systems," he said. According to the president, "it is essential that Greek companies are ready to take part in the transportation of Ukrainian grain. We are extremely looking forward to it." He also noted the importance of Greece joining the G7 Declaration on Security for Ukraine. "We will continue this work at the bilateral level," Zelenskyy said. [August 21, 2023] CAES Awarded $200M Contract for SPY-6 Radar Assemblies, Continues Partnership with Raytheon Tweet CAES, a leading provider of mission-critical advanced RF technology, has won a $200 million follow-on, full-rate hardware production and sustainment award from Raytheon, an RTX business. Under the contract, CAES will provide fully tested radar module assemblies for the U.S. Navy's AN/SPY-6 family of radars. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821296214/en/ CAES facilities are capable of manufacturing complex microwave and millimeter wave solutions for electronic warfare, radar and other mission critical needs. (Photo: Business Wire CAES has been a multi-year partner with Raytheon on the SPY-6 program, and has already begun delivering hardware. This follow-on, multi-year award demonstrates the continued, strong partnership between CAES and Raytheon, and our demonstrated capacity to provide the SPY-6 radar with reliable components and meet the U.S. Navy fleet's needs for many years to come. "SPY-6 is one of the most advanced naval radars in production, and CAES is proud to contribute to the performance and reliability of this system," said Mike Kahn, CAES President & CEO. "We look forward to our continued work with Raytheon to provide our military with this critical capability." SPY-6 is the U.S. Navy family of radars that performs air and missile defense on six classes of ships. SPY-6 can defend against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hostile aircraft and surface ships simultaneously and offers several advantages over legacy radars, such as greater detection range, increased sensitivity and more accurate discrimination. Partnering with customers, CAES facilities are capable of manufacturing complex microwave and millimeter wave solutions for electronic warfare, radar and other mission critical needs. Learn more about CAES' advanced capabilities here. About CAES CAES is a pioneer of advanced electronics for the most challenging defense and aerospace trusted systems. As a leading provider of advanced RF technology to the United States aerospace and defense industry, CAES delivers high-reliability RF and digital solutions that enable our customers to ensure a safer, more secure planet. On land, at sea and in the air, CAES' extensive experience in the RF market and enhanced manufacturing capabilities are at the forefront of mission-critical military and aerospace innovation. www.caes.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821296214/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BEIJING, August 21 (TMTPost) - Ask someone to recall 2023 many years later, and most people would say: the weather was bad. In Beijing, the continuous high temperature of 40 degrees Celsius at the end of June confused some old Beijingers. Is this still the city I grew up in? The recent continuous heavy rain in the city also reminded many of the big rain on July 21 many years ago. High temperature and heavy rain can be summarized by a term: extreme weather. Extreme weather not only affects the daily life of ordinary people, but also impacts the business operations of enterprises. Generally speaking, high temperatures are a double-edged sword for business activities. Common sense tells us that high temperatures will lead to hot sales of items ranging from air conditioners to sunscreen clothing and even ice cream. At the Intime Department Store in Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone, sales of some brand sunscreen clothing have increased by about 60% compared to last year, and the first batch of products from many brands has been sold out. Due to the unbearable heat, many people, especially the elderly, come to department stores to escape the summer heat, resulting in an unexpected increase in foot traffic for department stores. Due to the weather conditions, many people delay their dinner time, leading to a bustling night market. A famous beer index in the U.S. proves a strong correlation between temperature and beer sales, said Feng Xue, the CEO of commercial meteorological service company Huafeng-AccuWeather (Beijing) Co., Ltd. However, from a long-term and overall economic perspective, economic and business activities should pay more attention to averting risks associated with extreme weather. In a recent survey where multiple companies were asked about their coping approaches to extreme weather, most companies stated that they did not have any specific approaches or have never paid attention to such issues. However, the recent flooding of a book warehouse in Zhuozhou, Hebei province, should prompt people to reevaluate this issue. Extreme Weather: Most People Are Unprepared Li, a delivery man for Ele.me, the online food delivery and local life service platform of e-commerce gaint Alibaba Group, delivers food in the Huixin West Street area, which is home to more than 100 of their partner merchants. One day in early July, Li learned during a meeting at the station that a delivery man at their station had completed over 100 orders the day before, which surprised him. Normally, receiving 60-70 orders in a day is considered normal. At that time, Beijing was experiencing a heatwave. Food delivery men typically work for at least 8 hours a day, but they can be flexible with their schedules. Many choose to sleep in the afternoon and come out to deliver orders during the peak hours in the morning and evening to avoid the heat. Due to the high temperatures, there was a remarkable rise in orders for cold drinks and ice cream. According to data from Ele.me, in the week leading up to the Dragon Boat Festival that fell June 22 this year, orders for alcohol and groceries on their platform had a significant month-on-month increase. Particularly in provinces such as Ningxia, Guizhou, Gansu, Henan, and Anhui, orders for drinks and ice cream from supermarkets grew by more than 40% compared to the previous month. In cities like Yinchuan and Zunyi, orders for drinks jumped by around 2 times month on month. Li did not completely avoid working during peak hours. In order to minimize the impact of the high temperatures, he wore the sun protection clothing and cooling arm sleeves provided by Ele.me. He also brought with himself heatstroke prevention medicines. He prepared two different-sized food delivery boxes, placing the frozen food in the one in front of the scooter and the regular food in the larger one at the back. He was stunned that someone in the same city and under the same weather conditions could deliver over 100 orders in a day. Can the body handle it? According to his manager, the only secret of the man was that he drank 7 bottles of water a day. Li is from Henan province. As an ordinary worker, he cannot understand why the weather is abnormal. He only heard from people in his hometown that many cities in Henan also experienced high temperatures during the same period. Whats unusual about this heatwave is that Chinas northern area seems to be hotter than the southern area. For example, people in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, a city famous for its heat in the summer, jokingly suggested people from Beijing to come to their city to escape the heat. High temperatures always bring joy to some and sorrow to others. The owner of a well-known convenience store brand in the central region has observed a phenomenon: for every increase of 1 degree Celsius in temperature, the average daily sales of their stores can increase by 80-100 yuan. However, the CEO of a food company is worried. In the past, the main way to transport food in summer was by train, because of the large volume and relatively reasonable cost of railway transportation. However, they need to find more refrigerated trucks this year. The CEO also said that they have not considered adjusting the structure of the entire logistics because they dont know if this high temperature weather will become a norm. For large enterprises, the cold chain is a very important link. JD.com stated that ice product sales have increased by about four times since the beginning of this summer. Based on years of experience in major promotions and peak sales periods, the companys cold chain made sufficient preparations for ice products in advance this year. Packaging schemes with different timeliness are provided based on the size of the gift box and the temperature of the shipping location. With the help of intelligent algorithms, the warehouse is prompted to perform ice packing operations in a timely manner to ensure temperature control. However, this does not mean that China's cold chain logistics industry will benefit. In fact, China's cold chain logistics is still in a situation where "everyone knows it is important, but no one in the industry has achieved profitability." At a logistics entrepreneur summit recently, a cold chain company owner self-deprecatingly said that his competitor is not another cold chain company, but traditional cooling measures. When it comes to abnormal climate, people are often resigned. Defaulting on contracts and even suffering business losses caused by climate change can be considered force majeure under the law. In fact, from international experience, using meteorology to assist in business decision-making is an important capability for many multinational companies. For them, meteorological information is one of the important business intelligence contents. In the retail industry, the site selection and operational decisions of giants like 7-Eleven all reference local meteorological information. In the logistics industry, many international logistics giants are long-term purchasers of commercial meteorological services. According to rough statistics, there are hundreds of companies that can provide commercial meteorological services in China. However, most companies keep a low profile and are not known to the outside world. The Neglected Commercial Meteorology Industry "A few years ago, we wanted to draw attention to our industry, but later we found it impossible, and we might as well focus on our own affairs," Feng said. When I was sitting in the office of Huafeng-AccuWeather in Beijing, the city had just experienced a thunderstorm during a break from the heatwave. At that time, there was still half a month before the devastating flood reached Zhuozhou, Hebei province. Feng pointed outside the window and told me that their technology could accurately indicate the water volume of this rain every minute, but no one would need it. For ordinary people, it has become a habit to check the weather forecast. There may be some regional differences in demand for the forecast. For example, weather forecasts for southern cities in China also include predictions of changes in air pressure, while northern cities in the country have almost no such demand. According to official introduction, Huafeng-AccuWeather was jointly established by Huafeng Media Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the China Meteorological Administration, and AccuWeather, a leading global weather and digital media company. The joint venture, founded in Beijing in 2015, provides professional and accurate meteorological services for TMT, IoT, AI and other industries. Huafeng-AccuWeather stated that they provide weather information for "over 90% of Android phone users." Nevertheless, based on international experience, it is often large companies that truly need in-depth commercial meteorological services. In the consumer sector, the retail chain industry and logistics industry are among the major receivers of commercial meteorological services. For example, in the U.S., where tornadoes occur frequently, commercial meteorological services often help with the countrys railway transportation. Based on the forecasts from meteorological departments, when a tornado occurs in an area, it is best to suspend all ground activities for two hours. However, accurate meteorological services can inform railway companies that a certain line only needs to be suspended for 40 minutes, without the need for a two-hour halt. In the case of U.S. retail giant Walmart, commercial meteorological intelligence is also given unprecedented attention. According to Feng, in the decision-making process of Walmarts commercial site selection, commercial meteorological service companies can provide decision-making advice based on weather information. In other words, Walmart allows commercial meteorological companies to participate in their site selection decisions. But why hasn't commercial meteorological intelligence received much attention in China? Feng believes that the primary reason is that various business competition levels resulted in different standards of commercial efficiency in different countries. For example, why does 7-Eleven value commercial meteorological services? First, convenience stores have a high enough density in the Japanese market and are considered as commercial infrastructure. Moreover, the convenience store market in Japan is highly concentrated among a few major players who divide the market. The fierce competition forces these giants to enhance their competitive edges. Therefore, commercial meteorological intelligence becomes a way to boost their competitive strength. Feng divides the degree of customer demand into strong demand and weak demand. As for the logistics industry, it should belong to the strong demand industry. However, if we bring the example of the tornado mentioned earlier to China, some customers may say, Its okay, we don't need to rush. We can suspend operations for three hours, and safety comes first, said Feng. Therefore, in the Chinese market, the demands of customers need to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. In fact, many internet platforms and logistics express companies are also users of Huafeng-AccuWeather services. However, they have different reasons for using the services. If a company has a relatively large fleet of air cargo aircraft or a large-scale unmanned aerial vehicle project, their demand for commercial meteorological services will be more urgent. Relatively speaking, companies that provide air transportation are more interested in commercial meteorological services than those that provide land transportation. In the retail industry, many large companies use commercial meteorological information to assist in their business decision-making. However, many companies only purchase data and do not ask commercial meteorological companies for advice. They believe that their site selection model is the company's core trade secret," said Feng. Thus, many commercial meteorological companies need to choose between two paths in terms of their positioning: whether to sell data or to sell services. Feng, who has been in the industry for many years, insists that commercial meteorological service companies should "sell services," as simply selling data will only lead to unhealthy competition in the industry. However, providing services and having customers accept them requires society to truly recognize the value of commercial meteorological services. Feng admits that this requires quite a long process of market education. Nowadays, the value of commercial meteorological services is self-evident. For example, a well-known down jacket giant in China is a customer of Huafeng-AccuWeather. They need the commercial meteorological service company to provide reference opinions to determine whether the winter will be warm, so they can stock up accordingly. For commodities with long supply chain cycles like down jackets, meteorological information is an important decision-making basis. With an increasing number of extreme weather events this year, the company has received more inquiries and service intentions. However, Feng specifically requested that his employees should not "show off" in their social media platforms. There are two considerations for this. The first reason is to avoid misunderstandings; secondly, he knows that meteorological services are like "walking on thin ice," as human technology continues to be eclipsed by nature. For example, this year started with high temperatures, followed by heavy rainfall. These seemingly isolated weather phenomena have finally reached a consensus in the academic community in the second quarter of this year: El Nino will occur this year. El Nino, according to the usual explanation, can be divided into the El Nino phenomenon and the El Nino event. El Nino phenomenon is a climate phenomenon that occurs when tropical Pacific sea temperatures abnormally warm, causing global climate changes. However, this state must last for more than three months to be recognized as a true El Nino event." Feng frankly admits that even today, human understanding of El Nino is still very limited, which is the limitation of natural science. This brings up a question. How accurate can the forecasts be? In fact, according to the overall prediction level, the most accurate weather forecasts in China are still provided by the National Meteorological Administration, but it is still impossible to be 100% accurate. The services provided by commercial meteorological companies can offer services that are more granular, but it is also not possible to be 100% accurate. Another question is, what measures should a company take when a commercial meteorological service company makes weather forecasts that are unfavorable to its business activities? If a decision is made erroneously, who should bear the responsibility? In terms of functionality, commercial meteorological services are similar to many commercial consultations, but the difference is that the information or advice provided by commercial meteorological service companies often requires the recipient to make decisions and provide feedback quickly. And the benefits or losses brought by these decisions are immediate. Therefore, Feng pointed out that it generally requires a relatively long cooperation period for companies accepting or procuring commercial meteorological information services to realize the value of them. In addition, cooperation from employees at all levels at the companies receiving the services is also vitally important. As a veteran in the meteorological services industry, Feng has always believed in its value. With the development of business, the increasingly fierce market competition, and the progress of science and technology, more Chinese enterprises will eventually become frequent customers in the industry, just like Walmart and 7-Eleven. Recently, a tax fighter and data expert has exposed glaring flaws with the Jackson County Property Tax Assessment increases. Now, he proposes a solution that's not only in line with Missouri law but also much more equitable than the busted process now in play. In the public interest, we share this extensive note that has been sent this morning to members of the Legislature and County Administrators . . . Check-it . . . Preston Smith: Time for a Flat 14.9% Percentage Assessment Increase Countywide All: The number of egregious errors in the Jackson County assessment has passed a tipping point. New evidence shows that the County Assessor has valued 80-year-old, 600-square-foot homes at more than $350,000. This is not an isolated problem. Thousands of home values are wrongand wrong badly. Other new evidence now shows that there may be more than 50,000 taxpayers who did not receive notice of their new assessment. Either that, or the county data is wrong again. The 2019 assessment was flawed. This assessment is far worse. Here are the new, stunning details of an assessment gone horribly wrong: There is one market value placed on more than 500 parcels in the County--$356,270that is wrong nearly every time. Since the Assessor has decided to make the data quality control in the assessment rest fully on the taxpayer, by telling them the burden to prove the value is on them when they have to provide appraisals, sales comps and other documentation in order to keep the value of their property within a reasonable market value. However, this system collapses when taxpayers do not appeal, and errors in the system are not fixed. There is little in this attached spreadsheet that makes sense. You have a new 4 bed, 4 bath 3,214 sq ft house in Greenwood (that sold in December 2022 for $786,732) valued by the County the same $356,270 value as a 1 bed 1 bath 672 sq ft house in Kansas City (that sold for $29,500 in 2014). The same value is on the tax rolls for a 8 bedroom, 4 bath fourplex built in 1974 with 3,808 sq ft in Raytown (that sold in September 2020 for $325,000) and a 0.89-acre lot in Independence that sold in 2017 for $4,500. The inequity of this entire assessment is clear in this one spreadsheet. I got the sales values from the County Certificate of Value lookup tool, and with the help of a realtor for the first 75 rows on this spreadsheet, then I looked up every third parcel until going through all 507. On the spreadsheet, you will see 63 parcels were modified from the $356,270 original value that the County used when the notices were mailed in June, all of those coming from taxpayer appeals. Even though the values in many of these are obviously flawed, there does not seem to be a process of correcting these errors outside of the appeal process. The question is: Why would someone not appeal if they saw a house that they bought in March 2021 for $11,775, then receiving a tax notice saying the 2 bed, 1 bath 960 sq ft house built in 1940 was now worth $356,270? Of this list of 507 parcels, the owners of 260 did not appeal, even though the average increase for the group was 168 percent from the previous assessment. In short, more than half did not appeal. Perhaps they didn't get a notice. Although there were more than 54,000 appeals filed by taxpayers, this spreadsheet is an indication that the number of persons who might have wanted to appeal but couldn't, or didn't because they didn't receive a notice, could be another 50,000. Again, the County's data quality control doesn't work if everybody doesn't appeal. The County Assessment Dept provided me a list that had 267,033 parcels listed that supposedly was used to make the mailing of the notices, but when the duplicates were taken out, there were 252,870. If there are 309,000 parcels in the County, that would mean more than 56,000 taxpayers likely did not receive any notice at all. I have attached two PDFs that show clearly how some parcels show a wide range of market values, as well as percentage increases. One shows the houses and values of only one street in Independence. The other shows a neighborhood in Lee's Summit. But maps similar to these could be built from any street in the County. There is no consistency at all. I see where the BOE is offering "late appeals" until Sept. 7, for people who missed the July 31 deadline. The truth is, if we had a difficult time reach people who probably should have appealed through the media during the last two months, it is unlikely we will reach them again during the next few weeks. But why should the responsibility rest entirely with the taxpayers to correct the County's errors? When the number assigned to the property value is so blatantly wrong, why should it be necessary to the taxpayer to appeal in order to get it changed? The burden of proof to justify the values, according to the state law RSMo 137.115, should rest entirely with the Assessor, supported by clear, convincing and cogent evidence to sustain such valuation. RsMO 138.090 says "There shall be no presumption that the assessor's valuation is correct." It is very clear there is no quality control over the data, other than requiring taxpayers to refute the value assigned to their property. This spreadsheet is proof that no matter how ridiculous the $356,270 value is on the parcels, it is set in stone until someone appeals to get it lowered. This assessment is flawed from top to bottom, and this spreadsheet shows it. Thousands of Jackson County taxpayers were not given notice of this assessment and unless something dramatic is done, they are going to be hit with catastrophic tax bills. Here is a TV report that describes the $356,270 valuation and why it is in error. KCTV5: $356,270 is Jackson Countys favorite assessment number. Why that might be wrong. There have been too many mistakes in this assessment. The only fair and equitable way is to freeze residential values at 2021 levels and start over with a 14.9 percent flat increase across the county. (There has already been a flat-rate 25 percent increase applied to commercial parcels in the 2023 assessment.) The people of Jackson County should not pay higher taxes they do not deserve because of an incompetent, mistake-riddled assessment. The reason for the 14.9 percent increase cap is because I believe there is little to no evidence that the County actually met the state law on informing taxpayers of physical inspections and conducting them properly, and without that proof, it is illegal to increase assessments more than 15 percent. (If physical inspections had occurred on the 500 parcels on the attached spreadsheet, it is unlikely there would have been the wild values put on the assessments.) I am asking that the County Executive, the Board of Equalization or State Tax Commission intervene to realign the assessments of the taxpayers of Jackson County in order to avoid thousands losing their homes this winter. There are currently three paths to approve this 14.9 percent cap on assessments: The County Executive has the power, under the County Charter Article III, Section 6, Item 9, to "correct errors in assessment and tax records." With one stroke of the pen, a flat-rate could be set by the County Executive. The Board of Equalization has the power to enact a countywide "equalization order," which is a legal tool used when there can no longer be fair and equitable assessments based on the current process. That is exactly what we have now: a process for equity that is broken. (See attachment) Finally, the State Tax Commission has the authority to call upon the Attorney General or prosecuting attorneys in the state to assist in enforcing the property tax laws in the courts. Numerous state laws have been violated in this assessment, ranging from the late notice or lack received by taxpayers, lack of physical inspections and unequal access to appeals. The Commission also has the authority to convene a hearing concerning the assessment of any parcel in the state to ensure that all assessments have been made in compliance with law. Finally, the State Tax Commission has the responsibility to resolve assessment inequities in any county. (See attachment) Regardless of which body takes action, the taxpayers of Jackson County need relief now. Either the County Executive, Board of Equalization or State Tax Commision should take immediate action and then convene a task force to make sure the next assessment is done right. I call upon the County Legislature to approve today the resolution to allow the State Auditor to come into Jackson County to shed light on these many issues with this assessment. Preston Smith ############################# Developing . . . Our right-wing pals seem to want a bit of balance amid summer climate change hysteria. Naturally, we attempt to oblige in our own, stupid way . . . As our blog community continues to unpack "the science" of the climate crisis we can only offer this assurance . . . WINTER WILL BE COLD IN KANSAS CITY!!! On this hot-ass muggy cowtown day where a breeze of air that smells like sewage feels like a blessing from above . . . Here's a peek at the science . . . This comprehensive assessment concludes that the global average temperature about 6,500 years ago was likely warmer and was followed by a multi-millennial cooling trend that ended in the 1800s. But, they cautioned, uncertainty still exists despite recent studies that claimed to have resolved the conundrum. Quantifying the average temperature of the earth during the past, when some places were warming while others were cooling, is challenging, and more research is needed to firmly resolve the conundrum . . . But tracing changes in global average temperature is important because its the same metric used to gauge the march of human-caused warming and to identify internationally negotiated targets to limit it. In particular, our review revealed how surprisingly little we know about slow-moving climate variability, including forces now set into motion by humans that will play out as sea level rises and permafrost thaws over coming millennia. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Kansas City winter could be 'making a comeback,' almanac says The Farmer's Almanac is predicting winter weather making a comeback in Kansas and Missouri after a warm anomaly last year. 'The brr is back!': Farmers' Almanac publishes 2023-2024 winter outlook Residents across New England are still enjoying the warmth of summer, but the Farmers' Almanac is already looking ahead to the winter months. NOAA releases fall weather predictions for Missouri, Kansas For many parts of the country, it's looking like a hot summer will transition into a warm fall. Extreme cold snaps: Why temperatures still plummet to dangerous levels even as the planet warms | CNN How does climate change factor in to record-breaking cold temperatures? It's all connected. Was Earth heating up or cooling down before global warming? We cannot know exactly how Earth's climate was in the past, nor how it will be in the future Developing . . . Right now we take a quick glimpse at recent crime reporting, longstanding trends AND important followup . . . Check TKC news gathering . . . Man dies from injuries sustained in overnight shooting along Farrow Ave. in KCK Police were dispatched to the 3700 block of Farrow Ave. just after 3:30 a.m. Sunday Independence police seek help identifying suspect, vehicle tied to Saturday shooting The Independence Police Department is seeking the public's help to identify a person of interest in a shooting Saturday. Higher crime rates not deterring first-time home buyers SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A heat map from the Springfield Police Department shows there is a higher rate of crimes against persons on the northwest side of the city. OzarksFirst looked into whether these increased chances of being a victim of a crime are slowing down the pace of the housing market in the area. Annual report shows drop in Kansas violent crimes TOPEKA - Reports of burglary, murder and rape declined statewide in 2022, according to an annual report, though numbers have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Suspect in KCK shooting taken into custody in San Antonio A suspect apprehended in San Antonio awaits extradition to Wyandotte County after being charged in a fatal shooting in Kansas City, Kansas. We're #6 . . . The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In The US Were Ranked & The Midwest Is Not Looking Good Whenever we're planning a trip to another country, we tend to look for any type of information and tips we can use to keep us safe and avoid dangerous or unwanted situations. But this should also be implemented when traveling domestically. Kansas City Chiefs superfan 'ChiefsAholic' robbed banks, used proceeds to bet on team: Feds Federal prosecutors allege a Kansas City Chiefs superfan known on social media as ChiefsAholic robbed banks throughout the Midwest and used some of the cash to bet his team would win Super Bowl LVII. Developing . . . Over the weekend, the extreme weather actually curbed local homicides. Still . . . As we start the work week our homicide count remains more than 20% higher than last year AND still on pace to surpass 2020 numbers . . . The deadliest year in local history. Here is the first report . . . 7000 Eastwood Trafficway On 8/21/2023 just before 1:30 am, officers were dispatched to 7000 Eastwood Trafficway on a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male lying in the parking lot of the laundry mat suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers administered life saving measures until EMS arrived on scene. EMS declared the victim deceased on scene. The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown. No one is in custody at this time. We have no reason to believe there is an immediate risk to the public. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel have responded to the scene. They will be processing the scene to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043. Or if you wish to remain anonymous you can do so by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case. We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. ################# Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Man shot dead in laundromat parking lot Just before 1:30 a.m. Monday, Kansas City Police were called to 7000 Eastwood Trafficway on a reported shooting. Kansas City police investigating homicide near I-435, Eastwood Trafficway Kansas City police say the victim was found in the parking lot of a laundromat with gunshot wounds. No suspect has been identified. Developing . . . Right now the legacy and global dominance of angel Karlie standing tall inspires another peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Sweating Week Ahead Kansas City again dealing with multiple days of extreme temperatures Excessive heat warnings have been issued, with the region is in the midst of a late summer heat wave Tragedy On JoCo Streets Olathe police investigating deadly pedestrian crash The Olathe Police Department is investigating a deadly crash that happened near east Kansas City Road and north Central Street Wildcat Heat Sets Record Manhattan, Kansas, clocks in highest temperature in U.S. Saturday at 115 degrees The Manhattan heat spiked to 115 degrees Saturday, the highest recorded temperature in the contiguous Unites States that day, per the National Weather Service. Show-Me Grid Concerns Power outage in Ballwin during the heatwave Approximately 2,500 people are affected by the power outage that began at 2 p.m. today, according to Ameren. Golden Ghetto In Pickle Overland Park gears up for Vulcan Kansas City Open Get ready Kansas City, the top pickleball athletes are coming to Overland Park for the very first Vulcan Kansas City open this week. Angel Alliance Emerges Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss Are 'Like Sisters' After Drama Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss are 'like sisters' after their past drama 'and are closer than ever now,' a source exclusively tells Life & Style. White House Fences MAGA Legacy Biden quietly sells off border wall parts to thwart GOP push to use them President Biden is quietly selling off millions of dollars' worth of unused parts from former President Trump's border wall for peanuts - apparently to stymie pending legislation in Congress... Former Prez Skips Competition Sorry, Fox News. Trump says he's not going to the debate. "I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Mainstream Republican Lament GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy says Trump should drop out of the 2024 presidential race The Louisiana Republican said he thinks the charges related to the former president's mishandling of classified documents after he left office is "almost a slam dunk." Murder Is Always Hate Crime California shop owner shot dead over LGBTQ+ Pride flag displayed at store An man made comments about flag at Laura Ann Carlton's store in Cedar Glen and killed her before being shot and killed by police Debating Mob Charges MTG Baselessly Claims Georgia Prosecutor Is 'Guilty of' RICO Crimes, Not Trump Marjorie Taylor Greene alleged on Fox News that Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis is guilty of RICO crimes, but Donald Trump is innocent. Ben Debates Much Better . . . Trump Doesn't Deserve A RICO Case Unless Biden, Obama, And Hillary Do Two things can be true at once: Donald Trump pretty obviously violated classified document statutes. Should he be prosecuted or not? In any normal circumstance, the answer would be, sure - why not? If you commit a crime, you should be prosecuted for the crime. 2nd Place & Fading Fast 'Sinking': Ron DeSantis is in the 'most jeopardy' ahead of GOP debate, former Obama adviser Axelrod says David Axelrod, who served as senior advisor to Barack Obama, said DeSantis will be "in most jeopardy" on the Republican debate stage. Americans Remain Missing After Inferno Hawaii governor says more than 1,000 people still unaccounted for after devastating wildfires Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said on Sunday more than 1,000 people were still unaccounted for, as search and rescue operations continue to scour the devastation left behind by the wildfires in Maui County. "More than 1,000 are unaccounted for, about 1,050. It will take several weeks still. European War Escalation Reaches New Heights Netherlands and Denmark to provide F-16 aircrafts to Ukraine | CNN The Netherlands and Denmark will provide Ukraine with much sought-after F-16 aircraft, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Danish foreign ministry said on Sunday. Brit Killer Awaits Consequences Nurse Lucy Letby to be sentenced for murdering seven babies The conviction on Friday made Lucy Letby the UK's most prolific child serial killer in modern times. NextGen Hates History Logan Paul Says He Walked Out of 'Oppenheimer,' Reminding Us That Audiences Are Getting Dumber Internet guy Logan Paul is in the business of hot takes. No reason; just blurting out whatever gets social media to freak out and talk about him. Paul is Miracle In Maui Catholic church miraculously standing after fires reduce Lahaina to ashes: 'God doesn't abandon his people' Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in Lahaina, Maui, which means "Our Lady of Victory," remains miraculously standing after vicious wildfires tore apart the town. Grading Kansas City Ballers Already 8 winners and 3 losers from the Chiefs' preseason win over the Cardinals Kansas City Chiefs players like Rashee Rice, Shane Buechele and Clyde Edwards-Helaire attracted our attention as the team defeated the Arizona Cardinals 38-10. Lady Crime Remembered Forgotten chapter from Kansas City's past tells story of convent girl turned gangster A Star journalists tells the tale in a new book, "The Girl With the Agate Eyes: The Untold Story of Mattie Howard, Kansas City's Queen of the Underworld." Griggs Gets Us Ready For Steamy Week Ahead . . . The excessive heat will last through Thursday The National Weather Service has issued warnings for excessive heat as temperatures reach the triple digits. And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. Unlikely . . . Instead we advise newsies not to hold their breath for anything but a lawsuit verdict. In the meantime, we follow the slow fade and breathy headlines slowly disappearing from the news cycle . . . Which seems odd given that this story allegedly put the Constitution at risk just last week. On the bright side . . . And to be fair . . . It's kinda reassuring that so much dirty laundry was almost immediately available to the world and offered a glimpse into sketchy Kansas small town life that doesn't seem so nice after all . . . And just as oppressive as any other place. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . 'Completely unjustified': Affidavits point to abuse of power in raid on Kansas newspaper - Kansas Reflector Affidavits signed by a police chief and magistrate to warrant the raid on the Marion County Record were supposed to provide evidence that a reporter committed a crime. Instead, they serve as evidence that the local officials abused their power. Kansas newspaper is a canary in the coal mine for local journalism If you've ever doubted the need for local newspapers, look no further than Marion, Kansas. STOP THE PRESSES: Journalist details reporting on Kansas First Amendment fight A national discussion on First Amendment rights takes center stage in Marion, Kansas following a police raid of a local newspaper. We dive into the reporting with the editor-in-chief of another newspaper closely watching the story. Developing . . . Theres a photo that lives rent-free in my head. Its an snap of the early-aughts French It girl Garance Dore, taken by her then-boyfriend Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist. Dores face is obscured by a DSLR camera and shes lightly crouching to get her shot, dressed in a pair of slouchy, cuffed mens Bermuda shorts with this is the good part a pair of peep-toe stiletto booties. It shouldnt work, but somehow it does. The photo is more than 10 years old, but the guiding principle behind the outfit is as relevant as ever. Today, though, it has a name: The Wrong Shoe. The wrong shoe theory has been popularized by Allison Bornstein, a New York-based stylist on the rise and a familiar face if youre on fashion TikTok. Shes become a social media sensation by offering thoughtful, creative, neatly packaged advice on developing your individual style, and has a book out this September called Wear It Well: Reclaim Your Closet & Rediscover the Joy of Getting Dressed. The wrong shoe theory is as simple as it sounds. Instead of reaching for the expected, complementary shoe to finish your outfit, go with the opposite. If youre wearing tailored separates, forego a neutral suede pump and go for a chunky platform sandal. If your outfit is leaning sporty, instead of the white sneakers, go with a kitten heel mule. Try your fanciest pair of bow-adorned shoes with slouchy jeans and a plain white shirt, as we saw Kaia Gerber wear at Valentinos haute couture show in July. The idea is to create tension in an outfit, to play on contrasts and shrug off preciousness. A pair of wrong shoes in an otherwise simple ensemble is like Gwyneth Paltrows once-a-week cigarette in a life centred around virtuous healthfulness. It creates instant interest. I think the reason this theory has resonated with so many is because its a super low-stakes way to change up your look, Bornstein tells me. And as far as fashion prescriptions go, it requires nothing more than a shift in habits you dont have to buy a single new thing. There is no universal right or wrong shoe with each look, its more about challenging yourself to try something that might not be your first instinct and therefore, perhaps out of your comfort zone, Bornstein adds. Speaking of comfort zones, I consider myself a pretty adventurous dresser. And yet the wrong shoe theory revealed I still cling to the matchy-matchy tendencies instilled in me by my proper European mother who ensured that, on the first day of school, my burgundy patent shoes were the exact same shade as my uniform jacket. Wrong shoe theory is something I have to consciously adapt. Before it came into my life, I would have finished a cream silk vest and black trousers with cream loafers. But Im trying to be different now, so I put on a pair of hippie rope sandals instead. It definitely feels wrong, and a little thrilling. Shoe designer Myriam Maguire, co-founder of the Montreal-based cool-girl brand Maguire, has a theory as to why wrong shoes feel so right at the moment. Now that everything is easily and instantly available online, you have to use more originality to stand out. In the endless, social-media fuelled game of esthetic one-upmanship, an expected shoe wont cut it. Plus, the pandemic changed a lot about how we dress. People want to keep their look interesting but not if it means compromising on their comfort level, says Maguire. This created the pyjama-inspired outfits matched with a pair of heels or a dressed-up look pared down with cosy sandals or sneakers. For my fellow right-shoe dressers out there, Bornstein has some advice. Colour is a helpful first step here. If you would normally do a light shoe with a light outfit, maybe try some dark accessories. This will give the look contrast and make it feel like there was some thought there, she says. No matter which shoe you go for, it has to look intentional, and not like you slid into a pair of slippers to check the mail. If I am wearing a pair of shorts with a closed-toe Mary Jane, I will maybe add a structured or ladylike bag that will tie the Mary Jane back in, Bornstein explains. So the bag and the shoes feel like they are on a similar vibe, even if the look is different. Ultimately, Bornstein stresses that there is no right way to do wrong shoe theory that would defeat the spirit of the whole exercise. It really is as simple as picking a pair of shoes that are somewhat dissimilar to the rest of your outfit. And this philosophy can extend to other accessories too: the wrong bag, the wrong jewelry, the wrong hairstyle. I love the idea of adding some beaded or colourful accessories with clothes that feel a bit serious, says Bornstein, recalling a woman she saw wearing a pair of Manolo Blahnik kitten heel mules with a beaded anklet. The contrast of that really showed her personality. This play on contrasts is also the ultimate fashion flex yes, more so than wearing designer labels. It says, I know my shoes dont match the rest of my outfit; I know what Im doing. And thats the final piece of the wrong shoe formula: If youre gonna wear clogs with a mini dress, you better not second-guess it. If there is one vehicle that isnt in short supply in rural Canadian cities and towns, its pickup trucks. Thats one of the reasons why GlobalMedic, an Etobicoke-based charity that specializes in rapid emergency response, wants provincial and federal support to create an inventory of specialized compact firefighting units that can be mounted on the back of pickup trucks. The devices, called fire skids, feature 1,000-litre water tanks, pumps and hoses and are constructed to fit perfectly into any pickup truck effectively turning these consumer vehicles into instant fire trucks. On Saturday morning, a skid sent by GlobalMedic from Edmonton to Yellowknife, where firefighters have been frantically trying to protect the city of 22,000 from threatening wildfires, arrived on the front lines. The charity has also offered another fire skid to West Kelowna and Kelowna, also under threat from unprecedented blazes. Imagine that youve got these firefighters, people that want to defend their town and their city, but they dont have enough apparatus. Wouldnt that be heartbreaking? So to get equipment like this up there, its the right move, GlobalMedic executive director and founder Rahul Singh told the Star. Were used to fighting fires in the forest. Were not used to defending cities. So when we defend cities, we need a heck of a lot more apparatus like this. Singh said his charity has approached both the federal and provincial governments to set up a fire skid library where up to 50 units, as well as lengths of hose, could be placed across the country for lending to municipalities and First Nations under threat of wildfires. The units could then be sent back to GlobalMedic to be refurbished and made ready for the next jurisdiction that needs them. So far, there has been interest from the province, Singh says, but he has not heard back from the federal government. For now, he says GlobalMedic has used its own money raised through fundraising to purchase two fire skids and is asking the public to donate so the organization can purchase more. This is a really bad fire year but next year is going to be a fire year again, he said. Its just a matter of getting folks the kit and equipment that they need. For its part, the Ontario government is joining the fight by sending people and equipment to both the Northwest Territories and British Columbia. Some 70 firefighters, support staff and command personnel have been deployed to the West over the past few days, with an additional 12 people flying out Saturday, according to an official from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. On Monday the province plans to ship 2,000 lengths of hose, 40 pump kits, 150 hose bags and lithium-ion batteries for two-way radios. There are more than 200 wildfires burning in the N.W.T., including one about 15 kilometres west of Yellowknife, prompting an evacuation order for the capital city Wednesday. Meanwhile, B.C. is under a state of emergency as wildfires continue to burn in several areas of the province, including the Okanagan, where some 2,400 homes are under an evacuation order in West Kelowna and several properties have been lost. Agroholding Kernel, one of the largest in Ukraine, has acquired storage facilities for transshipment of vegetable oils in the port of Chornomorsk for $19.4 million, as well as a terminal for transshipment of sunflower oil in the port of Reni for $24.75 million (both in Odesa region), the holding said on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. According to the report, the assets used for transshipment of vegetable oils in the port of Chornomorsk were purchased to improve the sustainability of the oilseeds processing business. "One-time storage of sunflower oil in the amount of 105,000 tonnes will allow the group not to stop the operation of processing plants during interruptions in transportation, as was the case in 2022-2023 financial years, and smooth out logistics," the agricultural holding noted. In the event that the Ukrainian Black Sea ports are blocked, Kernel plans to use assets by rail for storage and transshipment of sunflower oil. Sunflower oil will be accumulated in storage facilities, and then redirected by road to the port on the Danube River. Thus, the agricultural holding intends to "reduce the logistics costs of an alternative export route." If the Ukrainian Black Sea ports are unblocked, the assets will be used as the main deep-water transshipment base in the Black Sea for sunflower oil, which is exported. The transaction for the acquisition of assets in the port of Chornomorsk is subject to the antimonopoly supervision of Ukraine. In addition, Kernel entered into an agreement on the acquisition for $24.75 million of 100% corporate rights in Reni-Oil LLC, a sunflower oil transshipment terminal with a one-time storage of 15,000 tonnes in Reni port. Dont know where to begin? Five books to get started Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition, by Owen Beattie and John Geiger (Greystone, 1987). It advances the lead poisoning theory after three bodies were exhumed. Unravelling the Franklin Mystery: Inuit Testimony, by David C. Woodman (McGill-Queens, 1991). An extensive analysis of Inuit oral testimony, often graphic. Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklins Lost Polar Expedition, by Scott Cookman (John Wiley, 2000). It rejects lead poisoning, points to botulism. May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth: Letters of the Lost Franklin Arctic Expedition, edited by Russell Potter and others (McGill-Queens, 2022). It brings sailors to life in their own words, rejects lead poisoning and botulism. Dead Reckoning: The Untold Story of the Northwest Passage, by Ken McGoogan. (HarperCollins Canada, 2017). Highlights the role of the Indigenous peoples in Arctic exploration. The Franklin search season is almost upon us. Last year, during 11 days in early September, Parks Canada underwater archeologists retrieved 275 artifacts from the HMS Erebus. That ship was one of the two recently located wrecks from the 129-man expedition that, led by Sir John Franklin, disappeared into the Arctic in 1845. This year, as soon as weather permits, Parks Canada will resume its investigations. Meanwhile, late in July, National Geographic magazine published a massive article online, complete with photos and videos, headlined: Seeking to solve the Arctics biggest mystery, they ended up trapped in ice at the top of the world. It features Tom Gross, who has been scouring King William Island for a burial vault that he believes holds Franklins body, and possibly logbooks or documents. With Jacob Keanik, an Inuk who lives on the island, Gross will resume his search any day now. Books about Franklin and his doomed expedition, which already number in the hundreds, continue to appear at a rapid rate. Outstanding documentaries have treated the expedition, among them Franklins Lost Ships (Andrew Gregg, 2015) and Passage (John Walker, 2008). A furiously active Facebook group, Remembering the Franklin Expedition, boasts more than 3,400 members. Why does this expedition, which disappeared into the Arctic almost 180 years ago, continue to attract attention? First, the catastrophe cost the lives of 129 men, making it the worst in exploration history. Second, some final survivors resorted to cannibalism, which prompted international headlines. Third, the formidable Jane, Lady Franklin, made a mythical hero of her late husband as discoverer of the Northwest Passage. Fourth and above all, here we have, as National Geographic put it, the Arctics biggest mystery. The expedition was expected to solve the riddle of the Northwest Passage. What happened? Researchers have been seeking answers since 1848. A written document found in 1859 the Victory Point Record filled in a few blanks. The expedition crossed Davis Strait, entered Lancaster Sound, probed Wellington Channel northwards and then spent the winter of 1845-46 on Beechey Island. Here, Franklin buried three crewmen. In 1846, when the ice melted, the two ships sailed south into Peel Sound. On Sept. 12, they got trapped in the ice off the northwest coast of King William Island. Nine months later, on June 11, 1847, Sir John Franklin died. Then, on April 22, 1848, 105 men departed from the two ships, which were still in the ice. By that time, nine officers and 15 seamen had died. Given the three men buried on Beechey, 221 died between spring 1846 and April 1848. A previous Royal Navy expedition had spent four winters trapped in the Arctic (1829-1834). Almost all the men had escaped back to England. Why, with Franklin, did so many die so early? The Inuit reported seeing disoriented men trekking along the coast of King William Island and dying in hospital tents. What? In 1984, on Beechey Island, forensic anthropologist Owen Beattie exhumed the remains of the first three sailors to die. In Frozen in Time, with co-author John Geiger, he suggested that lead poisoning, contracted from the solder used to seal cans of preserved food, killed some men and sickened the rest. This view prevailed for two decades. But then some scientists doubted that tin cans could produce enough lead to be lethal. Others suggested that maybe the lead came from the ships pipes. Researchers then determined that, for sailors of that time, the lead levels of the three dead on Beechey were not unusual. In April 2014, three British scientists Keith Millar, Adrian Bowman and William Battersby published a statistical analysis in Significance magazine, arguing that a combination of factors killed the sailors. In his introduction to May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth, a collection of letters, American expert Russell Potter summarized, noting that lead poisoning can no longer be seen as the sole or primary cause of the expeditions downfall, though it certainly may have been one factor. A few writers had pointed to botulism as an alternative root cause. But as Potter observed, this seems highly unlikely as the poorly sealed tin cans admitted oxygen, which along with salt and nitrates would have constrained botulism. Early letters sent home from Greenland find the sailors raving about the soups and, years later, Inuit who opened some tin cans enjoyed their contents very much. Bottom line: leading researchers have ruled out lead poisoning and botulism as the root causes of the catastrophe. The fact remains: 37 per cent of the officers had died by 1848, but just 14 per cent of the regular seamen. Why such disproportion? What galvanized 105 men to leave the ships (though some of them, clearly, later reboarded)? Why were so many so sick that they could not walk straight? Why did some appear to be sheltering (and dying) on shore in a hospital tent? Questions like these keep many of us searching for answers whether underwater, on land or at our desks. This fall, Ken McGoogan will publish his sixth Arctic book, Searching for Franklin: New Answers to the Great Arctic Mystery, with Douglas & McIntyre. According to the latest research study, Chinas outbound tourism market is expected to reach USD 279 billion by 2031, according to the latest report for 2023, growing at a CAGR of 12.5% between 2023 and 2031. (TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - August 21st, 2023 - DPI Research has published a new research report titled "China Outbound Tourism Market Size, Share, Emerging Trends, Current Analysis, Growth, Demand, Opportunity, and Forecast 2023 2031" in its research database. According to the latest research study, Chinas outbound tourism market is expected to reach USD 279 billion by 2031, according to the latest report for 2023, growing at a CAGR of 12.5% between 2023 and 2031. The report analyses Chinas outbound tourism markets drivers and restraints, as well as the impact they have on-demand throughout the projection period. Get a Free Sample PDF of this Research Report for more Insights https://dpiresearch.com/reports/china-outbound-tourism-market-size-2023-2031/ This latest market research report for 2023 provides an in-depth analysis of the China outbound tourism market, focusing on current market trends, market sizes, recent developments and forecasts to 2031. The report uses data and analysis to discuss potential lucrative opportunities, current and future trends related to Chinas outbound tourism surge, spending, the purpose of visits, and main destination markets. Furthermore, this report uses a country-focused analysis to explore the Chinas outbound tourism market. A detailed country-wise analysis of the market is provided, covering a total of 26 nations. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges of the China outbound tourism market. Key Factors Propelling the Growth in China Outbound Tourism Market Rising Disposable Income: Increasing levels of disposable income among the Chinese population have led to greater spending on leisure activities, including travel. As peoples income levels rise, they often seek out experiences like international travel. Easing of Travel Restrictions: The Chinese government has gradually relaxed travel restrictions, making it easier for citizens to obtain passports and visas for many countries. This has opened up new travel opportunities for Chinese tourists. Growing Middle Class: The expanding middle class in China has contributed significantly to the growth of outbound tourism. With more people achieving higher income levels, more individuals and families are able to afford overseas travel. Interest in New Experiences: Chinese travelers have shown a growing interest in experiencing new cultures, trying different cuisines, and exploring unique destinations. This curiosity has driven them to venture beyond domestic tourism and explore international destinations. Development of Tourism Infrastructure: Many countries have recognized the potential of the Chinese tourism market and have invested in infrastructure to cater to these travelers. This includes facilities that accommodate Chinese language, food preferences, and cultural expectations. Social Media and Peer Influence: The role of social media platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and travel review sites has played a significant role in encouraging outbound travel. Sharing travel experiences and recommendations on these platforms has fueled a desire for international exploration. Education and Business Travel: Increased participation in international education programs and business activities has led to a rise in outbound student and business travel. Students studying abroad and business professionals attending conferences or conducting business internationally contribute to the outbound tourism market. Government Initiatives: The Chinese government has encouraged outbound tourism as part of its economic development strategies. Initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative have facilitated travel between China and other countries, boosting tourism. Air Travel Accessibility: The expansion of air travel routes and the presence of numerous international airlines have made it more convenient and affordable for Chinese travelers to access international destinations. Online Travel Services: The growth of online travel agencies and platforms in China has made it easier for travelers to plan and book trips abroad. These platforms offer convenience, price comparisons, and personalized travel options. Preference for Luxury and Quality: Chinese tourists are often associated with a preference for luxury and high-quality experiences. This has led them to seek out destinations known for luxury shopping, high-end accommodation, and upscale experiences. The Report Analyses the Market Based on Countries and Presents the Forecast in Terms of Value and Volume for the Next Eight Years. The Top 26 Countries Included in the Report are: The United States Canada Dubai Hong Kong Macau Philippines Thailand Vietnam Malaysia Indonesia Japan Singapore Cambodia Korea Taiwan India Spain France Germany Italy Turkey The United Kingdom Australia New Zealand Nepal Sri Lanka This Well-Versed and Comprehensive China Outbound Tourism Market Research Report 2023 Delivers: Comprehensive Research Methodology of the China Outbound Tourism Market Detailed and Extensive Market Overview with Key Analyst Insights Insights about Market Determinants that are stimulating the China Outbound Tourism Market To Analyze the Historical Growth in the Market Size of the China Outbound Tourism from 2015 to 2022 To Estimate and Forecast the Market Size of the China Outbound Tourism Market from 2023 to 2031 and Growth Rate until 2031 The Market Size of the China Outbound Tourism with Eight Years Forecast Provides Comprehensive Insights on the Latest Chinese Outbound Tourists Going Abroad with Eight Years Forecast Detailed Market Share Assessment of the China Outbound Tourism Market with Eight Years Forecast Includes a Detailed Analysis of the China Outbound Tourism Spending in the Top 26 Most-Visited Foreign Countries Detailed Insights of the China Outbound Tourists Going to the Top 26 Most-Visited Foreign Countries Delivers a Complete Overview of the Chinese Tourists Purpose of Visits (Holiday, Visit Friends / Relatives, Business and Others) to the Top 26 Most-Visited Foreign Countries Delivers an In-Depth Analysis of Evolving Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints of the China Outbound Tourism Market The Report Helps Answer the Following Questions: What is the current size of the overall China outbound tourism market? How much will this market be worth from 2023 to 2031? How many outbound tourists are there in China? Which foreign country is best for Chinese people to travel? What are the top outbound destinations from China? What are Chinese outbound tourism trends? How many Overall Chinese tourists visit globally? Which country has the highest tourists visit by the Chinese people? What are the market shares of the China outbound tourism visitation and market? What is the main purpose of visits for the Chinese outbound tourists? What are the main drivers and challenges in the China outbound tourism market? How will the industry evolve during the forecast period 2023 2031? How the rise of Chinese tourism will change the face of the World travel industry? To what extent did Covid-19 impact Chinas outbound tourism market in 2020, 2021, and 2022? Browse Complete Report Here https://dpiresearch.com/reports/china-outbound-tourism-market-size-2023-2031/ Request for Customization on this Report as per your requirements (We tailor your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customising your report.) Email Directly Here with Detail Information: sales@dpiresearch.com Maria Rai Head of Business Development DPI Research | Web: https://dpiresearch.com Direct Line: +91-766-764-8693 E-mail: sales@dpiresearch.com New Delhi, India - 110030 DPI Research is a leading market research publisher which offer bespoke market research reports, custom research and consulting services across multi geographies and industry verticals. We deliver a wide range of cutting-edge research solutions that help organizations in making better decisions of the business to business needs. DPI Research provides a high standard of business research reports to the clients across industry verticals comprising Life Sciences, Information Technology, Telecom & Internet, Food Beverages & Agriculture, Travel & Tourism, Consumer Goods & Retail, Education and Social Sciences. We are committed to using advanced analytical tools and methodologies to help clients with crucial industry information for decision making. ### Russia's war against Ukraine brought to naught the Soviet-era mythology of the brotherhood of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples, this is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by the Razumkov Center sociological service on May 23-31, 2023. "One of the fundamental mythologies of the Soviet era was the mythology of the 'brotherhood of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples.' Russia's 'hybrid' and full-scale wars against Ukraine discredited the idea of the brotherhood of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples," Deputy Director of the Razumkov Center sociological service Mykhailo Mischenko said at the presentation of the survey at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. According to him, some 43.2% of respondents believe that Ukrainians and Russians have never been fraternal peoples. In 2017, some 16% of respondents shared this opinion. However, some 47.7% of respondents believe that Ukrainians and Russians used to be fraternal peoples, but they are no longer such (in 2017, some 49.6% of respondents thought so). Only 3.8% of respondents believe that Ukrainians and Russians were and remain fraternal peoples (in 2017, this figure reached 27.2%), while 5.3% found it difficult to answer the question (7.1% in 2017) Mischenko drew attention to the fact that, compared to 2017, the changes in opinion among residents of the eastern and southern regions are especially noticeable. According to him, if in 2017 52% of the inhabitants of the east believed that 'Ukrainians and Russians have always been and remain fraternal peoples,' then in 2023 only 10% share this point of view here. In the southern region, the share of those who hold this opinion has decreased from 45% to 3%. In the eastern and southern regions, the majority of respondents (53% and 72.5%, respectively) now believe that Ukrainians and Russians used to be fraternal peoples, but are no longer such. This position in the central region is shared by 48% of respondents, and 43% believe that Ukrainians and Russians have never been fraternal peoples. In the western region, some 61.5% of residents are of the opinion that Ukrainians and Russians have never been brotherly people. The survey was conducted using the face-to-face method in Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovograd, Lviv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi regions and Kyiv, as well as in territories controlled by the government of Ukraine and where hostilities are not taking place in Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Some 2,020 respondents over the age of 18 have been surveyed. The theoretical sampling error does not exceed 2.3%. Additional systematic deviations of the sample may be due to the consequences of Russian aggression, in particular, the forced evacuation of millions of citizens. The survey has been conducted within the Matra programme funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Ukraine. In Tobago...where Carnival is underway... there were no reports of Serious Crime ...despite BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Today, in Budapest, Hungary and Turkmenistan have reached an agreement on the gas supply. The next step for this, is to hold commercial negotiations. Turkmenistans political will is rather obvious. Now, what is more interesting, how exactly the supply is going to be provided. As Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said earlier, a pipeline of 300-kilometers length with a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters per year needs to be constructed, and the capacity of pipelines in Southeastern Europe needs to be expanded. The mentioned pipeline is the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline, and todays talks are a clear proof that Turkmenistan is finally willing to develop this project that has been frozen for many years. Azerbaijans role in this regard is also rather clear. By providing transit through its territory, Azerbaijan will be adding to its already huge contribution to securing stable energy supply to Europe. However, although Azerbaijan has been supporting the idea itself, the country has stated its position rather clear, that it will not be providing any financing to this project. At the same time, Azerbaijan is currently working on expanding the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor, which has been one of the main gas feeders for Europe since its commencement in 2020. In this context, the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline presents an intriguing opportunity. This project seeks to link Turkmenistan's Turkmenbashi and Baku through a subsea pipeline, connecting to the Southern Gas Corridor. By doing so, it could access significant Turkmen gas reserves and provide gas to both Turkey and Europe. Experts say, that the construction cost for this connector varies around $30 billion. They are also convinced that the Turkmen authorities must engage with European gas companies, including the clear choice of SOCAR as the intermediary. Turkmenistan should seize this opportunity promptly, as the window for attracting foreign investment in fossil fuel projects, regardless of their size, is gradually closing. Simultaneously, given the EU's need to replace the volumes of Russian gas that are no longer available, the alliance might consider supporting this investment. However, the shift from hydrocarbons to renewable sources significantly affects the support from international financial institutions. Currently, funding for the pipeline must come from the private sector or participating governments. Azerbaijan, on its part, has firmly stated its position on the project. While not the primary sponsor of the gas pipeline's construction, Azerbaijan is consistently ready to provide its territory and assist in gas transit. Through its forward-looking oil and gas strategy, Azerbaijan has cemented its reputation as a globally recognized and reliable energy partner. As the country continues to adhere to this approach, its position will only strengthen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to questions about Ukraine's readiness for territorial concessions by offering to exchange Russia's Belgorod for Ukraine's membership in NATO. Zelensky said this at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "Exchange of territories? We are ready to exchange Belgorod for our membership in NATO," Zelensky said. He also noted that during negotiations with Denmark on the transfer of F-16 fighter jets, both parties did not discuss whether it would be possible to launch strikes on Russian territory. "The main thing for us is to liberate our territories. Our specific mission is to defend ourselves. We are not Russians, we need Ukrainian land," Zelensky said. Zelensky began his trip to Denmark after visiting the Netherlands. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak commented on the results of Volodymyr Zelensky's visits to the Netherlands and Denmark. "It was a wonderful day. Excellent results of many months of work. It was not always public, and not everything can be told now. It was a truly multi-level process with our partners, the result of which is a significant number of F-16s for Ukraine... The chief diplomat of Ukraine is President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose voice is heard and respected in the world. And that's why everything happened," Yermak posted on Telegram. He also added that Ukraine would have modern aviation. "Our pilots will fly on F-16s, the sky will become more protected, we will throw the Russians out of our airspace," the Head of the President's Office is convinced. As a reminder, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark over the past two days. During these visits, a number of important statements for Ukraine were announced, in particular, on the provision of at least 60 modern Western F-16 fighter jets. Ukraine informed its Western partners about the need for modern fighter jets almost at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Ukrainian strikes on Russian rear areas are demonstrably degrading the morale of Russian forces. Ukrainian strikes on Russian rear areas are demonstrably degrading the morale of Russian forces in Ukraine, which could threaten the stability of Russian defenses on multiple critical areas of the front, reads the report by the U.S. Institute for the Study of War. As noted, morale issues can quickly intensify and spread among Russian frontline units if one unit under pressure breaks, which could spread panic and significantly reduce the combat effectiveness of other Russian forces. A broken Russian frontline unit would threaten the integrity of other frontline defenses, and such a break in the Russian frontline would provide a vulnerability that Ukrainian forces could exploit, ISW notes. The vulnerability of the deep Russian rear to Ukrainian strikes was also taken note of in the Russian information space. Ukrainian strikes against Russian deep rear areas are generating discontent in the Russian information space and sparking criticism of the Russian military command, as Ukraine likely intends, the experts say. From February 24, 2022 to August 21, 2023, the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated about 257,930 Russian military personnel, including 460 soldiers over the past day. This is stated in the report by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published on Facebook. Moreover, the Ukrainian troops destroyed 4,358 (+12 over the past day) enemy tanks, 8,449 (+14) armored combat vehicles, 5,264 (+19) artillery systems, 719 (+2) MLRS, 489 air defense systems, 315 aircraft, 316 helicopters, 4,309 (+5) operational-tactical UAVs, 1,406 cruise missiles, 18 ships/boats, 7,692 (+12) vehicles and fuel tanks, 794 (+4) special equipment units. The data are updated. As reported, more than 25 combat engagements took place over the past day. The offensive operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is ongoing. In the Bakhmut sector, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already liberated 43 square kilometers of Ukrainian land from the Russian invaders. There is noticeable advance along the southern flank around Bakhmut. Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said this on the air of the United News telethon on Ukrainian TV channels, Ukrinform reports. "Our troops are advancing along the southern flank around Bakhmut. As of now, three more square kilometers have been liberated. In general, we can talk about the liberation of 43 square kilometers of our land in this direction," said Maliar. In the north of Bakhmut, according to her, the enemy is trying to knock the Armed Forces of Ukraine out of their positions, since the defenders have regained the dominant heights there and are holding back the Russians. "In fact, the enemy is trapped there. The Russians cannot get out of Bakhmut and cannot fully advance there," the deputy defense minister noted. She also said that the enemy is trying to surround Avdiivka, but the defenders do not allow them to do so. As for another hot sector - Maryinka, the enemy, according to Maliar, actually destroyed all the infrastructure and residential buildings there, but cannot take the city under control. As reported by Ukrinform, in Bakhmut direction over the past day, the enemy carried out unsuccessful offensive operations in the area of Kurdiumivka in Donetsk region. Airstrikes were launched in the areas of Vesele, Klishchiyivka, Kurdiumivka in Donetsk region. More than 20 settlements, including Predtechyne, Dyliyivka, Kurdiumivka, Ozarianivka, Druzhba in Donetsk region, came under enemy artillery fire. Photo: General Staff Ukraine can fly the F-16 fighter jets, set to be handed to Ukraine by Denmark and the Netherlands, only over its own territory. Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said this on Monday, Ukrinform reports with reference to Reuters. "We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that," Ellemann-Jensen said on Monday. "Those are the conditions, whether it's tanks, fighter planes or something else," he said. As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky made a blitz tour to Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark this weekend. On August 20, the Netherlands and Denmark announced their decision to send Ukraine a number of F-16 fighter jets. Ukrainian pilots and maintenance specialists have already started mastering the aircraft. Denmark expects to deliver the first F-16s to Ukraine closer to the end of the year. Denmark will donate 19 jets in total. The Netherlands has 42 F-16s available but has yet to decide whether all of them will be given to Ukraine. Photo: Denmarks Defense Ministry Ukraines Defense Forces achieved certain success in the Robotyne and Mala Tokmachka areas, Zaporizhzhia region. This was announced on Telegram by Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar, Ukrinform reports. "Our units were successful south-east of Robotyne and south of Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia region," she said. According to Maliar, Russian invaders fruitlessly tried to regain the positions they had lost east of Robotyne. The sides are engaged in urban warfare in the said settlement. The Russian army is on the defensive on the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes. The invaders continue to shell Ukraines military positions and civilian objects in the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions, actively employing Lancet barraging munitions. As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to Hanna Maliar, no swift advance should be expected of Ukraines Armed Forces in the south because, despite powerful offensive and defensive efforts on their part, the enemy still enjoys aerial superiority in air and outnumbers Ukrainian troops in terms of available weapons and manpower. The "young" replenishment of Russian intelligence and special units is being " trained" to kill civilians in Ukraine. This was reported by the Center of National Resistance, Ukrinform reported. "According to the local underground, units from various special forces and intelligence units are arriving at the border with Ukraine in Kursk and Bryansk regions. The nature of the actions of the newly arrived groups indicates that these are mostly training companies that are practicing training tasks and passing exams in the border areas of the Sumy and Chernihiv regions," the statement said. Also the day before, a training company of the 607th Special Forces Center of the Russian Guard (Zheleznovodsk) arrived in the Glushkovo area to join the Russian Armed Forces. Read also: Ukrainian air defenses destroy two Russian reconnaissance drones in south The center was formed in 2018 by merging the 17th 'Avangard' Special Forces Detachment (Edelweiss) and the 242nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (Zelenokumsk). As previously reported, since August, cadets of Russian flight schools have been practicing firing unguided missiles from helicopters at communities in the Sumy region. Due to their low professional level, some of the missiles hit targets on the territory of the aggressor country. The leadership of the Russian Federation is recruiting Russians from the territory of Russia itself for participation in sham elections in the occupied Ukrainian territories. "Several scenarios are being considered, in particular, the scenario of postponement. But if we talk about the preparation and holding these sham elections, then the recruitment of Russian citizens from the territory of Russia itself to the occupied Ukrainian territories is currently underway. Because without the Russians, it will be impossible to hold these elections in the occupied territories under any circumstances," Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said during the United News telethon, when asked about the preparation of Russian pseudo-elections in the occupied territories. According to him, this is another evidence that the local population does not support the Russians. As for the Russians who are being taken to the temporarily occupied territories for the elections, according to Yusov, there are thousands of them because the occupiers do not trust the local Ukrainian population, most of whom have absolutely no desire to join this sham. According to the intelligence representative, forced passportization continues in the temporarily occupied territories and the deadlines were set again. Yusov said that the local population did not accept the aggressor. "There are no queues for obtaining Russian passports. There is, of course, data on the number of issued [Russian passports to Ukrainians in these territories]. They are carefully studied and appropriate measures and countermeasures are taken," he added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have discussed potential cooperation in the field of industrial parks development, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov wrote on his page on X (Twitter), Trend reports. "During the meeting with Laziz Kudratov, the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan we engaged in productive conversations aimed at enhancing the trade and economic relations between our two nations. Our discussions touched upon the facilitation of mutual investments, the execution of collaborative projects and the exploration of potential cooperation opportunities with Uzbekistan in the field of industrial parks," the minister said. Meanwhile, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in 2022 amounted to $181.2 million (an increase of 52.4 percent compared to 2021). The economies of the two countries have sufficient potential to increase mutual trade indicators to $1 billion in the coming years. As of July 1, 2023, there are 204 enterprises with Azerbaijani capital in Uzbekistan (compared to 71 in 2017), of which 67 are joint ventures and 137 are foreign enterprises. Some 22 joint ventures have been established since the beginning of this year. Around 30 Irelands Defence Forces personnel are to provide training for Ukrainian soldiers as part of a larger European force of trainers under an EU Common Security and Defence Policy mission. RTE reported this with reference to the Department of Defence of Ireland, according to Ukrinform. Originally, this was to have entailed "landmine clearance, combat medicine and other non-lethal supports." But the Department of Defence has now confirmed that troops will also be involved in weapons training. "Additional training courses approved by Government in July 2023 focus on basic areas of military training which the UAF (Ukrainian Armed Forces) have identified, as well as training on specific de-mining equipment donated by Ireland, the Government of Ireland said. It is noted that in accordance with the Programme for Government, it is not supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with any weapons. "Ireland's policy of military neutrality is characterised by our non-participation in military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements. Providing soldiers with basic military training including leadership and drilling instruction does not impact this policy of military neutrality," the statement adds. Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy stressed that Ireland is providing "very basic military training to transfer soldiers from a civilian life to a life in the Ukrainian Army". He added that this is being done "in the confines of recognising our military neutrality and recognising our political support for Ukraine." As reported by Ukrinform, at a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv in July, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar expressed his belief in Ukraine's European future and promised to advocate for the earliest possible start of negotiations on its accession to the EU. The Russian Federation has already committed 136,000 crimes against Ukraine and Ukrainians and killed nearly 11,000 civilians, including more than 500 children. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this at the international conference Special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Justice to be served, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. This war is one of the most brutal in the history of mankind, because Russia is waging it against all Ukrainians - against women, the elderly, and children, even the unborn. Since February 2022, our enemy has committed more than 136,000 crimes. This is only what has been recorded so far. In fact, there are many more crimes. Over this period of time, about 11,000 civilians have been killed, including 500 children," said the head of the Ukrainian government, stressing that these are not final data. He also reminded that only according to official information, Russia has abducted nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children, making many of them orphans with living parents and forcibly adopting them. In addition, Shmyhal informed that Russian terrorists destroyed more than 116,000 civilian infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, tens of thousands of houses, thousands of educational institutions and hospitals, left hundreds of thousands of people without housing and medical care. As reported, on August 17, the Prime Minister held a meeting with relevant departments and instructed to estimate damages caused to Ukraine by Russia. Sweden has a wide range of machine building industry which is extremely important for the reconstruction of Ukraine because our country will need a huge amount of equipment. "Sweden primarily has very good engineering technologies, not only military technologies. Moreover, there is a very wide range of heavy engineering: mining equipment, classic trucking equipment, everyone knows such brands as Volvo. There are good electronic devices: Electrolux, world-famous ABB company electrical engineering. Therefore, Sweden has the entire range of machine building, a full portfolio, which, as a matter of fact, is extremely important and critical for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Because, first of all, we will need a huge amount of equipment both for infrastructure, as well as for the construction of new enterprises and factories," Deputy Head of the Presidents Office Rostyslav Shurma said this during the United News nationwide telethon. He noted that usually this equipment is sold not only as engineering solutions, but together with financial packages provided through export credit agencies. "And this is one of the issues that we raised with the Swedish side to really expand credit limits and launch programs of full-fledged cooperation and financing through export credit agencies," Shurma said. He reminded that there were already positive examples of such cooperation, in particular with Italy and Japan. "Actually, we want to implement the same experience with Sweden since there are a huge number of companies with good equipment such as Volvo, Sandvik, SKF, Alfa Laval, Atlas Copco and dozens of others, equipment that will be interesting for the reconstruction of Ukraine," Shurma said. According to him, billions of dollars in aid are discussed, but the focus of the discussion during the latest visit was on the private sector. "That is, specific private companies should make decisions on investments. And if we take the entire portfolio that we talked about, as well as some other segments, in particular, I would also like to dwell on green metallurgy because it is Swedish companies like SSAB, H2 Green Steel that were pioneers in the world, they were the first to announce plans to switch to green steel production technology. This is potentially billions of dollars. Accordingly, our task is to create such conditions that it would be profitable for these companies to enter Ukraine," said the Deputy Head of the Presidents Office. According to him, the Swedish side should make certain political decisions for this at the first stages. "We can see that there are several dozen directions and projects worth 5, 6, 7, 8 billion euros. But we will talk about concrete numbers when there are concrete projects," Shurma said. According to him, Ukraine may be interesting to Western partners precisely from the point of view of large resources: territory, qualifications of people, mineral deposits, in particular, such as lithium and graphite. The issue of logistics is not the last factor, he added. As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky made a working visit to Sweden on August 19. The government of South Korea pledges support to state-owned and private companies in the restoration of the war-ravaged transport and energy infrastructure in Ukraine. This is reported by Korea Times with reference to South Korean ministries, Ukrinform saw. Hyundai Engineering & Construction has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Boryspil International Airport regarding reconstruction and expansion projects. Samsung C&T inked a deal with Lviv authorities on the development of a Smart City project. Other companies mentioned in the context of Ukraines reconstruction include Kolon Global, HD Hyundai XiteSolution, and Hyundai Rotem. Read also: South Korea to participate in working group for Ukraine Peace Formula The South Korean government plans to send a delegation from the Ministry of Infrastructure to Kyiv in August, and a delegation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in October. It is expected that the first delegation will include representatives of companies specializing in the construction of roads, bridges, and public facilities. Energy experts will form the second delegation. In addition to the reconstruction of transport and energy infrastructure, estimated at $140 billion, more than $400 billion is required to rebuild housing and telecommunications systems, as well as for mine clearance projects, the report reads. Among the various infrastructure sectors, the largest allocations will go to the reconstruction of the destroyed housing stock ($50.4 billion), followed by transport ($35.7 billion), trade and industry ($10.9 billion), and energy ($10.6 billion). It is noted that Korean construction teams will be able to help Ukraine rebuild highways and other motorways ($26.4 billion), as well as power supply facilities for railways and stations ($23.3 billion). EU High Representative Josep Borrell condemned yesterday's Russian attack on Chernihiv. He addressed the issue on X (formerly known as Twitter), reports Ukrinform. "Strongly condemn yet another cowardly and deliberate Russian strike on Chernihiv targeting a university and a theatre, causing the death of at least 7 civilians, including children, leaving many more injured.," Borrell stressed. He added that now the EU - as always - stands with Ukraine. As Ukrinform reported, on August 19, Russian troops launched a missile attack on the center of Chernihiv. As a result of the strike, seven people died and 148 were injured. The Russians launched an Iskander-M missile, which has several settings that are programmed in advance. The next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the "Ramstein" format will take place approximately within the week from September 18. It will be held at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Thats according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who spoke with Channel 24, noting that air defense capabilities remain a priority for Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. "More systems - more missiles, radars. Also aviation as a part of air defenses. The second thing is artillery and ammunition for it, munitions. The third thing is, as I say, our steel fist - armored vehicles of all kinds," said Reznikov. These are, in particular, armored personnel carriers, armored fighting vehicles, tanks, armored vehicles for evacuating the wounded, and all kinds of spare parts for them. According to Reznikov, there is definitely no trend towards a decrease in Western aid. He noted that the political activity of parliaments will resume in the fall. They will decide how much money to invest in their defense capability and aid to Ukraine in 2024, the minister added. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the 14th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the "Ramstein" format took place on July 18 via video conference. At that time, it was about training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, as well as providing the Armed Forces with additional air defense systems, other weapons and ammunition. The F-16 coalition took shape last weekend The most powerful military parade since the end of the Cold War took place in Warsaw. Alexander Lukashenko and Zenon Pozniak launched interesting, albeit different, initiatives. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu made an inspection tour of the post-Soviet space. The issue of the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is gradually becoming more and more realistic in terms of implementation. Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the Netherlands and Denmark made it possible to talk about the quantitative (42 aircraft) and temporal (the first of them should be in Ukraine by the end of 2023) aspects of the transfer. On the eve of the Ukrainian president's visit, the White House confirmed its agreement to transfer the fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force. However, we should also talk about the realization by representatives of our Western allies that the Russian-Ukrainian war is dragging on. It is worth mentioning the unexpected statement of the Euro-Atlantic official Stefan Jensen, who decided to offer Ukraine, on behalf of the Alliance, to exchange the abandonment of the occupied territories for NATO membership. In fact, both the context of this assumption and its realism differ significantly from the actual state of affairs, and it is necessary to realize that the war in the modern world is not only about territories, but also about moods and worldview. This is obviously understood by the Polish authorities, who held the most powerful military parade in the last 30 years in honor of Polish Army Day. Samples of Polish and imported military equipment paraded through Warsaw, as if to confirm Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak's claim that the Polish army will become the largest and most powerful in Europe. During the festive ceremonies, President Andrzej Duda made it clear that Poland supports Ukraine, but also has its own national interests. Military construction in Poland has a strong political basis, and now it is one of the elements of the election campaign, allowing the ruling PiS party to demonstrate its attitude not only to Russia but also to Germany. It is no coincidence that Poland is acting as a moderator in countering possible provocations from Belarus, consolidating the Baltic states around it. Unfortunately, without involving Ukraine. Meanwhile, Belarusian politicians are trying to get involved in the Ukrainian context. The elder of the Belarusian opposition, Zenon Pozniak, sent a letter to Volodymyr Zelensky and Alexander Lukashenko, offering to exchange two political prisoners of the Lukashenko regime (journalist Denis Ivashin and mother of many children Olha Zolotar) for two Belarusian citizens who fought on the side of the Rusists and were taken prisoner by Ukraine. It is surprising that an experienced politician does not realize that it is short-sighted to put a democratically elected president and a self-proclaimed "father of the nation" on the same level. Lukashenko "answered" the public with an interview with Diana Panchenko, a journalist known for her pro-Russian views. It is noteworthy because the background for eulogies for Putin and calls for an end to hostilities between Russia and Ukraine right now are the "revelations" about the participation of Belarusian experts in drafting the Constitution of Ukraine. Lukashenko is confidently gaining a place in the market of parallel reality repeaters. Last week, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu paid a visit to Russia and Belarus, which looks more like an inspection trip of an authorized representative of the overlord through vassal territories. Obviously, in Moscow and Minsk, the head of China's military department discussed a wide range of issues related to the current situation, including the prospects of the actual appearance of Russian nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. Yevhen MAGDA, Institute of World Policy The first photo: AP President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine addressed Denmarks legislative body, Folketing, during a visit to the country. Thats according to the Presidents press service, Ukrinform reports. Mister Speaker, Madam Prime Minister! Mette! Dear members of Folketing and government, diplomats! Everyone who is here today. And, of course, journalists! Those who make possible that one nation, a great nation, hears in a very concrete, very important moment, the soul of another. Dear people of Denmark! Today I am here with my wife, with my team. We are here to say: thank you. Personally thank all of you for helping us in our fight, difficult fight for freedom. For helping us in this war, which Russia brought to our land and which it wants so much still wants! to throw into homes of other nations. I'm sure you can see that. Now, Russian evil strikes with pain and death at Ukrainian cities and villages. But they openly say that Ukraine is not enough. Later, after our country, they want to carry the suffering further to Europe and to the world. I'm sure you hear it you hear it from Moscow. All of Russias neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail. International law will not be resuscitated. Democracies of the world each of them can become a target either for missiles, or for mercenaries, or for destabilization. Im sure you can feel it. But! Ukraine will prevail! I want you to see it, hear it, feel it. Ukraine will prevail! And these are not just words. It is a fact that follows from what we believe in. We! Ukrainians. Danes. All Europeans. Every nation that stands with us. Stands against blows. The blows of the war. And will stand further! When Putin ordered this invasion, he only believed in the length of his armored vehicles columns. In power of explosions of Russian missiles. He believed that cruelty is capable of rewriting the history of an entire continent. Erasing this history. Pushing it back a century. Yes, to crush everything that makes our continent and our countries peaceful. He believed only in force, in force without humanity, he trusted violence, and that is why he is weaker. We believe in something completely different. And that is why we become stronger. All of us! Together with you! We believe in human solidarity. And, in fact, it allows us to destroy any column of any equipment of any occupier. Because when you have people on your side, when humanity is a value for you, and when your values match the values of other nations, you will definitely find all the necessary weapons to defend yourself how we do, how we defend ourselves. In particular, with your help. I thank you on behalf of all Ukrainians, all of us! Thank you, Denmark, for your solidarity! Thank you for all the help provided to Ukraine! Thank you for Harpoons! Russians are afraid of them. Thank you for Caesars, Leopards and Bradleys, drones yes, they are afraid of drones and artillery, and thank you for demining machines. All this serves freedom! Serves at this very moment! Serves to protect peoples lives. People, life this is what we believe in. When you defend peoples right to life, you are joined by others who value life. And this makes you together invincible! I thank you, Denmark, for helping Ukraine to become invincible! Ukraine is moving from Javelins and Stingers to Patriots and F-16s. F-16s. Thank you, Denmark, for F-16s! There was a time when they said that this would never happen. When they said we shouldn't fight. When they didn't believe in us, didn't believe in you, didn't believe in people, and said that it was easier to freeze the desire to live. But humanity turned into solidarity. Solidarity turned into leadership. In particular, your leadership, Denmark. And it is leadership that multiplies our collective strength. People value strength. Strength helps. But strength is not always primary. Strength is a consequence. Consequence of who you are. And who is with you. Whom you respect. And who respects you. Whom you want to see in your home. And who wants to see you. Whom you trust. And who trusts you. We trust you, Denmark. Thank you! Full-scale Russian evil is retreating now under the blows of those whom Russia has always only despised. And despising was wrong. But people are not being wrong now when they despise it such Russia. Which spreads evil. Which does not even distinguish between whom to kill a child or a soldier. Which wants to change the law with violence. Which went against us. Which went against all of us. And to which we together give one answer: we will prevail! Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear people of Denmark! Ukraine believed in you when this evil invasion began. And I thank you for trusting us. When I addressed you online for the first time from Kyiv in March 2022, and when no one could yet say what would happen next, my address was based on confidence. On confidence in you. I asked for leadership, and you are the leaders. I asked for support in overcoming this disaster brought by the war, and you support Ukraine with everything that is needed. I addressed you saying that we need to think not only about war we know there will be peace, we know we can get back to normal life. To what we liked and what we loved. And I am grateful to you for the fact that you are already helping Ukraine with reconstruction. Thank you, Mette! In particular, to our city of Mykolaiv, over which Denmark took patronage. You well deliver on your promise. Thank you! I addressed you at the beginning of the full-scale war, but I already knew that you would not give in to fear. And you defend your principles, our values and the future of Europe. Free, peaceful and, what is really important, united. Europe, in which we will always be united only by cooperation. Within the European Union. Within NATO. And cooperation between us on a bilateral level. And we will never be divided by the evil of any occupation or any totalitarian curtain. Because we will always protect our freedom and never lose our faith faith in people, in humanity and in each other. We will always help each other to prevail, no matter what happens! And let this be another of our Copenhagen criteria The criteria of those who win! Thank you, Denmark! Thank you to your great people almost our relatives! Thank you for our refugees! Thank you for hosting them so warmly, like a family! Thank you, Mister Speaker, dear members of Folketing! Prime Minister! Mette! Thank you! Ladies and gentlemen, dear journalists! Thank you! Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine! - ed.) Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Monday that Sweden needs the Gripen fighter jets for its own defense as the country's bid to join NATO is still pending. This is reported by The Guardian, Ukrinform saw. We dont rule anything out in the future, he told the TV4 channel. We will do everything we can to support them also with aircraft. But right now there are no new commitments to provide Swedish aircraft to Ukraine. As reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid a visit to Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark over this weekend. On August 20,the Netherlands and Denmark announced their decisions to donate to Ukraine a number F-16 fighter jets. Ukrainian pilots and maintenance specialists have already started mastering the aircraft. Denmark expects to deliver the first F-16s to Ukraine closer to the end of the year. In Copenhagen, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska had an audience with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and members of the Royal Family. "Meeting with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and members of the Royal Family. Statements and actions of the Royal Family of Denmark in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people mean a lot to us," Zelensky posted on Telegram. He noted that he appreciated the Royal Family's personal support for the humanitarian efforts of Danish and international organizations operating in Ukraine. The President also thanked the Danish people, government, and parliament for the powerful humanitarian, financial and security assistance to Ukraine. "We will always be grateful for the support and mutual understanding that our struggle for life and freedom meets here," he stressed. As reported, President and the First Lady are visiting Denmark. Photos: Presidents Office BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay a state visit to Azerbaijan on August 22-23, Trend reports. As the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan announced, during the visit, it is planned to hold high-level negotiations and other events. The agenda includes issues of further deepening of the Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations of strategic partnership and expansion of practical cooperation in priority areas. Within the visit, the sides plan to adopt a package of bilateral agreements. President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Greece on a visit. The Ukrainian president said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. Next up is the visit to Greece. We have already arrived. A meeting with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, substantive negotiations with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Greek delegation. The agenda is everything we can do together to protect human life and freedom in our common European home, stressed the Head of State. In addition, according to Zelensky, within the framework of the Ukraine-Balkans Summit, there will be "a joint meeting with Balkan leaders, coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, defense cooperation, security." Also, separate talks on bilateral issues. A meeting with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Every day we add strength to our state, our soldiers and our cooperation with partners," he stressed. As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark on August 19-21. Photo: Ukrainian Presidents Office Greece is ready to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine with a focus on Odesa where the task is to restore historical buildings damaged and destroyed by Russia. Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke of this with journalists following a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in Athens, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "As I emphasized during our meeting, Mr. President, Greece will be present in the titanic efforts to reconstruct and rebuild your country, using our extensive experience in the construction sector, through public-private partnerships, having strong capabilities in the field of digitalization, healthcare, protection of cultural monuments with a focus on Odesa, whose historic center was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites with the support of Greece," Mitsotakis said. He added that Greece, in particular, could participate in the restoration of damaged historical buildings. The head of the Greek government also noted that no one forgets the crime Russia committed against Mariupol, many of whose residents are of Greek origin, as well as against Kyiv and other regions. "We condemn these war crimes committed on the territory of your country, which should be prosecuted by the International Court," the prime minister stressed. As reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived on a visit to Greece on August 21. Prior to that, he visited Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Ukraine and Greece signed a joint declaration of support for Ukraines Euro-Atlantic integration. The signing ceremony took place within the framework of President Volodymyr Zelenskys visit to Greece, Ukrinform reports with reference to the website of the Head of State. "The Hellenic Republic supports Ukraine to become NATO Member when Allies agree and conditions are met, as stated in the NATO Vilnius Summit Declaration.," the declaration reads. Greece also pledged to continue providing military, technical, defense, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. In addition, Greece promised to participate together with international organizations, allies, and partners in the post-war recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, following the meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in Athens, told the media that Greece is ready to support Ukraine on the way to full membership in the European Union and NATO. "Just as we supported granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country for EU membership, today I once again declare our readiness to support your European path," said Mitsotakis. He also recalled that Greece recently joined the joint declaration of G7 leaders on providing security guarantees to Ukraine. "Furthermore, you and I signed a joint declaration regarding Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic course, which serves as another proof that we are your supporters and companions," assured the Prime Minister of Greece. The head of the Greek government noted that since the outset of Russias full-scale invasion, Greece has in practice shown humanitarian and defense solidarity with Ukraine. According to him, this will continue in the future. Greece joined the G7 declaration of security guarantees for Ukraine. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said this during a press conference following the meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, Ukrinform reports. "Greece joined the G7 declaration of security guarantees for Ukraine. We will continue this work at the bilateral level to make the format of security guarantees a model for other states that need effective security guarantees. The world will definitely become more stable as a result of such joint security work," said the president of Ukraine. Zelensky also thanked Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for supporting Ukraine's European integration and recalled that as early as this year, Ukraine plans to start negotiations on EU membership. He also expressed gratitude for Greece's support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration. "This sends a much-needed signal that Greece seeks peace, just as we all in Ukraine seek a just peace," Zelensky said. As reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi arrived on Monday for a visit to Greece. Prior to that, he visited Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Photo: Presidents Office In the process of preparations for the Vilnius summit, Bulgaria supported the position of Ukraine's accession to NATO under an accelerated procedure. This was announced by Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev, who spoke at a briefing in Odesa, Ukrinform reports. "In the process of preparing for the Vilnius summit, Bulgaria supported this proposal as much as the circumstances allowed because joining NATO requires hostilities to end," said Todor Tagarev. He added that as soon as the war is over, Ukraine should have a very clear and quick alliance with NATO. "We support the final text of the Vilnius summit on Ukraine And according to the action plan, we can say that we have moved from several steps to one step for Ukraine, for joining NATO," added the Minister of Defense. As reported, the chief of staff of the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Stian Jenssen, suggested that Ukraine could become a member of NATO if it accepted certain territorial concessions to Russia. Ambassador Wang Qing, Deputy Minister of Defense Mauna Massaquoi, Chief of Defense Staff Lieutenant General Peter Lavahun and other guests were in attendance. The Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in the Republic of Sierra Leone together with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on 29th May, 2023 jointly organized a ceremony to bid farewell to the 6th Chinese Military Medical Expert Group(CMMEG) attached to the 34 Military Hospital in Freetown. Ambassador Wang applauded the CMMEG for their efforts in helping the Sierra Leonean prevent and control COVID-19 as well as upgrade the software and hardware of Infectious Diseases Surveillance System. Ambassador Wang p ositively appraised contribution to deepening the cooperation between the two countries and the two militaries, saying that China will continue to deepen the traditional friendship between China and Sierra Leone , promote the friendly cooperation between the two countries and the two militaries, and work together to build a China-Africa community with a shared future. the CMMEG's BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Foreign Ministers of the Caspian littoral states will meet in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a meeting with the ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on the occasion of the International Day of the Caspian Sea, Trend reports. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on a wide range of issues of multilateral cooperation in the Caspian region. They discussed further steps to develop cooperation in the format of the "five", including preparations for the upcoming meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states in Moscow. The meeting focused on the importance of discussing the practical implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea and other five-party documents adopted by the Caspian littoral states. Earlier, Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov noted the importance of this meeting at the conference "Caspian Sea - Sea of Peace and Friendship" held on August 12 on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea in the National Tourist Zone "Avaza". BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. The Lachin border checkpoint once again provided free passage of Karabakh residents of Armenian origin in the direction of Khankendi-Gorus, Trend reports. A total of 60 people passed through the Lachin checkpoint from Azerbaijan to Armenia. The documents of these persons were checked and their free movement was ensured. Representatives of foreign media also monitored the free passage of Armenians. Most of the people leaving Karabakh and heading to Armenia have taken Russian citizenship. Those passing through the border crossing point in the direction of Armenia are mostly individuals who are trying to foment separatism on the territory of Azerbaijan. Apparently, both they and those behind them have realized that they cannot continue this nefarious game with Azerbaijan, so they have come to the conclusion that leaving Karabakh is the only right way out. After the 44-day war, Baku declared on various platforms and at various levels that only those who respect the laws of Azerbaijan can live in the country. (@ChaudhryMAli88) DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 21st Aug, 2023) RTAs Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) is set for the new academic year 2023-2024 by rolling out advanced buses to serve about 25,000 students across Dubai. DTC's school transport fleet meets the highest quality and safety local and international standards, ensuring students' secure travel to and from school. Using DTC's extensive experience and resources, combined with investments in advanced technologies in school buses, highlights our strategic drive to boost the confidence of parents and the entire community while providing a safe and secure transportation environment for students during the school year." Such a drive, is aligned with the highest safety and monitoring standards observed in Dubai, will also promote the confidence of the Emirates Schools Establishment towards building a long-term partnership in delivering school transport services, said Ammar Rashid Al Braiki, Director of Fleet Operation, DTC. "DTC's school buses are equipped with a variety of smart features, including surveillance cameras, a system to ensure that no student is left behind at the end of each journey, a system to detect student movement in transit, and an emergency alert system for making immediate contact with the emergency management centre. Buses are also outfitted with advanced electronic tracking system using GPS technology and a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system to streamline the boarding and disembarkation of students as well as an automatic fire-suppression system for engines, he added. "DTC is eager to promote safe and responsible driving skills among school bus drivers and attendants by engaging them in specialized high-level training courses. DTC also conducts drills on the handling of emergency cases and First Aid to ensure that the team is ready and able to deal with any emergencies that may arise during the school transport process," said Al Braiki. It should be noted that DTC provides a wide range of services to clients and is committed to providing quality transportation services in order to meet consumer needs. It also focuses on upgrading the level of service by providing innovative and trendy offerings. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Hungarian companies will participate in the reconstruction of the Soltanli settlement of Azerbaijan's Karabakh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations of Hungary Peter Szijjarto said, Trend reports. "An Azerbaijani government-approved consortium of Hungarian firms will carry out the reconstruction," he said. He also added that Hungary and Azerbaijan have taken their energy cooperation to a new level with the establishment of a physical gas transportation connection through a storage contract. "This signifies a significant step in our bilateral strategic collaboration. Hungary and Azerbaijan have initiated a gas supply agreement involving the storage of 50 million cubic meters of gas in Hungary, and the gas flow has already commenced. This development is viewed as a positive contribution to Hungary's energy security," Szijjarto noted. Earlier, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary Tamas Torma said in an exclusive interview with Trend that Hungary was among the first countries to express its interest to participate in the rebuilding and reconstruction works on the liberated territories. "And we have reiterated our intention at various high-level meetings since then. Our companies participated at the Rebuild Karabakh EXPO in October 2021, as well as between 19-21 October 2022," said the ambassador. Torma pointed out that the potential spheres of cooperation, such as infrastructural, urban and agricultural development, have already been identified. "At the moment, we are working on promoting concrete projects in these areas. It is important to note that the Hungarian EXIM Bank has a special credit line of 120 million dollars for financing joint projects by interested Hungarian and Azerbaijani companies," the ambassador added. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Athens, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2023 ) :A man was found dead in a wildfire raging north of Athens Monday, firefighters said, as they battled fresh blazes across the country. "An old shepherd ran to his sheepfold to save the animals and was retrieved dead, a spokesman from the fire brigade told AFP in Boeotia, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Athens. People on a beach and in two communities near the fire were told to evacuate. Around 60 firefighters assisted by four water-bombing planes were battling the flames, an official from the fire service told AFP. Another wildfire broke out on the island of Evia, where 42 firefighters had been deployed backed up by four planes. Civil protection authorities warned of an "extreme" fire risk in the region around Athens and other parts of southern Greece. Fires also continued to burn out of control for a third day in northeastern Greece near the port city of Alexandroupolis. Seven firefighters and one volunteer had to be taken to hospital with injuries, the official said. Some 12 communities have been evacuated over the weekend and civil protection authorities urged residents to remain indoors due to the smoke. The very hot and dry conditions which increase the fire risk will persist until Friday, according to meteorologists. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Quito, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2023 ) :Heavily-armed security officers kept watch Sunday as Ecuadorans voted in a presidential election marked by the murder of a top candidate and despair over the lawlessness that has engulfed the once-peaceful nation. Soldiers and police searched voters at the entry to polling stations, while some of the eight presidential candidates wore helmets and bulletproof vests to cast their ballots. The small South American country has in recent years become a playground for foreign drug mafias seeking to export cocaine from its shores, stirring up a brutal war between local gangs. The murder of serious presidential contender Fernando Villavicencio on the campaign trail just 11 days before the vote underscored the challenges facing the country. "The most serious problem is insecurity," said voter Eva Hurtado, 40, as she left a polling station north of the capital Quito on Sunday morning. "So many crimes, assassinations, disappearances. We are afraid." "Security, above all the security of our families, of our people, must be improved," said public worker Luis Veloso, 52. Villavicencio's assassination has reshuffled the electoral cards, with none of the eight contenders expected to get an absolute majority -- likely forcing a runoff on October 15. Ecuadorans were picking a successor to conservative leader Guillermo Lasso, who called a snap election to avoid an impeachment trial just two years after coming to power. "Ecuador approaches this election day in a difficult situation, but at the same time full of hope," Lasso said as polls opened. - Lawyer, reporter, sniper - Leading the polls before Villavicencio's murder was Luisa Gonzalez, 45, a lawyer from the leftist party of former president Rafael Correa. Villavicencio, who was polling second before his murder, was replaced last-minute by a close friend, another journalist, Christian Zurita, who witnessed his gunning down. Hours ahead of the vote, Zurita said he was receiving death threats on social media. "The threats against my life and my team will not stop us, but they are forcing us to take greater security protocols," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that his party had alerted authorities and election observers. Political analysts say the candidate who has seen the biggest boost to his popularity is 40-year-old right-wing businessman Jan Topic. Nicknamed "Rambo," the former paratrooper and sniper with the French Foreign Legion has vowed to wipe out criminal gangs and build more prisons, emulating El Salvador's Nayib Bukele. While casting his ballot, Topic urged voters to elect "the candidate who has the experience, the will, and the plan to eradicate violence in the country." Other leading candidates are right-wing former vice president Otto Sonnenholzner and leftist Indigenous attorney Yaku Perez. In one of the world's most biodiverse countries, two key referendums are taking place on Sunday alongside the election. One will ask voters to choose whether to continue oil drilling in the Amazon, and another focuses on whether to forbid mining activities in the Choco Andino forest. - Brutal gang war - Ecuador was once seen as a haven of peace wedged between cocaine-producing nations Colombia and Peru. The small country straddles the Andes and the Amazon, and was best known as the world's top exporter of bananas and home to the biodiverse Galapagos Islands, where British scientist Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution. However, in the past five years its large ports, lax security and corruption have lured foreign cartels that have come under increased pressure from the war on drugs in Mexico and Colombia. A struggle for power between local gangs has mostly played out in prisons, where 430 have been killed since 2021, leaving a trail of dismembered and burned bodies. "Ecuadorans are going to vote with three feelings: fear of insecurity... pessimism regarding the economic situation and distrust of the political class," political scientist Santiago Cahuasqui of the SEK International University told AFP. In 2022, the country hit a record of 26 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, higher than the rate in Colombia, Mexico or Brazil. Voters will also elect members of the 137-seat parliament. Initial results are expected to trickle in late Sunday, with a final tally expected in 10 days. To win in the first round a candidate must capture 40 percent of the vote or come 10 points ahead of their nearest competitor. The new president will take office on October 26 and will serve only the remainder of Lasso's term, a year and a half. An accountability court on Monday extended physical remand of former chief minister Punjab and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi till August 29, in a case registered over alleged kickbacks in development projects LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2023 ) :An accountability court on Monday extended physical remand of former chief minister Punjab and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi till August 29, in a case registered over alleged kickbacks in development projects. Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials produced Parvez Elahi before Accountability Court Judge Zubair Shahzad Kiyani on expiry of his physical remand term. Prosecutor Waris Janjua represented the bureau and pleaded with the court to extend physical remand of Parvez Elahi for another 14 days to complete investigations. However, Elahi's counsel Advocate Amjad Parvez submitted that the Supreme Court had ordered the Lahore High Court (LHC) to decide the matter of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi's arrest till August 21. He submitted that the LHC had not heard the matter so far and its hearing was scheduled to be held today. He submitted: "We have no objection if the court approves Elahi's physical remand for a reasonable time". To a court query, the counsel submitted that he did not have objection if the remand was extended till Monday. He also requested the court to allow check-up of Parvez Elahi by his personal doctor. Subsequently, the court extended the physical remand of Parvez Elahi for another 8 days and ordered for producing him on August 29. NAB had accused Parvez Elahi of receiving over Rs 1 billion as kickbacks through intermediaries in more than 200 development projects of Gujrat district, during his second term as chief minister Punjab. (@Abdulla99267510) DIG Jiskani of Sukkur division verifies that the medical report corroborated evidence of both physical and sexual assault on Fatima SUKKUR: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 21st, 2023) Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Sukkur, Javed Jiskani, confirmed on Monday the occurrence of a 'sexual assault' on the minor maid, Fatima, who tragically passed away at Pir Haveli in Ranipur. DIG Jiskani of Sukkur division verified that the medical report corroborated evidence of both physical and sexual assault on Fatima. The authorities have collected DNA samples from Pir Haveli residents, with the aim of identifying the perpetrator responsible for Fatima's rape, according to the top court. Furthermore, two individuals from the Haveli have reportedly gone 'missing' since the incident. DIG Jiskani pledged unwavering commitment to delivering justice for Fatima, irrespective of the culprits' level of influence. The revelation emerged after distressing video clips of Fatima's body displaying severe torture marks circulated widely on social media. In the footage, the gravely injured girl struggled to sit up on her bed before collapsing. Earlier, the arrest of Ali Hassan Wassan, the Medical Superintendent (MS) of Ranipur Rural Health Centre, was executed for allegedly aiding prime suspect Asad Shah and concealing information related to the tragic case of the housemaid, Fatima. The body of young Fatima was exhumed for a post-mortem examination, and body samples were collected under the supervision of medical board members and a Judicial Magistrate on Saturday. The preliminary post-mortem report revealed that Fatima's body was in an early stage of decomposition, displaying discoloration on one side of her face. The report documented torture marks on various parts of her body, including her eyes, waist, forehead, feet, knees, and hands. Certain samples were sent to the laboratory for microbiology testing, as stated in the report. (@FahadShabbir) The Lahore High Court (LHC) was informed on Monday that Advocate Haider Majeed, a lawyer affiliated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had been handed over to the army for investigation and trial in a case of attacking the Jinnah House (corps commander's house in Lahore), during May-9 vandalism LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2023 ) :The Lahore High Court (LHC) was informed on Monday that Advocate Haider Majeed, a lawyer affiliated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had been handed over to the army for investigation and trial in a case of attacking the Jinnah House (corps commander's house in Lahore), during May-9 vandalism. It was stated in a report filed by police authorities through Additional Advocate General (AAG) Punjab Ghulam Sarwar Nihang before Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad who was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Muhammad Majeed for the recovery of his son, Haider Majeed. The AAG further submitted that Haider Majeed and Hassaan Niazi were arrested from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and they were handed over to the army on two separate letters by the commanding officer after fulfilling all legal requirements under Section 2 of Pakistan Army Act 1952. Subsequently, the court adjourned further proceedings till Tuesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a US-based international watchdog body, Monday called on the Indian authorities to immediately unblock the website and social media accounts of the independent Kashmiri news outlet ,'The Kashmir Walla', and to stop persecuting journalists NEW YORK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2023 ) :The Committee to Protect Journalists, a US-based international watchdog body, Monday called on the Indian authorities to immediately unblock the website and social media accounts of the independent Kashmiri news outlet ,'The Kashmir Walla', and to stop persecuting journalists. 'The Kashmir Walla' became inaccessible in India on Saturday following an order by India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to block its website under the IT Act without any prior notice, according to a statement by The Kashmir Walla, and news reports. 'The Kashmir Walla,' which is known for its human rights reporting in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, said its accounts on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, were also blocked, describing the government's action as "opaque censorship" and "gut-wrenching". The media outlet said it also received an eviction notice from the landlord of its office in Srinagar, the largest city in Jammu and Kashmir, on the same day. "The Indian government's arbitrary ban on The Kashmir Walla's website and social media accounts marks a new low for press freedom in the region," Beh Lih Yi, CPJ's Asia programme coordinator, said in a statement released in Kuala Lumpur. "If the Indian government aims to be taken seriously as a democracy, it must promptly reinstate The Kashmir Walla's website and accounts, and put an end to the persecution, harassment, and arrest of journalists in Kashmir," she said. A screenshot of The Kashmir Walla's Facebook page on August 21, 2023, shows a black screen with the words, "This content isn't available at the moment." The blocking of The Kashmir Walla's website and social media accounts is the latest move to stifle the press in Muslim-majority Kashmir, where dozens of journalists have been attacked, imprisoned, and forced to flee as the government has tightened its control following the repeal in 2019 of the region's constitutional autonomy. Fahad Shah, the editor and founder of The Kashmir Walla, has been detained for 18 months and is on trial for terrorism over a 2011 opinion piece published by the outlet, while Sajad Gul, a trainee reporter with the website, has been held since January 2022 under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act. CPJ said it tried to access The Kashmir Walla's website in India on Monday, the page showed a message saying, "The website has been blocked as per order of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under IT Act, 2000." Similarly, The Kashmir Walla's Facebook page, which has 476,000 followers, said, "This content isn't available at the moment" and its X page said, "@tkwmag's account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand."CJP said the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, did not immediately respond to its emailed request for comment. The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the envoys of Denmark and the Netherlands over continued desecration of Islam's holy book, the Quran, said Turkish diplomatic sources ANKARA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2023 ) :The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the envoys of Denmark and the Netherlands over continued desecration of islam's holy book, the Quran, said Turkish diplomatic sources. The ministry expressed its dissatisfaction with these continued "vile attacks" to the charge d'affaires of the Denmark Embassy and minister counsellor of the Netherlands in Ankara, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media. "It was once again emphasized that Trkiye condemns and protests these actions in the strongest possible terms," they added. The move came after the continuation of the burning of Quran in front of Trkiye's embassies in Copenhagen and The Hague, as well as the embassies of some Muslim countries. Islamophobic figures and groups in Northern Europe in recent months have repeatedly carried out Quran burnings and similar attempts to desecrate the Muslim holy book, drawing outrage from Muslim countries and the world. Gulf Park Campus Expands Academic Faculty to Educate Students on Coastal Resilience Mon, 08/21/2023 - 12:32pm | By: Cynthia Habeeb The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is proud to announce the expansion of its academic faculty for the School of Social Work at the USM Gulf Park campus, with a focus on educating students about the challenges and resilience of coastal communities. This initiative aims to prepare students for the unique situations they may encounter within a coastal community, including the aftermath of natural disasters. Coastal resilience is symbolic of the precarious position that coastal communities often find themselves in, as well as their ability to rebound and thrive after significant events. With the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, future professionals will require a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in working with clients in coastal communities. Dr. Erica Morgan and Dr. Deslie Bonano-Broussard, each with more than 22 years of experience in a coastal community environment, will be joining the academic faculty at the Gulf Park campus. They have worked closely with patients during challenging times, including the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Their firsthand experience and expertise will provide students with invaluable insights into the unique situations they may encounter when working with clients in coastal communities, states Dr. Jacob Breland, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Coastal USM. "It is important to me that students have a full understanding of the unique situations they may find themselves in with a client," says Dr. Jerome Kolbo, Director and Professor for the School of Social Work at Gulf Park. "It is not just about everyday interactions, but also about how individuals cope with the aftermath of natural disasters in a coastal community." Dr. Deslie Bonano-Broussard Dr. Deslie Bonano-Broussard earned her MSW from The University of Southern Mississippi and a DSW from Tulane University. Broussard has previously worked in areas of adoption and family preservation. Currently, she has a private practice in Picayune, MS. In addition, Broussard is a volunteer grant writer for Family Helping Families, a doctoral student mentor at Tulane University and a trauma-informed yoga teacher. She recently served on the doctoral accreditation committee at Tulane School of Social Work. Her research focuses on clinical and adjunctive treatments for traumatic stress. Dr. Erica Morgan Dr. Morgan received her MSW from Louisiana State University and DSW from Tulane. Her extensive background includes working in various settings, from traditional outpatient to residential care in public mental health, private practice, private hospitals and non-profit organizations. She has also been actively involved in suicide prevention efforts, serving as Vice-President and Board Member of the St. Tammany Outreach for the Prevention of Suicide (STOPS) from 2010 to 2019. The John Peace Library Starbucks underwent a full renovation over the summer. AUGUST 21, 2023 This fall, Roadrunners can enjoy new dining locations at the Main Campus, as well as fresh new looks for existing favorites. These new and refreshed locations are open today, ready to enhance Roadrunners campus dining experience so they can properly kick off the fall semester. NEW LOCATIONS Prime Grill Located in the Student Union Food Court, Prime Grill is one of latest sizzling hotspots for people looking to grab a quick bite to eat between classes. The menu features smash burgers, juicy chicken tenders, fries, coleslaw, Texas toast and more. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Fridays, Prime Grill is equipped with Grubhub Ultimate technology for a fast, convenient ordering experience. Smash burgers from the new Prime Grill on campus. Pizza Hut The Business Building RowdyMart, always a convenient location to drop in for quick snacks and grab-and-go offerings, now includes a brand-new Pizza Hut for those stopping by in search of a warm, full meal. Open from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays, Pizza Hut options include personal pan pizzas and pasta. Mr. Meximum Food Truck Rolling into the Sombrilla Plaza this fall, the new Mr. Meximum Food Truck is on a mission to deliver great food and friendly service to the Roadrunner community. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Mr. Meximum is a good spot for lunch or a tasty and filling afternoon snack. Stop by to try their quesadillas, hearty burritos, tacos and more. University of Wyoming Libraries recently awarded alternative textbook grants to six faculty members to implement open educational resources (OER) in their classes for the 2023-24 academic year. The open course materials and textbooks resulting from the grants are projected to save UW students more than $30,400 per semester. Grants are awarded to instructors who adopt, adapt or create new open textbooks or other learning materials for their courses. This round, we saw applications from two previous grant recipients who have completed and implemented their previous projects, says Sammy Peter, chair of research and instruction at UW Libraries. Its a demonstration of the impact OER can have on student engagement to see faculty thoughtfully transition additional courses to OER. The grant recipients are: College of Arts and Sciences -- Tiger Robison, an assistant professor in the Department of Music. Robison teaches Aural Theory III. He will create an open text for this course, which will complete his work transitioning this course series to open texts. College of Engineering and Physical Sciences -- Cedar Wiseman, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He will adopt an existing OER textbook for his high-enrollment Calculus I course. College of Health Sciences -- Margaret Holland, an assistant professor, and Greta Maxfield, an assistant lecturer, both in the Division of Social Work. They will collaborate to design two new textbooks for Human Rights, Social Justice and Social Policy and Social Welfare Policy: Human Rights and Social Justice. Their project will focus on these topics -- both in the West and in Wyoming -- and replace three traditional textbooks. -- Katelyn Kotlarek, an assistant professor in the Division of Communication Disorders. Kotlarek teaches Anatomy and Physiology of Speech, Swallowing and Hearing. She will design a new open lab manual for this course that will include a user guide, assignments and other supplementary materials. -- Sandra Leotti, an assistant professor in the Division of Social Work. Leotti teaches Human Behavior and the Social Environment. She will adopt an existing OER book for her course, which is a required foundational course for all Master of Social Work students. UW Libraries will award another round of grants for the spring semester. Additionally, UW has increased funding amounts. Grant awards will now range from $2,500 to $5,000. Interested applicants are required to attend the OER 101 workshop Wednesday, Oct. 4, before submitting grant applications. Proposals will be evaluated on a number of categories outlined in the scoring rubric developed by members of UW Libraries OER Committee. Proposals are due Tuesday, Oct. 31. For more information, visit https://uwyo.edu/oer or email Peter at scook13@uwyo.edu. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. On August 21 from 07:05 (GMT+4) to 07:20 (GMT+4) Armenian illegal armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, made an attempt to install long-term fortifications in front of the Azerbaijani Army positions located in Khojaly district, informs Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Trend reports. "As a result of urgent measures taken by the units of the Azerbaijani Army, the works were immediately stopped," the ministry says. In addition, from 09:30 (GMT+4) to 10:10 (GMT+4) units of the Armenian armed forces from positions in the direction of Yukhary Shorja and Yukhary Zagali settlements of Basarkechar district subjected the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Zaylik and Bazirkhana settlements of Kalbajar district to fire from various small arms. "Azerbaijani Army units took retaliatory measures in all the mentioned directions," the report reads. Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. The date of the next summit of the leaders of the Organization of Turkic States' (OTS) member countries has become known, the press service of OTS said, Trend reports. The 10th OTS Summit will be held on November 3, 2023, in Turkestan. In addition, a meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member countries of the OTS will take place on November 2. The previous OTS summit was held in Uzbekistan's Samarkand in 2022. Rights activists and opposition political leaders in Bangladesh have expressed concerns over the countrys draft Cyber Security Act, saying it is as repressive as the existing controversial Digital Security Act that it is set to replace. The activists, along with journalists and opposition parties, have long demanded the scrapping of the DSA widely criticized as a law to harass people and silence dissent. Law minister Anisul Huq said on August 7 that the government would replace the DSA with the CSA in the better interest of the people. We have not scrapped the DSA but are amending it. Many of the clauses of this act, which were not bailable before [in the DSA] will be bailable now [in the CSA]. To stop the misuse and abuse of the DSA, we have changed its name. By evaluating the amended legislation correctly now, we have named it the Cyber Security Act, Huq said. Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, liaison officer of the Hong Kong-based rights group Asian Legal Resource Center, told VOA the government of Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has disregarded the independent human rights experts of the United Nations by keeping some provisions of the DSA in the new measure. While renaming the DSA, by keeping its repressive provisions largely unchanged and deciding to carry on the existing cases against the dissidents, the regime clearly aims to continue muzzling free expression and intensify arbitrary incarceration of citizens in the run-up to the general elections, Ashrafuzzaman said. Enacted under Sheikh Hasina The DSA, enacted in 2018, has long been called a black act by critics for its alleged misuse against dissenters and freedom of expression. Last year, Human Rights Watch reported that the Bangladeshi government used the DSA to harass and indefinitely detain people critical of the government, resulting in a chilling effect on the expression of dissent. In March, Volker Turk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, called for the immediate suspension of the DSA, noting that it was being used to arrest, harass and intimidate journalists and human rights defenders, and to muzzle critical voices online. CSA a photocopy of DSA During the runup to the general elections in 2018, the government cracked down heavily on opposition activists, arresting many of them on charges of resorting to violence and indulging in subversive activities. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest opposition party in the country, said its leaders and activists faced trumped up charges to keep them away from the elections. The elections were marred that year by allegations of vote rigging by the ruling Awami League party, a charge the party president, Hasina, repeatedly denied. According to the information provided by the BNP, in the past five years, more than 30,000 cases were filed under the DSA, resulting in at least 17,150 arrests. The BNPs information and technology affairs secretary said at least 11,285 of those arrested under the DSA were from the BNP and other opposition parties and 368 were journalists. AKM Wahiduzzaman also told VOA that the law has been largely used to keep opposition leaders, activists and journalists from criticizing what he termed the governments malpractices and anti-people activities. The CSA is nothing but a photocopy of the DSA. Under the CSA too, the police will have a free hand to arrest anyone they want, without any warrant, Wahiduzzaman said. The Ministry of Law and Justice has not responded to a VOA email requesting comment on the issue. U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Hawaii on Monday to meet with officials and survivors and survey damage from wildfires that devastated Maui. The Bidens arrived at Kahului Airport and were greeted by Hawaii Governor Josh Green and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation before boarding Marine One to survey the devastation caused by the fires. The fires earlier this month left widespread destruction in the seaside town of Lahaina, killing at least 114 people. Governor Green has said the toll is expected to rise with efforts to find missing people still in progress. Green told CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday that search teams had gone through 85% of the search zone, but that the remaining sections could take weeks. He said more than 1,000 people were still unaccounted for. "Tomorrow the president arrives, and I'll be making the case to make sure our recovery comes as quickly as possible," Green said in a video posted late Sunday. He also referenced concerns about rebuilding in Lahaina and respecting Native Hawaiian culture, saying that his administration "will listen to the voices of Lahaina to tell us how and when we rebuild." Some information for this story came from The Associated Press and Reuters. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine use earthworms dried to a powder or distilled in liquid to treat fevers, arthritis, asthma and bronchitis. But overharvesting in China has nearly wiped out the countrys earthworm population. Now, hunters are poaching and purchasing earthworms unearthed in Vietnam, upsetting Vietnamese farmers who depend on them to keep their fields fertile and environment balanced. The earthworm rush has plagued Vietnams northern provinces, as poachers, driven by bounty offered by Chinese merchants, trespass private fields or fruit orchards to catch the invertebrate, the online VnExpress news outlet reported. Most of the hunters are Vietnamese, eager to cash in on the Chinese demand. The rush is yet another marker in the sometimes fraught, centuries-long relationship between China and Vietnam, its largest trading partner. The two nations have long been locked in a territorial dispute over islands, fishing grounds, and drilling rights for oil and gas in the South China Sea. Now, orange farmers in Hoa Binh province are on 24-hour alert to stop earthworm poachers, according to a VTC News report. The farmers have asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to help. VOA Vietnamese contacted the ministry but received no response. Catching earthworms is easy money for poachers, Vietnamnet newspaper reported, with each kilogram of wet earthworms fetching between $3 to $3.30. Some poachers can capture up to 100 to 120 kilograms of earthworms per night, earning hundreds of dollars, according to Vietnamnet. Using a battery-powered device, the hunters use electric pulses to flush the earthworms above ground. They then gut and dry the earthworms before selling them to Chinese merchants, Vietnamnet said. The practice has led to an extinction-level ecological disaster in China, where poachers now face a crackdown that has sent them to Vietnam. Dilong have been overfished in China, so Chinese merchants have to look to Vietnam, Vo Tong Xuan, an agronomist who is also president of Nam Can Tho University, told VOA Vietnamese in a phone interview, referring to the Chinese name for the earthworm, which means earth dragon. Biologist Nguyen Lan Hung, a professor at the Hanoi National University of Education and chief of the Vietnam Association of Biological Sciences, pointed to the earthworms utility in traditional medicine to explain why they are valued. During the anti-French independence war, our soldiers used to eat earthworms to treat malaria. Now, they are sourced to make cardiovascular or neurologic drugs, Hung told VOA by phone. Both Xuan and Hung warned that earthworm electrocutions damage soil quality, crops and the overall ecosystem. Xuan emphasized the earthworms role in keeping soil loose, porous and ultimately fertile. With earthworms absent, soil becomes so compacted [that] roots find it hard to absorb water, Xuan said. Crop yields deteriorate over time, while poorer water retention may result in inundation. He added that the electric current also destroys microorganisms essential for tree growth. Hung hailed the earthworm as the natural plowman" and warned that the electrocutions will eventually lead to their obliteration. Although earthworm eggs are abundant, their hatchings cannot keep up with the rate of electrocution harvesting, he said. While the Vietnamese cannot ban the traders, Xuan said farmers should resist the temptation of profiting from Chinese market demand. He would like Vietnam to criminalize the gathering of earthworms with electricity. For now, detained poachers are released after authorities confiscate their devices and catches, according to VTC News. Those detained must also pledge to not electrocute more earthworms in the future, VTC News said. Nguyen Quang A, founder of the Hanoi-based Institute of Development Studies and an outspoken government critic, told VOA Vietnamese the earthworm situation certainly feeds into the anti-China narrative. Weve seen such incidents happen from time to time in the last couple of decades, one after another, he said. In the past, Chinese demand for buffalo hooves, leeches, cashew leaves and young areca nuts has caused environmental damage in Vietnam. Nguyen Quang A said to quell toxic anti-Chinese sentiment, the government should initiate talks with China to stop sourcing from Vietnam to meet sudden market demand. Hung recommended commercial farming of earthworms to prevent poaching, based on Vietnams experience with raising compost worms for use as livestock feed. An oil tanker long suspected of carrying sanctioned Iranian crude oil offloaded its cargo near Texas on Sunday, tracking data showed, even as Tehran has threatened to target shipping in the Persian Gulf over it. Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Marshall Islands-flagged Suez Rajan began the hourslong ship-to-ship transfer of its oil to another tanker, the MR Euphrates, near Galveston, some 70 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of Houston. The fate of the cargo aboard the Suez Rajan has become mired in the wider tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic, even as Tehran and Washington work toward a trade of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets in South Korea for the release of five Iranian-Americans held in Tehran. Iran has been trying to evade sanctions and continue selling its oil abroad, while the U.S. and its allies have been seizing cargoes since 2019 after the country's nuclear deal allowing the trade collapsed. Already, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has warned that those involved in offloading the Suez Rajan's cargo "should expect to be struck back." The U.S. Navy has increased its presence steadily in recent weeks in the Mideast, sending the troop-and-aircraft-carrying USS Bataan through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days and considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the strait to stop Iran from seizing additional ships. The Los Angeles-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management, which owned the vessel up until late May, repeatedly declined to comment publicly. Greek firms Empire Navigation, which operates the vessel, and Alma Maritime Ltd., the ship's new owner, did not respond to requests for comment. The saga over the Suez Rajan began in February 2022, when the group United Against Nuclear Iran said it suspected the tanker carried oil from Iran's Khargh Island, its main oil distribution terminal in the Persian Gulf. For months, the ship sat in the South China Sea off the northeast coast of Singapore before suddenly sailing for the Gulf of Mexico without explanation. Analysts believe the vessel's cargo likely has been seized by American officials, though there still were no public court documents early Sunday involving the Suez Rajan. In the meantime, Iran has seized two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, including one with cargo for U.S. oil major Chevron Corp. In July, the top commander of the Revolutionary Guard's naval arm threatened further action against anyone offloading the Suez Rajan, with state media linking the recent seizures to the cargo's fate. "We hereby declare that we would hold any oil company that sought to unload our crude from the vessel responsible and we also hold America responsible," Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri said at the time. "The era of hit and run is over, and if they hit, they should expect to be struck back." Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment over the offloading of the Suez Rajan. The state-run IRNA news agency acknowledged this AP story, but did not elaborate. Western-backed naval organizations in the Persian Gulf in recent days also warned of an increased risk of ship seizures from Iran around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers saw it regain the ability to sell oil openly on the international market. But in 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord and re-imposed American sanctions. That slammed the door on much of Iran's lucrative crude oil trade, a major engine for its economy and its government. It also began a cat-and-mouse hunt for Iranian oil cargo as well as series of escalating attacks attributed to Iran since 2019. The delay in offloading the Suez Rajan's cargo had become a political issue as well for the Biden administration as the ship had sat for months in the Gulf of Mexico, possibly due to companies being worried about the threat from Iran. In a letter dated Wednesday, a group of Democratic and Republican U.S. senators asked the White House for an update on what was happening with the ship's cargo, estimated to be worth some $56 million. They said the money could go toward the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which compensates those affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, the 1979 Iran hostage crisis and other militant assaults. "We owe it to these American families to enforce our sanctions," the letter read. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, one of the letter's co-signers, said in a statement Sunday that "no foreign adversary should question America's strength." "To ensure this never happens again, the Biden administration must enforce our existing sanctions, stop greenlighting the (Guard's) terrorism and hostage 'diplomacy' and end this posture of appeasement to a nation that chants 'death to America,'" she said. The U.S. Treasury has said Iran's oil smuggling revenue supports the Quds Force, the expeditionary unit of the Revolutionary Guard that operates across the Mideast. Claire Jungman, the chief of staff at United Against Nuclear Iran, praised the transfer finally happening. "By depriving the (Guard) of crucial resources, we strike a blow against terrorism that targets not only American citizens but also our global allies and partners," Jungman told the AP. On Sunday, Iranian state media released a video dated Thursday that showed the USS Bataan with small Guard fast boats trailing it as it traveled through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world's oil passes. One portion appeared to have been taken from a drone above the Bataan, while another claimed that the Guard hailed the Bataan over the radio and threatened to "open fire" on an American helicopter if it entered Iranian airspace. Cmdr. Rick Chernitzer, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, acknowledged to the AP that the Bataan had transited through the strait in recent days. A photograph earlier released by the Navy showed F-35 fighter jets providing cover for the Bataan and the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship accompanying it. "The U.S. Navy will continue to fly and sail where international law allows," Chernitzer said. "The Ecuadorean people have won," the 35-year-old Noboa told journalists in Guayaquil. "The youth candidate, of the people who are seeking hope, who want to change Ecuador, has triumphed." Former lawmaker Daniel Noboa, son of prominent banana businessman and former presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa, was a surprise second-place with 24% of the vote. "We are celebrating because we are making history, even though so many of us have been ignored, today we begin moving toward a different history," Gonzalez told journalists and supporters at an event in southern Quito. Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa who has promised to revive his social programs, was tallying 33% support, with more than 70% of ballot boxes counted, according to figures from the National Electoral Council. Leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez and surprise challenger, business scion Daniel Noboa, won the first round of Ecuador's presidential election, beating out six rivals in a race clouded by the murder of anti-graft candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Noboa said he looked forward to a second round against Gonzalez, scheduled for Oct. 15. Anti-corruption candidate Villavicencio, who was fatally shot as he left a campaign event earlier this month, was tallying 16%. Villavicencio has been replaced by fellow investigative journalist Christian Zurita, but appeared on the ballot because they were printed before his murder. Zurita, along with several other candidates, conceded defeat on Sunday evening. Candidates had pledged to fight sharp increases in crime, which the current government blames on drug gangs, and improve the struggling economy, whose woes have caused an uptick in unemployment and migration. Security took center stage in the contest after Villavicencio's killing. Other candidates have reported attacks against them, although in several cases police have said that the violence was not directed at the hopefuls themselves. Gonzalez supporters gathering ahead of a speech by her said they wanted a return of Correa's programs and better work opportunities. "I feel that as a woman she will fight for the people," said Fany Tarqui, 52, who brought her two daughters and their dog to the rally. "I want peace and sources of work." "Work is scarce for everyone, that's why migration has gotten so high," said retired teacher Wilson Lopez, 64. Six suspects, all Colombians who police say belong to criminal gangs, were charged with Villavicencio's murder and are being held in custody. Another suspect died from wounds sustained in a shootout with authorities. Cyberattacks A webpage set up for some Ecuadoreans living abroad to cast their ballots suffered cyberattacks, the head of the national electoral council said, but the integrity of the vote was not affected by the issue. The cyberattacks on the webpage for voters abroad were launched from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia and China, said council president Diana Atamaint. "The online platform suffered cyberattacks that affected the fluidity of access to voting. We clarify and emphasize that the recorded votes have not been violated," Atamaint said. Multiple candidates had denounced problems with the webpage and Gonzalez called on Sunday evening for a do-over of the foreign vote. More than 82% of those required to vote did so, Atamaint added. Voting is mandatory for those between 18 and 65. Gonzalez has promised to free up $2.5 billion from international reserves to bolster Ecuador's economy and bring back million-dollar social initiatives implemented by Correa who has since been convicted of corruption during his decade in power. Noboa seemingly gained support after performing well in the only televised debate of the campaign. A lawmaker until current President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the national assembly and called early elections, Noboa has focused his campaign on job creation, tax incentives for new businesses and jail sentences for serious tax evasion. Also on Sunday's ballot were two environmental referendums that could block mining in a forest near Quito and development of an oil block in the Amazon. The vote on the Yasuni oil block showed support for a ban on development leading with 58% support, with about 24% of ballot boxes counted. A ban on mining in the Choco Andino forest was also winning with 67% support. Correa's Citizens' Revolution party was leading the count for seats in the national assembly, with about 40% support, while Villavicencio's Construye party tallied 21%, with about 35% of ballot boxes counted. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu visited Russia and Belarus this past week in a show of support as the West seeks to isolate the two for Russias invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. sanctioned Li in 2018 for Chinas purchases of Russian weapons. On August 15, Chinas state-run newspaper the Global Times, citing Russias Sputnik news agency, quoted Li praising the Sino-Russian military cooperation as open, transparent and conducive to peace and stability: [T]he two countries' military relations have set a model in non-alignment, non-confrontational cooperation that does not target any third party. That is false. China and Russia are aligning their foreign policies and military strategies to undermine the Western-led liberal-democratic world order. Given that Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and China is eyeing Taiwan, their alignment is confrontational and targets third parties. The Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), a U.S. government-funded defense think tank based in Arlington, Virginia, noted in May that Chinas and Russias security interests have been increasingly overlapping for some time. The Putin-Xi February 2022 joint statement, made just before Russias invasion of Ukraine, demonstrated an increase in overlap in the two sides security concerns, with both leaders focusing on the threat posed by the United States and NATO to international security in general and to their own countries in particular, CNA reported. During Lis first visit to Russia this past April, the two countries issued a statement vowing to take military cooperation to a new level. Li met with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on August 17. The Global Times reported that during their meeting, Lukashenko said military cooperation between Beijing and Minsk is not intended to target any third country. Ukraine Contrary to Lis claim that China and Russia have set a model in non-alignment, non-confrontational cooperation that does not target any third party, the two countries are backing each others military moves against third countries. Russia invaded and illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, and then launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Citing unnamed U.S. officials, various media outlets reported last week that nearly half a million Ukrainian and Russian troops have been killed or wounded since Russia launched its invasion. More than 11 million Ukrainians have been displaced, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR). While Russias invasion of Ukraine has met with international condemnation, China has refused to officially condemn Russia, insisting that [d]ialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. In February, the Stimson Center, a Washington D.C. think tank, described Chinas strategy as pro-Russia neutrality, meaning Beijing is not actively taking a side in the Ukraine conflict, but is clearly pro-Russian in its rhetoric and propaganda. Still, the BBC last March quoted Maria Shagina, an expert in economic sanctions at the U.K.s International Institute of Strategic Studies, as saying that China was exploiting the gray space between military and civilian purposes by sending high-tech products, including semiconductors, to support Moscow in its war effort. Earlier this month, Politico reported that China is pushing right up to a red line in delivering enough nonlethal, but militarily useful, equipment to Russia to have a material impact on President Vladimir Putins 17-month-old war on Ukraine. Politico added: The protective gear would be sufficient to equip many of the men mobilized by Russia since the invasion. Then there are drones that can be used to direct artillery fire or drop grenades, and thermal optical sights to target the enemy at night. A declassified report by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence in July concluded that support from China was critical to Russias ability to continue waging its war against Ukraine. Taiwan Meanwhile, its no secret that China has been eyeing neighboring Taiwan. On August 19, Beijing launched military drills around the island after Taiwans Vice President William Lai stopped off in San Francisco and New York City as part of a visit to Paraguay. The Associated Press reported that Chinas Defense Ministry said the military drills were a stern warning over what it called collusion between separatists and foreign forces. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province and vows to eventually unify the island by any means. Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949, with the current administration favoring independence. Chinas leader Xi Jinping said in 2022 that China would strive for peaceful reunification, but would never promise to give up the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures." China has been flexing its military muscle by conducting military drills around Taiwan, with the Peoples Liberation Army sending fighter jets almost daily into Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). In August 2022, the PLA held its largest military exercises around Taiwan in recent years after then-U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited the island. China launched live-fire military exercises encircling Taiwan that lasted three days and included firing ballistic missiles over the island, some of which landed in the exclusive economic zones of Japan and the Philippines. The exercises were held much closer to the Taiwanese mainland then previous ones, with some of them reaching into Taiwans territorial waters. In a joint Sino-Russian statement in March, Moscow said it reaffirms its adherence to the one-China principle, recognizes Taiwan as an inalienable part of China's territory, opposes any form of Taiwan independence, and firmly supports measures taken by China to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. On August 17, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met the Supreme Assembly of Commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) the Islamic Republics top military force. Khamenei dismissed what he called efforts to tarnish the IRGCs reputation through false news, rumors and all kinds of tricks and ploys: "After about four decades, we have a huge and fully equipped defense and military center, we have the largest anti-terrorist organization in the world. Today, the IRGC is the largest anti-terrorist organization in the world. That is false. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the United States have designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The European Union, which has sanctioned the IRGC for years over its malign activities designed to sow discord, manipulate public information or disrupt markets is also considering adding the IRGC to its list of designated terrorist organizations. Established in the wake of Irans 1979 revolution, the IRGC is a branch of the Iranian armed forces, with its own army, navy, air force and intelligence agency. The IRGC is independent from Irans regular army, and is tasked with protecting the countrys Islamic system. In 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the IRGCs external operations arm, the IRGC-Quds Force, as a terrorist organization for providing material support to the Taliban and other terrorist organizations. The U.S. State Departments Bureau of Counterterrorism called the IRGC-Quds Force Irans primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorist activity abroad. In 2019, the United States designated the IRGC in its entirety as a Foreign Terrorist Organization the first time that the United States has ever named a part of another government as an FTO. In June, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned IRGC members and affiliates it accused of participating in a series of terrorist plots including assassination plots targeting former United States government officials, dual U.S. and Iranian nationals, Iranian dissidents, journalists, activists and others who oppose the abuses and human rights violations perpetrated by the Iranian regime. As Shiite Islam is the Islamic Republics official religion, the IRGC has a track record of supporting Shiite militant groups across the Middle East and engaging in proxy wars against regional rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia. Experts say Iran has created a so-called axis of resistance, which by some counts entails over 100 Shiite militias supported by the IRGCs Qud forces operating in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and beyond. In Iraq, Iran provided U.S.-designated terrorist groups, including Kataib Hizballah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, with training, funding, logistic support, weapons and operational influence. The IRGCs Qud forces provided explosively formed projectile (EFP) training and logistics to Shiite militant groups for carrying out deadly attacks. Iran proxy forces are estimated to have contributed to one-sixth of all U.S. combat deaths in Iraq. In Yemen, which has been embroiled in a nearly decade-long civil war, the IRGC has reportedly provided Houthi rebels with advanced weapons, training through military advisers and other support. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure, civilian targets on the Arabian peninsula, U.S. facilities and personnel in the region, and have launched indiscriminate attacks on Yemeni civilians. A report from the Norwegian Shipowners Mutual War Risks Insurance Association said the IRGC are highly likely to have facilitated attacks on four tankers, including two Saudi ships, off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, in 2019. For decades, Iran has supported Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon, whose military wing is more powerful than the Lebanese army. Hezbollah has been implicated in a raft of terrorist attacks at home and abroad, including plane hijackings, assassinations, embassy bombings and suicide attacks. Hezbollah has been instrumental in the decades long IranIsrael proxy conflict and the Israel-Lebanon conflict, including the 2006 Lebanon War, during which it launched indiscriminate attacks against civilians. In 2020, the U.S. State Department estimated Iran had provided Hezbollah $700 million a year in funding. In neighboring Syria, where Tehrans support has been critical in propping up the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, Iran operates via a number of proxies. The IRGC has funded, supplied and commanded Liwa Fatemiyoun, a Shiite militia composed of Afghan recruits fighting alongside Syrian government forces. The United States and Canada have designated Liwa Fatemiyounn as a terrorist organization. The IRGC also formed a group called Liwa Zainebiyoun, composed of Pakistani Shiite militants, to fight in Syria. Another group, Liwa al-Quds - composed largely of Sunni, not Shiite, Palestinians - was described by the Syrian news website Zaman Al Wasl as a Sunni face of [Irans] al-Quds battalion. IRGCs Qud forces have also been deployed on the front lines in Syria, where Hezbollah has also taken part in combat operations. In the Palestinian territories, Iran supports Islamic Jihad, which Israel, some European countries and the United States have designated as a terrorist organization. The group operates in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and has a growing presence in the Gaza Strip, which is governed by the militant group Hamas. Iran also provides Hamas with weapons, funding and training. In Iran itself, the IRGC has been instrumental in violently cracking down on demonstrations, including those sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022. The U.S. Treasury said the IRGC played a leading role in suppressing protests through extensive human rights abuses. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Copenhagen and addressed parliament, where he thanked the Danish government for donating F-16s. And the number of foreign businesses that have left Russia during the nearly 18 months of war. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. The units of the Armenian armed forces fired small arms at the positions of the Azerbaijani Army located in the direction of the Yellia village of Kalbajar district from their positions located in the direction of Yukhari Shorja village of Basarkechar district on August 21, from 10:25 (GMT+4) to 10:30 (GMT+4), Trend reports. "The Azerbaijan Army units took retaliatory measures in the mentioned direction," said the ministry. Iran said Monday it could take up to two months to complete a prisoner swap it has agreed to with the United States. "A specific time frame has been announced by relevant authorities, and it will take a maximum of two months for this process to take place," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told a news conference. Tehran and Washington reached an agreement earlier this month in which both pledged to release five of each country's citizens they have been holding. In addition, the U.S. agreed to release $6 billion in Iranian assets that have been held in South Korea. The Iranian assets were transferred to Switzerland's central bank last week for exchange and transfer to Iran, South Korean media reported Monday. Iran has moved four detained U.S. nationals it has held at Tehran's Evin prison into house arrest, a lawyer for one of them said. A fifth was already under home confinement. Some material in this report came from Reuters. Israeli authorities said Monday a suspected Palestinian attacker killed a woman and seriously wounded a man in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military said the shootings took place near the city of Hebron and that the shots were fired from a passing car. The military said its forces were searching for suspects and had set up roadblocks in the area. Mondays attack follows the shooting of two Israelis on Saturday in the West Bank. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press and Reuters Major wildfires were burning in Greece and on one of Spains Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa Monday, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes, two of which have been burning for several days. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages in the central Viotia region, about 100 kilometers northwest of Athens, after a forest fire broke out Monday morning. The coast guard put two patrol boats and several fishing boats and private vessels on standby in case an evacuation by sea was necessary. Authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep pen in the area under evacuation, with local media reporting the man apparently died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his livestock. In the northeast of the country near the border with Turkey, strong winds rekindled flames on several fronts in a major wildfire burning for a third day across forests and farmland near the town of Alexandroupolis. Several homes were destroyed over the weekend. Thirteen villages were evacuated, while more than 200 firefighters, assisted by 16 water-dropping planes and seven helicopters, volunteers and the armed forces were battling the fire, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. Cyprus was sending two firefighting aircraft to help tackle the Alexandroupolis blaze, including four crew and five ground support staff. With gale-force winds blowing in several parts of the country, authorities set the fire risk level in several regions, including that of the Greek capital, to extreme. The (firefighting) system is on alert, and we must be too. The risk of wildfires remains high, Marinakis said. Every summer, Greece suffers destructive wildfires, which officials say have been exacerbated by climate change. The deadliest Greek wildfire on record killed 104 people in 2018, in a seaside resort near Athens that residents had not been warned to evacuate. Since then, authorities have erred on the side of caution, issuing swift mass evacuation orders whenever inhabited areas are under threat. Last month a wildfire on the resort island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on the island of Evia. Another three wildfire-related deaths have been recorded this summer. In Spains Canary Islands, a wildfire that police say was started deliberately last Tuesday on Tenerife continued to burn out of control, although the worst seemed to have passed. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and nearly 13,000 hectares of pine forest and scrubland have burned. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was to visit the area Monday to review the damage. Canary Island regional President Fernando Clavijo told Spains Cadena SER radio the worst is over, adding that the hundreds of firefighters deployed had made some progress for the second night in a row. The fire in the northeast of the island is not near any of the islands main tourist areas. The blaze has come close to some 10 municipalities, but there have been no injuries or burned homes so far. In Portugal and Italy, two other southern European countries often plagued by wildfires in the summer months, temperatures were predicted to soar this week. Italian authorities issued heat warnings for eight cities from Bolzano in the north to Rome in central Italy on Monday as temperatures were forecast to hit 38 degrees Celsius. Storm warnings were in effect in the southern regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily. In Portugal, temperatures were forecast to reach 44 degrees Celsius in some southern parts of the country. The language is stark: People in torched areas of Maui should not try to filter their own drinking water because there is no "way to make it safe," Maui County posted on its Instagram account this week. The message reached Anne Rillero and her husband, Arnie in Kula, who were eating yet another meal of frozen pizza. The couple feels incredibly lucky they and their home survived the fires that raced across Maui in recent days, wiping most of Lahaina off the map. The number of confirmed fatalities was raised on Friday to 114 people. When a neighborhood organization alerted them not to drink their water and to air out the house even if they run the tap, the couple decided to eat off paper plates to avoid exposure. No washing dishes. "It's alarming that it may be in the water system for a while," said Rillero, a retired conservation communication specialist who has lived on the island for 22 years. Brita filters, devices connected to refrigerators or sinks and even robust, whole-home systems are unlikely to address the "extreme contamination" that can happen after a fire. "They will remove some of it, but levels that will be acutely and immediately toxic will get through," said Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University researcher and expert in water contamination after wildfires in urban areas. The Maui fires damaged hundreds of drinking water pipes, resulting in a loss of pressure that can allow toxic chemicals along with metals and bacteria into water lines. "You can pull in contaminated or dirty water from the outside, even when those lines are underground," said David Cwiertny, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Iowa. Hundreds of families could be in the same situation as the Rilleros in the Lahaina and Upper Kula areas, where people have been told to minimize any contact with county water including showers. In Lahaina alone, aerial imagery and damage assessment data generated by Vexcel Data show 460 buildings apparently undamaged by the fires. These are places where people are returning. For now, the county has told people to use bottled water for all their needs or to fill jugs at tankers called water buffaloes, which have been brought in near the burns. The state health department's environmental health division told Maui County, which operates water delivery systems for most residents, to test for 23 chemicals. Those are just the ones for which the federal government has set limits for drinking water. These warnings reflect new science and are intended to avoid the whiplash of conflicting information received by people impacted by the 2018 Camp Fire in California, who received messages from four different agencies. New discoveries Until a few years ago, wildfire was only known to contaminate drinking water at the source, such as when ash runs into a river or reservoir. California's Tubbs Fire in 2017 and the Camp Fire "are the first known wildfires where widespread drinking water chemical contamination was discovered in the water distribution network," according to a recent study published by several researchers including Whelton with the American Water Works Association. After the Camp Fire destroyed Paradise, California, officials didn't initially understand that smoke and chemicals had leached into the water through broken and melted water pipes. So they did what was standard after other fires: they told people to boil water before use. Concerned about benzene contamination, the Paradise Irrigation District water utility then changed the order and told people to avoid the water, district Assistant District Manager Mickey Rich said. Four days later, the California State Water Resources Control Board announced people could drink it as long as it didn't smell. Two and a half weeks later, that agency announced there was benzene in the water. Two months after that, a third agency, a county health department, told the public the water was unsafe and not to attempt to treat it on their own. "There were a lot of unknowns," Rich said. "When the scientists came six months into the recovery, they really answered a lot of questions that we wish we would have had at the beginning." Other chemicals New contaminants also have been discovered recently. The chemicals that Hawaii's state government told Maui County to test for are called volatile because they tend to become airborne, like gasoline that turns to vapor when it drips from the pump onto your car. But Whelton's new research on the Marshall Fire in Boulder County Colorado, shows a group of heavier compounds, called "semi-volatile," can contaminate damaged water lines as well, even when benzene and other better-known chemicals are not there. "We found SVOCs leaching from damaged water meters into drinking water," Whelton said. "You can't use VOCs to predict whether SVOCs are present." For people on Maui who get their water from private wells, now would be a good time to get it tested, said Steve Wilson, a groundwater hydrologist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. If fire burns near a well, it can damage the cap, which keeps out debris. Plastic in the lining can even melt, releasing hazardous fumes into the well. "In the case of a fire, it may look fine, but it's hard to know," Wilson said. "It might have affected something on the inside." Experts caution complete restoration of safe water will take a long time. "I would implore anybody not to make a decision about lifting the water safety order until you have repeated validation that there is no contamination that poses a health risk," Whelton said. Pope Francis and U.S. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the war in Ukraine at the Vatican on Monday. Milley, a Catholic, said the visit meant a great deal to him, according to Milley's spokesperson, Colonel Dave Butler. The general, who is visiting several European countries, said the pope expressed deep concern about the loss of life in Ukraine, particularly of civilians, since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. Milley has condemned Moscow for waging "a campaign of terror" in Ukraine by targeting civilian infrastructure as part of its war strategy. Russia denies that it targets civilians. A strong advocate for Ukraines defense against Russian forces, Milley, 65, has championed sending billions of dollars in arms to Kyiv. Francis has condemned the international arms trade in general but acknowledged last year the moral justification for nations to supply weapons to Ukraine to fight against Russian aggression. The 86-year-old pontiff has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to seek a peaceful resolution with Russia. Zelenskyy has asked the Vatican to support Ukraines 10-point peace plan calling for the restoration of Ukraines territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraines state borders. The pope has dispatched his peace envoy, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Kyiv, Moscow and Washington to discuss humanitarian aid and the repatriation of Ukrainian children. Kyiv estimates that nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since February 2022, in what it condemns as illegal deportations. Russia says it has helped to evacuate children from the war zone. Vatican officials say Zuppi will soon go to Beijing to try to enlist China's support. Appeal for F-16s F-16 fighter jets could be a game changer in Russia's war against Ukraine, providing Ukrainian troops with much-needed air superiority in occupied territories, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on national television Monday. "Air superiority is the key to success on the ground, he said. Ihnat remarked that F-16s would prevent Russian fighter jets from dropping guided air bombs and launching air missiles in the occupied territories. In an interview with the Ukrainian service of RFE/RL, Ihnat said Ukraine needs more than 100 fighter jets to fully replace its old aircraft fleet so it can respond to different challenges and strike various targets [Russian] planes, ground targets, and rear camps in particular." Also Monday, Zelenskyy thanked Danish lawmakers as he addressed them in Copenhagen, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they would provide Ukrainian forces with U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pledged 19 F-16s to Ukraine and said she hoped the first six could be delivered around the start of 2024. Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said in a statement Monday that Denmarks decision to send F-16s to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte did not detail how many F-16s his country would provide, nor when any deliveries might take place. He said the timing depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. The F-16s will not help immediately now with the war effort. It is anyway a long-term commitment from the Netherlands, Rutte said Sunday. We want them to be active and operational as soon as possible. Not for the next month, thats impossible, but hopefully soon afterward. The Dutch and Danish governments are involved in a coalition that is working to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the advanced fighter jets. The fighter jets are not likely to affect the trajectory of the war anytime soon, according to U.S. officials. U.S. Air Force General James Hecker told reporters Friday at a virtual meeting of the Defense Writers Group that there are no prospects currently for either Ukraine or Russia to gain the upper hand in the air. "I don't think anyone's going to get air superiority as long as the number of surface-to-air missiles stays high enough, Hecker said, responding to a question from VOA. "Both Ukraine and Russia have very good integrated air and missile defense systems, he said. "That alone is what has prevented [Russia or Ukraine] from getting air superiority." Zelenskyy in Greece Zelenskyy met Monday with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on his first official visit to Greece. The meeting reasserted Greeces support for Ukraine, according to Greek newspaper Kathimerini. In a joint press conference after the meeting, the two leaders stressed the economic, humanitarian and economic cooperation between the two countries. The Greek prime minister stated Greeces unequivocal support to Ukraines fight against Russia. Kathimerini quoted Mitsotakis as saying Greece will never recognize Russias occupation of Ukrainian territories, and that officials in Athens oppose any violation of international law. During the press conference, Zelenskyy said Greece will take part in training of Ukrainian air force pilots on the F-16s. "Today, we have the important result for aviation coalition. Greece will participate in [the] training of our pilots for F-16. I am grateful for this proposal," he said. Zelenskyy is also expected to attend an unofficial dinner hosted by Mitsotakis, alongside regional leaders from the Balkans and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council. Drone attacks The Russian Defense Ministry said early on Tuesday that the military jammed two Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea on Monday night. The drones crashed into the water 40 kilometers to the northwest from Crimea, the military said in a statement. Nearly 90 airplane flights in and out of Moscow were disrupted after Russia said it jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Ruzsky District west of the capital and destroyed another one in the nearby Istrinsky District on Monday. Separately, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had downed two drones in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine. The governor of Kaluga region, south of Moscow, said a drone had also been repelled there. No damage or injuries were reported from these attacks. Both Russia and Ukraine have deployed drones to target the opposing side, with damage on the ground often caused by debris from downed aircraft. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Thailand's self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra plans to return to the country on Tuesday, his daughter said, as the country is struggling to overcome a political deadlock after a May national election. The former telecommunications tycoon, premier from 2001 until he was ousted in a 2006 coup, lives in self-imposed exile after fleeing Thailand to avoid a jail sentence for graft in 2008. He would still be subject to jail upon return. In a social media post on Saturday, Thaksin's youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, said she would meet her father at Bangkok's Don Muang Airport on "Tuesday, August 22." Also scheduled for Tuesday is another parliamentary vote for prime minister, to be nominated by the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai Party. Thaksin earlier postponed his return from Aug. 10, citing the need for a medical checkup. He still faces up to 10 years in jail. The 74-year-old would be subject to the judicial process upon his return, deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn has said. Some analysts said Thaksin's return suggests Pheu Thai has reached a deal with political parties on forming a government after gaining support from military-backed parties. "Thaksin's return on voting day shows that he is confident that Pheu Thai's prime ministerial candidate will be elected in one round," said Thanaporn Sriyakul, chair of the Political Science Association of Kasetsart University. The second-placed Pheu Thai this month took over efforts to form a government after the leader of the election-winning Move Forward party failed in his bid to become prime minister. Pheu Thai, set to nominate real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin, needs the support of more than half the bicameral legislature, including the military-appointed Senate. The party on Thursday gained support from a rival military-backed party after a lawmaker from another military-backed party said they would support Pheu Thai in overcoming the impasse. Nearly three years after authorities foiled a bizarre plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the last defendants accused of taking part go on trial Monday. Eric Molitor and brothers William Null and Michael Null were among 14 men, described by prosecutors as anti-government extremists, charged in the scheme weeks before the November 2020 election. They were angered by Whitmer's COVID-19 policies, which shut down schools and restricted the economy, investigators said in court filings. The plotters were members of paramilitary groups and spoke of attacking the state Capitol and police to ignite civil war, the documents said. Nine men so far have been convicted in state or federal court, including four who pleaded guilty. Two others were acquitted at trial. Jury selection in the final case is set to begin Monday. Opening arguments are scheduled for Wednesday in rural Antrim County, a tourist haven known for cherry and apple orchards, sparkling lakes and quaint villages. Among them is Elk Rapids, where Whitmer has a vacation home. Evidence presented in previous trials suggested the plotters intended to abduct the two-term Democratic governor there and blow up a bridge to prevent law enforcement officers from aiding her. But informants and undercover FBI agents were inside the group for months, leading to arrests. Whitmer was not physically harmed. Molitor and the Null brothers, all from Michigan, are charged with providing material support for terrorist acts punishable by up to 20 years in prison and illegally possessing firearms. They have pleaded not guilty. "These cases are very important in light of the times we live in," said Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney in Michigan. "Acts of political violence have no place in a democracy." After the plot was thwarted, Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, saying he had given "comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division." Trump called the kidnapping plan a "fake deal" in August 2022. The Null brothers, both 41, have been portrayed as close allies of convicted plot leader Adam Fox, who spoke highly of them during a meeting in the basement of a Grand Rapids-area vacuum cleaner shop, according to authorities. "Like, they're willing to go die ... if need be. They don't want to die in vain though," Fox said, not knowing an FBI informant was secretly recording him. The Nulls and Molitor attended a training session in Luther, Michigan, where a "shoot house" was constructed to simulate Whitmer's vacation home, witnesses previously testified. That same weekend, the Nulls joined Fox, Barry Croft Jr. and others on a night ride to Elk Rapids to see the property. "The assignment for that vehicle was to be a lookout for 'suspicious' vehicles in Gov. Whitmer's neighborhood and to interact with the other two vehicles participating in the surveillance by using hand-held radios," prosecutors said in a court filing. Molitor, 39, participated in daytime surveillance of Whitmer's home a few weeks earlier, riding with Fox and FBI informant Dan Chappel and recording video, according to evidence. Molitor said "he was 'in' on Fox's plan for an extraction or 'snatch and grab' if it was done 'professionally,'" according to prosecutors. Molitor has publicly claimed that he and others were entrapped by undercover FBI agents and informants who played key roles during firearms training and rides to Elk Rapids. Fox, who is serving a 16-year prison sentence after his conviction on federal conspiracy charges, told state Judge Charles Hamlyn this month he would not testify in the upcoming trial, invoking his right against self-incrimination. Two other defendants, Brian Higgins and Shawn Fix, pleaded guilty to reduced charges earlier this year and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. The main kidnapping conspiracy case was handled in federal court, where four men, including ringleaders Fox and Croft, were convicted. Two others were acquitted. Separately, three men were convicted at trial in Jackson County, the site of training for self-styled militia members, and are serving long prison terms. Antrim County drew attention from conspiracy theorists when an election night clerical error in 2020 briefly indicated Democrat Joe Biden had carried the staunchly Republican county. The problem was fixed and then-President Donald Trump properly credited with winning. But his supporters unsuccessfully sued to inspect voting machines. U.S. News & World Report takes a look at EducationUSA, a network of advising centers supported to the U.S. State Department. Its mission is to help students who want to study in the U.S. According to the story, EducationUSA has some 430 advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories. The centers can help students find the best school for them and help with the admission process. Read the full story here. (October 2023) Drenching rains from post-Tropical Storm Hilary flooded parts of the southwestern United States on Monday as forecasters warned of life-threatening and catastrophic conditions from the rare storm as it moved inland. The U.S. National Weather Service urged people to stay off roads in the Los Angeles area due to dangerous flooding. Mudslides were reported and roadways buckled from the flooding in some communities. The National Hurricane Center said Hilary, designated a hurricane in recent days, has now diminished to a post-tropical cyclone. By late Monday morning, remnants of the storm were passing through southern California and the southwestern state of Nevada. Forecasters said the storm would then travel north through parts of Oregon and Idaho. They warned that areas in the storms path could see 5 to 10 centimeters (1.96 to 3.93 inches) of rain and up to 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in some isolated areas. Continued flash and urban flooding, locally catastrophic, is expected, the Hurricane Center said. Post-tropical Hilary is still expected to produce strong and gusty winds in and near areas of elevated terrain today. Many of the areas in the path of the weather system are not accustomed to seeing the type or rainfall associated with a tropical storm. Tropical storms and hurricanes annually strike the southern and eastern shorelines of the U.S., but Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit the western U.S. coastline since 1997 and the first to hit Southern California since 1939. Forecasters said some desert areas could end up with 12 to 25 centimeters (4.7 to 9.8 inches) of rain. "In some places in the desert, that's a year's worth," senior meteorologist Alex Tardy told a news briefing. He works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in San Diego. "The normal rainfall in Southern California and San Diego is nothing in August. So, a very unusual event is unfolding here." Sunday was the wettest day on record in San Diego with 4.6 centimeters (1.81 inches) of rain. In Palm Springs, California, the city's 911 emergency system was knocked out by the storm. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to help with response and recovery efforts. President Joe Biden said his administration stood ready to provide assistance to California, Nevada and Arizona. The storm forced the cancellation of flights in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Las Vegas, while schools in Los Angeles and San Diego were closed Monday. Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall Sunday on Mexicos Baja California peninsula. Meanwhile, forecasters are now watching Tropical Storm Franklin churning through the Caribbean Sea. Authorities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic warned residents to prepare for floods and landslides. Another system in the Gulf of Mexico was expected to soon become a tropical storm. The National Hurricane Center said the system has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical disturbance or tropical storm before reaching the western Gulf coastline Tuesday. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. U.S. Republicans are often depicted by the partys symbolic animal an elephant but as the party stages its first debate Wednesday night on the path to picking its 2024 presidential nominee, its biggest elephant of all, Donald Trump, says he wont be physically in the room. With a commanding lead in polling against his Republican opponents, the former U.S. leader declared Sunday night on his Truth Social media site, "The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!" But metaphorically, Trump will still be the elephant in the debate hall in the Midwestern city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Some of his opponents are attacking his no-debate decision, with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie accusing him of lacking the guts to show up and calling him a coward. The Drudge Report news site characterized Trump as a cartoon figure and called him Donald Duck. A political action committee supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is polling a distant second to Trump among Republican voters, released an ad in which the narrator says: "We can't afford a nominee who is too weak to debate." Trump can expect more such gibes from the debate stage as his rivals attempt to separate themselves from the pack to become the one or two remaining opponents to face Trump head-on as Republicans begin to vote in party presidential nominating contests in early 2024. Fox News debate moderators could also frame questions to reference Trumps absence, his stance on issues and the fact he is facing four criminal indictments, the first ever such accusations against a sitting or former U.S. president. In one case, he is accused of 2020 election interference in the southern state of Georgia, where he has been given until Friday noon to surrender for his arrest and booking before he is freed pending future court appearances. Two of his criminal trials have been scheduled for the first half of 2024 and dates for the other two could soon be set. The trials, if they eventually occur in the midst of his presidential campaign, would force Trump to sit in courtrooms on weekdays as a defendant rather flying around the country to stage political rallies. Nine Republican candidates could appear on the debate stage, although the Republican National Committee has yet to officially certify which candidates have qualified by meeting requirements for at least minimal polling support and 40,000 campaign donors from across an array of states. The RealClearPolitics.com polling aggregation site shows Trump with a huge lead among Republicans for the partys presidential nomination roughly 40 percentage points ahead of DeSantis. The polls show all the remaining candidates with less than 10% support apiece. Trump is calculating that with more than half of Republican voters supporting his third run for the presidency, he has nothing to gain by attending the debate and little to lose by skipping it. In an interview in June with Fox News host Bret Baier, one of the debate moderators, Trump said, "Why would I allow people at 1 or 2% and 0% to be hitting me with questions all night?" In effort to upstage the debate, Trump instead plans to release a recorded interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who was ousted from his Fox News show earlier this year. In the end, however, until he does not show up in Milwaukee, there is still the possibility that Trump might be lured to the debate stage. One of his opponents who knows him best, Mike Pence, Trumps vice president, told ABCs This Week show, I'm still kind of hoping maybe he'll come. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. The visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Baku will serve as a logical continuation of the intense dialogue between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, Bahrom Ashrafkhanov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan, said in an exclusive interview with Trend. "On August 22-23, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will arrive in Azerbaijan for a state visit. The President's visit will be the first state visit after his election as the head of the republic and the first state visit to a foreign country following the presidential elections held on July 9, 2023. As part of the visit, the leaders of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan will hold bilateral meetings, including in an expanded format with the participation of government delegations from both countries," he said. The ambassador noted that the visit will also involve the leaders of both countries participating in the ceremonial opening of a general education school with 960 student places in the city of Fuzuli. "The construction of the school was initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as a gift to the Azerbaijani people. We are confident that the school will become a symbol of friendship and brotherhood between our nations," added Ashrafkhanov. He also emphasized that the upcoming visit will be a logical continuation of the intense high-level dialogue. "In this context, it is worth noting that on June 21-22, 2022, President Ilham Aliyev made a state visit to Uzbekistan. This visit was a significant event in the history of bilateral relations, as a Declaration on Deepening Strategic Partnership and Enhancing Comprehensive Cooperation between the two states was adopted during the visit. The leaders of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan also met in September 2022 in the city of Samarkand during the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), in which President Ilham Aliyev participated as an honorary guest of the presiding country. On November 10-11 of the same year, President Ilham Aliyev, along with First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, visited the city of Samarkand to participate in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Turkic Council. In March of the current year, the presidents of the two countries met in Baku as President Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the Non-Aligned Movement Summit," the ambassador noted. Furthermore, according to him, the signing of a new package of documents between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan is expected. "The signing of a package of bilateral documents aimed at further deepening bilateral cooperation between our countries and taking it to a qualitatively new level of development is planned," said Ashrafkhanov. Meanwhile, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in 2022 amounted to $181.2 million (an increase of 52.4 percent compared to 2021). The economies of the two countries have sufficient potential to increase mutual trade indicators to $1 billion in the coming years. As of July 1, 2023, there are 204 enterprises with Azerbaijani capital in Uzbekistan (compared to 71 in 2017), of which 67 are joint ventures and 137 are foreign enterprises. Some 22 joint ventures have been established since the beginning of this year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the decision by the Netherlands and Denmark to supply his country with F-16 fighter jets as "historic and inspiring." The Western allies will supply dozens of the U.S.-made jets in the coming months, after Washington gave its approval. F-16 jets Zelenskyy visited the Dutch city of Eindhoven on Sunday to meet Prime Minister Mark Rutte, before visiting Copenhagen on Monday. At an airfield outside the Danish capital, Zelenskyy climbed into the cockpit of an F-16, alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Zelenskyy later addressed the Danish parliament. "We're here to say thank you, personally. Thank all of you for helping us in our fight, difficult fight for freedom. For helping us in this war which Russia brought to our land. And which it wants, so much, still wants to throw into homes of other nations," Zelenskyy told Danish lawmakers. Outside, thousands of people had gathered to show their support, as the Ukrainian president repeated his message of gratitude. "I thank you and the whole of Denmark, all the weapons you are giving to protect freedom and for the F-16s we agreed on. Thank you so much," he told the crowd. News reports cite Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, as saying the transfer of the jets will lead to the conflict's escalation. Delivery Denmark plans to provide 19 F-16s, with the training of Ukrainian pilots already under way. It's hoped the first jets will arrive by the end of the year. The Netherlands said it had 42 F-16s available, although a final number had yet to be agreed upon. Both allies are upgrading their fleets to more modern fifth-generation fighter jets. The invading Russian forces currently enjoy vast air superiority, although Ukraine's air defenses, bolstered by modern Western systems, have proven effective. Firepower Ukraine's existing air force fleet is made up of aging Soviet-era aircraft. The F-16s will offer far greater firepower, helping to defend against Russian jets, missiles and drones, said defense analyst Patrick Bury, of Britain's University of Bath. "It can go toe to toe with (Russian) MiGs and would have a good chance against them. So, you're talking about trying to establish, first of all, some sort of local air superiority, which the Ukrainians just don't have at the moment. If you look at their flying ops, they're flying one to two aircraft at really low level(s), trying to avoid the very formidable Russian air defenses and the Russian air force," Bury told VOA. The F-16 also offers Ukraine the ability to safely strike targets hundreds of kilometers away, deep in Russian-controlled territory. That's vital if any ground offensive is to succeed, Bury added. "To get any momentum on the ground, really in the old sort of blitzkrieg sense, you need to have that ground attack capability from the air so air-to-surface attack capability. And the F-16 can do that as well. And finally and a really important role in this as well is the F-16 is pretty good at doing suppression or destruction of enemy air defenses," Bury told VOA. Western hesitation Ukraine has been asking for F-16s since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, but Western allies held off, fearing an escalation of the war. It will take months for Ukrainian pilots to be trained. The delay could prove costly. "I still think it's coming too late to be honest with you. Politics is moving. We'll see what happens. Whether Ukraine can come round and have these F-16s ready enough of them, trained up and ready to go, to basically go for version two of a summer offensive next summer if the political appetite and the fiscal appetite is there for that, we'll see," Bury said. Ukrainian reaction On the streets of Kyiv, Ukrainian citizens welcomed the Dutch and Danish decisions to supply the jets. "Finally! Thank God, I think every Ukrainian was waiting for it for a long time," said Larysa Shymko, who is originally from the town of Skadovsk in the Russian occupied territories. "I strongly believe and hope that this decision will help our country to achieve the long-awaited victory," Shymko told The Associated Press. Lawyer Yurii Lymar urged the West to act more swiftly. "It is obvious that every Ukrainian feels that Europe and the entire world could approve such decisions a little faster, because every day in this great war means lots of Ukrainian people dying," he told the AP. For now, Ukraine's summer ground offensive grinds on slowly, with minimal air support. Analysts say the West's decision to supply F-16s aims to bolster Ukraine's longer-term capabilities to fend off Russian aggression. Ukraine's president has described the decision by the Netherlands and Denmark to supply his country with F-16 fighter jets as "historic and inspiring." The Western allies will supply dozens of the technically advanced jets after Washington's approval. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. By Nyasha Chingono and Nelson Banya HARARE, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Zimbabweans vote next week in an election many hope could end the country's lengthy economic crisis, but those expectations are tempered by concerns that the contest is skewed in favour of a party that has been in power for more than four decades. Mineral-rich Zimbabwe was once considered one of Africa's prosperous economies, but it has been in economic turmoil since 2000 when former leader Robert Mugabe led the violent seizure of white-owned farms to resettle landless Blacks. Mugabe was ousted in a 2017 military coup after 37 years in power and replaced by his long-time ally President Emmerson Mnangagwa, but the economic turnaround many hoped for at that time has proved elusive. There are 11 candidates running for president in Wednesday's vote, but the real battle is between 80-year old Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa, a 45-year old lawyer and pastor who leads the opposition Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC). The election is also for lawmakers and local council leaders. Mnangagwa's 2018 election win was unsuccessfully challenged by the opposition and political analysts say the country could be headed for a repeat of that. The ruling ZANU-PF denies opposition allegations that the playing field is not level. "Of course, we are headed for another disputed election," said political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya, referring to a dispute over the voters roll as one contentious issue. The CCC has taken the electoral commission to court to demand access to electronic copies of the voters roll so that it can be searched and analysed. The electoral commission has said it has given all parties printed copies of the roll. The courts have yet to rule on the CCC application in the case, which is one of several court challenges mounted by the opposition ahead of the vote. There have also been reports of voter intimidation, especially in rural areas of the country of 15 million people, voter watchdog Electoral Resource Centre (ERC) said. "General public sentiment, as noted in several surveys, reveals that people have very little confidence in the electoral process as well as the election management body in the country," ERC said in a statement on Monday. Police have blocked some of the opposition's rallies but have denied accusations that they have targeted only opposition campaigns, saying rallies for both major parties have been stopped on grounds of public safety. The opposition also says its supporters are routinely arrested under Zimbabwe's tough public order laws, and that there have been cases of violent intimidation of its activists by ZANU-PF supporters. "The odds are many. Weve also seen a number of our supporters being intimidated and harassed, but citizens remain defiant. People are ready and mobilised for change," CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere told reporters on Wednesday. ZANU-PF says it is not favoured by the courts, police or public media. At a news conference on Thursday, ZANU-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa denied allegations of voter intimidation and unfair electoral processes. He accused the opposition of being "obsessed with criticising the electoral process so that they have something to say after losing". 'BAD' HUMAN RIGHTS Wilbert Mandinde, an official at the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, said the human rights situation "has been bad" during the campaign. "We believe that it is not proper for members of the opposition to have to struggle to gather, to have to struggle to campaign," said Mandinde. Mnangagwa narrowly defeated Chamisa in the 2018 election, which the opposition disputed over alleged irregularities. The president's victory was upheld by the Constitutional Court. The opposition is hoping it can defy the odds and win this time, riding on frustrations over the longrunning economic crisis. Political analysts say young voters who have never known a prosperous Zimbabwe could play a significant role in the election. One-sixth of the registered electorate are first-time voters. (Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Frances Kerry) LONDON Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the decision by the Netherlands and Denmark to supply his country with F-16 fighter jets as "historic and inspiring." The Western allies will supply dozens of the U.S.-made jets in the coming months, after Washington gave its approval. F-16 jets Zelenskyy visited the Dutch city of Eindhoven on Sunday to meet Prime Minister Mark Rutte, before visiting Copenhagen on Monday. At an airfield outside the Danish capital, Zelenskyy climbed into the cockpit of an F-16, alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Zelenskyy later addressed the Danish parliament. "We're here to say thank you, personally. Thank all of you for helping us in our fight, difficult fight for freedom. For helping us in this war which Russia brought to our land. And which it wants, so much, still wants to throw into homes of other nations," Zelenskyy told Danish lawmakers. Outside, thousands of people had gathered to show their support, as the Ukrainian president repeated his message of gratitude. "I thank you and the whole of Denmark, all the weapons you are giving to protect freedom and for the F-16s we agreed on. Thank you so much," he told the crowd. News reports cite Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, as saying the transfer of the jets will lead to the conflict's escalation. Delivery Denmark plans to provide 19 F-16s, with the training of Ukrainian pilots already under way. It's hoped the first jets will arrive by the end of the year. The Netherlands said it had 42 F-16s available, although a final number had yet to be agreed upon. Both allies are upgrading their fleets to more modern fifth-generation fighter jets. The invading Russian forces currently enjoy vast air superiority, although Ukraine's air defenses, bolstered by modern Western systems, have proven effective. Firepower Ukraine's existing air force fleet is made up of aging Soviet-era aircraft. The F-16s will offer far greater firepower, helping to defend against Russian jets, missiles and drones, said defense analyst Patrick Bury, of Britain's University of Bath. "It can go toe to toe with (Russian) MiGs and would have a good chance against them. So, you're talking about trying to establish, first of all, some sort of local air superiority, which the Ukrainians just don't have at the moment. If you look at their flying ops, they're flying one to two aircraft at really low level(s), trying to avoid the very formidable Russian air defenses and the Russian air force," Bury told VOA. The F-16 also offers Ukraine the ability to safely strike targets hundreds of kilometers away, deep in Russian-controlled territory. That's vital if any ground offensive is to succeed, Bury added. "To get any momentum on the ground, really in the old sort of blitzkrieg sense, you need to have that ground attack capability from the air so air-to-surface attack capability. And the F-16 can do that as well. And finally and a really important role in this as well is the F-16 is pretty good at doing suppression or destruction of enemy air defenses," Bury told VOA. Western hesitation Ukraine has been asking for F-16s since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, but Western allies held off, fearing an escalation of the war. It will take months for Ukrainian pilots to be trained. The delay could prove costly. "I still think it's coming too late to be honest with you. Politics is moving. We'll see what happens. Whether Ukraine can come round and have these F-16s ready enough of them, trained up and ready to go, to basically go for version two of a summer offensive next summer if the political appetite and the fiscal appetite is there for that, we'll see," Bury said. Ukrainian reaction On the streets of Kyiv, Ukrainian citizens welcomed the Dutch and Danish decisions to supply the jets. "Finally! Thank God, I think every Ukrainian was waiting for it for a long time," said Larysa Shymko, who is originally from the town of Skadovsk in the Russian occupied territories. "I strongly believe and hope that this decision will help our country to achieve the long-awaited victory," Shymko told The Associated Press. Lawyer Yurii Lymar urged the West to act more swiftly. "It is obvious that every Ukrainian feels that Europe and the entire world could approve such decisions a little faster, because every day in this great war means lots of Ukrainian people dying," he told the AP. For now, Ukraine's summer ground offensive grinds on slowly, with minimal air support. Analysts say the West's decision to supply F-16s aims to bolster Ukraine's longer-term capabilities to fend off Russian aggression. By Dean Murray via SWNS The Royal Air Force Falcons, one of the most recognizable parachute display teams within the display circuit, thanks to their iconic red, white and blue canopies, were at the peak of their powers as they jumped into the 2023 ZigAirMeet Mountain Airshow in Switzerland this weekend. The show takes place in the air over Mollis Airfield, located between two distinct mountain peaks, Murtschenstock and Rautispitz and gives the various displays some of the most incredible backdrops to fly, or in this case descend into, seen the world over. Eight parachutists, jumping out of the RAF Falcons Dornier 228, exited the aircraft to the south of the show at around 7,000 feet. At this point the first six Falcons conducted a high-show on both days including criss-cross, heart and the famed carousel. The display ended on the first day with a standard landing for the team, while the second day saw them coming in as ducks which will see the team running into the dropzone parallel to the mountains behind them. When asked about the display at the ZigAirMeet, Officer Commanding the RAF Falcons, Flight Lieutenant Mike Reeve said, "Its always special to take our display overseas. However, displaying at the ZigAirMeet was a true privilege and an extraordinary setting for an Airshow. Free-falling with the backdrop of the Swiss Alps, is something I shall not soon forget." He added: "The team put together a great show which was warmly met by the Swiss crowd. Another highlight of the weekend was watching and catching up with the Swiss Parachute Display Team, the Swiss Parawings. It is always great to share knowledge and ideas on display parachuting. An incredible experience all round, with the whole team eager to return to Switzerland at the earliest opportunity.. This was the first time the team has displayed at the ZigAirMeet, making such an impression at the show, that they were quickly asked to display again when it returns in 2026. Paintings of Ai-Da Robot, the first AI-powered Robot Artist. Photo: Johannes Simon/Getty Images for Aidan Meller Go on, make all the generative AI artworks you want, but it will not be protected under copyright law. A federal court ruled on August 18 that AI-generated artwork cannot be copyrighted on the grounds that copyright law only extends to human beings, per The Hollywood Reporter. The case made its way to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia after the U.S. Copyright Office twice refused a copyright to plaintiff Stephan Thaler for an image generated by the Creativity Machine algorithm, a program he created. Judge Beryl A. Howell sided with the offices decision, saying defendants are correct that human authorship is an essential part of a valid copyright claim. When Thaler requested reconsideration of his application, he argued that AI should be acknowledge[d] as an author where it otherwise meets authorship criteria, with any copyright ownership vesting in the AIs owner, according to the memo reviewed by Vulture. Howell disagreed with the plaintiffs reasoning, noting that copyright is designed to adapt with the times, but must contain human creativity, which is the essential condition at the core copyrightability, even as that human creativity is channeled through new tools or into new media. Howell states that AI does not meet these requirements. Copyright has never stretched so far, however, as to protect works generated by new forms of technology operating absent any guiding human hand, she concludes. The ruling comes during mass upheavals in creative industries that arose, in part, due to the threat of AI-generated works challenging artists livelihoods. An Atlantic report, published on August 19, revealed that roughly 190,000 bodies of work, including 170,000 books, were used in the Books3 dataset to train AI models without permission. Last month, writers Sarah Silverman, Richard Kadrey, and Christopher Golden filed a lawsuit in California alleging that Meta violated copyright laws and used their works to train AI-tool LLaMA. And, this summer, Hollywood has been on strike fighting against AI incursion in their work, among other issues. Other entities, like the Grammys, have sided with the federal courts on this one: Only human musicians are eligible. AI will just have to find another way to world domination. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. In accordance with the instruction of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the return of former internally displaced persons to the restored city of Fuzuli continue, Trend reports. Another group of citizens was sent from the Gobu Park 3 residential complex in the Garadagh district of Baku on August 21. At this stage, another 24 families (68 people) moved to the city of Fuzuli. The resettled families will settle in the houses where they once lived in Fuzuli, which were restored or rebuilt on the basis of instructions from the head of state after the end of the Armenian occupation. Fuzuli residents thanked President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for their comprehensive care, expressed gratitude to the valiant Azerbaijani army, which liberated the lands from occupation. Thus, until today, a permanent settlement in the city of Fuzuli has been provided for 47 families - 158 people. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Returning to Fuzuli awakens a great sense of pride in my heart, says the resident of Azerbaijani city Gulgez Mammadova, Trend reports. Like all residents of Fuzuli, her joy has no limit, she emphasized. "Thank God we are returning to Fuzuli today. We never lost hope to return to our hometown. These feelings cannot be conveyed in words. They must be experienced," Mammadova added. Earlier today 24 families (68 people) returned to Fuzuli. Thus, 47 families (158 people) are permanently settled in Fuzuli. Key museum contracts in Italy set to expire soon. Italy's right-wing government has given a further signal that the practice of hiring foreign directors for top Italian museums could be coming to an end, following new remarks by culture undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi. The foreign directors of the big museums are now leaving. We arrived and they leave" - Sgarbi said in Viareggio on Sunday - "Why do I have to put a foreign director in the Uffizi? Have you ever seen a foreigner in the Louvre?" Sgarbi's views on the subject are nothing new however this time the outspoken art critic is speaking as deputy to Gennaro Sangiuliano who became culture minister last October under premier Giorgia Meloni. In 2014, Sangiuliano's left-wing predecessor Dario Franceschini announced radical reforms of how Italy managed its museum sector, introducing a transparent public selection process to hire the best qualified directors or "super managers" from either Italy or abroad. At the time Sgarbi lashed out at the move as "a slap in the face for Italy". The reforms led to Rome giving seven out of 20 top museum jobs to non-Italians, including Germans Eike Schmidt at the Uffizi and Cecilie Hollberg at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, and British-Canadian James Bradburne at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan. The foreign directors went on to spearhead a series of successful innovations in their respective museums however the contracts for many of these top positions are set to expire later this year. Under new rules drawn up by a committee appointed by Sangiuliano, those applying for museum directorships in Italy will have to display proficiency in the Italian language. This has led critics to accuse the government of nationalism and the politicisation of culture. Addressing these charges, Sangiuliano told The Washington Post on Monday that he expected that some qualified foreigners would still run Italian museums after the next wave of hiring. However, the newspaper reports, the minister "conceded that he would seek to strike a new balance after what he suggested were overzealous attempts to court non-Italians" in the past. Italian premier Giorgia Meloni pictured holding plate of cooked blue crabs for Sunday lunch. Italy has allocated 2.9 million to tackle the rapid spread of blue crabs, an invasive species that is threatening the marine ecosystem and is causing havoc in the country's lagoons. The aggressive crab, which has no natural predators in Italian waters, presents major problems for the fishing sector and poses a particular threat to the harvesting of clams and mussels. Native to the North American Atlantic coast, the blue crab has been present in Italy for around a decade but a recent surge in its population is resulting in increasingly serious problems along the northeast coast. The fast-multiplying crabs, whose spread has been linked to rising sea temperatures, are responsible for devastating stocks of eels and shellfish as well as ripping open fishing nets with their powerful claws. In parallel with the government's economic incentives to catch and destroy the alien crustaceans, restaurants have begun adding the blue crab to their menus. Italy's agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida on Sunday posted a picture on social media of his sister-in-law, Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, holding a plate of cooked blue crabs. "Today we eat blue crabs! Exceptional", wrote Lollobrigida from the holiday farmhouse in Italy's southern Puglia region after his family's recent trip to Albania. Meloni's Sunday lunch menu was welcomed by farmers' lobby group Coldiretti which said that by eating the "killer of the seas" it would be possible to "transform what is now a disaster into an opportunity". Noting its "delicate and tasty" flavour, Coldiretti said in a statement that the blue crab can be eaten in a range of salads and pasta dishes. Photo Francesco Lollobrigida - Facebook I wish for his sake that he could have been, for just a little while, unfamous a random face in the crowd again. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action conducted mine safety trainings for 23 families as part of the return of the former internally displaced persons to the city of Fuzuli, Trend reports. According to the ministry, more than 90 residents took part in mine safety trainings. They were informed about the rules of behavior in suspicious areas and warning signs. In addition, the participants of the trainings were also provided with printed materials on this topic. The agency continues educational activities for the population returning to the territories liberated from occupation. The outgoing boss of Sydney Airport has joined the chorus of aviation industry voices calling for more international competition, after the federal transport minister rejected an application from Qatar Airways to double its flights to Australia. Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert said strong growth in arrivals to the airport from China, South Korea and India had offset lagging markets including the US and New Zealand, but traffic from the Middle East remained well below pre-COVID levels, down 27 per cent on 2019. Sydney Airport boss Geoff Culbert. Credit: Brook Mitchell The headline result for international passengers is encouraging, but its a two-speed recovery, Culbert said. The lag is being driven by a lack of seat capacity rather than a lack of demand. Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Catherine King has been criticised over the federal governments controversial decision to reject Qatar Airways application to double its number of weekly flights to Australia. Qatars application was supported by the bulk of the aviation industry as well as, according to industry sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Austrade, various airport owners and all state governments. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Cherina and Rob Grays horror had only just begun when their son Dean died in a tragic drowning accident while camping along the Namoi River with friends at the end of 2021. Flicking through Deans phone after his death, Cherina found thousands of text messages, revealing her son had been groomed by a female teacher while he was still at school. Can you imagine what its like for a mother to read? Cherina said from her home in Narrabri. I didnt want to read through that but I wanted to know what was there. This is not just about a young boy having a fling with a teacher; this is definite grooming and abuse abuse of power that someone has done in the most disgusting way. Dean Gray in a photo supplied by his family. Credit: An investigation by NBN News and The Sydney Morning Herald can reveal that the teacher at the centre of the allegations was promoted at another school before being placed on duties without access to children after the Grays filed a complaint with the Department of Education. The teachers text messages started in the April school holidays in 2013 when Dean was 17. Her first message discussed a school test and praised Dean, who was in year 12, for his results. Advertisement But the conversation gradually changed. It becomes more and more regular. They are communicating a lot each day and its just subtly coming in a little kiss or a little heart or a wink and things like that, said Cherina. Dean Gray with his mum Cherina. Credit: The teacher, who cannot be named for legal reasons, acknowledged the age difference, saying: 49 yr olds dont go around falling in luv [sic] with 17 yr olds. Totally bamboozled. When Dean turned 18, he left school to attend TAFE and met his first girlfriend, Caitlyn Butler. There is no doubt in Butlers mind what happened between Dean and one of his teachers. She twisted him and made him feel important to get to him, and put him up on a pedestal and made him feel like it was OK what she was doing to him, said Butler. Advertisement Butler has spoken out about what she calls a horrible secret thats well-known in the community. Caitlyn Butler has spoken for the first time about what her boyfriend Dean Gray told her about the relationship with his teacher. Credit: Dean talked about being intimate with the teacher during a game of Truth or Dare, Butler said. He said, I slept with one of my school teachers, and the whole room went quiet, said Butler. She had no doubt the online texting turned into real-life sexual encounters. Dean was young, he didnt know right from wrong. It was more like, how cool is this? Im banging my teacher, said Butler. The messages reveal that Dean and his teacher talked about personal life events and made plans to meet up. The teacher even offered Dean special access to the school gym so he could work out. Advertisement The teacher commented on Deans interaction with other students. Well it comes as no surprise to me that all the girls would like you. Im so jealous they can just ring u [sic] & go come over, wrote the teacher. Dean responded, Im not interested in them. I so love you, said the teacher. Your [sic] my girl, responded Dean. Yes I am, the teacher replied. Advertisement They discussed nicknames and the teacher suggested Dean should be Badass. Dean suggested hers should be Miss, to which the teacher acknowledged the inappropriateness of the contact: But dont you think it makes me sound a bit paedophily [sic]. After making plans to meet up, they discussed being together. Marry me, Dean wrote. Ok. When I get out of jail from corrupting you, replied the teacher. The texts continued until someone claiming to be the teachers husband wrote a long message to Dean. Dont you dare speak to my wife again, let alone put your dirty little hands on her body. I know what happened, said the person identifying himself as the teachers husband. Advertisement In late 2019, the little girl, who had Down syndrome, died of bacterial septicaemia, which occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning. I miss holding her, said her mother Miranda Jowett, who was asked to look at and comment on the images in the Coroners Court of Victoria on Monday. Photos taken of toddler Dio Kemp in the days leading up to her death show the face of the happy and loving three-year-old partially covered by a dark pink rash. A photo taken of Dio when she was unwell. In the week before Dios death, her mother took her to the Monash Medical Centre four times with a rash or fever, and twice to the family GP. An inquest into Dios death heard that doctors were of the view that she had a viral rather than a bacterial illness, and therefore couldnt be treated with antibiotics. The inquest will examine whether Dios death could have been prevented. In particular, coroner Paresa Spanos will consider the level of care by doctors at the Monash Medical Centre and the family GP, and whether any recommendations made after the inquest into the similar death of toddler Lachlan Black, more than four years earlier, should have been relevant to Dios treatment. Lachlan was taken to six medical practitioners over four days, including three visits to the emergency unit of Monash Medical Centre. The two-year-old died at the hospital of septicaemia in August 2014. Doctors at the emergency department had wrongly believed he was likely suffering from a viral infection. On Thursday, Anthony Albanese told Labor members that one of the most rewarding things about putting together the partys draft platform was taking things out. This was not because the policies were unimportant, but because they had been achieved. Once the public rhetoric had served its concrete purpose, it could be abandoned. The same might be said for a governments talking points. Anthony Albanese at the Labor national conference in Brisbane. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen In the same speech, Albanese once again wheeled out his argument that the government is there not only to get things done, but to endure. For the moment, this is important rhetoric: there are plenty of ALP members who wish Albanese was acting faster. But when will the PM feel he can stop making this pitch? That will be the moment it is no longer necessary: when nobody is in any doubt that this government is getting big things done and that its pacing is an electorally smart approach. The fact Albanese is still making the argument is an indication we are a little while away from that yet. There are aspects of his case for slow and steady government that do not get enough attention on both the for and against sides. To start with the case against: when Albanese suggests reforms by a long-term government are more likely to last, he means they will have had time to be completed and firmly bedded down before a government is voted out. But doesnt this in turn shift the bias back towards acting sooner rather than later? The longer you wait to act, the more chance youll be tossed out before a change has taken root. The biggest enemy of AUKUS is not the resistance of ALP branches and unions but its own over-engineered grandiosity, its naive ambition. A vote wrung from a conference doesnt deliver the cash for what is the biggest transfer of wealth outside this country in its history. The government places the cost between $268 billion and $368 billion. That gap of $100 billion is a warning that nobody knows and bureaucrats are taking stabs. The government places the cost between $268 billion and $368 billion. Credit: Fairfax I recall a conversation with a journalist about the French subs before the Morrison governments announcement of AUKUS. That $55 billion seems very high, I said. He assured me it wasnt, over the life of a contract to 2050. Press a fast-forward button and that $55 billion had metastasised into a simply incomprehensible $368 billion. Recent developments point to blowouts beyond even that budget-smashing figure. They are bound to crowd out spending on other defence platforms and on any social reforms or nation-building that a government 10 or 20 years off might want to pursue. Rose Bays champion price Prominent businessman Robert Champion De Crespigny looks to have sold his Rose Bay beachfront apartment on the quiet, setting a suburb high for almost $15 million in the process. The beachfront apartment in Rose Bay sold by Robert Champion De Crespigny has sold for almost $15 million. Credit: Domain It tops the $13.5 million high set two years ago for another beachfront apartment purchased by former Dancing with the Stars dancer Kym Johnson, wife of US Shark Tank investor and cybersecurity software tycoon Rob Herjavec. Robert Champion De Crespigny has owned the Rose Bay beachfront bolthole for 20 years. Credit: Andrew De La Rue Champion De Crespigny, founder of one of the worlds largest gold producers Normandy Mining and a former Chancellor of Adelaide University, and his wife Melanie have owned their bolthole on the Rose Bay beachfront for 20 years, having purchased it for $4 million. In recent years they have concentrated on expanding their sheep and cattle farming interests in South Australia, buying the Maylands aggregation for about $20 million in 2020. The Rose Bay apartment popped up on records as a rental earlier this year for $4000 a week with The Agency, before records show it sold to near neighbour Beverley Freedman. Dont be surprised to see Freedmans long-held house on the same beachfront hit the market soon no doubt with hopes of matching the $35 million sale result by the house next door through The Agencys Ben Collier, who sold it on behalf of Laser Clinics Alistair Champion. SkyRidge sells The Kangaroo Valley weekender of Larry and Sylvie Emdur has sold. Credit: Domain Larry Emdur and his wife Sylvie sold their Kangaroo Valley getaway, SkyRidge, for close to $2.8 million, making a nice gain on his $2.15 million purchase price of just three years ago. Larry Emdur sold SkyRidge after three years of ownership. Credit: Paul McMillan The striking container house designed by architect Alexander Michael sold through Belle Propertys Nick Dale, who declined to reveal the exact figure or buyers identity, but did at least say the deal included key furniture and a Kama Sutra sculpture in the living room. Emdur, co-host of Sevens The Morning Show and game show The Chase, had hoped to pocket $3.5 million for it last year, but it didnt sell. Fortunes play out Wallis Wu, the daughter of one of Chinas most senior property development industry figures and a director of the family controlled developer giant Central China Real Estate, has listed her Milsons Point pad after just three years of ownership. No doubt Wu will be hoping the September 9 auction sees a repeat of the crazy boomtime action that was at play when she and her mother Lam Li Wu purchased it for $8 million - $1.75 million over the reserve. The Milsons Point apartment owned by Wallis Wu last sold at auction for $1.75 million more than the reserve. Credit: Domain DiJoness Nigel Mukhi has set a $7 million to $7.7 million guide. The Wu family are long time locals, having purchased a $4.2 million pad in 1999 in the waterfront Kirribilli Grande complex developed by the late billionaire Stanley Ho and Waterhouse racing family. Wallis Wu has since moved closer to them, paying $10 million for a terrace up the road, as well as the Bellagio estate in Bowral purchased for $8.2 million in 2019. Wus father is Frank Po Sum Wu, the founder and chairman of the Hong Kong-listed Central China, which has seen its share price fall 70 per cent this year. Wu snrs personal wealth has also dipped enough that his name has been cut from the Forbes rich list since his billionaire days of 2021. Dealmaker trades Former Ebay boss Amrita Singh has traded in Double Bay for Bellevue Hill. Credit: Natalie Boog Former Macquarie dealmaker-turned-Blackstone senior managing director Michael Blickstead and his partner Amrita Singh, eBays former chief operating and marketing officer, have purchased a Bellevue Hill house for $15 million. Their purchase coincides with the off-market sale of their Double Bay terrace for $9.3 million to Point Piper-based freight industry boss Terry Tzaneros. Joint prospects The Darling Point triplex owned by Prue MacSween and Jonathan Barthelmess is on offer for $14 million. Credit: Domain Restaurateur Jonathan Barthelmess and media personality Prue MacSween have returned their jointly owned triplex in Darling Point to the market after it failed to sell two years ago. On June 9, 2023, the final of 2023 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition in Sierra Leone was successfully held in Freetown. Ambassador Wang Qing and his wife Mme.Gu Shaohua, the the representative of the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and the principal of the University of Sierra Leone, and the Chinese and local directors of the Confucius Institute at the USL attended and presented awards to the winners. Ambassador Wang Qing congratulated all the contestants and sincerely thanked the teachers and people from all walks of life who cared about and supported the development of Chinese education in Sierra Leone. He hoped that the people of China and Sierra Leone will use the Chinese language as a bridge to promote mutual learning between civilizations and people-to-people bonds, so as to lay a more solid foundation for bilateral relations. The 10 contestants who entered the final stage demonstrated their Chinese learning achievements and traditional Chinese culture through speeches, poem recitations, calligraphy, singing, allegro, talk shows, and cupping of traditional Chinese medicine. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. Despite an attempted coup, the stuttering invasion of Ukraine and heavy resulting losses, Putin and his regime are still secure in the Kremlin. This is testimony to his enduringly strong grip on Russia autocracies, after all, function differently. But it is also thanks to the support, or at least inertia, of the majority of Russian people. Vladimir Putin is doubling down on Putinism at home. Credit: Reuters Putins 24 years in power have been defined by a social contract struck with the Russian people: his citizens would be granted stability and security in exchange for keeping out of politics. This unspoken agreement was predicated on the fact that, for many, the hardships of the Soviet Union and the turbulence of the 1990s are still very much in living memory. Few Russians wanted a return to that. The invasion of Ukraine presented a great test of this social contract for the Kremlin: with young Russian men being sent to die at the front, and people forced to make a great many sacrifices at home, would it hold? Among those items were gold jewellery and gems of semiprecious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD. None had recently been on public display, and were kept primarily for academic and research purposes. Loading Peter John Higgs, the museums curator of Greek collections, Greek sculpture and the Hellenistic period, was identified in British press reports as the person alleged to be responsible for the heist. His alleged role in the scandal was uncovered when the anonymous expert noticed the seller was using the name sultan1966. They matched this name to Higgs Twitter handle. The expert reportedly contacted the eBay seller in 2016 and asked if he was Higgs, but the seller denied this. Higgss son, Greg, says his father maintains his innocence and that the dismissal has come as a shock. Hes not done anything, he told The Times. Hes lost his job and his reputation and I dont think it was fair. It couldnt have been [him]. I dont think there is even anything missing as far as Im aware. Hes devastated about it because its his lifes work, basically. Ive never known somebody whos so passionate about what he did. I mean, hes a world expert in his field. No arrests have yet been made, although the museum has committed to pursue legal action in the event of an arrest. It has been reported the items, which staff are now attempting to recover, are not insured. Pressure has been growing on the museum which attracted 4 million visitors last year to address many of the contested items in their collections. The museum, an increasingly contentious home of items such as the Elgin marbles and the Rosetta stone, holds collections from around the world covering 10,000 years of human history. Loading A key tenet of its argument for keeping many items, such as the marbles, rather than return them to their original countries is the quality of its care. The museums collections are housed, says its website, in safety, conserved, curated, researched and exhibited. There has been no suggestion the stolen items had been taken for any ideological or political reason, such as repatriation. Dorothy King, an archaeologist, said it was difficult to state with any certainty exactly which items were missing. The museum denied any were missing for two years, but about a third of the cameos I requested to see for study purposes this year were unavailable and I was told that several would not be available at any point in the future. Professor Martin Henig, a specialist in Roman engraved gems, said on Friday he and a colleague had also turned detective some years ago after spotting part of an ancient signet ring, thought to be in the museums collection, on sale by a private dealer. Loading George Osborne, a former UK chancellor who is the museums chairman, said the trustees were extremely concerned when they learnt earlier this year that items of the collection had been stolen and had taken decisive action. Osborne said the museum now had three priorities: first, to recover the stolen items; second, to find out what, if anything, could have been done to stop this; and third, to do whatever it takes, with investment in security and collection records, to make sure it doesnt happen again. Its a sad day for all who love our British Museum, but were determined to right the wrongs and use the experience to build a stronger museum, he said. An independent review will be led by former museum trustee Nigel Boardman, and Lucy DOrsi, chief constable of the British Transport Police. They will provide recommendations regarding future security arrangements and develop a plan to recover the missing items. Loading If it could get any more embarrassing for the institution, the theft appears to be a story decades in the making. Questions were first raised about security at the museum and its record-keeping in 2002, when The Sunday Times sent an undercover reporter into the Greek and Roman antiquities department, where Higgs worked. Los Angeles: After months of sweltering summer heat and temperatures in the early 30s, residents of the California cities of Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs woke on Sunday morning (local time) to a blanket of grey storm clouds rolling in from the south. Hurricane Hilary had arrived. A vehicle engulfed in water drives through a flooded freeway in Palmdale, California, on Sunday. Credit: AP While the prevailing mood was relatively calm quiet streets, no pedestrians and few cars on the road, in an unsettling echo of the 2020 pandemic shutdown there were reports of flooded streets and some mudslides. Then, just before 2.45pm local time, an earthquake shook the city for a few seconds. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Work is underway to attract residents who returned to Azerbaijan's Fuzuli to active employment programs within the framework of the "Great Return" program, Trend reports. Representatives of the State Employment Agency under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan held meetings with 23 families who moved to the city of Fuzuli. The members of these families' work options were investigated, and they were given information on current employment programs (self-employment programs, vocational training courses, etc.). According to the examination's findings, effort is being done within the context of these programs to support families finding employment. Additionally, in order to investigate job opportunities, preliminary interviews with each of the 144 families that were first resettled in the city of Fuzuli were held. They received comprehensive details regarding active employment programs. In general, 24 families (68 people) have returned to Fuzuli. Moreover, 47 families (158 people) have been provided with permanent residence in the city of Fuzuli. Today Cloudy with some times of showers or drizzle. Tonight Cloudy with some times of showers or drizzle. Tomorrow Cloudy with bouts of showers and light rain, mainly during the morning through midday. Seasonably cool and drier later in the afternoon with perhaps a few breaks of sun. It will turn breezy as well. READING, Pa. - The Reading Police Department announced Monday that a suspect has been arrested in a 1998 homicide. Authorities say the man allegedly responsible for a fatal drive-by shooting over two decades ago was taken into custody in Jalisco, Mexico. 43-year-old Israel Mendoza is charged with the murder of Michele Lutz, who was shot and killed in the area Front and Elm Streets on August 2, 1998. Mendoza was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshalls Office and local law enforcement. At the time of the murder, investigators identified four suspects: Placido Rodriguez, Joshua Ramirez, Robert Radhames-Herrera and Mendoza. In 1998, Rodriguez and Ramirez were arrested and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit 3rd degree murder and both suspects were sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison. Police say Radhames-Herrera remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact The Reading Police Department at (610)-655-6116 or anonymously to Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913. BETHLEHEM, Pa. - An event in Bethlehem on Monday provided parents and students with supplies for back-to-school. For some back-to-school is a fun time spent shopping for supplies, clothing, and lunch-time snacks. For others, it's just another stressful expense. "With the way things are today, not everyone can afford it. We have participants who work full time and at the end of the month have to choose, do I pay this bill or do I buy groceries," said Marshalana Rivera, Food Pantry Coordinator for Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley. Events like this one in Bethlehem are being held to give all parents the opportunity to provide for their kids and keep the lights on at the same time. "We have book bags, an abundance of school supplies. We're offering masks, water bottles, sanitizer," said Raymond Santiago, Executive Director of Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley. Santiago helped host a Back-to-School Kickoff, providing free haircuts, backpacks, school supply give-a-ways, free food, and much-needed support. "We want to make sure the students are beginning school with everything they need to be successful," he continued. "We understand for a child, starting the year without the materials, the book bag, it's a stress on the family." Community partners also attended and provided valuable information about resources parents can depend on throughout the school year and beyond. Edith Gutierrez-Hawbaker, with the Te Lo Juro Collective, gave her time as a way to say "thank you." "I remember going to community centers with my family when we needed assistance and help to lift us up to the next level," said Gutierrez. The Food Pantry is open five days a week. HAZLETON, Pa. - Pennsylvania State Police say the Troop N Community Services Unit will be hosting a free Citizens Police Academy at the Penn State Hazleton campus. State police say the program will expand citizens knowledge and understanding of the law and explore police procedure from the perspective of the Pennsylvania State Police. The Citizens Police Academy involves approximately 20 hours of instruction taught in two-hour segments, state police say. The program is scheduled to begin Oct. 10 and end Dec. 12. Participants meet each Tuesday night for nine weeks from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., state police said. State police say students must attend 75 percent or more of the scheduled classes to be eligible to graduate and receive a certificate. Class size is limited to 30 community participants to allow greater interaction between students and instructors, according to state police. Participants are selected from interested applicants. Applicants must be 18 years of age to apply and be a resident of Troop Ns coverage area, which consists of Lower Luzerne County, Columbia County, Carbon County, and Monroe County. The Pennsylvania State Police will also conduct a brief background investigation on interested applicants. People can request an application to be mailed or an electronic application can be e-mailed. People can contact Trooper Anthony Petroski for an application 570-459-3900, ext: 216 or anpetroski@pa.gov. The deadline for application submission will be Oct. 3. Police in the Poconos are releasing more information about a New Jersey man who drowned after falling into the water at Dresser Lake in Tobyhanna, Monroe County over the weekend. Isham Huq, of Edison, was kayaking Saturday afternoon when, for an unknown reason, he flipped over and fell into the water, according to a news release from the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Witnesses on shore heard Huq yelling for help but lost sight of him, police said. Police say he was found several hours later, in the water, a short distance from where he was last seen. The Monroe County Coroner's Office pronounced him dead at that time, police said. His kayak was recovered; however, no lifejacket was found, according to the news release. PHILLIPSBURG, N.J. - A Phillipsburg, New Jersey, man is accused of trying to have sex with a teenager. John Degroat, 46, chatted online with someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy, said the Warren County Prosecutor's Office in a news release. The person was actually an adult posing as the teenager. The conversations were sexually explicit and Degroat invited the "teen" to his home for sexual purposes, the prosecutor said. Degroat was charged with attempted endangering the welfare of a child. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in state prison. SOUTH HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. - A gathering at a large birthday party ended in gunfire and sent two people to the hospital early Sunday morning. It was just after midnight when police were dispatched to the 100 block of Butternut Court in South Heidelberg Township for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, South Heidelberg Township Police located two gunshot victims. One suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, while the second was shot in the finger and thigh. Both victims were transported for medical treatment and are expected to recover. The Berks County Forensic Services Unit responded to process the scene and collect physical evidence. Berks County Detectives say a large birthday party was being held at a residence on Butternut Court where a male brandished a handgun and fired, striking the two victims. Investigators say the shooting occurred outside on the driveway and that the suspect fled on foot. County detectives identified the alleged shooter as 26-year-old Jayce Donte Lee, originally from Delaware County, Pa. Authorities say Lee also has ties to Reading. The firearm used in the shooting was discarded at the scene and investigators say it was originally reported stolen to the Reading Police Department in April. Lee is charged with aggravated assault and related offenses. The suspect is not in custody at this time. Police are asking anyone with information on Lee's whereabouts to contact Berks County Detectives at 610-478-7171 or anonymously to Crime Alert Berks County at (877) 373-991. Available for Roku, Fire TV, AppleTV WFMZ+ STREAMING NEW WAY TO WATCH! Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have signed more than 160 documents, including the Declaration on Deepening Strategic Partnership and Increasing Comprehensive Cooperation, creating a solid bilateral legal framework, the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov said at the Azerbaijani-Uzbek business forum, Trend reports. "Cooperation with Uzbekistan is multi-vector in nature and covers a variety of sectors of the economy; joint projects are being implemented; mutual investments are being made. The Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Fund will make a significant contribution to further strengthening economic partnership, stimulating investment activity, and developing ties between the regions and business communities of our countries. The rapid development of relations between the countries has a positive impact on trade dynamics, but there is a great potential for increasing trade turnover, and in this area it is important to intensify initiatives," he said. In addition, within the framework of the business forum, agreements were signed providing for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in various areas, including in the fields of metallurgy, energy, and pharmaceuticals. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan by the end of 2022 amounted to 181.2 million dollars (an increase of 52.4 percent compared to 2021). The economies of the two countries have sufficient potential for mutual trade indicators to grow to $1 billion in the coming years. As of July 1, 2023, there are 204 enterprises with Azerbaijani capital in Uzbekistan (compared to 71 in 2017), of which 67 are joint ventures and 137 are foreign enterprises. Some 22 joint ventures have been established since the beginning of this year. 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Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Technology Ltd, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, ItSafer Continuity Services S.L., JKD Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, K Comms Group Limited, KSC Studio LLC, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, King James Group, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Limited, Kogentix Singapore Pte Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LINKBYNET Indian Ocean (L.I.O) Ltd, LabAnswer, Lexta GmbH, Lexta UK Limited, Lien par le reseau Inc, Lien par le reseau infrastructures Inc, Lin Bo (Shanghai) Network Technology Co. 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Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut. Read More S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he'll have history to contend with New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 43, missing now number 36 as search and recovery work continues UAW escalates strike against lone holdout GM after landing tentative pacts with Stellantis and Ford All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) G-7 nations back strong supply chains for energy and food despite global tensions King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. 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Amer Agency, AHC Digital LLC, AIX Limited, AJG Coal LLC, AJG Financial Services LLC, AJG Meadows LLC, AJG North America ULC, AJG RCF LLC, AJGRMS of Louisiana LLC, ARM RE Ltda., AVIATION INSURANCE SERVICES, AVRECO, Ace IRM Insurance Broking Group, Acumus Holdings Limited, Acumus Interco Limited, Acumus Ltd, Adams & Associates International, Adaptive Marketing LLC, Adco General Corporation, Advanced Benefit Advisors, Aequus Trade Credit, Affinity Marketing Group, Ahrold Fay Rosenberg, Aires Consulting Group, Alesco Risk Management Services Limited, Alize Limited, Allied Claims Administration Inc., Alternative Market Specialists, Altman & Cronin Benefit Consultants, American Freedom Carriers Inc., American Security Services Corp., American Wholesalers Underwriting Ltd, Andrew-Anthony Insurance Agency, Anthony Hodges Consulting Limited, Antrobus Investments Limited, AquaSurance, Argentis, Argentis Financial Group Limited, Argentis Financial Management Limited, Argus Benefits, Armstrong/Robitaille/Riegle, Artex (SAC) Limited, Artex Cedar Hill, Artex Corporate Services (Malta) Limited, Artex Corporate Services Limited, Artex Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Holdings (Malta) Limited, Artex Insurance (Guernsey) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance (Tennessee) PCCIC Inc., Artex Insurance Brokers (Malta) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance ICC Limited, Artex Intermediaries Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Bermuda) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Cayman) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Guernsey) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (International) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Malta) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (UK) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions Inc., Arthur J Gallagher (Norway) Holdings AS, Arthur J. 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Inc., Gallagher (Bermuda) Insurance Solutions Ltd., Gallagher - Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency, Gallagher Bassett Aires Inc., Gallagher Bassett Canada Inc., Gallagher Bassett Insurance Services Ltd., Gallagher Bassett International Ltd., Gallagher Bassett NZ Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. , Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Workers Compensation Victoria Pty Ltd., Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services (Holdings) Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services Management Company Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Pty Ltd, Gallagher Benefits Consulting Limited, Gallagher Bomford Couch Wilson, Gallagher Burgess, Gallagher Canada Acquisition Corporation, Gallagher Caribbean Group Limited, Gallagher Clean Energy LLC, Gallagher Communications Limited, Gallagher Community Clinic RPG LLC, Gallagher Consulting Ltda, Gallagher Corporate Services LLC, Gallagher Coyle, Gallagher CyberRisk, Gallagher Energy Risk Services Inc., Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC, Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Bermuda Company Limited, Gallagher Holdings Four (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Three (UK) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (Barbados) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Kitts & Nevis) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Vincent) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers Jamaica Limited, Gallagher International Cash Management s.r.l., Gallagher International Holdings (US) Inc., Gallagher Investment Advisors LLC, Gallagher Inwest Group, Gallagher Koster, Gallagher Lambert Group, Gallagher Madison Risk & Insurance Services, Gallagher Mauritius Holdings, Gallagher Mississippi Brokerage LLC, Gallagher RE Colombia Ltda Corredores de Reaseguros SA, Gallagher Risk & Reward Limited, Gallagher Risk Group LLC, Gallagher Risk Placements Pty Ltd, Gallagher SKS, Gallagher Service Center LLP, Gallagher-Tarantino, Galtney Group, Game Day Insurance Inc., Gardner & White Corp., Gardner Marine Agency, Garza Long Group, Gatehouse Consulting Limited, Gault Armstrong Kemble Pty Ltd, Gault Armstrong SARL, Giles Group, Giles Holdings Limited, Giles Insurance Brokers, Gillis Ellis & Baker Inc., Goodman Insurance Agency, Grandy Pratt Co., Greenseed Alternative Mangaers Platform Ltd, Grossman & Associates, Group Benefits of Arkansas, Group Insurance Associates, Gruppo Marcucci, HLG Holdings Limited, HMG-PCMS Limited, HPF Investments LLC, HR Owen Insurance Services Limited, Hagan Newkirk Financial Services, Hagedorn & Company, Hardman & Howell Benefits, Harlequin Insurance PCC Limited, Hartstein Associates Inc., Healthcare Professionals Purchasing Group LLC, Healthcare Risk Solutions, Heath Lambert Group Ltd., Heath Lambert Limited, Heath Lambert Overseas Limited, Heiser Insurance Agency, Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance, Herbruck Alder & Co., Heritage Insurance Brokers (CI) Limited, Hesse & Partner AG, Hesse Consulting, Hexagon ICC Limited, Hexagon Insurance PCC Limited, Hill Chesson & Woody, Hogan Insurance Services, Home & Travel Limited, Honour Point Limited, Horseshoe Corporate Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services USA Inc., Horseshoe ILS Services UK Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Advisors US LLC, Horseshoe Insurance Advisory Ltd., Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings US Inc., Horseshoe Management (Gibraltar) Limited, Horseshoe Management (Ireland) Ltd, Horseshoe Management Ltd., Horseshoe PCC Limited, Horseshoe Re Limited, Horseshoe Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Services (Pty) Ltd, Horton Insurance Agency, Housing Authorities Services Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Human Resource Management Systems, I-Protect Underwriting Pty Ltd, IBIS Advisors, IBS Reinsurance Singapore Pte Ltd, ILS Fund Services Ltd., ISG International, ITI Solutions, Igloo Insurance PCC Limited, Independent Benefit Services, Independent Fiduciary Services, Ink Underwriting Agencies Limited, InsSync Group Pty Ltd, Inspire Underwriting Limited, Instrat Insurance Brokers, Instrat Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Instrat Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Insurance Acquisitions Holdings Limited, Insurance Associates Inc., Insurance Dialogue Limited, Insurance Dialogue Ltd., Insurance Plans Agency, Insurance Plus Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Insurance Point, Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri Inc., Insure My Villa Limited, Insure Pty Ltd, Integrated Healthcare Strategies, InterNational Insurance Group, InterPacific Underwriting Agencies, Intermountain Financial Benefits, Interstate Insurance Underwriters, JPGAC LLC, James F. Reda & Associates, James R. Weir Insurance Agency, Jenkins and Associates, Joe E. Martin Inc., John P. Woods Co. Inc., Jones Brown, Jones Brown Group Inc., Jones Brown Insurance Solutions Inc., Joseph Distel, Joseph James & Associates Insurance Agency, Just Landlords Insurance Services Ltd, KDC Associates, KRW Insurance Agency, Kahl Insurance Services, Kaler Carney Liffler & Co. 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L. Youngdahl & Associates, R.G. Speno Inc., R.W. Scobie, RA Rossborough (Guernsey) Ltd., RA Rossborough (Insurance Brokers) Ltd, REGENCY Group inc., RGA Referencing Limited, RGA Underwriting Limited, RIL Administrators (Guernsey) Ltd., RJ Dutton Inc., RSM Insurance Services Limited, Reassurance Holdings Inc., Rebholz Insurance Agency, Reid Manson Ltd., Reimbursement Services, Rentguard Limited, Reward Management Limited, Reynolds & Rodar Insurance Group, Riley & Associates, Rio 587 Limited, Rio 588 Limited, Risk & Reward Group, Risk Management Partners Limited, Risk Placement Services Inc., Risk Planners, Risk Services (NW) Limited, Risk Services (NW) Ltd., Risk Solutions Group Limited, Robert A. Schneider Agency, Robert Keith & Associates, Roberts & Roberts Insurance Service, Robinson-Adams Insurance, Rossborough Healthcare International Ltd, Rossborough Insurance (IOM) Ltd., Rossborough Insurance Services Ltd. (Jersey), S. A. Freerks & Associates, SEG Insurance Ltd, SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers, SHILLING Ltd, SKANCO International, SMERI AB, SRS Underwriting Pty Ltd, Secure Enterprises Pty Ltd, Securitas Re, Sellers Group, Sentinel Indemnity LLC, Septagon Insurance PCC Limited, Shuford Insurance Agency, Sigma II Insurance Agency, Sinclair Billard and Weld Limited, Sobieski & Bradley, Solid Benefit Guidance, Spanjers Insurance Agency, Spataro Insurance Agency, Specialised Broking Associates, Specialty Risk, Stackhouse Poland, Stackhouse Poland Bidco Limited, Stackhouse Poland Group Limited, Stackhouse Poland Holdings Limited, Stackhouse Poland Midco Limited, Stackouse Poland Limited, Stanton Group, Stark Johnson & Stinson Inc., Steel Agency, Strata Solicitors Ltd, Strategic Health Plans Corp., Strathearn Insurance Brokers, Strathearn Insurance Brokers (Qld) Trading Trust, Strathern Insurance Group Pty Ltd, Strathern Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Strathern Unit Trust, Strong Financial Resources, Summit Insurance Group, Sunday and Associates, Sunderland Insurance Services, Super Advice Corporate Services Pty Ltd, Taylor Benefits, Texas Insurance Agency, Texas Insurance Managers, The BeneTex Group, The Buchholz Planning, The Chapman Group, The Commonwealth Consulting Group, The Daniels Group Inc., The EHE Group LLC, The EHE Insurance Agency LLC, The Eagle Insurance Agency LLC, The Eriksen Group, The Forker Company, The Gleason Agency, The Great Lakes Agency, The HR Group, The Hawk Agency, The Human Capital Group, The Lance Group, The Levitt/Kristan Co., The MW Bagnall Company, The Old Greenwich Consulting Group, The Parks Johnson Agency, The Plus Companies Inc., The Presidio Group, The Producers Choice, The Rains Group, The Splinter Group, The Titan Group, The Treiber Group, The Woodsmall Companies Inc., Title & Covenant Brokers Ltd., Title Investments Limited, Tom Sherwin Insurance Agency, Total Reward Group, Total Rewards Group (Holdings) Limited, Towle Agency, Transwestern, Tri-State General Insurance Agency, Triad Insurance Agency, Triad USA, Tribeca Strategic Advisors, Trinder & Norwood, Trip Mate, Trissel Graham & Toole, Tropp & Co., Tudor Risk Services, Tyloma Holdings Limited, Uni-Care Inc., Unison Inc., Universico Group, Unoccupied Direct Limited, V2V Holdings LLC, VEBA Service Group, Vasek Insurance Services Limited, Velo ACU LLC, Velo Holdings Inc., Verbag AG., Vertrue LLC, Victory Insurance Agency, Vincent L. Braband Insurance, Vital Benefits, Voluntary Benefits Solutions, W. E. Kingsley Co. Inc., WM. W. George & Associates, Walker Taylor Agency, Welling Associates, Wesfarmers Insurance - Insurance Brokerage Operations, Western Benefit Solutions, White & Company Insurance, Whitehaven Insurance Group, William Gallagher Associates Insurance Brokers, William H. Connolly & Co., Williams Insurance Agency Inc., Williams-Manny Insurance Group, Winn & Company Insurance Brokers, Wischmeyer Benefit Partners, Woodbrook Underwriting Agencies, Woods & Grooms, WorkCare Northwest, Worksite Communications, Y. S. Liedman & Associates, YOA Capsicum Reinsurance Broker Limited, Zenor Limited, Zuber Insurance Agency, and e3 Financial. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V.. Read More TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 21. A meeting of working groups, including representatives of the government delegations of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, was held in the city of Cholpon-Ata within the framework of the joint Kyrgyz-Uzbek demarcation commission, Trend reports. At the meeting, the parties discussed important aspects related to the demarcation of the state border between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Particular attention is paid to the preparatory work necessary to create a special (general) geodetic network that will be used during the demarcation activities. During the negotiations, a friendly and mutually understanding atmosphere was established. An appropriate protocol was signed, fixing the agreements reached. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Temperatures dropping into the mid to upper 20s. * WHERE...All of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From Monday evening through Tuesday morning. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing. && As one of the nation's premiere college radio stations, WSOU strives to follow professional practices and industry-standard operating procedures in its daily operation. This cultural commitment to individual and organizational excellence, represented by the station's emphasis on student management coupled with an ethos of student accountability, is a major factor in WSOU's decades-long national reputation for excellence and why the station has produced thousands of highly successful alumni. The principles that guide WSOU programming are designed to aid WSOU's student management board, as well as the entire station's staff, as to what is and isn't appropriate to air on 89.5 FM. These principles were developed based upon FCC regulations, station history, current and past formats, and campus community input. Advisory Review Update The WSOU Handbook, which describes its operating procedures, calls for a periodic review of the station and its adherence to its Music Selection Guidelines. A formal review had not been conducted in some time and was overdue. In November 2020, the stations advisory board formed a subcommittee comprised of WSOU members, WSOU alumni and members of the Seton Hall priest community, among others, to conduct a formal review of and issue a report to the Provost. Based on the report findings the subcommittee and provosts office agreed to programming modifications at the station which will allow WSOU to more accurately and securely reflect its mission, goals and long-held operating procedures. The modifications addressed three main areas: station formatics, incorporating and integrating Mission and Ministry further into WSOUs programming, and staff training. In addition, the report calls for the continued review of station content and policies on an ongoing basis as well as the completion of a market survey by the end of summer 2021. This report serves as a first step toward reaffirming the Advisory Boards role in advising the University on outcomes of the stations operations and its alignment with the University mission, reaffirming responsibilities and accountability of the WSOU staff members, and establishing an updated process for song selection. Moving forward, regular reviews of progress on the aforementioned modifications will take place quarterly to ensure compliance with the review. In these, the Stations General Manager, who reports to the Dean of the College of Communication and the Arts, will address, along with general station operations, the adherence to the Catholic mission, Catholic principles that guide WSOU, and selection of songs and bands. The Dean will, in turn, make quarterly reports to the Office of the Provost that provide assessment, recommendations and review of the station. Seton Hall University's WSOU 89.5 FM was founded as a hands-on experiential-learning radio station. Launched on April 14, 1948, the station has always placed a premium on promoting student success and pre-professional development. An emphasis on student management, coupled with an ethos of student accountability, is a major factor in WSOU-FM's decades-long national reputation for excellence and why the station has produced thousands of highly successful alumni. As part of its "learn by doing" mission, WSOU-FM strives to emulate "the real world" to prepare students for careers not just in broadcasting, but in any field they may choose. Understanding how to properly implement policies and procedures is essential for success in any workplace. In the realm of on-air programming, the station follows FCC regulations and University guidelines. All music heard on WSOU-FM is carefully screened for content to ensure that lyrics do not undermine the mission and values of Seton Hall University or violate FCC rules. As all radio stations do, songs in the WSOU-FM music library are edited to remove language in conflict with FCC regulations regarding indecency and obscenity. Unlike most other radio stations, WSOU-FM goes a step further to also remove lyrics that go against the Catholic principles that guide station programming. As a result of this two-step content review process, even though it sounds loud and heavy, the music heard on WSOU is some of the "cleanest" in broadcasting. More information: Principles That Guide WSOU Programming ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 21. Kazakhstan and Vietnam have signed an agreement on mutual exemption from visa requirements for citizens, Trend reports citing the press service of the President of Kazakhstan. The content of the document was preliminarily published on Kazakhstan's Open Laws and Regulations portal. This intergovernmental agreement will allow citizens of Kazakhstan and Vietnam to stay on the territory of the other country without a visa for 30 days from the moment of crossing the border and up to a total of 90 days within three months. According to the terms of the document, the agreement is valid indefinitely and begins to operate 30 calendar days after the receipt of the last written notification from the parties on the completion of national procedures required for its ratification. Older residents of the state of Hesse, Germany will likely recall with disgust the right-wing campaign with which Christian Democratic Party (CDU) politician Roland Koch won the Hessian state election in 1999. By way of a signature campaign against dual citizenship, he fueled xenophobic sentiments and created a climate in which extreme right terrorist groups, such as the murderers of Kassel state official Walter Lubcke, and ultimately the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), could thrive. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser in the Bundestag [Photo by DBT / Leon Kugeler / photothek] In this year's state elections, which will be held on October 8, it is the Social Democratic Party (SPD) that is running on a xenophobic platform. The SPD candidate, Nancy Faeser, who is seeking to replace CDU Prime Minister Boris Rhein at the head of the state government, has retained her post as federal minister in order to distinguish herself as a law-and-order candidate in the election. As federal Minister of the Interior, Faeser not only plays a leading role in the expansion of Fortress Europe, which hands millions of refugees over to authoritarian regimes, locks them in concentration camps and lets them drown at sea or die of thirst in the desert. Hardly does a week go by without Faeser publicly presenting new proposals to grind down the remaining democratic rights of refugees and asylum seekers. In early August, Faeser's ministry presented a 'discussion draft' that lists 35 pages of brutalin some cases sadisticlegislative proposals that make a mockery of elementary democratic principles. One could title the paper, 'Foreigners out!' A total of twelve legal measures are intended to facilitate the deportation of refugees and asylum seekers. These individuals may still legally invoke certain rights, but no longer to any practical effect because they will be deported anyway. For example, according to the draft, appeals against bans on entry and residence will no longer suspend deportation orders; anyone who files an asylum application can still be placed in detention pending deportation; the number of cases requiring a public attorney will be greatly reduced; the maximum duration of detention pending departure will be extended from ten to 28 days; and the authorities will be given far-reaching rights to search shelter facilities. A particularly vile plan is that deportation will no longer be announced in advance, even in the case individuals with long-term tolerated status. Without prior notice, the police will be able to snatch up those targeted in nighttime raids and evict them from the country. Until now, people who have been tolerated in Germany for more than a year must be informed of their impending deportation at least one month in advance. One can imagine what this means. Families who have been living in Germany for years, but heretofore have only been 'tolerated, go to bed in fear every night that the police will ring the doorbell, put them on the next plane and ship them off to a country where they have no means to support themselves. The last time such psychological terror was instituted in Germany was under the Nazi regime. More than 6,000 young people currently undergoing vocational training as tolerated persons are threatened by Faeser's new plans. More than half of all tolerated persons, 136,000, have been living in Germany for more than five years. Most hold regular jobs, have their own apartments and send their children to school. Another proposal that Faeser has been propagandizing in recent weeks is the introduction of Sippenhaftung (kin punishment) under the pretext of so-called clan criminality. Members of families designated as criminal clans are to be deported even if they have not committed any crime at all. In response to skeptical questions in the Rheinische Post, Faeser emphasized that she was concerned with 'effective solutions': 'The rule of law must show its teeth here.' Refugees protest against inhumane housing in Berlin in July 2016 Why is the SPD in Hesse running an election campaign far to the right of Koch's infamous 1999 campaign? The answer to this question lies not simply in the person of Nancy Faeser, but in the changed political circumstances. Today, the SPD leads a federal government that is carrying out the largest military buildup since Hitler and escalating the NATO war against Russia without regard for losses, even if it means risking nuclear war. The federal government is ruthlessly offloading the costs of this policy onto the working population in the form of social cuts and falling real wages. As Minister of the Interior, Faeser is responsible not only for refugee policy, but also for collective bargaining in the public sector, where she forced through massive real wage cuts with the support of the service sector union Verdi. The German Federal Police, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution also fall within Faeser's jurisdiction and are being systematically strengthened by her. While right-wing terrorist networks operate unhindered in the state apparatus, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution lists the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (the Socialist Equality Party in Germany, SGP) as an object of observation and denounces it as 'left-wing extremist' because it fights for a socialist society by democratic means. In the preface to the latest report on the protection of the constitution, Faeser lets it be known that all viewpoints that run counter to the German war effort are to be banned from public discussion. Faeser also bears responsibility for the criminalization of climate activists, such as the 'Last Generation.' This policy, which could come straight out of the AfD's election program, is supported by all parties. This applies not only to the Greens, who are a member of the federal government and govern in Hesse with the CDU, but also to the Left Party, which was long led in Hesse by the current Left Party federal chairwoman, Janine Wissler. Wissler tried for years to form a coalition government in Hesse with Faeser's SPD. In December 2021, Wissler congratulated Faeser upon the latters swearing-in as federal interior minister and absurdly praised her as a 'comrade-in-arms in the fight against right-wing violence.' This underscores the fact that the Left Party, like the SPD, defends capitalism and the bourgeois state, which it is willing to use it against working-class opposition. Faeser, a native of Schwalbach/Taunus, represents the Hochtaunus electoral district comprising wealthy suburbs around Frankfurt boasting the highest per capita income in Germany, twice as high, for example, as the cities of Offenbach, Duisburg or Gelsenkirchen. As a lawyer, she worked at the Frankfurt business law firm GORG. The motive driving Faeser's xenophobic election campaign is the fear of a working-class rebellion. While resistance to war and social austerity is growing, Faesers campaign is a desperate attempt to divide the working population through nationalism and xenophobia. The attack on the democratic rights of refugees, the weakest members of society, serves as the prelude to abolishing all democratic rights of the working class. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the north Indian state of Haryana went on a rampage from August 3 to 6, ordering the bulldozing of more than 1,200 Muslim homes and shops. While the demolitions occurred in many of the states towns and villages, they were concentrated in the predominantly Muslim district of Nuh (formerly Mewat), which lies some 125 kilometers (78 miles) south of Indias national capital, New Delhi. So patently criminal and communally driven was the BJPs bulldozering campaign, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the states highest judicial body, felt compelled to intervene on August 7. In ordering a stop to the state governments bulldozing of Muslim properties without legal sanction or even any forewarning other than an immediate order to evacuate, the court observed: Apparently, without any demolition orders and notices, the law-and-order problem is being used as a ruse to bring down buildings without following the procedure established by law. The issue also arises whether an exercise of ethnic cleansing is being conducted by the State.' (Emphasis added) Haryanas BJP government justified the initial demolitions as a form of communaland, under Indian law, manifestly illegalcollective punishment. Acting as judge, jury and executioner, it claimed to be targeting structures, including a Muslim-owned hotel, from which it said Muslim youth had thrown stones at a Hindu-religious yatra (procession) in Nuh on July 31. The yatra was itself a communal provocation, organized by violent Hindu-extremist organizations allied with the BJP, with the aim of intimidating the Muslim population and asserting Hindu supremacy. Muslim woman and child sit atop the ruins of their government-demolished home. [Photo: Aasif Mujtaba/Facebook] Later, as the BJP government became even more emboldened and spread its bulldozing campaign across the state, the authorities, with only the most offhand attempt to cover up the wanton communal character of their actions, said they were targeting illegally built structures. The bulldozing campaign was incited and directed by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Even sections of the capitalist press have been forced to concede this. A former fulltime cadre of the Hindu supremacist RSS, Khattar emphatically defended the yatra in Nuh, even though police said many of the participants brandished swords, tridents and other illegal arms in defiance of their orders. In a clear case of incitement, Khattar blamed Muslims for the communal disturbances that erupted in Nuh on July 31 and then spread to other parts of the state including nearby Gurugram and Faridabad. Turning reality on its head, the Chief Minister claimed the attack on the Nuh yatra and subsequent communal clashes were pre-planned and part of a larger conspiracy. Subsequently, Ashwani Kumar, the Sub Divisional Magistrate overseeing the demolition of a shantytown in Nuh, said he was acting at Khattars behest: This has been done on the direction of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The encroachment was spread across 2.5 acres, ... All of it was illegal construction. It has been found that some of these people had involvement in the recent clashes... The Nuh yatra was organized by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal (BD), RSS offshoots that are closely allied with the national BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Haryana state government. Nuh was selected as a target because it is Muslim majority district, but also because relations between the districts Muslim and Hindu residents are especially amicable, with members of the two communities traditionally joining each others festivals. The Hindu communalists are intent on destroying this amity and artificially polarizing the district and all Haryana along communal lines. This is part of the ongoing efforts of the Modi government and its Hindu far-right allies to whip up communal tensions across India to divert mounting social anger over mass joblessness and poverty, and as part of their strategy for the 2024 national parliamentary elections. The activists of the VHP and the BD are infamous for their violent attacks against Muslims. Yet the police made no effort to intervene when they marched through Nuh brandishing weapons. Further adding to the charged situation was the online circulation of a video in which the notorious BD activist and cow-protection vigilante Monu Manesar announced that he and his whole team would join the July 31 yatra in Nuh. Manesar is the principal accused in the murder of two innocent Muslim cow traders, Junaid and Nasir, who were kidnapped in Nur in February. Their charred bodies were later discovered in a burned-out SUV in the neighboring state of Rajasthan. Yet Manesar remains at liberty because he and the BD enjoy the support of the BJP state government. Nuh residents had warned the authorities not to allow the yatra to proceed but this was ignored. According to the police, the yatra was stopped by a group of young Muslim men who subsequently threw stones at the processions participants. This reportedly set off a melee which resulted in police cars being damaged and other cars set alight. As news spread, there were clashes in other Haryana localities. The state government responded by suspending mobile and internet services in Nuh and the neighboring Gurugram district; invoking Section 144 of the Criminal Code under which all gatherings of four or more people are illegal; and mobilizing thousands of police and para-military Central Armed Police Forces personnel. Seven people were killed in the violence, including two security personnel and a Muslim imam. According to an eyewitness account provided to BBC, the latter was set upon in a mosque by a mob of Hindu extremists shouting, 'Kill them, kill them. The Haryana BJP governments wholesale destruction of illegal buildings is breathtaking in scope. Targets included houses, shops, hundreds of shanty dwellings, a hotel, and at least two dozen medical stores. Among those living in the shanties were impoverished and brutalized Rohingya refugees from Myanmar (formerly Burma) who eke out a living as rickshaw pullers, ragpickers, street vendors or other daily wage workers. Neither the Congress Party nor any other of Indias main opposition parties has forthrightly and unequivocally condemned this lawless state violence and terror. The Stalinist Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM sent a delegation to Nuh, which documented many of the horrors inflicted by the demolition. But its report did not even mention the role of the BJP, let alone point to Chief Minister Khattar as the main instigator of the bulldozer terror campaign. The Congress Partywhich, with the Stalinists enthusiastic support, claims to be leading efforts to stitch together a democratic secular electoral alternative to the BJPhas a long history of adapting to and conniving with the Hindu right. Nationally, it is allied with the fascistic, Hindutva-championing Shiv Sena, and in Madhya Pradesh, where state elections will be held later this year, it has merged with a Barjang Dal split-off, the Bajrang Sena. So savage was the BJPs demolition drive, residents and owners were not given time to grab any of their possessions. In so far as any demolition notices were issued, they were hastily pasted on buildings minutes prior to their destruction. The Hindustan Times in its report on the demolition provided this harrowing comment from one of the victims: Munjila Khatun, from Bongaigaon in Assam, said that she was collecting plastic bottles when she received a call from her son, and rushed home. Officials had started demolition without asking us to remove our things. They broke all of our kitchen utensils, threw our bedding and asked us to leave the town, she said. Such bulldozer demolitions, mimicking the brutal methods routinely employed by the Zionist Israeli regime against the Palestinians, has now become a routine instrument of terror of BJP state governments, particularly when victimizing Muslims. This is especially true in Indias most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, where Yogi Adityanath, a violent Hindu extremist and close Modi ally, is the Chief Minister. Despite bordering the highly industrialized Gurugram district and lying just two-and-a-half hours drive from Delhi, Nuh is among Indias most underdeveloped districts. Indeed in 2018 the central governments own NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India Commission) found Nuh to be the least developed of all India's 739 districts. Muslims comprise close to 80 percent of the districts inhabitants, while most of the remaining 20 percent are Hindus. A 36-year old Hindu, Dharamveer Singh, who lives in a lane adjacent to a street in Nuh where Muslim homes and shops were demolished, expressed deep anguish at the suffering inflicted on his neighbours in an interview with the online publication The Wire. There is such amity and brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims in Nuh, said Singh, that beyond a point, religion stops interfering in their daily lives. The BJPs actions in Haryana are part of a relentless campaign to stoke communal animosity and strife so as to divide the working class and provide a pretext for further state repression. In the northeastern state of Manipur, the BJP-led government and its Chief Minster, Biren Singh, have stoked ethnic-communal conflict in which at least 150 people have been have killed and tens of thousands rendered homeless since early May. In his Aug. 15 Independence Day speech Modi promoted the Hindu communalist canard, derived from British imperialist historiography, that prior to British colonial rule the population was subject to a millennium of enslavement at the hands of foreign Muslim rulers. As the official death toll continues to slowly rise in Maui, reaching 114 as of this writing, over 500 active wildfires in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories have destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, prompting government officials to order hurried mass evacuations throughout the region. The Canadian government has yet to officially acknowledge any deaths from the fires or provide an estimate of how many homes have been destroyed. Major wildfires are also burning in the state of Washington, just across the border from British Columbia. Washington state officials have confirmed that two major blazes, the Gray Fire and the Oregon Road Fire, have destroyed more than 100 structures. including homes. At least one person has died due to the fires in the state. In Maui, which is set to host President Joe Biden on Monday, residents continue to speak out about the inadequate and indifferent government response to a preventable catastrophe. Over 1,000 people remain missing nearly two weeks after the eruption of the fires, which appear to have been started by downed Hawaiian Electric power lines sparking non-native grasses that burned with the aid of wind from Hurricane Dora. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Maui resident Allisen Median said the government response had been too slow, adding, People have been doing their own recovery. She said, The government, relief organizationstheyre not doing anything. Were only 100 miles from Oahu, which has several military bases. Why is the response so lacking? Why are they doing so little? Why is nothing else being done? Median denounced the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and questioned why the government refused to update the death toll. She told the newspaper, I know there are at least 480 dead here in Maui, and I dont understand why [the authorities] are not saying that. ... I do know they ran out of body bags by the first or second night and had to ship some in from the mainland. Wildfire wreckage is shown Friday, August 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives from wildfires on Maui that wiped out a historic town. [AP Photo/Rick Bowmer] A similar catastrophe is unfolding in Canada. Wildfires continue to bear down on Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories and home to 20,000 residents, who were ordered to evacuate last week. At the same time, massive wildfires to the south in British Columbia have forced government officials to order another 35,000 people to evacuate. Over the weekend, Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty confirmed that approximately 1,000 residents still remain in the city. While some are assisting firefighters, others are forced to stay behind because they have nowhere else to go. On Saturday, Northwest Territories Health Minister Julie Green confirmed that one of the 39 hospital patients evacuated from Stanton Territorial Hospital died while being transported on Friday. She said the death had been expected. Unlike the situation in sparsely populated Yellowknife, the evacuations in British Columbia are centered in significant population centers, including Kamloops, Shuswap and Kelowna, located in the interior of the province. It is unknown how many people have been able to heed the evacuation orders. A state of emergency was declared in British Columbia on Friday due to the roughly 380 wildfires that are currently active throughout the province. Partial evacuations have been ordered for West Kelowna and Kelowna, home to some 190,000 people. The Globe and Mail reported on Friday that West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund confirmed a significant number of buildings, including homes, had already been burned in the city. The Bendor Range Complex continues to burn near Lillooet, located in southwestern British Columbia and home to 2,500 people. [Photo: British Columbia Government] Speaking to reporters on Saturday on the out-of-control spread of wildfires throughout the region, British Columbia Premier David Eby stated bluntly, The current situation is grim. He cited the dire need for shelters for the thousands forced to flee their homes, including some 4,500 students at the University of British Columbias Okanagan Campus, and imposed a nonessential travel ban, along with a request for tourists to stay home so as to free up hotel space for evacuees. Eby said on Saturday that another 30,000 people were currently under evacuation alerts, meaning they had to be ready to drop everything and leave at a moments notice. On Friday, two major wildfires north of Kelowna, around Shuswap Lake, converged into a single 400-plus square kilometer fire, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The newly named Bush Creek East wildfire continued to threaten the region, and, according to firefighters, remained out of control as of Sunday. It appears that government evacuation orders came too late for many trying to escape the Shuswap area by road on Friday night. As was the case in Laihana on Maui, many residents who attempted to flee in their cars were reportedly blocked by flames. The inferno burned down bridges in and out of the town, forcing evacuees to take long back roads or flee to the water and use private boats to escape. Pictures have emerged of burnt out cars, blackened trees and destroyed homes throughout Shuswap. Dustin Carlisle and Dan Malanowhich were ordered to evacuate their home in Scotch Creek on Friday afternoon. I believe the [evacuation] order was a bit late, Carlisle told the Vernon Morning Star. Malanowhich described the evacuation as frantic. All alerts and everything were very slow. There was nobody doing door to door whatever, telling people to evacuate or anything, he said. On Sunday, the Vancouver Sun reported that nearly 5,000 properties were still under evacuation orders in Shuswap, which is located about 150 kilometers north of Kelowna. Government officials have yet to offer a firm number but have confirmed that multiple homes and buildings have been destroyed in the region. As of Sunday morning, over 4,000 customers were without power. Thick black smoke from the hundreds of fires has blanketed much of Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest in the US. On Twitter, Canadian engineer and scientist Nicolas Smit noted that 1000s10,000s of people could lose their homes & jobs from the wildfires spreading across Canada. He questioned why government officials were not distributing elastomeric respirators that would not only protect from COVID-19 but also protect firefighters & the public from the dangers of particulates, gases and organic vapor. As the World Socialist Web Site wrote last month, The capitalist profit system, which organizes society on the basis of the self-interest of the capitalist class, is organically incapable of the massive level of social planning and organization necessary to address the climate crisis. Therefore, the fight against climate change is fundamentally a class question, which can only be resolved through a mass movement of the working class armed with a socialist perspective. Tropical Storm Hilary, which made landfall Sunday morning in Baja California as a hurricane, crossed the US-Mexico border late Sunday afternoon local time after weakening. Although downgraded to a tropical storm, this reflects mainly a reduction in wind speeds to below 75 miles per hour. But the storm still produced unprecedented rainfall across a region approximately 20 miles east of the major urban centers of San Diego and Los Angeles. A worker walks past a fallen tree blocking Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 20, 2023. Tropical Storm Hilary swirled northward Sunday just off the coast of Mexicos Baja California Peninsula, no longer a hurricane but still carrying so much rain that forecasters said catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is likely across a broad region of the US Southwest. [AP Photo/Ryan Sun] Hilary was the first named storm to hit Southern California since Tropical Storm Nora in 1997 and would have been the first hurricane to hit the region in nearly a century. It dealt a savage blow to parts of Baja California in northern Mexico, killing at least one man in Santa Rosalia, whose car was swept off the road. In California, residents of the Channel Islands and, in particular, Catalina Island, home to some 4,000 people, have been advised to evacuate. Over the next 24 hours, the storm is tracking to pass over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and into western Nevada, perhaps reaching as far north as Reno before fully dissipating. Overnight, the storm is expected to bring flooding, strong winds and potentially lethal mudslides as it travels north. States of emergency have been declared in California and Nevada and in a number of cities and towns in the path of the storm. In San Diego County, the weather service said that boulders were rolling in the town of Julian, and a tornado warning was issued for the broader Alpine area. Videos posted on twitter have shown only a part of the unfolding catastrophe. On top of the storm, the California city of Ojai experienced a 5.0 earthquake at 2:40 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on Sunday. The Southwest US and northwest of Mexico are well known for their arid and desert climates, and those who live there have virtually no experience with storms of this magnitude. Since meteorologists began reporting on Hilary three days ago, there have been runs on grocery stores, with some running out of bottled water. The infrastructure in the Southwestat least, where it is appropriately fundedis typically built to withstand earthquakes, a much more familiar threat, but not to withstand high winds or flooding. Early projections showed that Hilary could dump as much water on California in a day as the state usually gets in a year. The areas ecosystem is also expected to be overwhelmed by the storm. Soil, under conditions of chronic drought, where decades of wildfires have decimated vegetation, can quickly form mudflows and cause landslides once flooded. Just under a year ago, on August 24, 2022, a part of Interstate 10, connecting Southern California with Arizona, was washed away following a flash flood. A flash flood washed out the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 about 16 miles east of Desert Center near the California-Arizona border August 24, 2022. [Photo: Caltrans] The last time a hurricane hit California directly was in 1939, and it caused blackouts, cut phone service and killed just under 100 people. In 1977, Hurricane Doreena Category 1 hurricane at its peakhit Baja California, but bounced back into the Pacific and skirted along the California coast before dissipating over the Channel Islands. Though Doreen veered off into the Pacific, taking the worst of the storm off the mainland, it still killed eight people and swept six children away in the Los Angeles River, one of whom was among the dead. Storm systems sometimes form over the Pacific along North Americas West Coast, but they are uncommon, and they rarely grow and even more rarely make landfall. Hurricanes require warm water to sustain themselves, and starved of this, they die off. Due to a phenomenon called upwelling, in which cold, deep seawater rises to the top, the surface of the Pacific Ocean is typically cool, often surprisingly so to visitors. This usually frustrates the formation and sustaining of tropical storms in the Pacific. This year, however, has seen record-breaking heat, and ocean temperatures have broken records. Ocean temperatures off the coast of Florida hit nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit this summer, killing marine life. The solid black line shows sea surface temperatures for 2023, roughly 4 sigma above the 1982-2011 mean (Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/sst_daily/) There are two main reasons for the abnormally hot water in the Pacific Ocean that is driving Tropical Storm Hilary. First and more immediately, this year has seen the return of El Nino, the warming cycle in the El Nino Southern Oscillation, which is well studied and is known to affect the global climate. It also in part explains this years record land temperatures. In a recent analysis of 2023s heat records, the WSWS noted: This years El Nino is just beginning, and it will likely contribute to an already disaster-packed 2023. More fundamentally, however, temperatures have reached new and higher sustained averages in and out of the El Nino cycle that cannot be accounted for by the strictly natural oscillations of the global climate. Climate change, a product of capitalism and a challenge which world governments do not have the ability nor the desire to address, has produced higher and higher annual temperatures. The year 2023 is breaking heat records, but the breaking of heat records is not novel for the 21st century. The top 10 hottest years on record, since they were first recorded in the 19th century, have all happened in the last two decades. Aside from this year, the last five hottest years on record were, in order, 2020, 2016, 2019, 2015 and 2017. All of these years were at least 0.6 degree Celsius (just over 1 degree Fahrenheit) above the 20th century average. Part of the reason that 2021 and 2022 are not included here may be that La Nina, El Ninos opposing climate pattern, was dominant in those years and affected a relative cooling of the global climate. Tropical Storm Hilary comes less than two weeks after the wildfire in Maui that destroyed Lahaina and killed more than 100 people, and less than a week after the wildfires in Canadas Northwest Territories forced 22,000 to flee the provinces capital Yellowknife. Like these wildfires, Hilary is another instance of extreme weather created and exacerbated by climate change. To this, it must be added that the storm comes in the midst of a new surge of COVID-19. Wastewater figures have shown that the virus is on the rise in the US, and scientists have recently announced the discovery of a new and rapidly spreading strain of the virus that has been given the name Pirola. In their response to both a pandemic that has killed millions and wildfires that have ravaged regions from the tropics of Hawaii to the Canadian tundra, the ruling class has demonstrated an utterly criminal negligence that has resulted in the death and destitution of untold millions. The official response to climate change has taken the form of the feckless Kyoto and Paris accords. These have barely done anything to reduce CO emissions. The more rapacious elements of the ruling class will still deny that climate change even exists. The following is the speech by World Socialist Web Site International Editorial Board Chairman David North to An Island at the Center of World History: Trotsky on Prinkipo, held Sunday, August 20. The event was held on Prinkipo, an island in the Sea of Marmara off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey. The commemoration honored Trotskys four-year exile on the island, from 1929 to 1933. More than 160 people from throughout Turkey attended in person, and it was livestreamed to viewers around the world. A full recording can be accessed at Trotsky.com. Allow me to express, on behalf of the International Committee of the Fourth International and its members and supporters throughout the world, our appreciation to Mayor Erdem Gul and Adalar City Council Chairman Iskender Ozturanli for sponsoring this important tribute to the life of Leon Trotsky. I would also like to thank Professor Dr. Mehmet Alkan for agreeing to moderate todays event. Just over nine months have passed since I met with Mayor Gul and Chairman Ozturanli in November 2022 to discuss the possibility of commemorating the years spent by Trotsky on Prinkipo. They welcomed the proposal, and have worked in a most conscientious manner to translate the proposal into a plan of action, of which todays gathering is the outcome. David North's remarks at Trotsky commemoration in Prinkipo This meeting is also commemorating the tragic conclusion of Trotskys life. Exactly 83 years ago, on August 20, 1940, Trotsky was struck down in Coyoacan, a suburb of Mexico City, by a Stalinist assassin. He died the next day. The blow that was struck against Trotsky was not aimed only at one man. It was a criminal act of counterrevolutionary violence directed against the international working class, the struggle for socialism and the liberation of humanity from capitalist oppression. The revolutionary leader was murdered. But the party he founded, the Fourth International, survived, and the cause for which he fought, the victory of the world socialist revolution, continues and is gathering strength. This commemoration is being held under the title, An Island at the Center of World History: Trotsky in Prinkipo. There is not the slightest exaggeration in this title. From Trotskys arrival in February 1929 until his departure in July 1933, this island provided refuge for the greatest Marxist theorist and revolutionary leader of his time. Moreover, these four years were of immense historical consequence. Two events that were to determine the future course of the 20th century occurred during Trotskys Prinkipo exile: the Wall Street crash of October 1929, which marked the beginning of the world economic depression, and the explosive growth of the Nazi Party in Germany, culminating in Hitlers accession to power in January 1933. Trotskys analysis of these events and their implications was without equal. Living on a small island, without ready access to a telephone, following world news from newspapers and letters that took weeks to reach him, Trotskys grasp of events was unequaled by any of his contemporaries. His powers of observation and strategic vision were not constrained by geographic barriers. Ulas Atesci, David North, Dr. Mehmet Alkan Trotsky did not arrive in Turkey voluntarily. Since January 1928, in the aftermath of his expulsion from the Russian Communist Party and the Communist International, he had been exiled in Alma Ata, in Soviet Kazakhstan. Stalin had hoped that Trotsky, separated from Moscow by thousands of miles, would be too isolated to provide leadership to the Left Opposition, which had been founded in October 1923. But the brutal persecution of the Left Opposition could not destroy its influence. Trotskys critique of the bureaucratization of the Communist Party and the Soviet State, the destruction of all remnants of workers democracy, and the disastrous political and economic consequences of Stalins autarchic program of socialism in one countrythat is, the repudiation of the internationalist program of permanent revolution upon which the October Revolution had been basedwas repeatedly verified by events. On December 16, 1928, Trotsky received a warning from a special emissary of the Soviet secret police, the GPUin effect, from Stalinthat unless he abandoned his political activities, further measures would be taken to isolate him physically. Trotsky immediately responded to this threat with a written reply addressed to the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Presidium of the Communist International: The demand that I abstain from political activity is a demand that I renounce the struggle for the interests of the international proletariat, a struggle which I have been waging continually for thirty-two years, throughout all my conscious life. The attempt to represent this activity as counter-revolutionary comes from those whom I charge, before the international proletariat, with violating the fundamental principles of the teachings of Marx and Lenin, with infringing on the historical interests of the world revolution, with renouncing the traditions and precepts of October, and with unconsciously, but all the more menacingly, preparing the Thermidor [the destruction of the workers state]. To abstain from political activity would be tantamount to ending the struggle against the blindness of the present direction of the Communist Party, which adds to the objective difficulties of the constructive Socialist work, an ever-increasing number of political difficulties caused by its opportunist inability to conduct the proletarian policy on a large, historical scale. Confronted with this defiance, Stalinunable at that point to murder his unyielding Marxist enemyhit upon the idea that Trotskys complete removal from the soil of the Soviet Union would mean his elimination as an effective opponent of the bureaucratic regime. On January 18, 1929, the GPU, the enforcer of Stalins orders, declared that Trotsky would be deported from the Soviet Union. Upon being informed of this decision, Trotsky denounced it as criminal in substance and illegal in form. On February 12, after an arduous 22-day journey, during which Trotsky, his wife Natalia Sedova, and son, Lev Sedov, traveled nearly 6,000 kilometers, the great revolutionary arrived in the city that was still called Constantinople. He had been granted a visa by the president of Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. Before disembarking from the boat, Trotsky handed a statement to a government official that was addressed to the president. It read: Dear Sir: At the gate of Constantinople, I have the honor to inform you that I arrived at the Turkish frontier not of my own choice, and that I will cross this frontier only by submitting to force. I request you, Mr. President, to accept my appropriate sentiments. L. Trotsky. February 12, 1929 Trotsky spent the first weeks of his exile in Istanbul. In March, he relocated to Prinkipo, where he resided, with only brief interruptions, until July 1933. Stalin soon realized that placing Trotsky outside the direct jurisdiction of the GPU was a major miscalculation. But why, then, had Stalin believed in late 1928, that he could render Trotsky politically helpless by exiling him from the Soviet Union? The answer lies in the character of the regime, of which Stalin was the brutal personification. The power wielded by Stalin was the power of a massive bureaucratic apparatus. Stalin ruled through the bureaucracy. He exercised his influence through the secret police. He answered his opponents not with ideas and arguments but with arrest warrants and death sentences. Trotsky, though deprived of all the conventional instruments of power, still commanded the attention of the most advanced sections of the working class and the socialist intelligentsia. Trotsky was not merely an exiled individual. He personified the revolutionary workers government in exile, whose conquest of power, through a renewed revolutionary upsurge of the working class in the Soviet Union, in the imperialist centers and the restless colonies, could not be excluded. It was for this reason that Trotsky remained a persona non grata in every imperialist country. Not until 1933 was Trotsky finally granted a visa to enter France, and then only under the most restrictive conditions. Trotsky described Prinkipo as an island of peace and forgetfulness, and a fine place to work with a pen, particularly during autumn and winter when the island becomes completely deserted and woodcocks appear in the park. And, indeed, works of extraordinary brilliance flowed from his pen during the years in Prinkipo. Trotsky produced a genuine masterpiece of world literature: his three-volume History of the Russian Revolution, and also My Life, one of the most beautifully written, fascinating, historically objective, and honest of all political autobiographies. Answering critics from the milieu of Stalinist fellow travelers who denounced the books subjectivism, Trotsky noted laconically that no author had ever managed to write an autobiography without mentioning himself. But for all the brilliant and enduring character of these two works, they are somewhat overshadowed, in a directly political sense, by Trotskys commentary on the events that were unfolding in Germany. Separated from Germany by 2,000 kilometers, Trotskys analysis of the rapid growth of the Nazi movement, his scathing indictment of the political cowardice of both the Social Democratic and Communist partiesthe two mass organizations of the German working classin the face of the fascist danger was without equal. He warned of the consequences of a Nazi victory and called for a united front of working class parties and organizations to block Hitlers accession to power. Worker-Communists, Trotsky wrote in 1931, you are hundreds of thousands, millions; you cannot leave for anyplace; there are not enough passports for you. Should fascism come to power, it will ride over your skulls and spines like a terrific tank. Your salvation lies in merciless struggle. And only a fighting unity with the Social Democratic workers can bring victory. Make haste, worker-Communists, you have very little time left! The Stalinist Communist Party denounced the Social Democratic Party as social fascist, by which it meant that there existed no difference between a mass reformist organization of the working class and the Nazi party supported by millions of politically deranged and reactionary petty-bourgeois, pledged to the total annihilation of the socialist and communist organizations. The Stalinist organizations rejection of unified defensive action against the Nazis meant, in practice, abandoning all efforts to win the support of social democratic workers. It paralyzed the working class and cleared Hitlers path to power on January 30, 1933. Even in the aftermath of this political catastrophe, which resulted in the establishment of a barbaric dictatorship and the complete destruction of the massive German workers movement, the Stalinist regime in Moscow and the Communist International continued to insist that the policies pursued by the German Communist Party were correct and beyond criticism. Since the formation of the Left Opposition in October 1923, Trotskys program had called for the reform of the Russian Communist Party and the Third International. But the refusal of the Stalinist parties to allow any discussion of the German disaster led Trotsky to conclude that the policy directed toward the reform of the Third International was exhausted. On July 15, 1933, two days before his departure from Prinkipo, Trotsky issued a call for the building of a new International. He wrote: The Moscow leadership has not only proclaimed as infallible the policy which guaranteed victory to Hitler, but has also prohibited all discussion of what has occurred. And this shameless interdiction was not violated nor overthrown. No national congresses; no international congress; no discussion at party meetings; no discussion in the press! An organization which was not roused by the thunder of fascism and which submits docilely to such outrageous acts of the bureaucracy demonstrates thereby that it is dead and that nothing can revive it. To say this openly and publicly is our direct duty toward the proletariat and its future. In all our subsequent work it is necessary to take as our point of departure the historical collapse of the official Communist International. Thus, on this island, 90 years ago, the struggle for the Fourth International began. The call issued by Trotsky set into motion a process of programmatic clarification and organizational preparation that culminated in the official founding of the Fourth International as the World Party of Socialist Revolution in September 1938. By that time Stalin had already staged the three infamous trials in Moscow and murdered all the principal leaders of the October Revolution. The Stalinist terror which swept across the Soviet Union had assumed the dimensions of a genocidal rampage, systematically targeting every significant representative of Marxist politics and culture. Audience watching the event at Prinkipo But even as the number of victims grew into the hundreds of thousands, Stalins fear of Trotskys influence did not diminish. Stalin was terrified that the outbreak of war with Nazi Germanyan event which his own disastrous policies had made all but inevitablewould produce a tidal wave of popular demands for the return of Trotskythe founder and leader of the Red Army from exile. Stalins visceral fear of Trotsky was documented by the post-Soviet historian and biographer General Dmitri Volkogonov, who obtained access to the dictators private papers. He wrote: Trotskys spectre frequently returned to haunt the usurper. [Stalin] feared the thought of him. He thought of Trotsky when he had to sit and listen to Molotov, Kaganovich, Khrushchev and Zhdanov. Trotsky was of a different calibre intellectually, with his grasp of organization and his talents as a speaker and writer. In every way he was far superior to this bunch of bureaucrats, but he was also superior to Stalin and Stalin knew it. When he read Trotskys works, such as The Stalinist School of Falsification, An Open Letter to the Members of the Bolshevik Party, or The Stalinist Thermidor, the Leader almost lost his self-control. Stalin could not allow Trotsky to live. Immense resources were expended by the Soviet regime to assassinate the last and greatest living leader of the October Revolution. The crime was finally carried out 83 years ago today. Todays commemoration would be fully justified if it were only honoring the life of Trotsky as a titanic figure in the history of the first four decades of the 20th century: the co-leader, with Lenin, of the October Revolution, the commander of the Red Army, the theoretician of permanent revolution, the greatest orator of his time, the author of literary and political masterworks, the implacable opponent of Stalinism, and socialist visionary who foresaw the possibility of all human beings rising to an intellectual, cultural and moral level attained in the past by only the greatest geniuses. But Trotsky is more than a historical figure, whose life and works are studied to understand the past. More than 80 years after his assassination, Trotsky remains an extraordinarily contemporary presence. More than any other political leader of the last century, his ideas retain undiminished relevance. The writings of Leon Trotsky remain essential reading not only to understand the tumultuous events of the 20th century. They provide a critical and indispensable framework for the comprehension of present day reality. During his lifetime, Trotsky was the target of a relentless campaign of lies and slanders directed by the Stalinist regime and its satellite parties throughout the world. These lies continued up to the very end of the USSR. Of all the major leaders of the October Revolution persecuted and murdered by Stalin, Trotsky alone was never rehabilitated by the post-Stalin Soviet governments. As late as 1987, at the high point of glasnost, Mikhail Gorbachev publicly denounced Trotsky as an enemy of the USSR and socialism. This was proclaimed by Gorbachev even as he was sanctioning the restoration of capitalism and preparing for the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In the aftermath of the liquidation of the USSR, virtually all the anti-Trotsky lies of the Stalinists were adopted by academics in Western Europe and the United States. The International Committee of the Fourth International was compelled to devote considerable time to exposing and refuting the new wave of anti-Trotsky slanders produced by the Post-Soviet School of Historical Falsification. Professor Robert Service of Oxford University boasted after the publication of his slanderous biography of Trotsky that he had managed to carry out a second assassination. In fact, Professor Service succeeded only in destroying his own professional reputation as a historian. In an attempt to account for the passion, both supportive and hostile, evoked by the mere mention of his name, I noted that discussions about Trotsky are not simply about the past. They are just as much about present-day events and, not infrequently, about what is likely to happen in the future. Leon Trotskys persistent influence arises from the fact that he identified and grappled with the problems, contradictions and crises of a historical epoch in which we still live, an epoch that he defined as the death agony of capitalism. For all the vast advances in technology, the present-day world is one that Trotsky would understand very well. First of all, the greatest change in world politics since his death in 1940 the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the restoration of capitalismis one that he foresaw as the inevitable outcome of Stalinist national economic autarchy combined with the political betrayals of the Kremlin regime. At a still more profound level, the central problem that imperils the progressive development of humanitythe contradiction between the global interdependence of the productive forces in a world economy and the persistence of the capitalist nation-state systemwas clearly identified by Trotsky as early as the first decade of the 20th century. Trotskys analysis of this contradiction acquired exceptional acuteness and precision in the aftermath of World War I, which he saw as only the beginning of a series of eruptions of imperialist violence. The principal protagonist of imperialist violence, Trotsky warned, would be the striving of the ruling class of the United States for global hegemony. The dynamism of American capitalism could not be contained within the national boundaries of the United States. Anticipating the approach of a major economic crisis, Trotsky warned in 1928 that such a development would intensify, rather than moderate, the aggressive character of American imperialism. He wrote: In the period of crisis the hegemony of the United States will operate more completely, more openly, and more ruthlessly than in the period of boom. The United States will seek to overcome and extricate herself from her difficulties and maladies primarily at the expense of Europe, regardless of whether this occurs in Asia, Canada, South America, Australia, or Europe itself, or whether this takes place peacefully or through war. In 1931, observing world affairs from Prinkipo, Trotsky warned: American capitalism is entering an epoch of monstrous imperialism, of uninterrupted growth in armaments, of intervention in the affairs of the entire world, of military conflicts and convulsions. And three years later, Trotsky offered this memorable and prophetic comparison between American and German imperialism: US capitalism is up against the same problems that pushed Germany in 1914 on the path of war. The world is divided? It must be redivided. For Germany it was a question of organizing Europe. The United States must organize the world. History is bringing humanity face to face with the volcanic eruption of American imperialism. Trotskys prophecy is todays reality. The volcanic eruption foreseen by Trotsky has long been underway and its white-hot lava is engulfing the entire globe. The principal strategic problem confronting the leaders of American imperialism is calculating the number of wars it can wage simultaneously. Is it possible, Biden asks his CIA and Pentagon counselors, to wage war against Russia and China at the same time, or is it advisable to first destroy Russia and plunder its vast natural resources before embarking on a crusade, with all the democratic banners of Wall Street unfurled, against China? The Ukrainian tragedy is only the opening gambit in a conflict that threatens to escalate into World War III. To place ones hopes for a rational de-escalation of the crisis is, at this point, an exercise in self-delusion. Three decades ago, countless bourgeois politicians, journalists, and academics proclaimed that the dissolution of the Soviet Union marked the dawn of a new era of peace, prosperity and democracy. An especially bold soothsayer by the name of Francis Fukuyama, peering deeply into his crystal ball, proclaimed the End of History. Capitalism, he asserted, had brought humanity to the endpoint of social evolution from which no further progress could be made. But history continued, and entirely along the lines foreseen by Trotsky. The last 30 years will live in history as decades of unending war, the resurgence of fascism, economic disasters, staggering levels of social inequality, cultural decay, a global pandemic that has killed millions and a rapidly unfolding ecological catastrophe. We confront today precisely the situation described by Trotsky in the founding document of the Fourth International, which he wrote in 1938 just one year before the outbreak of World War II: Without a socialist revolution, in the next historical period at that, a catastrophe threatens the whole culture of mankind. The catastrophe predicted by Trotsky did, in fact, take place. The horrific toll in human life exacted by World War II was limited only by the level of the technology that existed at the time. When the United States and its NATO allies proclaim that their operations in Ukraine will not be constrained by the threat of nuclear war, this can only mean that they are prepared to risk the destruction of the planet to achieve their objectives. But Trotsky was not a prophet of inevitable doom. He was a strategist of world socialist revolution. The very contradictions that drive capitalism toward disaster also generate the conditions for world socialist revolution. His writings and tireless efforts to build the Fourth International manifested his conviction that the international working class is a revolutionary force that possesses the power to put an end to capitalism and reconstruct the world on socialist foundations. Trotsky was convinced that the fate of socialism, and, therefore, of mankind, depended on the building of the world revolutionary party, based on a scientifically grounded program, deeply rooted in the working class, and possessed of the determination, courage and initiative necessary to settle accounts with the historically obsolete capitalist system. Trotsky never wavered in his conviction that the October Revolution, which he led alongside Lenin, wasdespite all its travails and vicissitudesonly the beginning of a world process that would triumph. It was necessary to maintain a historic perspective. As he wrote in his autobiography: The revolution is an experiment in a new social regime, an experiment that will undergo many changes and will probably be remade anew from its very foundations. It will assume an entirely different character on the basis of the newest technical achievements. But after a few decades and centuries, the new social order will look back on the October Revolution as the bourgeois order does on the German Reformation or the French Revolution. This is so clear, so incontestably clear, that even the professors of history will understand it, though only after many years. Today, 90 years after his departure from Prinkipo and 83 years after his death, we are meeting on this beautiful island, not only paying tribute to a great man, but drawing from his work renewed strength and inspiration to meet the challenges posed by the global crisis of capitalism and the international upsurge of working class struggle. Permit me to conclude by expressing the hope that the villa where Trotsky lived will be fully restored and become an international center for the study of Trotskys vast political and intellectual legacy. In undertaking such a project, with the necessary international support, Prinkipo will not only reaffirm its place in world history, but also make a significant contribution to mankinds future. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka is holding a public meeting at the University of Peradeniya titled The Ukraine War and How to Stop It The meeting is at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in Lecture Hall No. 86 in the Department of Political Science. Bhagya (second left) and Roshika (third left) listening to SEP member campaigning for IYSSE anti-war meeting at Peradeniya University. Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and IYSSE members have been campaigning at the university over the past week to build the event which is sponsored by the Political Science Association at the request of the IYSSE. Some articles in the Colombo media accuse Russia of provoking the war while covering up the role played by the US and NATO. Other articles report on Washingtons provision of billions of dollars of military equipment and munitions to Kiev. All these articles conclude by calling for sanity and an end to the war. While these political sentiments exist on Sri Lankan university campuses, students have responded to the IYSSEs campaign, keen to discuss the US-led war against Russia in Ukraine, with many agreeing to attend the meeting. IYSSE campaigners explained how NATO had expanded its military presence close to the Russian border over the past decades, armed Kiev to the hilt and provoked the Russian invasion. The US and other imperialist powers want to subjugate Russia with the predatory aim of grabbing its minerals and other natural resources. The IYSSE opposes the Putin regimes reactionary invasion of Ukraine and the US-NATO war against Russia and fights for the development of an internationally unified socialist movement of the working class to end the bloody conflict and the descent into a devastating nuclear third world war. Campaigners distributed hundreds of copies of the IYSSE statement Build a mass movement to stop the Ukraine war! and the World Socialist Web Site article 78th anniversary of US atomic bombing of Hiroshima: In 2023, socialism or barbarism. Roshika Roshika, an arts faculty student, said: We really dont want war. We all want freedom and the right to live. The program carried out by the IYSSE and WSWS to educate the public is extremely important and is in order to make people aware of the developing situation. I will come to the meeting and will urge other students to participate. Bhagya, who was with Roshika, joined the discussion, explaining that she did not realise that Ukraine accounted for 30 percent of the worlds grain production. She commented on the unaffordable increases in the cost of food, electricity, transport charges and educational equipment. The burdens we face are part of the world crisis, she said. Our parents are unable to bear the cost of our education and so many students are engaged in part-time jobs. Its a dream to find a good job though, even if you study hard. The student unions protest against our governments, but the rulers are not changing their policies, she added. Bhagya also spoke about the catastrophic consequences of using nuclear weapons. When you know about and understand the destruction to Hiroshima in Japan in 1945, its unthinkable what would happen in a new world war, she said. Two first-year science students joined the discussion but wanted to remain anonymous because of the political restrictions imposed on new students by the student union. Things like the advancement of modern science and technology as well as the worlds resources should be shared equally, but we confront war and destruction of the environment and increasing economic problems, one of the students said. We are first year students and cannot act without permission of the student union. We are against these kinds of restrictions, the students explained. In the late 1970s, the Sinhala chauvinist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) took over the Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF) and used physical threats and other anti-democratic practices to maintain political control. While the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), a factional faction split from the JVP in 2011, now dominates the IUSF, it uses the same anti-democratic methods. Opposed to students turning to the working class with a socialist and internationalist program, the FSP falsely claims that the right to free education can be defended by pressuring Sri Lankan governments. Peradeniya University students support IYSSE campaign against the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine. An engineering student explained the high and escalating cost of tertiary education. He spends about 35,000 rupees ($US108) per month on boarding fees and other educational costs. Yet, as he pointed out, there are not enough teachers in some university faculties. Poor families cannot afford to pay the cost of a tertiary education for their children, he said. Only first, third and fourth year students can get university residential facilities. We are in second year and are boarded outside because university hostels facilities are limited. The cost of a low-quality meal of rice with lentils and two vegetables is 60 rupees and if you want a piece of fish then you must pay extra. Some of our friends share one meal. There are no proper Wi-Fi facilities for us and if we want print outs it costs lots of money, he added. Suranga is a Jaffna University graduate who earns his living by doing tuition classes around Peradeniya. He is originally from the Northern Province where his father works in a branch of the Irrigation Department. Its American imperialism that has led these wars throughout the world, including in the Middle East, in the last few decades. Ukraine has been at war for more than a year now, but Russia is not backing down, and so the risk of using nuclear weapons is increasing, he said. It is important to educate youth and workers, he continued, adding: I understand that the only social force in the society capable of challenging the war is the international working class. Suranga condemned the war waged by successive Colombo governments against Sri Lankan Tamils. Ive experienced the horrors and devastation of war in our country, he explained. The war in Sri Lanka did not arise from ordinary Sinhala-Tamil peoplewe lived together without any problemsit is the Sinhalese and Tamil leaders who fuel the racialism. And recently there have been provocations against Muslim people, he said. Savinda, 29, lives near Peradeniya University hoping to earn an income delivering food parcels and other goods on his motorbike. He was previously employed by Sinohydro, a Chinese construction company, but lost his job after the company stopped construction of a water project amid Sri Lankas economic crisis. The world powers only think about how to rob countries and I agree that this social system should be overthrown. We need to learn about politics, international development and socialism, he said. Ranjith, a non-academic worker from the arts faculty, said: I only learnt about the [Ukraine] war from the newspapers and so I thought Putin was the provocateur and that Russia was trying to invade other countries to increase its power. I didnt have any idea why America provoked this war but now understand that one reason is to grab vital resources in Russia. Ranjith went on to explain the difficult economic situation he confronted. President Wickremesinghe is imposing massive attacks on the people. Water tariffs and electricity charges have massively increased, and the cost of all other goods is skyrocketing. Our wages are not enough to live on, and we are wondering how to feed the children. There is a warlike situation at our homes because of economic problems we face and how we can cope with the situation, he said. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 21. According to the report from the Situation and Analytical Center of the Fuel and Energy Complex under Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy, oil production amounted to 234,300 tons for August 20, 2023. This is the recovery of production after the elimination of the accident at the Mangistau Atomic Energy Combine (MAEC), Trend reports. The accident at MAEC occurred on August 11 in the Mangistau region. The power outage was caused by the failure of two turbine units at CHP Station 2. This led to the subsequent disconnection of consumers in the Atyrau and Mangistau energy centers. A load reduction also occurred at the MAEC thermal power station. In this regard, daily oil production decreased; by August 14, the drop was 9 percent, falling to 209,300 tons per day. Because of the accident, the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan adjusted the forecast of oil production for 2023 from 90 million to 89 million tons. Also, the accident at MAEC was not the first one in recent times. Up until the accident, oil production was not in line with the plan due to restrictions in electricity supply. Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev explained that the plan for daily oil production was not fulfilled by 12,000 tons per day due to restrictions in electricity supply. The accident also affected the operation of various power structures, including Tengizchevroil, NCOC, Atyrau CHP station, and others. The repair of the unit at MAEC was completed on July 9. DG Okonjo-Iweala said: I warmly welcome Hong Kong, China's formal acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Hong Kong, China is a marine capture producer and a major trader and consumer of fish products. Like all members, it has an important interest in ensuring the sustainability of global fisheries and a healthy ocean ecology. Hong Kong, China thus has much to gain from the entry into force of this historic WTO agreement. I hope that Hong Kong, China's leadership in accepting the Agreement will encourage more WTO members, in Asia and around the globe, to follow suit quickly. Ms Lai said: The conclusion of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was a milestone achievement at MC12 as WTO members reinvigorated multilateralism and worked collaboratively to deliver on issues of global importance. Now an international financial and trade centre, Hong Kong, China in fact developed from a small fishing village, so fisheries and fishery resources always hold a special place in our heart. As a long-standing, staunch supporter of the multilateral trading system, we are pleased to deposit our Instrument of Acceptance today and join the global efforts to operationalise the Agreement, so that it can deliver global benefits for trade, development and the environment. With Hong Kong, China's instrument of formal acceptance the 16th instrument received by the WTO nearly 40% of the acceptances needed for the Agreement to enter into force are now in hand. Acceptances from two-thirds of WTO members are needed for the Agreement to come into effect. Adopted by consensus at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva on 12-17 June 2022, the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies sets new binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful subsidies, which are a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world's fish stocks. In addition, the Agreement recognizes the needs of developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) and establishes a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity building to help them implement the obligations. The Agreement prohibits support for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, bans support for fishing overfished stocks, and ends subsidies for fishing on the unregulated high seas. Members also agreed at MC12 to continue negotiations on outstanding issues, with a view to making recommendations by MC13, to be held in February 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for additional provisions that would further enhance the disciplines of the Agreement. The full text of the Agreement can be accessed here. The list of members that have deposited their instruments of acceptance of the Agreement is available here. Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment is available here. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan discussed the possibility of increasing mutual investments, Azernews reports. According to the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan, Deputy Minister of Economy Sahib Mammadov met with Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan Oybek Khamrayev. During the meeting, Mammadov stated that both nations place a high priority on the effective growth of their bilateral relations and that there are many potential to increase cooperation in the area of trade. The terms of the intergovernmental agreement on the creation of the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Fund contribute to a rise in bilateral trade and investment as well as a strengthening of economic ties. Khamrayev emphasized Uzbekistan's interest in collaborating on numerous initiatives with Azerbaijan. During the discussion, it was also discussed what steps were being taken to promote economic cooperation. According to the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan by the end of 2022 amounted to $181.2 million (an increase of 52.4 percent compared to 2021). In general, there are 204 enterprises with the participation of Azerbaijani capital in Uzbekistan as of July 1, 2023 (71 in 2017). In addition, 67 of them are joint ventures, and 137 are foreign enterprises. Since the beginning of this year, 21 enterprises have been created. In 1959, the top four most popular television shows in the United States were westerns. From humble beginnings the small-screen horse opera became a TV staple and cultural phenomenon in the 1950s and 60s, and many are still on regular repeat today. The television western was no less popular in the UK and indeed worldwide. In more innocent times, the values and tropes preached by such dramas struck a chord with audiences. A catchy theme tune and the natural beauty of the American west also helped. Often dismissed as glorified soap operas, many TV westerns addressed social issues such as racism and prejudice in a more forthright and articulate manner than their cinematic counterparts. So influential was the television western that when Gene Roddenberry was trying to sell Star Trek to television execs, he pitched it as Wagon Train to the stars. And now, in the 21st century, it seems the television western is making a comeback. Beginning with the notorious Deadwood in 2004, which redefined how we viewed the genre, there has been a succession of high-quality small-screen westerns, including several contemporary hits such as Longmire and Justified that although set in the modern day, carry many of the hallmarks of the classic western. And now we have Westworld, HBOs much lauded reboot of the highly regarded 1973 Michael Crichton film. It remains to be seen if, in the years to come, Westworld retains a place in western buffs hearts like a Gunsmoke or even Deadwood, but in the meantime heres a round-up of a dozen of the greatest television westerns. 12. Alias Smith and Jones (1971-73) Cashing in on the success of, and clearly modelled on, the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy on the Sundance Kid,Alias Smith and Jones starred Pete Duel and Ben Murphy as two likable outlaws Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry trying to reform in search of an amnesty. The show was hugely popular thanks to the charm of the two leads, amusing storylines and outdoor locations, and even survived the death by suicide of Duel, after which he was replaced by the shows narrator Roger Davis. 11. Hell on Wheels (2011-2016) Centring on the lawless encampment that serviced the building of the first transcontinental railroad in post-Civil War America, and the various characters that lived, worked and died there. Hell on Wheels recalls the classic era of television westerns with its gritty portrayal of Americas westward expansion in this realistic blend of fact and fiction. 10. Kung Fu (1972-75) Apposite timing ensured that this mystical East meets West(ern) rode the crest of the martial arts craze of the early 1970s. Much derided and parodied through the years, thanks to occasionally risible dialogue, Kung Fu followed the adventures of Shaolin monk Caine, perfectly played by David Carradine , as he wandered the old American West in search of his brother. Along the way, Caine helped the oppressed and needy and tried to resolve situations through peaceful means, before inevitably being called upon to demonstrate his martial arts skills in brilliantly choreographed slow motion. 9. The Rifleman (1958-63) Legendary western director Sam Peckinpah earned his spurs developing The Rifleman, which starred Chuck Connors as lone parent Lucas McCain, a New Mexico rancher. McCains skill with a rapid fire customised Winchester rifle saw him being called upon to right wrongs while upholding his strong moral values and imparting life lessons to his young son, who always seemed to eat his entire body weight in every show. 8. Rawhide (1959-66) A small screen Red River, the longest cattle drive in history was notable for an impressive list of guest stars such as Claude Rains as a drunken lawyer with a fondness for quoting Robert Burns. Spending so much time on the trail and strong subject matter such as racism and prejudice lent Rawhide a gritty realism resulting in probably the most cinematic of all television westerns. The star of the show, Eric Fleming as the tough but fair trail boss Gil Favor, is almost forgotten now, and Rawhide is more famous for Clint Eastwoods Rowdy Yates and the beloved theme song by Frankie Laine. 7. Bonanza (1959-73) Second only to Gunsmoke as the longest-running Western series and broadcast in colour from the off, Bonanza followed the lives of the close-knit Cartwright family, Ben and his three sons: educated Adam, warm-hearted, loveable giant Hoss, and impulsive Little Joe. Bonanza boasted a memorable theme tune and an arresting title sequence as a map of Virginia City is engulfed in flames revealing the four men on horseback. Early episodes had the Cartwrights warring with just about anyone who wandered onto the Ponderosa, their sprawling Nevada ranch, and as Del Boy once observed in Only Fools and Horses, any woman involved with the Cartwrights usually died. However, over time they mellowed as the family frequently found themselves involved in other peoples problems, which were usually solved by Bens strong sense of justice. 6. Wagon Train (1957-65) The epitome of the classic television Western from the genres golden age, Wagon Train was hugely popular on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to its mix of action and character study, plus top-notch guest stars including John Wayne and Bette Davis. Inspired by John Fords Wagon Master, Wagon Train featured Ward Bond as Major Seth Adams perennially leading settlers from Missouri to California, and Robert Horton as his scout. Bond had probably appeared in more great movies than any other actor, including Gone with the Wind, The Maltese Falcon and Its a Wonderful Life, but Wagon Train made him a huge star of the small screen as the gruff but kindly Adams. He died suddenly though, in 1960, and the show was never quite the same without him. 5. Have Gun, Will Travel (1957-63) Sophisticated, educated knight-errant gun for hire Paladin, played by Richard Boone is the good guy dressed all in black who sported a white knight on his holster and carried business cards engraved with Have Gun, Will Travel. Wire Paladin, San Francisco. And when Paladin did leave his palatial hotel suite it was to seek justice on behalf of anyone willing to meet his standard fee of $1,000. But the plot would often be turned on its head as Paladin changed horses in midstream to side with the downtrodden if his client turned out to be a varmint. 4. Maverick (1957-62) The series in which James Garner honed his affable laid-back persona as gambler and conman Bret Maverick. An equally suave Jack Kelly was Brets brother Bart, and later episodes featured Roger Moore as their cousin Beau. Fond of referencing his pappys cracker-barrel philosophy, Garners Maverick was a likeable rogue who would rather talk his way out of trouble than resort to gunplay. Maverick was renowned for its hilarious spoofs of other top programmes of the era including a particularly funny send up of Bonanza set at the Subrosa ranch with Joe Wheelright and his sons Henry, Moose and Small Paul. 3. Deadwood (2004-06) Taking revisionism to a whole new level and winner of eight Emmys, Deadwood revitalised the television western while scandalising purists. The antithesis of golden age westerns blurred the lines between the good guys and the bad guys with its portrayal of real-life and fictional characters. The town of Deadwood is a cesspit of depravity and iniquity and this is reflected in the brutal action, profane dialogue, and expertly drawn characters such as town boss Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), as venal a character as ever found in the television medium, yet strangely alluring and identifiable to audiences. 2. Gunsmoke (1955-75) The longest running TV western and the first of the so called realistic westerns, the much loved Gunsmoke starred James Arness as Matt Dillon, marshal of Dodge City in the 1880s. Arness was recommended by John Wayne for the part, and in fact Wayne introduced the first ever episode. Gunsmoke was the first TV western to tackle adult themes, with prostitution, child abuse and other previously taboo subjects featured. No-nonsense Dillon dispensed sound advice and ruthless justice in equal measure as town marshal and protector of an extended proxy family that included saloon madam Miss Kitty, wordly-wise Doc Adams and a succession of comic-relief deputies including Dennis Weaver as the limping Chester, and a young Burt Reynolds. A remarkable 635 episodes were made and thanks to the wonders of the internet, most can still be viewed. 1. Lonesome Dove (1989) Featuring an ensemble cast with all principals on top of their game, none more so than Robert Duvall in the role of a lifetime as rascally, life-is-for-living Texas Ranger Augustus McCrae, this adaption of Larry McMurtrys Pulitzer Prize novel won seven Emmys and is a breathtaking master class in conception, acting, music, direction and cinematography. Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones play two retired Texas Rangers who embark on an epic cattle drive to Montana and along the way encounter Indians, outlaws, lost loves, triumphs, failures and death. Interestingly, McMurty had originally devised the story as a film script, which fell through, with John Wayne and James Stewart in the lead roles. Bob Dylan Performa at Hyde Park - London - Credit: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images/ABA Bob Dylans Rough and Rowdy Ways tour is coming back to North America in the fall. The leg kicks off Oct. 1 at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. An Oct. 30 show at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, New York is the final confirmed date, but Dylans website notes that more Fall 2023 dates will be announced soon! The Rough and Rowdy Ways tour kicked off November 2, 2021 in Milwaukee. Dylan had been off the road for nearly two years at that point due to the pandemic. Prior to that, he hadnt missed a single year of touring since the Never Ending Tour kicked off in 1988. He made up for lost time by taking the show all over the world, but he hasnt played the East Coast of the U.S. since the fall of 2021. More from Rolling Stone If he sticks to the formula from the past couple of years, expect a lot of songs from Rough and Rowdy Ways mixed in with old favorites like When I Paint My Masterpiece, Gotta Serve Somebody, and Every Grain of Sand. Any fans that show up hoping to hear Mr. Tambourine Man, Like a Rolling Stone or Blowing in the Wind or other big hits are likely going to leave quite disappointed. This is a concert for true aficionados. The show did take a surprise left turn earlier in the year when he started playing songs from the Grateful Dead catalog, including Truckin, Brokedown Palace, Stella Blue, and West L.A. Fadeaway. He even trotted out Bob Weirs 2016 solo song Only a River, Merle Haggards 2010 obscurity Bad Actor, and Van Morrisons 1970 classic Into the Mystic. Dylan fans were thrilled by the additions since it added a degree of uncertainty to every show. Its unclear where the show will head after October, but over the past decade Dylan has wrapped up many tours at the Beacon Theater in New York around Thanksgiving. The theater is currently dark November 18 to November 27. Make of that what you will. Bob Dylans Fall 2023 North American Tour Dates Oct. 1 Kansas City, MO @The Midland Theatre Oct. 2 Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre Oct. 4 St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre Oct. 6 Chicago, IL @ Cadillac Palace Theatre Oct. 7 Chicago, IL @ Cadillac Palace Theatre Oct. 8 Chicago, IL @ Cadillac Palace Theatre Oct. 11 Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater Oct. 12 Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater Oct. 16 Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre Oct. 20 Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J. Brady Music Center Oct. 21 Akron, OH @ Akron Civic Theatre Oct. 23 Erie, PA @ Warner Theatre Oct. 24 Rochester, NY @ Auditorium Theatre Oct. 26 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall Oct. 27 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall Oct. 29 Montreal, QB @ Place des Arts Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Oct. 30 Schenectady, NY @ Proctors Theatre Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Casanova reflects on his time behind bars in a new social media post. Currently serving 15 years, the rapper shared on X how moments in solitude impact him emotionally. Im terrified of how loneliness brings me a twisted kind of comfort, shared the 36-year-old last Friday (Aug. 18). Legal name Caswell Senior, the Brooklyn musician pleaded guilty to racketeering and drug charges in U.S. District Court in White Plains, N.Y., in May 2022 after admitting to participating in gang activity as a member of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods gang set. Casanova Twitter Crimes revealed in the plea included shooting a man at a party in Florida over a gambling dispute, robbing a New York City restaurant, and conspiring to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. In June 2023, the Dont Run performer was sentenced to 15 years on the RICO charges. Ahead of his sentencing, Roc Nation issued a letter to the judge as Casanova explained he was no longer affiliated with the gang and was having suicidal ideations behind bars. Casanova attends the BET Hip Hop Awards 2019 at Cobb Energy Center on October 05, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. While I have been in here, I lost my father to cancer, detailed the 2AM artist. While I put on that strong facade, all I wanted to do was end it. Surviving on Rikers Island and upstate correctional facilities were not easy with racial and gang tension and violence at its height I thought I needed to stay in the life in name because it was a way to promote my career. I dont care what the government tells you. I am telling you the truth. I was not involved in the daily activities of this gang. I wasnt anyones boss. In July, Casanovas attorney James Kousouros, formally filed an appeal hoping to reduce his sentence, arguing 15 years was too harsh. More from VIBE.com Click here to read the full article. Some of Drew Carharts earliest memories remind him of his love of nature. Not just trees, flowers or birds but the stars, planets and galaxies visible in the night sky. Fifty years ago, Carhart helped form the Naperville Astronomical Association, which now has two observatories, hosts regular star parties and teaches the community about astronomy and observing techniques. But, due in part to light pollution and smoke from Canadian wildfires exacerbated by climate change, stargazing in the Chicago area is in danger. Some researchers estimate that North America experiences a 10% increase in light pollution or the excessive use of artificial light every year. You cant overstate it its like going deaf if you like music, Carhart said. Its to the point where you can barely do it anymore. He and other enthusiasts are calling on the city and others to curb light pollution or risk missing out on starry night skies. Growing up, Carhart said he learned the intricacies of the Milky Way from his suburban backyard in Naperville. But slowly, the 64-year-old said, he watched the stars disappear. If someone were to visit his childhood home today, he said, they could count the number of stars they see on their fingers. According to light pollution maps, viewing many celestial objects with the naked eye is difficult to nearly impossible in Chicago. The light pollution is tremendously worse. Out by Naperville we could see the glow in the nighttime sky of Chicago off in the distance, but it only went a little ways up in the sky, he said. Over the years we watched it get brighter and then extend overhead and all the way to the other horizon and just take over the sky. Chicagos streetlights Anthony Harris, a Berwyn resident and the vice president of the Chicago Astronomical Society, said its difficult to see anything other than the sun, moon and planets in Chicago, and it takes longer to drive to more rural places where stars are visible than when he began stargazing 50 years ago. Harris said he believes one of the main culprits is the citys streetlights. As part of its smart lighting streetlight modernization program, Chicago began switching sodium vapor lights for more energy-efficient LEDs in 2017. Compared with sodium vapor lights, which give off an orange or yellow hue, LEDs emit a bright white light. Many other cities have made this switch as well, although Washington, D.C., paused its transition following complaints of bright lights disrupting residents sleep. Since the start of the program, more than 88% of the citys streetlight stock has become LED lights, according to Erica Schroeder, a spokesperson for the citys Department of Transportation. She said the program has replaced more than 289,000 sodium vapor lights. Schroeder said in 2021 the city cut its energy bill for streetlights in half, saving $8.7 million. She also said the lights are on track to save $100 million over 10 years. ComEd completed its own five-year LED Smart Streetlight program in northern Illinois earlier this year, converting more than 130,000 ComEd-owned streetlights to LEDs. The utility company says the switch prevents more than 67 million pounds of carbon emissions from going into the atmosphere every year. The U.S. Department of Energy discouraged the production and sale of most incandescent bulbs with new efficiency standards that went into effect earlier this month. Most incandescents will struggle to meet these standards so they wont get stocked in stores, essentially forcing people to switch over to LEDs. Some experts believe this shift will help people save money and cut carbon dioxide emissions. But LEDs have their flaws, according to Ken Walczak, senior manager for the Far Horizons program at the Adler Planetarium. Part of Walczaks research involves designing and building instruments to monitor light pollution, including sending a high-altitude balloon into the stratosphere. He said every shining light contributes to sky glow. In major cities like Chicago, when theres a lot of sky glow, its difficult to see celestial objects. LEDs emit more blue light, which travels at shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies, than typical bulbs. Walczak said the problem is that blue light scatters more in the atmosphere compared with other colors, creating something akin to a haze or a light fog. If you have lights which have a lot of blue in them, that blue light is contributing a lot to the glow in our night sky, he said. LEDs have been linked to a range of health issues, including sleep disruption as well as the prevalence of cancer, diabetes and obesity. Theyve also been found to alter the circadian rhythm and behaviors of animals in Chicago. But the new streetlights have one advantage over older lights, Walczak said. They are focused downward, which reduces glare. The National Park Service suggests considering whether outdoor lighting is necessary, or if reflective tape or reflective surfaces could be used instead. Other sustainable outdoor light specifications, according to the Park Service, are LEDs at 2700 Kelvin. These lights emit a warm color hue instead of blue or white. The Park Service also recommends purchasing LED bulbs that have the lowest lumens possible the unit of measurement used to specify brightness and ones that can accommodate motion detectors or dimmers, which it says can enhance health and safety. Schroeder said Chicagos streetlights are managed using a cloud-based monitoring program and network of controller nodes that dictate when the lights turn on as well as their power output, voltage and wattage. She said these features allow the LED fixtures to turn on before sunset and turn off after sunrise. She added that Chicago uses soft white lights, or ones at 3000K and that they are designed to limit light trespass into peoples homes and the night sky. The improved nighttime visibility that comes with the whiter, crisper, LED light improves traffic safety for drivers, pedestrians and bike riders, Schroeder said. This superior visual performance is largely the result of people being able to better distinguish colors at night. To reduce light pollution in Chicago, Walczak said he thinks the city should only use as much light as it needs. He suggests dimming the streetlights, which he said would also save on energy costs. But tackling the larger problem goes beyond streetlights, he said. Referencing a study from 2020 that found only about 20% of a citys brightness can be linked to streetlights, Walczak said regulation or policies surrounding light pollution should be directed toward commercial businesses, such as parking lots or building facades. Near me theres a couple gas stations that have blaring very white light that literally shines outward and thats uncontrolled, he said. If youre a complaining neighbor, like Oh my god, this is shining in my bedroom window, I cant sleep at night, you have no recourse other than the good nature of the business that youre approaching. Walczak helped found a Chicago chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association, a nonprofit that seeks to preserve the night sky and limit light pollution. He worked with Wheaton to pass a residential lighting ordinance, which requires properties to limit the spread of their light fixtures. The state Senate also adopted a resolution in May that encourages, but doesnt mandate, that local governments use light fixtures that reduce unnecessary light. State Sen. Laura Ellman, who co-sponsored the resolution, said she felt it was time that local governments take steps to protect the night sky. I think were learning more and more about the importance of the wavelengths of light and their impacts on our health and also the effects of light on flora and fauna, said Ellman, whose district includes Naperville and Wheaton. With climate change, we want to try to minimize impacts wherever we can. Canadian wildfires This summer, light pollution hasnt been the only hurdle for amateur astronomers. Canada is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in history, with climate change expanding its intensity and frequency. The hazy skies from smoke have not only led to numerous air quality alerts in Chicago but significantly reduced visibility for stargazers. As of Tuesday, more than 32 million acres of land has burned this year vastly surpassing the 10-year average of 2.9 million acres. There are currently more than a thousand fires burning in Canada. Harris, the Berwyn resident, said not seeing the stars at night because of smoke has become the new normal. Getting lucky and having a clear night is a big deal, he said. For Moriah Contreras, the smoke has ruined what is typically the best time for astronomers in Chicago. Contreras, 32, of Hyde Park, created the Astronomy Club at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Shes also a part of the Chicago Astronomical Society. This is when we go out with a telescope and can somewhat reliably depend on the weather compared to the Chicago winter, she said. Its disappointing when its a nice day and you have smoke in the air. Contreras said looking up at the dark skies in southern Nevada where she grew up sparked her interest in astronomy. When she moved to Chicago six years ago, she said the lack of stars was jarring, and she made it her mission to help fellow students see the night sky despite the challenges. The club purchased camera equipment and narrowband filters that capture specific wavelengths, sifting through light pollution and haze and making it possible to capture images of nebulae and galaxies in downtown Chicago. Contreras said this equipment can cost thousands of dollars, which is inaccessible to the average person, so she recommends joining astronomy clubs. For somewhat darker skies Chicagoans can travel to the Palos Preserves, located in southwest Cook County. The International Dark-Sky Association designated the preserve as an Urban Night Sky Place in 2021, or a location near a large urban area that promotes an authentic nighttime experience amid lots of artificial light. You can see more stars. Its definitely darker there is light trespass from the city, but we see planets and stars and constellations. Its one of the darkest places within 25 miles of the city, said Mary Busch, a volunteer program specialist with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. Harris also recommends visiting the Green River State Wildlife Area, a wildlife restoration area about two hours west of the city. He said a comfortable lawn chair, planetarium app, binoculars and warm clothes are essential supplies for the trip. Harris main concern is that future generations will never get to see the Milky Way or stars like he did growing up. He wants people to protect the night sky in the same way they protect Vincent Van Goghs Starry Night painting. If you were to whitewash the glass or the painting, youd obviously be arrested, he said. But destroying the actual sky, covering up and blocking the view of the night sky for generations of children, thats no problem. The 11-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter of shooting victim Prakash Singh are are comforted by mourners at a memorial service and visitation August 10, 2012, for six members of the Sikh temple mass murder at Oak Creek High School in Oak Creek, Wis. Wade Michael Page, a member of a racist neo-nazi group, has been identified as the lone gunman who killed six people, and then himself, during Sunday services at the Sikh Temple August 5. File Photo by Allen Fredrickson/UPI Aug. 5 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1833, Chicago, with a population of about 200, was incorporated as a village. In 1858, after several unsuccessful attempts, the first telegraph line across the Atlantic Ocean was completed. In 1861, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln approved the first federal income tax. A wartime measure, it was rescinded in 1872. In 1944, Polish underground forces freed hundreds of Jewish prisoners from the Gesiowka Nazi work camp in an attempt to retake Warsaw from the Germans, a battle known as the Warsaw Uprising. Fireworks ignite during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5, 2016. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI In 1949, an estimated 6,000 people were killed and about 20,000 injured in an earthquake that destroyed dozens of towns in Ecuador. In 1957, Richard Clark's American Bandstand began airing nationally. Clark, who hosted the show for decades, as well as New Year's Rockin' Eve, died April 2012. On August 5, 2010, the U.S. Senate confirmed Elena Kagan as the newest member of the Supreme Court. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI In 1962, Marilyn Monroe died of an overdose of barbiturates. She was 35. UPI File Photo Jewish prisoners of the Gesiowka work camp in Warsaw and Polish insurgent fighters after the camp's liberation August 5, 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising. File Photo courtesy of Wikimedia In 1974, U.S. President Richard Nixon admitted ordering the Watergate investigation halted six days after the break-in. Nixon said he expected to be impeached. In 1981, by executive order, U.S. President Ronald Reagan fired 11,359 air-traffic controllers on strike over failed negotiations to raise their pay and shorten their workweek. Bishop Gene Robinson (L), the first openly gay bishop, shares a laugh with senior adviser to the president Valerie Jarrett during an Easter prayer breakfast hosted by President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House, in Washington on April 14, 2014. At right is the Rev. Al Sharpton. On August 5, 2003, U.S. Episcopal officials approved election of Robinson of New Hampshire. File Photo by Martin Simon/Pool In 1991, Iraq said it misled U.N. inspectors about secret biological weapons and also admitted extracting plutonium from fuel at a nuclear plant. In 2003, U.S. Episcopal officials approved election of the church's first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Stevie Wonder performs a tribute to Richard Clark at the 40th anniversary American Music Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on November 18, 2012. On August 5, 1957, Clark's "American Bandstand" began airing nationally. File Photo by Phil McCarten/UPI In 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law a bill to allow government eavesdropping of telephone conversations and email of U.S. citizens without a warrant if there's "reasonable belief" that one party isn't in the United States. In 2010, the U.S. Senate cleared the way for Solicitor General Elena Kagan to become the newest member of the Supreme Court when it voted 63-37 to confirm her nomination by President Barack Obama. She was sworn in two days later to succeed the retiring John Stevens. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI In 2012, a gunman police described as a white supremacist shot six people to death, injured four others, then killed himself at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis. The victims were one woman and five men, and ranged in age from 39 to 84. Police treated the shooting as a domestic terrorism incident. In 2016, the Summer Olympics opening ceremony kicked off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2019, the Indian government announced plans to strip autonomy from the predominantly Muslim Kashmir region. In 2022, Death Valley National Park experienced its rainiest day on record, according to the National Park Service and the National Weather Service. The park said 1.7 inches fell, shattering the previous record of 1.47 inches in a day. File Photo courtesy of the National Park Service Veronica Shaw, socially known as Chef Pii and the creator of the viral Pink Sauce, claims she is in financial ruin and unable to properly care for her children, due to a soured business deal. I am a single mom and I do everything for my kids. Right now I dont even have enough money to buy my kids food on my own, she wrote on a GoFundMe page, hoping to reach a $100,000 goal. Shaw became somewhat of an overnight sensation in 2022 when her unique condiment became all the craze on social media. She attempted to fulfill thousands of orders with a three-person staff as demand for the then-milk-based sauce grew out of control. Veronica Shaw, known as Chef Pii, claims Daves Gourmet is withholding royalty payments for her viral Pink Sauce. (Photos: Chef.pii/Instagram.) As a result of her inexperience with manufacturing food, the Florida-based chef faced harsh criticism when customers received rancid bottles of the condiment and crushed containers. Questions about food safety grew exponentially when she unintentionally admitted during a live chat with her followers that her product was not FDA regulated. Related: TikTok Star Tabitha Brown Lands Major Agency Deal, Thanks to Popular Vegan Recipe Videos In stepped Daves Gourmet, a specialty food company and distributor with 30 years in the industry. As Shaws popularity seemingly dwindled, the company hoped to lend a helping hand as an industry stalwart to a budding foodie and entrepreneur, company president David Neuman told Rolling Stone in January. Clearly, she needed to commercialize her product idea and didnt have the experience to get this done as quickly as her followers were calling for, added Neuman. Whats happening with Chef Pii and her pink sauce is beyond sad. This woman needs help. Regardless how you feel about the pink sauce this could happen to anybody with a dream and no education behind running that business. pic.twitter.com/kA4zNOAaJH Jelly Santos (@MrsJellySantos) August 19, 2023 Five months into the deal, Pink Sauce relaunched at 4,300 Walmart locations as a product that boasts of being gluten-free and vegan. Once priced at $20 and shipped directly from Shaw, it now retails for $7.78 at the store and $9.99 on the Daves Gourmet website. Aside from customer comments about the varying color, it seemed all was well. But Shaw claims she is being denied royalties. I made a few mistakes on the way. Which lead me to trust a company that is trying to take everything away from me. They lied to me. They are not paying me and are not being transparent about records, she stated in her emergency plea for funds. The entrepreneur further alleged that the hot sauce and pasta sauce retailer has refused to reimburse her for marketing expenses, leaving her to feel silenced and financially sabotaged. I am currently facing an eviction that has gone into default the sheriffs can come to my door any day now. I need legal help, she wrote in her plea. Shaw and her kids have been getting by with the help of $20 a day from her disabled mother, she said. The status of her partnership with Daves Gourmet is unclear, however, Shaw continues to promote the condiment across social platforms. Why is that ring seemingly suspended in air? How did those people get from there to there? To watch Antonio Diaz perform many of his illusions in El Mago Pop on Broadway (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, to Aug. 27) is thrilling in places. His magic has apparently been seen by almost 3 million people. Having already bought one theater in Spain, Diazthe youngest illusionist to step into a Broadway theater, his Playbill sayshas just bought another in Branson, Missouri, which will be his U.S. headquarters. You may have seen a version of his most famous trick on the Today show recently, whenright in front of viewers eyeshe seemed to transport a group of people through thin air, from one see-through box to another. Dramatically bamboozling, it must have left thousands of spoons clattering into cereal bowls across the country. Diaz repeats a variation of this on Broadway as a suitably gasp-worthy finale. Unless he has magically frozen time, or somehow there is an invisible screen between the audience and the stage and something fantastical happening with projections, how those people get from box to box is a mystery. He does say to the participants that if they feel something, not to move. And behind a piece of cloth we see some shaking as the supposed teleportation takes place. Whatever, its fabulous. At 20, Diaz created his first company, and in 2018 he was ranked as the highest-grossing European illusionist in the world by Forbes. His Netflix show, Magic for Humans by El Majo Pop, was broadcast in 192 countries, consolidating his internationalization the program states. Review: Back to the Future: The Musical Is Perfect for the Movies Fans The stage show has thrills individually. But it also, in between these tricks, a rather plodding bio-meets-advertisement for Diaz; what are clever pieces of illusion come to feel a little lost in a stage show with flaccidly interwoven bits of self-empowerment, self-hype, and blunt advertising. In some ways it is gratifying to see an entertainer be proudly honest about what a show is really about: selling a brand, and selling stuff associated with the brand. The Broadway show is only around 80 minutes, and yet the strain of aspiring to be more than what it isa succession of tricksis obvious. Its pacing, construction, and tone need a lot of work to hide the joins. The audience, via use of either being picked or the use of a ball flung, are prevailed upon for a watch, and for number choices and other mini-tasks and asks. These are the building blocks for setups of card tricks: one links together a series of answers shouted out from the audience. Diazs skills as an illusionist are faultless, but the show feels off-kilter as a piece of theater. Diaz feels impressively in charge of his tricks, but not the show as a show. His audience interactions feel stilted and off. One little boy who was shepherded up on stage was lightly (not unpleasantly, but oddly) joshed with. Another amazing illusion required the participation of a female specifically, Diaz said. But, having watched the illusion (which really does have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief), this audience member was left thinking: that could have been a male. Why a female specifically? Antonio Diaz in El Mago Pop. Emilio Madrid Near the end of the show, there is a set-up where he flies across the stage and appears to walk on walls, but as we can already imagine fairly ordinary trapeze wiresas in so many stage showsare facilitating the vision in front of us, it feels all too explicable. Segues from some set-ups to yee-gadzooks crescendos can feel uneven and swallowed up too quickly in the strange pacing of the show, rather than letting their wonder hang in the air. In between the tricks, and to give Diazs team time to set up the next moment of wonder, we are given a potted journey through his life, or at least his inspiration to do what he does. This includes dramatized filmed scenes and comic strip panels of him as a little boy. These feel more like padding than revealing or profound. Around the edges of the stage we see the vibrating red vertical lines of the Netflix logo. At least for the show this critic attended, a camera crew was filming, in service of another, maybe Broadway-focused special. As gratifyingly baffling and visually stunning as it was in places, El Mago Pop also feels very much in service of Diazs brand-building and product marketing, and he was being very open about that. Perhaps there is nothing wrong in thisDiaz is simply being more upfront about it than others in the fame game. But it is ironic, in a show that depends so much on sleight of hand and things we cannot explain happening right in front of us, that this most visible and obvious desire to shift product thrummed alongside the thrill of the illusions that Diaz delights in performing under the veil of concealment, mystery, and surprise. As with the best of his amazing illusions, a little less show and tell would really work wonders. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy said Monday that Donald Trumps rationale for skipping the GOP primary debates could wind up helping President Joe Biden, arguing that Biden could ultimately deploy the same excuse to get out of debating Trump if he secures the 2024 Republican nomination. On Sunday, the former president cited a CBS poll showing that his lead over his nearest GOP rival has continued to grow even as criminal charges pile up against him. In light of his current dominance, Trump said he WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES! in a post on his Truth Social platform, implying that he plans to skip not just the first debate Wednesday night on Fox News but subsequent debates too. Trump Lawyers Use Jack Smiths Secret Grand Jury Against Him Unfortunately, by skipping the debates Donald Trump may actually be helping Joe Biden, Doocy said Monday morning on Fox & Friends. Because hes giving Joe Biden an excuse for not debating Donald Trump. Thats one of the things that [Republican National Committee Chairwoman] Ronna McDaniel told the former president when she was trying to get him to do the first debate, but he said, Nope, not gonna do it. Doocys co-host Brian Kilmeade looked nonplussed at Doocys line of reasoning. I dont know how that would be, though, Kilmeade said. How could Joe Biden rationalize not going against Donald Trump? Because if Donald Trump says everybody knows me, I dont need to do it, then Joe Biden goes everybody knows me, Im president! Doocy said. Kilmeade seemed unconvinced. I mean, if [Biden] doesnt want to do the debate, I can totally understand it because he cant get through a sentence, he said. If you watched him over the weekend just slur his way through that mini-summit, and who knows whats going to happen in Hawaii. According to The New York Times, Trump decided to ditch the Fox News-hosted debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday in favor of doing an interview with former Fox star Tucker Carlson instead. It appears to be a calculated attempt to annoy Fox following the former presidents recent gripes with the networkand Fox & Friends specificallyfor purposely airing the absolutely worst pictures of him and not broadcasting the polls he wants it to show. Its not yet clear which Republican candidates will be involved in the debate, though on Sunday former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson became the latest to announce that he had met the requirements needed to qualify. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A cargo ship equipped with rigid sails, each the height of a 10-story building, has departed on its inaugural journey. The Pyxis Ocean vessel will test WindWings sails, designed to harness old-school air power to help reduce fuel usage and the shipping industrys CO2 emissions. The sails creators estimate the technology could decarbonize cargo ships by about 30 percent as the maritime sector tries to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The estimated reduction could be higher if paired with alternative fuels. The ship has been retrofitted with two WindWings, each measuring 37.5 m (123 ft) tall. The rigid sails are made from the same materials as wind turbines and can be added to cargo ships decks, providing an option for older vessels to reduce environmental impact. The ships maiden voyage will chart a route from China to Brazil. The project is a collaboration between BAR Technologies (which developed the sails), Cargill Ocean Transportation, Mitsubishi Corporation and Yara Marine. The Maritime Industry is an extremely hard industry to decarbonize, said Cargill president Jan Dieleman. So theres not many tools that you have. So its really important that we as users of the maritime industry are also going to get involved in some of the innovation and really move the industry forward. A cargo ship fitted with two enormous, rigid sails. Bird's eye view looking down from near the top of one of the sails (both are visible with most of the ship's deck). The shipping industry agreed in July to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by or around, i.e., close to, 2050. The nonbinding agreement is essentially toothless but meant as a signal to governments of where to benchmark their (binding) targets, according to The New York Times. The agreement would have been even more lax if not for a strong last-minute push from small island nations and other less economically developed coastal countries, which led to a plan that provides a chance at limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Thats the threshold climate experts agree the world needs to avoid to spare Earth from the worst climate-change scenarios. We fought tooth and nail for these numbers, Carlos Fuller, Belizes representative at the United Nations, told the NYT last month. They arent perfect, but they give us a shot at staying within 1.5 degrees Celsius. And thats what we came here to do. Wind power has the potential to help reach those goals, but adoption is a challenge. We have the number of ships using this technology doubling over the past 12 months, Stephen Gordon, managing director at maritime data firm Clarksons Research, told the BBC. This is from a low base, however. In the international shipping fleet and new-build order book of over 110,000 vessels, we have records for under 100 having wind-assisted technology today. Jennifer Lopez said she was 'overwhelmed' in an Instagram post Monday while sharing lyrics to her new song Dear Ben Part II Jennifer Lopez is toasting the first anniversary of her Georgia wedding celebration with Ben Affleck. The actress and musician, 54, shared behind-the-scenes photos from her Georgia wedding ceremony to Affleck, 51, in an Instagram post on Monday. One year ago today , Lopez wrote in her caption. She then revealed some of the lyrics to her new song Dear Ben Part II from her upcoming album This Is MeNow. Dear Ben, Sitting here alone, Looking at my ring ring, Feeling overwhelmed. It makes me wanna sing sing. How did we end up here, Without a rewind. Oh my, This is my life, Lopez continued, before signing off, Jennifer #DearBenPartII #ThisIsMeNow. MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck attend 'The Flash' premiere in June Related: Everything Jennifer Lopez Has Said About Ben Affleck Inspiring Her Music In the first photo shared from her wedding celebration, Lopez was seen being carried by Affleck while wearing a white wedding dress with flowing short sleeves and a long white veil. Affleck meanwhile wore a white tuxedo and shirt with a black bow tie. 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. The married couple was seen in a second photo sharing a kiss under a wooden arch at night, with fireworks lighting up the sky in the background with Lopez shown in a second white dress with a plunging neckline draped with pearls. Lopez and Affleck celebrated their nuptials with friends and family in Georgia on Aug. 21, 2022, a month after getting married in Las Vegas. Affleck hosted the wedding celebrations at his 87-acre compound on Hampton Island Preserve. The pair had "an extraordinary weekend of celebrations planned," leading up to their second wedding, including "a pre-wedding party, a ceremony and ... lots of fun lined up," a source told PEOPLE at the time. OnTheJLo and John Russo Lopez and Affleck had their wedding ceremony in Georgia on Aug. 21, 2022 Related: Jennifer Lopez Gives Sweet Nod to Husband Ben Affleck in New Post Showing Her 'August (so Far)' Earlier this week, Lopez was seen in an Instagram photo giving a sweet nod to her husband as she wore a necklace that spelt out his name. The Delola founder was seen in the snap in a bathroom with her hand on her chest as she sported a chain necklace that spelt out, BEN, in gold letters. This IsAugust (so far) , Lopez captioned as she shared recent vacations photos, along with the image. The Mother star is quite attached to her 'BEN' necklace as she has been spotted wearing it on several occasions. Lopez was first pictured rocking the jewelry in tribute to ther partner in 2021, shortly after celebrating her 52nd birthday with Affleck as they rekindled their romance that year. In July, Lopez also celebrated her Las Vegas wedding to Affleck, one day after the first anniversary of their nuptials at the Little White Chapel. One year since our Midnight Trip To Vegas , she wrote on Instagram alongside two snapshots of her wearing a white minidress decorated with rhinestones. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Duane Keith Keefe D Davis is facing imminent charges concerning 2Pacs murder, The Sun reports. Keefe confessed to assisting in shooting the West Coast icon during an interview with VLAD TV, and law enforcement has built a case ready to present to a Las Vegas grand jury. Authorities stated that theyre looking at first-degree murder potentially for Keefe D. The grand jury hearing will take place in private, with a jury deciding whether or not the evidence found against Keefe is sound enough to prosecute the man in September 2023. The homicide team did not enter into this investigation lightly They knew that the world would be watching if they took any action against Keefe. They do not want to make any missteps, the outlet reports. One key aspect was building a strong case and file of evidence detailing how Keefe was one of the four suspects in the car, was pivotal in the actual murder, then the destruction of critical evidence. They have spent months pulling it together and continue to hunt down corroborating evidence and other possible witnesses for the grand jury, a source told the publication. We expect for this matter to become a criminal case imminently. Keefe has gloated so much about this that he has effectively talked himself into huge legal trouble. The revelation arrives a month after Las Vegas police raided a home belonging to Paula Clemons, Davis wife. NBC News reported that Clark County Judge Jacqueline M. Bluth authorized a warrant to Las Vegas Det. Clifford Mogg to retrieve anything that could tie Davis to the Southside Crips a Compton street gang. During the legal search, authorities seized .40-caliber cartridges, computers, photographs from the 1990s, and an issue of VIBE magazine featuring the late rap star. Additional items taken from the property were miscellaneous thumb drives, external hard drives, audio recordings featuring Davis and other unnamed figures, and a copy of Davis book, Compton Street Legend. In his book, Keefe D revealed he was in the white Cadillac that pulled up next to the rapper and Suge Knight during the shootout that killed Pac in 1996. The book also detailed numerous experiences as a member of the Southside Compton Crips. He described himself as one of two remaining living witnesses who saw the murder up close, with the other person allegedly being Suge. The LV Review-Journal reported that Davis confessed to taking part in 2Pacs killing in 2018 after being diagnosed with cancer. The search warrant that we conducted is in connection with the Tupac Shakur case, Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Jason Johansson said about the raid. It has been a while since the deadly September 1996 shooting. Its a case thats gone unsolved, and hopefully, we can change that one day. Bodycam footage shows Las Vegas police raiding Keefe D's home in connection to Tupac's murder. (? @LawCrimeNetwork) pic.twitter.com/MZoEGgzN3h The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) August 12, 2023 More from VIBE.com Click here to read the full article. "La otra," or the other woman, has set up shop in Aberdeen. This isn't the plot of a dramatic telenovela, it's an elevated and conversational cocktail lounge opened by Top Chef competitor David Viana and Heirloom Kitchens Neilly Robinson. Located next to Lita, their Iberian, prix fixe eatery that opened in April, the bar is managed by Ricardo "Ricky" Rodriguez, a Miami-native that moved to Bradley Beach. What were doing is something special here," Rodriguez said. "I wouldnt have moved all the way from Miami if I didnt believe in it." Ricardo Rodriguez pours an El Primo at La Otra cocktail bar inside Lita in Aberdeen. While "la otra" can be slang for "the other woman," it can also simply mean "the other," and La Otra is certainly different from its host restaurant. The intimate room, which had a soft opening last month, is draped in Florida-room decor, with calming whites and warm beiges. The chairs are weaved, cozy booths are strewn about. You'll notice the color-coded bottles, specialty glasses, ice in different shapes from Clear Cut Ice Co. in Ocean Township, and a tool and garnish station. La Otra is the opposite of Lita, which is dimly lit at night, candles all about, serving tapas-style finger food and eclectic drinks while guests listen to 1990s hip-hop. The bar has some wines and beer, too. Were the antithesis of Lita in a sense ," Rodriguez said. "It has this intimate yet approachable vibe where nobody has to feel like this isnt the place for them. Its the reason we created a counter height bar, to feel like youre sitting at someones kitchen island." La Otra's menu is smaller than Lita's, but there are some crossovers, like the Rissois de Camarao (shrimp turnovers). There are also exclusive tapas-style bites, like salmon yakitori and Iberian pork secreto skewers. At Lita and La Otra, many employees are Latin or Iberian, including Viana, who is Portuguese. Rodriguez's father is from Spain, while his mother is from Cuba. The Thai Negroni prepared by Ricardo Rodriguez at La Otra. I think were doing justice to our culture and the food were putting out, Rodriguez said. His favorite drink is Three Sheets (milk washed Scotch, vanilla, Chai tea, and lemon, force carbonated). To be able to have a [Scotch] cocktail that I really enjoy, where the Scotch flavor is very present but interesting with the Chai tea, the vanilla, ... its such a fun drink, he said. All about Lita: New Iberian restaurant opens this week in Aberdeen The Three Sheets prepared by Ricardo Rodriguez at La Otra. The goal, Rodriguez said, is for everyone to be happy. Our job is to make sure people are having a good time, everything else is smoke and mirrors, he said. Anyone can make a good cocktail, but at the end of the day, a bar should be where people feel comfortable." Rodriguez has had an interesting history. He enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miami, but only stayed for two months. He tried his hand at community college for a semester, but found more value in skipping to surf and skateboard. He bounced around many kitchens learning from the likes of Miami-based Julio Cabrera, known for his classic Cuban bartending style, and Argentinian-born James Beard nominee Chef Alan Hughes. Tropical sips: More than 20 must-try summer cocktails and buckets at the Jersey Shore Ricardo Rodriguez prepares a cocktail at the La Otra. Beachy Bites: Swim Crush opens on Asbury Park boardwalk with rum buckets, frozen cocktails and burgers His first big break in bartending was at Finka Table & Tap in Miami, under the supervision of Eddie Fuentes, a Broken Shaker and 27 Restaurant & Bar alum. Rodriguez became a finalist in the famous Bacardi Legacy competition. From there, he earned opportunities at other Miami hot spots. He's been to top cocktail bars in London, New York, Barcelona, San Francisco and Berlin. He recently spent a week in Guatemala, pop-up bartending and hosting a master class at Minerva cocktail bar in Guatemala City. This world traveler says he is happy to be embedded in Monmouth County's growing cocktail scene. When people think about getting a nice cocktail, they think of ... going into the city," he said. "[But] there are people doing great things in New Jersey, and were ripe for a little more attention for what were bringing to the table." Go: Lita: 1055 Route 34, Aberdeen, 732-696-8517, thelovelylita.com. Enter La Otra through the shared door inside Lita (towards the left of the restaurant), or enter through the exterior door to the left of Lita's front door. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Heirloom Kitchen opens La Otra cocktail bar in Aberdeen next to Lita Megyn Kelly criticized President Joe Bidens recent no comment response to Hawaiis Maui wildfires during her podcast. On Mondays episode of Kellys Sirius XM series, The Megyn Kelly Show, the longtime journalist slammed Biden for what she seemingly deemed as a lackluster response to to the tragic wildfires in Maui that have led to the deaths of 114 people. He acted like it was somebody going up to George Clooney asking him about some sex scandal at the Oscars no comment! No comment, Kelly said in video you can watch above, referring to Bidens Aug. 14 interview with a White House correspondent from Bloomberg. At the time, Biden was leaving a beach in Delaware near his vacation home in the state. The reporter asked Biden for his comment on the wildfires, and Biden responded with no comment. No, youre the president, Kelly said. Youre the president of the United States, were asking you to comment on the suffering and devastation thats happened in one of Americas treasures inside Maui, and he couldnt be bothered to say two words. She continued, offering up better ways for Biden to have answered: Like, he couldnt think of anything to say off the top of his head. Like, My heart goes out to the people who are suffering. Ive got the government and FEMA looking into it. Well be there soon. We know its not soon enough. There are still more than 800 people missing since the fires broke out on Aug. 8, taking out 5.7 square miles of land. In the meantime, Biden is set to travel to Maui on Monday, at which point he is expected to show some level of support to residents and clear up some of the backlash he received for his no comment remark. He was also called out for sending households in Maui a $700 check, despite giving Urkaine more than $113 billion in aid in the midst of its ongoing war against Russia. The post Megyn Kelly Says Biden Addresses Maui Wildfires Like Hes George Clooney Answering to a Sex Scandal: No Comment! (Video) appeared first on TheWrap. A TikToker filmed her 6-year-old son's first experience on a plane last week. She said staff at JetBlue went "above and beyond" to make the experience special for him. Staff let her child sit in the pilot's seat for a photo op, and gave him extra snacks, she said. A mom filmed her 6-year-old son's first experience on a plane, praising JetBlue staff for going "above and beyond" to make it special for him. Deana Conlogue, who is based in Connecticut and often posts updates about raising her son Colton, shared a TikTok on August 17 of him boarding a plane. "This is my first time on a plane," he announced in the clip, which has received 1.1 million views. "No way, do you wanna drive?" a flight attendant responded, motioning towards the cockpit where the pilots were sitting. Conlogue told Insider via Instagram DM that the family was traveling to Nashville, Tennessee, to drop Colton's older brother at college. In Conlogue's TikTok, Colton can then be seen having a short conversation with the two co-pilots about sending his brother off to college, before one of the pilots got up and offered Colton a chance to sit in his seat for a picture. Later on in the clip, the flight attendant, named Lorinda, could be heard making an onboard announcement that Colton was going to help her hand out snacks since it was his "first flight ever." She then walked with him down the aisle as he held out the snack tray to the other passengers. This embedded content is not available in your region. Conlogue also shared a picture of a little bag that Lorinda gave to Colton to thank him for helping her with the snacks. The TikToker told Insider it contained some extra snacks for him, including candy and cookies. "JetBlue rolled out the red carpet for Colton. It was his first plane ride and they went above and beyond to make his experience special. Thank you to the amazing crew, especially Lorinda for treating him so well!" Conlogue captioned her post. The video received over 1 million views and commenters wrote that they were glad to see Colton enjoying his first plane ride, and that they were impressed with the airline staff's efforts to give him a positive experience. "Yah this flight attendant wins employee of the week in my opinion. Well done by everyone," one comment with 397 likes read. Conlogue told Insider that Colton "couldn't believe that they announced his name and was invited to pass out snacks. He thought it was really cool," she said. She added that she and her husband Mitchel "had no idea" the post would get so much attention, but that they are both excited that a couple of her videos starring Colton have now gone viral on her profile. "We are happy that others are seeing the light that Colton's personality brings to the world," she wrote. Representatives for JetBlue did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here. Read the original article on Insider NASA recommends specialized eye protection meant for solar eclipse viewing. Regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the sun. Looking at the sun through a camera lens, telescope or binoculars while also using eclipse glasses can cause serious eye damage. Surely we don't have to remind you to make reservations at Austin hotels in advance for the Austin City Limits Music Festival, South By Southwest or Formula One races. But have you made your plans for the five minutes this spring when Austin will be one of the most exciting places to be on Earth? A total solar eclipse, which is when the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks its light from reaching us, will be visible from Austin on Monday, April 8. The city is on the edge of the eclipse's path northeast to Maine, and the eclipse will be viewable from the Austin area between 1:35 and 1:40 p.m. The next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the U.S. won't happen until Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA. More: Two solar eclipses are expected in the next year and Austin gets to see both Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. has seen only eight total solar eclipses, according to the National Weather Service. Thousands of visitors are expected in Austin in April, and hotels are already booking reservations for the weekend leading up to the eclipse. "To see (hotel) reservations this far out for April is pretty telling," said Wesley Lucas, director of communications at Visit Austin, the city's convention and visitors' bureau. The W Austin hotel typically sees bookings about 90 days out, said Blake Triplett, director of sales and marketing for the hotel. But the W already has about a third of its 251 rooms booked for the April solar eclipse. "That's actually a ton," Triplett said. More: When is the next solar eclipse in Texas? Here's where, how you can see it in Austin The W started to get reservations for the 2024 eclipse a few months back, he said. The hotel also sees a bump in reservations whenever a news story about the eclipse is published. While Triplett can't say exactly when he expects the W's reservations for the time of the eclipse to be full, he does anticipate that they could be close to selling out in January or February. Lucas expects downtown hotels to fill up first before people start to expand their searches to the west side of town. The main point is: Book your Austin stay sooner rather than later. And it doesn't have to be at a hotel. You could watch the eclipse from Circuit of the Americas, for example, or a state park. COTA officials are reminding visitors to book their RV stay as soon as possible, as there are only 80 spots total at the racetrack, said Cady Chow, vice president of marketing and communications for COTA. Chow declined to say how many people have already made reservations for the eclipse weekend but said RV parks in the Hill Country are already booking up so people are looking to COTA's RV park. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has an eclipse page on its website that details all the parks from which April's eclipse can be seen, including McKinney Falls State Park in Austin. You can reserve a campsite through TPWD up to five months ahead of the eclipse, and day passes can be reserved up to a month before. You won't be able to enter the parks in the path of totality without a pre-purchased day pass or camping permit, the department says on its website. A state park pass does not guarantee entry, either. "Parks in the path of totality will fill early reserve your campsite or day pass as soon as possible," the department advises. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Plan to visit Austin for 2024 solar eclipse? Make reservations now. The ever-growing list of restaurants making their Sarasota-Manatee debuts now includes a chain serving stone-fired pizza and other Italian cuisine. Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza is now open at 14629 S.R. 70 E., at the northeast corner of Lorraine Road and State Road 70 E. on the border of East Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch. It is the first Sarasota-Manatee location for Piesanos, which was established in 2009 by five restaurant owners in Gainesville and now has 12 locations throughout Florida including its hometown, Ocala, Orlando, The Villages, Clermont, Windermere, St. Augustine and Lake City. Whether you are looking for a quick lunch, a nice dinner to catch up with friends or picking up a meal to-go for the family, Piesanos is your place, Piesanos co-owner Jerry Roberts said in a statement. "We are thrilled to welcome Bradenton and the Lakewood Ranchcommunity through our doors." More restaurant news: Miami-based restaurant to open new Sarasota-Bradenton location Best Sarasota Cuban sandwiches: Which restaurants to go to and what to order Ticket Newsletter: Sign up to receive restaurant news and reviews plus info on things to do every Friday Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza has opened its first Sarasota-Manatee location in Bradenton. Piesanos' pizzas are baked in a granite stone-fired pizza oven, with pies including The Captain (spicy Italian sausage, meatballs and mini pepperoni cups) and the Diavolo (salami, Italian sausage, and peppadew and Calabrese peppers.) Other menu items include calzones, rolls that are complimentary with every dine-in order, dishes such as Rigatoni alla Vodka and Rigatoni Bolognese prepared with pasta imported from Italy, and a variety of desserts such as cannoli, tiramisu, cheesecake and other cakes. The drink menu will feature 12 beers on draft and wines available both by the glass and the bottle for certain selections. The 3,600-square-foot space will offer both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a dedicated takeout entrance for guests who are picking up their orders to-go. Along with a menu that includes stone-fired pizza and other Italian cuisine, Piesanos will offer 12 beers on draft and wine available by the glass or the bottle. Piesanos' Bradenton location will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 941-216-7980 or visit piesanos.com. Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Restaurant Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza opens new Bradenton location A disabled young woman who purchased a premium ticket for a Taylor Swift concert next July at Milans San Siro stadium is sparking a rallying cry in Italy after she was informed by organizers that the venues front row section will not be enabled for wheelchair access. Silvia Stoyanova, 35, who reportedly paid 300 ($327) for a seat at the front of the venue, says concert organizers subsequently informed her that another area of the stadium which is farther away from the stage and also lateral to it had been designated for wheelchair access. However, tickets in that section were already sold out. More from Variety The promoters for Taylor Swifts Eras Tour in Italy, Mimmo DAlessandro and Adolfo Galli, have told multiple Italian press outlets that the seats at San Siro enabled with wheelchair access are only situated in the lateral orange section of the stadium. Representatives for DAlessandro, Galli and Swift did not immediately respond to Varietys request for comment. Stoyanova posted a video on TikTok in which she asked organizers to stop seeing us [disabled people] as second-class citizens. She added, You need to understand that you are leaving at home sick people who dont have the luxury of waiting another 13 years for Taylor Swift to return to Italy. This embedded content is not available in your region. Stoyanova has launched a petition on Change.org to get organizers to set up a further ramp to enable wheelchair access for the July 13 and 14 event, which has gathered over 32,000 signatures in less than three weeks. She has also launched an appeal to Italys Minister for Disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli, asking her to take charge of the more playful aspects of the life of people with disabilities. She said she was hopeful because of the precedent of another young disabled Italian woman, Sophia Righetti, who fought a legal battle to get a second ramp for the disabled installed in the front of stage area of the Verona Arena amphitheater, which hosts large-scale concerts and opera performances. Righetti won, partly by basing her case on the claim that by being relegated to the sidelines of a concert, she was a victim of discrimination. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. New " Top Chef " host and Season 10 winner Kristen Kish is continuing her exploration of Wisconsin cuisine, from Culver's to a farm stand that took her back to her Midwestern childhood. The competition-based cooking show is filming its 21st season in Milwaukee and Madison this year. While in town, Kish has been checking out what our local dining scene has to offer. It looks like Kish crossed off quite a few Culver's essentials during a recent visit, per a bird's-eye view photo she shared on her Instagram story. She posted a ButterBurger, cheese curds, onion rings, fries and ample dipping sauce options. Kristen, we're going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you added custard to the spread after snapping the pic. If not, next time. Also for your next visit, may we suggest the Buffalo chicken tenders? Months after the spicy, breaded pieces of meaty goodness disappeared from menus in the summer of 2021, a Twitter account was launched to put pressure on Culver's to bring 'em back. Yes, really. The tenders made their official return to all Culver's restaurants in November 2022. Culver's was founded in 1984 in Sauk City by members of the Culver family. More than 920 locations are now across the country, per the chain's website. Culver's was founded in 1984 in Sauk City by members of the Culver family. There are now more than 920 locations across the country, per the chain's website. Visited Mukwonago's Craigland Farms, The Elegant Farmer Kish found Mukwonago's Craigland Farms "off a highway & down some side streets," she said in a Sunday Instagram post. According to the farm's Facebook page, it's sixth-generation family-owned since 1843. Kish shared a series of photos from her time there: One of her shucking corn, the farm's fresh produce stand, a sweet corn sign, and a video of the property with fields as far as the eye can see. "A core memory unlocked and a happy throwback to my Michigan childhood today," Kish said in the post. "Empty highways, fields for days, summer heat, Van Morrison playlist, and finding sweet corn off a highway & down some side streets that worked off the honor system - couldnt have brought me more joy. Shucked my corn, dropped some cash in the slot, and went on my merry way, just as I did as a kid." Kish also visited another Mukwonago farm stand of sorts, The Elegant Farmer. In 1946, two brothers, Dave and Elmer Scheel, created a roadside food stand near their 65-acre farm just south of the village of Mukwonago, according to a previous Journal Sentinel report. Twelve years later, it became the Davelmer Market, a business that included an uncommon concept for the time: allowing customers to pick their own strawberries from the farm. When Elmer's son and daughter-in-law, Dan and Sharon Scheel, took over the business in 1970, they rechristened it The Elegant Farmer and introduced new elements that turned the local market into something with broader appeal. They created farm kitchen, bakery, deli and market sections at the store, at 1545 Main St., along the village's southwestern edge. It became known for its trademarked Apple Pie Baked in a Paper Bag, followed by other specialty items including CiderBaked Ham (also trademarked), applesauces, fruit crisps, large muffins and cookies, seasonings, sauces, cheeses and gourmet popcorn. The Scheel family sold the business in 2006 to two longtime employees, John Bauer and Keith Schmidt, and John's brother, Mike Bauer. Now, getting back to that pie baked in a paper bag, that's what Kish got there. "I'm not a pie person but when the sign says 'best pie baked in a paper bag' one must try it,'" she said on her Instagram story. The Elegant Farmer's apple pie baked in a paper bag. Went to Three Brothers Restaurant for a second time Over the weekend, Kish went back to Three Brothers Restaurant in Bay View for Round 2. And, we totally get it. It's actually one of the restaurants Journal Sentinel dining critic Rachel Bernhard recently recommended to new Brewer/foodie Mark Canha. Three Brothers, 2414 S. St. Clair St., has been family-run since 1956, serving homestyle Serbian classics like stuffed cabbage, raznjici, chicken paprikash, roast goose, roast suckling pig and musaka. It's famous for its burek beef, cheese, or spinach and cheese. Dishes from Three Brothers Restaurant in Milwaukee. Where 'Top Chef' personnel were spotted around Milwaukee last week Milwaukee shoppers and social media users at Whole Foods on Prospect Avenue spotted what appeared to be "Top Chef" crews filming in the grocery store. Kish and judge Gail Simmons tried the Milwaukee delicacy of custard at Leon's Frozen Custard, and dined at Vientiane Noodle Shop. "Top Chef" Season 21 plans to air in early 2024 on Bravo and the Peacock streaming service. Jim Riccioli of the Now News Group staff contributed to this report. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Top Chef host Kristen Kish recently visited Culver's, a farm and more TV female characters in various stages of mental distress, addiction, rage, etc. (Sol Cotti / For The Times) Charismatic train wrecks have long captivated audiences, especially when the flawed characters happen to be women. Decades after such movies as "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Diary of a Mad Housewife" dramatized messy lives on the big screen, streaming series this year have cornered the market on fictional females engaged in cringe behavior while they weather the slings and arrows of mundane fortune. Here's a look at four fascinatingly flawed characters portrayed by Emmy-nominated actresses in "Beef," "Tiny Beautiful Things," "Daisy Jones & the Six" and "Fleishman Is in Trouble." Riley Keough / Daisy Jones "Daisy Jones & the Six" (Prime Video) Talent: Daisy Jones can sing, she can write songs and she can critique her fellow musicians with withering accuracy. Issues: Narcissism, impulse control Root cause: Cold mother. Daisy's mother belittled her as a child, telling her that no one wants to hear her voice. Years later, Mom tells her now-successful rock star daughter that she's "hard to love in real life." Executive producer Lauren Levy Neustadter says, "I think the most relatable of Daisys insecurities is her tendency to experience self-doubt. Rileys performance showcases a beautiful range of emotions around fears of inadequacy: Shes defensive, then vulnerable, then determined." Triggering event: Daisy sleeps with a musician who steals her lyrics for his hit single without so much as a thank-you or royalty check. Acting out: Daisy interrupts her bandmates mid-sentence, rewrites a song by the Six leader Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) without his knowledge, strolls onstage ahead of her planned entrance after gulping whiskey and flies to Greece to marry an Irish playboy while the band's first single hits No. 1 on the charts. Rock bottom: Daisy nearly dies from a drug overdose Dressed for dysfunction: Cowboy boots, blue jeans and hippie blouses inspired by the Laurel Canyon scene and Linda Ronstadt give way to Stevie Nicks-style scarves and capes. The breezy outfits camouflage Daisy's angst-ridden interior life. Telling line: "I'm not interested in being somebody's muse I'm not the muse. I'm the somebody." Claire Danes / Rachel Fleishman "Fleishman Is in Trouble" (FX on Hulu) Talent: Smart and competitive, Rachel runs her own New York City talent agency. Issues: Anger, anxiety, insomnia Root cause: Rachel is abruptly touched by an obtuse ob-gyn at the hospital shortly before the birth of her first child. "It was the worst day of her life," says narrator Libby (Lizzy Caplan). Rachel remains traumatized by the experience. Acting out: Rachel drops off her two children at her ex-husband Toby's (Jesse Eisenberg) apartment in the middle of the night. She goes to a yoga retreat with her rich new boyfriend Sam Rothberg (Josh Stamberg). Unable to sleep, Rachel gets a massage and screams very, very loudly. Rock bottom: Rachel self-exiles in her dim apartment littered with half-eaten cartons of lo mein that she forgot she'd ordered. Executive producer Sarah Timberman says, "Anyone who's ever felt really alone in the world or feared that even the most carefully constructed and fortified life might itself be a house of straw can see themself in Rachel." Dressed for dysfunction: Returning to Manhattan, Rachel continues to wear her business suit blazer, a remnant of her now-destroyed career, when she slumps, dazed, on a bench in Central Park. Telling line: I got dumped, Rachel tells her friend Libby. By who? Libby asks. Everyone, Rachel answers. Read more: Riley Keough, Emily Blunt, Kathryn Hahn and more reveal their particular set of skills Kathryn Hahn / Clare Pierce "Tiny Beautiful Things" (Hulu) Talent: Clare resurrects her long-suppressed writing talents to pen the "Dear Sugar" advice column. Issues: Depression, anger, self-loathing Root cause: When Clare was 22 her mother died from cancer. At age 49, she still mourns the loss. Neustadter, an executive producer here as well, notes, "When we meet Clare in our series, she's trying to muffle her pain, but its always with her." Rock bottom: After a night on the town, drunk Clare nearly has waterbed sex with her Uber driver. She's not welcome at home by her husband (Quentin Plair) and daughter Rae (Tanzyn Crawford) because Clare spent the family's $15,000 college fund to help her drug-addicted younger brother. She now sleeps in a chair at the nursing facility that employs her. Telling line: How did I get so far from the person I wanted to be? Ali Wong / Amy Lau "Beef" (Netflix) Talent: Savvy marketing skills and a keen curatorial eye for high-end plants. Issues: Repressed anger, anxiety, depression Root cause: Judgmental parents pressured Amy to internalize her feelings. The circumstances: Stale marriage to stay-at-home husband George (Joseph Lee) exacerbated by relentless business pressures to sell her Koyohaus potted plant boutique so she can spend quality time with her adorable daughter, June. Rock bottom: Amy rage-honks a stranger (Steven Yeun) in a parking lot, then cuts him off in traffic when he gives chase. Later, she masturbates with a gun and gets revenge on her new enemy by sleeping with his brother. Dressed for dysfunction: Neutral but chic. Costume designer Helen Huang, working with series creator Lee Sung Jin, says, "I suggested we should put Amy in this white-creamy-khaki pared-back palette because she's very controlled in what she presents to the world but not so controlled on the inside. It's an interesting contradiction, because she has a lot of internal aggression." Telling line: "I hate pretending that I dont hate things." Get the Envelope newsletter, sent three times a week during awards season, for exclusive reporting, insights and commentary. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Eurovision alumnus Voyager have announced a national tour in support of their recently released record Fearless In Love. The Perth pop-metal crew will kick things off with a hometown show in Perth on Saturday, 3rd February, before heading through Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, and Adelaide. See the full run of dates below. The bands eighth studio album landed in July 2023, hot off the heels of the bands performance at the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. They performed Promise at the competition in May and came in a respectable 9th, while Swedens Loreen took out the top gong for her song Tattoo (Loreen also won in 2012 with Euphoria). Voyager: Promise (Live at Eurovision) EUROVISION that was absolutely surreal! There arent enough words to describe how were feeling, Voyager wrote on Instagram following the grand final. Who would have thought that an independent, progressive metal band from Perth, WA, would take a top 10 position at the worlds biggest song contest?!! We are incredibly grateful for this absolutely WILD journey we wouldnt have done this without you! Fearless In Love is the follow-up 2020s Ghost Mile, and Voyager frontman Danny Estrin explained the album was recorded over a period of two years. The writing process was very different to how weve done things in the past, said Estrin. As a result, the album is more cohesive and exciting with a cinematic feel, hailing back to gritty films of the 80s and 90s showcasing all the layers that make up Voyager. This album takes you on a ride through a dark city and leaves you on a more pensive, reflective note by the end. Voyager 2024 Australian Tour Dates Saturday, 3rd February Metro City, Perth Thursday, 8th February 170 Russell, Melbourne Friday, 9th February Princess Theatre, Brisbane Thursday, 22nd February The Basement, Canberra Friday, 23th February Manning Bar, Sydney Saturday, 24th February Unibar, Adelaide Tickets are on sale Wednesday, 23rd August at 10am via Live Nation. Further Reading Australias Voyager Reflect on Surreal Eurovision Experience After Placing Ninth in 2023 Contest Australian Act Voyager Have Made the Eurovision Final Perth Prog-Pop Band Voyager Will Represent Australia at Eurovision 2023 The post Voyager Announce 2024 National Fearless in Love Tour appeared first on Music Feeds. Last year, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard took the Internet by storm. The ex-couple was entangled in a public trial, in which Depp accused Heard of defamation, following the publication of her Washington Post op-ed. There, Heard claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse. Though the actress did not explicitly name Depp, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor believed the essay tarnished his reputation. He sued Heard for $50 million, and Heard promptly countersued for $100 million. The court proceedingswhich lasted for six weeksaired on Court TV and the Law & Crime YouTube channel, which lead to public scrutiny and vitriol as details of their marriage made their way to the public. The winding case left many viewers confused, because Depp and Heards testimonies contradicted each other. Now, Netflix is unpacking the infamous trial in Depp v. Heard, a three-part documentary. The series places both actors testimonies side by side, while interviewing Internet personalities who closely followed the trial. Depp v. Heard debuted all three of its episodes on August 16. As shown in the documentary, the case ended after a long, painful trialwhere both Depp and Heard accused the other of abuse. In the end, Heard was found guilty. The jury originally awarded Depp $15 million in damages, but the number was later reduced to around $10 million. Meanwhile, Heard was awarded $2 million in damages, which she then appealed. Heard and Depp eventually settled in December 2022. The actress paid Depp $1 million, which was donated to various charities. Following the trial, Heard said she was "disappointed" and "heartbroken" by the outcome. A juror explained their reason for siding with Depp on Good Morning America. "A lot of Ambers story didnt add up," they said. "The majority of the jury felt she was more the aggressor. The crying, the facial expressions that she had, the staring at the jury. All of us were very uncomfortable." You Might Also Like President Joe Biden visited Maui on Monday to observe the damage and recovery from devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island that started earlier this month. Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived around 11:20 a.m. local time and greeted Gov. Josh Green with hugs after exiting Air Force One. PHOTO: FILE - The aftermath of a wildfire is visible in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 17, 2023. (Jae C. Hong/AP, FILE) After taking an aerial tour in Marine One, the Bidens, Green and other elected officials walked through Front Street in Lahaina, which is still filled with charred debris. At the second stop of the tour, Biden met with a long line of first responders, including one police officer who gave an item to the president. Biden placed the item into his pocket moments later. He asked the group how many of the firefighters lost their homes and also met with a K-9 named Dexter who has helped with the search. PHOTO: President Joe Biden (C) takes part in an operational briefing on response and recovery efforts following wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on Aug. 21, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) "How many firefighters lost their homes," the president asked the group, though none who were present appeared to respond that they were impacted. The president, who reflected on his own emotions following the deaths of his first wife Neilia and daughter Naomi in a 1972 car crash, said he felt the pain of the hundreds of people who lost loved ones in the fires and those who are still awaiting news on missing friends and family. "The difference between knowing somebody's gone and worrying whether they're available to come back are two different things," he said during a news conference during the tour. Biden acknowledged the long road ahead for the island but reiterated that the federal government will continue to assist in recovery, sheltering and rebuilding efforts for a long time. PHOTO: President Joe Biden (2nd R), US First Lady Jill Biden (R), Hawaii Governor Josh Green (2nd L) and Jaime Green, First Lady of Hawaii, visit an area devastated by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on Aug. 21, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) "We're with you for as long as it takes. I promise you," he said. He emphasized that the federal government "will be respectful of the sacred grounds [and] the traditions that rebuild the way the people of Maui want to build, not the way others want to build." A White House spokesperson said ahead of their arrival that it would be an "emotional day" as they meet with families, first responders and local officials. "He'll meet with parents who've lost children and children who lost parents and first responders who saved other's homes while their own burned to the ground," White House principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said during a gaggle with reporters on Air Force One earlier in the day. "So, I think it's going to be an emotional day for everyone." President Biden had been criticized by conservatives for what they contended was his relative silence on the disaster, which officials say has killed more than 110 people. Last week, however, the president vowed the federal government's aid to Hawaii would be continuous. "We will be there in Maui as long as it takes," Biden said while in Milwaukee for an unrelated event. "As long as it takes. And I mean that sincerely." Dalton has also pushed back on the detractors, saying Biden has been "engaged and committed" over the last two weeks responding to the crisis. PHOTO: President Joe Biden greets Jaime Green, wife of Gov. Josh Green, as first lady Jill Biden hugs Hawaii Gov. Josh Green upon arrival on Air Force One to receive a briefing on the devastating Maui wildfires, Aug. 21, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii. (Evan Vucci/AP) FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Monday her agency had distributed over $8.5 million to residents of Maui, with $3.6 million of that being for direct rental assistance for 8,000 families that have registered for assistance. "We continue to have more than 1,000 federal responders on the ground and this is from dozens of federal agencies, departments and agencies," she told reporters. "There are 16 people that remain in shelters and we have close to 2,000 people that we have already moved into hotel rooms." MORE: Maui wildfires live updates: Residents 'could not drive fast enough to outrun it' Criswell said officials would get an update later on Monday on what Hawaii officials believe will be the estimated time to finish searching the remaining buildings in Maui. She joined the Bidens on their tour along with Green, Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and Rep. Jill Tokuda. Approximately 85% of the search area in Maui has been completed, according to officials. FEMA has also made available more than 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots and 10,000 blankets and shelter supplies to the county government for distribution. PHOTO: President Joe Biden waves while boarding Air Force One at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Reno, Nevada, Aug. 21, 2023, as he departs for Hawaii. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) In an appearance on "This Week" on Sunday, Criswell detailed some of the federal response said the Bidens' visit would afford the president the opportunity to view the "devastation" for himself while offering residents some "hope." "I think the biggest thing is, he's going to be able to see what I saw when I went to Maui last week and just really experience the complete and utter devastation that this town had experienced," Criswell said. MORE: Biden will see 'complete and utter devastation' during Maui visit: FEMA administrator "But he's also going to be able to talk with people and hear their stories and provide a sense of hope and assurance that the federal government is going to be with them as he has directed, and we will continue to bring in resources to support the requests of the governor and their needs as they go through the recovery process." As of Friday night, fires in Olinda and Kula were 85% contained, the Lahaina fire was 90% contained and the Pulehu/Kihei fire was 100% contained, according to Maui officials. ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Justin Gomez contributed to this report. President Biden, first lady visit Maui to hear from survivors after devastating wildfires originally appeared on abcnews.go.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Iran does not interact with the US in direct negotiations and has no plans to organize such meetings in the future, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said, Trend reports. "It is untrue to report that Iranian and American officials may meet during the UN General Assembly session. Iran has no plans to hold direct negotiations with the United States during the General Assembly or anywhere else," he said. The two nations only communicate indirectly, during which topics like prisoner exchange and the unblocking of Iranian assets are discussed, Nasser Kanaani emphasized. Reportedly, Irans $6 billion of funds have been frozen in South Korea and $10 billion in Iraq. An agreement was reached between Iran and the US on the unblocking of these funds. It is noted that these funds will be transferred to Qatari banks and spent on importing products that are not subject to US sanctions against Iran. North Koreas national airline, Air Koryo, almost took a significant step back into the international arena. The airline was going to launch its first commercial flight since the pandemic. However, after almost two hours after the expected arrival time, the arrival boards displayed that the flight was cancelled. Confusion Over Cancellation The abrupt cancellation left many people puzzled. Air Koryo did not provide any specific reasons for the last-minute change of plans. The Chinese foreign ministrys spokesperson, Wang Wenbin , informed reporters that Beijing had granted approval to restart commercial flights. North Koreas Isolatation The cancellation marks a perplexing turn of events after three years of North Koreas self-imposed isolation. Although there are emerging signs of greater flexibility, including foreign officials attending a military parade in Pyongyang and North Korean athletes participating in international events, the sudden halt to the Air Koryo flight leaves observers with more questions than answers. The flights cancellation underscores the delicate nature of North Koreas steps toward engagement with the international community and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the extent of the countrys reopening. Pyongyang, North Korea Photo credit: Steve Barker As the details surrounding this cancellation remain enigmatic, eyes turn to the future. Air Koryos planned flights from Vladivostok, Russia to Pyongyang in the coming days hint at the potential for continued attempts to navigate a complex path towards more connectedness on the global stage. In a region marked by diplomatic intricacies, these developments hold the potential to either deepen the nations interactions with the world or maintain its enigmatic stance. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) fined Amazon another $85,800 for knowingly putting workers at risk of injury at a Spokane fulfillment center. This is the fifth such citation across four warehouses the state agency has levied against the e-commerce giant since 2021. Because it has cited Amazon for similar violations at other Washington facilities in Sumner, Kent and DuPont, L&I issued a willful citation with a higher penalty for the Spokane facility. More from Sourcing Journal ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In the three years since the warehouse opened, laborers have filed more than 400 workers compensation claims for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the term encompassing strains, sprains and tears often caused by repetitive motions. The Spokane warehouse has the highest injury rates for all Amazon fulfillment centers in the state, L&I said. The fulfillment center was also cited for three serious and one general violation for noise levels that were too high when workers are not wearing appropriate hearing protection. As of Wednesday, Amazon has 15 business days to appeal the citation. The e-commerce giant said it plans to appeal. Amazon is appealing the prior four citations in Washington State in a case that could set the tone for how state and federal officials tackle workplace safety concerns at the companys warehouses. During the trial expected to last through September, a judge from the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (BIIA) will determine if Amazon has violated state law by failing to create a safe working environment. If the judge rules in favor of L&I, Amazon would have to amend its warehouse operations, following suggestions from the department. The L&I, which administers and oversees individual statewide workplace safety and health programs approved by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), slapped Amazon with $7,000 fines for each of the first three citations in Sumner and DuPont. But the agency approved a $60,000 fine for the latest incident, claiming that the company was aware of workplace hazards at its Kent facility, but didnt make necessary changes to improve safety. An Amazon spokesperson said the company disputes the agencys claims. We disagree with the allegations, and especially with the willful characterization. Once again, L&I is relying on prior citations we have challengedand that are being challenged in court right nowas a basis for alleging that we willfully exposed employees to ergonomic hazards. That is categorically false, Amazon spokesperson Maureen Lynch Vogel told Sourcing Journal. The company also takes issue with L&Is characterizations of the alleged noise hazards. We look forward to a full and fair hearing on the citations weve already challenged, because the fact is, were making measurable progress and have improved recordable incident rates in the U.S. by 23 percent since 2019, Vogel said. We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of all of our employees. Amazon has long clashed with OSHA over how it handles injury reporting data. According to data cited by the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), a coalition of labor unions critical of Amazons injury rates, the serious injury rate at Amazon warehouses in 2022 was 6.6 per 100 workersmore than double the rate at non-Amazon warehouses (3.2). Although the SOC often notes that Amazon reports this data directly to OSHA, the e-commerce giant has maintained that the stats are provided with improper context since the federal agency doesnt officially measure a serious injury metric. Amazon also says that since OSHAs reporting requirements dont mandate that retailers categorize where injuries take place, the companys warehouse-related injury totals are often skewed to appear larger than its physical retail counterparts. The Seattle firm invested $300 million in safety improvements in 2021, including $66.5 million to create technology that would help prevent collisions of forklifts and other types of industrial vehicles. But it might have to pay even more if it loses the appeal. Perhaps more than any other company, Amazon has the means and the know-how to invest in solutions that keep their workers safe, said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&Is Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), in a statement. In an effort to reduce warehouse worker injuries, effective July 1, 2024, Washington state law will require large distribution centers to disclose any production quotas workers are expected to meet. The law also requires quotas to factor in time for rest and meal breaks, time to use the restroom, and time to access tools and safety equipment needed to perform the job. Injury reporting and ergonomic violations at national Amazon warehouses has led to many citations from OSHA. The safety concerns got the attention of Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Senate committee that launched an investigation into what he called dangerous and illegal conditions at Amazon warehouses. Click here to read the full article. It sounds like the billionaire Charles Johnson is becoming a bit less crabby about the possibility of a seafood shack opening next to his Nantucket home. The former chairman of Franklin Resources and a part-owner of the San Francisco Giants may soon be ending his lawsuit against Straight Wharf Fish Market, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The two have been sparring since earlier this year, with Johnson concerned that the restaurants selling of beer and wine might impact the community. Now, though, he may give up his litigation if Straight Wharf removes a mechanical system facing Johnsons front yard. More from Robb Report ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There has been an agreement for the agreement, Kevin Burleson, a co-owner of Straight Wharf, told Bloomberg. (Johnson didnt respond to the outlets request for comment via a lawyer, but his lawsuit was still pending as of Friday.) Previously, Johnson had worked to rally neighbors against the seafood restaurant, particularly as far as the liquor license was concerned. At one point, even the financial exec Charles Schwab was on his sidebut hes since changed his tune. We all look forward to enjoying a fresh clam roll and cold soft-serve twist cone on the harbor, Schwabs lawyer Steven Cohen said in an email to local officials, according to Bloomberg. When the select board approved Straight Wharfs application for its liquor license, Johnson sued to appeal that decision. But he tried to explain his opposition to the restaurant by calling out the real-estate developer who owns the site, rather than Straight Wharfs owners. Its a billionaire versus a billionaire, Johnson told the Nantucket Current in July. Steve Karp, the property owner, has a wonderful PR firm that spread this little guy versus the big guy. More recently, Karp told Bloomberg that hes been in touch with Johnson, and that hes not trying to start a battle with the billionaire. Why would you care about a little fish market on Nantucket? Karp asked. It is a small, little restaurant in Nantucketand it has become a big national story. If Johnson really is ready to drop his lawsuit, that story may be coming to an end. And Nantuckets wealthy seasonal residents will get to enjoyguilt-freeStraight Wharfs oysters, clam rolls, and ice cream. Culinary Masters 2023 Dont miss the food event of the year. Register for Robb Reports Culinary Masters now. Or, for more information on Robb Report experiences, visit RR1. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. We recently wrote a post where brides shared why they called off their marriages on their wedding day or right before it . In the comments, more brides shared their stories of why they walked away from their relationships before tying the knot. Here are their eye-opening responses: Note: Some responses were pulled from this Reddit thread by u/Skyguard. 1. "He nonchalantly told me on the drive to the church that if I 'got fat' after the wedding, he would leave me and never contact me again. I asked him to pull over, got out of the car, and walked to my mothers house, where I explained the situation, canceled the wedding, and blocked him." 31, Illinois Nadtochiy / Getty Images 2. "I called off my wedding four months before the day. I was supposed to marry my high school sweetheart. I had zero motivation to plan my wedding. At that four-month mark before the wedding, I only had a venue. I didnt have a photographer, a cake, or a DJ. Deep down in my heart, I knew we had grown apart, and we were practically living separate lives under the same roof. I had started to develop feelings for someone else, and I believe that that doesnt happen if youre truly in love with someone." "I called my dad, and I told him I couldnt marry my fiance, and he understood. My mom, on the other hand, didn't understand and told my fiance before I could. He was rightfully very upset, and we didn't end things well. I didnt talk to my mom for almost an entire year. I do regret how things went down, but I dont regret the decision to end things. Its been five years since then, and Im about to marry the man I developed feelings for, and Im happier than Ive ever been." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 30, Illinois Jacoblund / Getty Images / iStockphoto 3. "His sister was VERY involved in his life and our wedding planning, and she kinda became my de facto best friend. The morning of the wedding, I went to her place to pick up the bridesmaids' gifts. As I was walking up to the door, I could clearly see her making out with someone in the front window. I remember thinking, 'Good for her!' because she hadn't dated anyone during our four years together. I just let myself in, like always, prepared to tease her about her hookup. That is when I saw she was making out with my soon-to-be husband/her BROTHER! I didn't say anything. I just turned and walked out." "I drove straight home to Denver (from California). I only told a few people why I bailed because I was embarrassed and didn't think people would believe me. My friends and family were very upset with me for years. I finally found 'the one,' and everything worked out, but he and his SISTER are still both unmarried and now live together in Oregon. I never did figure out what was really going on with them." 32, Oklahoma Tim Kitchen / Getty Images 4. "I got engaged very young, and it was like I was engaged to a different person than who I was dating. He became super controlling and would leave for work early and come home very late. He became addicted to running and neglected me emotionally. I tried my best to save the relationship (couples counseling, etc). He was incapable of hearing me. I was getting super depressed and sicker by the day thinking about planning our wedding. I knew if I married him, I would always be walking on eggshells in my own home and constantly worried he would hurt me. (He liked to 'joke' about how he would kill me)." "I called my parents and told them I needed to leave. I packed up while he was at work the next day and left and never looked back. Ive never regretted my decision for a single day, and now, I feel like my very best self." 35, California Moyo Studio / Getty Images 5. "I called off the wedding a month before after accidentally meeting his girlfriend. We had no communication for two years when he contacted me and said how sorry he was, that he had grown up and realized I was the one. I accepted the apology, and we planned another wedding. I cried at my wedding, and it wasnt tears of joy. I knew I was making a mistake." "A week after the wedding, he confesses that he was living with the girlfriend from before' and 'living with her convinced me to marry you.' Ten years and three kids later, I divorced him best decision I ever made." 23, California Aleksandr Zubkov / Getty Images 6. "I caught my husband-to-be being intimate with my maid of honor (former best friend) on our wedding day. My friends tried to tell me, and I wouldn't listen. What could either of them say? They were caught. I immediately went to my dad, calmly told him what happened, and then walked down the aisle by myself...and made an announcement to the invited guests that the wedding was off." "Then, I asked them to collect any gifts they brought and take them back as well as to enjoy the reception. Food, drinks, and cake already paid for. I then marched down the aisle and left for a solo honeymoon, which he'd fully paid for. Less than three months later he married her, and after two kids in three years, he left her for another girl." 55, USA Fg Trade / Getty Images 7. "We decided to get married three months into the relationship so 'we could be together' under one visa because I was going to study overseas. He was 33, divorced, with a stubborn 3-year-old (who was conceived when he and the ex-wife were supposedly separated) who hasnt heard the word 'no.' With a time difference of over five hours, I had to give up my sleep because he wanted to speak to me when I woke up, and I had to stay up 'til he finished work and spoke to me. Multiple texts and/or calls one after the other if I fell asleep or was unavailable. The codependency, psychotic behavior, and anger issues started showing quite fast." "I practically had to choose between him and my education and career. I had enough at one point but didnt want to disappoint my parents, because what would they tell all these guests if the wedding was canceled?! Funny enough, my entire family was relieved when I called it off. A few months later, I heard he got married. Zero regrets." 27, Australia Lashkhidzetim / Getty Images 8. "Three months ago, I saw him cheating with my friend. I had tried to ignore the memory because it made me so uncomfortable, but all of my attraction to him disappeared. Because of pressure from my family to settle down and get married, I had pretended to like him and accepted his proposal, but I was so scared at the possibility of spending the rest of my life with him. But if I left him, my parents would be so disappointed, and I didnt think I could handle that. As I was walking down the aisle, though, I saw him, and how he was smiling, and all I saw was his infidelity. So, I let go of my fathers hand and walked right back up the aisle!' "After leaving the church, I got into an Uber and took a selfie of myself in my wedding dress, the church growing smaller in the distance as the car drove away. I sent the picture to my ex-fiance with the caption, 'My life begins today,' then blocked him. #NoRegrets." 34, Rhode Island Kyonntra / Getty Images / iStockphoto 9. "I overheard him telling a friend that he was only marrying me to get his ex jealous!" 29, Florida Digitalskillet / Getty Images 10. "I called my wedding off one month before. I had so much fun planning the wedding and thinking about our future until I got back from my bachelorette. I realized the last and final thing to do was to actually get married, and the planning part was done. Something just didn't feel right. I told him I wasn't sure if I was ready to be married yet, but I didn't want to break up. He told me he was totally OK with postponing and waiting. But when I actually called the wedding off, he flipped; he claimed that he only said he was OK with postponing because he didn't think I'd actually call it off." "Spent the next six months getting dumped and then getting back together, until I finally stopped fighting to stay together. The way he acted after the fact confirmed my gut feeling that something was off. Not going through with the wedding was the best thing I could've done for myself, but it definitely put me through emotional turmoil for about a year." 30, Pennsylvania Prostock-studio / Getty Images / iStockphoto 11. "I lived with a girl (just roommates), and her best friend called off a wedding at the last minute. The groom was very possessive, and things just got worse on a slow build. Finally, it all just kind of came to a head, and she was like, I think we need some more time. He flipped." "I can't remember anything in particular, but I ended up dating the girl a little after, and wowie zowie... There were issues." u/getwet Mark Edward Atkinson / Getty Images / Tetra images RF 12. "My best friend's older brother was getting married, and I was invited as my best friend's 'dat'" to it. I drive home on Friday for the ceremony the next day. I meet up with my best friend as soon as I get home, and her first words out of her mouth are, 'So, guess what just happened.' I correctly guessed that that morning, the wedding had been called off. I don't quite remember all of the details, but I remember that the groom's family was very excited about it. When he started dating this woman, things were very normal, and the family loved her. After the proposal, she started showing another side of herself. She was erratic and irrational. She started getting in between the groom and his family." "When she and the groom moved in together, the groom's family bought him this plant as a housewarming gift (he, for some reason, really liked this particular species of plant). His fiancee demanded he get rid of it: "We are starting a life together so everything should be ours; I want all remnants of your former life without me gone. I think the morning before the wedding, as I'm driving to my hometown, the bride and groom and each one's family got together for breakfast or something. The bride started an argument with the groom's mom, being very very disrespectful. The groom defended his mom, and the bride called off the wedding. This argument was over something stupid, too, nothing at all that should affect a relationship. The best part was that his groomsmen decided to throw him a re-bachelor's party. They just got completely wasted, had blowup dolls, and random stuff like that. They also ate the top tier of the wedding cake, something that is traditionally reserved for the bride and groom to share. The ex-bride-to-be got super pissed when she saw that on Facebook." u/CharlieMonks Alexander Spatari / Getty Images 13. "I didn't call it off the day before, but I've still called off a wedding. My boyfriend at the time proposed to me the summer before he left for medical school across the globe, and I was still finishing my last year of college. We were both making little-to-no money, and our respective families were going to have to straddle all costs. The stress of planning a wedding, trying to graduate, and holding it all together while I spoke to my S.O. only a few times out of the week eventually took its toll on me." "I cracked, and first cancelled the wedding and eventually broke it off all together. Life can take you in so many directions." u/peeweekiwi Mtstock Studio / Getty Images 14. "It's not my story, but my friend went to a wedding where the bride ran away the day before. This was a very expensive wedding in Puerto Rico where the guests were all flown in for a beach ceremony. The groom was in the military, and he and the bride had been doing long distance for a couple of years. They decided to have an open relationship once the groom found out that she was cheating on him. She was dating another guy for about a year before the ceremony, but for some reason, they went along with the engagement and wedding anyway. Her parents spent a small fortune. My friend packed a lot of additional clothing and swimwear, saying that she was ready to turn the trip into a vacation. Sure enough, the day before the wedding the bride disappeared. " "She ran off with the other guy she was seeing and canceled via phone call. My friend had a fun, pleasant vacation. Oh, and this was apparently the second time this bride called off a wedding." Anonymous Ozgurcankaya / Getty Images / iStockphoto And finally... 15. "There were plenty of red flags I ignored because I found someone who I thought loved me. He would have mood swings, gaslight me, and try to alienate me from my family because they, as he said, 'hated him and wanted to start sh*t.' Then, it was the money thing; he lied about that, lied about living with his parents, which I did too, so it wouldnt have bothered me. Then, there was the getting mad at me when I had texted a friend, asking for advice about him. But the real dealbreaker was when my mom was in the hospital, and he wouldnt reschedule 'an appointment' or 'interview' he kept changing his story to come with me to see her in the ICU. He never called. I told him on Facebook Messenger that I think we should call it off so I could work on my mental health, school, and spending time with family and close friends. His response? 'The fact that you said CLOSE friends when we are supposed to be BEST friends speaks volumes.'" "If that is the case, where the hell was he when I was dealing with the loss of my mom? Where was he when they took her off life support? Probably still at his parents' house, lying about being employed. Oh, and did I mention we were together for three years and friends longer? But, hey, I dumped him over Facebook since that was the only way he wanted to communicate lately, and then, I got my master's, cut my hair, and lost 30+ pounds on the exercise bike he got me. And since my mom didnt like him, on her behalf, I unfriend him on her Facebook after she passed. So, yeah, I am doing a lot better without him!" 33, USA Ridofranz / Getty Images / iStockphoto Fellow brides and grooms if you've ever called off a wedding last-minute, feel free to share your story in the comments below. Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. London-based Brazilian brand Farruche has just unveiled its latest capsule collection, a set of carnival exclusives rooted in culture and community. The lineup showcases accessories, crochet pieces and bikinis, all paying homage to Farruche's home country, Brazil. Perfectly timed to coincide with London's August carnival month, the imprint captures the festive spirit as the city comes alive. The range seamlessly blends contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship, realized through a partnership with Brazilian crochetershighlighting Farruche's commitment to nurturing creativity and elevating Brazil's crochet culture, especially Sao Paulo's crochet cap tradition. Highlights include mini skirts, crossbody pouches, dresses, two-piece sets, trousers and shoulder tops. At the heart of the project are the artisans from Sao Paulo's collective, Artesanato Chave. Their craft takes center stage, infusing each cap and belt with authenticity. Farruche's Co-Founders, Lorena and Larissa Lorenco, shared: "This collection represents a harmonious blend of our London-inspired designs and the rich artisanal heritage of Brazil. We are excited to showcase the creative prowess of our talented partners at Artesanato Chave and contribute to the recognition of crochet culture, particularly in Sao Paulo. These caps and belts pay tribute to our roots and celebrate the spirit of carnival." Farruche's carnival exclusives are now available via the label's website. In more fashion news, Latinx photographer Thalia Gochez on why real life is having to wait. The mirrored house is surrounded by two private acres, and guests says you'll feel like the "only people in the world." Great things come in small packages, and no Airbnb proves that more than the Vermont Glass House. Tucked in the middle of a verdant forest in Warren, Vermont, the glass house offers guests an awe-inspiring stay in a 200-square-foot compact and uber-efficient space. Courtesy of Airbnb The home, owned by husband and wife duo Katie and Zach, is actually an import from Estonia. Built by the tiny home experts at OOD House, the tiny home boasts a Scandinavian aesthetic, with light wood walls matched with espresso-hued accent cabinets and open shelving. The clean lines continue into the bathroom, where guests will find a marbled rain shower, and the distraction-free bedroom area decked out in Cozy Earth linens. And no need to worry about the cold winter nights in Vermont, as the home also comes with heated floors to keep your feet toastie. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Of course, the real star of the show is the floor-to-ceiling windows, from which guests can drink in the beautiful mountain views from every angle. The mirrored-glass windows allow guests to look out without worry of anyone looking in, and make the home feel like a part of the landscape as they reflect the old-growth trees and rolling hill views. Courtesy of Airbnb Outside, guests can relax in the hot tub on the deck, which also comes with two lounge chairs, all overlooking Sagebrush Mountain. And though the home comes with two private acres, guests can really hike for miles around, including to nearby Blueberry Lake for a refreshing dip. As for what staying in the home is like, just look at its almost 100 glowing five-star reviews. So intimate and cozy, sleek, and minimalist, one guest wrote. Pictures dont do it justice. A relaxing hot tub accompanied by a glass of wine was something out of a movie. The privacy was incredible. We felt like we were the only two people in the world. Courtesy of Airbnb Another guest added, I absolutely loved staying at this Airbnb. Definitely my favorite to date! Despite being a tiny house, it felt spacious and never cramped. The space is thoughtfully designed, even down to the decor. The bed was ultra-comfortable, the European shower was unique, and the views of the mountains were stunning. Katie and Zachary were also very responsive hosts and provided a thorough list of things to do in the area! I took a few of their suggestions (kayaking, hiking, restaurants) and was very pleased with everything. I hope I can visit again soon. The only word of warning we have for this house is that it boasts a 100 percent occupancy rate all year long, so travelers should book as early as possible. At the time of publishing, there were a few dates left for November and December 2023, so snag them while you can. Book on Airbnb.com starting at $400 per night. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. One of New York Citys best restaurants has closed temporarily while a lawsuit between the chef and the owner winds its way through the courts. The Michelin three-star Chefs Table at Brooklyn Fare quietly shut down in July, after executive chef Cesar Ramirez was fired by owner Moneer Issa, Insider reported on Friday. That month, Ramirez filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court alleging that he had been arbitrarily terminated without cause, notice, or justification. In addition, he claimed that he is owed tens of millions of dollars for unpaid wages, defamation, and other damages, The New York Times noted. More from Robb Report ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In response to Ramirezs lawsuit, Issa said in an affidavit filed this month that the chef was fired in part because he had stolen restaurant equipment that Issa believes is worth about $400,000. In a letter dated July 17 that Issa sent to Ramirez and his wife (who is listed as a co-plaintiff on the lawsuit), Issa wrote that the chef had taken dishware, oven parts, and wine, including two cases of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti worth nearly $30,000. In addition, he accused Ramirez of recruiting Chefs Table staff to leave for a new venture (reported to be in the works at 333 Hudson St.) and exhibiting abusive behavior toward both restaurant employees and customers. The foundation of any partnership is trust and good faith. You have violated that trust and have acted in bad faith, Issa wrote. You act as if Company property is your personal piggy bank. The Company will now be dissolved, and you will not have any further role with it. For his part, Ramirez claims in the lawsuit that he bought very high end and expensive equipment, furnishings and accoutrements suitable for the most elegant, luxurious and discriminating gourmet tastes, which he then loaned to the restaurant. When he was fired by Issa, he says, he sought to take back those supplies. Chefs Table at Brooklyn Fare first opened in 2009, moving in 2016 to its current location in Hells Kitchen. Before shutting down in July, the restaurant served a $430 tasting menu focused on Japanese seafood prepared using French culinary techniques. William Miller, a spokesperson for Brooklyn Fare management, told Robb Report in an email that the restaurant would reopen in October with a new creative team. (Sources familiar with the situation say that the entire front-of-house and back-of-house staff will be staying on.) Ramirez was recently terminated for cause, Miller said. We will have an announcement around a new creative team with a track record that demonstrates they can meet and exceed our exacting standards for service and culinary sophistication. According to sources familiar with the situation, about 80 reservations have been impacted by the temporary closing of Chefs Table. The restaurant is reaching out to those diners and hopes to accommodate them when Chefs Table returns later this year. Culinary Masters 2023 Dont miss the food event of the year. Register for Robb Reports Culinary Masters now. Or, for more information on Robb Report experiences, visit RR1. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. On August 20, 2022, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck got marriedagain. The two, who had eloped earlier in the summer in Las Vegas, held a lavish wedding at Affleck's home in Riceboro, Georgia for friends and family. It seems as if the Georgia wedding is their "official" anniversary, as Lopez posted on social media a celebration of one year of marriagewith two never-before-seen wedding photos. The first one Lopez shared features Affleck carrying her as they laugh together, and the second shows them kissing as fireworks go off in the background of the photo. "One year ago today..." she wrote in the caption, continuing "Dear Ben, Sitting here alone / Looking at my ring ring / Feeling overwhelmed / It makes me wanna sing sing / How did we end up here / Without a rewind / Oh my This is my life" She hashtagged #DearBenPartII and #ThisIsMeNow, leading many to believe it could be lyrics from "Dear Ben Pt. II," a song on her forthcoming This Is Me... Now album. Her 2002 album This Is Me... Then featured a song titled "Dear Ben," also about Ben Affleck. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Lopez and Affleck first dated in the early 2000s, and were supposed to get married in September 2003 before calling off their engagement. Nearly two decades later, they rekindled their romance and finally married. "We're older now, we're smarter, we have more experience, we're at different places in our lives, we have kids now, and we have to be very conscious of those things," Lopez explained of their second go at dating. You Might Also Like The Alpine team driver and friend of the brand, Esteban Ocon, wore a unique helmet in Bell & Ross colours for the Belgian Grand Prix For a driver, nothing could be more personal than the helmet he wears. My helmet is my identity, affirms Esteban Ocon, French driver for the Alpine team. When you close the visor, youre in your own bubble. When it comes to the relationship between Esteban Ocon and Bell & Ross, it's much more than something official on paper. They were the first people to come and approach me, says the young F1 driver. I also received an exclusive Bell & Ross BR-X1 watch to celebrate my win, with the Hungarian flag and very specific engravings: a unique number and my initials. I've been proud to wear it ever since! This time, it's a helmet in Bell & Ross colours that the French Alpine team driver wore throughout the race weekend: a debut for a watch brand in Formula 1! Bell & Ross X Esteban Ocon helmet Bell & Ross It was Esteban Ocon himself who had the idea of creating the unique helmet. It was me who suggested it! To me, it was logical to do it with Bell & Ross. Id already talked about it with Carlos Rosillo, the co-founder of Bell & Ross; all we had to do was choose a race. Creating a helmet with a watchmaker has always been a dream for me. Now, that moment will come, and I think everyone will like it! Bell & Ross X Esteban Ocon helmet Bell & Ross Out of several possible designs, the young driver opted for a resolutely race oriented design. The Bell & Ross logo sits above the visor along with the name of the Alpine team, but its impossible to miss the brands symbol on the top of the helmet: a large black ampersand. The concentric blocks of colour in red, white, and black, together with racing-style chequered elements, give the helmet an unmistakable timepiece-inspired feel. Evoking the brands seconds hand, the design subtly accommodates the Alpine logo, as on the Bell & Ross watch dial. The exclusive Bell helmet was worn exclusively by Esteban Ocon for the Belgian Grand Prix. Columbus, Ohio, a city known for its friendly and diverse atmosphere, has emerged as a thriving hub for LGBTQ+ culture in the Midwest. This vibrant community has grown exponentially in recent years, drawing people from all walks of life to experience its inclusivity, acceptance, and celebration of diversity. In this article, we delve into the rich LGBTQ+ culture in Columbus, exploring its history, events, organizations, and the city's ongoing efforts to create a welcoming environment for all. Columbus has a long history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights and fostering an accepting environment. The citys Pride Parade, established in 1981, is one of the oldest in the Midwest. This annual event brings together thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals, allies, and supporters to celebrate and advocate for equal rights, visibility, and social acceptance. Short North Arts District PHOTO BY ACESHOT1/SHUTTERSTOCK ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Additionally, Columbus has a thriving LGBTQ+ neighborhood, known as the Short North. This eclectic and artsy area is home to numerous LGBTQ-friendly bars, restaurants, galleries, and shops. The Short North is not just a place to socialize and enjoy nightlife, but also a symbol of the citys commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation. From popular bars like Union Cafe and Axis Nightclub to LGBTQ-owned cafes and art galleries, this neighborhood offers a safe environment for community members to express themselves authentically. The Columbus LGBTQ+ Community Center, known as The Center on High, is a vital resource for the community. It serves as a gathering place for meetings, support groups, educational workshops, and social events, fostering connections and a sense of belonging. Center of Science and Industry COURTESY JOEY AMATO Although the Short North is definitely the citys most vibrant area, I urge you to check out the Franklinton neighborhood, just a short drive away. The area is home to new shops, restaurants, the Center of Science and Industry, or COSI for short, as well as The Junto, a new independent lifestyle hotel where I stayed for the weekend. The Junto serves up a very trendy but comfortable vibe in a part of Columbus that is quickly emerging as one of the most sought-after addresses in the city. Aside from the hotel, new apartments and condos are popping up throughout the neighborhood. The Junto COURTESY JOEY AMATO The rooms at the hotel feature luxury linens, a separate living room space as well as a super-sized bathroom with a soaking tub in the shower area. Yes, you read that correctly. It was a massive space large enough to fit about a dozen people. One of the highlights of the hotel is Maudines, a lovely cafe named after a cow. Maudine wasnt just any cow. She was named Ohio State Homecoming Queen back in 1926. Maudines makes its own syrups for their beverages, and you can clearly taste the difference. I ordered a vanilla latte, and it was probably one of the best Ive ever had. You can clearly taste the difference between Maudines version verse the chain store version. Another highlight of the pet-friendly property is the Gear Garage where guests can rent anything from bikes or kayaks to vintage Polaroid cameras. After checking into the hotel, my boyfriend and I decided to explore the Franklinton neighborhood. A short walk away is The Bee Collective. The owner Luke was gracious enough to give us a tour of the property and show us the inner workings of the extensive hives, some of which contain thousands of bees. We even got a chance to taste some local honey, which beats out the store-bought variety any day. The Bee Collective COURTESY JOEY AMATO A few blocks away from The Bee Collective is Makers Social, a gathering space where visitors can create a variety of leather products all while indulging in delicious cocktails, or in our case, mocktails. I made a beautiful leather-bound journal while my guest decided to create a wallet. And dont worry, all of the projects come with detailed instructions and the friendly staff will also be more than happy to assist if you get stuck. The business was founded by Megan Pando in 2020 and serves as one of the key gathering spaces for the Franklinton community. Next, check out a new fashion district called Common Thread, located in downtown Columbus, home to local designers and boutiques including Gerardo Encinas, Xantha, and Alex Vinash. For dinner, head to Speck, a modern Italian eatery located downtown. We decided to start with an order of the Blistered Shishitos, which were served with parmesan, malden sea salt, and a lemon aioli as well as the Mussels special prepared in a delicious white wine broth. For our entree, we shared the Fungi pasta, which consisted of a variety of sauteed mushrooms served over pasta in a delicate cream sauce. Fungi pasta at Speck COURTESY JOEY AMATO Every time I visit Columbus, I have a good time, but if you happen to visit in June, check out the Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and Parade. Held every June, in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, this festival showcases the vibrancy, resilience, and unity of the LGBTQ+ community. Participants enjoy live performances, food vendors, workshops, and a powerful parade that brings together people from all backgrounds to march for equality and justice. Numerous organizations in Columbus are dedicated to providing support, resources, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals. Among these, Stonewall Columbus is a prominent nonprofit that offers a wide range of services, including support groups, counseling, health services, and youth programs. The Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO) is another crucial organization working to combat violence against LGBTQ+ individuals and provide assistance to survivors. The author and the Columbus skyline COURTESY JOEY AMATO As Columbus continues to evolve and champion LGBTQ+ rights, it serves as a reminder to other communities around the world that embracing diversity is not only the right thing to do but also a catalyst for creating a richer, more harmonious society for all. Enjoy the Journey! Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Key Takeaways Because the CDC is no longer tracking COVID cases, its hard to determine exactly how many people are getting sick, and how often. People with compromised immune systems may contract the virus more frequently. Theres little data on whether certain strains tend to reinfect the same people. Officially, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is over, but the virus that changed the world hasnt disappeared completely. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus has entered its endemic stage, people are still contracting COVID, and new strains, including EG.5, continue to keep physicians and scientists on alert. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Now that vaccination and natural immunity from past infections are common, a new question arises: How often will the average person contract COVID? The answer is murky for a few key reasons. Less Data Erases Averages According to Linda Yancey, MD, infectious diseases specialist at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Texas, there is no data to establish an average number of infections per person, and there likely wont be in the future due to the lack of standardized testing. This is the downside of at-home testing. On the one hand, it is so much easier for people to test themselves, so we are almost certainly getting more testing done overall, Yancey told Verywell via email. But we no longer have good numbers of how many people are being tested and what those results are. As the virus has evolved, symptoms for most healthy people have lessened in severity. While this is a great outcome, fewer people will report their illnesses or be admitted to the hospital. Plus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed their data collection, mainly tracking hospitalizations and deaths. After May 11, 2023, laboratories are no longer required to submit positive lab test results, making it even harder to measure illnesses accurately. Related: COVID Cases Are Rising Again. Is It Still Dangerous to Get Infected? COVID Repeat Offenders Although it may be hard to determine the average number of times a person will contract COVID, some people are more susceptible and should take precautions, according to Tammy Lundstrom, MD, Chief Medical Officer and infectious disease specialist for Trinity Health in Livonia, Michigan. The same people who were at high risk at the beginning of the pandemic may also be more susceptible to multiple infections. Lundstrom told Verywell that pregnant women, those over the age of 65, and those with underlying chronic illnesses to make sure their vaccinations are up to date. Yancey added that people undergoing chemotherapy, on long-term steroids, or any other immune-suppressing medication should also take additional precautions. Certain conditions, such as sickle cell anemia, common variable immunodeficiency, or spleen removal can also leave people vulnerable to repeat infections. Since the virus has so many strains circulating at one time, contracting COVID multiple times is possible. This ability of the virus to cause multiple episodes of illness is similar to the common cold viruses and influenza, Lundstrom said. Generally, getting a second episode within 60 days of a prior episode or vaccination would be unusual, but it can happen. Related: New Study Explains Why Repeat COVID Infections Are Dangerous Do Repeat Infections Mean Higher Risks? Luckily, contracting COVID multiple times may not result in severe infections. Yancey said that, theoretically, the more times people are exposed to the virus, the more robust their immune response should be. People who have had COVID multiple times are probably more likely to get it again in the future, but less likely to get severe disease, Yancey said. Since most people are testing at home, which doesnt reveal which strain of COVID they might have, theres insufficient data to determine whether one strain is more likely to reinfect as opposed to another. In the post-emergency landscape, COVID has become like other seasonal infectionsambiguous and annoying but rarely life-threatening. What This Means For You Like influenza, strep, or RSV, COVID has become a seasonal illness that may strike anyone, regardless of vaccination status. Those with compromised immune systems may have a more challenging time and be reinfected. Fortunately, the virus has evolved to become less severe, and vaccination offers additional protection against serious illness. If you are high risk, take reasonable precautions, such as washing your hands frequently and staying out of crowded indoor spaces where all viruses are more likely to spread quickly. The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page. Every summer, hundreds of dedicated cyclists take to the road for the annual Tour de France, racing through valleys and small towns across the country while excited spectators cheer them on. The World Naked Bike Ride has enjoyed similaralbeit smallerfanfare for years as bikers weave through the countryside in their birthday suits. For the first time, local governments are pushing back on the so-called nude Tour de France. Seven stages of the race have been banned in the country for public indecency, with riders facing the risk of prison time and a fine for hopping on their bikes in the buff. The first World Naked Bike Ride took place in Zaragoza, Spain in 2001 and launched in its official capacity in 2004 in London. Since then, the race has expanded all over the world with events in cities across the U.S. and U.K. and other countries like Hungary and Paraguay. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: Complete Guide to Understanding the 2023 Tour de France The French version of the race kicked off in Nantes on Aug. 8. Since then, local authorities have been doing everything in their power to prohibit certain stages of the event from passing through towns. The people trying to stop the tour are citing the penal code having to deal with public nudity. Francois Feunteun, president of Le Mouvement Naturiste (The Nudism Movement) that organizes the ride, told The Telegraph it "equates nudism to sexual exhibitionism on the public causeway." By breaking the law with their naked ride, perpetrators could face up to a year in prison and a 15,000 fine. The tour is being put on to raise awareness for climate change and the existential threat we all face, leaving humanity in a vulnerable position just like being naked. When the nude peloton prepared to start one stage in Millau near Clermont-Ferrand, police blocked the racers and arrested Feunteun. In France, when you want to talk about the serious risks the planet is facing, you get treated like an ecoterrorist and sexual delinquent, the 59-year-old said. He blasted his detainment and called it a form "state intimidation and an obvious attempt to discourage the approximately 15 participants from continuing on with the race around the country. He also cited the fact that much bigger nude bike races have been put on all around the globe without a hitch. "In London, they brought together 5,000 people without any problem. And its been the same in all the democratic countries of the world, he told French newspaper Le Figaro. The only bans have been in dictatorships and very religious countries." View the original article to see embedded media. Feunteun intends to pursue legal action to defend the iconic nude tour. It turns out that while France may have nude-friendly beaches, the same welcome isn't extended to the roads. The Zelter String Quartet performs inside the dome housing the 100-inch Hooker telescope located at Mt. Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Ive been to my fair share of live music performances, held everywhere from Radio City Music Hall to college dorm rooms. The first concert I saw was the Jonas Brothers in New York Citys Central Park (which 9-year-old me thought was totally epic). Still, I never predicted Id find myself inside the dome of an iconic telescope, about to listen to a classical music concert. Yet on a recent Sunday, there I was at the Mt. Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains, awaiting the afternoons performers: the Zelter String Quartet. Be here now for these particular wavelengths of light and sound, said Dan Kohne, a Mt. Wilson Institute board member, speaking to the audience from a makeshift stage on a deck in the dome. Just then, the steel walls of the dome slid apart, revealing the open sky. The audience ooh-ed and aah-ed as the dome began to slowly rotate and we watched the trees and clouds rolling past us. On one Sunday each month, Mt. Wilson Observatory hosts a chamber music or jazz concert in the dome, which was founded in 1904 by the Carnegie Institution of Washington and designed by D.H. Burnham. The telescope housed inside it the Hooker 100-inch telescope was completed in 1917 and reigned as the world's largest optical telescope until 1949. Famed astronomer Edwin Hubble used this very telescope to solve the long-debated spiral nebulae question by observing other galaxies to be separate from our own. When I entered the space, I was taken by the sheer size of the telescope, its peak reaching the top of the dome. Violinist Kyle Gilner grins while performing with the Zelter String Quartet. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The dome itself looks like a UFO that just touched down on Earth. Its stark white metal exterior feels downright extraterrestrial when juxtaposed with the trees and nature surrounding it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The idea to host live music in the dome was born from a conversation in 2017 between Kohne and Cecilia Tsan, professional cellist and artistic director of the Mt. Wilson Observatory concerts. Kohne described the acoustics in the space as "extraordinary" and urged Tsan to bring in her cello to test it out. So she did. A Facebook video of Tsan playing a song in the dome received 39,000 views. Kohne and Tsan decided to work together to take advantage of the unique acoustics and create a celebration of music and science. Both science and music let us journey into new worlds, Tsan said. At the concert, the seats were assembled in a semicircle facing the black-clad musicians: Carson Rick on viola, Allan Hon on cello and Gallia Kastner and Kyle Gilner on violin. A hush fell over the space as they began to play. They captivated the audience with their music, the instruments beautifully melding together and reverberating as one throughout the dome. With each swift move of their bows, the foursome took quick, synchronized breaths. The audience subtly swayed as they played music by Mendelsohn, Puccini and Todd Mason, often with their eyes closed and heads back, overcome with emotion and soaking in the echoing sounds. I felt a sense of calm throughout the performance, combined with awe at the space itself and its ability to bring so many people together. Hearing the acoustics in the dome feels like youre in direct contact with the universe, Tsan said. Its soothing in a world thats so chaotic right now." The Zeller String Quartet performs in the dome housing the 100-inch (2.5-meter) Hooker telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The journey to the dome Beyond the concert, getting to the dome is an experience in itself. First, the drive to Mt. Wilson Observatory can be quite harrowing, with sharp, anxiety-inducing twists and turns through the San Gabriel Mountains. (I was relieved to have made it unscathed.) Once you park in one of the two lots near the entrance, you can either ride a shuttle to the dome or walk. I decided on the latter. After wandering around for a few minutes looking for the path to the dome, I met Jonathan Vietze, 54, of Orange County, and his friend, Lorenzo Dela Rama, 27, of Los Angeles. They were confused as well, so we decided to walk together along with two others in the same situation. Our group initially followed the arrow of a sign that said Observatory, but we somehow found ourselves hopelessly lost, trekking up a steep hill way off the beaten path. Dela Rama, who was dressed in concert attire a nice pair of slacks, button-down shirt, dress shoes said he wasnt expecting to hike that day. Im hoping its worth it, Vietze said between breaths. Luckily, we ran into a Mt. Wilson Observatory employee who asked, Howd you all even get up here? and pointed us in the right direction. Once we found the dome, we were faced with a 53-step staircase leading to the performance level. I was a bit out of breath by stair 50, likely because the air on Mt. Wilson is thinner due to its elevation. It was such a unique experience and I will remember it always, Vietze said after the concert. The wandering hike there is part of that memory. Violinist Kyle Gilner, left, violinist Gallia Kastner, cellist Allan Hon and violist Carson Rick perform in the Zelter String Quartet. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) If you go More concerts are planned for the coming months. On Sept. 10, the Long Beach Symphony Sextet will perform in the dome, and on Oct. 8, the Los Angeles Reed Quintet will take the stage. Concerts are held at 3 and 5 p.m. There is also a reception outside the dome from 4 to 5 p.m., offering refreshments. Tickets for the show are $55 and must be purchased online and in advance. Trails and lookout points are also available for guests to enjoy before the show. Consider printing or screenshotting a map before you arrive, since theres no phone service on the mountain. Pro tip: Make sure to wear comfortable shoes if you plan to explore. Mt. Wilson Observatory's Cosmic Cafe is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., selling fresh sandwiches, drinks and a variety of other treats. The cafe is located in the pavilion overlooking the parking lot at the entrance to the observatory. Sign up for L.A. Goes Out, a weekly newsletter about exploring and experiencing Los Angeles from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Supreme, the New York-based cult streetwear label, has arrived in Seoul to much fanfare. Days before the official store launch on Saturday, diehard fans camped outside the Sinsa-Dong store in order to win a slot to purchase Supremes Seoul-exclusive box logo T-shirt, along with the first drop from the fall 2023 collection. More from WWD The brands Seoul flagship is the first outpost in Asia outside of Japan and the VF Corp.-owned streetwear labels 16th store worldwide. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Located in the upscale Gangnam area, the shop is next to the charming Dosan park and neighbors a Louis Vuitton pop-up and Gentle Monsters Haus Dosan flagship. Viewed from the street, a skater-friendly sloped entryway, a sleek black facade, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows give the store an art gallery-like sensibility. The Seoul store was designed by Supremes longtime collaborator, London-based design studio Brinkworth. Inside the 2,273-square-foot store, shoppers encounter a giant mural featuring elf-like characters painted by Rita Ackermann, a fixture in the downtown New York scene who also created artwork for Supremes Chicago store. Works by Rita Ackermann at Supremes Seoul store. On the other side of the wall is a monumental collage by Weirdo Dave that features a parade of pop culture references, from Lisa of Blackpink to viral cat memes. Also on the walls and the pristine floor are Nate Lowman bullet hole paintings, which help add a touch of pop to the airy store. The shops most captivating design element is the two speakers chained to the ceiling, custom-made by Brooklyn, New York-based speaker artist Devon Turnbull. A blown-up version of a Supreme money stack bench at the center of the store is where visitors can linger and congregate. The only piece of design not created by a notable artist, the bench is a blown-up version of a Supreme paperweight accessory from its fall 2017 collection. Works by Weirdo Dave, Devon Turnbull and Nate Lowman at Supremes first Seoul store. The top two floors of the stand-alone Dosan building, off limits to regular customers, house the brands local office. To inaugurate the cult skate shops first store in South Korea, Supreme released a short film documenting its skate team playing tricks and roaming about downtown Seoul. Titled Piggy and shot by Supreme filmmaker William Strobeck, the black-and-white video premiered during an exclusive launch party ahead of the store opening. Yet to be released online, clips of the video can be seen at the Seoul store. The Seoul stores debut comes after a year after the heritage streetwear brand entered the China market via a store-in-store at Dover Street Market Beijing, its only wholesales partner. Martino Scabbia Guerrini, executive vice president and president of EMEA, APAC and emerging brands at VF Corp., recently told WWD that Supreme has the potential to double its reach by expanding its retail footprint in Asia and Europe in the mid-term. However, this should be done with discipline because Supreme is a wonderful model but you need to keep innovating the products, aesthetics and communication. Youd rather avoid oversaturation, the scarcity modelis the tool to remain exclusive, Scabbia Guerrini said. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. In 2004, after U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan shifted to occupation and containment, the threat to military personnel also shiftedfrom conventional military engagements to an increase in suicide bombings. At the time, Marines used checkpoints across Iraq to screen for weapons and contraband; practice, however, dictated that women were not searched by male soldiers unless a female was present, leading insurgents to use women for smuggling and suicide bombingand so leading the Marine Corps to reconsider checkpoint practices or, as a USMC report later described the endeavor, adapt to overcome the Middle Eastern cultural gender sensitivities by utilizing women Marines to engage with the Iraqi and Afghan female populations. The result was the Lioness Program, which attached Lioness and Female Engagement Teams to ground combat units to better secure checkpoints. Taylor Sheridans latest drama series, Special Ops: Lioness, premiering this weekend on Paramount+, spins the Lioness Program forward into an alternative timeline where the scope of operations expanded from search and seizure to espionage and assassination. (The real-life Lioness Program also expanded, though in other areas, including running medical clinics, distributing medicine and humanitarian aid, and meeting in Afghan homes.) While the real-life program never included such cloak and dagger thrills, television is its own historical animaland killing terrorists to prevent future 9/11s clearly made for a better pitch than frisking civilians for hours at a checkpoint. (Though, were sure the latter, and very real, activity, was intense enough.) Real or not, the series expands the Sheridan-verse for Paramount, which hopes to make it this summers TV blockbuster event. Heres how to watch and when to look out for new episodes. Paramount + How to watch Special Ops: Lioness The series will air on Paramount+, beginning July 23. New episodes of the show will be available on Sundays. When is the next episode of Special Ops: Lioness? The next episode of Special Ops: Lioness will be available on Paramount+ on Sunday, September 3. How many episodes of Special Ops: Lioness are left? After the two-episode premiere on July 23, the series will run for another six weeks, with episodes releasing on Sundays until the finale on September 3. That means that there are now two weeks, and two episodes, remaining in Special Ops: Lioness. Heres the complete release schedule for Special Ops: Lioness Season 1. Episode 1: Now streaming as of July 23 Episode 2: Now streaming as of July 23 Episode 3: Now streaming as of July 30 Episode 4: Now streaming as of August 6 Episode 5: Now streaming as of August 13 Episode 6: Now streaming as of August 20 Episode 7: Now streaming as of August 27 Episode 8: Streaming on September 3 You Might Also Like Shelburne based photographer Jim Westphalen revels in the beauty in decay, finding art in the patina of a dilapidated barns roof or a snow-covered grain elevator. Westphalens body of work "visually preserves" structures that hold histories of rural America, as they slowly crumble to rubble. For the past four years, though, he has been exploring a new medium: film. Westphalens documentary Vanish: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America, is premiering at Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 11:30 a.m. in Middlebury College's Dana Auditorium in Middlebury. In the film, Westphalen tells the stories behind the structures he photographs too large to fit onto gallery placards as well as his processes in capturing them. The official poster for Vanish: Disappearing Icons of Rural America which premieres at Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival on August 24th. The film is equal parts history, photography, anthropology and storm chasing. It's very much these stories about these people and these vanishing cultures, you know," Westphalen said. "That culture of the mom-and-pop farmer is disappearing along with the structures. Capturing the test of time Beginning with an epigraph from the late A. Hale Johnson, a painter, close-friend and inspiration to Westphalen, the opening shots of the documentary depict Westphalen stalking through a snow-covered field in Sheldon. He heads for an old cow-barn, lugging his vintage 4x5 field camera over his shoulder. Photographer Jim Westphalen captures old structures around America to preserve the history of rural America using a vintage 4x5 field camera. Westphalen jokes that he resembles the old-timey photographer with a black cloth over his head and he really does. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Theres something about using this time-tested tool to capture the souls of these time worn buildings that just feels right, he says in the documentary voice over. The old cow barn was once part of a larger farm complex, the rest of which burned down in a 1910 fire a common, tragic end for many of Vermonts wooden structures. If not by fire or developers as is the case for a three-story chicken coop demolished in the matter of a few months its weather that puts structures to the test. You wont find me out too many days shooting on a blue-sky sunny day because I like to photograph in difficult elements whether it be a snowstorm or if lightning and thunder hits all around me because, you know, that conveys what these structures have withstood for decades and sometimes centuries, Westphalen said. Its that vulnerability, because theyre exposed to the unrelenting elements continuously. Vermont to Montana and back again The film takes viewers from the historic Glen Dale Farms in Cornwall to a powder house in Pony, Montana, to a hunt down dirt roads for a prairie church in Kremlin, Montana, and back to Vermont, through windstorms, thunderstorms, snowstorms, and baking sun. A powder house in Pony, Montana. Powder houses were used for storing gun powder and explosives. Montana and Vermont are fundamentally different landscapes, yet Westphalen quickly found similarities in the phenomenon of "vanishing," in the way a specific cultural heritage fades on the various faces of these old structures. The vernacular of the structures is very unique to the landscape of the West," he said. "The grain elevator or the prairie church, you dont find those kinds of structures here. The Pink Church in Harlem, Montana built circa 1931. Regardless of place, the sentiment remains that there is a deep and inherent loss within these degrading structures that thrived in a different time, were once the backbone of communities. The film begs the question of why these structures seem to disappear with no one batting an eye. After all, werent all these structures once someones dream? Westphalen said. Westphalen not only captures loss, but hope as well as the documentary chronicles heart-filled preservation efforts. The making of the movie From photography to filmmaking, Westphalen focuses on the same principles of composition and prioritizes aesthetic choice. His photographs are woven throughout the film, with still shots fading into live action. Laggis Farmstead in Hardwick, Vermont built between 1790s and 1810. Its all about telling the story. As you tell this element of the story, well, how do I get from this element to the next element? And what does it look like visually? Westphalen said. He runs his fine art photography business with the help of full time employee Bill Killon, and two part time employees, who serendipitously all had some background in filmmaking and stepped into all different roles for the documentary from pre-production, to editing, to cinematography, to post-production. Local composer Christopher Hawthorn created an original score to accompany the visual beauty of the film, enlisting the help of Vermont Symphony Orchestra, leading to an artful collaboration between the two mediums. More of Westphalen's work The Vanish body of work the film and collection of photos follows his portfolios entitled Somewhere in America and Coastline, which call on similar aesthetics and traditions. Images from Vanish are on display at Edgewater Gallery in Middlebury and Robert Paul galleries in Stowe. Westphalen hopes to continue making art from fading treasures as long as he can. As long as Im able to carry my 40 pound camera out into the field, because its a passion," he said "Its really this labor of love. I call it my love song to the faded, to the crumbling, to the peeling, and the rusted. If you go: WHAT: Vanish: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America premiere at Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. WHEN: 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 24. WHERE: Dana Auditorium, 365 College St., Middlebury. If you miss the premiere at Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, the film will play at Stowe Cinema 3plex on Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. and at Pentangle Arts in Woodstock on Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Contact Kate Sadoff at ksadoff@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Film shows photographer Westphalen's work on vanishing rural America Bill Sharp, founder of WSLs Big Wave Awards, has announced the "Next Era" of big wave awards, the New Big Wave Challenge (NBWC). Similar to its big wave award ancestors that came before it, the event celebrates the "greatest performance on the very biggest wave." Basically, the world's most brave and ballsy surfers will charge their hardest to see who gets the biggest bomb. So far, Nathan Florence, Shaun Walsh, and Greg Long are contenders. BWC captioned the edit above: "@NathanFlorence (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) paddles into a beefy Irish wall and savages his way through a frothy backside barrel at Mullaghmore Head, County Sligo, on November 5, 2022." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Instagram, NWBC said Florence "manhandles a thick bowl of Irish stew at Mullaghmore Head last November." According to its website, "This years event window will include every wave ridden at every big wave break around the world from August 2022 through July 2023. The top contenders will rise to the top and the winners will be declared in a gala awards party to be held in Nazare, Portugal on October 28, 2023." Meanwhile, Greg Long was nominated for a wave at Todos Santos in January of this year. NBWC captioned the post, "Precision work amid a wild, difficult session." Maui's Shaun Walsh was nominated for a bomb he caught at Jaws, also in January of this year. Walsh's clip was captioned, "Out of respect to the Lahaina wildfire impacts we start with Maui firefighter @shaunwalsh20 who was towed into this Jaws beast by his twin (and fellow fireman) @dklegend on the giant Eddie swell in January. We salute Shaun, DK and their MFD family for their bravery and duty. Also huge respect to the entire Maui big wave community who have brought their waterman skills to bear in the midst of this horrific disaster to help provide relief to those affected." *** Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos. In 2011, a year into her recovery from colon cancer, Catia Lattouf shifted her focus from getting herself better to helping sick or injured hummingbirds. The first hummingbird she helped was a bird that lost an eye. And now, a decade later, she's become the go-to person for saving birds. Lattoufs Mexico City apartment is now a rehabilitation center for hummingbirds. Talk about the real-life Snow White! Take a look at the incredible story of Lattouf and her rehabilitation center that was shared by The Associated Press. Wow! This story brought us to tears. At the moment, shes caring for over 60 birds, but she's helped hundreds and hundreds of birds since she started. People will come to her Mexico City apartment, dropping off sick or injured birds they found. Most of the ones she sees are baby birds. She added that usually the birds' wings are injured from either colliding with things or falling from nests. If they're not injured, she'll usually see sick birds that drank contaminated water in the hummingbird feeders. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We've seen social media work its magic by connecting families to adoptable animals. But in this case, Lattouf's work demand greatly increased after a viral TikTok about her was posted in May. That doesn't matter though as she said she'll never turn away a bird. Lattouf and her assistant Cecilia Santos work very long days that usually start around 5 a.m. and go through into the night. Together, they nurse these birds back to health with the hopes of releasing them back into the wild. She's optimistic that bird lovers in the city will plant more flowers for these hummingbirds to pollinate. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. READ THE COMMENTS WWD is gearing up for its annual Beauty and Wellness Forum. This years event, which will be held on Sept. 26 at Convene One Liberty Plaza in New York, will explore the intersection of health, fitness, nutrition and beauty and how the future of wellness, a category expected to reach $7 trillion globally by 2025, is evolving. More from WWD Key speakers include Naomi Watts, actress and founder of menopause solutions brand Stripes; Michelle Crossan-Matos, chief marketing officer at Ulta Beauty; Julia Klim, head of strategic partnerships at Equinox, and Dr. Will Cole, New York Times best-selling author and functional medicine expert, who will be in conversation with Dr. Barbara Sturm. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Panels will span key topics driving the wellness industry. Allie Egan of Veracity will explore how diagnostic testing is leading to next-generation personalized products with Julie Wainwright of Ahara, a personalized nutrition and supplement platform; Craig Elbert of Care/of, a personalized vitamin brand, and Carla Brenner of Roots by Genetic Arts, a hair-loss DNA test and treatment company. As consumers increase their self care spend according to McKinsey, consumers spend $1.5 trillion a year on health and wellness services with intention to spend more the days lineup will include a panel on an array of services, including acupuncture, IV drips and cosmetic dermatology with Wthn and Ever/Body. Beekman 1802s founders John Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge will share the results of a study they conducted with Kindness.org about the connection between culture and company performance. Tonya Lewis Lee of Movita Organics, Tai Beauchamp of Brown Girl Jane and Devin McGhee Kirkland of Deon Libra will share how they are making wellness accessible to all, and Kelly Fanning of Bayer Consumer Health, Michelle Jacobs of Womaness and Dr. Fahimeh Sasan will explore the future of womens health with WSL Strategic Retails Wendy Liebmann. Finally, founders across the wellness category will share their entrepreneurial journeys, as they aim to fill gaps in the market, including Oliver Zak of Mad Rabbit, a tattoo care brand; David Johnson of Genexa, a clean medicine company, and Robbie Bent of Othership, a Toronto-based social wellness facility soon to launch in New York. The WWD 2023 Beauty and Wellness Forum starts at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and registration. It includes four sessions, lunch and networking and wellness breaks. The event concludes at 4:30 p.m. For more information and to register for the event, CLICK HERE. Click here to read the full article. Russia is thinking about the next presidential election and the preservation of the current power vertical, the authority of which has been shaken by the not quite successful war against Ukraine and the recent mutiny of the head of the PMC "Wagner" Yevgeny Prigozhin. In this context, hawks from the FSB recommend Putin to resign Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. ADVERTISIMENT This is reported by the American edition of Bloomberg with reference to its sources in the FSB. According to the publication, discontent is still simmering in the Russian security service over Russia's failures on the battlefield, the responsibility for which is proposed to be placed on Shoigu and Gerasimov. "Many domestic elites were stunned by Putin's weak response to the mutiny and subsequent failure to punish Prigozhin, raising concerns among officials about the potential for high-level internal fighting or further problems. Frustration over Russia's failures on the battlefield still smolders in the security establishment," Bloomberg writes. It is noted that Prigozhin's main targets of attack - Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov - still remain in their posts, but his attempt to remove them had some support in key state security agencies. ADVERTISIMENT "According to five people with knowledge of the situation, hard-line security supporters want Shoigu's replacement as part of a shift to a more aggressive continuation of the war, including full-scale mobilization and martial law," the piece says. At the same time, the publication notes that there is no indication yet that Shoigu and Gerasimov will be eliminated. As is known, the presidential election in Russia is to be held on March 17, 2024. The election campaign should begin after their appointment in December 2023. According to the amendments on the "zeroing" of presidential terms made to the Constitution in 2020, Putin will be able to serve as president until 2036. Earlier OBOZREVATEL reported that in the administration of Vladimir Putin back in January began to work out different scenarios of elections, including with the participation of the current President. Russian media wrote that Putin wants to hold elections in 2024 and take part in them, although he has not officially announced this yet. ADVERTISIMENT According to Alexander Motyl, a professor of political science at Rutgers University in New York, after Russian President Vladimir Putin steps aside, a violent power struggle between extreme right-wing nationalists will begin in Russia. This struggle will strip Russia of what remains of its military capabilities and will likely lead to the breakup of the country. Only verified information at our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! One week after an 11-year-old girl was found dead underneath her bed in Texas, an 18-year-old man suspected of killing and sexually assaulting her has been arrested, police said Saturday. Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez will be charged with capital murder in the killing of Maria Gonzalez, whose body was found at an apartment in Pasadena, Texas, on Aug. 12, the Pasadena Police Department said in a news release. Police named him as a person of interest Friday after obtaining additional evidence linking Garcia-Rodriguez to her death, police said Friday. Police said he was living at the same apartment complex as Gonzalez but had since left. He was arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he is awaiting extradition to Texas. Maria texted her dad saying someone was knocking at the door On Aug. 12, Maria's father, Carmelo Gonzalez, called police saying his daughter wasnt breathing, police said Tuesday. She was pronounced dead at the scene. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police said Maria was home alone after her dad left for work around 9:45 a.m. Police said the last message Carmelo received from his daughter was her saying someone was knocking at the door. Carmelo told local station KHOU that he told his daughter not to open the door, and she said she wouldnt. After that, he said he never heard from her again, the station reported. Soon after, Carmelo asked his brother and sister-in-law, who also live in the apartment complex, to check on her, The Associated Press reported. They found the front door unlocked and things out of place, but they didnt find Maria, AP reported. Police said Carmelo came home from work and found his daughter's body hidden underneath her bed in a plastic trash bag that was placed inside a laundry basket. The medical examiner said Maria died as a result of asphyxia from being strangled. She was also sexually assaulted, the investigation found. Gonzalez family releases statement after arrest The Gonzalez family released a statement thanking police for arresting the suspect, AP reported. May he be burdened with the full weight of the law, for what he has done to my daughter, the statement said. Contributing: The Associated Press and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maria Gonzalez: Man arrested in killing of 11-year-old girl in Texas For Wisconsin families, child care can easily surpass housing costs, and even the cost of in-state college tuition. But as expensive as child care is in Wisconsin, it's even worse in other states. This spring, Child Care Aware of America released 2022 data detailing the supply and cost of child care in all 50 states as part of its "Catalyzing Growth: Using Data to Change Child Care" series. In addition to pulling individual state's data, it also highlights national trends. Here are some key takeaways from the report: Child care is often the largest expense in Wisconsin households' budgets In Wisconsin, the average annual price of center-based care for infants typically the most expensive age group was $13,572 in 2022. This equates to 12% of the median income of a married couple and 40% of the median income of a single-parent family. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For child care to be considered "affordable" by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services standards, child care for all children in a household should be no more than 7% of the household's income. Not a single state meets this threshold for center-based infant care when considering the median married couple's income, Child Care Aware of America's report shows. Wisc. CC and other expenses Infogram As a child ages, the cost of care typically decreases. Even with lower rates for older children, child care in Wisconsin can still cost more than in-state tuition at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and child care for multiple children can make care costs surpass that of housing. Center-based care is often more expensive than family child care, or child care businesses that are run out of providers' homes. In an effort not to price families out of the market, Wisconsin child care providers often charge far less than what it actually costs to run a child care (including bills, adequate personnel compensation, food costs and more). This makes for what industry experts call a broken business model that leaves child care businesses struggling and often leaves child care workers workers with low wages. More: The new Wisconsin family? 1.7 kids, no picket fence and child care costs more than college Child care in Wisconsin is expensive, but other states see higher costs CC costs Wisconsin and neighbors Infogram The average annual cost of center-based infant care in Massachusetts exceeds $24,000, making it the state with the most expensive care in this category. The state with the least expensive center-based infant care annual average is Mississippi ($7,280). Although the dollar cost of this type of child care is highest in Massachusetts, families in Hawaii and New York devote a higher percentage of their income to center-based infant care (in both Hawaii and New York,18% of the median income of a married couple goes to this type of child care). In Massachusetts, this figure is 16%. In Mississippi, 8% of the median income of a married couple goes to center-based infant care. Center-based infant care in Wisconsin is less expensive than in Minnesota and Illinois, but more expensive than in Iowa and Michigan. How does Wisconsin's child care supply compare to national trends? Child Care Aware of Americas report draws on data from the Supporting Families Together Association to analyze Wisconsins child care supply in 2019-22. While the report's numbers vary from figures compiled by Wisconsins Department of Children and Families, both data sets largely convey similar trends. DCF and SFTA explained the differences could be due to multiple factors, including when the data was collected; the SFTA data was collected early each year, while the DCF data looks at the number of child care programs throughout the whole calendar year. A graph from Supporting Families Together Association shows that the number of Wisconsin's regulated child care providers has dropped through the years. According to both data sets, the number of licensed child care centers in Wisconsin decreased from 2021 to 2022. Nationally, that number increased during that time, and even surpassed pre-pandemic figures. Max Luck, SFTA data specialist, pointed out the Wisconsin data shows a small decrease in child care centers from 2021 to 2022 (about a 0.5% decrease), which he said is within a normal fluctuation from year to year. The total number of 2022 group centers in Wisconsin is close to 2016s figures. Supporting Families Together Association shows the number of regulated family child care in Wisconsin throughout the years. Mirroring the national decline in regulated family child care programs, Wisconsin did see a decline in these programs from 2021 to 2022, according to both SFTA and DCF data. However, Luck said the decrease is much less than those seen year-to-year in the 2010s and reflects a stabilization since 2020. But with pandemic-era support set to end in early 2024, this trend may not last. Child Care Aware of America emphasizes the importance of investment According to the Child Care Aware of America report, every state dedicated pandemic relief funding, as well as federal and state child care money, toward rectifying the child care crisis. The report linked successes namely the nation's supply of child care centers growth from 2021 to 2022 and the slowed rate of decline in the nation's supply of family child cares to such investment. However, it cautioned, "Without continued and increased funding for child care, the positive trends seen in 2022 will not continue leaving families with fewer options for accessible, affordable and high-quality child care." In Wisconsin, Child Care Counts, a stabilization payment program that is funded through pandemic relief dollars, is credited with keeping thousands of child care businesses open, and some providers used the funds to ward off steep tuition hikes. The program was not included in the 2023-24 state biennial budget, and is now set to end in early 2024. The budget did include, however, $15 million for what Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee dubbed a "revolving loan fund" for child care providers. It's not clear yet whether this funding will be limited to only loans or whether it could ultimately be used for grants too. When the Joint Committee on Finance discussed this spending plan, Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek, said more will be revealed in upcoming proposed legislation. More: Republican lawmakers block extending pandemic-era program Child Care Counts More: As Wisconsin steps closer to ending pandemic-related support for child care, families, industry brace for impact Under the new budget, in 2024-25 the eligibility threshold for Wisconsin Shares, the state subsidy program aimed at helping families afford child care, will shift from 185% to 200% of the federal poverty level. The copayment structure will also change. Gov. Tony Evers recently proposed a special legislative session, set for Sept. 20, in hopes of investing more in child care and extending Child Care Counts past early 2024. The state Legislature, controlled by Republicans, has no obligation to take up such legislation, and Republicans have already indicated they will gavel in and out of the proposed special session without doing so. The Child Care Aware of America report suggested a number of ways to invest in the industry, from tackling how unaffordable care is for families to the national decline in family child care businesses. It also said additional investment could be used to reconcile the gap between the true cost of running a child care business and the price families can afford to pay for care. More: Gov. Tony Evers proposes $1 billion for child care, workforce despite Republican lawmakers already denying similar plans More: Should Wisconsin fund child care like it does roads? Here are some solutions to the child care crisis Molly Beck of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this article. Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps member based at The Appleton Post-Crescent. To contact her, email mlammert@gannett.com or call 920-993-7108. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: How much does child care cost in Wisconsin? Latest national trends. Now that the proposed MMA fight between Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and X's Elon Musk has fallen through, maybe Musk can square off with Oscar-nominated actor James Woods. Musk and the Rhode Island native have already duked it out on X, with Musk scoring an apparent knock-out by blocking his onetime champion. Or maybe Woods won, since he claimed that Musk's action proved his point. Elon Musk, shown speaking at the National Governors Association meeting in Providence in 2017, got into a tiff over the weekend with Rhode Island native actor James Woods on X, formerly known as Twitter. Blocking is exactly what started the brouhaha between the former bros, as Woods took to X, the former Twitter, to complain about Musk's plan to remove the block option from X. Woods wrote, "If @elonmusk removes the ability to block concerted harassment by trolls or organized political entities, how will X be any different from Jack Dorseys horrid Twitter? Musk, whom I once championed, is only doing this to protect his advertisers anyway. Users of X are mere pawns to turn the site into an electronic shopping mall. The man I thought was a defender of free speech is just another greedy capitalist. Disappointing, but not surprising." Thank you. If @elonmusk removes the ability to block concerted harassment by trolls or organized political entities, how will X be any different from Jack Dorseys horrid Twitter? Musk, whom I once championed, is only doing this to protect his advertisers anyway. Users of X https://t.co/bR3oMU4f2P James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 19, 2023 Then delete your account Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2023 Picking up on the feud, Mediaite, a website that focuses on politics and the media, noted that Woods a few months ago told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that Musk "may have saved America" with his Twitter takeover. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Woods, who's become well-known for his conservative viewpoints, made news in Rhode Island recently when he fought a neighbor's plan to build a two-bedroom home at the edge of Boone Lake. Woods' family has owned property on the lake, near the Arcadia Management Area, for decades. Woods graduated from Pilgrim High School in Warwick. The keyboard clash with Musk started after Woods complained on Friday about being trolled on Twitter in another dispute. In the midst of a libel suit I was targeted by thirty trolls the defendant enlisted to harass me, Woods wrote. X will be untenable for people like me, who are willing to share their identities. If he does this, I will have no choice but to retire from this site. You prerogative, sir, which is exactly my point. Have a nice day. pic.twitter.com/qt8ZD3wbM9 James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 20, 2023 After Woods later called Musk "just another greedy capitalist," the X CEO counter-punched Sunday, saying, "Then delete your account." Woods didn't take Musk's bait. After all, he was still on X when Musk blocked him and was able to tweet a screenshot of Musk's move. You prerogative, sir, which is exactly my point, Woods wrote. Have a nice day. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: James Woods, Elon Musk battle on X (formally Twitter) over blocking ASHLAND Mike Vinciulla has done a bit of everything during his 19 years as a member of the Ashland Police Department. And now, the 47-year-old Bellingham native is the department's first deputy police chief. "I've been involved in so many areas, it kind of prepared me for that role," Vinciulla said. "One of the things that I'm working on is empowering and delegating the other supervisors to take on some of these roles. I think everyone needs to have that feeling of purpose. I've done enough years in patrol, driving around eight hours a day, 40 hours a week it's great but you need something. What is an officer's 'something?' How can we excite them? That's what I want to work on." Mike Vinciulla, a 19-year veteran of the Ashland Police Department, recently became the department's first deputy chief, Aug. 17, 2023. Police Chief Cara Rossi said that when she started as chief about a year ago, her goal was to redo the department's command structure. At the time, there was only one lieutenant Rich Briggs, who had served as interim chief before Rossi was hired. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She immediately promoted a second sergeant and promoted Vinciulla to lieutenant. The deputy chief position is his third promotion in a year. "He has really grown in the year I've been here," Rossi said. "Deputy Chief Vinciulla is definitely my right-hand man. He can run the department in my absence, and I can be assured everything is being run correctly." 'Exciting for our guys.' Ashland christens new public safety building Ashland Deputy Police Chief Mike Vinciulla, Aug. 17, 2023. Having a deputy chief is important, Rossi said. It sets up a clear second-in-command and it adds a nonunion member to the department. The deputy chief is in charge when Rossi is unavailable and helps with both operational and administrative duties. How Vinciulla went from EMC to a full-time police officer Vinciulla said he had always been interested in being a police officer his original goal was to become an officer in Los Angeles. He went out west and took several tests, did well, then returned to Massachusetts to wait to be invited to the academy. However, as time went by, he took a job at EMC Corp. doing environmental testing, a job he really enjoyed. "I ended up really liking it," he said. "I was seeing myself in a tech career and when LA reached out and invited me to the academy, I turned it down." Ashland Deputy Police Chief Mike Vinciulla spent much of his 20s working at computer storage giant EMC Corp. But his childhood dream of becoming a police officer again entered his mind. Vinciulla had several roles with EMC, and was a software engineer when the idea of becoming a police officer again entered his mind. He became an auxiliary police officer in Wayland before becoming a reserve officer in Ashland in 2004. He was hired a few months later and attended the police academy in 2005. He started in patrol, but his EMC experience eventually translated to police work. In 2006, he became a forensic computer examiner for the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council, a role he also held for the Ashland Police Department. He performs systems work for department computers, as well as for cruiser laptops. Vinciulla has worked as a patrol officer, a detective, a bicycle officer and motorcycle officer. He has also taught internet safety in Ashland Public Schools, coordinated department training and is a firearms instructor. 'They provide expertise': LECs provide big-time resources for small police departments "I've been fortunate to have been involved in a lot of different things," he said. As deputy chief, Vinciulla said he will have "direct involvement" with all department personnel and will assist more with special event planning. He will also be a liaison between the department and community groups and businesses. When Ashland police officer Mike Vinciulla was recently named to become the department's first deputy police chief, it was his third promotion in the past year. Meet Ashland's police chief: Cara Rossi starts in July 2022 after long career in Natick As for how he rose through the ranks so quickly in the past year, Vinciulla said it was due to a conscious decision on how he viewed work. "It was a conscious effort to take action on things that needed to be done," he said. "When you take out the 'what's in it for me,' and make it 'what can I do to make things better here,' it makes a difference." Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ashland Police Department hires Mike Vinciulla as first deputy chief If President Biden cant stop Texas Gov. Greg Abbott s latest barbaric war on migrants, then Mexico must act decisively and remove the death traps installed along the Rio Grande. Nearly all the floating barriers equipped with circular saws that Texas set up earlier this month are on the Mexican side. Thats according to the International Boundary and Water Commission in charge of border and water treaties between the two countries. On Monday, Abbot said the barriers had been moved further back toward the U.S. side. Still, Abbott is testing Mexicos patience and President Bidens political will to stop the Republican governors inhumane and possibly illegal anti-immigrant move. Biden is suing. That won't be the end of it New floating barriers in a stretch of the Rio Grande are part of a new strategy by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to quell migration across the U.S.-Mexico border. The roughly 1,000-foot-long line of buoys is the latest move from Abbotts $4.5 billion Operation Lone Star, which was designed to keep migrants out. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Biden administration is suing Texas seeking the immediate removal of the barrier, saying Texas didnt get the required federal permits for the structures. A judge is scheduled to hear the petition on Tuesday, but it wont be the end of it, whatever happens during the hearing. Border shooting: Charges against rancher accused of murder remain Abbott isnt likely to give up should the judge order him to remove the barriers. That leaves Mexico as the most viable force to remove the buoys if, and when, they float over to the Mexican side. Abbott's buoys test Mexico's sovereignty Already two bodies were found near the chained buoys in the Rio Grande. It remains unclear if the buoys killed the two people, but their deaths triggered fear and a torrent of criticism from immigrant-rights advocates. Everyone needs to see what I saw in Eagle Pass, Rep. Joaquin Castro said in a video he posted on X, formerly Twitter. Clothing stuck on razor wire where families got trapped. Chainsaw devices in the middle of buoys. Land seized from US citizens. Nothing about Texas surprises me anymore. Abbott blames Biden for the increase in asylum seekers. But this time Abbot has crossed the line literally and figuratively. Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has condemned the buoys, calling them inhumane. Lopez Obrador may not have the guts to move the buoys, but the countrys political winds may soon change. Abbott is dangerously testing Mexicos sovereignty. Elvia Diaz is editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rio Grande buoys are barbaric. Mexico should yank them now Leer en espanol NOGALES State prosecutors will not dismiss charges against the Nogales-area rancher accused of murdering a Mexican citizen at this time after a key eyewitness confirmed that he will testify in trial. Kimberly Hunley, chief deputy Santa Cruz County attorney, said the witness assured her that he would testify in trial during a hearing Monday in Santa Cruz County Superior Court in Nogales. Hunley said she spoke to the witness, identified only by his initials D.R.R., over the weekend through a translator. Hunley signaled the possibility of temporarily dismissing the case against George Alan Kelly, 75, during a previous hearing on Aug. 16. Prosecutors were considering dismissing charges if the anonymous and alleged central witness to the shooting did not testify in court in less than three weeks. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement D.R.R. was previously reluctant to testify during the trial. D.R.R. gave a dramatic testimony during a preliminary hearing in February, when he reenacted how he allegedly saw Kelly shoot and kill Gabriel Cuen Buitimea on Jan. 30. It was later revealed that D.R.R. previously pleaded guilty to smuggling cannabis across the Arizona-Mexico border in 2015. Kelly's attorney, Brenna Larkin, said Monday that the defense would not call five expert witnesses during trial. The state had asked for sanctions against the defense because they disclosed the experts too late and too close to the trial date. "The problem with that is it doesn't give us back the two weeks that we just spent arguing about this late disclosure and not being able to prepare for trial," Hunley said, in regard to the defense dismissing the experts. George Alan Kelly enters Courtroom Three for his preliminary hearing on Feb. 22, 2023, in Nogales. Prosecutors previously asked for a continuance of the trial because they would not have enough time to vet, interview and brief all of the experts while also preparing for trial on Sept. 6. Judge Thomas Fink denied a motion to continue the trial and affirmed the Sept. 6 trial date Monday. Hunley was not aware of the decision to dismiss the experts until Larkin announced it in court Monday. The defense will keep the witnesses on as consulting experts. Fink ruled that the jury size would be reduced from 12 jurors to eight jurors. Unabomber comparison: Prosecutors compare Nogales rancher to Unabomber as his texts cite 'mowing down migrants' Kelly is accused of shooting and killing Buitimea in the back as he ran for his life on Kelly's Kino Springs property. The defense claims that Kelly only fired warning shots above the heads of a group of migrants moving through his property. A hearing to go through the results of the jury selection questionnaires is set for Aug. 29. Jury selection is scheduled for Sept. 6-7. Opening statements are slated to be heard on the afternoon of Sept. 7. Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @joseicastaneda. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Key eyewitness in Nogales rancher murder case will testify in trial Its a classic David versus Goliath story: Feather River a rural Northern California community college with an enrollment of around 1,500 applied for permission to add a four-year degree program in fire management. The California State University Chancellors Office fought back. The reason? It would duplicate programs already offered at CSU campuses, including Cal Poly SLO. And according to a 2021 state law that allow community colleges to offer a limited number of four-year degree programs, duplication is not allowed. Never mind the fact that Cal Poly professors were among those who wrote letters of support for the Feather River program. Or that Feather River will emphasize fire management in the Sierra Nevada, the fire-prone area where the college is located. Or that a community college may be the only educational option open to students, especially in rural areas. Shocked and disheartened Feather Rivers request was eventually approved by the Community College Board of Governors, but CSU officials havent let the issue die. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I was, quite frankly, shocked and disheartened when last month, the California community colleges acted unilaterally to approve the Feather River program, CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester said at a March meeting. We are considering all available steps in the matter, she added. Thats not all. In April, two state lawmakers who chair education committees Sen. Josh Newman and Assemblymember Mike Fong sent a letter to community college officials, suggesting they pause reviewing applications for additional four-year degree programs. ...when there are concerns about duplication, we expect that the final approved program will not duplicate a CSU or UC degree regardless of location, they wrote. Regardless of location? Dont they understand that not every student is in a position to pack up and move hundreds of miles away to attend college? CSU threatened by potential for lost revenue This wasnt the first time members of the CSU system had pushed back on the idea of allowing community colleges to expand four-year programs. The CSU Academic Senate anticipated conflict even before the Feather River feud became public. It made this claim in a resolution adopted in January 2022: ... several new (California Community College) programs may be created that duplicate existing CSU programs leading to reduced enrollment in CSU programs, a reduction in revenue from student fees and potentially a reduction in State support. ... It called on the CSU Chancellors Office to report on the potential for lost CSU revenue by virtue of newly created majors. How much does a 4-year degree cost at community college? Community colleges do charge higher fees for upper-division courses $130 per unit compared to $46 per unit for lower-division courses. Still, over the course of four years, fees at community colleges total $10,560, which is less than half the cost of tuition and fees at the states colleges and universities. Thats reason enough to expand offerings, especially in areas far removed from a CSU or UC campus. Yet CSU officials and some lawmakers seem intent on limiting students opportunities to earn a four-year degree. Reaction to Feather Rivers addition of a fire management program was especially heavy-handed. Given the toll wildfires have taken on Californians, the CSU hierarchy should be embarrassed at such an attempt to block a new effort to educate future professional firefighters. Northern California has been hit by a series of devastating wildfires, including the 2021 Dixie Fire that burned almost 1 million acres, making it the single largest fire in California history. Training the next generation of professionals skilled in fire management is critical. Offering a program at a community college where many of the students may be locals who plan to stay in the area after they earn their degree makes perfect sense. Other community colleges get pushback from CSU Unfortunately, Feather River isnt the only community college thats encountered resistance. According to CalMatters, Rio Hondo, a community college in Whittier, is getting pushback over an electronic music program it would like to start. So is Los Angeles Mission College, which proposed adding a biomanufacturing major. Clearly, CSU is out to protect its academic fiefdom by sending the community college system a clear message: Stay in your lane. Thats especially galling given that CSUs and UCs are turning away qualified students due to a lack of space in their programs. Yet they begrudge allowing community colleges the ability to offer an alternative and much less expensive path to a four-year degree? If Californias college educators are truly interested in serving all prospective students and if they arent, they are in the wrong profession they will end this petty turf war and help, rather than hinder, community colleges looking to help underserved students. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) retweeted a hoax storm photo Monday in the aftermath of storm Hilary, before quickly clarifying he was later told it was a joke. A hoax photo purportedly showing a shark swimming down a highway circulated across social media over the weekend when Hilary, now a post-tropical cyclone, hit Southern California with significant rainfall. Cruz retweeted a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which included the hoax photo accompanied by the text, Friend of mine out in LA just took this picture on the 405. In his retweet Cruz said, Holy crap. Minutes later, the senator wrote in a follow-up post, Im told this a joke. In LA, you never knowAnd everyone please stay safe from the storm or otherwise. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to Snopes, a fact-checking site, the photo initially circulated on social media after Hurricane Irene slammed Puerto Rico in 2011. The image of the shark was apparently pasted into a photo of the flooded streets in Puerto Rico. Since then, the photo has recirculated, often after a major rainfall event. This is not the first time Cruz has run into problems with a fake photo or video on social media. Shortly after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Cruz reposted a video that appeared to show the Taliban hanging a man from a helicopter in Afghanistan, which was later debunked by Reuters and The Associated Press. He later deleted the tweet. Last year, Cruz reportedly tweeted a photo of a fake article from The Atlantic magazine before quickly deleting the post. Los Angeles, along with other parts of Southern California, experienced heavy flooding Sunday night and Monday in addition to mudslides and power outages. The National Weather Service of Los Angeles said Monday virtually all of the citys daily rainfall records have been broken. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukraine has reached a "breakthrough agreement" on F-16 fighter jets. They will be in the Ukrainian sky. ADVERTISIMENT This, being in the Netherlands, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported in Telegram. He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister of the partner country Mark Rutte. "F-16. A breakthrough deal. As of today, it's already concrete. They'll be in Ukrainian skies. Thank you, Netherlands! Thank you, Mark! Thank you all who help!" - The head of state wrote, publishing a photo with the Dutch prime minister against the background of the long-awaited Ukrainian fighter jet. The President said that according to the agreement with the Netherlands, Ukraine will receive 42 F-16 fighter jets. Thus, another step has been taken to strengthen the country's air shield. Ukraine will use the said planes to keep Russian terrorists away from its cities and villages. ADVERTISIMENT Around 19.00 it became known that Zelensky started a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Matte Frederiksen. The president also intends to meet with the royal family, party leaders, members of the Folketing and representatives of Danish business. He emphasized that he is working with his team to strengthen Ukraine to protect our people. In the end it became known that this country will provide us with 19 airplanes after training pilots. "Developing cooperation. Preparing additional good news for Ukrainian warriors. Moving forward in the issue of F-16," - noted Zelensky. Judging by the photos published by the Danish Foreign Ministry, the Ukrainian leader arrived at one of the country's military airfields and inspected the F-16s. ADVERTISIMENT Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, who also arrived in Denmark, said: "There are agreements on training our pilots on F-16s, as well as on the transfer of 19 airplanes to Ukraine by Denmark after its completion". Zelensky himself called the talks with Frederiksen very concrete, substantial and strong. "Our pilots and engineers have already started training in Denmark. 19 F-16 aircraft will be provided to our state by Denmark. We are working on the speed of training. Separately discussed today and the possibility of expanding training missions. The algorithm is clear. Our F-16 coalition is proving its effectiveness," the head of state wrote in Telegram and thanked Denmark. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, the head of state together with the team visited the airbase of the Royal Danish Air Force Fighter Wing Skrydstrup. "Talked with Ukrainian guys who are training on F-16. Had talks with Matte Frederiksen and her team. Doing everything to make the results for Ukraine even more. In particular, today we discussed the expansion of training missions. We are doing our best to accelerate the training. Thank you to Mrs. Prime Minister, the Danish Government and all the Danish people! The Ukrainian air shield is getting stronger," Zelensky said. We will remind, on August 20, Zelensky accompanied by the first lady Elena Zelenska arrived in the Netherlands on an official visit. He met with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte. In addition to the F-16, the parties also discussed the Global Peace Summit, the Ukrainian formula for ending the war, as well as holding terrorist state Russia accountable for aggression and crimes committed in Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZREVATEL: - Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that Ukrainian pilots have already begun training in Denmark and the Netherlands to fly F-16 fighter jets. He did not disclose details, but indicated that the training of pilots includes learning English. The minimum training period for pilots is six months; - a Ukrainian pilot who is currently training on an F-16 fighter jet said that the allies took Ukraine's wishes into account when drawing up the training plan. According to him, more attention will be paid to missions inherent in the realities of the Russian-Ukrainian war; - the AFU PS said that Ukraine already has experience in operating the US F-16 fighter jet, as it has already landed on Ukrainian airfields. In particular, this took place within the framework of joint exercises. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A local business owners driving records were indeed at the center of the controversial police raids of a Kansas newspaper, newly released affidavits confirmed on Sunday. The documents were shared with media outletsincluding the Daily Beastconfirming previous reports that a Marion County Record reporters investigation prompted the controversial raid. Whether or not it was justified is another question. Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody claimed that reporter Phyllis Zorn engaged in identity theft when she obtained the driving records of restaurant owner Kari Newell. Under Kansas state law, these records are typically confidential, but can be accessed by providing a drivers license number and date of birth. Downloading the document involved either impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought, Cody claimed in an affidavit. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But Zorn and the papers team insist that no crimes were committed in her use of the states public archives for Newells license history, and that the records were obtained only after receiving Newells license number and birth date from a tipster in relation to a 2008 drunk driving conviction. Zorn said that she went to a Kansas Department of Revenue website for the info, adding that not to my knowledge was anything illegal or wrong. Marion County Records infuriated attorney Bernie Rhodes said that the info from the affidavits prove that no laws were broken prior to the unjust raids. The affidavits confirm that the only crime being investigated was the crime of reporting, Rhodes told The Daily Beast. The affidavits show that Chief Cody knew that a source provided Kari Newells drivers record to both the paper and the vice-mayorso neither the reporter nor the vice-mayor illegally obtained anything, yet they were the subject of the search. All the paper did was attempt to verify the authenticity of the record, using a public website operated by the Kansas Department of Revenue. No laws were broken. The Marion County Records office, the house of the papers owner Eric Meyer and house of Marion Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel were all raided by police on Aug. 11 over the unlawful retrieval of Newells driving records. In Herbels case, cops accused her sharing the same tip the newspaper received with Marion City Administrator Brogan Jones. But the raidswhich were deemed unjust by the county prosecutorsparked an international debate over press freedom that thrust the small paper into the limelight. Meyer said the Record has since gained 4,000 more subscribers as it continues to plead its innocence. Meyer claims that the searches also led to the death of the papers 98-year-old co-ownerhis mother, Joan. She collapsed a day after the raids, with her son claiming that she was overwhelmed by the incident and couldnt bring herself to eat afterwards. Now, Rhodes says that the paper is considering a lawsuit against the city for the intrusive raids. We have said all along we intend to sue unless we can reach some type of resolution with the city, he told The Daily Beast. That seems increasingly unlikely. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Earlier this month, the model revealed that she is finally healthy after over a decade of intense health struggles Bella Hadid is reconnecting with her roots and hitting the stables! After opening up about her long-term struggle with Lyme disease earlier this month, the longtime equestrian, 26, has dedicated time to enjoy the hobby that is nearest and dearest to her heart. On Saturday, the model gave her nearly 60 million followers an inside look at her love of horseback riding through several carousels of herself and her four-legged friends at Wellington International, an equestrian club in Wellington, Florida. Bella Hadid/Instagram Bella Hadid plants a kiss on a horse. Related: Gigi Hadid Says Sister Bella Has Had Long and Intense Treatment for Lyme Disease ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In one of the posts, Bella posed in full riding attire alongside her horses, and even planted a kiss on one of them. She also showcased her talent with some photos taken mid-hurdle. Thank you to all the great trainers and people who allowed me to ride their incredible horses And my Lucy , Blue , Ami , she wrote in the carousel. I love these animals, she added. Bella Hadid/Instagram Bella Hadid plants a kiss on one of the horses at her Florida equestrian club. In another one of the Saturday posts, which she captioned with the same message, Bella shared additional photos of herself riding, smooching and posing with horses. The model was also joined in one of the pictures by her mom Yolanda Hadid, whose cheek she planted a kiss on in the sweet mother-daughter snapshot. Related: Bella Hadid Says Shes 'So Proud' Celebrating Almost 10 Months Sober Bella Hadid/Instagram Bella Hadid poses with mom Yolanda Hadid at Wellington International, an equestrian club in Wellington, Florida. The model also shared a photo of herself fueling up during a day of horseback riding, still sporting her helmet while she enjoyed a hotdog loaded with toppings. She dedicated her final horseback riding post to one companion in particular, a horse named Amira, who she called my little flying mare. Although Bella paid homage to her beloved hobby in the new Instagram posts, she was first photographed back in the saddle earlier this spring. In March, the model was photographed competing at a Florida equestrian event for the first time since she was forced to quit seven years ago for health-related reasons. Related: Bella Hadid Returns to Horseback Riding Roots as She Continues to Focus on Mental Health Amid Sobriety Bella Hadid/Instagram Bella Hadid with a horse at Wellington International in Wellington, Florida. Bella excelled at horseback riding during her youth even aiming to compete in the sport at the Olympics before she was forced to give it up in 2016 because of her Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment, per Bazaar. "My devotion stemmed from my mom's love of horses, Bella told Porter in 2015. I have been riding since I could walk and the fact that my mom knew everything about horses really helped my passion grow. Bella Hadid/Instagram Bella Hadid poses with a horse at Wellington International, an equestrian club in Florida. In the same interview, the model also said that her horseback riding expertise helped her modeling career. "You know how every model is like, 'I do yoga.' Well, I find horses have the same effect," she explained at the time. "You have to put your ego aside and concentrate on making the horse do the things you want it to do, and move in the way you want it to move. 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. In a health update she shared earlier this month, Bella revealed that she is finally healthy after over a decade of intense health struggles including 100+ days of Lyme, chronic disease, [co-infection] treatment [and] almost 15 years of invisible suffering. The little me that suffered would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself, Bella began the Instagram post, adding that she is grateful for mom Yolanda, who was also diagnosed with Lyme disease a decade ago along with Anwar, the youngest Hadid sibling. Thankful to my mommy for keeping all of my medical records, sticking by me, never leaving my side, protecting, supporting, but most of all, believing me through all of this, she wrote. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. There might be a very important royal date on the calendar coming up: Sept. 17. Thats reportedly the date when King Charles III is finally going to meet with his estranged son, Prince Harry , for what is being called peace talks, according to OK! Magazine. If this meeting does come to fruition, this will hopefully shift the tense family relations that have been brewing since the Duke of Sussex released his memoir, Spare, earlier this year. More from SheKnows ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The timing couldnt be better because Harry will have just wrapped the Invictus Games in Germany. King Charles is due to return to London from Balmoral in the middle of September which ties in with the end of Harrys Invictus Games trip to Dusseldorf, a palace insider told the media outlet. The King has a rescheduled official visit to France on September 20 so has a few days to spare in London to meet with his son. Staff are trying to fine-tune the details as we speak. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's presence on social media signifies a fresh start and a new chapter of their post-royal life journey. https://t.co/jk2w0aNDR0 SheKnows (@SheKnows) August 16, 2023 There will be a lot to hash out between the father and son where it is expected to be just them Meghan Markle, understandably, will not be participating in their conversation. And the palace insider believes that Charles will make it very clear that there will be absolutely no private family business discussed in public moving forward. That is a fair ask after both sides have been slinging mud through the press over the last year. Spare Click here to read the full article. Price: $36.00 $19.10 Buy On Amazon Sources are hopeful that a reconciliation can finally take place if this one crucial point of forgiveness can be met. Its fixable, another insider explained to The Times. Both sides need to hold their hands up and admit we didnt get everything right, and we got a lot wrong. Its going to take flexibility on all sides, but it can be done. Lets hope this family meeting becomes a major turning point in the royal feud. Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harrys milestones since leaving the royal family. Launch Gallery: King Charles IIIs Entire Dating History, From 1968 to Now Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On Fridays (Aug. 18) episode, REVOLT Black News Weekly continued to keep folks aware of critical issues affecting Black people across the nation, starting with an update about the six white Mississippi police who brutalized two innocent Black men. RBN also examined the case of a 19-year-old Black woman, Noni Battiste-Kosoko, who was taken to jail for a misdemeanor yet did not make it home alive. Another topic addressed was the disturbing trend of attacks on the Black gay and trans community. On a lighter note, the episode also featured Usher, who spoke about his philanthropic endeavors. The installment started with an update from Rankin County, Mississippi, where six white former officers have been accused of physically and sexually assaulting Michael Jenkins, 32, and Eddie Parker, 35. No white police officer in the history of the state of Mississippi has ever served jail time or prison time for harming a Black person, said attorney Malik Shabazz. But the truly bombshell allegation in the $400 million civil suit against the officers, who have all pleaded guilty, is that the racist attack was motivated due to the victims supposedly dating white women. Added Shabazz, They were clear that they were there and conducting this torture because Jenkins and Parker had allegedly been dating white women. And throughout the course of this two-hour ordeal, they continuously called them n**gers and monkeys. This is a hate crime. On the night of Jan. 24, now-ex-deputies Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke, as well as ex-police officer Joshua Hartfield, some of whom described themselves as the Goon Squad, entered Jenkins and Parkers home without a warrant. A white neighbor reported the two Black men for suspicious behavior. Over the next two hours, the Black men were heinously tortured with waterboarding and tasers. The former officers reportedly tried to sodomize the men with a sex toy and even forced it into Jenkins mouth. The night ended with Elward putting his gun in Jenkins mouth and pulling the trigger. Fortunately, Jenkins survived his injuries. But while he laid in a pool of blood, the rogue officers gathered on the porch to try and figure out how to cover up their crimes. That reportedly included planting evidence like methamphetamine and a BB gun, which led to initial felony charges against Jenkins and Parker but have since been dropped. On Aug. 3, each of the former officers pleaded guilty to 16 felonies, including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under the color of law, and obstruction of justice. On the same day, State Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced her office filed charges of aggravated assault, home invasion, obstruction of justice and more. On Aug. 14, all six defendants pleaded guilty to the state charges, too. They are now facing 80 to 120 years in prison. They will be sentenced in mid-November. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The criminal justice system is particularly dangerous for Black people. In May, 19-year-old Battiste-Kosoko was arrested for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and placed in the Fulton County Jail system. She died in custody, and her family is seeking answers. Battiste-Kosokos loved ones were accompanied by attorneys at a press conference where they pleaded with officials for information. Her mother said her daughter suffered from an unspecified mental health issue and that she was unaware of her arrest until several days later after she had been reported missing. We dont know if she saw any medical professionals or mental health professionals while she was detained at the jail, said attorney Sho Watson. We just dont know. And thats quite honestly frustrating. Battiste-Kosoko was dead less than two months after entering the jail, and there have been no explanations from Fulton County. Allegedly, an autopsy is not ready to be made public. This is just the latest tragedy from the Fulton County Jail, where only days after her death was made public, Christopher Smith, 34, was found unresponsive in his cell and later pronounced dead. These deaths also draw attention to the problematic cash bail system, where pretrial detainees, who often havent been convicted of a crime, are only being held because they cant afford bail. In July, the FBI launched a federal investigation into the Fulton County Jail, but its too little, too late for Battiste-Kosoko and other victims. RBN took a deep look at the rising crime in jails and the problems the cash-bail system causes like overcrowded facilities and unsanitary conditions. Last month, a renowned professional dancer and proud gay Black man, OShae Sibley, was stabbed and killed in Brooklyn after being confronted by a group of teens for reportedly voguing to a Beyonce song. RBN also discussed the dangers of being Black and queer, and whether or not the Black community is doing enough as far as protection. Lets not forget the over 520 anti-LGBTQ+ state bills lawmakers have reportedly introduced just this year. On a lighter note, RBN correspondent Kennedy Rue sat down with Usher Raymond for a discussion about mentorship. The R&B vet was recently in Atlanta to support his nonprofit, Ushers New Look. He is passionate about the program that prepares future leaders from underserved communities. Mentorship, managing to pun intended usher them through high school and then on into the private sector, said the music icon of one of his nonprofits goals. Any person from any level of business had a mentor had someone to believe in them. Be sure to watch new episodes of REVOLT Black News Weekly every Friday at 5 p.m. ET via REVOLTs app. Plus, tune into a clip from this weeks episode below. Trending Stories RICHMOND, Ind. A man's criminal past caught up with him last week after his erratic driving had led to his arrest by Richmond police. Walker Shane Wilson, 26, was taken into custody last Nov. 8 after a Richmond officer observed Walker's BMW M240 traveling at 47 mph in a 30 mph zone on East Main Street. Before pulling the car over in the 1500 block of South A Street, the officer reported observing Wilson come to a complete stop at an intersection "where no stop sign or lighted signal" exists, then rapidly accelerate, causing the vehicle's tires to screech. The officer said Wilson, with open bottles of beer in his car, said he was "driving around and having fun." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The motorist listed at an address in McKinney, Texas, about 30 miles north of Dallas also acknowledged he had "a few" when asked whether he had consumed alcoholic beverages. A blood test conducted at Reid Hospital against Wilson's will measured his blood alcohol content at 0.176, more than twice the legal limit for drivers in Indiana. A search of his vehicle resulted in seizure of about 20 plastic bags containing a total of 207 grams of marijuana, along with a bottle holding 31 tablets of alprazolam, a prescription medication also known as Xanax. Also seized were two loaded 9mm handguns. A records check determined Wilson had been convicted of robbery in Warren County, Ohio, in March 2017. That conviction which made it illegal for Wilson to possess firearms stemmed from a February 2016 bank robbery in Lebanon, Ohio, about 50 miles southeast of Richmond. In Wayne Circuit Court last week, Wilson pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony carrying up to 12 years in prison, and driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. Judge April Drake imposed a five-year sentence. A plea agreement called for dismissal of two other misdemeanor charges, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Gun, DWI convictions in Wayne County lead to 5-year term for ex-Ohio man Article first published: Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, 5 a.m. ET Article last updated: Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, 8 a.m. ET The National Hurricane Center's 8 am Monday advisory reported that Tropical Storm Franklin is 235 miles south of Santo Domingo Dominican Republic, with maximum sustained wind of 50 mph. Its moving 12 mph to the west. Weathercasters alert: a tropical storm watch in effect for the Turks and caicos islands. YESTERDAY (Sunday): The National Hurricane Center released the first advisory for a tropical storm at 5 pm yesterday (Sunday). The southern coast of hispaniola placed under a tropical storm warning by forecasters. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY: The government of the Bahamas has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the Turks and Caicos Islands. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: - Dominican Republic entire south coast from Haiti border eastward to Isla Saona - Haiti entire south coast from Anse d'Hainault eastward to the Dominican Republic border A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for: - Dominican Republic entire north and east coast from the Haiti border eastward and southward to Isla Saona - Turks and Caicos Islands A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours. Interests elsewhere in Haiti and the Dominican Republic should monitor the progress of this system. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: RAINFALL: Franklin is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated higher amounts of 6 inches, across Puerto Rico through the middle of the week. Rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches, with isolated higher amounts up to 15 inches, will be possible across portions of Hispaniola. WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin within the warning area on Tuesday and are possible within the watch area beginning late Tuesday into Wednesday. STORM SURGE: A storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level along the immediate coast near and to the east of where the center makes landfall in Hispaniola. Source: National Hurricane Center This article was generated by the South Carolina Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com. A gas station security guard is accused of fatally shooting a Wisconsin man after officials say he stole a box of Little Debbie snack cakes. The guard, 56-year-old William Henry Pinkin, was providing security at a gas station on Milwaukees north side on the morning of Aug. 16 when he shot a 29-year-old man, according to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County. The man who was shot and died on scene has been identified as Isaiah Allen, according to WTMJ and other news outlets. Surveillance video shows Pinkin sitting in a chair toward the back of the store when the man enters, grabs a box of Little Debbie snack cakes and immediately leaves without paying, court documents read. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Documents said Pinkin quickly got up and followed him out of the store, then shot him in the back of the head. When police arrived, Pinkin was smoking a cigarette and milling around calmly, the documents read. I want the man who killed my son to be arrested, and prosecuted, Allens mother, Natalie Easter, told WTMJ. My son didnt deserve to die, regardless of what happened. There have been protests at the gas station following the shooting, with community members demanding justice for Allens killing, WISN reported. Pinkin is facing a charge of first-degree intentional homicide, documents read. Police arrested Pinkin on Aug. 19, the Milwaukee Police Department said in a news release. Ambushed business owner opens fire on masked men, killing them both, Texas cops say Man trying to catch falling gun shoots girlfriend at state fair, Kentucky police say 3-year-old comes to preschool with gun in backpack, Texas cops say. Dad arrested Deputy kills man during California vacation, then returns to work in Texas, cops say The executive director of Gaston County's Economic Development Commission received a prestigious award from the North Carolina Economic Development Association. Donny Hicks received the President's Award at the North Carolina Economic Development's Association's annual conference in June. He was recognized for his achievements at a meeting of the Gaston County Board of Commissioners Tuesday evening. Hicks graduated from UNC Charlotte in 1983 with a degree in political science. After his graduation, he began working for Gaston County, and within a year he was named director of the Economic Development Commission. "I can't sit here and begin to tell you the accomplishments, the impact, the positive entities that he has brought to Gaston County, because we can't stay here all night, and I would only begin to start by midnight," Commissioner Bob Hovis said. "We have been the beneficiary of a very dedicated employee who has worked tirelessly in strange circumstances from time to time." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hicks has twice won the award for economic developer of the year, Hovis said. This year, in winning the President's Award, he again received recognition from his peers. "In the last two years, we're just about where we were before the textile recession and all the textile business left Gaston County," Hovis said. "We've recovered, and we're doing so much better. This man right here has created 90% of that." Hicks told the Board of Commissioners that he feels lucky to work in Gaston County, where he is well supported by the board. "We've always done things differently. There's a lot of people that have helped do that along the way," Hicks said. "I got the award as an individual, but it's for really the collection of work and the body of work that the county has done for a long time." "When I came here there was no zoning. We had relatively limited water and sewer capacity. We had almost no extensions. And we've done a lot of work," Hicks added. "I think that's reflected in that award, but it's also a reflection of the consistency in our approach that we've had, consistent investment in it, having good county commissioners that believed in what we're gonna do and thought that we could make this comeback and get to where we wanted to be." Gaston County has seen 5 million square feet of industrial space built in the past two years, and expects the same amount to be built in the next two years, according to a news release. A total of 7 million square feet of industrial space was built during Hicks first 37 years of service. Companies adding industrial space include Amazon and the U.S. Postal Service. This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston EDC director honored for service Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson said Donald Trump may be disqualified from becoming president due to a section of the Constitution that bars anyone who has engaged in insurrection from holding office. Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas and a Trump critic, was asked by CNNs Kasie Hunt on Sunday if he would support the former president should he become the Republican nominee. Hutchinson said he would, but I do not expect it to be Donald Trump. Im not even sure hes qualified to be the next president United States, he said. And so you cant be asking us to support somebody thats not perhaps even qualified under our Constitution. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hutchinson pointed to arguments put forward by legal scholars that, under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, Trump is ineligible for office because of his actions on Jan. 6, 2021. The provision states that any person who took an oath to support the U.S. Constitution and then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof, is prohibited from holding any government office. Asked how he expected this to be enforced, Hutchinson, a former federal prosecutor, said a lawsuit would have to find that Trump engaged in an insurrection, thus disqualifying him. The other way would be that if a specific state made that determination on their own, then that would put the burden on someone else challenging that, he continued. Either way, it winds up in court for a specific finding, but I expect those lawsuits to be filed. I expect some states to take that action, but I think its a serious jeopardy for Donald Trump under our Constitution, not being qualified, he added. Two conservative law professors William Baude of the University of Chicago and Michael Stokes Paulsen of the University of St. Thomas recently shared arguments about Trumps eligibility in an articleset to be published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, after studying the question for more than a year. They concluded that Trump is disqualified from becoming president or holding any government office unless two-thirds of Congress votes to grant him amnesty for engaging in an insurrection. Hutchinson is polling at just under 1%, according to RealClearPolitics, nearly 55 points behind Trump, who leads the GOP pack by miles. He announced in Sundays State of the Union interview that he had qualified for this weeks first GOP primary debate in Milwaukee, which Trump is not expected to attend. Related... A 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I seen at an auction, left, and at the 1954 Mille Miglia race in Italy, right. Courtesy of Darin Schnabel, The Klemantaski Collection, and RM Sotheby's Scraps of a rare 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I were just sold for about $1.9 million. The buyer could end up investing another $2 million just to restore the car, a Ferrari expert said. In "very good condition," the model can be worth up to $4 million to $5.5 million, the expert said. The remnants of a Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I were recently sold at RM Sotheby's auction for about $1.9 million, and it may take another $2 million just to restore the car to its glory racing days, a Ferrari historian told Insider. This specific 1954 model is the second of 13 Mondials built, with its curvy design by Pinin Farina, now called Pininfarina, according to the auction listing. Franco Cortese, an Italian race car driver who helped Ferrari achieve its first racing victory, drove the Mondial at the Mille Miglia race in Italy in May 1954, according to RM Sotheby's. Cortese finished 14th overall in the race. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The car soon suffered a crash and fire damage before Ferrari collector Walter Medlin purchased the vehicle in 1978, RM Sotheby's wrote. The car was kept in storage for nearly five decades. What's left of the factory-original vehicle includes the rusting body, the car's rear-axle corners, matching-numbers gearbox, and the factory-issued chassis plate that contains the serial number "0406 MD," according to the listing. A 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I by Pinin Farina Courtesy of RM Sotheby's A full restoration, in this case, will almost certainly cost between $1.5 million to $2 million, Andreas Birner, a Ferrari broker and historian, told Insider in an email. Birner wrote that a "legitimate reconstruction" of this Mondial, "with an almost completely new frame and an almost entirely new bodywork," could likely only be done by Ferrari's Classiche program, which restores and certifies old Ferraris. "Only if it's done by Ferrari on behalf (of) the new owner, the reconstructed car will be a legitimate car because it will have been resurrected by the manufacturer who once built it, not by some restoration shop in a different part of the world," Birner wrote. "Ferrari Classiche will also be able to grant the reconstructed car their blessings by issuing a Ferrari Classiche certificate that explains which parts of the car are still original and which are new, but corresponding to the original specifications which were on the car when it left the factory in Maranello back in 1954." The process includes a deep inspection and research into the vehicle's history, according to a 2008 New York Times article on the Classiche program. The Times reported that the vehicle would have to be shipped to Italy, where restoration processes could take up to a year. It's unclear if Ferrari would restore a Mondial in such disrepair. A Ferrari spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment sent during the weekend. "A Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Pinin Farina in restored or at least very good condition is currently in the wide range between $4M and $5.5M," Birner wrote. Part of the price will depend on the car's history and how much of the original vehicle is preserved, he added. Purchasing classic cars or historical racecars is always about "preserving history," Birner said, and in this case, "there is not too much left to be preserved." He estimated that this Mondial would probably go for the lower end of the price range since the car's history "isn't really spectacular," and the car doesn't come with the original engine lost in the accident. Ferrari restorers could build a new engine block produced to its original specifications. Still, it won't have the matching numbers with the chassis. Having the original parts and numbers "are so important in the classic car world," Birner said. "So, it's a numbers game: A collector who always wanted to own a freshly restored 500 Mondial that additionally has an interesting history to tell will most likely still end up within the market value after buying the remains for almost $2M and after investing $2M in the restoration," Birner said. He added that the buyer should not expect to immediately flip the car for profit if that was their intention. "A buyer who intends to have this car restored just to resell it for a profit after it will have been finished in two or so years would have overpaid in my opinion at $1,875,000. In short, I hope for the new owner that he (or she) intends to keep #0406MD for a while and doesn't plan to flip it for a profit," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider A true friend is tested in bad times. When the war between Ukraine and Russia started, friends and foes were also revealed between the parties. For example, Ukraine recognized Iran (with 17 Shahid drones) and several countries that provided weapons against it in the middle of the war. Do not be surprised - one of those countries was Armenia. Even at the beginning of the war, several groups of Armenian robbers fought together with the Russians against Ukraine under the military name. A group of them was captured by Ukrainian soldiers and even exposed and severely punished. In fact, when talking about Armenia, it is nothing new to emphasize these things, but the dangerous side of the issue is the discovery of Armenian-made E-001M mines on Ukrainian soil. The mentioned mines were also widely used against Azerbaijan in the Patriotic War. Also, the recent date of the production of mines confirms that Armenia produces and widely uses mines banned by the UN organization in other conflict regions. A few days ago, the Ukrainian military discovered an Armenian-made E-001M anti-personnel mine while clearing their territory of mines. This shows that despite the fact that Armenia has repeatedly stated that it is a neutral side in the Russian-Ukrainian war, it suggests completely different thoughts that came to light during mine clearance. It seems that Armenia was not only involved in the war with Azerbaijan, but also engages in provocations in other countries and illegally supports them. It should be noted that the Ottawa Convention, which has international legal force since 1999, prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines. Armenia is among the 163 countries that joined the agreement on December 14, 2017. Despite all the facts, Armenia, as usual, is acting against the law. While commenting on the issue for Azernews, Ukrainian military expert Alexander Okhrimenko also clarified some presumptions about Armenia. He confirmed the probability of supplying some weapons to Russia via Armenia. But despite this, the Armenian side denies this, since direct evidence has not yet been found. But it is clear that Russia uses precisely those mines that are very difficult to find and very difficult to defuse. Let the researchers look into this matter. After all, this is a huge crime committed by Armenia. "I think, Armenia is illegally planting mines. The trouble is that the sale of weapons is very beneficial for Armenia itself. Unfortunately, this is how many people make money. Not only that, these are some kind of Armenian companies that do not work for the government, but rather work illegally. It was they who framed these weapons," the expert said. Talking about illegal weapons, A.Okhrimenko noted that the underground arms market was, is and will be. For this reason, there is indeed a possibility that this is an illegal arms market. And here there are the hands of the Armenian participants. "I think that at the moment it is necessary to demand that an investigation be brought into this case. If during the investigation it turns out that this is the work of the Armenian participants, then the perpetrators will be severely punished. Because it is definitely considered a big crime," the military expert added. In the conclusion, speaking about the relations between Armenia and Russia, Alexander Okhrimenko noted that Armenia's being allies with Russia is quite obvious. He also explained the reasons behind this unbreakable connection. "Firstly, Armenia is part of the Russian military bloc, and secondly, the Prime Minister of Armenia met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Officially, Armenia collaborates with Russia when the matter is Ukraine. Even if Armenia takes no action but it is still silent about some issues. In my opinion, these Armenian-Russian relations are considered biased. But Armenia is somehow trying to show and explain to everyone that the country supports Ukraine. But the leadership of Armenia, on the contrary, supports the pro-Russian policy," the expert underlined. Greece to join countries involved in training Ukrainian aviators on F-16s. The parties are discussing relevant details. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who visited Greece on August 21. In the evening he spoke at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The broadcast was broadcast in the official Facebook account of the Ukrainian leader (to watch the video, scroll to the end of the page). "Today we have an important result for the air coalition: Greece will take part in the training of our pilots on F-16s," Zelensky said. On his Telegram channel, the president wrote that he thanked Mitsotakis and his team for their willingness to help more with the defense of Ukraine's freedom. "We are grateful that there will be Greek defense support for Ukraine," the president said. ADVERTISIMENT He also said he was honored to visit Greece "to give a new impetus to our relations, to make our cooperation even more useful for our peoples." As OBOZREVATEL wrote: - On August 20, after a productive visit to the Netherlands, President Zelensky arrived in Denmark to continue work on the issue of F-16 fighter jets for our army. Copenhagen agreed to transfer 19 airplanes to the Air Force of the AFU. - On the same day, the head of state accompanied by the first lady Olena Zelensky was in the Netherlands on an official visit. Following the talks, the President said that Ukraine will receive 42 F-16 fighter jets from Amsterdam. The transfer will take place after the training of our pilots and engineers. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! UPDATE, Tuesday, Aug. 22: The ozone action alert for Larimer County and the surrounding area has been extended until at least 4 p.m. Tuesday. Today's high temperature in Fort Collins is expected to hit 95 before a chance of showers and thunderstorms returns Wednesday, bringing some potential cooling into the lower 90s. ORIGINAL STORY: Heat, haze and bad air quality have many Fort Collins-area residents looking forward to the impending arrival of fall weather that will pair better with the pumpkin spice lattes that have returned to coffee shop menus. Thankfully, we won't have to wait until Sept. 23 for a return to much cooler conditions, should the National Weather Service's forecast hold true. Here's a look at Monday's oppressive heat and when we can expect a break: Hot enough for ya, Fort Collins? Sorry, but I couldn't resist. Fort Collins had already seen the high temperature rise into the 90s on five of the six days preceding Monday's expected high of 97 degrees, and temperatures in the city were in the mid-90s by the Coloradoan's print deadline. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The heat peaked last Wednesday (Aug. 16), when the Colorado State University weather center recorded a daytime high of 98. According to the NWS forecast, Fort Collins can expect two more days of 90-degree daytime highs before things start to cool. Tuesday's expected high is 95, with Wednesday's forecast at 92. OK, but what about that promised cooling? Friday is the day for heat-weary residents to circle. According to the NWS, there's a good chance of thunderstorms to move through Thursday and cap the heat of the day at 88 degrees. A chance of showers and thunderstorms is expected to linger into the weekend, with Friday's forecast high listed at a cool 76 degrees as of noon Monday. From there, NWS forecasters expect overnight lows in the upper 50s and daytime highs in the mid-80s Saturday and Sunday. A chance of showers and thunderstorms could disrupt outdoor activities like Saturday's Tour de Fat bike parade, but we won't know the likelihood of those conditions until later this week. Ozone action day called in Fort Collins, across Colorado High concentrations of ozone have led to a wide-ranging air quality alert that will be in effect through at least 4 p.m. Monday. Continued hot weather on Tuesday and Wednesday could extend the health threat to those with respiratory sensitivity. The NWS is encouraging people to limit the use of gas or diesel for ground travel, lawn mowing and other uses during the alert, as additional air pollution could worsen air quality. People with asthma or other respiratory issues may be at increased risk for breathing discomfort and other negative health effects. People are encouraged to avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion during the ozone warning. Also, due to the heat, anyone working or exercising outside should be sure to drink plenty of water on a regular basis. Is wildfire smoke contributing to Colorado's bad air quality? While ozone is the main air-quality concern, smoke from out-of-state wildfires is causing hazy skies and contributing to degraded air quality, according to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. Multiple wildfires burning in the state are contributing to localized increases of fine particulate matter that may cause breathing trouble for unusually sensitive people. Monday's wildfire smoke concentrations were considered "light to moderate" across much of Colorado. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins weather: When we'll get a break from heat and haze Laura Carleton was killed by a gunman outside her store (Provided) Tributes are pouring in for a beloved California business owner who was shot dead by a man who complained about a Pride flag hanging at her store. The unnamed individual killed Laura Ann Carleton, 66, at her business Mag Pi clothing store after making several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store," the San Bernardino Sheriffs Office said. Deputies responded to the incident around 5pm on Friday following reports of shots being fired. The mother of nine children was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriffs office said in a statement. The shooter fled the scene on foot but was later located by authorities near Torrey Road and Rause Rancho Road. The suspect, who has not been identified, was killed during a lethal force encounter with police. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hollywood director Paul Feig , whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute saying that Carleton, who he called his wonderful friend, had been killed by a young man. The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ described her as a remarkable figure, whose "unwavering support" for the community and dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space within her shop touched the lives of many. Key Points Woman, 66, shot dead following argument over Pride flag at her store Unnamed suspect shot dead by police Hollywood director Paul Feig remembers wonderful friend Laura Carleton Hollywood reacts to shooting of Laura Carleton Hollywood reacts to shooting of Laura Carleton 14:00 , Rachel Sharp Many Hollywood stars have reacted to the deadly shooting of Laura Carleton. Paul Feig paid tribute to his wonderful friend on social media after she was killed by an unnamed gunman over the weekend. Several of his celebrity friends also reacted to her killing in the comments under his post. Hollywood star Charlize Theron said Carletons death was heartbreaking, while The Office star Kate Flannery wrote: Paul! Im so sorry for your loss. And Im sorry for the state of the world. Truly heartbreaking, wrote One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush. US actor Timothy Omundson wrote: It is so horrific that an expression of love and support for a marginalised community, should lead to such radicalized hatred and violence every shop in Arrowhead village should hang a pride flag to honor this brave wife and mother. Broad City star calls Laura Ann Carletons death devastating and infuriating' 13:30 , Rachel Sharp Broad City star Abbi Jacobson has called the shooting of Laura Ann Carleton devastating and infuriating as the community reacts to her death. Carleton was killed after a gunman took issue with a large LGBT+ Pride flag that was hanging outside her shop, according to police. Several members of the California community have paid tribute to Carleton and condemned her senseless killing. Comedian Ms Jacobson commented on an Instagram post left by comedian Bridget Everet. This is devastating and infuriating, wrote Ms Jacobson. Rise in anti-LGBT+ hate crime across US 12:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar There has been a steep rise in anti-LGBT+ hate crimes across the United States, according to a report released by advocacy group GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League. At least 145 incidents of anti-LGBT+ hate and extremism nationwide were recorded during Pride month this year alone, including the murder of a woman at a gas station in Texas by a stranger who had allegedly shouted anti-gay slurs, the report highlighted. A Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Texas was set on fire just weeks after it was reportedly featured in an anti-LGBT+ video. In November 2022, an Oklahoma donut shop was firebombed after the business hosted an art show featuring drag queens. Comedian Bridget Everett reacts to Lauri Carletons murder: For what?' 12:30 , Rachel Sharp Comedian Bridget Everett took to Instagram to condemn Lauri Carletons murder. Lauri Carleton was shot and killed at her Lake Arrowhead store this weekend. Someone tore down the Pride flag she flew outside of her store, Magpi, she wrote. She confronted him and he shot her. In the past, when someone took down her flag or vandalized it, shed put up another one. The last time I saw Lauri was, oddly enough, at Lake Arrowhead pride both in the parade and then at a party. All that anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has a price. And now, Lauris husband Bort, her daughters, friends and community are devastated. And for what? This intolerance has to end: Paul Feig grieves for wonderful friend shot dead in row over Pride flag 12:00 , Rachel Sharp Paul Feig has shared a message after a friend of his was shot dead ouside her clothing shop in Cedar Glen, California. Laura Ann Carleton, 66, who was married with nine children, was killed after the gunman reportedly took issue with a large LGBT+ Pride flag that was hanging outside her shop, according to police. The alleged shooter, a 27-year-old man, was subsequently shot dead by law enforcement. Read the full story: Paul Feig grieves for wonderful friend shot dead in row over Pride flag Pride flag removed numerous times by different people, says daughter 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar One of Laura Carletons daughters described her as a fearless person who put the needs of others ahead of her own. Carleton had been a pillar in the community, said 28-year-old Ari Carleton, according to the New York Times. The mother-of-nine converted her shop into a relief centre when a rare blizzard struck the area this year, the daughter said. She opened up a free shop where she and my dad just gave out supplies to those in need who had been impacted by the storms, she said, adding: That really sums up who she was as a person. The Pride flag hanging outside Carletons Mag.Pi store was removed numerous times by different people since the business opened two years ago, Ari Carleton said. Carleton was an ally through and through 10:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Democratic congressional candidate Derek Marshall said Laura Carleton was a huge supporter of the LGBT+ community and a class act, according to the Los Angeles Times. He said people within the community described Carleton as kind and almost like a second mom to them. She was very proud of flying the Pride flag. Los Angeles councilperson Nithya Raman expressed shock at her killing, saying she was devastated over the violent attack against Studio City resident and beloved small business owner Lauri Carleton. She was an ally through and through, proudly living by her values, Ms Raman said in a statement. From uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community, to championing ethical fashion practices, from fundraising for the Womens March Foundation, to supporting survivors of sexual assault, Lauri lived her life unapologetically advocating for a better, more accepting world. Protest against killing of LGBTQ ally Laura Carleton 08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Diane Anderson-Minshall, author and editor-in-chief of Go Magazine, called on the rational world to view the extreme right hysteria against the LGBTQ+ community following the death of Laura Carleton, who was a cisgender ally. Yesterday, I read the headline, shop owner killed over rainbow flag and shook my head. Today, I realized that it was Laura, who I knew back when she was with Calvin Klein, and it was in liberal California, she wrote on Facebook. The world of LGBTQ people and our allies sometimes feels very small in that at least for me we often know each other in some capacity. Laura, like all victims, should not just be another headline we ignore. The fact that even presumably straight cisgender allies are killed for supporting LGBTQ people and cisgender people are being killed as theyve been mistaken as being trans, I have to hope that the rational world begins to see this eradication campaign and extreme right hysteria for what it is before its too late. Carleton was murdered defending her LGBTQ+ Pride flags, says Lake Arrowhead community 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ community said that Carleton didnt identify as a member of the community but was defending the Pride flags placed in front her shop on Friday. Lauris unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community and her dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space within her shop touched the lives of many, the group said in a statement. Her untimely passing in a senseless act of violence has left us all deeply saddened. Carleton life was full of fashion and travel 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Laura Carleton began her career in fashion when she was just a teenager, according to her business website. She joined Kenneth Cole almost from its inception and remained there for over 15 years as an executive and spent most of her days traveling with design teams in Italy and Spain. She traveled with her husband across the US, Europe and South America, which fueled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture among other things. 05:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Friends, colleagues and community members paid tribute to Laura Ann Carleton over the weekend and mourned the loss of a "remarkable person". They brought flowers, flags and banners to the Lake Arrowhead store to honour her life. Tributes pour in for Laura Ann Carleton (Screengrab/ ABC7) Director remembers wonderful friend Laura Carleton 05:07 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Hollywood director Paul Feig, whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute yesterday, saying that Laura Ann Carleton, who he called his wonderful friend, had been killed by a young man. He ripped it [Pride flag] down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her, he wrote on Instagram.We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally. He added that the intolerance has to end and anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realise their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Suspect shot dead by police 04:53 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The shooter fled the scene on foot but was later located by authorities near Torrey Road and Rause Rancho Road. The armed suspect, who has not been identified, was killed during a lethal force encounter with police. The man died at the scene and deputies did not sustain any injuries, the police added. Through further investigation, detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton, the authorities said, without clarifying if the incident would be investigated as a possible hate crime. Carleton is survived by her husband and their nine children. California store owner shot dead after argument about Pride flag 04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar A California business owner and a "true ally" was shot to death by a suspect who complained about an LGBTQ flag hanging at the store. The unnamed individual killed 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton at her business Mag Pi clothing store after making several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store", the San Bernardino Sheriffs Office said. Deputies responded to the incident around 5pm on Friday following reports of shots being fired. Carleton was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriffs office said in a statement. Andrea Blanco reports. California store owner shot dead over Pride flag outside her shop 04:22 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Good morning and welcome to The Independents live blog on the developments following the shooting of a California business owner in an alleged hate crime. The Brookfield Zoo announced the recent birth of an addax, a critically endangered species of African antelope. Photo courtesy of Jim Schulz/CZS-Brookfield Zoo Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The Brookfield Zoo in Illinois announced the birth of a healthy addax, a species of African antelope considered critically endangered. The zoo said guests visiting the outdoor antelope enclosure on Aug. 8 were able to witness the birth of the approximately 15-pound male calf. The baby was born to first-time mother Ivy, 4, and was the fifth calf for father Ishnala, 9. "The pairing of Ivy and Ishnala was based on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan," the zoo said in a news release. The Brookfield Zoo was the first zoo in the country to host an addax birth in 1941. The animals were once found across northern Africa, but today only small populations survive in Chad, Mauritania and Niger. Several weapons believed to have been involved in the incident were seized, including two pen knives and a bread knife. (Photos: Singapore Police Force) SINGAPORE A 29-year-old man has died following a fight that occurred early Sunday morning (20 August) along Orchard Road. The Singapore Police Force said it was alerted to the incident at 100 Orchard Road, which is the address of the Concorde Hotel and Shopping Mall, at around 6am. Fourteen individuals, aged 22 to 32, were arrested on suspicion of engaging in a riot with weapons in connection to the fight, 11 of whom were nabbed within five hours of the report. According to the police, several weapons were seized, including two pen knives and a bread knife, which are believed to have been involved in the incident. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The police also said that all individuals involved were acquainted with one another, and the altercation had allegedly arisen from a dispute. Two men found along Orchard Road with multiple injuries The police arrived at the scene and discovered two men, aged 23 and 29, who had sustained multiple injuries. The 29-year-old man was found unconscious and taken to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, the 23-year-old man was conscious while he was transported to the hospital. Two other men, aged 28 and 32, were arrested directly at the scene. Later in the day, at approximately 9.30am, three men and a woman were arrested at a multi-storey car park along Fernvale Road in Sengkang. Five more men were apprehended at Woodlands Checkpoint an hour later, the police said. Man arrested when seeking treatment at hospital At approximately 4.45pm that same day, a 27-year-old man was arrested when he sought medical treatment at a hospital. Later that evening, a 24-year-old man was also arrested at a hospital. On Monday, a 30-year-old man turned himself in to the police and was taken into custody. Three of the men were charged on Monday with rioting while armed with a deadly weapon. If convicted, they could face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and caning. Police investigations into the incident are still ongoing. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Yahoo Singapore Telegram Students who attend Mississippi Coast public schools earned high scores in four school subjects, according to new data released Thursday, and results showed successes in some districts but challenges in others. The Mississippi Department of Education data scores students on English language arts, math, science and U.S. History. This year, the program ranked four Mississippi Coast districts high in student achievement. Long Beach School District and Ocean Springs School District both made overall top 10 for scores in each of the four subjects. Our students, teachers, and administrators work hard day in and day out to reach the highest levels of learning and achievement, Long Beach Superintendent Talia Lock said in a news release announcing the results. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District and Biloxi Public School District also made top 10 for two categories each Bay St. Louis-Waveland for success in English and U.S. history and Biloxi for math and science. The data, collected as part of the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program, also showed progress since the COVID-19 pandemic. In a news release, Ray Morgigno, interim state superintendent of education, credited those results to teachers and school leaders who have dedicated careers to helping students reach, and exceed, their goals. The tests score students in grades three through eight on English and math, grades five through eight on science and high school students on U.S. History. Results showed highs and lows across the Coast. Nearly 90% of students scored in the highest ranking categories for U.S. History in Long Beach, for example, but only 13% of sixth graders in Moss Point earned similarly high scores in math. Heres a closer look at each district. Hancock County School District Hancock County students scored highest on U.S. History: about 87% earned scores classified as proficient or advanced the two highest categories recognized. About 59% of students scored proficient or advanced on English language arts, and 64% of students met those same scores in math, according to a Sun Herald analysis of Mississippi Department of Education data. Roughly 74% of students met proficient or advanced scores in science. Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District About 88% of students in Bay St. Louis-Waveland schools scored proficient or advanced in U.S. History, data shows. In science, 74% of students met similar scores. In math, about 64% scored in the highest two categories, and nearly 60% scored in the high-ranking categories for English. Harrison County School District Roughly 84% of students tested in Harrison County earned proficient or advanced scores in U.S. History. About 72% scored proficient or advanced in science, testing data shows. In math, 65% of students met those categories and 59% of students scored similarly high in English. Pass Christian Public School District In Pass Christian, students scored highest in U.S. History: about 86% are proficient or advanced, data shows. About 80% of students scored similarly high in science, and 59% scored proficient or advanced in math and English. Long Beach School District Almost 90% of students tested in Long Beach scored in the highest two categories for U.S. History. About 76% met proficient or advanced scores in math, 77% met those scores in science and 64% scored similarly high in English. Gulfport Public School District About 75% of students tested in Gulfport schools earned proficient or advanced scores in U.S. History. Around 62% scored similarly in science, and 60% in math. About 56% of students met proficient or advanced categories in English, data shows. Biloxi Public School District Biloxi students scored high in U.S. History: about 80% are proficient or advanced, data shows. Students scored similarly in science 76% met proficient or advanced scores. In math, 70% of students reached those levels and 58% scored similarly high in English. Jackson County School District Trends for high scores in U.S. History continued in Jackson County, and about 86% of students are classified as proficient or advanced in the subject. On average, 75% of students scored proficient or advanced in science, 65% scored similarly in math and 57% of students scored proficient or advanced in English. Ocean Springs School District Nearly 90% of Ocean Springs students tested scored proficient or advanced in U.S. History, data shows. About 86% scored advanced or proficient in science, 76% scored within the same categories in math and 69% scored high in English. Moss Point School District Moss Point students scored high in U.S. History 74% met proficient or advanced scores. Under half of students are proficient or advanced in science, data shows, and 28% of students scored high in math. Math scores differed dramatically across grades: only 13% of sixth graders scored advanced or proficient but nearly 60% of high school students did. On average, 31% of Moss Point students earned proficient or advanced scores in English. Pascagoula-Gautier School District In Pascagoula-Gautier schools, about 80% of students scored proficient or advanced in U.S. History, data shows. About 62% of students scored proficient or advanced in science, compared to 54% of students in math and 49% of students in English. Former Christian County Commonwealths Attorney Rick Boling, who resigned in February rather than face impeachment, has come under fire again. Boling has been accused of misleading a grand jury into charging two women with murder and robbery in a case that has gone unsolved for 16 years. A Christian Circuit Court judge Tuesday dismissed the charges, after one of the women had spent nearly a year in jail and the other about the same amount of time on home incarceration. According to court records, a sheriffs detective presented to the grand jury by Boling testified that a hair found on a cane used to beat the victim matched the DNA of one of the women, Lashanda Person. In fact, the DNA report said only that Person and relatives on her mothers side of the family could not be excluded as the source. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Seeking dismissal of the indictment, assistant public advocates Douglas Moore and Mary Rohrer said Boling knew Detective Malcolm Moores testimony was misleading yet failed to correct it. Judge Andrew Self cited the DNA testimony in a ruling from the bench dropping charges against Person and co-defendant Annastaja Hathaway. Under the ruling, they could be reindicted. The Kentucky Supreme Court last year suspended Bolings law license for five years in part for misleading a trial jury in a case he prosecuted. Under Supreme Court rules, Boling could be sanctioned again for the grand jury matter. Self declined to say whether he would report it to the Kentucky Bar Association. Person and Hathaway were indicted in July 2022, and both initially were held on $1 million bonds. Hathaway spent nearly a year in custody before she was released on her own recognizance, said Brandi Jones, Hathaway's lawyer. Person spent a year at home wearing an ankle monitor, said Moore, her attorney, adding she was ecstatic to learn about the dismissal. In an email, Boling said: I did nothing wrong. He said the case should be presented to a grand jury again and that the defendants will ultimately be convicted. Detective Malcolm Moore retired last year and did not respond to a message left for him at the Christian County Sheriffs Office. Selfs ruling leaves no one charged with the April 2006 murder of Roscoe Mayes, 84, who was found in his Hopkinsville home stabbed 11 times with a steak knife and beaten in the head with his own walking cane. A neighbor who found his body told news outlets at the time that he was a good old man who relied on help from neighbors because he suffered total hearing loss when fighting in World War II. Commonwealths Attorney Stephanie Bolen, who was appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear to succeed Boling, said: Anytime there is an unsolved murder, it is an injustice for the victim. But we need to make sure we get the right defendants. Bolen said the case languished for many years in part because the detectives initially assigned to it left the department, then reopened it when they returned much later. According to a television report, Hathaway was arrested in 2022 based on an anonymous tip to Crimestoppers. A third woman was charged as well, but later cleared. Besides the DNA testimony, Hathaways attorney, Jones, said Boling misrepresented a witness who implicated her client by failing to note the witness was a constable who had inside information from law enforcement about the case. The constable testified Hathaway confessed the crime to him, but in a motion to dismiss the indictment, Jones said the constable threatened her to get the statement and didnt report the alleged confession for six or seven years. Boling was suspended and faced impeachment in part because of his misconduct in an attempted murder and arson case in which he told a jury that the only evidence supporting the defendants intoxication defense was her own uncorroborated testimony. In fact, a detective told Boling over a lunch break that defendant Karen Brafman was high out of her fricking mind at the time of the crime. Unbeknownst to Boling or the detective, the conversation was picked up by an open microphone in the courtroom. The Supreme Court later reversed her conviction. The court also found Boling made false allegations of corruption against a judge when he secretly lobbied Gov. Matt Bevin to commute the sentence of Dayton Jones for a brutal sodomy that nearly killed an incapacitated teenager, as The Courier Journal first reported. Also read: Lengthy prison sentences bring Louisville's cartel-backed drug ring to a close Reporter Andrew Wolfson can be reached at (502) 396-5853 or awolfson@courier-journal.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Ex-Kentucky prosecutor Rick Boling accused of misleading grand jury SEOUL, South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from a navy ship, state media reported Monday, as the U.S. and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. The Norths report on missile tests came three days after the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan agreed to expand their security and economic ties at a summit in the United States. During an inspection visit of a navy flotilla on the eastern coast, Kim boarded a patrol boat to review its weapons and preparations for combat. He later watched its seamen conducting a drill of launching strategic cruise missiles, the official Korean Central News Agency said. KCNA didnt say when the missile launches happened, and a state media photo showed Kim watching the launch of a missile from another place, not on the patrol boat. KCNAs use of the word strategic in reference to the tested weapons implied they were developed to carry nuclear warheads. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Kim said he would bolster efforts to build powerful warships and modernize shipboard and underwater weapons systems for the Norths navy. He called for the countrys sailors to build overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength, saying that is more important than numerical or technical superiority of weapons, according to KCNA. North Korea was widely expected to resume weapons tests in reaction to the summer U.S.-South Korean military training that began Monday for an 11-day run. The Ulchi Freedom Shield training is a computer-simulated command post exercise. The U.S. and South Korean militaries said they also plan conduct large-scale field exercises as well. North Korea has slammed major U.S.-South Korean drills as practice for an invasion and has responded to them with missile tests. U.S. and South Korean officials maintain the exercises are defensive in nature and they have no intention of attacking the North. It's been a busy year for the best graphics cards, as well as cards that don't quite make the cut. Not counting third-party cards, we've had fourteen "latest generation" consumer GPUs launched over the past year from the three big players. (There are also rumblings of various new GPUs from China, but all indications are that those won't be competitive with the incumbents any time soon.) As the dust clears, we wanted to take a look back and provide some thoughts on how things have gone down and revisit the recent launches now that we've seen the full breadth of the product stacks. To say that this generation has been a disappointment sums up how most people are feeling. There are some great cards, like the RTX 4090, but it's priced out of reach of most gamers. Everything below that generally feels overpriced, underperforming, and/or cut specs too far. There are a few exceptions, GPUs that poke above the crowd for one reason or another, but even then there are caveats. To quickly recap, Nvidia launched the first of its RTX 40-series Ada Lovelace GPUs on October 12, 2022 with the RTX 4090. Then it followed with the RTX 4080 in November, skipped a month and brought out the RTX 4070 Ti (aka the rechristened RTX 4080 12GB) in January, and more recently, the RTX 4070, RTX 4060 Ti, and RTX 4060. Now we've completed the set with the RTX 4060 Ti 16GB slightly late to the party, but it's done. For its part, AMD hasn't filled in all of the gaps with the new RDNA 3 RX 7000-series GPUs yet, though it's widely expected that we'll see the RX 7800-class and RX 7700-class GPUs in the next month or so. (AMD has stated more "enthusiast" GPUs are coming in Q3, which ends in September.) So far, we only have the RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT at the top, and the RX 7600 at the bottom, with the previous generation RX 6000-series holding down the high-end and budget forts. Finally, Intel started shipping its Arc Alchemist GPUs in the U.S. about a year ago, with the Arc A380 blazing trail and clearing out some major driver issues. The Arc A770 and Arc A750 came next, followed by the Arc A770 8GB variant, but the A580 has quietly disappeared. That's it for the Alchemist generation, but Intel has focused a lot on improving drivers and performance, and we'll hopefully see the next generation Battlemage sooner rather than later it has a tentative 2024 launch window, but Intel isn't commenting on any precise dates yet. Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Founders Edition photos and unboxing Every GPU launch ends up being a snapshot in time, often one done under an extreme time crunch. Typically, we'll get briefed on the new GPU about two weeks in advance of the launch, with hardware arriving about ten days ahead of the embargo date. It's hectic, to say the least. The "top-down" approach to new GPUs also muddies the waters, as we can only compare new products to what is currently available. The RTX 4060 Ti 16GB launch gives you a good idea of why sampling and embargoes happen. Due to supply (and maybe demand), even though the cards officially launched on July 18, we couldn't acquire a card at retail until over ten days later. A previously scheduled vacation further delayed things, and our full review was finally posted a month "late." With no embargo on testing and no hardware sampling, this would become the norm. But that delayed approach gives us more time to reflect, and with nearly all of the cards now on the table, trends and expectations become much clearer. The latest generation hardware has been pretty weak from a consumer perspective, with only a few exceptions. We don't change our scores after reviews go live unless there's some major mistake. So when we gave the RTX 4090 a 4.5-star score, that's what we stand by. I actually feel that's still the right score, but going down through the rest of the product stack, plus looking at GPUs from the competition, my feelings have changed and solidified over time, given the new GPU landscape. So let's go through each GPU and provide our thoughts about where it currently sits. We also have performance results from our GPU benchmarks hierarchy, plus retail pricing data, which colors our opinions. Nvidia RTX 40-Series Ada Lovelace GPUs Starting with Nvidia, the RTX 4090 reigns as the fastest graphics card, period. It excels at 4K and starts to hit CPU bottlenecks even on our Core i9-13900K test PC! at 1440p and lower. That's also why its average power draw looks so tame: at 1080p, the GPU ends up waiting on the CPU a lot and doesn't come anywhere near its 450W TGP (total graphics power) rating, but focusing just on 4K it averaged 394W across our test suite. It's expensive at $1,599, yes, but if you want the fastest graphics card that doesn't really compromise anywhere, this is the GPU to get. Stepping down to the RTX 4080, it's not nearly as exciting as its bigger sibling. It's clearly faster than any previous generation GPU, but it costs nearly as much as the 4090 while cutting performance and specs quite a bit. At 4K, for example, the 4090 is 36% faster and costs 33% more 45% more going by the current lowest-priced retail cards. This felt like a taste of things to come, with lower performance gains and higher pricing compared to the previous generation, and it was. We also would have preferred a 320-bit interface with 20GB of VRAM (double the 3080) rather than 16GB on a 256-bit interface. This now ranks as the second fastest GPU overall, but in our view, it's still priced about $200 higher than it warrants. It's simply too high for what you get. The RTX 4070 Ti echoes the 4080 story: too expensive for relatively minor generation gains in performance unless you really love DLSS 3 Frame Generation and want to drink the Kool-Aid. DLSS 3 is okay, but the feel of games, when enabled, doesn't match the supposed performance due to the AI interpolating of frames. It also only has 12GB when we would have liked 16GB, thanks to the 192-bit interface. That's been a recurring theme in RTX 40-series reviews. Priced $200 higher than the previous gen 3070 Ti, the performance uplift was good (around 50% faster), but the price increase mostly wipes out those gains (e.g. it's only 20% faster than a 3080 10GB and costs more). Best Graphics Cards, GeForce RTX 4090 Nvidia's RTX 4070 at least feels like a move in the right direction. The generational price increase is now "only" $100, though performance is also "only" about 30% faster than the RTX 3070, or on par with the 3080. 12GB on a 192-bit interface also makes this more like a $500-class product, at most, but Nvidia opted to keep prices high. It's a better value than the 4070 Ti and 4060 Ti 16GB, but that's not saying much. This was supposed to be the chosen one, as the 970 and 1070 were great cards in their time, but instead of being at the lower end of the high-end price spectrum, it lands in upper high-end territory. The RTX 4060 Ti 16GB easily ranks as the worst overall prospect for this generation of Nvidia GPUs. Unless you absolutely need VRAM capacity and not bandwidth (or compute), which might help with certain AI workloads, it's generally not much faster than the 8GB model below. It also takes the price point of the previous generation RTX 3070, and basically matches that card on performance. If this had been the standard 4060 Ti, priced at $399, it would have been far more palatable. Getting a 192-bit interface and 12GB of memory would have sealed the deal. As it stands, we don't recommend this card. Cutting the memory in half and going with 8GB, the regular RTX 4060 Ti again feels like Nvidia tried to push a lower tier product into a higher tier naming and price category. Call this an RTX 4060 and price it at the level of the outgoing RTX 3060 and we could accept that. But the 128-bit interface and relatively minor generational performance gains it's only 11% faster than the 3060 Ti leave us wanting a lot more. Finally, the RTX 4060 might still have some warning signs, like the 128-bit interface and 8GB of memory, but those are far more tolerable at $299 than at $399. Generationally, it's a 19% improvement over the 3060, and it costs $30 less. We don't absolutely love it, and it would have looked far better as an RTX 3050 replacement, but outside of the RTX 4090, this is arguably the best latest generation Nvidia GPU, with the 4070 ranking third. Overall, nearly every RTX 40-series GPU feels like it's priced $100 to $200 higher than it should have been. That's likely at least partly a result of all the cryptocurrency mining and pandemic induced GPU shortages of 2021 and 2022. Demand has dropped, supply has improved, and pricing isn't terrible even at the current prices, the 40-series GPUs today are all far better purchases than the 30-series was in mid-2021, where an RTX 3080 was typically going for $1,500! But it could have been better. Nvidia isn't concerned, though, as it's raking in billions from its AI and data center GPUs now. AMD RX 7000-Series RDNA 3 GPUs AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and XT AMD only has three latest generation GPUs (for desktop) currently shipping, though at least two more are expected to land in the relatively near future. The RX 7900 XTX takes the halo spot, with a fully enabled Navi 31 GPU and the full complement of six MCDs (memory cache dies) providing 24GB of memory. That matches the RTX 4090, though performance on average is still 25% lower. The $999 launch price didn't feel too egregious, and now cards are selling for $949 (sometimes on sale for as little as $899), and this is still a compelling alternative from Team Red, but it's not a homerun. Disabling a few cores and one MCD, the RX 7900 XT felt way too close to the XTX in pricing with its $899 launch price. Things are far better now, with cards starting at around $750. Across our full test suite (which includes a few demanding ray tracing games that heavily favor Nvidia), it goes head to head against the RTX 4070 Ti, but falls behind in the final metric. If you care more about memory capacity (20GB) and rasterization performance, though, this is a great alternative to Nvidia's GPU at a slightly lower price. We can't help but note that AMD managed to provide more VRAM in what is ultimately a similarly sized chip (counting MCDs and the GCD) than Nvidia, on the same 5nm-class process node (TSMC 4N is refined N5), all for a lower price. The RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 (non-XT) are rumored to be coming in September. Based on what we've seen from the other RDNA 3 GPUs, we expect only moderately improved performance relative to the existing 6800 XT and 6700 XT. Prices remain an unknown, so we'll have to wait and see where these land. The RX 7600 fills in the bottom of AMD's latest generation GPUs, and we're not sure there's room for a lower tier RX 7500 this round. Performance ends up being just slightly better than the previous generation RX 6650 XT, by about 3%. The current price is also higher, around $260 compared to $235, and power use is only slightly better at 150W versus 170W (those are our measurements, not the specifications). It's basically a lateral move for AMD at the budget-mainstream end of the spectrum and echoes a lot of the trends we saw from Nvidia: not enough bang for the buck. Intel Arc A-Series Alchemist GPUs Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition Wrapping things up with Intel, we had hopes that the Arc A770 16GB would provide some much-needed competition to the GPU space. It arrived late to the party, with driver teething pains, but at least the pricing was reasonable. The 16GB cards haven't come down too much, still selling at $330 right now, and while we like the large quantity of VRAM, you'd be better off grabbing a discounted RTX 3060 only slightly less performance, lower power, and the drivers are still better, all for less money. But we're still rooting for an upset from Battlemage when it arrives next year. The Arc A770 8GB ended up stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. Performance is close to the 16GB card, but so is the price these start at $290 now, just $30 less than the full fat GPU. You still have some driver idiosyncrasies at times, though things have definitely improved, but if you're staring at the A770 8GB, look down to the next card for a much better pick. It's only a bit slower but costs a lot less. Intel's Arc A750 launched at $289, then got an official price drop to $249, and right now it's selling for just $199 at Newegg. If you're interested in giving an Intel Arc GPU a shot, this one's a no-brainer: The Arc A750 represents the best value among graphics cards, with performance that matches the RTX 3060 and almost catches the RX 6700 10GB, for about $70 less. Yes, power use will be higher, and the drivers still aren't perfect. But with over 30 driver releases since Arc first appeared, the Arc experience today is much better than last year. Last and perhaps least, we have the Arc A380. It was the scouting party for Arc, and it was poorly equipped when it got shoved out the door. The drivers were frequently broken, and the China-first launch to try and avoid negative publicity didn't help. Even with all the driver updates, performance remains somewhat questionable. But it's very inexpensive at just $100, and if you don't have high graphics requirements, it's worth a thought. The video encoding support is also good, if you're interested in that sort of thing. Closing Thoughts With fourteen GPUs launched, and probably at least two more to come maybe even five if AMD does something below the RX 7600 and Nvidia dares to try making an RTX 4050 plus all of the previous generation cards that are still readily available at often reasonable prices (at least for the RX 6000-series and a few lower tier RTX 30-series cards), there are a lot of choices for anyone looking to pick up a new graphics card. But most people gravitate toward the latest and "greatest" offerings, assuming they'll be better than what came before, so we've provided our thoughts on every current-generation card. The GPU industry traditionally catered to gamers, but now supercomputing and AI are taking a lot of the demand and production at the high end. Cryptocurrency mining has died off, for the most part, but the effects of the last surge are still being felt. The result is that prices increased in most cases for the same level of hardware, sometimes without the expected bump in performance. It's been a generally disappointing cycle. Outside of the top RTX 4090 and bottom RTX 4060 (for now?), Nvidia's latest cards haven't really won any friends among gamers. Sure, they're faster than the previous generation, but they also cost more. AMD hasn't really done any better, and Intel doesn't have a previous generation with which to compete unless you want to somehow count integrated graphics. It was a similar situation back in 2018 with the RTX 20-series that often underwhelmed relative to their predecessors, but the 30-series attempted to correct that. And it would have succeeded if it hadn't been for those pesky crypto-kids! Hopefully, history will repeat that pattern, and the next generation RTX 50-series, RX 8000-series, and Arc B-series parts will deliver much more compelling price and performance. For now, with over a dozen new GPUs arriving in the past year, few have managed to rise above the rest. Most aren't awful, but neither are they amazing. They're mostly milling around in the middle ground of mediocrity while we wait for more parts that are clearly better than average. If you can't wait any longer, in our view, the best current options consist of the RTX 4090, RX 7900 XT, RTX 4070, RTX 4060, and Arc A750. Other new cards might scratch your particular itch, so that's by no means an exclusive list, but we're getting close to the half-way point for this cycle. If you haven't purchased a new GPU within the next few months, you're probably just as well off sitting back and waiting to see how the next generation fares. On Sunday, over 1,000 flights in the US were canceled, while over 5,000 flights were delayed. Southwest canceled the bulk of these flights, with over 714 cancellations on Sunday alone. Hurricane Hilary made landfall in southwestern US states on Sunday, before being downgraded to a tropical storm. Over 6,000 flights were delayed or canceled across the US on Sunday, according to data from flight tracking website FlightAware, as Hurricane Hilary made landfall in the country. In total, 5,239 flights within, into, or out of the US were delayed on Sunday, per FlightAware. An additional 1,055 flights were canceled. Southwest Airlines canceled the bulk of these flights canceling 714 on Sunday alone, representing around 17% of its daily flights. Southwest is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and is the largest low-cost airline in the world by fleet size as of 2022, according to analytics firm ch-aviation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Meanwhile, 348 flights in and out of Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas over 40% of the airport's arriving and departing flights were canceled on the same day, the most of any airport in the country. The next-most cancellations happened at San Diego International Airport, with 252 cancellations on Sunday representing over 70% of the airport's flights. Air traffic seems to recovering today. FlightAware has tracked 273 delays and 274 cancellations across the US on Monday, as of the time of writing. "You have to remember this portion of the country is not used to the amount of rainfall, wind, and possible thunderstorms like the rest of the country could possibly be used to," said the Federal Aviation Administration in its Hurricane Hilary outlook on Sunday. The storm made landfall in southwestern US on Sunday afternoon, and could dump over a year's worth of rain on California, Nevada and Arizona, Insider reported. As of Sunday morning, the hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm. Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit California in 84 years. Before the tropical storm making landfall, major airlines including Southwest, American Airlines, Delta, and United waived fees to change flights for passengers that were flying this weekend, Insider reported. Southwest Airlines, Harry Reid International Airport, and San Diego International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Insider A parolee charged with stabbing to death a 67-year-old Wichita man nearly two years ago has pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter, Sedgwick County District Court records show. James Lewis Shaw, 62, will be sentenced Sept. 29 in the Sept. 21, 2021, death of Kurt V. Petersen in his home in the 100 block of North Glenn. Petersens caretaker found his body on the kitchen floor while Shaw, whom police have said was an acquaintance, was still inside the house. Shaw gave police differing stories about what happened that day. Initially, he denied having anything to do with the killing but later admitted picking up a knife and stabbing Petersen in the chest because he didnt like something Petersen said, according to an affidavit released by the court. Authorities found a bloody knife handle with its blade broken off in the kitchen sink. GPS location information police obtained from Shaws phone showed him arriving at and leaving Petersens home several times during the afternoon and evening of Sept. 21, the affidavit says. Petersens caretaker alerted police to Petersens death around 10 p.m., when he started his shift, according to the affidavit. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Shaw was originally charged with first-degree premeditated murder. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 14 to the voluntary manslaughter charge, which alleges the killing happened upon a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion, court records show. The presumptive sentence for a voluntary manslaughter conviction in Kansas is around 4 1/2 years to around 20 1/2 years in prison, depending on a defendants prior criminal history. Shaws jury trial had been scheduled to start Monday. The Russian army conducted five air strikes in 24 hours against the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The attack was carried out after the media reported that the brigade's soldiers had entered the battle in the south. ADVERTISIMENT Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Hanna Maliar wrote about this on her Telegram channel on 21 August. "The price of headlines about where the 82nd Brigade was moved to in the south is five air strikes on the brigade in a day," she said. Maliar reminded that unauthorised dissemination of information about the Ukrainian Armed Forces is subject to criminal liability. According to Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code, those guilty of such an offence are punishable by imprisonment for a term of 5 to 8 years. According to this article, it is a crime to disseminate information about the movement or location of the Armed Forces or other military formations formed in accordance with the law, provided that they can be identified on the ground, if such information has not been made publicly available by the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine or other authorised state bodies, committed in a state of martial law or emergency. ADVERTISIMENT On 15 August, Forbes magazine reported that the 82nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, consisting of 2,000 people, equipped with Marder and Stryker combat vehicles and Challenger 2 tanks, joined the counter-offensive in southern Ukraine. It allegedly started fighting in the area of Rabotyne in Zaporizhzhia. The Politico newspaper had previously called the brigade "almost ridiculously powerful" and an "armoured powerhouse". The news was enthusiastically picked up by Russian propagandists, who wrote that "Kyiv has allegedly sent its last major unit into battle". ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZREVATEL: - On Monday, Maliar said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had made progress in the counter-offensive on Zaporizhzhia. Planned combat operations are now underway in the liberated Robotyne. - The ISW noted that Ukraine has many options to stop the enemy's critical logistics routes along the Azov Sea coast. It is too early to assess the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counter-offensive. According to analysts, the overall weakening of the occupiers' defences creates opportunities for a Ukrainian breakthrough. - The ISW also stressed that Russia has made great efforts to hold Robotyne and Urozhayne, so the recent successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces there reflect the wider degradation of the invaders' defences. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering a large number of French-made Dassault Rafale fighter jets. Such a purchase would be a break from Saudi Arabia's long history of buying US and British jets. This suggests Riyadh doesn't think its traditional partners will be as reliable in the future. Saudi Arabia has spent decades building an enormous air force composed exclusively of advanced US and British fighter jets. But Riyadh's reported interest in potentially purchasing a large number of French jets may be a sign it doesn't think its longtime patrons are as reliable as before. In December, France's La Tribune financial newspaper, citing unnamed sources, reported that Saudi Arabia was considering acquiring 100 to 200 Dassault Rafale fighters. The report came amid developments suggesting that the US and other nations might not provide military equipment to Riyadh in the future. After Riyadh cut oil production in October, US lawmakers proposed legislation freezing all American arms sales to the kingdom, which could have grounded most of the Saudi air force and would further fray already strained US-Saudi relations. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In July, Germany announced it would not allow additional Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to be delivered to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi air force has 72 Eurofighters, second only to the number of US-made F-15s it has. Saudi Arabia's neighbors in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have built up large fleets of Western-made jets that include dozens of Rafales. The La Tribune report, while unconfirmed, suggests political and practical concerns are pushing the Saudis toward the French jet. French appeal A French Dassault Rafale flying near Salon-de-Provence in May 2022. Toni Anne Barson/Getty Images Buying more Typhoons would be "the sensible move" since the Saudis have the infrastructure to train pilots and operate that jet, "but a German block prevents that," said Sebastien Roblin, a widely published military-aviation journalist. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is "not currently inclined to throw Washington any free bones by ordering F-15EXs," and despite an "about-face" by President Joe Biden, Roblin said, the Saudis know that future jet sales "could be disrupted by domestic political revulsion for Riyadh's actions domestically or the war in Yemen." As bin Salman pursues a detente with his main rival, Iran, and improves relations with China, opposition to such sales may only increase. Roblin noted that France has sold armored vehicles, helicopters, artillery, air-to-ground Damocles targeting pods, and SCALP cruise missiles to Riyadh and that French political culture values having "a diversified, independent defense sector" and is therefore "much less susceptible to human-rights-based misgivings, which has enabled sustained arms sales to a wider stable of clients in the Middle East." Saudi Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets near Riyadh in January 2017. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images Consequently, Saudi Arabia buying 100 or more Rafales would be a big "economic win" that would "score Riyadh an upgraded strategic partner outside of Washington or London," Roblin said, though he pointed out that Gulf states have a habit of hyping arms buys from new sources, including Russia or China, to elicit "jealous counteroffers from their 'main' strategic partners." Ryan Bohl, a senior Middle East and North Africa analyst at the risk-intelligence company RANE, said Rafales could be an "attractive option" to Riyadh, considering the sanctions the US and Germany imposed on it after the assassination of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. French jets are also modern and built by a NATO country, potentially reducing issues with integrating the jets with the Saudis' other Western aircraft. France's less restrictive end-user agreements "underlines this attractiveness," Bohl added. Riyadh's non-NATO options for jets are relatively limited, and buying Russian or Chinese jets would likely incur US sanctions, which makes Saudi interest in the Rafale seem "realistic," Bohl said. "Saudi Arabia wants to diversify its air force so that if it has an interruption with one of its arm suppliers, like the United States, its air wing doesn't grind to a halt." Shifting US-Saudi ties President Joe Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in July 2022. Bandar Algaloud/Reuters In the near term, Saudi Arabia may find Rafales more burdensome than beneficial, given its extensive investment in US and British aircraft. "I would be surprised if the Royal Saudi Air Force procured Rafale, given the size and well-established state of its F-15 and Typhoon fleets," Justin Bronk, an expert on airpower at the Royal United Services Institute, told Insider. Such pragmatic concerns have kept Saudi Arabia from buying French fighters in the past. After all, Bohl said, it's much easier to build an air force with pilots who train on a single system or with systems from a single country of origin. And despite the sophistication of French military hardware, it hasn't been used in battle as much as US equipment has and therefore lacks a "combat record as a selling point" like US-made weapons, Bohl added. Limits on the Rafale's technology and availability may also deter Riyadh. A Saudi Air Force F-15 taxis for takeoff at King Faisal Air Base in February 2021. US Air Force/Staff Sgt. Katherine Walters While the Rafale F4 is "one of the most advanced and versatile of the 4.5-generation fighters on the market," it is "not a true stealth fighter" with the advanced capabilities Saudi Arabia wants, Roblin said. Even if Riyadh ordered Rafales tomorrow, they would take at least several years to arrive. "Right now, a big problem is Dassault's factory is already booked with orders for over a hundred additional aircraft for Croatia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates," Roblin said. The strength of US-Saudi relations has kept Riyadh firmly in the US camp for decades, but Bohl said that relationship has "fundamentally shifted" and the US is no longer "as expansive of a defense partner" as in the past, a trend that may add to the appeal of other countries' weapons. "Under previous kings, Saudi Arabia saw the United States as a reliable protector of its security and was willing to do favors through energy policy and arms deals for Washington in exchange for this guarantee," Bohl told Insider. "That led to Riyadh being less willing to do special favors for the United States, like going to it exclusively for arms purchases." Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history. His articles have appeared in a variety of publications focused on the region. Read the original article on Business Insider See photos of 11 scenic train trips around the world Switzerland's Glacier Express train. Giovanni Mereghetti/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Train travel is trendy again thanks to its low carbon footprint and romantic aesthetic. One of the best parts of traveling long distances by train are the scenic views. From Switzerland to California, these are the world's 11 most beautiful train routes. "Tagskryt," a Scandanavian word that means bragging about train travel (guilty), is all the rage nowadays as younger generations rediscover the sustainable and aesthetic means of transportation. While it's not the quickest way to get from point A to point B, long-distance trains are definitely one of the most scenic ways to explore a new country. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Below, in no particular order, we rounded up some of the most stunning train rides that are definitely worth bragging about. The list includes train rides around the world, from Canada to India, and itineraries that range from a couple of hours to multiple days. All the costs are estimates international train fares are dependent on many factors like exchange rates, the company, and selected travel dates and itineraries. 1. The Belgrade to Bar Railway On Belgrade to Bar, riders experience 254 tunnels and 435 bridges on a 296-mile trip from Serbia's capital to the shores of the Adriatic, at a bargain price. Nick Cottman/Alamy Stock Photo Country: Serbia, Montenegro Duration of trip: Approximately 10 hours Description: The Belgrade to Bar railway takes passengers over 435 bridges and through 254 tunnels from Serbia's capital to the shores of the Adriatic in Montenegro. Cost: Approximately 24 Source: Seat 61 2. The California Zephyr Rolling from the Windy City to San Francisco, the California Zephyr climbs both the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada before descending to the Pacific coast on its 2,447-mile traverse across the heartland of America. Marc Glucksman/Amtrak Country: USA Duration of trip: 51 hours Description: There's no better way to see the heartland of America than the California Zephyr, a railway that climbs the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada before descending to the Pacific Coast. Cost: Approximately $150 - $300 Source: Amtrak 3. The Canadian Take The Canadian, where passengers can spend three days watching the countryside scenery from Toronto to Vancouver via dome cars. Via Rail Canada Country: Canada Duration of trip: 86 hours Description: Passengers of the Canadian spend four days watching golden prairie fields, rugged lake country, and picturesque towns pass by their dome cars from Toronto to Vancouver. Cost: Approximately $500 Source: VIA Rail Canada 4. Palace on Wheels A mobile palace complete with onboard spa, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels highlights India's temples, forts, and Taj Mahal on a seven-night passage. Vijay Mathur/Reuters Country: India Duration of trip: 7 nights, 8 days Description: Palace on Wheels is a luxury resort aboard a train complete with a spa that takes riders past India's temples, forts, and Taj Mahal on a seven-night passage. Cost: Between $665 and $2,391 per night Source: Palace on Wheels 5. The Glacier Express The Glacier Express distills the Alpine experience into eight hours of snowy peaks, mountain meadows, and storybook villages between Zermatt and St. Moritz, Switzerland. Olaf Protze/Getty Country: Switzerland Duration of trip: 7.5 hours Description: The Glacier Express connects two major mountain resorts in the Swiss Alps, giving riders a whirlwind tour of Switzerland's snowy peaks, mountain meadows, and storybook villages. Cost: Approximately $80 to $300, plus fees Source: The Glacier Express 6. The Train to the Clouds The Train to the Clouds climbs to 13,800 feet in the rugged Andes on its way from Salta, Argentina, to the Chilean border on one of the highest train journeys in the world. Marco Guoli Country: Argentina Duration of trip: 15 hours Description: The "Tren a las Nubes" follows zig-zag tracks across the rugged Andes on its way from Salta, Argentina, to the Chilean border. It's one of the highest train rides in the world. Read more about what the journey is actually like here. Cost: Approximately $84 Source: Train to the Clouds 7. The Shongololo Express The Shongololo Express pairs a safari with deluxe rail travel in Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Rovos Rail Country: Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe Duration of trip: 12 to 15 days Description: Explore Southern Africa onboard the Shongololo Express, which includes excursions and pit stops in wildlife reserves and craft markets across Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Cost: Approximately $6,500 to $13,000 Source: The Shongololo Express 8. The Trans-Siberian Railway National Geographic Expeditions offers a 16-day excursion through Russia, from Vladivostok to Moscow, aboard the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian, which rolls by Lake Baikal, the deepest lake on Earth. Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Country: Russia Duration of trip: 14 days Description: The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway line in the world. There are several trains to choose from, like the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, which offers 14-day excursions through Russia. Traveling between Vladivostok and Moscow, the luxury train passes by endless grasslands and Lake Baikal, the deepest lake on Earth. Cost: Varied Source: Golden Eagle Luxury Trains 9. The Ghan Pack hiking boots and binoculars to explore Alice Springs on The Ghan, which runs north to south in the "Red Centre" of Australia from Darwin to Adelaide. The Ghan Country: Australia Duration of trip: 54 hours Description: The Ghan takes riders through the fiery red center of Australia, offering access to the dramatic scenery and indigenous sites that are off-limits by other modes of transit. Cost: Packages start at approximately $2,050 Source: Great Southern Rail 10. Venice Simplon-Orient Express Black-tie glamour still rules on the century-old Orient Express from London to Venice, which passes through Paris while youre having dinner and brings aboard fresh-baked croissants when the train stops in Switzerland. Hubert Fanthomme/Paris Match/Getty Country: Multiple, including the UK and Italy Duration of trip: 1 to 5 nights Description: The revived Orient Express transports riders to the golden age of rail travel, with its four-course dinners and black-tie glamour. It offers a variety of overnight trips to over a dozen European cities, including Paris, London, Vienna, Venice, and Istanbul. Cost: Between $6,800 and $48,000, approximately Source: Belmond 11. The TranzAlpine In New Zealand, the TranzAlpine runs between Christchurch and Greymouth, racing alongside the Waimakariri River and through the Southern Alps on a nine-hour round-trip route. Age Fotostock/Alamy Stock Photo Country: New Zealand Duration of trip: 5 hours Description: In New Zealand, the TranzAlpine lets riders take in the epic vistas and awe-inspiring plains between Christchurch and Greymouth. It covers 139 miles in just under five hours. Cost: Approximately $120 Source: Great Journeys of New Zealand Read the original article on Insider Devastating floods and other adverse weather conditions in Slovenia have killed at least six people and caused $500 million worth of property damage, a government spokesperson told CNN on Monday. Slovenias Prime Minister Robert Golob said on Saturday the flooding which began on Friday has become the worst natural disaster to ever hit the country. The floods caused rivers to rise and break out into fields and towns, leading to the destruction of roads and infrastructure, a spokesperson for the Slovenian Environmental agency added. Theres incredible damage around the country, the Environmental agency spokesperson said Monday, after confirming that a months worth of rain fell in less than a day. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Golob visited some of the affected areas on Sunday and reiterated how the country had already requested assistance under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, as well as from neighboring countries to support Slovenia during the floods. It is even more important that we are here today to set up an effective restoration. Intervention is well regulated. It is known who is responsible, how the intervention takes place and who provides resources, Golob said during his visit to Skofja Loka where the situation was described as very worrying. A view of the damage in the aftermath of floods in Crna na Koroskem, Slovenia, August 7. - Borut Zivulovic/Reuters A flooded area is seen in Ravne na Koroskem, some 60 km (38 miles) northeast of Ljubljana, Slovenia. - Gregor Ravnjak/AP Golob also visited Medvode on Sunday where he stressed that the government would make every effort to ensure that the money would reach the most vulnerable, according to the government statement. People will not be left alone, Golob was quoted saying, reiterating that the Government allocated just over $10 million of humanitarian aid to the Slovenian Red Cross and Caritas Slovenia to help the residents of the affected areas. The Slovenian governments appeal for international assistance through EU and NATO mechanisms includes the request of heavy machinery for debris removal, engineering teams, provisional road transportability and temporary bridges up to 40 meters (31 feet) in size. A destroyed car in the yard of a house that was flooded by the Savinja River in Nazarje, Slovenia. - Matej Povse/Getty Images Military helicopters for transport assistance and 200 soldiers to carry out protection, rescue and assistance tasks have also been requested, according to a statement released by the Slovenian government on Sunday. Croatia has provided assistance with the deployment of a military helicopter to help close and secure a broken levee on the Mura River and to help reinforce its embankments, the statement added. Help from other countries is still expected to arrive. The assistance is being coordinated through the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, which is in constant contact with the two aid coordination centres in Brussels, the statement said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A van carrying 13 people traveling from Norristown, Pa. to Niagara Falls on a family vacation crashed Saturday in Steuben County, killing a young boy and a pregnant woman and injuring 11 others, New York State Police said. The woman's baby was delivered at a nearby hospital after the incident, officials said, but later died. Wayland-based State Police said the crash occurred at approximately 9:20 a.m. on the northbound lane of the I-390 in the Town of Wayland. Troopers said a rear tire on a 2005 Ford E-350 failed, causing the driver, 41-year-old Adrian Andrade-Delores of Norristown, to lose control of the van. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement New York State Police crash Investigators said the vehicle exited the west shoulder of the roadway, entered the median and then rolled multiple times. Region: Fall weather: What temperatures, precipitation experts say we can expect in NY 12-year-old pronounced dead; mother dies, baby delivered State Police said Alex Andrade, 12, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Steuben County Coroners Office. According to officials, nine of the injured were taken to Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville. One of those victims Margarita Ramirez-Luna, 40 succumbed to her injuries, however her baby was successfully delivered by hospital staff. The infant was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester in critical condition and later died, troopers said Monday. Among the injured, one person was taken by ambulance to St. James Hospital in Hornell, while two others were airlifted to Strong Memorial, police said. The survivors in the van range in age from 1 to 43, and include a pair of 8-year-old boys and a 16-year-old girl. More: Uncle Jack's Market is making a comeback in Hornell. What to know about new owners Multiple agencies respond to Wayland crash scene Officials detailed an extensive emergency response by multiple agencies to the crash, including the New York state Department of Transportation, Bath Ambulance, Bath VA Ambulance, the Hornell Fire Department, Springway Ambulance, Cohocton Valley Ambulance, Springwater Ambulance, AMR, the Wayland Fire Department, the Perkinsville Fire Department, Life Net 77, Mercy Flight and the Steuben County Sheriffs Office. New York State Police assets that responded included the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Collision Reconstruction Unit, the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit and the Violent Crime Investigative Team. State Police said the crash investigation is ongoing. Follow Neal Simon on Twitter @HornellTribNeal. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Three dead after van with 13 occupants crashes in Steuben County One person was killed in a single-vehicle wreck in Knox County on Saturday night, according to Indiana State Police. Eric Boger, 37, died at the scene of the wreck on College Avenue in Vincennes, Indiana. The wreck was reported at 10:56 p.m. EDT. State police investigators said Boger was driving a 2001 Toyota pickup truck too fast when he tried to turn from College Avenue onto 15th Street. The truck struck the curb and overturned, coming to rest on its passenger side. According to the news release, Boger was not wearing his seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene by a member of the Knox County Coroner's Office. An autopsy was scheduled for Sunday, and toxicology reports were pending, state police said. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Fatal Knox County, Indiana, wreck claims life of Eric Boger New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) vowed to help narrow the field of 2024 GOP presidential candidates in an effort to defeat former President Trump. As governor of the first-in-the-nation primary state, I will do everything I can to help narrow the field, Sununu wrote in a New York Times op-ed. I plan to endorse and campaign for the best alternative to Mr. Trump. As of now, its anyones for the taking. In an op-ed published Monday, Sununu wrote that the 2024 field needs to narrow to ensure that Trump is not the partys nominee. He also encouraged candidates to attack Trump during the upcoming debate Wednesday, even as the former president has said he will not be in attendance. This week, Republican primary candidates for president will have a chance to make their case before a national audience with or without Donald Trump on the debate stage, Sununu said. To win, they must break free of Mr. Trumps drama, step out of his shadow, go on offense, attack, and present their case. Then they need to see if they can catch fire this fall and if they cant, they need to step aside, because winnowing down the field of candidates is the single best chance to stop Mr. Trump. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Too much is at stake for us to have wishful candidacies, he added. While the other Republican candidates are running to save America, Mr. Trump is running to save himself. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage He said that while GOP candidates Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) all have compelling stories, they must still show that they are willing to take on Mr. Trump, show a spark, and not just defend him in absentia. The New Hampshire governor also noted that while former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has been effective at attacking Trump, he needs to broaden his message to gain momentum. He also highlighted the importance of the New Hampshire primaries, noting that the winner of the GOP primary in the state has gone on to secure the nomination for the past 20 years. Once the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire are presented a clear alternative to Mr. Trump, his path forward darkens, and the Republican Partys future begins to take shape, he said. The rest of the country needs to see not just that the emperor has no clothes, but that the Republican Party is able to refocus the conversation where it needs to be, on a nominee dedicated to saving America. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Ohio teenager who will be sentenced Monday after she was convicted of intentionally crashing her car at 100 mph had an increasingly toxic relationship with her boyfriend, who died in the wreck, prosecutors and family members said. Mackenzie Shirilla, 19, was found guilty of 12 counts last Monday, including four counts of murder, in the July 2022 crash in Strongsville, Ohio, which killed her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and his friend Davion Flanagan, 19. Prosecutors argued at the four-day trial that the couple fought and that Shirilla made violent threats including once threatening to crash her car with Russo in it, which she ultimately deliberately did to end their tumultuous relationship. We put plenty of that sort of evidence in front of the judge, Tim Troup of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office told NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland after the verdict. There is no doubt that this happened because of the relationship with Dominic, and the defendants intent was clearly to end that, and she took everybody that was in the car with her. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During the trial, security video of the crash played in the courtroom showing her vehicle zoom on a street and crash with a roar into a building, with no signs of slowing down. The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. July 31, 2022, when Shirilla accelerated her Toyota Camry into the Plidco Building in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville. (via WKYC) A certified forensic mechanic testified that her cars event data recorder showed that moments before the crash, the accelerator pedal was being pushed down at full capacity with no application of the brake, WKYC reported. Shirilla faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, without eligibility for parole for 32 years, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office said. Despite his heartbreak, Dominic Russos father told NBC News on Friday that he doesnt support Shirillas spending her life behind bars. Its horrible for everybody. Yeah, I lost my son, its harder on our family, but I dont want the rest of her life ruined, too. It isnt going to make me feel any better, he said. He called her a kid who did a damn stupid thing. Frequent break-ups and threats Shirilla and Russo had been dating for three or four years, Russo's family members said. She had spent a majority of the relationship living with Russo at his home, prosecutors said in Cuyahoga County court filings. Russos mother testified in court that he and Shirilla fought and that threats were made, and his brother, Angelo, testified that the couple broke up often. Dominic Russo. (via WKYC) I witnessed a lot of negative behavior from her to my brother, and that just kind of pushed away as a big brother figure, because she just wasnt fair to him, Angelo Russo said. Christine Russo, Dominic's older sister, 34, said she didn't see the fights in the couple's relationship but heard some details from Dominics friends. From what I heard from his buddies and people very close in their age, not that they saw [the crash] coming, but it wasnt a surprise to a lot of people based off her behavior and how she was, she said. "You would never think in a million years, nobody ever would have thought that this would happen," she continued. "I think everybody says that when somebody's in a domestic violence situation or if they have an abusive partner, you just don't see that from the outside; it happens behind closed doors." Davion Flanagan. (via WKYC) Flanagan's father wrote on Facebook that his son Davion was just an innocent passenger looking for a ride home." Troup, one of the prosecutors, told WKYC: He was friends with Dominic, and Davion was just cargo. He was just a suitcase in the backseat in the defendants mind. Two key incidents At the trial, prosecutors highlighted two incidents they claimed showed Shirillas threatening and violent behavior. On July 17, 2022, just two weeks before the fatal crash, Shirilla was driving on Interstate 71 with Russo as a passenger when she threatened to crash the car, apparently upset over a disagreement they had had, according to a prosecutors filing. Russo called his mother by phone and asked to be picked up during the disagreement. One of his friends ended up going to get him. The friend was on the phone with Russo when he heard Shirilla say: I will crash this car right now. When the friend pulled up to pick up Russo, he found Shirillas car pulled over on the side of the road with the passenger-side door open. The friend saw her "striking Dominic with both of her hands. Dominic then exited the vehicle and left, the filing said. During another conflict in July 2022, Russo recorded Shirilla making threats toward him. Videos from Russos cellphone revealed that the two got into an altercation, and Shirilla was heard repeatedly degrading Dominic, threatening him, and damaging his property, the court filing said. Dominic wasnt comfortable letting her inside his home, the filing said, and he was heard trying to calm Shirilla down, to no avail. Shirilla instead was heard banging on the house door demanding to be let inside and calling him degrading and highly inappropriate names. She threatened to key his car and break off the door handle, verbally counted down multiple times to force him to let her in and said, Youre gonna come open this door right now or theres gonna be a serious f---ing problem. He ultimately stopped recording and called his mother for help. Shirillas defense argued that the situation wasnt one-sided and that she and Russo mutually fought with each other. Her attorneys also argued that whether she crashed the car intentionally couldnt be determined. 'U are the last person to deserve this' After Russos death, Shirilla flooded his online obituary with photos of the two. In a post on Aug. 24, 2022, she shared a photo of the couple at Universal Studios, with the caption: I miss you nug. I still feel like your just going to walk in the door any second. I miss your laugh your perfect smile. God u are the last person to deserve this you had such a perfect life ahead of you I wish I told you all this more. Please wait for me. Throughout August she posted multiple pictures of the two together, including prom photos. Crash was 'methodical, deliberate, intentional' Shirilla was found guilty of four counts of felonious assault, two of aggravated vehicular homicide, one of drug possession and one of possessing criminal tools, in addition to four counts of murder. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo gave a blistering rebuke of Shirilla's actions when she announced the verdict, calling Shirilla "literal hell on wheels." "Her actions were controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional and purposeful. This was not reckless driving. This was murder," Russo said. The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. July 31, 2022, when Shirilla accelerated her Toyota Camry into the Plidco Building, a large brick building at the intersection of Progress and Alameda drives in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville, police and prosecutors said. (via WKYC) "The video clearly shows the purpose and intent of the defendant: She chose a path of death and destruction that day," she added. She said Shirilla drove on purpose around 5:30 a.m. an hour when not many witnesses would be around, along a path she didnt routinely use but had visited a few days before. "She had a mission, and she executed it with precision. The mission was death," Russo said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Three people have died in the New York City area after getting infections from a flesh-eating bacteria that can be caused by eating oysters or swimming in the ocean, according to health officials. One person died in Suffolk County on Long Island and two other victims were from Connecticut. A fourth victim fell ill but was later sent home from the hospital. The Centers for Disease Control says that the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria is deadly and kills one in five people who contract it. While rare, the vibrio bacteria has unfortunately made it to this region and can be extraordinarily dangerous, Governor Hochul said in a statement on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As we investigate further, it is critical that all New Yorkers stay vigilant and take responsible precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, including protecting open wounds from seawater and for those with compromised immune systems, avoiding raw or undercooked shellfish which may carry the bacteria. Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, which occurs naturally in saltwater coastal environments and can be found in higher concentrations from May to October when the weather is warmer, said the New York State Department of Health. We are reminding providers to be on the lookout for cases of vibriosis, which is not often the first diagnosis that comes to mind, Dr James McDonald, the New York state health commissioner said in the statement. Health officials say that anyone with an open wound or recent tattoo or piercing should avoid warm seawater or cover the wound in a waterproof bandage. People with compromised immune systems are also told they should avoid eating raw or undercooked shellfish, such as oysters. The world had shut down, and they were angry. In 2020, a group of men surveilled Michigian Governor Gretchen Whitmers vacation home in Elk Rapids, Michigan, watching and plotting. To them, she was the embodiment of what they viewed as the governments overreach to Covid-19, using her state mandates to bring their lives and businesses to a halt. With the 2020 election looming just weeks away, the men hatched a plan to kidnap the governor. The brothers, their bonds forged by mutual hatred for the Democrats, would train and plan, but they would never get a chance to attempt their scheme, as not all among them were who they appeared. It was not until they were in federal custody did the men realize that FBI agents had been secretly monitoring them from within their ranks. The militia plot to kidnap the Democratic governor was foiled by the FBI, and the 14 men involved were arrested just weeks before the November 2020 election. Now, almost three years later, the last three members of the scheme to be tried will plead their cases in court. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Opening arguments began Monday for Eric Molitor and brothers William and Michael Null, a trio of men who prosecutors say are anti-government extremists angry with the governor's decision to enforce Covid-19 mitigation policies such as shutting down schools and closing businesses. The defendants were members of a large right-wing gang that had reportedly discussed attacking the state capitol in Lansing with the hopes of kicking off a civil war, according to prosecutors. Nine men involved in the plot have been convicted already. Four entered guilty pleas and two others were acquitted. The defendants Mr Molitor and the Null brothers allegedly intended to storm Ms Whitmer's vacation residence in Elk Rapids, a village on Lake Michigan, and take her hostage ahead of the 2020 election. But FBI agents infiltrated the militia and brought down the plot before it could begin. This has led to the defendants to claim they had been entrapped by the government, a defense that did not help stave off conviction for several of the plotters. The three men currently standing trial have been charged with providing material support for terrorist acts and illegally possessing firearms. They have pleaded not guilty. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have painted the Null brothers as loyal confidants of the leader of the plot, Adam Fox, who spoke highly of the men during a meeting the basement of a vacuum shop in Grand Rapids where the group was planning their doomed operation. An FBI agent made a recording of the session. Like, theyre willing to go die ... if need be. They dont want to die in vain though, Fox said in the audio, speaking of the brothers. Both the Null brothers and Mr Molitor were present during a training session in Luther, Michigan, during which a "shoot house" was built to replicate the interior of Ms Whitmer's Elk Rapids house, according to previous witness testimony. During the same weekend the Null brothers joined Fox and other plotters on a nighttime surveillance trip in the same area. The assignment for that vehicle was to be a look out for suspicious vehicles in Gov. Whitmers neighborhood and to interact with the other two vehicles participating in the surveillance by using hand-held radios, prosecutors said. Mr Molitor had allegedly already visited the residence weeks earlier to perform a daytime surveillance, according to the prosecution. He reportedly said he was "in" for Mr Fox's plan, so long as it was done "professionally. Previous rulings Fox, the ringleader of the would-be kidnappers, was convicted in federal court on conspiracy charges and has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. He has refused to testify in the current trial, invoking his right against self-incrimination. Barry Croft, another leader of the group, was convicted of kidnapping conspiracy, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and possessing an unregistered destructive device. He was sentenced to 19 years and is incarcerated in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. Two other men charged in the plot, Brian Higgins and Shawn Fix, have pleaded guilty in exchange for reduced charges and have agreed to cooperate with the prosecution. Another three members of the militia were convicted in a trial in Jackson County in the south of the state where the group's primary training ground was located. Two men, Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris, were acquitted on conspiracy to commit kidnapping charges after a jury determined that FBI involvement in the scheme instigated participation by the defendants. Whitmer vs Trump After the kidnapping plot was foiled by the FBI, Ms Whitmer placed the blame for the failed scheme squarely on the shoulders of then-President Donald Trump. Hate groups heard the presidents words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, Ms Whitmer said at the time. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet, encourage or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions and they are complicit. When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit. Mr Trump responded by echoing the sentiments of the would-be kidnappers regarding Covid-19 closures while simultaneously distancing himself from the incident. I do not tolerate ANY extreme violence, he said at the time. Defending ALL Americans, even those who oppose and attack me, is what I will always do as your President! Governor Whitmer open up your state, open up your schools, and open up your churches! Ms Whitmer said she was shocked and appalled at the presidents response. The defense forces are gradually advancing on different parts of the front, liberating the Ukrainian land from the enemy. Over the past week, the defenders cleared 3 square kilometers of territory near Bakhmut from the occupants. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar. Her words were quoted by Military Media Center. The representative of the defense Ministry specified that our military are advancing on the southern flank of the city of Bakhmut. "Last week another 3 square kilometers were liberated," she stated. She also added that today in general we can talk about 43 square kilometers around this fortress city in Donetsk region that have already been liberated. According to the AFU General Staff, over the past 24 hours in the Bakhmut direction, the occupants conducted unsuccessful offensives in the area of Kurdyumivka. Air strikes were carried out there and near Vesele and Klishchyivka. ADVERTISIMENT More than 20 settlements, including Predtechyne, Diliivka, Kurdyumivka, Ozaryanivka and Druzhba, were hit by enemy artillery shelling on this section of the front in Donetsk region. Earlier, the deputy commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Maxim Zhorin, said that the enemy was pulling its forces from the north and south of Ukraine to the Bakhmut direction. He plans to send the newly formed reserves there as well. The aggressor country Russia is currently using mainly airborne troops in the battles near Bakhmut. As OBOZREVATEL reported, last week the defenders shot down two Ka-52 helicopters of the Russian Armed Forces on the Bakhmut direction. One "Alligator" worth $16 million was grounded on August 14, and the second - on August 17. Only verified information in our Telegram-channel Telegram- Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Tropical Storm Emily formed in the central Atlantic Sunday morning as the National Hurricane Center monitored Tropical Depression Six in the central Atlantic and three other disturbances, including one near the Caribbean and another near South Florida headed for the western Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Emily formed late Sunday morning about 1,000 miles west-northwest of the Africas Cabo Verde Islands in the central Atlantic Ocean. As of 11 a.m., Emily was moving west-northwest at 10 mph with maximum sustained winds of 15 mph. Emily may already be at peak intensity, forecasters wrote in the latest advisory. Vertical wind shear should substantially increase over the next two to three days. The storm is expected to become a post-tropical remnant low in about two days, though there is some chance it could regenerate in four to five days. While it is possible a bit more intensification occurs today, it seems more likely the system will soon succumb to the increasingly hostile environment over the next several days, forecasters wrote. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Six was moving west at 12 mph with sustained winds of up to 35 mph, just 4 mph under the minimum threshold for tropical storm status. Six, however, is encountering storm-shredding wind shear about 1,000 miles east of the Caribbean and gradually weaken into a remnant low and dissipate on Monday. Forecasters were also monitoring with increasing scrutiny a disturbance in the far eastern Caribbean that could develop into a tropical depression in the next couple of days. A NOAA Hurricane Reconnaissance mission is set to investigate it Sunday, and the latest outlook cautioned interests in the central and eastern Caribbean to monitor it. The system is forecast to travel west or west-northwest over the central Caribbean Sea then turn north toward the southwest Atlantic. As of 8 a.m. Sunday, it was given a 70% chance of developing in the next two days and an 80% chance of developing in the next seven days. South Florida will likely see additional rain Sunday from the disturbance moving past the southernmost tip of the Sunshine State. It is expected to reach the western Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday. It is forecast at a 50% chance at developing over the next seven days, and 30% over the next 48 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center. The forecast for Sunday in South Florida includes showers and thunderstorms across the region, with potential for some heavy downpours that could lead to localized flooding, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service in Miami. Another system close to Africas west coast could become a tropical depression later this week as it moves west-northwest across the eastern tropical Atlantic. As of early Sunday, it was given a 10% chance of developing within 48 hours and 50% within seven days. The next named storms would be Franklin and Gert. The National Hurricane Center is predicting an above-normal 2023 hurricane season, increasing the likelihood from only a 30% chance in its last outlook to a 60% chance going forward. The update announced last week came as a result of ongoing record-breaking sea surface temperatures that continue to fight off the tempering effects of El Nino. While sea surface temperatures have remained hot for longer than anticipated, El Ninos effects, which typically reduce hurricane chances, have emerged more slowly. The NHC, which operates under the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, is now calling for 14-21 named storms, including 6-11 hurricanes, and two to five major hurricanes. Investigators are searching for potential victims of a Georgia man accused of sexually exploiting children, federal prosecutors announced on Aug. 21. Todd Eric Sisk, 48, of Baxley, a city about 95 miles southwest of Savannah, is charged with attempted production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography and transfer of obscene material to a minor, according to an indictment filed July 11. Sisk works as a truck driver and regularly drives to Atlanta and Charleston, South Carolina, according to prosecutors. They said he also occasionally travels on routes to Alabama and Tennessee. Officials believe there may be more victims who have had contact with Sisk, according to an Aug. 21 news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Georgia, which includes a photo of him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations are looking for these potential victims and any information they may have about Sisk, prosecutors said. Sisk has previously lived and traveled in Florida, Ohio and other states, as well as other locations in Georgia, according to prosecutors. McClatchy News contacted attorney Scott G. Reddock, who represents Sisk, for comment on Aug. 21 and didnt receive an immediate response. Sisk becomes a suspect The charges against Sisk stem from a November 2021 Walton County Sheriffs Office investigation in north Florida related to suspicious online activity, prosecutors said. HSI investigators in Savannah were notified about Sisk after he became a suspect in the sheriffs offices investigation, according to prosecutors. A search of Sisks cellphone revealed what appeared to be child sex abuse material resulting in his indictment on the federal charges in July, prosecutors said. Sisk tried producing child pornography from Aug. 22, 2021, to May 3, 2022, and distributed child pornography from April 25, 2022 until May 3, 2022, according to the indictment. Since at least Nov. 21, Sisk possessed child pornography involving a victim under age 12, the indictment says. From Jan. 21, 2022, through May 1, 2022, Sisk sent obscene material to a victim younger than 16 over Twitter, now rebranded as X, according to the indictment. Anyone with relevant information regarding Sisk should call the HSI Tip Line at 866-347-2423, prosecutors said. Deputies spot red flags during chase and save teen from sex trafficking, GA cops say Babysitter at gyms day care charged with child sex crimes in Louisiana, feds say Coachs sextortion scheme unravels when student figures out who he is, feds say Two Caddo Parish fire districts battled a blaze in Keithville, Louisiana Monday morning. Just after 8 a.m. Aug. 21, Caddo Fire District 6 was dispatched to Ivory Lane in Keithville on reports of a large woods fire. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered that the fire was spanning from Ivory Lane to Barron Road and requested Caddo Fire District 4 for assistance. Caddo Parish Fire District 6 and 4 worked a large wood fire in Keithville, Louisiana, Monday morning. District 4 arrived on the scene with a brush truck and tanker truck to provide extra water supply. According to District 4, the fire was large enough to require help from the Louisiana Forestry Department, which provided assistance with a bulldozer. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fire personnel are asking all to comply with the statewide burn bans. More: Fire damages historic north Louisiana church Sunday morning Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Two Caddo fire unites battle Keithville woods fire on Monday Enrollment is up again this year at the University of Cincinnati, which welcomed its largest student body and its largest freshman class to campus this week. Classes began Monday. The university has garnered national attention over the last two years, especially with the rise of Bearcats football to the Big 12. This year Niche ranked UC as the best college location in Ohio, topping Ohio State University. A long staircase leads up to the University of Cincinnati (UC) Arts & Sciences Hall on Thursday, June 29, 2023, on UC campus in Cincinnati. Other universities in Ohio and across the country have seen a decline in student enrollment since the pandemic. But that trend has steered clear of UC, which this year will serve more than 50,000 students. Enrollment at the university's regional campuses were up, too, by 6% at UC Blue Ash and by 20% at UC Clermont. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More: How does the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision affect Ohio? Its the brightest and most diverse first-year class we have ever had, Jack Miner, vice provost of enrollment management, said in a Monday news release. We are seeing the impact of UCs entry into the Big 12 as we are welcoming students from across the country. Xavier University announced it, too, had a record number of applicants for this school year. But this isn't the university's largest incoming class, officials told The Enquirer. The university did see an increase in diversity, though, with 31% of freshmen identifying as students of color and 27% being first-generation students. "We have a first-year class around 1,250," Doug Ruschman, Xavier's associate vice president for marketing and communications, wrote in an email to The Enquirer. "We have had one or two bigger classes in the past (though some might have said they were 'too' big). This number is right in our sweet spot for enrollment." Some might have said UC's incoming class last year was pushing the limit, since housing issues caused many a headache for incoming students. The overflow resulted in some college kids living in local hotels, or sharing dorm rooms between three students that typically housed only two. Miner said those issues were resolved by the second semester, though, when the university reopened its renovated Calhoun Hall. The dormitory houses nearly 800 residents and is UC's largest housing facility. Siddall Hall is next on the list for renovation. That dormitory, which houses 500 students, should open to students next fall. It might take a while for off-campus housing efforts to catch up, though. And UC is only hoping to grow bigger. Miner told The Enquirer earlier this year that the goal is to enroll 60,000 students (total, including all campuses and online) by 2030. It is always important to remember what a gem we have right here in our backyard a Research 1 university, the top public university in the nation for cooperative education, a world-class faculty and amazing facilities, Miner said in Monday's news release. It is easy to see why UC is such a destination. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Enrollment continues to rise at University of Cincinnati WASHINGTON Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir was at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Nov. 5, 2020, to help tally the votes of the recent presidential election. But something else was brewing that day. Sabir told USA TODAY that law enforcement officials were alerted that armed individuals from Virginia were going to drive to Philadelphia to allegedly "straighten" out the election. When the men, supporters of former President Donald Trump Joshua Macias and Antonio LaMotta, arrived near the convention center in a vehicle with handguns, they were immediately apprehended. "We basically kept going on... because we knew that there was a duty that had to be done, and so I wasn't going to be unwavered by that," Sabir said. "As I reflect back now, that's like kind of crazy that... some (weapons) were actually a stone's throw from where you were at just completing the job." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He recalled how his inbox was filled with a constant barrage of threats," even ahead of the November 2020 election. His office also received a chilling call in September 2020 from a man who threatened to use the "Second Amendment" against Democrats and other officials. In the days leading up to Nov. 3 election, Sabir said his behavior changed. "I had to sleep in different places," Sabir said. "I couldn't come home. My home was under police protection. So it didn't just affect me or my family. My neighbors were concerned. It was life-transforming." Trump has been indicted twice over his efforts to allegedly steal the 2020 election, on federal charges and state charges in Georgia. Both indictments accuse him and his allies of a pressure campaign against state officials across the country. Here's what you need to know. 'I will not play with laws': How officials reacted to Trump's calls It was late November 2020 when then-Arizona House of Representatives Speaker Rusty Bowers and his wife returned home from church meetings, according to testimony he gave to the U.S. House last year. That was when he received a phone call from Trump and the former president's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani . Bowers testified that he asked Giuliani on multiple occasions to provide evidence for his claims of widespread election fraud during the call, including false allegations of votes from noncitizens and dead people. He never received the proof. When Giuliani allegedly asked Bowers to replace the electors who were supposed to support President Joe Biden in the race for the White House, Bowers said he wouldnt violate Arizona law. But his refusal to reject the 2020 election results earned him threats, Bowers testified. For instance, he described how various groups would come to his neighborhood to call him a pedophile. "I do not want to be a winner by cheating," Bowers said. "I will not play with laws I swore allegiance to." Bowers wasn't the only state official Trump and his allies called following Election Day 2020. Just days before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other members of his office spoke with Trump, his campaign attorneys and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. In an hourlong call, Trump urged Raffensperger to find "11,780 votes" in Georgia, a state Biden won in the election. "What I knew is that we didn't have any votes to find," Raffensperger testified to the House last year. Raffensperger said both he and his family received threats in the wake of the election, and intruders broke into his daughter-in-law's home. "I think sometimes moments require you to stand up and just take the shots," Raffensperger said. "You're doing your job." Michigan attorney general: 'I was certain that there was a plot afoot' Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who charged 16 of Trump's fake electors, told USA TODAY she also had concerns about false claims of election fraud in her state. After the election, Trump met with former Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and former Michigan House of Representatives Speaker Lee Chatfield in the Oval Office. The federal 2020 election indictment against Trump alleges he falsely claimed in the meeting there was an illegitimate dump of votes in Detroit, which Shirkey debunked. "At some point, I became very, very nervous, and I was certain that there was a plot afoot to overturn the results of the election in Michigan," Nessel said. Nessel explained that she contacted Democratic attorneys generals in the U.S. and asked to speak to them so she could share what was happening in Michigan. Along with the "massive amounts of litigation," that emerged in the state, Nessel said social media posts and other statements from supporters of the former president made it appear state and local officials were the target of a pressure campaign. Both local and state officials were receiving threats, which she said was "unsettling" and "not really a part of our democracy." What it was like inside the room with Giuliani When Giuliani, Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis and other witnesses appeared before the Michigan House Oversight Committee in December 2020, then Michigan State Rep. Cynthia Johnson told USA TODAY she thought it was silly. I felt stupid actually because here I am. I'm 62 years old at the time We shouldn't even be doing this. We are wasting tax-paying dollars, Johnson said. "I was just so disgustedThe world is watching this," she added. Johnson explained that while she was asking the witnesses questions, she was receiving racist threats on her computer. As I'm sitting there as (a Black woman) in the room, I'm feeling threatenedthank God for our sergeants that were there," Johnson said. Then-Michigan State Rep. Beau Lafave told USA TODAY that he asked "probing questions" to each of the witnesses as they raised claims of election fraud. "At the time of that meeting and up to the sixth of January and up until this moment, I cannot say and put my credibility on the line that Donald Trump won the state of Michigan," Lafave said. "I do not see the evidence of that." The next day, Giuliani and Ellis appeared before the Georgia Senate with a similar plan in mind. Georgia State Sen. Elena Parent, who was present at the meeting, said in her closing remarks that it was "kind of like an Alice in Wonderland moment where you've gone down a rabbit hole." Parent told USA TODAY that after the 2020 election, she became the subject of misogynist attacks and false claims from QAnon conspiracy theorists, including allegations that she would be tried for treason at Guantanamo Bay. "It was terrifying and just...you have some guilt in having your family in the public eye and having their lives disrupted," Parent said. 'It has lingering effects on everything that I do' Trump didn't publicly criticize Philadelphia City Commissioner Lisa Deeley. But she still felt the effects of his and his allies' attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Philadelphia. Deeley told USA TODAY she knew the city would be a target for Trump in the election when he falsely claimed during a September 2020 debate that poll watchers were being thrown out of its election centers. The days after the election were "surreal" for Deeley. When she was alerted about a threat from a supporter of Trump from her office, Deeley had to have a physical security detail follow her around. It's important for people to know that this had a real effect on real people, Deeley said. It had a real effect on me. It had a real effect on my staff. It had residual effects on my family, on my social circle. Still, today going forward it has lingering effects on everything that I do." She added that Trump not only called out the results of the election but also her personal integrity "because people that know you and know what your job is, they know that he's talking about you" and "that's a lot to take." Seth Bluestein, her colleague, told USA TODAY he received an onslaught of threats and harassment after Pam Bondi, one of Trump's lawyers during his impeachment trial, named him during a press conference on ballot counting. He said he looked into allegations about Philadelphia's election, but he did not find evidence of widespread fraud that would have impacted the 2020 election results. "We're going to prepare for the 2024 election with the preparation required to make sure that... everyone, whether they're Democrat, Independent or Republican, should be committed to protecting election workers and accepting the legitimate results of the election," Bluestein said. What does this mean for 2024? If Trump loses the 2024 election, Matthew Gunning, a political science professor at Georgia Gwinnett College, said he fears Trump will double down on charges of fraud. But one thing that would be different from the 2020 election is that Trump wouldn't have potential leverage he could exercise as the sitting president, Stefanie Lindquist, a political science and law professor at Arizona State University, told USA TODAY. At the same time, experts are still seeing Trump make allegations of voter fraud, Anthony Kreis, an assistant professor of law at Georgia State University, told USA TODAY Last week, Trump said on Truth Social that he planned to hold a news conference revealing a full report of alleged election irregularities in Georgia, though it was later canceled. "That to me signals that at least Donald Trump and people in his orbit have not necessarily let go...of the 2020 election results," Kreis said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump 2020 indictment: Bipartisan officials reveal aftermath When an estranged son of Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn turned up in the capital Bangkok earlier this month after a three decade-long absence, it caught many in the kingdom by surprise. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, 42, is the Kings second oldest son but had been living and working in the United States with his mother and siblings ever since his familys estrangement from the royal family following his parents divorce in 1996. Stripped of his royal title, Vacharaesorn had been educated in the US and the United Kingdom and became a lawyer working in New York. So when Vacharaesorn was photographed last Tuesday visiting a Bangkok day care center for underprivileged children under royal patronage, social media began buzzing with Thais speculating on the reason for the visit. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The arrival of his younger brother, Chakriwat Vivacharawongse, 40, the Kings third son, several days later added fuel to speculation the Royal Palace may be laying the groundwork to officially welcome the sons back into the royal family after 27 years abroad. Their surprise presence in the country was seen as especially significant by analysts because the King, who is 71, has not named an heir apparent since ascending to the throne in 2016. Returning to Thailand after so long away had filled the holes in my heart, Vacharaesorn said from Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi Airport Monday, as he tightly held his brothers hand. This is such a great feeling. The palace has not released any official information or public comment on their visit. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse is blessed by a Buddhist monk during a religious ceremony at Wat Yannawa temple in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 10. - Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters But the visit would almost certainly have been approved by the King and could be seen as a testing of the waters to gauge public opinion for a possible permanent future homecoming, said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, associate professor at Kyoto Universitys Center for Southeast Asian Studies. The timing of the visit is also significant, coming amid growing calls from the public for royal reform, especially among younger Thais, and a political deadlock with parties unable to form a new government three months after elections. A delicate time The brothers trip to their homeland comes at a difficult time for the monarchy. Vajiralongkorn, who was born in 1952, ascended to the throne in 2016 after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej , who had reigned for seven decades. The King has been married four times and though he has seven children two daughters and five sons there is no clear heir apparent. Only 18-year-old Dipangkorn Rasmijoti is officially recognized as a prince. Vajiralongkorns oldest child, 44-year-old Princess Bajrakitiyabha was hospitalized in December after collapsing while training her dog. Once frequently appearing in palace broadcasts and events alongside her father, the princess has remained in an unconscious state after suffering a severe heart arrhythmia caused by an infection, and doctors have been using a support system to keep her heart, lung and kidneys functioning, according to a palace statement in January. Vacharaesorn and Chakriwat are among four sons of Vajiralongkorn and his second wife, Yuvadhida Polpraserth, also known as Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, whom he married in 1994 and divorced two years later. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse visits the Foundation for Slum Child Care supported by the Royal Family, in Bangkok on August 8. - Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters Their sister, Princess Sirivannavari was later welcomed back to Thailand following their estrangement and has frequently been seen in public with the King and Queen. The brothers return marks a very significant shift in the palace, said Paul Handley, journalist and author of The King Never Smiles, a biography of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It was clearly somewhat of a test. Vacharaesorn did typical activities of a respected figure visiting the poor, making merit in a temple, meeting with people around society. At least in public, he avoided meeting politicians, the military, and palace officials, and presented himself as a common citizen. He added that the lack of criticism and open speculation that he was back in good graces with his father underscored his status. It is unclear if the brothers met King Vajiralongkorn during their trip. Thai politics and monarchy Throughout much of its coup-prone modern history Thailand has been run by a small but powerful clique that maintains deep ties to the military, royalist and business establishments. But in recent years, the country has seen the biggest challenge to that ruling establishment in decades, with young people publicly breaking entrenched taboos on speaking openly about the royal family in public. Thailand has some of the worlds strictest lese majeste laws, and criticizing the King, Queen, or heir apparent can lead to a maximum 15-year prison sentence for each offense, which makes even talking about the royal family fraught with risk. Sentences for those convicted can be decades long in 2021 a woman was handed a 43-year-sentence for a series of audio clips deemed critical of the monarchy. In 2020, mass anti-government protests swept the Southeast Asian nation demanding democratic, military and constitutional reforms. An unprecedented demand was royal reform and to ensure the King is answerable to the constitution, with protesters scrutinizing King Vajiralongkorns immense wealth and power. Vajiralongkorn had consolidated his power by expanding his own appointed military unit, the Kings Guard. And following a repeal of the Crown Property Act, billions of dollars worth of royal assets held by the Thai Crown were transferred to be directly under his name. Elections in May in saw progressive party Move Forward turn those protest demands into a successful political campaign that resonated with the Thai public, winning the party the most seats in parliament. Its reformist platform included radical plans to amend the countrys lese majeste law, known as Article 112. But the party has been sidelined over its royal reform agenda. Despite winning the most seats in the election, Move Forwards coalition failed to secure enough parliamentary votes to form a government with some senators and conservative parties preferring prolonged political deadlock and a risk of igniting further street protests rather than vote for the winning party due to its plan to amend Article 112. Under Thailands constitution, which was written following a 2014 military coup, the unelected Senate maintains an outsized say in who can form a government and become prime minister. Its within this tense political climate that the two sons visit took place and that is why their arrival is so significant, say experts. [Their] return may be the beginning of Thailands endgame because it intersects the twin crises of monarchy and democracy, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist from Chulalongkorn University. Democracy is being held down by royalist-conservative forces, whereby the two main opposition parties were prevented from forming a government after winning the May 14 poll resoundingly. The monarchy is challenged because its role in Thai politics is out of sync with popular calls for reform and change in view of an uncertain royal succession. Who are Vacharaesorn and Chakriwat? Vacharaesorn, the New York lawyer, is particularly active within the Thai community there. He established a foundation for Thai students to earn scholarships in the US and meets with the Thai diaspora across the country. Of the two sons, analysts say Vacharaesorn could be the one to watch for any future role within the royal family. For several years Vacharaesorn has been meeting with Thai communities around the world. A few years ago he went to Hong Kong and had a reception in his honor, and well-off Thais traveled there from Bangkok to meet him, said Handley, whose biography of the former King is banned in Thailand. These events are made very public. He is clearly aware of his status as the Kings son and the possibility that he could have an important role in the palace some day. The obvious possibility is that he could become primary heir to the throne. CNN has reached out to Vacharaesorn and Chakriwat for comment. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse prays during a religious ceremony at Wat Yannawa temple in Bangkok, Thailand, August 10. - Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters Chakriwat is a medical doctor who founded the Chakriwat Medical Information Center, which helps patients understand their medical conditions. Chakriwat said on his website that his desire to become a doctor grew after receiving his own diagnosis of Type II Neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow along the nerves. He has taken a life-long course of treatment that has included multiple surgeries as well as radiotherapies, according to his website, and regularly posts videos to his blog and social media. In Thailand, Vacharaesorn took part in a ceremony at a Buddhist temple and was photographed eating classic pad thai stir fry, as well as riding a tuk-tuk auto-rickshaw and Bangkoks BTS skytrain metro system. The brothers visited Siriraj Hospital together and paid respects to a statue of their late grandfather and to their great-grandfather, Prince Mahidol considered the father of modern medicine in the country. Video posted by Chakriwat to his Facebook page shows Vacharaesorn telling his younger brother he could give a guest lecture at the university hospital and help as an adviser. The places they visited were significant, nothing too official but enough to exhibit their connections to the country and royal family, analysts say. That definitely was to rekindle the link between them and the royal family, said Pavin, who added that the brothers visit was planned to show they were not just tourists but that they came with a purpose. Vacharaesorn and Chakriwat Vivacharawongse hold hands during their press conference at Bangkok airport. - CNN An emotional farewell news conference at Bangkok airport on Monday left no doubt of their love for their country of birth as they expressed a desire to return soon. During a brief mention of his father, Vacharaesorns voice trembled as he held his brothers hand. I am grateful for His Majesty the Kings kindness, as well as the nation. I am happy to be born in Thailand, he said. This time I have to leave again, I hope in the future I and my brothers and family will be able to visit Thailand again. Questions now turn to what comes next and whether there is another visit on the cards. Although I dont think this is the designed purpose of the visit, it might ease some of the criticism of the monarchy and demands for change, said Handley. Some perceive US-educated Vacharaesorn as more open-minded and progressive, who could if given the chance help modernize the throne. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Southern California clothing store owner was shot and killed after an argument about a rainbow Pride flag hanging outside her business, police said, as the LGBTQ+ community continues to face violence and threats across America. Laura Ann Lauri Carleton, 66, died from a gunshot wound Friday evening at her store, Mag.Pi, in Cedar Glen, about 80 miles by car east of Los Angeles, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office said. The suspected shooter, Travis Ikeguchi, 27, also is dead following a shootout with deputies after the suspect fled from the first shooting, authorities said. Ikeguchi had torn down the flag and yelled many homophobic slurs toward Carleton, and Ikeguchi shot Carleton when she confronted him, Sheriff Shannon Dicus said. Ikeguchi had also made several disparaging remarks about the flag before shooting Carleton, the sheriffs office said in a news release. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement No deputies were hurt in their encounter with Ikeguchi, authorities said. The attack comes as LGBTQ+ people and their supporters have faced threats and acts of violence alongside an unprecedented wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in 2023, according to the Human Rights Campaign. LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency. The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived they are real, tangible and dangerous, the groups president, Kelley Robinson, said in June when it declared a national state of emergency for the community. A memorial sits outside a clothing store in Cedar Glen, California, where deputies say the owner was killed following an argument over a Pride flag. - OnSceneTV Carleton, who did not identify as LGBTQ+, advocated for everyone in the community, the organization Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ said in a statement. She will be truly missed. This is absolutely horrific, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a social media post about the shooting. This disgusting hate has no place in California. Suspect posted anti-LGBTQ+ messages on social media, authorities say When deputies tried to apprehend Ikeguchi, the suspect shot at San Bernardino County sheriffs deputies, striking several of their vehicle, Dicus said Monday. The deputies returned fire and shot Ikeguchi, who died at the scene, Dicus said. A gun recovered where Ikeguchi died appears to be the same gun used to shoot Carleton, according to the sheriff. Investigators still are investigating the motive in Carletons killing, Dicus said. Ikeguchi, who lived in Cedar Glen, had social media accounts containing anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-law enforcement material, sheriff officials said in a news conference late Monday. Platforms used by the suspect included Twitter, recently rebranded as X; as well as Gab, a platform popular among far-right extremists. Authorities were aware of an X account belonging to the suspect that contained a burning Pride flag as its pinned post, Dicus said Monday. An X account appearing to belong to Ikeguchi contained numerous anti-LGBTQ posts, according to a review by CNN. Another post was critical of abortion and same-sex marriage, describing both as a war against family values. In a post critical of law enforcement, the user accused officers of using sociopathic schemes. She was so fearless, Carletons daughter says The stores flag had been torn down several times previously, but was always replaced with a bigger flag, Carletons daughter, Ari Carleton, told CNNs Anderson Cooper on Monday. She was so fearless, and any negative reaction she just powered through, Ari Carleton said. Her mom wasnt afraid to stand up to anybody, she said. And Lauri Carleton was just about to replace the current flag because it had aged the family found a package containing a replacement on their doorstep on Friday night after the shooting, Ari Carelton said. She had told my dad that she ordered it because the one that had been hanging had naturally faded from the sun, Ari Carleton said. Countless people have reached out to the family to share what her mom and the flag meant to them, including a family friend who said the flag inspired that person several weeks ago to come out to her family, Ari Carleton said. Lauri Carleton was selfless and compassionate, her daughter said. When heavy snow made travel difficult in San Bernardino County and made some residents concerned about access to supplies, Lauri Carleton and her husband handed out food next to their store, the daughter said. I want to make sure that we just focus on who she was as a person just beautiful inside and out and that we all move forward by preaching love and acceptance and equality in her honor, Ari Carleton said. Hollywood director Paul Feig paid tribute to Lauri Carleton, calling her a wonderful friend. We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally, Feig wrote in an Instagram post. This intolerance has to end, he said. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Lets all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Carletons boutique sells shoes, clothing, jewelry, vintage items and gifts. A career in fashion began early in Carletons life as she worked in her familys clothing shop and attended ArtCenter College of Design, a private art university in Pasadena, California, according to the stores website. Carleton and her husband were married for 28 years and share a blended family of nine children, according to the stores website. The couples interests included traveling, architecture, design, fine art, food and fashion, the site says. CNNs Jason Hanna contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com An Ohio woman who deliberately slammed her car into a brick wall at 100 mph, killing her boyfriend and a friend, was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life in prison. Mackenzie Shirilla, 19, was found guilty last week on charges of murder, felonious assault, aggravated vehicular homicide, drug possession and possession of criminal tools. Shirilla was 17 at the time of the July 2022 crash in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville. On that day, she made what Cuyahoga County Judge Margaret Russo called a "selfish, intentional and cruel decision." "There's only one person who's responsible for the pain of every person in this room and that person is you, Mackenzie," Russo said during Monday's sentencing. "Nobody else is responsible." Shirilla, who was tried as an adult, was spared consecutive sentences in the case. Russo instead said the sentences for the deaths of Shirilla's boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic Russo, and 19-year-old friend Davion Flanagan would be concurrent. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "I understand that the pain in this room wants me to impose the harshest sentence, but I don't believe that would be the appropriate sentence because I do not believe that Mackenzie will be out in 15 years," she said. Shirilla tearfully read a statement in court and apologized to the families of the victims. "I'm so deeply sorry," Shirilla said. "I hope one day you can see I would never let this happen or do it on purpose." She called Russo her soulmate. The victim's brother, Angelo Russo, said Shirilla murdered Russo "in cold blood." "Kenzie killed Dom over the thought of losing him," he said in court on Monday. "And she made Davion collateral damage." NFL player's father killed in home explosion New York City mayor responds to migrant crisis criticism California cleans up after Hilary brings record rainfall You are the owner of this article. As of August 20, the Defense Forces had 22 combat clashes with the army of the Russian occupants. Our troops continue to conduct offensive operations in the Melitopol and Berdyansk areas, consolidate on the achieved borders, and carry out counter-battery measures. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported in the General Staff of the AFU, publishing a daily summary on Facebook. Our aviation during the day struck nine strikes on the areas of concentration of enemy personnel. "Units of rocket troops and artillery within a day hit the control point and three artillery means on enemy firing positions," - stated in the message. Defenders told about the fire aggression of the invaders and on populated areas of Ukraine. As a result of terrorist attacks, unfortunately, killed and wounded among the civilian population, and residential houses and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed. The following situation during the day was observed at the following positions: in the Kupyansk sector, the enemy launched an air strike west of Mykolaivka. He conducted unsuccessful offensives in the vicinity of Sinkivka, Kharkiv region. The settlements of Topoly, Masiutivka, Kyslivka, Berestove in the Kharkiv region came under artillery and mortar fire; ADVERTISIMENT in the Liman sector, the enemy launched air strikes in the areas of Sheikivka, Terny, Piskunivka, and Vesele in the Donetsk region. About 15 localities came under enemy artillery fire, including Nevske and Bilohorivka in Luhansk region and Torske, Verkhnekamyane, Spirne in Donetsk region. in the Bakhmut sector, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensives near Kurdyumivka, Donetsk region. He carried out air strikes in the areas of Vesele, Klishchiyivka, Kurdyumivka in the Donetsk region. More than 20 localities suffered from enemy artillery shelling, including Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiyivka, Stupochki, and Oleksandr-Shultine in the Donetsk region. in the Avdiivka sector, the localities of Keramik, Stepove, Orlivka, Avdiivka, Pivnichne, Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region came under artillery fire; ADVERTISIMENT In the Mariinsky sector, Ukrainian defense forces continue to hold back the offensive of Russian troops in the vicinity of Maryinka, Donetsk region. The enemy launched an air strike near Krasnohorivka, Donetsk region. The localities of Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Peremoha, Kurakhove, Katerynivka, Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region came under artillery fire; in the Shakhtarsk sector, the enemy conducted an air strike near Staromayorsk, Donetsk region. Vodiane, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Niva, Blahodatne, and Urozhayne in Donetsk region came under artillery fire; in the Zaporizhzhia sector, the enemy launched an air strike near Robotyno, Zaporizhzhia region. The enemy's artillery shelling affected more than 30 localities, including Novodarivka, Chervona Krynytsia, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv, and Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region; in the Kherson sector, the enemy conducted air strikes in the areas of Olgovka and Sadove in the Kherson region. More than 20 localities suffered from enemy artillery shelling, including Novodmytrivka, Beryslav, Tyahynyka, Tokarivka, Poniativka, Antonivka in the Kherson region. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZREVATEL, Defense Minister Reznikov stressed that although in the information space of Western countries and not only, there are often reproaches about alleged "war fatigue" or "dissatisfaction with the counteroffensive of the AFU," neither of these is actually present. According to the official, Western support for Ukraine is not waning. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Washington foster parents say the state hasn't fixed punitive investigations driving them out of system If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. Today Clear with gusty winds. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tonight Clear with gusty winds. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tomorrow Windy with lots of sunshine. High around 80F. Winds N at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. The Iskander-M ballistic missile that hit Chernihiv on August 19 was programmed to detonate in mid-air. This may mean that the target of the attack was not so much the Drama Theater building as people. ADVERTISIMENT Yuriy Belousov, head of the Department for Countering Crimes Committed in the Armed Conflict within the Prosecutor Generals Office of Ukraine, said this on the air of a telethon on August 20. The data voiced by him were collected by Ukrainian investigators. "Russia has used the Iskander-M missile. And there are several settings of this missile. The missile was configured in such a way that it exploded in the air," the Prosecutor Generals Office of Ukraine official said. He explained: such an explosion is used to increase the defeat of living forces in open terrain. Undoubtedly, the theater building was damaged. "But there is an assumption that the main force of the explosion was directed at the surrounding people," believes the head of the Department. ADVERTISIMENT He also said that investigators are establishing the persons involved in the shelling (both those who gave the order and those who carried it out). All circumstances related to the organization of the exhibition are also being studied. According to Belousov, the identification of persons from among the command staff of the Russian Armed Forces, who gave the order to carry out this strike and the specific military unit, which directly launched the missile, is now ongoing. ADVERTISIMENT The version about the targeting of the strike by enemy agents on the territory of Ukraine is also being worked out. As OBOZREVATEL wrote: - Because of the arrival of the occupants' missile in the center of Chernihiv killed seven people. The number of injured - 156. Of them 41 are in the hospital. - In particular, the victim of the attack was 6-year-old Sofiyka, whose father is defending the country at the front. The girl's mother was hospitalized in serious condition. - Chernihiv Drama Theater is one of the oldest regional theaters in Ukraine, established in the 1920s during Ukrainianization in the Ukrainian SSR. How it looks like inside after the missile attack - see at the link. Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Al doilea caz de infectie West Nile in judet Un numar de 82 de cazuri confirmate si 21 probabile cu infectie cu virusul West Nile s-au inregistrat de la inceputul perioadei de supraveghere a acestei boli, 6 iunie, si pana joia trecuta, a informat Institutul National de Sanatate Publica (INSP). In ultima saptamana de monitorizare, in judetul Buzau a [citeste mai departe] Several minor earthquakes occurred in eastern Hungary on Saturday, the disaster management authority told MTI. At 11.13am, an earthquake registering a 4 on the Richter scale was reported near the town of Gyomaendrod, in the southeast, the National Directorate of Disaster Management said, citing a report by the Kovesligeti Rado Seismology Observatory. The tremor was felt in several nearby settlements, but so far the disaster management authority has received no reports of damage. A few minutes later, another 4.0 magnitude earthquake was registered near Turkeve in the east, with the tremors again being felt in nearby towns. At 12.51pm, the observatory registered a 2.8 magnitude earthquake near the south-eastern town of Szarvas. Later in the afternoon, two aftershocks with magnitudes of 2.8 and a 3.5 were registered around Szarvas, the observatory said, adding that more could be expected. An aircraft with twenty container homes has departed from Hungary for the fire-ravaged Hawaiian Islands, defence ministry state secretary Tamas Vargha said. Vargha expressed his sadness over the fire on Maui island that killed many people and many more are still missing. As the blaze almost completely destroyed a city, the people living there were left without shelter, he added. Hungary is helping the victims of the disaster; the twenty collapsible containers now carried by a C17 aircraft to Maui were made by Continest Technologies in Szekesfehervar, Vargha said. He said these containers, fitted with a bathroom and kitchen, will serve as temporary homes for the evacuees. The state secretary said the Szekesfehervar company received orders for 250 containers, of which the first twenty are now being shipped to Hawaii. On Maui, part of the Hawaiian Islands, the flames started last Tuesday, reaching the inhabited area extremely quickly in the dry, windy weather. The historic city of Lahaina, the former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, was almost completely destroyed. More than a hundred people died in the fire. The aggressor country Russia due to "bavovna" at the Solntsi airbase lost at least one u-223 strategic bomber a few days ago. It uses these aircraft to launch X-22 missiles at Ukraine, while no longer being able to produce them ADVERTISIMENT This was pointed out by one of the Russian military commanders, and his opinion was echoed by other propagandists, who directed their criticism at their own inept military leadership. Their activity on Telegram was monitored by Ukrainian blogger Denys Kazansky. On August 19, a massive fire broke out at an airplane base in the city of Soltsy, Novgorod region of the Russian Federation. The aggressor country's Ministry of Defense claimed that a "Ukrainian UAV" was attacked: it was allegedly shot down by Russians with small arms, and this allegedly caused the fire. At the same time, the agency acknowledged the damage to one aircraft, without specifying its name or the degree of damage. At the same time, insider Russian sources have revealed that the damage to at one Tu-22M3 bomber was disastrous. ADVERTISIMENT A day after the attack, confirmation of this appeared on the network a photo of a burning plane at a base near Soltsi. It was noted that as a result of the "extraordinary event" one Tu-22M3 burned and another was damaged. So, later Russian military correspondents began to whine that due to its degradation and backwardness, Russia can no longer manufacture such bombers, so there is nothing to replace the damaged aircraft. "The most surprising thing is that the same Z-patriots, who see that their country has gone wild under Putin and has forgotten how to make airplanes and conquer the moon, at the same time support Putin and the idiotic meat grinder he has unleashed," commented a Ukrainian blogger on the loaded complaints of propagandists. ADVERTISIMENT He emphasized: instead of advocating for civilized development and scientific progress, they advocate a senseless war against Ukraine, which deprives the Russian Federation of chances for both development and progress. "Why fly to the Moon when you can blow up Bakhmut, right? After all, this is what the Russian national idea is now," Kazansky concluded. As reported by OBOZREVATEL, earlier British intelligence pointed to the problems of the Russian Federation with tactical aviation involved in the war against Ukraine. According to analysts, the aggressor makes more than 100 sorties a day, but is forced to limit itself to the airspace over the occupied part of Ukraine due to the danger of shooting down planes and helicopters. ADVERTISIMENT We only have verified information in the Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not be fooled! Budapest Zoo is one of the oldest of its kind. Set at the edge of City Park, it regularly announces the arrival of new-borns and stages special events all year round. One such is the Night of Zoos, scheduled for the end of summer every year. What is Budapest Zoo? Dating back to 1866, this popular institution beside City Park owes its current look to a complete makeover in the early 1900s. The authorities had some of the finest architects of the day design the major animal houses in Art Nouveau style, while theming each building according to its purpose. Budapest Zoo is therefore both an enjoyable day out for the family, with feeding times clearly posted, as well as an architectural curiosity, making it unique among its counterparts elsewhere in Europe. Top tips for Budapest Zoo Of the many attractions around the Zoo, the Palm House is the most exotic, a tropical paradise that doubles up as a warm escape in winter. Built in 1912 to house tropical plants, since a complete revamp in 2000, it now co-hosts fauna from the Americas, armadillos, sloths and, in a side wing, a mean-looking Mississippi alligator. Birds and monkeys also figure strongly. It feels like a world away from the one you stepped into when you entered the zoo to accentuate the fact, immediately below is the Aquarium, also filled with creatures from the New World. Look out for the electric eel and the piranhas, not ones to mess about at feeding time. Why was Budapest Zoo created? Originally, Budapest Zoo mainly housed wildlife from Hungary and the region, its founders creating the institution out of a sense of patriotic duty. Soon it was also welcoming animals from Africa and Asia. After a bizarre interlude when the zoo also hosted circus entertainers, and once the crowds attending the 1896 Hungarian millennial celebrations at nearby City Park had thinned out, it was forced to rethink. Its purchase by the City of Budapest in the early 1900s was a godsend, as this allowed the new owners not only to rebuild but to rebuild in an extraordinary way, allowing renowned Art Nouveau architects such as Karoly Kos to create exotic enclosures such as the India House, Australia House and Madagascar House. A sensitive redevelopment in the early 2000s harked back to this golden age, and saw the faithful recreations of his Buffalo House, Giraffe House and Crocodile House, all knocked down or destroyed in the 1930s and 1940s. When was Budapest Zoo created? It was as long ago as the 1830s that the idea of a zoo in Budapest was first discussed, though any further developments were curtailed when revolution broke out in 1848. Once the after-effects of the subsequent war of independence had died down and Hungary regained its standing, patriotic founding fathers inaugurated Budapest Zoo on 9 August 1866. This first iteration of the zoo lasted until 1907, when the City took it over, and it reopened in 1912 after a three-year reconstruction. Where in Budapest is Budapest Zoo? The zoo is located beside City Park, diagonally opposite the Szechenyi Baths, alongside the Municipal Circus. Nearby is famed restaurant Gundel. The road the zoo stands on, Allatkerti korut, is named after it, as is the stop on the 72 trolleybus route. The nearest metro stop, Szechenyi furdo, serving the baths of the same name, is just the other side of the spa. What else should I know about Budapest Zoo? The latest attraction at Budapest Zoo is Magic Mountain, a four-level, 16-space feature established with within the Big Cliff built in 1912. Its aim is to show the diversity of the living world, how it has developed over time, and its relationship with man. Live shows and interactive exhibits bring the displays to life. Why visit Budapest Zoo? As well as a perfect option if youre here with the family, perhaps combined with a picnic in City Park or joint admission with the Szechenyi Baths over the road, Budapest Zoo has tried to embrace a modern approach to the keeping, protection and rearing of animals. It takes its educational mission seriously, and engages the public in special open days such as Night of Zoos in late August. As the attraction is officially named 'Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden', you can also wander among ancient trees there, such as an old sycamore and a Canadian poplar planted in 1911. Outdoor plants can be found in the Japanese garden and the rock garden nicely renovated with EU funds a few years ago. Words by Peterjon Cresswell for Xpatloop.com Peterjon has been researching the byways of Budapest for 30 years, extending his expertise across Europe to produce guidebooks for Time Out and his own website liberoguide.com Hungary and Uzbekistan are to be connected by a direct flight from Sunday; there will be two weekly flights between Budapest and Tashkent from September, three from January and four from 2025, Peter Szijjarto, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said. Speaking at a joint press conference with Uzbek Minister of Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov in Budapest, Szijjarto said the first flight of Qanot Sharq Airlines will arrive to Budapest on Sunday. In view of the new flights, the number of consuls has been increased at the Hungarian embassy in Tashkent and the issuance of visas has been accelerated so it is now easier for Uzbeks to travel to Hungary, and the same is true the other way round, Szijjarto said, according to a foreign ministry statement. He noted that, like Hungary, Uzbekistan has plans to build a new nuclear power plant. An agreement has been reached that if progress is made in the nuclear project in Uzbekistan, then Hungarian dry-cooling technology will be used, which will mean a Russian-Uzbek-Hungarian cooperation worth several hundred million euros, he said. Szijjarto expressed his hope that the new flight will give impetus to bilateral economic relations, and welcomed the fact that Hungarian pharmaceutical companies had already established a foothold in Uzbekistan. Richter is in talks on the local production of two of its products, while Meditop has opened its office and is preparing investments in the country, he said. He added that OTP Bank agreed with the Uzbek state investment fund on setting up a joint investment funds worth 100 million US dollars. Szijjarto said preparations are under way for a special industrial zone near Tashkent, scheduled to be ready by the end of this year, where Hungarian investors will be able to operate under preferential rules. Around a dozen companies have already expressed interest in the opportunities, he added. He also noted that 170 Uzbek students a year study with scholarships at Hungarian universities, and almost 800 applications have been received this year. Around 700 tents and camping equipment left behind at the Sziget Festival are being donated to those in need, the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service said. Volunteers of various charities, NGOs and the Maltese Charity filled up 38 cars and vans with tents, inflatable mattresses, sleeping bags and camping chairs. The festivals organisers encouraged festival-goers to leave their camping equipment behind or take it to the tent of the Maltese Charity Service. Since 2018, the charity has cooperated with the festival to ensure that camping equipment does not go to waste. The tents and other equipment are cleaned up, mended, and given to needy children and the homeless, the charity said in a press release. KIHEI, Hawaii Hurricane-fueled flash floods and mudslides. Lava that creeps into neighborhoods. Fierce drought that materializes in a flash and lingers. Earthquakes. And now, deadly fires that burn block after historic block. Hawaii is increasingly under siege from disasters, and what is escalating most is wildfire, according to an Associated Press analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency records. That reality can clash with the vision of Hawaii as paradise. It is, in fact, one of the riskiest states in the country. Hawaii is at risk of the whole panoply of climate and geological disasters, said Debarati Guha-Sapir, director of the international disasters database kept at the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. She listed storms, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. Hawaii has been in more danger lately. This month alone, the federal government declared six different fire disasters in Hawaii the same number recorded in the state from 1953 to 2003. Across the United States, the number of acres burned by wildfires about tripled from the 1980s to now, with a drier climate from global warming a factor, according to the federal governments National Climate Assessment and the National Interagency Fire Center. In Hawaii, the burned area increased more than five times from the 1980s to now, according to figures from the University of Hawaii Manoa. From 1953 to 2003, Hawaii averaged one federally declared disaster of any type every two years, according to the analysis of FEMA records. But now it averages more than two a year, about a four-fold increase, the data analysis shows. Its even worse for wildfires. Hawaii went from averaging one federally declared fire disaster every nine years or so to one a year on average since 2004. The fires on Maui reminded Native Hawaiian Micah Kamohoalii of the states largest-ever wildfire, which burned through his familys Big Island home in 2021. That blaze gave us an awareness of how dry things can be, Kamohoalii said. Linda Hunt, who works at a horse stable in Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, had to evacuate in that fire. Given the abundance of dry grass on the islands from drought and worsening fires, Hunt said fire agencies need to double or triple spending on fire gear and personnel. They are stretched thin. They ran out of water on Maui and had to leave the truck, she said. Money should be spent on prevention and preparedness. FEMA assesses an overall risk index for each county in America and the risk index in Maui County is higher than nearly 88% of the counties in the nation. The federal disaster agency considers that a relatively moderate risk. Hawaiis Big Island has a risk index higher than 98% of U.S. counties. A 2022 state emergency management report listed tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, health risks and cyber threats as high risk to people, but categorized wildfire as a low risk, along with drought, climate change and sea level rise. Yet fire is the No. 1 cause of Hawaii's federally declared disasters, equaling the next three types of disaster combined: floods, severe storms and hurricanes. Hawaii by far has more federally declared fire disasters per square mile than any other state. For most of the 20th century, Hawaii averaged about 5000 acres burned per year, but thats now up to 15,000 to 20,000 acres, said University of Hawaii Manoa fire scientist Clay Trauernicht. Weve been getting these large events for the last 20 to 30 years," he said from Oahu. What's happening is mostly because of changes in land use and the plants that catch fire, said Trauernicht. From the 1990s on, there has been a big decline in plantation agriculture and a big decline in ranching," he said. Millions of acres of crops have been replaced with grasslands that burn easily and fast. He called it explosive fire behavior. This is much more a fuels problem, Trauernicht said. Climate change is going to make this stuff harder. Stanford University climate scientist Chris Field said these grasses can just dry out in a few weeks and it doesn't take extreme conditions to make them flammable. That's what happened this year. For the first four weeks of May, Maui County had absolutely no drought, according to the U.S. drought monitor. By July 11, 83% of Maui was either abnormally dry or in moderate or severe drought. Scientists call that a flash drought. Flash droughts are becoming more common because of human-caused climate change, an April study said. Another factor that made the fires worse was Hurricane Dora, 700 miles to the south, which helped create storm-like winds that fanned the flames and spread the fires. Experts said it shows that the synergy between wildfire and other weather extremes, like storms. Stanford's Field and others said it's difficult to isolate the effects of climate change from other factors on Hawaii's increasing disasters, but weather catastrophes are increasing worldwide. The nation has experienced a jump in federally declared disasters, and Hawaii has been hit harder. Those are places of fantasy and nothing bad is supposed to happen there. You go there to escape reality, to leave pain behind, not face it head on, University of Albany emergency preparedness professor Jeannette Sutton said. The Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District is launching a new program to address drinking water quality concerns in the district. The program will provide up to $500 per home for a point-of-use reverse osmosis (RO) system on properties where the drinking water well exceeds the level of nitrate deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is 10 PPM. The State of Nebraska also has a reverse osmosis funding program for private well owners. A key difference for the NRDs program is that it does not require that the well be registered. Additionally, the water samples will be tested locally for free in the NRD lab, rather than having to be shipped to a state lab. These changes should remove some of the main barriers to access that have been reported by district residents. Another important difference in the state funded program and the NRD program is the amount available. The state program provides up to $4,000 per application for a whole-house RO system, while the NRD funds provide a smaller amount for a point-of-use system. Once installed, yearly maintenance and operation costs of a point-of-use reverse osmosis system run between $50 and $100 a year for filter membranes which must be regularly replaced. Maintenance of the system including replacement filters will be the responsibility of the well owner, not the NRD. A reverse osmosis system is one of the safest and most effective forms of water filtration available. Using pressure, water is forced through semi-permeable filters, resulting in a high degree of filtration and contaminant reduction. Contaminants bind to the filter media, allowing clean water to pass through. Reverse osmosis water filtration systems connect to existing water lines under a sink or refrigerator water dispenser. Properly maintained reverse osmosis water filtration systems will remove drinking water nitrate, whereas many other home filtration methods cannot. Nitrogen is a naturally occurring element. However, elevated levels of nitrogen are present in Nebraska due to the use of fertilizer. Excess fertilizer moves through the soil profile and eventually ends up in the groundwater that most Nebraskans use for drinking. On the way to the water table, it also activates other elements and compounds such as arsenic, selenium, and uranium, which are naturally found in the soil, but become a health hazard for humans when they end up in the water supply. According to research from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, poor water quality due to these contaminants has been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, including pediatric cancers and birth defects. While municipal water systems in Nebraska communities are required to provide water that meets EPA standards for these contaminants, private well users in Nebraska are responsible for maintaining the integrity of their own water supply. They should have it tested annually for contaminantsa process that residents of the Upper Big Blue NRD can do for free through its walk-in water testing program (which tests for nitrates and bacteria) and at-home test kits (which test for nitrate, nitrite, and phosphorus). For full details on the NRDs Point of Use Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System Pilot Program as well as application materials, visit www.upperbigblue.org/RO. About the Upper Big Blue NRD The Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District (NRD) protects lives, property and the future of the district through a wide range of stewardship, management, and education programsfrom flood control to groundwater monitoring, from irrigation management to outdoor recreation. Activities and projects of the Upper Big Blue NRD are reviewed and approved by a locally elected board of directors. The Upper Big Blue NRD is one of 23 Natural Resources Districts across the state and includes all or part of Adams, Butler, Clay, Fillmore, Polk, Hamilton, Seward, Saline, and York Counties. For more information, visit www.upperbigblue.org or call (402) 362-6601. The 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign is being run across the country by the Government of India to pay homage to the freedom fighters on the concluding day of the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. Under this campaign, a National Kavi Sammelan and Mushaira was organized at Yadu Public School, Sector- 73, Noida in the memory of freedom fighter Mahashay Tejpal Singh. Who is Mahashay Tejpal Singh? Freedom fighter self. Mr. Tejpal Singh ji was a resident of Sarfabad village of Noida. A large part of Mr. Tejpal Singh's life was spent in freedom struggle. He participated prominently in many movements under the leadership of Gandhiji. He also went to jail for his participation in freedom movement. Being an Arya Samaji, Mahashay ji had a deep connection with literature and culture. The people of the village tell that during the freedom movement, Mahashay ji used to recite Alha, patriotic songs and stories and poems of prominent freedom fighters to the people of the village. Whole life of Mahashay ji was spent serving the village and the society. Former MP DP Yadav also recited poems Mahashay Tejpal ji's son and former MP and minister DP Yadav also recited his poems in the Kavi Sammelan. While reciting poems, DP Yadav also remembered his father and told that Mahashay Ji had a deep connection with poems. He used to recite poems to us on different subjects every day. Patriotism and nationalism was the favourite subject of his poems. I know that I am not a great poet, but all the poems that I write today are due to the poems that I heard from my father in my childhood. DP Yadav also mentioned his friendship with famous poet Gopal Das Neeraj ji. Recently, a compilation of DP Yadav's poems 'Waqt Sakshi Hai', published by Vani Prakashan, New Delhi, was released at the World Book Fair held in Delhi. Event Witnessed Poetry recitation from many famous Poets In this National Poet Conference and Mushaira, many renowned poets of the country like Tahir Faraz, Dr. Vishnu Saxena, Akil Nomani, Dr. Dinesh Raghuvanshi, Dr. Kirti Kale, Arjun Sisodia, Mumtaz Naseem, Dr. Rajeev Raj, Dr. Sonrupa Vishal, Alok Yadav etc participated and paid tribute to the freedom fighters through their poems and ghazals. The program was presided over by Tahir Faraz and coordinated by Dr. Dinesh Raghuvanshi. A large number of audience were also present in this programme. New Delhi: It is a dream of many to get a job in the US, but few really get it. IITan Nitin Saluja was fortunate enough to land a job in the US but he left the position to launch a startup business called Chaayos. There was an initial struggle in the startup business, but with his strong grit and determination, Nitin took the company to its pinnacle of success. In a country dominated by coffee shops like Starbucks, Cafe Coffee Day, Cafe Mocha, and Barista, Chaayos established a name for itself and became Indias leading chai cafe. Let us know the story of Nitin Saluja who established a chai-selling business, turned it into a 100 crore business and ignited a chai revolution in India. Consultancy Job To Selling Chai In India --Nitin Saluja's Story Nitin Saluja studied mechanical engineering at IIT Bombay. Post completion of his study, Saluja started working as a corporate management consultant for one of America's big firms. Nitin's salary in the American firm was in lakhs. It was after a disappointing incident where Nitin and his wife had a hard time finding tea sellers in the US that Nitin decided to open a cafe that would serve tea. Nitin quit his job, moved back to India and started generating ideas to start his own tea business. Birth Of Chaayos When he was in America, Nitin discovered that it was challenging to buy tea from tea booths. From that point on, Nitin believed it would be a fantastic idea if a high-end tea shop could be established where people could sip tea. He also understood that in India there are a lot of cafes that serve coffee, but none that serve tea. India has a unique tea drinking culture and people brew several varieties of tea. Taking advantage of this, Nitin thought of starting a tea cafe that could cater to the tea drinkers in India. In 2012, Nitin and his friend Raghav founded Chaayos and established their first cafe in Gurugram. Nitin started Chaayos with much love and passion and began serving customers meri wali chai. During the initial years, Nitin struggled to survive with the issues of capital and investment. He used to personally take orders, prepare tea, and serve it. Additionally, Nitin saw to it that each client had a unique cup of tea that was constantly supplied. While still quickly expanding, Nitin wanted to make sure that each outlet gave a distinctive Chaayos experience. During the Covid era, Chaayos experienced financial difficulty. However, the chai business survived the pandemic and revived in 2020. After the initial years of hardship, Nitin's diligence was rewarded. The company generated 100 crores in revenue in 2020. Chaayos stores were eventually set up in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, and Pune. Today, there are over 200 Chaayos cafes located all throughout India. Chaayos is today nation's premium chai serving cafe, catering to the chai drinking needs of the chai lover Indians. Rise And Fall Of Jet Airways: When he accepted a job at a travel agency, where he was paid Rs 300 per month, his voyage began. After a while, he opened his own travel company. He picked up the techniques of the profession swiftly and made his way up the corporate ladder in a manner befitting the chosen. With his business sense, connections, and quick problem-solving skills. Two and a half decades after Naresh Goyal's initial ascent into the sky, the collapse occurred suddenly. This pioneering aviator's life had it all: early poverty, difficult years of labor, a rise to the top, a long battle to stay in the air, and a quick collapse. Naresh Goyal's downfall story primarily revolves around the challenges and financial troubles faced by Jet Airways, the airline he founded, which eventually led to its suspension of operations and his stepping down from the company. Here's a more detailed account of Naresh Goyal's downfall. Jet Airways: The Foundation Naresh Goyal founded Jet Airways in 1993. Under his leadership, the airline gained a reputation for its high-quality service and efficient operations. Jet Airways quickly expanded its domestic and international routes, becoming one of India's premier airlines. Jet Airways: Financial Struggles Over the years, Jet Airways faced several challenges, including intense competition, high operational costs, and fluctuating fuel prices. These factors put pressure on the airline's financial health. Jet Airways' financial difficulties escalated as the airline took on significant debt to fund its expansion and operations. The airline's high costs and inability to adapt to changing market dynamics contributed to its mounting financial woes. By 2018, Jet Airways was struggling to meet its financial obligations, including loan repayments and aircraft lease payments. The airline's debt burden became increasingly unsustainable. Grounding Of Jet Airways In an attempt to address its financial crisis, Jet Airways engaged in negotiations with potential investors, including Etihad Airways. However, these efforts did not yield the required financial injection to stabilize the airline's operations. In early 2019, Jet Airways' financial situation worsened to the point where the airline was forced to ground a significant portion of its fleet due to non-payment of dues to lessors and suppliers. This resulted in a reduced flight schedule and increased disruptions for passengers. On April 17, 2019, Jet Airways announced the temporary suspension of all its flights. The airline cited its inability to maintain operations due to a lack of funds and mounting debt. This move left thousands of employees without jobs and passengers stranded. Jet Airways subsequently entered bankruptcy proceedings in June 2019. As part of the resolution plan, Naresh Goyal stepped down from his position as chairman of the airline. The consortium of lenders, led by State Bank of India (SBI), took control of the company. Naresh Goyal and his wife, Anita Goyal, also faced investigations by regulatory authorities. As part of the resolution process, Naresh Goyal and Anita Goyal were removed from the board of Jet Airways, and the airline underwent a change in ownership. Naresh Goyal's legacy became intertwined with the rise and fall of Jet Airways. His journey from founding a successful airline to facing its downfall highlighted the challenges and complexities of the aviation industry. Chennai: Patching up their differences, the two warring factions of one of the oldest business families in India the Murugappas- said the disputes and the differences are being amicably settled. In a joint statement issued here, the Murugappas said its members have agreed to settle the disputes and differences between the family branch of late M.V. Murugappan (including Valli Arunachalam and Vellachi Murugappan), on one side, and the rest of the family members. The differences in the family arose following the demise of Murugappan in 2017. His eldest daughter, US-based Valli Arunachalam, demanded a board seat in the groups holding company Ambadi Investments based on the familys shareholding. The other members of the Murugappa family rejected her demand. As per the statement issued here on Sunday, the members of the Murugappa family first discussed and concluded the terms of the family arrangement amongst themselves at a meeting in the presence of their respective advisors. This understanding was recorded today by way of a memorandum entered into by the members of the Murugappa family with the family branch of late Mr. M V Murugappan (including Mrs. Valli Arunachalam and Mrs. Vellachi Murugappan). The family members are committed to undertake the necessary transactions to effect the family arrangement within the next 90 days, the statement said. The family arrangement is envisaged primarily to bring about amity and maintain goodwill amongst the members of the Murugappa family, and to maintain the overall harmony within the family, in this generation, as well as in the future, it added. The terms of the agreement are confidential, as per the statement. As part of the family arrangement, the parties have also agreed that all legal proceedings between the family groups will be withdrawn as per the terms of the family arrangement after all agreed steps specified in the family settlement have been completed. No listed company forming part of the Murugappa Group is a party to the family arrangement, and nothing in the family arrangement relates to the management or control of, or grants any special rights to the parties in, any such companies, the statement added. Embark on an exquisite gastronomic adventure with the culinary maestros at Hilton Maldives Amingiri, your ultimate haven for conscious cuisine. From the delectable Rum & Chocolate pairings to fun Kombucha and mixology workshops, the property has launched a vast variety of experientials. Elevate your evenings by trying the new Asian and Italian menus, a true testament to culinary innovation. Hilton Maldives Amingiri isn't just a destination; it's a journey of flavors, passion, and conscious indulgence. Heres everything you need to know about the new experiences. New Italian Menu at Origin - The overwater specialty restaurant now offers fine dining integrated with the signature Italian flavors of Sicilian chef Silvio Zaccareo. The exquisite new menu highlights fresh handmade pasta and delectable seafood specialities as well as quality meats and plant-based dining alternatives. New Asian Menu at Aura - On select evenings Aura pool and bar transforms into a high energy restaurant featuring Chef Muhammad Hanafiahs creative inspiration of Asian cuisine with home style dishes prepared using traditional ingredients and aromatic spices. Champagne & Sushi - Enjoy an unparalleled tasting experience at Eden Champagne & Gin bar of our finest champagnes, Fleury and Veuve Clicquot paired with sushi. You will have the opportunity to learn and distinguish between a Prosecco and the unrivaled Sa Ken. Booking to be done 24 hours in advance. Discovery Room - Challenge yourself and the other guests every Sunday from 6:00 - 7:00 pm during this blind wine tasting experience in the Discovery room at Eden, one of the most popular evening locations Seaside Sparkle - Now you can enjoy a glass of Fleury Champagne paired with oysters (6 pieces) every day from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. Embark on an exquisite gastronomic adventure with the culinary maestros at Hilton Maldives Amingiri, your ultimate haven for conscious cuisine. From the delectable Rum & Chocolate pairings to fun Kombucha and mixology workshops, the property has launched a vast variety of experientials. Elevate your evenings by trying the new Asian and Italian menus, a true testament to culinary innovation. Hilton Maldives Amingiri isn't just a destination; it's a journey of flavors, passion, and conscious indulgence. Heres everything you need to know about the new experiences. New Italian Menu at Origin - The overwater specialty restaurant now offers fine dining integrated with the signature Italian flavors of Sicilian chef Silvio Zaccareo. The exquisite new menu highlights fresh handmade pasta and delectable seafood specialities as well as quality meats and plant-based dining alternatives. New Asian Menu at Aura - On select evenings Aura pool and bar transforms into a high energy restaurant featuring Chef Muhammad Hanafiahs creative inspiration of Asian cuisine with home style dishes prepared using traditional ingredients and aromatic spices. Champagne & Sushi - Enjoy an unparalleled tasting experience at Eden Champagne & Gin bar of our finest champagnes, Fleury and Veuve Clicquot paired with sushi. You will have the opportunity to learn and distinguish between a Prosecco and the unrivaled Sa Ken. Booking to be done 24 hours in advance. Discovery Room - Challenge yourself and the other guests every Sunday from 6:00 - 7:00 pm during this blind wine tasting experience in the Discovery room at Eden, one of the most popular evening locations Seaside Sparkle - Now you can enjoy a glass of Fleury Champagne paired with oysters (6 pieces) every day from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. Mixology Workshop - Attend a mixology workshop every Tuesday from 4-5pm with our expertly trained resident mixologist in Maldives first dedicated cocktail lab - Aura. From muddling to pouring, learn all the boozy secrets to crafting perfect cocktails Cheese Fondue Experience - Indulge in this unique fondue experience at Aura and Eden everyday from 6:30pm onwards with a master mixologist cooking the finest blend of Gruyere and Emmental cheese served with a selection of cold cuts, breads and sides. Cocktail Pairing Dinner - Traditional wine accompanies food pairing and tasting menus. At the Aura cocktail lab, every Friday from 6-7pm, we elevate this experience to the next level as we pair four cockatails with a four course dinner menu to create a memorable, delicious and unique experience. Kombucha Workshop - Learn how to brew and maintain your own Kombucha culture at home everyday, at our very own Sip Tea lounge between 10am-5pm. During this masterclass you will learn all there is to know about SCOBY and the science of fermentation. Not only this you can also make a drink using kombucha Mixology Workshop - Attend a mixology workshop every Tuesday from 4-5pm with our expertly trained resident mixologist in Maldives first dedicated cocktail lab - Aura. From muddling to pouring, learn all the boozy secrets to crafting perfect cocktails Cheese Fondue Experience - Indulge in this unique fondue experience at Aura and Eden everyday from 6:30pm onwards with a master mixologist cooking the finest blend of Gruyere and Emmental cheese served with a selection of cold cuts, breads and sides. Sustainable Cocktail Experience - With the focus on sustainability, bartenders push boundaries to become more resourceful in the use of ingredients and reducing waste. The cocktail experience takes place every Saturday from 5-6 pm at the Aura Cocktail Lab Cocktail Pairing Dinner - Traditional wine accompanies food pairing and tasting menus. At the Aura cocktail lab, every Friday from 6-7pm, we elevate this experience to the next level as we pair four cockatails with a four course dinner menu to create a memorable, delicious and unique experience. Cocktail Pairing Dinner - Traditional wine accompanies food pairing and tasting menus. At the Aura cocktail lab, every Friday from 6-7pm, we elevate this experience to the next level as we pair four cockatails with a four course dinner menu to create a memorable, delicious and unique experience. World famous for its captivating beauty, Maldives is an escape to paradise, with its crystal-clear aquamarine ocean and marvelous underwater wildlife. Hilton Amingiri Resort and Spa provides the perfect Maldives experience, being situated 20 minutes from the Male international airport, with its luxury villas, thoughtful attention to detail, personalized guest experience managers and endless holiday activities. Whether you want the best of dining options, diving in a private lagoon, a romantic private dinner on the beach or a fun cocktail session with the in-house mixologist- the skys the limit here! The Crimean (Kerch) bridge will inevitably be destroyed. Currently, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are determining the most optimal of the many available mechanisms for the destruction of this object of the aggressor state of Russia. ADVERTISIMENT This was told in an exclusive interview with OBOZREVATEL by pilot-instructor, colonel of the AFU in reserve, military expert Roman Svitan. "We will definitely finish it off. It's just that there are many mechanisms how to do it. Not all of them have been used yet. Now we are trying to find the most effective mechanism," he explained. The military expert noted that the invaders are trying with all their might to protect the Crimean bridge from attacks, resorting to special measures. "The Russians are trying to somehow cover it from all sides, almost with the sides of ships," Svitan said. According to him, there are more and more dangers for this structure. These are, in particular, surface and underwater drones, as well as weapons provided by Ukraine's allies. At the same time, the chance of destroying the bridge will increase significantly when the Defense Forces reach the Sea of Azov. ADVERTISIMENT "Taurus or the possibility of shooting the same Storm Shadow closer to the bridge will appear. I think that in the next one and a half to two months we will approach the Azov coast, break through the front, and this will make it possible to work along the Crimean bridge at a distance of 150 kilometers with the means that we have." "He will definitely be minus, he does not have long to live, as they have specifically taken up for him. It is a matter of time", - summarized the expert. As wrote OBOZREVATEL, after the latest attacks on the Crimean bridge Russian occupants hastily strengthened the defense of this object. Near it organized round-the-clock duty at least ten warships. Mumbai: A Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) minister in Maharashtra has stoked a controversy by linking daily consumption of fish to having 'eyes as beautiful' as those of Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai. A video of the remarks by state tribal minister Vijaykumar Gavit, made at a public function in north Maharashtra's Nandurbar district, has gone viral on social media. "People who consume fish on a daily basis develop smooth skin and their eyes sparkle. If anyone looks at you, the person will get attracted (towards you). Did I tell you about Aishwarya Rai? She lived near the seashore in Mangaluru. She would consume fish daily. Have you seen her eyes? You will also have eyes like her," the minister is heard saying. "The fish contain some oils, it makes your skin smooth," added the 68-year-old minister, whose daughter Heena Gavit is BJP's Lok Sabha member. NCP legislator Amol Mitkari said the minister should focus on issues faced by tribals, instead of making such "frivolous" comments. BJP MLA Nitesh Rane said, "I eat fish daily. My eyes should have become like that (like those of Aishwarya Rai). I will ask Gavit sahib if there is any research on this." Patna: A controversy has erupted in Bihar after the Nitish Kumar-led government renamed a park in Patna, which was named after former prime minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee. The state government has renamed the park in Kankarbagh the 'Coconut Park', drawing the ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nityanand Rai questioned the decision of the Nitish-led government and said, "The renaming of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park to Coconut Park in Kankarbagh, Patna is objectionable and a big offence. He is Bharat Ratna. I urge Nitish Kumar to stop Tejashwi Yadav from renaming it." Bihar environment minister Tej Pratap Yadav, however, hit back at the BJP and accused the saffron party of spreading rumors. "It is named Coconut Park in official papers. Rumour is being spread that the park has been renamed," Yadav said. The inauguration of the park by Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav was scheduled for Monday. However, after finding itself caught in a controversy, the state government postponed the inauguration and initiated an inquiry into whether the park actually was named after former prime minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee. "For the time being, we have postponed the inauguration of the said park that was scheduled today. We have also asked the Patna Municipal Corporation to confirm if and when was the park notified as 'Atal Park'," Bandana Preyashi, the Secretary of the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bihar, said. Earlier on Sunday, the BJP attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over recent incidents of crime in Bihar and said that he is 'dreaming' of becoming prime minister of the country while he is not able to handle the law and order situation in his own state. Taking note of Kumar recently visiting the national capital to pay tributes to late Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also wondered if it was an 'honest' expression of his love for the former prime minister or he wanted to show ?something? to his allies. "What has happened to you Nitish babu? A few days ago, a police officer was murdered in Bihar. Then, a journalist was killed. A news report came today that a sand mafia attacked policemen in Gaya. Nitish babu you are not able to handle Bihar. Take care of Bihar and quit worrying about the country," Prasad told reporters. The country is safe in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the former Union minister added. "There is a rule of terror in Bihar. People are living in fear because the sand mafia and criminals have the blessing of influential people linked to those (allies) with whom you (Nitish Kumar) have formed government in the state," Prasad charged in reference to JD(U) ally RJD. On Kumar paying tributes to Vajpayee at his memorial in Delhi on August 6, Prasad said it's good that he visited his 'samadhi sthal' in the national capital. "We both respect Atal ji... But why are you remembering Atal ji so much," he asked, adding "Whether it's your honest 'Atal prem' (love for late PM) or you are showing something to your allies." "You (Nitish) continue to respect Atal ji. The entire country respects him. But I will make only one request to you not to play politics in his name. This is my humble suggestion to you," the BJP leader said. CHENNAI: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) youth wing state secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday hit out at Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi over his opposition to the Bill seeking abolition of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) in the state, saying that the latter should change his name to RSS Ravi. Addressing a valedictory function at the one-day hunger strike staged by the DMK youth wing and doctors over the demand seeking exemption of the state from the central exam, Stalin questioned the Governors authority. "Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has got so much arrogance. Who are u, Governor? What authority do you have? He is not RN Ravi, he is RSS Ravi, Stalin said. Stalin further said that the Governor has no role other than that of a postman, who should forward all matters approved by the state Assembly to the President. A man in Tamil Nadus Chennai ended his life by hanging after his 19-year-old son died by suicide on August 13, after failing to clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam twice, police said. According to officials, the deceased, S Jegadeeswaran (19) was an aspirant and hanged himself a day earlier after having flunked the NEET examination twice. Udhayanidhi further held the Central government responsible for the suicide of the NEET aspirant after failing to clear the exam twice and called it a "murder." Speaking to reporters, Udhayanidhi Stalin said "It's not suicide it is a murder, Central Government is responsible for this and AIADMK is joining hands with them. I did not participate in this protest as a minister or MLA. I have participated here as the brother of the student who died while preparing for NEET..." (DMK)'s student wing and the medical wing began a state-wide hunger strike demanding the abolition of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) in Chennai on Sunday. Udhayanidhi Stalin also participated in the one-day hunger strike in Chennai organized by the DMK student wing and the medical wing. The state-wide demonstration is against state Governor RN Ravi over his refusal to ban the NEET examination in the state and the Central government. Meanwhile, Udhayanidhi Stalin and other DMK leaders ended the hunger strike in Chennai on Sunday evening. New Delhi: Versatility King Nawazuddin Siddiqui continues to captivate audiences with his exceptional talent, earning a reputation as one of India's most celebrated actors. Fans eagerly anticipate his every move, and the speculation surrounding his upcoming project is no different. Having portrayed numerous iconic characters throughout his career, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is now preparing for an endeavor that promises to be doubly intriguing and innovative, featuring none other than the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Adding fuel to the anticipation, Nawazuddin Siddiqui recently took to social media, providing a sneak peek into what lies ahead. The actor shared a lighthearted and playful snapshot of himself with the iconic Amitabh Bachchan. This glimpse of him and B pretending to ride a bike has ignited a fire of curiosity across the internet, leaving fans and enthusiasts alike guessing about the exciting collaboration that these two powerhouse actors are cooking up. He writes Traffic bohot hai aaj zara dhyaan se As fans eagerly await further details, one thing remains certain: Nawazuddin Siddiqui's upcoming project with Amitabh Bachchan is poised to be a remarkable addition to both actors' illustrious careers. Meanwhile, on the work front, he will also be seen in Haddi, Saindhav and Sector 108 amongst many others. The Privilege Committee of the Lok Sabha, headed by BJP Lok Sabha MP Sunil Singh, has summoned IndiGo's Managing Director (MD) Rahul Bhatia for not extending due courtesy and facilities at airports. As per a report on ANI, Rahul Bhatia, who is the boss of India's biggest airline, along with some other aviation stakeholders are summoned on August 30 over alleged protocol violation. The report adds that some Lok Sabha members alleged they were not extended due courtesy and facilities at airports in India. During the just-concluded monsoon session of Parliament, some parliamentarians have registered a complaint that necessary protocol was not accorded to them at the airports by the airline companies and security agencies (CISF), including airport operators. BJP's Lok Sabha MP Sunil Singh is the chairman of the Committee of Privileges, and he is accompanied by 14 other members of the committee. Indigo is the largest airline company in the country with a capacity of around 300 aircraft. IndiGo has not released an official statement in the matter. In 2021, the Civil Aviation Ministry asked airlines and airports in the country to continue following the protocol that gives certain privileges to members of Parliament (MPs) during air travel. The development came after some issues of negligence regarding the protocol came to the notice of the ministry. Former Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, back in 2015, said that some of the facilities are extended to the MPs as courtesy and not privilege. These facilities includees providing reserved lounge at domestic and international airports, free access to terminal building and visitors gallery, airport entry pass to personal staff of MPs. New Delhi: Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Manjhi: The Mountain Man released eight years ago but it still continues to inspire, encourage and educate people all over. Real, inspiring and moving, Manjhi The Mountain Man was based on the life of Indias unsung hero, Dashrath Manjhi, who single-handedly carved a 360-foot-long, 25-foot-high and 30-foot-wide road through a mountain in Bihar. Needless to say, Nawazuddin nailed the performance as Dashrath Manjhi and was unanimously praised by the audience, industry and critics alike. Such has been the impact of Nawazs performance in the movie that his fans still fondly refer to him as Manjhi and recite his popular dialogue from the dialogue Shaandaar, zabardast, zindabad! On the occasion of the movie completing 8 years, we bring you 5 epic dialogues from the movie which will inspire us in every phase of life and teach us that if man is determined he can even break mountains and make way. Take a Look: The dumdaar dialogues by Nawazuddin are extremely impactful and will leave you impressed. Bhagwan ke bharose mat baithiyeka pataa Bhagwan humre bharose baitha ho and Shaandaar, zabardast, zindabad echoes throughout the film and brings the message alive. On the work front, Nawazuddin has an interesting line up of films including Haddi', Saindhav and a few other exciting projects. Raksha Bandhan, a cherished Hindu festival, is celebrated on the full moon day of the Shravan month, which usually falls in July or August. The festival's name itself encapsulates its essence: "Raksha" means protection, and "Bandhan" means bond. On this occasion, sisters tie colorful threads, known as "rakhis," around their brothers' wrists, while brothers pledge to safeguard and support their sisters. This gesture reflects not only the biological bond but also the emotional connection shared between siblings. However, this year theres confusion if the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan falls on August 30 or 31? Lets find out. Also read: Rakhi 2023: 7 Unique Ways to Surprise Your Sister On Rakshabandhan Raksha Bandhan 2023: Is Rakhi On August 30 Or 31? This year, there is confusion about when Raksha Bandhan should be celebrated because of Bhadra Kaal. People are confused about whether to celebrate Raksha Bandhan on August 30 or 31. Every year, Rakhi is marked on the last day of the month of Sawan, which is a Full Moon day. Hence, as per Drik Panchang, here is the muhurat to celebrate Raksha Bandhan: This year, Raksha Bandhan falls on August 30, Wednesday. The shubh muhurat to tie Rakhi and perform the Raksha Bandhan ritual will begin after 9:01 pm after Bhadra's end time. Raksha Bandhan Bhadra end time - 9:01 pm Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Poonch - 5:30 pm to 6:31 pm Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Mukha - 6:31 pm to 8:11 pm Raksha Bandhan 2023: History And Significance Rooted in history and mythology, Raksha Bandhan's origins trace back to ancient Indian legends. One such tale recounts the relationship between Lord Krishna and Draupadi. In a selfless act, Krishna protected Draupadi's honour by miraculously extending her saree during a time of need. Touched by this gesture, Draupadi later tore a strip of cloth from her own saree to bind Krishna's wrist after he was injured. This act symbolized their mutual bond and protection for each other. Beyond biological relationships, Raksha Bandhan has evolved to encompass broader meanings. It promotes harmony and love among people, fostering unity and mutual respect. In recent times, the festival has transcended religious boundaries, with people from various backgrounds participating in its celebrations. Raksha Bandhan 2023: Celebrations The day begins with families gathering together, performing rituals, and exchanging gifts. Sisters often prepare sweets and traditional dishes as a symbol of their affection. Brothers reciprocate by offering gifts or tokens of appreciation to their sisters. The exchange of rakhis and gifts is a tangible representation of the promise to protect and care for each other. In essence, Raksha Bandhan transcends mere rituals; it's a celebration of love, protection, and unity. As society evolves, the festival continues to adapt, embracing new interpretations while preserving its core values. Whether through ancient legends or contemporary expressions, Raksha Bandhan stands as a reminder of the enduring bond between siblings and the power of love and protection in our lives. (This article is intended for your general information only. Zee News does not vouch for its accuracy or reliability.) In a world filled with stress and demanding schedules, hypertension has become a common health concern affecting millions of individuals globally. While medical interventions are essential, the incorporation of holistic practices like yoga can significantly contribute to managing hypertension. Yoga, an ancient practice that combines physical postures, controlled breathing, and meditation, has been shown to help lower blood pressure and promote overall well-being. Regular practice of these asanas, combined with healthy lifestyle choices and proper medical care, can help individuals manage their blood pressure and lead a healthier, more balanced life. 8 Yoga Asanas That Can Provide Natural Relief For Hypertension: 1. Savasana (Corpse Pose) Savasana is a relaxation pose that encourages deep relaxation and stress reduction. By lying flat on your back, arms at your sides, and legs slightly apart, you allow your body to unwind and your blood pressure to stabilize. Focus on slow, steady breaths and let go of tension, promoting a calmer nervous system. Also read: Increasing Peas And Beans Is Safe For Bone Health, Protein Intake: Study 2. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose) Viparita Karani is known for its ability to enhance circulation and reduce blood pressure. Lie on your back with your legs extended vertically against a wall. This asana helps improve blood flow back to the heart and encourages relaxation in the body. 3. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) Bhujangasana involves lying on your stomach and gradually lifting your chest off the ground while keeping your pelvis grounded. This gentle backbend stretches the chest and stimulates the abdominal organs, promoting better blood circulation and alleviating stress. 4. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) Dhanurasana involves lying on your stomach and bending your knees, reaching back to hold onto your ankles. This pose not only stretches the front of your body but also stimulates the kidneys and adrenal glands, which play a role in blood pressure regulation. 5. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) Paschimottanasana is a seated forward bend that helps calm the mind and release tension in the spine. It also stretches the hamstrings and stimulates the abdominal organs, promoting better digestion and circulation. 6. Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Anulom Vilom is a breathing technique that involves inhaling through one nostril and exhaling through the other. This practice helps balance the nervous system, reduce stress, and regulate blood pressure. It encourages a state of relaxation and tranquility. 7. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) Uttanasana is a standing forward bend that promotes relaxation and stress relief. It helps increase blood flow to the brain and calms the nervous system, which in turn supports blood pressure management. 8. Sukhasana (Easy Pose) with Pranayama Sukhasana is a comfortable seated position often used for meditation. Combining it with pranayama (breath control) techniques such as deep breathing or abdominal breathing can help reduce stress and balance blood pressure. Regular practice can lead to a more harmonious body-mind connection. Before beginning a yoga practice, individuals with hypertension should consult their healthcare providers. Yoga is a gentle and effective way to complement medical treatment and contribute to overall well-being. Remember, consistency is key. Incorporating these yoga asanas into your daily routine can provide long-term benefits for hypertension management, supporting your journey towards a healthier and more balanced life. Global audio and video brand EPOS has launched findings examining the impact poor audio quality is having on the productivity levels of remote workers. It also found that the brain undergoes significant strain when struggling to process digital audio in comparison to sounds in a physical environment. Following the onset of Covid-19, there has been an influx of research on the long-lasting cognitive issues related to the global health crisis as well as how lockdowns and other societal shifts have affected mental health. However, there has been little research on the impact of communicating primarily through digital solutions. Sound significantly impacts cognitive function because the ear is just a vehicle to the brain that perceives and translates a series of electronic nerve signals. With much of the global workforce continuing to work remotely, background noises remain an impediment to productivity and potentially a risk to health, as it relates to levels of stress. Workforces today are largely unaware of how background noises affect them, and it is only by addressing the issue that we can begin to unlock new levels of wellbeing and productivity. The psychoacoustic research was conducted in the Centre for Applied Audiology Research (CAAR) , Oticon, Denmark, with a focus on pupillometry tracking, speech recognition performance and subjective ratings for pre- and post-load tasks for each noise condition. The users performed the listening tasks with and without EPOS passive damping. The researchers concluded that the passive noise reduction performance of EPOS headsets leads to a reduction in effort listening, better memory recall and higher levels of word recognition, with subjects' memory recall improving by 10 per cent. Listeners enduring noisy backgrounds can struggle to interpret and understand the entirety of whats being discussed. While that raises immediate concerns for the absorption and retention of information, the longer-term issue is clear. Poor audio causes our brains to work harder to interpret information and experience 35 per cent more effort listening. The brain can become much slower to respond to sound as it finds it trickier to switch between stimuli. For instance, when on a conference call that is marred by audio issues including background noise and interference, the brain works harder to focus on what the most important source of sound is. This, the researchers contend, can lead to cognitive overload and brain fatigue. Sound affects us psychologically, cognitively, and behaviorally, even though we are not aware of it. By testing its technologies and solutions, and examining cognitive effort and memory recall, it is possible to develop solutions to mitigate the effects of unwanted background noise on the brain. For example, it can test and prove that damping specific frequencies of disturbing noises really does result in lower listening fatigue over an extended virtual meeting. Torben Christiansen, Director of Technology, EPOS, Businesses invested hugely in technologies to support their workforces during lockdowns. That was a necessary fix to an immediate threat to business continuity. Now, were starting to see the longer-term impacts of remote work on our employees productivity and well-being. Poorer concentration and productivity have an immediate impact on business output, but the more insidious and cumulative effect will be that of increased fatigue and dissatisfaction among workers. This, in turn, can lead to burnout and employee churn. Employers need to face down these new challenges with the same rigor they did in 2020, and invest in new solutions to support their employees wellbeing, satisfaction, and productivity. Kanpur, Aug 21 (IANS) Sunil Kumar, 20, of Fatehpur works as a labourer in Rajkot, Gujarat, where a snake bit him. He was rushed to a health centre there but his condition worsened and later, he became unconscious. His family members got worried over his deteriorating health and decided to take him to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur for treatment. Subsequently, they hired an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance in Gujarat for Rs 51,000 and travelled a distance of 1,307 km to bring the patient to Kanpur. On reaching LLR Hospital, he was immediately put on a ventilator and his treatment was started. The hard workof the doctors paid off and slowly the patient began to recuperate and the ventilator support was removed on Saturday. Senior physician of LLR Dr B.P. Priyadarshi said that the patient had arrived on the night of August 17. His condition was very critical. Snake venom had a neuro-toxic effect in the body. Anti-venom and other medicines were given to him. Sunil's condition has now improved. He has been removed from the ventilator and shifted to the ICU ward. His life is now out of danger, he added. Sunil is a native of Rari village under Kishanpur police station area of Uttar Pradesh' Fatehpur district and works in Rajkot. On Monday, 21 August, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Greece on a working visit. Following a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, this European country joined the G7 declaration on security guarantees for our country. ADVERTISIMENT The Ukrainian leader provided details during a joint press conference with Mitsotakis. Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister for his support in Ukraine's European integration (scroll to the bottom of the page to watch the video). "Greece has joined the G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine. We will continue this work at the bilateral level to make the security assurances format a model for other states that need effective security guarantees. The world will definitely become more stable as a result of such joint security work," he said. In addition, Zelenskyy reminded that Ukraine plans to start negotiations on EU membership this year and called today's step by Greece a necessary signal. ADVERTISIMENT "This is a much-needed signal that Greece wants peace, just as we all in Ukraine want a just peace," the Ukrainian leader added. By the way, Zelenskyy said in Greece that our country has created an alternative "grain corridor" in the Black Sea for the food security of the whole world. However, according to the guarantor, it needs air defence protection. As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up the results of his visit to the Nordic countries on the evening of 21 August. After visiting Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, he said that Ukraine would produce Western military equipment. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! JU Student Death: The Jadavpur University campus is allegedly the scene of Maoist activity, according to the BJP. They alerted the Calcutta High Court to this on Monday and requested authorization to bring a public interest lawsuit. Additionally, the judge permitted them to file the case. Since the outset, the BJP has been active in the Jadavpur University student death issue. Dilip Ghosh, a BJP MP, brought up the topic of Jadavpur on Sunday and argued that all of these anti-social elements should be executed by beheading. The 'Inquilab Zindabad slogan' used by students from Jadavpur University at a BJP Youth Morcha event in Jadavpur was also criticized a few days ago by BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Subvendu Adhikari. The opposition leader added that under the guidance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, "Anti-National Forces" and "Tukde Tukde Gangs" are being fostered in Jadavpur. In response, along with the two leaders, state BJP spokesperson Rajarshi Lahiri filed a suit against Jadavpur in the Calcutta High Court on Monday. On Monday, Chief Justice TS Shivagnam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya's division bench took notice of the petitioner's attorney, Tarunjyoti Tiwari. He claimed that Jadavpur University was the scene of Maoist activity. Consequently, the NIA should look into the student from Jadavpur's odd death. He testified before the court that Jadavpur students told the opposition party leader they were Maoists. They can be heard yelling Azadi slogans at the same time. Tarun Jyoti requested authorization to bring a public interest lawsuit, arguing that this matter needed to be taken into consideration as part of the investigation. The case was able to be filed thanks to the Chief Justice's bench. It should be remembered that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court's bench previously granted permission to bring a public interest lawsuit relating to the accusation of ragging on the Jadavpur University grounds. Possibly this week, the case will be heard. The BJP also made it possible to launch a new public interest complaint in the Jadavpur case on Monday. A first-year student was discovered bleeding on August 9 in the main hostel at Jadavpur University. While receiving medical care the following day, he passed away. That student from the Bengali Department resides in Nadia. He began living in the A2 Block of the Main Hostel in Jadavpur a few days ago as a resident's "guest." He allegedly fell from the hostel's third-floor balcony in some way, per the police report. The student's family has reported this episode as one in which there was racial harassment of the remaining ex-students at the dormitory. In connection with the incident, the police have already detained 13 people, including alumni and students. Telangana Assembly elections 2023: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday announced the first list of candidates for the upcoming Telangana Assembly polls. As per the BRS list announced for 115 of 119 seats, Rao will contest from the Gajwel and Kamareddy constituencies. "Change of candidates in only seven of the total 119 assembly constituencies," he told reporters. (115 ) , . BRS Party Chief, CM Sri KCR announced the first list of BRS candidates (115 constituencies) for the forthcoming Telangana Assembly pic.twitter.com/LNLohVSRVm BRS Party (@BRSparty) August 21, 2023 Telangana Assembly polls 2023: BRS will win 95-105 seats, says KCR Speaking further, K Chandrasekhar Rao, popularly known as KCR, said that his party will win between 95-105 seats out of the total 119 in the upcoming assembly polls. He also said that BRS' 'friendship' with Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM will continue. The 2023 Telangana Assembly elections are likely to be held in December. Earlier on Sunday, Rao hit out at the opposition Congress and said if the party comes to power in the state, the middleman era will begin in government offices. The Telangana Chief Minister was referring to the Congress saying it will abolish the Dharani portal (integrated land records system). "The move will bring back middlemen into the system. If the Congress comes into power, there will be middlemen at the revenue office and registration offices," he said at a public rally in Suryapet. KCR claimed that land records in the Dharani Portal cannot be tampered with, and even the chief minister or chief secretary does not have the power to change the records -- only farmers do. According to him, it is because of Dharani that some of the government schemes are being implemented effectively. Speaking about governance in his state, Rao said despite the loss of revenue faced by Telangana due to the Covid-19 pandemic and also the 'note ban by Prime Minister Narendra Modi' in 2016, the BRS government has successfully waived farm loans to the tune of Rs 37,000 crore. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are asking the Telangana people to give them a chance 'but they could not do anything despite being given several chances in the last 50 years'. New Delhi: Regarding the chances of a bilateral meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has said that the Prime Minister`s schedule is still being developed. Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s visit to South Africa and Greece, Kwatra, in a special press briefing said, "As I mentioned in my remarks, the host country South Africa has invited a large number of guest countries, besides of course the BRICS members who would be present there." "The Prime Minister`s schedule in terms of bilateral meetings with those leaders who would be present in South Africa is still being developed," Kwatra said. Notably, Prime Minister Modi will depart for the BRICS Summit tomorrow morning to join the leaders of Brazil, China, and South Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa. "Prime Minister will depart tomorrow morning for Johannesburg where he would be participating in the 15th BRICS Summit that starts tomorrow and concludes on 24th August...," the Foreign Secretary informed during the special presser today. It was in November last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali, Indonesia. Both the leaders exchanged pleasantries at the high-profile dinner at that time and exchanged greetings at the G20 dinner. Notably, this was the first handshake since China`s Peoples Liberation Army and the Indian Army`s standoff in eastern Ladakh in April 2020. India and China have been in a stand-off situation for the last three years and relations at all levels have deteriorated due to the tensions on borders. The two sides have held 19 rounds of talks so far to address the boundary issues in Eastern Ladakh since 2020 post-Chinese aggression there. Meanwhile, regarding BRICS Summit which is held under the South African Presidency this time, Foreign Secretary Kwatra stated that a business delegation from India is also travelling to the country to attend the Business Tracks meetings. "For the 15th BRICS Summit, a business delegation from India is also travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings and also the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum. After completing his engagements in Johannesburg, PM will travel to Greece for an official visit on 25th August at the invitation of PM of Greece," Kwatra said. This year`s BRICS is under the presidency of South Africa and is organising the first face-to-face summit since 2019 in Johannesburg. New Delhi: Actor Prakash Raj has once again triggered a controversy with his new controversial Twitter post where he took a dig at the Indian Moon Mission - Chandrayaan 3. The actor, on Sunday (Aug 20), took to Twitter and shared a cartoon of a brown man in a vest and lungi and pouring tea in the air. He captioned the photo writing, "BREAKING NEWS:- First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander Wowww #justasking." As expected, the actor ignited a wave of outrage on the social media platform with his latest Twitter post, where he mocked Chandrayaan 3 and Vikram Lander. Netizens schooled him for mocking the hard work of ISRO scientists and also called him out for 'blind hatred for BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi'. One user also taught him the difference between political and national trolling. A user wrote, "There is a difference between hating someone and hating your country. So sad to see this state of yours!" Also Read: LIVE | Today's Trending Entertainment News & Bollywood Buzz: Sunny Deol's Gadar 2 To Cross Rs 400 Crore Today? Another user wrote, "Prakash ji, this Chandryan mission is from ISRO, not BJP. If it gets succeed, its for India not for any party. Why you want this mission to fail? BJP is just a ruling party. It will go one day. But, ISRO will remain for years and will make us proud. In search of truth, youre forgetting basic nationalism. Indias failure shouldnt be a victory. Keep ISRO aside from this political hate." Take a look at the post shared by Prakash Raj here: Another user reacted to his Twitter post and commented, "You have stooped so low.. feel ashamed that you are a fellow countryman !! I am proud of ISRO !! Jai Hind. Criticising the tweets unnecessary nature, another social media user wrote, It was unnecessary. Some things are far above political ideology. Look you are melting faster than the ice. Wishing you a speedy recovery." This is not the first time when Prakash Raj created a stir online for his brazen words. Earlier, he had taken an indirect 'chaiwala' dig Prime Minister Narendra Modi was called out for the same. The actor is known for his stand against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP and their ideals. He continues to share his opinions on Twitter despite facing severe backlash. New Delhi: Adivi Sesh, known for his versatile roles and captivating performances, recently set Twitter abuzz with an exciting tweet that has left fans speculating about his next move. The actor responded to a fan's post, which featured a throwback picture from his hit debut movie Karma. The photo showcased a youthful and hip avatar, capturing the essence of a bygone era. With his enigmatic response, "That was a hard hip hop era, time to bring it back," Adivi Sesh has ignited curiosity and speculation among his followers. That was a Hard Hip Hop era, where I even rapped on stage :) Time to bring it back. https://t.co/dzl1WyRm36 Adivi Sesh (@AdiviSesh) August 19, 2023 Fans of the actor fondly remember Karma. A film that not only marked Adivi Sesh's entry into the industry but also left an enduring impact on audiences with the songs. Flooding the comments section with admiration for the look and sweet messages like, bring it on, everybody is pretty hyped about the comeback of this iconic look. While the actor hasn't provided explicit details, the tweet seems to hint at something exciting. As we eagerly away Seshs upcoming movie G2, " and the revival of the iconic style that has left us all talking, there's no doubt that Adivi Sesh is poised to deliver yet another unforgettable cinematic experience. New Delhi: A nurse in a British hospital will spend the rest of her life behind bars, a judge ordered on Monday following her conviction for murdering seven newborn babies and trying to kill another six. The 33-year-old murdered five baby boys and two baby girls at the neonatal unit of Countess of Chester Hospital in northern England where she was working in 2015 and 2016. "This was a cruel calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children," said the judge, James Goss, who sentenced her to life imprisonment with no prospect of release. "There was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions... You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors," he added. Lucy Letby's motives remain unclear, but the scale of her crimes points to intricate planning. She deliberately harmed the babies in various ways, including by injecting air into their bloodstreams and administering air or milk into their stomachs via nasogastric tubes. She also poisoned infants by adding insulin to intravenous feeds and interfering with breathing tubes. She was finally removed from frontline duties in late June of 2016 and was arrested at her home in July 2018. Lucy Letby is the only child Born in Hereford -- a city in west-central England -- on January 4, 1990, Lucy Letby is reportedly the only child of John and Susan Letby, a retail boss and accounts clerk who are now both retired. She qualified as a children's nurse at the University of Chester in 2011. Letby completed training placements at Liverpool Women's Hospital before joining the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in January 2012. Lucy Letby is most prolific child serial killer in modern UK history Lucy Letby, who was in her 20s at the time of the murders, is said to be the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history. During her 10-month trial, prosecutors said the hospital in 2015 started to experience a significant rise in the number of babies who were dying or suffering sudden deteriorations in their health for no apparent reason. Some suffered 'serious catastrophic collapses' but survived after help from medical staff. Letby was on duty in all the cases with prosecutors describing her as a 'constant malevolent presence' in the neonatal unit when the children collapsed or died. They said the nurse harmed the babies in ways that did not leave much of a trace, and that she persuaded her colleagues that the collapses and deaths were normal. Police then launched an investigation into the baby deaths at the hospital in May 2017 and Letby was eventually charged in November 2020. Child serial killer Lucy Letby proclaimed her innocence Lucy Letby testified for 14 days, proclaiming her innocence. During the trial, the defense argued that she was a 'hard-working, dedicated and caring' nurse who loved her job and that the infants' sudden collapses and deaths could have been due to natural causes, or in combination with other factors such as staffing shortages at the hospital or failure by others to provide appropriate care. On 21 August, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Greece on a working visit. There, he said that our country had created an alternative "grain corridor" in the Black Sea for the world's food security. However, according to the guarantor, it needs air defence protection. ADVERTISIMENT Zelenskyy said this during a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According to the Ukrainian leader, the corridor needs to be strengthened to ensure stable operation (scroll to the bottom of the page to watch the video). "Ukraine has created an alternative grain corridor in the Black Sea. It can work. But for the corridor to be stable, the air shield needs to be strengthened. This is important for the Black Sea region, in particular for our city of Odesa. And this can be a historic contribution of Greece to European security if you help us protect the Black Sea area and air defence systems," the President stressed. ADVERTISIMENT Zelenskyy added that Greek companies were ready to participate in the transportation of Ukrainian grain and stressed that Ukraine was counting on it. "We discussed the situation in the Black Sea region. In particular, the threat posed by Russia against freedom of navigation and ports. We are doing everything we can to restore security on the Black and Azov coasts. This is important from a global perspective," the guarantor said. As a reminder, the last time the vessel left the port of Odesa on 16 July as part of the grain deal. After the agreement was disrupted, Russia resorted to systematic air attacks on port infrastructure to stop Ukrainian agricultural exports. At the same time, there are information speculations and attempts at provocations in the Black Sea to influence the movement of ships to Ukrainian ports. ADVERTISIMENT As you know, Turkey is ready to guarantee unimpeded passage through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits for dry cargo ships carrying grain from Ukraine. So far, no ships have passed through the straits, but they will continue to do so. As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up the results of his visit to the Nordic countries by the evening of 21 August. After visiting Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, he said that Ukraine would produce Western military equipment. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter to congratulate Santiago Pena on his assuming Presidency of the Republic of Paraguay, Azernews reports. The letter says: "Dear Mr. President, I cordially congratulate you as you took office of the President of the Republic of Paraguay. I believe that we will make joint efforts to successfully continue friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Paraguay in both bilateral and multilateral formats. I offer my best wishes to You, and wish success in your responsibilities for the sake of welfare of your friendly people. Respectfully, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 21 August 2023 " The separatist gang under the auspices of Yerevan in Garabagh started to step back before the internal pressures. Media outlets under the separatist gang announced that "in the coming days, it was decided to increase the sales of bakery products throughout Garabagh to make it easier for people." Besides, the media also stated that an additional volume of pork and beef will be released to the markets in Khankendi, and the maximum price of the meat amounts to $10. The decision caused ardent discussion on social media among Armenians. Many ask the question that if Garabagh is under blockade whence they take the meat and flour. One of the social media users noted that all villages in Garabagh are full of pigs, cows, and other foodstuffs. Villagers will be happy to sell the products. Another social media user, Nadejda Melnik, asks that it was forbidden to keep cattle and pigs before, so how did they suddenly appear? It is crystal clear that there is enough food in Garabagh, but the separatist gang and its patrons in Yerevan hindered to release these products to market to put pressure on Azerbaijan. Going the limits, even the Armenian side took the issue to the UN Security Council. However, Azerbaijan has expressed its rightful comments from all possible platforms. The Azerbaijan Republic underlined that due to the investigations over smuggling forbidden products, and the sabotage that resulted in the wounding of an Azerbaijani soldier, the Lachin Border Checkpoint was closed. However, a blockade or humanitarian crisis in Garabagh is out of the question, because Azerbaijan offers the Agdam-Khankendi road as an alternative to the Lachin-Khankendi route, and even Azerbaijan is ready to provide the Armenian minority with humanitarian aid. It is the Armenian side that causes the humanitarian crisis by putting concrete blocks on the Agdam-Khankendi road and deliberately rejects humanitarian aid. In a footage, Azerbaijan proved that the Armenian side smuggled lethal weapons through the Lachin-Khankendi road. However, it is impossible for Armenia to smuggle anything from the Agdam-Khankendi road. Therefore, Armenians go the extra mile to use the Lachin-Khankendi road. So, playing the victim cards, Armenians wanted to create an illusion, showing people as though starving in Garabagh. But social media says totally different things. The residents of Garabagh are sharing the photos taken at their parties, birthday events, wedding ceremonies, and so on. The photos demonstrate that the deficit of foodstuff is out of the question. In all photos, tables are full of foodstuffs. The Azerbaijani permanent representative to the UN showcased these photos at the meeting of the UN Security Council over the humanitarian crisis in Garabagh which had been convened at the request of Armenia. Moreover, about this Azernews had published an in depth report on the real situation in Khankendi with photos and videos. Some Armenian social media users claim that the separatist regime in Azerbaijan's Garabagh released the meat and bakery products after showcasing these photos in the UN SC. Nana Firunts asks if they could not release it prior to Azerbaijan showcasing the photo at the UN SC. Tatyana Matinyan pointed out that the meat and flour get from the sources where cakes were provided for wedding parties and restaurants previously. Vigen Azroyan approached the issue with sarcasm and noted that the UN SC has started to be involved in animal husbandry. As for the price of the meat, it is worth noting that the price is affordable. Moreover, social media users from Armenia noted that they have the same price in Armenia. It should be noted that in Azerbaijan the price of beef and pork is the same, but the price of beef in Garabagh is less in comparison with the price in Turkiye. It once again proves that there is no blockade in Garabagh, otherwise, the residents of Garabagh would not be able to produce competitively priced meat. The volume of Turkmen gas supplies to China increased by about 10% in January - July of this year, Azernews reported, citing Kabar. Turkmen gas supplies to China in January - July of this year at a cost of $5.85 billion, an increase of about 10%. This is evidenced by the data published by the Main Customs Administration of the People's Republic of China. Turkmenistan still ranks first among the countries selling pipeline gas to China. Russia is in second place, followed by Myanmar with an increase of 17.6% to $861.81 million. Next are Kazakhstan (down 5.4% to $614.32 million) and Uzbekistan (down 41.6% to $295.3 million). Authorities in Pakistan are promising 2 million rupees ($6,800) in compensation for each of nearly 100 poor Christians who lost their homes when a Muslim mob angered over the alleged desecration of a Quran stormed their neighborhoods, burning at least 16 churches and damaging houses, officials said Monday. Police said they have arrested dozens more rioters in ongoing raids, bringing the total number of detainees to 160. Mohsin Naqvi, the top official in Punjab province, made the announcement on X, previously known as Twitter, a day after he visited Jaranwala in Punjab, where hundreds of Muslims went on a rampage last Wednesday over allegations that a Christian man and his friend had desecrated Islam's holy book. Naqvi held a Cabinet meeting at a burned church in Jaranwala to get approval for the compensation for the victims of last week's violence in the presence of local priests and residents. Hundreds of terrified Christians who fled their homes have returned only to see destruction everywhere. They have been living outside their burned homes, fearing the structures may collapse. "They are worried for their safety, they are worried for their children, who witnessed the tragedy and are traumatized," Christian Priest Khalid Mukhtar said. He said according to his information, all 26 churches in Jaranwala were attacked, burned or damaged. The rioters said a local Christian and his friend tore pages out of a Quran, threw them on the ground and wrote insulting remarks on other pages. Police have arrested the two men. Local police chief Mansoor Sadiq said they have arrested 160 rioters and are continuing raids to arrest 450 more suspects. A Christian graveyard was also desecrated in Wednesday's violence, authorities said. On Monday, Naqvi, the caretaker chief minister of Punjab, said all Christians who suffered financial losses from the attacks will receive 2 million rupees in the next 48 hours. He said authorities have begun to repair the churches, and that all damaged places of worship will be restored to their original condition. But Mukhtar told The Associated Press that Naqvi and other officials only visited one damaged church on Sunday and did not go to the homes of anyone who suffered losses. He challenged Naqvis claim about the repair of churches, saying that the walls of two churches were only painted, and needed to be rebuilt. Last week's attack was one of the most destructive in the country's history. The violence drew nationwide condemnation, with caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar ordering the arrest of all those linked to the rioting. Under Pakistans blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out capital punishment for blasphemy, often mere accusations can incite mobs to violence. Search Keywords: Short link: The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday it agreed with the two flag carriers to revise their frequent flier mileage policies "to accommodate customers." Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have promised to make it easier for customers to use their frequent-flier miles in peak season by allocating more than five percent of available seats to them. At the moment carriers are not obligated to set aside seats for customers using airmiles and they allocate seats on an available-only basis. But from next year they will have to allocate more than five percent of available seats per flight to mileage customers and show how many are available every three months. Also, canceling tickets booked on airline miles at least 91 days before departure will no longer incur penalties. Currently 3,000 miles are docked from their points regardless of the timing. The ministry also asked carriers to find more ways for customers who with fewer than 5,000 airmiles to use their mileage, and lower deducted points for short-haul flights to Japan and Southeast Asia. Of airmiles set to expire next year, some 30 percent or W100 billion worth have gone unused so far because there is often no way to redeem them. Since the government announced the release plan two years ago, it has faced strong opposition from Japanese fishing organizations, which worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover from the accident. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it into a political and diplomatic issue. His trip comes hours after he returned home Saturday from a summit with U.S. and South Korean leaders at the American presidential retreat of Camp David. Before leaving Washington on Friday, Kishida said it is time to make a decision on the treated water's release date, which has not been set due to the controversy surrounding the plan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a brief visit to the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant on Sunday to highlight the safety of an impending release of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, a divisive plan that his government wants to start soon despite protests at home and abroad. The government and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., say the water must be removed to make room for the plant's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks because much of the water is still contaminated and needs further treatment. Japan has obtained support from the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve transparency and credibility and to ensure the plan by TEPCO meets international safety standards. The government has also stepped up a campaign promoting the plan's safety at home and through diplomatic channels. IAEA, in a final report in July, concluded that the TEPCO plan, if conducted strictly as designed, will cause negligible impact on the environment and human health, encouraging Japan to proceed. Kishida told reporters after Sunday's plant visit that he hoped to meet with the head of the national fisheries organization on Monday before his ministers decide the date at a meeting next week, Kyodo News agency reported. Kishida did not mention a starting date for the water release, which is widely expected to be at the end of August. During his visit on Sunday, Kishida saw wastewater filtering and dilution facilities and met with TEPCO president Tomoaki Kobayakawa and other top officials. He urged the officials to prioritize safety in the release and help prevent reputational damage to local fisheries, Kyodo said. While seeking understanding from the fishing community, the government has also worked to explain the plan to South Korea to keep the issue from interfering with their relationship-building. Japan, South Korea and the U.S. are working to bolster trilateral ties in the face of growing Chinese and North Korean threats. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's government recently showed support for the Japanese plan, but he faces criticism at home. During a joint news conference at Camp David, Yoon said he backs the IAEA's safety evaluation of the plan but stressed the need for transparent inspection by the international community. Kishida said Friday the outreach efforts have made progress, and that the decision will factor in safety preparations and measures for possible reputation damage on the fisheries. A massive March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant's cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and contaminating their cooling water. The water is collected, filtered and stored in around 1,000 tanks, which will reach their capacity in early 2024. The water is being treated with what's called an Advanced Liquid Processing System, which can reduce the amounts of more than 60 selected radionuclides to government-set releasable levels, except for tritium, which the government and TEPCO say is safe for humans if consumed in small amounts. Scientists generally agree that the environmental impact of the treated wastewater would be negligible, but some call for more attention to dozens of low-dose radionuclides that remain in it. Azerbaijani member of parliament Tahir Rzayev says Azerbaijan's exclusion from certain international organizations, which never fully reflect Azerbaijan's realities, is a small misfortune, Azernews reports, citing MP. "They call themselves an 'international organization' but they are carrying out anti-Azerbaijani propaganda. It goes without saying that Azerbaijan also expresses its attitude towards these organizations, and in response, they commit certain provocative actions. Today in Azerbaijan there is freedom of speech and press, everything is transparent. If this international organization has fallen under the influence of foreign, pro-Armenian forces, we have nothing to do there. I think there are other organizations from which Azerbaijan should withdraw. If our realities are not reflected there, if it works against Azerbaijan, there is no sense to stay there". According to the MP, exclusion from such organizations cannot negatively affect Azerbaijan's reputation: "The biggest organization is the UN, and they have not been able to implement their decisions regarding Armenia for more than 26 years. At the UN meeting on 16 August, a number of countries of the world supported the correct position of Azerbaijan, which shows that Azerbaijan's authority in the international world is growing day by day. Therefore, our exclusion from the Open Government Partnership cannot damage our international reputation". "We have agreed on the transfer of 19 F-16 jets by Denmark. This is a very powerful support for us. Training missions are already starting. Today, we have talked to our men and women who are studying and will work with F-16s here and then in our skies," Zelenskyy said at a news conference following talks with Frederiksen. After his visit to the Netherlands Zelenskyy flew to Denmark, where he and his wife were received by the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, other Danish Cabinet ministers and Crown Princess Mary at the Skrydstrup air base in southern Denmark where Ukrainian pilots will receive F-16 training in the coming months. Zelenskyy welcomed the "historic" announcement making Denmark and the Netherlands the first countries to donate F-16 jets to Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia. "It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine's fight for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression," Zelenskyy said after his visit to a Dutch air base with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. During his visit, the two countries pledged to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The Danish prime minister pledged 19 F-16s to Ukraine and said she hoped the first six could be delivered around the start of the new year. Rutte didn't provide a number or a timeframe when the Dutch might delivery theirs, saying it depends on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready. "The F-16s will not help immediately now with the war effort. It is anyway a long-term commitment from the Netherlands," Rutte said. "We want them to be active and operational as soon as possible. Not for the next month, that's impossible, but hopefully soon afterward," he said. Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel that Ukraine would get 42 jets. He said that the F-16s will be an important motivation for his country's forces that are embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia. Zelenskyy added that the U.S. fighter jets are necessary to counter the air superiority of the Russians. The Dutch and Danish governments are also involved in a coalition that is working to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the advanced fighter jets. Zelenskyy declined to say how many Ukrainian pilots would undergo training in Denmark and later in Romania, citing security reasons. Denmark, however, said Friday that the training is starting this month. Officials previously said that Ukrainian pilots will need six to eight months of training on the high-tech jets. The training includes technical language training in English because most technical manuals are written in English. The fighter jets are not likely to affect the trajectory of the war anytime soon, according to U.S. officials. U.S. Air Force General James Hecker told reporters Friday at a virtual meeting of the Defense Writers Group that there are no prospects currently for either Ukraine or Russia to gain the upper hand in the air. "I don't think anyone's going to get air superiority as long as the number of surface-to-air missiles stays high enough," Hecker said, responding to a question from VOA. "Both Ukraine and Russia have very good integrated air and missile defense systems," he said. "That alone is what has prevented [Russia or Ukraine] from getting air superiority." In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said, "We welcome Washington's decision to pave the way for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine." The British defense ministry said Sunday in its daily report about Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- that Ukraine is striking deep inside Russia and the leadership of Russia's Aerospace Forces is "highly likely" being pressured to improve its defenses over western Russia. The ministry said Russian President Vladimir Putin "almost certainly" invaded Ukraine believing that it "would have little direct effect on Russians." Uncrewed aerial vehicles are regularly hitting Moscow, the ministry's report said. There have been "increasing reports" of SA-5 GAMMON missiles hitting Russia. The ministry said the 7.5-ton Soviet-era GAMMON had been retired from Ukraine's defense inventory but has been apparently resurrected "as a ground attack ballistic missile." Russia's defense ministry said Sunday it jammed a Ukrainian drone headed toward Moscow, causing it to crash. Afterward, flights at Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were suspended as a precaution. Officials say a fire broke out when a Ukrainian drone hit a train station in the Russian city of Kursk. Five people were injured in the incident. Kursk borders Ukraine. In his daily address, Zelenskyy vowed retaliation for a deadly Russian missile attack Saturday on the historic city of Chernihiv, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of Kyiv. The attack Saturday killed seven people, including a 6-year-old, and injured 144 others. "I am sure," the president said, "our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly." The missile struck while people were heading to church to celebrate a religious holiday. Fifteen of the wounded were children and 10 were police officers, according to the interior ministry. Zelenskyy posted a video on the Telegram messaging app showing images from the aftermath of the attack, including a body in a car surrounded by debris. "A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theater," Zelenskyy wrote while visiting Sweden to discuss a new military aid package of more than $313 million from the Nordic country. The leaders of the U.S., Japan and South Korea presented a united front on Friday when they met at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David in Maryland. "Ours is a partnership built not just for our people but for the entire Indo-Pacific," they said in a joint statement. Cooperation will go beyond the security to encompass supply chains, economy and technology in response to the threats posed by China, Russia and North Korea. They singled out China in particular. "We share concerns about actions inconsistent with the rules-based international order, which undermine regional peace and prosperity," they said, and "strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific." They also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and urged a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. Just three hours after the trilateral summit ended, China conducted military drills there in a show of defiance. South Korea and the U.S. kicked off the annual joint Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise on Monday that focus on emerging threats from North Korea with the participation of a dozen allies. The Defense Ministry on Sunday said the drills that continue until Aug. 31 "will reflect the North's increased nuclear and missile capabilities, the changing security situation, and lessons from Ukraine's war against Russia." Using completely new scenarios, this year's exercise for the first time includes "cognitive warfare," i.e. response training to fake news spread by the North. That includes psychological warfare tactics using social media that have proved powerful in the war in Ukraine. They aim to paralyze the enemy by exploiting people's psychological vulnerability, for example with "deepfake" doctoring of images of military news and announcements. The U.S., Korea and Japan agreed at a trilateral summit at Camp David to create a broad three-way cooperation platform focusing on semiconductors, biotechnology, space research, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other innovative technologies to foster growth. That could be vital in helping the Korean economy emerge from the low-growth doldrums. Washington has been trying to reorganize global supply chains for core high-tech products by freezing out Beijing. The U.S. established the Chip 4 Alliance, which includes four of the world's top producers -- the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, and Korea -- to form its own supply chain. But Korea, afraid of agitating China, had been unable to play a leading role, and while it hesitates, Taiwan's TSMC started building a factory in Japan and joined hands with the U.S. to manufacture next-generation semiconductors. That has prompted concerns that the industrial structure for semiconductors could be realigned into a triangle of U.S. design, Japanese materials and Taiwanese production. But the latest trilateral partnership means the U.S. wants to strengthen the alliance with Korea, which now has allies that virtually dominate the global market for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, minimizing the threat of retaliation from China. Korea has also minimized the risk of retaliation from China in the area of rechargeable batteries since the U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership will contribute to lowering its dependence on China for materials. Thousands of anti-sanctions protestors holding Nigerien flags and Russian flags gather in support of the putschist soldiers in the capital Niamey, Niger, on August 20, 2023. The leader of mutinous soldiers who ousted Nigers democratically elected president said Saturday night that they will return the country to civilian rule within three years. Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani gave no details on the plan, saying on state television only that the principles for the transition would be decided within 30 days at a dialogue to be hosted by the junta. I am convinced that ... we will work together to find a way out of the crisis, in the interests of all, Tchiani said, commenting after his first meeting with a regional delegation seeking to resolve the West African nations crisis. The delegation from the ECOWAS bloc, headed by former Nigerian head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, also met separately with toppled President Mohamed Bazoum. It joined reconciliation efforts by Leonardo Santos Simao, the U.N. special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, who arrived Friday. ECOWAS on Aug. 10 ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional rule in Niger. On Friday, the ECOWAS commissioner for peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said 11 of its 15 member states had agreed to commit troops to military intervention, saying they were ready to go. The soldiers who overthrew Bazoum last month have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffed most dialogue efforts and kept Bazoum, his wife and son under house arrest in the capital. The 11 member states that agreed to intervene militarily dont include the blocs three other countries under military rule following coups: Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso. The latter two have warned they would consider any intervention in Niger an act of war. On Friday, Nigers state television said that Mali and Burkina Faso had dispatched warplanes in a show of solidarity. Fridays announcement was the latest in a series of so far empty threats by ECOWAS to forcefully restore democratic rule in Niger, conflict analysts say. Immediately after the coup, the bloc gave the junta seven days to release and restore Bazoum, a deadline that came and went with no action. The putschists wont be holding their breath this time over the renewed threat of military action, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank. The junta leaders are cementing their rule and appointing loyal commanders to key units, while ECOWAS has no experience with military action in hostile territory and would have no local support if it tried to intervene, he said. Niger is a very fragile country that can easily turn, in case of a military intervention, into a failed state like Sudan, said Laessing. ECOWAS used force to restore order in 2017 in the Gambia when longtime President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down after he lost the presidential election. That move involved diplomatic efforts led by the then-presidents of Mauritania and Guinea, while Jammeh appeared to be acting on his own after the Gambian army pledged allegiance to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow. Also on Saturday, the new U.S. ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, arrived in the capital, said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department. The U.S. hasnt had an ambassador in the country for nearly two years. FitzGibbon will focus on advocating for a diplomatic solution that preserves constitutional order in Niger and for the immediate release of Bazoum, his family, and all those unlawfully detained, said Miller. Her arrival does not reflect a change in the U.S. policy position, he said. On the streets of the capital Saturday, many residents said they were preparing to fight back against an ECOWAS military intervention. Thousands of people in the capital of Niamey lined up outside the main stadium to register as fighters and volunteers to help with other needs in case the junta requires support. Some parents brought their children to sign up. Some people said theyd been waiting since 3 a.m., while groups of youths boisterously chanted in favor of the junta and against ECOWAS and the countrys former colonial ruler, France. I am here for the recruitment to become a good soldier. We are all here for that, said Ismail Hassan, a resident waiting in line to register. If God wills, we will all go. Events organizer Amsarou Bako claimed the junta was not involved in recruiting volunteers to defend the coup, although it is aware of the initiative. Hours after the drive started, the organizers said it would be postponed, but didnt explain why. The humanitarian situation in the country is also on the agenda of the U.N.s West Africa and Sahel special representative. Before the coup, nearly 3 million people were facing severe food insecurity and hundreds of thousands were internally displaced, according to CARE, an international aid group. Economic and travel sanctions imposed by ECOWAS after the coup, coupled with the deteriorating security, will have dire consequences for the population, CARE said. Prior to the coup, Western countries had seen Niger as one of the last democratic nations they could partner with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, and poured millions of dollars of military aid and assistance into shoring up Nigers forces. Since the coup, former jihadis have told The Associated Press that militants have been taking advantage of the freedom of movement caused by suspended military operations by the French and the U.S. and a distracted Nigerien army that is focusing efforts on the capital. Last week, at least 17 soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in an ambush by militants. It was the first major attack against Nigers army in six months. A day later, at least 50 civilians were killed in the Tillaberi region by extremists believed to be members of the Islamic State group, according to an internal security report for aid groups seen by the AP. While Nigers leaders are consumed by politics in the capital, the drumbeat of lethal jihadist attacks goes on in the countryside, said Corinne Dufka a political analyst who specializes in the Sahel region. The recent attacks should motivate all parties to work for as speedy and inclusive a transition as possible, so they can get back to the crucial business of protecting civilians from the devastating consequences of war, she said. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Local residents try to reach their houses in Benijos village as police block the area as fire advances in La Orotava in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain on Aug. 19, 2023. Canary Islands regional President Fernando Clavijo said Sunday that police have confirmed that a wildfire raging on the Spanish tourist island of Tenerife was started deliberately. Clavijo said police had opened three lines of investigation, but did not say if there had been any arrests. Improved weather conditions helped firefighters make advances overnight in their battle to tame the blaze that has raged out of control for the past five days, authorities said Sunday. The night was very difficult but thanks to the work of the firefighters, the results have been very positive, Tenerife governor Rosa Davila said at a news conference. The Canary Islands have been in drought for most of the past few years, just like most of mainland Spain. The islands have recorded below-average rainfall in recent years because of changing weather patterns impacted by climate change. Although the blaze in the northeast of the island is not near the main tourist areas in the southwest, the regional government ordered the evacuation of a state-run hotel in the Teide volcano national park, in central Tenerife, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the fire zone. It was not immediately clear how many peope were staying at the hotel. Davila said that more than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since the fire started Tuesday. The islands emergency services said Sunday that 11,600 hectares (29,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland had been burned. No injuries have yet been reported and Davila said that thanks to the firefighters, no houses have been burned so far. The fire, described as the worst in Tenerife in decades, is threatening 11 town areas flanking a steep and craggy mountain area. Access for firefighters is extremely difficult. The emergency services said air quality in 19 town areas was not good and urged people to stay indoors when possible and wear masks outdoors. More than 400 firefighters and soldiers have been deployed, as well as 23 water-carrying helicopters and planes. Spains mainland is bracing for another heat wave starting Sunday that will last until Thursday. Spains state weather service said temperatures would gradually rise to hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in parts of the mainland Wednesday and Thursday. On Tenerife, the agency predicted maximum temperatures averaging 30 C (86F) for the coming week. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, Spain heads the list of EU countries affected by wildfires so far this year, with 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) burned, ahead of Italy and Greece. More than 2,000 people were evacuated in a wildfire on the nearby La Palma island last month that affected some 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres). Spain accounted for almost 40% of the nearly 800,00 hectares (2 million acres) burned in the European Union in 2022, the EU agency said. The seven Canary Islands are located off the northwest coast of Africa and southwest of mainland Spain. At their nearest point, they are 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Morocco. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The first round of the Ecuadors presidential election was won Sunday by Luisa Gonzalez, the candidate of Citizen Revolution Movement, the party founded by former president Rafael Correa. With 85% of ballots counted, Gonzalez won 33% of the vote, while the businessman Daniel Noboa came in second place with 24%. To win outright, a candidate needed 50% of the vote, or to have at least 40% with a 10-point lead over the closest opponent. As no candidate reached this threshold, a runoff between the Gonzalez and Noboa will be held on October 15. The race is shaping up to be a similar dynamic to the 2021 election, when the Correa-backed candidate Andres Arauz faced off against banker Guillermo Lasso, who had the support of the economic and business elite. That battle was won by Lasso, but back then, Ecuador and the Citizen Revolution Movement were in a very different situation to the one they are in today. After years of decline, the Citizen Revolution Movement is making a comeback as seen in the partys wins in the regional and municipal elections in February. Meanwhile, the country is facing its biggest security crisis in its history. The first surprise of Sundays election night was the success of Noboa. Polls did not foresee that he would make it to the runoff, but he gained ground after his performance in last weekends presidential debate, which took place just days after the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The 35-year-old businessman is the son of multimillionaire Alvaro Noboa, who made five unsuccessful bids for the presidency. Daniel Noboa will now try to achieve what his father failed to do. Villavicencio was listed on the ballots despite being assassinated two weeks ago while leaving a campaign rally. His murder which shocked the campaign and highlighted the sweeping violence in Ecuador happened so close to the first round of the election that there was not enough time to reprint the ballots. Correas name, on the other hand, was not on the ballot, but he loomed large over the elections. Many voters said they were voting for Correa by casting their ballot for Gonzalez, who was unknown to many until a few months ago. The fact that she was backed by Correa who is living in exile in Belgium was enough to convince many supporters. Daniel Noboa, after voting in Manglaralto, Ecuador. PRESS DEPARTMENT DANIEL NOBOA (via REUTERS) Christian Zurita (who replaced Villavicencio after his assassination) and Jan Topic, the so-called Nayib Bukele of Ecuador, came in third and fourth place, respectively. Both were almost 10 points below Noboa. The first to concede defeat in the first round was former vice president Otto Sonnenholzner, who was in office under Lenin Moreno. He conceded defeat when just 10% of the votes had been counted. Topic and Zurita followed suit soon after. All three had been polling ahead of Noboa, who said he had no intention of creating an anti-Correa coalition with the two. I am in favor of creating a new project, he said after the vote. Topic, however, has already called on his voters to back Noboa. The first round took place amid a state of emergency that was called following Villavicencios assassination. The day passed without incident, although the candidates had added security measures. Zurita donned a helmet and bulletproof vest, and was surrounded by soldiers. President Lasso, who did not run for reelection, said that, with these early elections, he was giving back to the people the power they gave him to govern. Lasso decided to shorten his mandate last May when he announced the surprise dissolution of the National Assembly and called for new elections. The president took the decision to avoid an impeachment trial over alleged corruption. The next president will govern only until the end of this term, which will last for another 18 months. Its a short amount of time to address all the challenges facing Ecuador, which have come to the fore in this campaign. Citizens list insecurity as their top concern, but stamping it out is not likely to be easy. In the last three years, violence has grown amid the increased presence of drug trafficking groups from Colombia and Mexico, which are fighting for control of areas in Ecuador, especially on the Pacific coast. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The progressive sociologist Bernardo Arevalo has won the Guatemalan presidential elections. The diplomat from the Movimiento Semilla (Seed Movement) party won 58%, while former first lady Sandra Torres, from the National Unity of Hope (UNE) party, secured 37.2%. Today we accept with great humility the victory that the people of Guatemala have given us. The ballots have spoken [...] and what the people are shouting is enough already of the corruption, said Arevalo, whose main campaign promise was to fight corruption in Guatemala, in his first statements as president-elect. Arevalo also thanked the people of Guatemala for voting. Regardless of the option they chose, participating is an act of defending democracy and in this historic moment it was an act of courage for every person who cast their vote, he said. Arevalos victory consolidates his surprise rise to power. The first signs of his support were seen in the first round of the presidential election on June 25, when he disproved the polls to come in second place. The Seed Movement was founded amid the 2015 anti-corruption protests that swept across the country, and seeks to challenge the traditional way of doing politics. Its steady rise has excited many voters in Guatemala, who saw Sundays vote as an historic election to put an end to the creeping authoritarianism the country has seen in recent years. Bernardo Arevalo and his team celebrated the victory at the Las Americas Hotel in Guatemala City, where his campaign was following the count. Supporters chanted Yes we can as they awaited the first speech of the president-elect. Hundreds of Guatemalans gathered outside the hotel and at the nearby Obelisco Plaza to celebrate the victory of the Seed Movement. Sandra Torres was scheduled to give a press conference at her campaign headquarters, but it was cancelled. Her last public appearance took place before the polls closed. We are going to defend the vote; we are concerned about everything that has happened since the first round, she said, insisting that there were irregularities, but without providing proof. The current president, Alejandro Giammattei, congratulated Guatemalans and Arevalo, to whom he is to transfer power on January 14. I extend the invitation to begin the orderly transition the day after the results are made official, he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. More than 9.3 million Guatemalans were eligible to vote at Sundays runoff, with voter turnout sitting at just over 45%. In a press conference around 8 p.m., Gabriel Aguilera, the head of Guatemalas TSE election authority, called on political parties to accept the results of the election with maturity. It is worth fighting for democracy and protecting it for future elections, added Aguilera. Bernardo Arevalo votes in Guatemala City. Edwin Bercian (EFE) The first celebrations of Arevalos victory came from abroad. The results were welcomed by several former prosecutors and judges, such as Francisco Sandoval and Claudia Escobar, who had been forced to flee to the United States for pursuing corruption cases. When it was clear that Arevalo had won, they rushed to congratulate him, with some promising to return to the country. Arevalo voted before 9 a.m. at La Patria School, located in downtown Guatemala City. When he entered, he was surrounded by a swarm of journalists, supporters and members of the Seed Movement, who cheered: Future president and Long live Arevalo! Guatemalans: now is the time to vote with joy, lets go vote early, Arevalo urged after casting his vote with his wife. Today, like many Guatemalan families, we are hopeful that a better future is coming. May democracy triumph today, he wrote on X, in a message with photos that showed him having breakfast with his family. After casting his ballot, he went with his mother to her polling station. Sandra Torres during a press conference on Sunday. CRISTINA CHIQUIN (REUTERS) Arevalo won the elections with the promise of restoring the Guatemalan institutions, which are overrun by corruption. Close to 60% percent of Guatemala lives below the poverty line, and there are serious deficiencies in the education and health sectors, as well as infrastructure. We dont have a magic wand. The countrys problems are not going to be solved in four years, but we can begin to solve them and that is what we have to show, Arevalo told EL PAIS ahead of the election. But doing so will be no easy feat. Arevalo does not have the support of Congress, with the two main governing parties outspoken critics of the Seed Movement. According to political expert Marielos Chang, Arevalo and his party will also have to make a decision on how they hope to stamp out corruption, be it going after those guilty of corruption or creating new mechanisms to put an end to it. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition When Berlin was divided by its infamous wall, the city was reputed to be the spy capital of the Eastern communist bloc and also of the democratic and capitalist West. This appeared to be condemned to history when the Iron Curtain came down, marking the end of the Cold War. However, the city, which later became the capital of reunified Germany, did not lose its appeal to the secret services. Indeed, eight years ago, the then head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the countrys counterintelligence services, Hans-Georg Maassen, referred to the city as a modern, active and thriving espionage capital of Europe. The city continues to draw agents, most of whom come from Russia. President Vladimir Putin who in his youth served as a KGB officer in the now defunct German Democratic Republic (GDR) and his government are keen to understand everything about the assistance Germany has been providing to Ukraine since the Kremlin-ordered invasion on February 24, 2022. Last Wednesday, the Public Prosecutors Office in Koblenz announced the arrest of Thomas H., a captain who worked for the German Armys Office of Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, the agency in charge of the procurement of armaments and equipment for the Armed Forces. Thomas H., a supporter of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and a sworn friend of Russia, was spotted several times in front of the Russian Embassy in Berlin and in the vicinity. He seemed insecure, like a shy deer, said a state security official from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), which is investigating the case in conjunction with the BfV and the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD). According to the German Prosecutors Office, last May Thomas H. supplied information to the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Moscow Embassy in Berlin. On one occasion, he transmitted information obtained in the course of his professional activity, with the purpose of having it transferred to a Russian secret service, the institution reported. The arrest of the German captain triggered a wave of reactions among politicians and intelligence services in Germany, where it is believed that Russian espionage has infiltrated many places. These concerns are not misplaced. A few weeks after the attack on Ukraine began, the Berlin city-state government announced that spies from at least three Russian secret services were operating out of the Russian embassy on the citys Unter den Linden avenue. These were the successor to the KGB, the Federal Security Service (FSB); the Foreign Intelligence Service (SWR), whose agents passed themselves off as diplomats or journalists; and the Russias military intelligence service (GRU). There must be over 100 spies with diplomatic cover, and a year ago there were almost 150, said a Foreign Ministry official, pointing out that his department expelled 40 foreign agents in April 2022. The entrances to the Russian Embassy in Berlin and the Russian Consulates General in Bonn, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig and Munich are filmed and monitored 24 hours a day by cameras of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution [German counterintelligence]. Disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks This case [the arrest of Thomas H.] shows that our security forces are closely monitoring Russian espionage in Germany and are taking appropriate measures against it, said the Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser. As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the threat posed by espionage, disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks has taken on a new dimension, she warned. The threat had previously been reported at the beginning of July by the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), which warned of heightened attention from Russian and Chinese espionage services on the German military. The intelligence services of both countries have been identified as the most active espionage operators, said the MAD in its annual report, in recalling that the war in Ukraine is playing a central role in the intensity of the intelligence services. Germany has supplied arms, ammunition and equipment to Kyiv, and provides training to members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Supplies of equipment and weaponry to Ukraine, the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany and the increased military presence on NATOs eastern flank have led to a growing interest of foreign intelligence services, particularly from Russia, in the activities, intentions and actions carried out by the army, said the president of the MAD, Martina Rosenberg, in a report from the agency. The huge number of Russian intelligence service employees deployed here confirms Germanys outstanding value, warn the MAD, which now claims that in view of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the reinforcement of counterintelligence and the fight against espionage and possible sabotage is more urgent than ever. Growing hybrid threat The arrest of Thomas H. was labelled as a success by the Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius. We are quick and alert. We must continue to reinforce the personnel of the military counterintelligence service on an ongoing basis, he said. In times of war in Ukraine, we have to adapt to the growing hybrid threat. But one thing is clear: we are wide awake and will do our absolute best to prosecute every case vigorously. The chairman of the Bundestag [the German federal parliament] secret services control committee, Konstantin von Notz (The Greens), also described the arrest as a success for counterintelligence, but he said the arrest dramatically showed how Germany had become the focus of attention of intelligence services of autocracies such as Russia or China. We are not in a James Bond movie or the Cold War, but these agencies have become more relevant than ever, said the politician. The arrest of Captain Thomas H. was not the first to impact the country, and it may not be the last. In December last year, an agent of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) was arrested for allegedly providing information to a Russian intelligence service. Unlike the current case, the officer and an alleged accomplice arrested in January are also being investigated for treason for disclosing state secrets. In November 2022, a reserve officer of the Armed Forces was handed a sentence of one year and nine months for spying for Russia. Between 2014 and 2020 he leaked documents and information to Russian secret services using contacts at the Russian Embassy in Berlin. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition At six in the morning of September 11, 1973, Chilean Fire Commander Fernando Cuevas called First Lieutenant Alejandro Artigas, of the First Company of Santiago. He ordered him to keep the night watch team at the station until further notice. Artigas who was 24 years old at the time and a law student at the University of Chile told him that he had a test that day. He also explained that other firefighters had to go to class or to work. The order is clear. No one retires, Cuevas responded. The lieutenant, without knowing the reason for the order, complied. He passed on the message to the 12 men on shift. Now 74 years old, Artigas affirms that, evidently, there was no plan for what happened that day. We didnt have any different information than the rest of the people. And, therefore, we [werent at] the scene of the bombing of La Moneda (Chiles presidential palace) [when it happened], explains the honorary director of the institution, in a room at the Santiago Fire Departments headquarters. Artigas recounts how he was the first firefighter to enter the government palace after the military bombed it. He also explains how he was one of the few firefighters who saw the lifeless body of President Salvador Allende. But, before telling all of this to EL PAIS, he notes that the fire department is entirely made up of volunteers. Its a disciplined body made up of civilians, who arent under any obligation to serve. We work with the authorities, regardless of [political party]. And, in the case of September 11, that was clearly reflected. In all the [fire] companies, there were people from the left, center and right But on the street, not inside the force. That day, everyone maintained strict respect for each other, Artigas points out. He has spent more than half-a-century with the institution, having been elected as a captain, commander and superintendent. Alejandro Artigas, the honorary director of the Santiago Fire Department, in the boardroom of the departments headquarters. Cristian Soto Quiroz Lacking any clear information, the firefighters of the First Company turned on the radio, listening to both the government and opposition stations in search of clues. At eight in the morning, everyone was already aware of a much more powerful military movement than what had been previously seen during the attempted coup of June 29, when tanks moved into the center of Santiago. On September 11, the firefighters heard the military threaten to bomb the government palace if Allende did not hand over power. Artigas gathered the volunteers he was in charge of. Aware that there was a mixture of different political stripes among the men, the lieutenant asked those who had any personal concerns to make a request to leave the station. But once the alarm goes off and we have to move, no one backs down, he warned. None of the volunteers all young men between the ages of 18 and 28 excused themselves. We were all scared to death, but we said, Its impossible for them to bomb, its just an empty threat. We didnt imagine warplanes bombing something in such a calculated manner, says Artigas, whose company was located just four blocks from La Moneda. At about 10:30 in the morning, Allendes historic final speech was given over the radio. Shortly afterward, around noon, the bombardment began. From a small window in the station, the volunteers from the first company saw a flash and, seconds later, heard the roar. Thats when we realized that this was a war situation the shots were heard everywhere. The firefighter remembers the integrity of his colleagues, but also the concern, not only for themselves, but also for their families, their jobs and their political positions. Nobody knew what was going to happen; if [the military regime] was going to last a month, or the 17 years that it lasted. We had no idea who Mr. Pino [General Augusto Pinochet] was He had been appointed commander-in-chief, but we hardly knew who he was, he adds. They watched as the flames consumed the palace and listened to the sound of machine guns. Did they feel powerless for not being able to go out? We felt a sense that we werent doing what we needed to do. Later, we found out that the Santiago Military Garrison was coordinating with the commander so that the firefighters could put out the fires once the situation was under control, so that we wouldnt be cannon fodder, Artigas recalls. At the time, he had been a volunteer firefighter for seven years. At 2:55 p.m., the order was given. The Santiago Fire Brigade attended to the fire at La Moneda, the one in the Socialist Party headquarters and the one in President Allendes house on Tomas Moro street, among others. Some nine companies went to the government palace. Within a minute, Artigas team was entering through the door at Morande 80, which later remained closed for decades. There was total chaos. Everybody was giving orders. Lieutenant Artigas the first to enter and lay out an action plan saw how the fire was had consumed the second floor; there was practically no roof left in the north zone. The opening to the sky ensured that the smoke wouldnt accumulate, but the darkness of the sky still made vision difficult. After an hour of work, the captain of the First Company arrived to assume the leadership role. Artigas explains that the first hours consisted of putting out the violent fire, which had spread to several buildings in the area. Amid the stress, firefighters and the military spread the word through the corridors that Allende was dead. When the lieutenant reached the second floor, he asked the fire department to illuminate Independence Hall, where the president had taken his own life. Artigass company didnt have their flashlights with them, so a volunteer from another company delivered them. The young man who was at the door of the hall was tremendously affected. I offered him help. It was one of those things that you do without being aware; it wasnt my job, it was almost against protocol, he points out. He regained his focus and entered the room. Light was required because the authorities requested that a journalist film the scene. Among those present were General Javier Palacios who gave the orders , a fire captain and several soldiers. I couldnt say who, because that day, the uniforms had no [visible rank]. You looked, and you didnt know if [the soldier] was a corporal or a colonel. They were wearing colored bracelets, Artigas recalls. It was a gruesome scene. There was a sepulchral silence. He recounts that Allende was lying dead on a sofa, dressed in a turtleneck sweater and cloth pants. He saw the rifle between his legs and his glasses on the floor. The firefighter had the three statements he later made before the democratic justice system corrected, so that every time Allende was named, they would put President Allende. Because [above all] Im a firefighter, he clarifies. Alejandro Artigas is another [person], he affirms. The correction was made out of respect. When he returned to work, the then-lieutenant confesses that he wondered what he was doing there, who had sent him. He heard rumors that other troops were coming to defend the government. Artigas and his colleagues thought that they were going to be the ham in the sandwich. At 10:00 p.m., Commander Cuevas ordered the 200 volunteer firefighters who were in the building to leave. There was no water left. However, they knew that, the next day, they would have to return. Even weeks later, Artigas notes, he was still seeing smoke coming out of La Moneda. Alejandro Artigas, at the Museum of Firefighters in Santiago, Chile. Cristian Soto Quiroz Artigas who lived in the fire stations living quarters when he was young would go on to get married. Today, hes the father of four children and the grandfather of three. His eyes shine like a childs when he talks about the work done by his institution, his former home. The level of commitment and service put to the test on September 11 of 1973 continues to be seen in every major event that shakes Chile, whenever the firefighters have to step in. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Work has begun to provide employment for residents resettled in Fuzuli city under the Great Return Programme. Representatives of the State Employment Agency, subordinate to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, held meetings with the first 23 families resettled in Fuzuli after their settlement, Azernews reports, citing Agency. According to information provided by the Public Relations Department of the Ministry, the employment opportunities of these families were assessed and they were provided with information on active employment programmes (self-employment programmes, vocational training courses, job placement activities, etc.). Based on the results of the assessment, employment support is provided to citizens within the framework of these programmes. In general, in the first phase, initial contacts were made with each of the families to explore employment opportunities for members of the 144 families planned to be relocated to Fuzuli. Discussions were held to identify employment opportunities for members of these families and they were provided with detailed information on active employment programmes. The new golden age of space travel includes a multimillion-dollar business: the exploitation of celestial resources. A 2018 study cited by the European Space Agency (ESA) in the ESA Space Resources Strategy document predicts that between $73 and $170 billion in revenue could be generated annually from this activity until 2045. Meanwhile, the water from the lunar poles along with several minerals that are found there will be essential for the construction of permanent bases. Future technology could open up a new Silk Road, with the trade of treasures such as helium-3 (the key component of nuclear fusion). The United States, on the one hand and Russia and China, on the other are leading the race to get at these lunar resources. Theyre moving so fast that international regulations cannot keep up. Experts warn that, without order, the galaxy could quickly become the Wild West. More information A gold rush in space The first legal question about the use of these resources is whether states or private companies can take possession of them. The international treaties in force which were approved during the Cold War prohibit the national appropriation of outer space, the Moon, or other celestial bodies. Victor Barrio a senior associate at the law firm Hogan Lovells explains that, according to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (the basic international framework), they dont belong to anyone. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that the exploitation of the Moons natural resources is prohibited. Rafael Harillo a lawyer specializing in space law defines the situation as follows: The sea belongs to everyone and the fish belongs to [the people] who catch them. Such a vision isnt entirely conflict-free. Attorney Efren Diaz also an expert in space law agrees that outer space is the concern of all humanity, but emphasizes that it will be necessary to see to what extent international treaties allow for the ownership of all or part of it, because the principle of non-appropriation is still in force. Problems arise when the situation moves from theory to reality. Both NASA and China plan to build permanent homes on the Moon that will require water, minerals (such as regolith, for construction purposes), as well as energy sources, such as helium-3. To protect asteroid mining, the best-positioned countries have begun attempts to legalize it unilaterally. The United States broke the ice in 2015, with the approval of the so-called Asteroids Act, which allows its nationals to obtain licenses to trade these resources. A couple of years later, in 2017, Luxembourg also protected these activities by law. Subsequently, other countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Spain have joined this push. Bilateral agreements More than 30 of Americas international partners have already signed on to the Artemis Accords, which were drafted by NASA and the U.S. Department of State. They have done so to be able to participate in the next missions to the Moon. This multilateral agreement is a kind of guide when it comes to space cooperation. Victor Barrio notes that it also contemplates and justifies the extraction of resources, while not implying intrinsically national appropriation. Harillo adds that this consensual regulation is gaining more participants than the Moon Treaty of 1979. Said agreement, explains Elisa Gonzalez president of the Spanish Association of Aeronautics and Space Law was ratified by only about 20 countries and didnt resolve the issue of the use of lunar resources, which were classified as the common heritage of humanity. The great space powers fled from this treaty, she notes, because it provided for the equitable participation of all signatories when it came to the exploitation of resources. Is such participation fair when there is a state, organization or private entity thats risking a lot of the capital? The boom of the space economy is on the horizon. There are already several pioneering companies that are betting big. Some have explored the possibility of mining asteroid resources rich in minerals, such as platinum, gold and other valuable metals. Victor Barrio cautions that, while there is optimism that said projects will succeed, well have to wait 20 years to see the result. Whats closer, he affirms, is the exploitation of the Moon: projects related to this could take off in the next decade. A lunar economy raises many questions that, for the moment, dont have answers. One of the most intense debates is whether and how countries with no financial stake in this business should be compensated. Victor Barrio is in favor of creating a tax to finance technological development programs that will compensate these nations. However, Elisa Gonzalez is opposed to this formula: All of humanity has been benefiting for years from the technology developed by spatially-active states. While a new international standard is coming to light, space law expert Efren Diaz underlines the importance of guaranteeing a responsible and sustainable use of the cosmos. The [overmining] of terrestrial fossil resources can be a reference to apply in the use of spaces mineral resources. Space Heritage As space exploration progresses, locations on other celestial bodies of historical and scientific interest such as the Moon and Mars are being discovered and reached. For instance, Tranquility Base: the site where the legendary Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon. The soil still preserves the traces of the first human footprints left by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin more than half-a-century ago, as witnessed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in July 2009. Diaz points out that the protection of space heritage presents legal challenges about how to preserve and safeguard these sites and objects, so that human activities dont irreversibly damage them. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The females of several species of mole have, in addition to ovaries, testicular tissue that resembles the testicles of a male. Rafael Jimenez Medina learned how to hunt elusive Iberian moles in the fields of southern Spain in the 1980s, when he was a young PhD student in genetics at the University of Granada. A local hunter of the moles (Talpa occidentalis) taught him how to capture these solitary, aggressive and territorial animals. The moles dig subterranean galleries and labyrinths in the meadows of the Iberian Peninsula, especially those with soft soils rich in earthworms, their favorite food. Such activity can benefit the soil by aerating or mixing it but the moles presence and constant movement in cultivated land raise the ire of farmers, who pay hunters to get rid of them. Jimenez Medina had a different motivation for hunting these subterranean mammals. His doctoral project was to visualize and analyze their chromosomes, which meant collecting, preparing and examining samples from the testes of males. His lab analyses led to a curious finding: Some of the moles he had identified as males were in fact genetically females that is, their sex chromosomes were XX (female) and not XY (male). The confusion, we now know, stems from the unusual composition of the reproductive organs of female moles. In contrast to most female mammals, which have only ovaries, female Iberian moles also have testicular tissue. This tissue anatomically resembles male testicles but differs in that it produces testosterone but no sperm. The female moles organs are composed of both an ovarian and a testicular portion and are known as ovotestes. In addition, female moles have a clitoris covered with a foreskin and with an elongated appearance that resembles a penis; they urinate through this structure. Another unique anatomical feature is that during these females juvenile stage, the vaginal orifice remains closed. So fascinating were his findings that Jimenez Medina, after finalizing his doctoral studies, set aside his work in chromosomal analysis to immerse himself in the study of the enigmatic sexual development of these animals. His work, and that of other colleagues over the past decades, would turn this small mammal species each of which could fit in the palm of your hand into a model for the study of female masculinization and the biological mechanisms that underlie it. These moles and other species whose females exhibit typically male traits such as the spotted hyena have become the paradigms of female masculinization, Jimenez Medina and colleagues wrote in the 2023 Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, wherein they detail the rewards and challenges of studying the creatures anatomy and behavior. These exceptional cases invite us to reconsider the concepts of femininity and masculinity in the field of reproductive biology, the authors write. The presence of both male and female sexual characteristics in a single creature has been documented in many invertebrate and fish species, but in mammals this phenomenon is mainly restricted to isolated cases to reports of individuals rather than a whole species. Such anatomical amalgamation has been described in humans for centuries: As far back as ancient Greece, surgical interventions on patients with ambiguous genitalia were reported. Formerly called hermaphroditism (in reference to Hermaphrodite, a character from Greek mythology with voluptuous breasts and male external genitalia), the characteristics are today referred to as intersex, explains molecular geneticist Francisca Martinez Real of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. Whats remarkable about the moles, however, is that this intersexuality doesnt occur just in a few individuals: it is the norm in females. And it is not exclusive to Iberian moles: Intersexuality has been identified in eight mole species and in a species related to moles called desmans, which live near aquatic environments such as rivers and lakes. These male characteristics provide these females with tools to survive in extreme environments. The power of testosterone A key consequence of female moles having ovotestes is their high levels of testosterone, the major sex hormone in males (essential to the development of male growth and masculine characteristics), which directly influences the female moles anatomy and behavior. But their testosterone production is seasonal, varying as the size of testicular tissue in the ovotestes changes dramatically throughout the year, explains Martinez Real, who began studying the regulation of sexual development in mammals in Jimenez Medinas laboratory in the early 2000s. At the end of the fall, during the winter and in the beginning of spring, the ground fills up with earthworms and life becomes easier for the moles. At this time, the testicular tissue shrinks and, therefore, the females are less aggressive. Between September and May and most intensely between November and March the females allow the males to enter their territory for mating, says Jimenez Medina. Outside the mating period, interactions between the two sexes are reduced mainly to territorial confrontations. All female Iberian moles have ovotestes: gonads reproductive glands that produce gametes containing both ovarian and testicular tissue. Ovotestes are located where simple ovaries are found in other species. These females make eggs in the ovarian part of their ovotestes, while the testicular portion secretes testosterone but makes no sperm. During the summer months, things get more complicated. In this time of dry, hard ground and scarce food, it is more difficult for the animals to dig tunnels and galleries, and more strength is needed. The testicular part of the ovotestes enlarges, and testosterone blood levels in females averages 2.62 nanograms per milliliter in adults and 5.5 ng/ml in juveniles. These figures are in the same order of magnitude as those of males at the same period: 4.9 ng/ml in adults and 3.9 ng/ml in juveniles. By way of comparison, an adult female human has testosterone levels of about 0.5 ng/ml, equivalent to one-tenth of those of an average adult male, at about 5 ng/ml of testosterone. Exactly how these seasonal variations in testosterone production occur in females remains a question that Jimenez Medina and his colleagues are still investigating. What is clear is that the higher testosterone levels give female moles the muscularity necessary to achieve key tasks: building galleries, making hunting grounds to catch earthworms, defending their territory. The musculature they have is impressive, says Jimenez Medina. When you dissect a mole whether female or male what you see are the muscles of a bodybuilder, he says. Testosterone is linked to aggression in all kinds of mammals and other vertebrates, says Jenny Graves, an evolutionary geneticist at La Trobe University in Australia who has studied sex determination in mammals. Although in most mammal species the male is the biggest, strongest and most aggressive, she says it is very interesting to see examples like moles, in which females are the ones protecting their territory. In mammals, sex is genetically determined, so the intersexuality of mole females must have a genetic basis. In search of clues, Martinez Real and Jimenez Medina were part of a team that analyzed the genomes of the Iberian mole and one of its relatives, the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata), whose females also develop ovotestes. The team found that the genomes of both species have alterations that affect the activity of key genes involved in testosterone production and testis development, modifying when and how much the genes are turned on or off in the sex organs of females, as reported in Science in 2020. One of these alterations affects the activity of a gene called CYP17A1, which encodes an enzyme that controls the production of male sex hormones, including testosterone. Iberian and star-nosed moles have three copies of this gene, while most mammals have only one. But the two extra copies of the gene do not function, and the important change lies in a modified copy of a nearby DNA sequence that regulates gene activity. This modification in the regulatory elements increases CYP17A1 activity in both the testes of males and in the testicular tissue of the ovotestes of females, resulting in increased testosterone production in both sexes. In addition, in mammals there is another gene, CYP19A1, that is commonly active only in the ovaries and which converts testosterone into female hormones. This gene could reverse the effects of increased testosterone production from the changes in the CYP17A1 gene. But in moles, CYP19A1 is activated only in the ovarian part of the ovotestes, not in the testicular part. That means that it doesnt interfere with testosterone production. A third alteration affects the activity of yet another gene, known as FGF9, which contributes to the development of the testes in mammals. Both the Iberian mole and the star-nosed mole have a piece of DNA inverted in a region thats key to the regulation of this gene. As a result, Martinez Real and colleagues found, the gene is active in the reproductive organs of females during embryonic development, when in other mammals it is active only in the males. Its activity delays ovarian development and favors the development of the testicular tissue of what will later become ovotestes, explains Martinez Real. Experiments that introduced such genetic alterations in mice showed that they play a role in the development of females with masculinized traits. These mice males and females received an extra copy of the sequence that regulates CYP17A1 activity and produced greater amounts of testosterone: Females produced twice as much as females whose genomes were not altered, and males produced three times more than unaltered males. Meanwhile, female mice engineered to increase the activity of the FGF9 gene, similar to its increase in the moles, developed testes. Different ways of being female Do the presence of ovotestes, large muscles and aggressive behavior make these female moles less feminine? Jimenez Medina says the answer is no. From a biological point of view, the most feminine thing is to become a mother, he says, since anatomical female-male sexual forms exist for the purpose of sexual reproduction. And female moles carry out this role with no problems: They have about four pups a year, which they care for and nurse for about a month. They build a new nest specially fitted out to give birth and nurse their young, says Jimenez Medina, and they do so using layers of dry leaves that probably serve to ensure waterproofing and thermal insulation. Developmental geneticist Rafael Jimenez Medina holds a recently captured mole in a field in Spain. The female moles are also very efficient nursers. Their pups can increase their birth weight by as much as 45 grams after one month of lactation, perhaps reflecting the high nutritional quality of the mothers milk. Females with an average weight of 53.5 grams can produce litters averaging 144.12 grams at weaning, suggesting a higher reproductive effort than other female mammals specifically, several species of shrews with which they have been compared. In biological terms, the female moles make it clear that there is no single way to be female and, in exceptional cases, the development of masculinized traits could be related to adaptation to a challenging environment, such as living underground. Kay Holekamp, a behavioral ecologist at Michigan State University who has been studying female spotted hyenas for decades, says that they and female moles have a strange mix of traits. But to say that these females are masculinized is only a fraction of the story, she adds: There are aspects of their nervous system and behavioral repertoires that are not masculinized at all and are, in fact, very feminine. The interesting thing about these animals, she says, is that they are, ultimately, chimeras. Article translated by Debbie Ponchner This article originally appeared on Knowable Magazine, an independent journalist endeavor from Annual Reviews. Cell phones have become predominant when it comes to photography and have long since replaced conventional cameras. It is estimated that by 2023 each user will take an average of 2,100 photos from their cell phone. Of the total number of photos expected to be taken this year, an estimated 92.5% will be shot from a cell phone. As there is such a large volume of images, it is essential to maintain a well-organized photo library on your phone. In this regard, Rodrigo Rivas, an expert in mobile photography, suggests ensuring a certain level of upkeep of your photo library. He is speaking about duplicates, screenshots and blurry photos that are left there because of carelessness and ultimately blight the user experience. I use Gemini, an app that allows you to detect duplicate photos, explains Rivas. This enables you to locate and salvage your treasured memories efficiently, and also to optimize storage space, as duplicate photos can consume valuable space on your device. iPhone expert Fran Besora underlines the importance of being able to locate the photos you are looking for amongst the mass of images that can build up after a vacation. Besora stresses the importance of tagging your snapshots: I tag the photos so that I can easily locate them in the search engine, I create albums to sort the photos and I mainly use the Favorites function. This specialist recommends ongoing review and proactive tagging, in order to ease the process of locating specific images in the future. Fortunately, manufacturers are fully aware of the clutter that is gradually accumulating on their devices, as taking photos is easy, fast and, most importantly, free of charge. For this reason, they have equipped them with systems using artificial intelligence, which enable us to locate the elements in different photos. This means that you can type the word dog into your cell phone and snapshots with dogs in them will pop up. This function is already built into most cell phones, but nevertheless, Rivas recommends using services in the cloud: To organize photos with artificial intelligence, I think the best app is Google Photos or the default photo app on iOS and Android. Additionally, he suggests the use of geolocation to locate the desired photos: It is good to always have the location (GPS) enabled, because this will allow us to group them in many apps according to time, day or place. How to organize your cell phones photo library Initial cleaning. Dont be afraid to delete. At worst, deleted photos will remain in your devices trash garbage can for a while before disappearing for good. So, if you are not sure that a photo is suitable, if in doubt, it is always advisable to delete it. When it comes to duplicates, blurry photos and screenshots, use applications such as the previously mentioned Gemini, or Duplicate Photos Fixer or Remo Duplicate Photos Remover to make it easier to identify and automatically erase duplicate photos. Make use of folders. Organizing photos into folders or albums vastly simplifies finding them later. You can create these albums based around topics, dates, locations or people. Todays platforms allow the creation of these virtual storage spaces in a very simple way. How to create folders on iPhone: Open the on iPhone Photos app. Go to the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen. Touch the + button in the upper left corner of the screen. Select New Album from the menu that appears. Name the new album and press Save. Choose the photos you want to add to the album. When finished, press Done. How to create folders on Android: The way to do this may vary depending on the manufacturer and model of the Android device, and the version of the operating system it is running. The general procedure is as follows: Open the Gallery or Photos app on your Android device. Click on Albums or Folders, according to the application language. Look for a + sign or an option that says Create New Album or New Folder. This is usually at the top of the screen. Type the name for the new album and then select the photos that you want to move into it. Finally, click on Save or Create, according to the application language. It is important to remember to move the photos to the corresponding folders after you create them. This will help you keep your photos organized and make it easier to locate them in the future. Tagging and metadata. Using tags and metadata can be a bit more time-consuming, but it makes it much faster to search for photos. Adding tags that describe the content of the image (such as vacation, wedding, New York) enables specific searches to be performed later. On iPhone: The iPhone does not have a built-in feature for adding custom tags to photos. However, you can use the search function and notes in the photo description to obtain a similar result. Open the Photos app. Select the photo to which you want to add information. Swipe up on the photo to open the Add a caption section. Type the information or tags you want to associate with the photo. When searching in the Photos app, the added captions will also be searched, allowing you to use this as a form of tagging. On Android: As with iPhones, the Android operating system does not have a built-in native feature for adding tags to photos. However, certain third-party gallery apps, like F-Stop Gallery, allow you to add tags to photos. Download and install the F-Stop Gallery app from the Google Play Store. Open the app and select the photo you want to tag. Tap the menu icon (three vertical dots) and select Edit Tags. Type the tags you want, and then tap OK. You can also use Google Photos, which automatically organizes your snapshots into categories and allows you to search for people, places and things, thanks to its image recognition technology. Image recognition Built-in applications (Google Photos and Apple Photos) use artificial intelligence to identify objects, places and people in the photo library. This allows you to locate photos according to their content. For instance, if you search for the word cat, the system will display all photos in which a cat appears. Image search. Both applications employ artificial intelligence to categorize your images based on their content and the metadata associated with the image: On Google Photos: Open the app. Click on the search bar at the top. Write the search term. They could be objects (dog, building, beach) or places (Paris, Grand Canyon). Press the search key. Google Photos also suggests search categories below the search bar, such as places, things, people and dates. You can also search by combining objects and locations, such as dog in Paris, and Google Photos will try to match both criteria. On Apple Photos: Open the app. Click on the search bar at the top. Type the search term. They could be locations, dates objects, people, etc. Press the search key. Apple offers search suggestions below the search bar, and also allows you to conduct a combined keyword search. Synchronization and editing So far, we have talked about cleaning and organizing your photo library, but we should not forget the importance of making a back-up copy. Using cloud storage services, such as Google Photos, iCloud or Dropbox, lets you back up your images automatically. Finally, the use of photo editing applications, like Lightroom or Snapseed, not only allows you to improve your photos, but also provides additional organizational options. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Missing. Any leads would be appreciated. Have you seen these people? Please call us. The photocopied posters on the wall of Lahainas evacuee aid center are a succession of cries for help. Eleven days have passed since the wildfire, which left at least 114 dead and devastated this city the economic and cultural center of the Hawaiian island of Maui and the search for missing people and bodies continues. Meanwhile, as they come to terms with the pain and the extent of the devastation, the survivors are demanding explanations for a disaster management that has raised many questions. The deadliest wildfire in more than a century in the U.S. started Tuesday, August 8, on a mountainside above Lahaina and spread at lightning speed, fueled by winds from a distant hurricane that reached 80 mph. The viciousness of the flames took much of the 12,000-strong population by surprise as they grappled with the loss of any cellphone service and electricity. Many fled, armed with the bare essentials or nothing at all, to find a long traffic jam on the only road out of town still open. Dozens of people threw themselves into the sea in a bid to escape. Others remained trapped. The cause of the fire has yet to be established. An independent investigation points to sparks from electricity poles knocked down by the high winds. Residents also point to the lack of water pressure in the fire hydrants, which experts attribute to pipes damaged by the fire. And, above all, the residents are angry that the emergency sirens did not sound. They say the way to warn us was landlines, says Kim Camacho, a kindergarten teacher at Princess Nahienaena School. How many of us have a landline? Unless you have a business, nobody has landlines anymore. They also mention cellphones. But we had been without power all day. Our cellphones were dead and there was no service either. The only way we could have known about the danger was through those emergency sirens. Like most Lahaina residents, Camacho had to escape in a hurry. By the time she was able to return, her home had been reduced to a carpet of ashes, her possessions reduced to her car and what fit in one suitcase. I didnt notice the fire until I had the police in my driveway, she says. I drove the car around the block and saw everything was on fire. And all because those damn sirens didnt go off, she adds as she comforts one of her students, whose family has also lost everything. Camacho acknowledges that the windstorm also had a role to play. When theres a storm and the power goes out, were used to just sleeping it out, she says. You cant go out, so what else are you going to do? My neighbor two houses down escaped by the skin of her teeth. If the police hadnt come to warn her, she wouldnt have known about it. Herman Andaya, the recently resigned head of Mauis Civil Protection, tried last week to justify the decision not to activate the sirens. He argued that the sirens are intended to warn of possible tsunamis. Setting them off could have caused residents to flee towards the mountain, in the direction of the fire, he said, an explanation that has triggered fury among Lahaina residents: Climbing up the mountain, and getting out from there, was the only way to escape! says Camacho. Do you think were so stupid we would run into the fire? says Keki Keahi, a member of a coalition calling for resident participation in Lahainas rebuilding plans. Were a little smarter than that. We have hurricanes, we have tsunamis and we have sirens, but we already knew the hillside was burning. Besides the failure to sound the sirens, some residents have pointed out that the police had erected barriers across the roads in and out of Lahaina and were directing drivers towards the boardwalk, which had collapsed. The remains of that street, as well as others around it, are still littered with charred vehicles. Vehicles burned by the Lahaina fire August 18. ANDREW MILLER (EFE) I dont know what caused every access to be blocked, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said to reporters during a visit to the evacuee aid center on August 18. Our fire department lost a vehicle in the fire. They were fighting the fire and were surrounded. Other vehicles also caught fire. People got out of their cars and fled. I dont think there was a single cause for blocking access. Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has announced the opening of an impartial and independent investigation into the actions of government agencies in preventing and managing the disaster. Questionable infrastructure Also in question is the role of the Hawaiian Electric Company, which is being sued by user groups on Maui for negligence and alleged responsibility for the fire. The plaintiffs accuse Hawaiian Electric of failing to shut off power despite warnings that winds from Hurricane Dora could knock down poles and wires and cause fires. A video shot by a Lahaina resident shows how a collapsed wire caused dry grass next to a road on the outskirts of town to start burning. An independent firm that examines power grid sensors reported dozens of power cuts in the hours leading up to the fire, the fault of one such cut being captured on video as a loud spark on the power line. The company has pledged to assist Lopezs investigation and said it will examine whether its infrastructure may have played a role in the disaster. According to the governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, it will take years and billions of dollars before Lahaina is restored to its former glory. Hawaii Electrics CEO, Sheely Kimura, said that the company does not have a system to shut off the electricity supply in the event of a natural disaster or high winds: In Lahaina, the pumps that supply water are powered by electricity, she said at a press conference. There was an absolute necessity for power at that time. But the utility was already aware that its infrastructure posed risks. In a statement to the public utilities commission last year, it proposed replacing old poles with ones that would better withstand the force of the wind, as well as trimming the surrounding vegetation, although it estimated that the replacement would take years to complete. The document listed Lahaina as a priority area. The firms stock has fallen 49% this week, and ratings firm Standard and Poors has downgraded its credit to junk bond status. The lack of electricity and cellphone service in the days following the fire has also made it difficult to determine how many people are still missing. Without proper communications, many of those who escaped were recorded on different lists, each containing hundreds of names. Some officials put the number of people unaccounted for at around 1,000. The relief services are now trying to crosscheck and update these lists. At the evacuee aid center, Camacho says, When I came here to teach school, all I had was a car and a suitcase. All these years later, what do I have? A car and a suitcase. Were going to be fine, youll see. Well get through this. We did it once and well do it again. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to the desert resort city of Palm Springs, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers, before heading east and flooding a county about 40 miles (64 kilometers) outside of Las Vegas. The National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical storm Monday morning, but warned that continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding was expected over portions of the southwestern U.S., along with record-breaking rainfall and potential flooding in states as far north as Oregon and Idaho. Remnants of the storm that first brought soaking rains to Mexicos arid Baja California Peninsula and the border city of Tijuana were expected to linger at least through Tuesday morning. Southern Californians were battling flooded roads, mudslides and downed trees. Winding roads in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles were blocked by mud and debris flows. A stretch of the I-10 freeway near Palm Springs was also shut to traffic due to pooling water from the storm. Along the coast, a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway in surf-friendly Huntington Beach was also flooded. Thank God, my family is OK, Maura Taura said after a three-story-tall tree crashed down on her daughters two cars but missed the familys house in the Sun Valley area of Los Angeles. Hilary is just the latest major weather or climate disaster to wreak havoc across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Hawaiis island of Maui is still reeling from a blaze that killed more than 100 people and ravaged the historic town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Firefighters in Canada are battling that nations worst fire season on record. The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary first made landfall in Baja California on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles (250 kilometers) south of Ensenada. One person drowned. It then moved through mudslide-prone Tijuana, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the U.S. border. Hilary dropped more than half an average years worth of rain on some areas, including Palm Springs, which saw more than 3 inches (8 centimeters) of rain by Sunday evening. Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, and fire officials rescued 13 people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water. Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. Sunday was the wettest day on record in San Diego, with 1.82 inches (4.6 centimeters), the NWS said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The previous record was on Aug. 17, 1977, when 1.8 inches (4.5 centimeters) of rain fell in the area post-Hurricane Doreen. We basically blew all of our previous rainfall records out of the water, National Weather Service meteorologist Elizabeth Adams in San Diego told The Associated Press. In Palm Springs, the inundation shattered the daily record of 0.21 inches set in 2003 with 3.18 inches falling Sunday. The center of Hilary passed over downtown Los Angeles at 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the regional weather office, which called it a day for the ages in Southern California. Despite the deluge, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said no significant injuries or damages were reported. City Council President Paul Krekorian told a news conference that Los Angeles was tested, but we came through it, and we came through it with minimal impacts considering what we endured. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system, said all campuses were closed Monday, along with other districts across the region. San Diego schools postponed the first day of classes from Monday to Tuesday. For LAUSD students, grab-and-go sites were set up to provide meals. The Palm Springs Police Department said in a statement Sunday that 911 lines were down and that in the event of an emergency, residents should text 911 or reach out to the nearest police or fire station. A tropical storm last roared into California in September 1939, ripping apart train tracks, tearing houses from their foundations and capsizing many boats. Nearly 100 people were killed on land and at sea. As skies were clearing Monday in the state, the National Weather Service warned of flooding underway in the Mount Charleston area of Clark County in Nevada, about 40 miles west of Las Vegas. Forecasters said the threat for flooding in states farther north on Monday was highest across much of southeastern Oregon into the west-central mountains of Idaho. In the Caribbean, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Franklin churned on Monday near Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where authorities warned residents to prepare for floods and landslides. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are also watching a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that now has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical disturbance or tropical storm before reaching the western Gulf coastline on Tuesday. Forecasters urged people along the coast in northern Mexico and Texas to monitor the system, adding that tropical storm watches or warnings may be issued later Monday. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition KYODO NEWS - Aug 21, 2023 - 22:52 | Arts, All, Japan Two 20-year-old men surrendered to police Monday in connection with an incident where popular South Korean artist DJ Soda was allegedly groped by attendees at a recent music event in Japan, according to investigative sources. Two men believed to be the suspects appeared in a YouTube video post the same day, apologizing for the incident while adding they were drunk when it happened and did it "lightheartedly." Earlier in the day, the organizer of the event, held in Osaka Prefecture, filed a criminal complaint against two men and a woman on suspicion of indecent assault against DJ Soda on Aug. 13, the police said without identifying the three individuals. "We take this incident very seriously, as sexual crimes are inexcusable," said Rakuyo Otsuki, chief executive of the organizer TryHard Japan, during a press conference in Osaka. Yoichi Hiraoka, the firm's chief operating officer, said, "We feel responsible for not securing Soda's safety. We will fully support her." DJ Soda, who has more than 5 million Instagram followers, has taken to social media to slam the unidentified individuals she said touched and grabbed her breasts when she descended the stage to interact with fans at the music festival. The company submitted to the police photographs and clips of the artist being purportedly assaulted by the three individuals as evidence. While some online blamed DJ Soda for wearing skimpy clothes, she responded in a follow-up post that "no matter what clothes I wear, sexual harassment and assault cannot be justified." "We will take necessary measures" regarding the negative comments against DJ Soda, Hiraoka said. Related coverage: Popular South Korean DJ shocked, scared after groping at Japan event KYODO NEWS - Aug 21, 2023 - 11:58 | All, Japan Japan's economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura visited Tokyo's war-linked Yasukuni shrine on Monday, about a week after the Aug. 15 anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. The visit came after Nishimura went to the shrine a few days before the anniversary day last year, having also attended its autumn festival that year since he joined the Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in August 2022. When asked by reporters why he did not visit the shrine on Aug. 15, Nishimura said, "I visited the shrine in a quiet environment," following the death of his father last month. "I prayed for the souls of those who died in the war, thinking about their home country and family. I vowed that we will never start a war again," he told reporters. Past visits by Japanese leaders and lawmakers to the Shinto shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with the war dead, have riled Japan's Asian neighbors as they view it as a symbol of the country's past militarism. This year, economic security minister Sanae Takaichi visited the shrine on Aug. 15. Kishida did not visit the shrine but sent a traditional "masakaki" offering, paying for it personally under the title of leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. Related coverage: Japan PM Kishida sends offering to Yasukuni shrine on WWII anniv. Japan marks 78th anniv. of WWII end as PM reiterates war opposition U.S. scattered Japan war criminals' ashes at sea to prevent worship KYODO NEWS - Aug 22, 2023 - 10:45 | World, All, Japan The Japanese government said Tuesday it has been notified that North Korea intends to launch a "satellite" between Thursday and Aug. 31 in what is believed to be a rerun of a failed attempt a few months ago. Pyongyang tried to launch what it called a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit on May 31 but was unsuccessful. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed relevant government agencies to analyze North Korea's plan as much as possible and coordinate with the United States and South Korea in urging Pyongyang not to carry out the launch. Kishida told reporters that Japan considers the launch of a rocket with a satellite by North Korea as equivalent to the firing of a ballistic missile, breaching U.N. Security Council resolutions that have resulted in sanctions imposed on Pyongyang. The Japan Coast Guard said it was notified in the early hours of Tuesday that North Korea intends to designate three maritime danger zones -- two of which are to the west of the Korean Peninsula, while the third is to the east of the Philippine island of Luzon. The three areas are outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The notification came after the leaders of Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed last Friday during a trilateral summit near Washington to boost cooperation in opposing North Korea's rapid development of nuclear and missile capabilities. The three countries remain on alert over North Korea amid concerns about potential further provocative action by Pyongyang, including an intercontinental ballistic missile test timed to coincide with an ongoing large-scale military exercise between the United States and South Korea. On five past occasions, North Korea has launched a "satellite" within the first three days of its launch window after notifying others it would do so. After North Korea's notification in May, Japan's defense minister ordered the Self-Defense Forces to destroy any missile fired by North Korea expected to cross into Japanese territory using ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles and Aegis-equipped destroyer warships. North Korea said when the launch failed that it was due to the "low reliability and stability of the new-type engine system." It also pledged to make another attempt "as soon as possible," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. South Korea's military said at the time that the projectile was a long-range ballistic missile that came down about 200 kilometers from the country's Eocheong Island in the Yellow Sea. The United States and its regional allies immediately condemned the North for using ballistic missile technology in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Related coverage: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees cruise missile launch drill South Korea, U.S. begin joint military drills amid North Korea threat North Korea's ICBM launch success likely due to Russia help: U.S. expert KYODO NEWS - Aug 21, 2023 - 20:25 | All, Japan, 3/11 Fukushima TOKYO - Japan is making final arrangements to begin discharging treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant as early as Thursday, a government source said Monday, despite persisting objections from local residents. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his government will hold a ministerial meeting on Tuesday morning to formally decide on the start date for the water release that has also raised concerns about human health and the environment in some neighboring countries. Kishida's announcement came after he talked with the head of Japan's national fisheries federation on Monday, hoping to gain his understanding of the government's plan to discharge the water from the crippled nuclear complex into the sea. The treated water release from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean is an "issue that absolutely cannot be postponed" as the regions hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake and ensuing tsunami must be allowed to fully recover, Kishida told reporters. The National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, under its head Masanobu Sakamoto, has continued to oppose the water release, saying it would erode the reputation of seafood from Fukushima and nearby areas. But Kishida said he will keep trying to communicate with local fishermen to win their group's backing for his administration's efforts to ensure the safety of the water and for its measures to respond to potential reputational damage. At the outset of their talks at the prime minister's office, Kishida told Sakamoto, "We promise to take full responsibility for implementing necessary steps so that fishermen can pursue their livelihood with peace of mind for the next several decades." The government has set up funds worth 30 billion yen ($206 million) to overcome any reputational damage and 50 billion yen to ease potential economic damage and support local fishermen in sustaining their businesses. During his visit to the Fukushima nuclear plant on Sunday, Kishida urged the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., to secure the safety of the water release. Acquiring approval from the fishery industry is a crucial factor for the government and the operator, widely known as TEPCO, as they have pledged not to go ahead with the discharge without fishermen's consent. The International Atomic Energy Agency, a U.N. nuclear watchdog, said last month that the planned release would comply with global safety standards. Referring to the IAEA report, Sakamoto told Kishida on Monday, "Our understanding of scientific safety has deepened," but he reiterated his continued opposition to the government's water discharge project. In April 2021, Kishida's predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, gave a green light for the release of the water into the sea "in around two years." The current government said in January that it would carry out the plan sometime from "spring to around summer." For years, China has voiced objections to the discharge plan, calling for the avoidance of the pseudo-scientific term "treated" to downplay the risks of the "nuclear-contaminated water." Beijing has introduced blanket radiation testing on Japanese seafood imports. South Korea, meanwhile, has said it respects the outcome of the IAEA's review as a result of its own analysis of Japan's plan, while opposition parties at home have still expressed worries about the negative effects of the water release from the Fukushima complex. Massive amounts of contaminated water have been generated in the process of cooling melted reactor fuel at the Fukushima Daiichi plant since the facility was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The water has been kept in tanks after going through an advanced liquid processing system that removes most radionuclides except tritium, but the storage vessels are nearing maximum capacity. Tritium is known to be less harmful than other radioactive materials, such as cesium and strontium. In early August, about 1.34 million tons of treated water was stored in tanks at the Fukushima nuclear complex, reaching 98 percent of storage capacity, TEPCO said. The treated water, which contains small quantities of tritium, will be diluted to one-40th of the concentration permitted based on Japanese safety standards before being discharged via an underwater tunnel 1 kilometer from the power plant. Related coverage: Kishida vows safety over Fukushima water release during on-site visit Hacker group attacks Japan nuclear websites over Fukushima water plan Japan PM Kishida's disapproval rate reaches 50%, highest since December KYODO NEWS - Aug 21, 2023 - 15:41 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a strategic cruise missile launch drill while visiting a naval unit, state-run media said Monday, with released photographs also showing him boarding a new type of patrol vessel with improved stealth capabilities. The date Kim visited the unit, belonging to the fleet that covers the Sea of Japan, remains unknown. The official Korean Central News Agency reported on the inspection as South Korea and the United States began a joint large-scale military exercise Monday. Kim "praised the ship" that he boarded "for maintaining high mobility and mighty striking power and constant preparedness for combat to cope" with any sudden situation, KCNA said. He also stressed the importance of promoting the modernization of naval weapons and equipment, including the building of powerful warships and the development of shipboard and underwater weapons systems to rapidly enhance the navy's combat capabilities. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency quoted an informed source as saying the test-fired cruise missile was not a "strategic" nuclear-capable one as the size of the vessel was too small for such an important missile launch. The source added that the missile failed to hit an apparently preset target, the report said Monday. The KCNA report came amid speculation that Pyongyang is preparing an intercontinental ballistic missile test timed to coincide with the Seoul-Washington joint exercise. On Friday, a spokesman for the General Staff of the North Korean army condemned the intrusion of airspace above the country's economic zone in the Sea of Japan the previous day by a U.S. strategic reconnaissance plane, a statement carried by KCNA said. The country's General Staff is examining a plan to maintain a constant deployment of a ship loaded with a new type of anti-aircraft missiles in waters about 450 kilometers from Wonsan, a port city on North Korea's east coast, the statement said. Related coverage: South Korea, U.S. begin joint military drills amid North Korea threat North Korea's ICBM launch success likely due to Russia help: U.S. expert Japan, U.S., Australia eye ship deployment to Philippines for drill A new state-of-the-art hospital, located on Seychelles' third most populated island, La Digue, and built at a cost of AED25 million ($6.8 million) has been inaugurated by the countrys President Wavel Ramkalawan. The hospital was built through a contribution provided by HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and the Mother of the Nation, a WAM report said. The hospital is equipped to provide services to around 3,000 residents annually and was established according to the latest international standards and equipped with state-of-the-art devices and equipment, covering various medical specialities required by the island and the nearby islands and built in line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and under the supervision of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC). Generous donation Ramkalawan expressed his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and his appreciation for the generous donation of Sheikha Fatima that funded the construction of the hospital, which is a gift to the people of La Digue Island and a significant milestone in its history. Ramkalawan affirmed that the hospital's construction is part of the continuous humanitarian support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed to Seychelles and its people. He also recalled the UAE Presidents directives during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide vaccines and medical equipment to his country, which enabled the people of Seychelles to further contain the pandemic, reflecting the strong and exceptional relations between the two friendly countries. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Hamoud Abdullah Al Junaibi, Acting Secretary-General of the ERC; Ahmed Al Neyadi, Charge d' Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Victoria; Peggy Vidot, Minister of Health of Seychelles; Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Seychelles, and senior officials from Seychelles Ministry of Health and the ERC. Humanitarian approach The opening of La Digue Hospital aligns with the UAE's humanitarian approach to helping friendly nations, which constitutes supporting vital developmental projects, especially in the healthcare sector. Al Junaibi said the opening of the healthcare facility embodies the deep-rooted ties between the peoples of the UAE and Seychelles, describing it as the outcome of the strong cooperation and partnership between the two countries. "This project helps realise the UAE's strategy of sustainable giving through the implementation of ambitious developmental programmes and projects that have a profound impact on infrastructure development and the provision of essential services to friendly nations. The UAE always strives to enhance its humanitarian efforts and initiatives in Seychelles," he stated. Giving spirit The UAE Ambassador affirmed that HH Sheikha Fatima's generous gesture further testifies to the giving spirit of the UAE, adding that the hospital will also provide its service to the people of the neighbouring island of Praslin. Al Neyadi expressed his thanks and appreciation to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, HH Sheikha Fatima and Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed for their great support for such projects. Ahmed Al Hajri, Director of External Projects Management at the ERC, explained that the hospital is the first multi-speciality hospital on La Digue Island and offers several services, including physical therapy, emergency care, general medicine, dental care, audiology, ophthalmology, in addition to incorporating operating and recovery rooms, and units for kidney dialysis and women's maternity care, among others.--TradeArabia News Service This photo released by the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology on Aug. 18, 2023 shows faculty and students of the institute displaying a calligraphic work which reads "China-South Africa friendship" in Chinese. (Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology/Handout via Xinhua) By learning Chinese, many South African youths have got a glimpse of China's history and culture, increased their career options, and realized their dreams, which helped forge closer ties between the two countries. JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sanele Ntuli, a young man from South Africa, began learning the Chinese language much the way his cohort does: his tutor gave him a Chinese name in the first class. "From trees to a forest" is what Ntuli's Chinese name Lin Sen signifies. In South Africa, the number of Chinese learners and enthusiasts of Chinese culture has witnessed a remarkable surge in the past decade, said Ntuli. "My Chinese name is a fitting metaphor for my people's increased interest in the Chinese language." Take the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa, where Ntuli learned Chinese. Since 2013 when Chinese President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of an agreement on its establishment, nearly 10,000 students have so far studied there. Lately, Ntuli, now a Chinese language instructor, together with other 49 teachers and students of the DUT Confucius Institute, wrote a joint letter to Xi, sharing their experience, harvest and feelings in learning Chinese, thanking Xi and the Chinese government for providing more opportunities for African youths to pursue their dreams, and, with eager anticipation, looking forward to Xi's visit to South Africa again. To Ntuli's surprise, Xi replied, encouraging them to learn the Chinese language well and contribute to carrying forward the China-South Africa friendship and promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries. Both important developing countries, China and South Africa have forged a special "comradely fraternal" friendship, said Xi in the letter, adding that learning and understanding each other's language and culture contributes to facilitating mutual understanding and cultivating ever-lasting friendship between the people of the two countries. For many of his students, Ntuli's experience of learning Chinese is inspiring. "A lot of DUT students and faculty attend our Chinese lessons," he told Xinhua. "When I told them my story of first learning Chinese, then studying in China, and now teaching Chinese, they said my experience is inspiring." Ntuli's journey of Chinese learning began five years ago. Chinese is one of the most difficult languages in the world, as Ntuli had been told for years. So he never expected to study Chinese until a friend in 2018 invited him to the DUT Confucius Institute. Fascinated by Chinese characters, Ntuli has been devoting himself to learning Chinese since then. For him, learning Chinese is more than just a hobby. It has opened doors for him in terms of both better schooling and employment. In his letter, Xi noted that by learning Chinese, many South African youths have got a glimpse of China's history and culture, increased their career options, and realized their dreams. Indeed, with the deepening ties between the two countries, learning Chinese and embracing the opportunities offered by bilateral economic and trade cooperation have become a preferred choice for many South African youngsters. Data released by China showed that in the first half of the year, bilateral trade reached 28.25 billion U.S. dollars, up 11.7 percent year-on-year. China has maintained its position as South Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, while South Africa has been China's largest trading partner in Africa for 13 consecutive years. According to Wu Lin, co-dean of the DUT Confucius Institute, his institute offers local youth skill development, exchange visits, internships, and other possibilities in addition to teaching the Chinese language. By integrating Chinese language learning with career development, innovation, and entrepreneurship, the Confucius Institute has become the epitome of the increasingly close and fruitful people-to-people exchanges between China and South Africa. "I see myself and my fellow learners of the Chinese language as a bridge between South Africa and China," said Ntuli. "I want to help more young South Africans ... so that the bridge can be extended." BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, and pay a state visit to South Africa from Aug. 21 to 24. Ahead of his trip, Xi replied to a letter from the faculty and students of the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology in South Africa, encouraging them to learn the Chinese language well and contribute to carrying forward the China-South Africa friendship and promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries. In his letter, Xi said that he witnessed the establishment of the Confucius Institute 10 years ago and was pleased to see that, through the joint efforts of both sides, the educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries have yielded fruitful results. The interaction shows the great importance that Xi attaches to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges among BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In his speech at the plenary session of the BRICS Xiamen Summit in 2017, Xi devoted one section to expounding on how he views the cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Citing an ancient Chinese saying, "amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations," Xi said enhancing the exchanges among peoples of BRICS countries and seeing the spirit of partnership embraced by all the people in these countries is a worthy cause that deserves enduring commitment. "A job well done in this regard will keep BRICS cooperation vibrant," he stressed. Over the years, Xi has personally supported the efforts to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges among BRICS countries. Xi has shared stories in this regard in speeches delivered during trips to the other four BRICS countries. He lauded Carlos Tavares, a Brazilian expert on China, for enabling more people to understand China through his books, articles and speeches. In a speech delivered during a trip to India, Xi also cited verses by Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore that had inspired him. Among Xi's numerous interactions with people from these countries was a congratulatory message he sent in 2017 to celebrate the inaugural semester of Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, the first joint Sino-Russian university. He encouraged education officials and teachers from both countries to contribute to Sino-Russian educational cooperation and bilateral friendship. Thanks to China's active participation and vigorous promotion, BRICS cooperation has transitioned from a framework driven by the "two wheels" of politics and economy to the "triple pillars" of political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges. In recent years, cultural and people-to-people exchanges have notably gained momentum, and the activities of such exchanges are taking place regularly and have been institutionalized. There has been a wide range of activities, from the BRICS media forums, film festivals, and cultural festivals, to women's innovation contests, and technical and vocational education programs. This rich variety demonstrates that BRICS countries are committed to creating a broad landscape for cross-regional and cross-cultural exchanges. They have not only accelerated the advancement of the BRICS cooperation mechanism but also presented a "BRICS model" for fostering inclusiveness and mutual learning among different civilizations. This aerial photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows the headquarters building of the New Development Bank in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) With its deliverables of practical cooperation and strong voice for the developing world, BRICS became so attractive that it is growing into a new framework of BRICS+. by Xin Ping "More than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining the BRICS group of nations, 22 of which have formally submitted applications," Anil Sooklal, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa, has said. To some, it might be big news that so many countries are longing to join this bloc. But to many more, this is just a natural result. From the day when the original four emerging market countries -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- embraced South Africa and turned "BRIC" to "BRICS," the group has been strengthening its ties with developing countries and emerging economies. With its deliverables of practical cooperation and strong voice for the developing world, BRICS became so attractive that it is growing into a new framework of BRICS+. Its popularity lies in three words as follows. COOPERATION During the past two decades, a variety of cooperation mechanisms have been formulated in trade, finance, science and technology, agriculture, culture, education, health, think tanks, etc. Among them, the New Development Bank (NDB) and the BRICS Contingency Reserve Arrangement stand out. Since its launch in 2015, the NDB has approved nearly 100 loan projects worth more than 30 billion U.S. dollars, providing a strong guarantee for infrastructure construction and sustainable development in emerging market and developing economies and contributing to global growth. To promote common development for all, the bank also plans to provide 30 billion dollars of financial support from 2022 to 2026, which targets the needs of developing countries. As Dilma Rousseff, president of the NDB and former Brazilian president, puts it, "The NDB listens to the voices of all member countries on an equal footing. It reflects the close ties of the BRICS countries and their shared commitment to South-South cooperation." As the NDB provides more financial leverages and supports more projects, the influence of BRICS has gone beyond the five countries. It has become an important cooperation platform for more developing countries, on which they help each other and drive global growth. This can also help improve global governance and would lead to greater democracy in international relations. This photo taken on April 1, 2019 shows a view of Cape Town, South Africa. South Africa, to hold the 15th BRICS summit this month, is the southernmost country in Africa. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng) MULTILATERALISM At present, the BRICS countries account for nearly 42 percent of the global population, 25 percent of the global economy and 20 percent of the global trade. As of 2022, the five countries combined have enjoyed over 14 percent of the voting power in the World Bank, and over 14 percent of the total share in the International Monetary Fund (IMF). An expanding BRICS+ framework would mean a bigger say in the international arena. Thanks to the efforts of a vocal BRICS, the long-ignored appeal of the developing world will be valued more. Unlike the ideology-driven G7 and the Cold War-spawned NATO, BRICS has no interest in geopolitical games or zero-sum thinking. When some major powers are addicted to hegemony and unilateralism, BRICS demonstrates what true multilateralism means -- world affairs should not be decided by a single country or a group of countries. They should be discussed by every nation, big or small. In 2010, urged by the BRICS countries, developed economies agreed to transfer 3.13 percent of the voting rights in the World Bank and 6 percent of the shares in the IMF to developing members. This major change in the world economic landscape marks significant progress in reforming the global economic governance structure. The representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries have thus been greatly elevated. "By defending multilateralism, (the) BRICS countries are confronting the concept of the Cold War and offering the possibility of a fairer and more equitable international economic order," said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. Signboards of the 15th BRICS Summit are seen in a street of Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng) EQUALITY The BRICS countries are in favor of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation. Most importantly, they understand that different countries have various national conditions; their core interests and major concerns shall be respected; and the development paths and models they chose on their own must not be interfered with. Since the United States has abused its global economic dominance for decades and failing to comply with White House orders would incur sanctions or financial blackmail, cooperation with BRICS in investment and trade without preconditions are more desirable to more and more countries. It is true that differences may exist among the BRICS countries, but that does not prevent the cooperation mechanism from working. The BRICS concepts and principles are in stark contrast to the style of certain countries, who proceed from the position of strength and impose their will on others. It is precisely because BRICS advocates openness and inclusiveness that it welcomes countries with different civilizations, systems and development paths. Since the birth of BRICS, it has symbolized expectations for the development of emerging markets and developing economies. It is expected that BRICS will not only successfully expand its membership, but also promote multilateral cooperation to a higher level. The "BRICS+" will lead more countries onto a development path featuring unity, inclusiveness and common prosperity. Editor's note: Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, Global Times, China Daily, CGTN, etc. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com. The views expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with a delegation of the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) led by Marc N. Casper, chair of USCBC, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday said China is willing to work with the United States in undertaking their responsibilities as major countries, jointly upholding international trade rules, and ensuring the stability of global industrial and supply chains. Li made the remarks at a meeting with a delegation of the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) led by Marc N. Casper, chair of USCBC. Li said that China and the United States, respectively as the world's largest developing country and largest developed country, enjoy economic complementarity far more than competition. He added that the essence of the economic relationship between the two countries is win-win cooperation, and maintaining economic and trade cooperation and economic ties serves the interests of both sides. The premier said the China-U.S. relations and economic and trade cooperation are facing certain difficulties at present, which requires both sides to show sincerity, meet each other halfway, and make joint efforts. China and the United States can certainly achieve common development and work together to make greater contribution to a better future of humanity, Li said. China will open its door even greater to the outside world. As the country is making headway in high-quality development and Chinese modernization, its massive market is blessed with huge potential and opportunities for growth, he said. He noted that China will continue expanding its market access, optimizing its business environment, ensuring that foreign-funded enterprises receive treatment equal to domestic firms, promoting fair competition, and protecting the property rights of enterprises and the rights and interests of entrepreneurs. While congratulating USCBC on its 50th anniversary, Li spoke highly of contributions it has made to improving China-U.S. trade cooperation, developing bilateral ties, and enhancing people's wellbeing in the two countries. Casper and other members of the delegation said that USCBC supports the development of sound and stable bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as economic and trade cooperation, which will give huge impetus to the economic growth of both nations. Noting that the Chinese market is crucial to enhancing the competitiveness of U.S. companies, they said USCBC welcomes the Chinese government's indication that it will deepen reform and opening-up. They also expressed the hope that bilateral relations will develop further to bring greater certainty to the business communities of the two countries. SINGAPORE, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday stressed that the leadership renewal is on track and recent scandals involving political figures will not delay his timetable. Lee made the remarks while delivering a speech at the city-state's National Day Rally. In July, Singapore's Transport Minister S. Iswaran was under investigation for corruption suspects, while Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and a parliament member resigned over their affairs. The prime minister vowed to deal with the cases thoroughly and transparently. Recounting his plan to hand over the power in 2022, but disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee noted that his succession plans are back on track as the pandemic shadow fades. Lee added that his task is to support the country's fourth-generation leadership team and expressed his confidence in Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The prime minister also called on Singaporean people to support Wong and his governing team. During his speech, Lee promised measures to improve people's well-being, including a 7 billion Singapore dollars (over 5 billion U.S. dollars) package to support low and middle-income people born before 1973, fair and affordable policies for public flats, and building aged-friendly communities. GHAZNI, Afghanistan, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- One person has been confirmed dead and 11 others were injured in a road accident in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province on Sunday, an official said on Monday. Two cars collided on Ghazni-Bamyan Highway in Qarabagh district Sunday evening, killing one traveler and injuring 11 others, some of whom in critical condition, provincial police spokesman Abukhalid Sarhadi said. All the injured have been taken to the hospital for medical treatment. Ramshackle roads, old vehicles, lack of safety measures and reckless driving on congested highways are the main reasons for road accidents in mountainous Afghanistan. Nearly 400 people have reportedly been killed in road mishaps in the country over the past three months. JERUSALEM, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Iron Dome aerial defense system shot missiles at an "unidentified aircraft" over the skies of the Gaza Strip on Monday morning, marking a second consecutive day of such an incident, the Israeli military said. The military indicated in a statement that its Iron Dome system had been activated, after the aircraft, apparently a drone, was "spotted flying over the Gaza Strip toward Israel." At least two interceptor missiles were launched to target the aircraft, but it was not immediately clear whether they hit it, the military said, adding that the aircraft did not cross into Israeli territory. This follows Sunday's incident, in which an Israeli interceptor missile downed a drone above the coastal enclave. The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Over the years, Israel launched multiple military campaigns against militant groups in Gaza, primarily targeting Hamas, an Islamist Palestinian movement that runs Gaza. JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A series of cultural and people-to-people exchange activities on BRICS cooperation were recently held in South Africa, with participants expressing the expectation that BRICS members can jointly contribute wisdom and strength to promoting a human community with a shared future through the implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative. The BRICS is an acronym for five emerging economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. South Africa assumed the BRICS presidency on Jan. 1, 2023, and the 15th BRICS Summit is scheduled to be held on Aug. 22-24 in Johannesburg, the largest city in the country. The BRICS Seminar on Governance and Cultural Exchange Forum 2023 was held in Johannesburg Saturday. Under the theme of "Implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, Joining Hands on the March Toward Modernization," the forum attracted more than 100 participants from all five BRICS countries. Noting that global challenges are emerging one after another, experts and scholars present at the forum said there is an urgent need to strengthen global solidarity and cooperation and to reform and improve the global governance system. The BRICS Summit is expected to promote the building of a high-quality partnership among member states, and pool more strength to advance South-South cooperation and build a human community with a shared future, said the participants. Highlighting the importance of the Global Civilization Initiative, they said all the countries should uphold the vision of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, and enhance international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, so as to advance humanity's modernization process toward a brighter future. The Sixth BRICS Media Forum, co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and the China Energy Investment Corporation as well as organizations from South Africa, was held in Johannesburg at the weekend. About 200 representatives from around 100 media outlets, think tanks and international organizations from about 30 countries participated and held discussions under the theme of "BRICS and Africa: Strengthening Media Dialogue for a Shared and Unbiased Future." Since its establishment in 2015, the BRICS Media Forum has become an important platform to enhance the voice of BRICS countries, said the participants. The diverse cultures of the BRICS nations enrich the global conversations, said the representatives, adding that the BRICS media have demonstrated that the media should be committed to promoting world development, jointly advancing the building of a more just and equitable international order. Other cultural and people-to-people exchange activities, including the South Africa-China film festival and the launching ceremony of the BRICS TV "TV China Theater," were also held in South Africa from Thursday to Saturday. A man holds an eagle during a pet carnival in Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, Aug. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- In a joyful atmosphere, hundreds of pet lovers gathered in Egypt's Mediterranean North Coast in the Matrouh Governorate for an annual pet carnival. Aleef is a pet Carnival that is usually held in Egypt's capital Cairo. Being the country's largest of its kind, it provides pet lovers and owners a chance to meet experts in pet care, breeding, and nutrition. "We have been holding this event for 12 years, but this is the first time to organize it in the North Coast, which is a plus for us," said Nadine Hamdy, marketing manager of the carnival. A number of veterinarians, pet nutritionists, and pet trainers participated in the event, which took place on Saturday. It includes activities of pets medication and training and offers a number of recreational activities for pets, such as swimming trainings and shows. Such event would help people better get along with animals, Hamdy said. For Adam Kilani, a visitor from neighboring Alexandria Governorate, the event is an unforgettable experience for him, as his five-year-old pet dog Gawaher had learnt to swim for the first time in a year. "It is a great chance for me to learn about pet care in an amusing way," Kilani said, as he watched his dog swim. Holding such events, especially in tourist resorts during the summer, will significantly promote the culture of pet ownership in Egypt, said Kilani. "I have seen people here who have never touched a dog, but they were very happy to play with Gawaher. Some of them said they would love to keep a dog at home soon," Kilany said. Lina Kamal, who brought her three-year-old dog to the carnival, said the event was important because it raised the issue of stray animals and offered solutions to their plight. "We should have stronger awareness to protect animals...this is one of the things that the carnival advocates," said Kamal. People pose for a photo with their dogs during a pet carnival in Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, Aug. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) A woman poses for a photo with her dog during a pet carnival in Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, Aug. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) A man trims a dog during a pet carnival in Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, Aug. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) VLADIVOSTOK, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Progress MS-22 cargo spacecraft left the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday morning and sank in a non-navigable area of the Pacific Ocean, Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos said on Monday. "Today, Progress MS-22 was deorbited, entered the atmosphere and disintegrated. The unburned elements of the ship's structure fell into a non-navigable area of the southern part of the Pacific Ocean," Roscosmos said in a statement. The spacecraft was undocked from the ISS service module Zvezda at 2:50 a.m. Moscow time (2350 GMT Sunday), and the braking engines were fired at 5:58 a.m. Moscow time (0258 GMT). Progress MS-22 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Feb. 9 by a Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket and delivered more than 2.5 tons of cargo to the ISS two days later. With the help of its engines, it carried out seven orbit corrections of the station. A new cargo ship, Progress MS-24, will arrive at the freed place on the module Zvezda in four days. Progress MS-23, which arrived on May 24, remains part of the ISS. Dubai International Chamber has successfully hosted a B2B matchmaking event during the Wuxi Dubai Economic & Trade Exchange Conference to explore business and investment opportunities between Dubai and Wuxi City. A total of 13 Chinese multinational companies specialising in areas including advanced technology, biomedical and healthcare equipment, the Internet of Things (IoT), Information and Communications Technology, microelectronics, and renewable energy took part in 172 B2B meetings with 38 local companies during the event, which were facilitated by Dubai International Chamber to highlight the emirates attractive business environment and support the expansion of Dubai-based companies into the Chinese market. Organised in partnership with the Wuxi Municipal Government and Wuxi National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, the event welcomed a high-level government delegation led by Du Xiaogang, Secretary of Wuxi Municipal Committee of the Communist Party, to Dubai with the goal of strengthening economic cooperation between the emirate and Wuxi City, which is located in East Chinas southern Jiangsu Province. Keen to expand Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, commented: China has consistently ranked as the UAEs biggest trading partner, and we are keen to expand these deeply rooted trade and investment ties further in the countrys eastern region. With its comprehensive logistics infrastructure and strategic location along the New Silk Road, Dubai serves as a convenient gateway to the Mena markets, enabling leading Chinese companies to seize opportunities and thrive in a rapidly evolving global landscape. The dedicated teams at our international representative offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong will continue to work to attract many more innovative Chinese companies to Dubai, including those in Wuxi.-- TradeArabia News Service XI'AN, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The clear sound of a whistle instantly captured the attention of curious onlookers, as they turned their gaze toward the small object in Yang Fan's hand. This is a clay whistle, said Yang, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, explaining the history of the art of "fish-shaped clay whistling" to the visitors at the 10th West China Culture Industries Expo that concluded Sunday in Xi'an in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. In the winter of 2019, Yang relocated his urban workshop to Xiaoyukou Village in Xi'an, nestled at the foot of the Qinling Mountains. He skillfully shaped clay into various objects in the quaint courtyard to pass on the craft. Since opening its doors to visitors, Yang's workshop has welcomed hundreds of tourists almost every day eager to experience the immersive craft of making clay whistles. This influx of visitors has further boosted the income of the villagers in Xiaoyukou. "Villages are fertile ground for intangible heritage, and the fusion of culture and tourism propels rural prosperity," Yang said. Through his participation in the expo, Yang shone a spotlight on how cultural industry can drive rural revitalization. Beyond the echoes of the clay whistle, the exquisite tea gifts from Fujian Province and the insights into the region's famed tea culture also garnered considerable attention during the expo. "In Fujian's Chixi Village, visitors can not only engage in tea picking and tasting but they can also enjoy various immersive activities including cultural workshops," said Yu Lihui, a tea brand owner from Chixi. "In the past, the goal behind learning a craft was to escape from the mountains, but today, the purpose of mastering a craft is to return to my hometown in the mountains," said Wang Xingbi, a craftsman from Sichuan's Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County dedicated to preserving the art of grass weaving. Wang, who was also a participant in the expo, recounted how a childhood accident left her with a disabled leg and plunged her into poverty. With the support of local disability organizations, she began to learn grass weaving in 2013. Over the past decade, Wang not only mastered this craft but also emerged as a mentor, imparting her skills to more than 20 apprentices in her hometown. In recent years, many grass and bamboo weaving workshops have been set up in the county. To date, these initiatives have benefitted more than 5,000 residents through vocational training, and over 200 left-behind women and people with disabilities have secured flexible and home-based employment. Wang's story was among the myriad of examples showcased at the expo, all of which emphasized the vital role of advancing rural development. Numerous institutions are also broadening their range of tourism offerings by providing technical training, immersive learning experiences, and integrated online and offline marketing strategies to boost the cultural and tourism industry networks. The rural landscape, with thriving industries, harmonious ecosystems, effective governance and flourishing livelihoods, is increasingly drawing people who seek to experience its charm and embrace a more poetic way of life, according to experts. WELLINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government has acted to ensure students are equipped with a foundational knowledge in mathematics, reading and writing by making their teaching requirements compulsory and consistent. "Historically the curriculum hasn't always been clear about how core subjects should be taught, and it's meant there are wide variations of teaching," Minister of Education Jan Tinetti said on Monday. "We have been working on a model that will see maths, reading and writing taught the same way right across the country," Tinetti said, adding these core teaching requirements will be legislated so that all young people, regardless of where they go to school, get the same education. The compulsory core teaching requirements will outline what teachers have to cover off at every year level across a child's time at school, she said. Teachers will be supported with guidance, professional development, and materials to implement these changes and ensure there is consistency across all schools to give all kids equal opportunity, the minister said. There will still be flexibility around how different students learn best, however what they learn and when they learn it will be much clearer, Tinetti said. The updated curriculum for English, mathematics and statistics will be used in schools from the start of 2025, with core teaching requirements becoming compulsory in all schools by 2026, she added. This photo released by the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology on Aug. 18, 2023 shows faculty and students of the institute displaying a calligraphic work which reads "China-South Africa friendship" in Chinese. (Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology/Handout via Xinhua) To South Africans, the visit of President Xi is very important in enhancing and strengthening bilateral relations, including trade relations between the two countries, said African National Congress Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula. JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Late August in South Africa is famed for its radiant afternoons when the golden African sun bathes the landscape in its warm embrace. It serves as a perfect backdrop for the blossoming China-South Africa relationship, which, as noted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, "has entered a 'golden era,' enjoying broad prospects and a promising future." "It is one of the most vibrant bilateral relations in the developing world," Xi said in a signed article titled "Sailing the Giant Ship of China-South Africa Friendship and Cooperation Toward Greater Success," published Monday in South African media as he set off to attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg and pay a state visit to South Africa. It was not the first time Xi called China-South Africa friendship and cooperation a "giant ship." In 2015, before his state visit to the country, Xi said in a signed article that the bilateral cooperation and friendship "has grown from a small boat to a gigantic vessel." As the world is facing numerous uncertainties and living through accelerating changes unseen in a century, "that metaphor still holds true," said Sifiso Mahlangu, editor-in-chief of South Africa's leading newspaper, The Star, which published Xi's signed articles this time and in 2015. "A giant ship is a great metaphor" because it rides the wind and waves and "is against the tide," said Mahlangu. "It is a metaphor that stands and lives up to the pledge of BRICS cooperation." This photo taken on March 31, 2023 shows an exterior view of the China-aided Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua) On Monday, the country was abuzz with anticipation as it prepared to welcome Xi. "To us South Africans, the visit of President Xi is very important in enhancing and strengthening bilateral relations ... (including) trade relations between the two countries," said African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula. Data released by China showed that in the first half of the year, bilateral trade reached 28.25 billion U.S. dollars, up 11.7 percent year-on-year. China has maintained its position as South Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, while South Africa has been China's largest trading partner in Africa for 13 consecutive years. Calling the bilateral ties "stronger and stronger," Mbalula told Xinhua that South Africa-China relations are formed by "ties of anti-imperialism, multipolarity that we both believe in and strong ties of economic relationship." BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's finance ministry has allocated 2.4 billion yuan (about 329.7 million U.S. dollars) in subsidies for fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural sprays to help ensure a bumper harvest of autumn grains. The subsidized sprays improve the yields of autumn grains such as corn and soybeans, and strengthen their resistance to detrimental environmental factors. The ministry has urged local governments to spend the subsidies on such sprays specifically, and to conduct spraying work in a coordinated and timely manner. Members of Israeli forces are seen near the site of a reported attack outside the Jewish settlement of Beit Hagai, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, Aug. 21, 2023. An Israeli woman was killed, and a man was badly injured on Monday by a Palestinian gunman in a drive-by attack in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli woman was killed, and a man was badly injured on Monday by a Palestinian gunman in a drive-by attack in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. The couple was fatally shot by the gunman from a passing vehicle while driving a car outside the Jewish settlement of Beit Hagai, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, the military said in a statement. The woman in her 40s died shortly after sustaining deadly gunshot wounds, and the injured man in his 40s was taken to a hospital in serious condition, Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said in a statement. A six-year-old girl was also in the car but sustained no injuries, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported. The military said a manhunt for the suspect is underway, and "blockades have been set up in the area." The incident occurred amid a flare-up of tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank. On Saturday, an Israeli father and his son were shot dead in a carwash near the Palestinian town of Hawara. The killing followed an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday, during which Israeli forces killed a Palestinian militant and shot a health worker. Israeli soldiers stop a vehicle at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron, on Aug. 22, 2023. An Israeli woman was killed, and a man was badly injured on Monday by a Palestinian gunman in a drive-by attack in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) Palestinian vehicles wait in line at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron, on Aug. 22, 2023. An Israeli woman was killed, and a man was badly injured on Monday by a Palestinian gunman in a drive-by attack in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) Israeli soldiers check a vehicle at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron, on Aug. 22, 2023. An Israeli woman was killed, and a man was badly injured on Monday by a Palestinian gunman in a drive-by attack in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) Israeli soldiers check a vehicle at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron, on Aug. 22, 2023. An Israeli woman was killed, and a man was badly injured on Monday by a Palestinian gunman in a drive-by attack in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) Israeli soldiers check a vehicle at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron, on Aug. 22, 2023. An Israeli woman was killed, and a man was badly injured on Monday by a Palestinian gunman in a drive-by attack in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) MANILA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine military said on Monday that government troops killed five suspected rebels in two separate clashes in the Bicol region on main Luzon island over the weekend. The military said troops clashed with around 20 New People's Army (NPA) rebels on Saturday afternoon in Masbate, an island province in the region. A NPA leader and three members were killed in the gunfight. Other rebels reportedly fled after the 30-minute encounter. Troops recovered assault rifles, grenade launcher and assorted ammunition, it added. The second clash broke out in Camarines Sur province on Saturday, killing an NPA high ranking member. NPA rebels have been fighting the government troops since 1969. They concentrate their attacks on rural areas and have skirmishes with the military. Military data showed that the NPA is estimated to have 2,000 members, significantly lower than its peak strength in the 1980s. NEW DELHI, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ten people, who were trapped in the reservoir of a dam in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, were rescued during the wee hours Monday, officials said. A boat carrying them got stuck Sunday evening in the Koldam hydel project reservoir in Mandi district, about 94 km north of Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. The water level in the dam rose following incessant rainfall in its catchment area. Officials said the efforts to rescue the trapped men were immediately initiated and the rescue operation was completed around 3:00 a.m. local time on Monday. "Motorboat carrying 10 people including forest department officials stuck at Koldam Hydropower station, Mandi. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) pulled the boat out with the help of Steamer of Dam authority and rescued them safely," India's disaster response agency said in a statement. Last week, landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods and house collapses triggered by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh killed over 70 people. The incessant rains also pushed the water level up in several dams. Monsoon rains this year wreaked havoc in the state. According to the Himachal Pradesh emergency operation center, until Sunday evening, 341 people were killed and 327 others injured since June 24 in rain-related incidents across the state. Apart from this, 38 others are reported missing in these incidents. Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and northwest Uttar Pradesh during the next two days. People holding placards attend a rally in downtown Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 21, 2023. A group of South Korean peace activists on Monday held a rally against the joint military drill with the United States that kicked off earlier in the day. The activists from the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) gathered near the presidential office in central Seoul, where the defense ministry is also headquartered, to call for peace on the Korean Peninsula. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua) SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A group of South Korean peace activists on Monday held a rally against the joint military drill with the United States that kicked off earlier in the day. The activists from the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) gathered near the presidential office in central Seoul, where the defense ministry is also headquartered, to call for peace on the Korean Peninsula. The protesters shouted slogan of "Stop war exercise" and lifted the placards of "Stop South Korea-U.S. war exercise" and "No to South Korea-Japan alliance." The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise between South Korea and the U.S., a summertime joint military exercise involving large-scale field maneuvers, was scheduled to continue until Aug. 31, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The annually-held military drill this year will reportedly involve about 30 field maneuvers, compared to 13 conducted last year. The SPARK said in a statement that the UFS exercise is a war exercise, which can turn into a nuclear war at any time, as it is the large-scale preemptive strike drill involving nuclear and advanced conventional forces from the two allies. The civic group urged Seoul and Washington to immediately stop and abolish the UFS exercise, which can intensify the nuclear confrontation on the peninsula. It added that the efforts for the trilateral military cooperation among the U.S., Japan and South Korea should be stopped as it can escalate regional tensions. People holding placards attend a rally in downtown Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 21, 2023. A group of South Korean peace activists on Monday held a rally against the joint military drill with the United States that kicked off earlier in the day. The activists from the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) gathered near the presidential office in central Seoul, where the defense ministry is also headquartered, to call for peace on the Korean Peninsula. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua) People holding placards attend a rally in downtown Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 21, 2023. A group of South Korean peace activists on Monday held a rally against the joint military drill with the United States that kicked off earlier in the day. The activists from the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) gathered near the presidential office in central Seoul, where the defense ministry is also headquartered, to call for peace on the Korean Peninsula. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua) SANAA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- An Omani delegation has departed Yemen's capital Sanaa after holding talks with the Houthi group over efforts to resume a truce with the Yemeni government, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported Monday. During the four-day visit, the mediators discussed arrangements for "the next round of negotiations, including resuming truce and seeking solutions to the humanitarian issues," said the television, without revealing when a new round of negotiation will be held. The previous truce, which was brokered by the United Nations, lasted for six months and expired in October last year. However, fightings between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces have largely abated on several frontlines in the absence of a truce. Last week, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in his briefing to the UN Security Council that "the two sides continue to display a general willingness to seek solutions, but this still needs to be translated into concrete steps, in particular, a clear agreement on the way forward that includes restarting an inclusive Yemeni political process." The Houthis have been facing increasing pressure as civil servants in Houthi-controlled areas rallied to claim their overdue salaries. The Houthis say their salaries must be paid by the internationally recognized government, which controls the oil resources. However, the government says the Houthi group should fulfill its commitments in previous UN-sponsored agreements and transfer revenues of the Red Sea Hodeidah port and taxes to the central bank. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of Sanaa. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. BEIJING/JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China is playing an important role in driving mutually beneficial BRICS cooperation, said experts, noting that further developments are expected to emerge as the 15th BRICS Summit takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from Aug. 22 to 24. Guided by the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, member nations have enhanced cooperation to promote economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the experts. China's foreign trade with other BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa -- soared 19.1 percent year on year to 2.38 trillion yuan (about 330.62 billion U.S. dollars) in the first seven months of 2023, data from the General Administration of Customs showed Monday. This accounted for 10.1 percent of China's total foreign trade value during the period, marking a rise of 1.6 percentage points. Specifically, China's exports to these countries totaled 1.23 trillion yuan, up 23.9 percent year on year, while its imports reached 1.15 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 14.3 percent. According to Dr. Kenneth Creamer, an economist from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, "the main objective of BRICS is to encourage increased levels of trade and cooperation among member countries and BRICS has been successful in advancing this objective since its first meeting." "Increased cooperation in sectors such as energy and agriculture can play an important role in lifting levels of economic growth and employment in BRICS member countries. Increased trade and cooperation among BRICS countries can also assist in promoting economic recovery after the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Dr. Creamer, who is also a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. Regarding the China-South Africa cooperation, Dr. Creamer said China and South Africa should build on existing strong relations to seek to better integrate the countries' manufacturing and supply chains to aid development and opportunity in both countries. In the first half of the year, bilateral trade between China and South Africa reached 28.25 billion U.S. dollars, up 11.7 percent year on year, official data showed. China has maintained its position as South Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, while South Africa has been China's largest trading partner in Africa for 13 consecutive years. "Chinese enterprises should be encouraged to use South Africa as a base country from which to manufacture, assemble and deliver products and services for sale in other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa," Dr. Creamer said. China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. The two sides have together constructed and commissioned over 10,000 km of railway, nearly 100,000 km of highway, and an array of important infrastructure projects, including airports, docks, bridges and power plants, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. Speaking to Xinhua, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, said they are looking at the BRICS summit to bring in more tourists. "It's a major event. We're expecting it to boost our tourism." "We need to focus on countries like China to bring more tourists to the country. That's where our growth in terms of tourists will come from; we need to look beyond the traditional areas," Tshivhengwa added. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist and researcher at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, pointed out that China has one of the biggest markets in the world in terms of agricultural products. "South Africa is one of the countries that is also trying to deepen its exports into China, which is something that is part and parcel of the discussions that are happening within the various BRICS business working groups," Sihlobo said. Themed "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism," this summit will carry forward the sound momentum of cooperation from the BRICS "China Year" 2022 and chart a brighter future for BRICS. "The summit is of great significance for advancing practical cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries in various fields, promoting global governance reform, and enhancing the representation and voice of developing countries," said Li Wentao, a researcher with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. Li added that against the backdrop of major global changes, the solidarity and cooperation among BRICS countries will bring more certainty to an uncertain world. DP World has partnered with the Greater Caspian Association and Integral Group of Companies, and their annual Caspian Week Forum, to host a joint event at the Global Freight Summit 2023 in Dubai, UAE. This event will mark a significant milestone in developing logistics and trade in the Greater Caspian Region (GCR) and demonstrates DP World's strong commitment to supporting the region's growth. The collaboration between DP World and the Caspian Week Forum began in November last year with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Global Freight Summit 2022 to explore opportunities for cooperation in the GCR. Key global players The Caspian Week Forum, a conference dedicated to connecting GCR to the World in the areas of business, economics, education, science and culture, provides an independent platform for stakeholders to explore investment opportunities, discuss regional challenges and foster collaboration, attracting key global players interested in the potential of the GCR. Integral Group is also a Partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The focus of the joint event of Caspian Week 2023 at the Global Freight Summit will be the development of logistics and trade in the Greater Caspian Region. DP World aims to address the region's challenges by establishing new logistic corridors, integrating logistics, trading, and financial aspects into one system. This endeavour is paramount, given the complexities of the GCR and the necessity for seamless cross-border operations. DP World is actively assisting with projects in the region, aiming to overcome technological challenges and infrastructure bottlenecks. Among the crucial issues tackled are customs in logistics, an area where DP World is making significant strides with the World Logistics Passport, facilitating smoother trade and movement of goods. Immense potential "We are thrilled to join hands with Caspian Week 2023 at this years Global Freight Summit," said Mike Bhaskaran, COO of Digital Technology at DP World. "The Greater Caspian Region holds immense potential, and we believe that by integrating logistics and trade while fostering collaboration between public and private sectors, we can overcome the challenges and unlock growth opportunities for all stakeholders involved." During Global Freight Summit 2023, participants will have the privilege to hear from distinguished speakers, including top-level representatives from FIATA, the United Nations, the International Chamber of Commerce, various Governments, Business Leaders, and Think Tanks. These esteemed speakers will share insights, strategies, and solutions to propel the region's development forward. "We are delighted to partner with DP World for this joint event in Dubai," said Murat Seitnepesov, Chairman of the Caspian Week Forum Organising Committee. "The GCR is very important for global energy and food security, and logistics connectivity is one of the key factors in the development of the region. This forum will undoubtedly become an excellent platform for discussing ideas and presenting projects important to the GCR, especially on the creation of integrated trade and logistics smart systems, inviting partners and attracting investments for the implementation of development projects in the region."-- TradeArabia News Service JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's citrus fruit exports to China are increasing rapidly, leading to increased revenue within the citrus industry and the sustained employment of workers in the country, the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) of South Africa said. During an interview with Xinhua, Paul Hardman, the chief operating officer of CGA, highlighted the significant progress in citrus exports. He pointed out that a crucial achievement occurred in 2021 when South Africa and China signed a revised lemon protocol. "The current trend indicates favorable export figures for this year and the following year," said Hardman. South Africa's citrus export industry is a key source of employment, providing 140,000 jobs and contributing 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in annual export revenue, he said, adding that the improvement in trade relations with China has played a vital role in job creation and revenue generation. "The CGA aims to expand and diversify citrus trade with China. By 2024, South Africa envisions exporting 25,000 tons of lemons to China," he said. South Africa has maintained its status as China's largest trading partner in Africa since 2010 and trade between the two nations is poised to expand even further. BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has allocated an additional 500 million yuan (about 69.4 million U.S. dollars) for disaster relief and reconstruction in flood-affected regions, the Ministry of Finance said Monday. This funding, on top of the 1-billion-yuan allocated on Aug. 9, will be used to support the restoration of production and life in areas of Tianjin and Hebei that were used for national flood detention and storage, the ministry said in a statement. The additional funding will go toward providing compensation for property losses incurred by residents living in these areas, including damage to crops, animal and poultry farms, commercial forests, houses and agricultural machinery, according to the statement. TEHRAN, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday separately summoned the Danish and Swedish charges d'affaires in Tehran over the recurrent "desecration" of the Quran in the two Nordic countries, semi-official Mehr news agency reported. In the meetings, the ministry strongly condemned the continuing "rude" insults to the Quran in the two countries, stressing that Iran holds the Swedish and Danish governments fully accountable for the acts against the Islamic holy book, said the report. The two envoys were also urged to remind their governments of their international commitments based on articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which stipulates that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited." The ministry slammed the Swedish and Danish governments for "supporting the perpetrators" by failing to have serious determination to counter the hatemongering and Islamophobia in their countries. For their part, the two envoys underlined that their countries condemn any insult to the Quran and are determined to prevent the recurrence of such acts by making changes to their domestic laws. They also assured the ministry that they would immediately convey Iran's protest to their governments. Over the past months, several copies of the Quran have been desecrated by anti-Islam individuals or groups in Sweden and Denmark, sparking outrage and criticism in Muslim-majority countries worldwide. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 15, 2023 shows the Beipanjiang Bridge on the Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) This photo taken on Aug. 16, 2023 shows the surroundings of Ma Xuanjun's home in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 15, 2023 shows the Beipanjiang Bridge on the Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun talks about the Beipanjiang Bridge to tourists in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 16, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun (L) tells safety tips to tourists in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 15, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun talks about the Beipanjiang Bridge and his hometown to tourists in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 16, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun talks about the Beipanjiang Bridge and his hometown to tourists in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 16, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun serves food for tourists in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 16, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun talks about the Beipanjiang Bridge and his hometown to tourists in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 16, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) This photo taken on Aug. 16, 2023 shows a night view of the Beipanjiang Bridge on the Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway seen from Ma Xuanjun's house, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun picks up trash around his rural inn in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 15, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun helps tourists from south China's Guangdong Province take group photos in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 16, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun and his son play in the water in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 15, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun talks about the Beipanjiang Bridge via live streaming at his home in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 16, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Ma Xuanjun talks about the Beipanjiang Bridge via live streaming in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 16, 2023. Sitting over 565.4 meters above a valley, the Beipanjiang Bridge has been certified as the world's highest bridge by the Guinness World Records. In recent years, the bridge has turned out to be a popular tourist attraction owning to the stunning scenery around it. Ma Xuanjun, a farmer living near the Beipanjiang Bridge, turned his newly-built brick house into a rural inn in 2019 and started to receive tourists from afar. "Before the bridge was built, it would take us four hours to climb over the mountain to the town seat," said Ma. Now, his inn is decorated with photos he took with tourists from home and abroad. "Many tourists visited our village for the bridge. I will do my best to make them feel happy and remember my hometown," Ma said. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the tenth meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the 14th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) will convene its fifth session from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 in Beijing. The decision was made on Monday at a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, which was presided over by Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. According to the proposed agenda, lawmakers at the session will review draft revisions to the administrative reconsideration law and the company law, a draft law on foreign countries' state immunity and a draft law on value-added tax, as well as a draft amendment to the civil procedure law. The NPC Standing Committee session is also expected to review bills on draft laws on preschool education and on academic degrees respectively, a bill on a draft revision to the law on public security administrative penalties, and a bill on a draft decision regarding extending the authorization for the State Council to carry out a pilot program that enables law practitioners from Hong Kong and Macao to practice law in certain cities on the mainland. The legislators will also review a bill on the ratification of an extradition treaty with Ecuador. Other documents to be submitted at the session include reports on the implementation of the national economic and social development plan and on the implementation of this year's budget. This photo taken on Aug. 21, 2023 shows the site of a traffic accident in Yozgat province, central Turkiye. At least 12 people were killed, and 19 others injured after a bus fell down on a stockade in Turkiye's central Yozgat province, the local DHA news agency reported Monday. The passenger bus, traveling from the province of Sivas to Istanbul, went off the road for an unknown reason at the exit of the Sorgun district of Yozgat, said the report. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) ANKARA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed, and 19 others injured after a bus fell down on a stockade in Turkiye's central Yozgat province, the local DHA news agency reported Monday. The passenger bus, traveling from the province of Sivas to Istanbul, went off the road for an unknown reason at the exit of the Sorgun district of Yozgat, said the report. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said that a judicial investigation had been launched. This photo taken on Aug. 21, 2023 shows the site of a traffic accident in Yozgat province, central Turkiye. At least 12 people were killed, and 19 others injured after a bus fell down on a stockade in Turkiye's central Yozgat province, the local DHA news agency reported Monday. The passenger bus, traveling from the province of Sivas to Istanbul, went off the road for an unknown reason at the exit of the Sorgun district of Yozgat, said the report. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland (on the screen) briefs a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on Aug. 21, 2023. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) Settlement expansion continues unabated, Wennesland said, adding that the fragility of the Palestinian Authority fiscal situation, compounded by funding shortages facing key UN agencies, threatens to worsen the plight of the most vulnerable Palestinians. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Concerning trends seen in recent months continue throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland said on Monday, underscoring the need to restore a political horizon and achieve a two-state solution. Palestinians and Israelis are killed and injured in near daily violence that is fueled and exacerbated by a growing sense of despair about the future, Wennesland said in a briefing to the Security Council. Violence continues on the upswing, with more than 200 Palestinian and nearly 30 Israeli fatalities in the West Bank and Israel so far this year, already surpassing 2022's annual figures, and the highest since 2005, he said. Settlement expansion continues unabated, Wennesland said, adding that the fragility of the Palestinian Authority fiscal situation, compounded by funding shortages facing key UN agencies, threatens to worsen the plight of the most vulnerable Palestinians. "While we must urgently focus on addressing the most critical issues and on de-escalating the situation on the ground, we cannot ignore the need to restore a political horizon," he stressed. The United Nations remains firmly committed to supporting the parties to achieve an end to the occupation and the establishment of a two-state solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements, said Wennesland. JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Late August in South Africa is famed for its radiant afternoons when the golden African sun bathes the landscape in its warm embrace. It serves as a perfect backdrop for the blossoming China-South Africa relationship, which, as noted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, "has entered a 'golden era,' enjoying broad prospects and a promising future." "It is one of the most vibrant bilateral relations in the developing world," Xi said in a signed article titled "Sailing the Giant Ship of China-South Africa Friendship and Cooperation Toward Greater Success," published Monday in South African media as he set off to attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg and pay a state visit to South Africa. It was not the first time Xi called China-South Africa friendship and cooperation a "giant ship." In 2015, before his state visit to the country, Xi said in a signed article that the bilateral cooperation and friendship "has grown from a small boat to a gigantic vessel." As the world is facing numerous uncertainties and living through accelerating changes unseen in a century, "that metaphor still holds true," said Sifiso Mahlangu, editor-in-chief of South Africa's leading newspaper, The Star, which published Xi's signed articles this time and in 2015. "A giant ship is a great metaphor" because it rides the wind and waves and "is against the tide," said Mahlangu. "It is a metaphor that stands and lives up to the pledge of BRICS cooperation." On Monday, the country was abuzz with anticipation as it prepared to welcome Xi. "To us South Africans, the visit of President Xi is very important in enhancing and strengthening bilateral relations ... (including) trade relations between the two countries," said African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula. Data released by China showed that in the first half of the year, bilateral trade reached 28.25 billion U.S. dollars, up 11.7 percent year-on-year. China has maintained its position as South Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, while South Africa has been China's largest trading partner in Africa for 13 consecutive years. Calling the bilateral ties "stronger and stronger," Mbalula told Xinhua that South Africa-China relations are formed by "ties of anti-imperialism, multipolarity that we both believe in and strong ties of economic relationship." UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN peacekeeping chief has urged the mission in Mali to speedily transfer tasks to authorities and partners for a safe withdrawal from the country, a UN spokesman said on Monday. "Jean-Pierre Lacroix has concluded his visit to the country, after a series of meetings with senior officials from the transitional government, including Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at the end of Lacroix's two-day visit. Dujarric said Lacroix discussed lessons learned during the first phase of the mission's withdrawal, expected to be completed by month's end. Last week, members of the mission, known as MINUSMA, pulled back from a few of their smaller bases in the northern Timbuktu region, peacekeepers reported. The target is for the entire mission to be out of the country by Dec. 31, following a June UN Security Council resolution honoring Bamoko's request for the mission's standdown. Dujarric said Lacroix thanked authorities for their cooperation, adding that it "is critical to ensuring a safe and orderly withdrawal in a tight timeframe and challenging environment." The peacekeeping chief urged continued progress on the transfer of tasks from the mission not only to the Malian authorities but also to the UN country team and other partners. The Security Council mandated MINUSMA in 2013, which has proved to be one of the deadliest UN missions, with more than 300 peacekeepers killed in the line of duty as of June 30 this year. TEHRAN, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A two-month deadline has been set for the implementation of the agreement on the prisoner swap between Tehran and Washington and the release of Iran's frozen assets, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday. Addressing a press conference in Tehran, Kanaani said the implementation of the agreement is progressing well and he is optimistic that it will be completed within the set time limit, according to the official news agency IRNA. Kanaani also stressed that Iran has no plan for holding direct talks with the United States on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly scheduled in September, or in any other places. Kanaani stressed that the process of transferring part of Iran's funds, pertaining to gas and electricity exports, from Iraq has been completed, and that the procedure will be pursued seriously. Earlier in August, Tehran said Iran and the United States had reached an agreement, mediated by a third country, under which the two sides will exchange prisoners as a humanitarian issue and part of Iranian assets "illegally" blocked overseas by Washington would be released. Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) has awarded a key construction contract worth SR105 million ($28 million) to Darkstone, a specialist in industrial mechanical and electrical maintenance, construction and MEP works, for the second phase of Mansourah-Massarah Gold Project in the kingdom. An open-pit mine located in the Central Arabian gold region of Saudi Arabia, approximately 500km southeast of Riyadh, the project was initiated by Ma'aden Gold and Base Metals Company (MGBM), the largest mining company in Saudi Arabia. MGBM is looking at a production capacity of 250,000 ounces of gold annually over an estimated life of 12 years. In August, it had awarded the procurement and construction contract for the second stage of the project to Darkstone Arabia company and the engineering was assigned to ATC Williams to aid in designing the tailings and water management system. ATC Williams is a leader in providing solutions for tailings, water, and waste, in our fourth decade of operations. As part of the contract, Darkstone will perform the following tasks: *Construction of the waste management system including floor and perimeter embankment, piping, mechanical works, and HDPE geomembrane. *Waste distribution system *Water management system *Conducting laboratory tests *Carrying out various related activities. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, Darkstone is a specialist in industrial mechanical and electrical maintenance, mechanical engineering, civil, construction and MEP works, sourcing, as well as supply of a vast array of mining heavy machinery spare parts and end-to-end solutions for the mineral processing and gold recovery Industry in the Middle East.-TradeArabia News Service An Apache helicopter is seen during the 30th Wings Over Houston Air Show at the Ellington airport in Houston, the United States, Nov. 1, 2014. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) Despite the approval by the State Department, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency's notification to Congress does not guarantee the sale, nor does it indicate that a contract with the manufacturers has been signed. WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of State has approved the potential sale of Apache attack helicopters and related equipment to Poland for an estimated value of 12 billion U.S. dollars, the Department of Defense said Monday. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), an arm of the Pentagon responsible for providing military assistance to U.S. allies, said in a statement that it "delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale" in light of the State Department's determination. According to the DSCA, Poland has requested 96 Apache attack helicopters and related equipment, including 1,844 Hellfire missiles and 508 Stinger missiles, from the United States. Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been named the principal contractors for the weapons. Despite the approval by the State Department, the DSCA's notification to Congress does not guarantee the sale, nor does it indicate that a contract with the manufacturers has been signed, according to U.S. media reports. Bordering Ukraine to the east, Poland has made boosting its national defense a priority since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022. KHARTOUM, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The fierce clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued on Monday around the strategic armored corps camp at Al-Shajara military area, south of the capital Khartoum. "For the second day, the rebel militia attempted to enter the armored corps camp," Nabil Abdalla, the SAF's spokesman, said in a statement. "Our forces repulsed the militia and inflicted heavy losses of lives and equipment on them," the statement said. The RSF, for its part, said in a statement on Monday that its forces "achieved a great victory today in the battle at the armored corps in Khartoum, inflicting heavy losses among Al-Burhan's militia and the remnants of the defunct regime." The statement noted that the RSF has controlled large parts of the armored corps camp, forcing the enemy forces to flee and take shelter in some buildings near the camp. The RSF further said it had seized large military equipment, weapons and ammunition stores, 34 armored vehicles and tanks, 12 cannons, 78 vehicles, besides killing 260 and capturing hundreds of soldiers. An eyewitness from the Al-Shajara area said the clashes continued between the Sudanese army and the RSF around the area. "On Monday morning, the RSF started attacking the armored corps camp with heavy artillery, while the Sudanese army used warplanes to repulse the attack," the eyewitness told Xinhua on Monday. The armored corps camp has been a major target for the RSF, where it had made several attempts to control it. Meanwhile, the clashes between the two sides in Nyala, western Sudan, continued, during which Commander of the 16th Infantry Division in Nyala Yasser Fadlalla Al-Khidr Al-Sayem was killed, said SAF in a statement. Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, resulting in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry. HONIARA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Prime minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare visited the Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" here on Sunday, hailing the medical services that the ship provided to the South Pacific nation. The ship, setting sail from east China's Zhejiang Province on July 3, docked on Aug. 19 at Solomon Islands' capital city Honiara, the fourth stop of its Mission Harmony 2023 to five Pacific Island countries. According to a press release from the prime minister's press secretariat, Sogavare visited multiple operating rooms and nursing stations on board, expressing the Solomon Islands government's appreciation to the Chinese government and people for the goodwill visit. Sogavare said the ship's name "Peace" is what the world needs today, and the goodwill medical visit is a sure way of achieving peace, as the boat saves lives and promotes borderless peace. This is the first Solomon Islands visit of the "Peace Ark," which is scheduled to stay in the country for seven days to provide medical services and impart health knowledge to local communities. There are 26 clinical departments and seven auxiliary diagnosis departments on the ship for disease diagnosis and treatment. Several medical teams will also be sent to the National Referral Hospital and local communities to conduct medical services. BUDAPEST, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Various activities were held on Sunday in Hungary to celebrate its national holiday. Visitors and tourists were provided with a diverse array of exhibitions, concerts and children's programs, among others. A significant attraction of the day -- the light and fireworks display started here at 9:00 p.m. local time. It encompassed pyrotechnic effects, intricate light and laser shows, building projections, a waterborne fire-created flower carpet, and nearly 900 drones. Fireworks were launched from 230 points, including floating barges and fixed locations across various bridges. Zoltan Kovacs, state secretary for international communications and relations and who was responsible for the event, said on his Facebook page that activities witnessed both orderly conduct and immense public engagement. ISTANBUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish anti-narcotics police seized nearly 450 kg of methamphetamine and arrested five suspects, including a foreigner, in Istanbul, the governor's office said in a statement on Monday. The operation comes as part of a probe into the illicit trafficking of drugs, said the statement. Upon a tip-off, the police began tracking the suspects allegedly involved in drug trafficking and stopped a car and two trucks in the Tuzla district, where 447.5 kg of liquid narcotics were found concealed in 20 drums, it added. Turkish security forces frequently launch operations against drug dealers as part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown on drug use and trafficking. According to the Istanbul governor's office, a total of 8.5 tons of drugs and more than 2.5 million pills had been seized in counter-narcotic operations throughout the city during the January-July period. This photo take on Aug. 20, 2023 shows huge waves at Newport Beach, California, the United States. After making landfall in Mexico earlier Sunday, tropical storm Hilary started to unleash wind gusts and heavy rain across California, where officials have warned of potentially deadly floods. (Xinhua) NEW YORK, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- After making landfall in Mexico earlier Sunday, tropical storm Hilary started to unleash wind gusts and heavy rain across California, where officials have warned of potentially deadly floods. Hilary's center is just a few hours from Southern California, but the state has been feeling the storm's effects since early Sunday and the rainfall totals are starting to add up, reported CNN. "We are not used to this level of precipitation, generally. Certainly not in the middle of summer," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria was quoted as saying on Sunday. He was worried about potential power outages from the wind as well as flooding. "We're not built for this kind of rainfall ... With what we're expecting, it may overwhelm us," he added. Hilary had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (97 kph) at roughly 2 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) and was about 115 miles south-southeast of San Diego, the National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters said the storm was still expected to enter the history books as the first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years, bringing flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency, and officials had urged people to finish their preparations before sundown Saturday. It would be too late by Sunday, one expert said. "The hurricane is the latest major climate disaster to wreak havoc across the U.S., Canada and Mexico," The Associated Press reported, adding that it could dump up to 10 inches (25 cm) -- a year's worth of rain for some areas -- in southern California and southern Nevada. A person takes photos of huge waves at Newport Beach, California, the United States, Aug. 20, 2023. After making landfall in Mexico earlier Sunday, tropical storm Hilary started to unleash wind gusts and heavy rain across California, where officials have warned of potentially deadly floods. (Xinhua) SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and six more injured in a shooting early Sunday at a South Seattle hookah lounge in the U.S. state of Washington, officials said. Officers responded to reports of a shooting at Rainier Hookah Lounge just before 4:30 a.m. (1130 GMT), according to the Seattle Police Department. Police found that two men and a woman had been shot, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said at a news conference Sunday afternoon. The two men, aged 22 and 32, died from injuries at the scene. The woman, aged 30, was taken to hospital in critical condition. She died later in the day, Diaz added. The injured were also taken to the hospital. Four men and a woman were in stable condition as of Sunday afternoon. A 23-year-old man was in critical condition, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said at the news conference. The department's homicide unit is leading an investigation. It's not clear yet what led to the shooting or how many suspects have been involved. Police confirmed they recovered at least five guns. "It appeared they might have been trying to shut down the place, as well. But when it comes to the community, I believe it's an isolated incident," Diaz said. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 13, 2023 shows wildfires near Lladnar Creek in British Columbia, Canada. Canada is sending the military to tackle the record-breaking wildfires in its British Columbia (BC) province, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday, as local firefighting personnel and resources drained. (BC Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) OTTAWA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Canada is sending the military to tackle the record-breaking wildfires in its British Columbia (BC) province, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday, as local firefighting personnel and resources drained. At BC's request, the federal government is deploying Canadian Armed Forces assets and providing resources to help with evacuations, staging and other logistical tasks, Trudeau said on social media. On Saturday, BC's Premier David Eby declared a provincial state of emergency and banned non-essential travel to areas affected by wildfires to ensure accommodations for evacuations. Restricted communities include Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon. Eby added that there were some 35,000 people on evacuation orders across the province and another 30,000 on evacuation alert. Government officials have urged residents in evacuation order zones to leave immediately and prevent firefighters from dying while trying to save them. Fire tourists and drone fliers that may impede firefighting are warned to stay away from the fire-affected zones, BC's Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston said at a press conference on Friday. Ralston also asked people to stay clear of lakes which water bombers are using to refill water to douse fires. Some 3,400 workers are involved in firefighting in BC, Reuters reported on Sunday. Firefighting in Canada this summer has drained local resources. Currently, 680 international firefighters are aiding Canada, said Marieke de Roos, spokesperson for the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), which manages the country's flow of interprovincial and foreign fire personnel. Amid a provincial state of emergency since Aug. 16, the Northwest Territories government has requested dozens of firefighters to battle some of the 236 active wildfires in the region alongside the 65 South African firefighters and 120 Canadian soldiers deployed there now. The BC Wildfire Service said it has been requesting more personnel, partially to replace the nearly 200 American and Australian firefighters who left the province over the past week because of deteriorating wildfires in their own nations, Canadian media reported. Public debates have emerged around whether Canada needs a national firefighting force. Mike Flannigan, a wildfire expert at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC, was quoted as saying by CBC News that a national firefighting force will allow a more preemptive approach, more sustainable than using the military every year. CBC News added that federal officials have denied discussion about a dedicated national force, as they reiterated that provinces and territories bear the primary responsibility in case of wildfires. Latest data from the CIFFC showed about 141,000 square km of land have been scorched nationwide, with smoke shadowing the U.S. East Coast. As of Sunday, there were 1,037 active forest fires around Canada, 379 of which were in BC. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 17, 2023 shows wildfires near Kookipi Creek in British Columbia, Canada. Canada is sending the military to tackle the record-breaking wildfires in its British Columbia (BC) province, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday, as local firefighting personnel and resources drained. (BC Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 15, 2023 shows wildfires near Greer Creek in British Columbia, Canada. Canada is sending the military to tackle the record-breaking wildfires in its British Columbia (BC) province, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday, as local firefighting personnel and resources drained. (BC Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 6, 2023 shows wildfires near Greer Creek in British Columbia, Canada. Canada is sending the military to tackle the record-breaking wildfires in its British Columbia (BC) province, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday, as local firefighting personnel and resources drained. (BC Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 6, 2023 shows wildfires near Greer Creek in British Columbia, Canada. Canada is sending the military to tackle the record-breaking wildfires in its British Columbia (BC) province, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday, as local firefighting personnel and resources drained. (BC Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) Photo taken on Aug. 12, 2023 shows wildfires near Mount Bingay in British Columbia, Canada. Canada is sending the military to tackle the record-breaking wildfires in its British Columbia (BC) province, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday, as local firefighting personnel and resources drained. (BC Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), is set to host Envision, an exclusive event showcasing the latest ICT solutions that are revolutionising the future of work. Under the patronage of the UAEs Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), the event will contribute to the objectives of the Technology Transformation Programme by highlighting how ICT solutions are driving economic growth, and enhancing productivity, competitiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and inclusivity in the UAE manufacturing ecosystem with a focus on immersive, experiential technology. Held with the presence of Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology under the theme of "Enabling Future Makers for a Better World", the event sets the stage to explore the transformative potential of advanced technologies, and it aligns with the goals of "We the UAE 2031" vision, the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology Operation 300bn, and the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategy. Emerging tech Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of du, said: "Envision embodies the immense transformative capabilities of emerging technologies. We are co-creating the future of work through our strong partner ecosystem, powered by an innovative spirit. As the preferred ICT solutions provider, advisor, and partner, we passionately drive forward the digitisation agenda, paving the way for a future that is both sustainable and digitally empowered. By bringing together leaders, innovators, and stakeholders from all sectors, our visionary platform will demonstrate how industries can thrive and grow, catalysing economic success as we shape a greener, safer, and ultimately more prosperous tomorrow. Glimpse into the future of work The event aims to bring together industry experts to explore the transformative impact of technologies such as 5G, edge computing, and cloud and their contribution to global competitiveness and sustainable development. Through a collaborative ecosystem of regional and local telcos, hyperscalers, system integrators, and the analyst community, Envision aims to propel the digitisation and transformation agenda, fostering innovation and driving economic growth and sustainability. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience technology through innovative use cases that illustrate how ICT solutions are revolutionising four key areas: Smart Manufacturing: 5G connectivity optimises processes, reduces waste, and drives higher efficiency and productivity in manufacturing, and by doing this, meeting so the goals of Operation 300 billion and the Technology Transformation Program. Smart Cities: Capitalising on the UAE government's vision of sustainable smart cities by 2030 , ICT solutions enhance urban living, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability. Agritech: To meet the growing food consumption demands, the UAE is focusing on agritech to enhance food security through local production. Against the backdrop of a projected annualised growth rate of 3.5% in food consumption, the event will showcase ICTs pivotal role in harnessing agricultural technology to ensure sustainable and secure food supply. Sustainability: Aligned with global sustainable development initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the UAE government has set ambitious sustainability goals. ICT solutions play a central role in achieving these goals in areas like renewable energy, waste management, water conservation, and green transportation. People-centric cities Expert-led panels will cover trends like building people-centric cities, and utilising advanced technologies like IoT, AI and Metaverse to create future factories powered by data. There will be discussions on the role of 5G in enabling digital-first operations and Industry 4.0 in manufacturing, the significance of edge computing in delivering intelligence to data-driven cities, and the integration of drones and robots in manufacturing automation. Organisations will be able to explore how to utilise technologies, such as public cloud infrastructure, to achieve sustainability goals and lower the carbon footprint. Experts will also focus on the disruptive changes in the agricultural industry and the need for tech-enabled quality assurance and traceability. Discussions will revolve around leveraging data and automation to improve food safety, manage supply and demand fluctuations, and provide end-to-end traceability across the value chain.-- TradeArabia News Service A proposed new terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport is designed, in part, to allow planes to get in and out of Columbus faster. Construction could start as early as next year on a proposed new $2-billion terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, designed to provide a more efficient, more modern and more comfortable experience for travelers. "The time is really now to work on this terminal," said Joe Nardone, president and CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which oversees the airport. "We need to provide improved customer experiences for those who fly through this airport." The airport authority and its design team have released renderings of the proposed terminal and hope to finalize plans early next year in anticipation of starting construction in late 2024 and completing it in time for the airport's 100th anniversary in the summer of 2029. "We made significant progress in the last year," Nardone said. "Its not a go yet. There's still a lot of work to do before the (airport authority) board makes a final go or no-go decision." Long discussed, the new terminal would replace the existing terminal, which was built in 1958. The new facility would be built west of the existing one on what is now the "blue" parking lot, south of International Gateway, the main drive into the airport from Interstate 670. A new terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport would expand the capacity of the airport, which now served 7.5 million passengers last year. Nardone and others argue that the current terminal is so outdated that it is no longer cost-effective to remodel. Mike Boyd, president of Boyd Group International, a Colorado-based aviation consulting firm, agrees. "This 60-plus-year-old building has lots of issues that really are expensive," said Boyd, whose firm is not involved in the Columbus terminal project. "Water lines, electrical systems, HVAC and dozens more things just lurking to break. Plus, it likely has been modified for current security systems, and was not built for them." What's different about the new terminal? At 1 million square feet, the new terminal would be roughly the same size as the existing one, but would be laid out very differently and be capable of handling far more traffic. Story continues The biggest change: The new terminal would have one concourse instead of the current three. The current design, the product of the airport's expansion over the years, has resulted in three security gates, three concession areas and three waiting areas. Each of the airport's concourses, for example, has a Starbucks, while restaurants such as Donato's, Bob Evans, Charleys Cheesesteaks and Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, are split among the three. Once a traveler makes it past the security checkpoint into concourse B, for instance, they can grab a drink at Land-Grant Brewing Co. but can't get a Donato's Pizza, which is only in concourses A and C. The proposed new terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport would be brighter and bigger than the current one, built in 1958. The new terminal centralizes major concessions in one concourse behind one checkpoint. Once travelers pass through security, they will enter a large, bright "central market" space where they can see the gates, the concessions and other amenities. "The central market, as we call it, becomes a front-door experience," said William Hartman, a design principal in the Detroit office of Gensler, the San Francisco-based architecture firm that was hired last year for $92 million to serve as the lead architect on the terminal. "There will be an abundance of daylight, a forward-looking and modern expression," Hartman added. "It will look and feel like Columbus wants to look and feel like in the future." The Columbus architectural firm Moody Nolan is partnering with Gensler on the project. "As a local, I'm excited that you can get to the airport, have a sandwich and sit in a central place and see where your plane is," said Moody Nolan CEO and President Jonathan Moody. "There's a mental ease to it." What will a new terminal mean for airlines and planes? The new terminal will include more gates and is designed to more quickly get planes in and out. Instead of the 29 gates that now serve Columbus, the new facility is designed for 36 gates, all of them capable of handling larger planes that serve Columbus, such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320. Currently, 21 of the 29 gates can manage those planes. Two of the new gates will also be able to handle international flights, Hartman said. Nardone says the additional gates and more efficient layout will increase the airport's capacity by 51%. Instead of the expected 8 million passengers arriving and departing this year, the new terminal would be able to handle 13 million, he said. A new terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport would be built off International Gateway, west of the current terminal. Traffic at the airport has improved the past few years, but has yet to return to 2019 levels, before COVID's assault on the travel industry. Last year, 7.5 million travelers flew in and out of John Glenn, compared with 8.6 million at its 2019 peak. Nardone said he expects passenger traffic this year to end up about 95% of 2019 levels, and to reach, if not exceed, 2019 counts next year. Even though Columbus airport traffic remains below its peak, Nardone and others say they expect it to rise significantly in the future as the region grows with Intel, Amazon, Honda, JPMorgan Chase and other international companies. "Columbus will increasingly be a gateway for Ohio to the globe," Boyd said. "New-generation airliners like the Airbus A321XLR and the 737Max-10 will allow major airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa, American, Delta, (and others) to access the increasing international role of Ohio," he added. "Remember, those Honda facilities in Marysville or even the Ford factories in Lima are part of the global economy. Columbus planning a new appropriate airport facility for 2028 is right on the money." How will the terminal be paid for? The final price of the terminal hasn't been determined, but officials estimate the cost at $2 billion. Nardone argues that the sooner construction can begin, the lower the cost given how quickly construction costs are rising. He said a new (and larger) terminal at Kansas City International Airport, which opened in February, cost $1.5 billion, but would now cost closer to $2.5 billion if bid today. "The time is really now to work on this terminal," Nardone said. "We have such rising construction costs." The airport authority plans to finance the bulk of the terminal cost about $1.5 billion through the sale of bonds that would be gradually paid off from airport revenue. The balance of the cost would primarily come from two sources: $140 million from federal grants; and the airport authority, which now has more than $200 million set aside for the project, up from about $15 million five years ago. "Over the last five years, our team has done a tremendous job managing the business of Columbus airport," Nardone said. "We expect to have significant money for the project; every day we are putting money away." What's next? Hartman estimated that the design of the proposed new terminal is about 30% complete, but that he expects them to be far enough along to start bidding if the board pushes the green light by the middle of next year. To help with construction cost estimates, the airport authority has hired Hensel Phelps Construction Co., based in Colorado, and the Columbus construction firm Elford. In several ways, including building a new rental car center and relocating a taxiway, the airport has already prepped for the new terminal. But the heavy lifting is still to come. "We really embraced trying to imagine, 'What is possible in the future?'" Moody said. "What does that front door to the city represent for the next 20 years?" jweiker@dispatch.com @JimWeiker This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What does new Columbus airport terminal mean for travelers and planes? Key Insights Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, 3i Group's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions The top 21 shareholders own 50% of the company Recent purchases by insiders If you want to know who really controls 3i Group plc (LON:III), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 85% to be precise, is institutions. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about 3i Group. Check out our latest analysis for 3i Group What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About 3i Group? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that 3i Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at 3i Group's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. 3i Group is not owned by hedge funds. BlackRock, Inc. is currently the largest shareholder, with 9.8% of shares outstanding. With 4.2% and 3.5% of the shares outstanding respectively, The Vanguard Group, Inc. and Artemis Investment Management LLP are the second and third largest shareholders. In addition, we found that Simon Borrows, the CEO has 1.7% of the shares allocated to their name. Story continues A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 21 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of 3i Group The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. We can see that insiders own shares in 3i Group plc. The insiders have a meaningful stake worth UK320m. we sometimes take an interest in whether they have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 12% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand 3i Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for 3i Group you should know about. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. artran / Getty Images Find discounts on Apple products, and longer warranties when you purchase through Costco. Shoppers turn to Costco for savings on everything from food to back-to-school clothes. Did you know you can also save money, and get some additional perks, when you buy Apple products at the popular wholesale club? Costcos Best Deals? Employee Reveals 10 Standout Buys for Your Money Learn: How To Save $200 on Your Grocery Bill Every Month Lower Prices Personal finance sites, Redditors, and other shoppers have shared that, in general, Costco has lower prices on Apple products than many competitors, as well as the Apple Store. For instance, we found the 13 MacBook Air with M1 chip at the Apple Store for $999. Costco had a similar model for $949, a $50 savings, plus a $200 discount now through August 27, 2023, bringing the price down to $749. One Redditor, jlcarver1620, even mentioned that when Apple products are on sale at Costco, they are cheaper than Apple student discount. Price Adjustment Policy Costco and Costco.com both have generous and easy price match policies. If you make a purchase at Costco online and see it cheaper within 30 days, you can request a refund of the price difference by filling out the Price Adjustment form online (for Costco.com purchases) or by visiting the Returns counter at Costco. Keep in mind Costco will not price match prices at other stores and will not adjust prices if the price is lower at Costco.com than it was in the warehouse (or vice versa). One Redditor said they didnt even have to fill out a price adjustment form when they purchased an Apple product. A year later they received a gift card. Wheresmyflan wrote: I bought the new AirPod Pros the moment I could last year and theyve been great. But what was even greater was getting a $30 (~5 rotisserie chickens) gift card from Costco a couple weeks ago because they negotiated a better price with Apple. Lower AppleCare+ Pricing AppleCare+, which extends Apple warranty coverage for two years for headphones, Apple Watches, and iPads, and three years for Mac computers, may cost less at Costco, according to multiple sources. AppleCare+ also adds accidental damage protection to your coverage. Story continues Longer Warranty Costco extends the manufacturers warranty on products, giving you two years of warranty protection on your Apple product. However, the warranty does not cover accidental damage, so you might still want to consider purchasing Apple Care+ to protect your investment. Cheaper Apple Subscriptions Costco offers lower prices on Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade subscriptions. Sign up for Apple TV+ for just $33.99 and Apple Arcade for $23.99, each for six months. When you purchase through the Apple website, Apple TV+ costs $6.99 per month, which is $41.94 for half a year. Apple Arcade is $4.99 per month, with the first month free, so youre paying $29.94 for seven months your first year, and $29.94 for six months after that, which puts Costcos prices at a lower rate, over time, with $6 savings upfront. Generous Return Policy Costco offers an easy and generous return policy where you have 90 days to return a product if it doesnt meet your needs. Larger Inventory Shoppers report seeing a larger inventory of computers, AirPods, iPhones, and more at Costco than at many other retailers. Cash Back If you have the Costco Executive Membership, youll earn an additional 2% back when you buy your Apple products (and nearly everything else) at Costco. I Work at Costco: Here Are 12 Insider Secrets You Should Know Do All Your Shopping in One Spot Theres something to be said for convenience. While The Apple Store sells only Apple products, you can get your grocery shopping and more done at Costco at the same time youre picking up new Airpods for back-to-school or a MacBook Pro to launch your home-based business. Youll save time and money at Costco! More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 9 Perks of Buying Apple Products at Costco Value-focused investors are always on the hunt for stocks that are priced below their intrinsic value. One such stock that merits attention is Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB). The stock, which is currently priced at 187.48, recorded a gain of 2.23% in a day and a 3-month decrease of 7.72%. The stock's fair valuation is $485.31, as indicated by its GF Value. Understanding the GF Value The GF Value represents the current intrinsic value of a stock derived from our exclusive method. The GF Value Line on our summary page gives an overview of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. It is calculated based on three factors: historical multiples (PE Ratio, PS Ratio, PB Ratio and Price-to-Free-Cash-Flow) that the stock has traded at; GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the company's past returns and growth; and future estimates of the business performance. Is Albemarle (ALB) a Hidden Value Trap? Unveiling the Risks and Rewards However, investors need to consider a more in-depth analysis before making an investment decision. Despite its seemingly attractive valuation, certain risk factors associated with Albemarle should not be ignored. These risks are primarily reflected through its low Beneish M-Score of -1.47 that exceeds -1.78, the threshold for potential earnings manipulation. These indicators suggest that Albemarle, despite its apparent undervaluation, might be a potential value trap. This complexity underlines the importance of thorough due diligence in investment decision-making. Decoding the Beneish M-Score Developed by Professor Messod Beneish, the Beneish M-Score is based on eight financial variables that reflect different aspects of a company's financial performance and position. These are Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), Gross Margin (GM), Total Long-term Assets Less Property, Plant and Equipment over Total Assets (TATA), change in Revenue (?REV), change in Depreciation and Amortization (?DA), change in Selling, General and Admin expenses (?SGA), change in Debt-to-Asset Ratio (?LVG), and Net Income Less Non-Operating Income and Cash Flow from Operations over Total Assets (?NOATA). Story continues Inside Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB) Albemarle is the world's largest lithium producer and a global leader in the production of bromine, used in flame retardants. The company is also a major producer of oil refining catalysts. The outlook for robust lithium demand is predicated upon increased demand for electric vehicle batteries. Albemarle produces lithium from its salt brine deposits in Chile and the U.S. and its hard rock joint venture mines in Australia. The company has a market cap of $22 billion and sales of $9.70 billion. Is Albemarle (ALB) a Hidden Value Trap? Unveiling the Risks and Rewards Assessing Financial Stability The Gross Margin index tracks the evolution of a company's gross profit as a proportion of its revenue. A downward trend could indicate issues such as overproduction or more generous credit terms, both of which are potential red flags for earnings manipulation. By examining the past three years of Albemarle's historical data (2021: 31.95; 2022: 34.98; 2023: 40.15), we find that its Gross Margin has contracted by 6.86%. Such a contraction in the gross margin can negatively impact the company's profitability as it signifies lesser income from each dollar of sales. This could put a strain on the company's capacity to manage operating costs, potentially undermining its financial stability. Is Albemarle (ALB) a Hidden Value Trap? Unveiling the Risks and Rewards Scrutinizing Operational Costs The change in Selling, General, and Administrative (SG&A) expenses provides insight into a company's operational costs, encompassing expenses related to selling products and managing the business. Examining Albemarle's SG&A data over the past three years (2021: 435.70; 2022: 468.29; 2023: 834.01), an unexpected decrease may raise eyebrows. While reducing these expenses can be a sign of improved efficiency, an abrupt or unexplained decrease might indicate cost-cutting measures taken to artificially inflate earnings. Interpreting TATA Ratio The TATA (Total Accruals to Total Assets) ratio, calculated as the Net Income less Non-Operating Income and Cash Flow from Operations, divided by Total Assets, is a key indicator of the quality of a company's earnings. For Albemarle, the current TATA ratio (TTM) stands at 0.056. A positive TATA ratio can be a warning sign, suggesting that the earnings are composed more of accruals rather than cash flow, which could be an indication of aggressive income recognition. Accrual accounting permits management some discretion in recognizing revenue and expenses, and a company intent on artificially boosting its earnings might exploit this flexibility. Conclusion: Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) as a Value Trap While Albemarle's current valuation may seem attractive, the company's financial indicators suggest potential risks. The low Beneish M-Score, coupled with a contracting Gross Margin and a positive TATA ratio, all point to potential earnings manipulation. Thus, despite its apparent undervaluation, Albemarle might be a potential value trap. Investors are advised to conduct thorough due diligence before making an investment decision. To find out the high-quality companies that may deliver above-average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. An American Airlines plane sits at a gate at Logan Airport ahead of the July 4th holiday in Boston CHICAGO (Reuters) -American Airlines pilots have approved a new contract that includes more than $9.6 billion in total pay and benefits increases over four years, reflecting the bargaining power held by pilots in an era of airline staff shortages. The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents 15,000 pilots at the Texas-based carrier, said on Monday that 72.7% of the pilots voted for the deal which will result in an immediate pay raise of more than 21%. Overall, compensation for pilots at the airline will rise by more than 46% during the contract's duration. "It's unprecedented and historic," the Allied Pilots Association's president, Captain Ed Sicher, told Reuters on Monday. "For pilots the biggest victory is not just the wages but the work-life stuff." Analysts at Jefferies estimate that the U.S. airline industry has a shortage of about 10,000 pilots. This supply-demand gap is projected to last until 2027. With no letup in travel demand, airlines are in a rush to staff up, bolstering the bargaining power of pilots. Rival United Airlines last month announced a preliminary deal for a new four-year contract that would give its pilots a cumulative increase of 34.5%-40.2% in pay. American's contract includes about $1.1 billion in immediate, one-time payments and ratification bonuses. Quality-of-life improvements represent nearly 20% of the increased value of the new contract, the union said. For example, pilots would get premium pay if the company reassigns them from a trip they bid on, or have asked to fly, Sicher said. (Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Matthew Lewis) By Chen Aizhu, Emily Chow and Marwa Rashad SINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) - China's liquefied natural (LNG) gas importers are starting up or expanding trading desks in London and Singapore to better manage their growing and diversified supply portfolios in an increasingly volatile global market. The beefed-up trading presence of Chinese importers puts them in direct competition with such global heavyweights as Shell, BP, Equinor and TotalEnergies for a market that the International Energy Agency says doubled in value to $450 billion last year. About a dozen Chinese companies have been expanding trading teams or adding new desks, with privately run ENN Natural Gas and state-run China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) the latest to plan London offices, and utility China Gas Holdings setting up a Singapore operation, company officials and traders said. Chinese gas importers have also boosted long-term LNG contracts with Qatar and U.S. suppliers by nearly 50% since late 2022 to more than 40 million metric tons per year (mtpy), with plans to add more volumes from those two countries, as well as from Oman, Canada and Mozambique, traders and analysts said. "We're going to see a paradigm shift in Chinese companies from being total net importers to (being) more international and domestic trading players," said Toby Copson, Shanghai-based head of global trading for Trident LNG. Already, state-run PetroChina, Sinopec, Sinochem Group and CNOOC are actively trading volatility to capitalise on their long portfolios, Copson said. China vies with Japan to be the world's largest LNG importer, although it's not clear how much surplus or other volumes Chinese companies might have available to trade. PetroChina International (PCI), trading arm of PetroChina and China's largest gas trader with a 100-strong global team in Beijing and four other international offices, imported or traded about 30 million tons of LNG last year. Story continues Zhang Yaoyu, PCI's global head of LNG trading, declined to comment on the company's traded volume, but said trading was part of the company's overall strategy. "Supply security is still at the heart of our business activities. Trading capability is one of the enablers ... to help us better deal with market swings," Zhang said. By 2026, Chinese companies are expected to have contracted LNG supplies of more than 100 million tons a year. That could mean a surplus of up to 8 million tons that year, according to consultancy Poten & Partners, or a deficit of 5 million to 6 million tons based on estimates from pricing agency ICIS. Either way, China's growing domestic output and more piped gas from Central Asia and Russia provide enough of a fuel base that Chinese gas companies can trade or swap U.S. and other portfolio cargoes when arbitrages open or it makes market sense. "I could see China becoming a seasonal seller to places like Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan, as well as into Europe," said Jason Feer, head of business intelligence at Poten & Partners. U.S. LNG contracts are done on a free-on-board (FOB), open basis with no restrictions on destination, and consultant Rystad Energy estimates U.S. volume will make up a quarter of China's long-term contracts by 2030. Qatar, which will be China's largest supplier for 2026, however, offers traditional LNG contracts that are restricted to a single destination or country. BIG PUSH IN A SHIFTING MARKET Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year forced European buyers to raise LNG imports by two-thirds to replace lost Russian piped gas. This created an outlet for companies with available supplies, and Chinese, Japanese and South Korean companies pounced as global LNG prices surged and the value of the market doubled. European users have also been reluctant to sign long-term contracts because of decarbonisation goals, and Asian gas traders and importers have been sending LNG to Europe during spring and summer to fill storage tanks there, Feer said. PCI as well signed a deal in May to use Rotterdam's Gate regasification terminal for 20 years, a first for a Chinese company in Europe. These openings in the market and a more liberalised domestic gas market have also prompted smaller Chinese gas distributors and importers to expand into the trading space. China Gas Holdings, for instance, which has signed contracts for 3.7 million tons per year for U.S. LNG, is hiring its first two traders for a new office in Singapore and is looking to secure more contracts, a company executive told Reuters. It joins ENN, Beijing Gas, Zhejiang Energy and JOVO Energy in establishing a trading presence in the Southeast Asian energy hub. "Compared to Japanese firms, Chinese are way more aggressive in expansion, with PCI and Unipec among the best payers offering comparable packages as the global majors," as they look to fill out trading desks, said a Singapore-based recruiter. (Reporting by Chen Aizhu and Emily Chow in Singapore, and Marwa Rashad in London; Additional reporting by Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo; Editing by Tom Hogue) The U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia weighed in on a lawsuit involving the Surface Transportation Board and Uinta Basin Railway. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves) A three-person panel of judges determined that the Surface Transportation Boards review of a planned project to construct an 85-mile-long rail line in the Uinta Basin in Utah that would carry crude oil was insufficient and lacked substance in part because it didnt delve deeply into the projects environmental ramifications. The decision puts the project into timeline limbo. Despite its protestations to the contrary, the Board cannot ignore and, in the past, has not ignored serious concerns about financial viability in determining the transportation merits of a project, said the courts opinion Friday written by Robert L. Wilkins, a judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, on plans by the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition in Utah to construct the Uinta Basin Railway. Wilkins later wrote that the poor environmental review alone renders arbitrary the Boards consideration of the relevant Rail Policies and the final orders exemption of the Railway. Yet, the Board also failed to conduct a reasoned application of the appropriate Rail Policies as required under the [Interstate Commerce Commission Termination] Act [ICCTA]. The Board failed to weigh the Projects uncertain financial viability and the full potential for environmental harm against the transportation benefits it identified. By rejecting the environmental impact statement (EIS) compiled by STBs Office of Environmental Analysis, as well as rejecting the biological opinion (BiOp) report that STB put together in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the railways potential impacts on endangered species and critical habitats, the court is calling for STB to review its prior decision and conduct the analyses it should have conducted earlier. In response to the appeals court decision, the projects proponents, which include the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition and the DHIP Group, a developer and financier of infrastructure projects, said in a joint statement that they would work with STB to ensure the additional reviews and press on with the project without delay, according to news reports. Story continues The Uinta Basin Railway team remains committed to the successful planning, construction, and operation of the railway. While we disagree with the D.C. Circuit Courts recent decision, we respect the authority of the U.S. Court of Appeals, the railways developers said in a statement to FreightWaves. We firmly believe that the railways Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) contains appropriate and thorough analysis of the highlighted concerns, as it stands today. Nonetheless, we are ready, willing, and capable of working with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to ensure additional reviews and the projects next steps proceed without further delay. We look forward to bringing this railway to the Basin in a safe and cost-effective way to enable economic stability, sustainable communities and an enriched quality of life to Utahns and beyond. Meanwhile, environmental groups following the case before the appeals court praised the courts decision. This decision is a win for public health and the environment, Jonny Vasic, executive director for Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, said in a Friday news release. The court ruled the Surface Transportation Board conducted an environmental review that failed to meet the requirements of the law. The people of Utah can breathe a sigh of relief. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for the Uinta Basin Railway. What the Uinta Basin Railway project is about Project organizers have said that the purpose of the railway is to provide a viable transportation alternative besides trucks to ship locally produced crude oil. The railway would extend from South Myton Beach, which is located near the Uinta Basin in Utah, and Leland Beach to Kyune, Utah, where it would connect with the wider U.S. rail network via Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP). The crude oil potentially would head to refineries on the Gulf Coast. According to environmental groups, since the purpose of the proposed railway is to transport crude oil from the region to Gulf Coast refineries, the construction of the railway could result in crude oil production of an estimated 350,000 barrels per day. Project funding would come from public sources such as mineral lease fees that companies pay to the government, as well as the Utah Permanent Community Impact Fund, which had planned to give $27.9 million toward the project, according to the website for the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition. Funding of $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion would come from private sources, such as contracts and service fees for the railway. What the appeals court decided and why Fridays appeals court decision was in response to two lawsuits filed against STB in February 2022 that the court subsequently turned into one proceeding. One lawsuit was from five environmental groups Center for Biological Diversity, Living Rivers, Sierra Club, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment and WildEarth Guardians and the other was from Eagle County, Colorado, which described itself in legal filings as being downline to potential environmental impacts that could come from the project. These two separate lawsuits were filed after STB approved a request by Seven County Infrastructure Coalition and others for an expedited review of the project instead of the typical review that occurs and involves a more extensive review of a projects adherence to the National Environmental Policy Act. STB approved this request in December 2021 on a 4-1 vote, with STB Chairman Marty Oberman dissenting. Projects typically obtain STBs permission to proceed by submitting an application that ensures the projects adherence with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as well as provides information on the proposed use of the line, including operational, financial, environmental and energy data. But projects can also opt to seek an exemption from the more stringent review, provided that the project meets certain conditions. The coalition had sought the exemption option during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the economic distress of local communities. When the court issued its decision on Friday, it determined that STBs review was insufficient because the two supporting documents that the board produced for the application, the EIS and the BiOp, didnt adequately explore potential issues in depth. These issues include the potential hazards that additional freight trains particularly trains carrying crude oil could bring to local communities. While we recognize that the Board relied on additional factors in analyzing downline wildfire risks such as technological improvements in the rail industry and historic data on train-induced wildfires its assertion that an increase in rail traffic of up to 9.5 new trains a day would not result in a significant wildfire risk because it would not be a qualitatively new ignition source is utterly unreasoned, the court decision said. A significant increase in the frequency of which existing ignition sources travel this route equally poses an increased risk of fire. Because the Board appears to have underestimated the accident risk for downline trains as noted in the prior section, it necessarily underestimated the wildfire risk from downline derailments. This is not the hard look that NEPA requires. The court also said STB should have delved more deeply into the environmental impacts that come not only from increasing crude oil production in the Uinta Basin but also what the nations role should be in increasing oil production. The cumulative effects within the Uinta Basin of a major expansion of oil drilling there, on Gulf Coast communities of refining the oil, and the climate effects of the combustion of the fuel intended to be extracted are foreseeable environmental effects of the project. These are effects the Board ultimately has the authority to prevent. The Board was required not only to identify those effects under NEPA, as discussed above, but also to weigh them in its ICCT Act analysis. Its failure to do so contributes to our conclusion that the Boards order is arbitrary and capricious, the court said. In conclusion, the court decision said: The deficiencies here are significant. We have found numerous NEPA violations arising from the EIS, including the failures to: (1) quantify reasonably foreseeable upstream and downstream impacts on vegetation and special-status species of increased drilling in the Uinta Basin and increased oil-train traffic along the Union Pacific Line, as well as the effects of oil refining on environmental justice communities the Gulf Coast; (2) take a hard look at wildfire risk as well as impacts on water resources downline; and (3) explain the lack of available information on local accident risk. The EIS is further called into question since the BiOp failed to assess impacts on the Colorado River fishes downline. Fridays appeal court decision echoed many of the reasons why Oberman said in December 2021 that he was voting against approving the projects environmental impact statement. The critical question presented in this proceeding is whether the Line would serve the public interest given its centrality to oil development in the Basin and the broader and dire global warming crisis, as well as the very serious, significant, and unavoidable environmental impacts that Todays Decision does in fact attribute to the project, Oberman wrote in December 2021. Absent some particularized national need for increased oil from the Basin, of which there is none, I cannot support construction of the Line. Oberman also expressed concern in December 2021 of the financial viability of the project, given its reliance on private funding sources and the uncertain global market for crude oil. Subscribe to FreightWaves e-newsletters and get the latest insights on freight right in your inbox. Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Joanna Marsh. Related links: The post Appeals court chides STB for failures in Uinta Basin Railway project review appeared first on FreightWaves. The latest Arab Price Benchmarking Report confirms Bahrains position as one of the Arab regions most competitive telecommunications markets with the most affordable fibre broadband. The report highlights the country's telecom services as being among the most competitively priced in both the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the wider Arab world, said a statement form Bahrain Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). The report highlights notable reductions in residential fixed broadband prices (18.6%) and in mobile broadband (16%) between 2021 and 2022, attributed to the TRAs efforts in promoting competition within the broadband market. Bahrain ranks among the top 20 countries worldwide in fiber penetration, according to 2023 Fiber to The Home (FTTH) Broadband Global Ranking, published by FTTH Council Europe. Also, mobile prices in Bahrain are the most affordable in the GCC, with a decrease of up to 58.5% between 2021 and 2022. This significant drop can be attributed to the introduction of new mobile packages offering lower prices and enhanced benefits, it said. The report also highlights that Bahrains leased line prices are among the cheapest in GCC, below the Arab average, and on par with The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average. Bahrains telecommunications industry is rapidly growing, with a 7.6% growth in fiber broadband subscriptions and a 7% increase in fixed broadband data usage between 2021 and 2022. The kingdom's commitment to providing high-speed internet services is evidenced by the fact that 86% of all residential premises are now able to buy fiber broadband. As of June 2023, 68% of households have active fiber connections and 42% of households have wireless home broadband (5G) which means that all households in Bahrain have access to ultra-fast broadband services. The latest residential survey highlights that 100% of people in Bahrain utilise internet services, and 100% of households have access to ultra-fast internet services. TRAs General Director, Philip Marnick affirms: A competitive market ensures that consumers and businesses obtain their desired services at reasonable prices. It is good to see the recognition of our leading position and competitive prices in the latest Arab benchmark report. Consumers in Bahrain benefit from some of the lowest prices for the essential services required to engage in the digital society. Everyone in Bahrain is using the internet and all of us can access ultra-fast broadband services. We are pleased to see the collective efforts made by industry players and the TRA, as evidenced by our ranking among the top 20 countries globally for both fiber rollout and fiber service adoption. Moreover, the TRA acknowledges the need for further action to ensure Bahrain becomes one of the world's best-connected destinations, where all consumers can purchase the services they require at competitive prices. TradeArabia News Service (Bloomberg) -- Investors betting on an extension of Baidu Inc.s market-beating rally may be due for a reality check as concerns about the sluggish Chinese economy and setbacks from a key segment of its business deepen. Most Read from Bloomberg Citigroup Inc., China International Capital Corp. and Daiwa Capital Markets Hong Kong Ltd. are among brokers that have lowered their earnings expectations in recent weeks ahead of the search engine providers second-quarter results due Tuesday, with analysts expecting a slowdown in adjusted net income growth. Baidu has been deemed as one of the most promising Chinese technology players thanks to its early move in developing the nations first homegrown ChatGPT-like service. The companys shares have gained about 13% this year through Friday, ranking among the best performers on the Hang Seng Tech Index, which has lost 3%. Yet, disappointments related to its Ernie Bot along with lackluster consumption remain key hurdles. Without a stronger demand pull or updates to its AI project, the outlook for its shares is cloudy at best. Options traders are already on board. Baidus put-to-call ratio based on option interest, an indicator of relative bearishness over a stock, has increased this month. The volatility skew, which reflects market sentiment and positioning, is also showing rising pessimism. Expectations have been lowered for the second quarter and beyond for Baidu, said Kai Wang, an analyst at Morningstar Inc., who sees soft demand for the advertising industry. The company faces macro headwinds and is likely to see weaker operating margins due to the build-out of the AI products, he added. Story continues One concern among analysts is Baidus AI cloud revenue growth, which is forecast to slow in the third quarter due to delays in smart-transportation projects in China. The sluggish economy has forced local governments to run tighter-than-normal budgets in a bid to weather the storm, which in turn is feeding the delays. That has led Citi to trim its price target and turn more cautious on the company last month. Given the relatively higher base from last year, together with a recent downward revision of GDP forecast by Citi economists, we conservatively tweak down revenue forecast for AI and advertising for the third quarter, analysts including Alicia Yap wrote in a note. There are still reasons to remain optimistic. Baidu continues to be the best-positioned Chinese internet firm given its early pivot to AI opportunities even if they arent profitable just yet, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Still, with competition rising and the economy slowing, the outlook is dim. Tencent Holdings Ltd. said last week that it is developing one of Chinas best AI models while Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is integrating a ChatGPT-like AI into its meeting and messaging apps. Baidus share rally has trounced the meager gains in peers Alibaba and Tencent this year, but has been losing steam recently. Baidu is viewed as being in the lead for generative AI because of its more visible investments over the years, said Vey-Sern Ling, managing director at Union Bancaire Privee. But the development of generative AI applications is still at an early stage, he said, adding that investors shouldnt rule out Alibaba and Tencent launching products in this area. Tech Chart of the Day Palo Alto Networks Inc. surged as much as 16% on Monday, its biggest intraday rise since August 2021, after the cybersecurity firm forecast stronger-than-expected billings for the year, assuaging some fears that a slowdown in demand would weigh on results. As of the last close, the stock has risen 50% this year. Top Tech Stories Tesla Inc.s May data breach impacted more than 75,000 people, included employee-related records and was a result of insider wrongdoing, according to a notice posted by the office of the Maine Attorney General Friday. UK government officials have held discussions with tech giants Nvidia Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Intel Corp. about procuring equipment for national artificial intelligence research, according to the Telegraph. Shein is the most downloaded shopping app on South Africas Google Play store. And it isnt even trying that hard. Cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks Inc. surged after projecting stronger billings for the year than Wall Street anticipated, easing fears that a slowdown in demand may weigh on results. Alibaba Group Holdings e-commerce arm in China is hiring more than 2,000 graduates amid record youth unemployment and as authorities eased their regulatory crackdown on technology platforms. Earnings Due Monday Premarket N/A Postmarket Zoom Video Communications --With assistance from Charlotte Yang and Subrat Patnaik. (Updates stock move in Tech Chart of the Day section.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Summer isn't over quite yet. From long overdue expansions to exciting relocations to celebratory grand openings, business continues to soar along the Eastern Shore. Check out what's new and coming soon to Delmarva Peninsula. Salisbury Habitat for Humanity ReStore 908 W. Isabella St. Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County recently purchased a building in Fruitland, where it will soon be expanding to open a second ReStore location and a slew of new corporate offices, some of which will be relocated from the original ReStore location at 908 W Isabella St. in Salisbury. As listed on Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County's official website, the original ReStore location is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. According to Shop Local Delmarva, once the old offices relocate to Fruitland, the old office space will allow the ReStore to further expand, said Lee Wise, ReStore manager. The goal is to move the offices by next spring, with the new ReStore location opening not long after that. Habitat for Humanity ReStore on 908 West Isabella Street Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, in Salisbury, Maryland. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: She helps others achieve homeownership: Meet the Maryland honoree for Women of the Year Banfield Pet Hospital 2320 N. Salisbury Blvd. Banfield Pet Hospital is gearing up to move into its brand-new space, located at 2320 N. Salisbury Blvd., by the end of the summer season. The building to which it's moving formerly housed Pier 1 Imports, which recently oversaw the closure of all of its stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Feb. 17, 2020. Founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1955, Banfield is now the leading provider of preventive veterinary care in the U.S. with more than 1,000 hospitals in neighborhoods across the country and Puerto Rico, said Banfield online. Before making its transition, Banfield will continue to operate out of the Salisbury PetSmart. Banfield Pet Hospital will move into this space, the former of home Pier 1 in of The Centre at Salisbury mall, on Sept. 13. SALISBURY: Want free pizza for 1 year? Here's how 25 people can get it at new Pizza Hut in Salisbury Story continues Ocean City Cube Smart Self Storage 11750 Ocean Gateway Cube Smart Self Storage, one of the nation's most well known self storage companies offering storage space for residential and commercial customers, is scheduled to open its second Ocean City location 11750 Ocean Gateway in West Ocean City this month. According to its website, Cube Smart is a real estate company focused on the ownership, operation, acquisition and development of self-storage facilities in the United States. Online reservations for the company's newest Ocean City location are now open and can be made here. BUSINESS: West Ocean City welcomes new Mexican restaurant, The Ugly Pie reopens | What's Going There Berlin Treaty General Store 11 North Main St. When it comes to new business, there's no stopping the small town of Berlin. Yet another small business, Treaty General Store, is coming to Main Street Berlin this fall. As stated on the store's official website, Treaty General Store is a specialty boutique that offers a fresh perspective on American made clothing brands, denim and specialty items, alongside homewares, apothecary, and small batch goods. Treaty General Store, a sibling to notable kitchen boutique Relish Decor, currently operates two Maryland Delaware locations, one in Frederick, Md., and another in Bethany Beach. Relish Decor 7 N Main St. Like its sibling Treaty General Store, Relish Decor is gearing up for its grand opening in the small town of Berlin this fall. The boutique is expanding from its original location at 38 E. Patrick St. in Frederick. Relish Decor is a lifestyle boutique known for a stylish selection of tabletop housewares, kitchen furnishings, and unique gifts not commonly found in the mainstream retail market, the business shared online. BERLIN: 'Eat Local. Drink Local': Forgotten 50 Distilling celebrates grand opening in Berlin Rehoboth Beach Helios Sunglasses 110 Rehoboth Ave. Unit 2 Rehoboth Beach recently welcomed its second Helios Sunglasses location. The storefront, located at 110 Rehoboth Ave., Unit 2, is owned and operated by brothers Andrew and Vinny Martinelli, and their wives Ashlee and Melissa. Helios Sunglasses' original beach town storefront is located at First Street Station, 70 Rehoboth Ave., Unit 104. The store, whose name derives from the ancient Greek god of the Sun, offers a wide array of sunglasses, beach accessories and apparel. According to its Facebook page, both Helios Sunglasses locations are open for business seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Pictured from Left to Right: Owners Andrew Martinelli, Ashlee Martinelli, Melissa Martinelli, Vinny Martinelli; Abigail Kaiser (RBDBCC) Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com. This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Two new Berlin businesses, Banfiel on move | What's Going There FILE PHOTO: Berkshire Hathaway logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the NYSE in New York By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday revived an antitrust lawsuit accusing Johns Manville, a unit of billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, of monopolizing the market for calcium silicate, a substance used in thermal pipe insulation. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver said a trial judge in that city erred in dismissing the lawsuit by rival Chase Manufacturing, also known as Thermal Pipe Shields (TPS). TPS entered the calcium silicate market in 2018, with a product imported from China that it claimed was better and cost 20% to 25% less. It accused Johns Manville of threatening to stop doing business with distributors if they bought TPS' calcium silicate, and that the threats enabled Johns Manville to still command 97.3% of the market by August 2021. Writing for a three-judge appeals court panel, Circuit Judge Gregory Phillips found sufficient evidence that Johns Manville coerced distributors as it exercised monopoly power. He cited testimony that Johns Manville enjoyed much higher gross margins on calcium silicate than on other products where it faced more competition. Phillips also cited an email just after TPS entered the market, in which Johns Manville told sales staff they might need to "bring the sword" and warn distributors that their relationship might change "significantly" if they bought TPS' product. "Viewing the evidence most favorably to TPS, we see JM as leaving its distributors with an all-or-nothing choice: stop doing business with TPS or lose access to JM's enormous thermal-insulation inventory," Phillips wrote. The appeals court also upheld the dismissal of a claim that Johns Manville might have tied sales of other products to distributors agreeing not to buy TPS' calcium silicate. TPS had sought at least $60 million in damages. "We are carefully reviewing the opinion and considering our next steps," Johns Manville spokesman Eric Brown said in an email. Story continues Luke Hasskamp, a lawyer for TPS, declined to comment. Berkshire owns dozens of businesses including the BNSF railroad and Geico car insurance, and stocks such as Apple. It bought Johns Manville for about $1.8 billion in 2001. The case is Chase Manufacturing Inc v Johns Manville Corp, 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 22-1164. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot) (Bloomberg) -- Qualifyze has raised $12 million in fresh equity from investors including H14 SpA, an Italian family office linked to the countrys late Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Most Read from Bloomberg Private equity firm HarbourVest Partners and German venture investor HV Capital, an existing backer of Qualifyze, also participated in the round, according to a statement on Monday that confirmed an earlier Bloomberg News report. Frankfurt-based Qualifyze is valued at about $100 million after the fundraising, people with knowledge of the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. David Schneider, Qualifyzes chief executive officer, said the funding round will help the company accelerate its mission to transform supply chain compliance in health care in a sustainable, data-driven manner. Qualifyze officially launched in 2019 after forming at the Technical University of Darmstadt. The company runs a database of compliance data covering more than 2,000 suppliers to the pharmaceutical industry. Its customers include Merck KGaA, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Sanofi SA. Since our initial investment, Qualifyze achieved nothing less than becoming the global leader in quality compliance data of todays pharmaceutical industry, Felix Kluhr, a partner at HV Capital, said in an emailed statement. Drugmakers are facing increased scrutiny over their manufacturing practices and supply chains, according to a recent note from the Boston Consulting Group. Germanys Merck and BASF SE in June said they will collaborate in the electronic exchange of quality and regulatory data. Kluhr said that regulatory tailwinds will continue to support Qualifyzes business model. Story continues Qualifyze expects to see revenue double this year to $10 million thanks to soaring demand for cloud-based compliance data services, a spokesperson for the company said. The funding round comes amid an otherwise challenging period for technology startups looking to raise new money, with Europes venture capital firms tightening the purse strings. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Bitcoin edged up on Monday morning in Asia to trade slightly above the US$26,000 support level, after sliding over 10% for the week. Ether also moved higher but remained below US$1,700 following last weeks losses. Other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies traded mixed. XRP led the winners, despite the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) moving to challenge a June court ruling in favor of Ripple Labs. Meanwhile, the Forkast 500 NFT index dropped as NFT marketplace OpenSea said it will stop enforcing creator royalties from August 31. U.S. stock futures traded flat after Wall Street logged weekly losses at close of trading Friday. Baby steps upward for cryptos after painful few days Bitcoin edged up 0.28% in the last 24 hours to US$26,178.36 as of 07:30 a.m. in Hong Kong, logging a weekly loss of 10.68%, according to CoinMarketCap data. The worlds leading cryptocurrency hit a two-month low of US$25,409.11 on Friday, but held position above the US$26,000 support level over the weekend. A cool-off of Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) hype in the U.S. could be behind the retreat of the token. Thats the view of James Butterfill, head of research at European alternative asset manager CoinShares. The surge in June, spurred by BlackRocks application for SEC approval of a Bitcoin ETF, led to a noticeable spike in prices, said Butterfill in a report released Friday. However, markets are now coming to terms with the realization that an immediate SEC approval for a Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. is unlikely. Its noteworthy that current Bitcoin prices have stabilized around levels observed before this announcement, he added. The low volume and volatility in Bitcoin, a rise in U.S. treasury yields, as well as concerns over Chinas ailing economy contributed to Bitcoins sharp weekly decline, the CoinShares report found. The outlook for the markets in the forthcoming months presents a blend of opportunities and challenges. Its anticipated that the U.S. Federal Reserve will refrain from hiking rates further in September, Butterfill said. Story continues A dovish shift in Fed policy could provide a boost to Bitcoins prospects, he added. On the flip side, investors are eagerly awaiting the SECs verdict on the Grayscale ETF and BlackRock applications in September. Anticipations are that decisions on both applications might be postponed, potentially leading to investor disappointment, Butterfly said. Along with Bitcoin, Ether moved up 0.85% to US$1,683.57 but remained 8.50% lower for the past seven days. The U.S. SEC could approve several ETFs based on Ethereum futures by October 2023, Bloomberg reported on Friday citing unnamed sources. Investment firms Volatility Shares, Bitwise, Roundhill and ProShares have all applied for Ethereum ETF licenses. Other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies traded mixed over the past 24 hours, but all posted weekly losses. Cryptocurrencies have seen a total liquidation of US$24.91 million in the past 24 hours. Thats a considerable decrease on the daily losses posted last week during a calamitous downturn in the crypto market. On Friday alone, traders liquidated over US$1 billion in cryptocurrencies, including US$851.94 million in long positions positions where investors bet the cryptocurrency price will rise. On Monday, long position liquidations stood at US$6.89 million for the past 24 hours, according to data from crypto information platform CoinGlass. Ripples XRP token led the winners, gaining 3.96% to US$0.5408 but plunged 13.76% for the week. In the on-going legal battle between Ripple Labs and the SEC, Judge Analisa Torres on Thursday granted the SEC permission to appeal an earlier judgement in favor of Ripple Labs. That ruling in late June found that the technology firms programmatic sales of XRP did not violate securities laws. In a Saturday tweet, Ripples Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz said the SEC should not be allowed to appeal until the conclusion of the case. He said that, even if an appeal is granted, the case should still continue and the appeal should run in parallel. Yes. A party that loses on any claim or issue in their suit is entitled to appeal any adverse rulings at the conclusion of the suit. The SEC is asking for permission to appeal here because the suit is not complete yet for any party. You can see why there would be a rule like David "JoelKatz" Schwartz (@JoelKatz) August 18, 2023 Ripple will have until September 1 to respond to the SECs appeal motion. The total crypto market capitalization edged up 0.45% in the past 24 hours to US$1.06 trillion, while trading volume fell 13.09% to US$21.67 billion. OpenSea NFT marketplace to stop enforcing creator royalties The indexes are proxy measures of the performance of the global NFT market. They are managed by CryptoSlam, a sister company of Forkast.News under the Forkast.Labs umbrella. The main Forkast 500 NFT index dropped 1.08% in the past 24 hours to 2,327.91 as of 10:20 a.m. in Hong Kong, and fell 5.94% for the week. Forkasts Ethereum Polygon and Cardano NFT indexes also logged losses, while the index for Solana moved higher. The catalyst for this (NFT index drop) was OpenSeas decision to get rid of royalties, said Yehudah Petscher, NFT strategist at Forkast Labs, in a YouTube video uploaded Sunday. OpenSea, one of the worlds largest NFT marketplaces, announced on Thursday it would stop enforcing creator royalty fees, making them optional. The change will take effect from August 31. The platform will continue to charge a 2.5% fee for every transaction. (The mandatory royalty fee on OpenSea) was meant to empower creators with greater control over their Web3 business models, but it required the buy-in of everyone in the Web3 ecosystem, and unfortunately that has not happened, wrote OpenSea in the announcement. OpenSeas move received criticism from commentators. In a tweet Friday, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team and an investor in OpenSea, described the decision as a huge mistake that would hurt the industry. Not collecting and paying royalties on NFT sales is a HUGE mistake by @opensea. It diminished trust in the platform and hurts the industry. And I say this as an @opensea investor @DevinFinzer Mark Cuban (@mcuban) August 18, 2023 Yuga Labs, the creator of NFT collection Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), responded to the news in a tweet Saturday saying it will gradually wind down its support for OpenSea. Yuga believes in protecting creator royalties so creators are properly compensated for their work, the company said. On @opensea's decision to sunset their Operator Filter. pic.twitter.com/ahc155WWkX Yuga Labs (@yugalabs) August 18, 2023 What I think will happen is they either reverse their decision, or Yuga Labs may end up launching their own NFT marketplace, said Forkast Labs Petscher on Sunday. While the impact of the decision is only just being felt, he added, it will change the landscape of NFTs. Total NFT trading volume gained 15.60% in the past 24 hours to US$14.76 million, according to data from CryptoSlam. Volumes on the Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana and Polygon blockchains all logged increases, while Cardanos volume dipped. Among NFT collections, Ethereum-based BAYC saw the largest 24-hour sales volume, which rose 45.30% to US$2.02 million. Mythos Chain-based DMarket and Polygon-based DraftKings ranked as the second and third largest collections by 24-hour trading volume. In terms of single NFT sales, BAYC #8585 sold at over US$255,000 on Sunday, making it the most expensive NFT traded in the past 24 hours. However, its former holder purchased the NFT at over US$1 million in October 2022. This seller took a huge loss on this NFT, said Petscher. That explains the rising average sale price but also the declining profits. China policy stimulus lacks punch Image: Getty Images U.S. stock futures edged higher as of 11:20 a.m. in Hong Kong, after the three major U.S. indexes closed mixed on Friday and booked losses for the week. In Asia, the main stock indexes traded mixed on Friday morning. Chinas Shanghai Composite Index and Hong Kongs Hang Seng logged losses, while South Koreas Kospi and Japans Nikkei moved up. In the U.S., investors await Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powells opening speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium on Friday. The Feds annual summit is attended by central bank leaders from across the world. Powells speech could provide insights into the Feds thinking on monetary policy. We view the event as a good opportunity for Powell to start laying the ground for the next step in the Feds policy guidance: no longer focused on how many hikes to expect, but rather on rates remaining higher for longer,' analysts at Canadian investment bank TD Securities said in a note viewed by Reuters. In July, the Fed raised the interest rate to between 5.25% and 5.50% the highest level since January 2001. Powell said in a statement following the decision that the U.S. central bank will take a data-dependent approach in determining its future monetary policies. It did not indicate if there are more hikes in the cards or how long the Fed would keep up its tightening cycle. The Fed meets on Sep. 19 to make its next move on interest rates. Analysts at the CME FedWatch Tool predict a 11.5% chance for another 25-basis-point increase. U.S. data to watch in the week ahead includes U.S. chipmaker Nvidias second-quarter earnings report, as well as S&P Globals purchasing manager indexes (PMI). Both are set for release Wednesday. Meanwhile in China, the countrys central bank cut its one-year loan prime rate (LPR) to 3.45% from 3.55% on Monday morning. However, it kept the five-year LPR unchanged at 4.2%, according to the state media Xinhua News Agency. The stimulus measure was smaller than the analyst expectation of two 15-basis-point cuts to both the one-year and five-year rates. Commentators said Chinas central bank may need to act more decisively to soothe growing fears of a recession. Until more forceful policy responses are made available to backstop the contagion risk, we believe Chinese stocks will settle in a lower trading range than we previously envisaged, Goldman equity strategists wrote in a note viewed by Bloomberg. (Updates with equities section.) SINGAPORE, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Budget Direct Insurance, a leading online insurer for car, motorcycle, and travel, has just launched an exciting new challenge that aims to revolutionise the way local motorists perceive car insurance. In a bold initiative, Budget Direct Insurance encourages drivers to obtain a comprehensive car insurance quote from them and then compare it with their current insurer's renewal notice. If Budget Direct Insurance verifies that the renewal notice is cheaper, motorists won't just save money they'll also be reimbursed with free* insurance coverage from Budget Direct. Budget Direct Insurance launches trailblazing promotion: Pay Less or Pay Nothing*. If drivers beat their price, theyll receive complimentary* car insurance. With an unwavering commitment to providing the best value to its customers, Budget Direct Insurance is confident that its new Pay Less or Pay Nothing* promotion is a genuine win-win proposition for all Singaporean motorists. By participating in the challenge, customers have the opportunity to either secure a reduced premium for their insurance needs or walk away with complimentary* insurance coverage. Savings of up to 55% on car insurance premiums The CEO of Budget Direct Insurance, Simon Birch, expressed his enthusiasm for the launch of this trailblazing promotion. He emphasised how this initiative would not only benefit customers directly but also shine a spotlight on the substantial savings that Singaporean motorists can make by choosing Budget Direct Insurance over other insurers. "Drivers with us can make a saving of up to 55% on car insurance premiums, and that's a significant sum," stated Simon Birch. "While many insurance companies dangle seemingly attractive promotions such as discounts, vouchers, and cashback, an independent study has revealed that Budget Direct Insurance consistently offers better deals. Even after factoring in such promotions, Budget Direct Insurance remains virtually unmatched." The independent study conducted by consumer researchers, ValueChampion, confirms Budget Direct's position as the provider of Singapore's cheapest comprehensive car insurance plans. Regardless of gender and No Claims Discounts (NCD), Budget Direct customers can enjoy insurance premiums up to 55% lower than the average rates offered by other insurers, as highlighted in the consumer report. Story continues Providing outstanding customer experiences. Meanwhile, Budget Direct Insurance's commitment to delivering exceptional customer service has garnered it the prestigious Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award year on year. The independent global award is presented to companies that consistently go above and beyond in providing outstanding customer experiences. With nearly 8,500 satisfied customers having shared their feedback on the independent reviews' platform, the digital online insurer has earned an impressive average score of 4.7/5 stars, solidifying its reputation as a customer-centric insurance provider. CEO Simon Birch commented, "This challenge is an exciting opportunity for drivers to secure insurance that fits their budget. With our competitive pricing and unwavering service, the challenge is on!" Part of an international group that caters to millions of policyholders globally, Budget Direct Insurance believes its consistent commitment to delivering top-tier digital insurance services sets it apart. Singapore motorists are being urged to join the challenge and discover why the award-winning insurer stands as a premier choice for smart, savvy motorists seeking unbeatable value and exceptional service. For more information about Budget Direct Insurance and the Pay Less or Pay Nothing* promotion, please visit www.budgetdirect.com.sg. *Terms and conditions apply Budget Direct Insurance (PRNewsfoto/Budget Direct Insurance) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/budget-direct-insurance-invites-drivers-to-compare-and-enjoy-free-car-insurance-301904365.html SOURCE Budget Direct Insurance Singapore Chewy, Inc. (NYSE:CHWY) is the largest pure-play retailer of pet products in the United States. Through its website and mobile applications, customers can choose from more than 110,000 pet-related products and services, including food, medications, and toys. Chewy also manufactures and sells products via four private label brands that it owns. Roughly two-thirds of annual sales are auto-subscription based. The pet care industry is very attractive as pet owners (a.k.a. Pet parents) are usually highly dedicated towards the welfare of the their pets. Pets are a big part of people's lives and they give them great joy in their lives and pet owners in turn spend a lot of money looking after them. Chewy, completed its initial public offering on June 13, 2019. At that time, 46.50 million shares were sold to the public at an average price of $22.00 per share. In spite of tremendous ramp up of sales, chewy is currently selling at a price not too much above IPO. Chewy is controlled by UK based private equity firm BC Partners. Ballie Gifford a UK based growth oriented asset manager owns 13.76% of the stock. Chewy has now started its international expansion and is set to enter Canada this year starting with the Greater Toronto area . It has also competed its fourth automated fulfillment centre in the US, in the Nashville area. Revenue has grown rapidly over the last 3 years (clocking in at a 34% annualized rate over the last 5 years) and the company had turned profitable on a net-income basis. Currently all its sales are US only. I expect profitability to ramp up rapidly in the next few years. Chewy is on the cusp on Profitability CHWY Data by GuruFocus Gross margins have been improving and operating margins have turned positive. This trend should continue. However the stock is still building a base and has not responded to the continued execution by the company and the stock market still does not appreciates the company's operating leverage. This leads me to think that this may be a good opportunity to establish a position in this pet care e-commerce leader. While Chewy competes will lots of other e-commerce and brick & mortar retailers including giants like Amazon and Wal-Mart and the numerous specialized pet stores, and e-commerce sites, what distinguishes Chewy is its focus on customer services, specialization on pets and personalized marketing. Story continues Chewy also has an insurance and telehealth segment. They offer a "Connect With A Vet" as well as a pet pharmacy. Moreover, last year the company rolled out a "CarePlus" pet insurance plan, and recently bolstered it through a new partnership with Lemonade's (LMND) pet insurance segment. Its building out a more comprehensive pet offering than what can be offered by larger operators like Amazon, Wal-Mart and Costco who sell almost everything under the sun. Its tough to valuate Chewy because its still in the build out phase and profitability is just starting. Analysts are expecting rapid ramp up of earnings as operting leverage kicks in. The Value Line investment service puts an 18-month price target of $60. Morningstar Analyst on the other hand is less optimistic and gives a fair value of $42 and CFRA's Analysts 12 month target is $40. However all these targets a much above the current price of $27.50, thus indicating a wide margin of safety. Gurufocus is also flagging the stock as significantly undervalued. The GF Value is an intrinsic value estimate from GuruFocus that uses the stock's historical price multiples, past returns and estimates of future business performance. Chewy is on the cusp on Profitability Growth Rates (Per Share) Annuals (Year End) Analyst Estimate Fiscal Period 5-Year 1-Year Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25 Jan 26 Revenue 34.70% 11.60% 7,146 8,890 10,098 11,527 12,547 14,032 EPS without NRI - - -0.23 -0.18 0.12 0.35 0.43 0.77 The GF Score isa stock performance ranking system developed by GuruFocus using five aspects of valuation, which has been found to be closely correlated to the long-term performances of stocks by backtesting from 2006 to 2021. A look at the GF score reveals strong financial strength and growth but poor profitability and value. However profitability is improving and value should follow. Chewy is on the cusp on Profitability Conclusion Looking at the positive aspects, Chewy's presence in the E-commerce sector focused on pet care is poised to grow further. This trend is particularly advantageous for digital-first companies like Chewy. Leveraging its subscription-based model (with around 75% automatic shipping adoption), Chewy is well-positioned to retain the bulk of customers it acquired since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, around two-thirds of Chewy's customer base are also members of Amazon Prime. This suggests that the potential competition from the giant e-commerce platform, Amazon, might not be as damaging as some may expect. However, on a less optimistic note, Chewy could encounter challenges in sustaining its growth within the pet health prescription and over-the-counter drug markets. This could occur if veterinarians are hesitant to fulfill prescriptions through Chewy's platform, instead preferring to generate profits from prescriptions through their own dispensaries. Unlike human medicine MD's conflict of interest rules do not apply to DVM's. Furthermore, the pet food category exhibits robust brand loyalty, which raises concerns about Chewy's vulnerability due to its concentration on a few suppliers. Specifically, relying on its top three suppliers for a third of its sales poses a potential risk. This also limits its flexibility to expand its private label offerings and forces it to operate on thin margins. When considering expansion into international markets like Canada and further, Chewy may encounter difficulties based on the history of other consumer companies' failed attempts. Notable failures like Best Buy and eBay in China, Walmart in South Korea, and Target and Nordstorm in Canada underscore the uncertainty of achieving significant success when taking the Chewy brand abroad, where the business model may not resonate. At the present time Chewy stock appears to be showing weakness, thus I recommend waiting a little till the technical picture improves and the short term moving average (i.e. 20 -day SMA) start to point upwards. Chewy is on the cusp on Profitability CHWY Data by GuruFocus In summary, Chewy has high growth potential with an excellent balance sheet and presents a good opportunity at this current price level for investors to get an entry into this fast growing and attractive category. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Beijing set to promote key role of BRICS 08:10, August 21, 2023 By Xu Wei ( China Daily President Xi to attend group's summit and make state visit to South Africa With a host of multilateral and bilateral agendas in the pipeline, President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to South Africa has given rise to expectations that Beijing will continue to lead the way in improving global governance, and that it will uphold true multilateralism and bolster solidarity with African nations. The expansion of BRICS, the strengthening of coordination between major emerging economies and the developing world, and a bolstering of Beijing's cooperation with Africa will top Xi's agenda as he travels to South Africa for the 15th BRICS Summit and makes a state visit to the African nation from Monday to Thursday. BRICS is the grouping of the major emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The Johannesburg summit is set to bring together the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa, with Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to participate via video link, according to South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor. Xu Xiujun, a senior research fellow of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Institute for Global Strategy, said he expects the Johannesburg summit to be an occasion during which Beijing continues to champion better global governance and uphold true multilateralism. Expansion expected "BRICS has now emerged as a key force in the reform of global governance, and Beijing will continue to play an important role in enabling the grouping to lead the way in safeguarding the interests of developing nations and promoting South-South cooperation," Xu said. Expansion of the group is among the key topics to be discussed. "The current geopolitical context has driven renewed interest in BRICS membership, as countries of the Global South look for alternatives in a multipolar world," Pandor said. As of Aug 7, a total of 23 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Indonesia, Egypt and Ethiopia, had formally applied to become BRICS members. "We see this interest as recognition of the voice of BRICS as a champion of the interests of the Global South, particularly our agenda of reform and inclusion of the Global South true to our founding values," Pandor added. Ma Zhaoxu, Chinese vice-minister of foreign affairs, told a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in June that China welcomes and expects new members to join the BRICS family at an early date. Wang Lei, director of the Center for BRICS Cooperation Studies at Beijing Normal University, said the cooperation among BRICS countries has become a multilateral cooperation mechanism with major influence in the global political and economic systems. BRICS countries account for around 42 percent of the world's population, almost 30 percent of the world's territory, around 27 percent of global GDP and around 20 percent of global trade. Through mechanisms such as BRICS Plus, the grouping has maintained close cooperation with emerging markets and developing nations. "This has expanded the influence of BRICS cooperation far beyond the five nations and their regions and to a global scale," Wang said. The fact that more emerging economies are applying for BRICS membership demonstrates the openness, inclusiveness and huge attractiveness of BRICS cooperation, he said. Furthermore, the inclusion of more developing nations in the group could, to a certain degree, serve as a hedge against external pressure and build up unity among the nations of the Global South, Wang added. The upcoming trip, Xi's second to South Africa in five years, comes a decade after his first overseas visit as China's head of state in March 2013, when he visited South Africa and put forward the guiding principles of China's Africa policy. During the four-day stay, Xi, together with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, will co-chair the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue. The dialogue will also be a key opportunity to enhance cooperation between China and Africa. A number of leaders of African countries, the African co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the rotating chairperson of the African Union and representatives of African sub-regional organizations are expected to participate in the event. "Solidarity and cooperation with African countries are the cornerstones of China's foreign policy and our long-standing, rock-firm strategic choice," Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a news conference on Friday. Dennis Munene, executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Kenya-based Africa Policy Institute, said he expects Beijing to continue to advance the concept of China-Africa community with a shared future to boost economic growth, reduce poverty and inequality, and promote stability on a fragile continent that is facing traditional and nontraditional threats. Xi's state visit to South Africa comes as the two sides mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Discussions during the visit will "explore further collaboration and partnerships the two nations can leverage on to solidify existing diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations", according to a news release from The Presidency of South Africa. China has been South Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, while South Africa has been China's largest trading partner in Africa for 13 consecutive years. Edith Mutethya in Nairobi contributed to this story. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) Nissan Motor Co has announced that its global sales of electric vehicles have surpassed the 1-million-unit milestone. Since its launch in December 2010, the Nissan LEAF has sold more than 650,000 units worldwide. The model, currently sold in approximately 50 markets centering on Japan, the US and Europe, continues to be highly evaluated by customers around the globe and has won numerous, prestigious awards in multiple markets. In 2022, Nissan started sales of the Nissan Ariya all-electric crossover. The Ariya features Nissans latest design language and technologies, such as e-4ORCE all- wheel control and ProPILOT 2.0 advanced driver support. Its sophisticated design won the Auto Colour Award 2021 Grand Prix in Japan and the Red Dot Design Award in Germany. The Ariya was also named to Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX list. Sakura Also in 2022, Nissan launched the Sakura, its first EV in the Japanese minivehicle market. It has received cumulative orders of 50,000 units thanks to its outstanding cabin quietness, powerful yet smooth acceleration, elegantly designed spacious interior, and cruising range ample for daily driving. The Sakura has won three prestigious awards in Japan: *The 2022-2023 Japan Car of the Year; the first minivehicle to win the award, in recognition of the vehicles contribution to electrification momentum in the market; *2023 RJC Car of the Year; *2023 JAHFA Car of the Year. Under its Nissan Ambition 2030 long-term vision, Nissan plans to launch 19 EV models by fiscal year 2030. The company also aims to launch EVs powered by all-solid-state batteries developed in-house by fiscal year 2028 and to expand its EV lineup to meet the diverse needs of customers around the world.-- TradeArabia News Service In 1997, economists at the International Monetary Fund pointed out that Chinas economy was growing so fast it might be bigger than the US economy by 2017. That didnt happen. Chinas economy did go gangbusters, however, and its population of more than 1 billion people seemed to assure it would eventually become the worlds biggest market. In 2010, Goldman Sachs estimated that Chinas economy could overtake Americas as the worlds largest by 2030. The Economist was bolder, predicting China would become the worlds largest economy by 2019. The shift, whenever it came, would signal that a new economic superpower was ready to challenge US influence everywhere in the world. Now it looks like that day may never come. Chinas economy has hit the skids in ways that suggest 25 years of supercharged growth may be ending, well before China achieves economic superpower status. Chinas economy never powered out of the COVID pandemic the way the US economy did and its barely growing now. Instead of marveling at Chinas prosperity miracle, economists are now pondering whether Chinas woes will bring down other parts of the global economy. Desmond Lachman of the American Enterprise Institute recently told Reuters that Chinas economy is unlikely to eclipse the United States anytime within the next 20 years. Economist Paul Krugman, also a New York Times columnist, likens China to Japan in the early 1990s. That's when runaway growth came to a screeching halt and worries about an Asian nations world domination proved wildly unfounded. Japan, at least, had become a rich country by then. China still isnt, and it may never join the ranks of so-called advanced economies. China faces many structural and cyclical problems, including a declining population, likely to make India the worlds most populous country sometime this year or next. China has relied far too heavily on debt-fueled real estate projects to power its growth, which has now produced an ongoing real estate collapse some liken to a Lehman Brothers moment for China. Story continues [Drop Rick Newman a note, follow him on Twitter, or sign up for his newsletter.] Meanwhile, the unemployment rate among 16-to-24-year-olds in China has officially risen from 11% in 2018 to 21% now. The real youth unemployment rate might be as high as 46%, according to the Eurasia Group. Chinas communist government has stimulated the economy out of many slowdowns during the last 25 years, but recent efforts, including interest rate cuts and other measures, have underwhelmed investors and triggered stock sell-offs. The slowdown could be chronic. Given how long well be living with Chinas economic struggles, investors will have plenty of time to get up to speed, Capital Economics advised in an Aug. 21 report. Chinas stagnation could have unexpected effects on global investors, American policymakers, and even US elections. When Donald Trump first ran for president in 2016, he complained that China was eating our lunch, citing record-high US trade deficits with China. As president, Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese exports to the United States, hoping to trigger more US manufacturing and cut US reliance on China. Structural and cyclical problems? Customers inside a morning market in Beijing. (Tingshu Wang/REUTERS) Trumps trade war with China mostly raised costs on US importers including consumers while failing to accomplish its stated goals. Yet Joe Biden kept those tariffs in place after he became president in 2021. And Biden has gone further. New export controls ban the sale of certain US technologies to China, to inhibit production of advanced military weapons. Bills Biden signed to promote US manufacturing of semiconductors and green energy technology appear to be diverting some investment away from China back to the United States. And a burgeoning trilateral alliance between the United States, Japan, and South Korea is in part an economic bulwark against Chinas heft in Asia. The trajectory of Chinas economy is more than a chest-thumping contest. It matters because China under President Xi Jinping has increasingly become a militant threat to neighbors, including Taiwan, and an antagonist of Western democracies. In the early 2000s, shortly after China joined the World Trade Organization and began its export boom, many Western analysts assumed Chinas communist government would become more democratic and friendlier as capitalism made it wealthier. But that hasnt happened. Xi, for instance, regularly promises to reunite China with Taiwan by invading it. As a coalition of US-led nations sanction Russia over its barbaric war in Ukraine, China has become Russias most important ally. It doesnt yet provide Russia desperately needed military gear, but it is now Russias biggest energy customer and it provides Russia many products difficult to get elsewhere because of sanctions. Politicians in both US political parties become have become aggressive China-bashers. Biden, running for reelection, has violated diplomatic protocol by calling Xi a dictator. Trump, the leading GOP contender in the 2024 race despite 91 criminal charges against him, has plans to limit US trade with China even more if he gets elected. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, running a far second in GOP polls behind Trump, recently unveiled an economic vision centered on further reducing Chinas economic power. China isnt fading into the sunset. Its a nuclear power that will probably remain the worlds biggest manufacturer for a long time. If it wants to cause trouble, it will continue to have the means to do so. But China may also have as many gremlins in its own system as it has competitors on the world stage. The US economy, by contrast, remains dynamic and resilient. American dominance isn't over, yet. Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @rickjnewman. Click here for politics news related to business and money Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance China is expanding its military and security engagement into West Africa, with Chinese state-owned defence conglomerate Norinco opened a sales office in Dakar, Senegal, challenging French and Russian arms suppliers. Analysts said China North Industries Corporation, or Norinco, would use the new office to help expand its military procurement operations in the region, where China has vast economic interests, including in countries such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea, which have recently been hit by military coups. According to defence publication Military Africa, Norinco also aims to set up operations in Mali and Ivory Coast - countries where the Chinese military contractor already has market presence through the sale of arms. It also plans to establish centres for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of vehicles and military equipment in those West African countries. Norinco already has regional offices in Nigeria, Angola and South Africa. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Early this year, Norinco supplied Senegal with VN2 armoured infantry fighting vehicles and other reconnaissance vehicles, according to Military Africa. The Chinese company is also reportedly in discussions with the Senegalese government to supply light weaponry and ammunition for the country's environment ministry, the publication reported. Chinese arms manufacturers, including Norinco, want to increase market share at a time when the war in Ukraine has significantly cut Moscow's ability to supply African countries, according to observers. France has also lost clout since the military junta in Mali and Burkina Faso pushed French forces out and the Russian-linked Wagner Group mercenaries moved in to fill the gap. Paul Nantulya, a China specialist at the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies in Washington, said that initially China was reticent to be seen as challenging French military influence in West Africa, especially in former French colonies. Story continues Chinese ties were complicated by linguistic barriers. However, these impediments had slowly been overcome and Norinco in particular had been at the front of China's efforts to build and expand military and security ties, Nantulya said. "The move to establish a sales office in Dakar is basically meant to capitalise on and expand this business, particularly in light of the heavy sanctions Russian defence firms have incurred and the growing mood of anti-French sentiment in the region that could complicate France's role as the pre-eminent military partner to many of those countries," Nantulya said. He said there had been growing militarisation in aspects of Chinese-African engagement as well as a growing willingness by Chinese defence firms to more boldly challenge their Western counterparts for business, influence, strengthened partnerships and to position China as a partner of choice. He said the Chinese company had been supplying West Africa with various military products such as battleships, offshore patrol vessels, man-portable air-defence systems, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), armoured vehicles, battle tanks, combat aircraft (jets and trainers), large artillery and transport aircraft. China arms supplier Norinco is angling to expand its reach in Africa amid anti-French sentiment there, which saw French forces in Mali pushed out and Russian Wagner Group mercenaries enter (pictured). Photo: French Army via AP alt=China arms supplier Norinco is angling to expand its reach in Africa amid anti-French sentiment there, which saw French forces in Mali pushed out and Russian Wagner Group mercenaries enter (pictured). Photo: French Army via AP> According to the Chinese Loans to Africa Database at Boston University's Global Development Policy Centre, between 2000 and 2020, China advanced 27 defence loans to eight African countries worth US$3.5 billion. Most of the money - US$2.1 billion - was advanced to Zambia for aircraft, fighter jet trainers and military equipment, and to build military and police residential housing. David Shinn, a China-Africa expert and professor at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, said Norinco had been a major arms supplier to African countries for many years and working constantly to increase sales across the continent. "The new office in Dakar is part of this wider effort," Shinn said. He said Russia had historically been the main arms supplier to Africa but the war in Ukraine had reduced its ability to do this, opening the door for Chinese arms manufacturers, including Norinco, to increase market share at the expense of Russian companies. "China is trying to increase both the quantity and sophistication of weapons that it sells to African countries," Shinn said. "These deals sometimes result in long-term supply and training arrangements that lead to increased security cooperation between African militaries and the PLA [People's Liberation Army]." Luke Patey, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said China had established a strong foothold in Africa's arms scene and Norinco was at the forefront of those effects. "The rise of new conflicts and insurgencies on the continent produces expanding business opportunities for Chinese arms dealers," Patey said. Regional offices like Norinco's new outfit in Senegal, he said, provided a steady environment to sell weaponry, equipment and vehicles to both stable regional governments but also those under siege, such as in Mali. Patey said that since arms require training, parts and servicing, Norinco's new deals would deepen China's reach in West Africa and elsewhere for years to come. Francois Vrey, a professor of military science and research coordinator at the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa at Stellenbosch University, said armament companies opened offices where they viewed potential markets, and to offer support to clients buying their products. He said the latter then became part of packages offered to clients. Besides the supply of arms and military weapons, Norinco is also a big player in contracting in many African countries, such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's mining industry, and it recently won a US$1.2 billion contract for the construction of a crude oil pipeline in South Sudan. Huibang Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Norinco, will serve as the engineering, procurement and contracting company. In June, Norinco was also among four companies that were shortlisted to buy Zambia's Mopani Copper Mines. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. FILE PHOTO: The Citigroup Inc logo is seen at the SIBOS banking and financial conference in Toronto By Tatiana Bautzer and Saeed Azhar NEW YORK (Reuters) -Citigroup is considering plans to eliminate the role atop the bank's biggest division when its leader, Paco Ybarra, leaves next year and have its three segment chiefs report directly to Citi's CEO, according to a source familiar with the situation. Ybarra, who has been at Citi for 36 years, is head of its Institutional Clients Group (ICG), and that position would no longer exist under the reorganization, the source said on Monday. Instead, the leaders of investment banking, global markets and transaction services would report to CEO Jane Fraser. The plans, reported earlier by the Financial Times, are under consideration and not finalized, the source said. Citigroup declined to comment. Citi has been working to simplify its structure. Analysts debated if such a move would add risk to Citi's revamp, or conversely provide Fraser with more control over the bank's direction. Fraser, who inherited a litany of problems when she took over in 2021, including demands from U.S. regulators to overhaul its risk management systems, has been trying to boost Citi's share price, in part by shedding overseas retail businesses. "It does make you wonder (whether) having that extra layer of management was indeed unnecessary, or it may raise the odds of execution risk if having that extra set of eyes on the whole unit was indeed valuable," said Eric Compton, banking analyst at Morningstar. "It goes to show that Citi is still figuring out pieces of this as they go along." The ICG unit provides financial services to institutional investors and governments. It generated more than half of Citi's $19.4 billion revenue in the second quarter. The division's leaders include Shahmir Khaliq, who runs treasury and trade solutions, Andy Morton, who leads markets, and Tyler Dickson and Manuel Falco, who jointly lead corporate and investment banking. "The possibility of a reorg introduces some uncertainty into what is already a complex turnaround," R. Scott Siefers, an analyst at Piper Sandler, wrote in a note. Story continues The change in reporting lines directly to the CEO "would preserve strategic continuity, streamline layers, and presumably eliminate the possibility of a new head who might want to pivot the units direction," he wrote. Ybarra is set to depart in the first half of 2024, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters earlier this month. The company also said at the time it was determining how to pass on his responsibilities while simplifying its organizational structure in the coming months. Its shares fell 0.4% while the broader S&P bank index was largely steady in Monday afternoon trading. Citi trades at 0.41 times 12-month forward price-to-book ratio, below an industry median of 1.77, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. (Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer and Saeed Azhar in New York, Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Lananh Nguyen, Megan Davies, Hugh Lawson, Mark Potter and Cynthia Osterman) LPETTET / iStock.com For frugal shoppers, finding ways to save money is essential. There are many popular strategies to do this, such as shopping with a list or keeping an eye out for discounted items, but it might be time to think outside the box. See: Are These 8 Costco Items With Cult Followings Worth the Hype (and Money)? Learn: How To Save $200 on Your Grocery Bill Every Month Here are some lesser-known or unconventional savings tips for highly frugal Costco shoppers looking to cut down on their bill and maximize their savings. Use a Costco Shop Card Its well known that Costco requires a membership card in order to shop there. But the annual cost of membership is either $60 or $120, depending on which tier you choose. For someone who wants to save money, spending this amount each year can be very off-putting. Thats where the Costco Shop Card comes into play. Non-members can use a Costco Shop Card to shop in the warehouse store, said money-saving expert, Andrea Woroch. You will need a member to purchase this for you. This means youll need to ask a current Costco member to get the shop card for you. But once they do, you can use it without having to buy a separate membership. The Costco Shop Card comes with a preset balance, which you can check online. You can use the card to shop online at either Costco.com or Costco.ca. Or you can use it in stores located throughout the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico. Find: 10 Cheap Aldi Brand Products Better Than the Name Brands Take Advantage of Costcos Health Services Another unconventional way to save money while shopping at Costco is to use the pharmacy. The great thing about this is that you dont need a membership to purchase things you need there. It is against federal law to require a membership to access a pharmacy. Therefore, anyone regardless of membership status can access affordable prescriptions from Costcos pharmacy, said Woroch. Costco also has free health and wellness screenings for non-members. And, you can get a free eye exam at Costco Optical without a membership, added Woroch. If youre looking to purchase glasses or contacts, though, you will need a membership. Story continues Avoid Too Many Free Samples Free samples at Costco, or any major grocery store, can be a great find while shopping, especially if youre there on an empty stomach. But theyre also part of Costcos marketing strategy to get you to splurge on things you might not actually need. Who can resist the siren call of free samples? said Tarek El Ali, founder at Smart Insurance Agents. Theyre practically a mini-meal, right? But these tempting bites can add up. Before you know it, youve filled your cart with items you werent even planning to buy. Sneaky, right? If you can resist the temptation, its OK to grab one or two free samples. Otherwise, youre better off avoiding them. Be Wary of Supposed Deals or Discounts Costco is known for its great sales and discounts on popular items. Taking advantage of certain deals can lead to significant savings, but you could also end up splurging on things beyond your budget. Be careful of what El Ali calls the But Its Such a Good Deal! excuse. This is the granddaddy of them all, he said. You spot a great price on something you dont necessarily need, and you convince yourself that its worth it just because its cheap. However, if you werent planning on buying it in the first place, its not a deal at all. If you are looking for something particular and find it on sale, take a moment to compare its per unit cost with similar items before adding it to your cart. You might find that what appears to be a great deal is actually more expensive than you initially thought. Check Out Costcos Food Court Shopping while hungry can lead to more impulse buys and unnecessary expenditure. One way to combat this is to head to Costcos food court and purchase something to eat before shopping. Now, this might sound counterintuitive if youre trying to save money. But the big box store still has some great deals on ready-made food. In particular, theres the $1.50 hot dog combo that comes with a drink. Not only is this a budget-friendly meal option, but it can help reduce other food splurges. Use Discount Gift Cards Another way to save money while shopping at Costco is to buy gift cards in bulk from the retailer. This is especially useful if there are holidays or birthdays just around the corner. Although not every gift card goes on sale, some certainly do, so see whats there and pick up what you need. Warehouse stores like Costco can help you save beyond just oversized packages of toilet paper and paper towels, said Woroch. You can also find gift card deals when buying in bulk. Of course, you can break these up to give as a gift or use them for yourself to offset the cost of eating out or enjoying an activity. For instance, you can get 20% off $100 worth of gift cards to California Pizza Kitchen, 25% off $100 worth of gift cards to Macaroni Grill, and $50 off a $500 Southwest Airlines eGift Card. Choose Kirkland Signature Brand This might be considered a more common savings tip, but if you want to be extra frugal, keep an eye out for store brand goods like Costcos own Kirkland Signature. From apparel to food, you can often find reduced prices on these goods simply by switching brands. Use Costco Travel Did you know that Costco has a travel site where you can score some great deals? You can access some great travel deals including cruise savings, hotel packages, and car rentals for less than other sites, said Woroch. Ive booked a hotel through Costcos travel portal and received a waived daily resort fee, car rental bundle for significantly less than the going rate at the local rental agency, and a $200 Costco Shop Card. Our recent cruise booking didnt save us anything off the actual booking price compared to Disney Cruise website, but we did score a $700 Costco shop card with the booking. Avoid Buying Too Much in Bulk Costco is the king of bulk shopping, said El Ali. Those huge packages of snacks, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies seem like a fantastic deal. But heres the catch do you really need 48 rolls of paper towels? Sometimes, in the enthusiasm of scoring a bargain, we forget to consider if well actually use all of it before it expires. Only buy in bulk the things you need and will use. Anything else will just go to waste or take up too much space. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Costco Savings: 9 Unconventional Tips for Frugal Shoppers Long-established in the Utilities - Regulated industry, Dominion Energy Inc (NYSE:D) has enjoyed a stellar reputation. However, it has recently witnessed a decline of 1.55%, juxtaposed with a three-month change of -7.36%. Fresh insights from the GuruFocus Score Rating hint at potential headwinds. Notably, its diminished rankings in financial strength, growth, and valuation suggest that the company might not live up to its historical performance. Join us as we dive deep into these pivotal metrics to unravel the evolving narrative of Dominion Energy Inc. Decoding Dominion Energy Inc's Challenge Ahead: A Deep Dive into the GF Score Understanding the GF Score The GF Score is a stock performance ranking system developed by GuruFocus using five aspects of valuation, which has been found to be closely correlated to the long-term performances of stocks by backtesting from 2006 to 2021. The stocks with a higher GF Score generally generate higher returns than those with a lower GF Score. Therefore, when picking stocks, investors should invest in companies with high GF Scores. The GF Score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 as the highest rank. Based on the above method, GuruFocus assigned Dominion Energy Inc the GF Score of 68 out of 100, which signals poor future outperformance potential. Snapshot of Dominion Energy Inc's Business Based in Richmond, Virginia, Dominion Energy Inc is an integrated energy company with over 30 gigawatts of electric generation capacity and more than 90,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines. The company, which has a market cap of $39.89 billion and sales of $18.35 billion, is constructing a rate-regulated 5.2 GW wind farm off the Virginia Beach coast. With an operating margin of 25.67%, Dominion Energy Inc's business operations and history present a mixed picture. Story continues Decoding Dominion Energy Inc's Challenge Ahead: A Deep Dive into the GF Score Financial Strength Breakdown Dominion Energy Inc's financial strength indicators present some concerning insights about the company's balance sheet health. The company's interest coverage ratio of 2.67 positions it worse than 65.28% of 432 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry. This ratio highlights potential challenges the company might face when handling its interest expenses on outstanding debt. It's worth noting that the esteemed investor Benjamin Graham typically favored companies with an interest coverage ratio of at least five. The company's Altman Z-Score is just 0.61, which is below the distress zone of 1.81. This suggests that the company may face financial distress over the next few years. Additionally, the company's debt-to-Ebitda ratio is 5.85, which is above Joel Tillinghast's warning level of 4 and is worse than 70.9% of 433 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry. Tillinghast said in his book Big Money Think's Small: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing that a high debt-to-Ebitda ratio can be a red flag unless tangible assets cover the debt. Growth Prospects A lack of significant growth is another area where Dominion Energy Inc seems to falter, as evidenced by the company's low Growth rank. Lastly, Dominion Energy Inc's predictability rank is just one star out of five, adding to investor uncertainty regarding revenue and earnings consistency. Decoding Dominion Energy Inc's Challenge Ahead: A Deep Dive into the GF Score Conclusion Given the company's financial strength, profitability, and growth metrics, the GuruFocus Score Rating highlights the firm's unparalleled position for potential underperformance. While Dominion Energy Inc has a rich history and a significant presence in the Utilities - Regulated industry, its current financial health and growth prospects may not be as promising as they once were. Therefore, investors should exercise caution and conduct thorough research before making investment decisions. GuruFocus Premium members can find more companies with strong GF Scores using the following screener link: GF Score Screen This article first appeared on GuruFocus. If youre a boss, Devon may be your worst nightmare. The software engineer is supposed to spend his days typically writing code for Googles tools and products. It sounds like laborious work, but he says he only works one hour per day. Devon, a pseudonym Fortune is using to protect his privacy, says he begins his week writing code for a decent part of any given assignment before sending it off to his manager. That basically guarantees him smooth sailing for the rest of the week. He says he typically wakes up around 9 a.m. to shower and make breakfast before working until 11 a.m. or noon, at which point he switches to working on his start-up until 9 or 10 p.m. (Fortune reviewed time-stamped screenshots showing the extent of start-up work that Devon performed during his workday.) When Fortune spoke with Devon shortly after 10 a.m. Pacific Time, he admitted hed not yet opened his laptop. Asked whether he was concerned about missing a message from his manager, he said that if he does, its not the end of the worldIll just get back to it later tonight. Devon counts himself among the thousands of tech workers who, by their own admission, are paid to do nothing. During a business boom in the early pandemic, companies like Meta, Google, and Salesforce were hiring ahead of demand, Vijay Govindarajan, a professor at Dartmouths Tuck School of Business, told the Wall Street Journal. The trend was dubbed penning, in which companies desperate to hoard workers in advance of what they were certain would be a prolonged growth period made lucrative offers for roles that werent needed. Many hires waited for tasks that never came; a 2021 poll on anonymous workplace forum Blind revealed that a third of tech workers only worked for less than half of the workday. This is exactly whats happened at Google, says Devon, who earns nearly $150,000 a year, according to his offer letter that Fortune reviewed. Leaders were just buying up everyone they can so they dont go to another companybuilding a product that competes with Google, he says. When Google laid off 12,000 people in January, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai wrote that the company had hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today and will focus on hiring only critical roles in the future. (Google declined Fortunes request to comment on this story.) Story continues Now, amid rounds of intense layoffs and depressed sales across the tech industry, many of the hires who do remain are left with little to do. That freedom has led some, like Devon, to stretch the outer limits. I wanted to go for something where I had a lot more time to myself, so I went to Google, the 20-something explains. In this sense, Devon exemplifies the stereotypical Gen Zer, doing the bare minimum at work and conserving his real brain power for the things that ignite his passion. In his case, thats enjoying his downtime and logging a legitimate full eight-hour workday on the company hes building with a fellow techie friend. Working hardand hardly working Ninety-seven percent of Google employees call the tech giant a great place to workjust 57% of a typical U.S. companys workforce says the same. Google is well-known for its suite of benefits; a quirky campus replete with bicycles, gyms, and free meals; and high salaries. In addition to his six-figure salary, Devon received a sign-on bonus and is expecting a year-end bonus, per his offer letter. When he took the job, Devon knew he wouldnt be working very hardlikely based on his experience interning there. For over $2,000 a week, he says he worked probably under two hours a day and rarely went into the office (which was mandatory). He wasnt slacking so much as carefully underselling how quickly he worked; he says he finished all the code for his internship early on, which allowed him to coast by shipping lines of the code to his managerwho he thinks didnt suspect a thingall summer; he even eked out a week-long trip to Hawaii while on the clock. If I wanted to work long hours, Id be at a startup, he says. Most people choose Google because of the work-life balance and benefits. You could work at Apple, but Apple has such fan appeal to software engineers. They work long hoursbut at Google, most people know what theyre doing is a job. Devon says he "didnt really bother going for a hedge fund or quant stuff, because theyll pay you like $300,000 but the thing is: Youll actually have to work well over 40 hours a week, he added. If I can work a couple hours a dayone hour a dayI think the much smaller base [salary] works out. Higher-ups at the tech giant have extolled the virtue of efficiency, but Devon doesnt think they actually put any value on it. Googles code of conduct expects workers to be logging full-time hours, leaving personal projects that arent a conflict of interest for after work hours. But he says nobody has noticed his five-hour weeks because hes able to produce enough in short spurts to ward off any closer inspectionor saddle himself with extra tasks. If someone starts to get suspicious, hell submit a line of code he had stowed away, acting as though hes been working on it all week. It's not like you'd really get promoted for going above and beyond, Devon says, explaining that hes watched coworkers who have burned the midnight oil for years without getting promoted (as part of a development program that it revamped last year, Google gives workers formal performance ratings once a year and promotions happen twice a year). On the other hand, he says he meets all expectations with his curtailed schedule, making his arrangement essentially the same thing as working your ass off. The payoff of polyworking Devons set-up is less rare than it may appear. While some people cut corners at work to increase their chill time, the advent of remote work has also given greater latitude to workers like Devon who are hoping to double up on jobs to maximize profits. Nearly half of workers hold more than one full-time job, a recent Monster report found, though for most of those workers, its in order to make ends meet. Devon is a different case. He makes more than enough money to support his lifestyle, but hes biding his time until he can strike out on his own, no second job necessary. He ideally plans to quit Google to launch his start-up, but plans to boomerang back if it fails; he says Google is very big on rehiring ex-Googlers. He also says he flouts Googles return to office policy, which expects most employees to work from the office three days a week, though each department can set its own rules (it considers fully remote work in exceptional cases). That doesnt work for him, he says, because it makes him feel like managers are a watchtower. But his manager is cool with him not coming in, Devon adds. Im sure at some point Google will send me emails about not badging in, but I wont even worry about it until I get a warning. And if they decide to punish him by letting him go, Devon says he's still resting easy because theyll give him a generous severance package. He acknowledges that his way of life would 100% not fly at a start-up with fewer people to manage, and that hes not blind to the privilege of his circumstances. Im pretty lucky to be in the position Im in, he says. If I did get laid off, Id still have enough runway for like a years worth of rent, which is really enough for me to find something else. Not everyone has that, he notes, so he can hardly recommend his way of life. You have to be sort of lucky, he says. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home Dublin has undergone quite a rebirth over the past four years. Change first arrived in 2019 with The Square, a thriving community hub of dining, retail, health and wellness and more in the old pants factory building on Route 313, which previously housed the Dublin Tech Center. Then came The Lofts, a luxury apartment building, Grand View Health Dublin Outpatient Center and The Station, a conversion of the old Dublin Service Station and Garage into a food and drink market, which includes vendors like Neshaminy Creek Brewing and Taqueria Tlaxcali. It all adds up to a remarkable revitalization effort, much of which was spearheaded by Nehemiah Development Company, the real estate developer behind the Dublin Town Center project. But one building stands in the middle of it all the old Dublin Diner on Main Street (Route 313) a steady reminder that the work is not yet over. When did the diner in Dublin originally open? A photograph hangs in Kooker's Central Store Museum in Dublin showing Goldie's Diner in the 1930s, which had originally operated under the ownership of Harold "Goldie" Meyers. The diner was first built in 1934, according to Dublin historian Rod Shultz, owner of Kookers Central Store Museum, where records of the towns history are maintained and displayed. It was originally named Goldies Diner and owned by Harold Goldie Meyers, Shultz said. Early photographs of Goldies, show a classic streamlined dining car design popular in the 1930s. The diner would later undergo several renovations under different owners, slowly turning it into the building that stands there today. Revitalization of Dublin: Could The Square in Dublin become Central Bucks' new hot business, retail, dining spot? A photograph taken in the 1950s of Goldie's Diner, which has since undergone several renovations, ownership changes and later became known as the Dublin Diner before closing in 2020. Goldies Diner operated under its original name up until Meyers death, when it was sold to Jack and Dorothy Evans, who renamed it the Dublin Diner. Under their ownership, the diners interior and exterior were renovated and a banquet area was added in the back, Shultz said. A few more owners have since come along, with the diner carrying different variations of its name, like Dublin Star Diner and more recently Dublin Towne Diner, under the ownership of Steve and Helen Christonikos, who purchased it in 2012. Story continues Despite changing hands, it continuously operated as a diner until closing during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in 2020, said Corinna Garis, marketing director for Nehemiah Development Company. In an excerpt from the Borough of Dublin 100th Anniversary Book, the diner is said to have changed its appearance since its early days, but remains a landmark within our borough. Goldies Diner was the social hub in town, where you could get a bite to eat, or just have a cup of coffee and talk over the latest local gossip, it read. More: Enjoy a taste of summer at the Bucks County Wine Trail's summer events Are there plans to reopen the Dublin Diner? The diner, which is currently owned by Dublin Town Center, LP, has remained vacant since closing its doors in 2020. Plans to continue the longtime landmarks reign as a diner are in the works, but a reopening date has not been announced yet. We have an operator for the diner, and the lease is in their hands, Garis said. It will once again be a diner. When we have an executed lease, the demo/improvements will begin. Nehemiah Development Company is working on securing a new operator for the Dublin Diner, which has sat vacant since closing during the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns in 2020. As of Aug. 2, the borough hasnt received any applications pertaining to the diner property, said Colleen Pursell, Dublin Borough manager. Revitalization efforts and preserving Dublins history Shultz, whose family has been rooted in Dublin since the late 1800s when his great grandfather was a shoemaker in town, said he believes the recent revitalization efforts are positive overall. A two-sided promotional card, displayed at Kooker's Central Store in Dublin, shows advertising for Goldie's Diner and its neighbor, the Dublin Service Station and Garage. The former garage is currently a modern food hall, called The Station, which is home to Neshaminy Brewing Company, Itri Wood-Fired Pizza, Taqueria Tlaxcali, Nina's Ice Cream & Waffles and Goldie's Grill. I feel if Nehemiah Development Company hadnt taken the old pants factory building and gas station and done something with them, theyd still be empty now, he said. Weve gained some more traffic, weve gained quite a few more people, but in the same token, weve gained more customers for the businesses that were already here. And while he welcomes new projects that help the town to flourish, Shultz said there is value in maintaining its historical character as well. The new growth is fine, he said, but the preservation of the old is also important. A Hilltown diner says goodbye: For 75 years, R&S Keystone Diner in Hilltown served up meals, memories. Now, it's closing. Plans for old Perkasie church: Community center, fine arts academy proposed for former church in Perkasie This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Dublin Diner to reopen under new ownership Acwa Power, a leading Saudi utility project developer and a leader in energy transition, has announced that its consortium has secured financial closure for the Al Shuaibah solar projects being developed in Jeddah at a total investment of $2.37 billion. The consortium comprises Electricity Holding Company (Badeel), a wholly owned unit of Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund) and Saudi Aramco, with Acwa Power holding a 35% equity stake. With a 2,061 MW capacity, Al Shuaibah (comprising Al Shuaibah 1 and 2 projects) is set to become the worlds largest solar project once it gets operational in 2025, said the Saudi utility developer in a statement. According to Acwa Power, the senior debt financing for this plant, amounting to $1.63 billion, comprises a $450 million Saudi riyal-denominated loan from the National Development Fund on behalf of the National Infrastructure Fund. Additionally, the financing includes a $1.18 billion US-dollar-denominated commercial facility provided by a consortium of local, regional, and international banks including Bank Saudi Fransi, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mizuho Bank, Riyad Bank, Saudi National Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Saudi Investment Bank) Saudi Power Procurement Company is the procurer and off-taker for the projects. This new project will be jointly owned by Badeel, which will have a 34.99% stake, while Acwa Power and Sapco will hold shares of 35.01% and 30% respectively. Acwa Power said once completed, the Al Shuaibah PV project is expected to provide power to approximately 450,000 households. "Securing financing for this groundbreaking project marks a significant step toward achieving Saudi Arabias clean energy goals, in alignment with the National Renewable Energy Program, which aims to generate 50 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030," remarked its CEO Marco Arcelli. Badeel CEO Husam Al Ghailani said the PIF unit will continue its efforts to support the renewable energy sector in the Kingdom, and to develop 70 percent of Saudi Arabias renewable energy by 2030. Mohammed Al-Qahtani, president of downstream at Saudi Aramco, added: While oil and gas will play a major role to meet the energy demand of today and tomorrow, renewables will increasingly play a part in the energy transition to address the climate change challenges. The projects mark a significant milestone to support Aramco in achieving its decarbonization targets. By Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's digital minister plans to ask a court to shut down Meta Platforms' Facebook in Southeast Asia's second largest economy unless it takes action over scams that have affected more than 200,000 people, he said on Monday. "We are asking the court to close Facebook, not allowing it to provide services in Thailand if they let these fake pages scam people," Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn told Reuters. In a statement, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society said it had made repeated requests for advertisements it had identified as scams to be taken down by Facebook but the problem persisted and it would seek court intervention. Meta did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Ministry spokesperson Wetang Phuangsup told Reuters officials were currently gathering evidence of wrongdoing by Facebook that would be presented before court. "If there is a lot of wrongdoing, the court could close down pages and accounts. Or the court could close the entire platform," he said. The ministry said scams perpetrated on Facebook included luring users to invest in fake companies, faking government bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and trading in digital currencies. "They can't do business like this," Chaiwut said. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-umWriting by Martin Petty and Devjyot GhoshalEditing by David Goodman and Mark Potter) Mini fiber technician training course highlights value of starting a career in fiber broadband ORLANDO, Fla., August 21, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today at Fiber Connect 2023, the Fiber Broadband Association announced a mini course for its Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path) fiber technician training program, titled "Broadband Basics: Your Future in Fiber!" The mini course will introduce broadband concepts and career opportunities, attract new students, and help close the gap in skilled technicians needed to connect every community to reliable, high-speed fiber broadband services. As broadband providers across North America look to expand fiber networks to reach the unserved and underserved, they are in desperate need of skilled fiber technicians that can build these networks safely and efficiently. The OpTIC Path program provides a training course that can be delivered by schools, colleges, training centers, and employers to develop the workforce needed. Dura-Line Academy, which is part of Orbias Connectivity Solutions group, co-created the OpTIC Path "Broadband Basics: Your Future is Fiber!" mini course to help recruit potential technicians to the fiber broadband industry. The free, 15-minute introductory course will be available online 24/7 and participants earn a digital badge after completing the session. "The OpTIC Path Broadband Basics course will drive awareness to todays youth of the fiber broadband industry and the benefits fiber technicians can access as they plan their careers," said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce Development at the Fiber Broadband Association. "We pre-packaged our programs value statements into an ultra-consumable session so it will be easy to understand why a career in fiber is a great decision. We hope this mini course will help recruit more technicians to fill the workforce pipeline for our members and the broader fiber broadband industry so we can build the networks every American deserves." Story continues FBA is currently engaged with 39 states to roll out the OpTIC Path program, with 40 service providers and 67 community colleges and training institutions. Electric cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, and Oklahoma have either adopted or are interested in the program. The OpTIC Path program is also gaining support from employers across the fiber broadband industry, working closely with schools and training facilities so they can hire certified technicians as soon as they are ready to enter the workforce. For more information about the OpTIC Path program, visit fiberbroadband.org/education-and-certification/fba-optic-path/. About the Fiber Broadband Association The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policy makers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230821624805/en/ Contacts Ashley Schulte Connect2 Communications for the Fiber Broadband Association FBA@connect2comm.com The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued multiple recalls last week, including more than 230,000 Nissan Sentra sedans to prevent a problem that could lead to steering loss. Chrysler also recalled more than 181,000 Jeep Compass SUVs to correct a software problem that may prevent instrument panel brightness from being adjusted. Car owners can check USA TODAYs automotive recall database or search NHTSAs database for new recalls. The NHTSA website also allows you to search for recalls based on your vehicle identification number, or VIN. Here are the vehicle recalls published by the NHTSA from August 10 to August 16. Previous week: Toyota, Chrysler among nearly 270,000 vehicles recalled last week: Check car recalls here. Nissan Sentra recall Nissan is recalling 236,238 of its 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles because the left tie rod and right tie rod may bend and break, causing drivers to lose steering control. Either one or both of the front tie rods may deform under certain operating conditions such as hitting a curb, Nissan said in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If the tie rod breaks, it can cause a loss of steering control and may increase the risk of a crash, the company said. Nissan, which will send notification letters to owners starting October 5, expects to have replacement parts available during in winter 2023-2024, according to NHTSA. Owners will be advised to contact their dealer if they should experience an off-center steering wheel or vibration. Dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge, as an interim repair. Nissan will send another letter when the newly designed parts are available; dealers will then replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461, a June 2021 recall that included more than 138,000 of these Sentras for the same problem. Vehicles previously repaired under the 2021 recall will need to have the new remedy completed, the company said. Story continues Recalled vehicles: 2020-2021 Nissan Sentra Nissan recall: 236,000 Sentras recalled for problem that could cause loss of steering control Chrysler recall: Jeep Compass Chrysler is recalling 181,999 of its 2022-2023 Jeep Compass SUVs because the brightness level of the instrument panel cluster (IPC) may not be adjustable due to incorrect software in the body control module. An instrument display that is not visible to the driver may result in the driver's attention being distracted and cause a crash, the company said in a filing with NHTSA. Nissan expects to send notification letters to owners on Oct. 3, 2023. Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403l the number for this recall is 88A. Recalled vehicles: 2022-2023 Jeep Compass Chrysler recall: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Jeep Wagoneer Chrysler is recalling 162,713 of its 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, and 2022-2024 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs because the rearview image may not display onscreen when the vehicle is placed in reverse, the company said in a NHTSA report. Dealers will update the Central Vision Park Assist Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Oct. 3, 2023. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 56A. Recalled vehicles: 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2022-2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 2022-2024 Jeep Wagoneer Gas prices: Americans face more sticker shock at the pump as gas prices hit 10-month high. Here's why Ford recall: F-250, F-350, F-450 Ford is recalling 18,513 of its 2023 F-Super Duty F250, F350, and F450 pickup trucks because the default rearview camera image may not be displayed when using the Pro Trailer Hitch Assist feature. An incorrect rear view camera image can reduce the drivers view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash, the company said in a report filed with NHTSA. Dealers will update the Advanced Drive Assistance System module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 18, 2023, Ford said. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. The number for this recall is 23S46. Recalled vehicles: 2023 Ford F-250 2023 Ford F-350 2023 Ford F-450 Ford is recalling 18,513 of its 2023 F-Super Duty F250, F350, and F450 pickup trucks because the default rearview camera image may not be displayed when using the Pro Trailer Hitch Assist feature. Mercedes-Benz recall Mercedes-Benz is recalling 880 certain 2023 E450, E350, AMG E63 S and AMG E53 sedans, and CLS450, AMG GT53 and AMG GT43 coupes because the vehicles' exit warning system audio and visual warnings may fail to alert occupants about other road users approaching from behind when exiting the parked vehicle, the company said in a NHTSA report. This could increase the risk of crash or injury when opening the door in certain traffic situations, the automaker said. Dealers will update the exit warning system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 10, 2023. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz USA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Recalled vehicles: 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG E53 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 S 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT43 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT53 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 2023 Mercedes-Benz E350 2023 Mercedes-Benz E450 GM recall: Chevrolet Bolt EV General Motors is recalling 317 of its 2022-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles because the instrument panel may be missing the perforation on the underside of the panel cover that allows the passenger-side air bag to deploy properly, the company said in a NHTSA report. An air bag that does not deploy properly in a crash increases the risk of injury, GM said. Dealers will replace the instrument panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 25, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232414710. Recalled vehicles: 2022-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV Kia Sorento recall Kia is recalling 50,517 of its 2023 Sorento SUVs because the air bag warning labels on the driver and front passenger sun visors may detach. A detached air bag warning label will not warn occupants about the risks of air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in a crash, the company said in a NHTSA report. Dealers will inspect and replace the driver and front passenger sun visors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Oct. 10, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC277. Kia is recalling 50,517 of its 2023 Sorento SUVs because the air bag warning labels on the driver and front passenger sun visors may detach. Shown here: the 2023 Sorento X-Line. Triumph recall Triumph is recalling 7,541 of its 2022-2024 Trident and Tiger Sport motorcycles because the manifold absolute pressure (MAP) hose may have an obstruction, causing incorrect air pressure readings by the MAP sensor. Inaccurate MAP data can lead to unstable idle and sometimes an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash, the company said in a NHTSA report. Dealers will replace the hose, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Aug. 31, 2023. Owners may contact Triumph's customer service at 1-678-854-2010. Triumph's number for this recall is SRAN 609. Recalled vehicles: 2022-2024 Triumph Tiger Sport 2022-2024 Triumph Trident Indian recall Indian is recalling 50 of its 2023 Challenger, Pursuit Dark Horse Icon w/Premium Package, Pursuit Dark Horse w/Premium Package, and Pursuit Limited w/Premium Package motorcycles because the fuel line may have been improperly assembled. The defect can result in an engine stall, which increases the risk of a crash and serious injury, the company said in a NHTSA report. Dealers will replace the fuel line, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Sept. 12, 2023. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-23-06. Recalled vehicles: 2023 Indian Challenger 2023 Indian Pursuit Dark Horse 2023 Indian Pursuit Limited Piaggo recall: Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello, Aviazione Navale Piaggo is recalling 260 of its 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello and Mandello Aviazione Navale motorcycles because the rear shock absorber may be missing one or both bushings, which can cause it to break and could lead to a loss of control or a crash, the company said in NHTSA report. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the rear shock absorber, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 22, 2023. Owners may contact Piaggio's customer service at 1-212-380-4433. Recalled vehicles: 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello Aviazione Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Car recall check: Ford, Kia, Nissan, Chrysler among 659,000 recalled Michelle Wilshire, 48, of Hickory, North Carolina, is facing 13 counts of money laundering, wire and tax fraud. (Photo: Shutterstock) A federal grand jury has indicted a former employee of a North Carolina-based trucking company, alleging she defrauded her employer of more than $900,000. Michelle Wilshire, 48, of Hickory, North Carolina, was charged with six counts of wire fraud, five counts of tax fraud and two counts of money laundering, according to the indictment filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. According to public records, Wilshire worked for Tru-Pak Moving Systems in Conover, North Carolina, for more than 15 years. Tru-Pak, a family-owned company, has 16 drivers and the same number of trucks and provides global moving services for the military, as well as residential and corporate moves. What happened? The indictment states that Wilshire worked as a moving coordinator before being promoted to a Comdata administrator for Tru-Pak in 2016. Her duties included coordinating labor expenses and issuing checks, as well as handling all electronic transfers and ensuring the necessary funds were loaded onto prepaid debit cards through Comdata Inc., a Tennessee-based third-party provider of fleet management and electronic payment solutions. Federal investigators allege that from January 2016 to July 2021, Wilshire devised and executed a scheme to defraud her employer by issuing multiple Comdata prepaid debit cards in her name and in the names of other individuals, including former employees, fictitious employees and current employees who were not aware the cards existed. Wilshire then caused Comdata to load funds onto these prepaid debit cards. She allegedly withdrew these funds via cash withdrawals at multiple ATMs in Catawba County and elsewhere, the indictment alleges. As of publication, a representative for Tru-Pak did not respond to FreightWaves request for comment. Between November 2017 and July 2021, Wilshire allegedly withdrew more than $528,000 from prepaid Comdata cards funded by the moving company, court documents state. Story continues Federal prosecutors also allege Wilshire embezzled company funds by using Comdatas Comchek and Comchek Mobile services to issue checks in her name and to make multiple wire transfers into her personal bank account, which totaled over $315,000. The indictment claims she directed Comdata to transfer more than $58,000 into the bank account of an unnamed former employee. Wilshire prepared and filed her individual income tax returns for the tax years 2017-2021, which did not include the additional funds she allegedly received through her embezzlement scheme, the indictment states. Her initial court appearance is set for Aug. 29. No attorney is listed for Wilshire. Do you have a news tip to share? Send me an email or message me @cage_writer on Twitter. Your name will not be used without your permission. Read more articles here: Postal service contractor cutting 660 jobs Truckers deal with fallout after fraudsters steal DOT numbers Werner driver survives kidnapping, deadly shootout when his rig is stolen The post Former North Carolina trucking company employee accused of embezzling over $900K appeared first on FreightWaves. The House Freedom Caucus shook Washington out of its summer doldrums Monday as it issued a list of demands for negotiators planning what could be a difficult short-term budget agreement in September. The group of roughly three dozen far-right Republicans announced they will oppose a continuing resolution, or CR, to extend funding for the federal government when the fiscal year ends on September 30 unless their demands are met. Congressional leaders have recently said they hope to pass a CR before the deadline to prevent a government shutdown as they continue to work on a full-year budget this fall. [I]n the eventuality that Congress must consider a short-term extension of government funding through a Continuing Resolution, we refuse to support any such measure that continues Democrats bloated COVID-era spending and simultaneously fails to force the Biden Administration to follow the law and fulfill its most basic responsibilities, the group said in a statement. Any support for a clean Continuing Resolution would be an affirmation of the current FY 2023 spending level grossly increased by the lame-duck December 2022 omnibus spending bill that we all vehemently opposed just seven months ago. What does the Freedom Caucus want? The conservative firebrands want to cut spending in fiscal year 2024 to the levels seen in 2022 a topline spending level of $1.471 trillion, below the cap level agreed to earlier this summer by negotiators. In addition, in Mondays communique, the lawmakers listed three demands that touch on other issues that must be met to gain their support: 1. The continuing resolution must include the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which was passed by the House in May but has little chance of passing the Senate. According to the Freedom Caucus, the bill would "cease the unchecked flow of illegal migrants, combat the evils of human trafficking, and stop the flood of dangerous fentanyl into our communities." Story continues 2. The lawmakers have sought an end to the cases involving former president Donald Trump and what they call the weaponization of the Justice Department against conservatives. In that vein, they are demanding changes at the Department of Justice and the FBI, in order to focus them on prosecuting real criminals instead of conducting political witch hunts and targeting law-abiding citizens. 3. Similarly, the Freedom Caucus is calling for unspecified changes at the Department of Defense, to end the Lefts cancerous woke policies in the Pentagon undermining our militarys core warfighting mission. On top of that, the group said it would oppose the passage of a CR that extends until late December, a fairly common approach that sometimes results in, as the lawmakers put it, the passage of yet another monstrous, budget busting, pork filled, lobbyist handout omnibus spending bill at years end. Finally, the group said it would oppose including a blank check with additional aid for Ukraine. A headache for McCarthy: The list of demands will make House Speaker Kevin McCarthys job that much harder as he attempts to reach a spending agreement that avoids a government shutdown on October 1. Democrats are expected to oppose any bill that satisfies the Freedom Caucus President Biden has said he would veto the immigration bill conservatives want, for example and that means McCarthy would need just about every Republican vote to pass a funding bill. But passing a conservative-friendly bill likely means opposition in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The alternative for McCarthy is to craft a funding bill that can win Democratic support in both chambers. But that could spark a rebellion on his right and risk his position in Congress, since under the terms of his election to the speakership, any disgruntled member can force a recall vote. What happens next? Last week, McCarthy indicated that he would support a short-term funding bill, lasting until early December at the latest. House Democrats are meeting this week to discuss the passage of a clean short-term funding bill that would leave aside potentially sticky issues, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently said a continuing resolution makes a good deal of sense. The list of demands from the Freedom Caucus, however, suggests that the path ahead could be rocky. Following the Freedom Caucuss announcement, Democrats accused conservatives of being willing to risk chaos to reach their goals and vowed to oppose them. House Republicans are determined to shutdown the government and crash our economy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said. We will fight these MAGA extremists every step of the way. For. The. People. Nevertheless, Freedom Caucus members say they plan to stick to their guns. We have the House, and the House is the originator of spending bills, and we have the power of the purse, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said Monday, per The Washington Post. We should therefore use that power to reclaim our country, to take it back for the people. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. By Saeed Azhar NEW YORK (Reuters) -Goldman Sachs is weighing the sale of a part of its wealth business, it said on Monday, as it shifts its focus back to serving the ultra-rich and away from high-net-worth clients in mass markets. The Wall Street bank is evaluating alternatives for its registered investment adviser (RIA) unit, called Personal Financial Management (PFM), which manages about $29 billion, it said in a statement. The shift in strategy comes after CEO David Solomon reorganized the firm into three units last year and scaled back ambitions for its consumer business, which lost $3 billion in the last three years. Goldman is also pushing ahead with a sale of its fintech business, GreenSky and has also offloaded the bulk of its unsecured consumer loans after it halted this kind of lending last year. "This is part of the overall restructuring of the firm, back toward its roots," said Stephen Biggar, an analyst at Argus Research. "They've been unable to carve a path of profitability and scale" for the RIA, which catered to high-net-worth individuals in mass markets outside of Goldman's core, ultra-wealthy clientele, Biggar said. Goldman declined to comment on PFM's earnings. The company's shares slipped 0.6% in afternoon trading, compared with the S&P index of bank stocks, which rose 0.2%. Goldman bought RIA, formerly known as United Capital Financial Partners, for $750 million in 2019 when it managed about $25 billion in funds. The purchase was aimed at broadening Goldman's client list beyond the ultra-rich, but the unit has remained a small part of the bank's wealth business. Goldman's private wealth arm oversees $1 trillion in assets for ultra-high net worth clients, who have $60 million or more in investable assets. High net worth individuals - who would fall within the business Goldman is considering selling - typically have about $1 million to $10 million to invest. Citywire RIA first reported on the possible sale. Story continues Goldman's wealth business has lagged behind rivals, including Morgan Stanley, where CEO James Gorman built the wealth management arm through a series of acquisitions that generate steady income from fees. Solomon has been under pressure to turn around Goldman's fortunes after its profit sank 60% in the second quarter as writedowns on its consumer businesses and real estate investments weighed on earnings. The bank plans to grow its core wealth business serving ultra-high-net-worth clients, reiterating aspirations from its investor day in late February. Other core wealth businesses include workplace financial planning through Ayco and Marcus savings, Goldman said. U.S. banks compete to serve ultra-wealthy clients by providing brokerage, mortgage and other services, as well as estate and tax planning. Those activities tend to generate more stable revenues than volatile Wall Street operations, such as investment banking and trading, which are strongly linked to economic activity. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar; Editing by Lananh Nguyen, Tom Hogue, Sharon Singleton, Jonathan Oatis and Deepa Babington) Guatemala can best serve its own interests by switching recognition from Taipei to Beijing, China's foreign ministry said on Monday after the presidential victory of a candidate who has previously said he favours closer commercial ties with mainland China. But Bernardo Arevalo, who was elected on an anti-corruption ticket on Sunday in a result that came as a shock to many observers, has previously said he has no plans to ditch Taiwan. Taiwan on Monday congratulated Arevalo, a 64-year-old former diplomat for his victory. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Guatemala, together with Belize, are the only two Central American countries, out of just 13 worldwide, that recognise Taipei instead of Beijing. Taiwan has lost nine diplomatic allies since 2016, with Honduras being the latest Central American country to switch allegiance in March. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment on Arevalo's victory on Monday but said that people in Guatemala had recently expressed hopes of establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing, and such a move "is in line with the fundamental interests of Guatemala and the voice of its people". "We hope that the new government of Guatemala will make the right decision in the fundamental and long-term interests of its country and its people," Wang said, adding that switching support to the mainland was "the right choice that conforms to the trend of historical development and our times". In April, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala and met incumbent President Alejandro Giammattei. Since then Taipei has been watching the election closely. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen poses with the current Guatemalan leader Alejandro Giammattei during her visit to the country. Photo: Reuters alt=Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen poses with the current Guatemalan leader Alejandro Giammattei during her visit to the country. Photo: Reuters> Story continues In Sunday's run-off, Arevalo of the centre-left Semilla party led former first lady Sandra Torres by 58 per cent to 37 per cent with 99 per cent of the votes counted. He will be sworn in as president in January. In June he told a local radio station that Guatemala needed to adopt "a foreign policy based on its own interests". "We need to work on our trade relations and expand them in the case of China," he said. Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, refuses to maintain official ties with any country that recognises the island and has stepped up efforts to isolate it internationally in recent years. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Fewer than half of American workers qualify for a retirement plan through their job. But that lack of access is markedly worse in some states, which researchers warn could face a spike in senior poverty as a result, according to new study. About 69 million workers, or 56% of the nation's workforce, lack access to a retirement plan through their workplace, the Economic Innovation Group found in its analysis of 2021 Census data. The share is highest in Florida, where almost 7 in 10 workers are unable to put money away in an employer-sponsored plan, and lowest in Iowa, where it is about 4 in 10. Americans' retirement readiness is cleaved by income and profession, with higher-income households far more likely to have socked away funds for their later years than low-wage workers. But there's also a geographic divide, with workers in the South less likely than those in the Midwest to have access to employer-sponsored plans, the analysis found. "It definitely limits the ability of those workers to really take advantage of probably the more prominent vehicle" for retirement savings in the U.S., Benjamin Glasner, associate economist at EIG, told CBS MoneyWatch. He added, "If you don't have access to it, you can't even begin to start taking advantage of the tax benefits of those plans. And that's a pretty big hurdle to try to overcome solely on your own." Midwestern workers are the most likely to have access to employer-based retirement plans, at 49%, while those in the South are the least likely, with only 42% able to tap a 401(k) or the like, the research found. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r London-based VC fund Futurecraft Ventures, with offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai has announced a significant investment in Lyres a non-alcoholic beverage company garnering global awards and attention, particularly in the Middle East. Futurecraft estimates the value of its portfolio at about $200 million in capital and has a reputation for identifying start-ups primed for growth. Targeting high-potential start-ups in emerging markets such as the UAE. With a team of serial entrepreneurs at the helm, the fund combines fintech, AR/VR, and crypto expertise to shape the future of multiple industries, a statement said. Futurecraft Ventures continues to make strategic investments that align with emerging societal trends. The firm's portfolio includes Shariah-compliant digital currency Islamic Coin, open-banking solution Monerchy, digital asset exchange Haqqex, and forex trading platform Exfor. Founded in 2019, Lyres has developed into a leading independent non-alcoholic spirits brand, selling in over 60 countries and stocked in 20 of the world's top 50 bars. With a team of passionate individuals led by co-founders Mark Livings and Carl Hartmann, the brand took on a mission to change how we socialise and think about beverages, the statement said. After years of meticulous crafting, Lyres has created an exquisite range of non-alcoholic drinks that retain traditional spirit taste, look, and experience, providing a unique alternative for those who wish to remain sober. Their expanding product line is capable of recreating 90% of the world's best-selling cocktails, it said. -TradeArabia News Service The Mosaic Company MOS is gaining from demand strength for phosphate and potash and actions to improve its cost structure. However, it faces headwinds from weak fertilizer prices. The companys shares are down 28.6% over a year compared with a 32.8% decline recorded by its industry. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Lets find out why this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock is worth retaining at the moment. Strong Demand, Cost Actions Aid MOS Mosaic is benefiting from strong demand for phosphate and potash. Higher agricultural commodity prices and attractive farm economics are driving demand for fertilizers globally. Farmer economics remains attractive in most global growing regions on strong crop demand, affordable inputs, and favorable weather. Demand for grains and oilseeds remains high along with strong farm economics. Strong agricultural commodity pricing trends and improved farmer affordability are likely to drive demand for fertilizers in the balance of 2023. Strong demand is expected to support the companys sales volumes. Mosaic is also taking actions to reduce costs amid a still-challenging operating environment. Its actions to improve its operating cost structure through transformation plans are expected to boost profitability. The company also remains committed to carrying out investments with high returns with moderate capital expenditures, such as the expansion of MicroEssentials capacity at its Riverview facility, constructing a new blending and distribution center in Palmeirante, Brazil, executing the construction of a purified phosphoric acid plant for sale in North Americ, and installing a Hydrofloat flotation system at Esterhazy's K2 mill. The estimated total capital expenditures for 2023 are $1.3-$1.4 billion. Mosaic also aims to return substantial free cash flow in 2023 to shareholders. The company strives to maintain a healthy balance sheet. Weak Prices Ail Softer potash and phosphate prices may impact the companys margins. Prices of phosphate and potash retreated since the back half of 2022 from their peak levels attained in the first half riding on the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war and disruptions due to the sanctions in Belarus. Lower selling prices hurt sales and margins across the companys Phosphate and Potash segments in the second quarter of 2023. Despite some recovery of late, weaker year-over-year fertilizer prices are expected weigh on the companys profitability. Story continues The Mosaic Company Price and Consensus The Mosaic Company Price and Consensus The Mosaic Company price-consensus-chart | The Mosaic Company Quote Stocks to Consider Better-ranked stocks worth a look in the basic materials space include Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS, PPG Industries, Inc. PPG and Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc. USAP. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current fiscal-year earnings for CRS is currently pegged at $3.48, implying year-over-year growth of 205.3%. Carpenter Technology currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Carpenter Technology has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 10%, on average. The stock has rallied around 60% in a year. PPG Industries currently carries a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PPG's current-year earnings has been revised 3.6% upward over the past 60 days. PPG Industries earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 7.3%, on average. PPG shares have gained around 10% in a year. Universal Stainless & Alloy Products currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). It has a projected earnings growth rate of 160.8% for the current year. Universal Stainless & Alloy Products has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 33.3%, on average. USAP shares are up around 63% in a year. 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 PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Mosaic Company (MOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc. (USAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Bill Oxford / Getty Images/iStockphoto Eviction rates are rising across the nation, with filings up more than 50% than the pre-pandemic average in some cities, according to the Eviction Lab. At the same time, rents are soaring. Real Estate Agents Say: Buy Property in These 5 States To Be Rich in 5 Years Find: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 In July, rent prices grew 0.31 percent year over year, according to Rent.coms August 2023 report. Consequently, more cities are considering rent control, which limits the increase in rent landlords can implement on private housing. For example, California (which already has rent control policies in a number of cities), will soon vote on a measure that would enable cities to expand rent control in 2024. Naturally, affordable housing experts are strongly advocating for more rent stabilization laws, but there is also strong resistance in some of the most expensive cities in the U.S. In Seattle, where rents are skyrocketing, the City Council recently voted against implementing rent regulation policies. And this summer, two New York City landlord groups filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn New York Citys rent stabilization law, which limits rent increases for more than one million units in the city, according to USA Today. As of now, numerous major cities in the U.S. enact rent control, but these limits are often not enforceable statewide, and many Americans are cornered into paying untenably high rents. Currently, 33 states preempt local governments from adopting rent control laws, according to the National Apartment Association. Rent control is a negotiation about exactly how much we are willing to accept landlords desire for endless profit at the expense of tenants, Alex Ferrer, a housing researcher with the Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy at the University of California, Los Angeles told USA Today. The national median rent price is presently $2,038, according to Rent.com. Thats awfully high when considering the national median salary is only $54,132 before taxes, of course. Story continues More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Housing Market 2023: As Rents and Evictions Rise, More Cities Are Debating Rent Control By Johan Purnomo and Stefanno Sulaiman TANGERANG, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia's government used the Jakarta auto show to double down on plans to drive production and sales of electric vehicles in Southeast Asia's largest auto market, but buyers are not sold yet. The price premium on electric vehicles (EVs), questions about the availability of charging stations and doubts about new brands are reasons to hold back for now, said visitors to the auto show in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta. Dody Hartono, a visitor at the auto show who plans to buy his first EV by 2024, said he wants a better deal. "We have to make people interested first with EVs, starting with prices that should be 60% cheaper," the 54-year old said. Indonesia has ambitious EV growth plans as it races Thailand and India to build out an EV industry as an alternative to China, the world's largest producer. However, EVs currently account for less than 1% of cars on its roads. The government has slashed the value-added tax on EVs to 1% from 11%, bringing the starting price of the cheapest Hyundai Ioniq 5 to under $45,000 from over $51,000 in Indonesia. Hartono said a price between $10,000 and $13,000 would be more appealing. There are only two EVs on offer near that range, Wuling's Air EV Lite and Seres Group's E1 at around $12,300. The cheapest gasoline-powered car in Indonesia, the Daihatsu Ayla, starts under $9,000. China's Seres Group is the EV manufacturing partner of technology company Huawei. By comparison, one of the best-selling EVs in China, the BYD Seagull, starts at just over $10,000, but other companies - and even China's own automakers - struggle to match that kind of pricing in export markets. BYD's ATTO 3, the best-selling EV in Southeast Asia in the first quarter, starts in Thailand at just over $31,000. Hendra Pratama, 42, a customer shopping for an EV at the auto show said the price premium in Indonesia needed to be reduced to attract lower-middle income consumers. Story continues "It's not affordable," he said. CONFIDENCE ISSUES Toyota, its affiliate Daihatsu, and Honda account for two-thirds of auto sales in Indonesia but have been slow to pivot to EVs. Hendra Budi, 44, said price was not an issue for him but he wanted to have more confidence in the brands on offer. "If Toyota or Honda launched a full EV, we will be interested," he said. Toyota has said it has no plans yet to build an EV in Indonesia. Indonesia's industry ministry announced at the auto show, which concluded on Sunday, that it would offer automakers two more years to qualify for production incentives. The announcement was followed by investment commitments from China's Neta EV brand and Japan's Mitsubishi Motors. Indonesia has set a target of producing some 600,000 EVs by 2030. That would be more than 100 times the number sold in Indonesia in the first half of 2023. Indonesia's chief economic minister said he hoped the Jakarta auto show would drive sales of more than 26,000 vehicles, the number sold at the auto show last year. The final number of cars sold and the share of EVs in that was not available as of Monday. ($1 = 15,280.0000 rupiah) (Reporting by Johan Purnomo; Writing by Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Kevin Krolicki and Himani Sarkar) City Chic Collective Limited (ASX:CCX) insiders who acquired shares over the previous 12 months, can probably afford to ignore the recent 12% decline in the stock price. After taking the recent loss into consideration, the AU$4.1m worth of stock they bought is now worth AU$5.0m, indicating that their investment yielded a positive return. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. View our latest analysis for City Chic Collective City Chic Collective Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Brett Blundy bought AU$1.5m worth of shares at a price of AU$0.45 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of AU$0.56. 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. City Chic Collective insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Does City Chic Collective Boast High Insider Ownership? For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that City Chic Collective insiders own 13% of the company, worth about AU$17m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment. Story continues So What Does This Data Suggest About City Chic Collective Insiders? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in City Chic Collective and their transactions don't cause us concern. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with City Chic Collective and understanding them should be part of your investment process. 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. Intellinetics, Inc. (PNK:INLX) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript August 18, 2023 Operator: Greetings, and welcome to Intellinetics Second Quarter 2023 Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A brief question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Tom Baumann, FNK IR. Please go ahead, sir. Tom Baumann: Thank you, and good afternoon, everyone. I'm pleased to welcome you to Intellinetics 2023 second quarter conference call. Before we begin, I would like to remind listeners that during this conference call, comments made by management may include forward-looking statements regarding Intellinetics that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and beliefs of management, and they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause such statements to differ materially from actual future events or results. Intellinetics Inc., undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements. For more information about factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements, please refer to the press release issued today as well as risks and uncertainties included in the section under the caption Risk Factors and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation in Intellinetics quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed earlier today. tablet, roboadvisor Also, please note that on the call today, management will discuss non-GAAP financial measures, such as adjusted EBITDA, recurring revenue and total contract value. Non-GAAP financial measures are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures presented by other companies. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP measures can be found in the press release issued today and their total contract value will be described on today's call. With all that said, I would now like to turn the call over to Jim DeSocio, Intellinetics President and CEO. Jim, the call is yours. Story continues James DeSocio: Thank you, Tom. This was another strong quarter for Intellinetics demonstrating our ability to consistently grow our top and bottom line results. We grew our revenue 25% and our SaaS revenue 10%, reducing our operating expenses even while delivering double-digit revenue growth, leading to significant improvements in our profitability. The double-digit growth rates were reinforced by strong second quarter sales and our growing backlog of business. We have already seen an acceleration in customer demand in the third quarter, as the recessionary concerns have begun to abate. We have not lost any meaningful opportunities, and we remain on track to surpass our full year results. Clearly, our business model is working. Growth in our SaaS, maintenance and business process outsourcing professional services were all eclipsed by the tremendous performance of our non-recurring revenue professional services in the period, shifting our mix temporarily with recurring revenue representing 58% of total revenue and nonrecurring comprising 42%. That said, our base of recurring revenue has reached a point where it exceeds our operating expenses. In other words, we generated $2.5 million in recurring revenue with $2.3 million in SG&A costs. This base gives us significant visibility makes it easier for us to plan investments and staffing levels and most importantly, ensures consistent profitability. We continue to expand our market share as demand for our solutions is robust and we deliver a tangible ROI for customers. Finally, our cross-selling initiatives are yielding results as we grow our wallet share with customers. We significantly grew our operating income and adjusted EBITDA, delivering positive net income and earnings per share, we are on the right track. In Q2 2023, we closed 96 contracts with an estimated total contract value of $2.1 million. As a reminder, the total contract value of these orders are generally recognizable in revenue over one year or less. Since the April 2022 acquisition of Yellow Folder, the Yellow Folder team sold new contracts worth $562,000 in SaaS and $140,000 in software-related professional services total contract value. These amounts exclude our success in cross-selling digital transformation, which I'll come to in a moment. Our K-12 operations now has 530 K-12 districts collectively generated significant SaaS revenue, which more than doubles our presence in this vertical market since we acquired Yellow Folder. Importantly, each of these districts is a target for additional Intellinetics services. Two examples of our cross-selling opportunities we recently sold, first, a large school district in Illinois, purchased a Yellow Folder special education solution and a digital transformation job worth $172,000. And second, a school district in New Mexico purchased our student record solution and a digital transformation project worth $154,000. The combined total contract value of $372,000 will be recognized over the next 12 months. Since the Yellow Folder acquisition in April 2022, we have successfully cross-sold 51 K-12 deals worth $1.6 million in total contract value. This reinforces our strategic acquisition of Yellow Folder and our ability to sell our digital transformation professional services into our K-12 customers. We have also been very successful selling K-12 customers our new employee onboarding form solution that expediates the hiring process for new teachers and public K-12 employees. Further, we are in the early days of testing our new payables automation solution at 2 K-12 districts. Simultaneously, we continue to broaden our portfolio of products in our addressable markets. As part of this, we continue to drive adoption of our core IntelliCloud Payables Automation Solution, or IPAS. As a reminder, IPAS is a new enterprise class software payables automation solution for financial platforms with very complex cost accounting. We are collaborating with Constellation homebuilder systems, part of the $5 billion Constellation software family to broaden awareness for IPAS, especially in the homebuilder market. Stepping back, I am extremely pleased with how we've integrated three acquisitions since March of 2020, while maintaining our focus on delivering solutions to our customers. These acquisitions have been instrumental in us achieving new performance levels, and I am confident our recipe for integration is working. I'm very excited about the future at Intellinetics. At this time, I would like to turn the call over to Chief Financial Officer, Joe Spain to talk to you about our financials. Joseph Spain: Thanks, Jim. I will now review our financial results for the second quarter of 2023. Total revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, increased 25% to $4.3 million as compared to $3.4 million for the same period last year. The following are the components of our revenue. Subscription software, which is comprised of SaaS, including hosting revenue and software maintenance services revenue increased 8.3% to $1.6 million for the quarter from $1.5 million for the same period last year. Our software maintenance services are growing more slowly than SaaS at 2%, which is consistent with history and as expected. Professional services revenue increased 41.4% to $2.3 million for the quarter from $1.6 million for the same period last year. As a percentage of total revenues, professional services revenue was 54% of total revenue for the quarter compared to 48% of total revenue for the same period last year. Our digital transformation business, primarily scanning customer backfile images had a tremendous improvement over 2022 when, as you may recall, we had challenges finding staff to perform the work on our growing backlog of business. Storage and retrievable services revenue was relatively flat at $269,000 for the second quarter 2023 compared to $276,000 for the second quarter '22. Software revenue, which is comprised of perpetual license revenue was up for the quarter but remains a small portion of total revenue. We expect sales of this on-premise software to continue to be a minor part of our revenue as we focus on SaaS. Consolidated gross margin decreased 327 basis points to 60.8% for Q2 this year compared to 64.1% last year. The decrease was driven by a revenue mix shift towards professional services. Operating expenses decreased 1.2% to $2.29 million for Q2 '23 compared to $2.32 million for Q1 '22. The decrease is largely due to the absence of costs related to the acquisition of Yellow Folder more than offsetting investments in structure and scale, including, among other things, our uplifting in Q3 '22 to NYSE American, increase in investor relations spend and our project to convert from multiple QuickBooks ledgers to a single NetSuite instance. Regarding NetSuite, I'm pleased to share that we're on track with two legacy ledgers fully converted in the final currently running in parallel. Sales and marketing expenses for the quarter decreased 7% compared to the same period during 2022, which is largely a timing matter. We continue to invest in marketing and sales. Net income for Q2 was $136,000 compared to $374,000 net loss for the same period last year. Earnings per share for the quarter were $0.03 per fully diluted share compared to a loss of $0.09 per diluted share last year. Our adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $651,000 or $0.16 per basic and diluted share compared to an adjusted EBITDA of $508,000 or $0.12 per basic and diluted share for the same period in '22. Next, I'll turn to a brief review of our balance sheet. At June 30, 2023, the company had cash of $1.1 million and accounts receivable net of $1.3 million. Our total assets were $18.6 million, including nearly $10 million in intangible assets and goodwill as part of acquisitions made since 2020. Total liabilities were $9.5 million, including $3.7 million in debt principal as of June 30, 2023. Also, deferred revenues were $2.1 million, reflecting signed SaaS and maintenance contracts. I want to wrap up with a brief financial outlook. Based on our current plans and assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties, as we described in our filings in this call, we expect to continue to grow revenues and adjusted EBITDA on a year-over-year basis. With that, we thank you all for listening. And at this time, we'd like to open the call up to Q&A. Operator? See also 10 Best New Penny Stocks to Buy Now and 11 Best Biotech Penny Stocks to Buy Now. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Key Insights Lindsay Australia's estimated fair value is AU$1.62 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of AU$1.14 suggests Lindsay Australia is potentially 30% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 2.1% higher than Lindsay Australia's analyst price target of AU$1.59 Does the August share price for Lindsay Australia Limited (ASX:LAU) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Lindsay Australia Crunching The Numbers We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$53.9m AU$37.7m AU$34.9m AU$33.3m AU$32.5m AU$32.1m AU$32.0m AU$32.2m AU$32.5m AU$32.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x2 Est @ -7.34% Est @ -4.54% Est @ -2.57% Est @ -1.20% Est @ -0.24% Est @ 0.44% Est @ 0.91% Est @ 1.24% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 8.0% AU$49.9 AU$32.3 AU$27.7 AU$24.5 AU$22.1 AU$20.2 AU$18.7 AU$17.3 AU$16.2 AU$15.2 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$244m The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.0%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.0%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$33m (1 + 2.0%) (8.0% 2.0%) = AU$557m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$557m ( 1 + 8.0%)10= AU$257m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$502m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$1.1, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 30% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Lindsay Australia as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.203. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Lindsay Australia Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Transportation market. Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Lindsay Australia, we've put together three relevant factors you should further examine: Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Lindsay Australia that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does LAU's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara to discuss several issues including the resumption of oil exports through the Ceyhan oil terminal, a source in the minister's office told Reuters on Monday. Iraqi oil minister will meet his Turkish counterpart to discuss energy issues, on top of which is the resumption of Iraq's northern oil exports via Turkey's Ceyhan port, said an oil official. Turkey halted Iraq's 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) of exports through the northern Iraq-Turkey pipeline on March 25 after an arbitration ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Iraq filed for arbitration in 2014 with the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) over Turkey's role in facilitating oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan without the consent of the federal government in Baghdad. Iraq's federal government says its state-owned marketed SOMO is the only party authorised to manage crude exports through Ceyhan. Iraq said that by transporting and storing oil from Kurdistan and loading it on tankers in Ceyhan without Baghdad's approval, Ankara and Turkish state energy company BOTAS violated provisions of an Iraq-Turkey pipeline agreement signed in 1973. Turkey wants to negotiate regarding the size of damages it was ordered to pay in the arbitration ruling and also seeks clarification on other open arbitration cases. "Iraq's oil minister is in Turkey to discuss obstacles delaying the resumption of oil exports and how to resolve lingering issues," said an oil ministry official who is close to the Iraqi northern oil exports operations. The ICC ordered Turkey to pay Baghdad damages of around $1.5 billion for unauthorised exports by the Kurdistan Regional Government between 2014 and 2018. "Damages ordered by the arbitration ruling and the valid arbitration cases which are still opened against Ankara will be at the heart of the discussions," said the official. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, Writing by Ahmed Elimam, Editing by Susan Fenton and David Gregorio) The U.S. faces a power struggle with China and Russia, with challenges like controlling exports of critical technologies and responding to the war on Ukraine. To help you understand what is going on with U.S. foreign policy and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly-experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Heres the latest... U.S. foreign policy is increasingly tangled in great power competition with China and Russia, coloring everything from trade policy to military alliances. Here is a rundown of our main challenges. Washington wants to outcompete China and has an expansive policy agenda including export controls on critical technologies and investments in domestic manufacturing to prove it. In short, clipping Beijings wings has become the central organizing principle of U.S. foreign policy. Its also the rare issue that unites D.C. Democrats and Republicans. But the U.S. cannot succeed on its own. And many allies feel disadvantaged, particularly those who depend on exports to China or those who see U.S. efforts to onshore production of certain goods as a threat to their manufacturers. The White House has managed some wins, including cooperation on chip-related export controls from countries such as the Netherlands, the country that makes the worlds most advanced machines for semiconductor lithography. Washington has also struck a deal with Japan that will make critical battery minerals produced in that country eligible for the tax incentives available to domestically produced ones. The agreement will be the template for another deal being negotiated with the EU. The U.S. also relies on its allies to help arm Ukraine in its war with Russia, with stockpiles of ammunition and more running low on both sides of the Atlantic. But many European defense contractors are struggling to ramp up output, even with defense spending on the continent reaching levels ($345 billion) not seen since the Cold War. Story continues One problem: Many European governments have not committed to purchasing an expanded supply of weapons, leading to fears they will pull back in a few years and leave manufacturers stranded with excess capacity. Meanwhile, even with recent increases, most members of the transatlantic NATO military alliance still dont meet the minimum requirement of spending 2% of their GDP on defense. Theres hope the situation in Ukraine will change that, but much remains uncertain. These issues converge in Chinas increasingly close ties with Russia, a product of their shared interest in countering Americas global influence. Notably, both countries have made inroads in resource-rich regions, such as the Middle East, which accounts for nearly a third of global oil output, and sub-Saharan Africa, a vital source of clean-energy metals and minerals. The question is how far their partnership can go. Washington still hopes it can repair relations with Beijing enough to cooperate on some issues, such as de-escalating the conflict in Ukraine, while still competing on others. This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand whats coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter. Long-Term Care Facility vs. Nursing Home As we get older, many of us need help on a day-to-day basis. There are several different options for how to seek this kind of care, and two of the most common are long-term care facilities and nursing homes. Long-term care incorporates staff and services to help someone with day-to-day life. A nursing home offers daily medical care and monitoring for someone with ongoing needs. Heres how they compare. For help planning for nursing home and long-term care facility needs, consider matching with a vetted financial advisor for free. What Is Long-Term Care? Long-term care, per the National Institute on Aging, involves a variety of services designed to meet a persons health or personal care needs during a short or long period of time. When a people can no longer performance everyday activities on their own, these services assist them in living as independently as possible. In essence, long-term care is about helping someone with their day-to-day routine. The details can range widely depending on how much help a person needs. For example, at the low end this might involve shopping, housekeeping and providing meals for someone who has difficulty getting to the store. At the high end, it might involve helping someone with bathing, dressing themselves and moving around the house. Much long-term care is provided in someones home. In fact, when someones needs are relatively light, friends and family may suffice in handling whats necessary. When volunteer effort isnt quite enough, many families hire professional, long-term caregivers to come into the home from time to time. Long-term care facilities exist for people with more extensive needs. These are also known as assisted living facilities. Theyre built for people who need long-term care on a more consistent basis. For example, someone who needs help preparing meals would not likely need a long-term care facility. In that case, someone can come to their home from time to time. But someone who needs help using the toilet and getting out of a chair might need staff available at all times. Story continues A long-term care facility typically offers independent living in an apartment or series of rooms, backstopped by a range of services to help someone manage their day-to-day life. While these facilities often have medical staff on hand, they are not medical caregivers. Theyre oriented around someone with significant physical and social needs, not necessarily medical ones. What Is a Nursing Home? A nursing home is a medical facility designed to provide 24/7 care. With a nursing home, you typically receive all the services that a long-term care facility provides. This means that the residents can get meal preparation, help moving around and other daily assistance as necessary. However nursing homes add an extra layer of dedicated medical care. Generally speaking, a nursing home patient can receive any degree of care that nursing staff are qualified and licensed to provide. This can include: Administering medication Intravenous drips Physical and mental therapy Wound care Managing medical devices such as ventilators Monitoring vital signs A nursing home does not typically have doctors on staff. If a patient needs to see a doctor or has a medical emergency, the person is taken to the appropriate facility. However the nursing home may have ambulances on hand in case a patient needs emergency transport. The purpose of a nursing home is to provide a combination of medical care and personal support for patients with ongoing medical needs. Historically, these facilities were mostly transitional. Patients would move into a nursing home after a hospital stay and would move out once well enough. Today many nursing homes offer long-term care options themselves, allowing patients with chronic health issues to live there on an indefinite basis. How Should You Choose? The key difference between a long-term care facility and a nursing home is this: In long-term care, the residents are there for physical and social services, whereas in a nursing home, the residents are there as patients in need of medical care. There is significant overlap in the services that a long-term care facility and a nursing home will provide. In both cases, a resident gets help with daily living and has access to some form of health care monitoring. The main difference is in degree. In an assisted living facility, the goal is to let someone live as normally as possible. The facility offers services built for that purpose. The staff is available for medical needs, but often just as a 24/7 point of contact to help residents get to a doctor and/or hospital. Pick this if you need help during the day and can go to the doctor as needed. In a nursing home, the goal is to help someone who has ongoing medical needs. The facility has nursing staff and medical facilities built around that purpose. The nursing home will have daily support to help residents to live as normal a life as possible, but the goal is to provide nursing treatment and medical monitoring. This is most likely an option that you will select with or at the advice of your doctor. Both long-term care and nursing homes accept residents regardless of age. Most residents will be older, since age is the most common cause of chronic mobility, mental and health needs. But its not uncommon for someone to need ongoing care for any number of other reasons, ranging from illness or injury to genetic disorders. The Bottom Line Long-Term Care Facility vs. Nursing Home Long-term care facilities help someone with day-to-day activities like cooking and cleaning. A nursing home provides 24/7 medical attention from nurses. The best option is based on whether you need help living an ordinary life, or if you need ongoing medical care. Consider matching with a vetted financial advisor for free to determine which services you or a loved one may need and which option is most cost-effective and appropriate. Tips For Affording Long-Term Care One of the most difficult parts of long-term care is finding a way to pay for it. Thats why its good to begin planning this into your retirement savings and insurance plans early. And the best way to make those plans is with professional help, which can be provided by a financial advisor. Finding one doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Photo credit: iStock/Charday Penn, iStock/Halfpoint, iStock/PeopleImages The post Long-Term Care Facility vs. Nursing Home appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. Key Insights The projected fair value for Integral Diagnostics is AU$3.64 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of AU$3.22 suggests Integral Diagnostics is potentially trading close to its fair value Analyst price target for IDX is AU$3.23 which is 11% below our fair value estimate In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Integral Diagnostics Limited (ASX:IDX) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Integral Diagnostics Step By Step Through The Calculation We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$33.3m AU$40.6m AU$33.5m AU$39.2m AU$40.2m AU$41.2m AU$42.2m AU$43.1m AU$44.0m AU$45.0m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 2.63% Est @ 2.44% Est @ 2.31% Est @ 2.22% Est @ 2.16% Est @ 2.11% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 6.4% AU$31.3 AU$35.8 AU$27.8 AU$30.6 AU$29.5 AU$28.4 AU$27.3 AU$26.2 AU$25.2 AU$24.2 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$286m The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.0%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.4%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$45m (1 + 2.0%) (6.4% 2.0%) = AU$1.0b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$1.0b ( 1 + 6.4%)10= AU$561m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$847m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$3.2, the company appears about fair value at a 11% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf The Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Integral Diagnostics as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.879. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Integral Diagnostics Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Healthcare market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Integral Diagnostics, we've compiled three pertinent elements you should assess: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Integral Diagnostics , and understanding this should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does IDX's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sustainability will be the centre point of IBTM World Association Leaders Forum that will take place under a new format in Barcelona later this year. It will take place on day one of IBTM World and focus on how the association can contribute to the ongoing debate around sustainability and the challenges that come with it. High level presentations, lightning talks on hot topics including Artificial Intelligence, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) and Impact vs Environment, and interactive debates are part of a fresh format designed to infuse energy and foster culture among participants, and to replace that sense of community which may have been lost in the shift to working from home. Taking place at Fira, Barcelona, on November 28, 2023, and produced in partnership with the prestigious ESAE (European Society of Association Executives), the IBTM World Association Leaders Forum highlights the power of event professionals to shape culture and drive the future of business. The programme has evolved into the annual meeting point for association leaders to exchange, learn and advance knowledge and best practices in a peer-to-peer setting. The programme will open with a thought-provoking exploration of association trends for 2024 from Mike Morrissey, ESAE President, and CEO of the European Cancer Organisation. This will be followed by a speaker-led debate moderated by Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General, UITP (The International Association of Public Transport). The debate will focus on travel and sustainability, with participants exploring the merit of carbon offsetting and the broader positive effects to society that a meeting or a conference can have. Following this, a selection of high-profile association leaders will participate in a panel discussion on how associations can change the world for the better. The discussion will include incorporating ESG into decision-making and operations, and explore topics such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), sustainability and corporate responsibility. There will be opportunities to network throughout the forum. Mike Morrissey said: When associations come together to share knowledge and ideas, we know they can really make a difference. This forum is a space for association and events professionals to debate the issues that are unique to them. We are delighted to be working with IBTM on the content for this important event and invite all association events professionals to join us, make connections and share their inspiration and ideas. The ESAE is the leading organisation in Europe for bringing together association professionals. It facilitates the exchange of best practice among peers and ensures that current and future leaders understand association business and strategy. David Thompson, Event Director, IBTM World, said: This engaging forum on the important topic of sustainability, incorporating environment, social and governance, is designed to fuel delegates curiosity, inspire attendees to make a difference, and provide the stimulation delegates need to encourage culture to flourish. Business culture thrives when we are together, and the forum provides a space for this culture to grow. The Association Leaders Forum is open to Association Buyers and select media attending IBTM World. To apply for the Hosted Buyer Programme and Forum, submit your details via the IBTM World website. - TradeArabia News Service FILE - Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, March 4, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Scotts quest to give the bulk of her wealth to charity continues. So far this year, 17 nonprofits have announced theyve received unrestricted donations from Scott through her Yield Giving fund, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally. The gifts total $97 million and range from $1 million to $15 million. Nearly half went to charities focused on early-childhood education and early-childhood development. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) MacKenzie Scotts quest to give the bulk of her wealth to charity continues. So far this year, 24 nonprofits have announced theyve received unrestricted donations from Scott through her Yield Giving fund, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally. The gifts total $146 million and range from $1 million to $15 million. Nearly half went to charities focused on early-childhood education and early-childhood development. Scott has now given more than $14.1 billion to at least 1,621 charities since 2020. To encourage people to focus on the charities rather than on her, Scott has stopped announcing her donations as she had in the past. Now she leaves it up to the charities to decide whether to publicize her gifts. Given the scale of her giving in previous years, it is likely the 24 announced contributions represent only a portion of what she has actually donated so far this year. Charity leaders say they appreciate Scotts decision to let nonprofits choose whether to publicize the gifts because it lets them decide whats best for the organization. It was in our best interest to announce this donation and to share the victory with our peers in the movement, says Sean McCarthy, who manages donor relations at the National Housing Trust. The affordable housing group landed a $10 million gift from Scott last month, its largest donation to date. We view this gift as a vote of confidence. Still, there were pros and cons to consider. Trust officials wanted to announce the gift to show that a high profile philanthropist like Scott has faith in the trusts mission and its ability to manage a gift of that size. They discussed the potential downsides to publicizing it, too, such as concerns that other donors would think Scotts gift provided the trust with all it needs to carry out its mission. The reality is that this is a very large problem that were trying to solve. Theres a shortage of over 7 million affordable homes here in the United States alone, and so when we decided to publish this, we wanted to ensure that we werent sharing that we now have all the resources we need to pursue our mission, McCarthy says. Were still in need of support from a variety of sources. Story continues Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, an early-childhood education advocacy group, had similar reasons for wanting to publicize the $3 million gift the organization received this summer. It was a win for Early Edge to be recognized, and its the first time in our history that we got a gift of this size, Lozano says. It was a recognition of our work and all our successes. Our work is very specifically around advocacy, so we thought it would be a good thing for us to show our funders and possible partners that were trusted and recognized. Scott launched Yield Givings website in December to answer the nonprofit worlds call for more transparency. The site names groups that received gifts and, in some cases, the amount they got. But it hasnt been updated since last year, so its unclear exactly how many gifts she has made this year. That has left the philanthropy world wondering what to make of Scotts latest donations. Philanthropy as a whole would benefit from more knowledge about the organizations getting the grants and why theyre getting them, says Joanne Florino, a Philanthropy Roundtable official who advises donors and foundations. Debate about transparency and privacy in the philanthropy world is nothing new, says Katherina Rosqueta, who leads the University of Pennsylvanias Center for High Impact Philanthropy. Some wealthy donors give anonymously because they want privacy and, like Scott, want people to focus on the work of the nonprofit they support. Others are willing to forgo some privacy because they know attaching their name to a large donation encourages their peers to support that charity. Scotts case is unique because of the size of her wealth, currently estimated at roughly $37 billion, and because her fortune was generated by her stock in Amazon, one of the highest-profile companies in the world, Rosqueta says. There have always been wealthy people who have chosen to be quiet about their giving, who have chosen to give unrestricted gifts to grantees, who have trusted organizations, Rosqueta says. But what we have with MacKenzie Scott is probably the highest-profile version of it, and because of the level of wealth she has, she is able to give at a scale and a pace that those who have adopted the same practices cant. Rosqueta says Scott is just one of many high-profile philanthropists who have attempted over the years to shift attention to the organizations they support. While Scotts attempts to deflect attention havent worked, Rosqueta says, they have generated a healthy debate about where attention should be directed. If you look at the media, if you look at institutions, the focus is on the wealthy individual and always has been, Rosqueta says. It should be no surprise that a wealthy, very high-profile individual who is pushing back against that quite intentionally is making people concerned or feel uncomfortable because it is not the way things have been. In March, Scott announced a $250 million open call to community-focused charities to apply to Yield Giving for grants and plans to give $1 million apiece to 250 charities. Previously, Scott gave only to organizations that she and her advisers selected and researched; the move marked the first time Scott has given nonprofits a chance to apply for grant money. More than 6,000 nonprofits have applied, and winners will be announced early next year. Rosqueta and Florino say the open call shows Scott is broadening her giving practices, but Florino worries about the length of the grantmaking process. This looks like the kind of thing nonprofits complain about, that it takes a year from the time they submit their application until the time they get their money, Florino says. Im not criticizing it. Im just saying its a very big change, and I would love to see more about why certain organizations were selected and what kind of promise they saw in them. _____ This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Maria Di Mento is a senior reporter at the Chronicle. Email: maria.dimento@philanthropy.com. The AP and the Chronicle receive support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP and the Chronicle are solely responsible for all content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. Through ongoing winning awards, Masan strengthens its esteemed brand Masan reinforces its brand through significant domestic and international accolades. Masan's strong dedication to shareholders and investors is evident in the group's prestigious awards. HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 2022, amid heightened global inflation and significant fluctuations in economic conditions, Masan has consistently advanced strategic initiatives across the business spectrum, encouraging its position. These dedicated efforts by Masan have garnered recognition and prestigious accolades both domestically and internationally. With more than 26 years of establishment and growth, Masan Group stands as the leading enterprise in Vietnam's consumer and retail sector. Currently, Masan operates a network exceeding 3,500 sales outlets' quality, catering to vital consumer requirements. The group further champions inventive strategies and technological investments, fostering the creation of diverse, top-tier products to meet domestic demands and facilitate exports to key markets including the United States, Japan, Australia, Korea, and Canada. In the initial half of 2023, Masan recorded total assets of around VND 140,858 billion, with total equity amounting to VND 37,524 billion. Notably, cash and cash equivalents totaled VND 13,452 billion. Furthermore, during the second quarter of 2023, the company's free cash flow displayed consistent improvement, surging to VND 1,665 billion in comparison to a mere VND 162 billion during the same period in 2022. Since the commencement of 2023, Masan has gained esteemed recognition and awards from renowned domestic and international entities. 11th straight Forbes' "Top 50 Best Listed Companies" recognition In Ho Chi Minh City, on August 17, Masan Group was acclaimed during the unveiling event of the "2023's Top 50 Listed Companies," hosted by Forbes Magazine. Remarkably, this marks Masan's continuous presence in this prestigious list for the 11th consecutive year. Story continues To secure a place on this esteemed roster, listed companies are required to satisfy the following prerequisites: demonstrate profitability in 2022 and maintain a minimum revenue and capitalization of VND 500 billion. Furthermore, companies undergo a quantitative evaluation based on five key criteria: compound growth rates encompassing revenue, profit, ROE, ROC, and EPS expansion during the 2018 - 2022 timeframe. This is followed by an analytical assessment by Forbes Vietnam Nam, which delves into the sustainable advancements of enterprises, encompassing factors such as industry standing, profit sources, the effectiveness of corporate governance, and industry prospects. Amidst a stagnant real estate market and subdued domestic consumption, Masan's achievement of growth and inclusion in the "Top 50 Best Listed Companies" attests to the enduring strength of its core consumer-focused business segment and robust financial underpinning. This accomplishment underscores the resilience and sustainability of Masan's operations. Consistently prioritize the welfare of shareholders and investors. Since its debut on HOSE in 2009, Masan Group's MSN stock has consistently garnered significant interest from domestic and international shareholders and investors alike. Consequently, as emphasized by the Board of Directors, the Investor Relations (IR) function remains highly regarded, aiming to ensure transparent and accessible information exchange while fostering equitable opportunities for all investors. Examining the report's caliber and the establishment of an autonomous audit committee engaged with reputable international audit firms, Masan underscores its dedication to swiftly and comprehensively disseminating information, thereby fostering robust connections with shareholders and investors. In the 2023 IR Award poll hosted by Vietstock, Masan Group secured a spot among the top 45 premier listed companies, progressing to the final round of voting. Furthermore, a notable development has surfaced as J.P. Morgan, a venerable global entity renowned for its financial services, investment banking, and wealth management expertise, has projected substantial growth potential for Masan shares (HOSE: MSN). In precise terms, J.P. Morgan's forecast sets the target price for MSN stock at VND 102,000 per share in the year 2024. Moreover, the projection anticipates an average compound annual growth rate of 36% for EPS during the interval spanning 2023 to 2025. As per J.P. Morgan's assessment, Masan's prominent status within a sizable and promising retail market, coupled with strategic capital allocation directed toward the consumer and retail core, underscores its leadership. This steadfast commitment to nurturing the consumer market has culminated in Masan's emergence as a prime exemplar of Vietnam's captivating consumer narrative in recent years. Best places to work for in Asia In business, human resources consistently stand out as the most invaluable asset, serving as the driving force behind growth and the realization of objectives. Annually, in a spirited tribute to enterprises steadfastly dedicated to enhancing employee contentment, well-being, and advancement, HR Asia Magazine orchestrates a comprehensive survey spanning Asia, culminating in the compilation of the esteemed roster, "Best Places to Work for in Asia." In Vietnam, the evaluation encompassed nearly 650 companies, and the survey involved nearly 50,000 employees, ranging from grassroots staff to senior personnel, including executives and human resources directors. This year, Masan Group was honored with two prestigious awards: "Best Companies to Work for in Asia" and special recognition in the category of "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion". Masan has achieved remarkable success by winning the special award category "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion". This accolade marks a significant milestone in Masan's journey toward creating an exceptional workplace that embraces equity, diversity, and inclusivity. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/masan-reinforces-its-brand-through-significant-domestic-and-international-accolade-301905404.html SOURCE Masan Group Master Lock employees participate in the UAW Local 469 rally at Master Lock in July 21, 2023. Master Lock is moving ahead with its plans to close its facility on Milwaukee's north side, and filed a notice with the state that the plant closing will begin in November, affecting 325 workers. The move comes despite pleas from local officials, community and union leaders urging reconsideration of the decision. Master Lock LLC, owned by Fortune Brands, sent the Aug. 7 letter to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development saying "the plant closure was a business decision and not in any way a reflection on our employees in Milwaukee." The first round of layoffs will start November 3 and continue until the plant is closed on March 29, 2024. More: Here's how Master Lock employees made a difference at Clarke Street School, Metcalf Park neighborhood In a statement, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said he is "deeply disappointed by Master Lock's decision." Shutting down the plant was already a slap in the face to the hard-working people of Milwaukee County who just want to earn a living wage and take care of their families, but to learn those jobs will leave just before the holiday season rubs salt in the wound," Crowley said. "Losing good-paying, family-sustaining jobs in the heart of Milwaukee only makes it more difficult for individuals to succeed." In May, Master Lock informed employees at the facility that it was closing which caused an uproar among workers and community members. Just 11 years ago, the facility played host to then-President Barack Obama who came to tout job creation. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at a rally for workers in May that it is "so ironic that a little more than a decade after this company sat there and welcomed in and indulged in the attention of the president of the United States, they now are cutting these jobs." The message that we want to send right now is that this plant and you, the workers here, you guys are important," Johnson said at the time. "Youre important to Master Lock. Youre important to this community. Story continues More: Fortune Brands recently pushed for diversity; now it's closing Master Lock, a mostly minority facility At a rally in July, workers said the closure is "devastating" and "deserves an explanation." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Master Lock files notice to lay off 325 workers starting in November Montana Aerospace (VTX:AERO) Second Quarter 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: 363.8m (up 7.1% from 2Q 2022). Net loss: 5.47m (loss narrowed by 71% from 2Q 2022). 0.09 loss per share (improved from 0.31 loss in 2Q 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Montana Aerospace EPS Beats Expectations, Revenues Fall Short Revenue missed analyst estimates by 17%. Earnings per share (EPS) exceeded analyst estimates by 44%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 9.5% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 8.6% growth forecast for the Aerospace & Defense industry in Europe. Performance of the market in Switzerland. The company's shares are down 5.8% from a week ago. Risk Analysis Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Montana Aerospace that you should be aware of. 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. The board of MyState Limited (ASX:MYS) has announced that it will pay a dividend of A$0.115 per share on the 19th of September. This means the dividend yield will be fairly typical at 6.6%. View our latest analysis for MyState MyState's Payment Expected To Have Solid Earnings Coverage Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. MyState has established itself as a dividend paying company with over 10 years history of distributing earnings to shareholders. Taking data from its last earnings report, calculating for the company's payout ratio shows 65%, which means that MyState would be able to pay its last dividend without pressure on the balance sheet. Looking forward, EPS is forecast to rise by 21.0% over the next 3 years. Analysts estimate the future payout ratio will be 65% over the same time period, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend. Dividend Volatility While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of A$0.28 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of A$0.23. Doing the maths, this is a decline of about 1.9% per year. Generally, we don't like to see a dividend that has been declining over time as this can degrade shareholders' returns and indicate that the company may be running into problems. Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. MyState hasn't seen much change in its earnings per share over the last five years. Growth of 0.2% per annum is not particularly high, which might explain why the company is paying out a higher proportion of earnings. This could mean the dividend doesn't have the growth potential we look for going into the future. In Summary Overall, we think MyState is a solid choice as a dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't raised this year. The dividend has been at reasonable levels historically, but that hasn't translated into a consistent payment. The payment isn't stellar, but it could make a decent addition to a dividend portfolio. Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for MyState that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers. 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. Key Insights Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Nuix's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions 51% of the business is held by the top 4 shareholders Using data from company's past performance alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company If you want to know who really controls Nuix Limited (ASX:NXL), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 32% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Nuix, beginning with the chart below. Check out our latest analysis for Nuix What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Nuix? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. We can see that Nuix does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Nuix, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Story continues Nuix is not owned by hedge funds. Macquarie Corporate Holdings Pty Limited is currently the largest shareholder, with 30% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 8.3% and 8.1%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. On looking further, we found that 51% of the shares are owned by the top 4 shareholders. In other words, these shareholders have a meaningful say in the decisions of the company. While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track. Insider Ownership Of Nuix The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. We can see that insiders own shares in Nuix Limited. In their own names, insiders own AU$11m worth of stock in the AU$450m company. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying. General Public Ownership With a 31% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Nuix. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Equity Ownership With an ownership of 30%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 4.5%, of the company's shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Nuix (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. are ira assets protected from nursing homes When entering a nursing home, the details regarding payment can be dense, leaving you worried and confused about your retirement accounts. Fortunately, your IRA is not automatically seized or applied to nursing home expenses. You may be eligible for Medicaid to help with nursing home costs. If you are not already taking required minimum distributions (RMDs), your IRA could be considered a non-exempt asset. You can learn more about how to protect your personal assets by speaking with a financial advisor. What Happens to Your Assets When You Go Into a Nursing Home? If you go into a nursing home, your care expenses could drain your assets. However, government assistance in the form of Medicaid may also help meet the costs. The state you live in will determine if you qualify for Medicaid by considering your assets (and not your spouses, if you are married). How your assets impact your Medicaid eligibility depends on the state where you reside. Additionally, it may be problematic if you are applying for Medicaid and have given assets to your family members in the last five years. Medicaid could prolong your ineligibility according to the value of your gifts and your states average rate for nursing home care. Are IRA Assets Protected From Nursing Homes? The federal government does not regulate the protection of IRA assets from nursing homes and if you are not already taking required minimum distributions, your IRA could be considered a non-exempt asset. This means your assets could be drained but IRAs are not automatically seized for these expenses. Check with your state to see how its laws affect how your Medicaid eligibility, income level and asset type intersect. Many states will recognize your IRA as an asset, which can impact your Medicaid eligibility. Depending on your state, whether you currently receive payments from your IRA might also matter. However, in most cases, you can keep at least a portion of your IRA for the benefit of a spouse or other beneficiary. Story continues How IRA and Pension Assets Impact Medicaid Eligibility are ira assets protected from nursing homes Some states exempt your IRA assets from Medicaid eligibility, but some of these states require the IRA to be in payout status. IRA-exempt states are currently: California District of Columbia Florida Georgia Idaho Kentucky Mississippi New York North Dakota Ohio Rhode Island South Carolina Vermont Your IRAs characteristics can influence Medicaid eligibility as well. The following four conditions will affect how your state calculates your Medicaid eligibility: 1. Payout Status Your state might not include your IRA when determining your Medicaid eligibility if the account is in payout status. In 2019, the government passed the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act, stipulating that individuals must receive required minimum distributions (RMD) from their IRAs at age 72. The RMD is the lowest legal amount you may receive from your IRA (of course, you can receive more if you choose). The IRS calculates the RMD based on the estimated lifespan of retired individuals. Your state likely groups your RMD income with the rest of your monthly revenue. 2. Payout Amount Your IRAs RMD will increase your monthly income level and possibly push you over the threshold of Medicaid eligibility. For most states, an individual cannot surpass $2,523 of monthly income and still qualify for Medicaid. 3. Roth IRA Specification Roth IRAs are distinct in that they have no RMD. You are free to go throughout your retired life and never touch your Roth IRA funds if your other income is sufficient for your expenses. Since your Roth IRA might never distribute payments, your state will likely distinguish it as an asset. 4. Availability of Funds Some retirement accounts allow the owner to pull the total amount value all at once. If you cash out your entire IRA balance, your state might classify your account as an asset. Are Your Spouses IRA Assets Protected From Nursing Homes? Many states classify married couples assets as owned by both spouses. When applying for Medicaid, this status applies even if the asset is only in one spouses name and sometimes extends to the other spouses IRA. Your spouses IRA status will also influence if your state identifies the account as an asset or monthly income. However, a community spouses monthly IRA distributions will usually not affect your Medicaid eligibility. As a result, your spouse can protect their IRA by putting it in payout status if they are not receiving payments from it already. How to Protect IRA Assets Going into a nursing home doesnt mean you have to distribute your IRA. Though you may have to apply some of your income or assets to nursing expenses, you can take action to preserve your assets. Change Your Account Status Check with your state if the RMD from your IRA counts towards your Medicaid eligibility. The idea is to strike the right balance in your IRA so it exceeds neither the asset nor the income limits. This delicate dance can allow you to keep your money and receive Medicaid assistance. Spend Down or Cash Out Spending down to qualify for Medicaid is another viable strategy. Therefore, you can liquidate a portion of your IRA for expenses such as life insurance, paying for a funeral plan or burial in advance, and updating your home with age-related amenities such as wider doorways or ramps. Furthermore, the care you purchase can help diminish your assets. In-home care, nursing home expenses or assisted living payments allow you to spend down and get beneath your states asset ceiling. Distribute Funds to Your Spouse If youre married and your spouse is not living in a nursing home, they are known as the community spouse, while you are the institutionalized spouse. Sometimes, the community spouse can preserve up to half of your joint assets. The community spouse resource allowance (CSRA) law allows the community spouse to receive up to $137,400 of your assets. The minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance (MMMNA) specifies how much income your spouse retains while you are in a nursing home. Medicaids spousal protection regulations require your spouses income to be a minimum of $2,288.75 per month in 48 states. Keep in mind that Hawaii has an MMMNA of $2,632.50 and Alaskas MMMNA is $2,861.25 since it costs more to live in each state. The maximum monthly maintenance needs allowance is $3,435 per month. Once calculated, the government excludes this income when deciding if you, the institutionalized spouse, are eligible for Medicaid. Purchase an Annuity If your state considers your IRA an asset, you can put the funds into an annuity that follows Medicaid regulations. Although the asset disappears, you will receive a monthly payment from the annuity. As a result, an annuity can help with your asset count, but it will increase your total monthly income. The Takeaway are ira assets protected from nursing homes Though the laws around Medicaid eligibility and IRA protection are complex, you can take advantage of the conditions your state has set. Going into a nursing home does not necessarily mean your IRA funds will vanish, especially if you understand your asset and income limits. Transferring assets to a spouse or converting an IRA to an annuity can also help. Tips for Retirement Planning A financial advisor can help you plan for contingencies during retirement. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be complicated. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you protect your assets, get started now. Retirement and long-term care planning arent always easy. For help, check out SmartAssets retirement tax calculator which helps you determine the friendliest state to retire in, from a tax perspective. Photo credit: iStock.com/kate_sept2004, iStock.com/PixelsEffect, iStock.com/kokouu The post Are IRA Assets Protected From Nursing Homes? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. 'We own 7 properties. Why can't we pay for groceries?' Ramit Sethi challenges SoCal couple to shake off their poverty mindset, examine the facts, and enjoy their wealth Travis and Natalie are a married couple in their 40s raising four children in Southern California. Travis is in the military while Natalie stays home to run the household and care for their kids. And they appeared on Episode 88 of Ramit Sethi's "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" podcast because despite having more than $1 million in assets and investments, they routinely fight over $20 Amazon purchases and feel as though they can't afford groceries even though theirs is a situation many couples would fight for. Don't miss Commercial real estate has outperformed the S&P 500 over 25 years. Here's how to diversify your portfolio without the headache of being a landlord Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds A natural way to diversify': Janet Yellen now says Americans should expect a decline in the USD as the world's reserve currency 3 ways you can prepare While this could be a story about struggling with the exorbitant expenses of Orange County where the couple lives and the cost of living is 51% higher than the national average its anything but. The combination of Travis's five-figure gross monthly income plus the income from their seven cash-positive rental properties should provide way more than enough to provide for their family. But as Travis put it, when does the grind stop and the enjoyment begin? This became the crux of the story one where negative financial beliefs can trump reality and revealed the key to solving their financial woes. How much is enough? Travis and Natalie are doing everything you're supposed to do financially speaking. They live well within their means, saving 29% of Travis's income, and have a diversified portfolio of investments, savings and rental properties. Their only debt is $401,000 in mortgages on those rental properties. This has earned them a net worth of almost six figures. And yet they're tapping their savings to pay for groceries and feel as though they lack the funds to live comfortably. Story continues What more can they do? Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how Save less, spend more The answer, it turned out, stared them in the face, but was so contrary to the advice propagated by most financial experts that they couldn't see it: Travis and Natalie need to save less so they can spend more. That's right. For once, the smart financial move is to spend more in an intentional way, of course to cast off their not enough mindset. The challenge so many people face with money revolves around a lack of understanding of its psychology, Sethi says. Adhering to the nuts and bolts of common sense spending is key to living a rich life. But its also crucial to understand how you approach money as a whole. "The way you feel about money is highly uncorrelated with the amount that you have," Sethi says. You only need to look at Travis and Natalie to understand what Sethi means here. On paper, the couple has more than enough. But they don't feel like they do, so they continue to sock away nearly a third of Travis' income rather than use some of it to live their rich life today. "When it comes to money, we stop listening to our intuition and start thinking, First I'll invest, later I'll enjoy it," Sethi says, but notes this is the wrong way to look at it. You don't know what later will bring, for starters. You or your spouse could get sick. Or you may need to help care for aging loved ones. Enjoy your life now, responsibly The lesson here is clear: You can't wait until some future time to start enjoying your life. The trouble for some of us, just like Travis and Natalie, is that learning to embrace the present will require a fundamental shift away from a miserly, misguided psychology. Whats more, grinding your whole life rarely means spontaneously stopping one day. But that needn't be a bad thing. As Sethi told Travis, the grind is part of who he is. You don't need to change that so much as add another layer to your personality that allows for present enjoyment. "I want you to live your rich life today and tomorrow," Sethi says. So yes, saving less can indeed mean more, if it allows you to spend on the things and experiences you love today. What to read next Worried about the economy? Here are the best shock-proof assets for your portfolio. (Theyre all outside of the stock market.) Rising prices are throwing off Americans' retirement plans here's how to get your savings back on track Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey invest in this asset to keep their wealth safe you may want to do the same in 2023 This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. SIphotography / iStock.com Your car insurance payment is probably just another bill at this point. But, maybe youve taken a look recently and thought the number might have gone up. Youd be right. According to CarInsurance.com, 57% of drivers said their carrier increased their car insurance rates in the past 12 months. New Car Market: Ford, Tesla Drop Prices by Up To 20% Thanks To Millions of Unwanted EVs Learn: How To Save $200 on Your Grocery Bill Every Month Not loving the price increase? You dont have to stick with your current carrier just because youve been with them for a long time. Heres how to find the best car insurance company that fits your needs and your budget. Should You Do a Comparison Price Check Every Year? Maybe you thought that once you found a car insurance company, you were set for life. However, consumer advocate and insurance industry expert Jeff Arnold says comparison shopping is a must in the car insurance game. An annual review is a wonderful practice to engage in, either with an agent or by yourself by calling your insurance company and asking if there are any other discounts you qualify for, Arnold said. It is always good to keep your insurance company honest by checking their rates with competitors. See More: Dont Buy a Car at a Dealership on This Day of the Week How Much Can You Save by Switching Car Insurance? Theres no hard fast number youre guaranteed to save, but Arnold said that yearly price comparisons might be able to save you quite a bit. It is not uncommon to save 5% to 20% by switching. Arnold recommended going to websites like rightrater.com or getjerry.com to get a quote without impacting your credit score or alerting your current carrier that you are shopping. Besides Every Year, When Else Should You Look Into Getting New Car Insurance? Certain life events call for you to check how much youre paying for car insurance and if theres a better deal out there. Arnold says to price-check whenever you have a milestone event, which could be marriage, divorce, high school or college graduation, or becoming a new homeowner. Story continues Your age also has an impact on how much you pay and might be a reason to switch insurers. When people reach the age of 25, they are considered more mature drivers and can likely find better rates if they shop around upon their next renewal period, said Paul Boudreau, an insurance broker at Rowat Insurance. Additionally, Arnold also said that when you get a new job that requires significantly less commute time for you, or if you now work from home, you might be able to get a better deal on your insurance, because youre driving less. What Should You Look For in a Car Insurance Company? Barry P. Goldberg, a car accident lawyer, says there are a few green flags you should look for when you sign up with a car insurance company. Choose a company with strong financial stability. This ensures that the insurer has the financial resources to pay out claims, especially in the case of major accidents or widespread incidents. Goldberg also said to keep an eye on how they handle claims. Read reviews or ask for recommendations from people who have filed claims with different insurers. A company that simplifies and expedites the claims process can be a significant advantage. Goldberg said that good customer service is always an advantage, as well. Is There One Insurance Company That Is Better Than All the Rest? When asked if there is an insurance company that will always get you the lowest price, Boudreau said it takes a little bit more research than that. The best car insurance company can vary by situation. Many times when advising clients, their driving record, age and car will influence which rates are offered by various companies. The best insurance company will be the one thats lowest for you based on your unique circumstances like location, age and driving record. Always Read the Fine Print Goldberg said that its important to know exactly what youre signing up for. Carefully review the policy terms and conditions, including any exclusions or limitations. Ensure you understand what is covered and under what circumstances. He also said to look for a company that has very transparent pricing and explanations. Avoid insurers that offer unrealistically low rates, as they might skimp on coverage. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Paying Too Much for Car Insurance? How To Find the Best Company for You Sydney Airport as Australia reacts to the new coronavirus Omicron variant in Sydney By Valerie Insinna and David Shepardson (Reuters) - Boeing is close to securing an order for more of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft from Australias Qantas Airways, industry sources said. The order for an unspecified number of 787-10s deepens the presence of the high-tech Dreamliner family at Australias flag carrier and could be announced as early as this month, the sources said. The sources cautioned that such negotiations typically go down to the wire and no decision is final until it has won airline board approval. The deal would be Qantas's first order of the 787-10 model, a stretched version of the 787-9 with shorter range that is designed to compete against the Airbus A330. Incoming Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said in June the carrier would kickstart a competition to replace existing A330 jets by end-year. Qantas, Boeing and Airbus declined to comment. Qantas, whose original decision to opt for a smaller type of Boeing 787 in 2005 led to a review of Airbus's wide-body strategy, is considered to be among the most influential aircraft buyers. In 2022, the Australian carrier announced a landmark order for a dozen A350-1000s the largest European widebody jet capable of nonstop flights from Sydney to London and New York as part of its Project Sunrise ultra-long haul initiative. Sources said the upcoming Dreamliner deal swings orders back in Boeings favor with the largest variant of 787. Qantas last placed a Dreamliner order in 2018, when it signed a deal for six jetliners meant to replace its remaining Boeing 747s. It currently operates 14 787-9s. (Reporting by Valerie Insinna, David Shepardson, additional reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by Stephen Coates) Sometimes identifying the best stocks to buy can be difficult, but you could do a lot worse than checking out the stocks selected by one of the worlds savviest hedge fund managers Warren Buffett. Buffetts stock picks are a popular source of inspiration for investors, and for good reason. His formidable stock-picking ability has given him the nickname the Oracle of Omaha and a fortune of ~$117 billion, making him one of the richest people in the world. His firm, Berkshire Hathaway, is also counted among the most successful, boasting total assets of over $1 trillion. So obviously when Buffett goes shopping, investors are keen to find out whats in the bag. During Q2, Buffett opened new positions in a few homebuilding stocks, and as he is known for his value investing style, he must think these names offer just that right now. But its not just Buffett who likes the look of these particular equities. Raymond James analyst Buck Horne has also pinpointed an opportunity in these stocks, believing they are primed to deliver double-digit growth over the next year. For a fuller view of their prospects, we decided to run these tickers through the TipRanks database. Heres what we found. D.R. Horton, Inc. (DHI) The first stock Buffett is betting on is D.R. Horton, a Texas-based construction firm and a leader in the US homebuilding industry. The company has held the title of the nations largest homebuilder for more than 20 years and operates in 113 residential markets across 33 states. D.R. Horton works on projects for both single-family homes and multi-family apartment complexes. D.R. Horton has been building homes for 45 years, and has closed over 1 million building contracts in that time. The company has a portfolio of designs, featuring homes in all price brackets, from under $200,000 to over $1 million, and can even implement smart home technology from ground up during construction. While the company holds a leading position in its industry, it has felt the effects of real estate headwinds. Earnings are down year-over-year for the past several quarters, even as revenues have showed y/y gains. This pattern continued in the recently reported results for Q3 of fiscal 2023. DHI had a top line of $9.7 billion, up 11% from the year-ago quarter, but the bottom line non-GAAP EPS of $3.90 was well below the 3Q22 figure of $4.67. That said, of greater import for investors, DHI beat the forecasts at both the top and bottom lines in Q3, with revenue coming in $1.31 billion above expectations and EPS beating by $1.07 per share. Story continues Looking forward, DHI reported two important metrics that bode well for future business. First, it closed on 22,985 homes in Q3, a year-over-year increase of 8%, and the total value of those homes closures was up 4% y/y, to $8.7 billion. And, the companys net sales orders were up an impressive 37% y/y, to 22,879 homes. The total value of the net sales orders was reported as $8.7 billion, for a 26% y/y increase. As such, the company raised its revenue outlook for the year, with the top-line now expected to hit the range between $34.7 billion to $35.1 billion compared to $31.5-$33 billion beforehand. Consensus had $32.34 billion. As for Warren Buffett, his firm opened a new position in DHI during the calendar second quarter. Berkshire Hathaway disclosed total purchases of 5,969,714 shares of DHI, a major stock acquisition that is now worth about $700 million. Turning to the Raymond James view, we find that analyst Buck Horne is impressed with D.R. Hortons prospects for the next few quarters. He writes, As it stands, we now see DHI on a path toward double-digit EPS growth and 20%+ ROIC metrics in FY24, most notably supported by a surging rental housing platform which we think will significantly mitigate cyclical volatility associated with mortgage rates. With its pristine balance sheet primed for growth and acquisition opportunities, we believe DHIs earnings visibility and profitability have improved to the point that investors should not be afraid of current valuations. Alongside these comments, Home gives DHI shares an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating, with a price target of $160 that implies a one-year upside potential of ~36%. (To watch Homes track record, click here) Overall, DHI has picked up 15 recent Wall Street analyst reviews, and these include 10 Buys, 4 Holds, and 1 Sell to give the stock its Moderate Buy consensus rating. The shares are selling for $117.31 and the $144 average price target implies ~23% upside on the one-year horizon. (See DHI stock forecast) Lennar Corporation (LEN) The next Buffett choice were looking at is Florida-based Lennar Corp, another of the major homebuilders in the US. Lennar operates on the East Coast and Southeast, in the Great Lakes region, in Texas and Oklahoma, and in the West and West Coast regions. The company is perennially among the top 5 largest homebuilders in the country, counting by total home sales. Since its founding in 1954, Lennar has built more than 1 million homes. The company controls a number of brands, that offer services in all aspects of the new-home industry. There are five brands operating on the construction side, while Lennar Mortgage, Lennar Title, and Lennar Insurance Agency provide the necessary financial services to make the homes available to buyers. Lennar has a long history of expanding its operations through acquisition, and currently works in 26 states. In 2022, Lennar reported more than $33 billion in total revenues, but the company is not quite on track so far this year to meet that figure. In its 2Q23 report, Lennar showed a top line of $8.05 billion, down 3.7% y/y, although it should be noted that was some $810 million above the estimates. The companys Q2 earnings, an EPS of $2.94 by non-GAAP measures, also beat the forecast by 62 cents per share. Lennar delivered 17,074 homes in Q2, and finished the quarter with new orders for 17,885 homes worth a total of $8.2 billion. The companys work backlog, an important metric for future business, was reported at 20,214 homes, valued at $9.5 billion. Reflecting a new position for Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, the firm pulled the trigger on 152,572 shares in Q2. This stake in Lennar is currently valued at $17.85 million. Also bullish on this stock, Raymond James Buck Horne is impressed by Lennars ability to maintain production. Combining targeted price reductions, incentives, and mortgage rate buydowns to keep home production flowing, despite mortgage rate volatility, Lennar has been able to identify the remarkable reservoir of pent-up housing demand much sooner than most We find shares of LEN trading at 1.7x trailing book value and 9.5x our FY24 EPS, roughly in line with peer averages. As such, we think LEN shares remain worthy of a material valuation re-rating thanks to a 15%+ projected ROIC, double-digit EPS growth, and a net debt free balance sheet, Horne opined. Quantifying his stance, Horne goes on to rate LEN an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and he puts a $150 price target on the stock to show his confidence in a 28% gain on the 12-month horizon. All in all, Lennar has picked up 16 recent analyst reviews, and these include 10 Buys, 4 Holds, and 2 Sells to give the stock its Moderate Buy consensus rating. The average price target of $134.40 and the current trading price of $117 together point toward ~15% one-year upside potential. (See Lennar stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Redlining is a type of mortgage discrimination in which lenders deny loans based on a neighborhood's racial composition. Housing discrimination is deeply embedded in Americas past and mortgage lenders are partly responsible through the practice of redlining. In a nutshell, redlining is mortgage discrimination against nonwhite neighborhoods. Lenders engage in redlining when they deny loans based on an areas racial composition. Here, an overview of redlinings past and present. Redlining's History Redlining was common in the U.S. in the 1930s, when lenders were encouraged by the federal government to deny loans to certain communities in the wake of the Great Depression," said Bryan Greene, vice president for advocacy at the National Association of Realtors. Black communities were literally excluded from lending activity by a red line on a map indicating where lenders werent supposed to issue home loans. (The University of Richmonds Mapping Inequality project has digitized scans of old redlining maps.) The maps designated areas as high risk or low risk for mortgage lending. Neighborhoods with predominantly minority populations particularly Black communities were often marked as high risk, resulting in limited access to home loans. As a result, minorities were stifled in their ability to buy real estate and build wealth through homeownership. Redlining also contributed to lower property values in these areas. Redlined neighborhoods are generally located near the center of urban areas, where Black people were concentrated when the government generated the maps, according to a Brookings report . New York led the nation for the most-populous redlined areas, the analysis found. Redlining today Despite the enactment of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and other protected classes, redlining persists today, Greene said, although it exists in a less formal fashion. Some lenders are still hesitant, whether consciously and/or subconsciously, to make loans in communities of color, but they dont use maps, he said. Story continues Consequently, minority-dominant neighborhoods still grapple with unequal access to home loans and other financial services. Case in point: ESSA Bank & Trust paid over $3 million this past May in a settlement regarding allegations that it redlined majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Likewise, City National Bank was fined earlier this year more than $31 million for engaging in redlining in Los Angeles, marking the largest redlining settlement in history. The City National settlement was one of six overseen by the Department of Justice since fall 2021 resulting in a total of $85 million in fines, the Department said at a recent forum in Newark, New Jersey that looked at its efforts to combat redlining. The cases and settlements have developed as a result of a program first announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland in October 2021 called the Combatting Redlining Initiative. The settlements are being redistributed to the communities of color that have faced lending discrimination, the Justice Department said. Redlinings long-lasting impact can also be seen in unexpected ways. According to a 2022 study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters, Black and Latino Americans live in areas with more smog and fine particulate matter from vehicles, coal plants, and other industrial sources than White Americans because of historical redlining. Redlining can also take place in the form of reverse redlining, where a financial institution engages in predatory lending or disproportionately markets their products in the neighborhoods that were once marked as high-risk on redlining maps. In 2019, Wells Fargo settled a $10 million lawsuit brought by the city of Philadelphia, which accused the bank of targeting Black and Latino neighborhoods with predatory loans. The good news? Progress is being made. For example, Lakeland Bank paid a $13.4 million settlement for redlining last year as part of the Justice Department's 85 million in redlining settlements (although the bank admitted no wrongdoing). However, following the settlements, it opened two new branches to increase mortgage lending in underserved communities of color in three New Jersey counties. Moreover, in 2021 Black home buyers were approved for mortgages at nearly 85% the rate of White homebuyers the highest rate on record, a FairPlay study of more than 350 million mortgage applications from 1990 to 2021 found. What to do if you suspect youre a victim of redlining You can take several actions if you believe you are the victim of redlining: File a housing discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development online or by phone at (800) 669-9777 Report the issue to your local Fair Housing center If there is no Fair Housing center in your area, submit a complaint online to the National Fair Housing Alliance. HUD investigates housing discrimination claims on behalf of individuals free of charge, Greene said. If the investigation finds evidence of discrimination, HUD will bring the case before a judge. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:REGN) has recently been in the spotlight, drawing interest from investors and financial analysts due to its robust financial stance. With shares currently priced at $826.11, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc has witnessed a surge of 1.69% over a period, marked against a three-month change of 8.72%. A thorough analysis, underlined by the GuruFocus Score Rating, suggests that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc is well-positioned for substantial growth in the near future. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc: A Deep Dive into Its Financial Metrics and Competitive Strengths What Is the GF Score? The GF Score is a stock performance ranking system developed by GuruFocus using five aspects of valuation, which has been found to be closely correlated to the long-term performances of stocks by backtesting from 2006 to 2021. The stocks with a higher GF Score generally generate higher returns than those with a lower GF Score. Therefore, when picking stocks, investors should invest in companies with high GF Scores. The GF Score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 as the highest rank. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's GF Score components are as follows: Each one of these components is ranked and the ranks also have positive correlation with the long term performances of stocks. The GF score is calculated using the five key aspects of analysis. Through backtesting, we know that each of these key aspects has a different impact on the stock price performance. Thus, they are weighted differently when calculating the total score. With high ranks in financial strength, profitability, growth, and momentum, and a moderate rank in GF Value, GuruFocus assigned Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc the GF Score of 94 out of 100, which signals the highest outperformance potential. Story continues Understanding Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc Business Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, with a market cap of $89.68 billion, is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, and commercializes products that fight eye disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammation. The company has several marketed products, including Eylea, Praluent, Dupixent, Libtayo, and Kevzara. Regeneron is also developing monoclonal and bispecific antibodies with Sanofi, other collaborators, and independently, and has earlier-stage partnerships that bring new technology to the pipeline, including RNAi (Alnylam) and CRISPR-based gene editing (Intellia). The company's sales stand at $12.67 billion with an operating margin of 34.2%. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc: A Deep Dive into Its Financial Metrics and Competitive Strengths Financial Strength Breakdown According to the Financial Strength rating, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's robust balance sheet exhibits resilience against financial volatility, reflecting prudent management of capital structure. The Interest Coverage ratio for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc stands impressively at 62.27, underscoring its strong capability to cover its interest obligations. This robust financial position resonates with the wisdom of legendary investor Benjamin Graham, who favored companies with an interest coverage ratio of at least 5. With an Altman Z-Score of 10.59, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc exhibits a strong defense against financial distress, highlighting its robust financial stability. With a favorable Debt-to-Revenue ratio of 0.21, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's strategic handling of debt solidifies its financial health. Profitability Rank Breakdown The Profitability Rank shows Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's impressive standing among its peers in generating profit. The Piotroski F-Score confirms Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's solid financial situation based on Joseph Piotroski's nine-point scale, which measures a company's profitability, funding and operating efficiency. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's strong Predictability Rank of 5.0 stars out of five underscores its consistent operational performance, providing investors with increased confidence. Growth Rank Breakdown Ranked highly in Growth, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc demonstrates a strong commitment to expanding its business. The company's 3-Year Revenue Growth Rate is 23.3%, which outperforms better than 69.67% of 765 companies in the Biotechnology industry Moreover, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc has seen a robust increase in its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) over the past few years. Specifically, the three-year growth rate stands at 25.8, and the rate over the past five years is 28. This trend accentuates the company's continued capability to drive growth. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc: A Deep Dive into Its Financial Metrics and Competitive Strengths Conclusion Given the company's strong financial strength, profitability, and growth metrics, the GuruFocus Score Rating highlights Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's unparalleled position for potential outperformance. This analysis suggests that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc is a promising investment opportunity for value investors seeking robust returns. GuruFocus Premium members can find more companies with strong GF Scores using the following screener link: GF Score Screen This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Transparency Market Research Significant adoption of non-invasive and lightweight handheld respiratory monitoring devices, especially pulse oximeters and spirometers, presents lucrative opportunities for companies in the market Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global respiratory monitoring devices market was valued at US$ 7.7 Bn in 2021 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2022 to 2031. Pressing need for monitoring patients suffering from chronic respiratory diseases is expected to drive the demand for non-invasive monitoring technology. Considerable demand for remote patient monitoring technologies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients is offering lucrative opportunities to companies in the market. For instance, usage of advanced remote patient monitoring (RPM) tools in home care settings has helped reduce COPD readmissions in hospitals. Introduction of remote patient monitoring technology for sleep apnea patients is likely to augment market size. Request Sample Copy (To Understand the Complete Structure of this Report [Summary + TOC]): https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1415 Connect with our team of research specialists and unlock the optimal solution for driving your business growth Market Snapshot: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue US$ 7.7 Bn Estimated Value US$ 15 Bn Growth Rate - CAGR 6.3% Forecast Period 2023-2031 No. of Pages 194 Pages Market Segmentation By Product Type, End-use, Distribution Channel Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, South America Companies Covered Medtronic, Philips Healthcare (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Smiths Medical (part of Smiths Group plc), Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, GE Healthcare (part of General Electric Company), and Welch Allyn, Inc. (Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.) Key Findings of Study Significant Demand for Pulse Oximeters in Home Care Settings High preference for pulse oximeters for monitoring respiratory health can be ascribed to the adoption of portable and handheld respiratory monitoring devices. Patients find pulse oximeters convenient to wear and easy to use. This is expected to bolster the adoption of these devices over the next few years. Story continues Manufacturers of pulse oximeters are aiming to carry out design innovations in order to make these devices less bulky and portable. Based on product, the pulse oximeters segment accounted for the major share of about 37.0% in 2021. Rise in demand for non-invasive respiratory monitoring technology is likely to strengthen the segment. Cost-effectiveness of these devices these are usually inexpensive compared to other commercially available remote respiratory monitoring devices is another aspect that is likely to bolster the segment over the next few years. Rapid Advancement in Remote Patient Monitoring Technology to Benefit Patients Continuous remote monitoring of patients suffering fromchronic respiratory diseases, especially COPD, is essential to avoid disease exacerbations (flare-ups) and improve the quality of life of the affected individuals. Demand for remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices is also increasing among asthma patients. Treatment and management of COPD entails high cost. As a result, the usage of RPM technology has increased considerably in at-home care settings for the patient population. Need for novel acoustic respiration rate measurement technology for neonatal and infant care presents significant untapped opportunities for market players (untapped because not many devices are approved by the U.S. FDA or are available worldwide). High Usage of Respiratory Monitoring Devices in Hospital Settings Based on end-user, the hospitals segment accounted for the leading market share of 39.0% in 2021. Significant demand for respiratory monitoring devices among hospitalized patients is anticipated to propel the segment during the forecast period. Key Growth Drivers of Respiratory Monitoring Devices Market High prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases, especially COPD and asthma, is a key factor that is driving the need for continuous monitoring of respiratory health of the patients. This is expected to strengthen the demand for respiratory monitoring devices. Rise in incidence of sleep apnea in several developing and developed regions around the globe is anticipated to drive the respiratory monitoring devices market. The prevalence is likely to increase due to obesity and advancing age. Growth in the elderly population, particularly males, is estimated to fuel the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea. Rapid advancements in wearable patient monitoring technologies, such as sensor and flexible electronics, is likely to broaden the market outlook. 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